Influenster Sugar N Spice 2013 VoxBox!

Hey everyone and welcome!  I wanted to tell you that I was chosen to receive my second VoxBox from Influenster!  I was very excited when to find out I was going to get the Sugar N' Spice 2013 VoxBox.  I was equally excited when it finally arrived in the mail.

Inside the orange box was the description card (along with the products of course).  The description card gives you a brief description of the products that came in the VoxBox.  They also let you know how much each of the products that you got for free retail for.
Here's the front of the description card:

Here's the back of the description card:

 

Now here are the products that came inside my Sugar N' Spice 2013 VoxBox. 

One Full Size Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturizer (6.5oz).

I have to say I do like this product a lot.  I use it after showering.  It's very easy to use.   The scent is similar to Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion.  It's not too much of a girly smell that men could not use this product.  Overall I would definitely recommend this product.  It leaves my skin feeling moisturized, not greasy.  It makes my skin feel soft.

 One Full Sized Box of Nectresse by Splenda Natural No Calorie Sweetener (3.3oz)

 

Now, I admit, I am not one who usually uses sweeteners other than plain white sugar.  I did try this in my coffee a few times and thought it wasn't too bad.  It tastes really good by itself.  I want to try this in some baking recipe, but I still have yet to do so.  I did find a slight bit of an aftertaste, which is nothing compared to other (non-sugar) sweeteners I have tried.

One Package of 4 BelVita Breakfast Bars in Cinnamon Brown Sugar Flavor (1.76oz)

Here's what they look like out of the bag:

I thought these were very tasty.  The day I ate these I was feeling very tired.  I didn't find that they made me have more energy, but they were still good and filling.  I was reminded almost of those cinnamon cookies you get on certain flights (which I love).  Anyway, even if they don't really "boost" your energy, they still taste good and I would recommend them.

Colgate Optic White Regimen:

1 4oz Toothpaste

1 8oz Mouthwash

1 Toothbrush

I've been using the toothpaste/toothbrush since I got these in the mail.  I have noticed that my teeth are slightly whiter than normal.  I am a coffee drinker (normally 3-4 cups a day), I eat a piece of dark chocolate everyday.  Those are probably the most likely things to stain my teeth.  This toothpaste seems to take care of them with ease.  I stopped using the mouthwash after about a week because I could just not stand the flavor any longer.  It is the most disgusting tasting mouth wash I have ever used.  It may whiten, but I don't think it's worth it in my opinion.  I love the toothbrush and will definitely be purchasing another one.  It is very comfortable to hold, and the bristles don't feel too harsh on my gums and teeth.  I normally use toothpaste for sensitive teeth, so I probably won't be buying the toothpaste again.  Also, a disclosure, they do add sweeteners to this toothpaste.  Why a toothpaste would have sweeteners is beyond me, but that's something to be aware of when choosing a toothpaste.

One Box of 20 Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Oil Controlling Towelettes

(Also 5-$2 off Coupons, 1 for you and 4 for your friends)

This is probably my most favorite product that this came with.  While some may say the scent is terrible and too strong.  I don't mind it.  The strong scent is from the witch hazel.  My skin is very sensitive.  My face is the most sensitive part.  I have combination skin where it's oily and dry in the same places.  It seems weird to me that my skin is like that.  But anyway, I use these wipes daily now (twice a day) and my skin has shown a lot of improvement.  I think I am hooked for life on these wipes.  They are easy to use and leave my skin feeling refreshed.  They are non-drying but with my skin I still need to use an oil-free lotion afterwards.  Not always but most of the time I do.  My only gripe would be the packaging.  I wish there were more options when purchasing these.  While I love the fact that you can take these individually wrapped bad-boys wherever you go, I would like an "at-home" version that didn't have so much garbage to throw away.

I'd also like to note that it was really hard to give away these coupons to my friends.  I wanted to keep them for myself

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed!  P.S.  If you'd like more information about Influenster leave a comment below.  

Disclosure: I received these products complimentary for testing purposes only from Influenster.

Pullip Tokidoki Luna Review

Pullip Tokidoki Luna Review

Last month I bought my very first Pullip doll, Tokidoki Luna.  I knew when I first saw her that I had to have her.  Well, it took me a while to decide whether or not I was going to actually keep her in the box or take her out.  Today I couldn't resist the temptation any longer and I removed her from the box.  She is even more beautiful out of the box and I'm so glad that I took her out.

