Health

Tell Those Bugs to Stop Bugging Me! {Review}

August 13, 2011 by Gabrielle Leave a Comment

As much as a lot of us would like to pretend they don’t exist, bed bugs have become a big problem, recently! They infest your mattresses, clothes, carpets, and pretty much anything they can get their gross little bodies on! That is why products like Stop Bugging Me! and Stop Bugging Me! MAX are so important to have at your disposal. Just because someone in your household doesn’t go to the home of someone with bedbugs, doesn’t mean they can’t make their way into the bed you sleep in! Since bedbugs can hide in things like hair and backpacks, your child is likely to come into contact with bedbugs at school, in the locker room, or at daycare.

Prevention is the best step any Mom can take in protecting her home and family from bedbugs. By spraying Stop Bugging Me! on your beds, bags, headrests, luggage, and anything else that comes in contact with strangers, you can repel bedbugs before they ever infest your belongings. Stop Bugging Me! is also strong enough to kill any bedbug that does happen to make its way to your things.

Stop Bugging Me! is a water-based insecticide that’s actually EPA registered and kills and repells any bug on contact, including the dreaded bed bug. It is stain and odor free and stays going strong for 90-days. You can find Stop Bugging Me! online at www.StopBuggingMe.com, by calling 855-411-BUGS{2847}, and at American Hotel Registry for residential and commercial use.

**Please note that I did not received any type of monetary compensation for this review. I was provided a free sample to ensure an accurate and honest review.**

Filed Under: Giveaways/Reviews Tagged With: Health, House & Home, Prevention, Review, Stop Bugging Me!

Treating This Summer’s Bumps and Bruises with Bengay Cold Therapy {Review}

August 13, 2011 by Gabrielle Leave a Comment

As is the case with many men who work with their hands for a living, Daddy suffers from a bad back. Sometimes, after a long day, Daddy’s back will flare up and he won’t even be able to move!

On days like those, I’m thankful for products like Bengay Cold Therapy! I rub it directly onto Daddy’s back and the cooling sensation begins immediately. It’s not an intense cold, like putting ice on there or anything, but the cooling sensation is nice and can be felt deep in your muscles.

Bengay Cold Therapy is great for bumps, bruises, and swelling. The cooling sensation lasts for quite some time is actually the same technology used by chiropractors and physical therapists!

Some features include:

Fast acting pain relief
Same technology used by chiropractors and physical therapists
Vanishing scent
Provides a fast-acting blast of cold
Ideal for muscle and joint strains or sprains
Deep penetrating, long-lasting pain relief

I keep Bengay Cold Therapy in the front of our medicine cabinet and it is used often. Do yourself a favor and pick up a tube. The next time you’re unfortunate enough to get a bruise, you’ll be glad you have it!

**Please note that I did not received any type of monetary compensation for this review. I was provided a free sample to ensure an accurate and honest review.**

Filed Under: Giveaways/Reviews Tagged With: Bengay, Health, Review

Woah, I didn’t Know Epsom Salt Did All That!

August 13, 2011 by Gabrielle Leave a Comment

How many of you have used Epsom salt before? While I’d heard of it before, I’d never used it before the other day. I really didn’t know that Epsom salt had so many uses!

Close up of the Epsom salt crystals.

The first way I decided to test Epsom salt was with a foot soak. Because I’m on my feet often throughout the day chasing after Little Man, I always have achy feet come bed time. For that reason, I was really looking forward to a warm, relaxing soak. Unlike a normal foot soak, this one, that included Epsom salt, left my feet feeling completely relaxed and smooth. Epsom salt acts as a gentle exfoliator and really treats your feet to a home spa experience.

The second way I tried Epsom salt was by feeding it to my aloe plant. I really wish I would have taken a “before” picture! I didn’t think it would make that big of a difference, but my aloe was beginning to lose its green. After adding the Epsom salt to the water before watering it for the week, I noticed the difference immediately the next day! The aloe I received from a friend looks bigger and better than ever! Check out all that green!

The aloe plant that Epsom salt revived!

Epsom salt really does have a lot of uses! You can mix it with a few drops of fragrance to create homemade bath crystals. Enhance a cleansing cream with Epsom salt for a deep-poor cleaning.

In the garden, Epsom salt has been proven to grow bushier plants and larger fruits and vegetables. You can work it into the base of your plants to encourage growth. Not only does Epsom salt help plants grow, but it deters pests like slugs and voles from making your precious flowers and bushes their home.

On top of all that, Epsom salt can also be used to treat mosquito bites, bee stings, poison ivy, and sunburns! For more information on the wonders of Epsom salt, visit www.epsomsaltcouncil.org. Keep in touch with them via their Facebook page – www.facebook.com/epsomsalt!

**Please note that I did not received any type of monetary compensation for this review. I was provided a free sample to ensure an accurate and honest review.**

Filed Under: Giveaways/Reviews Tagged With: Crafts, DIY, Epsom salt, Health, Homemade, House & Home, Medical, Review, Scrubs

Start The Day Off Right With Better Oats: Blueberry Muffins Instant Oatmeal {Giveaway}

July 22, 2011 by Gabrielle

Like most families, oatmeal has become a staple food in our home. Not only does it taste great, but it really gets us going when we need some energy to get us through the day {and seriously, who couldn’t use more of that?}. Because it’s one of those meals that stick with you, Daddy can’t make it through a day without a big bowl of oatmeal to start it off.

