Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Review

Thanks to BzzAgent, I recently tried out Garnier Fructis' new line of shampoo and conditioner called Hydra Recharge. It is a system of shampoo, conditioner, and a 1-minute treatment meant to hydrate dry, frail hair. This line has the tasty scent and great healing and hydrating powers of goji berry, passion fruit and kiwi. The shampoo has little vitamin beads in it that burst to give you nutrition while exfoliating your scalp which helps to clean, stimulate growth and increase hair hydration! You may be thinking, what if these beads stay in my hair...gross! I can assure you, however, that all the beads will burst as you massage the gel through your hair and will rinse with the suds made. The conditioner is a seafoam green color and feels like butter or mayonnaise on your hair (without the smelliness or stickiness of course) and is just so rich and smooth and makes your hair feel so soft even before you finish your shower! The 1-minute treatment is the same idea as the conditioner but is meant to be used on occasion as an extra-hydrating conditioning step for less frizz and more sleekness and shine. I use the treatment about once a week and it keeps my hair extra soft for the rest of the week.

Before

After (and I didn't even need makeup because I am
wearing some super awesome Garnier Fructis BB Cream!
Watch for my review on that product soon!)

Usually after I test a product, even if I do enjoy it, I pass it onto my husband and try something new. Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge, however, has been a different story. Once in a while there is a product that I absolutely fall in love with and I can honestly see a difference so I will keep on using it until I need to try something new and then I will go right back to it again after. This is one of those products that I have noticed such a difference with and I have been using it now for weeks and still loving it. With most shampoo and conditioner, the first few days of use I can tell a difference...softer hair, more shine...but those effects wear out by the next week and my hair starts to go back to the usual sticky, dry that it is. For this reason, I tend to switch up shampoo and conditioner every week so that I can feel that fresh start. I have not had to yet with Hydra Recharge which to me is amazing. I rarely speak this highly of a product unless I am smitten and I truly am. Continued use only seems to be making my hair better. I can even let my hair dry naturally and I have very little frizz after and I don't even have all my usual frizz from the rainy, humid weather we have here. I highly recommend this product to anyone with dry, frizzy hair or anyone who wants a hair product that works consistently. I have frequently used the 'more expensive' brands as well and not even those can compare! I'd say these are quite worth the money!
Speaking of money, Garnier is one of the 'cheaper' brands, but their quality begs to differ. I have always been somewhat a fan of Garnier but have strayed away since I found some new products, however, each newly-formulated hair product and each brand new hair product line have made me very pro-Garnier. They are also one of the brands that regularly gives out great coupons as well so their products are pretty much always in your budget. I give Hydra Recharge and the Garnier brand in general a 5 star rating. I know there are a few products I have not liked even in the recent past, but they always bring me back with the next great product. So try some out for yourself and let me know what you think because I think this line of theirs is simply wonderful.


Disclaimer: I am a BzzAgent and received free products in exchange for a review. Each opinion is my own and is not influenced in any way by any party but myself.

Dry Idea AdvancedDry Review & Giveaway

The new Dry Idea AdvancedDry Fresh antiperspirant and deodorant is a great line that comes in spray, roll-on and clear gel. This product gives you up to 72 hours of protection from odors and wetness. Both men and women can use and enjoy this deodorant as the fresh scent is not to girly for a man to use. My husband tried it! You are guaranteed to "Never Let Them See You Sweat" and stay clean and dry all day long and the Vitamin E allows for a smooth application.

As I mentioned, Dry Idea AdvancedDry comes in three different application forms. All three are hypoallergenic and pulse activated. That means no breakouts and when you are in a state that would leave you sweating, this antiperspirant and deodorant will stop that in its tracks! Both the aerosol and the clear gel are extra effective. The roll-on is fast-drying and leaves your pits feeling silky smooth from the Vitamin E. Roll-on comes in Fresh scent as well as Unscented, Powder Fresh and Regular. Clear Gel also comes in Fresh, Unscented and Powder Fresh.

My husband and I both tried the new Dry Idea AdvancedDry Fresh Roll-On and we both enjoyed it. I now have been using it regularly. Most roll-ons leave wetness dripping down my underarms or they smell funny but the Fresh scent smells wonderful and the liquid dries quickly like it claims to. Application is easy and I don't need to reapply for a couple of days if something comes up. Now, with the temperatures down here lately and lots of sweating, I still reapply every day, however, I forgot one day in a rush and my armpits still smelled great! Yes, I smelled them. I was afraid I would stink and we were going to an important event so I was thankful that the AdvancedDry formula held up for me! My husband was very interested in the "last for 72 hours" as he is in the military. I do not believe he is allowed to brink liquid roll-on with him when he deploys, but if he is, he wants to take this. It smells great and it holds up so it saves some time if you are in a hurry!

Check out Dry Idea on Facebook!

Enter to win some free deodorant for yourself! Due to the nature of the prize, this giveaway is only open to addresses in the United States. Thank you.

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Disclaimer: I am a Purex Insider and received a free product for my review! These views are my own and were not at all influenced by the party who gave me this opportunity.

