**REVIEW** Pinjian Home Gym Pedal Fitness Latex Tube Foot Elastic Exerciser

Because the snow up here keeps doing encores, it's tough for me to make it to the gym. (I hate driving on snow and ice.) Plus, it's just plain hard to get motivated to make it to the gym as often as I should.

You can bet that I was excited to try this:

It's a Home Gym Pedal Exerciser. Basically.

I was ready for it because I get a text alert for arriving parcels. I was suited out in my sweats and tennis shoes. And immediately ran into 2 problems. First:

No instructions. Not even a scrap of paper with stick figures. You have to go back online and find something...  If your internet connection is down, well, I guess the pictures on the box are supposed to be enough instruction. But did you really look at that photo?

Notice she has SHOES on

That chick is sitting on air and not moving at all. That was ZERO help to me. Also, I ran into another problem that the she's not having:

That's a regular highlighter just for perspective

Wearing just socks, my feet only barely fit into those peddle slots. No way am I going to get my sneakers in there. (Yes, I tried. It was embarrassing. One shoe got stuck and my little nephew gave me the side eye.)

On the product page for this item, the man is not wearing shoes. That's more honest.

Another problem I have with this item is materials. None of the parts feels cheap, but I worry about wear and tear. I really didn't want to pull that hard on the thing. Since there are no instructions or other helpful pieces of info -other than in the photos at the product page -  I can't be sure that I won't mess around and snap something. I was a little worried about the way the tension pieces hung unevenly.

That's not resting on anything,
just hanging straight down

Most of all, I keep coming back to the biggest problems with this: No instructions and those tiny peddles. I felt like a giant, trying to squeeze my size 7 1/2 dogs in there. (Okay, I wear an 8 now, but my tennis shoes run small...)


This is included on the product page:

Maybe I had the wrong expectations

                                 
I will say that I like the concept. I took off my shoes and tried playing around with this and actually managed to do some kind of "something". I can't call it 'exercise' because I was just improvising. At any rate, my socks didn't provide enough grip for me to feel safe about my foot not sliding loose. I mean, it was just barely hooked in the pedal anyway...

As far as the exercises shown above, I didn't feel comfortable doing anything but the "Hand Training". I don't need that one. I need the ones for my waist. But I'm worried about this thing snapping on me.

I really feel bad that this didn't work out. I was just too excited, I guess. Maybe someone else has managed to work with this and can send me tips. For now, the best I can say is that, for those who purchased this, there is this: "WARRANTY--90 days no hassle money back guarentee, life-time replacement warranty."

It's not often that I can find so little positve to say about a product I try, but this one is not up to snuff, IMO. Sorry, but this seems like the kind of thing I expect to find in the Dollar Store. It's not for me and I really cannot recommend it to my readers :-(

Peace
--Free




DISCLOSURE:
In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

ORAC Numbers. Really?

When I was looking up information on the different oils the other day, I learned something new. There is a system for scoring the antioxidant value of common foods.

Did any of you know about this? If you did, why didn't you let a sister in on the news???

Anyway.

source

The ORAC thing is a little more complicated than I just stated but, if you want the nitty gritty on that, you can check Wikipedia. That's what I did.

I'm interested in the ORAC values of food, of course, but I do most of my reviews on essential oils. I was happy to see that there are E.O.s listed on the charts I found. At least, there are some E.O.s listed.

Here are some more charts and other information (sources as shown via links). Thanks for all the sources for having the information out there to share with the rest of us.


The USDA has a PDF downloadble that's kind of complex. Kind of. Or maybe it's just me.

Well Being does a better job of explaining antioxidants for the laymen

Superfoodly has a searchable list that's awesome. I mean, it is searchable. (And how cool is the name 'Superfoodly'?)

Bio Source Naturals has a chart and a Pinterest-friendly graphic.

source

It's been hard to find a chart of ORAC numbers for only E.O.s, so I'm showing a bunch for now.

source

source

Now, as for me and my house, the following are the most common oils & EOs that have been used (and some that I have recently started using). I will show their ORAC score if I can find it.

