Let's Review: Arla Dofino Cheese

My family usually sticks to the basics when it comes to cheese.  We keep mozzarella and cheddar on hand at all times.  And the little canister of Parmesan to sprinkle on pasta.  That's it.

But I got a coupon to try a free 8 oz package of Arla Dofino cheese from BzzAgent, so I was pretty excited to try something new and different.  I chose the Havarti cheese and made this recipe of mac and cheese, but without the dill weed.  I've made homemade mac and cheese before (but with cheddar) so this wasn't overly difficult.  And it turned out great.

It's much creamier than cheddar mac and cheese, and reminds me a little bit of an alfredo sauce.  It would be really good with added chicken, bacon, spinach, and/or broccoli too.

I loved it, Aaron liked it, and Andrew is happier with the mac and cheese from a box (but he ate this too).  I don't know if we'll be buying it regularly since it's more expensive than our usual cheeses, but it sure was good this time.  (Locals, I have some coupons if you want to try it!)



*I got the product for free with a coupon from BzzAgent, but all opinions are mine!*

Let's Review: Lysol Power & Free (Part 2)

(See here for part 1)

To recap, BzzAgent sent me a bottle of the new Lysol Power & Free spray and wipes to try out.  I already reviewed the wipes, and I finally tried out the spray too!



When I was making lunch yesterday, my meal boiled over.  Lame.  So there was a cheesy sauce that got all over the stove and burner, and especially in the drip pan.  And of course, I didn't clean it up right away.  That's just how it happens sometimes.

So while Aaron and I were cleaning the kitchen last night after Andrew was in bed, I pulled out the Lysol spray and squirted it all over the stove.

I looked at the back of the bottle, and it said that you have to let it sit for 10 minutes if you want it to disinfect.  We don't have that much patience, and it's not like we had been using raw meat or anything, so we just waited about 3 minutes, hoping that would be enough time for the nasty stuff to soften enough that we could wipe it off easily.  The burner and the stove top were clean in one wipe of the sponge.  Seriously.  The drip pan still took some scrubbing since the sauce had burned onto it, but we were still super impressed.

And the spray smells good too!  The wipes didn't smell great (although much better than bleach cleaner!) so I was expecting much of the same with the spray.  But it was a citrus scent that I actually liked- nice!

So yeah, I liked this product.  Another A on this one.

*I got these cleaners for free though BzzAgent, but all opinions are my own!*

Let's Review: Lysol Power & Free (Part 1)

Through BzzAgent, I was sent a bottle of Lysol Power & Free cleaner and a package of wipes from the same line.



The whole idea for this line of products is that you can get a powerful clean without the use of bleach.  Benefits of this:

• No harsh chemical residue
• Leaves a fresh clean scent
• Kills 99.9% of germs
• No gloves, masks, or protective eye wear needed

 Instead of bleach, it cleans using a hydrogen peroxide formula, which is supposed to release micro bubbles that penetrate to dissolve grease and tough messes.

So far I've tried the wipes and I'm so impressed!

I don't regularly buy cleaning wipes (except for baby's bum) so this was a test of both the cleaning formula and the method of application.

It was so easy to clean my countertops with these wipes.  I used it on both my bathroom counters/sinks and the kitchen counters.  In the bathrooms, it easily cut through the grime that had accumulated- toothpaste splatters, spilled contact solution, hairspray, shaved facial hair, etc.  I didn't have to move everything off the counters at once like I normally do when I use a spray cleaner- I just moved things as I went, and was able to put things back right away since it took no time at all to dry.  In the kitchen it sanitized as well as removed spots of dried pasta sauce and peanut butter.  And all of this without the nasty smell of bleach.  The rooms still smelled like cleaning product, but it wasn't the strong stench of bleach that makes you feel like you need to throw open every window in the house to air it out.

My only issue was that there was almost too much cleaning product in the wipes when it came to cleaning the faucet in the bathroom.  This is a seriously minor complaint, but I had to go over the faucet with a dry paper towel to pick up the streaks of cleaner that was left after wiping it down with the Lysol wipes.  It was looking like it would dry splotchy if I didn't.  Maybe it was just because I was cleaning metal, because it didn't seem to leave too much cleaner on the countertops or in the sink.

I'm giving this product an A.  It was pretty great.

I'll be trying the spray cleaner soon and I'll write another post on that one.

