Random Reviews and Easy DIY

I'm normally not a much of a sandal person aside from wedge sandals, which until my recent pair (also from Skechers), I haven't worn sandals for the past few years with  my old favorites being long past their life expectancy.  I had worked an event promoting Chaco Sandals and got a pair for free from working the event (gotta love my job). I was actually quite looking forward to trying the Chacos after seeing rave reviews and seeing they are podiatrist recommended and also a suggested sandal for Plantar Fascitis (not sure if I have it, but my mom does, and I do have high arches and get occasional symptoms of it). I worked the 3 day event in the Chacos both Z2 sandals and the Chaco Outcross (open air shoe/sandal hybrid), and while the arch support was great (almost too high even for me), the footbed was stiff.  I felt constant pressure on my arches especially in the sandals, in the Outcross, I felt the arch wasn't quite in the right spot, but still a very stiff footbe...

  I haven't owned a pair of good wedge sandals in years.  I am super picky about wedge sandals and most the new styles I don't care for either because of aesthetics, or comfort reasons.  Many of the current wedge offerings with thse type straps extend back towards the heel which I hate the look of, and others are just to hard of a footbed, or the shoe is very heavy. The Skechers Cali Memory Foam wedges have a very soft footbed (made of you guessed it.. Memory Foam), they are super cushy while still being supportive.  I have high arches and finding shoes can be a challenge for me, although I have great luck with most Skechers especially those with the memory foam, because it can conform to my foot.  These wedges do have a visible arch support on the footbed.  They are a fairly low heel at about 2 inches, I normally would prefer higher, but heel height is one area I'm more willing to compromise. Another great feature is that sandals are very lightw...

I worked an event where I would be required to wear Chacos, and would be wearing the shoes while working.  I wasn't familiar with the brand so I Googled them prior to working, partially because I have some foot issues and wanted to see if I was going to be miserable in them or if they might actually work for my high arches.  I found out that Chaco shoes are podiatrist recommended and have excellent arch support and are also good for Plantar Fascitis.  I have high arches (as well as mild oocasional symptoms of Plantar Fascitis) and am always looking for cute shoes that have good support.  These ideally should have checked both boxes. I wore both the Outcross Evo 1 and the Z2 while working, but could only keep one pair. I really wanted to like the Chaco brand, but they just aren't working for me. I don't know if they need broken in more or if they just aren't for my feet. I have very high arches and have a hard time find shoes that are comfortable for m...

Thanks to Influesnter I got to try Pantene Pro-V Airspray for free.  I am absolutely in love with this hairspray.  Prior to receving this Pantene Airspray, I had always used Rave hairspray because it's cheap (the only exception being a few other hairspray samples I've tried). I first tried the Pantene Airspray when I straightened my hair (my hair naturally wavy).  I straightened my hair and then sprayed my hairbrush with the Pantene Airspray and brushed it in.  This helped to smooth frizz, it also managed to help my hair hold up to humidity much better as well so my hair remained straight much better then it usually would. The next time I used the Airspray, I used it when I curled my hair.  Now since my hair does have some natural wave to it it usually holds curl decently but will sometimes fall flat after awhile.  My technique for using it with curls was to just spray directly onto my hair and tousle it in for a bit fuller look (I still need to try it ...

I just stumbled upon some great apps to make some extra money or to reinvest into new items.  My recent obsessions of bras and cowboy boots had me looking for places to buy some of those things for reasonable prices and to sell things I'm no longer wearing or using. I downloaded quite a few to check out but here are my favorites at this point in time. Poshmark  Sign up using code JRRPA to get $10 towards your first purchase, I've also seen them offer discounted shipping along with this offer. This is definitely more fashion oriented although I have seen a few other things including some electronics.  If you sell on Poshmark, they do take a percentage of the the sale price I believe it is 20%, and if you are buying you might want to try to find a seller with a few items you would like to buy so you can get more for you shipping cost which is a standard fee of $5.95, I wish there were other shipping options like Mercari has.  I can ship a bra a a tshirt for about...

