Stuff Parents Need

Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

FREE PASTA FOR ONE YEAR!!!! (3 WINNERS!!!)

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PLEASE NOTE: ONLY OPEN TO RESIDENTS OF ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MISSISSIPPI AND TENNESSEE, AS THAT IS WHERE THIS PRODUCT IS SOLD. If you don’t live in these states but know someone who does, please pass the word on to them!

Ronco Pasta has officially launched their new Facebook page and they are celebrating this launch in a major way! Their site has easy, family and budget-friendly recipes (woo hoo!) and a “pasta locator” to help you find where you can buy Ronco products. Fans of their site will have access to cooking tips and discounts.

Ronco knows that Stuff Parents Need readers value quality and convenience, which makes them a perfect match for your cooking needs. They are offering 3 of you (yes!!!) FREE PASTA FOR ONE YEAR* Never before have I been more jealous that I cannot enter my own giveaway, folks. This one is SUCH a doozy!

The contest will run until January 20th at 11:59pm EST when winners will be selected via Random.org. The winners will have 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee. Limit one entrant per household, please.

How do you enter? It’s SOOOO simple! You just need to do two things (must do both to enter)

1. Like Ronco Pasta on Facebook and post on their wall that Stuff Parents Need sent you.

2. Like Stuff Parents Need on Facebook.

Once you have done both things, please come back here and leave a comment that you did. Winners will be drawn from the blog comments, so don’t forget to do that!

EDIT: You get one entry for liking us both on facebook, so your entry would look like this: I like Ronco and Stuff Parents Need on Facebook. To get more than one entry, you have to be a blogger and post about this giveaway on your site. Make sense?

If you are a blogger, I’d like to offer a rare bonus entry opportunity. Please post about this giveaway on your blog to help get the word out and you are eligible for 2 extra entries.

*Based on a family of four. Delivered via free product coupons.

Disclosure: I received no compensation or free products in exchange for this post. I’m a Ronco customer, and I believe you will love their products if you have never tried them before.

Oompa Toys and the Alphabet Matcher Review

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Oompa Toys

Christmas has come and gone. It was a crazy event for little Darah, who was basically assaulted with presents! Don’t get me wrong; we are extremely grateful for the generosity of our family and friends. But Darah is going to be re-discovering her toys all year long as we have put most of them away, and on the suggestion of my BFF, will be pulling them out one at a time on “rainy days” when we could use something new and exciting.

The toys that got put away first were the annoying ones. Anything that made noise is just not in rotation for now. I can see where some of these toys do have their place (Darah does continue to LOVE her battery-operated drums), but overall, I think all the noisy toys are just that: noise. oompa toys logo
That’s why I’m drawn to the online toy store, Oompa. Their tag line is, “NO BATTERIES. NO BLINKING LIGHTS. NO CARTOON-THEMED TOYS. PERIOD.” The founder, mompreneur Milanie Cleere, started Oompa because, “I felt there was something unnatural about surrounding my daughter with so many disposable toys. I wondered if she dreamt of copyrighted characters or if her first words would be ‘Dora’ or ‘Mickey’. I wondered if she would ever learn to use her imagination. She did, after all, play with toys that with the push of a single button did and said everything for her.”

But finding a good selection of toys that were designed to last and that weren’t covered with characters from television wasn’t exactly easy. She finally found what she was looking for in Europe, where they seem to know what they are doing when it comes to making high quality toys that inspire creative play.

While I was researching Oompa, I was especially impressed with the statement they make about how they ensure that they pick truly safe toys to sell. Their process includes extensive interviews with company representatives and annual onsite tours of manufacturing facilities where the toys they offer are made. That’s some serious quality control, and as a parent, does give me some confidence that the toys at Oompa are totally safe.

alphabet toys for kids Speaking of the toys at Oompa, let me tell you about the one we got to try out. It is the Twisterz Toys Alphabet Matcher. Basically it works like this: “A child twists the rings on the toy to choose a letter, then attempts to find the five objects on the ring that start with that letter! Alphabet It contains three extra sets of rings, covering 24 letters and 120 images!” It is recommended for children ages 3 and up, but Darah is already enjoying it now. While she can’t yet match up images and letters, she can name some of the pictures and some of the letters independently. And she really likes moving the rings around.

One thing I really like about the Twisterz Alphabet Matcher is that it is really portable (especially if you aren’t bringing along the extra rings). It can very easily fit in a diaper bag or a purse. I think it is going to be an especially helpful toy to have on long car rides, as it can occupy a child for quite some time, all without making obnoxious noises that the driver has to endure!

