trendy mommies

I just love travel size products. Not only are they necessary when you travel but they are a great way to test out products you just are not sure about.  I found some of my favorite products the other day in travel sizes (my kids squealed when t hey saw them as they are cute in the smaller version)

My older daughter loves this shampoo and conditioner from Organix, especially the coconut milk shampoo and conditioner. She also loves the tea tree mint. I was so excited when I saw them in the travel size.  I had no idea they had a body line as well so we’ll have to test it out!

Even Fairy Tales has a travel size.  The kids are ok with me spraying the Rosemary Repel Leave-In Spray and now with the 2oz travel size I can take it with me anywhere. Hello…you will be spraying the back of the head rest on the plane with this stuff!

I was so happy with my purchases and then I discovered this great site - 3Floz.com. It is the go to site for all your favorite brands in travel size items. What I love most is they have these ready-made kits to go. What a great concept!

I may have to get the Ole Henriksen starter kit and the PHYTO Petite-Smooth and Sleek Kit. So whether you are hitting the gym or traveling for a girls’ weekend you can choose The Spa Week Traveling Beauty Kit, the Kate’s Perfect Faux Tan Kit or the Back Pack Survival Kit. Ready..to..go.

The site even has an under $10 section so before you head anywhere check it out!

My travel size purchases

I’ve been so busy with work, back to school shopping, etc. etc. Last week on the weekly trendymommies radio report we talked backpack safety. This week we talked about waste free lunches. Everything from stainless steel water bottles, stainless steel containers and lunch containers.

Listen in!

Waste Free Lunch

Every summer my skin is so dry and I test out so many products. Maybe that is why my skin is dry! Believe me I have tried just about every body moisturizer out there.   Always on the lookout for gentle, effective products I found Auromere.

Auromere Ayurvedic Imports sent me some sample products to test out.  These lifestyle products from India are a unique line of body care and gift items. The products range from incense, herbal toothpaste, handmade soaps, shampoos, massage oil and body lotion.

I love the auromere neem picks. They freshen your breath, stimulate your gums, remove food particles and plaque and leave a sweet taste in your mouth.

The Ayurvedic Hand and Body Lotion has sesame oil and almond oil which leaves skin soft and smooth. It is especially hydrating for dry, aging skin. The fragrance is so light. It is paraben and gluten free. The lotion is specially formulated with 13 skin-beneficial Ayurvedic herbs, oils and minerals so that means it helps with extremely dry skin, especially the skin on our heels that is very tough to keep hydrated. Check out all their product offerings.

I have a ton of lip balm – and I mean a ton.  Every new one that comes out on the market I try it. I am loving the variety of lip balms from Eco Lips.  The company sent me a sampling of lip balm to test out and what a selection they have. They really know their lip balm!

Eco Lips lip balm is handcrafted in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and made with natural and organic ingredients. They have several innovative organic lip care products and have something for everyone in your family – moms, kids and dads.

Eco Tints are their naturally glistening lip moisturizer – perfect for mom on the go and if you don’t have time for lip liner and lipstick but want a bit of color and moisturizer. This line moisturizes your lips while providing a sheer tint and they have six shades. They contain organic plant oils, beeswax, as well as natural earth mineral and provide a shimmering glow. The plush red is a nice light shade of red.

Eco Lips Gold is their ultimate lip moisturizer and also unflavored – this is especially good for kids that need moisturizer but tend to lick off the fake flavored kind. This one is best for every day use.

Eco Lips Sport has an SPF 30 and comes with a clip to attach to a backpack (perfect for Dad).  There is also a Eco+Lips medicinal and a vegan lemon lime bee free lip balm.

But my favorite which I put by my bedside is The Lavender Lemon Calming Lip Balm. Made With Essential Oils of Lavender and Lemon and Olive Fruit Oil to calm your senses – perfect for the end of the day.  This is from their ONE WORLD lip balm collection and they fuse Fair Trade Certified Cocoa Butter, USDA Organic Certified ingredients and exotic oils from around the globe. These are a chubbier lip balm packaged in large 0.25 oz tubes and made with 40% recycled material.

Eco Lips Lip Balm

I love a good cleaner – especially when they are natural, safe and effective.  I am always on the lookout for eco-friendly cleaning supplies and ones that doesn’t emit obnixous fumes. My husband is greek and he loves his windex cleaner and yes I have seen him use it to clean his hands!

Just received some cleaning supplies from Shaklee to test out and boy do they work well. The Get Clean Hand Wash Concentrate is made with natural botanicals and smells so good as it has rosemary in it. The Get Clean Basic H2 is a super cleaning concentrate to clean appliances, windows, floors, pots and pans. It is super concentrated so the 16 ounce bottle makes 49 gallons of cleaner!  With the Get Clean Hand Dish Wash you only need a few drops. All of their products are non toxic, without any parabens, Phthalates or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).  Dr. Forrest C. Shaklee founded the company on the principle of Living in Harmony with Nature® over half a century ago.

Shaklee is sold through independent distributors and they have much more than cleaning products. They also sell nutrition and beauty products.  Check out this link for all their product offerings.

