Free $15 Voucher for Bearfoot Books for completing survey!

The title says it all..Bearfoot Books is offering a $15 voucher to be used online to get a free book if you complete their survey by this Sunday, April 7th, 2013.  The survey only takes about 10-15 minutes to complete and they are looking for feedback on how they can improve their content and website.  Best part about the voucher is that if you get something less than the $15, it counts towards the $5 shipping charge.  How savvy :)

If you aren't familiar with their products, take a look at their site.  I highly recommend their books. 
They are colorful enough to keep N's interest (as interested as he gets right now, anyway) and the company has a great mission and are green! 



I learned about this company through my Citrus Lane subscription, who also passed along this survey offer to its fans. If you are interested in signing up for a subscription through Citrus Lane, you can check out through my referral link. Use code TAKEHALF for half off one month or a 3, 6, or 12 month subscription or use code BREAK10 for 10% off a 6 month subscription.

Click the link below and you should get the voucher within 3-5 business days via email as advertised.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/20bfbus

Happy Surveying!

Bzz Agent Report on Garnier BB Cream - Swatches and pics for Deep

Hello All :)

I received a free product last Friday..a new BB cream by Garnier.  It is advertised as a skin renew "miracle skin perfector" for combination to oily skin and has a SPF of 20.  I have to say, I love tinted moisturizers and BB creams.  As a not-so new month of a one year old, I don't have time or energy to put on foundation all the time.  These seem like so much less work to do every day before I go to work.  Plus thankfully, I don't need the full coverage that foundation provides.  This gives just enough coverage to even out my blemishes and make me look a bit more pulled together!

Before accepting this product, I searched on line to see if I could find a swatch of the Deep tone but this is a fairly new product and an even newer tone, so I could not find an accurate swatch, even on their site (sadness).  I wrestled for a few moments between Medium/Deep and Deep and decided on deep due to the model being of a lighter African-American complexion and the medium/deep swatches I found to appear way too light.  I am a NC-45 in MAC for reference. 

I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed that this was not an exact match.  It has just a bit too much of an "orange" undertone.  I do think I will be able to wear it later in the summer, as I will probably match it much better when I'm a bit darker.

 I decided to compare it to my Smashbox tinted moisturizer which is my go to on a daily basis.  (Sigh) I would have loved to trade in my $30 Smashbox for this $11.99 BB cream.
                                     
Of course the tinted moisurizer is a bit more sheer because BB creams provide a little more coverage, but you get the idea.

 I don't know if you can tell, but my Smashbox is swatched on the left, and the Garnier is on the right.

 

Both creams blended completely into the skin.  I love the formula on both.

So in all, I can not give a full review until late Spring when I am able to wear it a full day with out looking odd.  I may try to mix it with another cream to "lighten it up" enough to match me.  I will say however that I love the SPF 20 in the Garnier and the formula goes on smoothly and blends well.  Once  blended in, it does not look as off as I first thought, although it is not a perfect match.  I am a medium complexion, so I am a bit disappointed that the Deep tone will not work with most African-Americans, but other brands may work. This is why I have to pay a bit more money to find a cream that is more suited to me. For example, I tried the Maybelline BB cream last year and found the medium much too light and the medium/deep too dark, but they do have a few to choose from in different shades, so blending two together may work. That's a great thing about being able to select from different brands..to find out what works best for you!

March 2013 Citrus Lane Review

A few days ago I received my Citrus Lane box for March.  This box is for a 13 month old boy.  I have to admit I had to let it sink in for a couple of days before writing this review.  Here it is :)

 I was pleased to see something that N would be able to grow into.  This puzzle by Mudpuppy is designed for ages 2 and up.  It is two-sided with one side being a color wheel and the other with robots.  This is great for a busy bag and to teach colors.  I will hold on to this for a few months, as N is at the throwing everything over his shoulders stage.

 The star of the box.  I have seen two variations: a ladybug and the lamb. 

 Made by Cloud B, an aroma pillow with a lavendar scent.  Advertised as a pediatrician recommended size (a mini pillow pet).  Ideal age is listed as 2 and up.

 Wee Gallery temporary tattoos: includes 4 of each animal:  lion, monkey, and a parrot.  I honestly don't have any feelings on this one way or another.  I will probably save this until he is around 18 months if I don't gift it.  At the moment he would probably just try to lick it off.

