Journal Buddies Review & Giveaway

This may be my favorite thing I've had the chance to review and I am so excited to share it with you.

I discovered something called Journal Buddies. Journal Buddies is a unique journaling experience in which your child has the opportunity to share his or her journal with friends and family. It's a great tool for building self-esteem and for being able to express yourself in a special way.

I knew right away that this would be perfect for Riley. He's 7 1/2 and his love language is definitely words of affirmation. He tends to get down on himself a lot and I knew that this would be a wonderful opportunity for him to see how special he is to so many people.

I was his first "buddy" and the theme for the day in the journal was "treasure". I took that opportunity to explain to him what a treasure was and that he was a treasure to me. I told him several things that I think are special about him (aside from the area in the journal where you list 3 traits or qualities that you like about the person). I also drew him a picture and made a little poem out of his name. He loved it!

Next, he had my cousin (his second cousin) who is 15 write in his journal. The theme for that entry was "proud" and she told him about how proud she was of him with how well he does in school and how nice he is to his family. He loved that too!

I just think that these journals are an amazing way to tell the children in your life just how precious they are and for them to read the things that the people in their life think and feel about them, but just don't always say.

I can already see that this is going to be a great tool in building Riley's self-esteem and I think it is something every child (and every person who writes in their journal) can benefit from!



The wonderful creator of these journals, Jill Schoenberg, is offering one of my readers their choice of a Boy or Girl journal. Read carefully below to find out how you can win!


BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE ENTRY DIRECTIONS EXACTLY FOR YOUR ENTRIES TO COUNT!!!!

This contest will be open until 11:59 PM on February 21st. At that time I will use random.org to determine the winner. The winner will then be emailed and have 24 hours to respond, otherwise I will choose a new winner. This contest is open to U.S. residents.

LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENTS FOR EACH ENTRY AND LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THIS FORM - Jane (at) yahoo (dot) com


MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit the Journal Buddies website and tell me a great tip or great advice that you found there.(1 entry)

Extra Entries:

Follow my blog (publicly via google friend connect, located on the top right sidebar) - You can use this as an entry whether you are a new follower or a current follower. (2 entries)


Place my "It's All About The Kids" button on your blog and leave me 3 separate comments saying you did. The button is found on the right sidebar of my blog.
(3 entries)


Place my Finally Finding Me...I Think button on your blog and leave me 4 separate comments saying you did. The button is found on the right sidebar of my blog.
(4 entries)


Blog about this giveaway with a link to my blog and leave me the link to your post (5 entries) This counts as 5 separate entries so leave a comment for each and just number them.



That's 15 chances to win! Good luck!

Disclosure: I received this product for free for review purposes. My opinions expressed in this review were honest and genuine and I was in no way persuaded by the company involved.

Playskool Dinoroars Monty Rex ~ Review & Giveaway

Let's kick off this event with something AWESOME!

You know how sometimes there's just that perfect timing that has you thinking "Wow, this could not have come at a better time!"? Well, that's exactly what happened with this great product I'm about to tell you about.

The people over at Playskool sent me their Dinoroars Monty Rex to review, and at the most perfect time. My little guy, Asher, had been feeling yucky for a few days and was just laying around (which is totally unusual for him, even when he is sick) and then this big box arrived on our porch. Well, I knew exactly what it was and I was so excited to give it to him, but I wanted to wait for him to open it when Brian was home, because I knew he'd want to see him open it too.

Brian got home and I couldn't corral everyone into the family room fast enough. I was excited, ok! LOL Asher proceeded (with some help from his wonderful big brother, Riley) to tear open the box, pull out a bunch of tissue paper and find...his "new pet dinosaur" (that's what he calls him). Oh the excitement. It was so cute and the perkiest I had seen him in days. Asher and Riley both were checking out all the different things he does and having him walk through the kitchen and scare our dog. She was definitely not amused by our new little house guest and kept barking at it. Thankfully, she's used to him now and we don't have to hear her bark everytime the dinosaur is out...which is pretty much all the time. Monty makes all sorts of noises, walks, plays some little music, roars back at you when you roar at him...he's pretty much every little boy's dream toy. Heck, Brian even thought he was so cool that he brought his sister into Asher's room one day when the boys weren't even home and showed her all the stuff he does. LOL


Here's the description from the Playskool website:
Soft and snuggly, this prehistoric pet responds to your touch with lifelike movements and sound! Unleash him from his box and he’s ready to walk! Touch his back and he’ll stomp, roar and purr his way into your heart! Moving his arms and head -- just like a real dino! – this mischievous MONTY REX dinosaur pet sniffs and sneezes too! Wanna “rock” out like they did in the Stone Age? This cuddly creature plays three rockin’ dino tunes! And when it’s time to “feed” him, he even chomps! Your prehistoric playmate even comes with a discovery sheet to help you learn a few interesting facts about your new friend!

Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award Winner


Asher just loves his Monty Rex. He sits with him on the couch to watch t.v. and he plays with his little action figures and pretends they are riding on or being eaten by Monty. Riley plays with him too sometimes. (Just in case you don't know, Asher is 4 and Riley is 7 1/2. My oldest, Gavin, is almost 11 and is more interested in reading about dinosaurs than playing with them at this point.)

Monty hangs out in our family room a lot, which usually annoys me when toys are left down there, but since he perfectly matches the color of our accent wall, he kinda just blends in, so he's the one toy I don't really make a fuss about being down there. LOL

I am seriously impressed with Monty. We've had him for a little while now and he's still being played with daily, which doesn't happen with many toys around here. He's cute, interactive and something completely different from anything else we have. I think he's one of the coolest toys I've seen in a while for sure.

So, you know what's even more awesome? The incredibly generous people over at Playskool are offering one of my readers a Dinoroars Monty Rex of their own! Wouldn't you just love to win this for a great kid in your life? I know you would, so check out below how you can!

BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE ENTRY DIRECTIONS EXACTLY FOR YOUR ENTRIES TO COUNT!!!!

This contest will be open until 11:59 PM on February 21st. At that time I will use random.org to determine the winner. The winner will then be emailed and have 24 hours to respond, otherwise I will choose a new winner. This contest is open to U.S. residents.

LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENTS FOR EACH ENTRY AND LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THIS FORM - Jane (at) yahoo (dot) com


MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit the Playskool website and tell me another toy that you think is cool.(1 entry)

Extra Entries:

Follow my blog (publicly via google friend connect, located on the top right sidebar) - You can use this as an entry whether you are a new follower or a current follower. (2 entries)


Place my "It's All About The Kids" button on your blog and leave me 3 separate comments saying you did. The button is found on the right sidebar of my blog.
(3 entries)


Place my Finally Finding Me...I Think button on your blog and leave me 4 separate comments saying you did. The button is found on the right sidebar of my blog.
(4 entries)


Blog about this giveaway with a link to my blog and leave me the link to your post (5 entries) This counts as 5 separate entries so leave a comment for each and just number them.



That's 15 chances to win! Good luck!

Disclosure: I received this product for free for review purposes. My opinions expressed in this review were honest and genuine and I was in no way persuaded by the company involved.

eShakti Winners!

I've got the 3 winners of the $20 gift certificates from eShakti!

Congratulations!!!


Comment #6 - CrystalArcand(3Stairs)

Comment #7 - Roxy

Comment #3 - Kathleen

Wondering Where I've Been?

Well, I've been getting everything ready to kick of a huge kids event that will start Monday! My "All About The Kids" event will be 3 weeks jam-packed with reviews, discounts and giveaways of some seriously awesome kids products!


So, be sure to keep an eye out. There will be a new button up for the event so you can earn yourself some extra entries into the giveaways, so you'll want to be sure to grab it!


You and your kids are going to love this event, so don't miss it!

Be Good To People

I came across a great organization called Be Good To People. What a simple concept, right? However, our world could use a lot more people who live by those words. That's why I was so happy to have found this organization and wanted to share it with all of you.




*Taken From Their Website*

About Us

Be Good To People:

We call our shirt “The Magic Shirt” because when you wear it and share it, you cannot help but be better to people. Even people who are already good to people will find themselves being better. Having more patience with others, giving others the benefit of the doubt, thinking of others first.
Everything in the line is either black or white, because Being Good to People is that simple.

Spreading the Good:

It’s performing simple acts of kindness, and recognizing others for their “good.” It’s a renewed feeling of hope, relief from today’s negative news. It’s joy in simple things. Returning to basic, core values. It’s communicating a shared belief, like-minded people spreading a positive message. It’s a movement. Changing the world, one person, one kind act, at a time. The idea is simple. It’s black and white. Be good to people.

5% of every piece sold goes into a charitable fund. From the charitable fund we will be recognizing and rewarding people who are doing good and being good to people, all over the world.

5% of our January and February sales are going to the CRUDEM foundation to assist Hôpital Sacré Coeurs in Haiti.





So, go check out their website, see what they're all about, buy a t-shirt or some other great product and sign up for the good!

Pencil Me In Cosmetics ~ Review & Special Offer

Feeling kinda blah lately? Like you just look dull and are lacking color due to the fact that if you live in an area where it's winter in full swing, there's not a chance that you have pretty sun-kissed skin (unless you're tanning, which isn't safe, so if you are you should stop)?

