Awesome giveaway time!

A quick note on an awesome contest you should know about...

Effortless Anthropologie is having a fantastic 5 Year Blogiversary giveaway - the winner gets $1000 to Anthropologie (where else?) and a personal shopping appointment with Anthro's head personal stylist!  How amazing!!  Click here to enter, and do it quick - the contest closes Nov. 3.  If you're an Anthro fan, Roxy's blog is the best place for information on sales and promotions, product reviews, styling tips, and just about everything else Anthro-esque.

I'll be back with a new review and a holiday gift guide very soon!

Little Black Bag Review (and haul!)

I'm pretty late on this, but I recently discovered Little Black Bag (that's a referral link), a shopping website with a unique concept.  If you like monthly boxes and surprises, you'll find LBB pretty exciting!

So here's how it works:  You purchase something from the site.  They carry handbags, beauty products, jewelry, accessories, and home items.  With each item, you can either buy it alone, or "bundle" it with other surprise items.  The bundles are generally good deals, and you can see the categories for the surprises.  When you buy the item, your surprise items are revealed.  Here's where it gets fun: you can either keep your items, or trade them with other users!  All the trading is done before the items ship; LBB does the dirty work for you.  You can trade for up to a week.  If you fall for an item that's sold out, you can try to trade for it.

You can make a one-time purchase, or you can join as a VIP.  VIPs get slightly lower prices on all items, and you are charged $9.95 per month, but you get a $10 credit toward whatever you purchase.  You can choose to skip a month, and you will not be charged at all, but you must choose the option by the 5th of the month.  VIPs also get free bonus items.

I had a coupon code for 25% off, so I decided to give it a try.  While I initially made my purchase as a one-time thing, I ended up joining the VIP program to save $13.  Customer service seemed extremely confused about retroactively applying the credit, but I think I eventually got through to them.  I need to check my credit statement to make sure.  Next time I have an issue, I'll call instead of using their chat function.

So here's what I bought:

The Olivia and Joy Regards satchel in black and white.  Cute, right?  I looked around the internet before purchasing it. LBB lists its suggested retail price as $92, as does the tag on the bag itself.  However, on the Olivia and Joy website, it sells for $78.  I also found it on the DSW website for $60.  The LBB price was, after my coupon code and VIP discounts, as well as after tax and shipping, about $44.  That includes the surprises, so I decided to go for it.  Why not??

My surprises were a pair of earrings and a bracelet.  I quickly discovered that you can control, to an extent, the kind of surprises you get.  When you put an item in your basket, it will show you the brands and categories of bonuses you will get.  You can reload that until you get something you're happy with; for example, I wanted jewelry, not beauty items.  I also opened a new tab and looked at the items from each designer and their price points to figure out what bonuses were items I might genuinely like.

So I received a pair of gold alligator earrings by Robert Rose, valued at $15, and a friendship-style bracelet valued around $20.  I loved the gators - totally cute.  Couldn't find them elsewhere online, though Robert Rose items are sold at Nordstrom for around $12.  The bracelet wasn't really my style, but I very quickly was offered a pair of dangly gold, orange, and brown earrings.  I made the trade, and that was the end of my trading, though I kept the bag open for a week just to see.  Most people wanted to trade for my bag, but I still liked what I had chosen more than any other options.  Some people even offered two purses for my one!

Here's what I got:

The Robert Rose Alligator Earrings.  Super cute.  I love quirky jewelry!

Carol Dauplaise Double Link Stone Drop Earrings. I wear a lot of orange, and I'm really into gold jewelry right now, so these will go with a lot of items in my closet.

Olivia and Joy Regards Satchel.  The tab in the front is just decorative, as are two zippers running down the sides.  There is one compartment with a few inner pockets, plus one smaller zippered back pocket.  The inside is nicely lined.

I was impressed by the quality of the bag.  LBB carries some brands I'm familiar with, but I've never seen Olivia and Joy bags before.  It's certainly not a bag I'd pay $92 for, as it's not real leather, but it's definitely a sturdy, well-made bag.  It's the perfect size; not too big, not too small, and I like the gold touches.  Both pairs of earrings are cute in person, too, though the earrings looked orange online but are more coral in real life.  I couldn't find these Carol Dauplaise earrings for sale elsewhere.

So for $44, I got a bag and two pairs of cute jewelry.  I think I actually got a great deal.  The items were packaged nicely and arrived promptly.  I'll be trying LBB again, because the trading aspect adds a little fun and excitement to the experience, and I do feel like I got some great bonuses.

If you want to try LBB, here's my referral link!  Use it to get 25% off your first bag, so you can score a great deal, too!

Have you tried LBB?  I love seeing what other people got!!

