Clarsonic #sponsored #crowdtap

Crowdtap, a social media marketing company, has it's users (me) answer questions and perform actions for different corporate brands.

Clarsonic asked users to create a holiday look, post a picture, describe the look and write a blog post about the look.

Clarsonic is an electric skin cleansing brush. I don't have one but, I wanted to try the holiday look.

My holiday look is simple. I French-braided my hair and did a bold red lip. This is an easy look and can be used for many different types of holiday situations. I like a nice bold lip. With my dark hair and fair skin, I like to use lipsticks in the blue-red spectrum.

I made sure I started with clean hair and clean skin.

Scott Naturals Tube-Free #sponsored

Through Crowdtap I got a sample of Scott Naturals Tube-Free bathroom tissue. Fancy speak for really good toilet paper.

 

 I do not believe that all toilet papers are created equal. I have an issue with lint. After doing some very weird research that probably put me on a list somewhere, I found out about a few brands that were low-lint. Unfortunatly, many brands change the make-up of their products over the years so, I am always in search of a good low-lint roll.

Crowdtap offered me a change to sample Scott Naturals Tube-Free toilet tissue. They sent me a 4-pack, asked me to share with a friend and write a review.

Sharing is caring. I bought it at Walmart not Targtet.

 

I did everything they asked me to do. I shared a roll with my mother-in-law. MIL liked it and then launched into a story about WWII, toilet paper and sanitary napkins. That was her way of saying she liked it and that it was an improvement over ancient methods of wiping. She also liked not having to do an extra step of changing the cardboard roll.

 

Scott has been off my radar for a while because it was one of the higher-lint products according to my weird research. Thank you Crowdtap!

 

I really like Scott Naturals. It is a very low-lint toilet paper, it feels good and I don't have to change the roll.

 

Would I spend my own money? Yes.

 

Would I buy this on my own? Yes.

 

Would I recommend this product to other people? Yes.

Zep Sponsored Cleaning

I just joined Crowdtap! I will dedicate another post to Crowdtap and it's program later but for now, I want to type about the sponsored sampling opportunity I got with Zep cleaners.

I enjoyed my experience. This was my first time trying a Zep product and I was impressed.  Zep handled different jobs around my house with power and ease. I was able to remove stuck-on food and a few mystery stains.

Here is a picture of my sample and the instruction sheet.

So, I went around the house and looked for stains that would challenge the cleaners.

First, I went for the rust stain left on my sink by my brass scouring pad. (The shinier cousin of steel wool.) I had attempted to clean the brass stain off the sink using my vinegar cleaner. I gave up after a few scrubs. My theory was that I was going to find a tougher cleaner and try again later. I didn't

Husband got me a cleaning crew for our anniversary. Husband is a good husband.

The crew did a great job cleaning the floors and de-stanking the boy's bathroom.

The brass stain remained.

I used a few spritzes (the sample was a tiny bottle) of the Zep All-Around Oxy Cleaner & Degreaser and waited the recommended 1 minute. I wiped off the stain with a paper towel. The brass stain the professional cleaners didn't remove came off without any effort.

Impressive! Normally, I have to scrub, rub or let the stain 'soak' for a while.

I was also able to clean a nasty stain behind the toilet. Yes, one of those nasty ones.

Yarg.

This time, I use the Zep Quick Clean Disinfectant and waited 2 minutes. It was worth the wait. Again, I  was able to remove the nastiness easily and quickly with a paper towel.

I have been using the Zep samples since I have completed the Zep challenges. So far, I really like the product. I would actually spend money on Zep in the future. That is the real result of the sampling.

Did I like it?: Yes
Would I buy it with my own money?: YES

Mom's First Staycation

I am a mom. I am home alone (with dog). I will be home alone for a week. 

How did this happen?

Well, MIL loves cruising and her health is rapidly declining. I said to DH, you DS and your mom should go on a cruise. SIL and family invited themselves along.

I have a weird balance issue called Mal de Debarquement also known as Drunken Sailor Syndrome! I discovered I had it after taking my first cruise in 2001. I was fine on the boat but when I was on land, I became dizzy.  Unfortunatly, it can become permanent. So, no cruise for me!

