There were 3 flavors to choose from – Caramel, Vanilla (regular & lowfat), Sweet Cream – and they all sounded delish. However, I have a weakness for Caramel so I decided to try that one first.

One of the things I like about the Natural Bliss Coffee Creamer is that the bottle is not overly huge which allows me to store it anywhere in my fridge. That may not sound like a big deal to you but I’m pretty limited on refrigerator space. Plus, with a smaller size I can get all 3 varieties without having to worry that I won’t be able to use them up before their expiration dates.

I was also impressed that Natural Bliss contains only 4 ingredients – nonfat milk, cream, sugar, and natural flavor. This made me want to check out the ingredients on my current dairy creamer and I was surprised to see that it has artificial flavors, palm oil, water, and a few other ingredients that I can’t even pronounce. What an eye opener.

But like most things . . . it all comes down to taste. I made my usual coffee in my beloved Keurig Coffee Maker (boy, I love that thing) and added in the Caramel Natural Bliss. The liquid creamer looked rich and creamy as it mixed with the coffee.

I took a sip and . . . OMG . . . it was good! You could really taste the Caramel flavor but it wasn’t too overpowering or sweet. Now I want to try the other flavors as well!

Will I stop going to Starbucks? Probably not. However, Natural Bliss tastes so good that I know I’ll be bringing my own coffee along with me more often. And I’m definitely getting rid of the other creamers in my refrigerator asap. With only 4 ingredients, Natural Bliss is my choice of creamers!

Want to try it for yourself? Print out this $1 off WalMart coupon to use on your purchase.

Check out my complete Google+ shopping experience.

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This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.
#CBias

As a flight attendant I’m required to wear my hair up at work. Normally, I just pull it back into a ponytail but I’ve always admired those who can turn their hair into fancy styles. When I asked a fellow flight attendant how she does it, she said, “It’s all in the brush.”

Olivia Garden’s NanoThermic Ceramic + Ion Styler series combines the latest technologies to create this unique collection of hairbrushes.  Each brush features Nano-Silver technology which provides anti-bacterial protection leaving hair healthier and easier to style, and Tourmaline Ion technology which helps to hydrate the hair cuticle, adding more shine to hair, while eliminating frizz and flyaways. 

courtesy of Olivia Garden

We received Olivia Garden’s Vent Brush to try out for ourselves and was very impressed with the results. The first thing we noticed was how great it looks. It comes in gold and brown tones and gives a very rich looking appearance.

The rubbery brown handle is comfortable to grip and stays firmly in my hands.

The bristles are strong yet flexible and the rounded edges feel great against my scalp. It’s almost like getting a mini head massage every time I brush my hair. There are nine rows of bristles which means I can brush large sections at a time.

This is great for me since I was lucky to have been born with lots of thick hair. A lot of the brushes I use just can’t handle the weight of my hair and I have to struggle to brush all of my hair into an up-do.

In addition, hidden in the base of the handle is a little gold pick that can be used to section off portions of your hair. I love that the company thought to include this handy tool because I’m always in search of a bobby pin when I’m trying to put Kiana’s hair up into pig tails.

The Olivia Garden Vent Brush promotes Tourmaline Ion Technology that’s supposed to help eliminate frizz and flyaways. However, when I brushed Kaila’s hair I notice that she actually had more static than usual. Her hair did seem a lot softer and smoother, though. Maybe it’s just the type of hair that she has.

Overall, we really like the Olivia Garden Vent Brush and it makes putting up our hair so much easier. The wide head means that we can cover larger areas at once for better smoothing and shaping. Olivia Garden carries a wide assortment of hair brushes and styling tools for all types of hair.

With Olivia Garden there’s no excuse for not having great looking hair!

Connect with Olivia Garden:

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This post was written for Olivia Garden who provided the complimentary product in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wonderworld is a manufacturer of wooden toys. Our expert toy designers have created a line of over 200 toys in the last 25 years of business. We pride ourselves in the fact that each toy is uniquely designed for a specific aged child, with both an educational value and play value. Wonderwold’s mission is to create environmentally friendly, creative, educational and most importantly fun toys for kids.

courtesy of Wonderworld

My kids have had all kinds of shape-sorting toys over the years but the Waggy Garden Sorter is different from any that I’ve seen before. First of all, it’s made from an environmentally friendly rubberwood with non-toxic paints, dyes and lacquers. All the edges are smooth and round so you know it’s safe for your child. The circular shape makes the Waggy Garden Sorter perfect for rolling around while making fun sounds.