I received this dress for free to review. I really wasn't sure what to expect, but when it arrived I tried it on. The fit is perfect, it hugs curves perfectly, and I'm sure this would be true for anyone because of the fabric. I initially wasn't sure of the print from the photo I saw online, but it looks much better on and in person than it does online. I would recommend this dress for anyone looking for a nice simple dress to go out it. It would be perfect for a girls night out. I will add some photos soon. In the meantime here is the link for Amazon where you can see this dress as well as others from the seller. https://www.tomoson.com/promotions/view/women-s-super-sexy-classic-little-dress-review Sponsored Post Review for Tomoson

I received the Dead Sea Mud Mask from InstaNatural to review. I love most of the other InstaNatural products I have tried so I was excited about getting to test out another. This one took awhile for me to get around to trying though since it involves sitting around with the mud on your face for 10 minutes. I finally got around to trying it. I opened it up, first impressions were not so good, it's not pleasant looking and pretty much looks like mud. I work up the nerve to put it on my face, and then proceed to wait for it to dry. I'm really not a fan of products that require waiting. Time's up time to remove the mud. I remove the mask and don't really feel as if I see any results. I kind of felt like I sat around with mud hardening on my face for no reason. Like I said at the beginning, I love other products from InstaNatural, but not so sure on the mud mask. I will probably give it another shot and see if I feel differently. Checkout this and other produ...

I've recently started taking couponing fairly seriously. While on a quest to learn more about couponing, I discovered that there are some very useful apps out there that you can earn money from. Some of these apps require buying certain products and receiving rebates, others just require you to snap a picture of your receipts, and some are super easy you just walk into a store and get points. I've been using several of these types of apps for awhile now wanted to give a bit of a run down on them. Many of these apps also give you bonuses for referring friends and it can be quite easy to make money just by referring friends. The first shopping app I ever downloaded aside from store coupon apps (which are great resources check out the Kroger and Wal-Mart apps if you haven't already), was Shopkick . Shopkick is super easy to use and earn points aka "Kicks" from and you can redeem the points for a variety of gift cards. I had always primarily focused on earning...

I love pasta as much as anyone else, and since pasta noodles are so affordable, I always try to come of with unique ways of cooking them and using them in other recipes. The great thing about Barilla Collezione, is that they come in very unique shapes that add some extra interest to your meal. These noodles take your pasta dinner from basic to extraordinary just by using them. The amount of attention the meals I've made with Barilla Collezione is amazing. Besides making a great presentation, they cook really well and taste great. Everyone I've had over for dinner when making Barilla Collezione has been very impressed by flavor, texture, and visual appeal. I tend to get very creative with my pasta dinners, and these noodles are great for getting creative with. I tend to take leftovers and put them in with pasta espcially when there isn't a lot left, you can easily take leftovers for 2 and turn it into a new dinner for 4. I did this one evening with some leftover Me...

I've used eyelash curlers in the past, but never used them very regularly. I always had problems with them pinching, and just never cared for them. I was offered the chance to reveiw Lovely Lashes Eyelash Curler for free from Tomoson, and decided to accept the chance to review it. It had probably been years since I used an eyelash curler and I felt it was time to give it another try especially since Lovely Lashes says it doesn't pinch. The day came when it arrived in my mailbox, any day I get one of my freebies to try it's always an exciting day. However I had already put mascara on for the day so I had to wait until the next day to try it out. The next morning came and before applying my mascara, I gave the Lovely Lashes Eyelash Curler a try. To my surprise there was no pinching even when getting the base of my lashes. It also did an amazing job curling! Since it had been so long since I had curled my lashes, I was very pleased with the results. Even if you d...

