Frosty Vox Box made for a fun Holiday!

Influenster made my Christmas when I received the #FrostyVoxBox! It came chock full of goodies perfect for the cold weather and the Holiday Season.

Inside I found:
Rimmel- Just Let it Go Gently Eye-makeup Remover and Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 001 Black
NYC- Expert Last Lip Color in Sugar Plum
Celestial Seasonings- Candy Cane Lane Decaffeinated Green Holiday Tea
McCormick Gourmet- All natural Thyme Seasoning
Boots No7- Protect 7 Perfect Intense Advanced Serum
Ecotools- Styler +Smoother Brush
Red Vines- Fruit Vine Bites in Cherry Flavor

All these items were complimentary from Influenster in exchange for my testing and review purposes and test and review I did!

Starting with the Rimmel products I will say they are both really nice. The price on Rimmel is always fair so getting to test them doesn't leave you feeling sticker shock if you try to purchase them once your freebie runs out.  I have rather sensitive skin and often times makeup removers will give me an issue with irritation, this did not. Had it not been for its ability to remove even the darkest liner and mascara in a few swipes I'd have guessed it was water! LOL

The eyeliner is also pretty great. I honestly don't use pencil very often anymore because I prefer the look of liquid but I did try the Kohl Kajal and I liked the smoothness and the color payoff. I can't say that it was waterproof on my eyes though which was slightly disappointing but that could be because I do have rather oily eyelids.  It wouldn't budge off the back of my hand though.

The NYC Sugar Plum lip color is next and it was lovely! Very smooth not dragging on the lips or sticky. It also has a very sweet scent which is nice as some lipsticks have a waxy smell that makes wearing not worth having under your nose all day. The color can be described as a slightly shimmery brown-pink.  I guess a dusty mauve?  Seems like it would be flattering on any skin-tone.

Onto one of my favorites...TEA! WOOHOO! Celestial Seasonings has a lot of nifty flavors and the holiday themed ones are always tasty. The Candy Cane Lane decaffeinated Green Tea was lovely.  It was perfect for the night before New Years Eve when it started snowing here in usually Sunny Southern California. My daughters enjoyed some hot cocoa and I had my tea, whose lack of caffeine didn't keep me awake into the wee hours. The flavor is cooling and sweet on the tongue.




Probably my deepest sadness of the whole box is the Boots No7 Serum. The sample sized sachet was simply to small to test the claims of the product. Yes, it made my skin feel soft and smooth when applied after washing but seeing as the sample lasted four days at best I couldn't say that I felt less lines or wrinkles were visible on my face. Now don't get me wrong, I don't have a whole heck of a lot of them but the few I do have did not look any different. I'd love to be able to #GetAdvanced with The Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Serum but not for $30-$40, not a terrible price when comparing to other brands but not in my budget at this time.

MY MOST FAVORITE! The Ecotools hair brush.  I have very long hair and there is a LOT of it.  It takes forever to dry by air or with a blow dryer. The brush I received was the Styler +Smoother brush and it truly did help it dry faster.  My hair was detangled easily and made the drying process very pleasant.  I'd definitely purchase another of these brushes.

Lastly, the Red Vines Fruit Vine Bites.  Here at home we are all licorice/red vine, gummy and fruit bite fans. Before I could even film my unboxing video these babies were already broken into and half gone! LOL Between my boyfriend and my girls I barely got a handful to try. They want to try the Strawberry flavor next so I will have to seek them out.

All in all a pretty successful box to have received and excited to have gotten to try each item. Can't wait to see what I'll get next. Love my Influnester membership and all the awesome perks!

The magic of INFLUENSTER

Relax! I know it's been a while but it's about 9pm and I can't sleep even though I desperately want to! Well, even though my eyes are heavy and I can't stop yawning, sleep just won't come so here I am.

I've decided to take a second to remind you all about the magic of #Influenster! I'm sure you've seen my posts here or on my Twitter or facebook regarding the crazy cool free stuff I've gotten from them. You want the cold, hard truth? I'll give it to you!

They send me 100% FREE, FULL SIZED GOODIES in the form of what they affectionately call a VoxBox.  The only "catch" is they ask me to test these items and review them critically and honestly. I don't have to lie or pretend I like something in order to receive anything and no one has ever criticized my reviews. The funny part is, that I've never really had any bad experiences with the products they have sent me!


I've gotten everything from Palmolive dish soap, delicious Lifeway Kefir, Cube Lip Balm by Softlips, Impress Nails to Playtex Tampons! I've also won awesome prizes like giftcards to WalMart and more or different versions of the Products that I've tested!




