SYLVANIA Headlight Restoration Kit Review!!

If you are like me, then you have a hard time trying to figure out what to get adult men for Christmas. The SYLVANIA headlight restoration kit can make any man who fancies his vehicle a really happy man this holiday season. This do-it-yourself kit is designed to remove thousands of miles of damage and restore headlight lenses to like-new conditions.

The products is an inexpensive alternative to replacement of the headlights, saving you $250 or more. It offers up to 70% glare reduction and three times more light on the road.  My husband agreed to help me review the product.

Review: My husband was eager to try this product, mostly because he feels confident about the SYLVANIA brand and has used their products in the past. According to him, the process was very simple. He removed the headlight from his truck (he chose to remove it but this is not a mandatory step). It was a quick scuff on the lenses using the heavier paper. The lighter paper included in the kit then polishes the lenses. He stated that you could not notice the improvement until he applied the UV block clear coat but then the results were impressive. He said the process took 15-20 minutes per headlight. He gave the product a thumbs up.

Gift Giving Guide: This product is great for men and women who enjoy so-it-yourself projects with their vehicle.

Buy it here: You can purchase SYLVANIA products at select locations, through SYLVANIA's online store and on Amazon.

I was provided with the above mentioned product for the purpose of facilitating this review. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own.

Chicken Soup for The Soul: Think Positive Review and GIVEAWAY!! **ENDED**

It is so easy to fall into negativity and cynical thinking patterns when we get caught up in the stresses of life. Since the first Chicken Soup for the Soul book was published, they have been inspiring people and helping individuals deal with everyday stressors and life changing events through heart-warming and sometimes humorous true stories. I am a big fan of the series and was very excited to have the opportunity to review the newest title, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive.

Charles Swindoll once brilliantly said, "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it". That quote is incredibly powerful and if you believe that it has some validity, then you can appreciate how important it is to control your thinking processes in order to see the glass as half full, even in the most trying of situations. This book is a great way to start down the road of positive thinking. Like the other Chicken Soup for the Soul titles, the book features short stories written by real people. While each story is very different than the one before, they all have the common message: Think positive and you will enjoy life much more than you are now.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would feel a bit more content with my life each time I read a story. The book can be read all at once, or you can take your time with it. I would recommend starting each day and ending each day by reading one of the stories that way you can begin and end your day on a positive note.

Buy it here: You can purchase Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive wherever books are sold for $14.95. It is also available on Amazon for $10.17!

Win it here: One lucky Cake Mom reader is going to win Chicken Soup for the Soul: Positive Thinking!

**Please read the rules**

This giveaway is open to US Residents. You must complete the mandatory entry before completing optional entries. Each optional entry needs to be added as a separate comment. Comments that do not follow the rules will not count and will be deleted. PLEASE LEAVE ME YOUR EMAIL IN THE COMMENT!

Mandatory Entry:  Tell me: have you ever read a Chicken Soup for the Soul book before?

Optional entries: Leave an additional comment for each entry. For example, if you blog about this contest, leave 3 separate comments!

1. Follow my blog (publicly)
2. Subscribe to my blog via email and confirm the subscription
3. Grab my button and post a link to your blog
4. Blog about this contest (with a link to my blog) and post a link to your blog (3 entries)
5. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this contest (can be done daily). You must place a link to your tweet.
6. Enter another one of my contests. Enter as many as you like, but this method is only worth 1 entry regardless of how many you enter
7. Purchase another Chicken Soup for the Soul book from Amazon using this link to enter Amazon (you can purchase whichever book you desire once clicking on the link) and receive 10 EXTRA entries!!

The winner will be selected on 11/9 via random.org and will be emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to respond.
   
I was provided with the above mentioned product for the purpose of facilitating this review. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own.  

Congrats Anonymous. You have been emailed.

Happy Halloween!!!

Happy Halloween! Here are some pics of my kids in their costumes. If you have kids, I would love to know what they are dressing up as so leave a comment below!

Cuss Control Review

I have an admission. I swear, and I don't like it. My husband and in-laws swear a lot, and I have found that the more I spend time with them, the more easily the naughty words fly off my tongue. This is not a habit I am proud of, and I really believe that  my vocabulary is decent enough that I can express myself well without an assortment of four letter words. So, when I received a copy of the book Cuss Control: The Complete Cook on How to Curb Your Cursing by James V O'Connor, I decided to challenge myself to read through the book and drop this nasty habit.

