Chicken Soup for the Soul released Chicken Soup for the Soul: Runners in July 2010. Included in this book are 101 Inspirational Stories of Energy, Endurance, and Endorphins.

Included in this book are inspirational stories about for those at all levels of running. From deciding to run and beginners all the way to making the plunge and completing triathlons.

My favorite short story in this book is titled ‘Why I Run’ by Cindy Hanna. She starts out her story saying that you either love running or you loathe it. I loathe running.

I found her story inspiring because she spoke about numerous car accidents that had set her back and the obstacles she overcame by running. She first started running to strengthen her core muscles after being hit by a car as a teenager. She went on to a couple of other accidents as a young adult and each time she returned to running.

She even went on to run the LA Marathon and countless others after that. Each new race is dedicated to someone she knows who for one reason or another can not run it themselves.

This is available for purchase online from Amazon.ca for $12.24 or Amazon.com for $10.17.

Chicken Soup for the Soul has offered to give two of my readers a copy of this book as a giveaway…

To enter:
Just leave me a comment below with a way of getting a hold of you if you win. *You must do this for any additional entries to count.

After you have completed the first entry, you can enter an additional comment one time for each of the following:

• Follow This Bird’s Day on Networked Blogs.
• Follow Chicken Soup for The Soul on Twitter. Please include your twitter id in your comment.
• Follow This Bird’s Day on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. Please include your twitter id in your comment.
• Become a follower of This Bird’s Day (in the right sidebar).
• Subscribe to This Bird’s Day feed.

This contest is open to Canada and the US and runs until 12pm MST on Wednesday, September 15, 2010.

* I received a copy of this book for free to complete my review. The opinions expressed in this post are mine only and are in no way influenced by any outside factors.

Chicken Soup for the Soul – Runners Review & Giveaway is a post from: This Bird's Day

I posted a few months ago about Gloves Off and Concrobium. A wonderful new cleaning line from Planet People (a Canadian Company). If you remember that post, then you remember that Planet People are committed to providing cleaning products that are environmentally friendly and safe to use. In short, their products have wonderful cleaning power without all of the harsh chemicals.

I remember while I was reviewing those products that I wondered (possibly out loud on my post) why other companies couldn’t do that as well.

Well, Planet People have taken their great product and produced a new line that is not only chemical-free (it is made made from plants and other natural sources), but it also has a wonderful smell. And the best part of all? It is compact and it reuses the same bottle.

What does this mean for you? In a nutshell, less shipping means less cost to you and recycling used bottles is good for the environment.

I was sent each of the cleaners in the new iQ line and refills to try out. The cleaners available in this line are the All-Purpose Cleaner (Green Tea Scent), Bathroom Cleaner (Nectarine Plum), Glass Cleaner (Bamboo Berry), and the Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner (Papaya Mango).

All of the cleaners work just as well as the chemical-ridden cleaners that I used to use. The glass cleaner doesn’t streak, the floor cleaner gets the dirt out of our linoleum with ease, I use the bathroom cleaner on the whole bathroom and the all-purpose cleaner is always on hand in the kitchen.

And the smell of all of them is wonderful. Gone are the days of strong chemical smells loaded with perfumes to make it semi-resemble something fruity. These cleaners all have a light, fresh scent to them that won’t burn your nose hairs.

My favorite part of the cleaners is putting a new bottle together. When you are done with your bottle, you keep it. To get your brand new bottle all you do is fill your bottle with water to the fill line, grab an insert for the product you want, slip it in the top, put your spray attachment back on and tighten it. You will hear a small click and the new cleaner will be released and will fill your bottle. Give your bottle a light shake and you have a new bottle of cleaner.

I had so much fun putting my first bottle together, I took pictures of the second and video too. Check me out…

When your bottle is empty, you just choose your matching refill.
Fill your bottle with water…
…up to the fill line on the bottle…
…and drop your refill in.
Nothing will come out of your refill…
…until you tighten the spray nozzle…
…and you are ready to clean some more.

