From Melissa's Desk

Cartoon Network / Crayola *Review & Giveaway*

The Cartoon Network Get Animated Tour is now in its fifth year. This 40-city tour is designed to motivate, energize and educate kids ages 6-14 about healthy living choices by using the power of Cartoon Network’s shows, characters and brands.

In addition, Crayola will also be visiting cities nationwide to promote the Crayola “Outdoor Challenge,” an initiative aimed at inspiring families to spend more time outside exercising their bodies and minds.

I recently received a Crayola product package to review...

Color Explosion--Extreme Surprises (Black)
Color Surge-Classic Tips
Giant 3D Sidewalk Chalk
Sidewalk Crayons

As always, these Crayola products are quality made and fun for kids of all ages! Best of all...I have this same package for one of you!!

Win it:

One lucky reader will win a Crayola Outdoor product pack including Color Explosion--Extreme Surprises (Black), Color Surge-Classic Tips, Giant 3D Sidewalk Chalk, Sidewalk Crayons!

How to Enter:

Leave a comment telling me what your family does for outdoor summer fun!

Earn Extra Entries (leave a separate comment for each):

• Blog about this giveaway linking back to Crayola and my blog.
• Subscribe to my blog.
• Twitter about this giveaway (leave your twitter username for verification).
• Add my button to your sidebar.
• Fave my blog on Technorati (leave your Technorati username for verification).
• Become a Fan of From Melissa's Desk on Facebook.
• Pick 5 of my posts that are your favorite and rate them by clicking on the stars at the bottom of the post.

This giveaway ends July 24th @ 10:00pm EST. One winner will be chosen randomly and will have 3 days to claim their prize.

Sunfeather Natural Soap Company *Review*

SunFeather Natural Soap Co. was founded in Sandy Maine's farm house kitchen in 1979 with $15 & a dream to create a superior bar of soap. Today SunFeather is a thriving, FUN, & socially responsible micro business! Our artisan soaps are enjoyed world-wide!

Indulge yourself in all that nature has to offer with the genuine collection of soaps, washes, lotions, balms and more from Sunfeather Natural Soap Company, an all-natural, socially-responsible artisan producer of bath and body products.

Sunfeather’s offerings include:

• Bar Soaps – A handcrafted collection of soothing, delectable bar soaps, each made with the finest olive, coconut and palm oils and infused with skin-soothing botanicals, butters and essential oils to leave skin soft and clean.  The collection includes: Eco Soap, Farmer’s Market Soap, Floral & Herbal Soap, Gardener, Worker & Chef, Hemp, Organic, ManCare, Healing and Wett Giggles™. SRP:$4-$10

• Bug Off™ Insect Deterrents – Keep pests at bay with a safe, effective and DEET-free alternative to repelling insects.  Using a special blend of all natural essential oils including Rosemary, Citronella, Geranium and Lemongrass, the Bug Off collection includes: Soap & Shampoo Bars, Organic Bug Rub, Bug Bite Soother, Spritzer, Oil, Soy Candle, Wipes and Little Bugger Oil. SRP: $6-$15.99

• Green Tea Facial Care – Treat delicate skin to the rich, anti-inflammatory compounds found in beneficial green tea extracts.  Sunfeather infuses its Green Tea Facial Cream, Green Tea Face Scrub, Green Tea Facial Mask and Green Tea Soap with this beneficial extract to reduce redness and puffiness, leaving the skin tingly-clean. SRP: $5-$15

• Liquid Soaps & Shampoos – Handcrafted soaps and shampoos created from the finest ingredients, like organic olive and coconut oils, herbs and precious botanicals.  Including specified soaps and shampoos to cater to your needs and personality, SunFeather offers up a unique assortment, including: Lullaby Liquid Soap, a combination of soothing lavender and calming rosemary, SRP: $13; Apple Cider Shampoo, a moisturizing blend of apple extract and sweet almond oil, SRP: $11; Warming Wonder Liquid Soap, naturally warms and relaxes with shea butter, cinnamon and ginger, SRP: $13.

• Foot Care – Treat your tootsies to Foot Fetish, a collection of soothing soaks, exfoliating scrubs and calming creams.  Featuring skin softening shea butter, sweet almond oil and invigorating sage, spearmint and peppermint.  SRP: $6-$14.

