English Rose by English Laundry

disclaimer:  We received the product below for free in exchange for our honest opinions.  All opinions remain our own.

English Rose by English Laundry

  Perhaps you are looking for a Valentine's Day gift for your special someone.  Maybe you want to go a little on the fancier side.  Then you may want to check out the fragrances over at English Laundry.  With a variety of fragrances for men or women, many of which come in ready-made gift sets, you are sure to find that luxury gift for the loved one on your list. 

  They are currently offering a deal where you receive a free studded trendsetter bag with a purchase of $50 or more - think 2 gifts in 1 : )

  We received English Rose and here are our thoughts:

  Here is what they say about the fragrance on their site:  "English Rose includes notes of jasmine petals, fresh kiwis, red lychee, golden quince and white chocolate. This delicate fragrance opens with quince, complimented by white chocolate and jasmine petals at the heart. For a purely peaceful scent, notes of orris roots, powdery musk and sensual woods have been composed at the base."

  Mommy in GA: When you get the delivery package you are always excited to see what is inside but pretty unimpressed with packaging, who likes a bland brown box?!?! I am always excited to see the companies packaging and I have to say I was pretty impressed with the English Rose!!
Like the perfume itself the package is elegant and sophisticated!
Also if you LOVE the different perfume bottle shapes this one is spectacular :)
When you open the perfume and smell it it is not super powerful, which is good, It has enough scent to draw you in and I personally think it would be great for like a date night but not everyday.

My 11 almost 12 year old daughter had a different idea and put some on for school while I was in the back of the house, it wasn't over powering so I let her go to school and she REALLY liked the scent of it :)

  Mommy in PA:  First off I just want to say that the packaging is amazing!  You just feel more elegant opening the box : )  Guys...if you want to impress your woman this Valentine's Day...this is the way to go. 

  I personally like the scent but it wouldn't be something I would wear everyday, more for special occasions I think.  I prefer things that have a more tropical/playful scent.  As we all know, fragrance smells different on different people so the folks over at English Laundry even offer small vials of their fragrances so that you can try it at a lot less cost : )

"Your Hidden Riches: Unleashing the Power of Ritual to Create a Life of Meaning and Purpose"

disclaimer:  I received the following book for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest opinions.  All opinions remain my own.

 

"Your Hidden Riches"

Unleashing the Power of Ritual to Create a Life of Meaning and Purpose

 

 

 

by Janet Bray Attwood and Chris Attwood, with Sylva Dvorak, PH.D

 

  From the cowriters of "The Passion Test" comes "Your Hidden Riches". 

 

  We all have them, sometimes we don't even realize why we continue to do them but we do.  Rituals are a big part of everyone's life.  Whether it's church on Sunday, a special routine in the morning before going to work, a good luck ritual before a football game...rituals pop up everywhere. 

 

  Wouldn't it be great if we could set up our rituals to what we needed them to do?  Well in steps "Your Hidden Riches".  This book helps the reader understand just what an important part in our lives that our rituals play. 

 

  This book will guide you through the following ritual types: 

Rituals for Magical Relationships

Rituals for Diet, Health, and Beauty

The Art of Creating Wealth Through Ritual

Ceremonial Rituals and the Seasons of Life

and

Rituals for a Close Family Circle

 

  At the end of each section the authors are sure to give you a "Ritual Practice" where they turn it over to the reader by having the reader attempt a task related to that section and to keep notes on what you notice. 

 

  Mommy in PA:  This was a very good read.  I found it a little less humorous than some of my favorite positive thinking reads but I can easily overlook that fact with the fact that I definitely felt like I learned a thing or two from this book. 

 

  I was also very interested to find out about these authors being the ones who coauthored "The Passion Test".  I had seen that book come up on a book site before as something I could have requested but at the time I thought it wasn't what I was looking for.  Now after reading "Your Hidden Riches" I am definitely going to have to order myself a copy : ) 

 

  I love how the authors give you a lot of extra information to look up.  I recommend going online and checking out the different sites they refer you to, there is a ton of good info out there that goes right along with the reading.

