Review: DayNa Decker Violetta Candle

Dayna Decker sent me one of their amazing candles (or should I say chandles) to review. Former Ford fashion model Dayna Decker with her good taste, love for scent and exquisite home aesthetic items and made it into what is now one of the most popular companies featuring exotic blends of candles, diffusers and skin care products.

They ended up sending me their “Violetta” candle. There is nothing like sitting at home, reading a book, and relaxing to some candlelight. I am always on the go, go, go having two small kids.

There is always a mess needing cleaned, meals needing made, dishes and laundry needing washed, and homework needing to be done. SO when I do get a chance to sit down, I just want to relax.

When I got the candle, I was surprised at the actual beauty of the candle. It was simple yet elegant. The glass that the candle comes in is actually hand-blown which is a nice gesture. The wax is a clear, translucent greenish color and burns VERY clean.

I loved that the candle offered such a soft lit glow to any room I placed it in. The sound of the burning ecowood wick made me feel like I was sitting by an open fire or a fireplace. It was instant relaxation.

The Violetta candle is amazing at relaxing the senses and removing any and all stress from the body. The air around me became filled with warmth and sensuality, smelling amazing. Whiffs of Violet, Rose bud, China Musk, Vanilla, and Amber.

The flame just dances and flickers around in the hand-blown glass, giving instant comfort to anyone who walked into the room. I loved bringing this into the bathroom with me and letting all that relaxation soak into my spirit.

Indulge yourself in the splendor of simplicity, sensation, style and serenity. You can buy at any of the stores pictured below.

 

Jessica Renee

Review: IMUSA USA- Bistro 4 Cup Electric Espresso Maker

I am a HUGE coffee addict. I can’t function in the morning UNLESS I have a steaming cup of strong coffee. Sometimes it’s the only thing that can keep me going.. late nights, too much work, and migraines have been taking a toll on me.

I recently received a Bistro 4 Cup Electric Espresso Maker from IMUSA, and was delighted to have a reason to drink some more coffee. An electronic espresso machine is exactly what I wanted for Christmas. 2 years ago I asked for a coffee pot for my birthday (because mine had broke). My mom seriously looked at me like I’d flipped my switch. What can I say “I’m a coffee addict”!

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

I’m a HUGE fan of dark, rich, bold coffee so naturally espresso I’m an espresso fanatic. The espresso machine was at my doorstep in no time. I immediately took everything out of the box and began washing what needed washing and put it together.

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some espresso. I had just went out and bought some Gevalia dark roasted espresso just for the cause. Everything was extremely easy to put together (it comes with a manual) but everything went smoothly.

I am picky about my espresso, I only use filtered or bottled water. I love the strong bold taste and I don’t want any chemicals that are in tap water overpowering or taking away that amazing taste.

I love that I didn’t have to go out and buy special filters for this machine. It doesn’t need a filter. Espresso is MUCH more finely ground than regular coffee. It’s built this way so that it releases it’s oils and taste much more quickly then ground coffee.

In no time the water began heating up, sizzling, and the pressure began building. Soon after the amazing smell of espresso filled the room. AHH coffee bliss.

I use whole milk in my espresso (and sugar) so when the espresso began brewing, I turned the machine to the steam function and began rotating the cup with the milk in it. It whipped up the milk pretty quickly, so I turned it back to the brewing position so the espresso could further brew.

It was extremely fast, easy to use, and very easy to clean. I was very impressed. AND the price is very reasonable. If you have a coffee addict on YOUR Christmas list, this is what you should be looking into.

This espresso machine has really saved me from those down in the dumps not really that energetic feeling.. It brings me back to life so that I can get work done. My “boss” had been sending me more work because I could complete it so quickly. She was amazed at how fast I could snap up a blog post. I said “It’s the new espresso machine” ♥

This gal will NEVER EVER have to step foot in an overpriced Starbucks again! YAY ME!

