Your Mama Reviews

Your Mama Likes Seed Body Soap

Maria — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:33:40 +0000

Last year, I received three samples of (Seed)+ body care to test out just as they were launching their new line. I wasn’t a huge fan of the aroma of the body lotion, so I’m going to talk about the soap, which I LOVED. I used to use that St. Ives Apricot Face Scrub in high school when I thought it was a good idea to rub off half my face in the shower every day. The texture of the Seed body bar reminds of the scrub, except it’s meant for your BODY not your FACE which is way better. During the winter months, it really helped me get that nasty built up dead skin off my shoulders and neck area in particular.

I enjoy the Citrus/Thyme scent a lot. It’s actually neutral enough that my husband didn’t mind using it either. The same scent in the lotion smelled more like citrus candy or skittles to me, but in the soap it worked nicely and was very deodorizing. If you’re not into scented products, try the completely unscented one. While the scented one says “natural fragrance,” I’m really not sure EXACTLY what that means so I’d stick with unscented if you’re sensitive to fragrances.

Since it’s a highly scrubby bar (it uses refined seeds to create an exfoliating surface) I wouldn’t use it on your face or your sensitive body parts. Ahem.

You can pick it up just about everywhere now. I’ve seen Seed products at Target, at our affiliate Amazon.com, and on Alice.com, where shipping is always FREE.

Your Mama Wants BPAL

Maria — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:37:28 +0000

Even though I’ve studied aromatherapy extensively and generally shy from perfumes and fragrances, I have a soft spot for Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. I first learned about BPAL (pronounced Bee Pal) through friends on Livejournal. Being a collector of shiny things, I ordered my first round of imps (little sample vials) and immediately got hooked. I started learning about fragrance notes and ways to describe smells and what worked on my body and what didn’t. I amassed a ridiculous stash of imps. (Excuse the shitty cell phone photography.)

Many people have heard me bitch about synthetic fragrance chemicals in the past. I was recently pleased to find this information on the BPAL FAQ:

We do everything in our power to ensure that our products please our customers while maintaining a high standard of quality and safety. To that end, we employ components that contain essential oils, CO2s, aroma compounds, pomades, concretes, absolutes, solvent extractions, accords, and bouquets in our fragrances. We do not use any nitro musks, polycyclic musks, or any other synthetic material that can be considered potentially harmful. With the exception of the mineral oil in some Trading Post products, we do not use anything that is petroleum based. Our products are as natural as possible without compromising the safety and health of our customers. We will not use any component, natural or synthetic, that is deemed harmful to either the environment or the individual.

BPAL has a huge cult following. You can find sets of imps on e-bay and dozens of active forums and blogs devoted exclusively to reviewing the hundreds of custom perfume blends they carry. Be careful, you can get seriously sucked in to this stuff.

I love the lab’s fun gothic-poet theme and literary nerditude and amazing word-of-mouth following.

So what does your mama want? My imp of Lyonesse (from the Wanderlust set) is all empty. Golden vanilla and gilded musk, stargazer lily, white sandalwood, grey amber, elemi, orris root, ambergris and sea moss. The vanilla is really strong in this one, but not in a candy/sweet way that makes me gag. It’s gorgeous. I have been putting off buying a 5ml bottle for over three years so I think I’ll pick it up for my birthday.

(BIRTHDAY ALERT, Andi and I share the same birthday, April 15. I am turning 30. Therefore I childishly demand a FESTIVAL. Or something.)

If you’re thinking about an imp order, some of my favorite scents from BPAL are Zombi (roses, dirt), Fae (peaches, hard candy, porn) and Smut (musk, leather, smoke, sex). Try to get a wide variety so you can figure out what works for you. (Florals vs. citrus vs. green scents vs. resins vs. musks, etc.)

Your Mama Loves GroBaby Cloth Diapers

Andi — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:24:50 +0000

When I first started cloth diapering, it was simple. My all-in-one’s rarely leaked; everything fit well and my stash was performing at its peak.

