review – neverbeenso

Treatsie Review and 50% Off!

Published on July 15, 2016 by neverbeensoLeave a comment

Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE my sweets. Could literally live off sugar. I also really love subscription boxes (continue reading for a 50% off coupon!!). Receiving packages in the mail is my favorite, so I always find it hard to say no to getting pretty little boxes dropped off at my door step on a monthly basis.

Treatsie combines both of these loves into one little package and I have to say I’m really digging it. I tried it out for the first time this month (you can purchase various plans – monthly, quarterly, annually – you know how subscription boxes work).

Now let’s get into the goodies. Conveniently, I received my June Box on a 98 degree day with a heat advisory, so naturally I thought, everything would be melted. NOPE. Treatsie surrounds the box with ice gel packs and just incase that isn’t enough, they have a melt-free guarantee. If a product arrives melted, you contact them and they’ll replace it! #neverbeenso impressed.

June’s box came loaded with the following four products:

1. Lemon Cooler Cookies by Love, Cookie

You don’t get 1 or 2 cookies, you get a whole sleeve! And these cookies had just the right amount of lemon! Super refreshing on this HOT day!

2. The Original Brownie by Salt of the Earth Bakery

Oh.my.god. That’s literally all I kept thinking in my head after every bite. This brownie incorporates a trio of chocolate with a dash of Halen Mon sea salt. So soft and chewy. I still can’t stop thinking about this brownie. I’ll have an entire box of these, please.

3. Black Lava Sea Salt Caramels by McCrea’s Candies

These little babies are dangerous. I could just pop them in my mouth all day! Again, the pairing of chocolate and sea salt takes away all self-control.

4. Maple Almond Brittle by Sweet on Vermont

I have to say I’ve never been a fan of brittle. But this stuff is pretty amazing. The rich maple syrup flavor paired with the crushed almond is a match made in heaven!

Overall, I have to give Treatsie five stars! There wasn’t one item I didn’t like, the portions were good size (except that they had me wanting more more), and the packaging was on point. Have I convinced you to try Treatsie?! Well you’re in luck! If you use code “NEVERBEENSO50” on Treatsie.com you’ll get 50% off your first order! (That’s only $9.98 for 1 month, $28.43 for 3 months and $101.50 for the whole year)!

What are you waiting for?!

Wind Down Wednesday: Yes To Paper Masks

Published on January 20, 2016January 20, 2016 by neverbeenso1 Comment

It’s that time of the week again, you’ve made it, you’re halfway through! Now, it’s time to take 15 minutes for yourself! So far in this series, I’ve touched on the relaxing benefits of adult coloring and Buddha Boards. I’ve neverbeenso excited to share with you my next little wind down secret: Yes To Grapefruit Pore Perfection Paper Masks. I buy these things in bulk.

I am constantly looking for the next best beauty product, especially face masks. Finally I was in Target browsing the aisles, as usual, without a cart, hoping that would cut down on my purchases, until I saw these bright pink packets staring at me.

I had heard of Yes To in passing, so I figured why not try it out. But how to did I arrive at Grapefruit?

Yes To Grapefruit: Evens Skin Tone/Brightens
Why Grapefruit? Grapefruit is packed with vitamin C, an immune system booster that encourages collagen production for younger-looking skin. It also contains citrus flavonoids, powerful biological actives which help prevent the over production of melanin in the skin resulting in a brighter complexion. The extract and essential oil come from the peel of the fruit, which has a refreshing effect on the body.

So, not only are grapefruits great in a drink, but they’re also great for your skin! I picked up a single packet of the Yes To Grapefruit Pore Perfection Paper Masks and eagerly went home to test it out. This is, you guessed it, an actual paper mask you apply to your face, rather than a cream-based product.

The instructions state to leave the mask on for 10 minutes, I left it on about 15. I felt a tingling sensation that I didn’t want to end because it had to be working right? I peeled off the mask, face was a little red, but we’re talking SERIOUS pore reduction. I am one of those who can spend hours staring at my pores in the mirror and there was nothing left to stare at! It was brilliant! Once the reddening faded, my skin looked even too!

