Children 'n Us Stroller Organizer Review

                                

With two sets of twins under the age of two we have many strollers. The two that we use the most are a double stroller and our new quad stroller (yikes!). They are pretty nice strollers, however, they don’t have anywhere to put drinks, phones, chapstick, or anything else small. And mommy needs her chapstick.

Thankfully, I was recently given the opportunity to review a stroller organizer that straps onto any stroller. It has several small pockets, a main pocket, and two mesh elasticized pockets that are great for holding bottled water or baby bottles. (Gotta stay hydrated when you are pushing an 80 lb stroller plus 90 lbs of kids!) This nifty organizer is sold by Children n’ Us. It is very easy to install; just hook the straps over the stroller bar.  It is easy to order through Amazon, and reasonably priced. And be sure to check out their Facebook page for all things baby!

I’m not really sure what I was expecting in a stroller organizer, but I will say that I wish this were more sturdy. It will hold things, but it won’t keep things from tipping over unless they are in the elasticized pockets. On the plus side, this organizer would also be handy to have in your car for the bagillion things every mommy carries with her; just in case.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Holiday Gift Guide: Nerium Firm Lotion

So…I cheated. I had 4 kids and only had to carry 2 pregnancies (2 sets of twins). I gave birth to these 2 sets only 19 months apart. The consequences for this cheating, however, have been harsh for my body. You could certainly say that my body has seen better days. From my ribs down I have a wonderful new road map of stretch marks that tell the story of how I carried my two sets of twins for 35 weeks and 38 weeks…in addition to the marks I have what is so fondly called “twin skin.” Ya know, the extra skin you are left with after your body stretches to mind bending proportions.

So what now? I don’t think I am done having children, so there is only more saggy skin in my future. I asked my doctor what I could do about it and she didn’t mince words. She said, “looks like there is a tummy tuck in your future.” Hah, thanks doc; very encouraging. As if I could afford a tummy tuck.  This left me with a pretty dim outlook.

Sara, your go to Rep for Nerium!

Enter Sara, a very sweet sales rep who sells a product called Nerium. Sara is a young mother of three who helps supplement her family’s income by selling their fantastic product line. Nerium only sells 3 products right now, and one of them is called Firm. It actually firms up sagging skin; exactly what I had been looking for. Now, I know you, like me, are probably skeptical. But come on, a company that only sells 3 products and is highly successful must be doing something right. So I agreed to try out their Firm lotion and write up a review about my experience with it.

Here are some before and after photos of people who have used Nerium Firm:

 

 

My sales rep Sara uses Nerium herself and loves it; she is honest, fun, and never pushy. She is the best person you could buy this product from. She will answer any questions you have and make sure you are happy!

                                                       

I started using Nerium Firm on October 10^th, it has been over 30 days and I have seen great results. I apply the lotion twice a day; it only takes about a minute to really rub it all in. The very first day that I used Firm, my skin felt different. For lack of a better word, it felt firmer. As the days progressed I honestly couldn’t tell for sure if anything was changing. I kept asking my husband how it looked, and referencing my “before” photos…but my belly didn’t look too different. However, it felt different. I continued to notice that my belly skin felt tighter and firmer.

So 30 days later and I am finally seeing tighter, smoother, firmer belly skin. And it feels that way too! I seem to have real problem with sticking with a regimen when I don’t see results, but I am so thankful that I stuck to this Firm lotion regimen. It took a month of “I’m not sure if I see any results” to get to the results that I am now seeing. **Just a note here, to protect my own feelings, I have not posted my own Before and After photos, however, if you email and ask to see MY before and after photos I will be more than happy to show you!** I will say that Nerium is expensive, but it works. It is worth it; and the alternative equivalent to these results is surgery, or injection, etc. costing in the thousands! One of the great things about Nerium is that you can sign up as a preferred customer and receive your product monthly at a VERY discounted price! For example, the Firm lotion is regularly $98, but as a preferred customer you can get it for $70!

You can reach Sara for sales and information at her website or via email.

