Sunsella stainless steel vegetable steamer

I received this product for free to review via tomoson.com

Hey everyone. I've had electric steamers before and it was something that I'd get and use for a while then I would get aggravated with the cleaning process and the bulkiness and the all around finickiness of them and it would sit in my cabinets taking up valuable storage space with its new job as a dust collector until I ultimately give it away. Those things are expensive too and I've had like 3 of them myself at different points in life and it always ends up the same. Sometimes its just best not to have the top of the line mechanical dohickey when there is a more basic option. You see I do enjoy steamed veggies. They hold their shape and flavor a lot better even when they are as done as I like them to be but when its an event to have them, well its just easier to dump the veggies in a pain with water and boil em. With this well I can have the ease of boiling and eat my steamed veggies too! Super easy. Take the pot of your choice (its adjustable) stick the closed steamer in it.

Add water until just below the steamer

 Stick your fingers in the inside hole to pull it open until it fills the pan

•  Add the veggies, lid it, and I heat to boiling them reduce to a simmer

 When the veggies are done move them and find the center ring with a fork and you can pull it out of the pan that way, I just sit it on the counter cause it's not leaking anywhere or particularly hot.

 After you dump the veggies out onto a plate you can just spray the whole thing down with the sprayer and then close it back up and you're ready to store it

 All that's left is some water in the pot and some delicious veggies!

The thing I think I like the most is really that its super hard to burn your food in it even if you're playing video games while cooking lol. If you'd like one for yourself you can pick it up here.
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Sunsella silicone egg rings

I received this product for free to review via tomoson.com

Hey everyone!
I don't know if anyone else has this problem but I have three kids who are very close in age. This leads to arguments around meal times concerning food looking like more or less than on another plate. Really especially with pour in the pan type foods that spread like eggs and pancakes so I thought that would be the reason I would love this and use it all the time. I was surprised that there was more to it then I assumed. So my first thought on these was they were actually bigger than I thought they would be bright red silicone rings with mobile metal handles with a sicione finger grip. I've actually used this a lot I've made eggs and omelettes and potato pancakes and almond pancakes with it. The thing that really surprised me is it allowed me to make 4 at a time in one skillet (actually up to 8 fried eggs) when normally 3 is the limit due to things spreading into each other (despite my skillet being quite large. You just stuck the ring in the pan, put whatever you're cooking inside (it helps if you press down on the ring for a couple seconds with runnier foods) let it cook until you'd normally flip it lift off the ring and flip it to finish cooking. Nothing sticks to it. It just sits there to hold the food inside. I photographed me making omelettes in it, that was fun.

Just mixed up some eggs, pored some of them in chopped up some ham sprinkled it on with a little cheese and covered with the rest of the egg let it set up a little pulled off the rings flipped it and tada! These things are awesome! No need to rinse I just throw them in the dishwasher and they are ready for the next round food adventure!

If you'd like to have some for yourself you can pick them up here.

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Sunsella Mighty Pops (silicone ice pop molds)

I received this product for free to review via tomoson.com

Hey everyone. So let me just start out with saying that we have all at some point been at a cross roads with our parenting. Seeing how happy our kids are to scarf down some of those cheap frozen sticks of colored water over at your grandmothers house. The same kind you had when you were a kid (and loved) that are nothing but cold sugar and artificial flavoring that you cringe at the thought of supplying in your own home yet let your kids enjoy on occasions like this (I may be health conscious but I'm not a monster) you would of course prefer a healthier treat like those all fruit bars but they are so expensive when you are trying to feed 3 kids so its a rare treat indeed. Then you spot some of those diy Popsicle makers pick them up and resolve to make your own at home. It works OK I guess but they are a pain to get loose and are so messy dripping all over the place, and you've always got the one kid who eats it sideways and loses the other half leading to tears from both the kid and mommy. And those aforementioned frozen sticks of colored water freeze the little hands and can cut into the sides of the mouth (I can't be the only one) I don't know, maybe you don't have these kind of problems but I did so I was super stoked when given the chance to review these. The first go round I decided to make smoothie pops out of frozen raspberries and yogurt, almond milk and some raw honey for a sweetener. Blended it up and Scooped the slushed fruit mixture out into the molds leaving some space for expansion at the top capped it and tossed it into the freezer. I've heard complaints of these being hard to fill because they don't come with any sort of a stand and honestly I don't see how that could have made it any easier unless maybe you were pouring liquid into them like juice or koolaid and even still I would think holding it in my hand would work best. It said it doesn't leak so I just laid them on their side. And let them freeze. It was the next day before I decided to give them to the kids, in the bathtub. I'm not crazy these are raspberry blackberry and blueberry not trying to stain the carpet. As a result I didn't take pictures of the first time trying them but my only complaint was they were rather seedy. The kids didn't mind and it had nothing to do with the molds lol. I rolled them around in my hands and bent the bottoms to make sure the Popsicles were loose before handing them over to the kids and there were no complaints of cold hands (I had one too) they were just really all around awesome. They didn't stain despite the dark berries and the mold even survived being chewed on a bit without having even a dent left behind. Since I didn't get pictures of those getting eaten I made some more this time with frozen peaches orange juice and honey and they were awesome. Didnt have Any issues with messes either. I rinsed them after and ran them through the dishwasher and they came out perfect. If you'd like to check them out yourself you can pick one up here.

