Nutwhats Review and Giveaway!

I received a delicious package in the mail and every single person in my family gave the treats a quizzical look and asked, "what are those?" Nutwhats, that's what! Nutwhats are buttery nuggets that are hand crafted with premium ingredients. They come in 13 flavors, some of which are scribbled in chocolate. Flavors include: Pecan, Almond, Cinna Walnut Oat, Beer Britty, Habanero Beer, Jalapeno Beer, Pecan Scribble, Bacon Pecan Scribble (yes, you read that right), Cashew Coconut Scribble, Cinna Walnut Oat Scribble, Peanut Pretzel Scribble, Macadamia Scribble, and Cherry Almond Scribble.

Nutwhats are uncommonly and uniquely shaped. In fact, each piece is unique in size and shape. They are available in Signature Gift Boxes. You can choose 1-4 flavors per 1lb box. The boxes themselves are customizable: choose from 7 different color schemes and 5 different messages. The color theme applies to the ribbon and question mark with each box which also includes gift tissue and your choice of greeting. Color choices are yellow, orange, red, pink, light blue, turquoise, and apple green.

Review: I received a Signature Gift Box with four amazing types of Nutwhats. I would be remiss to not comment on the amazing packaging.  It was truly stunning and there was so much thought and detail that went into it. It would truly bring a smile to someone's face to receive the box and then would tickle them pink to open it and see all the delectable goodies inside. 

All four of us were in agreement that these were seriously tasty treats. They are a bit difficult to explain since their taste is so unique. If I had to describe it, I would say they are a mix between a sweet granola bar and peanut brittle.  Each variety had its own unique flavor. The Cashew Coconut Scribble was one of my favorites. The mixture of salty and sweet with a hint of coconut was to die for!  I am a huge fruit fan so I also liked the healthier taste of the Cherry Almond Scribble which had a nice white chocolate drizzle.  The Pecan Scribble was quite tasty as well and had more of a nutty taste to it.  I was most shocked by my love for the Cinna Walnut Oat Scribble. Usually, I would run as far away from walnuts as possible but the mixture of flavors, particularly the cinnamon, was outstanding.

Buy it here: Nutwhat Signature Gift Boxes are available from the company's website for $29.95 for a 1 pound box. 

Win it here:  a Rafflecopter giveaway

 I was provided with the above mentioned product for the purpose of facilitating this review. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own. 

Mom's Birthday Cake

My mom's fiance threw my mom a surprise party for her yesterday and I made this cake. My hand was shaking for no good reason so the piping is definitely not my best work; however, it tasted amazing! It was a black forest cake with chocolate buttercream icing. Yum!!

Kids Can Cook Too Challenge

Last year I started to teach my children how to cook. Each weekend (when we have time), they take turns choosing and preparing a menu. My kids enjoy looking through recipe books and talk about their dinner for a few days before they make it and love calling all of their relatives to tell them how it worked out. I allow them to do almost everything (short of pulling a hot pan out of the oven) and they really take ownership of their meal. I am sharing my children's creations and I encourage you to participate in the challenge with your family!!

Bella's Dinner: Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole  

Ingredients:
1/2 pound sliced ham
1/4 pound swiss or Italian blend shredded cheese
1&1/2 cups cooked, diced chicken
1/2 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup milk

Filling: 4 cups cubed bread
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350
Place cubed bread in a large mixing bowl. Pour milk, salt, and pepper over bread. 
Grease 9x13 baking pan
Layer the ham, cheese, and filling 
Layer the chicken, distributing evenly over the filling mixture
In mixing bowl, blend soup and 1/4 cup milk together
Pour soup mixture over top of chicken
Bake for 60 minutes

Dessert: Pumpkin Cheesecake (inspired by recipe from Celebrations Cookbook)

Ingredients
1&3/4 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted 
3 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup Nectresse (sugar substitute, if using real sugar use 3/4)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 can (15 oz) solid-pack pumpkin
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1&1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
TOPPING:
16 oz sour cream
3/4 tablespoon Nectresse (sugar substitute, if using real sugar use 3 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Combine wafer crumbs and butter; press onto bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a greased 10-inch springform pan. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugars until smooth. Ad eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Whisk in pumpkin, cornstarch, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice just until blended. Pour in crust. Place pan on baking sheet. Back at 350 for 60-65 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Combine topping ingredients; spread over filling. Bake at 350 for 6 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan; set aside.

Remove sides of springform pan. Cut cheesecake and enjoy!


Dinner was really delicious tonight. Between the comfort-food feel of the casserole and the delicious pumpkin dessert, I am enjoying autumn cooking! 

Dollop Gourmet Review and Giveaway!

