Amberlee, Author at Starfocal

Trade In Your Old Phones At a Best Buy Mobile Specialty Store!

July 13, 2013 By Amberlee 5 Comments

Recently I learned that you can take your old cell phones and trade them in at Best Buy for a gift card up to $200 at Best Buy Mobile Specialty Stores! What’s even better is that they do these trades everyday, I had no idea! You can find a Mobile Specialty Store near you here.

Have an old phone in a drawer? Get a Best Buy Gift card when you trade it in at a participating Best Buy Mobile specialty store location – and if you have a newer working phone, you could get up to a $200 Best Buy gift card. Learn more and find a participating Best Buy Mobile specialty store: http://bestbuymobile.com/promotion/tradein/

I personally had an old Samsung Epic laying around and I have been trying to figure out what I could do with it. I knew that there are websites that you can send your phone into and if you are lucky they will give you money for it, but then you have to deal with the shipping and everything else that they make you do to even accept your phone. So I decided to bring it to my local Best Buy Mobile Specialty Store and they took care of me with no hassles. I was able to get a $25 Gift Card for my phone that I could use on anything in the store. I decided to save it for later so that I could buy a new phone once I had a little more money. They were super fast and easy to deal with!

Need to get a new mobile phone but dreading the experience of shopping for one? Explore Best Buy Mobile specialty stores – these shops are found locally in malls or in your neighborhood shopping centers, and are focused on mobile devices and accessories. Shop for the latest smartphones and tablets from Verizon, AT&T and Sprint, from all the top brands, along with stylish accessories to suit your lifestyle. The staff is highly trained, yet non-commissioned, so they can help determine the right phone for you, as well as compare plans across the carriers. They can set up and activate your new phone, transfer your contacts and data and set you up with the complimentary Walk Out Working™ program. To find a Best Buy Mobile specialty store, go to www.BestBuyMobile.com

As I said before I decided to keep my gift card for later. All of the options these stores have is incredible. They even offered to check to see if I had an available upgrade, which of course I didn’t since we are now a prepaid family, but it was nice to know that when we do decide to go back to contracted phones that we can do everything we need at our local Best Buy.

Right now we just have a cheap little phone that doesn’t do much, and will be upgrading very soon. So I decided to ask about my options with Best Buy to see what they could do for me once I did decide to get a new phone. First they told me about some of their phones, and how they have very competitive prices and have phones from Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T. I told them that I was very interested in a Windows phone so that it was compatible with my new Windows 8 computer. They told me that not only can they find me a great Windows phone at a great price but that Geek Squad can help show me how to connect the two devices and show me how they work! If I were to get Geek Squad Protection on my phone they will always be available by phone if I have any issues later on.

You can see some of the press that Best Buy’s Trade in program has gotten here.

I am really glad that I was able to participate in this program and learn about all the options Best Buy has to offer! If you have any phones laying around you should look into trading yours in at Best Buy. You can find Best Buy and all of their wonderful products here.

Disclaimer: The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free

Filed Under: Best Buy, office, phones

Give Your Cat Soft Claws!

July 12, 2013 By Amberlee 3 Comments

When we first got our kitten one of the first questions that we pondered was whether or not to get him declawed. Until recently I never truly knew what that meant. After doing some research about declawing I knew that there was no way I was going to put him through that.

Did you know that when a cat is declawed not only do they remove the nail, but because the nail is adhered to the bone they must remove the first joint attached to every nail. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t be very happy if I was missing my knuckle on my fingers either. Just the thought makes me cringe! Declawing in some countries is illegal because they believe that it is inhumane!

So what are we to do if we have a cat, and don’t want our kids or our furniture scratched? Luckily for us there is a safe alternative to declawing that not only makes your cats paws soft, but can make they have a little colored flare!

