The summer heat can make lips dry and damaged, creating the need for some serious relief. Softlip's new lip butters, balms, and polishes help replenish and hydrate lips to beat the summer sun. 

The Softlips new Pure 100% Natural tinted lip balms and glosses (SPF 15) provide UVA and UVB protection to prevent sunburn. Featuring three tinted flavors: shell pink, natural honesty, and coral charm, I just had to try them all. Shell Pink boosts a sheer, bashful pink; Natural Honesty features a nude shade (a little too earthy for me); and Coral Charm demonstrates a subtle dash of color. Each flavor comes in both a balm and gloss and smells sweet and mildly fruity. The balm comes in a tube-like container, while the gloss comes in a small lipstick-esque tube, providing a thicker, more decadent lip coating. The gloss is super shiny, while the balm has only a slight sheen, which I prefer.

Softlips also makes Pure 100% Natural Specialty Lip Polish in Organic Coconut and Sugar flavors. This polish comes in a small container and gently exfoliates lips with blended coconut shavings. The one downside: the polish requires you to use your finger to apply it.

The Softlips Pure 100% Natural Lip Butter (SPF 15) comes in the flavor Pure Vanilla  Berry in a tube. This creamy lip butter replenishes and protects lips and tastes like mildly sweet summer berries. It provides a clear, moisturizing coating that keeps lips hydrated throughout the day. 

Lips and the environment both benefit from Softlips Pure 100% Natural products. They use natural mineral sunscreen and feature no preservatives, parabens, mineral oil, sulfates, gluten, and phthalates. The packaging includes recyclable paper and vegetable-based inks. The new Softlips Pure 100% Natural line comes in yummy flavors and can keep lips healthy and moisturized for the rest of the summer.

Also worth trying: Limited Edition Seasonal lip balm (SPF 20) flavors Peach Mango, Passion Fruit, and Coconut Cream.

Between children, work, family, and friends, we Moms have a lot on our plate. And as much as we may cherish each part of our lives, being so busy often means that we have a lot to be stressed about. Luckily, Johnson and Johnson developed the Upliv Stress Management Program specifically to help women deal with the stress in their lives. As you might suspect, I was very eager to see if Upliv could help me with my stress levels.

The Upliv program attacks your stress from two directions. First, a line of beauty products, such as body wash and hand lotion, calm you with Active Essences, created by a collaboration between scientists and perfumers. When enveloped by scents like Canopy of Tranquility, you should have no problem following the bottle’s directions to “embrace positive thoughts about the day.” As much as I loved turning my daily shower into a soothing spa experience, I was even more impressed with Upliv’s second stress-reducing tactic. Upliv’s website demonstrates stress management techniques and breathing exercises meant to fully relax you - even when your child has just gotten paint on your brand new couch. Although things in my life are sometimes still stressful, the exercises I learned from Upliv allow me to cope with the craziness a little bit better.

After completing a survey about the stress in your life, Upliv creates a tailor-made program for you to better deal with your capacity to deal with stress. Questions range from how often you feel anxious to what three areas of your life cause you the most tension. Upliv rated my stress level as moderate (no surprise there!) and as a result, recommended different stress-reducing techniques for me than they would for a more mellow or more stressed Mom. By asking what matters to you, Upliv builds a personal plan that not only focuses on your areas of anxiety but also fits your lifestyle.

Upliv Products are available from their website, www.upliv.com.

Disclosure: Mom Central received a sample of Upliv products to facilitate this review.

Outdoor patios and decks provide great summertime gathering areas for friends and family, but finding great furniture to fill those spaces often proves stressful and challenging.  We all want trendy, practical, and fashionable furniture to host our guests, but most furniture lacks at least one of those traits. Kathy Peterson, design expert, bestselling author, and TV host, incorporates all of the characteristics we look for when designing our outdoor seating areas with her new furniture collection. With both function and beauty in mind, her new collection, called Kathy Peterson Inspired: Outdoor Lifestyles, offers a variety of furniture for outside spaces.  Her collection consists of wooden outdoor tables and dining sets, deep seating, patio chairs, garden benches, and porch swings.

The furniture comes in a wide range of summer and fall colors like Caribbean Blue, Barn Red, and Sandy Cream. Kathy uses water-based paints, which keep both children and the environment safe. The pieces can also come unpainted, allowing you to leave the natural wood exposed or for you to give your creative side a chance to shine through. Both durable and inviting, Kathy’s outdoor furniture line compliments outdoor spaces and works great for outside activities; from quiet relaxation to summer parties and barbecues.

When I relax on the beach, I love to ensconce myself in an exciting thriller. Supreme Justice by Phillip Margolin proves to be a delightfully engaging read. In the novel, Dana Cutler investigates the apparent murder of John Finley. I sailed through this thriller, glued to the engaging hunt for the suspect Sarah Woodruff. This book proves a delicious serving of suspense, void of sidetracking, useless hints, or untied ends. As I wrapped up Supreme Justice I was perfectly satisfied, with all questions answered. The book helped place the cherry on top of an already wondrous beach trip by letting my stress melt away and engaging me in a thrilling story.

