Purse'averance (ebook) Review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I had the honor to review an ebook courtesy of the author's daughter, Alexis Campbell Jansky. Gwen E Campbell had dreams of being an author even at the young age of nine. As an adult she also shared a passion for textiles, and was a skilled quilter, spinner and weaver. This book, “Purse'averance” was Gwen's first published book, however she is no stranger to authorship. In her lifetime, Gwen has written many short stories, fictional books, poems, and several children's books. Living to almost 80, Gwen enjoyed a life of reading, writing, and enjoying her experiences.

Purse'averance is a fictional read that I was quite fond of. I was able to finish this in one evening. I myself am a lover of accessories and clothing, and liked her creative take on what these objects would say or think if they had their own little souls. I liked how the main character and storyteller is a purse, an accessory that I have always had an strong affinity towards. I also liked how the purse loved her girl/owner, or as the purse refers her affectionately to the reader as, “My Girl.” Women love purses and there seems to always be the one purse that seems to pop out at us and is the one that holds our heart. “My Girl” was at the right place at the right time and saw the unique purse and was drawn to it. Although “My Girl” and purse never spoke to each other, and purse's words were not heard or known by her owner, they shared a bond and a love for each other. When 2 people are supposed to be together, destined to be together, and are separated, even for a long time, they will find each other. Purse and her owner were meant to find each other.

This book is lighthearted, fun, and has a bit of adventure in it. Kidnapping, gossip, friendship, suspense, and romance all packed into one ebook! I recommend this ebook if you are looking for something light to read and want something short but sweet. If you enjoy this book, check out some of Gwen's other works. Gwen's daughter and son in law are actively publishing her writings and sharing the legacy she lived. I received this ebook as a courtesy in exchange for my honest review.

Gwen E. Campbell 1933-2011

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Ozeri Rev Digital Bathroom Scale: Product Review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I received this Ozeri Rev Digital Bathroom Scale promptly after shipment. It was packaged very securely and well padded. The scale was provided with 3 AAA batteries, which is convenient considering our household is always running out of batteries at the most inconvenient times. After removing this scale from the box, I was in awe of how beautiful and classy it is. I am always a fan of white accessories and electronics. The slim profile of the scale is very nice, and the scale is lightweight. I liked the smoothness of the top, and it appears to be easy to wipe clean when needed.

We have had the same boring black matte cheapy scale for about 10 years and it was showing extreme wear and was not pretty in the least bit. Our old bulky scale never was pretty even when new and was heavy to move. The Ozeri scale has a large digital display that is very easy to read with a back light so you can even weigh yourself in the dark. I like the design of this scale, which features a digital reading and a dial reading. The large screen would be good for those with poor eyesight or those who wear corrective lenses. The display automatically turns off to conserve battery life, and stays on for a few seconds after you step off the scale. The dial is electro-mechanical and automatically points to your weight instead of the needle moving back and forth, like on a traditional, non battery operated scale.

I do not have any negative comments about this scale. Here are some features of the scale that are nice attributes, however I do recommend that you take note and added care as they can become small problems if not attended to. You cannot use it in a room that gets very humid or steamy (scale has impact-resistant tempered glass for ideal stability, however take caution when stepping on in a moist area as it is slippery while wet). You do not want to risk getting moisture under the viewing area and potentially damage the scale’s sensors and electronics—it also would look unattractive to have water damage. You cannot use this scale accurately on carpet, not even a low pile rug. (I made this mistake the first day on my low pile rug and wondered why my weight was considerably lower and inaccurate.)

If you like weighing yourself every day, it has a built in alarm that can be activated to remind you it's time to step on it and check your weight. This can be a good thing if you are wanting to be more accurate with weight loss/gain. However, please note that the first night I had this scale, I played around with it pressing buttons and admiring it,and accidentally pressed the 24 hr alarm on the back of the scale. At 4 am the alarm went off loudly. My husband jumped out of bed and asked what alarm was going off. I had no idea what it was so we both got out of bed to investigate. We then realized it was the scale! We made sure to keep the alarm setting off, as we only weigh ourselves once a week in the morning before our showers. For those on strict weight guidelines, this alarm feature is more useful.

I really like this scale and am so happy I was able to review it. I had not heard of this brand, but will now tell others about it who are interested in a top quality, aesthetically pleasing, and accurate scale. I was sent this scale as a product sample in exchange for my honest opinion. I would purchase this on my own in the future for other bathrooms and would definitely recommend this to others.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Bonapiel: Advanced Spot Cream with Salycilic Acid and Rosehip Extract, A Review.