 

  My absolute favorite part of this book is the part where they tell you to basically always look for the good in every bad situation.  I actually expressed this to my children and we have all been working at it.  One morning I went out to my kitchen to get a glass and another one ended up falling over and rolling off the shelf and into the sink, smashing instantly.  Now the old me would have been very upset about this, I know it's just a glass but I hate having items that I need get ruined over some stupid little screw up.  Well the new me just picked up the broken pieces and put them into a container (so the garbage guy wouldn't get cut) and moved on with my task at hand.  My son spoke up and said "It doesn't matter mom because that glass was one we didn't really use anyway" and I agreed and added "Look at all of the extra room I have on the shelf now".  Thanks to this book we are making some positive changes : ) 

 

  Well that is just one of the many life-changing rituals you will find in this book.  I hope that you will take the time to head over here and take a look. 

Electric Energy and More Drinks

disclaimer:  We received the products below for free in exchange for our honest opinions.  All opinions remain our own.

Electric Energy and More Drinks

 

  Most energy drinks just give you, well, energy.  Not so with the Electric Energy and More Drinks.  They give you energy, plus the added power of T-MAX (a blend of specially chosen herbs that are known to enhance "in the heat of the moment" readiness. 

 

  I just want to take a minute and let ya'll know that we did not actually request to try these.  We had requested to try something else from the same PR company and they must have gotten it mixed up.  But we are all about trying new things so...

 

  Mommy in GA: This was a total surprise, as we mentioned above!!!  I only knew what they were because mommy in pa called me o fill me in, luckily I hadn't already tried them!!

We tried them and didn't notice a difference either but, I do have 4 kids' lmao!!  Energy drinks usually make me a little jittery so I was impressed that that side effect was skipped!! They didn't taste too bad either :)

 

 

  Mommy in PA:  Ok, I will admit that I had no idea these were anything other than energy drinks at first.  I can't believe that the can colors didn't make me realize it sooner LOL.  I actually asked my husband which one he would like to try LOL.  Thank goodness he chose the blue : )  He drank the blue one and I drank the pink one and I can honestly say I did not notice any difference at all.  The drinks tasted pretty good though I will admit it seemed kinda like one of those alcoholic beverages where you first take a small sip and you're like...oh, I don't think I like this, but then you take a couple more just to make sure and end up drinking the whole thing.  But yeah, no difference in energy or "other" areas. 

Freshy

disclaimer:  We received the product below for free in exchange for our honest opinions.  All opinions remain our own.

 

Freshy

 

 

 

  Are you tired of having to throw out foods because they went bad before you got a chance to use them?  And who has the kind of money needed to buy all of those vacuum sealers or even the bags to go with them?  Well what if we told you that there was another solution, a simple product that will prolong the freshness of your food without any extra effort on your part other than setting it within a three-foot radius of your foods.  Ok, so you are probably thinking we are crazy at this point...well we introduce to you...Freshy.

 

  Freshy is simply an egg-shaped device that can be used in your fridge or pantry to prolong the freshness of everything from breads to meats (even leftovers).  Freshy contains natural mineral elements that reduce oxidation and slows the growth of bacteria in foods stored in plastics, styrofoam, glass, cardboard, paper, or ceramic. 

 

  Freshy is the no maintenance food freshness prolonger, just replace it once a year. 

 

  Mommy in GA: I used my Freshy mostly on the counter (where I keep my fruits and breads) I like the freshy best for these items only because with so many people in the house my other stuff like eggs and milk are history before any where close to expiration!!

I always buy extra loaves of bread and extra fruit because lets be honest ladies who wants to make more than one trip to the store?! Anyway so I put it on the counter and I seriously noticed a difference in my bread and fruit staying fresher longer!!!

 

  Mommy in PA:  I actually used this in my pantry the most.  I keep all of my bread and fresh fruits there so I figured I'd see the most noticeable difference there.  I was right too.  Typically, in the summer, I have issues with keeping my breads from molding.  I think it has something to do with the humidity.  Well needless to say I got kind of used to chucking half loaves of bread during the summer, but not this year.  I had absolutely no bread issues this year.  It was amazing! 

