My message-in-a- bottle wedding invitations!

I know that I haven't been posting much, but I have been incredibly busy planning my wedding! I want to show you my invitations. Yes, I made each and every one of these and I am very proud of them and I have been receiving tons of compliments on them.



I am not the most crafty person. When I saw message-in-a-bottle wedding invites, I wanted them immediately. I started looking at companies that sell them pre-made and they were way to pricey. Then, I began looking at do-it-yourself kits and these were rather pricey too. I happened to find a friend of my fiance's whose band drank beer that was in clear bottles. He started saving all the bottles for me. I love the bottles too because they are engraved and say "The one and only" and it completely fit.  I removed the labels and the adhesive residue and then started washing the bottles by hand. After hand-washing the bottles, I put them in the dishwasher for a cycle. I allowed the bottles to dry for a few days and places a few drops of ocean breeze scented oil in each. I purchase parchment paper from Office Depot and printed my invitations at home. My fiance and I hand-burnt the edges of each invitation to give them an antique look. We had to let the invitations sit out for a few days so the smoke smell would go away.

After the invitations we smoke-free, we rolled them up and tied them with raffia and left extra raffia hanging. My son was my little helper. He began putting sand in each bottle and then the shells. After the shells, I put the rolled up invitations in the bottle, left a little extra raffia hanging inside the bottle, sealed them with a cork and used the excess raffia to tie around the bottle and make a bow. We tied them so when guests open the invitation, they are able to easily remove the invite by pulling the excess raffia. I purchased adorable labels from zazzle.com and placed those on the bottles, added an extra dot of ocean breeze oil on the corks, and they were complete!

We had a lot of fun as a family putting these together.  The project went much smoother than I had presumed and I am very happy with the way they turned out.  So what do you think?  Comment!  I love to hear from my readers! 

Wedding Wednesday: Prepping for my Wedding with YBF Skincare

75 days to go until I walk down the aisle to marry my love! Yes, I am incredibly excited! We are having a beach wedding in October. I am excited about this as well. However, beach wedding = natural light, which means that I need my skin in tip-top shape because too much makeup in natural light is a big no-no! Which is why I am prepping for my wedding with YBF Skincare.

I have said it before and I will say it again, I love YBF Skincare. Their products are truly amazing. Their products actually do what they say they do.

The YBF products that I own and have been using are Prep, Correct, Define, Antioxidants, and Balance. I received a sample of Hydrate B from YBF and I have been using that as well.

Hydrate B helps your skin seal in moisture which is a big plus in my book because I have dry skin. I actually used Hydrate B instead of my normal foundation primer and wow what a difference it made. Usually after I remove my makeup my skin is dull but with Hydrate B, my skin was vibrant. I am very impressed with this product and will definitely be purchasing a full size bottle as soon as I am done with my wedding budget. Yes, I have had to spend a little less in some areas to make up for it in other areas.

The next product that I love and use daily is Balance. I use Balance at least twice a day, sometimes I use it three times. Balance rocks because it helps fight breakouts and blemishes, who need those suckers anyway? Balance also calms my skin and makes it look radiant. I love this product and highly recommend it!

Prep, we simply cannot forget about Prep. I use Prep 2-3 times a week depending on my skins dryness. Prep is a microdermabrasion treatment that totally rocks and leaves your skin feeling healthy. I have seen a huge difference in the amount of blackheads on my face since using Prep. Prep is infused with botanicals, vitamins, and antioxidants that leave your skin glowing. It is a definite must-have.

Correct, you are correct. Correct is another fabulous product from YBF that I use daily. Correct has decreased the dark circles under my eyes dramatically. It is also a double agent, it helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles around the eye area.

Each and every night I apply a nice coat on Antioxidants to my face. Antioxidant is a great and refreshing product for your skin. You can combine in with pretty much any other product you have to increase its effectiveness. Hands a little dry? Use Antioxidants with your lotion. Does your face need a little extra moisture? Add antioxidants to your facial moisturizer and you will see and feel the difference.

