1/30/14

Vitamin C Serum

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

Details:  Vitamin C Serum by La Beaute Pure's is one of the newest anti-aging products that actually works.  Dr. Oz has commented that using this for up to 6 months can erase a decade off your face.  Vitamin C plays a critical part in helping skin be resilient.  Vitamin C helps fight against wrinkles by helping produce collagen.  Vitamin C Serum helps lighten age spots without laser and chemical peels, and is just as effective.  You'll start noticing a difference within 2-4 weeks, and receive maximum benefits after 6 months of daily use.  Be sure to take Vitamin C and E internally as well for added benefit.  However, taking Vitamin C externally is about 20 times more effective.

Review:  I've tried a variety of anti-aging products that are really nice.  I must say that while I've really liked the ones I've tried, Vitamin C Serum (as long as it has at least 20% Vitamin C) is more in my budget.  And to think that by the end of 6 months time of daily use I will have received maximum benefits.

The serum will not wash off, but does last approximately 72 hours on the skin.  It only needs to be applied once a day, but can be used twice a day.  Wash your face, apply the Vitamin C Serum, wait a few minutes before applying additional moisturizers.  You may find your face will initially feel dry.  You will know it is working.  It is working even if you don't experience dry skin.

After about 1 week of using this, I've noticed my skin getting lighter...bye bye tanned face.  Not to worry, wrinkle free is much better.  After 2 weeks, I've noticed more outbreaks on my face as I feel the serum is pulling out the infirmities in my skin.  After almost 3 weeks I've seen a difference in the fine lines disappearing. I can't wait to see the results after 6 months.  The greatest improvement so far is the softness of my skin.  It is considerably softer without using any additional lotions or potions.  Very nice.

I was concerned that this bottle would not go very far.  It comes with a dropper, and for my face, neck and hands, I use about 5 drops a day.  This will last a long time.  The drops go a long ways.  La Beaute Pure has other ingredients in their Vitamin C Serum that are all very beneficial to the skin.  They are Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin E, Gota Kola, Witch Hazel & Dandelion.

The Vitamin C Serum comes in a dark amber bottle, with a dropper.  This helps keep the product protected from light.  Since it is a glass bottle, they securely wrap it to keep it protected until it reaches you.

This also comes with the e-book Anti-Aging Naturally.  This book is filled with all kinds of things each and every one of us can do starting today to keep us looking and feeling young. 


Pros: Great product that works.  It goes a long ways.  More in my budget.

Cons:  Nothing.

My Rating: A big Thumbs UP!!! 


Disclaimer: 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.

1/22/14

Homemade Cottage Cheese

How to make homemade Cottage Cheese!

recipe for home made cottage cheese


Too many times I wish I had cottage cheese in my fridge for one recipe or another, and find I am completely out.  I don't want to run to the store just for cottage cheese!  So I started looking on line for ways to make my own at home.  After some tweaking, here is what I've come up with.  I've eaten it plain, in salads, and in other dishes that call for cottage cheese.  And it tastes great!

I've also read that when you get the munchies at night, cottage cheese is a good thing to eat.  It helps keep your metabolism working all night, without keeping you awake.

Recipe for Homemade Cottage Cheese 

1 gallon milk (I've used whole milk and 2% and personally prefer 2%)
1 gallon milk makes approximately 4 cups.

Heat this in a quality pan that will hold more than 1 gallon of liquid.  Heat on medium heat to 180 degrees, or just to the boiling point.  Stir to keep from scalding on the bottom.

recipe for homemade cottage cheese
Heat Milk to 180 degrees


Once milk reaches 180 degrees, stir in 3/4 cup vinegar slowly.  (I've tried apple cider vinegar and white vinegar.  The white vinegar tastes better to me.)

recipe for homemade cottage cheese
Stir in Vinegar
 Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes.  You will see it start to curdle right away.
recipe for homemade cottage cheese
Milk starts to form Curds
Pour this through a cheese cloth or quality mesh strainer to separate the curds and whey.  You can keep the whey and use it later in just about anything item you will make that calls for water, soups, cakes, smoothies, etc.

recipe for homemade cottage cheese
Pour Milk through strainer to separate curds and whey


recipe for homemade cottage cheese
Whey to be used in other foods

Remove the whey container once drained.  Then rinse with cold water.

recipe for homemade cottage cheese
Rinse Cottage Cheese with Cold Water
Sprinkle with Salt to taste
Sprinkle with salt to taste, and place in an air tight container until you are ready to use.  Can be used immediately.  If you want a creamier cottage cheese, add a couple of tablespoons of half&half or cream.

recipe for homemade cottage cheese
Finished Product
Cottage Cheese

And there you have it! A finished product. If you have any comments or suggestions on your own homemade recipes please let us know!

Check out our homemade recipe for some yummy carrot cake jam!

