Swiffer Sweeper Winner!

We have a winner for the $40 Walmart Giftcard to buy a
                  Swiffer Sweeper vac! 

It is……

Yeah to my little south pacific friendy, Meredith!

Let’s connect over contact info!  
You do have a Walmart in Hawaii, right??  

Since this is just a Gift Card, I will mail to HI.  but in the future, I might have to limit my contests to continental US.  Sorry Girl!  But glad you one this one….it’s easy to mail! 

 

Thanks for entering everyone!

Swiffer Sweeper Vac – Review and Giveaway

When My Blog Spark asked me to review
the Swiffer Sweeper Vac, my response was…

Hello?  Do I not live with 3 crazy little llamas? 
Who leave a LOT of crumbs in their wake?

They sent me the neatest package… with canisters of all the samples to lay out on the floor and test out the Swiffer Sweeper Vac.   As if my floors weren't dirty enough!

So if you guessed in yesterday's post what was in those nifty canisters… below is the answer. 

I also received the Swiffer Sweeer vac
and the dry sweeper wipes that attach

 

Here is some information from the Swiffer site about the
Swiffer Sweeper Vac

The new Swiffer SweeperVac has a textured Swiffer Dry Sweeping Cloth to trap and lock fine dirt and dust plus a powerful cordless vacuum for grabbing larger pieces of crumbs, leaves, pet hair, and cereal. It's an amazing all-in-one tool for getting a clean you can feel.

Lightweight and compact, the new Swiffer SweeperVac works great on virtually any surface in your home and cleans better than a broom and dustpan. Plus it doesn't require any vacuum bags. You can easily dispose of dirt, dust, and particles from the see-through dirt cup with just one push of a button.

First—I assembled it… it was super easy!

Then plugged it in and being the impatient me that I am,
I did not give it much time to charge…
I was so eager to test drive this baby.

But within an hour (or less)  it was charged enough to begin sweeping… (Swiffer does recommend a full overnight charge to get the battery fully juiced)   

I then enlisted the help of my little llama

Super plus of the Sweeper Vac is that it is light enough for little ones to help do the sweeping.

    

Check out the swivel head action..
I always have crumbs hiding under the legs of my table and my broom and electronic sweeper just don’t get it.  But this Swiffer Sweeper Vac just sucked the crumbs and dirt right up.

Then, you can just detach the canister and toss the contents.

So how about seeing this little baby in action?  My little llamas helped me film a little video review for you!

Thoughts on the Swiffer Sweeper Vac

Pros--
-Light weight
-has a vacuum action
-can fit in tight spaces
-picks up a lot of dirt and crumbs, dust, hair, craft debris
-can fit in between your fridge and cabinet/counter if you have space there
-you can also use the Swiffer wet cloths on the Sweeper Vac (though not WHILE vacuuming!  And I would do that AFTER I did the vacuuming…but it is the same holder for cloths as the regular swiffer)
-I charged mine completely and left it out in my kitchen unplugged for a few days and it continued to work well for 3 days straight without charging…but I was just sweeping up my kitchen and DR.

Things to consider--
-Needs a plug to charge.  This can be tricky if you are keeping in a closet
-It didn’t do great at picking up the big big items.
                   (but for me, that is stuff I can grab by hand easily)
-Does not work well on carpet.  Though I did run it over a thin floor rug and it picked up some paper scraps.   I think it depends on how thick your carpet it is…but not recommended for carpet (the pad makes it get stuck)
-If you are needing to sweep your entire house it may not hold the charge

Overall Thoughts--
I was impressed with the vacuum ability.  I will admit at first I wondered how much it could really pick up.  But this little Swiffer Sweeper Vac really surprised me.  I have been using an electronic sweeper…and while I like it,  it (my current sweeper) has no vacuum ability. 
              So I either use my electronic sweeper, or I have to drag out my HUGE vacuum.   The Swiffer Sweeper Vac is a great addition to my cleaning, especially to pick up the crumbs, dust, dirt, and hair.  I think this is a great option for anyone with small and messy children and hard floors.

This Mama Llama gives the
Swiffer Sweeper Vac 2 thumbs up.

So--- here is the exciting news! 
Swiffer wants to give one my readers a chance to
try the Swiffer Sweeper Vac out for themselves! 

They are providing one of YOU with a
$40 gift card to Walmart
so you can purchase your own Swiffer Sweeper Vac!

How can you win?
1-Leave a comment
Just leave a comment letting me know the room that most need the Swiffer Sweeper Vac

2- Tweet about this Giveaway!
“I just entered to win a $40 Walmart Giftcard for a Swiffer Sweeper Vac from @Littlellamas”
   -- Come back and leave a comment that you did!