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I had the opportunity to review a product from Bonapiel. This arrived promptly from Amazon and was padded in bubble wrap. At first look, it does seem to come in a small container, but that is usually how high end creams/serums are presented. I realize that this will probably last decently well as it is meant as a spot treatment and not necessarily used all over the face. I like the sleek silver container and the top dispenser pump works well. It is easy and comfortable to hold in my hand. It looks classy and sophisticated.

After trying this cream 2 weeks, this cream is gentle on my face, and does not burn or contain heavy fragrances that would possibly cause irritation or sensitivity. I use it as a spot treatment once a day (in the evening). My routine: Bonapiel Advanced Spot cream: after my makeup has been removed (gently with one of my facial oils--jojoba oil, almond oil or grape seed oil--whichever I have on hand or decide to use), then my face cleansed with oil cleansing method, steamed, cooled, patted dry, and then I tone with lemon witch hazel on cotton. I apply this under my eyes where I have dark circles. I also use this as a spot treatment on acne marks.

It is gradually fading my older red toned acne scars and my complexion is becoming more even in those spots. I have only used this about 2 weeks, so I will not say this is a miracle product---yet. But I have full confidence that this will be beneficial in fading my skin marks and creating a more even and brighter tone to my complexion. In the past year, I have switched to using more natural cosmetics (mineral makeup) and beauty products. I began my journey a year ago and have seen my complexion and hair become more radiant and easier to manage.

I love how Bonapiel is made in the USA, and is formulated with extracts of natural oils such as rose hip oil, and moisturizers such as cocoa and shea butter, providing hydration, radiance and improvement to overall skin color. I had heard of Rosehip oil and of its amazing benefits to skin and complexion, but did not know much more about it. So I decided to connect with my friend Google, and found out that Rosehip oil comes from pods remaining on flowers of wild rose bushes, after once the petals are gone. That sounds really nice, that there are benefits even after the beauty of the flower fades. It reminds me of one of my favorite oils, Calendula oil, that is made from the marigold flowering plant. (Calendula is excellent for scars, irritation, and skin problems.) I am thinking Rosehip oil works similarly. Rosehip contains high levels of Vitamin A, Vitamin C. This advanced spot cream contains Salicylic acid, which is an ingredient used in many acne fighting medications and sometimes is derived from willow bark. It is helpful in drying up acne to reveal clearer skin.

This acne and spot treatment does not contain parabens, dyes or artificial fragrances, nor does it contain Hydroquinone or harmful bleaches. Hydroquinone has recently been banned by the FDA in some formulations (over the counter and prescription) and has been strongly discouraged in some health care circles. One problem with Hydroquinone is that it is a strong skin bleaching that can make skin more sensitive to sunlight and more irritated. This is called photosensitivity. Sunburns and skin damage can easily occur with unprotected use of Hydroquinone or its overuse.

Bonapiel contains shea butter (from the shea tree) which is helpful in preventing wrinkles and stretch marks, and also protects our skin against aging. Shea butter contains Vitamin A and E, which are helpful in preventing wrinkles, healing skin conditions, and eczema.

I really like this cream. It does seem to come in a small container as I mentioned previously, but that is usually how high end creams/serums are presented. I like the sleek silver container and the top dispenser pump works well. It is not messy or greasy to use, and it does not burn or irritate my skin. It does not have a harsh fragrance. I will continue to test out this product and hope to see some fantastic results.


I was not paid for this review, I did receive a sample to test out. These opinions are my own.
For more information about this product or to purchase: (please note: I DO NOT RECEIVE ANY BENEFIT OR PAYMENT IF YOU CLICK ON THE CLICK OR MAKE A PURCHASE) Just wanted to clear that up. :) I am just passing info to you in case you want to try this cream.

For more information about this product or to purchase

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Pure Body Naturals Vitamin C Serum Update and a discount code!!

I love oranges, they are so pretty to look at, and contain Vitamin C! Did you know that there are ways to get Vitamin C absorbed into your skin for added beauty benefits? Vitamin C is super essential for radiant, glowing, complexion and helps your skin repair itself. Vitamin C promotes the production of collagen, a protein that aids in the growth of cells and blood vessels and gives skin firmness and strength.

