Review of Palmers Skin Therapy Oil (Rosehip fragrance)

*Proceed with caution: post contains photos of my dry skin*

The product

When I first received this product, I looked at the packaging and thought, hmm, now what should I target since the skin therapy oil is supposed to improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks, dry, damaged skin, uneven skin tone and aging skin?

Thankfully, I don't have aging skin (yet!), and stretch marks aren't really bothering me (maybe I'm a bit blind to see them or am in denial), but I do have a major problem with dry skin at the back of my heel.

Before

I remember I used to frequent a nail salon before I got married and they would slather Vitamin E oil on my dry skin (something found in Palmers' products) and I remember I even bought a bottle of that oil and my heel got so much better. And then I think I forgot or got lazy - or both - and then I had children and you'd understand why the skin on my heel stayed forgotten, until about a month back.

I decided to put Palmers Skin Therapy Oil to the test - there's a slight fragrance which I quite like, and I'd apply it to my foot after my bath at the end of the day - if I remembered. 

After a month of on-and-off-applications and exfoliating when the aging brain works, here's the result:

After

Much better, don't you think? I'm hoping that it'd get even better with time.

*This is the last instalment of my Palmers review*

Disclosure: I received a bottle of Palmers Skin Therapy Oil (Rosehip fragrance) for this review.

Review of Palmers' Cocoa body scrub

When I think of body scrubs, I think of the times that I was sans children. That is how long I've not had a body scrub.

When I was asked to review Palmers' body scrub, I thought to myself, when will I ever have the chance to review this since I don't get to have a bath lasting more than 10 minutes to myself?

I'm so glad to say that this review presented me with the opportunity that I've not had in more than four years - yes, I had the chance to use the body scrub! I made time for it to happen. After washing my children up, and passing them over to my hubby, I decided that I deserved to have that extra 5-10minutes to myself to try out this product.

As I used the body scrub, I felt like I was indulging in chocolate cream, for that was what the bathroom smelt like while I was using it. While I took in the fragrance of the cocoa body scrub, it was the rinsing off the scrub that truly made my night. My skin was so smooth and supple and I smelt super nice. Top that off with a body moisturiser after drying off with a towel, I must say that I am totally in love with this body scrub.

Palmers' Cocoa body scrub contains cocoa and shea butter which address dry, sensitive skin and help keep skin hydrated and supple. The natural micro-crushed cocoa beans exfoliate without drying the skin out as it contains Vitamin E for skin renewal.

If you are in need of a pampering experience but have no time to go to a spa, why not pick up a tub of Palmers' body scrub today? Palmers has been in the market for over 170 years and over 20 million women have benefited from the stretch mark product range. You can be sure that this body scrub will not disappoint! :)

This is the first of a series of reviews of Palmers' products. Stay tuned for more great product reviews!

Disclosure: I received a tub of Palmers' Cocoa butter formula body scrub for this review.

Review of Palmers facial products range

When I think of Palmers, I think of their stretch mark range of products but I have to introduce you to these two new product launches by Palmers for their facial products range. Sure they are good at preventing stretch marks, but do the new products for the face measure up?

This is the daily cleansing gel for sensitive skin. It is fragrance free and mild and it's a foaming facial wash. Cocoa butter and peptides moisturise the skin while aloe vera soothes and calms sensitive skin. 

My review:

I like that it comes with a pump - and one light pump is all you need for one wash. Although it states that it's fragrance-free, I still detect a mild scent but I think that is the natural scent of the ingredients rather than an artificial scent. I have combination skin and I find this gel sufficient to remove the oil without drying out the rest of the skin. What I didn't quite like is that it really foams! - lots of bubbles and lather to wash off but I think I'm grousing because I'm just not used to a foaming facial wash. After cleansing my face of light makeup, this cleansing gel is also good enough to freshen me up.

What I really like is the next product!:

This purifying mask really tightens and cools as it claims on the packaging! I used it three times a week for two weeks and I can really feel the difference. Actually, I fell in love with it the first time I used it. I felt the coolness and the skin tightening - and after washing it off after (no more than) 10minutes, my face really felt like it had its impurities drawn out and it was so smooth! Follow up with your usual skin care routine after washing off the mask.

If you are looking for a mask to apply at home, you could really get Palmers' purifying mask and try it out yourself! :)


Disclosure: I received a bottle of Palmers Daily Cleansing Gel and a tube of Palmers Purifying Mask for this review.

Watch out for the last of my series of reviews for Palmers: Palmers's Skin Therapy Oil (Rosehip fragrance)

Review of Wikkistix (and readers promo)

Who said that you need to get all messy to have fun? Well, you know I'm all for messy fun, but every now and then, I'd also like to take a breather and let my kids have fun without the mess.