Soft Scrub Total All Purpose Bath & Kitchen Cleanser Review & Giveaway

Dirty bathrooms and kitchens? Get them cleaned with Soft Scrub Total All Purpose Bath & Kitchen Cleanser! Soft Scrub Total has a new and improved formula that has even more cleaning power than before and a new bottle design for better grip and easier pouring with fewer spills! The new formula will leave your dirty surfaces clean without harming them and provide more whitening and less residue!


Before

After

The Soft Scrub Total motto is "makes surfaces happy" and my husband proved that to be true (and it made for a happy wife!) We tried the lemon-scented Soft Scrub Total All Purpose Bath & Kitchen cleanser in our very dirty bathtub. It definitely helped to get rid of that dirt, grease and oil that my husband gets in the bathtub after working on cars and generators. Just a few minutes, a sponge and some Soft Scrub left the tub in our shower looking new! I really was not expecting that much of a difference as we were having a difficult time getting it cleaned prior so I am very satisfied with this product. It was so easy and so fast! Just look at the before and after pictures! I have always loved Soft Scrub. Before my allergies got really bad, I cleaned an entire, rusty bathtub with a toothbrush and Soft Scrub and it got rid of all of that brown and orange rust from the water. The improved Soft Scrub really is even better and it is most definitely easier to pour.

Enter to win a coupon and try some for yourself!
Due to the nature of the prize, this giveaway is only open to addresses in the United States. Thank you!

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Disclaimer: I am a Purex Insider and received a free product for my review! These views are my own and were not at all influenced by the party who gave me this opportunity.

Tanger Outlets, Mebane, NC Review

Today we had the opportunity to head out to Tanger Outlets in Mebane, about 2 hours away from where we live, to take part in one of their events, "A Taste & Style Experience." Before we got there, they had fine dining food trucks out, a KitchenAid demonstration and a live musical performance. We went for the Curtis Stone cooking demonstration and meet & greet session.
The Curtis Stone event was an amazing experience. I learned some things I didn't know, smelled some great food (that I was tempted to run on stage and try a bite of) and afterwards I was able to purchase his brand new cook book, get his autograph and have my photo taken with him! He was even so kind as to sign my sister's "Flat Stanley" project! The line set up was a bit confusing, but that was

understandable with the hundreds and hundreds of people walking around whether it was for the events or just to shop. After meeting Curtis Stone, Tanger Outlets interviewed me! This was a little unexpected but was fun, as much as I am the shyest, most awkward person ever in person...especially when I am being videotaped.
I loved that we were able to be so close to somewhere to stop and grab a drink and a bite to eat after the demonstration rather than having to try to drive somewhere else. Everything was right there so we were able to get out of the hot sun and rehydrate for a bit and have some lunch (ice cream for me!) Since the weather was SO much hotter than we had anticipated, we were also able to stop in quickly at Children's Place and get some shorts for our son to wear. Price-wise, as a deal blogger I think everything is expensive still; places like Children's Place, Gymboree, etc, were just as expensive if not more than the locations by our house in spite of being an outlet location. If you are one who can afford and enjoys buying designer and name-brand products, however, Tanger Outlets is the place for you. This outdoor outlet mall truly is for the higher-end fashion lovers and you can save on those brands but I wouldn't recommend to go out of your way to go there just for a typical store like Children's Place. We really did enjoy walking around some and window shopping though, which would be our typical trip to any mall anyway except we were able to see a special event!

If you are a military family, have AAA, go to college, etc, you will be able to stop at the service station and receive a coupon booklet for free which can help you save even more on the name brands! There are often great events going on and always great high-end shopping. Find a lovely day and take a trip to a Tanger Outlets near you and let me know what you think!


Disclaimer: I received free VIP passes to this event in exchange for my opinion; all views and opinions are my own.

Combat Ant Killing Bait Strips Review

Like most people, we have an ant problem as the weather gets warmer. I have already noticed quite a few ants in the house! You can imagine my reaction to that. Fortunately, however, we have the Combat Ant Killing Bait Strips at our disposal! We stuck them out in a few places where there are many ants or where the ants enjoy entering our lovely house and we have not had an ant problem since!

As the Combat Roach Killing Bait Strips, the Ant Killing strips work by proving "food" to the ants which they bring back to their homes. The insecticide then reaches all of the ant colony terminating the problem at the source which means you do not need to worry about your ant problem as often! These too have a discreet design that you can stick under cupboards, outside on the porch, on the back of your garbage can...wherever you need to.

These will stick to most inside surfaces if they are smooth, however, ruff surfaces are not easily stuck to as there is not much surface area with the sticky backing. You can always try using Command Strips to stick these where you can't otherwise, though, and still not have the mess!

These Combat Killing Bait Strips have a gel containing food and water along with Fipronil which is an insecticide that works within hours of contact! I feel so terrible sometimes talking about all this killing of bugs, but remember, these insects are not to be invited into your home. They can carry diseases that can harm your family so Combat is really saving you from sickness!

