Kiwi Crate April 2014 Review

My son Hudson's 6th birthday was in April and he chose to put his birthday money towards a Kiwi Crate subscription (www.kiwicrate.com). Kiwi Crate is a monthly children's craft subsciption box. For $19.95/month you receive a crate with around 3 themed activities/craft projects geared towards ages 3-8 (themes include Wild Safari, Secret Agent, Fairy Fun). Hudson had the option to choose the theme for his first month (other months are a surprise theme), and he chose Medieval Fun (that's my boy!). Here is everything that came in the crate:

The kit came with supplies to make a knight's face mask, princess hat, banner, and catapult, as well as instructions to turn your crate into a castle and make puppets.

First, we made the medieval dress-up items. We used to Kool-Aid in water to dye the silk scarf (for use in either the princess hat or as a banner).

While we let that dry, we worked on the mask and princess hat.

The mask and hat were very simple to make. Only the princess hat required cutting, otherwise everything was perforated. Ribbons were attached to the hat and mask to fasten on each kid's head.

Hudson's completed mask:

Aislinn's completed princess hat (minus the silk scarf - still drying):

We next worked on the catapult. It was also really easy to make, mainly just a matter of assembling the pieces. Here is the completed catapult:

The crate came with small pom-poms, a large pom-pom, and a ping-pong ball to try in the catapult. Here are the little pom-poms in action:

I was happy that the crate came with enough supplies so that both of the kids could do the crafts together. I also really liked that the activities required a variety of skills to complete. Each activity had an accompanying book with a difficulty rating, which is nice to see in advance so you can be prepared with how much the kids will need your help to complete the activities.

Hudson's rating of this month's Kiwi Crate was "Awesome!".  His favourite thing to make was the catapult. I'm excited to see the next month's activities, and so are the kids :)

One other great thing about Kiwi Crate is that they have a referral program. When you refer someone, they receive $10 off their first month, and you receive a $10 credit! It's a win for everyone! Here is my referral link, so if you are interested in subscribing, please use this link to receive your discount. :)

GlamST Website Review - Part 2

Back in March, I reviewed the website www.glamst.com as part of a BrandBacker campaign. Since then, GlamST has made a number of changes to their site and makeover app that I'd like to show you. In case you haven't read my original post,  GlamST is a virtual makeover site created by two telematics engineers from Uruguay. You upload your own photo or use on the of the photos provided to try on different makeup from different lines. After you complete your option you have the option of purchasing your items though Sephora. It's a really cool site and I was excited to go back and try new features.

New Feature #1 - Looks Section

When you click into your Looks section now, the first thing you see are all of the recent looks from bloggers, community, and yourself. Look, there's me!

When you click each photo you will get a pop up window with a before and after of the photo and the makeup products used. You also have the option to love, share, or try a look, as well as looks similar to that one.

The Look feature is great because you get to see what other looks other people are doing and you can even find some inspiration for yourself! 

New Feature #2 - Eyeshadow and Eyeliner

GlamST has improved their Eyeshadow and Eyeliner features. You can now chose the shape of your eyeshadow/liner.

They have also updated the Eyeshadow feature so you can choose which eyeshadows to use in a palette and where.

I love the updates that GlamST has done to their site. They improve the experience and make it more personalized. I highly recommend you check it out for yourself at www.glamst.com

The AwesPosBlog First Giveaway!

Hello everyone! I want to say thank you to everyone who has followed, checked out, or otherwise stumbled upon this blog. Viewership has doubled every month since I started this blog in January, far beyond what I anticipated. I couldn't do it without you, and just a reminder to PLEASE like the blog on Facebook or follow on Twitter (links on sidebar of page).

That said, I would like to show my appreciation by giving away a box of goodies to one lucky reader! Entry is open to anyone worldwide, and the box'o goodies contains things that I have had the chance to try and other good things:

• Crest 3D White Whitestrips (1 treatment)
• CoverGirl Bombshell Volume by Lashblast mascara
• Dove go sleeveless Antiperspirant in Beauty Finish
• Revlon Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel in Amethyst
• Just Chocolate Shower Gel and sparkly bath fizzy
• Joe Fresh Rose Gloss in Red
• Paul Frank Smackers Press-On Nails
• Herbal Essences Naked Volume Shampoo & Conditioner (travel size)
• OneCoffee Peruvian Dark K-cups (x3)

Retail value approx. $47

note: some items were received for free through promos (Herbal Essences items, Crest Whitestripes, OneCoffee K-Cups)

Entry-Form

Book Review - Diego's Dragon, Book One: Spirits of the Sun

I was recently given the opportunity to read the first book in the YA fantasy series Diego's Dragon, Spirits of the Sun, by author Kevin Gerard and Crying Cougar Press.

Image credit: www.diegosdragon.com

Spirits of the Sun introduces us to hero Diego Ramirez, an 11 year old boy who has won a mysterious dragon statue in a writing competition. He soon discovers that his statue is no ordinary statue but contains an ancient fierce dragon named Magnifico, with whom Diego shares a deep connection. We follow Diego on his journey to discover his true self, become a hero, and (kind of) get the girl.

I really enjoyed Spirits of the Sun. I am a fan of fantasy and historical fiction and this is right up my alley. It's a book that can be enjoyed by all age groups. The lead character is school-aged, but his turbulent family life and internal struggles are things that older readers can identify with. This is a book that I would feel comfortable reading by myself and with my children. What is also great about Spirits of the Sun is that it takes place in the Latino community, so you also learn some of the language and the culture of the community while reading. The only thing negative thing I can say about the book is that I wish we saw more of Diego's internal struggle. I don't feel we heard enough of his feelings about the changes in his life. Other that that, I am excited to continue reading the series to find out more of Diego and Magnifico's adventures! Book Two: Dragons of the Dark Rift, and Book Three: Battle at Tenochtitlan are available now at Amazon.

Visit www.diegosdragon.com to learn more about the Diego's Dragon series and where to purchase.

ELLE Canada Spring 2014 Beauty Box Review

I was super excited when I received the ELLE Canada Spring Beauty Box in the mail. For those of you who don't know, ELLE Canada's Beauty Box is a fairly new sampling program (I think this is only their second season). Sign ups are available about a month before release at www.ellecanada.com/beauty/beauty-box. I didn't get the Fall 2013 Beauty Box, but I was lucky enough to receive the Spring 2014 one! Let's take a look:

I love the box, it's so pretty :)

I received:

• CoverGirl Bombshell Volume by LashBlast Mascara in Black
• Gillette Satin Care With a Touch of Olay Sensitive Shave Gel
• Pantene Repair & Protect Miracle Protecting Shampoo & Conditioner
• Crest 3D Whitestripes
• $4 off coupon for Venus razor system
• $1 off coupon for Satin Care shave gel
• $5 off coupon for Vidal Sassoon Hair Colour
• $3 off coupon for Olay Regenerist Luminous line

I'm excited to try everything, but they are all brands and I know and like. The CoverGirl mascara looks really cool - it uses a 2-step system for extreme volume. The only thing I'm concerned about is that it might be overkill on me as I have naturally long lashes (sorry). I've used the Gillette Satin Care shave gel, and it's one of my favourites. It leaves my legs feeling smooth and soft, and thank God I got it just before shorts season! :P

I'm a big fan of Pantene products, and after the winter we've had I'm glad for the Repair & Protect Miracle Protecting products. The only thing I won't use are the Crest 3D Whitestrips as I have really sensitive teeth. I will say I am thankful for the high-value coupons. The Venus Razor system is my favourite (again, just in time for shorts season), and I also really like Vidal Sassoon hair colour.

I'm really happy I got the chance to try this box, and can't wait for the Fall 2014 Beauty Box. What did you think of the box?

Herbal Essences Naked Volume Collection Review

I recently had the opportunity from BzzAgent to try out Herbal Essences' new Naked collection. Naked products different from other Herbal Essences products in that they contain no heavy residues, dyes, or parabens. I received products from the Naked Volume collection (also available are the Naked Shine and Moisture collections).

I received Herbal Essences Naked Volume Shampoo, Conditioner, and Volumizing Souffle. I really liked the shampoo and conditioner, I think they are the best Herbal Essences products I've tried. The shampoo and conditioner contain grapefruit and mint extracts, and left my scalp feeling fresh and tingly while my hair felt soft and light. I don't tend to use mousse, but I did try the souffle after the shower and it worked well. It didn't leave my hair clumpy like some mousses do.

Overall, these are good products for the price (under $5 at most retailers), and I would recommend them.

For more info on the Herbal Essences Naked Volume Collection, visit here. 

Loot Crate April 2014 Review

Hurrah! The April Loot Crate is here! This month's theme was Dragons, which I was super excited about. Let's take a look:

I received:

• Loot Crate April 2014 button
• Dragon Slayer dog tag necklace
• Funko Game of Thrones mystery vinyl figure - we got Tyrion! XD
• 20-sided die stress ball
• Elder Scrolls The Nordic figurine
• Dragon Shield screen cleaner
• 20-sided die
• Mikey's Dragon Jerky

This is a box that Mike and I order for the both of us. Last month it was pretty much just interesting for Mike, as the theme was Titan (Titanfall/Attack on Titan). We both love Game of Thrones and dragons, and Mike's starting getting me into Magic the Gathering, so this helped sooth the nerd beasts inside us. Little Tyrion (the figure) is hanging out beside me right now, ready to imp slap at will. 

This is a box I really like, but the theme aspect to every box can be good or bad. This month was great, because I was really into it. February's was bad because I was not into it at all. I would recommend subscribing, but check the theme each month (usually announced during the first week of the month) to make sure you don't get a box that doesn't interest you. 

You can subscribe to Loot Crate at www.lootcrate.com