Friday, May 27, 2011

Therabreath Multi-Symptom Probiotic [Review] and Fresh Breath Lozenges [Giveaway]

Congratulations to the winner of this great giveaway!  Krista, #41!  Also, thanks to TheraBreath and all those who entered!  Stop by again soon!



 Up until my recent review and giveaway of Therabreath's mouthwash and toothpaste, I had never heard of them.  In my opinion, Therabreath is just too good to keep a secret and so that is why I am so excited to let you know of a couple of other great products from this steller company!  I love natural products and Therabreath is a great example of utilizing natural substances to kill bad breath, with unprecedented results!  Now, they have another amazing product, Therabreath Multi Symptom Probiotics, the only oral care products that contain both BLIS M18 and BLIS K12 cultures, a new generation of patented probiotics that have been shown in scientific studies to be remarkably effective in the oral cavity.  So, what I am understanding is that everything within the scope of the oral cavity can be protected and strengthened.  Things like ear ache, cavities, bad breath, sore throat, gum problems and sensitive teeth all could be alleviated or even obliterated!  And that would have a domino effect on the rest of the body, bringing it up to a much more healthy state. 

    According to Therabreath's website, "TheraBreath is a revolutionary premium oral care system created by Dr. Harold Katz at the California Breath Clinics.  The exclusive, original formula went on the market in 1994 and has been used by over 1 million people world wide to solve problems of bad breath and unpleasant mouth taste.  In that time, our original formula has gone through dozens of refinements, making it the most complete and effective solution to the embarrassing personal problem of halitosis.  If you've been frustrated with commercial products that claim they attack germs that cause bad breath, or if you've scraped your tongue and still have bad breath, you've come to the right place!  This site is dedicated to explaining the causes of bad breath, halitosis, dry mouth, taste disorders (bitter taste, sour, metallic) and how to get rid of these problems using the clinically proven TheraBreath system."

     Now that I have been able to try Therabreath for myself, I really love it and am so excited to be able to purchase it whenver I need it because it is available at stores that are close to me, like Walmart, Shopko, Rite Aid, and more.  
     I am especially excited about the probiotics, since I am just coming off the flu and need something to make sure my system is totally over it.  The Multi System Probiotic is a one week course containing over 500 million cultures of K12 probiotic bacteria and is administered as a mouth rinse, once daily, except for days 1 and 7, which is administered twice daily.  It comes with toothpaste to use beforehand to prepare for the treatment.  Right now, this is only available online on their website!
     Right now TheraBreath is giving away a free 100 count dispenser pack of their amazing Mouth Wetting Fresh Breath Lozenges in Mandarin Mint Flavor!  When I pop one of these babies in my mouth, I don't have to worry about bad breath for hours.  And especially when I am interviewing or in a tense social situation, where my mouth might tend to dry out, these mints come in very handy!  

     To win a package of 100 Fresh Breath Mouth Wetting Lozenges, leave me a comment telling me your current favorite mouthwash, gum, breathmint, or toothpaste, along with your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win!
    Extra entries:   
  •  Follow TheraBreath on Twitter! Leave your Twitter name!
  • Follow me on GFC on my Giveaway Listings Blog! 
  • Like TheraBreath on Facebook.  Tell them hello for me! Leave your first name and last initial so I can check! 
  • Follow me on Twitter!  Leave your Twitter name! 
  • Subscribe to my e-mails.  Make sure you confirm it from your own e-mail! 
  • Blog, Facebook, Stumble, Digg, Tweet or  list in a Giveaway Listing Linky.  Can be done daily for a daily entry. Just leave the link where you did it!  You can use this tweet -
 "Enter to win a pack of #therabreath Fresh Breath Lozenges @Melahelen #badbreath http://bit.ly/kZhYgv 6/23"
 You can use this for Facebook - "Enter to win a whole 100 count box of Therabreath Mouth Wetting, Fresh Breath Lozenges at A GAL NEEDS...http://bit.ly/kZhYgv"


Thanks for entering everyone!  This giveaway will close at 11:59 MST on June 23rd!  This contest is open to US entrants and they must be at least 21 years of age or older.  The winner will be notified by e-mail and will be given 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected.  The winner will be posted at the top of this giveaway!  I was provided product so I might give a thoughtful and honest review!  Thanks TheraBreath, I love your products!

