Nexxus #HairThatMoves VoxBox from Influenster #sponsored

I got picked for the Nexxus #HairThatMoves VoxBox from Influenster and I am pretty happy about it.

So, I didn't wash my hair everyday. I have very thin hair and daily washing is a bit too rough and can make my hair fall out. Adding to that, our water is terrible.  I thought Nexxus was in for a battle.

When I do all three steps, my hair is wonderfully bouncy the next day. My curls are curly and have lots of body.

Step 1: Shampoo.

I liked using the shampoo as an almost daily shampoo. My hair is too thin for daily washings. I was able to use it as part of the 3-part system as well as a stand alone shampoo.

Step 2: Conditioner.

This is a nice and thick conditioner. It was a bit heavy for daily use. Sometimes, I would skip the conditioner and go straight for the oil treatment step. I liked it as part of the 3-step but it was too heavy for my thin hair.

Step 3: Oil.

I *really* like the Oil.  There were days when I skipped the conditioner and did the oil treatment after washing my hair. I liked that the oil provided a type of softening of my hair without the weight of a conditioner. The bottle says the oil can be used on wet or dry hair. For me, it was better on my wet hair than dry. On my dry hair, it weighed it down and made it feel a bit greasy.

Would I buy?: Yes.

The Nexus #HairThatMoves 3-step Oil Infinite System is Harley the dog approved!

I received these products complimentary for testing purposes.

Review of Crimson Peak

I'm a fan of Pacific Rim. I like bit bots and I can not lie.

I was looking forward to seeing another film from Guillermo del Toro in another genre I like.

When I got home from watching the movie, I told my husband and son all about my trip to the movies. I had a weird guy in my row. He felt the need to speak to everyone in the theatre (not during the movie) and moved around during the movie. Weird couple that moved away from weird guy twice. Couple in the front that asked the usher about getting RiffTrax to the theatre. I also told them about the 'prize' I found in my popcorn.

I didn't want to leave because I discovered it as the movie started and didn't want to miss a moment of del Toro imagery. It was a piece of the popcorn machine.

My son finally asked, "But did you like it?".

I don't know.

I am a fan of the gothic genre. I am a fan of del Toro. I don't think I am a fan of this movie. That doesn't mean I didn't like it.

Dear Guillermo,

Please stop casting Charlie Hunnam as an American. He can't do the accent and he sounds weird when he tries. He is pretty. His acting isn't bad. His American accent is bad.

Love, Me

I think Crimson Peak would have worked better as a mini series. I would give del Toro more time to develop the characters and to develop the reveal. For me, there was too much time on the set-up of characters and story and not enough time on the reveal and motivations. The last 1/4 of the movie felt rushed. I wanted to know more about the ghosts and their motivations.

If del Toro had put a 10c sticker in the corner of the poster, I would have loved the gothic romance reference. I read a lot of gothics. The 10c was the price when they were considered 'pulp fiction'.

Most of the gothic romances were written in the 60s and 70s. Later stories had more paranormal elements. A gothic can have a range of none to some paranormal things going on before it gets reclassified as a paranormal. Crimson Peak reminds me of many of the gothics I have read.

I enjoyed the visuals. The mansion was delightfully spooky. The characters were dressed for their parts. The villains were in dark colors and the heroes were in light colors. I have read that del Toro is very conscious of color when he makes a movie. Except for Hunnam's accent, the acting was good.

Will I see it again?

Yes.

Kleenex Pocket Packs #sponsored

Crowdtap and Kleenex sent me a lovely package of Kleenex Pocket Packs so I could give them a test and practice some kindness around town.

Kleenex and Crowtap wanted me to take pictures of me being kind to people by giving them either individual tissues or the entire packet. I liked the idea of sharing but, it's hard to get pictures of kindness when you are the one giving the kindness.

"Before I give you a tissue for your sneezing attack, let me snap a picture!"

I didn't do too well on the photo-challenges for this sampling.

There is an elderly man at the library who is always on the computers when I drop off or pick up my books. I noticed him sniffling the other day so I gave him one of my packs. He was very grateful but a bit embarrassed so I didn't ask to snap his picture.

