Find Natural Beauty Products with GoodBeing

Goodbeing is a trial and discovery service providing expertly curated, trial sized healthy beauty (ie: screened for less than healthy ingredients), personal care and natural wellness products.  

Not your average beauty subscription service, Goodbeing rigorously pre-screens every product, ensuring only cleaner, high performance beauty & wellness products make the cut.  What’s more, Goodbeing customizes more heavily than most - allowing members to opt in or out of entire categories of products and to specify their unique skin, hair & makeup needs and preferences for a truly personalized experience.

Goodbeing allows members to choose their box type - All Beauty, All Wellness (coming soon) or a Combo Box and allows members to choose 1-2 of the items they receive each month, or, they can opt out to retain the surprise.  

With plans as low as $5.95 per month (new A Little Goodbeing option launching soon) to $21 a month (standard Goodbeing monthly plan) it’s ideal for upcoming Holiday Gift Guides or more general holiday related articles.

My Thoughts


I love trying out new beauty products, but not all of them are going to be a fit for every person. When you buy beauty products, they can be expensive, so you want to make sure they're worth the purchase price before you spend a fortune. GoodBeing offers a unique subscription service that allows you to sample a variety of full size beauty products each month. For as little as $5.95 a month, a new selection gets shipped to your door, allowing you to sample some of the best products on the market and see which ones you enjoy the most.


I received the February box to try out, and I was pretty impressed with the selection. The package is a little smaller than a shoe box, but it's packed with tons of  great beauty products.  Each box comes beautifully packaged, and they also include information about each of the products and where you can find them if you want to order more. Here are a few details on some of the awesome item in this box's box.

 Skin Owl Beauty Steam - This comes in such cute little vial filled with herbs. Simply add them to boiling water and allow the steam to soak into your skin. It's like a mini sauna with skin benefits.

Modicum Essential Cleanser - This cleanser is all natural and leaves your skin feeling soft and deep down clean. It comes in a nice pump bottle and a little goes a long way.

Modicum Essential Exfoliant- This exfoliate will remove dead skin with out irritating your skin. When used side by side with the cleanser, you skin will be so healthy it glows.

Glow Stick - This fun all in one product will keep your lips, face, and body moisturized, but also adds a hint of color. It also smells great!

As you can see, this is quite a collection of awesome products.  It's great way to get best deal on beauty products, and to try new things!  To learn more about  GoodBeing and all they have to offer, you can visit their website or follow them via social media.

Review: Solavore TR-86 High Performance Reflector

Solavore TR-86 High Performance Reflector
 

NEW!

Bring on the heat with Solavore’s powerful new TR-86 Reflector. Its mirror-like surface – 86% Total Reflectance - means faster preheat, higher oven temperatures, and increased range for partial-sun days.

• Great for baking. Cook year-round - even up north, far from the sunbelt
• Weather and tarnish resistant surface, a finish that will stay looking new for years, thanks to anodizing that hardens and coats the aluminum
• Detachable, folds flat. Includes carry case for safe storage when not in use
• Made in the USA
• Save $17 and get free shipping when purchased with your Solavore Sport

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Our Thoughts
I reviewed the Solavore Sport Solar Oven a few months ago (read my original review here) and I have to say, I still love it and continue to use it - it will definitely see the most use in the summer so I don't have to use my traditional oven and heat up the house! 

It has been frustrating though, to not be able to use it in the winter months - for about a month before, and a month after, the winter solstice.  Not the fault of the solar oven by any means, just a sad combination of our specific location in town with surrounding buildings, trees, and the low position of the sun in the sky.  Our backyard gets plenty of ambient light during the day, but not enough direct sun so there's not enough time to cook foods for the longer periods the solar oven requires.  So as you can imagine, when Solavore offered me the chance to try out the new TR-86 high performance reflectors I jumped at it because the new reflectors capture more of the sun's rays for winter performance.

So this beautiful shiny thing arrives . . . and I kid you not, we then had like 2 weeks of overcast days, snow, and fog.  The news said at one point 51 straight hours of FOG.  That wasn't even the end of the fog though. Ridiculous. And certainly not conducive to solar cooking!