I try to use these at least once a week; I promise, you’ll have neverbeenso relaxed.

The other great thing about Yes To products is that they are made with 95% natural ingredients. They never include parabens, phthalates, SLS, silicones, chemical sunscreens and other potentially harmful ingredients. AND they don’t test on animals! One more thing, Yes To gives back a portion of company profits to the YES TO Seed Fund, whose goal is to inspire kids to lead healthier, more positive lives.

So while you’re winding down and making your skin feel good, you can feel good about it too.

Yes To offers something for everyone:

Yes To Carrots: The Original – Moisturizing
Why Carrots? A carrot is brimming full of beta carotene (they have the most of any vegetable!), a fabulous antioxidant that helps protect and nourish skin.

Yes To Cucumbers: Rejuvenation
Why Cucumbers? A cucumber is packed with rejuvenating vitamins which soothe and soften the skin.
They also have cooling properties to help keep your skin supple and fresh, with a fragrance that soothes and relaxes.

Yes To Tomatoes: Balancing
Why Tomatoes? Tomatoes are rich in lycopene. If your pores were a secret club, Lycopene would be the bouncer. This powerful anti-oxidant helps blocks free radicals and keeps your skin balanced. Fruit (remember tomato is a fruit!) acids naturally help clear your complexion so your skin can party on.

Yes To Blueberries: Anti-aging
Why Blueberries? Blueberries are packed with antioxidants such as anthocyanins which help fight the formation of free radicals that damage the skin’s microstructure. This helps protect you from premature aging. And who doesn’t want that?

NEW Yes To Coconuts: Hydrate and Restore
Why Coconuts? Coconut (Cocos nucifera) is one of nature’s most multi-tasking offerings, rich in essential vitamins. Coconut oil is light, nongreasy and exceptionally emollient. Whether youre interested in the fruit’s water, milk, meat, shell or oil, there are plenty of reasons to appreciate the natural awesomeness of Coconut!

What’s your favorite Yes To product? What are other face masks you’d recommend?

Read Smarter with Blinkist

Published on January 7, 2016January 7, 2016 by neverbeensoLeave a comment

The non-fiction world is booming with much more exciting categories than the usual historic pieces I would normally associate with NF. I am constantly seeing titles I’d like to dive into, whether it’s how to meditate, how to combat stress, how to be your own boss or how to find time to read more NF titles. Right now, I have at least 5 titles I’ve purchased (all roughly $14 each) that I’ve yet to read. Why? It takes a lot to take on a new book. Don’t get me wrong, I am an avid fan of reading, I just don’t have the time or brain capacity to fit it in. Between a full-time job, blogging, wedding planning, working out, eating, sleeping, I just always feel like there’s something else I need to be doing and then reading feels forced and in turn, feels like a chore.

BUT last night as I was scrolling through Instagram (hey, its for the blog!), I came across one of those sponsored ads that I normally just scroll past; however, this was a photo of many NF titles I’ve been hearing a lot about: What Would Google Do?, The Tipping Point, Leaders Eat Last, ETC.

It was an ad for Blinkist. Never hearing of this before, I was intrigued.

Click. Click.

And I was in the app saving all sorts of titles I’ve been wanting to read (still having no idea the purpose of this app). Finally, I realized Blinkist is basically a cliffs notes (what up high school) version of NF titles. Blinkist gives you the key insights of each book in roughly 15 minutes; ‘a smarter you in 15 minutes’. So it’s more than a paragraph review, but less than the book in entirety, cool.

There’s a Discover page, where you can see what’s trending, or the option to search. I chose a title. A few quick swipes and I knew all I needed to know about The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo that I have been hearing so much about and was willing to spend $14 on audible to get it and probably ignore it. Blinkist breaks each book down into several short segments (insights) that tells you exactly what you need to know and take away from the title. The ‘Jump to Insights’ tab allows you to do just that.

I was hooked. Essentially, I read 4 books last night. I felt so accomplished. There’s something so gratifying about starting and finishing something in an instant (and not because I short-changed it, but because that’s how it’s meant to be). And I learned some cool stuff too!

