At BlogHer’09 we received samples of Tide Stain Release drop ins. I brought them home and got around to trying them a couple of months later. I was amazed, I was stupefied, I was in love. These little buggers worked SO WELL that I bought up a ton on a great sale and I haven’t looked back.

I decided during said sale that I would give Tide laundry detergent a try. I’ve always used scent-free detergent and my husband had been on my case to use something that smelled good… Tide smelled good and I was already impressed with the Drop-Ins AND it was on sale so I thought I’d give it a go.

Not to sound like one of those commercials but after I washed the first load of laundry I actually thought it looked BRIGHTER. I showed it to my husband… he shrugged and said “Isn’t that what the commercial says?” Nice.

So when Tide asked me to do a review of their New Tide Sport with FebreezeI figured I was just their gal! Don’t get me wrong, I love the original but I’m not about to give anything other than an honest review.

The idea behind this new detergent is that it is designed to clean not only your everyday laundry…but that laundry that gets a little more *ahem* smelly than the rest.  The laundry that is generated by playing sports, working out…working in the yard…you get the idea.

My husband used to ride mountain and road bikes and is training to go on a biking trip this summer.  He also likes to be outside working in the garden, on the house …so you could see where a detergent designed to target sweaty clothes would be useful.

I used New Tide Sport with Febreeze without using the Stain Release pouches that I normally put in the wash, just to give it a fair trial.  When the laundry was done my whole kitchen smelled so nice! (My laundry is in a small closet off of the kitchen.) Its one thing if the KITCHEN smells nice…but I was worried about the laundry.  I want CLEAN, not just perfumey.  In other words, I want the smells gone, not just covered up.  Mission accomplished! I am so pleased this product did everything it said it would do.  I did not have any stubborn grass stains to check this out on…but I’m guessing if this alone doesn’t do the trick, once you add some Tide Stain Release it will be fantastic.

If you would like to read more about New Tide Sport with Febreeze you can visit the official Tide website.  Want to give it a try? You can get $1/1 coupons on the Tide Sport with Febreeze page there!

Tide offered me some free samples and coupons for a year’s worth of the New Tide Sport with Febreeze for doing this review.  Because I absolutely love my readers…I’m going to turn this into a giveaway!  Not because I don’t love the stuff…but because I want to share it with you and I have a large stockpile of Tide laundry detergent already!  Stay tuned for details and a giveaway date in the near future!

Is she serious? YES I AM! Today is National Napping Day!! What sweeter words than “Nap” to a mom of one…two..three….you get the point. There are all kinds of statistics about napping and productivity…napping and creativity…all of the wonders of the world who got that way by napping… I’m here to tell you that the serenity of a nap…the blissful peace of those two hours a day when everyone is miraculously sleeping at the SAME TIME…are a miracle greater than any other.  This, to me, is a time worth commemorating…and the fact that there is a “National Napping Day” …. signifies brilliance and forward thinking among the powers that be.

Protect-A-Bed is celebrating this day with a Twitter contest… a chance to win a set of Premium Pillow Protectors just for following @Protect_A_Bed on Twitter and sharing your funniest napping stories using the hashtag #nappingday. That’s it!

Protect-A-Bed offers consumers a complete line of protective bedding products to create a Healthy Sleep Zone. The unique technology featured in Protect-A-Bed’s mattress and pillow protectors was developed in South Africa in 1980 before the company was officially established in the United States in 2000. Now selling in 27 countries, Protect-A-Bed is a worldwide leader in mattress protection innovation. The company developed the proprietary Miracle Membrane®  and patented Bug Lock® and Secure Seal®, which help create a dry, bed bug free, anti-allergy sleep zone for people of all ages. Protect-A-Bed products are listed as a Class 1 Medical Device with the Food and Drug Administration and have received the Good Housekeeping Seal. For more information, visit www.protectabed.com.

In my house we have a preschooler, a toddler, a 6 month old, 3 dogs (all very old) and two parents (at their wits end)…. I can tell you that a protective mattress cover for our bed is nothing BUT a good idea!!  (Ohhhh how I wish I had this product last week when the flu hit and everyone wanted to sleep in Mommy’s bed…)  Both my husband and my oldest suffer from a wide array of allergies…and there is ALWAYS someone sleeping in our bed who is drooling, throwing up, peeing or… well… you get the idea.  Beach towels just aren’t going to cut it forever!  We have been toying with the idea of getting a new mattress set…but really…it seems sort of pointless until everyone is a little older.  But this would HELP!

Protect-A-Bed and Resourceful Mommy Media have arranged for me to test out one of their Premium Mattress Covers …. and have one to give away to one of my readers as well!!  All in the name of a healthy, happy nap.  These are my kinda people!!!

