We were lucky enough to score some Palmolive Soft Touch Dish Soap from Influenster.
They asked us to create our own campaign for the product and here’s ours:
**Products were given to Star Focal from Influenster to review**
Get Ready, Get Set, Get Blast Zone!
June 8, 2013 By
3 Comments
Having two toddlers can sometimes be very tiring. Anyone with a toddler would know how hard it is to keep them occupied for longer than five minutes without the typical “Mommy, Mommy!” and a tug on your shirt or pants. Luckily for us, it is summer and with summer comes all of the fun outdoor activities our children love. Of course we can rent some of these activities for parties or special occasions, or thanks to companies like Blast Zone we can now buy these great toys for great prices and use them all summer!
We received the Sidekick Castle Bounce House to review for you guys and could not be happier with this product! At first I was worried that it would be a major hassle to put up and take down. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it only took about 10 minutes (if not less) to unfold, stake down, and hook everything up. I was even more surprised to find that it blew up within a matter of a minute!
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| Somewhat patiently waiting for the new toy! |
It was so easy, that I could put it up by myself! Taking it down was a little more tedious just because you have to push all of the air out before you can fold it up and put it in the bag. Even so, it still took less than 15 minutes to put it away and it still fits in the bag! While the bag may not be tiny, I still was amazed that the whole thing fit!
I was a little worried about my girls playing in this with bigger kids, but because of the design I feel more comfortable than ever! Normally my girls are afraid of being in small spaces with lots of kids, but because of the open design they were not afraid of being inside with others. I also noticed that since the material is a little different than a commercial bouncer that while it is bouncy, it does not transmit the bounce as much. Which I LOVE because you can have a big kid jump next to a toddler without knocking them over!
Both of my girls, as well as all of their friends love this bounce house! They will play with it until it’s dark outside and then will beg to play longer. All of the kids run back and forth between the ball pit, the slide, and of course jumping around. It has given them hours of entertainment and we are so happy to have it.
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| Having a blast in the ball pit! |
We have a big family and always have tons of kids to play with. So I love that this is so simple to take out for whenever we need it. My youngest daughter (pictured above) just had her birthday, and it was so nice to be able to just set the bouncer up and let them play instead of dealing with a rental company and random people at my house. We have already saved so much money having this bounce house, and I’m sure it will continue to save us money!
We have only had one problem with this bouncer, when we go to take it down there is this really loud noise we can’t seen to get rid of. But it’s okay, the noise just comes from the kids being so upset that they can no longer play in the bounce house. Which eventually goes away until the next time we set it up.
I highly recommend this bouncer to anyone that has kids, or even anyone that has family with kids that stay at their house. It is so simple, and affordable that it’s perfect for everyone! You can find this and other great bounce houses on the Blast Zone website here.
Let us know which bounce house you would love from Blast Zone in the comments below!
Here are some more pictures of this wonderful toy! 
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| Ball pit |
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| Almost set up |
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| About to go in for the first time! |
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| Night-time play |
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| Slide! |
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| View from the porch |
**Disclaimer** I was in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it
here
.
Diet To Go Review
June 1, 2013 By
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This week we were lucky enough to try out an awesome program from Diet To Go! We are trying out 5 days of their menu plan, and sharing our results and findings with you guys!
So as I go through this next 5 days I will be coming back to let you know about the meals I received and giving you some pictures of the meals so that you can decide for yourself if it’s something that you would like to do to improve your lifestyle, which so far I think it is definitely something worth looking into!
Here is what I ate on day one:
For Breakfast: Omelet with veggies, and a Sausage Patty
For Lunch: Chicken Strips and Guacamole, with Broccoli and Brussel Sprouts
For Dinner: Beef Rib Roast in a Red Wine Sauce, with Broccoli
I was truly scared to try out any type of frozen diet food, to me any diet food or frozen food seems to lack something. Whether it be freshness of flavor I just am never satisfied with the product. So far these meals have been wonderful. Sure with every program there will be something that you don’t like but this one is my favorite so far! For day 1 my favorite meal was a toss up between the Omelet and the Chicken Strips. I loved the variety of the veggies on both, and I loved the flavors! The sausage patty with the omelet was a little salty but nothing I couldn’t handle, but the omelet was one of the best I have had! I was a little worried about the guacamole that came with the chicken strips but it was perfect as well! The Beef Rib Roast would have been on top of the list if it didn’t have so much fat in the meat, but still tasted amazing! Overall day 1 made me really exited for the next 4 days of meals!