Do you want your lips to be more defined? If you answered yes, then you need to get Define. Define targets the lip area to create a smoother, firmer contour and brighter, fuller lips. Yes, we all want our lips to be fuller! I apply Define nightly and use it as a lip mask overnight. I am a mommy so I need soft kissable lips and this product does the trick. Plus I need super soft lips for when my fiance and I seal our vows with a kiss. Thanks Define, you rock!

Restore, Boost, and Defend are on my wish list for now. So if anyone would like to get me a wedding gift...just kidding! What YBF Skincare products do you love? Which products are on your wish list? Please share, I love reading your comments! Be sure to follow YBF Skincare on Twitter and "like" them on Facebook to stay in the know.

Disclosure:

I did not receive monetary compensation for this review. The opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Baked Classics Review & Giveaway

Recently, I was contacted by Baked Classics to review their savory snacks. I jumped at the opportunity, who wouldn't want to try a new snack?!

When the package arrived it was loaded with Baked Classics Vanilla Frosting Multigrain Crisps as well as a package of Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper and Mesquite BBQ Potato Crisps. I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about trying the Vanilla Frosting Multigrain Crisps, but much to my surprise they were delicious. They are a light, yet filling snack that completely took care of my sweet tooth. And the package is only 120 calories! Another thing that I love about Baked Classics is the packaging, it is tough. Each bag that I opened had very little broken crisps, if any.

Here are a few reason to try Baked Classics Popped Crisps:
* Popping processes produce a crisp, crunchy, and delicious snack.
* An alternative snack choice for those who want a healthier snacking experience.
* Savory popped potato crisp flavors and sweet popped multigrain crisp flavors.
* Made with only the finest, all-natural ingredients.
* Orders are made fresh to ensure top quality product with maximum shelf life.
* Competitive pricing.
* Practical and satisfying portion sizes.

I bet that as you are reading this review your mouth is watering and you cannot wait to try this delicious low calorie, no cholesterol, no preservatives, no high fructose corn syrup, no trans fat, no MSG, no artificial flavors or colors delicious treat. Well you are in luck because the generous folks at Baked Classics are giving one lucky One Haute Mommy reader a 10 pack of Basked Classics Vanilla Frosting Multigrain crisps! Can't wait? Buy it now, right here!

Disclosure:

The product(s) provided for the review were sent to me free of charge from the company or the PR agency. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review. The opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Prepping for my Wedding with Luster Premium White!

As you all now, I am getting married this coming October! Yes, I am excited, my fiance is too. As I was planning my wedding, I realized that my teeth are not nearly as white as I want them to be. I also realized that I simply cannot afford to get them professionally whitened and was a bit bummed. I didn't want to walk down the aisle with a white dress and not-so-white teeth. Then, I found Luster Premium White and I got excited again!

Luster Premium White was generous enough to me send me their 1 hour white kit, Weekend White,  and their amazing Luster Now Instant Whitening Toothpaste.

About 1 Hour White:

Luster 1 Hour White puts the perfect tooth whitening experience into the palm of your hand. The dentist-invented system contains three components that work in conjunction to revitalize your smile in the comfort of your home. Independently Clinically Proven to be Safe and Effective.

Contents: System includes everything you need to get up to 6 shades whiter in 1 hour. -Activating Whitening Light: Similar light technology as used in dental -Accelerator Mouth Rinse (8 fl oz./236 ml): Enhances efficacy of the professional strength whitening gel. -Super Whitening Gel (.34 fl oz./10 ml): Same whitening agent used by dentists. -4 AAA Batteries. -Custom stand for storage of light when not in use. -Shade Guide to measure results. -Instructional Guide.

Product Features:
*Whitens Up to 6 Shades in 1 Hour
*Similar Technology to Dentist Light Treatments
*Zero Tooth Sensitivity
*FDA Cleared
*100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

About Luster Now!

