Due to personal reasons and a growing photography business, Lolidots is not longer blogging, running giveaways or doing product reviews. There are tons of other great giveaway blogs out there though! Thanks to my fans for 2 years of awesome support and a lot of fun!


You can find my photography and photography blog (that I try hard to keep up with) at brosgrafix.com and facebook.com/brosgrafix


Thanks!



 

Skin Free CLOSED

October 27, 2009
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED

There are so many reasons a person needs skin care products designed for sensitive skin. Though there are countless skin care products out there, many of them aren't really formulated in a way that is ideal for skin that is sensitive or needs special care. Skin Free skin care products were designed and forumlated by a woman who knows what it's like to suffer from skin allergies and eczema. She's also a pharmacist with over 30 years of experience. Julie Hilton, the owner of Skin Free, has created a line of skin care products that, I believe, are truly amazing.



Skin Free sent us three of their products to try out. The Acai Berry Scrub is definitely my favorite. It is made from the powerful antioxidant, Acai Berry and also contains olive seed oil, macadamia see oil, sweet almond, essential oils and shea butter. This scrub makes my skin feel phenomenal. Every time I wash my face with it, I feel like my skin is smoother and definitely rejuvenated. It smooths off dry skin and impurities while leaving my face soft and with an overall more even tone. It has a very light natural fragrance that I like and easily washes off. I love this scrub and use it often.

The Whipped Tamanu Body Butter was snatched from me by my husband immediately. We've both seen it's definite healing powers and are both huge fans. My husband used this butter on his feet the first day we had it. He's been searching for a product for quite some time that would heal the dry skin on his heels and had all but given up. After one application of this body butter the change in his feet was remarkable. He is amazed and says that he really only has to use it every 4-5 days to maintain the softness and moisturized feeling. I found out how wonderful the Whipped Tamanu Body Butter was a couple of weeks ago. When cold fronts begin in south Texas the humidity leaves. It's fantastic but, for skin that's used to being practically underwater with humidity, the intense drying of the air can be rough. My face suddenly had a few patches of skin that were so dry they hurt. I put some of this body butter on those spots and was really blown away at how it healed them. Instantly the spots were cooled and no longer hurt. Overnight they looked better and within a couple of days it was cleared up altogether. There are so many uses for something like this. Sunburns, psoriasis, eczema and other damaged skin would love the soothing and healing effects from this body butter. Skin Free combines Tamanu oil with Organic Extra Virgin Olive and rich Shea to create this wonderful product. What you get is something that is naturally sweet smelling and so great for your skin.


The third product Skin Free sent us was the Extra Moisturizing Liquid Soap. This soap contains Sweet Almond, Olive, Castor oils and Shea Butter. I have yet to try this because my husband likes it so much and keeps it in his shower. He gave me the run down though. This is by far the best soap he's ever had and definitely his favorite. He has always had an aversion to shower gels and bar soaps because they all have overpowering scents and really dry his skin out. This soap absolutely does not. He loves how light and natural the scent is and, in his words, "it's not a fruity smell". He says it's the first soap he's ever tried that didn't dry his skin out. He also likes that it is sensitive enough to use on his face, as well as his body. After all the raving from him, I'm thinking I'll have to pop in and snatch the bottle.


All of the products from Skin Free are all natural and made from vegan ingredients. They contain no perfumes, petroleum products, chemicals, steroids or colorants. I can attest to the fact that the products we tried definitely do not leave the skin feeling greasy but, absolutely leave it soft and smooth. Our skin is super happy we found Skin Free and I recommend their products to anyone with sensitive skin for any reason or with children. Whether your skin is sensitive from age, illness, sunburn or allergies, these products will go above and beyond when it comes to soothing your skin.
   
Skin Free products are available at SkinFree.net, CVS.com, drugstore.com and Walgreens.com.

Skin Free is giving one of my readers a $30 gift certificate to use in their online store!

To enter: Visit Skin Free and fill out entry form below.
Extra Entries:
-Enter our other giveaways
-Sign up to Follow the Lolidots Blog
-Become a fan of Lolidots on Facebook
-Follow Lolidots on Twitter and Tweet
@lolidots Win a $30GC to Skin Free! http://lolidots.com/giveaways

5 entries- Blog about this
10 entries- Make a purchase from Skin Free during this contests


 

SlimPerfect CLOSED

October 26, 2009
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED

SlimPerfect is a company that definitely has women's needs in mind. The company was founded and the clothing designed by a woman who knows what women need when it comes to stylish activewear and swimwear. All the clothing is made in the USA with top of the line Brazilian fabric. The clothing is designed to help slenderize and slim the body while providing a stylish look poolside, on the tennis court, in the gym or anywhere else a woman wants to make a fashion statement and feel chic. Instead of moving bulges to other areas, the way some other clothes can do, the products from SlimPerfect smooth the body and help to create the illusion of an hourglass figure.

