I’m excited to tell you about ecoSTORE USA and the unique, natural products they carry! ecoSTORE USA is an American extension of a 15+ year New Zealand company (www.ecostore.co.nz).

Founded by a guy named Malcolm Rands, who lived in a NZ eco village, ecoSTORE has grown exponentially since it’s humble beginnings. (Read more about ecoSTORE’s fascinating history here.)

ecoSTORE USA carries a host of chemical-free, natural products for the earth-and-safety conscious home and family. From natural house cleaning products to hair shampoos to baby moisturizers to “wool wash,” ecoSTORE USA has it covered.

The generous folks at ecoSTORE USA sent our family two products of our choice to try out:

Coconut and Vanilla Body Wash
This stuff? Is awesome. It smells like a can of coconut milk when it’s opened. It’s silky soft without leaving any residue on our skin. We are a family of dry skin/mild eczema flare ups, and truthfully, we’ve all noticed a decrease in our itchiness and dryness while using this body wash.

Auto Dish Powder
I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about using a powdered detergent in our dishwasher — we’ve always used gels. I’ve read so many things about the dangerous additives housed within popular dishwasher detergents, though, so I knew I wanted to try a safer, more natural alternative. Not only do our dishes come out streak and scratch-free, they exit cleaner than after being washed with our “usual” detergent brands! Totally natural ingredients (like palm and coconut-derived surfactants) make this dish powder worry-free.

You can buy these both at ecoSTORE USA’s online store, as well as the spectrum of their other products.

AND!!!!

Through July 31st, 2010, to celebrate the grand opening of ecoSTORE USA’s headquarters in Michigan, every order placed on their site will instantly be “BOGO.” This means — your order is doubled — for free!

And, as always, all orders over $25 are automatically shipped FREE.

Head on over to start shopping….

Whether your kids love or hate taking baths, they’re sure to love Utubia!

Utubia offers a unique variety of tear-free shampoos for kids. It’s a way to get your kids over their boredom of bathtime — and let them mix and match “flavors” to create their own ultimate scented 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner concoctions!

Utubia was begun by two hairstylists (and moms) who recognized a need for fun hair products just for kids. “Why not ask kids themselves what they’d like?” They asked. Then they added in some customization possibilities, and Utubia was born!

There are fifteen different flavors! There are three packs of five each, categorized as follows: Malt Shop, Fruit Salad, and Sweet Treats.

We received for review one of each of these three “flavor” packs. There’s now a race to the bathtub each night as the kids clamber to choose which scent (or scent combo) they wish to use! The scents are realistic and fresh. Almost smell good enough to eat! (But don’t.)

Our daughter’s smitten with the strawberry — her favorite. Add in my personal favorite scent, vanilla, and it the combo is positively divine! Our son prefers the “sour” and “boyish” scents — green apple and root beer.

Utubia products are used in select salons — and their five packs can be ordered directly from Utubia’s online store!

Win it! Courtesy of the generous folks at Utubia, I am giving away TEN sets of all three five packs. (That’s right! Ten winners will each receive all fifteen of Utubia’s yummy scents!)

Here’s how to enter:

1) MANDATORY: Look at the yummy “flavors”/scents at Utubia….then tell me, in a comment below, your or your child’s ideal “flavor” combo!

2) For a second entry, subscribe to Muse Reviews’ feed OR subscribe via email — tell me in a separate comment if you’re a new subscriber or already a subscriber.

3) For a third entry, become friends with Muse Reviews on Facebook, then tell me you did so in a separate comment below.

4) For a fourth entry, twitter about this contest using @MuseReviews within your tweet, then tell me in a separate comment that you twittered!

I’ll close the contest next Wednesday, July 7th, 2010 at 11pm EST. Sorry; US addresses only. Good luck!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Congrats to our winners!:

# 2, Tara
# 34, Renee G
# 53, Kim Shaver
# 56, Holly Walker
# 60, Lisa Macomber
# 95, Erma Hurtt
# 129, Summer
# 146, Julie Jones
# 153, Lindley A
# 174, Donna K

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received this product for free for review purposes; however, my review was honest and my opinions are my own. I only received the product itself; I received no other monetary compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Skin MD Natural is holding a fantastic contest! Enter to win a basket full of summertime essentials, including Skin MD Lotion, worth over $300!

Head on over to find out how to enter.

AND! All during the month of June, enter SUMMER10 at checkout when ordering Skin MD Natural for 20% off of your order!

It’s almost Mother’s Day. The day where moms everywhere are celebrated.

Moms — they truly do color our worlds, don’t they? I know my mom colors mine.

There’s a special bond between mom and daughter. I tell most everything to my mom — she and I are also close friends. It’s a bond that’s everlasting and a kinship that’s unbroken.