LBB gets an 8 on my Awesome Meter.  I'm very pleased with what I got for the price, and the experience as a whole is unique, fun, and seamless.

Healthy Living Reviews!

Lately, my husband and I have started to focus heavily on getting fit.  It started because we were going on a cruise for the wedding of good friends who happen to be actors.  Of course, they are exceptionally good-looking and in shape, and a lot of their friends are beautiful actors or models, too.  We didn't want to be out of shape on the lido deck among a bunch of super-toned models in bikinis, so we stepped it up.  Since then, fitness has become a big part of our lives.

The wedding came and went, and it was on a cruise ship with tons of people, so we didn't need to be self-conscious, but regardless, we wanted to keep up with dieting and just generally getting fit.  My husband is at the point where he wants to put on weight and muscle, but I'm, well, not, haha.  This means a lot of the time, I make very low-cal (and low-carb, high protein) meals, but he just eats twice as much as I do.

That being said, here are a couple of tricks I've used to lose weight without a fad diet or anything like that.  If you're looking to make a healthy change in your life, there are, as I see it, three essential pieces of equipment you'll need:

1) A digital food scale.  We use the food scale for everything, including fruit.  It helps us record our calorie intake properly, and it's also just a great way to control portions.  Once I've measured out, say, 30 grams of trail mix, I probably won't go back for more.  Serving size is a major issue for many people, so having a way to control it without estimating is very helpful.  These are relatively cheap; the one linked above is $15 at Amazon.com

2) A heart rate monitor.  Okay, so you're measuring your intake carefully... now what about your calorie expenditure?  We love our heart rate monitors; they show you how hard you're working by displaying your heart rate in real time, and they count calories for you based on your height, weight, and age.  They are much more accurate than the calorie counter on cardio machines at the gym.  We use them for everything - I've even worn mine to Disneyland to record how many calories we burn walking for miles and miles all day!  I know that if my heart rate is dipping during spin class, I've got to step it up.  I wouldn't go to the gym without it.  I like the Polar F7, which is linked above.  At $60, it's a bit of a splurge, but it comes with a chest strap (like Iron Man!) and a watch that displays the information.  My husband has a slightly pricier Polar HRM that connects to an app in his iPhone.  I prefer watching my heart rate at all times, but he would rather see it at the end of his workout.  My HRM is one of my favorite purchases ever and has really stepped up my workout.

3) MyFitnessPal.  This one is FREE!  It's a calorie counting website, and it's kind of amazing.  You can set your height, weight, age, and activity level, and it'll tell you how many calories to eat to lose, maintain, or gain weight.  You need to cut 3500 calories a week to lose a pound - that's 500 calories a day.  However, if you work out, you can eat back your calories - that's why it's so important to use your HRM to get an accurate count!  And that's why you'll find me at the gym daily... I love to eat.  MFP is an amazing resource; almost every food can be found in its database.  You can input recipes, save your favorites, and even use your phone to scan barcodes of products.  The iPhone app is free and amazing.  Just the act of recording your calories makes you eat less.  Open up your diary to the public, and take advantage of the huge, supportive community there.  With calorie counting, you can eat what you want for the most part, you just have to do it in moderation and fit it into your day's calories.

Anyway!  I'm not a fitness expert, just a regular person trying to get fit in a healthy way.  Stay tuned for more reviews of healthy living products.

What tips do you have for getting fit?

Skinny Cow Ice Cream Bars Review

Oh man, you guys know I am a sucker for Skinny Cow products.  I love their candy, especially the Dreamy Clusters and the new Divine Caramels.  When I saw they had a new product at my grocery, I knew I had to try both varieties.

The first ones I tried were the Cookies 'n Dough ice cream bars.  They are vanilla ice cream topped with a sort of sugary, gooey layer with small lumps of cookie dough, then enrobed in chocolate.  The bars are fairly small, but I found them very satisfying for 160 calories.  The gooey layer can be a bit gritty - almost like the gooey filling in a pecan pie - but it balances out the vanilla ice cream nicely.

It was a bit harder to find the Salted Caramel Pretzel bars, as they always seemed to be sold out, but I finally located a package.  Same calorie/fat content as the Cookies 'n Dough bars.  These ones start with the same vanilla ice cream, then a layer of more fluid caramel and a sprinkling of pretzels, enrobed in the same milk chocolate - which is described as a "chocolatey coating," so I guess they can't call it "chocolate."  I love the salty/sweet combo.  These ones are the same size as the Cookies 'n Dough bars - smallish, but great for an after dinner treat.

