Does Mommy Love It?

For moms, daughters, and women living in NYC, please check out an event for a great organization for women called REVEAL.

Overall Mission: Based in New York City, Reveal celebrates beauty and dignity for women recovering from domestic abuse and sex exploitation through the universal theme of every woman, which is to feel beautiful, loved, chosen and dignified just as they are and with no strings attached.

Our Strategy: To provide a modern day Cinderella-like experiences through its Valentine’s Day Ultimate Makeover and Self-Care Program by collaborating with local shelters and organizations to reinforce the healing process.

How We Began: Founded in 2006, Reveal was started by passionate people interested in leveraging the community’s gifts and talents in fashion and beauty for women trapped in the sex trade industry. Who We Serve: Reveal partners with local shelters and organizations that have rescued women recovering from domestic violence and sex trafficking. Our first year, Reveal helped 10 women. Today, Reveal’s clientele now includes over 80 women.

Why Reveal Is Important: Through professional and structured counseling programs, true recovery may be drawn from these tangible self-esteem building experiences.

Monthly Self-Care Workshops: Reveal has partnered with the largest women’s shelter in NYC to provide monthly Self-Care Workshops and Seminars where professional staff will provide hands-on training to a group of women on all aspects of beauty, skin-care, fashion, hair and health.

For more information, click here.

No Comments | In: Beauty, featured | tags: event, Reveal, Reveal Summer Benefit. | #

Looking to refresh your mind, body and spirit?  Light a candle, get yourself a cup of green tea and head to Lotus Jayne for a bit of retail therapy you can feel good about. From this New Jersey based company, you will find stunning pieces, a strong commitment to fair trade practices and ridiculously affordable prices.

Beauty and integrity is key at Lotus Jayne and this is evident at every turn. Owner, Jill Kimball, has sought (and found) pieces intended to inspire her customers and positively contribute to the supplying communities. Most of the products from Lotus Jayne originate in Cambodia, where the founder’s adopted daughter (and the company’s namesake) hail. Here are just a few of the treasures I have discovered from this truly wonderful company:

Easy Tunic (pictured above). This incredibly flattering top is destined to be your new go-to outfit. A perfectly tailored v-neck flatters the bust and the slits on the sides (genius!) slim the waistline. No sack-like proportions here, thank you. The gorgeous prints make it hard to decide between them. At $24 a piece, you don’t have to.

Sompen’s Shibori Scarf. Perfect for adding a bit of bold color to your wardrobe, this hand-dyed, gossamer silk scarf will carry you through the whole year.  Instantly upgrade a casual shirt and jeans or wear it on a night out. Again, the price is absolutely unbeatable. Check out the photos of the village where your scarf was made for a fair wage!

Tree of Life Pendant. This pretty piece begs to be complimented.  When it is, you can let them know your fabulous necklace used to be a not-so-fabulous bombshell.  One of my favorites from Lotus Jayne, this pendant is lovingly handcrafted from discarded 155mm casings found throughout the Cambodian countryside. Through the non-profit association, Rajana Crafts, this pendant comes to you as a symbol of healing.

Also, be sure to check out the darling Cottage Felt Purse for the little girls in your life. It’s adorable, affordable and would make a perfect gift.

Check back often for new treasures popping up on Lotus Jayne!

Lotus Jayne is offering an amazing giveaway to one of our readers. You will receive the Easy Tunic, Sompen’s Shibori Scarf and the Tree of Life Pendant. All readers can enjoy 10% off using code “mommy” at www.lotusjayne.com. All you need to do to enter the contest is visit Lotus Jayne and leave a comment here that you did!

For additional entries:

1) Subscribe to Does Mommy Love It? then leave a comment stating you did so.

2) Twitter about the contest and leave us a hyperlink to the tweet!

3) If you haven’t, please join our FACEBOOK FAN PAGE!

4) Write a post on your own blog about this giveaway and comment with the permalink to this post.

5) Grab our button and put it on your sidebar and comment with a link to your blog.

6) Email 5 of your friends and tell them why they should check out DoesMommyLoveIt?. Be sure to COPY us on the email (doesmommyloveit@gmail.com)! Then comment stating you did so.

This contest ends May 11, 2010 Midnight EST. Click here for contest rules at DoesMommyLoveIt.com!

This review is based strictly my opinion. Others may have a different opinion or experience with the product listed above.  I was not compensated for this review aside from the samples provided by Lotus Jayne.

52 Comments | In: Accessories, Apparel, Beauty, Clothing, Contest, Green, jewelry | tags: cambodia, fair trade, jewelry, lotus jayne, necklace, pendant, purse, scarf, tunic. | #

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.  CONGRATS KARI, YOU ARE THE WINNER!

Only close friends and relatives know how crazy my hair can be without using a flat iron.  I have been an avid user of this gadget for years! Without the use of a flat iron my hair would look like Medusa.  After using these through the years, I can now identify which flat irons are great and which ones are not so great.

Missikko, a professional styling tool carrier, sells some of the best flat irons on the market.  One of favorites is the Hana Professional one inch.  I have their pretty in pink edition and absolutely adore it.  The benefits of using a professional flat iron are endless. The Hana has advanced tourmaline ceramic plates, which help produce a frizz-free and shiny hair finish.  The plates auto-adjust to glide over any hair texture while also giving versatile styling such as a curl, flip, or straighten! This was my first experience using a flat iron to make beach curls.  I tried it one morning and was blown away by how easy it was to use this flat iron not only to smooth out my wild hair but also giving it sexy waves!

