Count down to Reviewers Retreat 2013! #RevRet

June 18, 2013 by Link Fairy 1 Comment

My bags are no where near being packed, but I’m ready to head out in a few weeks on a new endeavor to further my blogging career; The Blogger Conference! This year I’ll be attending my first blogging conference and I couldn’t be more stoked for it to be Reviewers Retreat, hosted by Double Duty Divas . This year the conference is being held from June 30- July 2, 2013 at The Lodge & Spa at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia! Reviewers Retreat is an annual blogging conference which focuses on helping bloggers in the review niche to connect with brands looking to work with bloggers and to help further their blogging abilities.

This being my first blogging conference, I’m CRAZY excited to connect with other review based bloggers, learn new tricks of the trade and connect with some amazing brands along the way! Sponsors of Reviewers Retreat include it’s host, The Lodge & Spa at Callaway Gardens, Pampers, Brew Over Ice, Go RVing, Musselman’s, Dole, CVS Pharmacy, Zone Perfect, SoRave.com, and Jabra!

What’s even more exciting about Reviewers Retreat, besides meeting new bloggers and connecting with brands is where we are staying! The Lodge & Spa at Calloway Gardens is beyond gorgeous and offers an array of amazing activities for families to partake in. With everything from fishing, golfing and experiencing the Calloway Butterfly Center, to learning how to fly on the trapeze with the FSU Flying High Circus! (which I’ll be doing!) The Lodge & Spa at Calloway Gardens is sure to be an amazing experience within it’s self!

Reviewers Retreat is right around the corner at just 1.5 weeks away! I am beyond stoked to see some of my current blogging friends as well as make new ones and connect with some amazing brands. I’m sure I’ll come away with lots of new knowledge to help me further my blogging career as well as new friends and brand relationships. Stay tuned for my posts from Reviewers Retreat 2013 and check them out for yourself!

Find out more about Reviewers Retreat on their facebook and website.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: #revret, blogger, conference, reviewers retreat

Revive your skin and hair this Summer with Dead Sea Spa Care!

June 17, 2013 by Link Fairy Leave a Comment

Thank you to Dead Sea Spa Care for providing me with a sample to review.

The Dead Sea, located in Israel, is considered one of the world’s natural wonders. Being comprised of a high salt concentration created over millions of years, the Dead Sea is one of the saltiest lakes in the world. It contains 21 minerals such as magnesium, calcium, bromide and potassium. Twelve of these minerals are only found in the Dead Sea and not within any other sea or ocean in the world. This makes products made with these minerals wonderful for reviving and caring for your skin! Dead Sea Spa Care embraces the rarity and amazing natural abilities of these minerals and uses them to create the perfect selection of beauty products to pamper your skin.

I was given the chance to try out a few products from Dead Sea Spa Care and I absolutely love them! Included in the box I received was their Cuticle Oil Treatment, Tangle and Frizz Tamer, Dry Dead Sea Salt Scrub and a Pumice Stone.

Cuticle Oil Treatment

Made in Israel, this treatment is perfect for transforming dry, irritated, hanging nails and cuticles. Made with ingredients such as vitamin E, Sweet Almond Oil, Grape Oil, Avocado Oil and Sesame Oil, this treatment can be massaged into your cuticles and fingers to keep them healthy and help strengthen your nails beds. I really liked that the oil had a pleasant smell and really did help to improve my nails. I’ve been using the Cuticle Oil Treatment daily for the past 2.5 weeks and I can definitely see a difference. The treatment retails for $14.90 and comes in a 1 oz bottle.

Tangle and Frizz Tamer

This one is my favorite! I LOVE the smell, it’s so subtle yet sweet and I use it just as much as I use it with my kids. The spray helps to detangle wet or dry hair and is tear free making it safe for children of all ages. It contains numerous minerals from the Dead Sea as well as herbal and essential oils making it great for dry, damaged or unruly hair. This stuff is amazing! Not only does it smell great but it really does wonders with tangles. the Tangle and Frizz Tamer retails for $18.95 and comes in an 8 oz bottle.

Dry Salt Scrub & Pumice Stone

You can’t use a a good salt scrub without a pumice stone and the one provided from Dead Sea Spa Care is awesome! It’s rough but not so to the point where it huts to use it. The stone is great for smoothing out rough or dry areas of your skin, especially your heels, elbows and knees. It’s also great for reducing corns and calluses. The Pumice Stone retails for $16.90.

