Olive and June Nail Polish Review

Every week in October I will be having a Travel Beauty Tuesday, where I feature some amazing beauty products that I have been using. This week is all about Olive & June, my new nail polish obsession!

When I travel, I often end up at the spa treating myself to a manicure or pedicure.  Since this pandemic has begun, I have missed getting pampered and having my nails colored.  I hate that so many polishes chip just days after using them, and I am always looking for ones that last a long time. I have been stalking following Olive and June on Instagram, drooling over their amazing colors, and I was thrilled when I got the chance to work with them.

WHAT DID I RECEIVE?

I was so excited to get The Everything Box. ($80)

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Product Review (September 2020)

As some kids prepare to head back to classrooms, sports, and extracurricular activities, health and safety are a huge concern to everyone.  I wanted to share some products we have been using lately that we’ve really enjoyed.

Enjoy!

Good Green Cleaner

WHY TRAVELERS WILL LOVE THEM

  Tell me you haven’t been cleaning nonstop since this pandemic began! We have been going through lots of different cleaners because they seem to sell out so quickly.  Some we’ve liked and some we’ve hated.  Good Green Cleaner has been wonderful because it is an environmentally friendly, food-contact safe cleaner.

WHAT ELSE I LOVE ABOUT THEM

 They are a great product to travel with because you don’t have to worry about them leaking.  How? The bottles arrive empty so you just fill them with water, and twist on the recyclable “pod” to release the cleaning agents.

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Smile Create Repeat Review

Smile Create Repeat

What do I love about this box?

I love that you don’t need to be an artist to use Smile Create Repeat.  I am not a good artist, but I love that I can pour myself a glass of wine, play some relaxing music, and have some Me Time as I do a little drawing.  I also love that people who are artistic…like my daughter…can appreciate good art supplies, watch the tutorials, and then add the supplies to their collection.

What comes in each box?

Each month in your themed Smile Create Repeat art supply subscription box, you will receive:

5 or more quality art supplies chosen and tested by artists

Their exclusive Creative Card art lesson

Supply specific narrated lesson/demo video

Additional surprises

What did we get?

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Paletteful Packs Art Subscription Box Review

One positive thing about having to practice social isolation for the last few months is it gave us lots of opportunities to spark our creativity.  We spent lots of afternoons doing crafts and working on art projects.   My oldest daughter has missed the art classes she takes during the school year, so we were so thrilled that Paletteful Packs, an amazing art supply subscription box gave us not one, but two boxes for us to sample!

What do I love about this box?

Art is a wonderful way to express yourself and this box helps you explore new mediums you may not have tried before.  I like that you don’t need to be artistic to use their box because they can be used by any level of expertise. I also like that each box includes a card that gives tips and prompts.  This subscription box would be a wonderful way to support your child’s art classes, for homeschooling, and for additional art instruction if doing remote learning. Let’s face it…anything that keeps these kids off of electronics is a plus in my house!

What comes in each box?

Each month you’ll receive a thematic selection of art supplies. Every box will include a variety of media. Products include paint, pens, pencils, brushes, markers, and more!

What did we get?

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Orglamix & Wicked Good Review

Traveling is the perfect time to test out new beauty products.  It’s fun to experiment with new looks and see how long they last when you’re out having adventures.  Beauty boxes, like Orglamix, give you fun surprises each month that you can bring along on your trips.  As if we weren’t already thrilled to be receiving their box, they also offered us a box from their sister company, Wicked Good, a perfume subscription box!

What do I love about this box?

I used to not care what was in my cosmetics, but in the past few years I have started paying close attention to the ingredients.  I love that Orglamix prides itself on having clean cosmetics with 100% natural ingredients.  Their makeup is also cruelty-free, which is extremely important to me.

What comes in each box?

Each month they hand-pick trendsetting new eye shadow colors, cult favorites and cutting-edge beauty products and ship them to you.  When you sign up for Orglamix, every month you’ll receive a 4-6 expertly curated, good-for-you, artisan products including: non-toxic cosmetics, natural and sustainable, cruelty-free goods that you won’t find in any other subscription box.

What did we get?

Our theme was POOL PARTY!!!

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Match Made Coffee Review

Whenever I travel, I love to drink a cup of local coffee to start my day.  Coffee tells you a lot about the culture and there are endless ways to enjoy it.  What is the perfect treat to go with coffee?  How about a delicious cookie to pair with it? Match Made Coffee subscription box came up with the brilliant idea to do just that…coffee and a cookie chosen just for you!

What do I love about this box?