Connect with IMUSA on Facebook& Twitter

 

Jessica Renee

Review: Oofos Sandals

I have to honestly say that I don’t think I put on even ONE pair of socks this entire summer. I practically live in sandals and flip flops when it’s hot. I can’t stand for my feet to start sweating, so flip-flops it is.

Because I wore them almost everyday, I was experiencing tremendous foot pain. It is because the flip flops (no matter what brand) were VERY VERY thin. I could walk across the driveway to the pool and feel EVERY single rock. Every now and again one would even pierce through the shoe and stab my foot. OUCH!

OOFOS sandals are downright amazing because they feature the revolutionary OOfoam! They are SO comfortable and fit perfectly. The OOfoam provides instant comfort, ultimate recovery, impact absorption, and flexibility.

They are lightweight, yet amazingly durable. When I walk on the driveway gravel, I can’t feel the rocks through the shoe. I love that they are thick and protect my feet from stuff that I step on. That’s what shoes are supposed to be for, yet flip flops FAIL me everytime.

I decided to review the OOFOS sandals in the OOriginal Thong style. I chose black because no matter what I wear them with, they always look stylish. I always try and go for black shoes. They are also available in tangerine, mocha, and bright pink.

As soon as I put these on my feet instantly thank me. I love how snug my feet feel inside. I don’t have to worry about slipping and sliding around.. My feet definitely liked these. I wore them nonstop EVERYWHERE. Running errands, paying bills, the grocery store..  AND they are machine washable. That’s amazing in its own, I’ve never seen a pair of flip flop like shoes that you could toss in the machine..

Buy it: You can purchase OOFOS Sandals for $39.99 at these fine retailers-and online website OOFOS.

Connect with Oofos on Facebook & Twitter

 

Jessica Renee

 

Review: Jewelry Ninja- Engravable Ring for Couples

Do you what I love best about shopping online? Finding great deals, bargains, and free shipping! Why spend countless hours dragging through stores with whining kids who want everything in site? WHY when you can sit down, take a breather, and have it shipped right to your door?

Take that into mind when you’re purchasing jewelry. You can find engagement rings, wedding rings, and anniversary rings. Pearls, Diamonds, and Engravable rings and necklaces. It’s a one stop shop at Jewelry Ninja.

Their trick to getting YOU the most beautiful jewelry at such cheap pricing is that they skip the high paid pricing of advertising, they skip having celebrities promote their jewelry.. they just bring the best prices STRAIGHT to YOU!

If you go to a jewelry retailer you’ll more than likely pay twice the amount you would then if you went straight through Jewelry Ninja. Just try it. Go look around at the selections that jewelry retailers have, check out their prices, then come back and compare to what Jewelry Ninja offers! SAME thing, cheaper prices! SCORE

As a mom to two beautiful kids, I know that moms everywhere (whether they have newborns or adult children) love to sport their children’s name! That’s why I love the huge selection of Posh Mommy Jewelry that they have.

This would be the perfect gift for any woman in your life (including yourself). These pieces are REAL, are engraved the way you want, and with the birthstones that YOU choose. It doesn’t matter if your/their family consists of one little one or 4/5- they have something for everyone.

Posh Mommy Jewelry is being worn by celebrity moms AND dads (they have Posh Daddy Engravable Dog Tags too). They have been featured in magazines and on television shows.. so you could only imagine how many people LOVE their variety and pricing.

Now this trendy mom is sporting it around as well. I ended up choosing a beautiful ring from their couples ring selection. I got the Engravable Ring for Couples. I was SO anticipating it’s arrival in the mail, so you know I was excited when it came within just a couple days AND they offer free shipping.

It came packaged VERY nicely, but I immediately took it out of the box and put it on. I was able to customize it with Jessica & Adam and put our birthstones above our names! I’ve been with Adam 7 years this year and was excited to actually gotten something that expressed that time together!

