Summer Time and Your Kid's Skin

Summertime comes and kids go outside. That's just how it works. But are your kids protected from the sun?

Did you know that you get the majority of your sun exposure in the first 18 years of your life? So a sunburn you got as a kid might show up as cancer 30 years down the road. A burn is not the only result of the sun either. Those are just the UVB rays. The UVA rays are the ones that damage your skin, but stay hidden for years. This is what causes the aging. The wrinkles and sun spots an even cancer.

So what are your worries about your kid's skin care in the summer? Come fill out a brief survey from Skin MD Natural and you can be entered into a drawing to win 2 free bottles of Skin MD Natural. Just be sure to tell them that Trisha from Sweet 'n' Sassy Girls sent you to be entered into the drawing.

If you want to read more about the survey and why it is taking place, be sure to stop by my blog, Sweet 'n' Sassy Girls!

WIN: Celsius Burns Calories

Some of us may still be trying to lose a few pounds before summer starts. There is no quick fix, but there is a drink that says it will let you burn 100 calories or more per serving! Celsius! Plus, it also helps keep you alert and increase energy.

It has the same amount of caffeine as two cups of coffee - 200 mg. And it also contains "Metaboost", which is a combination of Taurine, Guarana extract, Green Tea Leaf extract, the caffeine, Glucuronolactane and ginger extract.

Each can has 10 calories - but burns 100 calories or more!

My family had the opportunity to try five cans. Now, I am a picky person when it comes to drinks so I tested it on my husband first. I gave him the Raspbery Acai and Peach Mango teas. He felt no affects from the increased caffeine, but he is also 220 pounds and takes a lot of caffeine during the day. The 200 mg was like a rain drop in the ocean.

Now, I like Orange Soda, so that was the first flavor I tried myself - carbonated Orange. The flavor was weaker than Orange Soda, but it definetely revved me up for play dates and kept me going for hours. Next I tried the Ginger Ale. Whoa - now that was FULL of Ginger Flavor! In fact, it was more gingery than the Ginger Beer (non alcoholic) that I crave when pregnant! Finally, I tried the Lemon-Lime. I could taste a ginger after-taste, but it was still very delicious! I had it at 7 am and it gave me enough energy to bring my gma on errands with the kids and go on another playdate without pause!

Did it burn calories? Hard to say since I only tried 3 cans! But, I think that Celsius is worth a shot as part of a diet and exercise plan to get you ready for summer!

WIN WIN WIN

Would you like to win a sampling of Celsius Drinks? Visit Celsius and check out the different flavors available. Tell me what Flavor appeals to you the most!

Extra Entries: the Mandatory Entry must be done first. Leave a comment for each action taken.

• Follow PlayDate Picks on Twitter and Tweet about the giveaway
• Follow PlayDate Picks Add PlayDate Picks button to your blog
• Blog about this giveaway with links back to Celsius & PlayDate Picks!
• Join PlayDate Picks Forum and come back here and let us know your member name
  

If your entries do not follow the rules, they will be deleted!

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on June 14, 2009. If the prize is not claimed within 72 hours a new winner will be chosen. I will email prize winner and also post winners name here on Playdate Picks the day after the contest ends.
Winner will be chosen at Random! I will be using Random.com to select the winner.
Contest open to U.S. residents only.

This is solely the opinion of the Mom Buzz. Other people may have different experiences with the product.

ATKINS BARS

Recently the PlayDate Picks Moms had an opportunity to try Atkins Bars. Most of us are old enough to remember the big fuss over the meat-and-eggs diet. People lost an amazing amount of weight, but there were always those who said it wasn't, couldn't be healthy. I can't say one way or another - I don't have a PhD in nutrition! But I can say this, Atkins has changed.

It's no longer touted as a diet for quick weight loss, but a healthy lifestyle. Atkins will change your body from a fat-storing to fat-burning machine! And they provide snack, shakes and bars to help keep you from straying.

I can say I tried the Endulge and Advantage Bars for over a week. I didn't follow according to the program, there are a few stages, but I didn't gain weight from eating any of their delicious, decadent bars. And I thought they were a great pick-me up for when I was running around with two crrrazy boys.

You can read my full review at the Mom Buzz. But don't just take my word for it. Read what the other PlayDate Moms said!

