Dr. Brandt Skincare Haul!

I am all about skincare products.. I love trying the latest in everything from facial masks to moisturizers! So when I received a box of samples in the mail from Dr. Brandt, you could probably hear me screaming from several blocks away! This has EASILY become my new skincare line so figured I would share all of this goodness with you ;)

So, when I found this package sitting at the door, I couldn't wait to open it! When I did, I found all sorts of goodies that I could not WAIT to try out...

Ya'll...this is some good stuff! I have tried all sorts of different products and can honestly say the quality of the Dr. Brandt line is amazing!! Here's a lineup of my faves:

This Hydro Biotic Recovery Sleeping Mask is like..."wow!" It deeply hydrates and moisturizes to reduce redness and signs of irritation. You apply it before bedtime, on a clean face, and just go to bed.. enjoying the coolness and minty smell while it does it's work!

This Skin Recharging Magnet Mask is like something I've never experienced before! You lightly rub the mask onto cleansed skin and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before removing it easily by gliding a tissue-wrapped magnet across your face and watching magic happen right in front of your eyes! It takes like 5 seconds to remove and all that is left is a silky serum that you rub into your face that leaves you feeling AMAZING!!! This is by far my favorite product yet!!

I try my best to get my 64-oz. of water in daily but sometimes it's just so hard! This Antioxidant Water Booster makes it alot easier by giving your water a hint of berry and alot of detoxification! Made with green tea, white tea & grape seed extract, this supports the body's defense against the effects of free radicals & helps to rejuvenate the skin from inside to out!

If your wanting a good skincare regimen, you literally need to look no further! These products will definitely be part of my everyday routine and I can't stress enough how much they have really impressed me.. You can sign up for their VIP email to get exclusive offers & even get 25% off yours (& a friend's!) order when you refer them & they make a purchase! I'll go ahead and say, "your welcome!" because I know your gonna love it! ;)

*I received this box complimentary in exchange for my honest opinions.

Bringing Dead Hair Back to Life.

Hello lovelies! I'm back with another great product and this time it's for dry, damaged hair. As someone who flat irons their hair one, two, sometimes THREE time per day (especially in the hot, humid months) this product has become a life saver! I noticed a lot of small, fine hairs growing in around my face and when I went in for my hair appointment and brought it up to the stylist she kindly informed me that, "no honey, that's not new hair coming in.. that's breakage!" I had no idea that because of all of the heat treatment I gave my hair that it has slowly been drying it out and burning it off! That's when reality hit and I knew that I had to do something before it got even worse. 

Insert new life-saving product:

This is the new Total Repair 5 Damage-Erasing Balm from L'Oreal Paris. It system repairs up to 1 year of damage to hair's smoothness in 1 use! When I heard this, I couldn't WAIT to try it! The reason it's called Total Repair 5 is because it fights the 5 signs of damage including: 1. split ends 2. weak 3. rough 4. dull 5. dehydrated

It's a thick conditioning cream that is not greasy at all (like I've found most products to be). You shampoo your hair as usual and then rub this in good and leave for about 3 minutes before simply rinsing out. They actually recommend for continuous visible repair to use it every day. This will definitely be part of my daily hair routine! If your like me and use heat products on the regular you will love it! You can read more about it here.

*I received this product complimentary in return for an honest review.

Hefty, Hefty, Hefty.

Hey guys! It's been a little while since I've visited the ol' blog but wanted to pop in and tell you about a little surprise I got in the mail a few weeks ago. It's always exciting to come home to a package waiting for you on the front porch!

I opened it up and realized that it was the Hefty microwave strong disposable plates that Influenster was sending me to test out in return for an honest review! I opened up the box and was excited when I realized they had sent me a package of 40 plates that were able to be popped into the microwave for reheating foods!

With 3 kids, we are ALWAYS happy with something that we can eat on that doesn't create any more dirty dishes than necessary! I love using disposable plates but when it comes to hot foods, it's not always fun to watch your food melt into the styrofoam :(

That's why I was so excited to test these plates out and see how they held up! So, the day after Thanksgiving (hope you all had a GREAT one!!) I wanted to re-heat some of the sweet potato casserole to enjoy with a hot cup of coffee.. I thought, "what better way to test these plates out?!" I was very shocked when, after re-heating for a whole minute & a half, I took the plate out and it wasn't starting to melt under the food!! I also love the fact that these plates also have a "dip" in the middle (instead of being completely flat) that helps to hold your food a little better, instead of letting it easily slide right off the plate. I know it's not the best picture ever but here is a screenshot of a video I took on Snapchat when I was taking it out of the microwave...

All in all, I am very impressed with these plates and will definitely keep them stocked in our pantry for when I've cleaned up the kitchen already and no one is dirtying up anymore dishes foods need to be re-heated! ☺ This Mama says, "way to go, Hefty!"

Brown Paper Baggin' It.

