The Sensible Mom

Food, DIY, Chicago Mom Blogger

Reviews

Beauty Review: Fysiko Eyelash Growth Serum (Month 1)

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Thanks to Influenster for the fabulous Fysiko Eyelash Growth Serum that I received for
review purposes.

fysiko lashes review

Who doesn’t want long, beautiful lashes?

I certainly do. 🙂

The reality is that as I get older, my lashes need a little extra help. Yes, mascara is fabulous, and if I could only choose one product to apply to my face each day, it would be mascara. But, but, but…mascara can only take me so far, which is why I was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to review a natural eyelash growth product called Fysiko Eyelash Growth Serum.

What is Fysiko Eyelash Growth Serum?
Fysiko is a natural growth serum that allows you to grow fuller, longer lashes in just 6 weeks. You apply it over your eyelids the same way that you’d apply eyeliner.

So far, my results have been positive after only 3 weeks of use.

Fysiko Lashes Before & After Pictures
Here’s my before picture:

fysiko before picture

I’m totally making myself vulnerable by allowing the camera to get this close to my face. I prefer pictures to be taken of me from across the room. 😉

I started using using Fysiko on May 9th, and I’m already noticing a difference. My face doesn’t look as washed out when I’m not wearing mascara, and my lashes are looking better overall.

Here’s what my lashes look like after 3 weeks of consistent use:

eyelash growth review

Using Fysiko with Contact Lenses
I’m able to use the Fysiko serum while I wear contact lenses. The directions say to apply the serum before you put your contact lenses in, but I found that this bothered my eyes once I had my lenses in (this is just me). Instead, I put in my contact lenses, then I apply the serum just like you’d apply eyeliner. I wait for the serum to dry, and I’m good to go.

I’m looking forward to sharing how the serum is working on my lashes over the next few months. I’m three weeks into using Fysiko, but I’ll be testing it for a full 16 weeks. I’m going to share pictures of my monthly results on all of my posts, so that you can see the difference right along with me.

Are you satisfied with your lashes? What’s one of your favorite beauty secrets?

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.


Mom Talk: Why I want to try a new cell phone service (or searching for the best wireless plan)

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I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and their client. #FamilyMobileSaves

Best Wireless

First things first, I don’t like being negative here on The Sensible Mom.

But today, I’m going to share a little negativity followed by some positive thoughts (as I search for the best wireless plan).

The reason being is that I’m going to be talking about cell phone service, and I’m going to share with you my real feelings about my current cell phone service provider, which will remain anonymous to those who don’t know me in real life. 😉

Because the people who know me in real life know who my current provider is, and they know that I have not so warm and fuzzy feelings about them.

Why I want to switch providers
It’s a little crazy really. I’ve been with my current provider for 12 years, and each and every year (or every two years…since contracts are longer now), they manage to keep me as a customer.

Why? Well, I guess I can only blame myself. Every time my contract is up, I’m wooed to stay in this dead end relationship. I’m offered “new” discounts (that don’t end up getting properly applied to my account and I end up having to waste 2+ hours of my life on the phone trying to get them applied after I’ve been sucked into another contract).

Stopping the madness
This type of thing happens every time my contract is up, and for some reason (maybe it’s the passing of time), I think THIS TIME, THIS YEAR things will be different. Maybe after I’ve agreed to remain a customer with them, I won’t have to waste my time afterwards trying to go up the chain of command to get applied to my account whatever new discounts or perks I was reeled back in with.

But I’m wrong. It’s exactly the same. And I’m tired of it. I finally gave up after the last fight, and I will be changing providers when my contract is up.

Here’s one of my actual Facebook updates from last year — after I decided that our relationship was over when my contracts ends.

Lowest Price Rate Plan

The only thing now is…I don’t know exactly which provider I’ll choose when I’m finally free next year. My husband and I have Smartphones, and I’d love a plan similar to my current plan which includes unlimited data and unlimited messaging.

It would also be great to have a plan that doesn’t come with a contract.

I’d like to know ahead of time which company I want to switch to in order to make the change from my current provider to a new provider easier, so I’m researching and talking to people now.

Walmart’s Family Mobile Plan
To get the ball rolling and start getting a feel for new service providers, I’ve decided to try out the new Walmart Family Mobile plan. Essentially, it’s a cheap wireless plan that’s $40 per month for unlimited talk, text, and web. There’s no contract.

The phone I’m using with the Family Mobile service is the T-Mobile Concord Smartphone. It’s a nice budget-friendly smartphone, for sure.