Fifteen months later, things have changed. Previously top-performing diapers are leaking; PUL is getting thin and worn; Velcro just doesn’t hold on any more.

In other words, it’s time for a few new diapers.

When Diapers Etc. offered to let me try a diaper from their extensive selection, I eagerly agreed to try the GroBaby – a diaper I’d been coveting since I reviewed the Dream-Eze diaper from the same company.

If I could do it all over again, I’d load my stash with more GroBabies, that’s for sure.

Things I loved about the GroBaby:

The color. I’m not going to lie. All of the available color options are adorable – bright, modern, very cute.
The fit. I love the high leg openings and narrow butt.
The hook and loop closure isn’t restricted to a strip on the front – it’s the entire front of the diaper. Much easier to hit your mark when you’ve got a writhing, strong 15 month old bucking bronco on the changing table.
The snap system that makes them one-size – save $$!
The shell is reusable so you can pull out the soaker and put a new one in (or use a prefold like I do).

I didn’t like:

Even with the extra soaker, the GroBaby didn’t last all night for us like my BGs do. But, she’s a much heavier wetter than she was 9 months ago, so I forgive them.
They’re a little pricey. At $25 for one diaper, that can add up – but they’re organic and one-size, two factors that increase the price of any diaper.

GroBaby diapers are available at Diapers Etc. – an online retailer of all things eco-baby. They carry cloth diapers and accessories, BPA free bottles and feeding gear, cups and pacifiers. Lots of great stuff at reasonable prices. A one-stop cloth diapering spot, for sure.

Free stuff alert!

Diapers Etc. are offering one lucky reader a GroBaby diaper in your choice of color – a $25 value! To enter, you must

Visit Diapers Etc. and sign up for their email newsletter (scroll down on the lower right of the homepage)

For additional entries:

Visit Diapers Etc. and tell us your favorite product on the site.
Comment with which color you’d choose – Kiwi, Mandarin or Blackberry.
Tweet, blog or update your Facebook status about this giveaway. Comment to let us know with a link.

A total of three entries are possible. One winner will be selected. Open to U.S. residents only. Contest is open until March 18, 2010 at 12 p.m. Eastern.

Your Mama Loves the Sippy Straw Cleaner

Maria — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:36:22 +0000

My son now nurses three times a day. The last time is pretty much a comfort thing. What does all this mean? He’s finally getting most of his liquid nourishment from sources other than my boobs. (I say finally cause he’s 16 months old.)

As a result, we’re knee deep in sippy cups around here. Both my kids have always preferred straw cups and have never quite figured out the regular spout kind. I use two brands that both have various straw pieces that are seriously the bane of my existence right now. (Sippy straw cup review to come, trust me.)

Between trying to keep the straws from melting in my dish washer and trying not to lose the multitude of tedious little pieces, I’ve started to wonder why I was glad to cut down on nursing. My boobs don’t have any interchangeable parts and I don’t have to worry about cleaning them.

Sippy Straw Cleaner sent us one of their nifty sets of cleaners last month and they’ve been a lifesaver. When I remember to do it, I can quickly clean the straws in the sink. That way I avoid trying to use the dishwasher with the small parts, which actually doesn’t work all that well anyway.

This is a no-frills product. It’s basically just a nice little pipe cleaner type device that bends a little and works great with both varieties of straw cups I own. If you’re using disposable straws, get reusable straws and get to cleaning them with this handle and super inexpensive little tool. Dudes it costs less than a latte, so get on it.

Free Stuff Alert

Win a Sippy Straw Cleaner of your very own. For a chance to win, you can do one or all or as many as you’d like of the following. Remember to leave an individual comment for each:

Visiting the Sippy Straw Cleaner site and tell us something you learned.
Follow Sippy Straw Cleaner on Twitter. sippystrawclean) and tweet to friends regarding the
product.
Join the Sippy Straw Facebook Fan Page.
Blog, tweet or update your Facebook status about this giveaway.

A total of two entries are possible. One winner will be selected. Open to U.S. residents only. Contest is open until March 17, 2010 at 12 p.m. Eastern.