There’s a wonderful project called She Colors My Day that seeks to promote the special bond between mother and daughter….all the while raising funds for breast cancer research.

The She Colors My Day project began when a mother named Annette, dying of breast cancer, created a keepsake for the four daughters she was preparing to leave behind. Annette sent a CD of she and her daughters singing to her many friends and family. Unbeknown to Annette, her act of love would be the inspiration for her friend, Cristina Carlino, founder of Project Miracle, to ignite the She Colors My Day movement.

I’m writing this post to help promote awareness of this terrific, intentional project among you, my readers. Wondering what you can do to get involved with the project? There are several ways:

~ Join the She Colors My Day Facebook fan page. On it, you’ll find a link to the She Colors My Day Facebook app where you can invite your FB friends to “color” with you…and pass the crayon around virtually to everyone you know!

~ Sing along! The “She Colors My Day” song co-written by Cristina Carlino and Stuart Mathis for Cristina’s daughter has been recorded by multi-Grammy award winner, Amy Grant. Download the “She Colors My Day Song” and video and help to support this organization. A portion of net proceeds from the song supports the She Colors My Day project, benefiting Susan G. Komen for a Cure ® Foundation and the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s/Women’s Cancer Research Group.

(Many thanks to MomSelect for letting me know about this wonderful project/initiative geared towards breast cancer research.)

Fruit2O, the creators of the original fruit flavored water, introduces Fruit2O Essentials! Fruit2O Essentials combines several nutrients found in TWO servings of fruit (including 1 gram of fiber) with crisp, refreshing, clear water….all without calories OR sugar!

Did you realize that 80% of Americans don’t drink the recommended amount of water (8 glasses) each day? It’s also known that 77% of us don’t eat the recommended servings of fruit every day.

Fruit2O Essentials is the perfect drink for active women who are seeking to maintain a healthy diet and achieve an ideal weight. Since drinking less than the needed amount of fluids equals dehydration, healthy calorie-free drinks such as Fruit2O Essentials provide you with the amount of hydration your body needs, giving you optimum mental and physical performance all during your busy day.

Fruit 2O Essentials comes in six subtle yet tasty flavors — Cranberry Raspberry, Strawberry Kiwi, Peach Mango, Citrus, Blueberry Pomegranate, and Cherry Acai.

You can find Fruit2O at your local grocery stores and club stores. For a complete retail location list, visit www.fruit2o.com. (Their website also has handy coupons for printing, too!)

The folks at Fruit2O have partnered with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in working together to help women make small changes that create lifelong results for improved health. Making small changes each day, such as swapping sugary beverages high in calories for Fruit2O Essentials, is a terrific way to make healthy choices that can reduce the risk of certain health conditions, including diabetes.

Become a Fruit2O Facebook fan to share your thoughts on small changes you can make with their other fans!

Win it! Courtesy of Fruit2O and MomSelect, one of you will win a one month supply of Fruit2O Essentials to keep you hydrated and healthy throughout your busy day!

Here’s how to enter:

1) MANDATORY: Tell me, in a comment below, one small change you want to make in order to take a step closer to optimum health and a healthier life!
2) For an extra entry, subscribe to Muse Reviews’ feed OR subscribe via email — tell me in a separate comment if you’re a new subscriber or already a subscriber.
3) For a third entry, become friends with Muse Reviews on Facebook, then tell me you did so in a separate comment below.
4) For a fourth entry, twitter about this contest using @MuseReviews within your tweet, then tell me in a separate comment that you twittered!

I’ll close the contest next Monday, April 19th, 2010 at 11pm EST. Sorry; US addresses only. Good luck!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Congratulations to the winner, #139, Geoff K!

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received this product for free for review purposes; however, my review was honest and my opinions are my own. I only received the product itself; I received no other monetary compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

…and I’m still very much enjoying my bottle of SkinMD Natural Shielding Lotion!  In fact, I have it on my hands right now as I’m typing — soothing the damage to my hands from the tasks they’ve been busy doing all week (laundry, playing outside with the kids, cleaning, cooking).

You may remember my previous review of SkinMD Natural Shielding Lotion. It is still a product that our family loves and stands behind.

SkinMD Natural Shielding Lotion and SkinMD Natural + SPF 15 are so very beneficial to have around….especially if you have habitually dry skin and/or are concerned about the ingredients in the products you use on your family’s skin.

***That’s why the kind folks at SkinMD want to offer my readers 20% off any purchase at SkinMDNatural.com!***

Now through April 10th, 2010, enter the code ” MUSES ” at checkout for an automatic 20% off!

