Thursday, May 29, 2014

**REVIEW** Shandali UltraSport Travel Towel

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

The Shandali UltraSport Travel Towel is an interesting product. It is a microfiber towel that is extremely lightweight, yet extremely absorbent. I was excited to try it out as part of my two towel showering system. I, honestly, did not have high expectations for it. Once I took it out of the package (from Amazon, so you know it was excessive!), I thought it was way too thin, and way too flimsy to do any good. Also, I was always told that microfiber should not touch the bare skin as it could potentially cut you, due to the sharp fibers. However, this towel is incredibly soft and smooth. It feels great against my skin!


While it is incredibly thin, don't let that fool you. I ordered the Medium size (24" x 48") because I have long hair. I was hoping the towel would cover my hair completely so that I could make this my permanent hair towel.

My original designated "hair towel" is thick, and would take forever to dry. Sometimes, it'd still be damp when I took a shower the following day. Which would then lead to it smelling musty, and my hair if I forgot to bring a new towel in the bathroom with me. With the Shandali towel, I don't have to worry about that. It dries very quickly (usually no longer than 30 minutes, in my experience). I hang it right on the back of the bathroom door.


My only real complaint thus far is the fabric loop. The first time I hung it up, it started to rip a little. While the towel was wet, it still wasn't heavy enough to cause the loop to tear like this. My guess is that it likely came like this. I failed to check it directly out of the package, so I can't say for certain. While some people may consider the loop an important piece of the towel, to me, it wasn't a big deal. It wouldn't stop me from recommending it to someone.

It held up well in the wash, with very minimal shrinking, if any at all. The color didn't bleed, and it didn't fade with one wash. Washing instructions say to wash in cold water and tumble dry low. For some reason, my washer doesn't wash on cold, so I washed it on hot. I also used the high setting on my dryer.



Overall, I really do love this towel. While I don't find it to be big enough to use as a beach towel, it's perfectly acceptable as a shower/bath towel. It would likely be perfect to dry a car after washing it. Though there are cheaper options.

You can purchase your very own Shandali UltraSport Travel Towel here.


Already own one? Tell me what you think about it!







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.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

**Review and Giveaway** The girls' new hair bow from Dabbles Crafting.

Check out this super cute bow from Dabbles Crafting!



The owner of this Facebook shop sent me this large bow (5 inch) for me to review, and I have to say, I am completely in love with it! I absolutely LOVE the shape of the bow. Most bows I've owned for my girls, while still cute, aren't in this shape. As a matter of fact, NONE of them are. This is so unique to me. Very, very well made. While Gianna was able to take it out of her hair, she was unable to do any damage to it at all. The bottle cap in the center stayed on despite Gianna throwing it, pulling on it, and doing any number of things a toddler could do. It has retained its shape beautifully.

The first day, I allowed my oldest to wear it to school. Sofia absolutely loved it, and everyone in school complimented her on it. The comments ranged from "Cool colors!" all the way to "Holy cow! I love it! It's two of my favorite things in one- candy and hair accessories!" Big hit for her and her friends. Even some of the boys complimented her on how cute it was.

The size of the bow is perfect. It's not teeny tiny, but it also isn't absurdly large.

Miss Thang was so excited when it was her turn to wear it. Since I let Sofia wear it first, Gianna was not happy. "That's MY bow, mommy! Gianna want to wear it now!"


Absolutely beautiful! I am so happy with the quality of her work, I will be ordering more shortly. In the meantime, Dabbles Crafting has agreed to a giveaway. The winner will have their choice of any regular size (3 inch) hair flower! Here are just a few examples of what the winner can choose from:


Super cute, right?! So what are you waiting for?? Enter now!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

**GIVEAWAY** More Boogie Wipes!!!

You already know how much I LOVE Boogie Wipes! I've said it a hundred times before, and I'll say it a hundred more times. They are seriously the most amazing product ever. They were made by moms to help clean up snotty noses better than plain dry tissues. They are saline wipes, so they aren't dry and irritating. They help to dissolve mucus that is stuck on the face, and soothe sore noses in the process.

But, did you know that they also double as cleaning wipes? I'm not so sure they were intended for that, but I have seriously cleaned almost everything with them. My husband has cleaned his shoes with them. I cleaned my daughter's table with one. I have even cleaned my car with one (dashboard and other interior surfaces). As of recently, I cleaned Gianna's face with one since she got into my makeup. One wipe took ALL the mascara off of her face. Check it out!

Amazing, isn't it!? 


My team, Boogie Busters, and I would love to give you an opportunity to win a Boogie Wipes prize pack of your own! This prize will be shipped directly from the Boogie Wipes warehouse, and may not be made up of the exact items you see in the following picture. 



a Rafflecopter giveaway







Disclaimer: I received these products at no cost to me, and no compensation for this post. All opinions in this post are my own and were not influenced by anyone or anything, and may differ from your own. This giveaway is being offered by Boogie Wipes. They are responsible for shipping the prize. Facebook and Twitter are not responsible nor affiliated with this giveaway.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Week in review

The past week or so has been so busy! I got new glasses. Still trying to adjust to them, but I'm getting there. I can see under the glasses, so I am constantly misjudging how far away the ground is. I take larger steps than needed sometimes, and my kids laugh at me. I've laughed a few times, what else can you do? I am still getting used to driving with them. I do like them, and think they look pretty good on me!


While I was looking through allllll the thousands of glasses they had, Gianna decided she wanted to try on a pair. They're just demo lenses, so no worries on harming her eyes. She looks so intelligent here! My little intellectual!


My package of Boogie Wipes came in finally! Be on the lookout for a giveaway soon ;) 
Have I ever mentioned how much I absolutely LOVE Boogie Wipes!? No, let me tell you one reason why. They get EVERYTHING off. Not just boogies. Makeup ... yep, makeup. Specifically mascara. I don't wear makeup often, so I don't own makeup remover. I actually only bought some makeup recently because my SIL got married and I was her MOH. Naughty Gianna was supposed to take a nap, but she faked me out. Instead of napping, she decided to put my mascara on. Thank God for Boogie Wipes! One wipe removed it all!
Before and After  


Yesterday, we were involved in a minor accident. It was extremely minor, and no one had any injuries, thank God.

As you can see, only my bumper suffered any damage. I was passing through an intersection and a woman coming from my right blew right through the stop sign. She admitted fault, so it makes this all so much easier. I slammed on my brakes when I realized she wasn't going to stop and also laid on my horn. At that point, she snapped back from whatever she was daydreaming about, and stepped on her brakes as well. She hit me hard enough that her license plate and the holder ripped right off of her car. I immediately called the police when she hit me. She seemed extremely upset at her license plate ripping off. All I could think about were my kids. They had NO idea that we were even in an accident. They just thought that we were stopped for whatever reason. My BIL was sitting in the front passenger seat, and he wasn't injured either. I was extremely shaken up, and had to take one of my anti anxiety medications because I felt an anxiety attack coming on. 

After I got home, I called my insurance to report the accident and get the claim started. Because I had car seats in my car at the time of the accident, they HAVE to be replaced. Even a minor accident like that, they absolutely have to be replaced according to the manuals (always be sure to read your car seats manuals for important information like this). I have been advised by others to call the car seat manufacturers to see if they recommend replacing, just in case. 


So, that's my super eventful week in review. The best part? The absolute best part of my week was the letter I received in the mail today. Remember the person who called CPS on me? I have been waiting for this letter for a while now. It came in, and I couldn't be any happier. It means this nightmare is over, FINALLY.