Arm & Hammer Truly Radiant

link
http://h5.sml360.com/-/n3cu

O'Keeff's Working Hands Hand Cream

I got to try this product free from O'Keeffe's through Smiley360 in exchange for my honest review.  Here's what I think of it:

link to website

This stuff is really cool!  You don't have to use much at all to keep your hands soft and moisturized.

My husband even uses this now, because it has absolutely no scent.  He works outside part of the winter, and his hands get very chapped and dry.  Now they DON'T, thanks to working hands!

I am a teacher and constantly use hand sanitizer (or "hanitizer" as one of my students calls it), so my hands get super dried out.  My hands even get to the point where they crack and even bleed, causing me to wear band-aides.  This, in turn, makes it hard to write on the whiteboard.

With a little help from O'Keeffes, I no longer have this problem…seriously.  This stuff is GOOOOOOD!

THey also make some for feet.  I am going to get some of this before summer starts so I won't look like a cavewoman come summer!

NESCAFE

(Here is a link to the mission on Smiley360:  http://h5.sml360.com/-/golr)

NESCAFE with CoffeeMate


Tried this tonight for the first time.  I was sent a container of the Hazelnut flavor free from NESCAFE through Smiley360.

This instant coffee is easy to make.  The direction say to add 2T to a cup and add 6-8 oz of hot water and stir.  Well, what I did was run water through my Keurig so I  wouldn't have to microwave the water.  I learned that the large cup setting must dispense more than 8 ounces of water, because my coffee was watered down!  No worries, though, i just added some more NESCAFE to it and it was perfect.

The flavor is rich and creamy, and it tastes delicious.  It is nice to have something so easy that I don't have to add any creamer to!  I recommend this to any flavored coffee lover!

UPDATE (12-19-14):

Last weekend when my mom came to visit a made us each a cup of this.  She has never been a fan of instant coffee, but I told her that this kind is especially good.
She tried it and loved it!  She took one of the free coupons and is going to use it for some French Vanilla kind.  She also said that she was even going to use it next time she hosts coffee at her house!

I also plan on serving this to guests at Christmas Brunch!  I am sure all the ladies will enjoy the rich, cream flavor as much as I do!

Money Master the Game by Tony Robbins book review

MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom by Anthony Robbins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I got to read a sample of this book free through smiley360.  I was a little disappointed in the excerpt i got to read, though, because all it was was a bunch of pages of people's opinions of mr. robbins and then a few pages of actual text from the book.  I have no idea what the book really entails, because the except was almost like an introduction to the book, not an actual chapter.

I would be interested in reading the book, though, because I would love to hear how this guy thinks i can get rich!


View all my reviews

good reads link

Hubby's Orajel Single Dose Cold Sore Relief

The hubs got to try this Orajel Single Dose Cold Sore Relief free through Smiley360.

He doesn't get cold sores very often, but, when he does, he wants fast relief.  The Orajel that he got free came a few weeks before he got his first cold sore of the season (yay!).  He (of course) had forgotten that he had this free item.  I made sure to remind him (find and) use it!

Boy was he glad that he found it!  The cold sore was gone quicker than with any other treatment he has ever used!  He also mentioned that he liked the fact that it came with the moisturizer part.  That is something that no other brands/kinds he has tried has come with.

He still has a few coupons left, so, if you are prone to cold sores, let me or him know.  We will be sure to give you one (or some).  This stuff works, and you will probably want to try it too!

Well, today I decided that it was a 2 cups of the Espresso Blend of Lavazza KCups kind of day.  My free boxes of Lavazza came just in time. (Thanks for sending me 2 free boxes in exchange for my honest review, Lavazza!)

After a late night at a hockey game (which my team LOST) I was already super tired this morning.  Add to that papers to grade, lessons to plan, students to teach, and a full-blown headache.  I HAD to reach for the good stuff!  So far I have never had any better coffee brewed at home (or in this case, school) than this Lavazza kind!

These Lavazza KCups are seriously my favorite KCups I have tried so far (and I have tried quite a few, if I do say so myself.  I don't know what it is about this kind of coffee, but the flavor is so robust and delicious (I mix mine with powdered sugar-free vanilla creamer) that I could not just have one cup today!  This tastes like some real, gourmet stuff, here!  I am no coffee connoisseur, so I can't explain what it is that makes this coffee so delicious, but, please believe me….it IS!

I have passed out a few of the magnets and coupons (both for in-store and online use) to some fellow teachers at school, so I hope they do themselves a favor and buy some of these for themselves.  It is going to be hard for me to share, but I will, since Lavazza was so generous by sending me 2 boxes for free.