 

  I also noticed that our bananas didn't get too ripe, too fast either.  That's a plus : ) 

 

I love the fact that all you do is just sit your Freshy within 3 feet of the products that you are wanting to keep fresh.  That is way easier than vacuum sealing everything, and not to mention the cost (I know how expensive those rolls of bags are for the sealers, that's why we don't use ours anymore). 

 

  I do have to note though that I think our Freshy didn't last quite a whole year as ours is starting to loose its effectiveness.  I had gotten some fresh fruit at the store and only had it for a couple of days (Freshy was right next to the basket) and I still ended up loosing a pear and four kiwis : (  So maybe it just depends on the circumstances how long your Freshy will work.  Mine did do a wonderful job on the bread issue so I guess I should give it a break...LOL.

 

Topricin

disclaimer:  We received the products below for free in exchange for our honest opinions.  All opinions remain our own. 

 

Topricin

 

 

 

  Are you looking for a safer alternative to traditional pain relief medicines?  Then Topricin might be the answer you are looking for.  Instead of just masking your symptoms, Topricin actually aids in the healing process by improving blood flow to the injured tissues and drains fluids and toxins that build up as a result of the injury or ailment. 

 

  Topricin is homeopathic so you know that it will be safe and gentle.  Topricin products are safe for everyone aged 2 and up (if under 2 be sure to consult your physician).  It has no odor or fragrance, no petroleum, no mineral oil, no lanolin, no capsaicin, no menthol, and is non-greasy, non-staining, and is free from parabens.  Their products are even safe for Diabetics and are backed by a 30 day money-back guarantee. 

 

  So at this point you are probably wondering just exactly you can use this stuff for since it seems like such a simple product.  Well you can use Topricin for tons of ailments like arthritis, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, muscle cramps, sports injuries like sprains or even dislocations, bursitis, tendonitis, sciatica, and even neuropathy.  Or even some more common ailments like bug bites, bruises, and minor burns. 

 

  Topricin also makes a version for feet called Topricin Foot Therapy.  It is for pain associated with edema, swelling, joint pain in the toes, feet or ankles, heel pain (spurs), bunions, nerve pain, gout, arch pain, shin splints, ankle sprain, Achilles tendonitis, and tarsal tunnel syndrome. 

 

  And if those aren't enough, Topricin even makes a version for the kiddos called Topricin Junior.  As parents it can be really scary these days finding a product that you feel is safe enough to use on our kids (especially with all of the recalls and side effects).  Well fear no more.  Topricin Junior is recommended for bumps, bruises, bug bites, muscle spasms, leg cramps, growing pains, sports injuries, sprains, strains, minor burns, neck and shoulder pain, and skin irritations (like eczema). 
 

  Topricin sent us each a full-size of each type and samples to hand out to our friends/family, so here are our thoughts:

 

  Mommy in GA: Topricin is a REALLY awesome product!! I have used it several times already!
With the weather change, yes even here in GA, my son and youngest daughter came home from school and there hands looked chapped :(  I took out the children's Topricin and applied a little bit t each one of their hands and we did this for about  week. At the end of the week with the Children's Topricin and also cutting back on hand sanitizer (more washing with soap not neglect to cleaning!!!) their hands were ALOT better :)

The foot Topricin is a nice treat for the feet when you have been on them all day long everyday and you get those minor aches and pains (I learned this after starting work in a high school cafeteria!!! you are on those feet ALOT!)

Regular Topricin was a good fried to me when I hurt my back and was in constant pain, It only offered a little relief but, any relief is better than none at that point!!!  

 

  Mommy in PA:  Topricin, where have you been all of my life?  I can't believe I wasted so much money all of these years to have a variety of products at hand for all the different issues that came up and how very little of it actually got used due to not wanting to deal with side effects. 

