Home Decor Review: City Creek Candles- Amazing Wax Melts

Everybody that knows me knows that I am CRAZY about fragrances; candles, plug-ins, air fresheners. I want people to stop when they walk in my home and say “mmm, what’s that smell?” It’s always a nice feeling!

City Creek Candles sent me a wide variety of products, you may remember my City Creek Candles Heritage Candle Collection Review. I absolutely loved everything about the candles. They come in beautiful vase like holders, are non-toxic and smell amazing.

Well, City Creek Candles also sent me 2 warmers and a variety of the wax tarts to review as well. I wanted to break the reviews up that way you readers wouldn’t have so much information to process at the same time!

Their Candle Warmers come from their sister site Candle Warmers Etc. They sell TONS of varieties of warmers. They have plug-ins, lamp style warmers, and the plate warmers. They are all so irresistible. I love the decoration ones, especially the ones that come out during the holidays! They are an amazingly simple way to add decoration to your home.

Candle warmers are amazing. If you haven’t converted at least one typical candle over to a warmer, you’re missing out. Especially, you have small kids. Flames aren’t such a great idea
They sent me a full sized warmer and a plug-in warmer.

They sent me their new Chevron Illumination Warmer.  This design is so unlike any other warmer I’ve ever seen. The chevron cut outs in the ceramic display a beautiful illumination. It is about as bright as a nightlight but casts a warm glow and terrific smell!



No matter what scents are put in this warmer, it REALLY puts the fragrance out there. I love that I can put this in my living room and smell it throughout the house. The low wide bowl makes it easier for the wax to melt evenly and give off more fragrance!

It heats up very quickly and yet doesn’t get too hot. I don’t have to worry that my kids are going to cause an accident or get hurt. I can use wax melts, tarts, or liquid potpourri so if you prefer one over the other—it allows you to use whatever you choose.

This Pebblestone Plug In Fragrance Warmer is perfect for your office or bathroom. I put this one in the hallway and want another for the bathroom. It is the perfect size for a smaller room, quickly basking the room in a light ambiance, while slowly releasing the scent.

I put some of the Escape to Paradise wax melts in this and it really smelled amazing. This plug-in works better than some bigger warmers I’ve seen. It is a pretty color and I love the designs on the outside.

We’ve all had the problem of not KNOWING whether a candle, tart, or melt will smell as great as it’s supposed to. All the wax melts they sent me smelled RIGHT on target!  There weren’t any that were overpowering or scents that were lacking that were sent!


Escape to Paradise Wax Melts-Sea salted driftwood, warm sands, windswept grasses and a hint of sugared papaya
 
Frosted Cake Wax Melts--Decadent white cake layered with sweet, rich vanilla buttercream

Woodland Blackberry Wax Melts-Fresh pine, cassis, and tonka with vine-ripened blackberry highlights

Connect with City Creek Candles online:

Facebook as well as the City Creek Candles website


-Jessica

Kohls for Christmas: Vivitar Camelio 7” Android Family Tablet #HolidayGiftGuide2013 #TechReview

How much Christmas shopping have you already written down? Do you have certain items you are getting certain people already thought up? If someone on your list asked for a new tablet, or you just want to get them one—and you aren’t sure which to get them.. let me help.

The Vivitar Camelio Family Tablet from Kohls is a 1GB memory, 7’ touch screen with a built in camera (front and rear facing), HD video, speaker slot for headphones, and microphone. It also has a mini sd card slot, so you can add as much storage as you wish.

The Camelio is a unique, Android tablet that allows you to customize and personalize the tablet with your favorite characters! The Camelio Tablet lets you have the option of “personality packs” that have licensed themes like Hot Wheels, Barbie, Monster High, Hello Kitty, and more.

The “personality packs” are sold separately but come with a tablet case, as well as a special code that unlocks branded content such as videos, music, books, wallpapers and widgets designed around the theme pack.

I created a profile for Aidan & one for Adisyn. It comes with a variety of apps already installed and available to each profile. There aren’t many “games” that were downloaded to the tablet but  I immediately connected via Wifi and started downloading more apps from the Google Play store.

It is lightweight yet very durable. It isn’t a tablet that is going to get broken easily. I love that my kids can easily play with it without me worrying about an accidental drop. It has a textured back that makes it easier to grasp. If we HAD gotten one of the character play packs with the rubber case, it would most likely seem almost unbreakable.

This would make the perfect “first tablet” for any age child. I love the fact that it is customizable. Even without the personality pack, each user can decide which apps/games are on their homescreen. As soon as it opens their name, all the games they play are already RIGHT there! Pretty cool.

