Pajama Jeans

Ladies, admit it, when you saw the infomercial you giggled and laughed but then thought…damn those might be awesome. I know I did. I wanted to know what exactly are these pajama jeans. Like the Snuggie, I wondered how I got roped into such pure awesomeness. Laugh it up all you want about pajama jeans but I think they are great.

I was the ultimate skeptic for these, I thought, “Oh wow, these are just a pair of “Mom Jeans” that they are trying to market as stylish.” That is until I received my pair and again was skeptical but liked the fabric. A cotton blend that truly looks like denim except with the soft, fleecy, cotton insides like pajama’s.  Hence the coining of pajama jeans.

When I received my pair I told all the ladies I work with about them and they had a hard time believing they were the infamous pajama jeans that I was wearing. With the smooth front and stylish back side with fashion stitching and rivets to mimic real jeans. They come to a boot cut bottom which looks great with any pair of shoes, but I definitely like wearing boots considering we are into fall. The waist is not an elastic waist which means there is no bunching, a smooth looking tummy and the small pockets  on the back help accentuate your assets. But not only do they look good they feel good, they are warmer than your standard jeans and they move with you like your favorite pair of pajamas. Hey you can laugh it up, but my pajama jeans are my casual staple on the weekends and you can add them to your wardrobe as well for only $39.95 you can order them online and at specialty retailers and they come in an assortment of sizes to fit anyone. Buy a pair for the woman in your life this holiday season as a stocking stuffer or a wardrobe staple to enjoy as well.

“Disclosure: I was provided with a pair of Pajama Jeans at no cost in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.”

Harvey Prince Scents of Purpose

Admittedly I am a fan of most things girl; shoes, purses, perfumes, and fine clothing. I am a scent whore most of all to be sold bold and brash. I adore perfume. Nothing defines a mood, a feeling, a memory, or a “just because” like the smell of perfume. My salle de bain, as I like to refer to my bathroom, is filled with various rich perfumes from some of the most famous designers; Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta, Michael Kors, Donna Karan, Christian Dior, Giorgio Armani, and my favorite Ralph Lauren. But sometimes I like to change up my scents and I am always on the look out for some fabulous new scents from my old favorite from Ralph Lauren, in fact my favorite scent of all time is Lauren by Ralph Lauren. I have worn it for years and it my signature scent if you were to ask.

Recently I heard of Harvey Prince. In all honesty I had never heard of them while searching for eco-friendly perfumes; I had know idea what they had to offer as far as a product, and best of all I did not know what to expect. So I requested a sample of their product and could not believe my olfactory response as well as my visual stimulation.

The packaging was adorable, bright, inviting, and stylish. To my pleasant surprise when I opened the package I found six, fun, roll on bottles of perfume and eau de parfum. Included was a transparent that spoke to me and told the story of the company and the perfumes they craft based on real life inspiration. The perfumes are meant for you feel good, feel happy, and feel young all while being yourself. I immediately opened each and every one of the bottles to smell for myself, to put them on, as if that moment were Christmas Day. Furthermore I pulled my husband over to me and had him smell them, I wanted  him to delight in my giddiness and excitement over perfume. Typical man, he appeased me and shared his feedback. He liked the femininity and the fact that each perfume resonated a moment in time and they were sexy, so he says. Ahem, thank you Mr. Fish.

The adorable packaging included the following scents: Eau Flirt, Eau Fling, Eau de Lite, Eau de Creme, Coupling, and the signature Ageless. I could smell all the warmth and femininity these perfumes had to offer and they inspired different feelings in me with each whiff. Eau de Creme is one of my favorites that I use ever so sparingly due to the rich vanilla and Patchouli that I could immediately recognize, making me think of a cool fall day drinking a hot latte with friends. Ageless though is timeless, reminding me of my Ralph Lauren adoration and how clean the smell is on the skin, not overwhelming or wreaking of alcohol like some parfums. I wore Ageless to work and was complimented numerous times on what a beautiful perfume I was wearing, who was the maker, all the women enjoyed the clean beautiful scent as much as I did and have enjoyed, and I felt like I did when I was in my twenties. Youthful, vibrant, and I could feel the touch of class by adding that bit of scent to my ensemble that can make you feel that much more the attention grabber without losing your class. Guiltily I retire my Ralph Lauren in lieu of Harvey Prince.

