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Meaningful Beauty Test-Drive Conclusion – #MomCentral

anti-aging, skin care, sun damage

“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.” – Mike Murdock

As part of my big lifestyle overhaul that I’ve been doing – My “Momma Makeover Mission” if you will – I started a brand new skincare routine. I have a ton of skin care products that I use each day, but I hadn’t used a coordinated system in years. A little over a month ago I started using the Meaningful Beauty line of products – a full system of products designed to work together, morning to night, to brighten, tighten, and smooth your face with some awesome ingredients.

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert J Collier

As you can see in the picture above, I have mostly decent skin. I’ve never had trouble with acne. I don’t have any trouble with oil, and only have a bit of dryness during the super cold winter months. But – My BIG complaint is the wrinkles on my forehead. When I see pictures of me in a group with my friends, it really stands out to me. I’m…Um, a very expressive person. Meaning I talk loud and often, with much hand movement and loads of wild facial expressions. When you combine that with a love of the sun – I’ve ended up with some lines that are aging me faster than I’d like!

Does it Work??

The answer is a big ol’ yes. I really like that the kit includes everything you need, and even comes with a chart to show you how to use them together, to make this pretty much a no-brainer to apply each day. That’s the kind of Busy Mom Solution I love. My favorite product from this kit, by FAR, was the Glowing Serum. It felt amazing when it went on each morning, and combined with the day cream to make my skin super soft and evenly textured. I’m also pretty impressed with the Firming Chest & Neck Creme. This is an area that I tend to neglect – so using a great moisturizer twice a day really made a difference.

Pros & Cons of the Meaningful Beauty System

I do love the products – they’re all great quality, the packaging is very simple and classy, and the scent is just right. {Weird, but true – the scent of skin-care products is super important to me.} And, one great thing that I want to point out – My mom also tried this system. And our skin types couldn’t be MORE different from one another. And she was totally in love with these products. I am pretty impressed that they could work equally great for both of us! And after a month of use, yes, it has smoothed my forehead lines a bit – which makes me super excited. But – the one thing that might prevent me from buying these again is that you have to order them in a full kit, and not individually. It’s a great way to get started, and a really good value. And – it even comes with a Money-Back Guarantee. So, I’ll have to finish using up the products, and see if I’m ready for the whole set again at once. I usually am not a fan of buying full kits like that – But considering how well these work together, I just might become a regular user!

{Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a test drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Meaningful Beauty and received a 5-step treatment kit to facilitate my review, a second 5-step treatment kit to giveaway, and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.}

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One Month of Healthy Changes = Big Results! #DigestiveCare

Getting healthy, losing weight, one month of changes

“Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow.” – Doug Firebaugh

A month ago, I decided to get serious about getting back into shape, and living a healthier lifestyle. Yes, this is partly because as the sunshine comes out from behind those winter clouds, I realized that we’ll be opening up our pool for the summer in just a few months. And I want to enjoy it this year – and be able to rock that new bikini I bought. But – I also want to feel good again too, not just look good. I gained so much weight while I was pregnant with Abby, and have quite a bit still to lose. I feel…. Well, not like “Me“, you know?

Smart Solutions = Success!

To finally get myself in gear, I made some big changes to my routine. I started the Nutrisystem plan, which I’m really excited about. I started moving more each day – From morning walks with Abby, to 10 minutes of squats and sit-ups each evening – I’m making time to get in shape. And – I’ve added a great set of tablets to help boost my body, including a great new multi-vitamin, and the amazing 4X Pro-B from Costco.com. I’ve had IBS for years, and tend to have a lot of tummy troubles. These have made a dramatic difference – and I’m so glad that I finally listened to my doctor, and added these to my diet!

eating healthy, losing weight

“Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better.” – Emilie Coue

I’m adding more fruits and veggies into my diet too – which is another way that I’m helping my whole body, including digestive system, run more efficiently. I’ve also added the Chobani yogurts as my afternoon snack, since like the 4X Pro-B, they contain helpful probiotics. I seriously feel lighter, cleaner, and more energetic. Such a big difference in just 4 weeks, which is pretty darn impressive. I really didn’t expect to feel so much better so quickly.

