Okay, so my birthday has long past, but I still got a chance to review a birthday basket from Pro Flowers.  Note: These baskets can make very nice gifts for a new mom as well. Hint Hint…. This wasn’t my first experience with Pro Flowers, as last year my hubby got me a beautiful bouquet with a purple polka dot vase for Valentine’s Day. The flowers were fresh even though they were shipped from California and I am in Florida. The vase was very strong and ceramic. This was the more premium vase my hubby sprung for. But, the real topic at hand for this review is their birthday baskets.

Pro Flowers sent me the Birthday Aromatherapy Spa Basket to review. I must admit that I was a little taken aback when I opened the box, as the basket and content items enclosed were YELLOW. This is quite an uncommon color for a spa basket as I am used to the pink, blue, purple, green, and tan hues of baskets past.   I then noticed that the fragrance was listed as Lemon Grass with Ginger. Hmm…. I thought to myself, I have never had any bath products with Lemon Grass in them. Does it smell like lemon? The answer is “Yes, sort of.” That’ s because it contains citral, found in lemon peel. Lemon Grass is said to help soothe aching muscles, spasms, and headaches. (see reference) I did not notice the ginger scent, but I know from past experience that it can help with nausea. This could be a good thing for morning sickness….

Prior to removing the plastic shrinkwrap, I noticed that there appeared to be a sand-like substance that had leaked out into the outside of the basket. In order to prevent it from getting on my things, I had to open it over a garbage can.  I soon learned it was very fine bath salts.  Here’s the basket without the shrinkwrap:

The basket, in of itself, was very nice with a faux leather yellow exterior and satiny lining on the inside. Inside the basket, there were lots of nice things meant to soothe you, including: bath gel, bubble bath, bath caviar, bath salts, bath fizzy, exfoliating brush, and an exfoliating sponge. I wasn’t sure  if I should use everything at once or try them out one at a time. If you haven’t noticed by now, it was very bath oriented.  While this can work for new moms, pregnant women are generally encouraged to refrain from warm baths.  The good news is that the bubble bath can double as a body wash and the bath gel can be used with the bath sponge in the shower.

What I Liked:

I think it’ sgreat that Pro Flowers is offering a nice variety of spa baskets that you can pick and choose to send with a few clicks of your mouse. The packaging was very nice and I like that the basket came when it was supposed to come. There were some nice bows, satin bags, and aluminum screw caps on the bottles, which all made the basket look alittle more classy.   The gel was a typical bath gel, but the bubble bath was very nice as the bubbles managed to stick around for awhile. The bath caviar was very smooth. My husband hijacked the entire bag of bath salts and used them to soak. He reported that the bath was amazing, as his skin was tingly.  The bath fizzy had the same amount of impact. I really enjoyed the opportunity to relax and soak in the spa experience at home.

Areas for Improvement:

Pro Flowers should make sure that the bath salts are packaged more thoroughly as I am sure I am not the only one who has had this issue.  It would help if the basket also came with a candle & lotion though I don’t think there was enough room.  To be honest, I really didn’t like the  scent too much.  I think I would’ve preferred to try out their lavender or rose fragranced baskets, which are pretty tried and true fragrances.

Overall, a nice option for pampering a new mom.

Buy One:

The particular basket I reviewed seems to be temporarily unavailable, but you can visit this link to check the other Pro Flowers birthday basket options out. Prices range from around $29.99 to around $69.97 for spa baskets. They also have a variety of other baskets to choose from.

From their website:

This garment is designed to smooth the appearance of the lower abdomen after birth. Helps prevent hemorrhaging and gives more mobility. Lifts and restores internal organs to their correct postion in the body. Compresses the uterus encouraging easier expulsion of blood clots. 

-To enter to win the postpartum girdle, please follow the steps below(Mandatory):

1. Tell us why you want to win the postpartum girdle.

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Entries must be received by midnight EST on July 31sr, 2010. A winner will be selected at random and announced here on or around August 1st, 2010. Open to those residing in the U.S. See official rules regarding Happy and Healthy mom giveaways here.

