Hydrating Sugar Scrub Review & Giveaway

I am always so giddy when I hear that Moody Sisters will be rolling out a new product - there was no exception when I heard of the Hydrating Sugar Scrub.

There is so much to love about the Hydrating Sugar Scrub. For starters, it's a 3-in-1 container of awesomeness - It hydrates your skin. It refines and tightens your pores. It smooths your skin.

Wow. Wow. Wow.

The Hydrating Sugar Scrub also has age-fighting properties.

Wow.

Please note, if you have sensitive skin, you shouldn't use the sugar scrub, but it is ideal if you have normal to dry skin.

To use the Hydrating Sugar Scrub, you simply apply it to your skin (while your skin is dry) and gently use scrubbing motions. Rinse clean with a wet wash cloth and you are good to go - prepare to be amazed!

I was wondering what scent the Hydrating Sugar Scrub would have, but it doesn't really have one. Just a very light aroma...I can't even pinpoint what it would smell like (the first time I used it, I thought "is that chocolate? no...couldn't be...")

So, how did it work? Well, my skin is border-line sensitive, so I couldn't use this as frequently as suggested (3-5 days a week), but I was definitely super impressed with the Hydrating Sugar Scrub. It left my skin feeling incredibly soft and with a fresher tone to it.

I also loved that, while all the "scrub" washed away, there was still a soft-lotion-like feeling left behind. Not like a residue kind of feeling, but, very similar to that of the Intense Moisturizing Cream.

I'm honestly very jealous for those who can use the Hydrating Sugar Scrub on a more regular basis! I sure regular use would do wonders for your skin! When I can use it, I am thrilled, and can't wait for that silky smooth feeling that is to come when I wash it all away!

Are you feeling lucky?

The Moody Sisters are giving away a tin of the Hydrating Sugar Scrub!

To enter, simply fill out the following form.
(for us to be able to choose a winner, we must have at least 15 entrants)

You may need one or both of the following links:
Moody Sisters Facebook page
Moody Sisters Etsy shop


This giveaway will close on Thursday April 12, 2012 at 8pm (EST). At that time, I will use random.org to choose a winner.

Disclaimer:
I received a sample container of Hydrating Sugar Scrub for review. My review is honest and my own. You may have a different experience. Moody Sisters is sponsoring the giveaway of Hydrating Sugar Scrub.

Aromatherapy

                  Sometimes for me the hardest part of the winter to get through is the end. You have one day thats almost 70 degrees and you can be outside enjoying creation, and then the next day its 50 and windy/rainy and your stuck inside again. If you have kids this can be even harder to deal with because they remember how much fun they had outside yesterday and want to do it again! My oldest son has been asking every day for the past 2 weeks if he can go outside (this begins the minute he wakes up and ends once he is in bed), if its a nice day GREAT! But when I have to tell him no because its raining....but he still wants to go out.....oh the days can seem so long! ;-)  

  On days like this, its amazing what simple things can change my mood. The smell of baking cookies, a burning candle, my favorite perfume...... isn't it amazing what a great smell can do to lift your mood? If you have used Moody Sisters products you know that they all have amazing, refreshing scents! I just want to highlight a few of my favorites!

 Just yesterday I did a review for the Cocoa Intense Moisturizing Cream. This is not only a great product, but it gives me that great cocoa smell without the work in the kitchen. ;-)

    

 Before I got pregnant and had crazy dry skin, I was using the Almond Face & Body Whip. One of my favorite scents of all time is almond! I love using almond extract when I bake and Moody Sisters almond scented products make me just as happy.  (Apparently any scent that reminds me of baking is very pleasing to me)  ;-)

   

 A scent that I have not yet tried, but think would be fabulous , especially this time of year is the Clean Citrus. When spring is just approaching there is nothing better than a clean, refreshing smell. Anything citrusy (lemon or orange) makes me think clean! Maybe thats why everyone gets in the mood to do some good "Spring Cleaning", just to get those wonderful scents?!?

