Keep your Dog Safe with Illumidog

Illumidog

While I am blessed to live in the country on 100 acres of land so that my two dogs, Kimbo Slice, and Ruby have plenty of room to enjoy, I do still like taking them on walks.  My mother and I would always take our walks at night time when I was growing up, and I still enjoy walking at dusk to this day.  Of course, living in the country, we still have random traffic on the roads, coyotes calling at night time, dogs who have roamed from other farms running around, and even once, someone who tried to hurt my oldest son who is 13 (thankfully the angels stationed near him kept him naive and safe).  

So, when I do go out for an evening stroll, I like to take my mini horse akita, Kimbo.  He is 100+ lbs of big old lap puppy who would rather cuddle with you than growl at you, but in true akita nature he is very protective of his pack.  Because of this, he makes an excellent companion to walk with.  However, it is hard to see us at night, and I hate putting him in danger of being hit since you can't see him.

Kimbo and Ruby singing the blues!

Iluumidog has come up with the perfect solution to my, and my other people's problem.  They came up with the idea of illuminated collars and vests when they were both working full time jobs, and they couldn't walk their dog, Buddy until after dark.  So, once again the saying "necessity is the mother of invention"  proves true.  After much searching, they found that the products they bought left much to be desired, so they created their own!

Fast forward to today and the company offers many products from illuminated collars and vests, toys, flying disks, harnesses, to dog beds.  I was blessed to try an Illumidog Reflective Collar  for Kimbo, and I have to say it does make me feel safer at night knowing cars can see us better!  

The collar is made out of a very sturdy cloth like many collars are, is adjustable to fit dogs with neck sizes of 18-26", and there is a strip of reflective material that goes around the entire collar.  The reflective SOLAS material used is many times brighter than other reflective materials on the market.  It also has a wider range of reflection which means it can be seen from various angles rather than directly in front of the collar like other reflective materials.  

The collar also has a plastic clasp that adjusts to fit neck sizes from 16-24 inches so it will fit large dogs of various sizes.  They also offer smaller sizes as well!

I think my favorite feature on the collar, besides all the reflective SOLAS material is the very sturdy metal ring.  My dog has a way of trying to take me for a walk anytime we get near the cows on the neighboring farms, so I need something sturdy that isn't going to snap when I am reigning him back.

I love that Illumidog offers this and many other great products, and I believe it fills a definite need that pet owners have.  This is perfect for anyone who walks their dog after dark whether it be early morning, nighttime, country life, or in the city!

Ruby is such a girl.  She's giving Kimbo a hard time because he got the shiny new collar!!

You can see the Illumidog Reflective Collar and all the many other products by visiting them on the Illumidog Website where you can also purchase products.  You can also find Illumidog on Facebook where you can Socially connect with them.  

Disclaimer:  Many thanks to Illumidog for the product  I received to facilitate my review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions expressed in this review are honest and my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.  Please do your own due diligence when deciding to purchase! 

Take your Taste buds on Holiday with San-J

San-J

My forte in the kitchen is definitnely baking.  If you want homemade breads, biscuits, cakes, biscotti, scones, you name it, if it comes out of the oven, I can rock it out!  As a matter of fact, I recently won another recipe contest, but I will share that with you in another post!  When it comes to cooking, I  need a little help.  I am not lying when I say I can burn boiling water, so while I love good food, most I make isn't all that good.  What I can do is a good semi-homemade like Sandra Lee.    

My family LOVES Asian food, both Chinese, Japanese and even Pho.  However, we have to drive 35 minutes to the nearest restaurant that doesn't involve arches, so we go maybe 2 times a year at best.  I do cook Chinese at least once a month because I have found it to be something easy to prepare as well as a great way to use up extra chicken or steak.    With all the allergies going around at our house, I was thrilled to find out San-J offers a line of yummy sauces that are gluten-free!

I was blessed to try a line of Gluten-free Asian sauces by San-J.  I received the Orange Sauce, Sweet and Tangy Sauce, and Asian BBQ sauce.

The children love orange chicken so we used the gluten-free Orange Sauce first.  I roasted a chicken in the oven with some Poultry seasoning on it until it was done and falling off the bones.

Then I picked the bird getting off all the meat and discarding the skin and fat and pulled it as if I were making pulled barbecue.  I steamed some white rice and served the pulled chicken over the rice and topped it with the heated orange sauce.  We use more sauce than normal here in the My Wild Crazy Life household because the kids love to eat plain white rice with sauce on it.

