Review: Kwena’s crocodile oil is great cure all for a pregnant belly,babies and entire family

Posted on March 9, 2015

I believe in the power of a massage. For babies, a gentle massage after a shower is great for several reasons: 1. It feels good and can calm a baby; 2. It reinforces a bond through the touching aspect of a massage connects the parent with the baby and works on strengthening connections; and 3. It lifts and enhances mood through the aromatherapy aspect of the massage if it is done with a fragrant emolient infused with calming scents like lavender, jasmine, mint, lemon or chamomile.

There are various products out there but I recommend going with an all natural balm with minimum chemicals.

I was sent all the way from the Nile in South Africa a few vials of some wonderful crocodile oil in a salve made by Kwena.

Used by the ancient Egyptians, crocodile oil is extracted from the fatty tissues of crocodiles and has been used as a preventative and treatment for a number of human ailments.

The mixture of the oil with grapeseed oil, beeswax and tea tree oil is the perfect blend and texture for moisturizing hands and other body parts. It was mildly fragrant but not too overwhelming and the absence of excess chemicals means it likely wouldn’t irritate baby’s skin.

The moisturizer was not sticky but silky to the touch and could easily be incorporated into a daily moisturizing routine by a pregnant woman who is fighting stretch marks or trying to prevent new ones form forming in her second pregnancy.

It is said this ancient oil can heal several other skin conditions including burns, cuts, sores, sunburn, lacerations and lesions, ulcers, blisters, irritated skin, diaper rash, insect bites, razor burns, sports injuries, sore muscles, arthritis, sprains, stiffness, joint pain, gout and can help with rapid healing of viral and fungal infections like ring worm and athletes foot, warts, dandruff, rosacea, psoriasis and eczema!

Phew!

The name Kwena is Sotho-Tswana for crocodile in Southern Africa. No testing is done on animals and the oil comes from crocodiles farmed for other purposes.

Kerns sells their salve for $32 a 30 ml vial and all orders over $55 are free an shipped internationally.

And it only takes a little bit to do the trick which is good given it’s a bit costly. You can certainly nurse it. I did with my one 15 ml sample jar which is lasting me several weeks and I still have plenty left over. Good stuff. Highly recommend!

If you can afford to get your hands on this exotic and rare find, you should.

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Review: The ‘Kid Lid’ protects your laptop from baby and toddler users

Posted on February 21, 2015

In this digital era we live in, chances are most babies will find themselves in front of a laptop viewing an educational DVD or cartoon while resting on her tummy on a play mat before the age of one. By the time an infant gets to toddlerhood, he would have become a pro at online games. It’s just the world we are living in now.

But babies and kids’ love for laptop videos can be costly if they bang on the keys or spill food or drink inside of it.

Enter the Kid Lid. This innovative product, which retails for $29.99, is essentially a cover for the keyboard portion of the laptop.

The latest iteration of the invention which launched and got funded on Kickstarter last year folds up easily for storage and portable carriage. It also comes in Black. That was the color of our complimentary review copy ($39.99).

Created by a company called Mogolo, The KidLid can be wiped cleaned or placed in the dishwasher even, and is made up of BPA-Free Poly Carbonate plastic. It covers laptops that are 13 or 15 inches in sizes and comes in white, but the black and watermelon colors are also available in the fold up variety. An elastic velcro strap helps keep the lid in place.

I love it and found it to be perfect and functional! Check out a video on the product:

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GRACO Modes Stroller Travel System Review & GIVEAWAY)

Posted on December 17, 2014

Baby and children’s product manufacturer Graco

sent Bellyitch to review one of its newest stroller systems, the Modes Click Connect 3 in 1 Stroller Travel System (valued $482) which can

accommodate a newborn to a toddler. It’s versatile, grows with baby and literally can be the only stroller you’d

ever need.

First

off, we start off with a pretty good base product. Over 12 years ago, I got my first Graco infant car seat and it was

wonderfully constructed, safe and durable and lasted me through several years. It truly is the industry standard

for those seats. It appears Graco has improved upon older models and taken the best part of stroller systems to come up with this latest product. Here is my review:

· It took me about 5 minutes to take out all the parts in the box

the stroller shipped in and within 15 minutes I had assembled all the parts

myself with no tools whatsoever. It was super easy! Most of the parts snapped in easily and the instructions

were quite intuitive.· From the hospital, a baby will spend most of its time inside the

infant seat. No need to disturb baby when you are going from car to the mall.

