Fashionable Media Review Policy: The featured product for this review was provided to me, at no cost, by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. Opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation.

Berry Ball

The Berry Ball is the “Innovative Bra Washer”. It is a complete bra & panty cleaning solution set. It is the “Bra Saver” that keeps your bra’s shape.

Product Description:

The NEW Berry Ball & Bag from Berry Perry is a complete care solution set for lingerie that lets you wash your bras, panties, hosiery, socks even swimwear in the washing machine. Say good-bye to tangled and crushed bras, stretched and twisted hosiery, snagged bathing suits, and lost socks! The Berry Ball & Bag saves you valuable time by letting you wash your lingerie & swim in the washing machine, while yielding a delicate, hand wash result. The product is also great as a packing tool to prevent bras from being crushed during travels, as well as a convenient storage tool to keep bra cups in-tact.

Included is also a laundry bag (The Berry Bag) which can be used to wash panties, socks or lingerie. The perfect cleaning solution!

Retail Cost: $13.99

My Review

I have tried to allow for a long enough time to test and try this product, using it a total of three times but perhaps that is not long enough to see how well my under garments retain their shape. Or maybe it is better to try on a brand new bra that way I could definitely tell if the Berry Ball helped retain the shape of it compared to the old way of washing my “unmentionables”. Therefore, I cannot fully attest to the claim that it helps retain the shape and support our bras are meant to give us. Sorry! I can attest to the fact that it does prevent twisted bras. They are still wrinkled but are not twisted around other clothing or the agitator of the washing machine!

This product is not meant for the dryer, the box says “Washing Machine Only”. However, one of my daughters did toss it into the dryer once and since it is plastic it did start to melt the little loop that can be used to hang the Berry Ball up with in the laundry room or closet. Otherwise it faired that mishap very well!

The Berry Ball comes in two sizes: small for sizes 32-36A, 32-36B, 32-34C, 32D and large for sizes 36-38B, 34-38C, 32-38D. Although, it seems pretty roomy since it fit a larger piece of lingerie in it. It is also available in three colors: pink, blue and purple.

I can say that as a person who still enjoys her privacy once in a while in a houseful of people, I like the Berry Ball, especially the Berry Bag. I think both are very useful products that have proven to effectively wash and protect my bra and lacey nightie that I washed in it.

More information may be found at www.BerryPerry.com

As mothers we know that cleaning is a part of our job description. Whether it is spilled milk, crumbs on the floor, toys scattered from room to room or an unexpected mess that a two year old made in his daily adventures, we need an ample supply of cleaning products, don’t we? In my web surfing this weekend I came across a “freebie” you all might be interested in. It’s a MicraFiber Cloth.

The MicrFibra Cloth seems to be similar to the microfiber cloths and I really like the new ones I bought for the kitchen, so  I ordered this “freebie”. You can all get your own MicraFiber Cloth- for free, but you do have to pay shipping and handling! I ended up paying $2.99 when I checked out. They currently have a special:

Value Pack Special SPECIAL PRICE of $19.99 vs Regular Price of $25.00
Includes 4 Standard Cloths and 1 BadBoy Cloth

Each cloth by itself sells for $6.00, so the $2.99 seems reasonable in light of the individual price, special and regular price.

More about the Micrafiber:

MiraFiber® Ultimate Cloths®
• Available in two sizes – please see below. (Photo and info on their website)
• ARE TOTALLY GREEN / ECO-FRIENDLY. Good for your environment inside & out… no chemicals & saves the trees when you don’t have to use all the paper towels! Use them over & over. Great for those individuals with chemical sensitivities.
• Leave no chemical streaks or water spots when used correctly.

Visit UlimateClothAmerica.com to order your “freebie”. Or go here for more value pack options.

Once I receive and review my cloth I will post my thoughts, so be sure to leave a comment telling me if you took advantage of this offer and how the cloth worked for you.

Soak – A Review

Disclaimer: I did receive samples of this product to provide the readers of The Fashionable Bambino with this review, but am not being compensated in any way by the company except for the five sample packets of Soak that I received. What follows is my opinion and mine alone.

Soak is a gentle formula version of delicate wash products found on supermarket shelves. It contains no perfumes or dyes and is a biodegradable, phosphate-free, non-toxic solution to wash delicate sweaters, lingerie and any other clothing and accessories that need special care. This is a great product for those with sensitive skin or who are allergic to perfumes, dyes and phosphates.

