Thursday Thoughts

Sometimes you just need a good laugh, am I right?  Life has still been a little crazy lately and I feel myself craving some fun and laughter.  After all, laughter is the best medicine!  I am talking the laugh so hard you cry kind of laughter.  I think I will start with a good comedy for movie night tomorrow and then maybe plan a girls weekend for the not so distant future.  Sometimes you have to create moments where there could be an opportunity for fun & laughter.  A day should be filled with those kind of moments!

**Deals & Steals** Valid 07/31/14 $10.00 or Less!

It's Thursday again and time for Deals & Steals!  This week the focus is $10.00 or less!  I already picked out my two favs for this week, starting with this fun cocktail recipe book from Chronicle Books on sale for only $7.48...plus you can get an additional 5% cash back when you shop through Ebates!

I also love these coin & cosmetic bags from Personal Creations that are on sale for $7.50-$10.00...plus you can get an additional 8% cash back when you shop through Ebates!

As usual the sales are only valid for one day and while supplies last so hurry up and take advantage of these Deals & Steals!

EmFACEize-Review

Protoege Beauty was nice enough to send me some of their *Emfaceize face cream to test out for them and it's been my little secret weapon lately.

I have done a few at home TCA facial peels over the last month or so and I have been using the Emfaceize cream to help soothe, soften and restore my skin.  For anyone who has ever done a facial peel you know how bad your skin dries out and flakes off (not very attractive I might add) and being able to use this face cream helped speed up my healing process immensely.  Emfaceize kept my skin moisturized and hydrated all day long even with it being dried out from the peel.  

Now that my skin has gone back to "normal" I am still using the cream and loving the results.  I have very oily skin naturally so I was a little worried about my skin feeling greasy like it does with other moisturizing creams but I put it on after I use my serum in the morning and it quickly absorbs into my skin leaving it soft and smooth, not greasy at all.  Regular use is suppose to make your skin appear younger, fresher and more translucent so of course I will keep using it!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Vegetarian Quick & Easy - Under 15 Minutes Ebook-Review

Vegetarian Quick & Easy - Under 15 Minutes

Ebookpro sent me this Vegetarian ebook, *Vegetarian Quick & Easy - Under 15 Minutes to do a review and I loved how super easy the recipes are, plus it's only $3.49 on Amazon so what's not to love?

You must know that I am not a Vegetarian, at least not yet, I'm trying to get over my affinity for bacon (insert pic of poor helpless pig here).  I have actually been more interested in becoming a Pescetarian (no that is not a religion, lol).  A Pescetarian only eats fish or other seafood but not the flesh of other animals.  In the meantime, I try to choose foods that are healthy for me & my family and we also eat organic whenever possible.

With Vegetarian Quick & Easy - Under 15 Minutes the recipes are really easy and they also don't consist of a ton of ingredients and they are all ingredients that you most likely have on hand. Quick & easy is a HUGE must for our household but I like I said I also like to try and keep meals as healthy as possible and you can really do that with these recipes.  I made the Cheesy Quesadillas the other night because we are still moving into our new place and time is not something we have a lot of right now and the recipe called for chili flakes and I would have never thought of adding chili flakes to a Quesadilla.  Of course, I only put a few on mine since I can't handle the heat like the rest of my family but it was the perfect amount to add just a little "kick".  Plus, super quick & easy!  (My intention was to take a pic of the masterpiece but by the time I remembered we had eaten them all!)

The author, Jonathan Vine, also provides some great info on what it means to be a Vegetarian and even some tips on how to get organized and actually find time to cook for yourself and your family.

Go to Amazon.com and check it out for yourself!  By the way, I think it would make a great cookbook to get your kids and/or teenagers interested in cooking!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

La Deessa Premium Anti Aging Elixir 20% Vitamin C Elixir Review + Giveaway End 08/14/14 @ 2pm PST

*La Deessa Premium Anti Aging Elixir 20% Vitamin C Serum

I was so excited when I was sent this Vitamin C Elixir from La Deessa to test out for them.  I am already a HUGE fan of Vitamin C Serums of so I was honored to test this Elixir for La Deessa. 

