HotPants is all the craze with women all over the world.  Why?  Because women are losing weight and seeing results.  Just read what people are saying on their Facebook page.

As women, we all know what cellulite is?  Whether you have it or not (and most of us have it, small or large), it’s unappealing and unattractive.  HotPants has Celu‐Lite™ technology imbedded in the pants so that while you are wearing it, you are working on smoothing out those dimpled thighs.

Just recently, I received the HotPants to try out.  The pants I received were a size small which were too big for me (it was loose in the stomach and my upper thigh area).

To start out, I have nothing to lose in the weight department.  However, cellulite which is not usually apparent, sometimes creeps up in certain bright light situations.

At first, I had to get use to the feeling of wearing form fitting shorts that were thicker in material than normal.  Because the shorts were loose and the fact that I really didn’t have any inches to lose, I couldn’t see any noticeable differences after a week.

One thing that was apparent when wearing the shorts was that my bottom and upper legs were sweating (release of toxins).  Since the nights were getting cold in our home, I wore the shorts to keep myself warm (and it worked).

The shorts gave a sauna effect which essentially releases the toxins in the body.  I think if I’d wear it consistently it would probably release any clogged up toxins on my the back of my thighs.

The science of it makes sense for me, so if you are looking to lose some inches and weight then I think these pants could definitely help you.

(Disclosure: The pants were provided free of charge for review purposes, in conjunction with the Mom Bloggers Club, and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

We’re moving towards 2012 and it’s all about you, You and YOU!  In conjunction with “The Mommy Diet“, how about giving your nails and toes the VIP treatment.  We all know that nice looking toes and nails are essential to any little outfit, whether you are dressed up or down (it’s the icing on the cake).

Recently, Julep Maven (a monthly membership program by Julep) sent me an introductory “Classic With a Twist” Maven Box.  Although, I’m not a fan of the monthly membership programs out there, with the New Years approaching, I was open to trying out new things.

In general, I usually stay away from nail polishes because of all the toxic chemicals they contain (plus, I hate the smell).  However, once I found out that these were free of carcinogens (formaldehyde or formaldehyde resin, toluene and DBP), I had to try them out.

First, the intro box was well packaged in a red box (it’s kind of like that feeling when you get the blue Tiffany box).  Not knowing what was in it, brought an element of excitement and surprise (all my inner girlies came out to play).

My box contained two nail polishes, Facial for Hands Glycolic Hand Scrub and some samples.  The glycolic hand scrub was divine and after giving my hand that much needed facial, it felt like a baby’s bottom.

The two nail polish colors I received were Whitney and Nicole.  The colors were not my cup of tea (more-so my mom’s, I personally like Kim and Juliette) but they glided on nicely.  Now if Julep can work on getting rid of that smell that all nail polishes seem to have, it would be the perfect polish.

The cost of membership is $19.99 a month and you get over $40 worth of products in each box.  The best part of this program is that it’s customizable to your needs.

Every month, you’ll have products curated for your own Sneak Peek Box.  If you don’t like what you see, you can request another “shelf pull” (I like this option because unlike some programs, you’re not forced to have something you don’t like, in my case, it would have been the nail colors).

You also have the option to share your Sneak Peek Box with another girlfriend.  So let’s say your friend’s birthday is coming up, you can sign into your account and send it as a gift (totally worth it!).

On top of all those benefits, you can skip a month for free and be rewarded with a $15 gift certificate for referring your friends.

So if you want that VIP treatment every month or simply use it to give a VIP treatment to someone else, the membership is definitely worth it.

Now to the best part, one of my lucky readers will win a Julep Maven intro box of their own by entering below.  If you can’t wait for the giveaway to end or want to try it out asap, enter the code “MOMMASINTHEHOUSE” to receive your first Sneak Peek Box for just $5 (valued over $40).

For your chance at winning , please tell me what you like best about the Julep Maven program.  Please comment below.

For additional entries (each entry must be a separate comment):

• Follow me on Twitter
• Tweet about the Giveaway
• Subscribe to Mommas in The House

Giveaway ends January 8, 2012 at 11:59pm PST. Please make sure you leave a valid email address so that we can notify the winner. We will notify the winner, and the winner has 48 hours to respond. If the winner fails to respond within that time period, we will choose a new winner.

(Disclosure: An intro box was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

Pampers recently improved their Cruisers with the new 3-Way Fit.  Because the three-way fit adapts to the babies waists, legs and bottoms, your baby will be able to play at optimum level, leak-free.  They also added a longer absorbent area and new soft quilted backsheet for maximum comfort.  Let me tell you, when I put the diaper on my daughter, I could instantly see how the leg area fit better.

