Mirra Beauty Products Review and Giveaway*

What do women want? According to recent survey results, women believe beauty products made with both natural ingredients and proven scientific technologies work best – and that’s what new beauty brand, mirra™ provides.

In addition to its own consumer research, mirra recently conducted an online survey of over 500 women asking a variety of questions about beauty care products and regimens.   Here’s what women said:

· 77 percent said products that have both natural ingredients and proven technologies, work best. Only nine percent said products with all natural ingredients, alone, were best; and 14 percent said the same of science only products.

· 71 percent chose “Take 10” as the best description of their beauty style and routine. They said they don’t have a lot of time and don’t spend a lot of time on their beauty routine – 10 minutes at most.   Other options included “soak and savor,” “60 minutes,” and  “beat the clock.”

· Their description of a “bad hair day” was evenly split between “flat” (37 percent) and “frizzy” (35 percent). (15 percent said fly-away; 13 percent said oily).

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.

Why mirra

“Women tell us they want products that enhance who they are and their natural beauty. They don’t want to disguise or cover up their true selves,” said Linda Severin, Vice President of Corporate Brands for The Kroger Co.   “mirra uses the best of nature and science to provide women a beauty regimen that is both easy and effective.”

A Closer Look at mirra

The natural and scientific ingredients in mirra products are tested for effectiveness.  For example, in mirra’s micro-remodeling cream, aloe and green tea team up with MATRIXL 3000 to reduce wrinkles, provide skin firmness, to sooth and deliver antioxidant properties.  A study of MATRIXL 3000 was shown, in just two months, to significantly reduce wrinkle depth and skin roughness and improve skin tone.

FROM ME : I was recently given the opportunity to test out some Mirra beauty products for myself. I was sent body wash, shampoo, conditioner, day cream, night cream, eye cream, and lotion all full size products. I was asked to try them for a period of 2 weeks and then tell you what I think. Well, first off, I love that they are made with natural ingredients. I have been trying to go greener and also use less harsh things on my body, as well as on my families. So, I was impressed to read this about the Mirra Products.

They even just smell more natural. Which is the next thing I tend to do when trying a new product. I do a “smell test”. If I do not like the smell, I am not going to be putting it on my body or hair. Mirra products smell great, basically there isn’t much of a smell because they are natural, which is great by me.

Now, I must remind you (or if your a new reader) I do have insanely sensitive skin. Also, this winter has harmed my scalp a lot. I have had more flakes of my scalp then we have had snow flakes, well maybe not really, but I have been having issues!

The body wash is great, it didn’t break me out one bit, works nicely, and it made my skin feel soft. The shampoo and conditioner, made my hair very silky feeling and didn’t dry my scalp like other shampoo’s sometimes do (on me).

I like the day and night creams, they helped to keep my skin on my face feeling moist all day long. I didn’t use the eye cream much, just one time per day, and it also felt silky on my eyes.

The lotion also kept my legs and arms soft and moisturized and I didn’t have any problems with break outs. Which I hesitate to try new things due to my sensitiveness but knowing this was all natural I was ok to give it all a try. I am glad I did.

REMEMBER to go and get your coupon here: http://www.kroger.com/in_store/corporate_brands/Pages/mirra.aspx so you can try these great products for yourself. ALSO, you can have a chance at winning a gift pack like the one I received to try.

Here is how you can WIN :

1. Fave my site on momfaves – comment and let me know you have = 1 entry
2. FAN my Facebook page : you can do that by clicking on “Follow this blog” over on my sidebar or by going to Facebook and following The Plus Size Mommy.- Comment and let me know you did = 1 entry.
3. Use stumbleupon, technorati, digg for this site/post. – comment letting me know which you have done = 1 entry per way.
4. Tweet the following on Twitter – ” Win a MIRRA Beauty gift pack on @plussizemommy ’s Blog here :  http://twurl.nl/mt6q7p  ”    – Tweet up to 3 times per day = up to 3 entries per day. Please comment leaving tweet thread, and please leave separate comments for each entry.

This giveaway begins NOW and will end on March 18th, 2010 at 7PM EST.  Winner will be chosen via random.org. Winner must be a subscriber to this blog. Also Winner must reside in US ONLY! Winner will be posted to this site by March 19th. Winners will NOT be emailed.

Thank you for all who enter and Good Luck!

The Plus Size Mommy

*Disclosure – I received these products courtesy of The Kroger Company for review and giveaway as a part of the Global Influence Network. Also the giveaway products will be sent to the winner from the company at no charge to me.

