Monster Cookies

I love making cookies and these monster cookies have become a favourite.  They make a large cookie, so you don't need to eat as many cookies, right?  In my household it doesn't matter if the cookie is large or small, they get eaten at the same rate!

Monster Cookies

3/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup m&m's

Directions
1.  In a bowl combine the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar and white sugar.
2.  Add eggs and vanilla.
3.  Stir in quick cooking oats and baking soda.
4.  Add chocolate chips and m&m's.
5.  Drop by heaping tablespoons onto parchment lined cookie sheet.
6.  Bake at 350F for 10-13 minutes.

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Yogurt Lotion

The Claims

According to the information on the tub, "this rich, creamy formula with active naturals oatmeal and nutrient-rich yogurt revitalizes dry skin and leaves it hydrated for 48 hours."


My Thoughts

This lotion certainly does a great job at keeping my skin hydrated and moisturized for hours. I would have this lotion on for 24 hours before I took my next shower and my skin felt just as hydrated at the end of 24 hours as it did at the beginning.  I imagine if I left the lotion on longer, my skin would still be moisturized.

I received this lotion in the Apricot and Honey scent.  This lotion has a delicate fruity scent with a hint of sweetness. I love sweet and fruity scents so the scent was a real win for me. The body lotion comes in a tub but I would prefer to see it in a tube as it would be easier to store, apply, and more readily portable. The packaging however does not affect the effectiveness of the product.

The lotion is a great consistency. It is classified as a lotion and I would say this lotion is a little thicker than other lotions I've used. It does however spread very easily on the skin and absorbs fairly quickly. I did find this lotion takes a few minutes to absorb into the skin and my skin felt just slightly tacky/sticky minutes after application. My hands felt a bit greasy and I needed to wash them after applying lotion to my body. That said, this lotion is still great and keeps my skin hydrated for an entire day.

Overall, this is a lotion worth trying. If you have oilier skin, this product may be too greasy for you but dry skin types will benefit most from this lotion. For me, it would be best used in the winter when my skin is dryer.

I receive this product free of charge from Chickadvisor for review purposes. #gotitfree

Vim Power & Shine Anti-bacterial Multi-purpose Spray

I love how well this product cleans and love that it is anti-bacterial and will kill 99.9% of bacteria. I used this spray on the sink and toilet of our small bathroom. It did a really good job on the sink and toilet removing dirt quickly and easily.

The trigger spray is powerful, more so than other brands of cleaners I've tried. This cleaner has a pleasant smell and to me reminds me of the scent of lemons. On the spray nozzle the very faint words of “stop” and a symbol for spray are present. If you didn't look hard enough or at the right angle, this word/symbol would be missed. I would like to see the word/symbol in black so it is bold and stands out.

I also used this cleaner on the hood of our oven which was covered in a greasy residue. I was really impressed by how effectively this cleaner removed the grime. I did have to make a couple passes over the grime but both times required minimal scrubbing and the hood probably hasn't been cleaned in well over a year!

Overall, this is a great multi-purpose cleaner that I would highly recommend to others.


I received this product free of charge for review purposes.

CanvasChamp Winner

Thanks to all who entered the CanvasChamp giveaway.  The giveaway has now closed and the winner has been randomly selected.  Congratulations to:

Jonnie (JB)

You were randomly selected via random.org!  I have sent you an e-mail.

CanvasChamp Review and Giveaway

Do you have a treasured photo you would like to do something special with?  Why not turn it into a canvas print!  Canvas prints are a beautiful way to display a favourite photo.  I was recently given the opportunity to review a canvas print from CanvasChamp.

CanvasChamp offers a variety of photo products including canvas prints.   They also offer photo gifts such as pillows, calendars, books and mugs.   The prices are very reasonable to make such a unique and personalized product.

A neat option CanvasChamp offers is adding personalized song lyrics on canvas:

Choosing my Canvas

For my canvas print, the hardest choice was choosing a photo!  The ordering process was very simple and straight forward.  First I selected my canvas size:

You can choose a preset size or go for a custom size.  After selecting my size, I had the option to upload a photo from my computer, Facebook or Instagram.  I could also choose a gallery photo which are stock photos of various categories such as mountains, sunsets, landscapes, beaches and patterns.  This would be an option if you didn't have your own photo to use. 

From here you choose the type of wrap you would like for the canvas (ie. height of edges, rolled or hanging canvas) and border.  For each option it will tell you if there is an extra fee.  They are very clear and upfront about options that cost extra. 

From here you choose how you want to hang your canvas (hooks, sawtooth hanger, easel etc.) and what finish you want for your print.  For example you can choose to leave it as is with original colouring or change to sepia or grayscale.  Finally, under the options tab you can choose to have your canvas laminated or have photo retouching done.  

