Easy Off Oven Cleaner Product Review

gross roasting/broiler pan

I was sent a $5 Walmart Gift Card by Smiley360 in order to do this review. I had a choice between the different Easy Off Oven Cleaner varieties: Fume Free Trigger, Fume Free Spray, Heavy Duty, BBQ Grill Cleaner, and Cooktop Cleaner.

 My father pretty much lives alone so he cooks and cleans for himself. I know there are things that get neglected, one being the oven, so I decided I'd try and clean it for him. Well I don't know what I got myself into because wow, that oven was a mess! But before all this I had to head to Wal-Mart and buy some Easy-Off to try out. The $5 gift card was more than enough to cover the product and taxes. I can honestly say I don't normally shop at Wal-Mart. The lines are always horrendous and most times the cashiers are hard to work with. This is not a generalization of all Wal'Mart shopping, this is just about my own area store that I normally avoid like the plague.

Like I mentioned above there are 5 different varieties to choose from and Wal-Mart had all of them available. The first two are the same product just in different packages. Easy Off Fume Free comes in a trigger spray and regular can spray. This type of Easy-Off is better for every day use so your oven doesn't get bad enough for the Heavy Duty cleaner. The trigger spray can be used in more ways than the can spray and doesn't need gloves, but both are fume free and leave a light lemon scent in the air. The BBQ cleaner is obviously made specifically for your grill, and would be a must for summer time grilling. It is safe to use on all types of grills as well as stainless steal, and aluminum/non-chrome pots and pans. The cooktop cleaner won't scratch or leave a residue on your cooktop, and is safe for all cooktops. It also can be used on glass-ceramic, enamel, stainless steel and chrome.

inside back of oven, before and after

The last is Heavy Duty which is obviously for those really bad messes that you need a little oomph to clean up. Because it seemed like my dad's oven had never been cleaned I opted for this choice. Gloves are a definite must and I advise you to open up a window or door when you use it. Even with the door open the fumes were a bit intense. I can say I never really knew what the roast/broiling pan was. I knew there was a little handle at the bottom of the stove and some weird looking grill thing down there. By the way, that grill thing was filthy! It must had had years worth of whatever built up on it. I hadn't realized it was supposed to be blue-gray until I started cleaning it. One thing that wasn't mentioned is the time needed to clean anything other than your oven. I was left to estimate the time needed to clean the broiler pan. I sprayed it on and left it for 5 minutes and scrubbed it. I noticed it was still dirty so sprayed it again and left it for another 5 minutes. The results are fantastic, not really surprising, and so now I moved onto the oven. Again I can not stress the need for ventilation when using this. If you're oven is as filthy as my dad's was be prepared to use a lot of spray. Obviously that means you are going to have quite a bit of fumes in the air so take care so you don't breath it in. I covered my face while spraying the oven down and it was still pretty intense.

Oven door, before and after

It says on the can that all you need is 5 minutes for it to get to cleaning. Well I know that oven is going to need more than just 5 minutes. I feel like a horrible daughter knowing that my dad was essentially cooking in a death trap. That oven looks one step away from igniting on all the grease and going up in a big ball of flames. So this review couldn't come at a more better time for me. I knew going into this I'd be in for the long haul. I also wondered why the men in my family can't seem to find time to clean their ovens. My brother's oven is not as bad, but certainly was getting worse before I went by to clean it. I thought it would be a hard job, but thankfully with Easy-Off it was just that - easy! I sprayed the oven and left it to sit overnight. The next day I got a little hot water and started scrubbing. I was amazed at how dirty the oven was, and how easily the built up grease was coming off. I changed the water a few times and kept at it. The oven was looking great! There were just a few spots that had some build up still, but I can spray those down at a later time.

Overall, I'm totally impressed with Easy-Off Oven Cleaner. It definitely will continue to be used in my household and my father's house as well. I'm actually going back to get the fume free to keep at both houses to use on a regular basis. Easy-Off Oven Cleaners are all under $5.00 in my area and are totally worth every penny!



