Friday, October 26, 2012

Hair Color Options For Halloween



Happy Friday! Neon, purple, orange and pink are jus a few of the colors you’re bound to see in kids’ hair this Halloween. Costumes are flying off the shelves right now and your little one doesn’t want to go without the most crucial element of their costume – the right hair! Has your kid been attempting to dye their hair to go with the Cruella Deville ensemble? Or the Hulk? Hair authority and author of Cozy’s Complete Guide to Girls’ Hair, Cozy Friedman, has some tips on how to safely dye your child’s hair for their fantasy costume.

  1. Use Temporary Color
It’s less harsh than semi-permanent dye and won’t affect your child’s hair growth.  Streekers is an amazing brand that offers a variety of colors that washes out after shampooing. From light blue to neon yellow Streekers temporary hair color will leave your kids with beautiful bouncing hair.



  1. Kid-Friendly
Kool-Aid has often been used to color hair. If you’re worried about chemicals in temporary dye, or simply would rather use something you already have in you house try some Kool-Aid. Put the Kool-Aid powder onto a damp head and bake in under a dryer, after about 30mins you have colored hair!


  1. See A Stylist
See a stylist if you plan to let your child dye their hair often. A stylist will be able to ensure it’s kept healthy and recommend quality brands to try. Cozy’s Cuts for Kids carries Zach Wax Gel, a dye in gel form from So Cozy, that stylist often use to safely dye hair.

For more tips from Cozy Friedman please visit www.CozysCutsforKids.com

Miss Body Butter Review, Vlog and GIVEAWAY for 3 Products

Is she not the cutest logo ever?

I recently got to review Miss Body Butter.

Paulin Soleyman is behind the company and she believes natural is best! After seeing her mission, I had to try some.  

Mission Statement:
Miss Body Butter…
  • We See all women as beautiful and deserving of safe, all-natural, skin care products designed to pamper their body and soul. 
  • We Believe in hand blending effective skin care products, using the purest essential oils and finest all-natural moisturizers and defoliants found in nature. 
  • We Hand Blend our products to order using all vegetarian ingredients and absolutely no artificial colors or preservatives. 
  • We Refuse to test our products on animals. Hence our products’ safety is tested only on humans. 
  • We Are Committed to sustainability. At Miss Body Butter we take pride in limiting our products impact on the environment while protecting animals as well as our clients. 

Sounds good to me! All of these things are things I am passionate about too. My daughter and I love smelling things as do many of my friends so the first thing we did was open them up and almost bumped heads to get a whiff!

Take a peek at my review and I apologize for the many times I had to take a whiff. Impossible not to smell it once you open it.

 
Enter the Rafflecopter for your chance to win a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclaimer: I received complimentary products for my honest opinion.

Scunci Ponytailer Bracelet Review, Vlog & GIVEAWAY



scünci just moved the ‘arm party’ trend of stackable bracelets to your hair!  Introducing new scünci® Ponytailer Bracelet—the perfect accessory that doubles as a bracelet and a hair tie!

Wear just one scünci® Ponytailer Bracelet or a few to rock out a great hairstyle, or stack a few on your wrist to sport the stacked bracelets trend!  scünci® Ponytailer Bracelets are available in nine complementary colors and styles and match any outfit! 

The scünci® Ponytailer Bracelets are versatile to accessorize your hair or your wrist and are available in a variety of colors and textures so you can mix and match any combination. So get started with the stacking trend or add to your fashion bracelet collection and always have a hair tie ready to use. From casual to dressy, these scünci® Ponytailer Bracelets are a great addition to any wardrobe.

The new scünci® Ponytailer Bracelet can be purchased for approximately $3.99 and is available at Walmart and CVS stores. 

They are HOT and we LOVE them. In fact, we need to get more. Two isn't enough. Goddess and I are fighting over them. 

