Orb Factory SparkleUps Cupcakes: A Review

If you have a little princess at home (or two or three, like me), then I'm sure you know the absolute necessity for all things glitter, shine and SPARKLE. My girls can never (seriously, NEVER) get enough when it comes to sparkly wonders, especially when it involves any kind of craftiness. Orb Factory's new SparkleUps line is the perfect combination of both... and a practically no-mess craft for you moms that are tired of the bits and pieces many sparkly crafts can leave behind. SparkleUps are jewel-by-number stickers that allow your child to place self-adhesive jewels on super cute graphics in one of the following themes: Cupcakes, Unicorns or Butterflies. After the jewels are all in place, your child can peel off the bejeweled sticker and place it anywhere from her boots (like my oldest Princess did) to her mirror (like my 4 year-old did) to her folder, anywhere a sticker will stick.

I love SparkleUps Cupcakes! I'm a pretty crafty mom and love to do crafts with my girls. But, sometimes they are discouraged when their end products don't really measure up to mine (in THEIR eyes). While I try to convince them that their creations are unique and beautiful and that practice makes perfect, they are sometimes still discouraged. But, when we all did SparkleUps together, they were so excited, especially because their end product was exactly like mine... perfect! My 4 year-old was beside herself with the sparkling cupcake that she had created. They really are extremely cute and sparkly. Even my husband was impressed with their cuteness factor. My daughter asked, "We can't eat these, right? Even though they look very delicious, we can't eat them, right?" Yes, they're THAT cool!

The Orb Factory offers other great stick-by-number crafts like Sticky Mosaics and Stick 'n Style Jewelry. They even have a new Sticky Mosaics Butterflies iPad App. Check out all their great products here.

You can buy SparkleUps Cupcakes on the Orb Factory website for just $9.99!

WIN:

You can win a SparkleUps Cupcakes of your very own from The Orb Factory! For your mandatory entry, become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar). This is the mandatory entry for this giveaway and must be done before all of the additional entries.

To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
2. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.

3. Follow The Orb Factory on Twitter.

4. Tweet about this giveaway (limit one tweet per day) using the following: #win SparkleUps Cupcakes from @theorbfactory and @moanasaves ends 6/6 http://bit.ly/jCtwsW
5. Subscribe to the Moana Saves feed via RSS reader and/or email updates (in the sidebar).
6. Like the Moana Saves Facebook page.

7. Like the The Orb Factory Facebook page.

Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway. He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S. This giveaway ends on Monday 6/6 at 11:59 PM PST (Pacific Standard Time). One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org. I will notify the winner via email and he/she must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

I was not compensated for this post although I did receive a sparkly product sample to facilitate my review. Any and all opinions here are my own.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader DVD - A Review

The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) is a fun family movie filled with adventure and fun. In this third installment of the Narnia Chronicles, directed by Michael Apted, Lucy and Edmund Pevensie return to Narnia with their cousin Eustace where they meet up with Prince Caspian for a trip across the sea aboard the royal ship The Dawn Treader. Along the way, they encounter dragons, dwarves, merfolk, and a band of lost warriors before reaching the edge of the world (IMDB.com).

Rated PG (and under 2 hours) made this a very family-friendly movie, especially with my four rambunctious kids. Reepicheep, the large talking mouse, kept them laughing, while "the mist" and other sea creatures had them cuddling up next to me, even covering their eyes at times. Nothing too scary, though. The only thing that was really annoying, at least initially, was cousin Eustace. I guess it helped in making his transformation into a vital part of their survival all the more dramatic, but his voice and bratty antics were wearing on me. Other than that, I enjoyed watching Voyage of the Dawn Treader for our family movie night. There aren't too many adventurous and action-packed movies that I can watch with my kids, so it was nice to share with them the excitement of it all.

One last thing I liked about the movie was how it touched on the consequences of being selfish, greedy, bratty, and unhappy with yourself and who you are. It also showed what happens when you are the opposite of those things: selfless, giving, nice and happy with who you are. My kids made comments throughout the movie and afterward about these things, so it was nice to talk to them about making good choices and having them listen wholeheartedly because I was using examples from the movie! BONUS!

For more information about the movie as well as some fun Narnia games, go HERE.   And, for now, here's a preview of The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader:

I was not compensated for this post although I did receive a free DVD to facilitate this review. Any and all opinions here are mine.

