Maybelline SuperStay 24 lip color review

I was really excited to try Maybelline Super Stay 24 lip color. The colors I received are "Constant Toast" and "Keep Up the Flame". They definitely lasted a very long time but I wouldn't say they lasted a whole 24 hours. Each time I wore them, they definitely both lasted at least 12 hours, which is way longer than any other lipstick I have tried in the past. It didn't come off or smudge while I ate, drank, or kissed so that is a plus. The colors are very pigmented as well. The cons are that my lips feel pretty dry and I keep having to apply the balm that comes with the lipstick. Other than that, I really like these lipsticks. 

I received the product mentioned above for free in exchange for my review in my Maybelline Superstay24 voxbox. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Ozeri 3-Piece Knife Set and Stand Review

I was quite impressed when receiving these knives. They came in a box, protected with a thick foam and the tip of the knives had a plastic tip for protection while not in use. These knives are lightweight but seem to be well-made and heavy duty at the same time. The set comes with a 3” paring knife, 5” slicing knife, and a 6” chef's knife. These knives are ceramic so they won't rust or corrode like most metal knives. I've had no issues with them as of yet, they are sharp, cut well, are easy to use and clean. I store my knife set in the Adjustable Ceramic Knife Stand from Ozeri. The stand is sleek and space-efficient. I like that it can stand straight up or show it off a little at and angle. This is a great knife set and stand and recommend them. 

I received the product mentioned above for free in exchange for my review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Android Checklist app - Simplist

If anyone with an Android phone is looking for a super simple checklist app, I recommend checking out “Simplist” It doesn't need any permissions, is free, and doesn't have any fancy extras. You just write down your task(s) and when you are done, you long hold the item to delete it. It is exactly what I was looking for. This is his first app being published and is working on a few others. He doesn't know I'm putting this out there for him so if you'd like to check it out, here is the link. 
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.boldcityapps.simplisttodo

Ozeri FRESHSPIN Salad Spinner and Serving Bowl Review

I have never owned a salad spinner and actually never knew it existed. After reading about it, I was interested to see what it was all about. For those who are like me and didn't know what it actually does, it washes and removes excess water from your salad. At first, I had a hard time getting it to spin because I jam packed it with lettuce and spinach, but when I took some out and tried again, it worked great. It is very easy to use, just fill the colander with your salad greens, put the lid on the bowl, pump the handle a few times and it starts spinning instantly. If you want or need it to stop before it does on its own, just press the stop button and it will halt immediately. Then you just take out the colander and dump out the water that is in the bowl. I was surprised and a little grossed out to see how dirty the greens really are. I haven't used this for pasta yet, but I'm sure it will work great for that too.  The colander and bowl can be used separately, are both dishwasher-safe and BPA Free. I haven't had any issues with the salad spinner so far but I do like that it comes with a 1 year warranty just in case I do. 

You can read more about or purchase the Ozeri FRESHSPIN Salad Spinner and Serving Bowl here.

I received the product mentioned above for free in exchange for my review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Ozeri BP5K Digital Blood Pressure Monitor with Voice-Guided Positioning and Hypertension Indicator Review

Keeping an eye on your health is always a good idea, no matter what your age, so when given the opportunity to review the Ozeri BP5K Digital Blood Pressure Monitor with Voice-Guided Positioning and Hypertension Indicator, I gladly accepted. 
When opening the package for this blood pressure monitor, I was quite impressed with it. It looks nice and the screen is pretty large, making it easy to read your results. It comes in a nice, black carrying case that protects it when not in use. I also love that it is a wrist cuff monitor instead of the normal arm cuffs you use at the doctors office. 

It uses 2 AAA batteries, which are included. Once you insert them, you can set up the date, time, and year, which is very easy to do so using the manual that was included. You can choose to have the voice-guided positioning on or off, which I choose on just to see how it works and to get use to the device but after using it a few times, I turned it back off because I didn't feel I needed that feature to guide me anymore. The voice guides you on how to hold your arm, which is very important in getting accurate results. It also will tell you if your results are normal or not. The device can hold 180 blood pressure readings (90 x 2 users) with date and time recordings which definitely comes in handy. Below is a picture of my first reading, which is actually high since I was talking during measurement, which you shouldn't do. The voice guidance advised me that it was abnormal and it also shows a mark next to the red section. 

I definitely recommend this compact, portable, and easy to use blood pressure monitor wrist cuff from Ozeri. You can purchase it on Amazon here. 
I received the product mentioned above for free in exchange for my review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Curva Artisan Series Double Wall Beverage Glasses and Tumblers - Unique 8 oz Thermo Insulated Drinking Glasses, Set of 4 Review

I got these Curva Artisan Series Double Wall Beverage Glasses because I love the 16 oz ones that I got from the same company, Ozeri. They are made of borosilicate glass, which is said to be stronger and more durable than common glass. I didn't want to test this by dropping one of my glasses, but I like that they come with a 1 year warranty just in case. They each have a cool curvature that holds 8 ounces. Besides the cool designs, I love that these glasses have a double wall so when I use them for a cold drink, I don't have to worry about the mess of condensation. I have used these for juice, soda, water, and mixed drinks. I can't wait to use these at our next get together. 

