The Traveling Sisterhood: February 2017

How to Get the Most Gorgeous Hair in the Universe... with a Ouidad Giveaway!


Congrats to Angie W., the winner of this giveaway!

My hair has a natural wave but it is very prone to frizziness... and when there's humidity involved, I've got no hope but to throw it in a ponytail and tell myself "Well, Celena, at least you still have pretty eyes." Enter Ouidad's new Climate Control line! I was amazed, you guys! It took me literally 5 minutes for gorgeous hair. If you follow my tips, I guarantee your hair will be prettier, too, whether you have straight hair or curly, or somewhere in between.
My #1 Tip: Use quality products. The first thing you need to do is add your choice of Ouidad product(s) to your Amazon wishlist in case you don't win the giveaway. If you buy just one product, let it be the Heat & Humidity Gel. If you can afford 2 at the moment, the conditioner is also amazing and one of my favorites out there. The gel, though, is one product that is going to be always in my cabinet from now on! It does seem a bit expensive at first glance, but a little goes a long way. I'll be purchasing the largest bottle for the biggest bang for the buck.

My #2 tip--take your shower right before bed. Scrunch the gel into your hair from roots to ends. Pile it onto your pillow as you sleep so that it will slowly dry. If you have wavy or curly hair, or any type of frizz prone hair, never towel dry your hair! That causes more frizz. And I never blowdry, either, because that causes more damage to your hair. Air drying is the best for lovely locks.

My #3 Tip: In the morning when you're getting ready, you might want to add a little more gel and scrunch again. Then, you'll be amazed at how gorgeous it looks. Ouidad has a lot of other products you can also check out at their newly revamped website. I'd love to see pics so come back and post them if you try it!
One winner will receive every item in the Ouidad Climate Control line! Enter below.

I really love wearing my hair long.
What's your favorite way to style your hair?
Special thanks for the wonderful people at Ouidad for this review and giveaway opportunity. 
All opinions are honest and my own.

Zippy Truffles Giveaway! Energy in a Bite-Sized Chocolatey Package


How pretty are these little truffles?! Plus they're organic. Plus they have B vitamins. Plus they have an added bonus--176mg of caffeine in each one! They're called Zippy Bites, are they're the ideal way to increase alertness and enhance productivity at any time of day. No brewing, vending-machine raids or bulky storage is required. ;)

Zippy Bites come in packs of two in a variety of flavors: Mint,  Raspberry, Caramel, and Dark Chocolate Raspberry. My favorite is definitely the Dark Chocolate Raspberry! All of them are palatable and a wonderful way to get the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee has--in each, little truffle! Perfect for on the go or a quick pick-me-up. They work as well as coffee, giving me boundless energy!

Enter below by 3/6. Five winners will be selected the next day to win a sampler pack of Zippy Bites. Good luck!

You Can Find Zippy Bites On

Special thanks to the wonderful people at Zippy Bites for this review and giveaway opportunity!

Books on Dragonwings, The Most Enchanting Subscription Box!


The other day, a dragon delivered my mail. Of course, as Anya says, he was disguised as a mail man. I opened the box that was delivered on Dragonwings and was blown away by how enchanting it was!  Anya started Books on Dragonwings earlier this year and she has impressed this lover of Fantasy immensely! Christmas follows on the heels of my birthday and you better believe I'll be spending my birthday money on the December Dragonwings box which you can still get before Christmas! My box was from last season so I can't wait to order the current box themed "Irish Mermaids".

The main attraction of the box is this new hardcover by Traci Chee. "The Reader" is "A stunning debut set in a world where reading is unheard-of, perfect for fans of Inkheart." It came out the same month the box did so you're very unlikely to have the book featured. However, the super cool thing is, you'll find out what the book is beforehand so if you're subscribed, you can choose to forego the book for that month and simply choose to receive the surprises that go along with the theme. Of course, you'll be charged less, too. The value of this box is wonderful, both with the featured book and without.

