Orchid Lake Candles Berry Bellini

The scent description for Orchid Lake Candles Berry Bellini is " Raspberry, blood orange, strawberry and peach with coconut and bubbly champagne".  I decided to just do a cold sniff and then warm the wax before looking at the scent description. This smelled awesome on both sniffs. The top note is raspberry and it's such as JUICY scent. There's no other way to describe it. I love that it was a fresh, clean scent. There was nothing overpowering about it. The raspberry was a very genuine scent and all the other scents were very subtle but they complimented one another.

This scent was also strong. This scent was still going strong after 8 hours but I like to switch scents often so after the 8 hours I popped the wax into the freezer, broke it put into brittle and restored it in the bag that it came in. The throw: filled my room and the hallway (we keep windows open in our house so it's difficult to base the throw).

You can find out more about Orchid Lake Candles at http://www.orchidlakecandles.com/ .

All in all, I'll give this a 10/10. This was one of the samples that I greatly enjoyed and will definitely repurchase.

I was not paid to give this review. This is just my honest opinion.

Thanks for reading! Have any of you all tried Orchid Lake Candles Berry Bellini? What about Berry Bellini's from other vendors? I've seen a Better Homes and Gardens version floating around somewhere out there. Again, great throw, awesome sent, definite repurchase. Don't be afraid to leave a comment.

Orchid Lake Candles Serendipity Review

Today I melted Orchid Lake Candles' Serendipity. Yup, it's there own blend. I don't like my scents to be super heavy in the room. So I just cut off about a teaspoon size of OLC's Serendipity and placed it into a warmer. Let me tell you all, this scent was so strong! I gave this tart one more week to cure after it had been shipped. Seriously, it was really hard to wait a week because this smelled so good in the box. But, the wait was well worth it.

I did a cold sniff first and fell in love with this scent. It smells so good! It smells like Piña colada with cherries on top. I also warmed OLC's Piña colada and it is a very genuine scent. I was doing work at the same time and I just kept sniffing the air. I just can't put my finger on what this scent smells like but it smells like strawberry Neapolitan Ice cream or loads of cherries submerged in sweet coconut cream or cherry frosting with lots of cherries and no buttercreme just the creamy scent.  This scent reminds me of childhood: cotton candy, caramel apples, my dad's car that had those cherry Christmas tree fresheners, cherry cake frosting, my friends and me drinking daiquiris, my mom cooking coconut with sugar on the stove. The scent description for serendipity on their website is "a sweet blend of cherries and vanilla with a touch of coconut". I think Wendy at OLC did an AWESOME job with this scent. This is a definite repurchase! I'll give this a 9/10. I give it a 9 because the scent fizzled out after about 3 hours although I only used 0.5-0.8 ounces. Plus, I think the 20W warmer that I used was a bit too hot for this wax tart. Still, it's a repurchase because this sent is so GOOD!

You can order and find out more about Orchid Lake Candles at: http://www.orchidlakecandles.com/ .

Have any of you all tried Orchid Lakes Serendipity? What about Serendipity from other vendors? What are your favorites? Don't be afraid to leave a comment. I wasn't paid to give this review. This is just my honest opinion on this scent.

Thanks for reading!!!

Chocolate Crumb Bars Recipe

I used to buy chocolate crumb bars and then decided to myself some money and share the goodness with others by making them at home. The recipe that I used came directly off the Toll House website. The recipe can be found here: http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/30257/Chocolate-Crumb-Bars/detail.aspx .

This recipe was okay but it was not as soft as the bakery's chocolate crumb bars that I used to go to. The site recommends that the crust should be baked until brown and that the total recipe should then be baked again for 25-30 minutes. I left it in the oven for 30 minutes and I think that this was too long. Next time I'm not going to leave the crust in the oven until it's brown. When I think that it's done and not browned then I will spread the hot mixture over the crust and only leave the finished recipe in the oven for 20 minutes.

What do you all think about my crumb bars pictured below? Do any of you have any great recipe's for chocolate crumb bars?

Thanks for reading. Don't be afraid to leave a comment below.

Dannon Greek Yogurt Review

I was not a fan of yogurt. It always tasted like curdled milk to me. I've started eating healthier and I wanted to add a food that would help me to feel full and also satisfy my sweet tooth.

Anyway, I decided to try Dannon Oikos in Coconut Vanilla. With 4.5 grams of fat and 160 calories, I thought it was a good snack idea. My only concern was the 19 grams of sugar. Still, with 11 grams of protein I was hoping that I would be full for a while.

This was a satisfying snack. Why is the yogurt brown? I added a tsp of cocoa powder which added 0.5 grams of fat and 10 calories. I LOVED the addition. My dislike for yogurt took a while to work on but I really like the smoothness, thickness and sweetness of Oikos. I'm going to buy a few more of these and split the containers in half so that I can have some yogurt and fruit in a snack serving.

What do you guys think about Dannon's Greek Yogurt. Do you all have anymore tips on how to make Greek Yogurt taste any better?

Thanks for reading!

Orchid Lake Candles Review

I won a giveaway at the start of the month from Orchid Lake Candles and was soooo excited. I won 10 cup tarts and I decided to sweeten the deal and order 16 more tarts on my own dime. I had heard great things about this company and couldn't wait to try their blends and scents. Since, there were so many good reviews about the company, I decided to choose 'safe' scents. I'm new to the wax world and I wanted to compare run of the mill scents with other companies. I also wanted to see how authentic each smell was. Did the apple scent really smell like apples? You guys know what I mean...

The way I'm going to present this review is to just comment on the cold sniff and as I warm each scent, I'll write a review on the throw and actual scent in different blogs.

I let my sister sort out her favorites, nice scents, and not interested scents. She also provided the descriptions. I just typed. Again these are her descriptions based on cold throw. I'm also guessing that these may need a longer cure time.