Miranda Cosgrove EP High Maintenance: A Review

Miranda Cosgrove is undoubtedly one of my soon-to-be-8-year-old-daughter's favorite actresses. Miranda who? Miranda Cos... I mean Carly, from iCarly of course! I have to admit, even I enjoy the teen star in her Nickelodeon hit show. So, when I heard she had a new CD, I was excited to review it... for my daughter, of course! And, it's a good thing I listened to it before I let my daughter do so.

Cosgrove's new EP High Maintenance features five tracks:

• Dancing Crazy
• High Maintenance
• Face of Love
• Kiss You Up
• Sayonara

While I actually enjoy the beats and music in the tracks, some of the lyrics are inappropriate (my own opinion) for my not-even-pre-teen-daughter. I guess I was just expecting a more iCarly-ish kid-friendly vibe, but when I realized that Miranda Cosgrove is actually 17 herself, I understood why the songs are a little more mature.

Overall, the songs are fun, catchy and danceworthy, but I know I wouldn't want my daughter singing along to "So what if I break a few glasses, kick a few a**es" -- lyrics from the title track, High Maintenance. I really liked the song Kiss You Up because it actually features her voice talent without all of the digital enhancements... and it is reminiscent of the crazy in love teenage feelings we've all experienced. *SIGH* However, the last track, Sayonara, while it starts out innocent enough with lyrics like, "Like a ninja out of the dark, I'll steal your heart," later in the song she sings, "Hands all over my body, Work me out like karate." Umm, yeah, I'll have to hold on to this CD for a while before I let my daughter listen to it.... like, maybe on her wedding night!

Good job Carly, uh I mean Miranda, but I'll censor my daughter's music for as long as I can. I would recommend this CD for an older teenage audience, but if your young daughters insist on having it, be wary of some of the lyrics. As for my daughter, I'll have to do the rockin' out myself for now!

High Maintenance is available on Amazon as well as other music outlets online and off.

I was not compensated for this post but I did receive a product sample to facilitate this review.  Any and all opinions here are mine.

Swell Skin: A Review (for Mother's Day)

Swell Skin Care is... well, pretty doggone SWELL! I was intrigued with the claims of this miraculous healing berry that is used in the facial soap and oil - Seabuckthorn - and wanted to see if it really did what it said it could. While I don't have really bad acne, I am no stranger to minor breakouts or the occasional, uh maybe frequent, ginormous pimple... especially when it's that time of the month. Lucky for me, I started using the Swell Face treatment a few days before that lovely time of the month, which was almost two weeks ago. My face is happy. No, really, it is. It feels good, but more importantly it looks good... thanks to the soap bar and amazing Oil of Seabuckthorn. Okay, so I usually get at least one honker around that time of the month in the most conspicuous place possible (think tip of my nose or smack dab in the middle of my forehead). This month, the pimplesaur was on my left cheek and was one of those under-the-skin-painful-bump-pimples... anyone feeling me here? Anyway, I was a little dubious that the seabuckthorn oil could make my blemishes magically disappear, but alas, it did. You won't believe it until you try it yourself. I am surprised that I hadn't heard of this extreme goodness before...
The REALLY cool thing about SWELL Skin Care is that it's just a two-step skin care regimen. Just two steps for awesome looking and feeling skin? That, in itself, makes this stuff worth a try... and then when you see the results you'll see it was more than worth it. And, it's not just for pimples, it's for all-around wonderful-looking skin, so use it for rashes, fine lines, and whatever other blemishes you might have. And let's face it, as crazy busy moms, we're prone

to a blemish or two every other hour, er, day. This will make a fabulous Mother's Day gift... if not for your own mother, for yourself, because you need to be spoiled, too!

You can buy the facial bar for $32 and the Swell Oil of Seabuckthorn for $22, if you buy them separately, OR you can save some money and purchase both - the Swell Union - for just $49. Okay, you might be thinking, "JUST $49?" but when you see what these products can do, you'll be saying the same thing. I will definitely be purchasing the Swell Union once I run out of my supply. Check out the SWELL website to find out more about (and buy) these Swellicious products!

 I was not compensated to write this post although I did receive some products to facilitate my review here.  Any and all opinions are mine.

