BIC Gelocity Pen Review

I love pens, all kinds of pens, and it's safe to say I may have a slight problem. Yes, I love pens, but gel pens hold a special place in my heart. I've bought so many sets, different brands, different prices, I love them all! So when I got the chance to try out BIC's Gel-ocity pens I was more than happy to. 

There were three colors that came in the set that I got to try out for free: pink, purple, and blue. I'm glad the sent colors that were a bit out of the norm because it's more fun using them. The pink was more of a hot pink, leading to a red. The purple was very dark, leaned real close to black. It was just a bit too dark for me. The blue was a turquoise color; not very dark. 

All the ink in the pens came out super saturated, no skipping, and it dried pretty quickly. If you run your hand across it right after writing you may get it smudge. I found it hard to get it to smudge though because it does dry quickly.You can refill these pens, but I didn't see refills for these colors. The grips are a bit hard, but not uncomfortable at all. I have smaller hands and find pens with larger grips to be hard to hold. The retractable part of the pen works great, no issues with that. 

I did try using them for my adult coloring books and they do work great, but not very good at layering. Because they don't really smudge I can't blend very well, but that's okay. I still think you can use them for coloring, if you enjoy using pens to color. 

Overall, they're great pens that I'll use over and over again. The ink writes so smoothly, it's just amazing. I know I'll have to fight the kids to keep them from leaving with them to school.

Disclaimer: I did receive a three pack of BIC Gelocity pens for free in return for my honest review.

Sundown Naturals Probiotic Gummy Review

If you are like me then you have no idea what probiotics are or their benefits. I have a bit of a phobia when it comes to taking any pills or supplements. I tend to think that if they aren't prescribed by a doctor then they won't be that great for me. So when I was sent a complementary full sized sample by Smiley360 and Sundown Naturals I wasn't sure if it was something I would be able to take.

Before taking them I did my research and looked into exactly what probiotics actually are.

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeast that live happily inside our bodies. They are actually pretty good for your health, especially your gut. Probiotics are said to help maintain digestive health and boost your immune system. While you can take probiotics in supplents you can also find them in foods such as: yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir
, and miso soup.

There are two types of probiotics: lactobacillus and bifidobacterium. They both help move food through your gut, but researchers are still trying to figure out which are best for certain health problems.

As with any other supplements it's best to ask your doctor about what is best for you. There are some mild side effects like upset stomach, diarrhea, gas, and bloating when you first start taking them.

My personal experience:

So I started taking the recommended dosage on a Monday - which is two gummies. I took them first thing in the morning with my breakfast. Later that day I did experience some stomach pain. It wasn't too bad though, not where it was completely uncomfortable. The next day came around and I took 2 gummies again with my breakfast. I still had stomach pain, but gas and bloating were added to the mix. It was starting to get a bit uncomfortable though and I didn't like it. I still continued though because it was only day 2. By day 4 it was pretty unbearable and I was done with the pain and discomfort. I did ask if anyone else had had the same issues and some friends said I should cut the dosage to 1 and see how it goes. Since then I have been taking 1 gummy a day and it has definitely helped. I used to have some issues after eating meat, it normally would stop me up. Since taking Sundown Naturals Probiotic gummies though, I'm not having that issue. I am going regularly with no issues in bowel movements at all. I know that's a little tmi, but it's what you need to hear.

If you're having issues with going regularly, then I would definitely try using probiotics yourself. While results may vary, there definitely isn't harm in trying them out. Since I have been using Sundown Naturals I will recommend them, but you could try out any brand and see what works for yourself.



Disclaimer: I was given a full size bottle to try out courtesy of Smiley360 and Sundown Naturals. All opinions are my own.