Congrats to:
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August 9, 2009 8:49 PM

Thanks to all that entered! You can still get 10% off at Birthday Keepsakes by entering the code MKK at the checkout until August 23

This contest has ended! Thanks to all that entered!

Angel Bear Yoga is “Green Themed Yoga for Kids.” Angel Bear’s goal is to help kids become more compassionate and knowledgeable about their world as they learn to love themselves and their animal friends. Angel Bear and Sweet Pea will guide your children on a magical journey through Character Yoga. They are Panda’s who teach important life lessons and positive character traits, while sharing Yoga poses. Many yoga programs focus on physical aspects, but Angel Bear Yoga created a program that was inspirational to children on many levels.

Angel Bear Yoga has amazing products ranging from DVD’s, Books, CD’s, Kits, Accessories, and my favorite- The “A Pose A Day- Play Deck.”On the front of the “A Pose a Day” cards, Angel Bear and Sweet Pea show you a Yoga pose with a themed positive word. Before doing the pose, you read the card and Angel Bear guides you through a life situation leading to the yoga pose. Ella has loved hearing the stories while trying to imitate the panda bears. The cartoon characters were a great way of introducing Yoga and really caught her attention.
Here are 2 examples you can try with your child.

As you can tell, E wasn’t able to fully extend her leg while laying on her side. But, with time and practice she will get it. It’s OK if your child isn’t able to do every pose or can only do part of it. Make sure you give them lots of praise for trying and stay positive so they don’t get frustrated. It also helps if you show them how to do the pose after you read the card. Remember this is a time for peace and relaxation… be flexible and creative.


Again, E is learning how to balance, so I had her bend down without grabbing her legs so it was easier. This was taken last week and now she has mastered it! These cards are great because you can choose to do 1 a day or do a whole 30 minute session. I usually let E pick out her cards so she stays interested. If your child decides they are done, it’s OK. Once they learn they can do a pose, they will be interested in learning more.

Yoga Tips:

1. Do Yoga on a nonslip surface with bare feet. Yoga mats are a wonderful way to have your own space.
2. Don’t do Yoga after eating a meal. Wait 1 hour.
3. Don’t force or over strain while you are doing the poses. Be comfortable and patient. With time, you will be able to go farther with each one.
4. Don’t hold your breath while doing the breathing exercises. Inhale and exhale fully.
   

The Giveaway: One reader will win “A Pose A Day- Play Deck” from Angel Bear Yoga

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. September 1, 2009 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is open to the US.

How to Enter: Visit Angel Bear Yoga and tell me something you learned. Click on “Comments” to leave your post. Make sure to leave your email address!! I cannot contact the winner without it!

EXTRA entries: You must complete the “How To Enter” before making any extra entries. Make sure you leave a comment for each extra entry and tell me which one.
2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Mkokopelli on Twitter or Follow my blog
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar)
4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (3 extra entries)
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post
6. Tell me another product you’d like to try from Angel Bear Yoga
7. Sign up for the Angel Bear Yoga Newsletter

Summer is sadly coming to an end for millions of children. Parents are getting anxious about the upcoming school year and children still have tons of Summer energy to burn. That’s why I wanted to have a whole week dedicated to Kids Yoga that is fun and beneficial for the whole family!

Yoga is about learning how to control your body and mind while being in a state of peace. This is especially important for helping your little ones adjust to new situations. If they understand how to control their inner peace than this will help reduce anxiety and the struggles they face with their peers. Of course you won’t see results over night when introducing Yoga, but after time and when they learn how to control their bodies, the results are amazing.

Starting Yoga at an early age will help teach your child body awareness, control, and give them the self esteem they need to succeed. I started doing Yoga with my 2.6 yr old a couple of months ago to see if it would help get her ready for bed. It seemed like as soon as 6 p.m. hit she would get a burst of energy, which would result in her not being able to fall asleep an hour later. We started off with Angel Bear Yoga and she loved it! E grabs her Angel Bear Yoga Cards every night and begs to “do Yoga.” We practice for about 30 minutes and then she’s ready for bed.

