Toy Review & Giveaway: Hot Dots® Jr. and “Ace” the Talking, Teaching Dog by Educational Insights

Based in Southern California, Educational Insights, is the manufacturer of playful products with serious educational value, including subject-specific classroom products, teacher resources, educational toys, and games. Our products are designed by seasoned educators and parents who know that, first and foremost, learning must be fun.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a parent or a teacher, Educational Insights make products that would be great at home and at school. We received the Hot Dots Jr., Kat the Talking Kitty, and Ace the Talking Dog.

Ace and Kat are chunky, 6" long electronic pens (3 AAA batteries required, not included), which are designed for little hands.

The cards come in sets of 36, and we received 5 packs in the Getting Ready for School to review which includes Shapes, Uppercase and Lowercase Letters, Colors and Patters, Lets Learn Numbers, and Learning the Alphabet.

Each of these packs have their own instructions at the top and are each color-coded so that you can easily separate the packs if they get mixed together. At first, we were only opening one pack at a time because I was afraid that they were going to get mixed up- until I noticed the color coding on the bottom.

This is a very innovative thinking on the companies part. Not only are they helping kids to learn- but they make it easy on the parents. My son started Kindergarten this year, and he has been having issues learning his alphabet and numbers.

This isn’t just “teaching” the kids, this is making the kids WANT to learn because it is fun and engages them. Each card has it’s own set of instructions at the top- so I read it to them and then we go through each one..

The pens are SO adorable. They buzz with excitement when you press them down on the paper. When the kids get the answers right the eyes on the pen will light up and it will encourage the kids.. When they get the answer wrong the eyes will light up red and say “Try again” or something along the lines. This way they know it’s wrong but yet don’t get discouraged and want to quit.

Both the cards and the pens are made with extremely high quality. The company knows that kids can be rough when using items; whether it’s playing or learning.. so this isn’t some cheap cards that are going to tear or a cheap plastic pen that will fall apart. My kids LOVE both the cards and pen, and so do I.

They love them because they’re fun, I love them because they are teaching my kittle munchkins while we have fun! Each pack of cards are packaged individually, so that multiple kids can play if they wish.

Before we got the Hot Dots Jr., it was really hard for me to sit down with Aidan and teach him stuff. He wouldn’t pay attention and he would eventually start to get tired and bored.. because it was just words on paper to him. The Hot Dots Jr is more like a game to the kids then a learning device.

It is well known that kids will retain information if it stands out to them. AND I know that this is true. When I was a kid- it was easier for me to learn something that was hands on then it was to cram notes and listen to lectures and so on..

About the Cards:

Learning the Alphabet Card Pack:

The first 26 cards (which are front AND back) has “Choose the letters that are the same as the first one.” Then it has A, a, A, a, A.. and in the row—it’ll have random letters and you match the letters that are in the row to the letter at the beginning.

The other 6 cards have a box with both the uppercase and lowercase letter in it- For example: Aa and then it has pictures of apples with A, A, a, c on the apples and you match both the upper and lowercase letters to the ones in the box.

Uppercase and Lowercase:

The first 28 cards of this pack have the kids match the uppercase and lowercase letters to each other. As you can see in the picture, It has The letter, a picture that starts with the letter and then two dots with lowercase letters beside them.

The last 4 has a picture to the right and 2 sets of uppercase and lowercase letters beside it. They look at the picture and choose the set of letters that go with the picture..

Colors and Patterns:

These cards are random. They either have a colored circle or crayon, or a non-colored animal or item. When it has a colored circle or crayon, the kids match up the color on the right with the color of the circle or crayon. When they have non-colored items or animals, the kids have to choose which color the item should be: Such as a pumpkin should be ORANGE.

They also have colored items and animals, where the kids have to match the worded color on the right with the colored animal or item on the left.

Let’s Learn Numbers:

The first 10 cards in this set have the kids to match up the same numbers that are in the row. If there are two 1’s in the row, they choose both one’s. Kat or Ace congratulate on both set of 1’s.

The last 20 cards have items such as animals, coffee cups, and basketballs. Some cards have each one separate such as 1 pig and they name 1 pig. The others have (as shown in picture) all the items at the top and the kids look at the picture at the top to determine how many items are in it.

Shapes:

These cards are random as well. Some have pictures of a shape and it will say find the circles, have a square and they find all the other squares at the bottom.

The others in the pack have which are the same and have 2 squares and a circle and the kids have to choose the 2 circles. The others (as shown in picture) have like a riddle to it.. green square, green square, blue square, green square, green square and then they choose the blue square. This is mixing shapes with colors.

