Tag: Reviews

CountryTrail Soy Candles Review

I was so excited when I was asked to review Countrytrail Soy CandlesSimple 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!

Disclosure: I received a free candle and melts to review. I received no monetary compensation or asked to leave positive feedback. All my opinions are 100% mine and mine alone.

Hidden Treasure Candles Review with a Prize in Each Candle!!!

I used to love burning candles a lot before I had children. I stopped as it was just too dangerous, and I know about the electric candles, but to me that is just not the same. Air Freshener doesn’t last as long as a nice scented candle. I was thrilled when I was contacted by a new company called Hidden Treasure Candles to review a candle.

Hidden Treasure Candles was started by two sisters who hand pour each all natural soy scented soy candle which is great for the environment. The company is located in Hershey, Pennsylvania which might be why Hot Chocolate is a popular scent. Each candle has an X that marks the spot of a hidden treasure inside each candle hence Hidden Treasure Candles. The treasure you will find inside each candle is either a gold plated or silver plated necklace!

It gets better as if you find the special Treasure Box Charm Necklace, then inside that chest will contain a code for either an iPad 3, a Le Vian Necklace worth $1,000 or, a Tiffany and Co. Pendant worth $5,000!!!

Just burn your candle down to the X marks the spot and you can dig out your foil wrapper to see which beautiful necklace you found! Below is the gold plated necklace with the stunning charm. I love the way the charm looks. I was very pleased and the necklace fit me well.

I really loved the candle as well. The hemp wick was nice and long as you can see in the picture. I burned a scent called Heavenly Honeysuckle which did smell heavenly. It was not overpowering and more of a subtle fragrance, but I could still smell it in the next room. What I really love about this candle is the nice glass jar it is poured into, and the nice rubber lid. You do have to push it down the first couple of times, but it does have a nice seal. I let my candle burn for about 2 hours or so before I got impatient and dug out my necklace with a metal spoon. My husband laughed at me but I wanted to see my prize! It was so much fun and the good news is you can smooth it back out after digging it out. OR you could be patient and let it burn down more. Half the fun for me was digging it out. 🙂


I think these candles are reasonable priced for the size you receive and a nice glass jar. Even better is a prize inside each one. Like a cracker jack box except you won’t get fat. If I’m going to buy a nice candle, then I love the idea of getting something fun. The foil will not burn or cause a fire or burn the necklace. Overall I give this candle a big thumbs up. I am definitely going to buy these candles as Christmas presents. My mom and mother-in-law love to burn candles so these will be a big hit.

Great news for you is that I was given a second candle to giveaway to one lucky person! The giveaway starts tonight at 9PM EST!

The scent you will receive is Country Blueberry! Yummy!

Please feel free to check out their website Hidden Treasure Candles for more info and and find what other scents they sell. Each candle retails for $24.99 plus $5.99 shipping per candle. They also do run some specials.

*Disclaimer- I did receive a Free candle from Hidden Treasure Candles to review their product. I was given a second one to giveaway to one lucky winner! The opinions are all mine and I was not paid to give a positive review.

Enter the Flood® Take It Easy Sweepstakes!

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

flood.com

 

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.

Right now Flood® Wood Care has a great sweepstakes you can enter called the Take It Easy sweepstake!

Enter the Take it Easy Sweepstakes to win a chance for all the supplies AND Labor you will need to prep and stain your deck PLUS $2.000 for the deck party of your dreams! WOW! That is an amazing sweepstakes!

Hurry as this sweepstakes ends on July 15, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. EST. You must be 18 or older to enter, have a wood deck free from damage and only open to residents of the 50 United Sates including District of Columbia!

 

Visit Sponsor's Site

FREE Bowling with AMF Summer Unplugged Program!

My son is getting out of school for the summer on Tuesday. It is already so hot outside that I am looking for cheap and air-conditioned fun for the family. What is a parent to do to keep the kids entertained and get exercise while not broiling outside in the heat?

AMF Summer Unplugged is the answer! They want kids to get unplugged from the TV and video games while providing exercise and inside a building while being able to supervise your kids. I would much rather spend the day bowling with my son than sitting inside an arcade with a mouse. This is a great FREE way to entertain the kids at select AMF centers for kids 15 and under. Shoes are not included so you will have to a rental fee.

