InstaNatural seaweed powder

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I received InstaNaturals Seaweed powder as a promotion through Tomoson in exchange for my honest review.

The smell is a little offsetting. It smells like the beach after seaweed has washed ashore and sat in the hot sun all day. That's the biggest downfall of this product. It comes with a couple recipes on the canister, I used the cellulite scrub which is a simple mixture of the powder, sea salt, Olive oil and essential oil if you choose. You mix it together, massage into the areas you wish to improve, mine was my thighs, then you just hop in the shower to rinse it off. I used it every other day for two weeks and have noticed quite the difference in the appearance of cellulite on my thighs. 

I also used the facial scrub recipe, again provided on the canister. This one uses the seaweed powder, coconut oil and sea salt. Using circular motions you rub it into your skin and rinse off with warm water. I followed up the scrub with my InstaNatural facial oil cleanser. My skin is so soft and smooth after using this a few times a week. This makes the cold winter air much easier to deal with. This time if year my skin usually gets so dried out because of the cold temperatures, this scrub makes it easy to beat the effects of the weather.

I think I'm going to try the body wrap next, I just need to get more plastic wrap! All in all I am yet again extremely happy with InstaNatural and their products! I'm constantly raving to friends , family and coworkers about this company and their products!

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KissMe Organic Ceremonial grade Matcha green tea

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I received KissMe Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha Green Tea powder through Tomoson in exchange for my honest review. 

I am a huge fan of green tea! I've been drinking it for many years for the health benefits associated with it. Whenever I am sick, green tea is my go to remedy, usually with some honey. I was really excited to try Matcha because I've heard so many great things about Matcha compared to other green teas. Matcha is a fine powder instead of ground up tea leaves in a bag. You add a scoop to boiling water and whisk until you develop a froth. The thing to remember is that Matcha is definitely stronger and slightly more bitter than store bought teas. I tried it at first without any sweetener and decided I liked it much better with a teaspoon of organic honey. I have been drinking it several times a week and I absolutely love it! It's perfect for a warm drink on a cold afternoon and a much healthier option than hot chocolate. 

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One Direction Makeup tins

I tried out the One Direction Makeup Collectible tins and I thought they were alright. My young daughters are big fans of the band and went absolutely crazy when they saw that I had received these. I loved the colors of the eye shadows, especially the green one! The only downfall is it didn't last. It produced creasing after just a couple hours of wear. The eyeliner lasted but not the eyeshadow itself. The lip gloss was aimed more towards younger people as none of the colors appealed to me. My girls on the other hand absolutely loved them as well as the glittery over coat. I didn't get to try out the nail polish but my daughters used them and loved them! I think this would make a great gift for younger girls. Powered by BrandBacker

Dr. Song whitening and remineralizing kit

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Im a big time coffee drinker and smoker, my teeth are not as white as they could be, even though I use a whitening toothpaste twice a day, every day. 

I need some work done on my teeth that will involve white fillings. My dentist said I have to get my teeth whiter and cut back on coffee, yikes! 

I received the Dr. Song whitening kit in the mail in exchange for my honest opinion. I've only used it a handful of times but I'm seeing results. I'm sure with continued use my teeth will get whiter. 

Here's the deal with the kit, you get two teeth trays, a little blue light that helps with the whitening process, syringes of whitening gel that you paint on your teeth using a little brush, syringes of remineralizing gel and of course the brush.

So you take the trays, form them to your teeth, stick them in recently boiled water, put them back in your mouth and reform them again. Then you brush and floss your teeth. Carefully apply the whitening gel to your teeth using the brush, you don't want to get it on your gums, there is a warning on the website about the type of bleach used causing discoloration. Now, the whitening gel is recommended for about 15 minutes but can be left on for a couple hours. The blue light can be used for the first 15 minutes of whitening, it didn't last that long with me, it's a little awkward to use.

Seriously awkward! So, after whitening your teethe they recommend you brush your teeth again and wash out the trays. Then add the remineralizing gel and pop the trays back in your mouth for 15 minutes to 4 hours. I found the best way to get full coverage with the remineralizing gel is to gently brush it on your teeth using your toothbrush, squirt a little extra in the tray and then fit over your teeth. After however long you choose to leave this treatment on you wash the trays and brush your teeth again. It's a little bit of a process but I guess if you want shiny white teeth you need to make some sacrifices. Myself in particular since I love my coffee and cigarettes. I will continue to use the Dr. Song teeth whitening system since it has been working. I would probably see more dramatic results if I left it in longer or used it more frequently. I'm happy with the results so far! I've noticed quite a difference in the color of my teeth! 