Harvey Prince even boasts of this in their mission statement to provide high quality perfumes to women without the toxicity or choking scents that are often found in boutique and cosmetic grade perfumes. Fabulous idea right!? Plus these perfumes are good for you too with no parabens, sulfates or GMO’s and they are crafted right here at home in the USA. But please do not let me influence you, I know I have in no way been influenced, especially because I had no idea what to expect or even what I was receiving, so now you have an idea of what Harvey Prince stands for and what fabulous perfumes they have to offer. Now you too can bring Harvey Prince to your life and add that spunk with Eau Flirt, feel years younger with Ageless, be that pinup for date night with Eau de Creme, or slip on some flip flops with Eau de Lite or choose from one of the other beautiful scents of full size perfumes Harvey Prince has to offer!

  • Come tell me which scent, by visiting the Harvey Prince site, you would love to add to your salle de bain and WHY! Is your why to feel young, flirty, because you just lost weight and feel amazing, tell us your story!
  • Like the Harvey Prince family on Facebook
  • Follow Harvey Prince on Twitter
  • Follow me on Twitter
  • Tweet us about this magnificent giveaway: Scents of Purpose #giveaway with @KariewithaK & @HarveyPrince share your purposeful moment and win https://thefivefish.com/harvey-prince
  • Follow my blog
  • Subscribe to my feed
  • Like The Fish on Facebook (worth 5 entries, 2 if you already like us)
  • Promote this giveaway on Facebook
  • Blog this giveaway (worth 5 entries)
  • Comment on a non giveaway post (worth 2 entries)

Contest Ends November 26th @ Midnight AZ Time

As always: No Purchase Necessary, available to US and Canada residents. One entry per household. US postcard entries also acceptable if you do not have access to the above entry options, no limit to postcard entries as long as all are received before the close of the contest, email contests@thefivefish.com for your postcard entry details or to use email as your postcard entrance as these entries will be logged by the administrator of the blog. Winners will be chosen by “And the Winner is” Failure to adhere to the aforementioned rules set forth by this contest will result in forfeiture of your entry with no notice. Facebook does not promote, endorse, nor sponsor this review and giveaway and will be held harmless. As always, good luck and enjoy. My opinions herein are my own and are no way influenced by the receipt of a free product, they are an honest reflection of myself and my review of the integrity of the product.

Organic Grooming Herban Cowboy

As an organic family we have tried to seek out as many organic products in our lifestyle as possible. More so than foods, but also our hygiene products since these are the items in our lives that leave the largest footprint, so why not reduce that. On the look out for holiday stocking stuffers and gifts I found something wonderful for my husband. He is always the hard one to shop for and he was also the most skeptical about organic products.  I found the most wonderful gift for him that he can use daily and is good for his  skin and the environment with recyclable packaging, no alcohols, and no harsh synthetics. A little more about Herban Cowboy which makes me love their product even more, is how they got started and what they stand for:

Starting a personal care company on a few thousand dollars, in a log cabin on a dirt road with no Internet and a questionable phone line, could be classified as crazy. The fact that we were broke wasn’t a plus. After ruining all our hand me down pots and pans developing our first formula, hand filling our first bottles of shave cream and taking our first order to the local rural post office where we were greeted with long stares; we got it running. 

We realize everyday millions of tons of personal care products are used globally which could be made much healthier for humans and the environment. We wanted to create personal care products that are both healthy and have minimal environmental impact. We believe small changes in our everyday routine, like switching a can of aerosol shave cream to a recyclable tube of organic shave cream, can collectively have a long-term dramatic benefit to human health and the environment. 

People think it is fancy now that our products are carried by noted retailers, shipped internationally and mentioned in magazines; but, the reality is we’re just happy that Herban Cowboy products contribute to the growing environmental movement by making it easy for people to ‘go green’.Thanks for being part of our story.