Here are some pictures of what I was lucky enough to try from Diet To Go:
Overall I really enjoyed the meals from Diet To Go. There were a couple things that got me to stray away from the diet (like spinach being included with almost every meal) but the meals had great flavor and always kept me coming back. I think my favorites were the breakfast meals, and the Chicken Strips and Guacamole meal.
On the Diet To Go website they say that with the Low Carb Diet (what I received) you could lose 2-5 lbs a week. During the week that I started Diet To Go I lost 3 lbs. Which I’m sure to some of you does not seem like a lot, you can loose this weight continuously with this program and at the rate I lost weight after a month I would have lost at least 12 lbs. And It’s not just about the weight, it’s about feeling health. Eating healthy meals will help you lose weight, but they will also help you feel great. Which promotes other healthy choices!
For more information about Diet To Go, or to place an order and get your diet started, visit their website here. Make sure to let them know that Star Focal sent you!
**Disclaimer** I was in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it
here
.
Abbie’s Birthday Bash Bounce House Giveaway! *Closed*
May 29, 2013 By
119 Comments
It’s finally here! Your chance at winning an AMAZING bounce house from Blast Zone and Star Focal!
This Sidekick Castle Bounce house can hold up to 6 kids at a time! It comes with the bounce house, the blower, instructions, tote bag and even a repair kit! Your kids will have a blast playing in this thing for hours! Stay tuned for a review of this bounce house on Star Focal
Giveaway: One person will win a Sidekick castle by Blast Zone. Open to US only.
Giveaway Dates: May 29th- June 29th, 2013
Make sure to come back daily for the daily entries! Good luck guys!
**Bloggers sharing this giveaway are in no way responsible for shipment, or for any problems you may have with the entry form. For any problems contact Amberlee at love@www.dreampilot.net **
Get Fit and Get 20% off!!
May 23, 2013 By
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Star Focal has recently partnered with Ellie, a company that sells some really cute workout gear, to get you 20% off any order on their site.
So how do you get 20% off? Just click the picture about or click here, and start shopping!
Comment below and tell us your favorite outfit! Also, be on the lookout for a review of their wonderful workout gear! If their clothing is even close to the wonderful things we keep hearing I’m sure it will be great!
Happy Shopping!
A Pokémon Lovers Dream!
May 22, 2013 By
1 Comment
Tomy is giving away 76 Pokémon prizes on their Facebook page here.
Heres how:
Enter your information here
and “like” the TOMY Facebook Fan Page, and you will be automatically entered into the contest.
One grand-prize winner will receive 14 products from the Spring 2013 TOMY Pokémon product line worth approximately $200!
The first-place prize is a Pokémon Center Play ‘n’ Store Case and twenty (20) 2-inch Pokémon figures to fill the case worth approximately $90.
The second-place prize is a Pokédex Trainer Kit with a suggested retail price of $19.99.
Be sure to let us know if you win!
*Star Focal did not receive any compensation for sharing this giveaway with you.
Take your writing to a whole new level! BIC Review
May 12, 2013 By
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Now that I am back in school having a great pen to write with is even more important! Thanks to BIC and Shoplet.com I now have many great options to choose from, and of course review for you! I tend to become obsessed with a good pen, and will have multiple backups of my favorites in case I lose one or in case one runs out of ink. Luckily the pens I am going to share with you are very inexpensive so you can have your cake and eat it too. Or well, you can have your pen and write with it too.
First up is the BIC Atlantis Ballpoint Retractable Pen. I used to buy these pens all the time! Not only are they great pens, but they also come in many different colors! I’m sure by now you have noticed my obsession with colors. These pens feature BIC’s Easy-Glide System that is up to 35% more smooth than traditional BIC pens. I received samples of their blue pens, and they are just as great as when I originally started buying them! The Atlantis pens are great to have around when you need a pen that won’t let you down.
Since I am such a pen fanatic I am always looking for a pen that is not only functional, but that is girly. The BIC for Her line really takes the whole “girly” concept to a whole new level! These pens are not only very sleek, but they have some really pretty designs on them. They come in pink and purple but feature black ink. So for those of us that are not really supposed to write with colored ink, we can still have our fun! While they may not have as smooth of writing as the Atlantis pens, they are still very smooth and are super easy to write with!