I am the "coffee keeper" at my school, so people know they can always come to me when they need a KCup for our KCup brewer that we keep in the teacher's lounge.  I will be sure to recommend Lavazza, and I may even share a KCup or 2 with as many of them as possible (if I am not too tempted to keep it all for myself!)

As you can tell, I would highly recommend the Lavazza brand to any coffee drinker.

My husband's experience with Copper Sole socks

These socks ROCK!  I am a big fan of good socks, and these are the hands down BEST socks I have ever worn.  NO JOKE!  Prior to this campaign (where I got 3 free pairs of Copper Sole socks free from the Copper Sole company through BzzAgent) I had never heard of these socks.

I am a police officer and I need good socks!  Especially in winter time.  I have a feeling that these will really keep my feet warm in the winter.

ALso, I am a bit embarrassed to admit it, but I tend to get athlete's foot a lot.  I oftentimes work out in the weight room at the police station and sometimes forget to wear my flip flops in the shower.  Seems like whenever I do, it never fails, I get athlete's foot.  I haven't worn these socks long enough (about the 4 weeks it takes) to see if it will "cure" my athlete's foot, but I will be sure to BzzAgain on the status of it!  As a matter of fact, I have a minor case of it right now (BUMMER).

I wear them at home, at work, and while working out.  Like I said, it is very important for me to have good socks.

Ever since I have started using it my wife hasn't nagged me about getting odor eaters for my stinky feet, so I guess that they really do help with foot odor!

I give these socks an A+, 100%, 5 star rating!  If you know what's good for your feet, you will go online and order some for yourself….your feet will be THANKING YOU!

Secret Outlast Clear Gel (with update 11-6-14)

I was excited to try this Secret Outlast Completely Clean Clear Gel that I got free from Secret through BzzAgent.  I have been disappointed in its inability to stop me from sweating, though.
It really does keep my clothes stain-free (no white marks), but, like EVERY deodorant/antiperspirant I have ever tried, it falls short in not making my have sweaty armpits.
That is not to say that I treat my deodorant nicely….I mean, I push my sweating to the limits.  I took 3-year-old twins to Yo Gabba Gabba Live, worked out, did an oral presentation for my grad school class, etc. under the care of secret.  All of those things made me super-sweaty.
I have to say, i was kind of disappointed when I received my BzzKit and saw that this was a GEL.  I mean, who wants to put wet stuff on their pits?!?!  The directions said to apply 2-3 "clicks" to each underarm.  I find that I need to use 4 clicks on the first armpit (from settling or something?) and only 1 on the second armpit.  Weird, but true.  The gel takes a while to dry, but, when it does, it really leaves no marks.
The scent is fresh and clean.  It is a little strong, but I like that.  I haven't had body odor since using it, but, like I mentioned, i still do sweat….a LOT.



UPDATE 11-6-14

I hate to say it, but, this antiperspirant is simply not working for me.  I still sweat.  Not enough to where people can see it through my shirt or something, but enough for me to feel wet under my armpits.  I was hopeful that this would work well to keep my dry, because, as mentioned above, this is the only deodorant that truly goes on clear and doesn't show up on my black shirts, but it just doesn't work well to keep my dry.  I am sure it works better than if i were to not wear any deodorant, but it doesn't keep my dry like I need to.

I am still liking the scent, and it really does work well to cover odors.

I would love to hear if this Secret Outlast works well for others.  If you use it, drop me a line and let me know how this works for you.  Like I said, i really wanted it to keep my dry, but, sadly, it just doesn't.

Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Shampoo, Conditioner, and Glossing Cream

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.  My review and opinions are my own.

The items pictured above were in my Influenster Vox Box.  I was super excited to get to try these products, as I know that they are salon-quality (and salon priced) products.

I was a little disappointed in the size of the shampoo and conditioner samples.  I mean, I literally used as little as possible of both and barely squeezed enough out of there to last 2 shampoos and conditioners.  I could have easily used each sample in one use.  I feel as though I didn't get a true feel of the difference the shampoo and conditioner could have made in my hair after longer use (I would have liked to have had enough to use for at least a week or two.  I wish that the shampoo and conditioner samples would have been the same size as the styler (2 oz bottle), but instead they were 0.3 oz packets.

Shampoo and Conditioner:
Anyways, I guess I shouldn't complain about a free sample, but, like I said, I find it difficult to give a great review of the products when I got barely anything to try.  What I did notice about the shampoo was that it was WAY thicker than any other shampoo that I have used.  I feel like it really coated my hair.  I loved the scent, and I like that fact that is was infused with olive oil.  The conditioner was much "runnier" than the shampoo.  I really didn't notice any difference in this than the Tresemme conditioner I was using before I tried these out.  Again, i really loved the scent of this.  I did notice that my hair was "glossier", but that may be due to the styler (which I will review next).  I can not be sure if the glossy shine of my hair had anything to do with the shampoo or conditioner because I used all 3 products each of the 2 days I used the shampoo and conditioner.

