The Body Shop Beauty's Night Out

Recently I was treated to an awesome experience at the The Body Shop at Lenox. From the initial greeting by the General Manager Andre Atchison to the fantastic services provided by my consultant for the evening Channtel I couldn't have asked for a better experience, but what captivated me the most was what I learned about the company and its values. 

Any company that is against animal testing, support community trade, defends human rights and strives to to protect our "beautiful" planet is certainly worth at least a visit. I will warn you that if you visiti this boutique and experience the high quality of there products and customer service you will be won over.

While receiving my skin care consultations and prior to my makeover I enjoyed a hand massage that was taken over the top by the products that were used, the Brazil Nut Body Butter in conjunction with their Body Oil, left my hands super soft and moisturized. During my makeup application I learned that you too can receive the same treatment that I experienced by contacting the The Body Shop at Lenox and booking a Beauty Party for you and your friends to enjoy! 

Disclosure: I received admissions to this event along with complimentary products in exchange for posting about it.  As always my opinions are my own.

Did You Know... Blink

Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

Wordless Wednesday- All for One and One for All

Family Tradition

Review of The Odd Life of Timothy Green

If you haven't  seen the movie The Odd Life of Timothy Green, what are you waiting for?

When I entered the theater I was expecting that this film would be a feel good movie that would take me on a bit of an emotional roller coaster and boy was I right. The very first scene draws you in and you find yourself immediately invested in the main characters. The movie is saturated with life lessons from accepting everyone regardless of their differences to if you plant a seed and nurture it, it will grow. You will definitely walk away from this film  wanting to appreciate your love ones just a little bit more. The setting of the movie reminds me of a Mayberry like fictional town, which is a perfect setting for the strange/miracles that occur throughout the storyline. This film is appropriate for school aged children and up and is the perfect film to take the entire family!

Watch the Preview

I received free passes to view this movie, but my opinions are my own.

Top 10 Ideas for a Date Night at Home

If you follow my blog you know that I am a mother of two young boys and often times it's difficult to find childcare for date nights. So we make an extra effort to make those weekend nights when we can't get out as enjoyable as if we where out. Here is a list of a few date night ideas we have done and a few we hope to do in the future.

1. Movie and Popcorn
2. Hookah and Drinks
3. Candle Light Dinner in the Backyard
4. Play Your Favorite Board Games
5. Home Spa Treatments
6. Hire a Chef for the Night
7. Slow Dance to Soft Music
8. Prepare a Meal Together
9. Take Turns Reading from a Book You Both Enjoy
10. Wine and Conversation

I have found that these date night ideas are most enjoyable when one party is unaware of the plans for the evening. To go from thinking it will just be another ho-hum evening to it becoming a relaxing an enjoyable night with your spouse adds a little extra to the atmosphere which makes it feel more like a date.

Leave a comment sharing how you make the most of date night at home!

Miss Jessie's Pillow Soft Curls Review

I was fortunate enough to recieve Miss Jessie's new product Pillow Soft Curls at a preview event hosted by Lexi of curlscoilsandkinks.com. I choose to experience the product a couple of times in order to have a more accurate review of this product made specifically for a wash and go style. 

Description: The name says it all.  Miss Jessie’s PILLOW SOFT CURLS™ is the new styling lotion that borrows fabric care technology and marries it to haircare. It is perfect for achieving static-free, big, soft, curly hair that we all dream about. If you don't want ramen noodle definition and instead want a larger, expanded, fluffy curl then PILLOW SOFT CURLS™ is for you! It's the first “fabric softener” type styling lotion that will leave your curls clothesline fresh and fluffy soft.  You will see that  PILLOW SOFT CURLS™ is so easy to apply. It spreads so smoothly and feels as light as a feather on your curls.                                                         

During the preview a licensed stylist shared her technique for applying the product on a hair model. Her technique included applying the product to extremely wet hair and smoothing the hair while twisting it around her finger several times. Then the model sat under the dryer for 15 minutes in order to set the hair. Ultimately achieving these results.

I decided to use the method I always use for wash and go's in order to compare apples to apples. So after cleansing my hair and it is still sopping wet I apply a generous amount of the product to my hair and rake it through. I then vigorously shake my hair to help my curls pop. Here is a picture of my hair 90 percent dry.

My first impressions was that I loved the scent and got compliments on the pure scent of my hair everywhere I went during the first day of application. I enjoyed the simplicity of applying just this one product without having to sacrifice moisture and shine. Second day hair was easily achieved by misting my hair with water and shaking in order to re awaken the curls. With that said like other style products initially there is a bit of a hold/stiff factor to it that is easily remedied by lightly scrunching your hair in an upward motion.

I am not much of a wash and go girl myself because I like my hair in a more stretched state and prefer not to leave the house with wet hair or having to diffuse it in order for it to be dry. But, for you lovely naturals out there that wash and go is a staple style for you this product is definitely one that you must try.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary bottle of Miss Jessie's Pillow Soft Curls.  As always my opinions are my own.

Bags and Dark Circles Be Gone

I have both bags and dark circles under my eyes and this is my first attempt at doing something about it. If you follow my blog you know I drink green tea several times a day and was looking into other uses for the tea bags. I came across a wealth of information at Live Strong.com including a step by step guide on how to use green tea bags to treat my eyes.

