Category: Product Review

Affiliate Links, Hobbies, Life, Product Review, Tarot/Card Readings

Tarot Tuesday: New Years

Sirua

Been a while since I’ve done a tarot Tuesday. How about starting the new year with a spread?

I found this New Years spread here at: https://vanessairena.com/a-simple-new-year-tarot-spread/

In order from 1 to 4:

  • Seven of Swords
  • Pillar (AKA Empress)
  • Seven of Wands
  • Strength

What Am I Releasing:

Seven of Swords speaks to deception, enemies, manipulation. Personally speaking, that’s what I’ve been trying to let go for a long time. Having people who are willing to lie, disturb your peace, and cause you harm should have little to no space in your life. Easier said than done.

What I Learned

The Pillar (Empress) comes about when you’re nurturing. Whether it be an actual person or a project. It brings nurturing, love and pleasure into one. It also talks about self love and care, a time of growth. All of which I spend the last year learning and devoting myself to. This year is no different. I will continue to strive for what works for me.

What am I Cultivating

Seven of Wands says I’m cultivating protectiveness and boundaries. I’m clearing negativity that’s either been or is present. A new year brings about reflection. It’s okay to want to protect the energy you’ve built.

What Are My Tools

The tool in my arsenal: Strength with the meaning of resilience and determination. Challenges may come but if facing it with compassion and using internal will. I’ll combat these challenges and learn from the experience.

I’m satisfied with this spread’s revelation since it felt familiar and spoke to my truths in the past year and what’s to come. I’m determined to continue maintaining our peace, happiness and success through this year. And hope 2023 brings the same to my readers. I find that writing out plans, goals and organizing my time definitely helps. Whether this be a physical book or simply adding to your Google calendar. Even as an entrepreneur or worker, it’s essential to remember important dates or meetings. The cute planner above I’ve been using as of recently. You can start at any time since it’s a fill in planner, with completely blank sheets for you to use. I love the adorable Sakura design! You can find this planner here: Cherry Blossom Planner

But if you like something more simple, unique or professional here’s some popular ones:

**Disclaimer** As an Amazon associate this blog earns commission for purchases made with links on this post. Thank you for reading!

Affiliate Links, Discounts, Life, Product Review

Falling in Place: Gratefulness

Sirua

Another year is flying by with the Holidays approaching and the change in seasonal as the cold air greets me every morning that I go outside for air. I own more hoodies than a normal person should so it’s fun interchanging between them all.

Each year I feel melancholy wash over me. Whether it be from looking into the past and secretly wishing for something or being nervous for what’s ahead. But I’m also grateful for the year has brought me. That I get to watch the trees change in color and snuggle up with my favorite people day or night. How we get to have each others presence in that moment as I continue to do my best in being happy. I’m grateful to my husband who understands my chaotic brain that never stops. While also giving me the space I need to move forward with my goals.

I feel as though things are falling in place. I’m learning to let go of small things and not worry too much. Overthinking and being overwhelmed has always been an issue of mines so figuring how to navigate through it has been a challenge. But I can do this. I’ll continue day after day. Working on myself and taking life in steps instead of strides.

With the cold returning it’s easy to have our lips chapped and splitting. As of now I’ve been using a lip mask that helps keep them supple and protected: Laneige Lip Mask <——Amazing thus far I can’t recommend it enough. Even for those times where you lick your lips too much or maybe not you but your child. This has worked on my son who used to lick his lips too much and peel the skin off his lips too. I noticed a difference within one night.

Also, I did mention I have a collection of hoodies? Yup I had to do it. I bought this rack with the sole purpose to carry my hoodies. It’s been great to have it all in once place and gave my closet more space to put away clothing. Theres even a second rack in the bottom in case you want to have hold jeans or anything that’s fits. Also if you need extra hangers to store more clothing, these hangers come in different colors and are pretty sturdy. I hope this helps!