A few months ago, I had written to Mamma Michal to find out if they had any products for pregnant or new moms. They wrote me back and told me that they did not have any yet, but would send me some when they did.  To my surprise I received a nice little care package in the mail containing three different products: Peppermint Lip Balm, Herbal Healing Salve, and Lavender Lotion. They had specially decreased the scent strength to accommodate for a pregnant mom’s sense of smell.

If you are not familiar with Mamma Michal, let me fill you in. They offer all natural, handmade bodycare products, with many ingredients grown right in the backyard of this husband and wife team’s house. Now let’s get down to business, my review:

Peppermint Lip Balm

Ingredients:  Food grade castor oil, jojoba oil, extra virgin olive oil infused with peppermint leaves, beeswax, vegetable glycerin (100% pure), vitamin E oil (natural antioxidant and fantastic for the skin!) and peppermint essential oil.

Positives

This is my favorite of the three products I tried. The texture of the balm is so smooth and easy to apply. You can definitely feel a cool, tingly sensation, but not like those medicated lip balms that burn. Your lips don’t feel loaded up with gook or artificial, as has been my experience with other brands. 

Negatives

Nothing on this one.

Buy It

$3 for o.15oz tube

Price seems affordable for being all-natural.

Herbal Healing Salve

Ingredients: Lavender, Comfrey, Calendula, Plantain, St. John’s wort, Lavender essential oil, extra virgin olive oil and beeswax.

Positives

This is a nice, all-natural alternative to using Neosporin to heal minor cuts and scrapes. It definitely helped get rid of some minor scratches on my son’s face within about two days. It is also supposed to help with minor sunburn and bug bites, though I did not have the opportunity to review those indications. Who is really going to purposefully get a sunburn or bug bite to try it out? Not me. This product seems to be one of the faves, based on their testimonials page.

Negatives

Even with the scent supposedly being decreased, the scent of the salve was very strong. I think that if I were to smell this when pregnant, I might have become nauseous. I had a very sensitive sense of smell during pregnancy, so anything floral/ garden-like sent my stomach in a tizzy.

Buy It

$10 for a 2oz tin with free shipping 

Seems a little more expensive than I would shell out regularly. The free shipping is a plus that might make me more inclined to buy.

Lavender Lotion

 Ingredients: Lavender hydrosol, virgin sweet almond oil, extra virgin olive oil, virgin coconut oil, unrefined jojoba oil & hemp seed oil infused with lavender flowers, beeswax, emulsifying wax, stearic acid & lecithin powder (natural stabilizers), vitamin E oil, lavender essential oil and Citricidal.

Positives

I can’t say enough about all-natural lotions. You know you are getting a product that won’t partially dry out your skin and contains no man-made ingredients. This particular lotion was very smooth to apply.

Negatives

Again the scent seemed a little too strong for a sensitive stomach. It had a very “green” scent as though it had grass in it. You could tell it was made fresh. (I think I might’ve like to try the Cocoa Butter one they are coming out with instead). I am in South Florida, so by the time the package made it to me in the heat some of the ingredients started separating. I had to mix it up to get them to come back together. This was my least favorite product of the three.

Buy It

$5 for 2oz

$18 for 8oz

Price seems reasonable for what it is.

Disclosure:

I was not compensated beyond the samples I was provided for editorial purposes. Click the link to find out more about our Product Review Disclosure Policy

To celebrate our re-launch, we are hosting a re-launch party giveaway. One lucky reader is going to win:

1. 50ml Boob Tube Bust & Neck Firmer by Mama Mio

2. 1 month membership to Care4Hire.Com

3. $35 gift certificate to Announcements Galore

4. The Care Giver Organizer For My Child by Karen Berg & Melissa Bishop

5. Slob Proof! Real Life Decorating Solutions by Debbie Weiner

6. Happy Mama Spray and 100% Organic Earth Mama Angel Baby Tea (Winner’s choice to fit their specific needs. Just click on the tea box to see what other teas you can select from )

7. Fun surpise goodies courtesy of Happy and Healthy Mom

-To enter the Happy and Healthy Mom Re-Launch Party  Giveaway, please follow the steps below(Mandatory):

1. Tell us what you think about our new site. What’s your favorite? Any suggestions?

-For additional entries (Please add separate comments for EACH additional entry):

2. Follow @HAHMom on Twitter

3.  Tweet about this contest:  RT @HAHMom is hosting a Re-Launch Party #giveaway  Enter at http://bit.ly/ceyBaC

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3. Post a link or write a post on your blog.

