July 23, 2009

The Goodlife Recipe pet food product review.

I had been buying the cats a fairly expensive brand of cat food for indoor older cats because Kali is now 12 and wasn't doing so well.
She started gacking (throwing up) up her food all of the time, her nose was always dry, she was lethargic and just not herself.
I took her to the vet and they told me to put her on a better cat food that had better ingredients for indoor cats.
I was buying a cat food that cost $16.99 for a 7lb bag of cat food, and with 4 cats, I was buying 2 bags per month.
She started doing better on this food, but she still didn't seem to have much energy, and her fur still wasn't as shiny and as soft as I knew it could be.

About 5 months ago, I saw a new cat food on the shelves at Publix, so I picked up the bag and a bag of the cat food that I was buying so I could compare ingredients.
The ingredients were almost exactly the same, it had the same concentration of each ingredient, and it actually had some good and wholesome ingredients that the other brand didn't have like whole grain brown rice, real vegetables, and garden greens.
The only other significant difference?
The price.
This new cat food is only $4.99 for a 7lb bag, a savings of $12.00.

Since I have been buying and feeding all 4 of the cats this new cat food, The Goodlife Recipe indoor cat formula for cats, (it is available for dogs too) all 4 of the cats are doing exceptionally well.
Kali is thriving, she no longer gacks up any of her food, her nose is always wet, she has more energy, and her fur is soft and shiny again.

Nova used to always have very coarse fur, even on the other pricier cat food, her fur was dried out, coarse, and she had dandruff.
It was really kind of gross petting her.
Now Nova's fur is soft, shiny, and beautiful, she has no more dandruff at all, and she also no longer wants to eat grass as much.
It used to be when we opened the door, she would stand there and meow until we got her some grass from the yard, she needed to eat fresh green grass to help with her digestion, not anymore, the Goodlife Recipe cat food has all of the fresh greens and vegetables she needs to be able to properly digest her food and not have any stomach upset at all.

Shahiro and Carmine are also doing very well on the Goodlife Recipe cat food.
They are happy, have soft and shiny fur, and have more energy to run around and play.
All 4 of the cats seem to be in better moods too, they are wanting to cuddle and be pet more.
I don't know if that has anything to do with the food, but it's something that I have noticed over the last few months since switching them all to the Goodlife Recipe food.

The Goodlife Recipe indoor cat food is just really a terrific cat food in my opinion, and the price really makes a heckuva difference too.
When you have to buy 2 7lb bags a month, paying a lot for pet food, especially in these tough economic times, you start questioning whether or not you can keep your beloved pets around.
Now that I'm only spending about $10.00 per month instead of $34.00 per month, I know that I can afford to keep my precious kitties with us.
So if you're struggling to keep food in your pets bowl during these hard financial times, check out The Goodlife Recipe pet foods.
They have all of the best ingredients to keep your pets healthy and happy for a fraction of the cost.
Just make sure that if you do switch your pets over, switch them over slowly by mixing the new food in with their old a small amount at a time and gradually increasing the percentage of new food to old until it's all new food in their bowl.
Switching them to a new food without doing it gradually, can make them very sick.
If you want to try out The Goodlife Recipe pet food, you can even print a coupon to get a dollar off, and considering it's already very cheap, saving an extra dollar will make you and your wallet happy.

---

June 4, 2009

My dark circles are getting better.

I have been using an eye cream around my eyes for about 2 months now, and am very pleased with the results.
I have always had very dark circles underneath my eyes, and over the last few years, I've started getting the bags to go with those dark circles, and the wrinkles too.
I am 39 after all, it's definitely about time to start looking my age.

I had never used any face creams or lotions because while my face isn't oily, if I used anything, I would break out almost immediately.
One day while browsing CVS.com, I spotted an eye product on sale, and I had a coupon for an additional $5.00 off, so I went and picked it up when I went to pick up Sebastian's migraine medicine, and I've been using it every morning and night since buying it.
It is working.
My dark circles are definitely lightening.
My bags are gone.
My wrinkles are most definitely less noticeable too.
I am very pleased with it and it costs far less than the more expensive eye creams that are out there at department stores and online.
It cost me less than $12, and one tube has lasted me for the last 2 months, and it will probably last me another 2-3 months, there's quite a bit of product in the tube.
It's very easy to use, once in the morning, and once again right before bed, that's it, and it helps to erase bags, dark circles, and wrinkles.
The more you use it, the more it works.
I love it, and I am not having to put something on my entire face which would cause my face to break out.

---

June 2, 2009

Chiquita Smoothies prodct review.

I was very fortunate to receive a really awesome product to try out, the new Chiquita Smoothies.
Included with the samples to try, were 2 of each flavor that they make, Peach Mango, Mixed Berry, Banana Colada, and Strawberry Banana, as well as a new Oster Fusion Blender, and an Oster Blend-N-Go Cup.

We tried the Mixed Berry on the first day, and it was most excellent, and then tonight Mark asked me to make the Strawberry Banana flavor, so I did.

They are really easy to make.
You pour the contents of the can into the blender, a half a cup of water, and 2 cups of ice, then blend.
That's it!
Please ignore my nasty back splash.
My kitchen counter area is where I cook and prepare everything, and the back splash seriously needs to be cleaned and painted again.

They even sent me some little sample size cups to pour them into.
The teens like those little cups, so when I make the smoothies, they ask for the little cups.

Chiquita Smoothies provide 100% of vitamin C, and 1/2 a cup of fruit per 8ounce serving.
They are in the frozen juice section of your grocer, and retail for about $2.69.
If you go to their site, Chiquita Smoothie, you can get recipes, play games, and register for a chance to win a tropical vacation for 4!

These are really super tasty too, the teens absolutely love them.

---

May 24, 2009

Stouffer's Easy Express Skillet Chicken Alfredo product review.

When we went shopping the other day, after making my way through the store getting the cheese, milk, cereal, bread, shampoo, body soap, the acne skin treatment for the teens, and some more ground beef, I made my way over to the frozen food section because I had brought with me a coupon for the new Stouffer's Easy Express Skillet meals.
The coupon was for $1.50 off, so I figured I would at least check out their price.
Publix had them on sale for buy 1 get 1 free, and the price was only $2.99, so with my coupon, that would make it $1.49 for 2 packages.
That's a heckuva deal, so I picked out 2 bags of the Chicken Alfredo flavor, and I cooked them up Friday night for dinner for just the 3 of us because Dustin and Stacey were unable to make it due to an emergency with his grandmother.

Anyway, I do a lot of cooking in my electric skillett year round for a few reasons.
It doesn't heat up the house, it can cook a pretty good amount of food, and it uses less electricity than the regular oven does.
I don't like using a frying pan on a burner on the regular oven, because it heats up the kitchen even though it's just a single burner, and the heat isn't distributed evenly over the pan.
Electric skillets distribute the heat evenly, are also very easy to clean too.

As for the Stouffer's Easy Express Skillet meals, the Chicken Alfredo flavor at least, was very tasty.
It had huge penne pasta, large chunks of white meat chicken, a lot of thick and creamy alfredo sauce, peas, broccoli, and carrots.

I cooked up both packages because it says right on the package that it's meant for just 2 servings, and there are 3 of us, so I dumped both packages in the skillet, (I did read the directions, that's what it said to do) and then started reading the directions again to see how much water I was supposed to add like almost every other packaged meal like this says to do, and it didn't tell me to add any water.
It didn't tell me to add anything as a matter of fact, it was so simple!
Open the package, pour contents into skillet, cook on medium-high heat with the cover on for 8 minutes stirring occasionally, and serve.
That was it, just that easy to do.
After 8 minutes, it was totally done, so I served it up by dividing the contents of the skillet between the 3 of us, giving the teens more because they can eat more than I can, and they gobbled it right up.
I'm not even sure if they actually chewed any of it.
When Mark finished, he asked if there were any leftovers, I told him no, and he was all bummed out and told me that he really liked that one, that it was better then the other chicken alfredo one that I usually buy.
Sebastian said the same thing.
I enjoyed it a lot too, the sauce was creamy and smooth, and the pasta mixed with the veggies was a good mix, so the whole meal had a very nice flavor and texture.
I would buy these again for sure, especially if Publix keeps them at a good price, even more so if I come across more coupons.

---

May 21, 2009

Toofs, food, and freebies.

Last night my sister and my girls (my nieces) came over for a little while, and my sister had called me on the way to tell me to have my camera ready for when they got there.
She said that Susan had a surprise for me, so I made sure the camera had freshly charged batteries, and we all went outside to wait.
Just about 5 minutes later, they pulled under the carport and they all unbuckled, sis told Susan to get out and to "Go smile for Aunty Kat!"
So Susan got out of her big girl seat and out of the car, and as she made her way to me, she was giggling all of the way.
When she got close to me, she stopped, and sis had motioned for me to be ready, and then Susan smiled a huge smile.
This is what she had to show me!

She lost her front tooth! Her first big girl lost tooth!
She was so excited about it, and then told me that mommy gave her $1 for putting it under her pillow last night. (Sis is also an atheist, and we both have raised and our raising our kids without made-up stuff, if you don't believe in 1 fairy tale, you don't believe in any of them)
Sis and the girls also stopped at McDonald's to surprise us with dinner, and the teens were totally happy with that, even though they also wanted what I was going to make for dinner.
When I went grocery shopping the other day, and Mark and I got to the meat department, Publix had packages of huge turkey legs on sale for just $1.99 per pound, so I bought 2 packages with 3 legs in each package, and my plan was to cook them up in the NuWave for dinner.

Well sis brought McDonald's, so I left the turkey legs in the refrigerator and planned on cooking them tonight, Thursday.
They were perfectly fine, as a matter of fact, they were still frozen solid.
My sister and the girls left around 6:45pm, and almost an hour later, Mark asked if I was going to cook them up.
I told him that I could, but they could handle being in the fridge for 1 night and that I would cook them Thursday night.
He gave me the ol' puppy dog, please mom, I'm gonna starve to death if you don't cook those look, and he really didn't have a huge meal like he usually gets when he goes to McDonald's with George or whoever, so I agreed to cook them up.

The NuWave comes with 2 racks, a 6inch that flips over to become a 1inch, and then a 4inch rack, so I grabbed the 4inch rack, and placed all 6 legs on it.
They were packed on a bit tightly, but they all fit in there.

I set the power level to high, and pushed the timer button...

Because they were still frozen pretty darn solid, I set the cooking time for 30 minutes per side, for a total of 1 hour of cooking time.

I didn't even think of wrapping the bony end of the legs in aluminum foil like I normally do when cooking a whole turkey in the oven, I don't know why I didn't, you can use aluminum foil in the NuWave.
As a matter of fact, you can use any type of utensil, foil, parchment paper, or cooking pan in it as long as it fits.
If it fits inside the dome, you can use it in the NuWave.
But I forgot to cover the bony ends of the legs, so of course the skin and meat pulled back, but they still came out so freaking good!

Look at that gorgeous golden brown color!
I didn't eat any, and neither did Sebastian, but Mark took 1 and we will reheat the remaining 5 for tonight, and I will also make the mashed potatoes and gravy that is supposed to go with it.
I took a tiny piece of meat off of Mark's so that I could see how it came out, and it was super awesomely good.
The meat was cooked to perfections, and totally tender and juicy.
I swear, the NuWave is actually making me be a better cook...hahaha

One of the benefits of cooking with the NuWave aside from how quickly and perfectly it cooks everything, is the fact that it drains off the fat.
The infomercial makes a claim that I didn't believe, I know, infomercials are all hard to believe, and I fell hook, line, and sinker, for the NuWave. (But the NuWave really does do what the infomercial claims as far as cooking goes!)
But they claim that if you cook with your NuWave at least 3 times per week, that because it cooks and drains all of the extra fat, greases, and oils out of the food, that you will lose weight and lower your cholesterol.
I've now had the NuWave for 4 months as of today, I received it on February 21st, and I have monthly doctor's appointments where they put me through the wringer and test for everything under the sun.
I'm always being weighed, measured, and tested for all kinds of things, so anyway, because I have only been cooking in the NuWave, and have not used the regular oven even once since getting it, my cholesterol has lowered, and I have lost 12lbs.
I think if I could get my hands on the most perfect and best diet pills for me and my body type, and continue to use the NuWave for every single meal, I bet that I could lose even more weight.
I was shocked when my doc told me that I had lost 12lbs.
She weighs me every single month, and sometimes she tells me if I'm up or down, but she usually holds out for a significant change before saying anything.
12lbs is pretty dang significant in my opinion.
W00t!