*I got these cleaners for free though BzzAgent, but all opinions are my own!*

Let's Review: Harry Potter's Bookshelf

I have read Harry Potter several times.  I just love those books.  I went to midnight book release parties, midnight movie showings, and even directed/performed/edited/produced movie trailers for several of the books before the official trailers came out for the movies.  I've stayed up to read "just one more chapter" that inevitably leads to finishing the book, even when it means several hours of reading.  I'm a little a lot obsessed.  Maybe you're obsessed like me.  That's okay- good things are meant to be enjoyed.  Several times.

So this one's for you, my English Major/Harry Potter obsessed readers!

Or anyone who loves Harry Potter and literature in general.

Ok, so maybe it's just me, but I really enjoyed this book.  It really reminded me of a college English class, where you really look deeper into a book and compare elements of it to other books or traditions.  Now I realize that not everyone would enjoy such a book.

But I am a nerd.

And I am also a stay-at-home-mom who needs something intellectual in her life :)

This book is broken up into chapters by topic.  For example, one section was about the Gothic elements in Harry Potter, including setting, character types, plot, etc.  It talked about what elements are needed for a setting to be considered "Gothic" and discusses how Harry Potter fills those requirements.  It compared character types in Harry Potter to those included in such Gothic Romances as Dracula, Frankenstein, and Jane Eyre.

Get the picture?

But John Granger (a fitting last name, by the way) doesn't just explore the Gothic Romance that is Harry Potter.  He also includes sections on the narrative, literary alchemy, postmodernism, satire, and eyeballs.

Yes, there is a chapter dedicated to the study of the eyeballs scattered throughout the Harry Potter series.

This book has a pretty specific audience and I have to admit that you must be pretty well read in order to enjoy this book.  You'd be pretty lost/bored/confused when Granger discusses Wuthering Heights if you've never read it.  I actually found myself in that situation a couple of times- a few of his references are not super well known in the United States.  And obviously you must have read Harry Potter (preferably multiple times) or else why would you even care about the books that influenced it?

If you're a nerd like me, get this book.  Now.  GO!

*I did not get this book for free or at a discount, nor am I receiving any kind of compensation for this review.  I just liked this book and thought you should know about it too*

Product Review- Glade Expressions

So I got the chance to try out Glade Expressions Oil Diffuser and Fragrance Mist for free.  I was really excited about this since I've been wanting something like this (the diffuser more than the spray) for a little while and never got around to buying something.



Let's talk about the fragrance mist first.  I chose to try the Cotton & Italian Mandarin scent and I love it.  It really smells like clean laundry and it's just fresh.  However, I don't love the dispenser.  The whole selling point of this line is that when you run out of the smell (either the spray or the oil) you keep the dispenser and buy a refill of whatever scent you want.  And that's a great idea... IF you like the dispenser, which I didn't.  At first I thought it fit really nicely in my hand, but when I squeezed to spray it, I realized that the place my hand naturally fit is NOT the place you should hold it to get any spray out.  I had to add my other hand or move my hand up the neck of the bottle in order to get it to actually spray- otherwise it would just drip a bit.  (My husband tried it and had the same problem, so I know it's not just me!)  Once I figured out how to hold it, it works fine, and the scent is great.  But the functionality of the design just wasn't right.

I like the oil diffuser much better than the spray.  I chose Fuji Apple & Cardamom Spice for the scent on this one and I LOVE it.  It smells great without being overpowering.  I'm using it in my living room- it's great because I can have it on a shelf and there are no cords or batteries or heat to worry about.  It just sits there and smells good.  So very low maintenance and it just constantly emits the scent.  And it's pretty good looking too, as far as air fresheners go.  The scent is supposed to last 30 days, so I'll need to buy a refill soon.  That's one of my two issues with this product (both remembering to get refills and the cost of buying one every month).  The other complaint is just that I'd like the scent to be a little stronger.  It's a wonderful smell, but it isn't quite strong enough to fill the whole room.  This is really a minor complaint, especially since it would also be an issue if the smell was too strong, and maybe I'm using it in a bigger room than it was meant for.  Overall I'm really pleased with the oil diffuser though.

So my recommendation- skip the fragrance mist and get something that's easier to use.  But for a constant scent in a room, get this diffuser- it's a good one.

*I have coupons for anyone local who wants some, or I have some digital coupons you can print from home whether you're local or not.  Let me know if you want some!*

*I got these products for free to try from BzzAgent.*

Product Review- Soleil Savvy Razor

So I got to try out this razor- it's kind of a cross between a disposable and non-disposable razor.



