Lucid New York Review

As I’ve mentioned before I love jewelry and I really love handmade jewelry, there is just something super special about it being handmade! So when I was introduced to Lucid New York and their line of handmade jewelry I was very excited when I was given the chance to choose a piece to review!

About Lucid New York (Taken From Website):

Lucid is light, airy and chic. It is also very trendy. Anna, who designs all the pieces gets motivated by the clients, who keep asking her what’s new. Her inspiration comes from people watching – their movements, gestures, clothes. She loves asymmetry but watches for balance. The whimsical touch in her pieces is for every woman, who believes in fairytales, every woman with the girl in her.

Since all Lucid Studio jewelry has been handmade in the US, it is easier to keep introducing new items and deliver the latest fast. Lucid pieces are versatile, most necklaces can be worn many ways – long, short, doubled, wrapped around pieces are fun to own since we can all have them our way.

My Thoughts:

I was given the opportunity to choose a beautiful piece of jewelry from Lucid New York to review and to be quite honest I did have quite a hard time choosing just one piece from all the amazing handmade jewelry available! But, after sometime of looking I finally decided I would like to review the Sterling Silver Anchor Necklace! My necklace arrived very quickly and was very well protected during shipping and arrived in perfect shape.

Once my necklace arrived I immediately started wearing it and have been wearing it daily for the last couple of weeks and I absolutely love it! The sterling sliver anchor charm is small but it also has a very delicate look about it and looks amazing with my everyday wardrobe! I have gotten so many lovely compliments from so many people while wearing the necklace and it’s just one of those necklace pieces that just go with everything and looks great no matter what the occasion from a busy day running errands or a date night out with the hubby it works every way!

Now, when I find a piece of jewelry I just absolutely love such as the Sterling Silver Anchor Necklace, I don’t really take it off for anything including showers and that’s where most of my jewelry has problems with turning my skin green and ect…but that is not the case with the necklace from Lucid New York, it has held up very well with the daily wear and tear and daily showers/baths and I have no complaints what so ever with this piece! I feel like the necklace is very high quality and the workmanship on the actual anchor charm is amazing and the detail is just beautiful! The necklace is priced at $45 and I feel that it is very well priced for the beauty and high quality you get when you purchase this necklace!

Bottom Line:

My overall experience with Lucid New York and the beautiful silver necklace has been wonderful! I’m also very impressed with the service and shipping I received and I feel like I can’t go wrong when I order a beautiful piece of handmade jewelry from Lucid New York, because I’m confident I’m only getting the best service and highest quality products!

If you are in the market for a beautiful handmade jewelry piece to add to your jewelry collection I highly recommend the pieces at Lucid New York for their affordable prices and high quality pieces!

Buy It:
To purchase the Sterling Silver Anchor Necklace for only $45.00 visit the Lucid New York website!

Connect with Lucid New York on their Blog, Facebook and Twitter!

This review is based strictly my opinion. Others may have a different opinion with the product listed above. I did receive the Sterling Silver Anchor Necklace mentioned above complementary for this review. No monetary compensation was received.

Choccreate Chocolates Review and Giveaway

Hi my name is Stephanie and I’m a Chocoholic! Yes, it’s true, I’m totally addicted to chocolate, and one of my goals in life is to find the absolute best chocolate bars! Well I was recently introduced on an amazing company called Choccreate Chocolates that no only offers some unique chocolate bars but also allows you to create you own custom dream chocolate bars, with your choice of chocolate and ingredients, how great is that??? When I was given the opportunity to review a couple of my own custom created chocolate bars I was literally in chocolate heaven!!!

About Choccreate Chocolates (Taken From Website):

IN MEMORY OF MY MOTHER

My Mother, every Christmas Eve, and sometimes around Easter, would melt & temper her own chocolate, adding her favorite ingredients, dried fruits & nuts, and then decorate the chocolate bars, for the season, whether it be Christmas, New Year's Eve or Easter. My Mothers favorite time of the year was Christmas. In Germany, the Christmas season, and the opening of the Christmas Markets (a public open air market, a german tradition during the christmas season), starts promptly at the end of November, in every town and city, across Germany. Similar to "the States" where the Christmas Season commences with "Black Friday" in November after Thanks Giving. In the region where I grew up, the Black Forest Region in Southern Germany, we would ride the trains, with my Mother, to the various neighbouring towns, every Friday & Saturday, during the crisp cold merry winter evenings of December, exploring the Local Traditional Markets, dining on Schupfnudeln with Sauerkraut, (Schupfnudeln is a type of dumplings like gnocchi, made from wheat flour & egg), and German Bratwurst on a bun (German version of a hotdog), and exploring the multitudes of unique temporary stores, for thoughtful gifts, savouring the sights and sounds, with other joyous & festive people, and the smells. Oh! the smells, from the dozens of fresh & hot food stores, cooking up delightfully fresh & popular treats for the hungry shoppers & browsers, as we often were, from bratwurst & bockwurst on the grill, to crepes fresh from the pan, and chocolate stores, lots of chocolate stores, with fresh fruit dipped in various types chocolate, to chocolate molded and topped with assorted nut combinations.

After my Mother passed away in July 2007, I missed her, I missed the chocolates she always made, with her own personal touch and imagination, I missed the Seasons and what they meant, and I missed those trips we would take to a plethora of Christmas Markets every December. I found relief and solace, in rejoicing and recreating those memories of what my Mother used to do, by making Chocolates, like she used to do, for our friends & family, creating new memories, rejoicing in the season, and sharing, the gift of giving, and the gift of memories, with others, like my Mother used to do with us. I found this so rewarding, that I thought of helping others to do the same, create extraordinary chocolates, for themselves and their family & friends, so they could enjoy the gift of chocolate, their own personal way, and gift chocolate to others as I have done for years. Chocolate is a symbol of good times, of warmth and sharing, of joy and merriment. And thus the establishment and development of Choccreate Chocolates @ www.ChocCreate.com , where I make it easy, in a few simple steps, for anyone to logon and create their chocolates for themselves, and gifts for others. You can make your chocolate your way @ www.ChocCreate.com .

Our Thoughts:

We were given a $25 gift certificate to create our own custom chocolate bars and it was enough for us to create 3 chocolate bars, so we decided to each create one bar apiece! Our chocolate bars arrived super quickly and in wonderful condition! They were packaged very securely and were presented very nicely and I’m still using the cute little box that they came in as a decorative candy box on our end table!

For my custom chocolate bar I decided to make a white chocolate bar with pecans, cashews, sunflower seeds and almond slivers! I do have to admit that making my bar I did have a hard time trying to decide what goodies I wanted to include in my bar, since Choccreate has so many options that would have been delicious in white chocolate! Once my bar arrived I immediately decided to try it and of course I shared with “Bug” and Chad and I have to say that I loved it, it was the perfect combination of sweet and salty! “Bug” really enjoyed it as well and I think Chad was jealous that he didn’t make a white chocolate bar :0)! I will defiantly be ordering more of these delicious white chocolate and nut bars in the future!

“Bug” also created his own chocolate bar and for his he decided to do the milk chocolate bar with mini pretzels and mini marshmallows! I initially thought that it was kind of a weird combination but once it arrived and “Bug” opened it I just had to try it! I was quite surprised at the amazing combination of flavors that the milk chocolate, pretzels and marshmallows made when mixed together! Now, “Bug” loved this chocolate bar and ended up eating most of it all by himself over the course of a couple of days and he is still asking for more so I have a feeling we are going to have to keep “Bug’s” chocolate creation on hand for quite some time.

