Influenster Sugar 'n Spice VoxBox 2013

PLEASE NOTE:  The following blog post is my opinion on several products.  I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

Last week was quite exciting!  I received my first ever VoxBox from Influenster!  If you would like to check out what Influenster is all about please CLICK HERE.

I must admit, it was exciting to see this orange box of goodies in my mail box.  I quickly got it home decided to open it up right away (of course)!

Inside I was greeted by a bunch of neat looking products.  I am not gonna lie....opening up that box felt kinda like Christmas!

I went ahead a labeled the picture with numbers so you can see what it is I am talking about as I go through each item.  Also feel free to click on the title of each product to be led to their webpage! 

1. belVita Breakfast Biscuits:  I must admit, I was little skeptical about this item.  At first site the words "breakfast biscuits" sounded a bit boring.  I imagined it tasted like some plain, flavorless wheat product.  When I opened the box I decided to leave this item til' morning since it seemed I should try it at breakfast time.  The next morning it was raining and I was in a rush, so I grabbed the package and ate as I rushed around.  OH MY GOODNESS!  This stuff was actually pretty good!  It's made with all these whole grains and is so crispy and crunchy.  The flavor is awesome too.  My particular sample was cinnamon and it tasted like a really good crispy graham cracker.  If you eat the whole little individually wrapped pack it really fills you up and helps you feel full until your next meal time (at least I did).  I loved it so much that I went and bought a big box.  That box has disappeared and I went and bought two more of their smaller boxes.  Those smaller boxes have all been devoured, too! My kids and even my hubby have been eating them for breakfast or snacks.  If you love a light breakfast, belVita might be a good addition to your routine.  I loved it with coffee!
2.  Colgate Optic White Products:  This was a really neat surprise in the VoxBox.  They sent whole line of products to use together!  It included the mouthwash, toothpaste and toothbrush!  First, I must warn you.  The flavor is pretty intense, so if you are one to shy away from strong flavored toothpastes, you may want to steer clear.  However, it really does leave your teeth feeling clean! And when all the products are used together, you can see whitening results as little as five days.  I really loved the toothbrush.  Mine was about ready for replacement and the Optic White toothbrush has all these really neat bristles that really help you get in there and get your teeth clean.
3.  Vaseline Spray 'n Go Moisturizer:  If you haven't seen the commercial for this, check it out HERE. I just love how quickly this girl gets ready!  It really does go on pretty fast and absorbs well, especially after a shower.  It leaves my skin pretty soft all day.  However, on my drier spots (like my knees, elbows, etc.), I sprayed a little more just to moisturize that area properly.  I loved the light, clean scent this lotion has. 
4.  nectresse:  This was literally the "sugar" part of the Sugar 'n Spice VoxBox.  I love that this sugar alternative is made from natural elements.  It made from Monk fruit which is found in Asia.  I have been enjoying it in my coffee in the morning while I eat my belVita breakfast biscuit.  The VoxBox also came with several recipes.  I am hoping to give them a try soon!
5. Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Oil-Controlling Towelettes:  This product left me feeling so nostalgic!  How so, you ask?  Well, when I was a pre-teen I used to use witch hazel as an astringent and when I opened on of the Dickinson's towelettes the smell of witch hazel brought back many memories.  I had forgotten what a wonderful product witch hazel can be, especially for your skin.  I really liked these towelettes.  They come individually wrapped so you can toss them in your purse, diaper bag, backpack, etc. and use whenever you need to freshen up your face.  The towelettes also contain aloe, so your skin is left feeling soft and clean.  I would really like to check out the rest of the Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel line and try out some of their other witch hazel products.

Well, that's my review of the products.  Please feel free to leave me any questions or leave a comment if you have tried any of these products, too!