This meal was definitely a hit because the kids ate the entire bottle of sauce leaving me just about a TBS of sauce for my own food!  It was enough for me to be able to taste how good this sauce is and to be a bit sad they didn't leave me more.

My husband is funny about ribs and insists he is the one who grills them, so although I had ribs on hand, since he has been working a lot of hours, I decided to try the gluten-free Asian Barbecue sauce on pork steaks instead.  I figured pork is pork and it would taste fine.  Boy was I ever right!  This sauce was amazingly good.  I think over the years we have gotten used to the commercial BBQ sauces touting so many additives like bourbon, brown sugar, honey, or various spices and smokes that we have forgotten what a true BBQ sauce tastes like.  My husband called me from work at midnight to ask me what sauce I put on his chops because it was "slammin!"  Again, the kids cleaned out the pork steaks, but this  time I was prepared and had hidden one for myself!

The last sauce, the gluten-free Sweet and Tangy Sauce I decided to Americanize rather than follow the directions on the bottle.  It was so unique that I decided to add it to my meatloaf and roll the dice on what the outcome would be.  I took two pounds of ground beef, 2 organic free-range eggs, and oatmeal (we use this in place of breadcrumbs here to add nutritional value to the meatloaf) and just the Sweet and Tangy Sauce.  Note:  normally I add grated veggies, garlic, onion, and a few spices, but I wanted the sauce to shine in this.  After I formed the meatloaf, I poured the remainder sauce over the top instead of using ketchup.  The meatloaf was really good!  It had a sweet flavor that caramelized the edges of the loaf, but was so juicy in the middle.  Unfortunately, I have no picture of this one because my dear husband found the meatloaf before I could take a picture of it and let's just say by the time I caught he and the kids there wasn't enough left to take a picture!

The bottom line is these sauces were really great, and I love that even people with Celiacs Disease or gluten sensitivity can still enjoy Asian Food.   San-J carries many more items other than the ones I reviewed:  Peanut Sauces, Salad Dressings, Soups, and Crackers.  I can't wait to try the other selections they offer, and can gladly give them to my children without having to worry about any stomach issues from gluten.

You can read more about them on the San-J website  and fan them on Facebook to stay socially connected with them as well.  You can find their products in many of the local markets, and you can see if they are in your area by utilizing their store finder.

Disclaimer:  Many thanks to San-J for the products  I received to facilitate my review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions expressed in this review are honest and my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.  Please do your own due diligence when deciding to purchase!  

Acupressure for Pain-Yantra Mat!

The Yantra Way

I have a lot of great sponsors here at My Wild Crazy Life Blog, and I get to review many products:  some I love love, some I like a lot, and others have qualities I like about them.  I am always honest in my reviews, sharing with you the good, bad, and thankfully, I haven't yet had to share an "ugly."  Today, I am going to share a product with you, that I can say proudly and honestly is the best thing since Coke Cola and Moon Pies as we would say in the South.  

I believe in keeping my blog as upbeat as possible, so something I don't believe I have shared or dwelled on is the fact that I have Degenerative Disk.  I have had back issues as long as I can remember, officially diagnosed with arthritis of the spine in my teens, and by 26 I was officially diagnosed with Degenerative Disk of three of my lower spinal disks.  I live in chronic pain, but most of it is manageable if I don't do any heavy lifting, if I wear my orthopedic shoes, and if I hold my tongue just right.  However, even on good days I live in pain, and when I have a flare up which is only several times a year, I am in so much pain it is hard to even move.

Thankfully, I have a sense of humor about it, so I can laugh as I am walking lopsided because the spasms have siezed my leg up, but in all seriousness at those times I would do anything to get some relief.

I want to share a company, Bodo Wellness,  with you that specializes in products that are designed to help everything from stress, lack of sleep, aches from a long day, and even have been known to help provide relief from pain.   Yantra Mat USA , owned by Bodo Wellness offers an Acupressure Mat called the Yantra Mat.  Even if you aren't interested in Yoga or Acupressure, the Yantra Mat is great for everyone.  It helps with Stress Relief, Trouble Sleeping, Fatigue, Muscle Tension, Headaches, and Back/Neck Pain.

The Mat has 8,820 acupressure points which increase blood flow and may even help release endorphins and oxytocin which is the body's own pain relief and happiness hormones.  I wanted to use this mat for several weeks before I did a review on it, and I am glad I did.