I have tried and repeatedly tried for over a week to capture the beauty of this ring. If I use the flash, it shines out the diamond. If I don’t use flash, it’s too dark. Moral of the story- I need a new camera. HINT HINT ADAM

This has a sterling silver band (which I prefer over gold), and has squared edges to give this ring a beautifully sophisticated, modern look. The ring can be engraved with 2 names and coordinating birthstones. Each name can be a maximum of 8 characters.

My birthstone isn’t turquoise (It’s aquamarine), but I love the simple classic look of turquoise. I love that they can do anything and everything that you ask. They have AMAZING customer service. They are VERY nice and are always striving to make sure that the customer is ALWAYS happy.

I’ve had MANY MANY people that have came into the shop ask me about the ring. They were surprised that it cost as little as it did. They were figuring that the cost was at least $200. NOPE, not even close!

BUY IT: You can buy the Engravable Ring for Couples for only $109

Connect with Jewelry Ninja on Facebook

 

Jessica Renee

Review: Beauty9 Professional Makeup Brushes 7 Piece

Not all makeup brushes are made with the same quality. I soon found this out when I began using makeup WAY back to my freshman year in high school. I asked my mom to pick me up some brushes and of course, brought back the cheapest things she could find.

She handed them to me, and I got to work. I seriously looked like a clown when I was done. Hairs were falling out of the brushes, my makeup was blotchy and looked ridiculous. SO, I knew right from the beginning to get perfect makeup- it’ all in the tools. You wouldn’t paint a masterpiece canvas with dollar store brushes would you? Nope.

When I eventually saved up my own money from babysitting, I made sure to steer clear from the cheap-o brushes! No hairs attaching to MY makeup, no thanks! Beauty9, has some very high quality brushes that aren’t going to break the bank for you!

I was sent their 7-piece Professional Makeup Brush Set to review. When I got the makeup brushes- they were stored in a black velvet like bag that was inside of a box. This is so that the brushes arrive in safe condition. That’s amazing customer service right there- making sure you’re happy before the product even reaches your hands!

The leather-like pouch that it comes in is very durable and strong. When you open it up you see that it holds each brush with absolute perfection. They are just the right size for the pouch. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had brushes smashed because the pouch wasn’t fit for the brushes. This one fits each brush individually and has a magnetic snap closure, so your brushes are safe for traveling!

1 powder brush made from A1 goat hair (For applying powder foundation)

1 foundation brush made from nylon bristle (For applying liquid foundation)

1 lip brush made from sable (For applying an outline to your lips, or evenly applying lipstick or gloss)

1 large eyeshadow brush made from pony (for applying eye shadow on the eyelid, corner of the eye, or to cover the entire eye surface)

1 small eyeshadow brush made from sable (Add a little oomph to your already applied eyeshadow)

1 eyebrow brush made from pahmi (For applying a brow gel or mousse, darkening your look).

1 eyebrow comb/brush made from nylon and stainless steel (Combing out the extra mascara clumps, combing  and shaping eyebrows so they are neat and beautiful)

I love how organized all the brushes are. I don’t have to search around for the brush I'm looking for. Each one works amazingly well. They apply my makeup SO flawlessly. I love that I can throw this in my purse if I’m running late and need to apply my makeup in a bathroom somewhere or at the shop.

 

Stay connected with Beauty9 via Facebook and Twitter for updates, deals and promotions!

BUY IT: You can buy the 7-piece Professional Makeup Brush Set for $49

 

Jessica Renee

Book Review: “The Easy Organizer by Marilyn Bohn”; FW Media International

When you take a look around your house, do you become overwhelmed at the site of all the clutter? Do you have piles of stuff sitting in rooms that you’ve been meaning to “get to” for quite some time now?

Do you have t dig through random totes and boxes when you’re just looking for one particular item? The Easy Organizer can help you sort through ALL those things and rid of the things you don’t need anymore. So your home is nothing but organized and pretty.

I love this book because every single tip has quick, to the point instructions that will have those piles gone in no time!

