Friday, August 30, 2013

Lush Haul







I LOVE Lush so much , so whenever i get the chance to go i am extremely excited. I only used to get bubble bars and soap from there because i was nervous about any other product. This time around i broke out of the comfort zone completely to try new things!I will start with the The Comforter Bubble Bar this is $10.95, so it is a bit pricey however its huge ! I can usually get 4 Baths out of it so its worth it to me.Also, this turns your bath water a purpley pink color!This product is Vegan (along with many other products by Lush). The ingredients are "Sodium Bicarbonate , Cream of Tartar (Tartaric acid) , Sodium Laureth Sulfate , Lauryl Betaine , Fragrance , Titanium Dioxide ,Cocamide DEA , Bergamot Oil (Citrus bergamia) , Cassis Absolute (Ribes nigrum) , Cypress Oil (Cupressus sempervirens) ,*Limonene , *Linalool , D&C Red No. 27 Aluminium Lake , D&C Red No. 33 ". Next is Yuzu & Cocoa Bubbleroon Bubble bar $6.25.This breaks into two pieces , as you can see. I love this one , it smells just like coconuts and vanilla mmmm. The featured ingredient is grapefruit, but i don't really smell that at all. Cool tip : The more you can squish a bubble bar the fresher it is!!Also, The ingredients are "Sodium Bicarbonate , Cream of Tartar (Potassium bitartrate) ,Sodium Laureth Sulfate , Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera)Lauryl Betaine , Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii) , Perfume ,Cocoa Absolute (Theobroma cacao) , Tonka Absolute (Dipteryx odorata) , Grapefruit Juice (Citrus paradisi) , Bergamot Oil (Citrus Aurantium bergamia) , Cocamide DEA , PEG-6 Caprylic / Capric Glycerides & PEG60 Almond Glycerides , *Coumarin , *Limonene ,*Linalool , Titanium Dioxide , FD&C Orange No. 
4."Next i got MMM Melting Marshmallow Moment Bath Melt $7.95, I split this into four pieces. The scent is so sweet and sugary and makes the bath water very rich ,which i love. I don't smell marshmallow to much , its more of just a sweet scent to me , but Nick does smell the marshmallow. It all depends what you smell from person to person.This gives the water a nice soft pink color too. The ingredients are "Sodium Bicarbonate , Citric Acid , Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao) , Laureth 4 , Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis) , Water (Aqua) ,Chamomile Powder (Anthemis nobilis) , Marshmallow Powder (Althaea officinalis) , Marigold Powder (Calendula officinalis) ,Synthetic Musk , Benzyl Benzoate , Fragrance , Propylene Glycol ,D&C Red No. 33 , FD&C Red No. 4 , FD&C Red No. 27" Then I ventured into bath bombs, i got Twilight Bath Bomb $6.25 This thing is massive and i have not tried it yet. I have tried breaking it into two pieces but it just crumbles, so i am saving it for a day where i take a long bath so i don't waste it. This smells so amazing and sweet, but if you don't like sweets that much this is definitely not for you because its a sweet that is almost