Most recently I received a Mary Kay cosmetics Clear Proof Acne Kit VoxBox. These were FULL SIZED PRODCUTS PEOPLE! This time though, I gave the products to my sister to try.  Even though I have breakouts occasionally, my face just doesn't need the strength they offered. After using it for about a month now and her skin looks great. It hasn't "cured" anything but her skin looks cleaner, clearer and less red than before. This is always a plus, especially as a teenager. She did admit using it as directed left her skin a little dry so she started using it once a day instead of two but still say fantastic results!

Another exciting development has been the new #InfluensterApp! I downloaded it to my iphone because if a VoxBox requires me to visit a store and take a picture or tag a location I can do it easily and submit immediately! There is also a SCAN function that allows us to scan a barcode on a product and get (and give) instant feedback on said item, such as reviews from other Influensters. Here is a sneak peek at what the app looks like from my profile.

So, if you think you wouldn't mind getting new, free and exciting products to try and you don't mind blabbing about them (just as you probably would about items you purchased on your own) then I strongly encourage you to check them out! Follow the link and start influencing people! Be an INFLUENSTER

You can Find it at Target!

So after quite some time, I finally received another great opportunity from Influenster.  When I heard it was a Target Spring Preview VoxBox I was more than thrilled! I love Target and was looking forward to seeing what new products were in store (and in the store) lol

However, I can't lie...when I opened my package and  sawCarol's Daughter Hair Milk Nourishing and Conditioning Refresher Spray , I was a bit confused.  A simple glance at the product introduction had me searching the brand because I was sure it wasn't meant for me and I was bummed.

The spray claims to be for "Curls, Coils, Kinks and Waves"  and as I have nothing but stick straight hair I was feeling like I wouldn't have an opportunity to use this product for testing and reviewing purposes. My search confirmed my suspicions but it seems that though the Carol's Daughter line is made for Ethnic Hair needs it isn't restrictive.

I shrugged so I slid the spray lock over and gave it a shot into the air.  First impression, smells fantastic, I had to try it in my hair! I sprayed a few times onto my hair and shook it out. My hair felt nice, fresh and not at all heavy. I was more than willing to try this out more than just once!

So here is the deal, I really don't like to wash my hair daily but for the last year I've been working on creating a healthier version of me by working out 6 out of 7 days. I sweat profusely so not showering isn't an option! I wash my hair every 3 days but I have to at least rinse it everyday. On the days I don't wash my hair I know I can rinse it, towel dry and give it a good spritzing of Hair Milk Refresher Spray and it's just fine.

After I spray it, give it a quick comb through and let it air dry.  This has made morning routine so mic easier!  I can leave my hair down and it isn't rough, dry or frizzy even without curling or straightening. I've even allowed my daughters to try it and they love it too. Second day curling iron styles get a quick boost on busy mornings when my 12 year old doesn't want to get up earlier than she has to just to make sure her hair is middle school ready.

Natural ingredients like:

• Agave
• Lemongrass
• Calendula
• Sunflower
• Pro-vitamin B5
• Meadowfoam Oil
• Apricot Oil
• Sweet Almond Oil

Are without a doubt the reason this product works well and does what it says it does! Also, seeing a product "born" in a Brooklyn kitchen, gave me more than a little bit of hometown pride as Brooklyn is where I was born and despite where my body may be my heart always beats for Brooklyn!
Long story even longer despite this being a product made for Ethnic hair it works just perfectly in mine and my daughter's not Ethnic hair. It leaves our hair soft, smooth and refreshed whether wet, dry, straight, curled or whatever we've planned! All in all a great product. I would really like to try more of their products!

I checked my local Target and a good part of the Carol's Daughter line was available however, the whole line is purchasable on Target.com

Keeping it clean and healthy!

 



So, thanks to another awesome Consumer Product testing program called BzzAgent, I was able to experience Lysol Power & Free cleaning products!

I received A FREE 22 oz. bottle of Lysol^® Power & Free^™ Multi-Purpose Cleanerand Lysol^®  and a FREE 35 Count Power & Free^™ Multi-Purpose Cleaning Wipes, which are pictured in my Bzzkit to the left.

<------- br="" is="" it="" right="" that="" there="" yup="">The Cleanser spray is scented with a Citrus Sparkle Zest and the wipes are Oxygen Splash. Both are not heavily perfumed but leave a clean, fresh scent behind. The cleaning power is amazing for something that doesn't contain bleach or any other harsh chemicals in order to deliver a sparkling result.

        So here is the deal with how it works!