This is after 4 times of using the whitening gel for only 15 minutes each time. I can't wait to see how white I can get them and hopefully before my dentist appointment next month!

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Kiss Instawave

I have never had much luck with curling irons, flat irons, any kind of product that uses heat to style your hair. I'm accident prone, I've burned myself using these products more times than I can count. I have naturally semi-wavy hair that changes depending on how long I keep it, more wavy when short, less wavy as it grows longer. I love waves, curls, tight or loose. I love being able to change the appearance of my hair as I please.

In comes the Kiss InstaWave. It's easy to use, I had my 7 year old do a couple strands of my hair. You don't put it close enough to your skin that it can burn you. It not only gave me pretty curls but it also smoothed my hair out while doing so, leaving the frizzy out of my style. It was so effortless and took me maybe 10 minutes to do my whole head, and I have a lot of hair. The best part? The curls lasted all day. I didn't even use any hair spray or other styling assistance. The curls just stayed, no matter how many times I ran my hands through my hair or how many hugs I got, the bouncy curls just stayed.

If you want to achieve easy lasting curls you need this product.

http://www.kissinstawave.com

I received this InstaWave iron free in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Elf on the shelf:the creepiest thing kids want

I am going to say it and I will probably have a lot of haters for it: I can not stand the elf on the shelf craze that has hit our country the last several years! It is my least favorite part of an already over commercialized holiday. I may be a Grinch but these are my thoughts. 

I have kids, 5 to be exact. Luckily, three of them are too old to believe in Santa. Unfortunately, because EVERYONE does this gosh darned elf on the shelf deal, my 7 year old is insistent that if we don't have one that means she is a bad kid. She is a typical 7 year old, she had her good days and bad. Why is she so worried? Because apparently the creepy looking elf is sent by Santa to watch over families and cause mischief? Apparently if you don't have an elf that means you are bad? The details are hazy for me as I could care less about this. 

Now, here is why I won't participate in this. First off, I posted something about this on Facebook and was met with the challenge of it being a way for kids to connect with each other and feel like they belong. Now, while I hope my kids never know the pain of being an outsider, I think connections that are worth making do not revolve around material things. Caving in and getting one, in my opinion is teaching my kids that you HAVE to be like everyone else. Keeping up with the Jones' comes to mind. I'm very much anti-fad. They are useless, I'm wagering that in a few years this elf crap will be done with. I have always worked hard to teach my kids to be happy with what they have, to not be envious of others and the only person they should ever be in competition with is themselves. 

Another reason I won't do it is because elves and even the jolly guy in red really have nothing to do withChristmas. Nothing. I'm not a religious person by any means but I try to teach my children of "proper Christian teachings." Christmas is my least favorite holiday. Let me tell you why I like Christmas first. With life as it is, we rarely have time to spend time with our families. I see my grandmother, cousins, aunts and uncles *maybe* once a year, twice if there's a funeral. Second, Christmas is advertised earlier and earlier every year. It's over a month away and they already have Christmas crap out. Seriously people? Can I stuff my face with turkey and pie before you shove jolly St. Nick down my throat? Lastly, the bastardization of this holiday makes me sick. Every part of it. Jesus was not born on December 25th. St. Nick was originally based on a pagan god. And who came up with the idea of mortgaging your house to buy your kids gifts? Now they want to get this elf in my house? Nope! I work hard to teach my kids truths. Yes, I allow them the belief in Santa because frankly, my little one would become the enemy if the state. She can't keep a secret and I don't want or need a lynch mob showing up at my house because my kid spilled the beans about Santa. But more importantly I teach them it's not about gifts, it's not about other peoples traditions. You want a new tradition? We can celebrate Chanukah next year. 

Maybe I'm a Grinch but I would rather my kids try new things instead of own new things. I'd rather them be an outsider with convictions than a follower with none. Maybe the person was right, maybe Christmas is more about the kids but I can't help but feel that if you care about your kids you will give them knowledge, not objects. Besides, I really don't want that creepy elf in my house! That thing gives me nightmares!

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