New users can get a 3-day free trial, but even after that, the basic membership option is only $4.17/A MONTH. That is 14 cents A DAY. Sure, you could probably find just as lengthy articles online, but this keeps all your titles in one space and saves you the time of looking. Now, if you want to get fancy, you can get the premium membership for $6.67/month, which allows you to both read and listen to titles, sync titles between multiple devices and save highlights to Evernote. None of that peaks my interest, so I’m happy with my 14 cents/day membership. So, last night I read 4 titles for 4 cents each, opposed to the usual $14-$20. That alone makes me want to read more, which makes me learn more, a win-win.

And there are tons of categories, such as Productivity & Time Management, Science, Motivation & Inspiration, Health & Fitness, Entrepreneurship & Small Business (I’m talkin’ to you Bloggers!) ETC. Something for everyone! Here are just a few of the titles that are on my ‘to read’ Blinkist list: Rising Strong, #GIRLBOSS, The Happiness Project, The Bulletproof Diet, and Wherever You Go There You Are.

Normally with these types of NF books, it takes a while to build what the author is trying to say and you really only need to pull out the important parts, and that’s exactly what Blinkist does. Gain all the knowledge you need for a mere fraction of the time! Try it out! If you hate it, you’re out nothing (free trial!); if you love it, you’re welcome.

Happy Learning!

Book Review: A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout & Sara Corbett

Published on September 21, 2015September 21, 2015 by neverbeensoLeave a comment

Reading is something I’ve always been passionate about, but lately, with such a busy schedule, I find that it falls to the bottom of the list when it comes to what I’d like to squeeze into my free time. I’d much rather mindlessly scroll through Instagram or Pinterest or watch Real Housewives or the Food Network. While I’m able to get lost in the lives of others through those mediums, I found myself missing the way you can lose yourself in a book and develop true connections with characters for long stretches of time.

And then I discovered audiobooks; I found myself flying through books, using the free option from the library or for the most recent titles, using Audible (you can try it free for 30 days!).

I’m a sucker for memoirs. I’ve always loved non-fiction, but the subject matter tended to bore me; however with memoirs, I’m always significantly more engaged. I was scrolling through the memoirs section on Audible and stumbled across “A House in the Sky” by Amanda Lindhout. After reading the reviews, I was surprised I hadn’t already heard of this story in the news, but it sounded intriguing. One credit later, I began my journey on this incredible tale of strength, courage and freedom.

Amanda Lindhout wrote about her fifteen month abduction in Somalia in A House in the Sky. It is the New York Times bestselling memoir of a woman whose curiosity led her to the world’s most remote places and then into captivity: “Exquisitely told…A young woman’s harrowing coming-of-age story and an extraordinary narrative of forgiveness and spiritual triumph” (The New York Times Book Review).

The amount of detail Lindhout was able to recount from her experience is quite amazing. I couldn’t put the book down (or press stop, in my situation). I found myself lingering in my car long after I had arrived at work just to finish the chapter; I couldn’t get through it fast enough, but at the same time was devastated when it ended. Lindhout was able to develop the characters so well, that I felt like I was losing a piece of me when I finished; which is always the sign of a truly wonderful author, IMO. However, another reason I love memoirs, is because I can then find more information about the characters long after I’ve finished the story. I wiki’d Lindhout and was able to put a face to the name and learn what has gone on since the memoir was released (SPOILERS!). I have kept up with her site, hoping to see an event pop up that’s nearby – this is what [great] memoirs do to me – ALL IN!

This book gave me the feels. Made me feel like I tend to take things for granted, made me feel like certain things I’m going through aren’t so bad, made me appreciate the food, the shelter, the people around me. I’ve neverbeenso inspired. Lindhout also made me feel like my love for travel is good and necessary. WARNING: Her curiosity of the World is contagious; I envied her ability to GO. The audible version is read by Lindhout, which made even more of a connection.

I don’t want to give too much of this story away, but I will tell you to just go read/listento it. You will not be disappointed.

Have any memoir recommendations you’ve neverbeenso into?

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