Beauty and Weight Loss MIA - DIY here I come!!!!!

Hey loves!  I know, it's been a minute, right?  Who came up with that saying anyways?  I always tell me hubby when he says "I'll see you in a minute" who are you kidding?  More like hours.  Anyways, it for real has been a long time.  I try to stay away from getting too personal on my YouTube channel and blogs, so I can just give you the run down version.  My hubby and I have been looking for houses to buy and MAN.....we are so super stressed.  It has been an up and down battle.  Fall in love with a home, put a bid in, wait days only to find out that you have to start the darn process ALL over again.  This has happened three times now and we are waiting to hear back on this last house that we absolutely fell in love with.  Well, I have fallen in love with the house, but the interior is SO NOT my taste.  So, with that being said, I am positive that this is our home in which we can raise our beautiful family and watch them grow.  (We will know for sure on probably Saturday).  Back to the inside of the home.  The colors are awful, the door knobs are awful, the bright in your face gold fixtures in the master bath....I can go on and on.  I am getting to the point, I promise!  Since knowing that we are finally in a place in life to become home owners, I have been scouring Pinterest (OMG, SO addictive, so if you haven't started pinning you life away, you have been forewarned) for some DIY projects.  We are on a tight budget, but I already know me and if it is MY home, I want it to my liking.  So, I have scoured blogs, YouTube, Facebook, Ebay, Amazon....the list goes on and on, looking for DIY projects and how to's.  Not only do I want to do work to the house, but I also want new furniture.  Unfortunately, that doesn't fit our budget right now, so again to scour Craigslist and thrift stores, I have gone.  I found amazing beds for my kids and have it all planned out on how I am going to decorate their rooms.  So, with all of this being said, I am going to turn this blog into a DIY project!  I am going to take you guys through everything.  I actually might also do videos on my YouTube channel, but haven't quite decided on that yet.  My hubby is SUPER talented and a man of all trades.  Seriously, I am not being biased, he is pretty darn amazing when it comes down to building, painting, and everything else.  We can totally do a demolition of the kitchen (which definitely needs the most up to date work), but that just isn't in our budget to do so.  Again, why I think DIY's are so amazing.  I will be showing my tips on how to decorate on a very tight budget and using what it is that you have.  Okay, this is getting super lengthy, so I will cut it off here.  I hope you guys are having an amazing day and I hope to be able to show you our new house soon!!!!!  :)  Thanks for always sticking with me!!!

Jill

Goody QuikStyle Paddle Brush

So, I received this gem in my Influenster Holiday VoxBox this past December.  It a very unique looking brush, as it has microfiber, between the brush bristles, that helps to absorb 30% more water from your wet hair.  I have to say that I REALLY like this brush.  I haven't noticed it to help reduce drying time, but then again, I have also not ever used it while blow drying my hair.  I am a finger in my hair type of girl when it comes to blow drying.  Anyways, why I LOVE this brush is that it is FANTASTIC on extremely curly hair that can get tangled very easily. IE - my daughter's hair.  She has the most thick, curly hair that I have ever seen in my life.  And that is NOT easy to comb or brush through.  We had many a days and nights with her screaming "mommy, it hurts" and trust me, I have tried EVERYTHING.  From very wide tooth combs to expensive de-tanglers and conditioners, nothing has worked.....until I received this.  Now it is no longer a struggle to fix her hair.  She actually sat down without a fight last night (she has been used to me using this brush on her hair for a few weeks now) when I went to fix her hair after her bath and she looked at me and told me "I know this isn't going to hurt mommy, so I will let you fix my hair".  Aww, now if that didn't melt my heart....anyways, this brush is amazing, I even love it for my hair as well.  I will continue to repurchase this brush over and over and over again.  Thank you Influenster for introducing us to this gem.  Now my daughter happily gets her hair brushed and fixed and it no longer hurts and I avoid many fights!  :)

Venus Embrace Razor

OMG!!!!  I just have to say I was SUPER excited when I saw this in my Cosmo Voxbox.  I have seriously been a VERY loyal customer to my Venus razors for many, many years.  When I first discovered them, I instantly fell in love and rightfully so.  These razors are by far the best on the market.  One thing I recently learned though, is that you can use any handle with any of the wide arrange of razors that Venus carries.  So, double plus for that!

