fun Archives - Starfocal

Unique Costumes from 80s Tees

October 5, 2013 By Amberlee 3 Comments

Halloween is quickly approaching and now is the time to start thinking about what you are going to wear this Halloween. For kids it is okay if their friends are wearing the same costume, but for adults seeing someone that has the same costume can ruin your night. Especially if you thought that your costume was unique. We got a great costume from 80s Tees to review for you!

80s Tees has a selection of costumes that are unique to them! So if you are looking for Unique Costumes you may want to check them out! We got their Bubble Wrap Zoltan Costume to review! As soon as I saw it I knew that it would be something that the hubby would love to wear this year!

Unique Costumes

If you have seen the movie “Dude, Where’s My Car?” you will know what this costume is. If not, this costume is from the cult in the movie made up of a bunch of nerds wanting to go to space and meet a bunch of Aliens. If you have never seen the movie I highly recommend you do. It used to be one of my favorites! Anyway, all of the members of the group of nerds is let by Zoltan and they all wear this bubble wrap suit. Of course Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott end up wearing these suits and run around popping everyone’s bubbles. I always wondered if anyone sold those suits just for fun, so when I saw this we had to have it!

The picture above made me believe that it came with the black jumpsuit for underneath but when the package arrived there was only the bubble wrap costume. I was a little disappointed, but nothing a black shirt and some black shorts can’t fix. When we got the costume we could only find a grey shirt so we went with it anyway.

Of course hubby went nuts and ran around the house acting like he was Zoltan, but it was still fun. The costume itself is literally bubble wrap with extras added on for comfort and I would imagine to make it more authentic, but if you want something that won’t pop this is not for you. My only problem with this costume is that I wish it was reinforces somehow as he popped it several times just getting in and out of it. It will definitely be a hit on Halloween though and I know I personally have never seen anything like it.

You can find this and other great unique costumes on their website here.

**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.

Filed Under: adult, fun, Halloween

Orly Smart Gels: Beauty Stop Online Review

August 12, 2013 By Amberlee 8 Comments

Hello, my name is Amberlee and I am a gel nails addict. Luckily for you guys I have been missing my gel addicts anonymous meetings so that I can bring you a new gel review!

I was send some wonderful Orly Gel Nail products from Beauty Stop Online. First let me talk about Beauty Stop Online. They offer TONS of both professional and personal care products at amazing prices. It is really hard to choose even one thing from their site and you end up wanting more! They have everything from hair products and hair tools, to nail products, makeup, and salon equipment. They truly are your one stop shop for all of your beauty needs!

After a long search of their website I decided to pick some products from their Orly Gel Polish selection, and here is what I got.

I received the Orly gel remover, the gel cleanser, cuticle oil, base and top coat, and 3 different colors. First off I love how big the bottles of the cleanser and the remover are. Each come with 4oz of product while most other companies have 2oz or less. I like to use a lot of the cleanser so this is perfect for me! This is the fun part about Beauty Stop Online! If you were to purchase either bottle anywhere else you would pay $9.99 a bottle, but from BSO you pay $4.99! Which I think is a great deal!

Like I said, I use a lot of the cleanser and I don’t notice too much of a difference from other cleansers (they mostly consist of alcohol), but I fell in love with the remover. Most of the time I use acetone to remove my gel nails, but that can be really harsh on your nails and of course your cuticles! So I love that this remover is designed to specifically remove Orly Gel Nails, does not take as much time as acetone and is definitely a lot more friendly to your nails.

The received the colors Rage, It’s Up To Blue, and Star Spangled. All of these are colors that I would not normally choose, but after seeing the swatches on their website I HAD to have them! They are all very shimmery and very unique. I can honestly say that I have never seen similar colors in any other gel polish lines. From what I understand after doing some research every Orly Smart Gels Polish is made to resemble a regular Orly counterpart. So if you have a favorite Orly Polish that you can’t live without, now you can have long lasting results with the Smart Gel version!

