Yoplait Review and Recipe

Yogurt and I had a love hate relationship. I loved the flavors but could not stand the texture of fruit chunks in the cup. For this reason I used to pass up on yogurt. That is until I discovered Yoplaits dessert flavored yogurt. No need for me to worry about the fruit chunks here and I get to enjoy the flavors of my favorite desserts at a fraction of the calories. There are so many flavors to choose from like: Apple Turnover, Red Velvet Cake, Boston Cream Pie, Bannana Cream Pie, Black Forest Cake, Lemon Cream Pie,Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Raspberry Cheesecake, Strawberry Shortcake, White Chocolate Strawberry, and my favorite Key Lime Pie.

Since March is National Nutrition Month I encourage you to snack on your favorite Yoplait yogurt instead of cakes and cookies. Maybe you aren't as interested in the dessert flavors as I am. Well, with varieties like Yoplait Light, Yoplait Original, Yoplait Fiber One, Yoplait Kids and Yoplait Delight Parfaits. Each product offers different benefits, and loads of variety, to make eating well a no-brainer. Here are five great ways to ‘get your snack on’ with Yoplait this March!


Start spring off right with Yoplait Light’s Two Week Tune Up Plan – Replace breakfast and lunch with a cup of your favorite flavor of Yoplait Light, a whole grain and a piece of fruit and you could lose 5 pounds in two weeks. Go to Yoplait.com for full diet details.

Get more calcium with Yoplait Original style yogurt - Now with two times the calcium of the leading yogurt (50 percent of the Recommended Daily Value) in one convenient 6-ounce cup*, Yoplait Original style yogurt is committed to women’s health, offering a product that has even more of the calcium women need for strong, healthy bodies. Grab a free cup while supplies last during the Million Cup Giveaway on Yoplait on Facebook!

Try the newest flavor from Yoplait Fiber One – Yoplait Fiber One’s new Blueberry flavor yogurt is packed with filling fiber, calcium, vitamins A and D, real fruit and the great taste of blueberries. With only 50 calories, 5 grams of fiber and 0 grams of fat, this deliciously creamy yogurt won’t break your calorie bank.

Stress less over snack time with Yoplait Kids yogurt – With a wholesome and fun snack like Yoplait Kids yogurt in the fridge, you can feel good about what your children are eating at snack time. Yoplait Kids provides an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, and has 25% less sugar than the leading kids’ yogurt**. With yummy flavors, and favorite friends like Dora and Lightning McQueen on the packages, Yoplait Kids is a hit with moms and children alike.



End the day with a Delight Parfait from Yoplait – Even with two luscious layers providing a double shot of rich and creamy yogurt, these 100 calorie indulgences from Yoplait contain only 1.5 grams of fat per serving. Now available in two new flavors, Chocolate Éclair and Cherry Cheesecake, you can enjoy a dessert that’s 100 percent guilt-free.

*Leading yogurt has less than 25% Daily Value calcium per 6 oz.
**Yoplait kids has 9 grams of sugar per 3oz. the leading kids' yogurt has 13 grams of sugar per 3oz.

As is the case with most things these days, Yoplait is on Facebook. If you "Like" Yoplait on Facebook you can keep up with the latest news and great opportunities to save on your favorite Yoplait products.***Coupon offers for Yoplait yogurt are not valid in all states.

I am a fan of Yoplait both in life and on Facebook however, by posting the above information I have a chance to win a prize provided by Yoplait through MyBlogSpark.

You don't just have to eat Yoplait yogurt from a cup. You can incorporate it into your recipes to make some delicious food for your family and friends. I was browsing through the recipes at Yoplait.com and came across this recipe for Layered Caribbean Chicken Salad. My mouth started watering when I saw it.

