Product Review: Bic Soleil Balance Disposable Razors

I'm a member of Smiley360.com which is an awesome site! They give you products for free in exchange for some social media sharing and reviews. I love it!

Today, I have decided to review Bic Soleil Balance Disposable Razors on my blog. I received this through Smiley360.com. Keep reading to get a coupon for this razor and other Bic products!

I love these types of razors. They have a moisture bar which eliminates the need for shaving cream. They're great for people like me who are lazy or for people who are travelling or in a hurry.

The package with my Bic Soleil Balance Disposable razor included two razors with handles. The packaging was a little difficult to open, but I got there in the end.

The positives: I did get a nice, smooth shave using the Bic Soleil Balance Disposable Razor. My skin also felt very soft when I was done. The five blades help to ensure a quick shave as well as to make sure there is no stubble left behind. The head of the razor does move ensuring that this razor gets into some hard to reach places. They also smell nice which is an added bonus.

The negatives: While this is a great razor, I find the moisture bars don't last that long. The moisture bar lasted about three to four shaves (legs and armpits) for me. I even kept the razor away from moisture and water like the packaging says. Also, the razor heads are a bit bulky due to the moisture bar. I wouldn't say it's overly bulky, but it is bigger than the average razor head. Personally, I feel that these razors can be a bit pricey.

Final thoughts: This is a great razor! I love it because I don't have to fuss with putting shaving cream on every time I want to shave. It's faster and quicker than regular shaving. The Bic Soleil Balance Disposable Razor left my skin feeling very smooth and soft as well as smelling nice. They can be a bit pricey especially with how long the moisture bar lasts (or doesn't last in my case), but it's worth it for me so I can save time.

I would definitely recommend Bic Soleil Disposable Razors to others! If you'd like to try this razor out for yourself, just click here for some coupons. You can also get coupons for other Bic razors and products if you follow that link. If you'd rather just buy the razors from Amazon, you can buy them here.

Thanks for reading!


(I received this product for free in exchange for media sharing and an honest review. This post also contains affiliate links).

Crohn's Update #1

So I thought I'd post an update to let you all know how my Crohn's journey is going. 

I saw my gastroenterologist last Tuesday. It was really just a check up. He was surprised and angry that my insurance denied Remicade. He didn't really understand their reasoning for approving Humira instead of Remicade. It's crazy how a group of insurance people who have no medical degrees and have no real knowledge of a disease can pick and choose what medicines people can be on. It's like they think they know better than the actual doctor! Anyway, I digress.

My GI basically just said to stay on the Humira and come back in three months. He wants to do another CT scan before the year is over to check if my fistula is healed, gotten worse, or if it's the same. He was also surprised I was still on Prednisone (steroids). He wants me to taper off of those as soon as I can. I have weaned myself down to 10mg. Tomorrow, I will start on 5mg. I plan on taking those for a week, and then I will be steroid free finally. Hopefully my body will be okay with no steroids. Otherwise, I will go back up to whatever dosage I was on with no trouble.

I did my Humira injection on Wednesday. I refuse to do it in my thigh because it is very, very painful. I have decided to always inject in my stomach from now on. There's a place where the nerves are dead thanks to old school gallbladder removal that I had about 14 years ago. That's where I inject. It still burns/stings when I inject, but it doesn't hurt as bad. I always get really bad anxiety right before I have to inject. I hate how much it hurts/burns. 

Humira do offer syringes instead of the pens for injecting, but I prefer the pens because I can't see the needle which makes it easier for me to inject myself.

I think the Humira has zapped my energy. I just feel tired all the time again like before all the medication. If it's not the Humira, it's because I have gone on a lower dosage of steroids. I had a lot more energy on steroids, but I wasn't able to sleep very well.

Some of my symptoms are coming back again, I think. I don't know if they are Crohn's related or a byproduct of Crohn's. When I was in my local supermarket, I had been walking around for about half an hour. I started feeling really dizzy and like I was going to throw up. I had to sit down or else I would have passed out. That was one of my symptoms before I was diagnosed and put on medicine. This could be a sign of some kind of vitamin deficiency since Crohn's makes you malnourished.

I just hate that I can't be normal and that I can't walk around like a normal person. I was okay at the grocery store last week! I know I'll probably get better in due time but still. As some of you may know, there is no cure for Crohn's Disease. Hopefully there will be a cure in my lifetime.

So today I was rocking my awesome Crohn's Awareness bracelet that I got from @CrohnsDirectory on Twitter. 

I know I've posted about the bracelets before on a previous post, but the rubber bracelets are really cool! Plus, you can now purchase them from the Crohn's Directory website by clicking here.

