Perfectly Posh

There are times when I come across a product (or in this case, a line of products) that I can't help but share with my friends. The Posh line up is quickly becoming a favorite for me. Here are a few of the products I have sampled and what I thought of them. 

A good friend of mine started selling Posh. I had never heard of the product before, so I jumped at the chance for a free sample. The first thing I got to try was the "end mend shampoo and conditioner"

My first suggestion to others trying out the samples, open the package before getting in the shower, it isn't easy to open when your hands are wet! 

The smell is subtle, I could barely smell fragrance in it, a lot like the tresseme that I usually use. The small amount in the sample of shampoo was almost enough for my thick hair, so I had to work at it quite a bit to get it through all the hair, but it felt clean after. No residue or anything left behind. 

The conditioner was thicker then I was expecting, almost like a cream. Went in smooth and rinsed out just as well. No greasy feel to my hair. 

Overall I thought this was a wonderful product. I look forward to seeing others reviews, maybe of the bigger bottle over longer use, see if it really does repair split ends like the package touts.

I also got a sample of the Best Face Forever exfoliating face wash. 

To be honest, I was a little concerned about trying anything new. My skin, especially my face, is quite sensitive. 

Thankfully, there wasn't anything to worry about though. This product had the exfoliation that my oily spots needed, but not so much that it made the drier spots hurt. 

The face wash left my face feeling smooth and not at all irritated like it sometimes is with a new wash.

The final sample I got came with my latest order. I received a 0.15 fl oz packet of Don't Be Bitter Big Fat Hand Cream. 

Not a scent I would have picked out of the catalog, but I was pleasantly surprised. Defiantly going to put this scent on my next order. 

The hand cream was really smooth going on and soaked in quickly. Didn't leave me feeling greasy either. A little bit goes a long way. The sample gave me enough to moisturize my hands twice and the second time I went clear up to my elbows.

Absolute Passionfruit Snarky Bar - For those unfamiliar with Posh, a snarky bar is a big bar of soap with exfoliating stuff mixed it. In the Absolute Passionfruit it has kiwi seeds and natural scrubbing sugar beads. I tried this for the first time tonight. 

The fragrance is quite nice, not overpowering at all. I felt the exfoliating products working right away. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend using this on the delicate skin of your body. Even on my legs it was a little rough. It did make my feet feel fantastic and though a little rough, it did make my legs and arms feel smooth after my shower. 

My skin is pretty sensitive and I haven’t had a single problem with Posh at all and this product was no exception.

Melondrama caffeinated lip balm was the final product I wanted to share with you, for now.  

This lip balm has a wonderful smell and goes on very smoothly. 

My lips were left feeling smooth for several hours.

 

WW: Book Review!

Linking up with Mama Kat again this week for writers workshop. If you want to learn more about it, click the link at the bottom of this post. The prompt I chose this week is: Book review!

I thought this would be a great opportunity to talk about my book box again. For July I got the book This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab.

Let me just say, this cover is amazing. I love that they have the picture within the violin. Stunning. Font goes perfectly with the image.

My overall rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Just wow!

Took me awhile to get into it, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. This book takes the dystopian genre to a new level.

August was such an amazing character. The fact that he is a monster who didn't want to be one, a new twist. Fighting against what you are.

Then there is Kate. At first, I couldn't stand her. She seemed a spoiled, awful girl. But as you read, the layers come off and you see the person under the rough bad-girl facade. Schwab does an amazing job of going back and forth between the two points of view (August and Kate). I didn't get confused like I sometimes do with books that have alternating viewpoints.

Book one completed, cannot wait for Our Dark Duet, the second book in this saga. This book left me really wanting to know what is going to happen to both August and Kate.

Not only that, but I have more of Schwab's books on my endless TBR pile!

View all my reviews

Not only did I get this amazing book (an autographed copy no less!) but I also got:

These amazing book nerd pencils! 

a pack of pretty post its. The typewriter is the cover of the packet. 

And the inside, the actual post its. Love them! 

In total I pay $29 for this box and I feel like it is the perfect "fandom" box for me. It gives me a new book to read each month, something out of my comfort zone a bit. Also gives me my bookish nerd stuff. Something to show what a book nerd I am, even when I'm not reading! Great deal for a book lover. 

This post inspired by:

My Wellness Voxbox!

Today I have a few product reviews. I was lucky enough to get Influenster's Wellness voxbox. Basically, they sent me this free product for testing purposes. So, they gave me the products but all the opinions are mine. 

