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.

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.

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

Fantastic Mr. Fox on DVD and Giveaway!*

Fantastic Mr. Fox is coming to DVD and Blu-Ray Disc/DVD Combo Pack (Blu-ray, DVD and a Digital Copy)from Twentieth Century Fox on March 23! Be the first to get a DVD of it by winning a copy from this blog!!!

Home Entertainment Academy Award-winning Hollywood heavyweights George Clooney (Up In The Air) and Meryl Streep (It’s Complicated) lend their voices to the hilarious, heartwarming and dazzling stop-motion animated adventure from visionary director Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenebaums) Fantastic Mr. Fox.  In the re-imagined classic family tale, Mr. and Mrs. Fox (Clooney and Streep) live a happy home life with their eccentric son Ash (Jason Schwartzman: The Darjeeling Limited) and visiting nephew Kristopherson.  That is until Mr. Fox slips into his sneaky, old ways and plots the greatest heist the animal world has ever seen.  When mean old farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean join forces to surround Mr. Fox and his family, they don’t realize they are not dealing with any old fox – it’s Fantastic Mr. Fox and he has a fantastic master plan to save the day! Based on the beloved best-selling book by Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Fantastic Mr. Fox is family fun at its finest. Anderson employs a colorful supporting cast to bring his eccentric characters to life including Bill Murray (Lost In Translation), Owen Wilson (Marley & Me) and Willem Dafoe (Spiderman triology).  The DVD and Blu-ray Disc/DVD Combo Pack are packed with behind-the-scenes bonus features, including a special inside look at how stop-motion animation really works and much more.

I was sent a screener of this movie to preview with my family. My youngest son, who is 10, had already seen it at the movie theatre with his school for a class field trip but the rest of us hadn’t seen it. I must say, I was pretty disappointed by it. I was so excited to get a copy of it to review but I just couldn’t grasp the storyline of it. It does have some pretty funny parts, and my 10 and 13 yr. old sons just think it is a great movie. It just wasn’t my taste in movies. It also did not keep the attention of my 4 yr. old daughter who I let watch it. I personally believe it is for older children. Ten is about the right age to maybe 15.  If I was rating this movie on a scale of 1 – 10 with 10 being the best, I would give it a 7.

It does have some cute parts and I love the animation. It is really neat. But the storyline just didn’t get it with me. I would NOT say this movie was a total bust for movies, it just isn’t my type. My favorite part was when they moved into the new tree home. I wish I could live in a tree like that

Here are some activity pages for your children to do that go along with the movie :

Now, you can WIN a copy of this movie for your children. There will be 3 winners. Winners will be chosen by random.org.  Here is how :

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 Fantastic Mr. Fox on DVD  here : http://is.gd/8U6bx  pls rt? ty  ” – up to 3 tweets per day, for a total of 3 entries per day (please leave separate comments).

These giveaway’s begin NOW and will end on March 3rd, 2010 at 8pm EST.  THREE winners names will be posted to this site by March 4th. Winners will NOT be emailed.

Thank you for entering, and Good Luck!

The Plus Size Mommy

*I was sent the screener DVD of this movie at no charge from Twentieth Century Fox Home
Entertainment. Winners copies will also be sent at no charge to me. The views and review of this DVD are my own personal honest thoughts.

Olympic Winter Days Recipe With Hillshire Farm

If your a sports fan family, like mine is, you will enjoy this new recipe you can make while watching the games.

Baked Sauerkraut with Turkey Lit’l Smokies

PREP TIME 10 minutes

BAKE TIME 30 minutes

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. Hillshire Farm Turkey Lit’l Smokies
• 1 TBS butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 medium apple, chopped
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, packed
• 1 can (14 oz.) sauerkraut, rinsed, drained

Preperation:

Preheat oven to 350F degree’s. Open package of Lit’l Smokies and drain off any liquid. Melt butter in a large kitchen skillet over medium- high heat. Add onion and apple cook and stir until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in brown sugar; remove from heat. Place sauerkraut into a 1- 1/2 quart baking dish. Top with sauerkraut with Lit’l Smokies and apple mixture. Bake 30 – 35 minutes or until hot.

ENJOY while watching your favorite Winter Olympic games!

Thanks to the great folks at Sara Lee and Hillshire Farm, I was sent a package of : Turkey Lit’l Smokies and Hillshire Farm Chicken Smoked Sausage samples to try.

The Hillshire Farm Chicken Smoked Sausage just came out this month! So you can go pick some up at your favorite grocery store today!

My family really enjoyed the Hillshire Farm Sausages. It was  nice  for a nice hot meal that smelled soooooo great while baking. I believe you can also make this recipe in a slow cooker, if you would like the smell to linger all day long. I love the smell of sauerkraut! We ate it while watching the snow fall all around us (outside) and it made our tummies so good and full. This is a wonderful winter time meal. The chicken sausage was just as good as any other of the sausages that Hillshire Farm makes. Then yes, we did watch the Olympics on tv after. I am so impressed by the skiing and how fast they zoom down those hills like it is easy as a piece of pie! They are very fun to watch.

Enjoy the recipe and enjoy the Olympics too

The Plus Size Mommy

* I was sent the packages of sausage, coupons, and recipes at no charge thanks to Sara Lee, and Hillshire Farm. Our home has always eaten Hillshire Farm brand and Sara Lee brand items. The thoughts and review of the recipe, and words are all my own honest opinion. Hillshire Farm was also a partial sponsor of mine for the Blissdom conference.