About The Kroger Co.:

Kroger, the nation’s largest traditional grocery retailer, employs more than 326,000 associates who serve customers in 2,469 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Jay C, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith’s. The Company also operates 773 convenience stores, 392 fine jewelry stores, 850 supermarket fuel centers and 40 food processing plants in the U.S. Kroger, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, focuses its charitable efforts on supporting hunger relief, health and wellness initiatives, and local organizations in the communities it serves. For more information about Kroger, please visit www.kroger.com.

Healthy Choice introduced 11 new meals and You can WIN!*

Staying on track with your healthy lifestyle can be hard between work, gym trips, school, sports and busy family schedules. To help you step away from the “diet” food and toward foods that’s not only good, but good for you, Healthy Choice introduced 11 new products to its Café Steamers, All Natural Entrées and Select Entrées product lines.

With four new varieties of Café Steamers, four new All Natural Entrées and three new Select Entrées, consumers can eat great tasting food every day of the week.

New Mediterranean-Inspired Café Steamers

Building on the popularity of the Grilled Basil Chicken recipe, the new Mediterranean Inspired Café Steamers such as Lemon Garlic Chicken and Shrimp and Balsamic Garlic Chicken add fresh-tasting meals options to your daily routine. And with Healthy Choice All Natural Entrées Tortellini Primavera Parmesan and Select Entrées Spicy Caribbean Chicken, consumers can enjoy delicious foods, while maintaining their healthy lifestyle.

More Information

All new meals are nutrient-rich, contain no preservatives and are available NOW at grocery stores nationwide for a suggested retail price range of $2.00 to $3.29. Please see below for a complete list of new entrées and a press release announcing these new meals. You can also visitwww.healthychoice.com for more information.

Healthy Choice All Natural Entrées:

• Tortellini Primavera Parmesan (new recipe)
• Lobster Cheese Ravioli (new recipe)
• Roasted Red Pepper Marinara (new recipe)
• Creamy Basil Pesto (new recipe)

Healthy Mediterranean Inspired Choice Café Steamers:

• Balsamic Garlic Chicken (new recipe)
• Grilled Vegetables Mediterranean (new recipe)
• Lemon Garlic Chicken and Shrimp (new recipe)
• Grilled Basil Chicken

Healthy Choice Asian Inspired Café Steamers

• Chicken Pad Thai (new recipe)

Healthy Choice Select Entrées:

• Pineapple Chicken (new recipe)
• Ravioli Florentine Marinara (new recipe)
• Spicy Caribbean Chicken (new recipe)

FROM ME : I am officially in love with Healthy Choice Meals. I eat them ALL the time, and I am so thankful I was introduced them.  In my mission to eating more healthy and also living a more healthy lifestyle all around, they have helped me IMMENSLEY to stay more on track. The meals are low in calories and have so many great vitamins in them. I love that I can eat good food and it is so healthy for me, and a cinch to cook!

My favorites from the new dishes are the Pineapple Chicken, Balsamic Garlic Chicken, and the Lemon Garlic Chicken and Shrimp. The flavors in these meals just blow me away! They taste like fresh from the farm! Seriously! who would’ve thought a frozen meal or any microwaveable meal could be so good!  But you don’t have to take my word for it, now you can have a chance at winning a  VIP coupon to try a meal on me!!!

Here is how you can WIN!!!

1. Comment and let me know what Meal from the list above catches your eye and makes your mouth water that you would love to try FREE on me ?  = 1 entry

2. Fave my site on momfaves – comment and let me know you have = 1 entry

3. Fave  Healthy Choice or Conagra  on momfaves – comment and let me know you have = 1 entry per fave

4. FAN my Facebook page : you can do that by clicking on “Follow this blog” over on my sidebar or by going to Facebook and following The Plus Size Mommy.- Comment and let me know you did = 1 entry.

5. Use stumbleupon, technorati, digg for this site/post. – comment letting me know which you have done = 1 entry per way.

6. Tweet the following on Twitter – ” Win a Healthy Meal from @HealthyChoice on @plussizemommy ’s Blog here :http://twurl.nl/vs2rp2    ” – Tweet up to 3 times per day = up to 3 entries per day. Please comment leaving tweet thread, and please leave separate comments for each entry.

This giveaway starts NOW and ends on St. Patty’s Day ! Luck o The Irish to ya my friends ! This will end at 8PM EST.

3 Winners will each receive a VIP coupon for a FREE Healthy Choice Meal  Winners will be posted to this site and not emailed directly, so if you enter, please check back, I have been getting a ton of unclaimed prizes lately.