Check out my quick, little review. 


a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary product for my honest opinion.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

You Can Now Add Ear Cleaning To Your House Hold Chores



Ok..we are going to go there...are you with me? We are going to talk about ear wax and it is not a subject I enjoy at all.

We all know that we should be sticking anything in our ears but sometimes we need to clean them better than others. Both of my kids have wax buildup the same way their daddy does. We are in the doctors office for ear infections often and usually we hear that their is so much wax in there they can't see anything. Goddess had trouble hearing out of one of her ears for a while and when checked it was confirmed that there was a wax build up so when I heard about WaxVac I was very eager to check it out.

Our routine has been to put peroxide in her ears periodically and allow it to loosen up. There never seems to be a lot of anything. Goddess was eager to be the first to try WaxVac and she actually liked it. Maybe it was the attention but she said, it felt good. I didn't see a lot of anything coming out but I still think it is a good product.

 WaxVac Blurb:

There is nothing worse than getting out of the shower or swimming pool and having water trapped in your ears. Often times, cotton swabs just don’t do the trick and you are left with that annoying feeling for hours. But what if you could get immediate relief in mere seconds? The WaxVac is the perfect solution to this frustrating situation. The WaxVac provides a constant gentle suction that safely removes moisture and dirt particles from the ear canal. WaxVac is the safe and effective way to clean and dry your ears. WaxVac is great for children and is so simple they can use it themselves! Simply attach a silicone tip to the WaxVac and insert it into the ear. WaxVac will gently draw out any dirt or water, without the slightest bit of discomfort.

Look at that price up above. Go ahead, I will wait for you! I know, crazy right, only $10.00. What a great price to try something out and you get one for a friend. Go halfsees with your friend or neighbor and you each can get one so even if you feel it isn't for you, you are only out a few bucks.



Check out the video presentation below:
FYI: The drops I received do not come with the product. You do not need ear drops to use the vaccum.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentry product for my honest opinion.

Start Smiling With A Holiday Photo Time Giveaway + A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION!!!

Can you tell how super excited I am to be hosting this amazing giveaway just in time for the most photographed time of the year!??

Thanks to The National Association of Professional Child Photographers (NAPCP) I have an opportunity to let all my readers know about a chance to win a Professional Photography Session PLUS the chance to win an Organic Bloom Frame!!!

Ok..now that I have had time to calm down lets talk about photos. If you are a regular reader of Maria's Space you know I love my photos. Taking pictures of my kids, life, friends, things, is a passion of mine. Trying to create memories in a split second is something I spend at least 35 minutes a day doing. Whether I am photographing, organizing, editing, or just looking at photos I LOVE every second. I also enjoying learning from other photographers and the following tips are so great, I just have to pass them on.  

My Favorite Shot this year:

 


TOP TEN TIPS FOR TAKING PHOTOS OF
 YOUR CHILDREN
National Association of Professional Child Photographers Shares Insider Tips for Parents

ATLANTA (October 23, 2012) – Preparing a photo session with children can be a daunting and exhausting task. Most parents can barely get their children to stay put long enough to eat a full meal, yet alone pose for an entire photo shoot. Despite the challenge, the National Association of Professional Child Photographers (NAPCP) has a few tricks to help make an at-home photography session painless for everyone while still producing plenty of frame-worthy shots:

Get on their level: Lay or sit down on the floor to capture the perfect picture. Not only will you be able to see the world from their vantage point, but you’ll also have better perspective and angles when shooting.

Lighting is key: Most parents think that having great lighting can be replaced with a camera’s flash, but the flash can actually make children appear washed out. Instead, utilize indirect, natural lighting by shooting near a window in the house or under the shade of a tree.

Never stop shooting: For every good shot, there are typically about 8-10 bad ones, but that’s the beauty of having a digital camera! Change the setting to continuous shooting mode to capture lots of shots in the midst of action. Even most standard point-and-shoot cameras have some sort of “sport mode” that can accomplish this task.