Layered Caribbean Chicken Salad

Ingredients

Dressing

1 (6-oz.) container Yoplait® Original 99% Fat Free Piña Colada Yogurt

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon Caribbean jerk seasoning

Salad

3 cups shredded romaine lettuce

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

4 oz. (1 cup) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 (15-oz.) can Progresso® Black Beans, drained, rinsed

1 1/2 cups diced peeled ripe fresh mango

1/2 cup chopped seeded Italian plum tomatoes (1 to 2 medium)

4 oz. (1 cup) shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (8 medium)

1/2 cup cashews

Fresh edible flowers, if desired

Directions
1. In small bowl, mix all dressing ingredients until well blended.

2. In 3- or 4-quart clear glass serving bowl, layer all salad ingredients in order listed, except cashews and flowers. Spoon dressing evenly over salad; sprinkle cashews over top. Garnish with flowers.

Malem Bedwetting Alarm Review

I was beginning to think Bubs was never going to be night time potty trained. He is approaching the age of sleepovers and I didn't want him to have to wear a night time pull up while he was over at friends. More importantly, he didn't want to have to wear pull ups either. The problem is he is a deep sleeper. He has even slept through our house alarm going off. We would wake him up several hours after he had fallen asleep and sometimes he would already be wet and other times he would stumble to the bathroom and stand in front of the toilet and sleep. I would have to splash water in his face to get him alert enough to pay attention to what he was doing.I finally broke down and spent the $120 and purchased a Malem bed wetting alarm. I read the reviews of it at the Bedwetting Store  and figured it was worth a try.

There are a couple of different models. Some just have a single alarm sound, some have variable alarm sounds, and others have vibration with alarms.  I opted to buy the one that vibrated as well as had variable alarms, the Malem Ultimate. The benefit of this alarm is he can feel the vibration as well as hear the alarm. The variable sounds means every time the alarm goes off there is a different sound to it making it so he doesn't learn to tune the alarm out.

The first night he slept through the alarm 3 times. Each time I would hear it from my bedroom and go to his room and wake him up. The next night the alarm went off once and he slept through it. Night three when the alarm went off he stopped mid stream and made it to the bathroom for the rest. For about 2 weeks he was dry every other night and stopping mid stream when he heard the alarm on the other nights. After 3 weeks he remained dry every night. He would either wake up and go or be able to hold it all night. We had pretty fast results with it which I was quite pleased with. I believe the general guidelines Malem has set up is allow 12 weeks. We are now on week 9 or so and he has remained dry every night since the end of week 3.

If you have been wondering about purchasing a bedwetting alarm or wondering what to do for your child who is still wetting at night, I highly recommend this alarm. Prices vary depending on the models but you can expect to pay between $80-$130. I ended up getting mine at Amazon because I got the free shipping with it.

Now, if I could just get my two year old day potty trained. I wonder if I could use the alarm on that...?

Pillsbury Sweet Moments: Review and Giveaway

 

At the end of a long day, which with 4 young children is about everyday, I like to reward myself for making it to the end. When the mad dash to get the kids in bed is complete I find myself sitting on the couch in the quiet of my house with something sweet in hand. This sweet something is usually chocolate. There is something about chocolate that just melts the stress away. I will usually will bake a pan of brownies or about 2 dozen chocolate chip cookies. There is a problem with this though, I won't stop at just one brownie or cookie. Before I know it a 1/4 to a 1/3 of the brownie pan will be gone or I will have eaten 6 cookies. This does not help my figure in the least bit. I have become aware of a solution to this problem.

Last week Pillsbury, through My BlogSpark sent me a Sweet Moments prize pack. Included in this pack was a Sweet Moments t-shirt, set of 3 magnets, a cute neclace, and a coupon to receive a free pack of Pillsbury Sweet Moments.

I have seen the new blue packages in the refrigerated section before but I hadn't really checked them out. I'm glad I have now because they are the perfect solution to my over snacking on the sweets.

