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Real Solutions for Real Parents by Autumn Rose Reo

Mother-Daughter Day at Daired’s Spa & Salon

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Disclaimer

This week’s Try-it Tuesday isn’t anything fitness this time, but I can promise the stylist that the fingers that had to do my hair got a real workout.


When you Google “Texas Big Hair,” it’s my headshot that comes up…we’ll maybe not on the front page, but believe me I have a big ole head of crazy hair. It’s coarse, curly and long – and when I blowdry it, I resemble something off a Tina Turner video. Needless to say, after 30 something years, finding someone to cut my hair isn’t always easy. 

Then I had my beautiful baby girl. While she looks a lot like her mama (God, bless her), she has her own big crazy hair to handle, although it’s actually very little like mine. She has the brown curls, but the similarities stop there. She has soft, fine hair with a daddy-gave-me-this hairline I have yet to figure out how to style. So most the time her hair is a little bit of a crazy mess and it’s definitely needed some trimming or something or someone to give me a little guidance on what to do with it. 

So with an upcoming appearance on TV and limited time to fit just one more thing in, I called Daireds Salon and Spa Pangea in Arlington. I was actually very surprised they actually accepted kids into a salon like Daireds…especially when you look at their services lists for salon, spa, cafe and boutique. But they gladly scheduled us both.

Sweet goodness, we’ll see how it goes. 

In my past life, I was privy to get the opportunity to enjoy some of the best spas in Vegas. And while Dallas is full of day spas, very few of them even begin to equal up the experience you get in LV. However, entering Daireds you definitely get a “posh spa” feeling – without the snob appeal. It’s interiors are beautiful, colorful and keep your eye wondering while you wait for your turn to hit the chair. I love the fountains both indoors and out. 

I had been prepared to have Taylor’s cut and then mine so I could assist with a two-year’s hair cut. Much to my surprise we had separate stylists and my little girl immediately aged 10 years as she was brought to the chair, put on a smock and began her first big-girl hair cut. Her stylist was awesome and dealt with all the stress from both mom and baby girl perfectly. Taylor actually wanted to go with her instead of mam. Unfortunately, I was getting my hair done, so the pictures aren’t so great, but you can see her sitting just like a little princess. I could already tell this would be the first of many experiences with us two gals. 

My stylist, George, had asked what I wanted to do with my hair, so of course, I responded with what any normal girl would say, “Make me look like Eva Mendes so Ryan Gosling will fall in love with me.” While he couldn’t take off the weight around my mid-section, he did take off the weight on my hair and gave it some life. I had bounce and style. And while I don’t look like Eva Mendes, I do resemble one of her commercials with all the hair-flipping I’ve been doing lately. So I guess that counts.
While I wouldn’t never want to call Daired’s a family salon and spa, there are definitely opportunities when you can bring in your kiddo for a hair cut or a special day and expect both of you to enjoy it. I had planned to keep her under control so I had reinforcements like goldfish crackers, juice and toys to keep her happy – at least until I snagged her a fresh chocolate chip cookie from the in-house cafe!

Now don’t think I’m about to start having baby girl for massages or facials any time soon, but it was nice to think that if the occasion presented itself, I have a place to bring her. Until then, mama will continue to check out the services like massages, nails or facials, until its her time to drive herself on over and make her own appointments (which could be anytime with this girl.)

Daired’s Salon & Spa Pangea
2400 West Interstate 20
Arlington, Texas 76017
(817) 465-9797 or metro (817) 467-9991
Website

See Austin in 2 Hours with Kids #ReoRoadTrip

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Disclaimer: I was provided the opportunity to drive a 2013 Toyota Highlander for the purposes of a review on this roadtrip. All the comments and photos are my own. 

Last week I shared the beginning of our mini adventure as I introduced my little man to the Texas Hill Country. After our initial stop for the obligatory kolache at the Czech Stop in West in our 2013 Toyota Highlander we were graciously given for our road trip, we moved on down I-35 for a couple of hours in one of my most favorite cities in the world (yes, world) – Austin.

