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Thursday, September 26, 2013

Honest Company Bundle by Jessica Alba

I took up the chance to used a great coupon code last week and decided to order my first bundle!
Below is my review of the entire bundle and review of their site with information on the products they carry :)

If you decide to shop with Honest Company, click this LINK and use the promo code for first time customers "Invited10" to save $10 off your first purchase! For bundles, you can also choose when your next one ships and you can change all the stuff you want sent within the bundle as well. :)


Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Mary Kay Influenster Vox Box June 2013

In June 2013 I got my first Vox Box from Influenster.com, which is a website that is "an exclusive community for trendsetters to share news,products, and reviews with the opportunity to be rewarded by brands." I love this website because I earn "badges" and point for every survey I take or anytime I rate a product I love or even one that I hate :) Occasionally if you an outstanding Influenster ;) then you get to actually get FREE stuff from companies that want you to review their stuff.

Influenster tries to pair these Vox Boxes according to your lifestyle and what you really seem to review most or have most interest in so that you are more like to write good reviews on their products to promote their line.
I received my first Vox Box from Mary Kay and I was oh so happy! I have used Mary Kay and ordered from their sales team before and have always been impressed with their kind and caring attitudes about trying to find products that match my needs. personally I do not wear very much makeup but this box was filled with just some bare essentials and it was much appreciated and a great surprise when I got to the point of opening it :)

What I got in the Starlet On-The-Go starter kit:

-Mary Kay Lash Love Lengthening Mascara (color: I ♥ Black, price: $15.00) (Not a huge fan of harsh bristles on mascara and I have short eyelashes, so I swear to this day I have not found the "perfect" mascara yet but the LASHilicious Primer helped a lot in building them up!)
- LASHlicious! Long. Strong. Serious separated lashes. 
Mary Kay Lash Primer (price: $15.00)
- Dramatic definition. Fuller-looking lashes.
Mary Kay Cream Eye Color/Concealer Brush (price: $10.00)
- The perfect brush for applying any cream product. (This was one of my favorite products, I LOVE brushes and it was soft and I still use it!)
Mary Kay Cream Eye Color (color: Violet Storm, price: $22.00)
- Soft, creamy, long-wearing formula.
Mary Kay True Dimensions Lip Stick (color: Pink Cherie, price: $18.00)
- Intensely moisturizing. Exquisitely smoothing.

"I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."

Sunday, September 22, 2013

March Citrus Lane, Ipsy and BirchBox 2013 Subscriptions

These are some of the first boxes I chose to start trying and receiving within a months time. I decided on Citrus Lane(to try out again), Ipsy & Birchbox. Both Ipsy and Birchbox are makeup subscription boxes that send 1-2 full sized items and a couple samples to you every month for a flat $10/month.

I absolutely loved this month of Citrus Lane, my son Reagan was just starting solid foods again since we did not really end up having him start at four months like I was told. This green train spoon pictured above was wonderful and we still use it! It is so adorable and practical. The Little Cremes by Plum he seemed to enjoy as he got better into dissolving things in his mouth but the flavor just seemed very very strong. The penguin wooden toy seemed very age appropriate and he loved playing with it and still does to this day sometimes! Of course the Honest Company Shampoo is awesome. LOVE that company :)

From this Ipsy box I really loved the sample of bigsexyhair "powder Play". It said to kind of just apply to roots on dry hair and it really helped spice up the volume in my dull and flat hair when I woke up. It has a nice powdering smell and the powder does not leave any trace in your hair. My only complaint with it is that it leaves a sort of chalky feel in your hair that only those who touch it notice but chalk bothers me. I don't think I used anything in that Birchbox and the rest of the Ipsy. I cancelled Ipsy twice and Birchbox twice after realizing I am not too big of a fan on makeup subscriptions. I already have tons and tons of makeup as it is and I honestly don't even wear but one or two products A DAY. I also HATE painting my nails and these companies are just sometimes known for sending hundreds of nail polish samples.

I think the second month I got both Ipsy and Birchbox everything was literally Pink colored, which you would not think is so bad for a girl right? WRONG! I hate pink, pink clothes, pink nail polish, pink cars, pink flamingos, pink shoes, pink lipsticks, I could go on for days it is just so bleh to me and I prefer purple. It annoys me that these boxes do not try to take some polls with the customers to perhaps know what and what not to send their subscribers. Then again, it is a mass produced box and the variety between people boxes seem to change sometimes within a calendar month so I can't be too judgmental. Since March and since joining some groups where I see spoilers and talk with hundreds of other subscribers about these boxes, they have seemed to really gained some momentum and started to provide nicer quality products, bigger samples, and more options to their subscribers. 

