product spotlight: seasource gelee aka the product that saved my life
October 29, 2013 • brands, health and beauty
I have a confession to make...
I don't necessarily "get" every Arbonne product.
It's embarrassing but true. We have hundreds of products, and I love every one I try, but there are some that I just take a look at and move on because I'm just not sure what it is or what it's for.
Today's product is the perfect example of one such product:
PS - I am now working on a page to consolidate all things Arbonne on re•solve! Check it out here!
I don't necessarily "get" every Arbonne product.
It's embarrassing but true. We have hundreds of products, and I love every one I try, but there are some that I just take a look at and move on because I'm just not sure what it is or what it's for.
Today's product is the perfect example of one such product:
Meet our Gelee!
Your what?
Here's what our catalogue has to say about it:
"Enriched with sea plant antioxidants to resist environmental pollutants, this refreshing gel cools as it nourishes, hydrates and moisturizes for skin that is soft and smooth."
So, it's cooling lotion?
That's about how I felt about the stuff for the longest time. Then I realized we recommend it to clients for a variety of concerns. Then I saw this blog post from a runner swearing by the stuff. I was curious.
Then I needed it.
I went to the hospital last month to visit a friend with leukemia. While I prefer to think that hospitals are sterile, we all know about the germs that abound in these places - I woke up the next morning to a mystery rash inside my elbow.
I had no idea what it was, but it was ugly and annoying. I also couldn't see a doctor as I'm currently uninsured. When it didn't reduce after a couple of days, I knew I had to do something. I tried my usual crunchy suspects: apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil. I tried neosporin and some other prescription skin creme we had laying around.
Nada.
"Try some gelee!" my sponsor told me.
Of course I was willing to try it!
Guys, I so wish I'd taken a before pic. This thing was so red, and now it's like it was never there. I barely dabbed the stuff on and I could tell by the next day it was working. Within two days, it was healed and just a fading scar.
Oh, and I had tons of my sample that my sponsor gave me left. I heard that people use gelee as deodorant, so I figured why the heck not? Then, the weirdest thing happened.
I haven't really talked about this, but I've had mystery hives under my arms for months. The doc never figured out why, and I have no clue why, but no way was I staying on prednisone forever. Anyway, it was ugly and itchy. I didn't enjoy tank tops this summer as I like to.
Yeah. So two days into this gelee-as-deodorant experiment, I realize...my underarms are quite smooth. Where the heck did my hives go?! Gone.
SOLD!
So, uhm, what the heck is this gelee Bekah?
It's a freaking skin miracle in a jar and I am recommending it to everyone because I am in love! I really shouldn't be surprised...every time I try something new from Arbonne, I fall in love! The gelee was no exception and should be a must-have crunchy treatment in your homes!
Key Ingredients: Botanical sea extract, complex of sea kelp, algae, shea butter; botanical extract of butcher’s broom, ivy leaf, green tea, vitamin E.
Other mentioned uses: Fading stretch marks, hot flashes, soothe achy muscles, deodorant, soothe bug bites, bee stings, and sunburns, rub on temples for headache relief, soothe bikini line shave bumps...and more to be discovered!
PS - I am now working on a page to consolidate all things Arbonne on re•solve! Check it out here!
bekah + sean: the wedding finale + ask us anything!
October 28, 2013 • life, love
This will be the last of my posts on our wedding, but I'm sure I'll find a way to keep our "love story Mondays" alive.
I won't be blogging about our honeymoon as I have already done so over at Back Home Again. Feel free to check it out!
Also, after this post, feel free to ask Sean and I anything! Random questions, love story clarifications, marriage questions, anything! Leave your question in the comments and we will go through everything next Monday!
I won't be blogging about our honeymoon as I have already done so over at Back Home Again. Feel free to check it out!
Also, after this post, feel free to ask Sean and I anything! Random questions, love story clarifications, marriage questions, anything! Leave your question in the comments and we will go through everything next Monday!
The Reception
No bridezilla here. We didn't want to impress anyone. We didn't want to be prim and proper and fancy. We didn't particularly care if we were breaking tradition. We just wanted people to enjoy themselves. I don't remember much of the reception at all, but judging by the pics, I think I can say we accomplished our mission.
Also, I know Baptists aren't supposed to dance, so if you're easily offended by such things, you should browse away now as most people you will see are from one church or another and may or may not include a dancing pastor. Don't tell on us!
