Private Selections Holiday

My latest BzzCampaign is for Private Selections, which is a brand exclusively available at the Kroger family of stores. They are encouraging us to use their gourmet selections when hosting this holiday season. I tried out a few of the options today, so I wanted to share my thoughts!

I topped the Classic Water Crisp Crackers with some Havarti cheese, cucumber, and tomato with a basil leaf. It was a super fresh and easy appetizer that you could serve while guests are waiting for dinner. The crackers didn't seem like they'd break easily, so that's perfect for preparing an appetizer like this!

I loooove Greek salad, and making this earlier brought me back to all the great salads I enjoyed in Croatia. I used the Authentic Greek Kalamata olives to, well, make it authentic! The only thing I was bummed about was that they are not pitted. They'd probably be less authentic if they were! Still delicious!

I then enjoyed some Costa Rican coffee, yum! It smells and tastes amazing. The perfect ending to a great meal for sure. Private Selections also has a full line of goodies including desserts and ice cream, so preferably I'd include that with the coffee.

This turned out a little dark, oops!

I'd definitely recommend trying out the gourmet Private Selections offerings. I think I will try to utilize the olives and crackers for a holiday party I am providing food for. I have lots of 20% coupons if anyone is interested! It's so fun to make pretty appetizers and a gourmet dinner you can feel proud of, and Private Selections makes it possible. Have you tried anything from the line? I'd sure like to know how the ice cream and the caramel truffle coffee tastes!

Beauty Blogger VoxBox Review

"Influenster is a free-to-join community of invited trendsetters who live to give opinions of products and experiences. Influenster creates links between brands and members to reward participation and influence future products." (Definition from Influenster) I joined this site just a little while ago, and then I was chosen to receive and report on the Beauty Blogger VoxBox! Above are the contents, so exciting!

First up; I just let you know how i felt about these Bath and Body Works mini candles the other day, but I found the first picture I took of it and it looks so nice next to my pumpkin beer! Mmm, pumpkin.

Not Your Mother's makes salon quality hair products that you can find at CVS, Walmart, and ULTA Beauty. They proudly make their products in the USA! I received a sample of the Smooth Moves Frizz Control Hair Cream. My hair isn't too frizzy, but I also have a lot of flyaways on the top of my head. This cream, which smells great and doesn't weight my hair down, does the trick! I really want to try the Way to Grow shampoo and conditioner because my hair is really fine and grows slowly. I'm always looking for great affordable solutions to that!

This NYC Individual Eyes Custom Compact is awesome. I don't usually wear eyeshadow, but having this in my possession has resulted in greater eyeshadow usage! I got the Dark Shadows compact, but I'm tempted to pick up some of the other shades. I often want smokey eyes when I go out, but I am not confident with makeup and wear very little. Luckily, NYC provides you with easy instructions for this product. They also include an illuminator shade, which really puts a great touch on the look. For only $4.99, look for the compact matching your eye color and give it a try!


These spin pins from Goody are a really cool idea. Unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier I have really thin hair, so these don't really work well for me! I normally do put up my hair this way most days, but two bobby pins are all I need. In the description it says it does the work of 20 bobbies, to give you an idea. I do see on their website that they make mini spin pins for fine or thin hair - so that sounds like it might work better for me. I think if your hair wasn't too thin or too thick, this would be perfect for a quick hair-do. The pins are really simple to use and there are instructions for a few different styles on the package.

There were two more products in my VoxBox - the KISS faux eyelashes and the EBoost Daily Health Booster. I have to be honest, I am way too afraid to try the eyelashes. Anyone in the Grand Rapids area want to give them a go in my place? I did have the E-Boost. It tasted all right as far as powder added to water goes. I didn't notice an increase in immunity or anything, but I also didn't get sick. I am not a huge fan of orange flavored things, so I don't see myself buying a package of these anytime soon. I would consider getting some of these and using them as an add-in to smoothies. I think that could be an easier way to use this product.

So what do you think? Will you try (or do you already own) any of these great products that Influenster shared with me? I already snagged another mini candle from Bath & Body Works and I'm thinking about getting another NYC Individual Eyes Compact for the holiday season. Most of these would also make great stocking stuffers! It's crazy how soon Christmas is coming. Hope your Monday is very un-Monday-like!

Bath & Body Works Fall Mini Candle

Are you like me?
Do you think mini things are the cutest and most awesome? Well Influenster sent me a complimentary mini candle from Bath and Body Works as part of my Beauty Blogger VoxBox. The scent was pumpkin cupcake - it's already too late to get that one from the store, so I'm sure glad they shared it with me, and I hope they have it next year! I also snagged a free one from the store this weekend - they had an offer on facebook and twitter. Thanks, BBW!

About these candles:
They are now in great glass containers instead of plastic.
They are currently 2 for $5, price for one is $3.50.
You can find a bunch of great seasonal scents right now! French Baguette? Different! And I hope I can find Cafe au Lait in the store!

What I think:
When I find the right scent, it brightens my mood! I usually light these on my desk, because in our new apartment the 'office' is still a little drab and this helps the atmosphere tremendously. I definitely like the price, and BBW has so many sales and coupons that you can get these often and under the full price. They are longer lasting than tealights (15 hours) and there is definitely a bigger selection, a selection that changes with the season. These candles are made using the highest concentration of fragrance oils, an exclusive blend of vegetable wax and lead-free wicks for optimal performance. Try them out!

