Month: June 2011

Categories
Products shampoo

Product Review: Swim & Sport babo BOTANICALS

Our friends at babo botanicals sent us a few products to test out.  We love babo! All of their products are sulfate, paraben and phthalate free. They are also dairy and soy free and made with pure flower and plant extracts.

We tested the swim and sport line which will be a welcomed, must have product this summer season, especially if your kids are in chlorine and salt water all day!  Their Clean Sport Shampoo and Wash helps replenish and hydrate both the hair and skin after a day at the beach or the pool. My kids are on the swim team and this gets rid of the chlorine smell and leaves a nice, fresh scent.  Made with soothing organic aloe vera and cucumber it also leaves their hair shiny. It is great for moms and I love that I only have to bring one bottle to the pool with me.   It is also safe for colored treated hair (bonus for those highlights!).

My older daughter has very blond hair so we have an issue with it sometimes turning green.  We sprayed the Cucumber Aloe Vera UV Sport Conditioning Spray before we hit the pool and it kept her hair soft and not dried out and of course no green.   It helps to resist chlorine, salt and sun! And again, perfect if you want to protect those highlights.

If you are sending your kids to summer camp these upcoming months make sure you send along the babo Rosemary Tea Tree Lice Repel Shampoo and Lice Repel Conditioning spray with them! We used this all year long and I loved the smell of it. It contains Rosemary, Tea Tree and mint which the critters avoid!  According to the babo web site it is clinically proven 95% effective.

Swim and Sport line from babo botanicals
Categories
Products

Oh the weather – Kids Rain Coats

Summer is here in New England but it’s hot one day, cool the next and a whole lot of thunderstorms in between. Especially when it’s hot outside but still rainy it’s hard to know what to send kids to school with or for the summer to camp with.  Here are some items that might fit the bill.

Especially for older kids a rain jacket that is not too cute is a must and make sure it’s lightweight and packable for those 80 degree thunderstorm days. I like the Land’s End Girl’s packable navigator rain jacket – well because it’s packable and lightweight.

LL Bean’s trail model rain jacket also packs up too! I like how the taped seams seal out moisture

If you are looking for cutsie rain gear try Mini Boden and their anorak jacket.

There is also a site called kidskiandrain with cute rain sets

The Comfy Kid has great them raincoats and rain sets including the Space Hero Rain Coat, Kidorable Ballerina Rain Coat and of course Lucky Cat Rain Coat!

Categories
Products

Tweens, braces and an alternative

I can hear it already…the cost, the pain, the braces….. I don’t even know yet if my kids will need them but all my hubby can think about is the expense! Now I know we have some options like Invisalign

I remember seeing ads about Invisalign and wondered what is was. Now there is an Invisalign that is specifically developled for teens. How the heck does that thing work?

I remember wearing my braces as a child wishing I could hide or have something less conspicuous.

Teens now have a more modern choice for straightening their teeth. No more wires and brackets required – Invisalign Teen is a series of removable and virtually invisible aligners that gradually move teeth over time and is an alternative to metal braces. It was developed with leading orthodontists who understand the unique treatment and compliance needs of teens as well as their active lifestyles. Invisalign Teen treatment is ideal for busy parents because there are never any emergency appointments caused by broken wires or brackets. No more uncomfortable tightening – I remember those!

Here are just some of the benefits:

• It fits teens’ busy lives—the aligners are comfortable and durable, so it’s easy for teens to continue their favorite activities such as playing sports and musical instruments that can be challenging or uncomfortable with traditional metal braces.

• It’s clear—no metal braces so treatment is inconspicuous, making it easier for teens to “fit in” rather than call attention to their treatment.

• It’s removable—teens take the aligners out to brush and floss so they can maintain normal, healthy hygiene during treatment and they can eat what they want – this is huge coming from a corn on the cob and caramel eater!

• It’s more comfortable than traditional braces—Invisalign Teen aligners are made of lightweight plastic that is custom-fitted to each patient’s teeth. Unlike braces, there are no wires or uncomfortable metal brackets poking or tearing their mouths or gums

AND yes, Invisalign can effectively treat many of the same conditions that used to only require metal braces. For more information check out their web site.

This is a sponsored post.

Categories
fashions

Finding a fun, stylish mom swimsuit

The other day I was complaining about finding appropriate swimsuits for my young girls and now I was having a hard time finding an appropriate swimsuit for myself! I went on the mission and first stop was Target. I tried on a few suits and the girls were very honest and said no way, yuck, don’t even think about wearing that (this coming from a 6 and 9 year old!)  They did have some really nice ones like suits from their Calypso line.  So where is a mom to find an fun, fashionable, well fitting suit?  Here are some ideas!

Lands End – I love their shell beach collection! I also love how you can shop by your body type – hello tummy control. Check out the Women’s Regular Tummy Control Medallion Print V-neck Tankini Swimsuit Top

Everything but water – same thing here – you can shop by looking up style and comfort. They even have a section called enhance cleavage! I like the Kenneth Cole Bed of Roses Tankini Top

If you want to splurge go to Trina Turk. I buy one of her suits every year (although if I am lucky I can find one at Marshalls!)  The Tamarindo Tankini and belted hipster is so chic!

These are just a few ideas.  Good luck and happy shopping!

Categories
Products

Recap: Drool Baby Expo Boston

I attended The Drool Baby Expo at the Seaport Hotel and there was a TON of cool baby gear to check out. Baby products only get better each year. I wish some of these items were around when my kids were little. There are now lots of safer options too especially with feeding systems and snack packs.  I was blown away by the options for snacking like the Snack Happened Reusable Snack Bags by Itzy Ritzy they handed out or the Flip Top snack Cup by oxo tot . Boon has some great items as well like their snack pod.

Drool was the must attend event for  parents-to-be, new parents, family members and friends to see the best new strollers, car seats, baby carriers, accessories, and safety items and more. You could test out products, win prizes, snack on refreshments and the gift bag was awesome. It was presented by Magic Beans and Big City Moms.

So lots and lots of products!  Here are just a few of my favorites:

Dapple Baby offers green cleaners for kids and their families. The company offers a line of dish liquid, toy and surface cleaners and surface wipes.

Baby legs are these adorable leg warmers for babies that makes diaper changing and potty training easy!

Any of the items from booninc especially that snack ball!

The pink-list.com is a membership program for moms that provides rewards and opportunities at local businesses in Boston.

Mamasmove. is a fitness, spa and center for kids and babies all rolled into one in Norwell. They offer women’s fitness programs, expert-led children’s classes and they have a playground for kids on the South Shore!

There were so many strollers it was crazy how ergonomically designed they all are now. I liked the Denim collection by bugaboo and the new stokke Xplory

I could go on and on, especially about those cupcakes from Party Favors Brookline but you can check out the list of exhibitors here.

The crowd at Drool Expo Boston, MA