This isn’t just a moisturizing lotion; there is real science behind it. According to the Nerium website, “NeriumFirm is a skin-tightening cream developed from the patented NAE-8 extract of the Nerium oleander plant. Its powerful antioxidant formulation has been clinically proven to reduce the appearance of cellulite and dimpling and to help smooth, tighten and firm the appearance of loose skin. NeriumFirm also helps restore the appearance of youthful contour, tone and texture…. NeriumFirm is the only contouring product on the market harnessing the power of the NAE-8 extract, the key ingredient in the renowned NeriumAD skincare line.”  In addition to the proven results of NAE-8, NeriumFirm contains five other key ingredients:

• Peptide matrix
• Caffeine
• White willow bark extract
• Green tea leaf extract
• Forskohlii root extract

In a recent third-party clinical trial, 92% of participants reported positive improvements on their thighs after 28 days. 92% reported an increase in their skin’s hydration, and 83% reported an improvement in the appearance of their skin’s cellulite and smoothness.

One of our lucky readers will win their very own Nerium Firm lotion! Enter below to win, and tell your friends!

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Holiday Gift Guide: Uppercase Living: Removable Vinyl Wall Decor

Upper Case Living. I must admit, I had never heard of this company until recently. Really, until a lot of my friends began to post pictures to Facebook of their beautiful new vinyl wall décor that they bought from Upper Case Living (UCL). My interest was piqued! Not too soon after this I was invited to an UCL home “party” where the company and its products were presented to me by the lovely Diana Crouse; I loved it! UCL has a huge catalog of designs that you can choose from. They have categories that range from inspirational to children to whimsical.

Some Favorites:

                           

Vinyl wall décor definitely seems to be the latest craze! I mean, really, who doesn’t love art that won’t damage your wall; is easy to remove; and is completely customizable?! Not to mention, it can be applied almost anywhere you desire. I love to have scripture and phrases all around my house, but I hate to put nail holes in all my walls, plus I am pretty bad at hanging things straight. Thus, UCL designs are perfect for my family.

I was given the opportunity, by Diana, to pick a design and write a review of it. Being the complicated person that I am, I of course created my own design with 3 separate elements to it. With UCL you can basically create what you want. You can choose color, design, content, font, size, etc. A very cool thing about UCL is that you can play around with all of these elements in their My Design Suite application, which can be accessed through Diana’s website. Or, if you are design challenged, such as myself, you can ask Diana to create your art for you. I mean, you can even turn your favorite photo into a removable wall vinyl with UCL! Just tell her what you are thinking of doing and she will work wonders to create the perfect piece for you!

I don’t know about all UCL representatives, but Diana came to my house and actually applied the vinyl to my wall! Thank goodness! I may have destroyed my entire home simply trying to peel and stick a vinyl on the wall, evenly! Diana is such a pro. She brought along a tape measure and a level…she meant business. The result was beautiful! I am very pleased with the look and quality of my UCL wall vinyl. You can order yours today via Diana’s website. You can also contact Diana via Facebook, as well as follow her business and designs on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

But of course, this is the Holiday season so one lucky reader will win a beautiful Welcome vinyl as well as a $25 credit to use as you wish at Diana’s Upper Case Living website! You could give the vinyl as a gift and use the credit to create your own masterpiece! Viola!

The Vinyl You Could Win

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Holiday Gift Guide: Rodan + Fields Beauty Products

Rodan + Fields: Their mission is to connect people with the products, the knowledge, the resources, and the opportunities to change skin and to change lives.

Rodan + Fields is a high end dermatology product. They are so much better than your basic Avon or department store brand. The company was founded by world-renowned dermatologists Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields, the creators of Proactiv^® Solution. These ladies really know their stuff. Their products make it possible for you to get real, beautifying results at home, without injections or procedures.

A sweet friend of mine, Christy Crummy, is an independent consultant for Rodan + Fields and her beautiful skin is a testament to the results of their products. I trust her, and I have tried out many of their items, and I can say that they work!

