Reviews « Craving Chocolate and Lazy Days

I have always wanted thick, long lashes. I have tried everything to get my dream lashes. I have used top of the line mascara and I have used drug store brands. I have had eyelash extensions and I have temporarily glued them on. The only thing I haven’t tried is Latisse…not because I don’t have a prescription for it. In fact I do have the prescription but I didn’t fill it because I was afraid I would spend all that money and not see results.

I was SOOOO excited to try Envyderm. This was a brand new product to be. After reading about it I could hardly wait for my package to come.

Envyderm is an eyelash growth serum. It is a gentle, non-prescription formula that promotes natural eyelash growth to give you longer, fuller, and darker lashes. It is so simple to use. You just wipe it on as if you were putting on liquid eyeliner.

For 2 weeks Envyderm has been a part of my getting ready for bed regimen. It glides right on and doesn’t sting at all. My eyes didn’t see any side effects as a result of using Envyderm. All I saw was good results. Here take a look and see if you see what I do.

Before with makeup After with makeup
Look at how thin my bottom lashes are on the left vs. the right.

Before without makeup After without makeup
Look how much darker my lashes are on the right than the left.
Look at the freckle right under my eye…on the left it barely touches the top…one the right it almost covers it.
My eyelashes are much thicker on the right than the left.

It has been just barely two weeks. I can hardly wait to see what more time brings me. Full results are expected in 6-8 weeks…length can increase up to 72%!!! WOW! My lashes have the potential of being soooo long YEAH BABY!

Finally, I have found something that will thicken, darken, and lengthen my lashes!

Want to give it a try and see results for yourself? Go to Envyderm.com and grab a tube!

BETTER YET! Enter for a chance to win!!!

Envyderm has given me an extra tube to giveaway….that is a $99.95 value!!

Here is what you need to do for a chance to make your lashes long and luscious:

1st Entry—MANDATORY—Sign up to receive my newsletter AND follow me via Google friend connect. (I will check both so no cheating. If a cheater is found, all other entries will be void and all entries will be deleted.)

1 Entry–Leave a related comment on a different post. (one entry per comment…up to 5)

1 Entry–Send an email spreading the word about this giveaway and CC me…crissa17@hotmail.com (1 entry per person emailed)

1 Entry--Like Envyderm on Facebook

1 Entry–Follow Envyderm on twitter

2 Entries–Go to Envyderm and tell me something you learned.

5 Entries–Commit to taking a before and 4 weeks later picture if you win. The photo will be submitted to Envyderm.

That is a lot of chances to win!

You have until September 10th @ noon MST to enter the giveaway. All giveaways are open to USA only. Winners will be chosen by random.org and will be contacted by email after the giveaways close. The winner will then have 24 hours to claim their giveaway by email. If the winner does not claim their prize within a 24 hour period, a new winner will be chosen. All entries received after the cutoff time will be deleted prior to choosing a winner. If the comment left does not follow all the rules, they will not qualify for the giveaway. Opinions expressed in this post are strictly my own. I was not paid for this post. Thank you Envyderm and Family Review Network for providing me with Envyderm to review and giveaway!!

Crissa September 3, 2010 Giveaway, Reviews 54 Comments

Did I tell you that when I got back from Girls Camp Adam had given our main floor a face lift? Isn’t he the great hubby out there!?! Despite not feeling the hottest, he textured the walls, painted, and stained them! They look AWESOME!!! Our house smells brand new and has a totally different feel to the room.

While I was gone, Adam also had a bachelor pad moment. No, not the TV show….although, wasn’t that a crazy season opener? That show is going to be very interesting. Any way, Adam took down all of our large sports paintings. He isn’t quite sure what he is going to do with them, but they are down. This means our walls are bare and we can start getting creative about what we want to put on them.

Inspire Your Walls is a great place to go to spice up your walls. Inspire Your Walls, is an easy way to create a “hand painted” look without having to lift a paintbrush. It is a thin vinyl material that goes on easy. PLUS! It is removable!! Change the look and feel of your room without any damage to paint. They have tons of fonts and over 23 colors.

Inspire Your Walls can create the perfect masterpiece for your wall. This is perfect for home-owners, business-owners, rent tenants, college students and church groups. They can even create something for your car window!! Wall art made easy and personalized!

Vinyl is the latest trend in home wall decor. It is simple & easy to apply, just peel and stick. Only takes a few minutes. Then when you are ready to remove simply heat with a blow dryer and peel off. You get a rich hand painted/stenciled look without the hassle and mess. You can literally put it up in minutes!!!