 NutureMe powdered vegetable and fruit packets, one of each as shown.  I was a little disappointed with this as we received this in our first which was less than a year ago.  Although we haven't used the last packets I know that they will all get used.

This in my opinion was an absolute waste of paper.  Very disappointed as I strongly dislike receiving coupons (not a giftcard) in subscription boxes for other services.  I have received this offer in another box a few months ago.  This is not a gift for moms or exclusive to Citrus Lane subscribers as this offer has been floating around the web since last spring.  This is suppose to be an extra however, not part of the value of the box; but still disappointing since moms are used to receiving an actual small product or sample in the past.  Also to caution anyone who is interested, please know that Just Fab is a subscription service as well, so make sure you are getting what you are intending to purchase.


In all, this was a solid month, but not the best.  The Cloud B pillow definitely saved this box.  Although N already has two pillow pets, I think this will be useful and it's the perfect travel size. I liked the puzzle and it was a nice change from getting a book, even though I love getting books and would have much rather received the pillow, puzzle, and book with nothing else. Oh well, there's always next month!

Top Most-used Baby Items Newborn to Age One!

Now that N is a year old, we have packed away quite a few items and some we have been using continuously.  I thought that it would be useful to compose a list of the top used baby products for the first  year in categories.  Some of the same items are listed in more than one category to illustrate it was used during during multiple stages.  Of course, these are just the items that worked for my family and everyone has their own preferences, but I love seeing what works for others in case there is something I haven't tried!

Birth to 3 months

Bassinet

Boppy or similar infant feeding pillow (great for both breast feeding or formula feed babies)

Fisher Price Rock n Play (LOVE this..great for naps and traveling..1 at our house and 1 at my mom's)

Bottle warmer
Swaddle Me or similar brand (it REALLY helps the first couple of months!)
Musical lullaby toy or stuffed animal (Glow Worm Seahorse)
Infant gowns (great for at night diaper changes..no snaps!)
Stroller Travel system (must have!)
Swing (A two-way swing is helpful, although we hardly used the back and forth position)
Video monitor system           

3 to 6 months

Fisher Price Rock n Play

Musical lullaby toy or stuffed animal (Leap Frog Scout)

Stroller Travel system 

Swing

Video monitor system
Playmat (N really didn't pay attention until anything on his mat until 3-3.5 months old)

Chicco Lite Stroller

Bottle warmer

Jumper

Summer Infant Super Seat (Has a cool play center, has straps, and can be used as a booster seat)

Sleep sacks (takes the place of blankets, we have used Halo brand)

Some type of stroller toy (entertains babies in the car and occupies while in the store)

6 to 9 months

Fisher Price Rock n Play (retired at 7 months)

Leap Frog Scout (To this day, N when he hears the music, he will fall asleep within 10 minutes)

Video monitor system

Chicco Lite Stroller

Bottle warmer

Jumper
Playmat (retired around 7 months..interested in toys but not lying down on it after 6 months)

Swing (retired at 8 months)
Summer Infant Super Seat
Sleep sacks
Stroller toy

 

9 to 12 months

Leap Frog Scout

Chicco Lite Stroller

Bottle warmer (still use to this day..much better and quicker than using the stove)

Summer Infant Super Seat (this is good until 2/3 years old as a booster.  We use it for feeding time.)

Sleep sacks

Baby leg warmers (protects knees from rug burns while crawling)

The swing and the Fisher Price Rock n Play  were the two items that I was the most hesitant to put away because they were so effective at calming N down and putting him to sleep but sadly he was too tall before the weight restriction of 25 pounds.  I also recommend getting a travel system just for the convenience of not having to take out a newborn from the car seat to transport them into a stroller for the first few months at least.  N lasted in his a while, although it became harder for me to carry him in the car seat after he reached the 6 month mark.  We switched to a convertible car seat and light weight stroller permanently when he was about 7.5 months old.  I will say that N has no interest in his jumper anymore but it is good until 36 months I believe so I have not put it away yet.  He likes the toys but hates being limited in his moments now that he can crawl and move around as he pleases.

Ipsy March 2013 Review with pics - SPOILER ALERT :)

I have to say I think this is the earliest my Ipsy bag has come..what a great surprise to end the week with!  This month's bag was excellent..very travel friendly with useful items that fit the nautical theme of the printed bag.

 A very cute bag that I plan to use throughout  my travels this summer :)  All of my bags so far have been solids...this bag is navy blue and white stripped nylon with a white lining on the inside of the bag.