I have great news! About 2 weeks ago I reviewed an awesome serum for face from Pure Body Naturals that contains Vitamin E and other antioxidants vital to anti-aging. (I Loved it.) I told the company how well it worked (and is still working) for me, and they happily sent a code for my readers to use. But if you are wanting to try it at this super steal of of price you are going to need to hurry, as it is only valid for 2 days! Find it here on Amazon.

Click Here for the Serum


Code is only valid from 2/18/14 9am PST to 2/19/14 11.59pm PST.

Simply enter code at checkout to get 35% off! I am telling you this is a steal of a deal which makes it a little over $16.00!

Code to enter: J3AKEFSA


I am 31, and will be 32 in May. I do not have wrinkles or age spots, however I have had a bit of a muscle wrinkle (not a line) in between my eyebrows. It really had been hardly noticeable, and most people would not know it is there----but I have been self conscious about it for a while and see it daily. My husband knows how I feel about this little area, and knew I had been trying a new serum on my face. He did not know that I had been using it between my brows as well. About 2 weeks into using this, he said "do you use that serum right there? (between my brows) It looks smoother." I looked in the mirror and had to agree. It was not completely gone, but definitely smoother and not as noticeable. It was only 2 weeks! (I use my serum 2 times a day after facial cleansing and toning) He said to me he wants to start using it as well. He has wrinkle lines on his forehead and some frown lines and small areas around his eyes. We both like how this is natural, non greasy and made in the USA. It is alcohol free, paraban free, and FDA certified. Read more about my review of the product:


Click Here for my review of this Serum

I wanted to update everyone on how it is working for me and pass some savings along. I hope you try this serum. I am not saying it will work for you personally, however am reporting how it has worked wonderfully for me. I was not paid for this review, but was sent a free sample in exchange for my honest opinion. I am not one to spend lots of money on anti-aging cosmetics, but this is a product that is so far working nicely for me, and feels great on my skin. I hope to keep using it.

REVIEW: Self Confidence: How To Overcome Shyness, Worry And Boost Your Self-Esteem by Anastasia Verg (ebook review)

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.



I had the opportunity to read an ebook by Anastasia Verg. She has a background working with many people ranging from elderly, children of all ages, the aged, and disabled. She has been a social worker and lives by the creed "to be able to assist as many people as possible and help them overcome their problems." That is a beautiful statement showcasing her benevolence for humanity. The book was a quick read and she had some great points on how to improve self esteem, self love, and self worth. Many of her points were aspects of self improvement that we all know, but do not always follow. I have always been a shy person, and have not always been the most self confident, so I decided to see what she recommended.

I agreed with most all of Verg's points on improving one's self outlooks. Positive affirmations are important as they help us believe that we are of value and affirmations do strengthen our confidence. I agree that by daily proclaiming positive characteristics in front of a mirror, we are growing and improving our self confidence. If we believe we have value, then others will be more likely to view us in high regard as well. We must love ourselves.

The only part of the ebook I did not completely agree with was the beginning part where she stated that improving external appearance was a big factor in self esteem. I agree, we need to have proper hygiene, and not offend others with body odor, unkempt appearance, and poor grooming habits.

The author mentioned that "instead of glasses, you should wear contacts." I have to disagree. There are many people, even celebrities, that look amazing and sexy in glasses (Johnny Depp, Nicole Kidman, Matt Bomer, Ryan Gosling, Tina Fey, Meryl Streep, and others). Some people that wear glasses are not able to wear contacts, due to their prescription strength or they just do not like touching their eyes to put contacts in. I myself wear contacts, but that is my personal choice as I hate wearing glasses in the rain and getting my glasses fogged or smudged. I wore glasses from third grade until my first year in college. I always wore trendy or designer ones, and made sure they fit my face shape correctly. I definitely wanted to wear contacts, but when finally given a chance in high school, I tried for almost an hour at the eye doctors, trying to put them in and failed. I had a hard time touching my eye and putting something in it, so left the office with glasses. I tried contacts a third time in my first year of college, and finally was able to put them in withing minutes. I was super happy. I now wear contacts almost exclusively and can put them in within seconds without a mirror. But just because I wear contacts instead of glasses, doe not mean I am swarming with friends and have super confidence. I felt that the statement "instead of glasses, you should wear contacts" was a bit unfair for people to be urged to switch from glasses to contacts in order to improve their appearance, make them more attractive to others, and have a better chance at bettering their self esteem.