 

  I was very excited to see that this product is safe for Diabetics, my son is a Type 1 Diabetic so I tend to notice these things LOL.  I was also excited to see that you can use it for Fibromyalgia and Neuropathy, I knew who I would give samples to : )

 

  My sister-in-law tried the Topricin Foot Therapy on her feet for her neuropathy.  She was asking me a few days later where she could buy a full-size tube : )  She said it didn't completely remove the pain but she thought it was because she didn't have enough in the sample packet to get the full effect. 

 

  I used some of the regular Topricin for lower back pain and it worked really fast and really well.  My kids and I have also used it for bug bites, a minor burn or two (darn oven), and my daughter has used it a few times on her shoulder.  For bug bite relief it worked pretty good, I had to reapply after an hour or so but it did provide instant relief. 

 

  I wish I had read the packaging better when this first arrived.  My daughter actually has dislocated her shoulder two times and the second time they were wanting to put it back in naturally without having to put her under at all.  Had I known I could have had her apply some of the Topricin before heading up to the ER and it may have helped her shoulder go back into place easier. 

 

  Topricin now has a place in my first aid kit and will be our go-to product. 

Thanks to the great folks over at Topricin we are able to offer a giveaway of three full-size tubes (like pictured above) to our readers, just enter via the Rafflecopter form below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Keep Buzzin' Body Products

disclaimer:  We received the products below for free in exchange for our honest opinions.  All opinions remain our own.

Keep Buzzin' Body Products

  Want the perfect gift for that eco-friendly teen or woman on your holiday shopping list?  Well here's an idea for you...Keep Buzzin' Body Products. 

  Keep Buzzin' Body Products produces 100% natural hand and foot creams.  The products contain no petrolatum, no lanolin, no phythalates, no sodium laureth or lauryl sulfates, no oxy benzone, no carmine, and no added colors.  The products are not tested on animals, the jars are 100% recycled and made in the USA, and even the shrink sleeves are compostable because they are made from corn. 

  The lotions are made from butters of cocoa, mango, cupuacu, and shea and contain essential oils that are certified 100 %  pure, natural, unadulterated and solvent-free.

  Keep Buzzin' Body Products come in the following scents:

Cherry-Almond

Tangerine

Fresh Lemon

True Lavender

Peppermint

Spearmint

and Fragrance-Free

  Keep Buzzin' was kind enough to send us samples of all the varieties (minus the fragrance-free) which is fine with us since you all know how much we love scents, and here are our thoughts:

  Mommy in GA: These are a personal favorite!!!  I LOVE all of the scents that we got but, the one I did NOT want to share was the speriment foot cream!! I work on my feet in the lunchroom every day and my guilty pleasure was coming home and pampering my feet with the foot cream!!

I did however take the lavender and cherry almond into work and let the ladies' try them out :)  Being in the lunchroom we are constantly washing our hands and the dishes so we are all always looking for a great hand lotion to keep from dring out our skin!!

The Ladies' LOVED the lotions and so do I !!!  my favorite is the cherry almond some of the ladies liked the lavender but to me it was a little stronger scent wise.

I should have started here but, I didn't!! I had some friends' over the dy  I received my keep buzzin products and my one friend LOVED the tangerine so much that I let her take it home with her! The scent was good but I had already fallen in love with the cherry almond!  

  Mommy in PA:  Do you think it is possible to become addicted to a hand cream?!?!  I'm really starting to wonder since I tried their Cherry-Almond hand cream.  I was literally taking the stuff with me everywhere and shoving it in people's faces telling them they just had to smell it.  I think out of everyone who smelled it I had one person who didn't care for it and it was a guy, so go figure LOL. 

  The hand and foot creams are nice and thick but not too thick (it absorbs very well, no oilyness) which is perfect for this time of year.  My hands and feet dry out a lot in the winter but I won't have to worry about that now : ) 

  The foot creams are nice and cooling which is perfect.  I like to apply mine right before I go to sleep so that my feet can get nice and soft for the next day. 

  As far as scents go, they are all very nice but I just have a huge fondness for the Cherry-Vanilla : )

"Always on my Mind"

disclaimer:  I received the following book from Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. in exchange for my honest opinions.  All opinions remain my own.