Get to know your camera: Consult your camera’s manual or look up the settings online so that you can take full advantage of all of its different settings. Three key ones to experiment and get comfortable with are the aperture setting, the shutter speed and the ISO setting.

Consider black and white: Black and white photos are not only timeless and classic, but they can also easily cover up the redness and blotchiness on newborns and babies. Adjusting the black and white settings is usually easiest to do after the photo session in photoshop or picasa.

Make it fun for them: Kids love to play with their parents, so turn a photo session into play time! Play games, tell jokes and sing songs with them – pretty soon, they’ll forget that you’re taking pictures.

Get up close and personal: Get close or zoom in to capture all of the small details that make your child unique.

Pay attention to the background: Before you start shooting, make sure that any unwanted or distracting items, like a vacuum cleaner or piles of clothes, are out of the way and out of the shot.

Bring your camera everywhere: You never know when inspiration will strike. Camera phones make it easier to capture the everyday moments with your children – they can take decent pictures, but don’t always print well because of their low resolution.

Show off their personality: Standard portrait photos are parent favorites, but don’t hesitate to shoot pictures of them in their natural settings and behaviors. Their quirky and adorable habits today can usually create the best photos that you’ll treasure years later.

OK, so now for the really fun part!


 
Enter the Rafflecopter for your chance to win a frame from The Organic Bloom Frame

But it gets even better, the winner will also be entered to win a Grand Prize photography session. OK, OK...I know, I am rambling but this is so exciting...here is the specifics...ready? There are 35 bloggers participating and we will submit our frame winner's information to NAPCP and a winner will be randomly drawn for a full professional photography session with Mandy Johnson.  Check out Mandy's site! She has photographed celebrities such as Ashley Williams and Sheryl Crow. NAPCP will fly Mandy out to your   hometown so that the photography session can take place in the comfort of your own home!! Imagine?!

If you are looking for a professional photographer in your area check out the NAPCP website .

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
About NAPCP:
The National Association of Professional Child Photographers (NAPCP) is an association whose mission is to promote and support the artistry and integrity of professional child photographers. The NAPCP connects parents searching for child photographers in their area with its professional members by providing a comprehensive directory of photographers and informative articles on what to expect from their professional photography experience. Serving as a valuable resource for both photographers and parents, NAPCP continually strives to raise industry standards in child photography. 

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation to post this information.

Winner Announcements 10-24-12




The SparX Giveaway winner is:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Michael Jackson Bad 25 winner is:

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Best of Wubbzy DVD winner is:

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Is It Any Surprise That Autumn Is My Favorite Season?

Outdoor Wednesday

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Handsome's 9th Birthday Party

Oh well, what I can say, better late than never. This party happened in May and since I use this blog as a journal and print out the pages for the kids, it is important that I get this post up so here I go. We had Handsome's birthday at the Castle Fun Center and it was a blast! He invited all the boys from his Cub Scoot Troop and I invited three girls who I knew would be OK hanging with a bunch of boys because Goddess was going to be there and because I like their moms. Handsome was very excited that all these boys came to his party and I love seeing all these kids together. Some of them I know since they were a year old, younger or in mom's belly. The Castle Fun Center is a little expensive for our budget but we know that eventually the parties will be smaller. We worked out a payment plan and my sister in law helped with the rest. You are escorted to a huge party room where they can have over 15 parties going at once. After that you can create a party based on the child. We choose to do Laser Tag and a Laser Maze.

You gather in the party room and the kids get drinks, pizza and cake. 
Can you see how happy he is?
After they sing happy birthday, we gather our stuff and move onto the next part of the party.
The laser tag was AWESOME! The kids get vests and laser guns, they basically walk up to each other, point the laser and shoot each other. There was a lot of hiding and shouting, oh and that super noisy, siren that rings whenever someone shoots someone.

As the kids run around the parents find little places up above where we can watch the action. That is my girlfriend Clary up there smiling. It was so much fun although really hard to get photos in there.