Chad was the last one to create his chocolate bar and he decided to make his a milk chocolate bar with coconut and pecans! This bar was really great as well, much to my surprise and I think a little to Chad’s surprise as well! There was just something about the sweet coconut and the crunch of the pecans that really made this chocolate bar unique and yummy!

The whole process of choosing the chocolate and extras was a super easy process and I love that each of the extras tells you how much it will add to the cost of the chocolate bar! I am very pleased with the prices as well….I would much rather spend a few more cents for a custom bar made just for me vs. going to the grocery store for a candy bar and spend just as much or almost as much for just plain old chocolate…..wouldn’t you??? Now, if you don’t want to take the time, or if you don’t have the creativeness to make your own chocolate combination you can always choose from some of the most popular combos!!!


Bottom Line:

We all absolutely loved the whole process of getting to create our own chocolate bars with our own unique twist! And to be quite honest I was very happily surprised at how quickly our custom chocolate bars arrived and how great they were packaged! All three of the chocolate bars was so delicious and we are all contemplating on what our next Choccreate Chocolate creations will be!

If you love chocolate as much as I do I highly recommend visiting Choccreate Chocolate and creating your own customized chocolate bars! Trust me you will become addicted to Choccreate Chocolate bars, I know we did :0)!!!!

Buy It:
To purchase Choccreate Chocolate Bars or create your own visit the Choccreate Chocolate website!

Discount:
I have an awesome offer for all of my lovely readers…when you use the code “cartoonmom” you will receive a 20% discount valid through 02/28/2011!!

Win It:
Choccreate Chocolate has very generously offered one of my lucky readers a $25 gift certificate so you can create you own yummy chocolate bars to get your chocolate fix!

Mandatory Entry: Visit Choccreate Chocolate and create a New Years or Valentines Day themed Chocoalte Bar! Please remember to leave your e-mail address if it’s not visible in your profile.

Want or need extra entries? Check out how to grab em’ below! (Mandatory Entry must be complete for these to count)

1. Become a public follower of my blog (2 extra)

2. Follow me on twitter @sgrant2005 and tweet this giveaway (can be done daily)

3. Subscribe to my feed via a reader

4. Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post and to Choccreate Chocolate be sure to leave me a link (5 extra)

5. Follow Choccreate Chocolate on Twitter

6. “Like” Choccreate Chocolate on Facebook

7. Follow the Choccreate Chocolate Blog

Giveaway ends Jan 12, 2011 @ midnight CST. Winner will be chosen at random, using random.org and contacted by e-mail and has 48 hrs to respond before a new winner is chosen.

This review is based strictly my opinion. Others may have a different opinion with the product listed above. I did receive the Choccreate Chocolate mentioned above complementary for this review. No monetary compensation was received.

MyFairyTaleBooks Review and Giveaway

I know that I have mentioned this before but our little man “Bug” is only 2 ½ but he really loves books, he loves for us to read them to him and at times he just prefers to sit and look at the pictures in the books all by himself and make up his own stories to go along with the pictures. So recently I began looking for special and unique one of a kind books just for him and with his birthday fast approaching (February 07 to be exact), I felt that he would love to get books as a birthday gift since he already has so many toys and well….also the fact that he loves books!! When I discovered MyFairyTaleBooks.com, I was immediately in love, and I knew that a personalized book from MyFairyTaleBooks would make a wonderful gift for “Bug”!

About MyFairyTaleBooks (Taken From Website):

MyFairyTaleBooks is a small company run in New York State. All books are processed and hand bound in our facility by us. We take special care with each and every order to make sure all information is correct and shipped out on time. Our customer service representatives are available to answer any and all questions you may have. We will work with you to make sure you receive the perfect personalized children’s book that the child in your life will enjoy forever!

Please feel free to contact us with any special requests you may have. We will work to accommodate your requests if we are able to do so. We hope to make your shopping experience with us as memorable as the books you receive.

Our Thoughts:

We were given the opportunity to choose a book from MyFairyTaleBooks.com to review and let me just start off by saying they have an absolute wonderful selection of books to choose from, so there is just no chance that you wont find the perfect book for you or the kiddo in your life! Now, with that said after some time of searching and debating my husband and I decided to let “Bug” choose his own book since of course he was the one who we were getting the book for and it didn’t take him much time at all to choose the Personalized Children’s Mother Goose Book!

The next step of personalizing the book was much easier then the decision on which great book to choose, all we had to do was choose if it was for a boy or girl then answer the following questions: First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, Hometown, State, Age, Friend/Relative Name (up to three) and then the Dedication of the book! As you can see those questions were super simple and took less than 2 minuets to answer and then our book was finished and we just had to wait and I have to say that our book arrived so much quicker than I had initially expected since it was a personalized item, so that was very awesome!

Once the book arrived I just couldn’t wait to give it to “Bug” so instead of waiting until his birthday like we had planned I went ahead and let him open the package with the book and I wish I would have had my camera ready to catch the look on his face!!! We immediately sat down to read his new book and he was quite excited to see his name along with his friends names in the book and I am so happy at the way it turned out! It is way more special than I could have ever imagined!!! The colors and illustrations in the book are beautiful and really keep “Bug’s” attention when we are reading it to him and since it’s arrival we have read it at least once a day (at bedtime) but there have been a couple of days where we have read it three or four times! I think it’s a very safe bet to say that “Bug” loves his Personalized Children’s Mother Goose Book and that it will be a favorite at bedtime for quite some time to come!

Not only does MyFairyTaleBooks offer awesome personalized books for children they also offer a selection of Personalized Music Cds, Personalized Gift Sets to Gift Certificates and if that isn’t awesome enough you can check out the free Coloring Pages they have available on their website!

Bottom Line:

I have really enjoyed the opportunity to work with MyFairyTaleBooks! I can’t even begin to explain how easy and fun the entire process was, the only issue we had was trying to decide which of the amazing books we wanted to review! We have all really enjoyed reading the book and as I mentioned “Bug” loves that his name along with a few of his friends names appears in the books in several places, I think it truly makes reading this book a very fun and unique experience! I want to sincerely thank MyFairyTaleBooks and Kelly for allowing our family to review such a neat product and we are looking forward to purchasing more books from MyFairyTaleBooks.com in the future!

If you are looking for a very unique and fun baby or toddler gift, I think “Bug” would agree that you should check out the wonderful and huge selection of personalized books available from MyFairyTaleBooks.com!

Buy It:
To purchase the Personalized Children’s Mother Goose Book and so many others visit the MyFairyTaleBooks.com website!

Win It:
MyFairyTaleBooks has very generously offered one of my lucky readers a personalized children‘s book of their choice (ARV $11.95)!

Mandatory Entry: Visit MyFairyTaleBooks.com and tell me what book you think you would choose if you won and who it would be for! Please remember to leave your e-mail address if it’s not visible in your profile.

Want or need extra entries? Check out how to grab em’ below! (Mandatory Entry must be complete for these to count)

1. Become a public follower of my blog (2 extra)

2. Follow me on twitter @sgrant2005 and tweet this giveaway (can be done daily)

3. Subscribe to my feed via a reader

4. Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post and to MyFairyTaleBooks be sure to leave me a link (5 extra)

5. Follow MyFairyTaleBooks on Twitter

6. “Like” MyFairyTaleBooks on Facebook

7. Follow the MyFairyTakeBooks Blog

Giveaway ends Jan 12, 2011 @ midnight CST. Winner will be chosen at random, using random.org and contacted by e-mail and has 48 hrs to respond before a new winner is chosen.