I love hot sauce and salsa as do many of my friends. I had friends over this past weekend when I received my Salsa Crazy Habanero Salsa in the mail. Coincidentally we happened to be making a Mexican dish for dinner that evening, so this was perfect timing. We were all pretty hungry so we snacked on chips and salsa while waiting for dinner to get done. I could tell upon opening the SalsaCrazy Habanero Salsa that it was going to be spicy. Yes, I know Habaneros tend to be spicy however, I've have a lot of Hababnero products that haven't been even as hot as Jalapenos or Jalapeno salsa or hot sauce. My boyfriend was the first to try the salsa and did so boldly with a very large scoop on his chip. He found out the hard way that it was very spicy, he got a bit choked up, but after recovering he thought it was good. After learning to go light a bit light on the amount of salsa the rest of us dug in too. We all thought it was very good including my friend who isn't really ...

I've tried a couple cellulite creams now, and I am lousy at staying dedicated to applying them on a regular enough basis to tell if they actually help with cellulite. I will be judging this mostly on it's moisturizing abilities. I'm also comparing it to other cellulite creams I have tried. I previously tried InstaNatural's Cellulite Cream. The NuElle Triple Action Anti Cellulite Concentrate is a great moisturizer, and I was able to stay a bit more committed to this one since it's texture is more lotion like than others this was quite nice compared to the InstNatural Cellulite Cream which was thicker and more paste like. The Nuelle is white like most moisturizers whereas the InstaNatural was brown and somewhat gritty. While I wasn't able to stay committed enough to a routine, I did prefer the Nuelle. >br>If you would like to try NuElle for yourself you can purchase it on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Cellulite-Concentrate-Caffeine-LCarnitine-ingr...

As a convertible owner and a very fair skinned person, I am obsessed with sunscreen. During the summer you will never catch me out without having SPF on and having backup on hand. I was chosen to try Sun Si'belle SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen for free, it's still winter so I haven't put it to the test in regards to how well it works, but I've yet to meet a sunscreen that doesn't work when used properly, or obsessively as I tend to do. The first thing I noticed about this sunscreen is that it is supposedly tinted. As anyone who wears foundation in one of the first few lightest shades knows, the word tinted can be frightening. I opened it up and put a tiny bit on my wrist. To my surprise, I think the so called "tint" is just a hint of shimmer. I didn't feel like I was turning into an Oompa Loompa, or that I had smeared Dorito or Cheeto cheese dust all over myself. This is pale girl safe tint, and although a bit lower SPF than I usually use, I'm ...

I was able to try some more amazing products from InstaNatural this time the Argan Oil Hair Mask, Argan Oil, and Age Defying Skin Clearing Serum. The primary product to reveiw was the Hair Mask, but I tried the Skin Clearing Serum first. I had seen the Skin Clearing Serum and having used their other serums I was super excited about this. I finally got around to trying the Hair Mask this evening. The Hair Mask is a bit of a pain to use because you have to put it on clean towel dried hair and leave it on for 5-15 minutes. I'm not sure about everyone else, but this doesn't seem like a super user friendly method, once I grab a towel I'm drying off and done with my shower. I decided to just wring out my hair with my hands removing excess moisture and apply the mask and soak in the tub for a bit while it soaked in. I rinsed and just let my hair air dry. Several hours later now that my hair is dry it does feel extra soft and I only used the Hair Mask no conditioner. The ...

I love exfoliating it is by far one of the best thing you can do for your skin. I was pretty excited to find out I was selected to try a new exfoliating tool called Exfolimate. It was a bit difficult to find out much about Exfolimate prior to receiving it, I did finally find a video that explained a bit more, but still wasn't thorough so I still didn't know exactly what to expect. I just waited for the package to arrive. The day comes when my Exfolimate arrives in the mail, I open it and see to odd looking triangular objects one smaller one and one larger one. The small one is for your face and the larger for your body. There a stainless steel blade (not sharp, but for lack of a better term this is what I'm referring to it as one side and the rest is plastic. I read the instructions and you basically just apply light pressure and run it across wet skin. I decide to give these odd things a try that evening. I use the one for body in the bath, and really can't t...

