Toy Review: Our Generation Off The Beaten Path 18" Doll Bundle

Guess what? Want to know a way to make a little girl a very happy person? Order her a Our Generation Off The Beaten Path 18” Doll Bundle  and see the SMILES flowing freely.

The UPS man brought the package on Friday. As soon as she seen what the outside of the box looked like, she was GLUED to the table waiting for me to open it. She was thrilled to see a big giant box waiting for her!

The Our Generation Off The Beaten Path 18” Doll Bundle comes with a very beautiful doll. She has thick, wavy, long blonde hair that is tied back into a ponytail and bright beautiful blue eyes that blink.

As you can tell by the look on my daughter’s face, she instantly fell in love with “Robyn”. She comes with a purple short sleeve shirt, with a blue polka dot zipper jacket and a matching headband. Jeans, socks, and rubber-like purple shoes that match her shirt.

It is a really adorable outfit AND doll. She is high quality and I know she will last for years to come. The clothes are well made, are very bright, and can be washed along with your kids clothes (if they get dirty). They are easy to put on and take off, my daughter has already re-dressed her tons of times. (She even comes with little panties- how cute!)

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She fits nicely inside the hot pink jeep. I like that it’s high quality and isn’t going to tear up very easy. My daughter even sit on top of it, and it didn’t hurt it. I told her that it was for her baby, and she got off. LOL

The Jeep is pretty big and well built compared to most cars and stuff I’ve seen for 18” dolls. The doors open, so it makes it look more realistic. It has side view mirrors and a “place” in the back for all the dolls accessories.

The camping gear comes with some small parts, so I wouldn’t recommend it for any girl under the age of 3. Adisyn LOVED that it came with a big cooking pot and lid, a smaller saucepan and spatula, a story book, a ladle, harmonica, and a cantina drinking bottle.

The sleeping bag is really cute (and I think it can be reversed). It has a hot pink outside (quilted look) and a flowery inside. It’s high quality too- there weren’t any missing or loose threads. The doll fits inside it perfectly, and Adisyn took her “camping” as soon as she was out of the box.

She had tons of fun playing with everything that came. It kept her occupied almost all day. She was racing the jeep up and down the hall, playing in her room, and even took them outside.

The tent was very easy to assemble. If you’ve ever put a tent together, you won’t even have to read the instructions. If you haven’t (like I haven’t)—it still only took me about 2-3 minutes.

The doll fits nicely inside  (in her sleeping bag) and still had room for the camping accessories.

Adisyn loved everything about the tent, and I was glad she did. They are a MUCH better option than spending tons of money on the AG Dolls, clothes, and accessories.

They also have other really cool accessories and clothes that I want to add to her new collection at target (and available online at target).

Buy It: You can buy the Our Generation Off The Beaten Path 18” Doll Bundle for $60.

 

Jessica Renee

Review: Victoria USA Inglesa Elastico Shoe

There are currently 12 colors in the amazing line of Victoria USA shoes for women. I am ecstatic to be one of the first to own a pair. I’ve been sporting mine for over a month, and LOVE them.

There were many beautiful colors available, but I chose to get the Blanco (white) shoes. These are absolutely amazing shoes!

They are VERY comfortable. I usually have to get an 8 1/2 wide because my feet feel squished inside a regular sized shoe. Not with this one. The size is extra forgiving, allowing room for my feet to spread without feeling like the sides are pressing in on my feet or toes.

I love the way they are structured. They look amazing, stylish, and are very versatile. They can be worn with anything and everything. Whether I’m wearing jeans, capri’s, dress pants, or shorts—these totally rock the outfit OUT!

The quality of these babies are TOP notch. I love how thick the rubber soles are. They aren’t SO thick that I feel like I’ve grown an entire inch while wearing them, but I can’t feel gravel or anything when walking in them (which is the exact thickness I like).

They are the perfect spring and winter shoes a girl could ask for. They do NOT require a shoelace, although it looks like they do.. Just cool production of the product.