What I learned from the book:
1. I am a Causal Swearer meaning I swear when I get upset. This is unlike the Casual Swearer who swears in every day conversations.
2. There are some very humorous substitutions for popular swear words.
3. Quitting swearing involves a serious attitude adjustment
4. I swear a lot more than I thought!

The book was well written. It provided a great amount of detail and had humorous segments, real life stories, and more.  It is written for those who are contemplating quitting and those who are ready to take action. Since I was ready to take action, I felt that the first half of the book which was meant to further convince the contemplaters of the benefits of quitting, was too lengthy. I found myself skipping sections so I could get to the how-to-stop part. It was interesting how the chapters were broken down by swear word which described different tactics for handling different cuss words. 

So, did it cure my swearing habit? Not totally. However, it did help me decrease my tendency to swear drastically and I have changed my attitude about swearing. That is good enough for me to recommend this book!

Buy it here: You can buy this book at local bookstores and from Amazon.

I was provided with the above mentioned products for the purpose of facilitating this review. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own.

Tropical Traditions All Purpose Cleaner Review and GIVEAWAY!! **ENDED**

Tropical Traditions All Purpose Cleaner is a safe and non-toxic alternative to traditional cleaners on the market. The product contains no harmful detergents, solvents, dyes, or perfumes. The cleaner can be used in the kitchen, bathroom, automobiles and even in your laundry. Tropical Traditions claims that this product is so safe you can use it to clean off your fruits!

Review: My asthma and allergies have been out of control lately, and one of the worst offenders for me is household cleaners. The heavy smells are so intolerable at times that I cannot even be in the house while my husband uses certain products. I was pleasantly surprised when I used this product. There was no smell at all and the product worked great! It sprayed on and off easily and really took care of dirt and grime. Here is a before and after photo of my bathroom sink:

Buy it here: Tropical Traditions also has a Referral Program, so if you place an order with them as a first-time customer, please select “Referred by a friend” and in the box that says “How did you hear of us?” enter my sponsor ID number 5891254. By telling Tropical Traditions that I referred you, you will receive a complimentary copy of the book Virgin Coconut Oil: How it has changed people’s lives and how it can change yours! by Brian and Marianita Shilhavy with your first order! This book is filled with testimonies and research showing how healthy coconut oil is, and it also includes over 85 recipes showing how one can incorporate coconut into their diet.

You'll be directed to the Order Form at the Tropical Traditions/Healthy Buyers Club website.  If you choose not to purchase a membership to the Healthy Buyers Club, please order under the heading “Retail Sale Items”. This will enable you to purchase less than case amounts of any of the individual items without a membership.

Win it here: Tropical Traditions is giving away a container of  Oxygen Bleach to one lucky Cake Mom reader!!

**Please read the rules**

This is open to US and Canadian residents only. You must complete the mandatory entry before completing optional entries. Each optional entry needs to be added as a separate comment. Comments that do not follow the rules will not count and will be deleted. PLEASE LEAVE ME YOUR EMAIL IN THE COMMENT!

Mandatory Entry: Sign up for Tropical Traditions newsletter (current subscribers can enter too!)

Optional entries: Leave an additional comment for each entry. For example, if you blog about this contest, leave 3 separate comments!

1. Follow my blog (publicly)

2. Subscribe to my blog via email and confirm the subscription

3. Grab my button and post a link to your blog

4. Blog about this contest (with a link to my blog) and post a link to your blog (3 entries)

5. Follow Cake Mom and Tropical Traditions on twitter and tweet about this contest (can be done daily). You must place a link to your tweet.

6. Enter another one of my contests. Enter as many as you like, but this method is only worth 1 entry regardless of how many you enter.

7. Buy something from Tropical Traditions using the link under "Buy It Now" between now and the close of this post for 10 EXTRA ENTRIES!!

The winner will be selected on 11/8 via random.org and will be emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to respond.

Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Congrats to Angie Lilly. You have been emailed!

AgroLabs Review

The best way to pamper yourself is to stay healthy. AgroLabs sells liquid based health products and provide healthy alternatives to having to down supplements and vitamins in pill-based form.

AgroLabs is dedicated to producing high-quality products sourced from all over the world. They ethically harvest their products to ensure safety to the environment and sell most of their drinks without a box in order to reduce waste.

I was given three products to try:

Peaceful Sleep was created to help individuals get a good night's sleep. I have had problems sleeping for years and rely on melatonin to help me sleep at night so I was eager to see how this would compare. I went without the melatonin and took the shot of this instead. The taste reminded me of a cooled cup of tea with mixed flavors. It tasted fine, but perhaps may have tasted better if it was refrigerated. It did help me fall asleep. I did find that I woke a couple of times at night but found it very easy to return to sleep. I woke in the morning feeling rested! Plus, I did not get the wild dreams I tend to have using the melatonin.

