When I received them, the first thing I noticed is that the 90 calorie bars are a bit smaller than the other bars – but not too much smaller. The consistency is a bit different – there’s more crispy rice and the bars are less dense. However, they still taste great. I love having them in my purse as a healthy snack on the go. While they won’t replace my regular Fiber One bars, they are a great complement.

Win it! Want to win a gift pack from Fiber One and My Blog Spark? It includes a box of the 90 calorie bars. To win, leave a comment with your favorite weight loss tip. Contest ends 2/20 at 11:59pm and is for US Residents only.

Disclosure: The Fiber One 90 Calorie Chewy Bars, gift pack, information and additional gift pack to give away were all given to me from Fiber One through MyBlogSpark.

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FiberOne 90 Calorie Bars – An Easy Snack on the Go

My kids especially love squeezing their tummies – each character makes an individual sound when squeezed.  The YooHoo & Friends line also has a corresponding Web site that requires no activation codes.  Children (with their parents’ permission, of course) can learn more about the endangered animals by reading, playing games, and adopting and raising “friends”.

Plush animals are available in five and eight inch sizes, and as corresponding key chains.  To learn more, or to purchase, visit the Aurora Web site.

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YooHoo & Friends by Aurora

The M2 Sensitive Skin bundle includes the following: the M2 Exfoliating Cleanser, the M2 Skin Refinish 12%, and the M2 Skin Recovery Moisturizer.  I’ve been using the M2 cleanser faithfully, and while it has done a great job exfoliated those surface flakes off my skin, it hasn’t at all been harsh.  When I hear “exfoliating cleanser” I assume that it more of a scrub, but that isn’t the case with this cleanser at all.

The M2 Skin Refinish 12% goes on about 15 minutes before your moisturizer.  It’s recommended that you do this at night, but since I use Retin A at night, I use it in the morning, then finish getting ready before adding the moisturizer.  You can actually feel it tightening the skin slightly, and I’ve definitely noticed that my skin is smoother.  Finally, the moisturizer is a great consistency, and perfect in the winter for me because it’s very moisturizing.  There’s no irritation at all, and my skin absorbs it well.  I use the moisturizer in the morning, and combined with my Retin A at night.

I have to comment on the packaging.  I typically don’t like lots of packaging with my skin products, but I actually really like the way the moisturizer is packaged, because it stays clean and only distributes a bit of product at a time.

You can buy M2 at Skincare Rx.

Want to win a sensitive skin bundle of your own?  Leave a comment below with your biggest skincare challenge to be entered to win.  Get a second entry for tweeting the giveaway (just leave a second comment letting me know you tweeted).  US Residents only, contest ends 2/20 at 11:59 ET.

Disclosure: I received this set free of charge to review.

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Gentle Exfoliation, With Results

In addition to providing a great shave, Pure Silk Shaving Cream is available in a variety of scents like melon splash, citrus zest, raspberry mist, and plumeria. It’s so much better than using the husband’s manly smelling creams and gels. I also love that Pure Silk is now available in a rust-proof aluminum can that won’t leave marks or stains on a bathtub or in a shower stall.

You can learn more about Pure Silk here or purchase it in mass market retailers or drugstores.

*We received a can of Pure Silk to sample.*

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Smooth, Silky Legs with Pure Silk

Today, I’ll be on Fox 25 Boston talking about baby products – mommy must haves!

Here are the products, and my original reviews:

Patemm Pads – buy online at patemm.com

BornFree Sippy Cups - buy online at Newbornfree.com

Mabel’s Labels – buy online at Mabel.ca

The Miracle Blanket – buy at Magic Beans in Brookline, Hingham, Wellesley, or the new store opening this weekend in Cambridge or online at mbeans.com.

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Baby Products – Mommy Must Haves

Suave provided us with a stylist of my choice (Agostino Lombardi from Studio for Hair in Boston, who has been my hairstylist for 10 years), loads of product samples to take home (and I mean LOADS), food, and beverages.  I had fun picking out healthy (and maybe a little unhealthy) food for us to eat, and had wine and cucumber water to drink.

The Suave products we received are from their professional line, which they claim works just as well as corresponding Aveda products.  I don’t really use too much Aveda, but I love the Suave products – and they smell great!  I don’t use them everyday, but do use them once or twice a week to get my hair really clean.

Click the link to see some photos from my event.

