review – Page 108 – Luv Saving Money

French-milled plant oil Australian Soap review

I can’t say I’m particularly a bar soap or body wash user strictly. I use whatever I like. I love a good bar soap but in the winter, my skin get really dry and I don’t always feel like a bar soap can do the same job as, say, a moisturizing body wash. I do love a good soap though if it smell nice, is made well, and last for a while.

I had the opportunity to try AustralianSoap.com french-milled plant oil soap.

Now I’ll be honest, I had no idea what french-milled meant so I had to visit their website to find out. They used the same equipment and natural ingredients that maker of fine french soaps use. The french milling technique blends all ingredients into a paste which removes impurities before it’s made into a bar. Other benefits include a longer lasting bar with consistent quality, and a good lather.

AustralianSoap.com uses 100% plant oils with ingredients like renewable palm oil, palm kernel oil, organic shea butter, and vegetable glycerin.

I received 3 bars of Australian Soap to try in the scents: Lemon Myrtle, French Pear, and Wild Honeysuckle. When I opened the shipping package the scents just filled the air. I just couldn’t decide which one to try first because they all smelled amazing. I finally decided on the Lemon Myrtle just because it was different and had a mottled look/texture to it. These bars really do last a long time.

I had been told by a soap maker at one point that you should use a soap rack to store your bar soap on in the bathroom to allow the air to get to the bar and make the bar last longer. I had been using a different bar of soap. I’ve been keeping them on the same soap drying rack. I thought it was interesting to see the difference in the way the integrity of the soap help up compared to the name brand brand soap I was using.

I had been using the bar on the left before I received the Australian soap for review. Then I used the Australian soap for a few weeks. You can see that not much has chanced in the look of the Australian soap bar but the name brand bar is starting to crack and fall apart even with the use of the soap drying rack.

You can feel the difference in the moisturizing capabilities of both soaps as well. The Australian Lemon Myrtle soap had an almost creamy feel to it when it hit the water and when I used it on my body. The name brand soap just felt hard and slippery as you would expect an ordinary bar soap to be.

If you are looking for a good bar soap, I would definitely recommend Austrailansoap.com. Their soap can be purchased in different sizes. They have wrapped and unwrapped bars. There are 40 fragrances in the unwrapped bars and 28 fragrances in the wrapped bars. 2 of the ones I received were unwrapped while the Wild Honeysuckle was the wrapped bar. I did not notice any difference in the quality. All the bars I received were the 3.5 oz size. But even at the smaller size they are still lasting a long time.

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.

How Torani fits into your holiday

Torani flavored syrups are a fun and tasty way to add flavor and flair to your holiday drinks and treats. There are over 120 flavors that include both regular and sugar free. I have tried a number of the regular flavors in the past. This year I had the opportunity to try 2 of the sugar free flavors.

I’ll admit it, I’m usually hesitant to try sugar free things. It seems often they have an funny taste or after taste and just aren’t as good in my opinion. But I’m willing to taste just about anything once so I gave it ago. I started off simple, adding some Torani Hazelnut sugar free flavored syrup to my coffee. I’ll tell you what, it was actually really good. It didn’t even taste sugar free to me. Impressed by the flavor I also tried the Gingerbread with the same unexpected deliciousness.

Torani syrups would be great to have on for when guests come. Try adding the marshmallow flavor to hot cocoa. Try drizzling some of the cinnamon flavor over a piece of apple pie ala mode. How about drizzling the pineapple flavor over your Christmas ham while it bakes to sweeten and add some flavor. Yum!

Check out their website for all the flavors available. They even have a Chicken and Waffles flavor, no joke: http://www.torani.com/

You can also find Torani on twitter: @torani

***I received the above mentioned/pictured samples as part of the SheSpeaks blogger program. I did not receive any other compensation for this post.***

OraMD natural mouth care review and giveaway

Everyone knows that good oral care is important. Not only to keep your mouth looking good but to prevent problems from arising in the mouth. Pick up a regular ole’ tube of toothpaste. Read the ingredients. Do you understand all the ingredients that are in your toothpaste? Did you know that almost all toothpastes contain an ingredient called sodium laurel sulfate (sls) and is used to create that foam when you’re brushing? SLS is a chemical that can actually irritate skin according to clinical studies. It’s actually a chemical that has been used in things like car wash soap and garage floor cleaners! So what can you use?

OraMD is a safe and natural oral care product that can be used to brush your teeth and as a mouthwash. OraMD uses essential oil of peppermint, spearmint, and almond. These 100% pure botanical oils won’t dry out your mouth, helps kill germs safely, freshens breath, all while giving you a clean fresh mouth.

When I first received my sample, I read over the directions and thought, that sounds easy enough. I took it up to my bathroom The next morning I decided to give it a try. Well I should have reread the directions because I totally saturated my toothbrush. When I tried to brush the oils were overwhelming. Being pregnant it actually caused me to gag. I was hesitant to try it again at first. So I waited a day or so this time reading the directions again and realized you’re only supposed to use 2-5 drops (not saturate your toothbrush like I did).

