Roaring Springs Paper Products Review & Giveaway

Summer is here and it ALWAYS peaks my midnight ramblings. It intrigues me to just write and write and write. I have always been one of those girls that has too much paper, and too many pens, binders and markers. 'I have always LOVED shopping for office/school supplies.

SO you know I was excited to review some notebooks from Roaring Springs Paper Products.  Roaring Springs is a126 year old manufacturer of paper products in the US who has recently extended their line of earth friendly paper products to include Sugarcane Paper Notebooks, Cross-Over Notebooks and Color Me Products for the kids!

I was sent 4 Color Me Notebooks, 2 Cross-Over Notebooks, Genesis Shades 1 Subject Notebook Genesis 5 Subject Notebook and a Genesis 3 subject Notebook, SO you know I was like a kid at Christmas over here.

Here is some info on each:

Color Me Products – These notebooks and folders encourage kids to be creative and personalize by coloring the covers. There are a variety of pre-printed themes on the covers such as Aquarium, Farm, Sports and Fun Park to peak kid’s interest.

Sugarcane Paper Notebooks - This environmentally friendly product is made of paper from sugarcane, truly a renewable paper.  This is a notebook where, by purchasing it really does save a tree.

Cross-Over Notebook - Unique wire bound notebook that has college-ruled lines running the width of the page on one side, and the length of the page on the other side. This unique printing allows you to take notes three ways:  wide for sketching or to illustrate diagrams, standard, or use the backlight grid pattern the lines create for graphing. These are several great ways to get a lot out of one notebook-- crossover to a better note taking

 

My Review*

 

I Love to Write ♥

I write and I write A LOT! I feel better about using Roaring Springs Paper Products because their Sugarcane Paper Notebooks are environment friendly. Instead of using paper made from trees (like normal paper is) there are made from sugarcane!

The BEST thing about the sugarcane made paper is that it actually write more smoothly than regular paper (or to me it does anyway). I took one look at all these empty notebooks just waiting for ME to dig in and get to creating and I was HAPPY HAPPY!

They are regular white like normal paper, and has a durable vinyl cover that can be wiped clean! I also love that I can write notes to myself on these covers with dry erase markers and then wipe it off when I’ve completed whatever to-do list or whatever that I wrote down.

The inside of the notebooks still contain the little double sided folder which is convenient to keep to-do lists, grocery lists, school handouts, or whatever inside. That way they don’t slip out and you lose them for GOOD!

They also have colored notebooks that are made of sugarcane as well. They are also college rules and have the double sided folder in the front as well as the vinyl cover. This is one of my favorites! This is great for personal means. Journals, Quotes, Poems!

This is one of the crossover notebooks! This also have a vinyl cover that is easy to clean/wipe off if needed! It doesn’t have a folder, but these are AMAZING notebooks. I’d never seen anything like it before.

See how the landscape pages can be seen and then when you flip over it’s letter size! This makes it easy to use both sides for something different. Or you can use both back and front for the same such as poems, lists for school or work, to-do lists..

These are the Color Me notebooks. I got 4 of them, so I gave each of my kids 2 each. I’d never seen them have so much fun with a notebook! They had fun coloring and designing the front!

The top picture is my daughters, and the bottom picture is my sons. The inside of the notebook is like a regular notebook with lined paper.

Since it’s summer and Aidan learned so much in Kindergarten this year. We use one of his notebooks for continuing learning how to add and subtract small numbers.

Adisyn’s other notebook is used for learning letters and numbers since she will begin preschool in the fall. My kids are growing up too fast, HOW did this happen?

This is the inside of Aidan’s color book. I loved looking through it and seeing all the cool stuff he is learning to draw. The first picture is of Me and him inside me as a baby (as he wanted to know how he got here LOL).

The second picture is of a rocket ship and the last is a King! He is getting so creative and amazing at drawing for a 6 year old. It’s cool what some crayons, a paper, and an imagination will bring out!

This is Adisyn’s drawings. She said hers was the clouds and her (the first one) and flowers (the second). I am definitely putting these up as keepsakes!