Swimspot.com $50 Gift Code Giveaway! {Closed}

Congratulations to #143, Dana, who said: I follow via GFC.
Thanks to all who entered!  



     I'm back!  It's been about 5 weeks since I last posted and I am surprised at how fast the time has gone.  It seems like time is just going so fast that I don't have a chance to do all that I want to do!  Does that sound familiar to you?  Now that I'm in the swing of things again, I will start out with a great giveaway to start out the summer with and that is Swimspot.com!  With free returns, free exchanges and free shipping, what's not to love?  Not to mention the amaazing swimsuits they have!
   "Swimspot loves to empower shoppers to be able to buy women's swimwear they absolutely love.  And there are those of us who don't want to wear the same women's swimwear looks as the women on the other side of the pool.  What we're saying is that we recognize the power of the Fashionista.  She wants to stand out for being fashion forward!   So that is what Swimspot is all about!" 
   When I checked out the site, I loved the Bikini Builder Mix & Match Tool for Athena, Hurley, Splendid and Next Swimsuits.  Here's what I picked, what would you pick?
Hurley Mix & Match
                                                        Athena and Splendid Mix & Match
Next Mix & Match
     Of course there are the designer lines such as Luxe by Lisa Vogel and I really love that there is something for every woman.  From flattering maximum coverage to minimal, it's all there!  And you don't need to feel like you're guessing--just call or e-mail the FitSpecialist and it's like having your own concierge to help you buy your swimsuit.  The number is 1-877-684-7946 or e-mail fitspecialist@swimspot.com.
     Swimspot would like to give one special gal a $50 gift code to their online store!  Here's what you can do to get it!  Please read the mandatory entry carefully, there are two parts to it!

Mandy:  Like Swimspot.com on Facebook AND become a VIP Member on Swimspot.com  You must do both things to qualify for this giveaway.  It's actually really easy, so leave me a comment telling you did this and leave me your Facebook first name and last initial, along with the e-mail you enrolled for VIP on Swimspot.com.

Would you like some extra ways to enter?  Check these out below! 
  • Become my GFC Follower!  (Right sidebar) If you already are, thanks so much!  Just leave a comment!
  • Friend me on Facebook! Leave your first name and last initial in a comment saying you did.
  • Follow me on Twitter and tweet this out!  Can do 2x daily! Just leave your tweet status each time you do!
 "A $50 GC        http://t.co/PzGG1wQ ends 6/22"


  • Grab my 'A GAL NEEDS...' Button and post it on your blog page!  
  • Blog, Facebook, Stumble, Digg, or post this on a giveaway linky.  Can do daily for a daily entry!  Leave the the link where you did it!
  • Enter any other of my current giveaways! 1 entry for each one entered!
  • Follow my Giveaway Listings Blog, A Gal Needs At Least 2 Blogs!  on GFC!
 This giveaway will end on 6/22/11 and is open to U.S. residents 21 years or older.  Winner will be chosen with Random.org and will be notified through e-mail.  Please respond within 48 hours or another winner will be selected!  I was not compensated nor provided any product for review for this giveaway. 

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Therabreath Review and Giveaway