These clothes are perfect for any woman feeling a little uncomfortable with her body, coming out of a surgery, or post-baby. The clothing is stylish and classic. The SlimDresses are super cute for activewear or just attending a friendly get-together. They feature sewn in biker shorts for extra slimming under the dress. In addition, the contain a tummy tamer panel for even more control. They also feature, as do the tops, removable molded gel-filled bra cups with pockets. The pockets can be used for post masectomy forms as well.


The SlimSkorts provide leg taming coverage with the built in biker shorts. You'll also get the wonderful tummy taming and the unique design makes the hips appear slimmer.


The Sleeved Tankini has all the great features of the other tops but, also includes sleeves that are lightweight and comfortable. The sleeves themselves are made from a high end micromesh that smooths out the arms and is soft to the touch.


I love what this company has set out to do for women. Everywhere you look clothes are shrinking. High fashion is intended for child-sized, underweight women. For real women, shopping (especially for bathing suits) can be something of a nightmare. SlimPerfect has created a line of clothing that allows women to feel good about the way they look.

Several surgeries and a busy life have left my beautiful mother with some feelings of uneasiness about her body. I think she looks fantastic but, I jumped at the chance to see how she'd like the clothing from SlimPerfect. She tried out the SlimSkort, Capri Pants and Tankini.

My mom thought that the fabric of the clothing has a lot of give and moves with the body. She can see how it would be really comfortable to exercise in. She said the design of the Tankini is very flattering and she really likes the neckline. Her favorite effect from these clothes came from the Capris. The buttock tamer of the Capris gave her a very flattering lift. She also said that she would have loved to have something like this immediately after her surgery. The tummy tamers would have been really comfortable for her in the recovery period. All in all, my mom really liked these clothes. She would like the top to be a little longer and said she would love the design of the Capris in a pant length. Though she's not much into wearing shorter skirts, I think the SlimSkort looks adorable on her!


Hurry and head over to SlimPerfect right now because they are having a huge Closeout Sale! Stock up for next spring and summer! These prices are unbelievable!

One reader will win a $50 Gift Certificate to SlimPerfect!

Contest is open to US and Canada only and will end on October 30th.

To Enter: Visit SlimPerfect and fill out entry form below.
Extra Entries:
-Enter our other giveaways
-Sign up to Follow the Lolidots Blog (friend connect box on the sidebar)
-Become a fan of Lolidots on Facebook

5 entries- Blog about this and link back here.
10 entries- Make a purchase from SlimPerfect during this contest.
 

CSN Stores CLOSED

October 25, 2009
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED

When it comes to one-stop online shopping, I'm not sure if anyone can top CSN Stores. It doesn't matter if you need furniture, appliances, shoes, decor, or gifts, CSNstores.com will have something amazing and incredibly affordable. It's amazing really. There are over 200 stores with every product imagineable. The really cool thing? You can shop them all and only have one shopping cart. Really, how much easier could it get? The customer service is amazing. The products arrive quickly. The ease of shopping is unbeatable. Every shop is clearly named and categories are broken down to make it so simple to shop. I have spent hours browsing through the hundreds of CSN shops and I know I haven't seen everything yet. I love how easy it is to browse for what I'm looking to buy. Being able to break down categories by brands, price, color and so many other options is super convenient. It's also really obvious that CSNstores.com has selected top of the line, high quality merchandise. What I like is how very affordable most of that merchandise is. I found items in some of these shops that I had seen in other stores for twice these prices. This awesome KidKraft bed is $50 cheaper at CSNstores.com than at Walmart.


Chances are, you've browsed a CSN store, possibly without knowing it. There is really a store for everything. One of my favorite shops to browse is AllModern.com. The furniture is stylish and chic. I love how sleek looking every single product is. I've spent tons of time drooling over the amazing sectional sofas.


I've coveted the unbelievable beds.


I've even let cribs like these almost convince me that we need another baby. Ah, the power of a good piece of furniture!


Another one of my favorite CSN stores is definitely Cookware.com. In the past five years I've increasingly found my footing in the kitchen. I've grown from my novice pre-family ways and am always looking to expand my kitchen appliances, dishes, cookware, bakeware and all the other great goodies. I'm not attempting the actual bird yet this year but, this cookware set would make my Thanksgiving and everyday cooking so much nicer.


