Review: Naughty Betty Laptop Skin & Napkins

I’m a stay at home mom with 2 kids, so life can get pretty chaotic and crazy. Although my son started Kindergarten this year, my daughter by herself can seem like 2-3 kids! She is so funny, yet is a demanding little diva.

So- sometimes mommy needs to take a break, relax, and have a laugh. Sometimes it’s just the simple things that can break your face out in a smile with a glance. Whether it be a funny post it note, a laptop skin, or a candle!

YES, I said candle and laptop skin. Naughty Betty breaks us out of our serious shell and puts the grin back on! These would make the perfect little stocking stuffers or gifts for your friends, coworkers, and even family.

I was sent a laptop skin and a pack of napkins. I had so much fun just looking around the site at all the fun sayings that were on the products! These are new ones that I’ve never seen anywhere!

They have really thought of everything. The funniest part of the website was the amazing greeting cards that they have. They have everything! Anniversaries, Get Well, Father’s Day. New Baby, Engagement, Holidays, and so much more.

They are all absolutely hilarious, and make perfect gifts no matter what holiday it is. They have tons of products to offer other than greeting cards, napkins, and candles! Get your Shot Glasses, Party goods, Iphone/Ipad skins, and Drink Décor! No matter what you get- do it in style! Woo-Hoo.

I ended up getting an awesome laptop skin! Peace Love Shoes. You just have absolutely NO idea how hard it is to find a great laptop skin for a 17”. They are few and far between. Mostly everything that I’ve seen is 13”-15”. These fit both 15” and 17”.

I was excited to get this! My plain black laptop is no longer plain! This was extremely easy to apply. Even if you have a slight issue, you can peel it off and reapply it without it ripping or tearing up. There were no bubbles at all when I put this on, and I got it right the first time! Go ME!

The spot on it is the glare from my camera. It is super pitch dark in my house right now, the kids and Adam are asleep. I steal working time while they sleep, makes it easier to write, but harder to take pictures.

Anybody who knows me knows I am addicted to shoes. I have more than 20+ pairs not including summer shoes So when my mom seen this, she started smiling.

Naughty Betty also sent me the Salon Cocktail napkins. These are very good quality napkins, and they come in a 20 pack for only $6. Great way to put a smile on someone’s face when they come over for a drink!

When we’re young there isn’t much that we have to worry about. As we get older- there’s eyebrows to tweeze, hair coloring to maintain, and a slew of other things. The napkins fit that perfectly.

These are so adorably funny that I would definitely put these in my purse and bring them with me to an outing! There’s nothing like shocking someone who is using a white napkin! OH how you’ll be the envy of the cocktail room.

I love that they add so much spice to a normal setting. Not only is the napkin wording funny and cute, but the coloring is amazing!

Connect with Naughty Betty on Facebook and Twitter

Disclosure: This isn’t a sponsored post, products were sent for review purposes only. The opinions in this post are completely my own.

Review & Giveaway: Shoulder Buddies

I have two kids under the age of 5, so every time we go to the store (NO matter what store it is) I hear a million “I want that, buy that for me mommy”! Most of the time they get it. Most trips to the store we come back trailing toys, because their beautifully sad little eyes trick me every time!

When I seen the shoulder buddies, I just had to laugh. They are so adorable with their hair sticking up everywhere. Looks like me in the morning.! HA. They do remind me of trolls (which I loved when I was little)- although the shoulder buddies have cute little icons on their bellies.

I absolutely LOVE that they have so many different little characters to choose from. They would be awesome to collect.

I got 2 of these cute little Shoulder Buddies. Aidan and Adisyn were so excited. They wanted to open them right away, so we did. They come with a magnetic coin that you place on your shoulder.

The coin kept the Shoulder Buddy on the kids shoulders no matter what they did. They were hopping up and down, running through the house like crazy people, and bending over—and NEVER once did they come off.

These are great for kids of any age! They are VERY cute. Adisyn loves playing with her shoulder buddy with her babies. She acts like the shoulder buddy is their pet.. She has a wild imagination, she comes up with the some of the funniest stuff I’ve ever seen!

