Hi, Lisa here with an opportunity for SIX lucky winners!  This will wrap up our Tahoe Kids giveaways for this summer.  If you remember, earlier this summer  Sierra Summits provided our readers with a discount code for a limited time on the purchase of sunscreen from their website.  The Tahoe Kids Sunscreen is the same great product Amy reviewed earlier this summer, only this time in a fun, kid-friendly bottle!! Currently it is retailing for $12.99 for a 3oz tube.  If you missed Amy’s review of the Sierra Summits sunscreen earlier this summer, I have re-posted a portion of it below.

Sierra Summits’ sunscreen was the first to obtain the Melanoma International Foundation’s Seal of Approval. The main active ingredient in Sierra Summits’ sunscreen is Zinc Oxide, which has been used for over 300 years and has a history of being safe for longterm use and effective for blocking UVA and UVB rays. It also does not degrade in the sunlight like Avobenzone so no photo-stabilizing chemicals must be added. They avoid the use of oils, fragrances, and Avobenzone to create a sunscreen that will not irritate sensitive skin. They have also avoided using Oxybenzone (which appears in 98% of mainstream sunscreens) because of its reputation with regard to how it is absorbed by the skin and longterm effects. It also goes on lightly like lotion so you are not stuck feeling greasy all day!! They choose not to offer a spray-on version because you are less likely to get full coverage and effects of inhaling those chemicals is unknown. The average sunscreen you pick up at the grocery store cannot boast of these things and many of them will cause reactions in those with sensitive skin (specifically our little ones). This is a sunblock that the entire family can use and be protected from dangerous UV rays!! (except for those under 1 year of age)

Required entry:

• Name one reason you would like to try Tahoe Kids sunscreen for your family.
• Must be following on Google Friend Connect to enter.
• Leave your e-mail address (You can leave it in name (at) email (dot) com format if you would like).

Extra entries (please leave a separate comment for each entry):

• Follow @MommyMeGiveaway on Twitter.
• Follow @sierrasummits on Twitter
• Tweet about this giveaway and give me the permalink (1x per day).
• Blog about this giveaway and give me the link.
• Add our blog button to your blog or website and give me the link (code is in the sidebar).
• Add our Fun in the Sun button to your blog or website and give me the link (code is in the sidebar).
• “Like” Mommy and Me Giveaways on Facebook.
• “Like” Sierra Summits on Facebook.
• Subscribe to Mommy and Me Giveaways by email.

Giveaway ends September 22, 2010 at 11pm CST.

We’re going to give away a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com this time so you can spend it on diapers, toys, books, or whatever else you want,  and all you have to do is follow us on Google Friend Connect.  If you are already following on there then you are already entered!  No need to comment on this post or anything, just follow us!  We will draw a winner when we have 500 followers, which if our Twitter and Facebook followers all follow us on GFC we will be there in no time!  Please remember, the more followers we have the more giveaways we can have, plus with more followers we can get bigger prizes!

Congrats Rachel!  I’ll be contacting you shortly by email and you will have 48 hours to respond.

“Working in a typical retail pharmacy setting, I was constantly frustrated when asked to recommend products for patients with difficult skin problems, especially those with fragrance allergies. I recognized a void in the market and knew that I could offer effective and affordable products to fill it. Atopic dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis are life-long conditions and need to be addressed for the long term. Patients with diabetes or renal disease, pregnant women, babies, the elderly, and patients treated with radiation therapy can all benefit from quality natural products. Even people who just have dry, sensitive skin can appreciate wholesome natural skincare products.”

“Since I personally suffer from chronic allergies and eczema, I understand that it is very important for people with these conditions to maintain the integrity of their skin and reduce their exposure to antigens to help prevent acute outbreaks. These diseases can be quite debilitating and cause increase depression, work loss, and pain.”

“Naturally occurring vegetable oils and butters contain indigenous nutrients, antioxidants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), and antibacterial agents that petroleum-based oils just don’t have. Natural oils absorb into the skin and do not feel greasy. They also come from replenishable sources, which is a great environmental concern.”