Disclaimer: I was sent a $5 gift card to Wal-Mart to buy this product for free. I was provided it by Smiley360 and Easy-Off for this review. All opinions are my own and no further compensation was given.

Wet Ones Product Review

 I was chosen by Smiley360 to do a review on Wet Ones Hand Wipes. They sent me an awesome kit that included a 24ct box of single hand wipes - perfect for on the go, a travel pack of 15 wipes, and a tub of 40 wipes all in the limited editions Citrus Scent. I was also sent some coupons to share with family and friends so they could try out Wet Ones for themselves. With so many kiddos in my family those coupons were definitely appreciated! I of course shared some wipes with my brothers so they could try them out with their little ones.

If you'd like a chance to try out some great products for yourself and your family then check out Smiley360 - Click Here. It's a great program that puts you in touch with a lot of great brands waiting to hear your opinion.

My Review:

I grabbed the box of single hand wipes and started stuffing them into my kiddos bags. I've seen how they eat at home, I can only imagine how messy they get at school. I like that they're easy to open, even for the youngest. The hand wipes are really large, larger than other hand wipes I've used. They were really moist and didn't dry out too quickly. They were able to clean up the messiest of faces, especially after eating one of my chocolate cupcakes. I really didn't want to share, but sharing is caring - right? Kids will always get messy, so it's great to have these single packs handy if you don't want to carry the tub around. The wipe has a nice soft citrus scent to it, not very strong at all. It also didn't dry out my skin, so I know it was gentle on his. It doesn't have a huge alcohol type smell to it either, like some other wipes tend to do.

Next was the tub which took a little work. I found it a little difficult to get the wipe into the top part. Once I threaded it through I then had a problem of keeping it to pull the next one up with the one I was going to use. Not sure if that makes sense to everyone, but bear with me. After several attempts I finally got it working. I just used the extra wipes to clean up the counters and tables so they wouldn't go completely to waste. You probably won't have as much trouble as I did, I'm sure I was doing it incorrectly. Either way these wipes were more like the size of baby wipes. They had the same scent as the single packs and the larger pack. I love these tubs and find them super handy when all you have is one hand to use. Yea, try chasing a one year old around trying to wipe his face when he absolutely wants none of it. Good luck!

Wet Ones Hand wipes are anti-bacterial so they kill 99.99% of bacteria, wipe away grime, and get nice soft hands. They use aloe so that way you hands stay nice and soft and don't get all dried out. They're hypoallergenic as well so they're pretty gentle on your hands. Have a kiddo with sensitive skin? No problem! They also make a special Sensitive Skin wipe that is extra gentle. They are hypoallergenic, alcohol- and fragrance-free! All varieties of Wet Ones are readily available at most grocery and big box stores and are pretty affordable. So head to your local store and find them for yourself - you'll be happy with the results.



Disclaimer: I received this mission kit from Smiley360 for the sole purpose of doing this review. All products contained in this post were given to me for FREE in return of an honest review. All opinions are my own and no further compensation was received.

Zep Cleaning Products

I received 3 bottles of All-Around Cleaner and Degreaser, and 2 bottles of Quick Clean Disinfectant from Zep and Crowdtap. I shared some bottles with my brothers and kept one of each for myself.

So what's so different about Zep cleaning products?
Well Zep is basically commercial strength products that you can easily use in your home. But as strong as it is, there aren't any harsh chemical smells, and it didn't kill my hands when I used them without gloves on. They have every type of cleaning product imaginable and all at a really affordable price. Whether you want products that are for a specific area of your home, or an all purpose cleaner - they have it all.

