Review: Burt's Bees Sensitive Skincare

As a member of BzzAgent, I get sent products to test and review from time to time.  This time 'round I agreed to try out Burt's Bees new Sensitive Skin body care products.  I'm leery of ALL cosmetics these days, given the rise of information about toxic chemical ingredients in everyday grooming products.  Burt's Bees has a pretty good reputation for delivering natural lotions and balms, but I thought I had read at one point that Clorox bought them out.  Clorox?  Makers of bleach?  I know, doesn't sound promising. Of course, it doesn't say so on any of the packaging, so I did a little hunt.  Yup, Clorox bought it for nearly 1 billion buckaroos a few years ago. Consumers don't seem to associate Clorox with Burt's Bees because they don't know or maybe they refuse to believe that BB sold out, but it seems the Burt's Bees line is one of Clorox's fastest growing product lines as of 2011, according to Reuters.

So, as an eco concerned citizen, what did I do?  I contacted the Environmental Working Group (independent researchers) to see how they rate the new products.  They have tested many things from Burt's Bees in the past (most rating rather well), but haven't tested this new line yet. So they suggested I look up individual ingredients.

Here is their rating system:

This is what I found:

Daily Moisturizing Cream

(most ingredients rated at 0 or 1, which is excellent, below are the ones that rated a bit higher, but consider that they were nearly last on the ingredients list.)

BENZOIC ACID: Benzoic acid is a naturally occurring and synthetically produced substance; it is used in food and cosmetics as a preservative. The EWG rates it as a 3. 

POTASSIUM SORBATE: Potassium sorbate is a potassium salt of sorbic acid, a naturally occuringantimicrobial compound; used as a preservative.  The EWG rates it as a 3. 

PHENOXYETHANOL: Phenoxyethanol is a preservative used in cosmetics and personal care products. The EWG rates this as a 3-4, depending on usage.

My two bits: the rating seem okay for usage (though I prefer a full on ZERO in all ingredients, which is hard to achieve).  As for how it feels on my face?  Silky. Smooth. Absorbs quickly.  Probably better for spring/summer, though.  For the dry winter months I need a thicker salve to protect my sensitive, very dry skin.   Might be okay year round if you don't deal with mega dry skin issues. 

Sensitive Facial Cleanser

Same ingredients as above - so it rates fairly well, also.

My two bits: the usage instructions on the back of the bottle are weird. It doesn't say to rinse it off, but only to "pat dry".  This is confusing to me. If it cleanses your skin, don't you want to wash away whatever grime it lifts? Or is it like Va-Poo-Rise (you know, from that Ben Stiller/Jack Black flick, Envy)? The grime (I'm assuming there's hardly ever a time when one would have poo on their face, toddlers aside) just vaporizes I guess?  Anyway, I couldn't wrap my head around this "pat dry" business, so I rinsed it.  My face still felt silky smooth afterwards.  Sorry to Burt's Bees for bringing poo into this discussion, but, hey, that's a natural product, too.  

All in all, I like these products. 

Best,

~julie

Crafty Little Hearts

With Love Day fast approaching, heart filled craftiness is kicking in to high gear around here. We've started with pop-up cards that we found here: http://craftsideasforkids.com/3d-popup-cards-with-hearts.html
Of course, why have just a boring ol' pop-up card when it can be a video game level?  At least, that's what my kids were thinking.

Here's another great website with fun ideas. I think I'd like to try the Gnome Sweet Gnome Valentine. :)

Happy Crafting!
~julie

Got Media? Audio Books, Anyone?

Christmas has come and gone, Hanukkah maybe?  Did you get any delectable techy devices?  Need apps?

If you are like me, you like to keep busy. Keeping busy doesn't always allow for time to kick back with a good book.   I've stumbled across a great app that will connect me to my local library (or anywhere I hold a library card - I've lived all over the country, so I have a few) where I can browse their selection of audio and ebooks, check them out and download them directly to my device(s).  This app actually claims to "return" my download, so I never have to worry about late fees.  Return a download? You ask.  I would imagine libraries only have license to loan out so many audio books at any given time, hence having to check them back in when done.  

It's called OverDrive Media Console, and it's FREE. You can find it in the app store, or Android marketplace, and you can install it all of your devices (including desktop) and transfer your downloads to wherever you need them.  

This is great for those of us who work from home, run long stints at the gym, commute or road tip with or without kids, or want our kids to have an easy alternative to TV or video games as a form of entertainment (not replacing actual READING, of course), etc, etc ... so excellent!  

FIND IT ONLINE HERE:

http://www.overdrive.com/Software/OMC/

~julie

Pull It All In

So many things happening around here these days!  In the the midst of trying to sell our home and relocate to another province, we've been homeschooling our hearts out.  We've been up to a lot of fun projects, some of which I will post later.

But this is kind of exciting.
Have you heard of flavors.me?  I just discovered it.  It's a great, easy to use, home page creator.  It's free if you want to use it as a place to post your collective links from around the web - like a hub or nest for your scattered web presence.  This works well for me, as I tend to have my hand in more than one thing at a time, and this is an easy way to pull it all back into one identity - ME!   I've started a quick free page here:  http://flavors.me/jprescesky .   I'll likely add to it as I do a little online housekeeping.