There are 4 fun shapes disguised as bugs – caterpillar, ladybug, bumble bee, snail – which are brightly colored and have smiley faces. They’re so happy looking that you just can’t help but want to play with them just as they are.

However, if you do place them in the sorter, you’ll find that they fit perfecting into their matching slots.

There are also two ladybugs on the side of the sorter that you can move up and down.

The Waggy Garden Sorter’s top is slanted at a forward angle which makes it easier for kids to place the shapes. I know that for Kiana she likes that she’s able to see the holes in it’s entirety. This makes it easier for her to place the correct shape into the correct hole.

Kaila loves her new Waggy Garden Sorter and she’s been playing with it every day. She’s not sorting as much as I thought she would be but she loves playing with the little bug shapes as well as rolling it along the floor. I love the way this sorter looks and you can tell that’s it made with quality materials. I have a feeling that the Waggy Garden Sorter will be a part of our family for a very long time.

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A&E’s original real-life series, which follows couples at the boiling point with their nightmare in-laws, returns for an all new season of candid, over the top antics. Season two of ‘Monster In-Laws’ premieres Monday, May 28 at 10 & 10:30PM ET/PT on A&E.

Each episode features a different family in dire straits; one spouse is at their wit’s end, caught in the middle between their loudmouth relatives and the person they married. Using tough love and unconventional tactics, seasoned relationship experts bring everyone under one roof and force them to uncover the deeper issues that lay beneath the constant fighting. Relationship expert and former criminal lawyer Mel Robbins returns this season along with life-coach and advice columnist Laura Baron. They’re sent in to mediate between family members but often, they find themselves in the worst of the crossfire.

In the season two premiere; mother-in-law Linda is known for her brutal honesty and nobody is safe from her wrath – including her own granddaughters. However, no one is a more frequent target than her son Jim’s wife, Michelle. Jim’s grandmother is ill and wants to see the family reconcile before it’s too late. It’s up to Laura Baron to help the family fulfill grandma’s dying wish.

And later; the Bowjanowskis are back. Last season, mother-in-law Khalood was dead-set on breaking up her daughter Fallon and her fiancé Steve. Since then, Fallon and Steven have married and are now living under Khalood’s roof to save money, but things have gone from bad to worse and Khalood spends all her energy trying to annul her daughter’s new marriage. Mel Robbins pays them a visit to see if a relationship can be salvaged, but the mediation ends in a trip to the emergency room.

“Monster In-Laws” is produced by Leftfield Pictures (“Pawn Stars,” “American Restoration”), for A&E Network. Executive producers for Leftfield Pictures are Brent Montgomery and Courtney Montgomery. Executive producers for A&E are David McKillop, Elaine Frontain Bryant, Drew Tappon and Stephen Harris.

About A&E Network A&E is “Real Life. Drama.” Now reaching more than 99 million homes, A&E is television that you can’t turn away from; where unscripted shows are dramatic and scripted dramas are authentic. A&E offers a diverse mix of high quality entertainment ranging from the network’s original scripted series, including “The Glades” and “Breakout Kings,” to signature non-fiction franchises, including the Emmy-winning “Intervention,” “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” “Hoarders,” “Beyond Scared Straight” and “Storage Wars,” and the most successful justice shows on cable, including “The First 48.”

Courtesy of A&E. This is a sponsored post.

Lincoln Logs. Boy, that sure brings back memories.

For over nine decades, Lincoln Logs has maintained its rustic look and reputation for quality and durability.

Every box of Lincoln Logs contains the raw materials for a new journey. As one generation after another has been touched by its enduring appeal, Lincoln Logs has become more than just a toy it has become an authentic piece of Americana. The product is named after Abraham Lincoln, the President who began his celebrated life in a log cabin in Kentucky.

courtesy of K’NEX

For my family, Lincoln Logs represents true America. Each log is made with real wood and fits perfectly into each other. The smooth and splinter-free finish makes them comfortable to play with and

We received the White River Ranch which contains 90 pieces and an instruction sheet.