And here for your viewing enjoyment is the bottle in action. No laughing, I know the camera wasn’t steady.

The cleaner, is not messy at all. As you can see in the above pictures, the insert doesn’t even open until you tighten the spray nozzle on to the bottle.

So, imagine that for a moment. All of those cleaners on the market today. Mostly made of water. How much is being spent on shipping those bottles to us. Thanks to Planet People, we no longer have to pay to ship the water part of the cleaner, and after the first bottle, we don’t even have to pay them to ship us the bottle.

And, think about this — those bottles are no longer discarded after their first and only use. I say discarded because we do unfortunately still live in a world where either not everyone recycles, or the option to recycle is not available to everyone so some of those just end up in landfills after such a short life.

As of posting this, iQ is available at select retailers across Canada and a couple of American retailers. Most of the retailers are out west right now but you can join their mailing list to be notified when new stores start carrying them. If your province isn’t on the list make sure you stop by your local natural, eco-friendly store and tell them about Planet People, maybe they’ll carry them shortly. More stores towards the Eastern side of Canada should be carrying them later this year.

Or you can win it here…

Planet People has offered to give one This Bird’s Day reader one Planet People prize pack (ARV $55) as a giveaway. This includes:

• 1 iQ starter kit
• 1 iQ bottle full with cartridge
• 1 Concrobium Mold Control
• 1 Gloves Off Disinfectant
• 1 Gloves Off Stain Remover
• 1 Gloves Off CLR

To enter:
Go to the iQ website and have a look at their four new cleaners, then come back here and leave a comment telling me which one you would like to try the most. Include a way of getting a hold of you if you win. *You must do this for any additional entries to count.

After you have completed the first entry, you can enter an additional comment one time for each of the following:

• Follow This Bird’s Day on Networked Blogs.
• Follow Planet People on Twitter.
• Follow This Bird’s Day on Twitter.
• Daily Entry: Tweet about this giveaway. Please include your twitter id in your comment. You can copy this phrase to save time
  

  Canada – Enter to win an eco-friendly cleaning prize pack from @PlanetPeopleco ($55) at @ThisBirdsDay at http://bit.ly/9ieAFv

• Like iQ Cleaner on Facebook
• Like This Bird’s Day on Facebook
• Post “I just entered to win an iQ/Planet People prize pack (ARV $55) on This Bird’s Day (Canada only) @ http://bit.ly/9ieAFv – thanks for the giveaway Planet People!” on iQ Cleaner’s Facebook page – just post once, not a daily entry.
• Become a follower of This Bird’s Day (in the right sidebar).
• Become a friend of This Bird’s Day on Facebook
• Subscribe to This Bird’s Day feed.

This contest is open to residents of Canada only and runs until 12pm MST on Monday, September 13, 2010.

* I received all iQ cleaners plus refills for free to complete my review. The opinions expressed in this post are mine only and are in no way influenced by any outside factors.

iQ Cleaners by Planet People – Review & Giveaway is a post from: This Bird's Day

Is anyone else singing “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” over and over? I am, and Baby Bird isn’t even in school yet!

Label Daddy is all ready to send your little ones back to school in style with their personalized labels. Gone are the days of using permanent marker to label your clothes only to have it either permanently stain them in the wash, or wash off all together. Now your little ones can mark their items using colourful stickers with fun letters and cute pictures. And it isn’t limited to just clothes — shoes, backpacks, pencils, cups, books, the list is endless..

The best part is that they are dishwasher, microwave and washer/dryer safe so you won’t be reapplying new stickers with every wash. My favorite pack is their School Pack. I won this pack in a giveaway awhile ago and we have made good use of the stickers. This package sells online for $40 US and includes:

• 1 Bag Tag
• 45 Extra Small Tags
• 30 Small
• 20 Medium
• 10 Large
• 18 Mini shoe labels
• 8 Shoe
• 4 Zipper Tags

That’s enough to keep your little one in labels for the school year. I suggest that if your little one is old enough to make some choices for themselves that you include them on the design process. They can pick the colour, font and image and be proud that it was their design. In the image selection are also a lot of Disney characters so everyone should find something that is perfect for them.

