The MOTHER Of All Reviews!

Crrrreeeeeeekkkkk ....... 

Hello?

Helloooooo - ooooooooo - ooooooooo - ooooooooo - ooooooooo -


I realize I've been gone awhile.  Anyone still kickin' around in the Korner? 

OH!  Hi!  Yeah, I see you, curled up over there, trying to look inconspicuous, blending into the beanbag chair ... thanks for sticking around! 


Ahhhh.  I’ve missed my blog

I’ve missed my readers.

I really have no good excuse for not being here.


Nothing traumatic, or wonderful happened to keep me away from the Korner.



Just LIFE, getting in the way. 


Leaking basements.  Again.

  

I took this from across the room.

Yes, that's one little dry spot, over in the Korner.

Disappearing contractors.  Again.

 







  

Never hire a friend to do work for you.Period.

Getting robbed.  Having Adam's bike stolen.

Yeah. Been robbed before too.  

Thanksgiving, Halloween, Alec getting a serious concussion, the ex coming home from Australia for 5 months, then moving back, Christmas thrown in there, and of course, basketball every weekend for both boys from Oct - May! 

It never stops around here. 

I just don't seem to have time to tell you about it! 



Of course, I can't ignore the fact that I have been raising my boys for the past (almost) 2 yrs without the 'every second weekend' visit to their father's. 

Those always provided me with two days of unlimited blogging hours lol. 



And then there's work.

There was a time when I would gladly stay up until 2am finishing a blog post. 

Now, I spend too many 2am nights updating spreadsheets, to even think about starting a post. 


And to be honest ... once you've done something for so long, like blogging for five years, and you're away from it for as long as I've been (as long as I've EVER been away from my blog!), you start to wonder if you CAN go back. 


All these things and more, as I said, LIFE, have kept me away. 

For that, I'm sorry. 



But, today, that changes. 

And as of now ... THIS moment ... I AM back!  

With a vengeance!

........... where is that Elton John music coming from ..........  ??? 



I have promised myself that I will not come back with unfinished blog business. 

Meaning reviews.

Since ... that's really the only business I do on here, other than spouting my own opinions ;-)

I can't bring myself to blog about ONE NEW THING, until I take care of what's long, looooooooong overdue.


You might want to grab a coffee and get comfy, people, cause it's going to be ...






The MOTHER of All Reviews!

So, let's begin with a company who has been very good to me the past few years, P&G.

Last year, I received some AWESOME packages from the Febreze reps, and I've yet to tell you about these!

First, a new bottle of Febreze, Linen and Sky, for Fabrics, Carpets, and Air.

This particular rep was very thoughtful. 

God luv 'er!  She even taped the squirter shut for me!

Thank you!

It came at the perfect time. 

I had received some great couch covers from the Bestie, and had vacuumed out both couches before putting them on. 

Seeing as it would (hopefully) be awhile before they were uncovered, I also wanted to freshen them up. 

So, I washed them down with a handheld scrub brush, then just before they were dry, sprayed them with the new Febreze, Linen and Sky. 

It worked.  Smelled wonderful.  Clean!  Did NOT smell like Belle. 

Mission accomplished. 

For fabric and carpet, I would say SURE!, it's great! As long as you don't have breathing sensitivities to those products. 

For air ... if you don't have carpet, and have hardwood ... not so great. 

Sorry, P&G people, but it's the truth. 

When you spray this product in the air, as an air freshener, when it lands on the hardwood, it makes it slippery/wet for awhile. 

Same on ceramic. 

If you spray this in the air, in a bathroom with ceramic tile, it will surely bring about a 'MOM!' from the first person whose socks hit it running ... then sliding across the room.  

But thank you, I did appreciate the air freshener, 'it did exactly what I needed it to do, and smelled really good doing it!'  

Then, a few months later, this arrived ... another box of P&G products.

WOW!  Thank you nice Febreze Rep!!!  :-)

It's the Febreze jackpot, Baby!!!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

 

While I do appreciate the vanilla scented, Febreze Swiffer Sweeper, Wet Mopping Refills ... sadly, I don't own a wet mop :-(

I would love to own a wet mop, but alas, it hasn't been meant to be.

Yet.

The air fresheners

You already know what I think about the Fabrics, Carpets, and Air freshener.



























This other bottle, the Linen and Sky Air Effects, freshener, now THAT one is for AIR!






This is the one that stays in the bathroom.  It doesn't lay on the ceramic, making it slippery like the fabric freshener.


It definitely has a nice, clean scent, but I have to be honest, there are other scents that I prefer in the Air Effects™ collection.

My favourites?  The exotics! 

Hawaiian Aloha,  Brazilian Carnaval , and  Moroccan Bazaar.


Would LOVE to try Thai Dragon Fruit  sometime too!




They even included the 'down and dirty' of the cleaners in my box of treats!

 

I'm not too picky about my dish washing soap.  Most of the dishes go in the dishwasher anyway (yup, we're getting to THAT too!) so as long as it WORKS, I'm happy.

DAWN® works very well.

