My Surf's Up VoxBox Review*

So, now that we're back from our week-long beach vacation {I've got a post coming up on that!} I can give my honest review of all of the products I received in my Surf's Up VoxBox*.  First off, BIG THANKS to Influenster because receiving these products for free was awesome and I thoroughly enjoyed testing them all out!

Okay, so here's what came in the VoxBox*:

1.  Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Shampoo and Conditioner
2.  SinfulColors Professional Nail Polish
3.  First Aid Shot Therapy
4.  Jamba Juice Smoothie Kits
5.  Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun

• First up...Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Shampoo and Conditioner.    

This stuff was awesome!  Not only did it smell FANTASTIC {beachy, coconut-y, summer-y, wonderful} but it actually did what it was supposed to do.  I have naturally wavy hair and, normally, it takes a fair amount of gel and hair spray to keep it tamed and not a bushy mess.  I'll be honest.  Before I used this shampoo and conditioner, I didn't have high hopes for it actually doing anything different for my hair.  I was pumped about the smell and figured it couldn't hurt to try it.  After using it, though, I love it--and highly endorse it!  I was able to style my hair with nothing but a squirt or two of hair spray and it stayed soft and frizz-free...even after spending an evening on the boardwalk in humid Ocean City, NJ.  And have I mentioned how good it smells?  If you haven't tried the Not Your Mother's Beach Babe products, do it!  You have nothing to lose, and I will definitely be purchasing this brand in the future. 

• Next up...the SinfulColors Professional Nail Polish.  

When Bailey saw this in my VoxBox she went nuts.  For a 4-year-old, that girl is waaaay more interested in nail polish and "Elsa braids" than I'm happy with.  Her eyes lit up when I unpacked the box and she saw this polish.  The color I received was called Anchors Away and I was a little leery about trying it at first.  I have pale skin and I wasn't sure that this yellowy-orange color was going to work on me.  But, again, the polish was free and I wanted needed a manicure before leaving for vacation  so I thought, what the hell.  The polish went on nice and smooth, and actually looked better than I expected.  I also decorated the nail on my ring finger {because why not?} with another SinfulColors polish, Thimbleberry, and I think my self-done mani looked better than expected.

Not bad, right?  I used the Thimbleberry on Bailey's nails {"Mommy, it's pink!"} and then let her give me a pedicure.  And then, later on in the week, we came across even more SinfulColors polishes at Walgreens...so we chose a few more colors to add to our collection.

Thimbleberry, a sparkly pink, and Rise & Shine

I've always used OPI nail polish, mainly because it's what they use at my nail salon and I know pretty much nothing about nail polish.  Honestly, I'd never even noticed the SinfulColors Nail Polish brand before receiving it in the VoxBox.  But now, when we go to the store, Bailey and I look out for the SinfulColors display and I will absolutely be buying this brand and ONLY this brand from now on.  More than a week after first putting it on, my polish still looks great and is only slightly chipped in the corner of one nail.  And at $1.99 per bottle, you CAN'T beat the price.  Whatever brand you're using now, switch.  I promise you won't be disappointed!

• I received the Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun just before leaving for vacation {they were out of this product when my VoxBox shipped, so it was shipped separately at a later date}, so I didn't get a chance to take a picture of it but trust me when I say that it, too, is as awesome as the rest of the products in my VoxBox.  I use SPF50 sunscreen daily when I'm outside or on vacation and I seem to always burn, no matter how much I use.  So having this on vacation at the beach with me was a godsend.  I used it on a sunburn and it was lovely.  It left my skin moisturized and it smelled soooo good.  Scott used it on a spot of sunburn, too.  Like most of the products I received in this VoxBox, I didn't really notice Hawaiian Tropic in the store.  I tend to go for the "tried and true", the brands my mom used when I was little.  Coppertone.  Banana Boat.  Aveeno.  But I love the Hawaiian Tropic brand now.  Normally, I have to apply and reapply and reapply after-sun lotions and my skin still feels dry and tight afterward.  The Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun is the first product I've used that actually worked and worked well.  I'm a believer!

