Bring The Spa Home For Less This Valentine's Day

One of the things I'm sure many moms can agree on is that we never take enough for ourselves. We are constantly trying to shuttle kids around, cook, clean, tackling mountains of laundry, and we tend to feel frazzled by dinnertime. Going to a spa sounds like a great idea, but the reality is that it's just not doable for most of us. Besides the cost involved, there is that time issue. Well why not bring the spa home to you? 

By having some simple items, you can feel pampered and relaxed without stepping foot outside of your home.

The Home Spa Treatment System by Instrumental Beauty is a great first step. This amazing tool is a 4-in-1 and is made for your body, face and feet. It has 4 attachment heads that include an over-sized rotary brush for the body, smaller one for face, a micro-dermabrasion sponge and a pedi smoothing stone.

This tool come with 4 AA batteries and packs a lot of power. It is a great way to feel like you had a mini spa session. It scrubs away dead skin to reveal your natural glow and to restore smoothness. I keep mine on the side of my tub for daily use, because why not! This home spa system can be purchased for only $30. I know you or someone you love is worth that. I'm sure you will not get any type of spa service for that price. Also to go along with your spa system, you need a good bath and shower gel. The Yardley Lavender and Rosemary is perfect! It is made with lavender essential oil and will calm your senses. At only $4.99, it's a great value. Definitely way less than the boutique brands, and just as effective. It's available at Walgreens, Rite-Aid, Publix and more.

Make sure you don't forget your lips. Yes, even your lips should be pampered. Lypsyl Ultra Soothing lip balm is a simple way to make your lips kissably soft and smooth. Formulated from all-natural, pure Swedish beeswax, and a combination of natural and therapeutic ingredients like organic Shea butter, coconut oil, Vitamin E and Vitamin A, Lypsyl provides unsurpassed moisture and lip protection. It’s only $2.99 and comes in Chamomile & Honey or Original Mint. You can purchase it at Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Rite-Aid and other retailers nationwide.

These items would make a great gift for Valentine's Day or as a just because gift. I'm thinking ahead of Mother's Day as well. Don't forget your co-workers, moms, sisters, girlfriends, teachers and YOURSELF!

I received product samples in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own as always.  

Keeping Up With Your Exercise Goals Without Accidents #TryImpressa

Today's post is sponsored by Poise, but all opinions are my own

We just started the second month of 2016 and I am doing my best to keep up with a healthy routine that includes a good diet, drinking tons of water and exercising as much as I can. I admit, I have had several slip-ups and have to get myself back on track. One road-block, or what feels like one, is in the exercise department. It's not that I don't want to do it or don't have the motivation,  it's something totally embarrassing. Sometimes when I run on the treadmill or jump on the trampoline... well... I leak a little pee. There, I said it! I feel a slight urge that I need to go, but it's a leak. It is best known as Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI). Thirty-five million women experience SUI, a common type of bladder leakage, which can be triggered by coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting or even exercise. UGH!

So what do you do about a problem like this? It's actually easy. You run to Walmart to the feminine products aisle and grab a Poise Impressa Bladder Support Sizing Kit. Yeah, I know it doesn't sound sexy at all, but let me tell you, this can be the answer! This product by Poise is made to be used like you would a tampon and can help prevent leaks from happening in the first place. Genius, huh? The Poise Impressa sizing kit comes with 2 of all 3 sizes to help you figure out what size you actually need. Note: they do not absorb like a tampon would since they are designed exclusively to help prevent light bladder leakage.

I am so happy that there is a solution that can give you back your freedom to be as active as you'd like. Oh, and just in the event you have to cough, sneeze or laugh. My daughters have a little joke that every time we start telling stories and I am about to break out into laughter, they ask, "Do you have your Poise?". I have come to the point of having no shame about what is happening to my body. I am lucky that this product works for me. I suggest you give it a try for yourself. If you have any doubts, you can discuss it with your doctor. Also be sure to grab a coupon here. 

Check out this short video of these women sharing their stories.


For more details about Impressa, visit their website and be sure to follow Poise on Facebook and Twitter for product promotions and updates.

Home Cleaning as a Life Lesson for Kids

Home cleaning can be both a blessing and a trial, especially if children are involved. But what you have never thought of is making your kids a part of the home cleaning process and making it both productive and fun for all parties involved. Kids can despise cleaning, yes, especially since it goes against everything they are investing every single waking moment in: making messes and not cleaning up after themselves. But when it comes to the greater good, you should try and make them compromise for the one cleaning and help you with it – and the results can be uncanny.

Roleplay
One way to get children really invested in helping you get the home clean is giving them roles. Make it a game for them, have them do assignments and give them rewards – this is how they spend their video game time, so they should be accustomed to doing it, but only this time their own imagination will be in charge of keeping them entertained. Give your son “missions” and your daughter “responsibilities” and see how they change and act their parts to fulfil the given assignment.

Dress-up
You can combine the roleplay with actual costumes! Kids will love to really pretend to be in other people’s shoes. One of kids’ best pastime is pretending they are adults, so give them adult roles and adult clothes and see how they will do their best to play out the role of their lives. Don’t underestimate the power of their imagination and how it can stimulate them to do real chores with actual desire.