Lowest Price Rate Plan

Getting Started
When my phone arrived in the mail, I went to Walmart to purchase the Family Mobile Starter Kit to begin service. The Walmart employee helped me to set up my new account and walked me through the entire process along with telling me what I needed to know about the Family Mobile plan.

That made getting started easy. I actually left the store with my account number and new phone number. (You can see my experience here in a Google+ story.)

All I needed to do when I got home was go to the My Family Mobile website to finish the process, and that was it. Done.

I’m looking forward to seeing how this plan works for me over the next month, and I’ll be sharing my experience with you in an update post next month.

 Are you shopping around for a new wireless plan? What are your must-haves when it comes to cell phone plans?


6 Fabulous Healthy Food Choices

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I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and Mariano’s. #MyMarianos #cbias #SocialFabric

healthy recipes

Summer is right around the corner.

Do you need a little inspiration to eat healthier?

I know with life being so busy lately, I’m not eating as healthy as I should be. In order to get back on track, I recently took a shopping trip to Mariano’s. While I was there, I picked up lots of fresh foods and ingredients to make delicious recipes like kid-friendly cucumbers, guacamole, and a nutrient-packed green juice.

Shopping at Mariano’s
In the past, I’ve shared how amazing Mariano’s is, and I wish there was a Mariano’s in every city. It’s that outstanding of a grocery store. One of the reasons I love it is because not only do they have a ton of fresh fruits and vegetables to choose from when I’m grocery shopping, but they also have a huge assortment of at-the-ready healthy foods for people who are on-the-go.

Mariano's

Better than your average shopping trip…
The assortment of healthy foods available at your fingertips is staggering, and I love the way Mariano’s encourages its customers to live a healthy lifestyle by offering such a robust variety of healthy options. Mariano’s doesn’t simply have one salad bar with lettuce and vegetables, no, you can find island after island with tastebud tempting foods.

All this in a neighborhood grocery store.

This is part of what makes Mariano’s such a unique experience when I shop there. I’ve never been to another grocery store like it on the planet.

In fact, when you shop at Mariano’s you can look forward to:

  • an amazing assortment of healthy food options, from the islands to the grocery store aisles
  • a great value for your money
  • savings when you use your rewards card
  • an overall friendly atmosphere

Getting back to healthy habits
The main goal of my recent trip to Mariano’s was to stock up on healthy foods, so that I could get back to eating healthy before summer hits next month. I have one pair of crazy looking shorts that I don’t want to wear in public, and I’d love to be able to buy a couple new pairs that I can feel good wearing. In order to do that, I’ve gotten back on track, and I’m making healthy food choices.

I want to share these healthy food choices (and recipes) with you to inspire you to get back on track, too, if you’ve found yourself slipping away from healthy habits.

Health Food Choice #1 – Raspberries
I’d love to encourage you to simply enjoy some fresh berries the next time you need something sweet to snack on. These raspberries were delicious.

healthy food recipes

Health Food Choice #2 – At-the-ready Fresh Fruit
If you’re a longtime reader of my blog, you’ve probably noticed that a lot of my pictures feature a basket of fruit in the background. 😉

It’s actually a tip I gleaned from someone else a longtime ago, and we’ve simply adopted it. It’s made a huge difference in our lives, because if there’s a banana, apple, or orange always available…there’s no reason not to make a healthy choice when you need something to tide you over until the next meal.

healthy snack ideas

Health Food Choice #3- Vanilla Almond Milk
I drink coffee twice a day, and I used to create insane sugar-laden concoctions that I called “coffee.” They were obviously not helping me lose any weight, so I switched to using vanilla almond milk in my coffee (most days), and now I can drink two cups of coffee per day and not feel like I’m hurting my efforts to lose weight and be healthy.

almond milk in coffee

Health Food Choice #4 – Cucumbers
Need a delicious snack your whole family will love? I have just the recipe for you, and it’s super simple.

kid-friendly snacks

Simply add a little lime (or lemon) and salt to sliced cucumbers for a fun snack that’s tasty and refreshing.

easy cucumber recipe

Here’s the recipe:

Print
Lime Cucumbers

Ingredients

  • 3 cucumbers
  • fresh lime juice from 1/2 of a lime
  • coarse sea salt

Instructions

  1. Peel and slice the cucumbers, then spread them out onto a large plate
  2. Squeeze the lime juice of 1/2 of a lime over the cucumbers
  3. Sprinkle coarse sea salt over the top of the cucumbers (to taste)
https://thesensiblemom.com/2013/05/healthy-food-choices/

Health Food Choice #5 – Guacamole
I love guacamole. Sometimes, I make it and have it as a meal. It’s so easy to whip up, and, well, it’s delicious. I’m sharing my recipe with you below.