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| First dance: You & Me by Dave Matthews Band |
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| Some sitting. Some eating. Some socializing. |
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| Kick off the dancing! Parent-child dance was "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N' Roses as I''m not the sappy daddy's girl type. Told you we don't care about tradition. |
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| There's all those heathenish Baptists dancing... |
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| Yeah, so I'm ticklish... |
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| Y'all already knew we're weirdos... |
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| Peace out! The end. |
Hope you guys enjoyed these! Remember to leave your questions in the comments!
Part IV (receiving line/mini reception)
Previous Wedding Posts:
Part IV (receiving line/mini reception)
Part III (ceremony)
Part II (pre-ceremony)
Part I (day before events)
Win $200 Target Giftcard!
October 25, 2013 • giveaway
Because who doesn't love Target? Enter away!
Hosted by:
Co-Hosted by:
One lucky winner will win
a $200 Target Gift Card
Dates:
October 25 12:01am to November 14 11:59pm
US resident only
All entries are optional
We appreciate the support of our co-hosts, please show your support by following them on their social media pages.
Disclaimer: NYSavingSpecials is responsible for the awarding of the prize. If you have any questions about this giveaway, please email the host at nysavingspecials@gmail.com
guest post: miss evil kitty
October 24, 2013 • guest post
It's a guest post kind of day. Meet my lovely sponsor below, then be sure to visit Passion, Pink, and Pearls where miss Veronica shares her thoughts on my Arbonne biz in relation to the upcoming holidays! You know I couldn't go a whole week without talking Arbonne!
Since the early 2000′s M.e.k have been designing eclectic vintage inspired handmade jewellery and accessories. Miss Evil Kitty reworks vintage beads and modern beads into everyday ware for women of all ages.M.e.k love's romantic and whimsical ,noir, old world inspired jewelry and accessories.
Since the early 2000′s M.e.k have been designing eclectic vintage inspired handmade jewellery and accessories. Miss Evil Kitty reworks vintage beads and modern beads into everyday ware for women of all ages.M.e.k love's romantic and whimsical ,noir, old world inspired jewelry and accessories.
Here are some of M.e.k's Favorites
Order $25 + and get $5 off your order.
Use code : Wal5mek good until 11-9-2013
wednesday weekends
October 23, 2013 • personal
Yes, it's Wednesday, but y'all know that's how I roll. I haven't had weekends in over two years until a certain blessing in disguise came around. It's rough not having insurance/income, but it's so nice to have personal time.
On that note...two weekends ago was my ten year class reunion. Yikes! The people who planned the thing failed. Big time. About 1/3 of our graduating class was even aware of the reunion since they invited via facebook only and hoped for word of mouth. On top of that, instead of an official event, they had 3 events - 1 each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Long story short, it flopped. I was the first to show to the Saturday event and that was coming 45 minutes late! Only one other person showed and thankfully it was one of my best friends who I've known since middle school! She had been to the Friday event and said 30 people showed...better, but out of 600 grads? Lame.
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| She has the reunion pic of us but hasn't uploaded it, so enjoy these high school pics instead. We were thinner then, anyway! |
Getting to spend time with her was still worth it, and if that wasn't enough, the next day I went up to PA with Sean and friends to see Plumb perform (along with MikesChair and Josh Wilson)! Awesome show!
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| pre-show. not the most glamorous pic. I also finally acknowledged that fall is here by by bringing out the red hair dye. |
And...drum roll...Saturday! The long-awaited day to cross a certain item off my bucket list arrived:
Yep. I finally shot a gun! Several actually. 4 rifles, a civil war replica Remington muzzle loader (thanks stranger!) and a few hand guns. I had a great time and would definitely go again - it was definitely simpler than I expected!
Sean took a bunch of videos and it cracks me up that they all look like this - me shooting, then turning to ask what I hit/seek approval. I didn't do too bad for a first timer (though you may disagree if I uploaded a handgun vid!)
what's in a mega voxbox?
October 22, 2013 • influenster
I forgo my normal Tuesday post highlighting products I love to mention some products I don't. Not to fear, more Arbonne love is coming your way tomorrow!
Most of you know that I've been laughing my butt off at Influenster lately. After qualifying for two boxes, which were both duds, I'd had enough.
So, I did what any respectable blogger would do and wrote a scathing review.
