Lemongrass Spa - Review and a Giveaway!

So, what is Lemongrass Spa?  Some of you may have heard about it, but others may not.  Lemongrass Spa is a direct sales company that markets to women with its all natural and mostly organic skin care line.  Many products are vegan, which has its own market as well.  The line has everything from shampoo and conditioner (without harmful chemicals such as sulfates, parabens and phtalates), all the way down to foot scrubs.  You can literally remake your beauty routine over from head to toe.

I first used Lemongrass Spa for my son, when I tried out their Baby Wash.  I was searching for a natural product that wouldn't contain all those harsh chemicals that the typical store-bought baby wash contains.  Even some of the ones that are marketed as "natural" have some sort of additive that would irritate my little guy's newborn skin.  I noticed a friend of mine had begun selling something called Lemongrass Spa, so I asked her if they had a baby line.  She told me they did, so I ordered some of the baby wash.  She gave me a sample of the baby lotion to go along with it, and I tried that out as well.

The first time I used it, I wasn't sold.  It just didn't smell as good as some of those drug store baby washes.  It has a very mild scent, but it's not actually "scented".  The smell is from the natural ingredients that are found inside that cute amber colored bottle.  I continued using it because it was gentle on my son's skin, and it got him clean.  His skin was always super soft, and rarely did I ever need to put lotion on him, since the baby wash didn't dry him out.  I did try out the baby lotion on my own hands, and was surprised at how long my hands would stay hydrated after using it, even between washings.

When I ran out of his baby wash, I used some of the leftover store bought wash I had for a couple of days.  Immediately I noticed a difference in my son's skin.  It got splotchy, dry, and started to feel different.  I immediately contacted my friend to order some more, and I ordered the Baby on the Go Gift Set because we were going on vacation soon.  It contained baby lotion, baby wash, healing elements balm stick, massage oil, and a handy pack of 7th Generation travel baby wipes (as a mother of an infant, I was always up for extra baby wipes!).  I got the opportunity to try everything inside, and then I was wanting to try some other things from their product line.  My friend had included a sample of their Pink Grapefruit Body Polish, so I decided to try it out.  I had been using a really expensive body scrub from my local salon, which was also sugar based, and consisted of natural oils.  However, the Lemongrass Spa body polishes were about $20 per container cheaper, so I decided to give it a shot!  I loved the feel of the pink grapefruit body polish, but I really wanted to try a flavor that was more "tropical".  I told my friend what kind of scents I was looking for (something pineapple-y, mango-y, coconut-y...you see the theme I'm going for here).  She told me there was a Coconut Lime Vanilla Body Polish that I would probably like.  I went ahead and ordered some of that, along with the Fresh Mango Body Polish.  They arrived within a couple of days, and I was hooked.  I LOVE the way they moisturize my skin in the shower.  I use them daily to exfoliate.  They are great to use before you shave your legs, since they remove all the dead skin.  Sometimes I wait until after I've shaved to use it, and then I love to see the water bead up on my skin (it's like when your car has a fresh wax job...the water beads up and doesn't affect the shine!).  When I step out of the shower to dry off, I just pat dry, and I can feel the towel glide over my skin.  It's amazing!  I don't even need to use lotion, which is awesome!  However, I still do use lotion because I also fell in love with the Lemongrass Spa lotions, body icings, and whipped body butter!

So, I've been using the Lemongrass Spa products for two years now, and little by little, expanding my collection.  I was about to place yet another order for Body Polish (Vanilla Latte has become my new favorite!), when that lighbulb in my head flickered.  Why not become a consultant?  I love everything I've tried so far, but there were still many products I had not yet tried.  This way I could get many of the most popular products in the consultant kit at a HUGE savings (around $500 worth of product for $139!), and then when I needed to re-order I would get an automatic discount of at least 25%.  I had a few questions before I signed on the dotted line, so I talked with my friend to ask her a few questions.  I have done direct sales before, and the ordering requirements were just too high for somebody who's doing mostly for the personal discount to meet.  When she told me I would only need to order $25 of product each month in order to remain "active", I was sold.   I signed up online, and my consultant kit arrived the same week.