I did agree that smiling is vital, as it makes you more approachable and likeable. Smiling shows others that you are fun to be around, and a nice person. No one wants to be around a gloomy, angry or negative person.

The only other negatives I found (in my opinion) about the ebook was the part on fashion/clothing and tanning. Not everyone can afford or wear designer or highly fashionable clothing. Some body sizes have limited selection for fashion. I am not skinny by any means, but am not excessively overweight either. However, I have noticed that sizes that are much bigger than me seem to have more frumpy styles available. (Which is not fair to them). I wear about a size 16 pre-pregnancy (and am reasonably tall at 5' 9) (I am currently 30 weeks pregnant). I luckily can easily find clothing at the Gap, Banana Republic, and other fashionable stores, but ladies who are sizes 20 and above have limited choices for fashion. Usually trendier stores stop carrying sizes 18 and above. So just because a larger plus size person is wearing clothes that are not fashionable, does not mean they are destined to be friendless or have low self esteem.

I agree that it is important to match / coordinate your clothing. It is also important to not go out with stains, holes, wrinkles or dirty attire. I also agree with what the author about wearing things that are appropriately fitting (not wearing things too loose or too tight). I was just a bit surprised at a list of fashion dos and don'ts in a self esteem book.

The author mentioned tanning, and yes it is controversial. I have always loved my creamy ivory skintone, brown eyes, and dark brown almost black hair (think vintage/pin up style icon Dita Von Teese skin, or actress Zooey Deschanel--not saying I look like them at all, I just have similar skin tone and hair color). I have always been against tanning for me personally, as it seems to make skin age faster, cause wrinkles, and even cause skin cancer. I did tan for 2 weeks prior to my wedding, but that was a one time thing.

The author says "you shouldn't look very pale. Try to make your skin a little brown." I disagree on this as I feel it is just an opinion, and not vital to improving ones self esteem or chances of being accepted by others. I felt that the author emphasized outward appearance a little too much in this ebook. If someone wants to wear bronzer, or go to a tanning bed, that is completely their choice, but does not make them more likeable, popular, or approachable. I do agree/feel that the basics of good grooming (being clean, brushing teeth, having a neat appearance, and not having body odor) is vital to being approachable/likeable and helpful to improving self esteem.

Other than those points that I mentioned above, I agree with what the author wrote about in improving one's self. Loving your self is important, self affirmations, overcoming insecurities, believing in yourself, and not worrying, all are good rules to live by. Check out more info about the author and her writings.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Pharmacy discount card review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I was given the opportunity to review a printable discount card for prescription medication. The particular one I used was Medication Discount Card. I could not find a fuller name for this company so it may be confusing until you look at their website, since the name is quite simple/generic. This discount card claims it will save you up to 75% off of the cash price of your (or apparently your pet's) prescriptions. The card also does not expire.

Here is a link to the actual website:

click here for more info about this printable discount card

We have had Cigna Great West for about 4 years with my husband's company but recently they are switching things around and last week we lost insurance coverage as they will no longer provide insurance. So right now we have no insurance. It is quite scary especially with me being in my third trimester, expecting baby 2 in April.

My daughter is 3, and has had some bacterical sinus / bronchial infection for about a month. She was prescribed Amoxicillin Suspension 400/5ml to be taken at 1 1/2 tsp. twice a day for 10 days. I was worried about how she would handle taking it as she has never had any prescription medicine in her life. She has only had infant tylenol, and even then, only about twice. She was a breastfed baby until 20 months so stayed quite healthy as an infant.

The medicine was a bright pink, Peptol Bismol color and had a fruity smell. We have been giving her the doses in a sturdy medicine spoon that was given free with her medicine (love this spoon istead of using a medicine dosing syringe as we had previously with infant tylenol). Amazingly she said "mmm yummy pink!" after her first dose. That was a relief. Anyway...back to the review of the savings card.

