Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites:

- I found these "Crispy Green: Crispy Fruit" snacks at Fresh Market recently, and they were amazing! I shared them recently with my Mom and Aunt, and they loved them too!

-Lupine Coupler for walks with both Aussies. Absolutely nothing beats the quality and durability of the Lupine brand's collars, leashes, and couplers. They are an excellent company and I can't recommend them enough! Their coupler has excellent durability, distributes weight evenly, and the clips are made in such a way that they can't be forced outward, allowing a dog to break free. (The Aussies are also wearing 1" Lupine collars in the picture, and using a Lupine 1" leash.)

-This Goji Berry & Tea candle from Target! I loved the scent so much recently that I froze the remaining wax, and cut it up to use in my tart warmers just so I could use it even more! 

-Pineapple! I absolutely love fresh pineapple. I probably share an equal love for my pineapple core tool. It's amazing, and one of those kitchen gadgets I reach for often! I forgot to take an after picture, but essentially, if you cut the top of the pineapple, you then twist the core tool down, and wind up with a perfectly cored pineapple, and lots of delicious pineapple rings to eat! Mine is from Target, but Bed Bath & Beyond should have them too, if you want to use a coupon with it!

-Dryer balls! These are from Homegoods, but you can find them in most stores. They are genius!

They're cheap, non-toxic, soften clothes, reduce drying time, and extend the life of your clothing by reducing lint. These are also safe to use with dry-wick gym clothing and towels because they won't leave behind any residue and reduce effectiveness. 

----------Friday Fails----------

These two mascaras below we're awful; I am so happy to be finished with them! The top one is from the drugstore and was just a clumpy, goopy mess! It weighed down my lashes, without making them any longer or fuller. The formula also faded during the day.

The Smashbox mascara was a free mini sample, and was worse than the drugstore mascara. It was horrendous! If it's possible for a mascara to actually make your lashes look worse, this one did that! The formula was extremely dry, and all this did was make my long eyelashes actually look a bit stumpy. It also flakes horribly, which irritated my eyes. 

-"Walking with the Dinosaurs, The Movie". I rented this from Redbox the other day, and regretted my decision as soon as I started playing it. It was horrible, and I can't even see a child enjoying this one. I was hoping for something more along the lines with Jurassic Park, or a good dinosaur documentary. Instead, I wound up with this snore-inducing atrocity.  Since I have no way to warn the next person who goes to Redbox and rents it, I decided to include a note, and a dollar with it to hopefully make their soon-to-be regrettable DVD rental, a bit more tolerable. 

Friday Favorites!

AIt's time for Friday Favorites again!

Here are the things I've been enjoying this week: 

1. Candles by Victoria's Scent Shot in, "Caramel Hazelnut Cream". If you are a coffee lover, this is the perfect fragrance to melt in your kitchen or living room warners. The scent is warm and robust, with just the right combination of coffee and sweetness to it. This scent would make a wonderful candle. It's definitely going on my CBV order wishlist! 

2. Daiya Jalapeño Garlic Havarti Style Wedge. I found this at my local Fresh Market, and it is delicious! If you're like me and can't handle a lot of dairy, this is an amazing alternative. If someone would have handed this to me without telling me it was "fake cheese", I would not have believed them; the flavor is just so excellent! I really recommend this jalapeño garlic variety if you like spicy type cheeses with a little kick to them. I've been eating it as a snack on top of "Mary's Gone Crackers Black Pepper gluten free crackers", but you can pair it with anything you like. I plan to try this with a chicken casserole type dish; I think it would be delicious! If it turns out well, I'll post a recipe.

3. The, "Whitmor Folding Clothes Drying Rack" that I ordered from Amazon a few months back. This is one of those products that I'm kicking myself for not getting sooner! I initially ordered this to use with delicate laundry, but I've since been using it almost daily for random things, like placemats and napkins! Since it has worked so well, my goal lately has been to cut back a little on how often we use our dryer, and to use this rack instead for a few loads each week. I'd be nice to conserve a little energy, cut down on our utility bill some, and help our fabrics last longer. I especially like this drying rack because when it isn't in use, you can fold it up and store it away, taking up a minimal amount of space. When it is in use, it is still fairly compact, so you can easily fit it into a small space. This particular one has a waterproof, epoxy coating that helps it resist mold and mildew. The construction of this seems to be very well made, so I'm hoping to have this folding rack for a long time to come. 

