Archive for February, 2009
Let’s All Blo & Go!
Posted by Sarcastic Mom, aka Lotus in Bath & Shower, Beauty, Hair Care on February 18, 2009
Congratulations to the Winner: Kasey!
I know you’re thinking this post is going to be dirty.
But that’s just because you have a dirty, dirty mind. (Or you know I do, and you have become accustomed to expecting this type of thing from me.)
But today, I’m going to tell you about how I get my hair dry without killing my fingers and hands.
I’ve had arthritis pain since I was 18… and one thing you can be sure of is that this does not lessen as time goes by. Just the contrary! A few years ago I cut my hair very short…
…because the act of drying my long hair was just becoming too much for my hands – I would end up in pain every time.
I have recently grown my hair long again (my husband missed it, and it took him years to admit that).
Back to the hair blow-drying pain! Until I recently tried the Blo & Go.

No, this is NOT me. Heh.
You attach this device to a wall or mirror and then you slide your hair dryer into it and fasten it down. The angled arm is adjustable, so you can position the dryer exactly as you like it. And then? Use both of your hands to work the brush through your hair, without having to worry about holding the dryer!
I do have to warn that I had a very steep learning curve with it. Most of us are used to moving the blow dryer down the hair shaft as we dry. When using this product, you have to re-learn how to move when you’re drying your hair. I suggest keeping it very close to your head, and moving your hair and head so that the dryer still moves down the shaft of hair (which is best for your hair). It took several times for me to get the hang of that, and I was a bit frustrated at first. I kept at it, though, and now that I’m used to using it, I am so glad I have it.
This takes so much of the work off of my joints; it’s amazing. I definitely feel less pain in my hands when I use this product. And you know what? It’s totally fun to be able to use both of your hands to style your hair and just let the dryer hang there.
Looks like my husband will get to enjoy my extended tresses for a bit longer now.
Would you like to Blo & Go? Just leave a comment on this post. Comments will be accepted through February 23, 2008.
One commenter will be randomly selected to receive a free Blo & Go! (Must have valid email and respond when contacted.)
Good luck!
Disclosure: This is an uncompensated review. I received the Blo & Go for review, free of charge.
Go All The Way Clean! (With Less Effort)
Posted by Sarcastic Mom, aka Lotus in Cleaning, Household on February 17, 2009
Recently one night I was on Twitter, telling people about how I was making Honey Oat Bread, and that I had just made Cinnamon Pumpkin bread.
(NOM NOM NOM FACEHOLE CRAMMING DELUXE NOM NOM)
And apparently, I was totally painting a picture of myself which is exceptionally inaccurate, because JenCaSea asked me if if I had a bread maker or if I was just that domestic.
And I had to laugh. And then snort. Choke on my spit. And then laugh some more.
Because, as I told her not long after… yes, I do have a bread maker, and NO I am not all that domestic: the reeking toilets, piles of dirty laundry, and sticky floors around here can attest to that. I just like bread, it appears.
I mean, I stay at home a lot, yes. I occupy the domicile.
But I occupy it in the manner of a Supah Slob. Ahhhh, yeah.
You know who helps? My husband and son.
And the dog.
See, we humans drop crumbs, lint, hair, food slime, and general filth.
Then the dog adorns it by spreading his little, tiny Chihuahua furs over it all. Like a million little eyebrow hairs of stink. He finishes it off by going outside, and then tracking dirt from the back yard lovingly into the house.
So we have crumby, linty, hairy, slimy, furry, dirt coated floors.
NICE.
I like to pretend it’s just not there. The filth, that is. Because my usual floor cleaning technique is broom and dust pan, then mop and bucket. Cause that’s nice and environmentally friendly.
Unfortunately, it’s not Lazy Slob Friendly.
Know what is? Swiffer.
Yep. Slap on a dry cleaning cloth for the dog hair, grime, and general filth. Instead of pushing the dirt around in piles with the broom, just let the MAGICAL SWIFFER PAD MAKE IT ALL BETTER.