The Bite-Size Brownies are perfect to grab for on the go snacking. They have a layer of fudge or caramel filling on the inside and coated with chocolate on the outside. I decided to try the fudge filled ones. They are rich so 2 was all I really needed to kill my craving and they contain only 60 calories each. That is much better than a 1/3 pan of brownies. My husband and I agree that these are much better than baking an entire pan of brownies when all we really need is one or two of these bite-sized gems.

My husband and I enjoyed  Sweet Moment Molten Lava Brownies together one evening. They come 2 to a box so you can have one now and one later or share one with a special someone. They are individually packaged. All you have to do is remove the plastic film from the top and warm it up in the microwave for 15 seconds. Molten Lava Brownies come in fudge and rich caramel. We had the caramel variety and it melted in my mouth.

These new Sweet Moments make it easy for you to enjoy your own sweet moment  alone or with your special someone.  If you would like to make someone elses life just a little sweeter you can send a special e-card that includes a coupon for $1.50 off one package of Pillsbury Sweet Moments Brownies by visiting Pillsbury.com or Pillsbury's Facebook Page. You will also receive another coupon for yourself.

Pillsbury, through My Blog Spark is also giving away a prize pack like the one I received to one of my lucky readers. All you need to do to be entered into a drawing is post 1 or 2 comments below and tell me who you are planning on sending a sweet moment e-card and coupon to and/or tell me who in your life deserves a "sweet Moment" and why. Make sure you also leave a way for me to contact you should you win. That's it!

Leave your comments by 10:00 PM MST October 28, 2010. I will then select a winner using random.org and the winner will be announced on Friday October 29, 2010.

Now go have yourself a Sweet Moment!

Special thanks to Pillsbury and My Blog Spark.

Scentsy Retired Fragrances

Many of you may know but for those of you who don't, I'm a Independent Consultant with Scentsy Wickless Candles. I love these candles. I love that I can leave them on 24/7 and not have to worry. I love that with over 80 scents to choose from I can pick a scent to match my mood or the weather. I love not having to deal with an open flame around my children and cat since it runs off a light bulb. The month of July has even brought me more to love. Scentsy has brought back 20 of their most popular scents that have been discontinued. Some of which were discontinued before I became a consultant. I can hardly wait to try some of them.

Apples & Pears
Pears come first, then crisp fall apples. Fall/Winter.
SB-ANP
Banana Nut Bread
Right from the oven with ripe bananas, nuts, and
spices. Bakery. SB-BNB
Blackberry Bushel
Juicy, ripe, bursting blackberries. Fruits & Flowers.
SB-BKS
Cappuccino
A warm cup of espresso with frothy steamed milk
and creamy vanilla. Favorites. SB-CAP
Cashmere
This sheer floral bouquet combines Moroccan
jasmine, lily of the valley, and bergamot. Romance.
SB-CAS
Cheerful Day
Sunny lemon, white grapefruit, and mandarin with
French verbena and wildflowers. SB-CHE
Eggnog
With warm, spicy tones of nutmeg, rum, and cream,
this scent is a holiday favorite. Fall/Winter. SB-EGG
Eucalyptus
Soothing, medicinal, and fresh.Nature. SB-EUC
French Vanilla
Sweet, buttery vanilla. Bakery. SB-FVA
Fried Ice Cream
Vanilla with a nutty touch, along with
cinnamon and caramel. Bakery. SB-FIC
Key Lime Tortilla
Lime and kiwi combine for a south-of-theborder
sweet treat. Scent of the
Month. SB-KLT
Leather
Rich leather scent reminiscent of an old-fashioned
leather shop.
Spring/Summer. SB-LEA
Luscious Lemon
Light, creamy lemon. Fruits & Flowers.
SB-LUS
Mysterious
Spicy, fresh and woody, this masculine
fragrance evokes strength and vitality.
Romance. SB-MYS
Newborn Nursery
Dreamy scent that evokes memories
of cradling your little ones. Favorites.
SB-NEW
Pink Plumeria Passion
Hawaiian island blossoms with exotic
delicacy. SB-PKP
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, and
nutmeg. Fall/Winter. SB-PUM
Sizzlin’ Coconut
Tempting mix of cinnamon, coconut
milk, and rich vanilla. Bakery. SB-SIZ
Strawberry Sweetie
A fruity delight of juicy strawberries
sprinkled with sugar and vanilla. Fruits
& Flowers. SB-SBS
Watermelon Patch
Sweet, vine-ripened watermelon. Fruits
& Flowers. SB-WMP

