Maple Holistics

I was provided a free product to review, but the opinions are all my own.

image via maple holistics

I was contacted by a representative of Maple Holistics to review this product, and after checking out the brand and the product I was 100% on-board.

First, let me gush about this brand, based on what I learned. I had never heard of Maple Holistics, and I definitely think more people should know about them! 

Their goal is to provide a natural, cruelty-free, holistic and effective range of health and hygiene products to enhance one’s daily life. Their products are PETA-certified cruelty-free and use naturally sourced ingredients. Not to mention that they support humanitarian, environmental and animal-rights charities!

PLUS: They have a product-bottle recycling program! What?! Check it out! (LINK) 

image via maple holistics

Ok, now about the product. The benefits of the Silk 18 shampoo from their product description is: “Achieve stronger, smoother, more luscious hair with silk18 shampoo. Infused with a rejuvenating blend of 18 silk amino acids which help fortify hair follicles and strengthen strands to protect hair from dryness, breakage, damage, split ends, and hair fall. The nourishing formula gently cleanses dandruff, excess sebum, and impurities to leave your hair and scalp feeling fresh but not stripped. Enriched with argan and jojoba oil to add supreme softness and a luminous shine. Our shampoo is sulfate and paraben-free making it great for all hair types, color treated hair, and sensitive skin.”

I have been using for this shampoo for two weeks now. I wanted to give it a good run before reviewing it. Mr. LL has been reviewing it as well, to me, when he uses MY products in the shower though I keep telling him to use his own. But that’s another story for another time.

I was excited to try this product out because I am a lifetime dandruff sufferer and it is starting to get hot. In case you weren’t aware, dandruff (as opposed to dry scalp) is caused by an excess of oil produced on the scalp. Heat=sweat; sweat=oil; oil=dandruff. Since they claim this product “gently cleanses dandruff” and “excess sebum” I was very happy to give it a try. I hate dandruff specific shampoos because of the menthol smell and the tar, so usually I just live life constantly brushing the hate (dandruff) away.

Another detail that really appealed to me was the inclusion of Argan and jojoba oil in their formula. You’d think that since I have excess oil on my scalp I wouldn’t want oils in my shampoo, but you are wrong! These help reset the pH of your scalp and keep your strands from feeling stripped like a lot of clarifying shampoos can do. Also, while I dont have damaged hair, I know that the struggle is real for those that do and they claim this is a good product for those of you living that life. Check out their blog post about damaged hair care.

My experience with this shampoo was overall positive. My scalp is definitely less itchy. there has been a noticeable decrease in oil and dandruff on my scalp as well. As an added bonus, my hair is softer. Also, the shampoo has a vanilla scent and that is my favorite scent. I dont find it strong at all but a nice gentle hint. 

At almost $13 for a 10oz bottle of shampoo, is it worth it? I think so. In this world of chemicals we live in, we need to be more conscientious about the products we use on and in our bodies. Not to mention I am a sucker for woke-company that is looking out for the rest of us in their brand and their products. 

This post was a review of a product that was provided to me for free, however the opinions expressed are all my own.

Coming up for air

Lazy Baby in her new backyard.

Remember last year when I said my life was getting hectic, well, it stayed hectic for a while.

The view from my new job (this was around christmas time).

First, I quit my job of almost 11 years to take a new position. I was the Assistant Creative Director at a weekly alternative newspaper, and I loved the work. I got to design different styles every week and knew the ins-and-outs the paper and its deadlines. Then, the paper was sold to a bigger corporation and things just didn’t feel right anymore. The benefits weren’t great, the dynamics were shifting and I took this time to face the reality that I was as far up the ladder as I could go (the Creative Director was not going to be leaving anytime soon). Not to mention that working for a newspaper, I was woefully underpaid. So, I started to look for new opportunities. I had a couple of interviews at some tech firms in the city, but I suspect I was overqualified and under qualified at the same time. Then I interviewed at an architecture firm and got the job. This is a different world, filled with new terminology and responsibilities, but I am starting to get the hang of it. I think. If nothing else, they seem to like me.

