Reflective Running Belt with Reflective Arm Bands Review

High visibility is important when exercising outside. A secure place to put valuables such as keys and a phone or MP3 player is also important to me.  So, this combo I just purchased is a perfect pairing of visibility and function.

This reflective running belt and arm bands are well constructed, bright, reflective and functional.

The arm bands Velcro with a wide, strong patch to make a loop for wearing around one's arm.

They are plenty big enough to go over heavier clothes.

The belt appears to have a small compartment, however, this is not the case.

Once unzipped, the belt opens up to create quite a large capacity pocket that will easily hold a phone, keys and more!

The pocket zips open along a secure, well constructed zipper that does not grab other materials or snag up.  Along one side of the pocket is a reflective loop for holding keys or whatever else you want to clip to it.

The belt itself is very flexible, made of a soft material that is smooth and soft against skin.  The buckle is plenty large to clip the belt closed, easy to manipulate without being seen, such as when the belt is buckled behind the back.

The belt is comfortable to wear, stays put when active and offers a great solution for holding important items.

You can find it here

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

Hanging Toiletry Bag Review

As spring draws near, my anticipation for vacations is growing.  After adding packing cubes to my luggage set last year, I was on the lookout for a good toiletry bag.  I am currently giving this one a try.

The Jagurds hanging toiletry bag is a nice, compact bag made of a smooth vinyl that is easily wiped.  

The bag opens up and folds open to reveal flat inner panels.

Those inner panels open out to expose the full internal parts of the bag.

This bag has a durable hook for hanging.

The strap sewn to the hanger is stitched securely and made of strong material to hold weight.  The opened bag reveals 4 main compartments.

The top compartment is comprised of two smaller separated pouches connected by one zipper. It is a flat compartment.

The second compartment opens out to hold as much as the depth of the pocket will contain.  There is a lot of room in this pocket, and it zips open on three sides to allow full access.

The third compartment is a large, expandable pocket with a zipper across the top.  It also will hold a lot, but is only accessible from the top.

The bottom compartment is able to completely zip off.  The zipper is a bit difficult to undo and re-assemble once unzipped, but aside from that, it is a small flat zippered pouch.

My current toiletry bag is just a larger bag that everything is tossed into, so I was excited to have something with pockets and some organization.  I  took everything from my current bag and put it into the new bag - this included stuff for myself, my husband and three girls, so probably a lot more than was intended.  Everything I put into the bag was travel sized with the exception of hairbrushes and combs.

 With a little bit of shifting of bottles and other items, I was able to fit everything into the bag and close all of the internal zippers with no strain or struggle.  However, when I went to close the bag fully, I found it was not as big as I had hoped.  I realize I asked a lot from it with a full family's supplies in it, so I was not surprised.

 However, with a bit of extra shifting and some cautious zipping, I was able to fully close the bag without removing anything.

I will re-assess contents or consider a second small bag when it comes time to travel, but overall, I am quite pleased with the capacity, strength and durability of this bag!

You can find it

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

Spiky Massage Ball Review

I have found a great little tool to help me relax my feet and weary muscles without the need for power cords, acrobatics or another person.  The Spiky Ball Deep Tissue Massaging ball can it all the hard and easy to reach places easily and with no extra equipment.  

I got this little ball for my tired feet, because after a long day on my feet a massage sounds great but the resources are never available.  I can now roll my feet across this ball and the little spikes target pressure points and help to create a soothing feel that relaxes muscles and eases aches.

 About the size of my hand, it is not a tiny little ball, but small enough to pack away easily.  It is made of a thick, hard plastic, there is no flexing in this ball which helps it to retain its shape and function so well.

This ball can be used to roll across achy legs, along a back or even arms.  Definitely a nice little tool to have around!

You can find it here

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

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.