CHEMISTRY WITHOUT CHEMICALS

Starting from scratch is liberating. It’s where innovation is born.
We use photo-protective organic botanicals to triple the SPF provided by our natural minerals while providing deep moisturization. We use potent antioxidants to aid skin before, during and after sun exposure. We removed water, fillers and all synthetics. We were left with the first 70% organic high performance and baby sunscreen on the market, which also happen to be…

• Stronger, with higher SPFs – by far – than all other all-natural sunscreens.
• Greener, being the first high performance and baby sunscreen with over 70% organic, sustainably-farmed ingredients, and using domestic, BPA-free packaging
• Clearer, due to relatively low mineral content and a high level of photo-protective organic botanicals
• Safer, without synthetics, phthalates, parabens, nanotechnology, plastic tubes, or anything at all from China.

Vive Sana comes in a tube and is more like a thick ointment than a thin, runny lotion. It covers well and lasts a long time. It also has a pleasant herbal scent, which is a nice departure from the coconut scent of most sunscreens. You can purchase the full line of Vive Sana products at their website. Or.. You can win a tube of Vive Sana Solar to Polar Baby Sunscreen SPF 42 from The Mom Maven.

How to Enter:

Visit the Vive Sana wbesite and look around. Then come back here and tell me one interesting thing you learned about Vive Sana. (this is mandatory and must be completed to be entered in the giveaway).

Bonus Entries: Leave a separate comment for each one you complete.

• Subscribe to my RSS feed (click on the orange heart shaped button)
• Follow my blog-sign in on my Google Friend Connect widget
• Do any or all of these-Tweet, Stumble, Digg and/or Prop this giveaway

This giveaway is for US residents only and will end on June 2, 2009 at 8:00pm

The post Vive Sana Organic Sunscreen Review and Giveaway appeared first on The Mom Maven.

When I was 18 and went away to college I brought with me Oil of Olay, which I have used daily ever since. It is light, non-greasy and a great moisturizer. Then while preparing for a family vacation in 2001 I discovered my next must-have product, Olay Daily Facials. These are awesome! They are disposable facial lathering cleansing cloths. Just wet it and wash your face. you don’t need bars of soap or bottles of face wash-it’s already in the cloth.

I must admit, I’ve only been using the newest part of my regimen for a month. You see, for the past 15 years I have been a loyal Bath & Body Works user. Originally I had everything in Plumeria scent. When they discontinued my beloved Plumeria I switched to Mango Mandarin. Well, they have now discontinued the body wash-only in the Mango Mandarin scent. I am done with Bath & Body Works. I’m tired of being loyal to a company that discontinues my favorite products. So, anyway, I needed body wash and I was at Wal-Mart. I found the Olay Ultra Moisture Vanilla Indulgence Body Wash on sale for $5.00, great savings from what I was paying at the other store. This is the best body wash I have ever used! It is so soft and silky and the light vanilla scent lasts a long time.

I am definitely an Olay girl and have been for 27 years.

The post What Keeps Me Looking Young? appeared first on The Mom Maven.

As parents we can have many setbacks. Our setbacks come in various forms. Sometimes our setbacks are due to our own choices and failures. Other times it is a health issue, or a job or financial problem that causes the setback. Our children can also be the source of those setbacks with behavioral issues, educational problems or illness being the cause. Whatever the cause of our setback, we need to persevere, move forward and past the problem and push into our new reality.

In the article by Mr. Gonzalez he listed 5 principles to follow to break through the set back and find success.

1. Go all the way-don’t quit
2. Create a “Dream Team”- surround yourself with encouraging people
3. Give yourself a Pep Talk-“I CAN do this”
4. Learn from Your Mistakes-learning is growing
5. Recover Quickly-When life knocks you down, get up and take immediate action

We need to apply these principles to all areas of our lives, and teach them to our children so that they too can quickly rebound from the inevitable setbacks that they will face in their lives.

The post Rebounding from Setbacks appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Treat yourself to Tart D’Amande Soufflé Riche Pour Le Corps day or night for luxurious moisture protection that’s never heavy or greasy, just divine. Almond Pie exudes a warm fragrance, rich with coveted and healthy ingredients to treat your whole body. Vitamins and tropical nut oils provide the ultimate in hydrated and sensuously silky skin. While rich with fatty acids and decadent aroma, there are no calories to be gained here. Guiltlessly dive into a big scoop of absolute deliciousness, and those lucky enough to be near you will savor the pleasure too. Apply liberally to the body and massage until absorbed. Perfect to wear anywhere!

0% Guilt. 100% Pleasure. Be Delicious. 6.76 fl. oz. $48.00 at Votre Vu.

Win it here at The Mom Maven! Mandatory 1st Entry-visit VotreVu and check out all of their great products. Then come back here and let me know which product is your favorite.

Bonus Entries: Leave me a separate comment for each one you complete

• Fave this blog on Technorati-you can use the button on my sidebar
• Tweet this giveaway
• Subscribe to my RSS feed

This contest is for US residents only and a winner will be drawn May 12, 2009 at 10:00pm. Good luck!