On trash day, after I tossed my used poop bag in a full trash can, my dog decided to poop again. I used one of the tissues from my pocket pack to clean it up. I wasn't going to use my poopy hand to take a picture.

Honestly, I didn't need a sampling to know about the positive reasons for carrying Kleenex around with me. I bring a pack on all of my airplane travel. There is always a reason to need a tissue on an airplane. Tiny drink spilled, runny nose, dry air made my eyes tear, and many other in-flight incidents. I'm already a fan.

I received a sample of Kleenx Pocket Packs for testing purposes.

Review of Apple & Eve #sponsored

So, I got to test some Apple & Eve products for Influenster. A very tasty VoxBox.

 

I've been a fan of the Apple & Eve products for a long time. It was one of the few brands that carried an apple cranberry juice without a lot of added sugar. When I'm feeling a bit under the weather, I reach for Apple & Eve juice.

 



This VoxBox secured my fandom of Apple & Eve. I sound bit commercial-y but, it's true. Finding products that are committed to the health of my family is important to me.

So, we got a 1qt container of Organics Orange Pineapple, one 8.25oz Organic Quenchers Razzberry Apple Splash, one 8.25oz Organic Quenchers Berrylicious Lemonade, and one 8.25oz Organic Quenchers Fruit Punch Burst.

The boy liked the lemonade but thought it needed more lemon. I liked it. We both really liked the Orange Pineapple. It was a race to get to it. We plan to use the coupon from the box to buy more. It had a nice bright taste which is surprising for a boxed drink. There are other flavors and we plan to try them all.

Harley the photo-bombing dog strikes again!

 

Here is my unboxing video on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ln4mG1x4Jg

 

"I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."

Sampling Johnsonville Fully Cooked Breakfast Saussage #sponsored

Through CrowdTap, we got to sample Johnsonville Fully Cooked Breakfast Sausage - Turkey.

I had planned to have breakfast for dinner, show off some breakfast foods and feed the whole family (including the dog). It didn't work out that way.

We had a busy week and I didn't have the time or energy to do a big meal. Johnsonville to the rescue. My son was able to make himself sausages in the morning to eat at home or take to the bus. He's 11 and this is the perfect level of cooking for him in the mornings.  He really liked the independence and the ability to take them on the go.

I did find some time to take a few pictures of his entire breakfast one morning because he left everything out. :-) The Boy left out his protein & fruit smoothie and a piece of apple bread so I used them in the picture. I think the apple bread was for his lunch. 

 

So, I recommend Johnsonville Fully Cooked Breakfast Sausages for those who have busy schedules. I also recommend them because they are tasty. :-)

 

I received a sample of Johnsonville Sausages from Crowdtap for sampling purposes. All opinions are mine.

Cottonelle Sampling #Sponsored

I got samples of Cottonelle Flushable Cleansing Cloths from Cottonelle and CrowdTap. I received these products complimentary from CrowdTap for testing purposes.

The weather was nice here in Maryland, school starts on Monday and my guys like making fire so, we decided to do a camping trip.

 

We are lucky, the bathrooms at Little Bennett Campground are well maintained. They aren't luxurious but they are clean.

I may have smelled like campfire smoke and was kinda dirty by the end of the camping adventure but, Cottonelle helped me to feel clean after using the bathroom. It sounds hokey but it's true. It was very humid this weekend and the only time I felt clean was after using Cottonelle.

I also used them for late-night-pee-in-the-woods time. Yes, I properly disposed of the used cloths. The travel size was great for the tent and for carrying to the "comfort station".

What "Admin please delete..." Really Means

I am the admin for a medium-sized (9,000+ members) Facebook group and I have seen many types of members come through my group. The majority of people who join a group do so to get resources related to the group topic. The majority of the people who join a group are very nice people.

I do my best to run a pleasant group. I try to use nice words in my reminders to follow the group's rules. I only have one rule that when broken, will get someone deleted from the group. There is only one phrase that will make me very grumpy.

"Admin please delete if not allowed..." This phrase is usually followed by something that is either not related to the group or something that violates the rules of the group. To admins this means the poster didn't bother to read the rules, hasn't spent enough time in the group to see what gets posted or doesn't care about the group and just wants their post to be seen.