MIL having a family cruise is more important then, well, no cruise. Because of her health, a family park, like Disney, is too rough. A cruise is contained and she can sit in a deck chair talking to strangers while she knits. 

Sunday afternoon, I dropped MIL, DH and DS at the docks and drove home. For dinner, I made myself salmon (on sale at Whole Foods) rice and broccoli. Brownies baked while I ate. The dog stared at me while I ate. I painted my nails and had a peaceful night.

Today, Monday, I ate some of the brownies for breakfast, went to the gym, made a microwave meal around 3:30pm and ate more brownies for dinner. My day fit into one sentence.

The TiVo is almost empty and Netflix streaming has a limited selection of shows. I might get so bored that I am forced to clean!

I like being alone. For Mother's day, Husband got me a two night stay in a hotel by myself. I loved it! DH travels a lot and is a premier member. I got to use the concierge level for snacks and water. The TV and computer games were free-flowing from my computer.

It's not as much fun being home. My obligations speak to me as I walk past them. The dirty clothes want me to wash them. The silverware drawer wants to be cleaned out. The beds want new sheets.

Okay, I do fulfill my obligations to the dog.

Let's see how the rest of my staycation plays out.

Duck Tape and Ugly Baskets - Perfect Together

I adore the Pintester blog. If you have ever seen a fabulous pin on Pinterest and then tried it at home and then failed, then the Pintester is the blog for you. (NSFW language)

Jazz hands!

So, the Pintester dared us to test our own pins and then blog about it. Usually, I call one friend and force them to listen to me brag about actually trying something I found on the Interwebs.

So, I fired up the old blog. I found a comment that needed approval. One comment. At least it was a nice comment.

I found this washi tape basket craft on Pinterest and wandered over to the blog to get more information. The Washi Blog has a zillion cute crafts using washi tape. Washi tape is cute and patterned craft tape. I believe it started in Japan and found it's way into the hearts of crafters here in the US.

I didn't have any washi tape but I did have ugly baskets.

Later that week, the family went to 5 Below. Husband needed an accessory for his tablet and I wanted to see if they had washi tape. They didn't. They did have Duck tape. Little tiny Duck tapes. (.75 x 180 in) I couldn't find a link on the Duck Tape site but I found the cute pattern I used.

Since they were 3 for $5, I bought 3 patterns. When I got the tape home, I noticed that they were too wide for one of the two ugly baskets. I bought these baskets at CVS about 10 years ago. The one with the wider wickers has been sitting inside my nightstand holding my assorted nightstand products gathering dust and ugliness.

I sat down at my desk, started up an episode of Mad Men and got to work.

I pulled out the tape and measured it against the small sections and then cut the tape. It wasn't hard and it took less time than the Mad Men episode. (I wanted at least one purse and one lamp from the episode)

Ta da!

It looks cute and summery.

Now, I'm searching the house for other naked baskets to tape!

The Brunette goes a little less brunette

Not by choice. I have always had a stray gray hair or two. The odd strand hidden within my dark hair wasn't a big deal. At 15, it seemed to me that is was a sign of maturity. Now, at 38, they have started coming in clumps. Within the last few months, I've noticed an increase in the visible glinty silver hairs.

I've tried to hold off the feelings of vanity but, I seem to be losing that battle. I look in the mirror and see the glinting of my old lady future.

So, I am going to dye my hair, again. I've done it before but I did it for fun. This is a new plan, a new direction and new batch of dye.

Should I go for something a little funky like eggplant or should I go for a more sedate burgundy. My hair is, as the title of the blog suggests, dark. No, I'm not going to red or blonde. I make an awful looking blonde. I'm not looking to do something drastic. Just something that will tone down the silver and possibly give me a bit of vain fun.

If I were a good blogger, I would take pictures of all the steps and document the results.

I think I will start with the low-priced interesting colors. This experiment will probably take a long time to get decent answers and come to any result. Yes, I could use on-line color try-ons but, they never seem to look right.

I am goign to attempt to get a picture of the glinty silver as a 'before' picture and to compare to the new colors.