Or, for only $20/yr, you can create a more diverse site like using the same easy tools like this one:  http://flavors.me/matthewpearson .  Not a bad deal at all.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Ways Canadians can Donate to Relief Efforts in Japan

Below is a list of Canadian organizations currently assisting Japan:


The Canadian Red Cross

Oxfam Canada

MÉDECINS SANS FRONTIÈRES (Doctors Without Borders)

ADRA Canada

CRWRC

UNICEF

Plan Canada

World Vision

According to CTV News, customers of most large wireless phone companies can text ASIA to 30333 to donate $5, with donations going to the CRC's Japan Earthquake/Asia-Pacific Tsunami fund.

and

Donors can also make a $10 donation by texting "QUAKE" to 45678 from most mobile carriers in Canada.

It's 2011 ... Time to Check in on the LIST!

My most recent progress is highlighted in yellow.
Are you keeping a list? I love and hate lists.


Julie's 101 in 1001 List!

1. Finish My BFA
2. Be in a theater production

3. Read for pleasure (I'm always reading manuals and articles, etc...)

4. Learn an instrument (piano - guitar?)
5. Put some of my Lyrics to music.
6. take voice lessons
7. get more involved in local/international justice issues.
8. Have illustrations published in partnership with a publishing house.
9. Read marketing books -ongoing
10. paint exterior doors on house
11.Learn Flash to a greater extent (animation, even) -ongoing
12. play more video games
13. spend more time in my garden
14. buy a poofy vintage dress and do my photo documentary idea.
15. go camping and canoeing
16. run 10 km all at once (hey, I run, but I like to be gentle on my body).
17. Go to Europe
18. Go to Thailand
19. Write, Illustrate, publish my book idea.
20. Learn to speak French fluently and w/o fear.
21. Act on T.V. in a commercial or show.
22. Make paper.
23. Take a cooking class with my kids
24. SILKSCREEN!
25. own an electric or hybrid vehicle
26. Renovate main floor of house.
27. Pay off debt
28. Visit San Francisco
29. Be a soccer mom

30. Try out an art form or craft that mystifies me.

31. Visit Newfoundland
32. Form a band (we already have a name!)
33. Date my husband
34. See Jimmy Fallon - Late Night. Live.
35. Try a cuisine I've never had before
36. read up about scriptwriting/ creating a screenplay/storyboarding
37. Visit NYC with my fam

38. Create period style costuming - not sure what period yet...

39. Own Adobe CS5 (at least Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign)
40. Show a body work in an Art Gallery
41. Visit Scandinavia
42. Ancestry.com - create my family tree
43. make video documentaries.
44. create an online magazine
45. use my "outspokenness" for the powers of good (like, no foot in mouth)
46. contribute a new word, or re-define a word, in the English lexicon

47. Train my bladder to better handle long road trips

48. Ice Skate on the Rideau Canal
49. Go see a musical production
50. Audition for a musical (post voice lessons, lol)
51. Take dance lessons - in motion ... just bought lessons through Groupon
52. Include my kids on as many items on this list as possible
53. Go to a roller derby
54. Design and illustrate wine bottle labels
55. See a stand up comedy show live
56. Go on a family fishing trip
57. Take the kids skiing for the first time
58. Tour North America's East coast

59. Help another artist gain confidence and direction (assuming that I have anything to offer there).

60. Employ alternative power sources for our home

61. Brush up on wilderness survival skills and teach them to my kids
62. Create an emergency preparedness package.
63. install a proper air filtration system in our home
64. Print family pictures and scrapbook, or create and order a photobook online
65. invest in non-toxic, mineral make-up
66. make my own skin care products
67. Go on the Maid of the Mist
68. Visit at least one of Canada's Territories
69. learn about Millinery.
70. Go home (to BC) for a visit
71. Get into a yoga/relaxation/meditation routine
72. Try canning fruit or vegetables
73. Paint bedrooms

74. finish our fence

75. get a massage (or two)

76. find a Chiropractor and get cracked.
77. find a family doctor
78. Find a Naturopath
79. contribute a Kiva loan. http://www.kiva.org/
80. Check out local fabric manufacturers & inquire about excess, & otherwise discarded materials.
81. Design fabric prints
82. Create and print business cards for Design Inkarnation (finally)
83. Drink tea more regularly.

84. Connect with more people in my neighborhood.

85. Construct bookshelves on either side of our fireplace.

86. Go to the Symphony
87. Repair and paint basement rec-room.

88. invest in used merchandising equipment (clothing racks & Mannequins etc)

89. De-clutter my life (house)
90. De-clutter my life (schedule)
91. Keep in better contact with far away friends and family.
92. Landscape our front yard

93. create outline for kids' school year

94. sew a bathing suit
95. Make sure those I love really know it.
96. get a juicer and try a Raw Food Detox.
97. Sew something for my kids.
98. Build something with my kids.
99. Paint trim and floorboards in our house.
100. Finish and paint our foyer.
101. Train my dog to listen (at least some of the time) while off leash.

Product Review: Philips Satin Perfect Epilator - A Month Later

Yup, it's a winner.  A month after my first usage, it was time for another go-round. This time I was able to go much more quickly with much less pain.  Being the second round, my leg hair was much more sparsely populated, and seemed more willing to just let go than their predecessors.  I would say the entire process took half the amount of time this round, and hurt 85% less. Not too shabby. It felt more like an intense tingling than a fierce ripping. 

I recommend quick short zooms up the leg. You can go over the spot a few times (and no razor burn!) if necessary.  I experienced no red splotchiness this time, and wonder if it has something to do with me having the recommended shower directly beforehand (something I had not done last time).

Those are my two bits!  If you want to try it, let me know. I have a few coupons left for $10 off. But you have to be quick, as they expire at the end of this month (Jan 31/11)!! Oh, and this review was made possible by BzzAgent (I try out stuff and let you know what I think) and Philips.