Apparently, they love it when bloggers hate. I got this e-mail saying a reward was coming, and then a second e-mail saying more was on the way (I've also since qualified for a whole new vox box).
Well, the first box was a 4-pack of slim-fast (woohoo, I'll be using them in Arbonne presentations to demonstrate how bad they are). Y'all know what slim-fast looks like, so I won't waste time with pics.
I didn't, however, know what was in a mega vox box and googling came up with poor results. Just one user's YouTube video. She got some total crap and some OK stuff. That about sums up what I got in the mail today.
So, for any curious users, here's what Influenster sent me in my Mega Vox Box:
Most of you know that I've been laughing my butt off at Influenster lately. After qualifying for two boxes, which were both duds, I'd had enough.
So, I did what any respectable blogger would do and wrote a scathing review.
Apparently, they love it when bloggers hate. I got this e-mail saying a reward was coming, and then a second e-mail saying more was on the way (I've also since qualified for a whole new vox box).
Well, the first box was a 4-pack of slim-fast (woohoo, I'll be using them in Arbonne presentations to demonstrate how bad they are). Y'all know what slim-fast looks like, so I won't waste time with pics.
I didn't, however, know what was in a mega vox box and googling came up with poor results. Just one user's YouTube video. She got some total crap and some OK stuff. That about sums up what I got in the mail today.
So, for any curious users, here's what Influenster sent me in my Mega Vox Box:
Head & Shoulders Damage Rescue shampoo & conditioner. Kudos to them for being full-size, but it's still rubbish. Already given away!
Nail art...not for me.
The mask actually says it's vegetarian, though I haven't had a good look at the ingredients.
Enough with the cheap crappy NYC cosmetics. Plus this one contains Petrol. Eww.
Weird, but I can always use a pen.
Yay! It's organic. Except it smells really manly and musky. Regift!
Goody Quikstyle brush. There's a microfiber-like cloth in the bristles. Not sure what to make of it. Likely also regifting.
bekah + sean: the wedding, part IV
October 21, 2013 • life, love
Receiving Line/Reception I
As it turns out, Sean and I know a lot of people. It was hard to trim our guest list down, so we came up with a different solution that I know some will frown upon, but it worked for us: make the ceremony open to all with a mini-reception to follow. Make the formal reception invite-only.
Even though several were so kind as to tell me the day of the wedding that they couldn't make it or just didn't show (seriously? I look back on most things about this day and can laugh about it, but this one still makes me mad. Lots of money down the drain. Rude!), we were happy we did this. It gave us a chance to greet everyone informally and relax - even though we tried to make our rounds at the reception, we only made it to about half of the guests.
For the mini-reception, we had a receiving line, music playing, and cupcakes and drinks out for everyone. It was simple, fun, and hopefully not as boring as the traditional line as we wanted people to feel free to move about and mingle and come to us when they felt like it versus standing in a line forever and feeling rushed.
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| To this day, I'm dying to know what prompted this reaction from me... |
Previous Wedding Posts:.
Part III (ceremony)
Part II (pre-ceremony)
Part I (day before events)
free sponsorship! (2 giveaways!)
• blog, giveaway
When I first came up with my alternative method of selecting sponsors, I thought I was quite smart. Sometimes. The rest of the time I thought I was crazy. Every month I wonder what is ahead for the next. But, every month I concede that I am happy I chose to do things this way. I love meeting new people. I love helping people. I love relationship building. I get to do that, even if it is a little out of my comfort zone.
October brought me one familiar friend and four complete strangers - and it was a joy working with them all!
November will be here before we know it, and 3 of the 5 available slots are still up for grabs! If you are into free blog love and promotion, look no further! If you need to look a little further, check out the feedback other bloggers have left in regards to my sponsorship system!
Winners get a 250x250 button on my sidebar all month long plus frequent social media mentions and the option to guest post during the month. Enter for your chance below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Oh, and if you really want to get a head start, enter this giveaway from Chelsee. Yours truly is featured, and if you win, you will be the first to snag sponsorship of re•solve for the month of December!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Lady Bug's Alphabet
October 17, 2013 • guest post
This month really tested me in terms of my unconventional sponsorship system. All but one of my October winners were complete strangers! I was so nervous. Would they like me? Would I even like them and want to promote them? Would this work out?