Soft Claws are little vinyl caps invented by a veterinarian that fit over your cat’s nails so that they cannot scratch you, your kids, or even your furniture! Of course the colors they offer are a major plus (and absolutely adorable!), but what they do is even more amazing. They are easy to put on too! All you do is cut the cap if needed to fit your cats nails, add the included glue, and press onto your cats nails. I did this while he was sleeping and he was perfectly happy! I received clear in the kitten size, and blue in the small size for when he gets bigger. Here is a picture of his paw with Soft Claws!

In my opinion the clear ones look like little LED bulbs. Since I put the Soft Claws on while our kitty was sleeping he didn’t really notice them. On their website they say that each set should last approximately 4-6 weeks, but they also state that it takes a while for some cats to get used to having them on and will pull them off at first. Carbon didn’t really start to pull them off until we went on a 2 day vacation without him, and when we came back he had pulled off 3 of them. Soft Claws says on their website that typically the second box of Soft Claws will last longer than the first as your cat will have gotten acclimated to the Soft Claws.

So what will your cat think of Soft Claws? Soft Claw are painless to your kitty, and are non-toxic! They can also extend and retract their nails like normal. Also when cats shed their nails the caps will just come off, so no extra work on your part to get them off, or worry about their normal shedding. Think of it this way, at least I do, they are very similar to fake nails which for most of us girls do not hurt but they take a little while to get used to. So yes, at first your cat may not be happy or understand why he has caps on his nails but will learn to love them!

I highly recommend Soft Claws to anyone that has cats or kittens, especially with kids around. They make your cats paws soft and gentle and it is amazing! My husband and I have decided that this is one of the few products that will be purchasing for the remainder of the cats life. They are an absolute must in my family!

You can find Soft Claws on their website here. Check them out! You won’t regret it!

**Disclaimer** I was in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here .

Filed Under: cute, fun, home, Kitty

Make Your Pet LOVE You With WellPet – Giveaway Closed

July 11, 2013 By Amberlee 6 Comments

We all think that our pets love us right? One of the ways to my pets hearts is through their food or snacks. I recently was able to let my kitty try some different flavors of the new Signature Selects from WellPet. I can now say with pride that my kitty loves me after eating his food!

About WellPet:

“At Wellness, we do whatever it takes to create the healthiest foods for the pets that depend on us. We believe food feeds their soul, sustains their lives and protects their bodies. For each of our recipes we never compromise – selecting nature’s finest ingredients and combining them with unique super nutrients to help support whole body health and wellbeing. Like you, we know that our pets provide us unconditional love, and providing uncompromising nutrition is one way we can do the same for them.

We do more than make pet food. We create Wellness.”

I love that this company is all about keeping our pets happy and healthy. They offer 3 different styles to fit your cats needs: flaked, chunky, and shredded. WellPet products are gourmet, grain-free products and you can tell just by the names of the unique flavors that your cat will love!

Shredded Entrées:

Shredded White Meat Chicken & Turkey Entrée in Sauce

Shredded White Meat Chicken With Chicken Liver Entrée in Sauce

Shredded White Meat Chicken & Beef Entrée in Sauce

Chunky Entrées:

Chunky Beef & White Meat Chicken Entrée in Sauce

Chunky White Meat Chicken & Wild Salmon Entrée in Sauce

Chunky Turkey & White Meat Chicken Entrée in Sauce

Flaked Entrées: Delicate flakes of real seafood available in two delectable varieties:

Flaked Entrées:

Flaked Skipjack Tuna With Wild Salmon Entrée in Broth

Flaked Skipjack Tuna With Shrimp Entrée in Broth

Some of these varieties sound good even to me, so I knew that my kitten would love them. We had been feeding out kitten Friskies for the month or so prior to receiving WellPet and now our cat won’t touch anything but the WellPet line. I am still amazed in the difference of quality between Friskies and WellPet. Before our new kitten we would always buy what was on sale at the time. Sure the cats would eat what they were given, but they weren’t in love with their food. That and I would always wonder if there was that big of a taste difference for the cats. Now I know that you get what you pay for!