Styler:
This was interesting.  After putting it in my hair, my hands were sparkly.  Like, this product actually has super-duper fine glitter in it almost that makes your hair shiny!  Now, this does NOT mean that it looks like you are putting glitter in your hair or anything, but it is just what makes it look shinier.  I LOVE this product.  I will continue to use it until I have squeezed every last bit out of the bottle!  My hair felt super soft and STRAIGHT!  (This is the look I want….I blow dry my hair straight every time I wash it.)  Again, i LOVE the scent.  
It says right on the bottle that a little goes a long way, so this product will last you a very long time.  I seriously use, like, a pencil eraser (the kind on the end of the pencil) sized amount….maybe even less) each day.  By the end of the day, my hair does feel a little greasy, but no more so than when I use any other styler out there…..and I have used about a bazillion different kinds, ranging from the cheapo brands to the salon-priced/quality ones!

On the two days that I used all 3 of the above products I had not 1 but 4 people ask me if I got a haircut or did something different with my hair!  No one said "Wow, your hair sure looks glossy" or anything, but these products made enough of a difference for my hair that that many people noticed something was different---and that says something!

I only wish that I would have saved the shampoo and conditioner for school picture day (which is coming up--I am a teacher!)

5 Hour Energy

Link to smiley360 5 hour energy mission page

I NEEDED 5 Hour Energy today!  I took my twin 3 year olds to Yo Gabba Gabba Live in the middle of the afternoon (meaning NO NAP TODAY!)

A friend of mine went with me, so I took the 2 free 5 Hour Energy drinks that I got from the brand (5 Hour Energy) for free through Smiley360 and we both had one on the way to the theater where the show was.

We were both pleased with the pink lemonade flavor.  The drink did not make us feel full at all.  Plus, my friend really appreciated the fact that a percentage of the profits from specially marked bottles goes toward breast cancer research.

I can't honestly say that I felt any more energized than a large pop or coffee (with caffeine) would have given me, but my friend said that she really felt energized.

As mentioned, we both liked that fact that we didn't feel full after drinking the bottle.  A coffee or pop would have made (at least me) feel super full, or bloated, whatever you want to call it.

Overall, I would recommend 5 Hour Energy to anyone who wants the same results as a big pop or coffee without having to consume that much.  It helped my friend and I get through a long day with 2 very "busy" 3 year olds, and being surrounded by hundreds more!

Link to Oragel Coupon

Click here for a link to Smiley360/Oragel coupon:
http://h5.sml360.com/-/atmm

oragel coupon

Children's Advil (Sugar Free, Dye Free)

I have twin 3 year olds, and the youngest (ok, youngest by 3 minutes) always seems to get sick (fevers, aches, pains, etc.) to the point where he requires medicine. I really don't like the idea of having to give my kids medicine, but, when your child feels miserable you sure aren't going to just make them suffer!
That is why I am glad I got to try Children's Advil Sugar-Free Dye Free. Advil sent me a free bottle (through Smiley360) in exchange for my honest review of the product. It makes me feel good giving my kid(s) something that isn't laden with sugar or dyes. My boy (the one that gets sick more often) actually LOVES the flavor of this and always wants to "drink" it. (So, thank heavens for the childproof lid!)
This stuff starts working right away, and it truly lasts a long time (WAY longer than other types of fever reducers). The box said that it lasts up to 8 hours, and I believe it. Oftentimes I only have to give it one time and don't have to worry about when I can give the next dose. It comes with a measuring cup on top of the lid that you can have your child drink from. I choose, however to use a syringe that I got from the pharmacy. It is just way easier for me to squirt it in my kids' mouths rather than have them drink it out of that small cup.
I really recommend this product. It work well, is free of sugars and dyes, and has a taste kids can handle!

Tazo Chai Tea

Tazo sent me some free Chai teabags to try as well as 3 coupons for a FREE box of Tazo Chai Tea.  If you want one of the coupons, let me know!  One is for me and the other 2 are for me to share with friends.

I am so glad that Smiley360 hooked me up with Tazo Chai Tea.  I do love chai tea, although I have only had it at Starbucks and have never tried making it at home.

In my Smiley Mission Kit I got regular chai, vanilla caramel chai, and chocolate chai.  I decided to try the chocoloate kind first, especially since I didn't even know such a flavor of chai existed.

