Dyson DC59 Animal Bagless Cordless Stick Vacuum

I have been a Dyson lover since the well-engineered vacuums first hit American shores back in the '90s. As a matter of fact, Bob and I have been coparenting Dyson vacuum cleaners since before we were married. You could say we were vacuuming in sin, but that might be a little overdramatic. 

Here are our love children, the Dyson Animal and the Dyson Blueprint:

You can argue against evolution but it's pretty clear that smaller, sleeker, more maneuverable is the way things are going in the Dyson family. Witness, if you will, the newest member of the Dyson clan. Introducing the CORDLESS Dyson DC59 Animal Vacuum:

This technological marvel is remarkably slim and lightweight. It weighs less than five pounds, less than either of my kiddos weighed at birth, and they were pretty small. The long arm can be removed to use the tools in hand vac fashion but this vacuum really sucks– it offers 3x more suction than other hand vacs, due to its newfangled V6 motor. In fact, it performs like its bulky upright brethren. It's pretty impressive. We have two dogs and five cats, people. I'm happy to report that the re-engineered brush bar, optimized for hard floor and carpet, works wonders on all of our dust bunnies. 

Better still, dudes looooove the very powerful motor. Here's my handsome hubby looking perturbed as I catch him testing the DC59's duel tier radial cyclone technology out.

I almost forgot my most favorite thing– unlike most cordless vacuums, the Dyson DC59 has some staying power. It will last 26 minutes on one charge, which means I can get through most of our house without dealing with cords and outlets. Woo-hoo! And, like all Dysons, there are no pesky (and expensive!) filters to deal with. One touch dirt dumping. Joy!

For more information, follow +Best Buy  and +Dyson on G+ or @BestBuy and @Dyson on Twitter.

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received a product sample to facilitate this review. No compensation was provided. All opinions are, as usual, entirely my own.

Secret Extensions by Daisy Fuentes

My hair has been woefully thin and scraggly since having kids. Not that I blame my children, who incidentally have lovely, thick heads of soft and shiny hair, but I miss having some volume up there. I don't need '80s big hair but a little extra oomph would be nice every now and then. 

That being said, I am a lazy hairstylist. I might blow dry or flatiron my hair once in a while but for the most part, I'm a wash and go kind of girl. What hope could I have of lush, supermodel-esque locks? Well, apparently a lot. A friend hooked me up with a new product, Secret Extensions, which are endorsed by Daisy Fuentes, who always has a covetably glorious mane of hair.

Secret Extensions are basically microfiber hair extensions attached to a thin, invisible hairband. I was skeptical but I figured I'd give them a try. I received two Secret Extensions, one in black and one in dark brown. They can be worn separately or together for a super full look. I was impressed with how soft they are, very much like human hair. You brush and style them as you would your own hair and they go on as easily as a sweatband does. You simply fluff your own hair up over the band– no backcombing or teasing needed.

The colors blended well with my hair- the black is probably better for winter and the dark brown is a better summer shade for me. Secret Extensions make me feel like a mermaid with cascading waves. And roots that need to be touched up. Ahem.

While I was testing them out, the kids came upstairs and demanded to try them on. Jasper wouldn't let me photograph his heavy metal persona but Roo was pretty into her redneck beard. I like how the curl matches her own wavy hair.

Just for kicks, I thought I'd see how my Secret Extensions looked when paired with my clip-in bangs.

I thought it was a pretty great look but my husband asked why you wouldn't just wear a wig. This proves two things: 1) he has never worn a wig and 2) boys are dumb. Secret Extensions and faux bangs are MUCH more comfortable and controllable than any wig I've tried on. Not itchy and no slipping around.

Secret Extensions won't break the bank at $39.99. Plus you can get free shipping if you shop via this link and use the code "daisy" at checkout.

For more information:
Follow @myhairsecret on Twitter
Like Secret Extensions on Facebook

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received a sample to facilitate this review. No compensation was provided. All opinions are, as usual, entirely my own.

Wordless Wednesday

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Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy - First Trailer!

Being a huge comic geek and scifi fan, I am super excited to announce that Guardians of the Galaxy opens in theaters everywhere on August 1st. 

Not only does it feature a trash talking space adventurer and his band of misfits, including an armor-clad raccoon, but that adventurer is played by none other than Chris Pratt. Which explains why Andy from Parks and Recreation has been "in London" for so long. Apparently he's been busy completely changing his body. Yowza.

The trailer looks awesome. It looks like a movie I would have made up as a kid. Only cooler.


From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team—the Guardians of the Galaxy. An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel's “Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits—Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand—with the galaxy's fate in the balance.

For more information, like Guardians of the Galaxy on Facebook, follow @Guardians on Twitter and join in the online conversation using hashtag #GuardiansOfTheGalaxy.

Parenting Advice 101 from The Americans

We binge-watched the first season of FX's The Americans last week. Its '80s throwback nostalgia (Everyone looks like people from when you were little! Walkmans and feathered hair!) combined with a hearty dose of Cold War sleeper cell intrigue is pretty irresistible. 