• Jojoba oil
• Camelina oil 
• Baobab oil
• Lemon EO 660
• Argan oil
• Grapefruit 22,600
• Lavender EO 360
• Peppermint EO
• Clove EO 1,078,700
• Frankincense EO 630
• Castor oil (reg)
• Castor oil (Black Jamaican) 
• Myrrh 379,800
• Peach (I have Peach kernel oil)
• Rosemary (I steep the leaves for a skin & hair spray) 330

I am still on the hunt for more numbers. In the meantime, isn't it interesting to look at which EOs have the higher numbers? I noticed that, other than Clove, I don't hear as much about those high number EOs. Might be something to think about when adding to your supplies, huh?

Since I started on these numbers, I thought I might as well add some Pins and charts for the ORAC score of foods and such. I mean, healthy is healthy, and beauty is a holistic kind of thing.

source was temp down

source

Source: A Handy Guide to Antioxidants

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Ancient Greek Remedy Oil

This is the first of the latest oil reviews I'm getting to do.

That is Ancient Greek Remedy Oil from Bliss of Greece. Let me tell you why I wanted to try the oil.

I grew up in a family with strong roots and passed-down traditions. My mother taught me a lot about what her mother taught her about taking care of the skin and hair. This is common in a lot of cultures, and I really respect that. Bliss of Greece seems to follow that cultural honor. My dream is to one day be able to visit several places just to experience the culture.

Okay, now about this oil. Let me go over the things that make this oil appealing to me and anyone concerned about the quality:

• This does not contain animal fats, man-made chemicals, dyes or color additives,Not tested on animals, animal friendly, vegan, pesticide and GMO free.
• It's 100% Pure Oil is made from organically grown ripe olives and contains no preservatives, solvents or chemical additives.. I can never say that enough.
• The oil is a blend of 100% pure organic cold pressed olive oil, lavender oil, almond oil, and grape seed oil, that contain rich vitamins, minerals, fatty acids & antioxidants.

If we look at those ingredients separately, we can see individual benefits to skin and hair:

Olive Oil is, of course, a traditional remedy for many things, but since we are talking hair, skin and nails for now, let think about that. What I know (from family tradition) is that massaging olive oil onto the skin during pregnancy (or other times of weight gain and loss) helps elasticity and may reduce stretch marks. I've also been told by mothers that it can lighten existing stretch marks. I've never been pregnant, but I know that olive oil is one of the best moisturizers ever. I'm 6 years away  from being 60 and...

only 3 of these are older than 5 years

Also, you can use olive oil on your lips and on your eyelashes. Because olive oil is said to stregthen hair, I've heard of it being used as a lash serum.

Lavender Oil is used for lots of things. I've mostly used it for relaxation and (more recently) to promote healthy hair growth. When I checked out more of the skin benefits, I came away with quite a list, including: soothing/healing dry, chapped, or sunburned lips; reducing acne and skin redness; and it's supposed to be antiseptic and anti fungal (which is good news for our finger and toenail issues). I mostly love the way it smells.

Almond Oil is another oil that I don't have a lot of experience with. Now that I'm reading up on it, I'm very interested though. Almond oil, like Lavender, is good for soothing the skin and easing lip dryness and chapping. What I'm real excited about is its use in reducing split ends and as a shine-enhancer for the hair. Yes! 

Grape seed Oil is an amazing moisturizer that doesn't get enough press. Not only does it moisturize well, but it can also be used to clean the face. I've heard that a lot of women use this oil as a staple in their "anti-aging" treatment. It's certainly better than using chemically-enhanced products. What interests me most about this particular oil is its use on natural hair (as well as treated hair). I'd heard of grapeseed being used on the hair, but until I read this, I wasn't informed enough. 

So, I'm excited to try this Ancient Remedy blend as directed on my hair. I've already applied it to my skin and nails. 

I don't like to apply this to my neck area during the day because it has such a nice sheen to it. The sheen is really nice on the shoulder area and legs. That's going to be a plus during shorts-wearing weather...

