Listerine HealthyWhite

Had the chance to try out Listerine HealthyWhite.  Now I just have to prelude this review with the fact that I have had the flu for the last week and so this is based on only a few tries.  Also, my pictures are really crappy.  Overall, the product felt like what you would anticipate Listerine to feel like, it slightly burns and it is work to keep in your mouth.  My mouth did feel cleaner after using it and I will definitely finish off the bottle see the full effects.  Now, it is just like most whitening things, it will not be effective if you also don't change some of your habits.  I drink a ton of pop so I'm sure I will not be seeing the full effect but I can tell that will help prevent the stains from sticking.  Would I recommend it, sure.  If you already use Listerine why not add a whitening component.  If you are looking for a mouthwash, the Listerine burn wasn't too bad and my mouth did feel cleaner after using it.

Before

After (three uses, with a makeover from my three year old) :)

Scott's Natural Tube Free Toilet Paper

Hey all, just another day in the life of Amanda.  I'm up way to late and really just need to go to bed but I gotta let you know, I recently got to try out Scott's new Tube Free toilet paper.  Just another crowdtap.com sample! :)

I have to say, I was super iffy about this product so I was glad that I was able to test out the product.  I had a hard time believing that it could hold up to the daily use on a toilet paper roll.  It worked really well, even with a 3 and 5 year old constantly pulling on the product.  It was nice knowing that all toilet paper was being used.  Certainly one of my biggest pet peeves with toilet paper tubes.  However, my one complaint was that it was kind of thin.  I'm pretty sure it was only 1-ply so I kind of felt like I needed to use more than I would have done with 2-ply but I didn't have to.  Yeah, that didn't make sense.  I had to use about 1 and half the time amount of toilet paper I would have used.  It also wasn't super soft which was a bummer since I like having smooth toilet paper on my tooshy but it wasn't like sand paper.

Overall, I liked it.  Depending on the overall price I would consider purchasing the product again.

Oh you know, just hanging out with some toilet paper. 

:) Couldn't figure out how to delete this from my selected photos (or I was too lazy too).  Search Meme and your first name and see what pops up.  This was mine.  lol.

Pretty cool and unique concept.  I could see myself trying the TP out again.

Ricola Revitalizing Herb Drops

Another Crowdtap sampling opportunity.  This time it was Ricola Revitalizing Herb Drops.  I'm not really sure how to describe these as they were rather different.  Since I work in a sales office and we always need a little boost around 2pm, I decided to share them with my office.  We had some definite mixed reactions.  We tried Lemon flavor and it was definitely different.  It was a mix of lemon sugar candy and pop rocks.  I personally was not a fan of them.  The flavor was strong and the "Effervescent Center" left my tongue raw.  I had one and that was enough for me.  

A few of my co-workers have had a couple and didn't mind the flavor and center but didn't see any real energy boost and were just eating them for the sake of having a bit of sugar.

Another co-worker did not want to try them purely because of the amount of sugar content.  She saw herself, if anything, getting a sugar high versus the energy boost from the B-Vitamins.  I can't say that I blame her.  I do not like sugar candy and the amount of sugar in this product was a tad overwhelming.

Overall experience, I personally would not purchase it again and I don't know if I would reccommend it.  The remainder of the package is in our candy bowl at work and anybody can try one if they would like but I will not be purchasing them nor eating any of what is left.

Miranda enjoyed them and has had a few, however, she did not feel said energy boost.

Elizabeth chose to read the ingredients first and chose not to try the product due to the amount of sugar involved.  I can't say I blame her.

Me just cheesin'

Ingrid enjoyed the flavor but was on her way out to another of our offices.  She would eat again but I don't think she would purchase on her own.

Zep Cleaners

Had the opportunity to try out a couple of Zep Cleaners. An Oxy Degreaser and a Strong disinfectant. 

We tested out the Degreaser on our stove that was a royal mess after a dish we were cooking exploded.  It was a greasy mess and so we were able to test out the Degreaser (not something to be used where you actually prep your food).  It took three sprays and a scrubbing brush to get to the after picture.  I liked it because there wasn't a strong odor associated with the product which was nice when working around my children.  However, I had to spray, scrub, spray, scrub, etc. three times to get to the after picture. The other issue is that we have a gas stove with a pilot light that is never shut off and the stove top is always warm and cleaners often steam off.  This is why I would typically use a magic eraser that has the cleaner power of a spray but doesn't require something that would burn off.  

The disinfectant cleaner spray is hard to see how hard it is working unless you have a microscope. It did allow for a quick clean up from after my daughters brushing their teeth which is nice.  I usually have a Windex touch up that works but I would consider replacing Zep based on a price comparison.

Overall, I would try out Zep Cleaners in place of my other cleaners since they are just as strong with less odor.

Before

After (Three rounds of Spray)

Adorableness (Zep Strong)

Before Disinfectant

After Disinfectant

#TailgateForOurTroops

Yeah, totally used a hashtag in my title.  I hate hashtags and I'm not stellar at them but I'm getting there.  :)  Anyway, not what is important.  Thanks to crowdtap.com I had another sampling opportunity.  This time we got a coupon for a free bag of Kingsford charcoal, an apron in support of #TailgateForOurTroops and a barbecue cook book, Fire and Smoke by Chris Lilly.  Pretty awesome freebies I must say.