Of course, it did. It always does. I am having a blast getting to know some new ladies, just as I end up doing via any "blind date" blogger system (ie, Cara Box or Bigs & Littles).
I'm pleased to have one of said strangers blogging here today. Anda is a Romanian living in Poland. I won't give too much more away, but she is one of the sweetest girls I've met through blogging, and promoting her blog doesn't feel like work at all. Get to know her and send some love her way!
Hello everyone :) Bekah was kind enough to grant me a blog post on her amazing blog and so here I am :) I thought long and hard over what to tell you and how not to embarrass myself as I feel it awkward about taking her time slot... But here I am! She told me to be true to myself and write from my heart and be open to the audience.
Tell you the truth, I believe I do that but sometimes I feel maybe I am not interesting enough, or I just do not know how to sell myself... I started my blog inspired by another fellow blogger :) and I did this as I no longer wanted to share my content and pictures all over FB as I know the huge copyright issues it raised. A blog is safer and it reaches my friends quicker and they can select when they want to read my adventures or not :)
So... as Bekah graciously invited me here I thought I may introduce myself by doing a small alphabet :) Here we go!
A - Anda Alexandra - my name :) The meaning of Alexandra is "defender of mankind" ;)))
B - Blog - My blog is named "The Home Of The Twisted Red LadyBug" and it focuses on my life.
Short info: "A LadyBug who is an Expat, Travel Lover, Photo Maniac - Living in Magical Krakow - Born and Raised in The Vampire Land but not afraid of Garlic ;)"
C - Camelia - it is both a flower and the name of my wonderful mother.
Of course, it did. It always does. I am having a blast getting to know some new ladies, just as I end up doing via any "blind date" blogger system (ie, Cara Box or Bigs & Littles).
I'm pleased to have one of said strangers blogging here today. Anda is a Romanian living in Poland. I won't give too much more away, but she is one of the sweetest girls I've met through blogging, and promoting her blog doesn't feel like work at all. Get to know her and send some love her way!
Hello everyone :) Bekah was kind enough to grant me a blog post on her amazing blog and so here I am :) I thought long and hard over what to tell you and how not to embarrass myself as I feel it awkward about taking her time slot... But here I am! She told me to be true to myself and write from my heart and be open to the audience.
Tell you the truth, I believe I do that but sometimes I feel maybe I am not interesting enough, or I just do not know how to sell myself... I started my blog inspired by another fellow blogger :) and I did this as I no longer wanted to share my content and pictures all over FB as I know the huge copyright issues it raised. A blog is safer and it reaches my friends quicker and they can select when they want to read my adventures or not :)
A - Anda Alexandra - my name :) The meaning of Alexandra is "defender of mankind" ;)))
B - Blog - My blog is named "The Home Of The Twisted Red LadyBug" and it focuses on my life.
Short info: "A LadyBug who is an Expat, Travel Lover, Photo Maniac - Living in Magical Krakow - Born and Raised in The Vampire Land but not afraid of Garlic ;)"
C - Camelia - it is both a flower and the name of my wonderful mother.
D - Dana - the name of my awesome and crazy big sister :) And in case you did not figure out ANDA=DANA - same letters... my parents were genius when they come up with this :D
E - Europe - a lot of places in which I feel at home with + a lot of places I did not explore yet and I wanna do that! Soon! With my better half :)
F - Fiancee :) - He will be the one who is taking my pictures throughout the blog :) and he is my hero, my knight in shining Armour, the one who has patience to move mountains. I love him and he is my better half. We are engaged and to be married on the 9th of August 2014 :D And we both can hardly wait to say "I do!" in front of God and the entire world :)
G - Growing Up - a fear I have... I wanna grow up but I do not want to grow old... Do you feel me on this one?!
H - Home - "Home is where your heart is, and if your heart is in a million places so is your home" :) (my quote :p)
I - Iasi - my home town, located in the North-Eastern part of Romania. The place I grew up and the place I will always call home. It is a lovely place to visit for a day and it has the oldest and largest Botanical Garden in the Country, it is the home to the oldest Romanian University and to the first engineering school.Vasile Alecsandri National Theater is the oldest Theater in Romania. I admit that Iasi has potential but as it is in continuous change it is hard to see its true beauty...
J - Job - I am currently not having my dream job but a job that makes me feel safe and secure about the future... I did not study to be an IT person, yet I became one nonetheless...
