Val’s Views

Review of EmergenC Pink

I received a sample of a dietary supplement this week. It was the Emergen-C Pink Super energy Booster, which is described on the package as a flavored fizzy drink. One 0.3 ounce package is to be mixed with 4 to 6 ounces of water. It is recommended that users take it 2-4 times per day. I came out of surgery anemic last year and I don’t get enough rest, so I thought this product might be worth checking out.

The wrapper states that one packet of this product contains 1,000mg of vitamin C, 32 mineral complexes, B vitamins and electrolytes. I love lemonade, so I was excited that pink lemonade was the flavor. It proclaimed the “little packet of pink was mighty powerful”. The packet was quite a bit larger than a typical one serving drink flavoring packet.

I added one packet to 8 ounces of water. My water was cool but not cold. The drink was not good, it was disgusting. Not knowing if putting it in a little more water than was required had an effect or if the water temperature had an effect I dumped it out to try again. This time I added one packet to 6 ounces of very cold water. The drink was a little fizzier and the taste was a little better than the first time but it still wasn’t good. It didn’t go down smoothly at all. I waited a couple of hours for the boost in energy, which unfortunately never came.

I didn’t like this variety of the product. The Emergen-C line of super energy booster products also contains tangerine, raspberry, lemon lime and super orange varieties. I don’t know how any of the other varieties besides the pink are. Fifty percent of Emergen-C Pink profits will be donated to the Keep A Breast Foundation to help in the fight against breast cancer. Emergen-C also offers a tangerine Joint Health product. Emergen-C products are available online and at Walmart. Free samples are available at www.emergenc.com for more info

Popularity: 10% [?]

No Comments | Posted in » Food, Reviews

Best Bath Store Pore Refining Facial Toner

I have always had oily skin. I constantly battle clogged pores and it isn’t unusual for my pores to look pretty big. Never having used a facial toner, I was curious to try the Pore Refining Facial Toner that I received from Best Bath Store.

The product description states that Pore Refining Facial Toner is supposed to tighten your pores. I was amazed at how much noticeable smaller the pores on my nose were after one use of this product. My face didn’t look shiny. My skin felt smoother and softer. The product is clear and has a light scent that is not unpleasant.

I like this product. Best Bath Store’s Pore Refining Facial Toner comes in a 4 ounce bottle and can be purchased online for $19.95. Best Bath products are not tested on animals.

Popularity: 10% [?]

No Comments | Posted in » Health/Beauty

babycakesart Review and Giveaway

I recently received a personalized birth announcement from babycakesart. For those of you that haven’t heard of babycakesart, they offer personalized birth announcements and customized stationery.

Ordering my customized birth announcement was very easy. I selected the design I wanted, and then specified the information I wanted on my announcement. I chose the train, because my son goes bonkers for trains. The announcement is 5×7 and will look terrific framed on my son’s bedroom wall. (Actually babycakesart offers framed announcements so you don’t have to worry about finding just the right frame to show yours off in.)

Matching notecards are available for the birth announcements. Notecards are sold in sets of twelve. They’re blank on the inside like every good thank you card, and come with their own matching sticker to seal the envelope. They come with envelopes too. The cards are made of heavy and thick 110 lb. stock.

You can learn more about Bekkah, the woman behind babycakesart on the babycakesart blog. All babycakesart products are made here in the USA and are available to purchase from their online store. Pricing is quite reasonable considering everything offered is customizable down to the fonts and colors used. Combined shipping is available when purchasing multiple items.

I’m giving away a set of 20 notecards with stickers to one lucky winner. Winner chooses design. To enter just visit the babycakesart store and then leave a comment here stating which item in her store that you like the best. Contest ends 07/27/08 at 11:59am est and the winner will be selected using random.org. You must have a US address to be eligible. The winner will be announced here and on Prizey.

Popularity: 41% [?]

21 Comments | Posted in » Contests and giveaways, Reviews, Stationery

Gloves In A Bottle giveaway winner

One winner in the Gloves In A Bottle Review and Giveaway receives an 8 ounce bottle of Gloves In A Bottle lotion.

All qualified entries (contained name, email, one ingredient and one place you wanted to try the lotion) were placed onto a spreadsheet and assigned a number. The list was placed on random.org and the number that came out on top is the winner. A screenshot is attached.

The winner of the Skin MD Natural giveaway is #67,
Christina!

Christina’s comment was “Dr. David Horowitz uses this.”

