Save 25% + 20% at Gap and Free Shipping - 9/11

Save at Gap when you use your VISA and the following codes: GAPNEW will save you 25% (15% for kids), VISAWEB20 takes 20% off when you pay with your visa and GAPSHIP50 will get you free shipping with a $50 purchase. The codes are stackable.

Crystal Deodorant Review and CVS Sale

Deodorant doesn't really seem to fit on a blog for children. However, as a 5th/6th grade teacher, I can tell you that we would appreciate your children be introduced to deodorant sooner rather than later. Our classrooms can become mighty fragrant after recess!

I have heard for years how bad the chemicals in deodorant were, but there didn't really seem to be an alternative unless you wanted to be smelly. I was excited to hear about Crystal because it is all natural, made from mineral salts. I was hopeful that the product would work and looked forward to trying it out. I was surprised to find out that Crystal had actually been around since 1984. That says something about its effectiveness right there.

I received the original Crystal roll-on as well as Pomegranate and Lavender Crystal Essence, which is scented. I started with the lavender scent (it turned out to be my favorite). At first, it almost felt strange not to have a cakey residue under my arms. I wore black with no worries at all about white streaks on my shirt. I wore it all day and it never needed to be re-applied. The Crystal roll-on did its job. Even better than that, I spent the day feeling so much better about the fact that all natural minerals were doing the job.

I'm going to admit here, to all of you, that the next day I used the product without showering. If you have toddlers, you understand why! I did notice a slight difference when using the product this day. However, it still worked well and the packaging does say it needs to be applied to clean skin. I tried all three products and had the same successful results with each one.

Crystal calls their product "Body Conscious". This means that:

• Crystal® deodorants are clinically tested and hypoallergenic
• Cruelty free and environmentally safe
• Contain NO aluminum chlorohydrate, NO aluminum zirconium, NO parabens, NO phthalates, and NO dyes
• #1 in consumer safety by Environmental Working Group
• Endorsed by numerous US Cancer Treatment Centers

Crystal Body Deodorant roll-on was selected the 2009 Winner – All-Time Top 10 Classic Best of Beauty Award and the Crystal Essence Pomegranate was selected 2010 Winner – Best Natural Deodorant by Better Nutrition Magazine.

This is a product both you and your children can use without worry. It works and it is safe. I have already made the switch. Plus, I love products that don't conduct animal testing! If you'd like to try it yourself, it is on sale at CVS through Sept. 30th. The roll-on products I tried are only $3.99-$4.49. Crystal products are found at national retailers such as CVS, Walgreens and Rite-Aid.

Disclaimer- I was sent 3 Crystal roll-ons at no charge through One2One Network. No compensation was received. Opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced in any way.

Gilt: Stroll in Style Event and Care.com Sweepstakes

Have you tried Gilt yet? Right now they have an event going on called Stroll in Style. If you are in need of a stroller, they are featuring Maclaren and Phil & Ted's with huge discounts. This Phil & Ted's Twin is only $375 (usually $600). There are cute Maclaren doll sets and nice liners. They also have the never on sale Skip Hop diaper bags for 50% off. I noticed kid's Seven for All Mankind jeans are coming up soon.Gilt also recently partnered with Care.com. "Care.com's main initiative as a company is to carefully review all sorts of family assistance professionals, from babysitters and nannies to pet sitters and dog walkers, so that families can hire the best caregivers out there. They focus on safety, experience, and quality, ensuring that only the most qualified individuals are watching over what's most important to you: your home and family."

Gilt and Care.com are running a sweepstakes now through September 15th to celebrate their community of moms. You could win $15,000 in Care.com services, one of 5 $500 Gilt Children certificates or one of 50 Care.com premium memberships. If this is something you would be interested in, you can enter here.

The Little Looster, Saving My Sanity During Attempted Potty Training!

My toddler is at an age where she should have an interest in potty training. Unfortunately, she does not and it's not because we haven't tried. First, we tried an Elmo potty seat. At first, she was excited. However, when she sat on it, it slid. She never sat on it again. Next, we bought a frog potty. She was intrigued, but she never really saw it as a potty so she wouldn't use it for that purpose. We tried stickers and rewards to try and get her to use it, but to no avail. Next, we tried a nice, sturdy step stool to help her get on the big potty. That didn't work at all. We took her to pick out pull ups. She chose Dora and was very excited about them until it was time to put them on. Then, not so much. I gave up and hoped she'd show some interest soon.
One day, I was reading a blog and saw a review on a new product called the Little Looster "a booster for the loo". I was intrigued, but certainly not sold. I wrote the owner to see if I could possibly review her product as well. She agreed and I patiently waited for the product to arrive. I was hopeful that it would work as others had described. Deep down though, I was certain it would not.
Last week, UPS showed up with a large box. I told Sissy that it was her new potty step. I let her open the box. She was so excited when she saw it that she said, "C'mon Mommy, let's go put it on the potty". That we did. She climbed right up and sat down. Unfortunately, she was fully clothed. Still, the excitement was there.After the clothed attempt, I figured I'd still need to find a potty seat that would fit securely. I ordered one and waited for it to arrive. To my surprise, we didn't need it. Yesterday, she hopped right up with the help of the Little Looster and had her first success with the big potty. As with all things, she just decided to do it. She did it again today. Although, I can't yet claim she is potty trained. I can say she is on her way! I am a skeptic no more and can honestly claim that the Little Looster is worth every penny. It is truly the only device that worked for us and it will be gracing our bathroom for a few years until both kids are big enough to reach the floor.
There are a few other things I like about the Little Looster. First, it goes all around the base of the toilet. Kids feel secure because they can put their feet down anywhere and be supported. You would think this would take up too much space. Actually, it takes less. When we had the stool, it was always in the way. The Little Looster fits so well around the toilet, you forget it is there. Second, it doesn't get in the way for adults. It doesn't need to be moved out of the way. An adult can sit comfortably with the Little Looster in place. Last, the Little Looster eliminates the need for a potty seat. Oh, and I also love that the Little Looster is a mom product that is 100% made in the USA of recyclable plastics.
The only down side to the Little Looster is that it isn't yet available in many stores. If you are looking to potty train soon, I would encourage your local baby stores to order them. Until then, you can order them online at http://www.littlelooster.com/. (Follow Loostermama on Twitter for discount codes!) I think you'll be glad you did. I highly recommend this product.

