Torani Flavor!

New recipes are always fun to try...experimenting is a favorite thing to do around our house. When I was given the opportunity to try Torani syrups I was so excited. i received two full sized bottles for free, for sampling and review purposes from SheSpeaks...extra YAY! The two flavors I got are Vanilla Bean and Pumpkin Pie. Perfect timing with the holidays and all :) The kids and I wanted to try the syrups for different things. We used the Pumpking Pie syrup added to our pancake mix for delicious pumpkin pancakes...topped with whipped cream, of course. Not much of a "recipe", I just added about 1/8th cup of the syrup to my regular batter and it worked fabulously! For the Vanilla Bean, we made regular old vanilla shakes. A little bit of vanilla ice cream, a little bit of milk, and a little bit of Torani's Vanilla Bean syrup...Y-U-M!! There are so many other flavors, and so, so many recipes and tips on Torani's website...you should go checkit out :) Happy Holidays everyone!

SLEEP NUMBER® m9 Bed

I went into the sleep Number Bed store this afternoon for the first time ever.  The sales people were very attentive, friendly and helpful...not pushy, as I had expected.

The representative showed me on a computer monitor where the adjustments to the air chamber would be made and explained very thoroughly how the mattress works.  I LOVED it! I even asked "What if I don't want to get up?"  He said, "Then don't", lol.  I could have stayed for a while longer.  A sleep number mattress is something I would love to have in the future.

By the way, my sleep number is 45 :)


SLEEP NUMBER® m9 Bed: Thx @SleepNumberSara 4 my free CoolFit Pillow! Enter 4 chance 2 win FREE #SleepNumberm9 bed http://goo.gl/IBhol

SLEEP NUMBER® m9 Bed

SLEEP NUMBER® m9 Bed: Thx @SleepNumberSara 4 my free CoolFit Pillow! Enter 4 chance 2 win FREE #SleepNumberm9 bed http://goo.gl/IBhol

Influenster Makeover

So by now you all know I review products that I receive for free from a couple different places. They're all amazing. But let me tell you about Influenster. It's one of my favorite places to learn about new products. I can read reviews from other Influensters, write reviews, learn where to find products and how much to expect to pay. Influenster has recently re-vamped their website. It looks amazing. I love how easy it is to navigate. It wasn't difficult before, but now it seems more organized and more user friendly. You really should look into becoming an Influenster. Since I joined, I've received two vox boxes. Vox boxes are boxes containing a grouping of about 5 to 8 products following a specified theme, that you receive free (no, there's not even a subscription fee). You try the products, review them and share your opinions with friends and family and whoever else will listen, lol. Here's a link to the site: http://www.influenster.com/ Happy reviewing :)

EBOOST

I received one sample packet of orange flavor EBOOST energy boost free in my Naturals Vox Box from Influenster. I actually kept putting off trying this one til I had the time to really try it out. I was afraid that if I used it in the morning and it made me sleepy or didn't help, or made me sick then I wouldn't be able to perform well at work. If I took it too late in the day, I was afraid it might keep me up too late at night. But the last two days I've missed out on some sleep and have had extra hours and tasks at work, so I was feeling a bit sluggish when I got home today. I decided to go ahead and try the drink -- it's Friday, no work tomorrow, and nothing planned for the rest of the day, so any adverse reactions wouldn't interfere with anything. I added a little extra water to avoid a strong flavor, as I'm not too fond of orange, lol. It wasn't too bad, but I did notice a funny after taste. I'm attributing that to the type of product it is, and letting it slide. It doesn't give a great boost of energy, like say "other" energy boosts may give, but just enough to keep me from wanting to nap. I'm noticing a slight headache, but not sure if it's from the EBOOST or just from the long work week. I also noticed the cost is a bit high...$28 for 20 packets...so $1.40 per packet. I guess it's comparable, but I'm not sure I'd go out and buy a whole box...maybe one packet at a time. All in all, the slight boost it gives, with the not so great flavor and the kinda high price, I'm not too sure I'll be purchasing this product regularly in the future. Like I said, maybe a single-serve packet if I needed it and saw it on the counter at the store as I was checking out...but not going to go out looking for it specifically. Here's a link to their products so you can check things out for yourself: EBOOST Natural Energy

SheaMoisture Baby Bar Soap

As part of my Naturals vox box from Influenster, I received a free full size bar of SheaMoisture Raw Shea, Chamomile & Argan Baby Bar Soap. I love it! The scent is great, it lathers really well, cleans well, and is a good sized bar....larger than most single bar soaps. I'm kind of anxious to try other products from Shea Moisture and will more than likely continue to buy and use this soap. Here's the link again: http://www.sheamoisture.com/

Naturals Vox Box

So I received my 2nd vox box from Influenster. It's a Natural Vox Box and included free samples of the following products: EBOOST Energy supplement, Nectresse sweetener, SheaMoisture Raw Shea, Chamomile & Argan Baby Bar Soap, LypSyl Lip Balm, CleanWell Hand Sanitizing wipes, Geodeo deodorant, and The Original Dish Drying Mat. I was so happy to see all the natural products in the review box, and happy to finally be able to try that dish drying mat! I'll follow up with the rest of the individual reviews shortly. :)

LypSyl Intense Protection LypMoisturizer

Loving my free Lypsyl lip balm that I received in my Naturals Vox Box from Influenster! I'm not normally a big lip balm or gloss fan, only because I don't like the "heavy" feeling on my lips. I was surprised to find that I don't get that feeling with this product. It goes on so smooth, and although it lasts long and and moisturizes, I don't get the heavy feeling...which I really, really love. I love the case too, and the little slider on the side...so cute! Thanks LypSyl lipbalm and Influenster for my new favorite lip balm :) Here's a link to their site: Lypsyl

The Original™ Dish Drying Mat

I was so stoked to get this product free in my recent Naturals Vox Box from Influenster! I was really hoping to get it in my very first Vox Box, but I wasn't one of the lucky ones that did...so imagine my surprise this time! I love, love, love the Dish Drying Mat! I love that I don't have to keep my big, bulky dish drainer on the counter. I love that this mat drys quickly and folds up nicely. I love that it's soft and squishy too, lol. And I'd really love to try more of the product line. This is my new favorite kitchen accessory. Here';s a link to their site: The Original's Website

CleanWell Natural Hand Sanitizer Wipes

As part of an Influenster Vox Box I received a free sample of Clean Well's sanitizing wipes. They can be used for adults and children, for faces and hands. I love that the product does not contain alcohol and will therefore NOT dry out my hands or my kids faces. I was also happy to discover I'm able to find the whole product line in a store not too far from my house. The products will definitely be on my shopping list from now on. Here's a link to their page: CleanWell

UNREAL

I WAS pretty excited to try this new product. I DID receive coupons for a free bar or bag of the regular size product from the Bzz Agent program (I'm a Bzz Agent :)), but all I've been able to find are the jumbo size bags. NOW, I seem to have misplaced the coupons, so even if I were to come across the regular sized bars/bags, I wouldn't have the coupons to use. I think I may end up going back to where I saw the jumbo bags and buy one just so I can try it. :) With the product being a better alternative for sweets, I'm really interested in trying it. Here's a link to there story: Unreal Story

Covergirl & Olay

So, one of my recent Bzz Campaigns is the Covergirl & Olay Campaign. I received one liquid make-up and one pressed powder make-up absolutely free for my participating in the campaign and review process. First, let me say, I was a little over anxious to try the product. I actually went and purchased the solid foundation compact before I received my Bzz Kit. I guess I'm just a little impatient sometimes, lol. Anyway, I kinda liked the solid foundation, it was smooth to apply, it seemed to moisturize my face over a short period of time, and the coverage was pretty good. The only thing I didn't like about the solid compact was that it seemed a little heavy and like my skin couldn't breathe....if that makes sense. Then I got my Bzz Kit. :) The liquid foundation is much lighter and allows my skin to breathe, lol. The application is still very smooth and coverage is good. The pressed powder was the smoothest of all, it just seems to glide on and is very light. The only thing I'm not liking about the liquid foundation is that it seems like it's being used up quicker than my normal liquid foundation. It has a pump dispenser, and one full pump is a little too much make-up, so I try to use a half pump, but it still seems like the bottle is emptying much faster than my normal make-up. I think I like it enough to continue purchasing it and replace my normal brand. If only I could figure out how to make it last longer. :/

5-hour ENERGY®

5-hour ENERGY®: Thx @5hourenergyguy 4 my free shot! #5hourmission Click to help me win the 5-hour ENERGY Sweepstakes! http://smiley360.com/5HE.php?id=153268 *Please remember the FTC requires you to mention that you received a free sample courtesy of Smiley360 when sharing.

imPRESS Press on Manicure

I received the imPress nails as a free trial in a box of goodies from Influenster. I fell in love with the packaging immediately. How cute is it to have the nails in a faux-nail polish bottle?! Adorable. There were enough nails and sizes to allow two different people a one-time use of the nails. They're fun and easy to apply and come in so many different colors. You can find imPress Manicure at CVS, Rite Aid, Duane Reade, KMart, Walgreens, Walmart and more. For a full list of online and in-store retailers, visit imPressManicure.com, where you can download an exclusive coupon and virtually try on all the colors and patterns! Suggested retail price: $5.99 for colors and $7.99 for patterns You can get more info here www.impressmanicure.com

