I have the best summer hair with Pantene Ultimate 10 BB Creme #PanteneBBCreme

It's that time of year. The time when the weather is hot, sticky and the air is humid. We had at least 3 weeks straight of heavy rain and storms. This means one thing, unruly hair. Like most people, the humidity makes my hair misbehave. It becomes frizzy, crunchy and just crazy looking. I received a Klout Perk from Pantene and Walmart a couple weeks ago that included their latest product, Pantene Ultimate 10 BB Creme.

I have heard of BB creme for your face but never for hair. I was very interested in finding out how it actually worked. It is supposed to care for your hair and style it all in one step. You can apply it to wet or dry hair. I tried it on wet hair since I blow dry and heat style. Immediately I noticed my hair felt very soft. Normally when I blow dry my hair, I have to curl it after or it will look frizzy. With Pantene BB creme, I could totally get away with just a blow dry. That is how I know it worked well! Even when I wake up the next day, my hair would feel so smooth and healthy.

My daughter took this photo of my hair (it was curled) from the back to show you how shiny and controlled it looks using the product. Would you believe that with all that hair, I did not use a conditioner after shampooing? I only used the BB creme.

To see if this stuff works on different hair types, I had all 3 of my kids use it. The oldest used it in her natural curls and loves how soft, controlled and calm her curls are. My younger daughter used it in her already dry and flat ironed hair. You could see an actual difference in how her super thick hair looks. She tends to have big hair and this products helps her hair to lay a bit flatter and it looks and feels softer. My little boy has wavy hair and the BB creme gives just enough moisture to help control his waves. We all love it and can't wait to buy other products from the line. The BB Creme is just over $6! Not bad at all! You can find them at Walmart and Walmart.com/pantene.

I was not required to review this product but loved it so much, I just had to share!

Sixteen30 Natural Skin & Body Care Review & Giveaway

I received some complimentary samples of Sixteen30 dry skin repair creams to facilitate my review. All opinions are 100% my own as always. 

Despite the 3 weeks of rain we have been getting here in South Carolina, summer is in full swing. This means I am wearing more shorts, skirts and tank tops. I want my skin looking its best since more of it will be exposed. I tried out the Coconut Lime Dry Skin Repair from Sixteen30. The first thing I do with any product that I apply to my skin is to smell it. I was so pleased with how deliciously yummy the scent was. If  my eyes were closed, I would have sworn it was a key lime cookie or some sort of baked goods. Of course scent means nothing to me if the product does not come through with what it is intended for. Man oh man, was I amazed! I was not sure what the texture of the skin repair cream would be like. Turns out that it was very dense and emollient. This is what I look for when I need a deep moisturizing cream.

It applied very easily and had that subtle fragrance of coconut and lime. My skin looked like it was glowing! I couldn't believe how heavily moisturized it felt. The true test was what my skin would feel like the next day. My skin felt as if I had just applied moisturizer... amazing!! It even worked on my son's scaly skin. Normally we have to apply lotion or cream to his skin at least twice a day. That is not the case with Sixteen30 dry skin repair. Besides the effectiveness of product, it is great knowing they are made of all natural ingredients. I have tried many lotions and creams over the years and this one has exceeded my expectations! I highly recommend it for anyone who needs maximum moisture that will last. If you are interested in purchasing any of the Sixteen30 products for yourself, you can use this special code that will give you 10% any items (before shipping charges are applied) MOMFILES10. This code is good until August 2, 2013.

The owner at Sixteen30 has been so generous to offer a giveaway for one lucky Momfiles' reader to win. The prize includes a full-size Peppermint Foot Therapy Smoothing Foot Polish and a sample-size Peppermint Foot Therapy Cream. Perfect to soothe and protect your dry, achy feet!

Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on August 2, 2013. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Mom Files is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

Homemaking tip | Cook dinner early

I have been a homemaker for over 19 years now and I LOVE my job! I have met a lot of new wives and even new homemakers over the years and they ask me for advice on how I keep everything together. Aside from having my planning book, I do a lot of things at unusual times. I cook dinner (yes dinner) before 11:00 AM during the week. I know you are wondering why I do that. I find that when my husband is at work and the kids are at school, I get so much more done. By the time school lets out and my husband gets home, I am not trying to rush and exhaust myself by having to figure what to make for dinner at 5:00 or 6:00 in the evening.

By cooking my meal in the morning, I save myself the drama and can enjoy my family at dinnertime, stress-free. What I do is cook my meal and pack everything up in containers. I let it cool down for about 20 minutes and I place it all in the refrigerator until later. This also allows all of those good flavors to set in and the food tastes even better than it would if it came straight off the stove. I also don't have to worry about washing dishes, pots and pans at night. It really helps out a lot and I pack any leftovers up for my husband to take for lunch the next day.

Homemaking really comes down to time management. I like to get most of my "work" out of the way before my crew gets home. It gives me more time to focus on things they may need me to help with or just to have a more relaxed evening. A more relaxed mother and wife makes for a happier household!

If you have any homemaking tips you would like to share, I would love to hear them!

Could You Win Your Family Holiday This Year?

Times are tight for most families, with budgets being squeezed to pay ever increasing grocery, utilities and petrol bills. Add to that reductions in tax credits and child benefits for some and it’s easy to see why luxuries like a family holiday are having to fall by the wayside.

If you know you can’t afford to get away this year, why not try a different tactic and give winning your family holiday a go? What have you got to lose? Search online competition forums or keep your eyes peeled at the supermarket, when reading magazines or when watching the TV, and take every chance you get to win your family a great break.

For example, when you’re buying your loo roll this month, look out for special packs of Cushelle. Cushelle and Butlins have teamed up to give away three UK breaks, at the Bognor Regis Butlins resort. The lucky winners can check in two adults and two children to the brand new Wave Hotel, for a super exciting staycation at Butlins – for free!

If you have older children, between the ages of 8 and 14, the new Wave Hotel is ideal, as everything about it has been designed with hard to please teens and pre-teens in mind, including quirky submarine style rooms with the latest gadgets for tech savvy kids – including iPod docks, Freeview, and individual DVD players for each bed, saving on squabbles over what to watch!

The hotel is also the first Butlins hotel to boast a high-tech Games Port, where families can play interactive games together. In addition, there’s a kindle and iPod library for guests to use, and free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, so the kids can still check Facebook, tweet and chat to their friends back home.

To enter, all you have to do is get yourself a Cushelle barcode from special packs (everyone needs loo roll, right?) and fill out a simple form online, but don’t stop there! Keep seeking out summer holiday competitions – after all, the more you enter the more chance you have of winning your family holiday this year!

A safe product for your home | CleanWell Botanical Disinfecting Wipes

I received a container of CleanWell Botanical Disinfecting Wipes to test out in my home. I love to clean and although I use a variety of products, I am very particular about what I use to clean specific things around my home. One thing I take extra care with is my son's activity table... and by activity, I mean he uses it to color on, paint, eat, drink and everything in between. I am always so careful about washing it down a couple times a day and making sure it is rinsed and dried before I allow any food items on it.

The great thing about CleanWell Botanical Disinfecting Wipes is that they kill over 99.9% of germs, kills cold and flu viruses* and get this... there is no rinsing or wiping required even on food contact surfaces and children’s toys. This is good news for me since I am so nervous about using something harmful around my little guy's stuff. It has a thyme-based formula and deodorizes really well. Unlike other household wipes, you are not required to have to wash your hands after use. I have been using them to clean off his toys and it has made my life so much easier. 

I hope to find these wipes in a larger size so that I can always have them handy around the house. I would have loved to have these when we went on our recent beach trip. They would have given me great peace of mind. I look forward to trying out the spray cleaners too. You can find their products at Whole Foods, Amazon.com and Vine.com..

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