I'm going to be honest and tell you guys that I've been away for so long because I've been depressed and irritable. I let my sister smell these scents because I'm just over everything right now and I'm trying to recover one day at a time. I don't want to harshly judge something that I know has nothing to do with the product. Anyway, if you all would like a post later on down the road about what is going on I'll give you a general heads up. Until I'm feeling at full force, I'll post at least once a week.

Tie Dye Tart

So back to the review. These are my sister's thoughts:

Favorites:
4/5 of the samples made her favorites:

• Creamy Nutmeg- Extremely creamy. Light on the nutmeg. I enjoyed it and so did she. 
• Berry Bellini- Smells like fresh sweet berries. It reminds me of juicy, sweet raspberries. So, so good!
• Pear Noel- Light and fresh. Reminds me of a Jolly Rancher.
• Pumpkin Brulee- Creamy Pumpkin scent. I like that it's not overly spicy. I'm going to hold out as long as possible to warm this. Every time I walk past the box I smell this. It's smells so good! Like the creamiest pumpkin you can think of. 

1.5 oz. sizes:

• Serendipity (OLC)- Smells so nice. Like cherries and creme. 
• Oatmeal Milk and Honey- Smells like the soap. I can smell a bit of everything in here. Can't wait to melt and test. 
• Cinnamon Sugar Donut- I just smell cinnamon. My sister smells a box full of warm donuts. 
• Georgia Peach- Reminds me of those peach candies that I used to eat as a child. Can't wait to warm and be reminded of my childhood right now. So good!
• Sweet tea- Smells like tea and something else that I can't put my finger on... I'll tell you all when I warm.
• Mango Papaya- This really does smell like papaya. We had a tree out in the backyard where I grew up and as soon as I cold sniffed this, I knew this was the picked fresh off the tree scent. Still can't believe how realistic the scent is. I smell more papaya than mango. 
• Coconut Creme Pie- Smells lightly of coconut and pie crust. There's something else there but I can't put my finger on it. 
• Pina Colada- Smells just like the real thing! Gosh! I just close my eyes and imagine myself sipping one of these on a beach with a cherry on top. I love this!

Okay:
Raspberry- It smells like raspberry candy to me. Like a jolly rancher on a cold sniff if they had a raspberry flavor.
Nana's Coffee Cake- Spicy but it does have a strong pie crust scent.
Butter Pecan- Smells like butter pecan with lots of butter.
Appletini- Reminds me of greenery. We've never had martini's so I'm guessing this is what a martini smell's like. It really reminds me of a Gain scent. I can't put my finger on it. What do you guys think?
Island Cupcakes- This was on my sister's okay list but I really liked this scent. I could smell fresh pineapples. This was not an artificial pineapple scent and I look forward to ordering more pineapple scents from OLC.
Wild Cherry- Smells like cherry Pixy Stix.
Rum Cakes- Smells like rum to me. Have any of you all tried this scent? What do you all think about this scent?

Not Interested:
Blackberry Jam Cookie-right now I'm just smelling a sweet blackberry scent like a popsicle with butter.
Bread & Jam-Spicy.
Baked Apple Pie-extremely spicy.
Double Stuffed- Smells like Brownie Mix. Tempted to lick the bowl.
Apple Caramel Crunch- Spicy Apple and Caramel.
Butterscotch- Very light butterscotch scent. (I'm guessing that this was in the same bag as one of the spicy apple scents. Should be fine once I pop it into my warmer). I can use this as a mixer for sure.
Strawberry Muffin- Smells like heavy butter/pie crust and a dash of strawberries.
Pumpkin Apple Butter- Extremely spicy.
Monkey Farts- Soap and extremely light bubblegum and a very small dash of bananas.
Fresh Baked Bread- Smells like dough and yeast.
Winter Wonderland- Spicy. My sister says she smells pine trees.

As you can tell from my sister, she doesn't like spicy scents. On the other hand, my mom LOVES spicy scents so I'm sure that she will love all of the scents that have been described as spicy.

Overall, my package was well packed. There were no missing tops or cracked scents. I love the tie-dye effects.

My advice to those that are newbies like me would be to give your mailed package a day to air out before judging the scents and to separate like scents together in the boxes or storage containers. I liked my order and generous samples. Thanks so much Wendy for the giveaway!

Have you all tried Orchid Lake Candles? What do you think about the scents. Are any of you into wax tarts? Do you enjoy fruity scents, coffee scents, spicy scents, bakery scents? What fall scents are you looking forward to?

Thanks for reading!

Miss Jessie's Creme De La Curl Review

My sister bought a 1 fl oz. of Miss Jessie's Creme De La Curl on her yearly trip to the BSS. She gave it to me after her mixed experiences with other Miss Jessie's products and I decided to try it out. For the month of September, I'm going shampoo free.

Miss Jessie's Creme De La Curl is a cleansing cream. According to them, it's "finally a no lather sulfate-free shampoo that leaves your hair and scalp silky smooth." Go figure. The cleansing creme is light blue, thick and smells like baby powder. It has that oily feeling of Hair One's Cowash and As I Am Coconut Cowash but unlike some of the Miss Jessie's products that I have tried it doesn't have that almost gritty feeling ( the only way I can describe it is if you rub baby powder between your fingers).

With the cleansing creme in my hair, my curls were popping. Also, these past few days have been extremely hot! I've been sweating, stuck in traffic and just been putting a headband around my head.  The product does say that it "removes product buildup and washes away the daily grime without leaving your hair or scalp dried out." When I washed using Miss Jessie's I could see the dirt leaving my hair. I was happy about this because I tried another 'cleanser' and my hair nor scalp was clean after using the product. The Creme did clean my hair but my scalp didn't have that squeaky clean feeling that I like.