I couldn't wait to dig in and try everything out.  I'm happy to report that I have quit using all my regular skin care products.  My expensive cleanser (I used to pay $38 for a 6 oz. bottle of facial cleanser, and $60 for 2 oz. of moisturizer!!) are sitting in my bathroom cabinets UNUSED!  The Ultimate Face Kit for Normal to Dry Skin contained equivalent products and then some to what I had been using.  There is a gentle cleansing gel, a toner, the eye cream (which I never used before Lemongrass Spa), a moisturizer, a face polish (for exfoliating) and a face mask all in this kit.  The entire kit retails at only $79!  This kit was included in my consultant kit, and I'm so glad it was!  I have used all of it for about a week now, and I noticed a difference in the texture of my skin after the FIRST use!  Now that I have used it twice a day for a full week, I am happy to report that my skin is much more supple (it feels like I have baby soft skin again!!), hydrated, and even-toned.  I've had no breakouts, which is awesome because I'm prone to them.

I could go on and on, even more so than I already have, but you're not interested in what I have to say!  You just want me for my giveaway!!  So, here's the deal.  Enter the giveaway below, and one lucky winner will be chosen at Random, via the Rafflecopter app, to win their choice of ONE of the following sets.

Ultimate Face Kit for Normal or Dry Skin ($79 retail value)
Ultimate Face Kit for Oily or Acne Prone Skin ($79 retail value)
Pampering Baby Gift Set ($38 retail value)
Coconut Lime Vanilla Spa Ritual Collection ($54 retail value)
Men's Private Reserve Gift Set with Body Wash ($38 retail value)



a Rafflecopter giveaway

A must read for parents + a GIVEAWAY!

I recently received a copy of Recovering The Self: A Journal of Hope and Healing (Vol. III, No. 4) -- Focus on Parenting written by Holli Kenley. This journal is published monthly, and I was fortunate enough to be gifted the October issue which focuses on topics relevant to parenting. The issue is filled with a variety of articles, many which are inspiring.

As a parent myself, I found the personal stories in this issue particularly heartwarming. I could definitely relate to the memoir written by C. Saldana, In Love there is no Distance, Only Unity as another non-custodial mom. The messages in these articles can pertain to anyone that is a parent, whether their children are young or adults. Another article that I found to be especially pertinent in this day and age was Parenting a High-Tech Generation by Holli Kenley. Some of the ideas she wrote about to "unplug" ourselves in order to reconnect with our children and families make a lot of sense. In addition to the personal stories and the educational articles, there were some entertaining pieces as well. The piece by Mark Elswick titled Newborn to Dad: NO MultiTasking! was pretty funny and made me chuckle. It reminded me a little of my own husband.

There were several helpful articles that I thoroughly enjoyed reading throughout this issue. I will definitely be keeping up with this monthly journal at Recovering the Self and would recommend everyone to check it out and see for themselves! The publisher, Loving Healing Press has been kind enough to offer two free copies of the journal to my readers, in the winners choice of print or Kindle editions. Be sure to enter this giveaway below. There are NO mandatory entries!



I received a Kindle edition of this journal for the purpose of conducting this review. All the opinions expressed are my own and no monetary compensation has been received by me.

CouponCabin’s 25 Crazy Dayz of Giveawayz | Win 2 Clean Eating Cookbooks! |#CouponCabinHop

Welcome to CouponCabin’s 25 Crazy Dayz of Giveawayz! This multi-blog event is hosted by Simply Stacie, Makobi Scribe and Sassy Mama in LA and is sponsored by CouponCabin. This is the biggest event the blogosphere has seen with over 400 giveaways each at $25 value or more plus a huge giveaway with some major prizes like a MacBook Air, iPad2 & Visa Gift Cards. You can find all the giveaways from the participating blogs by visiting the host blogs, Simply Stacie, Makobi Scribe and Sassy Mama in LA. Each host blog will feature a different set of giveaways for you to enter!