Teaching Responsibility
The house cleaning can be a very good way to introduce the children to adult life and show them why doing what they are doing is important. Don’t treat them as kids, treat them as learning adults and explain how if the floor is not vacuumed, the house will be consumed in dust mites that carry diseases and spoil the quality of life in the house. Give them reasons to resent dirt and reasons to actually want the place to be clean. When a kid wants something, you know that the kid will get it, even if it has to do it itself. Also, the earlier the child starts getting used to chores, the less complaining there will be once it starts growing up, and not to mention that much more work will be actually done – imagine all the responsibilities that will be taken off your own hands!

Cleaning the house can show your kids what to expect one day when they are away from home, away from mommy’s cleaning services, and it will be up to them to keep their surroundings dirt-free. It is a life lesson like any other, but if you get them invested successfully, then you will soon have not children, but small adults running around, helping you around the house, full of desire to learn. Teach them enough and one day you will be able to sleep peacefully at night, certain that they will be able to take care of themselves.

Read more helpful cleaning related tips on: Notting Hill Cleaner Ltd.

HOT! Get An Iced Tea Maker For Under $20

I have been making my own iced tea at home for as long as I can remember. Living in the south, it's referred to as 'sweet tea', and you may likely get cut if you call it iced like I do. I have a Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker that was actually handed down to me a long time ago and it is seeing its last days. The pitcher has cracked and started to leak. Although I can easily order a new pitcher on Amazon, I was lucky to find a brand new unit for only $8.00 more. Check out this great deal for the Mr. Coffee 2-Quart Iced Tea Maker, Blue. It's under $20 and if you have Prime, you can get free two-day shipping.

I am thrilled that I can replace my old machine and also ordered a replacement pitcher as well (Mr. Coffee TP1-1 2-Quart Replacement Pitcher for TM1, TM1P) . If you are looking for an easy way to make iced/sweet tea, you have to get this! It makes a great gift as well. You can't beat the price and I'm excited about my gift to myself. Mine will arrive on Tuesday **insert the heart-eyed emoji here** This is the BEST way to make sweet tea, so go get one for yourself too!

*This post contains affiliate links 

Pull Off Polished On a Budget

Whether it’s for an interview or a romantic date, polishing up your look only means good things. From makeup overhauls to new duds, posture practice to new accessories, implementing small changes can make a big difference.

Perfect Your Posture
You probably don’t realize just how much your posture affects your overall appearance. Slouching can bow your shoulders, causing you to look unkempt, shorter, and heavier. Poor posture can lead to various health consequences including back pain, so it’s in your best interest to work on perfecting your stance. Take a moment and consider your posture right now. Probably not the best, right? We all do it. Bending over at our desks, craning our necks down at our screen, slouching into the couch. Without making a conscious effort, it’s easy for us to fall into bad posture habits.

How to Improve It
There’s easy ways to better your posture, but they may not be what you expect. Contrary to popular belief, keeping your spine completely straight does not contribute to better posture. The best posture is brought about by maintaining two curves: the concave curve from your upper back to the base of your spine and the concave curve from base of your head to your shoulders. Keep your body weight balanced on the balls of your feet, and pretend your head and spine are being held up by a string from the ceiling, and remain aware of this throughout the day. Create alarms on your phone that will remind you to straighten your posture at hourly intervals if you find it hard to stick to.

Revamp Your Makeup Routine
Another easy way to polish your appearance is to overhaul your everyday makeup routine. If you’re using the same products and techniques you’ve been using for 10 years, it’s time to switch it up.

Switch Up Your Foundation
You want your foundation to look flawless without appearing cakey. Use a foundation that can create a matte finish and control your oil production throughout the day; my personal favorite is the Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation.

A New Lip
The nude lip is out, color is in. Especially in these cold winter months, don’t be afraid to try some deeper hues. Try a deep berry color or a rich red—don’t be afraid of the color. If you do go loud with your lip, keep your eyes natural looking, with just a swipe of mascara so as to avoid the clown look.

Try a Different Liner
Instead of sticking with the same old boring brown that you first tried when you were thirteen, incorporate some exciting hues into your eyeliner. Depending on your eye color, there are various options that can really make those irises pop. Try out copper if your peepers are hazel, use grey to make blue eyes stand out, and stick to light purple for brown eyes.

Relieve Your Stress
Do you want to know the one thing that doesn’t look good on anyone? Stress. Excess stress forces your body to produce a variety of hormones including cortisol, which results in more oil production and subsequently more skin problems, including acne. From under eye circles to puffy skin, stress wreaks havoc on our physical appearance to be sure, but it can also be deadly. From obesity to heart issues, you have every reason in the world to better manage your stress levels. Get more sleep, exercise, receive regular massages, and talk to a professional if your stress feels unmanageable.

Update Your Accessories
Don’t forget to give your accessories a facelift. Update your jewelry collection with understated pieces that you can wear daily to dress up any casual wear. I have a personal affinity for jewelry with a personal touch; these necklaces can be customized with your initial and go with anything and everything. Update what you carry with you as well, even down to your electronics. Grab a modern iPhone case and stay prompt with a classic Daniel Wellington watch. Remember that every detail contributes to the bigger picture.

Focus on the Details
Looking polished is about paying attention to the tiny details. Maintaining your manicure and pedicure do more than you know, and you don’t need to head to the nail salon to have your fingers and toes looking their best. Use a high-quality nail polish brand like Essie to avoid chipping, and don’t skip the base and top coats. The extra couple of swipes will be worth the wear you get out of your polish. Another detail that makes a difference? Your eyebrows. Threading may hurt, but it does look oh so good once finished.

Looking polished is a matter of paying attention to the details you might have shirked before. Incorporate these little changes into your daily routine and get that “pulled together” look we all seek.