• Uses hydrogen peroxide to release thousands of micro-bubbles that penetrate and dissolve tough stains, grease and soap scum!
• Requires no gloves, masks or protective eye-wear (you don’t even have to open the windows to clean!)

• Kills 99.9% of viruses and bacteria when used as directed!

Below I have included my kitchen photo. I have a two sided sink and one side of it was cleaned and the other has my dishes LOL Please note that the black marks are dings in the counter top and not icky dirt LOL  My sink was clean and sparkly when I was finished and I was pretty impressed with the ability to not have to use a harsh, bleach scrubbing product to get the same result! Plus, I don't have to worry about the kids or the pets being harmed by anything in the cleansers!

           Thank you once again BzzAgent for giving me a shot at using a great product in my home! 

Lifeway Kefir Product Testing

So once again the most amazing consumer program came through for me! I was able to receive one free coupon for any Lifeway Kefir product and one coupon for $3 off any two Kefir Products from Influenster.

It was super hard to find anything in my local stores so it did take me a while but eventually I was able to find the Strawberry Lowfat Kefir Cultured Milk Smoothie.

I made a few smoothies with the Lifeway Strawberry Kefir, some frozen fruits, a banana, and a couple spoons of Chia Seeds and ground Flax. I even added fresh spinach a couple times and it still tasted delicious! When I went to a grocery store outside of my city I was able to use my $3 off two products. It was then I was able to purchase Strawberry Banana Kefir and the Organic Lowfat Peach Kefir.  Since picking up all 3 of these flavors I have used them all and I LOVE them. Sincerely love them! They have a tart taste that makes everything not too sweet which is sheer perfection and a silky texture that lends perfectly to a smoothie. There are for sure many other Lifeway products I'd like to try (not to mention more flavors) but until I am able to find them at local stores in a wider selection the ones I can find will have to do. I will share some photos and a quick video I took here for you to see a couple options! 
It was delicious! Since I have already been changing my lifestyle with diet and exercise I typically make fresh smoothies for myself for breakfast. I was eager to introduce something different into my daily routine. 

The smoothie in this video is an Organic Lowfat Peach Kefir, with frozen blueberries, a banana a teaspoon full of Chia Seeds and teaspoon full of ground flax seeds and a small handful of ice cubes. It came out delicious and I just love the purple color! 

Thank you again Influenster for the opportunity to receive and test out awesome products!

Various Ramblings to get you up to date!

So I am a horrible, horrible blogger! I haven't been around lately but it isn't without good cause, I promise.  Lets get you all up to date on what has been going on in my life lately!

First and foremost, I have been looking for a job.  As my 2 years of Ultrasound schooling has turned to be for naught (thanks to my school being unaccredited. Well it isn't unaccredited...just not properly accredited.  Which isn't what they told us, of course.) I have had to seek employment ANYWHERE basically.  Most places look at my resume and applications and realize I am only looking for something to tide me over until a career comes about. This means they won't hire me and that is a real bummer.  Well, my search has finally turned something up.  It isn't what I was looking for by any means as I always stood by my convictions to NEVER work in food service again.  Well, I applied on a whim to be a hostess at a new restaurant opening up in my city!

A popular chain restaurant was supposed to open in the spot and due to several issues (which I don't even know the details of) it did not open.  With a city that has like NO options for eating other than random fast food, a trillion Mexican food places, and about 2 maybe 3 sit down options, we were in dire need of something new.  I applied and had 2 interviews.  I blew both out of the water and made the cut! Supposedly 650 people applied for the position and only around 20 of us actually were hired.  We have had an orientation day and 2 days of training so far.  My position will actually be in the Family Values/To Go section along with expediting meal orders. This means on the days when we have our Family Value meals (Mon.-Thurs.) busy mom's and dad's can call or come in and order: 


One family friendly entree
One side dish
One vegetable
Dinner rolls
Green Salad 

and I will be the kind voice over the phone to take your order and the smiling face who makes sure it gets to you correctly when you come to pick it up! That goes for regular To Go orders as well!  Along with those two busy ventures, I am also going to be prepping drinks (both Soda and Shakes/Malts etc.) Soups, salads and any desserts for the trays that runners and servers will be taking to their tables. Crazy busy job, again...not what I ever thought I'd be doing at this age, but a fun and new experience.

My manager is awesome, I have 3 other girls in my department that are sweet as pie and I am honestly looking forward to opening day, even though I am also scared crapless! LOL I will be working the hours from 11-4 by myself!! EEEPS! I guess saying that my manager trusts me is an understatement!!
              I apologize now for this becoming such a long post, but I have a lot to share!









