Posted on May 28, 2018 August 15, 2018

Influencer Networks You Need To Know

So you’re a blogger or Influencer, now what?

Being an influencer or blogger with a trusted following can reap big rewards these days! The best part about working for yourself, is you get to choose which brands you want to partner up with. Some brands have more restrictions, lower commissions, or shorter cookies (length of time it follows your customer online, so you can get the sale whenever they purchase) so make sure you take the time to read about the company and their small print.

What is the difference between Influencer Networks & Affiliate Networks?

Basically, you need something other than social media to do an affiliate program like a website, cause it involves a lot of links and banners. Influencer networks usually use discount codes to track your sales.

Here is a few large networks that can pay pretty pennies if you have a solid strategy!

Rakuten

Commission Junction

Pepperjam

Impact

Amazon Associates

These networks all have big brand names like BH cosmetics, Levis, ABC Mouse, and others. You can get on board with program from party supplies to lip glosses. I would recommend to ask your audience what they are most interested in.

Just an Influencer On Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Youtube Or Twitter?

Okay, so you’re not into the blogging and website stuff, but you have content like funny memes, videos, or beautiful pics. You can create a level of income that makes you feel like you’re living the dream doing what you love!

Heres a few Social Influencer Networks You Need To Know:

The networks typically send you the campaigns and offers money in exchange for a mention, post, or link. This is much easier than content creation like blogging, but there is a bunch of people doing it right now. Some of these agencies also have large following restrictions.

I prefer blogging and doing my own thing with affiliate links, mostly because I have more control over all of it. Also, because my content can constantly be making me money in the future (called evergreen). Which will you choose to do? Influence through blogging or straight social influence? Maybe a little of both?

Tell us how you’re growing your influence in the comments!

Posted on January 20, 2018 August 6, 2018

Tide Purclean Laundry Detergent

This brand is known for being all mighty and full of some pretty (let’s face it) good cleansers. Yes, some purists that make their own homemade stuff or opt for something completely clean, wouldn’t even give Tide a thought. But maybe they deserve a second glance with their newest plant-based detergent.

Tide Purclean

Tide purclean™ is the first plant-based liquid laundry detergent that has the cleaning power that you expect and deserve from Tide, even in cold water. Tide has been on a journey of sustainability for many years now and this is the latest step in this journey to deliver a more sustainable product that does not compromise on cleaning performance. It is the first 65% USDA certified plant-based detergent with the cleaning power of Tide.

So according to their site, it’s 65% plant-based.

I think thats a number I can root for. I know that laundry detergents are not the easiest to make at home and families can have some pretty icky laundry.

I had to step-up my laundry game recently.

The ball I was using (you can read more about that here) wasn’t getting to all of my laundry needs. I still use it, but I also use detergents. I love my smells and I really don’t like the idea of wasting my essential oils. I’ve done it all, from the ball, to homemade cleansers, to “cleaner” brands, to wool balls, and different dryer sheets.

What is the actual difference of plant-based compared to regular detergents? (a lot)

Basically the main difference is:

Purclean has a plant-based surfactant and no ammonium-based cleansers.
Purclean has no optical brighteners. Some people actually prefer these.

These few things can make a big difference if you’re trying to clean up your products. I’ve seen very similar ingredients in brand like Meyers or Free & Clear. Molly’s Suds has a great coconut-based liquid with plant-based ingredients and no preservatives. You can find them on Thrive below.

The Result?

I loved it! It smelled really nice and my clothes were noticeably soft when transferring to the dryer. I’m pretty happy with it and glad its convenient at Walmart.

Posted on December 13, 2017 January 10, 2018

The Body Deli

If you’ve ever travel to Palm Springs, CA- you have to drive to El Paseo in Palm Desert,CA and check out the great shops. In this rodeo drive-like street I found The Body Deli and I can truly say there’s nothing else like this!

They’ve been featured in magazines like Self, Cosmo, and Vouge. Some of their products are carried in spas, and they have quite a fan club! The Body Deli makes their own facial washes, soaps, creams, and more. Sounds like any other boutique shop right?

“But what makes this place to unique is that they actually have to refrigerate most of the products. Skin food!”

