Simply Earth May Beauty subscription box

These Simply Earth subscription boxes are $39 per month. Both boxes I have received have paid for themselves in the oils alone. They also share 13% of their profits with 5 stones which works to fight human trafficking!

Buy a diffuser and get a month box free! Use the code SIMPLYFREE with this link.

Simply Earth's Natural Beauty box for May comes with camellia seed oil, Castile soap, two 10 ML bottles, labels, recipe cards and 4 oils (Juniper berry, cypress, Geranium and lemon grass).  The recipes are for body wash/shampoo, conditioner, eye serum, makeup remover).

You can see my previous review of the March box here.

First off I will review the items I made with the ingredients above, and then give a bit of info on the ingredients.

First product was the shampoo/body wash. See the FB live video here

Second product was the eye serum. See the FB live video here

Third recipe was the Makeup Remover. 

Camellia seed oil is traced back to ancient China. It is also known as tea oil (not tea tree Essential oil) and is a great carrier oil. Its shelf life is 1-2 years. I do not find it greasy at all and its lightweight and soaks into the skin very quickly. To me is smells like a green tea so it’s a very mild scent and should not affect the oils you use to make your products. Its known for anti-aging, immunity, heart health and topically for hair and skin.

Camellia seed oil is high in antioxidants, omega 3, Vitamin A,B,C, D and E.

Castile Soap is traditionally an olive oil based soap. It is often seen in liquid form, but is also made into a bars as well. I have used this in distilled water with Tea tree essential oil to kill sugar ants in the spring.

                                                                  

Juniper Berry is an anti rheumatic and can improve blood circulation and reduces swelling. That is why it is used in the eye serum recipe this month. It has been said to be an astringent which can help with tightening loose muscles. It is diuretic so helps with accumulation of water (especially under the eyes) and can help removing toxins from the body.

Cypress  is typically used to help congestion of the lymphatics, help blood flow. PMS/menstrual issues, Detox, help water retention, and relax muscles. Its even been said to help reduce cellulite and reduce pores. This is due to it being an astringent. It is also an antiseptic so it can be used in healing sprays to help with wounds.

Geranium appears to be used a lot in skin products. Historically that is what the Egyptians used Geranium for. Now it is said to treat acne, reduce inflammation, help with anxiety, help balance hormones, and benefits the skin by being an astringent.

Lemon Grass is a great oil and one of my favorites right now. I have read that it is supposed to help muscle pain, kill external bacteria (maybe all those nasty kid shoes?), help keep insects away, help with body aches and your digestive system. It is used as an antifungal (hello summer kid shoes), insecticidal, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory.

Before you use any essential oil, please be sure to check for any contraindications.

Kuuk kitchen tools review

Kuuk Hand Powered Food Processor, Mixer, Spinner

Little Crazy Life has been wanting her own cooking utensils for quite some time. Now that she is 9, I am letting her slowly have sharper utensils.  It is about 8.3 x 8.1 x 7.1 inches.

What I love about this is it can remove some of the danger of knives and could be helpful for younger kids as well. It has a suction cup base to help it stay in place which is helpful with kids.

 

The Kuuk hand powered food processor can Dry, mix, slice and chop vegetables. It is great for getting kids involved in the kitchen and gives them ownership of their meals.

It is completely hand powered, so not batteries or electricity and made from food safe, BPA free plastic. It is also dishwasher safe and disassembles into logical pieces.

The KUUK hand food processor can spin dry vegetables, chop them, or mix different vegetables together—all using the same simple mechanism. As a bonus feature, the food processor also includes the ability to separate eggs. This is GREAT for kids!

Easy to set up and use  

1. Lock the suction base down onto a flat surface.

2 insert the plastic cup and lock it in place by turning clockwise.

3. Place your accessory of choice in the center of the cup.

4. Rotate the crank to dry, chop or mix your vegetables.

Kuuk Drum Grater can grate cheese, vegetables, potatoes, sweet potatoes, nuts, onions, etc. It is a hand powered device. Simple hand crank turns drum and creates perfectly grated ingredients

Includes 2 easily interchangeable drums for different cooking options and has a suction base ensures solid grip and stability on flat surface.

The KUUK drum grater is an easy-to-use alternative that allows you to grate all manner of ingredients quickly and without the struggle of a box grater.  http://amzn.to/2rCOBJo

It is approximately 10.4 x 6.1 x 6.1 inches.

Drums are equipped with razor-sharp, stainless steel rotary blades. BPA free

Place the Kuuk hand rotary grater on a flat surface, lock the lever, and insert the circular blade. Then place your piece of food in the chute, press down, turn the handle and you will have fresh, finely grated produce. This comes with two different blades.

