Green Product Reviews | Giveaways | Twin Mom Blog

Wednesday

Sep012010

Eucerin Swag Bag Giveaway!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at 09:00AM

Well hello giveaway lovers. I've cut back on hosting giveaways because they can be lots of work but this is one of those brands I couldn't say no to.

Eucerin has been in my home and on my family for years and I'm a big fan. Here's why:

My mom is a nurse and always recommended Eucerin

The Twofer both have sensitive skin (as do I) and Eucerin Calming Creme helps cure dry, itchy, sensitive skin.

Since becoming a mom my hands get terribly dry - I believe from all the hand-washing I do and Eucerin Intensive Repair Hand Creme really helps.

Recently my dermatologist gave me a mini sample of the Eucerin Everyday Protection Face Lotion, SPF 30 and I LOVED it!

A friend of mine has a daughter with tons of allergies and she told me Eucerin is one of the only lotions that she can use.

Learn more about your skin and Eucerin & Enter to Win the Swag

Want to learn more about skin and why Eucerin has a part in my daily routine? First thing to do is take the Skin First IQ quiz to learn why you should take care of your skin. Then visit the Eucerin Facebook page where you can get a FREE SAMPLE of Eucerin. Last, but certainly not least, take the Eucerin Skin First Pledge to make your skin a priority. Taking the pledge will generate a donation to Healthy Women.org

Enter to Win Eucerin Swag

Lucky for you they have some leftover swag bags from Blogher and I get to give 2 away! Yes, not one, but two and these babies are packed with all kinds of great Eucerin products including Eucerin Daily Skin Balance Body Lotion, Daily Skin Balance Hand Crème as well as the Everyday Protection Face Lotion SPF 30 and/or the Everyday Protection Body Lotion SPF 15, and a Eucerin Health & Wellness Journal.

Here's how to enter:

1. Leave a comment telling me if you already use Eucerin and which product OR if this is new to you

2. Tweet a link to this giveaway and include me (@twincident) in there (post the URL here in your comment)

3. Subscribe via email to TwoferMom.com

Contest runs 9/1/10 - 9/15/10 and is open to residents of US and Canada 18 years of age or older. You only need to leave one comment to enter just be sure to include the links to your twitter post within that same comment. Be sure to put your email in the comment form where it says to so I can contact you if you win! Um, I'm rusty here...did I forget anything else? Oh, have fun and protect your skin!

Janine

Disclosure: I received a selection of free Eucerin product while at Blogher and swag bag giveaways are provided by Eucerin at no charge. All opinions are my own and have not been reviewed prior to publishing.

Janine Nickel |

2 Comments |

tagged

Eucerin,

beauty,

health in

Monday

Aug302010

The Practecol line of eco-friendly devices are better for the Earth and your wallet

Monday, August 30, 2010 at 12:44PM

As a green blogger I'm always looking out for eco-friendly products that are EASY to install, and use. I'm not a rocket scientist like some of my friends, but I can read directions and use a drill. Lucky for me, I only needed to drill once for this review and The Mister was more than happy to help.

Practecol wants you to save money

The first thing you notice about the packaging is how much Practecol estimates you can save annually by using that product! If you add up all the savings it means a fabulous pair of Jimmy Choos for the holidays! (You like how I put it into terms we all can grasp, don't you?)

Practecol refrigerator kit, remote control surge strip, retractable clothesline and more

Putting Practecol to work

Here are some of the devices we've started using and my thoughts:

Energy Monitor

Plug it into any outlet then plug in the device you want to test. It will tell you how much energy that device consumes and even the cost! Right now I have it in the outlet where The Mister plugs his laptop. I think he should unplut it once in a while. I'm trying to prove this point but so far it only looks like it costs about $1.40 for the amount of time it's been plugged in (maybe 2 weeks?)

Refrigerator Kit

Armed wtih a thermometer that sounds an alarm if the door is left open too long and a brush to get the dust off the coils, our fridge should be maintaining optimum temperature and using less energy. So far we have yet to set off the alarm! Maybe all you need is the power of suggestion!

Surge Strip

The remote control 8-outlet power strip has two always-on outlets. We have this for our TV/DVD/DVR setup since the DVR needs to stay on to keep recording while the other devices can be turned off. My biggest question was what if you lose the remote? Not to worry, Practecol can send you a new one or you can turn off those outlets with a switch on the device like a standard surge protector.

Remote Control Outlet Adapter

I have this installed in the outlet where I plug in my printer. The outlets around my des are all full and so I have to run an extension cord into this outlet on the other side of the room. I don't use my printer all the time and now I can easily turn it off with the zap of the remote! Easy and actually kinda fun!

Indoor Retractable Clothesline

We installed this device in our mudroom / laundry room. It's perfect to hang entire loads of laundry to dry when the sun isn't out. And it will be great during the winer to hang snow-covered coats, snowpants, and more! It easily retracts back into itself and even has room to store clothespins!

Currently Practecol products are availabe in Target stores and online at Target.com.

Janine

Disclosure: I received Practecol products at no charge for purposes of a review. All opinions expressed here are my own and this post was neither reviewed nor approved prior to publishing.

Janine Nickel |

Twofer Thumbs Up for Avocados!

Friday, August 27, 2010 at 09:00AM

Avocado is for Babies

The Twofer have always loved avocados. It was a great first-food for many reasons:

it's portable and doesn't need to be warmed

It's got lots of 'good' fat for brain development plus other healthy vitamins and minerals

I don't mind eating the leftovers (only 50 calories per ounce plus sodium and cholesterol free!)