This review is based strictly my opinion. Others may have a different opinion with the product listed above. I did receive the Personalized Children’s Mother Goose Book mentioned above complementary for this review. No monetary compensation was received.

Mattel Toys Review

I know Christmas is over but I have a couple of great toys that I feel like I really need to share with you all, since we all know that after Christmas comes birthday after birthday right? Well for us “Bug’s” Birthday comes in February so we are already working on getting the party planned and put together! I was given the opportunity to review a couple of toys from Mattel Brands over Christmas and I have to say we were very excited to get the opportunity and it was a mighty hard choice to make in choosing the items we whished to review since Mattel has always been a brand favorite in our house! But we finally decided on the Cars Toons Monster Truck Wrastlin' Ring and a World Wrestling Entertainment® Flexforce™ Big Talkin’™ Figure (which we were sent Triple H)

About Cars Toons Monster Truck Wrastlin' Ring:

Devour the monster in this wrastlin' ring! In the Cars Toon "Monster Truck Mater," Mater claims he was once a wrestling sensation. But Lightning McQueen suddenly becomes the star of Mater's story! Here's your chance to help "Frightening McMean" win the main event and take on a devious foe.

The monster claw scoops up unsuspecting wrestlers
Spinning floor makes for dizzy wrestlers
Flipping action lever for crazy stunts
Made for Cars Toon Deluxe Vehicles monster trucks

Battery Required: Yes | Batteries Included: No
Battery Quantity: 3 | Battery Type: AA Alkaline | Battery Included Quantity: 0
Non Replaceable: No
Assembly Required: Yes
Age Grade: 4 & up
Country of Origin: Imported

About World Wrestling Entertainment® Flexforce™ Big Talkin’™ Figure Triple H:

"Time to play the game." Triple H® is in the ring and about to deliver his signature move. The crowd knows this match is about to end in spectacular fashion, and roars with approval. Triple H® takes the WWE® Championship again!!

Flexgrip hands to wield weapons and grab opponents
Audio chip plays signature catchphrases
Pull arm back to pound opponents
Includes table accessory, smashable in half

Battery Required: Yes | Batteries Included: Yes
Battery Quantity: 3 | Battery Type: AG13 Button Cell | Battery Included Quantity: 3
Non Replaceable: No
Assembly Required: No
Age Grade: 6 & up
Country of Origin: Imported

Our Thoughts:

I say our thoughts but it’s really “Bug’s” thoughts since he is the one that has been the one enjoying both of these toys! I can’t tell you how happy the little man was on Christmas morning when he opened both of them especially the Cars Toons Monster Truck Wrastlin' Ring, since it was the one thing he asked for over and over! I’m so happy that both of these arrived a few days before Christmas for “Bug”!

Naturally the first item we decided to review was the Cars Toons Monster Truck Wrastlin' Ring and according to my husband it is very quick and easy to put together and in no time we were having full on Cars wrestling matches!!! This toy is super simple yet brings hours of fun and imaginative play for “Bug” and his friends…..well I’ll admit for me and Chad as well! It says for ages 4 and up but “Bug” who is soon to be 3 in February didn’t have any problems what so ever figuring out how to use the wrestling ring and all it’s neat little features like the sling shot from the side rope and the lever that makes the little monster trucks pop up and move across the ring! I myself think this is one of the coolest Cars toys on the market and that could be because I’m a die hard wrestling fan and I’ve been watching all kinds of wrestling since I was 7 years old and “Bug” has grown up thus far watching it each and every night it’s on TV!

Next, we decided to check out the World Wrestling Entertainment® Flexforce™ Big Talkin’™ Figure Triple H, first I just want to say that we didn’t get to chose the figure we were sent but I for one was quite happy to see that we were sent Triple H himself!!! I’ve been a fan of Triple H since I can remember and “Bug” has also grew up enjoying Triple H and knew immediately who the figure was and couldn’t wait to get him out of the package! He has spent quite some time playing with Triple H and is now repeating each of the fun phrases that he says when you twist his upper body! Triple H also came with a table that can be put together and played with where it will break in half when it’s touched or Triple H is body slammed on to it!

Both of the toys we were sent is very high quality and very durable and we have all really enjoyed having them around and playing with them on a daily basis, and “Bug” has really enjoyed them more than any of us….as well he should have but I can tell you they have both been pretty popular with all of the kiddos that come around!

Bottom Line:

Once again Mattel has proven why they are one of the top toy companies as far as our family goes and we could not be happier with both of the items we were sent to review and I can tell you that Mattel and their family of brands will be a staple in our toy room for many years to come!!

We all three highly recommend the Cars Toons Monster Truck Wrastlin' Ring and World Wrestling Entertainment® Flexforce™ Big Talkin’™ Figures, they are both super fun and we feel they are high quality and well worth the money you pay for them and they are also super affordable! So be sure to keep them in mind when buying for Birthdays and other special events!

Buy It:
To purchase World Wrestling Entertainment® Flexforce™ Big Talkin’™ Figures and/or the Cars Toons Monster Truck Wrastlin' Ring check out your local toy stores or wherever Mattel family of brands are sold!

This review is based strictly my opinion. Others may have a different opinion with the product listed above. I did receive the World Wrestling Entertainment® Flexforce™ Big Talkin’™ Figure Triple H and the Cars Toons Monster Truck Wrastlin' Ring mentioned above complementary for this review. No monetary compensation was received.

Kranich’s Jewelry Review

Ok so you may or may not know this but like most women, I love jewelry!! I for one am not picky about my jewelry when it comes to gold or silver or stone I love them all! I think that every piece of jewelry has it’s own special beauty and I like to think that I am truly appreciative of all the jewelry pieces I’m given as a gift or as a review item, so of course when I get the opportunity to review a beautiful piece of jewelry I just can’t turn it down so I’m very excited to introduce you to a wonderful jewelry company that has some of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry that I have ever laid my eyes on and I’m talking about Kranich’s Jewelry!!!

About Kranich‘s Jewelry (taken from the website):

Kranich's Brothers Jewelers was established in York, Pennsylvania, in 1903. The Kranich Brothers had stores in York, Lancaster and Altoona, Pennsylvania as well as one in Worcester, Mass. The Altoona store opened in 1923. Charles and Mildred Kranich operated and expanded the Altoona operation. In 1962, Charles and Mildred were joined in business by their son, Michael. In 1976 the Kranich's opened a store in Downtown State College, the home of Penn State University. Charles and Mildred Kranich died in 1978 and Michael took over the family business. In 1996 Kranich's opened a second State College location at the Nittany Mall. In 2000 Kranich’s opened a location in the Johnstown Galleria. In 2008 Kranich’s dramatically expanded their Logan Valley Mall location and Corporate offices. Michael Kranich was joined in business by his son Charles in 1991 and by his son Michael in 1996. Charles and Michael now serve as Co-Presidents of the company.

The Kranich family believes it is very important to contribute to the communities they serve. Consequently, they are involved in many civic and charitable activities. In 2003, Kranich's celebrated their 100th year. In recent years, Kranich’s has been inducted into the Blair County Business hall of fame and has been named one of Central Pennsylvania’s leading businesses by Pennsylvania Business Central Magazine.

