Mirra Beauty Products Review & Giveaway

What is most important to you in beauty products? Natural ingredients? Proven results? mirra, a new brand of beauty products, has listened to what women want and launched this line in effort to provide women all that they want in a product, at an affordable price.

mirra offers a full-line of beauty products ranging from shampoos and conditioners to body washes and age-defying skin treatments, which include natural and scientific ingredients and are tested for effectiveness. I was provided with several products from this new line and have varied opinions on each.

Replenishing Body Wash: Made with bamboo, honey extracts, and glyceryl oleate, the first thing I noticed was the scent, it was very familiar to me - and I still can't quite place it, but it's natural and calming. I thought the body wash worked great and did exactly what I like a body wash to do, which is leave my skin feeling clean and moisturized. It had a really good lather, too.

Exfoliating and Detoxifying Cleanser: Made with apricot and oxygenated derma-beads, I liked that it was a two-in one product. It cleansed the skin, but also exfoliated. But the exfoliation wasn't too strong, like a separate exfoliating product would be, so it was subtle enough to use daily. However, this is a creamy cleanser, and since my skin is prone to oil and breakouts, this product didn't really agree with my complexion.

Replenishing Body Lotion: Made with bamboo, honey extracts, and oleosomes, the lotion definitely complimented the body wash in scent and results. It's a generously-sized tube of body lotion and wasn't too heavy on my skin, although it was substantial enough that I didn't feel like the effect didn't last all day.

Wrinkle Reduction Eye Cream: I love me some eye cream and this little jar goes a long way! The instructions say to use little dabs under the eyes in the morning and in the evening, and I've barely made a dent in it the last couple weeks I've used it. I'm pleased with the texture and the way it leaves the area around my eyes feeling.

Deep-Moisture Day Cream: The texture of this product is smooth and it certainly does what it implies. Because it is a deep-moisture cream, and like I said before, my skin is already naturally moisturized (ha!), it was a little too much for me. However, I think this would be an excellent product for those with dry skin.

Hydrating Night Treatment: Again, because this was a deep hydrating product, and after using a few times, I came to the conclusion it wasn't for me. But like I said with the Day Cream, if you have dry skin, this is perfect for you!

mirra products can be found at Kroger Co. family of stores, which in Northern California means Food 4 Less and Ralph's (for locations across the country, you can check here). Right now, mirra is offering $5 off when you purchase any two mirra products with the this printable coupon.

Now that you've been introduced to mirra products, how 'bout a chance to win a set similar to the one that I tried? All you need to do is leave me a comment below saying something awesome (be sure to leave your email address so that I may contact you in the event you are chosen as the winner!). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following:

• Vote for Me at Top Mommy Blogs - Mom Blog Directory - All you need to do is click the link and you've cast your vote! Leave me a comment telling me you did for your entry.
• Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect -OR- subscribe via RSS -OR- subscribe via email. Leave a comment letting me know!
• Become a Fan of Saving in Sacramento on Facebook! Let me know you did in a comment below!
• Follow Me on Twitter!

This giveaway will end on the evening of 3/20 and a winner will be chosen at random using random.org. Winner will be contacted via email provided in the winning comment and will have 48 hours to confirm or a new winner will be chosen. Open to U.S. residents only.

Product samples were received for review purposes only.

For more information, click here.

This Week's Raley's e-Coupons

These are a couple of my favorite Raley's e-Coupons this week. Sprout organic baby food is B2G2, which is a great value! But the best coupon is for the Raley's Lasagna Classic or Alfredo because with the coupon you can get it for $5.99, and, according to the weekly ad you get a FREE garlic bread loaf from the bakery when you buy one of their Classic or Alfredo Lasagnas. I think that's what we'll be having for dinner tonight!

Check out these and more e-coupons here. There's quite a few good ones, including one for avocados and guacamole mix!

Chocolate Milk...It Just Got Better (Giveaway!)