This product did leave my hair feeling a bit dry. I believe this is because of the protein that was in the product. Protein in shampoos and/or conditioners leave my hair parched so this was to be expected. The Creme is to be followed up by a conditioner so I'll  also give it a pass here but I have used another moisturizing shampoo that does not leave my hair feeling so 'dry'. I did like the slip. I have a TWA so my hair has not seen a comb in about 3 weeks. I was able to finger detangle my hair using this product. Also, I don't care too much about the scent of the product. It smells like baby powder. I went help prep for a party yesterday and the cleaner was spraying baby powder scented air freshener. I was walking around unable to tell the difference between the air freshener and my hair. Lol...by the next day, the scent was gone.

Some have complained about the no suds aspect. The product does state that there is "zero lather". The no suds idea is not a big deal for me. As long as my hair and scalp are clean, I'm a pretty happy camper.

The 12 fl oz bottle is $14. I'm on the fence with this one. As I Am Coconut Cowash has fewer ingredients but I find that it's cleaning power is not as strong as Miss Jessie's Creme De La Curl and it's half the price of Miss Jessie's at 16 fl oz. Is it a repurchase? If I'm travelling I'll buy packets to wash my hair so there is no mess in my suitcase. I prefer this over my Hair One experience and it did remove the buildup and dirt from my hair. I liked the feel of the product but again I'm still on the search for a sulfate-free shampoo, cleansing conditioner, conditioner and leave-ins that my hair loves.

What do you guys think about the Creme De La Curl? Would you buy it? Do you have any recommendations for my 4b/c TWA?

I was not paid to give this review. This is just my opinion after using the product.

Whole-Wheat Banana Muffins Recipe

This is a recipe that I got from allrecipes.com. My version are regular cupcake size and not giant whole-wheat muffin size. I will say that I do like banana bread but I only like the ends. I find banana bread to be too 'wet' for me. For this recipe, I added a half a cup extra of whole wheat flour to the original recipe. I also substituted the vegetable oil for canola oil.  I excluded strawberries because I didn't have any in my house and I wasn't sure if they would make the muffins too 'wet'. As an afterthought I wish that I had added raisins. I also think that if the recipe had been 'wet' my family would have been able to detect that I used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour.

The original recipe can be found at: Source. I give all credit to the creator. This is an excellent recipe where many have added their own twist.The majority of people who used this recipe enjoyed it. They also added their own twists to the recipe. For example, some substituted a half cup of oat flour of a half cup of whole grain flour. Others used yogurt and reduced the amount of oil used ( I didn't have yogurt in my fridge. I can really see Greek yogurt and this being good friends).  Some reduced the amount of sugar, some only use 2 tablespoons of oil, some substitute vegetable oil for olive oil (I know that olive oil has a distinctive taste. I'm curious how they tasted)  some used wheat germ, some used the recipe as their very own banana bread and some added blueberries. Those that left comments seemed to enjoy the recipe and they also seemed to enjoy the flexibility that the recipe provided for them to adapt it to their needs and wants.

So for the recipe:

2 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2  teaspoon vanilla extract
3 bananas mashed
2-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 cup of quick oats for garnish

For the applesauce:

I've just started eating healthy so I don't have any applesauce in the house. To make applesauce, I peeled a very large granny smith apple, cut it into slices, put it into a container with a lid, poured a little water into the container, sealed the contained and put it to the microwave for a few minutes. I then put the softened apples into a food processor and processed until the apples looked like applesauce. It made a 1/2 cup of applesauce. I let this cool before adding it to the muffin recipe.

The original directions as listed on allrecipes.com (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mimis-Giant-Whole-Wheat-Banana-Strawberry-Muffins/Detail.aspx?evt19=1). Again, all credit goes to the author:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 18 cupcake cups. (The original recipe called for 12 large muffin pans. I don't have muffin pans in the house and right now I'm practicing portion control so the 18 work for me).

2) Using a large bowl whisk eggs, applesauce, oil, mashed bananas and brown sugar. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg in a measuring cup. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Spoon mixture into cupcake cups until full. I used just under 2 tablespoons per cup. Interestingly for me (I was surprised that I didn't have to use baking powder in this recipe. I guess it's the power of eggs), the muffins rise so I didn't have to worry about the muffins overflowing onto the tops of the cupcake cups. Sprinkle the quick oats over the muffin batter (this is optional and I did it for a garnish).

3) Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven or until when lightly touched, the top of the muffins spring back.

I enjoyed the muffins. I'm still trying to get used to whole wheat flour but I didn't taste the whole wheat when I ate the muffin. There was a bit of wholewheat aftertaste but it wasn't very strong. Also, I liked how my muffins came out 'dry'. You can cut My sister also tried a muffin and she didn't know that I had added whole wheat to the muffin. She ate two today. She did suggest that I spray the cupcake tin with PAM to prevent the muffins from sticking to the cupcake time. I'm not sure if this is the best solution but I'm guessing that for next time it is worth a try.

These are going to be my snack muffins. I'm going to take out 5 for this week and put the rest in the freezer.

So now for what you all have been waiting for. The nutritional information:

The numbers from left to right represent calories, carbs, fat, protein, sodium and sugar content. 

The whole wheat flour really does contain a lot of calories. The overall per serving value of calories and fat does seem okay to me. I'm open to corrections from my readers. I'm new to weight loss and I'm still trying to discover ways to eat healthier and cut calories. I also think that I could have cut down on fat content by using vanilla non-fat Greek yogurt.

Have any of you tried this recipe before? Would you like the recipe just as is or are you curious to put your own spin on it? Would adding raisins destroy the health factor of the muffins?  Do any of you have your own healthy muffin recipes? Would you all like me to add more healthy recipes to the blog?  Don't be afraid to leave a comment. Thanks for reading.

Again, I got this recipe from Source and just wanted to share it with you all. All credit goes to the maker of this great recipe. I would give it four out of five stars.

