Growing up, my family constantly had more than our immediate five at our house or we were visiting others where there was at least ten more than us. My family is social, fun, entertaining and well big. I loved it. The adults were always laughing and having fun while us kids romped and played and exhausted ourselves having so much fun. It was a natural thing to see at least two thirds of my extended family (from either side) daily.
So just as naturally, now that I'm a mother, that's what I want for my family. There is one thing I like to do a little differently though. I like to throw small parties, house parties if you will.
Some are for the kids, some for both, and some just for the "grown-ups". Now don't go getting any wild ideas, they're all G-rated parties. Taste testing, product sampling, potluck those sort of deals. Back in September I came across an interesting site thanks to another great site-www.influenster.com.
Houseparty.com is a site that helps you entertain. I checked out the site, which is very easy to navigate, and decided to sign up to host. You start out with the typical information (user name, email address etc.) then you feel out a quick survey to let them know what type of things you are interested in. They have several categories to choose from and you are allowed to choose as many as you like. Then you are good to go. They have an open application page which shows you all the parties that are available to apply for. If you get picked as a host/hostess you will receive a party pack from houseparty.com. This pack will include things from the sponsors of the party as well as things they may send from houseparty.com headquarters.
Now to say this is a free site isn't precisely true. You have no fees or purchases necessary, but they do ask that you promote your party through various social media, photograph &/or video your party and post these things on their site as well as others. They do ask that you have the party on a specific date or range. There is also a post party survey to fill out.
They announce open applications well in advance so that you can review and decide. Each party has only a certain amount of host spots available. Some I have seen as low as 900 others as large as 5000. Once you apply, they have a certain date that they select applicants to host. On that day you only have a certain amount of time to log in to your account and begin the invite process if you have been selected to host. They notify every applicant via email with whether you've been selected to host or not.
If you get selected, log in, and complete the invite process in time, you will be a House Party host(ess). You have various tools at your fingertips to plan, decorate and invite more people. They have a party planning page that is great for any style of party. It gives you general tips as well as a week by week planner that starts at four weeks going all the way down to party day. They also sell general as well as party specific favors and supplies through a company called Shindigz.com. All this can be found on their shopping page.
You can see past parties as well as parties happening now. You can see member uploaded photos and start conversations about parties. It's a great social site to get tips, idea, recipes, test out new items as well as new variations on old favorites. It's is a an amazing thing to get together with those you love and share good times an memories. This is a perfect site to be a companion to those good times. I'm hosting my second party via House Party this January and look forward to being a host to many more with them.
Check out the site, you're sure to find something to enjoy.
My take ;-)
Just a bit of what I like to chat about!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
My Thoughts on Aspertame & its Effects on my Body
Other than an on-again off-again relationship with my weight, I've had overall good health basically my whole life. Seasonal allergies, sinus, and colds were always the worst of the lot until I was diagnosed with IBS. Still I was mostly healthy with little aches and pains and decent fitness.
When I got pregnant with our second son, I had problems with gestational diabetes. My eating and health habits had to change drastically. One major change for me was switching to diet sodas. I didn't/don't drink a lot of soda, maybe 18 ounces in a day. But I had to make better choices for my baby.
Shortly after the birth of our second little boy I noticed odd aches and anxiety. This I just chocked up to post baby issues. My body was readjusting to baby-less ways and I was sure to experience many new and old symptoms. After all this was my second child in nineteen months. But these symptoms lasted and lasted. I saw my doctor often trying to figure out what was causing my continued fatigue, anxiety, headaches, body aches, stomach pains, and cloudy head. Two years after our second son and still not symptom free, my doctor and I found some medications to alleviate some symptoms. The medication for my IBS was a great thing. However , I don't like the thoughts of being on any medication long term. And my symptoms started to return.
But you learn to deal with them. You learn to live around and with the symptoms instead of letting it stop your life. The headaches and fatigue were the worst. I constantly felt awful and couldn't enjoy my kids. I wanted to sleep all the time and became very moody. All my symptoms could be linked to various issues. I had heard several whispers of a link between aspartame and many of my symptoms. I just never gave it much thought. I mean they were only whispers.