Hope you all been well. I’m still working on my story intros and plan to release them soon. School has been taking up a lot of my time along with tiredness. There’s been many times I fall asleep with my laptop open and I laugh to myself.

**Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate/Affiliate this blog earns commission through the links posted above**

Affiliate Links, Life, Product Review, Skin Care Beauty

When Self Care becomes Priority…

Sirua

I started this blog as my journey for self love and self care. I try to make it my forefront in everything I do. I try to take care of myself. Somewhere along the way I began to ignore my skincare. Granted it can be time consuming. But I’ve accepted that some days I don’t need to do the full regimen and make it short as needed.

Recently, I had to go to the dermatologist. Ever since 2016 my skin began to break out in this itchy, flaky and red blotches. It would happen if I was stressed, not sleeping enough, or anything that brought me out of balance or disturbed my peace. This caused discoloration on my skin. This issue was from scalp to face. 6 years later and I final fl decided enough was enough. Yes at some point it was very controlled but other times it wouldn’t be.

I am now diagnosed with seborrhoeic dermatitis. She advised me to used medicated shampoos and to try my skin care regimen again. Essentially the way to control my symptoms is to self care and use medicated products. I’m not a fan of washing my hair every single day. But, I find that being in the shower for a few minutes and massaging my scalp is relaxing. Those 10-20 minutes are heavenly and it reminds me to take care of myself. Moisturize and start my skin care right away. It’s been a few days and I’ve seen a complete change in my overall skin and hair. I’m still thinking about whether or not to cut it since shorter hair would be easier to manage and wash. But I miss having color in my hair so perhaps some rose gold highlights or any added pink color would be amazing.

The product I’m using for my seb-derm (that’s what I call it now) is Head and Shoulders Clinical it has this citrus scent that I love and lathers up pretty well to get into the scalp leaving it refreshed and clean. I work this into my hair, around my ears, and even carefully into my eyebrows (yes I get it here too!). Some conditioner and I’m done with my hair. After getting comfortable I start my skin care regimen which I’ll talk about and update in another post with all the steps and products I use. My skin has cleared up and no flakes so far. I have to be diligent and do this at least every day or every other day. Or else I start to feel my skin flaking all over again. It’s amazing what self care can do and prevent in cases like this. I’m sure I’ll have my bad days or week. But I need to remember this is for me and my physical health. I’m on this journey for myself. A healthier me and to share this with others struggling too.

What about you all? Any struggling skin condition that consume your time? Or any self care tips/tricks/products that have helped you? Comment below and let me know.

As always. Thanks for reading. Stay sweet everyone!

As an Amazon associate, this blog earns commission from associate links clicked and purchased above.

Affiliate Links, Discounts, Hobbies, Life, Product Review

4 Months Post Op: VSG (Gastric Sleeve)

Sirua

Wow 4 months! Honestly, time passes by more quickly than you’d ever think. I remember waking up feeling regret and pain. Change is difficult and this was another change I didn’t feel all that ready for. But I went for it. Cause when would I truly be ready?

As it turns out I was more ready than I ever thought I would be. The change has been pleasant thus far besides the heart burn that I now have if I sleep on a somewhat full stomach. Highly recommend not eating before bed unless it’s very light with some water. There’s been many times I wake up with a burning feeling all the way down to my throat or felt like I couldn’t breathe from the acid build up.

Besides that so far it’s been 35 lbs down and counting! I use my fitness pal most days to track what I’m eating and making sure I keep my macros within the range. That’s probably one of the difficult things since according to some research online and the app. My macros for a 1k calorie day are:

  • Protein 75-100 grams a day (30-40%)
  • Fat 33-44 grams a day (30-40%)
  • Carbs 50-75 grams a day (20-30%)

Of course this varies and things come up. Eat what I can and try to make healthier choices. But these are the set goals and what’s best for me besides taking my daily vitamins. Which I definitely suck at doing. I give my kids their vitamins and always make sure they’re eat well. But it’s so easy to forget about myself. I’ve been getting better at remembering that I matter too.