Look at me gushing on about the School Pack, and that’s not even what I’m reviewing today.

I’ve been looking at the Label Daddy site for awhile, and every time I visit, I am there for my own reasons. I’ve been really interested in trying out their Garbage Bin Labels. Dorky, yes I know. But one of my pet peeves is spray painted house numbers on garbage bins. Yes it’s garbage, but can’t it look pleasantly organized on the outside?

A couple of months ago, I got home from work just before a big wind storm hit our little cul-de-sac. Most everyone on my street gets home before me and I just finished getting Baby Bird in to the house and picking up our garbage/recycling cans and storing them in the garage before the wind picked up.

For those couple of people who were late getting home or didn’t pick up their bins yet, I watched as they rolled down the cul-de-sac and in to other yards.

This is how things go missing people! They are innocently blown in to another’s yard and at the end of the day when you pull in to your drive way and see a recycling bin lying there, you think it’s yours. Then a few months later you ask yourself, where did this extra bin come from?

I received the Garbage Bin Labels to review about a month ago now. They have been outside in all kinds of weather from sun to rain and still look like the day I put them on. The labels are made on a strong sticker and they are further laminated to prevent fading, smudging and premature peeling. They are also a good size so the number can’t be missed.

I’m now proud to report that our garbage/recycling bins won’t end up in someone else’s garage by accident, and if they do at least the number will be ‘nicely’ marked on them to help with their quick return.

I understand that all of my readers may not be as excited about the garbage bin labels as I am, so Label Daddy is giving away a great prize that will let you make up your own mind.

Label Daddy has offered to give one This Bird’s Day reader a gift card for $40 to be used towards any item(s) on their site as a giveaway.

To enter:
Go to Label Daddy and have a look at all of their labels (including their packs), then come back here and leave a comment telling me what you would buy with your $40 if you are the winner. Include a way of getting a hold of you if you win. *You must do this for any additional entries to count.

After you have completed the first entry, you can enter an additional comment one time for each of the following:

• Follow This Bird’s Day on Networked Blogs.
• Follow This Bird’s Day on Twitter.
• Follow Label Daddy on Twitter.
• Daily Entry: Tweet about this giveaway. Please include your twitter id in your comment. You can copy this phrase to save time
  

  US/CAN - Get your kids ready for back to school with @LabelDaddy and enter 2 win a $40 GC on @ThisBirdsDay @ http://bit.ly/cfFTwk

• Like This Bird’s Day on Facebook
• Like Label Daddy on Facebook
• Become a follower of This Bird’s Day (in the right sidebar).
• Become a friend of This Bird’s Day on Facebook
• Subscribe to This Bird’s Day feed.

This contest is open to US and Canada and runs until 12pm MST on Thursday, September 9, 2010.

* I received the Garbage Bin labels for free to complete my review. The opinions expressed in this post are mine only and are in no way influenced by any outside factors.

Label Daddy Review & Giveaway is a post from: This Bird's Day

Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!: Wubbzy Goes to School, has just been released by Anchor Bay Entertainment and Bolder Media, Inc. and arrived in stores on August 3, 2010.

We still watch the last Wubbzy DVD we reviewed all of the time. In Wubbzy Goes to School, Wubbzy is excited about starting his first day of school until he meets up with his friends in the playground and they are all sad. Wubbzy decides that he doesn’t need school afterall and that he can teach himself everything he needs to know.

This DVD has a lot of great stories and is perfect to help prepare your little one for the adventures that await for them at school.

Just like the other Wubbzy DVD’s, this one is complete with a lot of singing and music. This DVD has 6 episodes (and also includes some bonuses). The episode titles are:

• Who Needs School?
• New Kid on the Block
• Gotta Dance
• Wubbzy the Star
• You Gotta Have Art
• Magic Tricks
• Bonus Features: Meet Wubbzy’s Schoolmates photo gallery, coloring and activity sheets

You can also visit Wubbzy online for more activities.