• Lip & Skin Balms – Soothe and protect your skin and lips from the drying effects of the sun, wind and cold with nourishing lip and skin balms featuring shea butter, almond oil and olive oil.  Treat your lips to the deliciously-ripe Strawberry Lime Lip Balm, a yummy swirl of mango butter, avocado oil, sweet strawberry and tart lime, SRP: $4.50; soothe and nourish the skin with Tea Tree & Lavender Hemp Balm, a unique combination of tea tree and lavender essential oil blend, SRP: $12.

• Body Scrubs – Gently exfoliate and revitalize the skin with these sweet sugar scrubs.  Incorporating essential oils, Vitamin E and turbinado sugar to slough off dead skin, leaving skin moisturized and polished.  Choose from Adriondack Balsam Sugar Scrub, Apple Cider Sugar Scrub and Sweet Maple Sugar Scrub.  SRP: $14 each.

Sunfeather Soap Company also offers beautiful gift sets, refreshing spritzers, hand-poured candles, soap making kits and kids’ bath time treats.

To learn more about Sunfeather Natural Soap Company or to make a purchase, please visit: Sunfeather.com.

My Thoughts:

I had the pleasure of sampling several of Sunfeather's great products. I found them to be just wonderful! I love using natural products and these were perfect! The fragrances were heavenly and the products were quality made! I would recommend Sunfeather Natural Soap Company to all my readers! I can't wait to make a purchase myself!

Adovia Dead Sea Bath Salts *Review*

Adovia Dead Sea Bath Salts contain the highest possible mineral concentration on the market - guaranteed!

This 100% Natural, Authentic Bath Salts from the South Dead Sea is enriched with 21 Minerals like Magnesium, Calcium, Zinc, Potassium and many more not found in regular ocean salts. Available in Coarse or Fine grain sizes.

My Thoughts:

I LOVE this product! These bath salts soothe and soften your skin and also helps to relax your muscles. Close your eyes and you will experience what it's like bathing in the Dead Sea! Trust me! It's incredibly relaxing! I would urge all my readers to give it a go!

This review made possible by Lisa Cocuzza @ It's a Glam Thing.

Belli Skincare *Review*

For most, summer weather is a welcome change – sun, heat and beach days are all highly anticipated. Unfortunately most pregnant women see summer weather as an almost intolerable experience.  Pregnancy brings on sudden weight gain, hormonal changes, morning sickness, and to experience such changes during record high weather makes the summer months no picnic.  Among the countless internal and external changes, some of the most unexpected are body breakouts and blemishes.  By adding the strong summer rays the skin is left dry, flaky, irritated and dull.  Luckily, Belli, the world’s safest skincare line available to address specific issues of pregnant women, new moms and babies, created the Skin Smoothing Body Exfoliator that actively sweeps away old skin cells to reveal a soon-to-be mom’s healthy, natural radiance for an all-over glow.

What is Belli’s Skin Smoothing Body Exfoliator?

Skin Smoothing Body Exfoliator is an invigorating body scrub rich in anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients that unclogs pores all over the body. The components work together to revitalize the skin and reduce the signs of aging.  Main ingredients include:

• Green Tea: Protects the body from naturally occurring particles associated      accelerated aging                                                                                                    Retail Cost $24.00
• Ginseng: Refines the skin and helps counteract dryness, wrinkles and other skin problems
• Peppermint Oil: Helps reduce the skin’s pain, burning and inflammation                                                    

Exfoliating Tips:

• Be sure the skin is wet before exfoliating
• Use circular motions to scrub the exfoliator all over your skin being cautious of sensitive areas such as the face, neck and thighs
• After exfoliator is rinsed off, lather skin with a thick moisturizing lotion

My Thoughts:

What a fabulous product for pregnant mothers! There is no doubt that every mommy-to-be likes to feel pampered and Belli skincare is one great way to accomplish that! Their rich body exfoliator is sure to perk up even the toughest skin problems pregnancy can offer!

TNT Shows Premiering in July

LEVERAGE – Second season to launch Wednesday, July 15, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)

TNT set Tuesday nights on fire this winter with the first season of this thrilling, fast-paced drama series starring Oscar^® winner Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People).  This summer, the gang is back with more elaborate scams designed to exact revenge against those who use power and wealth to victimize people.  Hutton stars as Nate Ford, a former insurance investigator determined to bring down the kind of corrupt bigwigs whose neglect led to the death of his son.  His highly skilled team includes Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman – Coupling), a grifter who uses her acting skills to corner her marks; Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane – TNT’s Into the West), a “retrieval specialist” with bone-crunching fighting skills; Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge – Friday Night Lights), a gadget and technology wizard who keeps the team connected and informed; and Parker (Beth Riesgraf – Alvin and the Chipmunks), a slightly off-center thief adept at repelling off buildings or squeezing into tight places.  Together, the team puts their energy, quick minds and keen intellects toward securing justice for society’s underdogs.