Be a part of their story, choose a new holiday gift for the man in your life. Herban Cowboy is an inexpensive, organic gift your man will enjoy using. I know my husband was thrilled at the results from using Herban Cowboy Shave Cream and After Shave Balm with carrot and cucumber. No itchy feeling, a smooth glide as he said when using the shave cream and he said that the after shave balm wasn’t harsh or drying. He also said it helped him in preventing razor burn, bumps, and possible in grown hairs. As I said, add this to your man’s life and enter to win my giveaway of an Herban Cowboy gift set which includes a full size bottle of Herban Cowboy Shave Cream and a full size bottle of After Shave Balm. Here is how you can enter to win:

  • Visit Herban Cowboy and tell me what product you would love to share with the man in your life.
  • Be sure to Like Herban Cowboy on Facebook and follow them on Twitter
  • Follow my blog
  • Follow me on Twitter
  • Like The Fish on Facebook
  • Promote this giveaway on Facebook
  • Tweet this giveaway daily: Add #vegan & #organic to your gift giving win a shave kit for him with @Herban_Cowboy & @KariewithaK https://thefivefish.com/organic-grooming-herban-cowboy
  • Comment on a non-giveaway post
  • Blog about this giveaway (worth 5 entries)

Contest ends November 25th @ Midnight AZ time

As always: No Purchase Necessary, available to US and Canada residents. One entry per household. US postcard entries also acceptable if you do not have access to the above entry options, no limit to postcard entries as long as all are received before the close of the contest, email contests@thefivefish.com for your postcard entry details or to use email as your postcard entrance as these entries will be logged by the administrator of the blog. Winners will be chosen by “And the Winner is” Failure to adhere to the aforementioned rules set forth by this contest will result in forfeiture of your entry with no notice. Facebook does not promote, endorse, nor sponsor this review and giveaway and will be held harmless. As always, good luck and enjoy. My opinions herein are my own and are no way influenced by the receipt of a free product, they are an honest reflection of myself and my review of the integrity of the product.

Scent Design Custom Create Your Fragrance

How do you win over the one you love at the holidays? You design a fragrance and or scent that is completely exotic, intriguing, and above all totally personal.

Some women really don’t know what their favorite scents are, but some of my favorite are sandalwood, vanilla, black raspberry, patchouli, almond and citrus. I love warm scents and Scent Design offers a few of these amazing scents for you to create your own perfect, custom oil fragrance. Choose from their vast fragrance list to help you craft your ideal perfume or cologne for your loved one. Each fragrance is listed based on the top note and scent, men’s or women’s, and you can add the special touch of a scent you often find in your luxury fragrances.

Let me not bore you with the details of scents as you learn more about Scent Design:

Scent Design was launched in the summer of 2006, but the idea is much older. After working at a bath and body shop for a few years, I saw a service that was there, yet wasn’t being brought to it’s logical conclusion.
‘Fragrance Bars’ as they are called, have been around since 1970, yet they are hard to find and only tend to exist in some pretty exclusive areas. After searching around the internet to see if I was the only one with this idea, it looked like I was on to something big.

So now that you know you can create your own scent, they are totally unique, exotic, and remarkably irreplaceable why not enter to win a $50 Gift Certificate to create your own scent with Scent Design here is how you can enter to win:

  • Tell me your favorite scent, is it warm, cool, refreshing or what is your significant other’s favorite scent or what do you like to smell on them. Visit Scent Design and choose from their wide array of scents and pre-made designs.
  • Follow my blog
  • Follow me on Twitter
  • Tweet this giveaway daily for more chances to win, just make sure you link to the post and @Kariewithak for credit
  • Fan The Fish on Facebook (worth 2 entries if you are already a fan, worth 5 for first time fans)
  • Promote this giveaway on Facebook
  • Leave a comment on any non giveaway post (worth 2 entries)
  • Blog this giveaway (worth 5 entries)
  • Subscribe to my feed and or add me to your reader

Contest ends November 20th midnight Arizona Time

As always: No Purchase Necessary, available to US and Canada residents. One entry per household. US postcard entries also acceptable if you do not have access to the above entry options, no limit to postcard entries as long as all are received before the close of the contest, email contests@thefivefish.com for your postcard entry details or to use email as your postcard entrance as these entries will be logged by the administrator of the blog. Winners will be chosen by “And the Winner is” Failure to adhere to the aforementioned rules set forth by this contest will result in forfeiture of your entry with no notice. Facebook does not promote, endorse, nor sponsor this review and giveaway and will be held harmless. As always, good luck and enjoy.