Have you heard of a little show called Cupcake Wars? I am totally addicted and was totally excited when one of the winners from the show, Heather from Dollop Gourmet Cupcake Bar, contacted me about reviewing some of her frosting spread. Dollop's Ultimate Dude Frosting allows you to enjoy some gourmet frosting without having to go through all the work of making it yourself! The Peanut Butter Cookie Dough frosting is a mixture of creamy peanut butter buttercream swirled with chopped chocolate, brown sugar cookie dough and kosher salt. I am seriously salivating as I am typing! The frosting is available in pocket-packs that allow you to snack anywhere or a 16oz packet if you are looking to do some decorating. Dollop encourages sweet-lovers to "Break Away from the Cake" and try the frosting with other foods such as pretzels, apples, or anything else you can come up with! 

Review: I was given two pocket packs to review. I have not yet experimented with more gourmet frostings when I bake and am always intrigued by the flavors I see on shows such as Cupcake Wars.  This frosting is addicting! It tastes exactly like the name: peanut butter cookie dough! I tried it on some grapes and it tastes so yummy. I also broke into a packet during an emotional crisis and found that it is amazing all by itself! It is creamy and somewhat rich, but not too much and I can only imagine that it would taste out of this world on some chocolate cake.  If you are looking for a delicious treat or a way to really make your cakes taste amazing, this is definitely worth a try!

Connect Here: 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dollopgourmet
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dollopgourmet
Heather Cupcakes blog: http://heathercupcakes.com/
Heather's Twitter page:  https://twitter.com/heathercupcakes

Buy it here: You can purchase Ultimate Due Frosting on the Dollop website. It is available in a 16oz package for $12.95 or as a 6 pack of pocket-packs for $10.00.

Win it here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was provided with the above mentioned samples for the purpose of facilitating this review. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own.

Movies on Demand: Hispanic Heritage Month Giveaway

Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, cable is shining a spotlight on compelling Hispanic figures and events on cable’s On Demand service. The Hispanic-themed programming represents a broad industry effort to provide digital cable customers convenient access to relevant, factual and entertaining Hispanic and Latino television shows and movies – On Demand all month long.   For more info about your cable provider’s programming please visitwww.facebook.com/diversityondemand.

Hispanic Heritage Month On Demand program highlights include:

A Storied Past -- Gain a new understanding of historical events through real life stories. The dramatic account of Ernesto “Che” Guevara’s inspiring and thrilling youthful motorcycle trek across Latin America traces the origins of his revolutionary spirit.  

Dramatic Interpretations – See award-winning novels brought to life on film to interpret history and culture. While characters such as Cesar and Nestor Castillo, brothers and aspiring musicians who flee from Cuba to America in the hopes of reviving their failed musical careers, may be fictional, their stories are reflective of today’s challenges. 

Live and Laugh – Kings of Latin Comedy George Lopez, Cheech Marin, Joey Medina, Alex Reymundo and Paul Rodriguez joke about unique cultural oddities, while Carlos Mencia helps break down barriers by addressing ethnic stereotypes, racism and the inability to laugh at oneself.

Hispanic Hearth and Home –Complete the cultural immersion with a close look at food. Simmer awhile with chef Aaron Sanchez, owner of New York’s Centrico Restaurant and Tacombi, who preps dishes with people he admires and takes viewers on visits to iconic spots in the Big Apple.

Win it here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I will be provided with a gift card as a thank you for posting this giveaway. All information was provided by the Movies on Demand.

Stocking Stuffer Savings Alert

Check out this great deal on adorable Angry Birds toothbrushes! These would make a great Christmas stocking stuffer!!  Click below to purchase.

United Wholesale Group - Angry Birds $2 for a child's Angry Birds flashing toothbrush

Birthday Cakes: Festive Cakes for Celebrating that Special Day Review and Giveaway!

I can never pass up the opportunity to review a cake decorating and recipe book! One of the newest hard cover books available is Birthday Cakes: Festive Cakes for Celebrating that Special Day by Fiona Cairns, Rizzoli New York, 2012. Ms. Cairns is one of Britain's leading cake designers. You know, the one who designed the cake for the royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton!  The book contains 52 cake recipes and 61 decoration designs as well as give themed party ideas. 

In addition, the book contains a list of ingredients a baker should always have on hand as well as helpful tips for baking and decorating cakes. The cakes included span three levels of difficulty so that all bakers, from amateurs to professionals, have their fair share of treats to take on.


