Sparklehearts is a new line of natural beauty product for girls. The products are as happy and sunshiny on the inside as their packaging is on the outside and made of 99.6% natural, vegetable and plant-based ingredients. Sparklehearts is all about just saying no to “the icky chemicals and toxins that make up the majority of make-up, bath and beauty products for girls. Their products, which include Bubbling Blooms Body Wash, Shine Shampoo, Rainbow Soft Conditioner, Sweet Hearts Sparkly Lotion and Peace Out No Knots Hair Detangler, are made in the USA, never tested on animals, environmentally friends and even use 100% recycled packaging. All that in a super sparkly, brightly colored, exuberant bottle!

My girls received the Shine Shampoo and Rainbow Soft Conditioner combo. Both have Sparklehearts’ naturally sweet signature scent and girl-friendly packaging. The shampoo contains pansy and violet extract, rosemary and natural coconut and sugar while the conditioner has Vitamin B-5, shea butter, jojoba and wheat protein. My girls couldn’t wait to try these out but of course I made them wait until they had used up their current shampoo and conditioner. (Looking back they went through it faster than usual…I think a lot of it went down the drain…literally.)

I asked them what they thought about their new Sparklehearts sparkly bath products and here’s what they first said (both in agreement): “I think they smell good but when you mix them together they don’t smell very good.” Huh? I was confused by what they said—were they mixing the shampoo and conditioner and putting them on together? Were they putting on one, then the other before rinsing out the first one? Apparently not. They explained they did the lather and rinse thing for both the shampoo and conditioner, and once they were done and out of the shower they didn’t like how their hair smelled. You’ve got me—I didn’t have this issue when I used the Sparklehearts shampoo and conditioner. Hey, our master bathroom shower was being cleaned and regrouted. (That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!)

My oldest daughter did walk off with this comment: “I like the outside of the bottles; they’re cute!” So score one for 100% recycled packaging decked out in shininess, sparkles and glitter! I’m good with a more natural smell because I know the product is a lot better for their bodies. I think my girls are just too used to their typical “toxic” haircare products! It’s about time Sparklehearts helped them kick the habit, don’t you think?—Emily

** Giveaway! Sparklehearts is giving away one product, winner’s choice! Please visit the company’s site and leave a comment telling us what inspiring quote the little Sparklehearts bird carried across the screen while you were there; include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: July 7, 2009 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

* Promotion! Sparklehearts is offering Daily Dish readers 20% off their purchase! Simply enter code Blog20 when checking out at Sparklehearts.com.

• Congratulations to Kim M., the winner of the Sparklehearts giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

Happy Birthday this weekend to inspiring mommy blogger Stephanie Nielson (Nie Nie)! We love you so much and wish you the happiest Birthday ever! To celebrate @sweettoothfairy is baking up yummy yummy’s!!

If you haven’t read Nie’s blog before, we can promise you’ll walk away feeling more love for your family, for life’s gifts, and for your faith than you ever thought possible. Now scoot over to the Sweet Tooth Fairy Bake Shop in Utah this Saturday, from 11am to 7pm. All proceeds from the sales of the VaNIElla Squared cupcakes will benefit the Nie Recovery.

While my current set of children’s plates are plastic, I can’t say that they’re earth-friendly or 100% recyclable. They might be but I highly doubt it. I am aware there is a greater selection of BPA- and phthalate-free children’s tableware but nothing really caught my eye until I saw the collection from smiling planet.

smiling planet’s children’s plates are made from 100% recycled, high-grade plastic, made in the USA and are also 100% recyclable. It’s kind of like the ever-popular circle of life thing, which I thought was pretty cool eve before The Lion King. smiling planet has also made sure their plates are free of BPA, lead, phthalates, toxic inks; they are also safe and sustainable and dishwasher safe. Okay, so that’s a pretty impressive list, but are the plates as child-friendly when it comes to design as they are safety? Most definitely yes!

