biology | 3 Boys And A Dog

Review: Mommy’s Bliss Sweet Slumber Line

March 1, 2013 by Tamera Leave a Comment

About Mommy’s Bliss (from their website)

“The mom behind Mommy’s Bliss® is named Roshan, and she is my mom. She founded our family’s company in 1999, after raising three kids and working as a registered nurse, lactation consultant, doula and midwife. Her dedication to family health inspires our promise: to promote natural health through all of life’s stages, with products that are safe, effective and affordable…because all families deserve bliss.” – Yasmin Kaderali, President of Mommy’s Bliss®

About Mommy’s Bliss Sweet Slumber Line (from their website)

“Mommy’s Bliss® Sweet Slumber 3-in-1 Baby Wash combines body wash, shampoo and bubble bath in one convenient bottle. The 3-in-1 Baby Wash is enriched with the soothing extracts of lavender, chamomile and ylang ylang that are historically associated with relaxation and sleep. The product contains no drying agents and won’t irritate sensitive skin.

Mommy’s Bliss® Sweet Slumber Mist creates a calm and familiar bedroom environment that relaxes baby for a good night’s sleep. The Calming Bedroom Mist is enriched with the soothing extracts of lavender, chamomile and ylang ylang that are historically associated with relaxation and sleep.

Mommy’s Bliss® Sweet Slumber Massage Cream is a gentle, moisturizing cream used to relax baby for a good night’s sleep. The Massage Cream is enriched with the soothing extracts of lavender, chamomile and ylang ylang that are historically associated with relaxation and sleep. The product is naturally nourishing for baby’s delicate skin.

All products are:

made with natural, soothing botanicals and organic shea butter
free of sulfates, phthalates and parabens
gentle enough for daily use
non-greasy, absorbs quickly
no artificial fragrances, gluten or soy
hypoallergenic
100% vegetarian and vegan”

My Thoughts

All-natural, vegan, hypoallergenic – what else can I say? The smell is very pleasing, it didn’t further irritate Tank’s eczema. The ylang-ylang is such a relaxing and pleasing sent that even on my 13 year old, it helps to prepare him for bed.

Buy it!

You can buy the Sweet Slumber Line and be on your way to happy dreams for you (and your baby) at Walgreen’s, Wal-Mart, Rite-Aid, CVS, Whole Foods Market, Safeway, and Meijer.

*Disclaimer: I was provided products to review by Mommy’s Bliss and was not compensated. These opinions are my own!*

Filed Under: Babies, Early Years, Eco_Friendly, Reviews Tagged With: Affordable, biology, Bliss, Chamomile, effective, Family Health, For Sensitive Skin, hypo-allergenic, lavender, mommy, Mommy's Bliss, Natural, Natural botanicals, natural health, Naturally Nourishing, naturals, No drying agents, Non-greasy, Organic Shea Butter, Restful night's sleep with baby, Safe, Slumber, Sweet Slumber, vegan, vegetarian, Ylang ylang

5 Practical Tips for Adopting a Dog

October 11, 2012 by Kelli Miller 1 Comment

Get a full veterinary assessment in the first few days.

Shelters and rescue groups work hard to ensure that all puppies and dogs are healthy before they are adopted. However, because the dogs have been in a shelter environment, it is possible that something may have been overlooked. Take your new dog to your trusted veterinarian and get a full workup to be sure there are no undiagnosed health issues. The most common challenge with dogs coming straight out of a shelter (as opposed to a foster home) is diarrhea that requires a few days of antibiotics to clear up completely. Young puppies may also require booster shots for rabies and other standard vaccinations.

Expect a transition period of one to two weeks.

Any dog moving from a shelter or rescue environment into a home is going to need an adjustment period. Try to imagine how you might feel coming out of a bare prison cell and into a home full of adults and kids, new smells, and new things. It usually takes a dog one to two weeks to settle down, feel at home, and show his true personality. Your job during this time is to provide love, stability, and encouragement. It is unrealistic to expect training or any other serious lessons to take hold during this transition period. Your goal during this time is to create a bond with your new dog so that he knows he can trust you.

