My must haves

Lately things have been even more hectic than usual, between preparing to have the kids 5 weeks this summer, my sister’s hair salon burning down and the usual baby momma drama, I have spent the past few months just trying to keep our heads above water. I was also doing so well with my weight loss that I didn’t want to lose the momentum I had built up, so here are a few things that have made my life bearable.

#1 – Bandelettes
These are a godsend for anyone who suffers from chub rub when wearing skirts. A few years ago my body decided to break out into hives at any opportunity. Stressed=hives, sweaty=hives, any skin rubbing=hives. Because of this, I dramatically reduced my skirt and dress wearing since every time I wore a skirt my thighs would rub together and then break out into gigantic itchy angry hives.  Then one day I was killing some time on Pinterest (see #2) while waiting in line and I saw these. I looked them up online (www.bandelettes.com) and bought 3 pairs. They are comfortable, they work really well, and are much prettier than the giant spanx I had been wearing before to avoid the chub rub.

#2 – Pinterest
While I am a creative person, I am not an inspired person. I rarely have a new idea, but always have great modifying ideas. Pinterest has helped me a lot with saving money on our home by helping me find cheaper alternatives and DIY projects to achieve what we want. Whether it’s ideas for keeping the kids occupied, ways to use our space more efficiently, or how to make our own taco seasoning, Pinterest helps me make the most of what we have.  Also, it makes me look way more put together and on the ball than I actually am :)

#3 – Bicycle
My father in law just bought bikes for the kids for their birthdays, and I got myself one to be able to go with them. Then I figured out that because of the lovely bike paths in my city, it would only take me 3 minutes longer to bike to work than to drive. Since then I invested in a gel seat and a cup holder for my morning coffee/smoothie and I have biked to work every day that it’s been nice. It’s helped me get my 30 minutes of exercise without having to set aside time for it, with the added bonus of cutting my gas consumption.

#4 – Collapsible water bottles
These are especially great when we take the kids out somewhere. They are flat and you can even roll them up so they take up very little space in a purse/backpack, and they are easily fillable at any water fountain or tap. I got them in some fun prints and they are enough of a gadget that the kids love using them and so I avoid the argument about buying soft drinks or juice at a venue. Saves money, and encourages healthy habits.

Inspired by Mama Kat's writer's workshop : List some of your most recent must haves…tried and true purchases the rest of us should ownYou saw it on Pinterest…does it really work?

Burt’s bees skin care first impressions

this post is related to my previous post http://headstrongdamsel.blogspot.ca/2012/03/bzzagent-and-burts-bees.html where I explain that I am a rockin BzzAgent and am testing another fabulous product

So I tried the cleanser last night, and I’ve got to be honest, I’m not sure.  My skin feels a little odd after I wash my face, almost like there is a residue, but not a filmy one.  It’s hard to describe, and I am not sure if it is a bad thing or a good thing.  It may be the cotton doing some sort of protection thing.  I’ll have to keep using it for a while to see if there are any noticible effects, good or bad.  If there are good effects, or at least no bad ones, I will probably still change cleansers since this one is way less chemical than my current ones, and that is something I am constantly searching for. 

The moisturiser, well that is a totally different story.  I think I’m in love.  The large stubby pump bottle is perfect for someone like me, easy to see without my glasses, and the pump means that the product stays clean, no germs from my fingers (and we all know that no matter how well we wash our hands, there are still germs).

It goes on really thin, so at first I wasn’t sure it would really moisturize, but the effect was pretty instant.  I have this thing where in winter when I wake up in the morning my forehead can be dry and flaky.  I put the moisturizer on and it sank in pretty quick, and I didn’t need to reapply all day.

I will have to keep using the combo to be able to really see any effects, but so far, pretty good.

BzzAgent and Burt’s Bees

A few years ago, I became a BzzAgent.  It is pretty cool site that lets you try and test lots of new and upcoming brands, and you also get samples and giveaways sometimes to give to friends/coworkers/family.  I have done a few campaigns for them, and their goal is to get people talking about the products, good old word of mouth advertising.

I have belonged to many a survey/freebie/etc. site, and what I love most about them is that they really target their members.  I have only once been invited to a campaign that I wasn’t instantly excited about.

On an unrelated note, about 2 years ago, I finally admitted that I was a lip balm addict.  I did some research and came upon a theory that all of the petroleum products used in lip balms, while soothing in the short term, was drying our lips in the long term.  I also realized that whatever we put on our lips is essentially like eating it, and who wants to eat petroleum, ick.

So I started trying out various different types of petroleum free products, and pretty much instantly fell in love with Burt’s Bees tinted lip balms.  They have the smooth texture of my favorite lip balm, with a nice tint.

And now, two of my favorite things have become one, BzzAgent invited me to a Burt’s Bees campaign.  It’s not for the lip balms, but for the sensitive skin facial products.  I got my kit in the mail, with a cleanser, moisturizer, and a bunch of mini moisturizer packets to give away.

I haven’t tried it yet (busy busy) but if it’s anything like the other Burt’s Bees products I have, my face is in for a treat.  I will post my findings soon J