ever powering. This also turns your water pink and blue !! The ingredients are "Sodium Bicarbonate , Citric Acid , Cream of Tartar (Tartaric acid) ,Sodium Laureth Sulfate , Lavender Oil (Lavandula augustifolia) ,Benzoin Resinoid (Styrax tonkinensis pierre) , Tonka Absolute (Dipteryx odorata) , Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata) , Lauryl Betaine , Cocamide DEA , *Coumarin , *Linalool , Fragrance ,Propylene Glycol , FD&C Red No. 4 , D&C Red No. 33 , D&C Red No. 27 , FD&C Blue No. 1 , Iridescent Glitter (Polyethylene terephthalate and Acrylates copolymer)" Next is something i have never gotten before, it is The Hair Doctor Hair Treatment $15.95 now this stuff is amazing !!!! It is a
scalp treatment that you leave in your hair and rinse out. It has to be refrigerated and only lasts 3 weeks in the tub it comes in ( because of natural ingredients and no preservatives). This has peppermint in it so it makes your scalp feel cold and refreshed! The founder of Lush actually went to school to study hair and the scalp, so he knows what he is doing. It smells amazing , its great for all hair types, great on flakey scalps, and leaves your hair feeling amazing ! The ingredients are "Water (Aqua) , Irish Moss Powder (Chondrus crispus) , Fullers Earth , Cetearyl Alcohol , Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera) , Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis) , Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis) ,Peppermint Oil (Mentha piperita) , Soya Lecithin , Glycerine ,Lanolin , Cetrimide , Benzyl Alcohol , Propylene Glycol , Glycerl Stearate & Peg - 100 Stearate , *Eugenol , *Limonene , *LinaloolPerfume , Methylparaben , Propylparaben" Last i just got a sample of Big Shampoo $26.95.Lush is great with samples , so if you want to try something out just ask them! Everyone raves about this product , so i got it to try because i though what could be so amazing about it, but honestly it is hands down the best shampoo i have ever used in my life!!! It leaves your hair ridiculously soft and shiny due to the salt and seaweed. The smell is a hit or miss with everyone , i actually like the smell a lot but many people hate it. Best part about it is that it leaves flat hair volumized without any other products or blow drying ! I am going to go back and get the full size soon, it is a little expensive but your don't use it everyday, and when you do you don't use that much. The ingredients are" Sea Salt (Sodium Chloride) , Sodium Laureth Sulfate , Fresh Organic Lemon Infusion (Citrus limonum) , Fresh Sea Water (Aqua) , Bladderwrack Seaweed Infusion (Fucus gardneri) ,Cocamide DEA , Lauryl Betaine , Fresh Organic Lime Juice (Citrus aurantifolia) , Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera) , Neroli Oil (Citrus amara) , Mandarin Oil (Citrus nobilis) , Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla planifolia) , Orange Flower Absolute (Citrus Aurantium amara) , *Limonene , Methyl Ionone ,"