The great thing about Kids Yoga is that it can be fun for the whole family. I’ve done all of the exercises with E and have really felt it the next day. Sharing Yoga together every night has been a great way for me to relax while getting in some bonding time. If I’m stressed out during the day, I’ll pop in a Kids Yoga DVD and we unwind together.

So join me in this week full of poses, giveaways, info and other cool yoga stuff!

• 20% Off ImagiPLAY
• 10% Off The Soft Landing
• 30% Off SIRJJ Organics
• Free MP3 from Green Tree Yoga
• 10% Off Simply Chickie
• 10% Off YogaAccessories.com
• 10% Off Mermaid’s Purse Natural Organics
• 20% Off speesees
• 15% Off Crunchy Granola Baby
• 15% Off Kangaroodle
• Nimli 20% off
• 10% off at Birthday Keepsakes
• Naturalmat 10% off at Goores
• Kokopax 10% Off
• Piggy Paint 15% off and free shipping on orders over $25
• Itzy Ritzy 20% off

My New Years resolution last year was to become 70% “green.” There were some things I knew I couldn’t give up and wanted to make it a realistic goal. Now, this resolution didn’t mean throwing out everything and starting all over. That is not Eco-friendly and wasteful. But when I purchased new items, my goal was for 70% of them to be Eco-friendly or organic.

Yankee Candle is part of the 30% of things I couldn’t give up. Majority of candles give me headaches, and theirs don’t. Well, I just found out why and had to share. I read on Organic.com that “paraffin candles can release carcinogens into the air, and are said to be as bad for you as emissions from burning diesel fuel.” So I had to look up what kind of wax Yankee Candle uses. I found out they use highly-refined paraffin wax, which Wikipedia says “can burn as or more cleanly (with regards to particulates created during combustion) than natural waxes.”

This made me very happy! I feel a little bit better knowing I’m not basically burning diesel fuel in my living room. I also learned they use fragrance extracts and real essential oils for their scents. So hopefully this weekend I can do some guilt free Halloween shopping at Yankee Candle since they are debuting their new line.

If you have decided to go “green” what products can you not give up?

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Help speesees make room for fall by getting summer goods while it’s (they’re) still hot! beach/bath towels are $25, tie dresses are $22, tanks are $11, + sport shorts are $10. you can find popular (cute!) new gift sets at special savings::

the buck doesn’t stop there! all month they will be offering various sales + specials with savings from 25-70% OFF! the fun part is: they will automatically deduct 25% from every order (thru the end of august), so you can always expect big savings! no coupons, easy peasy.

for those of you who are big spenders, you will receive free shipping on all orders over $100. coupon code: verano. priority mail + domestic only.

This Contest has ended. Thanks to all that entered! You can still get 10% off until December 2010! Just enter mermaids10 at the checkout.
I love companies who have great customer service. That is one BIG thing that determines where I spend my money… what little of it I have. But when you find a company who has AMAZING products plus outstanding service, you know you’ve hit the jack pot. That doesn’t happen often and I’m so happy to be sharing one of these company’s with you! Mermaid’s Purse Natural Organics is a family inspired personal-care business. Measha made soap with her grandmother who made soap with her own grandmother. So it is a talent that has been passed down through many generations. Measha decided to start her own company when she was pregnant with her first child and couldn’t find any all-natural stretch mark creams. From there, Mermaid’s Purse has grown into a full product line including, natural soaps, body butters, shampoos, massage oils, natural deodorants, salves and mineral soaks.

Measha uses only 100% natural, certified organic, kosher, and vegan-friendly ingredients with only natural preservatives. The FDA tried to set guidelines for “natural” products, but its regulations were overturned in court. Which means since cosmetic companies aren’t regulated they can use those terms on their products without the product actually having anything “natural” in them. Or they can have small percentages of natural ingredients, but when added with preservatives, the natural properties diminish. It’s a scary loop hole!!

