You see, I have extremely sensitive skin, and if the box doesn’t say “hypoallergenic” .. I can’t get it near my skin - especially my face. So when I received the Perlabella retinol Anti-Aging Face serum in the mail I, at first, was sputtering and wondering and basically freaking out about how I was going to do a review of a product I was completely unable to use.

I started by calling a few friends. It seems that, for reasons unknown, many of my friends also have really sensitive skin. It’s strange, because I don’t remember when I placed the ad to get some new friends specifying they had to have wimpy skin like I do.

Then I started calling family members. Luckily I hit some pay dirt with this one. A great-aunt that had always been a fan of Retinol but never enough of a fan to be willing to actually, you know, buy it. “If I knew it worked, I would buy it.” She said, “But until I know for sure I can’t see myself spending the money to make that happen.”

My friends all have wimpy skin, and my family is full of cheapskates smart and frugal women. This was going to take a little effort…so I figured I’d go to her to test it out!

So I drove over to her house (which was no small feat with my big ‘ol pregnant belly) and sat down to have some iced tea (mine wasn’t spiked) and talk wrinkles. Which was hilarious because the minute I handed over my box of Perlabella to her she looked at me and said, “Do you think I need this stuff?”

To my credit, I did not spit one ounce of my iced tea on her (not horribly) wrinkled face - I just smiled and said, “Hey, it can’t hurt…”

I asked her if I could take pictures, and she looked at me like I’d kicked her cat, so there aren’t any pictures to accompany the review. Which is a shame because the PureDose Pearls actually made a noticeable difference.

Even though we weren’t taking pics, I still wanted to do a comparison, so told her to only do the right side of her face. While it didn’t take her smile lines away completely (the ones by her mouth, the product says to avoid the eye area…even though what she did with the rest did involve some crow’s feet fixin’ … but we don’t recommend that you try that at home in case you slip and put it into your eye we don’t want that to be our fault.)

But there was a noticeable difference. Not Bette Davis at 18 or anything, but it was better. She kept the box (I tried to take it, thinking I could find someone else to try it on before the review deadline hit, but she wouldn’t let go) and I was able to see with my own eyes that if you don’t have sensitive skin, this stuff is worth it.

For an unspecified period of time, you can get a $2 off coupon at the Perlabella website. (It’s available at Walgreens, so it can be an impulse buy!)

If you’re not ready for that level of commitment, you can also get the Perlabella hook-up on Facebook (I use the term hook-up very loosely here. Don’t expect love from your retinol, just an increased chance of getting mistaken for being younger…which could lead to a hook-up…get my drift?)

I was brought together with Perlabella through Momfluence. Since I have a huge girl-crush on Amy Lupold Blair, I couldn’t say no when this opportunity crossed my mailbox.

Oh, I also learned through dilligent research that there is a special Retinol product for the eyes, so you can buy that and not blind yourself while you take care of those pesky crow’s feet (that I’m sure no one even notices but you. Really.) There is also a Vitamin-C product for Illumination and a Q10 product for Regenerating. I wonder if regenerating is like reanimating?

Disclaimer: I received a 28-day supply of Perlabella retinol anti-aging face PureDose Pearls (say it five times fast, I dare you…) but my aunt is the one using them. She tells me she intends to buy more when these run out.

I have decided to combine weeks 13 and 14, just because they were so similar.  I have had much more energy since I have been walking more, and eating less.  I have made a most nummy discovery…it is sugar free chocolate and vanilla pudding mix, the most heavenly taste, soo good that I could have eaten more than my share, but I remember to sprinkle some sweet Sensa on it and just the allotted serving is enough.  I get people, when I am out at a restaurant, who wants to know what it is I am doing, and I explain a little to them about Sensa and what it is that it does.  They are skeptical about it, I can tell by the looks on their faces, but I give them the link to check out other success stories and let them go.  Update about weight loss, I have lost another 4 pounds, whoo hoo for me!

Right now they are hosting a giveaway that makes the little marketer that lives inside my head dance around like a madwoman - business cards! You can use them for your business, your blog, or to make awesome playdates for your kids at the park.

How can you win these awesome business cards?

Well right now Mommy Daddy Blog is giving away 5,000 business cards! Visit MommyDaddyBlog.com to enter this sweet giveaway!

I entered, because I want some business cards to hand out when I get to BlogHer in July.

Good Luck!

When I had the chance to review the Potty Tots potty training system it took me  a few minutes to figure out how I was going to film Abby. You see, I’m pretty open about putting pictures and videos of my kids online, but going to the bathroom? That’s outside of my comfort zone.

Way outside.

I wondered if it was just me. Then today I saw the new Kimberly-Clark Pull-Ups website The Potty Project. My first thought is that I was not thrilled watching videos of these kids on the potty.

Well, that’s not entirely true. My first thought was when I tried to find the site. Because The Potty Project already exists and is geared toward giving septic systems and toilets to people and families in other countries. Plus, both sites have the same paper-bag brown background. Then I tried www.pullupsthepottyproject - no such luck. The actual website is http://www.pull-upspottyproject.com/ … uh…yeah. Sure, I can remember that…

When it comes to communities of people talking about potty training, there are a lot out there. From iVillage to BabyCenter it feels like everyone talks about potty training.

I read all the information and understood all the signs. But that wasn’t helping Abby just get up and go. She was already three years old and everyone in my family and most of my friends were giving me grief she wasn’t already done potty training. Between my mother reminding me I was potty trained at one (I call shenanigans, but whatever) to a friend of mine having a daughter younger than mine who was already potty trained, the pressure was everywhere to get it done.

The product that worked best for our family (that we got for free, but that did not affect this review - I had warned the lady that if it didn’t work I was going to blast it - I was kind of sensitive about the potty training issue) was the easy-peasy $20 Potty Tots system. Why buy Pull-Ups - they just prolong training, don’t they? I have no scientific evidence on that but every mom I’ve ever talked to tells me that pull-ups make it easier but months longer.

What I had was a little girl that “got” the concept of going potty but really didn’t want to put the effort in.

What It Came With

• Potty Tots DVD
• A Potty Tots Instructional Storybook
• 11×17 Football-themed laminated “Potty Bowl” sheet (it’s like posterboard)
• Stickers (removable, reusable…like clings) of cheerleaders, football players, and footballs.
• 11×17 Step-by-Step illustrated potty chart.

I had tried using stickers before, candy, rewards, yelling (that one wasn’t a plan it just sort of happened that one time when she pooped AFTER she got off the potty) and begging.

But a week and a half after using Potty Tots…Abby was done. I mean DONE. She went through naps and night time without a diaper. (Your results may vary, most bedwetting is due to a child’s bladder development and slow development does not mean anything bad in most cases!!)

So…Any Negatives?

The main drawback to the Potty Tots system is that it comes with two 11×17 posters. They are great. I mean well designed, cute, easy to clean, and I love that the football players and cheerleaders have boys and girls for each represented.

But I have a small bathroom. We ended up putting the potty chair in my office because the “stuff” wouldn’t fit on the wall of my bathroom. We used thumbtacks and put them on the bulletin board in my office, hanging over the potty chair.

If you have a small bathroom, make sure you have room to hang the posters somewhere near the potty chair.

You can see in the video the sticker system that did not work for Abby next to the Potty Tots chart.