Saturday, December 13, 2014

~FREE~ Samples for Review- Beauty, Electronics, Supplements, and More

The site Natural Beauty Argan Oil is an Awesome place to get free things to try. You MUST review them on Amazon as soon as they arrive. They are 100% free, no gimmicks. I use this site weekly to get items for review. They are FULL Size, not Sample size.

PLEASE say I sent you as Rebecca Johnson, they are having a contest right now for members. Here is the link to say I sent you and sign up CLICK HERE Also Like the page HERE and get notifications.

You must start with 2 supplements but after that there is things like Iphone cases, Tablet Cases, USB chargers, beauty products etc.. All sorts of great things. The only thing they require is an amazon review. All orders are through Amazon. You must order as soon as you get the email that you were accepted for something. You don't have to have a huge blog following or Social Media following, just post your Amazon review.

They also have a site for Canada and the UK!

Friday, December 12, 2014

5 Hair Health Tips for New Moms

Disclosure - this post contains affiliate links. I had some people like me who don't use hair dye asking questions..here are some answers!

These days, it’s easy to find information about hair care. The challenge is how to sort fact from fiction. Madison Reed is here to help! Dr. Jan Hansen, a board certified OB/GYN, explains the science behind common questions and popular hair tips so we can all make better decisions for our hair and health.

1. Can I color my hair while pregnant? It’s interesting to note that the American College of OB/GYN has no recommendations about coloring hair during pregnancy, yet many women are concerned. I chose to color my hair in all three trimesters with all four of my children. I wish that Madison Reed had been available back then. I would have been much more comfortable using Madison Reed Radiant Color Kit instead of the traditional smelly, harsh dyes. Everyone’s pregnancy is different, so always consult with your personal physician. I feel Madison Reed products provide a better option and a better experience.

2. Why do some new moms lose so much hair? Don’t worry, this is normal. Hair grows, rests, and sheds in cycles. During pregnancy, higher estrogen levels alter the hair cycles. The hair continues to grow, while the resting and shedding phases are paused. That’s why hair is longer, thicker, and fuller while pregnant. After you deliver, the shedding and resting phases resume. All of the hair that would have been shed during the pregnancy can be shed all at once. It can be quite alarming losing clumps of hair! This is normal and within a few months, the hair will return to a normal cycle.

3. Is it true that hair can stretch 30% longer when wet? Yes! Hair is made of 90% proteins that are held together by chemical bonds. When wet, these bonds are temporarily broken, allowing the hair to stretch and weaken. The bonds reform when dry and shrink back to normal.

4. How can I prevent damage to wet hair? Because the bonds that hold strands together are temporarily broken, wet hair is vulnerable to damage. Follow these three simple rules to protect your hair. Use a wide-tooth comb or detangling wet brush. Avoid a tight ponytail while your hair is wet. When the hair dries and shrinks back, the ponytail could cause breakage. Wait until your hair is 80-90% dry before styling it.

5. Why do some people grow longer hair than others? There is a limit to how long each person’s hair can grow, called the terminal length. The terminal length depends on a predetermined growing cycle. It usually is 3-5 years but can be as long as 10! The longer your growing cycle, the longer your hair can get. Considering hair typically grows 6 inches per year, 10 years of growing is really long hair! While you can’t change genetics, you can protect your long hair by keeping it healthy and strong. Take care when you style your hair and use healthier hair products that can help prevent and repair damage to the hair.

Find your perfect hair color now from Madison Reed and get hair color that is healthy for your hair.

~Review~ Madison Reed Hair Color

~I received this product free for my honest review. All opinions are my own.~

I guess I am not really a "girly" girl. I don't have long, polished painted nails. I don't normally dye, tint, highlight or style my hair even. I have 6 kids and 2 babies under two...I don't have time for that girly stuff. Did I mention I work at home, and am always covered in paint? So when I was offered a hair dye sample from Madison Reed to try and review my first thought was Me, your kidding right? My daughter of course was like yes mom do it!

I'd never heard of Madison Reed. The site is fun, you get to fill out a find your perfect color survey and the they tell you what colors would suit you best. Your free to choose any color they have though. I chose one they suggested. I'm glad I did.

Wow am I impressed. I got my box very quickly, in fact it came so fast I thought it was something else. Fed Ex had really mashed it up, so I am sorry I don't have a photo of how pretty the box was. I wondered why the box was so big. This was no little box of hair dye, it was as big as a laptop.