Christina, please contact me within 72 hours to confirm that you wish to accept this prize, and please include your mailing address in your email.

Thanks to all who entered the giveaway! I plan on having lots more giveaways, so please consider subscribing to my feed so you don’t miss out on any.

Popularity: 14% [?]

No Comments | Posted in » Contests and giveaways

Trendy Tadpole review

If you’ve ever gone to a local store to buy a tee shirt for a child you know that everything looks the same as everything else, and that you can get something else like it in the next store around the corner. Trendy Tadpole sells unique, fun kids tee shirts. The shirts feature designs you won’t see anywhere else. The look on some of the shirts is modern, on others its retro. A number of them are designed with a big of humor, to relate the shirt to something else. These trendy childrens clothes are all made of 100% cotton. All products are made in the USA.

Most designs are available in a variety of colors, styles and sizes. The size range of these fun tee shirts is 3-6 months up to size 6T. My favorite two designs are All Hands On the Poop Deck and AB/CD – For Those About To Read We Salute You, done in the style of the band AC/DC’s logo. One thing that is made clear right on the website is that shirts run small. I applaud the honesty, many of you know what it’s like to get something home only to find it doesn’t fit correctly.

I received the AB/CD long sleeve tee in size 12-18 months. The shirt does run small, but I’d already ordered up a size to accommodate for that. The shirt felt really soft. The printing was flawless and clear. What a cool baby tee, particularly for an AC/DC fan from way back.

Trendy Tadpole products are available for sale on their website at http://www.thetrendytadpole.com/. Items purchased can be shipped to the US as well as internationally. According to their website, 50% of all profits go to charities. Some of the charities they support include the Humane Society, PETA and UNICEF. If you have another favorite charity let them know and it will be added to the list. If you’re looking for fun, trendy toddler clothing be sure to check out Trendy Tadpole.

Popularity: 20% [?]

No Comments | Posted in » Clothing, Reviews

Best Bath Store Shea Butter Lotion

Best Bath Store sent me some of their Shea Butter Face And Body Lotion to try. My hands always feel as dry as a desert while I’m at work because I handle a lot of paper so I’m always up for trying another hand lotion.

The product description says this moisturizer contains extra Shea butter to benefit both the face and the body, and that it contains Vitamin E and organic aloe Vera to enhance skin elasticity. This lotion was labeled unscented but it did have a very mild scent that faded after about five minutes after applying. The lotion rubbed in easily and left no greasy or oily residue. The white lotion is on the thin side, it wasn’t goopy at all. My hands felt very soft after applying and I didn’t need to apply for several hours.

Best Bath Store Unscented Shea Butter Face And Body Lotion is available in an 8 ounce bottle and can be purchased on the websitefor $14.95. Like all Best Bath products, this lotion is not tested on animals.

Popularity: 29% [?]

No Comments | Posted in » Health/Beauty, Reviews

Review of Aquafresh Advanced Toothpaste

I received a tube of toothpaste to try. This is a review of Aquafresh Advanced fluoride toothpaste in the Ice Mint flavor.

The packaging states that the toothpaste is “now with whitening”, and that the stain removing formula will make your teeth two times whiter. It contains fluoride to help prevent cavities and keep teeth strong and resistant to decay. Flouride has also been proven to help repair or slow existing decay.

This toothpaste looks something like the stripe that Aquafresh puts on their boxes. The toothpaste has a bluish green stripe and a red stipe. When I started brushing my teeth I noticed that although it had looked like regular paste it seemed a little thinner. It didn’t cause a nasty pasty taste in my mouth while I was brushing and it sort of bubbled. The ice mint taste was something I could both smell and taste. I could feel that my breath was fresh after using it. The freshness lasted for a very long while, despite the fact I had a few sips of coffee. My teeth felt smooth and clean.

I liked the Aquafresh Advanced toothpaste very much and recommend it. It comes in a 6 ounce tube. It can be bought online and in many grocery stores, drug stores and department stores. It sells for approximately $3.29 - $3.79 per tube. There is currently a $1 coupon available on the Aquafresh website.

Popularity: 41% [?]

No Comments | Posted in » Health/Beauty, Reviews

Gloves In A Bottle Review And Giveaway

I was recently offered a chance to review Gloves In A Bottle Shielding Lotion. I work with paper all day. I think that the biggest reason why my hands feel dry and rough is from handling a lot of paper. Certain lotions actually come off onto papers I handle and leave oil marks, which isn’t the best thing for papers that have to be filed and copied. Most lotions wear off of my hands within a very short time, so I was very curious to see how well Gloves worked for me and how it reacted to heavy paper handling.

