Got To Try It Mom

I have to tell you, I love The Walking Dead and everything zombie. What I don't love is feeling like I'm not prepared for any type of emergency situation. Be it a zombie apocalypse or an earthquake or fire that knocks out the power. I've been thinking of things we could start doing to be prepared for little and big emergencies. I've been thinking of starting an emergency backpack or 2 or 3. It would be nice to have one in each car and one for home. I loved Survival Hax's tactical flashlight, I finally have a light I don't have to worry about my littles breaking. Survival Hax also has a Tactical Pen, this pen is an amazing addition to the tactical gadgets we are starting to collect.


This tactical pen is made of military grade aluminum alloy, the tip has a tungsten cone perfect for breaking glass, and under it holds a refillable pen. The pen writes so smoothly and will be one of the many reasons you will love to keep this pen on hand. In the middle of this pen is a flint fire starter and on the end is a small LED flashlight. The LED flashlight is small but sheds a great amount of light. Great for when your are looking through your purse at night for the keys that always end up at the very bottom and when you're fumbling at your door when your loved one forgot to leave the light on for you. This pen would be the perfect gift for a loved one who works late hours, a gadget loving pal, or a great secret santa gift. Personally I think this would be a great gift for your teenage daughter, Survival Hax has this pen that has a small knife instead of a fire starter inside, which would be perfect for self defense. I know all three of my daughters will be getting this pen once they are old enough to start going out at night. You can find this tactical pen on amazon.


I was given this pen at a discount to provide you with my honest opinion.

I don't know about you, but I don't always get the recommended daily amount of fruits and veggies in my diet. In times like now when I'm still trying to get used to the new schedule of kid pick ups and routine, I am less likely to make healthy choices, while eating and when making dinner. I have 6 kids in 5 different schools and I spend an hour in the car doing drop offs and pickups. My youngest is in late day preschool and my 2nd youngest is homeschooled. Between drop offs, pick ups, homeschool, housework, blogging, product testing, and trying to gain more social influence I am finding it hard to find the time to exercise and make healthy eating choices. So when I was given a chance to try Natrogix Green Superfood powder I was happy to try it. This powder claims to give you the antioxidants that you would get from 7 servings of fruits and veggies.
Natrogix Green Superfood Powder in chocolate tastes pretty good. It's not as hard to get down as some supplement powders. It goes great with water and even better in a smoothie. If you're looking for a way to make sure you get your daily intake or more of fruits and veggies this is a great supplement to try. I know that during the school year keeping up with nutrition will help fight off those germs our kids are bound to bring home from school each day. Natrogix is made in America. It can be found on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KO4MRKW #Natrogix

I was given this product free, to give my honest review of it.

I've decided just to try out as many subscription boxes as I can. I love when I can find a good coupon code and I found one to get this september lip monthly bag at only $5! At so little it was definitely worth a chance. I actually don't normally wear lipstick but I've decided this is the year to try new things. Lip makeup is high on this list. I really love subscription boxes, I love getting mail and it's the best way to make sure I'm getting to experience new things regularly.

I reviewed Fox Prime Pour Over Drip Coffee Carafe recently and in my review I mentioned that I was having some occasional mishaps using the paper filters. There's nothing worse than when all your coffee grounds falls into your coffee and you have to start over. It's a waste of coffee and it's a waste of time, not to mention it means you have to wait even longer for that much needed cup of coffee!

So I saw that Fox Prime also had a stainless steel reusable filter, so of course I had to get it. This really cuts down the time of making coffee in the morning, no more washing/rinsing filters. This filter is easy to clean and comes with a handy little scoop that you can attach to your bag of coffee beans. It also comes with a brush to clean your filter with. I've not used this brush since I have no problem just rinsing this out and wiping with my dish sponge. If you don't mind rinsing your filters before using which is actually a lot easier in this reusable filter you can also put a paper filter in and make clean up even easier. This coffee filter looks and feels very well made, I am very happy with it.



You can find it here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071NT7X8P

I was given this product at a discount to give my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I didn't. For the last 5 years my town has been having a Recovery Day In The Park during September, which I also wasn't aware of. I've been in recovery for 10 years now and it's been about 8 since I've been part of a meeting or support group. My husband has been in recovery for about 2 years. So this month really should mean something to us. I love that our town has this little festival. I know it is important to spread awareness about mental health and drug abuse. It's such a common thing to know at least one person if not more who struggle with mental health and/or drug abuse these days. So many people I knew when I was going through my own drug abuse issues are dying because they weren't ever able to find the help they need to climb out of the black hole that is drug addiction. It's just so very sad.

 I do know a good many people who are in recovery and are working hard to stay that way. I know the daily struggle. Being in recovery is so much more than just not using anymore. It's learning to socialize differently, learning to forgive yourself for all the things you did and getting over the embarrassment you caused yourself and your family. It's having the strength to look the people who love you in the eye, and saying "I'm Sorry" and showing them everyday that you are a different person. I know I struggle everyday with still trying to figure out who I am and who I want to be, which I know is something everyone deals with daily who are in recovery or not.

