Hotel Transylvania Halloween Party

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

DISCLOSURE:  I was selected by Crowdtap.com to host a party to promote the release of the movie Hotel Transylvania.  All opinions are my own.

Every year, my kids ask me if we can have a big, scary Halloween party.  But, in the past they never really had any friends to invite.  We would have been partying with Grandma and Grandpa and MY sisters and cousins.  It wouldn't have exactly been fun for them.  But, this year, my oldest is in 3rd grade and my second child is in Kindergarten.  I felt they were finally old enough to have some friends over and have a good time.  So, when Crowdtap had posted the opportunity to host a Hotel Transylvania party, I thought it would be perfect for them!

About a month before our party, I told my kids we were finally going to get to host a Halloween party.  They were super excited!  I also wanted to take them to see the Hotel Transylvania movie.  But when I showed them the trailer below they got scared!  They got scared at the part where Dracula was singing to Mavis as a little girl and he makes a big scary face:





SheaMoisture Baby Bar Soap Review

Thursday, October 11, 2012

DISCLOSURE:  I received a free SheaMoisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Baby Eczema Bar Soap from Influenster to try and review.  All opinions are my own.

My kids get really dry skin, especially in the cold weather months.  They get dry, itchy patches on their arms and legs, sometimes their torso.  It gets so bad sometimes I have to apply a light steroid cream to help alleviate the itching and redness.

A couple days before I got my Naturals VoxBox in the mail, my 5 year old had gotten some sort of rash after playing at my daughter's soccer game.  He had itchy red patches all over his arms, legs and torso.  He was itching all the time.  I tried applying some of the same steroid cream I use for his eczema but it didn't really do anything.  The day I got the VoxBox, I gave him a bath with the SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Baby Soap.  Within just a couple days, his rash cleared up and he wasn't itchy anymore!



SheaMoisture Baby is a line of all-natural baby products with certified organic ingredients.  They contain no mineral oil, phtalates, parabens, sulfates, gluten, animal ingredients, paraffin, propylene glycol, synthetic fragrances, PABA or DEA.  The Organic Raw Shea Butter Baby Eczema Bar Soap features:

  • Shea Butter to deeply moisturize and heal dry skin
  • Argan Oil to soften and renew skin, with its high Vitamin E content
  • Frankincense and Myrrh to repair and rejuvenate skin
The bar soap has a really rich lather.  Unlike other bar soaps, it doesn't dry skin out but actually moisturizes it.  It has a great scent and the bar lasts a really long time.  I'm looking forward to trying out the other products in the Shea Moisture Baby line.  (Especially with the fact that I'm having a new baby next May!)

Would you recommend it?
Yes!  I love using this bar soap on my kids and will definitely check out the other products in the SheaMoisture and SheaMoisture Baby lines.

How much does it cost?
A quick online search shows the price range is usually between $9 - $15 for their products.

Where can I buy it?
Their products can be found at all Walgreens stores and select Target, CVS, Bed Bath & Beyond, Buy Buy Baby, Christmas Tree Shops, Harmon Face Values, Duane Reade and Meijer stores.

LypSyl Intense Protection LypMoisturizer Review

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

DISCLOSURE:  I received a free LypSyl Intense Protection LypMoisturizer from Influenster to try and review.  All opinions are my own.

I love lip balm.  I'm always putting it on.  I have little things of lip balm everywhere.  There's one in almost every purse, in my vanity drawer, in my drawer at work, and there are other random ones around the house.  I had a few favorite brands, but wasn't really loyal to any single one.

UNTIL I got my Naturals VoxBox from Influenster!  I had never heard of LypSyl before.  But I was eager to try it!  I love trying new lip balm!

LypSyl is made with pure Swedish beeswax, organic shea butter and Vitamins A and E.  It provides long lasting, deep-penetrating moisture.  It helps to moisturize, soften and protect your lips naturally.  It features an oversize application tip to provide even lip coverage.  Plus, it comes in a great minty flavor!


What do I love about it?
  • It smells minty fresh!
  • You can feel it tingling on your lips after you apply it.
  • It really does last long.  I apply it in the morning and can still feel it on my lips at lunch.
  • There's a cute little bee on the side that you use to dispense the lip balm.
  • It goes on smooth and your hair doesn't stick to your lips.
 The little bee!  (Excuse my un-manicured nails!)

What don't I like about it?
  • Just one thing.  It's not carried at my local Target and that's where I shop for a lot of my lip balms.  But it's no biggie.  Stores like CVS and Rite Aid carry it.  Even though I don't normally shop those stores, I'll have to so I can buy more LypSyl!
Would you recommend it?
Yes!  Right now, it's my favorite lip balm to use.  I like how smoothly it goes on and the great minty flavor!

How much does it cost?
It looks like the suggested retail price is $3.49 but you could probably get it for a little less than $3.

Where can I buy it?
The LypSyl website has a Store Finder and a list of stores that carry the product.

UNREAL Candy Review

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

DISCLOSURE:  I received a coupon for a free UNREAL candy product from BzzAgent.com to try and review.  All opinions are my own.

With Halloween just around the corner, candy is everywhere!  Why not give the kids something you can feel good about them eating?  Introducing UNREAL Candy.  It contains no artificial ingredients, no corn syrup, no hydrogenated oils and has less sugar than other candies out on the market.

It comes in five great varieties:

UNREAL 54 - Candy coated chocolate with peanuts - Compare to Peanut M&M's

UNREAL 41 - Candy coated chocolate - Compare to M&M's

UNREAL 5 - Chocolate Caramel Nougat Bar - Compare to Milky Way

UNREAL 8 - Chocolate Caramel Peanut Nougat Bar - Compare to Snickers

UNREAL 77 - Peanut Butter Cups - Compare to Reese's

How did UNREAL Candy come about?  It started with an argument between founder Michael Bronner and his son Nicky over Halloween candy.  After a night of trick or treating, Nicky came back with a bag full of candy.  The next morning, he found his Dad had confiscated most of it.  Nicky set out to prove the candy wasn't bad for him.  Turns out he was wrong.  Nicky, his older brother and his Dad set out to make a better candy.

Being allergic to peanuts, tree nuts and soy, I didn't really get a chance to try the UNREAL candy.  BUT, my husband did.  He tried both the UNREAL 8 and the UNREAL 5 bars.  He thought they tasted good.  We did have a hard time finding the candy.  We found it at CVS, though we don't always shop there.  We had to kind of go out of our way to get the UNREAL candy.  Luckily, the availability of the candy is getting better, with it expected to be in Target stores this month!

Would you recommend it?
Yes!  Even though I didn't get a chance to eat it, my husband really liked it.  And he's the guy who only buys his chocolate at the natural food store.  So it's good!  And it's better for you than other chocolates.

How much does it cost?
The company's intention is to make sure their candy doesn't cost any more than what you're used to paying for candy.  The average price I found was about $1 for a bar or bag of candy.

Where can I buy it?
http://getunreal.com/find-unreal-candy/ - You can find the candy at stores like CVS, Rite Aid, Michael's, Walgreens, Staples, Wegmans, Fred Meyer, BJ's, Food4Less, Kroger and Ralph's.  They are working on expanding their availability.