#CliaStretchMark Smoothing Cream #Review

     I've carried five children to full term.  I've spent a good 47 months of my life being pregnant.  I've also spent about twice that amount of time being overweight to such a degree that I'm technically obese.  I was a chubby kid, slimmed out just in time to start motherhood and after the birth of my last child, I fell back into my big normal.  And because of all this, I am no stranger to stretch marks.  I wish I were, but alas... it was pretty unavoidable.

     I can look back now at a time when I was too embarrassed to wear a bikini because of stretch marks.  It was the thinnest time in my life... I look back now and I want to slap myself.  I was so thin, I wish I'd let myself be confident.  Instead, I wore the kind of bathing suit that has a tank top top and short bottoms and still covered with a towel.

     I don't think I will ever get to that level of confidence where I can step onto the beach in a bikini, and I'm okay with that.  But I would like to have a little more confidence.  One thing that would boost my confidence a little bit is if I could get these stretch marks to be just a little less obvious.

      That's where this Stretch Mark Smoothing Cream by CLIA Beauty comes in handy.  It comes in a 4 oz. tub with a screw on cover.  The texture is about the same as Noxzema, you know... the weird firm and soft at the same time weird kind of cream.  I like that.

     After the texture, the first thing I noticed was that it smells EXACTLY like chocolate.  It smelled like I was smearing myself with melted chocolate chips, like maybe I should be making cupcakes with this cream instead of rubbing it into my skin.  I liked that too.  Mmmmmm!

     That's probably due to the Cocoa Butter, first ingredient after Deionized Water.  Other awesome ingredients to note are Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Glycerin, and Vitamin E.  With all those amazing ingredients, it's hard to go wrong.

     I haven't been using it long enough to say whether it will smooth out all the stretch marks or not, but it has a 100% satisfaction guarantee for all the CLIA products and as a lotion is sure works well.  I have a feeling it will work great and I hope to check back in a few weeks with some great news in the way of improvements.
     To learn more, check out CLIA Beauty on Amazon and on CLIAbeauty.com.



Except for the product(s) given to me for the purpose of reviewing, I received no compensation for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Unisex Atomizer Spray Bottle #Review #UnisexAtomizer

     Every once in a while when I'm looking for new things that I want to try, I find something that I struggle with.  I know that I need to be more organized and sometimes I come across something that isn't necessarily needed.  I know it's not needed, but it looks so cool!  You know that feeling?  Sometimes it's an item that I could use, but likely might not use often, or it's an item that I have always wanted to try, but I know I might not use it at all after the initial "oooh" and "aww" of it.

     Well, this was one of those things.  I wanted to see it and try it, but I was sure it wouldn't be something I would likely use too often.  It's the Unisex Atomizer / Spray Bottle.  Obviously, I chose pink, so it's not super unisex.  But it comes in silver too.  It's basically a super small spray bottle that you can carry with you in case you need a spritz here and there.

     It looks cool, right?  It'll pretty much hold anything that you but in a spray bottle.  I chose to use it for a perfume that my mom bought me.  It's a small bottle, the type you get in a convenience store.  So imagine my surprise when I got done filling the atomizer and realized that my perfume bottle was pretty much still full!

     And it's lasted me longer than expected too.  Though it clearly sprays well and enough of it comes out so that I don't need to spray more times than usual, it's not dwindling as fast as you'd think a tiny bottle would.

     To fill the atomizer, you just  find the hole in the bottom, then remove the spray cap from the full bottle you are putting into the atomizer.  You align that straw with the atomizer's hole and pump until it's full.  It was super easy.

      And here, you can see that it sprays quite well.  Because it's so small, I can carry it all the time in any pocket without it being in the way or being obvious.  So I am definitely planning to use it more often than I thought.  It stays in my coat and when I walk out the door just having rolled out of bed, I can at least smell okay.

     This atomizer is less than $4 on Amazon, I recommend it for anyone who could use a small spritzer to take with them or for any parent looking for a stuffer for your older child who maybe is just dabbling in cologne or body sprays.  I think it's pretty handy.  What's your favorite scent?
     To learn more, check out FuzzyGreen on Amazon.


Except for the product(s) given to me for the purpose of reviewing, I received no compensation for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

FuzzyGreen Mens Black #SkinnyTie #Review

     This is The Big One.  She has a style that's... interesting.  Sometimes it's sporty, sometimes it's inappropriate and needs amending, sometimes it's wrong for the season and sometimes it's outdoorsy.   She considers herself a tomboy.  While I know that she loves sports, her love of other more manly things seems a bit fake. Like she really just wants her own identity in a house full of girls, even if it's not really true to who she is.  But her style is definitely more on the sporty tomboy end of things.

     Recently she mentioned wanting a tie or two to add to her outfits.  Well, Big One... wish granted.  For Christmas she will be getting a men's skinny tie from FuzzyGreen.  It's classic black, so it will go with pretty much anything.  I let the other girls try it on so they could help me test it out.

     I've learned that tying a tie is both super easy and incredibly difficult.  I don't think I will ever forget the steps because they are easy to remember, but to get it just right is terribly frustrating.  As you can see, I still have some perfecting to do.

     The tie was plenty long enough for an adult.  It is super shiny and looks great.  It's a skinny tie, so it's long and narrow, which I love.  It gives it a more sleek look.  To be a bit more specific, it's 2 inches wide.