And I've been up all night again, insomnia, again.
So I made myself useful while I was up.
I went through the fridge and took out all of the food that was in there in its original packaging, not sealed up good, and was going to spoil if I didn't get them packed up correctly, and so I packed everything up nicely with a whole bunch of my new Rubbermaid storage containers.

I put the deli ham, cherry tomatoes, salsa, the sliced cheese, the block of extra sharp cheddar cheese, the leftover salad from Tuesday night, the tortilla chips, the Werther's caramel and chocolate candies, the leftover sour cream, everything that needed to be sealed up and stored better, into the new Rubbermaid storage containers.
Doing this had an added benefit.
The fridge now looks all nice and organized.

If you're new here or haven't heard about it yet, in the post directly below this one, you can enter to win your very own 20piece set of Rubbermaid storage containers.
Entering and getting extra entries is really easy, so if you would like your own set of Rubbermaid containers, go read the how to enter rules and enter.

And now I think I'm finally tired enough to go to sleep.
If you do enter, I will verify your entries when I wake up and send you a notice that you've been entered.
Please do make sure that you do the required entry or I'll have to disqualify you.
I am only saying this because I've now had 3 people fail to do that 1 thing, and it has disqualified them.
I was even really nice about it and emailed them letting them know that they needed to come back and do that 1 thing.
Oh well.
Good luck and later days!!

---

May 18, 2009

Kellogg's Eggo Bakeshop Twists Strawberry.

When I did the grocery shopping on Friday, I had a $1.00 coupon for the Kellogg's Eggo Bakeshop Twists, Publix only had the 4 count package, they were $2.79, but with my coupon, I only paid $1.79.
I rarely ever buy stuff like this unless I have a good coupon discount, so I felt that $1.00 off was good enough to be able to try these out.
Personally, $2.79 for 4 of these is so not worth it in my opinion.
I can only imagine how much the 12 count package costs.
Ack!
They are not that big at all as you can see, that is a standard 9 inch paper plate, and 2 of them fit in the center of the plate with plenty of room to spare.

They are made for the microwave and heat up in just 25 seconds.
The directions say to then let them sit for about 2 minutes before eating.
You can view the nutritional information per serving here.
Not exactly good for you, that's an awful lot of sodium, calories, fat, and cholesterol, for just 1 of these pastries, but they are kind of tasty.

Mark refused to try them, and Sebastian tried 1 and didn't like them at all, he ate half of 1 and then gave the rest to me.
I liked them, they weren't bad at all, not great, but good enough to satisfy a sweet craving.
At the price per package and the count per package, it's not a good deal in my opinion.
If I didn't have a coupon, I certainly would not have bought them, nor will I buy them again without a good coupon.
The count, price, and nutritional information, is simply not a good value or a healthy breakfast choice for families on a budget.
The taste is not that spectacular either, the Publix bakery makes something like this that has a much better taste and costs less than these do for far more, so if I wanted to buy another breakfast pastry, I would go to the bakery before I would buy these again.

---

May 5, 2009

Purex Complete 3-in-1 laundry care review!

A few weeks ago, I saw a thing to sign up to become a product tester for Purex, the laundry detergent, so I signed up.
I never heard anything else about it, so I assumed that I didn't get in.
Today, the FedEx guy knocked on the door and handed me an envelope that said "TOP SECRET", so I opened it up and was blown away by the incredible smell.

I read the letter, and it said, "Congratulations! You are 1 of just 200 people in the whole country who get to try a great new product from Purex to simplify and revolutionize laundry care! You're a Purex Insider!"
See, here's my cute little badge.

So what is this new product that will simplify and revolutionize laundry care?
It's called Purex Complete 3-in-1, and what it is, is 1 single sheet that is laundry detergent, fabric softener, and static control, all rolled into 1 easy step.

This is the basics of it,

I admit, I was so totally skeptical.
1 single sheet could clean, soften, and keep everything static free?
"Yeah right!" I thought.
But I gave it a try.
I took the load of dirty towels from the teens taking showers, some of their shorts, and their smelly t-shirts, and started to fill the washer and dropped 1 sheet into it first.
This is what the sheets look like;

The blue part of the sheet is the laundry detergent and some fabric softener, and the green stripe is heat activated by your dryer, and is also fabric softener and static control.

After you run your clothes through the washer, you move them and the sheet, into the dryer, and that's it, no cup of detergent, no cup of fabric softener, and no static control stuff either, just 1 easy step.

After the dryer stopped, I opened the door and was once again blown away by the incredible smell of the Purex, it really smells great!
I reached in and grabbed a towel, and it was sooo soft!
It wasn't sticking to anything else, and it was just incredibly soft, smelled so good, and was really clean.
I was very impressed, but wanted to try it again, so I did another load of clothes! LoL
The second load came out just as great as the first, clean, soft, no static, and smelled fabulous!
Why didn't someone think of this sooner!?!?
This really does simplify and revolutionize the entire laundry process down to 1 easy step, just 1 sheet does it all, and it does it really, really well.
I absolutely LOVE it!
I have a coupon to get a starter kit absolutely free, and I also got to share it with 3 friends after completing a short questionnaire, and so those ladies will be getting their starter kit free coupons in the mail very soon too.
I can't wait to go get the kit at the store, may have to wait a little bit, they aren't on sale until sometime this month!

---

February 22, 2009

NuWave Pro Oven product review.

Like I posted yesterday, I received the Nuwave Pro Oven as a gift from some friends, and I used it to cook our dinner tonight.

I had a really good reason to test it out tonight, we had a bit of an accident here at the house.
I had posted to Twitter how good I was feeling so I was going to do some house cleaning.
It's been awhile since I've felt good, so I wanted to do all of the dishes, the laundry, and vac the carpets.
Within minutes of posting that, the bathroom flooded, which subsequently had spread to the back bathroom and hallway.
The landlord is trying to fix up the duplex apartment next door after the old neighbors moved out about 6 months ago.
He's had to do an insane amount of work, they really trashed the place.
He had torn up the carpets and decided to never put any back down again after what they let their pets do to every full room of carpet in there so no other tenants do that again, and today, he decided to power-wash the terrazzo flooring in there.
He hooked up the power washer to the sink or tub faucet in the bathroom, and proceeded to wash the floors, suck it all up in a wet vac, and he dumped it all down the toilet drain and then left.
This old duplex is still on septic, it can't handle that much water going down the toilet that fast, and so, it all backed up into our side of the duplex.
I spent the entire afternoon soaking up water with towels and then doing all of laundry, having to wash all of those towels.
So by the time the teens and I had finished cleaning the house, it was nearing dinner time and I was no longer physically feeling so great.
My back, neck and shoulders were fried, and not to mention, I was so busy cleaning up the watery mess, I had forgotten to thaw out the frozen chicken breasts for dinner.

The NuWave Pro Oven says that it can cook from frozen in less time than thawed or fresh, in a regular oven, so I decided to test drive it tonight.
It's all digital, you just place your food inside, check the chart for cooking times, set the temperature and time, click start, and it cooks your food.

I got it all set up and placed the frozen chicken breasts on the cooking rack making sure the drip pan was beneath, and set the cooking temperature to high power (350degrees) which was 1 button, set the time for 16 minutes which was 3 buttons, and clicked 1 button to start.
A total of 5 button pushes to make dinner.

Within just 3 minutes, they were thawed and starting to cook!

They were starting to turn a nice golden color at about 8 minutes.

And just like the infomercial says, all of the fat and grease drips off of the food and into the drip pan below, making your food healthier because it's not sitting in it's own grease.

At 16 minutes, they were completely cooked all of the way through, but the teens wanted some BBQ sauce on them, so I opened up the NuWave, poured some on, and set it to cook again for just another 3 minutes to bake the yummy sauce onto the chicken breasts.

I made a side of Pasta Roni fettuccine alfredo to go with it, and wow, it was so good!

When the infomercial says that your food cooks in less time, has less fat and grease, and the meat is tender and moist, they are NOT lying.
The chicken breasts were so full of flavor, they were tender and juicy, and was definitely done in far less time than if I had cooked it in a regular oven.
If I had cooked them in the oven, it would have taken about 45 minutes, the whole house would have gotten hot, I would have had to bend over and keep checking to see if they were done, which stresses my neck and back out, turn them over so both sides could get brown, and then I would have had the baking sheet to clean up which is always a mess after making anything with BBQ sauce.
BBQ sauce sticks to the baking sheet something fierce, and I usually end up having to soak it for about an hour or two in order to get it totally clean.

When dinner was over, it was time to clean up and wash the NuWave.
It was SO easy to clean!
The top dome comes off of the digital cooking head simply by turning it counter clockwise, and the dome itself doesn't get dirty because the food didn't splatter at all, it simply had some condensation in it, so I just rinsed it out under the faucet head.

The drip pan was also super easy to clean, just a few wipes around with my dish stick, and all of the fat, grease, and BBQ sauce drippings just came right off.
No sticky mess!

The baking rack was also wicked, wicked easy to clean because I had given it a light spray of no-stick cooking spray, so again, just a few wipes over the rack grids with the dish stick, and it was totally clean.

Overall, the NuWave Pro Oven is awesome!
It is super easy to use, cooks in less time than the regular oven, really easy to clean, and the food comes out moist and full of flavor, just really, really great.
I absolutely love it and can see us using this for everything that we would normally cook in the oven.
It is so easy to use that the teens will not have any problems at all learning how to cook with it, so when I do go in for my surgery and begin recovering at home, they will be able to eat food that is good for them.
No more take out, junk food, no more microwave meals, no more cold lunch meat sandwiches or subs every night for months on end, they will be eating good and tasty food that they cooked themselves.

---

February 6, 2009

Smooth Away product review.

I wrote up a review of the Smooth Away hair removal product on my other blog, so if you're interested in how it works, you can go to my other blog, KatScan, and check it out.

---

January 19, 2009

Frecklebox product review.

I was able to get and choose from some assorted personalized books for one of my nieces.
I chose a book that would put Susan's name in the whole story, "Susan and the unicorn.'

The book is extremely well made, the pages are good and sturdy, bright and vivid colors, cute little drawings, nice stories.
Susan's name is throughout the entire story, it's mentioned on almost every single page.

It's a cute little story abut Susan meeting a unicorn and the adventures they have one day.
They go play in the clouds, in the flowers, the unicorn lives behind the rainbow, and then Susan ends up back at home in her bed after taking a nap in a bed of flowers while the unicorn watches over and protects her.
It really is a cute little story, I just wasn't so sure about the ending.

When Susan wakes up after her nap back at home and tells her mother all about her adventures, her mother doesn't believe her.

As an atheist, I don't believe in unicorns either unless I ever see one for myself, but I feel that rather than just telling your child you don't believe the story they just told, you should just nod and smile.
A negative response to a child's imagination tends to hinder the imagination.
I do like the story though, I do think it's very cute and well done, and I would definitely order from them again.
They do all kinds of personalized gifts from coloring books to personalized party favors and posters, and growth charts too.
All in all, I think it's a great little book, made very well, with a cute story that will make a child feel like they are really part of it all.

---

December 31, 2008

Kaboom Scrub Free toilet bowl cleaner review follow-up.

Back on October 16th, I had posted about using the Kaboom Scrub Free toilet bowl cleaner for only 3 days.
After just 3 days, I could tell that it was really working, but now that it's been just a little over 3 months, the length of time each refill kit lasts, I thought I should post a follow-up.

I put the refills in the scrub free a few days ago, but I wanted to let you all know how very pleased I am with this toilet bowl cleaner.
It really works!
It definitely surpasses my experience with the Scrubbing Bubbles toilet cleaning gel discs that I had tried.

I know some people are out there thinking that I get way too excited over cleaning products, but with my back the way it is, I need products that actually do what they say they will do.
If a product claims that it lasts for 7 days or 3 months, it needs to last for 7 days or 3 months.
If a product claims the following;
* Never scrub your toilet bowl again!
* Installs in a snap
* Prevents rust & hard water stains.
* Safe for septic systems - Won't harm tank parts.
* Cleans completely, even under the rim.
* Clean Continuously For Up to 3 Months!
then it needs to actually do that, and the Kaboom Scrub Free really does what it says.

