Tuesday, November 27, 2018

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.


Tuesday, October 16, 2018

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


Wednesday, September 5, 2018

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.


Monday, August 20, 2018

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.

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

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. 

Friday, July 6, 2018

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

Monday, June 4, 2018

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.