Herbal Essences Bio Renew

So I got a new Vox Box and I need to tell you about it!

Herbal Essences Bio Renew! First off it Smells AMAZING!!! 

Thanks to Influenster and the amazing Vox Boxes that they send me I got to sample not one but two full size products this time! Cucumber and Green Tea Shampoo and Foaming Conditioner.... Yes I Said FOAMING! Being brutally honest I am not sure if foaming conditioner is a new thing, or if I am just really late to this party, but it is incredible!oh also you can use the foaming conditioner in the shower.... 

What ?? Shut the front door, Foaming Conditioner in the shower! awesome. Ok maybe it is just me and the fact that I like new things like this. I will admit if you use the foaming conditioner, don't attempt it in a small confined shower like mine, where no matter where you move or how you adjust the shower head you will still get water on you. best used for larger showers! I slightly felt as though I was suddenly a contortionist trying to keep the water off of my head as I worked the foam into my long obnoxious hair! So I hate conditioners that make my hair feel heavy or anything that weighs it down. My hair already lacks any volume, and is flat as flat gets. I cant even begin to tell you the struggle I have had my entire life with trying to get it to curl. It will curl for a whole three seconds and then starts to flatten out again, no matter what amount of hair spray or teasing you do to it....give it 2 hours and it will be flat. 

Also how about the Shampoo. It leaves my hair smelling amazing and so clean and it goes such a long way!! 

anyhow here is the end result when my hair was dried and "styled"

My hair felt so Feathery I guess you could say and god was it soft! I have to say if you are in the market for a new shampoo I would recommend Herbal Essences Bio Renew!
check out the ingredients here
also if you want to get your own vox boxs going click the link below and join!!! free stuff never hurt anyone!
www.influenster.com/r/3209158


*This was not a paid post. My honest opinions were used, they are solely my own & they may vary from others.The products mentioned below have been provided by Herbal Essences and Influenster for the review free of charge.

Getting Lost in a Good Book

Good Morning Readers! 

This one is for all of you who like a good book! So I have been on a reading kick lately and I am swimming in a specific book series! I found the first one on Book Bub for FREE! No strings attached. So this site is great, it features thousands of books, for free or at a discounted cost! I use it all the time! 

So for me it is very hard to get settled into and finish a book, let alone four of them in a week. with working, blogging, having a family that keeps me sooo busy. but these books are so captivating! I just could not put it down!

The writer is Denise Grover Swank! Now if you have read her books you know what I am talking about! She was born in Kansas City, Missouri and she is a New York Times and USA Today Best selling Author. She has nine different series of books! she is a talented and skilled writer. she keeps you on your toes and you can really visualize her words. 

So the book that I found on Book Bub is called The Substitute

 

This book is the first of three main books and one extra book. In this you will be introduced to Drama, Romance ( lots of it!) insanity and lots of laughs! Megan Vandemeer is dealt a rough hand to start but she takes it and rolls with it. Her and her two best friends from childhood, Blair and Libby make a pact to be married by thirty, but when a fortune teller curses their pact they do not take it to heart. Until it starts to happen!  

Book number two in this series is The Player. 

This is Blair's story! This one really gets in deep and gives you more insight to the wedding pact Trio. I loved this one because I really loved "watching" ( when i said you really visualize these characters I am not kidding)  Blair transform and grow! 

Book Number three is The Gambler

This is Libby's Story! This story will do just as the two prior did, it will keep you guessing and leave you wanting more. Libby has just watched the curse come true for her two friends, she feels a deadline approaching as she nears her thirtieth birthday! 

The fourth book of the Wedding Pact Series is The Valentine. These three books really do a lot of crossing over and referencing to one another, Denise Grover Swank wrote an fourth book to really tie it all in and give you a bit more closure to the girls and their stories! 

The story for this friend Trio does not end here though! Currently I am now finding myself deep in the Bachelor Brotherhood! It starts with Kevin Vandemeer and his two childhood friends Matt and Tyler! With Appearances from Megan, Knickers, Everyone's Favorite Grandma, as well as Blair and Libby. After Kevin, Tyler and Matt all promise To take a hiatus from women, the bachelor brotherhood is created.