The pictures in the step-by-step diagram makes it easy to build your ranch correctly. I really like how they have the already built sections shown in a faded tone so that you can tell the difference between the former step and the new one.

The set also includes play figurines – cowboy, dog, cow, horse, bale of hay, and water bin as well as plastic roofs, a flag, and a movable front door. These colorful pieces put a nice touch to the overall look of the ranch.

What I really like about Lincoln Logs is that it promotes cognitive thinking. It may seem simple to adults but kids have to figure out the correct way to place the logs in alternating positions so that the grooves fit. And because each log fits into any other log, your child can build as high as their imagination will take them.

As you can see, the girls had a lot of fun playing with the White River Ranch. The only thing is that we had to be careful that the kids didn’t accidentally knock the ranch down. Because even though the logs fit into each other they don’t snap in place. This caused a little bit of frustration for Kaila but luckily it was easy to build everything up again.

Lincoln Logs is a great way to stimulate your child’s imagination and they’ll have fun following the easy directions or coming up with creations of their own!

This post was written of K’NEX who provided the complimentary item in exchange for my honest review.

The Q2 is a wi-fi radio that is just four inches square, comes in five colors, and has no dials, buttons, switches or screen (it’s motion controlled). The Q2 Radio is a totally new way to listen to your favorite local, national or international radio stations or podcasts from wherever you are via a wi-fi connection; it requires no subscriptions or fees.

courtesy of Q2

We received our black Q2 to test out and I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I mean, how can a radio work without buttons & dials? The box came with everything I needed – Q2 Internet Radio, USB cable, charging cable, 3 outlet adapters, and a quick start guide.

Setting it up was easy! I just went onto the Q2 website and downloaded the application. Then I turned the Q2 on and connected it (using the USB) to the computer. I just followed the simple online instructions on how to get my Q2 hooked up to a wi-fi signal and I was ready to go.

You can select up to 4 different radio stations to program onto your Q2. I was so amazed at the world-wide selection! Not only did they have local favorites but there were also stations from areas like Africa, Asia, and Europe. You can also choose various podcasts and weather stations. Everything is organized into categorized lists to make browsing super easy. Once you’re done programming just unplug the Q2 and you can start playing your music.

However, the coolest feature about the Q2 is the way you use it. Each side has red lines (1-4) which corresponds to the programmed “station”. For example, for me I had placed Krater 96 in position I, 181 FM Star 90s (pop genre) in position II, 808 Talk Hawaii (podcast) in position III, and FM Palulun 76.2 (Japanese Jazz) in position IIII.

Now came the fun part! I turned on the Q2 radio, decided which station I wanted to listen to, and placed that position facing up. The Q2 started playing! How cools is that? And it gets better. To make the volume louder just tilt the radio up. To make it softer just tilt the radio down. To mute the volume just place the speaker facing down. FUN!

I couldn’t believe how great the broadcasts sounded. Of course, the local station came in loud and clear but I was surprised that even the Japanese station was super crisp . . . all the way from Japan!

And since the Q2 comes with outlet adapters I can take it along with me wherever I’m flying and still be able to hear music and news from home. Coming from a flight attendant, that’s pretty awesome!

What a great gift this would make for Father’s Day! (Oops, hope my Dad isn’t reading this!) Now your Dad can listen to his favorite music from all over the world!

Purchase your Q2 Wi-Fi Internet Radio at Amazon.com for $119.

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Want to win a Q2 for yourself? Check out their Facebook Giveaway!

This post was written for Q2 who provided the complimentary product in exchange for my honest review.

So when I had the opportunity to participate in a shopportunity (hey, that rhymes) for Coffee-Mate Natural Bliss Liquid Coffee Creamer I was excited!

The first thing I did was check out the WalMart site to see if there were any money saving coupons available and guess what? They have a $1 off coupon that you can print out at home! Yay!

Once that was done I loaded up the kids and headed for the Pearl City WalMart. I had heard that WalMart recently renovated their store so I was excited to see what kind of changes were made.

When I walked into the store I noticed that they added a whole new grocery section right near the front of the store.

There were lots of signage posted so customers could find their way around the redesigned store.

I looked for the grocery section and headed straight for the dairy aisle. Here is where I found all the refrigerated liquid creamers. There were lots of brands and flavors to choose from but I knew what I was looking for . . . caramel.