Keep these out of reach of children and pets! The Bait Strips, which come in packs of 5 strips, are available at major retailers including Walmart, Home Depot, Target, Family Dollar, Dollar General and Publix.


Disclaimer: I am a Purex Insider and received a free product for my review! These views are my own and were not at all influenced by the party who gave me this opportunity.

FamilyStickers.com Review & Giveaway

I am sure you see cars everywhere with stickers on the back window to show their family. I have been a lot more lately and have always thought they were adorable. Because of this, I thought family stickers would be a great way to announce that we have another little one on the way! FamilyStickers.com has allowed me to review some and I am in love!

The car window stickers are pretty much completely customizable. You can choose from white stick figures to full-color figures! I love classic so I personally chose the white stick figures, but if you go with the colored ones you are able to choose the skin color, hair color, shirt color, pants color, shoe color and even the color of whatever accessory your family member has! With any of the family car stickers you are able to choose the gender, the height, the head and the body and you are even able to add text! I chose to show that my husband is in the military, I am pregnant, my son thinks he's Superman and our cat loves shirts AND in place of the family name we put the announcement "We're Expecting!" You can use this just to show off the personality of your family, use basic characters to show off the size of your family, or do what we did and make an announcement whether you just graduated, you got engaged or married, you got a new pet, a new job...the list goes on! If you want, you can even make your family look like a bunch of monkeys, zombies or vampires! There are even different car sticker options beyond stick figures or color--you can create "Chrome" stickers, large or small size stickers, family accessories stickers, Peeking Family stickers, just faces or full-on scenes!

But wait, there's more! FamilyStickers.com does not JUST have car stickers. This site also has everything from wall stickers to mugs to stationery to ornaments! You can also get car stickers that are not of your family but are "in memory of" or words or ribbons! Check it out for yourself!
Applying the family car stickers is really easy. They send great, detailed instructions with your order; simply follow those and you are set! Since we didn't have the squeegee, we used the edge of a gift card. Now, I did do a preggo-brain move and did not stick the sheet down 100% flat to start with, but how the stickers are made, we were able to work around that and my husband just took a blade to the creased spots to relieve them so they could be smoothed out flat and the stickers were unaffected. There are great how-to-apply videos on the FamilyStickers.com website if you are having troubles. You are able to remove stickers in the future if you choose to (in our case I will eventually take my pregnant belly off and add myself normal size and add a baby) but stickers are not reusable after. Do not worry though! If you need to replace a sticker, you can just order one person to replace the one that needs replacing rather than the whole family if the rest are ok because the stickers are individual which is pretty neat!

Are you going to order some FamilyStickers.com products? If you do, especially if you choose to use them to make an announcement, please share on my Facebook wall! You can follow FamilyStickers.com on Facebook to learn about new products and deals. If you order, be sure to send FamilyStickers.com a photo of your car with the stickers for a chance to win $100! Winner selected by number of votes and the contest ends April 30, 2013.

Want to see the other ways I announced that we are expecting? Check out my brand new, still-in-the-works blog Arts & Crackers for announcement ideas like this, crafts, recipes and much more!


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Disclaimer: I received a free product for my review! These views are my own and were not at all influenced by the party who gave me this opportunity.

Purex Glitter Review & Giveaway

Purex gave me this very special opportunity to be one of the first to try the new Purex Glitter detergent! I was skeptical at first because I mean, come on, glitter detergent? I have to say though, it really adds a new meaning to sparkly clean! My wash came out smelling so wonderful and had a great glittery effect to it. As a woman, I like the glitz; my husband and son, on the other hand, are not so into it so I now have an excuse to wash my clothes separately. My skin is fairly sensitive so I was concerned that the glitter would make my skin itch and turn all red but the glitter flecks are small enough that I don't notice any irritation. This detergent is a great, unique, new innovation from Purex! I have tried so many awesome products of theirs and they always come out with new things first!

Purex Glitter detergent is safe as it has a 100% natural glitter formula with no added harmful chemicals. The glitter simply embeds into your clothing making them glamtastic and ready for any special occasion or everyday bling! Not only will your clothing come out dazzling, but Purex Glitter also has the same great stain-fighting formula of all other Purex products as well as being high-efficiency-friendly. Worried there will be a glittery mess? Purex has that covered! I didn't notice any mess afterward because their formula is specifically made to attach onto the fabric and any excess is rinsed away with the old water in the spin cycle. Available at Walmart stores, Purex Glitter is half the cost of the leading brand of detergent so you can strut your personality for less! The dream of every frugal couponer, right? Read the bottle before use though. My first batch I didn't realize I was supposed to hang to dry.

Check out these before and after pics of a dress for one of my nieces:

Go here to learn more about Purex Glitter.

Enter to win! BECAUSE THIS IS A COUPON FOR A PRODUCT ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE UNITED STATES, THIS GIVEAWAY IS ONLY OPEN TO U.S. RESIDENTS. Thank you.


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Disclaimer: I am a Purex Insider and received a free product for my review! These views are my own and were not at all influenced by the party who gave me this opportunity.