Wheat Grass Boost is a clean, green energy drink that contains vitamins B3, B6 and B12. Because of my sleep problems, I am often exhausted throughout the say so I was very excited to try this product. I will admit, the grass is probably an acquired taste.  I did not like the taste, but did not mind it at first either. As I proceeded to drinking my serving, I started to get sick of the taste very quickly. I will say that it did seem to give me more energy. I am usually in a slump after noon, but I felt great after drinking it. To be honest, I am just not sure that I could get past the taste to drink this regularly (but I am going to check into getting some vitamin B!)

12 Hour Overnight Cleanse & Detox contains one 3 oz bottle of Acai Triple Cleanse and one
3oz bottle Green Envy™ Triple Strength Detox. The two step program is intended to make you feel lighter, slimmer, free to move & energized, without bulk, bloating or discomfort.  The Acai Triple Cleanse is a fiber drink that does not cause the typical stomach ailments after consuming fiber. I was pleased with the taste, in fact I found this drink to be the most palatable of all the drinks. It tasted like a fruit juice. This drink is meant to be consumed at night with 16 oz of water. When you wake in the morning, the Triple Strength Detox should then be consumed with another 16 oz of water. This drink is packed with barley grass, wheatgrass, green tea, broccoli, spirulina, chlorella, cucumber, spinach, kelp, and parsley. The taste of this was good as well (I refrigerated overnight). I was a bit concerned that these would cause me some major bathroom woes, but everything in that department was fine. The Triple Strength Cleanse must have been packed with fiber, because I could hardly eat the next day as I was not feeling hungry.  The program was not at all interrupting to my life and is a much better alternative than the other 15-30 programs on the market.

Buy it here: You can shop for Agrolabs products at various retail stores and online through Amazon.

I was provided with the above mentioned products for the purpose of facilitating this review. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own.

Reader Recipe: Apple Spice Cake

I can't wait to try this recipe out! It comes from Tomi, the blog owner of Three Boys and an Old Lady. Check it out and be wowed  by the recipes, reviews, giveaways and more!

Apple Spice Cake

• 1/4 cup raisins
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons Apple pie spice [sometimes we use Pumpkin Pie Spice]
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 apples - peeled, cored and chopped [you can substitute 1 16-18 oz. canned apples]

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour 10 inch tube pan. Cover raisins with warm water, let soak for 10 minutes and then drain. Whisk together flour, spices, and salt. Set aside.
2. Cream together butter or margarine and sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir together soda and 1 tablespoon warm water, and mix into the sugar mixture. Stir in flour mixture, apples, and strained raisins until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake for 55 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Cool in pan. 

If you have some great seasonal recipes or fabulously decorated seasonal cakes, cookies, or cupcakes and would like to be featured on Cake Mom, please email me at jamielz@verizon.net.  I am looking for items for both fall and winter posts! 

Ideal No Calorie Sweetener Review + GIVEAWAY!! **ENDED**

Ideal No Calorie Sweetener from Heartland Sweeteners is a sugar alternative suitable for everyone in the family, including those with diabetes. Ideal contains mostly Xylitol, a natural sweetener found in fruits and vegetables. This sweetener can be used as a sugar substitute for baking, in your coffee and tea, and anything else you would usually use sugar.

I have not had the opportunity to bake with Ideal yet, but they have a lot of great recipes available on their website. I have, however, had the opportunity to use Ideal as a sugar substitute in some tea. I really enjoyed the taste. It was sweet and I enjoyed the flavor. Some of the other sweeteners on the market can leave an unpleasant aftertaste which I did not experience with Ideal. In fact, I would say that this product is the closest flavor to real sugar that I have found among all the sweeteners I have tasted! My husband uses sugar in his coffee, and he really enjoyed the taste.In fact, he has asked that I buy this from now on and really prefers this over other sugar substitutes.

This is definitely a product that I will buy in the future and I can't wait to try it in some recipes!

Buy it here: You can purchase Ideal sweetener at local retail stores and on Amazon. You can find a $1 off coupon by clicking here.

Connect here: You can find Ideal on Facebook and Twitter.

Win it here: One lucky Cake Mom reader is going to win a box of Ideal Sweetener!

**Please read the rules**
This is open to US residents only. You must complete the mandated entry before completing optional entries. Each optional entry needs to be added as a separate comment. Comments that do not follow the rules will not count and will be deleted. PLEASE LEAVE ME YOUR EMAIL IN THE COMMENT!  

