J'Adore Voxbox 2014

J'Adore VoxBox Overview and First Impressions!

Hey y'all! I was fortunate enough to be selected for an amazing J'Adore VoxBox....I eagerly awaited (ok, so I cyberstalked the mailman) the beloved box. Sadly, I am super sick and had no energy to do an actual unboxing video for this box, but I'll try to whip up something soon. I wanted to go ahead and give ya'll a peek at what was in this voxbox.

First thing I noticed was a huge bag of Hershey Kisses, Milk Chocolates (the 18.5oz bag!) -- Retail $5.29. These were immediately opened and enjoyed by everyone in my family. The 2 yr old keeps finding my hiding place for the remainder of them... naughty little booger. :) They work wonderfully as potty training incentives. As well as a treat for myself when potty training stresses me out! ;)

The Red Rose Simply Indulgent Teas -- Retail $4.49 20 ct --  were what I noticed next. Three Creme Caramel and one decaf Lemon Chiffon tea bags, each with $1 coupons attached. They also came with a card that had another coupon on it for $2 off Red Rose teas! Being a tea lover, I was very happy to try them. Incredibly tasty and smooth. Literally tasted like dessert!

Next, I picked up Boots Botanics, Ionic Clay Mask Shine Away -- Retail $9.99. I LOVE spa masks, so this made me super happy. I will be doing a dedicated blog post about this fantastic stuff, so I'll save all the good stuff for later. But let me say this, if you have clogged pores or oily skin: This is for you!

The next two things, I am having a hard time trying to figure out how and when I'm going to try them out. The Frizz Ease 3-Day Straight Flat Iron Spray -- Retail $9.99, will be easier for me to use since it's a spray and simple to use. But I haven't been straightening my hair lately... really embracing my curls/waves. BUT I will make an exception if this product really does work for 3 days! :) The less I have to do to my hair, the better! -- UPDATE -- I used it over the weekend and YES. I love how incredibly smooth my hair was! I can't wait to see how it does in 100% humidity since Spring is now upon us. :)

The KISS Looks So Natural Lashes -- Retail $3.99 , seems a little daunting. I've never done anything with fake lashes, so I'm nervous about trying them. It will make for some awesome selfies though. :)

The Last product that was in my box was something to share with my husband. Vaseline Men Spray Lotion --  Retail $7.99, was a very interesting product! I love the idea of a spray on lotion. My husband has used it a handful a times, but my son is super thrilled about using it and smelling "like a man". And yes... it is very manly smelling indeed.

So that's all for now! I am so thankful to have the opportunity to test out all these products for free, so Thanks Influenster!! :) It's always fun to try new things and give my honest opinion. If you are interested in doing the same, become an Influenster too at Influenster.com . :)

TaTa, Nellers

Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Review

So I gave ya'll a little review of the Not Your Mother's Clean Freak dry shampoo that I received from Influenster a while ago, but today I wanted to a little more in-depth now that I have been using it for a while.

   We've already talked about my shampooing habits, so you should know that I don't wash my hair but two times a week. I find that I like to use NYM's Clean Freak on days when I just rinse my hair (like after a workout). I will let my hair air dry, then use the product to freshen it up if there seems to be a but of shine going on. Of course, I also use this to prolong a blow out! It's great for that! I can easily go 3 days with a little help from this stuff.

   At first, I figured the price would be too much for me but I looked up on Ulta's website and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was just $5.99 for a 7 ounce can. Definitely a price I feel comfortable with paying. The small 1.6oz can that I am using  has lasted me all month and it still feels like I have quite a bit left in there. I wouldn't doubt a 7oz can would last me a good while!

   Comparing the NYM's Clean Freak to the Suave Keratin Dry Shampoo that I had used before, I would say that the NYM's far exceeds my expectations. The first difference I noticed was the smell. The Suave brand was very overpowering but Clean Freak was a slight lemon scent that didn't bother me at all. The consistency of the NYM's Clean Freak was light, refreshing feel... No grimy-ness after a while either! It sprayed out evenly and hasn't clogged up on me so far.


   So all in all, I like Not Your Mother's Clean Freak! I look forward to trying more of their products. If you are wondering, it received a 6 on the EWG's Skin Deep website. So it is on the higher side, but not terribly so.