I have seen tons of improvement from Aidan since we started the Hot Dots Jr. Learning. At first he wouldn’t want to sit down and learn the alphabet or numbers, and now he will come straight home from school and ask to play with his “Doggy Pen.”

I am very grateful to Educational Insights for sending Adisyn the Kat Talking pen as well. She and I sit and I teach her when Aidan is in school. She is only 3, so she only knows a few colors, shapes, and numbers—sometimes she would get them confused.. but as with Aidan—she has learned almost all her colors and more shapes as well.

So-as this “learning fun”, my kids adored it. They thought it was more of a game, which made it less hard on myself to get them to want to learn. Now it just comes naturally to them. It helps that the pens tell them whether they are right, or need to choose more carefully.

I am SO loving this. These are the packs for the younger kids, but if you have older kids who also need help- the packs show which kids would benefit from them. I really like that you can shop by age on the site! I have tons of fun just looking at all the cool and amazingly innovative products they have.

Here is the development plan of the pen (which I think is interesting.) Early sketches by Riley Wilkinson, the Creative Director at Educational Insights.

 

They even have an awesome Iphone app for Hot Dots Jr. So that your kids can play on the go!

Request a Catalog to see all the fun things they have!

Visit Educational Insights at their website or connect with them via

Facebook or  Twitter.

WIN IT: One lucky Made.By.Jess reader will with their very own Getting Ready for School Hot Dots Jr. Pack and choice of Ace or Kat.

 

Disclosure: This isn’t a sponsored post, all products were sent for review purposes only. The opinions in this post are completely honest and not influenced in any way.

 

Thanks for dropping by,

Jess

Priti NYC Grand Slam Kit Nail Polish Review

My three year old daughter, Adisyn and I love to spend time together painting our nails. We have fun just trying out new colors; dark and light pinks, purples, blues, whites, oranges, greens and any other color we can get our hands on.
It’s a great way for her and I to interact, and I love when she looks at me and says “Oh, mommy- that’s so pretty” in her little toddler voice. It melts my heart. When Priti NYC sent the Grand Slam Kit, which consist of 4 beautiful colors- Adisyn and I were ready and raring to get to using it.

The colors we were sent are; White Ballet Dahlia (Glossy White), Peporomia Pixie (Dark Green), Barbarossa (Light Orange), and Miss Jeckyl (Bright Blue). The Grand Slam Kit is tennis inspired.  
All of these colors are very beautiful and unique to anything I currently had in my collection. The names are different and very thought provoking. They are all very glossy, vibrant, and eye catching. The colors just glided onto the nails with no brush marks in sight!


This nail polish doesn’t chip easily, it held out to me washing dishes daily (2x daily most days). The nail polish dried almost instantly, which is very important when your painting a 3 year olds nails. It is also important when painting my nails because I don’t have time to wait several minutes because there is always something that I HAVE to be doing with 2 kids under 5 in the house. =)

The images on the bottle offer a classy, sophisticated design (which is PRITI NYC’s logo) and then the name of the polish at the bottom on a sticker. The brushes are thick enough to apply a good amount but not too thick as to get polish everywhere on your fingers. The brushes are thick and do not leave marks after the polish is dried.
The formula is actually very luxurious and thick- so one to two coats were enough to look very nice but not gooey and gunky like some polishes. They are all non-toxic and can be used on small children and expectant mothers, which is amazing.
There aren’t many nail polishes that have gone green. I had to avoid painting my nails during both of my pregnancies- I could only find polishes dripping with nasty chemicals.. so completely bare I went. Without ANY nail polish at all.
If you are pregnant or know someone who is and are looking for a great designer nail polish that is completely natural—this is IT! I wish I had known about it, I would have definitely rocked this during my pregnancies. I already had to avoid almost all makeup and hair products because my hair AND face were oily messes.. UGH! So- at least my nails would have looked pretty.
Have you ever heard of PRITI NYC before now? What do you think of these colors?
About the company:

Priti NYC is a 3 free vegan luxury nail care line that offers an fashion forward colors and trends. With the proud pleasure of creating custom nail colors for world-renowned designer runway shows including Stella Mccartney, Donna Karan,Thakoon, Proenza Schouler, Monique Lhuillier, Izaac Mizrahi, Carlos Miele, Tommy Hilfiger, Bebe, and Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti, To name a few.

