Review: Cool Products and Stuff Blog for Canadian Moms

Go2Girlz Tested and Approved: Vaseline Clinical Therapy

The Go2Girlz have been busy in the lead-up to this year’s Holiday Season, and we’re thrilled to bring you the latest from their product testing efforts. As you know, we never endorse a product until it has been tested and approved by our panel of expert testers – moms like us! This time, our panel of experts tested New Vaseline® Clinical Therapy™ lotion.

New Vaseline® Clinical Therapy™ is an advanced formula clinically proven to moisturize severely dry skin. Most moms know that healthy skin will naturally repair itself.  But extremely dry skin becomes chapped, flaky, red, and itchy.  These signs are your skin’s way of signaling that its proper functioning has broken down.

Vaseline® Clinical Therapy™ lotion delivers triple action results through hydration - instant relief, long lasting protection, and sustained recovery for extremely dry skin.
•    instant relief - immediately increases hydration by 5x
•    long-lasting protection - locks in moisture for 24 hours
•    sustained recovery for extremely dry skin - helps to restore+ extremely dry skin in 5 days

So – that’s all well and good, but what did the real moms, the Go2Girlz, have to say about Vaseline® Clinical Therapy™ after they tried it in their homes and with their families? Well, the results were unanimous, and the Go2Girlz loved it. Helen says, “I LOVE it!” and Patsy agrees: “this is my new moisturizer!! I plan on bringing a bottle to leave at work for my fellow health care workers.” Lorelei says that “all four members of our household loved this product” and Angela reported that, “even my husband liked this product. He works outside and appreciates a product that helps his dry cracked hands.”

What else did the Go2Girlz have to say?

“wonderful wonderful wonderful!” – Nicole, mom of 2

“I couldn't have cracked open this product on a better day. My skin was itchy and dry--the victim of changing, cool weather and cranked up heat--and I was feeling like a lizard. I expected this to be like the regular pump-bottle Vaseline lotion that I use, but was happily surprised.” – Kristy, mom of 1

“This product worked the very 1st time I used it!! No more extremely dry hands due to a bad thyroid. My hands are always dry and scaly usually within 15 mins of using a moisturizer. With this product my hands look 10 years younger and so soft and subtle. No more dry scaly hands.” – Patsy, mom of 1

“No scent. Absorbs easily and is non-greasy. A little goes a long way too. Very nice on the skin! I have super sensitive skin - and this is fantastic! I had no reaction at all. There are extremely few products that I can tolerate - and this is one of them - THANK you so much for this!” – Helen, mom of 1

“I honestly can't think of any drawbacks of this product, I am very happy with it and will continue to use it everyday. We all loved it and use it every day, I will have to buy the biggest bottle available!” – Margo, mom of 1

“The whole family loved it. We live on a farm and the cold weather can really dry out our skin after working outside with the horse. We all use it.” – Jennifer, mom of 1

+through hydration

Go2Girlz Tested and Approved: Oasis 100% Pure Fruit Juice Blends with Nutrients

Our Go2Girlz product testing panel have been at it again, this time testing Oasis 100% Juice Blend Wild Berries Pomegranate Antioxia and Oasis 100% Juice Blend Cranberry with fibre pure fruit juices. The lucky testers received samples of both juices, which they were asked to try out themselves and with their families. The verdict? They loved both products!

Overwhelmingly, our Go2Girlz reported that both juices were great tasting and popular with the rest of their families. In particular, our testers loved that Oasis with fibre provided them and their children an additional tasty and easy source of this important nutrient. Moms of picky eaters particularly appreciated it! Here’s what Michelle, Go2Girlz member and mom of 2 had to say: “One of my boys is very particular and usually sticks to plain apple juice...it is nice to see that he has another healthy beverage option.” And another of our Go2Girlz Lisa, mom of 2 says, “the 'hidden' source of fiber is great!”

When asked if they would recommend it to another mom or buy it again for their own families, the Go2Girlz were almost unanimous in reporting that they wouldn’t hesitate to do so. In fact, many of them already had. In the words of Rosanna, Go2Girlz member and mom of 1, “Any mother would feel confident giving any of these great tasting, healthy Oasis beverages to their children, knowing that their kids will enjoy the amazing flavours, while at the same time getting their vitamins and nutrients.”