To celebrate National Blueberry Month {which is July}, the great folks at Better Oats sent us some of their delicious Blueberry Muffin old fashioned instant oatmeal. They’re in a shelf-friendly package and also act as their own measuring cup!! I think that was our favorite feature of the process; being able to do everything with just a bowl and spoon – no extra utensils needed. All you need to do is pour the oatmeal into your bowl, fill the empty package to the fill like {which will be ½ cup of water}, then microwave for 2-minutes. There’s no easier way to get a nice, warm meal in the morning that will prepare you for anything the upcoming day has to bring.

As for the taste – delicious! It was creamier than normal instant oatmeal you buy in the stores. The smell of the blueberries is intoxicating and by the time the 2-minute microwaving time was up, the kitchen, dining room, AND living room had the pleasant aroma of blueberry muffins. Of course, Daddy was a little disappointed when I told him we weren’t having muffins, but when I told him that was the smell of his morning oatmeal, he perked right up.

How would you like the chance to start your morning off right for a whole month straight?! The fabulous folks at Better Oats have graciously offered one of my lucky readers an entire month’s supply of Blueberry Muffin Better Oats oatmeal! To enter, please complete the mandatory entry below:

Visit the Better Oats web site and tell me which of the other 28 flavors you would love to try or have already tried!

Extra Entries {You must complete the mandatory entry to be entered in this contest. If this is not completed, NONE of your entries will count!}

+1 Like CA Monkey Momma on Facebook {1 entry} {leave your First Name, Last Initial}

+1 Like Better Oats on Facebook {1 entry per brand you “like”} {leave your First Name, Last Initial}

+1 Follow CA Monkey Momma on Twitter {1 entry} {leave your sn}

+1 Follow CA Monkey Momma via Networked Blogs (left sidebar) {1 entry} {leave your sn}

+2 Comment on a non-giveaway post {2 entries} {leave the name of the post or the URL}

+5 GRAB MY BUTTON (left sidebar) { 5 entries } {leave the URL where I can find it}

*DAILY* Tweet the following {include link to each tweet!!!!}:

Enter to #win a months supply of #BetterOats #oatmeal from @camonkeymomma! Ends 8/07/11 http://tinyurl.com/BetterOatsGiveaway

Please leave a separate comment for each entry! If your email is not visible in your profile, please be sure to leave it in one of your entries.

This giveaway ends Sunday, August 07, 2011 @ 11:59pm (PST). A winner will be chosen at random shortly after and notified via email. They will have 48 hours to respond before they forfeit their win and another winner is chosen. Please remember that I verify every entry. I received a sample product in order to accurately write this post – all opinions expressed are my own, though, and where in no way influenced by this. Giveaway valid in the US only! ONE PERSON PER HOUSEHOLD, PLEASE! Thank you for participating and GOOD LUCK!!

Filed Under: Giveaways/Reviews Tagged With: Better Oats, Blueberries, Breakfast, Giveaway, Health, Oatmeal, Review

ACTIVATE Your Workout {Review}

July 7, 2011 by Gabrielle Leave a Comment

I think we’re all familiar with the common energy and vitamin drinks available on the market, but how fresh can they be after spending months on a store shelf? This is a question I’ve asked myself before, but really came to understand when I found ACTIVATE. This amazing vitamin water delivers fresh vitamins to the user when they need it – not months ahead of time.

Twist
Twist the top to release the vitamins into the water. A powder drops from the top and immediately begins to dissolve.

Shake
Shake up the bottle and watch the vitamins dissolve into the water.

Activate
Activate the ingredients that make you feel great!

There are no preservatives and all ACTIVATE water has 0 calories and NO sugar. To top it off, they actually taste great, too! For review, we tried Blueberry Pomegranate and Raspberry Citrus. Both left us feeling much more refreshed and added some taste to “boring” water. After a long hike with Little Man, the Blueberry Pomegranate was delicious and very refreshing. I could definitely see myself bounce back quicker after the walk while drinking ACTIVATE versus just water.

If you’re looking for a refreshing way to hydrate yourself and take your vitamins, check out ACTIVATE drinks. They’re a delicious way to take your vitamins and they even have energy ones that give you the extra boost you need to get through the day. You can connect with ACTIVATE water through their Facebook face page, as well as their Twitter feed!

**Please note that I did not received any type of monetary compensation for this review. I was provided a free sample to ensure an accurate and honest review.**

Filed Under: Giveaways/Reviews Tagged With: Fitness, Health, Review, Water

Don’t Let Bikini Season Pass You By

July 5, 2011 by Gabrielle Leave a Comment

If you’re like me, you cringe at the idea of wearing a bathing suit in the backyard, let alone a public area! I use shorts, wraps, and gowns to cover those extra curves, often missing out on valuable sun tanning time in the process.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m comfortable in my body, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need to get healthy. There’s no better way to shed the pounds and lose the weight than with a personal trainer; and there’s no better personal trainer than Rob Gibson!

Located in Ventnor, NJ {next to Margate}, Rob works with people all over the country to get into shape. He’s got an amazing attitude and will surely motivate you to get off your butt and start working out. For a quick preview, check out his eBook, 21 Fitness Secrets to Looking Good in Your Bikini This Summer {you can sign up for it in the right column of his web site}. Because he’s so confident you’ll lose weight and feel better about yourself, Rob Gibson offers a 30 day money back guarantee: