Jammy Jams - Lullabylooza: '90s Alternative Goes Lullaby Review

Today I received a digital download for Lullabylooza: 90's Alternative Goes Lullaby by Jammy Jams.  I downloaded it with no problem from their website and imported it into my iTunes.  It was simple and not hard to do at all.

The lullaby's are unique. There are 10 tracks.  If you were a grunge alternative person in the 90's you cannot go wrong with these instrumental songs for your baby.  There are a few that really stick out and sound on point like; Creep, Champagne Supernova, and Black Hole Sun.  Another few just didn't seem like they should be a lullaby, but still very innovative.

EDIT July 3rd 2014: My 2 year old listened to the CD as he went to bed and he didn't seem to mind.  He always sleeps better with music playing.  I asked him if he liked the music and he said, "Yes Mama!"  So there you have it!


The full track list is as follows:
Black Hole Sun (originally by Soundgarden) by Jammy Jams
Creep (originally by Stone Temple Pilots) by Jammy Jams
A Girl Like You (originally by Edwyn Collins) by Jammy Jams
Champagne Supernova (originally by Oasis) by Jammy Jams
In The Meantime (originally by Spacehog) by Jammy Jams
Friday I'm in Love (originally by The Cure) by Jammy Jams
Easy (as performed by Faith No More) by Jammy Jams
About A Girl (originally by Nirvana) by Jammy Jams
Possum Kingdom (originally by Toadies) by Jammy Jams
Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons (originally by Pixies) by Jammy Jams

What I like about their website is that you can send this and all of their music to someone via email as a gift.  The gifted just downloads it onto their computer.  That is a great baby gift for a baby shower if you cannot make it. 

To see their full track list and listen to samples, go to their website here

The digital download is only $9.99
The CD + digital download is $14.99
Each track is .99 cents if you just want to buy one song

It looks like you can get it cheaper directly from Jammy Jams on Amazon for $1 cheaper for the digital downloads.  They have 200+ music downloads on Amazon. Go here for Jammy Jams on Amazon


A description from their website:
LULLABYLOOZA
’90s Alternative Goes Lullaby

On Lullabylooza: ’90s Alternative Goes Lullaby,  Jammy Jams stage dives into the world of ’90s grunge and alternative music. Lullabylooza takes that dirty, crunchy sound and transforms it into soothing, relaxing lullabies to help you and your little one drift off to la la land.  From heavy hitters like Soundgarden, Nirvana and Stone Temple Pilots to the more melodic side of alternative like Oasis and The Cure…  Jammy Jams covers it all! When baby is restless in the middle of the night and those minutes seem to Creep by, make things Easy, and soothe your baby to sleep with the sounds of Jammy Jams.

About Jammy Jams:
Jammy Jams is a fun, modern twist on lullabies for parents who strive to create memories with their little ones while teaching them a thing or two about their own style. Soothing sounds of vibraphone, marimba, xylophone, piano, blocks and more performed and arranged by Jeff Bradford and Tim Phillips.








 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.

Turmeric Supplement by NutraViva Review

Today I received a bottle of Turmeric from Nutraviva.

The ingredients are:
Turmeric Curcumin C3 Complex® (500mg) w/ BioPerine®, 95% curcuminoid, 120 Vegetarian capsules.NO Magnesium Stearate, NO Silicon Dioxide, NO Titanium Dioxide NO Fillers/Binders/Preservatives/Artificial Ingredients. GMO FREE!

What I like about this Turmeric is that it is GMO free.  I am very pro NON GMO with my foods and products.  This stood out to me because of the care in the ingredients.  This Turmeric from Nutraviva is clean.  I was using a different brand before I received the Nutraviva brand.  I noticed a stronger "taste" or should I say smell as I was swallowing the pill.  I just knew it was extremely potent.  I was pleased that the pill was vegetarian, as  I am a vegetarian.  I do believe that Turmeric aids the body naturally and will always use it.  I will be refilling my bottle when this one is out.  Thank you for an amazing product Nutravia!.  You can visit their website and learn more about their product at Nutravia.com.

From there Amazon page:
*Get the Best Value: Our Turmeric is 2000% More Bioavailable: Enhanced with Bioperine®
*Rest Assured We use Zero Fillers/Binders/Preservatives/Artificial Ingredients to Provide Our Customers the Cleanest Turmeric Supplement We Can.
*Standardized 95% Curcuminoids (the KEY Ingredients). We are NOT Selling Root Powder, but Instead More Concentrated Curcuminoids.
*120 Turmeric Capsules in Each Bottle for 2-3 Months Supply.
*Clean & Pure: NO Stearates, NO Silicone Dioxide, NO Titanium Dioxide





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.