We have not had to scrub the bowl at all, not once.
There are no stains of any kind, and it actually has started to remove some of the old rust and hard water stains that have been in there forever.
With every single flush, new cleaning product comes down into the bowl from under the rim, swirls around and flushes down, and then the bowl fills up again with water and new product which just sits there until the next flush.
This combo of new product swirling and flushing, and then filling and sitting, is what is helping to remove those old rust and hard water stains.
You do have to do your regular cleaning of the bowl, wash the under the seat and the seat itself, but I found another awesome product for that which I absolutely freaking love.

I bought some Mr. Clean disinfecting wipes with Febreze, and they do an awesome job cleaning those parts of the toilet and all around the house too.
The Mr. Clean wipes knock out 99.9% of bacteria and other germs like Salmonella and Staph, and I have been using them not only to clean the toilet and the sink area, but all over the house like the doorknobs, the kitchen counter, the microwave, light switches, and pretty much every hard surface that we all touch day in and day out.
With it being cold and flu season, I need to try and keep us all from spreading germs back and forth.
I bought the one with the Meadows & Rain Febreze fragrance, and it smells so good.
After I got done cleaning the bathroom, I was impressed with how nice it smelled in there.
I just love products that work and make your house smell good in the process.

You can still get the Kaboom Scrub Free for free, only pay $4.99 for shipping and handling, (this offer is the kit with only 1/3 month supply of cleaning product, not the same deal I got back in October, that 1 expired) and it's well worth it.
I know that when my supply of refills that came with my order run out, I'll be buying them in the store.

---

December 18, 2008

Must be both interesting and frustrating.

I've always wondered how someone goes about getting PR type admin careers, like doing PR for a company, contacting bloggers like us, and coming up with creative ways to market a new product, website or idea.

I imagine it's both fun and frustrating though, everybody is different, has different styles, ways of thinking and doing things, and you don't always get the results you want.
I get contacted quite often about doing book and product reviews, and I absolutely love doing them, it's so much fun to test out a new product, really give it a good go, and then be able to write up your opinions on it.
There have been a couple of times that the PR person wasn't so pleased though.
They wanted my honest opinion as long as it was honestly positive apparently.
I always tell the person when they contact me, that I will give my honest opinion of the product, it doesn't matter if they let me keep it forever or even pay me for the review, I am going to review it honestly, yet the few times a product just really didn't quite live up to the hype, I was honest about it and they were not happy.
I know this has happened to other bloggers as well, and it's just as frustrating on our end to be told to be honest, but when we do and our review is less than stellar, they get upset.

But I made a promise to myself and my readers, to always be honest about anything I get to review, I could never let myself live it down if I lied about a product just to make an advert happy.
Sure, I may lose that advert, but it's better to be totally honest.

---

December 17, 2008

M&M's Premiums review.

While grocery shopping yesterday, I had a coupon for $3 off* 1- 6 ounce package of the new M&M's Premiums, which are normally priced at $4.29 at my local Publix.

Sebastian and I had to choose from all of the incredibly tasty looking options, Chocolate Almond, Mocha, Triple Chocolate, Raspberry Almond, and Mint Chocolate.
We settled on the Triple Chocolate ones, and it was a fabulous decision indeed!
We opened the package tonight, and took a good look at them first.
It's a small package, but if you have an M&M lover on your Christmas list, it's nice enough to make a really good looking (and tasty!) stocking stuffer.

They come in these pretty speckled pinks and purple colors, and much bigger than regular M&M's.

I bit into one so I could get a look at the 3 layers it has.
Did I tell you about the 3 layers?!
Triple Chocolate M&M's Premiums are milk chocolate, white chocolate, and dark chocolate, all in one M&M candy.
There's the very thin candy shell, then the dark chocolate, the white, and then the milk chocolate in the middle.

Oh my gosh! These are so so good!
Just 3 of them are the perfect size and dose of sweet to satisfy your sweet tooth.
I ate 3 of them and that was enough to totally satisfy the craving for chocolate I had, and it ensures that I'll have plenty of them left over for another sweet craving on another day.
That is if I can keep Sebastian away from them, I may have to hide them. hee hee.
Mark is not a big sweets eater, he's more of the salty kind of snacker, so it's usually Sebastian and I fighting over the last morsels of chocolate in the house.
I also have to be careful not to eat too much sweets, my diabetes, but 3 of these are ok for me to have, I just keep an eye on myself, and I'm good to go.

So anyway, if you like M&M's, or know someone who does, these would make a really nice stocking stuffer or just a nice surprise treat.

Continue Reading �

---

December 7, 2008

Think RC RC Helicopter review.

I received an rc helicopters to try out and review, and Sebastian and I had a blast with it.
I don't think we've laughed that hard at our own stupidity for quite some time.

We charged up my rechargeable batteries for the control pad, charged the little helicopter, which was very little by the way, and then went outside to fly our little whirly bird.

We turned on both the helicopter and the control pad, and placed the helicopter on the ground, then tried to launch.
It was a no go.
We successfully crashed it in less than 2 seconds.
Then we tried to fly it from up high, from in the palm of my hand, and successfully crashed it.
We were cracking up at how bad we were at flying a helicopter, that if we were in charge of Bayflighting someone to a hospital, we'd all surely die.
But we did finally get it to launch and fly for about 8 minutes, controlling it was a bit more difficult than I thought it would be, so I wouldn't recommend it for a small child, but an older child with some rc vehicle experience will love these little helicopters.

---

December 2, 2008

Queen of the Road- book review and blog contest tour!

I meant to post my review of this book yesterday, but I am still battling the trail end of the nasty flu I had, so I spent most of the day laying on the couch, my sincerest apologies for getting this blog tour contest post up a day late.

Queen of the Road: The True Tale of 47 States, 22,000 Miles, 200 Shoes, 2 Cats, 1 Poodle, a Husband, and a Bus with a Will of Its Own is a true story written by Doreen Orion about her and her husband's journey across the country in a converted bus.
They run into all kinds of issues like fire, flood, a robbery, and even a stop at a nudist RV park.

This book follows the true story of Doreen and her husband Tim's, journey across the country in a converted bus.
I have to hand it to her, no amount of prodding from a loved one could ever convince me to spend an entire year on a bus driving across the country.
I am not a camping type person at all, even if it has a bed and a toilet, the close confines would make me psychotic by day 3.

I liked how every chapter starts off with a cocktail recipe which tied into the story you were about to read, I thought that was very clever.
I also very much enjoyed that she included a bit of history about some of the stops they made.
I really enjoyed the part about the nudist RV park, it was hilarious, and I could totally relate because I've had the opportunity to stay at a nudist resort once, and I chuckled at how she described it because I too had those same experiences and thoughts.

The tour is about far more than Tim's inner nerd wanting to do this, it shows Doreen what is really important in her life, that spending time with loved ones is what is really important.
It's not the gadgets, clothes, and shoes, it's the time we have to share with others that is the most important.

I thought this book was a great, fast and fun read, and I think that if you love to read, that you will absolutely love reading this tale of traveling and what's most important.
I want to thank the Family Review Network for including me in this blog book tour, I really enjoyed the book and reading the reviews of the other bloggers participating.

If you buy this book, Doreen has offered to send you a free signed bookplate, all you have to do is click here to get the how-to on how to get it for yourself!

Now, on to the blog tour contest part, this is huge people, read on!

As a thank you to those who are learning about Queen of the Road through the book blog tour, a great prize package is being offered. There will be one prize across all the book blog tour stops. Everyone who leaves a comment here on my tour post will be entered to win!

One lucky winner gets all this:

* Mom Logic Tote bag, eye brightener and mouse pad from momlogic.com
* Wrist water bottle from swiggies.com $13 value
* Gift certificate for free flashcards from goosiecards.com $29 value
* Rose Pin ($10 value)
* Natural, dye-free dog tug from Purrfect Play purrfectplay.com $18 value
* Book, "Uncovered" by Mark Goldwich $13 value
* "Attitude of Gratitude" Tank Top Med from empoweringthings.com $19.39 value
* "Be Natural" tee shirt from jb-justbe.com $15 value
* Cats on Cards Pet Rescue Stickers from purrfectplay.com $7.95 value
* 2009 Park-It Guide for NYC from parkitguides.com $13 value
* Total Value of Prize: $130.00+

To enter just leave a comment below and tell us if you would ever consider taking such a trip around the country. Don't forget that your email needs to be in your profile or in your comment to be able to win. Make your comments before 12/17 to be entered.

For more chances to win be sure to visit the other stops on the book blog tour for Queen of the Road:
Nov 28 Dorothy - Robyn - Louise
Nov 29 Christine - Beckie
Nov 30 Michelle
Dec 1 Tara (blog 1 blog 2) - Stacie (blog 1 blog 2 blog 3) - Ginny - Kat
Dec 2 Julie - Angela - Wendy (blog 1 blog 2) - Elizabeth
Dec 3 Renee - Christine - Dennise
Dec 4 Kimberly
Dec 5 Alisa - Aimee - Toni
Dec 6 Connie - Jackie
Dec 7 Cathi - Sheena - Laura
Dec 8 Maria
Dec 9 Jane - Lisa - Yvonne (blog 1 blog 2)
Dec 10 Kailani - Tara

So come on! Leave a comment on my post and then go leave a comment on the other blogs tour book stops, make sure to use your email address in your comment or you will not be entered to win!

---

November 11, 2008

George Foreman G-broil product review.

If you're like most people these days, like me, then you are trying to do as much healthy living as you possibly can.
That means working out, buying healthy foods, getting plenty of rest, drinking tons of water, and doing a lot of healthy cooking.
One of the easiest ways to do a little healthy cooking, is to cut out the fat from the foods you eat.

I recently got a chance to review a new George Foreman G-broil grill, and I love it!
I have one of the very first grills that he made, and it's tiny (the old one) in comparison to this one, the G-broil.

It has a much, much bigger cooking surface, and comes with 2 drip trays and 2 spatulas, to make getting your food off the grill and cooked on foods, slide right off.

The new George Foreman G-broil grill has a floating hinge lid so that you can broil (duh!) steaks or chicken, and cook thicker cuts of meat or thick, juicy burgers, and is great for melting cheese or browning the top of foods you are cooking in it.
And just like all George Foreman grills, it's non-stick so you don't have to use any oils or cooking sprays which can add extra fats to your food.
It has the same slanted design as all of his other grills, so that the grease and fats drain off of your food, not stay in it.
If the fat stays in, it goes inside of you!
One of the things I really like about the new G-broil grill, is that it has a locking mechanism on the sides so that you can lock it up, and store it up right on your counter, or in your cupboards, for much easier storage.
I now have mine on my counter because it's a cooking gadget that I have used almost every single day since getting it.

I wanted to make a quick video to show you how nice and easy this G-broil grill is to use, so I made a practice one of the dinner I'm making for the teens and I for dinner tonight.
I'm actually cooking those for our dinner right now, but I made the practice one for my lunch today, and made the video as I went.
The really super easy recipe is right here;

Grilled chicken cordon bleu.

3-6 boneless chicken breasts (based on family/serving sizes)
3-6 slices of your favorite ham sliced from the deli (based on family/serving sizes)
3-6 slices of extra sharp cheese (based on family/serving sizes)
bread crumbs

Flatten the chicken breasts inside plastic wrap with rolling pin or meat mallet (no mess!)
Place 1 slice of ham, and 1 slice of cheese on chicken, roll up
Roll in bread crumbs and place on grill for 5-7 minutes or until chicken juices run clear
and enjoy!

---

November 4, 2008

Puffs Plus with Vicks.

When the teens both woke up with the coughs and sniffles on Friday morning, I handed them a travel sized package of new Puffs Plus with Vicks, and they were like "whoa".
From the moment you open the package, you get the awesome smell of Vicks vapor rub coming at you, blow your nose with them and your sinuses instantly clear up, and because they are Puffs Plus, they have soothing lotion so your nose doesn't get irritated.

I love the Puffs Plus commercials, the animated people with red noses and then they are handed a Puffs Plus tissue with lotion that soothes their sore and red noses.
They have cute little rhyming tales to go with them, and the one for Puffs Plus with Vicks is no different.

"Know a nose that's sore?
It's the scent of Vicks with lotion they adore.
Try the tissue with a touch of mom
to soothe kids more."

Seriously though, these tissues are the awesome.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I have always loved the smell of Vicks vapor rub even when I'm not sick.
It just totally clears out your sinuses no matter if you have a stuffed up nose or not.
And they're right, it is a soothing smell, a touch of mom.
I remember being sick as a kid and my mom rubbing Vicks on my upper chest and throat at night so I could breathe while I was sleeping.
All zippered up in a footed blanket sleeper, covered up in a big comforter, and the smell of Vicks making it easier to fall asleep.
Just smelling the package of tissues is comforting even now.
So when you go shopping, grab one of the to go packs to carry in your purse or to just try, I swear you will love them, and with cold and flu season coming, you're going to absolutely love having these super soft and smelly tissues to help make you feel better.