Chocolate milk is a kind of win-win in the parenting world, isn't it? Kids love it, and it's good for them! It's kind of a sneaky nutirional method, a'la Deceptively Delicious or The Sneaky Chef, right? Well, good-for-you just got better thanks to Horizon Organic.

Horizon Organic Low-fat Chocolate Milk with DHA Omega-3 has all the flavor kids love, and the nutrients parents love. Plus, it's organic, so it's truly a guilt-free part of a family's diet. It's sold nearly everywhere, too. My local Raley's has it on sale this week for $4.49 for a 1/2 gallon. For other retail locations and to see if it is sold near you, check out their store locator here.

Did you know...

• ...that a 2006 clinical study showed that low-fat milk was as effective at post-exercise rehydration as sports drinks?
• ...that DHA is a structural component of the brain, yet many young children don't get their recommended daily amount of GHS as it is found in a limited number of food sources?
• ...flavored milk provides the same nine essential nutrients as unflavored milk, and can therefore help kids meet their calcium requirements?
• ...most kids would choose chocolate milk over regular milk if given a choice?

That last one was a given in our house - Emma would certainly pick chocolate milk as her beverage of choice any day. And she loved the Horizon Organic Low-fat Chocolate Milk with DHA Omega-3 - so much so that she laid claim to it ("Mommy, can I have some of my milk with lunch?")!

So, want to bring this wholesome, organic goodness to your family? Here's your chance to enter to win coupons good for two 1/2 gallons of Horizon Organic Low-fat Chocolate Milk with DHA Omega-3 as well as two $1/1 coupons! To enter, just leave me a fabulous comment below telling me you want to win! Be sure to leave your email address so that I may contact you in the event you are a winner - and there will be two winners!!

For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following:

• Vote for Me at Top Mommy Blogs - Mom Blog Directory - All you need to do is click the link and you've cast your vote! Leave me a comment telling me you did for your entry.
• Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect -OR- subscribe via RSS -OR- subscribe via email. Leave a comment letting me know!
• Become a Fan of Saving in Sacramento on Facebook! Let me know you did in a comment below!
• Follow Me on Twitter!

This giveaway will end on March 17th, 2010 at approximately 9 p.m. PST and two winners will be chosen at random using random.org. The winners will be contacted via email provided in the winning comments. Winners will have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen. Open to U.S. residents only. Good luck!

 Product sample was received for review purposes only.

Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake DVD Review

Here's a great way to have dance class in your own home, or introduce your little ones to classical performing arts! Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake is a truly multi-tasking ballet video for your little princesses. Its' structured in parts - First you are introduced to a "Reader's Digest" version of the first act of Swan Lake as performed by the Paris Opera Ballet. After which, you are guided through basic ballet steps by the School of American Ballet students and the cute little group of Prima Princessa ballerinas. That rotation goes on for the duration of the video through all the acts of Swan Lake.

There are a few things that really stood out to me about this video compared to others (and trust me, we have been through several different princess ballet videos and dance-along games). Foremost to me, Emma was introduced to a real classical ballet performance. Although "Prima Princessa" narrated the story of Swan Lake, Emma was able to see that a story was unfolding between the dance moves and the music. Hopefully it has laid the groundwork for her to comprehend and appreciate performances like this in the future. Another nice touch to the Prima Princessa video is in the teaching of the ballet moves. Not only do the students demonstrate how to perform a move, but clips of that particular move in a normal environment - like a cat leaping - are shown in contrast, as well as images with the word displayed. By doing those things combined, the lesson is reiterated on several different levels and therefore, I believe, much more effective. There is also a parent and teacher zone on their site where you can magnify the story as well as the techniques, which is extraordinarily useful if you want to get more from the experience.

I can praise it all I want, but it really comes down to whether or not the little princess in the house enjoys it, and she really does. It's intriguing for her and educational, but she loves it because it's fun and it seems to her like she is performing just like a real ballerina. I look forward to other videos from Prima Princessa (like Sleeping Beauty, which should be available next year!). Right now you can find Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake for sale on Amazon (for a steal at $7!) or at Target.