That was last August. While all of this was going on, Mr. LL and I were house hunting. We finally had the money for a decent down payment on a house, and Lazy Baby desperately needed her own room. At the end of January we closed on a house in the suburbs near a park that we frequent most often. It needs some remodeling, but everything is functional and it has plenty of space for our family. There was some minor plumbing issues, but we agreed to move on with the transaction-just putting some of the money in escrow for the repairs.

Ha ha. Don’t ever do that. Those minor issues turned into bigger issues and two months after moving in they were finally done, but not really. I am not going to go into detail because I was losing my mind over it and I am not ready to relive that trauma. Too soon.

But we are finally settling into the place. We have art on the walls, and Lazy Baby is enjoying her own space. We have an honest to goodness dining room table. I told Mr. LL that I needed the rest of 2019 to settle. Settle into my job and into this house. We’re working to rebuild our savings and plan for our first remodel project which will be the guest bathroom. We also want to redo the master suite bathroom (y’all I am loving having two bathrooms), open the living space and remodel the kitchen. I think, down the line, we’d like to create a studio space in the back yard (think tiny house). However, right now I am just focusing on getting used to the new job and meeting the expectations they have of me; and when I am home, I want to soak up every second of Lazy Baby, who is growing up so fast, and spend quality time with Mr. LL. Home is my happy place and I want it to be theirs too.

So, that’s what’s been going on in the Lazy household. I am working on coming back to the blog, but slowly. I will have another post this week, a product review, and then I will probably just post once a week for a while. I hope you, dear reader, haven’t given up on me yet!

Paperless Post

This is a sponsored post, but all views and opinions are my own

image via paperless post

For the longest time, I fought the digital train. eBooks? No thanks. Digital lists? I’m good. But then, inevitably, the convenience of modern technology would win me over. Why do I need a ton of physical books taking up space and gathering dust? Give me an ereader and let me check out books from the library in the middle of the night. Thanks! Give me a list that I can keep on my phone and also on my computer, so I can constantly be reminded how much I have to do (#momlife).

But one thing that I haven’t even thought about in terms of modern technology is the ecard. I mean, I played around with them in the early days, like AOL early days (ask your grandparents, kid) but those where, well, lame. Some silly poorly made GIF with some royalty free music over it and bad font choices displaying your message. Not something that destined to last.

Then, recently, Paperless Post reached out to me to try their service. Paperless Post is a digital card and invitation company that is stepping up the online card game. They have beautiful designs that are customizable and work for a wide variety of needs.

There are so many designs and fun additional things you can do with their customization tools. You can change backdrops, text, fonts, the envelope, the inside of the envelope, etc.! I mean really the list goes on and on.

KIDS' BIRTHDAYS

One thing I do like is that you can schedule when your card or invitation will go out. Since I’m previewing this product with no real immediate need, I wanted to see about maybe doing something for Lazy Baby’s birthday next year. I wish I had known about Paperless Post when I was doing Lazy Baby’s birthday invites back in April, probably would have gone through less stress. Now, I can make it and have the invitations scheduled to go out on a later date! Or get those holiday cards done before the task gets away from me. I LOVE that.

CUSTOMIZING

I know that these days, I am more likely to have someone’s email address than their actual physical address and I am certain I’m not alone in this. However, if you still want to have your cards/invitations go out IRL, Paperless Post also has a print option.

Anyway, overall, I think this is the future of invitations and mail in general. I wanted to leave you all with some of my favorite designs for a few different occasions.

Thank you so much Paperless post for giving me the opportunity to try out something new and thank you guys for reading! Check them out if you're wanting an online service for your invitations! (This post was in collaboration with Paperless post, store credit was given in exchange for a blog post. All opinions and words are truthful and my own.)

---

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize