Wholesale Costume Club - Review

Halloween is a dramatic .. or should I say traumatic experience around my house. My kids can never decide what they want to be and if they do decide they usually end up changing their minds a gazillion times.

Don't get me wrong .. I love love love Halloween .. even as an adult it brings back all the childhood excitement of trick or treating. I love buying the candy, making the kids halloween cupcakes for school and decorating the house in fall decor. Don't I just sound like the perfect mother ... HA!! You were rolling your eyes at me for a minute weren't you??

I admit that I don't like going Halloween costume shopping .. it is exhausting! I don't like picking through all of the disorganized, overpriced costumes. And really .. there is just no need to. With great online options such as Whole Sale Costume Club you can shop from the comfort of your own toasty home.

I had the amazing opportunity to review a Halloween costume. My daughter and I had so much fun choosing a costume. There are just so many options. She eventually chose this 50's inspired costume ..

It is so adorable and totoally appropriate for a twelve year old. Have you seen some of the short skirts on some Halloween costumes .. umm .. yeah .. not happening. The costume is very good quality and I'm sure will last for years to come.



Personally .. I just think being a good ole fashioned witch is the way to go .. with Whole Costume Club however .. you will have a hard time picking!

Thankyou Wholesale Costume Club for this wonderful opportunity to review your outstanding costumes!

 

Scheduling Exercise

My days are jam packed.

I get up around 6am during the week, get myself ready before the kids wake up, make lunches, make breakfast, take the kids to school, take myself to school, drag myself home, decide what the heck to make for dinner, make dinner, cleanup, go through the kids backpacks, flop on the couch, stare at the tv in a semi-coma daze.

The weekends are no less busy. I have my weight watchers meeting on Saturday morning, from there I usually do a few groceries or errands, come home and do some of my weekly cleaning, bathrooms, floors etc. By this time it's usually dinner time, I'm exhausted and haven't even attempted to do any studying. My husband usually gets the laundry going and is really helpful. If I actually tell him I need help and what needs to be done he is game. Yeah I've given up on the 'you should want to clean' thing .. that was at about three years of marriage if I recall correctly.

Sundays are usually filled with finishing housework, baking for the upcoming week and spending time with the kids. Yeah .. actually talking to them, not trying to get them to stop fighting, jumping, yelling, etc. etc.

It's not hard to see how one can put personal fitness on the backburner. I know most of you are with me here. Being a mom is hard. Whether you stay at home with your kids or not.

I try to exercise at least three times a week. Last week it was two times and I'm really not happy with this. I use to wake up at 5am to get my workout in .. ughhh .. this required some strict self discipline. I don't know how I did it. I do remember however feeling so refreshed afterwards and it really did give me a huge energy boost during the day.

I have great intentions during the day .. yep I am going to workout tonite .. and usually I do .. but lately I've been slacking. I'm trying not to be too hard on myself but I'm really not happy with it. I'm feeling the need to actually write my intentions to exercise down. I make an appointment with my dentist, doctor, hairdresser (okay its been about six months, don't judge) .. so why should I not make fitness appointments with myself?

I'm hoping this will encourage me to live up to my intentions. I am determined not to gain any weight back this year that I have lost. 29 Pounds!! I'm feeling great and loving fitting into some smaller clothes. So .. I pledge to write down my fitness dates with myself in my agenda. The plan is to do four workouts a week. Two cardio and two strength training.

Yep .. high hopes here ladies. Does anybody else schedule their workouts?

Hard Candy Cosmetics - Review

When it comes to makeup I usually stick to the basics. Foundation, powder, blush, eyeshadow, liner, mascara and gloss .. is that the basics? All of a sudden that seems like the works! Maybe because I tend to go for more of a natural and fresh look it doesn't seem like I use that many products. Wow it's amazing how many products it takes to look natural!

I admit to being a past lover of Mac cosmetics. Sure I still buy the odd thing from Mac here and there and have been known to occasionally splurge at the estee lauder counter .. I do honestly believe however, that much cheaper and great quality products can be found elsewhere.
I had the wonderful opportunity to review some products from Hard Candy cosmetics.

I was very impressed by their blush .. I tried 'Living Doll'. It is very pretty and gives a very natural glow with the perfect amount of sheen. Not glittery at all.