---

October 26, 2008

Pet Pals: New Leash on Life, do a good thing!

Wanna feel even cooler about yourself in your Wayfarer sunglasses and know you helped some animals?
Download and play an interactive and educational game called Pet Pals: New Leash on Life!
It's a game for kids ages 8+, and it teaches them all about taking care of sick animals.
They get to be a vet at an animal hospital, and help all kinds of animals get better.

As a new vet at the Pet Pals Animal Shelter, it's your job to make sure that the animals are not only healthy, but also happy. In this sequel to the award-winning Pet Pals: Animal Doctor game, you can treat and diagnose 35 new cases that were written by real vets! Take care of over 15 different types of animals, including cats, dogs, parrots, chinchillas and iguanas, using more than 40 different medical tools. Take part in each animal's story by playing, caring, and preparing them for adoption into their new homes. Grateful families thank you for the healthy, well-trained animals they adopt.

Help the animal shelter give sick and disadvantaged pets a happier, healthier life. Learn about animals while having fun.

*Fun and educational for children 8+
*Emergency situations that need to be addressed immediately
*Interact with pets in real time 3D by playing games and grooming them
*Minigames, career information and interesting animal facts included

"A Portion of The Game's Sales has been Donated to The Humane Society of the United States. In Pet Pals: New Leash on Life players will get the opportunity to see what it's like to be a vet, have fun, and at the same time feel good about supporting a great animal protection organization."

You can download and play the free version, or you can pay just $19.95 for the full version, and know that a portion of what you paid will go directly to helping the Humane Society.

Sebastian has been playing this game for awhile, and he asked me if I'd pay for the full version for him.
I went to the site to look the game up just like I do with all the games he plays, and saw the part about money going to the Humane Society, and thought that was very cool of Legacy Games to do, so I paid for the full version.
Sebastian has been having fun playing it and learning about different species of animals, treating them, and I feel good knowing it's educational and it's helping real animals in real life.

---

October 26, 2008

They love you no matter what.

Mark was sitting out here a little bit ago while I was doing some Google searching for weight loss product reviews, and so he asked me what I was doing.
I told him that I was searching for a review of the current product I'm using, and all I'm finding are reviews of other products or places that have weekly meetings.
Tons and tons of search hits were coming up for Hydroxycut reviews, and places that help you track your points, or prepared meals, or drinks and shakes, but nothing for the one that I am using, and it was starting to frustrate me.

Mark said to me that he knows how much it bothers me having to be so still, that all these past years of not being able to work, having so many restrictions on what I can and can't do, and how hard I struggle to just move my body normally to get in and out of bed, stand up from sitting, or to lay down on the couch, and how much it bothers me that I struggle to lose weight, but he thinks I look just fine.
He said, "You may feel like you are really overweight, but you don't look it mom. You look good to us, not fat, you have a belly but you've always had a belly, but you've actually lost weight since being in the hospital, but maybe you can't see it. We can though, and you shouldn't worry so much, just do what you can, keep eating what you have been, the weight is coming off, you just don't think it is."

Kids are good like that.
They love their "mommas" know matter what, and they always seem to know what to say to make you feel better when you need it.

---

October 16, 2008

New product review coming soon!!!

I'll get to that in a second, but first, the teens just arrived home from school with their friends, and Sebastian was wearing one of his funny t-shirts that he got to start school with, and I realized it's on the site I mentioned last night.
The duct tape one.
Silence is golden, duct tape is silver.
Yeah, he's a funny kid, I guess I'm just surprised he hasn't been sent home from school for his shirts yet.

All of the teens are in the other room playing video games now.
Sebastian on WoW, Mark and his friends on the xbox.
They came in and did all of their chores first, so hey, they can play all they want.

Now, onto the new product review coming soon.
I was chosen to try out one of the new George Foreman grills!
Yeussss!
I absolutely love my little one that I have, it's one of the first ones they ever made, the super small one only big enough to cook like 2 hamburgers or a chicken breast on.
But I still love it, it's awesome.
But now that the teens are bigger, I need a bigger grill to cook more food on because teenage boys eat tons and tons of food.
I cannot wait to get it and use it, I'll take pictures and maybe even a video of us using it.
Yeah, I'll make a video of one of the teens cooking us dinner with it, because one of the great things about these grills is that anyone can cook with it.
It sits on the counter-top, it's safe for anyone to use, and really easy to clean up.
Some of the newer models have removable grill plates to make cleaning so much easier, I think the one I'm getting does.
My little one doesn't, and it is a pain in the butt to clean.
I can't wait!
I love cooking gadgets as you all know, so this is going to be perfect for me and the teens!

---

October 16, 2008

Kaboom Scrub Free toilet bowl cleaner product review.

Everyone hates cleaning the toilet, probably why so many companies are constantly coming up with new products for it, and I didn't have much luck with the last automatic toilet bowl cleaner I tried, so I tried a new one.

I decided to try the Kaboom Scrub Free toilet bowl cleaner.
This product goes in the tank, not the bowl, and it was super easy to install!
The kit I bought, I got right from the site linked above, for a really good price.
It was the unit and 2 refill kits, for just $9.98.
(Hrm, just realized looking at the picture I took, that I actually got 3 refill kits. Yay me!)

You attach the unit to the back of your toilet tank on the inside.
You locate the refill tube in your tank, and you attach one end of it to the Scrub Free unit, and then the other tube gets placed in the overflow pipe.
Then you open the unit and drop in the 2 small, round cleaning tablets, and screw the lid back on.
That's it!
It took me less than 1 minute to attach this to my tank.
Oh, please ignore the griminess of the inside of my tank.
It's some sort of grease that my landlord used to fix something the last time we had an issue with the toilet.

Now, every time the toilet is flushed, the cleaners gets dispersed right into the bowl from the tank.
There's no cleaners to stick in the bowl, no scrubbing to do, it's always cleaning because the cleaning solution doesn't sit in the tank, it goes directly into the bowl from under the rim.
It can even get rid of those old rust stains.
I didn't believe the video myself, but it does actually work.
It's been in the tank for about 3 and a half days now, and it's really working.
I think Sebastian is going to be thrilled that he won't have to do much scrubbing of the toilet anymore!

The cleaning tablets last for about 3 months, and the kit comes with a little sticker kit that you place on the tank or just keep it handy nearby, and then you'll know when you need to place the refill tablets in the unit.
If you want it for the same price I got it, click on the try it free button, click no, click no again, click no about joining the no scrub club, then click yes to add the 2 refills to your order and get the unit kit for free. Click no on getting the Kaboom spray, and it will take you to the checkout where you'll see that the total will be $9.98!
The shipping was quite fast too, the Church & Dwight company shipped it in just a few days, and I installed it and started flushing the way to a cleaner toilet bowl!
Man, I sound like an advertisement for it, Billy Mays should pay me for this post! *LOL*

---

September 3, 2008

Scrubbing Bubbles toilet cleaning gel review.

I bought the new Scrubbing Bubbles toilet cleaning gel, after Sebastian and I saw the commercial, and seeing as it's his weekly job to scrub the toilet, he begged me to try it, he even found a coupon someone else had left on the shelf for $1 off, when we spotted it at Walgreen's while waiting on my prescriptions.

The site and packaging says the following:

- Continuously cleans and freshens with every flush
- Each disc lasts up to seven days
- Leaves no residue behind
- More hygienic than traditional clip-on bowl cleaners
- Safe for septic systems

Each tube of stuff is supposed to contain 6 gel discs, which you just push the button and hold it against the bowl, and pull away at the same time.
It's not quite that easy.
That first push resulted in nothing coming out.
The second push resulted in 2 gel "discs" coming out and semi-sticking, then falling off into the water.
The third push stuck, but the gel disc was more like a splat.

Then you're left with placing a plastic cap on the end of the tube, but it's got all this mushy gel stuff still sort of oozing out of the top of it, and putting the cap on causes this gel to ooze out onto your fingers.

The price was just $4.99, we had the $1 off coupon making it just $3.99, but was it worth it?
No.
It took 3 tries to get the gel discs to come out and stick properly, I only have 3 left, maybe 2, I can't really tell because of the mess that happened on the second push, and it's messy.
It's not as easy to use as they say, nor as clean as they say, this stuff got all over my fingers trying to put the cap back on.
And the disc that did stick, is almost completely flushed away already, after not even 24 hours, and they say each one is supposed to last for 6 full days?
I don't think so.

---

August 13, 2008

Dominos Oven Baked sandwiches.

Once a month, the teens and I order out for pizza, Chinese, wings or whatever, unless they have earned their own money and decide to order something.
Tonight we decided to try Dominos new Oven Baked Sandwiches, which they are only offering for a limited time.

They have 4 different tastes, chicken parm, Philly cheesesteak, chicken bacon ranch, or Italian.
We all have the same tastes, so we all got the chicken bacon ranch.
These sandwiches come steaming hot, we all had to let them cool a bit before trying them out.

The boxes they come packed in are specially designed to retain the heat, and believe me, they do.
The sandwiches themselves looked so damn good, just full of white meat chicken and bacon strips, a lot of ranch sauce, they looked good, but how would they taste?

All of us bit in at the same time, and it was this harmonic OMG yum!
They were awesome tasting!
This is probably the best hot sandwich I've had in a long time, very, very flavorful, packed full of meat, and they are also really big.
I could only eat one half of a half, of mine they were so large and filling.
Mark, my oldest food inhaler, will et my other half tomorrow for lunch.
And for just $4.99 each and a very good size.

If you like Dominos, and you like hot sandwiches, see if your local Dominos is offering these.
They will only be there for a limited time, so try one out soon!

---

July 22, 2008

Renuzit Tri-Scents.

I was contacted by a rep from Renuzit, to receive a free Renuzit Tri-Scents home air freshener, and give my thoughts on it.
I received it through the mail on Saturday, and when I opened the box up, all of this crinkly little streamer stuff came flying out of the box, and landed all over my kitchen counter and carpet.
I managed to scoop it all up and put most of it back in the box.
It had come flying out like one of those fake peanut cans with the spring snake in it. *laughs*

It also came packaged with an insert that tells you how to set it up, the available scents, and some money saving coupons on other Renuzit products.

It came with the Seaside Breezes set of fragrances, and was very easy to put together.
The 3 little containers of scent oil come stuck together so you're not trying to snap each one in by itself, and they just snap right into the electric scent warmer.
It has a slider on the side so you can decide the strength of fragrance that comes out, I have mine set on the lowest one and find that it's just the right amount coming out.
I have it plugged in in my room because the cat's litter boxes are in my bathroom, and even though they are cleaned daily, with 3 cats, there is always a bit of au-naturale kitty fragrance in my room. (hint-kitty pee or poop)
The Tri-Scent does a really nice job of helping to make the scent of cat much less noticeable.

I really like this product, the scents are not overwhelming unless you turn it way up, which I made the mistake of doing the first time I plugged it in.
I didn't realize it was set on high, and when I went back to my room an hour later, I was bowled over by how strong it was.
Other people may find the highest setting is just perfect in a very large open room where the scent needs to try and fill up a large space.

The way the Tr-Scents work is to change through the 3 different fragrances it comes with, Relaxing Waves, Beach Breezes, and Ocean Oasis, every 45 minutes.
So every 45 minutes the scent that comes out is uniquely different, but matches the other two scents, and gives you a nice change in how your room smells.
I find this changing of scent really nice while I'm sleeping at night.

I would buy this product again, and will probably buy the refill kits for it.
I will only use it in my bedroom and will have to unplug it when my sister comes over because she is allergic to very strong perfume type scents.
Air fresheners really bother her allergies, and give her like an instant migraine when she walks into a house with any type of air freshener in them.
I had a few air fresheners plugged in 2 years ago when I went in for my surgery, and when I came home they were gone completely from my house.
My sister had unplugged them and threw them away. *laughs*
I should have unplugged them before leaving, I knew they bothered her, but it slipped my mind with everything I had going on.
Now I know to unplug and turn off any air fresheners before she comes over.
It's part of the reason I ask her to give me a warning phone call.
I don't want to bother her allergies.

---

June 18, 2008

Snap Capp review.

