Rachel Archives - MomStart

Jergens Natural Glow Review

June 21, 2013 by Momstart Leave a Comment

By Rachel:

So, when I think of sunless tanning lotion, I think of that one girl in my 9^th grade English class who used it. She used it a lot. It was also 1990 and she was ORANGE. Head to toe (at least the visible parts of her), orange. And so, I was a die-hard believer in getting my color the old fashioned way. Every chance I got, I could be found on a towel in my backyard, with a bikini and a battery powered boom box, timing how long I stayed on each side before I flipped over. Not the best use of time, and probably not the best for my skin, either.

Still, I remained skeptical of sunless tanners. In theory, it’s a great idea. But that orange girl from 9^th grade still haunts me.

So when I was asked if I wanted to review some Jergens Natural Glow daily moisturizer, I decided to go for it. What the heck. It was for posterity.

I used the lotion every day for about a week and a half. As far as the functional ‘lotion’ aspects go, I was fairly impressed. It’s a foaming moisturizer and looks very much like the mousse I put in my hair.

I think that helps you to be able to spread it evenly on your skin. It dried quickly, so I didn’t feel sticky or slimy, and I was able to get dressed without worrying about the color rubbing off on my clothes. It also didn’t have a weird smell, which I guess has been a common complaint of self tanners in the past.

Now, as for how it ‘tanned’ me. I could definitely see a difference as the week progressed. It wasn’t drastic, which is good, because that would just be weird.

Although the lighting in my bathroom isn’t the best for trying to take pictures that show color changes, I did my best.

And, the best part is I wasn’t orange!

About Rachel

Rachel is also a MOMS club member. She is thankful for the blessing of staying home to raise her three crazy, wonderful kids. In addition to scrapbooking, she likes knitting, gardening, reading, blogging and otherwise avoiding the housework she should be doing. You can read about her adventures and disasters at rachel’s ramblings.

No Time? No Problem! Sweat Unlimited DVD Review: Exercise DVD

May 10, 2013 by Momstart Leave a Comment

By Rachel

I’m kind of spoiled now. My kids are older (13, 7, & 5), they all go to school (junior high, elementary, and preschool), and there 2 and a half blissful hours 3 whole days a week, that I can spend completely ALONE. This means I can grocery shop ALONE, read a book ALONE , try on bras or swimsuits ALONE, you get the idea. I can also exercise alone. This is huge! But, I will tell you that it has been a long time coming. I remember getting up before the crack of dawn to do a workout in my living room before the kids woke up. Trying to be quiet, because as soon as they were awake, it was all over. Or trying to sneak it in when the kids were napping, when I really wanted to use that nap time to clean up the mess they’d made so far that day, have a cup of tea and read a book, or even take a nap myself. I remember looking at hour+ long routines and thinking, NO WAY. I do not have that much time! Honestly, when my kids were little, for the most part, I didn’t get any exercise at all. It’s really hard for moms of little kids to get a good, consistent workout in. Sure, a lot of gyms have childcare, but you have to be able to afford the gym membership, plus the cost of childcare. And then there’s the whole aspect of loading up your kids and getting them there. And if they don’t want to go, it can be challenging to just get out the door. Or maybe you’re like me, and you depend on that kid-free time when they’re at school, to get your workout in. But come summer, you’re out of luck again. It’s easy to get out of the habit, when you don’t have your normal routine going on.

But exercise is important! SO important! Especially for moms. We need to take care of ourselves so that we can take care of everyone else! We all know that exercise is good for us in the long run, as far as improved health, lower risk of several diseases, weight loss, strength, etc. But exercise is important for right now, too! I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a total endorphin junkie. I love the feeling I have when I’ve finished a good workout. My body feels good, my mind is clear, and I feel good about myself. I’m someone who spends a LOT of time in my head. In other words, I think too much. I over think and overanalyze everything. I get paranoid. Sometimes it can even be paralyzing, especially if what I’m obsessing over is a decision to be made. The only time my brain can shut down is when my body is too busy moving to let it think! Also, even though working out makes you tired, regular exercise actually boosts your energy level. Energy. You know, that stuff that your kids seem to have so much of, that you are convinced they are siphoning it directly out of you. I don’t know any moms who would complain that they just have too much energy. We could all use a boost.

I was sent a copy of a workout DVD called Sweat Unlimited to try out. There are 5 different workouts on it that focus on cardio, strength training, and flexibility. They are ALL under an hour. The longest, “Sweat Box” is 45 minutes, and the shortest, “Sweat Extreme” or “Sweat Stretch” are only 5 minutes long. There is also a 15 minute workout, “Sweat Strength”, and a 30 minute workout, “Sweat Cardio”. All of the workouts were created by Sara Haley with busy moms in mind. None of the workouts require any special equipment, so you don’t have to go out and buy anything, and you can do them at home, or if you’re traveling. You can combine any of the workouts, depending on how much time you have, or what you feel like working on. Or, if you’ve only got 5 minutes, there’s a workout to fit in that time slot, too! Inside the DVD case is a schedule showing you 3 different options for a week’s worth of workouts.