I started off only being able to stay on the mat for a couple of minutes out of the 20 minutes recommended, and honestly that first day it was hard.  However, I dozed off the second day using it, and I noticed when I woke up 10 minutes later, I didn't feel anything uncomfortable.  It is my experience after the first couple of minutes, your body goes calm with just a warm feeling on your back or stomach-whichever is lying on the mat.

I have fallen in love with this mat, and haven't missed a day lying on it for 20 minutes, including the one night I fell asleep on it and woke up an hour later according to my husband.  The reason I am glad I waited to write this review is because I have seen the true extent of the relief it provides in my experience.  Three days ago, we had to drive 2.5 hours to take my children for a visit, and my back locked up in the trip and has been in spasms since.  I won't lie.  I am in excruciating pain, but with my husband working night shift, I simply can't take muscle relaxers or strong pain pills to eleviate any of it because I would be a zombie watching my 2 year old.  This mat has been just amazing.

I am not a doctor, so I am not making medical claims of healing or any such thing with this mat.  I am only giving you my honest, personal opinion.  I have used this mat at least 4 times a day and twice at night the last few days, and it gives me relief from my intense pain for a few hours at a time.  When my spasms get so bad I cannot breath, I lay on this mat for 20 minutes and the spasms stop for several hours making it possible to be a mom, clean the house, play with my child, and over all live a normal life.

The wonderful thing is, I love this mat just as much when I am not in this kind of pain.  It is just so relaxing to lay on it.  It works out the "kinks" in my body, and as a mom of four I can always use some relaxation.  Even when I don't drift off to sleep while laying on the Yantra Mat, I get off of this mat feeling relaxed and energized.  The Yantra Mat has become my new bestie and I will not be going anywhere without it going forward.   I can tell you when this mat has been used beyond repair, I will be springing for a new one!  I simply can't imagine life without my Yantra Mat.

You can read more about the mat and Yantra USA on their website,  follow them on Twitter, and Fan them on Facebook to keep up with all the great things happening at Yantra USA.

Disclaimer:  Many thanks to Yantra Mat USA owned by Bodo Wellness for the product  I received to try.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions expressed in this review are honest and my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.  Please do your own due diligence when deciding to purchase!   

Add a little Eco Friendly Mystery & Fun to Your Life with Conscious Box!

Conscious Box Review

I love trying new great products, especially when they are eco-friendly, vegan, gluten-free, or otherwise healthy or earth friendly.  What I don't like though is to spend for a full-size product to only find out that it doesn't taste as I expected, doesn't clean properly, or maybe it's a skin care product that I simply cannot use.  Let's face it:  eco friendly and healthy products are oftentimes pricey to buy, and I hate feeling like I just poured my money down the drain.

What if there was a company where I could try these great products out from different companies before buying the whole thing?  Or what if there was a company where they would ship them straight to my house every month and surprise their customers with a "goodie box" full of samples, gift cards, and good things?

I am here to tell you there is such a company!  Conscious Box is a monthly delivery company who ships a box full of sample eco-Friendly, self sustaining products from only the most ethical companies straight to your door every month.  The price is a mere $12 a month plus $7 in shipping, and I can tell you it is worth it!  As a SAHM of four with only one income, it isn't something I can sign up for right now, but I love the idea so much, I likely will sign up for it at a later date.

I was blessed to receive a Conscious Box and I have to tell you I loved it!  Typically with my review things I try to share with the kids, utilize them in the review, etc, but not this time.  I treasured this one all to myself because I just fell in love with it.

It was filled with everything from Mixit Chips, Java Juice, a Packet of Heirloom Tomato Seeds, Gift Certificates to several stores, Tara's Whey Pomegranate Goat's Whey Shake, and many many more things.

It even came with a card telling me several ways I can reuse the box all of this great stuff came in!

I  can say if I were still working outside of the home and stopping for coffee or eating lunch out several times a week that would forgo that in order to buy this box.  To me, it is just that awesome.  I love getting surprises, and I felt like it was just filled with surprises!  You can check them out for yourself on the website as well as connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.  So go ahead and see for yourself.  I bet you will like the fun box as much as I.  P.S.  The products and brands change monthly too so you don't get the same thing month after month!

Disclaimer:  Many thanks to Conscious Box  for the product  I received to try.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions expressed in this review are honest and my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.  Please do your own due diligence when deciding to purchase!