A Flattering Bathing Suit

I was provided a sample in exchange for my review.  This represents my opinion and my first impressions.

We all know how hard it can be to find a flattering bathing suit.  Trying suits on is much like kissing a frog in search of your prince.  You gotta kiss a lot of frogs!  Well, I have found a bathing suit that I actually like the way it looks.

This suit can be found here on Amazon

This suit has an underwire bra with side supports.  It also fastens in the back and around the neck.  The halter neckline is very flattering and the back closure ensures the "girls" stay where they should. The front of the suit has side ruching, which is very flattering. It helps hide any lumps or bumps in your tummy area.  After four kids I don't look like I used to.  This suit looks amazing though.

Front view of the suit.

Back view of the suit.

This suit is nicely made, with straight even stitching.  It is a nice, strong zig zag stitch that looks great.  It has a fully built in bra so that it is very supportive.  It has thick halter straps that won't dig in or bind.  It is made from a polyester/Spandex blend that looks great and should last for years and years to come. 

Maxi Dresses aren't all Mumus!

I was provided a sample in exchange for this review.  This review represents my opinion and my first impressions.

This dress can be found here on Amazon.

I must admit, I was a little late to the party when it came to Maxi dresses.  I was afraid that they would be unflattering and hard to move around in.  I have four young kids to chase around, and I have to be able to move freely.  I also want to be comfortable, but look cute.

I tried this Zoozie LA Maxi dress and was surprised by how flattering it is.  It is made from a soft jersey fabric that conforms to your curves without being too tight or clingy.  It is not large and shapeless like I fear it would be.  In fact, it is rather cute!

I love the crochet detailing on the back of this dress. It gives it that extra little bit of detailing that takes it from something ordinary to something special.  This dress can be worn all summer long with sandals or flip flops.  I love to wear dresses to the beach.  They are very easy to wear, because there is no matching.  They are also very cool, which is important when it gets really hot out.  This dress, like most, can be dressed up with heals and nice jewelry.  It is perfect for date night or a special night out.

I must admit that ordering clothes on line can be rather tricky.  It is hard to know what size to order.  I have also lost a little weight recently.  I wear a round a size 6.  I ordered this in a medium, and I think a small would have fit me better in the bust.  I think of all of your measurements, your bust is one of the most important in determining the fit of this dress.  This dress not only has some stretch, but it also flares out a bit at the hips.  This is rather flattering, but it does mean that your bust is probably what is going to decide what size you need.  (Unless of course, your hips are MUCH larger than the rest of you).

Overall, I would say this is a nicely made dress. It has straight seams and no hanging threads.  It is a great neutral black that should go with tons of outfits. I can't wait to wear it this summer.

Great Tasting Energy Bars

*I was provided a sample of this product for my honest review.  This represents my first impression of this item.

As a runner for over 20 years, I have tried my fair share of energy bars.  From the classic old school bars, that were like eating a hard, gooey brick, to the newer bars that are more candy than anything else.  Today I tried New Millennium Energy Bars. They can be found on Amazon.

These were dense and did not go down like an energy gel would.  They did require some chewing.  They tasted great and are very sweet. The texture is a little gritty, but they did not have that fake taste that some energy foods can have. They contain 8 grams of protein and 32 grams of sugar. 

These bars come in 6 different flavors.  They are all fruit flavors.  A lot of energy bars and protein bars come in flavors like chocolate, which is my personal favorite.  These bars were pretty tasty, even if they weren't chocolate.  I tried the Raspberry flavor.  This bar looks like it would be hard, because of the way that it is packaged.  It is packaged to last for five years, so that makes it look hard.  It is not hard at all though.  It is soft and a little bit crumbly.

I think these bars would be perfect for keeping in your car, boat or emergency kit.  An emergency kit is something that I have been meaning to put together for quite some time now.  Since we live in the country, it is important for us to be prepared for anything.  These bars have 400 calories, which is a lot, compared to other bars.  Most candy bars have around 250 calories.  Of course, these keep MUCH longer than a candy bar.  They are also more of a meal replacement and that is why they are more calories.  Some situations you actually WANT more calories.