SO… interested in getting one of these for yourself?

Here are your REQUIRED entries:

*Subscribe to my RSS Feed leave a comment below telling me that you have done that..

*Leave me another comment with your favorite “naptime” story to share with the rest of us.

*Follow @Protect_A_Bed on Twitter

ADDITIONAL entries can be gained by doing the following:

*Tweet this giveaway (once per day) Leave me a comment with a link to your Tweet

This giveaway will end on Friday at 5pm CST.  Be sure that I can contact you via your comment entry. Contest open to US Residents over the age of 18. Winner will be drawn using Random.org.

If you don’t know by now…you SHOULD know that I am one of the co-founders of the Wii Mommies. A Ning community that is based on the idea of virtual fitness we are there to support everyone in their fitness and weight loss journeys. My co-founders Sarah Pinnix and Julie Maloney and I are all Mommies…thus the name. The great thing? We have a very diverse population in our community! Men, women, moms, dads, single folks… they are all there supporting each other! Check it out!

Don’t have a Nintendo Wii game system? It just might be your lucky day! Today is the last day to enter our Citizen Journalist Program. We will be choosing FIVE individuals to receive and review a Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board! You will receive the product and be asked to post weekly at Wii Mommies for three weeks as well as do one radio interview with us on Blog Talk Radio. Sound great? Get on over and apply today!

To win a coupon binder with dividers and inserts I ask that you subscribe to my RSS feed and remain a subscriber through at least the duration of the contest… I will try to be interesting so that you don’t want to leave me when the contest is over!! LOL  You can click on the SuperFeed button to the right.  Leave me a comment below letting me know that you subscribed.  That’s it!

However… this is by far my MOST POPULAR giveaway.  If you want MORE chances to win you may do any/all of the following to earn yourself additional entries.  Please leave a separate comment for each entry:

*Follow me on Twitter. Leave me a comment with your Twitter @ so I can say howdy when I follow you back

* Blog this giveaway and link back to me. Leave me a comment with a link to your post…I’ll be sure to visit!

* Tweet this giveaway. Please don’t spam twitter, one tweet a day will be accepted. Leave me a comment with a link to your tweet.

* Follow SuperJenn on Facebook (Networked Blogs)

*Post this giveaway on Facebook. Again, one post per day will be accepted. Leave me a comment with a link to your Facebook post.

That is FIVE additional ways to enter to win this binder!! (More if you tweet every day!!)

The winner will be drawn using random.org from the list of comments on this post. Please make sure that I can contact you through your comment. Only comments/entries left on THIS POST will be accepted as valid entries into the giveaway.

This contest will be open from Sunday, February 21, 2010 until Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 11:59 CST.  You must be 18 to enter and it is open only to US residents (Sorry!).

Thanks and Good Luck!!

One of the many, many great things about being a co-founder of the Wii Mommies is that very often I have the opportunity to review the latest and greatest in virtual workout software…for free.  Yesterday I received a copy of the newYour Shape game courtesy of Ubisoft.

I just started my post-baby workouts and journey back to fitness this past week…so you can imagine me gimping around my house with sore muscles.  Monday I broke out the Your Shape and not only did I get a great workout in….I found some motivation.

Your Shape is a game that utilizes a small web cam that interacts with your Nintendo Wii.  I clipped mine to my sensor bar on top of my television.  The camera will lead you through a body scan…then “Your Shape” is up on the screen.  Looking at myself….REALLY looking at myself…was huge motivation to get this party started!

After the scan the game walks you through your goals…you pick your target areas and address what type of goal you have…”Burn”, “Tone”, “Strengthen”.  You are led through a fitness test to asses your current level of fitness, then the game builds a customized workout for you.

You also have the ability to address “Special Challenges”…or special goals that you want to set for yourself.  I was so pleased to see that there was one for new moms!  The one missing piece to the virtual fitness software that I’ve tried is that none of them address pregnancy or post partum fitness.

What is so interesting is that you are working out while watching a split screen of you (from the camera) and the virtual trainer.  The camera “watches” you and will give you feedback on how well you are working out.  For instance…if you are doing lateral raises and you aren’t really getting your arms up there….the virtual trainer will let you know.

You are working out without the Wii Remotes and getting some real feedback at the same time!  You set your calendar of workouts and the length you want your workouts to be…and you’re off!

The thing that makes this game so much different from the others is the real time feedback.  One of the problems that MANY of us face is that we work out and we work out and we feel like we aren’t really making any progress.  The sad truth is, we might not be.  If you are working out…but doing so incorrectly…you may not be burning the calories you think you are…you certainly won’t be strengthening the muscles you think you are…and you have a lot of wasted time and energy as well as a growing level of frustration.  The camera scan and side by side visual workouts give you the opportunity to make the most out of your workout!