 I have used the individually packaged nail polish remover wipes and I really like this brand.  This comes in a package of 8 wipes..perfect for a week long trip or two long weekends away!

Juice Beauty is a brand introduced to me by my Citrus Lane box but I have not used any of their products yet. This is a Hydrating Mist spray to tone and re-freshen skin in 1 fl oz (looks larger).  It has a light fragrance to it..maybe floral? The description is "Tone with this refreshing blend of rosehip, ylang ylang, resveratrol grape seed oil, and antioxidant-rich organic juices for a fresh radiant complexion." I do however love that they are certified to be organic and I will definitely use this product with the hot summer months to come!



These are Yaby eyeshadows.  These two are variations of what may come in the bag this month.   I couldn't be happier with my two..As someone who doesn't wear eyeshadow much, a bolder color probably would not have gotten too much use.  I received es192- Seashell (the tanish neutral)  and es133-Azalea petal respectively. 

 The last item is a GlamRX palette.  It's about the size of a credit card, perfectly sized for travel.  The dimensions are 2 1/4 x 3 3/8.  The packaging material/size is similar to The Balm's Bahama Mama Blush. I have to admit, I would have never brought this, as I don't have many shadows, but I am glad to receive it to try. Add this to another reason why I love Ipsy!

 Large enough to hold enough blushes to last where ever you are going..complete with mirror for check ups.

Just de-pan your shadow and place in the palette.

For size reference :)

  I love the variety..even with multiple eyeshadows they send out. So what do you think of this month's bag?

The New Bluum Boxes!! March 2013

So I wrote in an earlier post that I tried out Bluum, a subscription service for mothers and babies.  I only received 1 box and canceled because I had a billing issue and was unhappy with their customer service (or lack of).  In any case, I decided to go with Citrus Lane because instead of small items and samples you received full sized items and toys for baby.  Bluum has apparently heard the feedback of their customers and revamped their box to include something comparable to Citrus Lane in products and cost.

The new Bluum box will launch this month (March 2013) for $24.95, promising a value of $50 in the box.    I received an email to re-subscribe before March 6th (today) to get a box for March.  I am going to pass on this one for right now, because I feel I get more out of Citrus Lane at the moment and the two services are too similar to justify trying it out for one baby right now.  However, I am happy to share some spoilers for March for those who are curious and will keep my eye out for future boxes.

I am not sure how different the boxes will be depending on your baby's age but I would guess there would be some variation for a 4 month old and 12 month old.  Just going off of the picture, I think they will definitely increase their customer base, but do think they need something distinguishing between other companies.  I am very curious to see the boxes in months to come.  So what do you think of the box and have you signed up?

BzzAgent - Quaker Oats Campaign

I've been a BzzAgent since July or so of last summer and only recently got into my first campaign in November with the Afrin Stick Up for Yourself campaign.  Not terribly exciting, but it is a useful product and helped get my score higher so that in a matter of a couple of months I got into a second campaign and now I have four campaigns running at the same time!  My latest one is the Quaker Oats Campaign where I have to say I am very impressed by the swiftness of the product delivery.  In less than 7 days of being accepted into the campaign, I came home from work with a package waiting at my doorstep!

Inside are full-sized (no samples with BzzAgent!) products with the intentions for you to try the product, give honest reviews on the site (which allows your score to go up or down depending on participation, not your review), and then tell your friends about the product in the hopes that word-of-mouth advertising will allow sales to go up.  I think this is a great marketing strategy.  The kit includes coupons for you to pass out to the people you "buzz" to (usually around 10), and an information guide so you can be..well informed about the product when you speak to people.

Inside the first box is cookies as you can see..seven packages individually wrapped, perfect for work or to pack in a lunch.  My husband and I both tried these tonight and I was pleasantly surprised as I did not know what to expect.  Not too sweet and multi grained.

Not too much to say about these.  I have been a fan and consumer of these for years (regular sized) but these are "Big Chewy" bars..so I can expect it to be more satisfying perhaps??  Since it only comes in a package of 5, I suppose one bar will substitute the two I normally would eat in one sitting.

Lastly, what is Quaker without trying their oatmeal.  I am curious to try this out, as I usually only eat plain oatmeal sweetened, but this is favored and left unsweetened so you can add in your own perfect balance.  Named Perfect portions, I suppose this is the ideal size is up to you.