Made in The USA - Petbrosia Food Giveaway: Every Pet is Unique, Their Food Should be too! #USAMade {ends 7/15}

 

Welcome to the Made in the USA Giveaway Hop

hosted by Happy Mothering, Easy Green Mom and Brittleby’s Corner 

through the Green Moms Network! 

We’ve teamed up with a group of bloggers to bring you the chance to win prizes that are Made in the USA. After entering my giveaway, be sure to hop around and enter all of the other #USAMade giveaways listed on the linky at the bottom of this post! 

 

Petbrosia is a completely different way to feed your little furry friends, they make a food blend specifically designed for your pup or kitty from only the highest quality ingredients that are grown and raised in the USA!

 Unlike other brands, they have quality control experts make sure the food is perfect for YOUR pet. They don't even use artificial perservatives, artificial dyes, or flavors - it's all healthy and suited to your canine or feline! You can be sure every bag is made with care specifically for your pet, something no other dog food company can guarantee!

 I was given the opportunity to review a bag of food for my little cuties, I had the food tailored to my mixed breed dog. She has recently had some skin irritation from their current food(although my poodle still LOVES Chef Michael's). We were thinking it may be a wheat allergy so we ordered a bag of the free-range chicken food without wheat added to it, she LOVES it and the small bites are perfect since she is particular with the size of her food! I'm happy to report that within a week and a half of giving Miley a mainly wheat-free diet (she still gets a treat here and there) that she has NO irritation - this stuff is life changing for us and for her!

I love that the number one ingredient in her food is chicken, never a by-product (which isn't the case with most dog foods). Petbrosia uses lean protein sources to keep Miley trim and fit while providing her with extra glucosamine and chondroitin to insure she remains active. They even add in prebiotics and probiotics to help with digestion. This food really is high quality and perfect for my little princess!

Lucky for one lucky reader and their canine friend, I'm giving away a 3lb sample size so that your little pup (or kitty) can get the nutrition they deserve! Please use the giveaway tools form below to enter to win:

Entry-Form

Be sure to enter to win all of the other great giveaways listed below as well:

Disclaimer: This contest will run through July 15, 2014 at 8:59 pm PST (11:59 pm EST). 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.The winner will be chosen the following day and announced on Lauren Paints | a beautiful life. No purchase necessary. US entries only. Must be 18 years or older to win. The sponsors provided me with free samples of these products to review, and I was under no obligation to review them if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to this blog and not to Facebook.Please note that Happy Mothering, Easy Green Mom, Brittleby's Corner, the Green Moms Network and the Green Your Mom event bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. We have represented each sponsor with the expectation they will fulfill their prize and in a timely manner. We will contact the sponsor regarding your prize(s). The sponsors, in most cases, are shipping their items to you directly. I will make every effort to assist you obtaining your prize. If there is an issue with a sponsor, please notify the blog you won a prize from within 4-6 weeks for assistance, after that we may be unable to assist you.

The Top 10 Health Benefits of Yoga!

I've been a fan of Yoga for the past couple of years but this spring and summer I've really started to get into practicing daily, part of my Fit in 2014 plan I suppose. I just wanted to share a few reasons I think yoga is AMAZING and why I think you should give it a try (or continue practicing if you already do)! I'm a "curvy" girl and love bending and twisting into these poses - so there's no excuse, if I can do it - you can too!

1. Feeling stiff and uncomfortable? Try Yoga - even if it hurts a little at first. Yoga helps improve flexibility! Being more flexible will also help prevent injury and improves the quality of your day to day life. After only 8 weeks, you are said to be 35% more flexible than when you started!

2. Yoga helps you feel more comfortable being you - regular yoga classes are shown to improve memory, concentration, and self-esteem. Recent studies also claim yoga may help in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's! Plus, yoga is simply calming - it helps with your stress levels!

3. Yoga can help lower your blood pressure - studies have shown that regular doing yoga improves circulation and relaxes your blood vessels! Yoga not only relaxes your blood vessels - it helps to provide all of your organs and muscles with the proper amount of oxygen keeping your body healthy and balanced!

4. Yoga helps with weight loss! Vinyasa/Flow yoga can burn up to 594 calories an hour! Heard of Hot Yoga? You can burn even more calories in this type of yoga practice. I like to think any time I do yoga, even if it's just a few poses - it's better than just being a couch potato! Plus, yoga helps increase your metabolism! How amazing is that?