Review:  There is a really wide assortment of recipes and cake designs from which to choose.  The instructions were very easy to follow and the pictures were quite beautiful. The recipes were quite unique and strayed from the standard cake flavors which really intrigued me. I have been wanting to try more gourmet recipes and am always fascinated by shows like Cupcake Wars when they have very unique flavors. Because the recipes are so unique, it is unlikely that you have everything on the recipe list but the trip to the store is probably well worth it. There are actually a wide variety of different goodies, much more than just cakes. Although there are some more classic birthday cake designs, a majority of the desserts featured would work for any event, from a holiday to a Sunday dinner dessert.

I decided to try the Blueberry Yogurt Cupcakes (see recipe below).  The recipe yielded 36 cupcakes, so I decided to cut the recipe in half since I was just making it for my family to enjoy. The halved recipe only made 12 small cupcakes so I am doubtful that the full recipe would really get you the full 36. Aside from the blueberries, I actually had all of the ingredients already in my kitchen which is always a bonus. I did, however, make a substitution of lemon juice for the zest of lemon.  I also opted to add the fresh blueberries to the top rather than stewing the topping.  The directions were easy to follow. The cupcakes were quite heavy and I was not sure if they were supposed to be so dense or if I made a mistake when I was dividing the ingredients. Regardless, my family loved them! I found the frosting (which called for cream cheese and sugar) to be a bit too thick and rich so I added some whipped topping into the mix and it turned out great. The blueberry taste was very evident in the final cupcake and it was a nice break from the classic flavors. After trying this recipe, I am really eager to try some more! 

Recipe: Blueberry Yogurt Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cakes: 36 cupcake cups
2 &1/4 cups (scant) self-rising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup  (scant) plain yogurt, at room temperature
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup (generous) unrefined superfine sugar
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1&1/3 cups (generous) blueberries
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
finely grated zest of 1 lemon

For the topping: 2 & 2/3 cups cream cheese
1 cup (generous) unrefined confectioner's sugar, sifted
grape violet food color paste

To decorate
1&2/3 cups (generous) blueberries
3 tablespoons superfine sugar
squeeze of lemon juice

Directions
Preheat the oven to 340 degrees F.

Line cupcake pans with the paper cups. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, eggs, sugar, and butter using a large spoon. Add the flour mixture, berries, vanilla, and lemon zest. Stir until combined, but do not overmix. Divide among the cups and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cakes spring back to the touch (you may need to bake in batches). Stand for a few minutes in the pan, then remove to cool on wire rack. 

To make topping, beat together cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Add enough food coloring to make a pale lilac. Divide the cream cheese among the cakes.

For the decoration, place the blueberries in a pan with the sugar, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon water. Very lightly stew together for a minute or two, then strain the blueberries and dry on a paper towel. Reduce blueberry syrup in the pain until quite sticky and, when cool, swirl a little onto the frosting on each cake using the back of a spoon. Just before serving, place about three of the blueberries on each cake. (If you do not wish to poach the blueberries and drizzle over the syrup, then simply top each cake with a few uncooked blueberries.) 


Buy it here: Birthday Cakes: Festive Cakes for Celebrating that Special Day is available for $29.95 at bookstores. It can also be purchased from Amazon on a discounted price.

Win it here:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was provided with the above mentioned product for the purpose of facilitating this review. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own. 

LifeLock - Identity Protection

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of LifeLock Facebook for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

A few months ago, someone hacked a couple of my accounts.  Luckily, I was able to identify the problems before too much damage was done. However, the whole concept of someone trying to steal my accounts and possibly my identity was so invasive and upsetting that I became physically sick over it. I am not alone. In 2011, over 11.6 million adults were victim of identity theft and $18 billion was lost! Although technology is to blame for a lot of the identity theft cases, you can use technology to your advantage and use a program such as LifeLock to keep your identity and accounts safe.
LifeLock is an identity protection program that alerts you whenever they detect your personal information being used to apply for just about anything. If you become a victim of identity theft while you are a member, they will hire experts, lawyers  investigators, etc to help you recover your identity.  Since the average cost to the victim of identity theft is $1,513, the protection (up to $1 million) is well worth it!  If I would have had LifeLock when I was having my problems, I would have been able to get my credit bureau reports, alerts when accounts were being opened/used, and been able to use their 24/7 live personal assistance to help me.
What can you do to help protect against identity theft? LifeLock suggests you start with your passwords.  How hack friendly is your password? Check it out: If you have 6 characters in your password with no symbols, it only takes a professional .000224 seconds to figure it out! If you have 10 characters and 1 symbol, it takes up to 20 days for a professional to break in. Shocked by this? I was too!
If you have ever had your identity stolen in any way, I would love for you to share your experience below. You can find out more my visiting LifeLock on Facebook.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Boost Your Brain Power Review and Giveaway

Now that I am 29 for the fourth time, I am starting to notice brain fog, short term memory problems, and more and I can only imagine how by brain will be working when I turn 29 for the 15th or 30th time! Chicken Soup for the Soul: Boost Your Brain Power!: You Can Improve and Energize Your Brain at Any Age, by Dr. Maria Pasinski of Harvard Medical School, is a guide to improving your memory, reducing your risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, and enhance your mental abilities at any age. 

