Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Karina Dresses Review

Ok let's face it.  What lady doesn't like getting dressed up in a cute dress and heading out for a date with the hubby or simple just to look nice at a family function?  I know that I do.  The only problem that I have with dressing up now is: that I am a MOMMY.

Do you realize just how hard it is these days to find a cute dress that you can wear to a function and not worry about if your baby spits up on it or if greasy peanut butter and jelly fingers happen to pull at the hem of your dress?  Good gracious, if that were to happen, we would then have to take our dress to the dry cleaners or hand wash it.  Who has the time to do that?



I have come across this great dress designer and company located in New York City called : Karina Dresses.  Karina and her employees specialize in designing and creating cute dresses for women of all ages from 18-80.  Yes, these dresses are machine washable (my favorite part) and wrinkle free.  Here is a little information taken directly from their website:

"Karina Cousineau, New York designer, started her company in 2007 with the vision of creating dresses for every woman.  After years of working in production and design, Karina felt that it was time to go solo with a line that celebrates women from 18-80, making every "body" could feel and look great, no matter what shape or size.

Handmade in New York City from limited fabric, the customized line is classic and fashion-forward.  With an on-going dialogue and input from store owners and clients, Karina Designs creates a true feeling of a specialized collection with great attention to fit, quality, and style as well as easy care and easy wear.

Whether you live in the country or the city, the dresses will breeze you through a busy day straight into the night, feeling beautiful."


Karina Design sent me two of their dresses to review and I love them.  I love having a couple of dresses that look nice enough to wear to a wedding or simple enough for a night out to dinner with my husband.  While trying on the dresses, my husband took a few quick photos of me before he headed off to work.  But, what happened after that, is what I really want you to listen to.  




Earlier when I was saying that I love how these are machine washable, I really meant it and didn't know that I would be needing to use that great feature as soon as I tried them on.  Within 10 minutes of having one of the dresses on, I went to go change my 8 month old son's diaper and guess what happened?  Yep, you got it.  A streamline of pee came shooting at me all over the dress.  I would have been so upset if it was a dry clean only dress, but since I knew that I could easily throw it in the washer, I laughed instead.

The Karina dresses come in a wide variety of styles and designs.  Here are just a few examples of them:










So, as you can see, Karina dresses have plenty of designs and pattern choices for just about every lady out there.  Head on over to their website and/or their Facebook page and check out even more styles of your preference and for your body type.  

Karina dresses website: karinadresses.com
Karina dresses facebook page: Karina Dresses

Keep an eye out on the blog for a giveaway from Karina dresses in the future.  Hint hint :)






Saturday, March 26, 2011

Once Upon A Bedtime - Audio Books for Children Review & Giveaway (2 winners) Ends 4/9

If there is one thing that young children love to do before bedtime, or any time really, it is listening to a good children's book being read to them.  I know that when I was younger, we would always bring a book to either my mom or dad before bedtime and ask to bed read another bedtime story.  It didn't matter if we had heard it numerous times before, we still loved it.  And I am sure that your children are like that today as well.  

I want to introduce you to a company named, "Once Upon A Bedtime" that creates and specializes in making audio books for children ages 4-9 years old.  For a one time fee, you can download any of the audio books that she has created onto your computer and listen to them with your children as often as you would like to.

Natasha (the owner of Once Upon A Bedtime) sent me two of her audio books to review with my little brother and sister (ages 7 and 5).  The first one that we sat and listened to together is called: "Letty the Determined Leaf Lets Go."  

"Letty is unlike the other leaves.  Her difference sets her apart when the the time comes for the leaves to launch themselves into the unknown with the winds of Fall.  Holding on tight, Letty finds herself alone in the old oak tree for Winter.  This story tells of how she is never really alone, and journeys with Letty through her self-discovery of what it is that gives her the courage to let go." - Taken directly from the Once Upon A Bedtime website.

The second audio book that we were sent to listen to is called: "Magnus Mouse and and the Halloween Scarecrow."

"Magnus Mouse and the Halloween Scarecrow is the story of a little Mouse who enjoys the pleasures of summer days filled with fun and friendship.  When the beauty of nature goes to sleep for the winter, taking with it his creature friends, Magnus Mouse experiences new and strange feelings of loss and loneliness.  As his first tear falls, the Halloween magic begins to unfold.  In this journey, Magnus Mouse learns how his loving heart can combine with a touch of fairy-magic to give life to a lonely old Scarecrow and ignite the joy of friendship." - Taken directly from the Once Upon A Bedtime website.

I thought that both of these audio books were adorable and very well created.  Natasha is very gifted and I can tell that she has a huge passion for creating these stories for young children to enjoy over and over again.  The only recommendation that I would have for the future would be to see if these stories can be created using video as well.  I do realize that that would be a lot of work drawing more pictures for the children to watch, but I think that a lot of children would love to watch and follow along with colorful photos as well.  

