The queen of the jungle

Coppertone CLEARYSheer Sunscreen

2014-06-09T08:09:00.002-07:00

I am a bzzagent for Coppertone CLEARLYSheer Sunscreen. I received a box of several samples to share with my friends and family and use for myself. I also received coupons to share. I got some samples of the spray for "Beach and Pool" and some samples of "Sunny Days" lotion for everyday. I was very excited to try these products because I live in a very sunny and hot climate and we use a lot of sunscreen, especially this time of year. I was able to try this sunscreen on my kids and myself as well as share it with many friends.

Sunny Days Coppertone CLEARLYSheer is for everyday. It's lighter than most sunscreens, can be used on the face under makeup, won't cause breakouts, has a matte finish, absorbs in seconds. It's also water resistant for 30 minutes so it can be used on the face before a swim, but must be reapplied often if you are swimming. So I used this on my face as well as my arms and legs just after a shower, for everyday protection. This is a very good sunscreen, it works and is easy to use because it doesn't make me feel greasy or dirty like I want a shower. It has a slight sunscreen smell. It says it has a citrus scent but I don't smell citrus at all. I have yet to find a sunscreen that is unscented completely. This scent doesn't smell like a pina colada or anything though, it's very light and feels clean on the skin. Overall I highly recommend this sunscreen for anyone who wants to be proactive in protecting their skin on a daily basis. We all should use this!

We have used the Beach and Pool Coppertone CLEARLYSheer a lot too. I shared it with others on play dates. It's so easy to spray on and go. What I like about this is that it lasts for up to 80 minutes of water resistance. That is really good coverage and I am a witness that it works. My daughters are very fair, this definitely protected their skin in some extreme sun and water exposure. I love the convenience of sprays. This spray works well, it covers quickly and with a fine mist, no issues with the mechanics of the spray bottle. The scent says it's tropical fruit and flower. To me I'm not getting that scent, it just smells like sunscreen to me. But it's a lighter scent than some. The point is it works and it won't clog pores or cause breakouts, absorbs quickly and doesn't feel heavy on the skin. This is a great reliable sunscreen. I didn't get to try the lotion version of this, just the spray.

Skin is worth protecting! Aren't these cute samples I got from Bzzagent and Coppertone? I love them!

GoDaddy Online Bookkeeping

2014-03-21T10:39:00.001-07:00

I'm a Bzzagent and I got invited to try GoDaddy Online Bookkeeping Service. I am in love! I do Etsy and eBay sales, many things I just sell out of my junk stash, but sometimes I buy and resell stuff from thrift stores. It helps me see how much money I'm making, how much I'm spending and just helps keep track of everything I need. Yes, you could buy a program for a little less, but I love that this will never be outdated, will always be compatible with my devices and oh yes, I can use it on all my devices, my smartphone, tablets, where ever I go or whatever I'm doing, it's easy to log on. This is also quite economical, last I checked it was $8.34 a month. You can also try using BzBook coupon code for 20% off. This service is very user friendly. I set it all up in 5 minutes, not kidding! I just needed my pay pal account hooked up and it found all my Etsy and eBay sales and put them in and showed me how much I've made each week. It's so cool and it's motivating me to make more money this year. I love it! #GotItFree

Check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8CHcfnUUs

Fiber One Protein Cereal

2014-02-26T08:59:00.002-08:00

My favorite way is to mix it with yogurt.