Thanks to Influenster for giving me the opportunity to review this product!

Ciao for now!

Nellers

Violet VoxBox Reviews -

I love getting things in the mail. No email or Text can compare  to the thrill I get from opening the mailbox and seeing my name on a letter or package!  Yesterday, I was delighted to receive a box full of goodies compliments of Influenster. I did a video on Instagram and one on YouTube of the unboxing of the Violet VoxBox, but I wanted to do the individual reviews on here.

I first tried my Dark Chocolate SoyJoy bar [Retail $ .99] and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I had tried them before about 6 years ago when SoyJoy had a promotion. I wasn't a fan of the taste/texture. Now however, not sure if my tastes have changed but I really enjoyed the one I got with my voxbox! The dark chocolate was just what I was looking for to go with my morning coffee. GMO and nut free and 140 calories make it a great snack for someone like me who can't have peanuts and is looking to stay slim and healthy! :)

The second item I got to try out was the Montagne Jenuesse Clay Spas [Retail $2.49]. The Red Earth Clay Spa mask. When I came home from work, my dear son was ready for a nap so after I put him down, I decided it was the perfect time to test out my mask!  What a glorious occasion it was! The instructions were easy to follow and scent was sweet. The mask was so very refreshing and felt luxurious on my skin. I used to get these types of masks all the time when I was a teenager. It was the highlight of my Friday night...that and scaring the crap out of my brothers that got to see my face covered in some sort of goop! :) I think I will have to make it a habit again. Definitely will be repurchasing this!


While using the mask, I used this bad boy to keep my wild hair out of my face. The Goody Athletique Ouchless Headwrap [Retail $6] is reversible and quick drying. I think the best thing about this is that is really did stay in place! I have the hardest time with most athletic head bands like that. It wasn't too tight either. During this afternoon's workout, I got to try it out in its intended environment and was pleased to see how it held up. Kept my hair in check and didn't slide around!

The next product I want to talk about its the Not Your Mother's Clean Freak refreshing dry shampoo [Retail $5.99] . I have only tried one other brand of dry shampoo and wasn't a fan of it. I was very excited to this one. You already know that I only wash my hair twice a week, so a good dry shampoo is a necessity. The bottle was cute and it smelt so good! It worked like a dream and didn't bother my sensitive scalp. I might have to get a full sized bottle of this when I run out!

My nails are still wet as type this. I am not a bright nail color kind of girl. as least I thought i wasn't. i LOVE this Triple Shine by Sally Hanson in Play Koi [Retail $4.99]. I love the brush shape, is that weird? its not blunt, but rounded so I don't get polish all over my finger. Super shiny and from the one nail i painted over the weekend, mostly chip free (i may have bumped the paint before it was dry. lol). One or two coats of this stuff and you're good to go! I will definitely have to look for more colors soon. :)

 So all this awesome stuff came compliments of Influenster for testing purposes. I have given my honest opinion in the reviews. :)

Ciao for now,
Nelle

Violet VoxBox 2013

After waiting for what felt like an eternity, the Violet VoxBox finally came! :) Here is the unboxing -- I will do the reviews on each item soon, so stay tuned!


*Nelle*

Had to Google "How To Remove Coconut Oil from Couch"...

... Well, as it happened, the toddler and I caught a cold soon after we bought that eucalyptus oil. So I thought I'd make some homemade vicks with some coconut oil. I had a little container for it and everything. I, however, forgot that coconut oil melts very quickly in warm temperatures. So one night after bathing toddler, we went to sit on the couch so I could diaper and dress him and put the coconut oil mix on him. One slight bump of the hand when I opened the container and a blob of oil spilled out onto my couch! To make matters worse, when I went to get a towel to clean it up, I hastily left the container on the side table.... and toddler thought he'd help out. Thus, spilling the majority of the contents alllllllll over the couch.  I came back and wanted to shoot myself!
I immediately started blotting the oil with a rag and then some paper towels. Stopped to google "how to remove coconut oil from couch". There is always a hundred different ways to do something, so I picked a few and prayed they'd work!
I used some of my vinegar/Dawn carpet/couch cleaner mix at first. Sprayed it on, blotted it with a rag. Then for like 12 hrs, I let baking soda sit on the spots. I vacuumed it up then put corn starch on the spots and let that sit for about 6 more hours. The spot was still a little visible, but not too much. Now, however, I can't see any spot! I think the oil must have transferred from the couch to our clothes or something.
Either way, there's no spot and for that I am thankful.
So, just in case you ever make the same mistake... here's one way to do it!