I also tried one of Hard Candy's Meteor eyeshadows .. 'Black Hole' .. I find my eyeliner stays on alot longer if I go over it with a fine brush dipped in a little of this eyeshadow.

Hard Candy has a huge selection of products .. as soon as I can get my butt to Walmart I'll be picking up these other eyeshadows ..

High Maintenance

Rock n' Roll



Aren't they just gorgeous?

Hard Candy Cosmetics can be purchased at Walmart and is definitely worth checking out if you are due for treating yourself to a little something. The products are affordable and very good quality!

Charm Factory - Review & Giveaway

Well TGIF I say ... I'm really really looking forward to this weekend .. don't get me wrong .. I have a ton of stuff to do .. groceries, cleaning etc. but I am still looking forward to a couple of days off! Greeting me at the door today was a super cute charm bracelet from Charm Factory. Now who doesn't love a little bling?

My daughter loves this type of jewellery .. she picked the star charm bracelet ..

I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of this bracelet .. the picture does not do it justice! It is super duper cute. Charm Factory has a huge selection of charms, bracelets, beads and necklaces.

A little company info ..

We feature almost 5000 high quality, unique sterling silver charms, bracelets, beads and more. Silver charm bracelets are so easy to personalize. Start by choosing a charm bracelet (or necklace). Then add as many .925 sterling silver charms as you like. Each charm comes with a free jump ring to attach it to your bracelet.

Our charms and beads are .925 sterling silver and manufactured in the United States, all lead and nickel free. Our pewter charms are also nickel and lead free. Charm Factory products do not contain cadmium, which is a concern with some products made in Asia.

Charm factory has graciously offered to sponsor a contest for one of my readers to win a finished charm bracelet!

Mandatory Entry

Visit Charm Factory and tell me what your favorite charm is.

Extra Entries

2. Follow Charm Factory on twitter

3. Like Charm Factory on Facebook

2. Follow me on gfc (two entries)

4. Follow me on twitter and tweet this contest. Please leave the link to your tweet. You can tweet 3x per day! One entry per tweet.

This contest is open to US and Canadian readers and will end October October 3 2010. Good Luck!



Kaponga Creme Perfume Company-review & giveaway

Well howdy doody all you lovely ladies (and gentlemen?) ... my brain has been fried mush since returning to school and I apologize for my lack of posts! Seriously .. I have to get my life organized a little bit more. Anyway .. on a much funner note .. funner note? .. why does that sound so weird .. does that happen to anybody else? .. you say something or write something and it just looks or sounds so incredibly strange .. whatever ..

Okay restart .. I told you .. BRAIN MUSH!

I recently had the opportunity to try out some products from Kaponga .. a company that specializes in organic creme perfumes and body lotions.

If you haven't heard of Kaponga before here is a little information about their philosophy:

We work exclusively with internationally renowned perfumers and the local artisans of Grasse to develop premium nature identical oil blends, ECOCERT certified organic essentials, absolutes and pure plant and fruit extracts. Our perfumes are all phthalate free and contain no sulfates, petro-chemicals, synthetic dyes, triclosan, GMO, PPG, MEA, DEA, TEA or formaldehyde donors. Our products are cruelty free.

Additionally, our perfumed body moisturizers are 100% vegan, wheat and gluten free, contain no glycol, parabens, sulfates, phthalates, silicones, synthetic additives or synthetic fragrances.

We look for the world's best ingredients to luxuriously hydrate and repair your skin combined with unique fragrances to simply delight your senses. We focus on environmentally friendly packaging and overall eco-value. We are The Cream Perfume Company and simply make better scents, naturally!

I tried the Jasmine creme perfume ..

My daughter tried the Raspberry ..

They smell delicious and are not overpowering at all. I have never tried creme perfumes before and I was a little skeptical about how long the fragrance would last. I was pleasantly surprised by the staying power of these creme perfumes .. I could still smell the perfume on myself after a full day.

I also really liked the packaging .. they are small enough to tuck into your purse. I always like to carry something like this with me.

Kaponga also sells a variety of body lotions. The coconut vanilla variety is so yummy!

When I tried it on my hands I immediately knew it was good quality .. you know how some lotions are watery and it seem to take forever to work them into your skin? Blech .. I can't stand that! I was pleasantly surprised at how moisturizing this was.

Okay enough of my bantering .. ON WITH THE CONTEST!


