Hydration Belt by X Fit Factor

My quest for the perfect running belt has continued. Here is what I am requiring in my running belt. It’s comfortable, it has a big enough pocket for my cell phone, and I really wanted to be able to have some small water bottles on it as well. I tend to get really thirsty when I am running, so I really want to have some hydration with me at all times.

Running belts I have used previously have lacked the water bottle attachments. The pockets are great, they’re comfortable, but still no water bottles. So I was so excited to get to try out the Hydration belt from X Fit Factor.

You can find the product on their Amazon listing HERE

You may be wondering, does having the water bottles on the belt make it bulky and heavy. And I don’t feel that it does. Although, because it is now fall in Wisconsin, I have to wear more layers when I go for my walks outside. But the bottles sit nicely on my hips and they don’t bother me when I run. They are not bouncing all over.

The belt itself is elastic enough to be comfortable and not too tight, but tight enough to not move around. And the pocket in the front has enough room for my phone in it’s bulkier case. There is also a spot for the headphones to come out of the pouch if you’re wanting to have ear buds attached to your phone.

This is a great belt for someone who enjoys walks and runs outside, but wants to be able to bring things necessary for their training. This one fits the bill

*I received this  product in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. My reviews are 100% honest and my own.

Belly Buds

I have to admit these intrigue me. They have been featured on shark tank. They are speakers that you can place on your belly to play music and ore recorded voice messages through. 

I myself am not pregnant, but I gave a friend who is several months along that I have given these too to try while she is pregnant. 

The package comes with several of the gel patches that attack to the speakers, a headphone jack splitter and an instruction manual. 

What I find most interesting is that you can record messages for your baby and then play them into the womb. It’s a great way for other members of the mothers family and friends to participate in the pregnancy. And playing music for baby is supposed to help keep them less stressed. 

I am really excited to hear how my friend likes these throughout her pregnancy. 

*product was received in exchange for review purposes. 

Yunit Running belt

I have decided recently that one of my goals that I want to do before I turn 33 is to run at least a 5k. Now, if you have ever met me or talked to me? You would know that I am a terrible athlete. I hate working out. 

So I’ve been trying to get every advantage and luxury I can for running/walking. I bought some great shoes and insoles to help with shin splints and such. I have some new comfortable workout clothes, but none of them have pockets or any place to carry some thing like phone, or keys while I am out. 

I’ve been on the hunt for a good running belt for a while now. I want something that isn’t bulky? But then I sacrifice the amount I can carry. 

This running belt has a good balance of what I am looking for. A front pocket large enough to hold my cell phone while in it’s case. That pocket also has a headphone jack area so you can have your war buds cord safely tucked away. And it has two other smaller pockets that are perfect for keys, and in my case, doggie poo bags since I tend to take my dog on walks with me. It also has reflective strips on it for when you are out after dark? Which in Wisconsin in the fall and winter is pretty much anytime after 5pm. 

The belt is comfortable when worn, and the snap buckle holds it nice and firmly. I really like this belt and will hopefully get a lot of good use for it in the future. 
*this product was received in exchange for review purposes. 

Ecocube Aquarium

We started keeping fish several years ago and we learned so much during the set up. I was nervous having multiple tanks simply because in my past experiences it was almost impossible to keep them clean. But we learned quickly that if a tank is well filtered, it pretty much keeps itself clean.

At the moment we have one 75 gallon tank, one 29 gallon tank and a 2 gallon tank. We haven’t had any problems with any of them except the two gallon. It was an all in one filter and water aerator. Well the internal motor stopped working, so the filtration stopped as well. The fish somehow have survived in a tank with no water filtration for the last 5 months, they are little fighters.

So when I got the chance to review a new all in one system, I jumped on the chance.

You can check out the listing on Amazon HERE

So, the direction says that you’re supposed to wait 3 weeks to put fish in the tank. But here’s the thing, that wait time is so the tank can start making good bacteria. You never want to put fish in a tank with no good bacteria. It will spike the nitrates in the water and kill your fish. But if you have established tanks, tanking some of the substrate or filter material and putting it in your new tank will establish the good bacteria for you. So I cut a section off of one of our foam filters from our large tank that is flourishing and stuck it in the new tank and turned it on.

After a few days, I transferred over my fish from the old tank into the new one. And they are so happy! Zooming all over their new tank. The tank itself is very attractive and looks great on my table. I was a little disappointed that a remote for the lights was not included, it is an additional cost, but there is a control panel built into the cord for the lights. There are many different options for lighting, which is very nice.

I haven’t purchased a plant yet, but we’re going to do mint on the top. I’m super excited to have the plant in there, it will add a nice touch.

So far I am very pleased with this tank. It was easy to set up, it literally took me just a few minutes. It is stylish, and more importantly, my fish seem to really like it.

*I received this product a discounted rate for review purposes. This in no way affects my review. My views are honest and my own.

Sleep Jockey therapeutic pillow

I am one to admit that I have a bit of a problem. I love pillows. And its one of the things I can never seem to throw away. I routinely  rotate my favorites. 

I was very excited to get to try out this new body pillow. It’s supposed to help with anxiety and insomnia, both of which I have in spades. 