Given the choice, I prefer the Salted Caramel Pretzel bars.  They're unique, rich, and nicely balance sweet and salty.  However, I've had difficulty finding them.  I also tried the Weight Watchers equivalent, which are called Ice Cream Candy Bars.  It's the same basic deal - vanilla ice cream, a layer of caramel and some peanuts, then enrobed in a milk chocolate coating.  They are 4 points plus and 150 calories and 9 grams fat, so very similar to the Skinny Cow bars.  However, the WW iteration seems slightly larger, though they may just be longer but less squat.  I definitely prefer the Skinny Cow versions - much more decadent and flavorful for the same basic calorie/fat content.  The WW ones are much easier to find in stores, though.

I give both the Skinny Cow ice cream bars a 8 on the Awesome Meter.  Highly nommable treats without the guilt!  Hooray!

While I'm posting, I wanted to link you to this awesome giveaway on Lisa's fun fashion blog, Respect the Shoes - $50 to J. Crew, Zara, or Anthro!  I love her blog - lots of fantastic clothes inspiration, as she always looks adorable - and some really great conversation topics, too!  Check it out - and just a heads up, Anthro's tag sale starts this Wednesday!  You'd better believe I'll be looking for good deals.

*Note - All views are my own.  I am not compensated in any way for these reviews - I'm just trying to help you find awesome stuff!

Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Review

I recently joined BzzAgent.com and was sent a sample of Garnier Fructis's new Hydra Recharge shampoo, conditioner, and hydrating treatment.

I have dry, curly hair.  My life got a whole bunch easier when I stopped fighting the curls, put down the flat iron, and learned to embrace my natural look.  I'm very low maintenance with my hair, preferring to mash in a few curl-enhancing products after a shower, scrunch a bit, and let it air dry.  If I'm going to a formal event, like a wedding, I'll splurge on a blow-out; it always looks WAY better than anything I could manage.

I work out almost every day, and I pull my hair back in a ponytail and use a headband to keep it out of my face.  Basically, I pull, pinch, and punish my hair daily.  I do not shampoo every day, though - usually once a week or so - because that will send my hair directly to frizzville.  However, I do shower and condition daily, but frizz and dryness are still my mortal enemies.  I was excited to try this new line of products that claims to hydrate even the driest strands!  All products contain goji berries, kiwi, and passion fruit - ooh la la!

The shampoo is clear with bursting blue beads.  It seemed to do the job just fine - foamed a bit and rinsed clean.  The hydrating treatment is to be slathered on your hair for 1 minute, then rinsed.  This seemed odd to me, as I usually apply conditioner and let it soak in for over a minute while I do my other showerly duties.  So what's the difference between the hydrating treatment and just letting plain ol' conditioner sit on your scalp for a while?  I'm still kinda unclear on that.

Anyway, the hydrating treatment and conditioner, both of which are moderately thick and light blue, did a great job of softening my locks, and they rinsed off much more cleanly than some of my more expensive conditioners.  No residue, so nothing to weigh down my hair!  The conditioners detangled and left my hair feeling smooth and silky.

However, when my hair finished air drying, it was pretty frizzy, and the curls were not defined.  I needed further product to make me look polished.  Alas!

Another minor issue for me is the smell.  I've always been particularly sensitive to fragrances, and Garnier uses a fairly strong, fruity, sweet fragrance that I'm not incredibly fond of, kind of like sour green apples.  I also color my hair (which can exacerbate dryness!), and the shampoo does contain sulfates that could fade color.

If your main issue is dryness, this might be a great product for you, as it did hydrate nicely and felt weightless in my hair.  I particularly liked how easily it rinsed clean.  However, if you have curly hair and frizz issues, you may need to look into Garnier's other lines, like Sleek and Shine.

In the end, I decided to return to my usual hair care regimin, but I think I'll keep the Hydrating Treatment in the shower in case I need an extra moisture boost!

While it's not the perfect product for me, I still enjoyed trying the Hydra Recharge and would give it a 6 on the Awesome Meter.  One big plus: it's extremely affordable, even for the luxurious Hydrating Treatment. Find it at your local drugstore, Target, or on Amazon.com.

Views expressed here are my own, but I was provided with the products free of charge.

The ArchMount

If you're a filmmaker, blogger, vlogger, musician, artist, or any other creative type, you probably use your iPad for a variety of purposes.  iPads are versatile devices, and their cameras are high quality.  

My brother-in-law is part of a team that has created a new iPad accessory to help you out and make the creative process easier and more efficient!  If you've ever tried to balance your iPad on a stack of books or steady it on a table so you can film something without the camera shaking, you know it's pretty difficult.  The iPad is sturdy, but it's also thin and can be difficult to balance.  