The book is a collection of stories you associate with Chicken Soup for the Soul books followed by practical advice, information, and exercises you can start using now. The book is designed to help you:
Improve your memory
Stimulate your brain through new activities
Reduce your risk factors for dementia and Alzheimer's disease
Trigger creative thinking
Eat right and exercise to keep your brain young
Manage your health to boost your brain functioning
Reduce stress and improve sleep and cognitive functioning
Use meditation and mindfulness 
Recognize your innate strengths and maximize your mental faculties

Review: I really love the concept of this book. There is so much available on the internet, in book form, and on TV about keeping your body fit, healthy, and young, but the importance and practicality of keeping your brain working optimally as you grow older is often ignored.  The book is full of interesting facts.  For example, did you know that there is a 25% reduction in the chances of developing dementia among seniors who report feeling satisfied with their relationships!  I love the design of the medical books. There are a few real life stories that help illustrate the more medical points and practical advice that follow. You can choose to read the entire book or focus on the stories or medical pieces.  Whether you are someone who is trying to improve your memory or learn about diminished brain functioning due to a loved one's illness, you will likely find comfort in reading other's stories and then feel empowered by the advice and exercises. What I like most is that the advice can be implemented immediately.  I especially liked the advice on getting better sleep and relaxation which can be helpful to just about anyone!

Buy it here: You can purchase Chicken Soup for the Soul books from your local book store or Amazon. This edition retails for $9.95.

Win it here: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was provided with the above mentioned product for the purpose of facilitating this review. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own. 

Packaways Mutipurpose Storage Boxes Review

I have a serious goal to get my house organized this winter. We have so much stuff and it, at times, taking over my house! My husband and I spent an entire Saturday cleaning out our storage area and now we are ready to get to work! However, trying to stock up on plastic bins is not only expensive but space-consuming, particularly when they are not yet in use. 

Packaways is a brand new Storage Box that ships and stores in the flat position. When needed, simply press on opposing corners and the bottom "Automatically" folds into place and locks. When not in use, simply press on the bottom and the box folds back down flat for easy, out of the way storage. Ideal for homes, apartments or living quarters where use is occasional and space is tight. Many applications: Moving; Back To School; Organizing The Kids' Rooms; Basement or Garage; Seasonal Items, etc. You can color code your things or have the colors match your decor. Packaways are proudly made in the U.S.A. from durable corrugated plastic. Great for harsh storage conditions or long-term storage since moisture and humidity won't effect the integrity of the boxes. They will last hundreds of cycles under normal circumstances.. Each box comes with 2 Wipe Away Panels that allow you to conveniently identify the contents of the box. If you use China Dry Erase Markers, you can simply Wipe Away the previous contents and remark the box. 

Review: I received a medium and large Packaways to review.  These boxes are really great! The colors are fun and bright and I love the concept of color coding.  I could have once color for each seasonal box, one for garage sale items, etc.  They are a bit sturdier than a cardboard box and they seem to be able to hold heavier items. I tend to have difficulties putting boxes together, but making the flat packaways into a box and then flat again took mere seconds. They are made from a corrugated plastic and are flexible like cardboard but sturdier and water resistant. I also really liked how there was a white rectangle on each side where you could write the contents of the box to really help you stay organized.  The possibilities for uses are endless and I would definitely feel comfortable sending a college age child off to school with a couple of these handy, and affordable Packaways boxes. 

Buy it here: You can shop for these and other storage solution boxes on the Packaways website.  Classic boxes such as the ones mentioned in this post start at just $8.75. 

Disclaimer:
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

NoviPet Review and Giveaway (2 winners)!

I take vitamins. My kids take vitamins. If they are good for us then my dogs deserve to have them too! NoviPet, a leading global provider of premium nutritional supplements for pets, recently introduced three products for dogs in the U.S. that are designed to enhance their diets and make sure they receive the full daily values of necessary vitamins, minerals, and other natural compounds. The products are approved by the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) and are available in packages of 30 individually sealed chew treats. 

NoviPet's supplements include:

Joint Support - Provides glucosamine and other essential compounds to support joint function and comfort

Multi Vitamin - Provides digs with the vitamins and minerals they need, reducing the risk of vitamin or mineral deficiency and help maintaining vitality, a healthy coat, and immune system.

Omega 3 & 6 - Designed to ensure healthy skin and beautiful coat while supporting the immune system and reducing inflammatory processes. 

