Green Mountain Fair Trade Coffee Review

Many of you know that I have been home with sick kids most of the week.  We even had to miss Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday.  I will admit, it has been a difficult week, but luckily I've had my caffeine!  Thanks to Green Mountain Coffee and Bzz Agent, I have had the chance to try out some great coffee the past couple of weeks and I must admit that I am hooked!!!  

Here is what my Bzz Kit included.   

 The four flavors...

I had the chance to sample four great flavors, but I must admit Wild Mountain Blueberry was my absolute favorite!  The other flavors were a bit strong, but I was able to squeeze two cups of coffee out of 1 K-cup.  The Wild Mountain Blueberry is a light flavor that is perfect for Breakfast.  In fact, I was wanting a blueberry muffin every time I had a cup of it. So, I the last time I was a Kroger, I picked my up a package of Blueberry Creme Cake from the discounted section.  Let me tell you...the combination of the two was AMAZING!

  I love having a great tasting coffee, as well as a great pick-me-up in the morning.  

So what makes Fair Trade Coffee so special?  

Well not only do you get a great tasting coffee, but you are also supporting farmers that provide equal and fair wages to their workers. They have standards for safe working conditions and health benefits for their workers.   I love being able to support these farmers!  

Note:  I was given the Green Mountain Fair Trade coffee to sample for free for being a Bzz Agent.  I was not paid for this review. 

Benjamin Moore Aura Paint Review

Our house has been a work in progress since we purchased it three years ago.  One of our projects that we have been working on (or dreaming about) for the last three years was making our tiny little bathroom into a mudroom/laundry room/bathroom.  To do this project, we had to expand the bathroom into our garage.  My husband did this portion of the project a year ago and we had decided to get the project finished this fall.  So when I saw the opportunity to try some eco-friendly paint from Benjamin Moore as a Bzz Agent, I was thrilled and jumped on it.  However, the progress has not kept up like I had thought and we are still not ready for paint.  Although I was not able to actually try out the paint first hand, I thought it would be nice to share some information about it.

First of all, as a Bzz Agent, I recieved an awesome bzz kit which included a coupon for free gallon of paint, a pint of white Aura paint, some great paint sample fan decks, and great coupons to hand out to some of you!

I already decided that I was going to go with a yellow and gray theme.  For some reason I love the way these colors go together and I love the cheerfulness of yellow.

I went online to see if I could find some fun yellow and gray colors and found that at the Benjamin Moore website you can "Paint Your Own Room".  I also noticed that they actually have the Pottery Barn colors that they use in the catalog.  So if you dream about having a Pottery Barn style, you can get started with the paint.  I had a so much fun playing around on the Benjamin Moore website and this what I came up with when "painting my own room"...SUNDANCE for the yellow and Nimbus Gray for the Gray.  Don't you just love it? 

I was really excited to try it out, but with the craziness of our life we didn't get the chance to. I will let you know how it turns out when it's finished! 

Some of the great features of this paint taken from them Benjamin Moore website:

• Paint and Primer Together
• Extreme hide, never more than one coat in any color
• Low VOC/low odor so you can return to using your room more quickly
• Provides a mildew resistant coating
• Color Lock® Technology, no color rub-off
• Stains wash off easily
• Excellent touch up
• Self priming
• Easy application
• Long lasting fresh look appearance
• Easy clean up

If you are in the market for a great paint, let me know I still have a few $5 coupons left over.

Note:  I received all items for free as a Bzz Agent.  I was not paid to do write this post or share this paint with you. 

Smartfood Selects Review

 

It always makes me laugh when a company claims that its product was made with "real" ingredients.  It makes me wonder, what would a "fake" ingredient taste like.  I must admit though, when I do see the labels stating "All-Natural" or "Real", I am way more likely to purchase that item.  As a mother of young children, I like to think that I am making good choices when it comes to the foods that I feed them.  Recently, I had the opportunity to munch on a new product line called SMARTFOOD® Selects snacks. All of these product are made with real herbs and spices.  As a Bzz Agent, I was sent a great package filled with these goodies...

I was sent two snack size bags of the Hummus Popped chips in the Feta Herb and the Garlic Tomato Basil and one full size bag of the Buffalo Cheddar Popcorn.  The flavors were intriguing, so I immediately opened the Feta Herb.