It’s about an hour and half (or two sometimes) from West to Austin, so it’s mandatory road trip music time. Once I had gone through our Road Trip Playlist (hey, it was only 10 songs) it was time to get something playing to keep the fun of this drive moving. Oh, Toyota – I was in for a surprise! I discovered this thing had apps! Actual apps to play in the car just like I do with my iPhone. There sat my Pandora waiting for me to stream it through and play for hours.


Once you’ve downloaded the Entune App to your smartphone and connect your bluetooth (in one step), you have all kinds of cool stuff at your finger tips for your car. I not only could play Pandora, but I could easily locate gas stations with lower fuel costs, book reservations for restaurants along the way, check out traffic, and even look at things to do, all from my Highlander. (What did we do before smart phones and these “smart” cars?) So we created a “Joe Cocker” station and we headed down the road. 


Now that we had our groove, we were on to the home of the “Live Music Capital of the World,” Austin.

There’s no where I’ve ever been to like Austin. And I love it so much when I can’t go visit, I drive 15 miles up the road to the Bishop Arts District in Dallas just to get me a feel of what that special vibe in Austin has (if you’ve never been, I’ll be happy to show you!) Unfortunately, it’s so great that many very educated people from the local University of Texas at Austin choose to stay there and get paid far under their worth in any job to be in the same place that actor/dream boat Matthew McConaughey likes to sit naked and play his bongos (but that’s a whole other story…) Anyhow, it’s hard to move there, so I just try to take as many visits there as I can and I enjoy everyone of them.

This time though I was experiencing Austin through the eyes of a five-year old. And while history is all around us in our state capital, it’s hard to explain history to someone who doesn’t have much of a concept of history except last week we ate macaroni and cheese for dinner and last month was his Mickey Mouse Birthday party. But I was going to try to at least show him some cool stuff and maybe grab a bite to eat. After all, we only have about 5-6 hours to spend in Austin for this trip, so we were going to make the best of it.

Jumping off I-35, I made a quick exit to one of the bestest places in Austin to eat – Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill. While I’m not sure if it’s one of the best, I often have eaten there when I have had work events at the Austin Convention Center over the years. It’s easy to get to right off Caesar Chavez and Red River, there’s seasoned popcorn on the table waiting for me, has amazing shrimp corndogs with blueberry honey mustard and warm brie cheese with cranberry-apple chutney with toast points and you have to wash it down with a hard lemonade. It’s just good food and good service and they don’t have a dress code. We only gobbled down our apps and drink so we could make our reservation for our next adventure – the Duck Tour! (It took us about three minutes to find it, book it and GPS with the help of our Toyota bluetooth and GPS features!)
I didn’t even know they did “Duck Tours” in Austin, but had seen them in other cities, but the idea seemed to be perfect to educate and entertain my son, so off we went for the next one that started in a just 15 minutes. If you’ve never seen a Duck Tour – well it’s a great way to do both land and water with an amphibious tour of downtown Austin and beautiful Lake Austin inside a US coast guard inspected, Hydra Terra vehicle. During the 75-minute tour of sightseeing you see Historic Sixth Street, the State Capitol Building, Bob Bullock State History Museum, the Governor’s Mansion, and Lake Austin. For a little man with a short attention span, it was perfect and we could fit in one of my favorite parts – the lakes – all at one time!
To start off our tour we boarded our land/water vessel on 6th Street at the Austin Visitor Center by the beautiful Driskill Hotel. We found our seats, were given our quackers (not exactly Duck Dynasty worthy, but a call we could use on signal to say “hello” to passerbys as we continued throughout our tour. The tour guide whisked us around some of the highlights of Austin’s landmark buildings like the Capital and the Tower at UT Austin, sharing a little history and humor along the way. Thankfully, Jackson wasn’t bored by the history and together we also pointed at cool things we saw along the way.



