Buying Glasses Online Successfully

Is it just me or are the glasses at Optometrists offices getting more expensive? For the last 10 years my eye sight has gotten progressively worse and it's time for me to think about some new prescription glasses. When I shop in the store, I'm shocked!! 

There are some great online sites that I have seen much better deals on. GlassesUsa.com is a fun site (especially because you can use a virtual mirror to see the glasses on yourself!!).

I've been wearing a lot of brown recently. Not just because it's fall but because I love the way it looks and feels. Very earthy, ya know? I'd like this pair (to match a brown outfit):

 The thick designer eyeglass frames are so cute!!

Love these too:

They've also got a great sale going on: 

Buy 2 sets of glasses and get all three protective lens coatings and shipping for FREE!!

I definitely recommend looking for Glasses online. You never know what kind of deals you might find....and I have no doubt they are as competitive as a walk-in store. In fact, Glasses Usa offers a 110% lowest price guarantee and a 100% satisfaction guarantee!! 

You can totally shop for eyeglasses online successfully. It always makes me feel a little self conscious to try on glasses in the store....with the employees looking over my shoulder. The virtual mirror at Glasses USA definitely comes in handy!!

You can find Glasses USA here:

www.glassesusa.com

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This post was written in association with Glasses USA. All opinions are my own and it is written in my own words.

Halloween House Kids Craft

I've really been skimping out on my library craft posts!! Yikes. I thought I'd better toss this one in before we're moving on to Thanksgiving!! This is a Halloween House for toddlers and preschoolers to make. Pretty simple and *kinda* spooky....but not scary. :-)

What you need:

black poster paper (Dollar Store for .50cents each)

gluesticks

large white (or any fun color) 8x11 cardstock

Halloween Stickers (Target for a $1)

white printer paper

~Trim out the posterboard into pieces shaped like these (in black, below) and make duplicates:

 

 There is a folded door to make (seen on the right, here). It's just a rectangle with it's side folded, large enough to fit over the silo-shaped doors.

~Trim out the two white pieces seen above (small square and silo-shape) and make plenty of duplicates as well....these are the doors and windows of the house.

~Have the kids place the black pieces on the colored cardstock and make the house. 

~Have them add the windows and white doorways. 

~Glue the folded part of the black doors to the sides of the white door shapes so that the doors can open and close. Then start adding stickers behind the doors and around the house!!

Peek-a-boo!!

I shared this post at the following funky linky parties:

Amazon Rain Review and Giveaway

I've recently been using the Amazon Rain Lluvia Botanical cleanser and I've been loving it. Amazon Rain products are entirely free of the chemicals, additives, and fragrances that most brands of beauty products have in their ingredient list. Have you ever used a skin care product that actually made your skin hurt?? I just tried some lip gloss the other day that could've brought me to tears. You won't find anything toxic like that in Amazon Rain products.

The Botanical Cleanser is contains some fun ingredients from the Rainforest that help to do it's work:

• Jatoba- to cleanse and soothe skin
• Iporuru- Calms the skin and has been used by Amazonian tribes for centuries!!
• Stevia- used for treating breakouts and blemishes

 I have found the product to be extremely gentle and it does a great job of purifying my skin without any sensitive reactions to it's organic/wild harvested ingredients. In particular, I love the *smell* of it. It doesn't smell like some product trying to copy the aroma of real plants. It smells like natural ingredients. It makes me perfectly giddy!! See:

Yup, that's me. Shaking my hair in the rain.

I bet you're wondering how buying products from the Amazon Rainforest can actually be good for the Rainforest itself. Good question. This company supports the use of sustainable and renewable resources and provides income to communities living near the Rainforest, giving them more options to do what they will with their land (including acquiring titles and deeds). A portion of each Amazon Rain product is also donated to the Amazon Center for Environmental & Educational Research (ACEER).

Did you know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month?

Amazon Herb Company contributes a percentage of its profits to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of cancer for every product sold. Fund are given year round to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre [http://www.oliviaappeal.com/].) You can learn all about Amazon Rain products, its mission and vision here: http://www.amazonrain.net/Lluvia-2011/Deeper-Than-Beauty.shtml

 

Not only did I get a free Botanical Cleanser, but I got a chance to offer you one as well!!

This Giveaway will be ending on Sunday, October 30th and is open to U.S Residents only. 

Here is how to enter (one comment per entry type please):

• Subscribe by Email to Amazon Herb  (MANDATORY)
• Become A GFC friend of Marvelously Messy
• Leave a Comment on this Post
• Follow Amazon Herb on Twitter 

Good Luck!!!!

Exercise Inspired

It's time to inspire myself. I need some exercise help. This butt spends too much time sitting in a chair behind the computer everyday and not enough time moving around. I've made all the excuses I can about gaining weight recently: my pants shrunk in the dryer, this shirt is from a couple years ago when sizes ran smaller, I'll start dieting tomorrow (I should eat all the sweets in the house today so I won't be tempted), Ice cream is dairy food and therefore counts as part of my food pyramid. 

These excuses just don't wash anymore. It's time to kick my butt into gear!!

I used to go to curves and I was really successful at losing (and keeping off) weight when I went there.....but we just don't have that in our budget right now. Especially with the holidays coming up. So, I'm going to dust off the weight bench we have upstairs in the garage and haul it into the house (can that count as my exercise for today?) and get started with a strength training routine to jump start my metabolism. At the same time, I'm going to lower my carbs....not to the Atkins 20 carbs a day low....because that just aint healthy.........but to around 40-60 carbs a day. 

I'm also going to try to get a brisk walk (a mile or more) in with my pups everyday for some healthy cardio. No running for these knees, I'd like to keep them from disintegrating when I'm 48. :-) 

Now there are plenty of programs online for those of you with some extra cushion in your budget. I've heard GREAT and kind of SCARY things about P90x. There are guaranteeing success with a 90 Day Review. 

From everything I've heard, P90x is an extreme body workout. You should probably be in better shape than me before you even attempt it. :-)

For other ideas, check out the website Beach Body. They have got a whole collection of different types of workouts for the kind of shape you're looking to get into!! 

This is a guest post provided by Fitness Alliance

A Marvelous Mess #36 and Features!!!

Wow, we packed this weekend full of fun and we're all pooperd. We had a Soccer games and a bonfire (where the boys all watched the fire and the girls all watched BridesMaids....*hilarious, by the by*) and a birthday party followed by a Harvest Party at our In-Laws. Hay rides were available. Gotta love Maine in the fall!!

So many cool posts this past week....our numbers were high again. You guys are so crafty, I just LOVE it. :-)

Monster Cookie Jars from Family Embellishments

Stacked Pumpkin Topiaries from Home Savvy A to Z

Spider Web Table Runner from Freaking Craft

And, the post I am going to feature on my sidebar is....

Mummy Pretzel Rods from Pint Sized Baker!!!! These are so freaking adorable. I am already thinking about bring them in to Munchkins class sometime this week.

Thanks so much to all of you for linking up again. It's so exciting to read through all those posts....I may not have time to comment on them all, but I promise I'm coming to visit!! 

Don't forget to grab a button:

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Volunteering As A Lifestyle

Guest post written by Joseph Finch

Being a part of something bigger is really important to me which is why I consider volunteering my biggest hobby. It’s crucial as a member of free society, I feel like, to give back in some measurable way which is what I strive to do every change I can. Sometimes it’s at the soup kitchen and sometimes at the battered women’s shelter but no matter what I’m doing I try to make it really count. I love being a part of something bigger than myself and my volunteering makes me feel like that more than anything else I do. I had to get some home security equipment for the house since I’m always out and about and I had to invest in some great walking shoes and some clothes that can be thrown away since a lot of my efforts mean I get really dirty. It was all worth it, though, because I feel like I’m really making a difference in my community and helping inspire other people in my family to give back!

Blue Sky Scrubs

http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/

 

Blue Sky Scrubs is an online Scrub, Uniform and Apparel company that I have featured before on my site. They offer a fun style and a good quality product for those working in the health care industry. Right now they are donating a $1 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation for every Pink Ribbon scrub hat bought during the month of October!! Look at the cute options you could choose from (click on the picture to go to the site page):

 

Now, take those adorable scrub hats and match them with an adorable outfit:

That scrub would totally be mine if I were a nurse.

I love the look of the simple solid colored scrub with the wild patterns of hats they have in their collection. Not only do they have hats themed with flowers, vintage prints, and butterflies....but for those with a less dainty style they've got prints of marthon runner, bowling alleys, and billiards. They have got tons of options!!

Be sure to check out Blue Sky (and don't forget to Think PINK....you could help donate $$ towards the National Breast Cancer Foundation!!).

This post was written in association with Blue Sky Scrubs. All opinions are mine and are written in my own words.