Maybe this real-world example can explain:

The Library

Recently, you have seen a lot of posts about The Library from your friends. A segment about The Library appeared on one of those morning talk shows. A friend recommended that you try The Library. Everything you heard made The Library sound great and you decide to try it.

You go to The Library! Good for you for trying something new!

Posted on the door of the library is a sign that reads "Quiet, Please". As you enter The Library, you remember an article about The Library and that people in The Library also like classical music. You find a classical song on your phone, hit play and turn up the volume. As you walk past the librarian, you say "If music isn't allowed, please tell me to turn it off" and keep walking.


Admin please delete? Okay, since you asked so nicely...

I got a free sample of Weight Watchers ice cream from Influenster. We chose the Dark Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream Bars and the Divine Triple Chocolate Bars.

Both treats were nice and sweet and made a great treat for a hot day. The ice cream in both bars is a bit fluffy. My son said the flavor tasted "spread out". I'm not 100% sure what that means and his explanation didn't help. The flavors were nice but not intense.

I would buy these again. #sponsored #WeightWatchers I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. #weightwatchersicecream

Sampling for Cesar! #sponsored

Harley, the 5lb Maltese, and I got samples of Cesar Home Delights from Cesar Dog Food and CrowdTap. I received these products complimentary from CrowdTap for testing purposes.

Harley is a picky eater. By picky I mean she is a bit underweight and would rather go without food than eat something she doesn't like. Yes, she is under the care of a vet. Some dogs are low-volume eaters.

I wasn't sure what would happen with our samples of Cesar Home Delights. There was the chance that she wouldn't eat anything and I would have to leave a doofy sample report. Good news! I can leave a good report.

A little background. Harley is a rescue. She came to us about 3 years ago, we turned her in to the Humane Society and adopted her officially 2 weeks later. She's a nervous little dog but wants to love and be loved. Because she has hair and not fur, her primary food is AvoDerm dry Revolving Menu.

I gave Harley a new tray once every 48 hours so she could fully enjoy each flavor.

 

I first gave Harley the Cesar Home Delights slow cooked chicken & vegetables dinner. She normally prefers chicken and turkey flavors to beef, pork, fish or venison. Harley enjoyed it. The wet food was a nice change from her normal dry food.

The second tray was Beef Stew. She really loved that flavor! I was surprised because she normally prefers poultry. Harley "wolfed" down the tray and looked at me for more. She refused to eat her dry food.

The third tray was the Pot Roast with Spring Vegetables Dinner. Harley ate about 1/2 of the tray for dinner and came back for the rest a few hours later.

 

 

 

 

I would say that our sampling was a success!

Quick Review of Carefree Acti-Fresh

 "I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."

I got a nice little box filled with a package of Carefree Acti-fresh panty liners. This is my review. :-)

The good: The Carefree liners are small and easily fits in small places. I have one in my travel kit. I used them while on a visit to Disney World not for my period but as a <ahem> protection against leeks. They worked well.

The bad: The liners are very short. These are great for very light days.

Because of the small size, they fit in travel cases, purses, wallets and pockets. If you are petite, these will be a good size.

#refreshvoxbox
#FreshisFierce

Rock The Lunchbox! #RockTheLunchbox #sponsored

Thanks to Influenster and #RockTheLunchbox I got to sample a few products. I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

I've been doing bento boxes for my son recently. I do it for me as much as I do it for him. Bento boxes come from Japan and are a lovely way of presenting a meal to go. They can be as simple or as fancy as the bento maker wishes. I like making bento-style lunches because it is a way to keep myself interested in making lunch. The packing can be just as boring as the eating if lunches become routine.

Anyway.

I got to sample products from Annie's Homegrown, Honest Kids, Rudi's Bakery, and Applegate. I already liked these companies so I was thrilled to sample them. Coupons are available at the Rock The Lunchbox site. Coupons are good.

 

Influenster sent me a lovely packet of coupons so I could go and pick the flavors and types I wanted.

 

I picked good flavors and types.

 

I bought a house favorite with the Annie's Extra Cheesy Cheddar Bunnies. I have to hide them because these go fast in our house. We bought these before sampling and we will continue to buy them. :-) The Extra Cheesy Cheddar Bunnies have a nice rich cheddar flavor and a good crunch. If you like Goldfish, you will also like Annie's Bunnies. Personally, we prefer Annie's. 