Mandatory entry:  Tell me which Ideal recipe you would like to try! 

Optional entries: Leave an additional comment for each entry. For example, if you blog about this contest, leave 3 separate comments!

1. Follow my blog (publicly)
2. Subscribe to my blog via email and confirm the subscription
3. Grab my button and post a link to your blog
4. Blog about this contest (with a link to my blog) and post a link to your blog (3 entries)
5. Follow me and Ideal on Twitter and tweet about this contest (can be done daily). 

6. Enter another one of my contests. Enter as many as you like, but this method is only worth 1 entry regardless of how many you enter.

One winner will be selected on 11-7 via random.org and will be emailed

 I received a free box of this product from Smile.ly. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own. 

 Congrats to Becky! You have been emailed.

Technique/Terminology Thursday: Lessons Learned

Every time I bake a cake, I try to learn a new technique or tip.  During a work luncheon this week, we are channeling our inner child and watching "It's a Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" so I decided to whip up a quick cake. So, what did I learn?

1. Never assume any cake will be quickly "whipped up"
2. Always check your inventory ahead of time. I realized at 5:45pm the night before the luncheon that I had no powdered sugar to make the frosting. I had to run to Sam's Club which took about 45 minutes. Naturally, when I came home I found a bag of powdered sugar hidden under some cake pans, which leads me to:
3. Organize your decorating and baking supplies so you are not spending over an hour searching for tips, bags, etc.
4. Always check your inventory ahead of time AND before you go to the store. Yes, as soon as I cam home from my trip to Sam's, I realized I had no black food coloring. I was so disgusted at this point that I decided to pull out some chocolate canned frosting and use brown instead of black.
5. Chocolate canned frosting does not work as a substitute for buttercream when using a frozen buttercream transfer technique. After letting the full body image of Charlie Brown freeze for over an hour, all that came out properly was the head because the chocolate did not solidify. At this point, I was practically in tears and just decided to wing it.

So, my full body Charlie Brown turned into a Charlie Brown head with a lot of white space on the cake. Exhausted and disgusted, I added my favorite quote from the movie, tossed on some candy corn and pumpkin pieces and called it a night. Sometimes the stars are just not aligned when I make a cake and this was one of those times!!  My expression at the end matched Charlie Brown's and I guess looking back, my cake decorating experience with this cake was pretty consistent with Charlie Brown's typical day!

Fiber One and Safeway GIVEAWAY!! **ENDED**

You probably already know that fiber is good for you. If you have tried to increase the amount of fiber in your diet, then you may also know that fiber can taste about as good as eating a piece of cardboard. Fiber One, unlike other fiber cereals and bars on the market, are actually good for you and your taste buds!

Fiber One has you covered with at least 35% of your daily value of fiber in every serving of their cereals and bars. Here are some improvements to their classic products:

• Fiber One Honey Clusters have a brand new flake! Every one-cup serving is full of honey clusters, antioxidant vitamins A and E, and 13 grams of fiber.
• Fiber One Raisin Bran Clusters now contain crispier, lightly sweetened whole grain flakes. With plump, juicy raisins and crunchy clusters it packs 11 grams of fiber and antioxidant vitamins A and E into every serving.
• With rich chocolate chips and a new and improved taste, Fiber One Oats & Chocolate chewy bars are a good source of calcium and contain 9 grams of fiber in each bar.

Review: 

I was given two free product coupons and a Safeway gift card in order to see if these products truly do taste good. I used by coupons to buy Fiber One Shredded Wheat Cereal and Fiber One Oats and Strawberry with Almonds Bars. 

I will say that both products were DELICIOUS! I liked the combination of sweet with the healthy flavor of the cereal and bars. The bars were my favorite and were something that I will definitely purchase again. You would never suspect that these were packed with fiber because they tasted more like a treat than a health food. I found that both products kept me feeling full longer than a traditional cereal or snack bar. If you are not used to a high fiber diet, then I could recommend trying these out at home versus work because it can take your digestive system a few days to perfectly regulate after starting these products. 

Buy it here: You can buy Fiber One products from your local grocer to include Safeway stores. 

Win it here: One lucky Cake Mom reader is going to win a Fiber One Prize Pack which includes two free product coupons for Fiber One and a $25 gift card to Safeway (also good at Vons, Pavilions, Genuardi's, Dominick's, Carrs, Randalls & Tom Thumb)!!