One thing that I was super excited about trying was the Smart Gels Cuticle Oil. My cuticles have always been a disaster area and it has only been lately that I have been on a mission to keep my nails up to par with all the other bloggers. To be honest I was a little afraid that the oil in other cuticle oils might hurt the coloring or even the seal of my gels so I just decided to not go there. When I say that Orly makes a cuticle oil just for gels to say I was excited just doesn’t cut it. I was a little worried about it being in such a small bottle, but it spreads really far and as you can see from the picture above I have barely made a dent in it. I love the way it smells and I love even more the way it soothes and protects my cuticles!

I normally don’t like to wear red unless it is during the holidays. There has been very few reds that I have actually enjoyed wearing. After seeing Orly’s Star Spangled I was in love! I don’t think I have ever gotten more comments on a solid color manicure in years! Here is what I am talking about:

Indoors

In the light

In the light at a different angle

These pictures don’t really do this color justice! I tried to take different angled pictures to show you how much this polish sparkled in the light, but the angles that sparkled the most would show up as a solid color on camera. This is by far the most beautiful red I have ever worn and I will definitely be showing off this color again very soon!

Next is another color that I do not normally wear but was enchanted by. It’s Up To Blue is described as a light blue, which to a certain extent is true but to me it is more of a bright blue than a light blue. Maybe you guys have a different opinion? Let me know what you think:

I had a little more luck with this color as far as showing how much it shimmers. Although I still must say that these photos do not do the color justice. The one problem I did notice about them is that they are a little opaque. In order to get full coverage with this colors I had to use three coats. The result is well worth it though! I am very impressed!

I was also impressed by the price. Each bottle of Orly Smart Gel Polish retails for $15.99 but the Base and Top Coat is $8.99 on BSO and the colors are $7.99. If I would have purchased these products elsewhere I would have paid $93.93 +tax. These products on Beauty Stop Online cost $47.93 +tax for a total savings of $46.

If you are looking for great products at even better prices you should check out Beauty Stop Online’s website here.

**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 .

Filed Under: beauty, fun, nail art, nails, women

Give Your Cat Soft Claws!

July 12, 2013 By Amberlee 3 Comments

When we first got our kitten one of the first questions that we pondered was whether or not to get him declawed. Until recently I never truly knew what that meant. After doing some research about declawing I knew that there was no way I was going to put him through that.

Did you know that when a cat is declawed not only do they remove the nail, but because the nail is adhered to the bone they must remove the first joint attached to every nail. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t be very happy if I was missing my knuckle on my fingers either. Just the thought makes me cringe! Declawing in some countries is illegal because they believe that it is inhumane!

So what are we to do if we have a cat, and don’t want our kids or our furniture scratched? Luckily for us there is a safe alternative to declawing that not only makes your cats paws soft, but can make they have a little colored flare!

Soft Claws are little vinyl caps invented by a veterinarian that fit over your cat’s nails so that they cannot scratch you, your kids, or even your furniture! Of course the colors they offer are a major plus (and absolutely adorable!), but what they do is even more amazing. They are easy to put on too! All you do is cut the cap if needed to fit your cats nails, add the included glue, and press onto your cats nails. I did this while he was sleeping and he was perfectly happy! I received clear in the kitten size, and blue in the small size for when he gets bigger. Here is a picture of his paw with Soft Claws!

In my opinion the clear ones look like little LED bulbs. Since I put the Soft Claws on while our kitty was sleeping he didn’t really notice them. On their website they say that each set should last approximately 4-6 weeks, but they also state that it takes a while for some cats to get used to having them on and will pull them off at first. Carbon didn’t really start to pull them off until we went on a 2 day vacation without him, and when we came back he had pulled off 3 of them. Soft Claws says on their website that typically the second box of Soft Claws will last longer than the first as your cat will have gotten acclimated to the Soft Claws.