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Helping Hand Cell Phone/ Tablet stand

I received this product for review via tomoson.com

OK so I don't know if anyone can tell but due to the fact that my tablet camera kind of took a crap I've been having to use my cell phone to shoot my video reviews, let me tell you that is a pain. Trying to find a place in my apartment with proper lighting AND a place where I can prop up my phone so I can get the right position and angle so I'm in frame and not in some funky, you feel like you are laying on the floor in front of me during story time, angle. So when I seen this I had to apply. Now it doesn't look like much in essence its a piece of PVC pipe with a piece of plastic on top that comes with a sticky pad but that's really what's genius about it. Because it doesn't have any weird clips or suction cups to connect it to whatever you can use it anywhere you need it. You can also put it in different positions (by just laying it that way imagine that) I actually usually use it laying down on its side with my cell phone stuck on it sideways for my videos and in its proper position with my tablet again sideways (landscape view) with the stand itself between my thighs as I am typing because it actually is a far more comfortable position then my fancy case ever positions it in for typing so it really makes my life easier. OK Sam we get it. It is awesome for bloggers and vloggers but what about everyone else?? Well if you are trying to cook and read a recipe at the same time there are some concerns regarding counter space and, you know not wanting to get your tablet icky the stand is about as big around as a can so even my 10" tablet doesn't take up much space and is out of the range of anything I'm cutting up. It will also fit in a cup holder if you want to use your phone for GPS and keep your hands free for driving. Another idea I had... Story time. My brother in law is in that marines and there are a lot of families that for one reason or another a parent or even grandparent is away from the kids a lot of the time sure there is Skype and other social media apps of the sort where you can get in some face time but even having your tablet along with you all the time can sometimes be a hassle let alone finding time to get it all set up on a computer but almost everyone always has their phone on them. With this that is all it takes. You can stick your phone on it press the call button and even read a bedtime story to your kid right before your lunch meeting with no set up hands free even in your car. That's pretty cool. And the sticky on the pad is so sticky I can even hold my phone upside down on it (my tablet has the word nexus engraved into the back so it doesn't hold it that well upside down) which would be awesome for trying to take hard to shoot pictures or video. The sticky pad does tend to lose its sticky periodically but to super charge it again just rub it under some running water to clear off any dust( or cereal like got stuck on mine lol) and its as good as new. I really like this helping hand I've been using it so much I almost forgot to write the review for it because its been that integrated into my everyday life. If you would like one of your own you can pick it up here. I have a video using it and flipping it all around but I was recording with my phone obviously and for some reason it will not let me post the video. Though I do get a super speed mini youtube thing where I sound like a cartoon mouse on speed so There is that lol.

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Xion Raspberry keytones

I received this product for free to review via tomoson.com

OK so I've had these for quite a while and debated on what to write. So I start with the fact that they smell wonderful. They even taste so good in pill form that I tried some of the crystals inside sans casing and was surprised by the fact that it had no flavor at all. I was also a little disappointed I mean given the aroma and the taste from in the casing I expected super strong raspberry flavor. Anyway I took it and I noticed no change what so ever. That's really all I have to report. Sorry for the lame review but, that's the case. No weight loss, no stomach issues, like I didn't even take anything. Of course this is just with me supplements tend to have different effects on different people so if you'd like to try it for yourself you can pick some up here.
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Vacupractor (read this if you have back pain)

I received this product for free to review via tomoson.com

Hey everybody! OK so I have a naturally bad back, its genetic both my mother and grandmother its the same with so I try to whatever I can to help it (one of the main reasons I do yoga. ) so when I seen this product up for review I was a little bit more than ecstatic. Once I got it I had to check it out right away.