Maiden Hill Farm

Maiden Hill Farm is a small  hobby farm located in Alabama. It was a joy speaking with the owner. One of my dreams as a child was always to live on a farm with my family and be a schoolteacher. I have been looking online for a vacation like that. For example, The Old Farmhouse at Willet Ponds Horse Farm in Todds (http://www.vrbo.com/85830) or even glamping (http://www.canopyandstars.co.uk).

They do some pretty interesting things on the farm. For example, after breeding poultry, they found that certain types are endangered. As a result, they are helping to preserve and breed these populations. They breed poodles, they make goat milk soaps (their Neapolitan soap is gorgeous), they sell livestock such as silkies, turkey poults, guinea keets and juvenile guineas, lip balms, lotion bars (which I had never heard of until I checked out their store), sugar scrubs, bath tea bags (again something that I never knew was out there) and bare feet treat (a foot salve).

They also have a pretty cool blog that has recipes (peanut butter cake, sweet potato cheesecake,ect.) giveaways and interesting articles about farm life. The photos on the website, blog and facebook page are beautiful and crisp. On the blog, she shares her process for hatching eggs, she shares stories about the animals that she raises (they are very funny and you get to learn more about her experiences in raising such animals. Sammy is such a cute goat! ). Seriously, I had never heard of Satsuma, Scuppernongs, Sculpins, Tupelo honey or Muscadine before I read her blog.

Muscadine is a type of berry/grapevine that is found in the southeastern part of the U.S. She makes a soap in this scent. She sent me a piece of the soap (the picture is below) and I could smell the scent through the bubble insulated envelope. I had never smelt soap that strong before. One of the issues that I have with most soaps is that they don't leave a lingering scent on my skin after I've come out of the shower. I did not have that problem with this soap. I bathed with the soap and let me tell you, I was secretly sniffing myself for most of the day. I can't even describe the scent. It's a sweet, soft scent sort of like blackcurrent, I think, but not really. It smells soooo good. I'm going to recommend that she expand to bathbombs in that scent. I am interested in trying some of her other soaps. Again, the scent of the sample soap was amazing. I can only imagine how a bar would smell. After reading her blog, I'm seriously also contemplating visiting Alabama. Lol...she has a blog on how to talk like your'e from the South. It had me laughing because I have a friend from Texas who thought that y'all was one word. It's a nice read.

Keeping with the family oriented, farm-life theme, the owner Sue is a 5th generation Alabamian who works alongside her mom. She has also posted blogs featuring her grandmother, who I can tell that she really loves and respects. I interacted with her via email and she is beyond friendly, funny and kind. She shared a bit about how she always wanted to live on a farm and I could tell that she really loves what she does.

A while back I won a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Maiden Hill Farm. I received birds nest necklace and matching earrings. If I remember correctly, they came about three days after I had won the giveaway. I wasn't even expecting them in the mail when I came home. That's how quickly she had shipped them. The prize was properly packaged. Nothing was crushed or warped out of shape and she made sure to seal the envelope with a pigs could fly tape (nice touch). She had the earrings and necklace wrapped in gift tissue paper, sent me a sample of muscadine soap and sent a note of congratulations with her business card. The necklace and earrings are gorgeous! The necklace really does look like a bird's nest with little eggs about to hatch. I have gotten several complements on the necklace and earrings.

Bird's Nest Necklace

Muscadine Soap (srry...I used it quite a few times before taking the picture. I couldn't wait.)

Bird's Nest Necklace and matching earrings 

Closeup of the Muscadine Soap (wish you could smell it through the screen)

If you are interested in learning more about living on a farm or finding more about Maiden Hill Farm's soaps, balms, jewelry check out:
 http://www.etsy.com/shop/MaidenHillFarm (store)
 http://maidenhillfarm.weebly.com/contact-us.html (website)
http://thecountrychick.blogspot.com (blog)
https://www.facebook.com/MaidenHillFarm (facebook)
334-282-2213 (telephone)

They also have fan of the week on their facebook. Pretty cool if you ask me!

Some of the soaps that they offer include (http://maidenhillfarm.weebly.com/goat-milk-soaps.html):

• Japanese Cherry Blossom 
• Monkey Farts
• Oh Baby!
• Watermelon Crawl (it really looks like a watermelon)
• Apple Jack Peel
• Neapolitan
• Bama Bell
• Highland Fling 
• Aloha Paradise
• Sunshine
• Chocolate Espresso
• Crisp Apple Rose
• Cotton Candy
• Pinot Grigio 
• When In Rome ( this soap is so pretty! and unisex)
• Pumpkin Pie
• Hot Cocoa
• Shades of Grey -I'll let you ladies guess where the name comes from ;)
• Cowboy Up

She also has specialty soaps some which include:

• Shaving Soap
• Green Tea Avocado Facial Bars
• Minty Foot Scrub 
• Pink Champagne Salt Bar

The common ingredients that are found in her soaps are Shea Butter, Olive Oil and Coconut Oil. She also has some interesting ingredients in some of her soaps like coral reef blue mica, red jojoba beads, cosmetic grade iridescent glitter and Calendula petals just to name a few.

One thing that she told me when I was speaking with her was that if she knows how to do one thing, it's how to make goat milk soap. IMHO, in addition to making great goat's milk soap she also knows how to make beautiful jewelry, is persistent and admirable in following her dream to own a farm, a nifty photographer, a loving and kind mother and daughter and loves what she does (how many people do you know that raise endangered animals or blogs about their animals in such a gentle and respectful way?).

Are any of you fans of homemade soaps? What scents are y'all interested in trying? Are any of you soap or candle makers? Have any of you tried glamping or The Old Farmhouse? What was your experience?
 
I was not paid to write this review. I just loved what I saw and won and wanted to share it with others. Don't be afraid to leave a comment. Thanks for reading!

