A Couple Comments...

Amazon Music Unlimited 30 Day Free Trial

2018-11-27T12:52:00.000-08:00

We have been Amazon Prime members since we became parents.

Diapers always magically appeared on our door step thanks to Amazon Family. (We also saved 20% on those diapers and wipes! And vitamins! And more!) Prime continues to be good to us. We never pay for shipping, gifting is super easy, and we store all our pictures in the cloud there, too.

We use most of what Amazon Prime has to offer, including Prime Music, but every now and then we come across an album or song that isn't included. Most recently it was the soundtrack to the My Little Pony Movie - Friendship is Magic. Our daughter asks for it every time we're in the car...if you have a kid then you've been there. You know.

So Andrew sprang for the 30-day free trial of Amazon Music Unlimited, which gives us access to ALL of the music Amazon has its fingers on. (Including that soundtrack! Yay!) Plus we also get to enjoy these benefits:

We can holler at Alexa (great for driving!) through the Amazon Music app for hand-free music selection.
Songs can be downloaded onto our phones.
Songs can be played in offline mode so we don't drain our data when we're away from WiFi.
I haven't yet come up with a song that I couldn't find in that library.

Here's what we have to say about the free trial so far, and whether we plan to actually pay for it! Pardon the giggles and the extra appendages...our daughter wanted to join the fun.

Best Sunscreen for Kids - Natural Sunscreen Review

2018-06-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

We have a 5-year-old daughter, so naturally we care very much about what goes on her skin. We also care a lot about what's in what goes on her skin. (We also care a lot about what goes on our own skin, too, which is why I use skincare like this brand.)

There are lots of good options out there when it comes to safe(r) sunscreen, but they vary in some specific ways.

Here's what I look for when shopping for a safer sunscreen:

1) Zinc Oxide and/or Titanium Dioxide as the active ingredient.

These are minerals and block the sun using a physical barrier on the skin. They offer excellent UVA protection and do not disrupt or mimic our own hormones.
Some brands that still claim to be natural use chemical sunscreens, which are suspicious when it comes to safety. Examples of chemical sunscreens are: Oxybenzone, Octinoxate and Homosalate. All of these have evidence of being hormone disruptors and have been found in mothers' milk.*

2) Safe inactive ingredients.

What's supporting the active ingredients matter to me as much as the safety of the active ingredient, which is why I choose a sunscreen that does not have contain any

parabens (preservatives that are suspicious of being hormone disruptors)
fragrance (a lot of things can fall into this category are not regulated for safety)
nano ingredients (these are teeny tiny ingredients that may bond to us on a molecular level.)

3) A Reasonable Price

You and I both know that products that have the words "organic" and/or "natural" can garner some excruciatingly high price tag. You do get what you (often) pay for, but I admit that I want the safe ingredients without breaking my budget.

So which do I choose when it comes to our sun protection?

This:

Here's what I love about it:

It has an EWG rating of "1" (the lower the number, the better!)
It uses Zinc Oxide as the active ingredient.
It applies easily and rubs in well.
It's pleasant smelling (read: friendly on kids' noses!)
It's free of yucky ingredients like parabens, phthalates, PABA and 1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde.

Want to hear more? Check out my video review:

Grab your safe sunscreen here.

*Reference: Trouble with Ingredients in Sunscreens, EWG.org

Amazon Deal: Acure Organics Renew and Refresh Set

2018-05-23T11:30:00.001-07:00

I love Acure Organics. I use their line of skincare on my face, I use their shampoo on my hair (and my 5-year-old daughter's!) This line uses great ingredients and is very reasonably priced for a brand that contains so many organic ingredients.

Right now on Amazon, you can purchase four full-size products for only $19.99 - a savings of almost 50% buying the products individually! These four items are my personal favorites of their skincare line - though I'd add in their night cream as well.

Check out my review of the brand and the set here:

Have you tried this brand? Are you going to get a set?

PopSugar February Must Have Box Spoiler!

2016-02-01T20:01:00.001-08:00

PopSugar released a double sneak peek for the upcoming February PopSugar Must Have Box:

I love anything coconut, so I'm really excited to try this lotion. I'm curious to find out what the ingredients are, though, and how much actual coconut milk there is!) What do you think of the spoiler? Are you going to get the February Box?