So what will your cat think of Soft Claws? Soft Claw are painless to your kitty, and are non-toxic! They can also extend and retract their nails like normal. Also when cats shed their nails the caps will just come off, so no extra work on your part to get them off, or worry about their normal shedding. Think of it this way, at least I do, they are very similar to fake nails which for most of us girls do not hurt but they take a little while to get used to. So yes, at first your cat may not be happy or understand why he has caps on his nails but will learn to love them!

I highly recommend Soft Claws to anyone that has cats or kittens, especially with kids around. They make your cats paws soft and gentle and it is amazing! My husband and I have decided that this is one of the few products that will be purchasing for the remainder of the cats life. They are an absolute must in my family!

You can find Soft Claws on their website here. Check them out! You won’t regret it!

**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 .

Filed Under: cute, fun, home, Kitty

Abbie’s Birthday Bash Bounce House Giveaway! Closed

May 29, 2013 By Amberlee 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!

Entry -Form

**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 **

Filed Under: cute, favorite, fun, Giveaway, home, princess, toddler, toys

Nickelodeon Holiday Gift Guide Review!

December 24, 2012 By Amberlee 1 Comment

Looking for the coolest gifts for your kids this year? Make sure to check out all the great things Nickelodeon has to offer! From toddler beds to coloring books they have you covered! With great quality, and great designs both you and your young one will be happy!

With our youngest finally ready to make the switch we could not be more excited about the Dora Toddler Bed!

Normally I am not a HUGE fan of Dora products mainly because of the colors, but I was really impressed with the toddler bed I received. Another thing that I was impressed with was how simple it was to put together. In about 30 minutes the bed was ready for my toddler to jump in and go to sleep. I know a lot of us want our toddlers to have the nice wooden beds, but with the price and how plain they are I’m not sure its worth it. With these beds not only do they last a long time, but they are inexpensive and have your childs favorite characters on them. Our oldest daughter has had this same bed with a different character on it for over a year and it is still standing strong, so you really get your monies worth with these beds.

Another thing my girls were excited about was the Spongebob Squarepants Giant Coloring Pages coloring book.

My girls love to color! One breaks the crayons while the other one eats them, which is pretty awesome but a big mess. I love the Giant Coloring Pages because they can both color the same page without getting upset about having to share. There is plenty of room for them both to color! It also has a code on the package that lets you create coloring pages from your favorite photos. I think it would be awesome to let the girls color our favorite family photo.

Lately my 2 year old has been absolutely obsessed with my makeup so I have been searching for a good makeup kit for her. Nickelodeon offers a great makeup set called the Winx Club Glam Makeup Case.

I love how solid the case is! It was definitely not something I expected! I also love that it comes with makeup applicators. My little one is always trying to take my makeup brushes to use with her pretend makeup. Another thing that is great about this case is that you can place all your little ones other makeup products underneath the slide out palettes. This will be keeping my daughter entertained for hours! This is something that you won’t regret buying that’s for sure!

One of my daughters obsessions other than just makeup is lip balm. I was very happy when I saw this next set.

Not only does this set come with 4 different lip balms with Dora on them, but it also comes with a little tin to hold them in. My daughter is obsessed with purses and things so she is super excited about the tin. I’m glad that this set comes with actual lip balm too! We got a makeup set not too long ago that came with lip jelly. I’m still not quite sure what lip jelly is, or how to get it out of my carpet so this set makes me really happy! It also comes with different flavors so your little one can choose their favorite!

Mommy is obsessed with having her nails painted, so of course the girls want to paint theirs too. Since they can’t use mommies nail polish this next set is perfect!

This is the Kiss It Paint It set. It comes with two bottles of nail polish and two tubes of lip gloss and something to carry them with. I love that the colors are not too bright so my girls can paint their own nails, and if they mess up its not a big deal. It is also really thick so that if the bottle tips it wont spill everywhere. Another great thing about these last two makeup sets is that they are very inexpensive. You don’t have to spend a fortune to make you princess happy.