I was given this product for review purposes. The words in the review of this product are 100% my own.

Costumes Anyone?

Fall is definitely upon us. The cool night air has arrived and jackets are in order. For me this brings to mind one thing, Halloween! I started seeing the costumes in the stores and knew that it was time to get busy picking ours out.

Sissy is big into fairies right now so I ordered her this Tinkerbell costume from CostumeDiscounters.com. They had so many toddler Halloween costumes to choose from. This age range isn't always well represented at local stores so it was great to have such a large selection. I easily placed my order and the costume arrived with no problems shortly after.

Sissy was so excited to get the package and kept telling me that the mailman had brought her a beautiful princess dress. We had to run out and I didn't have time to put it on her so she actually carried it with us on our errands. When we finally arrived home, she was so excited to get inside and put it on that she actually jumped out of our truck with costume in hand. Unfortunately, she didn't land on her feet and trying on the costume had to wait. She has now had a chance to show off her dress and she loves it. It hangs front and center with her princess outfits and she is certainly having a hard time saving it for Halloween.

As for the rest of the family, I am still debating my choice for Little Man. I liked Batman and the Toy Story Alien but I wanted people to be able to see him a little better. Now I am thinking we will go with either Chewbacca or Yoda.I wish we had a Halloween party to go to this year because I would love to get my husband this Dog the Bounty Hunter costume. Who wouldn't get a good laugh out of that.For me, I think I may order either a Southern Belle or a Rydell High cheerleader costume.Normally, I would be really hesitant about ordering a costume online. Costume Discounters takes all the worry away by offering free size exchanges and costume exchanges. They even send a prepaid UPS return label with your purchase. Costume Discounters also offers a lowest price guarantee. If you find your costume on the internet for less they will match the lower price and give you an extra 20% off. With a policy like that, you know you aren't going to pay too much.

When your family starts choosing costumes this year, I highly recommend you take a look at Costume Discounters. They have an excellent selection of kids costumes and something to inspire mom and dad to dress up this year too!

Disclaimer: Costume Discounters provided me with the Tinkerbell costume at no charge in order to facilitate a review.

Britax Roundabout $100 and Marathon $159 at Target

Target has selected patterns of the Britax Roundabout for $100 and Britax Marathons for $159. Different stores seem to have different rules on which patterns are included. Also, it sounds like some BRU and TRU are allowing a price match with a copy of the Target ad. Some are even allowing price match and letting you use their 15% off car seats coupon.

$20 Etsy Store Credit Giveaway - Headwraps, Beanies, Diaper Bags and a Labor Day Sale!!

You've probably all seen the flower headwraps that everyone has been wearing for the last couple of years. I think they are really cute but I wanted one for my toddler to wear. I couldn't find them for her anywhere, so I turned to Etsy. I was in luck. I found Kaley or Etsy store lemondrop1222. She makes beautiful headwraps in all sizes from infant to adult. I ordered a brown one and I can't wait for Sissy to wear it. Her prices were really reasonable. Right now she is having a Labor Day sale and the headwrap is only $9.34!

There are many other items I wanted. I really debated this beanie with 5 interchangeable flowers. It is only $13.59 and is also available in all sizes. I may go back for that one.


I am definitely going back for an earflap beanie for little man. I just can't decide on the colors.


These diaper bags are also really cute and look very well made. They have a lot of storage. There are views of the inside on the Etsy site. These bags are only $33.99.

Kaley is awesome to work with. I wanted to be able to change the flowers on my headwrap so she made mine with the flower separate. I wanted an orange flower and she went and bought the yarn. I wanted a headband that she doesn't even have listed and she made it for me. On top of all that, she had it all ready in only two days!

My experience was excellent, so I asked if I could feature her Etsy store on my blog. She agreed and also offered to give one lucky Deal Friends reader a $20 gift credit to her Etsy store. You can enter below. In the meantime, don't miss her Labor Day Sale running now through Monday at 11:59pm. Everything in the store is 15% off.

How To Enter:
Entry 1 - Go to the Etsy store lemondrop1222. Look around and tell me what you think you might spend the credit on. This entry is mandatory.

Bonus Entries:

Follow me! Follow me publicly on Google Friend Connect or on Twitter. Like Deal Friends on Facebook or sign up for an RSS/Email subscription. You can do one or all. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each one that you do.

Share. Share this giveaway on your blog, Facebook page or Twitter account. Come back here and share the link. You may share once per day.

The winner will be drawn using Random.org and will be notified via email. You will have 48 hours to respond. This giveaway ends Sept. 14th at 11:59 p.m.