Giveaway! Bare Escentuals Eye Cream

February 12, 2010 By 10 Comments

It’s time for a giveaway here at Casa d’Ewokmama!  One lucky winner will be chosen at random to receive the RareMinerals Eye Cream (a $28 value).  According to Bare Escentuals, this eye cream will:

Visibly diminish fine lines and wrinkles, restore firmness, and reduce puffiness around your delicate eye area for smoother, firmer, brighter skin. Infused with our RareMinerals ActiveSoil Complex, this groundbreaking eye cream uses mineral electrolytes and Marine Peptides to rejuvenate skin around the eyes instantly and over time.

Rules of entry:

  1. Head over to the Bare Escentuals site to check out the Rethink What Matters campaign and this week’s challenge of “Rethink Public Displays of Affection.”
  2. Come back here and leave a comment telling me about your best or worst memory connected to Valentine’s Day for 1 entry.
  3. Get a 2nd entry by tweeting about this giveaway (please leave a comment with your Tweet link here) on Twitter.
  4. All comments and tweets must be submitted by Thursday, February 18 to be entered.
  5. Winner will be announced Friday, February 19.
  6. This contest is open to everyone, including first time commenters.

Good luck!

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Rethink What Matters

February 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Bare Escentuals is starting a new campaign and asking all of us to “Rethink What Matters.”  Everyone who participates in the weekly quizzes will get a chance to win a BE product instantly, as well as have their name added to the list of those eligible to win the grand and runner up prizes.  In addition, I’ll be hosting a giveaway for the RareMinerals Eye Cream beginning 2/12.  Be sure to come back here to enter!

From Bare Escentuals:

Rethink what a revolution looks like, from going bare in public to what freedom feels like. Bare Escentuals, the mineral makeup pioneer, invites you to shake up that foundation and sound off on topics that are more than just skin-deep with their new campaign, Rethink What Matters.

Born from employees rethinking makeup itself – the beauty brand found looking good is not about using artificial gunk to cover imperfections, but about enhancing what you’ve got. In keeping with their wink-wink approach to marketing (Love MATTE Campaign), Bare Escentuals unveils playful taglines to help start honest conversations with your girlfriends. “BareMinerals SPF15 Foundation feels completely weightless, but gives you all the flawless coverage you need. Like you are wearing nothing at all.”

Bare Escentuals invites you to give rethinking a try, too. Every week at RethinkWhatMatters.com, a new discussion topic will be featured with five questions for you to answer and share with your friends by email, Facebook and Twitter. What’s in it for you? Well, good karma for one. And free products and other fantastic goodies. Plus for a few really lucky ladies, an even bigger reward that will definitely make rethinking worth your while.

This week’s topic is Rethink Your Environment.  RareMinerals Blush will be given to 500 randomly chosen participants.  Go check it out!

Full disclosure – I am not receiving any compensation or products for this post.  I like the opportunity to win free stuff and think you do, too.  One of my blog readers will win Bare Escentuals Eye Cream from the company in an upcoming contest.  Good luck!
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A different kind of fairytale

November 3, 2009 By 5 Comments

Jack has a vivid imagination.  He often pretends to turn me into a princess (sometimes I’m a good princess and sometimes I’m a bad princess – he is usually a bad guy).  The kid may have magical powers after all…

As many of my friends can tell you, I need some serious help when it comes to fashion (just don’t listen if they tell you that I wear white socks with black shoes – I haven’t done that for years now!).  I have been wearing the same pair of (now squeaky) shoes for about two years.  Not too long ago I was walking behind a co-worker and he turned around to say, “Wow, you sure aren’t sneaking up on anybody!”  I only own two pairs of sneakers (black and brown) and two pairs of semi-dressy shoes (flats, also black and brown), plus one set of cheapy Walgreens flip flops.  I own three bras, one of which fits correctly (although it’s my least favorite) and none of which are strapless.  I have a week’s worth of outfits that consist mostly of jeans and a dwindling supply of Aeropostale t-shirts that I bought on sale.  There may be one or two blazers in my closet but I do not have slacks to match.  I have one dress that fits and I’m pretty sure it’s fugly.  The only coat I have anymore (that fits) has buttons missing.

Make-up?  I haven’t bought any in a few years now.  Handbag?  I have one from Nine West that I got over two years ago.  I like it because it has lots of pockets, but it’s green.  I don’t own a single other green piece of clothing.  The green bag was all that was on sale at the time.

There are many reasons why my wardrobe is in this state.  The number one reason is that I’m a working mom who is also going to school.  I don’t have time to shop, especially in a real store where I could try things on.  I do most of my shopping online and end up returning most of it (because I’m petite but I have curves and this seems to boggle the minds of many designers).

Also, I don’t have a lot of money to spend on myself.  I have been strapped for cash for years now due to my significant other’s schooling or debt accrued during the divorce or this craptastic unemployment-laden economy.  Updating the contents of my closet (beyond replacing things that have fallen apart with the cheapest options possible) never fell on the list of things “necessary to live.”