The other thing I like about this toy is that it engages a child in so many different ways. As your child plays with the Alphabet Matcher, s/he will work on motor skills, logic, problem solving and spelling.

My first experience with Oompa was a very positive one. Now I’ve got my eye on the Caterpillar Box as a second birthday gift idea for little D!

Buy it!: Oompa offers a tremendous variety of toys for your little one, so you should definitely check them out. The Twisterz Toys Alphabet Matcher
is available for $18.99.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will get your very own Alphabet Matcher, courtesy of Oompa! The contest will run until January 19th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me an item that Oompa Toys sells that is really catching your eye. Their selection is HUGE, so just look in the What’s New section!

My answer: This bird puzzle. Darah really loves birds right now, and it coordinates with her room! Perfect!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Follow Oompa on Twitter
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary item for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

Ma Mi Skincare Review

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Today I’m bringing you a skincare line designed just for us moms, that has the following great features:

  • True anti-aging properties at an affordable price
  • Natural, high quality ingredients with no wasteful fillers
  • Uses a high percentage of active ingredients
  • Safe, toxin-free, and paraben-free
  • Clinically-formulated by doctors

Sounds pretty good, right? Well it IS pretty good, too! Introducing Ma Mi Skincare. I was really drawn to the approach this company has to creating products. From their site, “With Ma Mi, your skin receives everything it needs and nothing it doesn’t; our products contain pure, highly concentrated active ingredients that produce quick, visible results.”

Aren’t you always surprised by the ENORMOUS list of “inactive” ingredients in face care products? If you’ve never noticed, take a moment to read some of the boxes and labels. There’s a whole lot of stuff you can’t pronounce that is going on your skin, and for what?! Ma Mi Skincare keeps that list as small as possible, and what’s on that list is pronounceable!

I was sent two cleansers to review. I have been using the Reawaken Cleanser, which is for normal to dry skin. I LOVE the foam pump dispenser, which makes it perfect for use in the shower. I’m finding it to be a gentle but effective cleanser. I also really like that it has a built-in toner. I never really use toners, but I always feel kind of bad that I don’t. Problem solved here, folks! And the rose hip seed oil in the product gives it a really nice, but mild, fragrance.

The other cleanser I received is the Revitalize Cleanser, for normal to oily skin. I handed this over to Tim to use. You see, even though this skin care line is geared toward women, I’m sure it will do just as great of a job on a man’s skin. And in my book, a man who takes care of his skin is a smart one! He also happened to be running out of the face wash he was currently using, so the timing was great for him. His report back to me is that so far, he likes it, “just fine.” When I asked him to elaborate, he said that it worked, and he didn’t really know what else to say about it. So there you have it; perhaps this is some insight into why there aren’t very many men out there who write product reviews. 😉

Buy it!: Ma Mi Skincare products are more expensive than some of the stuff in the drugstores, but are far more affordable than what you typically find in department or specialty stores. The cleansers I reviewed are available for just $14.00. BONUS: SPN readers can score 25% off their total purchase using the code gomami at checkout! Sweet! That really gives you an opportunity to have specialty skincare at a drugstore price!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will be bringing home a the cleanser of your choice! The contest will run until January 18th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me one other product in the Ma Mi Skincare line that intrigues you. Also tell me if you would prefer the Reawaken (normal to dry) or Revitalize (normal to oily) cleanser if you win.

My answer: Would love to try the Nightshift Eye Serum!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Ma Mi Skincare on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need by RSS or email

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com.  I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveawayDisclosure.

Kix Cereal: My Former Enemy

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True story: when I was a child we had a “punishment” cereal. Or at least that’s what I remember (I’m sure my mom would swear that this is not true). It was a cereal we would get if my older brother and I had been on bad behavior.

kix cereal box That cereal was Kix.

You see, reading the labels on cereal boxes wasn’t something my parents were all that interested in doing. They pretty much let us eat whatever we wanted. “Kid” cereal was no exception. Even fruit loops were a bit of a downer to eat as compared with Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Fruity Pebbles, which were some of our favorites.

Kix was just wretched. It wasn’t a cool color. It didn’t have marshmallows. I’m pretty sure it didn’t even come with a toy. And…it wasn’t coated in 4 layers of sugar. Gross, right?