Here are some of my favorites:

Children’s Decor:

Laundry:

Kitchen:

Anywhere:

And the thing I am DYING to get…A MONOGRAM!

Aren’t their things super cute!? And SUPER affordable! Simply put, they sell products less then the competitors.

Ways you can find out more about Inspire Your Walls:

Blog–www.inspireyourwalls.blogspot.com
Etsy–www.inspireyourwalls.etsy.com
Website–www.inspireyourwalls.com

{All opinions are 100% mine. I was not compensated for this post. By posting about Inspire Your Walls, I am entered in a drawing to win a $50 cash prize or a $25 gift card to Inspire Your Walls. Any bloggers interested in posting about Inspire Your Walls and being entered into the drawing, go HERE for more details.)

Crissa August 18, 2010 Reviews No Comments

What I wouldn’t give to live in the 1950′s. I want to wear my polka dot dress, high heels, red lipstick, adorable apron, and have my hair looking cute while using my Dyson to tidy up just before the husband returns home from a hard day to eat the turkey dinner that I have ready and waiting on our kitchen table. Wouldn’t that be the life?! Everything in the 50′s was calm, happy, and innocent. I guess I was just born in the wrong decade.

One thing that was born in the right decade was Herman T’s BBQ Sauce. Herman T. Jones shared his bbq sauce with anyone who stopped by the house. The sweet and smokey taste was loved by many. Mr. Jones, believed that his bbq was good enough that it should compliment any beef, fish, chicken, or sausage that you put on your plate. Just after Herman passed away, his grandson Brian, a chef, was determined to find the original recipe. He wanted to share the believed recipe with the world. He mass produced his Kansas City grandfather’s sauce in 2002. Now the sauce is sold as a mix and can be made fresh from anywhere in the world.

I received two sauce mixes, one original and one spicy. One pouch of mix makes 3/4 of a gallon sauce in less then 10 minutes. The great part though, make as little or as much as you would like! Always fresh!! OR use it as a rub for meats before you cook! Is your mouth watering yet? It is just that good.

If you go to the Herman T’s blog you can get recipes to make your meat perfection until you get the hang of it. There is everything from enchiladas to grilled salmon with lemon bbq sauce! Yum!

Want to try some out for yourself? Now’s your chance!

Herman T’s is giving away

one bag of original bbq sauce and one bag of spicy bbq sauce
to one lucky winner!

Here is how to enter. Leave a comment for each eligible entry.

First entry–MANDATORY–Subscribe to the Craving Chocolate and Lazy Days feed.
1 entry–Become a follower of Craving Chocolate and Lazy Days
1 entry–Name a side dish that you like to serve at your backyard bbq
5 entries–Make a purchase from Herman T’s

You have until August 22 @ noon MST to enter the giveaway. All giveaways are open to USA only. Winners will be chosen by random.org and will be contacted by email after the giveaways close. The winner will then have 24 hours to claim their giveaway by email. If the winner does not claim their prize within a 24 hour period, a new winner will be chosen. All entries received after the cutoff time will be deleted prior to choosing a winner. If the comment left does not follow all the rules, they will not qualify for the giveaway. Opinions expressed in this post are strictly my own. I was not paid for this post. Thanks Family Review Network and Herman T’s for providing the bbq sauce mix for review and a giveaway.

Crissa August 15, 2010 Giveaway, Reviews 16 Comments

There are some things in life that you are never too old for.

peanut butter and jelly sandwiches minus the crust
Disneyland
running through the sprinklers
making silly faces
coloring
chewing bubble yum

dressing up like a princess!

Costume SuperCenter sent me this super cute Snow White costume to review! It is an officially licensed Disney costume so you know it is great quality and looks wonderful. The skirt is yellow with a shear yellow overlay. The overlay has dots of gold glitter on it. The body is a blue velvet with gold piping accenting the bodice. The sleeves are light blue with pieces of red ribbon top, giving it great dimension. There is also a white collar and detachable red cape.

This costume is oh so cute and would make the perfect Halloween costume. I like that it looks like the Disney character and not a fake knock off. I like that it isn’t “Sexy Snow White.” Which, by the way, when did Halloween equal dressy like a tramp?