Winners will all be chosen via random.org. Winners must be subscribers to this blog to win. Winners must reside in USA.

Thank you all for entering and Good Luck!

The Plus Size Mommy

* I was sent some free meals to try thanks to Conagra, also the prizes for the giveaway are all provided to me free of charge from Conagra. I am however paying postage to the winners on my own expense. All thoughts and comments about Conagra Healthy Choice Meals are my own unbiased opinion.

General Mills Grains of Goodness and a Giveaway!*

Did you know that studies have found that a diet rich in whole grain can be helpful in maintaining a healthy heart, managing weight and may also reduce the risk for diabetes and certain types of cancer?

Only whole grain gives you the vital nutrients from the complete grain. In addition to fiber, whole grain contains antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients important for a healthy diet. General Mills is the only leading cereal company to guarantee whole grain in every box.** Every day, General Mills’ Big G Cereals – which include Cheerios, Fiber One, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Chex, Total and Lucky Charms – deliver 35 million servings of whole grain to Americans. General Mills makes it easy to find whole grains, just look for the white check on the top of every Big G cereal box for your whole grain guarantee.

In a national survey, 91 percent of Americans said they want to incorporate more whole grain foods into their diets. In fact, nine out of 10 people in the U.S. still do not eat the minimum recommended daily amount of whole grain (at least three servings, or 48 grams). Do you? Why not start keeping track of how many whole grains you eat to find out?

We invite you to take the Whole Grain Awareness Challenge.
Visit www.WholeGrainNation.com to put your whole grain knowledge to the test.

In addition to sharing the good news about whole grain, we’re excited to announce some more great news for cereal lovers. Just last month General Mills announced a commitment to further reduce sugar in cereals advertised to kids under 12 to single-digit grams of sugar per serving. The company has already been reducing sugar in cereals while increasing key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, and providing whole grain.

Now you have the opportunity to WIN a Whole Grain Prize pack that contains the following :

2 VIP coupons for Big G cereals, tote bag, a large cereal mug, a breakfast chiller

Here is how you can win…

1. Comment and let me know what your Favorite Big G cereal is ?  = 1 entry

2. Fave my site on momfaves – comment and let me know you have = 1 entry

3. Fave Big G cereals on momfaves – comment and let me know you have = 1 entry

4. FAN my Facebook page : you can do that by clicking on “Follow this blog” over on my sidebar or by going to Facebook and following The Plus Size Mommy.- Comment and let me know you did = 1 entry.

5. Use stumbleupon, technorati, digg for this site/post. – comment letting me know which you have done = 1 entry per way.

6. Tweet the following on Twitter – ” Win a  Big G cereal Prize pack  on @plussizemommy ’s Blog here : http://twurl.nl/pu2zpn  ” – Tweet up to 3 times per day = up to 3 entries per day. Please comment leaving tweet thread, and please leave separate comments for each entry.

This giveaway starts NOW and will end on March 16th, 2010 at 6PM EST. Winner must respond within 48 hours of winner posting to claim your prize, or another winner may be selected. Winners must reside in USA (48 consecutive states). Winner MUST be a subscriber to this blog. Winner will be chosen via random.org. Winners name will be posted to this site by March 17th. Winners will not be emailed directly.

Thank you for submitting an entry and Good Luck!

The Plus Size Mommy

*Disclosure - The information, VIP coupons and two “Grains of Goodness” prize packs (the coupons, chiller, mug, and tote bag) were all provided General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Your Shape For Wii; A Review*

I have been using the Your Shape for Wii fitness program for a little over 7 weeks now. I can definitely tell a change in my energy and have been feeling more active. I have changed my diet and been keeping track of my calories more and have been drinking a ton of water everyday, walking, and also cut wayyyyy back on soda.  My new healthier living lifestyle along with the Your Shape workouts have helped me to lose 12 pounds!

The your shape program puts a twist on all other Wii fitness programs. This one has a camera that hooks up easily to your Wii and you can see yourself side by side along with Jenny McCarthy on your television screen. It is really neat.  Seeing myself on camera and against Jenny’s fit body, motivated me to work out even more and to look like Jenny as a goal.

The only problem I have run into with this program has been the camera. It sometimes doesn’t pick up my moves and so it gives some wrong results, about how accurate my moves are. I do not let it frustrate me, I just modify my moves and keep on going with Jenny and keep with the work out.

