Review/Giveaway: Fairhaven Health Milkies Breastfeeding Aids

I want to start this review off with a little of my back story on one of the products first, I hope that sharing with you my journey could help you see the importance these products held for me in my breastfeeding journey.

I believe breastfeeding is one of the best things I can do for my little one. Even while I was still pregnant, I knew right away I would want to breastfeed with a goal of 1 year or more.

With my first child I gave up too soon, mostly because it hurt due to poor latching on my part and the lack of knowledge on items that could make it easier on me. As often happens with new moms, I just didn't have anyone to tell me what was available to help me out.

During this pregnancy, I received a collection of products for review from Fairhaven Health, and prepared for our daughter's birth by educating myself on how these products could help me make this time a more successful breastfeeding experience.

To my great surprise, our little angel decided to come early, at 35 weeks gestation. So not only did I have to worry about her health, I had to worry about every drop I needed to be able to save for her and to not risk losing any of to regular nursing pads. Seeing her in the NICU was heartbreaking, and seeing formula being fed to her through her nose was even more heartbreaking. So you can imagine the determination I had to pump my milk since she was not yet able to be in my arms.

Included in the review package I'd received was a product called Milk Saver. This product meant to me that no drop will be lost in the reusable breast pads.

The Milk Saver is worn inside your bra on the side you are not nursing on, to catch all the liquid that would otherwise leak into a nursing pad.

They were lifesavers, ensuring that our little Princess got every bit colostrum and breastmilk she needed to thrive.  It helped us all get through her hospital stay.

When my husband and nurse insisted that I go get something to eat and rest I was not happy to leave, but knew I need to regain my strength.

Pumping for colostrum before your milk has fully come in is totally crazy-making and exhausting. Seriously, the only reason I was able to leave off pumping to take care of myself for short intervals was because I had placed the Milk saver on the breast that had at least a drop come out. Sadly, I do not have a picture of the amount that is caught because I ran back to the NICU, so excited to see that just in 30 minutes to an hour of wearing it, I could give the colostrum it saved to my little girl.

Pumping was not going as great, so whenever I could I would wear the Milk Saver in my nursing bra. This was the beginning of my journey and this product saved my motivation and confidence that I could do this.

Anytime you see your hard work being successful gives you motivation to keep going forward. Now you may understand why I love this product so much. J

Rewinding a bit the Milk Saver comes in a hard case which is nice to keep it clean once washed. And I don’t know about you but after I had my baby her diaper bag became my purse and I love that this can fit in the front pocket.

There is one per box though in my experience I never ended up needing two so one was great for me. Rather it was pumping on one side (or nursing) and having the milk saver on the other, this product was great for catching the let down from the other breast.

The Milk Saver is very comfortable to wear even when I used it while eating at BK, it was very noticeable and for sure not something you would want to be too active in.

The opening for your nipple to go through is wide enough to not make contact so there were no issues there.

Even now at 4 month old I still use it to catch the milk from my breast I am not feeding her on.

Washing it is very easy as well you can place it on the top rack of the dishwasher, though I like to hand wash it and dry it so I can use it right away if needed. Another feature I LOVE is the flexibility of the milk saver. Not only does this help when wearing in your bra but also when pouring the milk into a storage bag freeze.

Which brings me to my next product - the Milkies Storage Bags.

I have some past experience with milk storage bags. In the past, I have read and brought bags that claim that they are leak-proof and then found a bag I was defrosting to be broken and leaking the milk everywhere. Which is again enough to drive you mad!!

Thankfully after using 32 Milkies bags, I have not had a single one leak on me and for that reason, I will continue to use this product as long as my daughter is breastfeeding.

These bags hold up to 200ml, but I have never placed more than 5 or 5 ½ oz. into one bag (about 150-160ml). In each box comes 50 storage bags.

Now I would like to point out one of my FAVORITE details of these bags. On each bags there are guideline to help you keep your hard working liquid gold fresh!  I could go into detail of how sad it is that some cannot remember the details of how to handle the frozen milk (cough cough my husband) but in all seriousness for those long nights it was nice to have that reminder there to help.

I also like there have a double zipper on the bag adding an extra level of protection against your milk leaking out.

As for the label, I use it to track the date and time that I pumped.

Another detail I like over other bags I've tried is that the sides of this bag are bigger, making it easier to manage, and I think that is also the reason I have not had any leaks.

The next product I received is the Milkies Freeze! Since we have a small fridge, this container allowed me to be able to freeze the bags flat for easy use, and also to use the oldest milk first just in case I forgot to write on the bag the time and date. Which sadly has happened but with the Freeze it didn’t matter much since its doubles as an organizer. 