Two of my lucky Canadian/US readers will will one product of choice from Kaponga-The Creme Perfume Company!

Mandatory Entry


1.Visit Kaponga and tell me which product catches your eye.

Extra Entries


2. Follow me on gfc (two entries)


3. Follow me on twitter and tweet this contest. Please leave the link to your tweet. You can tweet 3x per day! One entry per tweet.

This contest is open until October 1st 2010. Open to US & Canadian residents. 2 Winners.

Winners!

Just a quick post to thank everyone who have been entering my contests .. when you are a small blog like mine it means so much!

Winner of Jari Love Get Ripped .. Andrea
Winner of Lunchbox Love .. Angie
Winner of The Best Shammy .. Renee

I have been super duper busy the past couple weeks now that my kids and myself are back at school. It actually feels good though to be getting back to some kind of regular routine .. (ask me that in about two months when there is three feet of snow on the ground and we are waking up in pitch blackness). Ahh well ... live for today right? Right!

Moving Comfort Sports Bra - Review

Being a busty girl has it's issues .. all of you busty girls out there know what I'm talking about. If you're not busty you will be rolling your eyes at me right now wondering what I am talking about. Seriously .. sometimes 'the girls' can get in the way .. especially when exercising.

If I don't have on the right kind of bra, exercising can be downright annoying .. even painful. Jumping jacks in a less than adequate bra? Forget it.
I've bought sports bra's before only to be let down (no pun intended) .. they offered little to no support .. or they where so restricting that they where downright uncomfortable. If I'm going to invest money in a good sports bra it had better work and be comfortable.

I had never really found a product I was happy with until I had the amazing opportunity to try a Moving Comfort Bra. This is the bomb of sports bras .. look no further ladies. I tried 'Juno' .. in a lovely periwinkle color .. isn't it pretty? I love the back detail.

Look at how toned I am getting .. all of this exercise is really starting to pay off ..

Just kidding .. this isn't me .. I had you going though right?

I love this bra .. it gives me the support that I need and it is so comfortable. It doesn't dig in anywhere and the fabric is beautiful .. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about it.

Moving Comfort has a TON of different sports bras all designed based on what kind of activity you are doing. The bra finder feature of the website is incredibly helpful. I always thought I was a C cup until I did my measurements as instructed on the website. I must admit before I ordered the B cup bra as

I was a little perplexed .. I have never been a B cup .. but sure enough .. it fits like a glove. Sometimes you just have to listen to the experts.

Moving Comforts philosophy ..

Greatness starts with a great bra

We believe a sports bras is in fact the most important piece of equipment an active woman can have in her fitness wardrobe. In the last decade, we’ve become respected as the leader in sports bra design and development—an honor we take very seriously. We cringe when we see sag out on the running trail because no woman—whether she’s an A or E cup—should go without the right support in her sports bra. The way we see it, less bounce means more reason to keep going. Toward a happier, healthier lifestyle.

Here are some other Moving Comfort bra's I am oogling over ..

Fiona

Charity

Moving Comfort not only carries an amazing line of bra's but also an entire range of fitness clothing. Yoga pants, tanks, shorts .. you name it .. they got it.

No legwarmers here folks ..

Now those girls are workin' it .. if you are at all contemplating investing in a new sports bra I would definitely check out Moving Comfort . You know how when you find something perfect after a long search you feel a sense of relief? That's where I am at right now with this bra .. I want one in every color!

Trind Nail Care - Review & Giveaway

As a massage therapist in training my nails have to be perfect .. or about as close to perfect as they can be. Nobody wants ugly hands and fingernails touching their body! Who doesn't want gorgeous nails anyway .. I always notice when people have healthy well cared for hands and nails.

Unfortunately .. my nails are weak .. it seems as though the Gods blessed me with all the awesome genetics in my family .. NOT!

My problem is my nails peel .. usually from the side. In addition to that, my cuticles seem to grow twice as fast as my nails and I am prone to hangnails .. those suckers hurt! I have to keep them fairly short but I'm not a fan of the long nail look anyway. You would think having my hands in massage oil fairly regularly would help but it really doesn't as I am constantly washing my hands. Our drastic temperatures here in Manitoba don't help either .. ughh .. what is a girl to do?

