Operation re-vamp commencing

I am busy signing up for different sites, thinking up the things I want to add to the site and make it just overall enjoyable.... share and refer friends I want this to go well!

Origami Owl with Brenda

Have you seen these? Ok so I am sure you have, most people have. If not well I am pretty sure you will be drooling by the time you are done reading this review. I am a sucker for my kids. That was all I wanted out of life when I grew up. I didn't have huge career aspirations, I wanted to be a wife and mom. So for me, any chance I get to show off my kids or tell my story I am there. I love that with the Origami Owl Lockets you get to choose up to 12 charms  to put into your locket. But I don't want to get ahead of myself...

So when you design your locket you start with charms. You can do birth stones, careers, hobbies, interests and so much more! TONS of charms to choose from.

Then you choose your locket. There are several colors and two styles and sizes to choose from.

You choose your chain, 16 different to choose from.

Add a plate if you want.

 

Then as if that isn't fantastic enough there are dangles yous can add on as well.

 

Pretty beads, and dangly owls, trees, and various others to choose from.

Then wear and love your living locket, share your story, and then create another!

 

So the locket Brenda built for me is lovely. It's not necessarily the one I would have built for me but I still love it. She put in gems charms for my kids, a heart for my hubby, and two things I used to love to do as a hobby, and a fun plate to reflect my bloggin that I so dearly love.

I will most likely do one for me some day. I am not a fan of alexandrite for June birthstone, so I will do a pearl for James instead of the purple stone. I also will get an angel wing dangle to recognize the babies I have lost. Then just recently they came out with tags! They are awesome, I want to add I am Blessed or maybe enough, because sometimes I need to be reminded.

 The options available are wide. You truly can make a locket that is all about you. When it comes it's packaged in this cute little take out box and up-cycled kimono fortune "cookies"

 

So the chain that came with mine wasn't quite long enough for my tastes... no problem! Brenda helped me choose one that would be more to my liking and it's on the way!

Here is mine on, tome it's too short so I went with a 32" chain instead.

Sorry no smiling face cause I was takin pictures by myself today! But I do really love the locket!
I love that you can write your own story, design what the locket will mean to you, and have it spark the conversations and stories you want to share.

Now Lets talk about Brenda! She is totally sweet, easy going and fun to work with. She wants nothing more then for you to be happy with your locket. She is enthusiastic and caring. I highly recommend using a consultant who has a fire for what they sell. So Brenda decided along with the give away, we will be doing some auctions for some items to celebrate you! If you just want to place an order, if you contact Brenda Directly she is going to throw in a free chain!

With the new holiday additions to the charms, you can send some fabulous Christmas gifts! What about Hanukkah? Yup there are charms for that too!

 

There is still time to order and have it shipped in time for the holidays.

Brenda is oh so generous. She is giving away a locket to one lucky fan! You choose medium locket, three charms, and a  ball station chain. Of course you can design it how you want, add dangles, change the locket size, different chain,more charms you just pay the difference. Unfortunately we cannot guarantee the delivery by Christmas but can offer a gift certificate for you to give!

Origami Owl With Brenda

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lilla Rose wih Kimbely Cahoon

I LOVE hair clips, bows, pretties of all kinds for Madilyne.  They are easy to use, easy to figure out which size is right for you, and for someone who wore their hair up most of the time, gave me flexibility and variety without too much hassle.
We all know the famous, or should I say infamous,  plastic claw hair clips? You know you all have at least 5 like this and all have broken teeth. They hurt, are uncomfortable, and don't really hold the hair well.

I have a hard time with elastics even sometimes, I have baby fine hair but tons of it. My hair was long, past my shoulders. I used a large clip and was able to get it all up, tight and secure and with no extra hair pins.

Here is a comparison picture for sizing that I found from Lilla Rose sizes

And a picture of what it looks like open. This is THE BEST hair clip I've ever used!

You can see they are metal, but not uncomfortable at all! The figure 8 piece flexes and the stick has three notches in it to adjust how tight it is. Very sturdy, very very comfortable, and super pretty!
They aren't priced like gold either, $15 for the non dangly ones, and $20 for the dangly ones.

So that was my experience a year ago with the flexi clips.  I saw a gorgeous horse clip and I KNEW Madilyne had to have it.

 

And I was right she was in immediate love. Her hair is a bit thicker and longer so I got a medium clip this time. I still love them but what to do when your hair gets cut and you loose 10 inches? Nothing holds your hair up then because it's so darned short.

  

Enter the beautiful Lilla Rose Head Band. LOVE this headband! It has an elastic adjustable band at the back so ti can be sized to fit me or my princess.

There are quite a few different designs to choose from. I chose a neutral goes with everything style 

 

I found that it didn't slip and I was able to wear it all day without it hurting my head.

Miss Kim is fabulous and to celebrate her fabulousness  here is what we are doing:

First Everyone can enter to win a gift certificate for $16 for the product of your choice US and Canada will get free shipping outside those two just pay shipping.

Second we are doing a Mystery hostess party! Everyone who places an order on the party will go into the drawing for all the hostess rewards! To have something fabulous just get the arty to $100 in sales. You will get a free git from Lilla Rose and also Kim is throwing in a flexi clip gift cert for the hostess above the already great rewards.

Make purchases on this party to qualify. You will have to register to look but are not obligated to order!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting...and waiting

I am feeling the lag are you? I have sponsors lined up, just having to wait for everything to get here so I can run the goods!