Do you want to learn more about influenster and how you can get the freebies too? Check it out here (that's my referral link, I get "social impact points" if you join via that link.)

All links below will take you to the product page on walmart.com unless otherwise specified. 

Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer
Price: 6.84 for 10 fl oz

What I like: I love how easy this is to use. You turn off the water in the shower, then slather this on (before drying!) then I dry my hair (still in the shower) and by the time I wrap up in my towel it's soaked in. It has a nice smell, but it isn't overpowering.

What I didn't: There isn't anything about this lotion I didn't like. My husband says it felt "slimy" but I didn't feel that at all. After a few minutes I made him feel again and the feeling was gone.

Value for the money: I think this is a great value for the money.

Would I purchase again? I totally plan on buying it once this bottle is gone. Maybe another scent?

Attitude Dishwashing Liquid Cirtus Zest
Link takes you to product page on Attitude website


Price: $4.99 (or $2.99 if you join the Attitude Club for $40)

What I like: It had a great smell, seems just as effective as the good ole Dawn without all the "icky" stuff.

What I don't: Nothing I can really complain about. It did what it was supposed to. It is a little pricy if you aren't a part of the "club" but I guess if natural is important to you, the membership is worth it.

Value for the money: I think if you were a part of the A club, that this is totally worth it. But you would have to order more then this soap for it to be worth it. They do have a full line of products for home, pet and body.

Would I purchase again? Probably not. We just use the inexpensive dish soap and it works just fine.

Attitude 2in1 Shampoo & Body Wash

link takes you to Target product page

Price: $9.99

What I like: I love that it is all natural. Doesn't have a strong smell. Worked really well as a body wash.

What I don't: Didn't love this as a shampoo. Left my hair feeling funny.

Value for the money: I don't think this is a great deal for the money. Oddly enough, I couldn't find this product on the attitude page, but a baby wash that also sells at Target for $9.99 is only $5.99 on Attitude. I figure they might be fixing the website right now or something. Again, if you joined, this would be a good deal.

Would I purchase again? Probably not. I enjoy my good smelling soaps and this just doesn't do it for me.

UrgentRx Ache & Pain Relief (lemon lime flavor)
Price: $5.88 for 10 packs

What I like: This product is amazing. I had a headache that started the night before. I took this first thing in the morning and it totally killed the headache before I left for work about 90 minutes later.

What I don't: I wasn't a huge fan of the flavor, but I chugged a bunch of water after and that worked.

Value for the money: I think this is a great value. I would buy them to keep in my purse. You don't always have water, but this doesn't require that. I think the biggest selling point to me is that it worked. I am a chronic headache sufferer and to have something effective and fast working, win for me!

Would I purchase again? I plan on buying these SOON! I also want to try out the other products from UrgentRx.

Olay Active Botanicals Refreshing Gel Cleanser

link takes you to the Olay product page
Price: $5.99 msrp

What I like: I love how sudsy this gets. Makes my skin feel clean without drying it out. Doesn't take a whole lot of product to cover a lot of skin.

What I don't: Nothing. I love this product.

Value for the money: Great value, about on par with other cleansers and the name is one I can trust.

Would I purchase again? I plan on making this my face wash of choice from now on.

Colgate Enamel Health Sparkling Fresh Mint 
Anti-Cavity Flouride Mouthwash

Price: 16.9 oz for $4.96
What I like: I like that it wasn't so strong. Didn't feel like it was burning my mouth. This is the first mouth wash I have had that didn't do that to me.

What I don't: Nothing really, could have come with a cap that can double as a measuring cup though.

Value for the money: I think it's good. Like anything else, the bigger the bottle the better the value. You can also get 33.8 fl oz for $5.96. Much better deal!

Would I purchase again? Yes. Planning to make this my new mouthwash.


1000 Gifts: a gift cool, warm, sun-soaked

• it is a gift to have cooler temperatures this weekend. Makes it nicer to watch the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic in. 
• it is a gift to have a nice warm bed to snuggle up in at night. 
• it is a gift to be able to eat a sun soaked tomato right off the vine. They may not be perfect, but they are still good to me! 

Go VoxBox Reviews

I was lucky enough to qualify for my fourth voxbox. Before I get started on reviewing the goods, I am going to do a shameless plug for Influenster. It's a free program where you qualify for special voxboxes full of freebies. You can see more about the program here. I have been a member since last summer and have gotten four boxes now. If you are interested, let me know and I can send you an invite, or I believe you can click the button on my right sidebar to sign up.