Once we approached Hula Hut (another great restaurant that sits on Lake Austin), we quickly rolled into the water and became a boat. Yes, really. It was actually pretty cool and we began our small tour of the lake and scenic home tour complete with some “Island tunes” courtesy of Bob Marley. We even say the lake home that Dennis Quaid was building and his elaborate deck. However it was really the home that had an attached “home” for his boat that I was impressed with. Then we were off back to home base, but not before the kids got another few opportunities to use their calls by making quacking noise to people we passed along the way. 

While the price is a little steep for a large family ($25+tax for adults and $16 for kids over 3), the company does run discount deals like Groupon from time to time. So if you know you are going to head to Austin, it might be a good to sign up for Groupon a few weeks in advance in hopes to score one if you are trying to save money. I’m always a fan of any tour when you have a short time in a city and want to get a good look at the highlights, so this was worth the cost for me. However, the next time I take my kiddo, I’ll pick out some of my favorites and we can do our own tour of the Mount Bonnell and the bats under the bridge since he’s gotten the historical look for now.

Now back on the road with the Toyota Highlander 2013 and Willie to our next stop – the JW Marriott San Antonio.

And if you want to get caught up on our road trip adventure in the Toyota Highlander, check out our first adventure in West! 

Flip Flops That Make Your Feet Fit

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Disclaimer: I received these products for purposes of this review. All comments expressed here are my own. 

It’s no secret I’d prefer to be barefoot to wearing shoes any day of the week. However, since it’s kinda gross to walk around like that most the time, I’m always on the lookout for shoes that are good to my feet and hopefully are fashionable to wear as well. 

So when one of my favorite pairs of summer sandals bit the big one the other day, I was almost in a panic. Then like a little FedEx fairy, a box arrived at my doorstep with new flip flops that claimed with every little step my butt, hips and thighs are doing reversed incline stretches while toning my muscles. So basically, I walk and and the worst parts of my body get a little more toned? So like any woman would, I tore the box open and put these babies on my feet immediately.
 


Developed by famed fitness icon Tony Little (you know the guy with the blonde ponytail exercising on the Gazelle trainer), his new footwear line appropriately named “Cheeks” is constructed with an inclined sole that imitates uphill walking. The shoes work by placing the body at a three-degree angle; most of the weight rests on the heels, thus promoting improved posture. 

I was able to wear these sandals every day, all day for going to work out, walking around Schlitterbahn, the grocery store – well everything. And because of the design, I could easily wear them with many outfits.  While I didn’t take my measuments before I began weating the shoes, I can tell you I could feel a little strain on my legs after I wore them for hours – just like I had been running up a hill. Success. 
 
 
And they have all kinds of styles too – from black, pink with some bling and even some interchangeable straps so you can coordinate your look by flipping it over! 
 
Starting at $24.95 this line is definitely worth a walk around the block. 
Available for purchase on HSN.com and TonyLittle.com. 
 
Anytime Dr. Oz makes a recommendation, we all come running and buying. And these sandals from Wellrox were high on his list for improving balance, better posture or just a more comfortable stride. So of course, I was quick to give these “bear claws” a try. 

By separating and providing individual thongs for each toe, Wellrox has developed “GRABS” technology, a revolutionary sandal that reduces the risk of slippage and enables a more surefooted gait. The GRABS™ technology offers added grip, relief, alignment, balance and support, so when spreading your toes, you’re redistributing your weight more evenly and begin using your proper foot muscles to walk as intended. This concept is well known throughout Yoga and wellness circles (yogitoes.)


These sandals bring much needed relief to your aching feet and leg muscles. You can wear them every day, or whenever you need recovery – before or after a workout or a Yoga session, or after a day of wearing constrictive shoes. You can even wear them for a pedicure. (At least they are much better than those throw-away shoes they give you at the pedi place!) 