Four years later and the birth of our third son headed me into the choice to make better health choices. I lost some weight and started eating better. I still had most of my symptoms but the better eating lightened some. I started seeing more and more "warnings" about the effects of aspartame and prolonged use. But I still thought it was more than likely just my poor eating and fitness habits.
Seven months ago, we had our fourth little boy and I reserved to lose all my extra weight, exercise and better mine and my family's health. I started watching my sugar, fat, and calorie intake as well as cooking better for my family. I added a wider variety of vegetables and started working out. I was feeling great! I still had symptoms as before but a few were more minor. The fatigue was a lot better and the foggy head too. But I had massive joint pain in my hips and shoulders. I had constant terrible headaches and my shoulders were consistently tense. I had an unusual pressure in my head as well. A month after the delivery I made some trips to the doctor and had antibiotics to clear up sinuses but I still had the symptoms.
After seeing some more articles warning against aspartame, I decided to cut it out of my diet. Within weeks my symptoms all disappeared! No more headaches, no more muscle aches, no more foggy head or fatigue! But it was hard. I craved diet Dr. Pepper just like it was water. And the symptom free part didn't come easy. The first week of not having aspartame I had withdrawals. I was cranky and had a slight headache. But it was a small price to pay to eliminate all the rest. Once my system had cleared of the substance I was good to go.
I still get cravings for diet Dr. Pepper (my fave soda) and would break down and have one occasionally. Over the holiday I broke down and drank one whenever I wanted. This week I have definitely paid the price. I have joint pain that's brought me to tears, been even more fatigued, stomach cramps, and horrendous headaches. Not to mention awful mood swings and pressure in my head. These could all be linked to stress as well and not taking good care of myself over the holidays. But all that is still the same, still stressed and not been able to take as good of care of myself due circumstances but I have not had any diet Dr. Pepper or any other item containing aspartame in a few days. My system is resuming to its normal state. My joint pain is mostly gone and my mood is settling. The headache is still there but easing up. So for me, it seems kind of obvious that since the only change is eliminating aspartame from my diet, aspartame is the cause of my symptoms.
I have been doing some research on the subject and found the views to be a mixed bag. In the '80's the CDC did a survey of sorts of complainants of aspartame. Being basically surveillance it didn't help much in the clearing up of disputes. You can read the article here.
I have found that you will find adamant views for both sides of this dispute. You will find both founded by studies and supporters. A little knowledge goes a long way when ciphering through all the opinions and studies. The most important deciding factor for me has been personal experience.
Aspartame is made of three chemicals: Aspartic Acid, Phenylalanine, and Methanol.
Phenylalanine is a protein found in various protein-rich foods. It isn't considered a health risk for most individuals unless you have certain preexisting conditions. PKU is the biggest concern thus the warnings on diet products containing aspartame. The Mayo Clinic has a good little article on phenylalanine. You can check it out here.
Methanol is best known for its fuel use. Which to me speaks volumes of what effects aspartame is/can have on your health. you can read the definition and some history of methanol here. However certain studies find the amount is insignificant enough to not cause harm. One article I found stating this can be read here.
Aspartic acid is naturally occurring amino acid. You can read the technical stuff here. the previous link I gave for the article talking about methanol also has information about aspartic acid and its role in aspartame.
I have came across many articles stating the down sides and various studies to support them. You can read my top two picks can be read here, here, and here.
I am by no means and expert nor a doctor. I have done no studies myself just done some reading up and also know the effects aspartame has on my own body. I have the differences in when I consume aspartame and when I don't consume aspartame to show me whether aspartame is a chemical I want to consume- no matter how naturally occurring the ingredients may be.
When I got pregnant with our second son, I had problems with gestational diabetes. My eating and health habits had to change drastically. One major change for me was switching to diet sodas. I didn't/don't drink a lot of soda, maybe 18 ounces in a day. But I had to make better choices for my baby.