I am excited to see what happens with this game…and with the scan of myself at the end of 6 weeks.  I’ll be combining Your Shapeand Wii Fit Plus on my off days for the EA Sports Active: More Workouts 6 Week Challenge.

Want to read more from others working on their fitness and weight loss goals?  Have a goal of your own and want to share it with us and get some support?  Head on over to the Wii Mommies blog and check us out.  Then join us on our Ning community to meet some incredible people and hopefully find some motivation!

Photo Courtesy BeautedeMaman.com

Almost everyone knows by now that I’m on baby #3… and with each kiddo…I’ve been seriously mislead by the fact that I survive my entire pregnancy with no stretch marks… until about week 37.  Then they start showing up on the hour, every hour.  Have I mentioned that I’m 37 weeks now?   Like clock work, my stretch marks are starting to show their true colors.

A couple of weeks ago Amy at MomSpark offered me the opportunity to review an anti-stretch mark cream from a new product line called Beaute de Maman.  Even though I am nearly done with my pregnancy…I was intrigued and said yes.  Beaute de Maman is a line of personal care products specifically designed for maternal use…and developed by an obstetrician.  They are all natural products derived of plants.  There are NO benzophenones, formaldehyde, parabens or sulfites.  These are vegan products…no animal derived ingredients and there is no animal testing of the products.

I’ve heard lots of hype about lots of “anti- stretch mark” creams…and I’ve read that there is NOTHING you can do to keep these little suckers at bay.  Creams on the market do nothing but give extra hydration to your skin…which is nice…but won’t win out over hereditary.  The difference between those creams and this one is that the herbal and botanical ingredients in Beaute de Maman have been shown to actually increase collagen and elastin in your skin.  By actually increasing these proteins in  your skin you reduce the chance of stretch marks…which are caused by the proteins breaking down with the rapid expansion of your skin during pregnancy.

So how does it work?  I’m afraid perhaps I’ve started it a bit too late…but I’m sticking to it! I began using it at 35 weeks and I’m unsure of the length of time it needs to work properly.  I do know that I love the way this cream feels when I put it on.  My skin has been itchy with all of this stretching…the Beaute de Maman creme is soft and silky…not greasy at all and best of all…odorless! When I put it on at night I can feel my skin is much, much softer and not at all itchy….all the way through the next day.  I really truly enjoy that fact.

All in all…I wish I had known about this sooner.  I would have liked to give it a true testing through my entire pregnancy.  Developed by an obstetrician and derived of natural ingredients…both really big sticking points with me.

Beaute de Maman is more than just stretch mark cream though…check out their website for facial scrubs designed to combat the hormonal changes that affect your skin during pregnancy, anti-acne face creme and a nipple gel that looks like an amazing alternative to lanolin based ointments that are out on the market.  I can’t wait to try that out for myself once this little boy arrives.  The nipple gel is a castor oil based product rather than lanolin…it is colorless, odorless and not greasy.  It won’t stain your clothes!

For More Information:

To Order

Information on Dr. Michele Brown

FAQ’s

I said last week that I don’t do many reviews…and that is TRUE…I just happen to have several here right now, including this one for the Shower Hug.  I actually ASKED for this review because I was so intrigued by the product…and I am VERY happy that I did! I want to thank both Alaina Tonelli at Belmama & Cherub and Amy at MomSpark for the opportunity to review this product!

The Shower Hug is designed for use in pregnancy, postpartum and breastfeeding.  Since I am TWO of those three things I thought it would be perfect!!  I am roughly 37 weeks pregnant and still nursing my 20 mo.  I was doing really well until a few weeks ago and then the soreness set in.  I’m back to feeling like I did when I first began breastfeeding.  If you’ve ever breastfed, you know what I mean…if you haven’t…don’t let ANYONE tell you its easy…because at the beginning, it is not.

One of the worst feelings is being exhausted and trying to find time to take a shower…then, when you finally get in the shower…to realize you are in pain because the force of the water hitting your breasts is so incredibly painful.  It’s ridiculous.  You spend half of the shower trying to cover up and protect yourself from the force of the water and end up not feeling refreshed when you are finished.

Enter: The Shower Hug.  This is a wrap around “towel” that Velcros in front of you.  You can wear this in the shower, to bed (awesome alternative to wearing a bra to bed…and it helps to prevent leaking) or even as protection for your incision if you have a c-section.

