Category: reviews

I was so excited when I was asked to review Countrytrail Soy Candles – Simple Yet Elegant.

Karen is a mom running her candle business with the help of her family. I was extremely impressed with how well packed my candle was along with some extra goodies and a set of candle instructions. All of her candles are hand-poured and dye-free soy candles.  I really like the look of the candle which is in a nice glass jar with a country look.

I received Mrs. Claus’s Crib which is a combination of gingerbread cookies and spiced cakes with Cinnamon. It smells as good as it sounds. This candle is perfect for the Christmas Holidays. It will smell like I have been baking all day. I have reviewed several soy candles over the last few months. This candle is just a candle with nothing hidden inside except a delightful aroma that is a treat for your nose!

The scent filled my whole house and the candle was in the kitchen. I have yet to burn a soy candle that could fill my entire house with an aroma like Countrytrail Candles did. My husband walked into the house and wanted to know how I was baking since our oven is out. Then he saw the candle and laughed. He really thought I had something baking.

I also received three samples: Craig’s Sugar Cookie, Campfire, and Pumpkin Pie. I am saving the Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving. My husband is excited to burn the Campfire especially when the weather gets colder. He wants to feel like we have a fireplace in our living room. The candle is the next best thing to an actual fireplace with less mess. Karen also sent me Soy Melts called Smodor Eliminator which is a scent to help eliminate odors from your house and has Orange and Cinnamon essential oils. I plan to burn one this weekend after we clean the house.

What I really liked were the wonderful instructions on how to take care of my candle. Some people complain about soot after blowing out a candle. This is a big mistake, and she sent me a wick dipper to put it out. You just take the curved end and pull down the wick into the melted wax which extinguishes the flame and no soot! I was amazed at how simple it was and no soot to ruin the amazing aroma of the candle. She has more great candles tips so you can check them out here!

Countrytrail Soy Candles also has more than just candles! You can also find room spray, ceramic candle warmers, and soy melts! Even better are her amazing and very affordable prices! She has an 8 oz size for only $8.50 and the 16 oz is only $13.50!!!

I am so impressed with the quality of these candles that I am going to buy a few for Christmas presents. My mother-in-law is a HUGE candle addict, I know for a fact she is going to love this candle. I am also going to buy her a Mrs. Claus’s Crib as it’s a family name. 😉

Countrytrail also offers fundraising options and wholesale accounts!

Karen has generously provided a coupon code for my readers that will give you 10% off your entire order! Use Countrytrail at checkout to receive the discount!

I love to use new facial products. Even close to 40, I still have problems with breakouts and oily skin. It’s more of a combination skin with dry cheeks but the oily T-Zone. I also love to use products that are more natural and with quality ingredients. I was thrilled when Cleopatra’s Choice contacted me asking if I would like to review the Adovia Purifying Dead Sea Mud Mask! Below is exactly what I received.

First I have to say that I love the fact that it is made with mud extracted from the Dead Sea, which is known to have minerals that is great for your skin. I was also impressed by the other ingredients such as: Bee’s wax, Jojoba, Evening Primrose, Olive oils plus Vitamin A and C. Yes olive oil is great for skin as it is moisturizing and will not cause breakouts.

Here is a closeup of what it looks like on your skin.

I felt it went on very smoothly, and I wore it for 20 minutes per instructions. You can keep it on 15-20 minutes, but I felt I needed the extra 5 minutes. Many mud masks I have used in the past, start to tighten and feel dry after wearing for a few minutes, but this never did once! I had almost forgot I was wearing it. It is a little messy when rinsing it off, so next time I will just jump into the shower. It did leave my sink dirty so I had to clean it out after I was finished. I know all mud masks will do this so not a complaint about the product.

I have to say my skin felt so smooth and soft after I washed it all off. My skin didn’t feel tight or dry either. It felt fantastic and clean. I absolutely love this product! My moisturizer just glided onto my skin. Even better was the next morning I could see several of the blemishes were almost gone. It even helped even out the skin tone in my cheek area. I do recommend this mud mask. I also love that it’s great for ALL skin types! I have also used it just on any new blemishes I get. It’s my new weekly regimen and I love to pamper myself as it does help me unwind and relax.

GIVEAWAY!!!