When I saw the soda can caps, Snap Capp, posted on Dyane's blog, I was like cool, I could really use those.
I buy and drink soda from cans because it is cheaper to buy cans than it is bottles, but with a can, it can lose it's carbonation rather rapidly.
So went to the site Dyane posted, and ordered my own 3-pack.

The Snap Capps came today, and of course I had to immediately try them out.
The 3-pack we got came in 1 blue, (Sebastian) 1 green, (Mark) and 1 purple, (Me) 1 for each of us.
Click here to see how they work, they are very cool.
It was $9.99 for the 3-pack, and $7.19 for FedEx delivery, (the cheapest on the list) but in the long run it will save money over all because there will be no more wasted cans of soda when they lose their fizz.
You can also buy them at Walgreen's for $2.50 each, and at the official site, they are working on getting the on line ordering page set up.

I know that once my soda loses the fizz, I'm no longer wanting to drink it, I absolutely hate flat soda, so with a bottle cap on it, it stays fresh.
I'll be able to keep a cap on it, it won't lose carbonation, and when I'm ready for bed, I can just make sure my cap is on tight and stick it in the fridge.
Come morning, my soda will still be fresh.
I'm quite impressed with these so far, and knowing that the teens and I won't be wasting any more soda because they lost the fizzy fun, and money, I know that these will be in constant use.
They are plastic and can just be rinsed out under the faucet too, easy to clean!
Oh! And because of having an air tight seal around the can, and a good tight twist on/off cap, they do not spill!
I tested this, and there are no leaks at all, so it's perfect for your kids and teens, no more spilled sticky soda messes!

We've been using them all day since they were delivered this morning, and they really do work.
Not a single one of the 3 sodas I've had today, has lost it's fizz at all.
And maybe I'm just thinking it happens, but the sodas actually feel like they are staying colder longer.
Maybe they are because no cold can escape, and no heat get in.
I dunno.
But I really love these and will probably buy a few more just to have on hand or in case one accidentally gets tossed.
I can totally see that happening with the teens.
So yeah, love 'em, and if you drink soda or heck, even beer from cans, you should try these, they really do work.

So thanks Dyane for posting about these, I would have never even known they existed if you hadn't.

---

June 11, 2008

Ergo what?

When I got my first little baby computer, an Emachine, back when I first moved here in 1997, I had it set up much like I do now, except that every time I was on my computer, my right shoulder and arm would hurt after about an hour of using it.
It made me not want to be on it at all, and I loved being on it just as much as i still love it today. *hugs the tower lovingly named Ace*

I complained to my sister about it, and she said it was because of the mouse I was using.
It was a standard 2 button mouse and a mouse pad.
When you have one of those, you are moving your arm and hand all over the place to click around on the screens, and the way I was sitting combined with the way I was moving my arm, was causing me pain.

So she explained to me what computer ergonomics was, and took me to a store to get a mouse I wouldn't have to do that much moving with.
She bought me an ergonomic trackball mouse that day, and I've never looked back.
It instantly felt better, my shoulder and arm never hurt again.
In the last 11 years, I've now been through 2 of those trackball mice, and when this one dies, I'll just get another one just like it.
You should totally try an ergonomic mouse if you are having pain in your wrists, shoulder, or arm after being on the computer.
Trust me, it will make you feel tons better!

---

June 6, 2008

Secret Clinical Strength

It is so damn hot here in Florida in the summer months, that even if you're not normally a heavy sweater, you will be perspiring more than usual.
My mom sends me coupons all the time, and in one of the batches about a month ago, was a $3.00 off coupon for Secret Clinical Strength deodorant.

It's more expensive than the regular Secret, about $8.99, so I saved a few bucks using the coupon.
I've been using it almost daily since I bought it, alternating between the regular and the clinical for comparison, and I gotta tell ya, this product does what it says.
On the days I wore the regular and it was steamy, balmy-hot and humid out, my pits felt a bit moist.
Gross visual I know, but I also know that you know what I'm talking about.
On the days I wore the clinical, no dampness, no perspiration, not even a drip of sweat from the 'ol arm pits.
This stuff works and it works really well.

I've tried the maximum strength of at least 10 different antiperspirants, and I've even tried Maxim, which was sorta sticky feeling, and the Secret Clinical Strength works better than all of them.
I'm way impressed with it.
So if you're the type of woman who sweats a lot and you're tired of trying a million different brands, or even getting a prescription for the heavy duty medical strength antiperspirant, give the Secret a try, it works really awesome.

---

May 17, 2008

Ok, here's some dirt.

I am so freaking amazed by my new vacuum, and I know I sound like a total dork for loving this thing, but check this out!
I ran it the first time and it filled the bag less canister, it was to the top with cat hair and dirt.
I had been running a vac nearly every single day or the Roomba, and I am appalled at what both those vacuums did not pick up out of the carpet.
Look at this.
This is the second run of the new vac going over the dining and living rooms.
This is just so gross!

That is the deep down dirt and hairs that my Eureka upright and the Roomba did not get out.
They couldn't get deep down into the carpet fibers, and this cheap $50 vac can.
It is simply amazing to me just how much dirt and hair, and is that white stuff like dead skin or something?!?
Ack!
Seriously, this cheap vac is just incredible, it has the most awesome suction I've (obviously) ever used in this house.
Every time I run it, it sucks out even more deep down dirt that the other vacs left behind and didn't have the sucking power to get out.
So gross, but man, the carpet looks so good now, and it feels better.
It feels softer when you walk on it, it looks fluffier too.

---

May 15, 2008

Holy dirt grossness!

I told you all how I bought myself a new Dirt Devil Breeze Bagless Upright for $50 on Amazon.com, because my other vac died and the Roomba, while convenient, just can't pick up all the dirt and cat hair unless you empty it a gazillion times while it's running.

UPS actually delivered to my house today like the said they would.
Miracle or miracles! Hallelujah!
It came while Sebastian and I were at Publix getting the food shopping done.
We came home and put all the groceries away, and then I rested for a few minutes before putting it together.
This was so damn easy to do!
Just 4 screws, that's it, it basically snaps together.
I had it out of the box and built within 5 minutes.

As you can see, it's a little bit taller than a standard door knob height, and it's very, very lightweight.
After building it I decided to give it a go and see how this $50 vac would do.
OMG gross.
I have vacuumed my house nearly every single day with a regular vac, until it died of course, and have been running the Roomba every single day since it died.
I figured the carpet wouldn't be that bad.
How wrong I was.

I was going to take a picture of the dirt it collected, but once I saw just how much of it there was and just how dirty (it was black, like straight up black) the dirt was, I was like oh hell no!
I am not showing the whole world what this Dirt Devil just sucked out of my rugs that have been getting vacuumed every single day since April 23rd by the Roomba.
Mortified.
Horrified.
I was in total disbelief at just how much dirt and cat hair this thing sucked out of the carpet.
It was freaking amazing!

This really cheap $50 vac can suck!
It has some truly powerful suction going on.
I have a dark colored circular throw rug in the kitchen which just collects the cat's hair, and the Roomba was only getting some of it, but the rug had like this film of hair all over it.
One pass using this Dirt Devil, and I could clearly see the deep dark blue of the rug again.
I cleaned the whole thing, it looks brand new again.
I only went over the living and dining room and the throw rug once, and then stopped to see how the bag-less cup was doing.
It was full.
Unfreakingreal.
I called Sebastian out to take a look and he was grossed out too.
It was seriously full to the rim with cat hair and dirt, not to mention the probable thousands of dust mites that were living in my rugs all this time.
I cannot wait to use it again tomorrow and see how much it collects on it's second trip around the house.
I am also wondering just how many passes it's going to take to get all that nasty dirt mostly out of the carpets.

This is seriously the best cheap vacuum I have ever owned, and far superior to the Eureka upright that I had been using for the last 10 years.

---

May 11, 2008

Just Answer.com

As some of my readers may know, I was growing with concern about my cat Kali's health.
While she sleeps, she sort of shudders every few minutes.
So I set about to trying to research this on line before making a call to the vet.

I found Just Answer.com, and asked my question.
You choose what kind of expert you need an answer from in a drop down box, which is a HUGE list, and are connected to those experts who are on line.
There were 9 feline experts on line at the time I asked my question.
It is a pay to use site, but you only pay if you are satisfied with the answer of the experts who are online.
Your questions are answered by real people, experts in their field, in real time.
It can take up to an hour to get a response, but it's usually within 30 minutes according to the "waiting room" page you get after asking your question.
The fees are $9 if you are on a budget, $15, and then $30.
You can also pay them a bonus amount of your choosing, if you really liked the answer.
They also credit your account with 10% of what you pay, so if I ever need to ask another question, I won't have to pay as much.
Between my question and subsequent replies, I have a credit of $2.90 in my account.

Lori was the feline expert who answered my question.
She has 14 years health care mgmt & issues relating to cats, reproductive issues and multi-cat environments.
You can see her profile by clicking the link on her name.

This is what I asked.

I have a 10 year old female long hair cat. While she sleeps, her body sort of shudders, like little shivers every few minutes. Should I be concerned and take her to the vet?

Within less than 10 minutes, Lori had replied to my question with the following;

There is probably nothing at all wrong. What you are seeing is quite common, HOWEVER, it can also signal possible neurological issues, so it definitely wouldn't hurt to have your vet check your girl out, especially since she is getting older. After age 7 or 8, it's a good idea to take your pet in for a checkup ever 12 to 18 months, just to make certain all is well.

I wouldn't make an emergency appointment, but I would definitely schedule an appointment for a checkup in the next week or so, just to give her a clean bill of health. Make sure you let your vet know your concerns. Please let me know how things turn out and if I can help further!

It was a fast and reassuring answer, but also let me know that I should take her in for a well checkup anyway, just to make sure.
Some additional details were provided with my original question in the form of a drop down box when you first submit your questions.
They ask how old, the breed, gender, and another box to submit any additional info you think will be helpful.
I said in that box, that other than the shuddering, Kali appears healthy, she has a normal healthy appetite, her bowel movements are normal, and no noticeable urinary problems, she keeps herself very well groomed, and this is my only concern.

I was very pleased with Lori's very fast reply to my concern, so I accepted her answer and the $9 deposit I had made using paypal was accepted and transferred to their accounting.
They accept paypal and all major credit cards.

I will call our vet in the morning to schedule her for a check up, but I do feel a lot better now knowing that this is quite common in older cats, but also to not just brush it off.
I would definitely recommend this site to anyone who has cats and has a concern, or anyone who has a question about just about anything.
That list of experts is really long, so you're sure to get the answer you are looking for.

---

May 10, 2008

Untapped.

In the world of blogging lately, "mommy bloggers" are getting mega attention.
Advertisers are falling all over themselves to get these moms of babies and toddlers to pimp out their diapers, baby shoes, potties and a gazillion other products on their blogs.
But what about the untapped market of the moms of teens?
Have you any idea how much teenagers cost?

Teens ask for more high end, high priced items, yet advertisers are paying no attention to these other "mommy blogs".
Do they not realize the value of these teens?
Babies and toddlers have absolutely no say in what products they wear on their butts or feet, what toys or DVDs mommy pops in the DVD player, or what kind of yogurt you feed them.

Teens on the other hand, want the more expensive items like ipods, DVD players and tvs in their rooms.
They want the high priced shoes and the latest in style clothes.
They want the gaming systems and the expensive games to go with it.

There's been a lot of uproar to go along with all this mommy blogging stuff too.
Some moms are getting invited to attend major "mommy events", getting tons of free products, free trips etc, and some of the moms aren't.
I haven't been following the whole thing intently because well, my kids are teens, I admittedly haven't been paying much attention.
But the stories are starting to spread.
Some moms are totally pissed off that they didn't get an invite, they aren't getting products, and the moms that are getting this stuff, are getting right snippy back with these other moms who are sniping at them over it.
I read something the other day about something called Camp Baby, and let's just say there have been some nasty comments going back and forth amongst the moms going and the moms who are not going.
And then there's the whole writing of stories and articles.
I was asked if I wanted to write a few articles a month for various sites about being a single mom raising men, but for no pay.
When I asked if the moms of babies and toddlers get paid, the answer was yes.
Why are they getting paid yet the moms of teens won't be?
Am I pissed off about it?
No, but it does send a very tell-tale message that mothers of older children are not valued in the same way as mothers of babies and toddlers.

When did it get like this?
Why are adverts only listening to a few of these moms voices?
Why are only certain moms getting the invites and products?
And yes, why are moms of teens completely ignored in this market?

