Household Reviews
Purex Crystals Fabric Softener Review
Yes, the world of fabric softeners has changed. Purex was kind enough to send me a small bottle of their new fabric softener. What makes this product so revolutionary is that its not like the fabric softener we grew up using. There is no messy liquid to clog our drains or spill. If you spill Purex Fabric Softener, you just sweep it up. Is the suspense driving you nuts? It would drive me nuts if I were not a Purex Insider. Purex Insiders are a group of people just like you that get the inside track on all the wonders of Purex. We test out products and give our honest feed back.
Since I am a Purex Insider, I was given the opportunity to test out this product before it hit store shelves. I could not discuss it until now but Zooooweeeemama, that stuff smells good. This is what it will look like when you go to the store to purchase the fabric softener.
This is the bottle that was sent to me. . .
Yes those are crystals.
The pictures could have been better but Nikon has yet to ask me to review a camera so please pity me a while longer. Back to my crystals. You put in about 1/4 a cap of what you would put in for laundry detergent. I actually compared the measurements on the bottle to my Purex detergent cap. This little bit goes a super long way.
If you look closely, you will see lines on the right side of the bottle. From one line to the next is the amount you pour into the washer.
Here is how to use it:
- Add the recommended amount to your normal wash. Yes you add it when you add your detergent.
- Check out this visual
Yep that is it. When you wash your clothes, add the crystals and no need to check back or worry. My first load was a load of whites. When I say a load of whites, I really mean the husband’s white work shirts. Yes, I am very adventuresome! I was so afraid of the crystals setting off some kind of weird dye that I figured I would try it on his work shirts and then plead the 5th when the shirt was ruined. NOT! They not only worked perfectly, my house smelled great while they washed and dried. I took everything out of the washer and they smelled just heavenly! I was sent the Fresh Spring Waters fragrance and I am in love! I was also sent a coupon for a free 28oz bottle of Purex Crystals. They are being found in stores like Walmart right now!
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Purex w/Zout Review
As promised, its giveaway time! I was recently blessed with a nice big bottle of Purex w/Zout by the folks at Purex. Ummmm yeah, this stuff is officially clean clothes crack. Okay, maybe I should give a more subtle nickname for this stuff but I won’t. Purex w/Zout smells so amazing! I loved the smell so much that I almost didn’t try it. I was too busy smelling its wondrous fragrance. I don’t know what the makers of Purex do but they are The Magi of Fragrance. Between the Purex laundry detergent, fabric softener, and now the Purex w/Zout, I don’t know how anyone could resist. The smell is truly amazing.
Enough about the smell, let’s talk power. There are a lot of smell good products out there (none smell better than Purex) but they don’t all clean. Purex w/Zout gets the stains out! I really enjoyed testing out this product. I was a bit worried because I am the same person that never read the directions on the bleach bottle so I never quite get my whites white. I am working on that step. I tried Purex w/Zout on a load of whites. I did not add any bleach and no way would this lazy lady use a stain remover. Let’s face it, I didn’t even know what Zout was in the beginning.
Now this is my rag (won’t tell you what I cleaned with it but it was NOT my butt) before Purex w/Zout:
This is after a quick wash and dry with Purex w/Zout.
How cool is that? These are my rags that I use to clean floors, cars, my imaginary silver (what I can’t have silver?). Its amazing. I expected to see clean yet spotty and that was so not what I got. The pictures from my phone don’t do the detergent justice. Here are a few educational tidbits Purex said I could share. . . .
I figured if I shared in pictures, you guys wouldn’t mind that my review was so long!
Yes ALL machines! Take that, snooty HE owners. Yes I will hate you until I have one of my own!
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Beringer Moscato
I should have titled this post, Love of a Lush! Instead, I am going with a more informative sophisticated title. As promised, I am sharing my favorite wine. Don’t get too excited, I am not giving it to you. I am just sharing the name. Yep, that dried up a few taste buds. Worry not, keeping with the theme of frugality, the wine is affordable.