PopSugar Must Have February Box Inspiration + Coupon

2016-01-28T19:17:00.001-08:00

PopSugar just released the inspiration behind the February box!

January's box is sold out, but you can order now and have February's box delivered to your door as soon as they start shipping! (Don't forget to use MUSTHAVE5 to get $5 off your first box.)

Curious to know what kinds of things come in the PopSugar Must Have boxes? Check out my review of the January Must Have box here.

Did you get the January box? What did you think?

PopSugar Must Have Box - January 2016 Review FULL SPOILERS + COUPON

2016-01-17T19:50:00.001-08:00

A couple comments on...

The Pop Sugar Must Have box is a monthly lifestyle box with fun, useful items with a hint of luxe. Subscriptions start at $39.95 per month, and new subscribers can get $5 off their first month with coupon MUSTHAVE5

Here's what's inside this months's box:

I was amazed at all that was packed into this box! Each box comes with a fold out card with details on each item and their retail value. There's usually a website listed for each item, too.

There were seven total items in this month's box, with a total retail value of about $120.

This heavy-weight canvas bin from Pehr Designs is very sturdy, and I imagine it has a multitude of uses. I'm going to start off using it as a hamper. The gray pebble design has a universal feel and I imagine it would fit in with any decor. sugg. retail: $40

In this day and age of everything digital, it was refreshing to get to actual book-type things! On the left is Spark Joy, by Marie Kondo. It's the companion book to her best-selling The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I read her first book and found it to be wonderful, but too much of an undertaking. It seems that this second book offers a simpler approach, which I think will be a good fit for me. sugg. retail: $18.99

On the right is a gorgeous robin's egg blue day planner from Blue Sky. I admit I've gone the way of iCal for my daily reminders, but this is inspiring me to take it back to the ol' pen and paper. The nice thing is that it also has some pages for goal-planning, too. sugg. retail: $15.99

Front: Patchology masque trio. I love that you can use these masques in 5 minutes and you don't have to rinse them off! Do be aware that when you take them out of the pouch they're a bit drippy. Sugg Retail: $20.00

Left: ChapStick! This is listed as a "special extra" and is a full-size tube of their Total Hydration line. It's very smooth and perfect for this dry winter weather. Sugg. Retail: $2.99

Right: Project 7, Inc Summer Snow Sugar Free Gum. This gum is super fruity and tasty. What I love most is that proceeds from every 7th pack goes towards anti-bullying.

Back: Not Soap, Radio bath and shower gels. These are super fun, travel-sized, and have fun names that match different moods. I may be gifting these, because they contain artifical colorants that I try to stay away from, but they smell amazing and they don't contain any sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates, which is something I look for in my bath products.

All in all I think this has a great value at about $120 and goes well with a new year/new you theme.

As of this posting, the January box is still available. Get yours here.

Disclaimer: this post may contain affiliate links.

Courageous Creativity

2013-04-01T16:33:00.005-07:00

Humor and creativity are two of our favorite things. That's why we got so excited to be featured in the humor issue of Courageous Creativity! An intro from the editors:

"Have you ever considered that humor is essentially creativity? Check out stories and insights from TED speaker Hannah Brencher, renowned artist Chad Crowe, comedic writer and improv artist Lisa Warsinske, Indian classical vocalist Srivani Jade, multi-entrepreneurial duo Andrew and Sarah Zahn, poet Farah Abdul, and our two young minds, Madhurum Bhuvan and Nadiya Narula! All set to the backdrop of Devasmita Chakraverty's keen-eyed photography."

This fantastic ezine is put together by a wonderful group of professionals and we're honored to have been part of this month's publication. Just click on the Courageous Creativity picture below to read the ezine. We're on pages 18-22. Enjoy!

Review of the Best Water Bottle

2013-03-17T11:57:00.003-07:00

Want a cool water bottle like this for yourself?

Check them out on Amazon.com by clicking here or the picture below!

Expert Advice on Pregnancy and Childbirth

2013-02-17T16:29:00.003-08:00

We may be first time parents, but that doesn't mean we don't know everything.

Jeni's Ice Cream: What is This Stuff?

2013-01-06T16:27:00.001-08:00

We didn't have time to make a video of this...because we are consuming it all to quickly, but...

We got a most fantastic gift this week: Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams!