The total run time for the DVD is 70 and it is now available for purchase. As of posting this, you can purchase Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Wubbzy Goes to School from Amazon.ca for $15.99 or from Amazon.com for $12.99.

I also have one copy of Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Wubbzy Goes to School on DVD to give to one of my readers as a giveaway…

To enter:
Just leave me a comment below with a way of getting a hold of you if you win. *You must do this for any additional entries to count.

After you have completed the first entry, you can enter an additional comment one time for each of the following:

• Become a fan of Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! on Facebook.
• Post “I just entered to win Wubbzy Goes to School on DVD on This Bird’s Day @ http://wp.me/pYOnJ-l1” on the Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Faceboo page.
• Follow Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! on Twitter
• Follow This Bird’s Day on Twitter
• Daily Entry: Tweet about this giveaway. Feel free to copy and paste this into your Twitter page:
  

  Enter to win the new @WWWubbzy DVD, Wubbzy Goes to School from @ThisBirdsDay at http://wp.me/pYOnJ-l1

• Become a follower of This Bird’s Day (in the right sidebar).
• Subscribe to This Bird’s Day (at the bottom of the page).

This contest is open to Canada and the US and runs until 12pm MST on Tuesday, September 7, 2010.

Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Wubbzy Goes to School DVD Review & Giveaway (Closed) is a post from: This Bird's Day

Monkey Monkey Music is releasing its newest CD titled What are the Odds? on August 31, 2010.

Monkey Monkey Music is a children’s music program developed by Meredith LeVande, an educator and songwriter who has close to a decade of experience working with preschool aged children. Meredith believes that learning and music should be a fun, joyous, experience for children, which is why her music and CDs are so successful.

Not only are her CDs enjoyed by kids, but adults can appreciate the songs and catchy lyrics as well. I found myself singing “What are the Odds?” on the way to work one morning. I should include that Baby Bird was not with me in the car at the time.

I really like the whole CD and the song “Air Guitar” is played in our house a lot right now. My husband plays guitar (used to be in a couple bands) and he has a wonderful collection. When he and Baby Bird get playing, they listen to music and play the air guitar so this is a fun song for her.

I also like “Wheels” which bares a slight resemblance with “The Wheels on the Bus” except it is more upbeat and “Hello” which is another catchy song. Okay, maybe I should just take all of that back and say I liked the whole thing.

What are the Odds? is listed as being good for children 2 – 7. Baby Bird just turned 2 and she really enjoys it.

Papa Bird and I try to be concious of what songs we play when our daughter is in the car and this is a great CD to have on hand. It stikes a great balance between children’s music and adult pop songs. You can tell by listening to the songs that Meredith loves to entertain children. She has a beautiful voice and all of her songs are just — fun.

You can listen to some samples of her music and purchase What are the Odds? on the Monkey Monkey Music website. If you like this CD, make sure you also check out her debut album.

Want to win a copy? Monkey Monkey Music is providing one copy of What are the Odds? to give to one lucky This Bird’s Day reader as a giveaway.

Mandatory Entry:
Leave a comment at the end of this post, simple as that. Include a way of getting a hold of you if you win. *You must do this for any additional entries to count.

After you have completed the first entry, you can enter an additional comment one time for each of the following:

• Follow This Bird’s Day on Networked Blogs.
• Follow This Bird’s Day on Twitter.
• Daily Entry: Tweet about this giveaway. Please include your twitter id in your comment. You can copy this phrase to save time
  

  US and Canada, enter to win the new Monkey Monkey Music CD, What are the Odds? at @ThisBirdsDay @ http://wp.me/pYOnJ-kB

• Like This Bird’s Day on Facebook
• Become a follower of This Bird’s Day (in the right sidebar).
• Become a friend of This Bird’s Day on Facebook
• Subscribe to This Bird’s Day feed.

This contest is open to Canadian and US residents and runs until 12pm MST on Thursday, September 2, 2010.