Schick Intuition Naturals Sensitive Care: A Review

I love Springtime because that means it's green time, but with the new Schick® Intuition® Naturals Sensitive Care® razor, you can be green all year round... well, at least your razor packaging can be...

A natural element to your life, the Schick Intuition Naturals Sensitive Care packaging eliminates the former plastic package and is now made with 55% post-consumer recycled paperboard, 25% post-consumer recycled window, and VOC-free inks. And the entire package is 100% recyclable so it's just as gentle on Mother Nature as it is on you.

And the great recyclable packaging is just the beginning. Inside, you'll find two refill cartridges in Natural Aloe with Vitamin E, razor handle, shower hanger (which I use and love) and convenient travel cap. So, how does this Naturals Sensitive Care razor fare? Very well. My favorite feature is definitely the Skin Conditioning Solid that surrounds the four-bladed razor. This moisturizing solid, enriched with Vitamin E and 100% natural Aloe, provides a foamy lather without the fuss of shave gel, soap, or body wash. Just this razor, that's it... the conditioning/moisturizing/lathering is built in! While this may not be a huge deal for some, as a mom who never has enough hours in the day, this is big! Eliminating the extra step of applying shave gel probably only saves me a minute or two, but that's one more minute I get to spend with my kids before they go to bed at night... or one more minute of Hulu I can watch... or one more minute of blogging! Hey, those minutes add up, and I'm always glad when I can save myself one or two. The four-blade razor (with pivoting head) is very nice, too, preventing unwanted nicks and cuts, even when I'm in a super-rushed frenzy in the shower. Probably not a great idea to be in a super-rushed frenzy while dripping wet, skin-bared and a razor in hand, but it happens and Naturals Sensitive Care makes it faster and more convenient!

So get your hands on the razor that makes all other razors GREEN with envy NOW!

Schick Intuition is also offering a $3 coupon for a limited time only on their Schick Intuition facebook page.  Check it out!

Captain Planet and the Planeteers: Season One - A Review

Captain Planet, he's our HERO... Gonna take pollution down to ZERO! 

If you were a Saturday-morning-cartoons fanatic in the '90s like yours truly, then you know exactly where that line is from: Captain Planet and the Planeteers! It's amazing that after all these years of not hearing the theme song, it all came back to me in a flash. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Captain Planet, he is the world’s first environmentally-conscious superhero, offering kids action-packed adventure and a chance to help save the environment. This ever-changing eco-hero from within our Earth, with the help of five young people from around the globe called Planeteers, fights a never-ending battle against eco-villains out to destroy the world. 

"With our powers combined, we are... CAPTAIN PLANET!" I liked the cartoon when I was a kid, but now watching it as a parent with kids of my own, I am so impressed with the issues they addressed back then -- issues that are still prevalent today, like using reusable grocery bags, pollution in the air and ocean, etc. It was also a great help in explaining to my kids what pollution is and the harmful effects it has on our earth and ourselves. After singing the theme song for 3 days straight, my 5-year old son asked me, "Mom, what's pollution?" He was very interested in learning about pollution and how we can help in its reduction... all from watching a cartoon! All four of my kids love Captain Planet now, and my husband and I are having fun reminiscing about our sweet Saturday morning cartoon traditions growing up, of which Captain Planet was a big part.

Captain Planet and the Planeteers: Season One DVD set features Voice Cast of: David Coburn, LeVar Burton, Joey Dedio, Whoopi Goldberg, Frank Welker, Meg Ryan, Martin Sheen, Kath Soucie, Dean Stockwell, Jeff Goldblum, Sting, and more!  

Help your child aspire to be a Planeteer too, while keeping them entertained and engaged...

THE POWER IS YOURS!!

SHOP: Now, you too can join the action with all 26 adventurous episodes and exciting bonus features in an eco-friendly packaged 4-DVD box set. Arriving just in time for this year’s Earth Day celebration, Shout! Factory, in association with Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE), will unleash the long-awaited Captain Planet and the Planeteers: Season One DVD set in stores nationwide on April 19, 2011. Passionate fans can pre-order this DVD set now.

WIN: Courtesy of Shout! Factory and CNE, one lucky Moana Saves reader will win a Captain Planet and the Planeteers: Season One DVD set!  For your mandatory first entry, answer this question: When you were growing up, who was your favorite cartoon character and why? 