  

                  

   No matter what smells make you happy, Moody Sisters has some great products in a wonderful scent that will uplift your mood. :) 

My switch to organic skincare...

When I made the switch to organic skincare about 10 months ago, the decision had been a long time coming. I was not only worried about what I was putting on my own skin, but what I was exposing my children to as well. I would stand in the store, reading bottles and wondering what in the world these chemicals were, what they did...and how I was supposed to pronounce them!

On my mission to find organic skincare options, I tried many different products from different companies. I had a difficult time finding a product I wanted to continue to use, as many products didn't leave my skin feeling like I thought it should, or the price was outrageous.

I don't even remember how I found Moody Sisters, but I do remember being totally floored at how well the products worked that I initially purchased. My first purchase included the Foaming Face & Body Wash. My first thought after my first use, "Wow. I feel....clean." Not only did the Body Wash make me feel clean and fresh, but it washed clean off. I thought about how other body washes felt and realized that I had felt a residue after I used them. I shuddered at the thought of what was left on my skin.

Since that first purchase, I have tried - either from purchasing or being provided review products, nearly everything the Moody Sisters create. Overall, I have been incredibly impressed with the line of Moody Sisters products - from scents, to results, to the price, to the customer service.

Since making the switch to organic skincare, as well as implementing many of the 5 Steps to Healthy Skin, my skin has become softer and more alive looking. I know that it still has so far go, but will only improve as I continue to use products that are free of harmful chemicals.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for these statements. All opinions are my own and honest. You may have a different experience.

A Green Spring

I'm not sure where you live, but here in the great state of North Carolina, it has been so warm for so long already, it has induced major spring (more like summer) fever in this live-for-summer gal! I've had the itch to get to get to decorating for awhile now. I wanted to share a couple ideas for facing spring in a "green" way.

A friend of mine posted this Paint Chip Egg Garland on her blog the other day (linked from Modern Parents, Messy Kids), and I thought this was a fantastic, low-cost way to add some color and a season splash to your home.Being that I collect paint chips (why? because they're pretty, haha!), I can't wait to put them to great use and make this! Paint chips are free at your local hardware store (and did I mention they're so pretty?? ha!) The instructions mention using waxed cotton to thread them, but I imagine twine would look pretty earthy too.

I also love mason jars. I love drinking an ice cold sweet tea out of them, I love the look and feel of the sturdy glass and I love decorating with them. I love filling mason jars with whatever I can, especially in spring - Fresh flowers, plastic eggs, Easter grass, even long necklaces or strings of beads... you name it! Then setting them on the mantle, on top of the piano, in the window, on the kitchen table, and on and on...no space is safe in our home ;) If you don't already own Mason jars, they are easily found at thrift stores and yard sales, or bought for fairly cheap, new, at the store - in all sorts of sizes!

Another green way I like to freshen up around our home - cleaning out! Once we find out what we don't need anymore, we either throw it in the children's consignment sale box to sell in the next sale, post it on our local Freecycle or Craigslist, or donate to a local charity.

Cleaning with home made cleaners is another way we freshen up - although cleaning is a weekly (more like daily!) occurrence, using difference essential oils to add some fresh scent (like orange or lemon) can really lift you out of the winter doldrums.

This is in line with cleaning to freshen up, but what a difference cleaning your windows - inside and out - makes, allowing that gorgeous sun to shine in, full force!

What are some ways you switch seasons in a green way around your home?

Review for Cocoa Intense Moisturizing Cream

  About a month ago I was asked to take some time to review Moody Sisters new Cocoa Intense Moisturizing Cream.  I was really excited to review this product! Normally I have normal to oily skin, but when I am pregnant my skin is super dry. (Thats my official announcement! We are expecting baby #3 in September!).

