Thursday, July 24, 2014

Spellbinders Celebra'tions Collections for Crafting #Spellbinders @Spellbinders

Disclosure:  I received the products complimentary for review purposes as a member of Purex Insiders. I was not financially compensated for this post but I am entered into a giveaway.  All opinions are my own, based on my personal experience with the product.  

I love to make birthday cards, party decor and guest favors extra special.  It seems like there is always another occasion to craft for--especially in the warm summer months. Between BBQ's at our home and beach house and birthday parties, there is always another occasion to pull out all the stops for crafting!  I am not the craftiest momma out there though so I am always looking for tips and tools to help make my craft projects look their best.  


Richard Garay recently designed a totally adorable new line of crafting products called the Spellbinders Celebrations Collection.  Richard has a long time passion for paper crafts, event hosting and handmade greetings. His experience led him to develop this beautiful new collection. This is a complete collection of beautiful papers, colorful inks, adorable stamps, dies and cool embellishments. Spellbinders Celebrations Collection makes it a total snap to create a beautiful card or craft a heartfelt personalized gift for almost anyone.



Even the craftiest of my friends appreciates the difference you see when using high quality products. The Spellbinders Celebra'tions Collection is a quality line of products that will help any novice, intermediate or seasoned crafter or hostess to achieve beautiful results every single time. The whole line is totally coordinated too so you can create a cheerful, bright and exciting set for your next event that balances perfectly. 



Spellbinders makes it so easy to make cute cards and crafts. My daughter is so excited because she has several upcoming birthday parties and she likes to make special cards for her friends. We are heading up to a friends home in the mountains and we are working on a gorgeous card for them as well using the Spellbinders Collection. 
These two mini kits that I received to review were very easy and fun to work with. My tween is so ready to be making more.  Shopping time! Are you ready to make your very own, one of a kind celebration creations? Check out how you can learn how to do it with the Spellbinders Celebra'tions Collection.



I received a kit including the following items.
  • Spellbinders Celebra'tions Collection Kit 
  • 1 Spellbinders Stamp Set (for you to keep or host a mini-giveaway on your blog!)
  • A fact sheet with product information to share with my readers
  • A detailed how-to instruction sheet
  • A letter with tips and tricks 
You can follow Spellbinders on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google + and check out their site for all the information.

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe would be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Sunday, July 20, 2014

KIND Nuts and Spices NEW flavors are a perfect afternoon pick me up with a hot or iced coffee #kindawesome


If you haven't tried KIND bars yet you better run over to the store right now or get over to the KIND website if you want to save time.  You are missing an amazing snack that is chick full of good stuff to keep your energy up up up! I remember the first time I tried one...the hotel out them out during one of the breaks at our business meeting. People went nuts!  It was so funny because everyone was checking out the clean ingredient list and oohing and ahhing over the flavors. The upper management was not so thrilled because people were paying more attention to their KIND bars than the presentation. They are that yummy. I have a meeting coming up and I am hoping that KIND bars are going to be available for the coffee breaks again.  It would really make my meeting a lot more fun..and tolerable...ooops, I didn't say that last part.

Now  KIND has added a few yummy new options to keep it all interesting. Caramel Almond + Sea Salt and Dark Chocolate Mocha Almond is the newest option to the KIND Nuts and Spices line of bars. Now the line  includes eight delicious and a tiny bit indulgent flavors. Believe it or not, each bar only has 5g of sugar (or less) and nothing artificial at all. That is a really low sugar option...much better than so many other options out there in the snack-o-sphere. A great snack to stash in your purse or even to take on the plane.  See, I have that upcoming meeting on my mind....gotta fly down south in a week or so. A KIND bar IS going in my purse.

KIND's newest flavors demonstrate that you can naturally keep sugar to a minimum while still allowing for a sweet and indulgent flavor. Each KIND bar is also crafted from a healthy foundation of whole almonds. We all know that studies have demonstrated the heart healthy benefits and even life-extending properties of almonds.


A little about each bar and my experiences so you can know all about them even before your first bite.  Caramel Almond + Sea Salt is made with a seemingly indulgent blend of savory sea-salt combined with sweet caramel. This heavenly combination is then drizzled over fresh, crunchy almonds.
KIND Caramel Almond + Sea Salt is a yummy low-sugar healthy snack that only tastes like you are stepping over the line into indulgence. It really is the best of both worlds.  I don't like to deprive myself but on the other hand, I work out 5-6 days a week and I don't want to undo my hard work.  KIND bars like this variety let me enjoy without guilt.

The other variety that I was able to sample was the KIND Dark Chocolate Mocha Almond barThis yummy bar is crafted by blending dark roast coffee and whole almonds along with honey. This amazing concoction is then drizzled in dark chocolate to form a bar that, again, with just 5g of sugar, only tastes like you are indulging yourself.

Both KIND Nuts and Spices bars contain a great blend of 7g fiber, 6g protein and 5g sugar.  An excellent blend to make you feel like you are treating yourself while providing energy and fuel to keep you going all day or all evening long. It is the perfect snack to carry you through a meeting, school or an endless plane ride. You can check and conveniently purchase these two new flavors out on the KIND website store. While you are there you can get more information on all their yummy bars and snacks. 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Yummy and healthy treats and snacks from ginnybakes areAmAzInG @ginnybakes

Disclosure: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetsSM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

What could be more wonderful than getting a boxful of delicious, wholesome and nutrititious cookies and treats for your family and good friends to try?  You are right, absolutely just about nothing could be better than that. You should have seen the hubby and little big one just about lose their minds when they saw what arrived recently from Moms Meet.  They almost just went completely nutty when they realized what treats were in that box. If you have never tried ginnybakes, then you are in for a real treat...get it?



