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Shandali Stickyfiber Hot Yoga Towel is a Must-Have for Hot Yoga!

September 6, 2014 By Leave a Comment

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I love the Shandali Hot Yoga Towel because it fits on my yoga mat perfectly! It is lightweight and prevents me from slipping off my mat. That is an accomplishment since I am new to Hot Yoga classes! I also like that it is very soft and ultra-absorbent. It is also easy to clean since you can just throw it into the washer and dryer. It is also quick drying and is a Must-Have for those who like Hot Yoga classes. I have to admit that I really am quite impressed with this towel! It works really well and my favorite thing about it is that it does prevent slipping.  Check it out on Amazon.com.

Self Disclosure: I received this product for free in exchange for an honest review.

 

Filed Under: Featured Products of the Week

iLatch is designed for the whole family!

September 6, 2014 By Leave a Comment

iLatch

Looking for a way to protect your iPad and keep it safe from the smallest of hands? Or how about a way to use your iPad in the kitchen safely and easily? The iLatch by  Grizas  is the answer! I like that the iPad Case is easy to use and very easy to clean! It’s not only for kids but great for Mom and Dad too! I like that my 10 year old son can use it but it would also be great to hang up and keep away from very young children. You can hang it practically anywhere! It’s great on the back of the seat in the car and I love hanging it up in the kitchen to use to read and follow a recipe while cooking. Actually, that is my favorite way to use it! But, you can also remove the hooks and I like that it gives the iPad extra protection. I like that it has a soft leather case with removable hooks and it fits perfectly on our iPad 2. It’s really a quite handy product and a Must-Have for parents!

You can find it on Amazon.com.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Filed Under: Featured Products of the Week

Sexy Grooming Tips For Your Husband or Boyfriend, Straight From Jon Hamm’s Groomer!

September 6, 2014 By Leave a Comment

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CLEANSING

“The grooming process happens rather quickly and speed is of the essence. The most important step is for the man to have healthy, fresh and moisturized skin. When the skin looks flawless, there is little need for makeup. I first cleaned his skin using RéVive Cream Cleanser, ($75) and then toned it with RéVive Balancing Toner ($65).”

 

MOISTURIZE

“All men love the application of moisturizers and skincare. It feels nice, like a mini little facial. Other than that it’s pretty basic. You have to be fast with men. No man likes to sit in your chair for hours. I applied RéVive Moisturizing Renewal Cream, ($195) all over his face and neck. Beard or no beard, you must still cleanse and moisturize the face.”

 

EYES

“I always use RéVive Intensité Volumizing Eye Serum, ($350) on my clients. The eye serum drastically helps tired eyes; it improves the delicate skin under and around eyes, leaving them refreshed!”

 

PRE-EVENT SKINCARE TIPS

“Red carpet or no red carpet, every man needs to be caring for his skin on a daily basis. This includes on the most basic level: cleansing the face morning and night, toning the skin, moisturizing the skin and daily application of serums, eye creams and SPF.”

 

FACIAL HAIR HOW-TO’S

“Using my beard trimmer, I remove stray hairs and create the perfect length and shape based off of their own face shape. For red-carpet looks, I always wet shave the neck area to create the perfect lines rather than leaving the beard to grow out on its own. Beards require some maintenance in order for them to look red-carpet friendly.”

 

HAIR

“All hair products were by American Crew:  Alternator and Firm Hold Styling Gel. I used Alternator to wet the hair. I blow-dried using my fingers for the sides and back of the hair. On top, I used a medium size round brush taking random sections to create shine and a little extra volume. I blow dried the hair back and away from the face. I finished by applying American Crew Firm Hold Styling Gel through the hair for an all-day hold and effortless groomed perfect looking hair.”

 

PREP TIME

“From start to finish, the grooming process takes about 30 minutes. 15 minutes for hair, 15 minutes for skin. If I need to trim or cut the hair we add another 30-45 minutes and I would start with the cut. When no cut is involved, I start with hydrating and caring for the skin. Once skincare is finished, I move on to the hair look. Once the hair is complete, I take another look at the face, use concealers if needed, lip balm, and a little anti-shine. For all my clients, I like to use as little makeup as possible which is exactly why skincare products matter most to me.”

 

HOLLYWOOD GROOMING

“Men in Hollywood take great care of their skin. They are surrounded by specialists who educate them on the importance of proper skincare. Révive is at the top of my list because it is truly a complete line of skincare products created for both men and women. It was developed by Harvard graduate Dr. Gregory Bays Brown and utilizes the most cutting edge science and technology to regenerate the appearance of healthy, youthful, perfectly hydrated looking skin. It is a fact that our skin changes as we age. What is required of a 20 year old to achieve great looking skin will be much different than a 30 or 40 year old. This applies to both men and women.”