Throughout its history, Kranich's Jewelers has specialized in fine diamond jewelry and engagement rings. Today, Kranich's also specializes in fine timepieces, colored gemstones, gold and platinum jewelry and pearls. They also feature selections of Designer Jewelry, Estate Jewelry, Penn State Jewelry and Fine Crystal. In recent years, Kranich’s has actively grown their ecommerce business (kranichs.com). Such growth has given the company an international reach. Kranich's remains your leading source for Fine Jewelry and Gifts in Central Pennsylvania.

My Thoughts:

I was given the opportunity to choose a beautiful piece of jewelry from Kranich’s Jewelry to review and I will admit that I had quite a hard time trying to decide on the perfect review piece but I finally decided on the Spectacular Everlon Diamond Knot Sterling Sliver Ring from the Everlon love-knot collection!! My ring arrived very quickly and was packaged very well!! I love that they shipped it where it had to have a signature to receive the package with the ring so it was very well protected….which to me is a must when purchasing jewelry online!

I have been wearing my ring for a week or so now, well I’ve worn it everyday since it arrived at my door and I absolutely love it!!! My favorite feature of the ring itself is that its small and very detailed but it doesn’t overwhelm my other rings that I wear and that’s so very important when I’m looking for additional rings to wear especially with my wedding set! Over the time I have been wearing my ring from Kranich’s Jewelry I have had no complaints what-so-ever the ring is very high quality and I have to say that I would be very comfortable purchasing additional jewelry from Kranich’s in the future!

Now, Kranich’s has quite a wonderful collection of beautiful jewelry pieces in the Everlon love-knot collection but they also have a wonderful selection of Mother’s Rings and let me just say that their line of Scott Kay Engagement and Fashion Jewelry is simply breathtaking!!! I have gotten so many wonderful compliments on my Everlon Diamond Knot Sterling Sliver Ring, that I can’t even begin to count them on both hands and feet!! I just could not believe the quality of this ring, it’s absolutely perfect in every way and I can’t stress how much I absolutely love this ring and it makes a perfect addition to any and all of my wardrobe and looks amazing with my other jewelry!

Bottom Line:

After spending some time checking out all of the amazing pieces available at Kranich’s Jewelry, I have a wish list that I know has to be a mile long….I just love all the pieces and the prices are very affordable!!! Also now that I know how wonderful and helpful the customer service and how secure and lighting fast the shipping of their jewelry pieces are I will defiantly be choosing Kranich’s Jewelry for all my future jewelry needs!!

I totally recommend checking out the beautiful jewelry at Kranich’s Jewelry if you are searching for the perfect piece of jewelry for the special people in your life!

Buy It:
To purchase the Spectacular Everlon Diamond Knot Sterling Sliver Ring visit the Kranich’s Jewelry website!

Connect with Kranich’s Jewelry on Facebook and on Twitter

This review is based strictly my opinion. Others may have a different opinion with the product listed above. I did receive the Spectacular Everlon Diamond Knot Sterling Sliver Ring mentioned above complementary for this review. No monetary compensation was received.

NUTRISCA Dog Food from DOGSWELL Review and Giveaway

As most if not all of you know we have a Boxer pup, well he isn’t so much of a puppy anymore but he is quite picky about what he eats and certain dog foods cause him to have serious stomach problems, where he can’t hold any foods down, so we have to buy a certain brand of dog food. I was recently contacted about reviewing NUTRISCA Dry Dog Food from DOGSWELL and I was a bit nervous at first due to Cash’s sensitive stomach, but after reading into NUTRISCA we decided to go ahead and review it anyways and boy am I glad we did!

About DOGSWELL (Taken From Website):

At DOGSWELL®, we care about what we feed our own pets and know that you do as well. All DOGSWELL® products are made from premium, natural ingredients with one catch – unlike most food available for pets, DOGSWELL® products come in a variety of functional formulas that are healthy for your dog and cat.

All DOGSWELL® products are made from natural meat and poultry with absolutely no added hormones, processed gluten, and no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Products are free of wheat, corn, soy, and flour. DOGSWELL® food and treats do not contain BHA, BHT or Ethoxyquin, artificial preservatives that extend the shelf life of a product.

By using the best natural healthy ingredients combined with functionality, DOGSWELL® provides pure nutrition with natural benefits. It’s simple, functional and just what your pet wants and needs.

About NUTRISCA:

DOGSWELL is proud to introduce NUTRISCA, our new line of grain free dry foods for dogs. It’s one of the only grain free recipes without potato or tapioca, both of which are high on the glycemic index, and may contribute to weight gain. Instead low glycemic chickpeas and peas are used, which are excellent sources of protein, fiber and folic acid.

Everything you want, Nothing you don’t:
No Gluten
No Soy
No Corn
No Wheat
No Flour
No BHA/BHT
No Added Steroids
No Ethoxyquin
No Added Hormones
No Artificial Colors
No Artificial Flavors
No Artificial Preservatives

Our Thoughts:

We were sent a 4lb bag of our choice of either the Lamb and Chickpea Recipe or the Chicken and Chickpea Recipe to review, and we immediately decided on the Lamb and Chickpea to review! Our bag of food arrived very quickly and just in the nick of time, we had just fed the last bit of the food we were using to Cash that morning! The first thing I did was open the bag and have a smell for myself because I am very strict on the rule that if I wouldn’t eat or if I don’t like the smell I wont feed it to Cash!

I gave Cash a couple of scoops for lunch/dinner of the new NUTRISCA Lamb and Chickpea dry food and I was amazed at how quickly he took to the new food and it didn’t take him long to have every bit of it out of his food bowl! He really seemed to love it but the real test was rather or not it was going to upset his sensitive stomach and I figured within 30 minuets or so we would know if he was going to keep it down or not, and we are very happy to report that he had no problems with his stomach switching from his regular brand to the NUTRISCA Lamb and Chickpea recipe and I have to say that he prefers the NUTRISCA over his original brand in a taste test where we put a bowl of each down and let him choose and he immediately chose the NUTRISCA!

The best part besides the fact that NUTRISCA is healthier for him and that it doesn’t irritate his stomach is that it doesn’t cost anymore than the other special brand we had be buying for him so I’m very happy to say that we are DOGSWELL and NUTRISCA’s newest loyal customers!

Bottom Line:

Cash really loves the NUTRISCA Lamb and Chickpea dry food and we have since started purchasing it on a regular basis, yes, it does cost more than tradition dry dog foods but if you have a dog with an allergies to corn like Cash or you just want to give them the best of everything Cash really recommends NUTRISCA!!!! We can’t wait to also try the Chicken and Chickpea recipe as well!

Buy It:
To purchase NUTRISCA visit the DOGSWELL website to find a retail location near you or to purchase online!

Win It:
DOGSWELL has generously offered five (5) of my readers a 1lb bag of NUTRISCA in their choice of Lamb or Chicken flavor (ARV $3.99)

Mandatory Entry: Visit DOGSWELL and tell me another product you think your pup would like! Please remember to leave your e-mail address if it’s not visible in your profile.

Want or need extra entries? Check out how to grab em’ below! (Mandatory Entry must be complete for these to count)

1. Become a public follower of my blog (2 extra)

2. Follow me on twitter @sgrant2005 and tweet this giveaway (can be done daily)

3. Subscribe to my feed via a reader

4. Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post and to DOGSWELL! be sure to leave me a link (5 extra)

5. Follow DOGSWELL on Twitter

6. “Like” DOGSWELL on Facebook

Giveaway ends Jan 09, 2010 @ midnight CST. Winner will be chosen at random, using random.org and contacted by e-mail and has 48 hrs to respond before a new winner is chosen.