To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
2. Become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
3. Like Moana Saves on Facebook.
4. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.
5. Tweet about this giveaway with the following (once a day max): #win Captain Planet and the Planeteers: Season One DVD set (comes out on 4/19!) from @moanasaves ends 4/22  http://bit.ly/gwOWZW
 
Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway.  He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S. or Canada.  This giveaway ends Friday, 4/22 HST (Hawaii Standard Time).  One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org.  I will notify the winner via email and he/she must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

I was not compensated for this blog post although I did receive a Captain Planet and the Planeteers DVD set to facilitate this review. Any and all opinions here are mine.

Hair Flairs - Professional Hair Tinsel: A Review

Are you tired of the same old dull hair day in and day out...night in and night out?Does your hair need a little flair? I bet it does, because no matter what kind of hair you have - damaged or super healthy - you'll never get this kind of shine, and I do mean glittery, sparkly SHINE! I should so do an infomercial, I know. But this is for real - Hair Flairs are so... for lack of a better word, RAD! I love Hair Flairs. Okay, here's me explaining my life a little... When I was in college, I wanted to dye my hair a deep burgundy... and so I did it. The burgundy turned out to be more of an auburn, so I thought I'd try again, and again... until the ends of my hair were a nice dark orange. Orange, burgundy, same diff right? The rest of my hair was sort of reddish, but not exactly what I wanted. I had damaged my hair so badly that it was ratty and ugl... er, not cute. It took forever to grow it all out and I vowed to never dye my hair again (of course, that vow will be null and void once the gray hairs conquer my head).

But, every now and again, I'll have the urge to add a little highlight here or do a little something there. Nope, no chemicals touching my healthy locks! Then, I found Hair Flairs! Genius! I can add a little or a lot of color, without damaging my hair one bit. And by color, I'm talking anywhere from subtle copper or gold tones that glimmer in the light to bright fuschia and turquoise strands that absolutely pop. I put hair flairs in my daughter's hair and she was, of course, all the rage. My sister attended the Mrs. Hawaii pageant last weekend, so I put every color I had in her hair and she looked amazing. You can even use a flat iron or curling iron with Hair Flairs in your hair, which she did. She got so many compliments. One woman stopped her husband in front of my sister, and said, pointing to my sister's hair, "Babe, I want those. NOW!"

So, here's what you need to know about Hair Flairs fabulosity, aside from the fact that it makes you look divalicious! Salons charge anywhere from $2 to $5 per strand to put Hair Flairs in your hair. WHOA! I admit that putting them in is a bit tricky at first, but the how-to video on their website is very helpful, and once you do a few, you really get the hang of it. Trust me, I did about 15 in my sister's hair, which appeared to be 30 strands, since one strand of tinsel results in a double strand once you tie it to your hair. So getting the hang of it is really worth it, especially since you can order 100 strands for $11.00 here. Also, check out the Hair Flairs Photo Gallery to see the fabulosity yourself!

Other useful info about Hair Flairs:

• Professional Quality Hair Tinsel - designed and tested by stylists
• Thin, narrow, lightweight, feel soft and silky like hair
• Made from 100% high-grade, heat-resistant polyester fiber
  
• Can shampoo, blow-dry, style, even Flat-Iron!
• 100% Made in the USA, safe and non-toxic

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. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Doodlemark: A Review and Giveaway

Doodlemark is a bookmark and writing pad in one created by a dad (and Founder of ReMarkable Reading Concepts). After countless nights of re-reading the same book with his daughter who would lose her bookmark each time and, at the same time, turning to magnetic drawing boards to practice letters and words while they read, he came up with the idea of combining the two mediums and the DoodleMark was born!

Doodlemark can clip to any book and allows for endless drawing or writing with its little magnetic writing board. The Doodlemark has been used non-stop by all four of my kids (ages 1-7) since the day we got it. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to use it as a bookmark all that much because my one year old uses it daily to draw her pictures (I'm loving the absence of pen marks on her skin and crayon pieces in her mouth). 