You can buy these summer sandals at Macys.com and local Macy retailers. For more information, visit wellrox.com.

So now you have options to work out your feet and then give them a massage by just putting your shoes on!

Happy Walking!


Make Your Own Fireworks Fun with Monthly Kids Craft Program Kiwi Crate

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I received a free product for the purposes of the review. No compensation was provided. All the comments are my own. 

 Are you one of those moms that is totally crafty and makes all kinds of cute things for the holidays and then posts a how-to video on YouTube? 

 

Well I’m so excited you are,  because I’m not. I wish I was, but at this juncture in life all I can say is Thank goodness for Pinterest! 

And thank goodness for Kiwi Crate! Launched in 2011 by executives from eBay, PayPal, YouTube and BabyCenter, Kiwi Crate sends you fun, hands-on projects for kids ages 3-7 monthly.  Kiwi Crate’s arts, crafts and science projects are developed by parents, reviewed by child development experts and tested by kids.  Projects are created around themes like gardens, space or colors, and designed to encourage creativity, exploration and discovery and conveniently in this cute little box. 


I was so happy to share craft time with son when all the thinking was out of it with my Rocket Party Pack from Kiwi Crate. Celebrating Independence Day, the simple packet gave us everything we needed to make 10 rockets that my kiddo could blast off in the air by just blowing on the straw. Best of all, I didn’t have to research a craft idea, get all the materials together and figure out how to do it. It was all in the box and we just opened it and went straight to having fun! 


 
Kiwi Crate has received multiple awards honoring quality and creativity, including a Gold Seal Best Toy Award from Stephanie Oppenheim’s prestigious Toy Portfolio, the Parents’ Choice Gold Award, and Academic’s Choice award. Kiwi Crate was also named by Dr. Toy as a “Ten Best Creative Product” and “100 Best Children’s Products” of 2012.

Kiwi Crate’s monthly subscription service available at www.kiwicrate.com, starts at $16.95 per month with free shipping.  Kiwi Crate also offers single crates available without a subscription for $19.95 each; as well as party favors and activities, starting at $5 each at www.kiwicrate.com/shop.  Additionally, Kiwi Crate offers a collection of over 1,500 free hands-on project ideas at www.kiwicrate.com/diy.

What’s Got You? Find Out with My Allergy Test

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Try-it Tuesdays:

I received a free product for the purposes of the review. No compensation was provided. All the comments are my own. 

You know when the meteorologist gives you the weather report along with the pollen count that you live in a place that has allergy issues.

In Texas that’s definitely the case.  I, like many others, are totally at the mercy of allergies. Although I didn’t have them growing up, I totally have something that causes my eyes to swell, my nose to run and my head to throb. And from what I read online, there are any number of allergies that I also could have that could explain so much my complexion, vision, lack of whatever, so I thought it was time I find out what exactly I was allergic to.

Just like it sounds, I was able to prick my finger, fill up a little vial, drop it in the mail and a few days later have my results available online. All without a long test from my doctor. All the contents came in a box including the band-aid.


Each MyAllergyTest Kit includes:
  • Easy-to-read instructions and illustrations for blood sample collection
  • Virtually painless fingerstick lancets (2)
  • Plastic collection tube and straw
  • Alcohol swab and adhesive bandage
  • Information and registration cards

Easy to understand, useable test results While it did take me about 20 minutes to make sure that I was doing it right, everything was simple to understand.

I was so excited to see what my results revealed.

I was surprised to find out of the allergies the tested, I was negative for all of them. For this reason, I wasn’t  able to access the included Allergy Plan, another part of the program that comes with the box to assist you with new found allergies (in the case you have some.)