The collection includes 15 plates featuring words and/or graphics from the company’s self-titled book. George received the whale plate and smiling planet book; we read that book every night for about a week straight! And it was one of those I enjoyed just as much as he did. The illustrations are whimsical yet “deep” and the story is one we should all memorize and take to heart. Of course George loved his plate more than his book, but what do you expect? He gets his own special plate at mealtime—that’s so cool! I love that it’s safe but also that it has high sides so food stays on the plate rather than all over the counter.

smiling planet also has a wonderful selection of placemats, t-shirts, cards and posters, all at “friendly” prices. This is one earth-friendly children’s company whose products you can afford, and that will definitely make you—and our earth—smile!—Emily

Have you ever seen those guest correspondents on the red carpet and wished it were you talking up celebrities and getting behind-the-scenes interviews? And I know I’m not the only one who got a kick out of watching Ross the Intern on Jay Leno; he had a heck of a lot more than fifteen minutes of fame. Well, now it’s your turn to be a guest correspondent, but instead of doing something lame like talking with Spielberg about his latest movie, you get to talk with the fabulous women behind the Moms Who Make It conference!

I am working with Quinn Curtis, the woman behind CreatedByMom.com, helping throw the biggest party plan this most awesome conference! The conference will take place on Thursday, July 16th near Salt Lake City, Utah. Quinn is all about empowering and inspiring women and Moms Who Make It is the ONLY conference dedicated to strengthening moms in all facets of life and/or business. This isn’t an event just for women entrepreneurs nor is it just for moms. It’s for any woman who is looking for powerful tools and insight to start or grow her business and creatively balance her personal life.

Special guests include Kim Christopherson (YouCanMakeThis.com), Rachael Herrscher (TodaysMama), Melissa Chapell (Raw Melissa), Kelly Anderson (Startup Princess) and Pamela Baumeister (Wasatch Woman magazine). Here is just a sampling of topics featured at the conference:

• Know the power in living your purpose; harness your creativity to build the life you want


• Balance your daily demands allowing sufficient time and energy for your family


• Cut your grocery bill in half while making mealtime more meaningful to your family


• Enhance your natural beauty holistically


• Know how to take your business idea and make it a reality


• Utilize social media to broaden your support base; gain hundreds of new potential clients

Now here’s the super cool, nifty, better-read-this-whole-post part:

We are looking for one Boutique Café reader to be our

Moms Who Make It correspondent at the conference!

Daria can’t make it and wants to send YOU in her place to provide behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and coverage of the conference!

If selected as the winner here’s what you’ll win:

1. All-access ticket to the MWMI conference (or if you have already paid for your conference ticket, we will reimburse your purchase price)


2. Invitation to the after-hours VIP Mocktail Party


3. Flip Video camera (to be picked up when you arrive at our on-site registration)


4. Boutique Cafe t-shirt


5. CreatedByMom.com super chic camera wrist strap

Read the rest of this entry »

Daria included in Top 111 Biz Women to Follow List in new ‘Twitter Inspiration’ eBook! Find out more here

To Follow Daria on Twitter click here

Twice I’ve experienced the dreaded “blue screen of death” on my PC and nearly lost my hard drive. Fortunately my computer savvy husband has been able to rescue me both times, but it freaked me out enough to immediately backup what files I could to a DVD for safe keeping. Of course being a mom of four means I constantly forget things, including picking my girls up from school on occasion, and one of those things is consistently backing up my files. Basically I have a total of two DVDs, the most recent one at least a few months old. As a business owner and digital-photo uploader, this is not good. What I need is something that will back up my files on a regular basis without my even thinking about it. That something is MozyForMoms.com.