Each package comes with a handle and 4 blade cartridges.  Once you use up all 4, you just buy a new package, not just refill cartridges.

So far I really like this razor.  I typically buy those cheap-o disposable razors that have like 10 in a package.  I think they have 2 blades each.  They do the job, but I usually have to go over my legs twice to get spots that got missed the first time around.  The Soleil Savvy has 3 blades and has a little bit of pivot at the head to better navigate your curves.  And I didn't have to go back over my legs because this razor got everything the first time!  It's so nice to be able to get a smooth shave, and quickly!

I haven't been using it for very long, so I don't know how long each razor head will last before the blades need replacing.  But since the package comes with 4 cartridges, I'm not too worried about needing to buy new razors for a little while.

I do wonder about the handle though.  If they make it to be disposable after using the heads that come with it, will the handle be in really bad shape by the end or will I be throwing away a perfectly good handle because you can't buy cartridges separately?  Not sure.  I guess I'll find out as I keep using it.

All in all, a good alternative to disposable razors.  And they sent me about a billion coupons too, so let me know if you want some.


My friend Janae tried this razor too, check out her review here.



*I got this razor and coupons for free from BzzAgent*

Book Review- "The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy"

*Nope, I didn't get this book for free or anything.  I just wanted to write about it.*

 
I read this along side "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and I think that's really the way to read this book. This book is NOT going to explain the science behind what is going on in your pregnant body, so it shouldn't be the ONLY pregnancy book you read. But it DOES talk about the things you'll have to deal with day-to-day during pregnancy (like extra large boobs).

There are a lot of stories about women and their experiences with every aspect of pregnancy, so expect (usually funny) anecdotes that may or may not represent what you're experiencing. I really enjoyed reading this, as it's mostly a compilation of pregnancy and birth experiences.

Some people hate the fact that this book basically tells you to not worry too much about exercise during pregnancy. But I can understand where she's coming from- exercise is great if you can handle it, but lots of women do just fine without weight lifting and running every day. And if you've lost pregnancies or had a hard time getting pregnant (as the author has) you're going to want to take it easy- better safe than sorry.

Make sure you read the new edition- she specifically mentions that she rewrote the entire section on clothing, since maternity fashion has changed significantly since the first edition 10+ years ago.

I would not recommend this book for those who are determined to have a "natural" birth, home birth, etc. Those who are anti-epidural will likely have a hard time with this book's assertions that medicine will not degrade the birth experience.

Book Review- Out of Oz

I have one spoiler, and it's at the end of this review.  So beware.  Or not.

*I got this book for free from the Goodreads First Reads program*

I enjoyed this book quite a bit.  Now obviously this is the fourth and last book in a series (The Wicked Years), so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who didn't read and enjoy the first three.  But if you DID read and enjoy the first three, you shouldn't miss this one.

I've liked that each book in the series has a different focal character (first Elphaba, Liir, Brr, and now Rain).  At first I thought this book would focus more on Glinda, since the story seemed to be building around her.  And now I realize that this was because Rain was BORING at the beginning.  And Glinda helped Rain to wake up and start to grow into a real and exciting character.  And I loved that she was able to change so much.  It really felt like I was watching her grow up as she learned about the world around her.

Little Daffy and Mr. Boss are ridiculous.  And they were awesome.  Even though I didn't really like either of them at first.

I love Brr.  I think I love him even more after this novel than I did after the last.

I think I really only have one criticism about this book- I could have done without all the mention of sex.  I really didn't mind the part regarding Rain and Tip's intimacy, but that's because it was touched on briefly and sweetly- without being crass and crude (or overly descriptive).  It's the same criticism I had of Wicked, the first book in the series.  This book didn't really have a whole lot of description in that area, but for a while it felt like a few of the characters were constantly doing it or talking about doing it.  I guess mostly when the company was in Quadling country, where people are apparently very open about their bodies.

But all in all, this was a great ending to the series.  It tied up all the loose ends without feeling like a "happily ever after." And that's a good thing because "happily ever after" stories leave the impression that nothing happened after, that the characters and the world ceased to exist after the last page is turned.  But this book ended in a way that left me satisfied to know that Oz is going to be okay, even after I finish reading about it.

It took me a while to read this just because life got in the way (wouldn't it be great if I didn't have to go to work every day!) so I'm going to have to read it again sometime when I have time to soak in the whole story a little better.