I’m happy to report that I’ve made some progress in my own thinking about cereals. I’m slowly weaning myself off those sugary cereals and paying much more attention to the nutritional content of my morning meal. But Kix was still off my radar until recently, when I was asked to check it out and see what I thought about it. I simply couldn’t resist the opportunity to come face-to-face with a childhood enemy!

Wonder of all wonders, I’m amazed to be reporting back to you that Kix is quite tasty! I tried their regular cereal as well as their Honey Kix. One guess about which one I liked best. 😉 But even the original was really good. After reading the label, I made the call that Kix is something I would give to Darah as a snack, or when she’s older, as cold cereal.

It will most definitely NOT be served as punishment. In our house, Kix has been kid tested and mother approved!

Edit: this giveaway is now closed. 
Win it!: Kix wants to give one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader one seriously fun prize pack (shown above). The prize comes with two boxes of Kix cereal as well as a floor puzzle, ring flash cards, a sippy cup (Darah’s new favorite, by the way) and a snack bowl. Take that, cereal box toys from the 1980s!

The contest will run until January 20th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me what your favorite breakfast thing to eat is (either now or as a child) and if there was any breakfast food you didn’t like as a kid.
My answer: cereal is still my favorite breakfast, although I do seriously love blueberry pancakes. And I hated (and still hate) Cream of Wheat. If my mom had poured Kix over it I might have actually passed out from disgust.

Additional entries:
1. Blogger love: “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

Be sure to enter the other current giveaways found on the sidebar of my homepage.

Disclosure: I received complimentary products from Kix through MyBlogSpark in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash Review and GIVEAWAY!!

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Bath time is a nightly ritual for Darah. She starts using sign language to ask for her bath around 4pm, even though bath time is right around 6pm. She loves it so much! Darah is very playful in the tub, and really enjoys splashing around, playing with tub toys and, knock on wood, getting her hair and body washed (we lucked out on that one!).

earth mama baby shampoo Earth Mama Angel Baby is a company that offers a splendid line of bath products for mamas and babies, all made from organic ingredients. I’ve tried their Happy Mama Body Wash (with a smell that even the pregnant ladies can appreciate!). For the past month, we’ve also been using their new Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash.

First and foremost, this soap works. Darah gets cleaned from head to toe with it, and it takes care of all the food and dirt that somehow manages to cling to her throughout the day.

Second, the smell is FANTASTIC! Some people avoid scented soaps for their babies because those smells are created using harsh chemicals. Not so with this product. It is scented with organic vanilla and organic orange oils. It smells like a creamsicle! I’ve tried several different bath products over the years (I really should say hundreds…I’m a junkie) and Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash is easily in my top 5 as far as smell goes.

Third, the pump formula is extremely convenient when we are bathing Darah. We can easily squirt out some foam right onto her body or her head and we don’t accidentally get too much product, as we sometimes do with more traditional bottles.

We love this product and I’d recommend it to anyone who wants the best for themselves and for baby, but who would love to have something scented on hand.

Buy it!: If you’d like to try the Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash, you are smart to do so. And getting for a discount is even smarter! use code Itsablog20 for 20% off! The 5.3 oz bottle is $10.95 and they offer a 34 ounce refill, as well!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need read will win a bottle of Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash! The contest will run until January 16th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States and Canada. Limit one entrant per person, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me one product in your home that you want to replace with something less toxic, but haven’t yet. Why haven’t you?

My answer: I still have a closet shelf full of body washes that contain ingredients I have since learned are not so good for me or the environment. The frugal gal in me is reluctant to pitch them/donate them, though, since they are already paid for! But I’m not replacing them with other similar products. When they are gone, they are gone! And they are never used on Darah.

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Earth Mama Angel Baby on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need via RSS or email

Be sure to check out my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Every Girl is Crazy ‘Bout a Sharp Dressed Man

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Clean shirt, new shoes
And I don’t know where I am goin’ to.
Silk suit, black tie,
I don’t need a reason why.
They come runnin’ just as fast as they can
‘Cause every girl is crazy ’bout a sharp dressed man.
-ZZ Top

Does anyone else remember that song? I’ve always loved it, for some reason. Maybe that’s because I really have always loved when men are all dressed up. Tim’s a very casual guy. His preference is to be in jeans and a sweater (I can relate to this feeling!). Perhaps that’s why when he puts on a tie, it really is something special. He’ll usually wear a tie to work just once a week or so. I always think he looks exceptionally nice on those days.Tim is also the kind of guy who wears clothes until they are absolutely shot. I appreciate that about him, and I wish I was as disciplined. But I get tired of my clothes after just a few seasons. We recently went through his tie collection and actually got rid of several ties, many of which he has had since college (12 years ago). After he honestly assessed which ties he did and didn’t like, his “keep” pile was really quite pitiful. I knew it was time for a new tie to join the few that remained.I’ll just be honest, I always hit the thrift stores to see if I can find any great ties for a song. I’ve done it before with success, or at least I thought I had. Those thrift store finds from the past were all in Tim’s “discard” pile, as it turns out! I knew So I decided not to go that route again. I also knew that going to a department store and spending $40+ dollars wasn’t going to happen, either.