Cleopatra’s Choice was extremely generous in letting me host a giveaway!!!

So one lucky reader will receive a gift pack with (1) Adovia Purifying Dead Sea Mud Mask; (2) Adovia Mud Mask Bars of Soap; (1) Shea Butter; and (1) Argan oil package!

This is well over a $50 value!

I didn’t have a picture to show the Shea Butter or Argan Oil package but you will receive it with the picture below!

Click here to enter the rafflecopter below! Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I did receive a free Adovia Purifying Dead Sea Mud Mask in order to review the product. All opinions are 100% mine and I am not being compensated in other manner. Thrifty Momma Ramblings is not responsible for the shipment of prize and will come from Cleopatra’s Choice. Must be 18+ and for residents of the USA only! Winner will be drawn and have 48 hours to confirm prize, otherwise they forfeit and a new winner will be drawn. Giveaway ends on 8/31/12 at 11:59PM EST!

This post brought to you by Flood Wood Care. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

It is important to take care of your exterior wood like decks and porches to keep it looking good and protect the wood from water and sun damage. Flood® Wood Care has earned its reputation as “The Wood Care Specialist” as their products, such as our exterior wood stains and wood cleaners, will protect, preserve and beautify yourr investment. Founded in 1841 by a family of painters, Flood® Wood Care is an expert in exterior wood care so you don’t have to be.

Now that summer is here, I am outside a lot more and I feel a bit of pride when I makeover exisiting outside structures. I don’t have a deck, but I do have a carport that I want to take care of as well as my garage and shed. The wood on the shed and garage could definitely use a bit of sprucing up to help protect the wood. It would look nicer with a fresh coat of stain.

If you have a wooden deck, wooden fence, or a wooden playset, then you will definitely want to protect from water and sun damage with a sealer. A nice stain just finishes it off making it look nicer and complete. Flood® Wood Care has all the products you will need to complete your summer projects.

 

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

I like all natural products. I try to use them as much as I can since they are better for the environment and for my general health. I really like the fact that they don’t contain harsh chemicals or fumes that make me gag when I use them. I was thrilled when I received Tropical Traditions All Purpose Non-Toxic Cleaner to review on my blog! I admit I was skeptical if it would have great cleaning power especially on grease and soap scum. I have very hard water so I definitely wanted to put this cleaner to the test.

The first test was the stove! We had scrambled eggs and cooked bacon which pops lots of grease onto the stove. I sprayed the cleaner all over the stove after removing the burners first. I also let the burners soak in the sink with a capful of the cleaner in the water.

As you can see below the stove top came out very shiny and clean. I did have to use a bit of elbow grease around the buners, but overall it cut the grease easily. It was able to get out some gunk around the burners. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it cleaned.

I didn’t take pictures, but I also used it on hard water stains around my kitchen faucet that came out. A little elbow grease, but I didn’t mind spraying the cleaner in such close proximity. There isn’t any harsh chemical smell or fumes. It has a very light scent and not much of a smell. Also, many times I don’t want to use harsh cleaners as they are rough on my hands and skin. Not a problem with Tropical Traditions cleaner. As a matter of fact, you can replace your soap with this cleaner. WOW! It does feel good on your skin that I’m not worried about having to wash it off my hands well. It was very nice.

How did it do in the bathroom? I used it on my sink, bathtub, and the toilet! It worked well on soap scum. It didn’t take much effort either which was really nice. I usually have to really scrub, but not with this cleaner. I sprayed it and let it sit for several minutes and wiped it clean. I rinsed it and the tub was shiny was as my sink. I was amazed at well it cleaned without having to really scrub.

This cleaner is so versatile. You can use it in the washing machine, dishwasher, clean your car and tires, pre-treat stains, hand cleaner, kitchen, and bathroom! This is very economical as it will replace several cleaners. I do have to say it didn’t work extremely well for me as a stain treatment. I dropped some chocolate on my shirt, and sprayed it on right away. I let it sit for almost 30  minutes as per instructions and washed. It got the majority out but it did leave a faint yellow tint where the stain was. I then used my regular one which got it out. I won’t say it doesn’t work at all, but I would prefer not to use it for stains in the future.