Hexbug

My dad came to visit and was looking for a toy to give his godson (who is also my cousin) on his return home. He wasn't really sure which toys would most interest his godson or which toys were the latest or which were the most sought after on the market. Hey, the last time my dad played with a toy was quite a while back. My dad just said that's not true. Whatever the case may be...

In Target, my dad just perused the isles to find just the right toy. He noticed a toy called the Hexbug (named for the shape of the packaging as opposed to the number of legs) and instantly became interested in the toy.

He described his interest in the toy as being curious. He was excited that there was a toy out there that was robotic.

Hexbug was placed on the market in 2007 as a part of the HEXBUG Micro Robotic Creatures line. According to the website, "People are drawn to the HEXBUG brand for our products’ fascinating behavior, intelligent bug-like attributes and eye-catching packaging. Some of the products are so animated, they even fool cats, dogs and some humans into thinking they are alive!" Source:( http://www.hexbug.com/about).

My dad and I couldn't agree more. As a matter of fact, my dad was so excited after learning about the brand that he wanted me to write a post on it. So here I am writing a post. Although, I must say that I enjoy writing about it just as much as he enjoys watching the Hexbugs work and talking about them.

A Hexbug is defined on the Hexbug's site (http://www.hexbug.com/) as:
 "1. a micro robotic creature that reacts to its environment or that you control.
  2. An innovative, battery powered high-tech toy.
  3. Fun for all ages!"

There are several types of Hexbugs:
1) Original Hexbug, Nano, XL, Warrior (sizes/functions)
2) Ant
3) Crab
4) Inchworm
5) Larva
6) Scarab
7) Spider

I must say that Hexbug's website is really nice. They have great pictures of each Hexbug, videos, reviews, a Hexbug store and links to their Twitter, Google+, Facebook and Pinterest accounts.

RadioShack right now has a sale on the Hexbugs (http://www.radioshack.com/home/index.jsp). Some of these toys are even sold out online. I mention that because my dad and I went to five target stores in the state that I live in to look for them ( We weren't exclusively looking for Hexbugs. We were just 'site-seeing and if there was a Target in walking distance, we would walk in). One of the Target clerks called three stores and certain popular Hexbugs were sold out! We didn't realize that they were also sold in several US stores.

When my cousin got the Hexbug, he played with it until the battery died out. That's how much fun he had playing with it!

We had never heard about the product before but were pleasantly surprised by not only how they moved but by the fact that some selections were sold out in Target.

My dad did have a few ideas though. Firstly, he wished that there were more advertisements in Target about the Hexbug so we could know what they really were, how they worked and what made them different from other toys. He also commented that it would also be nice if they were rechargeable.

Overall, with the robotics and the heads actually spinning around, the products are a lot of fun. The robotic concept of the toy is what makes it so different from other toys out there on the market. The most fascinating thing for me, is how the legs move. I think it would also be nice to get the kids involved and excited about robotics before they hit high school. I think it would be a fun way to get them interested in robotics, math, engineering and the sciences. It's also a great way for kids to connect with one another in a wholesome way.

My dad wanted to buy one for himself. He couldn't decided on which size or bug was right for him. He was really impressed that a few years ago, this would just be a dream. He was amazed that he could play with something like this in this day and age.

By the way, the prices range depending on the size and make. Check them out and be the judge.

I was not paid or asked to give this review. These are just my comments on cool things that I'm interested in and hopefully others are interested in reading about before they purchase them.

What do you guys think about the Hexbug? Which ones would you like to buy/play with? In your opinion, what is the coolest thing about Hexbugs? What makes them more interesting than other toys on the market today? Do any of you all own a Hexbug? Are you interested in purchasing one or just curious? Don't be afraid to leave a comment. Thanks for reading!

This is one of the Hexbug's that we got. My dad bought another for his Little Brother (lol...he does our community's equivalent of Big Brother/Little Brother's volunteering.)

No More Rack-A Horrible Experience (www.nomorerack.com)

I wanted to buy a Hanukkah gift for someone. She explained to me that usually on Hanukkah  kids get candy. It's not the huge thing that is Christmas. She's usually cold so I thought about buying her a pashmina shawl with candy. Something simple, something sweet and something useful. I ordered it from nomorerack and was excited to gift it.

When I got the package, I was so disappointed. The 'shawl' was actually a scarf and there was a snag. The color was also supposed to be black. The color of the scarf was navy blue.

This is a completely different set of pashmina's on their website that I found just to give you an example. This is actually a set compared to the single that I was going to buy.

http://www.nomorerack.com/daily_deals/view/326992-3_pack__reversible_silk_blend_jacquard_pashmina
Nomorerack is selling the set for $20.

http://www.canalstop.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=55_56
Canal Stop is selling them for $3.50 each.

http://www.nywholesalescarves.com/whole-paisley-pashmina-c-358
Nywholesalescarves is selling them for $4.25 each.

http://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-adolfo-mens-suede-driver-shoes?utm_campaign=1029&utm_medium=afl&utm_source=GPN&tsToken=US_AFF_0_1029_1327_0&sid=4cj61rHAEeK8qRrqAdQZcA0_0_0_GEa6_0

$34.99 compared to nomoreracks price of 39.00.