Anyway, I will update again once I have more of an update for you. Thanks for reading!

Meal Delivery Kits to Try

Today, I want to talk about meal delivery kits. I love how convenient and handy they are! You choose your recipes from the website or app, and you choose the day you want your meal kit delivered. Don't worry if you won't be home for the delivery. The boxes these come in are well insulated with ice packs as well as other insulation ingredients. 

These kits have mostly all the ingredients you need. Usually you only need things like olive oil, salt, pepper, and your own pans. They send everything else. Everything is usually pre-measured as well which is really helpful. They can be a bit on the pricy side, but I think they are worth it! All the ingredients are fresh and of good quality. Plus, it helps you to eat a bit healthier, and the portion sizes are quite generous.

I'm going to share with you my favorite 3 meal delivery kit websites. I've tried others in the past as well, but these are my three favorite.

You can also click the links I'll provide to get money off your first order, so you can try it out without spending too much. Just don't forget to cancel if you decide it's not for you!

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Plated is my favorite meal delivery kit place. It is the most priciest of the three. I get the plan that is 2 servings per night for three nights. This costs $71.70 a week, but there are cheaper plans available if you want to do less nights. They also have plans for more servings and more nights a week, but those will cost more. 

With 20 menu options to choose from plus two dessert options each week, Plated seems to have the most options menu wise than other meal kit places. They also offer ingredients and recipes for desserts which costs extra. I've only chosen a dessert once through them, and it was delicious and easy to make!

To get $72 off your first box (that's a free box if you select the plan that offers two servings per night for three nights), click here!

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Blue Apron is my second favorite meal delivery kit service. The cost of Blue Apron for 2 servings per night for three nights is $59.94. Like Plated, they also have cheaper plans and more expensive plans depending on how many servings you want and how many nights you want a Blue Apron meal.

Blue Apron offers 8 menu options per week. While Blue Apron doesn't have as many menu options as Plated, they still have a good selection to choose from. I've only had a few weeks where I didn't like what was on the menu or felt that there wasn't enough options that week.

I have 5 codes for free boxes if anyone wants to try it, but I'll need your email address. If you want and are comfortable sending me your email address, you can send me a message through my blog's Facebook page here. I will only use your email address to send you the code, and that's it. Alternatively, Blue Apron does offer a discount on their page. You can see what offers they have going on by going to their homepage here.

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HelloFresh is my third favorite meal delivery kit service. Like Blue Apron, HelloFresh is also $59.94 for 2 servings per night for three nights. Cheaper and more expensive options are also available depending on your needs and budget.

HelloFresh has nine menu options to choose from each week. For me, personally, I feel they don't have enough of what I like, but I am a picky eater. They still have a great menu for those that aren't picky though, and I do get HelloFresh some weeks.

To save $40 off your first delivery, click here!

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If you have any questions or comments, let me know. I'll be happy to help.

(This post contains affiliate links).

Book Recommendations #1

Today, I bring you two book recommendations. I read these books not too long ago, and I loved them! If you decide to read them, I hope you love them as much as I did.

After a traumatic experience with her graduate school professor, Anne Fleming disposes of all her possessions, boards a plane, and plans to check out of life. But a chance meeting on an international flight leads her to Wildfell, a gothic mansion north of London. At first glance, Wildfell seems like the perfect place to hide out, and Anne is intrigued by its strange atmosphere and history of disappearances and deaths. But echoing voices, ghostly mists, a mute girl with a sketchbook full of murders, and a possessive landlady force her to confront her deepest fears. 

Anne's budding romance with gorgeous Irish actor Bain Tierney holds her to the house. But when Wildfell tenants begin disappearing and dying, Anne must decide if she trusts Bain. Is anyone in the house who they claim to be? Or are there are other forces at work inside Wildfell? And will they ever let her leave?

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If you're looking for a creepy gothic horror novel, London Clarke's Wildfell is something you need to pick up and read! This one was a real page turner, and I found myself entranced at all times. I do love horror stories involving old houses. If you're looking for a book with a good amount of horror, suspense, paranormal elements, and some romance, Wildfell by London Clarke is the book for you!

Amazon/Barnes & Noble/Goodreads

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In this asylum, your mind plays tricks on you all the time…

Delia’s new house isn’t just a house. Long ago, it was the Piven Institute for the Care and Correction of Troubled Females—an insane asylum nicknamed “Hysteria Hall.” However, many of the inmates were not insane, just defiant and strong willed. Kind of like Delia herself.

But the house still wants to keep “troubled” girls locked away. So, in the most horrifying way, Delia gets trapped.

And that’s when she learns that the house is also haunted.