Shortly after the birth of our second little boy I noticed odd aches and anxiety. This I just chocked up to post baby issues. My body was readjusting to baby-less ways and I was sure to experience many new and old symptoms. After all this was my second child in nineteen months. But these symptoms lasted and lasted. I saw my doctor often trying to figure out what was causing my continued fatigue, anxiety, headaches, body aches, stomach pains, and cloudy head. Two years after our second son and still not symptom free, my doctor and I found some medications to alleviate some symptoms. The medication for my IBS was a great thing. However , I don't like the thoughts of being on any medication long term. And my symptoms started to return.
But you learn to deal with them. You learn to live around and with the symptoms instead of letting it stop your life. The headaches and fatigue were the worst. I constantly felt awful and couldn't enjoy my kids. I wanted to sleep all the time and became very moody. All my symptoms could be linked to various issues. I had heard several whispers of a link between aspartame and many of my symptoms. I just never gave it much thought. I mean they were only whispers.
Four years later and the birth of our third son headed me into the choice to make better health choices. I lost some weight and started eating better. I still had most of my symptoms but the better eating lightened some. I started seeing more and more "warnings" about the effects of aspartame and prolonged use. But I still thought it was more than likely just my poor eating and fitness habits.
Seven months ago, we had our fourth little boy and I reserved to lose all my extra weight, exercise and better mine and my family's health. I started watching my sugar, fat, and calorie intake as well as cooking better for my family. I added a wider variety of vegetables and started working out. I was feeling great! I still had symptoms as before but a few were more minor. The fatigue was a lot better and the foggy head too. But I had massive joint pain in my hips and shoulders. I had constant terrible headaches and my shoulders were consistently tense. I had an unusual pressure in my head as well. A month after the delivery I made some trips to the doctor and had antibiotics to clear up sinuses but I still had the symptoms.
After seeing some more articles warning against aspartame, I decided to cut it out of my diet. Within weeks my symptoms all disappeared! No more headaches, no more muscle aches, no more foggy head or fatigue! But it was hard. I craved diet Dr. Pepper just like it was water. And the symptom free part didn't come easy. The first week of not having aspartame I had withdrawals. I was cranky and had a slight headache. But it was a small price to pay to eliminate all the rest. Once my system had cleared of the substance I was good to go.
I still get cravings for diet Dr. Pepper (my fave soda) and would break down and have one occasionally. Over the holiday I broke down and drank one whenever I wanted. This week I have definitely paid the price. I have joint pain that's brought me to tears, been even more fatigued, stomach cramps, and horrendous headaches. Not to mention awful mood swings and pressure in my head. These could all be linked to stress as well and not taking good care of myself over the holidays. But all that is still the same, still stressed and not been able to take as good of care of myself due circumstances but I have not had any diet Dr. Pepper or any other item containing aspartame in a few days. My system is resuming to its normal state. My joint pain is mostly gone and my mood is settling. The headache is still there but easing up. So for me, it seems kind of obvious that since the only change is eliminating aspartame from my diet, aspartame is the cause of my symptoms.
I have been doing some research on the subject and found the views to be a mixed bag. In the '80's the CDC did a survey of sorts of complainants of aspartame. Being basically surveillance it didn't help much in the clearing up of disputes. You can read the article here.
I have found that you will find adamant views for both sides of this dispute. You will find both founded by studies and supporters. A little knowledge goes a long way when ciphering through all the opinions and studies. The most important deciding factor for me has been personal experience.
Aspartame is made of three chemicals: Aspartic Acid, Phenylalanine, and Methanol.
Phenylalanine is a protein found in various protein-rich foods. It isn't considered a health risk for most individuals unless you have certain preexisting conditions. PKU is the biggest concern thus the warnings on diet products containing aspartame. The Mayo Clinic has a good little article on phenylalanine. You can check it out here.
Methanol is best known for its fuel use. Which to me speaks volumes of what effects aspartame is/can have on your health. you can read the definition and some history of methanol here. However certain studies find the amount is insignificant enough to not cause harm. One article I found stating this can be read here.
Aspartic acid is naturally occurring amino acid. You can read the technical stuff here. the previous link I gave for the article talking about methanol also has information about aspartic acid and its role in aspartame.
I have came across many articles stating the down sides and various studies to support them. You can read my top two picks can be read here, here, and here.
