Serenity of the Mind: The Process of Self Mastery ~~REVIEW~~

I've said it before, and will say it again... I love self-help books.  I embrace opportunities to learn and opportunities to grow.  With that said, when I recently received the opportunity to receive the book, The Serenity of the Mind: The Process of Self Mastery for free in exchange for my honest review, I welcomed it with open arms.

This is a must-read for anyone with a desire to explore their inner-self in an effort to ensure a complete level of self-control throughout all aspects of their life.  By using the techniques introduced in this book, the reader should achieve a sense of fulfillment that encourages life-long growth, boosts confidence, strengthens relationships and more.

Congrats to birdiebee, who visited my blog and entered to win a copy of this book!


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A Birthday Celebration and Giveaway

This weekend, my kids and I will be headed out to this very special little girl's 5th birthday party.

Noah Levi Dalton  R.I.H. Little Man

Pictured above is triumphant little Miss Naomi Lei Frances celebrating yet another milestone in her life.  Her mother was just at 25 weeks gestation when, during a routine checkup, she learned she was

carrying twins.  At the very same time, she was immediately admitted to the hospital with complications.  Less than a week later, Naomi Lei and her twin brother, Noah Levi Dalton made their grand entrance into the world.  Sadly, handsome little Noah's short life ended just two weeks later, but he left behind a little fighter of a sister like none other.

Weighing only 1 pound, 4 oz. at birth, this beautiful little preemie had a long road ahead of her.  According to https://penut-trial.org/node/43, while the survival rate of a preemie at 26 weeks gestation is fairly high, there is only a 23 percent chance the child will escape some sort of disability.  Apparently, Miss Naomi had herself a spot in the top 23 percent reserved, because now, at 5 years old, this little champion sings, dances, counts well past 100, reads, writes, and more!  

While her 5th birthday was earlier this week, we will be celebrating this upcoming weekend.  Now, if you promise not to tell, I'm going to show you something she will be getting for her big day.  As you can likely tell from her pictures, Miss Naomi is definitely a diva in the making.  With that said, I know she is going to love this amazing beauty set from Little Cosmetics.  

*I received this product free in exchange for my honest review/opinions

Her mother may want to kill me at first, but she'll be delightfully surprised to learn that, while the makeup in this set looks amazingly realistic, it's 100% FAKE!!  With that said, Miss Naomi can climb up to the mirror and apply as much non-messy eyeshadow, blush and lipstick as her little heart desires.  The fantastic set comes with everything pictured above, including:

• Powder Compact with Plastic Mirror 
• Pink Blush Compact
• Two Lip Glosses with roller ball
• Two Glitter Pots
• Two Eye Shadow Palettes
• Makeup Brush Set
• An adorably stylish Cosmetic Bag

I can't wait to watch her play with it.  When she comes to visit, she's constantly wanting to dress up like her favorite Princess, Princess Elsa.  Now, she can take dress up one step further with this fantastic set.  

If you've ever had the opportunity to watch a preemie grow from a tiny, fragile baby in an incubator to a strong, smart, amazing little person, you understand the amount of joy I feel as I witness this beauty grow up. She was definitely the smallest baby I've ever had the opportunity to hold, which impacted my level of appreciation for life and for the parent chosen to raise such a unique creation.  

Now... I know Miss Naomi would LOVE for your child to celebrate with her!  With that said, we're going to give a special child in your life an opportunity to win one of the beauty sets JUST LIKE the one that Miss Naomi will be receiving for her birthday. Just enter in the Rafflecopter below!  

*US entrants only

 

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The Conversation Handbook ~~~REVIEW~~~

I like to describe myself as a good listener.  However, as far as talking is concerned, not so much. The Conversation Handbook, written by Troy Fawkes, I am learning how to effectively hold a personal, friendly conversation with others without sounding facetious or forceful.