 I DO love to apply it after my shower and before bedtime (especially to my breasts and that area just underneath where my bra tends to rub the skin all day). The smell is mild but very nice and soothing - almost like a calming balm.  

Because of the gloss it gives, I know it will be great on the hair, but I really love putting some on my nails after I apply color to them. It makes my cuticles feel good and it makes my nail polish gleam. I have to remind myself to apply some to the underside of my nails!

I'm going to start using this on my scalp and the ends of my hair (especially after conditioning) to see if it helps keep my ends in check. I'll have to try to remember to do an Update post.

Before I close out this post, let me add a few final, important notes:

• This is a 4oz bottle with a pump lid dispenser. One pump is good, IMO, for decent coverage so, if using on your nails you might dispense too much. I've been using it on my feet (even during the day), so I take a bit intended for that to do my nails first. That way, I'm not wasting oil.
• The scent does dissipate after a few minutes and is not strong enough to interfere with my perfume or other fragrance.
• This comes with a 100% Money Back Guarantee. (Customer service has an excellent rating, so try checking with them to resolve any issues first.)
• The product shelf life is 3 years from purchase date
• Intended for external use only.

I'd love to hear back from anyone else using this to see what your results are.

Peace

--Free



DISCLOSURE:
In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

Hair and Face Smoothie

At the end of this last week, I was feeling less than joyful. No particular reason, just a case of the blahs. To lift my spirit and do something nice for myself, I had a little solo 'Spa Day' without, you know, actually going to a spa.

I gave myself a mani-pedi, and I also gave made and used a nice hair mask and facial treatment. To further keep down my costs, I used only what I had on hand:

• Coconut milk
• Greens Plus Superfood Raw (link to blog post I did)
• Avocado
• **Desert Cactus honey (made from agave cactus)

Note that I left the Greens Plus out of the mix that I used on my hair. This is what the 2 different mixes look like (pardon my crappy photography skills). 

Lots richer colored with
Greens

Minus Greens

All the ingredients fit with my recent opinion about beauty products which is: If it's not safe for my insides, why put it on my outsides? Anyway, I assume you're probably too lazy right now to go back and read (or re-read) the post on the Greens Plus, so here are the ingredients again:

Other than the Stevia Leaf, the ingredients are all something I'd eat regularly. (I try to stay away from Stevia just because of the taste, but everything else in this Greens blend masks it from the taste buds!)

Still, I wasn't sure what would happen with all those greens when applied to my face. For all I knew, I was going to end up looking like an alien. That's one reason I did my 'spa' treatment on a Friday. I'd have all day Saturday to fix any mistakes and still make it to Sunday church service on time. 

As far as the hair mask, the results were not as moisturizing as I expected. In hindsight, I'm thinking that I could have added more honey and maybe a little bit of coconut or olive oil. What I did like is how clean my hair felt. I only did a really good rinse (not a shampoo) before and after applying the mask. Also, I think that a full hour might have been too long for leaving it on. (I got involved in a phone convo...). Like I said, my hair did feel really clean, and I didn't get any breakage. Afterwards, I went ahead and used a little bit of Aussie Moist conditioner to get some softening.

The 'green mix' went on my face like any other facial mask and I let it rest for 20 minutes. It was thicker than the hair mask because of the added Greens powder. (I like that for the face because it helped it stay in place, but wouldn't like it that thick for my hair. Just a little note in case you decided to try this.)One pleasant surprise in using the Greens in the facial is the very gently exfoliating effect. I generally only use super-fine grained things to exfoliate with because I don't want to damage my skin. The greens were so fine that I enjoyed massaging the problem areas of my nose and chin. There was no irritation at all. The mask rinsed well and left my skin feeling super clean and, I think, more toned. This was almost like a really gentle clarifying facial. After rinsing, I added a tough of Jojoba oil while my skin was still slightly damp. Wonderful!

Next time, the only thing I will change is the hair mask. I will definitely add something for softening. I'm thinking that a little bit of Coconut or Marula oil will do the trick. 

