EZLeaps Shoe Tying Tool Review

Today our own Mama Lisa reviews a product that she received for free to review to help her girls learn to tie their shoes. The views and experiences here are her own.

Pixy has been after me to teach her to tie her shoes. Honestly, I hated when I had to learn because it was tough! I attended private Catholic school and they needed those laces done a certain way. Le sigh!! Enter EZLeaps Shoe Tying Tool!!!

EZ Leaps Shoe Tying Tool

Aren't they cute?! I loved the colorful prints, which will make it easy to identify for a child. The prints do come in sports themes, horses, animals...in short, every theme that children like. The tools have a spot on the back for your child's name and date, so you can remember when they first tied their shoes. They also come equipped with a hole on the upper left corner to stick a carabiner clip in, so they can take it to school with them! Recipe for success, huh? Now, at first glance they look delicate but they are made for hearty use and can bend with the movements of the laces, in order to make a perfect tying job each time. In addition, EZ Leaps has a video tutorial that you can watch with your child in order to get the steps right! Easy peasy.

Seems we have success on sunny days here when trying new things so, here is what we did:


Pixy is using my kicks because she needs to strengthen up her hands (we play copious amounts of Operation to get those fine motor skills going). The grin is indicative of how proud this tool is making her feel. It really does drive home the fact that they are doing it by themselves!

What a grin!

Pixy got the bunny ears going on her own. She needed a reminder to keep them pinched tight for her next step. No frustration noted in her, she really was trying hard to concentrate and do it.

Bunny ears

This was probably the hardest part! Pixy has been practicing and has been getting better and better, but making the knot was a little difficult. No frustration noted though. She started squealing that she got it!

The knot

Here's the final step! Pull up the tool and the laces with a perfect tie go right through. She did it!! Pixy did twenty some laps around the backyard squealing because she did it with minimal help. She was so proud she could bust!

Finished!

Tah-dah!!!

 As a mama, I have been having fun with these lessons. Not frustrating, a couple minutes practice each time. What's not to love? I also think that this tool will be helpful for Banshee when she requests to tie her own shoes. We're all for that!  Pretty soon, Pixy won't ask me for help with tying her shoes and will feel independent. We love strong independent chicks here...although, we're a little sad that growing up is happening faster and faster every day. Notice her tooth gap there? Sigh!


Good luck and if you visit the EZ Leaps website for more shoe-tying goodness (they make a  'stop thumb sucking' tool too called Thumbkin), tell them the MATHs sent you!!

Do you have questions about how it works? Learn more about the product and how it was developed here from founder Eileen Sloan and on their blog.

Happy shoe tying everyone!

BareMinerals Review - Concealer Options

Concealer in small amounts is my friend. I use it on my chin, two dark areas to the sides of my chin, above my eyebrows, on my dark eye circles, and sometimes around my nose depending on how red it looks. Being allergy-licious, I,be found that two products work well and don't cause an allergic reaction.

I've tried two options for concealer from BareMinerals - the powder/mineral Multi-Tasking Concealer (in Bisque) and the cream/solid Correcting Concealer (in Medium 2). Both can be applied with a small concealer brush. I found the cream to work better for me - the powder didn't seem to provide good coverage.

Mineral Powder and Cream Cancellers from BareMinerals

I think for someone with less redness the powder may work well though. You really have to play around and see what works well for you.

Less is best. BareMinerals is all about the make under as opposed to the make over. The goal is to enhance what you've already got, not transform you into a starlet (although it is possible with BareMinerals). With powder, dip your brush in the minerals and tap it out until you only see powder, no mineral chunks on your brush. Using a circular motion rub the powder over problem spots. With the solid/creme again less is best and be sure to blend. Don't forget dark eye circles and the inside of the eye/bridge of the nose! We always forget to conceal there but it is part of the "dark circle area."

Don't forget concealer in this spot here

What is your experience with BareMinerals concealers? What tips do you have for using concealer in your makeup routine? Comment below and let us know! 

The views expressed in this post are my own and are based upon experiences with products that I have purchased, not products that were given to me for review. I am in no way associated with Bare Minerals - I simply review products that I find useful.

Bare Minerals Review - Moisturizer and Prime Time BB Primer Cream

Today I'm going to share a little bit of my skin care routine.