I seem to have a hard time finding good permanent markers whether I am looking for one at home, or whether I am searching for new ones in a store. Sure you can buy the expensive brands that you know will work, but if you are like me you need something inexpensive that you won’t be upset about if you lose. BIC’s Mark-it Grip Permanent Markers not only are they great, and inexpensive, but they also have a grip on them! Not only that but they are non-toxic! I love having these markers around, you can use them for just about anything!
My favorite pen of the bunch may not be the prettiest in the bunch, but is really quite amazing! The BIC Velocity Roller Ball Retractable Pen really lives up to its name! The Velocity pen features Permanent acid-free, fade-resistant gel ink
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They provide skip-free smooth writing that is vibrant and easy to see, which is what I love most about these pens! Some pens either are light to begin with, fade over time, or fade from smudges, but you don’t have to worry about either with this pen! Being in a medical class I have to take a lot of notes very quickly about things I still am not quite sure I understand so nothing is worse than going back over my notes and not being able to see what I had written. With the Velocity pen I can rest easy knowing that I can go over my notes at any time and they will still be there! I think that everyone should have at least one of these pens at all times! I know that I have 3 of them in my backpack right now!
Last but most certainly not least is the BIC Wite-out EZ Correct Correction tape. We all make mistakes, and when you are obsessed with pens it is even easier to make them. Luckily for us BIC also makes correction tape so that we can start over. I love that this tape is super easy to use, and you don’t have to wait for it to dry like most correction pens. Also unlike most correction tape it doesn’t break as easily. Every time I go to use other brand versions of correction tape the applicator breaks before I can even use it. I was very happy that I could actually use this one!
If you are looking for dependable products for your office needs make sure to check out BIC at Shoplet.com. They have tons of different products and you are sure to find ones that are right for you. They also have some really great prices!
**Disclaimer** I was in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it
here
.
Instead Soft Cup Review
May 10, 2013 By
1 Comment
Why hello there!
I know that I have been MIA lately, and I apologize. Between school, my little princesses (when they want to be), and everything else life has been throwing at me I took out the one thing I had control over. Well school is coming to an end, and with the current weather I have been going stir crazy and need to give myself something to do again. This time I plan on taking things a little slower and making sure that I get you the best reviews possible and have enough time to complete each one. With that being said I will start off with a review of a product that I bought myself and fell in love with!
Now before you start reading I am going to warn you that this post is mainly for our female viewers, and is not for the faint of heart. This post is about a product that women can use when their Aunt Flow comes to visit, so I’m sure you get the idea.
Since having my babies I have been looking for a better way to take care of my monthly visitor, I have tried different brands of tampons with no luck. My flow is very irregular and I have a major problem finding products that will last longer than an hour during the first few days of my period. A couple months ago while in school I had a HUGE leak, something that has not happened to me since high school. I was mortified and became determined to find something to fix my problems and give me piece of mind when I am out and about.
The product I found will not only save you time, but will save you money as well. This magical product that I keep going on and on about is called a Soft Cup. Soft Cup is a small flexible cup that fits around your cervix. Unlike tampons that absorb and can cause TSS, the Soft Cup collects your menstrual flow. When I first heard of this product my first thoughts were not all that pretty, but after my recent “accident” I decided enough was enough and that I should just give it a shot.
Soft cup is not only more eco-friendly than traditional tampons or pads, but like I mentioned earlier using it does not lead to things like Toxic Shock Syndrome because it does not have the germ harboring fibers that other products contain. Also they are more comfortable than a tampon because they do not make you feel dry on light days, and hold more on your heavy days (up to 12 hours of wear) and they have both disposable and reusable versions. Here’s the kicker, you can also wear Soft Cup during sex! What other product lets you do that?
Okay, so now that you have heard some of the good stuff about what this product is capable of, does it really work? Yes! While mine typically do not last a full 12 hours (my periods are extremely heavy for the first few days), it does last significantly longer than a tampon. The way Soft Cup explains how long it will last for an individual is that it will typically last twice as long as a tampon if not longer. Mine will last about 3-4 hours on a bad day and up to 10 on a good day. Even if I do not get 12 hours out of each one I am still saving money and saving the land fill.