Priti NYC nail polishes were created by Australian born, NYC based Kim D’Amato. In 2005, Kim D'Amato launched Priti NYC with one simple mission: to support organic farmers and to decrease the amount of chemicals poisoning the earth, and it’s inhabitants, one manicure at a time.
Priti NYC is very active in the charity and event world- any and all that support both environmental and women's issues!
Priti NYC on Facebook.
BUY IT: Find A Store tab on the website and you can also orderdirectly from the Priti NYC website.

Disclosure: This isn’t a sponsored post, products were sent for review purposes only. Opinions in this post are completely mine and not influenced in any way.
Thanks for stopping by,
Jessica

The Fairy Hobmother Dropped By!

I know that most people in the blogsphere have been wondering about this amazing "Fairy Hobmother" who visits hardworking bloggers and sprinkles their day with sunshine and glitter. OK- maybe not sunshine- but he does make the day a LOT Brighter!

I finally got to meet this generous fairy!! The Fairy Hobmother has been flying around sprinkling goodness on tons of blogs that I have been visiting in the last couple of weeks.. and had been crossing my fingers and hoping for a visit as well.

If you comment on any of the blogs to which he has landed.. you just may get a visit as well. I am feeling the magic, and you can too! The fairy hobmother has given me a chance to win one of the top 5 washing machines, which I could definitely use.!

I had an amazing time looking around!! Comment on this post AND YOU could be paid a visit as well!!
He is a clever clever man.. so just keep your fingers crossed, your hopes up, and keep working HARD and you may see some tiny swirls of that pixie dust dropped on your blog.!

While you're here.. click on the link and take a look (even if it's just to daydream) at all those amazing washer & dryers.. ♥

Win a Kindle!

Take your chance to win an Amazon Kindle with Golden Riviera Casino! The Kindle features: - 30% lighter , less than 170 grams - 18% smaller body, same 6" screen size - fits in your pocket - Most advanced E Ink display, reads like paper - Built-in Wi-Fi - Get books in 60 seconds - 10% faster page turns for seamless reading How To Enter Simply enter using the Rafflecopter tool to the right (log in with Facebook or your email address). Remember - The more actions you complete, the more entries you'll receive! ENTER HERE

More Teens Turning to Plastic Surgery In Hopes of Making the Cut

More Teens Turning to Plastic Surgery
In Hopes of Making the Cut Fortune 500 Consultant Offers Lasting Alternatives
to Going under the Knife  

A generation ago, reconstructive procedures were reserved for the aging and the rich and famous.

Now, teenagers are routinely undergoing plastic surgery – roughly 90,000 procedures a year, according to ABC News. Fourteen-year-old Nadia Ilse made headlines recently for having surgery on her ears because her classmates bullied and teased her, calling her “Dumbo.” The $40,000 specialty operation was paid for by the charity Little Baby Face Foundation. 

“Not every one of the 90,000 surgeries is the result of teasing or bullying, but it’s clear more teens are undergoing invasive, sometimes dangerous, procedures simply to feel they fit in,” says international social advocate Traci S. Campbell, author of The C.H.A.M.P. Within (www.traciscampbell.com). “Enough is enough! A far healthier alternative is to develop the character and confidence necessary to navigate adolescence with a respect for yourself – and others.”

Campbell, whose nonprofit C.H.A.M.P. Community Project supports at-risk teens and single-parent families, discusses tough “personal love” steps teens can take to foster the healthy self-image that will benefit them throughout their lives.

• Forget Hollywood – be your own personal celebrity: Young women are starving themselves to be grossly thin or they idolize celebrities, including the Kim Kardashians of the world. Ironically, the truth of the matter is that many in Hollywood have more personal issues and hang-ups than those of us in the real world. Why not create your own style and make your own mark? Style includes your attitude, and what you do!
• Go in before you go out: While it is great to look like a million bucks, if you feel like two cents, then the fashionable clothes and expensive makeup serve no purpose. Take time to talk to yourself (seriously, out loud!) to find out what you want to do, want to be, and WHY. Write it down and review it often. Then line up your daily activities and associations around your list. Not only will you feel like you are accomplishing something, you will begin to feel good about YOU and to see your own value. Then, take a trip to the mall to get that latest pair of leopard skin boots, or whatever is trendy at the moment. I am sure they will look a whole lot better on you.
• Get old-fashioned: In an age when fast-paced social media rule interactions, old-fashioned values are needed more than ever! Why? Because they benefit us. They protect us from the consequences of impulsive actions and bad decisions; cause us to place higher expectations on ourselves and our associations (especially those involving men); and they foster the strong core values, like honesty and integrity, that never go out of fashion.
• Embrace your higher power ... a LOT!: You can’t do it all by yourself! There is a sense of peace and confidence that comes when you take the time to pray/affirm, meditate and visualize your life. The focus and concentration, as well as repetitiveness of these actions, will energize you mentally and emotionally. It will also help you prevent future emotional “chains” by dealing with hurts and not sweeping them under the rug!Practice forgiveness to get rid of that old mental garbage; this is critical. And spend time daily to “exercise” your mind and spirit as well as your physical body to cultivate the image of yourself that you really want.
• Put other people first: To be the best woman you can be starts with being the best friend, parent, student and support for others. Real sexiness and attractiveness comes from the confidence of those who are willing to stand strong for a cause – one that benefits others. Spend time volunteering in your community. Seek opportunities to use your talents (and we ALL have a talent) to help or mentor another person, or a community.