Grate thin, fine cheese for pasta with the fine grater, or grate larger, thicker pieces to fill tacos. the drums are  interchangeable and feature razor-sharp, stainless steel rotary blades. Create thin strips of grated beets for a salad, and then grate thicker onion for use in the main dish. Whether its thick or thin grating you want, this hand drum grater has got you covered. You Simply turn handle to grate.

You can grate nuts or parmesan cheese really easily. The KUUK drum grater allows you to easily grate as much ingredient as you want.

This drum grater can help you grate as much cheese as you want in a short period of time. But it can also grate food such as beets, carrots, onions, nuts, etc.  

Kuuk Kitchen Utensil Set - BPA Free - Stainless Steel & Silicone - 7 Pieces  http://amzn.to/2qIOvQm

The Kuuk Kitchen Utensil set you get a soup ladle, slotted spatula/flipper, drainer, pasta/spaghetti server, slotted spoon, solid serving spoon and tongs. The tongs are fairly lightweight and no lock mechanism.

Built with 304 stainless steel, the core of these Kuuk tools seem to work well with all cooking. They haven't had any bends/breaks and haven't seen any rust issues from the use so far. The silicone is nice because it is flexible and can form slightly to the pan you are using to help get the food out.

The Kuuk tools are made with 100% Food-Safe Materials.  They are BPA-free and the silicone is heat-resistant up to 440°F. This also means they are 100% dishwasher safe (top rack) or wash by hand with warm soapy water.

Bandalettes Review

Summer is almost here and so are Bandalettes!

Do you have thigh chafing when you don't wear pantyhose with your dresses? I just recently fell in love with Maxi dresses, and though its only spring, I cannot stand the thigh rub. It drives me bonkers!

These lace thigh bands are 90% Nylon, 10% Spandex, making them pretty stretchy.  They can be worn under dresses and skirts. I've heard they can be used as a fashion accessory with shorts, but I'm a bit old for that. I imagine it would be like a lace trim under shorter shorts?

Bandalettes even has a solid band for athletic or active situations.  The lace is lightweight and very airy. I have not tried the active version.          

Bandalettes are the only band I can find that has two bands of non slip silicone to keep the product in place. There has been no rolling or bunching as I wear them, and that's fantastic. You don't want to be pulling at them as you try to go about your day.

Bandalettes are available in 6 sizes and at least 10 colors.  

Amazon has a huge selection of colors!

Sizing video

The sizing is pretty close to US pants sizings;

A – 2-4;

size B – 6-8;

C – 10-12;

D – 14-16;

E – 18-20,

F – 22-24.

Meoded Crystal Brush Paint

Meoded Paints sent me this BEAUTIFUL Crystal Brush in white. It is a stunning glitter paint. You can check out their page detailing their Crystal Brush product.

For this product, I applied the Crystal Brush in a crosshatch pattern starting with the corner so it didn't leave a harsh line. Then I worked my way around and filled in the middle. You can even buy extra glitter to add!

Checkout the sneak peak I did on a FBLive. as well as the FB Live I did.

Once it dried (about 2 hours), I went over it again using the same cross hatch pattern. This paint fully cures within 7 days. This area isn't highly lit, so its really hard to appreciate the beauty of this paint. I really want to paint every wall with it, but I don't think Mr. Crazy Life would appreciate that.

They produce decorative paints, Authentic lime plaster, concrete look and more.

One of my favorite things about this company is their products are eco friendly,  and low VOC. I noticed this right away as I was painting the area I use for my pictures.

If you want it fast, you can buy it on amazon and even buy extra glitter. This is a GREAT product for a kids room. As I get more pictures and paint more items, I will update this blog post.

WOW Baking Company Review

WOW Baking

Mr Crazy Life  is Gluten free, and Little Crazy Life is corn free. Finding quality treats that are ok for everyone (while tasting good) can be tough.   We don't eat treats often, but apparently Mr Crazy Life has had a sweet tooth lately, because he has been into these like mad! I barely had time to take pictures and I didn't get all of them! He ate 5 of the big cookies!

WOW Baking company is dedicated to making soft, delicious products that are wheat free and gluten free all while tasting amazing. That is a tall order. 

WOW Baking Company  make their products right here in the Pacific NW. They make them in small batches with high quality natural ingredients (which I LOVE).  They use real butter, vanilla and natural cane juice.  They Never use Hydrogentated oils, refined sugar, or artificial flavors. Something a mom can feel good about. Their products are certified gluten free, GMO free and won a 2012 GOLD Sofi award!

WOW Baking has bagged cookies, single serve/wrapped cookies, brownies, tubs and Cake mixes!

The new maple squares and key lime white chocolate are probably my favorite with Lemon burst being a close second.