I am by no means and expert nor a doctor. I have done no studies myself just done some reading up and also know the effects aspartame has on my own body. I have the differences in when I consume aspartame and when I don't consume aspartame to show me whether aspartame is a chemical I want to consume- no matter how naturally occurring the ingredients may be.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Yummy Broccoli Casserole!
For as long as I can remember at holidays and family gatherings alike, my mom has made this recipe for a delish broccoli casserole! She acquired the recipe from my aunt, tweaked it a bit and passed the recipe on to me. So now I make broccoli casseroles for get togethers and holidays and they're still a big hit. Even my kids love this recipe for broccoli casserole. So why not share with the world this yummy recipe.
So here are the ingredients:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 small onion (minced)
1/3 c milk
4 oz velveeta cheese (or as much or little as you like)
6 crowns of broccoli (prepacked broccoli or frozen can be used.)
3 packs Ritz crakers (crushed, divided in half)
8 Tbsp butter (melted)
Spray one 13x9 casserole dish with a non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
For crust and topping, mix half the butter in each part of crushed Ritz crackers. Spread one half of crackers in bottom of casserole dish for crust.
Rinse and cut broccoli crowns. Steam or boil until fork tender (or whatever texture you like). Set aside.
Combine both soups, onion, and milk in a large sauce pan. bring to a boil, making sure to stir often so that you do not burn the mixture. Once boiling add cheesed stirring constantly until cheese is melted.
Spread broccoli over crust then pour soup mixture evenly over the broccoli. Now sprinkle remaining cracker butter mix over the casserole. Bake the casserole uncovered until soup bubbles. Let cool ten minutes and serve.
You can lighten the recipe by using low sodium, heart healthy soups, 2% velveeta, the lower fat crackers and skim milk. It tastes just as great.
This recipe usually goes fast at most of the places we bring it to. You can even tweak it to make it a one pan dinner. Add turkey or chicken and extra veggies and you have a full course! If you have a variation on this recipe let me know! I'd love to try some new things with it! Enjoy!
So here are the ingredients:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 small onion (minced)
1/3 c milk
4 oz velveeta cheese (or as much or little as you like)
6 crowns of broccoli (prepacked broccoli or frozen can be used.)
3 packs Ritz crakers (crushed, divided in half)
8 Tbsp butter (melted)
Spray one 13x9 casserole dish with a non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
For crust and topping, mix half the butter in each part of crushed Ritz crackers. Spread one half of crackers in bottom of casserole dish for crust.
Rinse and cut broccoli crowns. Steam or boil until fork tender (or whatever texture you like). Set aside.
Combine both soups, onion, and milk in a large sauce pan. bring to a boil, making sure to stir often so that you do not burn the mixture. Once boiling add cheesed stirring constantly until cheese is melted.
Spread broccoli over crust then pour soup mixture evenly over the broccoli. Now sprinkle remaining cracker butter mix over the casserole. Bake the casserole uncovered until soup bubbles. Let cool ten minutes and serve.
You can lighten the recipe by using low sodium, heart healthy soups, 2% velveeta, the lower fat crackers and skim milk. It tastes just as great.
This recipe usually goes fast at most of the places we bring it to. You can even tweak it to make it a one pan dinner. Add turkey or chicken and extra veggies and you have a full course! If you have a variation on this recipe let me know! I'd love to try some new things with it! Enjoy!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Useful Useless Item Edition 2
I missed a few Sundays and this Sunday is Christmas. So I'm going to give you my useful useless item tonight.
I love magazines of all sorts. They usually pack great articles with ideas, tips, information, etc. And most have gorgeous photography. I can, however, only read the same magazine so many times before I'm thoroughly done with it. I'll clip recipes and other tidbits I like that I know I'll use continuously.Then it's just another useless item in my home.
I hate to just throw them away and only so many places will take magazine donations (and mostwon't take ones I clip from). Sure I can recycle them but like I said they have such gorgeous photography in most that I feel like I'm destroying art.
A thought I've picked up along the way (yes probably from one of my magazines) is to find uses for the sheets in the magazines.
One idea is to take an interesting page from a magazine and frame it to make a beautiful piece of artwork.
Another very fun thing is to use multiple pages as wrapping paper. You can combine sheets of various colors, backgrounds, etc to create unique wrapping paper.