The 20 oz Dry Salt Scrub also works wonders for your skin and can exfoliate better than any cleanser or soap. It helps to stimulate blood circulation which in turn removes daily toxins from your skin and helps to rid you of dead skin, dirt and oil. The Dry Salt Scrub is made with ingredients such as Sweet Almond Oil, Vitamin E, Grape Seed Oil, Avocado Oil and Sesame Seed Oil. The scrub has done an amazing job revitalizing my skin from it’s winter dormancy and giving me a glow like no other! The 20 oz Dry Salt Scrub retails for $40.

Get your skin glowing!

If you’re looking to show off your skin and hair this Summer, there’s nothing you could do more for yourself than to pick up a few products from Dead Sea Spa Care. Not only will you be pampering your skin, you’ll be revitalizing it with natural earth elements and scents. Allow your skin to glow this Summer with the help of Dead Sea Spa Care!

Be sure to follow Dead Sea Spa Care on facebook and twitter to stay up to date on the latest products and promotions.

Filed Under: Product Review Tagged With: beauty products, dead sea spa care, gifts

Go behind the scenes of Disney’s The Lone Ranger with featurette #2! #LoneRanger

June 16, 2013 by Link Fairy Leave a Comment

Grab your hat and don your spurs!

Get pumped for Disney’s, The Lone Ranger with the latest behind the scenes featurette, “Cowboy Bootcamp”, including an interview with Armie Hammer! Be sure to catch The Lone Ranger, riding into theaters July 3rd!

Cowboy Bootcamp

“Like” THE LONE RANGER on Facebook: www.facebook.com/theloneranger

“Follow” THE LONE RANGER on Twitter: https://twitter.com/disneypictures

Visit THE LONE RANGER website: www.disney.com/theloneranger

THE LONE RANGER rides into theaters on July 3rd!

Filed Under: Movie Tagged With: #LoneRanger, disney, movies, The Lone Ranger

Happy Father’s Day from Monsters University! #MonstersU

June 16, 2013 by Link Fairy Leave a Comment

The Monsters from Disney’s Monsters University want to wish

all the Dads out there a roaring good Father’s Day!

“Like” MONSTERS UNIVERSITY on Facebook: http://facebook.com/PixarMonstersUniversity

“Follow” Disney/Pixar on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DisneyPixar

Visit the website: http://www.Disney.com/MonstersU

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY releases in theaters on June 21st!

Filed Under: Movie Tagged With: #MonstersU, father's day, movies

Celebrate Summer & graduation with custom cookie bouquets from Cookies By Design!

June 13, 2013 by Link Fairy Leave a Comment

Thank you to Cookies By Design in Madison, WI for providing me with a sample to review.

Summer is officially here!! Vacations are being planned, the weather is getting hotter and kiddos are graduating from school to go onto the next year. What better way to celebrate the end of the school year and beginning of Summer than with a custom designed cookie bouquet from Cookies By Design! Since 1983 these custom shaped and hand decorated gourmet cookie bouquets have been bringing smiles to people around the nation. I remember the first time I ever saw a Cookies By Design Bouquet, I was in 1st grade and it was sitting on my grandmother’s kitchen table. It was given to her while she was at the hospital and I could never get the picture of those huge cookie flowers out of my head. Their distinct almond taste has stayed with me as my all time favorite cookies!

We were given the chance to try out a custom created Cookie Bouquet from Cookies By Design in Madison, WI. Since we are in Green Bay, the bouquet needed to be delivered by courier and I was really surprised that it only took 1 day to arrive! It was hand delivered and safely packed. The kiddos and I were incredibly excited to unwrap the box and see what was inside! We were pleasantly surprised to find a 7 cookie bouquet featuring fun School’s Out characters AND a custom cookie of both my son and daughter! it was absolutely adorable and my kids were beyond ecstatic to be able to “eat” themselves.

There was even a little computer cookie with my blog’s name, The Link Fairy displayed! I was totally blown away with the attention to detail that was put into decorating these cookies. Each Cookies By Design franchise is locally owned and operated so it’s the hard work of the owners and employees that are striving to make these amazing cookies so special. The bouquet we received was a theme offered by Cookies By Design called Book Worm, but the owner of the Madison, WI store decided to make the bouquet extra special by including my children’s likenesses as well as my blog into the treat! What a great way to surprise your friends and family, not to mention the perfect way to make a lasting memory.

