What do I think of the DREO Smart Ceiling Fan?

My bedroom ceiling fan had broken down a couple of weeks ago and I was on the hunt for a new fan that not only fit the aesthetic of my room, but was also powerful. I started searching at local hardware stores, but none of the fans seemed to really fit my needs. They were either very stylish, but lacked the functionality I was looking for or had the functionality, but looked industrial. That’s why I was so pleased to find the DREO Ceiling Fan CLF712S. It combined the trendy aesthetic with the functionality I was looking for all in one compact, but powerful product. 

First thing to talk about is the packaging and installation. It was packaged very well-all the parts were secure and well protected. Nothing arrived broken or damaged. Everything had its place in the box and it came with both a quick start guide and a more detailed instruction booklet. I also loved that there was a QR code that took me to an installation video. Now, I’m no professional electrician, but I do a lot of DIY in my home. For the installation, unless you’re comfortable with installing yourself, I would recommend an electrician. I was comfortable enough to do it without one. However, please keep in mind this is a 2 person job given the weight of the fan motor and having to lift it up to secure it in place so having another adult to help is definitely a must. I should also mention, if you have an older ceiling fan currently, there are some adjustments that need to be made in terms of connecting wires that will be different with a smart fan (one with a remote/wireless capabilities like this one). This was NOT mentioned in the instructions so that is something I think DREO could improve on. I didn’t have to buy anything extra, but if you have an older model fan previously that worked with a switch on the wall, please note, once you’ve properly connected the wires, one of the switches will no longer work. Everything is controlled with the included remote. 

The instructions in both the video and booklet had not mentioned the transition from an old fashioned fan to smart fan so if this is the case in your situation, it would probably be best to consult an electrician. 

Once the fan was installed though, everything was smooth sailing. Installation took me about 2 hours, mostly because I had to figure out the old to new situation. The fan itself is wonderful. It has a very minimalistic, simple design that will fit pretty much any decor. I got the fan in white, but there is also a black version. The fan blades are reversible so you can have plain white or white combined with a light wood veneer. The blades are 52” so plenty big to provide adequate breeze to the entire room. It looks very chic and stylish. 

Having had a regular on/off fan with pulling a chain to adjust the 3 speeds, the DREO fan was refreshing. There are so many innovative features. There are 6 speeds to the fan with the last one being the most powerful. It’s currently 90+ degrees in the South and I actually turned off the A/C one day while I was in the bedroom with just the fan one because it was so cool. My old fan just circulated the air-this one seems to cool the room down too. I love that there is a reversible feature that will reverse the direction of the fan blades-so in the winter it will circulate warmer air. 

Now to talk about the lights-wow! There are so many different options. The main ceiling light had several different settings including daylight, incandescent, fluorescent and more-which all have different levels of brightness. Then there’s the fun light-the RBG. It’s a rim around the main light that had a variety of different colors-red/green/blue/yellow/pink etc. This can be turned on separately or together with the main light. It comes with the remote (batteries included!) so no need to walk over to the switch to turn on/off. And even better, it has wireless connectivity so I was able to connect it to Alexa and can simply command it to turn/on off, change settings etc. The DREO app is also an option to use as a remote on your smartphone. 

This is my first smart fan and I’m switching all my fans over to the dark side. The functionality, features, ease of use and convenience make the DREO ceiling fan an absolute winner in my book. 

***Thank you to Dreo for gifting me a DREO ceiling fan CLF712S in exchange for an honest review.***

Silk'n Infinity: A closer shave

I was so excited to be given the chance to try the new Silk'n Infinity hair removal device. I'm sure by this time you have all heard of Home Pulsed Light in order to remove unwanted body hair. Silk'n Infinity is such a device. Using pulses of light, it essentially "burns" the hair follicles and stops them from growing. It takes some patience since you don't start seeing results for a few weeks, but when you do, it's a game changer. 

The process is simple: you need to pre-shave to ensure the light will be able to get to all the follicles, and simply turn the device to the desired setting (1-5 where 1 is the lightest and 5 is the strongest) and pulse away. What's even better is that the device can "read" your skin and optimize the setting so that you get the best results without burning skin. It works best on darker hair combined with lighter skin so in essence the greater the contrast between hair and skin, the better the device works. One thing I loved is that if your skin color is too dark in an area, the device will actually automatically turn off so that it doesn't burn skin. This safety feature is definitely my favorite. You can use the Infinity pretty much everywhere with a few exceptions: above the cheeks (to avoid the eyes and hair line) and bikini line where skin tends to be a little darker. 

My own experience with it has been incredible. After a few weeks of using it, I've noticed sparser hair on my legs that takes a while to grow back. It's so quick to use too, pretty much just like shaving, but without needing to get in the shower. The lotion that comes with the device is formulated to leave skin feeling smooth and soft, which is exactly what it does. This is easily my favorite hair removal device. Oh and the best part is, there are no cartridges to replace or accessories to buy. It's meant for lifetime use without any replacement lights etc. So a one time purchase is just that, no gimmicks. 