ScentCrafters Build Your Own Scent

As a perfume aficionado, nothing is more intriguing, nothing more sexy, nothing more unique than the scent of a woman. I strive to always find perfumes that are feminine, not overbearing, and can be worn at any time. Perfume is also a wonderful gift for women, especially at the holidays. But let’s face it, men struggle to buy this perfect gift for their wife, girlfriend or significant other. That’s right ScentCrafters is not only for women in pursuit of the ideal perfume, but ladies if you are in search of the ideal scent for your man, you can choose from a variety of scents and or already mixed scents that you might be familiar.

I found ScentCrafters a few years back when seeking out an individual and totally unique gift idea for my holiday gift guide. ScentCrafters has great customer service, the staff will help you through the entire creation process to build your ideal scent, help you choose your individual bottle options and you can name your own scent. How fantastic of an idea to name your own scent, adds that bit of distinctness and singularity to the gift for your loved one.

My scent that I crafted that I still love to this day is Chanel No. 5 (and I mean LOVE it) and I love anything Victoria’s Secret so I chose a beautiful blend of Victoria’s Secret Divine and Chanel No. 5 and let me tell you….wonderful, romantic, ultra feminine, and not overpowering or raunchy. Just absolutely heavenly. I love to spray some on after a shower.

But don’t take my word for it this time around, you can have your own scent this holiday season so in order to win your own personalized bottle of perfume and or cologne enter by doing one or some of the following to increase your chances:

  • Tell me your favorite perfume and or cologne or favorite scent
  • Follow my blog
  • Follow me on Twitter
  • Tweet this giveaway (once daily entry) Create your own scent this holiday season with @KariewithaK and ScentCrafters
  • Fan The Fish on Facebook (worth 5 entries)
  • Promote this giveaway on Facebook with a link
  • Subscribe to my feed
  • Bookmark me on Delicious, Stumble my blog
  • Leave a comment on any non giveaway post (worth 2 entries)
  • Blog this giveaway (worth 5 entries)
  • Enter one of my other giveaways

Contest ends November 18th at Midnight Arizona time

As always: No Purchase Necessary, available to US and Canada residents. One entry per household. US postcard entries also acceptable if you do not have access to the above entry options, no limit to postcard entries as long as all are received before the close of the contest, email contests@thefivefish.com for your postcard entry details or to use email as your postcard entrance as these entries will be logged by the administrator of the blog. Winners will be chosen by “And the Winner is” Failure to adhere to the aforementioned rules set forth by this contest will result in forfeiture of your entry with no notice. Facebook does not promote, endorse, nor sponsor this review and giveaway and will be held harmless. As always, good luck and enjoy.

Beauty of Mirra

mirra, Kroger, thefivefish.com

Here lies Karie Noel Herring; beauty addict. Hi, my name is Karie and I am a beauty addict. Admittedly I love to try new beauty products and I have cabinets (and truly boxes) filled with tried and true and tried and failed products. I have invested in some of the finest products from France, Switzerland, and I have invested in some of the greatest bargain products available at your local grocer.

mirra, Kroger, thefivefish.com

I recently was presented with the opportunity to try a new beauty line exclusive to Kroger brand stores, Mirra. The goal of the Mirra beauty line is for the effortless beauty care for women which are: Daily – routine personal care; Renew – a rejuvenating time out; and Inspire – quick transformations for a night out. The Kroger Company, on behalf of the Global Influence Network, provided me with the following products to review and share:

  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • Body Wash
  • Body Lotion
  • Under Eye Wrinkle Cream
  • Daytime moisturizer and wrinkle reducer
  • Night time moisturizer and wrinkle reducer

Here is my take; I truly enjoyed the shampoo, conditioner and body wash. While they are Mirra, Kroger, thefivefish.comsulfate free products they are wonderful for cleansing and moisturizing. My skin and hair do not feel stripped or quenching for thirst like some sulfate products that I have used. Especially because the shampoo and conditioner are the “volumizing” option which tend to strip hair a bit more to give it oomph. The scent is very light and not loaded with perfumes. The body wash, however, is a bit overwhelming with scent. I felt like I was bathing in gardenias. While a very lovely scent, I am not a big “flower” girl.