Toddler shoes,

“The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs…one step at a time.” – Joe Girard

I want to help encourage a healthy attitude towards food and exercise in Abby too. So I bought these stinkin’ adorable little sneakers for her, and she’s been coming out to play basket ball with us in the evenings. So much fun! She says, “Catch? Catch??” She’ll be 2 in July, but is getting to be such a big girl already :) I love that her favorite snack is grapes, her favorite new word is “outside”, and her favorite thing to do is go for a walk with momma. She’s off to a great start to a healthy, happy life. And that’s my biggest goal – To set a great example that leads her to happiness.

Learn more about 4X Pro-B and my experience so far on my Google+ post. And check out Costco.com on Facebook for great promotions on products like this.

Share Your Success Stories

What healthy changes have you made this year? Are you still on track with any of your 2012 goals and resolutions? I’d love to hear some success stories – so share your best advice, tips, and more in the comments, to help ME keep on my way towards being a success story this year too!

{Disclaimer: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias. I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All photos, opinions, and results are 100% my own!}

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Shopping & Selling on LoobaLee.com

reselling kids clothes

Fun New Way to Buy & Sell Kids Clothes

Kids clothes are expensive. And kids grow faster than they can wear things out. This is especially true if you’re one of the first to have a baby in your family – You’ll get so showered with gifts of baby clothes, that you’ll end up with piles of brand new items that your little one outgrew before having a chance to show off. {With Abby, sometimes I’d just do a ‘baby fashion show’, and dress her up in outfits all afternoon, just to get pictures of her in them, lol.} So – what to do with all of those great pieces that are no longer needed? And, what’s the best way to stock up on gently worn pieces to build an affordable wardrobe that your child needs now?

Smart Solution for Busy Moms

Well – It’s LoobaLee to the rescue! Ok, I know what you’re thinking – “Aren’t there already tons of ways to buy and sell used kids clothes?” Yes, there are. And I’ve used many of them – We’ve picked up some amazing, brand-new baby items at yard sales, and I’ve sold many of our unneeded and outgrown pieces on Craigslist. But these aren’t always convenient or practical – Yard Sales are only a few months a year here, and it’s not easy to search for a specific item. Craigslist is a popular way to sell stuff – But I don’t always like dealing with the strange people who respond to our ads. LoobaLee takes the best parts of all these other options, and combines them into one great solution site that I’m totally in love with!

Learn Some Tips on How To Dress Your Kids for Less

Learn Why LoobaLee Rocks:

The whole look of the site is so bright and fun, and everything is so well put together. This is quickly becoming a new favorite of mine – I’m always excited to check each day and see what’s new!

  1. Cost vs. Value: As I mentioned the last time I was shopping for my little fashionista – When buying kids clothes, it’s not just about cost – it’s more about value. Like the video above shows – many times a cheaper price means a cheaply made item. And at LoobaLee, so many of their pieces are from amazing designer brands. They carry loads of older lines from Gymboree – from back when they had really incredible quality standards. There’s a reason that these items still look brand new!
  2. It’s Simple: This is NOT an auction site. Everything is sold at an easy to understand fixed price, with no extra hidden fees. Shipping is super simple to calculate, and all purchases are safe and secure. And, unlike a site like Craigslist – there is NO spammy junk ads on LoobaLee, just great quality kids gear. Read their Community Code of Ethics for more info.
  3. Similar to Retail: There’s a great return policy, ensuring you get what you’re expecting. The check out process is very standard, like a traditional online retailer.
  4. Simple Selling: This is THE easiest site I’ve ever seen when it comes to listing your items for sale. There’s an easy to fill out template, layers of protection to ensure you get payment, and great options for different ways to sell your items. LOVE it.

There are so many other cool features, once you get started you’ll just keep finding new things to love, the more you use. Promise!

Sign up for LoobaLee

How to Get Started

Follow these quick steps – and you’ll have an account that will allow you to start shopping and selling in just a few minutes!

  1. Click to get started. Once you’re on LoobaLee.com it takes only a minute to set up an easy peasy account. Make sure to tell them that I sent you!
  2. Start browsing! They make is super easy to shop – You can search by size, style, color, gender, and more. This search ability means you can quickly find just what you’re looking for.
  3. Set up your first listing. You can sell individual pieces, or set up batches of items to sell a bunch of lower-priced items quickly.
  4. Check out their blog. They’ve got so many helpful tips for building your child’s wardrobe on a tight budget. It’s called “The Conscious Kid’s Closet” – helping moms save cash and the environment, one outfit at a time.

I’m very impressed with the quality of the items for sale, the ease of both shopping AND listing, and the fun feel of the whole site. I think you’ll love it too!

Enter to WIN!

