Tag Archive for Mom Most Traveled

Clear Hair Care #DReadeVIP #CBias #SocialFabric

May 31, 2012 Uncategorized 6 comments

I learned something a few days ago…you have to feed your scalp. The foundation of long, strong, healthy looking hair is a well nourished scalp.

Now you know the secret of the fountain of hair youth.

And there is a new shampoo and conditioner in town that aims to nourish your scalp. So there you go. One less thing to worry about.

I went to Duane Reade at 40 Wall Street to shop for Clear Hair Care products.

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I haven’t tried it out yet but it sounds really beneficial…and look how healthy that model’s hair is! I mean really!

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If your scalp is well fed, you won’t have dandruff. So that is how that works.

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The white bottles are the women’s formulas. They have different formulas for different hair and scalp needs.

I went with “Total Care” formula because my hair isn’t especially damaged, in need of being stronger, or dandruffy.

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The men’s formula Clear Hair Care comes in black bottles and is 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner. I’m pretty jealous.

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Clear Hair Care has a youtube channel: 

  • http://www.youtube.com/clearhaircare

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    Body Hair Trauma

    March 30, 2012 Uncategorized 4 comments

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    Yeah I said it.
    Body hair.
    My nemesis since the 5th grade, when my Sunday School teacher referred to girls as “chickapoos” and boys as “hairy legs”.
    Except, I didn’t shave my legs yet. Every Sunday I worried that he would spy the untamed leg hairs poking out of my stockings.
    He never did, of course, because he was like a 45 year old man and I was a 11 year old girl in a Sunday School.
    The next time I remember being mortified about manly body hair was when I was a senior in high school. I was on the soccer team, and one game I was on the bench (just resting, just resting!) and my team mate looked at me and said “Why do you have two LONG BLACK HAIRS GROWING OUT OF YOUR NECK!?”
    I was all “What, gross! Get them off of me!”
    She did. I religiously checked my neck every day in the mirror after that.
    I battled hair with Nair, tweezers, razors, and even sticky tape.
    Then on New Years Day, 2010, I found myself in Vietnam.
    I thought, Vietnam probably has awesome spas, because in America, a lot of the spa workers are Vietnamese.
    See my logic? Flawless.
    So I thought, this is a new year. New Years Day. Do you know what you should do, self?
    Self: No! Tell me, brain!
    Brain: You should totally get your first bikini wax! On New Years Day! In Vietnam!
    Self: Oh, hulls yeah! Great idea!
    So, early that morning, lets say 9-ish, I set out for a NEW BEGINNING.
    I started my spa visit with a pedicure. I should have noted a huge red flag when the girl made my toe bleed while pedicuring me. I’m a total wuss and got a little lightheaded.
    I didn’t think about the fact that if this spa can’t be trusted with toes, how can they be trusted with my nethers?
    But, onward!
    After the bloody painicure, I went to a different room upstairs. This room featured a STAINLESS STEEL EXAM TABLE, not unlike the ones at a veterinarian.
    The lady put plastic down on the table, and first started trimming My Area with scissors. hair was flying all over the places, it was like a scene from Edward Scissorhands. Then she put on the hot wax.
    I guess she thought I looked uncomfortable and that the wax was too hot, because she leaned down, put her face near my crotch and started BLOWING ON IT TOO COOL IT OFF.
    I absolutely wanted to disappear/die.
    Yes.
    Worst moment of my salon life.
    I put my elbow over my eyes and tried to pretend I was somewhere else.
    Not only that, another salon worker stuck her head in the room in mid-wax to ask my waxer about lunch.
    Don’t mind me. I’m just here getting waxed, spread eagle on a stainless steel table.
    After the wax I was so traumatized I couldn’t look anyone in the eye. I went for a bicycle ride and took myself out for coffee before returning to my family.
    When I win the lottery, laser hair removal is number one on my list.

    Family Travel: New York City With Kids

    February 8, 2012 Uncategorized 10 comments

    A family vacation to New York is rife with possibilities. Not everything about New York City is kid friendly, but if you know where to look, a visit to NYC can be a rich experience for visitors of any age.

    DECIDING WHAT TO SEE

     

    My kids are very much Cimg1764into museums, mostly because they love Indiana Jones. I recommend a New York Sightseeing Pass which allows you to pay a flat daily rate to gain admission into over 40 NYC attractions, including the American Natural History Museum, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum, Paley Museum of Television and Radio, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and many many more attractions!