I have used the lip shield every night for a month and my lips feel better than ever! I used to be addicted to Chapstick, but since learning that Chapstick actually strips your lips of layers of skin, I have been trying to avoid it. I tried using "natural" lip products like Burt's Bees and the EOS line; however, my lips still dried out and needed moisturized several times during the day. I am very pleased to say that with the Rodan + Fields Essentials Lip Shield I no longer need daily moisturizing; just once at night! I am no longer a Chapstick addict. The Lip Shield is also a great sunscreen for your lips, so that is an added bonus to me.

Another great item I tested was the foaming sunless tanner. I must say I was skeptical. I have a natural red tint to my hair and I have very pale skin. Needless to say, I don't tan. And I don't want to look orange. So I have stayed away from most sunless tanners. They usually smell bad, are a mess, and make you look a strange orange shade. I wasn't expecting much different from this Rodan + Fields product. I was pleasantly surprised. The tanner is actually a foam; it is lightweight and clear, not messy at all. And it smells nice! I am such a sucker for a nice scent.

The color doesn't appear for a few hours so you should apply it the night before you plan to bare skin. I would also recommend you apply this after you shower at night because you don’t want to bather soon after application. This tanner contains RF-Dcell technology, which extends the duration of your sunless tan. It also contains vitamins A, C, and E which defend your skin against free radical damage. The great thing about Rodan + Fields products is that they don't just make you look beautiful; they actually improve the health of your skin! And for those of you who are curios, here is a photo of my leg where I skipped some areas so you could see the color difference. 

Lastly was the Micro-Dermabrasion Paste which comes in convenient packets. This is an oil free formula that exfoliates, smoothes, and evens out skin tones. You can apply this paste to dry skin for an extreme exfoliation, or use on damp skin for a gentler scrub. I prefer using it on damp skin because my skin is prone to dryness and flaking. This product really does promote smoothe skin!

You can try Rodan +Fields for yourself today by contacting Christy via email  or by visiting her website . However, one lucky winner will receive one Redefine Eye Cream, valued at $60 and one Foaming Sunless Tanner, a $24! Enter below to win.

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Holiday Gift Guide: 1-2-3- Just Play With Me Child Development Tool Box Set Review & Giveaway from Milestones & Miracles

                           

                                         
As a new mom I constantly fretted that my children weren’t getting the appropriate stimulation to learn and develop like they should. I was always wondering, “Am I showing them enough contrast?” “Am I playing the right music?” “Did we do enough tummy time?” and so on… I also made the mistake (and sometimes still do) of comparing my children’s abilities to that of their peers. I would scour the internet to find out exactly what my child should be able to do at what age. But honestly, I was lost. I was a new mom and I had no idea what to expect from these new little humans. 

I just gave birth to my second set of twins, who are now 9 weeks old, and thankfully I know a little bit more about what to expect. However, our newest twins were almost full term, as opposed to our older twins who were 5 weeks premature and thus developed slower. So will these new little ladies be ahead in their development? What should I be looking for? Where can I get answers? 

                                

Thankfully I recently came across a great tool for parents everywhere that will help us to know just exactly what a child should be able to do and at what age. No more guessing game. It is called JustPlay with Me from a company called Milestones & Miracles. The brilliant thing about this tool is that it not only helps you to understand the milestones that your child should be hitting, but it also gives you fun play ideas that will help you to help your child achieve these milestones! 

Daddy teaching us about sorting

 I trust the content of 1-2-3 Just Play with Me because  the company that created it, Milestones & Miracles is a company for moms founded by moms who also happen to be a licensed physical therapist (Nicole Sergent) and a licensed speech-language pathologist (Lacy Morise). These ladies have put a lot of time, research and effort into making this complete package. In it you will find numbered, (thankfully, because whose child won’t dump this box) sturdy cards that suggest ways for you to “play with purpose” with your child; helping them to learn and advance while also building bonds with them.