Here is what was in the box, it was like opening a gift. On either side are very detailed photo instructions with good sized print. No eyeglasses needed! (That's the part that got all mashed up) Can you believe what's all included? You get 2 pair of gloves. They were sturdy gloves, no ripping! One for coloring and one for rinsing. No messing with already used gloves. A package of Barrier Cream. Honestly you didn't really need this, the dye washed right off the skin. But I like having it just in case. Since I am no expert I had hair dye everywhere. A cleansing cloth for oops. I had a lot of oops spots, even on my elbow. No I don't know how, ha ha! A cap to hold your hair in place and keep the heat it. Also nice, no mess on your clothes and towels.

Your hair color cream, which is free of harsh chemicals. This was why I finally agreed to try it. Full of the good stuff like Argan Oil, Keratin, and Ginseng Root. The conditioning activator with a good sized bottle and easy screw off cap. Mixing was a breeze, seriously. My 16 year old did it...piece of cake she says. Here is my FAVORITE part, nourishing, color enhancing Shampoo + Conditioner. Yes you heard me right, they provide you with shampoo and conditioner. Really good quality stuff too (and I can say that because I worked in a salon). These smelled wonderful. My daughter asked if we could buy more. I can't begin to tell you how soft and smooth the hair felt after using this. Today the hair is shiny, and so soft...feels like silk. Lastly there is a QR code which can give you discounts and FREE product!

So I bet you want to see what it looks like? Here is our before photo's..

And here is what it looks like now. I LOVE it! What do you think?

Madison Reed also offers a subscription service. Yes you get a discount! You can get it anytime from every 4 weeks to every 10 weeks! A present to you once every month or two! Enjoy!

Thursday, December 11, 2014

~Deal~ Site wide 30% Off Get Christmas Cards at Tiny Prints!

Have you ordered your Christmas cards or gifts yet? No well it's not too late. Check out the site wide sale at Tiny Prints happening right now - You get 30% off everything. It's the best remaining site wide sale of the season, so don't miss out!

When you go to Tiny Prints and place your order, just use the promo code SW30SALE and you'll save 30% on your purchase. You will be pleased at the aesthetic and artistic abilities you can use to make the cards your own!

~Winner~ of the Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

The Winner of the Amazon gift card giveaway was Pam. She won with her first entry! Congratulations Pam!

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

~Giveaway & Review~ Abundant Harvest for Kids Board Game by Harvest Time Partners, Inc.

First off let me start by saying this has to be one of the nicest companies I have ever dealt with. Harvest Time Partners, Inc is a combat-veteran owned business. All products are made in the U.S.A! Just for me that's the perfect start. I have family serving oversea's right now, so I am very supportive of veteran run business. I also support small and American based companies! These games and books are a great resource for parents to remind children (and themselves) the Principles that are so often lost in the fast instant gratification world we live in.

We were sent the Abundant Harvest for Kids board game for review, along with four other card games. Face to Face Kids Edition, Teen Edition, Bible Edition, and Dinner Party Edition. We were also sent four different versions of The Principles of our World books, Honesty, Compassion, Sacrifice, and Teamwork. I'll review those down below..

The Abundant Harvest for Kids game was super fun. It was very easy to set up. It comes with the game board, Rule sheet, Harvest Time Reward Cards, Scenario Cards, Stands you affix Principle stickers on, Principle cards and one die.

The day it came the kids were ready to play. We decided to have a game night since we had such a selection to choose from! My kids playing range from 9-16 and this game was age appropriate for all of them. You move around the board answering Scenario cards and earning Harvest Time Rewards. You can earn an Abundant Harvest, Modest Harvest or Poor Harvest depending on where you land. The Scenario cards come in School, Parent or Child. Each card has a scenario to answer. Then you all have a bit of time to debate the answer. The player chooses a principle like Respect, Trust, Compassion, Loyalty, etc off the Principles card that explains the answer they give. My son Michael gives an answer here in this video. You can also view it on YouTube if it does't work for you.