Mozy is one of the most trusted online backup services for consumers and businesses—and I believe it since I’ve heard seen references to Mozy everywhere online, including one of my favorite organizational sites, Unclutterer. How does it work? In a nutshell, copies of your backed-up files are securely stored in world-class data centers, protecting them against data loss as a result of computer failure. (By the way the most common forms of data loss are hard drive crash (hello, been there, almost done that!), theft, loss, viruses (definitely been there), natural disaster and accidental deletion (I have four kids—the odds of this happening are high!).

“With the recent explosion in digital information, moms are accumulating massive amounts of irreplaceable digital family photos and videos, music collections, business documents, financial documents and more.” Massive amounts is right! Thanks to TodaysMama I was able to give Mozy a test drive for the Daily Dish. When I went in to select the files to backup, it was some serious Gig-age! I found out the initial backup of your files can take days, even weeks, which makes sense since you need to be working while the files are being copied. Mine actually took just a few days, but because I could choose how much of my bandwidth Mozy used, my connection while working wasn’t noticeably affected. And at night I could let it speed things up since I didn’t need to be online!

Since then it’s already done a routine backup, which takes a lot less time since Mozy is only backing up new or changed portions of files. (We’re talking minutes rather than hours or days). And new and changed files are automatically detected and backed up! It’s that routine backup I love most. One less thing to add to my to-do list, which already has far too many items not getting done… Mozy also:

• supports Windows and Mac OS X operating systems.


• protects all files during the backup processwith end-to-end encryption.


• backs up open and locked files; no need to close down critical applications during the backup process.


• offers near continuous data protection, meaning new and changed files are automatically detected and backed up.


• retains 30 days worth of file versions.

If you want to give Mozy a test drive, MozyHome offers everyone 2 GB of free storage. While this won’t cover your child’s recent 1st-birthday photo shoot it will let you backup some important documents. Paid subscriptions cost $4.95 per month and will allow you to back up a heck of a lot more files, and discounts are given for yearly and biennial billing. And when you sign up for a new account, you get to choose a super cool Mozy t-shirt as a thank-you. These are my faves:

...

I have a feeling I’ll be “Mozy-ing” all year long, which is a nice break from the fast-paced life I’m currently leading. Okay, so it may not slow down my 16-hour days but at least it won’t slow down my connection! AND if I ever suffer from the “blue screen of death” again, I’ll be covered!—Emily

*** Giveaway In connection with this review, TodaysMama is giving away five (5) one-year unlimited accounts from Mozy! Click here to enter. (Seriously, enter the giveaway. This is well worth a minute or two of your non-backed-up time!) Good luck!

What do you get when you cross creativity with three amazing gals – Jennifer Paganelli, Carla Crim and Megan Pyrah? Well you get GORGEOUS must-have tunics of course, modeled by our dear friend, and gorgeous blogger Brassy Meg!

The Adult sized SisBoom Patricia Tunic ePattern can be found here and here.

Congrats ladies on a gorgeous collaboration from fabrics, to pattern, to pictures! I think we all need at least one of of these!

Many of you readers may have heard of Modbe. They are known mostly for modest swimwear, but, you have got to check out their everyday apparel! With t-shirts, dresses and sweaters their collection is stylish, yet simple enough to have in the closet for keeps.

I was sent the printed teal tee. I was pretty excited about the package because I believe a good t-shirt is always in style. Although t-shirts typically come in an array of solid colors, this one had a beautiful brocade design pattern. Not only was it more interesting than a solid hue, but, the design allowed it to look a bit more dressed up than a simple tee. I was shocked at how much went with this shirt as well.

Another thing you usually see with t-shirts is the basic cotton ribbing neckline. But not here. Modbe stitches a small piping neckline on this cotton tee to dress it up a bit. This small feature up top makes a big difference, creating a more tailored t-shirt.

One of my favorite things about the t-shirt is the light and stretchy material. It is a featherweight cotton that is also long in its cut. It is a functional t-shirt that will take you from sun-up to sun-down. With a classy patterned design, infused with rich colors and a light airy fabric, this t-shirt is the ‘must have’ for the season. -Amber

Available online at modbeclothing.com.