The Camelio also has a 1.1GHz processor and 1GB of memory for running apps and games, as well as a 4GB flash hard drive that's expandable up to 32GB using SD cards for storage. This makes ANYTHING possible. Pictures, music, games/apps galore!

Most of the tablets made for kids don’t have access to the Google Play Store. There are so many free games and educational apps that make having access awesome. We didn’t have to pay anything extra to get the games/apps we downloaded. It’s an option to buy BUT it makes it unique to kids because most work with THEIR own cartridges/discs that have to be bought separately.

At least as a parent we have the option of searching for free games/ educational apps with this one. I downloaded some cute little preschool games for learning with my daughter. She absolutely LOVES them. We count flowers, learn letters and their sounds, and shapes. It makes it so worth it.

If you are worried about their access to the store, everything is parental controlled. YOU get to say if they do/don’t. If you give them access to the web you can control the websites they visit, which is also cool. There are tons of amazing websites geared to making learning fun with games now, so that makes is a great plus for having for homework!

Aidan really liked the race car/truck games that were available from the Play Store. He would stand over my shoulder saying “yeah, that one Monster Truck game mom.” It really helped having this waiting in the doctors office waiting room forever. I was able to keep them busy while we waited for 3 hours!

Alex came over and the Cut the Rope game pulled him in. Adisyn and I had been playing it and I was showing her how. When Alex came over, she asked him to play it with her and he loved it.

My kids have had fun with the camera. It has both front and rear-facing cameras. The camera doesn’t have a flash, but it makes for great daytime camera or for use inside. My kids ran around taking pictures of everything.

See a picture of our new puppies? The kids just love them! I love that it has everything they need to learn, to play, to be inspired at an affordable price. It comes with certain apps/games and more can be downloaded. It is more convenient and cheaper than buying each “game” that has to be bought for other kid tablets.

You can use this as an on-the-go book reader. I downloaded the Kindle app, which already had access to the books in my Amazon list online. So I could immediately start reading a book from my own chosen list! I have a smartphone, but if I didn’t—Facebook, Gmail, and all the social media apps are available to download for us parents!

Get it:

Vivitar Camelio Family Tablet $134.99

 

 

Jessica Renee

Boutique Shopping

Simp Boutique is a stylish online boutique clothing store. Simp has a trendy collection of women’s clothing and accessories. Tick, tock, tick, tock—The Holidays are right around the corner, have you started your shopping list?

If you are looking for that “perfect” gift for the trendsetter in your life Boutique Shopping is the place to look. They have amazing, beautifully stylish clothes that look like they are straight off the runway.


I am in love with the feminine flow of this knit dress. It looks extra warm while being beautiful and would look absolutely stunning with a pair of thigh high boots! Knit can be slouchy cool or body showing tight fitted, it’s all up to you in how you pull it off!

They also has a selection of unique genuine leather bags. Whether you’re looking for a cross body bag, a satchel, or a tote in leather, they have a variety! I love the color of the deep pink/purple (the first one). I’ve never seen a bag quite like that one.

Or does a scarf ring a Holiday bell? Do they like having the right color accessories to spice up their wardrobes? Do they always come in looking absolutely ravishing and you aren’t sure what to buy? THESE low cost scarves will SO do the trick. Most of them are infinity scarfs (roundly shaped) so it makes them easy to block out wind! WIN/WIN!

Get them something they will love, they will cherish, and something they will remember you for. GO put that lotion and bath set back, and change it up this season!  So, whether it’s your best friend, sister, sister-in-law or co-worker you label “trendsetter” or “stylish”, find them their most amazing gift at low prices.

Just think about it and make the fashionably wise choice
,
Jessica

Smiling it Forward with Tylenol #SmilingItForward

If you’re a parent, then you know how distressing it is to have sick kids on hand. The fevers, colds, not sleeping well, upset tummies.. NOT a good thing. They hurt, they cry, and all we CAN do is hope to make them feel better. We joined the SMILING IT FORWARD campaign to help those in need while spreading smiles with their smiles!

To give them some relief to their pain, to bring the smiles back. YES, I know that the smiles come with running around rampant jumping off the couch. I know it comes with arguing over who is playing with what, and who is touching who! It’s hectic when your IN it, but when the quiet is there.. you miss the smiles, the giggles, and even the rambunctiousness.

SMILING IT FORWARD™ means a LOT to my kids and I. Aidan, my son was born premature. He was born 16 weeks early weighing 1 pound and 13 ounces. HE was very VERY small and stayed at the NICU for 3 1/2 months.When he did come home he had a VERY low immune system and got sick easily. Someone would cough NEAR him and he’d get a full blown cold for 2 weeks. So, as a preemie parent we’ve had a lot of those sick days. Days where all you want is that HUGE grin! 