I was chosen once again to review some great products from InstaNatural. This time I am reviewing the Vitamin C Moisturizer from InstaNatural. Since I was have been using other products from InstaNatural, I stopped using those to try the Vitamin C Moisturizer and Serum. The first thing I noticed about the Vitamin C line of products is that they have a nice citrus smell. The Vitamin C Moisturizer and Serum also have other ingredients including Hyaluronic Acid and Plant Stem Cells. The Vitamin C Serum seems to require less than the other serums to get full coverage. Since using the Vitamin C products I've noticed less dryness and more even skin tone. While I really enjoy the Vitamin C products I have experimented with them along with my other InstaNatural products and really like using one the Vitamin C with the Retinol line. I either use the Retinol Serum and Vitamin C moisturizer or the Vitmian C Serum with the Retinol Moisturizer. Be sure to visit http://instanatur...

I was selected again to review more great products from InstaNatural. This time I am trying the Retinol Moisturizer and Serum. I think these may be my favorite products from InstaNatural yet. To be able to give these a fair review since I had been trying other products from InstaNatural, I stopped using all but the Vitamin C Toner and the Youth Express Eye Serum. I tried the Retinol Serum first since it is recommended to use serum before moisturizer. In addition to Retinol, this serum also has vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and fruit and plant acids. This serum has a very fruity scent to it that is quite pleasant. I like this serum more than the hyaluronic acid serum, I feel it working when I apply it. In addition to the Retinol Serum I am also trying the Instanatural Retinol Moisturizer. This moisturizer is very moisturizing and is full of great ingredients. In addition to the Retinol, it has vitamin c, hyaluronic acid, jojoba oil, shea butter, and green tea. The Retinol mo...

I wanted a corner banquette in my eat in kitchen,but couldn't find anything I really liked. I decided to look into making one myself, after doing some research I chose to use the Ikea Kallax Shelving/Cubbie. The dimensions work really well for the space I have in my kitchen too. I chose to buiild my base first, so I could get accurate measurements to purchase your materials. Here are the materials you will need to make your cushion. Plywood- cut to size of your bench (Home Depot and Lowes can cut to size for free) I used 1/2 inch Foam- I used 2 inch (buy at any craft store, check for sales and coupons, foam isn't cheap) Quiters Batting- this is nice because it will hold together the foam and wood, and cover the bottom of the wood so you don't scratch your bench. Fabric- I was able to cover both benches with 2 yards of 54" wide fabric (my bench is 57.75" X 15.5") Tools: Staple Gun Hammer- for any staples that don't go in all the way Flat Head...

I received my very first #VoxBox from Influenster today full of awesome products for me to try for free. I was at home when the mail arrived today, and I heard the mail get put in the box, but I also heard more than just the mail being put in the box. My first thought was it must be my #FrostyVoxBox. I jumped up to check the mail and sure enough there it was my first #VoxBox. Thank you Influenster for involving me in this campaign. Since I did just get the #FrostyVoxBox today, I haven't had a chance to try everything, it is packed full of some really great stuff. I immediately opened my #FrostyVoxBox, I had already seen the preview on Instagram of what awaited me, but I was still excited to see everything in person. Here's the lsit of products that are in the #FrostyVoxBox. Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover #Rimmel @RimmelLondonUS Rimmel ScandalEyes Waterproof Liner #Rimmel @RimmelLondonUS NYC Colorlast Lip Color Sugar Plum @NYCNewYokColor #SugarPlum Celestial Seaso...

I've already tried a few products from InstaNatural and have loved them. I recently received a couple more products to try from InstaNatural. This time the Cellulite Cream with Caffeine and Retinol and the Youth Express Age Defying moisturizer. I've already been using some of the other products in the InstaNatural skincare lineup so I added the Youth Express Age Defying moisturizer into that routine. The previous skincare products didn't include an actual moisturizer and while the Hyaluronic Acid Serum is moisturizing, it wasn't quite enough for how dry my skin can get over the winter. I've been using the Youth Express Age Defying moisturizer for several days now, and absolutely love it, it's very moisturizing without being too heavy. The other product I received is the Cellulite Cream with Caffeine and Retinol. The cream is very thick and is also very moisturizing. I think I need to use it a bit longer to tell if there will be results. Results or...