Here is a Mich

http://www.nomorerack.com/daily_deals/view/323843-michael_kors_womens_runway_watch

http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Kors-Rose-Runway-Watch/dp/B0047UUYR8/ref=sr_1_1?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1367345586&sr=1-1&keywords=michael+kors+mk5128+runway+gold+watch

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/michael-kors-watch-womens-runway-rose-gold-plated-stainless-steel-bracelet-38mm-mk5128?ID=506227&cm_mmc=Google_Jewelry_PLA-_-Jewelry_PLA_Michael+Kors_Tracking-_-24346570383_-_-_mkwid_3mctuQ8h_24346570383%7C-%7C3mctuQ8h

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/michael-kors-runway-rose-gold-watch-37mm/3126735?origin=keywordsearch&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=389

http://www.rakuten.com/prod/michael-kors-women-s-mk5128-chronograph-rose-gold-watch/220536717.html?listingId=135270312 (There was also a $20 discount off of selected watches until the end of May)

Here's the deal. I'm not a watch or shoe aficionado. I can't tell you if nomorerack or the amazon dealer are reputable dealers.  There have also been reviews that people who have purchased the watch from department stores and other retailers alike have experienced the plating rubbing off. Check out the reviews. There's an interesting difference between the Macy's price and the other prices offered online. Are any of you out there Michael Kors fans? Maybe you all can tell me the reason for the differences in price.

Here's another example and the importance of me reading the fine print. I decided to check out Cuisinart Supreme Ice Cream Maker

http://www.nomorerack.com/daily_deals/view/323828-cuisinart_supreme_ice_cream_maker
No more rack is selling it for $179.00

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-ICE-50BC-Supreme-Cream-Maker/dp/B0007XOHN6
Amazon- $298.95
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1JX0PP1612&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleMKP&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleMKP-_-pla-_-Ice+Cream+and+Yogurt+Makers-_-9SIA1JX0PP1612
The refurbished version at Newegg.com is $179.00

http://www.cuisinartwebstore.com/detail/CUI+ICE-50BC
The brand new machine is $299.00 at cuisinart's webstore

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Cuisinart-Supreme-Commercial-Quality-Ice-Cream-Maker-Refurbished-DISCONTINUED-ICE-50BCFR/202333169#.UYA5XLVONyQ
HomeDepot is selling the refurbished for $159.00

I'm not endorsing any of these sellers. I'm just giving you an idea of what the prices are like. This is only a random sampling that I chose and theses are how the prices worked out. Basically you can get better or lower prices elsewhere on certain items.

Anyway I decided to return the scarf and it took over 3 months for a refund and for them to find the scarf that was shipped. No joke, I sent the scarf back at the end of January and they still haven't sent a refund. So shop around before you purchase because Returns Are A MESS!

It wasn't until I said that I would complain about the service online that the problem was resolved in less than 48 hours. Honestly, I was just going to let it go, its just a scarf, but another package that I had mailed to someone from my home went missing and I didn't know if I was sending out packages incorrectly or what not.

I can not recommend this company to anyone neither will I shop there again. There is no telephone number that you can call so its basically sending emails back and forth. The customer service is poor and the company is very unorganized. 

Also, because they took over 120 days to resolve the problem the money could not be returned to my credit card. 

I just extremely annoyed with the whole thing.

What do you guys think? Have you all shopped there before? Are you planning to shop there in the future? What are you experiences with returns and customer service good and bad from the company or anywhere else?

Update: My refund was finally posted a few days ago. I did not even get the full refund for what I paid because the processor took out a percentage processing (It was almost a dollar. There was no need to argue over it). I was also not refunded for shipping. This really was the WORST experience I've ever had with an online company.

Garnier Fructis Haircare Sleek & Shine Moroccan Sleek Oil Treatment

I had a coupon for the product and it was also on sale so I decided to try it out. The cost with the sale and coupons was about $2 and some change. I had previously been using Creme of Nature's Argan Oil Treatment. Garnier's (G) oil treatment retails for $4.97 (3.76 fl oz) on Walmart.com whereas Creme of Nature's (CON)Argan oil retails for about $9 (3 fl oz). The CON oil was just too much for my budget.  Also, if you look at the ingredients, CON has 4 cones compared to the 2 found in G.

For some reason the G oil felt much heavier than the CON oil. I added a few drops of G oil to my dry hair and then flat ironed. My hair looked very dirty and I didn't finish flat-ironing my hair because I was afraid that I would burn my hair.When I tried it on my wet hair, it felt as if it was just coating the strands and not absorbing it. I tried using it as a prepoo. I tried using it as a hot oil treatment and it was very difficult to wash the oil from my hair. I tried adding a bit to my deep conditioner and it was a mess. Again, it was difficult to rinse the oil out of my hair. My hair was relaxed at the time. I am going to try this oil again on my natural hair and see what happens. I'll write a review to give you guys an update.

I ended up using the product as a body oil. Sometimes, I add a few drops to my bath. I really tried to like this product. I tried it on wet hair, dry hair, air dried hair and flat-ironed hair. My hair just did not like it. I've seen such great reviews online about this product. I also just could not ship the citronellol fragrance. One of my chores was to polish all the furniture in the house and the smell reminds me of furniture polish. It also reminds me of bug repellent and oranges mixed together. I really wish that I liked this product. The price is so reasonable. Maybe I'm using the product incorrectly. If any of you have any advise on how to use it, I would be so appreciative.

What did you guys think about the product? Make sure to mention your hair type. I look forward to hearing from you all.

More information about the product can be found here. Thank you so much for reading my review.

Organix South- The Power of Neem

I won Organix South's Trivia Thursday last week. The winner was announced on Monday of this week. Today is Thursday and I've already received my prize. This in my opinion is how a company grows and I'm sure that this is a testament to their customer service.

I was sent samples of TheraNeem Organix's Moisture Therape Shampoo, Moisture Therape Conditioner, TheraNeem Leaf & Oil Lotion for All Skin Types, Neem Mouthwash, Neem Toothpaste, Neem Therapy Cleansing Bar for facial complexion, Aller Support and Respiratory Support. Neem: A hands-on guide to one of the world's most versatile herbs and Organix South's Catalog. I've been eyeing their TheraNeem Scalp Therape Shampoo for a while now. I wanted to sample the shampoo before buying a full bottle. The shampoo retails on their website for $15.49 I wanted to make sure that the product was worth the investment. I've been having issues  with my scalp and hair growth for the past few months now and I wanted to use a product that would restore the heath of my scalp.