About Traci S. Campbell

Traci S. Campbell has been an IT consultant for more than 15 years, working for high-profile corporate clients such as Sears, IBM and McDonald’s Corp. As an international social advocate and life coach, she focuses on helping clients overcome personal obstacles so they can achieve their goals. She is the creator of The C.H.A.M.P. Within program and founder of the national Beauty In/Beauty Out Tour. She provides services through her 501 (c) (3) organization, C.H.A.M.P. Community Project, which supports schools, rehab centers, shelters and other local and international programs for at-risk children and single-parent families.

American Greetings Properties and Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation Launch Third Annual National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Campaign with Strawberry Shortcake™

American Greetings Properties has teamed up once again with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for a berry special campaign this September in support of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Strawberry Shortcake is enlisting families across the country to host Strawberry Shortcake Alex’s Lemonade Stands to raise funds and awareness for the cause.

The campaign, now in its third year, has raised more than $150,000 in support of research projects dedicated to finding a cure for all kids with cancer. Families can sign up to host Strawberry Shortcake Alex’s Lemonade Stands this month athttp://www.alexslemonade.org/campaign/strawberry-shortcake.

American Greetings Properties and Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation Launch Third Annual National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Campaign with Strawberry Shortcake™

Strawberry Shortcake Alex’s Lemonade Stands Return this September to Raise Funds and Awareness for Childhood Cancer Research

New York, NY (September 11, 2012) – American Greetings Properties, the intellectual property and outbound licensing division of American Greetings Corporation (NYSE: AM), and Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to finding cures for all kids with cancer, are once again teaming up for a berry special campaign this September in support of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Pop culture icon Strawberry Shortcake™ is enlisting families across the country to host Strawberry Shortcake Alex’s Lemonade Stands to raise funds and awareness for the cause. The campaign, now in its third year, has raised more than $150,000 in support of research projects dedicated to finding a cure for all kids with cancer.

Over 1,000 volunteers across the country have taken part in the Strawberry Shortcake Alex’s Lemonade Stands including Emmy-nominated actress Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad) who hosted her own stand with her family in Los Angeles. Families can sign up to host Strawberry Shortcake Alex’s Lemonade Stands during the month of September at http://www.alexslemonade.org/campaign/strawberry-shortcake.

Volunteers will be provided with Strawberry Shortcake kits that include vouchers for strawberry lemonade and branded materials to make their lemonade stand “stand” apart. In addition to the funds raised, American Greetings Properties will donate $50 to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for the first 300 stands registered in September which will go toward research of the disease that affects over 12,000 children in the United States each year. 

“We are very happy to be partnering Strawberry Shortcake with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for the third year in a row and look forward to making this September bigger than ever,” said Gabrielle Oliff, vice president brand and marketing for American Greetings Properties. “Strawberry Shortcake is all about proving that little girls can do big things and Alex Scott and our young strawberry lemonade stand hosts around the country have done just that and made a real difference in the world.”

“Each year we strive to raise the profile of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month to elevate September to the same status that other awareness months have attained,” said Liz Scott, co-executive director of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and Alex’s mom. “We have been honored to have the continuing support of Strawberry Shortcake in helping us to achieve that mission and are thrilled to once again team up to help fight kids’ cancer during an integral time for the childhood cancer community.”

Strawberry Shortcake debuted in 1980 as a line of social expressions products, as well as toys, videos, games, crafts and books. The character quickly catapulted from being a little girl with a mop of red yarn curls into superstardom. Since 2002 the property generated more than $4 billion in worldwide retail sales and sold 5 million small dolls. Now a whole new generation of young girls and their moms are rediscovering the freckle face little girl. Strawberry Shortcake is currently the star of her own television series,Strawberry Shortcake’s Berry Bitty Adventures, which is one of the highest rated programs on The Hub television network for girls ages 2-5. For more information on Strawberry Shortcake, visit www.strawberryshortcake.com or www.facebook.com/StrawberryShortcake.