1/18/14

K1 8% Serum for Veins and Skin Issues

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

Bioque Vitamin K1 8% Intensive Serum is a cosmetic treatment to be used anywhere on your body or face to help reduce the appearance of bruises, spider veins, eczema, varicose veins, sun or age spots. 


It is also used to help reduce the appearance of old scars, and helps reduce swelling and scarring from surgeries.  Helps reduce dark circles and puffiness under eyes, helps with acne and other skin issues.



For bruising results are typically seen in 2 to 4 days.  For other issues listed above, results may take any where from 2-4 weeks of continual use.  Use twice daily.

Review:  I was so excited to get this product and use it.  I have severe spider veins, varicose veins and age spots.  I also bruise easily, so figured I would even get to try this out on a few bruises.

It is recommended that you wash your skin with warm water prior to application.  I've done this religiously since I started trying this product.  After 2 weeks I have not noticed any difference on my spider veins or varicose veins.

Day 1 using K1 8% Serum

Day 2 using K1 8% Serum

After 2 days of using it on my sun spots, I have noticed a significant difference in that the spots are less visible.

It's kind of hard to tell by the photos, but this stuff really worked fast on the sun spots.






Day 5 of bruise
Used Bioque Vitamin K1 8% Intensive Serum
twice daily for last 5 days
Day 1 of bruise
 When I got a bruise I immediately applied the K1 serum.  After 4 days my bruise actually got darker and larger.




Pros:  My sun spots have all but disappeared. Only takes a small amount.

Cons:  My varicose and spider veins have not improved at all.  My bruise actually got darker with each of the 5 days I used the product.

My Rating:  Thumbs up for age spot removal.  Thumbs down for everything else it is supposed to do.

Disclaimer: 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.

UPDATE:  I've still kept using this product after this post each day.  Even though I don't have pictures to prove it, my spider veins in my ankles are decreasing significantly.  One side effect with it though, is they are also very tender.  I am pleasantly surprised by the results.


1/14/14

Best Ever Bamboo Charcoal Deodorizer

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

Details: Ever Bamboo is an all natural bamboo charcoal deodorizer.  It is unscented. Therefore it does not leave any fragrance, but removes bad odors.  It can be recharged without batteries, under the sun every 30-60 days for an entire year.  It is recyclable.

They offer a variety of products for skin care, feet care, pet care, home decor, and deodorizers.

Bamboo Charcoal Deodorizer

Bamboo Charcoal Deodorizer

Review:  We have antique pianos that have that old familiar yet awful smell of must/dust/age/ to them.  We've tried everything but leaving them out in the sun.  It is too humid where we live to do that.  So when I had an opportunity to review Ever Bamboo products, I knew exactly where to place their product...on the pianos.
Bamboo Charcoal Deodorizer

I placed their little bag that should cover a 10x12 room on the piano.  I returned 15 minutes later, and seriously, that smell was gone.  I left the product there for 24 hours and tested just how long that smell was going to take before returning.  It took 48 hours before it came back.  Not bad.  I've since placed the product back on the piano, and will leave it there for at least a week.
Bamboo Charcoal Deodorizer

I also got to try little drawer packets.  For years, we've always placed bars of soap in our drawers to help keep the clothes from smelling stale.  They work.  However, the bamboo packets really eliminate any staleness from the drawers and clothes.  I like it.

Bamboo Charcoal Deodorizer

I also was able to try out the charcoal/bamboo bar of soap, Ever Bamboo HEI Face and Body Soap.  This products is supposed to restore the natural beauty of  your skin by purifying, exfoliating, moisturizing and detoxifying.  It is a deep cleansing soap that has a negative ionic charge that helps stimulate blood flow.

Bamboo Charcoal Deodorizer

The first time I used this soap my face felt wonderful.  I've tried a variety of other facial exfoliators but none have ever compared to this. My face felt clean, vibrant, soft and silky.  My husband said my face glowed.  That's what made him want to try it.  He has never used soap on his face.  He'll use other products but never soap.  He's been using this soap for a week now, and he loves it too.  This is a keeper.

Oh, and BTW, just because the soap is black, doesn't mean the bubbles are when you wash your face.

Bamboo Charcoal Deodorizer

Be sure to place your order at Ever Bamboo

Pros:  The deodorizers do truly eliminate odors.  I really like the idea of being able to recharge them in the sun so they'll last for a year.

The HEI soap is wonderful on my skin.  It does not dry it out and my face felt so good afterwards.

Cons: Nothing.

My Rating: A Huge Thumbs UP!!!
Bamboo Charcoal Deodorizer

Disclaimer:  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.

1/12/14

Children's Book about Happiness

Details:  Princess Sophia and the Frog is a delightful children's fairy tale about happiness.  Suzy Liebermann is a former teacher and enjoys writing stories for children.  She carries a theme throughout each book that helps children become better in some way.