After trying the DVD, I will say that they all provide a good workout. I definitely had to work hard and got sweaty. My favorite was the “Sweat Strength”. I appreciated the muscle work for all parts of my body. I was surprised at how much toning work you can actually do without any weights or bands or machines. I was totally sore the next day, and I work out a lot! Anytime a workout makes me sore, I consider it a success. The “Sweat Stretch” was also awesome, but I like to stretch, so I wanted it to be longer. The only workout I didn’t care much for was the “Sweat Cardio”, but it’s not because it wasn’t a good workout. A lot of the moves are inspired by the dance club, and it just wasn’t really my style. It’s nice to know there’s the super quick “Sweat Extreme” workout, too, for when you’ve only got a few minutes and want something very efficient.

About Sara Haley:
Sara Haley, creator of The Daily Sweat(r) workouts, is an international fitness expert dedicated to developing quick, effective and fun workouts for anyone who is short on time and needs real results! From the busy working professional to the multi-tasking stay-home mom to the social college student, Sara’s Sweat UNLIMITED workouts get the job done, no matter how much time you have in the day.

Certified trainer and instructor through the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), as well as a member of the American Pregnancy Association (APA) Sara is armed with over twenty years of fitness and dance experience and education. Sara specializes in interval training, dance methodology, prenatal, functional fitness, and barefoot training. She has been a Reebok Global Master Trainer since 2008, and is quickly becoming the "go-to trainer" for pre & postnatal fitness, as her Daily Sweat(r) pregnancy program: EXPECTING MORE(r) is a top seller on Amazon.

Sara’s newest venture was becoming a mom to son Landon in March 2011, which ultimately led her to the creation of Expecting More(r). The Daily Sweat(r)’s latest DVD release is Sweat UNLIMITED, which is based on the training Sara did to lose her thirty pounds of baby weight, so she promises the workouts produce results!

Additionally, some of Sara’s career highlights include teaching for the prestigious Equinox health clubs, consulting for numerous international publications, training celebrities (such as Jennifer Meyer Maguire, Bette Midler, and Brooklyn Decker), and choreographing and starring in over ten fitness DVDs. Sara has been featured in Fitness, Oxygen, American Baby, FitBie.com, SheKnows.com, Natural Health, Self, MensFitness.com and many others. www.SaraHaley.com

About Rachel

Unique Ways to Use Scotch Magic Eco-Friendly Tape

April 22, 2011 by Momstart 2 Comments

A Unique Scotch Magic Eco-Friendly Tape from 3M Review By Rachel.

Tape is a very handy tool. I think that goes without saying. It’s kind of an emergency around here when we run out of tape. Especially Scotch tape! Ever wrapped a present using blue painter’s tape? Well, I have. More than once. It’s kind of embarrassing. I also have a very creative, crafty daughter who comes up with more ways to use up our stash of Scotch tape than I ever thought imaginable. I generally buy it in bulk at Costco.

Out here in the great Pacific Northwest, we like to ‘be green’. You know, recycle and compost and grow organic wheat grass and stuff like that. We have a bit of a reputation for being ‘tree huggers’ and hippies and wearing wool socks with our Birkenstocks… I admit it, the shoe fits! I have been known to hug trees while wearing Birkenstocks (wearing a flannel shirt and a down vest, in the rain, no less!), and when possible, I try to make environmentally conscious decisions about the products we use. But honestly, it never occurred to me to be concerned about the type of tape I used. Other than using a refillable dispenser, I didn’t know there was an option, other than your run-of-the-mill, Scotch tape.

Not so! Scotch has come out with new Magic Eco-Friendly Tape! Just like normal Scotch tape, but eco-friendly! So I tried it out. We used it just like we would use regular tape… Meaning, I left it on the desk, and my kids found all sorts of uses for it: Taping papers together to make books; Making huge signs and taping them in the front windows of my house (We’re classy like that.); Repairing torn pages in library books; Taping toy trucks to our feet to make roller skates…

No, seriously. My daughter did this, just today! And it’s not the first time she’s done it either.I figured that was pretty good timing, since I was reviewing the product! This tape worked just as well for all of the above uses as regular Scotch tape. And it takes some pretty good tape to hold these suckers on your feet while skating around the living room!(You’ll have to excuse the dirt on my carpet and the dog hair on my daughter’s socks… Maybe somebody will send me a really good vacuum cleaner to review???) as you can see, this looks just like the regular Scotch tape that we all know and love. The dispenser is the same, the logo is the same. The tape looks, feels, and sticks the same! The only thing I can say about it that is NOT the same is the small. You know that Scotch tape smell? I love that smell. I know that’s probably kind of weird, but I like it. This tape really doesn’t smell like much of anything, and honestly, that’s probably a good thing.

Scotch Magic Eco-Friendly Tape, as described by the company:

Refillable dispenser (including packaging and tape) is made from more than 75 percent renewable or recycled materials
Tape is made with plant-based adhesive and works just like the original Scotch Magic Tape
Refill rolls of Scotch Magic Eco-Friendly Tape are also available
MSRP: $2-4 for a refillable dispenser and roll of tape; $5-7 for a two-pack of refill rolls
Same great adhesive strength and performance of original matte-finish, invisible Scotch Magic Tape
Photo-safe
Can be written on with pen, pencil or marker

Disclosure – A product was provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the writing of this review; however, opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation

About Rachel

Scrapbooking With Rachel: Do Something With Your Photos!