Enter the ArchMount!  This lightweight device easily straps onto your iPad and attaches to a tripod.  Check it out:

Now you have a stable way of mounting your iPad - and you can use it to film your vlogs or webseries, create stop-motion animation, or whatever else you can dream up!  You can even use it to scan photos!  Musicians can use their iPad as a modern music stand - just load up your sheet music in the display, mount the iPad, and you're good to go!  It's really an ingenius little invention, and it's made even better by the fact that it's very light and easy to carry.  Plus, it's super affordable - just $22 if you get in on the Kickstarter deal right now!  Only 8 days left in the campaign!

I've seen the prototype, and it's VERY cool - definitely the perfect accessory to add to your arsenal! The design is sleek and thin, so it won't add bulk or cramp your style.

So click here, check out the video, and let me know what you think in the comments!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/serialkickers/archmount-the-sturdy-ultraportable-tripod-mount-fo

More reviews coming up very soon!

Sole Society Review (Sierra Slingbacks)

I'm not really a shoe person.  At 5'8", I feel too tall for heels - and if I'm wearing them, I teeter, and they're never really comfortable.  I have a massive collection of flats, but when I find something I like, I stalk it until it goes on sale, then buy it in lots of colors.  My feet were size 10 until I stopped working retail - now I spend most of my time with my feet up on the couch while I work... or have my feet stuffed into sneakers at the gym - so I've gone down to about 9.5, though I still need a 10 in some styles.

Anyway, I'm going to be in a wedding this October.  The bride has requested we wear vintage-style dresses in jewel tones with heels that are a different jewel town than the dress.  I bought this gorgeous dress on second cut (plus an additional 30% off) from Anthro:

Pretty!!

I was unsure about what color shoes I should wear until I saw these lovelies in a Facebook ad:

These Sierra heels are sold through Sole Society, a website I'd heard of but dismissed as a shoe club - you know, those sites where you are charged a monthly "credit" unless you opt out.  I'm kind of over that whole structure since I forgot to opt out of Jewelmint in January and felt forced into a purchase.  Blech.  However, Sole Society is no longer a "shoe club."  You can just make a purchase, and you're not obligated to purchase again.  They won't charge you unless you make a purchase.  Armed with that knowledge, plus a $10 off code, I bought these lovely shoes in a size 10, not knowing how they ran.  Sole Society's selection is all "Sole Society" brand.  They are the same company as HauteLook (affiliate link, or just go to HauteLook.com), the flash sale site, and HauteLook sometimes runs cross promotions.

However, when I received them (free shipping - got them within 3 days, but that may be because the company is based in Southern California), I discovered that:

a) The shoes were a bit big

b) If I chose to return them for money rather than store credit, I'd be charged a $7.95 restocking fee.

I wanted to buy the 9.5s and try 'em - just to see if they fit better - but I wasn't about to pay $8 to try on a size.  I spoke to the Sole Society live chat help, but when I didn't budge about wanting my money back rather than a store credit, they recommended I call customer service.  I did so, and they thankfully waived the fee.  I mean, if they want me to re-purchase from their site, I need to figure out what size I wear in their brand, right?

I still don't feel like I should've had to jump through hoops to avoid that restocking fee, but I'm glad customer service was ultimately helpful.  However, I am going to lose that $10 off code in the process of this whole thing.  Alas - the 9.5s were the better fit for me.  Here's a few IRL pics of the shoes:

The shoes are quite pretty.  Both pairs smelled heavily (almost nauseatingly) of plastic, as they were wrapped really thoroughly, but the smell dissipated with time.  The color is rich.  They have a supportive platform under the toes, and the heel is 3 inches - about as high as a heelphobe like me can go.

 Some toe cleavage, but not an unacceptable amount.

The bows are a little limper/less shapely than in the product photos.

Overall, these are quite cute, and $59.95 seems like a decent price (made better if you can find a discount).  I like the other colors, too, and think these will be versatile.  They were fairly comfortable - for heels - though the soles are not super padded, and I'm not sure how well they are attached to the base of the shoe.  The lining looks to be curling ever so slightly near the toe.  The slingback stayed up nicely on the 9.5s.  It slipped on the 10s, as they were clearly a bit too big.  The Sierra Slingback also comes in a cobalt/grey combo and a yellow/nude combo, both of which are really stinkin' cute.

For now, I'd give Sole Society a 7 on the Awesome Meter.  I do like cute shoes with modest heels - and they have cute flats, too - as opposed to the skyscraper, edgy heels I see on ShoeDazzle.  I like that it's not a shoe club, so I don't have to stress about opting out each month.  The shipping was fast (and free!), but the restock fee bums me out.  Customer service was good, but I'm used to Modcloth's amazing service now.  The quality of the shoes seems about right for the price.

If you see something you like on the site, you can use my affiliate link here to sign up.  If affiliate links skeeve you out, you can just sign up at SoleSociety.com. Make sure to check RetailMeNot.com for coupon codes before you buy!