Stunning butterfly wing lashes by Spotlight Jewelry, Review + Giveaway!

I am always happy to add new items to my makeup collection, it can be a lot of fun to mess around with and it is fun to see what kind of looks you can come up with. Along with basic makeup items like eyeshadow and mascara I also like to add false lashes, colored contacts, etc to achieve different looks and I love butterflies so when I saw these gorgeous butterfly wing lashes by Spotlight Jewelry I couldn't wait to try them out. For my review I was sent the Zircon wings which are a teal and black wing, if you don't like the color teal they also offer twenty-three other colors. You can purchase a one pair for $18.00 plus S&H.

The product packaging they use is very impressive, even my husband commented on how nice the presentation was it is perfect for gifting and shipping was fast even with all of the craziness going on with the postal office. The butterfly wings were a little thicker than I thought they were going to be, which is a good thing because it means they will last for multiple uses and they are very light weight. The store owner let me know ahead of time that it is best to stick them directly onto the skin vs over eyeshadow as they may not stick as well, I decided to try it out both ways and using eyelash glue (you'll need eyelash glue to attach them) they stuck fine both ways for me.

The wings sat perfectly in the corner of my eyes, I love the added magical flair it gave my makeup and the bright blue went well with both my makeup and my hair. They were comfortable to wear, I could hardly tell that they were there and they didn't mess with my field of vision which is a plus. If you are looking for a nice addition to your makeup looks, costume creations or just want to use them for fun they are great for any occasion. I'll be adding more photos of these butterfly wings over on my Instagram page if you want to check them out.

Taking them off was simple, they came off without any issues and they are easy to clean as well using a Q-tip to remove any eyelash glue used to apply them. Along with these butterfly wing lashes, Spotlight Jewelry also sells other face stickers, jewelry and more, their shop is filled with fascinating products so I highly suggest you check out her shop to see what she has in store for you. 

PRIZE ALERT:

One lucky winner is going to receive a pair of Butterfly wing lashes in their choice of color. 

This is open to US Residents only! 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 09/27/2020

Giveaway entry question: Leave a comment telling me which color wing lashes you'd select if you win. Here is the color selection they offer.

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Disclaimer- Spotlight Jewelry provided the products mentioned above for the review + the 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.

Stay cool with Chill Boys Boxers, My review + A Giveaway!

Your underwear can make a big difference when it comes to how comfortable you are during the day, underwear that are too small can pinch, squeeze you in the wrong spots and leave marks on your skin. We all want something that is comfortable, but what if you could have underwear that are comfortable and help you keep cool during the hot months? Chill Boys is a Men's underwear line that offers both comfort and functionality. I was recently sent two pairs of boxer briefs and a pair of boxers for my husband and I to check out.

My husband normally only likes boxer briefs so the actual boxers were going to be something I was going to test out, the rep from Chill Boys I am working with had mentioned that a lot of women like to wear them to sleep in at night so they included them for me. However things don't always work out the way they are supposed to! My husband liked these underwear so much that he declared all three pairs were his to wear.

My husband works at a job where his is outside a good portion of the day and in houses and building structures that don't have air conditioning so it gets pretty hot for him. The materials these boxers are made out of are silky soft, breathable, comfortable and they really do help you stay cool with the help of the bamboo fabric they use. As a bonus they also help with anti-chafing and they don't ride up on you when you are wearing them so they are great for an assortment of activities. When they are on they are slightly see thru, but I am not complaining. There is a breathable mesh strip that runs along the inside of the boxers along with a strip in the back near where your tail bone is to help keep all of your southern region cool. They fit perfectly and hug your body in all the right spots, these are taggless and none of the seams are irritating to the skin which is a big plus. These boxers have been perfect for our Arizona weather.

I tried on the bamboo boxers and I audibly let out a "wow" because the fabric is so soft, comfortable and instantly cooling. I can see why my husband claimed all three pairs as his own, but he can't wear them all at once so I may steal them from time to time to wear at night while I sleep. Chill Boys sells an assortment of colors so there is something to fit everyone's style. You can get one pair for $19.95 or a three pack for $56.95.

PRIZE ALERT:One lucky winner is going to win Three pairs of either boxers or boxer briefs.

This is open to US Residents only! 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 09/25/2020

Giveaway entry question: Leave a comment telling me which you'd like to win more boxers or boxer briefs and include which color from their website is your favorite.