I like that I have been able to use this program in my home. I am in PA and it has been a rough winter, so I haven’t been able to get out so much to do work outs or goto the gym as much. I enjoy being able to do this right at home. It has very modern, upbeat music that you can work out to. My children have sometimes even joined in.

Another of my favorite things about this program is how it has MANY different exercises. Do not get frustrated about not getting new ones right away, the more you use Your Shape, it seems the more you get to do. It took me a little while to figure this out.  Getting to do a new exercise is nice too. I like it to change it up a bit.

If your looking for an easy fitness program, this one may not be the one for you, however, if your like me, you can still do the work out with Jenny and just do it at your own pace.  Then as your more comfortable with it and get better at it, you can then start doing it at Jenny’s pace. Do not think that just because this is a “game” that it is going to be an easy peasy work out, cause that is not so at all! You WILL feel the “burn” and you will sweat, and you will see results with the Your Shape.

Some other equipment that I suggest you to buy along with this game, for maximum usage would be a body ball, weights (small hand type), and a step.

The Plus Size Mommy

* I have been sent the Your Shape for Wii by Ubisoft on behalf of my relationship with Collective Bias. I am in a 12 week challenge with a group of ladies who are all a part of Collective Bias. I also receive incentive gifts and gift cards for my time as part of the challenge. All of the thoughts, idea’s, and reviews and weightloss that I post are all my own honest results,opinions, and info.

Winners *

Congrats to the 3 winners of  The Fantastic Mr. Fox dvd :

1. Cheryl W.
2. Patti Bright
3. Tania

Also, congrats to the 2 winners of the Smoky Eye kits from CoverGirl :

1. Cat @  3 kids and us
2. J

To claim your prizes, please email me your addresses to plussizemommy@gmail.com  within 48 hours of now. After 48 hours new winners may be drawn. Thank you all for entering and Congrats again to the winners.. Enjoy!

The Plus Size Mommy

*Fantastic Mr. Fox and CoverGirl Smoky Eye Kits are being sent to the winners at no charge to me.I was sent a gift card from Covergirl and Collective Bias to shop for the Smoky Eye Kits, and also for my time. My opinions and anything I say about the Kits is my own. I always give my honest opinions on anything I review. Fantastic Mr. Fox dvd was also sent to me at no charge to review.

Oscars and Desserts A Sweet Combination*

As the Oscars are quickly approaching, you may be planning an evening get together to watch them with some friends? Well I would love to share with you some great desserts that you can make to make the evening a great tasting night as well.

Hyundai has a really fun recipe widget that offers some clever and mouthwatering desserts of this year’s nominated films including “Up in the Eclair” and “Inglorious Custards.”

The Plus Size Mommy

*Disclosure – This post was brought to you by Media Needle.

Most Baby Names iPhone App.

I remember when I was pregnant with all of my children searching through baby name books and online for the perfect name for them. I loved looking up the meanings and also reading the book with my husband. It is all part of the fun in planning for your new bundle of joy.

So now there is a new iPhone App. for expecting parents :

The Most Baby Names app is based off the #1 selling baby name book in the country, The Complete Book of Baby Names.

Why Most Baby Names?

* It’s fun, exciting, colorful and interactive! Hear babies giggling and ducks quacking or shake the rattle for a rockin’ good time!

* Most Baby Names features 103,000 names – competitive baby name apps don’t come close!  (Did you know the closest app has 6 times less names than we do?)

* Look up baby name definitions by clicking on the blue arrow in your lists or choose the * “Surprise Me” option for a combination of unique names.  (Who knows, we may have found you a winner!)

* Browse by individual letter or customize it to search for a specific first and last letter

* Add names to your Favorites List to look at later!

Types of Names

Use our simple list scroll to find various baby names under exciting topics such as:

* Celebrity names (i.e. Maddox, Phinnaeus and Beckett)

* Under the Radar Names (i.e. Bianca, Piper, Georgia)

* Name Alternatives, Most Popular in a particular year, Classic names and even College Football Stadium names!

They continuously incorporate feedback from our users and recently launched a redesigned app complete with many exciting updates!

The Plus Size Mommy

DiggersList For Disasters

We often lead ourselves to believe that a natural disaster will never hit our home. Yet, thousands of people’s homes are annually hit by fire, floods, earthquakes, tornados and hurricanes.  What’s worse, many home owners don’t carry the proper insurance to cover damages caused by natural disasters.

Matt Knox, Founder and CEO of DiggersList, a home improvement online resource, has 10 quick and cheap home-protection tips that will help you minimize damages to your home and your wallet.