These tools work together to make the entire process go smoothly:

Simply milk into the bag, close and place onto the metal (which in my opinion helps it freeze faster as well as flat), place the bag on the top and pick from the bottom, warm and feed. I LOVE EASY STEPS!!!

Now, I do want to point out that though this is an awesome product, it’s mainly for my husband's use since I breastfeed her, and he does the bottles when I need a kids-free outing.

And from his view all he has to do is pull one bag from the bottom, thaw and pour into bottle. Ladies, it even says on the cover of the Freeze which area to pull from! YES! That’s two products that I don’t have to repeat myself on how to use.

Another way I was able to freeze and store my milk was by using the Milkies Milk Tray. This tray is AWESOME!!!!

Each slot holds 1 ounce and all you do is take how many ounces you need and place it in the bottle to thaw and feed. Now, I loved the bags, but I have to say this way is best for when you are using the milk saver and instead of wasting a bag or risking pouring little by little in a bottle until you get enough to fill a bag.

This way, you can freeze that milk or colostrum right away and ensure it stays fresh for your little one. Please make sure you store them towards the back so you don't run into it defrosting and refreezing. The Milkies Milk Tray is recommended to be handwashed, and it is very easy to wash it that way.  Unlike the bags, it is reusable so there is no waste, and did I mention we had a small fridge? These are stackable, and do not take up a lot of space.

After it freezes in the tray we pop them out like you would an ice tray, and place them in a zip lock bag. At this time we do not have a deep freezer, but once we get one this will be the way we mostly freeze our milk and then use the bags less often.

Again, I mostly breastfeed her but my experience with these were when we did not have any bags frozen and we had to go to her pediatric cardiologist. This is not an appointment we could miss, but I knew I needed to be able to feed her while on the heart monitor so she would be calm.

Thankfully, we had some 1 oz bars frozen, so I popped 3 in a bottle and left for the appointment. They thawed on the way, and I only had to run it under the warm water for a little before giving it to her.

Fortunately, breastmilk doesn’t need to be warmed like formula, so this saved us this appointment visit, because if she wasn’t eating and being still we would have had to go back to the NICU.

After that, these became my husband’s favorite method, but I prefer him to use the bags since you  need to wear gloves to handle the milk stored with the Milkies Milk Tray.

Yes, you could easier just make sure your hands were washed before using, but as our Princess was a preemie I demand extra measures.

 Another product I tried out was the Milkies Nipple Nurture Balm. I actually started using this before she was born.

Since I will not be posting pictures, imagine if you will dry cracked nipples - - not something any women wants to deal with on top of being pregnant!

Milkies Nipple Nurture Balm is organic and lanolin-free, and to me a product where I can read and know what each ingredients is BONUS!!

To give you an idea of the texture, I would say it is a little thicker then oil and thinner then petroleum jelly. Which, when applying to your nipple, is a GOD send, as it clings to the skin without running and without pulling at tender flesh.

So, before I even pumped, this product was helping me with protection. I then started using it before pumping, and trust me a little goes a long way in this balm. Though it says it's baby safe, after tasting it myself I would not want to give that to her.

I can’t really pinpoint what it tastes like but olive oil and shea butter is close, which are among the 5 ingredients, but still nothing I could want to eat. I will say it is nice to know that if, in the moment, I have some left on my nipples that it would not harm her.

Currently, I am using the Nipple Nurture balm to help protect against cold air and dryness, and it is working perfectly - I have not experienced cracked nipples since I started applying it. BLESSINGS!

The final product that I reviewed is the Milkies NursingBlend breastfeeding supplement.

I took these for one month, which is one bottle's supply. In each bottle there are 90 capsules and you are to take 3 a day. I started taking these when she was 2 months old, as in the beginning I followed my doctor’s advice and only took the pain meds and prenatal vitamins. Once cleared to take other supplements, I started these.

On the bottle it states that it is designed to improve the Breast Milk Quality and Production. It claims to have a formulated specifically for breastfeeding mothers to encourage plentiful nutrient-rich milk production.

I want to make it very clear my views on this.

Breastfeeding is an amazing thing that is wonderful for your child. But there are some women that cannot produce milk, or make a lower volume of milk then others. And there are different reasons as to why this is happening.

A supplement may  or may not help, but you have to do what is best for you. So please do not take this review as a guarantee that Milkies Nursing Blend will increase your milk production, and ALWAYS seek the advice and guidance of your local CLC or doctor.

Now with that being said, again I took this product after 2 months of her being born and I cannot say that if it improved my milk or increased the volume. During the time I took this supplement, it did improve my energy and for that I say it was more like getting the needed vitamins for me to be able to get through the day. There was no negative result, but I had no noticeable change in my own milk production.