Or better yet Photofiddle the kids, you, the family pet or his game-winning touchdown. No matter what you Photofiddle, Dad’s going to love it! How do I know? Because my hsuband and I were Photofiddled and thoroughly enjoyed it; we’ll definitely be back for more!

Before your imagination runs wild let me clarify: Photofiddle is not some new-age massage therapy or an update on the bronzed baby shoe. It is a super cool, totally unique way to turn photos into works of art. And did I mention it’s quick and easy? Photofiddle allows users to create their own artistic creations using free online photo effects software. The software takes a picture and transforms it using over 50 photo art styles. You’ll find everything from oil painting (my favorite) and Warhol pop art to watercolor to abstract art and film-strip photo collages. You can also add a photographic tint like sepia, blue, red or green. Once you’ve turned your photo into the perfect painting or chalk art drawing or abstract work, you can take your design and have Photofiddle put it on stretched or rolled canvas or turn it into a framed art print or even art poster.

Photofiddle gave me the opportunity to try out their site. It took me a while to decide on a test photo but when I saw this one (my favorite one from our trip to Kauai last year) I knew I had a winner:

It took no time for Photofiddle to apply a gallery of effects (remember, there are over 50!) to the photo. What took a lot of time was deciding which effect we liked best! Though my husband had a favorite or two of his own (I forget which ones…we obviously chose my favorite) I loved the oil painting effect the most. We selected that effect and our canvas was shipped just a couple days later. It arrived in very little time and I tore carefully opened the box, anxious to see our newest work of art. I was impressed to see how well the canvas was packaged, always a good sign:

When I flipped it over I immediately fell in love. Photofiddle officially took its place in my top 10 list of favorite reviews. I really wanted to show you all the canvas hanging on one of my walls but we have yet to decide the best place for it. It’s so awesome it makes all my other wall hangings look inartistic and uncool. But I do have the image Photofiddle created taking our original photo and applying the oil painting effect. It’s not as nifty as the real thing but it still makes me smile:

You totally need to Photofiddle the whole family! Just think what a wonderful Father’s Day gift a Photofiddled photo would be—he might even thinks its cooler than the Old Spice soap-on-a-rope and matching cologne gift set you originally planned to give him!—Emily

*** Giveaway Photofiddle is giving away a $50 gift certificate to one lucky Daily Dish reader! Please visit Photofiddle.com and leave a comment telling us your favorite Photofiddle effect. Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: June 23, 2009 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

For an extra entry, tweet about this giveaway and leave a separate comment with the URL to your tweet!

* Promotion! Photofiddle is offering Daily Dish readers 15% off their purchase! Simply enter code “cafe15” (without the quotes) in the Promotion Code box when checking out.

Have a three-year-old and a one-year-old makes it feel like we’ve had a baby gate at the top of our stairs (and in front of the fireplace and down the hall) for at least two years straight. The one at the top of the stairs was always a party to try and step over and I had a major awesome fall once trying to step over the one in the hallway. (My foot caught the top and I went flying, gate and all. It was NOT pretty.) That’s why when I saw Lascal’s KiddyGuard I simply had to check it out and share it with our readers, especially any of you who’ve hopped, skipped and jumped a few gates in your day!

Here’s the disclaimer: the company quickly sent one for review but just after it arrived we took down the gate at the top of the stairs to see what our almost-two-year-old daughter would do. She went down and up with ease and only ventures down when someone else goes with her, so the gate’s never gone back up…and the KiddyGuard has yet to be installed. But just the same I am thrilled about this new take on an “old” product.

What I love best about this product is it’s easy to install even at the bottom or top of stairs with railings. You can mount it inside door and stairway openings or on the wall front of door or stairway openings as long as they’re no wider than 51 inches. Another fab feature is how the gate disappears when not in use. Can you say that about your wood-with-rubber-lattice baby gate? This one just kind of tucks itself in (wish my kids would do the same) so you can walk down the hall without worrying about a face-plant mid stride.

