A review of the calming body wash by Tubby Todd!

 

The scent of your body wash and bath products can have an affect on your mood, if you have trouble sleeping using lavender before bed could help you sleep or the scent of citrus can wake you up in the morning. When I find a scent I like I generally tend to re-purchase it and I've recently found a new hair + body wash I really enjoy from a company called Tubby Todd. 

They create bath products that are hypoallergenic, everything is made using natural ingredients along with being natural they are also gluten free, dairy free and cruelty free bath goods made in the US. Their products are geared towards children, however adults can use their products too since it works well with those with sensitive skin.

 

I was recently sent a bottle of their Lavender + Rosemary hair and body wash to test out with my children. My daughter gets small patches of eczema from time to time, so I like sticking with products that won't irritate her skin further. Thus far this body wash has been working out perfectly, she hasn't complained about her skin feeling dry. 

The scent is quite relaxing, the mixture of lavender and rosemary is lovely. They sell a foam hand soap in the scent sweet peach and green tea, but I would love to see them offer this as an option as well because my kids and I would 100% wash our hands with a hand soap of this scent. You only need a small amount of this to get a nice lather from it, above you can see a little bit of the lather it will give you. Usually there are more bubbles, however I had my phone in my left hand so I wasn't able to properly rub my hands together to create more suds. 

I also really like the bottle, it is just the right size to hold onto even when your hands are wet and it has a pump which is always a big plus that way you won't use too much of the product during your bath. I will more than likely keep the bottle to re-use in the kids bathroom. This specific hair and body wash can be purchased on their website for $15 plus shipping for the 8.5oz. 

If you aren't a fan of the scents lavender or rosemary they have other scents available along with several other fantastic products. Head over to see what they have to offer you!

Disclaimer- The product mentioned above was provided by Tubby Todd for a review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase

Cabin Rentals at Roper Lake State Park - A Review.

Right now the weather is perfect for exploring Arizona on the weekends (or during the week if you have time). While my family and I enjoy camping sometimes we don't feel like setting up the tents and camping gear after a long drive to our designation, yet we want to remain in nature so the cabins that the Arizona State Parks Department offers at many of their state parks is the perfect solution. If you've been following my blog for a while you will remember that I recently posted a review of the Roper Lake State Park located in Safford,Arizona. This post will cover information on their cabin rentals.

The cabin rentals they offer are cute and cozy, each one has it's own theme which will help you designate which cabin is yours. We stayed in the Hummingbird cabin, to go with the theme they had a metal Hummingbird hung up at the front of the cabin and inside of the cabin you'll find a small set of curtains on the door that have a hummingbird print. The cabin is one big room split by a half wall (Doesn't go all the way to the celling) and a door for privacy so you can change. Inside are two bunk beds, a queen sized bed, along with two shelves.

This cabin is one step above camping, it will help keep you safe from the elements, it has electricity and heat/ AC and beds to sleep in. Outside you'll find a Barbeque to cook on and a sink where you can clean any fish you've caught in the lake that day, no cooking is permitted inside of the cabin so there is no mini fridge or microwave so you'll need to prepare before you arrive packing enough ice and food for your stay. 

We were aware that we needed to bring our own sheets and blankets so we got everything packed up before our trip, we always make sure to pack a trash bag or two, cleaning wipes, etc because you never know what you are going to need. I am happy we packed trash bags because I was surprised to find there was no trash can of any type inside of the cabin or out (understandable to due nightly visits from animals). There is no seating aside from the beds themselves so if you are looking for a place to sit down and eat there is a cute picnic bench on the porch where you can sit and enjoy the view. 

Speaking of the view there is also a swing on the porch which my kids and I loved sitting on and just enjoying the nice weather, plus is was a lovely spot to star view from. It gets absolutely pitch dark at this park because it is on the outskirts of Safford where there isn't a ton of city lights to drown out the natural lighting from the stars, which makes the sky gorgeous during the night.