When I was asked to review a pack of Wikki Stix, I was quite excited to explore what we could do with it. Wikki Stix are essentially yarn coated with non-toxic patented wax (made in USA) - sticky and reusable, and do not stain the surface they touch. Yes, you are reading right - this is something kids can have fun with without a mess you have to clean up after.

Honestly, it arrived on a day that I needed something to jazz up handwriting practice (homework from school). She was trying to distract me from making her finish up her work and then I suddenly thought, why not use the Wikkistix to make tedious and boring homework more fun? I'd planned to introduce the stix to her after she was done with her work but heck, I found a better plan!

I showed her the stix and twisted them to make the number that she was supposed to practise writing. Suddenly, there was so much fervour to get the writing done!

Then of course, she had to have a go at making the numbers herself... and continue writing.

While she was writing, I was thinking these would be great for making her count objects then use the stix to form the answer too. And we could use them for illustrating word families like cat, sat, mat, bat, using different coloured sticks for the beginning consonant, leaving /at/ as the fixed variable. And if you have many stix to play with, you could use these to form pictures too or even 3D objects.

She was twisting the stix together to make pretty 'candy canes'

And when homework was finished (within minutes - which could have very well been much longer without the Wikkistix), it was time to explore the stix further!

The sample pack I received came with 8 sticks and an activity sheet. She used the stix to join the dots.

Naturally, Alex was interested in the wikkistix too! :P

Ta da! Finished the activity with the stix!

Using Wikkistix to do dot-to-dot activities means that the activity sheet can be reused since no pencil/ crayon was used in the process - so environmentally friendly! And we all know how kids love to do the same thing over and over again. :)

I just had to do this - use Wikkistix to form Chinese characters! These sticks are soooo malleable, they are perfect for creating Chinese characters.

Done! For the small strokes which she folded the sticks many times to form (see picture above), we easily stretched them out again without the stix breaking or losing its sticky property.

I also revived my 四五快读 word cards for this activity. I chose words that were 8 strokes or less (as I only had 8 stix). Some of these words are familiar while some are new - I brought out familiar words first to make the task seem less daunting.

I formed words and made her fill in the missing stroke:

Then it was time for free play:

And she started to form shapes on her own:

On another occasion, I took out this dot-to-dot activity book she has for her to play with her stix:

She happily formed the alphabet first:

Then proceeded to join the dots:

Certainly, there are many more ways to play with these stix and you can find some great ideas here.

And for those who are looking for a way to teach the digestive system to your kids (and I know many moms who are doing this!), here's a really cool way:

Image from Wikki Stix

Because these are so small, light and portable, you can bring these anywhere to entertain your child on the go - on car rides, waiting for the food at the restaurant etc. Certainly easier to bring out than a colouring book plus crayons! A great busy bag idea if you just dump these into a ziploc bag with perhaps a couple of sheets of dot-to-dot activities or words for word formation etc.

The best part I think is that it's non-toxic (food colouring safe) so even if Alex does accidentally mouth it, it's not gonna be serious. Of course, I'm not letting him eat it or play with it unsupervised. After all, these sticks are so malleable, they could be made very small if you bend it many times. In case you are wondering, I didn't let him play with them - the instruction on the bag does say it's for age 3 years and up! :P

These stix initially started out really very sticky and left a sticky feeling on my fingers (easily removed with water and a bit of soap if needed) but after one session of playing, I felt that the level of stickiness was just nice - sticks well to whatever you're sticking it on without leaving that gooey feeling on the fingers. After a week of playing with them, these stix are still sticky enough so I think they should have quite some shelf life, in case you're wondering.

But most important of all, they do not stain. I just can't say this enough!

These stix are also useful for children with special needs and you can read more about the uses here.

Overall, I'd recommend Wikkistix to my readers for the possibilities they offer are endless. :)

With these, you can go grab your cuppa and enjoy it while your kid indulges in clean, sensorial play :)

Good News!

For readers of Simply Mommie, you can enjoy a special 10% discount off your online purchases. Simply key in Blog1209 when checking out your items at Wikkistix.


Wikkistix offers free delivery worldwide, no minimum purchase.

Disclosure: I received a sample pack of Wikkistix for this review.

Review and Giveaway: Scotch™ Kitchen Scissors from 3M

The kitchen scissors is one of the most important tools in the kitchen, especially for me as I always use it to clean up the meat and bones I buy from the wet market to boil soups for the family.

What I dislike most about cleaning the scissors after that is how I can’t clean the blades thoroughly.