Over the month I have been taking them, I have been trying to figure out what they smell like and it’s not unpleasant like my prenatal so in that it’s a plus.

For the people that have tried different herbal galactagogues (foods or supplements meant to promote or increase breast milk flow) such as Fenugreek, this product has that in it has well. Again I cannot confirm that is will improve your milk production but if you have used Fenugreek, and are looking for other ways to consume you could try this product.

Overall my must haves to help you with your breastfeeding journey is the Milk Saver, Milk Tray, Nurture Balm and the Freeze, and the Milkies Nursing Blend supplement may help if you are struggling. I hope you enjoyed this review and that you find a product that could help you in your journey.

Each of the items mentioned in this review are available on their website, at various local retailers, and through Amazon.

I'm very excited to announce that Fairhaven Health is offering one of our readers everything I reviewed!  Read on to see how to enter this amazing Giveaway - this would be a lovely baby gift for your favorite new parents!

http://www.mymilkies.com/

https://www.facebook.com/FairhavenHealth.BellyToBreast
https://twitter.com/BellyToBreast
https://www.instagram.com/fairhaven_health/
https://www.pinterest.com/fairhavenhealth/
https://www.youtube.com/user/FairhavenHealth

One winner in the US (including APOs) or Canada will receive the following prize package from Fairhaven Health, worth a total of $140.70:

1 Milk Freeze ($19.95), 1 set Milk Trays ($21.95), 1 Milk Saver ($27.95), 1 set Milk Storage Bags ($11.95), 1 month supply Nursing Blend Supplements ($28.95), and 1 jar Nipple Nurture Balm ($11.95).

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Giveaway Tools Entry Form below. This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning. (If you don't leave a comment, any additional entries will be void.)

This giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents (including APO addresses) and will end just before midnight ET on 12/6. 

The winners will be notified by email within 24 hours after the end of the giveaway. In order to claim the giveaway prize, the winner will need to respond within 24 hours of notification, or an alternate winner will be selected.

Once the winners have responded and confirmed, their first names will be posted on our Giveaways  page.

Good luck!

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Review/Giveaway: Neocell Move Matrix Advanced Joint Hydrator

A few weeks ago, I shared a review of NeoCell's Tropical Tang Joint Bursts, which were delicious pineapple flavored turmeric chews designed to help keep our joints hydrated.  I am back to talk about the NeoCell Move Matrix Advanced Joint Hydrator supplements, which have a similar function but in a more hardcore supplement form, with a few additional ingredients.

While I'd recommend Joint Bursts for anyone - especially those seeking to reduce the wear and tear of osteoarthritis (OA) - Move Matrix are a powerful tool designed for athletes seeking to protect themselves from joint related injuries that lead to OA as well as those of us already dealing with OA. The 3 ingredients in the Joint Bursts are here as well, in higher doses, and combined with several other things specifically designed to aid joint health.

As someone who has dealt with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) since late adolescence and osteo-arthritis for the past fifteen years at least, I was both hopeful and skeptical.  There are a million 'cures' out there for arthritis and for the most part, they're all a lesson in disappointment.  RA is currently incurable, and OA is a one way ticket - you want to keep damage from happening, because once it's there, you can't undo it. You can only treat symptoms and do what you can to prevent further  damage.

Low impact exercise that strengthens the muscles and increases flexibility, along with the usual common sense lifestyle choices - a good diet, enough sleep, etc, go a long way toward helping keep our joints from painful injuries and degradation, but a well thought out supplement can also be a good part of that lifestyle.

After a month of taking Move Matrix, I not only recommend it, but my doctor has suggested I keep taking it - the results for me have been s sharp drop in the number of Advil, Tylenol or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) I've needed to take this month (from almost daily down to about a half dozen Aleve total), and I've been given the go ahead to wean off prednisone (which worsens osteo-arthritis, but without it, my RA tends to flare a lot).

I know that's putting the conclusion at the beginning, but I if you're needing to try to reduce NSAID dependency, I don't see why you need to be kept in suspense! This works for me, is safer by far than NSAIDs, and now I can explain a bit about what goes into it.

Note: I strongly suggest that if you are taking medication you consult with your doctor before taking any supplement - often, they simply don't play well with other medications, and can interfere with what you're taking medication for, or lead to bad side effects when taken in combination.

What I like about Move Matrix (aside from its having a obvious, noticeable positive impact on me) is that the ingredients aren't at all mystifying - each ingredient in this supplement is known to benefit healthy joints and/or to reduce pain from damaged joints.

Keep in mind that, as with all supplements, Move Matrix and its ingredients have not gone through the same type of FDA scrutiny as pharmaceuticals have.  Do your own research, and make an informed decision.