You can purchase these drinking glasses here on Amazon. 
I received the product mentioned above for free in exchange for my review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Lightahead® Bluetooth Smart LED Light Bulb Review

I am really enjoying this Smart LED Light bulb. To get started, I downloaded the app "DeSmart" from the app store and it took less than 2 minutes to set up. The app will ask you to turn on your blue-tooth to pair to the smart bulb. Once connected, just hit the "light" button to turn it on/off. Now I started looking at how to change the colors, which was super easy. Just click the "light button" and there you can adjust how bright or dim you want it to be as well as which color you would like. You can choose from tons of different color shades. One very cool way of choosing which color to use is the color grab option. Just hit the "camera mode" button, point it at an item in the room in which you like the color of and your smart bulb will match to that color as best as possible. For example, I pointed the camera at my curtains, pressed the button and my bulb went to a similar pink color. I thought that was pretty neat.

When clicking the "music" button, you can play music that is on your phone or even through an app. While it is on the music mode, the light will change to different colors automatically. However, the colors do not change to the beat or tempo of the song being played, which isn't too big of a deal to me. I am very impressed with the volume of this bulb. Not only is it loud enough to hear throughout my bedroom, it has some decent bass to it too, which I wasn't expecting. You can also stay connected to blue-tooth so you can use the lightbulb as an alarm. Just set your normal alarms on your phone and it will play through the bulbs speaker. Right after setting those alarms, I recommend using the sleep mode. In sleep mode, just pick a relaxing color and it will slowly dim and then shut off eventually. I definitely recommend getting the Lightahead Smart light bulb. Great product for a great price.

*please note that the link above is an Amazon Affiliate link and I receive compensation if you purchase this product through this link.* 

Ozeri Serafino Double Wall Insulated Iced Tea and Coffee Glasses, 16-Ounce, Set of 6 Review

With it being summer time, I knew we would be having more get togethers, so I was in need of a nice, new glass set. These double wall insulated glasses are just what I was looking for. I love the way glasses look in general but hate using them with cold drinks because of the condensation it leaves on the glass, your hands, and the table. With this set of glasses, that isn't a problem. I mostly use these with cold drinks like soda, water, juice, and beer but I have used it a few times for warm beverages and it works well for them too. The glass is easy to hold with the wraparound contour making for a natural grip. As far as them being more durable and stronger than glass, I'm not sure because I didn't want to test that out but they do feel more durable to me and I like that they come with a 1 year warranty just in case. I really like this set of glasses and I recommend them. 

I received the product mentioned above for free in exchange for my review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Lightahead Ocean Master Ocean Wave Light Projector Review

I was super excited to receive the Ocean Master Romantic Relaxing Ocean Wave Light Projector from Lightahead. I always like to try and clear my head and make sure I am relaxed before bed and this wave projector is perfect for just that. I usually use it without sound and on the plain blue color, which is my favorite but I decided to try it out last night with some sound. I hooked the projector up to my computer with the cable that is provided for you, to find some relaxing wave sounds. I usually sleep with just a fan on and no other noise but I think I can get used to sleeping with these relaxing sounds I can use on the wave projector. You can connect any of your personal devices to it and listen to normal music on it as well, but I prefer ambient sounds. The projector is very easy to use with only three buttons to navigate with. The middle button works as the power and it cycles through the different colors and color patterns. The left and right buttons control the volume. I also like that it has an auto shut down function. The power cord that comes with it is on the shorter side but you can use batteries instead if this is an issue. I absolutely love this product and would recommend it to everyone of all ages. 

*please note that the link above is an Amazon Affiliate link and I receive compensation if you purchase this product through this link.* 

Blog challenge - Day 7

Day 7 - Do you read? What are your favorite books? 
I love to read. It takes me away from reality for a little while and it just relaxes my mind. I have lots of favorites, but I will name a few of them that come to mind that I have read recently. 
Something borrowed - Emily Giffin 50 shades of grey - E.L.James Just listen - Sarah Dessen I am currently reading The help by Kathryn Stockett, which is really good so far.
Have any book recommendations for me? What are some of your favorites? Let me know!

LumenX Mountable Bike light {Review}

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.
  I have been talking about getting a light for my bike for my evening rides for a while now and when I was asked to review the LumenX mountable bike light, I was quite excited! I have researched a few bike lights and wasn't really impressed. They were either expensive or just looked too difficult to set up, which just turned me away. The LumenX mountable bike light didn't come with any instructions, which I thought was odd, but it was extremely easy to set up so you really didn't need any. No tools are needed either, so that tells you how simple it is.  The Lumenx mountable bicycle light is a powerful 2-in-1 portable LED bike light that will shine up to 500 feet and is sure to light up your path effectively every time. Not only is the light shockproof, it is waterproof as well. 

 LumenX is so confident in their ability to light up your path, that if their light doesn't brighten your path, increase your visibility, and improve your safety, they'll give you a full refund!
The LumenX mountable bike light is currently on sale right now for only $25.77! Interested in buying one or reading more about it? Head on over to Amazon now. 