      It's not a perfect product, there's minor imperfections here and there, but no one will ever notice them and for the price, you can't really beat it.  This tie right now is on sale for less than $7.  Do you know when the last time that I saw a tie in the store for less than $10 was..?  Neither do I!  That's because I haven't ever seen it, not even in Walmart.

     So there you have it, it isn't your top quality type tie, but if you need something affordable that looks nice... this is definitely a good option to go with.  The Big One is going to love it.  Do you like skinny ties or regular ties better?
     To learn more, check out FuzzyGreen on Amazon.
Except for the product(s) given to me for the purpose of reviewing, I received no compensation for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Flask and Funnel #Gift Set by #FreedomFlask #Review

     Okay, so before you read this post and think I'm some kind of boozing mom, let me say this first... I drink a couple Smirnoff drinks a year, the fruity soda kind.  On occasion, about once every couple years, I will actually drink and have an adult night and play some card games or the like.  So you know... I almost don't drink at all.  We once got a 6-pack of Smirnoff (or was it Bacardi..?) and it stayed in our fridge the better part of a year without being touched.  However, I will also say this:  as someone who suffers from anxiety a lot, in and around social settings, that first buzz you get can be freeing.  It loosens you up without making you stupid, makes you forget about the worries and just be you.  As long as you aren't an alcoholic, that first bit can be really helpful in social situations and having it handy would be really nice.

     Streaker has a soccer game today.  It's a kids vs. parents match.  God blessed me with an extra boost in motivation today and I might actually grace everyone with my complete lack of soccer skills and get out there on the field.  Streaker wants me to.  We'll see how I feel later after a Xanax or two, cause even on a good out-going, go-get-'em day like today, I still need some help.  I have serious anxiety in those situations.  But days like these make me wonder if that's not the perfect reason to carry a flask.  That has to be the reason people do... to loosen you up and chase away anxiety just a little bit.  I'll stick with Xanax cause I'm the driver *wink*

     Of course, if you're gonna want to use that to help you loosen up, you'll want a small and convenient way to carry it.  After all, carrying around a bottle of Jack is definitely going to give off the impression of being a drunk.  Actually drinking in public PERIOD might give off the wrong impression, so you'd be best to do it on the sly.  And what better way to do that than with a flask?  It's small, it will fit in your pocket or or purse until you can get away with sneaking a drink, and can be easily slipped back into hiding with little effort.

     This particular flask gift set comes with a 2 oz. shot glass built right into the side of it.  It's expandable and collapses right down to a disc shape.  It also comes with a funnel to help fill the flask without creating a mess.  And for some reason it comes with a money clip.  To be honest, I'm not sure why.  Someone tell me, do flask carriers often use money clips?  Well, at any rate, it's a pretty nifty clip.  I think I'd use it in my wallet to keep my business cards together.  It would also be pretty easily engraved if you wanna go that route.

      The 8 oz. flask closes by an attached screw on cover, so it can never get lost and it's pretty secure.  It's a pretty neat gift set over all.  So if you have someone in your life that enjoys whiskey or a little something strong every now and then, this would definitely be a nice gift for them.  Do you ever experience anxiety?
     To learn more, check out Freedom Shot Glass Hip Flask & Funnel on Amazon.

Except for the product(s) given to me for the purpose of reviewing, I received no compensation for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

#RuggedMonkey Beard Balm for Men #Review

     So... call me crazy, but I never understood why some men had nice beards that seem to curl perfectly and look wonderful and some men have beards that are like a big poof that goes wherever it feels like.  It never even occurred to me that they might be using a product to make their beard look good.  How did I not think of that?  Yep, turns out men do care about how their beards look.  I feel like this is a whole secret world that I never know existed.  I mean, I know that men care about their mustaches.  They curl them and trim them and have contests.  I just never knew that extended to beards.

     Recently, I've been seeing a lot about men's grooming products and I thought, 'Wow, that would make a great gift!'  So now, I'm trying to think who I know that always has a nice looking beard.  And I think I know a few who would really like something like that.  So, I thought I'd test out a beard balm because I was curious.  The one I got and tested was Rugged Monkey Beard Balm.

      First of all, the smell is fabulous.  It's made with coconut oil and so it's got a coconut essence about it, but it's a very unisex type scent.  It's lovely.  And besides the coconut oil, it has all natural ingredients with no chemicals or preservatives.  And if that weren't "green" enough for you, the tin is totally recyclable.

     The balm is made to graduate boys to men, to help a man look like a gentleman.  It promotes growth, while also moisturizing skin, relieving itchiness and dandruff, bringing shine, and taming stray hairs.  It does it all.  This balm seriously brings the sexy back.  And their witty informational card is a perfect addition for it.

     So, I've got o be honest here and say that I didn't test it on an actual beard.  But I did test a little on Boog's hair to see if it would work in a beard.  I used such a tiny amount, it was ridiculous.  All I did was swipe the surface of the balm with a finger and use what transferred.  And look at how well that tiny bit worked:

      Look at that shine!  Beautiful!  And it worked so well to hold the hair out with just a tiny smear of it.  Imagine the possibilities and how long this tin would last if that little works so well.  I can't get over how nice that hair looks under the light.  You can see the difference between that hair and the hair right next to it that has no balm.
     I absolutely recommend it for anyone that needs some facial taming.  Between the look, the amount you need, and the smell... this balm is amazing.  Do you know a man who could use this?
     To learn more, check out Rugged Monkey Grooming on Amazon or on their website at RuggedMonkeyGrooming.com.

Except for the product(s) given to me for the purpose of reviewing, I received no compensation for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.