You can see more about the Homedics Neck and Shoulder Massager on the website here. RRP $49.95
The Warm Bodymat
I was going to vlog this, but I only got back from Sydney last night and my skin is looking terrible (still) and my kids are likely to video bomb it while I’m talking and make me stressed. Plus, this way I can listen to music while I write and not disturb you guys.
The Warm Bodymat is a great concept – it works like an electric blanket, only without using electricity. It retains your own body warmth within the core material, so that you ostensibly stay snuggly warm, without upping your power bill (insert little cheering voices here, because anything that doesn’t add to my power bill is a bonus).
I loved the concept and I was really interested to see how it worked with someone like me, who has such terribly poor circulation that there normally isn’t enough body warmth to begin with.
I was sent a single bed mat to review, which I was cool with, as that way it didn’t impact on Nathan, who never has any trouble staying warm and didn’t want to help out on this trial anyway. (Sook)
Putting it on the bed for the first time, I wasn’t sure how I would sleep. The mat is pretty firm and I lean towards liking a soft bed that I can sink into. It does do what it says it does however and within five minutes of curling up in bed and reading, I was toasty warm.
For me, however, sleeping was a little difficult. It seems that I like a softer bed because anything even vaguely resembling firm does horrible things to my ribs overnight.
I soldiered on and slept on the mat a second night and again, lovely and warm. However, it was still too firm for me and my ribs kicked up a fuss.
I suspect that washing the mat a few times and sleeping on it for more than two nights will help soften it up.
Verdict:
- I love the concept and I really like the product, but for me, I’ll need to wash the mat a few times and see if it softens up.
- I’m planning on putting the mat on Amy’s bed and I wouldn’t do that if I didn’t think the product itself was great.
Would I buy it?
- Actually yeah, I probably would. I’m going to see how Amy does with one on her bed for a few weeks before seeing if I want to buy one for Isaac’s bed.
MiniOrganics Skin Care Range
A while ago, MinoOrganics asked if I would like to review one of their skin care packages. I agreed and then once it arrived, got incredibly busy and reviews ended up at the very bottom of my “things to expend energy on” list. Which is tough, because the brand had done me a favour sending me their product and I wasn’t returning that favour.
Even though I hadn’t had a chance to write about it, didn’t mean I wasn’t using the producs, and even though this review is deperately overdue, I have had a chance to test the products, LOTS.
Some of the product I received wasn’t relevant to me – I stopped breastfeeding 18 months ago, so I can’t vouch for what the nipple cream is like for instance.
That said, I did get to test out the baby wash (sure, Isaac is 2.5 now and insists that ISAAC IS NO A BABY – whatever kid, you’ll always be my baby), and the infant moisturiser.
The baby wash smells lovely and didn’t make my hands rashy, or irritate Amy’s skin. Bonus points for that.
The moisturiser was great on Isaac’s bum and legs – although he wasn’t a fan of having it rubbed on his back. He has sensory issues though, so that’s his problem, not anything to do with the moisturiser.
The massage oil I haven’t tried properly yet, although I’m planning on adding it to the kids bath soon, to see what they think. Sensory issues for both of them mean that I usually keep their skin product free, as neither of them like massages. Yet. I’m sure they’ll learn to eventually.
MiniOrganics is high quality organic skin care and I couldn’t fault it. It smells nice, feels nice and I’m pretty sure if I was still breastfeeding, would do wonderful things for the suppleness of my nipples.
Brightstar Kids: Iron on labels
When Bright Star kids got in touch with me a couple of months ago to advertise on Sleepless Nights, they also offered me some iron on labels to review.
Now, I absolutely loathe ironing, but I loathe losing expensive school clothing even more, so today I finally got around to labelling Amy’s school clothes. Well, the school clothes that are currently in her drawers – the stuff that is in the washing basket will get done… soon.
Anyway, my crappy housekeeping skills aside, I got the iron out, sorted out a towel on top of the freezer for ironing on and set to work.
I was a little worried as I peeled the label off the backing, it felt quite stiff and I worried that it would chafe at Amy’s neck, but once I’d ironed it, it softed up nicely and felt like a regular iron on transfer.
While Amy is only in Kinder and so I don’t need to label very many of her clothes (jumpers and coats mostly), I have enough labels to save in my files and use when she gets older and has more uniform and things like camp.
And, you can choose what colour you’d like the name to be as well, for those children who have opinions about things. Like mine. Amy got pink labels.
I thought about taking photos of the process for you Internet and then I realised that a) while I love you, I don’t really want Amy’s full name on the Internet and b) I couldn’t be bothered photoshopping half a dozen photos to remove Amy’s surname and c) holding a camera and a hot iron at the same time is just stupid. So you get stock footage instead.
Bright Star Kids has lots of different labels for all kinds of things and I think that if they’re all as easy to use as mine, you should be pretty okay.
See the entire labelling range here.
Ski Activ Yoghurt.
Otherwise entitled “the review that my children ate instead.”
I liked the yoghurt, but honestly, my health is so crappy that I’m not sure it made any difference to my nausea and assorted other fun problems. For delicious yoghurt however, it gets lots of stars out of lots of stars.
You can find Ski Activ at Woolworths and your local IGA, but only if your local IGA isn’t crap. Mine is. Price is $1.79 each, or a 4 pack for $4.80, give or take.
PS: Please ignore my messy hair and slightly bedraggled appearance. It’s the end of the day and I’m a little tired and bare of makeup.