At its heart, The Americans is a family soap opera– two undercover KGB agents form a picture perfect American family in the DC suburbs. They have marital issues, annoying kids, problems at work. And an incredible array of disguises. The wigs are super amazing.

The first season of The Americans is now available on Blu-ray and DVD, just in time for you to catch up before season 2 arrives on February 26th! 

This trailer will give you an idea of what you're missing. Starts off with some NSFW language, if that sort of thing bothers you. Actually, if a little swearing or sex bothers you, this might not be the show for you. I, for one, can't wait!

“The Americans” Season 1
Secrets can be deadly in this suspenseful thriller about undercover Russian spies in 1980s Washington. Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell) seem to be a typical suburban couple, but they’re actually lethal KGB agents plotting to bring down America. As the Cold War escalates, Philip and Elizabeth must take extreme measures to continue their mission and keep their true identities hidden. But when an FBI agent moves in across the street, they become ensnared in a pulse-pounding game of cat and mouse.

Warner Bros. Valentine's Day Giveaway

Spending a romantic Valentine's Day at home with the kids? Yep, me too. Bob is catching a cold so we're ordering a pizza and then settling in to watch TV.

It's not so bad, really. True love needs a sense of humor more than a fancy dinner!

One of my readers will win one of these classic Warner Bros. animated VDay-themed DVDs (chosen at random):

• Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown Deluxe Edition
• A Charlie Brown Valentine
• Bugs Bunny’s Cupid Capers
• Happiness is... Peanuts: Friends Forever
• Elmo Loves You
• Looney Tunes Pepe Le Pew Collection
• Scooby-Doo! 13 Spooky Tales: For The Love Of Snack

Take the Who Is Your Cartoon Crush Quiz in the app above and tell me who your perfect animated love match is in the comments below for a chance to win! Enter by Feb. 24th. (US entries only)

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that the prize is being supplied by PartnersHub. No compensation was provided. All opinions are, as usual, entirely my own. 

Freya Arctic Cleansing Water - Scandinavian Skin Science

My beauty regimen has always been based on simple efficacy. I like things that work, keep my skin from breaking out or being too dry and don't require a great time commitment. When I was younger, I was totally a wash and go girl but now that I am getting older, I'm not adverse to making a little more effort to keep my skin looking smoother and more, uh, radiant with targeted anti-aging products.

When I was asked to try a new line of skincare products from Scandinavia, it wasn't a hard sell. I love the clean, simple aesthetic that seems to rule up near the Arctic circle. Something about the bracing cold air makes the population prone to good design and natural ingredients, like bentwood furniture and modern glassware. As the Freya Skin Care website notes:

Scandinavian women have long been admired for their supple, clear skin and timeless beauty, thanks to the potency of the region’s resources and a culture of health and well-being. Now Freya is tapping into Scandinavia’s natural advantage in the battle against aging to create a powerhouse skincare system that is truly in a class by itself.

Freya is apparently the first brand in the cosmetic industry to nano-encapsulate marine based Omega-3 fatty acids, as well as LEXA™, a never-before-seen patented ingredient shown to boost collagen production by over 600%. And besides, the line is called Freya, ostensibly named after the Norse goddess of beauty, love, war and death. How cool is that? Those Viking descendants are pretty badass and it certainly couldn't hurt for a little of that to trickle down my way.

I received a full-sized sample of Freya Arctic Cleansing Water to try out. Even the bottle is stately and calming, a stoic column of aquamarine and silver that feels cool to the touch. 

You twist the silver cap up to reveal a hole in the top, which you dab with a cotton ball to release the kraken. I mean, the cleansing water. Now, when I mentioned before that I am a wash and go girl, I should also tell you that I have never used a cleanser that you didn't have to rinse off. I'm prone to oiliness, so it just seems counterintuitive to me that you wouldn't want to rinse. You don't rinse Arctic Cleansing Water off but it gets all the day's detritus off your skin and leaves it dewy soft. In fact, even in the dead of this insanely cold, dry winter, I could probably forego moisturizing after using it without turning into a shriveled crone. It's pretty awesome.

I should also mention that it's hard for me to review one skincare item without trying the rest of the range but this is actually a very good standalone all-in-one product. Like I said, it gently cleans and conditions the skin. I also tried it on eye makeup in the name of science and it did a great job. I was very impressed. 

I wish that Freya offered a travel kit so I could try the whole line without dropping a bundle. I am especially interested in the undereye dark circle and puffiness reduction capabilities of the Freya Firming Eye Cream, since that is my personal beauty pet peeve.

To learn more, like Freya on Facebook or follow @freyaskincare on Twitter.

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received a sample to facilitate this review. No compensation was provided, although I might earn cash or credit if you buy something after clicking on one of the affiliate links. All opinions are, as usual, entirely my own.

Alexa Chung for Longchamp Spring 2014

I want to be there.

Wordless Wednesday- Kansas Snowpocalypse 2014

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