 Don't get me wrong.  I can carry on a conversation for days on social media and in real life, in business.  But personal conversations... over the years, I've just come to the conclusion that I'm not capable of holding one, until now.  Thanks to

With several thought-provoking activities throughout the book, The Conversation Handbook forces the reader to explore their personal conversation style in depth.  The reader begins by carefully inspecting the foundation on which his/her conversation style is built upon, which includes both learned and acquired behaviors.  It then challenges the reader to identify the negative traits of their foundation in an effort to encourage positive change.  It encourages the reader to set, envision and achieve realistic goals designed to encourage positive growth in social arenas.

It takes a lot for a book to hold my attention, and this book definitely did.  It's not one that you just read and put upon a shelf, as it's designed to become a valuable reference as one grows as a superb conversationalist.

3 Fantastic Uses for Sweet Almond Oil

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If you've been hearing a lot of talk about Almond Oil lately, it's likely a result of it's recent boost in popularity due to it's myriad of amazing health benefits.  Almond oil is known to benefit the skin and hair, as well as soothe aching muscles, aid in the functioning of a healthy heart, and so much more.  I recently had the opportunity to try a bottle of eHsense Naturals Sweet Almond Oil for free in exchange for my honest review, and along the way, have learned about so many benefits I previously was not aware of.  While there are way more than just 3, here's 3 of my favorite uses for Almond Oil:

Dark Circles - Almond Oil is a great way to tackle dark under-eye circles without the use of products containing potentially harmful/harsh chemicals.  Whether it's from lack of sleep or aging, we all experience dark circles at one time or another.  If you're anything like me, you would do nearly anything to get rid of them! While some people prepare a mixture of honey and almond oil, I prefer to apply it alone by gently massaging it onto my skin.  The feeling of rubbing the silky, smooth oil onto my skin is very relaxing as well.  I normally apply it right before heading to bed for the evening. If your skin is prone to dryness, it will welcome the oil, known for it's moisturizing qualities.

Muscle Relaxer - Hot almond oil massaged onto tired, aching muscles is a fantastic way to wind down after a long day.  A massage alone is already a great way to relieve tension, but the added benefit of the almond oil creates an incredibly relaxing experience while it expels toxins from your body.  

Hair Loss - For women experiencing their 20's for the second time, such as myself, at least a little bit of hair loss is inevitable.  However, did you know that the regular use of almond oil as a scalp treatment may hinder the thinning process of the hair?  Rubbing a tablespoon of warm almond oil into the scalp is another crazy awesome way to relax and wind down, but may also prevent the loss of hair while also helping to maintain a smooth, healthy, glossy appearance.  

Do you use Almond Oil?  I would love to hear how you use it in the comments below!!

Until next time... 

**Note:  This post may contain at least one affiliate link.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Case - ~~~REVIEW~~~

*I received the following product for free in exchange for my honest review

It only took ruining about, ohhhhhh.... 7-ish phones before I realized.... EVERY cell phone owner should have a case.  It's inevitable... if you have a cell phone, you're going to drop it.  I just have to wonder, why didn't we drop our landlines so much?  Throwing them against the wall... now that was another story, but fortunately, I don't know to many people who have thrown their cell phones in a fit of rage.  Most likely because they are not as replaceable as the others.

Nevertheless, if you happen to own a Galaxy S5, I just want to take a moment to share this amazing Jola Case designed for the Samsung Galaxy S5.  The hard plastic outer shell is designed with the chronic cell phone dropper in mind.  The rubber mold on the inside securely holds the phone in place, while the outer shell is thick and durable, reducing the risk of damage to your phone if accidentally dropped.  The bumpers around the corners add an extra layer of protection, which gives your phone protection from edge-to-edge, corner-to-corner.

If you have Amazon Prime, you'll love the amazing $7.99 price of these cases, which normally run $34.99, but worth every penny.  After all, replacing a phone can potentially cost hundreds of dollars. They also offer an amazing array of colors to choose from:  Black, Blue, Green, Orange, Red, and White.

Sunny Day Organics Vanilla Bean Powder ~~REVIEW~~

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Do you remember being younger and going to visit your grandparents?  Chances are, the minute you stepped inside their door, you made a beeline towards something, right?  But, what was it?  For me, it was my great-grandmother's jar of delicious buttermints.  In fact, every time I see or smell the scent of a buttermint, my mind goes directly back to those days, evoking warm, happy memories of my grandmother.  For my kids, the "go to" item at Grandma's house is her marshmallows.  I don't know why they are so obsessed with marshmallows... there's nothing uber phenomenal about them, if you ask me.  But ask my kids, and they'll sing the praises of marshmallows all day long!

