Pedi-Paws Nail Trimmer

Electric Nail Trimmer For Dogs

My parent’s are in town this week and they brought a little present for all of their grandbabies (Both human and non-human). Included in these gifts was the Pedi-Paws electric nail trimmer. My boxer mix, Sir Leroy, does not like to get his nails cut… At all. So much that we have to pay an extra $15 at the vet to get his nails trimmed whenever we pick up his heartworm medication just to avoid the hassle ourselves. So, in the spirit of being a product review junkie, I decided to do a little experimenting myself. My dog was nowhere near as enthused. Below is a picture of the nail trimming contraption.

In the commercial for this product (which I found on YouTube) there are several, well-behaved dogs demonstrating how easy the product is to use. Well, if you have a show dog that has underwent numerous hours of training, or a tranquilizer, I am 100% sure that this product would come in handy. The box features both a cat and a dog on the box, so I am assuming that it is safe for all domestic animal use. I opted out on using it on my cat due to the fact that 5 years ago I endured 7 days in the hospital, an emergency surgery, a picc line and IV antibiotics for a month after my cat got his foot caught in the recliner. Don’t worry though, the cat was fine. So, Sir Leroy ended up being the lucky product tester for me.

When you turn the product on, it makes a buzzing sound similar to that of a dremel tool. For my timid dog, that was enough to make things a little tense. The box claims that the tool is Fast, Easy & Gentle! Yeah, I’m going to call bullcrap on that one. The trimmer spun so slowly that I am sure the 90 year old man across the street could mow his entire yard in the time it would take to file all of my dog’s nails. The product itself WAS easy to use due to the fact that it had one button to turn the product on and off but it was by far the easiest thing to get my dog to stop running from it and sit still. I’m unsure if it was actually gentle, because no sooner than I would touch it to his nail he would take off and hide. After trying for 15 minutes to just get one nail filed, he did what every scared dog does and hid behind his grandpa for comfort.

I am going to go ahead and say that this product does NOT work for your average, spoiled, non-show dog. I am not even sure if I could use it while my dog is sleeping due to the sound. If you enjoy a challenge, by all means, give this product a try. I suggest wearing oven mitts if your dog tends to be a biter when he/she is scared. Or an armored suit… Trust me, you might need it. I guess my dog will continue to get more paid mani-pedis a year than I do and life will go on.

Desitin as Face Mask

When I first heard about this online I thought you have got to be kidding me. However, curiosity got the best of me… and I had to try it. I am very well known to use things for stuff other than their intended use. I very regularly use baby wipes to remove my eye makeup, I use men’s post-shave balm as primer and I even indulge in a bubble bath every now and again that is made out of my sons body wash (hey, the smell of baby shampoo IS lovely.) So why not lather my face up in my son’s butt cream, too? I’ll have to say. I was VERY pleasantly surprised.

One of the main ingredients in Desitin is zinc oxide, which is used to reduce redness and skin irritation. Well, since puberty “redness and skin irritation,” is the perfect way to describe my face. I very rarely leave the house without some form of foundation because my skin is so dang red. Last night, after my mini-me went to bed, I did what any average mom does on a Monday night; I ran myself a bath, smeared diaper rash cream all over my face and proceeded to hide in the bathroom and scroll through Facebook. And it was absolutely wonderful.

After 15 minutes, I rinsed the cream off of my face, exfoliated and went to bed. I was so tired that I really didn’t pay attention to the results before face planting on our wonderful memory foam mattress. I did, however, notice the results when I walked past the mirror in the morning. Not only was my face break-out free, but the redness and irritation was no where in sight and my skin had a particular glow to it that was unusual for 6:30am. The difference was so noticeable that I actually did a double-take as I was washing my hands to make sure that it was truly me I was looking at in the mirror. I also noticed that my skin was soft, hydrated and felt smooth. Needless to say, I was VERY impressed.

Well, you can go ahead say that I am definitely going to add Desitin to my list of weird things that I use for something other than its intended. My son’s butt cheeks are just going to have to share.