If you are interested in any of these scents that are available for a limited time or any of the other 80+ fragrances please visit my Scentsy site and view an online catalog. If you email me your orders I'll pay your shipping and handling costs, a savings of 10%.

Hook, Line, and Sinker

This is a phrase that is often used with fishing. It is also used with sales. A salesman waves the bait in front of a potential customer. The customer takes the bait and the salesman catches a big one. I take the bait quite frequently. Fortunately I have a husband who rescues me from the hook. He takes the bait too and I rescue him from the hook. Occasionally though, we both take the bait and we get reeled in together. Seven times out of ten we take the bait that is dangled in front of us by door to door salesmen. I have written previously about a time we purchased Clean and Simple from a salesmen at our door. It turned out to be a good purchase. I love it and use it all the time. We have bought meat from the creepy guys who drive the beat up trucks with the freezer in the back. That has turned out good for us. The only time I can remember something not turning out good that we have purchases was a discount card for an oil change place. The only reason that didn't work out is we forgot we purchased it and never used it.

Well, recently I have seen an infomercial for Zumba Total Body Transformation and I have been hooked and reeled in. I love to dance. If you were to look in my house at least once a day I can be seen shaking my groove thing, usually when cleaning. I've done Zumba before at the gym and loved it but we canceled our membership since the gym wasn't close. I'm so excited to get the DVD's.

I paid $72 (including tax and s/h) which is more than I like to pay for things but, there is a 30 day money back guarantee which I plan on using. If I don't loose 10 lbs or one dress size in 10 days I'm going to return it. I do realize this is contingent on me actually doing it for 10 days but I'm actually looking forward to it. So, when I get them I will keep you posted because I'm sure many of you have been tempted to give this Zumba work out a try.

My husband has also been caught by the P90X craze. Fortunately for him, he has had several friends and relatives that have tried it and sworn by it so his was an acceptable risk and he is very excited about it.

What bait has caught you? I want to know. Was it a good buy or a bad buy? Please leave a comment with either a link to your review of a product you purchased or write a quick comment about the bait you took.

Nature Valley and Fruit Roll-Ups Review and Giveaway!

For many of you summer time has arrived. We still have 3 more days of school. I'm looking forward to leaving for a much needed 2 week vacation the first day of our summer break. We are going to be driving 14 hours our first day to arrive at my sisters house in AZ. After a couple of nights there we will be driving another 8 hours to our final destination in Utah. With 4 kids I think you can imagine the amount of times we need to stop. One thing we will not be stopping for is snacks. Gas stations have over priced food so I make sure to stock up on plenty of snacks my kids will love.


In the past I have stocked up on crackers and fruit snacks. The fruit snacks are for those desperate times when I just need them to not cry for just a little bit longer because we are almost to that next stopping point. There is no nutritional value in them and they are not filling in the least bit. The crackers are good but they leave a big crummy mess behind. My husband and I love to snack on trail mix and the kids want it too but, we always find the nuts that have slipped through their fingers.


Last week General Mills, through My BlogSpark sent me a Costco Sunny Day Snack Pack to try and review. I'm so glad they did. I now have some new favorite snacks that are perfect for our upcoming road trip.

I received a large, 48 ct., box of Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Bars. These bars are 100% natural and they have 25% more fruit and nuts then the previous version. They are packed with almonds, peanuts, raisins, and cranberries. I love that it is trail mix in an easy to handle bar form. I don't have to worry about the nuts falling between their little fingers and all over their seats and floor. These bars are also filling and will be good to fight off hunger in between meals. Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Bars even satisfied my child with the picky palate. Another bonus, these bars are only 140 calories and have 8g of whole grain per serving.