If you've been keeping up with the blog, you'll know that I'm taking a few tablespoons each day of blackstrap molasses. I can tell now without a doubt that this is helping my dark hair hold its color. My hair isn't growing much faster than usual, but it is thicker at the roots. I'll take it.

Peace

--Free

** Since I don't know much more about Desert Cactus Honey (other than that it comes not from bees but an agave cactus), I'm not sure if that affected the hair mask. Maybe I will do a comparison with some 'regular' honey next time. Notice there's not a lot of info about desert cactus online. I am seeing that it's a 'thing' to mix either types of honey with EVOO as a shine treatment. Hmmm...

**REVIEW** New Essential Oil for Anxiety and Stress Relief

**Disclosure: I received the product discussed here in exchange for my fair and honest review via a Tomoson promotion.**

Let me start by saying that I almost passed on this review. As you know, I love essential oils, but I usually only try ones that are for something beauty-specific. This one, as you can see, is labelled as being for the relief of stress and  anxiety.



                                                 

Now, I do have stress and I do have anxiety, but if this stunk, I'd keep all that and just take a Valium. LOL! Seriously, I do like the smell of this, but I will get back to that after I tell you about my little saga with the packaging.

UPS can be rough with a package. Apparently, someone dropped mine a couple of times, then fumbled and recovered before they kicked it home. I actually was pulling up to the house and had to wait to get in our driveway because the UPS van was blocking me. I saw him leave the box on our porch and, when he went back to the van and saw that I was waiting, he couldn't drive away fast enough. I figured out why...

The brown paper stuffing was coming out of the hole when I picked up the box. Luckily, everything inside was okay. Mostly. Another product was in a gallon jug and the plastic was beat up. The oil (which is in a glass bottle) was wrapped in a couple layers of plastic bubble so it was okay, thankfully!

Anyway, once I got over that and unwrapped the oil, I was really surprised at how beautiful the product was presented. It's Tranquility Essential Oils for Anxiety & Stress Relief from Phytopia.

It was actually even prettier, but I had to re-tie the silver lace string for the photo. (I wanted to make sure the glass inside had not been damaged by UPS). So I want to thank the Seller for not only securing the product so well, but also for the decorative way the sent the oil.

Now, on to the product itself - which is a 100% pure, natural, therapeutic grade oil blend

Like I said, I almost passed on this promotion because I was worried that a stress-relieving, anxiety-calming oil would be less than pleasantly fragrant. No worries there. The blend includes 2 of my favorites: vanilla and orange. Rose is, of course, also a very nice (soft) scent, but I had never smelled geranium oil before. Those 4 oils blend together very well. Very. So, yes, I really like the scent. I like it so much that I decided right off that, even if there were no other benefits, I would use this oil as a personal fragrance. I've done that with Sweet Orange and Vanilla/Grapefruit oils.

I'm not one that gets into a lot of new-age-y stuff, but I really do believe that oils and other natural based products are useful for mind and body health, healing and well-being. You already know that I believe in using such products in my hair and beauty routine. I want to summarize some of the benefits of these oils (separately) now:

• Carrier oils used are Virgin Olive, Sunflower, Evening Primrose, and Jojoba. I like all of of those for their moisturizing and soothing properties. There's nothing there that I have a problem with using on my hair or skin.
• Vanilla E.O. is, first of all, just a nice scent that almost anyone can like (if it's authentic and not too strong). I'm probably biased because a good vanilla is one of my fave scents. I find it very sexy as a fragrance on both males and femails. A lot of people might not have heard that Vanilla is good for promoting hair growth. I recently heard that it's also good for adding shine to hair. As a "natural", I'm mostly interested in the growth and retention benefits.
• Orange E.O. is also another of my favorites. (Maybe there is a food connection there???) When using in hair mixtures, be careful because Orange (and other oils, such as Lemon, etc) will make your hair more sensitive to sun and UV exposure. If you don't want to lighten your hair, avoid it, but if you want to soothe itchy and dry scalp, orange is thought to be good.
• Geranium E.O. This oil has often been noted as being good for hair growth, but I've mostly heard of it being used in steam facials. I've never tried Geranium before, but now I'm reading up on its aromatic effects on tension and stress. (Since this oil blend is definitely soothing, I can believe this about Geranium oil.) On its own, Geranium is one of the "balancing" oils that are good for dry and oily skin and hair. Huh. Good to know.
• Rose Oil is another oil I haven't used separately or with other oils. I have used Rose water and really like it - the smell and the soothing properties on my skin. I looked up some information and notice that Rose Oil can be used as a substitute for Geranium Oil because they have similar benefits. I'm also learning that Rose Oil is beneficial as a healing and mood-elevating element. Nice.