“Snow The Race Horse” – Book Review

When the book “Snow The Race Horse” by Demi Knight Clark came in the mail, my near 2 yr. old daughter was so excited that a new book came for her. The pictures in the book are so cute, and my daughter just loves horses. This alone was enough to catch her attention. This book was very neat how they taught about teamwork and friendship between the  little horse and her friend Tuga  that were trying to win the race. You will want to read this book with your child(ren) to see the outcome of who wins the checkered flag at the end!  Snow’s adventures won’t end just there either, as you can now also pre-order up and coming books in this little series. All which will teach a lesson to your child(ren).

My 4 yr. old daughter loves horses too, and she was very drawn into this book and it is just long enough to keep their attention span.

You can read more about, Joint the mailing list,  order, fan on Facebook, and follow on twitter this book here : http://www.snowtheracehorse.com .

The Plus Size Mommy

*I was sent this book to review for  free on behalf of my relationship with Parent Reviewers. My thoughts and my honest review of this book are my own.

“Catty Wompus” Book Review

Catty Wompus is a Brightly colored book that is about Friendship written by Julie Howe.

My daughters really enjoyed this story about a little girl named Catty Wompus who had everything but was not a very nice little girl, until one day another little girl gave her a chance at friendship. It tells about how having a honest friendship is much better than any material things you could ever have.

I really enjoy reading this story to my girls. They may be a little young to understand the whole concept, but I feel by starting to instill these concepts into a child as early as possible truly can start to shape how your child see’s the World around them and the people in it.

It is very important that children give other kids a chance, even if they seem like they are mean or miserablefriendship or love might be the one missing link in their lives that they do not have, that can completely change their little World for them.

You can buy the book, learn more about the book and sign up for the mailing list here : http://www.amtopmcreative.com/clients/cattywompus/

You can Fan the book on Facebook here :  http://is.gd/8KAYP

I think your daughters will find this an enjoyable book and I believe you will enjoy reading it to them.

The Plus Size Mommy

*I was sent this book to review for  free on behalf of my relationship with Parent Reviewers. My thoughts and my honest review of this book are my own.

Iron Man: Armored Adventures, Volume 2 and Giveaway! *

Prepare to blast off with boy-genius Tony Stark when“Iron Man: Armored Adventures” Volume 2 flies onto DVD January 5 from Marvel Animation, Method Films, Genius Products and Vivendi Entertainment! Jam-packed with six all new high-octane episodes, join the adventures of Tony and his friends as they risk it all facing bigger challenges, more secrets, more showdowns and two new chaotic villains, Living Laser and Madam Masque.  Using the latest technology and a little teamwork, it’s up to the teenage prodigy and his ever-evolving, adaptable armor – including the unveil of two brand-new suits – to save the world from evil whenever duty calls.

Over the holidays my family and I had the chance to review this great DVD. My sons and my husband just loved it. They had been looking forward to it ever since I was asked to review it. It was a nice treat to curl up with a bowl of popcorn and watch it all together when the snow is falling outside, and goodness knows we have had a ton of snow ever since!

Now you can also win a copy of this DVD for your family(3 winners). Here is how :

1. Fave my site on momfaves – comment and let me know you have = 1 entry
2. Tweet the following on Twitter (up to 3 times per day)  ” Win Iron Man 2 on @plussizemommy  ’s blog here :  http://digg.com/u1Nj0b    ”               – (up to 3 entries per day)comment with tweet thread and please leave separate entries.
3. 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.
4. Use stumbleupon, technorati, digg for this site/post.  - comment letting me know which you have done = 1 entry per way.

This giveaway starts NOW and will end on Feb. 27th at 8PM EST. 3 Winners will be posted to this site by the 28th. Winners will not be contacted and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. 3 Winners will be chosen via random.org.

You must be a subscriber to this blog to win, as with any of my giveaways.

Good Luck, and Thank you for entering.

The Plus Size Mommy

*disclosure – I was sent the Iron Man Vlm. 2 dvd free to do this review, and also the 3 giveaway copies are also being sent at no charge to me.

Valentines Day with SENSEO*

Perk up your love life this Valentine’s Day and give your sweetheart a gift that will last much longer than a box of chocolates! Senseo Gourmet Coffee is the perfect gift that will satisfy your Valentine for years to come. Enjoy superbly roasted coffee at the touch of a button with Senseo, the world’s leading single-serve coffee brand, and brew a perfectly consistent cup of coffee in under a minute.  With over 15 different coffee blends (at only 5 cents a cup!) Senseo is sure to please even the toughest loved one and keep your love life hot and steamy.

*Valentine’s Day Tip – Dress up your cup by adding whipped cream with raspberries or almonds!

Senseo Coffee Machines come in three different models – Original, Deluxe and Supreme – and range from $69.99 – $139.99.  16-18 pod packages range from $4.99-$5.49.

This coffee maker makes the perfect Valentine’s Day present for the coffee lover in your life. The coffee it brews tastes so smooth and rich. The aroma it leaves is wonderful, fills the whole house. I love how easy and quick it is to make a cup of Joe, or 2 : one for me and one for the hubster.

I was sent a Senseo Machine to try out with a package of the Kona coffee pods and also a pack of the Breakfast coffee pods. I love the breakfast one and my husband likes the Kona blend.  Something else I love is that it is only about 5 cents per cup ! You cannot beat that price. I have other name brand coffee makers and it is more expensive to buy the coffee for them.

Happy Valentines Day to All

The Plus Size Mommy

* I received the Senseo machine and the 2 packs of coffee pods at no cost to enable me to do this review. Thanks to Senseo and the MWW group.

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