All in all, I was very impressed with how much work and effort goes into making these adorable audio books.  I know that young children will love to listen to them over and over again.

BUY IT: You can buy these audio books and a few different ones that weren't mentioned in the review at Once Upon A Bedtime's website.

WIN IT: Two lucky winners will each receive a downloadable copy of either "Letty the Determined Leaf Lets Go" or "The Little Munchkin and the Fairy Ring."  

MANDATORY ENTRY: 
*Head on over to Once Upon A Bedtime's facebook page and become a fan.  Comment back here with  your profile name.

Please complete the mandatory entry above before doing any/all of the extra entries.


EXTRA ONE TIME ENTRIES:
*Follow me via Google Friend Connect and/or Networked Blogs on the left sidebar <----- and then comment here with your follower ID.  One entry for each way that you follow.
*Follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter on the right sidebar -----> and comment back here with the name that you follow under.  One entry for each way that you follow.
*Subscribe to my Email Updates on the left sidebar <----- and comment here that you did.

EXTRA DAILY ENTRIES:
*Tweet and/or share this giveaway on facebook and please place the link to where you shared here.  You can  use the share buttons below.  One entry for each place that you share, per day.



This giveaway will end on April 9th at 11:59pm EST.  Two winners will be chosen using Random.org and then emailed and notified on the blog.  The first winner to reply will be able to choose which story they want out of the two that are being given away.  The second to respond to their winning email, will receive the other story that was not chosen.  The winners will have 48 hours to respond and claim their prizes or  new winners will be chosen.  This giveaway is open to fans worldwide.

Once Upon A Bedtime sent me two of their audio books to review and keep in return for hosting this review and giveaway.  I received no financial compensation to write this review.  All of the above opinions are my own.








Thursday, March 24, 2011

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Prefense - Alcohol Free Hand Sanitizer Review & Giveaway (Ends 4/5)

CLOSED: Congrats to Kristi S who was the randomly selected winner.  I have sent you an email and you have 48 hours to reply or another winner will be chosen.  Thank you to everyone.


How many times have you been out at the store or someplace where you just needed your hands to feel clean?  Or maybe your child touched something and there is no bathroom in sight?  Ugh...I have been there plenty of times.  But, recently I came across a company that has helped me fix those problems.  I would like to introduce you to Prefense.  




Prefense makes alcohol free hand sanitizer perfect for adults and children of all ages.I was sent one of their hand sanitizer spray bottles to try for myself and I really love it.  I can not stand the smell of alcohol, so this hand sanitizer and I instantly connected.  This one smells like citrus.  Yum.  Not only that, but I love how it comes out of the bottle as a foam.  No more trying to get it out of the bottle, while holding a baby, and spilling it everywhere for me. 

 Here are some great facts about the Prefense Hand Sanitizer product:


*No alcohol.  Prefense is made of all-natural organic ingredients and has absolutely NO alcohol in it.
*Our technology protects you for 24 hours or 10 hand washings.  This is what moms really love to hear about.
*Prefense is non-toxic and safe for kids.  It will not hurt you if swallowed.
*Prefense is silica based which means it doesn't dry out your hands like traditional alcohol sanitizers.  It actually smoothes and softens your hands.  You can totally see this when you apply it.
*Prefense protects against staph, strep, E. coli, drug resistant MRSA strains, and more.  We fight germs that other hand sanitizers can't.
*Because "one spray lasts all day" our 1.5 oz. Prefense Botanicals Hand Sanitizer offers 120 applications, costing only $.08 per day, compared to $1.20 per day with alcohol hand sanitizers.



So, are you as impressed yet as I was?  I hope you are.  I love this stuff and have only had it for less than a week.  Even my husband, thought it was a "nifty" idea.  With that being said, who wants a chance to win some?

BUY IT: You can head on over to Prefense's website and type in your zip code to see what stores near you are selling the Prefense hand sanitizer.  Or, head on over to purchase through Amazon.

WIN IT: One lucky winner will receive not a 1.5 oz bottle, but one of their big 8 oz bottles.  Lucky ducks.  Would you like to win one?


MANDATORY ENTRY:  
Simply tell me where you would use this hand sanitizer the most.  Maybe at the park with your children, at a store after they have touched everything in sight, or simply at home after doing arts and crafts.  

Please complete the mandatory entry above before doing any/all of the extra entries.