 

"Always on my Mind"

by Susan May Warren

 

 

 

  Casper Christiansen should be having the time of his life on an archaeological dig in Honduras.  Sure he hasn't found the treasure but the weather is so much nicer there than back home in Minnesota where they are currently experiencing one of the coldest/harshest winters in years. 

 

  But Casper can't get his mind off the girl he spent last summer with, Raina.  The girl who just so happened to be the cause of the fight between him and his brother Owen.  The same fight that sent Owen on the run, Casper to Honduras, and Raina to end up pregnant and living with Casper's sister. 

 

  But Casper knows nothing about the pregnancy when he shows up unexpectedly.  And why does Raina want nothing to do with him...will they end up working things out?  Who's baby is she carrying? 

 

  Casper's other brother Darek is having some issues himself.  He took over the family resort and there is issue after issue with the cabins, bills are piling up, his wife is pregnant, and his son seems distant.  Will Darek be able to get the resort out of the red.  Will Casper be able to be dependable enough to give a helping hand and not take off on a treasure hunt again?

 

  Mommy in PA:  I LOVE this book!  Susan does a great job making you feel like you are really there.  I felt like I was there in Deep Haven too : )

 

  My favorite part of the book is how Casper and Raina end up on a treasure hunt of their own back in Deep Haven, looking for the missing treasure of Duncan Rothe.  It's amazing how the story of Casper and Raina have so much in common with the missing treasure story. 

 

  I also like how she gives you a glimpse into each of the character's own lives.  Like Darek and his woes with the resort, Casper and his job at the outdoor supplies store, Raina and her job at the antique store, and Casper's parent's trip to Europe.

 

  She really makes you feel like part of the family.  I can't wait to see what the Christiansen family is up to in the next book : )

 

I would love to write more but this is a really great read and I don't want to end up saying too much and ruining it for everyone, you will just have to read it for yourself.

"Creatively Christmas: Inspired Yuletide Decor"

disclaimer:  We received the following for free in exchange for our honest opinions.  All opinions remain our own.

"Creatively Christmas:  Inspired Yuletide Décor"

by Jennifer Rizzo

  "Creatively Christmas:  Inspired Yuletide Décor" is a book of unique decorating ideas by Jennifer Rizzo.  She uses a lot of everyday items to create looks specifically for the Christmas season. 

  In the book you will learn how to make weatherproof presents, repurpose old ice skates, find uses for those doilies, and find a lot of unique uses for items in nature.

  She even includes a CD with stencils that she uses in the projects to save you some time.  And there is even a section at the back that shows you some other folks homes decorated for the holidays. 

  Mommy in GA: first off sorry for the delay, that was all me    :(  I sometimes have a hard time balancing my paid job, 4 kids', the house, life in general AND a blog, I sometimes drop the ball and it always seems to be the blog because the other priorities have major repercussions!!

This is a little late OR you could look at it as a HUGE head start on this coming Christmas'!! This will give you plenty of time to get your book AND have time to do your projects all in your own time!

I was looking at the book and it has SO many great ideas' for decorating to make your house look great for the holidays.... ON a budget! Most of the projects in here are to repurpose things you own, things you can find outside or if you have to purchase very cheap! (yard sales, goodwill and value village are a few of the good second hand places I can think of !)

Also another good thing is you get the whole CD for the templates so you can print out the projects and don't have to worry about your inner artist or there lack of!!

Me and the kids' will spend some quality time this summer going through the book and making our decorations for the Holidays and I can't wait!!!

  Mommy in PA:  I am going to send my kiddos on a mission to get me some acorn tops.  I totally fell in love with her Glittery Scatter Acorns, stunning and simple...you can't beat that!  I also loved the idea for the Paper Toy Animal-Inspired Napkin Rings, so cute!  Can't draw animals...that's ok, she includes the stencils on the CD!  Ok...I wanna make almost every single project! 

  What a creative lady!  And I love the fact that she includes a lot of her stencils on the enclosed CD, though at first I was bummed because I thought that the disk was Christmas songs to get you into the Christmas spirit : (  Oh well, stencils are good too : ) 

The photos in the book are gorgeous and very inspiring.