So the basic premise is it applies gentle suction to your lower back to help loosen muscles and realign the spine.

OK so what you do is you dampen it then lay down on it with your bottom on the round part and the curves at your waist.

You pull your knees up to your chest and then lower them slowly. At first I was thinking that it just was not going to work for me as I couldn't put my legs down without breaking suction. After trying repeatedly I realized the slower I try to lower my legs the longer the suction lasts.

Now I have an incredibly curved back, laying "flat" on my back the curve is enough to be able to for my arm through without touching my back. This makes intense pressure build up for me in this one spot and with the back being a crazy interconnected patchwork of muscles it makes my whole back hurt. It also gives me horrible posture because well it hurts less at the time to stoop then to allow my natural back position to take over. So after trying to hold the suction as long as I could get it to stay I noticed that I was in fact able to make my legs go lower and lower each time so once i got them to the floor without immediately breaking the seal I stopped. Afterwards my back felt lovely. Kind of tingly in the absence of pain at least my lower back did. I even noticed i can actually almost lay down with my back flat on the floor after

My upper back on the other hand was feeling the pain. Now before you go and assume this caused me pain let me assure you that pain was already there. Pain works funny. You really only feel the most intense of it at a time probably a survival instinct but redirection works I used to bite my knuckles to deal with cramping. With the absence of pain in the lower back I could actually feel the pain in my upper back. Later in the night before bed I decided to go for it again so I wet my hand, wiped it over the board and laid down. OK sucky part #1 putting you're bare skin on a damp piece of plastic is cold, no two ways about it. #2 being because I'm a little short (5'4) I notice that I can now immediately put my legs lower than I could the first time and I'm starting to entertain the idea that this may make me a bit taller if it actually continues to straiten my lower spine. OK maybe that's too much to hope for but the suction feels really good. Its like cupping (not dirty look it up) except you can do it yourself and it doesn't leave huge hickeys all over your back.
So its 2pm and I haven't even thought of my back and considering everything I went through yesterday I should have been miserable (ever take your kids to get shots from the health department a week before school starts? Read: 7 hours of standing in line after getting up at four in the morning while holding a 2 year old on your hip because he doesn't want to sit in the stroller you brought for him which you then still have to lug around) anyway the only back pain I have is in my right shoulder. Not bad at all. I love this, I'll just need to remember to do it daily so that the pain doesn't come back. I'll also need to let my mother know so she can try it too if it helps her like it has me then you'll know for sure that this is a cure for misery. At least our kind of misery. OK I have decided to post this sooner rather than later and simply update it once I get the chance to let my mom try it. I didn't even use it today and yet still no pain. I actually got up early and made smoothies and yummy pecan biscuits that I made up a recipe for simply because I'm more rested. It's really incredible what the lack of pain will do. For that simple reason I'm putting this review out before I'm entirely finished with it (definitely not my usual M.O.) if you want to get one for yourself before then you can pick it up here.
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Sorry for flaking.

Hey everyone, so I just wanted to let y'all know that I'm sorry. My two eldest both started school this week and well the entirety of last month has been an emotional roller coaster. I have still been testing products kind of behind the scenes and I'm hoping to get a lot of new reviews out to you this week including products that, well I really needed right now. There is an awesome one called a vacupractor that really helped to keep the physical manifestation of my stress in check, there is an awesome little phone stand that has helped me to keep doing my video reviews and take some awesome shots with my phone that I otherwise wouldn't have gotten since my tablet camera sort of crapped out. I've got a ton of awesome products from sunsella which have made the transition easier on me and my kids and are really helping me be the mom I thought I didn't have the time to be with matching breakfasts (very important with multiple kids let me tell you) making healthy side dishes and even awesome homemade after school snacks and desserts! I'm really excited to be bringing all of this and so many more things to you but I had to take this past week off from the work part of this reviewer gig to get my mind right about my babies growing up so I hope you'll forgive me.
- failing workaholic,
Samantha

Weight Gurus smartphone tracking digital scale.