Match Made Coffee pairs organic coffees that are roasted and ground fresh with gourmet cookies that are baked fresh, packaged, and delivered right to your doorstep.  I love that these are small-batch coffee roasts that are cultivated from around the world. The only downside is they currently we do not offer decaf options. I don’t personally drink decaf coffee, but I have friends that do.

What does the company say is the best way to pair the coffee and cookies together to taste them?

Smell is a big part of taste, so smell your coffee first, then take a sip. Chewing activates your flavor receptors too, so chew your coffee a few times.

Slowly swallow your coffee so that it hits the taste buds all over your tongue and down your throat.

As you swallow, smell the cookie and take a nibble and chew a few times and swallow.

Then sandwich the cookie with the smell and nibble process on the coffee one more time.

Keep this up and enjoy!

What comes in each box?

2 bags of coffee grind and 2 cookies.

What did we get?

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Sun Basket Review

I love cooking for my family, but sometimes it’s a hassle finding a healthy recipe, going grocery shopping, getting all the ingredients prepped, and figuring out how to make it.  That is why subscription boxes like Sun Basket are a wonderful idea for people who would like to spend more time out having adventures and still being able to put an amazing meal on the table.

What do I love about this box?

I love that this box allows you to choose specific diets such as:

Paleo, Vegetarian, Lean & Clean, Gluten-Free, Pescatarian, Mediterranean.

I also love that they use hand–selected seasonal ingredients from the country’s top farmers, ranchers and seafood purveyors.  They also use organic produce, responsibly raised meats free of antibiotics and added hormones, and sustainably sourced, and wild-caught seafood.

The recipes were easy to understand and the ingredients were all fresh.  I also appreciate that these meals all took less than 30 minutes to prepare.

What comes in each box?

Everything you need to complete some delicious meals!

Paired with easy-to-follow directions.

What did we get?

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Desk Stash Review

Every morning, I pour myself a second cup of coffee and sit at my desk to write.  I spend hours at my desk so I like to surround myself with items to make my day easier and fun. Since this pandemic started, I’ve been at the lake and my outdoor dining table has become my new desk.  However, I haven’t bought anything fun for my new “desk.”  I was so happy to receive a box from Desk Stash, a quarterly desk supply subscription box.

What do I love about Desk Stash?

Everyone can use desk supplies, including professionals and students.  These supplies can be used by all ages! I love that these supplies are quirky and whimsical. They were all supplies that I loved but I would have never gone out and bought for myself…which is why I love subscription boxes!

What comes in each box?

Each Desk Stash box includes 5-7 unique, curated office and desk supplies.

What did we get?

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Splendid Spoon Review

At the start of this pandemic, we were eating junk food left and right.  Sugar and carbs were acceptable since they were comfort foods.  But as it went on we realized we were starting to feel as gross as the food we were putting into our mouths.  So, we changed our mindset and started only eating clean, non-processed food.  I’ve been shopping at places like farmers markets and farm-to-table stores, but there are times when I just don’t feel like cooking and that can lead to bad choices.  It is times like these where Splendid Spoon can save the day.  Splendid Spoon is a plant-based food delivery service that serves up wellness shots, smoothies, and bowls.  It is the perfect solution to eating well, fast, and easy!

What do I love about this box?

I love that all of their meals are vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and low in sugar and sodium.  I don’t normally eat plant-based food…in fact, I LOVE to eat meat.  But lunches and breakfasts are great meat-free meals.

How do they ship it?

They ship their Grain and Soup Bowls frozen and their smoothies refrigerated with recyclable insulation and dry ice to ensure that your meals arrive chilled.  I love that if you choose not to eat them right away, you can throw them in the freezer for 1-3 months.

What did we get?

So…So…So much yummy stuff!!!

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Whisk Takers Review…Baking Subscription Box

Since this pandemic started, my family has been on a sugar overload.  We all agreed to have no sugar Sunday through Friday and then reward ourselves with a tasty sweet treat on Saturdays.  Since it’s only once a week, we make sure it is really good.  Whisk Takers made this week’s sweet a cinch to make and we devoured it! Whisk Takers is a baking subscription box that includes almost everything you need to make a fabulous dessert.

What do I love about this box?

I love that this baking subscription box gave simple, easy-to-follow directions so the kids could take control of our project.  The ingredients were all pre-measured so it was impossible to make a mistake.  Since everything was measured out, there was almost no mess when they were done…and I was extremely grateful for that!

What comes in each box?

Whisk Takers supplies step-by-step recipe cards & pre-measured ingredients.  These pre-measured ingredients are individually numbered and designed to make your baking experience fun, easy and mess-less!

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