Besides looking absolutely awesome, the cookies themselves were each wrapped to retain freshness and smelled amazing! And let me tell you, the cookies tasted just as good, if not better then they looked. Cookies By Design cookies have a distinct almond flavor that just tantalizes your taste buds and their frosting has the perfect amount of sweetness. If you’re looking for custom created cookies, your local Cookies By Design is the best place to start! You can find your favorite bouquet online and then contact your local store to have them create your customized treat. Use a basic design as it is or ask for custom created cookies to spice it up and make it your own!

When it comes to gift giving, there’s nothing more unique than sending a custom created Cookies By Design Cookie Bouquet! They look amazing, they taste outstanding and they are one gift that will always be remembered. With Summer here, graduations going on and Father’s Day next week, Cookies By Design is the perfect idea for all your special occasions! Contact your local Cookies By Design franchise and let them know what they can bake up for you!

Lots of great out of school options to choose from!

I’d like to personally thank Ann and her husband from the Madison, WI Cookies By Design location for putting so much love into creating our cookies. My kiddos were so incredibly happy with them they are still asking me for “their” cookies! you should know of the massive amount of happiness you’ve brought our family and how much it’s appreciated.

Be sure to follow Cookies By Design on facebook and twitter to stay up to date on the latest products and promotions.

Make sure to also follow Cookie By Design, Madison, WI on facebook if you’re local to stay up to date on their latest news and products.

Filed Under: Product Review Tagged With: cookies by design, gifts, kids, school, summer, tasty treats

Give Dad something to smile about while deployed – Father’s Day military style with Dove Men+ Care! #MissionCare

June 13, 2013 by Link Fairy 6 Comments

Compensation for this post was provided by Dove Men+Care via MSB New Media. All opinions expressed in this piece are my own.

Being a military and Navy wife, I’ve experienced first hand the hardships that come with living the military life style. it’s never easy having to say good bye to your loved ones and in fact, it’s down right hard. Throw children into that mix, and it makes things even harder. No one likes having to trade being able to see, touch and hear your children and spouse for hopeful phone calls and emails. Living through a deployment isn’t easy and when it comes to holidays, especially Father’s or Mother’s Day it’s tough for both sides of the family.

Celebrating family with Mission: Care, bringing our service members home for Father’s Day!

Thankfully Dove Men + Care understands the hardships military families go through and the struggles they endure by being away from their families, which is why they’ve created The Dove Men + Care “Mission: Care” campaign! This campaign celebrates men who care for what matters in life, particularly our servicemen who protect and care for their family, country, and home across the globe. The best part, Dove Men + Care is partnering with OPERATION HOMEFRONT to bring home 300 service members (dads and moms) this Father’s Day to spend quality time with their families. Check out the video below featuring just one of these amazing homecoming stories.

What’s even better about The Dove Men + Care “Mission: Care” campaign is that everyone can help bring home the troops this Father’s Day! By purchasing any Dove Men+Care products including deodorants, face and body washes, and hair care products you’re helping to make sure a family isn’t missing their loved ones this holiday. Not to mention the products are perfect for any care package to Dad! Head to their website and leave a message for the troops, thanking them and their families for their amazing sacrifices for those they’ve never even met.

Show Dad he’s still special while deployed

Recently my husband left for training for 3 months, which so, far is the furthest he’s been away from the kids. We’ll be celebrating Father’s Day without Daddy this year, but I’ve got some fun things lined up for my kiddos to do just for Dad to help make our absence a little easier.

Create a video of the kids making cards for Dad and telling him about what they’ve been up to while he’s been away. Have them wish him a happy Father’s Day and let him know how much he’s missed. You can easily put this on a USB drive and send it off.
Put together a care package of Dad’s favorite snacks, movies, CD’s, and some artwork by the kiddos
Make hand print or foot print casts of the kid’s and let them decorate them to send off to Dad
Make a list of Dad’s favorite movies and have the kids act out some fun scenes from them. Video tape them and send them off to give Dad a good laugh.
Plant a flower or plant and take photos of it each week. Once Dad comes home, you can see how much the plant has grown and surprise him with the photos.

Military life is never easy. It’s a lifestyle full of hardships and sacrifice that’s made not just by the military member, but by their entire family as well. Yet even though they know it’s not an easy life to live, it’s a valiant career choice made my thousands of Americans each year. This Father’s Day, help bring one of those valiant men or women home to their families by participating in the The Dove Men + Care “Mission: Care” campaign. Head to their website and leave a message for the troops, thanking them and their families.

Enter to win a Dove Men+ Care Prize Pack and help bring the troops home!

Enter through the widget below. Open to US residents 18+. Giveaway end at midnight on 6/19.

Entry -Form

Be sure to follow both Dove Men + Care and Operation Homefront through social media to stay up to date!