They have Gluten Free (GF) resources on their page as well as recipes for their cake mixes.

Twig Brush review

I received a Twig Brush and holder.

It is a Natural teeth cleaning twig. The twig is made frp, the  Salvadora Persica Tree. This twig is said to prevent tooth decay, plaque,  gum disease and freshen/whiten teeth. No toothpaste or water needed!

When you get your twig brush there is a slight odor. I left mine out for a few days to see if it would go away and it did.

Once you are ready to use, you make a scored line all the way around the bark ½ inch from the end. You then nibble on the end of the exposed brush to start forming bristles. The duration in which this lasts depends on how much you brush your teeth. They typical trim on the twig brush lasts 3-5 days. I have found I can get a week out of the bristles because I always forget to take to work with me.

We switched to natural toothpaste years ago because of the chemicals contained in normal toothpastes. Don’t get me started on SLS!

The eastern world has documented this method for a very long time.

The Twig Brush has natural antiseptics that help eliminate bad breath. Contrary to what you may know, bad breath actually stems from the gut, not the mouth. However the antiseptics hale kill harmful microorganisms, causing bad breath, mouth ulcers and gum disease. We actually swish with 3% food grade peroxide as well.

Silica acts as an abrasive that removes stains and deposits from the tooth surface, in turn, whitening your teeth.

Sodium Bicarb also has an abrasive property that helps whiten. The ADA even recommends bicarb in commercial toothpastes.

When the twig brush is used it forms a layer over the enamel from the Natural resin, protecting your teeth.

The Miswak also contains naturally scented oils that serve two separate functions; saliva flow and fresher breath.

The nice thing about twig brush is they offer a money back guarantee within a week. However, my suggestion, it takes a few weeks to get used to the change in brushing so keep trying it!

Pom Maker - Maya toys review

 

Maya toys sent me the PomPom Wow to review.

PomPom wow decoration station

This is a kit to keep kids over 5 busy. My guess would be 5-7 is a good age range for this item. It’s a self contained pom pom maker, so it al closes for easy storage. This is a cute little station to decorate pom-poms that can be used for decorating picture frames, pencils/pencil holders, mirrors and anything stationary. I’ve noticed with the pom-poms if they get too wet or played with too much, they fall apart, so I would not use them for items that are moved around a lot.

  

This comes with 75 encapsulated pom-poms, Adhesive dots, pop pom trays, water tray, blotting cloth, paintbrush, pipette, stamp pads, watercolors and glitter gel pen.

The pom-poms are in a sort of capsule type wrapper. You can drop colored water into them to soak up and color the pom pom ends, push them into the stamp pads, put glitter gel on them.

Little Crazy Life will still pull this out when she needs something to do.

Sleeping Partners Tadpole Chandalier Lamp in Sapphire Pink

Sleeping partners has sent me a pink sapphire Chandelier Table Lamp. I have received a few of their other products here.

Sleeping partners has very durable high end products that last. I have tried many kids products that seem to break after a few months. This has not been my experience with Sleeping partners products.

The Table Lamp is a chandelier-style table lamp that coordinates with other items in their line. It comes in clear, pink, and purple.  

This Standing lamp has is 20” tall with acrylic beads and gently hang on a wrought iron frame. The cuts on the beads scatter the light and really lights up the room. The Chandelier Table Lamp plugs into any wall outlet.

There is an On/Off switch on a 54" cord and it uses a single  25 watt candelabra bulb. It is UL listed for the US and Canada.

This would be great in a baby/toddler room (away from the crib of course) or on a tall (secured) bookshelf. Little Crazy Life is 8, so she uses this chandelier lamp by her bed. It really adds a grownup feel to her room.

Lumo Lift Posture Coach Review

Lumo Lift has a posture coach that can help train you to have better posture in as little as 2 weeks. They also have a Lumo Run.

I'm about to air my dirty laundry about my posture. I don't know about you but I sit at a desk all day long and my posture is terrible. I get lazy and I don't pay attention. Since wearing this device, I realize how bad it really is. My back hurts a lot. I have noticed my lower back gets tired while sitting up with the Lumo. However my core has become a bit stronger and the lower back has found a bit of relief. I'm pretty excited to see how much better it gets over time with continued use.

The Lumo Lift actually doubles as a pedometer to track your steps, distance and calories. This data can actually promote a healthier, active lifestyle. If you KNOW better, you DO better. Knowing this data helps you change your habits as well.

 

The Lumo lift has a magnetic clasp that attaches through your clothing.

You put the magnet on top of your shirt, while putting the Lumo unit against your skin under your shirt right below your collarbone.

 

Click the Lumo one time while in comfortable seated position. Once you set that position, It will gently vibrate when you are out of position for an indicated amount of time. You can also change the target posture at any time by clicking the Lumo once.