 

They actually have a spandex insert where the tongue of the shoe should be, which allows you to slip your foot in AND holds your shoes to your feet so they don’t fall off.

I love that I don’t have to wear socks with them. Who wants to wear socks in the summer when it’s 95 degrees and you’re already sweating like crazy? NOT me, which is why they make the perfect spring and summer shoes.

Most shoes take a little breaking in for me to feel comfortable wearing, but not these. I didn’t have to break these in. They were comfortable RIGHT out of the box, which is very rare! AND the best thing is that they are totally washable. They can be thrown in with a regular load (or with whites- since mine were white) AND dried in the dryer without shrinking. OR you can always put them on top of the dryer to air-dry!

AWESOME concept! Love everything about these shoes.

I TOTALLY want these in orange (naranja)!

Get YOURS: You can buy the Victoria USA Inglesa Elastico in a variety of color for only $55.

 

Jessica Renee

Book Review: Old Time Country Wisdom- 1000’s of Traditional Skills for Simple Living by Jerry Mack Johnson; Voyageur Press

A grand encyclopedia of country lore by famed Texas folklorist Jerry Mack Johnson, covering water witching, maple syruping, weather wisdom, country remedies and herbal cures, cleaning solutions, pest purges, bird migrations and animal lore, firewood essentials, adobe making and bricklaying, leather working, plant dyes, farm foods, natural teas and tonics, granola, bread making, beer brewing and winemaking, jams and jellies, canning and preserving, sausage making and meat smoking, drying foods, down-home toys, papermaking, candle crafting, homemade soaps and shampoos, Christmas wreaths and decorations, butter and cheese making, fishing and hunting secrets, and much more.

My Review

It seems SO long ago that people lived off the land. Now we have to read/watch the weather to tell what the day is going to be like. We have to go to stores to buy our food, drinks, cleaning supplies, and candles.

BUT- what if I were to tell you that it isn’t as hard as you think it is to all these things AND MORE by YOURSELF? The world would be a WAY better place if we learned to do MORE things at home instead of CONSUMING so much.

In the book Old-Time Country Wisdom & Lore 1000’s of Traditional Skills for Simple Living it brings us back to the much simpler times. I’ve always been interested in how our ancestors lived and now we get a glimpse just HOW to live off nature and do things for ourselves just as we did. They didn’t have a walmart in town or the next town..

This is truly an encyclopedia of old country wisdom, something everyone could benefit from. There are over 300 pages, with over 100 different interesting skills and recipes. So t his isn’t a book that you can read cover-to-cover in one sitting—it’s a flip through book for when you’re looking for something or if you’d like to use it as a coffee table book.

This isn’t a guidebook for farming though- some of the stuff is folklore and/or doesn’t apply to us today. It has some really awesome parts about canning, hunting, fishing information, and natural cleaning recipes!

I really liked this book, and if you are interested in doing things in a more natural, country-like way, you’ll enjoy it too!

Old-Time Country Wisdom & Lore: Traditional Skills for Simple Living

By Jerry Mack Johnson

ISBN: 978-0-7603-4001-1

Retail: $19.99 US ▪ £14.99 UK ▪ $21.99 CAN

Pub Date: April 2011

Paperback / 352 pages / 8.5 x 11 / 469 b&w photos

Available at bookstores and online booksellers and from http://www.voyageurpress.com/.  

 

Jessica Renee

Games Table Ideas for Your Child's Bedroom

We all want our children to spend a bit more time playing real games and having fun; instead of staring at small flickering screens for endless hours, but not all of us have the time to take them to the park or playground for long periods of time. Sometimes the weather conspires against our best intentions and before we know it, the entire weekend or half-term holiday has flashed by without any physical fun being had.

