We Talk Shop

While on vacation earlier this year, I made a snap purchase at a General Store — three placemats for my son to use at the dinner table. I got one with the alphabet, one with trucks and one with animals. They are colorful, durable and great entertainment at the table.My toddler son has already learned more of his ABC’s by having us pointing out letters on his placemat and I think he feels special that he gets to use something so colorful.

As a Mom, I like the fact that it’s large enough to keep the table clean(er). If I knew where to buy these in a store, I would get more.

Get it: $3.99 from Crocodile Creek.

Maybelline has already defined themselves with their pink and green tube, but they define a lash in a whole new way with Define-a-Lash mascara. The unique, flexible brush glides along your lashes, leaving just enough color to lengthen without clumping. It’s not as bold and thick as Great Lash or Dior’s DiorShow, but it’s the first mascara I’ve used that adds just the right amount to your lash.

Get it: It shouldn’t be the only mascara in your arsenal, but it should be one of them. Look for it at in the cosmetics aisle of any grocery or pharmacy chain for around $5.

We typically don’t write about toy recalls here, or any product recalls, but as a mom I’ve been faced with keeping up with the latest bombardment of information so I thought it would be only fair of me to share some important links with our WTS readers.

Yesterday I learned about a scary recall of the Aqua Dots toy — it’s linked with the same chemical found in the date rape drug. Yes, shocking. For me, this solidified my mom instinct to now really look at all toys that come into my home. It’s a wake up call. Check out the CPSC Web site for current recall information. You can’t rely only on the TV or newspaper to report on recalls, there are far too many for them to mention in a 30-minute newscast so they limit the reports to severe recalls. But, let me tell you, there are tons of recalls. See for yourself.

Related links:

• CPSC email list sign up
  
• Aqua Dots recall information from the CPSC site
• Aqua Dots recall information at Aquadotsrecall.com (at the time of the writing of this post, the Web site was down, most likely because of heavy traffic)
• My reaction to all of the recent recalls, on my Mom blog, Balancing Motherhood.

So winter is upon us (at least in some states) and thought I should start writing about a couple of things I’ve tried to keep dry skin away. One of them is Nivea creme, the blue tin ones you see practically in every drugstore. I bought the small tin for $0.99 cents and I’m so glad I’ve finished this creme. I’ve been using it on my hands, elbows and cuticles because unfortunately for me and my husband, that’s all it’s good for. I bought it because we get random dry patches on our skin especially in the winter. However, when he used it, he complained about the greasy feeling on his skin by the end of the day. It doesn’t sink in the skin and it just clogged up his pores.

Perhaps this creme would be more suitable to use for cuticles or elbows, or maybe if you have dry heels, because it just doesn’t work at all on the face. Too bad, because I love the classic blue tin, but I can’t justify buying this even for $0.99 cents just for that.

Fergit it: Unless you’re traveling and in desperate need of some heavy moisturizer, steer clear of this creme, because it’s not suitable for the face. But if you must try, get the smaller tin which is available at Walgreens, CVS, and most drugstores.

I love chocolate, and I can’t say I’m the most discriminating when it comes to what kind I buy. I’ll eat your popular at-the-counter variety or I’ll splurge on gourmet. I use to be a fiend for milk chocolate, but in the last few years I’ve developed a vicious craving for dark. Recently I discovered a new favorite - Cacao Reserve by Hershey’s in Extra Dark Chocolate with Cacao Nibs. The mix of 65-percent cocoa with bits of cacao nibs is a perfect blend - more semi-sweet than bittersweet.

Most gourmet chocolate bars will cost more than $2 to $3, but Cacao Reserve is a great value for $1.99. (If you live near a Super Target, check for the smaller four-square package on clearance for 68 cents. You’ll find it by the register.)

Get it: Great taste, excellent value, if you love dark chocolate but not the price, try Cacao Reserve. Look for it at your local grocer.

I was skeptical of this product at first, but really like it now that I’ve used it. I have a problem, sometimes, with mix colors in the laundry. I’ve pulled out new shirts that have purple stains on them because I washed something read with something blue. I thought all dark colors can go together.