My kids both have sensitive skin as well as the occasional eczema flair ups. I also have sensitive skin. Several years ago, I started developing allergic reactions to anything scented, all shampoos, most detergents, most soaps, certain foods, etc. I was miserable. Turns out that I had a hormone imbalance and apparently all of these products have base components in them that can affect your body’s hormone levels. I was quite surprised to hear that several ob-gyns recommend menopausal women use Dove Sensitive Skin soap because it seems to have less of an affect on these women. From that point forward, I made it my business to to try to keep our bathroom (and our kitchen) as natural as possible. I made our own soap, cut out unnecessary products, significantly reduced packaged food, etc. I have since heard of many others who for similar reasons try to keep their bathrooms (and kitchens) as natural as possible.

In case you have never delved into all things soap related, let me give you a little background before I tell you just how great these Skin Free products really are! The story goes that soap was originally discovered thousands of years ago when people would go up in the mountains to offer animal sacrifices at a spring festival. The fat from the animals would mix with ash from the fire as well as water from melting ice caps. This would be washed down the mountain into the streams where people would use it to bathe. In order to create soap, you must have fat, water, and lye (which is made from wood ash). If you do not have those three ingredients, you do not have soap. The trick to getting a great bar of soap is in the amounts of these ingredients and the types of fats you select. Today soap can even be made using vegetable fats. The best soaps for your skin are those that are superfat, in other words have a higher fat content than average. (You do not want a superfat bar of soap for laundry though because some fat can be left behind on your clothes, which can lead to an “interesting” fragrance.) You may have heard older relatives talk about their mother’s homemade lye soap that burned when you bathed with it. Soap is a very delicate process. Everything must be measured precisely. Back in the day, they did not have digital scales to aid them in this process, so many women’s soap turned out caustic, the opposite of superfat.

The Skin Free Extra Moisturizing and Shampoo Bar is a fantastic bar of soap, especially for people with sensitive skin or those looking for a REAL bar of soap to keep in the bathroom as opposed to the bars of detergent they sell in the store. It is made with saponified coconut, palm, extra virgin olive oil, shea butter, and vitamin E. (Saponified is what happens to the oils once they are mixed with water and lye.) This particular mixture of ingredients produces a creamy, rich lather that will leave your skin feeling moisturized and soft! (If you want to check it out yourself, visit this soap calculator and click on the different fats to see what properties each has.) It also works well as a shampoo bar. Shampoo is also a detergent that can be hard on your hair and skin. If you are used to using a commercial shampoo and conditioner, be forewarned that it may take you a little longer to brush your hair, but I believe you will be pleased with the end results. I have noticed that I get more volume out of my fine hair when I use a superfat soap. Also, Skin Free offers a truly excellent price for a such a high quality bar of REAL soap. I have made soap at home for pennies a bar, but the quality of the fats is nothing compared to what is offered by Skin Free.

We also tried the Skin Free After Shower Moisture Spritz. The bars of detergent sold in the stores are not the only things that can dry out your skin. Water can also wash away oils that keep the skin from drying out. If you routinely take baths, you can simply add oils to your bath as people have done for thousands of years. Now you can get the benefits of bath oils in a simple after shower spray bottle. Simply spray the oil on your body while it is still wet from a hot shower. Then towel dry. I absolutely hate lotion. Either it irritates my skin or it leaves my skin feeling greasy! This After Shower Moisture Spritz is absolutely wonderful! It leaves your skin feeling soft and moist without that greasy feeling! Also the oils that are used (olive seed oil, sweet almond oil, and vitamin E) are particularly great for your skin!

Finally we also tried the Extra Moisturizing Liquid Soap. I personally prefer bar soap, but we do use some liquid soap in our house. If you are used to commercial liquid soap (or detergent), be aware that this will be thinner than what you are used to. The Extra Moisturizing Liquid Soap is made of saponified oils of sweet almond oil, olive seed oil, castor, shea butter fruit, and sodium borate. The sodium borate is a mineral that has been used for thousands of years for a variety of purposes including cleaning. It is added to liquid soaps to neutralize and help thicken the soap; however, the thickening is more or less significant depending on the types of oils used. While the Extra Moisturizing Liquid Soap is great on the skin, I seemed to note a particular odor to it that I couldn’t place. It could have been my super sensitive, pregnant nose at the time, but if you tend to be very sensitive to scents, you may want to be aware of that. (My friend down the street said she thought it smelled just fine….so maybe it was my pregnant nose!) Otherwise, this is an excellent option if you want a liquid soap for sensitive skin that is not a detergent! It would actually be a great soap to keep in the kitchen since hands are likely to get dried out and cracked from cooking and doing dishes!