There are a few changes I would make to the rental experience a little more comfortable for families staying in the park. Firstly I would add a small trash can inside of the cabin, not all families remember to bring trash bags with them which can make it difficult to dispose of garbage properly. Second, as you may have noticed there is no bathroom in this cabin so you'll need to walk to the bathrooms which isn't a biggie. There are two toilets directly in the middle of all the cabins, they are vault toilets which are basically stationary port-o-potties, there is a small sink outside to wash your hands, but there is no lighting to help you see at night. I think an addition of a solar powered light for inside each bathroom would be lovely. A secondary bathroom with a shower is located behind a row of the cabins, we didn't go check out this specific bathroom as we didn't see a trail leading up to it and didn't want to cut in-between other families cabins to get back to it. 

The lake itself is quite lovely, they offer a beach area where you and your family can swim, a "island" where you can relax and picnic, along with hiking trails and fishing this little lake offers quite a bit. They also have a small shop inside of the ranger station where you can pick up things like puzzles, hats, souvenirs and more. The park is easy to reach from the interstate and it is close to town so you are close to shopping, restaurants and more. If you forgot something like a toothbrush or just want to pick up some more drinks/snacks there is a Dollar General just three minutes away from where the park is located. You can find more information on their cabin rentals and rates by visiting their website.

 Disclaimer- A two night cabin rental mentioned above were provided by The Arizona State Parks Department for a review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase

Soaking In Sweetness Review & Giveaway!

Sometimes after a long stressful week at work it is nice to soak in a nice hot bath tub, but what fun is it just soaking in hot water without some bath salts, fun bath bomb or lovely smelling bubble bath? I recently received the opportunity to work with a fantastic small business called Soaking in Sweetness who sells a decadent line of bath products that look good enough to eat. So much so that they come with a warning label not to eat the products. The store owners name is Tara, she is quite friendly and quick to respond, I found her to be very attentive and I enjoyed working with her.

Many of their bath products are based off of real life treats such as cupcakes, cookies and more. You can buy single products or gift packs such as the Spa gift set I received (and one of you will too!). The spa gift set I received comes with a lip balm, a bath bomb, a bubble bar and a sugar scrub soap. This specific spa box sells for $29.

Not only are the products themselves sweet but the packaging is sweet as well, not only is everything neatly packaged into a giftable box, it also comes with a box, a gift tag and a small thank you bag with some candy in it. I think the presentation is perfect and I would be very excited to give this as a gift to a loved one. Everything is birthday cake scented.

The bubble bar looks almost exactly like the sugar frosted cookies they sell at the store, in fact when my kids first saw it they thought I bought them a cookie to eat. This set smells so good, almost fruity yet sweet. The only product I didn't test out in this set was the lip balm, because I am saving it to include in next month's Beauty & The Book Giveaway so share the love. 

Bubble Bar: This bar reminded me of a real cookie when I put it under the water. The instructions say to hold it under the water and gently rub that bar to allow the bubbles to start forming in the tub, after a short amount of time half of the cookie fell into the tub just like a cookie does when you hold it in your milk for too long. It was easy to snatch back up and finish breaking it up under the water to allow for the maximum amount of bubbles. The bubbles lasted the entire time I was in the bath. 

Cupcake Bath Bomb: After opening this a few sprinkles fell off otherwise I was impressed with how well the top frosting stayed on the bottom. Each of the birthday cake themed cupcakes have a mystery color inside of them that will turn your bath water that color - mine was blue! The base dissolved nicely, I found the top to be a little more soap like and I had to help it along a little to break it down, but it was kind of fun. After my bath my skin was left feeling soft and smelling sweet, between that and a hot bath before bed I had a great nights sleep.

Bundt Cake Soap: This soap is very detailed, store owner Tera even added frosting to this to make it look like an actual bundt cake. The way the soap bar is shaped makes it easy to hold onto when it is wet and helps add an extra "Scrubbing" texture to the bar for when you are washing up. I also found that the shape of it helped it dry a little faster since the water was able to slide right off and not just sit there.

Soaking in the tub was quite relaxing, but if baths aren't your thing they also sell shower steamers, body lotions and more so you are sure to find something you are interested in. Ready to test these out for yourself? Stop by to see everything she offers, but before you go enter to win a spa gift set just like the one I received. 

Prize Alert: One lucky winner is going to receive a gift set just like the one I did!