The lotion is white and looks sort of like milk. It’s not thick like a typical hand lotion and it’s not thin like some oil type moisturizers. I didn’t require much of the lotion to cover my hands. It didn’t feel hot or cold when I put it on, it felt it was about room temperature. Gloves had no scent that I could detect and left no greasy or oily feeling on my hands after applying. There were no grease marks on any of the paperwork I handled. My hands just felt soft. After two hours my hands still felt good. After washing my hands they didn’t feel all dry and chalky like they usually do after using the commercial soap. On an interesting note, I had some Cheetos for a snack after applying Gloves. I was surprised to notice that my fingers didn’t get the orange stain that usually accompanies Cheetos that I always have to wash off. All family members line up to put Gloves on! (Cheetos is one of the few snacks we all agree on here.)

The packaging describes why Gloves is effective. Regular lotions just sit on top of the first layer waiting to be washed and worn off. These lotions don’t actually heal cracked, dry hands. Because these lotions sit on the surface, our body thinks the skin has adequate moisture so it doesn’t produce more. In the meantime contaminants absorb the natural moisture made by the body. Gloves bonds with the first layer of skin creating a shield that keeps moisture under the skin and keeps contaminates out.

If you’re skeptical like me, check out the many testimonials on the Gloves website. The Gloves In A Bottle website contains lots of other information too, like frequently asked questions and ingredients. I think it’s neat the way they’ve listed the publications that Gloves has been in, and included the article for reading by clicking on the cover. Gloves In A Bottle is available for sale in select stores and pharmacies and on the GlovesInABottle.com website. An 8 ounce bottle is $12.95. Cases are available for sale, as are one gallon bottles.

The folks at Gloves In A Bottle were kind enough to offer to send an 8 ounce bottle, value $12.95, to the lucky winner of a giveaway. If you’d like to win this bottle please leave me a comment on this post telling me one notable customer that uses Gloves In A Bottle. (They’re listed on the Gloves website.) Earn two additional entries by writing about the contest on your blog, linking to Gloves In A Bottle AND this blog. Contest ends Saturday July 19, 2008 at 11:59 pm est. No geographic limitations to enter.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.

Popularity: 100% [?]

75 Comments | Posted in » Contests and giveaways, Health/Beauty, Reviews

Review of Yoplait Kids Yogurt Drinks

Our family received some samples of yogurt drinks a while back. Now whenever we’re in the grocery store in the dairy aisle and my son sees then he goes crazy. This is a review of Yoplait Kids Yogurt Drinks.

Yoplait Kids Yogurt Drinks come in four flavors - strawberry, banana, mixed berry, and strawberry-banana. The packaging is bright and toddler friendly, containing popular television characters from Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go, Blues Clues and The Backyardigans. It’s no marketing secret that kids love their television characters, so it isn’t a stretch to see why kids will drink yogurt drinks showing their favorite characters on them. Yoplait Kids contains 25% less sugar than the leading brand of kids yogurt and contains calcium, vitamins A and D, protein and Omega 3 DHA which helps promote brain development. It has no artificial sweeteners or flavors. And, for parents with children with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, Yoplait Kids Yogurt is gluten free.

The six pack we got was of the strawberry flavor. Both of my sons sampled this. So did I, although I do not qualify as a kid I just had to taste it. TJ, who’s twelve, told me that he liked it. He liked it because it was thick, his favorite yogurts are the custard texture with no fruit in them. He thought it was better than the spoonable variety and wished it came in larger sizes. I poured CJ’s into a cup, since it’s less messy to drink with a straw for him. He said “good, yum” while drinking his and when he was finished said “more”. I thought it was very tasty and slightly less thick than the yogurt cup. The 3.1 ounce bottle only contained 70 calories and the size is just the right size serving for young kids. I can see where the small bottle would be easy for a toddler to hold.

We recommend Yoplait Kids Yogurt Drink. It’s a tasty, healthy snack. It can be purchased in grocery stores and sells for approximately $2.99 per six pack.

Popularity: 39% [?]

No Comments | Posted in » Food, Reviews

Happy Fourth Of July

The Fourth of July is Independence Day here in the US. It’s the anniversary of the day that the United States declared her independence from England. The US declared her independence with the Declaration of Independence. Continental Congress passed the final text of the document on July 4,1776.

Popularity: 31% [?]

No Comments | Posted in » Uncategorized