    You can totally sightsee until you drop with the New York Sightseeing Pass, hitting as many attractions as you can manage before the pass expires at midnight.

    If you need inspiration, MommyPoppins.com has a list of 100 Things to Do in NYC with Kids Before They Grow Up that might be a good starting point. MommyPoppins.com also has heaps of recommendations for current events and year-round kid friendly New York.

    Macaroni Kid also has the skinny on kid-centric events each week. Check the Mac Kid closest to your NYC base and see what you can find in Downtown, East Bronx, Manhattan- East Side, and Upper West Side.

    Do your children have energy to burn after a few hours of sightseeing? Locate a playground near you at http://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/playgrounds/ . Park your bum on a bench, sip a coffee drink, and let your kids run themselves ragged.

    Playground listings are organized by area, and handicap accessibility is noted.

    EATING

     

    New York City has a restaurant in every kid of culinary genre imaginable. Personally, with my two active youngsters, I try to avoid mid to high-end restaurants. I don’t want to nag them silly reminding them to be still and quiet, all while receiving the stink-eye from childless patrons.

    The good news is there are plenty of take away options, food trucks you can hit up for a picnic options, and even some kid-friendly restaurants.

    New York Magazine has a comprehensive listing of kid friendly dining options in Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.

    WHERE TO STAY

     

    Hotels in NYC are notoriously small and pricey. Opting for a home rental instead of a traditional hotel will give you the benefit of a kitchen, laundry facilities, and more room for your family to spread out and recharge after an active day in the city.

    TRANSPORTATION

     

    Are your kids under 44 inches tall? If so, up to 3 of them can ride the NYC subway for free with one paying adult. Huzzah!

    Word to the wise: if you have an infant, opt for a carrier rather than a stroller. Not all subways are stroller-friendly.

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    WW: Shampoo and Style

    December 28, 2011 Uncategorized 2 comments

    The boys and I went to have our hair washed today. It was $1.20 for me, and 60 cents each for them. 
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    The awesome hair stylin’ is complimentary.
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    Jobes looked handsome.

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    Deeds got a wet shirt.

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    Jobes said that I looked “like a DJ”.

    He didn’t know how to express “from the 1980′s”

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    Look at that height! Thanks, hair lady!

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    When Complete Idiots Do Social Media Marketing @IdiotsGuides

    December 9, 2011 Uncategorized No comments

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    To me, Social Media Marketing is very intuitive. Which is fine, if I’m working alone. But, as a Digital Strategist at a PR firm (woohoo!) I now have the task of coaching digital immigrants in building their brand identity online.

    A good go-to guide for helping beginners navigate the social media landscape is The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Social Media Marketing.

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    The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Social Media Marketing has sections dedicated to marketing your business on facebook, using twitter, using LinkedIn, and other ways to expand your online presence and project a consistent message.

    I found all of the advice and information in to be very up-to-date, and there is even a new edition coming out in April! These people do not rest on their laurels!

    I gave the For Dummies series a look too and picked up Social Media Marketing for Dummies.

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    I thought that the two books would be similar, but I actually found that the For Dummies book to be out-of-date, and it even used non-standard terms, which was confusing to me (and I’m a professional here, people!).Photo 3

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    So, in this showdown, I recommend that you be an IDIOT, and not a DUMMY, and choose the The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Social Media Marketing.

     

    Wallet Friendly Christmas Gifting Solution #MyBlogSpark #ChexPartyMixChange

    December 5, 2011 Uncategorized No comments

    ChexPartyPack

    Do you have a big extended family or tons of friends you would like to give Christmas gifts to?

    Times is tough, no? One super fun and inexpensive idea is to have a holiday party where guests make Chex Party Mix in different Holiday recipes to share, and take home.

    Everyone can leave with a party favor of delicious Chex Party Mix, plus you have the fun experience of celebrating together.

    To throw my own sweet Chex Party MixChange, I had 2 boxes of Chex cereal to create Chex Party Mix recipes, 5 featured Chex Party Mix recipes, 10 takeout containers so that guests could pack it up to-go, and a $20 gift card to purchase recipe ingredients and decorating supplies.

    There are TONS of great recipes for interesting Chex Party Mix combos at www.ChexPartyMixChange.com!

    I like that you can adapt the recipes to be vegan, gluten free, or whatever other dietary concerns you have. The recipes don’t take long to make (less than 15 minutes), and many can be made in the microwave.

    The red boxes make me think it would be a fun treat to take to the office for Valentine’s Day, too! The possibilities are endless!