Overall, the process was very simple and straight forward.  If you run into difficulties you can call their 1-800 number which is available 24 hours a day.  You can even live chat with someone.  Can I tell you how much I love when a website offers live chat!  It makes my experience as a customer just that much better knowing I can get my issue resolved quickly. 

My Canvas Arrives

It was estimated that my canvas would arrive in 2 weeks.  It was very accurate and it actually arrived a day early.

My canvas came very well packaged so I know CanvasChamp cares very much about their product.  Here's how my canvas arrived:

 And here is the canvas print which is 16" x 20" :

I chose a photo of crab apple blossoms from a tree on our yard.  I am so impressed with how the photo turned out!  The image is crisp and clear and the colour vibrant.

This is a side view of the canvas where you can see the image has been wrapped around the edges.  Below is how the canvas looks from the back with two hooks for hanging.

                         

I am very impressed with the quality of my canvas print and also with the simplicity of the ordering process.  I would definitely recommend CanvasChamp to anyone looking to make a canvas print. 

Giveaway

If you would like to win the opportunity to make a free 12" x 8" canvas from CanvasChamp, just leave me a comment below telling me what you would have printed on your canvas.  Please make sure to leave your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.  

Contest open to Canadians only and ends on August 19, 2018 at 11:59p.m.

I was provided with a free canvas print from CanvasChamp to facilitate this review. 

got 2b Volumaniac Hairspray

This hairspray definitely has a firm hold! Because the hold is so firm it helps to volumize the hair and hold volume. I use hairspray on a daily basis on my bangs. A few times a week I will use my flat iron as a curling iron to add a little flip to my bangs and keep them out of my eyes. Some hairsprays seem to leave a white residue in my hair after using the flat iron but I was pleasantly surprised to see that this hairspray did not leave any residue at all.

I really enjoyed this smell of this product. It smelled light, fresh and fruity to me. A much better scent than those chemical smelling hairsprays.

As soon as you spray this hairspray on your hair it provides a firm hold. Even though the hold was very firm, it stilled looked natural. As the day wears on, the hold loosens up somewhat but that is to be expected. One day I used this hairspray on a rainy and windy day and my hair style still held up.

Overall, I loved this hairspray and would continue to use it and recommend it to others to try. 

I received this product free of charge from ChickAdvisor for review purposes.  #gotitfree

Love Beauty & Planet Argan Oil & Lavender Relaxing Rain Body Wash

I received this Love Beauty & Planet body wash from Chickadvisor to test a while back.  This brand is new to me and they are very focused on producing a natural and environmentally friendly product.  The back of the bottle states, "Our goal is a carbon footprint so small, it's like we weren't even here."  The bottle in fact is made from 100% recycled plastic.

This body wash also contains no sulfate cleansers, no parabens and no dyes.  It does use organic coconut oil, organic argan oil, ethically sourced lavender, and plant based cleansers.  They also do not test their products on animals.

My Thoughts
I use body wash on a daily basis so I have used many body wash brands over the years. I have a few criteria that I use to determine if a body wash is good. First it has to have a great scent. This body wash is lavender scented and while I'm not a huge fan of lavender scents, I found the scent to be subtle and not too over powering.

Second of all, I want my body washes to have a great lather. This body wash certainly lathers very well. I use a body pouf and a little bit goes a long way. This body wash feels so soft and silky on my body. It really felt so much silkier than other products I have used. My skin felt hydrated after using this body wash.

Overall, I really loved this body wash! Despite not being my favourite scent, the formula really is a winner in my books. I would love to try other body wash scents from this brand. I would definitely recommend this body wash to others to try.

You can learn more about this brand on their website: lovebeautyandplanet.com

I received this product free of charge for review purposes.

Febreze Fabric Refresher

I received this Febreze Fabric Extra Strength Refresher from BzzAgent to test and provide my honest feedback.

First off, I really liked how powerful this spray was in terms of the product being sprayed from the trigger.  It was a strong spray that covered a wide area.

 I tried this spray on my bedding (the comforter hadn't been washed for a while) and it smelled so fresh and clean after.  I could smell the fresh fragrance a few hours later but after that, the fresh scent was gone.

I tried this spray on some smelly shoes.  I sprayed it on 3 separate occasions prior to wearing them and unfortunately this spray did not cover up the odour.  They still smelled bad!  I was disappointed as I really wanted to freshen up these shoes.

I also tried this spray on a sofa that my dad sits on with his barn clothes.  The sofa smelled great immediately after spraying but again the fresh, clean scent did not last and the odour I was trying to cover up, returned.