The allergies tested include:
  • Pollens
  • Timothy Grass
  • Bermuda Grass
  • Mountain Cedar (Juniper)
  • Ragweed
  • Alternaria (mold)
  • Cat Hair
  • Foods
  • Milk
  • Egg White
  • Wheat
  • Dust Mite (the most abundant allergen in house dust)
So what’s the price of this convenience you can find at your neighborhood Walmart, Walgreens or Meijer? Around $50 and about 20 minutes of your time.

I say it’s worth it to at least see if mowing the grass or cleaning the house is actually making you ill.

Hey, at least it’s enough reason to get a gardener and a housekeeper, right?

Get On the SOUL TRAIN to Buttons – June is National Soul Food Month

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Food Fridays: 

 Disclaimer: I was invited to a media event to sample and photograph dishes from Buttons for purposes of this review. No other compensation was received. 

There’s nothing better then delicious food…unless of course, it’s great food accompanied by great friends and some great story-telling. 

 Then you know it’s GOOD.


 So when I had the chance to sit down to eat a little soul food during “National Soul Food Month” with Mr. Soul Food himself – Chef Keith “Buttons” Hicks of the award-winning Buttons, I brought my appetite and prepared myself to learn a little something about about soul food (something I know very little about.)

 “As a kid, I would watch my grandmothers’ cook by simply adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that and often just making something real good out of nothing,” said Hicks. “They would have the entire house filled with great soul food aromas that would have you anxiously waiting for the food to hurry up and be ready. I knew back then that I wanted to be able to do the exact same thing.”

 Can you dig it? (Which is also one of Hicks’ token phrases.) 

 His southern inspired menu includes: 

  • Signature Buttons’ Chicken and Waffles
  • oxtails
  • shrimp-fish-and-grits
  • chicken fried chicken
  • as well as tasty sides that include braised cabbage, collard greens, jalapeno cheese grits, sweet potatoes, corn cakes and garlic mashed potatoes.  

However, some of things I was able to get my hands on included the new wedgeburg salad, Josh’s pasta, fire grilled chicken & plants, fried green tomatoes and sweet potato mini pie.

Fire-grilled chicken & plants

“Soul food has a deeply-rooted history that will continue to be told and experienced for as long as people continue to enjoy and appreciate great tasting food,” said Hicks. “I’m grateful to be able to continuously spread that history through each of my southern recipes, while also building upon the legacy of soul food.”

Fried green tomatoes with an egg (to die for)

Derived from the expression of “soul” music, soul food was a culinary movement spawned in the 1960s. Prior to that time, soul-style cooking was simply known as comfort food or southern comfort food, which originated with African slaves in the United States who were given food parts that their owners did not want to eat (i.e. pig’s feet, beef tongue, ham hocks, chitterlings, pig ears, and tripe as main delicacies of soul food.) Included are also many foods that came from the African homeland such as okra, black eye peas, watermelon, yams, and many leafy green vegetables. 

Sweet potato mini pie

And because there was a scarcity of meat, the people during this time learned to trap their own wild game and created meals such as shrimp, fish and grits. Meat was primarily consumed on Sundays because it was considered to be a special day.  Post slavery, many African-Americans in the South would enjoy hearty meals like chicken and waffles on Sundays to keep them full and satisfied throughout the day because church and many other related activities often would consume most all of their time.

 Now that’s food that is good for the soul. 

 So go give your soul a little love and get you some soul food this National Soul Food Month at Buttons.

Chef Hicks and the restaurant have also been featured on several television programs including The Food Network’s Heat Seekers and Mystery Diners. 

Buttons Food & Music for the Soul
Website

Travel Tuesdays: The Vacation Before the Vacation at The Westin Galleria Dallas

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Travel Tuesdays:

Sponsored: I received a comped a hotel room from The Westin Galleria Dallas for purposes of this review. However, the comments provided here are all my own. 

Yep, just in time for summer, I’ve some tips and recommendations for some great ways to enjoy traveling with and without the family!