About American Greetings Corporation

For more than 100 years, American Greetings Corporation (NYSE: AM) has been a creator and manufacturer of innovative social expression products that assist consumers in enhancing their relationships to create happiness, laughter and love.  The Company's major greeting card lines are American Greetings, Carlton Cards, Gibson, Recycled Paper Greetings and Papyrus, and other paper product offerings include DesignWare party goods and American Greetings and Plus Mark gift-wrap and boxed cards.  American Greetings also has one of the largest collections of electronic greetings on the Web, including cards available at AmericanGreetings.com through AG Interactive, Inc. (the Company's online division).  In addition to its product lines, American Greetings also creates and licenses popular character brands through the American Greetings Properties group.  Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, American Greetings generates annual revenue of approximately $1.7 billion, and its products can be found in retail outlets worldwide. For more information on the Company, visit http://corporate.americangreetings.com.

About American Greetings Properties

American Greetings Properties (AGP) is the intellectual property and outbound licensing division of American Greetings Corporation.  Built upon the successful re-launches of Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake licensed products, which have garnered over $5 billion in retail sales worldwide combined since 2002, AGP develops multi-platform campaigns for its properties through digital media, entertainment, marketing and merchandising.  In addition to Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake, AGP's active classic brands include Holly Hobbie and Madballs, as well as new properties Twisted Whiskers, Maryoku Yummy and TinPo.  Children can experience AGP online at www.agkidzone.com. For more information on AGP, visit www.agpbrands.com.

About Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996-2004). In 2000, 4-year-old Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure forall children with cancer. Since Alex held that first stand, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement, complete with thousands of supporters across the country carrying on her legacy of hope. To date, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 charity, has raised more than $55 million towards fulfilling Alex’s dream of finding a cure, funding over 250 research projects nationally.

Pacifica Review: Blood Orange Perfume & Lip Trio

Natural beauty products ARE in! They have been for quite some time. Everyone knows about the spilled beans of commercial beauty products and all their harsh chemicals.
My latest and greatest natural beauty find is Pacifica. Pacifica sells a variety of natural fragrances, body care, and home gifts. Brook and Billy (The Owners) are honored to know that their products carry genuine happiness into their customers’ hearts and homes and linger in their fondest memories.

Love Your Lips Trio ($18)
Show your lips the love they deserve! This luscious trio gives you 3 delectable NEW Color Quench Lip Tints for the price of 2. With natural coconut oil moisture and sexy, sheer shades your lips will be loving you. Set Includes Guavaberry, Coconut Necta, Blood Orange
I am LOVING all 3 of the Lip Trio set. They are very moisturizing (glide on like a chapstick), yet have a color similar to lip stick and lip gloss mixed. They even SMELL amazing.
All of these products have professional quality colors- BETTER than some commercial brands I’ve seen. I’ve kept these babies in my purse since they arrived at my doorstep.
They are gorgeous, and it’s really hard to get the perfect picture to capture the amazing quality of these 100% vegan & natural lip sheens. Absolutely NO FDC color, no carmine, no lanolin or beeswax.
I love the way that they are made. They come in huge chapstick like containers, so all you have to do is twist up or down to get the right amount for YOU- AND there isn’t a taste (if there WAS A taste, I would probably lick it off..lol).
These tubes come with A TON of product in them. 3 of these will probably last me a year or more (with daily use). More bang for the buck! Pacifica is truly an AMAZING site. ♥♥
Did I mention that these would make the PERFECT stocking stuffers? They would. I don’t see anybody in there right mind not breaking out in Santa Clause is coming to town when they see this in their stocking.. ☻
LOVE YOUR LIPS, COLOR QUENCH LIP TINT TRIO / $18.00 ($27.00 value)
NEW Color Quench Natural Moisture Lip Tint is treatment plus color the Pacifica way, meaning major moisture (from amazing coconut and avocado oils), nourishing naturals and gorgeous, sheer shades in a perfectly portable and 100% recyclable tube.  100% vegan.  Go on, have more than one.  Your lips will love you for it!
These are smooth yet not greasy feeling. They stay on for a very long time.

Guava Berry: A quintessential berry stain

The quintessential berry stain for an
absolutely alluring pout.
This is a purplish tint with hints of sparkle,  I love to outline my lips with a purple liner and fill it in with this amazing color. These aren’t lipsticks- they are lip sheens- there is a difference. These are tinted chapsticks that REALLY stand out.
I love that these are beauty on the go sticks. They feel so sophisticated, yet aren’t. It’s amazing.!