The few times my oldest has been able to clip it in her reading book to keep her place, it's worked wonderfully. I've always encouraged her to write down words she doesn't know or has questions about, but the probability of her remembering that when I'm at work is not that great. Now, with the Doodlemark, she can write the word down right there as she is reading, without having to get up to get a notebook and pen. While the writing area is not big enough for a whole list of words, it does get her into the practice of writing down unfamiliar words -- and she can ask for help or definitions right then and there, with the word right in front of her. It's a great concept and I like how it encourages creative learning, all the while remaining fun for my kids. It's simple, portable, and my kids can't get enough of it... I'm sold!

SHOP: Check out the Doodlemark website to see how it works or visit the Doodleshop to purchase your very own for just $8.00.

WIN: Two lucky Moana Saves readers will WIN Doodlemarks of their very own. To enter to win become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).

To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).

2. Follow Doodlemark on Twitter.

3. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.
4. Tweet about this giveaway with the following (once a day max): #Win a DoodleMark (2 winners!) from @godoodlemark and @moanasaves ends 4/12 http://bit.ly/eECSJf

5. Like DoodleMark on Facebook.
6. Like Moana Saves on Facebook
Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway. He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S. This giveaway ends Tuesday, 4/12/11 HST (Hawaii Standard Time). One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org. I will notify the winners via email and they must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

I was not compensated for this post although I did receive a free product to facilitate this review. Any and all opinions here are mine.

CSNstores.com: a Review

So, I was looking for some muffin tins on CSNstores.com. Then, I saw some cookie cutters that were so cute. And then, my daughter walked in with her rain boots and I remembered that I really need some rain boots, too. There were so many cute designs to choose from, so I ended up getting an apron for my husband who loves to grill... I know that probably made no sense at all, but that really is what happened!  

CSNstores.com is your one-stop shop for almost anything you can think of. From furniture to lighting, from exercise and fitness to baby and kids' stuff, they've got it all... and all in one place. You can easily lose a couple hours browsing through all the great stuff they have... believe me, it's happened to me more than once (that's an understatement). Finally, I saw THE cutest aprons that I just had to have. While I was browsing through the large selection of styles and patterns, I saw cool aprons for men and thought about the many clothes my husband has ruined while grilling. Fine, I guess I'll make do with just the three aprons I already have. What? I like aprons. They're cute and fun and you look good when you're cooking. Well, that's what I tell myself. 

When I decided to go with the red apron that read, "Caution: Extremely Hot," I added the apron to my cart. CSNstores.com has this really cool feature that shows you similar products on the checkout page before you commit to buy what is in your cart. I love this feature, because it worked out very well for me -- there was a black apron that read, "I Turn Grills On," and I loved that even more than the first. 

I switched aprons, bought it with ease at around 11pm Hawaii Time on a Monday night, then got an email when I got into work at 8am the next day saying my item had shipped! I don't think I have ever been shipped something so fast! It only took a week to get here, even with our tsunami warning that delayed or canceled many flights into Hawaii that weekend. I was impressed. And, my husband loves his new apron. He is already planning to buy a couple for his grilling buddies, or should I say "grill friends." Hahahaha, wait, am I the only one laughing?

If you want a super cute apron for you or the BBQ king in your life, head on over to csnstores.com and you'll find just that, along with so much more.

Dove Visible Care Softening Creme with NutriumMoisture: A Review

Let me just start off by saying that I am a biased Dove lover, so I knew I'd love this stuff before I even tried it. I've been using Dove products for my whole married life (almost 9 years, holler!). I wish it was my whole life period, but better late than never. For bathing, my family uses the classic Dove bars, but a couple of us have pretty dry skin, even here in humid Hawaii, so I was very excited to review Dove Visible Care Softening Creme with NutriumMoisture.

"Designed to soften skin and dry spots, this unique formula -- with our highest concentration of NutriumMoisture -- contains skin-natural building blocks to help improve skin's look over time. Use daily for visibly more beautiful skin in just one week."

It hasn't even been one week (5 days) and I can tell, no FEEL the difference in my skin, most especially my legs. It's the end of our "winter" so it's not very humid, which means my legs are dry... noticeably dry so that my skin looks ashy without even scratching it. I just scratched my legs (for unscientific review purposes) and no dry scratch marks. While that may not be a big deal to you reading this, it's a big, lovely, moisturized deal for me. Being able to cut out an extra step post-shower because I don't have to put lotion on is also a huge plus. Not only does Dove Visible Care Softening Creme with NutriumMoisture really work with visible results, it smells delightful, too. I've already banned the hubby and my not-so-dry-skin-children from using the stuff until I can get my hands on a new bottle so that us dry folks can reap the moisturized benefits for as long as possible. It's not like I'm making them suffer, they're still using Dove, they just don't need the extra NutriumMoisture like we do! I will most definitely be using this on my trip to California this coming winter, where my skin dries out so fast.