Review:  My dogs, Butch and Buttercup, are important parts of our family and I want the very best for them. When it comes to food, however, their needs are a bit different. I would like to purchase weight control food for my Bulldog but my Boxer is super skinny. I do worry that compromising on the exact dog food that I give them may not provide them the essential vitamins they each need.  I was more than willing to try these out. Since they are both still pretty young, I thought the Multi Vitamin would be the most helpful. 

My Bulldog usually eats just about everything that is put in front of her but she was somewhat resistant to eating these for some reason. After trying for a couple of days she finally ate them and now gets excited when she sees the package being pulled out of the refrigerator. My Boxer is usually really picky with treats but ate these up immediately and kept eating them day after day. Obviously, I cannot tell what the vitamins are doing to their bodies, but I do know that there were no adverse effects (I was worried about gas).  Assuming these do what they are supposed to do, having the chewable vitamins is a nice way to make sure your dog is getting the proper vitamins. 

Connect Here: NoviPet can be found on Facebook and Twitter (@novipet)

Buy it here: You can purchase NoviPet on Amazon for less than $16 for a 30 count package. 

Win it here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was provided with the above mentioned products in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own.

Bella's 7th Birthday Parties

My baby girl is now 7 years old! This, year she wanted a Princess/Rapunzel theme. I LOVED the movie Tangled so I was definitely up for the challenge. Since my children's birthdays are fairly close together and I tend to go a little overboard with birthday parties, we rotate between having a big family party and having a smaller family party and a friend party. This year was Bella's small family/friend party. 

Friend Party: A Princess Tea Party
I thought it would be a lot of fun (and more affordable) to have a party at our home this year. Since we are going to Disney World for the first time next month we have definitely had princesses on the mind. The invitations were Rapunzel themed and asked that guests dress in their favorite dress or princess costume:

Most of the party decorations were Rapunzel themed. I made some paper banners that had the sunburst from the Tangled movie along with some table centerpieces that were meant to look like the Tangled lanterns. The lanterns were handpainted and I had LED candles inside to make them glow. 

The food consisted of finger foods to include fruit, mini cheesecakes which my daughter helped me make, Jello jigglers and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut with a crown cookie cutter. I bought some Snapple for the "tea" and found some really adorable princess tea cups on Oriental Trading that the little princesses got to take home.

We had a couple of fun activities. I made a "Flynn Rider" Wanted sign and the girls each made their own nose and we had a "pin the nose on Flynn Rider" event.  I also purchased some foam crown kits from Oriental Trading and each guest was able to design and take home their very own crown. Of course, we had to have a princess pinata!

Each guest also received a cute little gift bag with some fun princess-themed goodies. Again, Oriental Trading was my friend for this party! 

And of course, there was cake. I have been dying to try a doll cake for years and knowing my time to have such a cutesy cake for Bella is running out, I convinced her to let me make one for her friend party. I used a Wilton Wonder Mold Kit and a real Rapunzel doll.  

Family party
The family party was at our house the very next day.  Much of the decorations stayed the same and we ordered some pizzas and salad for food since we were pretty exhausted following the tea party. 

For this cake, Bella really wanted to show off Rapunzel's tower. I baked a large round chocolate cake filled with Oreo filling.  The tower was made with a paper towel tube covered in fondant and an ice cream cone covered in chocolate.

Favors were cake pops!!

Promotion in Motion Review

When I was a kid, I used to love looking through my Halloween bucket after a long night of Trick-Or-Treating to see what goodies I scored. I used to love it when there would be those few candies that stuck out from the crowd. After receiving so many chocolate bars, getting a more unusual candy was golden.Promotion in Motion products are today's equivalent of the rare gems I would find in my holiday bucket. 

I was given the chance to review some of their delicious products which any child would be delighted to receive this holiday.   

Welch’s® Fruit Snacks are extremely flavorful and made with real fruit and fruit juices! My kids love fruit snacks and these are my first choice because they provide them with 100% of their daily value of vitamin C and 25% of vitamins A and E. Welch’s® Fruit Snacks are fat free, gluten-free, contain no preservatives and are available in a wide range of flavors including Mixed Fruit, Berries ‘n Cherries, Island Fruits, Strawberry, Fruit Punch and Concord Grape. Fruit snacks are also a naturally gluten free food. My children gobbled these up. We usually have fruit snacks in our home, and these are the highest of quality. Unlike other brands, these do not taste artificial. 

Sour Jacks® are chewy, sour, sweet, and fun to eat! Original variety includes classic flavors like cherry, lemon, orange, and lime. Sour Jacks® are a fat free snack. I had never tried these before and enjoyed the blend of sour and sweet taste which was not overwhelming. My kids LOVED these. My daughter hid a bunch from my son who demanded that I put these on my grocery list because he only got a few but loved them. The shapes (watermelons) were really adorable.

