Ready for a New Year of Fun? Help the Girls in Your Life Have Fun All Year Long!

If you are subscriber to my YouTube channel,

then you are undoubtedly acquainted with my daughters, Jada and GiGi. If you're not a subscriber, what are you waiting for?!? Click here to subscribe now! 

 

 

They have been doing Unboxing videos of the monthly subscription box for girls, The Boodle Box, for quite some time now, and it is truly a big splash of fun each month for them. Here's their latest, the January 2016 preview:

 

BelloCrate Box #4: Turmeric, Vanilla Coffee, Ginger, Mango, Watermelon Seed Oil...Food For Your Skin?!?

The latest BelloCrate Box

has really blown me away with all the "Foodie" ingredients the products contain!

Chomps Snack Sticks: Amazingly Tasty, Healthy & Portable Paleo & LCHF Snacks!

One of the problems you have when you upgrade your way of eating to Paleo and Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) is that most portable snacks out there are grain-based.

That, and they usually have loads of sugar and other junk you don't want to put into your body.

I tried making my own grain-free granola-type bars for portable use, but they crumbled into a mess!

Then I bought a few of the healthier bars out there, but they usually still had more carbs than my body likes, plus they had a few "iffy" ingredients that I wasn't very happy about.

 

But then I met Chomps!

 

The Perfect Gift for Moms or Moms to Be

Recently, I was introduced to a new subscription service for moms like me...moms who care about being healthy, about the health of their children, about the health and wellbeing of our earth.

That subbie box is Ecocentric Mom.

 

What is Ecocentric?

Who Won the Massive Fall Beauty Giveaway?

A big Congratulations to...

My Newest All Natural Subscription Box: Bello Crate!

What's more fun than getting a gift in the mail?

Getting one each month!

 

You guys know I love subscription boxes.

Since switching out my beauty product from chemical-laden to all natural, I had to give up several subbies, like Glossybox and Ipsy, because their products tend to be full of icky stuff.

There were only a couple of all natural subbies to start, but as people are beginning to realize what you put on your skin goes into your system, too, the world of natural beauty is expanding to meet the demand.

 

My newest all natural subscription box in this beautiful, good-for-you (and good for the world) niche:

Bello Crate

 

Quick, Easy, Low Carb Recipe: Shrimp Alfredo on Zoodles!

Today my daughter had soccer at 11:30, so the game wasn't over until almost 1. We had a few errands to run while we were out and about. By the time we made it home at 2:30, we were all starving!

Being low carb can sometimes seem like a pain, because you can't just pop some corndogs in the oven, or microwave a burrito, or pick up a pizza. But, there are actually lots of quick, easy options that can keep you in ketosis.

 

Today I pulled lunch off from start to finish in under 20 minutes!

Fall 2015 Massive Beauty Product Giveaway!

First admission:

I meant to have this giveaway at late summer, but I have been swamped lately. Too much to do, not enough time to do it all. Sorry, y'all.

 

Second admission:

Most of this is stuff I don't want.

Subscription Box Without Letdown? Yes, Please!

From my posts and videos on YouTube, you've probably assessed that I am a fan of Subscription Boxes.

I get several and even my sweet little girls get a couple.

Some call it Subscription Addiction!

Guilty as charged.

 

But what if you don't like getting duplicates, odd colors that are all wrong for you, skin care items that don't work for your skin type?

There's a Box for THAT.

Physician's Formula Organic Wear CC Cream...Natural, But Any Good?

Finding natural foundation that works is REALLY hard!

100% Pure All Natural Blueberry Mascara Smells Divine, But Does It Perform?

In my July Goodebox I received a full size all natural mascara from the brand 100% Pure.

I've never tried out an all natural mascara, so I was skeptical, but very hopeful, still.

Goodebox Summer Bonus Box! Totally worth $20!

Goodebox is a wonderful subscription box service that sends you natural beauty and wellness products each month for $21 per month. There are discounts if you choose 3, 6, or 12 month options...bringing the price down as low as $18 per month.

This was my June 2015 Goodebox

 I've been very pleased so far with the monthly offerings, and the July box that I just got is no exception.

But what I really want to talk about now is their Bonus Boxes.

All Natural Mask with Only ONE Ingredient!

Sometimes when you read through the ingredients list of beauty products, you can feel like you need a PhD in chemistry...trying to figure out all those weird sounding ingredients.

Even with some "Natural" products, it can be tough, because some natural ingredients can have really scientific sounding names.

But with a new mask I just tried out, there's only 1 ingredient, and it's all natural: Moroccan Lava Clay (Argile).

My NATURAL Serum Kicks Butt With Vitamin C, Retinol, Hyaluronic Acid, Salicylic Acid & Naicinamide!

My serum is better than yours!

(Boasted with complete childish sarcasm!)