 But this time it isn’t a family trip so I’m not talking my favorite the Gaylord Texan or Great Wolf Lodge. For this “trip” I just needed to get away with my honey – a little change of scenery can do a lot to make things feel like a getaway. So right before our BIG family vacation, we opted for an overnight at The Westin Galleria Dallas. 

 I’m already a fan of the Westin brand; being that some of my favorite moments in life: my first skiing adventure in Whistler and my wedding in Puerto Vallarta, were both spent at Westin properties. Now I was going to apply it to my own stomping grounds in Big D. 

 While I could tell you about all the cool things to do around the hotel like shop to you drop at more than 200 retailers in the attached Galleria Dallas (client) or skate on one of the best rinks in the country, but honestly, this was the unplanned trip – and that was the way it was going to stay. We just needed to relax, appreciate the fact that neither of us had to clean the room and wake up without one of our two little visitors asking us to turn on Mickey Mouse or snuggle with us. 

 These parents needed to sleep in peace. 

 When we got to the hotel, we received the full Westin brand experience with the beautiful fragrance of the lobby and the warmth from the staff. We quickly were checked in and went to our Corner Room Suite. And what a room it was. 



 High above the traffic and construction of North Dallas was our view overlooking all of it. It was so beautiful and peaceful. For me it was nice to enjoy it for what it was rather than the work and craziness than it normally presents me. Thankfully, there was a wonderful window seat to do just that. I took a moment to just appreciate the beauty. 

But curiosity had me wondering what other fun was waiting for us. Two bathrooms, two showers and the best bathtub I had seen in a long time. While I am not normally a bath taker, I could definitely be persuaded when the bathroom space looked like this. It was crisp, modern and just comfortable. Yep, this is what zen feels and looks like. 


 Moving on to just the aesthetics of the room, I couldn’t help but also appreciate the lines and patterns in the room. It wasn’t busy, but again, clean, crisp and just right for the OCD-kinda-gal I am. I couldn’t keep myself from even taking photos of the carpet, tile and cabinet space. 

As for the bed, they don’t call it the Heavenly Bed for nuthin’. I could only wish that the bed could squeeze into my bag, along with the shampoo, lotion, etc. that I had already stuffed into my case. But at least I slept like a log and awoke the next morning by my own accord or little nudge from my kids. It was blissful. 

 To finish off our quick stay, we started off our full day with brunch at The Second Floor, the upscale restaurant within the hotel. In ideal brunch form, I celebrated our successful evening stay with a mimosa and lots of coffee paired with a delicious spinach omelet. For the hubs, he chowded down on a little eggs and pork belly (oh, it was good.) While the service was a little slow, I can tell you, that morning everything was in the right tempo, so it worked with the pace – at least for while I was the hotel. 


 As I just perused the lunch/dinner menu, I was sad our stay would come to a close, but knew I’d be back for more. Not necessarily just for some peace and quiet, but perhaps a little pool time, a massage, a cheese plate and maybe a little retail therapy. (Right?)  

 Looking for a little more action? Try out the New Balance work out plan that allows you to “borrow” shoes and workout gear for only $5 so you have more room for new purchases.


 Or maybe just a little more of nothing. Sometimes that’s better than anything. 

 As you can tell I’m a huge fan of the hotel experience and I’ve been fortunate to enjoy a lot of nice hotels. The Westin Galleria Dallas is certainly one of them. 

Get Your Wellbeing in a Bottle with Rooibee Red Tea

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Food Fridays:

I received product for the purposes of this review. However, all the comments and information here are mine. 

I’m always on the hunt for something good to drink.

While I enjoy my wines and cocktails, sometimes I prefer a great recipe for healthy juice for my kids, a fun water alternative or tea.

Oh, yes – me and my tea fixation. I chalk it all up to be southern and the fact that I worked at a Chicken Express in high school and they have delicious sweet tea (and yes, I still eat there.)