So what else did the Go2Girlz have to say about these Oasis juices? Read on:

Definitely it's my favourite juice out there! Probably one of the best healthy juice beverages on the market in terms of value. – Rosanna, Mom of 1

The added fibre puts it a notch above other juices. – Lori, Mom of 3

Not only is this a lovely tasting juice on its own but it also adds beautiful flavour to healthy fruit breakfast smoothies! – Michelle, Mom of 2

Not too sweet and very natural tasting - very easy to drink and enjoy. –  Jenn, Mom of 1

Healthy, tasty my kids liked it. – Shelley, Mom of 2

We thoroughly enjoyed both flavours that we tried. My 2 year old really enjoyed both flavours which is hard to do with toddlers. – Jodi, Mom of 2

I liked that it was the same price as the other juices, but with the added nutritional benefit of the fibre. The kids are the real juice experts in the house and they really liked the Cranberry blend. – Lori, Mom of 3

I would definitely buy the Oasis juices again. I really liked the unique tastes of the different fruits. -  Stephanie, Mom of 3

Go2Girlz Tested and Approved

The urbanmoms.ca Go2Girlz team of product reviewers has been busy lately – their most recent assignment was testing Five Alive® juice boxes. Each of the 100 testers received a sampling of Five Alive® juice boxes in both Citrus and Tropical Citrus flavours to try out with their families.  Their response? Five Alive® is a big hit all around!

Five Alive® real fruit beverage is an excellent source of Vitamin C and has no artificial colours and flavours added. The Citrus flavour has over 40% real juice and is a delicious blend of orange, lemon, lime, tangerine and grapefruit.  Five Alive® Tropical Citrus also contains over 40% real juice and is the combination of tangerine, pineapple, lemon and apple – bringing an exotic, tropical twist to the citrus favourite.  As all-natural juice blends, Five Alive® can be part of a healthy diet.

As a group, our testers and their families were most impressed with the taste of both Five Alive® products they sampled.  Almost everyone agreed they would not hesitate to recommend Five Alive® to other moms – in fact many of them already had. In fact, the biggest criticism they had was that the juice boxes were not big enough for their teenagers – many of whom would drink two at once!

But what did our panel of product testers have to say about Five Alive®? Here’s some of their feedback:

Real fruit taste. Tastes fruity. With the tropical flavor, it is a very tasty real fruit beverage.  –Violet, mom of 2

The taste! YUM! – Karen, mom of 1

My 13 year old said' the vibrant color box and the remarkable taste.' – Violet, mom of 4

The taste of the juice definitely stood out as compared to other similar products. – Nena, mom of 2

The kids love the taste, and the juice boxes are convenient to grab and go. – Therese, mom of 4

It tastes awesome and is made from real juice, and quenches your thirst – Brenda, mom of 2

They have and always picked it as their favourite drink. – Betty, mom of 2

My husband drank a couple of boxes even though I wanted to save them for our child. But he couldn't resist the taste either. – Daniela, mom of 1

IMPRŪV Cream: Go2Girlz Tested and Approved

If you’ve ever suffered from acute dry skin or a skin condition such as eczema or psoriasis you know the importance of maintaining your skin’s natural moisture. We asked a group of our Go2Girlz who suffer (or have a family member who does) from a skin condition to try new IMPRŪV Cream, a highly effective new generation moisturizer developed by dermatology researchers in Europe and now sold here in Canada by a top dermatology company, Stiefel Canada. The advanced scientific formulation of IMPRŪV Cream not only moisturizes and soothes dry, sensitive skin, it also restores, regenerates and repairs skin's natural moisturizing function.

And what did our Go2Girlz have to say after testing IMPRŪV Cream in their homes? The verdict is clear: IMPRŪV works!

IMPRŪV Cream contains naturally derived plant-based lipids that absorb into the deepest layers of the skin to help restore the skin's protective barrier. Specially formulated for all types of dry, sensitive skin, IMPRŪV Cream is non-irritating, hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic, and contains no perfumes, dyes or preservatives unlike mainstream products.

Most of all the Go2Girlz and their families loved how well the cream worked, in many cases after only one application! Being moms, some of the Go2Girlz also loved the cream’s texture and the fact that it is unscented and safe to use on their baby’s skin. The majority of the testers actually reported that the cream absorbed very well into the skin.