5. Yoga Reduced Soreness - so practice every day, even if you are sore! Yoga relaxes your entire body and helps to loosen up joints, muscles, and more. It also promotes good posture and circulation which will help prevent soreness or reduce chronic pain.

6. Does your immune system need a boost? Give yoga a try! Yoga helps balance your nervous system, when your body is in balance your immune system can work.

7. Trying to Conceive? Yoga may help. Yoga allows you to relax, de-stress, and open up energetic channels, thereby improving chances of conception. Yoga may also allow for better blood flow to reproductive organs, improving organ function and improving hormone function!

8.  Catching some ZzzZ's can be tough sometimes, good thing Yoga helps most people suffering from insomnia. The relaxing flows and added circulation help your body to relax and the meditative nature of yoga will help your mind relax. Let go and drift away after a good yoga session nightly. Your body will thank you for it!

9. Wanting to try a trendy Detox diet? Think about trying Yoga first! With Yoga you can get rid of the toxins in your body in a natural way. The various exercises and breathing techniques in Yoga help in flushing out the toxins from every part of your body, leaving you healthy and refreshed.

10. Yoga helps you to achieve Inner Peace. The meditative aspects of yoga help you to reach a deeper, more spiritual and satisifying place in your life. This is why I practice daily - it helps me feel connected and aligned!

Big Boss Swirlio Review - DIY HEALTHY Fro-Yo!

Having a craving for a delicious summer treat?
Trying to stay healthy for bikini season but really wanting that fro-yo?

Meet your new best friend - The Swirlio made by Big Boss!

Swirlio is something different, it's not a blender, it's not a food processor - it's a frozen dessert maker! Think fro-yo or ice cream but without all of the added sugar... 

and with that said, I'm officially addicted to making my own semi-healthy concoctions!

Semi-healthy only because I LOVE chocolate so much! Ha!
I really am glad I was offered the opportunity to review this appliance,
I'm addicted to sweets and the Swirlio has given me the chance to remain within my daily calorie limit without depriving me of sweets!

 

Swirlio transforms your favorite fruits and treats into a soft serve frozen dessert in seconds! Making dessert that is delicious, nutritious and 100% guilt-free is easy as 1-2-3. All you have to do is freeze your favorite fruit, let it thaw for a few minutes, then push it down the chute--- 

and voilà, dessert is ready!

All Swirlio appliances come with a recipe book with 50 mouth-watering recipes so you can get a feel for the blends that you enjoy more before creating a flavor of your own! I made a recipe this week that involved spinach/banana pucks (simply blended together and frozen in silicone cupcake liners), strawberries, and mangos - so healthy and it tasted phenomenal! Spinach ice cream is a new way to get your greens in! I also love that the Swirlio is dishwasher friendly (although most of the time just a good rinse with hot water gets it clean)! It's great for kids to help with making dessert too, it involves NO metal blades so even the really little one's can help prepare a treat!

So are you ready for some delicious Ice Cream, you can get a Swirlio of your own here!

Connect with Big Boss on
Facebook | Pinterest

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.

Beauty Tip: How to achieve a Salon Quality Blow Out at home! + a $50 Gift Card Giveaway!

Disclosure: I received one or more of these  products as part of an advertorial campaign.

Let me start by saying this is MY routine to go from my natural crazy curls to a great VS angel salon quality blow out - I'm not a cosmetologist, I just know what works for me and wanted to share! I've always LOVED a good salon quality blow out. What's not to love about only having to blow dry my hair and not use any other hot tools - hello, healthier hair and happier Lauren... I'm lazy when it comes to beauty routines and I can fully say that a good blow out is easy-shmeezy with the right tools.

Now let's get to the nitty-gritty, a good blow out begins with a good blow dryer and the right products used correctly.

You will NEED to have a hair dryer with a direct nozzle and a round brush. I suggest getting a Velecta Paramount Professional Ceramic Ionic Hair Dryer from Flat Iron Experts. It seriously is the BEST hair dryer I have ever had. Not only is it powerful, it's super compact - think travel size but with a full size ability, this makes it a little lighter than the average dryer to... I would say this baby is professional quality with the airflow at a whopping 86 mph, 2 heat settings, 2 speed settings, a cool shot button, and a built-in Ionic generator that eliminates static and creates mega shine. I fell in love the first time I used this baby, I went from taking around 35 minutes to only blow dry with my old school dryer plus straightening with a flat iron which took FOREVER to spending only around 15 minutes for a TOTAL salon quality blow out!