If you travel to this hot place, you can appreciate a cold cream or facial spray.Right when you walk in you can purchase kits with cleansers, lotions, toners, and treatments in the refrigerated section. You can also get an array of masks and treatments in a sample size. Its like an oasis for your skin! They also carry tons of other scrubs and beautiful scented creams, shampoos, and conditioners. All of the ingredients are sustainably sourced and some locally like their date scrub called “Coachella”.

Here’s a Few Products I Purchased:

Vital C Repair serum-I didn’t feel an immediate difference, but my dry skin soaked it all up. I think you have to use this serum for a while to see any difference, but the ingredients are definitely potent. $18/48

Ingredients: Antioxidant Micro-Clustered Water, Jojoba Oil, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Virgin Coconut Oil, Fresh Cells of Pomegranate, Pumpkin & Carrot, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Rovisome Vitamin C (Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate), Alpha Lipoic Acid, DMAE, Coenzyme Q10, Retinol Palmitate, Allantoin, Olive Squalane, Evening Primrose Oil, Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Fructan, Beta-Glucosamine, *Chamomile, Citric Acid, Essential OIls of Mandarin, Sweet Orange, Ylang-Ylang, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate (Natural Perservative Systyem).

Rose & Geramium cleanser– I absolutely loved this facial cleanser! The texture felt creamy, hydrating, and smelled of roses. My skin was noticeably softer after using it. $12/$28

Ingredients: Antioxidant Micro-Clustered Ionized Water, Aqueous Solution of Rosemary, Lavender, Rose, Nettle, Virgin Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil, Avocado Oil, Apricot Oil, Castor Oil, Shea Butter, Squalane, Stabilized Rice Bran and Germ, Decyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Olivate and Sorbitan Olivate (Olive Oil Emulsifier), Vitamin-E (Alpha-Tocopherol), Lecithin, Allantoin, Rosehip Seed Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Comfrey Extract, Carrot Seed Oil, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Licorice Root Extract, Chamomile Extract, Rosemary Oil Extract, Oat Flour, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Rose Geranium Essential Oil, Ylang-Ylang Essential Oil Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate (Natural Preservative System).

Papaya live mask- I didn’t feel any tingle with this mask, but I did feel like it was feeding my skin. This one I had to refrigerate and loved that it had such hydrating ingredients. $24

Ingredients: Organic Soy Amino Acid Base, Orgainc Aloe Vera Juice, Shea Butter, Green Papaya Enzymes, Colloidal Silver, Allantoin, Squalane, Evening Primrose, Rose-Hips, Calendula, Carrot Seed, Chamomile, Japanese Honeysuckle, Rosemary Oil, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Benzoin, Lecithin, Honey & Natural Fruit Extracts.

Coachella Date Scrub- A little goes a long way. This scrub feels luxurious and has so many great oils that hydrates long after the shower. I didn’t feel like the date smell came through too much which was a bummer. $13/$38

Ingredients: Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Virgin Coconut Butter, Rice Bran Oil, Avocado Oil, Jojoba Oil, Brown Sugar, Medjool Date Sugar, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Lecithin, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Benzoin, Thyme, Allantoin, Rose-HipSeed Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Comfrey Extract, Carrot Seed Oil, Chamomile, Rosemary Oil Extract, Essential Oils and Spices of: White Sage, Cypress, Juniper, Silver Fir, Grapefruit. (Denotes Organically Grown Ingredients)

Bamboo facial polishing powder– I was so happy when I saw a facial powder. I was looking for something just like this. The other facial powders I see have oat or clays. I never tried bamboo, and I will say it was effective and gentle. I’m not sure how the baking soda affected my skin, but it felt nice and clean. My makeup did go on smoother. $15

Turn your cleanser into a gentle and effective facial polishing scrub. This organic bamboo polishing powder will leave a smooth glass feel and is excellent for all skin types. This finely ground bamboo powder, mixed with sodium bicarbonate, creates an ultra fine polish to gently exfoliate and reveal softer, smoother, and healthier skin.

Check this place out if you ever visit Palm Springs or check out their products online at The Body Deli Online

Posted on September 4, 2017 August 7, 2018

Gemstone Inspired DIY Labels (+Recipe)

Print These Gemstone Inspired Labels Right Now!