Here is my favoritist (yeah I know, its not a word) wine:
Can you say yumsters (again, not a word but if Rachel Ray can say it)? This wine is smooth and sweet. I will warn you, its easy to overindulge. I would say this wine is best served with a savory dish to help balance the flavors. Its an amazingly good wine that truly gives Sutter Home Moscato a run for its money. Unfortunately, Barefoot Moscato tastes like feet when compared to this delicious wine. The best part is that this wine is only $7.
Why am I talking about my favorite wine? Its simple. Remember when I told you about my lunch with Dian (Grocery Shop For Free) earlier? It drove me to drink. I am kidding but boy would that be an excuse. I am actually celebrating education. I learned a lot from Dian and her husband. We won’t say his name or all the ladies will start throwing their underwear at the screen. Women tend to want to show their underwear when he is around. These guys are awesome. They gave me so many tips that I cannot tell you about them all. I will just have to show you. I guess I will wrap this post up so I can get to the show and tell of it all. May you have sweet Beringer Moscato dreams! I know I will.
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HOP: Movie Review
I have gone to my first movie premiere. The Honey, The Tax Deductions, and I went to see the movie HOP! I didn’t get all dressed up and wear an evening gown but it was truly an awesome event. When I arrived, I was a little ticked to find that the theater was in a mall. I don’t remember the last time I went to a mall and that particular mall, NEVER. I went into the building and could not find that dang theater anywhere. I was a little exhausted because the Honey bought new running shoes and thought the day of the premiere would be a great time to show off the fact that he could walk with no back pain. Let me rephrase that, he can RUN with no back pain. There I was sweating like a hog, as I run to see a rabbit.
Once I made it into the theater, everything was pretty nice. I caught my breath and went to find out where the Bloggers were suppose to sit. I was so surprised to see so many people there. It was interesting. I had all these ideas of what a premiere screening would be and everything was totally different. I never knew that average everyday folks like me are watching premieres! Y’all are selfish. There I was thinking that events like this were reserved for stars. Well let me tell you, I enjoyed being an average every day star for a day.
When the movie started, I sat back in my comfy seat and cuddled with the Honey while the kiddos gobbled all the popcorn. I was worried when the movie started and Mr. O’Hare made a declaration that I thought had ruined the end of the movie. Boy was I in for a shock. I won’t say what the declaration was, but don’t, for a minute, think you know how this movie will end. The movie was awesome. The cast was awesome. I loved Hugh Laurie as the father of E.B., the soon to be Easter Bunny. E.B. started the movie off as a cute little cotton tail bunny with the rhythm of a musical icon. The movie flowed into a teenage E.B. that was ready to see the world. Without giving away the movie, E.B. is awesome. He is a bit mischievous and selfish in the beginning but the dude poops jelly beans. You can’t buy that kind of talent. I am wondering if there will be a candy dispenser that poops jelly beans coming out soon. If so, sign me up for several. That rabbit was adorable. He wasn’t the only one either. I started the movie having a cartoon crush on Carlos. His accent was so cute. I fell in love with his needy behind immediately. It wasn’t until deeper in the movie that I felt the need to cheat on Carlos with Phil. What can I say? Phil has moves.
I cannot say enough about this movie. I normally dislike James Marsden. His acting has always been a little uptight to me. Not this time. James Marsden was perfect for this role. It seems like he had almost as much fun as I did. I swear, I could have kicked all the children out and watched it again, alone! The movie was awesome. Something has to be said about the makers of this movie and their ear for music. This movie was made by the same people that made Despicable Me and it shows. They showcased The Blind Boys of Alabama and at that point I was ready to get up and dance. The soundtrack for this movie was great. The children in the theater began to drum in the middle of the movie! That E.B. is one talented little drummer.