Trisha, Sweet-n-Sassy Girls:

I have to say that my favorite were by far the Endulge bars. In fact, their Caramel Nut Chew Bar tasted just like a Snickers bar.

Susan, Life in a House of Blue:

I am not trying to lose weight right now but would like to maintain it and also eat healthier while doing so. As a mom of a very active toddler and a "Mom Taxi" for my older boys, I find it hard to watch what I eat and I find myself doing a lot of grabbing whatever and eating on the go which means a lot of "junk".

Heather, Grab Bag Reviews:

If you've ever even considered dieting I'm sure you have heard of Atkins. The Atkins diet is what we all know to have started the no-carb low-carb craze that became dieting's biggest fad. After a while things tapered off, but this brand has left an imprint on all of us and raised our awareness of good carbs vs. bad carbs.

Jenna, For the Love of Baby:

This Mom got the chance to check out several Atkins Advantage Bars and they were great to grab when I was in a rush out the door.

Samantha, As They Grow Up:

I think my favorite was the Peanut Butter Cups. Atkins bars are great for any mom on the go to put in their purse or diaper bag for when you need it!

Melinda, Look What Mom Found:

My mother and father have been on Atkins on and off for years. When they stuck to the plan it worked but they easily fell off the wagon when their lives got too busy to snack healthy and plan meals regularly. When I recently introduced them to Atkins Day Atkins Advantage and Atkins Endulge bars they were hooked. They both stocked up on their favorite flavors to keep at work for a healthy alternative to vending machine choices.

WIN WIN WIN

We are all thankful that we were able to try these bars! Now you can too! I am choosing one winner tomorrow. Simply visit Atkins.com and tell me what product looks completely delicious. I am choosing one winner today. This was a prize that was unclaimed TWICE at the Mom Buzz. So, I have to say I am giving you 24 hours to claim this prize once I e-mail you.

GOOD LUCK!

Sane Fitness

When you are a Mom, it's constantly "Go Go Go", isn't it? Schedules are busy running children to appointments, after school activities and everything else a Mom does in her "insane" life. So when does Mom get to work out?

Sane Fitness is helping you out with their Sane Fitness Cards! Staying active is a great way to stay fit and of course feel good about yourself. With the Sane Fitness Quickstart Cards, you have the workout routine sets filled with exercises that are easy and fast to do and of course, you can manipulate them to work with what's right for you.

Head on over to For The Love of Baby! to learn more about Sane Fitness, including their "Preggers Workout Card Kit" so you can stay active during pregnancy as well!

Intelligent First Aid Home & Travel Kit Review & Giveaway

We are always on the go and with 3 kids, there seems to always been an injury at one point or another. I never seem to be prepared to handle them until now. I recently had the opportunity to try the Intelligent First Aid Home & Travel kits. These kits are great and have EVERYTHING you may need to cover injuries. I keep the Home addition in the kitchen since that is a central location in our home. It is so easy to grab and use no matter what happens. I also love that every packet has instructions on things to look for and how to do it.

The travel kit always stays in the car. That way should be we have an accident at the park, or riding the bike it is handy to cover any of those situations. I love how they come in a great carry pack and everything is divided into neat little sections. It makes it so easy and fast to find what you are looking for. The last thing I want to do in an injury is try to dig for the correct thing.

To read more of this review and for a chance to win, visit As They Grow Up

Germy Wormy

Germy Wormy teaches kids ages 2 - 7 the 3 keys to preventing the spread of germs and illness.

1. Cough or sneeze into your elbow .2. Keep germs away from your face. 3. Germ Stoppers 5 teaches good hand washing practices.

We received a box of Germy Wormy Disposable Sleeves , 1 DVD Germy Wormy Protecting the Fort Puppet Show which is a Sesame Street like puppet show on DVD that entertains kids while educating them about germs . The Puppet Show surprisingly kept my 2y/o attention and my 9 y/o enjoyed it even though it is recommended for ages 2-7 y/o. I was also emailed the Parent Guide . One of the best tidbits from the Parent's Guide is a great activity that lets your child visualize germs and the effects of not containing coughs and sneezes in their elbow. To read my full review of Germy Wormy visit Here and enter to WIN a Germy Wormy starter pack (3 winners).