Like Dove Men + Care on FB and Follow On Twitter

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DoveMenCareUS
Twitter: @DoveMenCare

Like Operation Homefront on FB and Follow on Twitter:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/operationhomefront
Twitter: @Op_Homefront

Compensation for this post was provided by Dove Men+Care via MSB New Media. All opinions expressed in this piece are my own.

Filed Under: Giveaway, Uncategorized Tagged With: family, father's day, giveaway, kids, military

Ascension to the throne! Potty training with Huggies Monsters U Pull-Ups training pants! #PullsUpsPottyBreaks

June 12, 2013 by Link Fairy 11 Comments

This is a sponsored post proudly written by me on behalf of Huggies Pull-Ups.

When it came to potty training my daughter, I honestly never thought about anything passed the whole diapers stage until her third birthday hit. I noticed a friend of mine’s daughter had been potty trained at 3 as well so I started thinking, OK, maybe I need to get my kiddo out of diapers and into training pants. Unfortunately it didn’t seem like anyone was willing to share how NOT easy potty training was going to be. I mean, I couldn’t even get my daughter to go near a toilet, let alone sit on one and do “something”. She had no problem standing in front, to the side or on top of one, but when it came to sitting and doing her business on a toilet she was not having it.

I figured I’d try to be as on point as possible, so I made myself a list of what I needed to do get my daughter potty trained and make sure she was successful:

Grab some cute Huggies Pull-Ups training pants
Buy a training potty
Get a step stool
Find a good potty training book

By the end of potty training mission day 1, my list had been utterly transformed into something completely different:

Grab some cute Huggies Pull-Ups training pants
Keep her from peeing on the floor
Make a potty break schedule
Stock up on bribery items

My fears of potty training went from, “boy, I hope this doesn’t take too long for her to catch on” to everything from “Please don’t let her decide to pee half way to the potty” and “If I’m bribing her to go into the bathroom, does that make me a bad parent?”. Luckily my second list seemed to do me much better justice than my first. Not to mention that once my daughter noticed her favorite Disney’s Monsters U characters on her new Huggies Pull-Ups Training Pants, she was even more willing to wear them and play along with our new potty training schedule.

In fact, the Huggies Monsters U designs even helped us to create our own potty break game! Whenever I’d wonder if she needed to go potty I’d ask her, “What does a little Monster take?” and she would answer “A potty break!” if she needed to go! Luckily the Monsters U designs come in both boy and girl colors so once my son is ready, we can grab some just for him as well! Fingers crossed that all my potty training fears are put to bed soon and my daughter will emerge a graduate of Huggies Monster’s University Pull-Ups Training Camp! Stay tuned!!

Pull-Ups helps take the scare out of potty training by making it fun and easy with new Monsters U character training pants! You can help make potty training easier by staying consistent and using rituals like the potty break. Make it a game and ask your toddler, “What does a little monster take?”…“A Potty Break!”

Visit Pull-Ups.com and “like” Pull-Ups on Facebook for more potty training tips and resources.

This is a sponsored post proudly written by me on behalf of Huggies Pull-Ups.

Filed Under: Product Review Tagged With: #PullsUpsPottyBreaks, family, huggies, kids, kids products, potty training

Taking manliness to the max – Man Tables, the gadget James Bond wishes he owned!

June 10, 2013 by Link Fairy 12 Comments

Thank you to Man Tables for providing me with a sample to write about.

From a women’s perspective, if you could embody everything that makes up a man, you’d end up with something sturdy, reliable, practical, a little bit on the dangerous side and above all good looking. When it comes to creating such an item, I don’t believe any one person has totally succeeded, until now! Introducing Man Tables created by a man, for men. These sleek and sexy end tables have a hidden personality and stealth like ability to change from a beautiful piece of furniture into a mini-fridge that’s bursting with more testosterone than Chuck Norris!

These amazing Amish made end tables may look like your ordinary living room table but once the handle is pulled, a light flicks on and a world of ice cold beverages emerges from it’s slumber. It may be wrong to covet thy neighbors possessions, but adding one of these babies into your living room is sure to get your buddies a little jealous. Available in 3 different finishes, Tobacco, Espresso and Black, and boasting a 40 can/30 bottle capacity, Man Tables are sure to appease the rugged man as well as the gentleman.