    Chex® Honey Nut Cherry Crunch

     

    Prep Time:15 min
    Start to Finish:15 min
    Makes:28 servings (1/2 cup each)


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    Ingredients

    4 1/2 cups Honey Nut Chex® cereal
    4 1/2 cups Rice Chex® cereal
    2 cups whole cashews
    1/4 cup packed brown sugar
    1/4 cup butter or margarine
    1/4 cup honey
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 cup dried cherries
    1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds


    Preparation Directions

    1. In large microwavable bowl, mix cereal and cashews.
    2. In 2-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave brown sugar, butter and honey and salt uncovered on High about 1 1/2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir butter mixture. Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated.
    3. Microwave uncovered on High 4 minutes, stirring every minute. Stir in cherries and sesame seeds. Microwave an additional 3 minutes, stirring every minute. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool. Store in airtight container.

    Nutritional Information

    1 Serving: Calories 160 (Calories from Fat 60); Total Fat 6g (Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0g);Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 190mg; Total Carbohydrate 22g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 11g); Protein 2g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 6%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 4%; Iron 25% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2 MyPyramid Servings: 1 oz-equivalents Meat & Beans
    *% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

    Enter to win a prize pack containing:

    • 2 boxes of Chex cereal to create Chex Party Mix recipes
    • 5 featured Chex Party Mix recipes
    • 10 takeout containers so your guests can take their Chex Party Mix to-go
    • $20 gift card to purchase recipe ingredients and decorating supplies

    To enter to win, find this post on my Facebook Fan page Wall, and leave a comment there about what type of Chex Party Mix is your favorite.

    “Disclosure: The Chex Party Mix-Change product, information, and giveaway have been provided by Chex through MyBlogSpark.”

    New Kids Books That Are the Bee’s Knees

    December 4, 2011 Uncategorized One comment

    Hospital Critterz The Prairie Pet is the first book in a series following the imaginative adventures of Lily and Max, two eight-year-old patients at McPopper Children’s Hospital, and their magical friends, the Hospital Critterz.

    In Prairie Pet, they go back in time to the 1800′s, and safe a buffalo named Tiny!

    This sounds NOTHING like my hospital experiences. …

    Do you know a princess (or a prince) with a nut allergy? The Princess and the Peanut finds us in the royal kitchen, fresh out peas, and the queen tries a peanut instead.

    The princess turns out to have food allergies, and this humorous tale inspires, and educates children with allergies, as well as those who live in, and around food sensitive kingdoms.

    Increase yer learning withs a food allergy guide for adults, and kid-friendly allergy definitions.

    …

    Kevin loves pretending to be a superhero.

    In Even Superheroes Get Diabetes, Kevin faces the reality of getting diabetes…the incessant finger pricks, shots, and the constant doctor’s appointments.

    A mysterious doctor uncovers that Kelvin has superpowers, the story reveals itself as the genesis of a new kind of superhero.

    Kelvin is monikered ‘Super K’ and uses his superpowers to help other kids with diabetes.

    The book includes a kid friendly diagram that explains type 1 diabetes, and definitions that discuss both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

    Setting the mood for the season, Kitten’s Winter is an adorable book for ages 1 and older.

    A little calico kitten leaves her cozy home and observes the snowy scenes of animal life: a squirrel forages, an otter goes fishing and a woodpecker taps the side of a bare-limbed tree.

    The rhyming text introduces to animal behavior and habitats.

    …

    OK! Let’s Count to 100 is one of the coolest books I have seen this year for ages 3 and older!

    There are 11 brightly illustrated scenes, each featuring a delightful assortment of 100 different objects.

    Text challenges the reader to count the items and find specific details, such as a mouse with a red bow or a lone rabbit amid a giant flock of sheep.

    All of the pictures are cutie patootie! Lil’ adorbs animas! Aww!

    …

    How are buildings made?

    In Look at That Building!, children ages 4 and up can explore basic construction concepts through the eyes of five friends on a mission to build a doghouse.

    Learn about foundations, beams, frames and other building fundamentals. An activity at the end of the book invites readers to make their own mini doghouse out of marshmallows, paper, glue and craft sticks.

    …

    Luz Sees The Light is a call to action for ages 8 and up. A graphic novel and kid-friendly take on sustainable living in a fossil fuel-dependent world.

    Luz is a resourceful heroine striving to to steer her society toward self-sustainable living.

    Hip and energetic illustrations bring Luz and her world to life in a jazzy, appealing fashion, and a bonus chapter teaches kids how to make garden compost.