I haven't forgotten and not slacking this time! So tell me what you would like to see?

Rounding up sponsors

I need sponsors! I am trying to get all my ducks in a row and well its just not working out as quickly as I'd like.
I need sponsors for:
Reviews and give-aways
give-aways
auctions
etc etc etc!

I would love to get a Santa's shopping list going and do reviews for some stores, businesses gifts etc
There is where I stand if you can help me.please do

The Diva Cup... you know you wanna!

Did you know this amazing little cup was first used in the 1930's? Yup, It's true! Here is a quick little history and the story of The Diva Cup. I first started using The Diva cup when I did the week of give aways geared for just us women. I was introduced to Luna Pads and The Diva Cup as well as other cloth pad and various green mama alternatives.  My very first thought of the cup was a scary one. It's a little daunting looking. I was sure I'd loose it up "there" or that there was NO WAY I could possibly go leak free during my period. I was gratefully proved wrong on both accounts.

Let's talk about Molly... Molly is a great woman, was late in life to get her period I guess by some standards, nearly 14 and she was super embarrassed to ask about options when it did happen. Heck she even called her sister instead of telling her mom, her sister left a box of tampons on the door in a bag for her. Poor Molly started a vicious cycle of disposable use right then and there. Molly grew up, got married had babies and then developed an unbelievably heavy cycle. She would use a super plus tampon and a super plus maxi pad and still bleed through and have to change very often. It made the use of a tampon on those heavy days really useless alas she STILL use them.. what a dork! After becoming tired of changing clothes and tampons AND pads every two hours during her heaviest days she went searching. Searched for an alternative. The ick factor had a lot of pull on her choosing different products. Mama Cloth just seemed so very very ick and the cup was ick but less so.  After trying both, Molly decided that amazingly neither was so ick that she wouldn't be willing to make the switch. She did and has never been happier. The reasons Molly made the switch?

1. TSS was a risk she just didn't want to take any more. Don't think TSS is something you need to worry about? Check this site out. You Are Loved.org  Oh wait you don't know what TSS is? uh yeah dude read the little instruction pamphlet you throw out every time you open a box of tampons! TSS is serious stuff, typically more common in rayon tampons then not but still completely possible and something everyone using tampons SHOULD think about!

2. There has been recent cyclings of the moldy tampon story and seriously DUDE that is hecka gross!

Check out this blog that outlines the story and some other info from The Luna Gals. The original post can be read here from Parr For The Course where I got this picture from. Dude I wanna see what I am putting into on or around my body. I can't even begin to tell you how freaked out I am by that story.

3. Cost is always a factor, throwing away tons of money each year was really starting to get to me. With Cloth pads or the Diva Cup you wash and reuse making not only your carbon footprint less, but money saved is money spent later on something you actually wanna spend it on!


The ick factor really isn't that bad. Actually my ick factor with disposable products were so much more then they are with cloth pads or the cup. I have found that not only do cloth pads work better then disposable ones but the fragranty smell was what made my ick factor more. Thus remove the fragranty smell and ick factor significantly less. The Diva Cup is by FAR my period handling choice.

TSS risk is higher with the use of higher absorbancy tampons. I was using and bleeding through the highest absorbancy! A cup can hold approximately 3 times what a super plus tampon can! um are you kidding me?!?! There has NEVER been a reported case of TSS in conjunction with the use of a menstrual cup. EVER.

The fact that I only empty it two-three times a day makes for less laundry and less trash on my part.  I know women who only change it once a day... for me this was how I could ensure I wasn't going to leak. Before I was changing tampons, pads and clothes so often that my husband thought I had serious issues....Laundry during the week of AF used to be ridiculous for me. I had a set of underwear just for AF week... yes a whole 6 days of nasty changing all the timeness. Since changing over I have not only reduced my laundry but also the length of my period. I now have two days of heavier flow and two days of less. So reducing my period by two hole days! DIVINE!

Here is some FAQ about The Diva Cup and info on sizing.

I went with a size 2 because I'm over 30 and have had a baby. Last time I did a review I selected cup size as well for the winner unfortunately limiting my target audience... this time winner chooses size!

My cup came in a little packet with a daisy printed pouch to store your cup in when not in use.

I have found the stem to be shorter and more comfortable then other menstrual cups. The silicon is soft and pliable and I find it very easy to insert. I did have a learning curve, I can say the first probly three periods there was some trial and error, a learning curve on how to insert the cup and get a good seal every time. But now I am a pro and will NEVER go back! You can read some more info on being a Green Diva here.

You might try it and decide that it isn't for you, and at that point I'd suggest some cloth to try and hey if it turns out to not be for you at all...it's all good but man..for me the change has really changed my life for that one week out of every month!

Where can you buy this amazing Diva Cup and cloth pads? Here is the link to The Diva Cup store finder page and the buy now page.  So you can find the retailer of your choice in your area.


The Luna Pad store is one place that has some amazing women doing some amazing things and is a retailer for The Diva Cup. In fact in conjunction with the blog post I linked they offered a $5 off code on The Diva Cup good through June 30, 2012. 5OFFDIVA is the code to use and is good on any product in the store over $30.


You can also enter to win one here! Make sure to complete all mandatory entries, cheaters will NOT prosper and will be disqualified. Contest ends April 6 2012 Midnight EST.

I was not paid for this endorsement, I provided my opinions based on the product received for review. 

More Than A Bag Winner!