Shaklee cleaners

I’m not one to take a hike in the deep woods but lately we have been enjoying the outdoors on these summer nights and the topic of bug repellent has been coming up a lot lately.  We have been trying more natural repellents. Some say only DEET will work to repel mosquitoes and ticks. Some would never use DEET and opt for natural oils. Here are a few we tested:

I am liking this OFF!® Clip-On™ repellent as you do not have to apply anything to you skin.  The battery-powered fan circulates repellent all around you. Batteries are included.  It says it provides up to 12 hours of head-to-toe protection.

Avon Skin So Soft bath oil spray – this can work for some people but not for others. We joked at a recent barbeque as we sprayed this on our dry skin (directions say to apply to wet skin) and thought that the mosquitoes would slide right off!   I like how it moisturizes too. However it does contain mineral oil.

Avon also has the Bug Guard Plus Picaridin. Don’t really like the smell but worked for me. Just be careful with the one with sunscreen as with picaridin as well as DEET you do not want to keep re-applying. Just read the labels and follow directions.

Purple Prairie is a new line of botanical soaps, lotions, sunscreens and more.  Their bug spray provides a natural, safe way to keep gnats, biting flies and mosquitoes away. They sent us a one ounce sample to test out. It contains a special blend of essential oils and plant extracts and is DEET free.  It also soothes bites and poison ivy. It smells so good – very herbal with ingredients like peppermint, rosemary, lemongrass and eucalyptus oil. I found it worked very well and was great for my daughter’s sensitive skin.

We also like Buzz Away Extreme which is a DEET-free formula in a spray bottle that combines essential plant oils with soy bean and geranium oil for long lasting natural protection. The web site says it works for up to 4 hours against mosquitoes, up to 2.5 hours on ticks, and also repels fleas, gnats and flies. If you don’t mind smelling like a citronella candle this one works well for us!

Natural insect repellent

I buy a ton of hair products not only for myself but for my kids and I try to look for more natural products. Sometimes it’s hard to find products that work well, smell good and are all natural.  Hot Tot is a new line of styling products created for babies and children that are made with safe and organic ingredients.

The company sent us some samples to test out. These included styling gel, structure whip, sweet pea serum and the conditioning detangler.

What I like is that they are all formulated without parabens, sulfates, phthalates, formaldehyde, petrolatum or synthetic coloring.

The conditioning detangler is perfect for sensitive skin and helps with knots and tangles. The styling gel does not feel stiff or sticky and the structure whip is a cream that helps with the trickier hair styles like ponytails, sleek styles and cowlicks. The sweet pea serum is for the littlest babies helping to deal with cradle cap and skin conditions.

The company also sells gift sets and infant onesies.  All the products smell great, work well and have no yucky ingredients plus the company donates a portion of their proceeds to several different charities including Save The Children and the Ronald McDonald House.

Hot Tot salon quality styling products for babies and kids

As you head to the pool or beach this summer season there are some fun essentials you will need.

Our friends at babo botanicals, supergoop and scout bags send us these products to review.

Our friends at babo botanicals sent us a few products to test out.  We love babo! All of their products are sulfate, paraben and phthalate free. They are also dairy and soy free and made with pure flower and plant extracts.

We tested the swim and sport line which will be a welcomed, must have product this summer season, especially if your kids are in chlorine and salt water all day!  Their Clean Sport Shampoo and Wash helps replenish and hydrate both the hair and skin after a day at the beach or the pool. My kids are on the swim team and this gets rid of the chlorine smell and leaves a nice, fresh scent.  Made with soothing organic aloe vera and cucumber it also leaves their hair shiny. It is great for moms and I love that I only have to bring one bottle to the pool with me.   It is also safe for colored treated hair (bonus for those highlights!).

My older daughter has very blond hair so we have an issue with it sometimes turning green.  We sprayed the Cucumber Aloe Vera UV Sport Conditioning Spray before we hit the pool and it kept her hair soft and not dried out and of course no green.   It helps to resist chlorine, salt and sun! And again, perfect if you want to protect those highlights.

If you are sending your kids to summer camp these upcoming months make sure you send along the babo Rosemary Tea Tree Lice Repel Shampoo and Lice Repel Conditioning spray with them! We used this all year long and I loved the smell of it. It contains Rosemary, Tea Tree and mint which the critters avoid!  According to the babo web site it is clinically proven 95% effective.

Swim and Sport line from babo botanicals

Summer is here in New England but it’s hot one day, cool the next and a whole lot of thunderstorms in between. Especially when it’s hot outside but still rainy it’s hard to know what to send kids to school with or for the summer to camp with.  Here are some items that might fit the bill.

Especially for older kids a rain jacket that is not too cute is a must and make sure it’s lightweight and packable for those 80 degree thunderstorm days. I like the Land’s End Girl’s packable navigator rain jacket - well because it’s packable and lightweight.

LL Bean’s trail model rain jacket also packs up too! I like how the taped seams seal out moisture

If you are looking for cutsie rain gear try Mini Boden and their anorak jacket.

There is also a site called kidskiandrain with cute rain sets

The Comfy Kid has great them raincoats and rain sets including the Space Hero Rain Coat, Kidorable Ballerina Rain Coat and of course Lucky Cat Rain Coat!