Trying out the new Reeses Spreads

I recently joined influenster.  Why not, I'm already on bzzagent and we all know how much I love getting items in the mail to try out.
Yesterday I got my first VoxBox and it contained Reeses Spreads peanut butter/chocolate spread.
I'm a big PB fan and I'm often caught stealing a spoonful out of the container. 
Usually with PB/chocolate spreads I find one flavor overpowers the other.  But the Reeses spreads are delicious. I get both flavors and I really can eat it the same way I eat PB. 

This afternoon I'm going to get some celery to enjoy with it.  Even my 5 year old loves it and he had gotten bored with PB & J sandwiches. 



*I received this product for free to test and review.

December 2014 BeautyBox 5 Review

My November Box was a little lack luster so I was really hoping for a much better box this time around.  And yes, I giggle at all the "box" jokes that come to mind.

The card that comes in the box telling you about everything.

My 5 goodies

First up I got the facial mist in Rose Bouquet.  It smells a lot like rose water.  Not my favorite scent but still pleasant.  I set this aside for the summer.  I think it will be a nice skin refresher in the Memphis heat.  It's a decent size so it should last a while.  I may even use it on my sheets for a nice relaxing scent.

Jaqua Facial Mist in Rose Bouquet

Next were the nail polish remover pads.  Cute little container with 32 pads that is perfect for travel and I can throw in my bag.  I liked that they are acetone free and you can use them on both natural and artificial nails.
One small pad is supposed to be able to remove nail polish from all 10 nails.

Absolute! New York Nail Polish Remover pads in Lemon

Third was the Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Moisturizer.  I haven't tried this yet.  But it's fruit stem cells and not human stem cells...I wonder if anyone got upset about that.  I was a little bummed I didn't get the 4 shade palette from Coastal Scents that was the other option in this box.  I don't know anyone who did.
Here is what their webpage says about the product: "Moisturize with a proprietary blend of fruit stem cells infused into a Vitamin C, resveratrol-rich grapeseed formula to aggressively firm and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Certified organic, antioxidant-rich ingredients and plant oils hydrate and improve elasticity for lasting, advanced age defy results."
 (from http://www.juicebeauty.com/store/stem-cellular-moisturizer.html)

Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Moisturizer

Fourth was the nail polish.  I'm not really a glitter polish girl so this may end up going to someone else. I think if has been finer glitter particles I may have considered it.  But I'm just not in to this.

Nanacoco Nail Polish in Exotic Blossom

Last was the Lucky Number 6 perfume from Lucky Cosmetics. 
I thought it smelled horrid.  Really musty/musky which I don't like in my perfumes.  But I gave it a shot.   It smells MUCH better when it was on me. It ended up being a really sultry floral scent and even the hubby approved it.

Lucky Number 6 perfume by Lucky Brand

Overall not a bad box.  Things that I'm interested in trying and using.


I did not get compensated for this review. I pay for this service.

Busy, Busy

It's been a busy few months working on Granola Strolla.
I've set aside my sewing for a bit even though I'm still sewing for the boys.  In being the face of the company I have also rediscovered my love of makeup.
I'm not sure what the future holds for the blog, but something will happen.

Where I've been, and what I've been creating.

I've been doing a little more than sewing lately. 
In Boston my cell phone kept dying while I was out and about.  I always forgot to plug in portable chargers and solar chargers kept flipping over.
So Ben and I created something new.
Enter Granola Strolla

GranolaStrolla is a portable, affordable and easy to use solar charged batterypack able to charge USB devices as fast as a wall charger. 

It's compact and easy to use.  It has a plug and play design and can easy clip on a bag for use on the go. 

For plastics we decided to go with High Density Polyethylene (HPDE). It has the material strength needed for a sturdy product and it is easily recyclable.  We also intend to have the Granola Strolla made of recycled HPDE as soon as possible.

Granola Strolla isn't just an ecotech company. We're an eco-aware family. We want to create products that use renewable energy and resources to help preserve our planet for future generations.

Our Kickstartercampaign will run from Friday September 12th to October 12th

You can find us on the web at www.granolastrolla.com

On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/granolastrolla

Or Tweet @granolastrolla

Adventures in Ice Dyeing

I've been busy lately doing a lot of sewing.  I decided to open up my Facebook blog page to more of a business page. I'm making and selling more these days so that is the best way to keep up with me.