The first thing that caught my eye on one of the products was that they are cruelty free. None of the products are tested on animals. All of the products excluding the lotion have a slightly minty smell. In this post I will give a description of each product and then make additional posts on each products if any of the readers would like me to.

TheraVeda Organix's Respiratory Support has Holy Basil, Neem and other super-critical whole herb extracts (turmeric and long pepper). This product is supposed to be used in conjunction with the Aller Support. According to the website, the goal of the product is to " provide nutritive support for respiratory and sinus health, while maintaining normal mucus levels. Breathe deeply and freely with this Respiratory Support formula" (Source). Because I received a sample, I'm thinking about opening the capsules and adding them to my conditioner. I wrote a post a while back on Aveda's Invati collection. Turmeric was one of the major ingredients.

TheraVeda Organix's Aller Support has turmeric, neem, coriander and black pepper. The website describes the use of the product as being " intended to provide nutritive support during times of seasonal or environmental imbalance" (Source).

TheraNeem Organix's Facial Complexion Bar is "antioxidants, Neem protects, nourishes and moisturizes even the most sensitive skin. With 10% certified organic Neem oil, this bar is ideal for a clean, refreshed and vibrant complexion and great for the whole body". The soap is paraben free, gluten free and sulfate free. You can check out the ingredients here. I think you'd be surprised and how many natural ingredients are in the soap (all if it except the sodium hydroxide used to make the soap). This soap has actually won a beauty award. I think that's pretty neat!

The Neem Toothpaste is fluoride free, paraben free, sulfate free, gluten free and has no artificial colors or flavors. It is also suitable for diabetics and children. The toothpaste has a strong minty flavor and is used to promote healthy gums and teeth. You can read more about the product here.

The Neem Mouthwash also has a very minty smell. Your supposed to use it twice a day and hold it in your mouth for 1-2 minutes for maximum benefit. This product is also suitable for diabetics and children. You can read more about the product here.

The TheraNeem Leaf & Oil Lotion for all skin types smells sorta like soap. Over 80% of the product consists of Organic Neem Leaf, Neem oil & Aloe Vera. This lotion is certified organic.

Jergens Daily Moisturizing Lotion for Dry Skin contains: Water, glycerin, cetearyl alcohol, cetyl esters, ceteareth-20, glyceryl dilaurate, cetyl alcohol, mineral oil, c12-15 alkyl benzoate, dimethicone, fragrance, stearic acid, dmdm hydantoin, methylparaben, propylparaben, carbomer, isopropyl myristate, sodium hydroxide, ananas sativus (pineapple) fruit juice, citrus medica limonum (lemon) juice, citrus grandis (grapefruit) juice, hydrolyzed silk.

TheraNeem's Skin Lotion Contains: Aqueous Extract of Azadirachta Indica (Neem)* Leaf, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower)* Oil, Aloe Barbadensis* Gel, Azadirachta Indica (Neem)* Oil, Glycerin (Vegetarian), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba)* Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Soya Bean Oil, Phenoxyethanol and Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E), Fragrance (Grapefruit from essential oils), Sodium acrylates copolymer.

The TheraNeem Organix Shampoo and Conditioner is safe for color treated hair and is pH balanced and conditioning. I can't wait to try out the sample. I have my fingers crossed. Read more about the shampoo here and the conditioner here.

You can find out more about Organix South Inc. at www.organixsouth.com, 1(800)-232-3142 or https://www.facebook.com/organixsouth. 

I was also sent a pretty cool guide on Neem. I can't wait to read through the rest of it.

What is neem? I'll let your curiosity get the best of you. I may write a post about it next week Friday. Thanks so much for reading. I was not paid to give this review. This is my honest opinion. Are you all interested in trying the products? What do you think about these products containing ingredients that you can actually read? Don't be afraid to ask questions.

Thanks so much Organix South for sending me the samples and reading material!

Sunfeather Soaps

So a few weeks ago, I won Sunfeather's Triva Tuesday on facebook. You guys should check it out. It's pretty fun. Plus, if you're that week's winner, you can win a gift. Here's the link if you want to check it out (Sunfeather's Facebook). They usually have the founder answer questions and their facebook is very interactive with the fans.

I love Sunfeather's website. It has beautiful pictures, it's attractive and easy to use. The founder of Sunfeather  is Sandy Maine. She began the business in 1979 with $15.00 worth of local cedar oil and her own instruments in her backyard. The business has now expanded. They offer artisanal soap loaves, artisanal bar soaps, luxurious bath bombs, washy squashy soaps for the kids (or the kids inside all of us), Sunfeather classics (bar soaps, Bug Off Spritzer, Moisturizers , Shampoos, ect. You can check it out here) and other bug repellent products. Artisanal by the way means a skilled manual worker or craftsperson. I'm with you. I had to look up the definition. They have also just released Liquid Castile Soaps with rosemary, spearmint, peppermint, African black soap just to name a few.

In any event, after winning Trivia Tuesday I was promptly (seriously, I think I got the soaps the next week) sent a gift soap pack. Here are the pictures below of all of the soaps:

Sunfeather's Triva Tuesday Gift Pack

                                                   

Cranberry Rose (left), Honey, Goat's Milk & Clover (right)

                                                

Vanilla Goat's Milk (left) , Papaya Toasted Coconut (right)

 

Lavender Shea Butter (left),  Tea Tree & Lavender Hemp (right)

I'm going to tell you guys that my favorite type of soap is anything with goat's milk in it. The soaps with goat's milk make my skin feel so soft. I'm going to post the descriptions of the soaps and ingredients from Sunfeather's website and then give my review on the soaps.