Disclosure: Mom Central received a copy of Supreme Justice in order to facilitate this review.

After a long, busy day, Moms still have one big worry: dinner. We dread the infamous question, “What’s for dinner, Mom?!” as it generally falls on us to select, serve, and satisfy all. Velveeta has made dinnertime a little less dreadful with its easy-to-prepare Shells & Cheese sides that leave everyone at the dinner table full and happy.

The shells come with Velveeta’s creamy, blended cheese sauce and will satisfy hungry husbands and picky eaters alike. They pair well with and

compliment meats and veggies, creating a well-rounded, nutritious meal. The shells also work well for casual backyard barbecues, kids’ birthday parties, or lunch. Take left-overs to work and reheat them for a pick-me-up afternoon snack. Calling its Shells & Cheese “the best side of the dinner plate,” Velveeta helps Moms make dinner (and other meals) simple and appealing to all.

Velveeta Shells & Cheese “Best Side of Dinner Challenge” Giveaway Valued at $125 Includes:

•    Two Free Coupons For Velveeta Shells & Cheese

•    One $25 Grocery Store Gift Card

•    One Crimson Mukitchen Oven Mitt

•    One Crimson Mukitchen Apron

•    One Pimento Sengware Deluxe Pasta/Salad Serving Bowl (Ceramic; Microwave, 

        Freezer, Oven, and Dishwasher Safe)

•    One Crate & Barrel Solid And Slotted 13’ Nylon Spoon Set

**For giveaway: Leave a comment and let us know, “What is your favorite part of family dinners?”

Mom Central received one “Velveeta” gift set, including two free coupons for their Shells & Cheese, in order to review this product. The “Velveeta” Shells & Cheese brand is not a sponsor of the giveaway.

After playing the Wii version, I found that the game thoroughly entertained me. It's creative play, short video clips, and humorous sayings make it difficult for even adults to put down the controller. The levels provide easy instructions through every aspect of the journey, so your child won’t have the opportunity to get frustrated or confused. The multiplayer option allows for fun entertainment, for up to four players.

Each character possesses a special ability to hold them at an equal importance level when playing the game. Shrek’s brute strength forces objects away, Fiona’s talent with fuses explodes immovable objects, Puss’s claws crawl him to the highest point of unreachable heights, and Donkey’s hooves kick walls and gates down for easy passage.

Only have one, two or three players? Not an issue, as switching from one character to the next only requires the push of a button. Surprisingly, I didn’t want to stop fighting against Rumplestiltskin and his army; I barely noticed moving from one level to the next. Play with the entire family or stand by and watch your children participate in a fun adventure that will challenge their imagination.

Mom Central received one copy of "Shrek Forever After" to facilitate this review.

Kids love snacking on potato chips, but we Moms don’t love the nutrition facts on the bag. Popchips, in contrast, offer all the flavor and crunch of potato chips without all the unhealthy stuff. These all-natural potato chips cook under heat and pressure, “popping” into crispy, crunchy chips, without frying or baking.

Each small bag represents just 100 calories, with no preservatives, artificial flavors or colors, saturated fat, trans fat, or cholesterol. Shape Magazine named Popchips “Best Snack 2010.” The chips come in seven distinct flavors: original, barbecue, sour cream & onion, cheddar, sea salt & vinegar, salt & pepper, and parmesan garlic. The texture and shape of the chips make them idea for dipping and scooping. With a light, fluffy texture and great taste, both Moms and kids will enjoy eating these delicious health-friendly chips.

You can find out more at www.popchips.com.

P&G’s new Febreze NOTICEables plug into the wall and automatically alternate between two complimentary scents, so not only do your guests notice the difference – you do, too. Febreze’s claim-to-fame is that their products eliminate odors in the air, including those caused by bacteria, and release a fresh scent instead of simply covering up smells. 

NOTICEables have undergone standard flammability tests and other tests over a two-year period and received approval by Underwriters Laboratories (UL).

Febreze feels so confident of its new NOTICEables collection, that the company created the Febreze NOTICEables Challenge. Participating in the challenge, I received a package containing the Hawaiian Aloha Febreze NOTICEable and a plug-in freshener from its  competitor, Glade Hawaiian Breeze scented oil and Plug-in Warmer. A bold move! The instructions said to plug each into the wall in different rooms of about equal size and see the difference for myself after 5 days, 10 days, and so on. The Febreze Hawaiian Aloha NOTICEable alternated between a hibiscus scent and a rainforest scent, outlasting the Hawaiian Breeze Glade Plug-In.

One difference I noted was that the Glade Plug-In features a dial that allows you to change the amount of scent incrementally, whereas the Frebreze NOTICEable only has two settings: high and low. I found, however, that I only really needed two settings (one for “it smells…all right in here” and one for “it really smells!”). The scented oil for Glade Plug-In Warmers must be purchased separately, but this means that refills can be purchased without getting a new Plug-In each time. The Febreze NOTICEables come with one alternating scented oil warmer and one dual scented oil refill, so it evens out! All in all, the Febreze NOTICEable did a better job of getting rid of bad odors and releasing a lasting fresh scent – the bold move clearly paid off for P&G!