Since I’m such a big fan of LoobaLee, I’m very excited to offer you guys a chance to win this awesome prize, so you can do some fun spring shopping for your family! Use the Rafflecopter form to enter – and if you’re feelin’ lucky, enter to win the other great prizes in the sidebar too!

Have Fun & Good Luck!

{Disclaimer: This sponsored post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. All prizing for MSM giveaways is handled by a third party unless otherwise noted. For this reason prize fulfillment can take up to 90 days after the winners information is received.}

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A credit card with training wheels

teaching kids about money

Helping Guide Your Kids to Financial Independence

Does your daughter ever look at you less like her M.O.M. and more like her A.T.M.? If it seems like every time you turn around you’re reaching into your wallet to give your kid a little cash then the Bill My Parents SpendSmart card is the perfect solution. It’s basically a pre-paid debit card that also works at ATMs and lets you fund it the from your credit card or bank account. You can add money in on a weekly or monthly basis, or just as needed for her desperate quest for the perfect pair of jeans. You get notified when purchases are made and, because it’s a debit card she can’t spend more than she has, which not only teaches her to make better financial decisions, but also doesn’t risk her credit rating.

Easy Peasy for them – Safe for you

It’s taken everywhere Mastercard is accepted and there is a nominal monthly, reload and ATM fee. Best of all, if it ever gets stolen or you see that she’s shopping like a Kardashian you can shut down that card faster than you can say, “OMG!”

So teach your kids how to spend responsibly and keep them out of your wallet.

What do you think?

Ok – Confession time. When I was in high school, I didn’t always spend the money that my parents gave me the way that they had intended it to be used. They’d give me lunch money for the week… I’d eat a granola bar instead, and save it for the weekend to go out with my friends. And I was a GOOD kid, lol. Imagine what the bad kids are saving up their money for, right? That’s what makes this such an awesome tool for parents – it gives you a way to monitor what your kids are up to, and where they’re spending their money – without getting too nosy.

More Great Ways to Use a PrePaid Card for Kids

This would be so helpful for tons of other situations too – Babysitters, the kid who mows your lawn, giving a tip to your paper boy/girl… You’d just give them a card, and auto-load it with payment instead of always trying to remember to have cash on hand. If you’ve used this, leave a comment and let me know what you think, and how it worked for you! And for more great tips – Follow my Smart Solutions and Tech Made Simple boards on Pinterest too!

Digitwirl.com Rocks!

Digitwirl is the weekly web show that offers simple solutions to modern day problems. In 3 minutes, Digitwirl brings busy women the very best time, money, and sanity-saving technology, and then teaches them how to use it, step-by-step. Digitwirl was created by technology lifestyle expert Carley Knobloch, who uses lots of technology to manage her busy life as mom of two and entrepreneur. Become a subscriber to get weekly show alerts and exclusive deals at Digitwirl.com, or follow Digitwirl on Twitter at @digitwirl.

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Celebrate Mom: Win the perfect gift! The Forever Moments Giveaway!

Win perfect mothers day photo gift!

“A man’s work is from sun to sun, but a mother’s work is never done.” – Author Unknown

Every mom deserves something special this Mother’s Day – and what’s more meaningful then a personalized piece of art featuring photos that capture those favorite family moments? We all love the look of a handmade scrapbook page, but we don’t all have the time or talent to make it happen, right?

Perfect Busy Mom Solution!

The Forever Moments makes it super simple to create a showstopper for anyone’s family photo wall! Learn more about how to make your own custom scrapbook page in just minutes – and enter to WIN your favorite design too, just in time to surprise the special mom in your life. Remember – Mother’s Day is coming up May 13th!

Want to create a design today? Use online coupon code SUNSHINE to save 25% off your entire purchase at The Forever Moments until March 30th!

Enter to Win!

Use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form to get your entries in! There is NO mandatory entry – Just fill in as many, or as few, boxes as you like – the more entries, the better your chances of winning. And you can come back each day too, for the bonus Tweet entry! Feelin’ lucky? Check out that big list of giveaways in my sidebar too!!

Have Fun & Good Luck!

{Disclaimer: I received a complimentary design from The Forever Moments, so that I could go through the selection and order process, and check out the quality of their work. All opinions, photos, and overuse of exclamation points are 100% my own :)}

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Win a $350 Designer Wallet from Bally!! 3/19

Welcome to our Bally Wallet Flash Giveaway! I love my kids blog has partnered with Awesome Blogger friends to bring you this exciting giveaway. Over the next 4 days you can enter for your chance to win the following prize:

$350 Bally Genuine Leather Wallet!!