   When I received my container of moisturizing cream I was so excited to try it out! First when I opened it the smell was AMAZING!! What girl doesn't love the smell of chocolate?!? Now as much as I do love the smell of chocolate, I don't really want to smell like it all day long. The scent in this cream is just enough to make you go "mmm....." , but it does not linger on you all day long.   As with any Moody Sisters product , a little goes a long way!! I was sent a travel size container of this cream and I have been using it for almost 3 weeks now and I have just made a dent in it.  This moisturizer has done the trick for my skin! It goes on smooth, doesn't feel greasy and my skin is no longer "flaky".

    You can purchase a 4 oz jar of Cocoa Intense Moisturizing Cream for just $12. Such a great bargain for how long this will last!

Clean Citrus Intense Moisturizing Cream: Review & GIVEAWAY

The healing properties in the ingredients are what makes this cream so amazing.
Cocoa Butter- Comes from the Cacao bean. This has softening and emollient properties used to prevent and hydrate chapped, dry, itchy skin. Great for eczema!
Sweet Almond Oil- Comes from the nut kernel of the sweet almond tree. It has natural softening and healing properties and is loaded with Vitamins A, B & E. It is very hydrating, but absorbs in the skin easily.

Oats Seed Extract- comes from oats. It has anti-inflammatory, soothing properties and helps retain moisture.

One of the first things that stood out to me when I first opened the jar of Clean Citrus Intense Moisturizing Cream was the literal CLEAN scent. The Citrus scent is not overpowering, but very fresh smelling. I thought long and hard about how to describe the intensity of the scent (because that is what I was wondering when I first heard "Clean Citrus." I decided the best way I could describe it: Squeeze an orange, let the immediate burst of scent fade for a few seconds, and what is left over is Clean Citrus - a lingering soft orange scent. Yummy enough to eat!
The Intense Moisturizing Cream works so incredibly well. If you haven't tried it, and you experience any sort of dry skin - be it from winter hands, handing paper all day, excessive hand washing, or lack of moisture - you will be nothing but amazed with the Moody Sisters line of Intense Moisturizing Creams. I can't say enough about how light the Intense Moisturizing Cream is. I think that was the biggest amazement for me the first time I tried the cream. I heard intense and I thought the cream was going to be thick and "lingering" but it absorbs into my skin so quickly. But the intense comes from how powerful the cream is - it works SO well.

I previously shared how great it worked for my husband and his cracked and bleeding hands (from working in a car parts warehouse) and healed his hands - they were still dry, but no longer cracked and bleeding. For my own hands, in the winter, I most likely over-wash - my hands get so incredibly dried out, but the Intense Moisturizing Cream took just a couple days to turn them back to silky smooth.

The Intense Cream can also be used as an amazing Diaper Rash cream! I used this on my 1 1/2 year old who had very chapped and red skin. Within a day the chapped skin was almost back to normal! Try this cream for skin that is irritated, wind chapped, sun burned, cracking, flaking, itchy, on extreme chapped lips or any skin that just needs a little TLC. **Note this is not meant to replace any medical treatment.
GIVEAWAY: You can have a chance at getting your very own Intense Cream by entering to win one of the SEVEN $35 gift certificates that Moody Sisters is giving away on the Money Saving Mom website this weekend only! Go enter here!

Homemade Cleaning Recipes

Around our home, I much prefer to use home made "concoctions" (as my husband calls them) over the typical store bought cleaners that reek of chemicals. (Note: I do use an All Purpose Cleaner from Tropical Traditions, especially for tough, caked on stains).

All-Purpose Cleaner
Simply mix equal parts of the following in a spray bottle:
Water
White Vinegar
(I usually add a dash of essential oil - peppermint or citrus - for a fresher smell!)

This works great when cleaning in the bathroom and kitchen. Vinegar kills germs and bacteria, as well as mold. It also works wonders on tough, hard water stains.

Glass & Mirror Cleaner
In a spray bottle, mix:
1 part white vinegar
4 parts water

To avoid any streaks and "fuzzies", crumple a sheet of newspaper and wipe dry!