And get this—the KiddyGuard actually emits a warning signal (a clicking sound) when the gate is opened so you’re alerted when your escape artist attempts to flee the premises. It also locks open and closed so it can’t become the newest not-a-toy toy in the house! Also, you can rest easy your little one is safe since Lascal’s KiddyGuard meets or exceeds U.S. and European safety standards and is certified by the JPMA. With all those awesome features I have a feeling this is one time you’ll forgive me for not actually testing the product—the dang thing sells itself!—Emily

This Minnie blouse is a MUST-Share from trusted and beloved designer MamaPatrice on Etsy. Custom Size 1 yr to 8 years “Minnie Dot” is a combined effort of mydeepbluec and Mamapatrice.

This listing is ONLY for the NWT apron blouse from Mamapatrice. Fun retro, eclectic and mouse inspired. Classic red with large white dot fabric was the inspiration for this apron blouse, coordinated with polka dots and florals. The apron features a hand stitched flower and the name Minnie.

Amazing hand stitched jeans featured with apron are listed by mydeepbluec separately, inquire within her Etsy store here

Snag this sweet blouse for your little mouse lover here >>

Heaven knows as a mother of four, business owner and blogger I have many an afternoon that requires a pick-me-up. My drug of choice is Diet Coke—not the healthiest option and not always the most effective. I can’t stand the taste of energy drinks like Rockstar or Red Bull (I haven’t had one in ages) and they often leave me more tired than I was before I gagged them down.

When PepPod approached me for a review with the “great mind and body boost that keeps users physically energized and mentally focused without the typical energy drink crash” angle, I couldn’t wait to try it. So what is PepPod? I’d like to call it “pep in a packet” since it’s an effervescent tablet that comes individually wrapped in a foil packet. This little tablet has only one calorie, one carb and no sugar—which means no sugar crash. PepPod is made with a blend of B vitamins, herbs, extracts and just enough caffeine for a gentle kick. And the kick is gentle though very effective!

The first time I tried PepPod it was late afternoon and I was exhausted after working out, cleaning house and working with a typical five or six hours of sleep. I was on the phone with my dad as I sipped my slightly citrus fizzy drink and by the end of the conversation my dad said something to the effect of “Boy, that energy drink has really kicked in!” And it totally had but without some of the side effects of a metabolism booster like increased heart rate or become slightly lightheaded. (Yes, I’ve experiences those in the past too.) And the energy boost lasted well into the evening without a resulting crash. In fact, it was a rather unremarkable change…I didn’t notice until later that night that it had worn off, the change was that slight!

I try not to rely on an energy booster of any sort on a daily basis but I have used PepPod a couple times since then and always love how it boosts my energy enough to get through the day (without tying up my children so I can take a nap), focus on the task at hand and cross off a couple more things on my to-do list and yet gently bringing back to my normal, tired self.

The other thing I like about PepPod? It’s much easier to tote than a Diet Coke or can of carbonated sugar (think long hikes, long days and short nights at blogging conferences and family trips to Disneyland). Plus the foil-wrapped tablet is designed to fit in pretty much any and all water bottles, and at just over $1 per tablet it’s about the same price as a Diet Coke but without the crash, aspartame and stained teeth. (What can I say? I’m vain when it comes to my teeth.) So grab a few packets of PepPod and add a little one-calorie pep to your step!—Emily

Everybody loves a good sale, and I’m no exception! That’s why I am excited to share the news that Sweet Funky Vintage is having an awesome Sample Sale right now! Join in the savings and enjoy shopping with Sweet Funky Vintage.
Take me to the Savings >>

Russian Doll 2pc Skirt & Top Custom size 2t-6 from Ella*Monde! This fun and funky halter has euro ruffle and lace detail with ties at the shoulders. The skirt has more euro ruffles and lace. This auction is for the skirt and halter only.

