Links & Loves – Vol 9
Happy Wednesday, friends!! We are knee deep in Summer enjoying the sunshine and I realized I had some things I’ve been meaning to share with you all. We’ve tried out some new things that I have been wanting to share with you so this afternoon while the kids nap, I decided to make the time do so. Everything is a little bit all over the place so bear with me, I have a lot I want to share with you. We’ve got everything from STEM activities, to sunscreen, to lipstick to after sun support. There’s a little bit of everything for everyone!
STEM READS
We recently tried out STEM READS in June. We were really intrigued by what you get in your monthly $39.99 box of activities. We got the Space Rocks box and the kids have really enjoyed it. The box comes with two hardback books “Oh No, Astro!” and “Caroline’s Comets” and a Paperback National Geographic Kids Meteors book. We also received 2 STEM Reads Stickers, Space Rocks and fun extra activities.
Oh No, Astro! is a super cute short book that takes your kiddos through a space adventure of shy meteor that likes his space. It is a nice short book that is fun and exciting for your even your littlest STEM lover. Caroline’s Comets takes you on the first female scientist Caroline Herschel. This book was a bit longer but a great way to explore the history of Caroline and how she became a scientist! The National Geographics Kids Meteors book is packed full of real life photos of space and gives your kiddos a great way to learn about
If you love teaching your children with STEM activities, I highly recommend you check out STEM Reads. The activities in the boxes are able to be used again as you children get older giving them a fresh look at the activities as they get older. We’ve taken out our box a few times to recheck out the books and explore the space rocks since we got it. New boxes are available every month and you can purchase past boxes, like ours, too! Ready to check it out for yourself? You can save $10 on your first box with my referral link!!
KABANA ORGANIC SUNSCREEN
Finding a good quality mineral sunscreen that is effective seems to be tough these days. I did some research on sunscreens and ran them through EGW and ThinkDirty only to find several that were “quality” weren’t what they said they were. I continued my search and found Kabana. They don’t have a social media presence but had a lengthy list of reviews on their site of happy users. I also loved that Kabana Sunscreen is out of Colorado.
I had a tough time figuring out what to order so I reached out to customer service and got an email back from the owner himself. I inquired on if they had samples and due to being a blogger willing to try them out and share my experiences with you. #bloggerperks
We’ve been using this sunscreen for the last few weeks and I’m excited to share with you my thoughts on this sunscreen! This is a zinc-oxide sunscreen that is chemical-free! This sunscreen is non-nano which is a definite perk to me. It’s baby safe and fragrance free. I really every one of those things about those aspects of this sunscreen! Like a lot of mineral sunscreen it does take a little to rub in.
The GreenScreen D takes a lot more work to rub in and honestly, I feel like it has a lot of white leftover even when I feel like it’s rubbed in. The Original GreenScreen is white and can be rubbed in really well, it doesn’t seem to take as much to rub in. The Tinted GreenScreen alleviates the issues of the white. The neutral and nude are our favorites being closer to our skintones but they all rub in really nice and don’t make your skin look or feel weird.
Overall, we are really liking this Kabana Organic Sunscreen (bonus points in a Colorado brand) and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quality sunscreen that works! Check it out here!
LIPSENSE with KISSY LIPS COSMETICS
Most everyone has heard of LipSense but if you are like me, you are wondering “is it worth the cost?” You’ve likely seen the dozens of boomerangs on Instagram of women dragging their fingers across their lips so show it doesn’t smudge but you still aren’t convinced. I was the exact same way. Finally I look the plunge to get a “Starter Kit” to get the Color, Gloss, and Remover.
LipSense, along with all of their other products, are all: lead free, wax free, gluten free, GMO free, not tested on animals, no animal byproducts. Those items were appealing to me (are they the purest cosmetics out there, no but they are an excellent start) and I decided it was worth trying because I had ditched lipsticks a while back because I didn’t love that they always transferred so I decided to give it a try.
I am impressed with how long the lipstick lasts. To make it last the 12-18 hours you have to put on the gloss a few times throughout the day and you lose a bit around your waterline on your lips but it’s easy to reapply there if needed. I got Roseberry from Alex and really like the fun pinkish red color. I had Caramel Latte from a previous purchase and Apple Cider. They can be layered together to make new colors which is awesome! So with my 3 colors I can have 27 variations of colors depending on how I layer them which is pretty cool! I really like how long it lasts. Application can be tricky and removal can be quite a bit of work but if you are looking for an all day lip color I really suggest it. I don’t wear my LipSense every day but when I do, I’m really happy with it!
I’ve gotten LipSense from a couple distributors but I most recently got mine from Kissy Lips Cosmetics. She’s a mom and loves what she does. She’s excellent about sharing her posts and taking care of her customers. I’ve been really happy with her so if you are looking to try out LipSense, I encourage you to tell Alex has a fun Facebook group that shares products so you can see them firsthand, in-stock colors and hosts fun giveaways! If you are interested in finding a LipSense rep, you can join her group right here.
PREMAMA PRENATAL ENERGY DRINK MIX
Pregnancy takes a lot out of your body even when you’re on baby number three. You would think my body would be like “oh, another baby? We got this!” ha! Turns out energy some days is a little bit lower than others. I shared on my Revelation Essentials Instagram account a variety of things that I have been using this pregnancy that have made all the difference. I was offered the opportunity from Premama to try one of their supplements and I took the opportunity choosing the energy mix. I am already using some great prenatals + supplements so I felt like this was the best fit for me.
Premama Prenatal Energy is free from caffeine and stimulants so the energy source comes from B Vitamins. I also really like that it has 30mg of Omega-3s to help boost your mood and 2g of Fiber to curb fatigue. I don’t have any dietary restrictions, personally, but it is Gluten Free and Vegetarian. I’ts also non-GMO which I like a lot.
I wasn’t sure how much I would like it because it does have sugar in it but the sugar isn’t a lot and the watermelon flavor tastes great! The recommended amount of water added is 12 ounces but I like mine closer to around 6-8 ounces for the stronger flavor. I drink a lot of water during the day so I think it’s just fine! It comes with 28 packets and I use them on the afternoons I need an extra boost!
LAVADERM COOLING MIST & LAVADERM AFTERSUN SPRAY
We’ve been spending a ton of time outside lately and with sunshine comes summer heat, especially here in Pennsylvania with the humidity. Our little ones always get a bit red when in the sun for very long, even with sunscreen. Since I knew we were going to experience some days where we needed a little cool down I decided to stick Lavaderm Cooling Spray into my May Young Living Essential Rewards order. It’s perfect for those days where our family needs a little help cooling down or our skin needs a little extra sun support! We really like it!
In June, Young Living released their new Lavaderm Aftersun Spray!! This is excellent for sunburns, minor cuts and insect bites. We’ve used it for all of the above and have been impressed with our results! It’s a liquid that you shake when you apply. When you spray it, it comes out a beautiful, even lotion-like coverage. I love having tools at my disposal that are pure, toxin-free, safe for my family and effective! It has to be one of my favorite things ever – peace of mind as a parent is a beautiful thing.
Your turn! Tell me what you have been loving lately!! Have you tried any of these things? What did you think?
