Mirra Beauty Products Review and Giveaway

When I was single and had more money than I knew what to do with, I spent a lot of it on my hair and facial products.  I have never been a big makeup girl, but I love a good cleanser and moisturizer for sure.

In the last 8 years however, I have had to find the best products for the least amount of money.  Trying to justify why I need expensive shampoo to my  husband who is, ahem, a wee bit hair deficient, was is difficult.

So, I am constantly on the lookout for good products that I can afford.  So, when Global Influence Network gave me the opportunity to try out Mirra Beauty Products, I jumped at the chance.

In addition to its own consumer research, mirra recently conducted an online survey of over 500 women asking a variety of questions about beauty care products and regimens.   Here’s what women said: 

• 77 percent said products that have both natural ingredients and proven technologies, work best.  Only nine percent said products with all natural ingredients, alone, were best; and 14 percent said the same of science only products.  
• 71 percent chose “Take 10” as the best description of their beauty style and routine.  They said they don’t have a lot of time and don’t spend a lot of time on their beauty routine – 10 minutes at most.   Other options included “soak and savor,” “60 minutes,” and  “beat the clock.”
• Their description of a “bad hair day” was evenly split between “flat” (37 percent) and “frizzy” (35 percent).  (15 percent said fly-away; 13 percent said oily).

Launching now, mirra products include shampoos and conditioners; hair styling products; body washes and mists; facial and skin care lotions, cleansers and cleansing cloths; eye firming and age defying creams; and cosmetic brushes.

mirra products are made with natural ingredients, such as olive oil, aloe leaf juice, and cranberry, bamboo, honey and chicory root extracts.  Proven technologies are used for many of the products too.  For example, the revolutionary oleosome emulsion technology is used in skin care products to deliver long lasting moisture that keeps protecting and nourishing skin long after application. 

mirra products can be found in the beauty care aisles exclusively at all stores that are part of the Kroger Co. family. For a limited time, mirra is offering $5 off when you purchase any two mirra products. To download the coupon visit www.kroger.com\coupons.

My package arrived and I excitedly tore into it.  I received Color Care shampoo and conditioner, Bamboo and Honey body wash, face moisturizer, eye cream, ginger and oleosomes lotion and gel.

 

My hair was not colored.  I say was not because how could I do a good review if I didn't even have colored hair?  So, I quickly scheduled an appointment with my favorite hair stylist and went a shade darker and added in some beautiful caramel highlights.

I love this shampoo and conditioner.  It is lightly fragranced and leaves my hair bouncy and shiny.  I will buy this shampoo and conditioner again for sure.  I also love the body wash.  It does a great lather and smells divine.  The day cream is light enough to use all day, yet is rich enough to keep my super dry skin feeling great all day long.  

Those are the things I have actually used.  I am not a huge fan of the smell of the lotion, but I know my Mom will love it.  So, I will be giving it to her when she comes to my house in April.  I also don't use gel, so I haven't used that.  I am just waiting for Amelia to get the idea that she wants to look like Annie and will let me put curlers in her hair.  Then I can use the gel!

Not only are these great products, but they are pretty easy for me to find and afford.  Mirra is sold at Kroger stores.  So for my fellow Utah folks, that's Smith's!  You can also get a coupon for $5 off two products right now.  A great way to try it out.

You want to try it don't you?  Well, The Kroger Company and Global Influence Network want to give one of you a Mirra prize pack!  All you have to do to enter is tell me about your beauty routine.  For extra entries you can:
1. tweet 

2. blog

3. facebook

Pretty simple eh?  This contest will close on my big sister's birthday, March 24 at 8pm MST.  So what are you waiting for???

Kroger Cart Buster! $25 Giveaway!!

Ok, I am a sucker for a good deal, especially when it comes to groceries.  Right now my favorite grocery store, Smith's, is having a Cart Buster sale. 

What does this mean you ask?  Well, they are having some AWESOME deals.  Yesterday I went and Betty Crocker cake mixes were 10 for $10.  Oh how I love cake and at a dollar a piece?  Oh yeah, sign me up.  I stocked up my food storage with cake mixes.  Cause you know, if there is a natural disaster or something I am going to NEED chocolate!

The fabulous folks at Kroger Family of Stores and General Mills through MyBlogSpark sent me a $25 gift card to any Kroger store.  And guess what?  They want to do the same for you!!!!