Photo Courtesy of Liberty Tables

Games tables are an excellent solution, demanding some movement but able to be played safely inside the home. Table football tables are a fantastic feature for footie mad boys and girls, enabling them to recreate their favourite matches or goals. Foosball, as it is also known, is also greatly enjoyed by adults, and parents can challenge their children for supremacy, playing hard and creating wonderful memories at the same time!
Table football tables are not the only table games that are available for youngsters: there is also air hockey, miniature pool or snooker, the classic table tennis and many other variations on the theme.

The trend of indoor, compact table games was started in Canada in 1932, by the Munro family. Short of money for Christmas presents and suffering from the relentless grip of the Great Depression, the family worked together to make the games table, using scrap wire, bits of wood and other odds and ends. The resulting structure looked very much like a modern pin-ball game, in that it slanted down from the centre, but a double-sided one. The balls were flicked and moved from player to player using flippers and levers.

A travelling salesman passing through advised Mr Munro to sell his innovative game at a local store. The game sold quickly and orders for more flooded in, and thus a trend was born. It is fitting that this game innovation was born in Canada, a country prone to lengthy cold winters and long periods of being house-bound!


Many department stores and toy shops sell games tables that can be used for different games, with attachments to convert them from football tables to miniature pool tables and even air hockey tables – some even feature a smooth plain top that can be fitted so the child can use the table as a desk. These are ideal as they allow the children to play a good variety of games without needing to take up lots of space in their bedrooms.

When decorating or renovating children's bedrooms or games lounges, be sure to look at the wonderful array of games tables that are available today. The financial investment lavished on the purchase will be more than repaid with the sights and sounds of children laughing, playing and competing against each other – having active fun in a safe environment with friends and family, and what could be better than that?
Has this article inspired you to look for that perfect table football table for your home? Why not check out the range from Liberty Games, who’s foosball specialist James Ford supplied this article for us today,

Review: Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp Mascara & Kohl Dual Ended Eye Liner- Amethyst/Green Ray

I am very picky about the quality of the makeup I wear. I don't want to put something on that's going to smear, sweat off, or clunk up within a short amount of time. Yves Rocher is an amazing website that has nothing but quality, beautiful looking makeup and fragrances.

I was super excited to be able to work with them!! They sent me 2 items of my choice, which was the Sexy Pulp Ultra-Volume Mascara & the Intense Kohl Duo Eyeliner.

The Sexy Pulp Mascara

The Mascara is nothing short of absolutely fabulous. I have VERY long eyelashes and it's very easy for them to clump up. Not only do they clump up but most of the time I end up getting mascara all over my eyelids—I’ve had more than one occasion of messed up eyeshadow.

I love the way the brush is shaped, it is astounding how it molds to my eyelashes. It doesn’t even feel like I’m putting on mascara! Usually when I put on mascara I can feel my lashes instantly stiffen and it’s hard to put on a second coat.

I love this mascara, because it gives me time to add 2-3 coats (AND they aren’t clumpy coats).. My lashes are instantly transformed. Thicker, more volume, and absolute perfection!

The trick is the ingredient- Carnauba wax, which coats and thickens every single lash without weighing them down. It is a natural wax taken from the leaves of the Copernicia prunifera palm which can only be found in Brazil.

Another trick to beautiful lashes is the way the brush is built. Instead of it being a straight stick, it is curved to instantly curl and connect to your lashes unlike any other mascara!

It is an astonishing ingredient, and one that continues to amaze me everyday. My lashes never become brittle, feel heavy, or stick together ALL day. Flawless eyelashes all day!

BUY IT: You can buy the Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp Mascara for $11.00

The Dual Ended Eye Line‘

I love this eyeliner. I love that it’s dual ended, two looks in one pencil! Both sides have a very beautiful texture (like creamy butter) and pigmentation (you can tell that this is a high quality liner).

On one side it’s a darker, beautiful Amethyst purple that makes eyes pop and brings out the dramatic look for nights out on the town or an amazing date!

On the other side is a beautiful, elegant emerald green that I couldn’t live without. I’ve been in search of a color like this for a VERY long time. They were all too dark or too light—not THIS exact color! Yves Rocher hit both these colors right on the nose!