   
    Let's face it, bad breath stinks!  It's just not fun to be around it, let alone have it!  Less commonly known as halitosis, there are many common theories as to what causes it and how to cure it.  Here's one for you - So, if your mouth tastes minty from a breath mint or mouthwash, then your bad breath is under control, right?  WRONG-O.  The minty flavor of most toothpastes, mints or mouthwashes masks and only exacerbate the problem because the sugar they contain helps the bacteria to breed. 
    Dr. Harold Katz, the founder of TheraBreath products, has helped over a million people worldwide cure chronic bad breath.  His products attack the Anaerobic Sulfur-Producing Bacteria which breed WITHIN the tongue's surface and throat.  He is affectionately known as the Bad Breath Guru and has been on shows like The View and CBS Early Show to share his knowledge.  I was able to give 3 of these products a try and I really like them A LOT! 
The first product that I tried was the TheraBreath Mouth Wetting Fresh Breath Lozenges in Madarin Mint Flavor.  Each lozenge is individually wrapped and packs a breath freshening punch that leaves me confident as I talk to my students as I'm helping them with their work or after I've eaten a salad with plenty of onions, garlic-based dressing, peppers, etc.  Whatever is thrown in my path, I won't be worried breath-wise if I've taken one of these babies.
      The next product is the TheraBreath Oral Rinse.  This tastes, to me, like a weak version of hydrogen peroxide with some mild flavoring.  But apparently, this is their best-selling product because of how well it controls chronic bad breath, aggressively attacking the odor-causing bacteria.  So thumbs up, baby!  A GAL NEEDS...to have her breath fresh at all times.
      The last product I got to try is the TheraBreath Toothpaste.  This is for people who really know that they have a problem.  The toothpaste has no sugar, so it doesn't taste like candy, that's for sure.  It's definitely for people who want to do something effective to get their breath under control.  My teeth felt really clean and smooth after using this toothpaste.  I got accustomed to the absence of sugar in the toothpaste and prefer it now to the sugary brands.  
     Some good news for you is that one of you will be set up with your own TheraBreath toothpaste and mouthwash!  You will be able to see for yourself how great your breath can be, like I did!
  MANDATORY ENTRY:  Like Therabreath on Facebook and tell them that you're there from A GAL NEEDS...!
   OPTIONAL Entries (Each item is worth as many entries as indicated on the left.  Please leave as many comments as indicated):

   +2 Check out the Therabreath website.  Let me know what product you'd like to try!
   +2 Follow me and @therabreath on Twitter and leave me your Twitter handle!
   +1 Tweet this giveaway once daily!  You can use:
"My breath is great, what about yours?  #Win a mouthwash and toothpaste from @therabreath and @melahelen http://t.co/ftPn3qb 4/28"
   +5 Blog about this giveaway with a link back to this post AND post my button on your blog with a link to your blog!
   
   +3 Be my blogging buddy on Facebook!  Put in a request and I'll definitely say yes!  

OK, that's about it, other than letting you know that Therabreath provided me with products to provide an honest review, but you already knew that!  My winner will be selected on April 28th with Random.org and notified through e-mail so make sure you make it available to me!  Thank you, Therabreath, for providing me with these great products and for the giveaway! 

A Man With A 'Stache

I was blog hopping today, since I'm on my Spring Break from work, an activity which I'd love to do more of...  Anyway, I happened upon a really cute blog in which Heather, the author, posted the cutest poem about her husband's 'stache.  It was really cute, and since my own dh sports a 'stache in various forms at various times, I forwarded it to him!  I was pleasantly surprised when he wrote his own version of the verse and e-mailed it back to me!  I thought I'd share both with you.  Now I realize who really should be doing all the blogging, writing, rhyming, and expounding...him!  And Heather, you are an amazing poet!  Thanks for the laughs!

An Ode To Your Face by Heather 

I'd never want to bash 
Your wearing of that 'stache
That is set upon your lips
...and tickles when we kiss
You know I'd love you anyway
But hope that handsome 'stache will stay
'Cause all the cool kids want mustaches
All the girls bat their eyelashes
Of all the ways men wear face hair 
Your 'stache is best!
The end
[I swear!]


An Ode In Reply by Greg


I'm happy that you love my 'stache
I used to worry that you might get a rash,
When you kissed my lips and stroked my face.
But happily, that is not the case,
I know you love me anyway.
So on my face the 'stache will stay!
It's true my 'stache can be real cool,
But the way you bat your eyes still rules!
So shake those hips, they're outta sight!
Your butt's the best, a true delight!
And so, friends, that is why I love a man with a 'stache!  It's because not only does it look good, but he's a poet as well!  I ask you, how could I resist?
Images from Google Image

Monday, April 11, 2011

A Flirty Apron Review and Giveaway!