Soft Cup is very easy to use, and can be a little messy the first few times you use it, but once you get the hang of it they truly are little life savers. You can find out more about how to use Soft Cup here. Since using Soft Cup I have noticed significantly less cramps, and an overall feeling of security that I won’t leak everywhere I go, and it doesn’t take up very much room in my purse.
So you want to try before you buy? Well Soft Cup is a wonderful company and knows that you will love their products so they offer a sample pack of two Soft Cups and great information about their product for only $2.50 shipped! You can get this great offer on their website here.
I love this product and if it’s something you are willing to try I’m sure it is something you will love as well! Make sure to stay tuned for plenty more reviews! Thank you for staying with us!
**Disclaimer** I was in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it
here
.
Lily Bug Pretend Makeup Review and Giveaway
January 14, 2013 By
2 Comments
I cannot tell you how many times I have been trying to put on my makeup only to realize that my daughter took off with some of it and is in the other room applying it to her own face. While this is extremely cute it is also extremely messy. I have been on the lookout for makeup kits for my toddler that are both safe for her, and mess free. On this search I found Lily Bug Pretend Makeup, and just in time for Valentines Day!
I received their 6 piece Necessities set to review, or well my girls got to review this one!
I could tell immediately that my girls were going to love their pretend makeup! When I first saw them I thought they were like a shadow that just didn’t leave any marks, but as I looked closer I realized that it was actually similar to a fabric. I love that it looks just like my makeup but doesn’t make a mess. Most makeup sets still contain some dyes that may not leave marks on skin, but are hard to clean off of the carpet. Or they may be a light color, but are in powder form and can get everywhere! So I was very happy that I won’t be dealing with either of these problems with this set.
My girls really loved playing with this set. Now I have something to give them while I do my own makeup and I wont have to worry about them making a mess with my makeup or their own. It keeps them occupied and keeps mommy happy. Another thing that is great about Lily Bug makeup is that it is 100% Non-Toxic and Lead Free.
Make sure to check out all the wonderful products Lily Bug Pretend Makeup has to offer!
Want to win a set for your princess? Make sure to enter our giveaway below!
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**Disclaimer** I was in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here .
Vinyl Disorder Review
December 31, 2012 By
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I love seeing those little family stickers that I swear just about everyone has on their car but me. It’s really cool seeing the different personalities shine through. Of course when you finally find a place that sells them they are either way overpriced, or they don’t have something that fits your personality. That is why I love this next company.
Vinyl Disorder has tons of family kits for everyone at really great prices! They also have tons of other decals to choose from as well as plenty of wall decals!
This is the Family Kit that I received. I love that it is not your traditional family set, but is still cute. They have tons of designs so you can pick out what fits your personality best.
Their graphics are super easy to apply too:
1. PreparationTo make sure the layers all adhere correctly, lay the decal on a flat surface and rub it down with a hard squeegee or credit card. Your decal is made of 3 layers: (1) the top layer or transfer tape (2) the vinyl sticker middle layer (3) the bottom layer or the wax paper.
2. Position Your LettersClean and dry the desired areas. Stickers will stick best to clean smooth surfaces. Position your decal on your object, centering the letters, and securing it with masking tape or painters tape. Apple the tape to the middle section and to the top of each corner. The tape will act as a hinge for the project.
3. Remove the backingRemove the paper backing slowly at 45 degrees making sure the sticker stays adhered to the top layer transfer tape. If it wants to stick to the paper backing, slowly manipulate the backing or use your squeegee again on the image to help the vinyl stick to the top layer.
4. Apply to SurfaceUse a hard edged object like a Squeegee or credit card to make sure the entire sticker is fully adhered to the surface. Work from the center out on both sides until you have gone over the entire surface. If your surface has a heavy texture, use your finger tips to really get the material in the grooves.
5. Peel Off Transfer TapeSlowly remove the transfer tape again at a 45 degree angle. Making sure no part of the sticker remains on the transfer tape. if it does take your squeegee and rub that part back down. Keep your hand close to where the transfer tape is coming off the surface to keep appropriate tension.
These decals make it really easy to apply yourself, and are great for just about any surface. I would highly recommend Vinyl Disorder for all your decal needs! They have great prices, and a great selection! Make sure to check out there website here for their latest decals!
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.