The Hana professional is great for me because of its endless uses and the speed in which it allows me to turn my “bird’s nest” into beautifully straight locks.  Be sure to check out their sale on  Chi irons, Babyliss flat irons, and their professional hair dryer selections!

Misikko is offering a Hana Flat Iron to one of our readers (over $100 value)!  To enter, simply visit Misikko and then leave a comment here on our site.

Please Join Misikko’s twitter page http://www.twitter.com/misikko

Join their newsletter for an additional 3 entries!

For additional entries:

1) Subscribe to Does Mommy Love It? then leave a comment stating you did so.

2) Twitter about the contest and leave us a hyperlink to the tweet!

3) If you haven’t, please join our FACEBOOK FAN PAGE!

4) Write a post on your own blog about this giveaway and comment with the permalink to this post.

5) Grab our button and put it on your sidebar and comment with a link to your blog.

6) Email 5 of your friends and tell them why they should check out DoesMommyLoveIt?. Be sure to COPYus on the email (doesmommyloveit@gmail.com)! Then comment stating you did so.

This contest ends May 2nd, 2010 Midnight EST. Click here for contest rules at DoesMommyLoveIt.com!

This review is based strictly my opinion. Others may have a different opinion or experience with the product listed above.  Missiko provided the Hana Professional flat iron, and I provided my honest opinion. No other type compensation was received for this review.

107 Comments | In: Beauty | tags: babyliss, chi, curling irons, flat iron, hair dryers, Missiko. | #

As someone who was secretly thrilled to lose a bunch of pregnancy pounds by way of a nasty stomach flu, I am certainly no poster child for post-natal fitness.  So, I was naturally drawn to the tummy-shrinking Belly Bandit.  This bamboo fabric, compression wrap promises to help tighten your post-pregnancy middle while providing some much need core support.  It wraps snuggly around your waist and is secured with a 5” strip of Velcro.  I used the Belly Bandit for several weeks post-delivery and couldn’t have been happier.  It not only flattened out my belly but I was really thrilled with how much it helped tone up my labor-weary body.  Plus, the sleek design is virtually undetectable under clothing.  For simple sizing tips, check out their website. Responsible shoppers can relax knowing the Belly Bandit is made from sustainable bamboo in the USA. Now if only they made a Thigh and Booty Bandit …

This review is based strictly my opinion. Others may have a different opinion or experience with the product listed above.  Belly Bandit provided the product, and I provided my honest opinion. No other type compensation was received for this review.

3 Comments | In: Accessories, Beauty | tags: bamboo, Belly Bandit, organic, post natal, tummy. | #

I was first drawn into a Sabon boutique by the fresh aroma emanating out onto the street, as I would walk past.  Sabon boutique’s walls are lines with handmade bar soaps, body scrubs, their new line of fragrances, and more.  It’s hard to resist Sabon when your daily route in NYC passes by one of these luxurious shops.  One of my New Years resolutions is to nurture my body a bit more by taking care of my skin.  Using Sabon’s scrubs and creams have done the job thus far!

The Vanilla Body Polisher is perfect for the on-the-go mom.  It’s a liquid soap gel that gently exfoliates all in one step.  I am able to use this everyday and do not have to worry about my skin being stung by its potency.  It includes essential oils and available in various fragrances.  They also provide a complimentary pump for easy access!

My skin feels amazing after using Sabon’s organic rich butter cream after using the body polisher.  It is based on organic shea butter that is highly concentrated and intensely moisturizing.  It’s very effective and doesn’t leave my skin feeling greasy.  The organic oils such as macadamia nut oil, olive oil, and jojoba oil provide softness, glow, and elasticity.  This is butter cream is essential for the cold and dry winter months.

The best addition to my daily upkeep routine is spritzing Sabon’s rose perfume.  This their new line of products and they smell wonderful.  The rose is fresh, clean, and soft enough to use for day or night.

If you do not live in the New York area, Sabon is available online for purchase.  These make great gifts for friends, relatives, and husbands.  This is definitely something to keep in mind for Valentines Day!  Definitely check them out!

This review is based strictly my opinion. Others may have a different
opinion or experience with the product listed above. Sabon
provided the samples and  I provided my honest opinion. No
other type compensation was received for this review.

2 Comments | In: Beauty | tags: bar soap, Body products, lotions, perfume, Sabon, scrubs. | #

Beeluxe is a modern, organic personal care and home décor product line.  The core ingredient in their products is organic beeswax.  The beeswax is an earth friendly, renewable resource derived from a beehive. It is free of dyes and artificial fragrances.   As one extremely sensitive to fragrances, this line has worked well for me.

Their organic beeswax candles are fabulous.  The aroma is fresh and the beeswax allows it to burn cleaner and longer than the paraffin candles that I also own. It was a breath of fresh air. They have a variety of scents such as grapefruit and rosemary, lavender, and macintosh apple. These are perfect scents for the holidays.

Their body lotions are made from 85% organic honey and are light enough to use on hands and effective enough to treat the body. They carry a fantastic bar soap called the Great Bar of China which is scented with ylang ylang and mandarin. It is 85% organic and laced with organic honey, a natural antibacterial.  I love the raw look to this bar and the fact that it cleans my hands without stripping them of moisture.

Beeluxe will make great gifts for the holidays.  The fragrances are extracted from plants, which make them free of phthalates, parabens, sulfates, and other harmful substances.  Not only is Beeluxe organic but also made in the USA!

No Comments | In: Ages- Elementary, Beauty | tags: bar soap, Beeluxe, body lotion, candles, organic. | #