Skin MD for Dry Skin

The weather where I live is extremely unpredictable. It is usually quite humid here, but lately it has been pretty dry. One day it will be cold and the next hot. One day we wear shorts and the next we wear a coat. All this back and forth wreaks havoc on my family's skin.

My hubby and I were scratching our legs until they were sore due to terrible dry skin and my 22 month old was waking up because his skin was so dry. I also have problems with Psoriasis and very dry feet. I had tried a lot of lotions that would help for a little bit but soon the itching and dry skin was back.

Well, recently I heard the buzz about http://www.skinmdnatural.com/ and thought I'd give it a try. Don't you want to hear what I thought? Well, read my complete review on Skin MD Natural at Potamus Prefers.

EarCheck

What is Earcheck ? EarCheck Middle Ear Monitor accurately and painlessly detects the presence of middle ear fluid, a key sign of an ear infection. Used by pediatricians for years, EarCheck helps you determine when your child might have an ear infection and allows for more meaningful conversations with your child's doctor.
How Does it work ? It uses gentle sound waves to accurately and painlessly detect the presence of middle ear fluid, a key sign of an ear infection.
Easy to use: You hold your child's ear up and back, stick the tip into your child's ear, just like an ear thermometer, and push the scan button again
There are then 3 color-coded levels:
1 - green = fluid unlikely
2 - yellow = monitorr
3 through 5 - red = consult the Doctor


My Youngest son has had 2 double ear infections in the last 2 months. Both times he had no symptoms. With the first one he went to the Dr. for his well check and that is when we discovered it. They 2nd one was when we went to the Dr. to make sure his ears had cleared up and we realized that his medication did not work and he still had the double ear infection. A few days after starting his 2nd round of medication I received the EarCheck and I checked his ears right away. By then his medication had started working and it read 2-yellow (monitor) and a few days after that it read 1-green (fluid unlikely). That was a great sign that this time the new meds were working. Since he seems not to have symtoms when his ears are infected I plan on checking him regularly with the EarCheck. I think my favorite feature is that it is so easy to use in your own home anytime. I wish I would of had this for my older kids when they were smaller !

The EarCheck would make a great baby gift for any new mom !

The EarCheck is available online at www.earcheck.com. It is also available at Babies R Us and WalMart,Target and Walgreens

Retail Value is $49.95

Corazonas Heart Healthy Snacks

Corazonas Heart Healthy Snacks offer Potato Chips, Whole Oat Tortilla Chips and Whole Grain Tortilla Chips in many different flavors. My favorite was the Pacific Rim Barbecue. I was surprised of the great taste, for some reason I always think that if it is good for you it will not taste good. I would purchase Corazonas Heart Healthy Snacks knowing that they are a better snack choice for my family and since my husbands Dr. has told him his cholesterol is on the higher side and he needs to take steps to lower it.
Do you need lower your cholesterol ? Take the Corazonas Challenge and help lower your cholesterol in just 28 days!
To read my full review of Corazonas Heart Healthy Snacks visit Life In A House Of Blue !

Nosefrida

For those of you who have toddler or babies, you know how hard it is when they have a stuffy nose. Those blue bulbs don't work very well, and they are miserable! Well, I have found the perfect solution. It's called Nosefrida. Weird name, but works great! My toddler thought it was fun to use. How often do you find something like that?

Are you intrigued? I know you are! If you want to read more about it, check out my review of Nosefrida. Oh, and the best part is, I'm giving one away! So be sure to enter my contest for the chance to win! You can also get a free filter bag with every order when you enter Sweet 'n' Sassy Girls in the Comment line.

Things to Help Get You Through the Cold and Flu Season

Cold and flu season is upon us. The coughing, the runny noses, the fevers. I've got the scoop on some great things that can help you get through this, such as a humidifier, a waterless vaporizer, and a digital thermometer. I've also got some great tips on how to survive this yucky season designed for kids of all ages.

I also wanted to introduce you to a great source- the board certified MommyDocs. They provide practical pediatric information for moms, by moms (and doctors!) It's two doctors who are also moms, who provide a resource for other moms. How cool is that? You can also find some of their tips at Cold and Flu Central.