Dryer Sheets
We simply don't use them. When we started using cloth diapers, I learned that dryer sheets were not "diaper friendly", and so we just stopped using them. In the summer months, we don't have a lot of issues with static, but in dry winters, we do. Wool Dryer balls have helped us so much! Not only do the dryer balls work to reduce static, but they seriously cut down on drying time as well, helping with our electric bill!

Laundry Detergent
I experimented with my own detergent one time, but, for whatever reason, went back to my store brand {for convenience, I assume?} My hope is this summer to get back into making my own laundry detergent with the following recipe:
1/2C laundry soap flakes (or a grated laundry bar)
1/2C Baking Soda
1/4C Washing Soda
1/4C Borax

Store in a 16oz+ container and use 1/2C for laundry.

What are your homemade cleaning recipes & tips?

Just for the kiddos!

 I feel like this time of year my kids get worse "Cabin fever" than they do all winter long, I think its because one day is 70 and we are outside playing and the next day its  cold and rainy and they are just longing to get outside and run around like they were yesterday. So today I am going to share with you just a couple of our favorite "rainy day activities"!


 About 2 yrs ago when I introduced my oldest son to play doh he thought it was the greatest thing ever! We spent many mornings, afternoons and evenings cutting, rolling and sculpting....but like everything else that thrill slowly dwindled down for him. However, over the past few months his interest in the fun modeling clay has resumed. The problem we have however is him remembering to put the stuff back in its little plastic container.  If I happen to be sitting down with him I can of course remind him....but if I am off doing something else we are about 80% sure to get dried out play doh. So a couple days ago when he wanted to play and there was no play doh to be found, and a trip to Target just for Play doh didn't really seem to make sense, I decided to make our first attempt at making our own.

  This is the recipe I found:

 Colored Playdough

Materials

• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
• Food coloring
• Saucepan
• 1 cup flour

Directions

1. Combine water, oil, salt, cream of tartar, and food coloring in a saucepan and heat until warm.
2. Remove from heat and add flour.  
3. Stir, then knead until smooth. The cream of tartar makes this dough last 6 months or longer, so resist the temptation to omit this ingredient if you don't have it on hand.
4. Store this dough in an airtight container or a Ziploc freezer bag.

***I actually put everything in the saucepan on the stove and just stirred until it came together*****

**while I was stirring I all of a sudden heard my dad's voice.... 

  

                           
I love these Hallmark books, they are so precious! 

  Now, I know that play doh is cheap....but honestly after making it, I don't know that I will ever buy it again. It was so easy to make, and my little guy loved helping me make it so it made a fun memory for us. Also, the texture seems to be a little different and I like it.

   We did four different colors, the yellow and the green we used food coloring , but the blue and reddish we used kool-aid. I love the way those 2 turned out, because they smell amazing as well. The coloring isn't as great as with the food coloring. The blue was actually grape kool-aid and the reddish I used 2 packs of cherry to get that slight red tint.

  We had so much fun playing with these after they were done and then we just stored them in a sealed container and today they were just as soft and my son is playing with it often.
**So, I'm not gonna lie.. I totally cheated and stole this post from my personal blog, but I tell you that to say that it has been 2 months since we made this play doh and it is still soft and my son loves it!

 Okay, okay so I am cheating again....I just posted this to my personal blog last week. My oldest wants to do this again soon...and I think we are getting rain later this week so we just might have to. :)

 We were blessed with some amazing weather today, so we spent some time playing outside....

  but once the outdoor fun was over, we had a little time before nap time so I thought it was the perfect chance to try a little experiment that I have been wanting to do with my oldest for awhile. I found the idea over at Toys in the Dryer.

  All you need is a bar of ivory soap (my husband insists that he is going to try this with a bar of irish spring soap that he has....I will let you know how it goes) and a microwave.

