Sunday, April 20, 2014

REVIEW: Mystelic's Nature's Best Vitamin C Serum

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.
I was given an opportunity to try Mystelic's Nature's Best Vitamin C Serum. I have been using it for roughly 3 weeks.

Product Description (Pulled directly from Amazon.com)
The Secret to Reverse Signs of Ageing, Making You Look & Feel Younger!

This is The Highest Quality, Most Potent & Effective Vitamin C Serum on The Market

Are You Looking Older than You Feel? Natures Best Vitamin C Serum is Clinically Proven and tested to:

- Works for all skin types, dry, oily, sensitive as its made from Pure Natural Organic Ingredients.
- Reduces acne by removing toxins & creating collagen for firmer, plumper, healthier skin.
- Minimizes Redness of scars and acne by lightening pigment showing a more youthful you.
- is the perfect consistency for applying, not to watery.

Amazing Benefits to Your Skin are:

- Instantly gain a smoother complexion and tighter skin for a more radiant beautiful you.
- Antioxidants reduce skin damage caused by years of aging, uv rays & pollution.
- Reverses the effects of aging, reducing fine lines and wrinkles.
- Stimulate the synthesis of collagen making your skin look years younger, firmer, & more vibrant.


The directions say to apply twice a day, after toning and before moisturizing. I didn't apply it quite so religiously, mostly after showers. The serum doesn't feel oily or sticky at all when put on the skin. I had this weird red line close to my hairline that it seemed to help clear up. I thought I'd try it on my belly to see if it made any difference on stretch marks. I'm not sure that it did...maybe a little. I wasn't expecting too much though because I know once skin is stretched, there's nothing you can really do. I can see a slight difference in the redness of my face. Haven't had any major acne flare ups, even at the time I expected to.

Maybe if I used the Vitamin C serum as directed I would see more of a difference, but I have a hard enough time remembering to eat let alone keep a morning AND night routine ;] It's one of those products I'm not sure is great for me, but would be great for somebody. I would recommend it if you have skin trouble that you want to treat. It certainly can't hurt!

You can buy Mystelic's Vitamin C Serum here

My before and afters (I don't know why the one flipped, but I didn't feel like fixing). These are cell phone pictures, so they are not particularly clear, I apologize:





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.

Birthday Girls

Miss O just turned 4, and Miss Em is about to be 1. We had their birthday party this weekend. Ladybug Pirate was the theme :]

I made a pirate hat of a browned sugar cake...not a huge fan of the flavor. 

Em's smash cake was a ladybug made of a banana cake with a vanilla almond bark eyepatch. 

And finally, an ice cream cake because Miss O doesn't like cake. This started out with blue icing that I tried to take off and cover up ;] It's not beautiful, but it works. 

The birthday girls:




Monday, April 14, 2014

Ash's Menu Plan Monday Apr 15-22


I planted my sprouts a few days ago....and then found out it's going to freeze tomorrow night. Lovely. Well, here's hoping everything survives.
The girls' 4th and 1st birthday party is this weekend. Oi....I don't think I'm ready.


Anywho, here's what we've got going on for dinner this week. I try to keep it pretty Clean.

On the Menu this week:

Tuesday - wing it
Wednesday - potluck/playdate
Thursday - sandwich/leftovers - Soccer night
Friday - chicken and spinach pasta bake
Saturday - slow cooker chicken cheesesteaks - party day
Sunday - super stuffed potatoes
Monday - crispy fish sticks & green beans

If there are recipes for the week, I will have them pinned here.

And then I will move them here with a review after I've tried them.

See more MPM at OrgJunkie

Monday, April 7, 2014

What "Clean Eating" means for me


I am putting this up so I can link back to it as a reference for anyone who my be interested when I menu plan.  Anywho, ever since I found out about my first pregnancy, I've made a serious effort to eat better. I went from being a major couponer to a health freak. Granted, I'm still cheap, so sometimes the numbers are pretty painful. Still, I figure feeding my family well is worth it.

What is Clean Eating?

Honestly, it depends who you ask. Essentially though, it's avoiding anything processed (white flour, refined sugar, most pre-packaged food..).  Buy organic whenever possible, especially the Dirty Dozen and meats. Shop the primarily the outer aisles of the grocery store. If buying pre-packaged foods I make sure the ingredient list is short and pronounceable. Stick to whole grains.

But why?

I don't want chemicals and frankenfoods in my kids' diet. GMOs are scary. I don't care what the FDA has to say about it....if the stuff you're putting on my food requires a mask in the process, why on earth would it be ok to eat??

 I do want my girls eating nutrient dense, healthy things. Real food.

So why did I choose to eat clean rather than paleo? I like dairy and grains. A LOT. I also hate bananas and coconut. So....paleo just isn't for me. Not that a lot of the recipes aren't fantastic, just that I need real pasta....and butter....and cheese. Mmm cheese...PIZZA! Sorry, but paleo and pizza just don't work. Not an honest to goodness pizza, at least. Got on a tangent, sorry, where was I?

Oh yes, well, I do cheat a little. I use sugar. Not a whole lot....we don't have a lot of sweets. When we do, I definitely use real sugar, though. I also am not a fan of brown rice.

I do let them (well, Miss O, at least... Miss Em isn't quite there yet) have a little "junk" when we are at a party or something. I try not to buy it myself, though.



Alright... that's why I do what I do. How about you?

Ash's Menu Plan Monday April 8-14

I need to take it easy on the budget this week...with the girls' birthdays and party coming up. So...lots of chicken, rice, and pasta.

Highlights from the last week coming soon.....

On the Menu this week:

Tuesday - chick stir fry
Wednesday - lasagna
Thursday - sandwich/leftovers - Soccer night
Friday - chicken & broc tetrazini bake
Saturday - pantry meal
Sunday - tacos
Monday - pan fried chicken, sauteed veg, rice or noodles

If there are recipes for the week, I will have them pinned here.

And then I will move them here with a review after I've tried them.

See more MPM at OrgJunkie

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Wordless Wednesday 4/2



Linked up at Two of a Kind...

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Menu Plan Monday Apr 1- 7



...I had this all typed up yesterday, I just haven't taken the pictures of my camera yet so I never posted. I'll just edit later.

There was a mishap....with the potatoes for the tots, sooooo the burgers and tots has been moved to this week :]

Last Week Highlights:

Excuse my poor, beat up slow cooker with some special touches.... it's had a rough life. The rotisserie style chicken...oh my goodness. When it was warm, it was amazing. I made the mistake of letting it cool in the juices, though and it became rather dry and very citrus-y. I still ate it anyway :p mmmm....


On the Menu this week:

Tuesday - April Fools Special
Wednesday - burgers & cheddar tater tots
Thursday - sandwich/leftover night
Friday - Tomato Basil Pasta
Saturday - Chicken Milanese with Arugula Salad
Sunday - Tender-crisp spring braise
Monday - Vegetable-Polenta Lasagna

If there are recipes for the week, I will have them pinned here.

And then I will move them here with a review after I've tried them.

See more MPM at OrgJunkie