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We received a sample of the RéVive Cream Cleanser, ($75) and this is a hit! I had to try it and love how it feels on my skin and it even smells great! My husband and I both love this one so it won’t be lasting very long in our house! 

Self Disclosure: I received a free product to facilitate this feature. Photo Credit: REVIVE.

Filed Under: Beauty and Fashion, Beauty and Fashion Corner

Tweezers Slant Tip Stainless Steel – Precisio by Crave Naturals

September 6, 2014 By Leave a Comment

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I received the Crave Naturals Tweezers from Crave Naturals in exchange for an honest review. First off, the packaging is really cute and would make a great gift or a stocking stuffer for the upcoming holiday season! The tweezers themselves are high quality and seem like they will last a long time. I like that they are slanted and they work quite well. They are sharp and it is easy to get those stray little eyebrow hairs. They really make shaping eyebrows much easier and this is a task that is not a favorite of mine! They will also be great for when you get a splinter. I recently had one before buying these tweezers and the tweezers I had didn’t work well. I imagine these would do the trick and quite easily. I also like that these have a lifetime guarantee. These are a Must-Have! You can find them on Amazon.com.

Self Disclosure: I received these for $1 in exchange for an honest review on Amazon and SoCal City Kids and all opinions expressed are honest and truthful.

Filed Under: Beauty and Fashion, Beauty and Fashion Corner

Family Friendly Camp SUP Hits Doheny State Beach Sept. 13-14

September 5, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Salt Life, a lifestyle apparel brand that embraces everything ocean life including surfing, fishing, diving and paddling, has teamed up with SUP magazine to present Camp SUP September 13-14 at Doheny State Beach. Camp SUP is a unique two-day event created by SUP magazine to introduce new people into the sport, encourage everyday paddlers to improve their skills and give everyone a chance to try out the latest greatest hard and soft goods from leading SUP brands.

 

“We at Salt Life are proud to be the presenting sponsor of the first annual Camp SUP,” said Salt Life’s Jeff Stillwell. “This sport embodies living the Salt Life and we hope to be a part of this great event for years to come.”

 

Additionally, SIC Maui, a premiere manufacturer in the standup paddling world, has signed on to run the Grom Clinic at Camp SUP. Aspiring young paddlers are encouraged to join the SIC team at 3 p.m. each day for an hour-long tutorial guaranteed to get them stoked for life.

 

“We are really excited to be involved with Camp SUP and for SIC to be the presenting sponsor of the Grom Clinic,” said SIC’s Marketing Manager Braly Joy.  “SIC’s goal with youth programs is to help get kids on the water and make sure their first experience is a good one and a safe one so they come back.”

Camp SUP is the first event of its kind in the sport—part-demo, part instructional camp, and all about fun. Nikki Gregg, Gillian Gibree, Dave Boehne and Molokai Champion Connor Baxter have all signed on as clinicians for the two-day beach party. A four-mile fun paddle kicks off at 11 a.m. Saturday (Register Here!). Part of the proceeds from the fun paddle will go to the winning Philanthropic Event at the 2014 SUP Awards.

Demos from some of the sport’s best brands and clinics highlight both Saturday and Sunday. The list of confirmed vendors includes: Bark, Boardworks, Body Glove, Futures, Henderson Wetsuits / Supreme, Hinano, Hobie, Infinity, King’s Paddle Sports, Laird SUP, Mamma Chia, Naish, NRS, OAM, Riviera Paddlesurf, SIC, Sun Protection Zone, SUP ATX, Surftech, ULI Boards, and Watermans Sunscreen.

Sierra Nevada, the Official Beer Sponsor of Camp SUP, opens their Beer Garden each day at 12 p.m. to kick off the beach party with live music all afternoon.

To learn more about Camp SUP, directions and a detailed schedule, visit: www.supthemag.com/camp-sup/

SUP magazine would like to thank Salt Life, Payette River Games, Banzai Bowls, Flips Audio, Ocean Minded, Sierra Nevada, and California State Parks for their support of the 1st Annual Camp SUP at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, California.

About Salt Life
Salt Life is an authentic, aspirational and lifestyle brand that embraces those who love the ocean and everything associated with living the “Salt Life”. Founded in 2003 by four avid watermen from Jacksonville Beach, Florida, the Salt Life brand has widespread appeal with ocean enthusiasts worldwide. From fishing, diving and surfing, to beach fun and sun-soaked relaxation, the Salt Life brand says, “I live the Salt Life.”

