Living a DIY Life

My husband and I are trying to conceive so the doctor asked me to start tracking my BBT (Basal Body Temperature). This thermometer from iProven reads to the hundreds of a degree (out to 2 decimal points). This thermometer worked great for me. It takes a little longer than a regular thermometer (about 2 minutes as compared to 1 minute) but this is so that here is a more accurate reading. Another reviewer complained that it took a long time, but the company mentions that and the reasoning in the listing.  The thermometer comes with a case. The one thing I would change is to make the screen back-lit. To get the most accurate reading, you are supposed take your temperature before getting out of bed. This means its dark in my room when I take my temp. It makes it very difficult to read the thermometer without the back light. It does remember the last temperature taken so I can come back later and record the temp when I have the light on. I received this produc...

After watching a lot of videos about how great the black mask is, I thought I'd give it a try.  I found this one from Dermatique on Amazon and it was listed at a best seller.   It was very easy to apply.  The consistency is like white school glue.   I didn't put on as a thick a layer as many of the videos I watched because the instructions said a thin layer.   My skin felt so soft afterwards.  I know some people have reported that it hurt to remove the mask, but I didn't find it horrible.  It hurt a lot less than waxing. I have sensitive skin.  As you can see in my pictures, my face was red in the areas where the mask was.  It wasn't itching, swollen and I didn't get hives so I'm assuming that it was red because of the pulling off process.  Since it does pull, I would suggest avoiding areas with thin skin (especially in us ladies over 30) like around the eyes.  Also, try to avoid getting in your hair.  I got s...

I have always had problems with regular earbuds staying in my ears.  Even if I'm just sitting still, they pop out.  These headphones from Bestfy help rectify that problem.   They have plastic pieces that help keep them on your ears.  I was worried that the plastic would be uncomfortable and make the back of my ears sore, but I was wrong.  I wore them for a movie spree session of about 6 hours and they were so comfortable I almost forgot I had them on.   The noise canceling works very well.  I can sit in the same room of my husband while he's playing video games and I don't have to turn the volume all the way up to enjoy my video.   The headphones come with 3 different sizes of rubber ear tips so that you can find the most comfortable fit for you.   The only thing I would add is a case to carry the headphones in.  I'd like to be able to have them in a case so I don't have to worry about anything in my bag messing them u...

I've seen a lot of ads for these magnetic air vent phone holders.  I found this one on Groupon for $7.99. I only gave this vent 3 stars because the metal plate I had to stick on my phone for it to attach to the magnet disabled my wireless charging.  I did find a work around, but it's a bit of a pain.  The back of my phone (Galaxy S7 Active) is textured so the metal plate that came with the holder wouldn't stick to it.  I bought a clear phone case and stuck the plate on to that.  To get my phone to charge wirelessly, I have to take the case off. Other than the wireless charging issue, it works really well.  If you're phone doesn't have wireless charging capabilities, this holder would be amazing.  The back of the holder has 4 "legs" that slide into the vent.  With the 4 legs, it is very sturdy and doesn't move around or droop. The magnet is very strong and holds my phone in place both horizontally and vertically.   I received...

I love these bath salts from Calily .  Normally, I use Epsom salts once a week in my baths.  I have found a great replacement!   These bath salts are infused with eucalyptus oil which makes them smell kind of citrusy.  Eucalyptus is noted for it's anti-inflammatory, stimulating and decongestant properties.  If you are starting to feel sick, this feels great in a hot bath and can help flush toxins out of your body.   The ingredients list is short - dead sea salt, eucalyptus oil and fragrance.  I am allergic to many man-made chemicals that go into beauty products, so I love the purity of Calily's stuff.   The salts are very easy to use - just dump some in your bath while the water is running so that the salt can dissolve; step into the bath and relax.  Afterwards, my skin was really soft and I smelled amazing (according to my husband).  The bottle is just shy of 32 ounces (about the size of a yeti-style cup or a large soft drink c...

I am a sucker for office supplies. I can't explain it, but I love shopping for them. This package from Mr. Pen has everything you need to either set-up an office or restock your office. It retails for $9.99 right now on Amazon. The package contains 100 medium width rubber bands and 100 small width rubber bands, 100 jumbo and 100 regular paperclips, and 5 large, 10 medium and 10 small binder clips. I'm allergic to rubber bands, so I couldn't test their strength and durability.  The jumbo paperclips are about 2 inches long while the regular ones are about 1.25 inches long.  The jumbo binder clips are 4 inches long, the mediums are 2 inches and the smalls are 1.5 inches long.  All of the paper clips and binder clips are of the typical office quality. For the price, this is a great bargain. Buying all these items separately would cost almost twice as much.  The box also comes with a mustache sticker. I ended up putting mine on the jar I keep rub...

I'm a huge Star Wars fan.  This herb grinder Death Star is going for $11.99 on Amazon right now. The grinder is made up of 3 different pieces and is very well put together.  It has some great weight to it and feels very substantial.  There is a very strong magnetic in the top piece and the pollen catcher part screws into the base. The grinder is about 2 inches by 2 inches. The grinder does a great job of grinding herbs into perfect sized little pieces.  I tried it with onion granules and was impressed with the ease of use and sizes that came out. I gave this grinder 3 stars because the screen being attached to the middle grinder piece causes the ground up herb to get stuck in the holes.  It took a lot of tapping and scrapping with a toothpick to get most of the herb out of the grinder.  This means that not only am I not getting all of my herb out of the grinder, but also that there will be leftover herb in the grinder that could...

With 3 dogs who love their romps in the woods, bathing is an important part of our weekly routine.  It helps keep them clean and sticker free and it helps my home stay cleaner.  Two of them have allergies and get frequent hot spots.  I found this shampoo that contains oatmeal (which has been shown to be effective for itchy skin).  It's on amazon right now for $13.95 for a 32 ounce bottle.  This is more than I would normally pay but it is 3 times the size of any other shampoos I've purchased in the past. The shampoo has a good consistence and smells very mild.  The scent reminded me of oatmeal and milk. It only takes a silver dollar size amount of shampoo and it lathers really well.  I used it on my beagle first because she has the most sensitive skin.  She tolerated this shampoo well and she appeared to be scratching less for the rest of the day. The ingredients are lots natural ingredients.  I appreciate this since I have sensi...