Now to achieve the perfect blow out, you must use the correct products AND make sure your hair is healthy. Condition, condition, condition. Your hair needs to be treated with a deep conditioner regularly to look healthy if you are going to be applying heat of any kind- my hair relies on Aussie 3 minute moist which you can find at almost all local grocery stores and Organic Morocco Argan Oil Hair Treatment Mask! Aussie 3-minute moist is my favorite regular day-to-day conditioner and I use the Organic Morocco Argan Oil Hair Treatment Mask once a week or so to really repair my hair. The mask is made of only organic ingredients and it heals damaged hair, a life saver for a former bleach user like myself. I love both of these products because they leave my hair feeling silky, whether wearing it curly or trying to achieve a salon blow out. I also highly recommend using a leave-in conditioner, like this General Value Product from Sally's: Leave-In Treatment: Compared to Sebastian Potion 9 . Also, I highly suggest General Value Product from Sally's: Matrix Sleek Look Extreme Styling Creme to help keep your hair manageable, no matter what look you are going for.

 

After making sure your hair is nice and healthy and smothered in conditioner to the point that it's super hydrated, it's time to talk about products that will protect it and style it! I use Aveda's Brilliant Damage Control spray while my hair is wet/still being dried to keep it protected from the heat of the hair dryer as well as CHI Shine INfusion Hair Shine Spray or KQC Thermal Shine Spray for a finishing touch on my last once over with the brush and dryer on my hair. Both shine sprays are amazing, CHI shine infusion helps repair damaged hair and helps prevent it as well. KQC Thermal Shine Spray helps protect your hair and prevent from damage. Both are great quality, although I tend to grab the CHI shine spray more often.  


Lastly, a finishing product like Silk Elements Glossing Polish or L'Oreal's EverSleek Precious Oil Treatment is a good way to smooth out the little bits of frizz that may pop up. I run my hand through my hair constantly after a good blow out, because I feel that good  when my hair looks great -- this also means a finishing product like this is vital so I keep a smooth and polished look!

Now to the fun stuff, what techniques do I use to get this fantastic blow out?

Hydrate and Prep as I said, then you will need your hair dryer as well as your round brush. First off, I do a rough dry - meaning I suggest you get your hair mostly dry without the brush first, always aiming the nozzle of the dryer downwards to prevent frizz. Then Section off bits of your hair, since my hair is thick I typically section it into 3-4 layers horizontally around my head, a top layer clipped to the top of my head, another layer in a big clip just below and so on. 

Hold your brush in your dominant hand and your hair dryer WITH the direct nozzle in the other hand, begin by grabbing a section of the hair and placing it onto the brush, then using the dryer about 1-2 inches from the brush and  begin to firmly roll the brush down your hair. Continue to roll the brush through out your hair in small sections within the sections you have already divided. Make sure to focus on the root (that's where I tend to hold moisture anyways). If you want the little curl I have at the end of your hair, just turn the brush at an angle at the end and twist your hair out. If your hair is too voluminous, re-dry the top sections with the dryer set to a higher heat setting. Then smooth your ends with a light conditioning oil. It's that easy.

I also suggest investing in a good bottle of dry shampoo, although I don't have a preferred brand - yet! It will help you keep the look for a day or two, if you feel so inclined.

Here's to beautiful hair and a good Salon Quality Blow Out for all!

Lucky for you, I'm giving away a $50 Sally's Gift Card so that you can invest in some products to get your hair looking great.

Please use the giveaway tools form below to enter:

Entry-Form

Disclaimer: 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.This contest will run through July 19th at 11:59 pm EST. Must be 18 years or older to win.  This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter or any other company mentioned above. You understand that you are providing your information to Lauren Paints | a beautiful life and not to Facebook, I will not use your information other than to e-mail you a winning notification if you are the chosen winner. Enter using the Giveaway Tools form above. Void Where Prohibited. Please note that Lauren Paints | a beautiful life and all other bloggers participating are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes.

#WordlessWednesday - Headstands and Cocktails

Have a great week! :)

#Wordless Wednesday - My little slice of paradise!

 

Happy Hump Day, everyone!