Tiny Drops of Honey...This Mommy's Sweet Life: March 2016

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Brooklyn Bean Roastery 40 ct. Sampler of Kcup Coffee Review and Giveaway!

I had the opportunity to review a coffee k-cup variety pack from Brooklyn Bean Roastery. This is a 40 ct. pack of kcups that contains a delicious and top quality assortment of light roast, flavored, medium and bold coffee varieties. These arrive in a sturdy cardboard box that looks nice enough to sit on your counter.

Right now I am enjoying an iced coffee (Coney Island Caramel) as I write this post.

This is how I prepared my coffee for ultimate happiness...

I brew the deliciously decadent brew into my favorite Mucky Duck mug (have you ever been there? It is a great classic spot for good eatin’ if you are ever vacationing in Florida…)

I then get a tall glass (I am fond of the vintage and sadly discontinued, Pom Wonderful glasses) and fill with ice, then I added Coconut Vanilla Almond milk and Pure (completely non alcoholic---yes they DO make it) Vanilla Extract. I finish this with a stainless steel straw (serious frost factor here—get some of these straws!) and sip away.

Now, if you are able to wait for your coffee goodness (sometimes I am patient, and remember to do this important step the night before) you can brew a kcup of a favorite flavored (or non flavored) variety, pour the coffee into a silicone ice cube tray mold and the next morning have wonderful coffee igloo bricks to put into the blender. This makes a blended ice treat that will rock your morning I assure you, and it is cheaper than a barista drink. Doing it this way is highly recommended, as the coffee is cold and not watered down by any ice when the hot lava coffee is added. Coffee then gets watered down and is not as strong, hence why my glass (below on the table with gnome and pig looking onward) is a tad watery and thin. But trust me, it still is delicious as I write this.

I then add in 1% milk or as Almond Milk (today was the Vanilla Almond / Coconut milk) and I blend until thick and the consistency of a milk shake, and then pour into a glass. I like to top it with either some dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips or pure cacao powder.

Today I went with simple and poured over ice (or as I call it quiet, yet still delicious). The 2 little ones were asleep and since the kitchen is in the middle of the house and between both bedrooms (of our small, 100 year old vintage Craftsman Cottage with thin walls) I really did not want to risk waking them with my Ninja Blender. (My 5 year old RARELY takes a nap). I enjoy both methods of cold coffee.

I do enjoy a hot cup o java at times (in beautiful, never boring beige, AKA lots of creamer), but mainly iced in some sort of way. My husband enjoys his coffee hot all year round (lava hot shall we say?) and has about 2-3 cups each day. He drinks his coffee with 2 Splenda packets and some creamer in his pinecone (artist printed) pottery mug (I found it for him on Etsy a few years back). It is in the dishwasher currently, otherwise I would snap a picture for you.

The Brooklyn Bean 40 kcup variety is a great way to familiarize with the brand and flavors, giving you an idea of what your favorites are. I love how you can get an entire box of 40 in one flavor if you so choose. My husband enjoys the breakfast / light roast blends and medium varieties best. We both like flavored coffees with his favorite being Hazelnut and Oh Fudge.

Hazelnut is, as you would hope, slightly sweet and nutty. Oh Fudge is a chocolate lovers dream, it is creamy with chocolate rich decadent undertones but will not fluff up your waistline. This box also contains Express-O, which is just as it sounds, it is an Expresso roast, (extra bold/dark) and will give you a boost if you are sluggish and sleepy. My husband needs extra caffeine brews when it is late at night (or dark) and he is trying to drive the family home. He seems so sleep deprived most of the time that the moment it is even slightly dark (even as early as 6:30 pm in the winter evenings, he will get droopy eyed, and scarily not safe to drive). My favorites are the Coney Island Caramel, Oh Fudge, and the sweet spark of spice infused, Cinnamon Subway, but really, you cannot go wrong with any of these that Brooklyn Beans has chosen for this sampler. Nothing is dull or bitter.

I have had the pleasure of sampling and reviewing this company in the past, and they are nothing short of fantastic. Brooklyn Beans uses the highest quality of 100% Arabica coffee beans. They use the "Revolutionary Roast2Cup" processing for extra freshness and premium flavor. This guarantees you a freshly brewed cup every time. I love how they are proudly crafted in the USA. These compatible with your Keurig K-Cup coffee machines, including the new 2.0 version.