I would say that these would be fine for me to take on a long run, though I would be careful about eating this much sugar while running. (It can cause bathroom issues) You also want to make sure that you have enough water to properly digest these bars. They would fit into a larger pocket or pack.  They would also work well for hiking.  I would say that these are more crumbly than I am used to.  They left behind plenty of crumbs, which is something to keep in mind.

These do contain wheat, coconut, and soybeans, so if you allergic to those items, I would avoid them.  All in all, I found these to be tasty and an easy snack, especially if you are burning off lots of calories.

Adorable new collection at Gymboree.

*Sponsored Post.  No sample was provided.  This represents my and only my opinion.  This post contains Affiliate Links.

Those of you that know me know that I LOVE Gymboree.  They are the best at creating adorable childhood clothing.  I really struggled to find cute clothes for boys when mine were little.  And now that I have a five year old daughter, I have a hard time finding cute, age appropriate clothes for her.  Gymboree is my go to, for both boys and girls, again and again. 

Although we are not expecting any more babies in the Opelescent household, I still wanted to share some of my favorites from their latest collection. 

First up, I absolutely love this polka dot bloomer.  It is cute under a dress for baby girls, but also looks great with a t-shirt or snap top.

Up next is the adorable matching mother's day body suit.  You really can't go wrong, buy it for yourself, your daughter or best friend.  It is a great way to celebrate your very first Mother's Day.

And lastly, no I did not leave the boys out.  I love this tiger jacket:

Which, of course, has adorable matching pants:

As I said, sometimes it can be hard to find cute clothes for baby boys. I absolutely love these teal baby boy pants, the color is not what you see for boys all the time.  The tiger theme is soft and cute and not too grown up for baby boys. 



You can find these adorable baby gifts, along with clothes for boys and girls up to size 12 Here (Affiliate link): Affiliate Link to Gymboree

Filled Easter eggs make everything so much easier!

Sample provided for honest review. 

Every year my sister and I put on an Easter egg hunt for our kids and our nieces and nephews.  I have four kids and she has four kids.  Add in my brothers' kids, and well, that's a lot of kids and a lot of Easter eggs!  Usually this means me sitting in front of the tv for hours.  I match up eggs and fill them with candy and toys.  This year I decided to try something different.  I received these eggs at a discount in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.  Everything in this blog is my honest opinion and reflects my experience. 

I received candy eggs which can be found here at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TP0TQ2Y?ref_=cm_rdp_product

I also received mini figure eggs which can be found here on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BYWBHX6?ref_=cm_rdp_product

The candy eggs contain a wide variety of candies, including: sour candy, chewies, gum, hard candy, bunny candy, and taffy.  The candies are all individually wrapped, which is so important for keeping the candy clean.  This is also helpful in the event of an exploding egg, which happens when we throw the eggs out just a little too fast.

These eggs are bright and colorful. We received green, blue, pink, orange and yellow. This is great for having a variety of eggs. It is also great if you "color code" your eggs during the Easter egg hunt. We have color coded our Easter egg hunt in the past, so that the big kids don't take all the eggs. You can also use pink eggs for the girl toys. Or you can use one color just for the eggs for the little ones, since they have a hard time keeping up with the big kids.

Candy Eggs with a fun variety of candies.

There is an army dude, Santa and the guy pictured below.

I love this guy!  He will be a great addition to my kid's building block collection.

I also received mini figure eggs which my boys will just love! It can be hard to find toys and gifts for older kids.  Once you are almost 8 and 9 a stuffed bunny just doesn't cut it anymore.  But finding gifts that your child loves can sometimes really break the bank.  These mini figure eggs are fun for kids of all ages and also very affordable.  My kids love to watch "blind bag" videos, and now they can have their own "blind eggs."  Kids will love the surprise of wondering which figure they got. These toys are "some assembly required" which is great, because it gives the kids something to do after the Easter Egg hunt is over.