We know what it feels like, and sharing photos of those beautiful smiles helps Tylenol bring a $1 donation to Children’s Health Fund every time! What are you waiting for? GET to sharing!!

SMILING IT FORWARD™ makes it easy for people to join the movement. By
sharing a photo that makes you smile at SmilingItForward.com, TYLENOL® will
make a $1 donation to Children’s Health Fund, helping to ensure a doctor’s visit
is always within reach for children in need.1
 

and help a child feel better.
Join TYLENOL, a brand relied on by moms for over 50 years, by SMILING IT FORWARD™. Together with Children's Health Fund, we can help ensure a doctor's visit is always within reach for children in need.


Between September 17, 2013 and January 31, 2014, McNeil Consumer 

Healthcare Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., the makers of TYLENOL®, is 

inviting anyone 18 and older to share a photo that makes them smile on 

SmilingItForward.com. Each photo approved & shared will trigger a $1.00 

donation from TYLENOL® to Children’s Health Fund, with a minimum 

donation of $75,000 and a maximum donation of $100,000. Review Terms 

and Conditions for complete program details. For information about 

Children's Health Fund, visit www.childrenshealthfund.org.

Disclosure:
I have received information and products from McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., the makers of TYLENOL®. The opinions stated are my own. This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks.

Jessica Renee

Find&Save- Finding You the Best Deals for Black Friday!

Are you a constant deal seeker? Love knowing what is on sale at your local stores?  Find&Save lets you choose a city nearest you and gives you the choices to which stores you want deals from. I absolutely love the concept.

Find&Save wanted to know what drove Black Friday Shoppers. They were most interested on how much research the shoppers did before they actually went shopping. The results are in and 67% of shoppers research the best deals and concoct a plan before shopping.

Black Friday is the day that most Holiday shoppers buy their Christmas presents and they want to get more bang for their bucks. If that means staking out a store before it opens, so be it.

The infographic below explains the findings of the survey and they’ve split it up between the night owls and the early birds. 63% of night owls typically complete more than half of their shopping on Black Friday, compared to 42 percent among the Early Bird shoppers leaving after 5 AM.

You can see the press release and details of the survey.


But what if you could find all the information on the best deals without scoping out the news releasing each stores Black Friday papers? What if you could get it emailed RIGHT to your inbox the minute it’s released?


That’s why it is so much better to let Find&Save help you. They take all the work out of the research. They find the best deals daily, so you’re constantly saving money. On a daily basis there is so much variety on the different deals. Electronics, toys, clothes, furniture, diapers..and so much more!


So Black Friday with Find&Save HAS to be easier than researching it all ourselves, It’s like someone handing you a map when you’re lost. Why runaround aimlessly searching for directions when they could be handed straight to you from just visiting a simple website?

I can access Find&Save on any mobile ready device inside my house. Laptop, smartphone, AND tablet. They even have an Ipad app & coming out with an Iphone app. Why would you pass up on a deal like this?

Find&Save is available across all tablet, mobile and web browsers, as well as on Find&Save® for iPad, with Find&Save for iPhone coming soon.


Jessica Renee

Beauty Review: Essence of Beauty Shea Indulgence Body/Bath collection #HolidayGiftGuide2013

Essence of Beauty have come out with a new bath/body collection called Shea Indulgence. The Shea Indulgence Collection comes in full size Body Scrub, Body Lotion, Body Butter, & There is also a Shea Indulgence gift set that includes a cleanser, lotion, & butter for only $9.99.

The Shea Indulgence Collection contains African shea, macadamia nut, avocado, apricot, and sunflower oils. These mix of ingredients definitely makes you feel like you’ve spent the day at the spa getting pampered!

The fragrance of this makes me immediately think of a Hawaiian beach. It has soothing scents of exotic tiare flower, silky shea butter and coconut milk wrapped in warm, creamy vanilla. It is simply irresistible and relaxing.

The African Shea is harvested for it’s restorative properties. It helps the skin enhance the bodies natural moisture barrier for healthy, radiant skin. She butter is extremely moisturizing, having the ability to heal even the driest skin.

Shea butter naturally has the Vitamins A & E inside, both being very beneficial to the skin. Vitamin A is a natural skin healer. It naturally improves the texture of wrinkles,eczema, blemishes, etc. My doctor prescribed me a Vitamin A Cream for my Keratosis Pilarsis (chicken skin). It was extremely expensive so my doctor just told me to find good quality lotions/creams with Vitamin A in the ingredient list.