Another shocking appearance was that of Chelsea Handler. She did great. She didn’t act like herself at all. That was not a dig at Chelsea, it was a compliment about her range. I cannot think of one person who did not exceed expectations in this movie.
Last, but definitely not least, Russell Brand. What can I say? Russell Brand is just a natural in kid movies. I loved him in Bedtime Stories and I adore him in Hop. He was amazing as E.B. Russell also made a cameo appearance (if you can call it that) as a backstage handler. You have to see the look he gives E.B. when he lets him know its almost time for him to appear on stage. I know what you are thinking. A rabbit going on stage? You just have to see it. Its a great movie for kids and for adults. I am not the Easter Bunny type. I don’t do the hiding of the eggs and I never quite knew what the heck eggs had to do with Easter and really, a bunny. It has never made sense to me. After watching this movie, I was in the Easter spirit. Its strange. You will leave happy. I was very surprised and extremely delighted by this movie. This is yet another winner by Universal Studios.
Tax Deduction Review:
The Tax Deductions (aka my children) absolutely loved Hop. When it is released on DVD, it will definitely become a part of our collection. Tax Deduction 1 says that Hop was Hoptastic and ridiculously funny. Tax Deduction 2 loves a group of ninja bunnies called the Pink Berets. The Pink Berets are dangerously cute bunnies that pack darts that will put a human to sleep. The Pink Berets are no nonsense sisters with skills and a lovely fashion sense. Tax Deduction 3 thinks he could take the Pink Berets. He is the Mikey of the house and hates everything. He gives Hop two thumbs up and wants to go back on April 1st to see it again. Tax Deduction 4 calls Hop a smashing good show. Yep, I believe the accents of the rabbits have rubbed off on that one.
Check out this teaser provided by Hop!
If you were able to see the early showing, tell me what you think. If not, tell me if you plan on going. You will not be disappointed!
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Iron Man 2 Review
Normally I don’t post reviews about random things or events but I just had to take the time out to tell you guys what I thought about Iron Man 2. It was freaking awesome! I loved that movie. Tony Spark and his homeboy Rhodie are so cool. My sons insisted they wanted to be them for Halloween. Unfortunately, they have already started making their costumes out of Dr. Pepper 12pk boxes, duck tape, and well spark plugs.
This may not end well!
Did I mention it was BOTH boys:
We only saw this movie once but I could have sworn Don Cheadle and Robert Downey Jr. were going over lines in the backseat. My girls were thoroughly impressed but quickly overshadowed by the silliness of my boys lol!
I am far from a fan of Mickey Rourke but he did a wonderful job. I love him as a bad guy and honey those highlights. Why was I sitting there jealous as all get out? His highlights are gorgeous and I am thinking that this is a keeper. I could honestly do without the women in the movie but I am partial lol!
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Simply Delicious Cookies Review
Can you say Perfect Peanut Butter Pleasantries? Pillsbury said it with their new Pillsbury cookies. You probably remember my initial post, Pssst, Got Cookies? I had just received my coupons from Psst and I was dying to brag.
I went to my local Albertsons and bought used my free coupon. When we got home, my girls were going nuts because they wanted to eat the cookies. I made them wait a little while, but then I couldn’t take it anymore. I was very tired and I really wanted some peanut butter, so I let the girls make them. My oldest daughter is 11 and the youngest daughter is 10. They went into the kitchen and in true kid fashion, they grabbed a cookie sheet, threw the cookies on the sheet, tossed them in the oven, and ran to watch Disney Channel.
I must admit I was really worried. I figured I better go and check them out. I peeked through the oven door and saw they were not touching each other so I felt a lot better. My oldest daughter, the Royal Watch Watcher, jumped up and ran into the kitchen a few minutes later. All of the other children went running into the kitchen as if the oven called their name.
The cookies smelled wonderful. I was sitting there waiting anxiously for someone to bring “mommy” a cookie! They all emerged about 10 minutes later and no cookie for me. I sheepishly walked into the kitchen and found this:
The crumbs were delicious, so much so, I went back to the store and got myself some MORE Pillsbury Cookie dough and enjoyed the entire package. No, I did not share. No, I do not feel bad. No, I do not blame my children. Those cookies were gooooood!