As a Bzzagent I got to try new Fiber One Protein Cereal. I got two boxes in the mail. How awesome is that? I got Maple Brown Sugar and Cranberry Almond. Right off the bat I know I'm a fan of Fiber One products so I know I will probably enjoy these cereals. They pack the 1-2 punch with 10g of protein when served with milk and 20% daily value of fiber, if that doesn't sustain you I don't know what will! Now on to the my impression of them. First I tried the Maple Brown Sugar, this one appealed to me because it has flavors that I love. This one is described as "a bountiful blend of sweetened granola and crunchy pecans topped with the taste of maple brown sugar". It has all that, my only wish was I want more pecans. But of course that would make it more caloric and higher fat, so maybe that is why they were not as plentiful as I'd like. I do love the combo of the puffed wheat and rice along with the oats, it has a nice maple flavor, not too sweet at all and the crunch stands up to milk. The Cranberry Almond is much like the maple pecan. I want more nuts and in this case more cranberries. But the flavor and texture is good and this has a good balance of sweetness. I have been eating this one a lot with yogurt in the afternoons. This totally sustains me until the dinner hour. It stays with you and keeps you going. Out of both of them, I can't decide which one is my favorite. They are both equally good. I don't think you can get this Fiber/Protein combo in other cereals, so that makes this unique. I think this is a great pre workout choice as well as late night snacks or afternoon snack, as well as breakfast. I don't eat cereal in the mornings usually, but my kids do. So this is great for them to get a good start to the day. A box lasts quite a while because you really only need the 1 cup serving, it's that satisfying. So that is great if you are trying to get more bang for your buck. It's also really good dry, instead of chips, it's a better option. I have heard that some Fiber One products have been known to cause a little gas in some people. lol. But I have not noticed this at all with this cereal.

Kroger 4X Fuel Points

2014-01-07T10:40:00.001-08:00

It's not too late. Get to Kroger and purchase gift cards to earn fuel points! I took advantage of this deal over the holidays. I bought iTunes cards for my daughters who just got iPhones. I also bought Starbucks cards for teacher gifts. I bought a Cracker Barrel card to use as cash for my family to go out to breakfast. $25 card earned me 50 points! I am hoping Fry's repeats this campaign next holiday season. I plan on using it to it's full potential. I did see my mom buy $100 in AMC Movie Theater Gift Cards, she bought 4 gifts and got tons of fuel points. If you go to Subway for lunch or shopping at the mall, buy a gift card for yourself, get fuel points in the process! This is just a great way to save money at the pump. If you are going to spend the money anyway, might as well buy the gift card. Gift cards make excellent gifts. I personally love receiving gift cards, Visa cards that you can take anywhere are my favorite. But also, restaurants, shopping, entertainment, so many options!

Kroger Skillet Meals - Chicken Alfredo

2013-12-12T13:14:00.001-08:00

I am a Bzz Agent. My family got to try Kroger Skillet Meal (Any variety). There were many varieties to choose from. Tuscan Style Penne, Chicken Fajitas, Sorrento Style Gnocchi, Shrimp Lo Mein, Sausage Rigatoni, Chicken Alfredo... I got a coupon to try one Kroger Skillet Meal, one Kroger Garlic Bread, and one Fresh Selections Salad Kit for free. I chose Chicken Alfredo, it was a hard choice, because the other varieties sound good too. Each Kroger Skillet has 3 servings. The Chicken Alfredo variety has; 20 grams protein, 330 Calories, 8 grams fat, 590 Sodium, 1 gram sugars. For my family of 4 I need 2 packages. Directions are super easy. Takes 12 minutes to prepare. Cook on the stove in a skillet, thaw sauce packet under warm running water, set aside. Heat up some butter or vegetable oil. Add chicken, pasta and vegetables, add 1/4 cup of water, saute for 10 minutes covered. Add thawed sauce packet, saute 30 seconds, until hot and serve. What I like is that it tastes very fresh, the pasta, the sauce and the chicken. The chicken isn't chewy or fatty, it's lean and tender. The Kroger Garlic Bread is found in the freezer section. I love this product. I buy it weekly to go with meals. It cooks up easily, tastes good, doesn't burn easily like other frozen garlic bread can. Doesn't taste like plastic like some other brands can. The Fresh Selections Salad Kits are great too. I bought Caesar Salad Kit. It's so good, my family loves it. One bag is perfect for my family of 4, no leftovers which I like since it can get mushy leftover. This is just as good as named brand and costs less. The meal in total would cost less than $10, much better than fast food and healthier in my opinion. It tastes like home cooked but doesn't take much effort at all. This is perfect for those busy days when you don't have time or energy to make a meal from scratch. Kroger has proven time and again that they have excellent standards of quality, I've tried many Kroger products with Bzz Agent, never been disappointed.