On top of all the great new additions, now you can even see Oscar the Grouch on the new diapers.  These Cruisers were definitely improved so that the baby can enjoy his or her play experience.  With that in mind, Pampers Cruisers is hosting “”30 Days of Play and Giveaways.”"

If you go to Pamper’s Facebook page and click on the “Pampers Cruisers Sweeps” from the left, you can enter to win everything from an Imagination Station to the Grand Prize which is a year’s supply of Pampers Cruisers and a four-day/three-night trip to Beaches Resorts located in Turks & Caicos or Jamaica (now that’s a Grand Prize!).

And if you couldn’t top that, one of my readers will win an exclusive Pampers Cruisers “Play-A-Palooza” Pack which includes the newly improved Pampers Cruisers with 3-Way Fit diapers, a 64-Count Tub of Pampers Wipes and Hasbro’s new Let’s Rock! Elmo.  I’m so excited for one of my lucky readers because it retails for approximately $100.

UPDATE: Congratulations #52 Laurie Brown for winning the Giveaway

For your chance at winning this prize pack, tell me if you could create the perfect diaper what would that be (design, feel, additional purposes).  Get super creative!  Please comment below.

For additional entries (each entry must be a separate comment):

• Follow me on Twitter
• Tweet about the Giveaway
• Subscribe to Mommas in The House

Giveaway ends October 30, 2011 at 11:59pm PST. Please make sure you leave a valid email address so that we can notify the winner. We will notify the winner, and the winner has 48 hours to respond. If the winner fails to respond within that time period, we will choose a new winner.

(Disclosure: A pack of Pampers Cruisers were provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

Who doesn’t love Disney and who doesn’t sing along to “It’s a Small World”?  It brings back such great childhood memories for me.  It’s no surprise that many companies have come out with there own “It’s a Small World” line, inspired by Disney.

If you’ve seen the It’s a Small World diaper bag from Petunia Pickle Bottom and It’s the Small World bag from FEED, you know how special these products are. 

Now, you can get luxury skincare for you and your baby, all inspired by “It’s a Small World”. 

Basq, the luxury skincare company recently launched their “it’s a small world” line to depict the unique bond between mother and child.

I can’t think of anything better for a mother and baby.  The line includes the DREAM Sleep Mist, SHARE Lavendar Calming Oil, TOUCH Lavender Body Butter and LOVE Nourishing Cleansing Soap.  I think the names speak for themselves.

I was able to try the SHARE Lavendar Calming Oil and I have to say I am a fan.  I love to take baths at night, especially when I have an action-packed day with my children and this oil definitely helps me relax in every which way.  Plus, a little dab on my forehead, neck and ears, makes me sleep like a baby.  For my little one,  I use the techniques from our infant massage class, along with the oil and by the end of it, she snores (too cute!).

The luxury skincare line has quite the celebrity following and after using their Soothing Foot Relief Spa Set, I can see why.  The moisture enriched socks and the cooling soothing lotion is just what the foot doctor ordered.  After my special treatment, I felt like I was walking on air.

If you’re looking for a baby shower gift, definitely check out the “it’s a small world” line.  If you’re a mommy, treat yourself to the many luxury products from the basq line.  You’re definitely worth it!!!

(Disclosure: The products were provided for review purposes from the PR company and does not affect my views or feedback of the products.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

 I can confidentely say that Bona is one the best companies out there when it comes to cleaning products.  I discovered them while shopping for my cleaning products at Living Green.  At the time, I was expecting a baby and moved into a new place that was covered in hardwood floors and there was a lot of it (at least for me).

In front of my home, they had just started demolition of a parking lot, ready to start construction on a huge luxury apartment complex.  With all the dust that was coming through the window and covering my floors, I needed an alternative cleaning solution that was non-toxic and green.

After telling my consultant at Living Green what I had needed, she introduced me to Bona products.  At first, I thought it was pricey because it was a few dollars more expensive than it’s non-green and toxic counterparts.  But because it was non-toxic and green, I thought it was worth the price.

Once I got home, I tried it out on the floor and it was amazing.  I don’t want to seem like a slob, but after the first round, the towel I was using was almost completely black.  It literally removed whatever layer that was on top of floor and I’m sure was not good for my family’s health.

Just recently,  Bona came out with Bona Hardwood Floor Mop Motion which takes Bona products to new heights.  This product makes my life so much easier than before.  With this floor mop, I can use the Bona floor cleaning solution simultaneously.  The floor mop uses sonic motion to deep clean while you can spray the floor as you go.  It’s so convenient and time-saving (it reduced my cleaning time from 30 minutes to about 15 minutes).

Top - New unused cleaning pad. Bottom - After first use.

Top - Close-up of cleaning pad after first use. Bottom - Cleaning pad under different lighting

My kids love cleaning with the floor mop because it’s super easy to use.  They love listening to the sonic buzz and they especially enjoy the fact that they can spray the floor (like a water gun) which makes it feel more like a toy than a cleaning gadget.