Dessange Paris Voxbox

I have INCREDIBLY color treated hair. In fact, I am almost positive that some of the styles I ask my hairdresser to try on me is enough to induce a heart attack in anyone. The good news is that my hairdresser lives a double life as a Cardiac ICU Nurse and could more than likely revive you in that particular event. Being that I am currently a redhead (and loving it), she preaches to me about my desperate need for shampoo and conditioning products that are targeted for people with color treated hair. I rarely listen to her, and she knows this, so when I received an email that I would be testing out color care products I was pretty tickled.

If you have read any of my previous posts, you are well aware that I have recently formed a girlcrush on the website/app Influenster. Being a writer, and being that I love trying out new products, this website is absolutely perfect for me. I get to freely express how I feel about products that I love, learn to love new products and learn about how OTHER people love products that I haven’t tried yet. As well as taking review requests from my loyal readers that, for some reason, love reading what I write… I also have the opportunity to include my personal opinion about these Voxbox products on my blog. And today, for the very first time, I get to use and review the Dessange Paris Voxbox!

 

I received three products in my Dessange Paris Voxbox. DESSANGE Paris Color Restore Shampoo, DESSANGE Paris Color Restore Conditioner and DESSANGE Salon Color Restore Top Coat Serum Treatment. Before I start with each individual review, let me say that these products smell absolutely amazing. If the smell of a babies powdered backside mixed with roses, a little bit of fruit and fresh sheets could be categorized into a scent… it would be these products.

The Shampoo

The shampoo had a nice lather to it and I felt as though it got my hair clean without leaving any residue. My hair did feel a bit tangled after using it, but that is not unusual for me and a good conditioning usually takes care of that particular problem.

The Conditioner

The conditioner was everything that one could expect out of a good, drugstore product. My hair felt silky, tangle free and did not have a residue after use. My hair was pretty easy to brush through when I got out of the shower

The Top Coat Serum

I normally do not use serum in my hair due to having a naturally oily scalp. However, this product was not nearly as oily as I expected it to be. Be careful, because the amount  of product that came out per pump was a LOT more than I expected and I ended up having to wipe some of it off my hand before using it. This did make my hair a bit softer and left a nice, clean smell.

Overall Opinion

Though this product DID clean my hair well, left it feeling soft and manageable and smelt wonderful, I did not notice any change to how my color treated hair appeared. Really, there was no noticeable difference at all. In the end, I did not feel like my hair looked any different than it does after using my usual shampoo and conditioning system (which is always the cheapest thing I can find at the store). I am not so sure that I would purchase these products on my own after they run out, but they are definitely worth using the rest of just because of the smell. Overall, I do like them and am ecstatic that I got to try them out and tell you all what I thought!

*I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing and review purposes.*

Men’s Nivea as Primer

Tonight at work I was asked to do a review on primer. Recently, I found myself in the same shoes. Over the years I have tried many products and always ended up disappointed. Well, I don’t exactly use primer but I will do a review on what I do use… It may sound a little silly but I promise you that it works beautifully. 

Men’s Nivea Post Shave Balm

My dear husband is used to me using everything that he has. Whether it’s shower gel, deodorant, body spray or tools… You can almost guarantee that I am going to steal it eventually. One might say that I have a slight obsession with smelling and working like a man… One might also be a butthole and be completely missing out on the sweat protection that men’s toiletries have to offer. When you work in healthcare and have an obsession with remodeling, trust me, you need the extra little boost of aluminum chlorohydrate. 

So, when I went rushing towards the men’s shaving aisle in our local Target and picked up this product, my husband wasn’t phased the least bit. I’m sure he probably thought I was going to start shaving my face as well and moved on with his life. Not yet husband, not yet. The bottle was four dollars and some change, which was already a plus in my book. I have a 9 month old son so cheap is always fantastic. I went home, washed my face, slapped it on and my life was changed.

Not only did my face smell like a freshly washed gentlemen on his way to a light game of golf, but it went on smooth and only a little bit of product offered a LOT of coverage. I was also very impressed when, at 10 that evening, my foundation was still smooth, vibrant and stuck to my face. Even at the end of my 12 hour night shift, I looked like a hammered bag of feces but dangit if my foundation wasn’t still fresh and beautiful. 

I can honestly say that I am hooked for life to this neat little beauty hack. I am thankful for my good friend and coworker, Amy Tolbert (check her out on YouTube or http://www.amytolbert.com), for letting me in on this little secret. Makeup is far from my thing and I appreciate all of the tips I can get. 