They were lovingly shipped in dry ice from the Jeni's headquarters in Columbus, OH as a fantastic gift from a friend. They arrived solidly frozen and ready for consumption. (The dry ice was very fun to play with as well!)

Here's what we got:

Goat cheese with Red Cherries
Salted Caramel
Brown Butter Almond Brittle
Sweet Potato with Toasted Marshmallow

Hard to say what our favorite is...but we can say that we were both pleasantly surprised by how wonderful the Sweet Potato with Toasted Marshmallow was! Pretty durn amazing.

Get this goodness folks!

Expect the Unexpected

2012-09-23T17:20:00.000-07:00

There. Are. No. Words.

Therefore, we'll let our words be few... enjoy.

Stuff Nobody Says About the 2012 London Olympics

2012-07-29T16:58:00.000-07:00

Out of all the things that could be said about the 2012 London Olympics, these are not any of them.

We hope you enjoy!

5 Reasons to Love Airports

2012-07-07T06:14:00.000-07:00

Get up very early.

Get to airport.

Has this ever happened to you?

This video of our recent experience gives you five reasons to love airports.

Maybe.

Follow A Couple Comments on Facebook or Twitter. It's just for fun.

The Famous Redwoods of Muir Woods, California

2012-07-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

Muir Woods, located just north of San Francisco and about 20 minutes from the Golden Gate bridge, has many inhabitants...

Tourists
Redwoods
Critters
Friendly Natives

We learned a few other things while touring Muir Woods on a recent trip and wanted to share them with you!

Enjoy the video!

The Sausalito Ferry - An Affordable (but windy) Trip

2012-06-24T16:01:00.001-07:00

We took a little trip out west to the bay area.

We also took the Sausalito Ferry to... Sausalito.

The wind took to our hair...

Pros:

Affordable (better deal than some of the other ferries)
Get to see The Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz
Goes at regular intervals

Cons:

No soap in the bathrooms
Not a ton to do in Sausalito (basic tourist shopping)
Did we mention it's a wee bit windy?

Enjoy the video!

An Open Letter to Trader Joes: A Long Distance Relationship

2011-10-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

-------------------------------------------

Dear Trader Joe's,

How've you been since we last saw each other?

We're doing well. We're writing because we'd like to take our relationship with you to the next level. Would you mind moving closer? A three hour round-trip is getting expensive.

We love your low prices, your great ingredients, and the fact that you've cut out the middleman. Yet, at times we too feel trapped in the middle as: caught between the choice of going to a 'traditional' grocery store and driving several hours to where you are.

When we shop at a big box store it's like a rebound relationship. It's OK and it has some things we want and like, but it doesn't have your...

Golden Rounds Crackers
Multi-Grain Baking and Pancake Mix
Organic Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup (Low Sodium)
Organic Shells and White Cheddar
Trader Jose's Salsa Verde
Fiber Full Ends and Pieces
Baked Jalapeno Cheese Crunchies

And that's just our list. Some fine folks shared their favorites on our Facebook Page. Here are the honorees:

whole wheat pitas
frozen mango pieces
frozen salmon patties
berry applesauce cups
honey greek yogurt
Three buck chuck
TJ's Blue Cheese Pecan Dip

We could really see this going somewhere, but something's gotta give.

Please move closer.

Our pantry is empty without you in it.

Love Always,

Andrew and Sarah

The Best Greek Yogurt: Chobani, Fage, or Oikos. A Taste Test Review

2011-09-30T16:36:00.000-07:00

Three brands of Greek yogurt, a taste test, and a blindfold. OK, so we used a scarf instead of a blindfold. Who has blindfolds in the 21st century? We're not pirates.

At any rate, when we stumbled upon Greek yogurt, we realized there were a lot of choices out there.

Perhaps this quick review will help make your choices easier! Enjoy!

A Review of Bikram Yoga

2011-09-05T06:06:00.000-07:00

"From the side, you should look like a Japanese ham sandwich-- with no space in between."

"Put your knee on your exactly forehead."

"Throat choked, eyes open."

These phrases and more can be experienced in a Bikram yoga class.

Cathy Rigby is Peter Pan: National Tour Theatre Review

2011-08-28T16:27:00.000-07:00

Andrew's comments...

