FabMama Review: Pink Papaya Facial Mask

I have been in long need of a  new facial mask for quite some time. I picked up the Pink Papaya Facial Mask with Papaya Extract at a  Pink Papaya party I went to a couple of weeks back. Last night I had a little bit of free time on my hands so thought I would try it out.  I really liked the way it blended on to my skin. I  have always used a mask that has more grit to it with I apply. I think its  doing more exfoliating or something . So, I was surprised by the smooth texture... I was expecting it to be more gritty.  The feel of the actual mask while applying was very luxurious. If I were to compare it I would say it would be like applying cake frosting  to your skin, but fluffier.

The mask took a while to dry. I am use to a mask drying pretty quick  and becoming tight  rather fast (again this makes me think its actually doing something) There were no instructions on the box  or tub on how long to keep the mask on  ... but this is what it looks like.



Since it was taking so long to dry and get crackly  I decided to paint my fingers and toes . Then I had to keep the mask on for about 45 minutes until my fingertips were dry.

When I washed the mask off, it was really caked on. I am sure that has to do with the length of time it sat on my face but that was my fumble. not the mask. I did not really notice any huge changes in my skin right off the top. It did look cleaner... less oily. Which is good. I did not off the top notice any unclogged pores which is really what I was hoping for  but it seems a professional facial session is in my near future.

This morning  my skin does feel softer and it is brighter.  It also seems to be taking the colder morning weather better. I usually feel like I have tight chapped cheeks in the morning but today its very smooth.

The cost of the mask is $25. I usually would not spend this much on a mask but I really wanted to give it a try and now that I am 31 my skin is getting ready to hit the "mature" stage and I am trying to combat and major changes to texture and appearance as early as I can. I would buy this again. We will see how long the tub lasts and how many weeks usage I can get.

Here are some dos and don'ts of facial masks that I found  here

The do's of facial massage
The frequency of massaging should be appropriate for the skin's condition. Those who fear skin problems may continue a gentle, effective treatment on a daily basis, limiting the time to short periods. For those who do not routinely massage their skin, massage every 3-4 days with a massage product.
Use your entire palm when massaging a wide area.
Use generous amounts of massage cream, especially for those who have dry skin.
In the direction of facial curves, massaging should be done in a rhythm of inner to outer motions
The don'ts of a facial massage
Don't take small amount of cream. If too little massage cream is applied, the hands will not glide over the skin, creating excessive stimulation.
Don't use just your finger. When using just your finger, the skin suffers too much stimulation.
Don't massage in irregular directions. If you do not massage in the direction of facial curves, wrinkles can be formed.
Don't go for excessive massage. Excessive massaging can over stimulate the skin.

OK find a mask and start using it! I would recommend the Pink papaya Mask!

FAB MAMA Review : Kashi Honey Sunshine

At long last a long awaited FabMama Review. As soon as I nibbled these I knew a review was needed.

Think Cap N'Crunch grows up. Less sugar but same yummy crunch.  I really liked this cereal. It maybe because I use to love Cap'N Crunch as a kid  or that for the first trimester of my pregnancy with LMG I had a ferocious craving for Crunch Berry cereal. Whatever it is, I loved that Kashi did the smarter version of this cereal. In fact I applaud the whole line of Kashi cereals . Love them! This cereal is sure to be crowd pleaser at my house. Both E and the littles will love it and its a better option than what they usually want me to buy. Easy topping for ice cream , yogurt  or as pick ups with my famous  (ok, I know they are only famous at my house) pick up dips. Quick  and easy for a snack trap and a perfect cereal snack  for a bento box.

FAB MAMA Review : Pink Papaya Spa Parties and Exotic Body Butter

A few weeks back I attended my friends pink papaya spa party.It was bundles of fun. We got to soak out feet in the most blissfully smelling concoctions I have ever come across. I know the consultant who does the parties from a previous spa experience (we both use to work for a now no more direct sales company... Yep once upon a time I use to be a spa party girl. Selling body creams and body butters. But that was along time ago)

Please ignore the fact I needed a pedicure in this snap

This company Pink Papaya, has awesome stuff. The packaging is lovely, and we all know I am a sucker for great packaging. I ordered a body wash and body butter in the exotic scent. Tracy, the consultant claimed that the scent is suppose to be irresistible to men. Let me tell you girls, E loves it! He is always making a comment when I wear the body butter about how delicious I smell, and you know what I feel delicious when I wear it. Its lovely!