Overall I love the cleaner! I will continue to use Tropical Traditions All Purpose Cleaner in my house. You can also use it rinse fresh fruits and veggies. This is safe to use around food, pets, and children. This environmentally safe botanical mixture contains no harmful detergents or solvents, no perfumes or dyes, and is easy to use! Household Traditions All Purpose Cleaner is an enzyme-based botanical formula that can cut through the toughest grease or dirt, and is completely non-toxic. Better yet you can pronounce all the ingredients! The cleaner is a botanical solution comprised of: purified water, amino acids, minerals and other ingredients derived from leafy green, edible and seed-bearing plants.

Of course I love their Coconut oil. Tropical Traditions is the best place to get Virgin Coconut Oil.

Where to Buy Coconut Oil?

Don’t take my word for it, and try it for yourself! Tropical Traditions is giving one lucky person the chance to win a 32 oz bottle of Tropical Traditions All Purpose Cleaner of their own! This is a $8 retail value! All the information is on the Rafflecopter, but it is only opened to residents of the US and Canada only. Tropical Traditions will mail the lucky winner the cleaner. They pack it very well. Your information will not be sold and only used to mail your prize. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was asked to attend an advance screening of Mighty Fine in the convenience of my own home! I am pursuing a minor in Film Studies at college so I was excited to participate in this campaign. It was also a great experience to watch with the other bloggers also viewing at the same time. There was an option to close the chat, but that made the screening more fun and it was interesting to see what everyone else thought.

Joe Fine (played by Chazz Palminteri) moves his family from Brooklyn to New Orleans, LA for his job. His wife, Stella Fine, is played by Andy MacDowell and he has two teenage daughters Maddie- Rainey Qualley and Natalie- Jodelle Ferland. The movie is narrated by the younger daughter who is Natalie. This independent movie is directed by Debbie Goodstein who based the film on her own true life events.

I debated on how to write this movie review as it brought out so many emotions for me. Within the first 15 minutes, you can begin to feel the tension build-up in the family. The mom, Stella, is always soft spoken and tends to Joe often as if to diffuse any tension that begins to arise. The oldest daughter, Maddie, is head strong and a bit defiant. As Joe begins to have problems with his business, then we begin to see his anger and how he unleashes it on his family. I will say that emotional abuse leaves scars that are hard to erase and heal. He gives lavish gifts to make-up for his outbursts, and the whole family tiptoes around him as not to set him off. It brought out a lot of raw emotions for me as I had lived through something similar. I do not want to get into the details as I have healed some of the old wounds, but some never heal. This made the movie hard to watch at times. I do have a happier ending as I am very happily married for 14 years to the man of my dreams. I was able to heal some of the past with my family.

Overall, I liked the movie as I think it is important to discuss abuse and mental health as well as anger issues. There are times that I can feel that level of anger creep up, and I have to stop and remove myself from the situation as I don’t want to be that person. I do believe the cycle of violence can be broken, but it takes time and sometimes therapy.  I really feel you need to have an awarness and admit there is a problem. There were parts of the movie that seemed a bit predictable, but that could be coming from my own personal experience so I’m not sure. There is some strong cursing and I believe the movie is rated R and runs for an 1 and 20 minutes. I do recommend this movie as I feel the subject content is important to build awareness in our society and will help to encourage an open dialogue.

I loved that Mighty Fine was set in the 1970’s and in New Orleans, LA. I really enjoyed the music in this film. I live near New Orleans so the location shots were very nice and much of the music reminds me of Louisiana. I really thought the actors did a great job especially the daughters. Rainey Qualley is Andie MacDowell’s real life daughter! She is a very talented young lady who also sang one of the songs that roll during the credits. Jodelle Ferland is another young actress who is making a name for herself. If you have seen Eclipse (part of the Twilight series), then you will recognize her as the young vampire made to help destroy Bella. She is the one that isn’t allowed to live at the end.

After the movie, we were able to participate in a live chat with Chazz Palminteri and Rainey Qualley. We were able to ask questions and they answered them using a web camera. It was interesting to see and hear them answer the questions about the movie and the making of the movie. I really enjoyed the whole experience. Mighty Fine opens on May 25th in select theaters but I know it is playing in New Orleans (of course) at the AMC Elmwood, but you can check here to see if it is opening near you.

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Mighty Fine and the distributor. I received access to an online showing of the film and a promotional item to thank me for participating”