The body lotion is wonderful! Very smooth and silky and quenching. A little goes a long way and I did not feel greasy, thick, or heavy. Whereas the facial creams cannot be described in the same fashion. The under eye cream is nice, blending well and seeming to absorb well into the skin. However, when I would apply my makeup the under eye cream would appear to cake up and pill off of my face. Almost as if dry skin flaking off.

The day and night creams I was excited to use as well. My skin is not as supple as it used to be, especially because I tended to abuse it in my 20s with smoking, tanning, and inconsiderate care. But the creams seem to do more harm than good. After application my face would feel greasy and as if I had just spent time working out. Furthermore, my face DID NOT react well to the creams and I began to have breakouts. Upon discontinuing use my face returned to a normal state. While the consistency was very nice the cream was NOT for me.

Even though the creams were not for me and the washes and lotion were, doesn’t mean they cannot be your complete and affordable, total beauty regimen. You can win a beauty pack very similar to the products I received myself and receive a coupon for $5 off the purchase of two Mirra products at Kroger and Kroger brand stores. Here is how you can win:

Tell me in a comment your peeve with beauty products or the WORST product you have ever tried.

Extra entries:

  • Follow this blog with Google Friend Connect (right hand side)
  • Follow me on Twitter
  • Tweet this giveaway with unlimited tweets, no double entry: Win effortless beauty Mirra full size beauty prize pack with @KariewithaK  http://goo.gl/3wbt Ends 3/23
  • Subscribe to my feed (Worth 3 entries)

CONTEST ENDS MARCH 23RD @ 11:59PM

Get Some Satisfaction

Fragrance

I am channeling Mick Jagger right now…some Keith Richards…because ladies and gentleman. For the first time in over a DECADE. Yes I said 10 years people, big news okay. The first time in over a decade JOVAN has released a new fragrance and the name of the fragrance, so aptly named: SATISFACTION (For Her and For Him).

The Chad and I received a sample bottle to try each and while I was hesitant to try the fragrance, I thought to myself, DO IT. The smell is tantalizing. Reminds me of a warm summer night. The men’s fragrance…I am very particular on men’s fragrances and this one gave me a tingle. The Chad said reminded him of high school….should I be worried? He did have a fondness for high school and drove a motor-home to school, okay enough of that, moving on.

Fragrance

JOVAN Satisfaction for her contains the sweet smells of mango, lotus flower and warm vanilla while the scent for him contains cedarwood, cardamom, grapefruit, and amber. RAWR! These fragrances just hit the shelves at your favorite retailers (Wal-Mart, Target, CVS) last month and are available in a 1.0 ounce Eau de Toillete spray for $18 or $12 for the 0.5 ounce bottle.

But if you want…and I know you really want to, you can enter to win the set of fragrances in the 0.5 ounce bottle size right here. On this blog. Here is your first entry:

Tell me your satisfactions, could be anything, everything, let’s hear it!

Extra Entries:

  • Follow on Google Friend Connect (Worth 3 entries if you don’t already follow…and if you already do….what the heck 3 entries for you too because I love you!)
  • Subscribe to my feed
  • Follow me on Twitter
  • Tweet this giveaway with unlimited tweets as long as a  different comment separates your last comment: Get some satisfaction, JOVAN Satisfaction fragrance that is with @KariewithaK Ends 3/20 http://goo.gl/SHlz

CONTEST ENDS MARCH 20 @ 11:59PM

Dove for Men

Body Bar

Ladies have you been victim to the disappearing health and beauty products and you do not have daughters or a daughter old enough to enjoy such pleasures? The wonderful shower gel or body sugar you have to pamper yourself for those measly 15 minutes before venturing back into the big bad world of motherhood or even the working world for that matter. Well I know one year I splurged and got the ENTIRE Victoria’s Secret Body by Victoria spa set that included a body shower gel, body sugar (scrub), after shower lotion spritz and body moisturizer. Heaven in a few bottles I tell you.