Now more about this body butter. It should really be called a body souffle. It's rich creamy and it is uber luxurious when you put it on. It really moisturizes beautifully and it smells AWESOME. It actually has become my new favorite beauty product. I wear it constantly and I am almost out. Good thing I am hosting my own spa party in September. Its going to be so much fun I can not wait to introduce my girls to pink papaya.If you are interested in learning more about pink papaya contact Tracy @bodyspa4u@sbcglobal.net or www.pinkpapayaparties.com/spalady



I LOVE THIS BODY BUTTER and I am pretty sure you will love it too!

FAB MAMA Review : Annie's Homegrown Shells & Real Aged Cheddar

Four words... THE LITTLES LOVED IT!

Annie's Homegrown shells and aged cheddar takes boxed mac and cheese to a whole new level. I picked this up at Spud. Very easy recipe to follow and simple ingredients, the box plus milk. That's it. I added to this recipe however, to up the healthy factor I added some shredded carrots.


One fourth cup non fat milk



after the pasta boiled I added in the cheese packed and stirred together with the milk.


While the pasta boiled I cooked up my frozen carrot strips

start with shells in the bowl first then scoop and stir in the carrots


Yum yum ... no?


Mr. Picky Eater of the year LOVED this meal. He asked for more. Say What?



Gabriel Tested, Mama approved!


I had to crop this pic of David, because his face was super blurry but he loved it, I mean loved it !

Great staple to have in the house. E even liked my carrot mac and cheese. You can do many different variations using this box mix. Green veggies is a good idea. My littles are big fans of mac and trees . Typical mac and cheese with broccoli florets chopped up and standing up in the mac. You can also puree veggies and sneak them in during the mixing process. There are many good books out and about about sneaking veggies into your kids food.... I have been known to sneak in jars of baby food into noodles and cheese in the past but since I was not in the mood to steam up the kitchen during this last hot weekend and we no longer have a little baby in the house I stuck to the frozen veggies and took the lazy way out.... and I was happy that it was a crowd pleaser and let me say it is quite tasty... I never serve it to the littles with out taking a bite to make sure its yum and I loved this mac and cheese with or with out the added veggies.

Veggies you can add to your kids meals

steamed carrots
sweet potatoes
squash
pumpkin
broccoli
beans
spinach
tomatoes
avocado


Being creative with food for your littles is really fun the list of things you can add into a dish to veggie it up are really endless. You can get as imaginative as you like. Sometimes you get a dud most times I get a winner... you never know until you try. I highly recommend picking some of this yummy mac and cheese while you are shopping at Spud.


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Fab Mama Review: EnviroKids Gorilla Munch & Clover Organic Milk

More easy peasy shopping done at Spud
The littles love the EnviroKids cereals! The latest and greatest is the EnviroKids Organic Gorilla Munch Cereal. I picked it up here ...Spud of course

Think kix cereal but organic and informative.


Yes, it's true the littles are not reading just yet but I do read the back of the cereal box to them when I think it's interesting.



This box is interesting!We learned a little bit about gorillas, where they live, what they eat.


Littles chowing down on some gorilla munch!


BBD's turn to "read" about gorillas


Check out the Clover milk hiding in the background... I LOVE Clover milk! it is my all time favorite milk ever. You may think this is random to have a favorite milk but I consider myself a milk snob of sorts and I know great milk when I taste it.

For instants, I can taste the small differences in milk by plastic jug and by paper carton. I prefer jug milk but carton is better because the light does not seep into the plastic and change the way the milk tastes? Not sure if this is true but I heard it on the food network once and who am I to question the food network. I love the richness of clover milk, the fullness when you drink it and just about everything about it. We only stock Clover milk in my house, that is how brand loyal I am.



At first I was a little hesitant to get milk delivered but I figured I would try it and see if my milk arrived safe... it did! Spud packed it with ice packs and a handy dandy little envelope. Wonderful! I love that Spud is so thoughtful with these type of things... it really sets my mind at ease that I can shop with out a worry from my desk at work or while relaxing on the couch.