simple guacamole recipe

Here’s the recipe:

Print
Guacamole

Ingredients

  • 2 large avocados, mashed
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
  • 2.5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Add mashed avocados, diced tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, and salt to a bowl.
  2. Stir ingredients just until they come together.
  3. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
  4. Serve with tortilla chips. This recipe makes approximately 2 cups of guacamole.
https://thesensiblemom.com/2013/05/healthy-food-choices/

Health Food Choice #6 – Green Juice
I’ve shared my recipe for homemade juicer lemonade in the past, but today, I’d love to share a simple green juice recipe that you can make in a juicer. I adore juicing, and green juices are definitely the best juices for you.

green juice recipe

Here’s the recipe:

Print
Green Juice

Ingredients

  • 1 cucumber
  • 2 apples
  • 1/2 of a lime

Instructions

  1. Start the juicer, then add the cucumber, apples, and 1/2 of a lime, one ingredient at a time.
  2. Serve green juice over ice.
https://thesensiblemom.com/2013/05/healthy-food-choices/

So those are my 6 healthy food choice tips and recipes to help you think about making healthy choices before summer is here next month. 🙂

Are there any habits you need to kick in honor of the summer season? What’s one of your favorite summertime recipes?

You can find more great recipes and ideas from the Mariano’s Community. And you can follow Mariano’s on Facebook and Twitter for their latest updates. You can also find out more about my shopping trip to Mariano’s here in my Google+ story.


Recipe: Whole Wheat Waffles

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Sponsored by Goodies Co. — a snack-tacular way to try new foods.

waffle recipe

I had the chance to observe something recently.

We don’t all eat our waffles the same way.

Seriously. I made our favorite recipe for whole wheat waffles, and all five of my children had their own way of eating them.

Nathan, our firstborn, liked his waffles with homemade whipped cream, syrup, and strawberries to top.

whole wheat waffle recipe

Breanna, our oldest daughter and thoughtful second child, started her waffles off with only homemade whipped cream and syrup. She preferred to have her fruit to the side so that she could sprinkle it on top of the waffle when she was ready to add it.

whole wheat waffles kids like

Isaac, our middle child, liked his waffles with homemade whipped cream and syrup on top. He wanted only strawberries on the side of his plate and there was no chance they were going to end up on top of his waffle. 🙂

waffles with fruit

David, our four year old, well, no explanation is needed for how he liked to eat his waffles. The picture says it all.

waffles

And finally, Elisabeth, our baby girl, shared a plate of waffles with mama. We aren’t picky, and we like it all.

whole wheat waffle recipe

It was interesting to see how each kid chose their own individual way to eat a waffle.

And, in case you’d like to experiment with your family, OR you just want a great whole wheat waffle recipe, here you go…

Print
Whole Wheat Waffles

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2 tablespoons fine ground cornmeal
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 large eggs, separated
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
  • 1 3/4 cups buttermilk (or I used 1 3/4 cups of almond milk mixed with 2 tablespoons of vinegar -- left standing for 5-10 minutes)
  • Pinch cream of tarter

Instructions

  1. Preheat the waffle maker. (I use a Belgian waffle maker)
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, sea salt, and baking soda together.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and melted butter. Then add the buttermilk (or almond milk substitute) to that mixture.
  4. In a third bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer on medium high speed until soft peaks form.
  5. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the large bowl with dry ingredients, and gently whisk until just incorporated (some lumps should remain). Then fold the whipped egg whites into the batter.
  6. Spray the waffle maker with vegetable spray to keep waffles from sticking.
  7. Pour the prepared batter onto the waffle maker and cook through, about 4 minutes per waffle. (I use a measuring cup to measure out 1 cup of batter at a time and then pour it over the waffle maker) *You can keep waffles warm in a 200 degree oven or serve one at a time.
https://thesensiblemom.com/2013/05/recipe-whole-wheat-waffles/

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do.

How do you like to eat your waffles? Do you have a favorite go-to recipe? 

Psst…a little information about the sponsor of this post. Pretty neat program.

“Goodies Co. is a highly sought after monthly subscription and to get yours, you will need to visit and enter the code BLOGVIP to instantly receive your invitation. Typically, there is a waitlist to get an invitation, however through our partnership with Goodies Co. you can skip the line and get right in.

goodies co.

Once you enter the code into the promo page, you will receive 2 emails from Goodies. The first will state you are in line for your invitation, the next will instantly tell you your invitation has arrived. This shows you how you skipped the line!”

UPDATE: I created a YouTube video that features this recipe, and you can check it out here: