Christmas is Coming?!

This Christmas is going to be crazy!

This is the first year in a while that I:
a) haven't been too broke to afford it
b) haven't been able to just shop when I need to (something I fixed today!)
c) managed to start my shopping before December 20th!

Having 4 kids changes the way one would shop for Christmas.  This year, I have done more online shopping that I have in my life... and it feels good.  Especially now that both of my under 3s are sick! I can shop without having to take my babies out in the cold, try to wrestle them to blow their noses, or pry toys out of their hands as I browse.

If we go back about a month ago, I accidentally melted my baby carrier in the dryer.  I thought it would be OK to only put it in for 10 minutes. I was horribly wrong.
*Note to self: Never, never, never again*
As a result, I now have no carrier. So this means a lot of time spent at home browsing the online retailers to try to have all of my children's gifts shipped to my door as quick as possible. I am about 90% finished now!

I am actually loving this! I am almost done shopping!!  A lot of retailers have really awesome sales on baby/toddler stuff this time of year, and I managed to take care of some of my shopping on Black Friday/Cyber Monday. My two older ones are waaayyy harder to shop for. Their tastes are pretty expensive, and it gets worse as they age! Amazon was amazing for my older two, and Walmart was actually really great too!

Luckily there are places like Melissa & Doug, Mastermind Toys, and Toys R Us that keep the costs down with crazy sales! I managed to pick up a few things that were "Daily Deals" at Toys R Us - and their selection of Peppa Pig stuff was beyond anything I could have imagined!

I will say this, shopping for 4 children at Christmas time shouldn't have to break the bank. May retailers offer so many sales between Black Friday and Christmas that it makes it easier to get almost everything on your little one's Christmas list for decent prices.  I use a lot of cash back and retailer apps to curb the costs as well.  I will post a breakdown of how they all work soon.

Remember, Christmas is a magical time for your little ones. There is no need to stress about the cost! They are only little once...

Get Target’s weekly ad on your iPhone, iPad or Android mobile device by downloading the retailer’s app. You can also capitalize on Target savings by taking advantage of store pickup. Order online and pick orders up you local store for free and avoid pesky shipping costs, or Target always offers free shipping on orders over $25!

The Children’s Place’s entire website is currently 50-60% off. It’s the perfect time to find outfits kids love for Fall, and cool weather fun. Check out their graphic long-sleeved tees or make it easy on yourself and browse The Children’s Place’s matchables and complete outfits for girls, boys, toddlers and babies.

Been Away... big plans!

So, I have been away for a while. There is a post I have been working on for, I don't  know, 8 months?!

I have also been working on a few other ventures!

One of those have been helping fundraise and promote a family business. I have been busy with all the social media and the blog for The Plaza Theatre in Nipigon, Ontario, Canada.  The theatre was built in the 1940's and closed in 2001. It is now time to give new life to the building! Here is a link to the GoFundMe page.

My second venture is more of a personal one. I am toying with the idea of starting my own business! This thought has been on my mind for months and I am in "business planning mode" at the moment. It is scary but so exciting! I will definitely link to that as soon as everything is final.

I have also been working on some different campaigns from Shopper Army, Influenster and Chick Advisor. No new BzzAgent right now -> 😭😭😭 <- SUPER sad face. I will be sure to update if I get anything new from them.

I have also paired with another company and hope to share a bit about them soon as well.

Check back for updates!

Next blog coming really soon!

Happy Birthday

**Now, this post is somehow making it out of the woodwork earlier than my original post.. not yet complete. I will post it eventually- I think.**

Happy Birthday.
You know who you are.

It has been just over a year and a half since you left. There isn't a day that I don't miss you. There isn't a day that I don't wonder where you are. There isn't a night that I don't look at the stars and hope that you see me...

This isn't getting "easier".
...and today, it's really hard.

Today, your beautiful soul turns 29 - but your body isn't here to celebrate.

Today, 2 years ago, is the last time I talked to you. Which is something I will regret for the rest of my life.

Today, we celebrate a life cut short.

Today, 29 years ago, your mother became a mother.

Today, my heart hurts.

I just want to let you know how much I miss you. I want you to know that, I will never understand why you had to leave. I will never understand your pain.

You had this great light about you. You always smiled through it. I saw you as a strong young woman who tried really hard to achieve your goals. I even remember you texting me once, out of the blue, to ask about something. It was a subject that I didn't think that you would ever consider, but I was glad that you asked me. It was kind of a turning point because it was the first sign that we weren't all kids anymore - which is funny, because you getting married a few months before that never really solidified that for me. I'm glad you came to me. I'm glad that you felt you could come to me.

I remember you coming to visit me a few months before you got married, and I remember thinking how happy you were. You were glowing - you were giddy and funny - so happy.

