Breathable, Adjustable Neoprene Ankle Support Review

An old high school injury in which I broke my ankle has followed me through life.  Thanks to that break, I easily sprain or strain my ankle and it seems about once a year I am hobbling about because of it.  My stand by support is the original elastic ankle sock type support.  While it helps, I often grow tired of it quickly because the heel band cuts into my foot leaving pressure marks and pain.  So, when I got the chance to try a new ankle support out, I took it.

Aegend is the maker of this new support.  Their product comes packaged in a neat little cardboard box, nothing fancy.

Inside that box is the support, wrapped in plastic, and a customer support card.

The support itself is black and made of neoprene.  There are three main straps in addition to the heel hole and the body of the support.

Putting this ankle support on is very easy and can be done quickly.  Step one: insert heel into hole and wrap the elastic band around your foot.

Step two: wrap the leg strap across the front of the leg

Step three, criss-cross the two remaining straps to create a support system across the front of the ankle.

The straps all attach with a very strong Velcro.  Once attached, the support sits comfortably on the foot and leg.

Having recently injured my ankle, I have been using my old support, but gave this new one a try for the day.  I laughed when I went to bed late that night, because I had completely forgotten I was still wearing it.  I had no pressure marks or pain from the heel area, no discomfort or sweating from the body of the support, and it was so comfortable to walk in.  There is plenty of flex in this support, lots of room for movement as it is not binding or restricting.  The neoprene is breathable, and even with a sock underneath, I did not experience sweating.  The support fits inside of my shoe easily enough as well.

I am never going back to my old ankle support now that I have this one.  It is so much better!

You can find it here

* I received this product at a discount in exchange for my honest and un-biased review

Fairy Lights Review

I have a house full of fairy loving little girls.  Recently, I purchased a string of "fairy lights" for their room, just for fun, and we have all been so happy with them!

These lights come in a much smaller package than I expected, but there is so much more to them than the small package.  Inside the box, one finds a remote, a white control box and a coil of copper wired LED lights.

 The battery door opens easily with the release of two little clasps.

 After inserting three AA batteries,

 One simply snaps the clasps back in place and they are set to go.

The copper wire strand is super thin and light weight!

 Along the wire are tiny little LED lights.

 Once the strand is lit, they are quite pretty to look at and even a bit magical.

 The remote included offers the option to run the lights on a timer.  When the timer is set, the lights are on for 4 hours from the first time you push the button, and then they turn off for 20 hours before turning back on again at the same time the next day.  Users can also turn the strand on manually and leave them lit continuously.

These little lights are the perfect addition to any decor, small and thin wired, they fit anywhere.  20 feet of LED lights strung along super light copper wire makes it easy to hang, pack into jars, or use as sub-counter lighting.  My little fairy lovers adore these lights, as do I.  

You can find them here

* I got this product at a discount in exchange for my honest and un-biased review.

Essential Oils Guide Book Review

Ultimate Essential Oils Guide

by Alexa Moore

I have used essential oils for many months now, but have a lot to learn yet, so I am always eager to check out books that help me gain knowledge about these oils as well as recipes for making my own blends.  Alexa Moore has written such a book, geared directly toward beginners.  This is an e-book currently.

Moore has clearly spent some time in writing this book.  It is filled with recipes which break down the oils and ingredients needed, the instructions for mixing and the desired results it should produces or ailments it will address.  Unfortunately, many of them require oils I have not yet heard of or had opportunity to obtain, which makes me think it may not be such a good book for true beginners.  Nonetheless, they are very thorough and easily followed.

The book starts out with a break down of aromatherapy and talks about why oils can be helpful.  It also addresses how and why to use essential oils.  This information was helpful and easily followed.

Some unfortunate things that took away from the positives of the book for me:
-  I found many spelling or grammar errors that were distracting to me and made the book less authoritative for me.
- In addition, I also dislike that the final pages of the book link to oils sold on Amazon, but the links did not work.
- Also, I noted that the author either sells or has a strong affinity to Doterra Oils, as the company name showed up in the book.  As a beginner, I don't want to be sold on the different companies or drawn into multi-level marketing, I just want the basics, the hows and whys.

Sadly, I can't say this was one of my favorite essential oil books so far.  It was OK, but just that.


You can check it out here 

* I received a copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest and un-biased review.