Both of these colors are perfect for green and hazel eyes!

I love how creamy and smooth they are. I don’t have to press very hard to get my desired look, nor do I have to light the ends with a lighter (like some of my eyeliners).

The look stays on all day without smearing or running. Both colors can be mixed or matched together or with ANY color eye shadow for both day (work or school) and night! You can make these look natural *mixed with lighter colors* OR dramatic *mixed with darker contrasting colors*

Buy It: You can buy the Kohl Dual Ended Eyeliner for $4.95

 

 

Jessica Renee

Review: AnnMarie Gianni Skincare: Repair Serum

I have worked with AnnMarie Skin Care before, and thoroughly enjoyed the simplicity yet great results of every single product they make. Everything is 100% all natural and works extremely well.

So when they sent me the AnnMarie Gianni Repair Serum, I was dying to try it. I’ve been tanning almost daily since January—and sweating inside the tanning bed (not to mention the UV exposure) was breaking me out and damaging my skin.

The repair serum is meant to repair and replenish sun damaged and mature skin., I’m  not even 25 yet, but I already have sun-damage due to my “obsession” and love for tanning.

Not only that- but all the stress, sleepless nights, and emotions from having a very premature son (16 weeks early). The difficulties surrounding his birth sent my emotions in overdrive. Then just a short year later—finding out I was pregnant again (not planned) and thinking I was probably going to go through the premature thing YET again. I didn’t though (thank GOD).

I’ve always had really huge pores on my nose, and in those giant pores come TONS of hard to get blackheads. So for years I spent a TON of time and money buying strong concealers and foundations to cover the blackheads and “under-eye” bags.

I ended up receiving a travel-sized sample of the Repair serum and ended up making it last almost 3 weeks (20 days). It is recommended 30-40 days to see a real improvement because your cells have to turn-over and replenish themselves.. but just in those 20 days I could see a huge difference in texture and tone of my skin.

Although I wash my face daily, use blemish fighting cream, toners, and all that good stuff—the bumps (NOT totally blemishes) would appear at the base of my jawline and run up to my earlobes. With the repair serum, they seem to be kept at bay (which I LOVE).

I bet the entire 40 days would have my skin looking QUITE amazing, if I do say so myself. There are many, MANY anti-aging products being pushed into our faces—making us think that we need to goop on a ton of chemicals to erase the lines, wrinkles, and sun damage—and it just isn’t true,

If you look at the ingredient list on most of those packages, you’ll see tons of ingredients that you CAN’T even spell. The fancy packaging isn’t fooling anybody! Chemicals in skin, body, and hair care SEEP into your skin and hair follicles and can actually DAMAGE you more than it helps.

AnnMarie KNOWS this and that’s why she uses nothing but natural ingredients in her skin care line. I SO love her AND the entire skincare line for that!

This Repairing Serum is an orange/yellow colored liquid that soaks right into the skin. I use it after I’ve cleaned and toned my skin for the night, and only have to use a very small amount.  It is very moisturizing- my skin is still silky soft when I wake up the next morning.

I love that it helped revitalize and replenish my sun damaged skin without leaving an oily residue. The smell of the serum is very pleasant—smells like hints of flowers, with a stronger smell of Jasmine than any other.. DOES smell wonderful and natural!

The price of the products are a little steep, but you’re getting nothing but completely ORGANIC, natural ingredients so I understand the pricing—natural products are more expensive to buy, but totally worth it.

The Ingredients:

Love, Aloe vera juice; Uva Ursi (and) Licorice root (and) Amla berry extract; Citrus-derived Stem Cells; Jojoba oil; Castor oil; Vegetable glycerin; Helichrysum extract; Aspen bark extract; Rosehip seed oil extract; Rosehip oil extract; Seabuckthorn berry oil extract; Essential oils of Lavender, Sandalwood; Superoxide dismutase; Hyaluronic acid; Xanthan gum; Rosemary oleoresin.