 

 

Another brand that we use regularly in our house is Applegate. This was the first time trying the Half Time packs.

 

I really like these. Sometimes, it is nice not to have to pack a lunch. My son thinks these boxes are a treat and they make my day  little easier.

 

So, a friend of mine was planning a last-minute trip to Disney World and wanted my input. After rescheduling twice, she called me for a quick get-together at Starbucks. Between her questions and my liking to talk at people, we were there for three hours. Thinking I would get something to eat at Starbucks, I didn't, and thinking that I would get home in time to start dinner and eat lunch, I didn't, I was starving by the time I left. Luckily, I had purchased, and put in the cooler bag, one of the Applegate Half Time packs.

 

I had a great and healthy snack. The turkey and crackers were tasty. The non-colored cheese was good. My son ate the yogurt and gummies. He liked both and enjoyed the games on the box on the way to his doctor's appointment.

 

 

The Applegate Half Time packs come with games and fun stuff.

The Boy also drank one of the Honest Kids drinks. He doesn't like the grape, he prefers the lemonade. I like the grape because it is a nice light fruit drink.

The Udi's bread was used for sandwiches. We kinda found it dry. I used it to make French Toast and everyone in the family loved it. Make French Toast with the Udi's Cinnamon Raisin.

Annie's Crackers	#RockTheLunchbox		@annieshomegrown	Annie's Homegrown
Honest Kids	#RockTheLunchbox		@HonestTea	Honest Tea
Rudi's Bakery Bread	#RockTheLunchbox		@rudisorganic	Rudi's Organic Bakery
Applegate HALF TIME	#RockTheLunchbox		@Applegate	Applegate
Annie's Frozen Snacks	#AnniesHomegrown		@annieshomegrown	Annie's Homegrown

Terms

The Federal Trade Commission requires testing program participants to disclose that they have received products for complimentary testing purposes in all review materials. Please note that failure to abide by these rules may result in suspension from Influenster. Please refer to the following rules and guidelines:

Writing a blog post?

Copy & paste this line at the bottom: "I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."

Filming a video?

Do a dramatic reading of the following: "I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes." You can also copy & paste this text in the "About" section of your video.

Posting to Twitter, Facebook and/or other Social Media?

Make sure you include the appropriate hashtags/tags (ex: #RockTheLunchbox, #RockTheLunchbox / @influenster) and mention that you were give this product complimentary in your post. 

My #RockTheLunchBox un-boxing and little review

Brookside Dark Chocolate Crunchy Clusters #Sponsored #CrowdTap

So, CrowdTap and Brookside sent me a sample of the Brookside Dark Chocolate Crunchy Clusters - Berry Medley Flavors. Clusters of crispy multigrain and soft fruit flavored centers, all covered in smooth dark chocolate.

***Warning: Contains High Fructose Corn Syrup***

 Yes. So much yes!

These things are delicious! There is just enough sweet to balance the dark chocolate and the crunch is a delightful bonus.

Brookside and CrowdTap asked that I find the perfect pair for their Crunchy Clusters. I pared them with chai tea with coconut vanilla creamer.

***Warning: Contains High Fructose Corn Syrup***

Good choice, me! It was a nice mix of sweet and spicy.

I also had to show where I snack. Sadly, it's in front of the computer. We've made a family resolution to not snack in front of the computer or the TV. We're trying to retrain our brains.

***Warning: Contains High Fructose Corn Syrup***

Still delicious and I really like Bob's Burgers.

Kleenex Brand Believers

I’m a member of the Crowdtap Kleenex Brand® rewards program, and Kleenex® Brand sent me this product to review. #KleenexCare #KleenexBrandBelievers Link to Kleenex coupon.

I enjoyed reviewing Kleenex Anti-Viral and Kleenex Tissues with Lotion. Kleenex is a brand that I trust and it was nice to be given the chance to use and share two of the types they offer. I really liked the Anti-Viral. They have a great feel and didn't get too moist after a good 'blow'. Don't use them around your eyes, there are chemicals in the tissues that will make your eyes water.

My mom loved the Kleenex with lotion. They were soft, strong and didn't leave your nose feeling greasy. They were really helpful on days when I had to do a lot of blowing.