Well, off to do some research on dying hair and what I should do and what I should avoid.

Product Review - Little Debbie Petites Chocolate Cake

These little cakes are darn good!

I'm always on the look out for a low fat dessert but, because of the calorie count, I never bothered to look at Little Debbie. Tasty fatty stuff.

Well, because it was lower in fat than the Weight Watchers little cakes, I decided to give them a try.($1.79 at Target) I'm glad I did. I think they have a better chocolate flavor and taste like they have more fat. They are tiny and on one grumpy, low food intake day, I had two. I'm somewhat worried that they are going to discover that they have more fat and calories then reported and take them off the market.

I recommend them!

I read a review for the Strawberry Cakes and it wasn't a positive review. I didn't try the red velvet or the strawberry because they both contain Red Dye #40. No, it's not a knee-jerk reaction. My kid got hives when he had red and black makeup on his face. Both contained #40.

Party with the Rat!

I hate hosting parties. I get anxious about every detail and the attendance of the guests. Last year, I decided to off-load some of my stress and have my son's party at a 'party place'. It worked out so well, I did it again, this year.

Chuck E. Cheese rocks the birthday!

They will do almost all of the party for you. Depending on how much you are willing to pay per child, you can unload all your party stress on them. Invitations from e-vite, food, coins, cake, singing, set-up, clean-up and, my favorite, entertaining the kids.

The good: It's not in my house! We got a great party hostess, Cindy, and she made sure we knew when to expect the party parts and that we had everything we needed. There were other jparties going on at the same time so I got to see other hostesses in action. Ours was the best. The food is okay. The kids have a great time taking their cups full of coins and spending them on the noisy games.

The bad: The air-conditioner was broken and it was HOT. There were 3 other parties going on at the same time and it made it HOTter and tough to navigate. The bathrooms were filthy. The store manager came over and apologized for the air-conditioning and the bathroom. CEC is an assault on the senses. It is that way on non party days. You may end up with siblings tagging along with the invited guests. A week after I booked the party, they changed the party packages and raised the price per kid. I sent an e-mail and called to make sure I was going to be charged the lower price. I was assured that there was a note on my reservation and there wouldn't be a problem. It was. Thankfully, my brain was in working order and I printed my original party confirmation e-mail with the lower price. There computer system couldn't handle it but, they charged me for one less guest and it made up for the price change.


Book the party online when they are running a special. Usually, the specials involve extra coins if the party is booked for Sundays or weekdays. You can update your total guests and add extras like food and toys for the kids.

No Love - Felt Fun Pack

I just bought the Felt Fun Pack from The Kunin Group. I'm not happy. The assorted color pack is missing green and white. Some of the pieces are stapled together with pieces of plastic. The package says "Sizes may vary" but why bother stapling pieces?

The positives: The felt is nice and thick. According to their website, the felt is made from 100% recycled materials.

I'm disappointed in the pack, not it's content.

I bought the pack, rather than individual pieces, because I wanted to make a Darth Vader mask for a Zhu Zhu pet. I've made a test and it's kinda dorky looking but, I'm hoping to make a better, post-able one, soon.

MyGetTogether - A New Kind of Party

Pillsbury is trying out a new type of advertising, direct marketing. They offered to send me supplies if I hosted a Pillsbury Crescent Roll Party for them.

I joined the Pillsbury site a while ago. I probably joined to enter a contest or get coupons. It was a pleasant surprise to get the opportunity to get free stuff and an excuse to have a party.

We loved the idea of having a food-themed party. Okay, we like any reason to have a party. We had a problem with the Crescent rolls because they contained Red Dye #40. My son, and a few guests, could not eat the foods prepared with the theme ingredient because of their food restrictions. I made alternative food but, I was a bit sad and disappointed with Pillsbury for using this unnecessary ingredient.

Fruit 2day - a review

I was looking for something to drink the the grocery store and noticed that a new product, Fruit2day was on sale. I grabbed the 2-pack of Cherry Grape and headed off with my son to music class.