Included were this beautiful bookmark from Behind the Pages (an Etsy store worth checking out!!) and a wooden book necklace handcrafted just for this box--you can't get it anywhere else!

There was also a paperback called "Winterwood" about a pirate girl! It sounds like a super fun read. To fit the theme, there was another necklace with a bottle of golden stardust and a really cool pirate/anchor bracelet also from Etsy.
I love the Ocean Breeze Soap from Fragrant Bath Boutique, and the nail polish will look adorable on my nails. As I'm reading the book, of course, and sipping my hot chocolate. We'll see if my hubby notices how wonderfully my nails match the book as I read. ;)

After looking up prices on Amazon and Etsy, I'd put the value of last quarter's Books on Dragonwings at $56. That's almost double the cost of the subscription which is only $30 a quarter plus shipping. And you can get your first box for only $27 if you use my code TSIS10!

Congratulations to Anya for winning my favorite subscription box of 2016!

Win a Box of Hello Fresh Meals! 3 Winners!


Last day to enter! Three of my readers will receive a free box (up to an $80 value) of Hello Fresh food! The only thing is, you can't win if you've won before and must be a new customer. Read on to enter!

HelloFresh is one of my favorite meal delivery companies! They were one of the first, and they are definitely one of the best! I love their recipes--very family-friendly. Each week, you get to choose which 2 or 3 meals (depending on your plan) that you'd like to cook out of the 5 they have available.
The box comes filled with everything! Fresh produce, pre-measured spices, condiments for cooking, and meats--it's all there along with brightly colored, easy-to-follow recipe cards.
The meals are so delicious and will give you chef status in your home! I've definitely become a better cook because of them--I'm learning how to pair ingredients even when not cooking with them. These are their Italian-Style Pork Chops with Lemony Potatoes and Minty Zucchini Salad.
  
There is also usually a fish dish if you'd like one. My hubby loves their salmon! This one is the Spiced Salmon with Arugula Salad, Couscous, and Lemon Shallot Dressing. I've recently discovered that I love shallots. They bring such a delicious taste to your veggies!
Enter below by 2/15. The winners will be selected the next day. Good luck and Happy Valentine's Day! Remember, you can't win if you won last time and you must be a new customer to Hello Fresh. :)

Gorgeous New Jewelry and Natural Cosmetics a là 100% Pure



Today, I'm wearing new jewelry, Braxton Elongated Beaded Earrings and Alyssa Round Beaded Pendant Necklace by My Cents of Style, and makeup, both lip gloss and mascara, by 100% Pure.  The jewelry looks like small pieces of crushed glass in a variety of shades of red and I love it.  It's so unique and classy.  Each piece costs only $9.95 and comes not only in reds, but also in blues, greens, and silvers.  Plus, with your first order from their store, you receive a free pair of beautiful earrings!

  I wore my gorgeous earrings during my photo shoot for the cover of Kelli Pizarro's newest book! In the photo, the makeup I'm wearing is 100% Pure's Moonstone Lip Gloss and their Maracuja Mascara in Dark Chocolate. I can't tell you how amazing these products are!  The mascara is all natural and is actually made with chocolate!  You can smell it as you put it on but, once it's dry, the smell is gone.  The mascara definitely fluffs out my lashes and adds quite a bit of length.  I do have 3 coats on, as my eyelashes are normally super short and thin!

The mascara brush is light and fluffy.  The lipgloss glides on nicely and has a good taste which is to say, it doesn't really have a taste at all. It drives me crazy when lipglosses have that lipsticky, waxy taste. This one doesn't have that.  These are two of my new favorite products in my mirror cabinet. I can't wait to try more of their items! 

What is your favorite item in your makeup stash?  Have you tried 100% Pure?

Buy body butter set and get one free

70% off Dr. Bonyfide's Subscription Box and Science Books!