3- Subscribe to Little Llamas or Follow me on Twitter
Just let me know you did!
4- Join the Facebook Page for Little Llamas

Winner will be chosen Wednesday by Random.org!

Rules:
Contest Ends Tuesday at 11:59\
Only 1 comment per entry (leave a comment for each entry you do)
This giveaway is open to US Residents aged 18 and older.
Be sure to make there is a way to contact you in your comment
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.  
Winner has 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.


**The Swiffer SweeperVac, refills, information and Walmart gift card to give away were all provided by P&G through MyBlogSpark.  The opinions stated above are my own.

Eco-Store USA WINNER!

We have a winner for the $25 gift card to Eco Store USA

Dina from 4 Letter Words

Contact me ASAP to and I will have the Eco Store Gift certificate sent to you!

Thanks for getting to know the Eco Store products a little more and happy spring cleaning everyone!

 

**Winner chosen from RANDOM. org
---PS—and I did count the commenterd who left their comments on my main blog “teaser” post. 

Eco Store USA

 

Let me introduce you to an all natural company
called Eco Store USA

I was recently asked do a product review of this company and was so impressed by the products they produce. 

Ecostore was founded over 15 years ago by a couple in New Zealand living in and Eco village.  In order to protect the families, the water supply, and environment, they created household cleaning products using plant-based ingredients that would biodegrade safely and quickly. 

Ecostore has trademarked the phrase “No Nasty chemicals” and explains what it means for a product to really be  “Green”. 

Each product is created using plant based ingredients that
are free of:

• Parabens
• Glycols
• Sodium Laurel Sulfates

Ecostore provides household cleaners, body and bath, baby, and hair products.

I was given the opportunity to test and review 2 products of my choice.  I chose the Natural Antibacterial Cleaner and the Baby Body Wash.

Natural Antibacterial Citrus Spray

Price--$10.00
Refill bottle-- $7.00

Nice Lemon smell

I loved that I could clean both kitchen and bath with this product.  I also love that with natural products you can even clean glass and mirrors (though it doesn’t say you can, I did anyway) without streaks.  It also did great on stainless appliances.  I even used it to spot clean my kitchen floor.  I love knowing that my children can eat off the surfaces and I don’t have to worry about the toxins.

 

 Baby Wash- Aromatherapy

 

Price- $10.00

The smell is like a eucalyptus mint and calmed both me and Helen down!  Also, like most natural products, a little goes a long way, so I didn’t have to use nearly as much product.   With a small baby, you could use a body wash on the hair (I did with Helen) but older children, I would use a shampoo

I felt great using this on Charlotte’s skin that has Eczema flare ups.  I think using a gentle natural product is much better than an abrasive soap product. 

 

Overall Opinion Thoughts?

I thought the products were great and I am all for using more natural products.  I like the information they provide on what it means for a product to TRULY be Green.   I know I am guilty of just trusting the that the Simply Green Products from Clorox are really safer…and while they may be better for me than the real Clorox Bleach, they are not really Green.

The Price does seem a little high for my budget, but the products have lasted a LONG time… which is usually the case with natural products.   And I believe that quality products are often worth paying more for. 

I felt great cleaning around the children and surfaces the children use and surfaces that I do food prep on.  It was nice knowing that the products were 100% safe.

So…do you want to try out some
Eco Store Products of your own?

Ecostore is giving 1 of my readers a $25 gift certificate
to purchase anything in their online store
that you would like to try!

1-Leave a comment
Visit the EcoStore Site and leave a comment with the 2 products you would like to try.

2- Follow Eco Store on Facebook and/or Twitter
Just let me know you did!

3- Subscribe to Little Llamas or Follow me on Twitter
Just let me know you did!

4-  Tweet this:
I just entered to win a $25 gift certificate to @ecostoreusa from @littlellamas

Winner will be chosen Monday by Random.org!

Rules:
Leave a comment for every entry above you do.
This giveaway is open to US Residents aged 18 and older.
Winner may not have won an EcoStore Giveaway in the past 6 months.

Be sure to make there is a way to contact you in your comment
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by
e-mail.   Winner has 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

**Ecostore provided the above products for me to use and review along with a $25 gift certificate to their store for one reader.  All of the opinions stated are my own**

Veggie Tales- Pistachio

 

Big Idea recently offered for me to review their newest release, 

Pistachio: The Little Boy that Woodn’t.

We don’t have a ton of Veggie Tales movies, but I do like them and was happy to add another family friendly option to our collection.

