I WON!!!

It's no secret. I really love small businesses!

I love the American dream coming to life in small businesses.

I found this shop not too long ago, called Juniper Tree Skin Care.

Here is what the shop's owner, Eva has to say about how and why she started this shop.

How Juniper Tree Skin Care came to be:
"I have always had sensitive skin, so I resorted to making my own skin care products, because the all natural products on the market cost me a fortune and love making things I can use. From the beginning, my home in Southern Utah has always been my inspiration. Soon my body creams and lip balms became loved by everyone who I ever gave it to, so I decided to set up this Etsy shop for all my family and friends to have a more convenient way to purchase from me.
I really wanted my skin care products to be unique, so I decided to add one of my favorite essential oils to all my products; pure juniper berry essential oil. The benefits of this essential oil are amazing for skin. Recently after I decided to open my shop, I went out to take some pictures and was able to capture an amazing picture of a juniper tree that eventually became my logo. It all fit together after that and my shop became Juniper Tree Skin Care, inspired by Southern Utah and made Juniper Berry Essential Oil."

Well, not too long ago, Eva ran a giveaway for her shop and I won! I could choose 2 lip balms and 2 creams. So, here is what I chose:

I guess I should start by saying, "Hello, my name is Tammy and I'm addicted to all things vanilla." It's true. 

All Natural Vanilla Body Cream

The smell is amazing! And this cream is by far the softest and creamiest and leaves my skin feeling so soft and moisturized! My 3 year old has some serious dry skin on his back and bum. I started adding this to his moisturizing routine and it is really improving for him! I will definitely be buying more of this soon! 

All Natural Beeswax Vanilla Lip Balm

Heavenly! I would seriously just leave it at that, but I can't. This lip balm is so creamy and goes on my lips so smoothly. My lips are definitely softer and smoother since I began using this product. I am in love with it! 

All Natural Beeswax Rose Lip Balm

So good! To me, it wasn't as creamy as the vanilla lip balm, but it was still good. It smelled so good. This helped  my little guys with their dry cracked lips. 

All Natural Lavender and Tea Tree Body Cream

This has become my night time hand cream. And I usually rub it on my boys as well. The lavender helps soothe them to sleep while both the lavender and tea tree help their skin.

Here is what I love about it:

It is so nice to know what goes on my lips and skin and not have to worry about the other products that I cannot pronounce. 

The smells are not overpowering, but still enough that you can smell it 20 minutes later, ya know?

The price is just right. The lotions are reasonably priced between $6 - $7 for the body cream. And the lip balms are $2. 

And  RIGHT NOW, Eva is running a special! When you buy 2 or more body creams you get a FREE vanilla lip balm! 

Make sure to check out her shop!

Etsy : https://www.etsy.com/shop/JuniperTreeSkinCare

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/JuniperTreeSkinCare

DIAMOND CANDLE REVIEW & GIVEAWAY!!!

This post is being sponsored by Diamond Candles.

Diamond Candles recently contacted me and asked if I'd do a review on their product. 

What? You have never even heard of Diamond Candles? To be honest, neither had I.

So, I  Googled, Bing-ed and Yahoo! searched them! I saw all of these videos and pictures of their candles and rings. Rings? Wait, what?

Yep. Inside of every candle is a ring. A ring that is valued between $10 - $5,000.

Of course, most rings are going to be worth $10. However, some lucky people get rings well above the $10 value. Don't believe me? Check out this YouTube video here.

But here are a few of my favorite rings that have been revealed. Can you tell I love purple?

Aren't they pretty?

Anywho. I went to their website to found out more about them and the meaning behind their name, Diamond Candles.

After reading the reviews on their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, I decided to go ahead and do the review.

It comes packaged very well and protected from breakage! Standard shipping definitely took the 5-7 business days.

I'm a sucker for vanilla. I think it's a universal smell for all of the seasons. This guy is big and heavy! I could have just sniffed it all day long!

See that gold spot? That's my ring! Less than an inch down.

I went ahead and lit it. {I'll admit, I just wanted to scoop out the wax so that I could get to the ring, but I waited!} It smelled phenomenal throughout my home. My husband loved walking into the house last night! He said it smelled like fresh baked cake.

I thought since it wasn't very far down, it wouldn't take too long to get too.

Wrong!

I burned it for 8 hours the first day and a little over 4 hours the second day.

See that gold spot? That's my ring!!!

I grabbed a pair of tweezers and tried to pull it out. Now I've watched a few videos, and some of the ladies seem to have a hard time pulling it out at this point. I didn't have a problem pulling it out at all.

It comes wrapped inside of a plastic bag wrapped inside a piece of gold foil.

I had to let it cool down, but only about a minute.

It's pretty! I really like it!

Here is how you tell how much the ring is worth...

1. If the ring says "14k" or something similar, it's time to take that bad boy to the jeweler and get it appraised!

2. If it says "Thailand" or something similar, it's valued under $100. {My ring said Thailand. So, it's in this range!}

3. If it's blank, it's probably a $10 ring, but could still be valued up to $100.

These candles are amazing!

The cost is comparable to other candle sellers and the quality is just as good, if not better. And bonus, you get a ring!

So, you want my honest opinion?

I love them! I really can't find a negative thing to say about them. I want another one!

Reasons why I love Diamond Candles:

• They are 100% soy candles; eco-friendly and natural.
• They are made using soy wax, which is different from the paraffin wax used by most candle makers. Soy wax is natural and made from soy bean plants. 
•  The soy wax is also made from only US soy beans. They do there best to support American farmers and the American economy by using local products.
• I spend the same amount on this beautiful candle as I would with other top candle companies, but I get a little something extra!
• They are not overpowering, but they don't fade away after an hour of burning.
• Well, not only did they ask me to go a review, but they are hosting a GIVEAWAY!!!