 

All Around Oxy Cleaner and Degreaser

What I love most about this cleaner is that there are no harmful fumes. No gross smells choking you, preventing you from breathing. It has a very light scent to it, much like most other cleaning products. I tried to clean different areas of my home so I could get a feel for what it could do. I started with the stove, which I must admit has seen better days. Lately I hadn't really had the time to clean it and well, it definitely showed. Everyone cooks, but no one cleans and well these kiddos love to leave a mess behind. As long as they don't have to clean it they're dirtying it up. Something had obviously overflowed and had now turned into a burned and charred mess. I'm not sure if the cleaner wasn't strong enough, or the greasy whatever had just fuzed into the stove and was now not going to come off. I was committed though and tried hard to win the battle, but in the end the mess won. I'm sure with another round of Zep will finish it off, but for today it'll stay. Hey don't judge me for my messy stove okay? I've got 5 kiddos here and even the grown ups look at the mess and leave it for the next person. Overall, I think this cleaner got a 4 out of 5 rating for me. It did wonderfully with the smaller messes, but for the larger more involved messes - well I just needed more oomph.


Quick Clean Disinfectant
How many of us have Lysol in our households, I'm sure a great number of us. I do have Lysol, but honestly no matter what scent there always tends to be a chemical smell. The Zep Quick Clean Disinfectant has a light smell that deodorizes while it kills 99.9% of bacteria. With 5 kids the bathroom was definitely where I was taking this bad boy. The restroom can get so gross with 4boys in the house so I wiped down practically every surface in there. The main areas - the sink and toilet were first. There was basically no real smell that I could notice, just clean. I just sprayed it and let it air dry. I did wipe certain areas afterwards though so no spots could be seen. For this I give it a 4.5 out of 5, only because you have to wipe afterwards if food is coming into contact with the surface you just sprayed. For me it seems a little counter productive when I have to wipe what I just disinfected.

Overall I think Zep products are definitely worth a try and you should add some to your household products. You can buy Zep products at most Walmarts and other stores, just check their website to see what stores are included. I'll be trying out other Zep products in the future especially the Calcium, Lime, and Rust Remover because down south here in Texas we have some really hard water.





Disclaimer: I received the 5 bottles of product from Zep and Crowdtap for the sole purpose of reviewing them. All opinions are my own and no further compensation was received.

Hidden Valley Ranch Fest

I was super duper excited to be chosen for the 2nd Annual Hidden Valley Ranch Fest courtesy of Crowdtap. I received some great stuff from them including: a fantastic green shirt,recipes, cute little dipping bowls, packs of seasoning/dressing mix, coupons for Hidden Valley Ranch, and a bottle of ranch dressing.

The bowls are super cute and easy to place on your plates. They're really convenient, especially for my family who have a lot of people who don't really like dressing touching their food. The recipes were in both English and Spanish which was perfect for sharing with some of my family members that don't read English well.

I had a party planned, but sadly the weather didn't want to cooperate so I just handed out the dressing mixes along with some bowls, recipes, and coupons to some family and friends. They all tried making the potatoes with ranch because I mentioned how awesome they were. Seriously whether you use instant or "real" potatoes, russet or red, you need to get some ranch taters in your life! Below is the recipe I got off of the Hidden Valley Ranch website, feel free to use it as you wish. I omitted certain ingredients, but they still came out fantastic.

Original Ranch Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 2 pounds peeled Idaho potatoes chopped
• 2 tablespoons Hidden Valley® Original Ranch Salad® Dressing & Seasoning Mix
• 3 tablespoons butter softened
• salt to taste
• ⅓ cup half-and-half
• pepper to taste

Directions:
Place potatoes in large pan with water over high heat and boil until tender but still firm, about 15–20 minutes. Heat butter, half-and-half and peppers in saucepan over low heat until combined. Drain potatoes and place in mixer with butter sauce. Add dressing mix and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

I cheated and used instant Idahoan Potatoes for the mashed potatoes and left out the chipotle peppers because I'm not a fan. The mashed potatoes came out super flavorful and I'll definitely be using real potatoes next time.

I also used the seasoning on my country style pork ribs. I took the package and slightly sprinkled over top and then rubbed it into the pork. I let it sit for about 20 minutes before putting it to cook. Once it was almost done I then took a little bbq sauce and just basted the ribs with it. If you've never had bbq chicken or ribs with ranch dressing before, you're definitely missing out! As you can see below the kids absolutely loved it and were wanting seconds, sadly there wasn't any more left and they asked me to make it again next time.



So that meal was two days ago and today, Nov 19, I'm using the ranch dressing mix to season my drumsticks and russet potatoes. I just sprinkled 2 tbsps onto the potatoes first and mixed them really well. I dumped them into a pan and proceeded to coat the chicken. I set the temp at 375 as that's normally what chicken recipes ask for. I've honestly never made this before so hopefully it comes out delish.

My nephew had a long practice so wasn't able to get a picture of the monsters eating. They practically inhaled everything without breathing, I don't know how they do it. They're like teenage tasmanian devils, all that was left was some chicken bones and happy kids.

I loved Hidden Valley Ranch before this and I definitely love it more now. I didn't think there were many ways to use ranch other than on top of a salad, or as a dip for buffalo wings. It's much more versatile and I'll definitely be adding ranch to my spice rack.


Disclaimer: I received the products shown above for the sole purpose of doing a review. All opinions are my own and no further compensation was received. If you would like to try out great products, then join Crowdtap.

Helluva Good Product Review

I was chosen by BzzAgent to try out Helluva Good dips, and I am so happy I was. Now I'm quite picky when it comes to dips. I first only ate Borden Sour Cream, then they changed the recipe or something because it just wasn't the same. So I tried out the store brand - HEB sour cream and loved it. I hadn't thought to try out other brands because sometimes if it isn't broke, why fix it, right? So because of my love for my sour cream, I was a little wary when it came to try out Helluva Good Sour Cream.

Now Helluva Good just doesn't offer sour cream, the offer a total of 8 sour cream dips. My store sadly only has 3 of there offerings and I wanted to be safe for my first try so I got French Onion.

The flavors offered by Helluva Good are:

• BACON HORSERADISH DIP
• BODACIOUS® ONION DIP
• BUFFALO WING DIP
• BUTTERMILK RANCH DIP
• FRENCH ONION DIP
• JALAPEÑO CHEDDAR DIP
• WHITE CHEDDAR & BACON DIP
• LIMITED EDITION ROASTED GARLIC & CARAMELIZED ONION

Now for French Onion dip it's pretty much the same as other french onion dips, right? Well no, not all french onion dips are created equal. Helluva Good does a helluva job of making some good dip. While I couldn't "go to town" on it, I was able to try it out and it was delish! Sadly, I'm not able to eat much dip because of the sodium levels, but the 2 tsbp I did try were great. The dip is a thick, but creamy and you can really taste the pieces of onion in it. This dip would definitely go great with some baby carrots, celery, and some broccoli - um yum!

The price is pretty much on par with the other major brands. It isn't cheaper than my store brand though, but a splurge now and then is okay. The kids ate some dip with the chips and sandwiches for dinner and couldn't get enough of it.

I am looking forward to going back and getting the jalapeno cheddar dip, because who doesn't like some queso dip! I am planning on adding some diced tomatoes to it for some extra flair. Maybe put it on some tostadas or tacos to give my dinner an extra kick.

Helluva Good offers other products as well such as: condiments, cheese, and even greek style yogurt. I'll definitely keep an eye out on those products, because I'd love to try out some Helluva Good cheese!

So if you're looking for some dip to add some flavor to your next meal or party - then go out and get some now. You definitely won't regret it and your family and friends will love you.



Disclaimer: I was sent a coupon for free product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and no further compensation was received. #GotItFree

Chapstick Dual-End Hydration Lock Review

 I was super lucky to be chosen for this great Smiley360 mission. Chapstick came out with a great new product - dual chapsticks! Why deal with having two different chapsticks when you can have just one.

The Dual Ended Hydration Lock Chapstick is for day and night to give you 24hr care. The day end has a built in sunscreen of SPF12 to make sure your lips don't shrivel up in the sun. While the night end works all night to replenish moisture and soften your lips.


