IPSY May Bag Review

IPSY Glambag is one of my all time favorite subscriptions. I have been receiving it for about 5 months now and there was only one bag that I was just "meh" about.

Ipsy is just $10 per month and you get a makeup bag (love this months!) filled with beauty products. Unlike a lot of subscriptions, this one is often filled with full size products. Some of my bags have been valued at over $75 in the past so you are definitely getting a lot of bang for your buck.

There are several combinations of bag contents sent out each month. I'm a little jealous that I didn't get the Mirabella lipstick but happy that I didn't get the eyebrow gel that others did.

My bag for May included:

*Pacifica Coconut Crushed Pearl Luminizing Body Butter ($6). This smells amazing - I love anything coconut and the shimmer and glow will be perfect for my pale skin!

*Pacifica Island Vanilla Perfume Roll-On ($12) This is a new favorite scent. Love the roll-on applicator but love the scent even more. Yum, yum, yummy!

*Juice Beauty Lip Gloss, pink, ($15). I love Juice Beauty products and have never tried the lip gloss so am looking forward to it.

*Yaby Concealer crème refill ($2?). Looking forward to trying this.

*Zoya polish in Piaf ($8) Nice light yellow color for summer.

I came up with a total of $43 and then the cute makeup bag as well. This bag is always an excellent deal for $10 and would make a perfect gift for a teenage girl. If I had to give all my subscription boxes up but one this would be the one I kept!

Go here to get your own bag subscription! (There is a survey to take after signing up so that they can tailor the colors and styles to your taste.)

Disclaimer: Referral links included.

Jacob Update

Jacob has been collecting autographs from Star Wars actors and actresses. He is always a happy guy when he receives them in the mail.

 
From Jacob's Facebook page:

Jacob is finished with radiation for awhile! They finished with the big spot today and hope to see an improvement on the next scan in a few months. For now the doctor feels that the other two spots are tiny enough to delay radiation...he will re-evaluate after the next scan. Jacob needs a break and is happy to be done for now! Hoping that his platelet count is high enough next Monday that he can start the oral chemo once again (he has been off it close to a month now so we want to get him back on it).

I try to update his Facebook page whenever there is news, so to keep updated "like" his page here.

May Crafters Crate

I mentioned that I would be reviewing all the subscription boxes that I receive this month. Crafters Crate was the first one we received. Most subscription boxes ship late in the month so it's nice to have an early one. This was the first month we have received a Crafters Crate.



With all the hospital trips and attention that Jacob receives I feel it is important to give the other kids special things and some surprises once in awhile as well so when I saw this newer subscription box I knew it was just the thing to make Becca's day a little extra special each month (and what child doesn't love mail?!)
This month's theme as "Pretty in Pink" and every project has some pink in it. The elephant on the box is so cute and the inside is packaged up so nicely. Each craft comes in it's own little bag.

This month the crafts are:
*Parachute Power
*Button Ring
*Elephant Pillow
*Candy Suckers
*Pretty Purse

Everything is simple enough for a 9 year old to do without much supervision but not too babyish for her.

She is excited about all the projects but immediately wanted to make the candy suckers (from Jolly Ranchers).

They turned out great and luckily there were three sticks so the boys were able to enjoy their sister's creation as well!

Each month is $19.99 which I feel is a good price for several days worth of crafts and fun. If you would like $10 off your first box just enter my name in the referral box ( Elizabeth Flesher ). Go here to subscribe.

Disclaimer: My referral link is in this post.

Take A Chance On Me

I've finally gotten back to reading after weeks of not even picking up a magazine! My days are full but I am back to staying up in the evenings, savoring the stillness of the house, and reading a few pages of a novel.

Last night I finished Take a Chance On Me by Susan May Warren. I've said it before and I'll say it again, most Christian fiction is too sappy, too forced for me. I love God, I love reading about God, but too many Christian books try to push Christianity so much that it doesn't even make sense where it is placed sometimes. This is not one of those books.

The plot is interesting and things flow very nicely. It really showcases almost the whole town, without having too many characters to keep track of (a huge pet peeve of mine!). You get to know and love the characters and root for some more than others.

This book kept me entertained and I look forward to reading others from this author! You can read the first chapter by clicking here.

Disclaimer: Tyndale House Publishers has provided you with a complimentary copy of this book

What I'm Lovin'

I can't get enough of:

Baby Amy. I love her snuggles, her sweet smiles, her baby grunts and peeps, her morning stretches, and her all consuming love.
My children's creativity. Whether it is sidewalk art or "playing Halloween" by pulling doll's heads off and setting them up in a dollhouse (Joe, where did you even get that idea?!) they always amaze me with their imagination.

Beach Reads. I'm not at a beach (I wish!) but I love easy summer reading. These are now called "nursing reads" to me as they are easy to pick up and put down for each nursing session. My current read is Julia's Child by Sarah Pinneo. It's turning out to be a fun read.

Subscription boxes. I'm still receiving a few, though have axed several that I used to receive. They no longer contained what I wanted, weren't worth the money, or had too many repeats. I may review all the May boxes that I receive so that you can see exactly which ones I find worthy and fun.
 

Busy Bees

After a week long visit with the in-laws and several appointments this past week my blog postings have been put on the back burner.

A quick recap of the week:

*Amy turned one month old! How time flies...to the point that I barely remember April. The month literally was just *poof* gone for me. My sweet baby is so good and is eating and sleeping great. She has been blessing us with her smiles since just a few days old.

*Jacob will be receiving radiation once again to slow the growth of things and will be starting that next week. He was so brave yesterday during all the tests and is my hero for all he puts up with.

He is off his oral chemo for close to two weeks now as his counts dropped quite low, to the point of needing a transfusion this past Monday when his platelets hit 10,000 and his hemoglobin was down to 6.9. He felt much better after being topped up and has more energy now. We hope his counts are back to normal on Monday so that he can resume the Etoposide.

*Our weather is insane. We went from 80 degrees one day to 35 degrees the next. I want to be able to work in the garden and get things planted but here it feels like winter again.

 

 

 *Our 12th wedding anniversary is coming up on Sunday and Joe turns 5 next week (the same day that Jacob starts radiation).

*Today is a lazy day for us all. Tv and books are the focus and pjs are the attire. I so needed a day like today to rest and recoup.

 

Nuk Fresh Foods Cook-n-Blend

With my first baby, I bought into the hype of the Gerber baby food in teeny tiny jars...for about a month. I soon realized that I was spending a lot of money on a little bit of food which my daughter didn't even finish or even seem to like.

I noticed her interest in the foods that her daddy and I were eating at the table and started to just feed her from my plate after that. I'd squish a pea with my fork or feed her a bit of mashed potatoes, etc.

The fact is, fresher food is better food and I don't feel you have to buy "special food" for a baby. Which is why I was excited to get the chance to review the Nuk Freshfoods Baby Food Maker, hosted by Moms Meet.

Being able to blend up fresh fruits and vegetables is not only good for a baby, but also to use recipes for the older kids which sneak pureed food into normal meal time foods when one has a picky eater on their hands.
 
Not only does it puree foods but it also steam cooks them. The option of smooth or chunky textures means that I can make foods that my baby will like this summer or that my 4 year old would enjoy (chunky applesauce, anyone?). A smoothie blade is even included that we all can use.

Dishwasher safe means that it is easy clean up. There is nothing that I hate more than scrubbing something that is hard to clean.

This retails for $99.99 but for a limited time you can get a $20 coupon for the baby food maker or $1 coupon for an accessory (of which they have many - food mill, food trays, etc.). Just go here for your coupons.  

Disclaimer:  received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetSM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinions on my blog.  My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.