Italian Pimsleur Language Course Review

Today I received a Pimsleur Italian Language Course from Language Secrets.

I popped the first CD in, there are 16 of them.  There is an introduction CD that tells you who Pimsleur is and about his program.  It says that we can learn another language just like how we have learned out native tongue language without books and studying.  It is the same way babies learn a language.  Basically repeat, reinforce the same words every day, but add on.

The first lesson I did, I started to get excited about the course because I was actually comprehending the Italian language.  I remembered what the words were that were just taught to me.  I knew how to say a few words in the first 15 minutes and of the greeting and how to ask how you are.  I did the lesson and felt like I needed to repeat it to really get the words down.  At the end of the first lesson, the narrator said if I didn't feel confident to move on, to do the lesson again.  It is okay to do them over to make sure you comprehend the lesson before moving on.  It is probably a good idea to go ahead and do lesson twice to get basic conversation down before going to lesson 2.  I really like the course.

It tells you to do a lesson in consecutive days so that you can build on the lesson you did the day before. This is exactly how the Pimsleur method works.  It builds on your existing knowledge of the language but then adds to it.  You keep doing this over and over and you are bound to learn the language basics.  There are 30 lessons about 30 minutes each for each level.  I received Level 1.

 This method is perfect to learn because you hear the native speaker speak and you repeat.  You are even asked to repeat sounds and then the full word.  It really helps retain it.  This is wonderful for a car ride.  It will keep you awake and you will learn too.

 The methodology of the Pimsleur courses are
1. Anticipation
2.Graduated-interval recall
3.Core Vocabulary
4.Organic Learning

The Pimsleur method (sometimes billed as the Pimsleur Language Learning System) is an audio-based language acquisition method developed by Paul Pimsleur that stresses active participation over rote memorization. During lessons, the listener repeats words and phrases given by native speakers and constructs new phrases by inference. As new phrases are introduced, the listener is prompted to recall older phrases. The prompts for any given phrase are gradually spaced out in ever-increasing intervals. Between 1963 and 1971, Pimsleur created Greek, French, Spanish, German, and Twi (Akan)courses while teaching at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Wikipedia Source

I did not finish the course yet, as I did not do all of them on consecutive days, however, I can am retaining the language and I am confident that I will be able to speak the basic of Italian if and when I go to Italy.  I will be able to feel confident in knowing where the bathroom is, ordering at a restaurant, or just buying some items from a vendor on the streets.  I will be able to do the normal basic conversations that will allow me to enjoy myself.  I just need to win the lottery now for a nice long trip to Italy!

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.

FREE Pimsleur German Language Course & REVIEW

Today I received a Pimsleur German Language Course from Language Secrets.

I popped the first CD in, there are 16 of them.  There is an introduction CD that tells you who Pimsleur is and about his program.  It says that we can learn another language just like how we have learned out native tongue language without books and studying.  It is the same way babies learn a language.  Basically repeat, reinforce the same words every day, but add on.

The first lesson I did, I started to get excited about the course because I was actually comprehending the German language.  I remembered what the words were that were just taught to me.  I knew how to say a few words in the first 15 minutes and of the greeting and how to ask how you are.  I did the lesson and felt like I needed to repeat it to really get the words down.  At the end of the first lesson, the narrator said if I didn't feel confident to move on, to do the lesson again.  It is okay to do them over to make sure you comprehend the lesson before moving on.  It is probably a good idea to go ahead and do lesson twice to get basic conversation down before going to lesson 2.  I really like the course.

It tells you to do a lesson in consecutive days so that you can build on the lesson you did the day before. This is exactly how the Pimsleur method works.  It builds on your existing knowledge of the language but then adds to it.  You keep doing this over and over and you are bound to learn the language basics.  There are 30 lessons about 30 minutes each for each level.  I received Level 1.

 This method is perfect to learn because you hear the native speaker speak and you repeat.  You are even asked to repeat sounds and then the full word.  It really helps retain it.  This is wonderful for a car ride.  It will keep you awake and you will learn too.