Now, my husband is most certainly the grill master in our family.  Bless his heart, he tries to help me and teach me but it is usually not all that successful so I will try to get the meat ready in the house and he can grill.  We're a perfect match.  Dan's go to charcoal is has always been Kingsford so writing a review for it is great.  I've watched him use other, usually off brand charcoal with not much success.  It doesn't light as well and often takes longer to start up and burns up faster once started.  Kingsford charcoal provides just the right amount of burn and heat.  It lights up quickly and easily and lasts.  Dan definitely chooses Kingsford Charcoal (and lighter fluid) over other brands hands down.



The cookbook my Chris Lilly it interesting.  It gives a lot of tips and how-tos that even the most experienced griller will find new ideas.  Some of the recipes were a little fancy for my family but there are some great ones that we like such as the perfect burger.  As time goes by, I'm sure we'll dig deeper into and maybe try out some of the more adventurous recipes.  Dan is always experimenting with rubs and marinades on chicken wings and I saw a few recipes that looked tempting.  I'll have to give some updates based on what we try.

Anyway overall, great sample.  I enjoyed trying something new and we always love a good grill out.  Dan's charcoal and his grill, I like to call it Old Faithful.  He's had this thing for probably over fifteen years.  It has certainly seen its better days but boy does it make some awesome grilled food.

*Sorry for grammar and weird spelling errors, it's late and I'm tired and quite frankly too lazy to proofread*

Home Made Laundry Detergent

Made my own laundry detergent today.  Overall a pretty quick and easy thing.  Would have been a lot faster if I didn't have the "help" of the girls.  But we got it done and it smells good.  I tweaked the recipe as it called for quite a bit of items that involved strong scents that I can't handle.

This is the recipe I used:

BLISSFUL 55‘s HOMEMADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 (4 lb 12 oz) Box of Borax- Found in the detergent aisle

1 (3 lb 7 oz) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda- Found in the detergent aisle

1 (3 lb) Container of OxyClean- Found in the detergent aisle. (This is optional but I highly recommend adding it)

2 (14.1 oz) Bars of Zote Soap- Found in the detergent aisle (we chose to do pink for the scent but the white would be just fine. You can also use Fels Naptha)

1 (4 lb) Box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda- Found in the cooking aisle (You could also get two 2 lb box, we couldn’t find the larger 4lb box when we went)

1-2 (55 oz) Bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener- Found in the detergent aisle OR 3-4 bottles of Scentsy Washer Whiffs found HERE. (my favorite scent is Quiver)

Directions

1. Grate zote soap with cheese grater or food processor.

2. Mix all ingredients together in a large bucket.

3. Use 2 -4 Tablespoons per laundry load.

Original blog: http://www.howdoesshe.com/cheaper-and-better-diy-laundry-detergent/

The original blog is pretty awesome for other homemade recipes such as stain remover, Febreze, toilet cleaner, etc.  Pretty cool blog if you get the chance to look around.  

This recipe made 2 gallons of detergent (we filled two big pickle jars).  I'll be starting to use it tomorrow.  Hope it works wonders.  :)

The one jar is half full because Elizabeth insisted that we re-fill the oxy-clean tub with some of the detergent.

Family update

Well, I wanted to check some cash back rewards on Top Cash Back but alas, I can't get the sight to load so I'll update on my family happenings.  I am super excited because the Glaspie household is finally diaper free.  Elizabeth went from being super stubborn and not using the potty to refusing to where diapers and went completely diaper free overnight.  She doesn't even where diapers at night.  WooHoo, and just as I was thinking I was going to invest in cloth trainers.  Glad I didn't take that plunge, especially since we are done having kids.  Well, Dan is done and it takes two willing people to make a baby.  So, we're done.

Speaking of Dan, my lovely husband decided that playing softball wasn't enough, but he also had to fracture/severely bruise his heel.  Verdict is bruised right now but they saw bone chips in the first x-ray so he is getting a second opinion.  He has taken the week off, or will be but he can't sit his butt still.  I keep getting random texts from him at work "Sorry, I cleaned the floors today".  I love him, and I love that he is cleaning the house, I really do appreciate that but seriously, he just needs to sit still and let his heel heal (hehe, love the English language).

Anyway, Ashley started her second year of preschool on Tuesday and she is in love.  She enjoys school so much that she almost started crying when I told her it would be a couple of days before she went back.  I hope that love for learning continues on as she gets older.  I was also very proud of her as she informed me when I picked her up yesterday that "I wasn't shy today mommy".  I hope she can break from her shell because it will make her life so much easier.  I've been there, I understand.

 

Well, working on getting Elizabeth to sleep now.  I'm working on getting her to sleep through the night in her own bed.  It is a very long and arduous process.  I'm hoping by her third birthday in the beginning of November that she'll be there.  Two months to go.