Overall , i really love Lush , they are natural , the ingredients are either fresh or safe synthetics, they are against animal cruelty and not only are the against it , they are fighting it ! They used recycled plastic for their packaging and all of their paper around the soap and the bag they give you to take home can be used for compost.Visit their website for more info ( i linked the products) LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. I hope you have a great day !!



Friday, August 23, 2013

Lose 100 Calories Quick



Do you ever have those days where you just want to stay in bed ? Well, do this quick exercise a couple times while watching TV so you don't feel guilty! Test yourself to see how fast you can get through it, and in no time you will be beating your own record. You can even do this as a family, and whoever gets done the quickest gets a reward! So many fun ideas you can do with this! Always remember that if you start and stay on track today, you will hit your goal 1 day faster than if you start tomorrow!Good Luck, check back in soon for healthy recipes to keep you on track. HAVE FUN!!

Friday, August 16, 2013

Detox Smoothie: Ginger and Orange


I'm not going to lie I haven't been eating that great lately, so I went on a hunt to find a detox smoothie. There are a lot of great options out there , but all of them mostly required a 3 day commitment, and I just wanted a quick drink with ingredients I already had. I don't know about you, but i absolutely LOVE Ginger and eat it like candy. So I found this recipe on Pinterest (Pinned from Popsugar).This Smoothie is to get out all of that extra sugar and nasty processed foods. (perfect for the Holidays) Lets just jump into the ingredients! 
You will need: 
1 Banana frozen or fresh 
1/4 Inch Ginger peeled and minced (I didn't mince because i have a brand new blender) 
1/2 Cup of Mangos 
1/4 Cup Orange Juice 
1/4 Cup Water
Ice Cubes
I used some Mango from a frozen fruit variety pack so a few pineapples got in there but that's okay !
Why Ginger ? Ginger has so many healthy benefits. Asian and Middle Eastern countries have been using it for thousands of years as Medical Remedies. It helps an upset stomach and nausea that's why moms always give sick kids Ginger Ale! Ginger also carries many anti inflammatory properties, this is great for people for osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. It is said to just have 1/4 inch of fresh ginger a day to help swelling and pain (increases mobility).It contains a compound called "gingerol" which is an anti inflammatory agent and also a antioxidant which helps protect your body. Also it gives your immune system a good boost to helps to prevent cancer. This has to been eaten on a regular basis to do so. Remember to talk with a doctor before trying to treat yourself! There are way more benefits of ginger but for the sake of you reading a lot , i will only tell you why its in this Detox Smoothie. Ginger contains antibacterial components which helps the circulation in your body and swiftly flushes out toxins.
Why Mango? Just like ginger it has so many benefits to it , but i will only list the relevant one. Mango improves your digestion because the enzymes in it are great at breaking down protein.
Why Banana? Bananas promote healthy bowels, helping constipation and a great alternative to those horrible chemical laxatives. Bananas also provide energy, which is great if you need a little boost to go work out!
Why Orange Juice? it contains vitamin C, calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorous and carbonates which are vital in cell repair. So while we detox we need something to repair us !
Of course you need to drink lots of water to truly get all of the benefits and to really flush out your system.


References:
http://www.knowledgebase-script.com/demo/article-434.html
http://ezinearticles.com/?Gingerol---A-Cancer-Fighting-Antioxidant&id=6176634
Popsugar fitness

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Gluten-free Finds Under 5 Dollars

When I first found out I had Celiac Disease only a few months ago , I was extremely scared on how I was going to eat. I was worried that I was not going to be able to eat anything !! Once i started paying attention to gluten-free labels I noticed that it's
everywhere ! They have a section in Wal Mart , all over Sprouts and Whole foods, practically at any store you can find a gluten-free section. I was really craving chicken fingers because they are my weakness but I didn't know how I was going to make it, until I went to the baking isle and found the Bisquick Gluten-free baking mix (Under$5) ! You don't know how excited I was about this, I made chicken bites the other night and they were delicious! I also made a pizza from this mix. If you want a recipe let me know. If you are the kind of person who doesn't have the time to coat and batter
chicken to make chicken fingers, I also found the Tyson Gluten-free Chicken Fingers in the freezer section at Wal Mart. They only come with 4 Pieces however they are huge! This bag only costs right under $5 bucks! Last thing i found was Hodgson Mill Gluten-free cookie mix , which I haven't tried yet but I am going make some this weekend with Nick! Stay tuned for a recipe for cookies!!(I found all of these at Wal Mart). Keep in mind that if you are doing a Gluten-free diet to lose weight , these options aren't for you. Just because something says "GLUTEN-FREE" Does NOT mean its healthy. Sometimes , it's just as bad as regular food due to all of the starch they have to put in
the food to make it taste like it has gluten. However, if you are really craving something like bread , pizza, cookies, chicken fingers, this is better than eating gluten. I am not a professional, I have just learned things through my experiences , doctors appointments, and research! I hope this has helped you ! I will be doing a more in depth segment later about Gluten, but until then I just wanted to share these goodies I found !