Well feel blah no more, because I found an in-expensive and easy way to brighten up that beautiful face of yours...more specifically, those eyes of yours! It's a great company called Pencil Me In Cosmetics.

They offer healthy eyeliner pencils that are infused with Vitamins and Anti-Oxidants, are heavily pigmented, offer a silky smooth application, made of a long lasting formula, are eco-conscious and environmentally friendly. Another cool feature is that there is a built-in pencil sharpener in every cap. I seriously love that feature because it never fails that I lose my pencil sharpener, so this makes it easy to keep track of!

I was fortunate enough to be able to review 2 great shades from Pencil Me In. Let me tell you, there are 30 shades to choose from, so this was not an easy choice. I decided to be practical for one and daring for the other. The practical color I chose was the Brownie Eye Pencil. I typically wear a dark brown eyeliner, so this seemed like a good fit for me. Then, to be a little daring and have a little fun, I chose the Emerald City Eye Pencil. It's a great emerald green with some sparkle to it. I especially liked it when I just applied it to the outer edge of my lower lid. Just adds a little something interesting without being too outrageous. Now, if you were going to go out and be in a cool restaurant or somewhere where the lighting is low and you like to amp up your makeup, using it to completely line the lower lid would probably look awesome!

I was very happy with the quality of these eye pencils. They aren't that brittle stuff that breaks off or that super soft stuff that smudges all over the place either. They just went on smoothly and looked great!



I'm thinking it would be fun to experiment and try out a look like one of the ones below...



The company emailed me with some really great ideas for how to use the pencils that I must confess, I never would have come up with on my own. Check out what they suggested....
Makeup Tip: Using eyeliner as eye shadow is easier than you think!


Whether it’s on the eyelid, crease, entire eye or under the brow using eyeliner as eye shadow is simple to apply and offers the wearer long lasting waterproof color that can be layered. There are an infinite number of simple ways to use eyeliner as eye shadow.


For all applications, it is recommended to dust translucent powder over the entire eyelid. The powder will help to spread, blend and set the color. Using the side of the pencil, gently shade in the area you want as shadow. Apply the pencil a bit darker than you want the final color to be. Then take any sized concealer brush and blend the color. Small brushes are preferable because they are easy to control. Use short, light strokes blending the edges up away from the majority of the color. This technique will spread the color to look like powder shadow but will have the benefit of a long lasting waterproof shadow. Plus depending on how light or dramatic you want the shadow, you can blend several colors using this technique. Use them as a base to hold powder shadow too. The powder color will look more dramatic and will adhere to the pencil base beautifully. Be creative and use the pencils as both liner and shadow together. Once all the color is applied, dust again with translucent powder to set the color. The 30 “pencil me in” eyeliners can be used to color any part of the face and hair pattern.


How cool is that? I'm gonna have to try that out. Anyway, the wonderful Linda over at Pencil Me In Cosmetics (they call her the Head Pencil Pusher, isn't that cute?) would like to share a special offer with my readers!

Buy 2, Get 1 Free. Buy 4, get 2 free, and so on. To take advantage of the promotional offer log onto: www.pencilmeincosmetics.com and choose the pencil colors that you would like to purchase then proceed to the shopping cart page. The cost for each pencil is $6.99. On the shopping cart page you will see in purple a link for this promotion. Click on it. The user name and password for this section is the same word: Healthy

Choose your free pencils and proceed to check out.


Easy enough, right?! Now get over there and check it out!






More info:

Cosmetic industry favorite and Make-up artist approved.

Healthy Eyeliner Pencils from “pencil me in” cosmetics. All 30 heavily pigmented, silky smooth and long lasting eyeliners are infused with anti-oxidants and vitamins. The shades range from vivid purple to frosted shades of blue and green to metallic bronze to subtle glitter. People of all races, genders and skin tones will enjoy the vast selection of shades. Application is silky smooth without pulling the delicate skin around your eyes. Every eye accent pencil can be applied above and below your eye to bring dramatic effects & to enhance both day and evening looks. Layer and/or smudge the shades for a sexy finish. The pencil core is creamy but firm so the points don’t break easily. “pencil me in” eye accent pencils keep their color true and last for hours.

The pencils are allergy and clinically tested to be non-irritating, eco-friendly, tamperproof and hygienic. Plus a pencil sharpener is cleverly built into every cap. The finest natural ingredients are included to appeal to retailers and consumers searching for premium natural products at a reasonable price. The suggested retail is $6.99 each. Anti-oxidants and vitamins have been included to help to protect the eye area from daily exposure to destructive elements your skin is exposed to. My exclusive formula includes natural ingredients and blended botanicals like Green Tea Leaf Extract, Pine Bark Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Lecithin, Shea Butter, Cacao Butter, Jojoba Oil, Wheat germ oil, and Safflower seed oil. It also includes Vitamins A (Retinyl Palmitate), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), C (Ascorbic Acid), Vitamin D, E (Tocopherol)





“pencil me in” cosmetics is available through professional beauty salons, spas, upscale cosmetic boutiques and online. Please make sure your readers are aware that we are looking for salons and spas to bring the line into their stores. Also be sure to mention that you received the products to review as a gift. The brand was introduced to the market place, November 2007 by Linda Rose Eisner, founder and head pencil pusher.



Disclosure: I received these products for free for review purposes. My opinions expressed in this review were honest and genuine and I was in no way persuaded by the company involved.

eShakti - Review & Giveaway

Oh, how I love clothes. I can spend hours browsing through racks of clothes (just ask my husband and kids). I can never seem to find the different/a little off-beat kinds of pieces I want though.

I found a company online called eShakti that has a ton of clothes that are totally my taste!

Wanna know the coolest thing about them? Well, just like their website says... ONLY at eShakti: Complete range of sizes from size 0 to size 26W on every style. And custom sizes too. And custom styling as well: you like a style,but want the sleeve, neckline or length to be different? Easy as 1-2-3. Only at eShakti

Yeah, that's right, they will customize the clothing to be exactly what you want! How cool is that?

I was able to review a piece of clothing of my choice and after literally hours of trying to decide, I ended up picking the Belted Fleece Wrap Jacket. I think I mostly liked it because with how cold it's been, anything warm sounded appealing, but I also really liked the big buttons and the funky collar. It also has cool sleeves that aren't typically what you see, so that's cool too. There's just one thing I would change and that's the ruffled hem on the bottom. I was bummed to see that when I put it on, that hem hits right at my hips and makes them look huge. Seriously, such a bummer. Also, the belt is insanely long. I can literally wrap it around myself 3 times and tie it. I could easily fix that by just cutting it in half and sewing the one end up, so I think that's what I'll do. I think I may also take off the ruffle hem and fix that up to fit me better as well. Otherwise, the jacket is super cute! The fit is great as far as the length of the sleeves (which is surprising since most things have sleeves that are waaaaay too long for me) and the actual body of the jacket fits great too. See how cute it is!


If I had to do it all over again, I know exactly what I would pick though. In fact, I can just picture this adorable and slightly funky dress with heels to be semi dressed-up or with flip flops to be casual and cute. This Pleat Waist Poplin Stretch Dress is so me!



Overall, the quality of the garment I recieved was great and the service from the company was amazing too. The issues I had certainly weren't a problem with the company (well, the extremely long belt was kinda weird, but other than that) it was just preference on my body and I really should have thought of that, being that I'm only 5' 1" (just barely, actually) and things tend to sit lower on me than they would on someone of average height. The ruffle hem would be adorable on someone of average height, so I still think the overall design of the jacket is great.

You really should check out all they have to offer because there is SO MUCH to choose from and so many different styles.

The wonderfully generous people over at eShakti would like to offer 3 of my readers, $20 Gift Cards to their store! Awesome, huh?! See below for all the possible ways to gain entries!

BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE ENTRY DIRECTIONS EXACTLY FOR YOUR ENTRIES TO COUNT!!!!

This contest will be open until 11:59 PM on February 12th. At that time I will use random.org to determine the winner. The winner will then be emailed and have 24 hours to respond, otherwise I will choose a new winner. This contest is open to U.S. residents.

LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENTS FOR EACH ENTRY AND LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THIS FORM - Jane (at) yahoo (dot) com


MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit eShakti and tell me what you would use the $20 gift card toward if you were to win. (1 entry)

Extra Entries:

Follow my blog (publicly via google friend connect, located on the top right sidebar) - You can use this as an entry whether you are a new follower or a current follower. (2 entries)


Become a fan of eShakti on Facebook. (1 entry)


Place my Finally Finding Me...I Think button on your blog and leave me 3 separate comments saying you did. The button is found on the right sidebar of my blog.
(4 entries)


Blog about this giveaway with a link to my blog and leave me the link to your post (5 entries) This counts as 5 separate entries so leave a comment for each and just number them.



That's 13 chances to win! Good luck!

Disclosure: I received these products for free for review purposes. My opinions expressed in this review were honest and genuine and I was in no way persuaded by the company involved.