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Disclaimer- Chill Boys provided the products mentioned above for the review + the 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.

Princess Pirates by D.K Ackerman Book Review!

 A book is such a fascinating thing, it can transport you to a different world, empower you and even teach you how to survive in the wild on your own. I've always tried to instill a love for reading in my children, from a very young age I would read to them and now they enjoy reading on their own. When ever I get the chance to check out new books with them, I can't refuse! So when I was offered the chance to read and review the book "Princess Pirates" written by D.K Ackerman I was delighted to say yes. 

I thought this was a sweet and heartfelt book, the writer wrote this book about her daughters adventures and you can feel the love and joy she has for their adventures as you read the story. I love that they are not only pirates, but princesses as well because it is okay to be both! When I was younger I always hated the who "girls can't like things boys like", I've dressed up as a pirate and so has my daughter. 

The girls are on a journey to find the treasure that the enchantress has for them. This book makes you feel like you are on an adventure yourself and the illustrator does and outstanding job with the visuals, it feels like a real jungle yet you can also see the subtle hints that the girls are in their home having this adventure in their imagination. 

My kid both enjoyed this read and so did I! Age wise I think this is a cute short read for most ages, my kids are seven and eleven and they both thought it was a neat adventure. This book highlights the connection these siblings have while empowering young girls that they can be both a "girly girl" and a "tomboy" which is a great message in my opinion while also encouraging use of your imagination. What was the treasure the girls were after? You'll have to read the book to find out that answer.

Disclaimer- D.K Ackerman provided a hardcover book 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.

September Beauty & The Book Giveaway!

If you are a follower of mine on Instagram and check my stories from time to time, then you got to see a sneak peek at one of this month's items being given away! September means we are one step closer to cooler weather which I am 100% looking forward too, I am over these 105+ degree days and so is my A/C unit. I am dreaming of going on vacation but I don't plan on going anywhere until the Covid situation gets better. While both of those are still a ways off something that isn't a ways off is this month's Beauty & The Book Giveaway! Let's see what you can win this month;

This months book is called "The Young World" by Chris Weitz. Along with a new read you'll also receive;

• A Papaya face mask
• Wet n wild makeup brush
• NYX lipstick
• Cleo Noir eyeliner
• Maybelline eyeliner
• ELF highlighter
• ELF clear eyebrow wax
• ELF lipstick
• A Jumbo peel swab
• De'Lanci 35 color eye shadow palette. 

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 10/08/2020

Giveaway entry question: Leave a comment telling me what your favorite vacation spot is.

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Tie dye with Horizon Group USA + A Giveaway!

Horizon Group USA sells a wide range of products for boys and girls of all ages, I've purchased some of their products in the past as Christmas gifts and the kids have always been pretty happy with their kits. I was lucky enough to be added as a Giveaway Guru with Horizon Group USA which means anytime I receive a product to test and review with my kids, I also get one to giveaway to one of my readers! Today I wanted to share their "Just My Style Radical Rainbow Tie Dye Kit" which can be purchased on Amazon for $7.99 (also available at Walmart and other stores).

This kit comes with three dye bottles; one red, one blue and one yellow. It also came with rubber bands, one pair of gloves, a iron on patch and instructions. This dye can be used on a number of clothing and accessory items from shirts to shoes, however it works best with 100% cotton. I picked up two white cotton shirts for my kids from the children's section and we set out with our kit! When this arrived in the mail the cap was off of the red bottle and a bit of the dye mixture was lost, but not enough to effect the end product.

I decided to do this in the kitchen sink because the dyes can and will stain other clothing, title, and more, so the stainless steel sink was my logical choice. Since there is only one pair of gloves you may want to pick up an extra pair depending on how many people are using this kit. Both of my children used a pair of gloves which we put on after we tied off the shirts how we wanted them. Each of the three bottles needs to be filled up with water and shaken around to mix all of the dye up with the water. Once you've thoroughly mixed the dye you can begin using it on your shirt.

There are several different ways to tie your clothing so I'd check the instructions guide to see how you'd like your pattern to come out. We went with a simple roll and tie method, both of my kids picked a different direction to roll their shirts up. The dye was easy to add to the fabric, once it starts absorbing into the cloth you can really get into a groove and you'll be done with your project in no time. The colors are easy to mix so you can achieve different shades of green, purple and orange.