Monday, August 5, 2013

Healthy Surprise Subscription Service Review




Healthy Surprise is a monthy subscription service that sends you healthy snacks right to your door each month. The CEO Joe Winke created this box because he saw in our everyday life we had to find the "Least worst option" in food, and he says life is about finding the "Best great option". This box is for making healthy snacking easy , and opening your horizons to some great healthy food you may have never seen before. I got the "starter" size box which is the smallest one. It is $33 A month, it has 11+ full size snacks in each box and has 16-20 servings. They also have the Healthy box for $66 a month , and that serves 1-4 people. The last box size they have is the Large box that is $99 a month, which can feed up to 6 people! Let me start off with how amazed i was about the shipping ! I ordered this on the First, i got an email saying it shipped a couple hours later and it was at my house on the 3rd!!!!! You can tell them when you want it delivered so it is totally shaped to your lifestyle and when you want it. This box is completely 100% Natural, Vegan, Healthy, Gluten-Free, Soy-free, and Corn free! I really love that more companies are paying attention to Gluten sensitivities because i have Celiac Disease, and its hard to find great food you love, that is actually safe! Moving on to the products inside: First i will start out with the things i am really sad about. Just Tomatoes, I personally have a disliking for
tomatoes!i wish it was anything but tomatoes. However , this package is equivelent to about 2.5 POUNDS of tomatoes which is amazing ! I went on this companies website and they had stuff like , just mangos, just strawberries , really amazing fruit and i was a little sad i didnt get those. BUT, i am willing to try these out. Retail price is $4.30. Next the Sea Snax Spicy Chipotle Roasted Seaweed.... Lets just be honest here , seaweed smells like fish food and im not a fish. My step sister and step mom love seaweed, i have tried to like it and it hasnt worked out for me , but since it is flavored i will give it a go. This retails for $1.49 I just wish i would have gotten some chocolate instead! Next in the box i got this fun little package of Nibnaks Crancherry Tart snack. I LOVE cherries, cranberries and
almonds, so i am really excited about this!These retail for $2.19. Then i saw Harvest Roast Pumpkin Seeds with sea salt . When i pulled this out of the box nick wanted to eat them right away and i of course wanted to wait to review !! This product retails for $2.19. Another product i am really excited about are The Daily Crave Veggie Chips! Veggie chips have always been a fav of mine, the bag is only about 1/3 full so thats a little disappointing , but im still excited to take these to work as a snack. This retails for around $1.00. Next there are two
products from the same brand , the first is the Hail Merry Blonde Macaroons. I love macaroons so i am pumped to eat these !! This retails for $2.50. The other Hail Merry product is Orange Rosemary Pecans. I Love orange and pecans but im not to fond of rosemary , so i am interested on how this is going to taste.Retail price is around $.50. Next there is the Organic Veggie-Go's chewy fruit and veggie snack in the flavor Mountain Berry Spinach; Berries, spinach , apples and sweet potatoes. I love fruit rolls , and this has 1/2 cup of fruit and 1/2 cup of veggies in each strip , so i am really excited to try this out later ! this retails for $1.40. The last five items are mocking
me to eat them ! But i am waiting to take them to work. The first
item is for kids but who cares ! It is the Plum Kids Organic
Mashups in the flavor Berry. This is a fun way to get your kids to eat some fruit, it has apples, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries!! YUM! Retail price is $1.00 These last four items are bars. First there is the Cocomojoe Fig Joe bar (what a fun name), now this bar is HUGE! There are so many great ingredients including coconut. (i will do a more in depth review of each product as i eat them)Retail price is $2.75. Next we have two products from the same company, and first is the Gopal's High Enzyme Energy Bar, Rawma Bar in the flavor Sesame Mango. Sounds so good right ?! The only ingredients are fruits and seeds, i love that!Retail price is $1.80. Next from that company i got a Brownie !! YES, a BROWNIE made from only fruit and Walnuts, I might open that in a little bit!Retail price is $2.69 Last but not least there is the Health Warrior Chia Bar in the flavor Coconut. I am obsessed with Chia seeds and Coconut, I hope the true coconut flavor is strong! Retail price is $1.50. My overall opinion is that i think this box is great if you are trying to eat healthy, and wanting to find new companies you have never heard of before. The total retail price of this box is around $26 dollars, which isn't the full $33, however , the shipping is wonderful , they have GREAT customer service and have a great
idea going for them. At first i didn't know if i would recommend this service or not but after reading about them and really thinking of the true value i would really recommend this! You can send this as a gift as well, Which would be a sweet gift to give to someone that is trying to be healthy! You can do it monthly, and it is 100% money back Guarantee so there is nothing to lose ! Remember , i will be doing full reviews on the taste of products at the end of the month ! To read more or to sign up click below !! ENJOY!