The picture of my ordinary kitchen scissors:

See the circled portion in the pic? It’s almost impossible to get it thoroughly clean!

Besides not being able to get some parts of the scissors clean, homemakers and frequent kitchen users are often unaware of the amount of bacteria a simple kitchen scissors can harbour. Like the cutting board, ordinary stainless steel surfaces of regular kitchen scissors can become uneven over time, creating ridges and rough spots which trap food residue. Consequently, conducive breeding grounds for bacteria such as Escherichiacoli and Salmonella are formed, and the probability of cooking contamination and food-borne illness is increased.

Given the risks of contamination and having to change my kitchen scissors very often (read: not very economical to have to keep buying new kitchen scissors!), I was very pleased when I was invited to review Scotch™Kitchen Scissors from 3M.

The Scotch™ Kitchen Scissors from 3M

The scissors when the blades are detached

This is what I do regularly throughout the week – washing and cleaning up the chicken bones for boiling soups. It’s so easy to use this pair of scissors: cuts through the bones with little effort!

Besides using it as just a pair of kitchen scissors, I put it to the test the other day when I needed to cut through some plastic bottles to make something fun for my daughter:

Cutting with the 3M scissors

And let the fun begin!:

It wasn’t all that easy cutting through the thick plastic, but we were thankful that we had a pair of scissors that could cut through the bottles!

About Scotch™ Kitchen Scissors from3M

These are the main features of Scotch™ Kitchen Scissors:

· Country of origin: Blades are made in Japan (Japan-made JFE SUS420J2Stainless Steel);the parts are assembled in China

· Design: symmetrical shape for comfortable cutting and shearing

· Blades:

(a) Its micro-serration blades add an extra level of sharpness so the device is strong enough to cut through meat and bones, yet delicate enough to snip fresh herbs and fruits.

(b) Scotch™ Kitchen Scissors come in 2 functions - detachable and non-detachable.

(c) Blades are treated using 3M’s unique electro-polishing process to combat growth of microbes and bacteria and enhance the material’s ability to resist corrosion.

My Detailed Review

(a) Easeof Use:

Blades are easily detachable during washing but stays firm during cutting. Ergonomic design makes the scissors comfortable to use.

Overall, it’s well-designed and easy to use.

(b) Washing:

The scissors is very easy to clean and the detachable blades allow the whole pair of scissors to be cleaned and dried for hygiene purposes.

(c) Quality:

The blades are sharp and cut very well!

(d) Overall Value:

Scotch™ Kitchen Scissors come in 2 functions -detachable (S$19.90 with GST) and non-detachable (S$15.90 with GST). I personally prefer the detachable blades scissors for greater hygiene – for just $4 more, why not? J

What I like about it:

· Very easy to use, wash and dry

· Gives me peace of mind to know that my scissors is really very clean - especially when the same pair of scissors is used for cutting raw meat and snipping fruits into smaller pieces.

· Provides an alternative to using the chopping board and knife (I have one less item to clean!)

What can be improved:

· The non-detachable blade scissors could be made available at a lower price as I feel that the main feature I love about this pair of scissors is the detachable blades.

Win Your Own

Stand to win! 10 pieces of Scotch Premium Kitchen Scissors worth $15.90 each up for grabs!

How to Win

Answer this question: Scotch Premium Kitchen Scissor helps to reduce bacteria breeding for better food safety.

True or False

Send your answer, name, I/C number, mobile, email address and indicate which blog you have seen this contest to officebiz@mmm.com by 27 Aug 2012.

Other Information

· This contest is open to Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 18 years and above.

· It will run from 7 Aug –27 Aug 2012. Announcement of winners will be on 1 Oct 2012.

· Terms and conditions* apply.

Submit your entry now and good luck!

Scotch™ Kitchen Scissors from 3M is available at at all leading hypermarkets, supermarkets, D.I.Y stores and major bookstores.

For more information, please contact 3M at 64508888

*Terms and Conditions

No purchase is necessary.