I've been aware of an awesome company called Flirty Aprons for awhile now and am pleased to be able to do a review for their new Marilyn line!  In general, Flirty Aprons makes high-quality aprons for women, men, and children.  Since I speak for myself, and I'm a woman, Flirty Aprons makes me feel good about myself when I'm in the kitchen.  When I feel good about myself, I have a tendency to be more motivated to watch what I eat.  I also like it because I can be dressed in my old sweats, looking like I need a good couple days at the spa, but when I put on this apron, I could fool anyone but the most in-the-know person.  Case in point:


The apron that I happen to be wearing is the 'Sugar and Spice from the new Marilyn Line.  I can adjust the ties to fit more snugly or more loosely depending on how I feel. This is adjusted more loosely!  These aprons are the more light-weight aprons with just one layer.  I like it because it will be great for warm weather cooking.  I love the pocket on the side for recipe cards, a phone, glasses, etc.  I also love the triple layer of ruffles on the bottom! I believe that A GAL NEEDS... at least one of these! Pictured here are some other aprons I love.  There are so many more, however, to choose from:
Marilyn Strawberry Shortcake

Kaydee Queen of Everything Apron
 Flirty Apron would like one of you to receive your choice of apron from their new Marilyn Line!  Believe me, you will love it!  All you need to do is first, be a GFC Follower and leave a  comment with a link to your favorite Flirty Apron!

Extra Entries (leave extra comments according to amount listed on the left of entry):
  • +3 Post about this giveaway on Facebook and link it to Flirty Aprons!  Example below:
"Flirty Aprons makes every woman feel great in the kitchen!  Enter the Flirty Aprons Giveaway at A GAL NEEDS... today! 4/25"
  • +1 Tweet this daily (2x each day for one entry each, 1 hour apart please):
"Feel great in the kitchen!  #Win @Melahelen a Marilyn style @FlirtyAprons!  #Cooking #Aprons http://bit.ly/i6kfYX 4/25"
  • +2 Post my button on your blog and/or put me on your blog list!  (2 entries each, counts if I'm already there!)  Leave me the link! 
  • +3 Enter my Therabreath Giveaway! 
       Many thanks to Flirty Aprons for providing me with an apron to review and also for providing an apron to one of my readers.  This giveaway will end on 4/25/11 and winner will be chosen with Random.org and notified by e-mail.  The winner will have a 48 hour window to respond.  This giveaway is open to US residents.                                                                             
          

      Wednesday, April 6, 2011

      OPI 'Black Shatter' Nail Polish Giveaway!



      Thanks, everyone!  That was a fun one!  I love my Black Shatter and #31 is going to get this delivered to her doorstep really soon!  It is lucky Lauren, who said:
      lauren said...
      Hi! I am a GFC follower, my username is Lvspina01. My current favorite nail color is For Audrey by China Glaze, its the perfect turquoise color and I get so many compliments when I wear it which is always good! Haha! Thanks for giving away such an awesome item! It is very generous of you! I have been wanting to try this polish for the longest! Hope I win :) Thanks again and hope to hear from you soon! Lauren


      Black Shatter, by OPI and inspired by Katy Perry, is flying off of shelves and right now is on back order with very few bottles available for walk-in customers when shipments do arrive!  
       The fashion press started teasing about it before Thanksgiving and it has flown off of store shelves since hitting the Utah market, where I live, in February!  Random checks of beauty supply websites show that supplies are either limited, back ordered or out of stock!  One seller on E-Bay had it listed at $80.50.  Other sellers have it retailing for up to $20!  (It normally retails for $8.50)
      It appeals, like Katy Perry's music, to ages 10 - 30.  But I'm thinking it appeals to a much wider age range than that.  I'm actually way over 30, I'm 40- cough, sneeze, clear throat, and I think it's fab!  (I know, I'm just hip like that anyway!)   It is definitely one of the more unique things to hit the nail industry in a long time.  

      The idea is to paint your nails with a base coat of your favorite shade and then put Black Shatter on top of that.  It separates and gives a random cracked appearance, with the base coat showing through.  It is definitely interesting to say the least!  



       I'm giving a bottle of Black Shatter Nail Polish to one reader on my blog!  This is what you need to do to enter:

      Mandy - Be a GFC Follower and tell me what your current favorite nail color is!

      Extra Entries (Leave each entry done in a comment):   
      • Subscribe to my e-mails
      • Follow me on Twitter and Tweet (Can be done once daily for an entry each day!)
      • Post my button on your blog and leave me the link! (right sidebar)
      • Friend me on Facebook!
      • Blog about it and link it back to this post!
      •  Sign up for My Likes here!  (5 extra entries)
       Optional Tweet!  #Giveaway for Katy Perry's Black Shatter by OPI @Melahelen  http://t.co/cVtq9Yl 4/20

      Giveaway ends on 4/20/11!  Winner will be notified by e-mail (so leave your e-mail in at least one comment) and will have 48 hours to respond!  I will then ship the prize to the winner via US Mail with delivery confirmation.  This giveaway is open to US entrants.  