The app will display and track how much time you sat in the indicated position. Lumo Lift does not track or provide posture feedback while in movement, during activities such as walking, running, or driving.

Lumo is Compatible with iOS 10 and up, Android 5.0 and up (excluding tablets).

The Battery life appears to be about 2 days, but charges quickly.  Simply place the Lumo on the charging pad and plug into your computers USB port.

Lumo Lift keeps the data stored for 4 weeks, but once its synced with the cloud and the app it will keep the data for its lifetime.

The Lumo Lift sensor is made of Electroplated thermoset plastic and weighs 11.50g. The magnetic clasps are Rare Earth magnet. 1.00g.

Lumo lift is not water resistant. 

Cozy Phones headband

First of all I am SUPER excited to see these COZYPHONES. Little Crazy Life has an ipod and she LOVES her music. Luckily she likes the same music as we do, but we don’t like to hear the same song 15 times in a row. This might just be the solution. In reading about them, this could also be a way for sensory kids to help block out loud noises while out and about without feeling out of place with noise cancelling headphones. The fabric of this particular COZYPHONES in unicorn  is super soft and similar to a soft fuzzy blanket.

The COZYPHONES headband is made with a slit in the back to access the inside of the headband. There you will find two openings for the oversized earphones to put in and adjust to wear your childs ear are. The cord itself is a braided cord that is extremely flexible. The plug is a 3.5mm plug that fits our iphone, ipod and even a tablet. According to COZYPHONESS it also fits android, Samsung galaxy, blackberry, Nokia, LG, HTC,  Google Nexus, Asus, Sony, Dell, Toshiba, Apple, HG, MP3, MP4, and other audio devices.

The COZYPHONES headband has a variety of fun characters for the kids. I would LOVE to see about the active headbands since the earphones can be removed and the headband washed. I HATE earbuds because I always seem to be messing with them.

While older kids may not like to be seen wearing these outside of the house, the active version might be a good fit.

Cozy Phones is a veteran owned company! Awesome! Thanks for your service!

100% money back guarantee.

green Frog - http://amzn.to/2pF47FO
Sleep - http://amzn.to/2qFEzGU
Unicorn - http://amzn.to/2p2DXhn
Fox - http://amzn.to/2pMkoZY
active - http://amzn.to/2qK61Tm
monster - http://amzn.to/2p2F4he
purple frog - http://amzn.to/2qKiBSu
panda - http://amzn.to/2q4OrNm
yellow smiley - http://amzn.to/2q53JBP
cat - http://amzn.to/2pLp9B5
bunny - http://amzn.to/2p2S9qL

Chipolo Smart keyring tracker review

Chipolo Plus Smart Keyring Bluetooth Tracker is a Bluetooth-enabled device. It is about 0.4 x 0.2 x 0.4 inches and comes in many colors.

You can use this for your keys, wallet, purse, kids, your car, or any item you need to track. I have tried several trackers and this is by far my favorite. I have seen complaints about having to replace the tracker every 12 months, but for me the piece of mind is worth it. The average (depending on purchase price the average is about is $2 per month).  The item needs to be within 200ft of your device. If it is out of range it will show you the last place it was tracked.

Check out amazon for super fast delivery in black, blue, White, Lime green, red, purple, pink, and orange!

The free Chipolo app is easy to use and you can keep tabs on each of your Chipolo tags on a full-screen map.  This is great if you leave your phone somewhere and you need to figure out where it is, or even track your kids without them knowing. You can see where they are throughout the day.

You can also share a Chipolo with those in your network, allowing multiple people to check on its location. Chipolo will even lead you to its last saved location using turn-by-turn navigation.

Another cool thing is you can activate Crowd-search Party. It expands your search using all Chipolo apps in your community. When you search for your Chipolo tracking device, you aren't just searching with your phone, but with everyone's phone running the app. This feature is 100% private, so no one knows you're looking for a lost item but you.

My favorite thing about the Chipolo is I often misplace my phone in the house, so I can double click on the tracker and it rings my phone, through the app, until I find it. Often my phone is on vibrate, but it still rings. GENIOUS! Of course you can ring your lost item from your phone. The item needs to be within the 200-feet Bluetooth range, it will play a loud tune until you find it. I keep my phone on vibrate all the time, because I rarely pick it up. People know that I don’t talk on my phone often (can you say “mom, mom, mama, mom, MOOOOOOOOOOM”), and they usually text me.

Chipolo is Water resistant, updated to IPhone 5 standards, has a 100db sound melody, and a 12 month battery life. All you have to do is attach, drop or stick Chipolo to the things you care about and make them ring when you get close.

By far this is the BEST tracker Ive had.