You can find this product on Amazon here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01F6CSGXO/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1
One thing I noticed right away is this is a firmer pillow. I usually lean towards softer yet supportive pillow. So I haven’t tried this for sleeping yet. I’m going to let it break in a little before that. 

It is amazing to use to help prop myself up while watching TV in bed. It’s so comfortable for that. 

It does come with a soft removable pillow case, so you can wash if it gets dirtier. 
-I received this pillow in exchange for my review. All views expressed are my own. 

Ultra shield foam earplugs

My boyfriend snores horribly. Like a chorus of chainsaws. I can’t say that I don’t snore, because I do. And I’m sure he’d appreciate having a way to tune me out as well. 

For me, I suffer terribly from insomnia, everything about falling asleep is hard for me. I need cold, quiet and dark. Which is about the complete opposite of my boyfriend. He likes to be toasty and can’t sleep without the tv on. So I need any help I can get falling asleep. 

Ear plugs have been a saving grace for me since we started dating. And these are no exception. First of all, the bottle is huge. There are 50 pieces in the container. This will last me a while! 

The earplugs are very soft and easy to mold and form. They are comfortable in the ear. And they do a great job of blocking out a good portion of the noise. The level of the snoring is at a level that I can block out and still fall asleep.

 I will definitely be sleeping good for a while (hopefully) 
-I received this product in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Natures Nectar Thyroid Supplement

I took for granted my metabolism when I was younger. I used to be able to eat anything I wanted and never gain a pound. That started changing at about 25 for me. That’s when I really started to pack on the weight. Now that I’m 30, I’m struggling just to maintain a healthy weight. I pretty much feel like I can look at a piece of cake and gain 5 pounds. Add to that, a few of my medications that I am on for migraines and anxiety also cause me to lose weight.

The last year or so I’ve also been feeling just generally blah. No energy to do anything, tired all day long, weak muscles. It’s hard to work out when all you feel like doing is laying down with a pint of ice cream.

So I started taking some more vitamins to see if it would help boost my energy levels. I don’t want to take something that is a stimulant, since that triggers my migraines.

I was excited to try out this thyroid supplement. There are a lot of good ingredients in it such as B-12, Ashwagandha, iodine, and magnesium. All of these ingredients keep your thyroid working the way that it should.

I do find that I have a more steady level of energy throughout the day. I don’t have any real “crashes” which is nice. I don’t feel like I need to have anything with caffeine in it to give me that bump during the day.

You can find this product on Amazon HERE

*product was received in exchange for review purposes. All views and opinions expressed are my own and honest.

Bath Bombs

I have professed my undying love for bath bombs many times. I will never get tired of running a hot bath, putting on some music, pouring a glass of wine, and then dropping in a bomb of amazingness!

I was able to get to test out some new bath bombs recently. You can find them on Amazon HERE.

First off, the package is ADORABLE! It reminds me of the beach. It’s so bright and cheery. And the inside of the package doesn’t disappoint either. The bombs are nicely packaged in shredded paper, keeping them safe and keeping them attractive.

I love the scents. There are six different scents to try. Revitalize (lavender), Strawberry, Cotton Candy, Warm Vanilla, Mellow Amber (geranium and sandalwood), and Rose.

All of the scents are strong enough to hold up well during a bath, but not overwhelming or too strong.

My favorites are the rose and cotton candy. Cotton Candy is one of my favorite smells of all time, and I haven’t had it in a bath bomb yet. It was super fun!

My boyfriend and are are saving at least two bath bombs for our vacation at the end of August. We’ll have a room with a large whirlpool tub for us to enjoy, so we’re going to have a nice romantic scented bath.

 

*product was received in exchange for review, but all opinions expressed are my own and 100% honest.

Slimup Shaker bottle

Weight loss journey…. I feel like I’m always on a weight loss journey. And one of the things that helps me along the way are protein shakes. I love being able to mix and match protein shakes for my needs for the day. And since both my boyfriend and I mix shakes in the morning we dirty a lot of bottles.

What I really love about this blender bottle is how feminine it is. Check it out on their Amazon listing HERE. This means that my boyfriend will NEVER steal my blender bottle again! It’s a super cute blue color with nice font on it.

The wire whisk in the bottle does a good job of mixing up the protein powder in the liquid. I don’t have clumps in my shake as the whisk does a good job of breaking up the powder and evenly dissolving it.

This is a great little bottle for me to have my morning protein shake in!

 

*product was received in exchange for review, however all opinions expressed are my own and 100% honest

Replacement Brush Heads

I have an Oral B electric toothbrush. I like it because it is a more economical option for electric brushes. But even so, sometimes the brush heads can get expensive when I buy them from the stores in town.

I was super excited to find this set on Amazon HERE

The price on these are amazing. Only $7 for 4 brush heads. Since my boyfriend and I both use the same type of electric toothbrush they will fit both of our brushes. And we change the heads on them every other month, so this will last us 4 months. What a value!

The bristles are soft enough to feel nice against my gums, but stiff enough to nicely clean my teeth. The heads did indeed fit my oral B brush perfectly!

Very pleased with these brush heads!

*I received this product in exchange for my review, however all opinions expressed are my own and are 100% honest.