I was given the chance to test out a Man Table for myself and see what the hype was all about. The first thing I noticed was that it was much larger then I thought it would be. At 24″ tall x 21″ wide x 21″ deep, the Man Table fits well next to any couch, chair or bed yet is still a good size for an end table. We received the black finish and it’s gorgeous, I mean, very handsome! The wood the table is made from is thick and sturdy and the hardware on the table is silver, which compliments the black finish well. There are what look like two drawers in the front of the table and the top has a lip that goes around the edge.

Inside the Man Table is were the essence of man’s existence is kept at a constant 30 degrees below ambient. The temperature gauge is able to be adjusted using a simple toggle switch and a light comes on every time the fridge is opened. It’s recommended that Man Tables be placed at least 4 inches away from the wall for best cooling results. The table’s fridge is cooled using a thermoelectric cooling unit which is extremely quite! I was super surprised at how little noise the unit put out, which is great!

The door to the Man Table is connected with hinges running the length of the bottom of the table. When opened, it slides easily down to display it’s inner treasures. The door is sturdy and closes and opens very easily, however it should be opened and closed with care otherwise the items such as cans on the door may fall into the fridge when shut.

Not only can you fit beverages in the middle of the fridge but the door as well! I love that there is adequate space for 40 cans or 30 bottles as well as a place for wine. The Man Table is a bit on the pricey side with a retail value of $449, however with the versatility of the product as well as the quality, it’s totally worth the money in my opinion.

If ever there were an ultimate item for guys, the Man Table is it! It’s compact size, amazing quality, stealthy appearance, ability to double as a table and a fridge all while looking good, shows that no corners were cut in it’s design. When it comes to the perfect gift, there’s no guy, man, dude, bro, homie or gentleman who wouldn’t find the Man Table to be the epitome of all things man and a must have addition to his castle.

Surprise Dad for Father’s Day with a Man Table!

There’s still 2 days left to surprise Dad with a Man Table for Father’s Day. Right now the black Man Table is on special for Father’s Day! Grab it for just $429, regularly $449!

Pick up your own Man Table, as well as find out more about pricing and finishes on their website.

Be sure to follow Man Tables on facebook and twitter to stay up to date on the latest products and promotions!

Filed Under: Product Review Tagged With: appliances, father's day, gifts, home products, man tables

Chivalry isn’t dead! Warrior Poet Clothier – Giving boys a reason to be heroic

June 10, 2013 by Link Fairy 2 Comments

Thank you to Warrior Poet Clothier for providing me with a sample to review.

VALOR – LOYALTY – WISDOM – TEMPERANCE, these are the values of the Warrior Poet. Whether battling their rights to stay up late or sticking up for kids on the playground, young men who don clothing bearing the Warrior Poet emblem, are sure to be living life to a Hero’s expectations. Warrior Port Clothier is an up and coming clothing company, creating t-shirt’s and soon to come hoodies, that are made for young heroes. Created by a man looking to bring out the best in his own sons, Warrior Poet Clothier is a brand made for young men with the ideal of “Building Armor with a Flare for the Next Generation of Men.” What parent wouldn’t want their son’s to set a living example of chivalry and bring middle aged values to the 21st century.

We were given the chance to try out a few Warrior Poet Clothier t-shirt’s for ourselves and find out what all the talk is about. We were sent two t-shirts, the Faux Plaid in 2T and the Live Like Heros in 3T. Besides the initial WOW factor, the shirts are incredibly cool, hip and attractive to young men as well as parents. I LOVE the different Hero themed sayings and designs on each t-shirt and the material they’re made from is soft yet durable.

The prints on the fabric are vibrant and the colors really seem to stand out! It was super cute watching my son, as young as he is, get excited to put them on. If there’s one thing Warrior Poet should be know for, it’s the ability to embody the willingness of a young boy to have fun and save the day into a clothing line. Once my son had on his Warrior Poet t-shirt’s, it was like a whole new little man emerged and he was ready to conquer the day!

It was nice to watch my son play and see that the fabric moved freely and the prints are still just as bright as when we got them after washing. I did notice the neck line on the 2T was a little small for my mini man’s head, however, he’s always had a relatively large dome so I’m not giving this too much concern.

When it comes to quality clothing lines for kids, Warrior Poet has totally surpassed my expectations! I am in love with the patterns of the shirts, the fabric is soft and durable and I feel comfortable knowing it’s going to last through my son’s daily play. The values of Warrior Poet Clothier are that of any hero. As a mom to a son, I love being able to clothe my boy with a company that’s looking to better young men thorough amazing values. If you are looking to spice up your son’s Summer wardrobe with heroic and knightly threads, I highly suggest checking out Warrior Poet Clothier!