Connect with Roaring Spring Paper Products on Facebook & Twitter.

They have a very interactive Facebook Page that offers their fans an opportunity to win products randomly, by answering quiz questions or sharing.

WIN IT: One Stylish Southern Mama reader will win the exact same assortment of notebooks that I received!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Jessica Renee

Romwe accessory fling sale, start at $1.99

Romwe accessory fling sale, start at $1.99

Go: http://www.romwe.com/Accessory-Fling-c-204.html

 

Jessica Renee

Beauty Review: John Frieda Luxurious Volume Touchably Full Shampoo & Conditioner and Fine to Full Blow Out Spray

John Frieda Luxurious Volume –Fight flat hair in the shower with the reformulated Luxurious Volume Touchably Full Shampoo and Conditioner—the duo creates the perfect foundation for full, natural looking and feeling volume. Trade in your arsenal of volume boosters for John Frieda’s breakthrough Fine to Full Blow-Out Spray, developed to deliver a salon-quality blowout at home.

John Frieda has been an absolute must on my list of hair care products since I can remember. I really liked their whole Brunette line and the frizz ease products. They came out with the new colour care line which included Brunette, Blonde, and Red.. I was fortunate enough to get to try the Brunette Colour Care Shampoo and Conditioner for my recently dyed Cherry Black hair! I LOVED it!

Now I am about to show you their new line of Luxurious Volume Hair Care products! This includes:

John Frieda TOUCHABLY FULL SHAMPOO

John Frieda Touchably Full Conditioner

John Frieda Fine to Full Blow Out Spray

 

 

This shampoo and conditioner duo really does live up to it’s name “Luxurious Volume”. It doesn’t strip the hair of it’s natural oils, and make it frizzy and dry It out. Most volumizing shampoos (even with the conditioner) dry the hair out in time. With the John Frieda Volumizing Line my hair comes out silky smooth, easy to manage, shiny AND full of volume.

The shampoo and conditioner both smell absolutely incredible. I can’t put an EXACT scent on the smell, but if I had to guess- I think it smells like freshly bloomed Tiger Lillie's which I find irresistible. The Spray smells exactly the same.

I love that the scent doesn’t leave ALL day. I can wash my hair the night before, get up and it still SMELLS incredible. Even after I get out of the tanning bed my hair STILL smells like it was just washed. Later on that day before I take a shower the scent is still lingering! ♥

The Shampoo lathers AMAZINGLY. I only had to use a very small amount to wash my entire hair (about a nickel size). This amazed me because even though my hair isn’t thick, it’s very long. If you think it isn’t sudsy enough, put a little more water on your head—that’s all it needs. I can see this bottle lasting longer than a month which is new to me and my long strands!

If you use too much, it’s a waste and ANY shampoo will begin to leave product residue behind if you use too much. Make sure your only using the amount you need for your hair. AND like I said before—add a tad but more water if you think it isn’t going to get your entire head! Rub it in and wa-lah beautiful, amazing, healthy feeling locks!

The conditioner feels like liquid silk. I don’t use very much conditioner in my hair at all AND I never condition the roots. My hair is naturally oily, so I conditioner from about 1/2 away from my scalp to the ends of my hair.

My hair has always been on the “finer” side, although it’s gotten a little thicker as I got layers (or so it seems). The layers weren’t really SHOWING like I wanted them to though. I wanted something that could put the oomph in my hair so the layers could be seen.

The best results I’ve gotten is when I use them together AND follow with the Blow Out Spray. My hair was definitely thicker and had more body to it. It was soft after just the SHAMPOO- but the conditioner really adds the silkiness and vibrancy to it.

I can even use a flat iron on it and it still looks amazing! Many companies make promises, but I needed one that would actually deliver on that promise and John Frieda always does.

I love that I can wash my hair at night, and I don’t wake up with a ton of gunk or oil in my hair. It looks freshly washed, all I have to do is flat iron it and be on my way!

This doesn’t just give you volume, but it gives you BODY from the root all the way to the ends. I don’t have to use a root lifter when I use these which I LOVE!