**Please read the rules**
This is open to US residents only. You must complete the mandated entry before completing optional entries. Each optional entry needs to be added as a separate comment. Comments that do not follow the rules will not count and will be deleted. PLEASE LEAVE ME YOUR EMAIL IN THE COMMENT!  

Mandatory entry:  Tell me: which type of Fiber One bars you would most like to try.

Optional entries: Leave an additional comment for each entry. For example, if you blog about this contest, leave 3 separate comments!

1. Follow my blog (publicly)
2. Subscribe to my blog via email and confirm the subscription
3. Grab my button and post a link to your blog
4. Blog about this contest (with a link to my blog) and post a link to your blog (3 entries)
5. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this contest (can be done daily). 

6. Enter another one of my contests. Enter as many as you like, but this method is only worth 1 entry regardless of how many you enter.

One winner will be selected on 11-6 via random.org and will be emailed.

I was given the above mentioned products from My Blog Spark/Fiber One for the purpose of facilitating this review. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own.  

Congrats to her5boys. You have been emailed!

WAI Hope Organic Skin Care Review

WAI Hope Organic Skin Care is a new line of products designed to help rejuvenate skin damaged from medicines, chemotherapy, the environment, aging and acne. The founder of the company, Vincene Parrinello, is a cancer survivor who found that certain products contained in their products can offset the damaging effects of chemotherapy.

Ingredients and information, according to the company:

WAI Restructured Water contains the rare Red Fijian Seaweed that has clinical findings that it offers anti-cancer, antibacterial, and anti-viral properties. This seaweed is found deep in the ocean and it is noted that these seaweeds contain more advanced forms of nutrients that are best for attaching defective DNA.

WAI Hope used a proprietary blend of organic melons that stimulate collagen and elastin, increasing circulation by dilating tiny capillaries in the skin's surface, thus transporting nutrients and oxygen from deep within the skin's surface. Cactus extracts are used to trap the moisture being put into the skin.

I was given the opportunity to review the Limited Edition WAI  Hope Try Me Collection.

Pure Hope Organic Cleanser: This product is designed to be used daily in the morning and evening. If removing makeup, they recommend washing twice, once to remove makeup and once to properly clean your skin. The product worked and smelled great.  I liked that a small amount of cleanser went a really long way (you only have to use a raisin size amount). This will really help maximize the length of time you can use each bottle. There are some products that you use and really feel clean afterward, this is definitely one of them! I have fairly oily skin so I was pleased that this product seemed to decrease the oiliness in my face. A 6 oz bottle retails for $37.30.

Seawater Recharging Mist: By misting your face and neck with 3-4 sprays in the morning and evening, and as often as needed in between, you help your skin stay hydrated. The anti-inflammatory properties are meant to help soothe skin, lighten pigmentation, and diminish broken capillaries.  At first, I was very apprehensive to spray something in my face, but there were no problems with terrible tastes or stinging eyes. The spray feels very refreshing. This had the most pleasant scent of all the products. A 4 oz bottle retails for $40.

Daybreak Ultra Replenishing Moisturizer: This product is designed to nourish, hydrate, soothe and calm skin. It is also meant to reduce lines and discoloration and facial redness while improving skin texture and diminishing pores.  Again, I was impressed at the small amount of product that you actually needed to use. This moisturizer is probably the best one I have ever used. My skin felt very soft and I could actually feel the hydrating effect as my skin felt good deep down, not just on the surface. A 1 oz bottle retails for $55.

Pure Hope Enzyme Microexfoliant: This product can be used 1-2 times a week to exfoliate dull, dead skins cells and encourage cell renewal. This was my absolute favorite product. There was a stimulating effect to the product and my skin felt tingly and fresh. I was also thrilled with how soft my skin felt and how well it glowed! I did not even want to put on makeup after using it, it looked so great without it! A 1.7 oz container retails for $105.00.

These products did not disappoint! If the price tags are making you shy away from the products, then consider the fact that you need to use such small amounts of these products that they will likely last longer than others you may have purchased. I use pretty good skin products already, but these definitely outperform those.These products truly had a "spa" quality to them and really made me feel beautiful!

Buy it here: You can purchase Wai Hope products from their website.

I was provided with the above mentioned products for the purpose of facilitating this review. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own (unless otherwise indicated).

Johnson's Baby Products Review and GIVEAWAY!! **ENDED**

Women can sometimes spend an obscene amount of money looking for products that make their skin look and feel young again. If you want your skin to feel smooth like a baby's, why not turn to their products! Johnson's is probably one of the most well known and trusted products for babies, but their amazing products can be used by anyone.  So, when I was asked if I wanted to include Johnson's Baby Products in my Paper Party event, I said, "Of course!" I was given a great set of products to review.