Unfortunately, I haven't tried the First Aid Shot Therapy yet, and it's only because of sheer stupidity on my part.  I have chronic back pain and I get headaches a lot, but I'm so used to popping a few Tylenol or Aleve that I just went on autopilot and completely forgot  that I had the First Aid Shot Therapy with me.  When I do use it, I'll come back and update on how it worked.

Same thing with the Jamba Juice Smoothie Kits.  I haven't had a chance to try these yet, but I have high hopes for them.  I'm a BIG fan of Jamba Juice and I'm almost certain that I'll like the at-home smoothie kits, too.  Can't wait to try them!


So, to sum things up, the products I received in my Surf's Up VoxBox were AWESOME!  I've definitely decided toswitch brands of shampoo/conditioner and nail polish and will be purchasing Hawaiian Tropic products any time I need sunscreen or after sun relief.  You can find all of these products at your local drug store or chain market.  So run to your nearest Walgreen's, Walmart, or Target and try them out for yourself.  And don't forget to send me your email address for an invite to join Influenster!

*I received these products free from Influenster for testing purposes. 

 

30 Things...

Today is my birthday...my 30th, to be exact.  And I figured, since I'm always writing about my kids maybe I should write a little something about myself today.  So here's a list of 30 things {you may or may not know} about me.

1.  I'm terrified of bugs.  Like "scream like a little girl, want to burn the house down after I've gotten up from the fetal position I was curled up in" terrified.  I've gotten better about it since my kids were born but only because I've had to.  I lose all credibility as "the boss lady" when my kids see me jumping up and down and hyperventilating because an ant walked across my foot. 

2.  I love coffee and I love having mismatched coffee mugs to choose from.  On a slow day, I drink anywhere from 1-3 cups and I often plan errands and trips around my coffee consumption.  I don't like flavored coffee AT ALL, but I do love me a Grande nonfat decaf mocha from Starbucks.

3.  I went to college to be a teacher.  I graduated 8 years ago and I've never seen the inside of a classroom, unless you count the 2 years of preschool I taught in a private daycare center.

4.  I love, love, love the beach and look forward to vacation every single year.  There's just something about the warm breeze, the sound of the seagulls, and the crazy amount of people on the boardwalk at any given time that I can't get enough of.  As soon as I see the ocean and hear those seagulls I can literally feel my stress being obliterated. 

5.  I've been a home daycare provider for the last 4 years.  Some days I love it.  Some days I don't.  Most days I question the choices I've made that led me to working from home.

6.  I've always dreamed of writing a book.  Nothing big and fancy, but something that other people will read and that will get published.  I'd love to be a writer full-time.

7.  I'd also love to be a journalist, but I'm pretty sure I'm not cut out for it.

8.  I would do pretty much anything for my family.  Anything. 

9.  I always made fun of those moms who gushed over their kids and thought that they were amazing.  Until I became one of them.  I think my kids are awesome.  Seriously.  And I'm amazed at every single little thing they do.  They are the best thing I've ever done in my life.

10.  I have 2 kids.  I've always wanted 5 and, if I can convince my husband, I think I'll do just that.

11.  I'm still taking my postpartum depression medication, four years after my first baby was born and 18 months after the last one came along.  When I'm not taking it, I can feel myself losing it and becoming the sort of woman/person/mother that I never want to be and so I keep taking it.  And I'm okay with that.

12.  My biggest pet peeve is being able to hear people when they chew.  It's like nails on a chalkboard for me and, until recently, I had no clue that there was a name for it.  {Misophonia, for anyone wondering}

13.  I have a thing about odd numbers and prefer everything to be even.  This includes {but is not limited to} volume control, the number of bites it takes me to finish something, and the amount of time I cook things in the microwave.

14.  My son is named after his 2 great-grandfathers and I'm proud of that legacy.  My daughter's name was chosen simply because my husband and I liked the name, and sometimes I worry that when she grows up she'll think we think she's less important because we didn't give her a "meaningful" name. 