A typical eating day for starts with a protein drink for breakfast. Easy, simple and I’m on the go: work, gym, or preparing breakfast for the kids. I do like the convenience of the Premier Protein Bottles and my favorite is chocolate. As a back up I enjoy GNC Total Lean Shake Slimvance in the flavor mocha expresso. The premier protein contains 30g of protein. 4 carbs. 1 g of sugar, 3g of fiber and 160 calories. Meanwhile the GNC does have caffeine, 25g of protein, 18g of carbs, 2g of sugar, 6 fiber and 190 calories. GNC also has a fat burning quality to it. I alternate these depending on the day and if extra calories are needed I mix the GNC with half milk and water. Also, if you want to add a workout recovery and a friendly reminder to drink more water I use Collagen for some extra support. I usually drink this probably in the afternoon after a work out since it’s unflavored it’s a perfect addition to my water intake.

As far as how I am. I feel good, lighter, energetic and hopeful. I am hopeful that I find a healthy weight and work out more. I want to tone and be stronger, healthier and eventually get into some kind of sport/activity. I do love swimming as an exercise which I think I’ll continue to do and work out my arms and back to increase my stamina and strength. I’ve always liked the idea of karate or taekwondo but one step at a time for now. Thank you for those who continue to keep up with me and my health journey. Stay sweet everyone! Always feel free to reach out with anything through my social links below.

Disclaimer: EverSori Blog is participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon associate I do receive compensation for any of the affiliate links clicked and used above.

Affiliate Links, Discounts, Hobbies, Product Review

Natural Deodorant Journey: Small Reviews

Sirua

Underarms.

They’re a nuisance for some and others they hardly think about it. Puberty was a weird time for me with my underarms. Shaving the hair made it itchy. While different deodorants I tried cause the one my mother thought would work didn’t work and white tees would yellow. Yeah, thanks aluminum salts for always making me self conscious and tuck my elbows out of fear.

Recently it’s been said that the aluminum in some deodorants are potential hormone disrupters. Although not proven; scientists have what I would call an inkling that aluminum can potentially be harmful. Why is there aluminum in deodorants? Well it’s to plug the ducts and to stop/prevent sweating which causes body odor. Thus why some say antiperspirant.

Of course none of this is actual concrete evidence and frankly I’m not sure what to think. But knowing that it caused yellowing in white clothes and the idea of my sweat getting clogged up. And years of having dark underarms. I figured why not make the change to natural deodorants and go on a journey (self care journey?) I’ve tried a few different deodorants in the natural category: Native, Lume, Little Seed Farm and Each & Every. Little warning if you’re planning to switch to Natural Deodorant. The first few weeks are body crazy. You might sweat more then usual, skin changes, odd smells as the adjustment period follows. It took me about 6 weeks when usually it’s 3-4 since I had issues with one of the deodorants I tried.

Native

Native was the first one I tried and oh man I wish I would of read ahead of time. For those who aren’t aware there’s a chance that baking soda can have side effects on your skin. Native has a line of baking soda deodorants and non baking soda for people with sensitive skin. I tried the baking soda one and essentially my skin began to burn and peel. At first I thought this was normal? My underarms were unplugging and breathing again. But then it began to worse and I couldn’t use it anymore. Unfortunately I became aware that my underarms are allergic to the baking soda ingredient found in deodorants. It wasn’t pretty. The peeling made it look like a chemical peel. The skin was pale and pink while the outer edges were dark. Perhaps if I had tried their non baking soda option I would of liked it more and probably wouldn’t have had an issue. But, I ended up moving on to another brand since at the time I was sure if they offered a non baking soda option. Which they do! Silly me.