In it's defense, it does not call itself a drink. On the front of the bottle it says "real fruit bits". On the back it says "It's not juice. It's a snack." It's true! My first mouthful had chunks of fruit. Not bits of fruit, chunks of fruit. This product requires chewing.

Positives: It has two servings of fruit. It has real chunks of fruit. It doesn't have artificial sweeteners or dyes. It makes it easy to get two servings of fruit without getting your hands messy. Easy to drink/chew on the run.

Negatives: It isn't thirst quenching. It is a little weird. (The first sip is the weirdest)

Would I get this again? Yes. It has a decent taste and makes it easy to get 2 servings of fruit. I wouldn't get it if I were thirsty.

Would I give this to my kid? Maybe. He might choke if he forgets and tries to drink it. He might like it as a snack.

New Product - L'Oreal 360 Clean

Okay, I bought it because it had the little scrubby thing on it. Total impulse buy!

I bought the Go 360 Clean Deep Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin. I wanted something to replace my discontinued Avon cleanser and the 360 cought my eye. It was also the day before one of our (Maryland) big storms and I wanted to buy myself something beauty-related.

What I like: It is a nice gentile cleanser. My face doesn't feel stripped after using it. The scrubby thing is kinda fun and feels good. There is a nice storage hole in the bottle for the scrubby.

What I don't like: The directions are part of the wrapping and comes off to open the package. No, it's not a difficult product to use it's just a weird place to put instructions. The scrubby thing can be a bit slippery. A stiffer material for the handle would be nice.

It gets extra cool points for advertising during Project Runway!

Candy Bar Love - Ritter Sport Milk Chocolate with Butter Biscuit

This is my favorite candy bar. I get this when I am treating myself or I'm a bit stressed. I bought it as an impulse item when I was staying in a hotel one night. I ate half while watching movies and the other half for breakfast.

I like the one with the crunchy cookie center. Normally, I don't like stuff in my chocolate. If I am going to eat chocolate, I want to eat chocolate. Although, I do allow for peanut butter.

I have tried some of the other varieties but, I always come back to the cookie one. One of them has corn flakes in it. Not my favorite. I have not been able to find a la Mousse au Chocolat in my local stores. I might have to send husband out to look next time he is overseas on travel.

Official Page

I can't have it in the house and not eat it.

Snowmageddon update

We got our power back after 30+ hours. We turned on all the space heaters and started working through the laundry.

There is no firewood or D-batteries to be bought. :-P We're okay on the batteries, low on the wood.

The plows came Tuesday afternoon. Actually, they were front-end loaders and they scooped the snow on to the island in our cul-de-sac. I am hoping to get a picture of my son climbing the mountain.

I'm having trouble remembering the day. If my TiVo keeps up, I'll know the day of the week by the shows it records!

Snowmageddon 2: Electric Boogaloo / Snoverkill

Well, it's snowing again. Okay, actually it started snowing last night and it has finally gotten down to just flurries. The winds are high and we will probably lose power again.

It was an adventure. A difficult adventure but, an adventure. After we escaped the house, we decided to plan for this round using what we learned last time.


On Saturday, I cooked over coals in the fireplace (properly ventilated). We thought we had an hibachi but couldn't find it. I took an old baking pan and filled it with charcoal. It took over an hour to get it going. I've never been good with charcoal. I wrapped hot dogs, sausages, potatoes and eggs (yes, eggs) in tinfoil and set them on the coals. Not bad.

For this storm: We got a small grill/hibachi. There are only three of us so, getting a large propane grill doesn't make sense for us. Yes, it would be easier and quicker but, a waste of power and space. It's K-Mart brand so, I don't have high hopes. I just hope it works. This one will also go in the fireplace. It's too windy to attempt lighting coals outside. I still have the charcoal-lighting problem but, I will have a grilling surface and it might be a bit neater.

We've been doing dishes and laundry non-stop since we got power back. I am going to make sure we have plenty of clothes and layers to use for the next few days. Husband ran out of clean pants from the multiple snow-shoveling trips. Why not reuse? Too wet.