Snag it on Ebay right here >>

What a perfect time for the perfect hair accessory!

I don’t do my hair very often but in the summer that doing drastically decreases. 99% of the time my hair is in a ponytail and the other 1% it is pulled back falling out of the ponytail during summer months.
I received 2 bondiband’s one patterned headband and the other a solid color. I was eager to accessorize my ponytail look and add some style! I have a very small head I’ve come to figure out. While the headband stayed in my head for an hour within two hours it was falling out. These headbands are better than most in that I get a good hour before it falls out. But, I do believe its my small head not the headband at fault here. I really do have quite the time finding fitted hats and headbands! So, I had friends try it out and they lasted all day with the headband not sliding off and not giving them a headache.
Because my ponytail style could use some style I was eager to accessorize with the headbands, but, because of my small head it won’t stay on my head all day. So, the way I use the bondiband is when I exercise. It is the ideal headband to keep my hair out of my face because it is so light and made of breathable material.
On the go gals this accessory is for you. Bondiband offers an array of colors and styles and it can complete any look.-Amber

Yes, it’s true. Nathan and I are expecting baby #5 at the end of December (and yes it was a BIG surprise to us). I’m still trying to wrap my head around the impending big belly, sleepless nights and all of that. After our miscarriage last fall I really thought that I was done, Really I just felt that was it, but this little person has other plans so I’m excited to meet him (or her).

Sadly I’ve been bedridden, hospital prone and severely dehydrated from a pregnancy condition called HyperEmesis Gravidarum. It’s actually quite a series condition, there’s even a website you can check out at http://www.helpher.org which says:

“HG is a debilitating and potentially life-threatening pregnancy disease marked by rapid weight loss, malnutrition, and dehydration due to unrelenting nausea and/or vomiting with potential adverse consequences for the newborn(s).”

And it’s all true! I’ve been so sick, weak, tired, and losing weight rapidly. 12 pounds so far! This has caused me to need to pull back on alot of obligations over the past month or so, I’ve just had no choice. Thankfully I have an amazing family who have dropped their lives to rush to my aid and take care of me and my kiddos. I also have my Nathan who has been like a dream hubby, jumping in with both feet and taking care of all things children and housekeeping. I’m lucky to have such a great man, his Mom taught him well. Needless to say that the past 6-8 weeks or so have been trying and really tough to get through…sniff sniff. I’m hoping as I enter my 2nd trimester that my HyperEmesis will let up a bit and allow me to live a more normal existence but HyperEmesis tends to last the entire 9 months for me. In the meantime I spend most of my time in bed, in pjs, and catching up on every show on tv. ugggh! I miss feeling like me.

So that’s my big news, there’s a little baby on the way but I’m not quite in the excited phase right now. I’m more in the bitter, resentful because I’m so ill phase. Maybe some bloggy friends encouragement will give me the boost I need! XOXO - Daria

Charlene May, the vivacious and dynamic founder of Greggy Girl has a brand new blog! In celebration of their first 10 years bringing gorgeous girls fashion to the world, Greggy Girl is now blogging to share their story with you (http://greggygirltalk.blogspot.com).

In her recent article, Charlene shares her personal experience of being our Keynote Speaker at the first Boutique Cafe Girls Getaway Conference we held in 2007 at Salt Lake City. The conference was attended by a wide range of incredibly talented women, and since the event we have seen so many of their businesses and passions take off in a huge way. From clothing designers, to fabric designers, to graphic artists, and so on – many of these ladies are making great strides in their industries. In the article for Greggy Girl Talk, Charlene raves about Boutique Cafe’s ability to bring these ladies together and talks about our Producer and Podcast Guru Daria as well!

