Shake It Baby! Operation Fit Mama: Shakeology Review

Beachbody is known for it's great fitness videos, i.e. P90x, Insanity, TurboJam, etc. But have you heard of Shakeology?? Here is what Beachbody has to say about Shakeology.

Shakeology isn't just a protein shake, it is total nutrition. Shakeology contains over 70 ultra-high quality ingredients to deliver nearly all the nutrients you need to maintain a healthy diet.

What's in it? * Protein from whey, which is highly absorbable, gives you 8 amino acids that help you build muscle, lose weight, supoort brain function, and keep your skin and bones healthy. * 23 vitamins and minerals to support optimum health. * Antioxidants to boost the immune system and help reduce free radical damage that can lead to heard disease, heart attacks, blood pressure, and stroke. *Phytonutrients to support immune function and have anti-inflammatory properties. Many phytonutrients have antioxidant properties as well. *Prebiotics and digestive enzymes to support digestive health. Shakeology works to ways when taken daily. It helps your body gently eliminate toxins while allowing for better absorption of the essential nutrients you need. It will also reduce cravings, help you feel more energized, keep you full, and it is scientifically proven to reduce "bad" cholesterol levels by an average of 38%

Ok, so I was given the opportunity to try Shakeology. And I was pleasantly surprised. I'm a follower in the sense that my husband is very into nutrition, and he does a lot of research. His protein drink of choice, Syntrax has thus been my protein shake of choice. I don't venture far off the beaten path, but I had always been curious about Shakeology. So, the thing I was most surprised about Shakeology when I first really looking into it is that, it is also GMO free, casein free, gluten free, corn free, honey free, MSG free, shellfish free, yeast free, peant free, excitiotoxin free, penicillin free, synthetic vitamin free, and artificial sweetner free. I love that it is vegan. And the no MSG, GMO or artificial sweetners is great. But for someone who is very allergic to penicillin, I found it scary to think that Shakeology boasts their "lack of" penicillin. Are there really nutritional supplements out there that do contain something I'm very allergic of? You bet your buns I'm going to look for that on labels now! The Shakeology I tried was the Chocolate and it was very yummy! I mixed mine with about 3/4 cup fat free milk, 3 cubes of ice, and a handful of fresh ripe raspberries. It didn't smell vitamin-ee (is that a word?) like many supplements. It also didn't take artificial. I'm used to nutritional supplements not tasting that great, so this was impressive.

The next thing that impressed me was that I used our "Magic Bullet" to mix my drink since it was early in the morning and I was the only one in the family awake yet. I didn't want to bust out the mac daddy blender. Shakeology really does blend evenly! Even in the Magic Bullet! No chunks of powder. That's a definite plus in my book! As a meal replacement, I think it also passes the test. I was not starving by lunch time and felt just as satisfied as when I ate my usual breakfast. I haven't used it long term to attest for it's aiding in weight lost, lowering cholesterol, etc. But did notice they offer a 30 day money back guarantee, even if the bag is empty. So there really isn't much to lose! Interested in trying Shakeology? You can visit Beachbody.com to find out more and order yours!

Ring Reveal: Diamond Candles

So last Sunday, I posted about receiving my very first Diamond Candle. I was so excited to receive it. The concept of this product is genius! Each of these soy candles has a ring inside. Yes, every candle has a ring inside! It's best described as a cracker jack box for adults. And I admit, there is a certain amount of value to that sheer anticipation.

The rings vary from $10 costume jewelry pieces up to $5,000 geniune gold and diamond pieces. I realistically knew the odds of getting the $10 costume jewelry piece are pretty high. But some of them I'd seen online were still pretty cute. And besides, there is a swap site for trading out your Diamond Candle rings that don't fit you or aren't your style. That site can be found here.

So, we left off with my candle having burnt for less than 2 hours or so. I'd say it takes about 4-6 hours to see the foil pack visibly. On a side note, after all that time, not much scent is coming from the candle still, and it definitely doesn't smell like coconut to me. Maybe a bland vanilla at best? And you can only smell the scent if you are hovering over the candle. Kind of disappointing. Being a die-hard Bath & Body Works Wallflower fan, and most recently Scentsy fan, I expect a good strong scent. Not give you a headache scent, but enough to smell it from 10 feet or so away when it's been going for awhile.

In fairness, I contacted Diamond Candles regarding the lack of scent. The Q&A on their page regarding lack of scent indicates this:

I can't smell my candle, what should I do?
Last Updated: May 21, 2012 04:29PM EDT
First check and blow the candle out and light a completely different scent for 3 or 4 days and then come back to the candle that you believe is having the issue. Light it, go into a different room and then come back about 30 minutes after you first light it. This should take care of it for you as our noses can become 'scent blind' to scents we get used to and not notice them anymore.

If after that you still can't smell it have someone else verify that there is no smell and then get in contact with us. We stand behind the quality of our products and if there is literally no smell we want to know about it and make sure you are taken care of. Customer satisfaction is our number one priority.

So I emailed Diamond Candles yesterday, letting them know I followed their suggestion. Okay, only 2 days, but still.... I'm not really buying the whole scent blind thing. I have not yet received a response from them, but am hoping to soon and will keep you all posted.

But you're really here to find out what great ring I got, right? Well, as I suspected, and as my luck usually goes. I got possibly one of the cheapest and ugliest I've yet to see! But my 2 year old thinks it's pretty cool.

I'm not sure if the "manly class ring" look or the plastic rhinestone stone is worse. But it was still a fun experience. And in all honesty, I will probably try Diamond Candles again. Definitely a different scent. And hopefully my luck will be better next time around. And at the very least, the jar is nice. I have plans for repurposing it when I'm done with the candle, but that is for another day.

Business Fail: Fabric.com

It's been said, you make a customer happy, they tell one or two of their friends. You tick a customer off, and they share their experience with 100 people. When a business excels or goes above and beyond my expectations, I give credit where credit is due. When a business fails entirely at customer service, the world deserves to hear as well.

Last Thursday, I placed an order with Fabric.com. I was pleased with their fabric selection, and plastered all over the website was "Orders ship within 48 hours." Sweet, by business days, the order would ship by Monday the 7th, and I'd have it by this weekend to start some new projects. I wish.

On Tuesday the 8th, my order hadn't shipped, so I emailed for a status. I received a response Wednesday the 9th, that the customer service rep was not sure why my order hadn't shipped and they would check with their warehouse and get back to me. This morning, the 10th, I get an automated email stating one of the items I ordered is not available in continuous yardage, and would I be ok with two 1/2 yard pieces, or not? The email indicated once I responded my order would be shipped within 48 hours. Are you kidding? It took a full week to check to see if my order could even be fufilled?

Now, I am not an impatient person. I would have been totally ok with this entire scenario if the site had said "due to high volume, it may take up to a week to review and ship your order." But it does not. So I contacted their "chat live" feature on their site to get my order cancelled. It took over a half hour, when there were only 2 people ahead of me in the "queue." But I finally reached someone who responded with. "I have cancelled your order. Is there anything else I can assist you with?"

Nope, no "sorry" no offering a coupon code. Poor customer service all around. I highly recommend steering clear of Fabric.com. While the prices and selection are appealing, I would rather my hard earned money go to a business based on client service and making things right.

Ok, stepping off my soap box now. Does anyone have any sites that sell fabric that they would recommend, or have had good experiences with? I'd love to hear!

~ Ricki ~