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This Winter has been a harsh one in Texas. We're used to having very few cold days, with 50 and 60 degree days mixed througout. But this year we've had a record breaking number of below zero days and nights, and illnesses like the flu and RSV running rampant through families. I know, my family up north would say that I'm getting soft, and maybe that's right. I grew up in northern New Jersey with Winters much, much worse than this for far longer. And don't mention my family in good old Minnesota, they have sub-zero temperatures for 5 months out of the year!

While dealing with all of this cold weather, my 12 year old son and I had battled everything from the flu, to horrible colds, to RSV. Throughout all of this, my son's lips had been dry, cracked and on the verge of bleeding, but mine were not. They were almost of soft as before the cold weather came around. What was the difference? My son was piling on the lip balm at least 50 times a day...and I wasn't. Hmmmm, if it doesn't sound like it makes sense, keep reading.

So what should we do to combat the dry, chapped and cracked lips that the cold weather and illness brings around? I'm going to sound like a broken record when I say this...the key is exfoliation, and then hydration. Seems too simple to work? Not really, it's actually pretty logical when you think about what the dryness comes from. The dryness that you feel is actually dead skin, sitting on top of the moist new skin cells. Why would you want to try to rehydrate the dead skin cells? Just get rid of them to reveal the new skin cells underneath!
Here is my morning routine:

1. After cleansing my face, I apply a 2-in-1 lip exfoliator and leave on for about 5 minutes.
2. Then I rub it off, which gently exfoliates the sensitive skin on and around the lips.
3. I then apply a deeply hydrating lip moisturizer (not lip balm).
4. On the days that I need more exfoliation, I first use a chemical peel, and then mix a dermabrasion creme with my lip exfoliator to get a deeper exfoliation.

I'd like to mention one more thing, don't use waxy lip balms. The wax might seal in the natural moisture temporarily, but it also sits on top of your lips and doesn't actually moisturize your lips. It also removes moisture as it rubs off. That's why you feel like you need to use lip balm all day long (and why my son's lips were still so dry and chapped while using nearly a whole tube every day). One note: when my son discovered my secret towards the end of his illness, he started using my lip exfoliator and moisturizer. His lips were completely healed and soft within one day, and now he's hooked!
Happy exfoliating!

Guest Author Bio - Christine Grudecki
A mobile spa consultant, Christine has had training as a skin care professional and works with clients to help create and maintain beautiful looking skin. She is also the owner of PMICreations Mobile Spa & Gifts, as well as the author of the Health & Lifestyle Blog, which ranges in subjects from skin care to health to relaxation, and life in general. You can also check out her Facebook Fanpage and Tweets for tidbits of inspiration and advice.

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Beau Bain Bath Cupcakes 

By Trish Deitemyer 

Cupcakes are everywhere these days, have you noticed?  There are cute little cupcake bakeries popping up in towns across the country and you can get cupcakes on your PJs, shower curtains and tablecloths.  And now, thanks to Beau Bain, you can have yummy cupcakes in the bath, too (minus the calories!)  Beau Bain’s Bath Cupcakes look exactly like beautifully decorated goodies, and come packaged in a clear plastic box.  The bottom part of the cupcake (the “cake” part) is a rich, fizzy bath bomb, containing 9 all natural oils.  The top (the “icing”) breaks off and becomes a luxurious bubble bath when crumbled under running water.  And the suds last a long, long time, so you can lay back and relax and get away from it all for a while. 

   

Beau Bain’s cupcakes come in 8 different “flavors”:  Tropical Mango, Juicy Peach, Lavender, Dark Chocolate, Coconut Crème, Lemon Zest, Hawaiian Lei, and Birthday Cake, which Beau Bain sent to me to try.  Once submerged in cake-smelling foam, I was transported back to my eighth birthday party; hats, blowers, ice cream and (mmm…) cupcakes. 

Beau Bain also has corresponding bath salts, crèmes and body scrubs. 

Bath Cupcakes make a great gift for your best girlfriend, or yourself, of course.  Once you start soaking in Beau Bain’s Bath Cupcakes, you’re going to want to skip dessert every night and head right to the tub! 

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Congratulations to s8r8l33! Your comment number 134 was selected via random.org and you have won a  Old El Paso "family taco night" prize pack which includes a packet of original Old ElPaso Taco Seasoning, a Cactus Chip & Dip Serving dish, a set of 3 Fiesta Chili Pepper serving dishes.  You will be receiving an email confirmation from me shortly.

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Congratulations to Nicole! Your comment number 3 was selected via random.org and you have won a Cavallini & Co 2011 Paris Travel Designer Art Wall Calendar and the Pistachio Press Peacock 2011 Letterpress Art Wall Calendar from Luxe Paperie. ($34 Value).  You will be receiving an email confirmation from me shortly.

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Congratulations to Heather! Your comment number 47 was selected via random.org and you have won  Galison Origami Lane Weekly Organizer and Origami Lane Social.  You will be receiving an email confirmation from me shortly.

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One winner will receive a bottle of Salon Grafix Invisible Dray Shampoo.

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SmartMouth Mint Mouthwash Product Review

12 Hour Fresh Breath

by Barb Gary

When I first received this box of Mouthwash I was a little afraid to try it. That's because it came in 2 seperate bottles and you need to mix the ingredients to make them work. My son loves to experiment so he quickly grabbed them up and in a couple of minutes had it ready to go. It did combine easily so that was great. He said it reminded

him of his favorite Science Class. The minty taste is very good and not overpowering. Since you mix the 2 bottles together this will actually make quite a bit of mouthwash so it's an eco-friendly product. The mint tastes refreshing and will really wake you up when you use it. As you know Valentine's Day is right around the corner and you know you absolutely must have fresh breath on that day since it's full of surprises. SmartMouth will not stain your teeth or those expensive fillings so need to stress about that. That's great because my son who is now using this has spent a lot of money taking care of his teeth. 

I'm a denture wearer so I was happy to see that this SmartMouth mouthwash did not stain my dentures at all. If you're not a denture wearer you probably don't know this, but it's really easy to stain them. SmartMouth is made to last up to 12 hours and it's alcohol free so I like that too. It's a good value at $10.99.

From their website;

"SmartMouth's oxidizer in solution 1, eliminates existing bad breath when you rinse. But unlike alcohol-based

mouthwash products, SmartMouth does not kill germs (that's a good thing!). SmartMouth's zinc ion technology, created by the combination of Solution 1 and Solution 2, prevents germs from producing new bad breath gases for long-term fresh breath."

They also have on the go mouthwash packets and toothpaste in their arsenal of products. Developed by Dr. Marvin Cohen,I think this gets a thumbs up for the fact that it works and for the good minty taste. It also comes in cinnamon which is one of my favorite scents so I'll have to check that out. You can find SmartMouth at 32,000 stores across the US.

SmartMouth Mouthwash

Barb Gary writes at; Diabetic Snacker and is a contributing reviewer for Mint

Green With Envy.

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Disclosure: I was sent a complimentary products for free in order to write this review. My opinions are my own and no other form of compensation was given. Thank you to the Company SmartMouth and Mint Green With Envy for this review opportunity.

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by Jamie Hackbarth
For  a whole new lota spice in your life I decided to do a review on KY and two of their products. I ain't gonna lie- I have never tried a couples product or yet any product at all for that matter. So here I am deciding to just go for it and explore the KY Yours+Mine Kissable Sensations for the body. I must admit, I was a bit hesitant about it because I am not a tasty-tasty type of gal.  But I wanted to surprise my significant other and decided to see what he thought.  The product is nicely packaged and makes a great February lovers gift <3 The tubes look like a mad professors testers and will definitely have your partner going mad all over your body :)  A little taste goes a long way! 
1) Make sure you take off the safety seals before you start your engines
2) The brown goes on him 
3) The red goes on her 
4) Have fun
The product did not tingle, heat up or make me gag! It actually tasted quite good!! I had a great time testing out this product and the price point is about right! After all, isn't any price worth if for a good time??  You can also combine the flavors for a a fun and intimate experience. After all, isn't is all about spicing things up?
From the KY Website:

For more play during foreplay. Take time to explore and stimulate each others body. Enjoy the sensual, arousing pleasure of foreplay with decadent chocolate and refreshing strawberry sensations for the body. Together, share a fun delicious, multi-sensory head to toe experience enjoy foreplay like never before. Shown in a clinical study to increase anticipation and desire for intimacy.
During foreplay, apply a few drops to your partner's body wherever you like to kiss or be kissed, including intimate areas. KY  Yours+Mine is not intended to provide lubrication. And I figured out that the male should apply Yours (red tube) to her and that the female should apply Mine (brown tube) to him.  

Please note: this is not a lubrication, but you can try K-Y® Yours + Mine Couples Lubricants and INTENSE female arousal gel if that's what you're after!!

Chocolate: water, glycerin, carbomer, flavors, xanthan gum, sodium chloride,sodium benzoate, polysorbate20, citric acid, sucralose

     Strawberry: water, glycerin, carbomer, xanthan gum, flavor, sodium chloride, sodium benzoate, polysorbate 20, citric acid, sucralose

 *K-Y Coupon*

$3.00 OFF 1 KY Brand Product

Disclosure: I received a free product for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others’ experience may vary.

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Congratulations to CindyWindy2003! Your comment number 61 was selected via random.org and you have won Softlips Beeswax, Softlips Replenish and Softlips Shimmer..  You will be receiving an email confirmation from me shortly.

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After clicking the "clip this coupon" on the Amazon.com product page you will receive a $10 off  of  Crest 3D White Whitestrips w/ Advanced Seal Professional Effects Enamel Safe Dental Whitening Kit.  Total will be $26 and shipping is free!

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Congratulations to manthas24, 3 Giggly Monsters, and Jamie ! Your comment number 80,2, and 51 were selected via random.org and you have each won  2 of the REACH® by Design™ brushes, 2hr REMBRANDT Whitening kit/or whitening strips, a tube of the REMBRANDT INTENSE STAIN toothpaste and a tube of the REMBRANDT PLUS toothpaste..  You will be receiving an email confirmation from me shortly.

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by Maura White

I was recently given the chance to use a Scandle Shimmering Body Candle.  It is a patent pending candle that burns at 2 degrees above body temperature to produce a shimmering, fragrant lotion to give your skin a healthy, sexy & flawless glow!  This candle is designed to mask wrinkles or skin imperfections by deflecting light.  Now before I get into why trying this was so fun, let me give you a little background knowledge on myself. 

I have to admit that I’ve always had an odd fetish of playing with melted candle wax.  I can’t tell you how many times my mother would yell at me growing up, when I’d sneak and dip my finger in one of her burning candles, and drip wax, or mess up the wick.  But I loved getting the melted wax and walking around with it on my hands or fingers, or shape it into a “wax dice” or other odd things.  I’d like to say that this was just a childhood fetish, but I’ll sheepishly admit that even in recent history, my husband reminded me to not drip and the wax all over like a child while singing silent night at my in-laws Christmas Eve candle light service.  

Needless to say, when I found out that the purpose of a scandle candle is to use the wax, I was thrilled to try this product.  To use it, simply light the candle and burn until a meltpool reaches the edge of the canister.  Then extinguish the flame and pour out a small melted portion of the candle directly from the canister and rub it into your skin.   

When I tried this myself, I had to wait a few minutes while enough wax melted.  I could see all the shimmery components in the wax shining away.  I blew out the flame and poured the wax into my hand and it wasn’t too hot to burn!  It didn’t feel like warm wax – but a warm, moisturizing lotion instead!  I’m sold – I like this product! 

I tried the new Shimmering Lotion Travel Candle in the limited edition for Valentine’s day chocolate dipped strawberry fragrance.  There are other Scandle Candle fragrances like lavender, green tea aloe, sage & citrus, eucalyptus, and more!  I’d LOVE to get my hands on lavender – I haven’t been able to live without that essential oil as of late.  It helps me survive the short winter days. 

Here are a few more facts about this product: 

*Made from 100% natural ingredients 

Scandle’s Shimmering Body Candle is the first candle to: 

*Give Skin a Natural Shimmer 

*Hide Wrinkles & Imperfections by Deflecting Light 

*Hydrate Skin 

It does all of this while adding aroma & ambiance to any setting 

If you want a spa like atmosphere in your home, then I HIGHLY recommend getting your hands on one of these candles!!!

*Giveaway*

One winner will receive a travel Scandle Shimmering body Candle (random fragrance) ($14 Value)

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Leave me a message letting me know why you would like to win a scandle candle.

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Contest will run for 2 weeks. Ends at Midnight on the night of February 21, 2011 Open to U.S residents. .Winner will be chosen by online random generator. Winner will be notified by e-mail on  February 22, 2011 and will have 3 days to reply or another winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: I received a free product for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others’ experience may vary. 