I was skeptical of the ability of the ShowerHug materials to be both soft and NOT stretch out when it got wet in the shower…but it fulfilled both beautifully.  The Shower Hug is made of an 80% Organic Cotton/20% EcoSpun blend that is super soft.  There is a 4″ Velcro closure that allows for changes in your bust line throughout Pregnancy, Childbirth and Breastfeeding.  The Velcro is an ultra low profile velcro that won’t scratch you, baby, or snag on your clothes.

There are just a handful of products that I think you MUST have as the Mommy of a newborn… this is one of them!  I am SO sorry that I didn’t know about it with my first two babies!

For More Information:

How To Wear the Shower Hug

More Benefits of Wearing a Shower Hug

To Order

I don’t do a lot of product reviews.  I’m not terribly fond of them so I stick to products that I know and love… or products and companies that truly seem useful to me and my life.  I have several things I want to share with you over the coming weeks… but I will start with this review of Paper Culture products.

This review opportunity came to me through Momfluence and I’m so excited that I followed through on it.  I really love the way this stationery looks…and even more I love their company philosophy of taking responsibility for their impact on the environment.  With a new baby on the horizon and Christmas shortly after that…stationery is  something I’ve got to consider!  I am just not niave enough to think that I can actually make my own cards this year AND get them out!

The designs on this stationery are modern and the quality of the product is very good.  They have a unique look to them that appeals to me.  To say that Paper Culture and its products are environmentally friendly does not even begin to scratch the surface.  You can read about their 100% post consumer recycled paper, the fact that these products are produced using wind generated power, the company’s commitment to being a CarbonFree Partner to CarbonFree.org and much more at their website HERE.

Want to check out all of their great options? Check out their designs for  modern baby announcements, modern baby shower invitations, birthday party invitations for kids and adults, and kids’ birthday party invitations.  There is also an entire section dedicated to “life events” that is full of fun designs as well.

If all of this information isn’t enough to entice you to check out Paper Culture…how about that from now until January 1, 2010 they will stuff, address, stamp and mail your purchase for you at NO COST outside of normal postage?!  Um… hello busy moms?!  That is perfect for occassions like baby announcements where you aren’t necessarily inclined to attach a personal note.

PaperCulture.Com

Email: Contact@paperculture.com

Phone: (877) 77-CULTURE (877-772-8588)

Follow on FaceBook and Twitter

There are a few requirements for entry…and several chances to get “extra” entries…so make sure you review her entire post!!

Well…its been a while…but the Wii Mommies are back to their Twitter Party ways…and let me tell you….we are doing it RIGHT!

To celebrate our trip to BlogHer courtesy of the EA Sports Active team… we are throwing a Twitter Party on Thursday, July 16 from 8-10pm EST.  As always…our prizes have proven to be fantastic!!  You can check out the different prizes on all of our sites.  To find out all of the details on this fabulous party…and to find out HOW to attend a Twitter Party…visit the Wii Mommies website.

Julie has an incredible Collector’s Edition Harry Potter Game set…that’s right…the just released Harry Potter game.

Sarah is giving away a copy of the EA Sports Active…we all are so pleased with what this game can do…we thought we should give away another one!

Our Grand Prize?  Visit the Wii Mommies home page and you can register to win a Platinum Edition Hoover Bagless Upright!  Julie reviewed one and is in love….you can’t miss the chance to win one of these!!

What can you win from yours truly??  How about the Sims 3 Collector’s Edition?!  This game is SOLD OUT online and is a hot commodity…and you can win it here!!

What do you do to get entered to win these fabulous prizes?  See the details for the other giveaways on their corresponding sites…as for me…

The Following are REQUIRED to gain entry into the giveaway… please leave one comment letting me know you have completed them:

1)Follow Me on Twitter…it IS a Twitter Party after all.

2)Must be a member of the Wii Mommies forum.  Leave your forum ID in the comments.  Remember..you don’t have to be a Mommy to be a member of our forum!! You don’t even have to own a Wii!  Just have the desire to get and stay fit!

3)The only other requirement (besides being a US Resident over the age of 18) is that you have to be present and active during the #wiimoms Twitter party on July 16, 2009 from 8-10 PM EST.  We’re not saying you have to attend the entire 2 hour party, but we will verify that the winner was present and active at the end of the evening and re-draw once the party ends if the winner chosen does not participate.

That’s it!

Want additional entries?  Leave one comment for EACH item that qualifies you for an additional entry.

*Tweet this giveaway and use the hashtag #wiimoms.  One tweet per day..include a link to the tweet in your comment.

*Post about this giveaway on Facebook.  One post per day, please include a link in your comment.

*Add SuperJenn to your blogroll…if you already have me linked as The Coupon Coup…update it and that will count!  Leave a link in your comment!

*Add my button to your site…if you already have it, make sure it has been updated to SuperJenn instead of The Coupon Coup.