* I received the CD listed in this post for free to complete my review. The opinions expressed in this post are mine only and are in no way influenced by any outside factors.

What are the Odds? by Meredith LeVande CD Review & Giveaway (Closed) is a post from: This Bird's Day

I remember when we first brought Baby Bird home from the hospital. I had a little list of the things I needed to have as a first time parent and looking back on them, I was a little off.

The truth is, if you are a first-time mom or dad, all I can say is “Don’t stress it.” Don’t worry about what you need to have and instead find comfort in knowing that these days there are a lot of pharmacies and department stores open 24 hours for those items you just happened to forget about.

If I was to put together my top 10 list today of those must-have things for when baby is brought home, it would look something like this (in no particular order):

1. Diapers
2. Wipes
3. Formula (if not breast feeding)
4. Ointments/Creams (Diaper Rash Cream, vaseline, etc)
5. Bottles
6. Sleepers
7. Swaddling blanket
8. Crib
9. Kids safety/first aid kit
10. Tylenol – for me

Before my list would have included outfits, teddy bears, books and some toys. Now I go for necessities that protect and comfort.

A+D Diaper Rash products are now available in Canada and they come in two types. The first is the Diaper Rash Ointment, a thick gel that works to prevent diaper rash and protects baby’s delicate skin against wetness.

Their second product is a diaper rash cream that I think ‘smells like babies’. It goes on thick and works to soothe diaper rash and it also protects from wetness that causes diaper rashes.

I wish both of these products were available to me a couple of years ago so I could have had them in my must-haves when we had a newborn. Now that our daughter is two, we don’t use these products as much as in the beginning, but they are still needed and readily available. I think these are a great addition to my daughter’s care products.

The most important thing to think about in putting together your must-have list is your child. Include items that are soothing and items that they need. Leave the toys and teddy bears up to the grandparents!

A+D is helping you put your must-have list together and wants to start you off in the right direction.

One lucky This Bird’s Day reader is going to win 3 containers of the A+D ointment and 3 containers of the A+D cream. That’s about a 1-year supply.

To enter:
Leave a comment at the end of this post telling me what must-have you would include to my list if you could. Include a way of getting a hold of you if you win. *You must do this for any additional entries to count.

After you have completed the first entry, you can enter an additional comment one time for each of the following:

• Follow This Bird’s Day on Networked Blogs.
• Follow This Bird’s Day on Twitter.
• Daily Entry: Tweet about this giveaway. Please include your twitter id in your comment. You can copy this phrase to save time
  

  CAD only – Enter to win 1 year supply of Diaper Rash products fr #AplusD on @ThisBirdsDay @ http://wp.me/pYOnJ-j4 @MC_Canada

• Like This Bird’s Day on Facebook
• Become a follower of This Bird’s Day (in the right sidebar).
• Become a friend of This Bird’s Day on Facebook
• Subscribe to This Bird’s Day feed.

This contest is open to Canadian residents and runs until 12pm MST on Monday, August 30, 2010. Please note that you can enter this giveaway on multiple blogs, but you can only win once.

I wrote this post while  participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Canada and received a Mom Central gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate. The opinions on this blog are my own.

A+D Diaper Rash Products (Closed) is a post from: This Bird's Day

VeggieTales just released their newest DVD titled SweetPea Beauty on August 3, 2010. Loosely based on the fairytale Sleeping Beauty, this is a story of true beauty. It’s about looking past what you can see to how you feel on the inside.

I’ve said it many times before, Baby Bird loves to dance and there are a lot of songs included in this DVD as well as a silly song that she likes to dance to.

Once upon a time, long ago there lived a beautiful rhubarb maiden, an insecure blueberry queen and a mirror who is about to take advantage of everything. A decree is handed down that only the most beautiful can rule the land. The queen, not understanding the real meaning of beautiful panics, banishes the maiden to the dark forest and the adventure begins.

Also on this DVD is another short movie titled Snoodlerella. This is a wonderful story about self-confidence and inner beauty. I like the two movies on here because sometimes I know we don’t have time to watch all of SweetPea, but Snoodlerella is shorter so I can pop that one on.