They obviously are both so easy to use and even with the dual ends it isn't heavy and bulky. You don't need a lot of product from either end to do the job. One quick swipe and you're good to go, and feel free to reapply as much as you like during the day. I did notice a difference in how smooth and supple my lips looked. Yea, I said supple, because you're lips will look and feel fantastic!

So yea, there are obviously many chapsticks that do the same thing, the major upside is that it's all in one. Everyone loves convenience, and who doesn't need more space in their purse. With the dual end you can have two different chapsticks all in one and you won't have to dig around the bottom of your purse (aka: the bottomless pit) to find the chapstick you want. Because I know you have more than one chapstick in there.



There really isn't any flavor on/in the chapstick. Not that it really needs it, but I'd love a cherry flavor. Seriously, that stuff is amazing, not that I sit there and eat it.

So if you're looking for a chapstick that does it all, then you need to run out and get Chapsticks Dual Ended Hydration Lock, your lips will thank you.

Disclaimer: I was sent this product for the sole purpose of giving my honest review. All opinions are my own and no further compensation was given.

Tony's Pizzeria Pizza Review

I was chosen to try out Tony's Pizzas through BzzAgent, umm yay! So I have tried Tony's pizza before, but honestly it's been a very long time since I've done that. With having such a large family of 5 teens I can't get by with just one or two pizzas. So I was excited to plan a pizza night for all the kids to try out the different varities of pizza Tony's offer. Tony's Pizza offers 8 pizzeria style varieties: pepperoni pizza, sausage & pepperoni, cheese, supreme, meat trio, sausage, bascon cheeseburger, and half pepperoni - half cheese.

My kiddos are strictly meat eaters so I chose: pepperoni, meat trio, sausage & pepperoni, and cheese for me. I went with the cheese pizza for myself to help cut down on some of the sodium. I'm really trying hard to limit my daily sodium intake and pizza isn't really friendly to that diet. Tony's Cheese pizza has 25% or 600mg of sodium. I had to be really strict with my food earlier in the day, but I stayed within my limit. Now that 600mg is for 1/3 of the pizza and couple with some salad I was able to get a taste of some great pizza and not feel too bad at the end of the day.




The kids had meat trio, pepperoni, and sausage & pepperoni to choose from. The lucky ducks were able to sample a little from each pizza. I really tried to get a picture of them eating, but I swear they inhaled the pizza like that was the first food they had seen in years. I was busy cutting up the pizzas as they came out the oven and before I knew it, it was all gone. I was able to include some tasty looking pictures of the pizza so enjoy!




Pepperoni pizza has a little sodium in it at 650mg, 330 calories, and 12g of protein. The pepperoni's are a good size and have a great flavor.

Sausage & Pepperoni has 710mg of sodium, 350 calories, and 12g of protein. The same pepperoni is used, full slices, along with sausage crumbles. The sausage was a little on the small size, but it had great seasoning making it really tasty. I was a tie with regular pepperoni for second place.

Tony's Meat Trio has the same amount of sodium as the sausage and pepperoni but has 360 calories and 13g of protein. It has the same slice pepperoni, sausage crumbles, and small diced ham. I wish the ham was a bit bigger but you could still taste that it was ham.

All of the pizzas came with a thinner, crunchy, and crispy crust. I absolutely love thin and crispy pizzas so this was a super duper plus for me. All the pizzas cooked up in the same amount of time, but I noticed the cheese pizza didn't need as much as the other pizzas. It was a little too brown, but whatever I'm not hard to please. I thought it still tasted really good and I liked some of the browner, crispy cheese. Of course I love all kinds of cheeses so I'm a little biased. I cooked all of the pizzas straight on the rack, no pan needed, to make sure they would get the crispy crunchy crust I love. You can use a pan for a softer crust if you so wish.





I'm so glad to have found Tony's Pizza again because overall all the pizzas were so tasty and filling. Everyone was happy to be able to try everything. I was happy to not hear any whining about not liking a certain topping.  I'll definitely be buying more Tony's pizza in the future and hope they come out with more varities - how about a double pepperoni pizza? Or perhaps a vegetarian style pizza?! Anyway, if you're a meat loving carnivore like my kids, then you'll definitely love Tony's Pizzeria Style Pizza.