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.

Blog Challenge - Day 6

Day 6 - What band or musician is most important to you?
I honestly can't think of a band or musician that is "important" to me. Or like always, maybe I am just looking into that question too much. I can name a lot of musicians that I like and a few of them have been for more than 10 years. I can say that a lot of Rascal Flatts songs have touched me in different ways. Some of their songs have even helped me through some difficult times. OK, not really, but I played their songs while I cried like a big ol' cry baby so I feel a connection there! Haha. 

via

One of my all-time favorites, "God bless the broken road"

My newest favorite, "Rewind"

Blog Challenge - Day 5

Day 5- Five places you want to visit
It is extremely hard for me to only name five places I would like to visit. To be honest, I would love to be able to visit each state at least once, but lack of money is an issue. I'm not even going to name any places outside of the US just to make it a tad bit easier on myself. Ha! 
1. San Francisco  2. Key West 3. Alaska 4. Las Vegas 5. Hawaii
What are five places you want to visit? 

Kinsa Smart Thermometer Giveaway

Even though I don't have any kids, it is always handy to have a thermometer around. Especially when the nieces and nephews come over or when it's flu season, the Kinsa thermometer is an essential household item everyone should have. Compatible with both Android and iPhones, the Kinsa thermometer is a great way to digitally take temperatures, track symptoms, and find the nearest urgent care facilities if needed.

Once you download the free app, you will follow the easy, on screen instructions and within minutes you will be taking your temperature. The Kinsa app lets your create a profile for each member of your family so you can keep track of their temperatures and symptoms which will come in handy if their doctor needs to know when a symptom started. Another neat feature that I know parents of young children will love is while the thermometer is registering your child's temperature, a calming blue screen with floating bubbles appears, which seems to distracts most kids for the fews seconds it takes the Kinsa to register the temperature.

Get your own Kinsa Thermometer for $24.99 at KinsaHealth.com

Kinsa is also giving one lucky "Don't Judge me" reader one of their very own!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway runs from: 5/29/14 to 6/19/14 Entries will be verified. Winner will be chosen by Random.org via Rafflecopter from all valid entries. Winner has 48 hours to respond to winner's notification or will forfeit their prize and another winner will be chosen. Good luck!
I received the product mentioned above for free in exchange for my review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Blog Challenge - Day 4

Day 4 - The meaning behind your Tumblr name
I don't know if I still have my Tumblr account or not, so instead I will give you the meaning behind my instagram name. (ALJ1025) ALJ, which are my initials and 1025 which is my anniversary of when my boyfriend and I started dating.  Nothing crazy! 

Blog challenge - Day 3

Day 3 - Your day, in great detail
Oh man, my day in great detail? This is going to be pretty boring for you guys so I just wanted to apologize to you now. I have a hard time sleeping these days, at least on a normal schedule and for more than 4 hours at a time, so I actually fell asleep around 3 am I believe. Then Miss Nala woke me around 7 because she had to go potty. Fell back asleep fairly quickly, which usually I don't. Then Nala decided she had to go potty again around 830, so I took her out. I should have just stayed awake at this point but my sleep has been so broken up lately, I just feel so tired that I laid down and tried to go back to sleep. I tossed and turned for a while and eventually went back to bed. When I woke up, I cooked some burritos for lunch. Then I talked to my boyfriend for a good while, well, mostly listened to him tell stories about his nephew, but I always enjoy his stories, he makes them so entertaining. 

After story time, I talked on the phone with my friend Joelly about what has been going on with my mom lately (which may have to be another blog post) and then to my friend, Christy. After that, I folded some clothes and put some more laundry in. (It is never ending.) Right now, I am texting my friend, Sharon about how our days were. That is about it, so far. Nothing too crazy, thankfully! 

Update

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted much lately. Just wanted to give you an update though. Everyone knows the Holidays are hectic and it was indeed the same for me. I ended up hurting my back where I could barely move walk for about two weeks. It was a horrible pain that I never want to experience again. Want to know how I hurt it? Of course you do! I sneezed. Yeah, that is all I did. Ha, I knew I was officially old at that point. 
I also celebrated my 30th birthday! (Like I just said, I am old!) A few friends and I went to dinner and then went out for some drinks and dancing afterwards. It was a lot of fun and here are a few pics from that night! 

My friend that moved away came back for a weekend for her last company Christmas party and I got to go as her date. It was Masquerade themed and I love myself a themed party so I was very excited to go. We partied like it was our high school's 11th year reunion and acted 21 again. We had so much fun, like usual. 

My mom ended up in the hospital a week or so before Christmas. After numerous tests, she was diagnosed with Shingles. I never realized how common it is. She is out of the hospital now but is still in a lot of pain. 
I am sick, again! It seems to be going in a circle with this bipolar weather we are all having. Last week it was 74 degrees and right now it is 33 degrees. Don't get me wrong, I love cold weather but I hate the big jumps in temperatures that keeps getting everyone sick. 
Anyway, that is all for now. Hope all is well with all of my Don't Judge Me readers. Happy New Year!