According to WebMD:

"Collagen is a protein that is part of cartilage, bone, and other tissues in animals and humans. People use collagen from chickens for medicine. 

Chicken collagen is used to treat joint pain associated with many types of arthritis and surgery, as well as back pain, neck pain, and pain following injury.

How does it work?

Chicken collagen is said to work by causing the body to produce substances that fight pain and swelling (inflammation), but this is unproven. Chicken collagen also contains ,the chemicals chondroitin and glucosamine, which might help rebuild cartilage."

Yep, three of the main ingredients in Move Matix is the same nutritious stuff we find in our homemade bone broth!

MSM is also often used to treat repetitive stress injuries, osteo-arthritis (and rheumatoid arthritis, although I think research on whether it helps is lacking when it comes to RA), as it reduces inflammatianon and the pain that goes with it.

Hyaluronic Acid is used as an injectible for osteo-arthritic knees to replace lost lubrication. NeoCell not only inludes it as an element of Move Matrix, but also provides Hyaluronic Acid supplements designed to lubricate both joints and skin - another area that loses hydration as we get older.

The Move Matrix Blend is a mixture of herbs and spices known to have beneficial effect.

-- Turmeric (Curcumin C3 Complex) is the main ingredient, and research is continuing to find ways in which turmeric is good for us.  Specifically, as it pertains to joint health, it reduces the pain and inflammation associated with both OA and RA.  The amount taken daily using this supplement is enough to have a measurable effect reducing stiffness and pain for me, and as much as I don't love taking more large tablets, I find it easier than taking an equivalent amount in, say, a glass of milk (I've tried - I don't like it that way), and it's inside the capsule, so no orange tongue!

-- Ginger Root is something I have used to reduce stomach discomfort (a nifty side effect of taking NSAIDs), but I was surprised to learn that there are indications that it also reduces osteoarthritis pain, as well as muscle and joint ache.

-- Boswellia is one of the cornerstones of Eastern medicine, also known as Indian Frankincense.  Like turmeric, it works as well as NSAIDs to reduce pain and inflammation, but without the damaging side effects to your gut and organs.

-- Resveratrol is the only one on the list I didn't immediately recognize, so I headed to WebMD and read, "Resveratrol is a natural chemical compound found in grapes, red wine, and other foods. As a supplement, resveratrol has been promoted as a treatment for many conditions -- including aging itself."  It has not been heavily studied, and while there are few known side effects, the lack of study does suggest caution is necessary for pregnant or lactating women.

-- Pine Bark contains antioxidants that may reduce arthritis pain and inflammation, and studies have indicated it may work as a COX-2 blocker (similar to what Celebrex does).

-- Black Pepper has also been studied and found to have have anti-inflammatory properties that have a beneficial impact on the sort of inflammation that is accompanied by severe pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Like I said, these ingredients do not have any known major risks, and most of them have been studied and found to aid joint health, and the pain that comes with chronic joint related illness.

For me, it worked, and I'll be taking these supplements regularly now.

The only difficult part for me was that they are in capsule form, and I already take enough medications daily.  I'd love if I could get this in liquid form, but until then, I divide up the five capsule recommendation and take two in the morning with breakfast and the other three at night before bed.  Originally, I tried to do two in the morning, one at midday and two at night, but several days in a row, I realized I had forgotten the midday capsule.

There's no stated reason not to take it all at once (other than that they're big and that's a lot of capsules), but I suspect that doing so may reduce how much gets into your system before it's been passed.

Either way, though, Move Matrix allowed me to almost entirely avoid NSAIDS within a week after starting them, and it's been a month that involved a lot of unpacking and lifting (we moved just before I began the supplement), as well as multiple weekend trips that included sightseeing during August's heat and humidity.

I count that as a win!

Speaking of winning, Neocell is offering a one-month supply of Move Matrix (currently $20.43 on Amazon Prime) to one of our readers in the US.  Read on to see how you can enter to win!

http://www.neocell.com/products-move-matrix.php
https://www.facebook.com/NeoCellCollagen
https://twitter.com/NeoCellHealth
https://www.instagram.com/neocell/

To enter the giveaway, you must leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Giveaway Tools Entry Form below. This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning.

This giveaway is open to US RESIDENTS ONLY and will end just before midnight ET on 10/6. 

The winners will be notified by email within 24 hours after the end of the giveaway. In order to claim the giveaway prize, the winner will need to respond within 24 hours of notification, or an alternate winner will be selected.

Once the winners have responded and confirmed, their first names will be posted on our Giveaways  page.

Good luck!