Not only does this Elixir work great, here is a list of all the other benefits it has:

98% Natural

Over 70% Organic

Vegan

Plant-Derived

Alcohol Free

Filler Free

Paraben Free

Sulfate Free

Phthalates Free

Never tested on animals!

I am trying really hard to be conscious of what I am putting on my skin so that fact that this La Deessa Vitamin C Serum is free of all the bad stuff is just an added bonus!  I love that the product is easily absorbed into my skin so I can still use my favorite moisturizer if I wanted to.  I have also noticed that my skin seems brighter and it has even helped lighten my hyperpigmentation and a few of my acne scars as well.  I LOVE it when a product really does what is says it does!

I know, I know, now you want to know how you can get your hands on some for yourself, am I right?  Well, how about getting a bottle for FREE a $79.95 value!!  La Deessa was also gracious enough to sponsor a Giveaway for my readers and they will send a FREE bottle of La Deessa Premium Anit Aging Elixir 20% Vitamin C Serum to 3 lucky winners!  

Not only that, if don't end up winning a FREE bottle then the next best thing is to get 25% off!  La Deessa was also nice enough to give my readers a Promo Code, LAD25OFF to use to get 25% off of $19.95 (List Price Value is $79.95).

Check out the La Deessa website for detailed product information and go to Amazon, here to use your Promo Code, LAD25OFF.

The Giveaway runs from 7/30/2014 11:00 am PST until 8/14/2014 2:00 pm PST, 3 Winners will be chosen at random.  Click on Entry Form link to view Terms & Conditions.

***Each item counts as 1 entry so you can do as many or as little as you want!***

Entry-Form

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Must Have Monday-Memebox Special #29 Scrub Box

It's "Must Have Monday" and I am thinking I MUST have this Scrub Box by MEMEBOX!  If you are new to MEMEBOX and have been wanting a box to call your own then now is a good time.  MEMEBOX is constantly running specials on their boxes so if this Scrub Box does not interest you then they have a ton of other choices that will.  Each regular MEMEBOX contains a surprise of 4-8 full-size/deluxe samples of Korean beauty products.  Here a just a few examples of what they offer for $23.00-$29.00 per box + $6.99 for Shipping:

You can also purchase a SUPERBOX that contains full-sized surprise products only for $23.00-$79.00 per box + $6.99 for Shipping.  Here are few examples of the SUPERBOX:

 I love Korean Beauty and I love MEMEBOX!  I could actually do my "Must Have Monday" post on a few other boxes that I have my eye on but I love a good scrub so the Scrub Box won.  The only bad thing is that the boxes do take awhile to receive but I think they are worth the wait!  Have you tried a MEMEBOX yet?  If so I would love to hear what you thought about it so leave me a comment below...

Xium 100% Pure Green Coffee Bean Extract-Review

Xium 100% Pure Green Coffee Bean Extract

I am all for anything that helps me maintain my weight and I think that *100% Pure Green Bean Extract really does help.  The great people at Xium were nice enough to send me their 100% Pure Green Bean Extract to test out for them.  The science behind Green Coffee Bean Extract is that it is thought to affect how the body handles blood sugar and metabolism.

I take vitamins & supplements everyday as part of my health care routine & to help maintain my weight and I think Xium 100% Pure Green Extract is a great addition to my routine!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Day by Day Beauty Hyaluronic Acid Serum-Review

Day by Day Beauty Hyaluronic Acid Serum

The lovely people at *Day by Day Beauty sent me some of their Hyaluronic Acid Serum to test out for them and I have since become a Hyaluronic Acid convert!  I didn't know much about Hyaluronic Acid so I had to do a little research before I tested it out.  I was shocked to find out that it is found in most hospital burn units for the hydration of severely damaged skin.  I figured it it's used for burned & damaged skin it has to be good for my 41 year old skin.

For those of you that don't already know, I have very oily skin but oily skin needs hydration too and Hyaluronic Acid works perfectly.  Day by Day Beauty Hyaluronic Acid Serum has several other great benefits as well. Such as, plumping skin tissue to soften wrinkles, reduces dark circles around eyes and protects against environmental skin irritation.  Hyaluronic Acid Serum is has become a new favorite beauty product!  Make sure you check out the Day by Day Beauty website to check out all this and other products as well!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

**Deals & Steals** Valid 07/24/14

Yay, back on schedule for Deals & Steals this week!  There is a nice variety of items this week, a little something for everyone.  As usual, I picked my favs and I'm sure it will come as no surprise what I decided to pick.