I always say I’ll get around to doing labels, but never actually do! I currently have all of my homemade cleaning bottles without labels (not proud!) I know it doesn’t make my life any easier, but I wanted to wait until I actually found cute labels.

This is the first label I created and it’s inspired by gemstones. I’m definitely not the best on Photoshop and I know most average moms out there aren’t pros either. I found the most simple online tool and wanted to share it with you guys for printing your DIY labels. Heres the label template and directions below.

Step 1: The label above is formatted to fit any 2×2 labels, so just right-click and save!

Step 2: Purchase Avery water resistant labels (round, square, white, or clear) at the actual store (cause Amazon is a little outrageous with these.) I think they’re around $6?

Step 3: Head to Avery’s website and type in the code on the package. Easy!

Step 4: Click custom or browse the many designs. Just upload this design and add text like “Hand Soap” and press print! I used 92017 for the month and year.

Step 5: Enjoy your pretty new bottle labels!

Amber Bottles

Anything with essential oils is good to store in a glass, dark bottle. I like these from RMO. Don’t cheap out on these if you really want to get committed to a non-toxic lifestyle like me. The sprayer breaks and next thing you know, you’re at Target buying the next name brand toxic chemical.

Linen Spray Recipe

6oz Vinegar
4 Drops of Tea Tree Oil
4 Drop of Peppermint Oil

Before you go grab those labels, I must mention that this is what the final page looks like before you click “print yourself” what it does is actually pop-up a PDF, then you press print.

Let me know if you tried this!

Posted on August 24, 2017 August 15, 2018

I Tried 4 (Popular ) Non-Toxic Foundations and Here’s What Happened

I Tried 4 Popular Non-Toxic Foundations and Here’s What Happened

I went straight to the back of Sephora thinking I would claim the best non-toxic foundation once and for all. I tried 4 popular non-toxic foundations and here’s what happened: OMG it took a lot more time than I had imagined! The very first thing I did was make sure the packaging said no parabens, phthalates, mineral oils, talc, fragrances, or BHT, as well as vegan, cruelty-free, and more. Isn’t it such a mouth full of things we have to worry about? I guess we don’t have to, but I was determined to go as natural as possible. I always thought our bodies just detoxed itself and never took into the account of cumulative effects of what I was using.

BONUS: Read till the end to get a cute wallet card you can print and carry to shop!

The long journey to find the right and effective non-toxic foundation officially started. Surprisingly, some didn’t even make the cut for a review! So a little background on my skin; It’s dry as heck during the day and gets oily as the day goes on. I have lots of aging spots near my eye corners and lots of uneven shadowed spots around my lips and eyes. Foundation is my miracle in a bottle. I prefer something quick and smooth to apply.

The first foundation that drew me in for my dry skin was the Josie Maran- Vibrancy Argan Oil Foundation Fluid ($45). Okay, maybe it was the bottle. This colorfully packaged foundation was right around the same price as most I saw, so I thought I would give it a try. I love argan oil! The consistency was very fluid-like and best applied with a brush (in my opinion). It smelled nice and I used it for 2 days. A whole 2 days! Why? It was a little too moisturizing and didn’t cover much.

Josie Maran Didn’t Cover All My Age Spots!

The foundation creased on all of my wrinkles and barely covered. I have yet to try the newest foundation from her line called Matchmaker Serum Foundation. Too bad on the original, cause I loved the packaging and wanted the sweet properties of argan on my skin. On to the next…

My next try was Cover FX- Natural Finish Foundation ($40) sold at Sephora as well. Apparently, the brand doesn’t sell anything with parabens, sulfates, fragrance, mineral oil, and talc. The foundation had a decent price and a perfect consistency, I had to try it. I used this one for 2 months and purchased another tube.

Non-Toxic Foundation — Cover Fx foundation with no filter!

It covered, it glided, it stayed, and it lasted longer than most of my foundations prior. Is it the tube? I’m still not sure, but this product is pretty amazing for my combo skin. A bonus is that its made with Squalene oil which may be the next “it” beauty oil. Loved this one!