We always go to Walgreens and so had this filled there. The medicine would have been about $5 if we had our Cigna Great West insurance still. The regular cost of this generic is $27.99 for a 10 day supply. I spoke briefly with the pharmacist at the counter and told her about how we are now without an insurance card and showed her my printed medicine discount card (it is a paper card--and if I continue using this card, I will definitely laminate it as it is just a paper card and not a thick glossy card like my Cigna one was). She said she has seen several versions of these free printable cards and I asked her if mine was better than others she has seen. She said many are similar and it really depends on the type of medicine(s) you are getting as to which card is best. She explained to me that Walgreens has their own savings card for prescriptions but it is a yearly cost of $35 per family or $20 per individual, and then the cost of the actual prescription. For our daughter's prescription, if we used a Walgreens savings card it would be $7.50. She said this medicine card is about that price.

She said for someone like us who rarely fills medicines in the pharmacy, this printed discount card would probably be a fine option so we would not have to pay a yearly fee. She looked at our account, and we only had 2 other prescriptions filled in the last year for our family of 3. I myself have been taking mainly prenatal vitamins for the past 4 years (before we tried to get pregnant, while I was pregnant, while I was breastfeeding and now currently). My prenatal vitamins (a set of prenatal with iron and dha) are over the counter and about $10-13 a month. Sometimes I find a coupon for $5-10 dollars off that which makes them very reasonable. Neither I nor my husband have ongoing prescriptions. As mentioned, our family of 3 filled only 2 prescriptions in the past year.

I would really like to have had insurance when walking into the pharmacy as that just helps make us feel more confident in pricing and overall calm our nerves about not having insurance for upcoming doctors visits and the hospital. This card is solely for medications and not for doctors visits, so may not be as beneficial to our particular family. We are hopefully going to get a reasonable insurance company soon. As of right now with my husband changing jobs and the new company not paying much if any, we are unsure what we will do. For now we will use this card as it does not have a yearly fee (like our local Walgreens).

Please note that this is not an insurance card and cannot be used to reduce your copay. This is a helpful card to use if you do not have insurance or for drugs/vitamins not covered by insurance. I want to mention that not every drug will be covered for a discount with this card. I am only speaking my experience with this one generic medication. Luckily our family does not have many prescriptions a year. For us, the big issue we need to take care of is paying for upcoming doctors and hospital visits.

click here for more info about this printable discount card

Please note, that there are numerous types of these online free discount prescription cards and that you need to select based on the medications you and your family use. I want to mention this particular website does have a list of medicines they include in their coverage. I am not sure if this is standard of other freebie discount cards, but I found it helpful and am sure others would as well. They also have a place to estimate the savings of a particular medicine as well.


click here for more info about looking up an estimated price or savings


click here for more info about checking to see if your medicine is listed with this card

I do think the card should have a more recognizable name, as when I spoke to the pharmacist lady, she was unsure which card it was until I was able to show her. The card does look similar to a regular insurance card as it does have the usual BIN, PCN, GROUP AND MEMBER ID numbers on it. I want to mention that with a regular card such as Humana, Cigna, AARP, or whatever it is, having a name other than "medical discount card" would be easier to explain to someone as to what company it is. (if that makes sense). An example would be something like "Smith's Discount Prescription Card" or something. (I just made that company up, as I am sure that is not a name of one, but am just trying to explain that it would be easier to know which card I was referring to if it had an actual name.)



I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Light Spectrums: A Collection of Poetry, ebook review.

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I had the opportunity to review an ebook by Jessica Fugua. She is a mommy blogger and poety author. I came across her work on Smashwords website and being a lover of poety myself, I wanted to do a review on Light Spectrums. This is a short but sweet collection of poety forms including Haiku's, Sonnets, and other types. This particular collection is a celebration of Springtime, nature and themes of the heart and soul.

My particular favorites were "Dandelion", "Like You Were", and "If My Heart Were a Flower". The author delights the reader with short writings of a dreamlike state of awe and wonderment at the beauty of nature and surroundings. A passionate lover of nature, especially of flowers and animals, immersing herself in the complete flora and fauna experience by photographing, painting and writing. A good read. You can find out more about her and her writings at
Shatterlion Jessica Fugua Author Info

This ebook is available on Smashbooks and can be found on Amazon.com

Light Spectrums on Smashbook

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Pine Bros Softish Throat Drops, a review.

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. I had the opportunity to try out a product that I have not previously heard of before. It is a throat lozenge called Pine Bros Softish Throat Drops. Here are my thoughts on this product.