So, to save my sanity and not have to wash 10,000 loads of laundry every week, I purchased the Shout Color Catchers. They look like dryer sheets, but they go in the washer. As your clothes are washing, and those mystery colors are floating around in the water just waiting to cling to the wrong garment, the Color Catchers absorb the color from the water.

When you move your clothes to the dryer the Catcher sheet will not be white. It will turn whatever color it picked up from the water. Now, sometimes I find that there is nothing on the sheet, but other times it is red or purple. Sometimes blue. It’s always a faint color, but there is ink on the sheet. Ink that I suppose would have ended up on my husbands new colored shirt I just bought for him. This sheet saves me a lot of worry. I still sort my clothes, but if I’m in doubt, I toss a sheet in for extra assurance. It’s been working so far. The only downside to the sheets is the price. It’s about $5.00 for a box of $24. It’s not outrageous, but not cheap either.

Get it: Most stores, in the laundry aisle.

I tried this on a whim one day when I was ordering from Sephora and needed to boost my subtotal up a bit to qualify for free shipping! Little did I expect to find one of the most convenient products I’ve ever tried. This product is perfect for travel, it easily slips into your purse or makeup case. One liquid-filled cotton swab is enough to take off your eye makeup, but I tend to use two for heavier applications, one for each eye. Each swab is filled with aloe vera and vitamin E so it’s gentle, and if you happen to get a bit overzealous with your makeup application, it’s also ideal for touch ups.

Get it! I took this on my last two trips, and I still have half a box left. The small plastic box contains 24 swabs and can be purchased for $5 from Bare Escentuals or Sephora.

For people who have sensitive skin or are prone to having skin allergies, All Free Clear Laundry Liquid Detergent is a godsend. Years ago, I had a terrible skin rash for days and I couldn’t figure out what was causing it, despite having an allergy skin test. Finally, after talking to a co-worker, she suggested that maybe I developed an allergic reaction to my laundry soap (Tide). That made a lot of sense! I quickly went to the grocery store and purchased the only non-perfumed, irritant free laundry soap that I could find, which was the All Free Clear Laundry Liquid Detergent. Immediately the very next day, my rashes were not as itchy and the redness was gone.

The only downside to this laundry soap is that it doesn’t remove tough stains, so for that you may have to spray on some stain remover prior to washing clothes. But it’s so gentle for my skin and my clothes that I’m willing to live with that.

Git it: This is perfect for sensitive skin, babies, and for use with HD washers. Prices may vary but it’s around $6.00 for 100oz. bottle. Available at Target, Publix or your local grocery store.

My toddler son got some of that fancy foaming soap for Christmas last year. We finally finished the bottle, which tells me that we don’t do a good enough job washing our hands. In attempt to do better, to use more soap this cold and flu season I bought another kid-friendly soap: Huggies Clean Team Hand Soap.

It’s a cute bottle with a hippo’s head for the spout. It dispenses a foaming soap — which I love because it just is cooler than regular soap, but more importantly for young kids is that the soap can 1) be seen by the kids and 2) stays on their hands. My only complaint is that I’d like more soap to come out with each pump. I have to double-pump to get enough soap to wash my hands.
But the really cool part is that there is a red light that flashes in the hippo’s head. It stays on for 20 seconds — the amount of time you are supposed to was your hands. Try it folks. Even if you don’t buy this product, try to wash your hands for a FULL 20 seconds. It’s longer than you think. Great idea, especially this time of year. With the MRSA virus speading like wildfire, the best thing we can do as parents is to all wash our hands.

Watch an animated demo.
Read about hand washing on my Mom blog.

Get it: It’s about 3.99 for the dispenser. I got mine at the grocery store so I’m sure you can find it most places you normally purchase hand soap.

I love Fekkai products, especially the glossing cream that shopgirl_joyce just reviewed. When I first saw this glossing product, I knew I had to try it, but was disappointed that it didn’t live up to my expectations, or to the quality I expect from this brand. The product promises a “lightweight, brilliant shine,” but I think someone forgot to add the shine to my bottle. Fekkai products aren’t cheap, and I stubbornly have used almost the entire 5 fl. oz. bottle, convincing myself it must be doing something other than smelling good (I had to award one star just for that.)

Forget it: Skip it and go for the glossing cream instead. But you want to try the mist anyway, you can find it on Amazon, Sephora, and Bath and Body Works for around $22.