Hormel REV Wraps

2013-10-09T11:10:00.001-07:00

I am a bzzagent and I got to try Hormel REV Wraps for free. I got 1 REV wrap for free and several coupons to try them at a discount. I wanted to try as many of the varieties as I could. I found these easily at Fry's Food Store, right next to the lunch meats, cheeses. I loved the idea of a simple wrap that offers up real meats and real cheeses. That is just what these are. They don't have any sauces or anything else, just a wrap with meats and cheeses. I think my favorite is #3 Peppered Turkey. But I also like #1 Pepperoni Pizza. They also have Ham and Cheese, Meat Lovers Pizza, Hot Pepper Ham, Italian Style, and Spicy Italian Style. All are good. I have since bought these even after my coupons have run out. For one thing its an easy quick breakfast, snack and also wonderful to put in my daughter's lunchbox:

As you can see it's the perfect addition to a lunch and it's the perfect size for my kids. My husband also likes these. He's a truck driver and often has to eat while on the road. So this he can grab and eat easily. My daughter who is in high school also likes these, she doesn't want a huge lunch, just something that fills her tummy and gives her energy to get through the rest of her day.

Reading the literature on these and I didn't know I could do this, but it says you can heat these up! So I'm definitely going to try that, it says microwave for 15 seconds.

Each REV wrap has at least 15 grams protein. This is awesome. I often see these for 3/$5 at my Fry's grocer. That is a fair price for the convenience. I hope these take off because I will continue to buy them long after the campaign is over.

Kashi Hummus Crisps

2013-09-05T16:38:00.002-07:00

I am a bzzagent and got to try Kashi Hummus Crisps for free. I got the Sea Salt and Olive Oil Flavor. It is a 4 Oz bag and contains 3.5 servings. My daughter came home from school today and we opened them up. About 20 minutes later the bag was empty. We enjoyed them very much. They were not greasy or too salty. But had incredible crunch, a perfect balance of salt and a tiny sweetness from the chickpea. I ate a lot of them but didn't feel sick. Each serving of these contains; 4 G Fiber, 3 G. Protein, 6 G. Whole Grains and 3.5 G fat (poly and mono, not sat or trans), each serving is 120 calories. The first ingredient is Chickpeas, the second is tapioca starch, the 3rd is KASHI Cracked Seven Whole Grain Blend. I really don't see anything bad here. No partially hydrogenated Oils, no HFCS, nothing artificial. You can feel good about serving these to your friends and family.

Here is my bzzkit below, bag is already empty. Isn't it cool? I am looking forward to trying the other 2 varieties. Sundried Tomato, Basil and Feta and Caramelized Onion. Don't those sounds amazing? I got coupons in my bzzkit so I plan on passing them out to friends and keeping 1 for myself so I can try the other 2 flavors. These would be perfect for picnics, school lunches, car trips, beach days, after school snacks, late night munchies, beside a sandwich, or as a crunchy snack for company.

Frontera de Concha y Toro

2013-08-22T16:52:00.002-07:00

I am a Bzzagent and got to try Frontera with the offer of a discount of $5 rebate off 2 bottles, I had the choice of Pinot Noir or Moscato. I tried Moscato. I couldn't find Pinot Noir, otherwise I would have tried both. I just cracked it open:

My husband and I shared the bottle before dinner. I have tried several different Moscato wines. This is my favorite. It's light, has a fruity, sweet (not too sweet) and light. It would be good with cheese and grapes. It would also be good with a spicy dish. The best thing is not only do you get a good solid bottle of wine, you get it for about $5 a bottle! So I will be trying the Pinot Noir when I find it. I had trouble finding Frontera in my area. I ended up finding it at Fry's in the refrigerator section, not on the shelf.

Kroger Deli Fried Chicken

2013-06-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

I am a bzzagent so I got this product free. I was so excited because I love fried chicken and I love Kroger products. This chicken is fresh, not soggy, the meat is juicy, the seasoning is perfect. Serve it piping hot from the deli, or let it get cold and take on a picnic. We served it with cheesy mashed potatoes and broccoli, we also got some Kroger Kettle Chips in this campaign which were great, and a Coke product 1.5 Liter. This was the perfect meal for us on a hot summer night. My girls were swimming all day so when they saw Kroger Deli Fried Chicken being served they were excited. Why? I never make fried chicken myself or usually never think of picking it up. But now I'm hooked. It's really easy to pick up from Kroger stores and it's reasonable. I can see picking some up for July 4th celebration and for picnics or just for when I don't want to cook. The price was right even without the free coupon. It was $7.99 for 8 pieces, enough for our family of four. We actually had 5 of us eating and it was plenty. Very pleased. I also think it's way better than KFC.

Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2013-06-07T09:40:00.002-07:00

I'm a Bzzagent for Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil. In my bzzkit I got a 8.4 oz bottle, a substitution chart to show hot to replace butter, margarine and other oils to make things healthier and some coupons. The first thing I made with this was chicken. I baked it the way I always do with a little olive oil and lemon pepper. Now I normally use a generic olive oil. I am always on a budget. Anyway, what I wasn't expecting was a big difference in flavor! Hands down the Filippo blew away the generic olive oil. The chicken was so yummy, fresh tasting. I am seriously in love with the flavor. I mean it took my chicken up a notch from ok to spectacular. I love to make air popped popcorn and drizzle with olive oil, parmesan cheese and salt, so instead of generic I tried Filippo Berio Extra Virin. So good. I am replacing my generic with Filippo from now on. Not only is it a rich luxurious tasting oil, but it's good for you. Heart healthy. It'll be great for salad dressings, dipping bread and other recipes. I am going to use the chart to find new ways to incorporate it into my diet.

Pennington Smart Feed System

2013-06-07T09:28:00.002-07:00

I am a Bzzagent for Pennington Smart Feed System. I was very excited to try this product. This is an easy way to fertilize your garden. There's an all-purpose, tomato and vegetable and flowers and blooms. I tried all purpose and flowers and blooms. I sprayed cucumbers, cantaloupe, tomatoes and zucchinis. Sprayer was easy to attach and it's all pre-measured and ready to go, I liked this a lot, no mixing, no measuring. It was easy to work and does cover about 300 sq feet of area per canister. So that is quite a bit. If you want it to come out slower turn the hose down. Easy! My yield on the tomatoes and zucchini was incredible after the first application. Cantaloupe leaves turned yellow around the edges so I think I put on too much fertilizer on them. But overall I really liked this product! I will use it again. I want to try the flowers and blooms one next.

FAGE Total 0% Greek Yogurt

2013-05-07T16:04:00.001-07:00

I love FAGE Total 0% Greek Yogurt. I am a Bzz Agent and one of my activities is to share my recipe using FAGE. This Exotic Fruit Sunday would be my choice because I love the simplicity of it.

http://www.fageusa.com/recipes/exotic-fruit-sundae/

Ingredients:

FAGE Total Yogurt or FAGE Total 0% Yogurt
Selection of chopped fresh fruits, such as mango, strawberry, banana.
Greek Honey (could use FAGE Total Honey Yogurt)
Pecan nuts (chopped)

Preparation Directions:

Spoon the honey into the bottom of a sundae glass or wide-necked glass.
Add half of the selection of chopped fruits.
Spoon over FAGE Total Yogurt.
Place the rest of fruit on top of the yogurt.
Top with chopped pecan nuts.

I made mine with cut up strawberries and added raw almonds because that is what I had on hand. I also didn't use Greek Honey because I haven't seen it at my store. So I used regular honey. I also add a sprinkle of cinnamon, it adds so much. This is the perfect snack for after a workout. A healthier alternative to that bowl of ice cream you want as a late night snack. A perfect afternoon snack when you need a pick me up, all that protein gives you an perfect energy lift and sustenance to last until dinner. I also love this for breakfast of course. The best thing of all it is HEALTHY.

Here's a picture of mine:

Warm, Flip and Serve!

2013-05-07T06:42:00.001-07:00

I am a Bzzagent for Private Selection Upside Down Cakes. It took several weeks for my Fry's (Kroger store) to stock them. I was going every week looking for them. Finally yesterday there they were! I was so excited. I knew ahead of time I was going to try the German Chocolate Upside Down Cake. Not that I don't want to try the others, but I happen to really enjoy German Chocolate the best. I love the coconut, caramel, pecan frosting!