For earthquakes:

• Fasten lamps, china and other small valuables to shelves or surfaces with puttylike anchoring or museum wax.
• Install latches on cabinet door in order to keep contents inside
• Secure your water heater to a wall stud with a water-heater strap

For fires:

• Install a fireplace screen to keep embers inside
• Have a spark arrestor installed in your chimney

For floods and rain:

• Install weather-stripping on and around doors and windows to prevent water from seeping into your home.
• Install storm shutters or create your own using precut sheets of plywood cut to fit into each window
• Install storm doors

Many of these items can be found via DiggersList, which when compared to stores like Home Depot can get save you 50 cents to the dollar on every purchase.

DiggersList is now available in Arizona, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, and Texas. However, they are looking for referrals to new cities to start lists in. So you can goto DiggersList.com and suggest a new city now.

The Plus Size Mommy

Winner of Tommee Tippee Gift Pack

Congrats to AMANDA, you are the winner of the Tommee Tippee bottles and sippy cups!

Please email me at plussizemommy@gmail.com to claim your prize! You have 48 hours to claim.

Thank you to everyone who entered.

The Plus Size Mommy

Your Shape Challenge Week 6 Update*

I am at week 6 in the Your Shape Challenge. Using the Your Shape fitness program from Ubisoft on the Wii to lose weight and get healthier.

This challenge has been tough for me. As you probably already know, losing weight is not just all about exercise. It is a lifestyle change complete with an all new way of eating. Which brings us to the week 6 Challenge that we were given : Finding Healthy Snacks.

Here is the exact challenge we were confronted with :

We were all sent a gift card to cover the cost of this week’s challenge.

Your mission: Find and/or create a healthy snack for yourself each day. Use your giftcard to shop for yourself at Walmart and find some great, healthy food to snack on.

Here are the Healthy Snacks I bought :

Banana’s – which I love, and I learned as I was in agonizing pain with pulled muscles, that these help to alleviate some of that.

Craisins – I bought the regular ones. These are dried Cranberries. They were al great tasting snack (as you can tell, since my bag is empty). I also was able to use them as toppings for yogurt.

Fiber One bars – I bought the peanut butter kind. These are delish. And eating just one, was able to curb my appetite till the next mealtime. They are very fulfilling.

True Delights Blueberry rice cakes- These are so good, they have a texture of a potato chip almost and taste very blueberryish, which I love. I had a coupon for these so I picked this to try, and I was very happy with this purchase.

Nature Valley Nut Clusters – Can you tell yet, that I LOVE peanut butter? These nut clusters are very good. I love the crunchiness and they are very satisfying after just a few.

Planter’s Peanuts with Sea Salt – Again, I love nuts, and I was watching Dr. Oz the one day and he was telling how great nuts are for you, and that ones with sea salt are very much better for you than regular salt.  I was able to eat these plain or use as toppings.

I think I am much more a salt eater than sweets. I am not that into chocolate, which is amazing to most people. Every once in a while I will crave a piece of chocolate or a candy bar. Chips and pretzels and anything salty is my downfall though. So that is why I tried to chose healthier snacks that had a lot of good things such as fiber, and iron in them, that were able to satisfy my “salt- tooth” at the same time.

I also bought some bottled water with my snacks and this :

A new addition to my exercise equipment that I can use with the Your Shape. A Body Ball. I haven’t tried it yet, because to tell the truth, I am feeling a bit nervous, that I will blow it us and get on it, and it will pop and I will fall to the floor on my face! But I am going to blow it up for Week 7 and get to using it. I am also excited to see what new exercises Jenny McCarthy will have for me to do on/with it. So this is my motivation.

As far as the weigh in goes for this week, I lost nothing this week  But I didn’t gain either. I must say, I was less active this week due to having to stay in because of the yucky weather here in Pittsburgh. I still did my 30 min. with the Yourshape 4 days this past week but I am thinking I need to switch it up a bit. By using the Body Ball this week, I should be able to accomplish this, plus I am hoping for better weather so I can get out and get moving more.

I think I may have done a little too much snacking this week and not enough exercising. We shall see what Week 7 has in store for me

How is your weight loss, fitness, get healthy goal going? Comment and tell me about it. How was your past week, and what are you going to change this week?

The Plus Size Mommy

* I am participating in the Your Shape Challenge through Collective Bias , I received the game for free and I am also receicing fun prizes and perks. Your Shape is from Ubisoft.The weight loss and any idea’s are my own. I received a gift card for this weeks challenge.

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