To enter, just tell me what you would love to stock up on at the Cart Buster sale.  This is a quickie contest, so it will close on Saturday night, March 13 at 8 pm MST.

*The cart buster sale ends on Saturday, but Kroger stores always  have lots of good deals!

Rainbow Brite

When i was a little girl I loved Rainbow Brite oh so much.  What wasn't to love, a girl dressed in sparkly rainbows with her own horse?  I mean, come on!

Being the Mom to girls, I wanted to share with them the things I loved, Strawberry Shortcake, Rainbow Brite, Cabbage Patch Dolls...the list goes on and on and on.

I was so excited to see that Rainbow Brite has been re-released and now my girls can enjoy her too!

My sweet Amelia loves loves LOVES to color.  So, when I received the Rainbow Brite C.D.'s I immediately had to print off pictures for her.  She loves watching the videos (and I love that they are short), and playing the games, but most of all, she loves the coloring pages.


Mom Select sent me a few of these cd's, so if you have a child who you think would be interested in these, give me a shout out and I'll stick it in the mail for you!

Winners!

Sorry I didn't get this list up last weekend, things got crazy and...well, you know :)

Anyway...
The winners for the Pirate/Princess book packs are........

13 - Paula Michele
20 - The Lewis 4
25 - Love my Levi
15 - Tiffany C.
10 - Lauren Super Mom Central

Email me with your addresses and I will pass them along to the sponsors!

And for the Artistic Sensations' Giveaway....
The winner is Patricia!

Congrats everyone!!!!

Princess and Pirate Potty Training Books :: Giveaway!

It is no secret that my children LOVE books.  They love books so much that we could sit and read all day long.  They will read any type of book they can find and really don't have any that they don't like.

When the new Scholastic books, Princess Potty and Pirate Potty, came in the mail, I thought that only Amelia would be very interested in them.  She is 3, and is pretty recently potty trained.  What I found instead was that all 3 of my children adore these books!

Seth is all about pirates and he loves the pirate potty!  He wishes that he could get the little hat and stickers to use for himself.  And Amelia is quite the princess, so this book was just up her alley.

Both books provide a helpful, step-by-step story that introduces girls & boys to the concept of toilet training. Pirate Potty is a pirate-themed, toilet-training book that is fit for the little swashbuckler in your life!  Includes a pirate’s hat and reward stickers! Princess Potty follows the same theme…a toilet-training book that is fit for the Royal Highness in your life!  This book includes tiara and reward stickers!

I love these rewards!  It is instant and not candy :)

I have 5 sets of these great books to giveaway!!  If you'd like to win, leave me a comment telling me why and which one you'd like.

To gain an additional entry tweet about this giveaway.  For one more, write about it on facebook.

Leave a comment for each entry.  You can do facebook and twitter entries once a day.

Contest ends February 21 at 8 pm MST.

Artisitc Sensations Review and Giveaway!

I have a new sponsor for my blogs, Artistic Sensations.  I have never been able to really decorate my kids room until we moved into our current house.  We moved in and promptly painted Seth's room green (ok 1 wall, but it is REALLY green!).  Amelia was still in our room, but we knew that they would be sharing a room before long.

Fast forward 2 years and Seth and Amelia share a room.  Since I have a boy and girl in the same room, decorating can be a challenge.  I can't do it up pink and girlie ballerina, and I also can't do it up Star Wars or Baseball.  We have to find our middle ground and go from there.

We are doing bright colors, hence the green wall.  So, when I found Artistic Sensations, I was SO excited.  They have all kinds of room decor, bedding, wall hangings, picture frames, lamps, rugs, mobiles..the list goes on and on and on. 

When they told me I could pick something out from their shop to try I was thrilled.  I looked at everything and tried to find something I knew my kids would love.  I found it.  My kids are constantly making the bottom bunk into a fort.  What this means is that I am constantly dragging out blankets and stuffing them up under the top bunk (over and over and over because the baby pulls them out) and then when they are done I have to fold up all the blankets again and put them away.

This however is such a snap to put up and my kids love it so much they don't ever want it down!

Sticky back velcro goes right on the bunk bed and then you attach the curtain to that.  Easy to take down if it needs to be washed, and so so simple to put up.

But, don't ask me what I think about it.  Let's ask the true experts, my kids!