After completing the two shirts we still had some dye leftover so I decided to take three white cloth face masks I had and make them tie dye as well. We let these sit for 24 hours before unrolling them, they were still slightly wet so we put them on hangers so that they could completely set. After they were dry, they were put through a cold rinse followed by a hot rinse until the water ran clear which helps get rid of extra dye before putting these into the washing machine for a final wash before wearing them.

The photos above are before they went through the rinse and wash cycle, you will lose a bit of the color in the wash which is normal. They came out a bit lighter than when we put them in otherwise they seemed to hold onto their color pretty well compared to photos of other reviews I've seen. Here is what it looked like after everything was said and done:

We had a lot of fun with this kit, I think it this is great for a family project or as a gift. Want to win one of your own? I am giving away a kit to one of you!

Giveaway Alert: One lucky winner is going to win a Tie Dye kit.

This is open to US Residents only! 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 09/12/2020

Giveaway entry question: Leave a comment telling me what you'd like to create with this kit.

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Disclaimer- Horizon Group USA provided a the dye kits for the review + 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.

Tuzigoot National Monument in Clarkdale, Arizona

At the moment many of us are not traveling out of state because of various reasons related to covid. I personally won't be traveling out of state for a while because my work would require me to go on a two week isolation, however I am allowed to travel within the state so it is the perfect time to explore some local tourist spots while the tourists are away.

One of my favorite areas to visit is the Cottonwood/Jerome area because it is absolutely beautiful, there are some amazing spots near the river to explore, lots of hiking trails, wineries and more! My husband has never been to the area so earlier this summer we decided to go on a weekend trip up north to see explore and go fishing. While we were up there one of the spots I wanted to stop was the Tuzigoot National Monument, which is located in Clarkdale, Arizona. The monument isn't that far from old town Cottonwood that has some neat attractions as well. The address for Tuzigoot is 25 Tuzigoot Rd. Clarkdale, AZ 86324.

What exactly is the Tuzigoot National Monument? Tuzigoot is a 2 to 3 story tall pueblo ruin built between 1125-1400 CE. by the Sinagua people. It was designated as a national monument on July 25,1939 by Franklin D. Roosevelt after a three year period of being excavated and prepared to be on public display. When you arrive to the monument you will find a parking lot, several picnic tables and a few small buildings which consist of the main tourist building, a storage building and a gift shop. In the first photo below you can see a small storage room they created to blend in with the ruins themselves. The entrance fee is $10 per adult, and free for children under the age of sixteen. Depending on the amount of adults in your party I highly suggest investing in the annual pass which costs $35 it allows entrance for the pass holder plus three adults to both the Tuzigoot national monument and the Montezuma Castle Monument which is located Camp Verde,Arizona.

When we were visiting Tuzigoot we went to pay, but found a sign stating entrance was free. I am assuming it is due to covid and trying to cut down on the amount of face to face with visitors, they also have signs asking visitors to stay at least six feet apart. Tuzigoot does not offer any shade or escape from the sun so it is best to visit during the cooler months or early in the morning during the summer, we arrived shortly after they opened so there were only two other small groups of people and it was easy to maintain social distancing.

The monument has it set up to where you are able to walk around and even through the Tuzigoot ruins, you walk along side the ruins and get to see everything up close and personal. You'll find several informational signs along the way with information about the ruins, the Sinagua people and the surrounding area. There is a staircase where you are able to climb up to the third story of the monument to look out at the valley, there is a large room at the top of the structure that used to be open to enter however they are currently working on reinforcing the roof of the room so it is closed for the time being.

When visiting the structure or looking at photos you might notice that only one or two of the rooms have doors, so how did they get from room to room? Instead of using doors they used ladders to get from room to room, most of the ladders are no longer there because of the age of the ruins and the fact it might encourage visitors to climb on the ruins.

When you are visiting you'll find dozens of colorful lizards of various sizes and you might get lucky to see a few other critters on your journey.The length of your visit depends on how you'd like to experience the monument, if you are there just to see it and snap some photos you'll spend about ten to twenty minutes depending on how quickly you walk. If you take your time to read all the signs and enjoy the beauty of the surrounding area you'll be there for a closer to forty to fifty minutes. Is it handicap friendly? Yes and no, Tuzigoot is set on a hill, most of the trails through the ruins are easy to manage on foot, however a few of the spots are extremely steep so it may be difficult for those who have issues with walking or at in wheelchairs.