Seriously, I have found THE serum.

It's my Holy Grail face care product.

In my (almost) 42 years, I've never used a product that not only delivered so much, but did it affordably ($22.89), AND its NATURAL!

Yes...it's all that, Girls.

Check it out:

Hot Flashes, Night Sweats & Mood Swings, Oh My! Help!!

**UPDATED...BELOW**
Even though I haven't quite reached my 42 birthday, my hormones have been getting wackier and wackier over the last couple of years. For about 8 months I've been having hot flashes. Not fun, but totally manageable for me. I just grab up whatever's near by and fan myself wildly for the minute or two it occurs, then life goes on.

But...

But!!!

Then I started having night sweats!

VERY not fun.

 

Being awakened several times a night feeling like you are in the pits of Hades simply does not make for a well-rested, happy person come morning!

Hello Internet!

Who Won the Spring Surplus Giveaway & All That Beauty Stuff??

A big Congratulations to

Kristina T

of New Mexico...

...whose Follow on Twitter was the randomly selected

winning entry!

The New, Improved Yves Saint Laurent MASCARA VOLUME EFFET FAUX CILS

Thanks to Influenster, I got to try out the new, improved formula that YSL used on their classic MASCARA VOLUME EFFET FAUX CILS. This mascara is supposed to give a "False Lash" effect.

Since mascara looks are VERY subjective

(some want length, some want volume, some want definition, some want very dramatic lashes, others want more natural looking lashes), I won't try to tell you about how good or bad it is. What I'll do is show you what the mascara looks like on me.

Spring Surplus Giveaway! Lots of Beauty Products!

It's time to clear out the surplus beauty products again!

Forget Pills! Absorb Your Vitamin B12 & Your Magnesium?

Although I must take a number of pills, I don't enjoy it.

Especially those big horse pills!

When I can find an alternative way to take my supplements and vitamins, other than pills, I'm all for it. I try to get as many of my vitamins naturally, through my food, as possible. But some levels are just not going to be achieved through food alone, so I must supplement.

I recently found a very cool alternative method for a couple of vitamins I like to take:

absorbing through the body's largest organ...the skin!

  

Getting Rid of Dandruff & Flaking Naturally

In our family, there are a few of us who suffer from dandruff.

I get seasonal dry scalp flaking, from time to time.

We've tried lots of different things over the years, including prescription strength shampoo. Some of it has worked, some of it didn't. But everything we tried had chemicals and other unnatural stuff in it, which I'm trying to avoid now, because it's...

not good for you, not good for the earth.

I'm VERY happy to report that I've found an answer to both the Dandruff issue AND the occasional dry scalp flaking, and it's natural!

 This is Pura D'or.

Getting My Gut Straight: The REAL Scoop On Probiotics & Why Many Are a Waste

So, you've noticed that I'm talking more and more about using things that are natural, organic, whole, and such...whether it's in my hair, on my face, or in my body.

 

But why?

Get Your Glow On! All Natural Dead Sea Mud Mask Review

I've been having a touch of hormonal acne

(thank you Time Of Month), so I was needing a little extra-special facial care.

 

I decided to try out the "Pure & Essential Minerals Dead Sea Mud Mask" this weekend. In my quest to find all natural beauty care, I had recently come across it. It is available on Amazon, currently for $24.77.

 

 The mask's main ingredient (and first on the ingredient list) is lovely greenish-gray Dead Sea Mud. This comes from THE Dead Sea...you know...the one between Israel and Jordan?

Going Natural For Cheap?! Radha Skincare's WorkHorse Duo of Organic Oils to the Rescue!

As previously mentioned, I'm trying to slowly convert more of my life to natural, organic and sustainable products.

I can't do it all at once, because that would be costly and a bit emotionally painful (goodbye to most of my current makeup!)...but I can do little bits here and there.

 

I recently found a few GREAT products that fit into my plan BEAUTIFULLY.

I Quit Coffee! Here's How I Survived...

First, let me say that you are going to be noticing a shift here at the blog...towards things natural and organic. As my drive to be healthier and happier progressed, I realized that I needed for ALL of the products in my life to move toward natural and organic. I've been working on buying organic, whole foods for a while, now. But I just recently decided that it's time to change over all the products that my family uses, as well. So, you will be seeing lots more reviews for things that are natural and organic. I think this is the natural progression of the "Health Movement" and I hope you will join me in making some switches, too.

Dreaded Sunspots! A $125 Japanese Serum to Fix Them?

A little over 3 weeks ago, I received a brand new

(so new that it's just now available in the US)

product that originated in Japan. It's supposed to diminish the appearance of spots and also help brighten the appearance of skin. 

I got it free from Influenster for testing/review purposes.

This EQUITANCE Brightening Serum & Spot Corrector retails for $125 HERE.