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Neocell Glow Matrix: Review and Giveaway

If you've been following along, I've had the pleasure of reviewing Neocell products more than once now. So far, everything Neocell I have tried has held to its promise and made me feel more beautiful. This month was all about Neocell Glow Matrix.

From Neocell, I learned Glow Matrix provides scientifically advanced ingredients designed to internally hydrate the skin.  Among these advanced ingredients are Ceramosides™ Ceramides.

Here's what Neocell has to say about it:

So what are are Ceramosides™ Ceramides? Cue another lesson in Jen’s School of Skin:

Dry and damaged skin is often linked to depleted ceramide levels. Ceramides are naturally found in skin’s outer layer and help skin retain moisture. When skin’s ceramide levels are low, skin has difficulty retaining moisture.

“But Jen” you ask, “what are ceramides?” Ceramides are natural lipids and are a major component in surface skin structure. They serve as part of the "glue" that holds surface skin cells together.

Ceramides are important because dry, irritated, and sensitive skin often lacks ceramides. As a result, skin's protective barrier becomes more susceptible to environmental factors, like changes of season.

That wasn't too bad was it? There'll be a quiz tomorrow! Just kidding!

Glow Matrix premium formula supports the skin’s lipid barrier which helps to lock in moisture and smooth the skin.

Glow matrix also boasts Rapid Action Ceramosides™ that help improve skin moisture & elasticity and reduced signs of aging in just 15 days. With a scientifically crafted blend of nutrients, Glow Matrix promotes hydration in the skin while combating free radicals for hydrated and glowing skin and a healthy collagen matrix.

All of which means nothing unless it works, right?

I noticed increasing smoothness even on my hands, they even gave a nice glow! I didn't expect results like this, though it makes sense- skin is everywhere! 

One of the best and most honest reviews I can give are the compliments I received this month. My husband told me just a few nights ago: “l like when your skin looks babyish.” this after a long, stressful day at work. Talk about making my day!

I was actually asked at the movie theater how old I was by the lady at the ticket booth. I had to think “Uuhh, 31. Why?” - I was so confused.  Just as I remembered it was an R rated film, the lady responds “because you look 19.” 

Hell yeah I look 19! This also made my day. I even had on less makeup than usual. Note to self, wear less makeup, be 19.

Derma Matrix comes in the form of capsules, with the recommended dosage being 3 a day.
Key Ingredients are Hyaluronic Acid, Pine Bark Extract, Astaxanthin, Lutein & Coconut Water Powder, and lots of vitamins.

Hoping this doesn't go into TMI, I noticed it's important to be hydrated with enough liquids, as with taking multivitamins, if you're not drinking enough water, urine is bright bright yellow. I noticed this on a day I definitely needed more water.

The capsules are vegetable-based, and taste as such. I would take a sip or two of water to wet throat before downing the three capsules as I did have one stick in my throat… that was irritating. Drinking big gulps of water loosened it and all was well again.

I didn't feel like there was much of a difference in my skin, as I've consistently taken one product, then another of Neocell, so I'd already seen a lot of improvement before I began this round. I thought my skin was as good as is going to get.

It wasn't until today, when I look at my progress pictures side by side that I see the changes. So impressive!

Neocell Glow Matrix can be found easily online and at many supplement and nutrition stores like Whole Foods, The Vitamin Shoppe, and GNC, retailing for  $29.95.

For your chance to be 19, or just to see how well Glow Matrix works for you, we have a great chance to enter a Giveaway for US residents - keep reading!

http://www.neocell.com/

https://www.facebook.com/NeoCellCollagen

https://twitter.com/NeoCellHealth

To enter the giveaway, you must leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Rafflecopter below, then leave the name you commented under and your email in the box in the Rafflecopter entry. (This allows us to contact you if you win!) This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning.

This giveaway is open to US RESIDENTS ONLY and will end just before midnight ET on 2-24. 

The winner will be notified by email within 24 hours after the end of the giveaway. In order to claim the giveaway prize, the winner will need to respond within 24 hours of notification, or an alternate winner will be selected.

Once the winner has responded and confirmed, their first name will be posted on our Giveaways  page.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sewing Tutorial: Rice Heating Pad (Giveaway!)

Here I was sitting, a few weeks before the holidays and wondered, what can I make this year for my friends? Usually I buy something or just skip the whole “sending friends a gift” part, but this year I wanted it to be something special, something homemade that they all can use because I struggled hard throughout the year and without my friends, the ones who called, the ones who spent time with me or took the kids of my hands for a few hours, this past year would've been even tougher.

So what do you make or do for such amazing people that you value so much?

I had no idea.

So I sat in front of the mess that I call my “Arts & Crafts” closet and dug through yarn, fabrics, papers, paint and a lot more...and couldn't come up with anything.