      Here is a tutorial from You Tube on how to apply Black Shatter! 
        

      Friday, April 1, 2011

      Ultimate Blog Party 2011

      Ultimate Blog Party 2011

      We were asked to talk a little bit about ourselves during this event. Here is what I said:
      I am the owner of 3 blogs--my personal blog, this one, and my giveaway listings blog!  Thus the name, A GAL NEEDS... at least 2 blogs!  I never would have guessed 3 years ago that I would even be a blogger at all.  So it is quite the surprise to me that I have 3 of them. 

      I'm a Mom of a 22 year old son, who is in the thick of graduating from college and heading for grad school, pretty much on his own.  It's nice, though, that he lives in the same town as us and I can see him quite frequently!  He is an MMA competitor on the side and has been doing well in that arena.  I saw him fight one time and I think that will be the only time I go.  It's quite nerve-racking!

      I also have a 14 year old son, still at home and finishing up his middle school career.  He is really big for a 14 year old.  He's at 6'0 right now, with huge bones and a huge frame.  I don't even know how to feed him sometimes.  Fortunately my husband is a great cook so he helps in that area!

      I am a certified special ed teacher and work in a support role at a remedial high school in a self-contained classroom. Luckily, I have experience with boys because it's an all-boy classroom.  It's never boring and when I get home, I see my other boys.  That's a lot of testosterone and so sometimes I love to get away and ride my bike on the local river trail or take my border collie on walks!

      My husband is the greatest and we enjoy our lives and while he enjoys his 'War Craft' and other recreational online games, I love to blog in my spare time.  My spare time seems to be less and less these days, but I still make time for reviews, giveaways and the occasional snapshot of life.  I enjoy featuring noteworthy news or in other words, news that I feel is of interest to me and other women.  


      Wednesday, March 16, 2011

      Hope For Spina Bifada Babies!

        I am really amazed at what medical breakthroughs are actually coming through!  Who would have thought that babies with spina bifida, which can be determined before birth through tests, now have a chance to be operated on before they are born to correct this birth defect?  It is one of the most common birth defects in the United States, affecting about 1,500 babies each year.  About 10% of these babies die. Those who survive may have lifelong disabilities that include leg weakness or paralysis and loss of bowel and bladder control.  The most severe form of spina bifida is called myelomeningocele, in which the lower backbone and spinal canal do not close before birth. 
         An eight-year trial has just been completed, actually having been ended early because the results were very overwhelming - Children's odds of a good outcome from spina bifida surgery are better if the operation is done before birth, a major clinical trial shows.
         For the trial, 80 mothers were chosen to receive the corrective operation before birth.  "They cut you from hip to hip, and you can imagine having a major surgery, cut twice and have a baby mov(ing) around and kick(ing).  I was in crazy amounts of pain for a long, long time."  But for one mom, it was a sweet sacrifice because at just one week old, an MRI showed her little son's brain malformation, which was a symptom of the spina bifida, completely reversed. 
         For many unborn babies, a diagnosis of spina bifida will result in death by abortion.  For those babies allowed to live, surgery is often performed soon after birth.  But unfortunately, the months spent in utero with the spina bifida untreated can result in leg paralysis, brain damage, or other problems. Hydrocephalus usually requires a shunt to drain the excess fluid and can even result in death.  
          When surgery is performed before birth, doctors have concluded that the operation decreased the need for shunts and reduced the incidence of brain herniation, but increased likelihood of premature delivery.  As these children grow, the doctors will be able to determine if the surgery prevented other effects of spina bifida, such as leg paralysis.
          
      There is an elevated risk to the mothers, who elect to have this surgery.  It is a major surgery and any subsequent children she gives birth to would need to be done with C-Section.  But for most parents, this is wonderful news and gives hope to the children they so fondly hope to have and to nurture.   
       
      Sources from articles here, here and here

      Tuesday, March 15, 2011

      Gourmet Gift Basket Snack Classic Giveaway!