*Spoiler alert: Ozma was hidden in perpetual BOYhood for all these years?!?!?  I mean, I figured there was something strange about Tip, but that he was really a she who is the last in the missing line of Ozmas?  Yeah, I didn't expect that.  But thank goodness this whole Munchkinland war is over!

Q&A About my Product Reviews

*I know some of you may also be curious about how I get this random stuff to try and review.  I had someone ask me about it so I thought I'd share the message here in case you're curious too!*  

Reader: 

Hey! So I keep reading these product reviews on your blog and how it's from the bzz agency. I looked it up online and it doesn't give me too much info. I'm kind of interested in doing it. Can you give me more info on it?

Erika:
Yeah! I love it! It's buzzagent.com and basically they send out products for people to test and talk about. It's along the lines of word-of-mouth advertising but they're not asking you to promote the products exactly. They just want honest opinions about the products.

You get invited to do "campaigns" based on age, gender, income level, etc. since they usually want people from a certain demographic (like how they only sent the Maybelline lip glosses to women).

You also get points for how much you talk about the product or share it (some of the kits come with samples to share or coupons to share) and those points go to mypoints.com which let's you redeem points for gift cards. I haven't earned enough point to redeem for the good gift cards yet but they have gift cards for all kinds of places like amazon and Walmart and restaurants.

The more you buzz about the products, the more points you earn and you're likely to be invites to more campaigns in the future.

I think it's a really cool program and I totally think you should join!

(I feel like I just wrote an advertisement for it! But it really is cool because all but one campaign is free to join and you get to try things for free! Most of the products are either new releases too or even prerelease so that's cool too.)

Let me know if you get into any cool campaigns once you join!

Side note- usually the products I get are cool enough that I want to talk about them anyway, so I pretty much get points for something I would have done anyway!

Let's Review- COOKIES!

I love cookies.  I especially love homemade cookies.  So I was skeptical when I was asked to try these "Kroger's The Truly Awesome™ Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies," which are NOT homemade, obviously.

So they sent me 2 boxes to try.  Aaron and I opened a box and tried them.  We were not impressed.  Not that they were bad, because they weren't.  But there were exactly what you'd expect from a boxed cookie.  Yes, they were a little bigger than average, but there also weren't as many as you'd find in an average box, so I figure you get the same amount of cookie overall.

So we figured we would try a suggestion that was included in my package- put the cookies in the microwave for a few seconds.  Apparently this makes them taste like they just came out of the oven... like homemade!

Well, surprisingly, they were right!  We put them in the microwave for about 20 seconds and they came out warm, soft, and delicious.  We devoured the whole pack of cookies as soon as we realized how good they were!

I have to admit, I still prefer homemade cookies.

But this is a pretty decent alternative.

*I was given free samples by BzzAgent- opinions are mine.*

Let's Review- Maybe it's Maybelline...

Time for another product review! Makeup again today.

This time it's Maybelline mascara and lip gloss.

Let's start with the mascara. It's called Lots of Lashes. It's the same stuff you see everywhere with the pink tube and green lid, but it has a different applicator brush. It's heart shaped so that it's easier to get all those tiny lashes in the corners.

I already used Maybelline mascara before this, so the finished product wasn't too different from what I'm used to, but it really was a lot easier to get the lashes in the corners! It even got my lashes a little more curled than they usually get without using an eyelash curler. I give this an A.

Baby Lips is also great. They sent me five the six flavors they have out (Quenched, Peppermint, Peach Kiss, Pink Punch, and Cherry Me). Two are clear and the other three are tinted different shades of pink and red. They all smell great and they make my lips feel pretty awesome too. I especially love the tinted ones though. They have SPF 20 and they're also supposed to improve your lips' moisture in a couple of weeks use. I haven't particularly noticed that improvement, but then again, we are heading into winter and my lips always get more dry in the winter.

I have to say that even though I'm loving these lip balms, I think I liked the CoverGirl one better. These Maybelline ones just don't seem to last very long. I would love to put it on and not have to worry about it for a while, but I can't so I just keep one in my purse and I'm happy. So... I think I'll give these an A-.

As a note, I received all of these samples from BzzAgent but the opinions are mine.

Les Misérables

For many years, my favorite musical has been Les Misérables.  My mom had the soundtrack on cassette tape and I loved listening to it (along with Phantom of the Opera and Evita...)