One day my beloved friend Jackie invited my family over for some delicious White Chicken Chili and while we were standing in the kitchen and talked she showed me a sock, filled with rice, that she warms up in the microwave to sooth neck and back pain.

All I could think was “Really, a freaking sock?!”

And there was my idea - Rice Heating Pads. That way she wouldn't have to mess with a rice filled sock anymore.  I thought about it some more and realized it was just simply the perfect idea. We all get stressed out and a lot of my friends suffer from back and/or neck pain.

Plus, if times ever get tough, they can enjoy some rice ;)

These heating pads have a generous size of approximately 18” x 9”, which means they definitely fit around your neck and shoulder area, or across your lower back and if you happen to be a tiny woman like me, then it fits up your entire back.

There's another plus to this tutorial: I am giving one away!!  So, follow the tutorial to see how to make a few of your own, and then enter to win one and let me do the sewing for you!

The tutorial might seem a little confusing, but I promise, it's super easy once you get started!

Let's get to it:

Sewn Rice Heating Pad

What you will need:
1 fat quarter of fabric
rice (4 cups per fat quarter)
sewing machine
iron
funnel
scissors

I would like to add a little advice about the rice (haha, that even rhymes!), I highly recommend a round short grain rice, or barley because it's just simply more comfortable, but you can use whatever rice you want or have laying around.

Step one:
Iron your fabric. That's actually an important part for any sewing project you plan to do. No measurement is right if the fabric is wrinkly!

Once you ironed it, fold it in half and trim the edges so that both sides fit perfectly on top of each other.

Step two:
Turn it to the left side and start sewing around the edges, leaving an approximately 2” opening. That is the hole you will use to turn the fabric to the right side and to fill it with the rice.

Step three:
Turn the fabric to the right side and then iron it all nice and flat.

Fold the fabric in half and iron again, then fold in both sides and again, iron it all (it's a lot of ironing, sorry! You may be able to skip one or two of those but I am a perfectionist and like to iron ;) )

Fold it open and make sure you see three clear lines, if not, fold and iron again. You will need those lines to sew straight lines unless you feel confident enough to wing those straight lines.

Step four:
Sew along the lines but leave approximately 2” – 3” open towards the edge, on the side with the hole.

Step five:
Fill one cup of rice in each one of the columns with the help of the funnel. Make sure to shake it all down into the bottom of the column.

Step six:
Finish sewing the columns and the opening shut.

Enjoy your rice heating pad or pack it up for a friend with a cute note!

As a thank you to all of our readers, I'm going to giveaway one of these rice heating pads!  This giveaway is for US residents (including APO/FPO addresses), and the winner can select from any of these three fabrics:

Bright Dots, French Blue, or Brown Leaves

To enter the giveaway, you must leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Rafflecopter below, then leave the name you commented under and your email in the box in the Rafflecopter entry. (This allows us to contact you if you win!) This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning.

This giveaway is open to US RESIDENTS ONLY and will end just before midnight ET on 2-20. 

The winner will be notified by email within 24 hours after the end of the giveaway. In order to claim the giveaway prize, the winner will need to respond within 24 hours of notification, or an alternate winner will be selected.

Once the winner has responded and confirmed, their first name will be posted on our Giveaways  page.

Good luck!

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Review and Giveaway: Neocell Beauty Bursts, Gourmet Collagen Soft Chews

Who wants to look old?

Huh. No one raised their hand. . .

I am just days away from my 31st birthday,  and I have started to notice changes that I didn't raise my hand for either. My hair has less luster, my skin is more dull, and gets that red blotchy look easier, and my nails, well, they've  never been too strong.

Then I tried the Neocell Beauty Bursts Gourmet Collagen Soft Chews. For short I will call them Beauty Bursts, or My New Secret Weapon!

I have a background in cosmetics and skin care, and I am a makeup artist - beauty is important stuff, man! When I was researching Beauty Bursts before I received them, I looked into the  ingredients and what they promised to do. I was impressed, and thought these Beauty Bursts could be right up my alley.

The ingredients include:

Collagen Type 1&3 - which are skin rebuilders. We produce collagen naturally in our bodies. Think of it as a tight web under your skin that holds everything tightly in place.  As we age,  we produce less collagen, so the webbing is thinner and that is where we see wrinkles form, and skin sags.

Hyaluronic Acid - a skin hydrator. This is in all the leading moisturizers, think Chanel.

Vitamin C - vitamins are always good, but vitamin C is also a collagen enhancer, which helps to absorb the collagen and put it to good use.

Neocell Beauty Bursts are also lactose free, gluten gree, and have no artificial flavoring.