I remember when you and your sister came to visit a couple years before that too. You were making a long drive back from the East Coast and, even after the long drive, you still found amazing things to say about it. "The trees are sooo pretty" (Now, if you know the area I live in, the trees really ARE pretty - but it's something that someone who lives in a bigger city definitely appreciates more). Watching you with my children was amazing. You were so kind, loving. My daughter was in her veeerrrrrrry inquisitive phase and asked you a bunch of questions. I don't remember the questions, but you handled it like a pro... you sat with them, played with them, joked, laughed... something you perfected as a big sister <3

I remember when I was going through probably THE worst time in my life. I was making horrible choices. One day, there you were. I know we were going to lunch. I remember how you looked at me. It was like you saw past everything and ignored it. You looked at me like I could do no wrong. I felt like crap inside, and you still looked at me like we were kids (we still were I guess, I was 19 and you were 16). I thank you for that. It felt like you were the only one who saw past my faults at the time. Thank you.

Today is so hard.
There will be posts on Facebook, and I will try to read them all. No. I WILL read them all. But, in my usual way, that even I don't understand, I will not acknowledge them. One day I will have the strength, but not yet.

Until then...

Happy Birthday, Cousin.
I love you. I hope you have a fabulous birthday, wherever you are. I hope you can feel the love we have for you.

Strong, beautiful, caring, kind, funny, delicate, stubborn, witty, soft, smart, proud, sophisticated, friendly, generous... just a short list of you.  You were so much more.
I love you.

So, CoverGirl surprises me again!

The last few weeks have been somewhat of a blur.

With 2 babies under 2 (at least for ths next week) and one of said babies teething (*gah*) I have been averaging about 2-6 hours of sleep per day. Yes, I say per day and not night because, I will get 2 hours here, an hour there, sometimes a nice 4 hour stretch in the evening... I rarely get any actual sleep between the hours of 2 and 7 am.

Anyway.... Last night was one of those nights. Baby woke at 2:30 am.
I had a total of 2 hours sleep in the previous 24 hour period so, I knew that if I even attempted to got back to sleep, I would not be able to wake myself come the morning 'rush' (my older two still have school to go to -come oooooon summer break! Lol).

******
Needless to say, I did attempt the impossible and, once my littlest finally closed her beautiful eyes around 5:30 am, I waited a few minutes and crawled into bed at 5:49 am.............fast-forward 21 minutes. Yes. 21 minutes.
You think, after 4 kids, I would have learned my lesson. NOPE! LOL
******

My day started officially at 6:10 am.
Woke my older two just after 7, showers, breakfasts, lunches, oh my.
BUT... This morning also involved a meeting at 9:20 am. Ugh... 

So, armed with my Maybelline foundation and my CoverGirl Plumpify mascara (that I got for free from BzzAgent!), I quickly slapped this wonderful magical sleep-deprivation-hiding product to my face. I didn't even have time to make coffee - which, in hindsight I should have put a pot on at 3 am (don't judge).

I get 3 out of 4 of my babies ready to head out the door, we walk over to the school. I say goodbye to my oldest daughter and walk around the building to the front door with my oldest - did I mention he had a giant project that had to be carried over too? No? Ya, there's that. Lol

Just as we are rounding the corner, I smell it. Coffee. Parent council was giving away free coffee! I love free, but I love coffee even more!

I grabbed a coffee, headed to my meeting, and not ONE person commented on how tired I felt LOL

The magical parent counsil ladies thought I was fibbing when I told them about my night: Thanks CoverGirl & BzzAgent!

The school staff said something along the lines of "you don't look it!" (Aww thanks, you make me blush!): Thanks CoverGirl & BzzAgent!

*****

▪I absolutely love the curl effect with this mascara! I almost instantly felt a change in how my eyes felt.
▪I could feel my eyes widen because my lashes weren't weighed down.
▪I applied less than I normally would and it still worked to curl my lashes.
▪It didn't clump! (Probably because I used less)

See! See!

Want to test products for free??

Join me on BzzAgent! 

http://www.bzzagent.com

More BzzAgent fun with Cover Girl!

So, one of my latest campaigns for BzzAgent is for Cover Girl Plumpify Very Black Mascara!

Now, I am not really a "make up" person, the most I have put on my face since having children (and even before that) is a decent foundation/concealer and mascara.

I was excited to get this campaign because I am always looking for an easy to use, great looking mascara. I chose the "Very Black" colour. I am fair skinned for the most part, so I felt it would "pop" more than a regular black. This mascara is also supposed to lift and curl lashes.

So, above, is my "before and after"

I took a pic of each eye - because, really.. It's easier to take a decent Instagram picture that way - am I right?!

The bottom photo shows after I applied 2 coats. As you can see - not only does it make this momma NOT look tired, but it actually DID lift my lashes to a certain extent. Not fakies high, but still a lift :)

A bit of a con for me; was the clumping. As you can see, it did clump a bit in the corner of my eye. Nothing that smothing out a bit didn't manage. 

A neutral point for me; was the wand. This product prides itself on having THE biggest wand. Pic below ↘↙↘↙↘↙

Bzzzzz Campaigns!!

I have two new BzzCampaigns right now.
Covergirl Plumpify blastPRO in Very Black and Pantene Expert Collection Intense Repair Shampoo and Conditioner.