I am still on my weight loss journey! It is tough and it never ends but... I love my results so I can't complain too much.  Plus, I feel better than I have in YEARS possibly in my entire life! I have been doing Turbo Fire since July 1st and it runs a total of 20 weeks. Monday will be week 4 and I am anxious to take my 30 day result photos! (They wanted us to take pics every 30 days for comparisons) If my results are as stellar as I think they will be, I am submitting them to the Beach Body Challenge to try to win some good money! WOOHOO!

I think this is the last bit for now, and then we are back on track!  This October is going to be a BUSY one for me.  Two of my very best friends are getting married!! One on the 12th and the other on the 26th.  Friend M. wanted to ask me to be a bride's maid but with already asking her two friends since high school and having her two sisters, she knew asking me would cause trouble within her family members who weren't chosen (cousins etc.) Plus, her hubby to be only had 4 fellas to stand up for him anyway.  I told her I totally understood, but what she asked next blew my mind and touched my heart. She expressed how deeply she wanted me to somehow be involved and brought up how she had been ordained as a minister for free.  She then asked if she was able to help me get ordained as a minister, would I officiate their marriage!

I WAS SHOCKED to say the least.  I was teary eyed and almost speechless.  I of course said yes, but I double and triple checked to be sure that is what SHE wanted of me.  She assured me then and now every time I check with her, that it is exactly what she wants! I am so excited to do this for them and can't wait for their sure to be gorgeous Vintage Country Autumn colored wedding!

Friend J is going to be too much  fun! Her and her hubby to be have chosen a Halloween/Horror themed wedding (hence the October date) She wanted it to be on Halloween but, with it being on a Thursday this year, that seemed a bit harder to accomplish with adults with jobs and children in school as attending guests. They chose the weekend before out of convenience. When discussing plans for their wedding I mentioned that by that time, I would already be ordained and having the experience of performing one marriage, I could in fact, save them a buck and marry them as well.  If of course that was what they wanted, and if it was okay with them. She "squealed" with delight (we were chatting on yahoo messenger, so I can only describe her typed reaction as a squeal lol) She said "Well, you are my Maid of Honor, so I can't imagine anyone better to officiate the wedding!" I was stoked! I get to marry another gorgeous, loving couple and I get to save them a chunk of change by not having to hire a stuffy minister! This weekend she is celebrating her birthday and we are going to do some planning while together and I can't wait for that as well!

Looking forward to the kids going back to school in under a month (and strangely enough, they can't wait to go back either...Summer is LONG when you miss your friends, even if you do things to keep you busy!!)
Life has just been pretty cool lately! I guess it goes to show you that the saying "You get out what you put in." is true! I've been putting everything I can into life and it has been paying off. For once...life is GREAT!

Grass Killer! (accidentally on purpose though, I promise!)

 
     You guys are probably so sick and tired of hearing about my free products, but I have something else to share with you guys anyway. Thanks to BzzAgent I was able to receive an  AMDRO^® PowerFlex^® Pest & Weed System   to test and review.  So far it has helped with our ant problem outside and has certainly kept them from attempting to venture inside as well, thankfully! I know it is only the very beginning of the warm weather to come and that the ants will turn up many times still but at least I know I have something that is going to make a barrier for a couple months minimum!



Here is the funny part of this story though! We have had a horrid weed problem since before we even moved into the house.  Once we did move in, we realized the sprinklers were broken.  Our landlord wasn't willing to pay to have them fixed and pretty much forced us to hand water the yards which led to pretty burnt grass and LOTS of weeds taking over with speckles of green here and there.  When I received the Amdro system it had not only pest control cartridges for indoors and outdoors but it also had a Weed killer as well as a Lawn & Weed killer.  Well, eager to test it my boyfriend asked me to load in one of the two weed killer cartridges while he filled the container with the required water.  Well....yeah, I loaded the Weed Killer alright.  So he sprayed away and the next day we gasped when we realized the lawn was even more brown than it already was, and that even the greenish spots were now a brown shade.

I checked the sprayer and realized I accidentally grabbed the Lawn & Weed killer instead of just the Weed killer! YIPES!!! Well, this is all good anyway because we are now going to till up the mess of dead grass make sure the ground is prepped to go and then spread some new resistant grass seed! Hopefully this works and our front yard won't be the eyesore of the community anymore!

I have pictures from before we sprayed and after and honestly can't wait to update with after, after photos when we have a nice lush lawn again! Can't wait to walk barefoot through it, I miss the feeling of cool, wet greenery under foot and between my toes! I will keep you all updated for SURE!