Now you can enter to win $30 in Skin Free products!

Required entry:

• Tell me why you would like to win $30 in Skin Free products!
• Must be following Mommy and Me Giveaways via Google Friend Connect to enter.
• Also, be sure to give us your email address (You can leave it in name (at) email (dot) com format if you would like).

Extra entries (Leave a separate comment for each entry):

• Follow @MommyMeGiveaway on Twitter.
• Tweet about this giveaway (including @MommyMeGiveaway, and a link to this post) and give us the permalink (1x per day).
• Subscribe to Skin Free’s blog.
• “Like” Mommy and Me Giveaways on Facebook.
• Blog about this giveaway and give us the link.
• Put our blog button on your blog or website (code is in the sidebar).
• Subscribe to Mommy and Me Giveaways by email.

Giveaway ends September 18, 2010 at 11pm CST.

Hi, Lisa here…  FAO Schwarz is one of our affiliate stores here and I just got a newsletter from them about their Fall into Fun Sweepstakes they are doing!  You could win one of 4 great prize bundles including dolls, plush, baby gifts, toys, play sets and much more!  Just fill in your information and choose which prize bundle you would like to win!  Also check out these great offers from FAO Schwarz:

Free Shipping Offer: FREE Shipping on EVERYTHING with your purchase of $99 or more at FAO.com. (Standard Shipping only. Up to $25 value)

Muppet Whatnot Offer: Have Not a What Not? Check out the latest customizable Muppet Puppets PLUS Free Shipping at FAO.com. Now $99.99.

Halloween Offer: Check out our great selection of Halloween favorite character costumes & accessories plus Free Shipping at FAO.com. Offer ends 10.31.10

New Arrivals: New Arrivals…New Toys Arriving Daily from Around the World at FAO.com.

I stumbled across Inspire Your Walls the other day, an online store that sells lots of neat wall decals!  Along with www.inspireyourwalls.com, they also have an Etsy shop as well.  They have lots of great wall art for every room in your house, as well as personalized lettering and names.  I’d love to get Davey’s name made for his door!  They also have a rooster wall decal that would be perfect for my kitchen!  They have lots of great choices for your child or teenager’s room; there’s even a “Time Out” one to put in your time out corner…  too cute!

“Our lettering is an easy way to create a “hand painted” look of art without having to lift a paintbrush. It is a thin vinyl material that goes on easy and to top it off the lettering is also removable! You can add some wow to your walls without worry. We offer a font for every occasion, and over 23 colors. We can create the perfect masterpiece for your wall.  Our lettering is perfect for home-owners, business-owners, rent tenants, college students, and church groups, we can even create something for your car windshield too.”

You can keep up with Inspire Your Walls on their blog.  They are having a blogger summer campaign with a chance to win a gift certificate to their store!  Check it out here if you have a blog!

What’s your favorite wall decal on their site?

Hi, Amy here, and I am back with another product review for our Fun in the Sun Event: Bummis Swimmi! We live on the coast and consequently my kids get into the water pretty early in life. John went swimming at 3 weeks and LOVED it! (I wish I had a picture, but I did not remember the camera that day.)

The Bummis Swimmi is a great cloth swim diaper. The hook and loop closure allows for maximum size adjustment. The diaper is also great at containing messes! I was uncertain if it would be able to contain the liquid poop of a breastfed newborn, but it does! It is also one of the few swim diapers (cloth or disposable) available that would fit John at 3 weeks of age!The small size is supposed to fit an infant 9-15 lbs. However, I found that it fit John by the time he reached 8 lbs. John is actually a little over 15 lbs now, and you can see that the diaper still fits and still has a fair amount of room for expansion!

You can purchase a Swimmi for your little one at www.bummis.com

It’s a Social Parade is in full force at Smart and Trendy Moms!

and check out…

at toddler awesome!

And…

I just stumbled across The Diaper Wagon, a store that sells cloth diapers and diapering accessories, mama cloths, eco-friendly products, and more!  Through the end of August 2010 you can use the code “rainbow” for 5% off your order at The Diaper Wagon!  We have also just set up an affiliate account with The Diaper Wagon, so please use our links when you shop there to help support our blog!