Bally Leather Wallet

The “Bimba” from Bally

  1. The wallet is made of the finest leather available.
  2. This is a 100% Authentic natural skinand has been especially tanned for a rich, deep color and soft texture.
  3. The chic and sophisticated ‘Bimba’ from Bally is made of leather. ; Holds your credit cards, bills, currency and identification ; Dimensions: 7  x 1/2  x 4. Country of origin: Switzerland

Enter to win!!

Use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form below to get your chances to win. Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM EST on Monday night – 3/19/12. And if you’re feelin’ lucky – Enter to win the rest of the awesome prizes I’ve got listed in the sidebar too!

Have Fun and Good Luck!

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Celebrate Motherhood with the Forever Moments….

Mother's Day, Photos, photo gifts for mothers day“The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.  She never existed before.  The woman existed, but the mother, never.  A mother is something absolutely new.” – Rajneesh

That is my favorite quote of all time. It describes how I feel about becoming a mother – so simple, and so perfectly. My life changed dramatically the day Abby was born, and she is the total sunshine of my life. I had never planned to have children, and was overwhelmed by what a beautiful experience it was when I unexpectedly became a mother a year and a half ago. I’ve cherished every single moment since then – Through the sleepless nights and endless diapers, to the new toddler tantrums and catastrophes. It’s a hard job, but the benefits package kind of rocks.

“I love my mother as the trees love water and sunshine – she helps me grow, prosper, and reach great heights.” – Terri Guillemets

Want to celebrate YOUR favorite mom moments? The Forever Moments has an amazing way to help you do so – They get your favorite photos out of a box, and into premade scrapbook pages that are as unique and beautiful as your family! Each piece is handmade just for you, with perfectly detailed embellishments, and your own personalized names and dates. You can purchase them with or without a frame, and there are so many layouts, colors, and designs that you are guaranteed to find the perfect fit for your favorite moment.

affordable photo art, personalized family photo

“Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn’t know you had, and dealing with fears you didn’t know existed.” – Linda Wooten

This is my favorite photo of my little family… It was taken very late in the fall, and there was actually some snow on the ground already! But the totally amazing Amber Miller found one spot that was still bright with colorful fall leaves, and was able to capture the three of us sharing a fun moment. A super special picture needs an equally special presentation – and I just love the design of this Family Portrait design. {Tip: This design is able to fully customized with your family name. Long story, but Mike, Abby, and I all have different last names right now – we’re in the process of changing his. So I just had it printed with a basic message of “Our Family” instead.} It’s surprising how hard it is to get a really great picture, of a picture – But trust me, this looks even more beautiful in person. The details are all made from such high-quality paper, with gorgeous texture. It’s the perfect addition to our family photo wall, there is a perfect design choice just waiting to be created for your own photo wall – and this would make a perfect gift for a special mom in your life for Mother’s Day!

“Most of all the other beautiful things in life come by twos and threes, by dozens and hundreds.  Plenty of roses, stars, sunsets, rainbows, brothers and sisters, aunts and cousins, comrades and friends – but only one mother in the whole world.” – Kate Douglas Wiggin

Celebrate the special mother in your life this year with a gorgeous, handmade, and totally unique piece of art from The Forever Moments! Check out the amazing selection of Mommy Moment design choices, or browse any of the other great categories too – like family, celebrations, sports, baby & more! And since it’ll be super hard to choose just one – I’ve got a special coupon code just for my readers!

Use code SUNSHINE to save 25% off your whole purchase, until March 30th, so that you can stock up on additional gifts, and create the perfect piece for yourself, too!

The Forever Moments doesn’t just make products that look good, they DO good too – Instead of more candy or gift wrap, why not encourage your school to offer these pre-made, personalized scrapbook pages for their next school fundraiser? They can help you set up a great fundraising campaign, and your school earns 30% of purchases! Another way that The Forever Moments does good is by recognizing how difficult life is for the families of America’s military. For every Military layout purchased, they donate a $1 to BlueStarFam.org, a wonderful group doing awesome things to support military families!

Love it? Then enter for a chance to WIN your favorite design – The Forever Moments Giveaway!! – Good luck!

{Disclaimer: I received a complimentary design from The Forever Moments, so that I could go through the selection and order process, and check out the quality of their work. All opinions, photos, and overuse of exclamation points are 100% my own :)}

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