Thank You for Making a Difference

Self esteem has been a big topic around here lately. I have dealt with low self esteem since childhood. I was too short, too fat, not pretty enough, didn't have the right clothes, I could go on and on. It is not as bad now that I'm an adult, but I still have to work on it.

Now, Ashley is at the age that self esteem is becoming a big thing for her. I think it is harder for her, because of her hemifacial microsomia, her face doesn't look like everyone else. We don't notice it so much, but other people sure do. When you look at her in a mirror, that is when you see it the most. About two weeks ago is when Ashley realized how pronounced it looks in her reflection. That, combined with a little boy who will not sit near her in reading class who calls her a monster, have really shock her self esteem. Between cruel kids, peer pressure, and the media, our girls get attacked from all sides with what being beautiful means.




So, as Mom, I need to help build her up and help her to be strong, teach her about real beauty, and empower her to love herself. But, how do I do that?

Thanks goodness for Dove and their awesome Campaign for Real Beauty. The Dove Self-Esteem Fund was established to inspire and educate girls about a wider definition of beauty and is committed to reaching 5 million girls globally by 2010 with self-esteem programming. Thanks to the support of influential women globally, Dove has already reached 2 million girls and conducted nearly 2,700 educational self-esteem workshops since 2006. This fall Dove launched the "Thank you for Making a Difference" program to thank supporters for building girl's self esteem and to invite everyone to share their stories about making a difference in self esteem. Check out this video for more information on Dove's fantastic self esteem workshops.



Their website is chock full of information to help you talk to and empower the girls in your life. I was very impressed with the amount of resources they offer. I am also very impressed with Dove's commitment to this issue, how many beauty companies tell us we are already beautiful? You can help support the Dove Self-Esteem Fund by simply purchasing Dove products, then entering the UPC here, and select a charity. You can choose from Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Girls Inc.

Thank you, Dove. Thank you for helping us empower our girls and thank you for trying to broaden everyone's definition of beauty.

The thoughts and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I will be receiving Dove product and True You! Workbooks from Dove. These items have in no way influenced this post.

Holiday Gift Guide: Piggy Paint Review & Giveaway

If you read many blogs then you are sure to have come across something about Piggy Paint. Piggy Paint is all natural, toxin free nail polish for little girls and adults alike. You will find none of the gross odors and harmful chemicals in this stuff. I am so glad to have found this product, as traditional nail polish really bothers me. Leave it to a mom to come up with a hypoallergenic, water based product to help gussy up our little ones!


Ashley absolutely adores Piggy Paint! She is very sensitive to harsh odors, so regular nail polishes were not her thing. Piggy Paint allows her to paint those piggies and finger nails without having to inhale that "nastiness".


I was very impressed with the nail polish. It's all natural, odorless, and looks great. They also sent us their nail polish remover to review and I couldn't be happier with it. Piggy Paint offers a great product at a great price!

Piggy Paint was kind enough to offer my readers a coupon code for 15% off any item, including sale items. Just enter the code TEXAS15L. This code is good until December 15, 2009. Plus, if you spend over $25 domestic shipping is free!

I am excited to tell you that Piggy Paint is offering a $15 gift code to one of my lucky readers. To enter, simply check out their website, then leave me a comment telling me what your favorite color is. This is mandatory for entry.

For Bonus Entries:

* Follow Piggy Paint on Twitter.

* Subscribe to my blog.

* Follow my blog on Google Friend Connect.

* Follow me on Twitter & tweet this giveaway.

* Blog about this giveaway. It doesn't have to be a whole post, you can just mention it when you are posting about other giveaways if you wish. Just be sure to include a link back to here.

* Add my holiday gift guide button to your blog. This is worth three bonus entries, so leave 3 comments.

* Stumble this post. Please leave your username.

Deadline to enter is 11:59pm CST Wednesday 11/18/09. Be sure you leave me a way to contact you if you win. Good luck!

Ramblings of a Texas Housewife Product Review and/or Giveaway Disclosure- I have received no compensation other than the offer of free product to review and/or giveaway. Any opinions expressed on Ramblings of a Texas Housewife are my own. My reviews are never reviewed or edited in any way by sponsors.

Beauty Tip of The Day & A Giveaway

Image by melodramababs via Flickr

I am sure many of you have noticed the Beauty Tip of the Day widget here on Ramblings. I've really enjoyed having the widget on the site, as I feel it has a lot of good tips to offer. My favorite so far has been No Excuses:

Getting home late from the party and too tired for your normal makeup removal routine? Stash Pond’s Wet Cleansing Towelette in your bedside table for fast and easy makeup removal…you don’t even need water. They have an exclusive cleansing system, with oil- and dirt-trapping fibers, that works like a magnet to remove up to 40 percent more make-up than other leading towelettes to keep you looking your best. One less regret in the morning.

I am very bad about going to bed with my make up on. Now my Pond's Wet Cleansing Towelettes are on my night stand, so I always have a way to scrub my face. I also keep a package in my person for cleaning my face after I finish working out a Curves. My face is looking great!

So, check out this cool widget for great tips on skin, nail, hair care and more. I am always learning something. I know lots of moms who don't spend much time taking care of themselves, but these easy tips make fussing over yourself a bit easy as can be. I am all about fast and easy when it comes to beauty, I just don't have time to fuss. Thanks to these tips, I can look good in a flash!

What are some of your favorite beauty tips? I have a beauty product assortment from Unilever to give to one lucky winner. All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me your favorite beauty tip. That's all there is to it! Deadline to enter is Friday 11/13/09 at 11:59pm CST. Be sure you leave a way for me to contact you if you win.

Good luck!