This DVD includes:

• Sweetpea Beauty Movie
• Snoodlerella short Movie
• “Pants” Silly Sing-a-long
• “More Beautiful” Sing-a-long
• SweetPea’s True Beauty Guide
• Girl Talk – Kids’ thought on true beauty
• Exclusive Interview with Nichole Nordeman who sings “Beautiful for Me” in the movie.
• Art Gallery

SweetPea Beauty is available from Big Idea for $14.99. Check out their trailer here.

Want to win a copy? Big Idea is providing one copy of SweetPea Beauty to give to one lucky This Bird’s Day reader as a giveaway.

Mandatory Entry:
Leave a comment at the end of this post, simple as that. Include a way of getting a hold of you if you win. *You must do this for any additional entries to count.

After you have completed the first entry, you can enter an additional comment one time for each of the following:

• Follow This Bird’s Day on Networked Blogs.
• Follow This Bird’s Day on Twitter.
• Daily Entry: Tweet about this giveaway. Please include your twitter id in your comment. You can copy this phrase to save time
  

  US and Canada, enter to win the new VeggieTales DVD, SweetPea Beauty at @ThisBirdsDay @ http://wp.me/pYOnJ-iv

• Like This Bird’s Day on Facebook
• Like VeggieTales on Facebook
• Post “I just entered to win the new VeggieTales, SweetPea Beauty DVD from This Bird’s Day and you can win too! Canada and US, enter to win at http://wp.me/pYOnJ-iv” on VeggieTales Wall.
• Become a follower of This Bird’s Day (in the right sidebar).
• Become a friend of This Bird’s Day on Facebook
• Subscribe to This Bird’s Day feed.

This contest is open to Canadian and US residents and runs until 12pm MST on Wednesday, August 25, 2010.

* I received the DVD listed in this post for free to complete my review. The opinions expressed in this post are mine only and are in no way influenced by any outside factors.

VeggieTales SweetPea Beauty – DVD Review & Giveawaym (Closed) is a post from: This Bird's Day

Disney is very popular in our household. Baby Bird loves Mickey Mouse and his friends, and we like the shows. They are engaging, easy to watch and entertaining for kids.

As parents, you want to make sure that your kids are getting something beneficial out of everything they do and watch. I love the shows I grew up with as a child and am happy to share Mickey and Disney with Baby Bird. I remember sitting down in front of the TV as a child at 6:00pm on Sunday nights to watch the Wonderful World of Disney.

Now, Disney has a whole channel of their own and they have added quality programs for kids of all ages. All of Disney’s programming is family-friendly and there are a lot of programs to choose from. Our favorite shows on the Playhouse Disney Channel are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!, Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs, The Carebears and Winnie the Pooh. But it doesn’t stop there, those are just the first choices. I’ve realized that Baby Bird is actually quite selective with what she watches and she gets up and turns the TV off if she isn’t being included in the show or if she isn’t learning anything new. She loves it when Mickey asks ‘her’ a question and when he invites ‘her’ into his clubhouse.

I have a Disney prize pack to give away to one lucky This Bird’s Day reader. This includes, a Playhouse Disney DVD with five full episodes (Handy Manny, Imagination Movers, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Special Agent Oso, and My Friends Tigger and Pooh. Also included are pencils (crayons), a magnetic pen and colouring magnets.

To enter:
Go to the Playhouse Disney Channel and take a look at all of their programs, then come back here and leave a comment telling me what your child’s favorite Playhouse Disney show is. Include a way of getting a hold of you if you win. *You must do this for any additional entries to count.