For a comparison, this is the "old" reflector that came with my Solavore Sport - definitely reflective and helpful for solar cooking.

Now compare the new TR-86 Reflector - much shinier; a higher reflective surface:





Finally the weather cooperated and we had a day of SUN! Awesome.  Great, now what to cook?  Hmm.  Let's try some muffins. This recipe is straight out of my own paleo cookbook which I believe you can read about in my profile on Blogger (if you wish!). It's a nut flour based recipe since we are grain-free, and the base recipe is very versatile and has served me well over the years - one I know to work well with a variety of different added ingredients.  For this one, I made a cinnamon spice muffin with dried fruits.  I started pre-heating the oven at about 9:30am, when the first sliver of morning sun came up over the house and hit the far west side of our backyard.  The outside temp was 9F.  The muffins went in the oven about 10:30am.  I did have to move the oven a couple of times to keep it in direct sunlight but it's not heavy, and the smooth bottom slides nicely over the snow.

The oven temp with the TR-86 Reflector was about the normal temp I'd expect during the warmer months without using a reflector, about 225F. 

The recommended baking time is 90 minutes, and the temp inside the oven was steady. You can see the condensation building up in this photo.

I did open the oven to check the done-ness of the muffins and decided they weren't quite done yet.  Just be aware that opening the solar oven during a frigid day (remember the outside temp was 9F!), it will lose some heat and need more time for the sun to bring it back up to the required temp.

Overall, the muffins took about 2 hours to bake until they got as done as I like them.  Much longer than the 20 minutes in my (gas) oven, so you know, have patience!  Their consistency/texture was a little different than traditional cooking - wetter, chewier. I will try this again during the warmer months when I can get the oven temp up a little higher.  (Don't let the solar oven get over 300F or warping may occur.)

Next up - with the success of the muffins, I thought I'd try a cake.  Well, it didn't start out as a cake.  Really I just wanted to make a sauce.  But then I kept adding stuff to it and it ended up as a cake. (That's rather how I cook anyway, adding stuff here and there and the end result doesn't always resemble what my first intent was!)

This one failed for three reasons:

1. I think it's because I used my own cooking pot, which has a blue lid, rather than the black lids that come with the pots that come with the solar oven.  I think a black lid would have absorbed more light.

2. While I can throw together a muffin recipe without actually using a recipe - just been doing it long enough I'm used to it - I don't think I got the ratio of ingredients quite right since solar baking involves more moisture during the baking process. Something to work on.

3. Weather.  Granted it was mostly sunny out (there were some clouds), but we also had high winds - in the 20-30mph range.  The solar oven, even with the TR-86 Reflector, had trouble keeping the temps up enough for baking.  It was at about 180F, which will cook your roasts fine if you cook them all day, but trying to bake in the winter, well, not so much.  I ended up scooping out the batter into a muffin tin and finishing it in my gas oven.

I tried to put in some halved acorn squash in the black pots after I gave up on the cake but again, with the high winds, there was not enough warmth and certainly not enough direct sunlight time to get the squash more than lukewarm. 

Seeing what the temps and weather conditions needed to be for successful winter solar cooking, and the time frame we actually have direct sunlight in the backyard - I decided not to try a roast - there just wouldn't be enough time of direct sunlight - not yet.  Soon though . . . another few weeks or so and the sun will be much higher in the sky and I can get back to it.  (As a side note, we are moving to the country this year (building a house) and out at our new property - I won't have to worry about having enough direct sunlight because we aren't surrounded by buildings - plenty of open space to soak up all the sun's rays, all day long.)

The last test I did with the TR-86 Reflector, was chocolate chip cookies (almond flour based).  I knew with the moisture content inside the solar oven the cookies would turn out chewy and soft.  Not crispy, like my husband likes them.  Haha, more for me!

I didn't have a cookie sheet small enough to fit inside the solar oven so I just used the pots (uncovered) it came with. I was able to fit 14 cookies inside the two 10" pots.

Now, our crazy weather had changed enough in the last couple of weeks - we went from frigid temps to, well, nice out. But this gives me an idea on how well the new reflectors perform in warmer temps.