Beauty Bursts boasts that having beautiful and radiant skin has never been so easy - or so delicious. I would agree.

The recommendation is 2 to 4 Beauty Bursts a day. I opted to take 2 per day to have the resealable bag contains  60 chews last the whole month. The Beauty Bursts are also available individually wrapped to retain freshness and make these tasty morsels easily portable.

Beauty Bursts are soft and easy to chew - they almost melt in your mouth after chewing enough, and come in two flavors. I tried the fruit punch, which tasted like berries beauty-bursting in my mouth.

The other flavor I will have to go out and buy is chocolate mint. NeoCell Beauty Bursts are available at many local stores, as well as on Amazon.

If these intrigue you, check out the review Christine did of some of NeoCell's other Collagen products.

Meanwhile, NeoCell is offering one of our US readers their own 60ct supply of Beauty Bursts! Read on to see how you can enter to win.

http://www.neocell.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/NeoCellCollagen 

https://twitter.com/NeoCellHealth

To enter the giveaway, you must leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Rafflecopter below, then leave the name you commented under and your email in the box in the Rafflecopter entry. (This allows us to contact you if you win!) This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning.

This giveaway is open to US RESIDENTS ONLY and will end just before midnight ET on 12-1-15.

The winner will be notified by email within 24 hours after the end of the giveaway. In order to claim the giveaway prize, the winner will need to respond within 24 hours of notification, or an alternate winner will be selected.

Once the winner has responded and confirmed, their first name will be posted on our Giveaways page.

Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Review: IONutrition Meal Delivery Service

A few months ago, Vanessa reviewed the Fresh n' Lean Meal Delivery Service, a company that sends single-serve healthy organic vegetarian meals straight to your door.  They've now developed IONutrition, a sister company that follows the same business model and nutritional standards, but for those of us who'd prefer healthy, organic foods that include meat protein along with quality vegetables and carbs in moderation.

For review, I received three entrees suitable for lunch or dinner, and two breakfasts.  They came packed inside a very sturdy styrofoam thermal shipping cube along with several cold packs so they arrived still nicely chilled.

From what I understand, these thermal cubes are being used regularly by companies that need to ship food products that require refrigeration - this is my first experience with such a shipment and the vision of quickly piling up a mountain of styrofoam sent me running to Pinterest - sure enough, people are coming up with all sorts of ways to repurpose them to avoid excess waste.

(Seriously - upholstered storage ottomans, planters, even outdoor cat shelters!)

I did notice that the cold packs and remaining open space in the cooler had led to some tumbling of the food containers in transit.  Each packet is very well sealed in sturdy plastic, so there was no breakage or spilling but the food inside had slid to one side or covered the clear plastic cover, creating an aesthetic issue with the appearance of the food.  It didn't impact the taste at all, but I think perhaps a bit of crumpled newsprint to fill in the loose gaps in the cooler would help prevent that.

Rather than eating dinner separately from my husband, I decided to use my entrees for lunch, when I am alone, and looked forward to enjoying one IONutrition meal a day, instead of vaguely thinking I should eat something, not getting around to it until mid-afternoon, and then scouring the cabinets in case their might be chips lurking somewhere.

Not that I do that... (ahem)

The first meal I tried was one of their breakfast entrees - a Raspberry Multi-Seed Loaf made with gluten-free flour, maple syrup, applesauce, coconut oil, safflower oil, baking soda, vanilla, blackberry raspberry, lemon zest, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds and sea salt.

This was a really substantial, large bar (at least 3"x4") about the consistency of a thick brownie.  The fruit notes were subtle - it was pleasantly sweet without yelling "Sweeet!!!!" at you.  I really liked the crunchy seeds that topped it, and was only able to eat about half of it before I felt quite satiated, and that feeling held through lunch.  I put the rest away and nibbled on it over the course of the afternoon.

I only made one mistake with this one - I thought I'd try the leftover part warmed, and microwaved it for a few seconds, and the result was not great - it immediately toughened up and became very dry.  So ... don't do that.  Enjoy this one straight out of the package.

The second breakfast I received was the Nutmeg Almond Berry Chia. Now, I've seen recipes for chia pudding, but I have never had it before, and I have to be honest with you - the appearance of it scared me silly!

Much like tapioca, this pudding gels together and was a strange, slightly greyish color full of chia seeds, topped with a raspberry swirl and sliced almonds.  The effect would have been right at home at a feast composed of scary Halloween foods!

The ingredients are chia seed, coconut cream, coconut milk, maple syrup, raspberry, blackberry, almond, cinnamon, nutmet, cardamom, vanilla, sea salt, and filtered water.