Healthy Surprise <------ Click here to get your box!!

Friday, August 2, 2013

Bath and Body Works Coupon code for 20% off plus FREE SHIPPING of $50+

Hey everyone ! i just wanted to do a quick post really quick to tell you some amazing news!!! When i search for coupon codes i always want to find codes for a percent off and free shipping !!! Bath and Body Works still has 75% off items , body care items go as low as $2 so go check it out !! I'm not getting paid for this or anything i just want to let you in on a great sale and a great coupon code !!! HURRRYY If you spend $100 this code will bring it down to $80 They have some candles on there for $10 and a pumpkin candle holder for $6 with any purchase ! This is an amazing code ! No shipping and 20% off !! I'm loving this! The 20% off will work no matter how much you spend (under 50) but the free shipping is only for orders over $50. I also found a code for 20% off in store so when you go to check out give them this code (: Their codes are case sensitive so make sure you use all caps !

Online Coupon Code : COOL2050
In Store: 9615 (this might be first come first serve)
Happy shopping !!

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Bath and Body Works Haul

I think it is safe to say that i LOVE Bath and Body works, but i don't love some of the prices. So when there is a sale i love to stock up ! The first items are for my boyfriend, I got him Six, 2 in 1 hair+ body wash. Five in the scent Citron and one in Oak. He gave one to his dad and one is currently in the shower. He LOVES Citron so much. The scent is very light but still masculine, it has a nice woodsy smell tied in with citrus i love it too ! Now the Oak one is more dense musky wood smell. It is really strong and more of a sexy scent for a date night. Next i got some Shower Gel for myself! I started with my all time FAV scents from Bath and Body Works, Twilight Woods and Paris Amour. Twilight Woods is what my "scent" was. My aunt knows when im around because she will just smell me from far away, which i personally love. It has a rich apricot/ flower scent and it is to die for ! Paris Amour, i discovered this from a girl at school and i have been hooked ever since. It literally smells like what i
imagine France to smell like. It smells like tulips, champagne, and beautiful apple blossoms. I have the matching body spray and just used up the body scrub ! I would most definitely recommend these both. Next I got Beautiful Day and as you can see , i pretty much used this up already. It has the scents , Creamy musk, fresh pink peony, white peach, blonde woods, sun kissed apples, dewy pear, lily, daisies and cassis. SUCH an amazing combo of scents. If you love Apples and Pears this is for you ! Moving on to White Mango Chill. This is part of there "Summer Chill" collection and i actually got this for free !!! It hit the nail on the head for a summer scent, with white mango, strawberry frost, kiwi sorbet, flowers and blue sugarcane. It packs a "Fruit Punch". If you love sugary scents mixed with fruit you will love this ! Sticking to the summer theme i picked up the ever so famous Exotic Coconut . If you love
Coconut you will be in PARADISE! It smells just like toasted coconut and vanilla , with hints of creamy musk, warm sandalwood, pineapple, guava and papaya. Next we have Country Apple, Now this just smells like a fresh picked McIntosh Apple to the point where you can still smell the orchard. I love this because it smells so light and fresh ! Its great if you just want something to lift your spirits. Last of my Shower Gels i got Cucumber Melon. Bath and Body Works doesnt sell these in store anymore, but thats okay because they are online ! This will always be one of my favs. It smells like a crisp cucumber on a "dewy summer morning". Its great to lift your spirits and feel super clean! I love the Shower
Gels because they are extremely nourishing, with shea enriched gel combined with aloe vera and vitamin E. Then i got a body scrub in the scent Rome Honeysuckle Amore . To be honest i hate the smell of honeysuckle and i love this because it is combined with the smell of blackberries, raspberry, peony, cypress wood, italian peach, golden amber and soft sandlewood. It is a very dainty girly scent. I love the body scrub because it has a Superfruit complex made from the antioxidant fruits such as blueberry, cranberry, and pomegranate. Moving onto Body lotions! First i got Wild Citrus Sunflower, and honestly that is just what is smells like. Yummy nectarines and sunflowers. I hope it will be online because i still