I had the opportunity to review some products from Trind. If you aren't familiar with Trind products here is a little info:

Trind is Europe's most trusted and respected line of hand and nail care. It is found in the finest perfumeries from St. Tropez to the Champs Elyseé in Paris, and from Stockholm to Milano.


Trind is now fast achieving the same status in the United States, having been selected by the spas of Saks 5th Avenue, Dillards, Lazarus Ecotage and Bliss. News of Trind is spreading like wild fire as women everywhere share their stories about the incredible results Trind achieves!

Founded in 1988 by Theo Bouwen, Trind Cosmetics is located in the Netherlands. The outstanding line of Trind premium products evolved from a passion to do the impossible; this is what drives Theo Bouwen! Theo wanted to solve a problem that nobody else had been able to solve – he wanted to develop products that would help all women have strong and flexible nails, a product whose effectiveness was sustainable.

Trind carries a complete line of nail, hand and cuticle care as well as a huge range of fashion colors.

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to try out Trind's 14 day challenge moist and shiny kit. It comes with a nail buffer, cuticle and nail balsam and a nail repair.

I have been using the system religiously and really notice an improvement in my nails and cuticles. I have tried other nail strengtheners before and some of them have completely peeled off in one even layer .. like a sheet of plastic. Some of these nail strengtheners haven't been cheap either! I especially liked the nail balsam .. my nails and cuticles soaked it up in no time.

I will definitely be purchasing the cuticle remover. Did you know you are never suppose to cut your cuticles? I only just learned this! I would also love to order some of the hand cream.Trind Hand Repair is a rich, moisturizing hand cream. It absorbs quickly and does not leave a greasy residue. Your hands will look and feel youthful, supple.

Trind Hand Repair is a rich, moisturizing hand cream. It absorbs quickly and does not leave a greasy residue. Your hands will look and feel youthful, supple.

Just look at this sexy color .. I know summer is winding down but this color would look absolutely hot on my toes!

Trind also carries a french manicure system .. I don't think this look will ever go out of style!

One thing I've noticed about myself is that when I have nice products I really take more of an interest in taking care of myself. When I have cheap crap .. everything slides downhill .. lol .. and really .. why shouldn't we have nice things? As Loreal says .. you're worth it! I will definitely not be buying anymore crappy drugstore nail products!

Okay enough of my bantering .. ON WITH THE CONTEST!

One of my lucky Canadian (sorry US!) readers will win their very own Moist & Shiny 14 day challenge kit.

Mandatory Entry

1.Visit Trind and tell me another product you would love to try.

Extra Entries

2. Follow me on gfc (two entries)

3. Follow me on twitter and tweet this contest. Please leave the link to your tweet. You can tweet 3x per day! One entry per tweet.

4. Enter any of my other open contests (1 entry per contest)

5. Buy a product from Trind.ca (worth 5 entries)


This contest is open only to Canadian residents and will end September 20th 2010. Good Luck!

I am tired and grouchy too!

Yep .. that I am. I have been back to school for two weeks now and the honeymoon period is ovahhhh! The early mornings are catching up with me and the drain of long days listening to teachers lecture on .. and on ... and ON .. is already getting the better with me .. oh yeah and I am a raving hormonal lunatic too at the moment.

My kids aren't even back at school yet, my husband has been on his holidays for the past two weeks so everyday I've been coming home to a disheveled house .. disheveled is a nice word right? Next week is reality check for everyone .. lunches to make .. kids to wake up ... groan ... oh I can't stand the mornings. Heard enough of my whining yet? I told you I was grouchy! Did I tell you I haven't even done any back to school clothes shopping for my kids?

On a lighter not I am please to announce the confirmed winner of the Shaklee $25 contest .. the lucky winner was Cherdon .. again!

cherdon said...


I hate to clean the basement the most because there is so much sorting that needs to be done.

Oh I hear you girlfriend .. loud and clear. I'm purposely not cleaning a darn thing in my house right now .. grumble ..

I have some great giveaways coming up soon and some fantastic reviews .. one being for csn stores. I know they have been very popular lately in blogland! I am drooling over this coffee table .. isn't it gorgeous? It would look perfect in my rec room. Minus the 5 neighbourhood kids that are down there with it.

I am looking forward to three glorious days of brain mushiness with the long weekend right around the corner .. time to get my poor children organized for school .. anybody have any exciting plans or are you just about as boring as me?