K - Krakow - the place where I live now :) The place where my real expat life began with all its troubles and joys. A place I love and a place I felt at home the moment I walked its cobbled streets and wondered at its architecture and history. Anyone would fall in love with it and if you will read my blog you will see a lot of posts with Krakow StreetArt or Architecture ;)
L - Love - is the only thing worth fighting for :) "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13)
M - Mother - I know she appears twice in this alphabet but she deserves so much more :* Every mum does :)
N- Nanny/Granny - she raised me up and she made me who I am, she loved me since I was a little bundle and she never ceases to believe in me. She is in touch with technology and checks FB and my blog along with my Mum and my sister and they comment on the things I wear or the things I see or the things I do :) She is my number 1 supporter :) And she means the world to me :* Love you Granny!
O - OH! - The sound I made when Bekah wrote to me via Gmail that I missed the letter O ;)))))
P - Poland - the country I wish to visit more, the country I am living in right now
Q - QWERTY - the keyboard on my laptop, that helps me write my ideas to the people I love and the ones that read my blog.
R - Romania - the country I was born in, the country I grew up in, the country in which I studied and made friends for life, the place where a big part of my family lives
S - Surprises - I love surprises and I love making surprises/gifts for the ones I love, no matter the occasion. The tricky part is though waiting for holidays and birthdays to give the gifts... I never wait :) As soon as I have them I give them away ;))) So does my lovely fiancee! :D
T - Traveling - started doing that since I was in my mothers womb and I am not willing to stop it :) When you travel you learn more things about the world and about yourself than in an year of staying home, comfortable in your own sweet spot
U - Unicorns - YES! I do believe in unicorns :) They are somewhere out there, at the end of the rainbow, next to the leprechauns pot of gold :)
V - Vacations - I love them and I wish I could have them more often... Related to letter T ;)))
W - Wonderland - sometimes a place I escape - books and movies help me in doing that, but sometimes I wish I could be like Alice and just go for a short time in Wonderland... or even like Dorothy and have some cute red slippers that would do the trick ;)
X - X chromosome - the thing that makes me female on the genetic side :) Yes! I do love genetics ;) Guilty!
Y - Yagudin Alexei & Evgheni Plushenko = ice skating = my beloved sport to watch since I was a toddler!
Y - Yagudin Alexei & Evgheni Plushenko = ice skating = my beloved sport to watch since I was a toddler!
Z - Zodiacal Sign - I am a Scorpio :) Here is what that means:
A Scorpio woman is the sexiest and most mysterious of the twelve signs of the zodiac. She is exotic and magnetic, as deep as the sea, and, depending on her mood, as calm or as tempestuous. She is extraordinarily intuitive and will be keenly interested in the esoteric, or any occult or spiritual experience that offers some kind of deep insight. She is in tune with the fundamental forces of life and nature and is moved by the great tides and events of human experience. The Scorpio woman should never be taken lightly. They aren't flaky, fluffy, or helpless creatures by any stretch of the imagination. Direct, and brilliantly sharp, Scorpio women only focus on the fundamental essence of any issue and disregard the superfluous. They like clear endings and beginnings, with no grey areas in between. A Scorpio woman wants her certainties to remain just so - absolutely rock steady and assured. She wants to understand everything and knows how to craft just the right question to obtain the answers she seeks. Scorpios are intuitive, controlling, and sometimes self-destructive, but in all this they have a certain deadly beauty to their personalities. They are fearless and stubborn and even when life gets a little tricky they merely take it on the chin and keep going. Self-confident, resourceful, and strong, Scorpios are driven to succeed; they work hard and are willing to sacrifice anything to get to their goals. They are also complex and secretive, choosing who they divulge their secrets to carefully. - And yes :D I do agree with the above ;) at least most of the time :P
Well... what can I say, that's about all folks :) A Short Alphabet of The Tiwsted Red LadyBug :)
bekah + sean: the wedding, part III
October 14, 2013 • life, love
The Ceremony
As far as I know, the ceremony went off (nearly) without a hitch. To this day I haven't heard any negative feedback. The music didn't play during our slideshow, but that's the only thing I can think of. I wanted the ceremony to be short and sweet, which it was.
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| watching the silent slideshow... |
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| yeah, that one. |
Previous Wedding Posts:
Part II (pre-ceremony)
Part I (day before events)
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