Goody Good Stuff Xmas Trees and Baubles Gummy Sweets

disclaimer:  We received the product below for free in exchange for our honest opinions.  All opinions remain our own.

Goody Good Stuff Xmas Trees and Baubles Gummy Sweets

  So as some of you may recall we got a chance to try Goody Good Stuff shortly after we started blogging and we LOVED them!

  You can actually view our previous post here for more info about the company.  What makes this a unique gift idea?  Well they aren't just any old gummy snack, Goody Good Stuff is fat free, has no artificial colors, no gelatin, gluten free, dairy free, and contains only natural flavors. 

  For Christmas they came out with Xmas Trees and Baubles Gummy Sweets, we each received a sample bucket and here are our thoughts:

  Mommy in GA: I personally did not try these, I am weird about my gummies! My 8 year old daughter says that they are definitely the goody in the  goody good stuff!! She also used the word delicious and said the yellow ones were her favorite!!!
My 5 year old son was not a huge fan, but he is weird like his mom lol!!
We were hoping that these were going to taste more like the original goody good stuff because we had rave reviews about those!!! 

  Mommy in PA:  I have to admit that I personally was a little disappointed when I tried these.  The only ones I liked were the little berry shapes : (  The trees and stars just didn't taste very good to me, maybe if they would have put a light dusting of sugar on them they may have been a little more to my liking.  My daughter also did not care for these.  I do love the cute container they come in though and think they would make a great gift!

  Now on to the good news...my son LOVES all of them : )  He's always asking me if he can have just one more fruit snack. 

CLYPPI

disclaimer:  I received the following product for free in exchange for my honest opinions.  All opinions remain my own.

 

CLYPPI Stainless Steel Fingernail Clipper and Toenail Clipper

 

 

 

  So I know what you are thinking, fingernail clippers are fingernail clippers.  Well that's what I thought too until I got a chance to try the CLYPPI set.  The very first thing I noticed was how bulky looking these seemed compared to my other fingernail clippers.  I was surprised that they aren't much heavier than my regular pair despite the size difference. 

 

  These have an almost surgical appearance to them.  They seem very "cold" compared to my normal ones.  But the cutting ability more than makes up for the appearance.  You can tell these are heavy duty just by the feel of them and the toenail clippers were actually tough enough to cut through toenails unlike the other ones I have that have a tendency to somewhat tear my nails. 

 

Even my kids have been using the CLYPPI set instead of our regular clippers.

 

 

 

  I also like the fact that these have little built in nail file things on them on the underside of the moving part.  I was also surprised how nicely these fit in my hand considering their larger size. 

 

  All in all these are very nice nail clippers.  Not made for their looks but definitely their functionality : )  They also come with a lifetime guarantee.

"Furry Logic" : 10th Anniversary Edition

disclaimer:  I received the following book from Blogging For Books in exchange for my honest opinions.  All opinions remain my own.

 

"Furry Logic"

A Guide to Life's Little Challenges
10th Anniversary Edition

by Jane Seabrook

 

 

 

  This is actually the tenth anniversary edition of the original "Furry Logic" written by Jane Seabrook.  "Furry Logic" is basically a book of quotes with hand-painted pictures of animals to go along with each one.  Jane does all of the pictures herself. 

 

  An easy read for adults and kids alike. 

 

  Mommy in PA:  What a cute little book!  The artwork is very detailed, all of the animals are just adorable.  My son just loved so many of the sayings and pictures.  It is really cute how she manages to find just the right saying for each animal...or maybe she makes the animal based on the saying...either way : )

 

  This would make a great gift idea for any animal lover or the perfect book to lay out on your coffee table at home. 

 

  For an example of what the sayings are like, the one that goes with the picture on the cover is "I hear the call to do nothing, and am doing my best to answer it."  How cute, right?!?! 

 

  This is also an extremely easy read too as there aren't a lot of words on each page and all of the words are big and easy to read.  I could personally just read these quotes all day long, I wish there were more : )  Guess I will have to look into some of Jane's other books now.