I had the chance to share all these great features at my Silk'n party with good friends. If you'd like a chance to try Silk'n with a 30% off coupon code use the code INFINITYSET. This expires on March 30. Thank you to Silk'n and Tryazon for giving me the opportunity to try the Silk'n Infinity and giving me the chance to throw a party to share it with all my friends! All opinions are my own. 

Silk'n Titan Anti-Aging Party

I was beyond excited when I first found out I was chosen to host a Tryazon Silk'n Titan Anti-aging party. I had never heard of the Silk'n Anti-aging device using light therapy, but had heard of light therapy before and all of it's benefits. 

So what is light therapy and how does it work? The Titan device uses 3 types of light therapy including Infrared (IR), Light emitting diodes (LED) and Bi-Polar Radiofrequency (RF) to help reverse the signs of aging. The point is that it stimulates your own cells in the rejuvenation and renewal process. 

*https://silkn.com/products/titan-skin-tightening

Obviously, this isn't the kind of product that produces instant results, but over weeks, will produce subtle, but noticeable results. Before my party, I began using the Titan as soon as I got it for 2-15 minute treatments a week. My party was about 3-4 weeks from when I got the Titan and I noticed results. At first I thought I was imagining it and wanted it to seem like I'd had firmer skin, but when I heard from my friends that they also thought I had firmer skin with less fine lines, I had to agree that it wasn't just placebo. 

The Titan itself is super easy to use. Simply plug it in and apply a thin layer of included gel onto your skin. Turn on the device to it's lowest setting and gently massage the area of concern. For me, this was the mouth and sides of my eyes. You can go up on the setting as tolerated. The device does emit some heat, but not enough that it burns you; more of a gentle warmth that is very relaxing. It's almost like having a mini spa day!

Silk'n states that you will start seeing results anywhere from 5-10 weeks so I'm glad to see that there is still room for improvement. The Silk'n Titan is an affordable, safe and effective way to start seeing results painlessly and conveniently. It's very easy to use for even the most technologically unadvanced person and with it's simple operations makes it the anti-aging device for everyone. 

*Thank you to #Tryazon and #Silk'n for giving me the opportunity to host a virtual party. I received the Silk'n package for free in exchange for a party and review. All opinions are my own. 

Find the Art You're Looking for at FulcrumGallery.com

Whenever I see paintings and art, it always brings back fond memories of art class in middle school and high school. I always loved sketching, painting and working with different mediums. It was a lot of fun and a great way to relax. I was absolutely terrible at it, but it was fun nevertheless. I remember working on a painting in art class for a couple of days and it was supposed to be a dinosaur from the Jurassic era. I came home with it and proudly showed it off to my parents. They told me that I did such a great job painting a camel. I knew I was a pretty horrible artist so we laughed about it when I told them it was actually a dinosaur and it still got hung up in my room.

Thankfully, now, I don't have to paint my own paintings to hang up in my home because FulcrumGallery.com has so many beautiful paintings to choose from. Their site is amazingly easy to use and everything is so well organized. There are a several different ways to sort through the myriad of options available. If you're looking for a particular color scheme, FulcrumGallery.com allows you to sort by color. If you are looking for art for a particular room, FulcrumGallery.com has that covered too. Being able to sort and organize the kind of art you're looking for really puts you in control of your choices. I was fortunate enough to be able to choose and review a piece that I really liked.

I chose this painting:

Some things I really liked about working with FulcrumGallery was:

I was really impressed with how fast my painting got here. FulcrumGallery.com really keeps you updated with your order and shipping throughout the entire process.

Another thing I really liked was the customization. I was able to choose my frame, my medium and the type of glass on the painting. It was all very personal and it made me feel like I was important to the company.

The quality of the painting and the frame is superb. The painting is obviously printed on high quality paper and the frame is made of sturdy wood. The use of high quality materials is reassuring and it feels very durable.

I once again have to boast about the organization of the site. It's so remarkably easy to use and there is bound to be a piece for anyone. They not only have paintings, but also photographs and the sheer volume of pieces to choose from makes it hard to pick a favorite.

I would say the only con is that it is a little bit pricey, but you get what you pay for: high quality paintings and workmanship.

I am so happy to have been able to review a piece from FulcrumGallery and I know I will be a repeat visitor on their site. I would recommend Fulcrum Gallery to anyone who would love to spruce up their home or office with a new painting or photograph.

*Disclosure: I was provided with a painting in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are unbiased and my own. 

[Giveaway] Microsoft Surface 3 Giveaway Contest

Taking a 2-Week Challenge with Pond's

Recently, @Influenster gave me the opportunity to try @Ponds Rejuveness and Clarant B3 moisturizers as part of their program. I was very happy to try both as they claimed to remove fine lines and wrinkles and leave behind radiant, luminous skin. Now who wouldn't want that? #SeeForYourself #contest

Influenster challenged me to a 2-week challenge to see how well the Pond's Rejuveness would work in removing fine lines from my skin. Now that the 2 weeks are over, this is what I thought: overall I would have to say Pond's does a great job with diminishing fine lines and wrinkles, however there were a few issues I had.