 So today I took my kids to the park to enjoy the festivities. They didn't really know what the festival was about, to them it was just family fun day so they were very happy. We went to a few booths and a jumpy house. It was a beautiful day out. When we got home I felt really thankful to be able to take them out and enjoy the day clean and sober with them. I'm grateful that I'm clean and am able to do things like this with them and enjoy them. One Day At A Time, right?

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I have been slowly replacing all the plastic with glass or stainless steel since 2012, getting rid of my Keurig last about 3 years ago. At the time it was easy, I wasn't actually drinking much coffee or caffeine. Fast forward to now, I have 4 kids in three different schools, a homeschooled kindergartener and a very active 3 year old in preschool half day. I am always on the go and I am always tired. I don't know how I ever lived without a morning coffee. I've been looking for glass or stainless steel coffee maker for about a year now. My morning tea is just not doing it for me anymore. I finally found organic instant coffee but they are expensive and my husband and I go through at least two a month. I was also cold brewing coffee but sometimes it's more work than i want to tackle. I've been eyeing the Chemex (pronounced KEM-EX) but it's just a little out of my price range since I would also have to purchase a gooseneck tea kettle for it as well. Last month when I decided to become a product tester the first thing I was able to get at a great discount for review was the Fox Prime Pour Over Drip Brew Coffee Carafe & Gooseneck Kettle! I was so stoked, I had been hoping and searching for these and they basically just fell in my lap! Hallelujah!


I received the 6 cup pour over brewer with the wood collar, it also comes with w glass top to keep anything from falling into your coffee if you have anything left over, but mine came shattered. My box was crushed pretty bad during shipping so I was surprised and thankful it was the only thing that was broken. I knew I really didn't need this top so I never reported this to the company, so I can't tell you anything about their customer service. The gooseneck kettle I received came with a trivet that you can see I use under my carafe, a 2 TBS scoop, and about 50+ bonus coffee filters for the pour over drip brewer. I love that this gooseneck kettle has a thermometer on top with a marker that shows the perfect temperature for pour over coffee.

My first time using the coffee carafe was a success. I was so slow and making sure everything was done right and perfect. I was a little scared of some kind of mishap with the filter, but thankfully it went pretty smoothly. The coffee was so smooth and was the best thing I'd ever tasted! I knew from first sip this was my new love. So after the first pot came out so well I guess I got a little to confident because I did have a couple filter mishaps. Where my filter would just fall into the carafe. If that happened I would make hubby run out for coffee because I was to sad to try again. I must admit I never read the info that came with the carafe how to make sure your filter is in properly I just sort of winged it. It seems to just stick once you slowly pour water through to rinse the filter before putting in the coffee.
I will tell you what I learned from my few mishaps with the coffee filters.

• Make sure the filter is lying flat against the glass
• Make sure the filter has no holes in it
• Don't pour water above the filter when making the coffee

FOX PRIME 6-Cup Glass Handle Pour-Over Drip Brewer Carafe, Glass Cover for Stainless Steel and Hario V60 Filters

Chemex 6-Cup Classic Series Glass Coffee Maker If you are interested in the Chemex this is the cheapest I could find it. Chemex is made in america.

FOX PRIME Stainless Steel Pour Over Gooseneck Perfect Drip Coffee and Tea Kettle Set with Thermometer, Coffee Filters, Silicone Teapot Coaster for Pour Over Coffee and Tea Lovers

I always have some kind of hair tie on my wrist and if I don't, all my hair ties seem to just vanish in thin air when I really need one. Do you have this problem? I hate it! I also hate wearing hair ties on my wrist, when i'm out being social I always wear my hair down but the second I am in my car and headed home I NEED to put my hair up and relax. Of course if i'm out I don't want to wear my hair tie so if I even remembered to pack one, It is now gone to live where every other lost item does in my bottomless mom bag. I've heard of the hair tie bracelet. Seen a few commercials but none of them really interested me. When I saw this hair tie bracelet from Ashley Bridget I was psyched to test it out.

When I got it in the mail I was delighted from the moment I saw the magnetic cardboard packaging. I love the product packaging as much as the box it came in, it's simple and sophisticated, something I wouldn't mind leaving out on my counter. On Vivo's sight they say that this mask dissolves makeup residue, dirt, and impurities leaving your face more clear and you feeling more confident. I am not sure if this is supposed to be used daily or weekly. The description makes me think daily, but the fact that this is a mask makes me think weekly. I checked out their website and it doesn't mention how often to use this mask either.

On the packaging it mentions that it has kaolin clay, aloe vera and peptides which is what gives you the luminous and hydrating look. Kaolin is a really great ingredient. It has a lot of great benefits

• Reduces oily skin by soaking up oils and stale sebum (naturally made by the skin) oil on skin and in pores which makes it great for people with acne. 
• Detoxifies by pulling out impurities 
• Very mild which makes it good for those with sensitive skin and can even soothe irritated skin. 