This is open to US Residents! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the notification email! 

This giveaway ends on 04/01/2021

Giveaway entry question: Leave a comment telling me another product you'd love to try from Soaking In Sweetness.

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Disclaimer-  Soaking In Sweetness provided me with the products mentioned above for the review + twenty tickets to use as a prize for a giveaway free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase. 

Kapa Nui Nails - Nail Polish Review!

 

When I am at work I am constantly using my hands, I am always moving around large equipment, opening boxes, moving supplies and more not including the amount of cleaning that I do at home. Because of how much I use my hands I usually don't pain my finger nails, it drives me slightly nuts paining them just to have a bunch of the polish chip off in a day or two. I recently found out about a company called Kapa Nui Nails, who create a gel based polish with natural ingredients that won't ruin your nails. I received the opportunity to work with them on a review to test out the products for myself and see how they hold up. 

 For my review I received a starter kit along with two single polishes. I like the small draw sting bag the starter set arrived in, it is cute enough that it can be reused and made well enough I feel like it will last for quite some time. Inside of the starter kit you'll receive; 1 bottle of nail polish (your choice of color), 1 bottle of base/top coat, 1 bottle of polish remover along with several remover pads and cuticle sticks. The starter set can be purchased for $35 and single polishes go for $10.50. 

In order to achieve the best results with their nail polish you will want to get a bottle of the base/top coat as well. They are specifically formulated to work together as a bonding agent to allow the gel polish to dry and harden. You will want to apply one layer of the base coat, allow it to dry for sixty seconds using a hair dryer on low (or in my case I used a nail dryer) then you'll apply a polish coat, let dry and add a top coat. I didn't need a second coat of any of the colors, they came out just like they look in the bottle and didn't come out streaky. 

I received the colors New Moon, Inana and Molokini Mermaid. It was hard selecting which color I wanted because there are so many beautiful shades to select from. One of my favorite things about this polish is that it doesn't stink like traditional nail polish, my husband hates it when I paint my nails when he is home because the smell irritates his nose, with this brand he was in the room with me and didn't say anything negative about it. 

I really like the amount of sparkle the Molokini Marmaid has, it really reflects the light and looks like a ocean wave in the summertime sun. Inana is a nice wine red, and New Moon is black of course. The polish dried quickly, which is extra nice because as a mom you never know when one of your kids might ask you to do something before your nails are able to dry properly, thus smearing your polish. 

So how did the polish stand up? The day after I did my nails, my pointer finger suffered a tragic accident. I went to do the laundry and hit the basket just right that my nail broke off, thankfully even though it broke the top half off the rest of my polish still looked complete. It has been a week since I've done them, my left hand has a little chipping but not a lot, my right hand has a bit more though they still look nice. 

Their products are certified vegan and cruelty free, they are also non-toxic and eco-friendly. All of their products are made with you in mind, they use only ingredients that are not considered harmful to people. They have an entire page on their website telling you about their process and it is packed full of information. I like that their polish remover pads are re-usable, they simply need to be washed after you are done using them, that is a big bonus and helps keep additional waste out of the landfills. Along with the products mentioned above they also sell other nail care products which can be found on their website.

Disclaimer- The products mentioned above were provided by Kapa Nui Nails for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Stop by The Crayola Experience in Chandler during your kids spring break! + GIVEAWAY!

Many schools around Arizona are about to be out for spring break, so what is there to do to keep the kids entertained while still social distancing? Aside from spending some time in the great outdoors there are several options around the valley that will allow you to stay safe while still having fun. One of those options is the Crayola Experience which is located inside of Chandler Fashion Center. Due to covid they had to close down for a little while, however they recently celebrated their grand re-opening on March 3rd and have several safety protocols in place to keep their guests safe. Tickets are $17.99 online or $19.99 if purchased at the gate, they also offer annual passes for guest who would like to visit several times through out the year.