We gathered all the board games and bought a few new ones. My 5 year old can now play chess and Chinese checkers. He didn't like Clue but, he liked playing with the pieces. I have the Disney's Haunted Mansion Clue. :-)

Mom in a storm

Snowmageddon 2010.

Well, we bought food, we charged the chargeable stuff, we got extra batteries, we got a few bundles of wood and, we were still under-prepared. I think the final snow-fall total was 31 inches. We we in one of the heavier-hit areas.

We first lost power Friday night around 9pm. My son woke up and was both frightened and excited. We gathered all the flashlights and prepared ourselves for a dark night. The best part was my son running around with his Fisher Price flashlight helping us find things in the dark. We went around the house turning off the things that had been left on and went to bed. Son slept with me so I could calm him down after all the blackout excitement.

The power came back on around 2am and back out at 7am.

Here's where it got tough as a mom. At 7pm, the house was down to 54deg, by midnight it had gotten below 40deg. I didn't sleep well thinking about having to keep my 5 year old warm without electricity. We only have a few bundles of wood and it was still going to be very cold at night. I was able to keep him warm under the blankets but, he is a restless sleeper so, I spent a lot of my night re-covering him (as well as getting kicked and elbowed).

Montgomery County, Maryland is spending all of it's resources keeping the major roads clean. If it's not a major highway, it's not going to get done until Tuesday. Our development is usually one of the last to get plowed. Another snow fall is being predicted. If we can get out, my husband plans to grab as much firewood as he can. I'm guessing there won't be any kerosene heaters left in any of the stores.

Game Like - Wii YourShape

I got a copy of Wii YourShape featuring Jenny McCarthy. Big title. It's a new exercise game. Nifty idea. You get a camera with the game and when you first enter your profile, the game scans your body.

Your image is projected on to the TV next to your trainer, Jenny McCarthy. She says little phrases of encouragement during your workout and lets you know if you aren't doing the exercise properly. I get "Watch your arms!" a lot. The game also scores your performance by how well you do the exercises. It won't let you cheat.

Likes: With over 400 exercises, it isn't like using a DVD with the same routine. You can tailor the workout to your body by choosing targeted areas. It also allows for adding equipment like weights or a balance ball. The workouts are pretty good. You can enter in other activities to get credit for exercising.

Dislikes: The encouragement is a bit perky for my tastes and is very inappropriate during the yoga exercises. I chose 'Burn' for legs and abs and ended up doing the same 5 exercises for 15 minutes. I look very chubby next to trainer Jenny. I can't always figure out what I am doing wrong in an exercise. The only choices for 'other activities' is walking, jogging and other.

Vacuum Love (No, really)

Is love too strong of a word for a vacuum? Allow me to explain, I have a Roomba. We got it on sale a few years ago and I still love it. I hate vacuuming. It's noisy. It smells funny. It's noisy. It's cumbersome. And, it's noisy. My hearing is a bit sensitive and the vacuum is almost painful.

Husband got me a Roomba. We set up the walls, cleaned the floor and set it off. My son and I sat on the couch and watched it work. We actually sat there and watched it spin around the room! My son named it and insisted it liked music and dancing while it worked. If he leaves the room, I am instructed to dance until he gets back.

Likes: It is quieter than a regular vacuum. It goes on it's own. It makes us keep the floors cleaner. My son likes to clean for it. The customer service is great, if you get a seasoned operator. Some models come with a docking station so the Roomba will park itself and charge.

Dislikes: The walls broke early. The walls don't work all that well when they do work. The customer service sucks, if you get a new operator. The house alarm can't be set (the Roomba will bump into things and things might fall). The connection on the charger is a bit loose and gets worse over time.

We got one for my MIL and she hated it. She also has trouble using her phone. We 'borrowed' it and now have the Roombas duel it out.

We got one for my parents and they love it. For the first month, my mother would leave the light on in the room and talk to it. She can use her phone and she called me laughing because she was treating like it was alive.

I also have a Scooba but, that is a post for another time.

Game Love - Coconut Queen

I have fallen in love with a new game, Coconut Queen! For the gamer, it's a time management/build-a-lot kind of game.