You can see the snow's already melted, that's how nice it was out - in the 40-50F range. 

The cookies really didn't take too long to bake, about 90 minutes. With the combination of the outside weather and the new reflectors, the solar oven temp reached about 275F.  The cookies turned out awesome. Chewy, delicious, perfect, and best of all, I didn't have to share!

Get Good Vibes from Mystical Mojo Box - #Discount Code

There are so many subscription boxes out there, but I've never seen one quite like the Mystical Mojo Box.  This box is a New Age Mama's dream come true. It's designed to help bring balance to your life. Each month, there is a new theme and products that will help to guide you along your spiritual path and teach you to work with the power of intention. It's all about  mindfulness.

 The September theme was Zen Out, and everything in the box is designed to bring you the inner peace you crave.  You can feel the positive energy before you even open up this box. Here is a peak at everything that was included.

This good vibes decal is just beautiful. My daughter just bought her first car, so this is going on her window. I want those good vibes will help protect her on the road.

This pretty silver necklace from Modern Alchemy has a few quartz stones on the pendant. Quartz has lots of healing properties, but also makes a great fashion statement. This necklace has a sturdy claw clasp and comes in an organza bag. There was also a coupon for 15% off at Modern Alchemy included!

This little jar of body butter comes from Body Infusion. It's made using essential oils and is scented with lavender and vanilla. Lavender is one of my favorite oils because it is so relaxing, and the vanilla adds a hint of sweetness.  This blend leaves skin fragrant and super soft.

I have thousands of stones in my collection. That is no exaggeration. However, I didn't have one of these and had never heard of it. This is agatized coral, and it enhances your imagination. I love when I learn something new! This gorgeous stone comes with an organza bag and a card explaining it's properties. 

This beautiful peace candle is infused with essential oils and healing Reiki energy. It fills the home with the earthy scents of  cinnamon, myrrh, ginger and more, and helps to ease stress and promote healing and peace.

With mercury in retrograde until the end of September, this box arrived just in time. The items inside promote peace and tranquility which can help settle the sometimes chaotic energies of the retrograde. Those good vibes will keep flowing long after the retrograde ends.  If you'd like to get a Mystical Mojo Box for yourself, be sure to visit their website or follow them on social media.

***Discount Code*** 

Get 10% off your order with code NEWAGEMAMA ! This coupon is valid through on 1/1/17.


Connect with Mystical Mojo Box

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Holiday Gift Guide - Sapphire Soul Sacred Celebration Box

Every month, Sapphire Soul offers a collection of magical boxes that will inspire your mind, body, and soul. The focus of the December box is Sacred Celebration, and it's all about celebrating YOU.  In the midst of the holiday rush, most of our focus is on giving to others, but there's nothing wrong with giving a little time to yourself as well. Time to reflect, time to grow, and time to honor the abundance of blessings in your life. This box gives you all the tools you need for some deep and meaningful ME time. Here is a little about each of the items in the Sacred Celebration Box.

This is pure frankincense incense and the charcoal tablets to burn them on. This will fill your home with the relaxing fragrance of the season.

Golden candles and flowers are used to celebrate the return of the light. Once the winter solstice arrives, the light will gradually return and the days will get brighter. 

This all natural lip balm is handmade at Sapphire Soul using high quality essential oils. The flavor I got to try was Coconut and Lemongrass and it definitely helps to warm your spirit and remind that summer is never far away.

The Sacred Celebration Gem Infused Oil will help set the mood in your sacred space. The aroma is pleasant and will help you focus.

This Kiran pendant is simply stunning and perfect for my Boho style. In addition to being a lovely accessory, it's also handmade by female artisans in India. 

Finally, you receive this awesome "Dive In" deck which is filled with little wisdoms to help you develop a deep and meaningful relationship with yourself.