If you want the convenience of cleaning with a non-toxic and green product, Bona is at the top of their game.  They’re pretty much a better for you and better for the earth counterpart of The Swiffer.  I’m totally going to invest in another Bona Hardwood Floor Mop Motion, not only because I love it, but because my two kids are constantly fighting over it (plus, it doesn’t hurt to have both kids cleaning the floors).  This product retails for $49.99, but you can get it for 20% less at Bed Bath & Beyond with your store coupon!

From August 29th, 2011 until November 11th, 2011, you can also enter to win one of 11 weekly prizes in the Love Your Hardwood Floors contest.  All you have to do is answer a weekly question and wait to see if you win.  You can also enter to win the Grand Prize, a complete floor makeover worth over $3000, just by uploading a picture of your old worn floors and a story of why you should win.  To me, it sounds like a win-win situation.

(Disclosure: The Bona Hardwood Floor Mop Motion was provided for review purposes from the company and does not affect my views or feedback of the products.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

Did you ever have a product that you like, but you know you could like it much more if it were tweaked a little bit of here and there?  With diapers, I know a lot of parents would customize the perfect diaper for their child, if they could.  But it’s probably not the most cost effective way.

Just recently, I got to test out the new and improved Pampers Cruisers and they really improved them.  They added a softer quilted backsheet like the Swaddlers, a more absorbant core, and fun designs featuring Sesame Street’s Oscar the Grouch.  The new improvements make it fun and comfortable for the child.

Besides the cute eye-catching designs, I love that I can leave the diaper on for a longer period of time without my daughter feeling any discomfort (she doesn’t poop in the diaper, so that definitely helps as well).  While I was on vacation, I bought some store brand diapers because that’s all I could find and they leaked all over my daughter’s pants.  I definitely missed those new and improved Cruisers but they weren’t available for purchase yet.

Not sure if the prices will remain the same, but I’m thinking they will!

(Disclosure: The diapers were provided for review purposes from the PR company and does not affect my views or feedback of the products.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

It’s that time of the year again.  The kids are on summer break, the weather is hot and you are doing more things outdoors.  So what does this mean?  More exposure to the sun.

While the sun is always out 365 days a year, it seems that exposure to the sun increases in the summer months.  And the most dangerous hours to be out in the sun is between 10-4pm.  I don’t know about you, but that’s a huge chunk of time that my children want to do all things outdoors.  Whether it’s swimming, taking a small trip to the beach, running around in the park –it usually falls between those hazardous hours.

So how do you decide what sunscreen will be the best one for your child?  

While staying indoors is the ideal situation, that’s not possible for most children and probably not the most healthiest option.  If you decide that you are going to be outdoors during those hours, it’s best to get a great all-in-one sun protection.  And for infants under 6 months of age, it’s recommended that they don’t have any sun exposure and that sunscreen should not be applied either.

Acronyms like SPF, UVA and UVB can make the process of choosing the right sunscreen overwhelming.  No need to worry, read Amy’s post about new FDA sunscreen regulations, where she takes out the gibberish in sunscreen and breaks it down so that you understand what everything means.

Then check out EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database (my go-to place before I buy anything skin-related), then it’s time to hit the stores or check out the products online.  I personally suggest you go to the stores because more than likely you can test out the sunscreen to see if you like how it smells and feels on the skin (Whole Foods always has a tester).

If you don’t have a list yet, I have five sunscreens that you can’t go wrong with. They all have an EWG Skin Deep safety rating of 1 or 2 which means they’re very safe to use, an SPF over 30 and most importantly, they offer effective protection (I’ve tried all of them).

Read the rest of the post at Savings.com.

I have to start out by saying that my 2 daughters (5 years old and almost 2 years old) love to do yoga.  Both my children knew how to do a downward dog at 6 months old which was way before they could even walk.

I use to do Mommy & Me yoga with my older daughter, but we stopped because my schedule couldn’t accomodate the mid-morning sessions anymore.  Shortly after we stopped, my daughter won the ABC Yoga for Kids as a raffle prize.

Even without my help, she would flip open her yoga book and go through all the poses by herself.  Once she got well acquainted with the poses, she started to teach her baby sister.

With anything, you want to have variety and options.  Whether it’s classes, books, online videos or DVDs, from time to time, you want to switch things up.  And when I got the chance to review the Storyland Yoga DVD, I was on it.

When travelling, I like to travel light, especially when I know that I will be travelling with two kids.  So anything that takes up the least space will make it on our carry-on.  The Storyland Yoga DVD was perfect because it hardly took up any space (since I was taking my laptop, I left it inside the DVD compartment).