After only a few days I am on Chapter 27 of 37. It has kept me just as hooked as the wedding pact and is just as thrilling! I Cant say much for the second books of the Bachelor Brotherhood, but If they are anything like Only You and The Wedding Pact, I am sure they are worth it! I will come back and update them as I finish each Book!

Book one is Only You  

This is Kevin's Story. Megan lands Kevin in a mess of a home, right next door to cousins Holly and Melanie. Serendipity really takes control of Kevin Vandemeer the way it swept up his sister Megan and her three friends!

Book Two is Until You 

This is Tyler's Story

Book Three is Always You

This is Matt's Story

So if you like Romance, Laughs and a book series that will keep you coming back I really recommend checking out Denise Grover Swank and The Wedding Pact!

 

Get Air!!!

Happy 2018 Readers! Welcome into the new year, a new you, a new me a new 365 days to make the world a better place! This is the time of yer where we make resolutions and we all want to better ourselves. Some of us do and some of us don't. 

 

This year I don't care if I lose 100 pounds, or if i vow to save more money. Both of those things would be great by my real goal this year is to spend more time with my loved ones and less time worrying.

Last year and the last few prior years has brought nothing but worry and stress, and while I know every tomorrow holds uncertainty, but I want to take all of my worry and make it something positive! 

So this year our family started it out with an awesome memory. For Christmas my mom bought us gift certificates for Get Air in Yakima,Washington. 

So on January 1st me and D2 brought our kiddos to Get Air to spend a bit there. we spent a little over an hour and we had a blast!!

 

 

The kids had a blast and where well exhausted when we left! D2 sat back and didnt want to jump, while I put on some jump socks and got in the mess with the kids. I found out that I am not anywhere near in shape, and trying to fight off a cold while I jump is a feat. I had so much fun with the kids. Chasing Xman around and the girls enjoyed themselves too!  

 

Get air has multiple areas for kids of all ages. They have a mini kids jump area, foam pits, a ladder area, a walk the rope activity, and some basketball and dodge ball! Tons of fun for everyone! They are very affordable and worth it!

 Check out Get Air 

to find a park near you! 

 

Chubby Animal Family

So this post is Special! This post will Feature my first Giveaway!! 

first let me tell you a bit about the item, and who creates it!!

 I just wanna just drop the link for  Moose Blossom right now!!
I have known the Owner of this shop for sometime now( since high school) and she has so many talents! Her Photography and her amazing skills with clay! She makes unique and adorable pieces of jewelry that are a must have in anyone's collection! she makes pieces that are for everyone! 

Rather you are looking for a gift for a kid lover, a foodie, an animal lover or a mom she has something for everyone!  

Her shop features what are called Chubby Animals! I simply love them! 

I like all things unique and home made, so naturally she was a perfect fit for my blog. We got together and she agreed to do a review and the very first giveaway on my blog. 

She made me this Adorable and totally custom Family charm!

 

This necklace features my family of five.

 

 I love this necklace, not only for its unique and adorable features, but I love how lightweight it is. It is no heavier than a normal necklace! This necklace is perfect for any mom, dad or grandparent who wants a family jewelry necklace! 

Now onto the give away!!

 We have decided we will run this contest for a month, I know it seems a bit long but we want the chance for lots of people to be one of the first to get this charm. This charm has not even hit the Moose Blossom etsy shop! 

complete each of the entry steps below and leave a comment on my blog! on January 18th a Winner will be selected, Moose Blossom will get in contact with you and you can tell her what animal you would like and how many in your family! 

Good Luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*This was not a paid post. My honest opinions were used, they are solely my own & they may vary from others.The products mentioned below have been provided by MooseBlossom for the review & giveaway free of charge.

Keep it Simple

Have you ever planned a wedding ? I am sure most of you have. My goodness it is so expensive! I know all the hype with having the dress and the tuxedo, the wonderful and magical wedding. It adds up though. Before you know it you have spent a few thousand dollars if not more! 

Whatever happened to Keeping it Simple.