What is one of your favorite places to visit in your home state?

Camp in comfort with the Arizona GT 7/8 tent by NTK Global.

My family and I love being able to camp when ever we can, just before the lockdown for Covid happened we went on a family trip to the lake for a weekend of camping. On our camping trip we brought our new Arizona GT 7/8 Family Camping Tent by NTK Global. This tent retails for $349.99

Usually when we camp we have two tents that we set up, one for the kids and one for us which can be a lot of work because who wants to put together and take down two separate tents? Plus my car doesn't offer a ton of room for camping equipment so it is nice to cut back on the equipment a little.

The Arizona GT 7/8 is large enough to fit two double mattresses + two singles, or a queen mattress and two singles. Honestly you could probably mix and match depending on how many people you are planning to have in the tent, when we went on the camping trip at the lake our kids slept in the RV with their grandparents which left the tent for my husband and I. We had a queen sized mattress in the tent and still had a ton of room, we could easily fit one queen size mattress on each side of the tent with room in the middle and sides still.

The image above shows our tent set up with our queen sized mattress placed in the corner, the tent almost makes the mattress look tiny in comparison to how much space is still open. A big issue with a lot of tents is once they are set up and you put the air mattress or sleeping bags in there isn't a ton of room to move around, in our old tent once we had the air mattress all set up there wasn't a ton of room between us and the roof which made getting changed difficult. This tent is 6.2FT tall in the middle section, both my husband and I are under six foot tall so once we are through the door we can completely stand up in this tent without any issues! I am only 5'5" so my head doesn't even hit the roof when I am standing, which makes moving around, getting dressed, unpacking/packing everything a breeze.

A big tent means it is a pain in the butt to set up right? Wrong! This tent is actually fairly easy to set up and it doesn't take long to get the tent up, put the tarp on and get the cover to the door up (takes ten minutes or less to do everything). Taking it down is pretty simple as well, but like with most tents the worst part is getting it back into the bag it came in, I always seem to have an issue with getting any tent I've ever owned to fold up just right to fit back into the bag properly. With a little help from my husband I can get this into the bag and zipped up, and I will tell you that this bag is large and actually a bit heavy. If you have a generator or decide to stay at a camping location with electrical hook ups, it is nice to bring a fan/heater which means running a cord into your tent. With this tent instead of having to leave the door unzipped a bit to run a cord into, it has a small zippered flap in the bottom of one of the corners to make running a cord into the tent easier. (As you can see in our backyard camping photo above, we had an extension cord in the tent with a fan and a radio on).

Need space to put your glasses, phone, flashlight, etc while you are sleeping without setting them on the ground to be possibly stepped on? No worries, this tent has two mesh pockets in the corner of the tent along with a hanging mesh hammock at the top of the tent for your smaller items. The mesh hammock in the middle of the inside of the tent also has a hook to hang your light on to make it easier to see at night.

The tent has two doors (one on each end of the tent) along with windows on both sides of the tent, it comes with a waterproof cover to put over it and it has a little gray mat (Seen in the first photo)  that comes with it for outside of the door. The windows on the side do not have zippers instead the fabric rolls up and it has little plastic hooks that hold onto it. The tent comes with several orange ropes to hold the tent up and in place, you don't have to use these the tent stays up just fine without them however your tent might not extend out it's full amount. Adding the orange ropes to the tent and securing them to the ground helps add an extra few inches on the length of the tent and helps open up the inside of the tent.

Covid has made it to where we haven't had a chance to go out and go camping, but earlier in the summer before the heat struck we set up the tent in our backyard for a night of smores, board games and sleeping outdoors. Which was nice because we had an actual bathroom near by for when we needed to go.

We are pretty happy with this tent, and we look forward to using it for years to come because it seems well built and very sturdy. NTK Global has tents of various sizes to fit all of your personal and family needs and they also sell a wide variety of other camping goods, I highly suggest taking a look at their site.

Do you enjoy camping? What are some of your favorite things about camping, or your favorite spots to camp?

Disclaimer- The products mentioned above were provided by NTK Global for 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.