No matter what type of coupon you're looking for, you'll find it and over 100,000 others at CouponCabin.com, a leading destination for coupon codes, printable coupons, deals and more. Now with a new and improved grocery coupons section and the largest selection of coupon codes that are guaranteed to work, CouponCabin is the best place to start your search for savings. This holiday season, CouponCabin is dedicated to making holiday savings as easy as pie by bringing you the best deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. You can also download our CouponDetector and we'll let you know when the site you’re shopping has coupons and deals available. Never pay full price again with help from CouponCabin.com!

CouponCabin is giving away the following fabulous prizes:
Grand Prize: MacBook Air (11-inch, 128GB; ARV $1,199)
2nd Runner Up: iPad2 (16GB, with Wi-Fi +3G; ARV $629) & $200 Visa Gift Card
3rd Runner Up: iPad2 (16GB, with Wi-Fi +3G; ARV $629)
4th Runner Up: $300 Visa Gift Card
5th Runner Up: $200 Visa Gift Card
6th, 7th, 8th and 9th Runner Ups: $100 Visa Gift Card each


Please visit Simply Stacie, Makobi Scribe and Sassy Mama in LA to enter the giveaway and make sure to say A Glimpse of My Life referred you! You can enter on all three sites or just one- it’s up to you! If you enter all three giveaways that just means more chances for you to win.

If you follow my blog, you know I'm a believer in Clean Eating. I'm such a believer that I have chosen to self-sponsor a giveaway for this event of two Clean Eating cookbooks, each valued at $19.95.  The winner will receive BOTH cookbooks, a total value of $39.90 USD.

The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook 2: More Great-Tasting Recipes That Keep You Lean

The Eat-Clean Diet for Family and Kids: Simple Strategies for Lasting Health and Fitness

The giveaway ends on November 25, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be selected at random and have 48 hours to reply back before a new winner is selected. Good luck!

Enter the other blogs' giveaways in the CouponCabin’s 25 Crazy Dayz of Giveawayz by visiting the links below!

D Whynn Designs - Made With Love Giveaway!

Welcome to the Made With Love Event hosted by The Reynolds Mom and Seventeen Sirens! This event features at least $25 or more in handmade prizes on each of the participating blogs. Be sure to go through the linky below and enter for your chance to win! This event will close on November 13th at Midnight EST. Good Luck!

I am very excited to announce that Debbie from D Whynn Designs is sponsoring this giveaway here and on my other blog Happy Baby Chronicles. D Whynn Designs features clothing fit for your little princess, currently offered in little girls sizes 2-6. I'm even MORE excited about the fact that she will be adding accessories (headbands, hair ties, bows, hats and bags), additional sizes of 3, 6 and 12 months, and stuff for little boys! I can't wait to see the boys' line and get some cute things for little T! Be on the lookout for new photographs of her most recent work, soon to come on her Facebook page and in her Etsy shop. A little birdie told me that Debbie's sewing machine has been whizzing away creating some adorable outfits just in time for Christmas.

Debbie creates all of her own designs and uses only high quality fabric, threads and finishes on her items. She is also able to do custom work upon request. If you're the winner, keep that in mind! In addition to finished items, D Whynn Designs also offers original patterns for sale, all of which are printed in full color with photos, diagrams and instructions. Be on the lookout for PDF Downloadable patterns coming soon!
One lucky winner (on each of my blogs!) will win a $25 gift card/store credit to D Whynn Design's Etsy Store!


The Made With Love Giveaway Event will begin on November 8th and will end on November 13th Midnight EST. This giveaway event is opened to residents specified on each participating blog (US, Canada, Worldwide, etc) that are 18 years or older. No purchase is necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law. The odds of winning are based on the number of entries received. This promotion is no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. Please understand that The Reynolds Mom, Seventeen Sirens, and the "Made With Love Giveaway Event" bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. However, we are responsible for contacting our sponsors regarding the winner's prize at the close of the giveaway. We expect that our sponsors will fulfill their prize agreement and ship them to the winners in a timely manner. Please allow 4-6 weeks for shipping. If, after 6 weeks, you have not received your prize, please contact the blog that you won a prize from for a follow-up.

Made With Love Winner

I'm pleased to announce the winner of the $25 GC/Store Credit to D Whynn Designs in the Made with Love event is:

Congratulations Angie!