Every day after washing my face I dry it and apply Bare Minerals Purely Nourishing Moisturizer. I use the combination skin formula because I have oil in the "t-zone" but dry patches elsewhere.

Bare Minerals Purely Nourishing Moisturizer

I have tried a lot of moisturizers but most had synthetic scents that caused my allergies to act up. This has a scent to it, and I can't quite place it, but it doesn't cause an allergic reaction. And my dry parts (cheeks especially) seem to enjoy it - no more rough or dry patches. And my oily areas aren't any more oily from using it.

Post moisturizer

The next thing I do is apply Bare Minerals Prime Time BB Primer (in medium). If you're trying to decide between Medium and Light, I would say look at the most colored or darkest areas of your face - if they're light, go with Light. I chose Medium because I've found most Light products to be too light for me and I look pale with them.

Prime Time BB Primer Cream

Take one pump of the Primer and rub it between your hands for a bit - warm it up and allow for easier application (a trick I learned from Bare Minerals YouTube videos). Apply all over the face. You don't need a lot - less is better so it doesn't look "cakey."

After Primer

Now if you're going for a stay and home look, nothing fancy, you can simply finish there. Your skin looks even toned and you don't need other products. In another post I'll write about full makeup application, but for me, for a Saturday around the house, I'd add mascara (Bare Minerals Lash Domination) and some Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lip Gloss. In the photo below I'm wearing Future Star for the lip. And I'm done!

With Mascara and Marvelous Moxie Lip Gloss

What do you think? Have you tried Bare Minerals moisturizer or BB Primer? Share your experiences below.

All of these reviews are my own personal experiences with products I purchased and used myself. I was not compensated for these reviews, did not receive products to review, and am not associated with Bare Minerals.

Bare Minerals Review - Lash Domination Mascara

I've recently started changing over my overflowing makeup drawer to all Bare Minerals products. I recently reviewed their powder eye shadow here and now I'm moving on to my second necessary beauty item: mascara.

 

 

For a quick recap, I'm an allergy monster. Flowers, pet dander, mold, dust, pollen of all sorts...they are my foes. I recently realized that synthetic scents in makeup messed with me as well, so I tried Bare Minerals products to see if I could keep up my love for makeup without the allergic reaction.

 

 

While I have "good" lashes, they're not very dark so I've always been one for good mascara. I ordered Bare Minerals Lash Domination which is one of the many mascaras they offer. Being me, I immediately put it on straight out of the package and did my typical "Wait for it..." for the allergic reaction.

 

 

And...nothing. I had beautiful, well-defined lashes with none of the typical allergy behaviors (runny nose, watery eyes, etc.). I'm sold. After two weeks of use, I'm still in love.

 

 

Look at those lashes!

If you typically have allergic reactions to eye makeup, I highly suggest you try Bare Minerals. They offer starter sets on their website for lower prices than the full sized product, so you can try it out without much investment.

Do you curl? If you do, start at the base of the lashes and curl, then move outwards and curl again, doing this multiple times. Don't simply curl once. When applying mascara, start with the bottom lashes first - otherwise if you start with the top lashes, when you go to apply the bottom lashes you'll get "those dots" on your upper lid as you raise your eyebrows (and make the "O" face) to apply to the bottoms. Start on your lashes closes to your nose and move outwards. Move away from the eye (so downwards for the bottom lashes, upwards for the tops) and away from the eye to avoid clumps and lashes sticking together. Applying two or more coats of mascara can open up the eye and decrease the look of tired eyes so feel free to apply and apply!

Have you tried Bare Minerals mascara? Which formulation is your favorite? What mascara tips do you have for us?


These views are my own after my experience with this product. I was not paid for this review nor was I provided with free products. I purchased all products mentioned in this review myself.

Bare Minerals Review - Eyeshadow for The Scent Allergic

I have always had a love/hate relationship with makeup: I love to buy it, but my allergies hate when I wear it. I have literally bought a new product, opened it, and my nose started to run - no application needed! I had finally resigned myself to the fact that it I wanted to wear it, I was going to take allergy medication as well.

A few weeks ago a friend and I took a trip to a day spa. The massage therapist told me I was most likely allergic to synthetic scents after she heard my makeup story. She suggested I try fragrance free products.