4. Comment on another article and in a comment below, tell us which article you commented on.

5. Like Us on Facebook and put your name in the comment

6. Grab our button on the righthand sidebar. 

7. Subscribe to our RSS feed.

8. Join our network.

9. Subscribe to our mailing list.

Entries must be received by midnight EST on June 30th, 2010. A winner will be selected at random and announced here on July 1st, 2010. Open to those residing in the U.S. See official rules regarding Happy and Healthy mom giveaways here.

Thank you for coming to celebrate our re-launch party. We are so excited about the new options and features we will now be able to offer you. We will be celebrating the whole rest of the month, so stay tuned for new articles and don’t forget to stop by our giveaways page for your chance to win our prize package.

-Heather Lopez

Want to connect with your baby? Babyspirit Meditation is a once monthly teleclass meeting every first Sunday at 10 am PST that attracts participants from all over the world. Its tools, when practiced regularly (during and outside of class), have proven to foster a more positive, bonded, and intuitive relationship with the baby, not only during the pregnancy and birth but beyond as well.

By participating in this class, you set a powerful, deliberate intention for a positive pregnancy and birth experience. Get to know the essence of your little one-to-be and become emotionally ready for its entrance into this world; a safe place to “just be” pregnant. Experience a journey of discovering your child’’s personality, what it might need from you, and to prepare your soul for this new transition into birth and motherhood. Feel embraced by divine love and the spirit of your little one, whether pregnant or wanting to be, or just thinking about it. BabySpirit can even help heal a past traumatic event(s) such as family of origin issues, birth, or miscarriage/abortion that can keep you from fully enjoying your journey to parenthood.

Private and anonymous group energy creates a powerful dynamic of support for this effortless personal growth experience. Relaxing, Opening, Restorative. Profound guided visual experience for fertility and pregnancy to learn tools to clear your space of unwanted emotions or thoughts, activate your highest genetic potential, call in your child and connect with his/her spirit. (You might even find out the sex or what the child wants to be named!)

More information/points on the value of this meditation:

• Meditation research has shown us it can increase circulation, reduce inflammation, enhance fertility by balancing the hormones and reducing harmful cortisol levels produced by stress, and add to a healthy pregnancy experience. That said, meditation is possible to increase fertility success. BabySpirit is unique approach in that it is so much more than meditation, it is a profound healing journey, if you want it to be. Otherwise, just sit back and relax just “being!” 

• Activate your inner teacher. Learn to trust the creator within you.

• Fathers feel included and connected.

• BabySpirit is for both prenatal and preconception, and especially for fertility. It works at the subconscious level to release old energies no longer serving you that have been blocking your progress and feeling like a glass ceiling.
• Great for baby naming and gathering special, personal information and guidance about what you are going through.

• Meditation is a way to connect with your body and slow down time, learning how to be present with yourself; something that is increasingly important if children are coming. The being present part is vital to well-being and to not missing out on the wee little moments in a child’s development; blink and you miss them if we are not present.

• This particular meditation technique is an effective way to permanently clear out negative patterns and programs (for example, trauma) stored in your cells and restore your vitality and well-being, activating the remembrance and potential of who you really are down to the DNA.

• As we step into our clarity of who we really are we automatically trust our intuition and inner compass, empowering us to become better parents in tune with our child’s needs, in addition to healing and calming all levels of our being (including our bodies). This meditation is a step to facilitate and support you on living this intention daily.
• Not sure if you want to be pregnant?  Connecting with the baby to find out more will bring clarity and peace.