... Garden update! I have three little cucumbers growing! My pumpkin plant may not make it because it had powdery mildew but I am hopeful. My zucchini plants are all gone. I pulled up the last two that were barely surviving. Covered the whole plot with freshly dropped leaves. We'll try again next year. I'm reading up on gardening and planning my spring garden. :) I've bought more lavender and planted it... but everyone I've talked to said they've never been able to grow it here. My Basil is still doing well. I moved a few plants inside because the weather is getting colder at night. I am hoping they do well inside.

... I'm going to get another VoxBox soon! Really excited about it too. I watched Glow of Grace's unboxing of her Rose VoxBox and now I cant wait to get my Violet Voxbox! I may not do a video, but I'll do a blog version of an unboxing, with pictures and such. :)

... So that's about it. Still slowly trying to potty learn the toddler and also working on weaning him. He's getting to be such a big boy, but still quite the baby at time. <3

Adios!
*Nelle*

No Shampoo for Me, thanks!

Starting earlier this year, I started being mindful of sulfates and parabens in shampoo. My scalp was oh, so angry with my current shampoo selections (Dove and Garnier) ... And my curls were lackluster and frizzy. I had heard of the no poo method before but wasn't ready to take that plunge so I bought some sulfate and paraben free "shampoo" and conditioner that happened to be on clearance. I loved it but I did feel like I has some build up so I used a tip I learned from a Brunette Duet and used baking soda to clarify my hair once a week or so.
Then I began thinking, if I'm going to mix this stuff up every week, I might as well try the " no poo method". So I read a blog, watched a video and then found some old bottles to use.
It took a little while to realize that I don't need to use so much baking soda and that twice a week washes worked best for my scalp.
As of right now, I use 1 tablespoon of baking soda to 1 cup of filtered water plus a drop or two of tea tree oil.  I have also recently added a cleansing conditioner that I found at walmart...a no sulfate/paraben product. I had been just using coconut oil to help moisturize  my hair, but still felt that I needed something else. To me, this stuff seems like it would a dupe for WEN. I really like it, it moisturizes and smooths my hair. The smell is a bit manly, but its grown on me and now I love it.

Today, I finally got my hair cut and I am super happy with how it turned out. First off, I like the girl who cut my hair... This doesn't always happen. Secondly, it was a student salon AND it was half off day. I got an amazing hair cut for $6. You can't beat that with a beatin stick. :) I am interested in seeing how it looks air dried and curled. For now, i'm feeling skinny with this straight hair.

I am super excited to see what's coming in the Violet VoxBox! I hope to do a video unboxing and then blog post reviews on all the products. :)

Ciao for now,
Nelle

Hungry Little Caterpillar

Boy was I naive. I saw one little caterpillar on my zuke plant and thought,"Oooh, look at this little guy..." I flicked him in the bushes. Later that day I look and realize that my poor zucchini plant has been skeletonized! All the leaves had been chewed up! A closer look at all five of the plants gave me a better understanding of why insecticides became so popular in our country. Who really wants to pick off and squash dozens of little green caterpillars ? Well, that's what I did.... *squash*
Darn little bugger's... I will be completely surprised if I get any fruit from my garden. BUT it has been a very good learning experience and I hope to continue to learn. I will say though that I didn't like the "trial and error" process in algebra and I don't love it in gardening either... But at least it keeps me active and slightly tan. :)

In other news, I bought eucalyptus essential oil and have been loving it! I love learning about how different oils can be used for different things. Plus it smells good. ;) I plan on making my own version of Vick's using it and some coconut oil.

I have a new hair product I want to review on here and I'm going to try and do that next week sometime. It's a WEN dupe! :)

Until then, ciao!