The Angel Forever

mirra products (Review/Giveaway)

Posted on March 13, 2010 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Please raise your hand if you are always on the look out for new skin and hair care products.

*wildly flailing my arms around*

As a thirty something year old woman, I still have a hard time finding products to tame my thick, wavy/curly and very frizzy hair. Add to this, trouble locating items to moisturize my extremely dry and sensitive skin. Most of the products that are out there are too heavy on scents/perfumes and cause me to sneeze and/or make my skin to break out in a rash.

When I was asked by Global Influence to review some new beauty/hair products, I agreed and was sent items from the new line of mirra products sold at Kroger stores.

Information about mirra:

Launching now, mirra products include shampoos and conditioners; hair styling products; body washes and mists; facial and skin care lotions, cleansers and cleansing cloths; eye firming and age defying creams; and cosmetic brushes.

mirra products are made with natural ingredients, such as olive oil, aloe leaf juice, and cranberry, bamboo, honey and chicory root extracts. Proven technologies are used for many of the products too. For example, the revolutionary oleosome emulsion technology is used in skin care products to deliver long lasting moisture that keeps protecting and nourishing skin long after application.

mirra products can be found in the beauty care aisles exclusively at all stores that are part of the Kroger Co. family. For a limited time, mirra is offering $5 off when you purchase any two mirra products. To download the coupon visit www.kroger.com\coupons.

My thoughts about mirra:

For the last two weeks, I have been using the mirra products that I received. For my hair, I was sent the mirra Daily shampoo and conditioner along with the mirra Daily strong sculpting gel. As I have mentioned before, I have extremely thick hair that tends to have a frizzy life of it’s own thanks to unruly curls/waves. When I tried the shampoo, the first thing I noticed was the subtle scent. It was not overpowering and was thick in my hands. I can not stand shampoo and conditioner that is thin and runny. This held up nice. A small amount went a long way. When I was done washing my hair, there were no snarls. I was able to easily run my fingers through my tresses. Then, it was time to put in some sculpting gel. While my hair was still damp, I ran a small amount into my hair and crunched my hair to maximize my curls. As my hair dried, I was pleasantly surprised that there was little or no frizz throughout the day. In addition to this, the curl stayed the entire day and my hair did not feel crunchy from too much product.

I also received mirra Renew replenishing body wash and protective lotion. Time to admit something here. I am not a big fan of body wash. When I use them, I usually feel slimy when I am done. As someone with very dry and sensitive skin, with eczema in the winter months, I need items that are gentle and helps me to keep needed moisture. When I tried the body wash, there was a hint of fragrance, but nothing that made me stop using it. After my shower, my skin felt clean and I did not have a slimy feeling that I have experienced with some other body washes. I also liked that a very small amount lathered up significantly and went a long way. The winter is not kind to my skin. There are times when I feel like my skin is a desert and needs constant moisture or I get cracks from extreme dry areas. The lotion also had a light and natural smelling fragrance to it. When I used it, I immediately noticed that it was not very thick. I put it on my skin. It took a little while to completely sink into my skin, but I did not feel greasy. For my skin, this will probably do better in the summer when I am not lacking moisture from the lack of humidity.

For my face, I received the mirra Renew deep-moisture day cream and wrinkle reduction eye cream. The first thing that I noticed about both of these was they were extremely thick. A small amount of each went a long way on my face. When I used the Day Cream before my make up, my face and neck were ready and did not need more cream the rest of the day. It has been a little too short of a time to see if there is really a differece from the eye cream, but I will keep using it. The only thing I was not thrilled with was the lack of SPF in the day cream. As a red head with really pale skin, I need protection from the sun each day.

My overall thoughts are that I really like the mirra line of products. I only wish I had a Kroger store in my area to buy them in. Hopefully, they decide to offer them online for people like me to buy because I was really sold on the haircare products in particular and would like to try some of the other items that I was not sent.

Giveaway:

Thanks to Kroger, one lucky reader will win a package similar to the one that I received with a variety of mirra products.