 Cut the bar of soap in half and then half again, so you have a 1/4 of the bar....that was our math lesson for the day :) Then I put the bar on a plate, but it probably would of been better on a paper towel, because now I have caked soap on my plate that will probably take a couple washes to get off.
  Now on her blog she says to put the soap in the microwave for 3 minutes.....well after 20 seconds our soap began to do this.....

  Now I am not one for letting my kids stare at the microwave, so he had to wait until it got to this point and then he was allowed to look for about 2 seconds :)

  After about 1 minute and 10 seconds we had this....

 The soap smell is still lingering in our kitchen about 40 minutes later. :)  My son also thought this made a good layout for some of his toys....

 a very fun little activity, until my 1 year old decided to eat a handful of the soap :-/

I put the soap in a little container on the side of the tub and figure at bath time he can just break it off as we need it :)

Home Remedies

I must start this post with the disclaimer that I am NOT a medical professional, I'm simply sharing some tips that have helped us with winter yuckies and helped make us not so miserable!

In our family, we prefer to avoid your typical cough & cold medicines (or any, for that matter) as much as we can. The following are some tricks we have found to keep us away from the medicine aisle and the doctor's office as much as we can. I also had to laugh as I was typing this up. We've had a rough winter with our three boys, and have been to the pedi more times this winter than ever before! I guess some winters are like that! But, without further ado...

Throughout winter, my husband and I (though he is much more faithful about it than I!) chop up raw garlic and down it with a glass of orange juice every.single.morning. It's gross. It really is. But it helps so much in fighting off and keeping away those winter colds. (I found this trick when I developed mastitis with my youngest - garlic is an herbal antibiotic).

In the spring, when we are prone to horrible seasonal allergies, we acquire raw, local honey and consume it like it is going out of style!

Whenever anyone in the house is stuffy, I put a pot of water on the stove to boil, then turn down the heat, drop in some peppermint essential oil and let it simmer for a few hours. This is usually a sure-fire way to open those nasal passages! (Just keep an eye on the water level, and make sure the pot is away from the edge to keep curious, little hands from grabbing!)

While it isn't done at home (unless you're lucky enough to be married to one!), one of our first stops is at our chiropractor - a quick adjustment and we're on our way, usually feeling so much better!

Usually, when you are all stuffy and have a lot of drainage on the tummy, it's hard to have much of an appetite. This is when we up our fruit intake, especially those packed with VitaminC, like oranges and strawberries. Making sure we're drinking enough is also key. My husband prefers echinacea and green teas, while I prefer a soothing, honey chamomile tea.

We also are always stocked on Boiron products so at the first sign, we can start taking the appropriate things. Oscilloccium (for flu-like symptoms), Chestal (for pesky coughs that keep little ones awake), ColdCalm (for the "ugh" cold symptoms), and Sinusalia (for sinus infections) are just a few that we always have on hand.

These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg for us.

What home remedies do you use in your house?

Let's Cook!

 I love to cook & bake and I am always trying new recipes. So today I want to share a few of our favorite recipes with all of you! :) Enjoy!

 This first recipe is for sure more of a "fall" dish, but I love it anytime of year.


 Honey-Thyme Butternut Squash

1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup butter, cubed
3 Tbsp. half-and-half cream
2 Tbsp. honey
2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp coarsely ground pepper

Place squash in a large saucepan and cover it with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until tender.

Drain, Mash the squash with the remaining ingredients. 

 The next two recipes I am going to share make for a great meal! This will be perfect this coming summer, I discovered it later in the summer last year and I wish I would have found it earlier when my mom had a ton of zucchini to get rid of. This year I will be ready :)

Zucchini Cakes

1 large zucchini grated, excess water removed (Note: To do this, after you grate the zucchini, put the grated zucchini into paper towels and squeeze to release the water) ****As you see , she recommends using paper towels, my paper towels just crumbled so I used some cheesecloth. Much better, so if you have some, use it! 