In addition to all of these fantastic gifts that you can use to honor yourself, each Sapphire Soul box arrives beautifully packaged and includes inspirational quotes and discount codes. At Sapphire Soul, there are a variety of different boxes to choose from including the Mindful & Mystic Boxes. There are two different sizes that are $33 and $54 respectively, and they include a wide range of products. For those on a tighter budget, there are a few smaller packages available. You can get a Treasure Box starting at only $14.  There is also a Potions Pack, Chakra Crate, Conscious Kids Crate, and more. There is definitely something to suite every budget. It's the perfect way to try new things and maybe even bring a little magic into your life. You can also order individual items. Here are a few of my favorite gift ideas from their store. 

 To see all Sapphire Soul has to offer, to be sure visit their website or follow them via social media. 

Connect with Sapphire Soul


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Älsa natural energy drink

Älsa, a new focus + energy supplement mix, is an ideal holiday gift for active adults who have it all, but are seeking an extra boost to enhance their daily routines. Introduced in 2015, Älsa is already garnering attention as a strong alternative to the market’s many energy drinks as it sets itself apart with myriad benefits through its blend of Cognizin® citicoline, which is clinically proven to provide enhanced focus and memory function; and PURENERGY®, a patented ingredient that combines caffeine and pTeroPure® pterostilbene for sustained energy. Älsa contains 14 essential vitamins and minerals, amino acids L-Carnitine and Taurine, and is rich in electrolytes. The product is also gluten-free and vegan.

Älsa is naturally sweetened and comes in three flavors – Pomegranate Blueberry, Three Citrus and Dragon Fruit and can be dissolved in 16 ounces of water or added to your favorite yogurt or smoothie! Each serving of Älsa comes in a slim packet—easy to carry in even the smallest purse or backpack. A box of 24 Älsa packets costs $39.50 on the company website, Amazon and ProHealth.

Connect with Älsa

Website - Facebook - Twitter

My Thoughts

As a busy mom, I love natural energy drinks. A good drink can be hard to find. I look for ingredients and make sure it's not loaded with sugar. The Alsa energy packets were tasty. They came in three flavors: Citrus, Dragon Fruit, and Pomegranate Blueberry. Each was good and I enjoyed them.

These are not very sweet. They have a very mild sweetness to them. For me, the flavors of the drinks all tasted the same. The citrus one was the only one that had a slightly different taste to it.

I did like these and I noticed a light amount of energy. It wasn't something that was instant, but the packet stated sustained energy. When drinking this, I didn't feel a slump or after or the need to run around my house. Instead, I was alert and focused. It helped when it was time to get work done on the computer.

Grillo's Pickles - A Fresh & Crispy Delight - #Giveaway

Grillo's Pickles are  all natural pickle spears that are simply delicious. Grillo's Pickles started out with just a wooden pickle cart in downtown Boston, but they have grown into something amazing. One day they were noticed by Whole Foods and the Boston Red Sox, and now they are available in markets across the country.

Pickles are one of my favorite things and I like to have one on my plate with almost every meal. My children feel the same, and it's one vegetable they never turn their noses up at. We were all excited to try out Grillo's Italian Dill Spears.   They arrived in a big plastic jar that contains twice as many pickles as other jarred brands. But that's not the only thing that makes them different. Inside the jar, you can see all the fresh cut herbs soaking in the pickle juice, making it easy to tell exactly where all the flavor is coming from.

Biting into one of these pickles was a treat for our taste buds. They are crunchy, packed with flavor, and completely delicious. Best of all, Grillo's doesn't use chemicals to preserve their pickles. They simply use vinegar, salt, and distilled water, along with a little organic dill, fresh garlic, and grape leaves.  So with Grillo's you aren't just getting one of the tastiest pickles on the market, you're also getting the healthiest!

If you're a pickle lover, you have to check out Grillo's for yourself. They are available nationwide in stores like Whole Foods, Wegman's, Shaws, and Stop & Shop. To learn more about this fabulous company or to find a store near you that sells them, be sure to visit their website.

The Giveaway

One lucky winner is going to receive two free coupons for Grillo's Pickles. Please check the store locator here to make sure they are available in your area. To enter, just fill in the Giveaway Tools form below. This giveaway will 10/19/15 and is open to the US only.  The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply. Thanks again to  Grillo's Pickles for offering this fantastic prize.

Entry-Form