Skintimate Mandarin Burst

Hey all, another Crowdtap sample and share review.  This time around I was able to test out Skintimate's Mandarin Burst shaving gel.  It has been years since I have used any form of shaving cream or gel as I just really didn't have the extra funds to purchase a high quality shaving gel and so I used the suds from my body wash or cheap dollar store conditioner.  Hey, they go the job done but it didn't always leave my legs smooth and often there was quite a bit of stubble left over so I was kind of excited to try out Skintimate's shaving gel.  What's the worst that could happen, I got a free can of shaving gel for free.  The best, I loved it and now I need to figure out how to start budgeting it into my monthly spending.  So, my review:

The saying less is more is very true.  The first time I used it I put way too much on my leg and had enough to do  both calves and I ended up wasting a lot.  I'm sure if I had read the directions I could have avoided that so not a bad thing.  Actually, that is a benefit to the gel, you get a lot of uses out of one can since you don't need a lot when covering your leg.

I enjoyed the scent but as someone who is a little sensitive to scents, it was borderline kind of strong for me.  So if you have a strong sensitivity to scent, this isn't the best option for you but I'm sure there are other scents that are more mild or even scent free.  I haven't had the chance to get to the store to find out.

I used the gel twice so far.  The first time I was in the shower and it was a time consuming water wasting process.  Probably wouldn't do that again.  Likewise, I washed my body first and the constant water running on my legs caused the gel to come off and my legs felt dry.  I needed to rewash them with body wash after I was done shaving.  The second time I shaved outside of the shower with a wash cloth and the sink.  This felt faster and I definitely used less water.  Also, my legs felt a lot smoother and hydrated once I wiped them down.  I didn't feel the need to wash them with body wash.  Therefore, especially if you pay for your water, I would recommend not shaving in the shower.

Overall opinion, I would buy again.  I liked the product and it was nice having the option of not having to be in the shower when I needed to shave.  I personally might try a different scent but the overall product was effective and did its job very well.  I would suggest people try it out who hate shaving, like I do.  :)

Neutrogena

I recently had the pleasure of trying out a few products from Neutrogena. This was made possible due to a website that I use, crowdtap.com.  Pretty awesome way to try new products and win gifts cards.  Anyway, I was able to try out:

·         Neutrogena sunscreen sample

·         MoistureShine Lip Soother in shade Glimmer

·         Visibly Even Daily Moisturizer

·         Hydrating Make-Up Remover Cleansing Towelettes

·         Triple Repair Hair Care

The Neutrogena sunscreen sample was 70spf which was more than enough protection for me.  I am a naturally pale person and burn very easily so it was nice to have a lot of protection.  Four hours in the sun playing in the water, I wasn’t any more red then when I started.  Great protection without the typical greasy feeling of sunscreen.  When applied, it rubbed in quickly and evenly.  I also used it on my small children and since it rubbed in quickly they actually stood still long enough for me to apply it.  That was a huge win.

MoistureShine Lip Soother in shade Glimmer has a great color and wasn’t too showy.  I could wear it at work and when just going out and about.  It was all around a versatile color and item.  However, I am not a huge fan of gloss because of the sticky feeling and this was no exception.  Likewise, once I put it on, I couldn’t eat or drink anything without it acquiring a weird taste.  Finally, there was a minty feel that either wasn’t powerful enough or just not right for the product.  It just made my lips feel funny.

I loved the Visibly Even Daily Moisturizer.  I have always loved and used Neutrogena moisturizer this help problem areas on my face where there is uneveness.  There is also a higher spf coverage so there is the important sun protection.

The make-up towelettes were convenient since there was no need to get a cotton ball moistened with a separate bottle of make remover.  It was also very gentle and although there was a slight greasy after feeling, it was easily removed once I washed my face or used a little toner if I was in a time crunch.  They are also very gentle as I did have to try them on my daughter  since she got into my mascara and she had it all over her face.  She looked like a clown and the make-up was quickly and easily removed without any irritation to her face.

Finally, the triple hair care was great for my hair.  I didn’t even know that Neutrogena made hair care products and they were great.  My hair was soft and smooth and looked great even on day two.  I will definitely purchase in the future to see what the long run effects would be on my hair after extended use. 

Life is Good

I started this blog several years ago because I wanted to track what I do, how my children are and where I life is moving.  Well, needless to say, life got a little busy.  I am four classes away from having my MBA in Finance, Ashley will be five in January and Elizabeth will be three in November.  Two smart beautiful loving little girls.  I couldn't ask for more.  Dan and I have both been at our current jobs for nearly two and half years.  We are moving up and forward and trying to keep our heads above water.  All in all, life is good.  I couldn't be happier where things are moving and the changes that are coming.

Dan and I are always trying to find new ways to make money or to save money here and there and it is pretty remarkable on how much we have saved and earned to help with diapers, Christmas and birthday gifts, and so much more.  I think I'm changing the direction of the blog.  It will become a bit of mix between personal family stories and ways to help save you and your family money.  I love my life and the ways I have found to make it easier and I love to share that with others as well.  Well all, hubby just got home from work so I should probably socialize briefly before I fall asleep.