This was super easy to prepare. Take cake out of the box, put on cookie sheet, 325 for 15 minutes, let cool 1-2 minutes, flip on a plate and serve. It came out clean from the pan. It's great served warm with ice cream. Add a few fresh strawberries or nothing at all. The cake itself is moist and not too sweet, rich fudge flavor, the frosting is sweet and gooey goodness, buttery, crunchy from the coconut and pecan. The pecans are not soggy. Overall, this was really tasty. We had leftovers and my daughter just had a piece cold and she said she liked it even better cold. I know I will love it that way too.

This cake is large, serves 8 people easily. The price at my Fry's was 9.99, with a suggested price of 12.99. If you look at it from the perspective of making this yourself, it would probably cost that much to make with all the ingredients, coconut and pecans aren't cheap and also the time you save is worth a few dollars as well. This doesn't disappoint with it's homemade taste and freshness factor. Heating it yourself makes it seem even more homemade. It would be perfect for a BBQ, potluck or a nice dinner at home with friends and family. They also have Amber Honey Apple Spice and Double Chocolate Molten, which sound great and I want to try them soon.

Garnier Fructis Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free B.B. Cream

2013-04-05T14:03:00.001-07:00

I am a Bzzagent for Garnier Fructis Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free B.B. Cream. I tried it for the first time yesterday. Here is my scary before picture:

Here's my after picture with B.B. cream and my usual full make up, hair fixed a little bit too:

The product does what it says it will do. It smooths out, evens your complexion, minimizes pores, makes oily skin matte and adds a little moisture. I have combination skin, oily in the t-zone. I feel like this minimized some of my fine lines. I was worried that it would emphasize fine lines since it's oil free. But no, it isn't a heavy product at all. I could barely tell a difference in how my skin felt with full make up, it didn't feel all gunky and gooey. I am overall happy with what I've seen so far. Plus, and this is a biggie, it has a 20 SPF sunscreen protection. So if for nothing else, this is a GREAT non irritating sunscreen. I find that most sunscreens for face are too thick and greasy. This one isn't. Oh and I have a couple overly large pores that bother the heck out of me. This smooths them over and minimized them nicely. They don't go away completely but don't look like the Grand Canyon anymore.

Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Miracle Oil

2013-03-01T07:09:00.003-08:00

My newest bzz campaign I'm working on is for Granier Fructis Triple Nutrition Miracle Oil. I got my full sized product two days ago. I have really dry skin and my hair is dull. So I was excited to try this. I love the ease of application. Putting on lotion is a chore and I always hate that greasy feeling that you have after. But this oil is a spray, you take a shower or bath and then spritz it on all over, even the face! It absorbs right into the skin, makes it soft and relieves dry itchy skin. On the hair you are supposed to just spray lightly from 8 inches away. A little goes a long way on the hair, don't do too much or it can look greasy. But a light mist gives you shine. The scent is fruity and clean, not artificial. It's light and pleasant. I love it. One of the best things though is the price, it's about $5.99 on average and 1 bottle will last you at least a couple of months I think. Here's a coupon for $1.25 off too. Pamper yourself and give this a try!

Simple Truth

2013-02-14T08:10:00.000-08:00

I'm a Bzzagent for Simple Truth organic products, it's a Kroger line and found at my local Fry's Food. I tried the Blackberry Pomegranate Natural Soda, the Exotic Vegetable Chips and the Fudge Graham Nutrition Bar so far. I also purchased the frozen blueberries. I had a free coupon for Almond Milk but they were out, they had everything else but Almond Milk, so I will go back for that.

Here's my bzzkit, isn't it fantastic?

Blackberry Pomegranate Natural Soda - I loved this. Yes it's soda, it still has sugar and not a "health" food. But it's not jacked up with chemicals and corn syrup like other sodas have. They have other flavors like cucumber melon, blood orange and pear peach. I'm intrigued to try the other flavors, these are a step up from boring regular soda. It's a new experience, tangy, crisp, not too sweet or heavy. Here's a picture of my daughter taking a sip from my soda, she LOVED it and she's not a soda drinker at all.

The next product we tried were the Exotic Vegetable Chips. These were very crispy, not greasy at all, sweet with a light salty flavor. I loved the colors and the different flavors, it's subtle differences in the vegetables, but overall mostly sweet from the sweet potato. These are the perfect pairing for a nice sandwich, we enjoyed them. The bag was gone in an afternoon. However you only need a handful and you are satisfied. These make you feel a little better about chips. I don't know about you but I need something crunchy in my lunch sometimes, these are perfect for that.