These did not last long!  I loved the thin, crisp chips.  The flavor was unique and pleasant.  I liked the fact that they entire bag was only 110 calories.  This made a great snack.  I meant to share it with the kids, but they were too darn good. Can you can see the little flecks of herbs and spices that make these taste so great?

I thought that I better not polish off the other bag of popped chips by myself, so we took them along for a snack at Grandma's house.

Little Bro definitely wanted in on these.  Like the Feta Herb, the Garlic Tomato Basil was a hit!  I only got a few bites in before they were gone.  While I liked the taste, I preferred the Feta Herb.  It was  little less "herby". Does that make sense?  Little Bro gave them a thumbs up. 

We really liked the first two so much, I just assumed the Buffalo Cheddar Popcorn would be tasty.  Thank Goodness I was the first one to try them out.  WOWSERS!  These things were Hot!  After a few bites, I was running for some water. I was NOT a fan of these...

What I was a fan of was the cool resealable bag.  It had a ziploc like closure that would be great if I had liked them and wanted to keep them fresh.   I also might be a fan of some of the other flavors:  Cinnamon Brown Sugar and Parmesan Herb.

Overall, we loved the popped chips, but would pass on the popcorn.  I actually did pass the popcorn on and found someone who absolutely loved the SPICY Cayenne Pepper taste.  You can find these at your local Kroger or Walmart.  I'd encourage you to check them out! 

Whatcha Eatin'?: Monday, November 5th Edition

I tend to be a bit behind schedule these days, but at least this week I am getting a menu planned!  Here is what we are eating this week:

Monday:  Meatloaf, Party Potatoes, Corn, Biscuits
Tuesday: Southwest Roll-ups, Mexican Rice, Mixed Fruit
Wednesday: Beef Stroganoff, Noodles, Green Beans
Thursday:  Tortellini, Dinner Salad, Corn, Bread Sticks
Friday:  Cheeseburgers on the grill, French Fries, Baked Beans, Cottage Cheese
Saturday:  Crescent Pepperoni Roll-Ups, Chips, Veggies & Dips
Sunday: Sloppy Joes, Mac & Cheese

Got any great recipes to share?  Link up with me at Organizing Junkie's blog and get inspired! 

Glade Expressions Collection Review

With three kiddos, two of them being male, sometimes my house just plain stinks. I like to burn candles, but I worry about the flames with the children.  Scentsy is awesome, but really expensive.  Plus, my hubby doesn't really like have the thing plugged in and on all the time.  Therefore, I am pretty open to trying new "air freshener".   Recently, I was given the opportunity to try out the New Glade Expressions Collection for being a Bzz Agent...woo hoo! 

I was given two coupons to try out some great products:  The Glade Expressions Diffuser and the Glade Expressions Fragrance Mist.

 One of the main problem areas when it comes to smell in my household is the bathroom.  I admit, sometimes it just plain stinks like a gas station urinal.  Gross, I know.  But seriously, I have two little boys peeing all over the toilet...and pretty much the entire floor surrounding it.  While, I do try to clean and freshen it up at least once a week, it is nice to have a little air freshener.  I decided that this was the room that I could use the diffuser.   My bathroom has somewhat of a "beachy"  theme, so I choose to stick with the Pineapple & Mangosteen scent.  I loved the look of the natural wood.

The smell coming from the diffuser was quite pleasant. It worked really well for about a week.  I did not notice the usual smells because this wonderful fragrance masked it.  Then, slowly the fragrance went away.  Now, to actually smell the Pineapple & Mangosteen I have to pick it up and basically hold it to my nose.  I really liked the small, so I am a bit disappointed that it didn't last longer.  However, if I get a great deal on the refills, I will likely purchase more.

When it came to the fragrance mist, I chose to use my coupon on the Fuji Apple& Cardamom Spice.  I love the smell of fall, and apple spice sounded like it would fit perfectly with my other fall candles that I love to burn this time of year.  