Thank you so much Charlene for sharing your experience at our conference with the Greggy Girl family and fans. Having you as our Keynote Speaker was a dream come true! Read the Full Article Here >>

When I think of Hapari I think “happy” and not just because the two words sound so much alike. Swimsuit season always brings with it a few nasty side effects: the dreaded glare of the fluorescent lights in the dress room; the shock of pale white skin; the sheer exhaustion of trying on numerous suits to finally find one you like well enough to wear in public. Okay, I’ll stop there before I break out in hives!

Fortunately I’ve discovered a line of swimsuits sure to turn this year’s swimsuit shopping into a much more pleasant experience. Hapari Swimwear offers a fabulously stylish, flattering-yet-modest line of tankinis and bikinis sure to keep those nasty side effects at bay. You can mix and match any bottom with any top and every tankini top can be worn three different ways: halter, tank, and criss cross!

Though their two most popular tankinis are the GNO V-neck tankini (pictured above, left) and the Mango Mudd Sport tankini (pictured at right), I chose the Blue Luau V-neck tankini (v-neck styles look better on me since I have broad shoulders) with the coordinating bottom to test for this review—I just couldn’t resist the red with white polka dots! I had totally planned to wear this while visiting my girlfriend in Florida but it rained all but one day I was there, and the one day we went to the beach I was going for all the sun I could get (i.e. I wore my tiniest bikini—and fried my stomach in the process, but that’s another story!).

I did try on the suit and found myself actually enjoying what I saw in the mirror rather than cringing from it. The suit fit really well and was truly flattering. I could tell it was made from high-quality fabric and with high-quality construction. I also checked out one of Hapari’s unique features: pockets for silicone breast inserts or “Illusions.” If I want to look anything like the model in the picture I better pick up a pair!

Hapari also has swimsuits for men and junior girls and boys. One other fun fashion find from Hapari is their Shores line. Shores is a collection of half tees that “provide a comfortable layered look without the extra bunching and bulk of a full-length layered tee.” I am really excited about this tee and here’s why. I have a couple dress under which I have to wear a cami or layering tee and every time that tank or tee starts riding up under my dress. By the time a couple hours have passed my waist looks twice as thick as it did when I first got dressed! I’m constantly going into the bathroom to pull it back down. So if your first thought of Shores was mine (“a half shirt? didn’t those go out of style a long time ago?”) I beg you to think twice. With summer’s full-on heat almost here do you really want multiple layers over your entire torso?

I believe a good swimsuit is worth the investment and Hapari Swimwear makes more than a few good suits. If you are looking for stylish tankini swimwear visit Hapari.com. Money may not buy happiness but a good swimsuit sure will!—Emily

*** Giveaway Hapari Swimwear is giving away one tankini and one Shore tee, winner’s choice! Please visit Hapari.com and leave a comment telling us your favorite swimsuit style. Please include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: June 12, 2009 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

• Congratulations to Lisa S., the winner of the Hapari giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

I stopped burning candles regularly after living in an apartment when I found soot collecting on my walls and ceiling—and I didn’t even burn candles that often or for that long! Though I still light them now and then on special occasions (when the kids aren’t around to blow them out), I prefer a candle warmer to a lighted wick when it comes to daily candle use.

Some of you may grimace at the idea of a candle warmer; you’re picturing the sterile white, totally un-chic candle warmers of the past. I admit that’s the kind I used to have until Candle Warmers, Etc. sent me the newest addition to their candle warmer line, the Contempo Candle Warmer Lamp. At first glance you’d think this was a stylish-yet-functional reading lamp of sorts, but it is really the most awesome of candle warmers. I’ve had this baby plugged into the wall socket in my kitchen since it arrived and it hasn’t moved since! The Contempo Candle Warmer Lamp comes in four finishes: black, brushed nickel (my choice), oil rubbed bronze and vintage brass. The brushed nickel matches my kitchen faucet and the hardware on my cupboards perfect, and I love that the base doesn’t get hot like my previous warmer.