The one down fall about this costume is: it doesn’t fit me like it does the model. I hoped that by ordering one size up I would be safe. Unfortunately, I am a chesty Snow White which then makes the bodice of the dress short, pulling the yellow shirt up. That is when I looked in the mirror and realized, “I look like a pregnant Snow White.” The skirt literally started right below my boobs rather than in the middle of waist. BUMMER! I was so excited too! I will just have to find some one just as excited to be Snow White for Halloween as I was.

{All opinions are 100% mine. I was not compensated for this review. Thank you Costume SuperCenter for providing me a costume to review. Thank you Family Review Network for letting me be a member of such a great product reviewing network!}

Crissa August 13, 2010 Random Mumblings, Reviews No Comments

OKAY! THIS IS THE COOLEST THING EVER! Watch this video and be prepared to be amazed!

Is your jaw on the floor? Mine was after watching it for the first time. This is the coolest technology ever introduced to the plunger world!

I was sent the Clean-N-Clean plunger to give a go. I am amazed! This makes plunging the toilet so much more glamorous…after all hasn’t it always been glamorous Seriously, I love this plunger. Ask my mom!! She was in my house for no more than 5 minutes when I had pulled it out to show her. Ok…I am a little dorky but it is great. Here is why:

NeverWet™ technology makes this the cleanest plunger you’ll ever own
Both the handle and rubber head of the Clear-n-Clean plunger are coated with our unique NeverWet™ coating
Stays dry, even when immersed in water
Coated areas are Bacteria Resistant, even after use
Handle is made of non-porous plastic
Dual lip plunger seal on plunger head
Designed to properly fit virtually all toilets, and is especially useful on low water flow toilets
Flexible rubber head for optimum plunging performance

No more nasty plunger! No more waiting for the plunger to drip dry! No more saying, “HEY! Don’t touch that! It is covered in germs!” Aww…can life get any better?

Purchase it: You can purchase this AMAZING plunger from neverwet.com for $19.95 (for a limited time!)

Stay In Touch: Sign up for their newsletter, follow them on Twitter, “like” them on Facebook, or watch more jaw dropping videos on YouTube.

If you could pick one thing in life to be coated with this awesome NeverWet™ coating where things stay dry and bacteria free, what would you choose? The dog? Socks? You name it!

Crissa August 5, 2010 Reviews 2 Comments

A little over a month ago I wrote about three things I would take to a desert island…one of them being mascara. Anyone in agreement? Well my challenge has been finding a great mascara that makes my lashes look thick and long. I have the unstoppable duo of the M ary Kay Ultimate Mascara over top of the Clinique Lash Building Primer but what happens when my Mary Kay order is still on hold?

Have no fear! I have found something pretty comparable. CoverGirl’s LashBlast Fusion mascara is great!! It lengthens and adds volume. I received the very black and love it. There are a few dry backs though…after using it for a month it is starting to get a little clumpy. I have two other LashBlast mascaras (original and Luxe) and all three of them have gotten a little clumpy after a months use. I am pretty sure that it isn’t just me if all three of mine have begun to clump up. Correct me if you have had a different experience.

Another drawback is that it isn’t waterproof. Yes it stays on all day, but if you have watery eyes or are a cry baby (like me) don’t wear this. It doesn’t run down your face but when you wipe your eyes dry it will all come off. Which I guess is also a positive for when you wash your face…no scrubbing is needed!

Watch out if you accidentally poke your eye with this brush….it hurts REALLY bad!

All in all, it doesn’t beat the unstoppable duo but if the unstoppables weren’t available this would do.

Here is a picture of the results:

With and without

I am a BzzAgent and received this product for free in exchange for my honest opinion.

Crissa August 5, 2010 Reviews No Comments

I can’t thank you all enough for being patient while my blog gets a makeover. If I haven’t reiterated enough, I am super excited to be a dot com and to actually be able to get my enter key to move paragraphs down a line.

I know how it is to have to wait for something. Lately I had to wait for a package to arrive in the mail. It didn’t take long, but I am sure everyone know where I am coming from when you want something and can hardly stand for it to arrive. What was in the package you ask? (If you didn’t ask I will just tell you anyway.) It was a piece of bakeware.

You see, CSN Stores was sending me a beautiful Rachael Ray “Bubble & Brown” 9×13″ Stoneware dish in COBALT and a HotSpot Silicone Pot Holder/Trivet. So not only was I super excited to get these little goodies in my hands but for what I was going to make in it. BAKED ZITI!