 The methodology of the Pimsleur courses are
1. Anticipation
2.Graduated-interval recall
3.Core Vocabulary
4.Organic Learning

The Pimsleur method (sometimes billed as the Pimsleur Language Learning System) is an audio-based language acquisition method developed by Paul Pimsleur that stresses active participation over rote memorization. During lessons, the listener repeats words and phrases given by native speakers and constructs new phrases by inference. As new phrases are introduced, the listener is prompted to recall older phrases. The prompts for any given phrase are gradually spaced out in ever-increasing intervals. Between 1963 and 1971, Pimsleur created Greek, French, Spanish, German, and Twi (Akan)courses while teaching at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Wikipedia Source

I did not finish the course yet, as I did not do all of them on consecutive days, however, I can am retaining the language and I am confident that I will be able to speak the basic of German. I do not think I will ever go to Germany, but If I'd like to be able to have that option and using this course will benefit me.

 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.

Free AKVIS OilPaint Software & REVIEW

Today I received a free copy of AKVIS OilPaint Software. 

I went to school for commercial art and learned programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Corel.  I have an Associates of Science in Commercial Art as well.  This program is easy to use and can transform your pictures into masterpieces in less than a minute, even if you didn't go to school for this type of stuff.  You can use one of the loaded pre made settings to instantly transform your photo.  You just choose the one preset that is pleasing to your eye.

You can also tweak the brightness of your canvas and add text.  I liked that each of  paint options had an explanation of what they do at the bottom of the options list.
Here's a picture to better explain what I mean

Here are some of the pictures I oil'fied:
Here's an Oil Painting of Clearwater Beach in Florida.
OK, it was made using AKVIS Software!

Here's the original photo:
It completely removed the people in the water and birds.  I controlled the settings to do this, because it looked like little mistakes in the oil picture.  So without them, it looks better to me.

Next up, I thought I'd try a portrait of a zombie eating monster, like one in The Walking Dead, complete with a bullet hole to the head.
  This zombie didn't die though!

Here's the original Zombie picture taken with an iPhone.

I decided to try one more, this software is really fun.  I wanted to do some wildlife that I took photos of at Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park in Crystal River, FL.  These are native to Florida flamingos.  I think I painted this really nice, don't you? 

 And the original photo looks like this:

I really liked Akvis OilPaint.  It's quick and easy.  The software itself was laid out in a simple way so that anyone can learn it fast.  

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.

Adovia Mineral Eye Gel Cream Review

Today I received Adovia Mineral Eye Gel Cream.  I tried it immediately out of the box.  It did feel like gel that is for sure.  When I rubbed it around my eyes, it felt exactly like gel and took a little longer to dry than say a lotion.  I have never put a gel product on my face so it took a little getting used to.  I felt that it penetrated my skin better than lotion.  

The ingredients are:
Demineralised Water & Dead Sea Water, Stearic Acid, Propylene Glycol & Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis) Extract & Algae Extract & Papaya (Carica Papaya) Extract & Aloe Vera (Barbadensis) Gel, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Sweet Almond (Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis) Oil, Glycerin, Carbomer, Olive (Olea Europaea) Oil, Geranium Maculatum Oil, Evening Primrose (Oenothera Biennis) Oil, Urea, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolysed Keratin, Peach (Prunus Persica) Kernel Oil, Cornflower (Echinacea Pallida) Extract, Lactic Acid, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Benzoic Acid, Chlorphenesin, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzalkonium Chloride, Propylparaben, Dead Sea Salt, Exotic Verbena (Litsea Citrata) Oil, Ginseng (Panax Ginseng) Extract, Soybean (Glycine Soja) Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate.

Alot of the ingredients are good, but I was concerned about the "hydrolysed" part.  I know it's not good to eat it.  Can absorbing it through your skin be ok though?  I used the old google to find out.

I asked google if  hydroxypropyltrimonium hydrolysed keratin was ok:
Seems so, might be the answer:  
Keratin amino acids and hydrolyzed keratin are materials that have been so substantially damaged, degraded and modified from their original source material that they can't really be considered keratins at all.  It’s like the difference between a pile of sawdust and a piece of wood, or a pile of bricks and a house.

Keratin derivatives bring different benefits, for example hydroxypropyltrimonium hydrolysed keratin acts as a conditioning agent. The keratin in this is limited. The benefit is mostly associated with the modification that has been added on and the fact that there is keratin as part of the name doesn’t make a whole lot of difference.
Source

Then I asked if  Hydrolyzed Collagen is okay for the skin:
Well if you want to find out more about that, click here for the source of that information.  They do not say it's bad.