I thought perhaps one of the reasons may be that some teens demand privacy, that they no longer think it's cool that mom is blasting their pictures and stories up all over their blogs, and while it's true for some teen mom blogs, not all.
Like my teens don't really give it a care, I've been blogging about them for 10 years now, they are quite used to it.
There are some issues they ask me not to blog about, but mostly they don't care.
When they do ask me to respect their privacy, I do, and will not ever cross that line.
But for the most part, it's fair game around here and they know it.

But back to the advertising.
Advertisers are totally missing this untapped market of higher end stuff.
Teens want and wear the collectible Jordan's, the name brand everything in clothes, they want the biggest and best ipods available, the newest gaming systems and games, and where are the adverts for them?
Do advertisers realize just how much teenagers can spend or want their parents to spend?
I'm not saying I would pimp out every single product if it were offered, but yeah, throw some of those advertising dollars to these moms of teens with blogs.
The teens can actually provide real feedback about the items, love them or hate them.
Babies and toddlers will eat the yogurt and say yum, but a teen will tell you with brutal honesty if you have the best snack foods, the best soda, the coolest and hippest shoes and clothes, cell phones and a multitude of other items.
They are the current and future buyers of the high end products with their moms currently footing the bills.

---

May 4, 2008

Getting a good deal on an mp3 player.

Is your kid or teen begging you for an mp3 player, and they want the one everyone else has?
Well if spending that kind of money is out of the question for you like it is for me, (heck, I couldn't even spend that kind of money on an mp3 player for myself!) you can still get the kid a really great mp3 player that won't break the budget.

Buy.com has awesome weekly deals on all kinds of great products, and they have a really good price right now on a SanDisk Sansa clip 2gb mp3 player in black.
I myself have a SanDisk Sansa clip 1gb mp3 player, and I love it!
The one pictured above is identical to the one I have, except that it's the 2gb pictured.
You can't tell the difference in physical appearance, but inside is where it counts.

The SanDisk can hold so many music files, and the quality of playback is exceptional.
The earbud headphones are very comfortable to use, not hard like some others I've had.
Not only is the Sandisk Sansa clip an mp3 player, it also has an FM radio tuner with 40 preset channels, but you can easily do a scan search to find your favorite local radio stations.

It also has a microphone for recording yourself notes to playback later.
I've actually used mine to record my grocery list and play it back while grocery shopping.
That way I never forget anything, and because I can listen to the playback in my earbuds, no one knows what I'm listening to, they think I'm jamming out to music in the store.
It's not like one of those pocket recorders that plays it back at full deaf person volume for everyone to hear like in those commercials.

The battery is internal, never needs to be changed, and it charges by hooking it up to your pc through the usb cord that comes with it.
It has 15 continuous hours of playback too.
It holds the charge for a really long time.
I keep mine on my nightstand and listen to it every night before falling asleep, and I only have to recharge it once a week.

It needs Windows XP or Vista to work on your pc, and comes with everything you need to make it work, the manual, usb cord, the earbuds, and installation cd, which I actually didn't install.
I just plugged mine into my XP pc, and Windows just knew what to do.
It's super easy to copy your mp3 files over to your Sandisk mp3 player too.
It's as easy as plugging it in to the usb cord, wait for the window to pop up, and then go into your music folder to find your files.
Once you have a file you want to add, just click on copy this file.
Windows asks you where you want to copy the file to, so you just browse the list and find the Sandisk mp3 player, it's music folder, and click ok.
Bam! Super easy!

So anyway, if your kid is begging for an mp3 player for their upcoming birthday or just because, and you don't want to or can't spend a crazy amount of money on one, go check out Buy.com and look through the weekly deals or click the direct link I gave you.
This is an awesome little mp3 player.
It may be super small in size, (slightly larger than a golf ball in height) but it boasts super big sound and features.
I love mine and everyone asks me about it, and when I tell them, they can't believe it costs so little yet sounds so good.

---

May 3, 2008

MP3 Rocket review.

I found and downloaded a product called MP3 Rocket, to get some free music downloads.
I downloaded the free version so I could test it out, and I was very impressed with it.
Every song I searched for, was found, and downloading was quick and easy.
The song files were great quality, I was able to upload them to my Sansadisk mp3 player with no problems.
As with any file sharing program or just an in-general rule when you download from the internet, always run a virus scan on the file before adding it to your music collection.
I haven't run into any corrupted or virus-packed files yet, but it's a caution anyone with a net connection should do.

The free version comes packed with an add-on toolbar, but you can opt out of that which I was happy about.
I don't want or need another toolbar, so it's really nice to be able to opt out of extra features you don't want or need.

Some of the other features it boasts are streaming radio and television, and a few games you can play.
While the games have a time limit, the streaming radio and tv do not, so if you missed a favorite show last week, you can watch it using MP3 Rocket.
I prefer internet radio to over-air radio broadcasts, so the streaming radio is a great extra built in feature for me.
I can listen to music while I'm downloading music.
The program loads very quickly when starting it up too.

Over all, I'm very impressed with MP3 Rocket.
I love music, I love getting free music, and so this is a great program, a legal one, that will allow me to have all the songs I want without having to fear the RIAA coming after me.

---

April 9, 2008

Grossest chicken ever. Popeyes Chicken.

I had never eaten at Popeye's Chicken before, but everyone kept telling me how awesome it is, so today after doing a little shopping, we stopped and picked some up.

I honestly don't think I've ever tasted worse chicken in my entire life.
It was greasy, and had a nasty flavor to it that I can't even describe.
And the mashed potatoes and gravy.
Barf.
What the hell did they put in the gravy?
It was so gross.
I know they pride themselves on Cajun flavor, but I've had Cajun chicken before, and this stuff is just disgusting.

I do have to say though that their customer service was excellent.
They were quick, they didn't make any mistakes with our order, the staff was pleasant and courteous, and even offered us large cups of ice cold water because it was so hot out.

So the food sucks but the service was great.
Can't win 'em all.

---

April 6, 2008

Who cares if they're free? They're still radicals!

About a month ago, I told you I would be receiving a free sample of a new antioxidant to try out from a company called Biotivia.

It came just a few days after I made that post, and I've been taking it every day since.
Well, almost everyday which explains a few things with my energy levels.

I've been taking a product called BioQuench, it's a super antioxidant which quenches those free radicals which may cause illnesses, and which can cause oxidative stress.

BioQuench contains Trans-resveratrol 75%, which is a great product on it's own and contains no synthetic or genetically-engineered compounds.
But, it also has apple skin extract, Goji berry extract, pomegranate, mangosteen, grape seed extract, and alpha lipoic acid.
When all of these ingredients are combined together, they provide amazing super antioxidant support and radical scavenging abilities, to help your body fight off toxins from pollution, smoking, and other harmful substances which can make you sick.

I started taking it every day beginning the day I got it, and in about a week I noticed a change in my energy levels.
I definitely had more of it and I started sleeping better.
More energy means I'm doing more and therefore getting tired and sleeping through the night.
On days I forgot to take it, I noticed a lull in energy, a feeling of just being really tired.
Yesterday was one of those days, so that may explain what was wrong with me yesterday.
I woke up this morning and it was like a light bulb ah-ha moment, oh yeah, i didn't take my BioQuench yesterday, d'oh!

I'd have to say for me, it's made an improvement in how I feel and how I look.
My skin has been looking better, and so has my hair and nails.
Maybe getting rid of all those toxic free radicals is where it's at in looking good and feeling good.

---

April 4, 2008

All for under $100.

We went to Bealls, and I did ok.
They are having a huge 30%- 70% off sale, and I got a couple colors I don't generally wear, but I figure at least from now on, I'll have some "Sarasota PTA soccer mom" clothes for those times when I have to look the part.

2 pairs of really light cotton capri pants, 1 pair in natural, 1 pair in black. 40% off.
1 pair of light "cammo green" surfer shorts, with a pretty little pattern on the pockets. 40% off.
1 brown t-shirt material, very lightweight, dressy-front shirt. 30% off.
1 black cotton t-shirt. 30% off.
1 pair new black leather sandals with a slight heel. 30% off.
My sister Jo bought me the sandals and the natural color capri pants as a late birthday present, but all of the items together still came out to less than $100.

Then when I got home, the handbag I ordered from Amazon was here.
I had ordered a Vitalio Vera satchel handbag, for $39.95.
I needed a new purse, and I had spent days looking at handbags in stores and on line, when I finally found this one.
I loved the way it looked, so I bought it.

A bag in a bag. Odd. I don't think I've ever bought a purse that comes in it's own cloth bag before. Told y'all I'm not in to fashion stuff. Maybe all "good" bags come in their own bags.
Do they? hahaha

The shoulder straps have an 8" inch drop, and the front closure with that little accent hang-down, is magnetic closure.

It has one main zipper that opens to a center zippered pocket, then 2 side open areas, and 1 side zippered pocket.

Then on the back, there is another small zippered pocket for change or a cell phone, or keys.

It's a very sturdy bag, but very soft. It's not real leather, but it looks and feels like it is.
There's a ton of room in it for all my junk, I like it.

---

March 27, 2008

Amazing testimonials.

This does fall under product reviews, because the people who send in their testimonials to Wiley X, are real world users who encountered dangerous situations, and their sunglasses protected their eyes.
This had been discussed on the local forums, so I went to the site to read even more testimonials.
For an example,

it was thirteen 155 artilery rounds and 10 to 12 morders(250 pounds of raw explosives.) i was the gunner on the lead vehicle. 20 feet from the bomb . im getting to is the the goggles work they saved my left eye. thanks wiley x. i think all military should wears these goggles

Take a look at just one example of these glasses amazing eye protection.
I'm seriously impressed.
They don't break, shatter, or fall apart even under military fire.

---

March 25, 2008

Lean Cuisine Flatbread melts.

When I went to Publix the other day, they were out of the chicken club paninis that I liked, so I decided to try the same flavor in the Flatbread Melts.
Bad mistake.
The flatbread melts are quite nasty.
The bread does NOT do well being microwaved like it says you're supposed to.
It gets gummy, like super chewy, and it has a gross taste to it.
The contents, the chicken, tomatoes, cheese and ranch sauce were fine, so I lightly toasted a slice of regular bread, and scraped the contents off the flatbread, and onto the toast, and folded it over, and ate it like that.

Next time, if they are out of the paninis, I'll buy something else.
The Flatbread Melts from Lean Cuisine, get a huge thumbs down.
Gag.

---

March 11, 2008

Amazon's MP3 downloads.

Have any of you checked out Amazon MP3 downloads yet?

Our house drinks a ton of Pepsi products, (we do drink Coke too, it's really whatever is on sale) and so we've been getting the Pepsi codes, which you enter on your Amazon MP3 Pepsi page.
If you're logged into your Amazon account, it's automatically synced up, and you enter your codes.
The codes are basically 1 point each, it's 5 points per mp3 download.
They even have digital tv show downloads which are 12 Pepsi points each.

So anyway, I've been wracking up the points for weeks now, and I entered all the codes, and had enough for 10 mp3s.
Not bad.
So I go through and start picking out songs to download.
I find one I want, and click buy with my Pepsi points.
It has this Amazon downloader tool thing, and then it automatically opens itunes and deposits your songs in your itunes library, as well as a new folder in your my music folder, labeled Amazon mp3.

I really do not like that itunes automatically opens, and that's where it goes.
It would be a lot better if we could determine where the file goes.
I even tried saving to disk and then opening the Amazon downloader to unpack the file, and it still opens itunes.

Yo! Amazon!
Not everyone has an ipod, and not everyone uses itunes as their default music library.
Let the consumer decide where and how we open our music files we bought and paid for.
And yes, I did buy them.
I drink like gallons of Diet Pepsi.
I go through a 12 pack every 3 days for one lousy freaking point.
I'd say I earned the right to decide where I put my purchased music files, and how I open them.
Thanks.
Having to copy each and every file, and then paste it into my music folder on drive D, is a step that could totally be avoided if they just let us decide where we put them.
The only reason I even have itunes is so that Quicktime will work.
I have never shopped at itunes, and probably never will.
And ya know, itunes already has a music store, why do they need to have another one on Amazon?
Why couldn't Amazon just let people buy music without the extra crap of itunes?
Huh?
HUH!?!?

Oh, sorry, where was I?
Oh yeah, the actual mp3 files.
They are real, they are not protected, which means that they will play on every mp3 player, and not just ipods.