When we lived in Bloomington, Indiana, the traveling company came and my family went.  I remember sitting there, in awe of the huge stage (it was the first thing I ever went to that was performed on a full size professional stage) and even more amazed that the whole stage rotated.  As I learned more about the play, I discovered that the whole stage, basically, has this massive turntable on it.  Some scenes are performed with the turntable in motion, other times, the turntable was used to rotate set pieces and props on and off the stage.  I remember so vividly the barricade scene, when the students were lying dead on and off the barricade. The student who had been waving the flag when he was she was draped over the barricade along with the huge red flag.  As the orchestra played, the stage rotated and you see everyone who had fallen on both sides, with the bright red of the flag cascading down among the bodies.  It was such an epic scene- as you should be able to tell, based on the fact that I remember that from when I was... maybe 10 years old?

Les Misérables is playing right now at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC and Aaron and I went to it on Thursday.  The music was just as good as ever, though with slightly different instrumentation (no soundtrack is as powerful as hearing it live), and the theater was beautiful.  Most of the cast was amazing- I have to admit that I cried several times throughout the performance.

However, I was disappointed to learn that the production was changed for its 25th anniversary.  The staging and set was completely redone.  It was still a great set, but I guess they removed the turntable.  Maybe because it was difficult to transport, maybe because they were just trying to do something new different... I'm not sure why they did it, but it diminished the performance a little bit for me.  The stage also seemed a little small- I think that's because they had some rather large set pieces that framed the stage throughout, cutting out some of the usable stage space.  Aaron had no problems with it- I did only because I missed the turntable.  And obviously, no turntable = no rotating barricade.  I found myself missing it.

They also used lighting effects to create the backdrops- they were generally very good, but they freaked me out a little bit when they moved.  For example, when Jean Valjean is carrying Marius through the sewers, the backdrop moved to make it appear as thought the characters were moving forward even though they were actually walking in place.  I don't know whether this is a new effect or maybe I just don't remember it from before, but I have mixed feelings about it.

Also, I was really unhappy with Eponine.  She has always been my favorite character in Les Misérables.  But the actress I saw this week was... not impressive.  I didn't feel like she stood out enough- she really blended in with the crowd, vocally and physically.  And she was a good half step flat on her last 2 notes of On My Own.  Sad.

Okay so I know I've pretty much written about everything I didn't like about the show, but really it was awesome.  Most of the things I didn't like are only because I have an earlier production to compare it to.  If I didn't, I'm sure I would love the set (it really is good), and I wouldn't even know to miss the turntable.  I would probably still be a little weirded out the by moving backdrop, but it was beautiful and flawless when it was still.  The singing and acting was impressive  and the cast was well chosen (minus the Eponine issues, which I would have noticed whether I'd seen it already or not).  It was emotional and grand, hence the crying in multiple places.  I recommend it to anyone, really.

Product Review EDIT

Ok so I just have to update this and say that the more I use the Covergirl foundation, the more I am loving it!

That's all.

Let me know if you want a coupon.

(I was given the products for free through BzzAgent.  But all opinions are my own and totally honest.)

Product Review- COVERGIRL

A break from my usual postings...

So I recently joined a website (BzzAgent) that is pretty cool.  They send me products to review, along with coupons to hand out to anyone who wants to try it out.  So here we go!

My first product to try out is foundation and gloss balm from CoverGirl.  It's from their new line, NatureLuxe.  They claim that it's silky smooth and moisturizing and all that.  I agree.  The foundation felt really silky and made my skin feel great.  It's a really light coverage foundation though, so I found that my skin didn't look quite as smooth as it felt with that makeup unless I used a lot of the foundation.  And halfway through the day, the silky feeling was gone, though my face stayed moisturized.  So if you like touching up your makeup during the day, great.  If not, you can just use a lot of it and you'll be fine.

The gloss balm is even better.  My lips are kind of big so I don't like putting too much color on my lips, as rich color just makes them look bigger.  But this stuff (at least the color I got) has just a touch of pink that made my lips looks great.  It's basically a combination lip gloss and lip balm (as the name suggests) and it's in a little tube like lipstick.  As with any balm or gloss, you have to reapply if you want the color to stay, but it's worth it.

I have coupons if anyone local wants one so you can try it yourself (I recommend it!) so let me know if you want one.

(I was given the products for free through BzzAgent.  But all opinions are my own and totally honest.)