The post Day 7 of 10 Days of Celebrating Mom-Giveaway to Pamper Mom appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Here are some tips we highly recommend families using when hiring a caregiver:
1.  Do a background check on the caregiver that you hire.  Definitely run a criminal background check, e.g., background check for employment.  If the caregiver will be transporting the children or doing errands; you will also want to run a driving record.
2.  Do your reference checks.  When getting phone #’s on the references; we highly recommend you can call land lines – since you can track the land lines on who the # belongs to.
3.  Make sure you spell out and have a detailed conversation on the expectations for the caregiver.  Have the caregiver ask numerous questions as well.  Communication is the best tool for a successful relationship.
4.  Not sure what questions to ask the caregiver?  Take advantage of the sample list of questions we have for registered members at www.care4hire.com 5.  If you do not see the caregiver often; have a notepad where you can both make notes for a communication tool.

Today’s giveaway is for a 1 month membership to Care4Hire, where you can do your research and contact caregivers in your area. This 1 month membership is values at $29.99.

How to Enter: Visit Care4Hire and look around. Then come back here and leave me a comment letting me know what kind of caregiver you are looking for ie. pet sitter, tutor etc.

Bonus Entries:

• Tweet about this giveaway and put the tweet URL in the comment.
• Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post. Put the link to your post in the comment.
• Fave this blog on Technorati, you can use the button on my sidebar.

This giveaway is open to US residents only. A winner will be chosen May 11th 10:30pm. Good Luck

The post Day 6 of 10 Days of Celebrating Mom-Giveaway-Peace of Mind appeared first on The Mom Maven.

As a mom, my children’s healthcare is important to me. Praise God that my children have been healthy and haven’t needed a lot of medical care beyond their well child visits. I know that is not the case for all families. I also know how hard it is to afford medical insurance. My husband and I have not had health insurance for the past 15 years, we are both self-employed and though we have tried, we have never found a plan that would fit our budget given our priority for the best car insurance overall. Our children have been covered for the last 12 years by a CHIP plan through the state of Florida. It is very affordable though the care is greatly lacking. Recently, the state changed our insurance provider and none of the caregivers we have seen in the past will participate in this program. That has left us with no participating hospital or walk-in clinic in our county and the only pediatrician that participates is the one at the Medicaid clinic. I am thankful they have some coverage but the quality has continued to decrease year-after-year.

Speak Now for Kids is a grassroots effort to make sure that children are represented in Washington, D.C. as healthcare reform discussions are undertaken by our government. “Speak Now for Kids in Health Reform urges parents, family members, health care providers and other advocates to tell Congress why children matter in health reform – through stories, photos and videos. Be a champion for children and Speak Now.”

What can you do to help?

Visit Speak Now for Kids and learn the facts about children’s healthcare in America.

Speak Using the form on the Speak Now for Kids website, you can let congress know that you care about children’s healthcare. You can also upload videos and pictures to share your message.

Share follow Speak Now for Kids on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Blog about what you have learned about this worthy cause and e-mail your friends and family and ask them to also get involved.

Party Join us Wednesday night 5/6/09 from 9-10pm EDT for a Twitter Party to share the message of Speak Now for Kids. Use hashtag #speaknowforkids and make sure you follow @speaknowforkids and our host @resourceful mom. I’ll be there so please follow me too, I’m @MomMaven.

Get involved in this grassroots effort and help us take care of the kids.

The post Speak Up-Speak Now for Kids appeared first on The Mom Maven.

There is hope but it will take work, planning and follow-through. Kid’s behavior changes for the positive when they understand the “why” behind the rule. Take the time to sit down parents and teens together and talk about what is and isn’t appropriate behavior and why it is or isn’t. Discuss things like-Anything that is said or done to purposely hurt another person physically or emotionally is not acceptable. I always take these discussions and point back to God’s Word. Scripture tells us what is and isn’t appropriate behavior-it also tells us the consequences for our behavior. I’ve listed a few ideas here:

1. Work hard and do your best, don’t procrastinate. Proverbs 14:23 NIV “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”

2. Take care of your body. Do not use cigarettes, drugs or alcohol. 1 Corinthians 6:19a NIV “Do you not know that your body is temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you.”

3. Respect the authorities in your life. Parents, pastors, teachers etc. Obey them and do what you are asked. Romans 13:1-3 NIV ” ¹Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. ²Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. ³For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.”

Use these as a staring place to discuss actions and consequences. I suggest working as a family to create a teen behavior contract. On this contract list offenses and consequences. Kids crave boundaries and often once they know what is expected of them they thrive. Create it together with your teen, allow them to have a voice. When it is complete-type it up have the teen(s) and the parents sign the document and then make photocopies so everyone involved has their own copy as a reminder of the agreement.

Don’t let this discussion end with the contract though. Use this time and the contract as a springboard for conversations about behavior, consequences and rising above the tide of disrespect for others that is so prevalent in our society. What do you think about this topic? What would you tell this mother? Please leave a comment and let me know.

The post Teen Behavior appeared first on The Mom Maven.