Ghost girls wander the halls in their old-fashioned nightgowns. A handsome ghost boy named Theo roams the grounds. Delia finds that all the spirits are unsettled and full of dark secrets. The house, as well, harbors shocking truths within its walls—truths that only Delia can uncover, and that may set her free.

But she’ll need to act quickly, before the house’s power overtakes everything she loves.

From master of suspense Katie Alender comes a riveting tale of twisted memories and betrayals, and the meaning of madness.

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I admit that I'm not into YA (young adult) reading as much as I once was. In fact, I don't really read YA anymore. However, after reading the Bad Girls Don't Die series by Katie Alender (be sure to check that series out) a few years back, I became a fan of hers. When I found this book that she wrote, I knew I had to read it!

This was such a fast paced novel for me. The book never had a dull moment, and I found myself hanging on every word to find out what would happen next. The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall has plenty of ghosts which I loved! It's the right mix of paranormal, suspense, and mystery! This is definitely a novel you can't miss!

Amazon/Barnes & Noble/Book Depository/Goodreads


(This post contains affiliate links).

My Crohn's Journey - The Beginning

I knew something was wrong when I started having bad cramps after eating. That was the first sign. Then, I started losing weight without trying. I'm not complaining about that one since I needed to lose weight, ha! I lost about 70 lbs within 6 months which isn't a healthy weight loss especially when you're not even trying. I was also nauseous all the time and having diarrhea all the time. I had no energy at all, and I would throw up a lot just walking a few steps. I decided to go to the doctor.

My primary care physician referred me to a hematologist because my red blood cell count was elevated. She ran so many tests on me and eventually told me to see a gastroenterologist because she said my symptoms sounded like Crohn's Disease. I had to have a colonoscopy and endoscopy. The prep was the worst part! The procedure itself was really quick and easy! After a biopsy, it was confirmed I had Crohn's. That was in November 2017.

I was urged to see a GI (gastroenterologist) as soon as possible. However, due to my husband changing jobs, we wouldn't have insurance for three months, so I had to wait.

In March, my symptoms got worse until I couldn't stand it any longer. I was severely bloated. I couldn't even stand up straight! I had intense abdominal pain and no appetite. It hurt so bad to move. My nausea and vomiting had gotten worse too. Finally, after two days of all of that, I went to Urgent Care. Urgent Care told me to go to the emergency room because they don't deal with stomach issues as it may be something serious. Off I went to the ER.

After six hours of being poked and prodded and having to wait, I was told I had a fistula on my ileum connecting it to my intestines (I forgot the exact terminology). I was also told I was malnourished and that my Crohn's was out of control. I was admitted to the hospital. There, I was put on a strong antibiotic through an IV for a day or two as well as a high dose of steroids. I was in the hospital for 3 nights...I was admitted on Saturday night, and I was released on Wednesday afternoon.

Prednisone (the steroid I am taking) has worked wonders! It took away almost all of my symptoms, and I could eat again, but it made me really hungry! I started out at 40mg of Prednisone. I was meant to taper off of them by now, but whenever I get down to 10mg, but symptoms return, so I have been on 15mg for awhile. I've been on steroids since March 24th!

My GI has also prescribed Humira for me. He wanted me to do Remicade, but my insurance denied it saying they wanted me to try Humira first. I think the Humira is working. It's still early days since I've only taken the loading dose. I did four injections in my stomach the first day, and two weeks later I had to inject myself twice which I did in each thigh. The thighs are so painful! Humira burns/stings while injecting. I wish it didn't, but oh well.

I am thankful so far for my medical team (both past and present) as well as my friends and family who have supported me so far!

Now I want to show off my really awesome Crohn's Awareness rubber bracelets!

How awesome are those bracelets! I'd like to thank @CrohnsDirectory on Twitter for those awesome rubber bracelets! Be sure to check out the Crohn's Directory website here. There's quite a few resources/websites on there. The bracelets you see here will also be available for purchase on the site here pretty soon!

If you are new to the whole Crohn's thing or not sure what Crohn's is fully about, you can check out the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation by clicking here. This website has a plethora of information including local chapters of the CCF. It is very informative and is one of the first places I turned to when I was first diagnosed. They will also snail mail you info or you can choose to have it emailed to you. Seriously, it's a great site!

A great online support group I've found comes from My Crohn's and Colitis Team website. The site is full of others who have been diagnosed with Crohn's or Colitis. It's a great place to meet new people and get support. Plus, there's also info and what not. You can check out the website by clicking here.

Anyway, if you have any more questions, feel free to ask. I'll try my best to answer or find out for you. Thanks for reading!