I just spray the Fine to Full Blow Out Spray onto my hair and blow dry my hair upside down. I love that this is a pump action bottle. I try to stay away from the aerosol sprays because they smell more like alcohol (like hairspray does).. this smells fresh and invigorating just like the shampoo and conditioner.

I do use a thermal protectant in conjunction with this. I love that it doesn’t weigh the hair down while giving it volume though. You can also double this with a styling cream so that if you want you can curl or flat iron your hair after you blow-dry it!

To make them EVEN better, all three feel like they are actually nourishing and moisturizing my hair as well. It looks and feels so healthy and strong. The shine stays all day without becoming oily. This is a plus for someone who has naturally oily hair!

Needless to say, compliments have been rolling my way since beginning to use these three products!

HANDS down A+++ for these! I can NOT live without them now!

Want to experience the awesomeness for yourself?

Buy IT:

John Frieda TOUCHABLY FULL SHAMPOO $5.49

John Frieda Touchably Full Conditioner $5.49 

John Frieda Fine to Full Blow Out Spray $8.99

Connect with John Frieda online:

Facebook and Youtube

 

Jessica Renee

Hot Buns Facebook Photo Contest - $1,000 Prize!

Hot Buns hair accessories Features:

• Fast and Easy to use for all ages

• Perfect for casual or elegant wear

• Also use it to get beautiful, bouncy curls

• So comfortable you can sleep in it

• Comes with 2 sizes for multiple hairdos

• Small – for short hair & half-up styles

• Medium – classic buns for any occasion

• Both sizes leave you with big, bouncy curls!

Bew contest for the hair tool Hot Buns.  Fans of the Hot Buns Facebook page can upload a snap shot of their best style using Hot Buns and then share the photo with their friends to be entered to win. The photo with the most fan votes wins $1,000!

You can enter the contest here.

 

Jessica Renee

Blogger Opp: Back to School Blast

Back to School Blast Event

Hosted by: Mom Powered Media

Prize: $1,000 in Gift Cards up for grabs!

Event dates: 7/1 - 8/1

Free Blogger Event: Sign Up HERE

Power of Pentel 500,000 Sweepstakes

"Unleash the Power of Pentel!" Have you ever dreamed of being a superhero?  You now have the chance with the summer-long Power of Pentel contest; a promotion that gives consumers the chance to win $500,000 ($250,000 for the winner and $250,000 for a school of the winner’s choosing). What would you do with $250,000? Pay for college tuition, take the family on a cruise around the world, pay off your mortgage or start a small business? Now imagine what a deserving school could do with $250,000 – build a new library, buy laptops for every student, create a scholarship program or install new playground equipment. The possibilities are endless with the “Power of Pentel.”

How do you play?

To participate, simply buy marked packages of Pentel EnerGel-X® pens or mail in for a code (no purchase necessary).  Then visitwww.pentel.com/power  and enter the code to see if you can “Unleash the Power of Pentel.”  There is no limit to the number of entries andPentel will be awarding second chance prizes via random drawings every week. Plus, fans of Pentel can engage in fun, hero-themed contests on the company’s social sites, like Facebook®, Instagram®, Twitter® and Pinterest® for a chance to win cool prizes up to a $350 value!


Good luck and enjoy playing!

Pentel of America Online Outreach
Connect with us!
Twitter: @PentelofAmerica
Facebook: www.facebook.com/PentelofAmerica
Blog: www.pentel.com/blog

YouTube: www.youtube.com/pentelofamerica
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/pentelofamerica
Instagram: www.instagram.com/pentelofamerica

Beauty Review: SuperGoop SPF 35 CC Cream and ACAIFusion LipBalm SPF 30

Supergoop is a brand that is solely focused on sun care. They make a variety of items that ALL have SPF in them. They have sunscreen wipes, giant pump action bottles of Sunscreen that will last all summer, even sunless tanners!

I am excited to say that I have gotten a chance to review their new CC Cream and an AMAZING lip balm that both have SPF inside!