Here’s some of what our Go2Girlz testers had to say about IMPRŪV Cream:

I like that my extremely sensitive skin did not react to the product. I love that my skin felt super soft even a day after. I also noticed that my skin appeared to be rejuvenated. – Christina, mom of 2

This should be considered a mandatory addition to any mother's (or person with sensitive skin's) arsenal. – Laura, mom of 1

My initial perception was to not believe the product could do what it said. Boy was I wrong! – Bernadette, mom of 1

At first I thought, oh well another cream to try that will not make any difference. But with just one try that changed. – Dianne, mom of 4

It's non-greasy and absorbs quickly, so I can get right back to the busy business of mothering as soon as I've applied it. Great to use after handwashing, which as moms we do so often! – Laura, mom of 3

Low scent, great absorption into the skin. It left my daughter and husband deeply moisturized but not greasy feeling. Also the lack of colouring means no stains on Pj's or other clothing. We'll keep using it. – Karen, mom of 2

How wonderfully smooth my hands were after first applying it! – Louise, mom of 2

Beautiful Packaging! I loved that it was hypoallergenic.  It was great because there was no scent, which is great for my allergic family. – Marsha, mom of 1

The main feature and benefit for me is that it doesn’t just add artificial moisture to my skin; it actually helps my skin moisturize itself better. – Laura, mom of 3

For more information on IMPRŪV Cream, visit www.impruv.ca.

Oasis Fruit Zoo: Go2Girlz Tested and Approved

Last month the Go2Girlz got together with Oasis Team Urban Moms to sample Oasis Fruit Zoo 100% fruit juice. The verdict? The results were unanimous: Oasis Fruit Zoo 100% fruit juice gets the Go2Girlz seal of approval.

Our testers were treated to 1L containers of Oasis Fruit Zoo Strawberry-Banana, Peach-Clementine and Grape-Wildberry juices along with juice boxes in all these flavours as well as apple with Calcium. What stood out most about Oasis Fruit Zoo 100% fruit juices with added vitamins & minerals with our testers? By far the most important feature was how much the kids loved all the juices, but the moms also loved the fact that they are all 100% juice, with no added sugar. In addition, Oasis Fruit Zoo features added vitamins and minerals (including calcium and B9), which was a huge hit with moms as well.

The kids really loved the fun animal graphics on the packages, and more than one mom reported that the kids asked for “zebra juice” or “tiger juice”! But many of our grown-up testers loved the innovative packaging for its tall, thin shape that fits very well in smaller spaces in the fridge. Plus, the screw-on cap helped keep the juice fresh and was easy for small (and big) hands to pour.

The results are unanimous: all of our testers say they would definitely recommend Oasis Fruit Zoo 100% fruit juice with vitamins & minerals to a friend and they all also agreed that they would buy (in fact some already have bought) it again themselves.

So what did our testers have to say? Here are some of the Go2Girlz comments about Oasis Fruit Zoo 100% juices with vitamins & minerals:

“It's not often that my son goes to the refrigerator and points to healthy beverages.” Andree, mom of 1

“My 1st grader had an end of year party at school, and I brought 30 juice boxes of Oasis :) Thank you very much Urban Moms for giving our family the chance to be introduced to such a great product!!!” Karen, mom of 2

“Everyone loved it. We drank it straight, used it in smoothies and froze it for slushies and everyone enjoyed it” Tracey, mom of 3

“It was nice to try something new that was marketed to children and wasn't trying to load them up with artificial sweeteners.” Julie, mom of 2

Featured Review: Astro BioBest Maximmunité

A lucky group of our Go2Girlz recently had the opportunity to try samples of Astro BioBest Maximmunité probiotic drink. As you know, we never give any product the urbanmoms.ca seal of approval until it has been tested and approved by our Go2Girlz product testers. And Astro BioBest Maximmunité was a resounding hit!

Astro BioBest Maximmunité is a concentrated probiotic drink, containing the exclusive Immunofit blend of two unique probiotic cultures.  Maximmunité specifically targets your body's natural defences in your digestive tract, where 70 per cent of the immune system is located.  Each 94 mL bottle contains 10 billion active probiotic cultures - 10 times more probiotic cultures than 100g probiotic spoonable yogurt products, and is available in three great tasting natural flavours: classic vanilla, delicious strawberry and exotic açai berry. Maximmunité probiotic drinks are a source of calcium, and are low in fat, saturated fats and cholesterol. They are also trans-fat free.

Our testers each had the opportunity to try two of the three flavours, and the consensus is clear...they're all delicious! All of our testers felt this beverage was a great way to grab a nutritious snack or breakfast on the go, and the added probiotic benefit was a definite plus for them. The Go2Girlz reported that their families also enjoyed Maximmunité, with the Strawberry flavour coming in as the Go2Kidz fave. As always, our panel of testers was thrilled to be able to test a new product, and most of them said they would buy Maximmunité again, and would definitely recommend it to a friend.

Have you tried Astro BioBest Maximmunité? If so, be sure to share your opinion too:

Visit www.feelgoodinside.ca for more information.

Go2Girlz Tested and Approved: Smart Growth Milk & Cheese Snacks!