“Our Repair Serum is carefully formulated to transform your skin naturally. Using vegan stem cells derived from oranges, we have created a new way for your skin to build collagen, repair itself and prevent aging. This active blend of stem cells, along with Superoxide dismutase (SOD) -- a powerful antioxidant -- will make a noticeable difference in aging skin when used continuously over the course of 30-40 days. This serum is high in Vitamin C and has the essential oils of Lavender and Sandalwood, which are skin-lightening and balancing.”

Buy It: AnnMarie Gianni Repair Serum 15ml for $54.95

 

Jessica Renee

Toy Review: WonderMind Educational Kits for Toddlers & Kids

Teaching kids to tell time can be a very daunting task, however it is necessary. They need to know their schedules, especially when they start school. Aidan started Kindergarten this year, and has been fascinated with telling time all year. Adisyn is 4- and follows and learns from him.

Aidan knows and can read his  numbers on a digital clock—which is what most of them are in our home. Phones, computer, microwave, and alarm clocks. However, non-digital clocks are a totally different story.

WonderMind is a complete five-piece interactive learning system designed to work together to help preschoolers and kindergartens learn how to tell time.

Included are 5-pieces; Wonder and Discover Theater DVD, Wonder and Discovery Picture Book, Discovery Workbook, Tick-Tocks Talking Toy Clock and a parenting guide.

You start out with the 20 minute DVD, which includes 10 different elements such as grammar, counting, time, and more. The chapters are short, so the kids really enjoyed them and stayed entertained with the  interactive telling time activities.

The picture book has chapters that center on what they had just watched in the DVD. They are very informational stories with big, bright, colorful pictures that show what the story is talking about.

Aidan and Adisyn really enjoyed looking at the “What’s in the Oven” part of the book. It shows about baking bread and how certain foods are made from other foods. Such as Pizza Crust and Spaghetti are both made from flour… It amazed them!

Then there’s the workbook. It shows how to use tick-tock, which is the interactive talking clock that comes with it. Then it goes into “story-time” where they visit tick-tocks house.

Before getting Wondermind, Aidan didn’t know how to tell time. Now he can tell you which is the long hand, the short hand, and most of the time tell me what time it is. He still has problems after 30 (such as 12:31) because he can only count to 30. BUT we have made some serious progress!!

Aidan and Adisyn both loved playing with the clock and learning the different parts of a clock. It has certainly made telling time more fun for them. Very interactive which holds their attention for a longer period of time.

The two colored clock hands made it so much easier for  my children to understand “long and short” hands and the clock even comes with a timer and quiz button.

The workbook helps along with the clock, not only to tell time but other certain things they may need to know. It helps to show them the right way to hold a pencil, whether they are right or left handed and how to write with it.

It helps that the workbook comes with reward stickers (YAY) and the timer on the clock can be set from 3 minutes to 15 minutes. Kids have very short attention spans and when you try to make them sit for a long time period learning something—they aren’t going to retain that information for very long.

This helps them grasp “time management”.. so they know we work on the book for 10 minutes a day, almost every day. That way they can actually tell how long 10 minutes is!

At only $29.99 plus a 30-day money back guarantee it is affordable and comes with a ton of activities to help children learn the importance of telling time!

For more information on the kit we reviewed or the toddler kit visit www.wondermindkids.com

 

Jessica Renee

Beauty Review: Auric Blends Egyptian Goddess Lotion & Soap

“Our best-selling blend marries warm musk to clean, powdery florals for a sensual and light fragrance.  The lotion base is rich and moisturizing and is perfect for all over body wear.”

Auric Blends sent me their best selling fragrance mixed in a bar of soap and a bottle of lotion. The Egyptian Goddess Natural Glycerin Soap & The Egyptian Goddess Lotion.

These are of very high quality. Both the lotion and the soap smell amazing. The smells lasts all day without being breathtaking or overwhelming.

It has a comfy, delicate, mild musk smell mixed in with a bright-noted, exquisite powdery-bloom smell. It is very light, lustful, and stimulating to the senses.

