Review Archives - Page 10 of 65 - My Life: A Work in Progress

Influenster J’Adore VoxBox (my thoughts)

26 March, 2014 31 Comments

I’m a member of an online community called Influenster. Through this community, I’m occasionally able to receive free product samples from major brands to test out and review.

Recently I received my second box from Influenster. This one is called the “J’Adore VoxBox,” and although I’m not required to review the samples on my blog, I wanted to at least mention them.

The box contained the following:

Red Rose Tea
Hershey’s Kisses
Vaseline Spray Lotion for men
KISS lashes
John Frieda Frizz Ease
Boots Botanics Clay Mask

I wasn’t able to try two of the products. The Frizz Ease hair product is meant for someone who has curly hair and straightens it with a flat iron. Well, although I do sometimes use a flat iron, my hair is stick straight. I’ve used Frizz Ease products in the past though, with good results. I need to find someone to pass this sample along to, but the only friend in the area I have with really curly hair doesn’t straighten hers.

I also didn’t try the KISS lashes. I wanted to. I got so far as to open the package before being intimidated. I’ve tried to put on false eyelashes before, and it’s always been a disaster. I need someone knowledgable to show me!

So on to what I did try…

The tea was surprisingly tasty. My experience with black tea is that it’s usually bitter, but the Creme Caramel had a little bit of sweetness to it. If you’re a tea drinker, I recommend giving it a try.

Baby J and I used the Hershey’s Kisses to make chocolate chip cookies. We took them to Florida with us for his Daddy, and yes, we did snack on a couple on the way. =D Hershey’s has always been one of my favorite chocolate brands over the years.

You may notice Baby J is in a disposable diaper -gasp- instead of cloth. We used disposables for the trip, and I started him before we left, so I could get all the cloth washed!

Hubby loved the Vaseline lotion. He’d never used a spray lotion before, and really liked how it absorbed. He also liked the smell. You can watch a quick Instavideo clip of him applying it.

Finally, I used the Boots Botanics Clay Mask. This was probably my favorite of the bunch. It uses willow bark to cleanse and remove impurities. My skin did feel fresher and looked clearer after use. I would buy this.

The dark spot on my cheek is from a little bit of mask that hasn’t dried yet (I put too much on that spot).

By the way, if you’re a blogger and not a member of Influenster, but would like to be…I have five invites. Email me at emegburg at mylifeaworkinprogress dot com with your name and blog URL, and I’ll send you an invite.

Have you tried any of these products before? Which was your favorite?

Note: I was not compensated for this post, but did receive the product samples I mentioned above for free. Any opinions expressed are my own and may differ from yours.

fitness, giveaways, Review

Review: Skinny Blend Weight Loss Shake

25 March, 2014 22 Comments

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I received a one-week supply of Skinny Jane’s “Skinny Blend Weight Loss Shake.” Since it’s a weight-loss shake, usually one week would not be enough time to review that aspect of the product. With that in mind, I was asked to review how well the powder mixes, suppresses my appetite, and increases my energy.

As I’ve gotten into more strength training and weight lifting, I’ve been seeking ways to add more protein into my diet. Of course, I can always eat more beans, eggs, nuts, chicken, etc. And I have been, but it’s just not enough. It would really simplify my life if I could just mix up a protein shake and BAM! give my body what it needs. As I researched protein powders, I realized I’m looking for a powder that tastes at least bearable (if not good) and isn’t filled with questionable ingredients. So that’s why I wanted to review the Skinny Blend.

I didn’t receive the regular packaging, since I just had the 7-day sample, so I had to look the nutritional info up online. Each serving of the banana Skinny Blend has 100 calories, 1 gram of sugar, 3 grams of fiber, and 12 grams of protein. Of course that would be in addition to whatever ingredients you add to the blend.

Skinny Blend by Skinny Jane weight loss shake review on My Life: A Work in Progress — My 7-day sample of Skinny Blend

Some of the ingredients sound “scary” (you can read them off the product photos on the Skinny Jane website), but I looked up the ones I’m unfamiliar with. Most of the ingredients provide protein or bond the protein ingredients together. Nothing raised any red flags.

The Skinny Blend is available in chocolate, vanilla, or banana, and I chose the banana flavor. It really does taste good! If you don’t mix it in really well (and you should), it has a slight powdered milk taste to it. When mixed or blended, the Skinny Blend just tastes like milk and banana. It’s not grainy or clumpy, and there’s no strange aftertaste. Just make sure you use a shaker bottle or a blender. I attempted to just mix it with almond milk once with a spoon, and it was grainy.