As always, we at urbanmoms.ca don’t endorse a product unless it has been tested by our members and given the Go2Girlz seal of approval. This means any product we do feature has always been tried by other moms and their families with a degree of satisfaction that they would confidently recommend it to friends and family.

Our most recent product testing assignment was for Beatrice Smart Growth Milk and Black Diamond Ficello Smart Growth cheese snacks from Parmalat . These dairy products are DHA-enriched, but unlike some other DHA-enriched products, which have the DHA added to the milk (usually in the form of an oil), Parmalat went straight to the source with the Smart Growth line, feeding their cows DHA-enriched feed, so that their homogenized milk contains 20mg of DHA and the 2% milks (both white and chocolate) contain 10mg. The cheese snacks each contain 20mg of DHA.

What’s the Big Deal With DHA?
DHA is one of the Omega 3 fatty acids, which is critical for supporting the normal development of the brain, eyes and nerves (in adults, too!). Unfortunately, our bodies don’t produce DHA, so we have to get it from our food or other sources (e.g. supplements). The best food sources of DHA are oily fish (such as salmon & tuna…but not the canned kind). Since most children don’t like the taste of oily fish, they are generally getting much less DHA than they really need in their diets. According to dietitians, the average child should consume 70-80 mg of DHA daily.

So How Did We Like Smart Growth?
The Smart Growth products were a huge hit with the Go2Girlz and their families. Generally everyone enjoyed all of the products that they tested, and the overall consensus is that there was really no difference in the taste of the products over “regular” milk and cheese snacks. The cheese snacks specifically garnered the most feedback: they are 100% real cheese, and therefore don’t peel the way some cheese-product snacks do. This seemed to surprise some of the children at first, but the overwhelming feedback was that the cheese snacks tasted so much better than other cheese snacks (because they are 100% cheese), that the taste improvement easily compensated for the reduced peeling factor.

The only serious concern raised was the price of the products, although most of our testers did indicate that they would continue to purchase Smart Growth despite the fact that they are pricier.

Here’s What the Go2Girlz Had to Say About Smart Growth:

I was very impressed with the taste of both the milks and the cheese sticks - there was no aftertaste, no change in colour or texture, and the packaging and explanations of DHA were excellent. – Lori, mom of 3

I was absolutely thrilled that this product was available! I had been looking for ways to add DHA into my childrens' diet. – Laura, mom of 3

…my kids love it and it’s good for them! – Irene, mom of 4

Everybody really enjoyed the new products. No one could tell that they were drinking & eating new brands. – Daniela, mom of 1

…my kids liked it all. My 2 boys were so excited they kept saying that they are going to be so smart!! – Nikki, mom of 4

Featured Review: Sun-Rype 100% Fruit Juices and Snacks

  The Go2Girlz have been busy lately, and a group of them recently received samples of Sun-Rype fruit juices and fruit snacks to enjoy with their families. They received a package that was bursting at the seams with two different types of juices and four different kinds of fruit snacks. The verdict? A definite hit.

Sun-Rype is proud that their 100% fruit snacks and 100% juice products contain nothing artificial and naturally occurring fruit sugar. The great taste of Sun-Rype also comes with no artificial flavours and no artificial colours because they know that what's not in their juices and fruit snacks is just as important as what is.

Plus, now there's one more way to enjoy the delicious taste you expect from Sun-Rype: a brand new bottle that's easy to open, easy to pour and easy to store.

The new plastic bottles are fully recyclable where facilities exist and safe for you and your family. The controversial chemical Bisphenol-A is not used as either a raw material source or an additive in the production of any of our plastic containers including Sun-Rype 100% juices in 1.36L or 3.78L; or in Sun-Rype Apple Sauce containers.

Have you tried Sun-Rype products? Be sure to let us know what you think!

Go2Girlz Holiday Wish List: The Kitchen Edition

AIR MILES Reward Miles (Okay, we know it's not kitchen-related, but still!)

Everybody loves to get free stuff, right? And we love it even more if we can get free stuff while buying other stuff! If it sounds too good to be true, listen up: the majority of our Go2Girlz Holiday Wish List testing panel collect AIR MILES reward miles. They're smart and savvy and they know they can get an incredible array of free stuff (from gadgets to attractions tickets to travel) just by showing their AIR MILES collector card when they shop at affiliated retailers.

But our Go2Girlz also know that they can earn additional AIR MILES reward miles just by shopping online at www.airmilesshops.ca. You can connect with dozens of retailers and collect even more AIR MILES when you start at www.airmilesshops.ca.

And don't forget to check out the amazing AIR MILES travel offer exclusive to members of urbanmoms.ca when you watch the latest installment in the Women's Intuition video series from Schick Intuition Plus, featuring an AIR MILES Travel Expert.