This box was loaded with lots of great stuff I was excited to try out. In the interest of full disclosure, I got all of this products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. All opinions are my own.

The first thing I unwrapped was the Profoot Pedi Rock. I have been needing to buy another pumice stone so I was ready to pull this out and start using it. First thing I noticed is it's size. It's a lot bigger then a traditional pumice stone, and it is kind of squishy. First time I used it, it was on my dry feet. I could tell right away that it was working at getting the dead skin off. You could see it flaking on to the floor (the reason I only do this in the bathroom!) I just spent about two minutes on each foot and could tell a difference right away. As directed, I rinsed it off for the next use, the easiest place to dry it was in my bathroom on the rack. It was conveniently ready for me to use the next time I showered. In the shower, I couldn't tell how well it was working, since I was wet. My feet did feel smoother post-shower though. I think I am probably going to use this on my dry feet from now on, just felt like it was "doing" more. This rock only costs $6.97 on walmart.com, so totally affordable. I would give this a five out of five star rating. One thing I have yet to figure out is how long it lasts and that would be the deciding factor on if I purchase it again, right now it looks promising though!

Profoot Triad Orthodic $4.87 (walmart.com) I didn't get a chance to try these for long, just a short walk around the block with my girls. It was comfortable but I didn't like the "half" size. I could feel the seam where the orthodic ended and it kind of bothered my feet. I plan to use these again, but not sure I would buy my own pair. I give them three of five stars.

Vitamin Shoppe Next Step Fit N Full Protein Shake (wide range of prices on their website here) I was optimistic about this one. I had a morning last week where I was running late and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to try this out. I got the chocolate one and mixed it with cold water as directed. I chugged it on my way to work and was not impressed with the taste. It had a chocolate flavor, but it had the oddest aftertaste. I can't even really place what I didn't like about it... I just know that I probably wouldn't buy this. I would probably give it two stars, just because it does have a lot of nutritious stuff in it, and it does taste like chocolate, but I can't get past that aftertaste! It also didn't really sustain me for the morning like a breakfast would. I imagine it would be a really hard thing for me to replace two a day for weight loss. Also gonna add that I do love the bottle. Plan on using it for other shakes later.

Playtex Sport Fresh Balance $3.97 for 18 (walmart.com) Not going to write a detailed review on this, but suffice to say they did the job. Their scent isn't overpowering so that was a definite plus. I don't usually buy scented anything, just because I am very sensitive to fragrances, but it didn't bother me with these. If they were on sale, I would buy them. Nothing really to complain about.

Blue Diamond Blueberry Flavored Almonds 6.74 for a 10oz package (wm.com) I ate these as a snack the same day I had my chocolate protein drink. I was starving by 11, so I opened these up. First off, they smell AMAZING. I shared a few with my coworkers and we all agree that they are delicious. I would totally buy them again. The flavor was just enough to taste, but not overpowering. These get five out of five stars, I am planning to buy them again SOON!

Aqua Spa Bath Salts 9.99 (their website here) As a single mom to three girls, there are lots of times where I need to relax. I used some down time on my Saturday to enjoy a bath with these salts, I got the lavender and chamomile scent. I was kind of surprised to see the bath a bit bubbly, but once I got in I was happy to not feel the bath salt at the bottom of the tub. It smelled pretty good (though I would love to smell the others they have!) Cant say that it erased the stress, but it sure did a good job of helping lose some of the tension. I give this one four out of five stars. I would probably buy these again, but I get enough bath products as gifts to not need to buy any of my own.

Muller Yogurt product. I picked the #MullerQuaker Greek corner blackberry and raspberry flavor. I am not a huge Greek yogurt fan. Most of the time it's just too much for me. But this one was different. I don't know if it's because it was mixed with the fruit or what, but it was delicious! I loved every bite and scraped every bit out of the container. It was $1.08 at walmart, and, in my opinion very worth the money. I give this five out of five stars. I can't wait to try the other flavors! I give this one five out of five stars

Again I did get all the above products from Influenster for testing purposes, but all opinions are my own.