What are they doing to keep everyone safe during these interesting times? First they are limiting the amount of guests allowed in the building at one time, and they are doing temperature checks at the front desk which are being done by a trained EMT. Activity stations have been limited as well, some of them have had a spot or two shut down for the time being to keep families separated. Masks are required and at this time they are asking that you only bring in see through bags (you can ask for one if needed). While there we also noticed several staff members wiping down all the machines, and helping keep everyone six feet away from one another. During our visit there are a few other families, but we never felt like we were too close to another family or being over crowded, it was a delightful and quiet experience. 

The Crayola Experience can be a lot of fun for children of all ages and even adults! Let's go over some of the fun activities they have to offer you during your visit. Once you get through the ticket station you will be handed a clear plastic bag that has tokens, a pack of crayons and two chalk sticks. Normally they have art supplies out for you to use, but to prevent cross contamination they have given you a set of your own to use and keep. We've found tokens vary from bag to bag, some of ours have two while others had three, if you want to purchase more than that they have a coin exchange machine, each token costs $0.50. When you first enter the building you will be greeted by two big round machines, each machine has four stations where you can create your own crayon label. 

To use the label maker you will select a color you'd like, this time around the only options were green, pink and orange. Standing in front of the color you want you will insert one of the coins found in your bag you were given at the entrance, then it will ask you to select a symbol you'd like on your label. They have a nice selection to choose from, I went with a star as you can see above. It will also let you name the crayon, I named mine after my blog! Hit "Print" when you are happy with how your label looks and it will spit out your label along with a naked crayon. Next stop at the station next to these where you place the label and crayon, then pull downwards on the handle and it will apply the label to the crayon. Tada! Look at how cute the crayon turned out. 

The only other station that takes the coins is a vending machine that has a variety of model magic baggies. They have a few tables set up where you can sit and play with the model magic, however we decided to just put ours in our bags and safe it for when we arrived home. We bought a few extra coins so the kids could each get four colors. My son had a blast playing with the model magic when we arrived home. From here you can explore the rest of the facility. Directly next to the vending machines is a small area with three tablets spaced six feet apart that kids can play with. Across from the tablets you'll find two areas where "Be A Star", this spot is a lot of fun. 

Why is this spot such a fun stop? You get to create your own coloring pages where you are the star of the show. Who wouldn't want to get a printed page of themselves as a coloring page? You will get to select which background you'd like, strike a pose and get your photo taken. There is a printer directly next to this station so you don't need to go anywhere to pick up your print. Take a family photo or let the kids take a few snap shots on their own to color in when they get home. 

You will also find two crayon melting stations. The first station an attendant will have you select two different colored crayons and instruct you on how to use the machine, each crayon will be added in one at a time. As the crayon is melting there is a spinning paper directly under it where the wax will land, you can use a control to adjust how fast or how slow it will spin giving you a different splatter pattern each time. The attendant suggested I do one that looked like my hair, so I happily agreed and think it turned out great. 

The second station is right next to the spinner and you'll have your choice of one crayon color. It will be inserted into a different machine that will melt it, dripping it into a car shaped mold. Depending on the color of crayon the person before you used, you might end up with a multicolored crayon like I did above. It is a exciting experience getting to see the crayon made right before your eyes. 

If that wasn't enough excitement they also have a area where you can color in a magical create, scan it to a computer and have it come to life on the screen or you can see a fashion show featuring a outfit you colored in yourself. If fashion shows aren't your thing, you can also see a race featuring a car you designed yourself. 

There is also a large chalk wall, a giant light up peg board, a interactive wall that makes it look like you are walking through melted crayons, arcade games that give tickets you can trade for prizes, a gem mining station and more. Due to the safety protocols in place the crowd was much smaller than the last time we visited, we could actually walk around and enjoy the experience more with the smaller lines. We thought they did a fantastic job keeping everything clean and safe for everyone visiting, the staff were friendly, helpful and seemed to be in high spirits while interacting with everyone. We didn't experience any issues while on this trip, and I honestly can't think of anything but great things about our trip.

Before you leave they will ask if you want an arm band so you can come back later in the day if you are just heading out for lunch. The exit leads into their retail store located next door, you'll find dozens of colorful gifts and souvenirs available for purchase, and you'll be greeted by a giant wall of crayons. 