And Now! The Go2Girlz Holiday Wish List: Kitchen Edition

Some may say that it's dangerous to give a woman kitchen-related gifts (you know, it implies a certain prejudice about women's roles, and all) but if someone on your list loves being in her kitchen, then give away!

For those kitchen-o-philes on your gift list, check out these Go2Girlz-approved gift ideas from some of urbanmoms.ca's amazing sponsors.

Cuisinart Stand Mixer:

Not surprisingly, the panel was nearly unanimous in their desire to own this marvelous gadget! In addition, the majority of Go2Girlz said they would like to give or receive a Cuisinart stand mixer as a gift this holiday season.

Now, the next items might not exactly be under the tree, but they will definitely make it onto the Go2Girlz testing panel's dining tables this holiday.

Food Trust PEI mashed potatoes:

An amazing 100% of our Go2Gilrz Holiday testing panel said they liked the Food Trust PEI pre-cooked mashed potatoes. And the vast majority said they would also buy them for their own family dinner. Here's what the Go2Girlz had to say:

“I am so amazed as I was the biggest skeptic”
“I would pass them off as my own”
“very yummy and all natural”
“So quick to put together with meal”
“I will look for this product when I do my shopping”

Vlasic Pickles:

We'll admit it; this one stumped us too, at first. Until we sent the pickles out to a number of our Go2Girlz to test, along with a few holiday-inspired recipes.

The result? The vast majority of our testers said they would use Vlasic pickles in their holiday cooking. Here's what they had to say:

"My kids loved them.  My older daughter even made a pickle song!"
"I loved the pâté recipe...delish!"
"The recipes were so creative, and tasted great!"

Sun-Rype:

This family-pleasing favourite was a big hit with our Go2Girlz panel. They tested Sun-Rype juices and fruit snacks.

The vast majority of our testers would purchase both the fruit snacks and the fruit juices, and here's what they had to say about Sun-Rype products:

“Great way to get in some veggies”
“My kids love them”
“Natural and good”

Duncan Hines Cake & Brownie Mixes and Frosting:

Not only was this a big hit with all the Go2Girlz we sent them to, but we're pretty sure their Go2Kidz were happy, too!

The testers were treated to three cake mixes (white, devil's food, angel's food), chocolate chunk brownie mix and creamy homestyle frostings.

The results? Unanimous approval! Every one of the Go2Girlz who tried these products would buy them for themselves and recommend them to a friend. Here's what they had to say:

"The brownies? No words. I've never tasted anything so good..."
"The icing was very creamy with great chocolate flavor (apparently needing no cake to support it, based on the fingerprints in the container)"
"Microwave a cake mix? Who knew? And "greasing" the pan with icing-pure genius!"

For another great Duncan Hines cake mix idea, check out what Kath cooked up with a devil's food cake mix and a bottle of Baileys Irish Cream!

 

The Go2Girlz Holiday Wish List - Focus on Books

This year, urbanmoms.ca teamed up with some amazing partners to create the Go2Girlz Holiday Wish List. In one amazing evening, some of our Go2Girlz panel of product testers were treated to samples of some pretty cool holiday gift ideas ranging the whole gamut of gift-giving.

Some of the highlights of the evening; the books and Baileys Brownies.

Over the next few weeks, we'll be featuring the best of the best in the Go2Girlz Holiday Wish List. This week, we focus on: Books.

Some of the best and most-cherished gifts in anyone's repertoire are books. They really are "presents you can open again and again", and it was no surprise to find out that fully 100% of our Go2Girlz said they buy books for holiday gifts. But what books made the Go2Girlz Holiday Wish List? Well, we asked them, and here's what they said:

TOP SIX BOOKS:

1. Between Interruptions: Thirty Women Tell the Truth About Motherhood by Cori Howard
2. A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton by Carl Bernstein
3. My Mother's Daughter: A Memoir by Rona Maynard
4. Dangerous Admissions: Secrets of a Closet Sleuth by Jane O’Connor
5. Effigy by Alissa York
6. I Will Never NOT EVER Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child

And then, a weird thing happened. We had a six-way tie for seventh place! So we decided to settle on a top six list, followed by a "six books tied for seventh place" list. And so, without further ado, here it is:

SIX BOOKS TIED FOR SEVENTH PLACE:

• Christmas at Grandfather’s House: A Heart-Warming Novel in Stories by Mark Leever
• Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett
• Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World by Craig Kielburger
• The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
• Olivia Helps With Christmas by Ian Falconer

So what books will top your holiday wish list - or holiday giving list - this year?