Upcoming Giveaway Event-Need Sponsors!

Fall is fast approaching, and just as cooler temperatures and falling leaves are on the horizon, so is the Made With Love Giveaway Hop!

This AWESOME hop is being sponsored by The Reynolds Mom and Seventeen Sirens.

They're inviting up to 150 blogs to join in this handmade giveaway event!  Each prize item must be handmade by the sponsor.  I am one of the lucky bloggers to be participating in this event.  I'm seeking out artisans/crafters to sponsor a prize or prize pack, worth at least $25, of handmade goods to giveaway to one lucky reader on each of my blogs.  Items of interest would be handmade goods for babies and children such as clothing, cloth diapers, cloth wipes, child-themed artwork/decor, bedding/blankets/quilts, etc.  Of course, I'm open to suggestions, so if you are trying to gain visibility for your handmade goods, Etsy store, or whatever, I'd love to help get the word out about your goods!  

If you're interested in providing a prize/prize package for this giveaway, please contact me.

This giveaway goes live Tuesday November 8th and runs until November 13th.

You can click on the inlinkz below to view the other bloggers that will be participating in this event!

Bagnetic Review & Giveaway

Reusable grocery bags. Many of us have them, but I guarantee you the ones that you are always forgetting to take along to the store are NOTHING like these bags! Bagnetic® bags are shaped like a traditional plastic disposable grocery bag, and they have magnetic rings on their handles, which allow them to slip easily onto the bag stands at most grocery stores. These bags leave cashiers and Mother Nature smiling! They come in an assortment of colors, and can hold up to 30 pounds per bag! Watch the video below to see how Bagnetic® bags work.

Bagnetic® was founded in 2009 by a young entrepreneur, Ryan Bautista. Having travelled extensively, he noticed that litter from plastic bags was commonplace in most countries. Research into the plastic bag dilemma revealed that less than 1% of them are recycled worldwide. The vast majority end up in landfills, oceans or as litter, costing tax payers millions of dollars and harming valuable ecosystems. Inspired by Al Gore's documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth", Ryan felt it was time to contribute in reducing our carbon footprint. Ryan devised a way people can reduce their plastic bag consumption—all while adding affordable convenience to their shopping routine.

My review: I purchased my Bagnetic® bags online after seeing them featured on Zulily. When they arrived, I placed them on the included hook and into my car. On my next trip to the grocery store, I handed them over to the cashier. She started bagging as if they were the standard issue reusable grocery bags. I showed her the rings on the bags and told her they should slip right onto the bag stand (and they did). She was really impressed with how easy and fast she was able to bag my groceries after that, and commented how she wished all reusable bags were made like that. Upon leaving, I clipped my full Bagnetic® bags to the hook accessory which made for a quick exit out of the store. I’ve used them at Walmart as well. The clerk there didn’t need any instruction on how to use them and told me how much she liked them. In the past two weeks that I’ve been using these bags, the response has been very positive. On my end, they’re easy to transport and keep together, thanks to the magnetic rings. They’re also easy to wash, which I found out after a tub of salsa spilled into the bottom of one of the bags. The produce bags are really cool too ! They’re see through mesh, which allows the cashier to easily ring your produce at check-out. Best of all, they hold up to 15 pounds, and are washable as well.

Bagnetic® is offering one lucky reader a Family Pack of Bagnetic® bags which includes the following: Mixture of 4 Bagnetic Bags + 4 Reusable Produce Bags + 1 Jumbo Hook, a $24.99 value!

Win a $10 Amazon Gift Card

A Glimpse of My Life has moved to Blogger! So, to celebrate, and to attempt to entice some of you to join me over here, I'm doing my first giveaway!
You might ask, why the move?  Well, to be honest...I'm finding that Blogger is a little more versatile with the ability to use javascript code, which is a MUST for running some Linky's and Rafflecopter.  I was able to score an invite to Rafflecopter, and then I was super bummed that I wouldn't be able to use it on Wordpress.com.  Top that with the fact that Wordpress.com also doesn't support GFC (Google Friend Connect), and I was sold. It was time to relocate this piece of virtual real estate!