The Many Uses of Ivory

I received a complimentary bar of ivory soap from Ivory for testing and review as part of the MomVoxBox from Influenster. I had no idea there were so many uses for this little bar of soap! You can obviously use it for washing your body and face, but did you know you could also use Ivory bar soap as a clothes stain remover, laundry flakes, and most fun of all, Ivory fluff?! We had so much fun microwaving the Ivory soap bar to make the fluff....something I never knew could be done.....safely, lol. (this is my grandson playing with the "fluff")

I've always loved using ivory soap. (Was first introduced to it as a kid, my grandparents loved it too). I love the fresh, clean feeling and scent. I love that it's not perfumey like so many other bath soaps. I also love that it's a great value and get more soap for the buck! I will definitely be buying Ivory in the future. :)

Quaker Soft Baked Oatmeal Cookies

I recently received a Quaker Soft Baked Oatmeal Raisin cookie complimentary for testing and review purposes from Influenster. I could barely get a bite or two off of it before having to hand it over to my son and granddaughter for their enjoyment. It was a very good cookie. I don't normally eat cookies with raisins, maybe cuz I've had in my head since I was a kid that raisins in cookies are "gross", lol. I got over it a little I think. The kids thoroughly enjoyed the cookie and wanted more right away. I'll definitely be buying them on my next trip to the grocery store, and I'm sure will continue buying them.

Be. Winery Update

I was so excited about this campaign. I've been able to work the locator fine, but like some of the other BzzAgents, I'm unable to find this product anywhere near my house in order to try and review. The closest location, according to the locator is 30+ miles away (two towns over), second nearest is almost 40 miles....then we jump from there to almost 300 miles away. Thanks for the little extras that came in the BzzKit, very cute, unfortunately I don't think I'll be able to try this product due to availability.

Be. Wines

I'm so excited that I've been selected to participate in this new Be. wine Bzz Campaign. I love the label design. it looks fresh and new. The cute little names, "Flirty", "Bright", "Radiant", "Fresh" should make it easy to pick according to mood, lol. Can't wait to get my Bzz Kit...may not. I may just need to try a glass, or bottle, this weekend. I'll be back later this month with my thoughts :)

Private Selection Follow Up

After receiving the coupons in the BzzKit for the free Angus meat and $ off of ice cream and pie, I went to my local Fry's store and purchased the Angus meat and ice cream. Our Fry's stores in the area no longer carry the Private Selection Pies, so I wasn't able to get that...a little disappointed, but oh well. I grilled burgers for my family lastnight, and to be honest, I really didn't care for the density or texture of the Angus meat. It was OK, but not near as much flavor or juicy-ness as our regular grilled burgers. The chips that came in the BzzKit had popped open during shipping, so we didn't try those. The ice cream was really good, but for being a store brand, the price should be lower than the name brand ice cream...that's just my opinion though. Overall will I buy the product in the future? Probably not. I may buy the small ice cream again, and I may try the chips in the future, but definitely not the meat. (I received these coupons through the Bzz Agent program...I'm a Bzz Agent) :)

Private Selection Taste of Summer

I received my Private Selection Taste of Summer Bzz Kit today! I've been waiting for this one cuz it has stuff for a whole summertime meal. The kit includes a bag of Private Selection Sea Salt Kettle chips, a coupon for a FREE Private Selection six-inch pie (apple or cherry), coupons for savings on Private Selection Angus Burgers and ice cream, and extra pass-along coupons for friends. See, pretty much a whole meal. Unfortunately our bag of chips that was included in the box had apparently popped open during shipping so we had chips all over inside the box. Needless to say, we won't be trying the chips, lol. I'll be heading out to the store in just a bit to use my coupons and start the grill for tonight. I'll update with opinions later. Happy Saturday :)

(I rec'd this free as a Bzz Agent)

DR.SCHOLL'S® FOR HER

I received a BzzKit this week, with a free trial of a Dr. Scholl's product. The BzzKit included an informational pamphlet about the product, several $4 off coupons to share with friends and of course the Dr. Scholl's For Her product. Now I just need to find somewhere to wear heels :)

"Wear the shoes you love - from simple flats to dazzling stilettos - without foot discomfort getting in the way"

(I'm a Bzz Agent and received this free)

Long Time, No Post!

Wow! It's been so long since I've posted anything about anything! I know I'm not nearly as busy as some of these moms that blog, so why can't I keep up?! My goal...starting now...is to blog atleast twice a week. I'm starting some new adventures, following some new ideas and trying to keep up with the old stuff I've already started. One thing I really want to try and improve is my "fun time" with the kids and grandkids. It always seems like there's something else that needs done or some place that we need to get to. I feel like I'm just letting everything important pass me by. By important, I mean the kids and grandkids. They are the most important thing to me, ever! So here's to goals and to improving fun time. See ya soon :)