Or use it to background a cork board for messages. Take some of your favorite pages and paste them to you cork board. Gives you a place to organize plus a creative unique piece for your home. When doing this, my thought is to create a collage of pages in different shapes.
The possibilities can be endless if you just look around. Hey even use them to decorate the empty diaper boxes you're putting to other uses! Hope these have sparked some ideas for you and maybe cleared out some clutter in your home. Enjoy your weekend and have a very Merry Christmas!
I love magazines of all sorts. They usually pack great articles with ideas, tips, information, etc. And most have gorgeous photography. I can, however, only read the same magazine so many times before I'm thoroughly done with it. I'll clip recipes and other tidbits I like that I know I'll use continuously.Then it's just another useless item in my home.
I hate to just throw them away and only so many places will take magazine donations (and mostwon't take ones I clip from). Sure I can recycle them but like I said they have such gorgeous photography in most that I feel like I'm destroying art.
A thought I've picked up along the way (yes probably from one of my magazines) is to find uses for the sheets in the magazines.
One idea is to take an interesting page from a magazine and frame it to make a beautiful piece of artwork.
Another very fun thing is to use multiple pages as wrapping paper. You can combine sheets of various colors, backgrounds, etc to create unique wrapping paper.
Or use it to background a cork board for messages. Take some of your favorite pages and paste them to you cork board. Gives you a place to organize plus a creative unique piece for your home. When doing this, my thought is to create a collage of pages in different shapes.
The possibilities can be endless if you just look around. Hey even use them to decorate the empty diaper boxes you're putting to other uses! Hope these have sparked some ideas for you and maybe cleared out some clutter in your home. Enjoy your weekend and have a very Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Healthy Living Tips
I thought I would share some tips I have gathered over the years to help you eat healthy & lose weight. I need a refresher myself to get re-motivated to improve my fitness & lose the excess pounds.
For me a key to healthy eating, weight loss & weight control is learning what true portions are & look like. If you are new to true portions, its best to take a few weeks and actually measure out portions. After a while you should be able to look at amounts and know the true portions to a very close accuracy. We eat more than we realize and this is a way to make us aware. This has been one of the biggest helpers for my family and I in getting fit, eating healthy, & reaching a healthy weight.
Another healthy eating tip is being aware of ingredients. The first few ingredients are those that make up the biggest portion of the food/drink. Its required ingredients be listed at descending weight. So if you have an item the has sugar & corn syrups in the first, let's say, five ingredients, then it has a high sugar/corn syrup content. Be aware of those first ingredients & you will be eating healthier before you know it. And this is a very simple step that is easy to make a habit.
Get to know your body. What I mean by that is know what your health is & your fitness level. See your physician to check out health issues & questions. Pay attention to the cues of your body for things like when your full or actually thirsty. Speak with a trainer about how to see how fit you really are. You don't want to start out at a level that will injure you but you also want to challenge yourself.
Another healthy you tip for now is to be active. Just get up and move as often as possible. Even if its for 3 minutes every ten. As long as you move your body as much as possible you'll feel some better. It stimulates circulation as well as burns calories. The minimum recommended amount of daily physical activity is thirty minutes daily. You can break these down into small increments to accommodate your lifestyle. I personally recommend at least two bouts that last ten minutes in a day.
One last healthy tip for those wanting to lose weight. In the beginning when you start tweaking your eating and fitness you will lose weight fairly quickly. As your body adjust to these new habits you will slow and even stall at losing weight. Don't give up or get discouraged, just take a look at your habits and adjust them. Add more activity or readjust your calories.
So there's my healthy living tips for today. I'm not an expert, these are just tips I've picked up that have helped me out. I wish everyone the best of luck on the healthy self journeys.
For me a key to healthy eating, weight loss & weight control is learning what true portions are & look like. If you are new to true portions, its best to take a few weeks and actually measure out portions. After a while you should be able to look at amounts and know the true portions to a very close accuracy. We eat more than we realize and this is a way to make us aware. This has been one of the biggest helpers for my family and I in getting fit, eating healthy, & reaching a healthy weight.