What do I love most about these razors?  Well, I have to say that I had struggled for so long where I would shave in the morning, yet I would still feel stubble....not a nice feeling.  I would also use other razors that would give me a close shave to only have it last for an hour or so....weird,  know, but it's true.  Then one day I tried a Venus razor and I have never looked back.  Sure, I have used other razors trying to see if there is maybe, possibly, something better out there, but I keep on coming back. I love that the embrace razor has 5 blades.  It is for sure my favorite of the bunch, but I really don't think that any of them are duds.  But, I must say that the embrace gives me the closest shave ever and I don't feel any stubble until the next day.  Yes, I am one of those lucky girls (cough, cough) that HAS to shave everyday.  But, thanks to the Venus razors, I was finally able to get and keep that close shave I had been wanting from other razors that just never delivered.  Bottom line.....coarse hair,  thin hair, light hair, dark hair.....if you haven't given these razors a try, what are you waiting for?  I really don't think you will be disappointed.  Thanks so much to influenster for providing me with this razor.  You guys have give me a chance to test out the Olay razor.  Woo hoo!!!!

Pictures were taken from the Influenster website....they are not my own. 

Influenster Cosmo VoxBox 2012

Okay, so look at all of these awesome goodies I received in my Cosmo VoxBox.  First off, let me say the first thing I saw when I opened my box was the Venus Razor and I was SO happy because for years it has been my go to razor.  I have strayed and tried a few others, but I always come back to my trusty Venus razors.  So, super excited, because I was needing refills and I have yet to try the Venus & Olay, so I was super excited to see that one in my box, so I could try it out.  I am still testing everything else out....except the chocolate.  Lol, that is long gone!  Stay tuned for all of my reviews on the products!  :)

Goody Spin Pins

I have really thick hair and a lot of it.  Always have, and hopefully, I always will.  I first tried Goody's spin pins back when they first came out.  For me, I definitely needed more than just the two provided in the box.

I put my hair in a side bun and I just felt like it wasn't secure enough, so I ended up having to secure it more with a hair tie to ensure that it would stay all day.  So, when I received this product in my Influenster beauty blogger vox box 2012, I was so excited to try and see if using 3 pins would help provide a more secure hold and BINGO!  It did!  I highly recommend this product, especially if you love to wear your hair up and put them in buns.  I am a mom and I also don't like to put a whole lot of heat to my hair, so buns have become my best friend.  I also have a bobby pin fairy that comes and steals all of my bobby pins, so this takes the place of all of my bobby pins to give me a beautiful, complete bun in less than 2 minutes.  In love!  Just remember, you may need to buy two boxes if you have a lot of hair or if it is really thick.  Have any of you tried these beauties?  And if so, what was your experience?

Not Your Mothers Kinky Moves Curl Defining Hair Cream

My daughter has SUPER curly hair.  I never know what to do with it other than to throw it in pigtails, braid them, and let her go.  Even though she is only 3, she gets tired of the same hairstyle and honestly, so do I.  So, I've tried MANY products only to be left with a frizzy mess that ends up in a ponytail within hours of doing her hair.  Not with this product!  I love it for her hair SO much.  Now, I also tried it on my wavy hair and didn't have as much luck.  My hair was weighed down and pretty frizzy.  But on curly hair, this product is perfection in a bottle.  It comes out thick and creamy and does a great job of  really defining her beautiful curls and keeping her frizz at bay.  Take a look at her gorgeous curls!!!

Not Your Mother's Kinky Moves Curl Defining Hair Cream is a product I will definiely purchase after trying it from my Beauty Bloggers Influenster Vox Box.  Thanks influenster for letting me test out this product.  I probably wouldn't have given it a second glance at the drugstore.

Influenster Vox Boxes

Okay, so if you are like me, you LOVE free samples.  I mean, really?  Who doesn't?  I used to love going to Sam's with my parents when I was younger just to try out the free samples.  I love signing up for websites that offer free samples and products, or when a company offers a free product on Facebook.  I mean, what can I say?   I am obsessed with trying out new things.  I have a fave of probably every product, BUT I still want to try to find something bigger and better.  So, that's is why I love programs like Influenster and their vox boxes.  It gives us an opportunity to try out things that we either have been lusting after, haven't had the time to pick up. or are new on the market products.  I love companies like influenster and I love being part of the influenster family!  :)  So, tell me....what is your favorite free product that you have received