This review is based strictly my opinion. Others may have a different opinion with the product listed above. I did receive the 4lb bag of Nutrisca Lamb and Chickpea dry dog food mentioned above from DOGSWELL complementary for this review. No monetary compensation was received.

Tim McGraw Fragrances by Coty Review and Giveaway

Like most wives and girlfriends I like my man to not only look good when we go out for a date night I also like for him to smell as great as he looks so I’m always on the lookout for new fragrances for him to try and I for one am quite picky when it comes to how my man smells when we go out for our date night or when we go to a friendly or family get together so when I was given the opportunity from Coty to review Tim McGraw Fragrances we were both really excited because for one I love Coty and their fragrances for women so I felt the men’s fragrance would be just as wonderful and my husband was excited because Tim McGraw just happens to be one of his most favorite Country Music Artist!

About McGraw by Tim McGraw:

The first fragrance from country singer Tim McGraw is a sensual and modern Woody/Spicy scent for men. Top notes of bergamot and freshly grated nutmeg blend into a woody aromatic heart of moss and lavender. Base notes are sensual notes of amber, patchouli and sandalwood blended with a touch of aged whisky.

About Southern Blend by Tim McGraw:

Men's McGraw Southern Blend by Tim McGraw incorporates essences of a man from the South, who is not only masculine, charismatic, strong, but also sexy and tough at the same time. This composition includes grapefruit, star annis, bergamot, lavender, violet leaf, whiskey, vetiver, amber and tobacco.

About Silver by Tim McGraw:

Tim McGraw McGraw Silver EDT Spray is an alluring woody fougere with top notes of watery aromatics an green leaves. It has midnotes of lavender and orange with a warm and seductive base of vetiver, musk, sandalwood and saffron.

Our Thoughts:

We….well I mean Chad was sent a bottle of McGraw by Tim McGraw and Sliver by Tim McGraw to review and the first thing I noticed and was really drawn to was the design of the package and the bottles themselves I would have defiantly stopped and took a look at both of these fragrances in store if I would have been shopping for fragrances for my husband just by the packaging!

The first fragrance he decided he was going to try was the McGraw by Tim McGraw and I have to admit that this fragrance was unlike any of the other fragrances he has ever worn before and I love it!! It’s so simple yet very sexy on him and I really enjoy it when he wears this fragrance! His thoughts was very close to mine except he didn’t call it sexy, he really likes it and wears it quite regularly when we go out and many of our female friends and family members has made a point to tell him that he smells really good and ask what the fragrance is! He has said that this fragrance is very manly and that if he didn’t get so stinky at work he would wear it on a daily basis to work!

Next he tried out the Silver by Tim McGraw and this one is by far my favorite of the two even though I really like the McGraw fragrance I think that Silver is perfect for the nights where we get to spend time with each other or maybe even get to squeeze in a date night! He really likes Sliver as well but he feels the same as I do about using it for our special dates and not as an everyday fragrance like he uses the McGraw fragrance! I have noticed that after his nightly shower he does use the Silver before bed and I absolutely love snuggling with my man since he smells so sexy…and if I were to imagine I would say this is how Tim McGraw himself would smell :0)!!!!

Bottom Line:

We are both very happy with both of the Tim McGraw Fragrances that we were sent, they have really lived up to the Coty name and by far to Tim McGraw! My husband has said that he will only be using Tim McGraw Fragrances from now on…and you know what???? That is completely fine with me!

Ladies if you are looking for a fragrance for your man to help make them smell as sexy as they look I totally recommend the fragrance collection by Tim McGraw…..and men if you are looking for a fragrance to knock your ladies off their feet (in a great way) pick yourself up one of these super sexy fragrances by Tim McGraw!!!

Buy It:
To purchase Tim McGraw Fragrances visit the Tim McGraw Fragrances website to find a retail location near you!

Win It:
Coty has so very generously offered one of my readers a 1.0 oz/30ml Eau de Toilette bottle of two of the Tim McGraw Fragrances: McGraw by Tim McGraw and Southern Blend by Tim McGraw (ARV $49.00)

Mandatory Entry: Visit Tim McGraw Fragrances and tell me you think would be your/ or your man’s favorite fragrance would be and why! Please remember to leave your e-mail address if it’s not visible in your profile.

Want or need extra entries? Check out how to grab em’ below! (Mandatory Entry must be complete for these to count)

1. Become a public follower of my blog (2 extra)

2. Follow me on twitter @sgrant2005 and tweet this giveaway (can be done daily)

3. Subscribe to my feed via a reader

4. Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post and to Tim McGraw Fragrances! be sure to leave me a link (5 extra)

5. Enter one of my other current giveaways (2 extra per giveaway entered)

Giveaway ends Jan 09, 2010 @ midnight CST. Winner will be chosen at random, using random.org and contacted by e-mail and has 48 hrs to respond before a new winner is chosen.

This review is based strictly my opinion. Others may have a different opinion with the product listed above. I did receive the Tim McGraw Fragrances mentioned above from Coty complementary for this review. No monetary compensation was received.

Faith Hill Fragrances by Coty Review and Giveaway

The one thing I love to buy for myself besides cosmetics is fragrances!!! I have quite a few different perfumes and fragrances because to be quite frank and honest I quickly become board if I only have one fragrance to wear day after day and I love to switch off between fragrances to keep it fresh, so with that said I am always on the lookout for new and unique fragrances and one of my all time favorite fragrance companies happens to be Coty, so when I was given the opportunity to review some of their newest fragrances by Faith Hill, Faith Hill True and Faith Hill Parfums, so needless to say I was very excited for them to arrive!!

About Faith Hill True (Taken from Website):

Inspired by casual sensuality and spirited femininity, Faith Hill True embodies a woman’s incredible sense of self- pure, honest, and unabashed. Opening with a burst of exotic citrus, Faith Hill True weaves a breezy floral middle and finishes with a woody base of warmth and subtle sexuality!

About Faith Hill Parfums (Taken from Website):

Inspired by the luminous radiance of every woman, Faith Hill Parfums embodies modern, yet classic femininity. Opening with a sparkling floral bouquet, Faith Hill Parfums exudes delicate and sensuous elegance at the heart and finishes with seductive bottom notes for a calming, smoky, unforgettable feminine finish.

My Thoughts:

Like I stated above I was sent a bottle of Faith Hill True and a bottle of Faith Hill Parfums to review and I was quite excited for them to arrive since I’m a huge fan of Coty and their fragrances and I purchase them quite often, although I had not yet purchased either of the Faith Hill fragrances!

The first fragrance I decided to try out was the Faith Hill Parfums, first let me start by saying that I’m a huge fan of Faith Hill and her music, and that I absolutely love the design of the fragrance bottle! Now, the scent itself is just a very pleasant and clean scent, I love it plain and simple and I feel like this is a fragrance I would wear on a daily basis to do my daily chores and on my shopping trips! My husband is also a fan of the Faith Hill Parfums as well he says it’s a very clean and sexy scent and he really likes when I wear it! He immediately noticed that I had a new fragrance on when he came home from work, and was very surprised when I told him what it was and he immediately said I should wear it more often. I have gotten many compliments while wearing this fragrance out and about and I couldn’t count on my fingers or toes how many women have wanted to know what it was and where they could get it. My sister has even when and bought her a bottle since sampling my bottle I was sent for review!