You get 4 full-color 200 page science books plus 3 months of the science/history subscription box for a grand total of $62.73! Jump on this--it will be gone within a couple days!
Last year, a beautiful outdoor school day in our backyard clubhouse became a trip of scientific proportion as we traveled back to 353 BC Greece thanks to Know Yourself's Time Skater's Adventure Box and the Dr. Bonyfide Presents series and I just have to share it again because it's 70% off in Educents Homeschool Month sale for a grand total of $62!! You guys, it was originally $163! Be sure and use the code 15off to get free shipping and the extra 15% off the sale price.

The Time Skaters Know Yourself Adventure is a 3-month long subscription. The first month's adventure includes a Time Skaters comic, science experiments and corresponding materials, historical lessons and healthy recipes, all packed in a sturdy box with a magnetic lid (which I found to be really cool!). It's for kids 8-14 and I can tell you that my 8, 10, and 11 year olds, not to mention their in-her-30s mama, found it to be very cool! 
       
It was a beautiful day, so I set up our Science/History lesson in the clubhouse.  As you can see, the box was packed full of all kinds of stuff--2 secret ink pens with lights, a nice map, six different herbs, putty, an egg rattle, a comic, two notepads, a booklet with instructions, recipes, and other activities, and stickers of the characters found in the comic.

The first month's adventure takes you to Ancient Greece where you encounter an adventure based about the 5 senses. It included a nice, big map, stickers, and all kinds of other goodies you'll see in the next picture.

The Sense of Sight: These pens are so cool!  They include blacklights on the ends so that you can read the secret message.  I wrote the first one: "I love you!"
The Sense of Touch: Crazy, pink putty!  It was especially fun and gooey and they loved this one.  We also discovered different textures with it later.  There was enough to split it between 4 kids.

The Sense of Smell: Herbs from around the world.  They didn't especially like some of the scents!  The kit came with a guide telling you where each spice was from so that you could mark it on the map with the included stickers.

The comic was engrossing!  A couple of the kids didn't think they'd care to hear the story but as they heard their sisters reading it aloud, they all gathered around to take turns reading!

I could hardly get a peek inbetween legs and heads!  But I finally snuck in this photo as all five of us listened to find out what would happen to the Time Skaters.  Would they make it out of Ancient Greece?!
While they're sold separately from the Time Skater's Subscription Boxes, Dr. Bonyfide's books were the perfect accompaniment to our lessons. Each of the three 200-page books includes full-color illustrations on every single page just like the ones above. There are amazing photos of the skeletal system, fun activities, and teaches kids (and grown-ups!) how the human body works in the most incredible way!
Each page of each Dr. Bonyfide book is so interesting, and is just as much pictures as facts which makes you really want to turn each page and see what the illustrations are all about.  I'm amazed by how much my kiddos are learning and they are truly loving it!  They read these books for fun even on their days off from school.

Dr. Bonyfide Presents: Bones of the Hand, Arm, and Shoulder includes illustrations of each of the finger spelt letters in the alphabet.
My kids are so enthralled with the Dr. Bonyfide Presents books!  They thought this was one of the funnest school days they'd had all year. Two of the books came with 3-d glasses to discover hidden riddles about the skeletal system.  

You can find this totally awesome bundle of full-color, 200 page textbooks and 3 months of subscription box sciencey fun at Educents for a grand total of $62.73 with free shipping! Let me know if you decide to take your kiddos on an adventure of historical and scientific proportions!

Thursday is the Last Day to Get FREE Caramels, Vase, and 15% off Flowal Bouquets at BloomThat!



**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. 

My order from BloomThat. The presentation upon opening was just lovely!

  BloomThat has some sweet savings going on now through February 9th! New customers will enjoy 15% off any purchase and a FREE vase & caramel candy with select blooms. I tried the caramels with my last order and they were absolutely delicious!

Blooming the USA from coast to coast, BloomThat delivers fresh blooms like these the next day anywhere in the U.S. or the same day in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. These four were the featured bouquets the last time I ordered. I chose The Winnie, which is the bouquet at the bottom left. The flowers lasted for about 2 weeks. After a week, many of the roses had wilted but the tulips were still beautiful as you can see in my photo above (taken after about 6 days--we had heavy winds and poor sunlight when I first received the flowers which didn't make for great photo opportunities.) But it goes to show you how well these flowers held up and how long your recipient will be able to enjoy them.