Here is what Adovia says about their Eye Gel Cream on Amazon:
*Our Promise: Your Eyes will Look 10 Years Younger or Your Money Back! - Reduce Puffiness Under and Around The Eyes - Makes Eyes Appear Years Younger and Radiant!
*Gets Rid of Dark Circles Under Eyes - Your Eyes Will Look More Youthful and Refreshed!
*Formulated Specifically for The Gentle Area Around the Eyes - this Light Eye Gel Absorbs Quickly into Skin for Deep Hydration
*Dead Sea Salt Delivers an Immediate Infusion of Dead Sea Minerals - Essential for Proper Skin Health and Beauty
*Contains Vitamin C which Delivers Powerful Antioxidants Deep Into Skin Cells

UPDATE: 7/24/14:  I've used this for a month off and on.  I noticed smoother area's under my eyes.  I had some dark circles forming from the late nights with my toddler.  I used this and they seemed to diminish quite a bit.  I still had them but not as dark.  I was pleasantly surprised.

I would have to use this for about 3-6 months to see if it holds up to the full claim here.  But I think it's a good product so far.  I definitely have seen the smoothing side of it work.   






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.

FREE Full Size Bag of Food Should Taste Good Guacamole Tortilla Chips

Today I received a full bag of Food Should Taste Good Guacamole Tortilla Chips.  We had them tonight with some Newmans Own Pineapple Salsa.  (That salsa is Delicious!!!) I was excited to try these chips since they are non GMO, gluten free, trans fat free, and have all around natural healthier ingredients in them.  The chips are nice size tortilla shaped and are dark green.  They did not have a dusting of the guacamole flavor, as the company seemed to put the guacamole right in the chip dough.  They were nice and crispy like any other tortilla would be.  The taste was great but a little spicy.  I don't mind spicy foods and even my toddler thought these were "yummy".  Our mouths got that on fire feel to it as we kept eating the chips and we needed our drinks handy.  It didn't seem like I was depriving myself even though they are a healthier ingredient chip.  In fact, I felt good eating them just because of the ingredients.  The downside is that they are still rather fattening at 6 grams of fat for 10 chips and 130 calories.  Guacamole is a good fat and high in calories so maybe that is the reason.  I would have to try the other flavors to see if they are on the same level of calories and fat.  

This picture and nutritional information is from the Food Should Taste Good website.

Ingredients:

Stone Ground Corn, High Oleic Sunflower Oil and/or Safflower Oil and/ or Canola Oil, Cilantro, Parsley, Avocado, Serrano Peppers, Coriander, Tomato Powder, Sea Salt, Dried Onion, Dried Garlic, Cumin, Lime Oil, Vinegar, Salt, Red Pepper.

I would recommend these tortilla chips based on the unique flavor and the natural ingredients.  Food Should Taste Good has a variety of chip flavors here.

I received my free sample from Eat Better America AKA LivebetterAmerica.  They are a website full of recipes and coupons for different brands and occasionally send out a free full size sample. Just sign up for the newsletter and watch your email monthly. They go quick so you have to respond quick.

FREE Anti Aging Vitamin C Serum by Pure Body Naturals and REVIEW

Today I received a 1 ounce bottle (and dropper) of a Vitamin C Serum for Anti Aging from Pure Body Naturals.  I have tried a different Vitamin C Serum (see here).  I am going to give this one a shot and see how it makes my face look compared to the other brand. I will use this for a month and update again when I have used it and can give an unbiased opinion of it.

From their Amazon Page:

*PURE BODY NATURALS - Potent 20% Vitamin C Serum Suspended in a Concentrated base of Pure Vegan Hyaluronic Acid uses the very BEST NATURAL and ORGANIC ingredients to give you MAXIMUM Antioxidant Protection to help ELIMINATE Free Radicals on your Skin That Causes Premature Aging.
*SUPER SOFT SILKY SMOOTH SKIN : Our Serum moisturizes your skin and is QUAD power packed with Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Pure Vegan Hyaluronic Acid. PURE BODY NATURALS Topical Vitamin C Serum for face and neck leaving your skin vibrant and super smooth. 

