Wen you need to wash your hair

When I was offered the chance to try out Wen's Cleansing Conditioner I was excited. Wen's Cleansing Conditioner was created by Los Angeles based, celebrity stylist Chaz Dean. Wen is a revolutionary new product that combines shampoo, conditioner, deep-conditioner, detangler and leave-in conditioner but without all the harsh damaging ingredients found in regular shampoo. It claims to leave your hair more healthy, shiny and less frizzy. My first time using Wen proved that it's always important to read instructions on new products, even shampoo's. I, being a firm believer in using a dime sized amount in bathroom products, was blown away by the amount of shampoo I needed to put in my hair but no matter how much I put in my shampoo did not lather? After a quick read of the instructions and a very conveniently timed infomercial I learned that is is normal to use up to 16 pumps or more of Wen (the more the better), depending on hair length and thickness and that it is not supposed to lather, it is in fact the same harsh chemicals in shampoo that cause it too lather. Wen is scented in a sweet almond mint which although I hate mint, it smells very fresh and seems to help waken you up in that first morning shower. The first week with Wen was great, my hair was less frizzy, more shiny and even more manageable but after that week my hair just seemed to get more greasy. I really wanted to like Wen, I liked the idea a lot and loved the results I saw on the infomercial and online but unfortunately for me my hair didn't seem to like Wen. I gave the cleansing conditioner a few different tries but every time I reached the 2-3 week mark I HAD to breakdown and wash my hair with regular shampoo, my hair was just so gross. Around that mark my hair just started to get weighted down at the top and my roots and bangs got very greasy looking. My hair is very thick and I have a lot of it so I'm not sure if this is why I couldn't get Wen to work for me but sadly it's just a no go for me for everyday use but for every once in a while or even as a leave in conditioner on my ends though it is ok. I plan to try it out on L next so I'll let you know if I get better results on his hair.

If you'd like to try out Wen for yourself you can purchase a 30 day kit from their online website for only $29.95US/CAD, there is a both US and Canada site. The kit includes Wen's Cleansing Conditioner, Styling Creme and ReMoist Intensive Hair Repair Mask, if you order now you'll also receive 2 free bonus items; Wen's Texture Balm and Wide Tooth Shower Comb. (please note that we have only tested out the Cleansing Conditioner) Wen also has a 60 day money back guarantee.

Wear your love for all to see

Before L and K I used to wear a lot of jewelry, I mean a lot. I really embraced the whole gypsy, big jewelry look and really decked myself all out maybe even a little too much at times. But then I had L and my busy jewelry days were behind me. Now that L is older and K is still young I have started wearing jewelry again but nothing too busy. I used to wear my "mama" tag and my favorite starfish necklace that teen C bought me for Mother's Day a couple of years back but I recently traded them in for a sweet deal I found on Baby Half Off. Baby Half Off is similar to Babysteals and Kidsteals if you are familiar with them, they offer a product (or a few products) a day at a highly discounted price until they are sold out. Recently Baby Half Off featured jewelry by StephieMc Designs. StephieMc Designs has a gorgeous line of handmade personalized hand stamped jewelry and her work is nothing less than gorgeous. Personalized jewelry is very big right now especially for mamas sporting their children's names. StephieMc has quite a few different styles which makes choosing one very difficult but because I am not sure if I am done having kids I knew that I need an option that I could add another name to later just in case. I ended up ordering her extra tiny tags that are normally used for adding to an existing necklace. Tiny Tags are sweet little sterling silver tags are hand cut, hand filed and shaped, hand stamped and brushed to a satin finish. The edges of each tag have been gently hammered to add texture. I was able to order 3 tags for a great price of $5 each, with shipping my order was only around $20. I bought a tag for each C, L and K and used an existing chain I already had. I cannot tell you how pleased I am with my tags. They are beautiful and well made and I get compliments on them almost every time I leave my house. I love the simplicity of the tags and because they are so small and simple I can wear them all the time and not worry too much about them hurting baby K when I am holding him close. Since the day my tags have arrived I have not taken them off even in the shower and they show no signs of wear, they are definitely top quality.

If you would like to get your own personalized little treasure be sure to check out StephieMc Designs on Etsy, she ships to both US and Canada. Please note that the tags I bought from BHO can only be purchased in her shop with an additional purchase and each tag retails for $10 each.

The Grill Daddy for your daddy

Grilling season is here and every daddy LOVES to grill, it's like caveman instinct to them to start fire and cook food. Whether you are looking for a belated Father's Day git or just want to show some love to that special fire seeking guy in your life the Grill Daddy fits the bill. The Daddy is in love with his barbeque, he loves it so much he even bbq's in the winter long after he should have packed away his tongs. One painstaking task has always been cleaning the grill and we are always buying different brushes and cleaners trying out new ones or just needing to replace ones that didn't hold up well or make the cut. The Grill Daddy is a fantastic grill cleaner, you preheat your grill and the Grill Daddy cleans and sanitizes your grill through the power of steam! What makes the grill daddy different from other grill cleaners the daddy has tried is the built in water reservoir to help steam your grill clean and cuts your regular cleaning time down too. It also comes with stainless steel brush heads that are easily removable and also dishwasher safe. This is definitely a step up from the run of the mill grill cleaners sold at local stores.
The Grill Daddy retails for $19.95US and can be purchased online here, they ship to both US and Canada.

Happy Father's Day!!

Music for your growing belly

Bonding with your baby is important and it doesn't have to begin at birth, it can begin while baby is still in utero. While I was still pregnant with K I loved the Bellysonic for just this reason. The Bellysonic is a lightweight organic sherpa cotton stereo speaker pouch, it has two low output headphone apeakers, detachable headphone splitter, adjustable strap and is made in the USA. Using my own mp3 player (Ipod Shuffle) the Bellysonic strapped to my belly and played my music to baby K through the small headphone speakers aimed at my belly while I listened with my headphones. The Bellysonic is extremely comfortable and can be worn over or under your clothing, It's also machine washable if you remove the inner workings. I wasn't the only one who loved the Bellysonic though, so did toddler L. He was able to listen along with baby K with his own kid friendly Leap Frog headphones and he really enjoyed his special bonding time with his soon to be baby brother. I really liked that you had the option to use your own mp3 player and choose any music you wanted rather than a unit with preloaded music that you cannot change. We listened to an assortment of music, but our favorites were Rockabye Baby Nirvana, More Beatles and Pink Floyd (stay tuned for review on these great cd's). I still often play these cd's for the boys when we are having a rough day and it seems to calm everyone down. I'm not sure if they remember listening to the music together but I of course do and I have fond memories of the three of us (one still in utero) together lying down, relaxing and listening to the music.
The Bellysonic retails for $69.95 US and can be purchased at the US based Bellysonic online store, they ship to both US and Canada.