Simply snap the stroller into the buggy part of the stroller and go. If it will

be used as a buggy for a brisk walk out in the neighborhood, simply lay baby inside

the carriage part and you’re off. As baby grows out of the infant seat, the

back part easily adjusts and can be used as a toddler and pre-schooler

stroller. The back reclines for those moments when a small kid falls asleep. No

more toppling over or neck strains as with traditional umbrella strollers.·

The stroller easily collapsed with a pull of a lever in the back

and quickly snaps into place with one hand. It can be removed and added into

the trunk with one arm. This is important for when out alone with baby and not spare hands to help you out. The front wheels easily swivel for taking tight corners which is good for maneuvering around crowded and cramped areas.

· The canopy was made of pretty durable material, not flimsy at all so it looks like it could withstand the test of time. I liked the fact

that my sample was a dark navy because it made it unisex and can be used or

gifted to a mom expecting a baby or either gender.

·

The height is perfect for me who is just 5 foot 3 and my husband

who is 6 foot 3 to push and not have his shins hit up on the base.

·

The boot is very spacious and ample. I was able to stuff into it an

entire diaper bag, a spare blanket, a jacket and had room to spare.

·

The wheels were sufficient though they could’ve been a bit more

rugged so to withstand the test of time or being pushed through dirt, gravel, sidewalks

with cracks in them and other gritty terrain, occasionally.

It’s

a perfect gift for a soon to be or brand new mom because it would be all they’d

need for baby for a very long time.

And this year, we’re giving away our review edition to a deserving mom-to-be or new mom.

Check the blog tomorrow morning for details on the giveaway!

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REVIEW: Get Dreft’s new stain remover for hard-to-remove food & poopy diaper stains

Posted on December 12, 2014

Since the launch of this blog, I’ve always advocated that one of the first things first time moms-to-be do after having their baby shower and being gifted loads of infant clothes is to sterilize the clothes by washing them in detergent like Dreft.

The gentle cleanser has been around for ages even before newer brands entered the market, of late. It is void of all the harsh chemicals that can cause irritations on a a newborn’s skin.

That being said, I was thus elated to learn that Dreft has come out with a few new products that make it easy for new parents to clean hard-to-get out stains from baby’s clothes. We tested out a review sample (valued about $25).

Its new Dreft Laundry Stain Remover detergent works well as a soak for those times when baby’s bottom explodes from trying out carrots for the first time or has a bad reaction to a new formula. You just need a small cap-ful of it to do the job. When washed, the yellow stained onesie we soaked for about an hour before washing came out quite free of any semblance of a stain.

Sweet!

For other stain lifting job, we tested the Dreft Laundry Stain spray travel sized sample and just spritzed on a few splashes on a red dress with some peas stains on it. This option is better because soaking a red shirt for too long could dull the color of the top. After a couple of rigorous rubs before tossing the entire dress in the wash worked to eliminate the baby food stain. The sample size of the spray is also portable and could be whipped out to pre-treat leaky poopy diaper stains without having to soil your hands with the excrement while out and about.

Finally, for treating stains on the go or while visiting grandma or relatives away from the home, the convenient pen is the best. During a shopping mall outing when our 6 month old baby tester threw up a little after a bottle feeding, leaving a yellowish stain on his bib.

To clean it, we immediately wiped the milk with a washcloth then used the Dreft Portable Pretreater Pen pen to rub across it for a few strokes and schucked in in the diaper bag.

About a few hours later, after we got home from holiday shopping, we hand washed the bib and could see the stain was gone for the most part.

Good job!

What a God send I wish I had when my little ones were that age. Think about picking it up for your baby’s hard to remove stains!

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REVIEW: Get thru holidays with Dr. Ross’ Defy Vitamins

Posted on November 21, 2014

Women often lose themselves caring for their family and others that they often forget to nurture & care for themselves.

This cold and flu season, women, including pregnant, nursing and new mothers, need to make sure they stay healthy all around.

One way to do that is to take a daily multi-vitamin & if possible essential oils and oral supplements.I tried out Dr Ross‘s new DEFy multivitamin complex tablets and the Omega 3 Fish oil ($58 bottle) for a few weeks and could immediately notice the difference in my energy level.