I came across a video about Influenster when watching some YouTube Videos. I've become obsessed with watching Make-Up Tutorials and getting free stuff. Reviewing stuff sounded fun. I hadn't actually been on my social media for almost a year and it was about time I started getting back on and involved. Being a stay at home mom with only my husband to talk to can get pretty lonely. I was hoping to get back to work this year but it wasn't in the cards and I found myself homeschooling my newly turned 5 yr old this year for his kindergarten year. So I figured I could get into reviewing things and start a Youtube channel and even start blogging so i could feel connected to the adult world again. So i signed up for Influenster. Did a ton of reviews to try to gain badges and worked on gaining more followers on my social media. Within in 2 weeks i was told i would be receiving a voxbox! I've read where it's taken some people months to get a voxbox. I was so excited! The box I got was the Flourish voxbox. This box was geared towards parents. It contained a 2 week sample of Origin plantscription anti-aging serum, 2 weeks of Detox FitTea, 3 Welch's Fruit Rolls, A balance bar with a $1 off coupon for a box, a coupon to try dropps laundry pods with a free gift, and Eva Nyc Therapy Session Hair Mask.

So as you can assume from the title, today I have a review on a charcoal tooth powder that claims to whiten teeth.  This product says that this is a safer alternative to whiten your teeth without causing sensitivity  you would get from using whitening peroxides, harmful chemicals, and bleaches that can also cause damage to your teeth. JADA (Journal of The American Dental Association) says that there has yet been any conclusive evidence that brushing with charcoal is harmful to your teeth, nor has there been evidence that brushing with charcoal is a safe option either. They do say though that it may be to abrasive but there isn't any concrete proof of that either. Now knowing this and knowing that whitening teeth at home with commercial products causes tooth sensitivity and contain harmful chemicals that are bad not only for my teeth but also my health,  I didn't' feel using this tooth powder would be any more dangerous and worth a try.
 So this is my honest review. You can find this charcoal powder at amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072JTT4N1

       Since my husband has decided to start growing a beard he has been trying everything there is for beard grooming. He's always on the look out for something that will make his beard soft and control the itch. His beard oils and washes did help some with making his beard less dry. But he was still missing something to truly make his beard soft.
     When he started growing his beard he had a friend who gave him a synthetic brush, but he didn't enjoy using it. He said it was pretty rough and he didn't enjoy the feeling. I had got him a small plastic beard comb that he used on occasion. When i was offered a Hairstunning Boar Bristles Beard Brush and Comb Kit for free to review, my husband was very excited to try it out. It shipped fast and arrived a few days later. My husband knew the the minute he touched his new Boar Bristle Brush he had found what he had been missing in his beard grooming arsenal. The first thing he noticed was the softness of the bristles, he loved that the brush and comb were both made of a soft smooth wood.

• Boar hair is all natural and very soft
• The wooden boar brush is more eco friendly
• Helps spread oils through your beard better 
• Helps condition your beard better than synthetic brushes
• The stiff bristles get impurities out of your beard
• Helps control the shape and way hair grows
• Works for any size beard 
• Causes less split ends which means less trimming

Since I became a stay at home mom I've become all about frugality. I have done many things to save money, one of those things was investing in The CreaClip. I came across The CreaClip when looking up video tutorials on how to cut hair at home. None looked very easy, I felt like I needed to go to beauty school just to accomplish these haircuts. I had already ruined a few at home haircuts and had to take my kids to the salon to fix it. So when I saw The CreaClip and how simple it made cutting hair I went straight to the sight and ordered it. I've never regretted it.


Using The CreaClip is so easy. I cut my daughters and my own hair with it. My boys are particular about their hair and go to a barber or have dad take the clippers to it. The CreaClip comes with two clips a big white clip and a smaller blue or pink clip. They have levels on them which is really the beauty of these clips. To begin, I comb out my daughter's hair (while she makes faces at me in the mirror) until its tangle free.



 After we decide on a length I start cutting. The thing I like about The CreaClip is that you have some cutting options. You can use clippers for a more blunt straight cut, or scissors. You can cut straight across like I did or feather it out by cutting straight up. The picture below you can see what my daughter's hair looked like after we cut the little bit off. Of course she wasn't happy with this. As they say in The CreaClip commercials don't worry if you don't cut enough you can always go back and cut more. So we did. My daughter decided she wanted short hair.


So to cut her hair shorter I combed all her hair back and making sure The CreaClip is like a smiley face i just cut across again. I normally would have used the straight blue clip for my youngest daughter's hair because it's so thin and fine, but things have a habit of disappearing in our house. The only thing that matters though is she was very happy with her hair. No more struggling to comb it in the morning! Once one daughter hears someone's getting their haircut another always wants a haircut too. So my eldest daughter got some long layers and and a trim as well, which you can see below.




As you can see The CreaClip is very easy to use and fast, both cuts took no more than 20 minutes from start to clean up. No more struggling to get straight cuts, you just need to make sure the level is straight. You can even do angled cuts because The CreaClip level turns. It makes it possible even to cut your own hair. Just make sure the level is facing you. Smiley face for a rounded trim and upside down for long layers.

You can buy The CreaClip on amazon by clicking the link below.


Have you heard of the CreaClip before? Did you know the CreaClip was on Shark Tank? What do you think of the CreaClip and cutting kids hair at home? Let me know in the comments.

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