Yep! One of my lucky readers will win a candle of their choice!

Here's what you need to do!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK!!!

Disclaimer: I received one Diamond Candle for review. All opinions are my own and honest. Rantin' & Ravin' is not associated with Diamond Candles in any way. No purchase is necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law. The odds of winning are based on the number of entries received. Open to US, 18+ only. Confirmed Winner (by Random.org) will be contacted by email. Winner has 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. Rantin' & Ravin' is not responsible for shipment/delivery of the physical product. This event is in no way administered, sponsored, endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook and/or Twitter, Google, or Pinterest. This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials. 

UPDATE: I have had some people ask about the shipping after seeing some complaints on their Facebook page. Obviously every situation is different. I received mine within the standard shipping time, which is 5-7 business days. They ship via FedEx from South Dakota. I cannot stand FedEx, but that is another rant for another day. Others don't have any problems with them. I would suggest if you don't have your package within the allotted amount of time contact them quickly. 

 

CLEANING YOUR PILLOWS!!!

Next up in the Let's Clean series... PILLOWS!

Our pillows collect dust, mold, bacteria, allergens and dead skin cells. Ew. Gross.

"Experts" say you should replace your pillows every 3-6 months!

I'm sorry, but I don't have money to buy new pillows every 3-6 months.

Source

Here are some tips to clean your pillows!

1. Test your pillow. Does it need to be cleaned? Fold the pillow in half. Open it. Does it fluff right back up? No? It's time to wash.

2. You can wash polyester and feather filled pillows the same way. Press out as much of the  air as possible before stuffing the pillow into the washer. Do 2 pillows at a time. Use a mild detergent, if the pillow smells add 1/2 a cup of baking soda, if the pillow is moldy add 1/4 cup of vinegar. Run an extra spin cycle to ensure that all of the fluids are out of the pillows.

Do you have a microfiber or memory foam pillow? Follow the instructions on the pillow.

3. Dry your pillow. Use two tennis balls, preferably in 2 separate socks. The tennis balls get out the remaining fluids. The socks help prevent the yellow from rubbing off on your pillows. Run it on a low cycle. This may need to run through a couple of times. Once completed, take a deep smell of the pillow. Did you smell any moisture? Yes? Run it through again.

PURE~SNICKETY PRODUCT REVIEWS!!!

Remember this post, here.

I was lucky enough to receive some samples of Pure~Snickety's FANTASTIC products!

I honestly don't know which one I like best!

There are 3 different products:

1. Relaxing - I took a hot bath last night and used the relaxing exfoliating body scrub, it smelt so good! And with it's lavender essential oils, I slept like a baby!

2. Calming - With a mix of vanilla and rosemary this is a great stress reliever.

3. Uplifting - I use this in the morning. The tangerine really helps to revitalize me and gives me the good jump start I need!

The scrubs and butters smell SO yummy and make my skin so soft!

Don't forget!!! They open up shop on SEPTEMBER 1ST!!!

PURE~SNICKETY!!!

I am a huge fan of essential oils and all natural lotions!

Did you know that Coconut Oil mixed with a little bit of Lavender  can help reduce the appearance, if not even eliminate stretch marks?

Or how about a couple of drops of Lavender rubbed on the bottom of the foot can make for a restful nights sleep?

My husbands favorite... rubbing a little bit of Melaluca on the top of your cheek bones can help you breathe a lot better?

I have used them for about 2 years now.

I have bought mine from different places over the past couple of years, but I am super stoked for Pure~Snickety's line of vegan body care to arrive!

Here is a little about Pure~Snickety from their website!

Pure Snickety is the art of being picky about your body care. Our products are artisan, hand-blended, vegan and cruelty free, made from naturally derived ingredients using organic content when possible and are fragranced using only pure essential oils.

Their mission:  Pure Snickety is a small business, creating artisan, hand-blended, vegan body care. We started Pure Snickety with the idea that the same results, or better, can be achieved using all-natural products instead of products made with numerous man-made chemicals that are shown to be not only bad for the skin, but for the body as a whole, and the environment. We also believe that whether or not you are vegan, you would chose products that cause no harm to animals over products that do if you can achieve great results. Wouldn't you prefer to cover yourself in coconut oil rather than animal fat? Of course you would!

And a little description of their products:  Choosing the worlds finest ingredients that are simple, natural, and full of pure elements is the best way to ensure the health of your skin and body. Today, there are numerous chemicals in skin and body care products, even products that claim to be natural. While, some chemicals may be beneficial, with little-to-no harm to the skin, others can be harsh on both the skin, body, and environment. Since the skin absorbs these chemicals into the body, it is best, in our humble opinion, to avoid the majority of them. Here, at Pure Snickety, we only chose ingredients that have proven their ability to care for your skin and body as naturally as possible. We make every effort to include organic content in our products and all of our products are Vegan. You deserve purity!

What I really love about this product is that it is created and designed by women! Who knows better about our skin than us?

I personally love their Saturday's Snickety Tips! Every week they post a new tip, for instance...

How to make home-made  facial exfoliant!

Vinegar restores your hairs natural shine and balances your skins pH levels!

Tips on keeping your make-up fresh!

They are getting ready to launch their products! Starting September 1st, you can buy your own vegan products!

Bookmark them now, because you are going to want to buy their products as soon as they are available! Check out Pure~Snickety!