Wellness Signature Selects

Friskies

As you can see the WellPet line not only sounds good, but looks like it is packed full of flavor!

To show you that our cat now chooses WellPet over his normal food I created a little video for you.

**Giveaway**

Enter below to win 3 cans of Signature Selects cat food!

Entry -Form

**Disclaimer** I was in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here .

Filed Under: Giveaway, Kitty, pets

Take Care Of Your Pets With PetArmor Closed

July 11, 2013 By Amberlee 8 Comments

With our new kitty comes great responsibility! Since he is so little we want to do whatever we can to make sure that he is happy and healthy. PetArmor has all of the products you need to keep your pets healthy and protect them from dragging “little friends” into your home.

PetArmor sent me some of these products to test and share my findings with you. One of the products is what I consider to be one of the most important products to have for your pet, Flea and Tick Repellent. I have been pretty much terrified of another flea infestation since about 4 years ago when I first got my puppy. I will never forget how many fleas there were! Since then I vowed I would do everything in my power to keep them as far away from me as possible. I received PetArmor for Cats/Kittens over 8 weeks old. It even kills ticks! Including the ticks that may transmit lyme disease!

On the box it says keep away from children, which for me is a no brainer. However, I LOVE that the way they are packaged. Not only are the in a box, but they are also in a little plastic container wrapped around the applicator that you have to cut off to open. After getting it open, it was very easy to use. You just snap the end of the applicator and apply to the back of the neck. Once on it is fast acting, and is long lasting so you can trust that it is working. You can also bathe your pet like normal because it is waterproof. Another thing I love is that it does not smell like other similar products. I hate that when I use other similar products that my cat will smell funky for weeks after.

Of course there are other things that you need to worry about when it comes to your pet. PetArmor also makes a line called VetTrust. VetTrust makes tons of great products to keep your pet clean and healthy. One being Medicated Antibacterial Anti-fungal Shampoo. Although the name might look a little scary, the soap is non-irritating and alcohol free! What’s great about this soap is that it cleans and disinfects to help fight against bacterial and fungal infections. This is another product that I was expecting to kill me from the fumes, but all I could smell was a scent of dish soap. I was very happy and surprised with how white my kitty was when he got out of the bath.

VetTrust also has calming chewable tablets for pets. Being a kitten, Carbon will sometimes go nuts for no apparent reason. When he gets in one of his “moods” he will start biting and scratching which is a big no-no around toddlers. So I love the calming tablets because they keep my kids scratch and bite free. Not only do these tablets come in handy for those random times, but they are great for car rides! I know that all of my cats have always hated riding in the car and would always cry the whole time we were driving. These tablets will help keep them calm and comfortable during their car ride. The tablets support relaxation and balanced behavior, they help with motion sickness and tension, and help calm nervousness and hyperactivity.

I was also sent some great vitamins, Skin and Coat Care Soft Chews and Joint Health Soft Chews. The Skin and Coat Care Soft Chews support healthy skin and a soft shiny coat. They contain Omega 3 and 6, and Vitamin E. The Joint Health Soft Chews support healthy joints and mobility. They contain the same levels of glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM as the leasing recommended veterinary brand. Both chews are made with real chicken and are for daily use. Carbon did not enjoy these as much as the calming tablets, but I noticed that if I gave him the chews before his meal he was hungry enough to eat them anyway.

I highly recommend PetArmor and VetTrust products, and I think that everyone with a pet should own at least some of them! You can find PetArmor on their website here.

Check out their Facebook page for $5 off!

**Giveaway**

Enter below to win a 3 month supply of PetArmor and some samples of VetTrust Products!

Entry -Form

**Disclaimer** I was in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here .

Filed Under: Giveaway, Kitty, pets

Delivery Man Preview!

July 2, 2013 By Amberlee Leave a Comment

I am very excited to share this next post with you! 533 bloggers are sharing this video for the first time, and I am one of them!