My preference would be to shop online, to get a good price, and for returns to be hassle-free. And yes, there’s a store where you can get all of this! Allow me to introduce you toABC Neckties. This site has an EXTENSIVE collection of ties (long ties and bow ties). You can search by price point, by color or even by style. If your guy happens to like wearing novelty ties, they can seriously hook you up. That’s not Tim’s style, but that doesn’t mean that they didn’t have a great selection for him, though.

I snagged a beautiful purple striped tie for Tim on this site. Before I committed to it, I checked out their return policy just in case he didn’t’ like it. You have 30 days to make a return or exchange, and you just have to contact the company to get a return form that you submit with your package. Pretty simple, really. They only charge $2.95 for shipping, and if you spend $30 or more, shipping is free. Nice!

When the tie arrived, I showed it to Tim and asked him what he thought. He REALLY liked it. He commented that he was surprised by the high quality of the tie, and he also thought the style looked really current. Most of his ties are some combination of navy, red and yellow, so a purple tie fills a pretty wide gap in color choices for him. He actually wore it to work the day after it arrived, because he was so happy to have a new tie (that he actually liked) in his collection.

I can tell you now that this tie is going to be one of the ones that sticks around for several years, and joins the ranks of those other handful of ties that have made the cut for Tim.

EDIT: You have GOT to check out this fabulous video series that ABC Neckties has out. They show you how to tie a tie 15 different ways! So cool!

Buy it! If you are looking for a new tie at a reasonable price, check out ABC Neckties. They also offer big and tall ties and boys’ ties! And if you agree with me that Tim’s new tie is fabulous, you can purchase one for $20!

Win it! One lucky reader will receive a $25 gift certificate to ABC Neckties! The contest will run until January 14th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States and Canada. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me anything about your (or your man’s) tie collection. Is it out of control? Is it sparse? What kind of ties are we talking about here? Are there any you absolutely love or hate? Anything related to the topic works for me!

My answer: My husband still has the tie that he wore on our wedding day, and I hope he keeps it forever, even if it falls out of style. I smile so much whenever he wears it!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” ABC Neckties on Facebook and post on their wall that I sent you!
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Google Friend Connect (you can find it on my sidebar…it’s super easy to sign up, I promise!)

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type Video

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If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I’m a HUGE fan of Scholastic Storybook Treasures. This company has done an outstanding job of bringing great stories to life on the big screen, all while preserving the integrity of the books and the learning opportunities that come along with reading.

If you are looking for some dvds for your little ones, but you don’t want them watching shows that don’t offer much in the way of education, or that promote shorter attention spans by switching camera angles every 2 seconds, Scholastic Storybook Treasures are what you’ve been looking for!

click clack moo cows that type video Today I’m bringing you another terrific option. Introducing Click Clack Moo – Cows That Type. I actually wasn’t familiar with this story before watching the video. It’s really funny, and is about cows who really get into some serious negotiating with the farmer about their work conditions.

When we sat down to watch it, I recognized the narrator in the first 2 seconds that he was talking: it was Randy Travis! Now, I can’t call myself a country music fan, but I have ALWAYS liked Randy Travis. I may or may not have squealed when I heard his voice. Just sayin’.

Click, Clack, Moo comes with 17 animal stories on 3 DVDs. It is so great! The stories on these dvds have won over 30 awards, so you know they have been carefully selected and deemed to be outstanding! A few of the stories also include a Spanish version. Que fantastico! They also have discussion questions to go along with the stories so that you and your child can work on reading comprehension! Love that! This is why I love the Scholastic dvds…it really isn’t about just sticking your kid in front of a cartoon. This is an interactive educational experience.

Buy it!: Click Clack Moo – Cows That Type has close to 4 hours of material in the collection, and is a great buy at $24.95!

Edit: this giveaway is now closed.