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup panko bread crumbs
(maybe I am weird, but I have always seen this ingredient used on cooking shows but never used it myself until tonight)

sprinkle of ground nutmeg, about 1/8 teaspoon (Note: If you add too much it can quickly take over the taste, less is more)
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine all ingredients, except olive oil, in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Using a heaping tablespoon form the mixture into 8 patties.
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Once heated, add patties and cook until golden brown. About 3-4 minutes per side. Serve.

Then for our side dish, what is supposed to be the BEST Broccoli ever, now we love our broccoli even Aaron, at his first birthday party he chose broccoli over cake! So I was really excited to try out a new way to cook it. Even though it was called the BEST broccoli ever I tried not to get too excited, because ya know how someone will RAVE about how great a movie or restaraunt or something is and then you watch it or go there only to be disappointed? Well that was my fear...however I was not disappointed! Would I go as far to say the BEST broccoli ever?? I don't know. It was amazing though! 
You preheat the oven to 425.

Take 4 to 5 pounds of broccoli (I had a half a bunch in the fridge and just bought one more)

She then says the key to this is that your broccoli is THOUROGHLY dried before baking it...then she goes on to mention how there is really no need to wash the broccoli because the heat WILL kill the germs on it! I agree, so I didn't wash mine :)

Now, it’s easy. Put the broccoli on a cookie sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. (She says 5 Tbs olive oil, 1 1/2 tsps kosher salt, 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper, but I just eyeballed it.) Now add 4 garlic cloves that are peeled and sliced and toss them in too. (I only used 3 cloves and it was enough)

Roast in the oven 20 to 25 minutes, until “crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.”

When it’s done, take it out of the oven–and here’s where it gets really good–zest a lemon over the broccoli, squeeze the lemon juice over the broccoli, add 1.5 Tbs more olive oil, 3 Tbs toasted pine nuts (I left those out), and 1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. She also has you add 2 Tbs julienned fresh basil, but I left that out too

(Aaron took this next pic for me, so excuse the blurriness)

SO this was our meal: (Aaron's meal to be exact which is why the portions are small)

I kind of felt bad that we only had the 2 dishes, but it was enough to fill us. My husband said he would like some type of bean with it, so we will try that next time.

So those are a few of our favorites, I have a lot more that I would love to share with you...but to keep from overwhelming you I will leave you with just those 3. Maybe I will have a chance to share some more at a later point. :)

Come Join Us On Facebook

While we provide loads of great information on the blog, being a Facebook fan of Moody Sisters has its benefits! There are often giveaways and new product information released there before you can read it here!

And right now, there is a referral contest going on as Moody Sisters seeks to reach 400 fans. Want to play along? Simply Post/Share the Moody Sisters Facebook page and encourage your friends to 'like' Moody Sisters and make sure they say that you referred them (anywhere on the Moody Sisters Facebook page).

The fan with the most referrals by (midnight PST) March 9 will win a package of all the NEW products that have yet to be released! Don't waste any time - start referring your friends today!

Fresh.

That's what Moody Sisters has been up to...

Freshening up...

Fresh new images

in the Etsy shop....

Fresh new scents...

featuring Naturally Chocolate (using unrefined, undeodorized cocoa butter) and

Flirtatious Floral (with jasmine and lavender essential oils)

And fresh new {& revamped} products!

The Body Wash is still foaming, but it has been renamed to
{Foaming} Silky Smooth Body Wash
and comes in
Flirtatious Floral
Clean Citrus
and
Mint.


COMING SOON -
two new products to the Moody Sisters lineup...

a Cleansing Spray that has a double use...
you can use them on cloths as natural baby wipes
or
for feminine hygiene.

Also, Body Balm, again with a variety of uses...
perfect for baby's delicate skin...
as a nursing cream...
or
for tired, cracked feet that need some healing and TLC.

So, be on the look out for these new products, and give the new scents a try!

Let us know what you think in the comments below, or join in the conversation on Facebook!