With that said, I like to find dessert recipes that include marshmallows in the ingredients, as I know they're sure to be a hit in my home.  I recently received the opportunity to try Sunny Day Organics pure natural Vanilla Bean Powder in exchange for my honest review.  What in the world does that have to do with marshmallows, you ask?  In my household, a lot.  As I mentioned, I enjoy finding recipes that include marshmallows so that I know my kids will eat it up (in case you haven't caught on... I like for the KIDS to eat it up, instead of me.... it's "insurance" for my weight-loss plan, so to speak).  So, with "vanilla powder" and "marshmallows" being key ingredients, I set out to find the perfect recipe.  Perfect, in this case, is an understatement.  What I found, was an actual recipe for.... drumroll please.........

Vanilla Marshmallows!

Who would've thought?  Not only do these little guys taste SO much better than those that you buy from the grocery store, they are SO easy to make!!  Several of the ingredients are items that are commonly found in most kitchens, such as non-stick cooking spray, confectioners sugar, corn syrup, salt, and granulated sugar.  The recipe also calls for unflavored gelatin.  It calls for pure vanilla extract and a vanilla bean, scraped.  This is where I decided to substitute my vanilla powder.  I threw in two teaspoons of powder, which seemed to work perfectly.  The amount you want to use will really depend on the quality of the powder.  Powder that is light in color may contain more additives like sugar, instead of actual vanilla bean.  In fact, the darker the color, the higher the quality.  The powder provided by Sunny Day has a nice, deep brownish tone as a result of being a pure vanilla bean product.  The quality of this product truly revealed itself in this simple recipe. I can't wait to try it in something else.  Next up: Buttercream Frosting.  I can't wait to share the results!!  

Oleavine Neem Oil Review

Question:  Name one item that can protect your skin, fight aging, strengthen the scalp and beautify your hair, aid in the treatment of diabetes, rebel bugs and prevent mosquito breeding, treat athlete's foot, warts, kill fleas and ticks on pets and much, much more?  If you answered "Neem Oil," then you answered correctly.  If you don't know what Neem oil is, you're not alone, as I didn't know either, until I had the opportunity to try it for free in exchange for my honest review.

For those (like myself) who need to know where things "come from," you may be interested in knowing that Neem oil is derived from a tree native to India called the Azadiracta indica.  It's also referred to as "Neem," "Nimtree," and "Indian Lilac."  Due to it's abilities to combat insects, it's often used in agricultural products as a pesticide.  However, while it fights insects, it's been found to be mostly non-toxic to birds, fish, wildlife and, when used properly, humans.  With that said, many other amazing qualities of Neem have been discovered.

When being used to treat skin conditions, such as acne, eczema, and aging skin, Neem should only be used externally.  Neem is known to have a little bit of a foul odor, but produces phenomenal results.  With that said, many people like to mix it with their favorite essential oil to add a delightful scent.

I have not used Neem on my skin as of this posting.  However, at the time I received my bottle of Neem oil, I had an odd influx in fungus gnats in my home.  I think they probably came from some banana's that sat on top of the fridge for a day too long.  Nevertheless, once those things start multiplying, they're almost impossible to get rid of!  After scouring the Internet for a solution, I used a combination of solutions that seemed to work phenomenally.  I poured 3 Tablespoons of Neem oil into a small 2 oz spray bottle.  I then added a squirt of dish soap, and a little water.  After spraying the areas where the gnats seemed to gather, including the trash can, I was able to eliminate the nasty little guys within 2 days.  That alone gives me reason enough to keep a bottle handy at all times.  Nevertheless, I have heard of so many great benefits of using Neem oil on the skin, I do plan on expanding my usage of it once I can tolerate the smell.

Have you ever used Neem oil?  I would love to hear how you used it.  Please share in the comments below!