Breezeway Magnetic Screen Door

What a simple, inexpensive solution for those who can't install a screen door either because you don't own your home or because the design of the doorways wouldn't make a hinged screen door practical!

You can get this screen here
http://bit.ly/breezewayscreen

The Breezeway Screen Door is easy to install in just minutes. Simply attach the velcro to the screen, remove the backing to the sticky-backing, align it on the doorframe and Presto! You have a screen door! There are push pins provided for higher traffic areas too just to give it a bit more hold.

This is also a great option if you have pets and you don't want to install a pet door ... they can easily go through the "door" on their own and the magnets make it quickly "snap" back together. You don't have to worry about the kids shutting the door either... bonus!

All in all a clever and affordable solution to a common problem.

I received this product in exchange for a fair and honest opinion.

Adeline Anti-Aging Moisturizer

A couple weeks ago I received two products from Adeline Beauty (www.AdelineBeauty.com) to review. The first was their Anti Aging Eye Serum which I have already reviewed.... so now on to their Anti-Aging Moisturizer with Matrixyl.

You can purchase this product at
http://bit.ly/adelineskin

Like I said before, I rarely used "products" in my past, because I've always had decent skin. But as an "over 50" woman I have to say that I'm starting to experience the dark circles and some fine lines that I'd be happy to do without. So now I get rather excited when I get a chance to try out a new skin care product!

Adeline has put 5 anti-aging products in one bottle: Matrixyl, Witch Hazel, Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin C & Vitamin E, making it a great all-in-one moisturizer for those who don't want a whole pile of bottles on their bathroom counter. It's also a great product for people like me who travel a fair amount and only want to bring one bottle in your suitcase. Their claim (and I say claim because I'm not a scientist) is that their cream hydrates, oxygenates, lifts, tones, moisturizes, and boosts cell regeneration. 

After having used it for a couple weeks I have to say I like how my skin feels when I use this product. It spreads easily and soaks in quickly. The peppermint in the ingredients gives it a very light minty smell (which is a nice pick-me-up as you put it on) but it also makes for a very mildly tingly feeling for a few minutes after you put it on. It certainly feels like my skin is a bit more toned and hydrated. I really like to put it on right before I put on my make-up as it makes for a great foundation so that my base powder goes on evenly and sets nicely. I also use it right before bed as a night cream. 

All of Adeline's products are made and packaged in a FDA-certified facility and backed by a 100% "Bottom of the Bottle" money-back guarantee. 

I received this product in exchange for a fair and honest review.... all opinions are mine alone.

Adeline Organic Eye Serum

I have never been a "product person" ... at least, not until I started my review blogs... now all of a sudden I'm getting all kinds of opportunities to try different skin care products out, and I'm kinda liking it! So I was excited to have the chance to try out some new products this last week.

You can purchase this product here:
http://bit.ly/adelineeyes

Adeline's Organic Eye Serum is an "Anti Aging and Anti Wrinkle Eye Serum with Aloe, Cucumber Extract, Chamomile Extract, Antioxidants and Vitamins A, C, and E". Formulated to reduce dark circles under your eyes caused by aging, toxins, poor sleep, pollutants, and sun damage and a healthier, more youthful glow, this serum is paraben and alcohol-free, which as a Massage Therapist is very important to me. 

However, soon after applying the serum the skin under my eyes felt like it was burning. When I looked in the mirror, I could see that the skin under my eyes was turning red and seemed irritated. I generally don't have sensitive skin so this was surprising to me. So I started going through the ingredients. 

Generally, I really liked what I saw there ... most of the ingredients are of an "Organic" nature (I put "Organic" in quotes because they are plant based, but this product is not labeled  "USDA Certified Organic" so we have to take their word that these ingredients have been grown and harvested by Organic standards). Unfortunately there was one ingredient that caught my eye that I didn't recognize, and that was Phenoxyethanol (and with a name like that you KNOW it's not going to be organic in any way, shape, or form!) 

So, I looked it up, and the Environmental Working Group (EWG) puts it as a "Low Moderate Hazard" ... with "Limited evidence of nervous toxicity" and "Classified as an irritante". Hmmmmm, so that may explain the reaction I had! However given that the EWG had it at a "low moderate" risk, I figured that while the risk of toxicity is low I'd do more digging.  (http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/704811/PHENOXYETHANOL/)

I found some more info at the Truth in Aging website about the possibility of Phenoxyethanol as an irritant: 

"I also came across a report written by a medical professional who contracted allergies after coming into contact with phenoxyethanol in a detergent used for cleaning lab equipment.  It seems he wasn't a fluke. There are over 3,000 known allergans and they were studied, along with the data from 9,948 patients, by a research team in Germany. Phenoxyethanol was in the top 10. An Italian study also determined that phenoxyethanol is a contact allergan. However, a 1990 article in the Journal of the American College of Toxicology said that it was only a mild irritant to rabbit skin at 2%." https://www.truthinaging.com/review/phenoxyethanol-is-it-safe

Supposedly this ingredient is the replacement for Parabens, which is a chemical that has been widely used to stabilize many products for years now, but which has taken a bad rap for it's potentially carcinogenic properties. So odds are you are going to see this in a lot of products that you buy, unless you look for the "USDA Certified Organic" label.