The CC Cream

 

Supergoop has a new Daily Correct CC Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 35 which is available in two shades; Light to Medium and Medium to Dark. This is amazing because it promises to soften the look of lines, wrinkles and pores.

A multivitamin for your skin, this light and silky cream protects, corrects, smoothes, and nourishes with specially formulated health properties.

I’ve heard a LOT about the CC Creams, but haven’t had the chance to try one out yet. SO I was super SUPER excited to be able to see first hand what this bad boy could do!

I don’t really like wearing makeup (cream foundation or anything creamy) that much during the summer. It’s because my skin automatically gets SUPER dark and most foundations make me look like a ghost AND they tend to melt/sweat off.

IF it doesn’t sweat off, it clumps or balls up- which I DO NOT like. So, if I don’t wear mineral makeup, I don’t wear anything. UNTIL now. I’ve been testing this out for awhile and LOVE it!

I love how silky this CC Cream is, and how well it blends into my skin. It acts as a primer, concealer, and foundation all in one! It leaves my face feeling fresh and perfectly flawless.

I love that it blends so well with my complexion. I don’t like noticing that there is a weird lightness to my skin after I’ve applied a foundation or cream. This doesn’t do that though.

It works amazingly at protecting, correcting and smoothing uneven skin. It’s a giant plus that is has SPF in it, SPF 35 to be exact. Amazing anti-aging benefits and super antioxidants to help fight free-radical, wrinkle-forming damage.

The staying power is a big A+ for me. I don’t like having to take time out of my day to reapply because I’m always on the go with the kids, errands, and such. I can put this on at 8-9 and it will still be there around 3-4 which was amazing to me! I didn’t have to reapply even ONCE!

I love the SPF 35 because I’ve been using a skin care at night that makes my face sensitive to sunlight. I wash it off in the morning, but there’s still a chance it could make my skin burn just by being outside because it has Retinol A in it. This keeps me satisfied knowing that I’m covered from the burns!

Neutralizes discolorations, inflammation, blotchiness while restoring vibrancy and glow which I love. This IS a CC cream, so you aren’t going to get the SAME coverage as a Foundation, but you could certainly apply a thin layer over it if you wanted. I love how it works like a Concealer/foundation/primer all in 1!

100% natural ingredients and antioxidants to triple protect against UVA, UVB and infrared-A rays. Light-diffusing mica minerals soften the appearance of pores and wrinkles for a fresh, flawless complexion!

NO parabens, fragrances, petrochemicals or oxybenzone to provide an environment- and skin-compatible choice for UV protection. I’m glad that I found something that I can actually wear in the summer without it balling up or sweating off. It doesn’t even feel like I’m wearing anything when I put this on!

Want to give it a try?

Buy IT: You can buy the Supergoop SPF 35 CC Cream in Medium/Dark and Light/Medium for $32 for 1.6 oz

 

The Lip Balm

I had been on the lookout for something like this. EVERY single time I get in the tanning bed my lips dry out. No amount of chapstick was helping break the dryness cycle, and it was because my lips were dehydrated and burning I guess.

The shea butter in this lip balm provides deep, long-lasting hydration. I can put this on my lips before getting in the tanning bed and my lips still feel SO soft and hydrated when I get out.

It protects against broad-spectrum UVA and UVB rays while calming, soothing and protecting dry or chapped lips. It feels more like a lip gloss to me than a chapstick which I love.

I can easily apply this over my lipstick or wear it by itself and it looks amazing! I love the fact that even though it wears like a lip gloss, it isn’t sticky! It goes on very smoothly and has lasting power.

It says that there’s a pink tint to it, but it’s more of a sheer pink than anything. It makes my lips look so healthy! It doesn’t have a taste and it doesn’t smell, which is a plus. If this tasted like Acai berry, I’d probably lick it off LOL.

Want to give it a try?

Buy it: Supergoop AcaiFusion Lipbalm SPF 30

Connect with Supergoop on their Blog, twitter, facebook, and pinterest

 

Jessica Renee

Fashion/Beauty Review: Kushyfoot Foot Covers and Flats to GO!