Okay, so no one uses brown paper bags to carry their lunch in anymore.. I mean-- who would want to with all of these cute lunch totes they have now?! I remember the days my kids were so excited to take their own lunches to school with them but I struggled with coming up with something different everyday to pack for them! All I could think about was the notorious PB&J or ham sandwiches.. aka nothing exciting.

Today, I see so many cute lunch box ideas on social media that it has me dreaming of packing lunches again! I figured I would pick a few of my favorites and share them with you in case your in a rut with knowing what to stick in the bag with that banana :)

1. submarine sandwich - how cute is this?! one little straw makes all the difference here!

2. pizza quesadillas - this takes a regular cheese quesadilla up a few notches!

3. pb&j sushi rolls - how fancy they will feel when they pull out their own "sushi"!

4. cheesy pretzel dippers - this would be great to let them "make" their own lunch the night before!

5. sweet fruit wrap - another easy peasy one they could help make!

Also, I wanted to share with you my {new} favorite juice boxes from Apple & Eve that you will feel great about stashing in their bag everyday!

These juices contain 1 fruit/veggie serving in each box! for real.. and even better-- there is NO added sugars or artificial flavors/colors!! They have so many varieties to choose from and there hasn't been one so far we haven't liked! You can click here to find out where to buy & get a coupon while your there, too!

*I received these juice boxes complementary in return for an honest review.

Olay For Life.

Growing up, I always remember my grandmother having one of those "medicine-cabinet" mirrors in her bathroom that you could open up & store things on little shelves. Two of the things I distinctly remember that were a l w a y s on hand were Vicks VapoRub (in the little blue bottle) and this Oil of Olay that she would use daily on her face.

She had the most beautiful skin, even in her 70's, and I will be so blessed if I age as gracefully as she did. To this day, I swear by this product & use it daily myself! I was so excited to see that they have come out with a new line of Fresh Outlast Body Wash that is just as cute as it is moisturizing & delightfully scented! The Cooling White Strawberry & Mint is my favorite so far.

You guys, go grab some of this stuff and sit back in the tub dreaming that your lying in a strawberry field sipping on a fresh mint julep. It's THAT amazing.

#contest

Color from a Salon or Box? You'll Never Know..

Clairol was kind enough to send me a box of their new Professional Liquicolor Soy 4Plex hair color in Light Gold/Neutral Blonde to try. You would know that I had JUST got my hair highlighted at a local salon not even a week earlier (ugh!) so I thought, "hey, why not invite a friend over to treat her to a new, fresh 'do?!" So that's just what I did.

Said friend has a tiny 3-month-old and hasn't had her hair colored in the past year (due to 1) having been pregnant for 9 months and 2) just not having enough time to pamper herself since he's been born) so I figured she would definitely enjoy at least covering what roots were showing from her last color. This hair color is also for deep conditioning gray coverage and comes with a color serum that strengthens hair from within. Once opening the package, this is what it contained:

(I had already poured in the liquid color before I took this picture!)

It came with everything that we needed to get started and was VERY easy to do with simple step-by-step instructions on the back of the box... You basically mix everything up in the plastic bottle that's provided, shake, and start coloring away! We let the color sit on her hair for 45 minutes before washing it with lukewarm water, then with a color-safe shampoo & conditioner and blow drying. She was so happy with the results and said her hair felt extra silky and deeply conditioned after using the product. I HIGHLY recommend this to anyone that wants to save money and get a color treatment that looks just as natural as if you hadn't "colored" it at all! Here is a picture of the before and after that I took... I'll let you decide for yourself ;)

(it took all of the dark "root" areas and blended them in with the natural hair color to create a natural, highlight look)

If your interested, you can read more about the product here.

*I received this product complementary in return for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Five On Friday: Fall Feels

I can't believe Fall is here! Summer literally flew by and as much as I miss lounging by the pool with a cold drink in my hand and my favorite bathing suit on.. I'm ready for crisp nights by a bonfire with a cup of hot cider warming me up. There's something about flannel and wool socks that is so... COZY. Today I'm linking up to share some of my favorite things about fall:

1. Fall Drink:

This caramel apple sangria needs to be in my hands right.this.minute!! I can already see it in my near future.. 

2. Fall Dinner:

How caaa-ute are these, right?! My kiddos would absolutely love these for dinner on Halloween night! Simple--yet adorbs!!

3. Fall Decor:

I wasn't born with the "creative eye" for decorating so I take inspiration and tips wherever I can get them.. and this my friends, is an entrance that I would LOVE to come home to everyday! I may have to take a trip to the store this weekend to work on sprucing our porch up..

4. Fall Breakfast:

You guys!! Can you imagine pumpkin, almond milk, pecans, syrup..together in one bowl?! Oh.My.Goodness. Can we have breakfast for dinner tonight? I'm thinking YES, PLEASE. 

5. Fall Wear:

Everything about this look screams fall.. I'm loving the layered look with vest, sweater & button-up.. paired with a pair of skinny jeans? IN. LOVE.

Well, that's a wrap.. I'm off to go grab a pumpkin spice latte (#basic) before we hit up the high school football game.. have a great weekend, pretties!