Luster NOW! contains Bluverite, a unique formulation that delivers the optical effect of whiter teeth after only one brushing, providing safe and instant whitening results that last for hours. Will help remove stains and daily use. Delivers super fresh breath. Gentle on teeth and safe for dental restorations, use restorations, use whenever your smile needs a boost.

Luster NOW! comes in 3 convenient tubes, so you can always have one handy when your smile needs an instant whitening fix. Keep one in your bathroom, one if your purse or desk and one ready for travel so you can have an instantly whiter smile whenever you want. After brushing with Luster NOW!, you may notice a slight blue tone to teeth and gums which disappears in a few minutes to reveal a brighter, whiter smile!

Luster NOW! features:

*Contains Bluverite technology that instantly whitens teeth with just one brushing that lasts for hours
*Provides intense stain removal with daily use
*Safe for daily use.
*Dentist developed

About Weekend White:

Weekend White is independtly clinically proven to whiten teeth 6 shades in only 3 days without causing any
tooth sensitivity.  The zero tooth sensitivity formula was invented by dentines and uses the same whitening agent as used in the dental office.

Contents: Accelerator Mouth Rinse (6 fl oz/177 ml), Super Whitening Gel (.25 fl oz/7 ml)

Weekend White Features:
•Whitens Teeth 6 Shades in 3 Days
•Clinically proven to not cause tooth sensitivity
•Can be used as a refill for Luster 1 Hour White


My thoughts:
These products rock! They whiten your teeth and are easy to use. I have used several other store bought whitening products before and these truly top them. The prices are well within reason and these products actually do that they say they do. They definitely beat all my expectations and have rid the stress of having white teeth on my wedding day, because I do.

If you are looking to whiten your teeth, I highly suggest that you visit Luster Premium White and take a look. The prices are reasonable and you can buy your products straight from their website.

Want to see pictures? Well you will have to wait until after my Wedding. I will be posting a second review of Luster Premium filled with my wedding pictures so you can see Luster Premium in action! 

Disclosure:
The product(s) provided for the review were sent to me free of charge from the company or the PR agency. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review. The opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Win It Wednesday: Weekly Wins

Hello everyone! I hope you have had a fantastic week loaded with wins! Here is my list for the past week.

I have started the "Win It Wednesday: Weekly Wins" post and will post a new one each and every Wednesday. I will post the items that I have won in the past week and hopefully hear of items that you have won.

With that said, in the past week I have won:

* @HunterMahan H EVO sunglasses ( @sundogeyewear )
* A coupon for a free box of ice cream ( @SnickersIceCream )
* A beauty bag (not sure what's inside)  ( @TargetStyle )
* Gourmet Popcorn ( @PopcornPalace )
* $10 Subway Gift Card  ( Klout Perks )

That is my list for the past week. What have you won lately? Please comment below, I love to hear about your wins!

Tropical Tradition Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil Review & Giveaway

As you know, I love trying new items so when Tropical Traditions offered to send me some of their coconut oil to review, I jumped on the opportunity. I have heard many good things about Tropical Traditions coconut oil, but had not tried it before this review.

Things I love about Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:

* It is certified organic according to USDA standards.
* It is a versatile product, you can use it for cooking and also as a beauty treatment (excellent product for dry scalp)
* It smells great!
* It has a long shelf life due to the high antioxidant properties.
* It is rich in lauric acid, a nutrient that supports the body’s immune system.

From the website:

How We Discovered this Unique Oil

 When I first read about the wonderful benefits of coconut oil, I asked my wife Marianita, who grew up on a coconut plantation in the Philippines, if there was a more natural way to extract the oil from the coconut, so that we didn’t have to buy the refined coconut oils found in all the stores in the Philippines. She said there was a method the older generation used to extract the oil by grating the fresh coconut, extracting the coconut milk, and then letting the coconut milk stand in a covered container for about 24 hours. After about 24 hours, the oil naturally separates from the water producing a crystal clear oil that retains the full scent and taste of coconuts. So we started making our coconut oil that way and using it for our cooking needs with our three children. We couldn’t believe how wonderful it tasted, and how great we felt. We had been living on Mt. Banahaw in the Philippines for almost two years by that time, and in the year 2000 telephone service was provided to our rural farming community, allowing me to put up a website about our Philippine Herbs. I decided to also put our Virgin Coconut Oil up on the website, not really expecting people to order it because it was a bit expensive since we had to hire people to make the oil, and shipping cost a lot because of the weight. We were so surprised when people started ordering, and then re-ordering it because they felt so great after using it! They told us there was no other coconut oil like it on the market. (See a sample of testimonies below.)