They are colorful, cutie, fun, and collectable. Because they aren’t very expensive, they are perfect to use as stocking stuffers for Christmas! Shoulder Buddies are available at these stores.

BUY IT: You can buy each shoulder buddy for only $5.99

You can even create your own Shoulder Buddy!

Connect with Shoulder Buddies on Facebook and Twitter

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

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Review & Giveaway: Diamond Candles

Diamond Candles are all natural soy candles that come in TONS and TONS of different scents. I first heard of Diamond Candles on another blog and was aching to try one.
I am in love with candles and the perfect scents they give off. If I could try every single scented candle in the world, I most likely would. I love being able to decide which ones I like and which I would pass on. The only scented candles that I haven’t really taken to are the apple cinnamon ones- I guess the cinnamon is too much for my senses.
When I heard back from DIamond Candles, I was absolutely THRILLED that I would be able to choose a candle to review. I started searching through their site, and it was an endless array of beautifully constructed candles- I had to pry myself off the website.
Not only do you get an amazingly divine scented soy candle, but you also get the surprise of a ring! Inside each candle is a ring worth a different amount. Only YOU will know- prices range from $10- $5,000.
It was extremely hard for me to choose which one to get. Here are the ones I was having a hard time deciding from:

Honeydew Melon/ Orange Vanilla
Pomegranate Lemonade/ Tropical Retreat
Sweety Pea/ Vanilla Cream
Pumpkin Chai/ Enchanted Forest
They are all in their own- something very different, yet so appealing. I only got to choose one, so I ended up going with the Sweety Pea. I am definitely going to be adding to my collection and buying more!!

The Sweety Pea Candle

Sweet Pea has always been one of my favorite scents! I used to buy lotions, body washes, and sprays in sweet pea because it smells like a mixture of berries, sweet pea, & violets. Beautifully scented yet not overpowering!
This candle is amazing! It scented more than just the room it was in. I could leave it burning for half an hour while I went outside to play with the kids. When I came back in- the house smelled absolutely AMAZING.
I loved that it had a thicker bottom on the candle- which made it more durable and less likely to topple over. It also made it less likely to crack or break when stuck on a candle warmer.

I seriously couldn’t wait to find out what ring I had gotten inside the candle. Each candle has the ring hidden somewhere- mine was closer to the top but still about a quarter of the way down. I was SUPER excited, but had to wait patiently for what was in it.
The candle was VERY well scented- Like I said- it scented up more than just the room it was in. I felt like I was walking into a fresh garden every time the candle was burning. The wax was a little oily, which wasn’t a huge problem (it just felt weird when I had to put my fingers in it to get to the ring).
The wax didn’t melt as fast in this candle as with others that I  have tried. This is a huge plus to me.! Who wants to buy a candle that’s going to burn up quickly and then have to be replaced? I don’t. This lasted me quite some time.
The only thing I wish was different is the width of the candle. (OR I could just wish that I had a grill lighter) it was kind of hard to get it lit once the candle was near the bottom.
NOW for the revealing! The ring comes wrapped in a gold tinted foil (and then also wrapped in it’s own bag) so it’s totally safe from the wax that had been melting around it. I was super worried and curious as to how they were going to keep the melted wax off the jewelry.
The ring I ended up getting wasn’t a real diamond- but I STILL love that it’s a very pretty yellow. I love rings and will be wearing rings DAILY. I have rings that I never take off except to clean. This ring unfortunately is only costume jewelry, so I can’t wear it for an entire day without my finger beginning to itch (I’m allergic to anything that isn’t real silver or gold).