I received this product for free to review via tomoson.com

OK when I got this I opened it up and couldn't figure out how to turn the thing on, I swear it took me like half an hour to figure out there was a little plastic pull tab preventing the battery from making a connection so ilk start with that so you don't do the same. Set up was surprisingly easy, I did have to read the booklet that comes with it and it asks some semi hard to answer questions like your activity level which I assume is meant to figure into your bmi. I got it set up, you just answer the questions with some touch screen buttons on the front then step on for your first weigh in. Then I downloaded the app onto my phone. The way it works is it tells you all of the real numbers and flashes up a bar code thing for your phone to read to store your numbers.this actually isn't as much of a pain as some other reviews would lead you to believe, I simply bring up the app and click the sync button before getting on the scale. I hold the phone around belly level and when it cycles through the app reads the barcode and puts the numbers on your phone. You then have the option to change the numbers if you'd like, for example if you know your bmi you can input that instead of having the app use its educated guess. Once you submit your scores it brings up a nifty graph that shows how your weight has changed day by day. Now, if you are wondering why you need this here is what it did for me. No matter what it is I have been trying to do to get back down to my previously tiny, naturally skinny, eat whatever I want and still lose weight body that I had before having kids, it has not worked. I mean I lost some weight here and there after working out to the point that I literally couldn't but even going full vegan for a month did nothing. I watched a documentary because, well I like documentaries and it was saying how people aren't meant to eat grains (and many other things but this was the main point I got out of it) then I watched another that said all the heart healthy low fat eat your weight in bread diet is a total crock and is what is makinging us fat and sick. So I decided not to eat them anymore and believe me more than 80% of my diet was starch. Seriously breakfast if I ate it was usually eggs and potatoes of some sort usually with toast lunch was potatoes or ramen or a sandwich (sometimes even a mashed potato sandwich) and then dinner was meat and veggies (well sometimes no meat) with at least one of the following potatoes, rice, pasta or bread sometimes a combination of the two. So I subbed it out for veggies and nuts and cheese and eggs and meat. I was eating way more than I was before and definitely more fat and calories and I was losing weight, like massively losing weight. Then one day I slip up and eat 2 slices of thin crust pizza (the little squares) and 3 bread bites so that's like half a bread stick and I gained almost 3 days worth back. Crazy right?

I would never have known without this scale and app combo. As long as you remember what you ate yesterday (or keep a good diary maybe) this scale basically can tell you what you are doing wrong so you can fix it. If you skip a day it assumes what your weight was yesterday depending on your weight today. Now as far as the water bmi and like fat percentages go I haven't really figured out how to use those numbers but the fact that the app charts these things is really invaluable and it is much cheaper that the scales that are Bluetooth or wifi connected and do this all by themselves. I just think its great and on the app it allows you to set goals and tells you how close you are to them. Kt also supports multiple users (five i think) though I havent set that up yet. If you'd like to try one for yourself you can pick it up here.

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Barefaced mud mask

I received this product for free to review via tomoson.com

OK so I literally just got this in the mail and decided to try it so I open it up and its this green goopy gelatinous substance and the fragrance I instantly place yummm! Eucalyptus and lavender!

At least this will smell pleasant! OK this doesn't feel half bad its kind of cold and tingly and messy and fun, the kids think I'm turning in to a monster, the husband says I'm applying war paint

All done, yeah I like this.

It's been years since I've tried a mask like back when I was a teen and it was funny and didn't mean anything. Oh as its drying my face feels tighter and its still tingling but mostly in spots where I had blemishes, looking good so far.

Well it's been the required 15 minutes and its time for this to come off one more before shot.

Wow this stuff sucks, literally. I had a few pre zits before putting this on that came to a head and if you've had those where they hang around for a few days just being painful and leaving you helpless to remedy you know how great that is I'm noticing the pores on my nose and cheeks are smaller now too I'm guessing because the mask absorbed all that nastiness out of them as it dried and my skin feels nice and soft and clean! 

OK so its the next day and I flaked on the after pictures but its fine I'm going to use it a couple more times before I'm through anyway and as its actually midnight and therefore dark as heck I'm going to do another treatment tomorrow and show you the results. Now it says to use it once a week and I used it yesterday and again today cause well, I like it. It feels relaxing, I love the scent, I love how it makes my face feel tight as it dries and how I can feel it pulling out all the stuff that's trapped in my skin. I asked someone from the company and they suggested maybe 2 times a week as it can dry out skin but I'm really having the opposite effect so far. I swear I'm going to break out more cause I keep touching my face though. Alright see y'all in well the pm most likely since its am now lol. 

So my face feels clean, my pores look smaller and every time I use the mask its like a little at home spa day. I really like it. They warned that it may be drying but I think the essential oils they use to scent it counteract that nicely so its not an issue and I just use it whenever I feel like. If you would like to check it out yourself you can pick it up here.

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