Lume

Lume was first starting when I ordered a tube. Now they have a line of scented ones that I’m curious about. The first tube I ordered wasn’t a fan of the smell but it did do it’s job. I healed from the chemical reaction from using Native and the tube made it easy to use in other parts of my body (under boob sweat? Groin? Thighs? Covered!) Although it worked for me, I frankly couldn’t get over the smell and wanted something either floral or scented to at least feel like I was smelled nicer? Currently they do offer different scents that I have not tried. the tube is sort of like toothpaste and you simple squeeze, apply and done.

Little Seed Farm

Amazon purchase for the win. So I found Little Seed Farm on amazon when searching for best natural deodorants to use. I was happy to see they had samples to try in case you have a scent you’re looking to try but don’t want to commit to a jar just yet. You can find the samples to try here for all their scents. For their larger size they have glass jars so yes you essentially take a small amount and apply to your underarm. It melts down and you’re good to go. I personally enjoyed the lavender and cucumber options but they also have charcoal as an option. In total they have 7 scents and an unscented option. The little jars are perfect to wash out and use for little things afterwards if you’re a fan of reusing things! You can purchase a full jar here. Honestly, this is my second favorite and first favorite for my brother who also made the switch to natural deodorants.

Each & Every

This is my go to. The different scents and their plant based packaging. You can even return the bottles you’ve used up for points towards your account since they recycle it. They provide you with a shipping label and off it goes in the mail. They have different scents including my favorites: Rose Vanilla, Lavender Lemon, and Geranium Snow Mushroom. There’s many other amazing sounding scents. But these scents especially if there’s a sale specific for some odors I tend to buy it in bulk to share with my husband or mom who also fell in love with the brand. It glides on smoothly and the essential oils are such a lovely scent. It feels so luxurious and who doesn’t love luxury when pampering themselves?

How do I know it works? Well let’s just say I can definitely smell myself when I don’t use it or forget to apply deodorant (oops!). If you’re looking to try this one you can click here for a 5 dollar off discount on your first purchase!

Thank you for reading! I always enjoy doing product reviews for you all with my honest opinion. There’s still more to come!

Disclaimer **As an Amazon associate I do receive compensation for any Amazon links clicked above**

Affiliate Links, Discounts, Life, Product Review

Wonderfold Luxe: Few Weeks Later

Sirua

After a few weeks of owning our Wonderfold. I wanted to give you all an update. Adventures have been a breeze with it. We eventually bought their snack tray for the kids since it made perfect sense for our boys. Kids. They’re always snacking and hydrating.

Overall the kids love it and we love it. We plan on purchasing more accessories in the future to continuing enhancing our experience with it. I do plan to post more photos with the kids and our adventures in the future. You can check them out on our socials. Our initial impressions is posted on my blog. Those haven’t changed and continue to be the reason we truly love having the wonderfold. Especially with our older son who’s autistic. He feels more secured when strapped in. He likes to look around every once in a while and it keeps him safe from running off. In our previous wagon he was too big and tall which made it unsafe. I couldn’t be more proud to be an affiliate to a wonderful product for parents.

If you or anyone you know is interested feel free to check it out here with my affiliate link: Wonderfold or use the code Sori for a discount! Feel free to comment or reach out with any question or concerns. Much love and stay sweet everyone!

Affiliate Links, Discounts, Product Review

Product Fri-Yays (Amazon)

Sirua

Sometimes I get questions on products we use at home and what I think of them. Since Amazon is my main way of shopping I want to share things I’ve loved or liked. Enjoy!

Love

2things because they’re phone accessories. I’ve always loved whales so these two were perfect for my iPhone 13 Pro Max! The case is clear with the whale designs added it feels good in the hand and has protected my phone well these past few months. There’s also a way to add a phone charm so maybe I’ll get a whale charm to match. Who knows. You can find the case here: Mosnovo Whale Print iPhone 13pro Max

Next is the pop socket pop grip that I totally fell in love with. I always have a case on my phone since it always manages to slip out of my hands. Ooops! But, this pop grip has helped cut that down significantly (plus wearing leggings with pockets!) I adore the design and the little orca to orca to match. In case you’re looking for another design these popgrips are interchangeable! Find it here: Pop socket Popgrip Great Wave with Orca