Johnson's Baby Lotion: When my children were babies, this was the only lotion I would use with my children.The mild formula was gentle on their skin. The scent of the product is what I smell on so many babies that makes people say how much they love the smell of newborns. I used this product after getting out of the shower and was amazed at how well it moisturized my extremely dry skin. My body felt silky smooth afterward and the smell gave me fond memories of bathing my children when they were babies. The product is hypoallergenic and allergy and dermatologist tested. I typically do not use a lot of lotions because I have reactions, but there were no issues with this fabulous product.

Johnson's Baby Oil: This product is great for children and adults and really helps provide moisture locking and healing protection for dry skin and patches. I used this on my children when they had cradle cap. I decided to try this product on my roughest areas, my feet and elbows. It worked great and really helped soften my skin. It was also fast absorbing. The only drawback is the mess it can make. Which is why I was excited to try the Johnson's Baby Oil Gel. I wish they would have had this around when my kids were smaller. It provided the same benefits of the classic oil, yet was MUCH less messy! The products can also be used to help remove stubborn eye makeup. I tried this with my mascara and it worked great.

Johnson's Baby Powder: This product has another "classic baby" scent that helps reduce irritation from friction. It is classically used to help prevent diaper rash, yet adults can also use it to help keep certain area keep cool (think feet!)  They offer a variety of scents and variations of the classic powder to include Johnson's Baby Pure Cornstarch Powder (Magnolia Petals). I really loved the scent of this product and the floral scent was more mature smelling. Although I love the scent of the classic powder, I do not necessarily want to walk around smelling like a baby so the Magnolia Petals was my preferred choice.

Buy it here: You can find Johnson's Baby Products in the baby section of your favorite retailer. Their products are also available from Amazon.

Win it here: One lucky Cake Mom reader is going to win a prize pack of Johnson's Baby products to include all five products reviewed in this post!!


**Please read the rules**

This giveaway is open to US Residents. You must complete the mandatory entry before completing optional entries. Each optional entry needs to be added as a separate comment. Comments that do not follow the rules will not count and will be deleted. PLEASE LEAVE ME YOUR EMAIL IN THE COMMENT!

Mandatory Entry:  Tell me: Which Johnson's Baby product is your favorite or which one are you most excited about trying?

Optional entries: Leave an additional comment for each entry. For example, if you blog about this contest, leave 3 separate comments!

1. Follow my blog (publicly)
2. Subscribe to my blog via email and confirm the subscription
3. Grab my button and post a link to your blog
4. Blog about this contest (with a link to my blog) and post a link to your blog (3 entries)
5. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this contest (can be done daily). You must place a link to your tweet.
6. Enter another one of my contests. Enter as many as you like, but this method is only worth 1 entry regardless of how many you enter
7. Sign up for the Johnson's Baby By Your Side email program.

The winner will be selected on 11/5  via random.org and will be emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to respond.
   
I was provided with the above mentioned product for the purpose of facilitating this review. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own.  

Congrats to Puanani503! You have been emailed.

Reader Goodies: Halloween Treats!! REDO!

I had this post set to automatically post yesterday, and did not realize until it was too late that the pictures did not post. Sorry about that. Let's try this again! 

These fun looking Halloween treats would be perfect for kids to take to school! Thanks to  Heather, blog owner of OurKidsMom for sharing! I love the green ice cream cone used for the pumpkin stem, so creative!!

Carmex Review and GIVEAWAY!! **ENDED**

Carmex has been known for their high quality lip care products, and now they are excited to announce that they have extended their line of products to include skin care!

The brand new Carmex Healing Lotion is made from a patent  pending process that delivers healing and moisturization without a greasy feel. Ingredients include aloe and vitamin E. The Carmex Healing Cream is also made using a patent pending process hat delivers concentrated healing and moisturization of your driest, roughest skin. It is intended for any dry skin area, to include hands, feet, elbows, and knees. It is highly concentrated so a minimal amount is needed to repair dry, rough, or cracked skin.

To celebrate the launch of the new skin care products, Carmex sent me this amazing kit with the Healing Lotion and Healing Cream to review. Plus, I got to sample their lip care line!

Review
Carmex Healing Lotion:  I found that the lotion lived up to its promise of quick absorption with no greasy residue. I was not overly pleased with the scent. It smelled almost like my daughter's scented plastic toys and was artificial (perhaps because of the packaging?). The scent, however, was very faint and I could only smell it when I put my skin right to my nose. My skin did feel noticeably smoother after application and I will be keeping it handy this winter to help keep my hands and body moisturized. 

