Yummy Brookside Chocolates!

I love being able to try new things for free before I have to shell out the money to buy it, and discover that I don’t like it or it doesn't work for me as planned, which is why I love being a crowdtapper! They sent me a bag of Brookside Dark Chocolate Crunchy Clusters in Berry Medley flavor. I have to admit, I was skeptical that I would like them…but oh boy was I wrong, they were DELICIOUS!! But I still thought to myself there is no way that my picky husband would like them…and I was wrong AGAIN, he also really liked them!

The flavor is unique. I like that they fix not only a sweet craving, but a crunchy one too. Most sweet snacks that are also crunchy use peanuts, and I am not a fan of peanuts. The combo of the dark chocolate, fruit, and crunch are a match made in heaven for your mouth!

The only “problem” I had with them was the price in the store! For a relatively small bag, our local Kroger had them on SALE for 2 for $7, making them $3.50 a bag. Wow. I guess it could be considered worth it since it is a “smarter” snack for you; not as bad for you as a bag of cookies or chips. Overall, I liked them enough to buy them when they are on sale, but probably not as often as I would like.

**I received one bag of Brookside Dark Chocolate Crunchy Clusters in Berry Medley flavor for FREE from Crowdtap in exchange for my honest opinion of the product.**

I LOVED being a #CampbellsTasters for Crowdtap! #DiscoverCampbells

I was given the AWESOME opportunity by Crowdtap (www.crowdtap.com) to receive an abundance of great new Campbell’s products to try for FREE! Here’s all the goodies we received:

Skillet Sauces in Creamy Parmesan Chicken : This was absolutely DELICIOUS!! By far one of my favorites of all the products I tested. And it was so quick and easy to make, very budget friendly too. We poured ours over brown rice. I have already bought another for a quick weeknight dinner and we will definitely be getting more of this and trying some of the other varieties offered!

Prego Light Homestyle Alfredo sauce : I came up with my own little concoction since I was dealing with picky eaters and could not make a traditional alfredo with broccoli. So I sautéed chicken and mushrooms and then added the sauce and whole wheat pasta. It was very good, but lacked flavor somewhat, so I will have to tweak it if we try it again.

Campbell’s Chunky Beer and Cheese soup : It sounded kind of gross, and unfortunately for my husband and I…it was. My husband thought it was OK at first, but said it had a funky aftertaste, and could not finish it. Bummer. The good news we tried a few of their other varieties like slow roasted beef with mushrooms and it was very good. We topped baked potato with it and it was yummy!

Campbell’s soups for easy cooking in Savory Portabella Mushroom : I used this to make a recipe I got from the Campbell’s website for Skillet Mushroom Lasagna. Just like my alfredo, it was good but could have been better if it had more flavor. This is definitely another one of those things that makes dinner come together faster and easier, so we might try some of the other varieties offered.

Swanson traditional Cream Starter : I made the recipe on the back of the carton for loaded potato soup for us and some friends and it was a hit all around, even with our friends 8 year old son! Everyone loved it, especially when I explained to them how easy it was to make.

Spaghettios Micros : This product and coupon I shared with a friend for her 8 year old son. So I do not know anything about how they cooked or tasted, but she said he liked them.

Campbell’s condensed soup in Creamy Poblano and Queso : This is another product that I shared with a friend, and unfortunately I have no further details.

Campbell’s slow kettle Chicken Noodle Soup : I enjoyed this for lunch one day. It tasted like homemade, very hearty with veggies and noodles, it was very good. I liked how it was ready to go, I didn’t need to pour it into a bowl.

V8 juice cocktail : Unfortunately I did not realize the expiration date on the coupon for this product and did not buy it in time, so I did not get to try it, or share it L.

They also sent me a cutting board, wooden spoon, a shaker cup, and re-useable bag! I had a lot of fun experimenting with these new products and hope to have a similar opportunity again in the future!

*Just wanted to mention again that I received these products for FREE, these are MY honest opinions of those products. * #DiscoverCampbells #CampbellTasters #sponsored

Vaseline Intensive Care advanced repair lotion, compliments of Influenster

I suffer from dry skin. Like Sahara desert dry at times. So I was really excited to receive the opportunity from Influenster to try Vaseline Intensive Care advanced repair lotion! And then the U.S. Postal service decided it wasn’t quite time for me to try it, since my VoxBox left PA on October 24th to end up traveling to NH, NJ, MI, to my home state of Ohio, back to MI, to NH, NJ, MA, NJ, NC, back to MI to FINALLY arrive at my doorstep Nov 12th, almost 3 WEEKS LATER!!