My gorgeous ring that my love asked me to marry him with on valentines day started to irritate my finger. I thought it was just my ring that was having this issue. But then D2 put his on and after three days what was supposedly a sterling silver ring was now black and most certainly not sterling silver. The ones that where originally sold to us where stamped 925, but after having them sized they no longer had the 925 stamp. Walmart had screwed us. I was so not thrilled.

None the less D2 and I needed new rings. we could not have our rings irritating our fingers and they had to stand longer than 3 days. I wanted ones that where actually sterling silver. D2 needed something he knew would stand up and not damage his fingers during work. 

Thanks to a wonderful Company called Modern Gents Trading Co, they came to the rescue.

  Not only are they keeping it simple with the ring selections, they are keeping the prices simple too!

    They are not going to charge you ten thousand dollars for a set of wedding bands. 

Not only are their rings low cost they have a simple selection! I love the fact that they have a simple selection. It keeps everything much simpler. They don't have five thousand different selections so when you are looking to purchase a ring set you don't spend hours and hours debating on which ones to go with.

First off

Go Visit Mod Gents

 I should not have to Talk Them up. Their brilliantly designed site, low prices and gorgeous rings speak for themselves. 

But The point of this post is to talk them up!! So let me show you the rings we got! 

D2 got The Excalibur ring. It is a Tungsten ring, which D2 and I find that pretty important in his line of work.  it has a shiny outer layer on both sides of the ring and the it is a matted type on the outer portion of the ring. it is a very manly type ring and He loves it for his wedding band. it sits very comfortable on his finger, and it isn't too bulky. 

 Find The Excalibur here

As far as Mine, I got the Evermore Set!

This set is so gorgeous! It is simple and elegant. It is a center stone featuring a halo around it, and a set of stones going halfway down the band on either side. The wedding band is a simple set of stones covering the top half of the band. it slides right under the halo of the engagement band! the Metal is sterling silver. it is perfect for the woman who likes it a bit flashy but nothing to over the top! 

Find The Evermore Here

So go ahead, check them out and consider Mod Gents when making your wedding band purchase and let them help you keep your wedding simple! 

Mod Gents Facebook
Mod Gents Instagram

*This was not a paid post. My honest opinions were used, they are solely my own & they may vary from others.The products mentioned below have been provided by Mod Gents Trading Co. for the review free of charge.

Harvest VoxBox

So today I am back to review another Awesome box I have recieved from Influenster!!! Jam packed with some awesome goodies!! Now not everything in this box has been reviewed yet, well only one thing.

Unfortunatley they are newer to the market and living in a smaller town I cant just run into any store and find them. The items I am talking about right now are called Middles. They are a snack food, and from my understanding is that they are the middle of the awesome treats that all have holes, so a bagel or a pretzel. They are made by Coles bread company. They have six different kinds right now, I would imagine with all of the fuss being made over these snacks that more may come our way!! I am pretty excited for the Sweet Cream Cheese filled ones!!! Hope I can find them soon!!

Now While I am Talking about food, I have to get it all out otherwise I will keep thinking about those delicious thanksgiving left overs in my fridge and I may find myself starting to graze! 

Butter, everyone uses butter of some form and if you are like me you use it quite a bit. I Love country Crock! Even when it is frozen it is easy to spread. I use it in the morning when I have my toast, I use it for greasing up the pan to cook dinner, and even in baking!! It tastes great and comes in more space efficient containers!! I was pleased to find a free butter coupon in my vox box!! 

Ok now lets stop talking food, because again I am starving!! I got a few free samples for Gain Botanicals in my voxbox as well!! So in my house I try to go a more natural route. Especially when it comes to things like Laundry Detergent. My son has eczema and almost anything will cause his skin to freak out. But now we have Gain Botanicals. it is free of dyes, phosphates, and optical brightners.... It is gentle on skin and it is USDA certified biobased! its is 65% plant based. Now my laundry smells awesome and It doesnt freak my kiddos skin out!

Next on my list here is Beauty Products. As a mom ( which I know many of you relate too) it is almost impossible to take care of your kiddos, your husband, chores and clean. Let alone if you are a working mom. Finding time to take care of you is rough. I know I work part time and I am still finding it hard to take care of me. But in this box I was introduced to some products that ROCK!!!! 