Be prepared with a crate, a leash, chew toys, and training treats.

All new dogs, especially puppies, need to be shown what is—and is not—okay for them to do in a new home. They don’t need discipline. They need education. Crate training is ideal because the crate gives the dog his own space where he feels safe, and where you know that he isn’t going to hurt himself or wreck your house. It’s a win-win. Also have plenty of chew toys and teething bones, especially for puppies, so you can teach your dog to chew on those instead of on rugs or furniture. Training treats that are small and low-calorie should always be at the ready, too. Keep them in your pocket so that when your new dog does something good, you can reward him. Also keep your new dog on a leash at all times when outside your home. Until he knows his name and the command “come,” a leash is the only way that you will be able to get him back.

Create a daily routine to help with quick housebreaking and early training.

Dogs, including puppies, are creatures of routine. Start on Day One by teaching your dog that the first thing to do after waking is to go outside and make potty. Out of the crate, and out the back door, right in succession. Take him outside five or six times a day if you can during the first week, always rewarding him with a treat when he makes potty outdoors. Make going potty the last task before bedtime, too. If you stick with this routine, your dog will be housebroken faster. He will learn that if he wants treats all day long, then he has to keep going outside to go potty. He will also learn where the door is to the outside, so he can start to walk there on his own and alert you when he needs to go out.

Enroll in puppy kindergarten or beginner obedience classes.

Obedience school is a must for anyone who wants their dog to grow up well-behaved. It doesn’t matter if you’ve had ten dogs before this one. All dogs need training outside the home, in environments where there are distractions including other dogs. Your dog may be able to “stay” in your kitchen, but that’s not going to do you much good at a park full of people he wants to meet. Investing a little bit of time early-on at obedience school is the best thing you can do to ensure that your dog will be a great family member for many years to come. Take several courses if you can. Don’t stop at just one. The more time you spend on obedience during your dog’s first year with you, the easier your life is going to be in the long run.

Guest article provided by Kim Kavin who is the author of Little Boy Blue.

Filed Under: Guest Blogger, Pets Tagged With: a dog, adopt, adopt a dog, any dog, biology, bo, chew toy, crate training, dog, dog coming, dog crate, dog move, dog training, dogs, human interest, leash, new dog, obedience training, pet adoption, Pets, practical tips, puppies and dogs, zoology

GIVEAWAY: fruition by ProBar

July 19, 2012 by Tabitha

For me, on the go food is a must have item when you have little ones, both for me and the kids. The trouble is finding easily transportable and healthy snacks to satisfy both. Most kid snacks taste like cardboard to me and I have to admit I hate giving them to my kids; but in a busy house with four kids I don’t always have time to bake my own healthy snacks, and so I have had to resort to pre-packaged snacks on occassion.
I’ve tried many different energy bars over the years and they have all left me with a chalky taste in my mouth and because I couldn’t pronounce half the ingredients I wasn’t about to give them to my kids. When I read up on the ProBar line of products, I immediately jumped at the chance to try them out and see for myself why they are so popular.

I was sent a sample box of their new fruition line with four flavors, Strawberry, Blueberry, Chocolate Orange and Cran-Raspberry (There are seven flavors in total). I found the taste of these bars to be very nice. There was just the right amount of crunch and sweetness to satisfy my snacking needs. And best of all my kids loved them too! And I feel good about giving these bars to them. Not only are fruition bars delicious to eat they are also GLUTEN-FREE! Meaning that now people who suffer from Celiac disease or a gluten intolerance can now enjoy the health benefits of Probar!

The fruition bars are:
-One serving of fruit in every bar
-Snack Size: 160 calories per bar
-4 grams of fiber, 2 grams of fat
-Certified Organic by QAI
-Dense with antioxidants and Omegas from Chia Seeds
-Gluten-Free

Recently, ProBar fruition bars were featured in Preventon magazine as the “Best Bar” in their 2012 Healthy Food Awards. To determine the winners, Prevention editors went through over 500 submissions; narrowing them down to the final list with our strictcriteria, which included:

- No more than 400 calories per (realistic) serving
- Less than 500 mg of sodium per serving
- No more than 10 g of added sugar
- Significant amounts of fiber, protein, and essential vitamins
- Free of genetically modified ingredients
- And, for the first time this year, Prevention.com added non-GMO to the list.

Said Siobhan O’Connor, Deputy Editor, Prevention.com, “Strolling down the aisles of your supermarket is often enough to make your head spin; so many boxes, so many claims, so many options. There are just endless options, and for time-conscious (and health-conscious) shoppers, it becomes overwhelming. That’s why Prevention.com readers love these awards; we know, like our readers, that many so-called packaged health foods are sugar and salt bombs in disguise. But amid those bad-for-you foods are some stellar ones, and we found the absolute best of them.”

Fruition bars are just the newest line in the probar family of products, be sure to check out their other products as well. Fruition bars retail for $1.79 per 1.7oz bar or $18.48 for a box of 12. They are available for purchase direct from ProBar and in select retail stores.

As an added bonus ProBar has generously offered our readers one-time discount of 40% off your first online order, just enter the code “BLOGGER” at checkout.

Win It!

One very lucky 3 Boys and A Dog reader is going to win a box of 12 Fruition bars.

REQUIRED: Visit ProBar and come back and tell me something you learned or which bar you’d like to try the most.

BONUS #1: Follow @ProBar and @momof3boys3702 on Twitter and RT this contest. The easiest way to retweet is to simply click the green ReTweet on the top right of this post. YOU MAY TWEET ONCE DAILY

BONUS #2: Like ProBar and 3 Boys and a Dog on FaceBook then share this post by clicking the FaceBook share button at the bottom of this post.

Other bonus entries:

#1. Spread the word about this review by: email, forums, blogging, Digg, or putting the link in a meme. (one entry per thing done)
#2. Sign up for my NEW Weekly Newsletter.
#3. Subscribe to my RSS feed.
#4. Put my button on your blog.
#5. Leave a comment on any other post (excluding giveaways!) Be sure to leave a comment here saying which post.
#6 – Vote for me at Picket Fence by clicking the button on my sidebar. Be sure to leave a comment saying you did! YOU MAY VOTE ONCE DAILY!

CONTEST ENDS: at Midnight CST on August 2nd

OPEN TO: USA and Canada

*DISCLAIMER: I was sent items by ProBar to help facilitate my review. Any opinions stated are strictly my own.*

Filed Under: Giveaways, health, Meals / Menus, Parenting and Family, Review and Giveaways, Reviews Tagged With: bar, biology, diets, energy bar, food and drink, fruition, Giveaways, gluten, gluten free diet, health, healthy snacks, kids snacks, packaged snacks, pre packaged, preventon, probar, snack food, snack size, snacks

Watch the Webinar Live, here, now! #AllergyFace

April 10, 2012 by Kelli Miller 1 Comment

Spring allergy season is upon us, and we all know what that means for millions of Americans – itchy-watery eyes and a red runny nose – causing a major case of “Allergy Face!”

Actress Kate Walsh (ABC’s Private Practice) knows all too well that those dreaded allergies can affect not just how you feel, but also how you look. In an effort to help women look and feel their best, she is teaming up with the makers of ZYRTEC® and Beauty Expert Rebekah George who will dish out the necessary beauty tips and tricks during a live ZYRTEC® webcast on Ustream.tv.

Beauty Expert Rebekah George will provide beauty tips and tricks, and answer questions from Kate Walsh and live viewers. Some of George’s tips include:

Pretty Not Puffy Face — Layer on a copper bronzer and pink blush combination to reduce redness and help contour a puffy face.
Rid the Red Nose — Deal with a red, dry nose by applying a thick layer of lotion at night, followed by a lightweight oil in the morning. Allow it to dry for a few minutes, and then apply a yellow-based concealer or a copper bronzer to cancel out the redness.
Bright Eyes — Don’t try to brighten eyes with tons of eye shadow. Instead, take a gold shimmery shadow, or a white or cream eyeliner pencil and just apply a smear underneath your brows’ arch to help brighten and open up your eyes.
Sleeping Beauty — Sleep with your head elevated with an extra pillow or two. The elevation helps drain fluids from your face so skin and eyes are less puffy in the morning.