Next I decided it was time to change things up a bit and try out the Faith Hill True fragrance I was also sent and like before I’m loving the design of the bottle, and I really loved the Faith Hill Parfums fragrance so naturally my standards for the True fragrance was set really high and believe it or not I have to say out of the two fragrances the Faith Hill True is my absolute favorite although I really like the Parfums as well. I think that the Faith Hill True fragrance is just the perfect fragrance for me and my personality it is most defiantly a fragrance that I would have went to the store and bought for myself! I think it makes the perfect date night fragrance or perfect for a night out with the girls! The only way I can describe this fragrance is that to me it’s a very sexy scent and everyone has loved it and we even bought my sister-in-laws each a bottle because they just went on and on about it and needless to say they were extremely happy to find it in their Christmas gift basket this year!

Bottom Line:

I will admit that I went into these reviews with very high standards from my other experiences with Coty fragrances and I have to say that I was not disappointed in the least! Both the fragrances smell heavenly and last all day long without having to apply and re-apply like some of the fragrances I have used in the past. I honestly feel like the Faith Hill Fragrance collection will be on the tip top of my list and on my beauty counter for a very long time to come! Not only do I love these fragrances my husband, who is usually quite picky about the fragrances I wear and buy love them as well as most of my family members so Coty and Faith Hill Fragrances made gift giving this holiday season very easy!

Buy It:
To purchase Faith Hill Fragrances visit the Faith Hill Fragrances website to find a retail location near you!

Win It:
Coty has so very generously offered one of my readers a 1.0 oz/30ml Eau de Toilette bottle of each of the Faith Hill Fragrances I reviewed: Faith Hill True and Faith Hill Parfums (ARV $49.00)

Mandatory Entry: Visit Faith Hill Fragrances and tell me you think would be your favorite fragrance and why! Please remember to leave your e-mail address if it’s not visible in your profile.

Want or need extra entries? Check out how to grab em’ below! (Mandatory Entry must be complete for these to count)

1. Become a public follower of my blog (2 extra)

2. Follow me on twitter @sgrant2005 and tweet this giveaway (can be done daily)

3. Subscribe to my feed via a reader

4. Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post and to Faith Hill Fragrances! be sure to leave me a link (5 extra)

5. Enter one of my other current giveaways (2 extra entries per giveaway entered)

Giveaway ends Jan 09, 2010 @ midnight CST. Winner will be chosen at random, using random.org and contacted by e-mail and has 48 hrs to respond before a new winner is chosen.

This review is based strictly my opinion. Others may have a different opinion with the product listed above. I did receive the Faith Hill Fragrances mentioned above from Coty complementary for this review. No monetary compensation was received.

I’m semi-back from my Holiday vacation…..

Hey guys and gals….I just wanted to take a second and say that from my family to your’s that you all had a wonderful holiday this past week and that I am getting back to blogging daily, but it’s gonna happen pretty slowly since I haven’t chosen winners in quite some time that is on the tip top of my list to do today and once I get done here I’m off to choose the many winners so all winning notifications will be sent out by noon, if everything goes as I hope it does. I’m also hoping to get a few new reviews and giveaways posted today but there is no promise to that as of yet…but I have my fingers crossed!!! Now that you all know what’s going on and know that I haven’t just disappeared into thin air, I’m off to choose some winners YAY!!!!!




Hope you had a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!

Hasbro Toys Review and Giveaway (Christmas Wish List 2010)

When I think of great gift for the holiday season, birthdays and just because for kiddos, the fist company that comes to mind is most defiantly Hasbro and their amazing brands for kids of all ages. So naturally when I started working on my Christmas Wish List 2010 I was excited to share some of the amazing toys from Hasbro brands!!! I was given the opportunity to review 3 awesome toys from Hasbro and offer an awesome giveaway right here on The Cartoon Lovin’ Mama, and I know you guys are going to love this one!!!

Our Thoughts:

We were sent three items from Hasbro and their brands that included: Play-Doh Mega Fun Factory, Tonka Chuck & Friends Handy’s Hangtime Bridge, and Adventure Heroes Hero on the Go toys! I for one was extremely excited about this review because growing up Hasbro and their line of products and brands was always on the top of my Christmas Wish Lists every year for the simple fact that they are always super fun and very durable, and to be honest with a toddler you defiantly need fun and durability wrapped up in one package!!

The first item we were sent was the Play-Doh Mega Fun Factory, and if you are anything like me you just love Play-Doh, I grew up with it and ever since “Bug” has been old enough to play with it he has loved to play with it!! Now, he has had many tubs of Play-Doh but we have never gotten him any of the accessories like the factory and he was very excited to see this one come out of the box and we immediately decided to check it out!! This is really a pretty awesome play set I love that it is so easy to load in the Play-Doh and simply switch on the conveyer belt and choose your molds and start punching out fun play foods and toys, “Bug” had such a great time playing with the Fun Factory and it kept him busy for hours and he has made a point to play with the Play-Doh Mega Fun Factory everyday since it arrived at our door! Another great feature of the Fun Factory is that once you are finished playing for the day you can store up to six of your favorite color (cans) Play-Doh, and they are ready to go the next time you switch the Fun Factory on!!! I have to say that this is one of my favorite Play-Doh factories and sets that I have ever used, it’s very easy to work and is perfect for our soon to be 3year old!!! The Play-Doh Mega Fun Factory comes with two gears with 15+ molds, playmat and four three-ounce cans of PLAY-DOH modeling compound for lots of fun!!!

Next we were sent the Adventure Heroes Hero on the Go, Fire Hero On The Go Pack to review and this was another huge hit with “Bug” and my two nephews as well!! “Bug” has really started getting into the whole rescue toys and loves to play like he is a cop, doctor of fire fighter so as soon as I seen the Fire Hero On The Go Pack I knew that he was going to really have a great time with this toy!! The Fire Hero On The Go Pack transforms from a backpack for easy carrying, into a full blown fire station with appropriate lights and sounds and “Bug” really had a great time playing as a fire fighter putting out car fires on his little race cars!! I love that the figure and fire truck are just perfect for his little hands and this toy really lets his imagination run wild and I have really enjoyed watching him play “firefighter” with his cousins! I think this is a very unique toy, I’ve never seen a play set quite like this one and I thinks it’s a wonderful way to get your child’s imagination off and running! This whole play set is very durable and has withstood hours of play and has been transported from home to his grandparents home many times and still looks like new…true Hasbro fashion if I may say so!!

The last item we were sent to review and I get to give one of these babies away (keep reading to find out how to win) was the Tonka Chuck & Friends Handy’s Hangtime Bridge. “Bug” has always been drawn to the Tonka Chuck & Friends toys and he was very excited to see this play set in the box with the Play-Doh and Adventure Hero’s Fire Fighter play sets. Once Chad got home from work “Bug” was foaming at the bits to get the Tonka Chuck & Friends Handy’s Hangtime Bridge up and running for a test drive, the assembly of the play set was super easy and didn’t take much time at all and then it was time to make the first test drive, and “Bug” quickly figured out how to get Handy The Tow Truck started and the look in his eyes when Handy started doing his stunts was indescribable, he absolutely loves this set and we keep it put together on a table in his room so that it’s ready to go anytime he decides to play with him. Of all the items we received this one was by far his favorite although he has really enjoyed the other two this one is his pick if you ask him his favorite! I have to say that through all the playing and moving of this play set it is very durable and I have faith that it will be a favorite for quite some time to come!