Phone case and Pop Grip

Like

I always like buying accessories for our car Baymax. Some are cute convenient things to enhance the overall car experience with comfort. My husband likes to carry either his Starbucks travel coffee mug or his water bottle. Both which don’t fit in the cup holders. Thus I ended up buying an expander for those times and fit his needs. So if your cup holders are too small for your needs. This is perfect for you! Find it here: Large Cup Holder Expander (Batman Coaster not included)

Large cup holder

Hope you all enjoyed. I will be making more of these every week. There’s so many things whether useful or overall we have enjoyed having in our daily lives. What are you favorite products from Amazon?

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases with the links clicked above. I have not been paid beforehand for these products. They’re purchased with my own income and only share my honest reviews. Thank you!

Affiliate Links, Discounts, Life, weight loss

Two Month Post Op VSG (Vertical Gastric Sleeve)

Sirua

Has it been 2 months already!? Time flies especially when you’re busy. I remember feeling so nervous about the pain and procedure I thought I would stay up all night worried. I was able to get some sleep but was scared most of the day. Now here I am 24 pounds later and it’s only the beginning. I still have the same comments in pros and cons (referring to last blog post). It’s difficult to enjoy uh of a meal when you get full instantly. It’s like a tease of your favorite food then your stomach stops you.

I’m still drinking about 1.5 of premier proteins per day while trying to eat healthy as I possible can with the occasional Oreo or two when my period hits (darn you aunt flow!). What’s helped me as a busy working mother is ordering a meal service for myself full of veggies and some protein. The service is called Splendid spoon. This company wants to make healthy eating as easy as possible. The meals are 100 percent plant based, whole and unprocessed ingredients, organic, non-gmo, gluten free with no artificial sugars. Besides the meals they also have freshly made smoothies that are functional and keep you full. The meals can be microwaved for on the go convenience and they add new recipes every once in a while. Since the containers are 12 oz and I have reduced what I can eat to 4-5 oz. The meals can be 2-3 meals for the day. If you’re on your own vsg journey or looking for a meal service to try use my Link to get 25 dollars off your first order to try it out! Let me know what you think about the meals or smoothies you try. I personally enjoy Beans and greens, vegetable bolognese, creamy mushroom and spinach noodles, and vegan meatballs with marinara noodles.

24 pounds down and the major difference I’ve felt is my energy levels. I’m getting up more and sleeping better (could just be exhaustion at night lol) organizing the house faster and cleaning more. I honestly couldn’t keep up with the maintenance and kids. I can tell with progress photos there’s a difference and in my underwear as well. Things are loosening up and I appreciate every pound off me. I haven’t experienced any dumping syndrome and I do my best to remember my vitamins but it’s hard to remember at times. I can do better in drinking more water and that’ll be my focus now that food wise I’m doing better. I’ve also starting walking and thinking about a gym membership to get my mind into working out. My best friend and my husband are to come with my to motivate me and themselves. It’s wonderful to have an amazing support group when you’re on a journey this difficult. It’ll be lovely to look back on this one day. Here’s to a healthier lifestyle!

Thanks for reading this update. I hope you enjoyed! Always feel free to reach out with any questions. Stay sweet everyone!

Affiliate Links, Discounts, Product Review

Wonderfold Wagon Luxe: First Impressions

Sirua

Mother of two kids can get hectic sometimes. My old son who’s now 4 is 3’6 or even a little over. And my 1 year old doesn’t like to be held as much when we are out. We had bought the baby trend wagon which was nice at first but it was hard for the boys to share and they weren’t strapped in since they didn’t have much space. As many know my 4 year old is on the spectrum and needs constant adult supervision. This makes going out to run errands on my own difficult or traveling with both kids highly unlikely unless I have my husband or someone else with me.