My gift pack box contained 2-42 ct boxes of the Simply Fruit Roll-Ups. These are definitely a healthier alternative to the original Fruit Roll-Ups. These will be replacing fruit snacks in my house. Simply Fruit Roll-Ups are made with 90% real fruit and fruit juice. And guess what? If you have a child who won't eat fruit, hand them a Simply Fruit Roll-Up because eating just one of these equals one serving of fruit. They will think they are getting a treat and it will be our little secret. This snack has only 50 calories per roll and they are gluten-free. My children loved being able to take them to school for their snack. They come in 2 flavors, strawberry and wildberry. My kids went wild for wildberry which is fine with me because I love the strawberry. Make sure you have some wipes handy though because like most fruit roll-ups, hands will get sticky.

If you are looking for the perfect grab and go snack for your summer vacation, lazy days at the pool/beach, or everyday life, then head on over to your local Club Store and stock up on Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Bars and Simply Fruit Roll-Ups.

Better yet, you can win your very own Sunny Day Snack gift pack (48 ct Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Bars, 42 ct Simply Fruit Roll-Ups, and a $25 gift card to Costco. That's right, a $25 gift card to Costco so you can stock up on even more summer snacks.) from General Mills on behalf of My BlogSpark. Here's how:

Mandatory: Leave a comment sharing your families favorite summertime snack and make sure to leave an email or a way I can contact you if you are the winner.

For more entries you can leave a comment for each of the following:

• Become a follower of Spice and all That's Nice and leave a comment saying so. (if you are already a follower just say so)
• Post about this giveaway on your blog and leave the link in a comment here.
• Tell me what your favorite summertime activity is.

You must be 18 years old to win and live in the US.

You have until 10:00 PM MST June 7, 2010 10:00 PM MST June 8, 2010 to leave your comments. I will be doing the drawing after that and posting the results on Wed. June 8, 2010 June 9, 2010

*It may take a while to get your comments posted but, they will be by the deadline. My computer access is sketchy over the next couple of days.

Review of Hunts No High Fructose Corn Syrup Ketchup

I will admit that when it comes to selecting foods for my family I'm not one to care if it is organic or not. I read labels when it comes to calories, fat, vitamins, and such but I don't really pay attention to the ingredient list. There has been a movement lately to cut High Fructose Corn Syrup out of foods. I'm not sure I understand why. I haven't really read or researched it. I do know that there are studies saying it is bad for you but there are also studies counter acting that. With that said, I recently tried Hunts Tomato No High Fructose Corn Syrup Ketchup. When it comes to flavor, it has it. It tastes like ketchup to me. I usually only buy Heinz. I do know that I don't like the store brands I have bought in the past but the Hunts tasted great to me.

When looking at the ingredient list and comparing it to Heinz ketchup it looks like Hunts removed the HFCS and added sugar instead.

Both brands have the same amount of sugar grams and sodium. The Hunts has 5 more calories and 1 more total carb.

Really, if you care about the HFCS and don't want it in your food then Hunts is an excellent choice of ketchup. As I sit here typing this I'm tasting both. Heinz is a little thicker but when it comes to flavor I think the Hunts tastes slightly more like tomatoes and Heinz is a little "tangier". I don't even think that is a word so I'm adding it to my dictionary to mean: more tangy.

I think it is time for me to put the ketchup down and do some research on HFCS pros and cons.