About SUP Magazine

SUP magazine is part of The Enthusiast Network (TEN) and isthe leading multi-media publication in the standup paddling world. With a progressive, approachable style, SUP strives to push readers off the couch and onto the water. By blending engaging print and destination features, gear coverage and in-depth instructional pieces with in-house video and event write-ups on SUPthemag.com, SUP magazine is enhancing your view of the sport, all while getting you into the game. For more information, please visit SUPthemag.com.

 

About TEN: The Enthusiast Network

TEN: The Enthusiast Network LLC is the world’s premier network of enthusiast brands, such as Powder, BIKE, SUP, SURFER, Transworld, Canoe & Kayak and GrindTV. With more than 60 publications, 100 Web sites, the world’s largest automotive VOD channel, 800 branded products, 50+ events, TV and radio programs, TEN creates and delivers content that informs, entertains, inspires and connects with enthusiasts every day. For more information visit www.enthusiastnetwork.com

Credit: Salt Life, SUP Magazine and About TEN:The Enthusiast Network.

Filed Under: SoCal City Kids News

Story Bug makes learning more fun!

September 5, 2014 By Leave a Comment

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Cricket Media, an education media company and global learning network, today announced that Story Bug, an exciting new collaborative reading app for the iPad and iPhone, is now available on the App Store.

With Story Bug, sharing the experience of reading with loved ones is no longer limited to being in the same room together. The app, which seamlessly combines video chat with an interactive reader, allows young people and adults in different locations to socialize and bond while reading specially curated selections drawn from Cricket Media’s portfolio of acclaimed children’s magazines.

Story Bug is powered by technology from Kindoma, the award-winning creator of communication apps focused on connecting families.

Users of the Story Bug app see and hear each other while viewing the same digital book. They also share controls for turning pages and interacting with the content. So when a page is turned on one device, the page simultaneously turns for the user of the other device. In addition, a digital “shadow hand” shows where your counterpart is pointing, so grown-ups can challenge their young readers to point to items on the page or sound out specific words.

Now the magic of sharing a bedtime story, or simply reading to a child is possible anywhere, anytime for parents traveling on business, deployed military families and geographically dispersed friends and family.

In addition to being an exciting new way for families to read together, Story Bug offers children and their reading partners the very best in enlightening and entertaining content for young people, featuring selections from Cricket Media’s beloved children’s publications, such as Ladybug and Click.  In addition, full issues of Babybug, the award-winning magazine for children under 3 years old, will be available. Cricket Media is a market leader in developing enriching, educational content for children, and its publications were recognized for their excellence earlier this year by The Parents’ Choice Foundation, which honored each of Cricket Media’s magazines with its Spring 2014 Parents’ Choice Award.

Story Bug users can choose from a customizable library of digital books for children aged 0-6 that  engage young readers through early development concepts and subjects such as counting, rhyming, animals, colors, riddles, and machines & tools, bedtime and more. Titles at launch include “Favorite Mother Goose Rhymes,” a collection of favorite children’s rhymes such as Little Miss Muffet, Jack and Jill, Old Kind Cole, Pop Goes the Weasel and more; “The One with the Freckle,” a story about a little boy who learns to have fun without his twin brother on his first day of kindergarten; and “Big Sister’s Goodnight,” a story about a big sister who helps her baby sister get ready for bed.

“We are thrilled to introduce the new Story Bug app for iOS,” said Katya Andresen, CEO, Cricket Media. “Family members and friends have long turned to Cricket Media and our award winning library to entertain, enlighten and inspire children. Now with Story Bug, kids and their loved ones have a wonderful way to connect and come together to share the experience of reading our content whether they are in different rooms, different towns or different countries.”

The Story Bug App is available for free from the App Store on the iPhone or iPad or at http://bit.ly/1whBUU3. Users  receive two books for free when downloading the app, and can subscribe to access dozens of other books, with more added each month, for $4.99 per month, $14.99 per six months, or $24.99 per year. Individual titles are also available for purchase at $2.99 each.

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About Cricket Media 

Cricket Media (TSXV: CKT) is an education media company that provides award-winning content on a safe and secure learning network for children, families and teachers across the world.  Cricket Media’s 14 popular media brands for toddlers to teens include Babybug, Ladybug, Cricket® and Cobblestone® with multiple language editions and apps in English, Spanish and Chinese.  The Company’s innovative web-based K12 tools for school and home include the ePals community and virtual classroom for global collaboration as well as In2Books®, a Common Core eMentoring program that builds reading, writing and critical thinking skills.  Cricket Media serves approximately one million classrooms and millions of teachers, students and parents in over 200 countries and territories through its platform and NeuPals, its joint venture with China’s leading IT services company Neusoft. Cricket Media also licenses its content and platform to top publishing and educational companies worldwide.  For more information, please visit www.Cricketmag.com,www.ePals.com and www.in2books.com.