EXTRA ONE TIME ENTRIES:
*Become a fan of Prefense's facebook page and comment back here with the name that you follow under.
*Follow Prefense on Twitter and comment back here with your Twitter ID.
*Follow me via Google Friend Connect and/or Networked Blogs on the left sidebar <----- and then comment here with your follower ID.  One entry for each way that you follow.
*Follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter on the right sidebar -----> and comment back here with the name that you follow under.  One entry for each way that you follow.
*Subscribe to my Email Updates on the left sidebar <----- and comment here that you did.

EXTRA DAILY ENTRIES:
*Tweet and/or share this giveaway on facebook and please place the link to where you shared here.  You can  use the share buttons below.  One entry for each place that you share, per day.



*This giveaway will end on April 4th at 11:59pm EST.  One winner will be chosen using Random.org and then emailed and notified on the blog.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond and claim their prize or a new winner will be chosen.  Please remember that this giveaway is open to residents of the United States only.

*Prefense sent me a bottle of their hand sanitizer to review and keep in return for hosting this review and giveaway.  I received no financial compensation to write this review.  All of the above opinions are my own.












Having a Product Reviewed

Would you like to gain some new fans and business by offering a review and/or giveaway here on my blog?  I would love to help you promote in any way that I can!  Not only will I write up the review/giveaway here, but I will promote it for you on my facebook page (which currently has over 3500 followers) as well as linking the giveaway to other big name giveaway sites.

If you are interested in any more information, please don't hesitate to contact me at: mamavsreviews@yahoo.com

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Dees Country Candles Review & Giveaway (Ends 3/26)

CLOSED: Congrats to 409cope who was the randomly selected winner.  I have sent you an email and you have 48 hours to reply or another winner will be chosen.  Thank you to everyone

Who doesn't love having a house that smells good all of the time!  Sure, my house might not be the cleanest (especially with a 7 month old), but no one will be able to say that my house smells bad!  I am always burning something yummy in my warmers!  With that being said, I want to introduce you to a great company that makes homemade 100% soy melts and candles right from her own home.  


Dee sent me four of her shooter melts to try out and burn in my warmer.  Yum!  She has so many different scents to choose from it is slightly overwhelming, but that is why she created these shooter melts.  The perfect size to burn in your warmer and try the scent out before you decide to buy an entire pack of her clamshell melts.  What a great idea!  All of her melts, including the shooter ones, will last between 15 and 20 hours in your warmer before they began losing scent.  That is a pretty good time frame if you ask me!  


(Here are some examples of what her shooter melts look like and in the background, you can also
 see an example of how her clamshell packs come as well.)

So, maybe you are saying, these look great, but I would need a warmer in order to use these?  Where can I get one?  Great question!  Dee also sells some very cute warmers that you can buy on her website for only $18 plus shipping!  Are you a Nascar fan?  You might also want to check out the warmer section on her website for some very nice Nascar warmers for only $15 plus shipping!  That is a great buy!  Here is an example of one of her Electric Tart Warmers in blue marble.  (I love this one.)  

(This warmer is also available in a burgundy and a chocolate color.)

Dees Country Candles does also sell candles, believe it or not ;)  The scents that you can choose for your candles, are the same ones that can be chosen with the melts that we talked about above.  Dee sells these candles in an 8 ounce size, which lasts for 70 hours and also in a 16 ounce size, which lasts for 140 hours.  

(Here is a photo of some of Dee's candles.)

Now that you house smells good, how about some products to make you smell good as well.  Dee makes and sells body frosting and body/room spray.  The body frosting is available in several different scents and is made with Shea and Aloe butter.  The body/room spray can be used in your hair to treat some of those nasty frizzies that we get.  Here are a few photos of what these products look like.


(Body Frosting)


(Body & Room Spray)



Would you like to try some of Dee's wonderful products?  Now is your chance to.

BUY: You can head over to Dee's website and purchase some of these products for yourself or as gifts for your friends and family.  Right now, on her facebook page, she is having a huge sale on 475 shooter melts in 70 different scents.  Go check it out.

WIN IT: Here is your chance to win some shooter melts for yourself.  One winner will receive four shooter melts from Dee.  Dee will be choosing the scents that the winner will receive.  

MANDATORY ENTRY:
*Head on over to Dees Country Candles on facebook and become a fan.  Comment back here with your profile name.

Please complete the mandatory entry above before doing any/all of the extra entries.

EXTRA ONE TIME ENTRIES:
*Visit Dee's website and comment back here with one scent choice that you would love to try.
*Follow me via Google Friend Connect and/or Networked Blogs on the left sidebar <----- and then comment here with your follower ID.  One entry for each way that you follow.
*Follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter on the right sidebar -----> and comment back here with the name that you follow under.  One entry for each way that you follow.
*Subscribe to my Email Updates on the left sidebar <----- and comment here that you did.

EXTRA DAILY ENTRIES:
*Tweet and/or share this giveaway on facebook and please place the link to where you shared here.  You can  use the share buttons below.  One entry for each place that you share, per day.



