Banana Boat’s New Sunscreen Natural Reflect Lotion Review & Giveaway!

banana boat oil

 

When I hear the name Banana Boat I immediately think of their Dark Tanning Oil that I used for many years.  I loved the stuff!  My mother has never believed in sunscreen.  Sure she would put it on me as a kid as I cringed and complained {I hated that greasy feel!} but every year after I got a tan she didn’t see any need for it.  I kept this idea until I married my husband who has a history of melanoma in his family.   He’s very cautious of the sun…and rightly so!

 

Since we’ve been married I’ve pretty much avoided the sun.  My husband is a fan of Banana Boat’s spray on sunscreen.  I admit that it’s handy in that it’s quick to apply and I can take it with us on an outing and not have to worry about it leaking in my bag.  Honestly though, I’ve never tried it.  I keep hearing my mom’s voice talking about the negative effects of sunscreen.

 

Baby

 

Now that summer is here and I need sunscreen for my little girl I’ve been reading labels like a mad woman.  Researching words I can’t pronounce.  All in hopes of finding a safe sunscreen for her sensitive skin.  When Mom Central approached me about a campaign for Banana Boat I was all on board!  Get it?  All on board?  Ha!

 

Banana Boat Natural Reflect

I was not only able to research Banana Boat’s new Sunscreen Natural Reflect Lotion but also try it out myself.  Banana Boat said that this lotion “contains 100% naturally-sourced mineral sunscreens with proven protection against sunburn and prevention against long-term skin damage”.  Sounds pretty great, right?  They have a sunscreen formula for adults, children, and babies.

 

Banana Boat Party

 

Banana Boat didn’t just give me a bottle of sunscreen, I was given enough supplies to host a Banana Boat party!  We enjoyed a cookout with our friends; we chatted while the kids played in the pool, tossed a Frisbee, hit a t-ball, played in the sprinkler, and played with bubbles. They had a blast and we could rest assured that they were safe from the sun!

 

Bubble

 

Here’s a little more about the about Banana Boat’s Sunscreen Natural Reflect Lotion:
•  100% naturally sourced mineral sunscreen active with Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide!
•  Oxybenzone free!
•  Paraben free!
•  Gentle on sensitive and delicate skin
•  Proven effective against sunburn and to help prevent!long-term skin damage
•  Broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection
•  Water resistant
•  Recommended by The Skin Cancer Foundation

 

Banana Boat doesn’t want people hiding indoors {like I was doing}!  To get families out and playing together they’ve created a fun 101 Days of Summer Play activity guide.  If you go to Banana Boat’s Facebook page you can pledge to play and download their activity guide.  To learn more about the Banana Boat brand you can visit www.bananaboat.com.

 

My thoughts:

 

I’ll admit I was very hesitant to try to the sunscreen because I had awful flashbacks to the goopy film, also known as sunscreen, that my Mom would put on me as a kid.  I have to say that this new Banana Boat wasn’t bad!  It took longer to rub in than regular lotion but I suppose that’s normal of any sunscreen.  After a few minutes I couldn’t remember I had put it on!  My little girl doesn’t mind it and my husband gives it his approval.  If you’ve tried it already, what are your thoughts?

 

If you haven’t tried it yet, how would you like to?

 

Banana Boat Giveaway:

 

One lucky Embracing Beauty winner will receive a Banana Boat kit!  To enter fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of BananaBoat® Sun Care and received a party kit to facilitate my review, party kits to give to my guests, and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Cracker Barrel: FREE $5 Gift Card for Playing their Spin n’ Win Game

cracker barrel

 

Through August 15th you can sign up and play the Cracker Barrel All-American Summer Spin-n-Win Game. Just for signing up to play and opting in for news and updates, you’ll score a $5 Digital Gift Card! Plus, after you sign up, you’ll be able to spin the wheel to collect game pieces and you could possibly win 1 of 4 Family Vacations!  Good luck!

 

Note there is a limit of 1 $5 Digital Gift Card per household for the duration of the sweepstakes.  The digital gift card will be emailed within 3 business days of registration.

 

Thanks, Hip2Save!

Radisson Big Night Giveaway: Enter to Win Free Night’s Stay (1st 100,000 Fans!)


Wow, this is great!!  If have a vacation planned for this summer {or would want to!} and would like to save on hotel expenses, you’ll be interested in entering Radisson’s Big Night Giveaway! The first 100,000 people who register, watch their short video, and complete a short online form AND to complete a stay at a Radisson hotel will earn 50,000 bonus Gold Points!  Don’t delay!

 

Raddison
Here’s What You’ll Need To Do:


1. Click on the banner at the top of this post then you’ll be taken to a page where you can register by clicking on the “Register Now” button. Keep in mind that you need to be a Club CarlsonSM member to register.  If you’re not a member, simply click the “Join and Register” link after watching the video.  It’s quick and easy.

 

2. Watch a short video showcasing Club Carlson and complete the short online form.

 

3. Complete a qualifying stay at any Radisson or Radisson Blu hotel around the world between May 15th and July 15th, 2012.

 

4. The 50,000 bonus Gold Points will be deposited into your Club Carlson account within 6 – 8 weeks of completing your qualifying stay. That’s enough points for a FREE night at any Radisson or Radisson Blu hotel anywhere around the world!   PLUS, the 50,000 bonus Gold Points you’ll get are in addition to the number of standard Gold Points awarded for your stay. Could it get any better?  Yes!  If you book your stay on Radisson.com you will earn at least an additional 1,000 bonus Gold Points with their online booking bonus.  Awesome, right?