I received five wee samples (each a single wash 6 ml packet) from Soak. Citrus fresh-squeezed clean, scentless for your sensitive side, a scent for celebration, aquae purely elemental and flora stop and smell the fibers. I have used both the scentless and the citrus. The citrus only has a light citrus scent. It isn’t overpowering whatsoever. What I like about Soak is that it is no-rinse. All I had to do is soak my items for 15 minutes, wring them out and either lay flat or hang to dry. Very simple and easy for this busy mom! My two items that I washed so far in Soak were left smelling fresh and feeling soft. No stiff fabric or scratchy feeling that sometimes accompanies items that are hung dry after hand washing. That’s another thing that I like about Soak, I didn’t have to tumble dry either item to make them fresh smelling and soft feeling.

Since our family is becoming more aware of environmental issues and being good stewards of all that is given to us, I also like that Soak is packaging its product in recyclable bottles and using water-based ink in the printing of their product labels. But the Soak solution is not organic or eco friendly.

In the promotional material that Soak sent, they stated that celebrity mom, Keisha Whitaker (wife of Forest and owner of beauty line Kissable Couture) says she “loves her Soak!” It always gives a product credibility when a celebrity endorses it. Not that we will automatically like it, too, but it does give a company reputability in our minds, doesn’t it?

Soak comes in mini sizes for convenient travel, as well as 130 ml and 425 ml bottles and is available at retailers across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guam, the UK and Japan. It retails for anywhere from $1.25 for the travel size to $16 for the larger bottles. Please visit www.soakwash.com for more information or for a store locator.

Originally created as a care product for knits, Soak is a premium no-rinse wash for all delicates, from lingerie and sweaters to baby clothes, quilts, stuffed animals…even your dog!

Soak is available in four scents (Aquae, Citrus, Flora and Celebration) as well as in Scentless; three size options make it easy to use while traveling or at home. And if you don’t “do” handwashing, Soak can be used in your washing machine’s delicate cycle! The non-toxic, biodegradable formulation uses no dyes or harsh ingredients (it’s phosphate-free), just skin-grade ingredients so gentle you could bathe in it.

If you’re looking to upgrade the way you wash your delicates, Soak is available at a 15% discount through the end of the year by using code SOAK09 on their website. Happy Soaking!

It seems that the more sophisticated our body products become, the closer we must look at what is actually in them. We have gone from the days of plain old lye soap to products of every type catering to every group, young and old alike. The most concerning groups of body products are those targeted at babies and children. At a time when young bodies are growing and developing, our children are being exposed to countless chemicals – the result of which is still totally unclear. What is clear is that babies may be exposed to several products at bath time, several times a week, in addition to other chemical exposures in the home and environment. Those small exposures add up and may contribute to later-life disease.

The March 2009 Campaign for Safe Cosmetics report, “No More Toxic Tub”, has just been released and the findings are disturbing. Not only are known cancer-causing chemicals such as formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane being found in products advertised as “safe and gentle”, but these chemicals are not disclosed on product labels because they’re contaminants, not ingredients, and therefore (unlike other countries) are exempt from labeling laws in the U.S. Manufacturers can easily remove the toxic byproduct, but are not required by law to do so.

Since we can not count on our systems to ensure ingredient safety, we must fend for ourselves. The mission of Ulew Natural Products is to find and offer safe cosmetics. Our products are the cleanest around. Good, food-grade, quality natural ingredients – including and especially our baby products. Help your children get a good healthy start in life!

Check out Ulew’s full line of baby products.

Read the full article, see the safety guide to children’s personal care products and find out what you can do here.

Rinse and Run Technology Keeps Dangerous Carcinogens Found in Children’s Shampoos Away from Face.

According to recent reports released by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, many children’s bath products contain chemicals that may cause cancer and skin allergies. Twenty-three of 28 products tested contained formaldehyde, the report says. Formaldehyde — considered a probable carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency, — is released as preservatives break down over time in a container.

For parents concerned about the potential risk, a product on the market, Lil Rinser, which utilizes “Rinse and Run Technology” to keep soap, shampoo and water out of children’s eyes, ears and mouths during bathing, can help further prevent exposure to toxins in shampoos. Lil Rinser was developed and patented by two fathers concerned about the risk of carcinogens in children’s shampoos and searching for a solution to their children’s bath-time fears.

“When we created Lil Rinser, we were addressing two real needs for our children with the same solution – by keeping keep soap, shampoo and water out of their eyes, ears and mouths when shampooing they were less traumatized by the process and they had less exposure to harmful chemicals,” said Marty Ciesinski, one of the creators and owners of Lil Rinser.