I really liked the fragrance.  It wasn't too overwhelming, yet it got the job done and made my house smell better.   I keep this in our living room and kitchen area.  These actually come as a two part, a refillable holder and the refill.  I like this because it is a little more eco friendly.  Not as much waste.  The only big complaint I have about these is that you have to squeeze the sides of it to get it to spray and sometimes it isn't that easy.  It's not very smooth and sometimes drips out instead of spraying.

Overall, I was pretty happy with the scents.  I wish they would last a little longer.  If I ever find a good deal on them, I will probably snatch them up.  I do have a few coupons to spare, so hit me up!

Remember, I was given these to try for free as a Bzz Agent.  I was not in any way paid for these review.  All opinions are truly my own.  

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life Review & Deal

Discipline?  What's that?  Lately I have been slowly sliding...My house is getting cluttered.  Stacks of papers are piling up.  Laundry is taking over the house.  Coupons are scattered here and there.  My "to do" list just keeps going and going.  You might just say that I am in a funk.  I need to be more disciplined.  Last week, Crystal from MoneySavingMom announced that she was launching her new ebook 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life.  Is this God's way of putting the smack down? I questioned whether I really needed someone to "tell" me how to get my act together, but I went to her website and read about the book. I ended up snagging a free copy of it to review right away. Seriously...I read the section on Who is this Book for?  and thoroughly believe it was meant for me.  Let me share...

Who is This Book For?

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life is for you if:

• You have trouble following through.
• You get overwhelmed by huge projects.
• You start strong, but your passion fizzles out.
• You are super-disciplined in a few areas of your life, but you have one or two pet areas that you just can’t get under control.
• You check out 10 different books on discipline and organization from the library, but return all of them late. 

Check, check, check. check. Right now, I have a $9 late fee at the library...guess it's not free if you don't return things on time. Check.

I started reading the ebook this past weekend and I am starting my 21 days!  I really like Crystal's approach.  She does not pretend like she knows it all and we must follow her guidelines, but instead she admits her faults and gives practical advice on how to make positive changes in your life.  I really like how she gives a daily application to the reading.  It's not overwhelming, but the little tasks are helping me make progress without burning out.  She is also a mother of young children, so I can relate to her.  I am looking forward to each new day and how each one is benefiting my life.

 

Right now Crystal is offering her new ebook 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life for only $0.99.  This special is only good until October 26th.  You do not have to have a Kindle or Nook to read it. I just downloaded it on my computer desktop.  I would love to have a partner in this journey to a more disciplined life!  Let me know if you join me and we can support each other.

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book to review.  I would not recommend this to you if it was not a positive influence for me.  I did not get paid to review it, and all opinions are true. However, the links to purchase this book are my referral links. 

Whatcha Eatin'? Monday, October 22nd

Well, I skipped out on menu planning last week, which resulted in running out and buying Avanti's one night and Mcdonald's the next.  We also enjoyed frozen pizza.  This week, I am back to planning.  I don't really like feeling so unorganized.

A couple of weeks ago, we tried out four new recipes, so I thought I better give our opinion on them before I share this week's menu.   We tried out Lasagna Soup, Crock Pot Chicken Teriyaki Sandwiches, Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole, and Easy Mexican Casserole.  We ended up adding two of them to the list of recipes to rotate.  We enjoyed the Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches.  My boys devoured them, so it was a success.  I really enjoyed the Cheesy Chicken & Rice and the entire family ate it up.  I really liked how completely from scratch it was.  My kids got all their vegetables in without any complaining. It was a keeper!  Lasagna soup was okay, but boys would rather just have Lasagna Casserole.  The Mexican Casserole was good, but hubby said he'd rather just have tacos.  Tacos are so easy, so Tacos it is!

Now on to this week's menu...

Monday:  Sour Cream Ritz Chicken, Oven Potatoes, Green Beans

Tuesday:  Angela's Awesome Enchiladas, Rice, Mixed Fruit

Wednesday:  Tortellini, Meat Sauce, Dinner Salad, Corn, Garlic Mozzarella Sticks 

Thursday:  Chop Suey Casserole, Dinner Salad, Rolls 

Friday:  Homemade Pizza, Chips, Veggies & Dip

Saturday:  Chicken Strips, French Fries

Sunday:  StirFry 

What are you enjoying this week?  Link up with me at Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday...or in my case Menu Plan Tuesday!

Have a wonderful week!