Bottom Line:

We absolutely love Hasbro and their family of products and could not be happier with the items we were sent to review! After having them a couple of weeks and them being thoroughly test driven, I feel that my initial feeling of the Hasbro company and their product of being some of the best toys on the market for children in regards to price and durability not to mention the fun factor to be spot on and I’m very happy I was able to include them in our Christmas Wish List 2010 right here on The Cartoon Lovin’ Mama!

As if I really need to say this but I really recommend Hasbro and their family of products this holiday season for every little one on your list and with their huge selection and reasonable prices I’m sure you are going to find something for everyone!! We actually bought another Fire Hero On The Go Set and a Tonka Chuck & Friends Handy’s Hangtime Bridge to donate to our local Toys-For-Tots drive this holiday season!!

Buy It:
To purchase the products mentioned above visit the Hasbro website or check at your local toy retailer!

Win It:
Hasbro has very generously offered one of my awesome readers a Tonka Chuck & Friends Handy’s Hangtime Bridge (ARV $29.99)!

Mandatory Entry: Visit Hasbro and tell me another item you would love to give this holiday season! Please remember to leave your e-mail address if it’s not visible in your profile.

Want or need extra entries? Check out how to grab em’ below! (Mandatory Entry must be complete for these to count)

1. Become a public follower of my blog (2 extra)

2. Follow me on twitter @sgrant2005 and tweet this giveaway (can be done daily)

3. Subscribe to my feed via a reader

4. Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post and to Hasbro be sure to leave me a link (5 extra)

Giveaway ends Jan 04, 2010 @ midnight CST. Winner will be chosen at random, using random.org and contacted by e-mail and has 48 hrs to respond before a new winner is chosen.

This review is based strictly my opinion. Others may have a different opinion with the product listed above. I did receive the toys mentioned above complementary for this review. No monetary compensation was received.

Katz Gluten Free Bakery Review and Giveaway

Ok, so I love baked goodies, as I’m sure I’ve said before and although no member of our immediately family had gluten allergies we do have other friends and family members that visit who do so I make a conscious effort to keep gluten free baked goodies and breads around our home for them and simply because I prefer the taste of gluten free foods from Katz Gluten Free Bakery vs. other baked goodies and breads! If you remember awhile back I did my first review on a few delicious goodies from Katz Gluten Free Bakery and from then I was hooked!!! You can check out my previous review HERE! I was asked a couple of weeks ago to try out 2 new delicious treats from Katz and I just couldn’t say no, especially after my first review!!!

About Katz Gluten Free Bakery (Taken From Website):

Katz Gluten Free Bake Shoppe was established in early 2006 by F. Katz, with not much more than a home model kitchen mixer, some thoroughly tested recipes, and an unyielding quest for perfection. As word of our famously delicious confections rapidly spread, so did our base of operations.

Today, Katz Gluten Free operates out of a state-of-the-art facility, which has been Certified Gluten-Free by the Gluten Intolerance Group® (www.gluten.net) , for our unmatched reliability in complying with strict gluten-free standards. Our facility is completely nut-free and dairy-free. All of our products are certified Kosher, and are under the stringent supervision of the OU and Rabbi Y. Gruber.

As the mother of two children who are gluten intolerant, Mrs. Katz knows firsthand the hardships and daily struggles parents endure in their attempts to maintain a thoroughly gluten-free diet for their kids. She knows - as only a parent could - that the only way to minimize and avoid temptation, is by offering a variety of products that are rich in flavor, texture, and taste. That is why she constantly strives to concoct recipes that are as luscious as they are healthy.

We feature an extensive, ever-expanding selection of products, to meet the culinary demands of every gluten-intolerant individual. Our products consist only of pure, all natural high-quality and fresh ingredients, with no preservatives added, and are thoroughly taste-tested to ensure absolute goodness in every bite.

At Katz Gluten Free, we are truly passionate about our products and we hope that so are you. Our entire staff is committed to earning your satisfaction. We therefore welcome and anticipate your comments and suggestions. It is, after all, your input and feedback that have helped us achieve our goal of creating the most sought-after baked goods in the gluten-free market.

Are you looking to break free from gluten foods?
If you answered yes then you are absolutely in the right place. Just like you, we also love the smell of freshly baked bread. We anticipate every bite of a decadent chocolate cake. We also can’t stop eating delicious cupcakes. The problem is that gluten just doesn’t get along with us. That means that all the yummy delights like strips, muffins, cookies and challahs are off limits. Gluten foods can wreak havoc with a gluten sensitive person. The reactions can be mild to life threatening. So, like the rest of you who can’t eat gluten foods or have kids that can’t eat gluten free foods, Mrs. Katz was left with very little choices. That’s why in 2006 she went on a mission. Armed with traditional recipes and the belief that gluten free food can taste just as good as gluten foods, she started her own gluten free trading company.

Our complete range of foods is certified to be gluten free foods
Everything in our menu is gluten free. Not only do we also make sure that it is dairy free and nut free. This ensures our customers health and well being. We are also very proud of our dedicated factory that only produces products that are not gluten foods. This means none of our menu items is effected by cross contamination from gluten foods. This is something most manufacturers should also be aware of. When gluten foods and gluten free products are produced in the same facilities, gluten from the production line can easily contaminate gluten free food. This can be very detrimental to individuals who need to be on a strict gluten free diet.

So when you try one of our gluten free cakes, challahs, cookies, muffins, strips, rugelech, breads, rolls, loafs or pizza crust you can rest assured that every step has been taken to safe guard your health and please your taste buds. Katz gluten free makes sure that it is gluten free and full of taste.


Our Thoughts:

We were recently sent 2 packages of Katz Gluten Free Bakery’s brand new delicious treats one package of Vanilla Rugelach and one package of Frosted Chocolate Cupcakes to review and I’m going to be completely honest with you here, I was way too excited to get these two new goodies from Katz after my first mouth watering experience with Katz products!! Our goodies arrived very quickly and were packaged very well and were all in perfect condition!!! I was also able to 2 of my favorite items to include in my review package and I immediately requested the Marble Cake and the Pizza Crust!!!

The first of the two new items we decided to dig into was the Frosted Chocolate Cupcakes w/ sprinkles, well “Bug” made the decision and I’m sure glad he did because these were delicious! We each grabbed a cupcake to eat and I was not surprised at how moist and yummy these cupcakes were since they were from Katz I went into this review with high standards and the cupcakes surpassed my standards standing still!! We all enjoyed the cupcakes but I think “Bug” was the one who enjoyed them the most, he is just like me when it comes to chocolate and with these cupcakes being all chocolate from top to bottom, we were both in chocolate heaven, now my husband isn’t a chocolate eater but we did talk him into trying the cupcakes and he immediately said that he would most defiantly eat them again in the future because the chocolate of these cupcakes weren’t near as overbearing as other chocolate on chocolate cupcakes he has had in the past!!! These cupcakes didn’t last but just a couple of day at our house thanks to our little “Bug”, so as far as the Chocolate Frosted Cupcakes with Colored Sprinkles goes we all give them two thumbs up and we will be keeping them on hand for “Bug” especially!!