Delivery Man is about a man ( Vince Vaughn ) that finds himself the father of 533 children. He made some donations to a fertility clinic, and as it turns out a good portion of the children want to sue to find out who their biological father is.

I love that this movie is funny, but that it also has a serious tone to it. I have no clue what I would do if something like this happened in my family. Heck, I can barely keep track of my two kids!

So here’s the video, I hope you guys enjoy!

You can find Delivery Man:

“Like” DELIVERY MAN on Facebook: Facebook.com/DeliveryManMovie

Follow DELIVERY MAN on Twitter: @DeliveryManFilm

Follow DELIVERY MAN on Pinterest: Pinterest.com/DeliveryManFilm

Follow DELIVERY MAN on Instagram: DeliveryManMovie

DELIVERY MAN releases in theaters on November 22nd!

Filed Under: Disney, movies

Matte Gel Nails Tutorial

July 1, 2013 By Amberlee 3 Comments

So you all know of my Senstionail obsession, if not you do now! Anyway, for the longest time I have wanted to try a matte finish nail polish but did not want to give up on my Sensationail nails. So I have solved this problem by figuring out how to get a matte finish using one Sensationail products!

So this is the design I chose. I also added some clear polish on the top to create a cool design. But enough of that, lets get to the good stuff! Here is my tutorial:

To elaborate a little further, in case the picture above is a little confusing.

Step 1: paint your nails like you would normally. You can choose any design or any color you would like and it’s not the color that produces the matte finish. I decided to do a pink gradient.

Step 2: Make sure to add an extra coat of clear. We do this because you don’t want to lose any of your color when doing step 3.

Step 3: Take the softer end of a nail file and gently buff your entire nail. You don’t want any shine showing otherwise you will lose the matte effect. Make sure you cleanse your nail with the gel cleaner afterwords.

Step 4: If you would like you can add a design on top of your nail like I did to create a 2 dimensional look. All you do is take your clear coat either using a toothpick or any other nail tool you would like and draw your design. You could also just paint the tips for a french manicure look. Remove the tacky layer with your gel cleanser and viola! You have a Matte Gel Nail Design !

Let us know if you tried this and be sure to post pictures letting us know your results! We love seeing new designs!

Filed Under: beauty, cute, nail art, nails

John Paul Pet Review and Giveaway Closed

June 29, 2013 By Amberlee 7 Comments

As you know we just got a cute little kitten. I never realized how dirty kittens are! They are messy eaters, and if they are litter trained they also get little pieces of litter stuck to them. Yuck! You could give them a bath, but how fun is giving a cat a bath every day? Even with my amazing kitten who is okay with baths, he can only tolerate so much water before he starts getting grumpy. So what do you do?

Carbon after eating and before bath

As you can see, our little kitty eats so fast that his nose and whisker area looks horrible! I find this to be the hardest spot to clean. Sure you can try to use soap, but you will just end up with scratches up and down your arms! Thanks to the John Paul Pet Puppy/Kitten Care pack we can take care of our new furry friends with ease!

The Care Pack includes Tearless Shampoo, Waterless Foam Shampoo, and Full Body and Paw Wipes. So far I have used and needed all three of these great products and I am glad to have them!

I love the scent of the Tearless Shampoo! It does not smell like your typical pet shampoo which is a nice change. I don’t like my pets smelling like chemicals so I try to avoid it when I can. This shampoo is made to be gentle enough to clean your pets face without irritation, and leave them smelling and looking clean. I was surprised that even without the harsh chemical smell that Carbon came out of his bath white as new and smelling great!

Even though the Shampoo works great there was still some residue left on his nose so I decided to try out the Full Body and Paw Wipes to see if they could fix the problem. Carbon really liked being cleaned with the wipes, and loved the extra attention. The great thing about these wipes is that they contain Lanolin which helps keep their paws and skin from cracking. Litter trained cats seem to always have dry paws from digging in their litter designed to absorb moisture. So I think it’s a great idea to use these wipes to help keep their paws in tip top shape.