There you have it folks. The experts have spoken and they LOVE it!!!!

The great folks at Artistic Sensations have offered to give one of you a set just like this PLUS a $50 gift card to their shop!  Pretty awesome isn't it?!?

So, to enter you need to go over to Artistic Sensations and look around.  Come back here and tell me what you love!
For additional entries:
1. Follow @kidsroomdecor on Twitter
2. Become a fan on Facebook
3. Follow this Blog
4. Subscribe to this blog's RSS feed
5. Subscribe to Artistic Sensations' RSS feed
6. Tweet about this contest
7. Blog about this contest

There you have it 8chances to win.  You must leave a comment for each entry. This contest will close on Valentine's day, February 14, at 8 pm MST.  Good luck!!!

This post was sponsored by Artistic Sensations, but the words are mine and my kids and if we found something we didn't like about it we sure would have said so!

Sweet Cake Bake Shop Review

In November when I realized I would be going gluten free, I thought it was the end of bread, brownies, cookies, cake...all the things I really LOVE.  Even if I could find a recipe to make these things, 1. there was no guarantee they'd be any good and 2. sometimes you want a giant chocolate chip cookie right now and just don't have time to make it.  My impulse buying for sure was going to have to come to an end or I would be paying for it with my health.

I had accepted my fate and even found a brownie recipe I liked.  And then I got an email from my friend Elise telling me that her cousin was getting ready to open a gluten free bakery in Kaysville, UT.  I live about an hour away from Kaysville, but that is where my brother and sister and their families live.  It is also where Emma is buried, so I get down there at least once a month.  I was so excited!  Then she asked if I'd like to come and sample some goodies and review the shop.  Uh, YEAH!

I pulled up on Saturday morning at 11, right when the shop opens.  I decided to lay low for a minute while I waited for Elise to arrive.  Upon entering the shop I was struck with how homey it feels.

This small shop sports a large display case, which was filling up quickly with many baked goods.

There is a bakers rack with gift boxes and flour mixes.  Yes, you read that right, flour mixes.  You can buy the flour mixture to make your own goodies.  If you have ever had to eat gluten-free, you know what a big deal this is.  Gone are the days of measuring out your cup of all purpose or whole wheat flour.  Most recipes call for at least three different flours, often more than that.  And, the flours are not the common kind of flours you think of.  Instead it is Almond Meal, Teff Flour, Sweet Rice Flour, Brown Rice Flour, Millet Flour...the list goes on.

I digress...back to the shop.  I went in and there were several customers there waiting for the case to finish filling up.  I could see the girls working in the back busy trying to get trays ready for the customers.  One sweet couple drove an hour and a half just to get some goodies.  The lady was so sweet and just couldn't believe these treats wouldn't make her sick.  She had never tasted anything gluten free that was so delicious.

 

If those photos don't entice you, how about this?  There were people there who don't need to eat gluten free, but CHOOSE to go to Sweet Cake Bake Shop because it is just that good.  The chocolate lava cake (pictured above) was my treat for the evening of games with my family.  Oh it was divine, seriously.

I also bought some chocolate chip cookies (HEAVEN), a red velvet cupcake, a chocolate cupcake, a peanut butter bar, a brownie, a package of day old blondies and day old mint brownies.

I was beyond thrilled with everything there.  The prices are great too!  $2.25 for a cupcake, $4.95 for a mini bundt cake (totally worth it!) $2.00 for any brownies or bars and $1.75 for a cookie.

That's not all they do though.  If you are gluten free like me, you might just miss bread.  Every Monday the shop is closed and they make 50 loaves of bread.  With 4 different varieties of bread, you have options!  They make Honey White, Honey Oatmeal, Sweet Sorghum and Cinnamon Raisin.  All bread orders are special order only and the orders are out a couple of weeks at least.  At $7.95 a loaf it is a bit more pricey than I would like, but for a special occasion, I could totally swing it.

If my glowing review isn't enough, why not ask my counterpart who was with me?

mmm...eating..eating...eating...

"Don't tell me I can't have any more!"

Yay!!  Mama said I can have a cookie!

So, for those of us who can not have gluten, there is a great new option!  Sweet Cake Bake Shop!  Located in Kaysville, UT it is easily accessible to those who live on the Wasatch Front.  If you don't live in Utah but still want to try the goodies, why not order online?  I promise, you won't regret it!