Glade Expressions Collection BzzCampaign

A couple days ago I picked up my oil diffuser and fragrance mist from the Glade Expressions collection for my latest BzzCampaign! I received these items for free because I am a bzzagent. I went with the Lavender & Juniper Berry for the diffuser, and Pineapple Mangosteen for the spray.

I've been a little stuffy the past couple of days, so it's sort of hard to tell how strong the oil diffuser is working. It is supposed to last for 30 days. I thought I would like the scent more, but it's less lavender than I was expecting. It's nice though, and as far as I can tell, not overwhelming. I love the design of the diffuser; it's simple and classic. I also like that it doesn't need to run off of electricity! The oil diffuser starter kit was $5.99 at Target (and I have a $4 off coupon for you if I know you in person!)

I love the smell of the fragrance mist. I think this design is neat as well. It's probably not necessary (and might even be confusing!) to have your air freshener camouflaged, but once you know what it is and how to use it, I think it looks really nice in the bathroom. The Pineapple Mangosteen is definitely my favorite of the four scents available right now - the other two I didn't get are Cotton & Italian Mandarin and Fuji Apple & Cardamom. The starter kit was $2.99 at Target and I have a $2 off coupon in person or online if you're interested!

Final thoughts are that I love the design and strength of the product, but I would love it if they changed up the scents a little bit! That's just a personal preference. Have any of you tried the Glade Expressions collection?

Go-To Beauty Products

so i've never claimed to be an expert on, well, anything really, but i thought i'd share some of my go-to beauty products! i'd love to hear yours in the comments. i'd also like to apologize for not posting much! getting back from vacation and dealing with extreme heat can do that to a girl. anyway, i guess i should preface this with these somewhat personal facts about me: i have thin, fine hair that grows very slowly; i have fair, dry skin (as opposed to oily); and i've never been a super girly girl that spends a lot of money on beauty items, but i like to smell and look good!

favorite conditioner:

herbal essences: long term relationship
i have been using this almost constantly since the first time i tried it, mainly because it smells AH-mazing. i love love it. i initially bought it hoping that it would help my hair grow faster, which it doesn't really, (i think it's just meant for girls with already long hair), but it still provides everything i need in a conditioner plus makes my nose happy! it's also super affordable, as you probably know. do you have a favorite herbal essences collection?


favorite moisturizer:

H2O+: face oasis hydrating lotion SPF 30
i was introduced to H2O last spring when i went shopping with my cousin, who swears by this brand. she bought a few things at their store, and they gave me a couple samples, score! i finally used the samples and am really enjoying this one. it's what i like in a moisturizer - hydrates instantly, protects my face from the sun, and smells good. the downside - it's $42 for 1.3oz. not looking forward to my little free sample running out!

favorite body lotion:

bath and body works: country chic body cream
i'm not too picky about lotion; it just has to keep my skin soft and smell good. this one fits the bill! i guess the pretty label helps, too. in the winter, especially working with food where you have to wash your hands several times a day, my hands get really rough, so i prefer body cream to body lotion. country chic has the texture i like, and it's my favorite scent right now at bath and body. and of course, it's an affordable place to shop! they have sales and coupons all the time, and you can usually get a deal if you check in on foursquare as well. what scent do you like at bath and body?

favorite nail polish:

maybelline color show: green with envy
mint is (or was at least) pretty 'in' this spring/summer, and i was looking for the perfect nail polish. i didn't have to look far, because i popped into the beauty section at walmart and found this one for $3. i hate when nail polish applies differently than it looks in the bottle, but this one matches perfectly! one coat can be enough, but i usually do two. when searching for this on maybelline's site just now, i couldn't find it, so i'm a little worried they discontinued it already. i better go hit up walmart and see if i can find another one because i love it so much!

favorite eye makeup remover:

avon: moisture effective eye makeup remover lotion
i didn't really think i could have a favorite of something so simple, but after trying two other kinds of eye makeup remover, i decided i'm really glad my mom didn't like this one by avon and passed it on to me. i love that this is a lotion and not a liquid - the others i have tried don't work as well and make my eyes feel all oily after, it freaks me out. anyway, this one is only $4 for 2oz, and lasts for a long time! i haven't actually had to buy my own yet.

favorite perfume:

juicy couture: viva la juicy
obviously there is no one perfume that suits everyone, but this is my favorite scent. there isn't much to say about it besides it smells sweet and fruity. it's not for everyone, but i love it! other scents that i use are: burberry brit, the regular juicy couture, and victoria beckham's intimately beckham. what suits you?


so i'm looking for suggestions on a few other products that i haven't found a favorite of! please let me know what your favorites of these are: deodorant (not an antiperspirant), teeth whitener (toothpaste or kit), foot cream (to help with roughness on the bottom of feet), and under eye concealer.
thanks friends!

Garnier Fructis BzzCampaign

i just received my bzzkit for Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition shampoo and conditioner.

i've been a bzzagent for a few years now, and i get to try out products and tell my friends what i think about them. check out bzzagent.com if you are interested in becoming a bzzagent too! anyway, i tried these products for the first time this morning, and they are supposed to fix my dry and damaged hair. as you may know, my hair is very thin and fine and grows very slowly, so i'm hoping to see an improvement with this stuff. it contains three weightless oils - olive, shea, and avocado - to replenish the core and surface of my hair. one of my other bzzagent friends described the smell as like bubblegum. i would say specifically watermelon bubbalicious. but it smells pretty good (that was my favorite flavor of bubbalicious after all), and my hair feels nice and soft today. garnier also wants us to know that they have a more eco-friendly bottle now, which is something that is important to me! would "greener" packaging help influence the products you buy?

i will let you know if i notice any major improvements after some more use!