I know a lady whose 4 grandparents are from Italy. She gave me her family’s REAL ITALIAN baked ziti recipe…PLUS I tried it and knew how delicious it was. I could hardly wait to make it.

After waiting patiently, it showed up! HOORAY! But then, I had to wait for the perfect time to attempt to replicate the most glorious baked ziti ever—the 4th of July. My sister and her family were staying at our house and this was going to be the perfect after church lunch.

Sunday morning I slipped on my Minnie Mouse apron and got to work on the bolognese sauce. This is one that can cook the whole time I am at church. Then you get to walk into a house filled with Italian aromas! HEAVEN!

After church I slipped on my Zebra print apron (you can NEVER have enough apron’s) and got to work on the noodles. Once cooked I put everything together. The Rachael Ray pan is great…if you can remember that it has holes on the sides. I totally spaced it and kept filling it up with bolognese sauce. Turns out this pan can double as a volcano My sauce was flowing out like crazy and I didn’t even notice. Oopsie!

I slipped it into the oven but first burned my arm on the oven coil. I am not a total Betty Crocker failure I swear….I just struggled for some reason. One hour later I pulled it out of the oven and set the stoneware on my new trivet. It came out of the oven and looked absolutely PERFECT and smelled even better! My brother-in-law loved it so much he had FOUR servings! SUCCESS! (Despite accidentally adding in 1 tablespoon of red pepper instead of 1 teaspoon. See! I was struggling!)

Doesn’t it look glorious!? And this is BEFORE I stuck it in the oven!

Since I love love love aprons…some may even say I am addicted (after all I wore a third apron when I made dinner that night) I thought that it would be fun to give one away! :::happy dance time:::

CSN Stores is giving one lucky Craving Chocolate and Lazy Days fan a

Sassy Cook’n Apron of your choice!

Here is how to enter. Leave a comment for each eligible entry…if you get 3 entries leave 3 comments. Your comment MUST include your email address.

1st Entry–MANDATORY–Go to CSN Stores and tell me what apron you would choose.

Extra Entries:

1 Entry–Tell me a time that you tried to make something, made it wrong, but still had success.

1 Entry–Follow Craving Chocolate and Lazy Days via Google Friend Connect

3 Entries--Sign up to receive Craving Chocolate and Lazy Days emails

4 Entries–Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link

1 Entry per person–Email a friend telling them about this giveaway and CC me (crissa17@hotmail.com) For each person you email you get an entry

5 Entries–Make a purchase from CSN Stores

You have until July 15th @ noon MST to enter the giveaway. All giveaways are open to USA only. Winners will be chosen by random.org and will be contacted by email after the giveaways close. The winner will then have 24 hours to claim their giveaway by email. If the winner does not claim their prize within their 24 hour period, a new winner will be chosen. *All entries received after the cutoff time will be deleted prior to choosing a winner. If the comment left does not follow all the rules, they will not qualify for the giveaway. Opinions expressed in this post are strictly my own. I was not paid for this post. Thanks CSN for providing the Rachael Ray Bubble and Brown Stoneware, HotSpot Silicone Trivet, and Sassy Cook’n Apron for this review and giveaway.

Crissa July 8, 2010 Giveaway, Reviews 82 Comments

I love love LOVE to dance. I took dance from the time I was 5 until I was 21. After I stopped taking dance, I began teaching dance. I taught for 5 years before I began judging competitions. I love tap, jazz, hip hop, drill, cheer, EVERYTHING. One thing that was hard for me to fall in love with was ballet. I think I just loved to “get jiggy” and didn’t want to move slowly and gracefully.

It wasn’t until I was older that I really appreciated ballet. I wish I could turn back time and start ballet at a younger age. Knowing what ballet can do for you and your technique I regret not wanting to take it. Same thing with piano.

My niece loves to dance! When she was at my house for the 4th of July she asked me to help her with her pirouettes. It was so much fun to be working with a 6 year old on her dance technique. (Secretively, I really missed teaching.) To help her with her technique I gave her the book Prima Princessa’s Ballet for Beginners. It was perfect for her. Complete with pictures, definitions, and pronunciation guide she will be able to use it throughout the next few years of learning.

At my nieces dance studio they have to learn terms, spelling, and definitions. All of this information can be found right inside. To top it off, the students from the School of American Ballet, the official academy of the New York City Ballet, demonstrate each move. Kids won’t be able to resist putting on their tuts and dancing along with this book.