I Will not be switching to Broadview Security

We have an alarm system in our house and we are close to the end of our contract. Other security companies must be aware of that because they are coming to our door. Last week we had a salesman from Broadview Security (formerly Brinks) come by. He was super nice and we like what he had to offer. He told us that if we switched to his company we would get 2 new upgraded keypad systems for free among other things and our price would be less than what we are paying now. We went ahead and agreed to the switch. Well, an hour after his supervisor, Robert, called and explained that since we had a different system then they expected they could not give us the 2 keypads they could only upgrade the one and, our rates would go up but, he would throw in an extra free month so then the rates would even out to be about the same. My husband wasn't impressed and told him that we were going to cancel. The supervisor went on to tell my husband the company we had was horrible and they have so many problems but Broadview is #1 for customer service. He explained how you never see commercials on TV for our current company but Broadview has them and they are so well known...yadayadayada. My husband told him..."I see commercials on TV all the time for McDonalds but, when I want the best burger, I'm going to Long Horn, and I've never seen a single commercial for them"
The guy went on and then eventually my husband told him we needed to talk about it again and we would get back to them.
Well, we talked about it and decided that we were going to stay with our current company. We haven't had any problems with them. I've had to call them several times about silly things and they have always been nice to me. They have done their job when the alarm has gone off. I'm happy with them and our rates will be dropping soon anyway.
We have had company in town and I lost the papers that had the phone number on it to call and cancel and frankly, I just plain forgot. I have 4 kids running around me and lately their have been more important things going on. Today the doorbell rang and I looked to see who it was and I remembered I forgot to cancel. I opened the door and the technician was very polite and friendly. I explained the situation and he said not a problem, it has happened before. He gave me the number I could call to talk to Robert.
I called Robert and told him I lost the papers, we had family in town, and I forgot to call to cancel. He explained to me that when he hung up the phone with my husband we had given the go ahead. He started getting a little rude tone to his voice but I brushed it over since I had after all wasted their time. He went on and on again about their superior service. I gently reminded him that we have not had a problem with service with our current company but we have already had problems with their service. I asked a few questions then told him I was going to give a call to my husband and if he said no he would hear back from me.
Well, I interrupted Mike during one of his cases and he agreed that we were going to stay with who we had. I apologized again to the technician for wasting his time. He assured me it was okay. He was totally nice and I really did feel bad for wasting his time. I then called Robert back and told him we were indeed going to cancel. At this point the tone in his voice became very condescending and he said "let me get this straight. You are going to stay with your sub par company because they are cheaper?" Then once again he went in on his spiel about how much better they were. I cut him off and said "no, I'm not staying with them because they are cheaper. I'm staying with them because I have not had a single problem with them. They have been nice and done what they said they were going to do. The tone of voice you are using with me is making sure that your company is a company that I do not want to do business with!" and then I hung up on him. I know totally rude for me to hang up on him but I just couldn't take anymore of him talking at me.
Well, he called right back and I sent him to voicemail. He left a message (in a condescending tone) saying they typically don't like sending technicians out to homes when the customers are going to cancel." Broadview may have a better service than the company I currently have but, my experience with this man has forever left a dark cloud when I think of this company.
Yes, I was in the wrong for not cancelling sooner but, that does not give someone the right to talk to me in such a manner.

Kirkland Signature Whole Grain Nuggets

I love these chicken nuggets and more importantly so do my kids. I do not feel guilty feeding these to my kids on the nights when I need to have dinner ready in a hurry. They are made with white meat and the breading is whole grain. A healthier alternative to the fast food variety. These can be found at Costco. If you don't have a membership find a friend who does and add this item to your grocery list.

Here is how they compare to another leading brand-Tyson
Tyson bagged chicken nuggets have 270 calories/serving and 160 calories from fat where these have 210 calories/serving and only 80 from fat. You can look here to see the rest of the nutritional information on the Tyson bagged nuggets.

Brand Comparison of Macaroni & Cheese

I admit that when it comes to certain foods I'm a bit of a brand snob. You know as well as I do that some brands are just better than others. Macaroni and Cheese is a staple at my house with 4 kids. The blue box,Kraft macaroni and cheese, is the only brand for my kids. They love it and they can tell when I have switched brands. In attempts to either save some money or improve our diet I have recently bought 2 different brands of Mac and cheese in addition to Kraft. Here are our opinions.