My 1st VOXBOX is on the way!

Friday I received an email from Influenster notifying me that my very first VoxBox is on it’s way! As a blogger, I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to receive complimentary products to test out, review and blog about.Call me a boring, nerdy mom but it feels like my birthday came early. I have invested many hours writing product reviews, answering questions and upping my social outreach for this website, so I am absolutely thrilled that my work has paid off and they value my input enough to include me in their campaigns.

What does all of this mean?

Well, in addition to trying out requested products from my readers, I will also posting reviews about the complimentary items I have received from Influenster for their product testing purposes. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Fear not, I am still taking requests for [[affordable]] products to try out and review. You can submit your ideas by visiting my “review requests” page and filling out the simple form. Last week, I reviewed my favorite cloth diaper products and tested out a waterproof mascara that won’t rip eyelashes out (I’m slowly but surely still working on that one). What would you like to see me try out this week?

Loreal Voluminous False Fiber Lash Review

A friend of mine messaged me last night asking for me to do a review on a “waterproof mascara that doesn’t rip her eyelashes out.” Well, I was hesitant to try this, because of the whole ripping eyelashes out part.. But you asked.. So I will deliver. 

Enter Loreal Voluminous False Fiber Lash Mascara

As luck would have it, I sent my husband on a dreaded trip to target the other day for baby products and, while he was there, I figured that he might as well pick me up a mascara (considering I ran out of my better than sex mascara by too faced.. Insert sobbing face). I came across this product on influenster and it had decent reviews.. So I requested that he find it. As always, he shuffled his way up to the nearest sales associate and located the item, purchased it with his head down and left. Thanks baby! 

This is what the product looks like. I didn’t hate the packaging. Classic, slick gold with bold black writing and a unique shape made this product pretty easy on the eye. It didn’t look too shabby on either! Before I post this picture, please know that I am no means a makeup wiz, nor do I claim to be. This is just how my face looks before work. Plain, simple and boring. 

It really did wonders for the length of my lashes as you can see from the picture.. And I didn’t hate the applicator either! It was thin and just the right shape to give my lashes a good coat. The problem started when I tried removing the mascara…

I am a soap and water type of girl.

I rarely buy makeup remover… And have even been guilty of using baby wipes before to remove my makeup. When I got off of work in the morning and attempted to remove this, I began feeling like the only way to remove this product was to individually pull each of my eyelashes out. Luckily, my eyelashes stayed in tact.. However, even after minutes of scrubbing, I still unsuccessfully removed all of the mascara and gave up and went to bed with raccoon eyes. I did, however, try baby oil after waking up and it seemed to help a bit more. I will probably get intense judgement here about how I did it wrong. In my defense, I have never had such difficulty removing a waterproof mascara with soap. 

Good job, Loreal.

When you say waterproof, you mean it. I can say with 100% confidence that this mascara will NOT come off.. Even if you swim in the sea like Ariel amongst singing crabs and ocean litter (seriously, who loses a fork in the ocean?). 

In conclusion, friend, if you are worried about losing lashes and you also choose to remove your makeup the lazy way (like me) than I would steer clear of this particular mascara. 

My Favorite Fluff

When I tell people that I cloth diaper, I always get the same responses. How do you do it? Do they stink? Aren’t they bulky? I’m going to start off by saying that cloth diapering is not for everyone. And just because I use them does not mean I’m some environmental junkie who will yell at the first person to buy disposables. My son wears disposables as well. I use both methods, whenever I feel like it, and that is completely okay. There are many types of different cloth diapers and inserts on the market. This post is going to demonstrate the kind that we use. If you are interested on all of the different styles and brands out there, message me and I will be glad to talk to you about it.

Alva Covers

I like to use the Alva brand diaper covers. These diapers are made in China and are relatively cheap. I ordered mine off of eBay for $80 dollars for 20 covers. That is a great deal considering there are some brands that are well over $300 for a bundle pack of 20. These covers can be used with a prefold or with an insert. I like using prefolds because they hold up so well and typically have a trimmer fit. This is what the covers look like:

The great thing about Alva is that they have so many different colors and patterns for both genders. The diaper covers have snaps on the outside that make them easily adjustable for your baby.