I know it's a little late but the VisibleCare Close-Up Challenge wraps up this Saturday the 26th at noon, so this is a last call for you to submit your own video sharing why you're ready for the ultimate close-up experience, a weeklong all-expense-paid trip to Los Angeles! While there, the winner will get an authentic Dancing With the Stars experience, including training with a performer from the show, confidence coaching from Jennie Garth and the ultimate opportunity: a "finale" of her own dancing in front of America in a Dove-sponsored TV spot during the season finale of Dancing With the Stars.

I was not compensated for this blog post although I did receive a free product sample to facilitate my review.  Any and all opinions here are my own.

Amy Adele Stationery: A Review

Living on an island can shape our perspective about how our lives impact the planet and either positively or negatively affect sustainability. We're not suggesting that we are green experts. Rather, we are interested in highlighting how we think, shop and spend can evolve so that can sustain the earth's future for our kids. Plus we're looking at some really cool stuff! Stay tuned!Living on an island can shape our perspective about how our lives impact the planet and either positively or negatively affect sustainability. We're not suggesting that we are green experts. Rather, we are interested in highlighting how we think, shop and spend can evolve so that can sustain the earth's future for our kids. Plus we're looking at some really cool stuff! Stay tuned!

I know email and texting is beyond convenient, but there's nothing like a good old fashioned letter or card. You just feel MORE... special. Someone took the time to sit down and actually write you something. Warm fuzzies all over. 

Well, you'll feel even warm-fuzzier when you check out the stationery from Amy Adele, where you can create adorable, personalized stationery, invitations, announcements, etc. Not only do the designs, fonts, and overall products give you a sense of real home goodness, but items from Amy Adele are printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper -- even the envelopes and address labels!!! You can feel good about saving trees while making that special someone feel good with your card or stationery from Amy Adele. 

The large selection of oh-so-cute designs range from animals to simple borders to flowers and more. There is also a nice variety of fonts suitable for boys, girls, and adults! Creating and personalizing is so easy on the website. When you click on a specific item, other products that match that particular theme also show up at the bottom of the page, which makes coordinating all your items that much easier and faster!! It took my son and I way too long to even choose his stationery because there were so many cool options. Eventually, we opted for the shark-themed cards (pictured) with his name across the top. He liked being able to choose what color his font would be - we tried a number of different fonts before settling. We also had his name and address printed on the backs of the envelopes, which makes him feel like quite the important fella (he's 5). He is excited to send off his kindergarten pictures to faraway family and I'm excited we'll have thank you cards ready when his birthday comes around in a few weeks. 

I kind of want to send out-of-touch friends and family one of these cards just because they're so doggone cute. And I absolutely LOVE that they are made from recycled paper! Bonus points for Amy Adele for cuteness and being green!

Check out Amy Adele for your totally cute, totally GREEN stationery needs!

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. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

All Terrain Kids Lip Armor w/SPF 25: A Review and Giveaway

Sponsored by Tomoson.comLiving on an island can shape our perspective about how our lives impact the planet and either positively or negatively affect sustainability. We're not suggesting that we are green experts. Rather, we are interested in highlighting how we think, shop and spend can evolve so that can sustain the earth's future for our kids. Plus we're looking at some really cool stuff! Stay tuned!Living on an island can shape our perspective about how our lives impact the planet and either positively or negatively affect sustainability. We're not suggesting that we are green experts. Rather, we are interested in highlighting how we think, shop and spend can evolve so that can sustain the earth's future for our kids. Plus we're looking at some really cool stuff! Stay tuned!