These campaigns just keep getting better and better.

*****

On a side note, I haven't posted because I have been working on a more personal blog post for the past few weeks. Still debating whether I will publish it once finished - forewarning; it's heavy.

*****
Stay tuned!

New Influenster and BzzAgent Campaigns!!

So, I received my new Influenster campaign last week, and am waiting for my new BzzAgent campain (which shipped today!) - very exciting!

My new Influenster VoxBox is the L'Oréal Preference Infinia hair colour in R5 (Red Mahogany).
My new BzzAgent campaign is Pantene Expert Collection Pro-V Intense Repair shampoo and conditioner.

I am definitely looking forward to trying both campaigns. With 2 under 2, pulling all-nighters, I could definitely use a non-caffinated pick me up! 

This is my hair before trying either product. I am curious to see how this one will turn out!

My hair definitely neexs some repairing - why not get it for free?

 Try BzzAgent and Influenster for yourself today!

*test products for free*

*write honest reviews*

*have your voice heard*

STAY TUNED!

New #Influenster Campaign!!

Well.. my new Influenster box with the new Bioré Baking Soda cleanser and scrub came last week, and I have tried it a couple times already.

I am so happy I get to try stuff like this for free to review - because, frankly, I am cheap and wouldn't normally pay to try anything new. I would just stick to my tried and true Dove soap LOL

I am amazed at how CLEAN my face feels now! Don't get me wrong, I love Dove soap (the sensitive kind) because it doesn't really leave a film on my face like *other* soaps. This new Bioré cleanser is a totally great alternative. I may actually have to buy it when I run out!

I'll start with the Bioré Baking Soda Cleansing Scrub...

So, this stuff is actually a powder! It activates with water. You should wet your face first, then put a bit in your hand, add a bit of water and BAM - the best exfoliant I have ever tried! As you scrub it around your face, it dissolves - WAY better than those other creams or washes that have those little beads in them that don't dissolve and end up in our lakes and rivers. Also, Baking Soda is so much more natural than a lot of the harsh chemicals that are in most products.
I also have combination skin... This works on all of it!
Great thing about this too; it will LAST quite a while because it's not an every day product. I can use it 2 or 3 times a week and my skin feels so great.

*****

The next AMAZING product that was included in the box is: Bioré Baking Soda Pore Cleanser...

I absolutely LOVE this product. This one is a daily cleanser; wet face, pump, lather and massage on your face - your skin will thank you! I swear, I heard my pores give out a sigh of relief when I rinsed my face. This stuff is hypoallergenic, dermatologist tested and so simple and clean. It also has exfoliating properties, so on the days you don't use the cleansing scrub, you still get a bit of exfoliation action. It SMELLS really good too!

Stay tuned! I have a bit more 'facial' advice coming up!

Did someone say "free"?!

I am pretty excited this week!

I have a #voxbox coming from Influenster, and a new campaign from ChickAdvisor too! Both are beauty products/make up - a big change from the Brookside chocolate bars I reviewed from ChickAdvisor last time.

I don't usually wear make up, so this should be pretty fun.

I also signed up for a few "freebies" on some random sites last week. I am hoping that they were legit, and that I start to get some things this week.

*edit: my voxbox and chickadvisor campaigns came last week. Working on my reviews now that I have tried them a few times! Stay tuned!*

Lookie What Came Today!!

I received my Brookside Chocolate ChickAdvisor campaign today!

Excuse the pic, I already ate one and sampled the other two, lol
They are all dark chocolate - my FAV! I got three different flavours, which I think is completely awesome!

ChickAdvisor is pretty cool. It's pretty simple in that you don't have to really do as much social media sharing, although I do.

Join me!

So, I figured it's time to share how I get the opportunity to test out new products!

Influenster:
Influenster is very social. There are user-posted reviews, you can answer questions about products you have tried, and there are perks too - free products to test and review!

BzzAgent:
BzzAgent is WOM (word of mouth) marketing. Users complete a series of surveys and get different products to try, review, and tell people about.

ChickAdvisor:
ChickAdvisor is a product review club. When products become available to test, you sign up and cross your fingers, lol

Keep an eye on this post, I will update soon!

Check out my Pinterest!!

I thought you'd like this Pin on Pinterest... http://pin.it/8K96HBC

This links to my Secret Outlast Xtend post on Pinterest.

I love BzzAgent campaigns!!

Anyway, check it out!

#IChooseHuggies

Well... Sort of...
I really enjoyed the double grip strips. I wish ALL diapers came with them!
My poor baby ended up with a rash 3 diapers in :( To be fair though, my first 2 babies ended up with rashes from Huggies as well. They have sensitive skin like their dad.
Baby #4 (who will be 3 months soon, omg) is the first baby that can actually wear Huggies! Too bad they didn't send me a pack of size 2s LOL

I am really happy to have been selected for this #voxbox though! I know a lot of people that swear by Huggies, my babies just seem to disagree with them!

I really recommend them to people who use Huggies regularly. Those strips are truly amazing!!

Thanks influenster!

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.