Osocozy Prefolds

I use prefolds because there are so many options as far as how you put them on… This makes it super easy to find out what works best for your baby. I use osocozy unbleached prefolds, which I also ordered off eBay. I think I spent roughly 20 bucks for 24 of them. Not a bad deal at all! Below is a picture of what they look like unfolded.

They are super soft and seem to become more absorbant after each wash, which is a great quality for a cloth diaper to have. You don’t want ones that leak! In order to keep the prefold on, you have to use a snappi or you can kick it old school and use clothes pins. I like the snappis. I got mine for $15 dollars for a huge pack off of eBay. This is what they look like.

I took this picture upside down so that you could see how they work. Each snappi has a rake-looking constraption under it to snag the fabric and hold it together. I like to use a newspaper fold on my son because it is quick, easy, and it is very trim underneath the cover. Below is what the fold looks like.

Once you get the prefold on, all that’s left is to put the cover over it and snap it to fit your baby’s body type! It seems like a lot of work, and I will admit that it takes practice. However, after a couple of applications you will be able to apply it just as quick as a disposable. I love this method because I can dress my child afterwards and be confident that he will not have a leak. Alva and osocozy just seem to have the best leak protection, in my opinion! Here is what one of their other designs look like on my baby.

Pretty stinkin’ cute, right? And no, they don’t actually stink. 

Going a Different Route

What I’m Doing Now

Recently, I have formed an obsession over the website and app Influenster. So much, that I am now going to blog for them. And I need YOUR help!

I am going to be using this blog to test and review products that are both sent to me in VoxBox, and ones requested by my readers. Is there something that you have been wanting to try, but need to know how it works from a real, trusted person? I gueeesssssss I am up for that challenge. (No, really, I am.) I will be testing [[affordable]] products, within reason, and giving my own, unfiltered, honest opinions. These products can be anything from makeup, hair products, cleaning products, snacks, baby products… you get the point.

So, lets get the ball rolling.

Is there anything that you would like to know more about? Contact me and I might just choose your idea!

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The Meatloaf

My Husband Is Known To Be a Picky Eater

When people ask what I want to eat, or where I want to eat, the answer is always the same. I don’t care, I’ll eat anything! Seriously, I will. I often refer to myself as the human garbage disposal. I grew up with an Italian-New York mother and a father from Mississippi… needless to say our meals were always of wide variety. Due to this, I learned to pretty much eat anything that sat on my plate and 9 times out of 10 I will enjoy it. My husband, however, is the opposite. He only eats within his comfort zone and if he has never had it before you can almost guarantee that he is going to cover it in salt or ranch. Actually, when I met him at the wee age of 15, I believe every meal he ate at school included a mountain pile of ranch dressing on the side. And, yes, he still weighs less than me (don’t you hate that?).

Cheesy, Meaty, Noodley Delicacy.

I mentioned that my husband was a picky eater. That is 100% true. What I didn’t mention is that when he does find something he finds appealing, usually its the most bazaar thing I have ever heard of and it doesn’t even fit in to a proper food group. As I type this, the absolute weirdest combination of food is currently basking in the heat of our oven. Introduce: Macaroni and Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf.

It all started last week. My parents were up for a visit and my dad (being the awesome man he is) was busy installing a new front door for us. After two days of working outside, our drink supply in the fridge started to dwindle down to the bare minimum. Seriously, all that was left was mixed fruit juice (for my sons constipation) and soy sauce. My husband was out and about, so I called him and let him know that we were on the verge of dehydration and were in need of a trip to the grocery store. As always, he was completely willing to go on the excursion. The particular store he goes to is known for marking down meat at the end of the day and he always takes advantage of that. Thanks to our chest freezer, we can accommodate a good sale. Best. Invention. Ever. However, I don’t know that our freezer was ready for the particular sale he came home with. The Meatloaf.