ZYRTEC^® is the number one allergist recommended brand.(2) It relieves your worst allergy symptoms, indoors and out(3). It provides 24-hour allergy relief that starts working fast(4), so you can get back to enjoying the things you love.

For more information about allergies, product information, and special offers, visit www.zyrtec.com

**PLEASE CLICK THROUGH TO 3 Boys and a Dog TO WATCH THE LIVE WEBINAR at 7 PM CENTRAL!

Live stream by Ustream

**DISCLAIMER – All info, webinar, graphics provided by Zyrtec. I was not given compensation in any form, but thought y’all might find this useful!

Filed Under: Beauty / Spa, health Tagged With: allergies, allergology, allergy, allergy season, Beauty, beauty tips, biology, brighter eyes, cetirizine, eyes, health, immune system, immunology, Kate Walsh, medicine, Private Practice, pulmonology, Rebekah George, runny nose, spring allergy, Watch, watches, watery eyes, webinar, zyrtec

Giveaway: Exederm Sensitive Skin Baby

December 31, 2011 by Tamera

I was very excited to find out about Exederm and it sounded perfect for my sensitive kiddos!

About Exederm

We believe that exederm is a simply sensible approach for anyone with eczema, dermatitis and dry or sensitive skin

Use products with less irritants and go “Ultra Sensitive”

With exederm it’s possible to gently cleanse, to deeply moisturize and get smoother and healthier skin – without using unnecessary chemicals.

The average person can use up to 100 different chemicals on their skin before leaving home in the morning – just in our daily skincare routines.

We wash, we scrub, we buy soaps, washes, cleansers, toners, shampoos, conditioners and on and on and on …

Is it any wonder that millions of people suffer from dry, sensitive and reactive skin.

It’s time for less …

exederm raises the bar for hypoallergenic and sensitive skincare

Not only do we avoid common chemical irritants like parabens but we also avoid common internet irritants

- affordable pricing
- no hidden ‘clubs’ or long term commitments
- free shipping offers
- genuine money back guarantee

It’s just common sense – nothing more.

My Thoughts

I got to try the baby shampoo out on my baby at her bathtime today and she loved it! She loved the bottle size (it’s easy for her little hands to hold on to)! I loved that it made bubbles in the bathwater and rinsed out easily without any complaints from my little girl! You don’t have to use much and I love it when a little bit goes a long way! There’s a tiny bit of smell, but it’s not a bad smell, more of a clean smell. The baby lotion was white and it didn’t take much either! You can see where you put it and then rub it in, so your kiddo gets a little bit of a massage too! I really like the fact that it doesn’t have a lot of ingredients that could be bad for my kids!

Buy it!

You can buy them here for $12.99-$14.99 each!

Win it!

One lucky winner will win one of these products for free (Retail value $12.99-$14.99)!

REQUIRED COMMENT: Visit the website, look around, then come back and tell me something you learned.”

BONUS #1:

Follow @exerderm and @momof3boys3702 on Twitter and RT this contest. The easiest way to retweet is to simply click the green ReTweet on the top right of this post. YOU MAY TWEET ONCE DAILY

BONUS #2:

Like Exederm and 3 Boys and a Dog on Facebook then share this post by clicking the Facebook share button at the bottom of this post.

Other bonus entries:

#1. Spread the word about this review by: email, forums, blogging, Digg, or putting the link in a meme. (one entry per thing done)

#2. Follow my blog.

#3. Subscribe to my RSS feed.

#4. Put my button on your blog.

#5. Leave a comment on any other post (excluding giveaways!) Be sure to leave a comment here saying which post.

#6 – Vote for me at Picket Fence by clicking the button on my sidebar. Be sure to leave a comment saying you did! YOU MAY VOTE ONCE DAILY!

CONTEST ENDS: at Midnight CST on January 14th, 2012

OPEN TO: US

*DISCLAIMER: I was sent items by Exederm to help my review. I was not paid! Any opinions stated are strictly my own.*