March 11, 2011 by Momstart 3 Comments

Hi, I’m Rachel. Louise asked me to write a post about scrapbooking… like a week ago. Ironically enough, I’m down to the wire here, because I’ve been too busy… you guessed it, scrapbooking! Right now I’m working on my family album for 2009. I recently finished 2010, and I’m simultaneously working on my ongoing project for 2011 – Project Life. But more on that later.

I am NOT a scrapbooking expert. Far from it. There is a lot I don’t know about, know how to do, or even care to know about. But I love it. Partly I love it, because I like to stick stuff on paper. Yup, it’s as basic as that. I also love it because I like to take pictures of my kids, and my pets, and the flowers growing in my yard, and the bees on the flowers in my yard, and weird signs I see walking down the road. (I’m the one walking down the road… not the signs… that sounded weird.) At any rate, you get the idea. I like to take pictures. Is there a mom out there who doesn’t?

I discovered scrapbooking when my first child was born, 11 years ago. A friend gave me an old-school Creative Memories album (8×10, if you can believe that!), and a ‘baby boy’ kit of papers and die-cuts and the like. I totally didn’t get it. I had no idea what that stuff was for. And what the heck are ‘photo splits’? It all made no sense to me, until I saw some albums my cousin had made. Ahhh… light was dawning. Then I was bit. I had the bug. I had one kid and a camera. Holy cow, did I ever do a lot of scrapbooking! I did so much scrapbooking that I decided to become a Creative Memories consultant! When I would try to convince other mothers that they needed to take up scrapbooking, they would tell me crazy stuff like, “I don’t have time” or “I’m not that organized” or something equally bogus in my mind. My eldest has 3 albums of just HIM and his first 4 years!

And then I had more kids.

It was around the time my daughter (2^nd child) was a year old that I realized that all those other moms were right! I didn’t have the time. I wasn’t that organized! I didn’t have the space, or the presence of mind, or the ability to keep my sticker/paper/scissor loving toddler out of my stuff!

And so it sat. And my guilt began to grow, along with my files and files of pictures… This child has 1 partially done album that only takes her to about 1 month old! My youngest has ZERO albums. Count ‘em! ZERO. But still it sat.

Until this year. Finally. I feel like I have the ability and the desire to start to attack my boxes and files. What finally broke me through was my SIL introducing me to Project Life. This is the most brilliant system for busy moms with not a lot of time, space, money, sanity, etc. There are so many ways to use Project Life, but I am doing mine chronologically throughout the year, a photo a day (give or take). I try to update it weekly, so I can do it quickly, memories are fresh, and I don’t get bogged down in trying to sort out several months’ worth of pictures and stories. I look through my pictures weekly and send the ones I want printed out to Costco. I go there pretty much every week anyway, so I may as well pick them up there. If you are unfamiliar with Project Life, browse around a little. Watch the video clips. Read some blogs on the subject. I love it.

Since I’ve been working on 2011, I decided to start working backward through my family’s pictures. I pulled out some unused Creative Memories albums I had, some adhesives, some scrapbooking paper, and my pens. I ordered ALL of the pictures from 2010 that I wanted to include, and got to work.

I used to be a much more creative/artsy-fartsy scrapbooker. I would use stickers and make fancy borders and do whole spreads for certain events. NO LONGER. My experience using Project Life has changed my approach. It is purely chronological, industrial, and economical. The goal is to get the pictures in the book; make it look decent; document what is going on in the picture. END OF STORY. Seriously, nothing fancy. I finished 2010 in about a week. I’m now close to being done with 2009.

So I guess my point is this: You can be a fancy, creative scrapbooker if you want. If that’s your thing, your albums will be a lot prettier than mine. Awesome. Go for it. Love what you’re doing. But, if you’re not inclined that way, don’t let it stop you from doing something with your pictures. Seriously do something with them. I wish I’d had my camera with me this morning when I was at my mom’s house. I could have taken a picture of WHY you should do something with your pictures. She has 3 or so crates stacked up with bags and envelopes of pictures in them. Some are old, some are newer. A few have dates on them. A few have labels on them. Some are in old, yellowed, sticky photo albums that have faded and yellowed the pictures in them. It’s overwhelming and sad.

You take these pictures of your family. Wouldn’t it be great if your kids and grandkids and great-grandkids could see these pictures and read about the people in them and the stories behind them? I think so. Maybe that sounds self-absorbed or something. But think of it like this: How cool would it be to have a wealth of that sort of information about the life of YOUR great-grandmother? It makes you think about it a little differently.

So, my mission is simple: Do something with your pictures. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It doesn’t have to be expensive. It doesn’t have to be creative or elaborate. BUT, protect your pictures. Label them. Display them. And tell the stories behind them. Future generations will thank you.

About Rachel