In this 40 ct. variety you receive a happy mix of brews. When I have reviewed samplers from this company in the past, I notice it is often a random assortment, and so when you re-purchase, you may get more of a certain flavor than others. I have not really found this an issue, as I never have actually counted how many I have gotten of certain varieties. My husband usually dig into the box as soon as the mailman delivers it. (Hence the fact I was not so careful in opening the handy dispenser tab at the bottom--oops, it tore a bit. It still sure is a pretty box of brews!

The company has sponsored a FREE giveaway to one of my lucky readers. If you are the winner, you will get a 40 ct. sampler GRATIS! Too cool right? The giveaway begins March 25th.

Breakfast Blend
Boardwalk Blend-light roast
Colombian Blend-medium roast
Brooklyn Bridge Blend-medium roast
Corner Donut Shop-medium roast extra bold
French Roast-dark roast
Cyclone-dark roast
Fuhgeddaboutit-dark roast extra bold
Express o-espresso roast
Oh Fudge
Maple Sleigh
Hazelnut
Coney Island CaramelCinnamon Subway
Vanilla Skyline

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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To Learn more about this company and their selection of coffee, you can find them on their website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation for a product review and/or link to any products or services from this blog. I am always honest in my opinions and never promise a positive review. I only recommend products or services that I feel are beneficial to my family and my lovely readers. I enjoy testing out items and giving my readers an honest and descriptive account of how a product functions. My personal experience or view of an item may differ than yours.

Tiny Drops of Honey is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. You pay the exact same price for any and all products you order through my links, but I receive a small commission. I am a stay at home mommy and any commissions I receive help support my little ones.

Tiny Drops of Honey receives products in order to conduct reviews. No monetary compensation was provided unless noted otherwise. This post was sponsored with compensation, however as always, all opinions are 100% my own. Some posts may contain affiliate links that I receive commission for payment from in exchange for referrals. In the event of a giveaway, the sponsor is responsible for delivery of the prize, unless otherwise noted in the posting. Giveaways are not sponsored by Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or any other social media site.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Garnier Olia Hair Color Dark Blond 7.0 Review

For those that read my blog regularly, you know I am not one to use chemicals in our household cleaners, bath, body, or hair care products. I have been sulfate free for 3 years+ and have been using natural body care products for about the same time as well. I used to use at home hair color on my hair about once per month to cover a few premature grey, but have been using Henna, Indigo and Amla for the past 2 years.

My husband cannot stand the smell of Henna (it smells very earthly and like hay and herbs) and he refuses to deal with the mess (true, it is very messy as it is basically like putting mud in your hair and leaving it in for 4-8 hours). I love the results of healthier, softer, fuller hair and how it is chemical free, so I deal with the messy, smelly, time consuming aspects of it.

My husband wants easy, (easy to apply, easy to clean up, etc.) and he is not as patient. I had heard about Olia hair color a few years ago and had tried it once when I was using chemical based, at home colorants. As I am a participant of CrowdTap, I was selected as one of the evaluators of Olia hair color (sent to us free for review) and we selected for my husband to test the product and provide his / our honest opinion.

I love that it has a gentler formula and ingredients than other traditional store bought, at home hair colors. I personally use oils to cleanse and condition my face and hair. The Olia Hair Color is made up of a 60% oil blend, with natural botanical oils in the colorant. It does not have a chemical smell and seems like it is gentler. My husband colors his hair every few months and so far likes this product. He used 7.0 Dark Blond. Please be aware that this does still have chemicals and sadly the oils are found at the end of the ingredient list, which leads me to assume they are less potent in the formulation. I am not fond of the high amount of chemicals in this color.

Ingredients

Colorant: Paraffinum Liquidum/Mineral Oil/Huile Minerale, Aqua/Water/Eau, Ethanolamine, Steareth-20, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Polysorbate 21, Toluene-2,5-Diamine, Steareth-2, Resorcinol, Parfum/Fragrance, M-Aminophenol, 2,4-Diaminophenoxyethanol Hcl, Sodium Metabisulfite, N,N-Bis(2-Hydroxyethyl)-P-Phenylenediamine Sulfate, Ascorbic Acid, Edta, Polyquaternium-67, Hydroxybenzomorpholine, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil/Sunflower Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil/Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Passiflora Incarnata/Passiflora Incarnata Seed Oil, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Thioglycerin

After Color Conditioner: Aqua/Water/Eau, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cetyl Esters, Amodimethicone, Parfum/Fragrance, Isopropyl Alcohol, Trideceth-6, Citric Acid, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Cetrimonium Chloride