My favorite part about the Contempo Candle Warmer Lamp isn’t that it has successfully warmed every size candle I own but that it adds beautiful mood lighting to my kitchen in the evenings. It gives off this super cozy feeling when I’m sitting at my computer late at night and pop into the kitchen for a late-night snack. It’s so homey without being homely (sorry, sterile, white, so-not-chic candle warmer!) and is the perfect way to keep soot build-up off your walls.

I also love the Illumination Fragrance Warmers and the Ceramic Candle Warmer & Dish combo. Candle Warmers, Etc. has one of the most stylish selection of candle warmers and accessories I’ve seen. I’m one that’s usually all about the burn, but that’s when it comes to working out. When it comes to candles I’m all about the warm!—Emily

* Promotion! Candle Warmers, Etc. is offering Daily Dish readers 10% off their purchase! Simply enter code BP10 when checking out; offer expires June 30, 2009.

Just in time for those hot summer days, this precious personalized Summer tee is available from paintedbutterflystudio on eBay. Appliqued tee available in size newborn to 12. Enjoy your summer!

Bid here >>

...But FINISH Quantum will—and will do it without complicated scientific formulas! I heard about FINISH Quantum on another review blog and was anxious to try it since the reviewer said it was the only dishwashing detergent that got her glass dishes sparkling clean without that faint filmy residue. Ever since I bought Nathan a whole set of glass dishes from Crate & Barrel I’ve cursed the things under my breath every time I unload our dishwasher. Though they’re definitely clean, the definitely don’t look clean. Would FINISH Quantum save the day?

FINISH Quantum boasts it is the “#1 recommended brand by more dishwasher brands” and claims it will give you “amazing shine, clarity and brilliance” with its multi-chamber technology. The dark blue section, or POWERMAX, uses bleach to attack tough stains; the center red section is the JET-DRY gel for shine; the light blue section contains powerful enzymes to remove stuck-on food. I of course like that there’s no unwrapping required for these capsules like there is with my Cascade brand, and they won’t dry out as quickly as my other brand (can’t even recall that one as I chucked it a long time ago).

So how did FINISH Quantum do? Well, the jury’s still out on this one. While it did do a great job removing food, even from our often over-cluttered silverware basket, my glass dishes weren’t as sparkling clear as I thought they’d be. Perhaps I had set my expectations too high to begin with, kind of like when a friend talks up a movie and then you’re disappointed it wasn’t as nifty as you thought. FINISH Quantum was definitely an improvement on all the other brands I’ve used—and I’ve tried a lot of other brands. My glass dishes and my plastic spatulas were the cleanest they’d been in a long time, but I could still see some spots here and there (see picture below).

BUT here are a few important disclaimers. One, I didn’t use the accompanying JET-DRY Turbo Dry gel at the same time, and that’s supposed to also help with those pesky water spots. My rinse-aid dispenser was still full from the last time I filled it and I wasn’t about to suck it out just to put the new stuff in. So in all honesty I didn’t give the pair the full test drive, but trust me, with six people in our family (and company in town), we’ll be doing a few hundred laps with our FINISH Quantum! And two, my dishwasher is very, very, very old; by the way it sounds it’ll keep over any day!

Though not 100% sparkling and free of spots, I did see a substantial enough improvement to continue using FINISH Quantum..and I didn’t have to quietly curse the day I bought those dishes as I unloaded them from the dishwasher. One other benefit? I don’t have to go back and re-rinse the dishes on the nights my daughters are in charge of dinnertime cleanup—always a bonus!—Emily

*** Giveaway FINISH is giving away a sets of a FINISH Quantum/JET-DRY combo to three lucky Daily Dish winners! Please leave a comment with a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winners from the comments and contact them via email. Deadline: June 9, 2009 (midnight). The winners will have 24 hours to claim their prize or a new winner will be chosen.

• Congratulations to Gina S., Bing Y., and Ashley T., the winners of the Quantum giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

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