I got to try quite a few items from Mermaid’s Purse and I’ve been in awe! I’m a lip balm freak and have issues with 95% of the lip balms I try. Mainly because they contain paraffin, which causes your lips to peel. An hour after I put on the Ginger and Citrus lip balm, my lips still felt moisturized. There are 4 blends to choose from and I can’t wait to try them all!

I also got to try the Hydrosol Cucumber Floral Water, which can be used as natural air freshener, a body spray, facial toner, in your bath water, and as a natural tonic to soothe irritated skin. I have used it as body spray and the scent lingers for HOURS after you spray it! After sitting out in the sun for a few hours, it’s really refreshing. The Hydrosol Floral Water comes in Cucumber, Orange Blossom or Rose.

I’ve been addicted to Clean Well’s Vanilla and Orange hand soap for about a year now and after trying Mermaid Purse’s Energy Organic Liquid Soap, I’ll never go back. I love the Lemongrass scent and it gets rid of any smell! It also leaves your hands feeling smooth and not dried out. The Energy Soap is great for healing skin irritations and naturally has powerful antifungal and antibacterial properties. 76% of all hand soaps that are anti-bacterial contain the chemical Triclosan, which is a potent endocrine disruptor, including thyroid and sex hormones- which can lead to early puberty. Don’t worry, there is no Triclosan in Mermaid’s Purse products!

Ella got to try the Baby Massage Oil, made with an oil blend of Sweet Almond, Evening Primrose, Golden Jojoba, Hazelnut, and Wheat Germ. I put a few drops on my hands, rubbed them together and the oil warmed up very fast. It left her skin feeling super soft after her massage. I highly recommend toddler or infant massages before bed time to help your little one wind down. They can work wonders!

We also tried the Booty Balm which is one of the best diaper balms we’ve tried. Ella has super sensitive skin and anything will cause a rash. This balm is made with Lanolin, Natural Vitamin E, Organic Golden Jojoba, Evening Primrose and Essential Oils of Lavender and Chamomile- which leaves a thick protective barrier to block any moisture from getting to your baby’s booty. Even if your little ones are out of diapers, it’s great to put on them before going to the pool or anywhere else their bum might get damp.

Mermaid’s Purse Natural Organics carriers over 40 essential oils, so the scents of their products are endless. The best part is that all of their products are affordable and can fit in any one’s budget! They also have beautiful pottery and accessories. I can’t wait to try more of their products!

The Discount: You can make any purchase at Mermaid’s Purse Natural Organics and get 10% off until December 2010! Just enter mermaids10 at the checkout.

The Giveaway: One very LUCKY reader will win The Mother Nature Gift Set,
which includes:
1-oz Cradle Cap Remedy – Synergy Blend
1 2-oz Baby Massage Oil
1 Chamomile Herbal Soap Bar
1 small Lavender Aromatherapy Pillow
1 small bag Organic Aloe & Honey Milk Bath
1/2-oz Booty Balm
1-oz Hand Cleanser (for Mom)
1 dram Lavender Essential Oil
1 Orange Blossom Body Botanical (for Mom)
1 Ginger Citrus Lip Balm (for Mom)
1 Natural Sea Sponge

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. August 24, 2009 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is open to the US and abroad.

How to Enter: Visit Mermaid’s Purse Natural Organics and let me know 3 of your favorite products. Click on “Comments” to leave your post. Make sure to leave your email address!! I cannot contact the winner without it!

EXTRA entries: You must complete the “How To Enter” before making any extra entries. Make sure you leave a comment for each extra entry and tell me which one.
2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Mkokopelli on Twitter or Follow my blog
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar)
4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (3 extra entries)
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one
6. Tell me a benefit of Natural products that you found on Mermaid’s Purse Natural Organics
7. Tell me your favorite Essential Oil Mermaid’s Purse Natural Organics carries

A BIG thank you to Mermaid’s Purse Natural Organics!! I’m so glad that I found you. 🙂 Good luck to everyone!