Disclaimer: I was sent coupons for a free pizza along with coupons to share with family and friends. All opinions are my own and no compensation was received. #GotItFree

Snuggle Scent Boosters Review

 I'm a member of the Snuggle Bear Den and was sent a full sized package of Scent Boosters to try out for myself in my home. Being the aunt/mother of 5 very active teens is quite a hard job. It's even harder when it comes time to wash all their clothes. From their every day wear to their sports wear, they can be super tough on them. I don't have a lot of money to be spending on detergent, fabric softener, dryer sheets, scent boosters (of any kind), etc but I still want and need my family's clothing to smell good. Especially when you have a football player that sweats a river every game. Eww the smell is terrible and don't get me started on their stinky socks!

Now I've used other brands of scent boosters - both of which can be pretty expensive, and I noticed something. I had to put more in the wash than it recommended. So in reality I wasn't getting all the bang for my buck. I was using up to a full capful more than I was "supposed" to.  That's wasteful and not really efficient. When the box arrived with my Snuggle Scent Boosters I could smell it outside the box. Seriously that has got to be a strong scent to do that, right? Well yes and no; I'll explain more later.

So I opened up the box and yay, there were my scent boosters in a nice purple bag. I was sent a pack of Lavender Joy and it smelled great. The packs are pretty big and well they're super easy to use. You open up the resealable bag, pop a Scent Booster pack into your washer before you put you're clothing in. You may have to use more than one pack if you have a larger washer like me. That's okay though because it ends up being one pack per load. They are safe for all kinds of washers - regular and HE. Also they're safe for all types of clothing even activewear and sleepwear. Each bag comes with 20 loads for a regular washer or 10 loads for a larger washer. They cost around $3.97 for a 20 pack and $6.97 for a 56 pack, obviously your prices will vary. I think that's pretty on par with other scent boosters.


The scent itself is pretty intense when you first take your laundry out of the washer. You don't even need to add a dryer sheet because it's got enough scent and is soft enough to go without it. I do have a dryer bar because I hate static cling, but I don't think it adds or takes away from the scent boosters. I think how long the scent lasts depends on your household. For me I have kids coming in and out, playing around on the bed, etc. So the scent stays around for about 4-5 days. My aunt who doesn't really have anyone to mess up her bed, etc says the scent lasted more than a week.

But you know, you don't have to use your Snuggle Scent Boosters just for your laundry. My mother smokes, eww I know, so sometimes my clothes doesn't smell as fresh as I'd like. I took a couple of the Scent Booster packs and put them in my drawers, and I put them in a little sachet and hung it in my closet. This way I get that great smell in my room and in my clothes!

Overall, if you're looking for a change from those more expensive scent boosters and want something that really works check out Snuggles Scent Boosters! There are two different scents as of now: Lavender Joy and Blue Iris Bliss, I haven't tried the latter yet but I'm definitely going to. You can totally afford to try these out and hey if you don't like them send the rest to me! I love these things!

Disclaimer: I am a member of the Snuggle Bear Den and was sent this product to review and try out. All opinions are my own and no compensation was received.

Vichy Idealia Review

For the last eight days I have been using Vichy Idealia Life Serum. I was sent some samples for myself as well as for some friends so we could all try it out together. Now I'm pretty wary about stuff

I put on my skin because it's not in the best shape already. I have tried so many products only for them to leave my skin burning and red. So on day one I used my regular cleansers and that was it. I wanted to start off using Vichy Idealia as if I hadn't really used any other products before. So after two more days of just washing with my regular skin cleanser I started my 8 day challenge.