Why my children and I enjoyed the Storyland Yoga DVD:

• Your kids don’t always have to get into poses, they can watch it for the storytelling aspect.
• Very easy to follow as the kids get into yoga poses that imitate animals.
• Has a message about helping endangered species, which in turn helps the planet. 
• Fun way for kids to get introduced to yoga.

On my vacation, whenever we had some downtime and I wanted a couple extra minutes to myself, I played this DVD for my children.  If there was one thing I wish they could improve, it would be the pacing.  The pacing was a little to slow for my kids (maybe because they’ve already done yoga before). 

While they quickly engaged, after 10 minutes or so, they started to wander off.  So instead of showing them the entire DVD, I actually ended up dividing it up in thirds and that definitely helped. 

I think this DVD is great for all children, but I think it’s perfect for kids who have never done yoga before.  The storytelling aspect of this DVD makes it easy and fun to follow and also teaches your children a lesson on the planet.  If you’re travelling, it gives your child an alternative activity to do while giving you some downtime!

(Disclosure: The DVD was provided for review purposes from the company and does not affect my views or feedback of the products.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

As a mother, I am constantly battling to get some me-time, which almost never happens because I am always with my children. 

Ever since I had my first child, exercising completely went out the window, but the great thing was that my activity level stayed the same because I was constantly chasing after my baby-toddler and having to keep up with my active five year old. 

I have been very fortunate that my body bounced back almost immediately after I delivered each of my children.  However, like any other female in this world, I think about the realities of aging and sagging, and while I am blessed with great genes, I still think about the “what ifs”.

Just like a car needs an oil change every three months, a person’s body needs that same kind of care to maintain their body at optimum level.  In general, most people and all mothers don’t really have the time to go to a spa every 3 months to take some time out for themselves (pretty sad).

So how does a mommy address her concerns and needs without ever having to step into a spa or better yet, leaving the comfort of her own home?  It’s sounds impossible, but very possible with Wellbox.

Wellbox addresses many concerns that both men and women have, the popular one being — cellulite.  It doesn’t matter if you are thin or heavy, cellulite happens to all sizes and shapes and as we know, happens to all of our favorite celebrities. 

This machine addresses those concerns by letting us have an in-home lipomassage session which has been proven to reduce the appearance of cellulite.  It’s so simple to use and you just let it roll over your thighs and whatever else you want to roll over.

To be honest, I don’t think I have cellulite but I do feel that I have some circulation issues in the lower half of my body.   With this machine, I was able to address those concerns.   After using it for a week, I definitely felt improvement in my circulation and on top of it, my skin was so much smoother.

What’s impressive about the Wellbox, while known for its abilities to reduce cellulite, was that it had the option for skin rejuvenation for the face.  The liftmassage as they call it, reduces the signs of wrinkles and fine lines, and helps increase the firmness in the face.  While I loved this option, I have to admit that it hurt the first 2 times. 

As I sat there watching Oprah, I screeched half the time because it was so painful.  But after those initial sessions, I started to get more comfortable with the tugging and beating of my face.

If you don’t have time or want to do things in the comfort of your home, under your control, this machine is perfect for you.  It does cost $1499 which may be a deal breaker, but if you are in the market to get some endermologie sessions or a facial package, this may cost less in the end.

Like exercising, it does take work since you are the one that has to do everything (although, not very hard), so make sure you know you will be committed.  I had the ability to test this machine for a month, but in actuality, I only got to try it 4 times.  While I loved the machine, looking at the amount of times I used it, it’s probably not smart for me to invest in one (at this current time).

(Disclosure: I was given a 1 month trial for review purposes and it does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

Dream Big, Little Pig is the sweetest little story that will bring out the twinkle in anyone, regardless of age.  A story about Poppy the pig, who tries almost everything in her path, only to discover that ice skating is her dream.  Even though it seems that all odds are against her, she continues to stand up after every fall, to make her dreams come true.

The story of Poppy the pig, is one that most of us can relate to, whatever our dreams may be.  And to our children who are discovering themselves, a message of encouragement to go after anything their heart desires. 

When I found out that Kristi Yamaguchi wrote the book, it made me smile because it brought back memories of watching her ice skate in the Olympics.  She was one of my favorite skaters and being Asian, she was someone that I looked up to and identified with.

To read her story about being born with club feet and having to wear plaster casts on her legs, during the first year of her life, made her story even more inspirational to me.  She persevered through adversity and ultimately made her dreams come true.

My children love the story because it shows the cute, Poppy the pig, trying everything until she finds her dream.  Just the other day, I discovered my 4 year old in the closet, looking at the illustrations.  She drags the book everywhere.  So if you have children, this book is a must read!

(Disclosure: The book was provided for review purposes from the PR company and does not affect my views or feedback of the products.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)