 

Check out all the benefits of joining Club Carlson:

ClubCarlson

BumGenius FreeTime Diaper Giveaway! Ends June 15th

Fluffy Butts Banner

Enter to win 1 brand new BumGenius Freetime cloth diaper in the color of your choosing.  Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter.  Good luck!!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kindle Fire Giveaway Ends May 26, 2012

kindle fire giveaway

Embracing Beauty is giving away a Kindle Fire to one lucky reader.  This is a great gadget for anyone on your gift-giving list, including Dad!  Whether you’re a social media addict, book lover, or avid blog reader, this is one product you’ll love to own!

 

Kindle Fire, Full Color 7″ Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi – RV: $199

Movies, apps, games, music, reading and more, plus Amazon’s revolutionary, cloud-accelerated web browser

  • Over 20 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, and books
  • Thousands of popular apps and games, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora, and more
  • Ultra-fast web browsing – Amazon Silk
  • Free cloud storage
  • Vibrant color touchscreen with extra-wide viewing angle
  • Fast, powerful dual-core processor
  • Favorite children’s books, graphic novels, and magazines in rich color
  • Amazon Prime Members enjoy unlimited, instant streaming on thousands of popular movies and TV shows.
  • Amazon Prime Members choose from over a hundred thousand books to borrow for free.

 

kindle

Want to win a Kindle Fire?

One winner will receive a free Kindle Fire shipped right to their door. 

There are some great ways to earn extra entries into this giveaway! All mandatory and extra entries must be submitted within the Rafflecopter Giveaway box below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open worldwide and will go from May 21-26, 2012 11:59pm EST.  As always, if you have any trouble entering this giveaway, or if you have any questions, please contact me!

Kindle Fire Giveaway Ends May 19,2012

kindle fire giveaway
I’ve teamed up with Couponing4You and a bunch of other Facebook page owners to bring you a quick, 5 day flash giveaway for a Kindle Fire.  Be warned, you have to “like” a lot of Facebook pages to enter but it will be worth it if you win, right?
kindle
This Kindle Giveaway is open from May 15, 2012 through May 19, 2012 11:59pm EST.
This giveaway is open worldwide and you can enter on the rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sammy the Skunk

Sammy the SkunkIf you are a parent or teacher looking for more reading resources for your kids, you need to check out a brand new children’s story book series entitled The Adventures of Sammy the Skunk. This delightful, and beautifully illustrated four book series allows children to explore the Deep Woods with Sammy the Skunk and his other forest friends.

 

Each book contains three stories in which the animals of the forest find themselves in dangerous and funny situations and Sammy often comes to their rescue. At the end of each of the twelve stores, there is a short Life Lesson section including a Bible verse, thought provoking question, and a truth about God. The stories work well for elementary age children to read on their own or for a mini-devotional to be read to pre-school and kindergarten age children.

 

You can purchase The Adventures of Sammy the Skunk easily online at http://sammytheskunk.blogspot.com.

 

Throughout the month of May, as a promotion for the books’ release, Adele is hosting a contest in which you can win the entire four book set! Be sure to visit the May Giveaway Page to participate! As a points based contest, you can increase your chances to win by following all of the simple steps.

 

About the Author

 

Adele Roberts has been in education for over 50 years working with pre-school through elementary aged children. Adele’s students often begged her to tell them stories, and The Adventures of Sammy the Skunk actually began in that story telling form long before they were published. Adele loves to read these stories to children using her Sammy and Mr. Fox puppets as props, and she’s already been ablet to read for libraries and schools with more events coming up. If you live in the Knoxville, Tennessee area, be sure to check out the events section of her website to see where she’ll be next.

Domino’s is giving away 15,000 Free Artisan Pizzas today (Facebook Freebie)!

Dominos

 

Today (Thursday, May 3, 2012) is the last day that Domino’s is giving away 15,000 free Artisan Pizzas.

 

They don’t announce a head of time when the giveaway is going to happen so you’ll want to watch their Facebook page for when the giveaway goes live each day.  I try to announce it on our Facebook page as soon as we hear word that it’s gone live but I’ll be away at a Doctor appointment today so I might miss it.  If you hear that it’s live please come and share it on our Facebook page to tell other Embracing Beauty readers about this great freebie!

$100 Pandora Gift Card Giveaway! Ends May 10th

Pandora Giveaway

 

In honor of Mother’s Day we’ve decided to give YOU something that you can give to your MOM that she is sure to LOVE…or you can keep it as our gift to you!

 

I’m excited to announce our $100 Pandora Gift Card Giveaway!

 

Here’s a list of amazing bloggers that we’ve teamed up with to bring you this great giveaway:

 

Shore Savings with Patti

Coupons and Freebies in TX

Coupon Queen that Saves the Green

Africa’s Blog

Adventures of My Family of 8

Suburban Coupon Mom

Front Page Freebies

Sister’s Saving Cents

Savior Cents

Single Mom Inspirations

Fuggs and Foach

Chesco on the Cheap

I Save A to Z

Couponista Queen

 

Enter to win by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  The giveaway ends on May 10, 2012.  Good luck!!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Playtex Baby Facebook Contest

Playtex

 

Most moms enjoy sharing their pregnancy stories and now when you share your most unexpected pregnancy or new Mom moment with Playtex you could win big!

 

Beginning April 16th Playtex Baby is holding a contest on their Facebook page where they are asking Moms to share honest, unexpected moments of pregnancy and motherhood. Seven lucky grand prize winners will be flown to LA for the premiere of What To Expect When You’re Expecting. The film will feature Playtex Baby products including the Playtex® Nurser with Drop-Ins® Liners and the Playtex® Diaper Genie® Disposal System!  There will also be daily prizes that will be given throughout the two-week contest!

 

To enter just head on over to Playtex Baby Facebook Page.  Good luck!!!

 

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Playtex Baby. I received a promotional item to thank me for participating”