If you've searched for fragrance free products, you know what came next. I looked in all the regular "haunts" and came up mostly empty. Then I saw Bare Minerals advertised in a magazine. I knew that boutique-type makeup would be more expensive, but I was willing to give it a go.

My skin is relatively clear (although I have issues with redness in some areas), so I always try out eye makeup first. I assume that if I can't wear your eye shadow without issues, then the rest of the line is pointless. And I love eye shadows. I love color.

I went to a local store that sold Bare Minerals and picked out some neutral shadow - a quad with colors I could wear on a daily basis. 

The Happy Place quad from Bare Minerals

I came home and applied color and waited for an allergic reaction - runny nose, itchy eyes, my eyelids feeling tired, anything. And...nothing. I wore it for the rest of the day. No allergic reaction. I wore it every day for a week and had no issues. I was ecstatic...and scared. This could be the beginning of a new addiction.

Just look at the eyes, ignore the hair...

One thing I especially love is Bare Minerals' YouTube channel - how-to videos galore. I like to watch them for ideas and for suggestions for new products to try.

 

 

 

If you tend to "lose" your eye shadow throughout the day, try some primer. Bare Minerals' Prime Time Eyelid Primer is a great product (and is on sale on their website for $12 right now). Prime your lid by using your finger tips, a cotton swab, or a makeup brush to apply primer to the lower lid. Let it dry. Apply a neutral base color all over the lid - this is what eye quads are great for - use the lightest color. If you have a duo (two colors) apply the lighter color on the lid and brow bone. Apply your darkest color to the crease of your eye (between the lid and brow, the part that goes in when your eye is open). If you have a quad, you can take your two darkest colors and layer them in the crease and blend or use one above the crease and one in the crease. There are a ton of "how to apply eye shadow" videos out there - feel free to do a search and experiment with what looks best for your eyes.

 

If you need makeup with no synthetic scents which works for sensitive skin and allergies, be sure to try Bare Minerals. The available options in terms of colors and products are truly amazing. Next up I'll try their Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara.

All reviews are my own opinions for products that I purchased myself. I was not paid for this review, I was not provided with products, and I am not associated with Bare Minerals. These are simply my experiences with the product.

Colgate Optic White Toothbrush and Built-In Whitening Pen Review

As a member of Influenster, an online community for product reviews, Liz is eligible to receive products to review. This month she was excited to be chosen to review the Colgate Optic White Toothbrush + Built-In Whitening Pen. The box included the toothbrush and pen, a sample of toothpaste, and coupons to buy more (and to give out to friends). Who doesn't love coupons?

#BrushWhitenGo Influenster Vox Box

From Liz...

I've never been partial to a certain toothbrush or toothpaste brand. I've always bought what was available or what looked like it would fit my needs, but I don't think I've ever bought the same one twice on purpose. But I am a fan of whitening products and was actually thinking about trying Optic White out, so how excited was I to be chosen for this Influenster VoxBox?

First let's look at the toothbrush. It looks and feels different than others I've been using recently, and in a good way. I'm liking it.

The bristles

The toothpaste is a white paste, not gel, and it leaves your teeth feeling clean (not slimy or grimy, one of my personal pet peeves about toothpastes).

The gel pen is easy to use. You take off the top, turn the bottom until it clicks a few times and you see the gel come out of the top, then you rub the gel on your teeth. No need to rinse. And when you're done, the gel clicks into the bottom of your toothbrush. Easy to keep track of.

The gel pen

The gel pen clicks into the bottom of the toothbrush

I have to say that I've tried other whitening products and found them to be kind of a pain with the applying and the waiting and the rinsing. But this is super easy. Brush. Whiten. Go. And I really like the shape of the toothbrush head.

If you're in the market for whitening products or just want to try Colgate's Optic White, be sure to use their website and register for coupons!


I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

Sticky Shoes Review

Robyn had the opportunity to review Sticky Shoes, a solution to the worry of falling out of your shoes and hurting yourself in the process! Robyn received a package of Sticky Shoes complimentary for testing purposes and she is happy to share her review and experiences with our readers. 

Oh man, oh man, do I love shoes? Flats, heels, platforms, sneakers, boots and flip flops totally make me a happy girl! I have run into a problem though. You see, I have these super cute Lucky Brand sandals that I absolutely adore. I am not missing a leg, FYI. My daughter must share the same shoe obsession. In the 10 seconds or less it took to take this picture, she had crawled away with my left shoe. 