Seriously. It’s magic. There is no other explanation. Yup. Do not attempt to talk me out of the existence of magic. (Just buy a Swiffer and shut up.)
If there isn’t magic, then how does all the crap on my floor go onto this MAGIC PAD?

Try not to gag. Trust me, the picture doesn’t even do it real justice. You are lucky.
When you’re done cleaning up the filth your family and ungrateful pet (what, just mine? cause, dude. he is.) have decorated the floor with, tackle the… sticky stuff.
I’m thinking week old pancake syrup splatters, dog drool, and random splurts of apple juice. YUM.
Swiffer Magic Reappears. Bad Floor go bye-bye. Well, Hello, Good, Pretty, Shiny Floor!
Really, it’s so easy. They are fast, tough, and easy to use. It’s perfect for the in-between cleanup that any mother or pet owner needs.
For the big jobs, the mega ones? I’m still going to keep my mop and bucket. I just believe in using those (at least 3 times a year). But the Swiffer (both dry and wet) is SUPER for the in-between stuff.
So instead of being a Supah Slob in-between my mop cleanings, I can go all the way clean with Swiffer. That’s right. No more half-assing for this momma. (My mother would be so proud. Do you know how many times she told me to stop half-assing things when I was a kid??? Not that I am traumatized or anything. *twitch*)
If you’d like to “go all the way clean with Swiffer,” Visit http://www.swiffer.com for more information and to save $2 on any one Swiffer® Sweeper Starter Kit!
My husband and son will probably be weirded out that the floors are all clean so much more often now. They are going to start expecting me to bathe regularly and clean the toilets.
That’ll be the day.
What’s your cleaning must have accessory or super-fantastic cleaning secret?
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Disclosure: Compensated review commissioned by Blogher. I received a swiffer stick, dry cloths, and wet cloths for review, free of charge.
For more reviews, visit here.
Help for our loveable, snotty nosed brats.
Congratulations to the Winner: Walking With Scissors!
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If you’re a Mommy or Daddy you have had to (or will, eventually) deal with a sick child. And nothing breaks your heart more than the pathetic way they cry and cling when they are not feeling well. You want to do the best for them, and take away that miserable feeling.
Braden is much too young to take any cold medicines, so I usually just give him tea, baby acetaminophen for pain and fever, and lots of hugs (I kind of like the extra hugs, shhh).
And a zinc lollipop never hurts.
Lollies somehow make everything better for a little while, right?
But if your little one is older, you have a whole other set of worries to deal with. A big one involves when it’s a good idea to send them to school, and when you should keep them home. Luckily, the National Association of School Nurses recently partnered with Triaminic to create “Sick Day Guidelines: Making the Right Call When Your Child Has a Cold.“ This is a great resource for parents of school-aged children (or day care goers!) and I’m going to keep it bookmarked for future reference.
Now, if your child is old enough, there are also children’s medicines that you can get over-the-counter to help alleviate the worst of the symptoms that are making them miserable.
Triaminic has a line of such Children’s cold medicines, in the form of “thin-strips” and “soft chews.” Note that these medicines are only for children aged 4 and up, and it is very important to follow the label directions exactly for the safety of the child.
The Triaminic Thin Strips are pretty cool because they are thin and melt right on the child’s tongue (easy administration). Each strip provides pre-measured dose of medicine so you know your kiddo is receiving the intended dose, every time.
If you’d like to try them, anyone who wants to click here to go to a page where you can download a coupon for $1.50 off the Thin Strips. I love finding deals like this, especially right now when everyone is trying to save a little money anywhere they can.
Also, leave a comment here anytime before 11:59PM CST Wednesday, February 4th and you have a chance at a free sample. If I draw your name on Thursday, I’ll have a free sample of the Triaminic Thin Strips sent to you.
Good luck! I hope all your babies/kiddos are feeling well. When they aren’t, I hope this information helps.
Disclosure: This is an uncompensated review. Posted for reader information, help to parents, and the opportunity for someone to receive free samples.




We really wanted to graduate him from the nursery sheets he was using too, and found some absolutely wonderful 