Review:  This is another one of Suzy's great children's book.  I love the rhyming in this book, and how Princess Sophia learns about happiness.  She is a princess that is bored with her life.  She meets a magical frog, and with certain key things Sophia must do, the frog takes her to other places.  To learn about happiness, however, Sophia first learns about those who are not.  She finally finds a place that is happy and she enjoys it too.  But the magic comes to an end and she ends up back at home, with new friends, and is very happy.

It doesn't matter if you have boys or girls you plan to read this book to, it will be enjoyed by both.  Happiness can be learned.  Suzy Liebermann helps teach us this in her various books.

You'll be sure to please your child with a copy of this ebook.

Pros:  Great job at showing the opposite of being happy before meeting happiness.

Cons:  Formatting for androids still not right.  It shows two book pages on one screen, and makes it hard to read from an android.  The computer shows just fine.  Don't have a tablet to test it on that.

My Rating:  Thumbs Up!!!

1/7/14

All Natural Body Moisturizer

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

Details: Habe Naturals is a company that specializes in natural treatments for acne.  They also sell a 100% natural body moisturizer made from olive oil, coconut oil, tea tree oil and beeswax.
Natural Body Moisturizer

Review:  I'm always looking for great body moisturizers, especially for my feet.  This product is absolutely amazing.  I've already tried many of the ingredients that Habe Naturals put in their Hand, Foot and Body cream, but never all together like this.

I actually grow tea trees and absolutely love the smell of the fragrant flowers.  I also know how wonderful tea tree oil is for so many things.

When I first opened the container, I could smell my flowers.  I also like the smell of beeswax, so this product was just what I like.  It has a slightly greasy texture to it.  Not sure how else to describe it.  It's not a lotion, nor a cream.  But I don't feel greasy when I rub this wonderful mixture into my body.

Natural Body Moisturizer
With winter coming on, my feet always dry and crack.  I swear it's because I start wearing socks/footies on my feet that long for the summer days when they can be bare.  The first night I applied Habe Naturals Hand, Foot and Body cream, my feet absorbed the moisture so quickly, that I applied a second round a few minutes later.  My feet feel wonderful now.

One day, I was doing a lot of baking, dishes, etc. just before Christmas.  My hands were so dry by the time I was ready for bed.  I rubbed the cream into my hands, and right before going to bed, and they were so soft in the morning.  This stuff works.  I really like it.

Pros:  I really like how my hands and feet feel so moisturized after applying the cream.  I started to apply to my arms, legs and throat area.  It is amazing.  I've even gotten my hubby to put it on his hands when they were really dry and he was impressed too.

Cons:  Nothing.

My Rating: A big thumbs up!!!
Natural Body Moisturizer

Disclaimer: 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.


1/2/14

Anti-Wrinkle Cream with Plant Stem Cells

Ageless Derma Stem Cell and Peptide Anti Wrinkle Cream

This product takes advantage of plant stem cells from a Swiss Apple, proven to help reduce wrinkles. Many celebrities and millions of women have enjoyed the benefits this age defying product.  Most notice an instant smooth glowy soft skin.  After consistent use twice daily for about 30 days, most notice a reduction in wrinkles and fine lines.  The peptides help stimulate collagen production.  It will remove crow's feet and will re-energize skin for a smoother, firmer and younger look.  Some of the other wonderful ingredients include glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Orange Peel Oil, Lavender Oil, and many other good things for your face.

anti wrinkle cream with plant stem cells
Review:  The first thing I noticed about the product is the cool container they use for their skin lightener product.   It is a specially designed airless pump, which means that no preservatives are needed to protect the product from air or sunlight, making it completely natural. The next thing was the smell of the product.  It wasn't overbearing, or didn't smell like I was putting on my grandmother's creams.  It is kind of light and airy, clean smelling.

The first application did exactly what their website says, it made my skin feel smooth, and glowy soft.  I've been using this for about 3 weeks.  I keep hoping I'll notice a big improvement after I reach the 30 day mark.  In the meantime, here is a pic after I started using the product for about 1 1/2 weeks, and one after 3 weeks.
anti wrinkle cream with plant stem cells
1 weeks after
anti wrinkle cream with plant stem cells
2 1/2 weeks after
I haven't used the product for 4 weeks yet, so I can't say if the wrinkles will completely diminish.  I hope so. After 3 weeks there is beginning to be improvement around my mouth area. I've also noticed that my skin feels firmer, smoother and silkier after I apply the Ageless Derma Stem Cell and Peptide Anti-Wrinkle Cream.  It feel hydrated.  If I don't smile, there are definitely less wrinkles around eyes and mouth than there were before I started.  Unfortunately, I don't have those pictures.  When I put my make-up on, the appearance of the wrinkles also diminish.

anti wrinkle cream with plant stem cells
3 weeks after
Pros:  Light and airy silky feeling product.  Skin does feel firmer, softer, and hydrated.  It appears to be working.

Still hoping that after 4 weeks of using this, I will see greater results in diminished wrinkles.

My Rating:  Thumbs Up!

Disclaimer: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.