Pimping My Blog or Mommyfesto’s Thoughts on Some EcoStore Products

In the unlikely event, that you actually only care about my thoughts on ecostore's baby shampoo, baby wash and laundry liquid, you can skip the following three paragraphs of this post.

Months ago, a certain blogger named Daddyfesto, posted his opinion on bloggers who use their site to review, link to or discuss certain products. His opinion of such bloggers was not at all kind. In fact, I think if he had to describe those bloggers as wearing any kind of an outfit it might be the very same one Dora will don in the fall. You know where I’m going with this… Anyway, its clear that Daddyfesto passionately believes that the connections made on blogs should be strictly non-commercial. Being true to his art, steering clear of anything remotely resembling product placement or personal promotion, probably works for Daddyfesto because he can afford to take this stance. I’m not talking finances here (well sort of I am, I do after all, have intimate knowledge of Daddyfesto’s finances) I’m simply referring to the fact, that Daddyfesto would never be attracted to the notion of using your blog to get free stuff, because he is not married to someone who is highly concerned with cutting household costs. I, on the other hand, am. So the moral dilemma of pimping my blog is irrelevant to me. What is relevant is the opportunity for free stuff.

Which is why, when I was recently offered the chance to try and review (at no cost to me) some fancy laundry detergent and baby shampoo, I easily shrugged off the inevitable chiding from Daddyfesto, and quickly signed-on to try and review the products. I did however, warn the publicist who contacted me, that while I would be happy to review the products, I couldn’t guarantee that I would say something nice about them. In the spirit of full-disclosure I should tell you that I was not selected to review these products for any particular reason, in fact I was hardly selected at all. I’m pretty sure, the publicist contacted everyone with a blog listed on the momblogs (I know he contacted Rachel at AReservationforSix), and I was just one of the mommy-bloggers running low on laundry detergent and baby soap.

I also did it for the mail, I mean, to get some mail that wasn’t a bill, or US Weekly or an invitation to a Silpada party.

So as promised, this is my review of the detergent and soap. First of all, the stuff is all natural (that’s good right?) and even better, its made in New Zealand. What Rand (the company publicist who sent me this stuff) didn’t know, is that I am a huge Anglophile - more like Anglowhore - and I dig anything that comes from any part of the original British Empire. So for me, that’s an irrational plus for any ecostore product. While the baby shampoo and baby body wash are labeled "aromatherapy" all three have a clean, albeit groovy kind of a scent. If you like something a little more fruity and a little less hempy, you might not like these. In fact, the scent of the laundry soap was for me its one defining factor. The clothes appeared to be as clean as they normally are, but who would really know, as clean clothes in my house are defined not by lack of dirt but by virtue of the fact that they are upstairs instead of lodged in the laundry chute. Anyway, my husband travels quite a bit and his long absences (mixed with red wine) have been known to inspire some paranoid thinking in me. This weekend when he came home, I noticed a decidedly different smell on his undershirts. I made a couple of silly remarks and we joked about it, but it wasn’t until I remembered that I had used the ecostore laundry liquid on his undershirts that I put the matter to rest. I know it has nothing to do with performance, but I did love the packaging on all of the bottles. The black and white, family snap shot look, just makes me feel like I’m a better mom (and a giant sucker). The only problem for me with the smell and packaging and exotic origins combo is that it gives me the feeling that these products are so precious they’re use should be carefully rationed. This makes perfect sense for a girl who only uses her $55 tub of Kerastase straightening conditioner for really special occasions (which by the way, works really well if anyone from Loreal is reading this and wants to throw a little my way). The bath stuff went unnoticed by my kids, which is better than the alternative of being flat-out rejected. In the end, what I liked most about all three products is all superficial - their look, their smell, their freeness. Obviously, I’d be willing to do further testing on these products to see if I could form some actual opinions, but that’s going to take a whole new shipment… So I’m not sure if that bodes well for my future in product review or freebie collection, but at least I’m honest right?

One more thing, I hesitated in writing this blog for a number of reasons, most of which were guilt-driven (obviously Daddyfesto rubs off on one after awhile). But then I watched this on the Today Show Tuesday morning. And I figured I’d go for it, because according to the two panelists (I would call them experts, but once you watch the clip you’ll see that’s a little too generous for these two), the advertising world may be watching my blog, just waiting to unload free stuff on me, for the chance to have me - very influential blogger with a single identified follower - weigh in on the newest products! Well, for me, a Today Show sanction is akin to a papal decree when it comes to absolving my guilt. So if you need my input, I’m here, ready and willing to pimp my blog. Mailing address is available upon request.