A couple months ago I purchased some adorable fabric from So Cheeky.

such a fun print

It's so lush and soft. I knew I wanted to make myself a shirt out of it.  Since I've made myself a couple bubble shirts recently I decided to do the same with this fabric.  This style of top is perfect for the hot Memphis summers (and to cover up my inability to lose the baby weight).

I always look like I want to smack my husband in photos 

I love the feel and fit of the top.  But with a toddler and a baby I didn't think that much white would work for me.  So I turned to my newest crafting obsession, ice dyeing. If you don't know about ice dyeing it's simple and fun. I find it less messy than tie dyeing.  It also takes up a lot less space while you are doing it.

I picked out a couple greens and a blue and got started. The only hard part is letting it sit for 24 hours.

 I pleated and then rolled the fabric. I haven't tried that particular fold before so I wanted to give it a try. Since the fabric was thick after 7 hours I flipped it and then dyed the other side. I wanted to make sure it went all the way through.
I'd normally leave the colors to set a bit longer but I decided I wanted the colors to be slightly more subdued than jewel toned so I rinsed it earlier than the 24 hours and did a hot wash with Synthrapol.


 Garrett decided he wanted to show off the t-shirt I made him yesterday.

Here is a better shot of how the colors came out.

I'm in love with the way this came out. I can't stop touching it because the fabric is so soft.  Glad I have another yard to use.

For more of what I'm sewing check out my Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/craftinghobbit

preemie Monster Bunz and OMagami top

preemie Monster Bunz and OMagami top, a photo by teawithfrodo on Flickr.

Avery's first official outfit.

Natural teething necklaces

Teething necklaces, a photo by teawithfrodo on Flickr.

I love making these natural teething necklaces. So many fabric choices.

3m-18m Monster Bunz

3m-18m Monster Bunz, a photo by teawithfrodo on Flickr.

Adorable Monster Bunz customs I made for a client.
I love making these so let me know if you are interested in a pair.

The reason for my absence

Many of you knew I was pregnant and due in early May.  Well my pregnancy did not go well.
My friend Monika over at Aias.ca set up a page for us.
Since it's hard for me to tell the story over and over you can see what is written on the page:
http://www.youcaring.com/other/help-for-baby-avery-and-family/138852


I won't be posting much while this is going on.

Thanksgiving Guest Post from Kendra Thornton

Welcome to the Thornton Thanksgiving!

At this time of year, the air is chilly, leaves are falling, and families are starting to make plans for the holidays! Although I love all the holidays, Thanksgiving is probably one of my favorites because it's all about having an attitude of gratitude! This year all of our family's relatives will be here at the Thornton household. I'm so excited!   

In order to get ready for our special dinner, I've been going on Pinterest to get great appetizer and dessert ideas so I can spend time preparing great dishes with my children. As they continue maturing, it seems like they've developed an interest in helping their Mom out when she's in the kitchen. Although I'm always grateful for their help and want to spend as much time with them as I can, I have to remember to keep their food tasks as simple as possible. If it gets complex, it gets messy. For this reason, I want to find recipes that can be made easily! And making them has to be fun, too!

In my opinion, traditional Thanksgiving meals are always amazing. Personally, there are certain foods that I always prepare such as turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing and my personal favorite-mashed potatoes and gravy. Although these staples are wonderful, however, I'm going to experiment with some new dishes this year. While I was doing research online, I found an article on Gogobot featuring the dishes that various luxury hotels are going to prepare for their guests for Thanksgiving!

To keep my family's dinner fresh and alive this year, I'm going to remake some dishes. Hopefully my family will appreciate my efforts at spicing up our beloved traditions. Recently, I read an article stating that the Waldorf Astoria of Orlando will be making a great pumpkin soup with lobster as an appetizer for their Thanksgiving dinner. Since my family loves soup, I'm definitely going to give this recipe a try.  

When I reflect on all the blessings and joy that I have in my life, I am constantly reminded of the fact that I have numerous things to be grateful for. And that's why I'm excited about one of my family's most treasured traditions of going around the table and mentioning several things that we feel grateful for. My kids and I are going to create Thanksgiving thankful craft tonight that will help us get our minds thinking of what to share on Thursday!

Maybe your family can adopt this great tradition during your own Thanksgiving dinner! No matter what you do this year, I hope your holiday is filled with great food and even greater memories!    

 Kendra Thonrton can be found on Twitter at
https://twitter.com/KendraThornton or by searching for @KendraThornton