This giveaway will end on March 26th at 11:59pm EST.  One winner will be chosen using Random.org and then emailed and notified on the blog.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond and claim their prize or a new winner will be chosen.  Please remember that this giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada only.

Dees Country Candles sent me four shooter melts to review and keep in return for hosting this review and giveaway.  I received no financial compensation to write this review.  All of the above opinions are my own.




Sunday, March 13, 2011

Baby Nari: Baby Hip Hugger Review & Giveaway (Ends 3/27)

CLOSED: Congrats to Amanda who was the randomly selected winner.  I have sent you an email and you have 48 hours to reply or another winner will be chosen.  Thank you to everyone.

How many of you have little ones in your life (children, grandchildren, brother, sisters, etc) that love to be held all of the time and you just can never seem to get anything done?  I know that my 7 month old son does.  As much as I would love to just hold and cuddle with him all day long, life just doesn't let me do that.  Dishes need to be done, laundry washed, beds made, etc...  This is when the Baby Nari Hip Hugger comes to my rescue.


I was sent the Toddler sized Baby Hip Hugger from the Baby Nari company to review.  From the moment I opened the package, I was impressed.  It came in this super cute box (pictured above) perfect for a baby shower gift or simply as a great item to "spoil" yourself with.

The Baby Hip Huggers are available in infant and toddler sized carriers.  The infant sized one is meant for those little cuties that are able to sit up on their own through 10 months of age or a maximum of 22 lbs.  The toddler sized hip hugger is meant to be used with toddlers aged 10 months through 36 months or up to 40 lbs.  I love the wide variety of colors that Baby Nari has to offer in these hip huggers.  They have a pink, blue, and several neutrals colors if you plan on having a boy and a girl, which I surely am planning on.  


When I first put on and tried out the hip hugger, I thought that it was going to be so complicated to figure out. I was completely wrong.  They are simply placed on using velcro to easily adjust to your size and a simple "click" of the belt.  (Just like a fanny pack would be put on.)  Here would be a good place to note that these carriers are made to fit a 40" waist or smaller.  I would suggest that Baby Nari look into making the hip huggers a bit bigger for those that have a bigger waist than 40 inches.  


(This shows my hubby's great photography skills.  He missed getting my head in the photo every time.  Lol.)

Tyler loves being held, but he is just getting so heavy.  The hip hugger eliminates the weight that I would normally have holding him, which is a huge plus.  Yes, I still need to hold him so that he doesn't fall, so it isn't completely hands free, but it is very nice for simply walking around and doing light house work without the extra weight of your child.


The other big plus with the hip hugger are the many pockets.  The pocket in the front (as shown) is big enough to hold a few diapers and some wipes for those times when you are out and a diaper change is necessary.  There is also a small pocket on the other side to hold keys or a cell phone or anything else that you might be carrying along with you.

All in all, I love my Baby Nari Hip Hugger.  My arm doesn't get tired from his weight and I am still able to hold and comfort Tyler and get things done around the house.  

BUY ONE:  Head on over to Baby Nari's website to purchase an infant hip hugger for $59.99 or one of the toddler hip huggers for $79.99.  Use the code: mamav20 to receive $20 off of your purchase.

WIN ONE:  One of my followers will win a toddler Baby Nari Hip Hugger of their own valued at $79.99.  Thank you so much Baby Nari for the generous giveaway.  The winner will be able to choose which color they would like.  This giveaway is only open to my readers in the USA and in Canada.  

MANDATORY ENTRY: 
*Head on over to Baby Nari's facebook page, become a fan, and comment that you entered the giveaway on Mama V's Reviews blog.

Please complete the mandatory entry above before doing any/all of the extra entries.

EXTRA ONE TIME ENTRIES:
*Visit Baby Nari's website and comment back here with which color you would choose if you won.
*Follow me via Google Friend Connect and/or Networked Blogs on the left sidebar <----- and then comment here with your follower ID.  One entry for each way that you follow.
*Follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter on the right sidebar -----> and comment back here with the name that you follow under.  One entry for each way that you follow.
*Subscribe to my email updates on the left sidebar <----- and comment here that you did.

EXTRA DAILY ENTRIES:
*Tweet and/or share this giveaway on facebook and please place the link to where you shared here.  You can  use the share buttons below.  One entry for each place that you share, per day.

This giveaway will end on March 27th at 11:59pm EST.  One winner will be chosen using Random.org and then emailed and notified on the blog.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond and claim their prize or a new winner will be chosen.  Please remember that this giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada only.

*Baby Nari sent me a toddler hip hugger to review and keep in return for hosting this review and giveaway.  I received no financial compensation to write this review.  All of the above opinions are my own.