When I used it correctly, it was actually quite refreshing. It did a good job cleaning my mouth. I also tried it as a mouth wash. You are supposed to put 2-5 drops in an ounce of water and swish with it. It worked well. I could feel the tingling of the peppermint and spearmint oils on my gums and lips. I rather enjoyed using this product once I started using it correctly. It was a good feeling knowing the product was safe, especially since I’m pregnant.

If you’d like to learn more about OraMD or order your own bottle you can visit their website: http://www.oramd.com/ you can also get a 20% discount on their site by using discount code: THP20

You can also find OraMD on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OraMD

GIVEAWAY

3 Luv Saving Money readers will win their own bottle of OraMD to try

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***I received the above mentioned product at no cost in order to complete a review. Any opinions expressed are my own.***

Simply 7 a refreshing option in the chip aisle

I try to eat healthier, I really do. I have my favorite vices though like Coca Cola and chocolate. Even those I’ve tried to at least cut back on. Chips and other salty snacks are another one. Love them, but I know they don’t love me back.

Working in the healthcare field we learn about what some things can do to your body. Eating too much fat and oils (heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, etc) and eating too much sugar. But I never really knew how to read a label right. Now I’m still learning but I’ve read a few books and articles that helped point me in the right direction. Anymore seeing all that grease on my hands or a napkin from regular potato chips just turns my stomach. That’s why I’m glad for better for you snacks like Simply 7.

Simply 7 offers a selection of snacks with a short list of ingredients you can actually understand. These chips contain 0 trans and saturated fat. You can have a satisfying serving without packing on the calories too. Each type of chip varies slightly but the Sea Salt flavor Lentil chips for instance allow you to have 31 chips as a serving for only 140 calories. The Pomegranate Sea Salt chips let you have 33 chips for only 130 calories.

Oh yea you heard me right, Pomegranate chip. Simply 7 has pomegranate chips, lentil chips, and hummus chips. I was facinated by the pomegranate chips. I’m thinking, I have no idea what those will taste like. They come in Black Pepper, White Cheddar, and Sea Salt flavor. I first tried the White Cheddar Pomegranate chip.

You can see that it does have pink color to it. My thought was pomegranate and white cheddar…really? What is this going to taste like. But it actually was good. You taste the white cheddar and you only get a slight hint of a pomegranate type flavor. I had a get-together at my house yesterday and pulled out the bag of Sea Salt flavored pomegranate chips. I had my dad and my sister try some. They both liked them. They were surprised by the flavor as well. My dad even came back for more and he normally isn’t the healthiest of eaters.

Right now Simply 7 is trying to get their name out there. They are only available at HEB, Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, Central Market, and a few other grocery stores. If you have the chance to get some I would definitely do it. All the varieties are very tasty. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite because each of the varieties has their own unique flavor.

If you don’t have a store near you that sells them, you can actually order them online through their website as well: http://simply7snacks.elsstore.com/

I also think it’s worth noting that their chips are preservative free, non-GMO, vegan, kosher, and gluten free.

You can find Simply 7 on social media too
Twitter; @simply7snacks
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/simply7snacks (and psst there’s a coupon for $1 of 2 bags too)

Check out the store locator to see if there is a store near you: http://www.simply7snacks.com/store-locator/

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.

Vizardz unique pictures gifts

Vizardz products turn your 2D digital pictures into 2.5D pictures in a beautiful products that makes a great gift. They use three dimensional topography to give your picture depth and dimension.

There are a few things I like that make this personalized picture product better than others. Beside the technique that is used for your picture, you can also order more picture inserts to change your picture whenever you want.

Vizardz.com has nightlights, ornaments, and light boxes all using the 2.5D picture technique. I’ve had the opportunity to review the light box before which I still have and love. I get some many comments on it when guests come over. You can read my light box review here: http://angiewith2.blogspot.com/2012/04/vizarz-light-box-reviewgiveaway-great.html

This time I was excited to review the Vizards nightlight. This would not only make a personal gift for someone but it would also be practical. Imagine putting this in your child’s bedroom with a picture of you or their grandparents to help calm them at night. Give this to a grandparent with a picture of the grandchildren or the whole family. Have one made for the happy newlyweds with a picture you took from their wedding day.

Here is the nightlight I had made. It’s a picture of my youngest son at LEGO Kidsfest that we went to recently. I love this picture. He looks so excited to be there. Now I can display it. We had people over today my one son’s birthday. I purposely turned it on in the dining room and didn’t say anything just to see if people would notice it. My mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law saw it not long after being here and commented on how neat it was. I guess I know what I’m going to get them for the next gift giving event.

Vizardz is social too. You can find them on twitter: @vizardz3D

on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Vizardz

and on Youtube

Here is a great video from Youtube too that shows you a little more detail on how the Vizardz night lights work

GIVEAWAY

1 Luv Saving Money readers will win their own

Vizardz night light with one picture insert

Open to US and Canada

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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.