There's another thing that really annoys me about downloading music files.
The way they are labeled.
I hate the track number first, then the artist, then the song title.
They all look like this;
14- Janes Addiction & Ice_T- Dont call me nigger whitey
Oh, that may be a bad example. Sorry, I just chose at random from the mp3s I have.
Let's pick another one.
05-Tool-Forty Six & 2.
See that number in front?
Hate it.

Why?
Because I don't keep all my music in separate album folders, I keep all my mp3s in one huge folder, and I list it alphabetically.
So this number crap, makes every single download with a number, appear in the list by the songs with numbers first, and then alphabetically by band name.
Sooo, I have about 10 songs with 01, 10 songs with 02, 10 songs with 03 etc etc etc, and then, it goes into alphabetically by band name.
See, like this;
Click to embiggen

I don't like that.
The OCD in me absolutely hates it!
It's not perfect alphabetical order, and I cannot stand it, so I have slowly been working on renaming every single one of those files, to remove the number and make sure the band name is first, then song title.
And can you see?
Some of the files don't even have the band's name in the file name!
I have to add those.
Talk about time consuming, but I have to do it.
I really cannot leave them as is, I get so annoyed looking at that list like that.

Ok, ran off on a tangent.
Sorry about that!
This is about Amazon's mp3 downloads.
They are decent priced, single songs range from .89 cents to .99 cents, and full cds range from $4.99 to $9.00 and up.
They download quickly, the quality of the files is really good.
My only issue is with itunes automatically opening. (itunes opens, and then pops up every single time the Amazon downloader finishes downloading and moves the file to your itunes library)
If Amazon would get rid of that, and just let us put the files where we want and open them with whatever player we want, I'd be totally 100% on board with it.

Will I use it again?
Probably, but it'd be a lot better if they got rid of the itunes library opening and popping up after every song finishes downloading.

---

March 8, 2008

Turbo Ion's The Croc Flat Iron product review.

Almost every woman I know uses flat irons to get their hair perfectly straight, and me being a curly-headed girl my entire life, I have never known what truly flat and straight hair on me would look like.
Now I know.
I was fortunate enough to receive one of these flat irons to review, and I absolutely love it!

First let me tell you a little bit about Turbo Ion's The Croc Flat Iron.
It's a 1.5 inch ionic ceramic plate flat iron, with an 8 foot super sturdy cord that swivels.
The cord does not get tangled, it doesn't get all kinked up when you put it away.
It came in this itty bitty box, and the cord just fell loose and tangle free, when I removed it from the package.

It adjusts in temperature all the way up to 420 degrees.
Even at that high temp, the handle stays cool to the touch, and it heats up quickly, within 10 seconds, it was up to 420, and ready to go.
It has the industry's most advanced Nano-fine ceramic heating element, and it uses infrared heat and ion ventilating holes.

A few women I know told me that because of how long and thick my hair was, that there was no way a 1.5 inch plate would be able to handle my hair, and it would take a really long time.
Not so with this flat iron at all.
Start to finish, it only took me 30 minutes.

This is my hair today after taking a shower and letting it dry naturally for close to 5 hours.
The only thing I put in it was Infusium, like I always do, to attempt to keep it frizz free.
My hair is really thick and naturally curly.
It's very long, down to the middle of my back.

Then I started to use the flat iron, and you can see the immediate results.
It's flat, straight, and frizz free!

This is my hair just 30 minutes later, completely flat, completely straight, frizz free, and even longer than it normally is!

I have never owned a flat iron before, and never had my hair straightened by friends, or at a salon.
I was concerned that because of how thick my hair was, and how long it was, that using a flat iron was going to be difficult to use and take a long time.
The Turbo Ion's The Croc Flat Iron was really easy to use, fast, and did an amazing job.

When my hair is curly and dry, running a brush through it wouldn't make it look better, it would cause it to 'poof', and look like a lions mane.
For the first time ever, I can run a brush through my dry hair, and it does not get tangled up, it doesn't frizz out, the brush just glides through effortlessly, and my hair looks amazing.
Not only does the Turbo Ion's The Croc Flat Iron make my hair look incredible, it feels incredible.
It is silky smooth to the touch, it has shine, and does not feel dried out at all.

I am so impressed with the Turbo Ion's The Croc Flat Iron!
This is probably the best my hair has ever looked and felt in my entire life.
This product gets horns high for being an absolutely rockin' product!

Continue Reading �

---

February 8, 2008

Book review and give-a-way!

Trey Ellis is an African-American single father, blogger, and author.
He shared with me a copy of his latest book Bedtime Stories: Adventures in the Land of Single-Fatherhood.
I received it last week, and spent time reading it cover to cover.
What I found was something I wasn't expecting.

Book description from Amazon,

How is a single dad supposed to navigate a new girlfriend into and out of his California king without his son or daughter noticing? For Trey Ellis, steering his way through the unfamiliar nuances of the contemporary dating scene is sometimes a nerve-racking exercise in intra-familial spycraft. But the rewards of being a dad, as any parent knows, easily outweigh any hardships. In a world where African-American fathers are relentlessly portrayed as absent without leave, this irresistible memoir is both a tribute to all those loving, nurturing, black men who are undaunted by the responsibilities of fatherhood and an utterly charming male nonfiction.

Just as the description says, this is a world where African-American fathers are portrayed as absent from their kids lives, going on the Maury show to prove they 'ain't da babies daddy', and running around not caring about the children that are confirmed as theirs, so when I read this work of non-fiction, I was immediately enamored with it.

Trey Ellis is a loving, caring, single father trying to find his way, find a way to pick up the pieces of his life after his wife left, and find someone to love again, all the while being a great dad to his children.
It's an honest memoir, right down to some embarrassing moments that all single parents face. I found myself shocked at how honest he was, but nodding along, even laughing, saying to myself, oh gawd, I've had that happen to me!
The modern dating scene for single parents, is nerve-wracking, and if you do start dating, what about the kids? When do you introduce them, how, should you do it at all? Ack!
Changing diapers, frozen dinners, those moments late at night when it's just you, your thoughts, and a can of pepsi. Those moments when you wonder if you're strong enough to do this and then realize, you have to no matter what.

I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful memoir, and I know my single parent, and non-single parent readers alike, will love it as well.
That's why I'm having another give-a-way.
If you would like to have this book, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post between now and Sunday February 10th, at 10pm EST.
I will close the comments, and draw a winner on Monday morning.
That's it, no complicated rules, just leave a comment saying you'd like to have it.
Please make sure your email address is valid, and that you can provide a mailing address if you are the winner.
Your information is protected in accordance with my privacy policy.
It's a really great book, honest, heart-warming, real.

Thank you so much Trey for sharing it with me. And now with my readers.
Many wishes for much success.

---

February 1, 2008

Digiorno- Pizza- Microwave rising crust four cheese.

I knew the teens wouldn't be home tonight, so I only picked up something for myself for dinner tonight, and chose this pizza, the Digiorno- Pizza- Microwave rising crust four cheese flavor.
It looked good, it says 9.9oz, big box, price $3.99, says it's 2 servings.
I figured I could eat half for dinner, and half for lunch tomorrow.
Yes, it's totally bad for me, coming in at 370 calories a serving, and 2 servings per package.
Half tonight, half for lunch tomorrow. I could work it off.
Uh-huh.
Check this.
The box size is incredibly deceiving.

That's a huge difference in size of box and size of the actual product.
I thought if the pizza is that big, then the calories for 2 servings would be legit right? Wrong.

Look at the size of the thing!
Ok, so a total rip off on the size, but maybe the taste will be worth it.
I cook it on the special box thingy and with the special crisping ring thingy you place on top of the pizza, for 5 minutes like it says.
At just 4 minutes, I smelled burning.
I took it out of the microwave and it had burned the whole way around where the special "crisping ring" was placed on top of the pizza.

I figure I'll just eat the middle of this tiny, now burnt, little pizza.
It tasted like garbage.
The crust tasted like just pure flour, no seasoning, no flavor.
The sauce was salty, oh my word salty.
And the cheese was gross.
I tossed it in the trash after one bite.
It was that bad.

Save your money folks, the Totinos pizzas have more flavor and cook better than these things do.

---

January 26, 2008

Logo Yes? Yes!

I wish I had known about LogoYes and their logo design creator for business cards before I had mine made up.
The logo creator was really easy to use, there are literally hundreds of logos to choose from. I spent nearly an hour going through them all, and was simply amazed at just how many they have.

Once you find the logo of your liking, you can match the colors, the style of the card, change the size of the logo, the font, the size of the font, and really create a logo to start branding your business.
The logo creator is very flexible. If you make a mistake or don't like the way it looks, just click the back button on the creator or the number of the step you want to change, and bam! You're right back to where you want to change that item. Maybe the font wasn't right, or the logo was the wrong size, it's easy to change any part of the design you want to make different.

I took a screenshot of one of the designs I was working on to show you how easy it is.

I didn't add all my personal information for this display because there are certain things like my address and telephone number, that I don't want to be quite so public on my blog, but I can go back in and add all those things, change up the color and sizes before selecting to purchase my cards.
I'm not even sure if this is the logo I want to stick with. I am going to go back and look through all the various categories again and try several different designs and colors before making my final selection.
The logo creator is fun to use as well. It's quick, easy to understand, so simple to use, anyone could do it.

I really wish I had known about this site before I had my cards made up, I would have been able to truly customize my cards, brand my name to better suit what I do, and have a truly unique card unlike anyone else out there.
I may just go ahead and make some up anyway. I could have two sets of business cards to use.

---

January 16, 2008

Incoco Dry Nail Applique' part 2.

I just wanted to update this entry I wrote, on Incoco Dry nail Applique' polish.

As I said in my review, they were super easy to apply, match the right size, and I said I'd come back to let you know how long they really last.
They say they will last up to 14 days, and they are absolutely correct!
I probably could have gotten more than 14 days out of them if I didn't wash my dishes by hand.

Because I love these so much, and I want you to love them too, I'm giving away 1 package of these in the color Rose Tea, as pictured below.

This is a super duper, quickie fast give-a-way.
If you want this package, you need to leave a comment on this entry no later than 8pm tonight, EST.
I will then draw 1 lucky name, and will post the winner and request their mailing address.
In accordance with my privacy policy, your mailing address will only be used by me to send you this give-a-way.

You still also have until Friday night to enter both the Mad Money Swag give-a-way, and the Bed Bath and Beyond $25 gift card give-a-way. And don't forget, to get 2 entries on the gift card give-a-way, all you have to do is leave a comment on that entry, and write a post on your blog about the contest, and let me know.

Y'all just may want to add me to your feed reader or bookmark my blog.
This is looking to be the year of give-a-ways on My Single Mom Life.

---

January 11, 2008

Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon? I sure do!

I was asked to try two different flavors of Grey Poupon mustard, and give my honest opinion of them.
They came in the mail yesterday afternoon, and so for lunch today, we all had Tavern Ham and cheese sandwiches, with the spicy brown mustard on them.
The hearty spicy brown mustard has a really nice spicy kick to it, even Mark who generally doesn't like mustard on sandwiches, thought it was really tasty.
Sebastian loves mustard, generally the plain yellow, but he loved this one a lot.

I have not always been a fan of brown mustards, I grew up with my dad only having one brown mustard in the house, and man, I hated it. Little jar, red label, oldest mustard sold nationally in the U.S. ?
Yeah, that one.
I ate ketchup on everything instead of that red label mustard.
So I was a little hesitant about trying another spicy brown mustard.
I got some nice Chicago Italian bread slices, layered on some thin ham slices, a slice of American cheese, and a teaspoon of the spicy brown mustard.
I was pleasantly surprised.
Unlike the red labeled mustard my dad loved so much, this didn't have that same super bitter taste to me, it was spicy, and it was good.

Tonight, I decided to try the harvest coarse ground in a recipe.
I made unfried chicken, and it can be made using pretty much any sauce you like, or just eggs to hold the coating on.

Crush 2 cups of plain corn flakes in a bag or bowl, whatever is easiest for you.

Place 3 tbs of the mustard on a plate and rub each chicken leg in the mustard.

Then roll and coat each leg in the crushed corn flakes and place on a cooking sprayed baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.
Then plate up and enjoy!

The harvest coarse ground mustard and crushed corn flakes, help keep the chicken meat super juicy, and the mustard gave the chicken a really nice kicky flavor. It was mild at first bite, then the spice would kick in, and it was fabulous. All those mustard seeds they use pop in your mouth with flavor, sort of bursting with each bite.