    …

    Does your child ages 4 or older have science questions? Uh. Good luck to ya. Check out Motion, Magnets and More for an introduction to the physical sciences gives young readers an easy-to-understand overview of such concepts as materials, forces, structures, solids, liquids and gases.

    Each of the explanations are accompanied by simple, fun activities.

    … My Name Is Elizabeth! is a cute story of a sassy young girl named (guess?).

    Deeds and I really enjoyed sharing this one, as Elizabeth campaigns against nicknames like “Lizzy” and “Beth.”

    Elizabeth learns about communication and respect — and their roles in building better relationships with family and friends.

    The two-toned illustrations are the bee’s knees.

    Natural Deodorant #crystalrollon #cbias

    December 4, 2011 Uncategorized No comments

    I have been strictly natural deodorant for about two years now. I don’t like how many commercial deodorants contain aluminum. That’s bad, ya’ll.

    I made this video explaining how Crystal Roll-on Deodorant is all natural. Maybe you can understand.

     

    I made this video for Collective Bias, who is working to promote Crystal Deodorant, available at Wal-Mart!

    My Not So Perfect Vacation #TMOM #DoubleTake

    December 2, 2011 Uncategorized 4 comments

     

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    IMG 1450TravelingMom.com is having a fun twitter party on December 5!

    Share your funny stories of not-so-great family holiday vacation moments during our Dec. 5 #TMOM Monday Twitter party, and be entered to win an iPad2 courtesy of Capital One Venture!

    Also, enter the Holiday Travel Double Take Giveaway courtesy of Venture on TravelingMom for a chance to give that not-so-perfect vacation a do-over*. We’re giving away a family vacation, including four plane tickets and five nights in a hotel, worth up to $5,000.

    I was revisiting The Time I Lost My Passport in Thailand just yesterday. It happened in 2004 but ahhh, I can still feel that stress now. Just like old times. Sweeeeet memories.

    I had another travel nightmare that happened in Vietnam:

    On Monday morning 12/28, the boys woke up early in our hotel room in Hue, Vietnam. As was our routine, hubs took the boys to breakfast and I stayed in bed. After they had been gone only a few minutes, I had to go to the toilet. I got up and went to the toilet, leaving the bathroom door open since I was the only one in the room. I heard a key turn in the door and someone come in. At first I thought it was my husband, trying to be quiet so as not to wake me. But then I realized the person was being awfully quiet, and my husband wouldn’t have left the boys at breakfast, so I thought maybe it was the cleaning lady. Not wanting to be caught unawares, I quickly got off the toilet and went to face whoever it was. To my surprise, it was the cleaning lady. The surprising part was she was really busy cleaning THE INSIDE OF MY WALLET.…..read the rest HERE!

    That was the worst!

    It would totally be redeemed if I won an iPad2!

    Party Details:

    WHEN:  Dec. 5, 9-10 pm ET (8-9 pm CT; 7-8 pm MT; 6-7 pm PT)

    WHO: Panelists @KimOrlando @CindyRichards @Chaotic_Barb @LuxuryTravelMom

    WHAT: Twitter party –  Not-So-Great Vacations that deserve a do-over

    HOW TO JOIN:  Follow the hashtags #TMOM #DoubleTake, and RSVP at this link: http://www.travelingmom.com/tipsproducts/twitter/4116-dec-5-twitter-party-not-so-great-family-vacations.html

    An iPad2 will be given away at the end of the party!

    There are several ways to enter, find out the deets here: http://www.travelingmom.com/tipsproducts/twitter/4116-dec-5-twitter-party-not-so-great-family-vacations.html

    Me Reader for The Preschooler Who Wants an e-Reader

    November 30, 2011 Uncategorized No comments

     

    Everybody wants an e-reader this year, and young kids can get in on the action with Disney Classics Story Reader “Me Reader” and 8-Book Library. It is only $24.99 and features familiar licensed characters.

    Each set includes eight hardcover books and an electronic push-button tablet that stores a recording of each book’s narration.

     

    To use your Me Reader, children pick one of the books, then press the Read Story button on the pad to activate the narrator s voice.

    This set includes eight 20-page hardcover Disney Classics storybooks:

    Finding Nemo, Lion King,  Aladdin, Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo, Jungle Book, 101 Dalmatians, and Peter Pan.

    Requires 3 AAA batteries, which ARE included! Bonus!

    Me Readers are available at major retailers nationwide, and you can learn more at www.pilbooks.com.

     

    Also, for no reason at all, I made this video after the kids were in bed.

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