Coconut Nectar: Shimmer, golden raisin

A see through wash of golden raisin for super sweet lips with a sexy sparkle.
Sweetly tinted.. AND moisturizing. This is the lightest of the 3.. sheer lovely! It is a white sheen color with a glittery sparkle added to it. All 3 of these are SO moisturizing. They are perfect for those chapped lips that need a chapstick yet the GLAMOUROUS part in you yelling TINT ME TINT ME. Now you can get both.

Blood Orange: Sweet coral with a pop of pink

A bewitching Audrey Hepburn coral with just
enough pink to make it pop.
Me Oh My- Blood Orange is SO absolutely amazing. I am IN LOVE with this both the color and the fragrance. Pacifica has absolutely done their homework when it comes to adding smells to their products. All 3 of these products SMELL so delicious that if I didn’t know any better- I might take a big ol bite. although it might not taste very good.. =P


Spray Perfume ($22) in Tuscan Blood Orange
Blood orange is loved for it's absence of bitterness with rich, juicy flavor and bright raspberry and strawberry notes. Italian sweet oranges and mandarins flesh out this naturally beautiful essence.

This is the first time ever that I have had the opportunity to smell Blood Orange. I have heard about it from many many different people, but have never gotten to experience it for myself.
DANG! What was I missing? TONS. This is a very fabulous smelling perfume. I had to have a meeting with my son’s teacher and while I was there- I could see her tipping lightly towards me. Although we were chatting about Aidan, I knew she was smelling this perfume.
After the talk was done—I was absolutely right. She asked me what I was wearing that smelled so good. I broke out in a smile and told her it was the Blood Orange Fragrance from Pacifica.
This smell does capture and captivate anyone who smells it. It has so many layers it seems. You smell a hint of strawberry, rraspberry, and also the blood orange of course. The perfume is made with natural grain alcohol (corn-sourced and gluten-free), so no chemicals here.
This perfume is very pleasing, fresh & crisp smelling, green and modern, unique and original. Pacifica's signature perfume blends with essential and natural oils. In tantalizing and delicious Tuscan Blood Orange, it's sexy, easy to wear and lovely to layer!
The bottle is beautiful and sophisticated looking =) I love how it is simple yet elegant. OH how you’ve caught my heart Pacifica- I will love you to the very last drop!
They have also come out with some new perfumes that I intend to add to my perfume collection. Mostly the amazing Spanish Amber.
Pacifica sells more than just these products though. They sell body lotions, body butters, body washes, roll on perfume, candles, and more. I am a HUGE fan now and will definitely be adding some of these to my collection.

To connect with Pacifica and get the latest news on upcoming and existing products, follow them on Facebook and Twitter. You can also head over to the Pacifica website and browse the selection for yourself.
Disclosure: This isn’t a sponsored post, all products were sent for review purposes only. The opinions in this post are completely honest and not influenced in any way.

Thanks for dropping by,


Jessica

Fall Time Décor Inspiration

 

Fall time will soon be here (the official starting date is September 22^nd!) and it’s time to pull out your fall time décor elements. There are many to choose from and it’s enjoyable to make a home and your interiors inviting and comfortable for friends and guests. It’s time to start putting away the summer décor and make way for many fall time elements such as easy centerpieces, wreathes, fall inspired mantel places, indoor water fountains, and more.

Image Credit: Hometalk

Mantel Place with Beige Candles – The mantel place within your home is a nice place to implement fall décor, such as pinecones, beige candles, and fall time picture frames. Have fun placing candles that remind you of the fall time and even burn off pleasant smells like yummy pumpkin pie. Get creative and add other fall time elements to your mantel that will make you smile when you’re in the living room sipping on your hot apple cider.

Easy Fall Time Centerpieces – To create an easy centerpiece gather some sticks from your own backyard and make them sparkly with glitter (you might want to do that part outside). To do this, spray the sticks with glitter glue and then also cover them in glitter with colors of black and purple, depending on which fall time colors are your favorites. For a complete centerpiece, use a candy cord garland that you can glitter up as well.

Indoor Water Fountains – If you miss the calming river that you visited during the hot summer days, remind yourself daily of a calming body of water with an indoor water fountain. It will be a great element to place within a bedroom or social living room area because guests and loved ones will love hearing the trickling water. It will also make you anxious for Thanksgiving to arrive because you will no doubt enjoy showing off your home full of pleasant fall time décor pieces!