Carmex Healing Cream: This product also absorbed quickly and was non-greasy. It is designed to be used on very dry skin so I tried it on my feet. It worked great and they felt really smooth afterward. I enjoyed the scent of the cream much more than the lotion. It was still faint, which I prefer because of my allergies. The cream was thicker than the lotion and did require less of the product. 

Both of the products were in adequate packaging. The self-standing tubes released the cream/lotion with minimal effort, but there were no spills. The plastic is strong enough that I do not expect it to split or wear easily. Each of the products retails for $5.99 and I find this price to be very reasonable given the quality of the product. I was not a Carmex user prior to this, but after my experience with the skin and lip products, I am now! 

Buy it here: Carmex Healing Lotion and Carmex Healing cream can be found at Walgreens stores, walgreens.com, drugstore.com, and Amazon.com.

Win it here: One lucky Cake Mom will win the same Carmex kit pictured in this review (a $52.32 value)! 

*Please read the rules**

This is open to US residents only. You must complete the mandatory entry before completing optional entries. Each optional entry needs to be added as a separate comment. Comments that do not follow the rules will not count and will be deleted. PLEASE LEAVE ME YOUR EMAIL IN THE COMMENT!

Mandatory Entry:  What is your favorite Carmex product or which one are you most excited to try?

Optional entries: Leave an additional comment for each entry. For example, if you blog about this contest, leave 3 separate comments!

1. Follow my blog (publicly)
2. Subscribe to my blog via email and confirm the subscription
3. Grab my button and post a link to your blog
4. Blog about this contest (with a link to my blog) and post a link to your blog (3 entries)
5. Follow me on twitter and tweet about this contest (can be done daily). You must place a link to your tweet.
6. Enter another one of my contests. Enter as many as you like, but this method is only worth 1 entry regardless of how many you enter.
7. Like Carmex on Facebook.

The winners will be selected on 11/4 via random.org and will be emailed. The winners will have 48 hours to respond.

I was given the opportunity to host this giveaway as part of the Carmex Blog Squad.Through this program, I receive samples and products. No other compensation is received and all views expressed are my own. 

Congrats to sohamolina. You have been emailed!

Prescription Audio: Chill CD Review

Prescription Audio, the leader in sound therapy, uses groundbreaking sound technology including quantum harmonics and layers of sounds frequencies including music and sound waves to help with stress.

 

From the company:
Chill is a relaxation and meditation CD that relies on vibrational sounds to gradually guide brainwave states to deeper levels of relaxation, where the neural chemicals that help heal stress-related damage are released, and the mind can enter a meditative state. Regular meditation has been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rate, enhance immune system response, promote greater cohesion between brain hemispheres, and sharpen memory.

Two CD set includes:

• 8 minute quick relaxation
• 15-minute guided relaxation
• 24-minute evening meditation
• 24-minute guided stress relief program
• 24-minute unguided stress relief program
• Instruction booklet.

Review:
I was given a copy of Chill to review. Since I know stress all too well, I was very excited to give the CD a try.  I used to meditate a lot, and unfortunately life has gotten so busy that I have gotten out of the habit. This CD has convinced me that I must return! The eight minute quick relaxation is a great middle of the day stress buster.  It is  simply the sound of waves on a beach and is completely relaxing. I started bringing my MP3 player with me to work, and midday I try listen to this brief audio to recenter myself and let the stress or the morning fade away. The longer meditations/relaxations are fantastic for the evening. Since receiving the CD, I have started listening to one at night before I go to sleep. They really help relax me and I found that not only did I fall to sleep easier, I sleep sounder than before. In fact, studies have shown that the CD helps positively affect brain waves to encourage deep relaxation.

There were several elements of the CD that I really enjoyed: the nature sounds, the soft and soothing voice of the moderator, the focus on mindfulness (being in the moment), and the guided muscle relaxation.  In fact, there was not anything that I disliked about this CD. I would HIGHLY recommend this CD to anyone with stress (and who does not have stress).

Buy it here: You can purchase the Chill CD from the Prescription Audio website for $49.95.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of the CD for the purpose of facilitating this review. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own.

Upcoming CSN Review Announcement

Beginning November 1, there will be a Holiday Gift Giving guide right here on Cake Mom! Every day, I am going to feature products and/or a store with some great gift ideas. I am thrilled that CNS Stores will be part of the Gift Giving Guide because I cannot imagine doing it without them!