With four of us playing this game lasted around 30 mins. I could see this game going as long as you could sit. It really gets you thinking and talking with each other. Most cards we spent a few minutes on discussing what each of us would do. The rules give you a 30 second guideline but no way could we keep it that short. We all are talkers in our house! Honestly that's the beauty of this game...it gets the parents and the kids talking about real world situations and your reaction to them. Many times my kids would say well if I were being honest I would think about doing this instead of doing what I know would be right which is this. So not only do they talk about the "Right" thing to do, they also talk about the "Wrong" things to do and why they are wrong. It really got my kids thinking about situations that happen everyday at school. It even got me thinking about days I may not feel well, or someone else is having a bad day and how I react. What a conversation starter this game was. I was pleased to learn they also make a Abundant Harvest for Teens & Adults. This would be a great addition for my older children to play!

I also received four other card games. Face to Face Kids Edition, Teen Edition, Bible Edition, and Dinner Party Edition. These are basically just "simple" versions of the board game. We sat after dinner and played the Bible Edition. Scripture memory is not something I am good at so this made us do some looking up. This got us all really talking about different stories in the bible that sometimes get forgotten. We get so busy sometimes we forget the important things, and living 30 minutes from our church makes a real need for more study and interaction at home, especially in the winter. We really loved these small games. They would be a great thing to keep in the car for long trips where there isn't much to see along the way!

I also got four different versions of The Principles of our World books, Honesty, Compassion, Sacrifice, and Teamwork. They start off with a note for parents and teachers, followed by a note for the kids. The books then start with an introduction to the Principle that is involved in the book. That principle leads you through the book and different situations and helps you learn how to handle and respond to them. Then at the end, the book gives you some situations to think about and asks what you would do. These are well written and very easy to follow. My 9 year old is dyslexic and we read them with him and he was able to follow along and understand. My 11 year old told me the books taught him about situations that he never thought about and how he would respond. He has them on his nightstand now to read at bedtime. What a peaceful way to go to sleep? Dreaming of the right principles to guide your way through life!

I know you would love this game as much as my family did...so please enter the giveaway below for your chance to win the Abundant Harvest for Kids Game from Harvest Partners, Inc

I received this game free for my honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by anyone else.

~Deal~ 45% off at MonogramOnline.com

When it comes to fine monogrammed and name jewelry, MonogramOnline.com is in the top of its class -- from silver and gold necklaces shaped into first names to cuff links etched with initials. But that's not all the gift-focused website is about - its huge selection of monogram-ready wares include, but are not limited to, iPhone cases, kitchenware, to sporting goods. There is something for everyone!

Take 45% off store wide - use code BLOG45. Tons of beautiful selections to choose from! This is just a sample! I will be doing a review soon on the website, in the meantime take advantage of this great deal of 45% off!

~Deal~ Groovy Holiday Bundles Now Available From Groovy Lab in a Box

**The links in this blog post are affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on these links, I will receive a small commission from Groovy Lab in a Box.

My kids received this box as a gift a few months ago, they were thrilled with it and asked for it every month! They spent hours doing the projects in the box and I felt it was a great gift for them! They are 11 and 9! I'm sure your kids would enjoy it also! Read more about what they have going on below!

Are you looking for the perfect gift for the STEMists in your life? Look no further than Groovy Lab in a Box's new Groovy Holiday Bundles!

With Groovy Holiday Bundles, you will get a single box delivered to you in time for the holidays, and the grooviness continues in 2015 with one of Groovy Lab in a Box's subscription plans. Non-recurring prepaid plans are available in 3-, 6- and 12-month plans, and are billed at the time of order. At the end of the subscription period, these plans do not renew.

Even groovier, each plan is bundled with a unique single box at 20% off! This is a groovy way to give your STEMist the fun of learning science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) well beyond the holiday season. In fact, both Popular Mechanics and Mothering Magazine have included Groovy Lab in a Box in their 2014 holiday gift guides - so you know it's a groovy gift for kids! Save time and money this holiday season with Groovy Lab in a Box!

Monday, December 8, 2014

~Deal~ Up to 40% off Gifts at ModCloth & Holiday Gift Guide!

They are having a great sale at ModCloth...Up to 40% off plus an additional 15% off $100+ finds with the Code JOY

Big news, everyone! For a short time, we're treating our customers to a fantastic deal on 100s of personality-packed presents. Whether you need gifts for gal pals, guy pals, or even pet pals, our adorable array of awesome items has you covered. Think you've seen all the fab finds we have to offer? Think again -- we're introducing oodles of fresh NEW gifts during this sensational sale. Hurry, Styles this exciting won't stick around long.