Until I noticed that slowly but surely my products began to dwindle. My bottles of heaven were not as full as they once were and I KNOW that I was NOT using the products that often. They were my special treat to myself after a long day or to feel ever so feminine that morning. One day the man finally fessed up. He whole heartedly admitted to using MY products. At that time I knew he needed some TLC just as I did.

Body BarFabulously enough the folks at Dove have realized what my husband and I have realized. Men are comfortable with themselves and want to be comfortable in their own skin as well. The new line by Dove is the Dove Men + Care and the soaps and body washes are truly amazing. The technology in the soap process helps to combat dryness, provide gentle yet thorough cleansing that your man (or you men) desire.

The Chad received a package to review of the Dove Men + Care line and when I opened the package I did not want to stop taking in the wonderful aroma of the product. Truly a wonderful and invigorating smell. Strong and musky like a man, but aromatic and a light citrus, almost dare I say floral scent, wonderfully complimentary to any man. While I urged him to use it (like at that moment) he said that night he would try out the new product.

Well my patience could not wait…so I tried the soaps out for myself. What the heck right? He slathered up in Victoria’s Secret why not suds up myself in his body wash? So I tried the body bar and I was pleasantly surprised! I enjoy the Dove brands but I have to say that the men’s bar is MUCH more moisturizing than the standard Dove bars of soap. The scent was light as well, not a heavy perfume as some other mens and standard soap brands. So what did The Chad have to say, “I really like it…nice, not drying, its cool.” Man approved ladies!

Even more, men can share their unsung moments to where they finally reached this comfortable point in their lives from childhood to manhood to fatherhood. Share all your men’s unsung moments with Dove and enjoy the “Manthem.” But the fun does not stop there, enter to win your very own Dove Men + Care body wash and body bar. Here is how:

Tell me your man’s unsung moments or the moment when you knew or when he showed he was comfortable in his own skin. (You must do this before ANY other entries are accepted)

Extra Entries:

  • Tweet this giveaway with unlimited tweets as long as the comment is separated by another entrants comment: Win a Dove Men + Care body wash and bar from @KariewithaK  Ends 3/18 http://goo.gl/miBR
  • Subscribe to my feed ( 3 extra entries if you subscribe, my feed changed with the move)

CONTEST ENDS MARCH 18 @ 11:59PM

Best of luck!

Rethink What Love Is

Leslie Blodgett is just a ball of fun if you ask me. When I reviewed her perfume line, I felt that her thought process in her campaigns for her products completely epitomizes a woman; I mean she really nails what life means to be a woman.

Her newest brain child is “Rethink What Matters” where women can participate in fun quizzes to let loose their thoughts and feelings. Maybe confess to some secrets you have held inside about love, finding yourself, even your views on politics. Each week a new topic and Leslie’s fabulous products will be featured as well as the option to enter to win more goodies!

This week the topic was love and public displays of affection. I offended myself by fighting to answer these the way I needed. The questions are cheeky and brutally honest in regard to maybe the simple flirtation in the office. But those events happen with people and by rethinking about how we act and how we can better ourselves is part of the fun and to see the results of other women taking the quiz.

So in conjunction with this week’s topic I have a giveaway!

I am giving away 1 Smoky Eye Tutorials from bareMinerals specifically for this campaign. Here’s how you can enter to win:

  1. Follow my blog and or subscribe AND then
  2. Leave me a comment to tell me how you are rethinking love as we come into Valentine’s Day. Are you a cynic for love (like me) or a die hard romantic? (This is a one comment entry)

For extra entries:

  1. Follow me on Twitter
  2. Tweet this giveaway being sure to include @KariewithaK so I see your tweets. 😉 (Tweet as much as you want as long as you have a comment in between your previous comment.)
CONTEST ENDS FEBRUARY 16TH @ 11:59PM
Best of luck!
*I will receive my own kit for review but I am holding a promotional giveaway with no product at this time and make no claims otherwise.