PROVEN using NATURAL POTENT formula Combination of 20% Vit C Serum (with added A & E Vitamin) which Stimulates Collagen on your Skin. It REDUCES your Fine Lines & Wrinkles, Freckles and Skin Discolorations - using only NATURAL & ORGANIC INGREDIENTS.
GUARANTEED TO HAVE CLEARER, SMOOTHER BEAUTIFUL SKIN: Fast results because of Vitamin C face serum's absorbs rapidly into your skin, getting to work providing dramatic impact on reducing wrinkle size and depth, especially around the eyes. You deserve to look younger again and feel great again - now you can - treat your skin the way it should be treated and feel great about yourself !
MADE and CRAFTED in the USA using ONLY THE FRESHEST BOTANICALS AVAILABLE in a FDA Approved and GMP Certified Manufacturing Facility. Our Topical Vitamin C Face Serum is Paraben Free & Only uses the very Best and Highest Quality Organic, Natural Ingredients and is Cruelty-Free. This will leave your face and neck feeling beautiful and restored again.
Our Vitamin C helps to stimulate your skin's rate of exfoliation for a brighter, smoother complexion. Deals with the Antioxidant properties that will reduce skin damage caused by the sun, pollution and cigarette smoke. Our Slow Release Technology (SRT) delivers a deeper penetration of active ingredients to the skin cells. Proven to stimulate the synthesis of collagen which makes your skin appear years younger and more vibrant beautiful skin. 

EDIT 7/16/14:  I have used this for about a month now and I can say that my face looks smoother.  I didn't use it for about a week during this trial run and noticed my face was not as bright and did not have the red cheek glow to it.  I felt that it made my pores on my face smaller.  I also noticed that my nose was clearer, as sometimes I get some blackheads.  I love the smell of this, yes it smells of oranges.  I think I would need to use it longer to comment on the collagen effect as it states.

 I also used this on a scaly itchy spot that keeps coming back and my doctor has no idea what it is.  I have been using it and it has diminished and stopped itching.  I haven't used it in a week on that itchy spot and it started itching.  I am amazed it made it diminish!  I have tried a lot of products and this one has made it go away.  I do have a scar from it though, it did not remove that. Just the scale and itching.  It does look less dark though.

The bottom line is, that it works to smooth out rough looking skin.  Even if your skin is looking great, this can make it look even better. Give it a try!

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.

Rainbow Bandz and Loom Board Review

Today I received "Rainbow Bandz".  They are organic and latex free.  I received a Loom Board, tool, 24 clips, and 600 Silicone Loom Bandz.  This is how the box looks.

I opened it up and began to follow the step by step color instructions.  It was pretty easy for me to figure out and get the hang of it quick.  The only part that was hard for me to figure out was the ending where you had to reach the last bandz onto the furthest part on the Loom Board.  When I took it off to use a clip, it fell apart midway.  I will tell you why, and this is not covered in the instructions.  On EACH prong of the Loom Board, you need to make sure you are putting the next silicone bandz down far enough on the prong when you are laying your colors down on the Loom Board.  This is so that when you start looping and begin to pull the bandz out from under the other bandz to make the loops, they will catch and make loops.  It sounds confusing, so just remember when you're laying down the color bandz on the board, just put the bandz you are putting onto a prong down far on the prong and repeat with each bandz.  You should be okay then.  

The picture below is after I was done laying down both colors of the bandz and it was ready to start looping.

I already looped the first bandz here (the first black one).

Then the 2nd pink one, you pull it up from underneath the black one and over to the adjacent prong with the next black one on it.  

Then you just continue that pattern until the end.

When you're down looping, it should look something like this.  (I hope! haha)

This part, I was attaching a clip to the bandz and then pulled all the bandz off the board, then attached the clip to the other side of the bandz.

I made several!  Here is the one you see in the making of the bandz pictures above.

I made a tri color bandz bracelet! 

I really enjoyed making the bracelets.  I did the easy pattern, but did not try the harder ones.  This would probably be good for a tween or younger if you can supervise and help them along.  There were a lot of bandz and colors, so you probably wouldn't run out for awhile.  You can also take them apart REALLY easy to add back into your stock of bandz.  If I had all the time in the world, I would make one to match each outfit every day! HAHA!  I think this is a really fun product for adults too.  If you have toddlers around, make sure you watch the bandz very closely as they are extremely small and can be lost easily.  They have a choking hazard on the box for 3 and below.  

You can find the Rainbow Bandz at GETRAINBOWBANDZ.COM

They also have online instructions free.

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.