They have a number of tins and buckets available for purchase that you can fill up with any crayons or markers you can fit inside of it for a set price. We were able to fit quite a bit in the tin we had, we filled it mostly with crayons, but we also had enough room for a handful of markers. They have a lovely selection of colors including metallics, glitters and neon choices. The tin shown above cost $18.99 which might seem like a lot but you get the tin and everything you can fit inside. We ended up with ten markers and 103 crayons, plus the tin itself, so I would say that is a pretty good deal. 

On our way out we also spotted a display of candy bars that had crayon wrappers. It was early morning, and the bars were a little more than I typically pay for a candy bar coming in at $3.49 a bar (the size of a regular Hersheys bar), however they had some pretty intriguing flavors so we let the kids pick out a bar and we each grabbed one as well. My daughter went with the milk chocolate caramel, my son selected the S'mores, and my husband and I went with dark chocolate sea salt. They are delicious! 

Above you can see some of the goodies we brought back from our trip. The eight pack of crayons was in your entry bag, the two crayons by themselves and the model magic are what can be purchase with the tokens. The spin art and car crayon are from the melting stations, the tin full of crayons and the crayon shaped piggy bank can be found in the retail store and the tickets in the middle are being used for a Giveaway for my readers!

Now that you know all of the excitement the Chandler Crayola Experience has to offer you it is time for me to give away some tickets so you can go check it out for yourself.  The tickets do not have an expiration date so you are able to go when ever you'd like! I will be mailing these out to the winners. 

Prize Alert: Five lucky winners are each going to receive FOUR tickets to take their family to enjoy a day out.

This is open to Arizona Residents! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the notification email! 

This giveaway ends on 03/16/2021

Giveaway entry question: Leave a comment telling me which activity mentioned above you think your family would enjoy the most.

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Disclaimer-  The Crayola Experience provided me with four tickets for our entry, a tin to fill with crayons, a piggy bank and a gift card for lunch for the review + twenty tickets to use as a prize for a giveaway free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase. 

March Beauty & The Book Giveaway!

New month, new Beauty & the Book Giveaway! If you've been to my blog before you may also notice a few changes, my original blog name was based off of a name I gave an Etsy shop I had when I first started blogging. I choose the name "Burning Moon" as it was a cutesy name our friends gave my husband and I due to our nicknames (mine being Luna which means moon in Italian/Spanish). When I started my blog I decided to call it Burning Moon's Inside Advice. While I do still enjoy the name, it can be difficult for people to remember to name/say it properly and most social media sites won't allow that many characters for a handle. 

For the last several month's I've flopped back and forth between some names I had brain stormed,  speaking with my husband and family. I wanted something that still fit with the whole moon/space theme because it suits me well, but I wanted it to sound intriguing and be a little easier to remember so the final name we landed on is The Moonlit Nook. So, you will slowly see my social media accounts reflecting the new name. 

I have a lot of great brands to share with you both review and giveaway wise and I have more fantastic places in Arizona to visit, so I hope you'll stick around and join me in the fun. Now, let's get to the main reason you stopped by this post! My monthly Beauty & The Book giveaway of course. 

Up for grabs this month is: 

• Soft cover copy of "Crooked River" - First let me note, I have when stores place stickers directly on a books cover, it drives me nuts! I tried to find one without it but alas I couldn't. I always read the inside cover before picking up books for my giveaways and this one sounded fantastic, full of mystery and fantasy. I actually picked up a second copy for myself.
• NYX matte lipstick in the color Copenhagen 
• Hemp Seed Candle + Hemp Seed Lotion in the scent "Skinny Dip"
• SpaLife face mask
• Skincare sample + two perfume samples
• ELF highlighter brush
• ELF cream highlighter
• Jesse's Girl palette - I love the Earth tones in this.
• Mermaid Bathbomb
• Phase Zero Blush
• EcoTools facial sponge
• White Eyelinger
• Makeup bag

This is open World Wide! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the notification email! This giveaway is hosted by ME and is not associated with any of the brands mentioned above.

This giveaway ends on 03/29/2020

Giveaway entry question: Leave a comment telling me a brand you'd love to see in a future Beauty & The Book giveaway - Also feel free to let me know what you think of the new blog name!

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