Why some Groupons are a good idea

So before Christmas, Groupon had an Old Navy deal.  Pay $10 and get a Groupon for $20.  Personally I'm not a huge deal site user.  But I'd signed up for Groupon months ago thinking I might eventually use it.  Well a couple weeks ago, Groupon sent me an email saying they'd give me $10 to spend on their site plus a $5 Starbucks ecard if I used it before Dec 21st.  Then this deal popped up.  So the Groupon cost me nothing.  And you can see above what I got with it.  
 
It was perfect as my brothers pretty much only wear boxers from Old Navy.  Even luckier while shopping there with my mom yesterday at the new Randhurst store...they were putting out boxers that they had marked down to $.97.  So we picked up 9 pairs of boxer shorts and 3 t-shirts for $1.03 after the Groupon.  Which when you think about it is fantastic as the boxers themselves normally run about $8.50 a pair.  :)

Oh, I almost forgot...Old Navy is also having a sale right now...when you spend $20 you get a voucher.  To come back at a later date and get $10 off when you spend $20.  So we got one of those too.  :)

Saveur Smith Island Cake

This is the newest fancy dessert we've tried at my house.  Saveur's Smith Island Cake is definitely worth the work to make.  I was a little worried that the frosting wouldn't set up because it was incredibly liquid when I was spreading it on the cake.  But it did after it had been in the fridge overnight. 

The other important instruction in the directions was to make sure to make the batter thicker towards the edge of the pan.  This gave each layer a little lip which helped keep the frosting in place between layers.  The layers also cooked extremely quickly.  Mine took 12 minutes for each set of 4 pans.  Depending on your oven you'll definitely want to keep an eye on them though.  Next time I'd definitely use more peanut butter cups between the layers.  Probably double.  The recipe did make a tasty cake though.  I'd recommend it.  :)

Montagne Jeunesse Dead Sea Mask

So as part of my Influenster holiday voxbox I received a Dead Sea mask from Montagne Jeunesse.  I love face masks in general as I've got naturally sensitive skin and it always seems to be pink looking.  The pink  comes from being Irish.  It doesn't show as pink in photos (just shows up as I've applied just the right amount of blush :)).  But I'm losing my train of thought here....

So I like face masks in general because they tend to calm my skin and make it appear more even in tone.  I was excited to try the Dead Sea mask from Montagne Jeunesse.  It was just a little packet so I was sure that it would be just enough for one person, but there was a lot in there.  So my sister got to try it out too.  The mask itself went on really easily and was extremely smooth and creamy.  Not lumpy at all like the pics of it applied on the models on the http://www.montagnejeunesse.com website.  It dried fairly quickly.  After washing it off, my skin did feel quite soft and smooth.  It definitely didn't irritate or dry out my sensitive skin which was a big plus. 

So I definitely liked the mask.  I've never seen it in stores before but apparently its available everywhere.  :)

Now here's all the official stuff:

Montagnue Jeunesse

 Fun, pampering beauty treats


Whether you enjoy looking after your skin, being pampered, or indulging in some me-time, be it alone or with friends, you will absolutely enjoy one of these ‘Life Little Pleasures’… With a huge array to choose from, our face masques are packed with the most delicious natural ingredients and are bursting with luscious fragrances. Suitable for all different skin types, there is one to suit every mood and everybody!

Montagne Jeunesse beauty treats are free of parabens, vegetarian approved and never tested on animals. So treat yourself today to a masque that will hydrate, nourish and leave your skin cleansed, smooth and glowing. Available at ULTA Beauty, Walgreen’s, Claire’s, Walmart, Kroger, CVS Pharmacies and other retailers across the US, these masques are available in a variety of succulent flavours, including:

• Cucumber Peel Off
• Passion Peel Off
• Dead Sea Mud
• Fruit Smoothie
• Strawberry Souffle
• Chocolate Mud
• And many more! 

 
 I received this for free in my Influenster holiday voxbox for review.  All opinions are my own.
 

Perfect gift for the Big Bang Theory Fanatic

So I've been busy lately.  My sister has a big love of all things Big Bang Theory...so I thought why not stitch a pillow with one of her favorite quotes on it.  I finished it off into a 12x12 inch red flannel pillow.  It's listed on Etsy.com.

