A Clean Mouth for Christmas from LISTERINE®

My most current product sampling from Crowdtap was COOL MINT  LISTERINE® Antiseptic Mouthwash. I used this product regularly for two weeks and saw a huge difference in how my mouth felt - and not only right after I used it, but I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself. . .  I have tried a few different types of mouth wash over the past several years, but I've never been either pleased or impressed.  When I started learning about LISTERINE® and it's product claims through Crowdtap I wanted to find out more.  Would this mouth wash really work as well as it claimed that it would, or would I just end up with another product that didn't work to crowd my bathroom shelf? I was willing to give it a try.

When my sample arrived I was pleased to see that it was a full-sized sample, which meant that I would be able to try it for a couple of weeks and continue using it after the sampling was over as well.  So, I started using it.  The first morning, I brushed my teeth, then rinsed out my mouth with COOL MINT LISTERINE® Antiseptic Mouthwash.  I rinsed for 20-30 seconds then went on with my day. That night I brushed, and didn't use the mouthwash, because the last time I used mouthwash more than once a day I ended up with canker sores and I didn't want that to happen this time.  The next day I followed the same routine, and then the same again the third day. After the first day my mouth felt clean, but it was after three days that I really noticed a difference.  My mouth stayed clean longer, and I felt like it took longer for plaque to build up on my teeth.  

Now, after continuing this routine for two weeks, my mouth feels better than it has in years. My teeth are cleaner, my breath is fresher, and I have finally found a mouthwash that will become part of my regular oral hygiene routine. Thank you Crowdtap and LISTERINE® for introducing me to COOL MINT LISTERINE® Antiseptic Mouthwash and for giving me a cleaner, fresher mouth for Christmas!

**The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Product samples and program incentives were received as compensation for this product review. Product testing and review were performed in compliance with guidelines provided by Crowdtap and LISTERINE®.**

AVEENO® SKIN RELIEF GENTLE SCENT™ Collection!

 I just had the opportunity to sample two new AVEENO® products.  The two products that I sampled were AVEENO SKIN RELIEF GENTLE SCENT™ BODY WASH NOURISHING COCONUT and AVEENO SKIN RELIEF GENTLE SCENT™ LOTION NOURISHING COCONUT. These products are specially formulated for people with sensitive skin. They claim to be gentle and nourishing to the skin but also have a nice scent - unlike most products for sensitive skin.

I didn't used to have sensitive skin, but after having three kids and moving to Utah from the Midwest, my skin is perpetually dry and cracking and I need products that provide a lot of moisture without causing any further skin irritation. Here's just one small example of my cracking cuticles - which happened after only three days of not using any lotion on my hands.  I have similar trouble with my hands in general, my elbows, knees and my legs - especially after I shave.

I have tried several different types of lotion, but none of them have seemed to make any sort of lasting difference, until now.  When I received my samples of the AVEENO® SKIN RELIEF GENTLE SCENT™ products I started by reading the directions on the bottles to see if there was anything special that I needed to do to get the best benefit from the products.  First I read that the body wash could be used with either a washcloth or loofah. It could also be used to protect my skin while shaving. The lotion's directions were more standard and I don't remember any specifics.

The next time I showered, I used the AVEENO SKIN RELIEF GENTLE SCENT™ BODY WASH NOURISHING COCONUT.  I noticed a couple of things right off.  I started out using about a teaspoon of the body wash on a washcloth, but with that amount the suds quickly dissipated. The product continued to clean the rest of me, but without the suds I didn't feel as clean afterwards. My skin felt moisturized and I really liked the scent, but I guess I just feel cleaner with a sudsy body wash. The next time I showered, I used about a tablespoon of the body wash on a loofah sponge and there were a lot more suds and they lasted while I cleaned myself.

I also used the AVEENO SKIN RELIEF GENTLE SCENT™ BODY WASH NOURISHING COCONUT as a shaving cream, like the directions said that I could.  With my sensitive skin I quit using body washed as a shaving cream a long time ago.  Instead, I usually use hair conditioner to protect my skin and to keep my skin from drying out too much.  To be able to compare AVEENO's body wash to my normal shaving cream, I shaved one leg with my normal conditioner method and the other leg with AVEENO's SKIN RELIEF GENTLE SCENT™ BODY WASH NOURISHING COCONUT.  I was pleasantly surprised. AVEENO's body wash allowed me to get a closer shave than I usually get and it didn't irritate my skin like body washes normally do.  Also, the moisturizing factor in the body wash helped my skin stay itch-free longer after shaving.