I love to be in the sun (good thing I live in Hawaii), no matter what I'm doing: playing, working, relaxing, whatever. I'm pretty sure the rest of my body agrees with me... except for my lips. Ever since I can remember, I've gotten sun blisters on my lips when in the sun for long periods of time. I never wore sunscreen growing up (gasp!), but when I was old enough to understand what was going on with my lips, I'd always put sunscreen on them. To this day, I still do that, and force my kids to as well. I say "force" because sunscreen doesn't exactly taste great if you get a hint of it in your mouth. AND, I have to sit there rubbing it in for a while, until I know there is a good amount on my kids' lips and it's thoroughly absorbed. Well, not anymore. All Terrain Kids Lip Armor with SPF 25 is a protection and healing balm that protects lips from the sun's UVA and UVB rays AND it tastes great in Bubblegum or Cherry flavors!

Needless to say, my kids all fight over who gets to put the Lip Armor on first, instead of me having to chase after them with a bottle of sunscreen! And yes, I use and love the Lip Armor, too!

In addition to making my life easier, All Terrain Kids Lip Armor also gives me peace of mind with its natural ingredients like almond oil, shea butter, beeswax and vitamin E.

All Terrain is made with all natural products and is cruelty free with no testing done on animals.

The new Kids Lip Armor joins a long list of other child-specific all natural products made by All Terrain that includes:

• Kids All Weather Cream
• Kids Eczema Cream
• Kids Skin Soother Gel
• Kids Itch and Rash Cream
• Kids Soothing Soap
• Kids Wonder Wash

SHOP: You can purchase the yummy Bubblegum and Cherry two-pack on the All Terrain website here.

WIN: One lucky Moana Saves reader will win his/her own twin pack of Kid's Lip Armor.  For your mandatory entry, like the All Terrain Facebook page and leave a nice comment about All Terrain.  Then come back and leave a comment saying you've done so.

To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
2. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.
3. Follow All Terrain on Twitter.
4. Tweet about this giveaway (limit one tweet per day) using the following:
#Win a Lip Armor Twin Pack from @allterrainco and @moanasaves #giveaway ends 4/6 http://bit.ly/hOzTiX
5. Subscribe to the Moana Saves feed via RSS reader and/or email updates (in the sidebar).
6. Like the Moana Saves Facebook page.
7. Become a Google Friend Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).

Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway. He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S. This giveaway ends on Wednesday, 4/6/11 at 11:59 PM HST (Hawaii Standard Time). One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org. I will notify the winner via email and he/she must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.
 
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. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Purely Pleasures Sugar Wax: A Review (Moana Saves is Going Green Guide)

Living on an island can shape our perspective about how our lives impact the planet and either positively or negatively affect sustainability. We're not suggesting that we are green experts. Rather, we are interested in highlighting how we think, shop and spend can evolve so that can sustain the earth's future for our kids. Plus we're looking at some really cool stuff! Stay tuned!

Who wears short shorts? Okay, not the same product, but I would dare wear short shorts after using Purely Pleasures Sugar Wax, that's for sure. I've used me a hair wax or two before, but have been disappointed with the lack of removal strength. Let's just say that my strongest Samoan trait may be in the form of leg hair. 

Well, not only is Purely Pleasures Sugar Wax strong enough to pull out these crazy Samoan hairs, it's also gentle on my skin. I know, whaaaat? Because the sugaring sticks to the hair, not the skin, and is pulled in the direction of hair growth, it minimizes skin irritation and reddening. I was a little skeptical about pulling it in the direction of hair growth, probably just because every other wax I've used says to do the opposite. I was pleasantly surprised to see lots of little hair roots and follicles sticking to the wax after I yanked it off. And, my skin was not irritated at all. It was red for a while, but nothing alarming or unusual. 

Okay, besides the efficiency of this Sugar Wax, a huge bonus is that it's CHEMICAL FREE -- yay for being GREEN!!! There are no harmful toxins to seep into your skin, no heating, no strips, just the wax and the warmth of your hands. It does take a little getting used to and can get messy if the wax gets too heated from your own body heat. However, once you get the hang of it, you'll love the results. Just make sure you double-check the area you've waxed to ensure you've gotten everything, unlike me, who was walking around with a patch of fur on the backside of my ankle. Charming, I know. I really love that this wax is water soluble. You can wipe off with a washcloth or just jump in the shower, which I would recommend. Results last anywhere from 2-8 weeks, yay for no shaving! 

Visit Purely Pleasures to find sugar wax and other great products! You can also view a sugar wax tutorial on their website.

I was not compensated for this post although I did receive a product sample to facilitate the original review. Any and all opinions here are mine.