You get a fun variety of figures. I found a Santa, a criminal, a police officer and much more. Kids can trade them with their friends or set them up with their other toys. The assembly does require some hand strength, and I did push them against a solid surface a couple of times to get them to "snap" together. Otherwise they went together easily enough, and I did not need directions to assemble them.

These eggs have the lids attached to them by a thin piece of plastic. Since we reuse our eggs every year, this is a great bonus. This means that we can actually find the match next year! I can't tell you how long we have spent matching up eggs.

Running belt with tons of room.

Sample provided for Honest Review

This running belt is perfect for taking your phone along on a run.  We use our phones for so much these days, music, tracking, and of course phone calls or texts. Never leave your phone at home again.  This running belt has your phone right at your fingertips.

I used this running belt on a four mile run.  It was very easy to adjust.  The buckles are adjustable and the belt in the back is made from elastic.  This ensures a perfect fit and also means less bounce. This did not bounce at all while I was running.  It kept everything comfortably in place.  It did not cause strain on my back or hips like some running belts or packs can.

This running belt has a hook and loop pocket, with a clear front.  This ensures that your phone is separate from your keys.  It also means that you can use your phone from the front of the pack, without having to unzip and take it out.  This makes it very easy to change songs, check your pace or your time.

There is a large main compartment.  It unzips all the way down the sides to make it easier to access your contents. Inside this larger pocket there is the smaller section for your phone and another section in the back.  There are also two smaller zip pockets on the sides, perfect for your key or some cash.  I fit my phone, my keys and key ring and a granola bar.  It had plenty of space for taking on a run.

This running belt is well made, with no hanging stitches.  It is made from black nylon and black mesh fabric.  It has four zippers with pull tabs.  It also features a padded pocket for your phone.  It has elastic straps to make it easy to adjust.  It is perfect for taking on a walk, a run or hike.  It holds your essentials with no bounce. It is easy to adjust and fit.  Although I received a discount, this is my honest opinion.

Red insulated lunch bag, perfect for kids and adults.

*Sponsored Post Sample Provided for Review.

This Insulate Lunch Bag with Adjustable Shoulder strap is perfect for carrying your lunch to school. It has a large main compartment that zips securely with a top zipper. There is plenty of room inside, unlike some lunch bags. There are two cup holders on the outside, perfect for holding your child's snack or drinks. There is also a zipper pocket in the front, with an open pocket in front of that. Despite all the space and pockets, this lunch bag also fold down rather small. This is great for folding it up in your backpack after lunch. This lunch bag also has a long shoulder strap, making it easy to carry.

Front Pocket which you don't see on a lot of lunch bags.

Front of the bag.

Side view, including pocket for water bottle.

This lunch bag is made from an insulated nylon type fabric. It has even, straight stitches and looks like it will stand up to lots of wear and tear. My kids can certainly dish out wear and tear, so I buy things for them that I know will last. This isn't just for kids though. I can use it to take my snacks to the gym with me, without worrying that they will spoil in the car. This is also prevents a bunch of crumbs or rotten fruit in the bottom of your gym bag. And if you do forget something in this bag, it is easy to wipe out, unlike some bags. Its wipe clean finish is very easy to use and maintain.

Inside the bag, which holds a lot.

This Insulated Lunch Bag with Adjustable Shoulder strap is perfect for kids and grown ups alike. It is easy to clean and looks great. It comes in a bunch of fun colors that are sure to set you apart from the crowd. It has plenty of space for your lunch, snacks and drink. It has easy to use zippers that don't stick. And you don't have to take up space in the main compartment with your drinks, because there are two cup/bottle holders on the outside. Save your money and stop buying expensive lunches when you can make a healthier option at home. Although I received a discount, this is my honest opinion.