      Congratulations to my random draw winner, #8,  leanne_mac! Thanks, everyone, for entering!
         I was ecstatic to be able to review Gourmet Gift Basket's best seller, the snack gift basket classic!  First of all, I have heard so many wonderful reports and read so many great reviews of the company!  Everyone from Oprah to The Today Show has raved about the quality of these baskets, which, by the way, are made by Gourmet Gift Baskets!  Yes, I mean the baskets, themselves!
         To put these snacks to the test, I took it to school with me and let my classroom of unruly, self-contained boys try them.   They were very happy to sample them and rate them!  The overall consensus was thumbs up!  Among my favorites were the :
       And the:
      These were yummy!
         There were many more yummy selections, including key lime white chocolate chip cookies, a peanut roll, an organic coconut roll, and more!

         If you ever have a need to give someone something nice, showing that you care and easy to expedite, give them a gift basket like this snack basket from Gourmet Gift Baskets!
         Gourmet Gift Baskets would like to give one lucky reader a Snack Classic Basket to try for themselves!  Here's what you can do to enter:

      Main Entry - Become a GFC Follower of A GAL NEEDS...(on right side bar) AND visit Gourmet Gift Baskets and tell me a basket you'd love to try!  That's it!  If you would like additional entries, please check out the following extra entries!  Leave as many comments as indicated on the left of each entry!  Thanks!

      +2 Subscribe to my e-mails! (right side bar)
      +3 Blog, Stumble or Facebook this! (leave me the link)
      +3 Follow my giveaway listings blog on GFC 
      +1 Tweet this giveaway daily for one entry per day! You can tweet this:  
      "#Win a Gourmet Gift Basket snack classic @Melahelen and @gmtgiftbaskets - this is their best-selling basket! http://bit.ly/eLS7ZD  4/8"

       +2  Comment on my review for Gourmet Gift Baskets!
      +1  Follow me on Twitter! 
      +1  Like Gourmet Gift Baskets on Facebook and leave them a nice  comment!  (Leave your Facebook first name and last initial for me)


      This giveaway will close on April 8th and the winner will be chosen by random.org and notified through e-mail!  Please respond within 48 hours!  I was provided the product above in exchange for a review and giveaway!  All opinions are authentic and represented by myself only. Thanks so much to Gourmet Gift Basket for letting me share this review and giveaway with my readers.



      Wednesday, March 9, 2011

      Fun At The Job With Gourmet Gift Baskets! {Review}

       I had so much fun at work today!  Gourmet Gift Baskets sent me their Snack Classic Gift Basket to Review!  I decided to share the wealth and get the opinions of those I work with.  The thing is, I work in a self-contained classroom at a high school with 7 at-risk boys and their teacher, a man.  Believe me, they will tell me straight up what is what if I ask them, and they won't try to smooth it over or make it look pretty if it isn't.  We have a class called 'Social Skills', which I am in charge of.  I figure that sending gift baskets to people is a good Social Skill and one that is very much appreciated in a variety of situations.  First of all, I asked them when might be a good time to give someone a gift basket.  I got some great answers.  One said, "When your Grandma has a birthday, you could send her a gift basket."  Some other answers were anniversaries, weddings, congratulating someone and funerals.  I next had them sample each one of the snacks in the basket and rate them.  I had a very favorable rating with all of them.  I had most of the snacks receive Excellent, Good, or OK ratings.  But one thing didn't rate well at all.  That item was the Dipping Pretzels with Dip.  The dip was  a sweet (raspberry) and sour (honey mustard) dip that I think was a bit too sophisticated for their palates--but I really liked it! My absolute favorite snacks were the Almond Pecan Crunch and the Buttered Pecan Crunch!  They are -or were- sublime for snacking (they're all gone now)!
         Other baskets that have definitely caught my eye are the Something Naughty and Something Nice Gift Basket, full of nuts and fruits along with delectable chocolate bon bons.
        I have been wanting the Sweet Decadence Chocolate Premium Gift Basket for awhile now.  It's a true chocolate lover's delight, I'm sure!
      When you want to give something special to someone for any occasion, I definitely recommend Gourmet Gift Baskets.  They will be appreciated each and every time, I promise!