A couple of weeks ago I stumbled upon a contest at momversation.com to win a $1500 Target gift certificate and help with creating my new wardrobe.  This was about the same time that I spent a chunk of cash taking my cat to the vet, got a $253 parking ticket, and shelled out $700 for a new crown because I have crappy dental insurance (the tab has since increased to $1200 because the insurance is even worse than previously thought!).  I was also two weeks into a promotion at work and feeling the pressure to wear more professional clothing.  So you know I entered that contest as quickly as I could, just on the off chance that something might come of it.  Then Jack got the chicken pox, I had two final papers due, and I got stressed and depressed and I completely forgot about the contest…until I got an email saying that I had been chosen as the winner!

That princess Jack has turned me into?  It must be Cinderella.  It’s a damned good thing I’ll have a fairy godmother to help me shop because I have never in my life spent more than $300 on clothing at a time!  I would not even know where to begin.

Filed Under: Getting my groove back, Shopping, Working Mamahood Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Product Review: Ecostore USA Bath Products

April 15, 2009 By 10 Comments

I recently got a chance to try some new-to-the-US bath products and wanted to share my thoughts here for anyone else looking for something eco-friendly, animal-friendly, and chemical-free.  Ecostore USA makes bath and body products for babies, adults, and pets, as well as household cleaning agents.  They got their start in New Zealand 20 years ago and are now entering the US market through internet orders and Meijer stores.

For Jack I got the Baby Shampoo and Baby Body Wash.  I’ve been searching for some bath products that would work with his dry, sensitive skin.  Even at almost 3 he still has issues with “cradle cap.”  Luckily he has a ton of hair to cover it up but we have tried Johnson & Johnson, Method, and DHC products and none of them has made an impact on his scalp.  We tried the Ecostore baby shampoo this weekend and I totally fell in love.  It was extremely easy to rinse out (which is awesome because Jack has absolutely no patience for having his head rinsed) because it it not overly sudsy and sticky.  His fine hair was soft and shiny when it dried and there was a huge improvement in the dryness of his scalp.

I also got the Manuka Sandalwood Shampoo, which is marketed as helpful for dry, flakey scalps.  David and I both have dry skin issues and have difficulty finding products that don’t strip our natural oils or cause the opposite problem – greasy hair – so in my neverending pursuit to find a product that is just right, I decided to try this one.  Again, I totally love this product.  It doesn’t dry out my hair or cause crazy amounts of frizz (yet there is still body!) after using the shampoo.  The smell is divine and great for both genders.  I like the fact that a little bit goes a long way and the shampoo suds up, unlike some other organic products that I have used.  Even with the suds, it is not difficult to rinse out.

And now it’s contest time!  If you would like to win a $25 gift certificate to the Ecostore website, please leave a comment by Friday, April 17, and I will pick a name at random!

Also of note: Ecostore is offering free shipping on all orders over $25 for the month of April in celebration of earth month.

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Rockabye: From Wild to Child (& giveaway)

April 23, 2008 By Leave a Comment

I attended a book reading last night at A Great Good Place for Books in Oakland.  One of my favorite blog writers, Rebecca Woolf of Girl’s Gone Child and Babble.com’s Straight From the Bottle, has released her first book entitled Rockabye: From Wild to Child.  I devoured the first few chapters yesterday before attending the reading, and I was completely engrossed.

Even though her story is different from mine, as all aspects of my pregnancy were planned out way ahead of time, her story resonates with me.  She describes so well the feelings of a woman who abruptly switches gears in her life and questions her identity as she transitions to the role of mother.  Planned pregnancy or not, parenthood feels like the first time you are thrown into a pool when you don’t know how to swim – you have to act on instinct and do your damnest to stay afloat as the water tries to suck you down.  Surviving is more important in the moment than doing a perfect job!

I love Rebecca’s depiction of her relationship with her husband, as well.  At the reading last night she described how difficult it was to remember why she fell in love with her husband amid the chaos of new parenthood.  I doubt anyone is able to anticipate how their relationship with their partner will change when the family expands, and I share her amazement over the enduring marriages of her parents and grandparents.  I have found it difficult at times to push aside the mama bear and remember that my husband is on my team – that it is not all up to me to protect and nourish our son.

I highly recommend this book (and Rebecca’s blog) to any new parent, but especially those out there who struggle with the new identity that comes along with motherhood.  I think there is something in this book for all of us parents, not the least of which is a feeling that we aren’t alone in the struggles and celebrations that come along with creating life.

Rebecca was completely charming and absolutely delightful to meet.  I personally love how much she curses, and laughed heartily when she explained that her son’s limited vocabulary is heavily laden with curse words.  Maybe it’s a California girl thing, maybe it’s a young mom thing, or maybe it’s just our stubborn refusal to give our pre-baby selves up completely.  Whatever it is, I love it.  I will cherish my signed copy of her book, in which she wrote:

Ewok Mama, you are wild and wonderful and rockin’!!  All my love to you and kisses for Jack.  Love always, Rebecca

Rebecca Woolf is currently touring the west coast to promote her book; see her schedule here.  For you local bay area folks, you can see her in San Francisco tonight at 7:30pm!

Contest time!  Leave a comment to tell me a little something about your transition to motherhood (or planned transition!) and win a free copy of the book!  (Winner will be chosen at random.  Contest ends 4/30/08.)

Filed Under: Parenting 101, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,