Over all, the teens and I really enjoyed both flavors of the mustard. They were a nice addition to the food, and a nice switch from regular plain yellow mustard.
I'll definitely be buying more of the harvest coarse ground for future recipes.
I've come across an incredible glaze for ham a fellow blogger made with mustard, and I'm dying to try it with this one.

---

December 21, 2007

Incoco Dry Nail Appliqué rocks!

I have really long nails, and I usually keep them bare because I suck at applying nail polish, and can't afford a manicure all the time.
My hands shake, I either apply too much and end up mucking it up, or apply too little and it looks splotchy.
I had been wanting to try those press on nail polish things.
They are real nail polish in strips, pre-cut to different sizes, and you just stick them on like stickers, but it is real nail polish.
They even smell like real nail polish.
It's very cool, but I admit I was totally skeptical.
Real nail polish already cut and you just stick them on and they last?
Riiiight.

So when I was at Walgreen's last night, I spotted the Incoco Dry Nail Appliqué was on sale.
Normally $7.99 per package, on sale for just $3.99.
I figured if they sucked, I wouldn't be out too much money.
So here's what all you get in the package and how it works.

You get an instruction card, a fingernail file with an abrasive, a soft, and a buffer side, a cuticle stick, a sample pack of other colors, 20 dry nail strips, a polish removal cloth, and a package to store the rest of your nail strips and seal with that gold tape so they don't dry out.
This is real nail polish. It will dry out if let out.

You then pick out a dry nail strip to match your nail size.

Then you remove the clear plastic cover and the backing paper, and place it on your nail starting at the base of the nail, and smoothing all the way to the tip.

Once applied and completely smooth, you bend the rest of it over the tip of your nail and run your finger downward to make it fold over your nail tip. Then with the file, you file in a downward motion to 'cut' the overhang off.
And ta da! You have gorgeous polished nails in a fraction of the time and cost.
I messed up and have a fold on my ring finger nail, but there are plenty of strips in the package, so I can just remove that one and do it again.
I have to finish all the rest of my nails anyway.

I am super impressed with these.
They were so easy to do, they didn't cost a lot, and the package says they will last up to 14 days.
I'll come back and let you know how they really held after 14 days, but so far, I think they rock!

---

December 21, 2007

Cheerios cheddar snack mix has trans fat.

I was asked if I would like to try out a new snack mix from Cheerios, and I said sure why not, I have teenage boys who love to snack on chips and stuff like that, so yeah, let's do it.

I received the bag above, it's an 8oz bag, retails for approximately $2.89.
It includes multi-grain cheerios, Chex pieces, pretzel pieces, triangle shaped crackers, little bread stick shaped crackers, in a cheddar seasoning.
Each 2/3 of a cup serving contains 8 grams of whole grain, and about 60 percent less fat than potato chips.
The bag says "good source of whole grain, baked not fried."

Mark who is 16, absolutely loved these, and ate almost the entire bag except for the small amount in the bowl above, that Sebastian and I shared.
This is the bad part.

When you think Cheerios, you think healthy, because regular Cheerios cereal brags that it can help lower cholesterol, so moms everywhere will see the Cheerios name and think this is healthy.
And if you actually just eat the recommended serving size of 2/3 cup, then it's not so bad.
2/3 cup is 120 calories and 30 of those are from fat.
Why?
Because Cheerios snack mix is made with hydrogenated soybean oil.
Cheerios snack mix claims that it has no trans fats, but when it's made with hydrogenated soybean oil, it DOES have trans fat.
It also contains high fructose corn syrup, which must be metabolized in the liver, and is known to cause health problems like anemia, high cholesterol and heart hypertrophy.
Click for bigger

So if you eat just the small 2/3 cup recommended serving size, it isn't so bad, but who actually eats snack mix in the tiny weenie recommended size?
No one.
Even 1 cup of this won't satisfy most kids or adults, and if you eat more than that, you are ingesting large amounts of trans fats and high fructose corn syrup.
I am actually surprised that Cheerios is calling this a healthy snack when it is made with hydrogenated soybean oil and high fructose corn syrup.

---

December 8, 2007

Palmolive Oxy Plus + soapy residue on dishes.

I've read a ton of reviews about Palmolive Oxy Plus, and they all say, even their own website, that it does NOT leave a residue.
"I like that the liquid suds up quickly and produces copious amounts of cleaning bubbles."
It's far, far too many bubbles.
"There is no filmy residue or spots left on the dishes."
Yes there is. Tons of it.
And what the hell is with so much lather??
Dear god, it's like a bubble bath for my dishes.
I don't fill my sink with water and dish soap. I use a dish stick. You fill the dish stick with the soap, and scrub the dishes, there should not be this much soap.
See look, dish stick and excessive lather.

This is the side of the sink I actually wash the dishes in. There should not be this much lather when using the dish stick.

This is the clean silverware.

**

I have to rinse these, and rinse, and rinse and rinse.
I have to scrub them with my hands to get all the soap off.
They feel super slimy unless I use my fingers to rub off every trace of soap.
Just rinsing them so they visually have no soap on them, does not mean they have no soap.
If you don't scrub them with your hands until the slimy soap feeling is gone, the next time you eat, you will taste soap.
This applies to bowls, all the silverware, cups, plates, pots, pans, everything.
No residue my ass.
I'm seriously not impressed. If I had my receipt, I'd ask for my money back.

Continue Reading �

---

November 28, 2007

Bottle of Red, Bottle of White.*

A few days ago I received two premium bottles of wine from Gold Medal Wine's wine of the month club, to try and give my review of.

They were delivered very quickly by Fedex, and were packaged securely in shaped styrofoam, and snuggled tightly inside their shipping box.
When I got them out, I noticed how well they were each presented, wrapped in tissue paper and tied nicely with a bow matching the contents inside.
One red, one white.

They came with a beautiful gift card addressed to me, lots of informational materials, order forms, and a wine tasting score sheet postcard to mail back on each wine, with instructions on how to judge the wines.
They also came with a newsletter with all the information about the winery, Hambrecht Family Wines of California.
The newsletter also contains a few recipes that would go well with both these wine selections, and all the details of each wine, as well as information on last months wines and directions on how to see the full list of available wines.

I no longer have any nice wine glasses, I need to pick up some more for myself and for when I have guests. I had them on the shelves above my sink, and one of the cats had gone tearing through the house one day and knocked them all down.
So for this tasting, I used one of our latest collector cups from the Simpson's movie promo a few months back.
It would have been nice to use a real glass, but all mine were broken and Christine wanted to see my cups, and I'm only too happy to oblige a friend.

On to the tasting!
Let's start with the Bradford Mountain Grist Vineyard 2004 Zinfandel.
It was aged in oak for 12 months, and only 1,800 cases were produced.
This Zinfandel won several gold medals, and is very intensely flavored.
It had a brilliant appearance, a slightly musty aroma, full bodied, a mild texture, and a bit of a rough aftertaste.
At first I wasn't sure if I liked it, so I took another sip and swirled it around taking it all in.
I do like it, I think it would go with ribs, lamb, or a nice filet mignon, and/or heavy tomato pastas very well.
I then took a few minutes break making sure to completely rinse my mouth out with water, even lightly brushing my tongue, so I could taste the Chardonnay next.

The Belvedere Russian River Valley 2005 Chardonnay was aged in oak for 10 months, and 5,000 cases were produced.
It's a light yellow color, a pleasant aroma of pears and apples, and a hint of pineapple.
It has a light body, full fruity flavors, a mild texture, and a fine aftertaste.
I think it would go nicely with a garlic chicken dish and/or pasta.
Of the two, I liked the Chardonnay the best.

If I drank more often, I would definitely join this wine of the month club.
I was very impressed with both wines as well as how they were presented and shipped.
I noticed on one of the sheets enclosed, that gift packaging is available, and the boxes were gorgeously designed. The price for gift packaging was very reasonable and I could see ordering a few bottles as a gift for friends who enjoy fine wines.
I do need to go buy some new wine glasses now so that I can enjoy both these bottles over the next few weeks.

Continue Reading �

---

November 28, 2007

I love my anchor hocking bowls.

There, I said it, I admit it.
I was doing the dishes earlier and was washing out one of my Anchor Hocking mixing bowls, and realized how much I love those bowls.
Nothing sticks to them, they come clean so freaking easy.
I think I want every dish and every pan, and all the bake ware I own, to be that Anchor Hocking glass stuff.

I use those 2 quart mixing bowls for everything I make practically.
When I need the boys to get down under the cupboard and get my bowl, I just say get the glass oven ware, and they know exactly which bowl I'm talking about.
I've dropped them on the hard terrazzo floor, and they didn't break, not even chip.
They've been in the sink and had silverware or a pan thrown in on top of them and not broken.
They freaking rule!

I have used them for everything from mixing cakes and making dips, to serving hot soups or to make jello.
I've even made an ice cream crunch frozen dessert and popped those bowls in the freezer, and they don't crack or chip from the temp changes.
I want all of my dishes to be made of that stuff.
It would be awesome.

---

November 19, 2007

Fun learning toys for the girls.

I got all 3 of the girls some awesome educational toys for Christmas.
I'm so excited!
The girls are going to love them!

I got Kayla, who is my step-niece, an Alphaball.
"Electronic Word Game makes spelling and word-building practice irresistible–in English and Spanish! Players choose a language setting, spin the trackball to scramble the letters of a word, then race to solve word puzzles."
It's perfect for her. She's at the age where she's really learning to spell more words, and this game makes it fun.
It looks cool too!

For Skye I got Animal Crackups.
They are little animal puzzles in sort of big shapes, that she can take apart, and put back together again.
"Flexible, washable plastic crackers lock together easily and can be mixed and matched for creative play. Snap together a horse and a duck to make a "dorse" or a rabbit and a pig for a "rig"."

For Susan, I got an animal hospital pretend set.
She loves animals and is already playing veterinarian, so this is the perfect gift for her too!
"Role play encourages students to practice oral language and writing skills while learning about the responsibilities of caring for pets. Sturdy, tri-fold board with built-in storage pockets allows quick and secure clean-up. Includes a brown puppy to care for."

I showed my sister all the toys and she loves them.
She is always buying them learning toys from Learning Resources, she gets their catalog, and just loves everything they have, so I knew these toys were the perfect choices for the girls for Christmas.
I can't wait to give them to them!

---

November 14, 2007

Ready Brush, anywhere teeth cleaning.

Sebastian and I did make it out to the store this afternoon to get all those dry goods we needed, and we swung into Walgreen's first to pick up some more Urine Gone.
They are the only store that has it, and I'd rather just buy it locally if I can, rather than order it, but I do order it from time to time too.
I'm telling you, this stuff works on pet odors so freaking awesome!

But anyway, as we were checking out, I notice this bin at the register with a product in it called Ready Brush.
These are individually packaged toothbrushes, with toothpaste already in the bristles.
Now maybe these have been around for awhile, the cashier tells me they just got them in, but I was intrigued enough to buy one and test it out.
They are airline friendly, and made in the USA, so what the heck right?
So after our dinner of frozen pizza and frozen wings, and a movie, (best movie I've seen in years by the way) I decided to give it a test run.

It's a neat and tidy package, compact enough for travel, the toothpaste is in the bristles, just wet the brush and brush your teeth.
You can actually see the toothpaste in the bristles too.

So I turned on the water, wet the brush, and went to town cleaning the old enamel.

The package says that the bristles are soft, but they were definitely not soft when I first ran them over my teeth.
Maybe the toothpaste in the bristles made it feel hard at first, but after a few minutes of brushing they did loosen up.
The toothpaste is a nice minty flavor, not overly strong, not weak, I'd say just right.
I brushed for two minutes, spit, rinsed, and then popped the brush in my holder.
It's a good solid toothbrush, and even though it's meant to be disposable, I just couldn't see tossing it away after one use. (That's the cheapo in me)

They are .99 cents each, and I can see these as perfect for the constant traveler, the road trippers, camping, and other such events that call for a toothbrush but you don't want to have to carry a toothbrush case and a tube of paste around with you.
Just rip open, wet, and brush.
I really like the idea, and because they are airline friendly, I can really see these coming in handy on vacations.
Just grab about 5 per person for the flights and hotels, I can even see buying a few of these to tuck in my purse for when going out to dinner.
Eat, excuse yourself to the restroom, and really freshen your breath and clean your teeth instead of an after dinner mint.
I'll probably pick up a few more on my next visit to Walgreen's.

---