Last but not least is the Waterless Foam Shampoo. Like I said before, giving baths to Carbon is not as hard as the cats I have had in the past, but after a while he does get annoyed. I can only give him a bath every couple of days otherwise he gets angry. I love that I can use the Waterless Shampoo in between baths to keep him nice and clean and of course happy!

John Paul Pet Products is owned by John Paul DeJoria, which is a name you may recognize. John Paul DeJoria is a co-founder of Paul Mitchell Systems! He banned animal testing on Paul Mitchell products, and has continued this legacy with John Paul Pet. These pet products are so safe and gentle that they are tested on humans!

Make sure to support this wonderful company by checking out all they have to offer on their website here. They have lots of products and you are bound to find something perfect for your furry friend!

You can also enter to win your own Puppy/Kitten Care Pack by entering below! Star Focal is the first blog to be able to give away one of John Paul Pet’s box sets so we are very excited to share this with you! Good luck!

Entry -Form

**Disclaimer** I was given a Puppy/Kitten Care Pack to review. However, I was in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here .

Filed Under: Giveaway, Kitty

Our New Kitty!

June 29, 2013 By Amberlee 1 Comment

After years of begging I finally convinced my husband to let us get a kitty! Luckily for us it was perfect timing for my daughters birthday.

Here is our little kitty. We decided to name him Carbon. I like to call him Carbonator and so far he has many nicknames like Carbon Footprint, Carbon Fiber, Carbon Dioxide, etc. I thought of naming him things like Ash, Ashes, Oreo and some others but with two babies I have to be careful naming him things that could sound like something else. We know of one pet that is named “Tucker” I’m sure you can guess one of his nicknames! Luckily my girls called him “Sucker” instead.

I am so in love with this kitty! He is super cuddly and loves the babies. In the morning if Carbon wakes up before the kids he will go and scratch on their doors until they come and say hi. I don’t think I have ever seen such a small kitten (we got him at about 5 weeks, and now is about 8 weeks) not only play with kids but follow them around all day. Carbon even cuddles with our oldest daughter!

Because of this new addition to our family, I will be sharing with you guys some products that I find that I think every cat owner should have. Make sure to keep an eye on our “Our New Kitty” tab for the latest reviews, and we even have some giveaways lined up!

What are your favorite products that you use for your furry friend? Let us know in the comments below!

Filed Under: Kitty

Keep your hands soft and your dishes clean with Palmolive Soft Touch Dish Soap

June 29, 2013 By Amberlee Leave a Comment

I was so excited to learn that I had finally gotten accepted into a new Influenster program. luckily for me, this program was for Palmolive Soft Touch Dish Soap. the reason I say I was lucky was because we had just run out of our large bottle of regular Palmolive Dish Soap that we got from Costco.

I have always been a fan of Palmolive. Ever since I was a teenager I have been obsessed with the smell and the quality of it. My family was always a fan of dawn, but I hated the plain scents and plain bottle designs. My first experience with Palmolive was in a hotel on one of my family vacations. The hotel had given us a travel bottle to use during our stay and I begged for more and told them that I didn’t want to do anymore dishes without it. I would have to say that this is what began my obsessions of Palmolive.

The one thing that I have always hated about the regular Palmolive is that it can really dry your hands out. I love doing my nails, so I hate having my nails look great my my hands look like death. As a mommy of two little girls and a husband that eats like a horse I always have dishes that need to be done. Because of this my manicures get ruined and I have to start all over. I use Sensationail’s Gel Polish that lasts longer than regular nail polish but takes some time (that I don’t have) to do them, so when they get ruined I get more than a little upset. With Palmolive Soft Touch I no longer have to worry about my manicure!