This has been one of the hardest weeks of parenting that I’ve had to endure in these past 2.6 years! If I hear “NO, I don’t wanna” or “NO I don’t want it” one more time I’m going to seriously lose my mind. OK, I’ve already lost my mind!!! I’m so over hearing her scream and getting fresh with me 24 hours a day! And I say 24 hours because she’s been waking up in the middle of the night for the past 5 nights and deciding it’s time to party. Not to mention the constant whining and flipping out every time she doesn’t get what she wants… IT’S EXHAUSTING!! I’m not the type of parent to cave in… I know if I let her scream for 20 minutes and then give in, she will know it takes 20 minutes of screaming to get what her little heart desires. Not happening! No one said parenting was this hard… kind of like how people leave out how uncomfortable pregnancy is. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t expect it to be easy… but I just didn’t imagine this…But, in her defense, she is cutting her last 2 molars. She always gets possessed when teething and hopefully it will be over soon. She really is a great kid, but just not so much this past week.

So I’m trying to think of a clever blog post or find something meaningful to say and all I hear is silence and no one screaming in the background. So I’m going to enjoy my peacefulness, because I know in an hour it will be ruined.

Stay tuned for tomorrow… I’ve got a awesome giveaway for both mom and child that you will love!!

This contest has ended. Thanks to all that entered!
So I decided to put my nail polish to the test. I won’t name brands, but I was really shocked that ALL ate through a Styrofoam plate! Well, except for Piggy Paint! You can see the nice big blue spot in the middle, which is “Tea Party for Two” from Piggy Paint. I can’t believe some of the kid brands I have bought for my daughter were that acidic. Or even my $10 bottles of a big name brand. I decided to do a science experiment and see what else would eat through the Styrofoam… I tried coffee, soda, lemon juice, stain remover, lotion, hand soap, dish soap and some other cleaners. Nothing ate through or bubbled.

So my conclusion of the experiment is that no other finger nail polish will go on my daughter’s nails, which will eventually go into her mouth, other than Piggy Paint! Even companies that swear they do not put Formaldehyde, Dibutyl phthalates, or toluene in their polishes, still bubbled and ate through. I wonder what they are hiding?

Piggy Paint has fabulous color choices that every Princess will adore! Ella gets the colors purple and blue mixed up. But ever since she’s been wearing blue nail polish, she’s learned the difference. The polishes are a fun- SAFE way of teaching colors, plus what little girl doesn’t like getting her nails done?
The Discount: You can purchase any nail polish or remover from Piggy Paint and get 15% off by entering FLAG15L at the checkout. The coupon is even good on sale items! This offer expires August 31, 2009 so hurry over and check them out! Also, if you spend over $25, domestic shipping is FREE! And they ship worldwide.

The Giveaway: Piggy Paint is offering one LUCKY reader a $20 gift code to make any purchase they would like!

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. August 19, 2009 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is open to the US and abroad.

How to Enter: Visit Piggy Paint and let me know what you’d purchase with the $20. Click on “Comments” to leave your post. Make sure to leave your email address!! I cannot contact the winner without it!

EXTRA entries: You must complete the “How To Enter” before making any extra entries. Make sure you leave a comment for each extra entry and tell me which one.
2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Mkokopelli on Twitter or Follow my blog
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar)
4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (3 extra entries)
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one
6. Follow Piggy Paint on Twitter and Tweet about the giveaway… make sure you leave the Twitter link or become a fan on FB and leave a post.
7. Tell me something you learned on Piggy Paint

Congrats to Pam for winning the Greenfeet Indigo Wild Wee Collection!! Thanks to all that entered 🙂

Pam said… CommentsCounter=CommentsCounter+1; document.write(CommentsCounter) 25

entered the kokopax carrier giveaway

July 17, 2009 3:31 PM