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Afternoon In With Suave

My husband, son and I couldn’t get enough of the chocolate chip cookies. They were fresh, soft, and so very yummy. A wonderful treat for after dinner, the cookies were gone in only a few nights. We were also lucky enough to try the chocolate-covered pretzels. We love the combination of sweet and salty. Just like the cookies, they were fresh and tasted like we just purchased them from a bakery.

The pictures on the tins are of good quality and I plan on using ours for office supplies now that they are empty. In addition to cookies and pretzels, Fresh Beginnings offers nuts, brownies, peanut brittle, toffee crunch, and chocolates.

You can take a look at the offerings from Fresh Beginnings at http://www.freshbeginnings.com. We are so excited that Fresh Beginnings is offering a code for 25% off your entire order (not including shipping) until Sunday, February 7. Just use the code “FAVSTUFF” at checkout.

*We received samples for this review.*

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Sweets (and a Discount) for your Valentine from Fresh Beginnings

Organic Bamboo Velour toddler towel, great for the pool, beach and tub!

Looking for a unique and luxurious baby shower gift?  Buying a not-on-the-registry gift can be difficult, unless you can come up with something totally unique AND necessary!  A super-soft organic bamboo velour blanket, washcloth set, or baby towel from Baby U R Precious, is a great idea.

I received a wash cloth set for review – something that I actually need even though my kids are older.  All of the washcloth sets we got when the kids were born are now past their prime – so these two washcloths were a welcome addition.  My daughter, upon using the larger one, asked – “Do they make towels like this?”.

And, in fact, yes, they do…

If you aren’t familiar with organic bamboo velour (I wasn’t) – it’s super soft and luxurious, and absorbs water well.  It’s also great for kids who are allergic or sensitive to traditional cotton, and is machine washable and dryable.  The colors available at Baby U R Precious are gorgeous and bright – from the luscious lime we received to fruity pink – you’ll find something appropriate.

To learn more about Baby U R Precious or to purchase, visit their Web site.

Disclaimer: I received a washcloth set for review at no cost.

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Luxurious Organic Bamboo Velour Baby Shower Gifts

I love this promotion, because it’s a wonderful way to start to educate children on the issue of hunger in America.  On Wednesdays, from now through February, pack a peanut butter sandwich for your children, rather than have them purchase school lunch.  Then, donate the money saved to Feeding America.  With the average school lunch price of $2, Feeding America can provide 14 meals.  Why is this price so low?  Well, much of the food is actually donated, so the money goes towards the shipping and logistics of getting it to those in need.

Do you have a child who’s allergic to peanuts, or who attends a nut-free school?  Then, consider donating a jar of peanut butter instead of making peanut butter sandwiches.  Peanut butter is one of the most requested foods in shelters, because it contains lots of protein and many meals can come from one jar.

To learn more about the Pack a Peanut Butter Sandwich Day Promotion by Peter Pan, visit their Web site.  The site also contains many ideas to help get kids educated and involved.

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Pack a Peanut Butter Sandwich Day Promotion for Feeding America

As I discussed before, this week, I, along with a group of other bloggers, attended a Genesis Today event in Austin, TX.  While the primary purpose was to select a winner of the Genesis of a Great Idea contest, the bloggers in attendance also were treated to some great experiences, including product sampling, education, and even ziplining!

Here’s who was in attendance:

Judges

• Naomi – Superdumb Supervillain
• Danielle – Extraordinary Mommy
• Elizabeth – Professor of Play
• Sandy – Organize With Sandy
• Me!

There were also some additional bloggers in attendance who didn’t judge but attended all of the events.

• Kim – Crafty Mama of 4
• Courtney – Giftfully Simple
• Sugar Jones – Sugar in the Raw
• Zippy – Champagne Living
• Katja (attending as a Collective Bias employee) – Skimbaco Lifestyle

Dr. Lindsey Duncan, founder of Genesis Today, attended almost all of the events and provided us with valuable information about nutrition, health, wellness, and much more.  I’m completely inspired to make changes in my life, and can’t wait to talk about them more (on Multitasking Mommy).

As for our primary mission, all of the contest finalists were amazing, and it was so hard to judge.  We voted anonymously, but I believe the vote had to be close.  Congrats to the winner, Girlfriendology’s Debba Haupert!  I can’t wait to see this campaign in action!

Disclosure: This event was paid for by Genesis Today, and I’m being compensated as a judge for the contest and for attending the event.

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Genesis Today Blogger Immersion Event