I love that they allow you to add on little goodies. You can choose a birthday bar (it was so delicious and even came with a candle to stick in the middle!), a box of the most incredible salted caramels, or a candle complete with a box of matches that says "You've got that spark!"
Click the pic above to get your free caramels and vase, plus new customers that order fresh blooms today February 9th can get 15% off their order with code VDAY15! Which flowers are your favorite?


100 Companies That Send Free Products to Mommy Bloggers!


The following kid's companies send free 
products to mommy and lifestyle bloggers. Some also pay you for any sales you bring in! These are notated by a *.  Simply send them an e-mail request. If they are an affiliate program (pay you for sales), wait for their approval e-mail before making your request. For free samples of successful e-mail requests, see the post here. For all of the brands marked with a *, you'll also receive commissions for any sales you bring in. Many of these offer giveaways as well which is fun for your readers and will grow your subscribers. It never hurts to ask! When the link goes to the company's website, simply scroll to the bottom or the top and click on "Contact Me" for their e-mail address. Use their Media or Press contact if there is one. Otherwise, use their customer care or any e-mail they provide. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: These are all brands I have received free items from, but that isn't a guarantee that they will offer items to everyone who requests them. ;)

 Educents!* By far my favorite children's store to work for! Every month, they send their bloggers a request of items they'd like reviewed. They also pay you commissions and have super fun affiliate contests very often that are simple to win! Please tell them Celena Marie sent you as they give store credit for referrals. :)

Lil  Passports* allows their affiliates to choose if they'd like a 3-month world or U.S. subscription. I've done both, but prefer the U.S. (pictured above) and so do my kids.
And now for the rest!
Canned Critters*
Groovy Lab in a Box*
 Really Color*
Sprouting Threads
Fabkids
Crazy8*
Janie & Jack*
Zazzle*
Gymboree*
Peely Pack
Zhu Zhu Pets
Snapper Rock
Nenuco Dolls
Grapevine Studies
Little Live Pets
Pinypon
Ozobot
Superfly Kids Capes
Marble Mania
Tommy Mommies 
 Kidpik
 Modarri
Scentos
The Etiquette Factory
Flower Girl World
Zipz Shoes
Pet Cakes Toys
Monster Truck Adventures
Peaceable Kingdom  
Our Generation Dolls
Tiny Treasures
Funshine Express
Torchlighters
Lil Woodzeez
Operation ResCute
Tea With Grace
Girls Can Crate
Itsy Sparks
Trash Packs
Me4Kidz
Educrate
Invicta Challenge
Springfield Dolls
FishFlix
Locker Lookz
MGA Dolls
Kidable Adventures
Tabletime Look and Learn
Mixing in Math     
Lottie Dolls
Mona MELisa
Painting Lulu
unGlue.com
Aeromax
People Toy Company
Oribel
Whiffer Sniffers
Proto Toys
Young Scientists Club
People Toy Company 
Epic!*
Circuit Scribe
Miniland Educational
GeoSmart
Manhattan Toy
Build & Imagine
Neat-oh
History Unboxed
Groovy Lab in a Box
BabyBin
Red Rooster Kids Alarm Clocks
Winning Moves Boardgames
KidStir
Auto B. Good
KitHub
FlyBy Promotions
Play It Forward Kids
SoCozy 
Bible Belles
Coop Sports
Teas 4 Kids
Paper Punk Kids
Samson's Classroom
Sequential Spelling
Kosher Casual
Moulin Roty
ClickNRead
Brilliant Sky Toys
Bonjour Petit
Dreamland Fairy
Identity Games
Bears for Humanity
Surprise Ride
FaithGirlz
Bluum

For more companies that send free items to bloggers, see the post here where there are over 60 organized by type. 
 
Bramble Box Props (link is the 5th one down in the list)