Easy Canvas Prints Follow Up

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.*

A couple months ago, I posted a blog about my experience with Easy Canvas Prints. Just to remind you, I was less then impressed with the service I got after there was a problem with my canvas. Well, my review was posted on September 22 and I sent my contact person the link to the blog. I also reiterated my disappointment, but told her wanted to make sure that I followed through with my end of the agreement.

On October 2, only 11 days after posting my review, I got an email from a new customer service rep from the company. She was very apologetic. Expressed that she didn't know what had happened, but that she had acquired my old reps list of contacts. She told me that they would be happy to follow through with what I was originally promised, a new canvas print. I agreed to order the canvas and decide what I would do as follow up to my original review. I do want my readers to have a fair review of the product, and my original experience still stands. But from what I read on other blogs it seemed like my experience was not a common one. I ordered the new canvas.

Yet again the time from when I placed my order to the time it reached my door was very reasonable. The canvas arrived to me undamaged, and I was anxious to get it out and look at it. As soon as I peeled the brown paper away I could tell it was MUCH better then my original one. There wasn't any issues with the colors or with the blurriness my original one had.

New canvas

Original canvas

Closeup of the new, shows the crisp image remained and colors were great

Closeup of the original, washed out color, very pixalied

Overall I am beyond happy with  my second canvas. It looks beautiful on my wall. And, if I'm being completely honest, both of them are on my wall right now and from a distance you can't even see the problems with the first one.

Though I love the product, I am not sure I would purchase one at full price. I am on a budget after all! But since signing up for their emails, I have had multiple offers that I would consider, including one they are running right now for 50% off a canvas. If this is something you are thinking about purchasing, I would totally head over to their website and sign up for the email exclusive deals. It's totally worth the emails they send. If you want to see the special offers they are running right now, go here.

Easy Canvas prints is offering one of my lucky readers the chance to have a canvas print for FREE! Use the rafflecopter below to enter. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends 12/17/13. Open to Legal Residents (18 years of age or older) of the US and Canada. Prizes cannot be shipped to PO Boxes. Shipping free to the contingent 48 states, winner will pay the difference if in Canada, Alaska or Hawaii. Winner will be selected with raffle-o-copter and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. Please note that Betsy's Random Assortment of Thoughts is not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. I have represented each sponsor with the expectation they will fulfill their prize and in a timely manner. I will contact the sponsor regarding your prize. The sponsors, in most cases, are shipping their items to you directly. I will make every effort to assist you in obtaining your prize. If there is an issue with a sponsor, please notify me within 30 days for assistance, after that we may be unable to assist you. The product provided for the review was free of charge from the company. The product offered for the giveaway is free of charge, no purchase necessary. My opinions are my own and were not influenced by any form of compensation. By providing your information, you are providing it to me and me alone. I do not share or sell information and will use any information only for the purpose of contacting the winner. 

365/281: Mama VoxBox Reviews

Last week I mentioned that I got my Mama Vox Box from Influenster. Inside had all kinds of goodies. I am dedicating this post to telling a bit about what I like (or don't) about most of them. It is important that you know I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. I have already talked about the belVita Mixed Berry Soft Baked Breakfast Biscuits here. Today, I will give you my opinions on the insoles, mac and cheese and BB Cream.

I tried my Annie's Macaroni & Cheese Microwavable Real Aged Cheddar cup on Sunday afternoon. The girls wanted ramen noodles, and I didn't so I popped this in the microwave. I didn't need anything extra to make it except water. I think I accidently cooked it for 2:30 instead of 2:15 so some of the noodles were a little hard, but it wasn't too bad. The sauce packed mixed in easily and it looked pretty close to Kraft. The taste was a bit different, I think the gluten free noodles, but it wasn't bad. I would buy this if it were on sale, but probably not regularly. I am interested to try the boxed pasta (vs the microwavable bowls) just to see how that tastes but will let you know if I do =) Overall I give this product four stars for the taste and ease of cooking.

I don't have a picture for the Dr Scholl's For Her Comfort Insoles because you can't seem em inside my boots! But I will tell you that before I stuck these insoles in, I didn't wear these to work because I am on my feet too much and they would HURT by the end of the day. Since putting them in I have worn them to work twice. Once while I was working the phones (up and down quite a bit, but mostly sitting) and once up front (mostly on my feet with some sitting). The day on the phones I had zero foot pain. It was nice! Also didn't feel the need to take them off as soon as I got home, so Jimmy enjoyed seeing me in heels. The day up front I did end up with some foot pain, but it was tolerable. The soreness was gone as soon as I got off my feet, whereas before the insoles it would hurt the rest of the night. A definite improvement in my opinion! Overall I give these a 4.5 out of 5 starts. I am definitely buying another set for another pair of shoes I can't wear to work.