Typically, small children get extremely upset in the tub or shower when shampoo, suds and water get into their eyes, ears and even into their mouth. Thus, it is no surprise that children fear hair washing and parents are less than thrilled at the chore. Lil Rinser creates a watertight seal, whose soft rim contours gently to fit a child’s head. Adults merely need to press it gently against the child’s forehead and above the ears to create the water tight seal and then pour an unlimited amount of water onto the child’s head while holding the Lil Rinser gently against the child’s forehead. The soft rim channels the water away from the face and over the head and hair. A convenient and comfortable soft grip handle allows parents to hold the Lil Rinser in place.

Made of firm, yet flexible plastic, Lil Rinser is one size fits all, so parents can purchase just one for the household. It is offered in four fun color combinations – yellow with blue, turquoise with purple, green with orange and purple with dark purple — so kids can choose their favorite colors.

You can get the Lil Rinser Splashguard on Amazon.com and on www.lilrinser.com. It will also soon be available at Target.

For more information about the product or to purchase, visit www.lilrinser.com.

If you’re a mom, you know how precious time is. And you know how little of it you have. Well, I found something that makes my life a little bit easier.

We bought a new coffee table about 2 months ago and it seems my daughter is hell-bent on destroying the thing. As soon as I clean it, it’s dirty again. Food, cup rings, cracker crumbs, crayon, sticky hand prints, spilled drinks, snot, you name it – it’s been there.

I was using baby wipes to quickly clean up little messes, but that kinda leaves a weird film on the wood and doesn’t really do anything for the look of the table. So I decided to give Swiffer Dust & Shine a try.

Swiffer recently launched a new product called Dust & Shine spray. It’s a thorough dusting spray that cleans, shines, and conditions your wood, marble, granite and leather all in one simple step and is the first product of its kind to be available in scents beyond traditional citrus!

It is available in three scents:

• Lavender Vanilla Scent
• Citrus Zest Scent
• Tropical Breeze Scent

You can learn more about Swiffer Dust & Shine here, but really what more do you need to know? It works great. It smells great. And it’s affordable!

I use it on everything now… the coffee table, the entertainment center, side tables, bureaus in the bedroom, book cases, and even baseboards.

So next time you’re at the grocery store, try to remember to pick up a can of it. Or just purchase it online right now for $5.29. I am really loving the Lavender Vanilla Scent. It’s so natural and pleasant to use and leaves the room smelling fresh and clean. It’s just great.

If you’ve tried it, leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Soap Dispensing Bottle Brush:

This new brush is right on the button with its ability to dispense the perfect amount of soap for each individual bottle. The textured scrubbing bristles reach even the hardest-to-clean areas with ease, so your baby’s bottles will always be sparkling clean and safe for the next use. Perfect for those with no dishwasher!!

A suction base secures the brush in an upright position while keeping it free from germs and convenient for one-handed cleaning. Available in four vibrant colors, this brush is guaranteed to match any kitchen decor.

This is a must-have for all moms with new babies. Would also make an awesome baby shower present!!

Price: $6.99

Go to Munchkin.com to find the closest retailer near you!

Does your sweet little baby have an uncomfortable diaper rash? It happens sometimes, even though we try so hard to prevent it. And it seems like once it’s there, it’s so hard to get rid of it.

Not if you have Desitin Diaper Rash Ointment though! There are so many different brands and it could take several children to find the best one, so we’ve done the hard work for you. If you want to cure your child’s diaper rash quickly and easily, follow these 3 easy steps:

1. Change diapers 2x more often than normal. If you usually change your child’s diaper 6-8 times a day, step it up to 10-12 times a day.

2. After gentle cleansing, let the area dry completely before applying a thick layer of Desitin Diaper Rash Ointment.

3. Take child outside into the sunshine with no diaper on for at least 10 minutes a day until diaper rash clears up. Sunlight helps heal the skin and dry out infection.

What: OxiClean® Spray-A-Way TM Instant Stain Remover

Price: $4.99

Why: If you’re a mom, you know all about stains popping up in unexpected places. Whether it’s a diaper blow-out or their dinner on your shirt, it’s always a good idea to have something on hand that can get the stains out fast!

This stuff works. Period. You spray it on, dab the stain and voila! Like it never happened. A must-have for every diaper bag and purse.

Where: www.oxiclean.com