I think Gorilla Munch and clover milk make a fantastic pairing any little or momma would love! I'm sure even a gorilla would like it, wait.. I am not sure if gorilla's can drink cows milk so scratch that.

Happy Munching!

Fab Mama Review: PB&J My Way

I picked up the peanut butter, jelly and bread all at Spud.

Nothing says yummy comfort food to me like PB&J. I am passing this along to the littles. When I can not get my boys to eat what I have made for dinner but don't want to send them to bed with an empty tummy I can always go to this.

I like to make PB&J fun and we will see how it turns out now on to the reviews.


Maranatha Peanut Butter. I am usually not a fan of creamy peanut butter, I am a crunchy kind of girl, but I thought I would give it a whirl since it may be easier for the littles to eat (esp. BBD) I was very happy with the creaminess of this peanut butter. A word of warning when you first open this peanut butter is natural separation of the peanut oil. I have seen this before in organic peanut butter. it totally natural so don't worry about it just stir well before using and store in fridge once it's open.

peanut butter drip-age




after stirring and being in the fridge


very good spreadability

Cascadian Farms Grape Jam

Good flavor although I am a fan or marmalade. The littes and E love grape jelly so it was a family pleaser when I made the sandwiches using grape.I like to spread this in very then because it does not matter if it is organic or not jam is sticky! I happened to like this jam and have used it a few times on toast and it goes well on warm bread also.

Alvarado St. Bakery, Ultimate Kids Bread


Very fluffy kid friendly bread. I have found that the boys really are not huge fans of wheat bread, some of it is too thick for them and come to think of it me too. This bread is very yummy, soft fluffy and tasty it makes for very good toast and sandwiches.

With these yummy organic raw materials I was able to get to sandwich business. I always keep a tub of cookie cutters on hand when cooking for littles. I decided to go for a lives in the water theme.


duck and fish cutters.

To begin you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich the traditional way, whip out your cutters and start pressing and peeling the out edges away.


a duck under construction

a duck complete


here fishy fishy

more peeling back of the crust

fish sandwich ready to go


Voila littles peanut butter perfection you could if you were ambitious take this the next level and get some food safe markers and draw in some eyeballs and smiles on these little guys but I have yet to get some... it's on a shopping list believe me. I always serve these sandwiches with the cutters to give the littles something to do while the are munching away.


BBD very happy with his sandwich



LMG lovin' his sandwich

Wasteful?

I think not... I am often questioned by people what about the left overs? The boys usually will want a snack sometime in the day or they are still hungry. This is when the crust comes in. I either serve it to the boys, or ...


to the hubby for a pre dinner snack.. or late night snack

Fab Mama Review : Popscile Mighty Minis Slow Melt

Very interesting little Popsicles. My mom picked up a box for her place and a box for me a few weeks ago. This is really something I would not buy on a regular basis but I figured since we have them in the house I will let the littles go to town.

They come in a variety of fun shapes and colors. They are toddler sized which is a good thing because LMG and BBD will end up wasting a yummy treat like a Popsicle, wouldn't you know. Another fun thing about these pops they are slow melting. I guess they have jell-o or something in them that allows them to melt at a slower speed for kids to enjoy. This does not however, reduce the sticky-ness factor that is always apparent with littles come across this type of treat.

The flavors they come in are, fruit punch lemon-lime, watermelon , tropical orange, and strawberry kiwi. I was reading the ingredients list and was not surprised to find a bunch of junk in the form of fun listed, in fact far too many to list. These things are full of sugar. They are however 1 point so if you wanted to grab one and eat it the low points does not really make up for all the junk your actually eating.


I had one with the littles a few weeks ago when it was HOT. The look of why did I do this on my face was because A. I should have read the label before I ate it and gave it and gave it to my boys and B. It was so ho that day. LMG, he just has that funky little look sometimes.

Of course we all know that the littles loved these pops and some how some way another box has made it back into my life... my mom got me another. UGH. They have enjoyed them but not that often. Honestly I would pass on them all together.

They are cute but you can make a better for the kids pop by using organic juice or nectar, a popscile mold from target or if you really want to get creative a dixie cup. If you still want to see what they look like to avoid while at the store click here

FABMAMA Review: Kicks Snickerdoodle Cookie Dry Mix

Kicks cookies what a fantastic little name for a company that makes these delicious cookies. I picked them up at my favorite place to shop Spud .. you should know that by now!

