Fight Winter Skin- Win Sothys Products!

As I type this I can feel the skin on my face becoming dry from the colder temps. Winter will be upon us before we know it and one of the best ways to protect your skin is by using hydrating creams and masks that use Hydroptimate, a hydrating system that reinforces skins resevoir. Sothys has both of those and now you can too.

One lucky reader will recieve two free Sothys products, Hydroptimale THI3 Light & Comfort Hydrating creams, and Hydroptimale THI3 Hydrating Mask. Simply leave a comment to enter to win. The contest will until November 18, 2009. Entrants must be located in the US.

Disclaimer: MPR was not paid for this posting. Products were received and kept for testing purposes.

It's the Holiday Gift Guide!

Welcome to Mummy's (MPR, for short) Holiday Gift Guide! There's a little something for everyone on your list and a whole lot of green. In the spirit of giving and helping one another out many of the wares below are from the fabulous world of Etsy. It's all about helping mankind and now Etsy even allows you to shop local. Shop, have fun browsing and enjoy!

Happy Holidays!

~Mummy

For the Women, BFF, Mother, Girl in your life-


Crabtree & Evelyn- From holiday gift sets , eco-totes and all things spa and gifty.

BusyBodyBook Wall Calendar ($14.95) this is a steal of a gift. Perfect for the organizer in your family or the person who wants to be 'the organizer'. Containing a column for each day of the month for each person in the family this wall calendar has helped keep my family sane for over two years now.

The Mi-Bag- Eco-friendly, stylish and affordable.


Zosimos Botanicals- Scented candles, make-up, skincare and more. 100% organic and safe too.

For Mom & Baby-

BornFit- An active wear collection for moms with gifts for the babes too. Check out the Baby Bear Onesie ($24), the Cameron Pullover ($68), Torrey Full Zip Jacket ($76).

SKIN for baby by Monica Olsen - An amazing skincare line for women and babies. The travel kit for kids is simply wonderful. I take it everywhere we travel.

Hostess Gifts and all those who fall under the "Not quite sure what you are looking for but you have to buy or send a gift" Try these great resources.

Alex and Sam Need a hostess gift? Something for the chic baby in your life? Alex and Sam is a philanthropic online gift boutique featuring designer, handcrafted and imported gifts and jewelry by prominent and up-and-coming designers. Proceeds are donated to participating non-profit organizations like Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, the Starlight Foundation, the Fund for Public Schools. Non-profit organizations can alos register with the site to help turn a fabulous gift into one that can keep giving.

Get 'eco chic' with environmental activist Ann Wizer and her whimsical line of credit card holders, mini make-up bags, shopping bags, shoulder totes and laptop holders and more made from recycled trash. Yes, I said trash. A portion of each purchase goes to the XS Project, a nonprofit organization that raises environmental awareness and helps trash pickers—those who source the raw material— and their families. Great for teens, sitters, friends and female family members.

Michael Buble's 'Crazy Love' CD


John Kelly Chocolates- Truffle Fudge bars, anyone? Yes, please! Bring them to a party, give them as a gift. Everyone will love you.

Suzanne Graham for You- Scented soaps that are gentle and 100% natural. Simply Delish!



Couleur Nature- French designs and oh so natural. Placemats, tea towels, tablecloths and more.

Squier Design's Adirondack Inspired Tea lights.


For the Kiddos

Putumayo Kids 'Family Christmas' CD- Festive songs the whole family will enjoy. Featuring 11 tracks from various artists with everything from jugband bluegrass styling to retro swing sounds.






Leapfrog's Zippity

The 'I Love You' Book by Todd Parr


Pal Podzzz Nightlights-($19.99)

Tutu's by Allison's Wonderland- ($10-23) Adorable. Handmade and she even has holiday creations for your little dreamer.

Mudpuppy has items for girls and boys ranging from baby to young adult. Block puzzles, stickers, stationary, flash cards, banks and more all with a whimsical, educational feel that is top quality all the way.



YummyPockets- iphone covers and more. Great stocking stuffer and for teens.

Vinyl Fruit's very own wall decals. Think lifesize Edward Cullen silouette. There's even Team Jacob stuff, if that is your thing.

A DVD that is simply enchanting. The book is wonderful too. Get both here. I don't love Thomas but now my kids do and I can actually tolerate this wonderfully done movie. The sunsets look real. It's beautiful.

For the Menfolk

Green Earth Waterless Car Wash kit. You read it here first!


Two Trees Tshirt from Critter Jitters.

Retro 'Map' Cufflinks.

Trio of soaps. I know, who wants that? Many guys, trust me. Made from goats milk and available in a variety of fragrances you are sure to find one he'll love.





Want more? Then feel free to browse through the five and four star reviews and more in the MPR sidebar.

Leapfrog's Tag - Learn to Read Gift Pack

Tag's Reading System by Leapfrog is one of the best educational toys that I have had the privilege to review. When we received the 'Learn to Read' series Gift Pack ($39.98) I was excited for my daughter and for me. We are just on the verge of her becoming a reader and this set came just in time.

The Gift Pack consists of two book sets- short vowels and long vowels, which includes silent 'E' and 'Y'. Each set has six books which "help children identify letter sounds and understand how the sounds come together to form words". Many times when we receive products like this I have high hopes and I will see tiny results that keep the hope alive. Then the toy is discarded rather quickly as my daughter grows bored with it and we are done. I think it is because so many of these 'learn to read' toys and systems are largely one dimensional.