Amazing to rediscover the importance of a daily multivitamins because, again, I make my kids’ take their daily chewable, yet I don’t normally take one myself.

Now I do.

The 30-day supply package comes with a chewable tablet & oil soft gel pill. The chewable is a bit chalky & I take it with water to erase the taste which is otherwise still decent.

I love that they come in convenient pre-packaging so you can just chuck it in your bag or pocket before you head out.

The supplement is suitable for pregnant and Breastfeeding moms and with each purchase of a bottle, Defy, sends one to a bottle to a woman in need

Very nice! Social Good is Good.

Defy Vitamins rocks! Get it at the company’s website or from our Amazon affiliate HERE!

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REVIEW: Style RX pill boxes, WIN ONE NOW (GIVEAWAY)

Posted on November 11, 2014

In recent years, I got into herbalism and began studying up the value of natural herbs as nutritional supplements to my diet. It meant that breakfast also came standard with having to take several tablets and pills. Same with lunch and dinner, sometimes.

Some pills needed to be taken at different times of the day.

So while I am not an elderly person who would necessarily need a pill reminder box for various medications to ailing conditions, I could very easily see the need for one as a multi-vitamin pill popper! Keeping track of what you’ve taken can be challenging.

That’s why I was pretty geeked to get the offer to sample out Style RX very pretty and feminine tapestry covered pill boxes.They were created by mom of a 4 year-old girl Dawn Gibel who realized when she was pregnant that she struggled to remember to take her daily prenatal vitamins.

She needed a way to keep them with them separated in each cube during her long morning and afternoon commute. Throwing them in a plastic baggie or tucking them away in a pocket could get them lost, contaminated or forgotten.

They very feminine printed boxes are small enough to slip into a purse, laptop sleeve or diaper bag, keep in the car’s center console or on the kitchen counter. The magnetic closure keeps medication secure inside. And if you purchase an additional case for $5, you can interchange it for extended use or while away on longer trips.

Each box costs $34 each and come in two uniquely designed patterns printed on cotton canvas.

I love my set and recommend them to breastfeeding and expecting mom or for veteran moms like me who just need to keep track of all her various herbal vitamins. You can also get them for your elderly mom, grandmom or other relative who take multiple vitamins and would love to be able to track them in a pretty box!

Get them at InspiredbyDawn.com and select specialty gift shops OR you can win a box too by entering below.

Now thru November 25th! Open to US residents only! Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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REVIEW: Use Moji360 to ease pregnancy discomfort

Posted on September 3, 2014

Pregnancy brings all sorts of pain in your muscles and joints as your body changes to accommodate a growing fetus. One of the most common discomforts come from sciatic nerve. It can be painful. Also, as your weight shifts, and baby gets bigger, there is a lot of pressure on your back.

Getting a partner or friend to massage your aching body is a way to go, but for those moments when you are without a massage partner, having a tool on hand to help alleviate discomfort is essential.

I was quite geeked to get an opportunity to try out the dynamic Moji 360 handheld massager which is used by actual physical and massage therapists.

As a runner and a gym rat, I find that extended long runs or workouts leave my muscles totally sore. Using Moji 360, and following the instructional videos at http://GoMoji.com/videos, I learned how to manipulate the device to ease up pain on my own.

The Moji360 is unique, compared to other massage sticks out there because it has many omini-directional stainless steel spheres embedded within it.

I can apply different amount of pressure, or use the larger spheres on big areas and smaller ones to get deep tissue pressure on small knots in my neck.

During a long family road trip recently, I was able to use it on my hubby who got a stiff neck sitting for a long time during long stretches of driving.

Post massage, you feel the difference, for sure, like you really did loosen up some knots, broke up some scar tissue and increased circulation in tight areas.

Sometimes, when I will be sitting at my office desk all day, I would slip the Moji 360 massager along the back of my chair with the balls facing towards my back and will rub my back against it whenever I needed a little mini massage to keep me going.

All of these uses can work for moms-to-be as well. You can use it before, during or after a work out or whenever you just want a little massage. It comes with a full year warranty, as well.

The device retails for $49.00 and you can get it from the company’s website, find a local retailer or pick up one at a slightly discounted price via our Amazon affiliate . The company sells a mini massager, a foot massager and a lower back massage device as well.

Get it! Go Moji!

See it in action here:

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