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Team Salty or Team Sweet Review
Its Friday and what a better time for a review/giveaway! The good folks at General Mills and My Blog Spark were kind enough to send me a Salty Sweet Spark package full of goodies. The FedEx guy handed me this large box and I noticed it was from My Blog Spark. I yelled, “FOOD” and you should have seen his face. I know he had to be thinking this woman has not missed any meals. We will discuss his recovery later, but if you had gotten this huge box of goodies, you would have screamed too!
I am thinking this special review should involve special people. Here is our panel of judges:
These four thumbs belong to the greediest individuals on the planet. I would post pictures but I must protect the identity of the judges for the sake of this review. I call on these prestigious individuals when there is food involved. Greedy as they are, they have diverse palettes and they know a little something about food.
The first tasty treat the judges will try is:
Cocoa Puffs Treats Triple Chocolate
This one should have been a no brainer with all that chocolatey goodness but I still wanted them to try it and give me their honest opinions. Well, it got those 4 thumbs waving so this is definitely a keeper!
Next its time for my personal favorite. I could barely keep my hands off this one. If my husband were home, he would surely find a way to end this love affair with:
Bugles Hot Buffalo
Needless to say, this got 4 thumbs up and a little cheese sauce for dipping! Honestly, this stuff is amazing. You want this on your snack table at Superbowl time and me too if you are the sharing type.
The next plaintiff to enter the court is:
Nature Valley Dark Chocolate Bars
This one had myself and all the judges a bit worried. We are far from fans of dark chocolate. To me, its chocolate that has yet to reach its full potential. I am picky so this review might be a bit bias. I am a huge fan of Nature Valley Bars. I love peanut butter. Its my favorite . . . ooooh then the Oats and Honey. Those bars are slap ya mama good but the Nature Valley Oats ‘ N Dark Chocolate only got a thumbs up from the kid that likes natural peanut butter (oil and all). It was a nice attempt to cover the taste of the dark chocolate and it was definitely something I wouldn’t mind eating. Snacking is something I take seriously and its not something I do often so would choose to snack on this one and neither would 3 of the 4 thumbs.
____________________________________________________________________________________ Debbie Meyer’s Green Bags Review 
To take a little of the stress away from searching for work from home, I decided to add a product review segment, on Fridays. Guests can suggest products to be reviewed. There will also be reviews of restaurant menus, medication, toys, etc.
I will begin with a product that I find to be wonderful. Not every product will be favorable, but all reviews will be my honest and true opinion. Today’s review is of Debbie Meyer’s Green Bags. I haggled back and forth over whether or not to purchase these bags. On one hand, they could save me quite a bit of money by keeping my fruit and veggies fresh. On the other hand, I could be wasting my money on these worthless bags. I thought long and hard before I decided to go into a local store and purchase a box of my own. That was my first box.
I recently purchased another box of green bags, just in case I ran out. I always fear that a family member will come over and take one. Either that or, I will boast so much I end up feeling compelled to share with them. These bags are wonderful. I purchased some giant tomatoes 2 weeks ago and they still look as good as the day I bought them. They taste delicious and I have opened and closed the bag on several occasions. I also purchased soft tomatoes, as a bit of a hypothesis. I figured that soft tomatoes would surely mold and turn to mush. Not with the green bags! The tomatoes look exactly like the the firmer tomatoes.
I cannot say enough about these bags. This gets a huge thumbs up for me. I have estimated a savings of $18, thus far and the savings keeps growing. These bags work great with bananas, broccoli, carrots, peaches, you name it!
**Some future reviews will include personal photos when needed. Gotta replace that digital camera first. Feel free to visit our Amazon Store to purchase your own Debbie Meyer’s Greenbags.**