I love these inspirational pieces from Alisa Michelle.   Super cute choices and in this case the prices really are a steal, regular prices are from $62.00-$110.00, on sale today only for $12.00-$19.00 with promo code GMA!

I also think these headbands from Bindy are super fun!  They are all 50%-54% off today only, sale prices are $14.00 each + FREE Shipping with promo code GMA!

Check out all the other items on Deals & Steals and make sure you hurry sale prices are only valid today and while supplies last!

Nature's Best Vitamin C Serum-Review

Nature's Best Vitamin C Serum

I was sent this *Vitamin C Serum by Mystelic to try out and I am LOVING the results.  This is my first time trying a Vitamin C product and now I am wondering how I survived this long without it!  This particular Vitamin C serum also has Vitamin C, E and Hyaluronic Acid in it and all these ingredients help stimulate collagen production which helps reverse the effects of aging.  I also love it because I have extremely oily skin and the serum soaks right into my skin and I think it has actually helped with keeping my oily skin in check!  As if those benefits were not enough it has lightened my Melasma.  Thank you Mystelic because Vitamin C Serum has now become a "Must Have" in my skin care routine.

Do you already use Vitamin C Serum in your skin care routine or have you thought about adding it?  Let me know by leaving a comment below...

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Hooray for family!

Unfortunately, my blog has been neglected all week because I was trying to get caught up on everything else before I left for an extended weekend of camping with family at our annual "Family Camp".  

I am so blessed to have a close relationship with my Aunts, Uncles and Cousins on both sides of my family and I love it when I get to spend time with them.  Every moment is special & I cherish all of them all!

Do you have extended family that you are close with?  I would love to hear about them so leave me a comment below...

Angled Kabuki Brush by Simply Essentials-Review

Angled Kabuki Brush by Simply Essentials

I have been using the same kabuki brush that for years and you can tell just by looking at it.  I was definitely in the market for a new one so I was beyond thrilled when Simply Essentials send me their *Kabuki Brush to try out.

Just so you know I was using the old school bareMinerals Kabuki Brush for my bareMinerals powder foundation and I really did love that brush which is why I kept it for so long (like 8+ years!).  I have to admit I'm kind of a brush snob and about 99% of the brushes that I have are bareMinerals or other high-end brushes.  So, I was a bit skeptical about this new brush but wanted to try it out anyway.  Well, I am so glad I did!  This Kabuki Brush by Simply Essentials is fantastic!  It's angled which I think helps create a softer look, the bristles are soft & dense, it feels great gliding across your face and it's easy to clean.  This is a high-quality brush for a fraction of the price compared to similar brushes at only $11.49, all that AND it comes with a Lifetime Guarantee!  Seriously what's not to love?

At $11.49 is worth trying out if your a skeptic like I was!  I promise you won't be disappointed!  Are you going to get one?  Let me know if you do by leaving me a comment below...

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

KissMe Organics-Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder-Review

KissMe Organics-Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder

The gracious people at KissMe Organics sent me some of their *Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder to sample and I am so glad they did!  I am a huge fan of tea in general, I usually drinks a few cups a day and Green Tea is one of my favs so I was really excited about trying out this Matcha Green Tea Powder.  I have been enjoying my Matcha Green Tea everyday and being able to make it as strong as I want it, which is pretty strong is a total bonus.

I love the idea of having it in powder form so that you could make tea, add it to a smoothie or even bake with it, the possibilities are endless!  

In case you didn't already know Matcha Green Tea has some amazing benefits like it detoxifies the body, increases your metabolism, fortifies your immune system and a lot of other great things.  It's a superfood!  I have been enjoying these and all the other benefits from drinking KissMe Organics Organic Matcha Geen Tea!! Now to try making Matcha cupcakes!!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Thursday Thoughts

My life has been so crazy busy that I feel like I haven't even had time to think.  What I really need is a vacation!  I know, who doesn't!  But seriously, sometimes life just gets in the way and we forget that we need to take care of ourselves.  I have definitely become a victim of this.  I really do feel like I just want to sit and be quiet and hear nothing.  I think it would be good for me, myself and I.