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this review/announcement. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I don’t know about you, but at our house, we go through bandages like nothing else. Everything from a skinned knee via a pavement spill to a teeny, tiny paper cut warrants a bandage.

Whenever my husband tries to talk one of the kids out of asking for a bandage, I laugh and remind him lovingly that a bandages aren’t just physical: They’re also emotional and psychological. Just putting a bandage around a pinky finger seems to shut off the faucet of tears. And our kids, no matter how big they grow, still want Mommy and Daddy to kiss their boo-boos and make them better. With Ouchies, you can do that in a hipper, cooler way!

Ouchies are designer bandages, colorful and bold. Now your child can not only make a cut or scrape disappear and heal faster, he or she can do it in style. Ouchies were created by a dad who was looking to make his children’s bandages a little more fun and funky. As he says, “Down with beige bandages, baby!”

There’s something for every kids’ style and personality:
For the boys…

For the creative artist…

For the fun-loving and nostalgic type…

Our kids adore Ouchies. It just so happened that the flu shots we all received last week warranted “cooler” bandages. Moments after returning home, Ouchies came to the rescue!

Ouchies come in metal tins, which I love because it’s so retro and old-school. Each tin contains 20 adhesive bandages. You can order Ouchies from their online retail site for $5.00 a box, or check to see where they’re sold locally at stores near you.

Win it! Thanks to the people at Ouchies, one of you will win two tins of your choice of Ouchies adhesive bandages!

Here’s how to enter:
1. MANDATORY: Become a fan of Ouchies on Facebook (by following the link here).
2. MANDATORY: Comment here with the Ouchies styles you’d pick if you won.
3. For an extra entry, subscribe to Muse Reviews’ feed and tell me you did so (or have already done so) in a separate comment.
4. For another entry, become friends with Muse Reviews on Facebook and let me know that you did in a separate comment.

I’ll close the contest next Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 at 11pm EST. Sorry; US entries only. Good luck!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Congrats to the winner, commenter #25, ReggieMann!

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received this product for free for review purposes; however, my review was honest and my opinions are my own. I only received the product itself; I received no other monetary compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

When our son was almost a year old, he choked on a Goldfish cracker. Before I knew what I was doing, I had pulled him out of the highchair, had flung him, facing down, onto my forearm, and began to hit his back between the shoulder blades. After two times, the cracker flew out onto the floor, and he begin to cry.

At that moment, more than at any other, I was grateful that my husband and I took a choking aid/CPR class before G was born. I believe that what I learned there helped me know what to do on that scary afternoon.

Yet what if I don’t always react so quickly? What if I panic and freeze, not knowing what to do? I don’t like to dwell on “what ifs,” but I do believe that preparation and know-how is important, should an emergency spring up.

I’m thrilled to tell you today about a first aid kit that takes most of the guesswork out of those crucial situations: Intelligent First Aid. Intelligent First Aid is the most comprehensive, all-inclusive, and smart first aid kit I’ve found. Intelligent First Aid’s Talking First Aid kit not only includes cue cards with detailed drawings and instructions to let you know what to do with every type of injury or occurrence, but it also has recorded instructions which you can play at will to talk you through the actions required.

The Intelligent First Aid Talking First Aid kit includes talking care packs (including talking cue cards and medical supply packs) for all of the following injuries/conditions:

- Breathing/CPR
- Bleeding
- Shock
- Head & Spine Injuries
- Bone Injuries
- Eye Injuries
- Burns
- Bites & Stings

Also included is a basics care packet (with basic medical supplies), a fully illustrated instruction manual, a quick-start guide (also with narration), and a positionable flashlight, all housed within a soft-sided, zip-closure case with a handle and detachable strap. It’s an easy first aid kit to tote around as you go, and excellent for travel.

Here’s my demonstration of what is included within the Talking First Aid kit, as well as a sample of the narration you’ll hear on the cue cards:

Intelligent First Aid review from Megret on Vimeo.

You can order Intelligent First Aid kits directly via their online store. There are several other kits available, including a Safe at Home kit and workplace (On the Job) kits.

***And right now, Intelligent First Aid is running a winter special: 25% off everything on their site with the promotional code WINTER25 used at checkout.***

Win it! Thanks to the generous folks at Intelligent First Aid, one of you will win a Talking First Aid kit, a $149.99 value! To enter to win, just comment below with another one of their kits you’d like to have around or give to someone…or tell me about an experience you had where rapid first aid was required…..OR tell me something you read/learned from their website. I’ll close the contest next Sunday, February 7th, 2010 at 11pm EST. Sorry; US entries only. Good luck!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Congrats to the winner, commenter #6, Melissa, who said, “I think this would be wonderful for us because we have a swimming pool. It would be nice to keep in handy in case we ever did need to do CPR! (but praying to God that we never will).”
Thanks, everyone, for participating!

