Love, Life and Appreciation

 Shashi snowflake earrings.

 Wander Beauty Brightening Face Mask.

 Apotheke Black Cypress Candle. Burns 70 to 80 hours. 

 Stonewall Kitchen Peppermint Hot Chocolate. 

Overall, I am happy with the box and for something that is a prize, I think the contents were very well thought-out. I am excited to try the face mask and the peppermint hot chocolate. The hot chocolate is in a good size too and I feel that the family and I can enjoy many cups. The box is a cozy box and I think it captures the theme of the movie well. Thanks, POPSUGAR and Disney!!!

The full contents of the box. 

 Back of the peacoat, notice the cute little bunny tail!

 Inside of the peacoat. 

 Front of the jacket, notice the decals.

 Inside of the jacket.

The jacket is very sturdy and well constructed. The lining is very soft and is found inside the hood of the jacket and in the body. The inside of the sleeves is smooth but more glossy. The jacket is more of a peach color than pink but is very pleasing to the eye and soothing. The jack is very warm and protective and the decals on the front of the jacket are a nice touch. A decal of a cute cat is one one of the sleeves and a planet, a pizza slice, and a diamond are on the front. I found the jacket to be more on the lightweight side but it is very durable.

May and Nia seemed to really enjoy the clothes. I think the pieces are so stylish and this introduction to the Cat & Jack line by Target has me hooked and looking at more clothing for the kids. May and Nia were such great sports to let me take a picture of them in the clothes outside. It's still summer here and I think it was around 75 degree when we took the pictures.

• Comparable to Young Living Stress Away Blend, Stress Relief blend is an excellent natural solution to reduce stress, and to uplift and relax. When inhaled it can provide uplifting and stabilizing effects on emotions.
• Stress Relief blend helps you calm both mind and body naturally, it is an excellent blend to reduce stress or just to relax, calm and sooth to provide postive energy, and to work against anxiety, worry, and even depression.
• Ingredients : Pink grapefruit, Bergamot, Patchouli, Sweet Orange, Ylang ylang. All our oils are 100% Pure, Natural, Unfiltered, Undiluted, Non-additives, Non-fillers, Non-synthetics, GMO-free, Best for Aromatherapy & Scents.
• Purity Tested / Quality Guaranteed : All our Essentials oils are 100% pure, unadulterated and without any synthetic chemicals. Your 100% satisfaction is guaranteed, Try our oil risk free, we will refund you full and also provide prepaid return shipping label if unhappy for any reasons.
• Size 10ml (0.33oz) : Packaged in high quality dark amber glass bottle with euro style dropper and tamper proof seal cap. Euro style dropper will allow controlled oil dispensing for easy oil dropping for measurement without spilling.

I've been using the Panda Planner for over a week now and I really like how organizer not only to organize my family schedule and work schedule for better time-management but also my thoughts and feelings for more positive thinking. The quality of the planner is very impressive. The pages are very secure and not too thin and the cover is thick and smooth with a very distinctive panda on the front. The planner is a good size. It fits easily into a backpack, laptop bag or purse. There are quotes both in the front and back of the planner and thought provoking sections, throughout the planner. Though the planner is 240 pages and does not cover the whole year, I find the planner very helpful in putting my thoughts down on paper. This is actually the first planner I've had with such a structure and it certainly won't be my last. I feel more productive and the company also is very helpful in providing great communication!

The Clever Banana 2 Piece Wicker & Leather Tissue Box Holder and Organizer Set promotion on Tomoson really intrigued me due to the "woodsy-outdoor-like" sides of the two products. The picture above is actually both of the products with the organizer placed sideways in the tissue box holder, for shipping purposes. I found this to be a very good space saver, putting the two products like this and the shipment of the set was very fast.

I have been familiar with bento boxes in the past and I was very happy to have been accepted for this promotion through Tomoson for a EcoBento Meal Prep Bento Box. I liked the style of bento boxes and for this food storage container I really liked that it was eco-friendly with nicely proportioned compartments and it looked stylish in green. The bento box is also available in black too.

I was recently accepted to review the Leven Rose Organic Jojoba Oil recently and I must say this is a very useful oil. I have heard of jojoba before but I never really looked at what it was used for. I researched it more and found that the oil is made from an American shrub in which the seeds are compressed to produce the oil. I was excited because the oil really intrigued me as to what it could do.

The shipment of the Leven Rose Organic Jojoba Oil was fast and the bottle is a whole 4 oz. According to the bottle that is good for a 3 month supply of the product. The oil itself is slightly greenish in color but more golden and has a faint nutty smell. The bottle has a dropper that is glass and can gather up a lot of the oil but with this oil, only a few drops are needed.  I applied the oil to my face and neck after cleansing morning and night. The bottle says the oil absorbs quickly and to wipe off the excess oil. I did notice there was a bit of excess oil on my face and wiped a small portion off. I noticed that my face did feel a bit smoother after using this product.

I have been more interested in cooking homemade meals, as stated in one of my 30 before 30 goals. When I saw the promotion for KOVOT Set of 2 Non Stick Heat Resistant Baking Mats on Tomoson, I instantly applied and was so happy to be accepted. Baking mats are a great way to lessen the use of cooking sprays and oils. They are also very versatile.