 

LEVERAGE, which is executive-produced by Dean Devlin (Independence Day, TNT’s The Librarian movies), scored big in its first season, ranking as ad-supported cable’s #1 show in its timeslot with an average of 3.7 million viewers.

http://www.tnt.tv/series/leverage/

DARK BLUE – New series to launch Wednesday, July 15, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)

This fast-paced, undercover police drama from prolific producer Jerry Bruckheimer (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Without a Trace) stars Golden Globe^® winner Dylan McDermott (The Practice, TNT’s The Grid), Logan Marshall-Green (The O.C.), Omari Hardwick (TNT’s Saved) and Nicki Aycox (Supernatural).  The series follows the exploits of a crack undercover team of police officers so covert, many of their own colleagues don’t even know they are involved.  Leading the group is Carter Shaw (McDermott), a deeply wounded character who has lost his wife and much of his former life as he struggles to bring down bad guys through complex undercover assignments.  His team includes Ty Curtis (Hardwick), a recently married cop who struggles with personal relationships he has developed while undercover; Dean Bendis (Marshall-Green), a shoot-from-the-hip officer whose activities make fellow team members wonder if he has gone over to the bad side; and Jaimie Allen (Aycox), a green patrol cop brought in because of her excellent skill in lying and a shady past.

http://www.tnt.tv/series/darkblue/

Accent Furniture Direct *Review*

I recently had the opportunity to review a couple of products from the best selection of accent furniture and home decor online! I chose a couple of items from their notNeutral collection.

notNeutral is a product design company that creates design-oriented lifestyle products based on past and current projects by Rios Clementi Hale Studios. Signature pattern and color have become a notNeutral trademark in the creation of bold, colorful, and innovative products encompassing all categories of the notNeutral modern lifestyle. (More information on notNeutral)

The first item I chose was the notNeutral Chalkboard Wall Panel. With these  contemporary wall panels it's easy to created  a customized, dimensional wallscape that is uniquely your own! This 15.5" x 15.5" wall panel is made of 1/8" thick Birch finished ply. It easily attaches to a clean surface using the included adhesive tape and coordinates with the BB2 furniture collection.

The second item I received was the notNeutral Melamine Tray. For a retro look with a modern feel, melamine is back in a big way! The bright, colorful Melamine Tray is made from the finest quality melamine and is great for outdoor dining, poolside or for the kids.The tray is 15" in diameter and comes in five different colors.

Be sure to check out these items and all of the great home decor Accent Furniture Direct has to offer!

Simply Bags *Review*

Simply Bags is a specialty monogram shop offering personalized bags and monogrammed totes. Beautiful, personal and useful gifts. Colorful and bright combinations. Creative gift ideas ... unique laptop totes for women, couples wine tote, fashionable travel totes, monogrammed boat totes for the beach and so much more. Finished with fine detailing and professional monogramming.

With such a grand selection, who could pick just one?!?

If you know me, you know I'm a handbag addict! I love any type of bag or tote! So when  Simply Bags offered to send me a bag of my choice for review, I was ecstatic to say the least!! I had the most difficult time choosing, but finally selected the their Fashion Bag. The stylish chocolate and oyster fabric is elegant, yet trendy! This bag is durable and roomy enough to be used as an overnight bag or even a hip diaper bag if you wish. I've been making marvelous use of it carrying just about anything from books to clothes! And it's monogrammed with my name, which is another benefit of Simply Bags...many of their colorful creations can be personalized.

Overall, I LOVE Simply Bags and I think you would too!

Wear Your Music *Review*

WEAR YOUR MUSIC is a company that takes the old used guitar strings of some of the greatest musicians of our time (Clapton, Ziggy Marley, John Mayer, Santana, to name a few) and turns them into stylish affordable bracelets that allow fans and customers to wear a piece of rock history on their wrists.

In addition to recycling the strings that these musicians would normally throw away, Wear Your Music also uses 100% recycled silver for the beautiful engraved clasp on the bracelet.  Each bracelet is packaged in a completely recycled DVD case and comes with a certificate of authenticity.  A portion of proceeds goes back to each musician’s charity of choice, many of which are environmental non-profits.