I was overall disappointed that this spray did not cover up odours for a long period of time.  It seems to work best on lightly odoured items not heavy duty smelly items.   And even at that, the fresh clean scent will not last.

Will I purchase this after finishing this bottle?  Probably not.  It didn't work the way I wanted it to and for this reason I don't feel it would be a good use of my money.

I received this product free of charge from BzzAgent for review purposes. #GotItFree

Happy Easter!

This is an Easter cake I made for our family get-together today.  It is a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.  Hope you are enjoying spending time with family this Easter weekend.  For my family, it is a weekend to remember how Jesus bore our sins on the cross.  But the story doesn't end there!  Today he rose from the grave!  If he didn't rise from the grave and there was no resurrection, what hope would we have?  He is risen.  He is risen, indeed! 

As the late Billy Graham said in his devotional, The Hope of Resurrection:
 "There is hope that mistakes and sins can be forgiven. There is hope that we can have joy, peace, assurance, and security in the midst of the despair of this age. There is hope that Christ is coming soon—this is what is called in Scripture “the blessed hope.” There is hope that there will come some day a new heaven and a new earth, and that the Kingdom of God will reign and triumph. Our hope is not in our own ability, or in our goodness, or in our physical strength. Our hope is instilled in us by the resurrection of Christ".

Happy Birthday!

It's my sister's birthday today!  In honour of her special day I baked her a cake.  I searched the internet for cake decorating ideas and settled on a style I found on Pinterest.  I love how it turned out!  Hope it tastes just as good.

Schwarzkopf Gliss Hair Repair Ultra Moisture Products

I received the above products to test: a shampoo, conditioner and leave-in treatment.  This particular ultra moisture line is for dry, stressed hair.

These products contain liquid keratin which according to the packaging, " reconstructs your hair and renews it by repairing damaged areas deep inside the hair and on its surface."

Shampoo

The Claims

• Up to 85% less hair breakage
• Intense hydration
• Ultra moisturized hair with healthy shine

My Thoughts
This shampoo is great for making my hair look healthy and strong! After using this shampoo I have really noticed that my hair feels thicker and much stronger. It looks healthier and has just a bit more shine to it.

This shampoo has a unique scent to it that I can't quite put my finger on. It smells spicy and yet powdery at the same time if that makes sense. It is a pleasant scent and is not overpowering. The scent does linger in the hair long after it has dried. This shampoo lathers well and rinses easily from the hair.

My hair feels soft after using this shampoo and the corresponding conditioner. It also helps to moisturize my hair but doesn't weigh it down in the least. Some moisturizing shampoos can make your hair feel greasy and weighed down but not this one. My hair actually had a bit more volume than usual.

Overall, I liked this shampoo but would say it is not a top favourite of mine. I feel there are other shampoos out there that cost less that work just as well for my hair. That said, I would still recommend this shampoo for the benefits I received. 

Conditioner

The Claims

• Up to 85% less hair breakage
• Intense hydration
• Ultra moisturized hair with healthy shine

My Thoughts

This conditioner makes my hair look soft and healthy. I really enjoyed this conditioner. It has a slightly stronger scent that the shampoo. To me it smells spicy and powdery like the shampoo. It is quite pleasant and lingers in the hair after it has dried.

The consistency of this conditioner is perfect. It is not too thin and runny and not so thick that it won't spread easily. It feels somewhat different than other conditioners as I thought it felt more slippery in my hands.

After towel drying my hair I find that my comb goes through my hair just a little bit easier and thus fewer hairs come loose. My hair feels thicker and stronger when used with the corresponding shampoo. I also noticed my hair was not as dry, especially the ends of my hair. My hair was moisturized but not weighed down.

I would continue to use this conditioner and recommend it to others to try.  

Leave-in Treatment

The Claims

• Protection against hair breakage
• Intense hydration
• Instant combability 

My Thoughts
This product is a leave in spray that can be used on wet or dry hair. I use it after shampooing, conditioning and towel drying my hair. It needs to be shaken prior to use as it separates. Once shaken it has a milky consistency. It has the same great scent as the shampoo and conditioner.

I found that this treatment really helped to make my hair easier to comb when it was wet. It worked like a wonderful hair detangler and I lost much fewer hairs when using this product prior to combing my hair.

This product also hydrates the hair and it worked to give my hair just that extra boost of moisture. My hair was not greasy or weighed down at all from using this treatment. My hair was much more manageable as a result of this leave in spray.

In conclusion, I would continue to use this product and highly recommend it as a way to detangle and make your hair more manageable.

I received these products free of charge from ChickAdvisor for review purposes.  #gotitfree