Vichy's Idealia Life Serum is supposed to:

• Even & illuminated skin tone
• Visibly refined pores
• Moisturized & refreshed skin
• Youthful-looking complexion 

Vichy asks you to identify the 4 different factors that effect our skin on a daily basis: environment, diet, uv rays, and stress/lack of sleep. Now I don't know about you but all of those factors effect my skin big time. Living in South Texas we get hot beating down on you sunshine practically every day of the year. That can definitely do a number on anyone's skin. My diet could be better, but hey I'm working on it. I started drinking tons more water, eating way more greens, and a lot less junk food. Stress seems to be my middle name on some days with 4 teens and one preteen in the house. Yea, how do you think I deal with all those hormones?? And last environment - while I don't smoke my mother does and I'm around her a lot, but I think how much could it really affect me, right? So no to the sampling!

Day 1: I again used my regular face cleanser, patted down my face and went for the Vichy Idealia. They came in these super cute little pink pouches. I think there should have been more info on how many times I was to use it. Seeing how there were only eight samples, I assumed it was only once per day. I opened up the small sample sized package, after much effort, and squeezed every little bit of the cream out. First, there wasn't much of a smell - that's a plus. I hate using products on my face that smell weird. It seriously turns me off and takes away from the experience. I followed the directions and smoothed the cream on my face moving outwards towards my hairline. I did feel my skin and it was definitely smoother and more firm after a while. I didn't see any significant different in tone or clarity.

Day 2-5: Went pretty much the same as day 1. I cleansed with my regular cleanser, opened up the package and slathered the cream on. My skin was really smooth and firm, but again no difference in tone or clarity. I started to wonder if I was doing something wrong. While I loved the feel of my skin I was really wanting to see the difference and not just feel it.

I went online and started to read up on Vichy's Idealia Life Serum and saw, "...use Idéalia Life Serum twice daily for 8 days." Ah, so I was supposed to use it twice daily. I wish it had mentioned that in the packaging. So there I was left with only 3 small sample packages left so I just decided to keep using one per day.

Overall, I can definitely feel the difference in my skin's softness and firmness. It still isn't shiny and brilliant like others so I'm a little bummed by that, but I do think with proper continued use I'd see better results. I think it's a great product to add to your collection if you're looking for something new or better. It goes for $44 for 30ML bottle so it's not too pricey, but may not be in everyone's price range. I do think that if you can try it out for yourself, do it!

Disclaimer: I participated in a Sample and Share courtesy of Crowdtap and Vichy. All opinions are my own and no compensation was received.

FulcrumGallery.com Art Piece Review

I was pretty excited when I was approached to review FulcrumGallery.com. I had actually never heard of them at that point, but who doesn't love some paintings to decorate their wall. The website is so easy to navigate and isn't too cluttered. They have their products arranged by room, styles, subjects, etc to make it easy for you to find what you like.

Aside from the thousands of paintings, prints, and mirrors they offer. You can also create your own masterpiece using your own photo. I am not a photographer so I didn't opt for this choice, but I think it's pretty awesome to have those special moments made into paintings. I'm thinking they would make a great gift for some parents and grandparents. The process is so easy too. I think the bigger the image is the better, so don't crop it. I made my image smaller and it wouldn't work because images need to be at least 900x900. Also right now they have a 50% off all "My Pictures" artwork, so for a 16"x16" gallery wrapped print it's only $50.99. That's pretty affordable for something that is of high quality.


Choosing your own print is super easy, but choosing a print from the thousands they offer, not so much. I saw so many images that I liked that I had practically made my choice 4 times before my final decision. They have a print that will match everyone's tastes and preferences. I finally settled on a print that said "Hope" by Grace Pullen. I love the background, it has a beach feeling to it. Just because this isn't your own print doesn't mean you can't customize it to your liking. Fulcrum Gallery let's you choose your frame and mat color. Those two choices can make the same print look totally different depending on the colors you choose. There are 3 other prints in this series: Love, Dream, and Relax. It was super simple to place my order in and I got a confirmation email within minutes. Shipping is standard shipping so it took about a week to get here.