I was able to choose from three available flavors or a mix of the 3. These flavors are wild cherry, natural honey, and black licorice. I chose wild cherry. I am now kicking myself for not requesting all 3 in a mix to try. I would have liked to test out the natural honey so I could compare these to my usual favorite honey throat drop from Burt's Bees. Also my husband mentioned he would have loved to try the black licorice, as he is a fan of licorice tea (it is soothing to his stomach and helps his heartburn). I told him I will look locally at our Walgreens drugstore or Kroger grocery store to check for the licorice and get him some, and if I cannot find them locally, I will purchase from Amazon.

I checked the Pine Bros website, and after watching a short but sweet video review by Martha Stewart, I checked out their product info, a brief little history, and saw a sneak peak of a new flavor called lemon citrus. This new flavor debuts in 2015. This should be a popular flavor as lemon drops always seem to help me when my throat is sore and needs soothing.

Pine Bros is not a new company, they have been around since 1870! J. Herman Pine and his brother started selling these drops, known as their "Glycerine Tablets". (info from their website) He was a German confectioner who came across the idea of combining the soothing natural qualities of glycerin with the healing properties of gum acacia. I had not heard of gum acacia, so I looked it up and found some rather interesting facts/history about it. Gum acacia has been used in the past in traditional medicines, and Egyptians used the material as a glue and as a pain-relieving base. It has properties of healing and soothing. Arabic medicine had used it for the treatment of gums, and it is thought that this was house it got the name of "gum". It has been said to help prevent some forms of mouth bacteria and periodontal disease. Even chewing gum with this ingredient can have a positive effect on preventing bacteria, plaque and gingivitis! I was truly impressed with this bit of info as I never would have thought a cough drop may have these benefits. Anyway, back to Mr. Pine and his brother...

Mr. Pine, who was very skilled in his craft, also seemed to be a great guy in personality and modesty as well. He cared more about the people he was helping, much more than making a living or profit from his ventures. He was very successful, and his lozenges were soothing and grew in popularity. In 1930 his company was acquired by Life Savers, but in 1970, it was sold and re-acquired a few times over and changes were made and shortcuts were taken. Sales waned and the product was sold over seas and failing.

But this story does not continue downhill for the product. A woman who was the creator of Airborne had a mission to bring this amazing product back to its former life and was able to get original Pine Bros recipes and recreate the packaging to be classic yet modern and attractive. These throat drops were reintroduced in 2011 in the USA, natural, and made in America finally again.

To review the product, I am pleased with the drops. They were not too sweet, but had a slight tart (not sour) flavor of cherry. I received 3 bags of these cherry drops and 3 round travel/purse/pocket size cases of the cherry. I love the plastic screw on lid cases. They seem like they would be safe to put in a purse or bag without the worry of them spilling out and perhaps melting in a corner of the bag or sticking to something. They are definitely "softish", a funny but accurate description. They start out as a hard drop, and finish almost as a hard gummy. I was not fond of chewing them, as they were hard to chew without getting stuck in my teeth. I did see the label said they are best when not chewed. However, I still wanted to try as I am fond of gummy treats.

My husband tried these as well and said he liked them a lot and found them to be pleasant tasting. He and I agreed that chewing them is not a great idea. We will be purchasing the honey and the licorice in the near future to try out.

These are available online at Walgreens.com, Amazon.com and other various places. I am hoping we luck out and find some locally as well. Check out http://www.pinebrothers.com/ for more information about this great company!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Pure Body Naturals Vitamin C Serum, a review.

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I ordered this product from Amazon after reading about the product from the company. I received a coupon code to use for a sample bottle of this product in exchange for my honest and full review. I was not paid for this review.

I was intrigued about the healing and anti-aging properties of Vitamin C a few months back when I was looking at various naturalistic ways to improve my overall appearance of skin tone and complexion. I had always known drinking water, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, and getting plenty of rest can make a big difference in not only overall health, but also our skin. But I was unaware that Vitamin C was a big factor in the production of collagen, a protein that aids in the growth of cells and blood vessels and gives skin firmness and strength. When we get older, the production of collagen begins to slow down and cell structures start losing their strength. Skin starts to become less elastic, less firm and tight, and wrinkles begin to form.

I am 31, so do not have wrinkles, but I do see small problem areas around my eyes with dark circles and some slight loss of tightness. I drink moistly plain bottled water, or lightly sweetened ice tea with lots of lemon. (how much lemon?, well when I go to a restaurant, I order a small dish of about 6-8 slices of lemon--yes I love lemon in my tea!) I rarely drink soft drinks or other high sugar drinks.