Global Green USA Green School Makeover Competition Presented by Pureology

Hey there!  Just thought I would share some quick information on a really neat competition out there for schools.  The deadline is coming up in a couple of days, but I believe it's worth sharing.  The Global Green's USA Green School Makeover Competition presented by Pureology (try saying that 10 times fast) is a neat competion where you can win money for your school to take steps in the greener direction! 
Ever since I was a kid I've always had a drive to be more green and learn about new ways to recycle.  Though I do try to do little things around the house, I think it's a neat idea to really teach kids about at school to the point where it becomes a part of their daily routine.  That's why I decided to enter my daughter's school.  After entering and exploring the competition's website I also found some other neat facts that make having a greener school that much better.  For example, did you know that having greener schools can improve student performance!  Also, greener school have usually save more funds for student resources all while reducing their carbon footprint!  Sounds like a win/win to me!

If you are interested in entering your school please visit their website by clicking HERE!

Loca for Local: Froyoski's Frozen Yogurt

Hello, blog world and all that inhabit it!  I am back!  I really do wish I made more time for this blog.  I have so many ideas that I would like to share, but alas I just don't get too.
I thought I would share something I am a passionate about. That is local businesses.  Not that I don't give my business to big chain retailers and restaurants, but I also enjoy finding that great local place that makes a town unique. So occasionally I will share some of favorites that I think are great in my humble opinion.
Anyway, today I just wanted to share a cute little fro-yo place my family and I found.  I am a big fan of a business (especially a small business) who can get a concept that has been done by other big chain and in my opinion make it better.  Froyoski's seems to a family-owned business selling one of the hottest food trends out there....self-serve yogurt.
So here are my TOP TEN reasons why I love Froyoski's:
10.  FLAVORS Galore- They usually have a chocolate and vanilla flavor, but they always have some yummy flavor that you would never think of as a fro-yo flavor.  They also seem to change them up often so you can try something new.  Recently this was their flavor choices:  Chocolate Banana Split / Strawberry Shortcake, Watermelon / Hawaiian Pineapple, French Vanilla / Pumpkin Pie, Custard / Coconut, Dragon's Blood / Green Apple
9.   The FreeSki-  They usually have a neat challenge on their chalkboard.  They put up a random weight and if you can get your yogurt to weigh exactly that, it's FREE.
8.    Cones-  They offer ice cream cones for those who aren't fans of the bowls.  It's also great for those of us with kids.  I like that I can give my kids a small amount of yogurt I know they can eat, instead of letting them fill a bowl that will mostly go to waste.
7.   Supporter of Students/Arts-  They have several art pieces on their wall created by local students.
6.   Friendly Staff - The staff always welcomes you in and offers you some sample cups.
5.    More than just Yogurt-  They recently added hot coffee, tea and hot Chocolate to their menu.  They have all kinds of syrups you can add in too.  This makes it a great place to relax especially if the kids want fro-yo and the parents would rather enjoy a hot beverage.
4.    Relaxed Seating-   Another thing that sets these guys apart.  They have a comfy sofa and chairs along with their tables and chairs (including outside seats).  They also have soft and warm lighting.  There is games to play and a book exchange. They also usually have a doggie bowl with water outside for your four-legged friends. The feel is more relaxed than the chain fro-yo places I have been to. 
3.    Open Mic Night- On Friday night they have a Open Mic night.  I personally haven't been to one, but it a great idea for people to go and have a place to share their talents.
 2.   Double-Dare-ski-  Every week they offer a new double dare topping.  You go in and add their double topping to your yogurt.  You get a card to keep track of them on.  Once you complete 20 double dares you get a discount and a giveaway.  So far I have tried Wheat Thins, Town House Crackers, BBQ Kettle Potato chips and Pickles.

My frozen yogurt creation with a that week's Double Dareski:  Dill Pickle

Frozen Yogurt with Wheat Thins!

1.    Frioski-  I named a drink there!  Okay, I may have selfishly added this one in, but it's true!  They recently had a  contest to name their new line of frozen yogurt blended drinks.  I went in and gave and few never thinking my would get choosen.  So, if you go in and have a Frioski....I named it!

NOTE:  Froyoski's has not paid me to share my opinions of them, nor do they know I did until after I post this.  This is just my opinions of a local business so it can be different from yours.  Their offers and promotions may change.  So, double check with them.