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Congratulations to Debbie! Your comment number 287 was selected via random.org and you have won the  Giveaway: Sea of Jewels ~Personalized Initial Locket Necklace~.  You will be receiving an email confirmation from me shortly.

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by Jamie Hackbarth

My kids are always running to the fridge to grab a water bottle -- and they rarely seem to finish them. This is irritating and such a waste of money. Although I recycle, it seems like here in California I waste so much money on CRV and water bottles seem so expensive. By all means, it is only WATER!!! Our regular tap water has great reviews where we live, but yet for some reason I cannot bring myself to drink it right out of the tap. All this coming from a girl who grew up in the 70's drinking from a hose outside during the summers! But as a parent now, the carbon footprint we leave for our kids should be one of reflection by recycling whenever we can. And so that is why I decided to try out the Zuvo~

I decided to overcome my superstitions with drinking water out of a faucet because I received a Zuvo to review. DOWNFALL-- I got the above counter model and would have preferred the below counter model (That model requires the Zuvo faucet). I so wish I would have gotten the Under Counter model (if you do get one, I recommend it) but now I love this unit so much that I do not care if it is on my counter. The kids love  watching the filtering process. The kids have fun watching the water bubble and twist around the glowing UV bulb. The Zuvo Purator shuts itself off once you have shut off the tap. 

Set-up is so easy and let me tell you......so worth it!! It only takes a few minutes to set up the Zuvo. All you need to do is plug in the unit and attach the nozzle onto the end of the faucet.   Then the unit must then run for 5 minutes prior to drawing drinking water.  My tap water has improved drastically since I started using the Zuvo! I can taste the pureness and freshness of it! It has a very clean and crisp taste and my kids rush to fill up their water bottles! It is easy to turn on when you want pure water, and off when you need to wash :). 

Retailing for $149.99, the Zuvo Water Filtration System is a great buy. Although the Zuvo comes with a replacement filter, it will need changed every 6 months (aprox. $29).  The UV light lasts for about 3 years. Coupons may be available at the Zuvo website.

 

The smartly-designed Zuvo Water Purator™ fits in any kitchen... either above the counter or under the counter.

For those who prefer a countertop installation, the Zuvo Water Purator easily and quickly connects directly to most standard faucets. In minutes, you will be getting clean, healthy, great tasting water right from your tap.

For those that prefer an
under-counter installation, the Zuvo Water Purator can also be easily installed under the counter and connected directly to a Zuvo Butler Faucet.

Once installed, the Zuvo Water Purator gives you easy access to clean, healthy, great tasting water right from your Zuvo Butler Faucet.

The Zuvo Water Purator™ uses a patented five-step process to produce clean, healthy, great tasting water...just the way nature intended!

STEP 1: OZONATION

In nature, ozone is generated by lightning and cleans the air where rainwater forms. The Zuvo Water Purator mixes ozone with incoming tap water to treat taste and odor contaminants and improve taste. Like chlorine, ozone is a powerful oxidizer. Unlike chlorine, ozone leaves no chemical residue.

STEP 2: ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT

The ozone saturated water is flooded with high-intensity UV light - the same as the solar energy that cleans water in the upper atmosphere.

STEP 3: PHOTO-OXIDATION

The Zuvo Water Purator combines UV and ozone in a patented process known as photo-oxidation which releases powerful oxidizers to further treat the water.

STEP 4: FILTRATION WITH LEAD REMOVAL

Pure spring water is created by passing through fine particles in the earth. Zuvo uses the same principle by passing water through a Class 1 Particulate Reduction Filter, reducing chlorine taste and odor, lead, and tiny particulates.

STEP 5: POST-FILTRATION UV

The filtered water is again exposed to high-intensity UV light as it leaves the Zuvo Water Purator, ensuring that you get clean, healthy, great tasting water...just the way nature intended!

*Giveaway*

One winner will receive a  Zuvo 150 Water Filtration System. ($150 Value)

To Enter:

Leave me a message letting me know why you would like to win a Zuvo 150 Water Filtration System.

Extra Entries:please leave one separate comment for each entry.

• e-mail subscribe to this blog - 1 extra
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Contest will run for 2 weeks. Ends at Midnight on the night of February 15, 2011 Open to U.S residents. Winner will be chosen by online random generator. Winner will be notified by e-mail on  February 16, 2011 and will have 3 days to reply or another winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: I received a free product for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others’ experience may vary.

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