Rules for Giveaway:

MAIN RULE – Answer the following question: Which mirra product are you most interested in trying?
1 Bonus Entry – Who will these products be for and why would you be excited to try them?
1 Bonus Entry – Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter. Be sure to include @TheAngelForever and mirra products Giveaway in the Tweet. Please leave a direct link to your Tweet in a separate comment for each daily entry. Example Tweet (feel free to use): Enter for a chance to win mirra products from @TheAngelForever –> http://bit.ly/dDp04A
1 Bonus Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
1 Bonus Entry – Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway posts from the month of January/February/March. Be sure to leave a comment here to let me know which one. This Bonus entry may be done only twice per person.
3 Bonus Entries – Add my blog button to your website and leave a link with the location. Be sure to give yourself 3 comments for credit.
5 Bonus Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog about the giveaway. Be sure to leave 5 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra entries

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. Contest starts today March 13th and ends at 10:59 EST on March 28, 2010. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to U.S. residents only.

Disclosure: I did not receive compensation for this post. Product samples were provided by The Kroger Company for review and giveaway as a part of the Global Influence Network. The opinions expressed in the review are my own feelings about the products.

Categories:
giveaway me moments Product review

Coming out of my bloggy shell

Posted on March 12, 2010 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

For three years, I have been blogging and never actually stated where I live. This has partially been to protect my children/family. Plus, I’ll be honest, I never really felt the need to come out and say it. Could someone figure it out? No doubt people probably could have narrowed down the part of the country and possibly the state from photos of snow, places we go and so on.

Recently, things have been cropping up that have made me change my tune. The Disney Social Media Moms Celebration got my real name out there. In addition to this, local opportunities have come up and some big plans/projects are in the works. If I do not let places know about my three years of blogging history, it pretty much defeats the purpose of my hard work over the years. Of course, anyone really close to me knew who I was from the start. Will I have my full name on The Angel Forever? Not yet. Again, no real need for that. People that need to know will continue to get that information.

Of course, the timing on this is really good. Recent events in my home state of New York have gotten me very angry. Born and raised in New York, it absolutely disgusts me when I watch the news and see how things are falling apart. Up until now I have stayed quiet about news events, but thanks to coming out of my bloggy shell I can vent, collaborate and work with others to see what more I can do via my blog and beyond.

Right now, my brain is in hyper mode. A recent PTA meeting at my son’s school has me disgusted. Budget cuts, broken political promises and powers that be who do not see how their actions will kill our schools. Ultimately, our children are the ones that will pay the price. You know, the children that are the future of not only New York State, but our country and world.

*sigh* This is a topic that I will definitely be addressing another day. I will be looking to others for advice on where to go with the people from our school, to fight long and hard to save teachers, nurses, art/music and most importantly our school that may be on the chopping block.

So my question to you this week:

If you blog did you come out of your bloggy shell and tell people where you live and why did you this? If you always were upfront did you have any negative experiences with this?

_____________________________________________________________________________

Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the MckLinky there if you are participating.

Aloha #90

Categories:
Aloha Friday bloggy friends decisions DisneySMMoms looking back me moments vent

Children Count Too – Census 2010

Posted on March 11, 2010 10:31 am by TheAngelForever

Every ten years, the United States does a Census to update important information about the population within each area of the country. This will actually be the first time that I participate in this event. In past years, I was unmarried and still living with my parents while going to college. In mid March, we will be receiving these important papers and it is extremely important to fill them out and record information accurately.

Right now, the United States Census is trying to get the word out to all Americans that children count. Why is this so important? Here are some of the facts:

Why Children Count Too

Children have been undercounted in every census since the first one in 1790. Local communities rely on census information in planning for schools, child care, health and other critical services. Babies need to be counted today, so they can benefit tomorrow from community services.

Census counts are used, in whole or in part, for more than 140 programs that distribute more than $400 billion of federal funds to states and localities, including such child-focused programs as:

Special Education Grants to states ($10.8 billion)

Head Start ($6.9 billion)

State Children’s Health Insurance Program ($5.9 billion)

Foster Care Title IV-E ($4.7 billion)

Improving Teacher Quality State Grants ($2.9 billion)

Unlike adults, who may bear some responsibility for making sure they are counted in the Census, children are dependent on others to make sure they are included. Yet in 1980, 1990, and 2000, Census Bureau data show children, particularly young children, are one of the groups most likely to be missed in the Census. In fact, in the 2000 Census, there was a net undercount of more than 1 million children under age 10.