Now for the AVEENO SKIN RELIEF GENTLE SCENT™ LOTION NOURISHING COCONUT.  I've been using a VASELINE product as my primary lotion for over a year now, and while it relieves my skin's itching and help me fight dryness, it doesn't completely eliminate the problem.  I forgot to take a picture of my dry, cracking skin before I used AVEENO's SKIN RELIEF GENTLE SCENT™ LOTION NOURISHING COCONUT for the first time, but the results were almost instantaneous.  After I used the lotion the first time, my skin felt immediate relief and the dryness was visibly reduced immediately.  

I've used AVEENO's SKIN RELIEF GENTLE SCENT™ LOTION NOURISHING COCONUT all over, not just on my hands. My dry elbows are softer, my knees are smoother, and it has helped keep my legs smoother and itch free after shaving.  The only draw back that I've noticed is that I have to try to apply the lotion when I'm not going to be washing my hands soon afterwards, because it does take a little while to absorb in.  If I wash my hands too soon after I put the lotion on it will wash off and I have to put more on.

Overall, I have been very impressed with these two AVEENO® SKIN RELIEF GENTLE SCENT™ products. They have done more to relieve my dry itchy skin than any other product than I've tried, and it's nice to be able to have a close shave that doesn't leave my skin irritated and dry afterwards. In fact, I liked them so much that when I found them on sale at my grocery store I purchased full-sized products to help keep my skin happy and healthy. Thank you AVEENO and Crowdtap for this opportunity to try this product and make my life better.

**The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Product samples and program incentives were received as compensation for this product review. Product testing and review were performed in compliance with guidelines provided by Crowdtap and AVEENO®.**

JOHNSON’S® 3-Step BEDTIME® Routine

My youngest daughter and I recently had an opportunity to sample several JOHNSON’S® Baby products as part of JOHNSON’S® 3-Step BEDTIME® Routine. This sample includes three products, JOHNSON’S® Baby Bubble Bath, JOHNSON’S® Baby Bedtime Moisture Wash, and JOHNSON’S® Baby Bedtime Lotion. All three products are lavender scented and are supposed to help you baby relax in preparation for a good night's sleep. In fact, JOHNSON’S® 3-Step BEDTIME® Routine is supposed to help babies sleep better in as little as one week.

The JOHNSON’S® 3-Step BEDTIME® Routine consists of three steps:

1 - A warm bath with JOHNSON’S® Baby Bubble Bath added to the water and JOHNSON’S® Baby Bedtime Moisture Wash to clean your baby.

2 - A lotion massage with JOHNSON’S® Baby Bedtime Lotion.

3 - Quite time to help your baby relax and get ready for bed.

My daughter and I received our sample a couple of weeks ago, and although we don't bathe her every night she really does enjoy the bath portion of JOHNSON’S® 3-Step BEDTIME® Routine. Here she is enjoying her bath:

After her bath we have what has become her favorite part of the whole evening - her lotion massage with JOHNSON’S® Baby Bedtime Lotion. We start the massage by putting a little bit of lotion on to her hand so she can help me:

Then the two of us gently give her a brief massage, spreading the lotion on her arms, legs, chest, and back. We rub the lotion in and then get her dressed in her pajamas. Then we settle down for a short song or story and then it's off to bed.

Over the past two weeks we have done the full 3-Step BEDTIME® Routine, with the warm bath, four or five times. Each time worked really well and she slept well all night long.  For the other nights, although we didn't have time for the bath portion of the routine (life with three kids can get really busy) I have made sure that she had her lotion massage and quiet time. 

Just adding these steps to my daughter's bedtime routine has helped.  She's never been a really good sleeper, but she has been sleeping better - only waking up with teething pain once or twice in the past couple of weeks instead of waking up nearly every night.  Now, as I get her ready for bed each night, she reaches for her lotion and wants her massage. She's happier, and as a mom who enjoys not having to wake up in the night, so am I. JOHNSON’S® 3-Step BEDTIME® Routine seems to be a success and it is going to become a regular part of our bedtime routine.