If you are interested in purchasing her, she is on sale at PullipStyle for $144.00 + Free Shipping if you choose "Best Way" for shipping at checkout.  (In stock at time of posting).

Here is the site's official description of her:

tokidoki is … a brand that was created by SIMONE LEGNO, an artist from Rome, Italy who loves Japan. The brand is based on cute, funny, and sexy concept (www.tokidoki.it) Designs that reflect tokidoki’s elements are reflected throughout the dolls. Her hair is a mix of different colors, showing a variety of facial expressions depending on the angle. *The Tattoo on her body are stickers. Included tattoo stickers can be enjoyed in different ways.

Accessories: Adios Beanie, Bag, Donutella Plush, Tattoo style Stickers, Doll Stand.
(It's not listed in the description, but she also comes with a second outfit, shirt/shorts).

Feel Like So:
«Cute, Funny, Sexy? Sometimes, no word can fully describe? My charm it’s more than…Feel Like So.» 

Here are some pictures of her in box:

Pullip Tokidoki Luna: Front of Box

Pullip Tokidoki Luna: Back of Box

Pullip Tokidoki Luna: Side A of Box

Pullip Tokidoki Luna Side B of Box

Pullip Tokidoki Luna Close-up in Box

Here are some pictures of her out of the box:

Close-up of her face-up her eye color seems solid black as far as I can tell.  (this is not a shirt she came with).

Here she is wearing her skirt, Unicorno shirt, striped socks, holding her Tokidoki Donutella plush doll and Tokidoki messenger bag.  I really love the bag.  It actually can zip open and closed. 

I love this skirt.  It's very silky and soft.  It lays above her hips and has a velcro enclosure on the back.  I would be careful with it though.  A piece of the inside of the skirt was stuck to a piece of velcro when I took her out of the box and it was tearing at the skirt's hem pretty easily.  Luckily it was only the inside of the skirt and it didn't fray passed the sewing.  The shirt is very cute, but the bottom of my doll's keeps coming out and showing the underpart in the front.  It is hard to get it to stay down.  This particular shirt only has velcro on the back at the top so the bottom of the shirt doesn't close fully.

Here she is wearing her Adios beanie.  The beanie is very soft and has a silky texture on the inside.  It's well made, and the skull applique is sewn on.

Here is a full shot of her secondary outfit.  Shirt/shorts.  The shorts are very thin and actually my doll's pair appears to be not sewn that well.  The seam is not folded very far in and was actually not sewn at all in one part which is kind of a bummer.  They are soft though.  The longer shirt is very well made.  It seems sturdy and the velcro in the back goes from the top to bottom and lines up well.

Donutella up close front.  She is so cute!

Donutella up close Back.  Where they attached the head wasn't sewn very well so I feel like this could unravel and fall apart.  It would be an easy fix, but still.

Here is a closer picture of the bottom of the shirt.  I know it's hard to tell but the inside of the shirt on the bottom keeps unfolding and coming out.  It's hard to keep it where it belongs.

Overall I think she is a beautiful doll.  Her makeup is lovely.  Her hair is not very soft and I've read that it can frizz really easily.  Mine is not bad so far.  Just a few small areas are having problems, but nothing serious.  If you are a fan of Pullip dolls and/or Tokidoki, I definitely think she is worth it.

On another note, I have caught the Pullip bug and can't wait to get another.  Save, save, save time as they are quite expensive.  Pullip Sfoglia is the next one I'm going to get someday. (I hope).  She's so lovely!

Here's a quick stock photo of her:

Parmesan Cheese Popcorn!

This might sound strange to those of you who have never tried it, but this popcorn recipe is delicious.  I probably won't post recipes much, but I really wanted to share this one.  My mom used to make this popcorn for my siblings and I when we were kids and we still love it to this day.  Anyway, I hope you give it a try!

What you'll need:
     Bag of microwave popcorn.  (Or you can use home-made popcorn, whichever you prefer).  I choose a popcorn with little or no added salt/butter because I add my own butter.
     Half stick of melted butter. (4 TBSP)  I prefer unsalted, but you can use salted!
    About a quarter cup of your favorite grated parmesan cheese.  I use Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese.

Step 1:  Follow the directions on bag of popcorn.

Step 2: Melt butter over medium heat while popcorn is cooking.

Step 3:  When popcorn has finished popping, pour into a large bowl.
Step 4:  When butter is melted pour parmesan cheese into it and stir.

Step 5:  Spoon mixture over popcorn.  I do two spoons at a time, then toss the popcorn to try and coat the popcorn evenly.