Next we were sent a package of the new Vanilla flavored Rugelech, now if you had read my previous review on the other two Rugelech flavors we reviewed you know that the Rugelech is by far one of my favorite products from Katz Gluten Free Bakery, so when I heard that I would be trying the new Vanilla flavored ones I was way beyond excited!!! These yummy little swirls of heaven are amazingly delicious!!! I loved the Chocolate Rugelech that I was sent to review first and as you know I’m a chocoholic but these Vanilla quickly took the place of the Chocolate (although I they are still at the very tippy top)! I think the Vanilla Rugelech makes the best grab and go breakfast treat ever, they are very easy to grab and go and just simply delicious….I can’t stress that enough!! Now, in fairness of the review I did share a couple of the Vanilla Rugelech with “Bug” and my hubby and they both really enjoyed then and have since asked for me to place an order for both the chocolate and vanilla Rugelech!!!

We were also sent the Marble Cake (which you can see our thought on in my first review) and the Pizza Crust, now I usually make our pizza crust from scratch vs. buying it but this past week we were kinda in a time crunch so I decided to make some personal pan pizzas using the pizza crust from Katz Gluten Free and the end result was amazing!!!! I now know where to go to get to best pre-made pizza crust ever!!!!

Bottom Line:

Once again Katz Gluten Free Bakery products have made our mouth water again, and we have now found three more must have goodies to add to our shopping list!!! Since, now having tried several of the products from Katz I can say that we are most defiantly hooked and we can’t wait to try some of the other goodies that we have yet to try and I guarantee after the holiday hustle and bustle is over and we are settled down we are going to be placing a fairly large order of our favorite Katz products!!!!

If you are looking for delicious, mouth watering gluten free goodies I totally recommend checking out the amazing goodies from Katz Gluten Free Bakery, trust us your taste buds are going to be thanking you, and remember you don’t have to have a gluten allergies to enjoy Katz amazingly yummy treats!!

I also wanted to let you all know about an awesome giveaway going on right now at Katz Gluten Free Bakery website!!! As Katz did over the summer, the will have a Grand Raffle, which everyone is able to join! The Grand Prize will be a huge box, containing one of each product Katz has!! The drawing for this raffle will be on January 3rd, 2011, on KatzGlutenFree.com, so be sure to head over and get your name in the drawing, your going to want win this one!!!

Buy It:
To purchase Chocolate Frosted Cupcakes with Colored Sprinkles and/or the Vanilla Rugelech visit Katz Gluten Free Bakery website!

From now thru the holiday season Katz is offering free shipping on all orders over $30 also you can order a free sample pack!!!!

Win It:
Katz Gluten Free Bakery has generously offered 1 of my extremely lucky readers an awesome and delicious sampler pack from Katz Gluten Free Bakery! tools each so you will be able to keep on in the house and carry one in your car!

Mandatory Entry: Visit Katz Gluten Free Bakery and tell me what your favorite goodie! Please remember to leave your e-mail address if it’s not visible in your profile.

Want or need extra entries? Check out how to grab em’ below! (Mandatory Entry must be complete for these to count)

1. Become a public follower of my blog (current follower count too)

2. Follow me on twitter @sgrant2005 and tweet this giveaway (can be done daily)

3. Subscribe to my feed via a reader

4. Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post and to Katz Gluten Free Bakery! be sure to leave me a link (5 extra)

5. Follow Katz Gluten Free Bakery on Twitter

6. “Like” Katz Gluten Free Bakery on Facebook

Giveaway ends Jan 04, 2010 @ midnight CST. Winner will be chosen at random, using random.org and contacted by e-mail and has 48 hrs to respond before a new winner is chosen.

This review is based strictly my opinion. Others may have a different opinion with the product listed above. I did receive the Katz Gluten Free goodies mentioned above complementary for this review. No monetary compensation was received.

Open It Review and Giveaway

With Christmas only 4 days away, we are gearing up for lots of gift giving and receiving and it’s absolutely the best time of the year because you get to spend lots of time with family members that you wouldn’t otherwise get to see but with the fun also comes the extreme chaos of opening those hard to open plastic packages that toys and other gifts come in as well as opening up new DVD’s and CD’s you may find in your stocking and of course the tedious task of putting batteries in all the toys that need batteries and for all those tasks mentioned above you need at least 3 tools right? Well I recently discovered the tool to end all of the chaos and need for multiple tools on Christmas morning, the Open It!!!

About Open It:

Open It!, our highly acclaimed opener that lets you cut through today’s difficult packaging safely and easily. Another one of those ideas that’s so brilliantly simple, you have to wonder why some giant company didn’t come up with it first. Maybe they simply forgot to ask busy working moms.

Open it! Easily opens clamshells, toy packaging, boxes, CD’s, DVD’s battery compartments and more!

Our Thoughts:

We were sent an Open It! to review and I have to admit that I was very excited to see it show up at my door!!! And since I’m a blogger I do get several packages in the mail where I need to either use scissors, a knife or a box cutter to get to the product to review so I knew that the Open It would defiantly see lots of use and get tested pretty well and I wasn’t at all wrong! I happened to need to use our Open It the same day that it arrived on a monster truck toy that “Bug” had picked up at Wal-Mart and we have went through the whole processes of trying to open these packages before and he would get a little agitated because it took me so long to get the package opened but with our Open It I had the dragon out of the package in no time and I can’t even begin to tell you how much easier getting the package opened with the Open It vs. our traditional knife or scissors!

Now, the Open It does a lot more than just open toy packages! This products is awesome it takes away the need for all the other tools I usually keep in my kitchen drawer since it is a 5 in one and we have used all 5 features on the Open It and I have absolutely no complaints and I now not only keep one in my kitchen for everyday use I make sure to keep one my car just in case and let me just say that since keeping one in my car it’s defiantly saved some tantrums from having to wait until we get home to open toys and such, which as been very convent, especially when mommy gets a new CD and needs it opened asap LOL!!!

My husband has really enjoyed having the Open It around as well since he loves to cook with beer the bottle opener on the Open It has really came in handy for him, just as much as the screwdriver that comes in the Open It that he uses to keep the batteries changed in “Bug’s” toys since everyone of them seems to have to have batteries!

Bottom Line:

We love our Open It! It has came in so handy over the past few weeks we have had it and I am totally recommending that everyone have at least two of these, one for the house and one for your car they really do open everything and really has taken the stress out of opening even the smallest packages like our new toothbrushes!!!!

Right now when you head over to the Open It! Facebook page and click on their Holiday tab you will get the opportunity to open one of the days on the Advent Calendar to see what gift you will get today!!!

Buy It:
To purchase the Open It! visit the Open It! website!

Win It:
Open It has so very generously offered 5 of my readers two Open It! tools each so you will be able to keep on in the house and carry one in your car!

Mandatory Entry: Visit Open It on Facebook and tell me what your favorite feature of the Open It is! Please remember to leave your e-mail address if it’s not visible in your profile.

Want or need extra entries? Check out how to grab em’ below! (Mandatory Entry must be complete for these to count)

1. Become a public follower of my blog (current follower count too)

2. Follow me on twitter @sgrant2005 and tweet this giveaway (can be done daily)

3. Subscribe to my feed via a reader

4. Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post and to Open It! be sure to leave me a link (5 extra)

5. Follow Open It! on Twitter

6. “Like” Open It! on Facebook

Giveaway ends Jan 04, 2010 @ midnight CST. Winner will be chosen at random, using random.org and contacted by e-mail and has 48 hrs to respond before a new winner is chosen.

This review is based strictly my opinion. Others may have a different opinion with the product listed above. I did receive the Open It! Tool mentioned above complementary for this review. No monetary compensation was received.