We took the Kleenex with lotion to the beach on Christmas day (my mom lives in NC).

 

Oh, my friend at Belle South Blog wrote a great blog about Kleenex and a nasal cleanser.

Throughout the month of December, Kleenex had me perform different picture challenges.

Take a selfie with Kleenex and fashion.

Find the holiday Kleenex. I like the snowmen.

Decorate your Kleenex box. I did mine with washi tape.

Here are some Kleenex towels in the work bathroom.

 Collage with Kleenex.

 



Sharing Kleenex in the library.

Clarsonic #sponsored #crowdtap

Crowdtap, a social media marketing company, has it's users (me) answer questions and perform actions for different corporate brands.

Clarsonic asked users to create a holiday look, post a picture, describe the look and write a blog post about the look.

Clarsonic is an electric skin cleansing brush. I don't have one but, I wanted to try the holiday look.

My holiday look is simple. I French-braided my hair and did a bold red lip. This is an easy look and can be used for many different types of holiday situations. I like a nice bold lip. With my dark hair and fair skin, I like to use lipsticks in the blue-red spectrum.

I made sure I started with clean hair and clean skin.

Scott Naturals Tube-Free #sponsored

Through Crowdtap I got a sample of Scott Naturals Tube-Free bathroom tissue. Fancy speak for really good toilet paper.

 

 I do not believe that all toilet papers are created equal. I have an issue with lint. After doing some very weird research that probably put me on a list somewhere, I found out about a few brands that were low-lint. Unfortunatly, many brands change the make-up of their products over the years so, I am always in search of a good low-lint roll.

Crowdtap offered me a change to sample Scott Naturals Tube-Free toilet tissue. They sent me a 4-pack, asked me to share with a friend and write a review.

Sharing is caring. I bought it at Walmart not Targtet.

 

I did everything they asked me to do. I shared a roll with my mother-in-law. MIL liked it and then launched into a story about WWII, toilet paper and sanitary napkins. That was her way of saying she liked it and that it was an improvement over ancient methods of wiping. She also liked not having to do an extra step of changing the cardboard roll.

 

Scott has been off my radar for a while because it was one of the higher-lint products according to my weird research. Thank you Crowdtap!

 

I really like Scott Naturals. It is a very low-lint toilet paper, it feels good and I don't have to change the roll.

 

Would I spend my own money? Yes.

 

Would I buy this on my own? Yes.

 

Would I recommend this product to other people? Yes.

Zep Sponsored Cleaning

I just joined Crowdtap! I will dedicate another post to Crowdtap and it's program later but for now, I want to type about the sponsored sampling opportunity I got with Zep cleaners.

I enjoyed my experience. This was my first time trying a Zep product and I was impressed.  Zep handled different jobs around my house with power and ease. I was able to remove stuck-on food and a few mystery stains.

Here is a picture of my sample and the instruction sheet.

So, I went around the house and looked for stains that would challenge the cleaners.

First, I went for the rust stain left on my sink by my brass scouring pad. (The shinier cousin of steel wool.) I had attempted to clean the brass stain off the sink using my vinegar cleaner. I gave up after a few scrubs. My theory was that I was going to find a tougher cleaner and try again later. I didn't

Husband got me a cleaning crew for our anniversary. Husband is a good husband.

The crew did a great job cleaning the floors and de-stanking the boy's bathroom.

The brass stain remained.

I used a few spritzes (the sample was a tiny bottle) of the Zep All-Around Oxy Cleaner & Degreaser and waited the recommended 1 minute. I wiped off the stain with a paper towel. The brass stain the professional cleaners didn't remove came off without any effort.

Impressive! Normally, I have to scrub, rub or let the stain 'soak' for a while.

I was also able to clean a nasty stain behind the toilet. Yes, one of those nasty ones.

Yarg.

This time, I use the Zep Quick Clean Disinfectant and waited 2 minutes. It was worth the wait. Again, I  was able to remove the nastiness easily and quickly with a paper towel.

I have been using the Zep samples since I have completed the Zep challenges. So far, I really like the product. I would actually spend money on Zep in the future. That is the real result of the sampling.

Did I like it?: Yes
Would I buy it with my own money?: YES