**The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Product samples and program incentives were received as compensation for this product review. Product testing and review were performed in compliance with guidelines provided by Crowdtap and JOHNSON’S® Baby.**

Aveeno Ultra-Calming and Nourishing Night Cream

I had the opportunity to sample Aveeno's Ultra-Calming Nourishing Night Cream.  I received three samples - one for myself and two that I gave away to friends so they could try this product as well. This product is meant to be gentle enough to nourish and moisturize sensitive skin.

First a little bit of background into my skin.  Ever since my last child was born, I've had sensitive skin and I've had to change my entire beauty routine.  Products have a tendency to either not work at all, leave my skin too oily after I use them, or make me break out.  I've also recently moved from the Midwest, where there's a decent amount of humidity, to the Mountain West where it is DRY - especially in the fall and winter when the heater is running at night.  I've been looking for a product that would work well with my skin and help me combat the chronic dryness of the air. With this in mind, I applied to sample this product.

Within a couple of days after starting to use this product, I saw a quick change to the overall dryness of my skin. Within a couple of days my face looked and felt better. And after a week, I only have to use Aveeno's Ultra-Calming Nourishing Night Cream at night, and I don't have to moisturize again in the morning.  

The only problem that I've had with this product is that it easy to put on too much.  I only need to put on a little bit - about the size of half a pea - after I've washed my face in the evening.  If I put on too much it does clog my pores a bit and causes my face to be a bit greasy in the morning, but as soon as I figured out how much to use it has worked just fine.

I don't know yet if I'll continue to use this product full time, since I also have another beauty serum that is lighter and also seems to work for my skin. But I do like how it works for me and when I'm at the store purchasing a moisturizer in the future it will definitely be high on my list.

**The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Product samples and program incentives were received as compensation for this product review. Product testing and review were performed in compliance with guidelines provided by Crowdtap and Aveeno.**

Hershey's Chocolate Spread: Liquid Candy Bar Heaven

A day or two after Christmas, when I was expecting anything special in the mail, I found this delicious surprise waiting for me.  I have recently become a Nutella fan, so the opportunity to try another type of chocolate flavored spread was a welcome opportunity.  My daughter also was excited to help me open my mail and to taste the end result.

A couple of days later I got these yummy snack plates ready for our afternoon snack.  We had the Hershey's Chocolate Spread, pretzel sticks, apple cubes, mini marshmallows and peanut butter.  I had anticipated that the kids would really love the marshmallows and chocolate, but I wasn't sure how well they would respond to the other combinations.

My daughter jumped right in and attached the marshmallows first, as I anticipated.  She's just the right age to love dipping her foods, so she dipped them in the sauce right from the beginning.  She seemed to enjoy it as she kept saying "yum, yum, yum." She liked the apples too, but preferred them on their own without the chocolate.

Her definite favorite though was the pretzels.  She ate all of the chocolate using the pretzels and was a very chocolaty mess by the time she was done with her snack.

 My son is less willing to try new foods and doesn't really like to dip things, so this snack was a little bit out of his comfort zone, but he gave in and enjoyed it in the long run.  He tried each of the snacks with both the peanut butter and the chocolate sauce and decided that he wanted to eat the marshmallows plain, the apples with the peanut butter, and the pretzels with the chocolate.  After about five minutes he just gave in and ate the chocolate right off of the spoon.

As for me, I liked all of the combinations. The pretzel/chocolate combination was probably my favorite that first day, but when I pulled out the snacks again a couple of days ago I came up with a new favorite: spear my marshmallow with the pretzel stick and then dip the marshmallow in the chocolate.  As I enter the second trimester of my pregnancy and look for new snacks to freshen up my daily routine, I think that this one will be used frequently.      

As for the spread itself, it may not have all the health benefits of Nutella, but it is smoother, and tastes more like a candy bar than any nut based spread I've tried.  It's great to serve with snacks, or to satisfy a late night chocolate craving.
**The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Product samples and program incentives were received as compensation for this product review. Product testing and review were performed in compliance with guidelines provided by Crowdtap and Hershey.**