Inside you'll find creative ideas for how to organize:

• closets and clothing
• children's toys and artwork
• storage areas
• entryways and mudrooms
• the kitchen
• the dining room
• living areas
• bedrooms
• bathrooms
• linen closets and laundry areas
• craft and hobby materials

HERE are some of my favorite parts of the book. Common sense stuff that we sometimes overlook or don’t quite fit into OUR schedules. These things are easy to do, yet we don’t always make them priorities. By keeping these things in mind, they will make not only our homes clutter free- but they will cut down on the stress of having a cluttered, untidy home.

DECLUTTERING

I really like the “keep likes with likes” paragraph. This explains that you should keep everything has something in common together. Such as drinking glasses, certain hobbies (you’ll keep your sewing stuff together, your crochet stuff together, and your scrapbook stuff together). That way when you begin looking for something, you’ll only have to look in one place.

“Clutter attracts more clutter.” This is absolutely true. A pile may start with just one item and then attracts MORE items. If you don’t put something away as soon as you use it, you’ll spend more time looking for it the next time you want to use it then NOW putting it away.

Make sure that you are going through your house and decluttering everyday. Don’t wait for tomorrow because you’ll say the same thing tomorrow. If you find something where it doesn’t belong, take the time to put it WHERE it does go. That way your home is tidy and free of clutter.

Tidy up every evening. Make sure that take 5-10 minutes every night before a certain time (such as your kids going to bed) to walk through the house and tidy each room. Make sure that you include your kids and husband. Give them “tasks” of putting away stuff that they had gotten out throughout the day. This will help teach your kids to be tidy, give them responsibility, and YOU aren’t having to do EVERYTHING.

TIME

We all want to spend more time doing things we LIKE to do, and less time fulfilling obligations. When we organize ourselves, we may find that we can finish tasks a lot quicker than if we were just winging it. If we add certain “obligations” together, things might go a LOT smoother. EX: It wouldn’t make sense to run to Target for example and then come home put stuff away and then head to the grocery. If we added those trips together, it would save time AND gas. Smart thinking and planning ahead will get you more time doing what you LIKE.

Being distracted is almost 95% of the reason why people have a hard time finishing more time consuming tasks. They can’t keep their mind where their mind needs to be. For instance- your sitting at your computer in your at home office. You’re writing up a new plan to present to your bosses the following week. If you are searching facebook, looking through twitter feeds, reading a book, texting friends, or even talking on the phone—this PLAN may go undone for quite sometime. SO while you’re WORKING on something important make sure to FOCUS on the task at hand. Nothing should be keeping you from being uninterrupted at this time.

Managing your time is something that is very critical to getting EVERYTHING that you need done. Whether it’s on your smartphone, or you go out and BUY a day planner- it could really help you keep organized. This way you can look at each day and know what needs to be done beforehand.

Start a schedule (THIS is what screamed out at me). I definitely need to do this. I am SO horrible at winging schedules and my LIFE suffers because of this. Make sure that the schedule works for your lifestyle though.

Start by scheduling what you DO everyday.

• Wake up time
• morning routine (cook breakfast, shower, get the kids to school, get yourself ready)
• meal times
• work hours & school hours
• appointments, meetings, your kids games and practices
• exercise
• Bed

Then you can start planning things AROUND the things you do normally.

Other advice the books gives:

• Multitasking efficiently so you’re getting MORE done in such a short amount of time.
• When the best time to shop and plan appointments for the doctor and dentist are.
• Clean out your purse twice a month so that you’re only carrying items that you need.
• Planning Meals; even school and work lunches a week ahead.

I am SO in love with this book. It doesn’t just teach you to declutter your HOUSE, but it teaches how to declutter your MIND by working more efficiently, setting schedules, and making lists.

If you’re a clutterbug like I am, this is a book that could work WONDERS for you. It has such an easy to follow, broken down instructions that it would be hard NOT to follow them. These are instructions to live your life by. I LOVE this book and will recommend it for EVERYBODY that needs even a little decluttering. It’s small enough to stick in your purse and be a motivational guide for you when you aren’t feeling like getting anything done.!