 I steeped a bag and than placed it in the refrigerator to cool while I enjoyed my cup of tea. Once the bag was cooled to the touch I laid on my couch and placed the tea bag on my right eye for 15 minutes.

The tea bag was applied to the eye on the left side of the picture. 

One positive side effect that wasn't mentioned as I searched the internet was that it actually relaxes your eyes. I may not have noticed if I did both eyes, but my treated eye was super relaxed while my untreated eye felt overly tense. The caffeine in the tea shrinks the size of the blood vessels and could be why my eye felt so relaxed.

I am very pleased by the results, I was surprised that it worked and so quickly. While I realize that it was not a dramatic change, I would recommend if you are experiencing dark circles, bags and/or tired eyes to try green tea bags as a natural alternative to over the counter products. 

DID YOU KNOW... Stamps

The United States Postal Service assures its customers that they will not get fat licking stamps. There is no more than one-tenth of a calorie's worth of glue on every stamp.

Wordless Wednesday- Wild Ride

Atlanta's Center for Puppetry and Arts- The Tortoise, The Hare...

     

I had the pleasure of viewing the The Tortoise,The Hare, and Other Aesop's Fables at the Center for Puppetry and Arts with my family. The Lion and the Mouse, the Country Mouse and the City Mouse, the Fox and the Crane along with the Ant and the Grasshopper where the other fables featured in the show. This three woman performance (including lighting and sound) is appropriate for children age two and older. My sons  are two and three years old and both enjoyed the show immensely. This was their first time attending a puppet show and we weren't quite sure how they would handle being in the dark, but the colorful costumes, catchy songs and overall interactive story lines kept them so engaged that they soon forgot about the darkness.  The 50-minute production was the perfect length for the young audience and the intimate setting allowed even those who are seated in the very back to feel apart of the fun!

Photo by Rob Reilly

In addition to the show you have the opportunity to either stay at the center and make you own puppet or  take home a puppet kit to enjoy at a later time. We opted to stay and make our puppets there which was great because they had everything you needed, plus the staff was very helpful with the boys as the hubby and I got somewhat engrossed in our own puppets!

The Center for Puppetry and Arts is an excellent option if you are looking to expose your children to the arts at a young age. This particular production will be running until September 9, 2012. For more details and showtimes click here.

Disclosure:  I received complimentary tickets to this production. There was no monetary exchange and the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Flat Twist Out & Curl Enhancing Smoothie Review

Blow Out Flat Twist Out & Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie Review

Disclosure: I purchased this product myself and have received no monetary exchange for my review. As always my opinions are entirely my own. 

The Oogieloves Preview

My children and I were fortunate enough to participate in a round table discussion and viewing of The Ooogieloves in The Big Balloon Adventure, a kids movie in theaters August 29th. The producer Kenn Viselman and writer Scott Stabile lead the discussion and gave us detailed insight into the inspiration behind this film. The motivation behind the film is to give children a positive movie going experience, where they are encouraged to physically and verbally interact with the movie. 

Synopsis:

The film follows the Oogieloves - Goobie, Zoozie and Toofie - as they set out to find five magical golden balloons in time for their good friend Schluufyʼs surprise birthday party. With the help of their best friends, J. Edgar, Windy Window and Ruffy, and the support of many extraordinary new friends whom they meet along the way, the Oogieloves travel throughout all of beautiful LovelyLoveville on their search. They’ll need plenty of creative thinking, teamwork and enthusiasm to rescue these one-of-a-kind balloons in time for the big celebration. But when the Oogieloves work together with the audience, they can achieve anything!

We had an awesome experience at this movie and hope it is the first of many more of it's kind to come!

DID YOU KNOW... Fishbone

The custom of serving a slice of lemon with fish dates back to the Middle Ages; the lemon was originally intended for remedial purposes rather than to flavor the fish. It was believed that if a person accidentally swallowed a fish bone, the lemon juice would dissolve it.

Miss Jessie's Pillow Soft Curls Preview

Last Friday, I attended a preview event for Miss Jessie's Pillow Soft Curls hosted by Lexi of CurlsCoilsAndKinks. The event was held at Curltopia  and attended by Fashionista-Next-Door, ItsArkeedah, NoFroSmushingAllowed, MeMyHairAndTheCity, BabyShopaholic, LilyKai,  MahoganyKnots, IAmSadiddy, CharisseRenee, KelaNatural, OhNikka, IfIWereABritGirl, FashionToRouge and MissFoodieFash, a diverse group of Atlanta bloggers.
                 

In addition to mixing and mingling with this awesome group of bloggers we were treated to demonstrations of the application of Pillows Soft Curls. The product was developed to be used by those naturals who enjoy the simplicity of a wash and go. The stylist instructed us that this product must be applied to wet hair. You can either rake it through with your finger or do as she did take a small section of hair and twirl it around your finger several time while smoothing the product into the hair. Once the product is evenly distributed throughout your hair use your preferred method of drying, just avoid disturbing the curl pattern until its completely dry and your done!

    

A video on both my attempt at applying the product using the stylist method and a review coming soon!

Wordless Wednesday- Caption This