Influenster....Beginnings.

It's finally time to do something with this post. 

Influenster?

 I stumbled upon a post from a friend on Facebook one day and happened to be sucked into this website. I've been messing around with the site on and off since before Christmas to get a proper feel for it. Plus with a bum arm (we won't go there) I have some extra time on hand to mess around with things so I don't go completely insane.

It's a free to join website where you basically turn your social media happens to possible rewards by reviewing products from makeup to places to travel. You can also answer questions other Influenster's may have or even ask a question yourself. All in the interest of possibly be rewarded with free products from brands you love or may come to love once you give something a try and telling people about it through social media. 

See where I may have been sucked in? 

Free stuff and all I have to do is spam my Facebook and Twitter with my opinion? Yes please!

Though qualifying for rewards is a little tougher than it sounds. You're competing with every other member on the site for free goodies. 

Though, the site is very helpful if you're into researching anything you may be wanting to purchase or just plain curious about. And I do mean anything. 

Want to know what someone else's experience was with that fancy new gizmo you saw advertised? Odds are that it's somewhere on Influenster with reviews from people who thought it was amazing or not so much. Want to try a new snack? Yep, reviews for that too. Companies aren't dumb, they know that 99% of their business comes from consumer word of mouth. If you're best friend tells you not to buy something, because it's utter crap and they have valid points to why it's crap, you will generally steer clear of it. No matter what it is. 

But free stuff for you're opinion right?

Yes, but you need to be active on the site, and that doesn't mean filling out a million reviews in one day. Or you could, but the site does allow you to focus on what interests you the most. The site breaks things down your interests by having you unlock "Badges", such as Influenster Badge, Expert Badges, Lifestyle Badges, VoxBox Bages and Brand Badges. I'm not going to get into much detail with the badges, since the "About" section on the website explains it WAY better than I could. But it's pretty simple once you get the hang of things. Each Badge has little surveys to fill out and the more you do with them, the higher your badge score. The premise of this is to have a high badge score so you qualify for those free goodies. The site does take time to update your badge scores though, which is one of my only complaints. Unlike here...*cough* I'm more active on the site and I find it does take a while for the website to update.

Not only do you need to be active on the site itself, but you NEED to be active on other social media sites like, Facebook, Twitter and other major social sites. It helps to have a blog or Youtube channel where you blog or vlog about your points of interest. This is probably where I fail big time, since I can't remember to update anything in regards to social media. And even then, there no guarantees for free stuff. The website actually doesn't hide that fact either, which is nice. 

Any and all information is upfront about joining. There's no hidden fees or obligations to purchase anything. I found it was easiest to start with things I've used for years or places I've shopped at for years. As well as, things that I'm not so fond of. Honesty is key. 

So far I haven't qualified for any free things yet, which is okay. I'll keep myself occupied by periodically go through and leaving reviews and maybe even updating the blog for a change. 

All in all this site isn't bad. It's actually a bit of fun if you have some time to spare or if you do stuff like this for a living. I would recommend at least taking a looksy around the site, I've provided a little link thing below for you to click on if you do wish to. It'll take you to my Influenster profile and you can see what I've been reviewing, then go on to browse through the site.

Until next time I remember to update this blog.
Stay creative. 

Coffee!!!!! So Far The Best I've Had For At Home Brewing.

Insomnia acting up? Mine too. 

So, I'm going to rant about my favorite liquid substance ever. That's right COFFEE. Specifically, the best coffee I've found to brew at home. I love Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts just as much as the next person and they both have their blends they sell in the store, but....this coffee is amazing. Unfortunately, my lovely random people, I believe you can't buy it in the US. You may be able to order it online, but I can't promise that. You have Google, go use it. 

(Paulig Presidentti and Paulig Juhla)

This was a special holiday gift from a Finnish friend of mine.

Though, both the Juhla and Presidentti blends are delicious, I will be talking about Presidentti. I've had both, I received both, I like both, but Presidentti is my favorite.

 Before I was introduced to this coffee, I was a hardcore Folgers coffee drinker, instant coffee drinker. It was quick, easy and I'm far too impatient to wait for enough coffee to brew so I could have a single cup first thing in the morning. And if you read my introduction post, you should know better than to think about a "single cup" coffee maker...I drink probably an unhealthy amount of coffee so a BIG pot or quick instant coffee are my options. I've tried many ground coffees, from actually buying the beans and grinding it myself, to grinding the beans in the store and never went back to any of it. This coffee has won my heart and is my go too blend. I've drank it every day, since I got the package in the mail and haven't returned to Folgers since.

Paulig Presidentti comes in a vacuumed seal package, you could really hurt someone if you wanted to with this package coffee. (*Disclaimer*- Do not attempt hurt someone or yourself with a package of coffee. That's coffee abuse.) It does have a sticker you use to reseal to bag to retain freshness, though I end up using a piece of scotch tape to help keep the bag shut. The grounds have an earthy, almost sweet aroma in the bag, and the smell while brewing is delightful too.

I like to be able to taste my coffee, I don't use sugar, or milk, just a splash of Coffee Mate French Vanilla Creamer when I make it at home. I save the fancy stuff when stop somewhere for coffee while I'm out and about in the world. I've had some pretty tasteless coffee, but you can taste Presidentti without having to fill the filter to be able to enjoy it. It has a rich, bold, taste without it feeling like it has the consistency of mud and it's a light roast. I did get a dark roast version of Presidentti, but I haven't tried it yet, so I have no opinion on it currently. I really can't compliment this coffee enough.

The only thing I have to complain about is that the likely hood of being able to buy it myself in the US is slim, so I must beg my friend to ship me Presidentti from Finland. And if you don't mind there not being a single English word on the package, it's a must taste experience.