For my birthday, I think I am going to treat myself to one month of each Ipsy and Birchbox and do a more up-to-date review on these makeup subscriptions to gauge where they are at and where I am at on hip makeup trends. Which leads me to end with... My sons birthday and my birthday are coming up in about 9 days! I am very excited and I still have no plans. It is his very FIRST birthday on this planet and it will be my 22nd birthday :)


Sunday, September 15, 2013

The day I woke up and realized there was life was when...


I DISCOVERED SUBSCRIPTION BOXES!


Right around the time my son turned 3 months old I was told by a couple friends about Bluum; a subscription box catered to MOM AND BABY! You get a box delivered to your door that is age specific to your child for less than 20$. I loved this idea and just went ahead and signed up for a box since there was the ability to cancel at any time. I got my first box in December 2012 and the rest has been history! I do not have photos of those first few boxes but I did love them OH SO MUCH!


They had teethers, things for mom, lotions, shampoos, toys, and all sorts of things you would not think or even be ABLE to go out and get for your newborn child as a stay at home mother. When I first started receiving Bluum, they were not too big yet but they got popular fast. At the time, I did not feel that the $ for the couple small items was worth it and cancelled. Since then, they have upped the ante and made a box of FULL-SIZE products for just a little bit more cash and change. 

After moving on from Bluum, I checked out several mom and baby boxes after that. I got a March and June 2013 Citrus Lane and decided to get a box every now and again with them since the value is definitely there and they are very wise in choosing age-appropriate items worth good money for your child. They go up to ages 3 and even 4!!!! 

Skipping to the latter time: NOW. My husband and I separated and I moved out into my own apartment and money got tight and I could not order many boxes. I have continued to go to school and find work and our divorce was finalized.

I have since met the most wonderful man of my life and I could not have asked for someone so great. Someone who loves my son as much as I do, someone who is confident and tries hard at everything he does, someone who loves me for me and does not try to change me or push anything on me.

Since May 2013 I have been able to spend some money here and there on little things here and there. I also sign up for lots of giveaways and win a lot of free boxes and free samples for my participation in surveys and such. I will continue to add reviews, match-ups, price breakdowns and share spoilers/code/discounts with my blog :) Make sure to keep updated!






My TRANSFORMATION!




My life now kind of includes: automatically waking up around six in the morning, whether it is my week with my son or not, drinking many cups of coffee and trying to get everything done in a day that can possibly be done. I have my own small personal side business being a personal coach with Team BeachBody. I have gotten into fitness and health very much and I am so happy about it and want to share it with everyone I know. I know how hard it is for some women and even men to just lose those extra pounds you can NOT just get off to save your life! But I found the answer and it includes the things we have ALWAYS been told. Eating a very clean and healthy diet, possible meal replacement shakes and physical activity from 4-6 times a week depending on muscle groups and level of activity.


At one point, I just did NOT feel motivated anymore once I started going through my divorce. Then Ashley Adams(my personal Beachbody Coach) reached out to me and encouraged me to do a program and actually replace a meal a day. She has become one of my good friends and encourages me daily and I just love that about Team Beachbody because everyone genuinely cares about reaching out to people and helping them reach their goals even when they don't even realize they have any. I was immediately addicted after my first delicious shake and became a coach myself! I lost 12 pounds in my first month and have since lost more and gained an incredible amount of muscle I never though I could have. Now, I would not say I am "muscular" but if you saw me before, you would laugh. I could not even do a "girl" push-up and now I can do plenty! 
I started with Les Mills Combat which is actually a mixed martial arts video that I honestly never saw myself doing. I was burning up to 700 calories per workout(depending on the day of the week) and about 400 at the LEAST for the shortest workout in the week. There were three months of this program and they intensified and if you went along. Combined with Shakeology meal replacement, I lost 7 inches total and gain muscle mass in my legs.
My Transformation & Coach Profile  <--- Here you can choose to click on the "Beachbody Challenge" tab and select a level of fitness that includes the goals for your body and your abilities, in turn selecting a workout program that is perfect for you and also comes with an entire month of Shakeology meal replacement!


Once FOCUST25 came out this summer from one of my FAVORITE COACHES SHAUN T; Dave and I immediately began and have kept up with it ever since. We LOVE LOVE LOVE this program because it is ONLY 5 days a week for only 25 minutes and you seriously lose inches in just your first week. I feel so great after these and hit almost every muscle in my body most days.


If you want to learn more about Challenge packs or my Shakeology meal replacement: Follow the link below!




The Healthiest Meal of the Day: Shakeology