15.  Neither of my kids was "planned".  So very, very wanted and loved but not necessarily planned for. 

16.  I will never, ever forget the night we told all of our friends that we were pregnant with our first baby.  They had the best reaction and I think of it often and smile.

17.  I'm trying really, really hard not to project my body insecurities onto my children.  I tell them we eat right and exercise to stay healthy and strong and I make it a point to never comment on my body or theirs in anything but a positive way.

18.  My favorite color is blue, but not dark blue.  Or light, light blue.  Pastel, maybe?

19.  If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life it would be pasta.

20.  I'm a social media addict.  Specifically, Facebook.  I've been known to spend hours at a time on there, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.  It's sad, really.

21.  I have a library card, and I go every other week for new books.

22.  Sometimes I'm afraid that I'll die without ever having accomplished something meaningful and important in life {with the exception of the fantastic children I've created}.

23.  I'm living with chronic back pain.  And it sucks.  And I'm sure there's something else I could be doing about it but after numerous doctor/specialist visits, spinal injections, physical therapy, and surgery I'm just tired of getting my hopes up and having those options not work.  So...that's that.

24.  I very rarely dream anymore and, when I do, I can never remember it in the morning.  My sleep is so disjointed these days that even if I wanted to dream, I don't think I'd get through an entire one without waking up or being woken up. 

25.  Sitting outside on a warm summer morning with the birds chirping, the kids sleeping, and a fresh cup of coffee in my hand is my idea of Heaven.

26.  I admire my husband more than I'll ever admit.  He's so much more amazing than some people give him credit for and I wish that everyone could see him through my eyes.  

27.  Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.

28.  I wish I had more girl friends.

29.  Sometimes I worry that the choices I make will negatively impact my kids for the rest of their lives.  This is a bigger {but less irrational} fear than my fear of bugs.

30.  My husband, my children, and all the people we love matter more to me than anything in the world.

So, there you go!  30 things about me...did I miss anything?

A New Buddy

A few weeks ago, we sent Ryder to Scott's parents' house.  Permanently.  I haven't really talked about it because I'd been feeling a combination of shame, disappointment, and sadness.  As my brother so kindly pointed out, we don't have such great luck with dogs. 

Scott and I adopted a rescue dog, a Chihuahua/Min. Pin. mix, back in 2008.  Before we were married, before we had kids, before we realized how difficult it was going to be for this dog to have to share the spotlight with a tiny human being.  Things were great and Cooper was Scott's buddy until Bailey was born, at which point he started peeing all over the house, chewing up her toys, and using her bedroom as his own personal toilet.  When he nipped at her {she was a little over a year old} we decided that maybe it was time for Cooper to go. 

Fast forward to a few months ago when we adopted Ryder.  Bailey had chosen her all by herself, named her, came home and fed her, and just sat with her.  For days.  And Ryder never responded to her, or to Scott and me.  Any time Scott came near her, Ryder peed.  She only left her crate when we forced her out {a long production involving sneaking a leash on and basically dragging her out} and she never left the kitchen.  Ever.  She wouldn't eat or drink if we were in the same room with her and we had to prop the back door open and walk out of the room in order to get her to go outside.  Everything I read and all of the papers her fosters had given us said to follow the 3x3x3 rule...that Ryder would act less fearful by day 3; that she would start come out of her shell and want to spend more time with us by week 3; that she'd be her normal, happy self by month 3.  Her third month with us came and went with zero progress.  Ryder was still terrified of Scott, had to be forced out of her crate, and wouldn't eat or go out if we were within her line of vision.  She hadn't bonded with any of us {not for lack of trying - Bailey was desperate for her to get up and want to play} and she was most certainly not the happy-go-lucky puppy that she was supposed to be. 