Here is a picture of my Smiley Kit and of the tea after I brewed it.  (I just ran some water through my Keurig and put the teabag in there so I wouldn't have to try to hunt for my tea kettle).

The directions say to let the tea steep for, like, 5 minutes, but, by the time I got to it (I was busy making a rubric and doing other school work) it was way longer than 5 minutes.  It tasted good, but I wish that I had some kind of milk or cream or something to put in it so it would really taste like the kind you get at somewhere like Starbucks.  But, seeing as though I never usually add anything to tea I make at home, I am used to tea with nothing in it.

I honestly can't say that I could taste any chocolate flavor, but at the same time, it didn't taste like regular tea or anything.  It was good.

I will write more after I try the other 2 flavors.  Then I will be able to decide what kind I will get when I redeem my coupon!

Jimmy Dean Three Cheese Pasta frozen entree

I had a delicious mac and cheese lunch Friday, courtesy of Jimmy Dean through BzzAgent.
 
I tried the three cheese pasta flavor.  It really was delicious, and it had only 300 calories.  The cheese sauce was rich, thick, and delicious.  That being said, however, I felt like the portion size was really small (I guess that is how they kept it at 300 calories).  I am glad I brought some other stuff in my lunch that day, or else I would have for sure still been hungry after eating the Three Cheese Pasta.

The taste, flavor, and texture are all spot on, but, honestly, I would never pay full price for this frozen entree.  (The store I used my free coupon at had them priced at $3.99, regularly!)  There is no way I would spend much that on such a small portion, no matter how tasty it is!

Great product, great brand, great flavor, but not so great value (at least at the store I went to).  Check it out at your store, though, and see if it is cheaper….If it is I do not think you will be disappointed with the taste and quality!

5 Hour Energy

http://h5.sml360.com/-/9ojw here's a link to the mission page

Chapstick Dual-Ended Hydration Lock

Here's yet another product review!  Chapstick sent me a free stick of their new Dual-Ended Hydration Lock Chapstick in exchange for my review of it, through Smiley360.

Let me just say that my lips will be thanking me this winter, for sure, for agreeing to review this product!

I have been using the Chapstick (one end is renew and the other end is moisturize) every day since I got it (about a week ago), and I can tell a difference in the softness of my lips.  When winter comes I will for sure need this, as my lips get dry and chapped.  However, now that I think about it, they may not get like that this year since I am taking a preemptive strike and using this BEFORE they get bad.  Maybe I will have to come back and do an update this winter!!!

If I had to rate this out of 5 stars I would give it 4 stars.  The only reason I am not giving it a perfect 5 star rating is because I wish that at least one of the ends had more of a medicated or minty quality to it.  But, then again, maybe I won't need it during dry-lip season!  We shall see!

Overall, great product.  I am not sure how much it costs in the store since I am still using my free stick, but I plan on continuing using it again and again, even after I run out of my free stick and have to actually BUY more!

Here is a link to the mission page, if you are interested:
http://h5.sml360.com/-/79u9

Heluva Good Dip (Jalepeno Cheddar flavor)

I finally found the Heluva good dip Jewel!  I checked a lot of stores (Target, Stracks, etc.) and finally found it!  I was PUMPED!  And the dip did NOT disappoint!

I was glad Heluva Good  sent me a coupon for a free container of it, because I don't think I would have ever bought it on my own without trying it first.  I would have been missing out.

I got the dip just in time for football Sunday.  I chose to try the Jalapeño Cheddar flavor.  I thought it was going to be super cheesy and not sour creamy, but it is a wonderful blend of a sour cream dip mixed with cheese flavor.  The spice is NICE!  I like this WAY more than regular old ranch or french onion dip.

I gave it to one of my 3 year old twins and he said "It makes my teeth hot!" but he kept dipping and dipping his pretzels in it!

I think this dip would be good with any kid of chips, crackers, or pretzels, but I don't know how it would be with veggies.  That will be my next test!

Jewel had other flavors as well:  Garlic and Caramelized Onion was my other contender, but I have a real problem smelling like a gigantic clove of garlic when I eat it, so I decided to spare him and go with the Jalapeño Cheddar flavor.

Julius Jr. Invento-Cycle from Fisher-Price

As soon as my boys saw this Julius Jr Invento-Cycle they were excited to try it. I mean, it got them in the house, shoes off and potty-ied as quick as a flash! 

At first they had a hard time figuring out that it was a pull toy (even though I told them….but then again, they never listen to me!), but once they got the hang of it, the sent it back and both between them about 2 dozen times right in a row! 