How do you make sure you are taking care of yourself?  I would love to hear how you do it and I am open to any suggestions so let me know in the comment section below...

Love My Nivea

I have always been a huge fan of anything Nivea so when I received a sample of the Skin Firming Hydration in my Spring Fling VoxBox from Influenster I was pretty excited.  I ended up loving it so much I went out and bought the full-size bottle...along with a few other things!

If you haven't tried Nivea's Skin Firming Hydration then I totally recommend that you do!  Not only did it leave my skin feeling moisturized all day I really think it made my skin look smoother just like they claim it should.  I also LOVE the Nivea A Kiss of Care & Color lip balms.  I have 2 colors, Pink & Coral.  They leave my lips moisturized with a hint of color.  Perfection in a little stick!

My other Nivea product I can't live without is the Nivea Soft Creme.  This stuff has become my nightstand favorite because I slather it on right before bed and it leaves my skin super soft and it smells great too!

Do you love Nivea?  I am dying to know what your favorite products are so please share them with me by leaving a comment below...

**Deals & Steals** Valid 07/10/14

It's Deals & Steals Thursday!  There is some pretty cool stuff this week and here a couple of my personal favs...

 I am loving this super cute cosmetic case from LoLo Bag!  Regular price is $35 but today through July 12th @ 8am EST you can get it for 50% off, just enter coupon code GMA at checkout!  They have a fantastic assortment of bags and accessories so be sure to check them out and take advantage of the 50% off!  I have to tell you there are a ton of things from Lolo Bag that I LOVE!

I also adore these fun necklaces from La Soula!  These are 55% off right now so instead of $60 you can pick one up for only $27.00, today only & while supplies last.  Also, shipping is only $3.99.  I love the fact that you can create your own.  If you don't grab one of these for yourself I think they would also make an awesome gift!

I actually really like everything this week, it was really hard to pick just two!  So, be sure to take advantage of all the deals this week and get something nice for yourself or maybe (I hate to even say it!) start Christmas shopping early...

**This Is Fit Tuesdays**

Since the Bikini Series from the Tone It Up gals is over I thought I would change up my "Tone It Up Tuesdays" posts and make my posts about anything pertaining to staying fit.  I will still be referencing the Tone It Up gals a lot since they are a great source of motivation and inspiration.  

For today's post I found this awesome recipe (courtesy of Pinterest) for a drink that promises to boost our metabolism and give us some much needed energy!  Since I already take a shot of Unfiltered Organic Apple Cider everyday this is right up my alley!  Yum, it tastes good and it's good for you!  This is a win,win!

Must Have Monday-Large Wine Sippy Cup & Beer Sippy Cup

The weather where I live has been so HOT and our favorite thing to do is float the river.  Floating the river is not complete without our floating cooler filled with yummy snacks and our favorite beverages.  I would love to add these Wine & Beer Sippy cups to our river arsenal so I am adding them to my "Must Have" list!  How fun are these?  You can purchase them @ www.givesimple.com, $15.95 for the Large Wine Sippy Cup and $15.99 for the Beer Sippy Cup.  I also think these would be a great gift idea!  What do you think?  I would love to hear your thoughts so leave me a comment below...

Must Have Thursday?

I have been on overload this week and running a little behind on everything.  Well, I say better late than never!  So instead of Must Have Monday I am doing a "Must Have" Thursday!  Great timing too since we have the 4th of July holiday coming up and there are some fantastic sales going on!  My "Must Haves" are 2 makeup collections on sale and on Easy Pay over at QVC.

In case you don't already know I am a die hard bareMinerals fan so of course I had to have a "Must Have" bareMinerals pick!  This bareMinerals 8-piece Collection is not only a great deal at only $85.00 you can also get it for 5 Easy Pays @ QVC!

My other "Must Have" is the Bobbi Brown 5-piece Nude Basics Collection.  This collection is on sale for $96.75 and is also on 5 Easy Pays @ QVC!

They are both great values and so gorgeous it makes it impossible to decide!  Are you going to take advantage of these or any other 4th of July sales?  I would love to hear what you plan on picking up during this great sale weekend so leave me a comment below!  As always, be sure to shop through Ebates so you can get your additional 2.5% on your QVC purchases!!