Scott's dad is retired and had recently lost his golden retriever to an unknown bloating issue.  He'd spent the previous 8 years giving Lucy all of his attention, taking her for walks, playing his guitar and blowing bubbles for her.  He loved her, and it was abundantly clear that they needed each other.  Once it became really evident that Ryder wasn't coming out of her shell at all with us, Scott and I started to talk about maybe seeing if his dad wanted to take her.  He needed the companionship and Ryder, it seemed, needed a more one-on-one environment with less noise and more relaxation...not a daycare setting with a bunch of kids in and out all day.  And so, Scott's parents agreed to take Ryder and guess what?  She's flourishing.  Thriving.  Happy.  She's getting the one-on-one attention she needs, and my father-in-law has an animal companion again.  And I'm so relieved and so happy that it's been working out.

One thing I wasn't happy about was Bailey's reaction.  She misses Ryder, and she kept asking when she was coming home.  Scott and I explained {many times} that Ryder wasn't coming home and that she was living with Pop Pop now, but Bailey didn't fully understand and wasn't happy.  We'd been toying with the idea of getting another dog {Scott and I both grew up with pets and feel strongly that kids should have one} but I think we were both a little scared and VERY leery about introducing a new pet into the mix.  We didn't want a repeat of crazy, aggressive Cooper or terrified-to-the-point-of-losing-all-bladder-control Ryder. 

And then we met Louie.

 He's a 5-year-old Beagle/Pug mix {he's got more Pug in him than Beagle, I think} and I fell in love a little bit when I saw his picture online.  His owner had to move to Texas suddenly to take care of her sick mother and couldn't take him with her.  It was either hope someone wanted him or take him to the pound.

We wanted him.

He's been with us for just a few hours now and he's awesome.  He responds to his name {something Ryder never did, and Cooper only did selectively}, he listens and responds to commands, walks well on a leash, and has just the right amount of energy to keep up with my kids while also being mellow enough to keep Scott and me happy and calm.  He buddied up to Scott immediately and spent the 15 minutes after Scott left to go get him food crying at the front door. 

 Louie spent his first 40 minutes here running around and sniffing everything and everyone.  He barks when someone comes to the door and we'll have to teach him not to jump on the furniture but, other than that, he's such a cool little guy.  After running around spastically for awhile, he just laid down and chilled out.

 Now that he's sort of used to us, he's perfectly content to snuggle up in our laps and hang out.  But he's also totally cool with Gerry attacking him and happy to play along.  And Bailey spent the better part of her afternoon introducing Louie to everyone and giving him a run-down of how things work around here.  I hope I'm not jinxing myself here {I don't think I am} but I think Louie is going to do just fine here with us.

 So far so good!

 

I'm Beach-Ready...Got My #SurfsUpVoxBox Today!

Woo hoo!  My #VoxBox* came in the mail this morning, and I'm so excited to try it out!  Here's what's included:

1.  Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Shampoo and Conditioner
2.  SinfulColors Professional Nail Polish
3.  First Aid Shot Therapy
4.  Jamba Juice Smoothie Kits



I've been waiting for this little orange box to show up for weeks, and I was so excited when I saw the mailman drop it off this morning {that's right, getting the mail is sometimes the highlight of my day}.  As soon as I opened up the box, this amazing smell wafted out.  Coconut and sunscreen and summer deliciousness...it was awesome.  Imagine my happiness when I opened the bottles of Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Shampoo and conditioner and found that the scent was coming from them!  We'll be away on vacation in two weeks and, coincidentally, we'll be going to the beach so I'm kind of excited to see how this stuff works.

I'm heading to the grocery store tonight to put my Jamba Smoothie Kit coupon to good use.  Bailey has a camp thing tonight for 2.5 hours so I'll have plenty of time to give it a shot. 

 

And, I don't know if it's going to be my color but I'm going to have Scott use the SinfulColors polish on my toes.  The color is called Anchors Away and it's kind of a yellowy-orange...not what I would have picked for myself but I could use some time out of my comfort zone.

All in all, I'm really happy with my #SurfsUpVoxBox* and I can't wait to try everything in it.  And if you want to give Influenster a try {um, FREE products...why on earth wouldn't you want to try it?!} let me know and I'll send you an invite.

 Check back later for a pictures and reviews!

  *I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.