Our #1 pick is still Kraft macaroni and Cheese. The reason, everyone in the house loves it. It has great cheesy flavor. My complaint is sometimes it can be grainy.

Our#2 pick is Great Value Thick & Creamy Macaroni and Cheese. This Wal Mart brand is a very close 2nd. This one may actually be my 1st choice but, my oldest does not like it. Maybe it is because she has more refined tastebuds. The other kids noticed a difference but were still willing to eat it. It is very creamy and I love how big the noodles get. It is made with real cheddar cheese and no artificial flavors. The price is great too. At my Wal Mart it was around 60 cents a box while the Kraft box is around $1.

Our #3 pick is Annie's Homegrown. I think if we had tried other brands this one would still be at the bottom. It sounds and looks good reading the box but unfortunately it also tasted like the box. Not even my 18 month old would have more than a bite. It was grainy and did not taste right. It is made with organic pasta and has no artificial anything. Sorry Annie's, I can't even think of a pro other than I used a coupon to get it so I didn't pay full price.

Here is how they compare nutritionally.

1 serving for all 3 was approximately 1 Cup prepared pasta.

The numbers below are before you add the milk and butter. So, just what is in the box.

Kraft, GV, Annie's

Calories: 260, 250, 270

Fat Calories: 30, 20, 35

Total Fat 3.5 g, 2g, 4g

Sat. Fat 2g, 1g, 2g

Great Value actually looks to be the healthier one too. Funny thing is, I bought Annie's because it was organic. For some reason I thought organic meant better for you. In this case it doesn't appear to be.

I would love to learn how to make homemade macaroni and cheese so, please email me your amazing homemade recipes: annewithany2@hotmail.com

House Fires Started by Candles

All you need to do is a google search for house fires started by candles and you will see what a serious problem this is. In 2002, 18,000 fires were started from candles.
Candles can also burn children and pets who get to close to the flame or wax.
There has been an increase in candle use because they are used for more then just candle lit dinners now. Who can resist having something that will make your home smell like you've been baking all day or that you just walked into a garden?

There is a company that has created a product that eliminates the use of candles but provides the same benefit of decorating with candles and providing great fragrances with out a flame.

The company is called Scentsy and they have created a wick less candle. They use a food-grade petroleum based wax that has a low melt point and can hold a lot of scent. It works by placing the wax in a Scentsy Warmer which uses a 25 watt light bulb to which melts the wax and releases the fragrance. There is no sooty mess, or wick which eliminates the fire hazards associated with candles. The wax does not get hotter than a typical paraffin wax dip so little fingers will not get burned.

In addition to no flame I also like the fact that they have over 80 Scentsy fragrances and over 50 warmers to meet any decorative need. If I want to change the scent I just need to pour the melted wax back into the container it came in, wipe out the warmer with a paper towel, and then add the wax of the fragrance I want. The wax I had previously used can be used again and I don't have to mess with storing a bunch of bulky candles.

If this sounds like a product you would be interested in having or selling then you are in luck. I recently signed up to become an Independent Scentsy Consultant. You can purchase your wick less candles at my Scentsy website. While you are there, check out the business opportunity. I think you will love selling the product just as much as you love owning it. I know I do.

Sierra Solutions: Clean and Simple

The other night I had a gentleman come to my door selling a cleaning solution. I actually let my husband open the door because I don't turn people away as easily and quickly as he does. I went about my own business while my husband listened to the sales pitch. I was waiting to hear him turn him away but he didn't he kept on listening and watching the demonstration and then next thing I knew he had invited the man into our home to test the product on some spots in the carpet. I was a little shocked that my husband had let this go on for as long as he had and my curiosity was peaked. I stopped what I was working on and went to watch what was going on. The man sprayed this cleaner on a dark spot on our carpet, let it sit for 30 seconds while he explained a few things and then he took a white towel and blotted up the mess. Right there, right before my eyes, with no scrubbing the spot was gone. Now I was really interested. He proceeded to explain the product and showed a few more things it could do. 15 minutes after the doorbell rang we were purchasing a gallon of Clean and Simple, a product of Sierra Solutions. Here is what the company website has to say about Clean and Simple.