You can find these and other great Nickelodeon toys at a store near you! Or you can find Nickelodeon on their Facebook, Twitter, or on their website here.

Happy Holidays!

**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 .

Filed Under: cute, fun, gift guide, kids, toddler, toys

SensatioNail Review, Tips and Nail Art

December 23, 2012 By Amberlee 6 Comments

If you have been following this blog for a while you know that nail polish is not my nails best friend. I have a very hard time finding nail polish that will actually stay on my nails without magic. I recently found that magic in SensatioNail’s Invincible Gel Polish. I was able to get a couple really great colors, and even their starter kit to review for you guys.

Let’s start with SensatioNail’s Starter Kit. The Starter Kit comes with a Pro 3060 LED Lamp, Gel Cleanser, Gel Primer, Gel Base and Top Coat, Nail Buffer, Manicure Stick, Lint-Free Wipes, and either Scarlett Red or Raspberry Wine Gel Polish. It comes with enough supplies to complete at least 10 manicures, and each manicure lasts up to 2 weeks! In order to use any gel polish you need the LED Lamp so I was glad I was able to receive this set. My set came with Raspberry Wine Gel Polish which is a really pretty shimmery red. I’m normally not a big fan of red, but with this color and with it being the holidays I have really enjoyed having it.

The LED Lamp is very small. While I do love that it is small, I do think that it is a little too small. Because of the angle of my thumb when placed with my other fingers I have to cure my thumbnail separately from my other nails because sometimes it doesn’t completely cure. I also wish that the lamp was battery operated so that I could carry it around with me and not be tethered to a wall. Others that have a specific place to do their nails, or even a desk I’m sure would benefit from this and if you don’t like the expense of batteries this would also be good for you. Other than that the lamp works great! Regular UV lamps take double the amount of time to cure, so I love how fast this system works. It cures quickly and is not bulky so it’s easy to store. So if you’re like me and don’t have much room for nail products it’s size is a real life saver.

The Gel Cleanser and Gel Primer are great and I think one of the main reasons that this kit works so well for me. They help make sure that your nails are clean and that the polish will stick to your nails. They really help keep this kit simple and easy to use.

While they may not have many colors the colors they do have are wonderful! I am surprised every time I use them! They are extremely vibrant and shiny. The shine lasts the whole time, and doesn’t seem to wear off like other polish. It helps me want to keep my nail polish on for as long as possible so I don’t waste the shine.

After using this kit along with other SensatioNail polish, I have come across a couple tips that I think you should know about.

Make sure to follow the directions carefully. If you miss a step it could either ruin your manicure or it could last a lot less time.
Make sure to avoid your skin. If you you get the polish on your skin it could make your polish peel off. If you accidentally get polish on your skin make sure to wipe it off with a clean cloth or acetone before curing that layer of polish.
Always cap your nails. I personally only cap them twice (once with the first layer of color, and once with the top coat) because I don’t want the ends to be too thick.
If you are having trouble keeping the polish on your nails try soaking your nails in a mixture of vinegar and water for 5-10 minutes to help dry out your nails. This will help the polish stick to your nails so your manicure can last longer. Make sure to put lotion on after you are finished with your manicure so that your hands do not dry out in the process.
Is your manicure still in tact at the two week mark and you love the color, but you hate that your natural nail is starting to show? You can fill your manicure by buffing both your natural nail and your SensatioNail manicure and painting your natural nail with the color you already used, and putting a new clear coat on. That way you don’t have to waste your favorite color!
Oops! Did one of your nails break? Not a problem! You can fix a crack in your nails by creating your SensatioNail manicure over your broken nail. I had this problem and prolonged the life of my broken nail for over a week before I had to say goodbye.

I was able to create many different manicures with a small amount of colors. One of the perks of using gel nail polish is that you do everything layer by layer, and it won’t dry until you cure it. So if you mess up on your design and you want to start over just wipe it off and start again. You can see some of the manicures I have created so far with SensatioNail below!