I also tried the Simple Truth Nutrition Bar in Fudge Graham. I liked it, it was like a candy bar. I'd like to try the other flavors and explore these further. They have protein bars, trail mix, and I'd love to try them as well.

I am looking forward to trying the almond milk, the only thing I couldn't find and they were out of stock of. I'm a fan of almond milk as are my girls so I have a feeling we will enjoy it. As I was shopping yesterday I saw so many Simple Truth Products I want to try. I like Kroger all around, they do good quality products anyway, but the organics are top notch so far. So my recommendation is next time you are at a Kroger store, notice the elegantly packaged Simply Truth and consider adding a few of them to your basket, give them a try!

Morningstar Farms Veggie Burgers

2013-01-16T17:13:00.000-08:00

I get to bzz about Morningstar Farms Veggie Burgers. I just made griller's prime for my daughter and myself. I wasn't expecting much, maybe a weird textured flavorless thing. But boy was I wrong! I cooked this much like I would a regular burger. I added some olive oil to the pan because there is virtually no fat in this burger. It cooked up nicely in about 7 minutes, turned it over a few times to make sure it was browned. I added some cheddar cheese (not lowfat), toasted some sourdough bread, added mayo, mustard and tomato. This was the best burger I've had in a long time! I'm not kidding! I could hardly tell it wasn't real meat. I didn't feel deprived at all. I feel good afterwards too, not bogged down from a greasy meal. I am a convert! I will be buying these again. My daughter who is 9 LOVED it too, she ate the entire thing and oohed and awed the entire time. She put some pickled jalepenos on hers. :)

I want to try to fool my husband this weekend and give him one of these. He's a burger guy. I bet he won't notice the difference!

Here's my burger from my phone camera, not the best picture, but notice how good this looks, with some orange and apples, I can feel my body thanking me now:

COVERGIRL blast flipstick

2012-12-10T11:38:00.001-08:00

I am a bzz agent for Covergirl Blast Flipstick. I got the most awesome bzz kit:

I got 3 flipsticks, each has 2 colors, each has 2 shades that go from bright to brilliant or soft to sexy or day to night. I am loving the Vixen Seductress, it's rosy shimmer pink on the day side and darker pinkish plum for night.. You can mix and match or just use one or the other. A fun product. I got Stunner and Minx also in my kit, which will be fun to play with and mix and mingle with other shades. The lipstick itself is creamy and light, doesn't go on too thick, color is long lasting.

Private Selection Holiday

2012-12-10T10:56:00.000-08:00

I'm a bzz agent for Kroger's Private Selection Holday Campaign. In the box of goodies I got some coupons to try Private Selection Past Sauce, Olives, presliced Deli Cheese and some Classic Water Crisp crackers and Costa Rican Tarrazu Coffee.

I'm super impressed with everything we have tried! The pasta sauce was so rich and fresh tasting. We tried Organic Tomato Basil. I served it over whole wheat pasta I had on hand. Seriously good.

We also tried the Buffalo Monterey Jack presliced cheese, served atop the Classic Water Crisps. The cheese was a total hit and the cracker was the perfect vehicle to serve it on.

The Costa Rican Tarrazu Coffee is really good as well. Rich bold flavor. I like this a lot.

Oh and last but NOT least, we got the blue cheese stuffed olives. Now I haven't tried these yet but I'm planning on making martini's soon.

I am very happy with not only the Private Selection products but also the prices, they are premium in quality, packaging, flavor, great for parties, gift baskets and just for everyday and they are easy to find at your local Kroger store.

Pork, Be Inspired

2012-11-08T09:19:00.002-08:00

I am a bzz agent and I'm currently bzzing about pork. I had a $5 coupon to purchase a pork moist and tender product. I am not one to buy pork regularly so I had no idea what to get. I normally buy ground turkey, beef and chicken products. I was pleasantly surprised to see how economical pork is! I ended up getting a pork roast, it was $5.75 or something like that for almost a 3 pound roast. I got it almost free with my coupon. I found a recipe on allrecipes.com: This one: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tangy-Slow-Cooker-Pork-Roast/ and I had all the ingredients on hand which was nice. I put it in the slow cooker and let it go all day. My house smelled wonderful. The best part was that it was done after about 6 hours on low. I served it to my family and looked like a rock star. A wholesome, nourishing meal that was delicious. The pork was impressive, for tender, moist, fall apart and the potatoes and carrots and onions were wonderful as well. Here's a picture of it, now it's not the best picture, but gives you an idea. Pork is a very versatile meat and I will be buying it more often now that I am not afraid of it anymore. It's really easy to cook and so many recipes are out there to try.