Nothing scary there, right? I hesitantly took a bite and - I loved it!  The pudding was cool and soft, and the berries and nuts added a lot of flavor and a bit of crunch.  The seasonings were well balanced, and the result was both tasty and sustaining.

Its appearance still scares me a little, but I plan to try making this at home.  In the end, this was my favorite meal of the five and I would happily enjoy it on regular rotation.

The first lunch/dinner entree I tried was the Garbanzo Tomato Stew with Turkey.

Made with Garbanzo beans, carrots, sweet potato, cauliflower, kale, celery, garlic, tomato, coconut oil, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, chipotle powder, nutritional yeast, cumin, pepper, salt and filtered water, this dish had the consistency of curry, and the seasonings were flavorful, but not strongly spicy.

This was very similar to something I might make from scratch, and the portion size was more than I could eat in one sitting.

The one problem I had with it is that the Garbanzo beans were a bit underdone for my taste.

And in fact, this turned out to be the case with the legumes in each of the three entrees, even though each used a different variety of bean.

I am not sure if this is a matter of taste or a general tendency to undercook the legumes, but I have a few digestive issues that make me very leery of eating underdone legumes.  I notice that they've begun to offer a Paleo menu (which would not include legumes at all), and if I use this service again, I'll stick to that meal plan.

The next one I tried was the White Bean Mushroom Medley Quinoa with Salmon. This is a really generous portion of salmon which was flaky and cooked perfectly, and a quinoa pilaf made with white beans, carrots, onions, zucchini, cremini mushrooms, portobello mushrooms, broccolini, sun dried tomatoes, extra olive oil, coconut amino, garlic, oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil, lime, paprika, red pepper flakes, sea salt and filtered water.

Next to the chia pudding, this was my favorite - and had the beans been a bit more cooked, it would have been perfect.  Here again, the seasoning is deftly handled, well balanced and neither overwhelming or bland.  I was very impressed with how well the salmon was cooked, and the quinoa medley made this feel like a great deal of food while still coming in at under 600 calories.

Due to a trip I needed to make, I asked my husband to try the last entree for me, and he brought it with him to work for lunch.  This was the Dual Bean Rosemary Chili & Beef. This is made with white beans, adzuki beans, onion, carrot, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, cinnamon, paprika, cumin, coriander, thyme, rosemary, black pepper, sea salt, and filtered water.

His impressions were very similar to mine - somewhat undercooked beans, but a generous serving of meat, well balanced and flavorful seasonings. Spiced but not hot, and the packaging was very convenient for transporting to work, and heating at lunch time.

So why might someone want to have their meals delivered?  There are several reasons why this service would be desirable, either for a short while or longterm.  These are just a few I can think of:

- If one is attempting to lose weight, these meals provide a healthy, nutrient rich method of controlling portion sizes and avoiding non-optimal eating habits.

- If you eat differently than others in your household, this would be a way to keep to your own routine without the family cook needing to make two separate meals.

- If you are struggling with healthy options for lunch, these are a great way to avoid the burger and fry routine (or worse, the 'what's in the vending machine' routine!).

- If you live alone and find it difficult to cook good meals for one, this is an alternative that - again - keeps you from less desirable options.

- If you're recuperating from a significant health event, such as injury, illness or giving birth, these meals would provide you with healthy, nourishing meals at a time when you would have little energy to prepare them yourself.

- If you travel a lot - IONutrition will deliver wherever you ask them to, including hotels!  As fun as it is to eat out occasionally, being stuck with it regularly can be bad for both wallet and waistline.  As long as your room has a microwave and fridge, you've got a way to eat some nutritionally sound meals in your room rather than seeking out the nearest restaurant (or vending machine).

One of the things I like best about IONutrition is how flexible it is to use.  There are several dishes available for 'A La Carte' purchasing, and a variety of Meal Plan options, ranging from the 5 Entree Lunch Box (5 entrees) to 7-Day Week Plan (7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners).  And my favorite - the Paleo Meal Plan, offering 5 or 7 portions of breakfast, lunch or dinner, all Paleo-compliant.

In all cases, shipping is included in the pricing, and the price per meal varies according to which plan you choose. (It is significantly less expensive per meal when you select more than one meal per day.)  Which specific meals turn up  in your weekly box will be a surprise, but they have a large and growing menu that focuses on seasonal flavor palates and in all cases they will be made according to IONutrition's healthy standards.  If you have any specific food issues, you just let them know when you order, and they'll make sure that food doesn't wind up in your box.

If you'd like to give IONutrition a try, you can get your first order for 15% off by using the promo code RCH - this doesn't include the a la Carte menu.

http://www.ionutrition.com/
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https://www.pinterest.com/ionutrition/