The next on my list (even though I found one I liked) was this Tarte Amazonian Clay foundation ($39) all my friends were buying. I had to try this one for my readers! The first thing I thought was “whoa! this baby is thick”, but I knew I did want to cover those age spots as much as possible. I also thought of how it may last way longer than the prior foundations I’ve used. I threw it in my Ulta shopping bag and carried on. When I used it the next day, I used a brush for the thick consistency and it took a minute to get all the lines smoothed. It looked great, just a felt a little heavy. The next day I used my fingers to apply it. Again, it looked great and covered. By the third day I just didn’t have enough patience and used my other foundation that slathered on and glided in place. Ugh!! Moms aint got time for all that! I wish I loved it, but it takes to long and is too thick. Another upcoming brand I have yet to try with Amazonian clay ingredients is made by 14e. You can read all about their ingredients here.

This next one I was hesitant to try. It’s a multi-level marketing product from Beauty Counter. I don’t even know why I was hesitant. Maybe I didn’t want to hurt any 4/5 friends that sold Beauty Counter Tint Skin Foundation ($41) on social media? I really should have grabbed it at Target when they carried them for a short while. I was lucky a friend saw I wanted to go non-toxic and jumped to sending me samples. How could I say no?

I really was curious and their company’s mission definitely matched my blog with being non-toxic and all. So a week later I got the samples and matched my skin color by combining 2 of them. The cream foundation comes in a tube and glided on nicely. It covered and then it dried out fairly quickly. What?! There was no more blending options after 1 minute. Could this be a good thing for moms? Overall I liked it, but I didn’t want to have to mix two colors and have it dry my skin. I could see how it may work very nicely for oily skin types. I just wished they had a bigger variety, cause I’m totally on board with their mission to change the cosmetic industry.

One other brand that’s I’ll be watching closely is Willing Beauty. Right now they only have a tinted primer, but they really strive to just protect skin from the sun and they use some nourishing ingredients, which is pretty important don’t cha think?! Also, Jane Iradale, Juice Beauty, and W3ll People are on my list to try (perhaps another review post soon?)

Print this card for easy clean makeup shopping!

Non-toxic Makeup Card — Right-click, save, and print!

So many of my friends insisted I try some other brands, but honestly they just didn’t make the cut (see printable card). Choosing a non-toxic foundation is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I still didn’t understand a lot the ingredients named in these brands and still question some as I researched. For example; Titanium Dioxide is listed in most foundations to protect from the sun, but its shown to have possible carcinogenic effects. The point is, we have to find a balance between awareness and choice as the industry gets cleaner and more transparent. One thing I will end this post on is that luxury doesn’t always equal better and drugstore brand foundations come with a price.

P.S my car selfies are kinda out of control!

Posted on August 16, 2017 August 21, 2017

Stains Can Stick It!

Theres a new stain remover bar in town that looks like butter. I used it and I’m sharing all about it.

Can’t stains just go away? I’ll be honest, I usually just end up donating clothes I don’t have the energy to fix. I know theres a way, but GOSH they can be pesky! If your like me and don’t feel like spending your afternoons working on stains-then read on…

Ingredients: Coconut Oil Palm Oil, Canola Oil, Water, Eucalyptus Globulus Oil, Litsea Cubeba Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Borax.

So I opened the package of the Smart Klean Stain Remover, it was a hard, fresh sweet smelling, wax-like bar. I made sure to follow the directions, which state:

Wet area first
Rub stick where needed
Scrub
Throw in the wash

Easy enough right? I had the perfect shirt that just got marker all over it. I started rubbing the stick and noticed it has real foam all the sudden. I could actually work with the suds to move them around the stain area. I scrubbed with my little knitted scrubbie (I just love those things!) and off the first blue tulle shirt went into the wash with several other pieces.

Tulle Shirt — First Blue Tulle Marker-Stained Shirt

I peeked as I took it out to go in the dryer and unfortunately, it didn’t get all of the marker mostly on the tulle area. BUT I tried a few other stains and here’s what happened.

The second thin pink shirt I tried was stained in grass and set out in the sun for a full 24 hours before I applied the Smart Klean Stain Remover. I repeated the directions and as I removed in from the dryer, I noticed lighter areas where I scrubbed. It got the grass out, but it looks like I may have scrubbed the delicate cotton material.