It was also the very first 3-syllable word the girls could say at nearly 1 year of age. (I swear, ask Grandma! She was there!) They pronounced it: ah-bo-ba-doh

Avocado for Bigger Kids

As the girls have grown they continue to enjoy avocado in guacamole, in salad, and on sandwiches.

One of our family favorites is chicken salad with Old Bay Seasoning (very Maryland) and served with slices of tomato and avocado. The saltiness of Old Bay pairs beautifully with a creamy avocado and a juicy tomato.

image via jronaldlee on Flickr because this is better than any photo I can capture

Old Bay Seasoning isn't just for crabs you know. You can use it with steamed shrimp, on french fries, and in tuna salad too. Here's our recipe for chicken salad with Old Bay to be served with tomato and avocado:

1-2 cups of cooked chicken (boiled, leftover from the grill, rotisserie, or canned)

1/4 cup of chopped celery

1/4 cup of mayo (or to taste)

1 tsp of Old Bay

1/4 tsp pepper

1 hard boiled egg chopped (optional)

Check out the 'Big Hit' Avocado Contest

Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association (MHAIA) held a contest to find great game day recipes and award prizes! You can see the 'hometown' players, the MVP winner (who won $5,000) and get recipes for your next party at the Big Hit contest site.

For more blog posts about The Twofer and food visit:

Let's cut to the crust, shall we?

Caviar vs. Fish Sticks

The Mister's review of Ragu

Janine

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association. Mom Central also sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Janine Nickel |

Sarah Pekkanen "The Opposite of Me" makes me think differently about sisters (book review)

Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 09:00AM

Having twins can make you feel crazy.

Having twin girls can make you neurotic when you....

think about them becoming teenagers,

wonder if they'll stay friends,

worry about one having a prom date while the other doesn't...

I could go on for days.

Finding Sarah Pekkanen and learning about sisters

Image via SarahPekkanen.com

Sarah Pekkanen's debut novel came to me by way of my friend Lindsay, and a group of women writers (dare I say 'sisters') who joined together to help Sarah promote her book and boost presales. Pre-orders, I'm learning, are really important for a new writer and their first (probably second and third) book. Lindsay sent me an email from Jennifer Weiner (yes, THE Jennifer Weiner ) explaining that anyone who pre-ordered "The Opposite of Me" would be eligible to receive a copy of one of Jennifer's books...signed by the author!

I was excited to have Jennifer Weiner's email address.

I was excited to have her sign "Little Earthquakes" for me.

I was thrilled to find out "The Opposite of Me" was about twin sisters. Maybe I would learn something from this book!

I was also touched by the love and support the other writers were giving to their 'sister'.

Twin Sisters bring drama but they also bring lots of love

"The Opposite of Me " is a tale of twin sisters who, like my own twins, are very, very different. In the book, twins Lindsey and Alex look different, have different interests, and are near polar opposites: Lindsey is brainy, a straight-A student, with average looks and popularity while Alex is a beauty, with average grades, but the most popular girl in the school.

As you can imagine, these sisters grow up to lead very different lives, and while deep down they love each other, they have very little to say to one another and have even less in common.

As family secrets are revealed and drama unfolds, the sisters find their way back to each other. It's not easy at first, but you see that there has always been a deeper connection.

My Hope

Reading "The Opposite of Me" made me think about what I hope for the future of The Twofer and their relationship with each other. They may have the same friends for now, but one day this may change. One may have a boyfriend before the other. One may be popular while the other better in school. But in the end they share something that I hope distance and time will never fade - the twin connection.

Buy the book. Support debut novels and freshman authors. You won't be disappointed.

Janine

Disclosure: I'm pretty sure the FTC can read above how I bought this book with my own hard-earned Amazon money. Click all the other book links people so I can do it again! All opinions expressed here are my own and this post was neither reviewed nor approved by the author, publisher, or any friend of Sarah Pekkanen. Also, in case you are wondering, Jennifer Weiner's book, "Little Earthquakes" that I received free of charge is pretty awesome too!

Janine Nickel |

1 Comment |

tagged

twins in

Monday

Aug232010

Powermat recharges the whole family

Monday, August 23, 2010 at 09:00AM

Here's a little device that comes in a nice and tidy package and that the whole family can enjoy.

It's a little mat that recharges cell phones, handheld games, and more without all the wires.

It's portable. It works with just about any device. It's called Powermat.

This is how it looks folded up:

Powermat travel mat in its case

You plug in the powermat, add a receiver to your device, place the device on the mat, and it will bluurp to let you know it's charging. You don't have to plug in your phone, just place it on the mat!

You can charge multiple items at the same time with only one wire plugged in. Neat, clean, tidy.

And cool.

Powermat with universal power cube and tips

Powermat makes a little blruuuup noise to let you know items are charging and you feel a slight magnetic pull.

You can purchase a receiver for your phone or use a power cube with the appropriate tip (one of the white cubes you see in the picture is the power cube and the other holds the tips used to connect the cube to your device). Either way it's easy and you don't have wires all over the place.

I received the portable Powermat at the Getting Gorgeous event at Blogher and have used it to charge my phone and the Twofer's Nintendo DS machines. I'm thinking this would make a great gift for my brother who has 3 iPhones and 3 iPods in his house. I'm sure many of you can relate.

For more information on Powermat check out the videos here and the website here.

Janine

Disclosure: I received a Powermat portable mat, power cube and set of tips at no charge at the Getting Gorgeous event in New York. All opinions expressed are my own and this post was neither reviewed nor approved by Powermat prior to being published.

Janine Nickel |