Colors used: Gold Glitter and Color set (midnight Rendezvous for the base and Gold Glitter) , and Raspberry Wine.

Colors used: Gold Glitter and Color set (Gold Glitter for the base and Midnight Rendevzous for the bow outline) , and Raspberry Wine

Color used: Magnetic Tantalize

Colors used: Rasperry wine for the base and Glitter and Color Duo (Midnight Rendezvous and Gold Glitter)

Day 5 and still beautiful! Colors used: Glitter and Color Duo ( Midnight Rondezvous for the base and Gold Glitter)

The more manicures I did the better they turned out, and the longer they stayed on. If you are one that has a hard time keeping your nail polish clean you may not get perfect results on the first try. Not all manicures will last 2 weeks, but even so they will last longer than traditional polish and will look much better and will keep your nails strong! I am very happy with this polish and have already added to my collection. Stay Tuned to see more manicures created with SensatioNail!

I wasn’t able to snag a giveaway for this product, but make sure to like their Facebook page here to find lots of deals and giveaways. They just did a Fan Appreciation Giveaway of 3,000 bottles of their gel polish!! I love hanging around their Facebook page to find out tips, and just to see what manicures have been created using SensatioNail. Also make sure to check out their website for their latest products here!

Have you used SensatioNail? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Happy Holidays!

**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 .

Filed Under: beauty, fun, nail art, nails, women

Kidtronic My-Word-Magnets Review and Discount Code

December 12, 2012 By Amberlee Leave a Comment

I love my two year old! But what I do not love is that she loves the magnets on our fridge, and loves to destroy them! So I went on a search to find magnets that were not only fun for her, but would help her learn. What I found is a really awesome magnet set from My-Word-Magnets.

I received their Magnet Super Bundle to review for you guys. The great part about their bundles is that you can personalize the kit by choosing your own words to add to the already huge selection of included words. I was able to get magnets for all my daughters favorite people and things, as well as one for Star Focal of course!

The kit I received had the option to add 15 words of my choosing. I thought that it would be no problem choosing that many words, but I was wrong. After sitting in front of the computer for what seemed like hours I noticed a little wizard on the page named Wendell. Wendell was a life saver! Wendell will ask you questions to help you come up with ideas of words to add to your list. After finding Wendell it took only a couple of minutes to add the last of my words, and I was ready to receive my kit!

I love that this bundle comes with so many magnets! My daughter can play with these for hours and never get bored. Some of the magnets are even color coded and have different colors for nouns, verbs and more. The set also comes with number and symbols so they have everything they need to create their own sentences, or even solve math problems!

The magnets come in sheets, and you get to take them apart. For some kids this could just add to the fun, or for some parents it could just mean more work to do. I just wish that I had looked at all the words carefully before shoving them in the box, but with an excited two year old begging to play I couldn’t really wait. One word that I wish it had was “love.” I’m not sure if it was just missing out of my kit for some reason or if it doesn’t come in any of the kits, but if you plan to order one make sure to add it to your list of words!

The Super Bundle also comes with their Super Safety Board, which is great because my girls don’t have to use our fridge to play with the magnets. I was very surprised about how sturdy the board was and how easy it is to play with. My girls can now play with their magnets and mommy can have her fridge space back!

My girls really loved to play with this set. Sure they can’t quite come up with their own sentences, but they still had a lot of fun. My two year old was even able to recognize some of the words, which was really awesome! You can get your own set this month (December) at 20% off with the following code: “STARXMAS12″ Just enter it in where it says Discount Code at checkout to get your discount! You can find their website here.

Happy Holidays!

**Disclaimer** Star Focal 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 our full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here .