Pink Thin Shirt — Second Pink Grass-Stained Shirt

The last one to finally go in the wash was the third ketchup-stained green cotton shirt. This one I noticed immediate results after scrubbing in the Smart Klean Stain Remover. I was very pleased with this one! After all, my daughter mostly wears thick cotton clothes and her stains are mostly foods.

Overall, I absolutely love that its eco-friendly, non-toxic, and that theres no wait time. I love the way it suds and smells. I am a little weary cause I haven’t tried to remove wine and it doesn’t seem to work on tulle. Other than that, I will be using the Smart Klean Stain Remover Bar for my everyday laundry stains!

Final Stain — Final Shirts After Using Smart Klean Stain Remover

The company is the same one that makes the laundry ball (which you can read all about here) and this is the perfect addition to being completely eco-friendly and non-toxic with my laundry routine. I never thought I would be this legit in getting toxic and wasteful products out of my home, yet here I am!

You can purchase the Smart Klean Stain Remover Sticks here. I recommend stocking up to save on shipping!

I was not compensated to review this product.

Have you tried it? Tell us what you think below!

Posted on March 10, 2017 March 11, 2017

St. Patrick’s Day Craft: Repurposed Yoga Mat

Have an old Yoga mat laying around? Make a St. Patty Day kids mat! The yoga mat I used for the craft has been through some hot yoga, park yoga, beachbody workouts, and (lets face it) some pretty embarrassing wannabe yogi moves. Its time to repurpose it!

I actually came up with the idea while on the phone with my sister. We were probably complaining about weight or something ( what sisters talk about right?). I was looking at my old yoga mat with every intention to workout, but instead I made a toddler activity. With St. Pattys around the corner, I thought something with rainbows was a must!

This yoga mat craft may have to be made by an adult, but its sole purpose is to entertain kids. Its very much worth all the free time you’re about to gain! #momwin

Items You Will Need:

An old Yoga Mat
Acrylic Paints
Glue Gun
Ribbon (pom pom balls optional)
Imagination

I love that this is a portable craft thats easy to take around, store anywhere, and has many purposes. This hopscotch mat has learning, sensory, and activity jammed into one roll-up mat. Imagine taking it to the park, waiting at the airport, engaging other kids, or just something new and fun. You can change it to fit any age.

This St. Pattys Day themed mat starts with placements for crayons, a small bag for cut paper squares, magnets, a numbered hopscotch, and a pot of gold at the end. I added clovers to the pot of gold bag for positive reinforcement, but you can use coins, stickers, money, or anything else thats small.

Steps To Create The Look:

Paint squares, numbers, and rainbow.
Cut and weave ribbon through the bottom. Fasten the back with a hot glue gun.
Add addition ion ribbon on each side to carry.
Glue magnets and bags where you want.
Add markers, cute magnets, paper, and prizes.

The magnets pieces can be purchased at any craft store. I happened to have some laying around. You can even repurpose old magnets by reasembling them. The rainbow ones I used were purchased at Target in the Dollar Spot section along with the ribbon.

My daughter loves to draw, but you can do a crisscross game, or matching game. The possibilities are endless. All I know is this was a win for this mom. My daughter (20 months) spent time exploring the squares, hopping around, drawing, and playing with the magnets. I couldn’t help, but think that free toys always end up being the best. Am I right?

I found these clovers at Target (does it again!) they were originally packaged as a streamer, but I removed them from the string. I love that they were durable. You can use old toys and spray paint them gold. Just look around! I love that this teaches kids about finishing with positive reinforcement. St. Patty’s theme was meant to be for this craft.

What a great way to make friends!

The only downside to this craft is that it takes a little bit of time to paint. Instead of my usual evening couch/TV routine, I relaxed with paint. I also should mention, if you are thinking of getting a new Yoga mat, cork is the way to go and Yoloha makes some great ones. I love how they are eco-friendly and trendy!

I love that Yoloha is a USA company. You can check out other styles here. Enter code: Twinkle mom for 10% off!

If you haven’t already, make sure you subscribe to my blog (Twinkle Twinkle Little Mom.com). My name is Jackie and I’ll show you all about detoxing your home. Most people aren’t aware of toxins in their home. Its all about awareness + choice. Let’s raise our kids in healthy + happy homes!
Did you enjoy this craft? Or know someone who would? Share this post using the link below!