I came across Wonderfold and was excited to see how both the kids would fit and be strapped in with a harness. The canopy would block out a good amount of sun. Thus I started to compare all the types they had and settled for the Luxe W4. I was grateful they provided a special needs discount to help us save a bit and was one of the deciding factors for us to buy one. To receive this discount, they have a form which you bring to your child’s physician to fill out. Upload the form and you’ll hear back within 7-10 business days.

The wagon is spacious and feels solid. Putting it together wasn’t too hard. Definitely easier if there’s two people involved. It holds about 4 kids but with my 4 year old it’ll be 3 in case we have anyone along. The harness keeps both kids secured and with the all terrain wheels it’s ready to go!

Shopping with the W4 Luxe

The kids loved it overall and my husband was impressed with how easy it is to have both the kids safely in the wagon without a hassle. It’s definitely a hit with us!

Of course things come with its minor cons. But this one is more car related. I highly recommend measuring your car space before purchasing and checking the dimensions on Wonderfold’s website. I would imagine a full size SUV fits this easily. As a Tesla Model Y owner. It was a hassle to figure this out. We initially folded it and put it inside and at first it didn’t fit at all. I lost hope until my husband removed the wheels. This can be done easily since the back wheels have a piece that holds it together on each side. The front wheels you need either a small key or tool and they slide right off. We put the wheels to the side and it fit perfect inside! This is obviously a lot of steps but it was the only compromise we had to face due to limited trunk space.

Overall this wagon has been perfect for our family and outings so far. With summer coming around and traveling plans. I do plan on taking this everywhere I go for our needs and adventures.

If you’re interested in purchasing a Wonderfold wagon or wish to know more click this link to find out more about their options and find what’s perfect for you. Ready to checkout? Use the code Sori for a discount! I’ll be posting more updates and adventures on my Instagram with it. So feel free to follow me below on my social links. Much love and stay sweet everyone!

Affiliate Links, Life, Product Review

Getting my License and First Car Experiences in NYC

Sirua

As someone who’s never been interested in cars before. It’s funny how interests change as we get older or wiser. Living in NYC I never thought I would drive technically since I never saw the use of needed to since I traveled everywhere. But, things change after having kids. Its difficult with a stroller, two young kids, diaper bag for both, and my own things. Especially doing all of it alone and going upstairs? Downstairs? My anxiety peaked of from the thought of it alone.

After having our 2021 baby. I recovered and threw myself into driving lessons (again) and focused on passing the road test. Thankfully I did and a few days later purchased our first car: A White Honda CRV (Wayne…Batman reference anyone?)

Buying a first car is not exactly a walk in the park sometimes. You can spend hours at a dealership for paperwork and registrations. License plates and signatures. Dealing with insurances and what’s the best price etc. It’s a whole ordeal I didn’t think I’d find myself in. But here we are.

Wayne was good to us. A nice 6 months of learning to drive with an suv type car and slowly learning the roads and responsibilities that come with a car and being on the road. I realize owning a car is a luxury and it’s something that once you have it, driving responsibly is key and should be practiced every day. (Don’t drink and drive, always signal, etc you know the drill)

Now, we decided to order an electric car. And recently we took delivery for the long awaited: Baymax our Tesla Model Y. Pictures incoming!

First Day
Baymax Decal Sticker Add on

We are rather excited to see what’s in store with owning an electric vehicle. It’s been interesting so far. We do charge with a 110 volt every few days if possible. Slow but gets the job done and it’s so fun driving this car. It feels sturdy and it takes time to get used to since there’s the one pedal accelerator and regenerative braking. Shifting gears with the right lever and the screen being the central control of the car. It’s overall a completely new experience. I hope this car lasts. And if you’re like me and love Big Hero 6, the Baymax decal sisters make the white seats look adorable. Updates coming soon about our ordering experience and pickup plus accessories we ordered. I’ll also do a tarot and Oracle draw over the weekend to make up for the week. Stay sweet lovelies!

Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links through Amazon. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.