I can't explain to you why this works, but I can tell you that I am enjoying the calming effects of this blend. When I first got it (during the day), I was just so pleased with the nice smell that I dabbed it on my wrist and temples. After a minute, I realized that I want to try this in my bath. It will probably help me sleep better. Lavender is good for that, but it is a much stronger scent. This blend is mild enough to use without bothering anyone who is sensitive to smells.

So far, I haven't tried using this in a massage. I did add a couple of drops to the little bottle of hand lotion I keep in my purse. I'm going to continue to dab the oil straight from the bottle onto my wrist and temples to enjoy the calming effects.

As far as the price. it's up there. It's not too 'up there' for someone who needs the help with keeping calm and peaceful (which is true of most anyone working a job these days).  I will say that it's worth it. I will be replacing mine when I can just because it does keep me nice and relaxed - especially at night. Better than a Valium, I guess.

Finally, a couple of notes:

• Shelf life: 36 months (Keep it in a dry and cool place.)
• Directions:Use it 15 minutes before taking a bath to prevent feeling greasy. Apply right amount to skin and massage gently, move toward the direction of the heart. Can be used while taking a bath by adding 3 teaspoons into the bathtub. Best in relieving stress, nervousness and restlessness. For best results, use it regularly (once or twice a day). 
• Cautions: For external use only. Consult a doctor first if you are pregnant or have physical trauma. Keep the rim clean and the bottle tightly closed to prevent oil from spoiling. 

Peace
--Free

New Reviews Are Coming...

Just to let you know,  I haven't been slacking on reviews. They were slacking on me. Apparently, I will need to check my Tomoson Account every now and then to make sure it's intact. After a few weeks of not hearing back on products I'd applied to review, I went over and noticed that most of my social network accounts had just disconnected from Tomoson. ~shrug~

Anyway, once I fixed the connections, I started getting accepted for products to review. The best thing to come out of that bit of inconvenience is that I discovered another site where I can find things to review. I will tell you guys more about that in another post. For now, I wanted to give you a peek at what I have coming up soon...

• Grapefruit E.O.
• Peach Kernel Oil
• A "Greek Remedy" oil
• Clove Leaf E.O.
• An E. O. blend for anxiety & stress relief
• An E.O. diffuser/humidier
• Another brand of Blackstrap Molasses
• A home gym exerciser 

I'm excited about all these, and especially the oils (because you guys know I have a thing for those!). I'm trying to find some different kinds of E.O.s to review since we hear quite a lot about the usual suspects. The diffuser/humidifier has been fun to try out, and I'm looking forward to the exerciser - which is supposed to be a simple and easy to use product. 

As always, I am looking around for other products to review. I've got my Wish List as far as the hair and beauty stuff goes. As far as the E.O.s, I'm thinking Black Pepper, Bergamot, Sage, etc. I'm pretty interested in another oil I've been hearing so much about (called Kukui Nut Oil). Will have to keep looking around for availability.

I really want to start doing some reviews for various cosmetics. I have trouble finding good (and affordable) makeup, and bet I'm not alone... 

The last time I found a foundation I loved, I was so busy doing other things that I never really gave the product a decent review. So... Maybe I will dedicate one post a month to a lipstick, foundation, eyeliner - something. 

In the meantime, I have turned a lot of my friends and family on to the molasses ever since I reviewed the Plantation brand. The red palm oil is another product most of my relatives had not heard of. 

Can't wait to get going on these products so I can get the reviews out there. If anyone knows of something that I should take a look at, please do let me know.

Peace

--Free