About Kindoma

Kindoma is a communications company that lets families do activities like read and draw together, even when apart.  Kindoma has created the world’s first COPPA compliant video chat solution targeting kids and families, and used it to power its own critically-acclaimed app Kindoma Storytime as well as Cricket Media’s Story Bug.  Kindoma partners with leading publishers, producers and developers to help families around the world share experiences at a distance.  For more information, please visit www.kindoma.com.

 

 

SOURCE Cricket Media

Filed Under: Media Reviews

Shine Bright Like a Diamond with Rihanna’s Favorite RéVive Product

September 5, 2014 By Leave a Comment

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Have you ever envied Rihanna’s flawless, glowing complexion and wondered what skincare products she’s using? Good news: mystery solved! In Elle’s September issue, RiRi revealed that RéVive Intensité Crème Lustre Day SPF 30 is her go-to moisturizer while on vacation.

Perfect for vacation and everyday life, this ultra luxe daytime moisturizer will help you “shine bright like a diamond,” giving skin a firmer, brighter, younger look with diminished fine lines and wrinkles. Created by RéVive’s founder, leading plastic surgeon Dr. Gregory Bays Brown, Crème Lustre Day is loaded with antioxidants as well as SPF 30 to help protect against harmful UVB/UVA rays that can lead to visible signs of aging.

Self Disclosure: No compensation was received. Credit: RéVive.

Filed Under: Beauty and Fashion, Beauty and Fashion Corner

What If – A Heartfelt, Genuine, Feel-Good Film with Morals – What a Surprise!

September 5, 2014 By Leave a Comment

WhatIf

What If is a new romantic comedy about best friends Wallace and Chantry who have to face the fact that they might have deeper feelings for each other than they imagined. Wallace, played by Daniel Radcliffe, is a med school dropout who has become very anti-social after his serious girlfriend breaks his heart. One night, at his best friend Allan’s party, he meets a girl named Chantry. They have an instant connection, but when Wallace learns that she has a long time boyfriend, he decides to focus his energy on being her best friend instead of her lover. The two of them grow closer and closer while still trying to keep the boundaries of “just friends,” but will they be able to deny their feelings forever? KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Raven D., age 17, comments, “I really enjoyed this film. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it, but the plot is wonderful, the cast is amazing and the story is very touching and funny.” See her full review below.

 

What If

Reviewed by Raven Devanney

 

 

I really enjoyed this film. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it, but the plot is wonderful, the cast is amazing and the story is very touching and funny. The cinematography is great. I especially love the fact that there are some whimsical elements added to the visuals to help tell the story. Chantry is an animator, and occasionally her drawings come to life in the movie, adding a really cool multi-media element to the film.

 

My favorite character is Chantry played by Zoe Kazan. Chantry is a very fun character and Zoe is perfect for the role. I am a big fan of Zoe Kazan and love her work in Ruby Sparks and The Pretty One. She never fails to entertain me. One thing I love about Chantry is that even though you can tell she starts to grow romantic feelings for Wallace, she never crosses the boundaries from platonic to romantic while she’s in another relationship which is very cool. I’ve seen a lot of films where two friends have feelings for each other and they act on it even though one of them is in a relationship with someone else. In this film, it is stated many times that Wallace and Chantry are very against cheating, especially since Wallace’s ex cheated on him. I really admire that even though these characters are fictional, they still have solid moral standards.

 

Daniel Radcliffe also does a wonderful job in this film. His character, Wallace is very witty and cynical, adding a lot of comic relief to more intense interactions. He works wonderfully with Zoe Kazan and you can really see the chemistry between their characters. Daniel also pairs perfectly with Adam Driver, who plays his best friend Allan. The two of them make a hilarious combo and any scene with them together is sure to make you laugh.

 

What If is a heartfelt, genuine, feel-good film that I really enjoyed. It is definitely geared more towards adults, in my opinion and I believe 20-year-olds will probably enjoy it the most. My mom loved it and was even brought to tears because it is so sweet.  However, I love it as well, so I recommend it for ages 15 to 18. I give it 5 out of 5 stars, so make sure you don’t miss this gem in theaters now!

Credit: KIDS FIRST! Coming Attractions, www.kidsfirst.org

Filed Under: Media Reviews
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