want to buy it ! Next from the same line i got Wild Peach Poppies. I am obsessed with the smell of peaches and this on my skin just smells so luxurious. It smells just like peaches , fresh poppies and a hint of sugary musk ! I wish i would have bought more of this one ! Last of these i got just a staple Sweet Pea body lotion. If you have never smelled Sweet Pea before you need to get yourself to a Bath and Body Works A.S.A.P. It is the sweetest floral scent ever and i must always have it at all times ! I love the body lotion because it has Vitamin E, Jojobo oil and Shea butter which
keeps your skin healthy and the jojobo oil makes it absorb into your skin quick so it isn't greasy. Moving on to the Triple Moisture Body Cream in the Sweethearts collection Honey Sweetheart. I love this smell of sweet honey violets with a dash of pink sugar. The triple moisture body cream is my favorite because it is so rich and light at the same time. It has so many great ingredients for your skin , 24 hour moisture and it is light / non-greasy . Coming up next we have Fresh Picked Hand Cream in Tangerines. I payed full price for this because it wasn't on sale at my Bath and Body Works but i had to get it because when i tested it , it was just so smooth, creamy, soft and
non-greasy all at the same time , Nick even loved it. It smells divine and just like sweet yummy juicy tangerines and i had to
have it . Im sad that they wont have this scent again but they still have others that will be staying. This hand cream has Shea Butter and Vitamin E so whenever you feel like your hands need some TLC use this! It is a perfect size to just throw in your purse! (i just put some on!) Now moving onto The Fine Fragrance Mist! First i got Cucumber Melon just because i love it , and they don't sell these in stores that's why it is the old packaging. This smells just like the body wash and a staple to smell fresh. Then i got Country Chic, This just smells like a sweet southern woman
fruit and flowers is the best way to put it ! Last scent i got is Pure Paradise and that truly what it is, just full of fruit, musk , coconuts, and flowers, just like a tropical island! I love love love this scent because it stays on for a long time. The next few products i got were hand soaps , literally each and every one smells delicious and if i go on about them i would never stop so i wont go into detail but i will go through the names. First of the Anti-Bacterial deep cleansing hand soap is Peach Bellini ,Fresh Picked Pears, Vanilla Berry Sorbet, Ocean
Pearl, Caribbean Escape, Fresh Picked Wildberries, and last Coral Reef. I also got three gentle foaming hand soap all in the scent Wildberry Dahlia, which i am in love with !! Each one smells DIVINE !!! and im so happy i got them . After that i just got some basic Anti-Bacterial Hand Gels , pretty basic, and they change the scents all the time so i dont think it
would be fair to share how much i love them and then you cant find them so i will just show you a picture. I got a super cute pocket bac holder that you can see in the picture ! I think they are still available . And Last but not least i got candles ! Their candles make me so happy. I only buy them when they are on sale i got four, but i used up Mahogany Teakwood (Abercrombie) and Pink Sangria (lemonade). The two i am going to share are Vanilla Coconut and Tiki Beach. First Vanilla Coconut smells just like the name vanilla and a creamy coconut with a hint of musk, i love this candle so much! Tiki Beach is a
little sweeter coconut , vanilla musk and orchids. This smells just like an island somewhere !! I hope you liked what i got , and i hope you are still reading ! I know this was long but i really wanted to share my finds with you. This haul retails for over $360 and i only paid around $90 ! So wait for sales and ALWAYS go to Bath and Body Works Armed with a coupon.