That is not the case with the Tag Reading System. The easy to hold pen and small books are perfect for children ages 4-7 years. She loves all the stories and wants to read them repeatedly. They hold "secrets" on each page she says and finds them as the pen glides over the pages. She's proud of the fact that she can now "read" with the pen too. The more she uses it, and that pen plus books go everywhere the last few months (yes, I said months), the more strides I see in her actual reading skills. She has begun to sound out words, ask questions and go slow. Before we began working with the Reading System's gift pack set I had a hard time engaging her for long periods of time and explaining the fundamentals of reading. She just wanted to get it over with. For the first time I feel like we are making actual strides and seeing results and we are both having fun.

The Leapfrog Tag Reading System Gift Pack is available online (with free shipping!), at Amazon.com and toy stores nationwide.

MPR Rating: Five Stars.

So Cozy Styling Cream

So Cozy Styling Cream (4 oz., $13.95) claims that it tames frizz, smooths and controls hair all without harsh chemicals or heavy oils. Perfect for curly or straight hair, infused with kiwi extracts, silk amino acids, vitamin E and Aloe Vera to keep hair moisturized, silky and shiny.

My oldest daughter has extremely curly hair and it is baby fine in texture. It is so hard to keep the snarls out and frizz-free. I was eager to try out So Cozy's Styling Cream, from the famed NYC-based hair salon, on her wild little head of curls. I did what the tube told me to do. I put it in wet hair. I applied it to dry hair. Each time I got the same results. Her hair looked great for the first hour and then it became knotted and frizzed. I was really disappointed. Truthfully, it did work a bit better when applied to wet hair and allowed to dry. Her curls held in place and it didn't frizz out quite so much. However, her hair had a strange texture each time I used it -wet or dry that I didn't like. Placed on dry hair it straightens it out more than holds curls. Other reviewers have found great success with So Cozy products, especially this styling cream. Perhaps it is the fineness of my daughter's hair that made it a less than desirable product for us.

So Cozy has a wide variety of shampoos, detanglers, conditioners, styling products and even Boo! The shampoo which "scares away lice" by using Tea Tree oil and can be applied daily. Great for this time of year when lice can run rampant in your child's school system.

So Cozy products can be found online at the So Cozy website, in the salon and Amazon.com.

MPR Rating: Three Stars.

Ayala's Herbal Water

You would think that pure, ordinary water would be enough. We fickle little beings want more though. We want flavored water too. However, it's not that good for us, unless of course you are drinking Ayala's Herbal Water.

As someone who abhors the concept of flavored water with its calories and sugar I was prepared to see the same thing. I like water- pure and simple. I don't need watermelon-blueberry water. Ayala's is different though it has zero calories, no preservatives, is organic and it tastes entirely different than the rest of the flavored waters out there. It's quite refreshing too. The flavors range from Lemongrass Mint Vanilla, Lavender Mint, Cinnamon Orange Peel, Ginger Lemon Peel, Cloves Cardamon Cinnamon and Lemon Verbena Geranium (my personal favorite).

Served cold, Herbal Water (12 bottles for $24) is a thirst quencher that tastes like a wonderfully infused exotic herbal tea. It wakes up your tastes buds and your body. Initially, I will admit I was hesitant with flavors like Cloves Cardamon Cinnamon but I loved every flavor and I did not want to share them. I found that eating fruit with Ayala's just enhances the flavors in both the water and the fruit. I really enjoyed having an alternative to my plain water without having a sweet, cloying taste or calories to think about. I loved drinking Herbal Water after a workout. I wish my gym sold Ayala's versus all the energy drinks and vitamin waters that make me feel like I need to head back to the treadmill just because I drank one.

If you want more ammunition towards ridding yourself of those other waters and sugary drinks then think about this fact. According to Dr. Ayala, "If you eliminate two cans of sugary drinks a day- which contain about 250 calories- you will lose about 1/2 a pound a week. Stay off the sugary drink for a year and you can drop more than 25 lbs."

Ayala's Herbal Water is available at Whole Foods, World Market, Safeway and online.

MPR Rating: Four Stars.

How Will You Fight this Cold & Flu Season?

A pink note came home from my daughters school the other day. The Swine flu has reached her classroom. With no H1N1 shots available I have decided to combat the cold/flu season my own way. The Homeopathic way.

We wash our hands continuously. We take Vitamin C with Zinc chasers (helps with absorption). We cough into our arms, blow our noses regularly and get plenty of fluids, fresh air and exercise. We also drink hot liquids like hot water mixed with honey and fresh lemon juice, which help keep germs from proliferating in our throat. Once washed down they cannot survive in our stomach, this includes the flu. Included in my homeopathic arsenal is a slew of items from Boiron.

Boiron, is the world leading homeopathy company for over sixty-five years. Part of living a greener lifestyle has me searching for items that are pure and not chemically altered or manufactured like your standard OTC drugs. They cause hyperactivity, drowsiness and even dehydration. I'm willing to try Boiron's kids line for cold's and flu's when and if we do get sick this season.

What will you be doing this year to prevent the cold and flu season from infilitrating your home? I want to know!

Win a Copy of 'Crazy Love' by Michael Buble!

Released October 9, 2009 and debuting at the top of the charts for two weeks now is Michael Buble's 'Crazy Love'. The 13 track CD (11 standards, 2 originals) is "about the inevitable roller coaster ride of relationships."

While I don't entirely dig that cover. It's a bit creepy and might I add it seems that Michael may be getting a bit full of himself. However, the boy can sing, croon and sweep you off your feet with his velvety tones. I do love his music and this CD is no exception.

Want a copy? FIVE Lucky winners will get a chance to win one! Winner will be chosen at random on October 30, 2009. To enter just follow me on this here little review blog and leave a comment afterwards. Good Luck!