My favorite part was watching the kids do the laser maze. They each get a chance to go in and they have to hit a button on the other side of the lasers by stepping over, crawling under or whatever they have to do to make it to the other side. The button makes the lasers disappear so they can get out. We could see from a window and a monitor above the entrance what they were doing. Handsome made great time! He was smart about it too. They wanted him to go first since it was his party but he insisted that two or three others go. This is a kid who has a dire need to be FIRST at everything so I knew what he was thinking. He was thinking, let someone else go first so I can watch their mistakes and do it better. His time was incredible and if there was a prize he would have won. It was wonderful to hear them all cheering each other on and directing them to the button. Poor Goddess cried during her time because Handsome felt it was necessary to yell at her. She was doing great until she didn't hit the button and he screamed for her to hit the button. He is very impatient. She cried and I had to pick her up so she could bury her embarrassed face. Poor thing. After that the Castle takes the kids aside, gives them cards to use in their game machines and sets us off while they go host another party. This was my least favorite part because you never get to see your guests. Some of them come over to say bye but you have all your stuff with you so it is rushed as you hand them a goody bag. Others can't find you so they leave without a goody bag but all in all it was a great time!

Chicken Soup For The Soul Hope & Healing For Your Breast Cancer Journey - Giveaway

Chicken Soup For The Soul Hope & Healing For Your Breast Cancer Journey 
A support group from breast cancer diagnosis through treatment to rehabilitation and recovery, this book combines inspiring Chicken Soup for the Soul stories written just for this book and accessible leading-edge medical information from Dr. Julie Silver of Harvard Medical School. Patients and survivors will find comfort, strength and hope.

Table of Contents

Trying out a new widget, please let me know what you think.
First, You Cry
Nancy and Me
Intimate Anthem
Penciling in Cancer on My Calendar
Introduction
Survivorship: a Breast Surgeon's Viewpoint
The Tale of Two Bettys
Reflections from a Long-Term Survivor
An Infusion of Hope
What to Do After a New Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Building Your Healthcare Team
Eliminate the Negative, Accentuate the Positive
The Three-Year Warranty
Introduction
Breast Cancer Survivor as Player Scout
Surviving Survivorship
Healing Your Body and Soul
Managing Your Support Team
The Healing Pen
Hats Off to Betty with Love
I Miss My Breasts
Better than the Best Medicine
Sandy's Account
Introduction
Should You Join a Support Group?
Putting Your Most Important Relationship to the Test
The Healing Power of Furry Friends
Angles on Earth
Organizing Your Angels
Think Positive During and After Treatment
My Reconstructed Self
The Sound of Music
Kiss and Tell!
Introduction
Your Brain is Craying Positive Messages
Practical Things You Can Do to Reduce Stress and Improve Your Mood
Avoid Worrying About Worrying
Begin a Gratitude Journal
Choosing Exercise with Relaxation in Mind
Try a Mini-Relaxation
What to Talk to Your Doctor About
Living in Cancer World and the Real World
The Show Must Go On
A Perfectly Shaped Head
A Family Affair
Introduction
Two Worlds, Two Time Zones
Sowing the Beads of Hope
Healing Your Body and Soul
The Pink Squishy Ball
My Journey Journal
Viewing Cancer through a Kaleidoscope
Introduction
Find Your Tempo Giusto
Cancer Rehabilitation Will Help You Heal
Focus on Function
Tapping into the Power of Mind-Body Healing
A Beautiful Woman Emerges
Lessons from a Hot Tub
Back to Normal
Introduction
Intimate Healing
You Are a Phenomenal Woman
Tell Yourself that You Are Beautiful
Your Amazing Journey
A Family Journey, The Brady Family
Start Writing!
Overcoming Fear
Introduction
Help from Unexpected Sources
Party in a Box
Traveling Companions
Art Therapy and Healing
Reflections on Living
Paths of Life
Forever and Ever
Fighting for Two
Getting It
Introduction
Perspectives on Living
Choose Your Own Path
Make a Worry Box