Yes, it’s only September, but now is the time to embrace fall time before it officially begins. By buying ahead of time you’ll not only know exactly how you want to decorate your home, you’ll have time to enjoy the fall time season when it arrives. Plus, you won’t be rushing around trying to get décor pieces because you’ll be ahead of the game!

Sierra is a freelance writer and owner of Paige One. Fall time is her favorite season and she can’t wait to decorate and implement fun fall time décor.

Evie Evan Exfoliator & Concealer Review

Evie Evan is an amazing website, and I am thankful to have gotten to work with them. Not only are they on top of the skincare/makeup lines- but they also create items for the guys in our life. Can’t leave them out, can we?

The two items I received were the travel sizes, but I still have some left- using the exfoliant cream 2-3 times a week, and the concealer daily. Not only do I love these products they sent- but I love that they are cruelty free,

Evie Evan gives their word that they never test on animals! They love their doggy pals just as much as we do- SO instead of Fido testing these items ME OH MY I got to! SO exciting.

Mini Exfoliant Cream

Skin naturally sheds, as we all know. But do you know HOW much skin sheds? Billions of cells EVERY day. When these cells aren’t shedding the way that they should- skin becomes problematic. You’ll either end up with dull skin, acne, blackheads, or an uneven skintone.

The best thing to do to keep your skin looking as healthy and bright as it should be is to exfoliate those dead skin cells away. Exfoliation helps to relieve all those problems. It unclogs pores, cures acne, evens out skin, and makes the complexion bright and beautiful.

As you may know- each exfoliator is different. The ingredients within the exfoliation differs, the size of the exfoliation beads (granules). Larger Granules are for the body and shouldn’t be used on the face because it can damage skin. The Evie Evan website suggests using a smaller granule for the face because it has thinner skin.

Although I don’t have a Clarisonic- the Evie Evan Exfoliant Crème can safely be used with it without causing abrasions and breaks in the skin.

My Thoughts*

I have naturally oily skin, so I can get away with exfoliating 2-3 times a week without it bothering my skin. If you have sensitive or dry skin- you need to use exfoliators less than I do because it could redden or damage your skin.

Exfoliating your skin is basically just helping your cells come off without having to wait for the cells to come off naturally. Using the Evie Evan exfoliator is perfect. It’s unlike any other exfoliator I’ve ever used because of the size of the granules in the mixture.

It has less of a rough abrasion. It doesn’t scratch or break your skin. It just smoothly works into my skin, giving it a fresh rejuvenated feeling after. My oily skin has been restored and my complexion is looking amazing.

No acne, clogged up pores that create blackheads, no oiliness, and most of all- NOTHING to worry about. I added this to my natural skincare routine for the last 3 weeks and WOW!

Using: Wash your face and neck with face cleaner. This is to remove the dirt, oil, and grime so that the exfoliator can get right down to business! Then dab your fingers into the jar and apply the cream to the face.

Rub the cream into your skin doing small circular motions. Make sure you pay extra attention to problem areas (i.e. acne prone or oily parts). Let it sit for about half a minute and then rinse with warm water!

The trick to this amazing cream is the ingredients inside: Contains Volcanic Microcrystals, Green Tea, Chamomile and Jojoba Oil. It feels a bit like rubbing wet sand into the skin- I’ve never had an exfoliator feel like this before!

It has a purple tint which I think is awesome! It doesn’t seem to have a fragrance, but if it does it is such a small one that I can’t smell it. The jar I got was a small one, but I’ve been using it for 2-3 times a week for 3 weeks and still have some left. The trick- you don’t need very much at all!

I TOTALLY give this exfoliation cream an A+! Way to go Evie Evan- I am LOVING THIS!

BUY IT: You can buy this  Mini Exfoliant Cream for $18 on the website

 

Cleen Mineral Concealer

Have you ever had the experience of using a concealer that was just TOO light for your skintone? It looks absolutely horrifying. There is no use for using concealers that just don’t match up- YOU can tell that they’re there! Even if you try your hardest to cover it up with foundation- it’s still really hard.

That’s the readon I loved the Cleen Mineral Concealer so much. There are 5 different choices in this concealor- so you’ll never have to pack makeup over that concealer again! It was SO easy to blend in with my skin, and it hid all the imperfections (my dark eye circles) really REALLY well.

This isn’t a goopy, messy dreaded use of a concealer. I never once grimaced when putting this on. It can be applied with fingertips or a concealer brush. I used a concealer brush. I just dipped it in, applied it under my eyes (AND if I had a spot that day)- and rubbed it in with my fingers. NO problems, no mess, and NO undereye circles.