SQWORMS are small sour neon gummi worms. Worm candies are perfect for Halloween! They were only slightly sour so if your child shies away from really sour candy, this may be a nice alternative. The two-toned neon colors make this that much more fun to eat! 

Buy it here: Promotion in Motion candies and fruit snacks can be found at your local grocer. They are available in a multipack Trick or Treat bag during the holiday!

I was provided with the above mentioned products for the purpose of facilitating this review. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own.

How To Make a Doll Cake - Tutorial

My daughter is having a Rapunzel themed party this week. I have been dying to make doll cake for years but she was never interested in the idea until this year. It was my first go at this cake technique and I was really happy with the results!  I hope you enjoy this doll cake tutorial. 

How to Make a Doll Cake: I used the Wilton Wonder Mold Kit to make the doll's dress. The kit comes with everything you need to make a doll cake to include a doll pick; however, I decided to use a Rapunzel doll instead.  The pan takes 6 cups of batter (just over 1 box of cake mix). Never wanting to waste batter, I used the excess to make some cake balls for some Halloween cake pops and put them in the freezer for later. After baking the cake for 55-60 minutes, you are ready to start decorating. 

I purchased a standard sized Tangled doll, undressed her, and wrapped her face and body in plastic wrap to keep the doll clean and the cake free from hair. Don't worry: no dolls were harmed in the making of this cake:

One thing I did not plan on was the doll not fitting in the cake! I thought it would so I was feeling panic when I realized she was too big. AHH!!

If I would have known this, I would have probably baked another cake as a base. However, I was out of time and needed to think quick. I grabbed some styrofoam, put a whole in it for the feet, wrapped it in some pretty wrapping paper, and used it as a base. Some times you just have to punt it! 

I then dirty iced the cake with buttercream. The dress itself was made from marshmallow fondant. I do not use fondant very often but thought it was the best option so the hair did not get frosting all over it.  I put the dress together a piece at a time. I would like to say I had some precise way to make it, but I really just kind of winged it. Make sure you roll out more than you need for each section to you can trim excess. 

My fondant work is far from flawless so I decided to embellish the dress more than I had originally intended. It made it look great and covered up small tears or bubbles. The great thing about the dress look is that slight folds in the fondant actually help it look more like real fabric! I did things like punch out tiny flowers, add ribbons for a corset, and details to the sleeves. Then, I let down her hair and enjoyed my creation! By the way, having a long haired doll is another great way to hide some imperfections! 

Lucy's Cookies Review and Giveaway

Lucy's Cookies were  created by Dr. Lucy Gibney when she discovered her child had food allergies. On a mission to create delicious cookies that are free from gluten, milk,eggs, peanuts or tree nuts, she was able to create a line of cookies that taste just as good,  if not better, than regular cookies on the market. The company has a dedicated bakery. They buy only raw materials and do not allow any of the above stated allergens in their bakery. In addition, the cookies have 0g of cholesterol and 0g of trans fat, making them an appealing option for individuals without food allergies. They are available in both a boxed form and Snack 'n Go packs, perfect for Trick or Treating! 

Review:  I have reviewed quite a few gluten-free products in the past and the quality and taste have varied greatly. Dr. Lucy's Cookies is definitely one of the best gluten-free products I have tasted. The flavors did not taste like traditional flavors, but they were extremely tasty. Not usually a fan of crispy cookies, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the consistency. My favorite was the chocolate chip, I could not get enough of these!! As with all of the cookies, I found that they were just sweet enough without being overpoweringly so. The chocolate cookies were also quite tasty. The oatmeal cookies were light and delicious as well.  I found that two cookies was plenty for me; however the serving size is three cookies which is only 120 calories!! The maple cookies were a perfect autumn cookie. They had just the right amount of sweetness but also had a comfort food feel to them.  The only thing I would have like to see was packaging on the boxed cookies that was resealable or closeable. ter was the packaging.

Buy it here: You can purchase Lucy's Cookies from Amazon, NavanFoods, and Gluten Freely. You can also use the company's retail locator to find Lucy's Cookies in a store near you. 

Win it here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was provided with the above mentioned products for the purpose of facilitating this review. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own. 

Glade Expressions Collection Review

Here is a mathematical question for you since the kiddos are all back to school. What does 35 year old man + 9 year old boy + 2 dogs + 3 turtles equal?  Answer: stink!  With all of those things working against a good smell to my house, having air fresheners handy at all times is a must! I like to have them close by but some of the containers can look so unattractive! The Glade Expressions collection is inspired by art and meant to be left out on display.  

