The Review Ballerina

Left: Fall of 2022. Right: Fall of 2023 So I was told I should lay out what I've done to lose weight in the last year, and I figured I'd go ahead and tell! I mean it may not work for everyone but if it helps ya'll go for it! These are just some of the things I've been doing, because without health insurance I can't see a nutritionist, get weight loss surgery, etc.

Apple Store Link In the last several...well years, I have not been able to sleep well. I've gained more weight, had severe stress due to bad neighbors, struggled financially due to COVID19 impacting one of my jobs, and even my blog took a nose dive like many others because companies are forced to shut down. Just like millions of other people in the world stress makes me think and worry once my head hits the pillow. I was scrolling through Facebook one night in bed (who doesn't, right?) and saw this advertisement for ShutEye. You get a 7-day trial period and I thought, what the heck? Let's give it a shot!

I have spent my entire life fighting what millions are dealing with now. COVID-19 has caused so many to have anxiety, panic, self-doubt, worry, depression, and more. I want to help people see there are natural ways to help these chemical imbalances in the brain and to know...you are not alone. The Review Ballerina is not a medical blog/journal and as such should not be taken as a means to treat, diagnose, or cure any types of mental illness. These are just opinions and steps for this blogger to help those who are just like me.

I have always been a firm believer in the medical profession. I feel that those who take the time to learn how to do a medical specialty, are to be fully trusted to take care of you and your children. I believe in vaccinations, I believe in flu shots and yes, if a COVID19 vaccine comes out as long as there's enough medical proof that it's safe my home will be getting it. But, in the last two years I've begun to start doubting who I can trust...especially when it comes to my daughter.  The statements made in this article are completely 100% the opinion of this blog owner. This is not an attempt to sway someone one way or the other of their own medical trust. 

*Trigger Warning: Verbal and Emotional Abuse, Suicide Discussion Below* When I was a teenager, I lived with my Grandmother and Great-Grandmother. Unfortunately, my relationship with my Great-Grandmother was not very good...in fact I will never understand why but she was verbally abusive towards me for years. She would tell me many things like I was too fat, my clothes were too tight, my hair was too long and that was considered dirty, and other things. My Grandmother was caught in the middle so she never defended me or had her mother stop and as an adult now I can understand why she didn't. I have myself been in situations like that so I will never hold it against her for not telling my Great-Grandmother to stop.  One day, I was home sick from school (Truth was I was faking) and by mid-afternoon my Great-Grandmother was on a verbal rampage against me. My Grandmother was at work so she couldn't help and I just tried to endure it. But I remember walking into the kitchen in tears,...

No BS Active: Official Website No BS Active: Official Instagram All No BS Active images collected from their official Instagram. If you are like me, and you've spent your adult life gaining weight you always feel like you are just not capable of losing it. I was 114 pounds in 2002. By 2006 I had ballooned up to 210 pounds. I went to Curves and I dropped to 170 when I met my now husband. Unfortunately, between having my daughter and medical issues I'm currently much higher than that. So when I saw how hard Whitney Way Thore worked out on My Big Fat Fabulous Life , I decided to give her workout program a try! They were giving away 1 month free in April so I jumped on it!

Townley Girl: Official Website Townley Girl: Official Facebook Growing up, I LOVED The Incredibles. The first movie was fantastic, and I loved how it was a family of superheros and not just the Mom or the Dad leading the way. Dash was always my favorite, though Violet was a close second. When the second film was announced I got so giddy, and then at the age of 33 the second Incredibles film came out and though I haven't seen it yet I've heard it's great film with a lot of moments that bring adults back to their childhoods. Townley Girl has once again given amazing products for your children to join you on the fun journey and now we get to show you!        

Townley Girl: Official Website Townley Girl: Official Facebook Does your little one love vampires such from the movie "Hotel Transylvania"? Does she love being a cute ballerina? Oh I'm sure she does! Which is why Vampirina is a fantastic show for children who love the combination of the two! Townleygirl has some amazing beauty products for the show and now I get to share their incredible nail polishes, lip glosses, and more with you!

Townley Girl: Official Website Townley Girl: Official Facebook Do you love Minions?? Yes you do! We love Minions, how about you? (Okay, come on you can't say you didn't see that second half coming after reading the first half). Townley Girl put out some amazing Minions products, and I get to share this with all of you! Townley Girl has put out some beautiful Despicable Me 3 products including lip glosses, lip balms, nail sets and polishes, even a cute mirror!

Townley Girl: Official Website Townley Girl: Official Facebook Every child loves Play-Doh, and every parent gets involved as well! Recently for Christmas our daughter become the happy owner of a  Play-Doh Doctor Drill 'n Fill Set  and then she was lucky enough to receive the Play-Doh Bath & Body 3-in-1 Body Wash! She was jumping up and down all giddy and then gave some of the biggest smiles ever when she got to open them from the box.