Now that summer is here, it IS time to pull out all those super cute high heels, flats, and wedges! SINCE it IS summer though, we all know what that means.. sweaty feet.

I hate slipping and sliding everywhere because my feet are sweaty from the heat, or my foot pops out of my shoe on every step. It’s really frustrating!

The Foot Covers

Kushyfoot was designed to help your feet stay comfortable without having to ditch your style! They come in plain colors as well as printed, colorful colors. SO no matter what your style is, they have something for YOU!

I really like the lightweight feel of these. These would be awesome to even wear with sneakers during the summer instead of socks. I can already tell a huge difference in how much my feet sweat. They hardly sweat at all.

My feet tend to stay inside my shoes instead of them flipping off making me feel like I might break my neck at any second. They also keep me from slipping and sliding everywhere!

They come in a one size fits all in the foot covers. They’ve got a variety of colors and are very cheap! This is a must have for summer in my opinion!

FLATS to go!

 

I was also sent a pair of Flats to GO. These are for your hurting feet. YOU know how your feet scream in pain after wearing those heels for awhile. These come with their own small carrying case and roll up to fit inside it.

You carry these with you in your purse for when your feet have had enough. Slip these on for the ride back home from work, or while sitting at your desk.. (shh.. I won’t tell).

They are stretchy (the band) and feel SO comfortable. They don’t have much padding on the bottom, but they feel amazing! I wear these around my house as house shoes most of the time because I love how they feel!

Buy it here: Most Kushyfoot products retail for $7.99 as a 2 pair set. Flats to Go retail for $9.99. You can purchase Kushyfoot products from their website.

 

Jessica Renee

Shavetech USB Razor- Father’s Day Gift! Review

This innovative electric razor will revolutionize your shaving experience, whether you are at home or traveling the world! Its sleek, fashion forward design is no larger than a smart phone, making it the must-have grooming accessory for every tech savvy man on-the-go.

The ShaveTech is available in two sleek colors, lustrous black and fresh white, both of which are trimmed in brushed silver.

Adam WAS a foreman for a tree trimming service which was regional. If there are natural disasters such as tornados and such- he would be called out to go and help.

He didn’t want to be called out and looking scruffy, packing a 5’O Clock Shadow. They could be gone anywhere from 7 days-21 days. They could end up working 16-18+ hours a day if needed. They help people without lights get their lights back on!

He wouldn’t have had time to break out the razor, shaving cream, balm.. etc. I wanted to help him save time AND space for other essential items.

He ended up going last April and had to pack SO much stuff. I was thinking this would help him lighten his load. It is very slim and compact. It’s about the size of a smartphone.

It looks like a mini camera, mp3 player, or a very small iphone. The shaver plugs into a USB port on your laptop, or into a USB charger (most smartphones come with one), to charge. Adam could easily put this in a compartment in his bag without a problem. Have it on hand for when he needs a touchup!

This would be an awesome gift for the DAD on the go for Father’s Day!
Buy IT: Shavetech for $29.99
Connect with Shavetech on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest

Health Review: Omega Infusion Water

I don’t know why but I drink WAY too much coffee. I like the taste, the warmth, and the energy. Having two kids under 6 and a 9 year old step son makes me want to be ON the go all the time.
It all caught up with me too quickly though. I actually FELT my body begging for more water. PLEASE it said.. enough with the caffeine- WE are dehydrated.. both YOU and I.
I was getting frequent headaches and was tired no matter HOW much coffee I was consuming. I was drinking water, but not enough to actually MEAN something to my body.
To top it off, I have a very high metabolism. So running around doing errands, running after kids, and keeping the house in order as well as working was leaving me exhausted as well. JUST water wasn’t helping put those essential nutrients back into my body that I was losing.
As a mom, I felt like it was my duty not only to drink more water to keep me healthy—but to SHOW my kids the right way to be. Adisyn loves water, but Aidan didn’t care for it.