4. Tervis Tumbler. Is it weird to be in love with a cup...because I am! I have been using my Tervis Tumbler for over a year now, and it is one of my very favorite things! Nick actually had one too that he uses as well! My brother in law, Bubba told me about Tervis Tumblers a few years ago, after I kept dropping and breaking my glass drinking glasses. I finally got around to getting this one last year at Bed Bath & Beyond, and I absolutely love it! It honestly still looks new, but I have dropped this at least 20+ times. There are no visible cracks or scratches in it, thankfully. 

My right hand has some nerve damage, so I can be a little clumsy at times. The one thing that I like the most about the Tervis Tumblers, is that you can get a separate handle to go with their cups. It may not be necessary for most people, but I really love mine. It definitely helps me hold onto the cup more easily, and makes it more stable to carry around. I typically fill this one up with ice water throughout the day, so I'm constantly drinking enough. If I'm using a cold drink, it keeps it chilled, and if I'm using a hot drink, the insulation keeps it toasty, without ever developing condensation.  I prefer this to my traditional sports bottles, because of the handle, and also like that I can use a straw with it. (I'm a straw person!) 

5. Number 5 goes along with my number 4 favorite. Last night I went to Target for a few things, and like always, I had my cup with me. (I always take it with me because I like having water whenever I go someplace.) I finished my water while I was there and was still thirsty, so I went to the little Starbucks inside of Target. The lady was really friendly, and was actually able to put the drink I wanted in my Tervis Tumbler since it's a hot/cold insulated container. I thought that was pretty neat! Starbucks will give you a .10 discount if you brings your own container to refill. I love that idea, because it keeps anther disposable cup out of the landfill, and encourages people who want an occasional treat to reuse their products.  I think that's a great idea on Starbucks part. 

Friday Fail:

I have one "fail" for today, and it is the Caviar Transformation Kit.  Pictured, are the Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging moisture shampoo and conditioner. I purchased this in a four piece mini set at Sephora a while back at the recommendation of a good friend. Obviously it goes without saying that different people and hair types prefer different things; this just didn't work out for me.

This four piece kit came with minis of the shampoo, conditioner, working hair spray, and overnight hair rescue. Although I finished the shampoo and conditioner to not be wasteful, I disliked them, and wouldn't recommend them. The product didn't improve or moisturize my hair well. It weighed my hair down, and left it feeling greasy and looking dull. The kit itself was extremely overpriced, at $30 for the mini set. (I got it for less during the F&F sale, but it still wasn't worth it.) I also found the scent of these products, especially the overnight hair rescue cream, to be absolutely repulsive. It smells like you're smoothing on a fish market to your hair! It is just putrid and repulsive, and there is no way I could ever recommend it. The shampoo/conditioner were tolerable, but the night treatment smelled so putrid that I just had to toss it. I couldn't even GIVE if away, because everyone hated the scent lol. It did come with a mini hairspray as well in the set, which I haven't tried yet since I'm still finishing another one at the moment. (So, I can't comment on the quality of the hairspray yet.)  Overall, I'd go with Wella as a brand instead of Alterna. I feel that the products a better performance and value wise, and you can get them on sale at Ulta pretty often. Save yourself some money, and skip the Alterna Caviar Transformation Kit! 

Friday Favorites and Fails!

❤️It's time for Friday Favorites! Below are a few random things that I'm currently enjoying, as well as one fail item to avoid.❤️