Another healthy eating tip is being aware of ingredients. The first few ingredients are those that make up the biggest portion of the food/drink. Its required ingredients be listed at descending weight. So if you have an item the has sugar & corn syrups in the first, let's say, five ingredients, then it has a high sugar/corn syrup content. Be aware of those first ingredients & you will be eating healthier before you know it. And this is a very simple step that is easy to make a habit.
Get to know your body. What I mean by that is know what your health is & your fitness level. See your physician to check out health issues & questions. Pay attention to the cues of your body for things like when your full or actually thirsty. Speak with a trainer about how to see how fit you really are. You don't want to start out at a level that will injure you but you also want to challenge yourself.
Another healthy you tip for now is to be active. Just get up and move as often as possible. Even if its for 3 minutes every ten. As long as you move your body as much as possible you'll feel some better. It stimulates circulation as well as burns calories. The minimum recommended amount of daily physical activity is thirty minutes daily. You can break these down into small increments to accommodate your lifestyle. I personally recommend at least two bouts that last ten minutes in a day.
One last healthy tip for those wanting to lose weight. In the beginning when you start tweaking your eating and fitness you will lose weight fairly quickly. As your body adjust to these new habits you will slow and even stall at losing weight. Don't give up or get discouraged, just take a look at your habits and adjust them. Add more activity or readjust your calories.
So there's my healthy living tips for today. I'm not an expert, these are just tips I've picked up that have helped me out. I wish everyone the best of luck on the healthy self journeys.
Monday, December 19, 2011
NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshine
I got another wonderful treat in my holiday voxbox. I received NYC New York Color's Liquid Lipshine in Nude. I was so ready to give it a try. I have & do currently use other NYC products. So my expectations for this lipgloss were high.
The packaging is sleek & simple which I like for lipgloss. The color when looking at the tube seemed it would be a light brown but came out a wonderful shade of nude. It was just the right amount of color. Unlike other similar glosses I've tried, NYC New York Color LIQUID Lipshine isn't tacky or thick. It glides on with this pretty shimmer leaving just the right amount behind. The brush is soft and flexible making it great for following the curve of your mouth.
NYC New York Color Liquid lipshine also has a tasty smell however doesn't taste that good. It's rich with Vitamin E and pure pigments which give it a "3-D gloss effect". The shine from NYC lipgloss lasts for a very good amount of time. MIne still had some shine 1 meal & 4 hours later.
What better way to top off a great gloss than with a great price! At $2.49 you can have these glosses (hey why not try all 10 trendy hues) without breaking the budget. With hues from neutral nudes, to berries & fuchsias its very simple to find a shade just right for you. This NYC lipgloss has quickly become one of my faves since getting it last week. Another thing I like is that I can find it at alot of local stores such as Wal-Mart, Family Dollar, Rite-Aid, and CVS. Love that Influenster chose to send out this product. It's always nice to find good quality product at good prices.
DISCLAIMER: I received this product to test by being an active member at Influenster.com. I received no compensation for my time, monetary or otherwise, from either company.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
"PAC"king in the Good with A Montagne Jeunesse Kelp & Seaweed Mud Pac
When I opened my Influenster Holiday Voxbox, I was genuinely thrilled to see a trial of the Mud Pac Kelp & Seaweed face mask. I couldn't wait to use it. As kids get older & days go by, my mom & I have less time for facials. This reminded me of the need to make time for one another.
This particular mask is a Dead Sea mask containing of course Dead Sea Salt, Seaweed extract, Lavender oil, Bergamot fruit oil, the natural clay Kaolin & much more. I love that their ingredients are natural & mostly plant based. They meet the vegetarian standard with their masks & don't test on animals.
In four easy steps you have a relaxing at home facial. The whole process takes about 20 minutes. You wet your face then apply the mask. Take care to avoid your eyes & its best to avoid the hair line. Give it between 10 to 15 minutes to dry. The scent is light & refreshing so use those minutes to de-stress. Either meditate, read or do some other "me time" activity. When it comes time to rinse I recommend applying a warm damp cloth to your face first to further open pores. I also recommend you rinse with warm water then splash with cool water & pat dry. Your face will feel smooth and refreshed.