You are an employee of Colorado Coconut Company and are transferred to their tropical island to help business. Once there, you become their queen and help to build up the resort and bring prosperity back to the island.

Build resorts! Restore rainforests! Wrestle sharks! Ogle the hunks!

There are 7 locations around the island with 55 levels for building (on some levels, destroying). Hunky men do your bidding and confirm your instructions with phrases like "Yes, your lusciousness" and "Anything you say".

The first half-hour is a bit dull but, the game is addictive and funny. Very funny. Finishing levles earns you ruby which you can use for useful upgrades or reaching new map locations. The upgrades are actually noticable and can help with game play.

The story is cute. The animation is nicely done and they put in some cute effects. The female tourists sigh when the hunky builders run past. The hunky builders leave footprints when they run across the sand.

I highly suggest the Gamezebo walk-through not for playing the game but for the suggestions on when to use the upgrades and how to earn tikis.

This game made me giggle. I played it through twice and also did the freeplay. After playing for a while in free play mode, I earned the last building. I think I played it for an hour total. Maybe? The free play mode gives occasional goals and events too keep it from getting dull.

After arguing with my 5-year-old it's nice to hear "We live to serve you".

Diary of an Insomniac

I am an insomniac.

I don't have 'a little trouble' sleeping. Yes, I've tried that. Yup, tried that, too. It's not a problem of 'just relaxing and letting go'. It's a real thing.

I've had trouble sleeping since childhood. I'm the can't-fall-asleep variety of insomniac. My pediatrician told my mother is was a phase. I would learn to fall asleep on my own. (He also misdiagnosed my PCOS)

My insomnia has also been misdiagnosed and mistreated as depression and anxiety.

Normal sleepers have occasional insomnia. It can last for as short as a few days to as long as a month. It is short-term and temporary.

There are some great tips on dealing with temporary insomnia. They work great! In the majority of people, their insomnia goes away and they go back to regular sleep. Turn the clock faces away from the bed. Visualize a calm and happy place and try to get into a dream state. Warm milk. Wet tea bags on the eyes. Warm shower or bath. Calming yoga poses. No TV in the room. The bed should only be used for sleeping. Get up, do something soothing for 20 then, get back in bed.

For me, a good night is one when I fall asleep before 1am. A bad night would have me falling asleep around 6am. Both scenarios make getting up at 7am very difficult.

I've argued with doctors about my insomnia and since I can't prescribe for myself, I usually give up. My GP sent me to a psychiatrist to get treated for depression. The psychiatrist had me on one drug for the depression and Ambien for the insomnia. The depression drug made me feel dull. I fell in love with the Ambien!

Don't worry, this isn't an addiction story.

I overheard someone talking about splitting their Ambiens in half and still getting a good night's sleep. I tried it and it worked. Now my supply would last longer.

I got pregnant and went off both drugs. Now, I couldn't sleep and something was kicking my bladder.

I stayed off the drugs for 5 years. I complained about my insomnia again. My GP tried to treat me for anxiety. I ignored the anxiety pills and slowly used up my stash of Ambiens. (I had to go on Trazadone for mal de debarquement and they made me stupid). My GP is a great doctor but, he admits he doesn't know enough about insomnia to treat it properly. He is also very aware and worried about the side-effects of Ambien. I don't blame him, they are pretty freaky. Also, the insurance company hates paying for the brand name. At $10 a pill, I don't blame them.

In 2008, I made an appointment with a sleep specialist. I did a two-night sleep study. The first night was 'regular' sleep (regular = hooked up with wires and taking a prescribed Ambien). The second night was with an apnea mask. The guy who did the wires did a bad job and both nights were uncomfortable. The good news...I have a diagnosis for insomnia and a prescription. The bad news was that I had mild apnea.

I tried a mask and ended up with bloody noses and sinus infections. I stopped using it.

I have my lovely sleeping pills again. I don't use them every day. I don't use full-strength every day. The wonderful thing is that I have them and can get an occasional good night's sleep.

I am planning on using this blog as a diary of my insomnia. Hopefully, I can explain what it is, how it effects me. If I am really lucky, I can help someone who has insomnia, too.