**REVIEW** ADOVIA Dead Sea Salt Soap

Usually, I am very reluctant to use bar soap. I've heard all the claims, "Won't dry your skin out!" or "Super moisturizing!" and so on. For me, they've always dried my skin out terribly. But when I saw this soap available for review, and read about it, I decided to give it a try.

Before trying it, I was expecting the same result as every other bar soap I've ever tried. I was expecting my skin to feel tight, itchy, and dry. But I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe it's all the minerals in the soap, maybe it's the Dead Sea salts that are exfoliating my skin, but it felt amazing!

There is something familiar about the scent that I just can't put my finger on. I recognize the smell, I am sure that it's the same scent as soap that I have used as a child, but I'm not exactly sure. It's not unpleasant, however.

Excuse the horrible picture of myself. This is before using the soap. My skin is really dry, and oftentimes, it's flaky and peeling. Even with lotion, it's constantly dry. 

The first thing I noticed about Adovia Dead Sea Salt moisturizing soap is that it doesn't create a lot of lather. As much as I appreciate not having excessive bubbles, it was kind of hard to think of it cleaning my face without the lather I'm used to. The second thing I noticed was that, while using my hands to wash my face, it felt like my skin was tightening and drying out. My hands kind of "skipped" over my skin, indicating that it was taking grease and oils off of my face. But I couldn't help but think it was overly cleaning- removing ALL moisturization from my skin. The last thing I noticed was that my face felt lighter, more airy, if that makes sense.

Not a lot of lather. Made me think it wouldn't clean my face as well as it claimed to.

When I rinsed it off, again my hands "skipped" over my skin. I started to think that maybe I made a mistake by giving this soap a try. I didn't have high hopes, despite really wanting to believe that it would feel good. However, once I fully rinsed it off, and pat dried my face using a wash cloth, I noticed immediately that my skin felt different. It felt lighter. Really clean. My skin looked amazing, as well! Nice and clear, smooth, no rough, dry patches, no flaking skin. Within 5 minutes, the feeling of tightness went away, and it was super soft! I did not use any other lotions or moisturizers after using this soap.

My skin seriously looks so much different!!

I absolutely love this soap, and have used it twice daily since receiving it. Every time I use it, my skin feels softer and softer. I don't see any dryness any more, and my complexion is much more even. The only warning I have for this soap is, make sure you don't get any of it in your eyes!! I made the mistake of not rinsing it off all the way before opening my eyes, and man did it burn! Keep a towel or wash cloth right next to you so that you can wipe your eyes before you open them. You can purchase the Adovia Dead Sea Salt soap on Amazon.

Have you ever used Dead Sea Salt soap? If so, what did you think of it? If not, would you consider 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.

**REVIEW** Nail Cones

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

I love to paint my nails, but I absolutely hate how the nail polish gets all over my skin. So, when I heard about Nail Cones, I was really excited! Finally, a product for someone like me! I couldn't wait to get my hands on them.

They came via USPS in a cute pink envelope. Nothing fancy, no extra unnecessary packaging. Nail Cones usually come in a pack of 60 (4 sheets, 15 cones on each). However, since this was just a sample for review purposes, it was one sheet.

Each row is a different size (which I didn't realize until after I started applying them). The neat thing about the sizes is that each size has a different amount of ice cream (all three for small, two scoops for medium, and one for large). So, it's fairly easy to tell what size you're using.



To use these, you need to make sure your fingers and nails are washed and dried. If they're dirty or wet, the Nail Cone may not stick as well as it should, leading to nail polish being on your skin instead of only the nail. Once your fingers and nails are nice and clean, and dry, peel off the size you need. Place your nail in the center cutout, with the ice cream scoop under your nail. Take the sides of the Nail Cone and wrap it around the outside of your nail so that only your nail is exposed. Once you have done that with all your nails on one hand, you're ready to paint your nails! Don't worry about going super slow to avoid mess-ups. The Nail Cone, if applied correctly, will keep the polish on your nails. Once you have achieved the desired shade (one coat or more), allow it to dry fully before slowly removing the Nail Cones off your nails. Then do the same for the other hand.

As you can see from the pictures below, I used different sizes because I wasn't aware that there were three different sizes on each sheet. The top left picture shows the small size on my pinkie. It was a little big, which made it a bit difficult to apply it correctly. The top right picture is my ring finger and a medium size. As you can see, it was way too large. I did leave it, however, because I liked how I could overlap it at the bottom of my nail, which I could not do with the small on my pinkie. The bottom left shows all the Nail Cones and my freshly painted nails.