According to the product's description on Amazon, the mats:

• 2 Pack of 16.5" x 11" Silicone Baking Mats
• Eliminates the Need for Cooking Sprays, Oils, Butter or Parchment Paper
• High Temperature Resistant up to 482F/250C
• Freezer, Microwave, and Oven Safe
• Simply Wipe Using Hot Water and Dish Soap and Dishwasher Safe

The mats arrived quickly to the house and came with very detailed instructions. The instructions were very helpful as this was my first time ever using baking mats. Upon first use of the mats it is instructed that the mats be washed with hot, soapy water. I did this. The instructions also said that a thin layer of cooking oil should be applied. I applied the thin layer of oil and cooked four Pillsbury biscuits at 400 degrees. I paid attention that the mats should be placed on a backing tray and never directly on heat. I thought the mats could just go into the oven. The biscuits came out well cooked though they were a little brown on the bottom. The instructions did say that the cooking times might be slightly shorter. Clean up was a breeze, just a couple of wipes with soapy water was enough. I like that the mats can be stored by laying them flat or they can be rolled. As for now, I'll be storing them laying flat in the drawer under the oven. I like too how these mats can be used in the microwave and the freezer. I think I will more use them in the oven. I will certainly be making more cookies and pies in the next coming months, and these mats will be wonderful for cooking pizza. These mats will also be a fun project for when May and Nia get older and can help in the kitchen. I'm sure they'll have fun putting the cookie dough on the mats and the cookies will also be a bit healthier with no use of cooking sprays or oils prior to application. Overall, I think these mats are very useful and I hope to use them for a long time. 

Currently the mats retail on Amazon for $13.49. 

To learn more about Kovot, check out their About Us page. 

 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.

Recently I had the opportunity to review Dana Sibilsky's book on successful and profitable blogging. As I write this entry now, I am on my own blog. I actually have two blogs, this one for more personal entries and reviews and my other blog, Weather Chat, for my interest of weather and Earth Science related phenomena. Over the past couple months for this blog, and years for my other blog, I have not posted as many entries as I have been currently and with the ideas from this book, I think it will be very helpful towards writing more.

The book itself is paperback and about 30 or so pages in length. It is a quick read but filled with useful tips that are very well highlighted. There is no table of contents in the beginning but they layout of the book starts with the ground or foundation for your blog, finding your voice, building an audience and lastly monetizing the blog. One of the biggest concerns I have always had with blogging is building and keeping an audience. I have many more views on my Weather Chat blog, though many of those viewers are more bouncers. There is a way to see on your blog the bounce rate and I can see that blog has a high bounce rate. With use of this book I think I can really put the tips towards both of my blogs to engage readers with rich and creative content. I used to write in journals and in this book, Sibilsky's mentions about writing down ideas for blog postings as you go throughout the day. I hope that one day I might be able to monetize my Weather Chat blog and maybe even this one, and perhaps create some revenue.

I also thought blogging is a great way to share content with whomever you'd like to share it with. In more present times there are so many smartphones with cameras or really advanced cameras like a GoPro, in which people more vlog or video blog. Though I have a Youtube account, I don't really video blog. Maybe one day I might vlog as well, as much of what is stated in Sibilsky's book, can relate to vlogging. The book is very clear and does a great job of highlighting specific topics and points. Overall I'll be keeping this book close to me when I am writing my entries for reference. I think the book is versatile too and offers great tips for beginner blogs as well as more experienced bloggers. Honestly, where was this book back when I first started blogging, back in 2009?

Currently the book is available on Amazon for $5.38.

To learn more about Dana Sibilsky, visit her website.

 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.

For the past month I have been using the Isa Professional Xanadu 24K Gold Serum. I was actually surprised when I was selected from the Tomoson website for the promotion but I was very happy as I saw that from the description, the product contained real gold. I am not to big on gold jewelry but I was very interested to see what the gold would help do for the face.

As per the description on the website, the serum:

From Nature
* 24K Gold.
* Vitamin C - pH balanced and highly absorbable. Brightens skin, combats wrinkles and dark spots.
* Vitamin E moisturizes and heals.
* Rose Extract soothes the skin and gives the Xanadu serum a delightful natural scent.
* P-anisic from the spice anise.

Supporting what's already in your skin
* Hyaluronic Acid captures and holds up to 1000 times its volume in moisture to your skin.
* Collagen to support your skin's own collagen.
* Creatine supplies energy to your cells.
* Beta-Glucan boosts the immune system.

From High Tech science
* Palmitoyl Oligopeptide (Matrixyl-3000) is a peptide that specifically stimulates collagen synthesis and skin repair.
* Epidermal Growth Factor stimulates new cell growth.

The serum itself is semi-thick and is concentrated. Only one pump is needed to get a good amount a product to cover the face. The gold flakes are small but leave the area you apply the serum to a tad bit sparkly. Your fingers will also be a bit sparkly. The serum smells more like rose, I believe due to the rose extract. I apply the serum at night mostly but sometimes during the day and I have noticed that my face is more moisturized. I do have a few dark spots on my face and with further use I think that those spots will more fade. The serum also is supposed to help with wrinkles and though I do not have wrinkles I know it good to be proactive. I have noticed that my face feels softer and there is a glow that is left. Overall I feel that the serum is effective. It's a much more complex serum but it is not heavy or greasy so that is good. I'm looking forward to a more even skin tone as well, with further use of the product.

To find out more on Isa Professional, check out their About Us page.

Currently the 24K Gold Serum retails on Amazon for $59.00.

 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.