Developer: Aqua/Water/Eau, Paraffinum Liquidum/Mineral Oil/Huile Minerale, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrogen Peroxide, Steareth-20, Peg-4 Rapeseedamide, Glycerin, Polyquaternium-6, Hexadimethrine Chloride, Tocopherol, Pentasodium Pentetate, Sodium Stannate, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Phosphoric Acid

He has only had this on his hair for less than a week. I am concerned that the color will fade quickly as it is mixed with oils. With Henna it is advised to not mix with oils or condition with oils as it will not allow the color to deposit on the hair as strong or last as long. When doing Henna (I always use body art quality, pure henna from an Indian grocery or trusted seller) I always apply to freshly washed, unconditioned hair, immediately after washing so my hair will accept the henna with no issues.

Here is what Garner Olia claims with their product:

Visibly improves and restores hair as the oils help to reverse roughness and dullness for more brilliant, dimensional color and softer, shinier hair with bounce.

· Pure, vivid, long-lasting color · Softer, shinier hair with bounce · 100% gray coverage · No ammonia

· Pleasant fragrance · Non-drip velvet cream · Optimal comfort during application

As for application, my husband says this was easy to apply, however he was not fond of the bottle applicator as it was a bit awkward to hold. He would have preferred a different applicator tip, such as ones he has used with more than one hole, such as a comb tip. This is just his preference.

He liked the pleasant fragrance while applying the color, and did not feel he had to have the bathroom fan on. The product needed less than 30 minutes to leave on his hair and was easy to rinse out. He has told me that there was no color run in the shower when washing his hair within 48 hours later. He liked this color and said he might try it again.

This review was our honest evaluation, the color was sent to him complimentary and neither of us received any compensation other than his sample box.

This Olia hair color product is available on Amazon.

We liked the black gloves, they did rip a little, but were nicer than usual gloves in these type of at home kits.

This is my husband's natural hair color, which is a golden beige blond. He has finely textured, naturally curly hair.

This had a pleasant fragrance during application and during developing.

After rinsing out the Dark Blond 7.0 Olia color. My husband and I agree that the color looks a little more auburn than we we hoping and expecting. This was taken in the evening, under a fluorescent lighting fixture in our bathroom.

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Loofah Bath Sponge Lace Set by Shower Bouquet Review

*Shower Bouquet sent me a 4 pack of their lace bath puffs to review and this is my honest opinion, please also note that this was a sponsored post. The following is my own personal experience.*

I have used a shower puff for several years, probably nearing 15 years or more (obviously not the same one! ha!). I find that they assist whatever body wash or soap I am using to create more lather. Since I have been sulfate free for about 3 years or more, the soaps I use are generally lower in lather and frothy goodness since they do not contain chemical detergents and sulfates.

I realize that foam and suds are not what get you clean, but it is a nice experience to have some foam when cleansing my body. My 2 children and I use castile soap mainly for our body, and I occasionally use a natural, skin nourishing saponified coconut oil, shea butter soap (I like Nubian Heritage Coconut and Papaya Soap as well as homemade soaps from small business owners on Etsy).

There is a lady on Ebay (Special Needs Natural Soaps) that really has some fantastic soaps, and she uses higher quality oils and botanical ingredients. Please note, neither company knows I am endorsing them, and I have purchased their soaps full price and keep returning. They are just fantastic products.

Getting natural based soaps to foam up in my hand or while washing my body with the bar, is not generally a overly sudsy experience, and so I am loving using a bath puff. I was recently sent a 4 pack of lace ones which was a new experience for me. The company is Shower Bouquet. They actually look exactly like the mesh ones I have purchased in the past, however they have a lace edge that is meant for extra exfoliation and a bit of extra luxury.

I like how these are soft enough for our whole family, yet still give us a satisfactory clean. I use the blue one on our almost 2 year old toddler son. My 5 year old daughter has the purple one, mine is the pink, and my husband uses the yellow one.

I like the appearance of them and they seem to work well. I am not fond of the ribbon loop handle as I do prefer a rope for extra security when held and durability. These are said to be a large size puff, but I did not find them to be any larger than ones I have used previously. I still use this daily and it has not unraveled or become damaged. I have not yet put it into the washing machine so I cannot comment on how it will hold up (I always wash my shower puffs in a delicates/bra bag in the wash once per month or more frequently when needed.)

To learn more about this product, you can find the company on Facebook. These lace puffs are available on Amazon. Shower Bouquet sent me a 4 pack to review and this is my honest opinion, this was a sponsored post.

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