My Thoughts:

My daughter absolutely LOVED the silver guitar string bracelet that I received as a  sample for review. She wears it everywhere! The bracelets are one-size-fits-all and unisex. The fashion bracelets also come in a variety of colors. They are the perfect unique gift for music lovers of all ages! And a big plus is knowing that a percentage of the profits go to charities that support music. Excellent product, WearYourMusic.Org...Rock on!!

Party With Playtex Gloves *Review & Giveaway*

If you visit here often, you know I'm a dear fan of Playtex gloves. I recently posted a  review after putting three different kinds of Playtex gloves to the test. If you will remember I sang the praises of Playtex gloves and I stand by it firmly! So when the good folks at  Playtex offered to sponsor a family party to celebrate the many uses of Playtex gloves  and how they can come in handy during a summer time party, well....I jumped at the  chance!

Being so near our great country's birthday, a party to celebrate summer on  Independence Day was perfect!

Playtex Great Lengths Disposables came of great use in preparing for company. Let's face it - germs are everywhere - from dirty bathrooms to sticky kitchen counters, even to the dirty job of cleaning the grill!

Just as there are some dirty cleaning jobs we'd rather not touch, there are also foods we'd rather not have to handle. And of course, they aren't just icky to touch, but what about food-borne bacteria and germs? Yuck, right?

Here we are preparing the hamburger patties using Playtex Clean Cuisine Disposables...

 

And boy they were delicious!! We had tons of yummy food!

We ate our filled of delicious summertime foods, we enjoyed each others company including a huge fireworks show put on by the men and boys of the family.

We had a great time! And when all was said and done, all that was left was to clean up. And, yep, Playtex came in handy for all the dishes too!

Playtex Living Gloves are awesome to use when tackling dishes! Plus the new Drip-Catch Cuff keeps water from sneaking over the top of the glove and wetting your hands!

Our "Playtex Party" was a blast, and guess what? Here comes the best part...

Win it:

One lucky reader will win samples of all three different kinds of Playtex Gloves, plus a $50 gift card to a grocery store of your choice to have a summer party of your own!

How to Enter:

Leave a comment telling me what type of party you would have.

Earn Extra Entries (leave a separate comment for each):

• Blog about this giveaway linking back to Playtex and my blog.
• Subscribe to my blog.
• Twitter about this giveaway (leave your twitter username for verification).
• Add my button to your sidebar.
• Fave my blog on Technorati (leave your Technorati username for verification).
• Become a Fan of From Melissa's Desk on Facebook.
• Pick 5 of my posts that are your favorite and rate them by clicking on the stars at the bottom of the post.

This giveaway ends July 17th @ 10:00pm EST. One winner will be chosen randomly and will have 3 days to claim their prize.

It Works! Ultimate Body Applicator *Review & Giveaway*

The Ultimate Body Applicator is a non-woven cloth wrap that has been infused with a powerful, botanically-based formula to deliver you maximum tightening, toning, and firming results when applied to the skin. It continuously hydrates for firmer, smoother, more youthful-looking skin and reduces the appearance of cellulite and skin slackening. You will see results in just 45 minutes!

Each box contains 4 Ultimate Body Applicator wraps that can be applied to the area of your choice, such as the abdomen, back, legs, or arms.  Wraps are easy to apply and come ready to use.

If it is your first time using an Ultimate Body Applicator, it is recommend that you only leave the wrap on for 45 minutes to test your skin’s sensitivity to the natural ingredients with detoxifying properties.

My Thoughts:

I had the pleasure of trying the Ultimate Body Applicator and was amazed at the results! It tightened and firmed my skin leaving it feeling soft and smooth. The gel felt a little tingling when I first put it on. I wore it for about 45 minutes and then rubbed in all the remaining gel once I took it off. My skin immediately felt firmer, but within 5 days I had lost 3 inches off my waistline! This product truly lives up to it's name...It Works!!

Win it:

One lucky reader will an It Works body wrap and face wrap!

How to Enter:

Visit the It Works! website. Then come back here and tell me another product (besides the wraps) that you think would benefit you!

Earn Extra Entries (leave a separate comment for each):

• Blog about this giveaway linking back to It Works! and my blog.
• Subscribe to my blog.
• Twitter about this giveaway (leave your twitter username for verification).
• Add my button to your sidebar.
• Fave my blog on Technorati (leave your Technorati username for verification).
• Become a Fan of From Melissa's Desk on Facebook.
• Pick 5 of my posts that are your favorite and rate them by clicking on the stars at the bottom of the post.

This giveaway ends July 17th @ 10:00pm EST. One winner will be chosen randomly and will have 3 days to claim their prize.