What: 40% Off Gifts + Fresh New Finds Starts: Monday, 12/8 at 9 a.m. PT/noon ET Ends: Saturday, 12/13 at 10 am PT/1 pm ET Sale Link: http://www.modcloth.com/shop/sale

Also check out our 2014 Holiday Gift Guide for unique gift ideas, party style, & oh-so-festive decorations! We've got great gifts for gals, guys, treats under $20, and more. They're sure to find something special for everyone on their lists!

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Oh Christmas Tree (Farm) Oh Christmas Tree (Farm)....How Lovely!

Ok I am hooked, being raised in the city we never went to a Christmas tree farm. We went to the closest grocery store lot and picked one out. What fun we thought it was running on the black concrete path searching for the perfect tree, branches that spun out like a dress, and would look heavenly decorated with ornaments and tinsel.

Now 20 something years later I realize while fun, lot tree shopping has no real personality. We are starting a new tradition here in Missouri...we are going to our local Christmas tree farm, picking our own tree and having it cut down. The kids and Don will be dragging it to the truck, and off it well go to it's temporary home at the farm.

So early this afternoon we set out to the Tree Farm, it's about 20 minutes away down a dirt road. The boys were practically hopping off the seat when we saw the sign

The boys were excited to cut the tree (well anything really) down... Everyone jumped out of the truck and started running up and down the rows of trees. It was beautiful and the fragrance was so wonderful. I could of stood and just smelled the air for hours. If only you could take that home with you.

Thomas and Mickey as always are interested in the process...they jumped in the back of the owner's truck to learn about being a tree farmer. They learned how to cut and carry, how they know who's tree belongs to who, how to get the dead needle's off, what may fall out of the tree, and how to tie it up for travel!

They worked their little tushes off dragging tree's, going up and down the hill to the stations for cleaning and trimming! What a wonderful experience. Thomas even had a bird's nest fall out of one of the tree's as they were shaking off the pine needles. Nikolas was fascinated with it...all I heard for the next hour was egg, nest, tree. Kids are so sweet! It's the little things, isn't it?

Now after we picked out our tree,(after marching around for an hour up and down the rows) they cut it down and trimmed it. Don picked it up and put it in the truck. He literally carried a 7 1/2 foot tree down the hill to the truck. Then we drove it back up to get a shake down and tied up.

I love the whole process...Have you ever seen what happens to your tree before it make's it to the tree lot? Well watch this video to see..I warn you, it's funny!

Watch on Youtube!

Wasn't that great? I love the shaking off of the needles. I wonder if we could use one of those, ha ha! Remember those old weight losing machines? The tree was all ready to go and loaded up, and ready to go to it's new home on the farm! Please don't look at my photo, ha ha!

Home at last

~Freebies & Deals~ From TinyPrints

Wow...Posted too soon.. Look at these great free offers from tinyprints! Just use the Promo code: CHOOSEGIFT

Choose one of four free gifts. You may choose one free mug.

You may choose One free magnet.

You may choose one free notepad.

Or you may choose a $16.99 credit towards a home decor purchase!

You may choose any of these four promotions from tinyprints

Terms: Offer expires December 11, 2014 (11:59 P.M. PT). Use code CHOOSEGIFT at checkout to enjoy a free magnet, notepad, white 11 oz. mug, OR for a $16.99 credit towards a home décor purchase. Offer cannot be redeemed more than once per account and/or billing address. This particular offer code can only be redeemed once. This promotion code cannot be combined with other offers. The $16.99 credit offer is not applicable to shipping, taxes, rush processing charges, previously placed orders or toward the purchase of calendars, photobooks, gift certificates and Erin Condren products. Offer is only valid on tinyprints.com and is not applicable to third party or partner websites. Quantities limited to a combined maximum of 5,000 gifts. To prevent fraud or abuse, we reserve the right to discontinue or modify this offer or cancel any order.

~DEAL~ Tiny Prints- 40% Off $ Free Shipping

Did you know that this Sunday is the busiest holiday card shopping day of the year?

It is...take advantage of an amazing offer from Tiny Prints.

For 24 hours only, you can get 40% off your order of ANY size plus get free shipping!

Here's how to take advantage of this offer:

1. Go to Tiny Prints and select from hundreds of holiday cards.

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3. When you checkout, use the promo code TPCARDS40FS to save 40% and get free shipping.

This promotion is only valid from 12:00pm PT on Saturday 12/6 to 12:00pm PT on Sunday 12/7, so act fast!