These are inexpensive wonderful facials and I recommend them to everyone. During these stressful days of family, travel, gifts and so on... Treat yourself to a quick, inexpensive, quality gift, Montagne Jeunesse facials!
They also have an awesome site: http://www.montagnejeunesse.com/. They offer three newsletters, one of which is for the man in your life. Check out the other great products they have and enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I received this product to test by being an active member at Influenster.com. I received no compensation for my time, monetary or otherwise, from either company.
Time to imPRESS You with Broadway imPRESS Press-On Manicure
So I got my Influentster Holiday Voxbox yesterday! I was very excited when I opened my box and saw the Broadway imPRESS Press-On Nails! I am a nail fanatic of sorts and truly love trying new nail products/color.
I have to chat for a second about the site for this product. The above link will take you directly to the site. It has this neat app on it that allows you to try out different designs and colors on a model hand. This was a fun tool and it allowed me to pick a few future choices! The site is quick and user friendly with lots of great color and catchy music.
I received the design Wink Wink and loved it! This is such an elegant design but still fun & flirty! They're also super easy to apply with no mess!
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| Loving them! Thanks to Influenster! |
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| So sweet! |
There is no drying time, no long wait at the salon and yet you still get a look that has salon quality shine and color. In 3 easy steps you can have a quick look for any time. The adhesive can last for up to a week but is still gentle on your nails so that you can switch up your look as often as you like. I do reccomend however to not submerge your hands in water for a few hours after application. I took a shower about 45 minutes after applying and a couple came off. However I dried them and my nail & just reapplied. They have done very well to be press ons with my busy mom life. They have a combined 36 colors and patterns.
The price is very reasonable for these kits, $5.99 for solid colors & $7.99 for designs. They come with a variety of sizes to pick from in each kit. You can find them at your local CVS Pharmacy, Rite-Aid, Wal-Mart, or Target. Find a full listing at the imPRESS Nails site.
The price is very reasonable for these kits, $5.99 for solid colors & $7.99 for designs. They come with a variety of sizes to pick from in each kit. You can find them at your local CVS Pharmacy, Rite-Aid, Wal-Mart, or Target. Find a full listing at the imPRESS Nails site.
I plan on getting the design Over The Moon and solid Tweetheart! Give them a try, definitely worth the time!
Disclaimer: I received this product as an active member of Influenster.com to test. I received no payment for my time or opiniion, monetary or otherwise from either company.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Just a Thought
So life right now is quite a plethra of things. I could fill pages and then some of what life is right now. But that's just how it is. A cycle that is continuous, the same patterns, just different colors.
And everyone has those few little vices or faves that gets us through the uglier patterns. You know, that one thing youcan turn to to find solace or peace of mind. Mine goes from prayer to writing to my kids to dancing to my husband & a few more. Those things give me comfort when I need, a smile when I'm down, & basically whatever else I need.
Tonight, right now in my life, I could not be happier or more thankful for my "vices". And I wish for everyone that you find or have something or someone to turn to when life gets ugly.
And everyone has those few little vices or faves that gets us through the uglier patterns. You know, that one thing youcan turn to to find solace or peace of mind. Mine goes from prayer to writing to my kids to dancing to my husband & a few more. Those things give me comfort when I need, a smile when I'm down, & basically whatever else I need.
Tonight, right now in my life, I could not be happier or more thankful for my "vices". And I wish for everyone that you find or have something or someone to turn to when life gets ugly.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Jonathan Dirt... Let's get dirty
Had the recent pleasure of sampling Jonathan Dirt texturizing paste over the last few days. This product is one I could see myself using regularly.
Dirt is a mineral-oil free, phthalate free, and gluten free water based paste. The team at Jonathan has infused this with Lemongrass Essential Water, sweet almont protein, white tea, almond, horsetail and nettle extracts to repair, nourish, stimulate, and condition all hair types. They incorporated "a potent antioxidant blend of natural plant botanicals combined with a UV filter" that "help protects hair and prevents color fading".
I love that with a minimal amount I can have a textured, sassy yet healthy look.