UPDATE: 4/25/2013 Sadly, Froyoski's closed it's doors at the end of 2012.  They struggled to stay open, but costs were just too high.  It's such a shame.  It was a great locally-owned business!  Please folks, don't be afraid to try local businesses.  You may be pleasantly surprised.  Please visit my other blog to find out about more local places in the Houston area.

Guess who's back?

Okay, that was a lame question, I know.  It's been a crazy last 6 months or so.  It was the holidays and then having a baby, then end of the school year and moving took up a great deal of my time.  Not that I am making excuses, right? Anyway, been missing my blog and said to myself I would get back to writing once summer started.  Well, then summer started and here we are, it's mid-July and summer is almost over.  Seriously, who the heck has the clock and calendar on warp speed?
So, I had some great ideas for a new blog.  I was terribly excited and was about to start it all up with my clever play on words title and everything.  However, something told me to do a quick internet search and see if anyone had been just as genius as me.  Turns out, I am not a genius...or maybe I am, but I am not a lone genius.  Well, needless to say, that sucked and now I am back to the drawing board.
So, with that said, I hope to be writing a bit more on here.  Wish me luck!

Thank You, God!

Okay, so long story short.  Everything is perfect with our little one who just also happens to be our fourth girl!  Can you believe it?!  I am so thankful for everyone's thoughts and prayers.

The Great Unknown...

Well, I have been MIA as far as my blog is concerned.  I have blog posts waiting to be written, just not inspired to do so.  We wend for our ultrasound last week and we left feeling horrible.  I felt like someone knocked the wind out of me.  The doctor was unable to see the parts of the baby's brain and referred me to a specialist.  Of course I came home and looked up what it could be.  I found the worst of the worst things and the not bad at all.  My appointment with the specialist is on Halloween of all days.  This is seriously gonna be the longest two weeks ever. 

Thanks, Steve.

Source.

Well, yesterday Steve Jobs passed away...in case you haven't heard.   I lied in bed last night thinking about Mr. Jobs.  It was mind-blowing, just how influential he was during his short time on this earth.  I started to think about my first experience with a computer.  It was, if you haven't guessed, a Apple computer.  A Mac.  My brother was and is a huge fan of Apple products.  I dare you to find a computer that he purchased that wasn't a Mac.  When he was in college he had one of these beauties pictured above.  I remembering going to his apartment and gazing at that tiny little screen.  My parents were so nervous about me handling it, but my brother insisted that I would be okay.  He let me try almost everything on it.  He insisted that my parents buy a personal computer for our home.  It was gonna be the wave of the future. 
 

My dad did eventually buy a Mac for our home.  It was also one of the earlier models.  A dinosaur compared to what is out now.  Pretty sure my phone has more memory and a faster processor than that one did.  Years later my brother convinced my dad to buy the newest and hottest PC from Apple.  The iMac.  The internet was the newest thing and once again my brother insisted that we need to hop on board.  This computer was going to make it so much easier.  So off we went and my dad bought one of these.  

Source

I LOVED that computer.  It was pretty, but it all(the whole comupter) fit inside the monitor.  It had USB ports which were quite a new concept.  That iMac sits somewhere in my garage.  Doesn't work, but it's there.
 

Years later iPods and iTouches came out.  My husband and I also jumped on that trend.  I sit and look at my iTouch and now more than ever, I am totally amazed.  It's a computer in the purest sense of the word.  It's a computer that sits in the palm of my hand.  With it I can contact old friends, store more songs than I own, hold pictures, play games, watch movies, look-up information.  It's a long, long way from that clunky thing in the first picture.  It's amazing.

My grandfather was born in 1901 and died in 1997.  In his lifetime he saw the first car and the first plane.  The first TV, the phone and computer.  Because of Steve Jobs I got to witness human innovation.  Years from now I will tell my grandkids about this beige block of plastic with a small black and white screen that started a revolution.