“I am youth. I am joy. I am freedom,” Peter (Cathy Rigby) crows as he defeats the tyrannous Captain Hook (Tom Hewitt). That line exemplifies my fascination with the story and show of Peter Pan.

We were fortunate to live close to the first stop on the 2011-2012 tour: Hershey, PA. I’d first viewed the Broadway staging exactly ten years ago. Having seen Rigby in the role three times in the last decade, I authoritatively declare that this show has something for everyone and every one should see it. So go get your tickets here.

Now that you have your tickets, here’s what you can look forward to:

Rigby. There’s multilevel magic in Rigby’s portrayal. Brash, athletic, sweet, and of course boyish, she takes us on a flight of our own. We’ve all felt the pain of growing older, yet Rigby soars circles around performers in their twenties and thirties. Like Peter, she doesn’t seem to know her age. Inspiring.

Flying. Are you kidding? I mean seriously. Here’s the deal: I’ve flown on cables before in two separate theatrical productions. Nothing comes close to what you will see when you see this show. You have tickets right? Unsure if Sarah would love the show as much as I did, I knew she was sold when I saw her teary face after Peter and the Darling children made their way to Neverland during “I’m Flying.”

Cast/Crew. Rigby and the flying cannot, of course, stand alone. If I were wearing a hat during the standing ovation, I would’ve taken it off. Standouts: Indians for their superb dancing, lighting for hiding the cables and being subtle, and stage management for starting the show on time (that’s impressive).

Enjoy it. Take your kids. And by your kids, I mean everyone.

Gracious enough to let us snap a picture. Thanks Ms. Rigby!

Sarah's comments...

Peter Pan. I’d seen the Disney cartoon once (maybe twice) before I grew up, and then afterward I’d seen a clip (or two) of Cathy Rigby flying across the stage in a few choice numbers thanks to Andrew (and YouTube).

But if Andrew hadn’t discovered that Ms. Rigby was set to fly through Hershey, I probably wouldn’t have seen it live.

Perhaps I’m just too old? Perhaps I found that slender space where I could grow up and still make believe? Maybe that’s why this show didn’t stir up the longing in me that it can for other adults. I’m still very content to believe in fairies, thank you!

Still, it was clear that Andrew wanted to see it with me (I’ll leave it to him to discuss any alleged longings for his own childhood) and I was more than happy to go. Besides, I was curious about this woman who at my mom’s age still suits up in a harness eight times a week and plays a little boy on stage.

The grown up in me was delighted when the curtain rose precisely at 2:00pm, and the child in me lit up with the first sprinkle of fairy dust. Always a crier, I left fitfully dehydrated, having cried (at least) three times.

We got an autograph and a photo with Ms. Rigby. As we kneeled beside her for the picture she said to us, “So you’re in the theatre?” I probably blushed with both surprise and delight. I asked her how she knew, and she said, “Oh I can always tell.”

I hope I never grow up so much that I can’t slip into the wonderful world of make believe. May a fairy never die at my expense. Hear that, Tink?

Product Review: Starbucks' Bistro Boxes

2011-08-13T18:36:00.000-07:00

Ever thought of going to Starbucks for lunch? We hadn't...until we gave their new Bistro Boxes at try.

Is Starbucks biting off more than they can chew, or is this a step in the right direction? Tell us your thoughts below!

A Couple Comments...the Movie?

2011-08-09T04:48:00.000-07:00

What this is all about...in fifty seconds or less!

The Flip Video Camera, an HD Camcorder Review

2011-08-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

Starbucks Visit... for Lunch!

2011-07-31T14:28:00.000-07:00

We took a moment to drop into our local Starbucks for lunch.

Yes--for lunch! We'd heard that a new product, called Bistro Boxes, was fresh off the press and we wanted to take it for a spin.

Sarah and I opted for two different Bistro Boxes and we had two different experiences with these new-ish culinary concoctions. We're hard at work to get the video review out to you soon!

In the meantime, follow us on Twitter or Facebook. We'd also love to hear what you think might make an interesting new review!

Thanks Always,
Andrew and Sarah

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II Movie Review-- Not Just for HP Fans!

2011-07-19T18:23:00.000-07:00

The Pros and Cons of the Amazon Kindle, A Consumer Review

2011-07-04T10:34:00.000-07:00