BUY IT: You can buy The Easy Organizer for $19.34 from the David & Charles Publishing Website.

 

Jessica Renee

Review: Inspiration Cosmetics- Virtue All Over Glow- Face & Body Sparkle

Looking for a lightweight, sparkling shimmery bronzer to add to your makeup drawer? Inspiration Cosmetics gave me the chance to review their Virtue All Over Glow, and I was So excited when it came in the mail.
I love adding a little sparkle to my skin. It makes me feel so glamorous even if I’m not going anywhere that day. HEY, I can FEEL beautiful for myself can’t I? This can be set on your vanity, in your makeup case, or even in your purse.
You can use this as an accent to your special features (cheeks, cleavage, legs) or you can sweep it all over your body for a beautiful sparkling glow. You pump the bottom of the brush by the little button and the sparkles come to the tip of the brush ready for you to apply.
Just wearing this makes me feel so sexy, alluring, and beautiful. I haven’t been to the tanning bed in a VERY long time.. so I use bottled bronzer and then apply this over the top of it.. and you can’t tell it isn’t a tanning bed bronzed.

This works best after you’ve gotten out of the shower or bath (on clean skin). Use moisturizer or lotion and then wait for it to dry before putting the All over Glow on your skin.
The appearance was a silky, satin type, and an amazing, sparkling, refined finish. It made the skin look unreal as if it was smooth like silk sheets or a satin bathrobe.
it just gives my skin such a come-hither look, and this is exactly what I need in the winter (AND Summer) but I love that in the winter I can have tanned  looking skin without trying too hard. I absolutely LOVE the shimmer. So seductive.
I can’t wait to try this out in the summer months. How amazingly eye catching this will be with a bathing suit when I’m laying out catching some rays.  It comes in 4 different colors; Angel, Glamour, Girly, and Sexy

BUY IT: You can buy your Virtue All Over Glow for $21.95

Connect with Inspiration Cosmetics on Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter


Jessica Renee

Review: Ta-Ta Temporary Tattoos

Ta-Ta-Toos are temporary tattoos for your Ta-Ta’s OF COURSE! Temporary tats for adults can be fun, spontaneous, and bring that fire back to your relationship.
Just think about what your boyfriend/husband would think if he were gone for a couple days or a week on a business trip. He comes back home, and you have a temporary tat on your ta-ta’s that says “Missed You?” He would LOVE that!
Letting your man know that you’ve been thinking about him while he’s gone is the best thing you could ever do to spice things up. Even if he never goes away on business. If he just works during the day—it would be fun to find a sitter for a Saturday and make plans for you and him.
They ARE temporary, but can last up to 7 days if you want them too. If you don’t, you can just wash them off with warm soapy water and a cloth washcloth. Doesn’t take very much power to get them off either. I think they came off easier than the temporary tattoo’s that I buy for my kids.

This would be a very cute way to show your NEW husband that you are glad to have just taken his last name. It’s a fun way to show that you care. He will remember that his entire life. These would be perfect to being on your honeymoon.

I ended up getting the “touch down” temporary tattoo’s along with a few others. I love that they offered the “football” temp tattoos. What man doesn’t like football? He will be thrilled to make this “Touch Down” believe me!

I think this would be an AMAZING one for women who have husbands that are deployed with the military. What way to show that amazing feeling of them being home then for them to actually SEE IT? You know how much they’ve missed you too, don’t you? Thank them for me. I fully support all the men and women who have to be away from their families to give us freedom.

Christmas is right around the corner, and these would be amazing to add some funk in the bedroom and get yourself a little something something for Christmas. What better way to say :Merry Christmas: to the man you love?
Not only would it be a fun thing to use behind those closed doors when the kids are sleeping, but they can be used for other things as well. Girls nights out, bachelorette parties, wedding gags.. there are unlimited places you can wear them. They are SEXY!
BUY IT: You cabn buy 1 pack (which comes with 2 sets of tattoos) for only $9.95


Jessica Renee