He Was a Proud Man

He returned home from the grocery store and proceeded in the house with a few cases of soda and water. I noticed there was a plastic bag that was sitting snug up against the back of his passenger seat. From what I could tell, it looked like steaks. Little did I know the horror that hid underneath those steaks. He pulled me aside, holding the bag as if it contained the golden ticket. “Look at what I got on sale,” he said, “I’ve been wanting this for a long time.” It was a meatloaf. A macaroni and cheese stuffed meatloaf… and it looked absolutely terrifying. I am not a picky eater, but this thing looked like a heart attack, wrapped in beef, with a side of carbohydrates. All in one. That was the meal that my picky, picky husband had been longing for. A death pan of ground meat.

You are probably wondering why I took the time to tell you this story. Well, I am telling you because this is the prized meal that I get to consume before work tonight. The excitement from him is overwhelming, as he basically watched the thing thaw on the counter all morning. If I never post another word to this blog, it’s because my arteries have abandoned me in shame. Don’t worry about my husband though, I’m sure he will eat 90% of it and lose ten pounds before receiving a clean bill of health at his annual physical.

“You’re just jealous that you didn’t see it first!” – Daniel

What I Have Learned From My Fitbit

It All Started At About 2 A.M

I work with a group of absolutely wonderful women at the hospital. Seriously, you couldn’t even dream of a better staff. They are responsible for influencing some of the most positive things about my life. Not only are they the most passionate people alive, providing only the best patient care, but they are also just all around amazing people both inside and outside of the workplace. Whether it be make-up tips, decorating ideas, detail oriented baby showers or even just general advice, these women have a LOT to offer. A LOT. So, at 2 A.M when this wonderful group of women all decided to take the plunge into better health and order a FitBit, I HAD to join them.

First off, let me say that it is truly amazing that technology has allowed us to track our eating/exercise habits via a small plastic contraption the size of a penne pasta noodle. The Fitbit was fairly simple to set up and sync to my iPhone, which was a huge plus… I am not the most tech savvy person (seriously, it took me an entire day to set up this blog account). Within seconds, I was tracking my steps and rocking a tangerine silicon band around my left wrist. You can set your device up to meet a step goal, the lowest being 10,000 steps a day. This seemed pretty reachable… Surely, I walked 4 miles a day. I’m a new mom who spends my days walking back and forth between the nursery, to the living room, to the backyard (for my dog), to the kitchen and just in general circles when my child is craving to be carried around.Wrong. This is what I learned about my “healthy habits,” while wearing the Fitbit.

10,000 Steps a Day takes EFFORT

I am going to be completely honest here. I have only met my step goal ONCE. That’s right.I work night shift and I didn’t take into consideration that the step count resets at midnight, which is only five hours in. The one time I did reach my step goal, it was because, in-between tasks, I circled the unit until the thing started vibrating. I also didn’t take into consideration that, due to working night shift, I spent the majority of the following day sitting on the couch or on the floor playing with my child due to pure exhaustion. The Fitbit, in fact, didn’t magically give me a burst of energy that allowed me to go on a late afternoon jog. Who knew?

My Eating Habits Are Nothing Short of Horrible

Another neat feature that is included in the Fitbit app is that you can enter all of your meals for the day. The thing even has a scanner tool that allows you to scan the bar code of that granola bar you just ate… or chocolate bar. Whichever floats your boat. I saw this as a perfect opportunity to keep track of my meals and pinpoint exactly where my problem areas were. This is how the first day of meals looked.

Breakfast:

• Cup of coffee, butter pecan creamer, sugar
• 5 boneless buffalo chicken wings

Lunch:

• Bottle of Water
• Chicken Fried Rice freezer meal
• 7 Better Value chocolate chip cookies

Dinner:

• Lunchables Ham & Cheese meal
• 1 glass of Pinot Grigio

So there’s that. Finding my “problem area,” was incredibly easy. The hard part was trying to figure out, in the midst of all of the junk food, if I actually ate anything with nutritional value. I can always pat myself on the back for the water. Yeah, get it, girlfriend… You drink that water.

My Co-Workers Are a LOT More Active Than Me

Even now, as I sit on the floor typing this, one of my colleagues has initiated a “work week hustle.” One thing I can say about being a FitBit wearer, is that knowing everyone can see your lack of movement pretty much, eventually, embarrasses you into moving. Lets all hope, for the sake of my post-baby thighs, that my pride is enough to make me meet my daily step count.

Happy Tuesday!