It is a very sexy, seductive scent that gives that “come-hither” vibe. I find it very alluring!

Both the lotion and the soap are white and very creamy. The soap lathers well and doesn’t dry my skin out like other bar lotions do.  The soap is soft and buttery, rather than a hard bar.

Usually “perfume” scented soaps don’t mix so well with me. The scent of the “smell” seems to change because of the ingredients in the soap. This doesn’t though. Still the same amazing, delicate, intoxicating fragrance!

Even when I used the soap and lotion together the fragrance still isn’t overpowering and it lasts all day without wearing off. The bar of soap is smaller than an original bar of soap—so it isn’t going to last the same amount of time—but YUM it smells good!

The lotion is very rich, creamy, and luscious. It’s perfect for everyday, all day use. It is very moisturizing and I love that it isn’t a big goopy mess. I also like the consistency—which isn’t too thick (like a body butter, I have enough) or too liquidy!

Buy IT: You can buy the Egyptian Goddess Lotion for $15.95 & the Egyptian Goddess Natural Glycerin Soap for $5.95

 

Jessica Renee

Review: Aerobie 80R08 AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker

The Aerobie Aeropress Coffee and Espresso maker definitely makes one of the finest cups of coffee and espresso that I’ve tasted. It is WAY different from other coffee and espresso makers in so many ways.

It takes the ideal water temperature and mild air pressure brewing to make coffee and espresso that is very flavorful, creamy, and satisfying without being bitter or taste so acidic.

It can make 1-4 cups of coffee/espresso (enough for 1 or 2 cups), comes with it’s own filters (which are very small) so that no grit from the coffee/espresso can get inside your cup, and only takes about a minute to make it (20 seconds to press the air/water into the coffee/espresso).

WHY is it better than brewing in a drip machine? Drip brewing has the water passing directly into the beans or grounds, which is too hot and brings out the bitterness in the coffee or espresso.

“As the water filters downward through the bed, it becomes too cool and extraction is weak. The water doesn't contact all of the grounds uniformly. Grounds at the edge of the bed are under-extracted, while grounds at the center are over- extracted and contribute bitterness.” Aerobie Website

When using the Aerobie Aeropress machine all the grounds get the exact same temperature of heat, and isn’t directly RAN into the grounds.

I love that it’s small so it doesn’t take up my entire counter (like my espresso machine does). It’s very easy to use and easier to clean! Comes with it’s own filters and produces a very amazing rich tasting coffee that isn’t bitter or taste like a battery was dropped in it.!

This also uses absolutely NO electricity. This would be easy when traveling in an RV over the summer—just heat up your water and wa-lah. Instant espresso/coffee.. Ahh..

To brew a double espresso or 10-ounce cup of coffee:

• Place a microfilter in the bottom cap of the AeroPress chamber and twist the cap tightly closed.
• Place two scoops of ground coffee from the included AeroPress scoop into the chamber.
• Stand the chamber on a sturdy mug, then proceed to pour hot water into the top of the chamber (175 degrees F is optimal).
• Stir the water and coffee with the included paddle for about 10 seconds.
• Insert the plunger into the chamber and gently press down about a quarter of an inch and continue to maintain that pressure for 20 to 30 seconds (gentle pressure is the key to easy AeroPressing).

This will result in a double espresso. To make an Americano, simply top off the mug with hot water, or add hot milk for a creamy latte. The AeroPress can press from 1 to 4 scoops, and each scoop from the included AeroPress scoop makes the equivalent of a single espresso or 5 ounces of American coffee. Fill the chamber with hot water to the number corresponding to the number of scoops.

You can also make a full carafe of coffee using the AeroPress in less time than it takes to brew a pot of drip coffee. Two 3-scoop or 4-scoop pressing, topped off with hot water, will fill most vacuum carafes.

Buy IT: You can buy the Aerobie Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker for $25.95 with free shipping.

 

Jessica Renee