I was so happy when I found it and couldn’t wait to go home and try it out. However, no stop to WalMart is complete without a purchase from McDonalds. Sometimes it’s the only way I can get my kids to sit still in the shopping cart. Plus, I just love their french fries.

Once at home, I immediately made myself a cup of coffee and added in the Coffee-Mate Natural Bliss.

How was it? Does it taste comparable to my usual Starbucks Caramel Macchiato?

Stay tuned to find out!

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“This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias

If there’s one thing better than a building set it’s one that kids can interact with. That’s why we always enjoy the various kits from K’NEX. We recently received the Maria vs. Piranha Plant Building Set and the kids couldn’t wait to put it together.

Bring Mario Kart Wii to life! Build Mario in his Sprinter Kart and race past the Piranha Plant from the Mario Circuit Track. The set includes the parts to build Mario, a Sprinter Kart with a superfast, batterypowered motor, a Piranha Plant obstacle and 2 collectible items from the game a Mushroom and a Green Turtle Shell!

courtesy of K’NEX

This 126 piece building set contains Mario, Piranha Plant, Mushroom, and Green Turtle Shell as well as the pieces to construct a portion of an overall complete track. At first, I was a bit overwhelmed by all the pieces but once I took a look at the colored step-by-step diagram it seemed more manageable. What worked for me was to separate all the pieces that I needed in each step to ensure that I wouldn’t make any mistakes and find myself short in the end.

I liked that the pieces fit well together. In some cases you can even hear them snap into place. And once they’re in place they stay in place.

This building set only took us about 15 minutes to construct and in no time we had Mario racing across the track. The only thing is that since this is just a portion of an overall complete track so there was no way to stop Mario when he reached the end of the course. However, the kids didn’t mind and they actually thought it was fun to chase Mario across the floor. Boy, is he fast! His car runs on 2 AAA batteries (not included).

They also liked playing with Piranha Plant as he tried to catch Mario. Using a rubber-band technique, the kids just had to press down on a lever and Piranha’s big jaws came crashing down. And even though the kids got a little rough on the lever it still held up great.

K’NEX Mario vs. Piranha Plant Building Set is a big hit in our home and the kids are asking for the rest of the sections so they can make a complete track. They also want to see what other interactive ideas are a part of this Mario world. To be honest, so do I. I like that it teaches my kids a simple lesson in movement as well as cause and effect. I also like that since all the pieces fit into each other, when a section doesn’t work the way they planned they can use some creative thinking to come up with alternatives.

Fun and educational . . . you can’t beat that!

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This post was written for K’NEX who provided the complimentary item in exchange for my honest review.

The American Cancer Society’s main goal is simple . . . to create more birthdays. They do this by helping people stay well, helping people get well, by finding cures, and by fighting back. Together with your help 11 million survivors are celebrating a birthday this year. Now that’s pretty awesome!

One of their most popular events is the Relay for Life. Teams gather overnight at their local schools or parks and take turns walking or running around a course. Since Cancer never sleeps, there must be at least one person from each team on the track at all times. This event takes place over a 24 hour period.

So stop by the American Cancer Society and see how you can get involved today!

This post is sponsored by the ACS

Could your daughter be the next Little Miss Coppertone? Well, if she’s between the ages of 2 to 7 and personifies the playful, optimistic spirit of Coppertone’s iconic character then she may be just the girl they’re looking for.

From now until June 22nd, you can upload a photo of your child on the Coppertone Facebook page where celebrity mom Alison Sweeney will select 10 semi-finalists. Then it will be up to America to vote for their favorite entry. The winner will receive the ultimate family vacation and be featured in a 2013 Coppertone print ad.

“This contest gives girls across the country a chance to shine and express the happiness of summer,” Sweeney said. “As a mom of two, I’m passionate about enjoying time outdoors with my family while making sure we are protected from the sun.”

Additionally, Coppertone will support Feeding America, the nation’s leading hunger-relief charity, by providing $1 for every entry received during the month of May, up to $25,000. Sweeney supports it as part of an overall platform to keep moms and children healthy.

For more information and the official contest rules, please visit the Coppertone website at www.coppertone.com or the brand’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/coppertone.

courtesy of Coppertone