Filed Under: fun, kids, toys

Radio Flyer Black Friday Deals, and 25 days of Giveaways!!! Closed

November 19, 2012 By Amberlee Leave a Comment

So we’re all looking for the best deals for kids toys, and Radio Flyer has them! To make things even better they are also giving away a toy a day starting on Black Friday for 25 days on their website! That’s a total of 25 toys! I know what page I’m going to be bookmarking! So how do you enter? Visit www.radioflyer.com and click on the ‘25 Days of Holiday Giveaways’ section of our home page to register and your name will be automatically entered into the drawing every day from the day you enter, until the contest ends. How easy is that? I hope that one of us wins!

Now onto the Black Friday deals. This year Radio Flyer is offering 40% off of select toys while supplies last. Here are some of those toys!

#740 Bumper Car : This award-winning, furniture-friendly ride-on is safe on walls and furniture. B umping action triggers 7 fun sounds; for ages 1-3.

# 73 Inchworm : Classic toy encourages play via bounce-and-go motion; for ages 2-5.

#312B Push, Pull & Ride : Converts from a push walker to a ride-on, to a pull wagon in just seconds; for ages 1.5 to 3 years.

#34TP Classic Tricycle w/ push handle (pink) : Removable push handle; for ages 2-4.

#442 2-in-1 Trike : Two trikes in one: twists from trike to chopper; for ages 2-7.

I know of a couple of these that my daughter would be obsessed with!

That still not good enough? Well they will also be having a MAJOR Cyber Monday sale. You can get 50% off of some products, but here’s the catch: The sales will only be valid for 2 hours!

Here is the schedule:

8 am -10 am CST Trike 50% off
10 am – 12 pm CST Wagon 50% off
12 pm -2 pm CST Scooter 50% off
2 pm – 4 pm CST Build-A-Wagon Bonus
4 pm – 6 pm CST Ride-on 50% off

Make sure to visit their website here to get all these great deals and so much more! Let us know in the comments what toy you want for your kids this Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

Filed Under: fun, kids, shared giveaway, toys

Radio Flyer "How Do You Roll?" Groove Glider Scooter Review and Giveaway Closed

October 14, 2012 By Amberlee 13 Comments

I remember when I was younger and everyone had a scooter, and if you didn’t have one you were not cool. I begged and begged until finally I got a scooter for Christmas. Other than the fact that it was blue and not pink I could not have been happier. Now that I have two little girls I live for those moments that make my girls happy. I was able to get Radio Flyer’s new Groove Glider to review, and not only was I excited but my little one was super excited to help me review her new toy.

When we first got the box we could not wait to open it, and as soon as my little girl saw it she pointed to the picture and said “cute!” She is two years old so any compliments from her mean a lot. I was a little surprised that we had to put it together, but it was very simple and took a matter of minutes to do. I could not believe how cute the scooter is. Its white and pink which is perfect for my little princess!

Now on to the fun part, learning to ride a scooter! Like I said earlier my daughter is only 2, so it will be a while before she will fully grasp the concept of riding a scooter. Even so she has learned to ride it for about a foot before falling over. It is very simple to ride, and is sturdy enough for me to show her how to ride it although I would not recommend it for adults. Another great feature is that the handle bar is adjustable so you can trust that it wont be too tall or too short for your princess to ride. My daughter will ask all day to ride her “Wee” and I love watching her learn to ride it. I know that this scooter will be around for a while and I know that her and her little sister will love it until they are too old for it.

So why is this scooter called the Groove Glider? Each Groove Glider Scooter comes with a removable mp3 speaker! You can connect virtually any mp3 player, such as your iPod, to the speaker and your little girl can listen to their favorite songs while they ride their favorite scooter. Since it is white and pink it will match just about anything so it can be placed on other toys she has or even her backpack. It also has a little mesh sleeve on the inside so that you know your mp3 player will be safe.

I definitely think that any little girl would be very lucky to get this scooter! My little girl loves her scooter and I’m sure yours will too! You can find this and other great Radio Flyer toys on their website here.

Want to win one for your little princess? Enter Star Focal’s Giveaway below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**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.

Filed Under: fun, Giveaway, kids, toddler, toys