Burt's Bees Intense Hydration

2012-11-02T11:46:00.003-07:00

I am a bzzagent for Burt's Bees Intense Hydration. That means I get to try the products and tell others about them. This is what I got in the mail:

I got 3 full sized products: Burt's Bees - Intense Hydration Cream Cleanser, Intense Hydration Treatment Mask, and Intense Hydration Night Cream. I also got several samples with coupons so that I can pass these out and also Intense Hydration Day Cream.

The Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Cleanser is a mild white cream, you apply to the face, wash and rinse. It goes on smooth, doesn't sud a ton, smells mildly herbal and felt really good on my face. It rinsed off easily. So 1st step is done, my face already feels fantastic. Then I tried the Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Mask, this is also a mild white cream, you don't need much as it spreads nicely. I applied about a tablespoon (which was probably a bit too much) or so on my face and neck. Then I let soak in for 10 minutes, after 10 minutes I wiped it off with a towel as it says. My face feels hydrated and not irritated at all, just feels clean. Then I tried some day lotion. Now after the mask, this was overkill. I don't think I needed it. So I will try this again on a non mask using day. I'd say use the mask 1-2 times a week. Anyway, still regardless it went on smooth and is currently under my makeup and my face and eyes are not irritated at all. Believe me when I say using Avon, Lancome products get in my eyes and burn and make my face feel irritated beyond belief, so much so that I would only use soap and water. But I may just become a convert to Burt's Bees because I really feel a difference.

I'm in my early 40's, mostly been a soap and water girl. But frankly that isn't what is best for me. I have tried Avon regimes in the past but the chemicals irritated my skin, got in my eyes and made them irritated too. What I like about Burt's Bees is that it is totally non irritating, it smells good but not overpowering, it is easy to use and economical, a full sized product will last a long time if you use it wisely because a little goes a long way.

Plus, Burt's Bees is a responsible company that cares about the earth. They use natural ingredients, their facilities achieved 0 waste to landfills in 2010 by being innovative in efficient packaging, recycling and composting, using more sustainable materials. They are also pro Bees, which Bees are in danger and even though bees can sting and hurt us, they are valuable to our earth, they make honey, beeswax, pollinating plants, etc. Burt's Bees also doesn't do animal testing. Hello? I'm an animal lover. So that is just plain awesome and can make you feel good about using their products.

Green Mountain Coffee

2012-10-30T09:52:00.004-07:00

I'm a bzzagent and I get to bzz about Green Mountain (fair trade) Coffee. This was very exciting to me because I'm a BIG coffee lover. I enjoy coffee, even look forward to waking up in the morning so I can have my coffee.

So I got my bzz kit, it contained 3 -8-cup sample packs and several coupons and literature about Green Mountain Coffee. So immediately I went and cleaned up my coffee pot, got rid of the stale old Maxwell House that was leftover and made a pot of Green Mountain.

On first sip, it was bold, it was rich, it was full bodied. Just the way I like it because I enjoy half and half to mellow it out. No sugar needed, this stuff isn't bitter, it's smooth.

Oh and the best thing is that it's a fair trade coffee. I had heard of fair trade before but didn't really understand what it meant. In a nutshell it means it helps farmers get a fair price for their beans, improves working conditions, protects the environment and helps communities. So not only is it good coffee, it's responsible coffee.

Here's my first but not last cup, in my favorite mug:

Glade Expressions Collection

2012-09-24T15:47:00.000-07:00

I was very fortunate to be asked to be part of the Glade Expressions Collection Bzz Campaign recently. In my buzz kit I got several coupons. I was able to get a free Glade Fragrance Oil Infuser and also a Fragrance Mist.