I picked up some cookie mix it was the snickerdoodle chocolate chip. We all know that I am many things a baker not so much,but hey give a curlie girlie some credit... I try.

When I saw the packaging and spotted the clover cow I knew I was in for a treat.




I followed the directions set my oven to the right degrees, creamed the butter and eggs mixed in the dry ingredients and portioned out my cookies.



The recipe on the bag states that the ingredients will make about 15 , 3 inch cookies. I made a couple extra big for E but it was pretty right on.

I love the smell or fresh baked cookies, it reminds me of childhood. Ok, back to the cookies. They baked well, came up a little flatter then I expected but I am blaming that on my cookie sheet and not the mix.


flatter than expected but good homemade cookie coloring.

I think these cookies in particular were very tasty. I liked the flavor of the snickerdoodle topping mixed in with chocolate chips. I think it was kinda genius pairing these two cookie flavors together. They baked well, aroma was yummy, they had the right texture. The cookies had good dunk ability( ALL COOKIES SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE DUNKED IN MILK OR HOT COCOA, If you can not dunk it is it really a good cookie?)


COOOKIEEE (I am paying homage to cookie monster, forgive me preschoolers on the brain)

The cookies stored well in my handy dandy baked goods box and we ate them for a few days. Need to place a new order for some more ... Next time I am thinking the dark chocolate cookie mix.

Get some Kicks find them here

Want to get your own Spud Box?
Receive $25 off over your first 4 deliveries ($5 off each of your first 3 orders and $10 off your 4th). Use coupon code below.

Visit www.Spud.com and use coupon code CRSFO - ALVMIC

fabmama review: Luna mini s'mores

Luna sent over samples of their fabulous little mini bars for the annual cvmc event. We had quite a few left over after our bag stuffing party. I took a few home to give them a go when I'm mobile or need a little extra snack at work.

These cute little Luna bars are re same as the traditional bats but smaller so they are cuter. 1 mini s'more bar is 2 points. Fantastic. I am going to be on the look out for these little mini bars while I am grocery shopping this week and plan on keeping some at home and work. Smart, cheap (point wise) snacking.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

FabMama Review: Niman Ranch Fearless Franks For Kids

Great franks to have around the house. What I liked the most about these franks is they where very crisp when you bit into them . There was a little bounce off of the frank which sometimes you don't find in an ordinary hot dog when you sink your teeth into. Maybe the difference is that they are franks and not ordinary dogs. The flavor was great. I usually do not like hot dogs, but I gave these a try because they are organic. Another great thing about these franks is that they are versatile and a kid pleaser! Woo hoo I am always looking for something that will makes the littles happy and they will want to eat.

I served these a few different ways while I had them int he fridge. Traditional frank style, sliced and grilled over brown rice, and fabu-dog style.

Franks can be a great throw back dinner The Niman Ranch Fearless Franks with Amy's organic baked beans are a great pairing as well.




LMG eating his franks with brown rice.


Another satisfied little chomping on franks and rice.


Gabriel eating his dog big boy style. His first attempt at proper hot dog eating might I add.


Ideas for frank night: buns, mustard, ketchup, baked beans, Cookies and , juice.


A great pairing with franks... think traditional frank and bean dinner. My bean hound of a little David was not a big fan, he rarely turns down beans but it took him a few tries to decide if he liked them. Eventually he warmed up to their sweet tomato taste. I really liked these beans. I liked the flavor and a serving is only 2 points. Pictured is the actual 1/2 cup serving. Great with dinner small and hearty enough to put in your lunch box for a filling lunch.


A rare moment of preschooler sharing. E liked these dogs too and requested I order them again soon.


A frank grown up style... or shall I say Fabu-Dog Style. Toppings were nature value mustard, chopped onions, chopped avocado, and sprinkled fontina cheese. HOLY COW was this frank good! I served it with a side salad and enjoyed my frank feast. Yummy looking, no?


Another snap of this delicious meal.

Want to make this fantastic meal for you and your family? I got all of these items at Spud. Save some cash with this money saving coupon code:

Receive $25 off over your first 4 deliveries ($5 off each of your first 3 orders and $10 off your 4th). Use coupon code below.

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