Before long we had businesses contacting us asking how to order it in bulk. So we discussed how we could mass produce this kind of oil, and almost abandoned the product because we didn’t want to lose the traditional way of making it. In the end, we decided to just keep making it the same way, by having others in our coconut community also make the oil the traditional way. Many of our producers are in areas so remote, that if they did not use their coconuts to produce Virgin Coconut oil for us, no one would buy their coconuts because it would cost too much to transport them to manufacturing plants. In these areas, the coconuts generally just fell to the ground unused until we started training people to make our Virgin Coconut Oil. We were the first ones to export Virgin Coconut Oil from the Philippines to the US market. The success overwhelmed us.

Today, more than 9 years later, there are other companies now selling coconut oil again in the US, most of them mass-produced by machines from dried coconut. But we are committed to time-honored traditional practices that have produced healthy coconut oil for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Our Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is still produced by hand, using the wet-milling process of extracting the oil from fresh coconuts. Our producers have learned a lot of things over the years, since most of them have been producing this oil for over 9 years now. They have learned how to pick out the best coconuts from each harvest that produce the best quality oil, for example. Independent laboratory analysis shows this to be one of the highest quality coconut oils on the market, having the highest levels of antioxidants. This enhanced Virgin Coconut Oil is now in the US market under the Tropical Traditions Gold Label brand. It meets our strictest standards to earn this designation. Today when you buy Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil, you are buying the highest quality coconut oil we have to offer, and it is still made by hand and benefiting families in the rural areas of the Philippines where the coconuts grow.

Brian Shilhavy, Founder, Tropical Traditions, Inc.

How is This Oil Used?

Virgin Coconut Oil is a food, and is one of the best cooking oils you can use. It has been a staple cooking oil for thousands of years in tropical climates. As a cooking oil, its chemical structure is kept in tact and therefore is resistant to mutations of fatty acid chains even when used in higher cooking temperatures, unlike most vegetable oils. Research shows that the medium chain fatty acids found in coconut oil boosts the body’s metabolism, raises body temperatures, and helps provide greater energy which can lead to weight loss. For hundreds of tasty recipes from people who use coconut oil, visit FreeCoconutRecipes.com.

The generous folks at Tropical Traditions have offered to give one lucky One Haute Mommy readers the chance to win their very own jar of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil.  Can't wait?  Get it now, visit Tropical Traditions and order  a quart for $29.50 (usually $40.00). 

Disclosure: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Women's Express Jeans: Born to Rock the Sidewalk, Bred to be Epic

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Express for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you checked out the hot jeans from Express recently?  If not, you need to.  They totally rock! 

From boot cut to flare jeans and even the ever so popular jean leggings, Express has the denim essentials you need!  Express has recently added colored jeans (available in red, gray or white) which is one of the hottest denim trends for women right now.  And of course Express has jean leggings and wide leg jeans too. 

My favorite women's jeans are the dark wash flare jeans.  I love the thick waist band and how they can flatter any figure.  These jeans can be dressed up or down which is also a huge plus.  I love jeans that are versatile.  I also love the whisk wash patter under the front pockets. 

And just when you think that things could not get any better, you find out about the Express giveaway. Yes, you read correctly. For a limited time Express will be giving away 50 free, yes I said free, Express jeans  So what are you waiting for? Go and enter now and you could be one of the lucky winners chosen.  You could be rockin' a hot pair of express jeans.

After you enter the Express giveaway please come back and comment below telling me your fave Express jeans and why you love them?