Townley Girl: Official Website Townley Girl: Official Facebook Any girl I know whether young or old loves Tsum Tums, The Avengers, and Trolls. The movie Trolls has become a daily routine in our house my daughter even had me set up a Spotify playlist of the soundtrack in her room so she could dance around for hours to Justin Timberlake's sweet sounding voice. Townley Girl has incredible products that you can add to any Easter Basket for girls for many items including Trolls, Tsum Tums, and The Avengers, check this out!

Tommee Tippee: Official Website Tommee Tippee: Official Facebook A great addition to any home for your future little ones! When I had my daughter back in 2011, my husband was the one doing all the research on the best possible things for her. From bottles to pacifiers, we wanted to make sure we could find the best bottles for her to drink from that wouldn't cause milk rot on the teeth, and would not cause her teeth to shift under the gums. Insert Tommee Tippee with their incredible bottles, with soft nipples that made for fun and exciting moments for everyone! Now, in 2017, Tommee Tippee has created an even better bottle and I cannot wait to show you!

Crane: Official Website Crane: Official Facebook Every year my family goes through the struggles of having to run the air conditioner too much, and the heater as well. By Winter, we are struggling to keep our noses and eyes from drying out and when someone gets sick, oh look out! Crane makes incredible humidifiers that not only look great but work fantastic, and this is our review.

Sally Hansen: Official Website Sally Hansen: Official Facebook As a woman, I love painting my nails. I try to do it very often at home as I can't afford to get manicures these days. Of course, I'd love to learn a proper manicure as my nails are doing that angling thing on top haha. But, when you get a fantastic set of nail polishes from Sally Hansen you have to try to go all out for Halloween, and that's what I did with the Insta-Dri Orange Zest and Back to Black colors. I love the vibrancy of these colors, they stood out so well and everyone loved the way I painted my nails. The brushes are wider, and flatter, which can make for less strokes BUT, if you're like me and you have small fingers or your daughter wants her fingernails painted, these may actually cause a problem. Reason being, the flat, wide brushes tend to paint your fingers not just your nails, I always do two coats before the top coat, and I didn't have to which was gr...

Spray Perfect: Official Website Spray Perfect: Official Facebook I don't know about any of you, but I have a very hard time painting my nails. I'm left handed, so my right hand always looks like perfection "out of a salon" look. My left hand? Hah! Oh and don't get me started on the toe nails. I'm grateful that if I wear my socks for a day or two the nail polish comes off the skin around the nails! Spray Perfect is the perfect way to paint your nails without the hassle of keeping a steady hand, and with its easy rinse off it really is perfection in a can.

Hard Candy: Official Website Hard Candy: Official Facebook To feel beautiful is one of the most exciting feelings in the world for a woman. After spending many years wearing makeup I went a long time not wearing any because I would always end up breaking out on my skin. Mascaras would irritate my eyes, and I found it difficult to feel pretty when I had to heavily cake up anything including eye shadow to properly get that "look" everyone else seemed to flawlessly find. Hard Candy creates cosmetics and more that help achieve a perfect look for a girl without the heavy application. I was lucky enough to get to review several of their products!

Diane Gremmel: Official Website From a young age, I have been taken to psychic fairs and things of that nature due to the events that occurred when I was a child. In the last five years or so, I have had a hard time truly letting go of my Mother's death and even had to realize something: I was holding onto a small glimmer of hope that the shocking and truly brutal death of my Mother was not real. That she was alive, and there had been some kind of mistake and at the age of nine I had just been a part of some incredible ruse that my family also had to go through. This may sound childish but sometimes that wish of wanting someone to come to your front door and knock never goes away and you need verification. I reached out to Diane to find out if she could help me get that closure and she most definitely helped.

Omega-3 Supreme 1400mg Fish Oil: On Amazon A long time ago, I was told that someone should take Fish Oil as it not only helps with your joints and mind but it helps with mood swings and even sometimes I was told your hair! We received this item and we have been able to tell a few changes. There's no bad aftertaste or smell to them, they're easy to swallow and yes I've noticed some things. Such as a change in attitude/mood with us, more energy and just feeling better and more balanced. I think everyone should take one of these a day! #review #lifefood Elizabeth is a work at home Mother of a sweet and beautiful daughter. She is a wife of seven years and a blogger for some time now. When she isn't spending time with her "Livvybug" she is looking for new review opportunities and writing or singing along to classic rock and pop music!

20-Day Detox Tea by SlimActive Life on Amazon

FamFave! Digital Thermometer on Amazon