It was hard to choose but I picked Lavender Juniper Berry for the Fragrance Oil infuser. This was very easy to assemble, no mess and very attractive, easily fit into my bathroom decor. I have had that for several weeks now. I move it around to the laundry room and bathrooms, wherever I want to add fragrance. It's still working great! It's not an obnoxious smell at all which I'm sensitive to some perfumes. I really love it!

The Fragrance Mist I got in Pineapple and Mangosteen. It's got a tropical scent to it. According to the description it's got some coconut and passion flower as well. The mist is straightforward, squeeze the canister and you get a mist. It's for instant gratification. Great to put in the bathroom. It's also quite attractive, minimalist in appearance and sort of fun to operate.

I would love to try the other fragrances - Fuji Apple and Cardamom Spice and the Cotton and Italian Mandarin as well. I think I will be buying 2 more of the oil infusers since they are so pretty and would be nice in my other 2 bathrooms.

Progresso Recipe Starters

2012-09-14T10:17:00.001-07:00

I'm a Bzz Agent so I got to try Progresso Recipe Starters creamy Parmesan basil cooking sauce. I was super excited to get my bzz kit the other day. I immediately opened it up and found the can of Progresso Recipe Starter. At first I'm like this is really weird, what will I do with it? But then went to their website and found a bunch of recipes to try with the sauces, each looked really amazing and easy, just needed basic ingredients and the can of sauce. I decided on the recipe on the label, Creamy Chicken Alfredo, it sounded good and easy and I had all the stuff except the half and half. I used milk instead. I'm sure it would have been really really yummy with half and half but it was still excellent with milk, the flavor was great.

I used whole wheat spaghetti instead of fettucine because that is what I had on hand, chicken tenders cut up, butter, fresh garlic cloves, Progresso Recipe Starters, parmesan and milk. YUM. My house smelled fantastic like an italian restaurant. Seriously we were all salvitating in anticipation. Now my picture doesn't do this justice. I'm not a professional photographer, this clearly needs some sprigs of parsley or cherry tomatoes to add color and design. But the taste is the most important. I am looking forward to trying the other flavors. I saw you can make tuna casseroles and all sorts of classic easy dishes with these sauces.

Creamy Chicken Alfredo
prep time: 10 min, start to finish 30 minutes

You will need:
8 oz uncooked fettucine
1 package 1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 in pieces
2 TBS butter
3 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (18 oz) Progresso Recipe Starters creamy Parmesan Basil cooking sauce
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup whipping cream or half and half.

Directions:
1. Cook and drain fettucine as directed on package.
2. In 12-inch skillet heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, cook chicken sprinle with salt and pepper. Cook until done.
Add butter and garlic, cook until garlic is softened, stir in recipe starters, parmesan cheese and cream. Simmer 5-8 minutes, stir occasionally, until well blended.
3. Serve over fettucine.

Unreal Candy

2012-09-10T15:50:00.001-07:00

We tried all the Unreal Candy recently. When I say we I mean, my 2 daughters and myself. They are age 13 and 9. They love chocolate and so do I. So we went to Walgreens and got the candy coated peanuts and chocolate (M&M's), the caramel and nougat (Milky Way), the caramel, nougat and peanuts (Snickers) and Peanut Butter Cups (Reese's).

The candy coated peanuts and chocolate were gorgeous, earthy natural colors, orange, yellow, blue, yellow and brown. The taste were much like the M&M, but without the "junk". The price was .89, the same price as the M&M's. So win win.

The Peanut Butter Cups are richer than Reese's, darker and more intense chocolate flavor, less peanut butter ratio to chocolate. They are not quite as creamy as the Reese's, but still make a good showing. I was quite impressed by these and enjoyed the higher chocolate to peanut butter ration.

The caramel and nougat was delicious, it's my favorite. I love Milky Way bars. I couldn't tell a difference between them, the flavor of the Milky Way is captured and very nicely unjunked. Have you seen the back of a milky way bar? The ingredients are crazy! But not the unjunked version, everything is identifyable here.

The caramel, nougat and peanuts (Snickers) was very good as well. Not a huge difference in taste or texture, just unjunked!
So in a nutshell, these are the same price as their "junked" competitor's and taste just as good if not better. So I recommend that you go out and try these.
http://getunreal.com/.