These pictures were taken with my phone camera- my real camera was on charge- but you can still see the beautiful yellow glow of the ring! The quality of the ring is impressive, and can’t really be deciphered from a real ring until I wore it for awhile.
I love that it has smaller cascading diamonds on the sides, which make it look like a princess cut or something! I haven’t ever had the experience of owning a yellow diamond.. so I am pretty impressed
The flame from the candle doesn’t get very high either- which I like. Having two small kids at home, candles can sometimes turn into a problem if they are left unattended. Because these don’t burn up too quickly, I can light it, set it up a little higher, and even walk outside for a second. I don’t have that constant nagging worry that my house is going to be burned to the ground!
This would he a GREAT gift for someone who has a standard size 7 finger- that’s all these rings come in. It would be pretty cool to customize your ring size, but then again the surprise wouldn’t really be a surprise.

Connect with Diamond Candles on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube,  & Their Blog
Disclosure: This isn’t a sponsored post, products were sent for review purposes only. The opinions in this post are completely honest.

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Halloween Sale @ Romwe!

Best sellers and New pieces are on sale, savings up to 60% & $20 OFF for orders over $100.  Use Code:  halloween20.  Offer effective from October 26^th through November 1^st. 

Check it all out at the ROMWE website!

2 Cultures that live an alternative way of life

All too often we travel through life on autopilot, going through the motions with each day passing much like the one before, and the one before that. Participating in the ‘rat race’ often means we forget to stop and notice the truly important things, with several years passing by without us really noticing.

It has been said that in order to truly live life we should be living in the moment and enjoying every second of it. This means doing things like taking time to appreciate nature, allowing ourselves to love another with all our heart, and discovering what is really important to us.

The 2 communities below live quite differently to the vast majority of us, but embrace many values and beliefs that we could all learn from, including an appreciation of nature, community and family.

Bruderhof

The Protestant theologian Enerhard Arnold, his wife Emmy, and their sister-in-law Else von Hollander founded the Bruderhof in 1920 in Germany after becoming frustrated by the silence of the established church during the post war chaos.

Inspired by the example of the first Christians in Jerusalem, they moved from Berlin to a remote village and set up a small community. There are now more than 20 Bruderhof communities worldwide, with approximately half of these being like self contained villages where between 150-300 people reside.

The Bruderhof place a strong emphasis on family and community, and believe that regardless of ability or background, everyone has something positive and valuable to contribute. Parents have the primary responsibility of raising their children, although are supported by access to excellent schooling and childcare from an early age.

To become a Bruderhof member, you must take a lifetime vow of obedience and poverty, giving away all property before joining and agreeing to contribute your talent and skills for the benefit of the community, rather than for financial, personal or professional gain. This is to give all members of the Bruderhof community the chance to stand on an equal footing.

Bruderhof families believe the natural environment is of paramount importance and believe in protecting the environment by using sustainable agriculture, producing meat and vegetables that are free from pesticides and harmful chemicals and recycling materials wherever possible.

Freegans

Freegans are people that believe in living with minimal participation in conventional economy, and embrace community, generosity, co-operation and sharing. They believe this is in direct opposition to the rest of society, which is largely based on materialism, conformation and greed.

Freegans employ a number of strategies for practical living, based on their strong principles. These include:

Waste Reclamation – Consumers are continuously being told to replace goods they already have, in an attempt to increase sales and profits for the sellers. This produces an enormous amount of waste. Freegans capitalise on this waste and forage instead of buying new, rummaging through the garbage of retailers, offices and other facilities for useful goods.

All goods recovered by Freegans are safe, usable, clean and in perfect or near-perfect condition. Freegans will then share their discoveries openly with each other, or anyone who wants them along the way.

Waste Minimisation – Freegans recycle everything they possibly can. From repairing rather than replacing, to composting organic matter into topsoil.

Eco-Friendly Transportation – Some Freegans eliminate the use of fossil fuels by converting their cars to run on biodiesel, others avoid the use of cars completely.

Rent free Housing – Freegans strongly believe that housing is a right rather than a privilege and will ‘squat’ in unused and boarded up houses as well as converting abandoned buildings into useful structures such as community centres and art centres for children.

Working Less – Most peoples lives are focused on working hard to pay bills and buy more stuff. Freegans believe that by taking care of the basic necessaties of food, clothing and housing without spending a dime, they can greatly reduce or even eliminate their need to constantly be employed.