Step 6: Enjoy!

 After you've made this recipe once, if you like it as much as I do, you can decide whether or not you might like more cheese/butter and alter the recipe to your taste!

Freakshow

I was invited by Influenster to watch another show.  AMC's newest series, Freakshow, airing Thursday nights at 9:30|8:30c.  Basically it gives you an inside view to one of Venice Beach, California's hottest boardwalk attractions.
I watched the "pre-air premier" on AMC.com "Swords a Plenty".  There are video bios of all the "freaks" on the show there as well.  I must say I enjoyed watching this show.  Toward the end of the episode, they show you the sword swallowing stunts these people can do.  It is truly incredible.  I felt myself feeling scared, nervous and excited for these people at the same time.  It was amazing to watch them perform.  I can say that I am excited for the next episode airing tonight.  Inside Freakshow I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

The Taste

Yesterday I started watching The Taste on ABC.  I had to catch up because I hadn't heard about it until Influenster chose me to for a "brand challenge" on it.  Tomorrow night will be their sixth episode.  I'm pretty excited for it too.  I first want to say that I absolutely love the concept of this show.  I love the blind tasting of the food.  I haven't decided who my favorite contestant is so far.  I think I am leaning towards someone on Anthony's team though.  I do love Nigella though.  So if you haven't yet, you should check out The Taste on ABC.  On Tuesdays at 8:00|7:00c. The Taste on ABC

First Post! The Post That Hurts the Most!

Hi!  Welcome to my blog!  Nice to see you here.  I thought I'd start out by giving a quick introduction to myself.  I'm 31, I'll be 32 in June.  I have 3 great kids.  Two of which live with their father.
I love to draw.  I think I'm "ok" at it.  There are a lot more talented artists in this world than me, but I still enjoy drawing from time to time.  My favorite things to draw are frogs and people.  More on the cartoon side.  Here's my deviantart link if you're interested in checking out my drawings. Laspyra41 on DeviantArt
I love video games.  Ever since I was a kid I have loved video games.  Some of my best memories are from when I was a kid, visiting my dad's house and playing video games.  Might sound lame, but it was something him and I bonded over.  He was a wizard with the computer.  He had all sorts of different gaming platforms in his home.  A few of my favorite games he had were Lemmings, Jumpman, Jumpman Jr, Joust, Zelda and the list could go on and on.  Those are the ones that stand out most in my mind at the moment.  Now I play different types of video games.  I was playing mmos for a very long time.  I think I have been burned out on them a little bit though.  So now mostly I play Sims 3 when the mood strikes, a little bit of Rift here and there, and Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook.
I love to watch movies.  Pretty much any genre.  I'm not that big a fan of horror movies.  Mostly because it seems like my idea of horror is not the mainstream idea of horror.  I don't like gore and it seems like that's what a lot of newer horror movies focus on.  Give me a "realistic" movie about aliens and I'll probably be scared for weeks.  I'm not talking about aliens like in the movie "Independence Day" more like the aliens with the long skinny bodies, big black eyes and creepy voices.  This makes me laugh because I find it silly that I could possibly believe in aliens more than I do ghosts.  I don't believe in ghosts at all.  Watching a movie about aliens will definitely give me the creeps and make me feel like there could be aliens out there.  Why they would bother us is beyond me, but I think I'm veering too far away from my point.  I love comedies, and romantic comedies.  Sci-fi movies are some of my favorites as well.  Musicals, definitely are my favorite genre though.  Moulin Rouge, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Labyrinth to name a few.
I love collecting things.  I am a pack-rat.  I save a lot of stuff.  I have been trying to be better about it lately.  I just started my collection of Pullip dolls.  I simply fell in love with them the first time I saw them.  My first one was Tokidoki Luna.  She's simply adorable.  They are a bit on the expensive side unfortunately.  But I saved up enough money by selling dolls from my Monster High collection.  So I figure it was a good trade. If you are ever in the market for buying a Pullip doll and don't know where to start, I definitely recommend this site: PullipStyle  they have fair prices and ship from America.
I just started sewing clothes, blankets and pillows for my daughter's Monster High dolls.  I want to get a sewing machine to make it a bit easier on myself.  But I definitely have fun with it and think it's something I thoroughly enjoy.
Well, if you're still reading this, I thank you.  I'm no major in writing so I'm glad you have stuck around so far.  I know I'm a bit weird, and shy but I'm glad you have stuck around so far and I hope you enjoyed what you read.  Again, thanks for viewing!