It has a lovely light scent. The hold lasts for a long time and it rinses from your hands fairly easily. You use it like all other texturizing pastes. Work it into your hair well because like other pastes it can leave clumps if not blended well. It's easy and quick to use.
It is definitely a product worth the price and I see a purchase in my future.
Dirt is a mineral-oil free, phthalate free, and gluten free water based paste. The team at Jonathan has infused this with Lemongrass Essential Water, sweet almont protein, white tea, almond, horsetail and nettle extracts to repair, nourish, stimulate, and condition all hair types. They incorporated "a potent antioxidant blend of natural plant botanicals combined with a UV filter" that "help protects hair and prevents color fading".
I love that with a minimal amount I can have a textured, sassy yet healthy look.
It has a lovely light scent. The hold lasts for a long time and it rinses from your hands fairly easily. You use it like all other texturizing pastes. Work it into your hair well because like other pastes it can leave clumps if not blended well. It's easy and quick to use.
It is definitely a product worth the price and I see a purchase in my future.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Get ready.... I'm getting a holiday voxbox!!
So tomorrow from somewhere up in the great windy city of Chicago, Influenster will ship out my holiday voxbox!! Going to have lots of awesome goodies to give a try! I'll be letting you know about a face mask, fun nail product, breath freshener, snack bar and more.
From my last experience with a voxbox you will definitely want to check back in soon to get the scoop on the goodies! Influenster has great products for testing!
From my last experience with a voxbox you will definitely want to check back in soon to get the scoop on the goodies! Influenster has great products for testing!
Useful Useless Item Edition 1
It's easy to get a lot of useless things around the house. Especially with four small- well not so small but young boys. My husband & I can certainly attest to that.
So with that thought in mind, I've decided to start sharing my tips for making a seemingly useless item useful. I'll have one item every other Sunday (who knows may work it inwhatever day I can (: ) to give some possible uses for.
My first has to be empty diaper boxes (as we have a 7 month old & these things seem to accumulate like rabbits here). Any empty box for that matter, can have many other uses. I'll give you my top three and any suggestions are welcome.
Revitalising use number one: turn it into a mail pouch. We use one on the kitchen table to hold our mail and at the end of the day we sort through it. You could easily "upholster" the box to give it more of a decor item. Try collaging together some old envelopes with stamps, maybe some postcards as well.
Use number two: a sock hold. Place the box at the spot where the socks of your household are taken off ona regular basis. If you have kids you could let them make sock puppets out of oldworn socks or mateless ones. Then adorn them to the box.
Use number three: a makeshift bookshelf or shoe shelf. Take 2-4 boxes and place together. Use packing tape on the edges where they connect. Use at least two layers and one all along the outside of the boxes. Decorate or adorn however you please. Use as a shoe box, turn on its side to use as a bookshelf or slide under a bed to store bed linens.
I could give a hundred more but I'll leave the rest up to your creativity. I'll bring you another useless item turned useful next Sunday! Enjoy the tips!
So with that thought in mind, I've decided to start sharing my tips for making a seemingly useless item useful. I'll have one item every other Sunday (who knows may work it inwhatever day I can (: ) to give some possible uses for.
My first has to be empty diaper boxes (as we have a 7 month old & these things seem to accumulate like rabbits here). Any empty box for that matter, can have many other uses. I'll give you my top three and any suggestions are welcome.
Revitalising use number one: turn it into a mail pouch. We use one on the kitchen table to hold our mail and at the end of the day we sort through it. You could easily "upholster" the box to give it more of a decor item. Try collaging together some old envelopes with stamps, maybe some postcards as well.
Use number two: a sock hold. Place the box at the spot where the socks of your household are taken off ona regular basis. If you have kids you could let them make sock puppets out of oldworn socks or mateless ones. Then adorn them to the box.
Use number three: a makeshift bookshelf or shoe shelf. Take 2-4 boxes and place together. Use packing tape on the edges where they connect. Use at least two layers and one all along the outside of the boxes. Decorate or adorn however you please. Use as a shoe box, turn on its side to use as a bookshelf or slide under a bed to store bed linens.
I could give a hundred more but I'll leave the rest up to your creativity. I'll bring you another useless item turned useful next Sunday! Enjoy the tips!
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