CSN has over 200 stores so you will be able to find everything you could possibly need for under your tree or on top of your dining room table this year! Plus, they have tons of great products to help you make some amazing holiday meals!  With that as a hint, can you take any guesses at what I might be reviewing? Feel free to guess below!

Aroma Home Review and GIVEAWAY!! **ENDED**

Our sense of smell is one of the most mood-influencing senses we have. Aroma Home knows this and sells lots of great products that sooth with touch and are enhanced with relaxing scents.

From the company:
Aroma Home is a design-led British company producing a range of contemporary, fun and high quality gift products, many scented and microwaveable, to bring well-being and mood enhancing senses to daily life.  Our well-known and original brands designed 'in-house'  include HOT HUGS®, Fuzzy Friends®, Body Wraps and Screen Wipes.  These are all widely available to buy in key retail outlets on the high street and online across the UK, Europe and USA. 

I was given a lavender Neck Warmer to review. The warmer is 100% cotton and filled with natural wheat grain and essential oils.  The outer cover can be removed and cleaned. It can be easily heated in the microwave. The warmer retails for $20.

When I first received the product, I will say that the essential oils in the warmer were REALLY strong. In fact, I could smell the lavender scent through the shipping packaging. I was a bit worried that it would be too aromatic and bother my allergies, so I waited a couple of weeks to use it. The strong scent did fade to a more tolerable level and then I was really able to enjoy this product. I have pain in my neck from muscle tension so I was really looking forward to using the product. It was quite heavy which felt really good and it fit nicely to the contours of my neck. Even without the heat, the sheer weight of the product felt great. The heat only enhanced the soothing qualities of the warmer and the lavender scent. It was truly relaxing to lay back and enjoy the scent and warmth on my neck. In fact, when I use it at night I find that I am more easily able to fall asleep. This is a great product and I am considering getting one for my mom this year for Christmas!

Buy it here: You can purchase this product and a variety of other aromatic and soothing products from the Aroma Home website.


Win it here: One lucky Cake Mom reader is going to win a surprise item from Aroma Home!!

This is open to US residents only. You must complete the mandatory entry before completing optional entries. Each optional entry needs to be added as a separate comment. Comments that do not follow the rules will not count and will be deleted. PLEASE LEAVE ME YOUR EMAIL IN THE COMMENT!

Mandatory Entry:  Become a fan of Aroma Home on Facebook AND follow on Twitter.

Optional entries: Leave an additional comment for each entry. For example, if you blog about this contest, leave 3 separate comments!

1. Follow my blog (publicly)
2. Subscribe to my blog via email and confirm the subscription
3. Grab my button and post a link to your blog
4. Blog about this contest (with a link to my blog) and post a link to your blog (3 entries)
5. Follow me  on Twitter and tweet about this contest (can be done daily). You must place a link to your tweet.
6. Enter another one of my contests. Enter as many as you like, but this method is only worth 1 entry regardless of how many you enter.
7.  Buy something from Aroma Home between now and the end of this post and receive 10 EXTRA entries!!
8. Tell me what your favorite product is from Aroma Home.

The winner will be selected on 11/3 via random.org and will be emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to respond.

I was given samples of this product. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own.

Congrats to karenmed409! You have been emailed. 

Teddy's Pride Sale

Teddy's Pride is the first ever all-natural probiotic breath freshener and teeth whitener created especially for dogs and cats. I have reviewed the product in the past and I can say that this product is a must-have if you have pets. It is so much easier to use than a toothbrush!

From now until November 30, they are having a sale for US resident! Enter coupon code TED10 at checkout and receive a $5 discount!


 I was not provided with compensation for this post, though  I have received a free product in the past to facilitate a past review. All views expressed are my own.

Expressionery Melamine Plate Review

Expressionery.com is an online stationary company which features products for every occasion to include notes and notepads, photo notes, cards, embossed personal stationary, invitations and announcements, address labels, custom stamps, book plates, small leather goods and more. Their products are perfect for your home or can make fabulous gifts.

They have just recently released a line of Melamine plates. There are 21 different patterns to choose from and all of the plates can be personalized. The plates measure 10" across and cam be used for anything you can imagine. I think it would make a great Christmas gift with some homemade cookies on top!!

I was given a AkHiggins Bella Bird in Blue Plate to review. I was very happy with the quality of the plate. The plastic was thick and I loved that the plate is dishwasher safe.  The possibilities for this plate are endless and would make a great gift for so many different occasions. The plates retail for $25. 

Buy it here: You can purchase this product and other great stationary products from the Expressionery.com website.

I received this sample as part of the Expressionery Consumer Panel. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own.