  • Details: They will receive two free games of bowling per day for kids 15 and under.
  • Time: Free bowling until 8:00PM, 7 days a week.
  • Dates: Monday, May 14 through Monday, September 3 (Labor Day).
  • Parents go to Summer Unplugged (Free Bowling for Kids) to select a participating center (over 250 locations) and complete a simple registration form.
  • Free game coupons emailed every week starting May 14 – it’s that simple!
  • $3.29 Kids Meals

I know what you are thinking what about older kids age 16 and older and parents? You can buy a Summer Pass! Here is what you get:

  • 2 free games, per day for up to four people ages 16 and up (shoe rental not included).
  • One $29.95 Summer Pass is good for 2 games per day for up to four people all summer long – that’s $7.50 per person! (Same dates and times as above.)
  • Available online at Summer Pass HERE.

This is a great way for the whole family to spend time together and much cheaper than a theme park while getting exercise.

Does your family like to play games together as a family? I love bowling as everyone can participate and we cheer each other on. I would love to hear your thoughts and leave your favorite bowling tip in the comments!

I participated in this campaign as a member of One2One Network and am eligible for a prize drawing. All opinions stated in the post are my own.

Mighty Fine Movie Review is Mighty Emotional

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”

CouponCodes4U is Your First Stop!

couponscodes4U

I am always looking for more ways to save money. I really love shopping online as there are lots of great deals to be found. Even better is that I don’t have to leave my house driving all over town wasting my gas. It can be inconvenient trying to find all the great deals on the internet. Enter Couponcodes4u.com as this is a great site with over thousands of online coupon codes in one place!

The site is very well laid out and easy to find all the great coupon codes you need. Do you want a coupon code for a particular store? Not a problem as you can browse by store from A to Z. Or you can look for the FREE SHIPPING codes!

They have categories, New Discounts, or even New for Today. There is also the exclusive deals page. The deals show the time left on each one so you never waste time clicking on expired deals. I hate nothing more than a finding an amazing coupon code only to see it has expired after I click on it.

Are you looking for a great deal on a Mother’s Day present? Couponcodes4U.com has you covered as there is a tab for Mother’s Day coupon codes. Right now there are several HOT kohls coupon codes. Including this great Save 20% total off plus free shipping ending soon!

Stop wasting time surfing the internet for great coupon codes and stop at the 1st stop before you shop at Couponcodes4u.com site. Never miss a great deal again. Sign up for their free newsletter.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post, but the opinions are 100% mine and honest.

Simple Skincare Klout Perk Review

Simple Beauty Klout Perk*Note: I was given a  product or sample because I’m a Klout influencer. I was under no obligation to receive the sample or talk about this company. I get no additional benefits for talking about the product or company.

I received another great Klout perk in the mail yesterday. I was really excited to receive this package of two full size Simple Skincare beauty products. Not one but two full size products were in the box. This was a nice surprise for me.

I have only recently started seeing the Simple Skincare products advertised online and in stores. The company is originally from the UK. I was intrigued to try a product that states it is free of unwanted dyes and perfumes and perfect for people especially with sensitive skin. I do find the older I am getting, the more sensitive my skin is becoming so I do try to find products made for sensitive skin.

The two products I received are the Facial Cleansing Wipes and the Replenishing Moisturizer. I tried both of these products last night. First I used the cleansing wipes to remove what little makeup I had left on my face. The wipes do not have a perfume scent at all, and were lightly moist. I have used some wipes that had a strong scent plus were very wet. The wipes are a generous size so I was able to completely wipe my face, eyes, and even my neck. I did use both sides, but it took off all my makeup. My face felt clean though I do admit not as clean as it does after using a facial wash. It did take off all my eye makeup and was not harsh or pull on my eyelids. I wear contacts so it is important for the wipe not to irritate my eyes.

Next I used the Replenishing moisturizer. It is not a thin moisturizer and a little thicker, but not overly thick. Some reviews I have read said the products are more for dry to normal skin which made their skin oily. I have combination skin and is more on the oily side especially living in a hot and humid climate most of the year. It did not feel oily or very thick and I was able to work into my skin very quickly. It felt so nice afterwards and silky.  I used it again this morning after washing my face, and it still feels nice on the cheeks.

I have to say overall I am very pleased with the Simple Skincare products. I will probably not buy the wipes again, but I am definitely going to purchase the facial wash.

Have you tried Simple Skincare products yet?