Holiday VoxBox Influenster.com

The unveiling of my Influenster Holiday VoxBox!

First the good - Kiss Nail Dress, loved it!  NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshine, a new favorite! Quaker Real Medley's - very yummy, great late night snack!

The just okay - Goody Quikstyle brush, upon first use of it, I really liked it, but noticed it has actually caused my hair more frizz than styling without it.  Sole Society, well, if shoes were in the box it would be one thing, but I still have to fork out $25 for this one.  I'm excited to try them though!

I think I'll pass - on the Eboost, I've tried two of the flavors already and both tasted so medicinal and chemical, I just couldn't wait to get the taste out of my mouth.

Are you an influenster?  I love getting these opportunities to review new products with them!  

Obviously, everything mentioned above is complimentary through Influenster's Holiday VoxBox.  All opinions above are my own.

       

Manicure Secret: Neutrogena Hand Cream

It's a Mani-Monday Double Feature!!  I'm sharing another manicure secret weapon today, Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream!  I recently started using this rich and creamy hand cream to protect my hands and nails from the harsh cold of Winter.  Now I don't leave home without it!

It's glycerin-rich formula is long-lasting and not only keeps my hands soft and moisturized, I've noticed that my nails are stronger and more conditioned as well!

 The full size product retails for around $4.99, and just a little bit goes a long way!  It's also great for protecting your lips and feels silky smooth, not sticky, when applied.

Featured Products:

Julep: Polishes- Felicity & Julia, Basecoat & Glycolic Hand Scrub

Essie: Good-to-go Top Coat

Neutrogena: Norwegian Formula Hand Cream

I received free Neutrogena Hand Cream by participating in a BzzAgent Campaign, however; views expressed in this post are my own!

Manicure Secret: Kiss Nail Dress

I love a good quality spa manicure.  But not quite as much as I love a manicure that I can do at home in 10 minutes that doesn't require drying!  I am becoming quite obsessed with these gorgeous mani decals from Kiss!  With Kiss Nail Dress you just peel, apply and shape!  No drying and no top coat necessary.  They are super easy to apply:

 

 

 

The package comes with 28 strips, plenty for hands AND toes - yep! They even work great for pedicures!  First, size up the strips, I've found you want to go a size larger than you think fits - then peel and stick on your clean nail, smoothing upward and holding pressure to bond the adhesive.  Next, fold over the top/excess and then, using the included file, just file off the extra.  It's really that simple! I did both hands in about 10 minutes!

Check out the other great designs, which they are always updating!  You can also cut the decals to make fun designs and mix and match patterns.  Then, when you are ready to change up your nails, you just peel the decals off and rub any excess adhesive off of your nails.  No damage, no mess, its seriously one of my favorite ways to have fabulous nails!

Which Kiss Nail Dress would you like to try?

P.S. Save 50% + Free Shipping on Kiss Nail Dress thru 1/31/13 via BeautyOnlineSupply!!

I received a complimentary Kiss Nail Dress product for review purposes via Influenster's Holiday Voxbox.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Say Cheese! with Mightee Kids

There is something lovely about getting packages in the mail.  I call them little surprises.  Every month I look forward to my monthly beauty subscriptions - which send me goodies that I just love.  I've seen so many great boxes come through, but I've never seen anything as lovely as what I am about to share.

When I get my monthly packages - Zion is always excited to see what I get.  This month, Zion got a package of her own, from Mightee Kids.  This organization has created one of the best boxes ever - because it has immeasurable value.  Each box contains a children's t-shirt featuring a very special cause of the month.

 This month's charity is Smile Train, an organization dedicated to providing life-saving Cleft-lip/palate surgeries to children in need.  For every tee that is purchased $5 is donated to the charity.  Inside the each Mightee Kids box is a special notecard that explains the cause of the month as well as talking points to discuss with your kids.

 

The tee is super cool, and I feel good about it knowing that it stands for a great cause.  Zion is excited because not only is she helping other children, she gets her own very special package in the mail to look forward to!

 

Check out Mightee Kids to view the details - you can purchase a single tee or subscribe for a monthly box.  Oh, and for the rest of the month - they are doubling their contributions to Smile Train - so $10 of every purchase will go directly to the Smile Train!

Connect with Mightee Kids via: Facebook // Twitter // Pinterest!

I received this month's Mightee Kids box complimentary to review - however; I plan on signing up right away because I love the concept so much.  All praises expressed above are sincere! 

Warming up with Panera Bread Soups

Every time my husband and I drive back toward Ohio we hope that we'll find a Panera Bread along the drive to stop in and visit!  Panera Bread is this amazing Cafeteria-Bakery that offers an assortment of gourmet baked goods, yumtastic sandwiches and salads - and delicious homestyle soups!

For the past couple of visits we didn't know where to look for Panera Bread close to the trip route - but this time around we actually planned our stops around where Panera Bread was located.  And even more exciting was the discovery that Panera has several locations now in NYC...and I didn't even know it!!  But even more exciting is the fact that Panera even has locations in Washington state, where I'm headed this week!!  You could say I have an infatuation with Panera Bread!

I'm a sucker for a good soup and sandwich, and Panera Bread definitely knows how to do it right.  I've been there three times in the last month sampling a variety of different soups and sandwiches and I'm going to share a bit about my latest experience and what menu items I recommend you try!

Sierra Turkey Sandwich & French Onion Soup

I most recently visited a Panera Bread in Norwalk, CT this week and chose the French Onion soup and Sierra Turkey Sandwich.  The French Onion soup comes topped with savory croutons and asiago-parmesan cheese shavings.  It is rich in sweet onion flavor with just the right amount of herbs and seasonings to appeal to both the sweet and savory crowd!  I loved it.

Panera Bread French Onion Soup

I paired the soup with the Sierra Turkey sandwich which comes on fresh-baked asiago cheese focaccia!    I love the flavors of the red onion, smoked turkey and chipotle mayo as they come together on this bread.

Panera Bread Sierra Turkey Sandwich

Like I said, this was my third trip to Panera Bread this month!  During my previous visits I tried the Baked Potato Soup and the Cheddar Broccoli soup - both very satisfying on a cold Fall day!  Funny enough, I still haven't visited a Panera in NYC!  But I'm delighted that I will be able to any time I want to now!  And I was just searching to find out where the closest cafe is for my month hiatus home to Seattle...and there is one just a couple of miles from where I'll be staying!  I am sitting here practically drooling as I think about sampling their New England Clam Chowder (next on my list!)

While I was visiting the website to see what day they make their Clam Chowder...I found out they have a great partnership with Feeding America.  While you are dining at one of their lovely cafe's you can give back to the community by dropping a donation in one of the Panera Cares Community Breadboxes which will go toward ending hunger in America!

Have you been to Panera Bread?  What is your favorite soup??  Or which one of these delicious soups do you want to try!?

I received compensation for my food and time for this review through DailyBuzz Food, however; the opinions and views expressed are unsolicited and authentically mine.