Glass Water Bottle with Silicon Sleeve Review

I enjoy having a water bottle on hand at all times, so I am always interested in trying out a new one.  This time, I got my hands on a glass bottle with a silicon sleeve sold by Purify You.  This bottle ships well protected!  It comes bubble wrapped in its own box, which ships in a bigger box.  

 Once unwrapped, this is a very pleasing water bottle.  It has a plastic cap with a handle for hooking onto packs with a caribiner or strap, or just for holding on to.  It is wrapped in a flexible silicon sleeve that coordinates with the cap.  I chose this aqua color, but it is also available in purple, grey, blue, pink and green.

 The bottle is a thick glass that has an opening big enough that I cans slide ice cubes into it (those made by my built in ice-maker, I have not tried the self-made rectangular ones that come from trays).  The lid easily screws on and off with a couple of turns.

 Even when wet from condensation, the bottle is not slippery thanks to the silicon sleeve design.  It is easy to grip.  My one complaint is that I keep dropping the lid thanks to my butterfingers, and I would have liked to see some sort of strap or lid leash included to keep it from falling off completely.  However, this does not in any way affect function and I still like the bottle.

It is dishwasher safe, so it is easy to clean.  A 12 ounce capacity, it is a smaller bottle that easily fits into vehicle cup holders and stroller trays.  This is not a "guzzle it down after a long workout" kind of water bottle, more of a sidekick for all day hydration - with refills, of course.

You can find one for yourself here

* I received this product at a discount in exchange for my honest and un-biased review.

Pacifier Case Review

With a baby in the house, there is always a pacifier getting lost somewhere.  This is especially frustrating on the go, when I know there is one somewhere in the diaper bag or when I need a clean place to put it.  Thank goodness for products like these pacifier cases!

Purify You sells a set of three that comes in a handy little mesh bag.

 They come in pink, purple and blue, and are much larger than I expected when I first ordered them.  The cases are made of plastic that is strong enough to withstand a good deal of force (such as my 6 year old stepping on one "for fun") without cracking or buckling.

 Each case has an opened hook end for easy attachment inside of or to a diaper bag, belt loop, purse or anywhere else desired.  The hook has some flex to it, so it can bend and stretch a bit if needed to fit around something.

 They hinge open for complete accessibility, and the hinge is strong and durable.

 The bottom of each case has four small holes to allow for air circulation, which is really nice if the pacifier happens to be recently used or washed.  This prevents moisture and yucky stuff from staying in the case or growing, keeping the pacifier more sanitary as well.

 I was able to fit a pacifier with it's strap attached all inside the case with no trouble at all, and even had room enough that it wiggled around and could easily have held a bigger or different styled strap or pacifier.

These cases are very handy and have saved me the headache of digging around for it as well as keeping the germs off of it when not in use.  I fully intend to buy more for friends who are having babies.

You can find them here

* I received this product at a discount in exchange for my honest and un-biased review

OZ Naturals Sweet Almond & Macadamia Nut Body Butter Review

Winter means dry skin for me, and a good lotion is a must.  I am a bit picky about my lotions because I am not a big fan of scented lotions as they cause headaches for me.  I am also becoming more cautious about chemical filled lotions and am interested in more natural options.  When I got the opportunity to try a body butter from Oz Naturals, I took it.

 This 8oz tube comes nicely packaged and with an inner foil seal to prevent product loss.

 The lotion itself is a creamy formulation, not a thick butter as I expected.

It goes on smoothly and absorbs quickly.  It is a clean feeling lotion, not oily or greasy.  It moisturizes well and lasts as long as other lotions I have used in the past.  What I love is that it has so much less in it!  The natural ingredients (Jojoba, Avocado, Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil and Macadamia Nut Oil) make me feel better about putting it on my skin.  It is essentially fragrance free, there is very minimal scent detectable, which I also love.

I have used this lotion on my arms and legs, hands and feet.  I have not yet tried it on my face, but Oz Naturals claims it can also be used for that purpose.  While I would not put this in the category of "body butter" per say due to it's consistency, I am very pleased overall with how well this lotion works and how it feels.

You can find it here

*I received this product at a discount in exchange for my honest and un-biased review.

Clove Oil Review

I have just added a new oil to my collection - Clove Oil.  This oil is great for oral and cardiovascular health.  It has antioxidant properties and helps to support a healthy immune system.  It also totes emotional benefits of empowerment and encouragement.