Garden Botanika Lash Enhancer

Another thing Influenster included in my holiday voxbox was Garden Botanika's lash enhancer.  This wasn't in all the voxboxes apparently.  I've never used a lash enhancer before mainly because I rarely wear any mascara.  I've been lucky enough to get naturally long thick black lashes.  But since they were in my box I figured I'd give it a go.  It was a little work to get it on as it tended to clump on my lashes.  Then all I had to do was wait for it to dry.  Then I put a layer of Covergirl's lashblastvolume on top.  Having the primer on caused that to clump a bit too.  So I used an eyelash brush to separate my lashes some.  Here's another pic with my eyes open.  (I know I'm not smiling but I was trying to concentrate on not having my eyes open too much.)

Told ya it wasn't a smiling pic.  But you do get to see my pretty green eyes.  :)  All in all if I were going on a date I'd go to the trouble to putting the lash enhancer on but I'd skip it as an everyday thing.  Of course if you don't already have thick dark lashes, this would definitely give you them.


Influenster sent me the lash enhancer for my opinion and review.  All opinions are mine

Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-on Manicure in Dancing Queen

I received the Broadway nails imPRESS Press-on Manicure in the Dancing Queen pattern in my Influenster holiday voxbox.  The only problem I had with using them is...that naturally my nails are longer than the press-on ones.  So I had to drag out the file to make them shorter.  Otherwise they were super easy to put on.  Just peel off the backing and press them on to the nail.  They attached instantly and so far no issues with them popping off.

Just so you can get a better view of them on all of my fingers.  The camera had a little trouble focusing on the busy design.  Oh, and they feel a little heavy on my fingers, but that's probably because I'm not used to wearing press-on nails or having gel tips put on.

Here's all the official information about the imPRESS Press-on Manicure:

imPRESS Press-On Manicure

Introducing imPress Press-On Manicure by Broadway Nails, the revolutionary way to apply polish! Featuring advanced nail technology, you can get a salon-perfect manicure in seconds – simply peel off, press on, and you're done. There's no drying, a killer shine and a manicure that lasts up to a week! And, imPress is so easy to remove, you can change it up to match your mood as often as you want. Check out all 36 colors and patterns, including trendy brights, classic darks and animal prints. With imPress, your nails will always be your best accessory.

imPress Manicure retails for $5.99 for colors and $7.99 for patterns, and is available at CVS, Rite Aid, Duane Reade, KMart, Walgreens, Walmart and more. For a full list of online and in-store retailers, visit imPressManicure.com, where you can download an exclusive coupon and virtually try on all the colors and patterns!

I received these to try from Influenster in my holiday voxbox.  All opinions are my own.

Redbox 12 Days of Deals and Prizes

Starting December 13 thru the 24th Redbox is hosting 12 days of deals and prizes.  Text FUN to 727272 for instant savings on rentals, as well as a chance to be entered to win a prize daily from Redbox.  :)



Smiley360 gave me a free code to use for this review.  All opinions are my own.

Influenster Holiday Voxbox is here!!

So my Influenster holiday voxbox showed up this afternoon.  :)

I quite like the things I got in my voxbox.  I hope the video isn't too bad. 


And this is my very first time doing a video.  As you can hear Rosie Dickens almost made an appearance.  Almost...she was right next to me, but my sister distracted her.  :)  I'm sure she'll make it into another video soon.

Influenster Holiday VoxBox

I am so excited!!  I got picked for a Holiday VoxBox.  You're probably thinking what the heck is that?  A VoxBox comes from Influenster and has wonderful things inside.  It includes full sized product to try and then give your honest opinions about.

The reason I'm excited...(besides that I get to try brand new beauty products) is this is my very first VoxBox.  I learned about Influenster in mid October.  I signed up...not really know what it was.  Since then I've watched a lot of YouTube videos to find out what a VoxBox is.  Once I get mine you'll get to see exactly what it is in a few days.  So if you like getting new products...and don't mind being vocal in your opinion about them...you should definitely check out Influenster.  :)

Frito-Lay's Tastes From Home Cook Book

So remember that giveaway I held a couple of months ago?  Frito-Lay sponsored it.  And as a blogger I had to submit a recipe.  While I didn't win....they just published an e-cookbook of the recipes. 


And guess who's recipe is the very first one listed?  That would be mine.  :)