Recently, we received a new small appliance from CSNstores.com. Our coffemaker by Proctor Silex has been a welcome replacement in our kitchen. We are major coffee drinkers but, not really "coffee snobs". We like our coffee but, as long as it's hot, fresh and caffeinated, we aren't too picky beyond that. Our previous coffeemaker was old and very cheaply made. It worked, though not well. The first thing I noticed about our new coffeemaker was the size. Though it is a 12 cup, it is much shorter than our old one. This is convenient because it doesn't have to be pulled out from under the cabinet each time we brew a fresh pot. Of course we brewed a pot immediately. I like that there is no need for a paper filter. I also like how quietly this brews and how quickly the cycle is finished. The auto feature is very nice for those of us who really enjoy that pot of coffee waiting to tell us "good morning". And, for those of us who tend to forget about turning things off, it's nice to have the 2 hour auto shut off. My favorite feature is definitely the strength selector. The knob is on the top of the machine and it is a huge plus for us. I love to be able to adjust that knob and have stronger coffee in the morning than in the evening but, not lose the flavor of the coffee beans. Aside from all the amazing features, this is definitely an affordable appliance.


I give Proctor-Silex two thumbs up for this coffeemaker, CSNstores.com a huge round of applause for this and all their other items and I give you all this...
CSNstores.com is giving one of my readers a Proctor-Silex coffeemaker like the one they sent me!!

Contest is open to US only and will end on November 2nd.

To Enter: Visit any CSNstore and fill out entry form below.
Extra Entries:
-Enter our other giveaways
-Visit other CSNstores
-Sign up to Follow the Lolidots blog (friend connect box on sidebar)
-Become a fan of Lolidots on Facebook AND suggest to your friends
-Follow Lolidots on Twitter AND tweet
@lolidots Win a Proctor Silex Coffeemaker! http://lolidots.com/giveaways

5 entries- Blog about this and link back here
10 entries- Make a purchase from ANY CSNstore
 

Shabby Apple CLOSED

October 22, 2009
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED

Shabby Apple is an amazing place where all chic and stylish women should flock. I've spent hours on the Shabby Apple website "window shopping" and "windo drooling" and "window wishing", etc. The first word that comes to mind at the first glance towards this shop is class. Every piece is perfect, stylish and an instant classic.

Shabby Apple takes the quintessential "little black dress" and puts over 15 unique spins on it.
 

The Flirty dresses are fun and flattering. From dressy to casual, there are so many amazing styles in this category. My absolute favorite is Barefoot in the Park. I can definitely see myself wearing this dress to so many different occasions.


Shabby Apple's idea is to create dresses that don't need anything added to them. Dresses that are a complete outfit is such a great thing. How often have you bought a dress just to turn around and have to buy a coverup or tank to go under it? These dresses are designed to be the end all and be all of that day's outfit. Of course they look amazing with some accessories but, my opinion is that when a dress is this chic, it holds it's own without the need of over accessorizing.


I've never really considered myself chic or sophisticated. I really imagine I'd feel that way in one of these dresses.

Shabby Apple has so many dresses to choose from. Whether you are headed to work, to meet the love of your life or just headed to the mall, there is definitely a dress here for you. There are also maternity and plus size dresses to choose from. The Fit to Flatter tool will help you find the perfect dress for your body. How great is that? And the accessories...oh goodness, the accessories...I could write a novel about how amazing the purses and jewelry are.


I love that besides the phenomenal women's dresses, Shabby Apple has breathtaking dresses for little girls and preteens as well! I dream of how adorable my daughter would look in these dresses.


My regular readers know how important it is to me to see successful companies that give back. Shabby Apple is one of those amazing places that shows it cares for others. By partnering with a non profit organization called Unitus and giving 5% of net dress sales to support work in India, Shabby Apple is helping in the fight against global poverty. The clothes are what catch my eye. The company is what makes me a fan.

I'm absolutely thrilled to say that the wonderful people over at Shabby Apple have offered up one of their delightfully stylish dresses for one of my readers to win!

One reader will win the 90 WPM dress from Shabby Apple!


Contest is open to US and Canada only and will end on October 30th.

Gotta have it now? Use the coupon code Lolidots10off for 10% off your purchase!


To Enter: Visit Shabby Apple and fill out entry form below
Extra Entries:
-Enter our other giveaways
-Sign up to follow the Lolidots Blog (friend connect box on sidebar)
-Follow Lolidots on Twitter and tweet
@lolidots Win a Shabby Apple Dress! http://lolidots.com/giveaways

5 entries- Blog about this and link back here
5 entries- Grab the Lolidots.com button and put it on your blog or website
10 entries- Make a purchase from Shabby Apple during this contest. (Please put your email address that you use when you purchase in the entry field. We contact the company and confirm your purchase)
 

Ufadili CLOSED

October 22, 2009
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED

What if clothes could teach? What if clothes could make the world a better place? What if they could do those things while making you and your kids look even cuter?

Then they would be clothes from Ufadili.