As a parent, teacher and more importantly citizen of the United States, it frightens me that our children are not properly counted and could possibly not get federal funding for needed items because of something so simple. The Census form that will show up in about a week will consist of 10 simple questions. Please do your part and fill it out and remember to count ALL of your children – including infants. You can learn more about the 2010 Census here.

My question for you today:

Have you filled out a Census for your family in the past? If you did, did you make sure to count your children?

Disclosure: I am posting this information as a public service because I feel it is important to get the information out to my readers. Global Influence is helping spread the word about this public service campaign.

Categories:
interesting real world news

National Geographic Kids – Weird But True (Review/Giveaway)

Posted on March 10, 2010 10:36 am by TheAngelForever

Have I mentioned lately how we love books? Seriously, we are constantly getting new books,going to the library and reading something with the boys. NHL is in first grade and likes to read books with history, science or things to learn. Yes, our first grader is slowly warping very nicely into a mini-Geek!

When we were asked by Family Review Network to review the new National Geographic Kids: Weird But True! 300 Outrageous Facts book, we jumped at the opportunity. As a teacher, I had many National Geographic Kids books in my classroom, so I knew it would have amazing photos to share with my boys.

About the book (from their website):

At last, all those weird but true facts that readers of National Geographic Kids love so much are collected into a fun-filled book that you’ll come back to again and again!

Weird But True is based on the hugely popular magazine page of quirky, fun facts that many readers of National Geographic Kids magazine turn to first. Why? Well did you know that…

Peanut butter can be converted into a diamond?

The world’s oldest pet goldfish lived to be 43 years old?

The world’s longest soap bubble was as long as four school buses?

On Neptune, the wind blows up to 1,243 miles an hour?

An elephant’s tooth can weigh as much as a bowling ball?

All of the facts in this handy book will amaze friends and family: Animals Superpowers, Chills and Thrills, Eat or Be Eaten, Mini and Mega, Wild and Crazy, and much, much more. Adjacent pages for such facts present a one-paragraph explanation of how that fact is possible or why it is so.

Purchase your copy for $6.95.

What we thought:

Both of the boys are fascinated with the photos within Weird But True. Yes, even my 2 year old will sit with the book for an extended time looking at all of the photos. JSL will chat away and call out all of the items that he recognizes. NHL, in first grade, will read the facts to me and then talk with me about what it says. Our conversations actually made me think about ways to use this book in the classroom. (I am always a teacher, even when on hiatus.) I could see the fun facts in this book being used as a prompt for classroom discussion and/or a writing exercise. In addition to this, the facts could easily create interest in a subject for kids to do more research on. Anything that excites children to learn gets a thumbs up from me.

Giveaway:

Thanks to National Geographic Kids, one lucky reader will win a copy of National Geographic Kids: Weird But True! 300 Outrageous Facts for your family.

Rules for Giveaway:

MAIN RULE – Answer the following questions: What is one weird fact about you that you are willing to share with others?
1 Bonus Entry – Who will this book be for if you win and why would they love to have it?
1 Bonus Entry – Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter. Be sure to include @TheAngelForever and National Geographic Kids Giveaway in the Tweet. Please leave a direct link to your Tweet in a separate comment for each daily entry. Example Tweet (feel free to use): Chance to win National Geographic Kids – Weird But True book from @TheAngelForever http://bit.ly/9YBplK
1 Bonus Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
1 Bonus Entry – Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway posts from the month of January/February/March. Be sure to leave a comment here to let me know which one. This Bonus entry may be done only twice per person.
3 Bonus Entries – Add my blog button to your website and leave a link with the location. Be sure to give yourself 3 comments for credit.
5 Bonus Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog about the giveaway. Be sure to leave 5 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra entries

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. Contest starts today March 10th and ends at 10:59 EST on March 24, 2010. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to U.S. residents only.

Disclosure: This post was written for Family Review Network as part of a program for National Geographic, who supplied the book for review and giveaway. No other compensations was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own feelings about the product.