on Dove's Daily Moisture Conditioner...

Is there anything better than conditioner that gives you the best hair day the first time you try it? (Well, okay. It is next in line following world peace, and reenacting the Jennifer Grey/Patrick Swayze lift scene from Crazy, Stupid, Love with Ryan Gosling. But I digress.)

I haven't done many reviews lately, but when I was asked to try out a new conditioner from Dove, I was a little giddy.

First of all, drugstore hair products are my jam. I am by no means a shampoo/conditioner snob, and will 99.9% of the time pick up whatever is on sale at CVS (and whatever I have a coupon for). Second of all, I like Dove products and have been a fan of their ads and social mission for some time now. (They didn't ask me to link to that, but I just really like what they're doing when it comes to the self esteem of women and encouraging us to embrace every facet of our own beauty. I like to support companies that I know are creating a positive future for girls like my own daughter!)

So, let's talk hair.

Mine tends to break at the ends, and this time of year can be a wee bit fuzzy in the heat. It's naturally wavy, so on days I actually do my hair (I wash it 3x a week) I will blow-dry it with a round brush and then straighten any parts that make me angsty. Using styling products can weigh down my hair, and are kind of annoying when I just want to finish the styling process before Eisley removes all the dirty laundry from the hamper and spreads it all over the duplex. The solution? A good conditioner.

I was sent Dove's Daily Moisture Conditioner, from their Hair Therapy line, which I knew would be a good fit. For a moisturizing conditioner, I liked that it wasn't heavy at all. It was light and fresh and even thought I slathered my hair with it, it still rinsed out clean and soft. I was also very pleased with how it helped retain the softness of my hair throughout the styling process. I didn't used any product before styling, and my hair still felt ridiculously soft and shampoo-commercial-like. Hurrah! I'm eager to continue using it.

To my friends I would say: This conditioner by no means changed my life, but I'm very happy with it! It is definitely something I would consider buying in the future. I love finding hair products that are actually within my price range and that give me good hair days. I'll add it to my list of favorites. (If you're interested in picking some up for yourself, be sure to snag a coupon—you can find a link at the very bottom of the post.)

Now it's time to ask you: What is your absolute favorite drugstore conditioner (and why)? Follow the links below the line to answer the question and be entered to win a $1,000 Spafinder gift card. (Um, hi? Take me with you if you win. Mama needs a foot scrub.) Please note that comments on this post will not enter you in the contest; you have to follow the lovely linkage below!
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Enter to win a $1,000 Spafinder gift certificate!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

COMMENTS TO THIS POST ARE NOT SWEEPSTAKES ENTRIES. PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR ENTRY METHODS FOR THIS SWEEPSTAKES.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Follow this link, and provide your email address and your response to the Promotion prompt

b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry"; and then visit this link to provide your email address and the URL to that Tweet.

c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and then visit this link to provide your email address and the URL to that post.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. Winners will have 72 hours to claim the prize, or an alternative winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 9/4/2012 - 9/30/2012

Be sure to visit Dove^®Hair.com to get a coupon for $1.50 off Dove Hair Therapy products.

on hair bows and leg warmers...

Judging by the above photo, Eisley apparently has a lot to say about the goodies she received from the lovely folks over at The Hair Bow Company. They were kind enough to send us a bunch of adorable headbands and other sweet things—as well as offer one of my readers a $25 gift certificate to their shop! (You can get yourself a whole box of prettiness with that, too, because The Hair Bow Co. offers wholesale pricing to the public. How fantastic is that?)

So, I thought I'd do a quick fashion show of sorts, Eisley-style, showcasing just a few of our favorite things:

Who can resist a bit of fluff on a baby headband? Not I.

I have a whole bunch of these sweet and simple headbands, and I love that they come in so many colors. I don't often go too crazy with the head-flowers (as much as I'd sometimes love to), so these headbands are the perfect addition to any outfit. And would you believe they're less than a dollar each? It's true!

C'mon, Eisley. Don't stare into the abyss. You'd think you would be used to posing for the camera already...

Now, that's more like it, you adorable little nugget, you!

Don't be fooled by their name; The Hair Bow Co. is not only limited to headbands and bows. They also boast a huge selection of hats, clips, leg warmers (as seen above!), tutus, ribbons, baby shoes, and other miscellany.

Our carpet is disgusting. But those baby leg warmers are pretty darn cute. (And only $3.99! What!)

If you're in the mood to be create your own accessories, they also offer a large selection of bits and bobbins (like the above crocheted flowers), so you can make your own accessories...

…just like I did for Eisley's Halloween costume. (You know, in case you missed it the first time.)

Eager to have a few of these goodies for yourself? (Baby not included, of course.) Simply leave a comment on this post through Sunday, January 15th, and you will be entered to win a $25 gift certificate. Please also leave your email address within the comment so I can contact you about your prize if you win! (Unless your email is connected to your commenting account.) I'll announce the winner of the gift certificate on Monday the 16th!

You can also get 10% off your order from The Hair Bow Company with the code wishcake10, through January 31st! Shop to your heart's delight. And find The Hair Bow Company here:

• www.thehairbowcompany.com
• @thehairbowco on Twitter!
• Facebook

The contest is now closed! Congrats to the lovely Jimaie, the winner of the $25 gift certificate. Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter!

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The Hair Bow Company provided me with free product, as well as a gift certificate for my readers, in return for my review. The views and opinions expressed within this post and regarding these products are mine and mine alone.

on some lovely holiday cards...

(We have yet to have holiday photos taken, so you can just look at the nugget for now.)

I haven't sent out Christmas cards for years, to be completely honest. First of all, I am easily stressed out—even more so during the holidays. Adding one more thing to my plate stresses the heck out of me. Second of all, I refuse to send out cards without photos, and Jay and I rarely have decent photos taken of us together. It's a little depressing, actually. Third of all, I'm a non-decision maker and it takes me forever to settle on what cards to actually send out.

However, considering we are now officially a tiny, little family, I know this year is the year I'm going to finally buckle down and send out Christmas cards to our loved ones! Now that I think about it, I'm a little bit excited.

Anyhow, I was asked to take a peek at the selection of holiday cards over at Shutterfly, and was quite pleased with the gorgeous designs they are offering this year. I've ordered prints (and a photo book!) from Shutterfly in the past, and have always been pleased with the quality, price and quick shipping. I'm very eager to see how the Christmas cards I end up choosing look in person! I knew I wanted to find something unique and colorful, and (although I have yet to make my final decision, as per the usual) I have a feeling I'm going to adore our first family Christmas cards.

Here are a few things I like about the selection over at Shutterfly:

• There are hundreds of designs to choose from, which make it easy to find one to fit your personality.
• When you choose your card, you can order either matte or glossy (I'm a matte girl, so this is really appreciated!). I'm not sure if this goes for all the cards, but the designs I was head over heels for all had that option.
• Typography, typography, typography!
• I've recently discovered the bold and bright style of Erin Condren, and she has a gorgeous line of holiday and New Year cards through Shutterfly. I know many of my bloggy friends swear my her planners (I adore the one I have!), and I'm sure her cards are going to be very popular this year, too.

Here's the best part: Shutterfly has given me the opportunity to give 25 FREE holiday cards to three of my readers! Hurrah!

To enter to win, simply leave a comment on this post before Saturday, November 19th.

Contest is now closed. Congrats to the winners of the free cards: Cassandra M., Jill, and Christine. Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter!

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Shutterfly is providing me with free holiday cards, as well as three giveaway codes, in return for my review. The views and opinions expressed within this post and regarding these products are mine and mine alone.