When I asked Charlotte what the movie was about, this is what she said :  (Charlotte is 4)

Pistachio lied about his father being a fisherman but really he was a toymaker.   The father’s name was Gelato.  He learned to obey his father and not to lie.   “Mustachio” (I think she meant Pistachio) got lost, and he remembered that his dad told him to listen.  And then he got swallowed by a whale (I thought at first she got this one confused with Jonah…but no, on further review of the movie, there is definitely a whale scene)  then the whale spit every one back on to the sand. 

Synopsis---

Like most Veggie Tales Movies do, Pistachio imitates a well known story, and in this case (you guessed it) it imitates Pinocchio. 
Gelato is the father (a toy maker) and he makes a beautiful wooden toy Pistachio. 

Pistachio has a hard time listening and obeying his father, and is influenced by some bad friends to disobey his dad.  Gelato shares the parable of the shepherd going after the 1 lost sheep and Pistachio remembers this when he gets lost at the fair.  He realizes that his father loves him and that he should have listened to him.

Here is a trailer to the Movie

 
My thoughts--
It is a great family friendly movie that promotes a Christian Principle.  However the movie itself isn’t necessarily Christian.   It does share a Bible Verse at the end of the movie.

-I think the songs are particularly silly in this movie.  There is of course one “Silly Song”—Where have the Staplers Gone, but the songs seem to all be a little sillier than usual

Charlotte has loved watching this movie, and asks to watch it again and again.  She loves the silly songs.   Carson is not really my tv/movie eat watching child unless it is a Diego movie, and he actually stayed engaged during the movie.

Price-- $14.99
You can buy it at any Christian Book Stores or on Amazon

So if you are looking for something to toss in the Easter Basket, I would consider picking this movie up to add to your collection. 

So…What is your favorite Veggie Tales Movie??


*Big Idea provided me with a copy of “Pistacchio: The Boy that Woodn’t” for the purpose of this review.*

Caress Winner!

**Winner**

 Josh and Carrie Anne said...

I shower whenever I get the chance. I prefer the mornings but it is rare that I get that opportunity. Sometimes I shower at night but then I wake up with crazy hair. Sometimes I shower after Josh gets home so he can watch the kids while I get fresh. I almost NEVER shower during naptime though hate to waste my few quiet moments in the shower!

------------------

Hope you enjoy your exfoliating!!!
Email me with your address and Caress will get you your products!

Caress before you dress!

Isn’t that what their slogan used to be?
I admit I am not a huge body wash girl.  I am a boring plain soap user.  So when Caress asked me to try out some of their new Skinwear Collection line of soap and body wash, I thought
“Sure, why not!” 

I am the Queen of dry skin in the winter.  So an exfoliating body wash…right up my ally.

They sent me the body wash and bar soap of Evenly Gorgeous.
Evenly Gorgeous by Caress is an exfoliating body wash/bar. 

Caress claims that these products:

“gently exfoliate and lusciously moisturize to reveal smooth, even toned skin.” 

I have been using it now for past 2 weeks and honestly am quite pleased with it... and think it meets up to its claims.

~~Both have a Great Scent –
Burnt Brown Sugar and Karite Butter
I thought at first it might be too similar to cocoa butter for me (which I am not personally a fan of) but the scent is not as strong as cocoa butter, and not vanilla.  It is definitely a scent I like.

First—the Exfoliating Body Wash

• Lathers up well…really well.
• Can even wash face (watch exfoliating grit near your eyes, but I liked the exfoliating factor on my face)
• Could smell it after shower for a while – I like this
• Dropped the bottle (3 times)and the cap didn’t break
• My skin really does appear not as dry

Things to consider--

• Not great to shave with (because of the exfoliating grit)
• It’s definitely more of a wash than a scrub

Next--  The Exfoliating Beauty Bar

• All the same great things above other than the fact that unless you rub the bar on your body, you don’t get the exfoliating factor. 
  
• Personally, I like to rub bar soap on my hands and then wash with my hands or a washcloth… so if you do that you don’t get the benefits of the exfoliating
  
• The bar soap does not leave that dry your skin out kind of clean feel… for bar soap it is VERY moisturizing.

Overall thoughts??
I have enjoyed using the products and think if you are a diehard Bath and Body Works body wash user, you should branch out and consider this (much cheaper than BBW)

I like smelling like this sugary goodness WAY more than just clean “soap” .  It added a feminine touch that left a lingering scent… great on nights when I shower before bed.   

Caress wants you to give them a try too!  

Leave a comment!!
And share whether you shower in the morning
or evening… or while babies nap! 

I will randomly choose a winner on Friday and Caress will send you some Evenly Gorgeous products to try out for yourself!

*Disclosure- Caress did not compensate me for this review.  They did, however, provide me with products to keep for the purpose of this review. The above review is my own opinion and thoughts on the product