CLOSED Giveaway! Farmerkids Organics!

It's finally time!  The Cozy Life Cloth Re-Launch!  I'm excited to be re-energizing the blog with such a special giveaway - I have partnered with an eco-friendly clothing brand, Farmerkids Organics, to raise awareness to the benefits of organic clothing for our children... and to get you guys some free stuff!!

Before we get into the specifics of the giveaway, let's talk about Farmerkids for a second - This wonderful brand, created by the fabulous Gabrielle and based in NYC, is a brand of children's clothing and accessories that combines whimsy with ecofriendly - using embroidered designs on 100% organic cotton in a range of goodies for our little ones including t-shirts, bibs, onesies, and hats.

My personal favorites are the personalized products that you can customize specific to your child and family.  I thought the onesie my daughter received, with "C is for Cozy Life" embroidered on the front, was absolutely adorable.  In addition to being high quality and looking fantastic, the organic cotton is super comfy.  My daughter isn't a big fan of clothing in general, but this onesie was so soft that she barely raised a fuss at all when I put it on her.

More so than it's cuteness, this onesie is an automatic favorite of mine because I know that the fabric is organic.  Organic cotton fabric is created using organically grown cotton crops - this cotton isn't treated with chemical pesticides or herbicides and as a result, it uses much, much, MUCH less water during harvesting and processing.  This also means that it's less likely to irritate your child's skin.

Want to learn more about Farmerkids Organics?  Check out their website, and follow them on twitter, facebook, or pinterest! 

... now let's talk about the giveaway

You want one of these personalized onesies or t-shirts now too, don't you?? Okay, here's the scoop on the giveaway. In order to qualify for the giveaway, you'll need to do a few quick things: Below is the fancy entry form - you have FOUR ways to enter.  In order to qualify you must be 18 years or older and live in the United States.

The giveaway will end on August 31st and the winner will be announced on September 1st!  Good luck!

**Giveaway is now closed**

Congrats to Susan D. for winning!

The Truth About Mascara

I can't walk out of the house without mascara on - Period.  But given that I'm a safe cosmetic junky, can I really say that mascara is okay to use?  As with most cosmetics, it's a complicated answer.  Mascara can contain, as with any cosmetic, most pretty harsh chemicals.  Some brands carry nasty stuff like parabens and retinyl acetate.  These chemicals can cause developmental and reproductive toxicity, ecotoxicology, endocrine disruption, allergies, immunotoxicity, biochemical changes at the cellular level, AND cancer.  Not good.

If all of those chemicals and effects sound like a foreign language to you, check out my post on the "Dirty Dozen" chemicals found in cosmetics for more information and explanation by clicking here!

But even with all of that, it doesn't mean that ALL mascara's are bad - like I said, I wear the stuff everyday.  It's important to do you research before buying a makeup product to be sure that you're buying something that not only works, but also doesn't put harmful chemicals on your body.

So what should you buy?

There's a number of great options out there, and I've found several at a low price-point for us "bargain shoppers."

Almay One Coat Nourishing Mascara, Lengthening: This formula is designed to lengthen lashes without clumps - it's a good option for those of us who like a more natural look.  Almay has included aloe and Vitamin B5 as well to help keep your lashes healthy.  This brand is also super cost effective and you can find this one at Target and WalMart below for less than $7 - not bad!

Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Lash Boosting Mascara: "Organic" in the name of a product always makes me happy, and this one has great packaging... plus it actually works too!  This one is advertised to enhance both lash length and thickness - so it doesn't give you as much of a natural look as the other two options in this post, but it's even better for lashes with less artificial ingredients.  It's right in the middle on cost, around $10 at most retailers.

enhances the appearance of lash length, thickness and volume for dramatic lashes instantly and long-term - See more at: http://www.physiciansformula.com/en-us/productdetail/eyes/mascara/07561.html#sthash.ojB9aBWP.dpuf

enhances the appearance of lash length, thickness and volume for dramatic lashes instantly and long-term - See more at: http://www.physiciansformula.com/en-us/productdetail/eyes/mascara/07561.html#sthash.ojB9aBWP.dpu

bareMinerals Flawless Definition Waterproof Mascara:  If "natural" is what you want out of a mascara, this one will give it to you - no clumps, loads of length, no smudging, and a wand that is good for both upper and lower lashes.  I actually LOVE this one, though I don't use it often because of the price.  Like most bareMinerals products, it's expensive - this one checks in at $18.