I hate my undereye circles. I don’t want to walk around looking like I’ve never slept a day In my life since the kids were born (although I can say it’s rarely been a FULL night of sleep).. But I don’t want this advertising ALL over my face.

This is creamy, lightweight, and doesn’t smother my face. My makeup never creases on top of it, and it goes on SO smoothly. I love how well this covers my flaws while NOT showing that it’s covering anything. There’s nothing to show except PLAIN OH ME!

I couldn’t have asked for a better concealer. ANOTHER A+ for Evie Evan.. They must have done their homework..

BUY IT: You can buy this Cleen Mineral Concealer for $25 on the website.

About the Evie Evan Name:

People recognize the double e’s and connect with ”The Collective” which is our visual representation of the company using our double e’s. Now many people ask about the name. Evie pronounced “E” “V” and Evan pronounced like the guys name are our modern version of Adam and Eve. We thought it was important to have a male and female name since we create products for both.

We are pro bunnies, pro doggies and pro all of nature’s cuties. So, of course we are cruelty free and we have our PETA bunny to prove it.

Disclosure: This isn’t a sponsored post, all products were sent for review purposes only. The opinions in this post are completely honest and not influenced in any way.

 

Thanks for dropping by,

Jessica

CNJ Style Review and Giveaway (US Only)

As a mom of 2 kids- I WANT tons of things, but that doesn’t mean I can afford them. I LOVE bags, shoes, and clothing.. Although I HAVE tons of these items.. they are always caught on sale or bought from companies who aren’t charging an arm and a leg for them.

CnJ Style is a company who sells beautiful, luxurious handbags without the high quality price tag. Christine and Jen are behind the beauties you see on CnJ Style. They KNOW every woman wants a beautiful handbag, and they deliver it with the highest items only being $36. Can you Say OOH-La-La.!

You can also find CNJ Style's newest fashion items on their Facebook page. If you discover something you like. (You’ll be tempted BY everything, I swear).. Just comment and one of the ladies will get in touch with you about it!

No matter what your style is- They have something to meet your diva dreams. I ended up getting a very beautiful white purse with leopard  print handles (inside).

I am absolutely loving EVERYTHING about this purse. It has a faux buckle on the front which gives it an even more sophisticated look (if that is even possible).

I was absolutely stunned by this purse. I had NO clue that it would have leopard print inside the purse handle and top of the zipper part. It didn’t show it on the website. Made me love it even more.

The faux leather is SO soft and so easy to clean. All I have to do is wipe it down with a slightly damp cloth and it looks good as new. This purse comes with an attached clip on cell phone holder that is embellished with a flower..

I loved this special touch. Now I don’t have to dig around in my purse for my phone. I can just reach over to the case- unsnap it and pull my phone out! WA-LAH!

The opposite side of the purse has a zipper. This is big enough that I can stick envelopes in. I can just unzip when I get to the post office and stick with a stamp and send it off! This would also be the perfect pocket for cosmetics on the go.

The inside of the purse is lined with a silky silver fabric. I love it. It also has the faux leather embellishment around the zipper. Everything about this purse is SO classy, sophisticated, and absolutely stunning.

The inside has one side dedicated to a large zip part as you can tell in the first picture. In the second picture is the opposite side which has a large and small open picket. This is where my sunglasses and pens go!

When I got this purse- My mom was absolutely HOUNDING me for it. She has just about everything leopard, but i didn’t give in this time. So- she ended up buying a similar one with a leopard scarf…lol.

Here are some other stuff I just ♥

CAMEL FLOWER HOBO BAG/2. SILVER HOOP EARRING WITH PEARL/ 3. CLASSIC BUCKLED LEATHER LOOK BAG BLACK

They also sell hats, scarves, and sunglasses! So whatever your budget, you’ll find it @ CNJ!

About CNJ Style (From the Website):

We offer a unique selection of designer style purses and handbags.  Our Purses and Handbags were carefully selected by Jennie and Christine because they had the best quality for the best price.  Because of the hard work we put into our product line we are able to pass the savings on to you.  You can be assured that if you purchase one of our quality purses or handbags, you will be completely satisfied.

Connect with CNJ Style on facebook.

Win it: Win this purse ($36 value) on the

Rafflecopter below

Disclosure: This isn’t a sponsored post, products were sent for review purposes only. The opinions in this post are completely honest and not influenced in any way.

Tthanks for stopping by,

Jjessica