The test shoes

They pretty much go with anything. My heel, though, will slide so much that it takes a balancing act to keep stable. I've feared that on a rainy day, that my foot will slip out with the wrong turn, and then BAM! A twisted ankle. Lucky for me, Lindsay Steele has come to my rescue with the help of Sticky Shoes. 

Sticky Shoes

As I was getting ready to head out of the house, I opened the Sticky Shoe back and found a semi perforated edge. While unsure if this was supposed to be two pieces or one, I decided to rip the strip in half. 

Just supposed to be one!

Whoops! Guess it's suppose to be only one! 

I applied the sticky strip to the heel portion if the shoe, and strapped those puppies to my feet. Good fit! 

Let's get ready to rumble.

Whoa, stick factor of 10! My heel absolutely DID NOT move. I even had to readjust once for the proper fit while standing. I was a bit taken back because I wondered if this sticky tape would have the same effect that other "tapes" would have. If tape has been left on for a long period of time on anything, it can remove the outer coat, and sometimes inner layers too! I decided to test my theory. 

Working outside, still sticking

While watering the trees in the backyard, my foot was still one with my sandal. 

Busy Mommy loves Sticky Shoes

Even while holding my daughter and cooking dinner at the end of the day, my feet and sandals were still intact! To think, I've been wearing these shoes all day, and not once have I had to readjust my foot because it was out of my shoe. 

I highly recommend sticky shoes as a shoe solution to heel slipping needs! I can't wait to use them in my heels and platforms, come summertime! Thanks Lindsay!!! 

Interested in trying these? You can find Sticky Shoes at their website, on Facebook, and on Twitter. Purchase Sticky Shoes for yourself here!

Madison Reed Hair Color Review

As a blogger who writes about beauty products (and of course parenting), Liz was asked to review Madison Reed hair color. She received this product complimentary for testing purposes from Madison Reed.

Why Color at Home?

As someone who is experienced in home hair color, I was really excited to try this product. I've been dying my hair since I was 16, so at 37 I've experienced a lot of home hair coloring. I can count the number of times I've been to a salon for color on my hands. I typically color at home for two reasons: it's faster and since I have to color often, it's more economical. My hair has been "going gray" since I was 16 (insert sad face here) and it grows very quickly, so roots tend to show quickly as well. For those reasons, home hair color is the way to go for me.

Madison Reed: The Order
Madison Reed provides at home hair color delivered to your door. It's such a fantastic idea - you go to their website, choose your color, and you can have it delivered once or you can schedule deliveries. If you opt to have it sent every X number of weeks, it will be sent automatically without you having to go back to the website (but you can always change your color or opt to stop receiving coloring kits). Customer service is fantastic and readily available - you can send their Color Crew a photo of your hair and they'll help you pick the right color for you if you have questions. The selection is amazing - you'll definitely be able to find your color (or the color you want) from their selection. 

Madison Reed: The Package
When you order, what comes in your package? Everything you'll need to color at home well - gloves, shampoo and conditioner, a cap to put over your colored hair, a cloth to remove color from the skin, and even a package of lotion to help prevent skin/color contact in the first place. The instructions are easy to understand, and the process is easy. The only things you'll need from your beauty drawer are hair clips to section off your hair into four sections.

Madison Reed: The Process
As someone who colors at home often, I have things I look for. How easy is the mixing process? How useful is the applicator bottle? How is the smell? How easily does the mixture apply? How long does it take? The mixing process here is easy. Take the tube of color, open it by flipping over the cap and puncturing the seal, and squeeze the color into the bottle. Once all the color is in the bottle, close the bottle and shake it to mix. Easy! What about the applicator bottle? I liked the size and shape of their bottle as it felt comfortable in my hand. It's also clear so you can see how much product you have left. How is the smell? There is little to no smell - Madison Reed products do not contain ammonia,  so even when I closed the bathroom door I wasn't feeling smell overwhelmed as I do often with hair color. How easily does the mixture apply? It applies fairly easily. I found that the bottle held a lot of air and thus the mixture stayed at the bottom of the bottle. Even when held upside down I had to shake it a little to get the product to come out. Once I realized that, it wasn't a problem. How long does it take? It took me the normal amount of time to color my hair and the wait time was 35 minutes. If you're just dying your roots then it's 15 minutes.