I received two bottles of Palmolive Soft Touch; Vitamin E (the pink bottle) and Coconut Butter (the beige color). My favorite is the Vitamin E! It smells amazing and leaves my hands super soft! I’m not a big fan of coconut, but the Coconut Butter soap does smell great and also leaves my hands soft. My biggest problem as of recently is that my 2 year old loves to “help” me do dishes and she has used most of the Vitamin E because she thinks that if something is pink it belongs to her. I’m just glad that she can use this soap and not hurt her baby soft skin!

Baby H with her new favorite soap

Helping do the dishes

Overall I would recommend this soap to anyone that has to wash their dishes by hand. It cleans dirt and grime with ease all while keeping your hands soft. You can find Palmolive at a Walmart near you!

Thank you again Influenster for letting me try this amazing product! You guys always know about the best things out there!

**Disclaimer** I received two bottles of Palmolive Soft Touch from Influenster to review. However, I was in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here .

Filed Under: home, influenster, nails, Voxbox

Ellie Workout Clothing

June 29, 2013 By Amberlee Leave a Comment

I know I am not generally the one that you will find exercising every day, but this is something I have been trying to change. I have decided that I have been lazy for far too long when it comes to my health. Now that my girls are a little older it is a little easier to get away for a minute to get some much needed exercise time in.

Before finding out about Ellie I would have a hard time working out in public, or even in my own home! Not only because I felt weak compared to the others around me but also because of what I was wearing. Sure for some I’m sure this could be a form of motivation, but for me it’s just another way to tear me down. How am I supposed to lose weight if I don’t even feel comfortable in the outfit I am wearing?

This is the exact reason why I am so in love with Ellie! They strive to make us look great so that we feel the motivation to look even better! I promise I am not completely naive, I do realize that working out is not the most glamorous process. Of course you are still going to sweat and look exhausted (because generally you will be) but that’s no reason to look worse with an ugly, uncomfortable outfit that you don’t want to be seen in even if you are not working out. I received the Double Threat Tank and the Double Decker Capri to review and I can honestly say that this is by far the best workout outfit that I have ever owned!

The Double threat tank has a built-in-bra that I was very surprised to learn that it actually fit me! I am a 36DDD and it is very hard to find anything that will not only fit my midsection, but will also fit my chest. While it may not be as supportive as a regular bra it is still great compared to similar shelf bras. I love the way this top is designed! It looks like two pieces but is really one. I also love the grey and coral color combo.

The Double Decker Capris are also wonderful! They have a wide waist band that can be worn two different ways. You can wear it up so that it is just the coral color at the waist, or you pull it down so that it is grey at the top and coral at the bottom. They are super soft and stretch pretty far, I was worried that they would feel too tight but they not feel like they felt amazing once they were on.

Waist Band Folded Down

Waist Band Pulled Up

Both pieces are made with flat seems that prevent chafing, and has a four-way stretch that moves with you. I find this part super important because otherwise you will be tugging and pulling on your outfit during your workout which can be completely annoying. Once I had this outfit on I didn’t have to adjust anything throughout my workout which was very important to me! They also have moisture wicking to help keep your clothes dry when you work up a sweat. I love that I don’t have to worry about nasty sweat stains showing anymore!

I love all the tops that Ellie has to offer! It was EXTREMELY hard to pick just one top. I have never seen another company with designs like Ellie’s and I am so glad that they design the tops so that everyone can look great in them! Another great thing about Ellie is that they are always coming up with new designs, and they even offer a subscription program! Yes, that’s right! You can always have the latest and greatest workout gear delivered to you for a great price! You can get two pieces from their collection for $49.95 a month! Of course you can buy each piece separately as well.

As I’m sure you have heard from previous posts, you can get 20% off your purchase from Ellie just by clicking this link. So what are you waiting for?

Want to look good and feel great? Save 20% on Ellie.com.

**Disclaimer** I was in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here .

Filed Under: beauty, cute, favorite, health, wellness, women