The Glade Expressions Fragrance Mist comes in a modern holder that allows you to squeeze it to release a light mist of fragrance. The holder can then be refilled with your favorite scent. The Glade Expressions Oil Diffuser releases fragrances without the need for plugs or batteries. The holder was designed to match your decor. It is also refillable.  Available fragrances include: Cotton & Italian Mandarin, Fuji Apple & Cardamom Spice, Lavender & Juniper Berry, and Pineapple & Mangosteen. 

Review:  I tried the Cotton and Italian Mandarin scent for the Fragrance Mist. It is a really fresh smell that reminds me of freshly washed and dried laundry. The mister has a different mechanism so you have to squeeze the whole bottle rather than a separate trigger to get it to work. My kids had a little trouble grasping the instructions but after showing them how it worked they were able to use it. We keep a bottle in the bathroom but it also works great as a quick way to freshen up the whole house. After a few weeks of using, I still have tons left in the bottle which makes it an amazing value! Plus, the bottle is so much more pleasing to the eye than a metal bottle of spray.  

The offerings of the Oil Diffuser was very limited at my local Walmart. In fact, Pineapple & Mangosteen was the only one available. I LOVE the tropical scent which reminds me of summer. The diffuser is quite attractive. I chose a bamboo one that ended up matching my entertainment center's wood perfectly so it looked and smelled great. Even in a fairly large area it did a nice job of maintaining the fragrance. I hope my local stores offer new fragrances soon because I would love to try the Fugi Apple & Cardamom Spice now that fall is here!

Buy it here:  Glade Expressions products can be found at most grocery stores and mass retailers, as well as some drug stores. 

I was provided with the above mentioned products as a BzzAgent. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own. 

OrnamentShop.com Review

Christmas is just a little over three months away....yikes! Usually, I shop all year around but planning our big Disney vacation this year has me a bit further behind in both shopping and saving for the most expensive holiday of the year.  Not only that, but I am having a really difficult time figuring out what to get who this year. One really safe, fun, and affordable gift is a nice Christmas ornament. They make great stocking stuffers, teacher gifts, and I have even used personalized Christmas ornaments as package tags before! 

The OrnamentShop.com is an online store dedicated to offering thousands of unique ornaments that are really affordable (most are under $16) and can be personalized! Even though there are over 4500 different ornaments, shopping is very easy as you can do a search or browse by different categories. They have so many choices that I am sure you could find something for just about everyone on your list!


Review: They offer some really great baking/chef themed ornaments so I just could not resist reviewing the Cupcake Trio ornament.  It has three fabulously decorated cupcakes situated under a glass dome and the entire ornament looks like a cake dome/display. I was even able to get my name printed on the dome. There is a pretty rose on the top and the cupcakes have sparkles on them.

The ornament is very feminine and lovely. The colors are pastel and muted, making it almost have a Victorian feel.  The color scheme is neutral enough that you can display it year around in the kitchen. It is delicate looking but no so delicate that it breaks easily. I really love this ornament and feel confident that all of their ornaments are of high quality like this one. 

Buy it here:  The Cupcake Trio is only $10.95. You can shop for it and thousands of other personalized ornaments on OrnamentShop.com.

I was provided with the above mentioned product for the purpose of facilitating this review. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own. 

OdorXit Review and Giveaway

I am extremely allergic to mold and my house is not always as fresh as I would like it to be thanks to our dogs and turtles. Since having clean air is important to my health, I was very intrigued when I learned about OdorXit.  The company makes a leading brand of odor elimination products. OdorXit products kill smells of any kind - from animal droppings to mildew - by chemically breaking down molecules in an odor. It eliminates, not hides, the smells. 

OdorXit Magic and Concentration products are formulated to eliminate odors such as pet urine, diaper odors, laundry bags, kitchen smells, and other rank odors.  It can even be used in laundry to freshen clothes.  The Concentrate can be safely sprayed onto fabrics, carpets, and more while Magic can be sprayed into the air and neutralizes gases we perceive as odors. 

One of the biggest problems in the upstairs of our house is pet odor. My Bulldog is a bit defiant and still has occasional "accidents" (though I doubt they are actually accidents) in carpeted areas of the house. The smell of dog urine is very difficult to permanently remove.  I have tried almost every product on the market and was ready to actually replace some of the carpets. However, thanks to OdorXit products, I have bought myself some more time before I have to invest in new rugs. The concentrate worked great and permanently removed the odors that have been lingering for months! The Magic product is also very helpful to use around the dogs' kennels. 

OdorXit AQM (Air Quality Manager) is a 30-day or one-day odor elimination system that uses chlorine dioxide gas to oxidize the source of the odors to include mildew, mold, cigarette smells, and more.  The product comes in a silver Mylar packet that reveals another white packet when opened. The white packet is not opened but rather is placed in a self adhesive plastic pouch. 