After you have completed the first entry, you can enter an additional comment one time for each of the following:

• Follow This Bird’s Day on Networked Blogs.
• Follow This Bird’s Day on Twitter.
• Daily Entry: Tweet about this giveaway. Please include your twitter id in your comment. You can copy this phrase to save time
  

  CAD only – Enter to win a Playhouse Disney Channel prize pack from @ThisBirdsDay @ http://wp.me/pYOnJ-i6

• Like This Bird’s Day on Facebook
• Like Playhouse Disney Canada on Facebook
• Post “I found you on www.thisbirdsday.com, our favorite Playhouse Disney Channel show is (ENTER YOUR FAVORITE SHOW HERE) ” on Playhouse Disney’s Facebook page
• Become a follower of This Bird’s Day (in the right sidebar).
• Become a friend of This Bird’s Day on Facebook
• Subscribe to This Bird’s Day feed.

This contest is open to Canadian residents and runs until 12pm MST on Wednesday, August 18, 2010. Please note that you can enter this giveaway on multiple blogs, but you can only win once.

I am participating in the Playhouse Disney program by Mom Central Canada. I received a Playhouse Disney prize pack and a thank you gift card to facilitate this post. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Playhouse Disney Channel Canada Blog Tour (Closed) is a post from: This Bird's Day

I found the Green Beaver Company for the exact same reason the company was started. Baby Bird loves to play in the bath tub. She loves bubbles and pouring her water from cup to cup and in the process, ends up drinking a lot of it. I began to think that with all of the all-natural products I have been coming across in my reviews, there must be something out there like a safe bubble bath for children.

Green Beaver began when a husband and wife team noticed their son drinking the bath water as he played. They began to research various personal care products and found that there were just too many chemicals in them. They began to develop their own products using certified organic, chemical-free ingredients.

Today, they manufacture and sell personal care products including toothpaste, hair care, facial/lip, body, children and for my fellow Canadians — winter products including face and body creams, lip/cheek care and bath products.

We received the Junior Bubble Bath, two of their shampoos (Lavender and Apple Mint) and their Lip Shimmers in all of the fun colours to try out.

Baby Bird loves the bubble bath. She grabs for the bottle as the water is running and she helps me pour it in. As the water runs, the smell of berries fill the room. It is gentle on her skin and there are no worries now when she decides to take a sip from her cup as she’s playing.

I used both shampoos and they work really well. They suds up like a regular shampoo and the smell is natural and yummy. I tried the lavender on Baby Bird. She is okay with it as long as it doesn’t get into her eyes. The first night I used the lavender on her, she fell asleep so quickly and slept soundly through the night.

The lip balm is impressive. When I first looked at the ingredients I remembered thinking to myself that it seemed too simple and I wondered if it would compare to the other balms I’ve used in the past. It didn’t compare at all – it was way better because not only did it do the same job, but it did so with no added junk. The balm is made of various plant oils, beeswax, vitamin E and vanilla extract.

The lip shimmers are my favorite so far. They contain carrot and cranberry seed extracts and smell great. They go on smooth and are not dark. I don’t wear much make-up and prefer the natural look, but my natural look can be a little bland at times so it’s nice to have these on hand for touch ups. My favorite colours are the Passion, Lustre and Bordeaux.

A very interesting read on their website is their Ingredients to Avoid page. They do not use any of these ingredients in their products and they break down what is harmful in them and why you should avoid contact with those ingredients to begin with.

Green Beaver products are sold at many stores across Canada and can also be found in numerous online stores.

The Green Beaver Company has offered to give one This Bird’s Day reader a prize pack as a giveaway. This includes one Winter Lip Balm, one Junior Bubble Bath and the full set of Lip Shimmers (6 shimmers) (ARV$45.00).

Mandatory Entry:
Go to the Green Beaver Company and take a look around, then come back here and leave a comment telling me which one item you would like to try. Include a way of getting a hold of you if you win. *You must do this for any additional entries to count.

After you have completed the first entry, you can enter an additional comment one time for each of the following:

• Follow This Bird’s Day on Networked Blogs.
• Follow Green Beaver on Twitter.
• Follow This Bird’s Day on Twitter.
• Daily Entry: Tweet about this giveaway. Please include your twitter id in your comment. You can copy this phrase to save time
  

  Canada only – Enter to win some all-natural, certified organic products from @TheGreenBeaver at @ThisBirdsDay @ http://wp.me/pYOnJ-hr

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This contest is open to Canadian residents only and runs until 12pm MST on Thursday, August 19, 2010.