Even with all of that, I actually liked what the product did. Once the redness went down (about 1 hr) the skin around my eyes felt a lot tighter and smoother. The next time I used it, I didn't have quite as bad of a reaction. So for now I will try this at night, and see how things go. Generally I believe this is a good product with just one questionable ingredient (which is FAR better than most products out there). I hope that the company will try to find something to replace that with in the future.... and for those reading this, just be aware that you should ALWAYS read the ingredients on the labels of anything you put in OR on your body so you can CHOOSE what you are exposed to on a daily basis.

You can get the Adeline Eye Serum Here:  http://bit.ly/adelineeyes

I received this product for a fair and honest review. All opinions are mine alone.

Oral Stericlean Uv Portable Toothbrush Sanitizer

Dental hygiene. We all do it to some extent or other. Hopefully we at least brush our teeth a couple times a day. We may floss, swish, oil pull, and subject ourselves to the not-very-pleasant teeth cleanings in an effort to maintain healthy teeth and gums. 

Well, now there's something else you can do. The Oral Stericlean Uv Portable Toothbrush Sanitizer is a FDA approved medical device that kills bacteria and other microbes that may be on your toothbrush

in between brushings. The CDC says, "Even after being rinsed visibly clean , toothbrushes can remain contaminated with potentially pathogenic organisms" ... and England's University of Manchester states, "Your toothbrush harbors as many as 100 million bacteria, this bacteria affects all the organs of the body." Add to that how many of us travel (and thus stuff our still-wet brushes into our bags, making a nice environment for many microorganisms to thrive) and we may well be counteracting the benefits of brushing thanks to our brushes being contaminated.


The Oral Stericlean sterilizes your toothbrush with UV light, which is known to kill microbes. From Wikipedia: UVGI (ultraviolet germicidal irradiation) utilizes short-wavelength ultraviolet radiation that is harmful to microorganisms. It is effective in destroying the nucleic acids in these organisms so that their DNA is disrupted by the UV radiation, leaving them unable to perform vital cellular functions, including reproduction.

Simply place your brush in the device, shut, and let it do it's thing. The whole thing takes about 6-8 minutes, and it shuts off automatically. Simple, easy, and good for your peace of mind. 

Purchase here: http://bit.ly/stericlean

I received this product in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are mine alone.

Teflon Dehydrator Sheets = Easy Kale Chips for Me!

I love kale chips... but they are darned expensive to buy. I make them for myself once in awhile in the oven but it's a bit of a pain because the cookie sheets don't effectively use the space on the racks and when I use aluminum foil the chips don't seem to dry evenly.

Kale Chips in the making!

Although these sheets are designed for use in Excalibur dehydrators, they work really well in the oven too. I placed 2 of them on the oven rack, arranged my lightly oiled kale leaves on the sheets and popped them in the oven. About 8 minutes later I had a tray full of evenly dried, yummy kale chips.

They easily slid off the sheets and into the container that I use for them and clean-up was a matter of a little soapy water and a rinse.

These would of course be great in the proper dehydrator too for things like fruit leathers and drying herbs and other foods. They
make great oven liners and are perfect for baking cookies. You get 9 14"x14" sheets which is plenty for the majority of users and the price point at time of writing is $15.99 .. great value for something that will make your baking and drying experience better!

You can purchase these Dehydrator Sheets at http://bit.ly/dehydratorsheets9pk .... Happy Baking!

I received this product for a fair and honest review. All opinions are mine alone.

UpBiotics Advanced Probiotic Formula

Well, after being out of town for a week, I'm back and catching up on my Blog Reviews. So much great stuff to check out! 

You can purchase this product at
http://bit.ly/upbioticsprobiotic

First to be reviewed is a Probiotic supplement by UpBiotics. This little pill is packed with 11.5 billion organisms, which is a pretty hefty dose of these wonderful little guys. I generally don't do lots of supplements, and when I do take them, it's to either fill a gap in my diet (like when I'm traveling and know I am not likely going to eat right), or for a particular purpose (ie, to see if I can lose weight via increased metabolism.... so far, that one hasn't been too successful! My body is VERY efficient and doesn't respond much to anything I've tried so far, but that's another blog post!). 

However, the ONE supplement I would recommend that people take on a regular basis is a probiotic. For one thing, you can't really "overdose" on it and the majority of people likely have imbalances in their gut thanks to stress, processed foods, and the like. Given that modern medicine is FINALLY starting to agree with us alternative medicine folks that true health begins in the gut, and that probiotic cultures are a great way to help to keep things in balance, I would say that pretty much everyone would benefit from taking a daily probiotic. 

Some of the benefits of taking a Probiotic:

• Daily relief from allergies, gas, bloating and constipation;
• Helps to balance vaginal flora like Candida  
• Improved digestive health; 
• Strengthens the immune system; 
• Helps with weight Control; 

The problem is, there are SO MANY companies out there selling these things. 

So... how do you choose which one is right for you? Lets start with what I like with the Upbiotics supplement, because they definitely are on the right track. 

First, look at the cultures present. Cheap probiotics will likely just have Acidophilus and nothing else. While that's not a "bad" thing (hell, any of the cultures are better than nothing at all!), there are many different cultures, and each tends to have different "positives" that may help your digestion. Upbiotics has SEVEN different cultures: 

 Four more "common" cultures: 

• lactobacillus rhamnosus - used to treat or prevent diarrhea caused by viral infections as well as antibiotic-induced loose stools 
• lactobacillus acidophilus - a bacteria that exists naturally in the body, primarily in the intestines and the vagina. Acidophilus helps maintain an acidic environment in the body, which can prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
• bividobacterium longus - helps to ferment a wide variety of carbohydrates, including lactose and the sugars in cruciferous vegetables, dried beans and some cereal grains that humans cannot digest. It also has enzymes to digest proteins so that they don’t putrefy in the colon.
• bividobacterium breve - helps with ailments such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea, allergies, gas, and irritable bowel syndrome, as well as vaginal yeast infections. This one is found in most breast fed babies intestines, which may help to strengthen their immune system. 

 and three less common ones: 

• bacillus subtilis - Survives passage through the GI tract (many cultures don't make it past the stomach) and is believed to ncrease immune reaction of intestinal cells which is helpful against pathogens
• lactobacillus casei - helps protect the human body from disease and illness by restricting the growth of various types of harmful bacteria that cause infection and be detrimental to an individual's health. Some strains of the bacteria help control diarrhea, while other strains have an anti-inflammatory effect on the gut. Other advantageous effects include reducing lactose intolerance, alleviating constipation, and even modulation of the immune system
• lactobacillus plantarum - has been shown to be an effective treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, and colitis. It has the ability to destroy pathogens and to preserve critical nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants. It has also shown the rare ability to produce L. lysine, a beneficial amino acid. One of the most exciting uses for Lactobacillus plantarum involves using it to deliver therapeutic compounds and proteins to the body.

There are many other probiotic cultures out there that have other benefits.... and one thing that makes it even more confusing is that there are different STRAINS of each of these cultures, some of which are more beneficial than others.... and as consumers we just can't keep track of all that, so to some extent we have to trust that the supplement manufacturers have done the appropriate homework and are using the most relevant and potent strains to elicit the health benefits that we are looking for.

The second, and just as important property of a good probiotic supplement is the ability of the strains to survive long enough in the gut to do their job, as well as the ability to survive "on the shelf". Regarding the latter, it's very important to keep your supplements in a cool dry area and to make sure they are well within their sell by date when you purchase them. This is one of the reasons that you don't want to buy probiotics in the supermarket or from sources that are not invested/trained in the handling of supplements, because they often have product on the shelf for far too long.

"Gut Life" is a whole conversation that I can't go into here, but suffice it to say that Upbiotics claims that their cultures are "biologically stable enough to go though the tough GI track environment and reach the destination to be effectively absorbed via a Controlled Release Capsule to ensure consistent supply of probiotic bacteria to the target destination even with once a day intake." The capsules are made in USA by an FDA registered cGMP certified facility with 100% natural ingredients and are backed with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. 

I have just received this bottle and will be giving it a full trial, and will be back if I have any major comments (positive or negative) to add to this, but suffice it to say that I believe this particular probiotic supplement would be a good choice for the majority of people thanks to the broad range of cultures present.

You can purchase this product at: http://bit.ly/upbioticsprobiotic

Sources for info on the different cultures:

http://www.powerofprobiotics.com

http://www.probiotic.org

http://www.drugs.com/

I received this product in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are mine alone.