Twin Lab Diet Fuel Forskohilii Review

If losing weight is on your to-do list for the new year, you might be curious about diet supplements that can help you along with that process. But do they work? I know I always wonder that when I walk by diet supplements in the store or my local GNC.

I was sent a 30 day supplement of Twin Lab Diet Fuel Forskohili to try over the holidays. Diet Fuel combines clinically-tested levels of three weight management nutrients to help you lose weight and gain energy.* 

• Coleus Forskohlii: Support weight management with this traditional ayurvedicherb.* 
• Green Tea Extract: Boost energy and focus with this powerful thermogenic.* 
• Chromium: A critical trace mineral that helps you burn fat.* 

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

The instructions tell you to take one capsule twice a day 20-30 minutes before a meal. Now, I don't know about you but except for dinner, I have a hard time knowing a full 30 minutes in advance of when I'll be eating. My toddler keeps me on my toes and our schedule stays pretty flexible. The best I was usually able to do was 15 minutes before. And this might be why I saw no change in my weight over the 30 days that I tried this supplement.

Knowing that I had a hard time following the instructions exactly, I won't blame the lack of results on the supplement. This may be a key point, though, to those considering trying it: If you have a hectic life and will struggle to have 30 minutes advance warning that you will be eating, this might not be for you.

Other reviewers online have said they saw changes and one reviewer on the GNC website said they lost 10 pounds while taking it. If you're game to try it out yourself, GNC has a coupon code that will get you $3 off your purchase of Twin Labs Diet Fuel. Just use coupon code *20376* when you check out.

I received free product in exchange for this review. All opinions are 100% mine and do not necessarily reflect those of the manufacturer or vendors of this product. Please see my complete review policy for additional information.

How to Make Elderberry Syrup

Have you heard all the crazy news about the 2013 flu epidemic? I'm about as excited as you are about the prospect of getting the flu. Which is to say: not at all!

This then poses the question to families: What are you going to do to stay healthy?

Whether or not you choose to get a flu shot (we personally choose not to get flu shots), you'll still want to make sure your immune is in tip top shape and equipped with everything it needs to go to battle for you. Elderberry syrup is full of good-for-you stuff like bioflavanoids, antioxidants, vitamin C, beta carotine, calcium (the list goes on!). The bioflavanoids help prevent cold and flu viruses from infecting cells to keep you from getting sick. If you do get sick, people who take elderberry juice during illness report less severe symptoms and a shorter duration of sick time than those who don't.

So how do you get it? If you're short on time or looking for convenience, you can buy ready-made elderberry syrup (like this Organic Elderberry Syrup from Nature's Way). But making your own is really easy and costs a lot less per ounce than buying pre-bottled stuff. Buy the dried elderberries in the bulk bins of your favorite natural foods store or you can even order them from Frontier via Amazon.

This recipe will make about 3 cups  of syrup. I doubled it when I made mine.

The standard dosage is 1/2 to 1 teaspoon for kids daily and 1/2 to 1 tablespoon for adults daily for prevention. If the flu strikes, take the normal dosage every 2 to 3 hours until symptoms disappear.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup dry elderberries (you can get organic or regular elderberries online if your local store doesn't have them)
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 2 inch piece fresh ginger (The recipe says 2 Tbsp. I calculate 1 inch = 1 Tbsp)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp clove powder
• 1 cup raw honey (local honey is best if available)

Recipe
Get the recipe from fellower blogger, Alica Voorhie's site: The Soft Landing [Homemade Elderberry Syrup for Colds and Flu]


Like my bottle? It's the SLOM Bottle from IKEA. The labels were made using contact paper and my printable label template from my pantry organization post.

Free Personalizable Valentine's Day Photo Cards: Family Time

If you're on the hunt for Valentine's Day photo cards for your family, look no further! The next installment in my personalizable Valentine's Day card series is perfect for photos of families. My photo happens to be in black and white but you can use a color picture for this layout, too.

It features a generously sized area for your photo, a red finger paint texture on the bottom and personalizable text. The font I used for the names is called Janda Elegant Handwriting and it is available for free.

Download the free personalizable photo card here. (4x6 size)

Name font (Janda Elegant Handwriting) available here

If this is your first time downloading one of my cards, note that you will need to register (it's free and takes literally 10 seconds) first to download the card. Then scroll down and click the download button below the file (circled in red).

Free Personalizable Valentine's Day Photo Cards: The Girly Girl

Everyone is on the hunt for adorable Valentine's Day cards...we've got just one month left! I've got a special series of personalizable photo cards I'll be posting over the next couple weeks so be sure to keep checking back!

Our first card would be perfect for the girly girl in your life. It's got a modern damask print and pretty pink text and polka dots. You can personalize both the photo and the text on the card. The font used to write the name on the card is called "odstmeplik" can can be downloaded for free.

Download the free personalizable photo card here. (4x6 size)

Name font (Odstemplik) available here

If this is your first time downloading one of my cards, note that you will need to register (it's free and takes literally 10 seconds) first to download the card. Then scroll down and click the download button below the file (circled in pink).

Snowy Winter Wreath

I love the subtle elegance of white and silvery snow decor. When I took down my Christmas wreath I knew I wanted to do something pretty like this. And with out unseasonably warm Oregon winter this year, maybe it will be a good omen and draw some sparkly snowflakes our way.

Today I'm joining 35 other craft bloggers in celebrating everyone's favorite precipitation - Snow!! Be sure to check out the linky at the bottom of my post to get inspired by others' snowy posts going live today. (if you're an e-mail or RSS reader you may need to click through to my post to see the links).

