b•leve shampoo giveaway

I've showered every day this week. Which is not unusual for most humans, but for this busy mama of 4.... well... let's just say if the choice is between eating or showering, I tend to eat. But not this week. Why? I was asked to review the  b•leve shampoo and conditioner and body wash. Price Chopper kindly sent me coupons to purchase the products for free but did not otherwise compensate me for this review.

I figured it would be best to use the products for a week before writing my review. My hair is pretty picky (no surprise) and if I don't use the right shampoo/conditioner it gets really hard to comb or oily or just generally icky. I can't use all-in-one products without losing a ton of hair combing through the knots. After a week of using the b•hydrated shampoo and conditioner, I can give it a thumbs up. My hair feels hydrated! It looks healthier and has been easy to comb. If I wash my hair at night it's still in good condition in the morning.

The b•refreshed body wash has been working well too. My skin doesn't feel quite as dry as it normally does. With a 2 month old baby in the house I do A LOT of hand washing and combining that with chilly temps usually means my hands are like sand paper. In fact just a few weeks ago they were heading that way. But today they are softer and all I've done is use the body wash to wash the rest of my body (sometimes I use washcloths or those big poofy sponge-type things but most of the time I just use my hands to lather up my legs & arms).

I've been pleased with the performance of these products and the best part is that they are safer than the rest of my shower supplies. They are made from natural ingredients, paraben free, and hypo-allergenic. Lucky for you Price Chopper was kind enough to send me an extra set of coupons--for free products--that I can give away! They can only be used in Price Chopper.

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Running partners

I usually run alone. I've run with groups and friends in the past, but I don't live in a central location so it doesn't happen often. Yesterday I had two very special running partners to begin my 3rd week of my back to running plan.

Ignore my post-pregnant fat butt.
Focus on the cuteness of the running kids.
The Princess is wearing a wicking tee from Target.
We are both wearing matching Wonder Woman bondi bands. We were adorable.

SkyWalker and the Princess finally got a chance to run with me. They have asked for a long time to run  on the road. I've run with them in the driveway and the yard and have taken them to a local track where they did a little play-running. But they always want to go on the road. My road is not child-friendly and there's no way I was going to do that. So we all drove to the local state park, Vader put Lightrunner in the stroller and hoped he stayed asleep and walked with an upset Chewie who really wanted to run with the big kids. And probably would have lasted longer. I took SkyWalker and the Princess with me. We ran from the playground on the long road that enters the park. It's nice and flat and straight. Easy to see, not very busy, and very wide. People often bike and run and there isn't a lot of traffic.

The plan was to do 90 seconds of running followed by 30 seconds walking and repeat that 15 times. SkyWalker started out complaining that we were going too slow and I explained that we weren't going for speed, but to build up endurance and if he went too fast he'd burn out too quickly. 3 minutes later he was starting to lag behind. They made it half way without too many problems, although SkyWalker took more and more walk breaks, but once we turned around even the Princess couldn't do it. They are full of such bravado but they couldn't keep up. And I was running SLOW. The Princess did her best, she really gave it her all, and then said that it was too much for her and she needed to walk more. I stopped the timer and we all walked. I told them it was okay to walk in the middle but when we saw the playground we had to finish strong. SkyWalker didn't even want to walk. He wanted to lay down in the road and wait for someone to pick him up. But the Princess kept going. We started running again when we saw the playground, SkyWalker started when he saw his Daddy, and the Princess & I held our hands high like we were finishing a big race. Chewie came running towards us and ran us in the last 30 seconds or so. And then I had to run some more to finish out my plan.

It was definitely a lesson. I thought their youth and energy would make it through, especially with the walking breaks, but it was too much too soon. We'll go out again and I'll make sure I do my run on my own first and just run slower and less with them. The Princess definitely wants to do it again... SkyWalker is not so sure. I had really wanted to go with the Princess to show her that girls can be athletic and do things too. And to keep her from getting her period when she turns 6. But I think SkyWalker really needs to do it too... he needs to learn discipline (as in keeping going when you don't want to) and build up his endurance. I don't care if he plays sports in school, but I want him to be physically fit. I don't want him to wait until he's in his 30s for one of his friends to start a running group before he takes it seriously.

It's that Kate & Allie episode all over again

You know what I'm talking about. It happens every year the week before school starts.

Remember Kate & Allie?

Photo by CBS/Getty Images

Kate & Allie's daughters were getting ready to go off to college and Kate & Allie were getting ready to not live together anymore because that goofy guy was moving in. They were so sad at the idea of all this change and not seeing each other every day that they got angry and fought with each other. They didn't know why they were fighting until the end of the episode, of course, but it was to prepare themselves, to make it easier to separate. It's easier to leave someone when you're fighting and not happy.

We do this the week before school starts. Every year since we've had to worry about school starting. It's  so predictable and yet unavoidable for us. We truly like being home together. We love the summer. So when school comes knocking we're sad, even though it's needed, and we fight and yell and argue and I start to think I can't wait for school to start, even though I know what I really mean is, I wish school was starting yet.

This summer is no exception. It went by SO FAST. The first half I was moody and uncomfortable and afraid of premature labor and then afraid of no labor. And then Lightrunner came and Vader was home for 3 glorious weeks. We did so much as a family, so many things we hadn't done before, visited places and had fun. We've been trying to do as many playdates as possible with friends we hadn't seen in a long time. Trying to fill every moment. Nana came for a visit. Cousins came up for a visit. It was the perfect summer. But there's still so much we didn't get to do! We didn't get to go to LI, so we didn't get to go to the beach. There were other friends we didn't get to see as much.

And now. It's over. Tomorrow I bring Chewie to preschool. Vader will stay home with the others since he needs to go with the Princess on the bus later in the day for her bus safety day. SkyWalker starts 3rd grade on Wednesday. The Princess starts kindergarten on Thursday. Lightrunner and I will be alone for 5 hours a week... I am looking forward to that time and am truly grateful I have him to share it with... but I will miss my big kids. Even as I get annoyed every time SkyWalker has to come and try to snuggle with Lightrunner--as I'm breastfeeding him. I get annoyed with the bickering and the messes and a million things. Yet, I will miss them. The silence will be nice, but there will be a void.

Today we go to the local state park where I will take the big kids (SkyWalker and the Princess) running with me while Chewie and Lightrunner stay with Vader on the playground. Then we all play and have snacks and have one last day of summer fun before we are consumed with school schedules and responsibilities. And wait to do it all over again next year.