Product sample was received for review purposes only.

For more information, click here.

JBF Sale this week!

It's that time of year again - and good news for deal-seeking moms in the Sacramento region! Just Between Friends is happening this week at the Sacramento Convention Center.

Beginning Thursday, March 11th and lasting through Saturday (which is the 50% off day), you can head on over to this enormous consignment sale of children's clothing, books, toys, baby gear and furniture.

I went to the Roseville sale in the fall, and if you've never been to a JBF sale, I can assure you that you are in for a treat. It's incredible organized and easy to maneuver. There's something for every one and every budget.

If you can't make it this week, the Roseville sale will be coming up in April!

For more information, including hours of the sale, as well as how to be a volunteer or consigner, visit their website.

Mailbox Monday: Rebates

Sample three-pack of new Pampers Cruisers (still available here), sample pack of two Purex 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets (still available here), miscellaneous coupons, including a coupon for a FREE package of any Hostess Snack Cakes (won in a Twitter contest), and a rebate check for $22.

Mail-in manufacturer rebates (not the Walgreens or Rite Aid kind) are an interesting opportunity, for me, at least. I used to be of the mind that they weren't worth it because a.) I'm paying out-of-pocket now, so it's not really saving me any money in the moment, and b.) it was a lot of work to keep track of receipts and rebate forms. About two years ago I realized that every penny counts and learned how to take better advantage of rebates and coupons combined. However, I do not endorse submitting for Money-Back-Gaurantee rebates if you did, in fact, like the product, or purchased the product knowing that you weren't going to like it, but I do like the "Try Me Free" rebates that you will often find as peelies on product packages.

There are a couple of good ways to maximize rebate values. You can combine a sale with a coupon and then submit for the rebate on the purchase price (usually the price before the coupon), or purchase an item at a place such as Walgreens or CVS, where you get Register Rewards or ECBs back. Either way can have potential to be a money-making method. There are also opportunities in some places for double rebates, such as Rite Aid might be offering a store rebate which you can also submit your receipt for a manufacturer's rebate (a good example can be found here).

Here's a small gathering of some great manufacturer rebates currently available:

• $5 SC Johnson Rebate when you purchase any three of the listed products (can be combined with coupons, you can see how I took advantage of this rebate here). Expires 3/30/10.
• Try Just For Men free after rebate. Expires 12/31/10.
• Kellogg's $10 Bonus Bucks Offer. Expires 9/30/10.
• Pert Plus for Men TMF Rebate. Expires 12/31/10.
• Method Laundry Money Back Guarantee (especially if you use a coupon, too, you have nothing to lose if you try it and don't like it!). Expires 7/31/10.
• Physician's Formula TMF Mascara Rebate and TMF Bamboo Wear. Expire 12/31/10.

So, I'm interested...how do you make freebies work for you? Do you have a system as far as keeping track of receipts and purchase- or submit-by dates? Do you take advantage of them more now that you used to?

And now....on to a little mini-list of freebies for your mailbox:

• Free bag of Sunchips when you become a Facebook Fan here (limited to first 10,000 fan requests)
• John Frieda samples of Luxurious Volume Full Splendor Shampoo & Conditioner
•  For your pets, a Beneful sample from Walmart
• Free bottle of Vitamin Water when you become a Fan on Facebook here
• You can check out more still-available freebies on last week's Mailbox Monday here

Half-Off Deal Round-up

Cowtown Eats has a weekly round up here of local half-off restaurant deals, which include Cupcake Craving, Mountain Mikes, Mix Downtown, and several others. In most cases you pay $25 for a $50 gift card/certificate.

These programs are offered courtesy of local television and radio stations, and I've made a comprehensive list of where you can go online to see what stores, restaurants, and other venues are offering half-off deals. I've bought certificates for The Counter, Center Court with C-Webb, Cold Stone, among several others, and I've always had a good experience.