Ufadili, a Swahili word meaning "kindheartedness and goodwill",  was created by a mom who wanted to give her kids cute clothing that could connect people through culture, art, education and charitable giving. Every piece of clothing has a "Giving Tag" attached to it that shares facts and language translations on one side and shows the organizations that receive the charitable donations on the other side. 30% of Ufadili's profits go to charities like WildAid, Millenium Promise, Surfrider Foundation and Heifer International. This is one company that is going above and beyond when it comes to giving back.


Aside from the amazingly big hearts behind Ufadili, the clothes are adorable. All of the clothing is fair-trade manufactured and packaged in eco-friendly boxes. Each shirt or onesie comes with an animal design in bright colors. The name of the animal appears underneath the picture. Every animal name is in a different language. When a child wears these tees, they can be stylish while learning about a different culture. Every time the shirt is put on is a new chance for a wonderful learning experience.



Ufadili has super cute shirts for girls, boys and women. They also have adorable little girl flip flops that come with 3 velcro, interchangeable character buttons.


I love how soft and sweet the little girl tees are. Ufadili sent us the Dragonfly tee. The purple of the tee is a perfect pale lavender. Dragonfly is printed in Italian and it reads Libelulla. The learning side of the Giving Tag shows several other ways to say Dragonfly. My daughter looks adorable in this tee and always gets compliments when she wears it. I love the inquiries we get and the opportunity to tell someone about Ufadili and their amazing clothes and impact.

If you are looking for cute clothes that will make you feel good about buying them, I highly recommend Ufadili.

Ufadili would like to let one winner have their choice of any of their products!

Contest is open to US only and will end on October 30th.

To enter: Visit Ufadili and fill out entry form below.
Extra entries:
-Enter our other giveaways
-Sign up to Follow the Lolidots Blog (friend connect box on sidebar)
-Become a fan of Lolidots on Facebook
-Become a fan of Ufadili on Facebook
-Follow Lolidots on Twitter and Ufadili on Twitter and Tweet
@lolidots Win a shirt from @UFADILI http://lolidots.com/giveaways

5 entries- Blog about this

10 entries- Make a purchase from Ufadili during this contest (be sure you put the email address you used at purchase in the entry form. We verify your purchase with the company)
 

Brown Bow Gift Co CLOSED

October 20, 2009
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED

When it comes to purchasing gifts it is so nice to find a site that puts it all in one place for you. The Brown Bow Gift Co. does just that. I love the ease of shopping at Brown Bow. All the gifts are perfectly organized in easy to follow options on the sidebar. Whether you are looking for a baby shower gift or a wedding gift, a teacher gift or a gift to take to a dinner party, anniversary or birthday, the list goes on and on, you will find a fabulous gift choice at Brown Bow.


There are so many choices in every category. I love having so many wonderful options no matter what I need a gift for. The baby gifts are absolutely adorable. Little plaques that people can write on are such a unique baby shower gift. The whimsical baby socks that look like shoes are way too cute.
 

The housewarming gift options are amazing. There are so many gifts in this section that would be perfect for not only a housewarming but, a Christmas gift for the neighbors, relatives or just a special item for yourself. I love these cheese and cracker trays and wine totes.


For men shopping for gifts to give the woman in their life, it is so easy. There are wonderful choices in the Romantic gift category. I know any woman would love if her man gave her one of the amazing spa sets or beautiful and romantic picnic basket gifts.


On top of all the great gift ideas, you'll also find wonderful party favors and decorating accessories for events of all kinds. The personalized favors would be perfect bridesmaid and groomesmen gifts. I love all the different baby shower favor options. There are some super cute ideas that I've never seen before for baby showers.


Brown Bow Gift Co. sent us one of their fabulous gift sets from their Kids gift section. The Daisy Hat and Headband gift set is beautiful. The crocheted hat and headband are so sweet and perfect and I love the daisy flowers with their big rhinestone centers. I also like that the Daisies are on clips so that they are interchangeable. This makes it easy to create the perfect finishing touch on any outfit. And, I can use the cute little hat with other bows and clips. Love that.


I found so many wonderful treasures when I was browsing through the Brown Bow website. I'm sure you will too!

One lucky reader will win a $25 gift certificate to The Brown Bow Gift Company!

Contest is open to US only and will end on October 28th.

To enter: Visit Brown Bow Gift Co. and fill out entry form below.
Extra Entries:
-Enter our other giveaways here at Lolidots
-Sign up to Follow the Lolidots blog (friend connect box on sidebar)
-Become a fan of The Brown Bow Gift Co. on Facebook
-Follow Lolidots and The Brown Bow Gift Co. on Twitter and tweet the following
@lolidots Win a gift certificate to @brownbowgifts! http://lolidots.com/giveaways

5 entries- Blog about this giveaway
10 entries-Purchase from Brown Bow Gift Co. during this contest