Unfortunately, these Nail Cones did not work for me. I really do love the idea, and wanted them to work for me. As you can see from the last picture above, there is still lots of polish on my fingers. I admit I was a little less careful than I usually am, but I wanted to test out these Nail Cones. If there were another smaller size, I am sure this wouldn't have been an issue. A friend suggested I try these out on my toe nails, but I couldn't get them to fit my toe nails either, even with the largest size.

Over the course of a week, I have sent two messages to see if they offered a children's size, but they have not yet responded to me. Hopefully, they are just busy and not able to respond to messages at the moment.

If you are interested in purchasing some Nail Cones of your own, or if you'd like more information, you can find them HERE.




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.

**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.

**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

**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.

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.

Family fun! *pic heavy!*

About 3 weeks ago, I was incredibly sick. I had the stomach bug so bad, and was reduced to nothing but tears and zapped of all energy. My house was a wreck, my kids hadn't had an actual cooked meal, and I hadn't been able to stand up for more than a few minutes without falling over due to being incredibly weak and dizzy. I am sure I was severely dehydrated, which certainly didn't help me any.

After I recovered, I decided that we needed to get out on the first nice day. I needed some fresh air, and the kids didn't want to be cooped up inside on an almost 80° day. So, Saturday morning I decided that we were going to go to the Zoo. Because I was angry with my husband, I was not inviting him to attend our outing. Gianna had other plans. She walked up the stairs and asked daddy to come "Daddy! Come to the zoo with us?" He also wasn't feeling well, so I figured he wouldn't be up to the trip. The Zoo isn't far from us at all, but with the kids, it can become an all day thing. He decided to come. So much for that.

We arrived at about 12:50, went through the gates, and started our visit. Sheep, goats, ring tailed lemurs, and this cute little guy. The red panda. My new favorite animal. He's so cute!!!

By the time we passed the cougar, the birds (bald eagles, vultures, owls, etc), and the arctic fox, my husband was really starting to feel worn down and sick. We stopped at the snack shack and got some drinks and pretzels. At that point, he decided he was going to head back to the car and wait for us there. It was 1:30. He didn't think we'd be that long. The Zoo isn't large by any means, but it certainly isn't small. There were still quite a bit of animals left to see, and some of them are rather entertaining.

We went up to the Large Cats of Asia building, which houses a leopard and two gorgeous tiger sisters. The leopard kept walking back and forth in front of the windows, before deciding that she was tired and just wanted to lay in the sun. 

After that, we visited a spectacled bear and then made our way up to my favorite exhibits- the otters and the penguins. The penguins apparently only go in the water once in a great while, so we were incredibly lucky to watch them jump in and swim around. We went into the building so that we could see them underwater. Gianna was so excited to watch them swim! They played with her, through the glass, for at least 10 minutes.

 On one of our bathroom breaks, the kids decided to play with the statue outside.

After that, we checked out the wolf exhibit. We didn't see any while we were inside the building, but I decided to prop my phone up and set the timer so I could get a picture of the kids and I together. I wish it wasn't so dark, but I really like it other than that.

While we were leaving, we spotted the wolves outside of the large area. There were 4 of them, but only one was actually out in the open enough for me to get a picture of him.

After this, we made our way back to the beginning so that the kids could spend some time feeding the goats and sheep again. They really enjoy that part the most. There were 3 new babies, and they were just the cutest little things hopping around! Gianna loved watching the one play. The mother to the twin babies was incredibly loud. Every time AJ would look at her, she'd "BAAAAA" as loud as she could. Guess it was feeding time and she was making sure the zookeepers knew she was there and waiting!

Before we left, we hit up the ZOOvenir shop to pick up some souvenirs for the kiddos. AJ picked some plastic zoo animals, Sofia bought a ring, and Gianna wanted this tiger named Tirney. I put it on her back and used a rubber band around his hands and feet to keep it in place. She loved it!

And, the perfect ending to the perfect day? ICE CREAM from Coldstone!

My new favorite picture of Gianna:

They had a blast. We spent a total of 3.5 hours at the zoo. The kids had a blast, I had a blast. My husband sat in the car that whole time. I'm sure he was hoping that he didn't come, or that we would hurry up. Oh well. We had fun, and that's all that matters. My kids enjoyed themselves and the attention they received. It was one of the best times I've had in a while and I can't wait until the weather warms up some more so that we can do more things like this. I'm hoping to hit up the Syracuse Zoo and the mall as well. I know the kids would enjoy that just as much, if not more, than this zoo.