clean & simple™is an all-purpose, all-surface, super cleaner concentrate,
specially blended from the finest ingredients available, that when diluted with
water, will clean virtually any water washable surface.
clean &
simple™can be used easily, economically, and effectively, at two different
strengths, for literally hundreds of difficult cleaning jobs. With the consumer
in mind, clean & simple™is designed to cost-effectively replace 95% of the
typical cleaning products that a home, small business, or industry might use.
Unlike many other cleaning concentrates on the market, clean &
simple™has to be mixed at only two different dilution's for all your cleaning
needs. It is cost-effective and will save you money! In its diluted form, clean
& simple™costs 64 cents per quart to use as a general purpose cleaner and
only 8 cents per quart as a glass and mirror cleaner. By mixing and using clean
& simple™for all your cleaning needs, you will save literally hundreds of
dollars a year in money that you would normally spend on conventional
store-bought products!
clean & simple™can also be added to carpet
cleaning machines and pressure washers for various other cleaning
applications.

So, does Clean & Simple live up to what it claims? I've been trying it out today on several different surfaces and here is what I can tell you.

I have been impressed with it as a carpet spot remover. I've been having fun going around my house and cleaning up the spots that 4 kids will leave behind. I just spray the solution on rub it in a bit and then wait for about 30 seconds and then wipe/blot. It works every time. It even got some blue ink out of my carpet.


I next tried it on my windows, glass top coffee table, and TV screen which are top places for fingerprints. The sales guy claims it will "repel" fingerprints for up to 7 days. I tried to leave my fingerprints where I had cleaned and I couldn't. Perfect for 40 little fingers I have roaming around my house. It is also good at cleaning pet nose prints and slobber.

The final test for me for today was my oven. I haven't cleaned it in over a year. I warmed the oven up so it was warm but I could still touch it. I sprayed the cleaner on and then waited for a bit then began to wipe. Most of the stuff wiped clean pretty quick but I did have a big spot that was really baked on. I had to scrub and scrub to get it to come clean. After 30-45 minutes of scrubbing I decided my oven was good enough for now and I stopped. I've decided it works good for cleaning the spills that aren't completely baked on but the self clean cycle works much better. However, this product is completely green and doesn't release harsh chemicals into the air or require a lot of energy use.

My only complaint about this product is it is not a disinfectant. I don't think it has any antibacterial properties so it is not good for cleaning the kitchen or bathroom. But, I do believe it will replace all of the other cleaning products in your house. Think of the money and space you can save.
You can find out more information by visiting the Sierra Solutions website. If you decide to order I'm sure my distributor would be happy if you used his distributor number to make your purchase. His number is 7770369.

It even removes rust from your driveway.

A Review of Coppertone Waterbabies Sunscreen

At the beginning of summer every year I buy sunscreen for my family. I usually buy whatever is cheapest or on sale. Well, this will not be happening any more. I found a brand that I'm gong to stick with and it is safe to use on everyone in the family. It is Coppertone Waterbabies. You may know it by the famous picture of a baby getting is bathing suit pulled on by a dog.

A couple of weeks ago my husband and brother in law installed a sprinkler system in our yard. Before my husband went out I applied Coppertone Waterbabies all over his shoulders and the spread it down his back. I made sure to get it all over his shoulders because that is the part of his body that usually burns but I wasn't as careful with the rest of his back. He was out sweating in the sun for 8 hours and when he came in it was obvious where the sunscreen was applied.
His shoulders were completely protected even through all of the sweat. Unfortunately where the sunscreen was not applied got burned bad. It even blistered in some areas. Because of this experience I now know that Coppertone Waterbabies does what it promises and it is safe to use on the entire family.