I love eating vegetables and plenty of fruits. Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruit, and lemons contain a huge content of Vitamin C. Some other sources of Vitamin C come from broccoli, strawberries (always my favorite!), baked potatoes and tomatoes. I eat a lot of tomatoes in the summer time as we always plant several tomato plants. A great summer lunch (and a way to pack in some vitamin c) is a thick juicy garden tomato slice (or 2) with lean bacon, some light olive oil mayo on toasted homemade bread. YUM.....

Vitamin C also helps your skin repair itself. Skin will become rough and dry if it is not treated with care and given proper nutrients. It is important to refresh your body and skin internally with water and Vitamin C. Vitamin C is vital to sun protection. It aids in protecting our skin from free radicals which we develop due to excess over exposure to the sun and environmental pollutants. Please wear sunscreen all year round, even if you cannot see the sun actively shining down, and please do not go to tanning beds. Excessive over exposure to harmful sun rays damages skin over time and can cause premature aging. Also please do not smoke, as it lowers the absorption of Vitamin C and speeds up aging. It also (in my opinion) smells terrible and is near impossible to get the smell out of a leather bag or jacket....

I ordered the Pure Body Naturals Vitamin C serum at 1 pm, and the next day it arrived to me. I do have Amazon Prime, however, that usually takes 2 days and is not usually next day arrival. I was super excited to test this out. It was well padded with bubble wrap and a sturdy box. The serum is housed in a dark glass bottle which I prefer, and came with a dropper to screw on. The importance of putting products (serums/essential oils, etc.) in dark glass bottles (such as an amber or dark blue colored glass) is helpful for preserving the ingredients of light sensitive products.

I waited till that evening to apply the serum. I first wash my face with the oil cleansing method at night, using either jojoba, sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, or apricot kernal oil to remove my makeup. I have a variety of these oils so I just use what I am in the mood for or have on hand, these all work well for combination to oily skin as they are light and glide well without being heavy. I have seen such wonderful results with this method. My skin is clearer, smoother, and little to no acne.

I first warm the oil up in my hands and then smooth it gently over my cheeks, eyes, forehead, etc. This loosens up dirt, oil, and makeup. I then add some warm water to my face and keep gently massaging until the oil has removed my makeup and my face is ready to oil cleanse. I wear black mascara, bb cream, bare minerals matte mineral foundation, blush and eye shadow daily so I have a full face of make up to remove. Some days I have on waterproof black eyeliner in a 60's cat eye style and those days my removal takes a step longer. Once my face is clean of make up, I put another small amount of oil on my face and massage well, but lightly. I then turn on the water at the sink and get my wash cloth really hot (turn off the water please to conserve) and squeeze out excess water from the hot cloth. I let it steam over my oiled face till the cloth is cooled. The steam really opens my pores and the dirt is lifted out. My nose and upper cheeks have large pores that are prone to blackheads, so this is how I help with prevention. I then gently wipe the oil away and rinse the washcloth out again with hot water and repeat 1-2 times depending on my level of need, then pat with a cold wash cloth to close the pores. Afterwards, my skin looks and feels amazing. It is smooth and my pores are clear. I then add 100% aloe (alcohol free, color free) to my face. However, since trying the Serum, I have started using the serum instead of the aloe. It contains Vitamin C + E + Hyaluronic Acid. It feels very nice on my skin and is not greasy. It instantly soaks into my skin and feels like the aloe does. It has no fragrance and it seems like it would work well with those who are sensitive to fragrances or certain cosmetics as it feels very light and gentle. It did not leave my fingers or hands sticky.

I apply this at night in 2-3 drops (each side of face) over my cheeks and eye area, 2-3 drops on my forehead, 2-3 on my neck (please do not forget the neck!) and 2-3 on my cleavage area as I am a side sleeper. (I also recommend getting some sort of cleavage pillow to wear in between your cleavage at night if you are a woman side sleeper concerned about wrinkles on your chest area.)

In the morning, after my shower, (I wash my face with Dr. Bronners Lavender Castile Soap in the shower) I apply the same amount of drops to the above mentioned areas as well. This serum is high quality and I am sure works well with one time a day application, however, I really like the way it makes my face look and feel so I personally use it twice a day. I will continue using this Pure Body Naturals product until it runs out and will be considering a purchase on my own.



You can check out this fantastic serum on Amazon.



I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.