Anyway, on to my actual review of the product. I have tried MANY lotions over the years. I prefer something scented, but I also want it to work to heal me of my dry skin. In my opinion a thicker lotion usually does a better job hydrating my skin, and unfortunately this lotion feels fairly runny to me. It also left my skin feeling kind of sticky or tacky. Not too bad, but definitely different that what I am used to. It did a fairly good job of hydrating my skin, but did not seem to last as long as my usual thicker body lotion either. Overall I did like it and would recommend it, but I will probably stick to my usual brand, which is a little more expensive, but in my opinion worth it.

*I received this product for FREE to try from Influenster in exchange for my honest opinion on this review*.




 

Pink Lemonade 5-hour Energy from Smiley 360

I love the concept of energy in a bottle, but I had had only bad experiences with energy pills before. Then 5 hour energy came along, and I was skeptical that it would work, so I had never tried it before, but it did indeed work. I felt an unexplained alertness, with no jitters or strange feeling. I was also glad that there was no crash and burn when the fuel ran out, I just felt like my normal tired self again. I was glad that it was pink lemonade flavor, because I have heard the original flavor leaves much to be desired. The first time I tried it, I thought to myself that I think it would be better refrigerated so I tried another that way and it was better in my opinion. I am also really glad it is only 4 calories. I definitely recommend to others who need an occasional boost, especially this pink lemonade one since it is the breast cancer awareness edition in which 5 hour energy has pledged to donate at least $200,000 to Living Beyond Breast Cancer. *I received 2 bottles of 5 hour energy pink lemonade for FREE for this review, which is my own opinions.*

My #HiddenValleyRanchers Houseparty!!

I was so excited to be picked as a host of a Hidden Valley Ranch Party from Crowdtap!! I received many free goodies like a bottle of Hidden Valley Original Ranch dressing, a packet of Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dips mix, 2 packets of Hidden Valley Original Ranch Salad Dressing and Seasoning mix, a dip clip, a Team Ranch T-shirt and packets of the dressing mix, dip mix, and dip clips for my guests too! And as if that wasn’t enough, they also sent excellent coupons…I’m talking $1.00 off and they last till May 2015! I know they won’t last that long though ;)

I decided to make Original Ranch crispy chicken, Original Ranch Roasted potatoes, and Hidden Valley Ranch Crescent Rolls (and corn of course, but there was no ranch in that lol). It was a huge success, everybody LOVED the food! All of the rolls were gone, most of the potatoes, and only 2 pieces of chicken remained…and I thought I had made extra. The recipes were easy, and there are tons to pick from on their website. I know I will be trying more in the future.

*I received the Hidden Valley Ranch products for FREE from Crowdtap. If you are interested, check out www.crowdtap.com and join today!*

ChapStick Hydration Lock day and night formula compliments of Smiley360!

I LOVE to share my opinions and thoughts on products that I use in my life. That is why I am a member of a few websites that give you the opportunity to try [new] products for FREE in exchange for my review of it and the fact that I will spread the word about these products to my friends and family. So weather I like the product or not, I tell people all about what I think. My friends and family love it because I usually have valuable coupons to hand along for them to be able to try it as well.

I really enjoyed having the opportunity from Smiley360 to try ChapStick Hydration Lock day and night formula. They send me products like this for free in the mail, and I give them MY 100% honest opinion of it. I liked that the conditioning day formula had a sunscreen for protection from the sun. But I thought it felt a little thick and heavy on my lips at first.  I liked the night formula the most which replenished my lips with natural butters and antioxidants. Unfortunately I used the night formula up quicker, so I might be more suited for just a tube of that! Overall I really liked having the combination of the 2 to continuously combat my dry/chapped and cracking lips. 

My Saute Express Houseparty!

I love hosting parties and get togethers (large and small) with friends and family. I was so happy when I was picked to host the Land-O-Lakes Sautee Express Houseparty!! My husband and I had used these amazing little seasoning cubes a couple times already, and had shared with my friends how quick and easy they can make dinner; so of course my friends were even more excited to hear I was going to make dinner for them and let them taste for themselves!

I was excited and a little nervous at the same time. I had never really cooked dinner for 11 people before (maybe 6-8 at most previously) and at the fact that it was chicken, something that if I didn’t get fully cooked, I could literally kill someone…yikes! But I had confidence, and everything turned out great, unless of course my friends are liars ;) I made and demonstrated cooking chicken breast tenderloins in both the Southwest and Garlic and Herb varieties. Everyone agreed that it was quick and easy. We also had mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn. Next time I hope to be able to offer more of a variety, but cooking for 11 people was pretty expensive as it was. I received coupons for 2 of the Sautee Express meal starters for free, but the rest of the stuff I had to buy myself, and the chicken alone was $15!!


It makes me so happy to entertain! I can’t wait till my next “party” opportunity…and I am sure my friends can’t wait either J