Cranberry Rose
Description: Perfect your day with this romantic cranberry & rose soap. Mildly astringent, it will leave your skin feeling perfectly clean while offering a rose-tempered fruity scent.

Ingredients: Saponified oils of Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil* and Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil*, Pelargonium Graveolens (Rose Geranium) Oil, Natural Cranberry Aromatic, Iron Oxide, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract. * Made with certified organic oils.

Honey, Goat's Milk & Honey
Description: A beautiful milk and honey complexion soap fresh from our friendly goats, blissful bees and merry meadows. Gentle cleansing power you can use from head to toe. **Great for sensitive skin!**

Ingredients: Saponified oils of Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut)* and Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil*, Titanium Dioxide, Honeycomb and Vanilla Essence blended from Naturally Derived Aromatics, Sweetgrass Essence blended from Naturally Derived Aromatics, Goats’ Milk Powder, Clover Honey, Beta Carotene (Natural Color), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract. * Made with certified organic oils.

Vanilla Goat's Milk
Description: For those with sensitive skin, this blend is infused with both goat’s milk that you can actually see with a mild hint of natural vanilla to leave the skin with an extra-moisturized gentle touch. **Great for sensitive skin!**

Ingredients: Saponified oils of Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil* and Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil*, Goats’ Milk Powder, Natural Vanilla Aromatic, and Titanium Dioxide (Natural Color), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract. * Made with certified organic oils.

Papaya Toasted Coconut
Description: Tropical blend of pulpy papaya powder and freshly toasted coconuts to properly pamper your pugnaciously pretty pucker! This soap is truly a culinary pleasure for your skin!

Ingredients: Saponified Oils of Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil* and Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil*, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract Powder, Shredded Cocos Nucifera (Coconut), Natural Vanilla Aromatics, Natural Cranberry Aromatic, Litsea Cubeba (Litsea) Oil, Paprika Oleoresin (Color), Cinnamomum Zeylanicum (Cinnamon) Leaf Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract*. * Made with certified organic oils.

Lavender Shea Butter
Description: Refresh and condition your skin with this mildly astringent face & body soap. Scented with fine-quality lavender essential oil and superfatted with an ample portion of skin moisturizing shea butter.**Ideal for normal to dry skin types**

Ingredients: Saponified oils of Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil* and Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Lavandula Hybrida (Lavendin) Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Grape Extract, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxide, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract. * Made with certified organic oils.

Tea Tree & Lavender Hemp
Description: Rich in essential fatty acids, while also possessing the highly esteemed antibacterial properties of tea tree oil; this soap invigorates and rejuvenates dry and sun-damaged skin types. It both purifies and nourishes the skin as it gently rinses away excess oil and dirt, making it an ideal cleansing bar for blemish-prone skin. *****

Ingredients: Saponified Oils of Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil* and Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil*, Lavandula Hybrida (Lavendin) Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil, Cymbopogon Flexuosus (Lemongrass) Oil, Lemongrass Herb, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil, Titanium Dioxide (Natural Color), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract*. *Made with certified organic oils.
(Source)

All of the Soaps are:

• Artisinal handcrafted soap. 
• Paraben-free, gluten-free, soy-free and vegan soap. 
• Plant-based soaps formulated with certified organic base oils. 
• Scented with essential oils and natural aromatics.

***** The Tea Tree & Lavender Hemp I'm not too sure about. The description didn't list these properties.

My Review

My favorite soap is the Honey, Clover & Goat's Milk. I love the scent of the soap. I've heard of manna from heaven and sweet nectar of life. I'm sure that this soap smells like sweet nectar. The scent of the soap is just delicious. There is no other way to describe it. The soap left my skin very soft and there was a good lather. For all of the soaps if was difficult to judge how good each lathered because the samples were small. Because the surface area is less than that of regular soaps, the true lathering ability of the soaps is hard to determine. 

My second favorite was the Vanilla Goat's Milk. Again, the soap smelled great and left my skin soft. My third favorite was the Lavender Shea Butter. I have a weakness for goat's milk and Shea butter. My fourth favorite was the Cranberry Rose. To me, the soap had sort of a wine smell or spicy scent. I liked the soap plus I'm not sure if they were rose petals but there is something on the soap that allows you to exfoliate. At least that's what I used it for. It was cool to just rub the soap on my skin to clean it without having to use a wash cloth. My fifth favorite was Papaya Toasted Coconut. I think the soap smells more like papaya. It has  a very sweet scent. This soap also has something in it that I'm again assuming helps with exfoliation. Finally, the Tea Tree & Lavender Hemp was a scent that I had to get used to. I didn't realize until I bought a bottle of tea tree oil how strong the scent to tea tree is. This soap does not have the overwhelming scent of tea tree oil thankfully. This soap also had an exfoliating effect. There were pieces of hemp in the soap. One the website the Tea Tree and Lavender Hemp soap has been named as a customer favorite.

Overall, I was very pleased with the soaps. All of them smelled great and did not leave dye stains in the tube. I really like how the soaps are organic and handmade. Plus they have essential oils. The packaging was nice. I'm not sure if they sell the samples but I can see myself using the samples as stocking stuffers, gifts for bridesmaids ( You can gift something else with these), gifts for grandmom or granddad, mother's day, soaps for visiting guests, organic soaps for the kids, spa day for you... I'm sure that Bed & Breakfasts' would love these soaps. Or even places for Glamping (I'll explain that later). Of course these soaps are also great for daily use. Seriously, I couldn't wait to come home and run a warm bath. I felt relaxed and refreshed after using the soaps. Not to mention clean. 

I just want to thank Sunfeather for allowing me to try out their awesome soaps! I was not paid to write this review. 

What do you guys think? Have you all tried out Sunfeather Soaps before? Are you a regular user of handcrafted soaps. Leave a comment with your experience. Thanks for reading!