Materials Needed:

• Grapevine wreath
• Grey spray paint
• Silver and/or clear glitter
• Snowflakes (mine came in a 6 pack from my local Dollar Store)
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Felt scraps (optional)
• White organza ribbon for hanging

Instructions:

Step 1: Paint the Wreath

I brought my wreath outside in a large box to paint it without getting paint everywhere. Just remember that spray paint usually sets best between 65 - 90 degrees (check your can of paint for brand-specifics) so unless you live somewhere pretty warm, you'll need to bring it inside to dry once you're done painting it.

Step 2: Add sparkles

While the paint is still wet, dust the wreath with glitter. I used a combination of fine silver and fine clear/white glitter. Let your wreath dry (probably inside. I put the whole box in the bathroom with the fan on to air it out).

Step 3: Add Snowflakes

Arrange the snowflakes around the wreath and attach them with hot glue.

Step 4: Add felt pads (optional)

I like to add felt pads to the back of grapevine wreaths as I find the sticks have a tendency to scratch my door. Just use your hot glue to attach some felt pads on high or particularly scratchy spots.

Step 5: Hang

While I like the look of organza ribbon for hanging, I know that it will be hard to support the weight of the wreath with the ribbon alone. I use a metal wreath hanger (covered in a piece of grosgrain ribbon in the picture) but loop the organza ribbon through the wreath to look pretty. I just attach the ribbon the backside of the door with a dot of hot glue that can peel off later.

Remember how I said 35 others are celebrating snow, too? Be sure to check out the other posts by following the link party below. It will populate throughout the day, so be sure to pin it and come back to check on it (if you're reading this via e-mail or reader, you may need to click through to my post to see it).

Make a DIY Pretend Doctor Kit

For Christmas, my two year old son said he only wanted Santa to bring him one thing for Christmas: "A doctor kit with a stethoscope." I'm not even kidding. Whose two year old asks for something that sophisticated?

Since he really only asked for one thing, I wanted to try to get him one.

The problem? Most kids' doctor kits are $20-$30 and full of little plastic do-dads. I have major hang ups about paying $30 for a small collection of junky plastic do-dads. And none of them do anything. The reason he wanted a stethoscope in the first place was because a nurse had let him listen to his own heart with one a few weeks prior. Since he asked for one specifically, I wasn't sure he'd want a kids pretend stethoscope that didn't make noises.

So I did what any crafty mom would do: I decided to assemble my own with as many (safe for toddlers) working things as possible. I made this in the two weeks before Christmas, so I know that if I'd given myself more time, I may have been able to get some of these things for less.

What's in the Doctor Kit?

• Personalized doctor bag (Free: made myself from an old purse. See below)
• Stethoscope (about $8 for this one: Prestige Medical Dualheads, Frosted Royal)
• Knee hammer (about $3 for this one: Taylor Percussion Hammer)
• Light scope (about $10 for this one: CVS Multi Use Scope Light for Eye Ear Nose Throat)
• Metal baindaid box (about $5 for this one: Hello Kitty Bandages)
• Ace bandage (about $1.50 at Wal-Mart)
• Self-stick medical "tape" (about $1.50 at Wal-Mart)
• Box of bandages (to refill bandaid box, $1)
• Prescription bottle (on hand)

Total Spent: $30

So I did not actually save any money over buying a pretend doctor kit from the store. BUT I got stuff that is way cooler for the same price I'd have paid for a box of useless shaped plastic pieces. I'm hoping mine will last a bit longer, too.

Here is the break down of everything for those who like pictures and things....

Doctor Bag

The doctor bag actually used to be my favorite purse from college. It did create a smidge of heartbreak to turn my fave sentimental purse into a kids toy but the honest truth is that I have not actually used the purse in 5-6 years (the layer of dust I had to clean off of it will attest to that, ahem) and chances that I will be using such a small purse any time in the next five years is not high either. It also had the best shape for a doctor bag of any of my old purses.

This is what it used to look like:

I made a patch to cover the C on the front with a large white circle of felt, a red cotton cross that was appliqued on, and "Dr. Bonham" written in fabric paint. Once the patch was made (and the paint was dry), I used Aleene's Original Tacky Glue to glue it to the purse. I chose this glue because it is flexible and can move with the bag

Accessories:


Below are the items I bought to fill the kit (you can click the image to go directly to the item for sale on Amazon). We already had the medicine bottle at home.

      

For those of you wondering: Yes, this doctor kit is for a boy. 

Really? Hello Kitty? While the Hello Kitty bandage tin came with cute bandaids, I swapped them out for some plain colorful bandaids instead. All I was really interested in was the tin to use as a durable container for bandaids. You may be able to find a less expensive tin at a drug store near you (I paid about $5 for mine online).

Does he like it? Yes he does! He is particularly enamored with the bandaids - everyone including one of our fluffy dogs has fallen victim to "Dr. Bonham's" attempt at nursing them back to health with the power of kisses and bandaids. It has also become common to have to explain to grandparents, babysitters, store clerks, etc that my child isn't really injured. He just likes bandaids. 

He also likes to use his light scope as well as the stethoscope.

These are a couple pictures from Christmas morning:

These were taken a few weeks after Christmas. Notice how both Dr. Bonham and Daddy Bonham have several bandages each.

Thank you for stopping by! If I inspire you to make your own DIY Doctor Kit, please leave me a link in the comments. I'd love to see!

**This post contains affiliate links and I may receive a portion of sales generated from clicking my links. I promise to only ever link to products I know and love. Thank you for supporting Carissa's Creativity Space!**