* I received the samples listed in this post for free to complete my review. The opinions expressed in this post are mine only and are in no way influenced by any outside factors.

Green Beaver Review & Giveaway (Closed) is a post from: This Bird's Day

There’s something about a moving car that knocks little ones out. And once they drift off to sleep the constant battle begins. The head slowly nods off to one side and your little angel starts to look really uncomfortable.

Head Snugglers were created by a mom in Calgary who dealt with this same thing. But, unlike me who just stuck a rolled up towel under my daughter’s chin, she decided to do something about it and created an accessory that looks like it belongs among all of my infant/toddler accessories (unlike my bright blue towel).

It’s also tough to help your sleeping child when it is just you in the car and you are in traffic. The last thing you want to do is put your, and your child’s, life in danger.

I was sent a Head Snuggler in Charcoal to review. It is made from a polyester/nylon/spandex blend so it has some stretchy room to move. I put it over the car seat and left it bunched at the top. The great thing about this is it is ready for when you need it.

The function of the Head Snuggler is to prevent neck strain on your child while they sleep. This opens up their airways and makes for a longer, more pleasant sleep while they are out and about.

After an action-packed trip to the zoo (which I will post about in the next few days), Baby Bird began to dose off on the car ride home. As her eyes closed, we put the Head Snuggler in to place.

My suggestion with using the Snuggler is to wait until your child is out! Not dosing off, not napping, but once they are out (parents, you know what I’m saying).  Baby Bird is two years old now and she wasn’t used to the Snuggler. Her head was held snugly in place at first, but because she hadn’t drifted completely off, she moved around a bit and her head slouched over. It was easy enough to adjust her head back in to place once she was done getting comfortable though.

That being said, the Head Snuggler is still in my car, attached to her car seat waiting for those beautiful hazel eyes to close once again. We don’t take many long drives during nap times, but having something like this on hand for the times we do, or for those times she just gets tired is wonderful. I will definitely use this product again, but this time I will wait until she has passed out before getting her comfortable in it.

You can purchase Head Snugglers through their online store for $19.99 each. They also have a list of stores across Canada that sell them… or you can win it!

Right now, Head Snuggler is holding The Biggest Slumper Contest on Facebook where you can win a Travel Prize pack including a Head Snuggler (total value over $250).

Or, you can win a Head Snuggler here.

Head Snuggler has offered to give one This Bird’s Day reader one (1) Head Snuggler as a giveaway.

To enter:
Go to Melrose Kids and have a look at the three colours they offer, then come back here and leave a comment telling me which one colour you would choose if you are the lucky winner. Include a way of getting a hold of you if you win. *You must do this for any additional entries to count.

After you have completed the first entry, you can enter an additional comment one time for each of the following:

• Follow This Bird’s Day on Networked Blogs.
• Follow Melrose Kids on Twitter.
• Follow This Bird’s Day on Twitter.
• Daily Entry: Tweet about this giveaway. Please include your twitter id in your comment. You can copy this phrase to save time
  

  Canada – Enter to win a @MelroseKids Head Snuggler from @ThisBirdsDay at http://bit.ly/caePb5

• Like This Bird’s Day on Facebook
• Like Melrose Kids on Facebook
• Post “Enter to win a Head Snuggler from Melrose Kids from This Bird’s Day @ http://www.thisbirdsday.com/2010/07/head-snuggler.html” on Melrose Kid’s Facebook page
• Become a follower of This Bird’s Day (in the right sidebar).
• Become a friend of This Bird’s Day on Facebook
• Subscribe to This Bird’s Day feed.

This contest is open worldwide and runs until 12pm MST on Thursday, August 12, 2010.

* I received a Head Snuggler for free to complete my review. The opinions expressed in this post are mine only and are in no way influenced by any outside factors.

Head Snuggler Review & Giveaway (Closed) is a post from: This Bird's Day