  

Eva NYC 10-in-1 Mane Magic Primer

So this stuff is wonderful! I wasn't even aware Hair Primer was a thing. I am in love with the way it smells, what it does to my hair, how manageable it makes my hair, and how it makes my hair about 1000 times easier to style. it has argan oil and Sunflower oil in it ( and I am all about oils.) Argan oil is loaded with all sorts of nutrients and vitamins that help to keep your hair strong and Healthy. you can pick it up at target for around 10.00 but is worth EVERY PENNY.  Normally I wont spend money on Hair products such as this but this one I had to buy. I recieved my sample size there and before it was even close to empty I grabbed one when I went to Target!

Healthy Skin, Everyone wants it right ?? I always find my skin so dry that I have about ten thousand bottles of lotion running around. I have one in each purse ( because I am notorious for switching purses and leaving stuff behind). But I am absolutely in love with this body butter. Tree hut is on of my favorites! It smells great. The one pictured below is my favorite scent of all tree huts products. it is coconut lime. you can find it almost anywhere that sells beauty products, I have purchased mine at Ulta and at Walmart. It leaves my skin nourished and soft. My dry feet and elbows are a thing of the past with this stuff!

Tree Hut Coconut Lime Body Butter

The last Item I want to tell you all about is the Vera Wang Green tea and Pear Blossom Perfume. So I am not normally all about perfumes, I do like things that smell good but I dont go out of my way to wear perfume. I am a tomboy type, so make up and perfumes are not my thing. But this stuff I am Crazy About! I love the way it smells. It is sweet and subtle. It does not knock you off your feet and even my hubby loves how it smells! Yes it is a Vera Wang Product, But it does not have a Vera Wang Price Tag. After doing my research I can get it for as little as 20.00 for a Gift Set!!

   

Vera Wang Green Tea and Pear Blossom

This box is Fabulous, I was so excited to get to explore the different items in it! Thanks Again Influenster for hooking this up!

*This was not a paid post. My honest opinions were used, they are solely my own & they may vary from others.The products mentioned below have been provided by Inluenster, Vera Wang, Tree Hut, Eva NYC, Coles Bread Company, Gain and Country Crock for the review free of charge.

girls are supposed to be petite.....

so the other day I took the kids to the park to play, as I watched our youngest daughter chase our son around, I overheard a mother and her young son talking.

the little boy had asked his mom why his sister- who was 3 or so- was so much smaller than a few girls there around her age. his mothers response without even missing a beat was "because girls are supposed to be petite." he then proceeded to ask what petite was and she clarified that it was small and thin.

I am aware of the fact that this is a bra ad, however the message in this is that sex sells.... why are there not any women featured in this over a size 10 ? 

Now I am not one to judge, and telling your child whatever is your prerogative. But this gal must have never been shamed for her looks growing up.she was maybe 5'6' dark brown gorgeous brown eyes and a small frame.  In todays world we have a lot of folks defining what boys and girls should look like. Men are supposed to be tall, women are supposed to be shorter, men are supposed to be muscular and women need to be thin. This creates such an unrealistic view of what we as individuals look like. so then you have guys and girls out there with this idea of what we are "supposed" to look like and were totally unhappy with the body we have.
I will admit, at a current 319 pounds, I am honestly not thrilled with myself. part of this is because no matter how hard I fight, I am not comfortable in my own skin. Most of my childhood was spent being bullied for my weight, and then the other part is that no matter  when I do get comfortable someone in society, rather it be the stranger on the street or the neighbor next door thinks, " God she is really big, how does someone let themself get that way? " I know I am guilty of it too.

But what really bothers me is that Society feels this need to tell us what a man or  woman should look like. Like just who in the hell made you god and gave you the right to tell us what we as individuals should look like? Get over yourself!
I understand that Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... But why same another person for not being what you personally like ? Why raise up another generation to be such a way ? everyone is different. We do not live in a world of black and white. We are more than just a waist size, a breast and butt size, we do not all need to look the same.
so today right now lets change our thinking of how we view the world. especially for those of you with young ones. for those of you who are showing a whole new generation of little people how to be big people!