One entry per person. The contest is open to Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 18 years and above By participating in this contest, you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. 3M employees and their immediate family members are not eligible to participate. Incomplete entries and/or entries received after the above stipulated time and date will be disqualified. 3M will not be responsible for the loss of opportunity to participate due to entries not received or for any other reason(s). The selection of winners is up to 3M's discretion. Contest Duration: 7 Aug to 27 Aug 2012 | Announcement of winners: 1st Oct 2012 All winners will be notified by post. The judges’ decision is final and no further correspondence will be entertained. Each winner is only entitled to one Scotch Premium Kitchen Scissors for the duration of the contest. Prizes must be claimed personally with proof of identification provided at time of entry. In the event of any discrepancy between the entry received and the documents produced for verification, the entry will be deemed as disqualified and the prize forfeited. Prizes are not exchangeable for cash or other products. 3M reserves all rights to replace any of the prizes with other items of similar value without any prior notice. If the winner is unable to collect the prize personally, he/she has to issue an authorisation letter to authorise another party to collect on his/her behalf. Identification of the authorised person and the winner must be produced at the point of collection. Winners are responsible for arranging transport, delivery and insurance of his/her own prize, and all taxes, charges, levies, fees and all other charges in relation thereto. 3M reserves the right to replace any winner if he/she is disqualified. Failure to redeem your prize or to produce the required documents for identification within one month of notification will result in the prize being forfeited and donated to charitable organisations. The decisions of 3M on all matters relating to this contest are final, conclusive and binding and no correspondence will be entered into. 3M reserves the right to change the Terms and Conditions as it deems fit, without prior notice. 3m will not be liable for any claims, costs, injuries, losses or damage of any kind whatsoever arising from or in connection with this contest or with the acceptance or possession of any prize (including, without limitation, claims, cost, injuries, losses, or damages related to personal injuries, death, damage to, loss or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation, or portrayal in a false light). 3M accepts no responsibility for any tax implications that may arise from the prizes or the use thereof. Any tax filing obligation or any tax payment due to any tax authority as a result of receipt of the prizes remain the sole responsibility of the winner. It is the responsibility of each participant/winner to seek independent advice on the possible implications this may have on his/her own financial situation.

Disclosure: This is an advertorial and I received a pair of Scotch™ Kitchen Scissors from 3M (detachableblades) for the review.

Review of HeART Studio

We had been looking forward to the art class trial all week and we were glad when Saturday finally arrived. :) Alicia had not attended any classes since a long time ago so she was quite apprehensive when she entered the class. She'd been asking if mummy would be going in with her throughout the car ride there. I wonder why she was so apprehensive considering she attends a 3-hour nursery on weekdays...

Nevertheless, she was willing to pose for a shot before class started, all ready to begin with the apron provided. And that the teacher was friendly and approachable helped a lot too in easing the tension. :)

Alicia attended the class for 3-4 year olds (little Dali) and the theme for that day's lesson was flowers.  Their teacher was lively and animated and definitely captured the kids' attention. First he explained that they would be painting either a daisy or a sunflower for the lesson.

Then he went on to tell the kids about the colours they could choose for the background:

After that, the kids were asked to pick a colour each and start painting the canvas with the acrylic paint. My lil girl chose red instead of her favourite colour blue! But I decided not to interfere. :P

They were then supposed to dry their own paintings before moving on to the next step. There were only 2 hairdryers (there were a total of 5 kids that day) so they had a chance at turn-taking.

Next, they were asked to choose a colour and draw a big/small circle depending on whether they chose to draw the sunflower or daisy. 

Alicia tried to jump the gun by drawing in the petals...

Then they chose a colour for the petals. She was a bit afraid to spill the paint when mixing so the teacher helped her out.

In the midst of painting her daisy

Filling the petals with colour

Then off to the hairdryer again!

Next up, they could choose any colour to outline their flower with the oil pastels provided.

The teacher explained how to do the outline as well as fill in details in the centre of the flower and the details on the petals.

Once she was done, she was off to the washing area to clean her hands. I like that the sinks are at the right height for the kids and the area is kept dry. And she even got a small towel to dry her hands!

End of class and that's her masterpiece. Not particularly outstanding because of her choice of colours but I'm glad the teacher respected her choices and allowed her to proceed.

And with such a nice teacher, we just had to have a photo taken together! :)

We arrived just on time for the lesson so I took just a few shots of the place quickly after class ended - you can see that there are 3 classrooms (for the 3 age groups - 3-4 yo (little Dali), 5-6 yo (little Picasso) and 7-12 yo (Young Van Gogh)):

And here's the other side of the corridor:

If you're interested to paint with your child, you can even opt for the Splash! on Canvas class (age 5 and above). Please call for more information. :)

And of course, if you have people waiting for you in that 1 hour, they can always wait at the waiting area which is beautifully painted by the teachers:

My hubby and Alex (and yummy durian puffs from a nearby bakery)

Good news!

For readers of Simply Mommie, you can enjoy a special 5% discount if you take up a term (10 lessons) at HeART studio. Simply quote HSTSMB6 to enjoy this discount!

HeART Studio:

101 Soo Chow Walk Singapore 575385

Tel: (65) 65547563

Email: info@heartstudiosg.com

www.heartstudiosg.com

Disclosure: We were invited to attend a complimentary trial class. All opinions expressed are my own.