I think I had the servings off slightly. I was using the powder while Baby J and I were visiting Hubby in Florida, and I didn’t have any of my measuring spoons or cups or my kitchen scale. I had to “wing it.” A serving should be 1/4 cup. Either they sent me more than a week’s worth, or I really don’t know how a 1/4 cup should look. As you can see below, I tried the Skinny Blend 8 times (and still had some left in the package).

Ways I’ve tried the Skinny Blend:

Skinny Blend, frozen fruit, water, baby spinach, and kale
Skinny Blend, frozen fruit, apple cider, baby spinach, and kale
Skinny Blend and water (gross)
Skinny Blend and almond milk
Skinny Blend, almond milk, whole milk, and ice
Skinny Blend, almond milk, banana, and ice
Skinny Blend, almond milk, 1/2 banana, and ice
Skinny Blend, orange juice, banana, and ice

If you’re trying to lose weight, definitely use the Skinny Blend as recommended. That said, my favorite way to use the Skinny Blend was blended with almond milk, 1/2 banana, and ice. It was the perfect after-dinner snack that kept me full and awake for several hours until bed, and with just over 200 calories.

I actually did lose weight the week that I used the Skinny Blend (about 3 lbs.), which surprised me. I can’t say for sure the weight loss was from the powder, especially since I didn’t use it as a meal replacement. I used the powder in addition to my regular diet. I’ve been lifting heavier weights and doing more strength training exercises, so I guess my hard work is finally showing, and I lost a little body fat (woohoo!).

Overall, I really, really, liked this powder. It tasted good, blended well, and wasn’t grainy. Is it the shake for me, the one I’ll add into my workout regime and diet? I’m not sure. My only hesitation is Skinny Blend doesn’t provide as much protein as some other protein powders on the market. But to be fair, Skinny Blend is meant to be a weight-loss shake, not necessarily a muscle-building shake.

To learn more about how the company got its start, visit SkinnyJane.com. Also, follow them on Facebook and Twitter for tips and motivation (it’ll get you a head start on the giveaway too).

GIVEAWAY CLOSED- Congrats to Aleya B. for winning!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

fitness, Review

Resistance Bands- Perfect for fitness on the go (Review)

17 March, 2014 8 Comments

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Baby J and I are spending three weeks with Hubby, and we’re living out of what is, essentially, an extended stay hotel. When you’re traveling, it’s nearly impossible to pack up your free weights and bring them with, especially if you’re flying! That can be problematic for someone like me, who’s trying to build muscle.

Even when I’m at home, I don’t always have gym access and many times I end up working out in our living room. There’s not a lot of space. Resistance bands are great because they’re lightweight and small, but still bring an extra oomph to your workout by providing resistance during strength training. They’re also inexpensive. The band I’m reviewing is currently on sale for $14.99.

Resistance bands are made of rubber with handles on the ends. The DynaPro ProGrade resistance bands are 100 percent latex dipped. The idea is this makes their bands more durable than standard bands. A durable band means the resistance during use is more consistent, and the band itself is less likely to snap.

The band I’m reviewing is the medium band, which provides a resistance of 20 lbs. DynaPro also sells 10 lbs. and 30 lbs. bands.

If you’re not sure how to use a resistance band, a quick Internet search will result in dozens of exercises to help you workout your whole body. Here are a few photos of me in action, in our hotel room. If I look like my form is wrong, it might be! I’m new to resistance bands.

Add resistance bands to your workout- My Life: A Work in Progress — Left: squat with overhead press (It’s not a very low squat, I know…I was in the process of squatting when Hubby took the photo!) -Top Right: Lunge with biceps curl -Bottom Right: Row

One thing I’ve really been trying to do lately with my workouts is mix things up. I have to, or my body will “plateau,” and I’ll stop seeing results. I like that the resistance bands open up a plethora of workout possibilities that I can rotate through. It also keeps me from getting bored. 🙂

The handles are very comfortable, and the band also features adjustable attachment (see photo below) that allows you to adjust the length of the band.

If you’d like to know more about these resistance bands, visit DynaProDirect.com. You can purchase the bands directly from (affiliate link>) Amazon.

Flash Giveaway:

Want to win a resistance band from DynaPro? Enter this flash giveaway below! US only. Ends March 18 at 9pm Central Time.

This giveaway has a very quick turnaround, so I’ve included a mandatory entry that asks for your name and shipping address. This information will ONLY be used if you’re the winner. It will be given immediately to the sponsor, so they can ship your prize. If you don’t feel comfortable submitting that info, that is fine, you can let me know, by typing that into the box. However, if you’re then selected as the winner, I will send you an email, and you will only have 12 hours to respond, or I will randomly select someone else. So if you prefer to not share your details with me unless you’re the winner, I understand…but stick by your email once this giveaway has closed!

Make sure you agree to all the terms and conditions that are outlined in the widget.

Entry -Form

Note: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

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