This particular scent is New Zealand Springs.

It was nice, but once again, maybe not the scent I'd choose for myself.

I've always been partial to an apple, or lemon scent if I really HAVE to do dishes.



The Mr Clean® / Febreze Disinfectant combo?  LOVE Mr Clean®!  I have tried other products, but always seem to come back to the Mr Clean®.

This particular scent?  Citrus and Light.  Don't like it!  At all.

For me, personally, it doesn't have enough of that 'clean' smell that makes me go, 'Oh Yeah! Floor is CLEAN!'.

Sorry, Mr Clean®/Febreze people, just not a fan of this one.

These, on the other hand, Febreze Meadows & Rain, Febreze Lavender Vanilla & Comfort (40 oz only) ... I do like.


And of course, the Exotic collection :-)




Now, the 'just smells nice, doesn't clean', items.

Which, of course, are my weakness!

I'm a fan of all the candles.

They burn for a LONG time, ALL of it burns, and I love pretty much any scent that isn't pine or peppermint.

This particular one was New Zealand Springs.  Nice.  Not overpowering.

I also have a few Noticibles™ kicking around, and I like them, but they're an extra expense on the grocery trip that I can't necessarily always justify, when a can of Air Effects, on sale, will do in a pinch.

Comes down to a want vs a need.  Would I like to have one in a few rooms, going at all times, yes.

Can I always afford to do so, no.

Lastly, there's the Set & Refresh in Hawaiian Aloha.  I had never tried this before.  I like it.  I don't find them overly strong.


In fact, I thought the one in the bathroom had stopped working, until the best friend told me, 'oh no, I can smell it.'

Because the P&G people ARE so good to me, I can say I use many of the products that you see here, on a regular basis.

I like them.

Keep in mind.  These won't be for everyone.  But if you like the Febreze brand, they're definitely worth giving a try. 


Thank you kind Febreze Reps! 

You've definitely kept me in great smelling cleaning products over these past few years.

Now, if I could just find the time to use them more OFTEN ... !!!! 




Next, there was the book review. For, Unto the Breach. By Sidney Gale.

Sort of.

I was asked if the boys would like to read his book.

YES!  Books over electronics are a GOOD thing!

However, I have to apologize to Sidney Gale.

As much as I WANTED my boys to read Unto the Breach, I can't say they both read it, in it's entirety.

They tried.

Believe me, I forced them to lol.

Mr Gale is targeting the pre-teen boy audience, and I thought the book would hold the interest of many, with it's action and suspense.

Unfortunately, not so for my boys.

It's not you, Mr Gale.  It's them.

I just can't get them to pick up a book, unless it's something like a basketball magazine, Guinness Book of World Records, Ripley's Believe it Or Not etc.


However, when it came time to do a book report for English class this year, one of the boys chose ... Unto the Breach.

YES!  He read it! 

And in his words ...  

"I really liked it once I got into it.  There was lots of suspense after they got out on the water, and the characters were great.  I don't want to tell you what happens though, cause I know you're going to read it too!" 


The book report was accompanied by a powerpoint and verbal presentation, and questions.

Final mark?  97% 


Thank you very much, Sidney Gale, for giving us the opportunity to enjoy your work.

I say 'us', because I know my younger one will read it eventually.

And, it's on MY reading list, too.


Unfortunately, there are others on that list also, and I'm a little OCD that way, in that I read my books in order of how I acquire them.

So it'll be awhile yet before you get MY review ;-) 


..... Oh shut up, people!  We all have our issues!!! 



So, not only did I receive cleaners for the house, I ALSO received cleaners for ME too!

Skin, lips, face and hair.  OH.  YEAH.  BABY!


I was asked if I'd be interested in trying some all natural products.

Now, I'm not a high maintenance girl when it comes to facial cleansers, masks and girlie pampering in general.

Soap.  Water. Cream.  That's it.

Other than the cream, that's about as all natural as it gets.


But ... I do LIKE the girlie pampering stuff, even if I don't have time to DO it, or money to buy it, so I said, SURE!

A few days later, I got .... 

Burts Bees™ ... I NOW LOVE THIS STUFF!!!

 

 

Well ... most of it.


I had never tried the Burts Bees™ products until this box of goodies arrived.

Now, I'll definitely be going back for a couple of things.

Like this beeswax lip balm!

This worked REALLY well.  I used it on Adam over the winter, when his lips were very chapped and starting to peel.

This arrived at JUST the right time!

He put some on before bed, and the NEXT DAY there was a noticeable difference.

This works!





The anti-blemish clarifying toner?  AWESOME!  LOVE THIS!

I've used it on my face.

Do I think it makes me look younger?  Unfortunately, No.

This is skin toner, people!  Not sacred liquid from the fountain of youth!

However, I did notice that it DOES make the skin feel clean, clear, AND smooth.

And it's one of those easy things you can apply before bed!

The hand cream?  Sorry Burts Bees™ people, perhaps I used too much at one time ... more than once ... but I just found this too waxy.

It seemed that no matter how hard I rubbed it in, I couldn't get the 'film' off my hands.