Anyhow, as I get older I can’t go through four glasses of sweet tea a day. Besides the fact it isn’t healthy, I just don’t want that amount of sweetness. I want something with a hint, but not like a whole bag of cane sugar got dumped into my glass. So I was stoked to find some new BOTTLED teas that were just the right amount of sweet and healthy.

Now before we get into all the coolness of why you should try this tea, I have to preface this with: I don’t like bottled tea. At all. Like I send it back at restaurants if it’s not freshly brewed, so I’m a total snob about the taste of my tea. And now that I have kids, I am becoming a snob about the things I put in my body and theirs.

Enter Rooibee Red Tea, a family-friendly USDA-certified organic bottled rooibos tea. This tea is made with pure waters, organic ingredients and is available in five flavors including Watermelon Mint, Peach, Unsweetened, Cranberry Pomegranate and Vanilla Chai.



If you’re not familiar with rooibos, it is a bush that grows only in South Africa. Tea made from rooibos has been enjoyed by South Africans for generations and has recently gained popularity in other parts of the world, including the US, because of its health benefits and inherently sweet character. All Rooibee Red Tea varieties are USDA organic, high in antioxidants, naturally caffeine free, gluten free and low in calories.

Thanks, Wikipedia for this lovely shot of Rooibos. 


Best thing about Rooibee Red Tea? Those behind the company are moms and dads, sons and daughters, sisters and brothers who want to live right and take care of their families, community and the planet. They created this family-friendly, caffeine free tea as a healthy alternative to high-sugar juices and sodas that rejuvenates without stimulants and refreshes without anything artificial.

Gotta love that.

Rooibee Red Tea is available at local DFW Whole Foods Market.

For more information about Rooibee Red Tea, check their website and Facebook.



Soothe Baby Eczema with Aveeno Eczema Therapy Kit {Giveaway}

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Want-it Tuesdays:

I received product for the purpose of this review. However, all the information and comments are my own.

A few months ago my beautiful little girl’s perfectly peach and unmarked skin became red, whelped and dry all over her poor little, chubby legs. Since she didn’t complain and thinking she just had a reaction to being out in a field of bluebonnets (a spring Texas requirement), I let it go for more than a week without doing much than amp up her lotion use. It was only after her school became scared the condition may be contagious and it wasn’t going away, I realized it might be eczema.  But just in case, I needed to take her to the pediatrician. 



Comfirmed by her pediatrician, we decided it was time to take her for a dip in an oatmeal bath and slather on the lotion. Why oatmeal?  As a skin protectant active ingredient, oatmeal can help restore skin’s normal pH and aid in the maintenance of skin’s moisture barrier to prevent and protect dry skin. 


Of course, that meant only one brand would do – Aveeno. Since both my husband and I had our own issues with eczema, we already were big fans of their products. But for our little girl we wondered if the treatments might be too intense for her tender skin. 

The Aveeno Baby Eczema Therapy Care Kit is a two-step regimen formulated with colloidal oatmeal to help soothe eczema-prone skin. Eczema Therapy Bath Treatment gently cleanses and relieves irritation due to eczema. The convenient kit helps to improve the four symptoms of eczema—itchiness, dryness, irritation and rough skin. When dispersed in water, the hypoallergenic powder forms a tear-free milky bath that soothes as it naturally cleanses without soap. After bathing, baby’s skin is softer and smoother, and dry, irritated, sensitive skin is relieved.


 While I loved that there was a kit including the lotion and treatment, I still needed a wash to clean her body when we didn’t have time for a bath. Thankfully there was a solution for that too…the Aveeno Baby Cleansing Theraphy Moisturizing Wash. awarded the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance. Best of all everything we needed was purchased at our local grocery store, didn’t need a prescription and didn’t break the bank. 

 And neither will you with this special giveaway from Aveeno! 

 Are you looking for a nighttime ritual to From AVEENO®, the leader in ACTIVE NATURALS® ingredients and recommended by Pediatricians for over 60 years, comes the AVEENO® Baby Bathtime Solutions Gift Set, which includes products to nurture baby’s skin and pamper mom!