Right before this product arrived, the filter in my turtle tank stopped working. I was begging and pleading with my husband to get rid of them because the smell was so bad I could not tolerate it. He got the filter to work but the smell remained. After 1&1/2 days of the OdorXit AQM (which I placed very close to the tank), the basement was back to having a neutral smell. I was happy because the stench was gone and my family was happy we got to keep the turtles. 

These are definitely products I will use again and again. There are so many uses that choosing the right product can be a bit overwhelming; however, OdorXit's website has you covered. You can use the Odor Wizard to choose the correct OdorXit solution based on the type of smell you want to tackle.  What a great tool!

Buy it here: You can use the website's store finder tool to find the nearest local retailer. You can also order online on the OdorXit website. 

Win it here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was provided with the above mentioned product for the purpose of facilitating this review. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own. 

Couple Great Facebook Giveaway Opportunities

Okay giveaway junkies..here are a couple new giveaway opportunities I just learned about. Good luck!

Keri® Lotion                                                                            

Have you entered the @Keri® Lotion Naturally Rich Shea Butter Giveaway? Offer ends 9/28/12! Enter now and you might be one of the lucky Keri® fans to win. Share with a friend!http://www.facebook.com/kerilotion/app_163032157099207

KONSYL

Did you know @Konsyl Original contains 75% more psyllium fiber than the leading competitors? In celebration of this and fiber-tastic fans Konsyl is ready to give away ten (10) $75 Walmart gift cards and Konsyl Original product once they reach 10,000 fans! Fiber-up and *Like* @Konsyl on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/konsyl

Weight Loss Wednesday - Excuses, Excuses

Current weight: 167.5
Total weight loss: 9.5 pounds

Stress. PMS. Going out to eat with friends. I could probably go on and on with excuses for why I am not following my diet. The appeal has definitely worn off and I find myself giving in to temptation much more than I would like. When faced with all these temptations and desire for immediate gratification, it can be difficult to keep my long term goal on mind. That being said, I still lost a little this week and I am almost up to a 10 pound weight loss since 8/14. 

Moonstruck Chocolate Co. Halloween Candy Review

What is the first thing you think about when you read the word "Halloween"? Chances are, "candy" comes to mind!  While kids tend to settle for just about any type of chocolate, why not surprise them or treat yourself to some seriously delicious candy this Halloween! Moonstruck Chocolate Co. is Portland, Oregon artisan-based chocolatier that has recently unveiled a great line of sweets for the upcoming holiday.

Although I have been on a diet, I still crave sweets and I did allow myself to sample the delicious assortment of products. The truffles were amazing and one was enough to satisfy my sweet tooth and reward myself for all my hard work! Here are the fabulous products I received:

Chocolate Bat
The Chocolate Bat is available in both dark chocolate and milk chocolate options. They are hand-poured into solid bats with hand-painted eyes. . Usually I do not like dark chocolate but it was tasty and did not leave was less bitter than some other dark chocolates I have tasted before. It was so adorable that I hated to eat it, but was glad that I did!

Spooky Spider Truffle Collection

This new five piece collection features classic flavors with a spooky spider-themed twist. Three milk chocolate spider truffles and two extra bittersweet web truffles complete this Halloween set. I loved everything about this collection from the adorable box to the fabulously decorated truffles.  The milk chocolates were my favorite and the soft chocolate filling was out of this world! One truffle was about 85 calories and well worth every single one of those calories! 

Monster Mash Collection

Molded from clay originals carved by Master Chocolatier Julian Rose, this new hand-made, hand-painted truffle collection features four ghoulish monsters with familiar flavors:  Crème Brulée Werewolf, Peanut Butter Ghost, Blood Orange Vampire and Popping Praline Mummy. can you say yummy! Each individual piece had its own unique flavor making this the perfect collection if you want to see what different flavors Moonstruck Chocolate Co. has to offer.  The Peanut Butter Ghost was my favorite but each and every one of them was delicious!

Pumpkin Patch Collection

New this year, the four piece Pumpkin Patch Truffle Collection features milk and dark chocolate pumpkin ganache in orange colored ivory chocolate. To make the collection extra special, two truffles are dusted in sparkly sugar.  These had the most surprising taste. I would not have guessed that chocolate and pumpkin flavors would blend as well as they did, making this the perfect fall treat. I am not even that big of a pumpkin fan, but I loved these! These would also make a nice little hostess gift for a Thanksgiving dinner since they are not decorated specifically as a Halloween treat.

Buy it here: You can purchase Moonstruck Chocolate Co. products from their website. 

I was provided with the above mentioned products for the purpose of facilitating this review. No other compensation was received and the views expressed here are my own.