If I was a teacher again, I would require each beginner ballet dancer to purchase this book. It is currently listed on Amazon.com for $11.53! Not too shabby at all! It would be a wonderful study guide for girls and boys alike. That’s right! It even includes a male dancer section. This is the perfect present for any budding ballerina.

For more information go to www.PrimaPrincessa.com. There you will also see that they are quickly becoming The Complete Ballet Resource. They list 100s of ballet schools and summer camps, a ballet dictionary, listings of where to buy ballet tutus, free ballet coloring pages, and much much more!

{Opinions expressed are my own. I was not paid for this post. Thank you Prima Princessa for providing the book for this review}

Crissa July 7, 2010 Reviews 2 Comments

A few nights ago I went to a cooking class with a real Italian. She gave me the special recipe to her family gravy (bologenese sauce…aka meat sauce) and baked ziti. I even tasted it and it is to die for yummy!

Coming up soon, CSN Stores is going to help me attempt to recreate this Italian dinner goodness (as well as giveaway a little something!). CSN Stores has 200+ online stores. You can find anything from track lighting to strollers and from shoes to home theater seating. You name it you can find it at CSNstores.com. Don’t believe me? Check it out for yourself.

I have also been chosen to be a preferred blogger for CSN Stores. While you are over there shopping if you see something you would like me to review or giveaway, share it with me and I will see what I can do!

Crissa June 17, 2010 Reviews No Comments

I have naturally wavy hair. There isn’t tons of wave in it but enough to wear it wavy and enough to make my straight hair fuzzy. After blowing my hair dry I HAVE to flat iron it or I have a head of fluff. Even after straightening it most of the time I have to use product to keep the fly-aways tame. Aww…the joys of wavy hair.

As a BZZ Agent I was sent the got2b Smooth Operator Lustre Lotion to try out. It is a smoothing lotion meant to shape, smooth, control flay-aways, and give your hair weightless lustre. Plus, it protects against damage from heat styling and contains a UV protectant to fight off sun damage.

When I tried out the Lustre Lotion, I put a little on my damp hair and then gave it a good blow dry. Although my hair wasn’t as smooth as it could be there was a noticeable difference between my hair then and when I don’t use product before blowing my hair dry. Next, I flat ironed my hair and used a little more product. When I say little I mean little…for fear of my hair being greasy (like how it is with other products.) The second application finished off any fly-aways that were left and gave my hair a silky smooth finish.

The product has a great smell to it! When you apply it to your hair, it doesn’t leave it smelling like the product. This could be a good thing or bad thing for some people. Me personally, I liked the smell and wished my hair would have smelled like it.

At the end of the day my hair was still silky smooth and not greasy. With other products I notice that if I accidentally use one drop too much my hair would be super greasy at the end of the night or even mid-day! got2b’s Smooth Operator Lustre Lotion isn’t that way at all. VERY NICE!

I gave a sample of this to my friend, Meghan, and she liked it too! Nice and smooth hair, but no scent left behind.

So here are the product facts:

–This is a recently reformulated product and now includes a cashmere infusion
–Protects against heat and sun damage
–Comes in a 6.8 oz dispenser with a newly improved pump and a unique charm. The charm has three charms in one…a heart with lock and key (you hold the key to unlock your inner goddess), a glittering heart (express yourself and let your heart shine), and a “Charm Me” shield (symbolizes strength and the power of self-expression to create beauty.)
–Can be used on wet or dry hair
–Smells wonderful!!
–Can be found at grocery and drug stores
–SRP $5.99

If you have a CVS store near you (if you don’t know go HERE), here is a great BOGO coupon you can use for this product. It is always fun to try out new things! Especially when you can get a great deal on them! (Click the coupon to make it bigger so it prints out just right!)

If you do not have a CVS store near by and would still like a coupon, I have a $2.50 off coupon I can send you. Just leave a comment! (Only four coupons are available.)

{I am a BZZ Agent. I was not paid for this review. All opinions are my own.}

Crissa June 15, 2010 Reviews No Comments

Envyderm has given me an extra tube to giveaway….that is a $99.95 value!!

Herman T’s is giving away

one bag of original bbq sauce and one bag of spicy bbq sauce to one lucky winner!

CSN Stores is giving one lucky Craving Chocolate and Lazy Days fan a

Sassy Cook’n Apron of your choice!

one bag of original bbq sauce and one bag of spicy bbq sauce
to one lucky winner!