Find out more about Babyspirit Meditation by visiting:
www.consciousconception.net
EcoFertility by becoming fertile in all areas of life, first.
“Before ever planting a seed you must first cultivate the soil.”-Chinese Proverb

Win It

Coming soon! Chance to participate in a live tele-conference Baby Spirit Meditation.

Lullabelly is a wonderful concept. It is “belt” that wraps around an expectant mom’s tummy, but it isn’t just any maternity belt, it contains a little “pouch” or pocket with a built-in, but removable speaker as well as a pair of earphones so that both mama and baby can listen to music together. The belt itself is made of a very soft fabric that comes in pink, blue, green, chocolate brown, or sunshine yellow. Mine is princess pink. It encircles mom with Velcro closures and is machine washable, just remember to remove the speaker, earphones etc. from the pouch before you wash it.

I really love the idea of the Lullabelly, as I have been known to chit-chat with my babies in utero and I love music. However, I did not like the feel of the Lullabelly around my protruding belly and found it hard to wrap around me, even with an extension. It didn’t leave me with a warm fuzzy feeling shall we say. I don’t expect that to be every mother’s response, but to be honest it made me feel huge having to order an extension and to wrap it around myself just didn’t make me feel very good. Once it was on I was usually ok with it.

Once I tried playing a mellow song and then an upbeat one just to see if I could purposely illicit a response and I think baby responded to the upbeat song just a little better. I cannot say whether or not I noticed if my baby responded every time I wore the Lullabelly though. It was hard to take mental notes when I was usually trying to work, use the Lullabelly and take notes. The times I tried hard to pay attention, I did notice that baby was responding to the music.  I will say that baby has definitely responded to my other children playing the piano! There was movement from baby once that piano was being played right across the room from where I was seated; whereas prior to the piano being played baby had been quiet.

Thank you to Lullabelly and to Happy and Healthy Mom for the opportunity!

Resources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjXqBIa0-RU&feature=player_embedded

http://www.lullabelly.com/benefits.html

This review is done in cooperation with The Healthy Moms Review Team that I am a part of. I did receive free products, but that in no way affects my review.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Mama Mio, you should be as they carry a full line of skincare products for moms, including pregnancy skincare, bootcamp bodycare, stretch marks & scars, losing weight?, cellulite & firming, daily skincare, and anti-aging. 

My observations and comments:  

I got to try out their Boob Tube Bust & Neck Firmer, which contains CoQ10, Avocado Oil, Fenugreek, Shea Butter and Milk Thistle. It is safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding, just avoid the nipples.

Boob Tube Bust & Neck Firmer

It has a pleasant scent and a very smooth, creamy texture. It is easy to rub in and leaves a sort of shiny glow on your skin. They recommend that you use it on a daily basis ongoing to prevent the appearance of crinkles, droops, and turkey necks. The tube has a Hot Tip that states that

“This is facial quality skincare. If these are skincare benefits you want on your face, feel free to use it as a facial moisturizer too.”

They also promise that you will start seeing results within a week. While I did notice the shinier glowing skin immediately after applying, I did not really notice any major skin differences after a week. This is probably because I do not have any signs of wrinkles or droop yet anyway. However, I do not want them to develop either, so I might be inclined to use something that can help prevent or slow down their appearance.  Overall, I would recommend it for those who might be concerned about wrinkles and droop in this area. Too often women focus on their face and neglect the other areas like their necks, underarms, and hands. Let’s face it, you can spot people who have done work or focus on their face only because the rest of them looks 60, while their face looks 40.  As mentioned, you can use this stuff on your face too, so you can take care of two birds with one stone.  

My Boobs and Neck After Boob Tube

Buy It:

It sells for $45 for a 100ml tube on their website http://www.mamamio.com Click anyone of the pictures above to get there directly.

Win It:

One lucky winner will win a 50ml tube of Boob Tube as part of Happy and Healthy Mom.Com’s relaunch party. Click here  to go to the giveaway page.