One of my favorite forms of exercise? Yoga. I began by taking some yoga classes a few years back. While I loved the idea of it, I couldn’t exactly feel 100% comfortable doing yoga in a class of 35+ people, especially since 99% of them were way more flexible and balance-able than I. Rather than give it up, though, I sought out ways to do yoga at home. I have yoga DVDs and stretch and bend along with the instructors on FitTV, but sometimes I want to go at my own pace. Design my own workout. Customize.

Thankfully, I ran across My Yoga 2 Go. It’s an all-inclusive, tote-able yoga workout system that goes where you go! It was created by Beth Siegel, a student of yoga since 1993, who was trained in Flow Yoga at the Asheville Center for Yoga. It was sprouted from her need to have an at-home yoga program after the birth of her first child.  Beth graciously sent me a My Yoga 2 To Yoga Practice System to try out.

My Yoga 2 Go’s Yoga Practice System includes a comprehensive deck of yoga posture cards, complete with the pose name, pose photos, detailed written description of each, time to hold each posture, and bodily benefits. The bottom of the cards have circles, each of a different color and number. There are a variety of “workouts” to choose from….simply choose the color corresponding to the workout you desire, put the cards in numerical order, slide them into the 30-pocket hanging tote, put on some soothing music, grab your mat, and begin!

The My Yoga 2 Go Yoga Practice System includes all you need to complete a full yoga workout at home, in a hotel room during travel, or even on the sand beside a beach at sunset. Now there are no restrictions on where you can practice yoga…and you can tote it all with you in an attractive, organized way!

What I like most about My Yoga 2 Go’s Yoga Practice System:

- The folder tote is durable and sturdy. It folds up compactly for easy storage and/or packing.
- The cards are thick and have a waxy/rubbery type finish….which means they’ll resist moisture, for one, and also stay put once slid into the pockets of the tote.
- I love how the poses are organized by workout choice….no guesswork! Some of the poses overlap within the 7 workout routines. You can even mix and match to create your own one-of-a-kind routine based on your individual needs.
- The poses have alternate/amended poses, as well, to allow you a bit more of a challenge/stretch.

You can purchase the My Yoga 2 Go Yoga Practice System for $29.95 directly from the My Yoga 2 Go website, or look for My Yoga 2 Go products at any of these retail locations.

(**Buy one for yourself and one for a friend….2nd sets are just $19.95!)

(My Yoga 2 Go has lots of other fabulous items: Yoga mat bags, jewelry, and gifts!)

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received this product for free for review purposes; however, my review was honest and my opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Winter is harsh on delicate skin like mine. As soon as autumn hits, my hands begin to crack and chap. One thing I’ve reached for often both last winter and this is Skin MD Natural.

Skin MD Natural skin care products that are a bit different than conventional moisturizing lotions. Skin MD Natural lotions are “shielding lotions,” meaning that they bond with and protect the stratum corneum (top layer of the skin)…from the cold air, the wind, harmful chemicals, even occasional contact with water. Shielding lotions enhance the body’s natural abilities to protect. Think of it as an “invisible hydrating” barrier.

At first I was surprised that Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion wasn’t incredibly thick, but I soon came to notice that it covers extremely well and takes very little to cover an area of irritated skin. It is effective for reducing the discomfort from a variety of skin problems and complaints.

What I love about Skin MD Natural is that they stand up to the claim in their name. They don’t do animal testing or use animal products, their lotions are paraben free, hypoallergenic, and are fragrance and colorant free. (A detailed list and descriptions of Skin MD Natural lotions can be found here.)

You can use Skin MD Natural on the face, hands, or body. It also comes in a version with a sunblock additive (SPF 15). I keep my bottle right on the side of the kitchen sink; it’s what I reach for first after cleaning up each family meal or coming in from outdoors. My hands are so grateful!

This year, why not give the gift of healthy, beautiful, silky-smooth skin….naturally….with Skin MD Natural products. You can order Skin MD Natural directly from their website for $18 a bottle. (They are also running a few Christmas specials right now on multi/gift packs.) You can also use their handy store locator to find a retailer near you who carries their great products.

Win it! Thanks to Skin MD Natural, one of you will win a bottle of the original Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion! Just stop by the Skin MD Natural website and look around a bit….then tell me, in a comment below, something you learned or something that you read to make you want to try their lotions even more! I’ll close the contest next Saturday, December 12th, 2009 at 11pm EST. Open to US, Canadian, and international addresses. Good luck!


CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Congratulations to commenter #10, Julie L, the winner of the Skin MD lotion!