This oil, from First Botany, comes well packaged and protected. A larger box contains a smaller box, labeled with the product and the expiration date.

 This box then contains the bubble wrapped bottle and rubber topped glass dropper.

 The large 4 ounce bottle in amber glass has a plastic sealed lid.

The oil inside is 100% pure therapeutic grade Clove Oil.  It is a clear liquid with a warm, clove scent that is very pleasant but potent.  A little goes a long way.  This particular oil is made from the Clove Leaf.  A little research has taught me that it can also be obtained from the Clove Bud.  Because I have not ever used Clove Oil before, I cannot compare this product to others or determine if it is stronger or weaker. I can only speak to this particular oil.

I have diffused this oil and enjoyed the warm, invigorating mist that fills the room.  I looked forward to the oral health uses, but the bottle says it is for external use only, which has deterred me from trying it for such purposes.  It seems like, since this oil is supposed to be so great for oral care, that it would be labeled as safe for internal use.  So, I am going to refrain from using this bottle for anything other than diluted such as a diffuser or in cleaning products, perhaps in a roller ball for skin,  

You can find this oil here.

* I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and un-biased review.

Pancake Pen Review

 We have breakfast for dinner regularly in addition to the morning meal.  Many times a month this means pancakes, which my kids love.  Lately they have been asking for some more creative shapes and designs, which I have attempted with a spoon with poor success.  So, adding a pancake pen to my kitchen gadgets seemed like a good idea, and it was!

 This Pancake Pen is big!  It holds over 2 cups of batter which equates to a lot of pancakes (depending on size).  The pen comes apart in four pieces - the main body, bottom, top and a lid.  They easily unscrew for filling or washing.

 The lid has a rubber tipped opening that is heat resistant so it does not melt if it accidentally brushes the pan.

 The bottle itself is a softer, flexible plastic that is easy to squeeze.

Filling the bottle is as easy as removing either the top or bottom (I chose to remove the top so there was not an opening for the batter to leak out), pouring in your batter (it was near Valentines Day, so we got pink this time) and replacing the top/bottom.  That's it - then you are ready to go!

 Making pancakes is now so much easier and less messy.  The first few I had a couple of extra drips until I learned how to use the pen.  Simply tip and let the batter flow out, making shapes if you choose.

 We had a request for hearts, so I did my best!

This pen is also great for making muffins or cupcakes.  The opening of the lid is big enough to accommodate any chunks in muffin batter.  It makes pouring the batter into the muffin tin so much neater, eliminating drips, spills and wasted batter.

The cap makes it convenient to store batter between uses if you should desire to make up a full tube of batter but only use a little per day.  Now, a few day's worth of pancakes are pre-mixed and ready to make without the extra dishes or time.  Washing the pen is easy too.  After removing all the pieces, just drop it in the sink with other dishes and it comes right clean.

I love this thing!  I feel a little sad I didn't get one sooner.  So worth the price (which is quite minimal) for the time saved and fun enhanced.

You can get one for yourself here

* I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and un-biased review.

RFID Blocking Wallet for Men - Review

On my list of gift ideas for my husband was a new wallet.  I got the opportunity to purchase a new RFID blocking wallet for him and believe I found a pretty great one sold by ID-Locker

I was so impressed when I opened up the enveloped I received in the mail.  Within the envelope was a box.  In the box was a soft, lined pouch.

Inside that pouch, the wallet was wrapped in a plastic bag with cardboard along each side.

Under that layer, was a thin paper wrapper and inside was more cardboard pieces to protect the leather from sticking to itself.

Finally, I got tot he wallet!  I was impressed already, and I had not even opened it up.  Clearly this company places high importance on quality products and getting those products to the consumer in a fantastic condition.

The wallet itself is a bi fold, slim design black leather.

It's full length pocket is great for cash, just the right size.

There are 8 different card slots within the wallet as well as a flip-up ID pocket for convenience.

Behind the card slots, there are two more pockets for holding other cards or items you wish to carry along as well.

The wallet is made very well, a high quality leather with strong stitching that makes it very durable.  It is soft enough to easily flex in a pocket but plenty strong.  While I cannot speak to the RFID blocking abilities as I am an honest person who does not have such devices, I can say as a a wallet it is top notch.  Knowing it has the safety feature built in sure does not hurt my confidence in the product any, however!

You can find this wallet here

* I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and un-biased review.