Vitamin E isn’t as important as Vitamin A, but it helps fight free radical damage. Free radical damage is what makes the skin wrinkle. The moisturizers within shea butter are one and the same as the moisturizers that your body makes naturally. That’s the reason it works so well hydrating the skin!

The Body Scrub

I immediately fell in love with the Essence of Beauty Shea Indulgence Body Scrub. The body scrub is thick and very creamy. I love the luxuriousness of the quality. You can tell that there is Shea Butter inside because of how well it moisturizes while IN the shower. It works immediately.

My skin immediately feels rejuvenated because of the tiny natural pumice particles within. They are very small, they work amazingly at exfoliating the dead skin away without scratching the skins surface. It works gently but thoroughly.

The pumice stone particles are just the right size,not too big or too small. If they are too big they feel like they are scratching my skin. If they are too small, I feel like they melt too quickly, usually before they can do their job.

It bubbles up very well to be a body scrub, especially one that has Shea Butter (ex. a lotion like consistency) inside. It bubbles like a regular body wash would, so it cleans while exfoliating at the same time!

I love that this is a flip top lid. The ones that come in the gigantic tubs easily get water inside the containers when I’m in the shower. With the flip top lid I can squeeze out the amount I need and flip it back shut and know it’s secure.

When I get out of the shower my skin feels so dewy and soft. I love that it is moisturizing yet not greasy or oily. It doesn’t leave any oily residue at all, yet my skin is so silky. I love it.

 

The Lotion

The Essence of Beauty Shea Indulgence Body Lotion is definitely one that you want to have on hand. It softens and locks in moisture to even the driest, roughest skin. Shea butter is healthy for the skin in so many ways and naturally adds its own scent. It is moisturizing yet doesn’t leave a greasy film behind.

My skin practically drinks this in when I apply it. My legs usually get super dry during the fall and winter months. Not only do they dry out but they also get itchy. This lotion keeps my skin super hydrated so the dryness doesn’t get to the itching point.

I love the fact that it is long lasting. The thickness of the lotion lets me apply it less during the day. I can use this once or twice and be good almost all day. The Avocado oil is an amazing addition to this lotion. 7

Avocado oil is naturally soothing and moisturizing. It has a high concentration of vitamins, antioxidants, and fatty acids. Avocados have the natural ability to soak up water, so when it’s in an oil inside skincare- it helps to retain and soak up moisture inside the skin cells.

This lotion is all around amazing. The scent is just like the body wash & butter, very warm and enticing scent. Warm vanilla, shea butter, sweet coconut milk brings this fragrance to a 10. I adore it. It’s sweet, light, and long-lasting.

 

The Body Butter

You want intense locked in moisture? Then the Essence of Beauty Shea Indulgence Body Butter is for you. The butter is mega thick, rich, and feels so silky to the skin. It immediately softens while releasing it’s ultra amazing fragrance. Most body butters are very oil based and leave the skin oily. This feels just like a whipped cream body butter, because it doesn’t feel greasy at all.

It’s probably the choice of ingredients. The African shea, avocado oil, and macadamia nut oil. They are all naturally moisturizing and then when they’re added together create this magnificent body cream.

The macadamia nut oil is another fabulous oil added to this line of products. The chemical makeup of macadamia nut oil is very close to the oils that are produced by human skin. It’s a great moisturizer because of how lightweight yet non-greasy it is. It leaves a protective barrier on the outer layer of the skin, locking out dryness while holding in moisture.

This is perfect for those rough, dry elbows, knees, hands, and feet! The fragrance is still detectable hours later which I love. I’m also loving the flip top bottle. I can take this bottle with me in my purse. If this was in a tub/container I wouldn’t risk putting something that gigantic in my purse. This makes it more like a lotion bottle, yet distinctly different from THEIR lotion bottle.

It is nourishing and keeps the cool weather from drying out my feet. It soaks in immediately and keeps dryness away for long periods of time, so I love putting this on before bed. When I wake up in the morning it feels like I just applied it. The consistency is perfect for a butter; not so thick that it takes forever to soak into the skin yet thicker than lotion.

This would make an amazing gift basket for Christmas! They are available at CVS

Get Yours: Shea Indulgence gift set $9.99

or get the bigger separate bottles;

Beauty Shea Indulgence Body Scrub $7.99

Essence of Beauty Shea Indulgence Body Lotion $5.59

 Essence of Beauty Shea Indulgence Body Butter $6.39

 

 

Jessica Renee