ginnybakes is a family-owned company which is a perfect place to start.  You know that family based companies tend to put their heart and soul into their products and Ginny sure does....literally! You might have guessed that the founder is Ginny.  She has a background as a holistic nutritionist and she believes that your body deserves only the finest ingredients.  She turned this belief into a passion to create outrageously delicious and nutritious treats that everyone can enjoy. No weird ingredients or chemicals that leave you wondering and worse--guilty like some commercial baked goods. Totally USDA organic. When you serve ginnybakes products to your family and guests you can feel good about it and so can they.  The whole ginnybakes team works like crazy to deliver a wide range of super delicious cookies to treats lovers all over. They have their own line of ready to eat treats like cookies and bars and also baking mixes. 


ginnybakes offers a line of scrumptious chocolate chip cookies made with delicious tempting dark chocolate. If you love the delectable combination of oatmeal and coconut then ginnybakes’ coconut oatmeal bliss line is for you. Crafted with organic coconut blended with dark, organic raisins, crispy whole walnuts, and gluten-free rolled oats makes the perfect oatmeal  cookie with a tropical twist.  You won’t find any artificial ingredients in ginnybakes cookies. Every product from ginnybakes is gluten-free, organic, non-GMO, and kosher. The best part is, drumroll....they taste delicious too.  We had a group of tough mom judges and they all agreed that this is one amazing line of baked goods.

Ginny really covered all the bases.  It is nice because ginnybakes products are something you can feel confident having in your house for all of your friends and even the kids. Even if you have vegetarian or vegan friends, Ginny considered them as well and offers a complete line of yummy treats that are totally vegan. ginnybakes bakes up cookies, bars, crumble snacks, and baking mixes—to fit each every one of your cravings and lifestyles.  I do live to bake but sometimes my schedule is squeezed.  When I baked up the ginnny's Chocolate Chip Love cookies all I had to do was add an egg, a stick of butter and a tsp of vanilla extract. It took me less than 5 minutes to mix up and pop onto a cookie sheet 12 minutes in the oven and they were freshly baked. The ginny's Peace, Love and Crumb muffins were just as easy to as well...just a few additions like butter, an egg, a bit of Greek yogurt and a few minutes in the oven and they came out heavenly.  Ginny's cookies and mixes will leave you looking like a hero whether you just open up the delicious pre-made ones or bake them up yourself. The prices are very reasonable as well considering the handcrafted nature of the product.  I would have thought they would be a lot more. The retail price for a 5.5 oz box of ginnybakes is $5.99, the price is the same for a case of their mini boxes. ginnybakes products are sold at Costco stores in the San Francisco Bay Area, Whole Food Market stores, and Fresh Market. They recently found their way into Stop & Shop, Giant, Martin’s, Big Y stores, and Peapod for those who live in the New York, the mid-Atlantic (that's me!)  and New England region!  Use the store locator on ginnybakes.com to find even more ginnybakes locations.

You can follow them like I do for all their totally personal and adorable updates on their website ginnybakes and all your fave social media sites:

instagram.com/ginnybakes
pinterest.com/ginnybakes
plus.google.com
facebook.com/ginnybakes
twitter.com/ginnybakes

You can check them out on greenmomsmeet too and see what other moms are saying about these delicious baked goods and baking mixes.

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe would be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

A fresh look with Barefaced Dead Sea Mud Mask: a review #Barefaced


 

I really like how my skin looks when I use masks.  I prefer to use natural products when I can...it just makes me feel better about myself. Ideally I do it weekly. One of the oldest and very effective options is a mud mask.  Specifically, mud from the Dead Sea.  Dead Sea mud is full of natural minerals, salts and nutrients.  It has been used since ancient times for beauty rituals and I have many friends and family members who will totally attest to the  repairing and healing properties of the Dead Sea mud for skin. I recently had the opportunity to try a luxurious mask from Barefaced.  Their Dead Sea Mud Mask is an easy way to bring the benefits of the far away Dead Sea right into your home minus the long plane ride!

  

The amazing natural benefits of the Dead Sea are sent direct from Mother Nature herself. Filtered down from the surrounding mountains, layers of fine salt, sand and clay deposits have developed over centuries to form the unique black mud of the Dead Sea.  My friends that have experienced the Dead Sea in person say it is amazing. But not all of us can manage that kind of trip for a variety of reasons. Now we can all get the benefits right in our own homes. The mud for the Barefaced Mud Mask has been harvested straight from the bed of the Dead Sea.

The mud for the Barefaced Mask is the absolute best they could get their little adorable paws on. All they did was to add a few organic ingredients to ensure it remains fresh for your skin to enjoy to the very last drop.

Proven to Naturally Improve the Appearance and Feel of Skin
  • Tone, tighten and improve skin texture.
  • Exfoliate, unclog and purify pores. Help rid your skin of blackheads and imperfections.
  • Draw out unseen excess oils and impurities.
  • Moisturize and stimulate skin collagen to help fight wrinkles.
  • All natural and organic ingredients. Paraben free.
Summer is here and it is time to banish those bad skin days and reveal a Barefaced and confident woman. Give Barefaced Dead Sea Mud Mask a try and you will be happy you did. I have used it several times already and I see and feel a difference. My skin feels clean and purified immediately after I rinse it off.  I see more of a glow and my skin feels absolutely rejuvenated.  I like to use it on Sunday afternoons that way I feel fresh and ready for the work week.  I think you will notice a difference too. I am hoping you will see like I have that your skin will feel beautifully bare, purified and just rejuvenated. I find this good skin feeling seems brighten up your complexion and make me feel ready for the upcoming week too.

You can find Barefaced Dea Sea Mud Mask on Amazon and have it at your door quickly.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.