When I got my print it came in a pretty large package. I was a bit confused because I didn't think the print would be that large. Upon opening up the package I saw why it was so big. FulcrumGallery.com makes sure your print will arrive to you safely and not messed up so they pack your print extra carefully. It wasn't too difficult to remove the print from the box, and any extra work was worth the extra packaging. My print was in excellent condition, not one blemish on it. On the back of the print there are two signatures: one for the personal framer, and the other for quality assurance. This means you can rest assured that what you're buying is 100% the best quality. On the back of the frame were two long metal hook type things. I obviously don't know the official name for them so bear with me. I used the one already attached to the back to hang my print. I wish there was perhaps some wiring to hang the print instead so it would be more sturdy. Either way my print looks fantastic on my wall and even with it being by the door, which gets slammed often, it is still hanging straight.

Shipping was on point and everything got here looking exactly as it did online. So I'll definitely be going back to Fulcrum Gallery for some more prints. I'm definitely thinking about getting a personalized print next time for my mom. A canvas print of all her grandchildren would make the best gift! So if you're looking to add some personal touches to your home, then you should definitely check out FulcrumGallery.com. They will have something to suit your tastes and decor in your home, I can pretty much guarantee that.   




Disclaimer: I was sent a print of my choice free of charge in return for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own and no compensation was received. This photo is indeed hanging in my house and looks great on my wall.

Fave All Natural Juice

 

We are big juice drinkers so I'm always trying to find the next best flavor, and the most nutritional. Nowadays juices are filled with dyes and HFCS which are not good for your body. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is used to sweeten a lot of our beverages and foods. The top of the list of those foods is soda and juices. HFCS is cheaper than real sugar which is why so many companies use it. Most juice drinks, fruit punches, and juice cocktails contain only a small amount of juice and the rest is water and sweeteners.

So why should you choose Fave?
I was sent the three flavors available from Fave to try out with my family. Of course the first thing I did was check the ingredient list. Everyone should definitely get in the habit of doing this if you want to live a healthier life. The makers of Fave Juice have no problem with sharing all the info on their website. Upon reading the ingredients list for all three flavors, you can easily see why I gave them a passing grade. You can actually understand every single word and there are no added dyes! There are only 60 calories per 8 ounce glass and 12g of sugar. That may be a little high, but remember sugar occurs naturally in all fruits and you'll be getting 1 1/2 cup of veggies and 1/4 cup of fruit. What a great way to add some extra veggies and fruits into you and your children's diets.

The first juice we tried was the Tangerine, Orange, and Pineapple - sounds delicious, right? First off because Fave is an all-natural juice product you will get some settling. Don't worry, just shake the bottle up and you're good to go. With this juice the tangerine flavor was off the charts. We like tangerines so this was a good thing, if you're not a fan you may want to pass on this. It was pretty hot during the day so I froze the juice into some pops to give to the kids. As you can see they were a huge hit, very messy, and super tasty. My nephew kept wanting more, and well I can't say no, right?

The second juice we tried was the Strawberry Kiwi. I'll admit I passed on this one as I've tried this pairing in other juices and was not a fan. My kiddos loved it though and it was thirst quencher when they came in from playing outside. They play basketball daily and I hate giving them those sports drinks that are full of salt and HFCS. I would advise against freezing this into a pop though. I tried and well the juice ended up tasting salty, which no one enjoyed.

Last, but not least was the Pomegrante, Blueberry, and Goji. I've never drank anything with goji in it, but blueberry and pomegranate are a fave of mine. I used it in a smoothie and my younger brother used it in a protein shake after his workout. It is sort of tart and not very sweet, but it's still flavorful. I didn't try freezing this juice as I mainly kept it to myself. I kow that's horrible, but I've got to have something to myself, right?

I was super excited when I saw Fave in my area HEB. There they were all three flavors sitting nicely in a row on the the shelf. Of course I had to grab some up because they're super affordable. Less than some of the other juices that aren't as tasty and good as Fave. 
Disclaimer: I received all three bottles to try out and review. No further compensation was given and all opinions are my own.