This is a fun toy for any kid who likes cars, motorcycles, and/or Julius Jr.! One of my guys just HAD to take it to daycare with him today for show-and-tell! 

The only complaint my boys have is that Julius Jr. falls out of the invento-cycle a lot. They get kind of mad when that happens. I can see my boys playing with this for a long time. Thank you for the free Julius Jr. Invento-cycle, Fisher-Price! My boys (and I) appreciate it!!!  We will probably be buying the Koo Koo Ca Choo Choo Train Set with one of the coupons I got!

Arm and Hammer Baking Soda

http://h5.sml360.com/-/7a4k

Finally got my box of baking soda and shaker from Arm & Hammer!  I have been waiting for this mission from Smiley360 for a while now!  I will review it here when I get more of a chance to use it!

OK….so, we got water seepage in our bottom living room in that crazy flash flood earlier this month.  Enough water came in to soak into our CARPET down there!  (Of course my Shop-Vac broke right in the middle of the cleanup.).  Anyways, it still smelled a little musty down there, so I decided to use my new box of baking soda that I got free from Arm & Hammer through Smiley360 on this!  The kit came with a (super cute) shaker, so that made for a nice, even distribution.

I sprinkled an even layer on the stinky carpet and let it sit there for a few hours.  Then I vacuumed it up and repeated (just in case, since i REALLY wanted the smell to finally be GONE).  Guess what?!?  The baking soda did the trick!  Even when I stuck my nose down there, I could no longer smell the mustiness!

I guess the baking soda absorbed all of the odor of something!  I am SO THANKFUL!

Next I think I will take some advice from the kit's idea book and use it in my laundry….AND make PAINTS for the boys!!!  Who knew you could make paint out of this stuff!  I can't wait to get started!

Here is the link to the mission page, again!
http://h5.sml360.com/-/7a4k

Jimmy Dean Delights--Southwest Style Grilled Chicken

I got a coupon for a free Jimmy Dean Delights frozen entree from Jimmy Dean through BzzAgent.  (Actually, I got 2 coupons and bought 2 different ones, but this is the review of the first one I tried…the second one will come later, after I try it….so come back to see THAT review!).  I chose the Southwest Style Grilled Chicken one because I love 2 other frozen entree brands' versions of this and I thought this could compare to those.

The entree has 250 calories, which is acceptable for me for a lunch portion.  There are also 18 grams of protein in it (which I do not really pay attention to how much protein I eat, but my husband does when he works out), so all of you weigh lifters and athletes who like protein, this would be a great lunch for you.  There is, however quite a bit of sodium in it, just like any processed meal--there are 560 mg (which is 23% daily value).

I had my Jimmy Dean Delights Southwest Style Grilled Chicken for lunch.  I am a teacher and have only 30 minutes for lunch (including phone call, bathroom, and copy time) so I need a quick fix meal.  This took about 5 minutes to cook.

It tasted great!  It seems like the chicken is actually real chicken, not like some of the other brands of frozen entrees.  The vegetables are cut into pretty big sized chunks, so if you have to pick out the green peppers (like I do) they are easy to take out!  (Did I mention that I am a super-picky eater?).  There is a good amount of each ingredient in the bowl--just enough beans, just enough chicken, rice, etc.)  I can't say the meal filled me up, but it was a great lunch-sized portion.

I recommend this for anyone who wants a meal that is quick and easy to count calories with!  It came in a bowl that you can wash and re-use (just not for eating purposes).  I will use the bowl in my classroom to hold beads or buttons.

Seventh Generation Hand Soap

Seventh Generation Hand Soap

I got a free bottle of hand soap from Seventh Generation through Smiley360 in return for a review of it.  I got my bottle about a week ago and have been using it in my kitchen ever since.

So far (after having trouble getting the pump to the "open"position (DUH, you have to TURN it) I have been impressed with the soap.  It has a nice foamy lather to it (which I will post a picture of) and a nice, fresh scent.  I am not sure how many or what scents it comes it, but mine is Mandarin Orange and Grapefruit scent.  The bottle label is orange for this scent.

What I like the most about this soap is that I feel good using it.  Seventh Generation seems like an Earth-friendly company, and this hand soap has "no dyes, no synthetic fragrances, no triclosan, no phthalates".  The label also says that it is "97% USDA Certified Biobased Product", which i think means it is all-natural.  For those of you who don't eat or can't even come into contact with gluten, it is gluten-free as well.

I highly recommend this soap for "green" people or gluten-free people, or anyone who likes to use all-natural products who like scents!

Be sure to click on the link below the picture if you want to see the Smiley360 Seventh Generation Hand Soap mission page. Enjoy!

http://h5.sml360.com/-/7gyq