So when I got a chance to review Omega Infusion Water I was all for it. Omega-3’s are VERY essential to the body, but the body doesn’t produce them. They are shown to reduce heart problems!! They can be found in fish or krill oils, but why not drink some water to go with it?
Omega Infusion Water is available in four flavors (citrus, fruit punch, berry and orange) and all of them are calorie FREE! YES—absolutely NO calories!

I really liked all of these waters, the yellow one WAS a bit tangy—but I can deal with it. I thought at first they might taste a little weird because one of the ingredients IS fish oil.. but I couldn’t detect anything like fish at all.

They ARE one of the most delicious flavored waters I have EVER tried. There’s only one other that I like—the others taste VERY bad. They taste like watered down fruit juice, but these didn’t.

They also sent me an Infusion Shot. This of course is a straight shot of Omega 3’s. With the water there is more liquid.. this is straight up. ach small 2 ounce bottle is 1 serving and has 250mg of Omega-3s EPA/DHA. I did find it a bit tangy, but again.. I can definitely take the tanginess.
If you’ve ever taken a 5 hour energy shot—this compares in taste to it. Instead of downing a shot of TONS of chemicals though, this is all natural.

For more information about Omega Infusion Water:

• you can visit their website,
  
• check out their Facebook page,
  
• or contact them on Twitter.
  

Jessica Renee

Southern Decor for Your Master Bedroom

Image Via: Martha Stewart
When we think about Southern living, we usually picture ourselves living a quiet life in a large white estate in the country. Sipping a tall, cool glass of sweet tea while enjoying the song of the cicadas and watching the sunset from our comfortable, mahogany porch furniture. The South has always been known for it’s warm style, vibrant colors and old-fashioned and comfortable decor.

In recent years, there has been a growing trend of Southern-style decor among urban and metropolitan areas, veering away from modernism and back to traditional home fashion.
Redecoration normally begins in the master bedroom, where Southern style can really be showcased. If you’re looking for ideas on how to Southern-ize your room, here are a few design tips to spruce up your space and transform it into your very own Georgian paradise!

Find Your Style

Each state in the South has its own definition of style, especially when it comes to differences in bedroom color schemes and style. For example, Georgian style is known for its colorful, coastal look that exudes earth tones and ocean-blue hues with touches of light colored woods and soft lit lamps.

For a more continental style, Alabama showcases dark earth tones, elegant and old-fashioned fabrics and furniture and open spaces lit with sunlight pouring from french-style window.
Before you begin revamping your bedroom, its best to research which style appeals to you most in order to give you a sense of foundational decor.

Shades of Color

The first thing to consider when reinventing your bedroom is how to embody the South’s decor. First, try balancing shades of color with fabrics. Usually, pastels and white-hued colors are dominant in this style, however, neo-classical interior decorators like to add splashes of dark colors to contrast colors. An example of light and dark contrasts in fabrics would be pillows with prints that have light base (background) colors and darker patterns.

Implement stencils and bold colors

Don’t be afraid to be bold! One of the most popular Southern style in the past few years has been the use of stencils to accent wall colors. Wall stenciling allows for the contrasts of color in your bedroom that can brighten up your space.

Plain and Simple: Cottage White

If you’re a little hesitant to apply strong colors to your bedroom scheme, why not go for “cottage white”? This means keeping a calm color scheme throughout your room and introducing antique furniture and home accessories that’ll make your room look just like the style implies, a comfy, Southern cottage.

Balance Light and Dark

What separates the modern living with Southern living the most? That would be light control. Normally, modern living decor has uncontrolled sunlight (lack of blinds or curtains) or even harsh, LED light bulbs.

In Southern decor, we see a lot more control in light, having soft, textured blinds and curtains to keep light in or out and softly lit light lamps that channel light throughout the room. The downside to this is that sometimes, blinds can cost you a pretty penny. Fortunately, there are a variety of low-cost Bed n Bath curtains that can save you money on your window furnishings.

Southern living is not too hard to implement into your home life. You don't even have to live in the South. Try this style out and see if you like it! If you do, you may end up redecorating your entire home in the Southern fashion!

Jessica Renee