Pros:
1. I was left with noticeably radiant skin. After 2 weeks I really found that my skin looked more radiant-I had that great glow to my skin instead of a somewhat luster I had come to expect. I'm very pleased with how well Pond's worked on my skin in terms of radiance.

2. I also felt my fine lines were diminished. I had a few lines near my eye area and while they made me look distinguished and wise (that's what I tell myself), they weren't really me. After 2 weeks of using Pond's, they don't seem very obvious to me any more. While I'm not saying they have disappeared, they definitely aren't in your face any more and I feel with another couple of weeks of using Pond's may make another significant reduction.

3. The scent after a couple of days. Note that I say a couple of days (you can read about that below). However, after a couple of days, I found the scent to be light, mild, fresh and faintly reminiscent of sandalwood. Sandalwood is one of my personal favorite scents so I was pretty happy with the scent and think it feels great on my skin.

Cons;
1. The scent when I first opened the jar. I don't know if it was a fluke or this is just the way it was, but when I first opened the jar, there was a really strange smell coming from the cream. I'm not even sure how to describe it, but it was very raw if that makes any sense. It was a really weird smell and I couldn't wear the cream on the first day. When I checked the next day, the smell had almost completely faded, but I could still smell a bit of it. On the third day, the smell was completely gone and I actually found the smell was really nice. I wore it then and it was perfectly fine.

2. Not enough moisture. I find that when I wore it on a very dry day, it didn't have enough moisture to keep my skin hydrated. On more humid days, it was fine, but on dry days, my skin got very dry. I needed to use an extra moisturizer in order to keep my skin from becoming too dry.

All in all, I was very happy with Pond's Rejuveness and Clarant B3. They really did work like the claims advertised. The one thing I would improve is their hydration power and that weird smell in the beginning (or was that just me?), but overall Pond's has done a really great job of coming up with a fine lines/wrinkle reducer.

*Disclosure: I received this product for free from Influenster in exchange for a review. However, all opinions are my own. 

A Party Featuring Sleep

The one thing I thought I'd never write was the words "party" and "sleep" in the same sentence. Of course if it's a dull party, sleep might just be the best option. In fact, I remember this one time...I diverge-back to the topic at hand. Thanks to Tryazon, I was given the chance to host a "Let Mom Sleep" Party. It involved a small sleep monitor called a Beddit and numerous pairs of Dearfoam slippers.

Before I hosted my party, I tried the Beddit for a week; the sensor sticks to the mattress beneath the sheets and plugs in into an outlet. You simply connect it to your smartphone via Bluetooth (it's compatible with the iPhone 5 and above as well as many Android devices), configure and press the start sleeping button when you're ready for bed. Voila! The next morning you hit stop sleeping on your phone and it gives you all the info you need about how well you slept. This is what one day's worth of sleep monitoring looks like:

Pretty cool isn't it? Of course I used the day that I slept the best so everyone can't see what terrible numbers I got otherwise. Guess I needed some sleep improvement, which I always knew, but didn't really know how I could improve. The beddit not only tells you your sleep score, but gives you tips for improvement. A few of mine were: don't go to sleep until you're tired, Be consistent with the times you go to sleep and get up around the same time everyday including weekends. It turns out this was pretty good advice; after following it I ended up with this nice, shiny 98!

Beddit recommends that your sleep score be over 85 and if it's not, to look at where you're losing points. A lot of mine were on waking up frequently during the night and *sigh* snoring. I never believed my husband when he told me I snored; well now he has proof and he knows it. Ugh beddit, why must you be so observant?!

All kidding aside though, I love the Beddit and how well it works. It tells me a bunch of sleep stats which are pretty interesting to know. I also get tips and get to see if I get enough sleep each night. Another feature I thought was pretty cool was the deep sleep feature. I can actually see when I'm going into deep sleep! In the night overview chart, I can tell at what times I went into deep sleep and how long I'm in it. That's just too cool! You can check out the Beddit and read more about the science behind it at Beddit's website.

Anyways, after my long rant about the awesomeness of the Beddit, I'm going to just give a quick summary of the party I had. Each gal (and guy) who came to the party got to take home an super awesome goody bag featuring Dearfoam slippers. Those super soft, super comfy slippers were a hit with everyone and they were all pretty excited when they saw the slippers. Everyone tried them on and wore them for the rest of the day. Visit Dearfoams website to check out their new Spring line and more slippers.

I even managed to get a picture of a few people wearing their Dearfoams. Anyways, I have to thank #tryazon for this amazing opportunity as well as #dearfoam and #beddit for providing such an amazing party pack. This party was a hit because of the great new and innovative items we all got to see.

*Disclosure: I received a party pack with Dearfoams and a Beddit for free from Tryazon in exchange for hosting a party and sharing on my social media. However, all opinions are mine.