                      ~Favorites~

1. Organic Coconut Oil! We use coconut oil for just about everything in our home!  We use it for everything from cooking, sautéing vegetables, and topping air-popped popcorn, to beauty (hair mask, base for homemade deodorants, moisturizer for skin, eye make remover, etc). This product is such a handy item to  to keep in your cabinets. I keep a jar in my kitchen for cooking only, and a separate jar in our bathroom for beauty/everyday use. To keep the shared jar more hygienic, we keep a container of small plastic ice cream scoops near it so that we aren't putting our hands into the jar we both share. (You can find the ice cream scoops at Target near the disposable utensils and plates.) We also really love to use coconut oil to oil pull for our teeth. We just swish it in our mouths for 20 minutes daily as a rinse, then spit it into the waste basket so it doesn't clog the drains. This is easy to do while you're taking a shower or folding laundry, just set a timer! We do this in addition to regular dental visits, as well as brushing and flossing lie teeth; this is just an additional step we take in our dental care to help keep our mouths healthy. My dentist recommended oil pulling a while back as a safe, natural treatment for sensitivity. I was very sceptical about it initially, but after the second day I was hooked, and have been oil pulling for months now. Even Nick does as well since curiosity got the best of him! Since I've been oil pulling, I've noticed a massive improvement in my dental health and overall reduced sensitivity. I will devote a post soon to that topic! :) 

I typically find good organic, cold-pressed coconut oils at shops like Homegoods, for an affordable price. 

2.On the note of Homegoods, I am in love with this tiny little berry strainer! It's difficult to tell from the picture, but the base of it fits in the palm of my hands, has two little handles, and a solid metal build. I found it for under $5 at Homegoods, and I am shocked by how much use I get from it. I use it every single day! It seems to be made very well so far, and is perfect for people who enjoy fresh fruit. Since I use it so often, I hand wash ours. To store, I keep a little Command Hook inside of our cabinet doors, and it fits perfectly on there when not in use. 

3. Clear, over-the-door shoe organizers. We use these throughout our home and they are such a simple, cost-effective way to organize products you use often and want easy access to. Just to give you ideas, I've included a few pictures of how we use ours. The left side contains household items that we keep in our hallway closet. The middle organizer goes on the back of our master bathroom door and has things like: floss, sunscreen, air freshner, moisturizers, soaps, etc. The organizer on the right goes inside of our spare  bedroom closet, and we use it for things like: stationary, envelopes, and other office supplies. You can use these organizers for just about anything from shoes, scarves, and undergarments, to home and health items. We have some in our crate room that I use to store pet products and grooming tools in. These also fit well inside of a pantry for small packets of food items and sauces. If you get one with four hooks, you can carefully cut it down the center and use it on smaller doors. Amazon always organizers like these for reasonable prices on their website. These make excellent, budget-friendly storage solutions! (If you have little ones, they are also good for storing bottles and nipples, bibs, wipes, and things of that nature. I have a girlfriend who uses one like that for her little one.)

4. Brookstone's Genuine Fom Fun Pillows. As you can tell, these are a hit at our home! Even Ranger loves them, and steals mine every opportunity he gets. In high school, my friend gave me my very first Fom pillow from Brookstone. It was a cute pink one, and I've been hooked ever since! Seriously, I have used it daily! Out of curiosity a few weeks ago, I looked online, and low and behold Brookstone was offering them again, so I wasted no time ordering two new ones. I still have my original pink Fom too, but after well over a decade of use, it's seen better days, so I was pleased to have two new ones. These are small, squishy pillows that are perfect for traveling, or home use. These are especially wonderful if you like a small pillow for neck support like I do.  They are also great for stress-relief as they have tiny microbeads that are fun to mindlessly squish around, like a stress ball. (On that note though, I wouldn't recommend giving one of these pillows to a small child or young animals because if the pillow tears and the small beads get loose, that could pose a choking hazard.)

5. African Violets and Ivy. I'm loving having these fun pops of color thoughout our home! If you're wondering, I fill the sink with water and place them in the standing water for a bit to water them that way. They will stay healthier and live longer if you water them from the roots, vs pouring water on top of them. 

That wraps up my Friday Favorites this week! I do have one Friday Fail that I wanted to include. This is the Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturizer. I received this a while back in a free Target beauty bag give-away. This is a sizable sample and a solid container. My compliments really end there though. It has a bit of an odd chemical scent to it, that made it unpleasant to use. After using this several times, I noticed my skin looking a bit dull from it, and that I also had a few blemishes coming up in areas where I had applied it. It was also not moisturizing enough for dry patches on my face to really feel hydrated and smooth. So, taking that all into account, I can't recommend this moisturizer.