Let's do this!

Conclusions
When I ordered my package to try out Madison Reed a friend who is a stylist commented "No, not box color!" When I received my package I asked her to review the ingredients to see if her complaint was warranted. She compared the ingredients to the ingredients in the products she was trained with at a high-end salon, and found that they were very similar. She also said that many at home color products contain metals that are harsh and hard to remove from the hair, but the ingredients from the Madison Reed products did not contain these.


When I color at home I've had so many experiences - hair feels dry and straw-like after coloring, the scent is overpowering (and stays with you). I've found that my hair after using Madison Reed is soft, bouncy, "happy" hair. I have to say I especially love the shampoo and conditioner they provide. The color is true to my selection, is easy to apply, and washes out to healthy, "happy" hair. I would suggest their products to women who color at home or are interested in trying home hair color.

The outcome!

Have you tried Madison Reed products? What is your favorite aspect of Madison Reed hair color from this review? Let us know in the comments.

AngelCare Baby Bath Support Review and Giveaway Ends 2/18

Cubby doesn't like bath time. At first, the baby bathtub that we had was too small for him, so we got him a baby reclinable bathseat. This worked great but he would get cold. Trust me, this kid can scream when he is unhappy. I was starting to think that I'd be doomed to give him washcloth baths!! Enter the Angelcare Baby Bath Support Seat. Lisa received this product for free for review purposes.

It is a wonderful bath seat, that's almost like a baby recliner. It is made of durable plastic and the blue rubber mesh is sturdy and does not slip! In addition, I find that it retains the temperature of the water a bit, so Cubby's back doesn't get cold. The bottom of the bath also has the rubber anti-slip material, for a firm grip to the tub.

One handy feature that I am excited about, is that little rubber loop you see in this pic. You can hang it to dry or just for out of the way storage! No more tripping over baby things in the bathroom. That to me is worth gold.

Now, on to the bath! Here is the Angelcare in the tub. As you can see, it can fit in any tub with room to spare. I like that the maximum level of water that we can use is clearly labeled in the front, so as you're filling the tub, you can measure accurately the depth of the water.

In goes Cubby! <cue 'Rubber Ducky' song> As you can tell, bath time is a family affair. The girls like to keep him company and they help keep Cubby occupied enough not to scream. Pixy and Banshee both remarked that Cubby didn't cry during this bath: He really likes this bath, Mama!

He is a quiet happy baby! Cubby isn't smiling or wiggling because he isn't feeling well. Poor thing caught a viral cold and so his bath is mentholated. I think he was busy breathing in the awesome scent!

As you can see, his tootsies and legs are submerged in the water, with the rest of him in a comfortable reclined position. The age recommendation on this bath is from 0-6mos, but this boy might use it longer! He loves it!

Yes, my bathtub is blue. It's part of an 80s bathroom that rocks and I can't bring myself to change! Anyway, after bath, I just drain the tub and hang the Angelcare baby bath to dry: cleanup is done!

This was the most fun experience at bath time ever! Cubby didn't fuss or cry because he was cold (it was -5 outside at the time of this bath, so the whole house seemed chilly), and we all got to enjoy a fun bath time!

Would I recommend this bath? Absolutely! I have only experienced good things with this bath. My only gripe? I wish I'd known about it sooner! It would've made bath time less of a rush job in the beginning and even the girls mentioned how wonderful it looks. Didn't think the sibling jealousy thing started until later! Huh.

Would you like to win a blue or pink Angelcare Baby Bath support? Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Be sure to come back and Tweet often to get more points!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: belVita Soft Baked Breakfast Biscuits - Banana Bread?!

As a member of the Influenster community I am able to receive new products to test out. I recently received a box of belVita Softbaked Breakfast Biscuits in their brand new Banana Bread flavor. I loved the Oats and Chocolate flavor so I was excited to try this one.

If you're new to belVita's line, their softbaked and crunchy varieties are great for breakfast or between meal snacks. The Softbaked Biscuits contain 20% of your daily value of fiber, are a good source of B vitamins, and contain no high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners. All great right? Add to that that they taste fantastic and keep you feeling full all morning, and you have a great breakfast or snack product. Look for them soon at your favorite belVita retailer!

Cookies and coffee, my two morning loves.

 Check out belVita's website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more information and fun.