Lastly I have been using the POND'S Luminous Finish BB+ Cream for the entire week.

Before

After

Though I can't see a huge difference in the appearance, I know that my face is protected since it has the SPF in it. There are a few things I really like about it such as how smoothly it applies to my skin and how it doesn't look thick and like a "mask" like regular foundation. Honestly, I can't think of anything I don't like about this, so I give it 5 out of 5 stars! Depending on the price at the store, I would definitely consider buying this product as a regular part of my morning beauty routine.

365/266: My First Review!

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.*

Over the summer I was contacted by Easy Canvas Prints asking if I would be willing to write a review of their product. In exchange they gave me one free canvas print (in my case a 16x20), free of charge. I will admit that I was beyond excited for the opportunity to have a canvas print in my home. It's something I have wanted to have for awhile. An artistic looking large print of a photo of our family. I quickly chose the picture I wanted to have enlarged on a canvas. I was also very excited to put a review on my blog. I love sharing with people what I love and hate about products and services. I read lots of other blogs and have purchased a few things after reading positive reviews about them on blogs.

The site is really easy to navigate. I quickly found the link to begin my order. The process was easy too, you pick a size then you pick the wrap thickness. Then it came time to upload my pic. That was simple as well. You could upload from your computer, your facebook, or instagram. It even tells you right on the page if your image is high enough quality to make the size you selected. Mine was good, so I moved on to the next step, the border option. You can have one of three choices: mirror image (where the image mirrors around the edge of your canvas), the image wrap (where you image wraps around the edge of the canvas), or select a border color. With the help of my hubby I picked to have an image wrap. It just made the most sense for our picture. Last step they offer color and image touch ups. I declined both, since my image was already edited by the photographer. All that was left to do was add it to my cart! Check out was easy, they have a secure payment website, so I felt safe using my card.

Shipping was super fast. It only took eight days to get to me. I was so anxious to see it that I didn't even get a picture of the wrapping. But it came to me wrapped in brown paper with some cardboard to reinforce the sides and support the canvas. There was no damage to my canvas, but I image it could easily happen with the way they are shipped.

The minute I took it out of the paper, I wasn't impressed. The picture almost looked pixalized. Especially frustrated me since the website had told me my image was fine. I put it on the wall, and it looks good from a distance, so it's still up there. Had I paid for this print, I probably would have returned it. Especially for the price you pay at Easy Canvas Prints. I do love it from my couch, but the closer I get to the canvas the less I love it.

Love it from this distance!

Like it, but can see the "blur" and lack of color sharpness

Close up of one of the "funny" spots...

 I did send an email to my contact at Easy Canvas Prints. She expressed her concern that it wasn't what I was expecting. Offered to send me another one. Just asked that I send her pictures of the canvas and the picture that I wanted to be printed. As this was my first review, I wasn't sure how things worked, so I made sure to communicate that to her. After sending her the pictures of the canvas as well as the image, I never heard back from her at all. I even sent three additional emails asking if everything was okay, since I hadn't heard back from them. I never got a reply at all from my contact or the company. The last email I received from them was on July 30. Unsure of what I should do from there, I determined the best thing would be to write my review, as promised. I am at this time still waiting to hear back from Easy Canvas Prints.

Overall I would rate my experience with a 2.5. The ordering process was great, the shipping quick, the response (at first) from customer service was also great. But then dropping communication with me completely? Unacceptable. I wouldn't recommend this site to a friend at this time. In the future I would probably go with a local store. 

My new best friend

If you noticed the artwork my daughter helped with in a past blog featuring her egg hunt, I bought something to help get the art out. Well I just had to brag a big about it and shamelessly endorse  This is a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and it is quite possibly the best cleaning product ever! 

All you do is get it wet and then scrub at the spot. 

The only thing it didn't take out was the dark green, I am going to try again later, but all that's left is light green lines... anyway. 

Try it out, it works wonders. It is also really good on the Little Tykes furniture. When I bought a table and chairs from a yard sale they were dingy and this little magic eraser made them look almost new. lol. 

It is amazing on ALL SURFACES. Walls, furniture, wood, plastic, even metal doors. TRY IT!! And I am sure you will love it too.