Having said that, I think people who suffer from very chapped hands in the winter time, would LOVE this product, because it would provide a nice coating.

The Deep Pore Scrub, I really can't give an honest review for, because I only tried it once.

Remember, I'm the soap and water girl.  That's more water, less soap.

I just don't like having 'stuff' on my face.

Or my hands for that matter (see comment above lol).

Even IF the end result is supposed to make it more healthy.

Thanks so much, Burts Bees™, for giving me the opportunity to try your product for the first time!

I'll definitely get more of the toner and lip balm.




Or ... ahem ... you know ... ahem ... they'd make great stocking stuffers ...ahem ... Mom ...



This same representative also gave me some Green Beaver!

... Stop that!

I know where some of you were allowing your minds to go.

... I said STOP THAT!



I was sent a bottle of certified organic, gluten free and vegan (among other things) shampoo and body wash ...

 ... from Canadian company, Green Beaver™.

The shampoo?  Loved the scent.  It was light and sort of fruity. Left my hair feeling soft.

And all natural is always good.














It took me awhile to get used to the fact that it doesn't lather up like most other shampoos, but it definitely left my hair feeling clean.

The down side?  I have long hair.  That's alot of shampoo and at $10+ a bottle ... sadly, not something I'd buy for myself very often.

Sorry, Green Beaver™ people, it's just not in the single mom's budget right now ;-)


The body wash?  I use sparingly because I LOVE IT!!!!!

Again, all natural, and with an awesome fruity/tangy scent!

I've seen these products in the 'all natural' section of the grocery stores, so if you'd like to give them a try, I KNOW you can find it there.



From hair ... to food ... (just as long as it's not IN the food ...)

Got an email one day from the Hidden Valley® people, wanting to know if I'd be willing to try (and distribute among friends) a variety of their The Original Ranch product.

Ranch is one of the very few salad dressings I like.

That, Italian and Caesar are the only things that make a salad bearable!

So of course, I said, SEND IT!


And she did.

A whole boxload of it!

Hidden Valley® The Original Ranch

18 bottles worth to be exact!

Original, Light and Fat-free

Because I always have products delivered to the office instead of my house, it was my co-workers who benefited from my blogging perks that day :-)

I sent out an email, letting them know they could have a bottle if they provided me with their feedback.

I also left a couple of bottles in the kitchen for ALL to use.

Heard that one of them ended up on someone's desk ... somehow ...


Anyway, between the co-workers, mom, the best friend and of course, myself and the kids, everyone who DID provide the feedback liked or loved it.

And no, not everyone provided feedback. 

You know who you are ... stop trying to hide behind the plant over there!


There was only one person who found it 'too tangy' for their liking.


Overall though, I received comments such as: 

"This dressing is wicked….and it’s fat free! Who knew that was possible!!!" 



For the boys and I, we tried a few things.

Cooked some chicken and peppers in the oven and poured the Hidden Valley® The Original Ranch dressing over it ...

Poured that mixture onto wraps, added cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream and voila ...

Hidden Valley Ranch chicken wraps! 

THEY.  WERE.  AWESOME!!!! 


And of course, it wouldn't be steak and salad without dressing to smother the salad in!

And finally ...

Yes, there IS an end in sight!



After all that good food dirtied up those plates, the natureclean® people wanted to clean my dishes!

I've tried many dishwasher detergents, and have found few ... within my price-range ... that I like and work well.

So since it was something I hadn't tried yet, and it was eco friendly, and the best price possible, I absolutely said, 'YES!  Please send it!'.


And she did.

A bag of their Automatic Dishwasher Pacs.

Of course, this meant I was going to have to take pictures of my dirty dishes ... again.

Just what you wanted to see, wasn't it?  ;-p

I made sure not to rinse anything.

Left them good and dirty ...

Dried barbeque sauce kind of dirty!

 

And ... they came out sparkling and spotless!

Everything except the egg ...

All in all, a good product.  It can definitely handle the tough stuff.

Just ... not this particular egg.


Three things I found interesting about these pacs:

• Unscented and hypoallergenic, you won't experience the irritating odours you can with other auto dish pacs.

• Not tested on animals and contain absolutely no animal ingredients.

• Did you know? The plastic seal on some dish pacs contain tallow (animal fat -yikes)! Ours is completely tallow free. In fact these pacs are completely VEGAN (they're Kosher too).

 Taken from the natureclean: Automatic Dishwasher Pacs website

Thank you, natureclean, for sending me your Automatic Dishwasher Pacs. 


If you're into non-toxins and would like to try these, they're also in the 'all natural' section of the grocery story.

Overall, I was happy with it.

Would I use it on a regular basis?  Sure, as long as it's within the budget.


Mental note ... make sure to rinse the egg off first. 



THAT'S IT! 

I'm caught up!

I'm done. Finished!


But only for now.  There will be no more ... breaks.

It feels too good to be back.


Oh ... and have no fear, my friends ...  This Bitch IS back! 


.......where is that Elton John music coming from .........?!???! 

K.