Win it!: Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type is coming to the home of one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader! The contest will run until January 12th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.
Mandatory entry: Tell me one Scholastic Storybook Treasure that you’d love to own (complete list can be found here, here and here)
My answer: I’d love to have Chicka, Chicka 1-2-3 so that we can work on counting!
Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Join the Scholastic mailing list (found on the left sidebar…just scroll down a little bit)
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need via RSS or email.
Be sure to check out the other current giveaways going on, found on the sidebar of my home page.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains an affiliate link.

No More Lightswitch Hassle Thanks to Kidswitch

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Does your toddler LOVE turning the lights on and off? This is a great source of joy for little D. She’s at the point now where she says, “on” when she turns a light on (unfortunately, she also says “on” when she turns it off, but we’ll work on that!).

We have a guest bed in Darah’s room and when she is on that, she is able to reach the light switch on her own. But she most definitely can’t reach a light switch anywhere else in the house.

Light Switch Extender for Kids

There’s a product that has been on the market since 1995 that can help with this problem, though. It is called Kidswitch, and we recently had the opportunity to try it out.

 

Tim easily installed the Kidswitch in Darah’s bathroom in just a few minutes. I wanted to put it there because she is in the (really long) process of potty training, and it would be great for her to be able to turn the light on there all by herself. I also didn’t want to put it in her bedroom because it does glow in the dark, and I feared that this could keep Darah awake, at least until she gets used to it. On the flip side, I really love that it glows in the dark, because that makes it easier for little ones to find at night!

kids light switch extender
So how did it work? Well, the truth is, Darah still can’t reach it. I do wish that it was a bit longer so that younger toddlers could make use of it. But my guess is that she’ll easily be able to reach it by the time she is 2 (they really do grow like weeds!). While we wait, we aren’t going to uninstall it, as turning on and off the light for grownups is not any more difficult with the Kidswitch installed.

I think that once Darah is old enough to reach it, this will offer her a confidence boost and just one more way to exercise her independence (which as anyone with a toddler will tell you, is crucial). I would recommend this as a good product to have on hand for kids starting at age 2 (unless they are really tall!).

Buy it!: Kidswitch is available for purchase for several different types of light switches, with prices starting at just $8.95. You can buy multiple packs and save on the cost per Kidswitch, too! That means you can place them all over your house, or buy a few for your home and a few for a friend! Amazon has the best prices for this product, in my experience.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure. This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.


Salon Shine Without The Cost: Aveeno Nourish!

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I have been using Aveeno products since I was a baby and suffered from eczema. I used to take oatmeal baths with their products! As an adult, I have used their face lotions and sunscreen products and have been very pleased with them. I have never tried any of their hair care products, though.

Until now!
aveeno shampoo nourish shine
Aveeno has come out with an entire line of products called Nourish, and while I’ve only been using the products for a few days now, I can already tell a noticeable difference with my hair.

The last time I visited a hair stylist, she told me that I had coarse hair that needed some pretty serious moisturizing products to help it be more manageable. She said that was part of the reason why my hair was also on the frizzy side…it was parched! Naturally she had some quite expensive products on her shelf that she was more than happy to recommend to me. She used them on me during my visit, and yes, they worked, but I passed. It was all I could do to afford the haircut, folks!

I honestly feel as though this line from Aveeno is giving me the same results I experienced at the salon, but for a fraction of the cost. While they are still on the pricey side for me (hey, I’m cheap) I would definitely buy these again if I found them on sale and/or had a coupon. The products I used are the Nourish + Moisturize shampoo and conditioner and the Nourish + Style Smoothing Shine Creme. They all worked beautifully together to give my hair a silky (but not weighed-down) feel and lots of great shine.

Patric Melville Before I wrap up the post, I wanted to leave you with a style tip for you from celebrity hair stylist Patric Melville, who is an Aveeno Hair Consultant. He taught me something about the right way to wash hair. Read on!

“Always prep your hairstyle with a proper wash. Remember to comb any tangles out before you wet it and use warm water to open the cuticles of the hair and to wash all the oil and dirt off. Then, you only need a dollop of shampoo to rub your hands together and apply to your scalp. Take note that you should put the shampoo on your scalp and not at the ends of your hair. Rinse your hair with cold water afterwards to close the cuticles and add to the shine of your hair.” I didn’t know this trick about cold water but I’m totally putting it to use now!

Buy it!: Aveeno Nourish products are available at stores nationwide and start around $6.50 each. They will be available in February 2010, so keep an eye out for them! And there’s a coupon available to print now, so don’t miss it!

Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you.