One lucky reader will win the AVEENO® BABY BATHTIME SOLUTIONS GIFT SET (great gift for you or a great baby shower gift) with:

  • Baby Wash & Shampoo: blends natural oat extract into a rich, lathering, soap-free cleanser that cleans without drying
  • Baby Daily Moisture Lotion: non-greasy formula contains natural colloidal oatmeal to help soothe baby’s delicate, dry skin
  • Baby Calming Comfort Bath: tear-free, soap free cleanser contains soothing scents of lavender and relaxing vanilla
  • Stress Relief Body Wash: formulated with natural colloidal oatmeal to clean and moisturize skin, and scented with lavender, essential chamomile and ylang-ylang oils to help calm and relax you in the shower
ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

Giveaway is now closed! 



Get Your Sweet Tea Fix with with Half the Calories!

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Try-it Tuesdays:

 I received samples of Pure Via Stevia for the purposes of this review. However, all the comments here are my own. 

My family are proud southerners. We fall to our knees at the south of Paula Deen’s name, we LOVE some fried chicken and we relish in every gulp of sweet tea. I mean it IS the official drink of the south. 

Unfortunately, to make the perfect sweet tea, it takes a “wee bit of sugar” (imagine the sound of high-pitched exaggeration in my voice) to make it just right. And while I do appreciate staying to tradition, a little less sugar – especially in my children’s diet – wouldn’t hurt us at all. (Hey, even Paula has made some changes in her recipes, right?) 

So when a lovely box of Pure Via Stevia landed at my door, I’ll be honest, I wanted to put it in the pantry to rot with all the other “sweeteners” that were moments of good intentions that never really made the cut – simply because they didn’t taste good. But since it was being launched exclusively in Dallas, I thought hey, can’t hurt to give it a three-second try.  Especially since Pure Via Stevia actually has half the calories AND also offers it in raw turbinado sugar (that’s what they put in mojitos, people), so maybe you wouldn’t know the difference. 

Maybe it was possible this stuff could be really good. 

So I called in my biggest judge, my son. My four-year old has sniffed me out for every healthy move I’ve tried to make. When I made winter squash and blended into his mac and cheese, I thought I was a genius. Unfortunately he wouldn’t touch it – or any other mac and cheese – for three weeks. And any switch out for lowfat versions of his full-fat food items have been a total disaster, so I was ready to see his twinge, groan and ask what mama had done to his sweet tea. 


So I whipped up a pitcher of sweet tea and let him have it. 

Waiting…

Waiting…

“It’s good mama,” he said. “Can I have some more?” 

As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t get any better than that. You heard it from the mouth of babes! 

If you need the perfect recipe for sweet tea, then here’s Paula’s recipe. Just use the Pure Via Stevia instead of sugar! 

More About Pure Via Stevia
With only five calories per serving, Pure Via® Turbinado Raw Cane Sugar and Stevia Blend offers a lower calorie alternative for those with a sweet tooth to make foods and beverages taste naturally delicious. The blend is made from the pure sweet extract of the stevia plant and turbinado raw cane sugar, which comes from the first press of raw cane sugar.  

Pure Via® is an all-natural, zero-calorie sweetener this is made from Rebaudioside A (Reb A), the sweetest, best-tasting part of the stevia leaf. Reb A is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Handcrafted for coffee and tea, Pure Via® is available in 40- and 80ct. boxes and a 4-oz. jar for a suggested retail price of $2.49, $4.29 and $4.99 Pure Via® Turbinado Raw Cane Sugar and Stevia Blend is availableexclusively in Dallas, Texas, in 100-ct boxes for a suggested retail price of $2.98. Retail prices may vary. Each packet (100 per box) sweetens like one teaspoon of sugar. 

Discover more at www.purevia.com or facebook.com/PureViaUS


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