Daddy teaching us about colors & shapes

There currently is nothing like this on the market that pairs development with play and I am thrilled to have it! I currently am using the cards for 0-3 months for my newborns and the 19-24 month cards for my toddlers and I love it. The 1-2-3 Just Play with Me system is so easy; I just pull out a card from the box that corresponds with my child’s age and I put it somewhere I will see it often, like the refrigerator, and I reference it throughout the day. And I must admit, one of the best selling features about this parenting tool is that it is easy and way less overwhelming than the huge child development books; it is convenient and quick! I don’t have to find countless hours and quiet time to read a long book! I mean, really, what parent of small children has that luxury?! 

Pointing to and labeling body parts

As a mother of 2 sets of twins who were born prematurely, thus having some delayed development issues, I highly recommend this product because it has helped me to understand where my child should ideally be developmentally. The cards are color coded to differentiate between 5 areas of development: cognitive, fine motor, speech and language, social emotional, and gross motor. It also helps me to identify where their development may be lacking and helps me to feel empowered as my child’s advocate when speaking to their pediatrician. So don’t hesitate! You can buy yours today for the reasonable price of $42.00 at www. milestonesandmiracles.com, amazon, ebay, Pro-Ed (a leading national therapy catalog, and at 10 other retailers which can be found under the tab “retailers” on the company’s website.  You can also purchase a convenient Ebook version of 1-2-3 Just Play with Me which can be read on any device! The Ebook can be purchased via Amazon,iTunes, and Barnes and Noble. 

Be sure to follow Milestones & Miracles on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest for helpful information, ideas and updates. One lucky reader will win their very own box set of 1-2-3 Just Play with Me! Just in time for Christmas, this will make a great gift to yourself or to anyone you know with children! Enter below to win! Good luck! 

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Stretch Marks From Twins Pregnancies: Instanatural Stretch Mark & Scar Cream Review

Stretch marks? Oh, you must mean my tiger stripes! You know, the battle scars that I earned carrying two twin pregnancies less than a year apart…but seriously. Stretch marks are no fun. I sadly have had some since I was about 10 years old, from when my body decided to turn into a woman overnight. Yay. But at least those have faded.

Now, I have the ugly/angry purplish-blue stretch marks from this last twin pregnancy crisscrossing my body. Thus, I will try anything that claims to heal them. I recently received some products from Instanatural, including a Stretch Mark & Scar Cream, aimed at prevention and reduction. The list of active ingredients include: 15% Vitamin C, Cocoa Butter, Rosehip Oil, Mango Butter, Grape Seed Oil, and Evening Primrose Oil. This company does not test on animals, is USA made, and has great reviews on Amazon so I was pumped to try it.

The product is nicely packaged and it smells so very good! Also, it is in a nice almost hands free pump, meaning you just need the heel of your palm. This is so convenient with lotions because your hands get all slimy and it’s annoying to have to pick up and squeeze a tube with slippery hands. So I used this cream twice a day (per the bottle’s instructions) for 30 days. After about a week I felt like I started to see a lightening in the color of my stretch marks. At the end of the 30 days I definitely noticed that the stretch marks weren’t as dark. In fact, one of my worst marks is a relatively small one that is deep. It is like a crater in my skin. However, after using the Instanatural cream the crater is almost completely filled in. Instead of feeling like a groove in my skin, it is almost smooth and level with my skin.

My deep stretch mark on my hip. BEFORE on the LEFT, AFTER on the RIGHT

My left leg. BEFORE on the LEFT, AFTER on the Right

I was surprised at the results that I actually saw with this product. I tried the It Works stretch mark cream for $65 and it was a bust; I saw no visible results. This Instanatural cream gives me hope for the future of my body! You can get yours from Amazon right now for the sale price of $23.47! Instanatural is so confident in their product that they offer a Lifetime Money Back Guarantee, no matter where you buy their product. If you're not satisfied, simply contact them and get a full refund. That is an amazing deal! Plus, you can sign up on their website for their Insta Club and receive 15% off of your orders. Make sure you check them out of Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products and deals! 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.