Natural Balance Pet Food for Weight Loss

Sparkle & Shine with Cascade Platinum Pacs + #MyPlatinum Instagram Contest!

June 14, 2013

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

I don’t know anyone who is a fan of doing dishes. If you do, send them over to our place ASAP! Seriously though, sometimes it seems like a never-ending cycle…soaking and pre-washing, loading and unloading, repeat…you know the drill. I’m grateful that we live somewhere with a dishwasher, since our last place didn’t have one, but I still feel like it’s way too much work. When we were invited to test out the new Platinum Pacs from Cascade recently, I was super happy to oblige since I’m always on the hunt for anything that works harder so I don’t have to!

Cascade Plantinum Pacs

Putting Cascade Platinum Pacs To The Test

Since Cascade Platinum Pacs have the grease-fighting power of Dawn, and promise no pre-washing requried, I got straight to work testing them out with the dirties pan I could find. We’d made bacon that morning, so the timing was perfect! I do admit to giving a quick rinse under the kitchen faucet before putting the super greasy frying pan in the dishwasher, but I didn’t soak or scrub it like I usually would. Check out the before and after…so shiny!!!

pan before after

Not only am I finding it to be a real time-saver not having to soak and pre-wash loads of dirty dishes, I’m also LOVING how all our dishware, glasses and silverware shine and sparkle thanks to these powerful little pacs. Our dishwasher is pretty new, so I also love that they help keep the inside of the dishwasher looking like new and prevent hard-water film from building up.

Cascade #MyPlatinum Instagram Contest

Since Cascade Platinum helps makes dishware picture-perfect, there’s even an opportunity to show off your “best dishes” with the #MyPlatinum Instagram Contest going on right now. Show off your sparkle and win! Each week, two contestants will be selected to receive a brand new dishwasher. And, one lucky grand prize winner will receive a Platinum kitchen makeover! There’s no purchase necessary, but you do need to be a registered Instagram user and make sure to use the hashtag #MyPlatinum plus tag @MyCascade when you share your photo entry.

You can get all the details on the Cascade #MyPlatinum Contest Page.

cascade platinum

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Instant Canopy Pet Bed and Quik Shade for Outdoor Family Fun!

June 10, 2013

canopy pet bed with daisy

It’s getting pretty hot down here this time of year but we still love getting outdoors for a hike and a picnic with Daisy whenever we can! It’s been raining every day for almost 2 weeks, and we’ve already had our first tropical storm of the season, but yesterday was finally a nice sunny day so we decided to head out to the park and test out some shade canopies we received from Quik Shade recently.

Quik Shade makes awesome instant canopy and chair sets for humans, and has also started making instant canopy pet beds that are super easy to carry, quick to set up and offer shade and comfy ventilation on a hot day. In addition to great features to keep Daisy cool and sheltered on a hot day, I also love that the canopy bed  folds up into an easy to store and carry tote bag with shoulder strap. We don’t have much room for storage, but it fits perfectly in the closet and doesn’t take up much room in my car’s trunk either!

Daisy and her pet canopy bed from Quik Shade

With temps reaching the high 80′s and low 90′s already in many regions, we pet parents need to be careful to keep the fur kids cool and hydrated when out for a day at the park or beach. Pets can get easily overheated and dehydrated so it’s super great to have a handy instant canopy for her AND for us when we go for a family fun day. This pet canopy would also be perfect for hanging out together in the backyard or on the patio!

Quik Shade instant canopy and chair set

Daisy isn’t the only one who needs shade on a hot, sunny day…luckily, Quik Shade also invited us to test out the instant canopy and chair combo set, too! The whole set fits in a handy backpack that takes up less than a foot of cubic space, and is super fast to set up and take down. The backpack is perfect for hand-free carrying, as you can Woof Woof Papa modeling it above for us. What I love about both the pet canopy and the Quik Shade combo set for people is that their portability makes it easy to get off the beaten path and find the perfect spot away from the crowds, and not be limited to where there are shade trees or picnic shelters…we just make our own shade wherever we want! We’ll definitely be taking these to the beach and out for plenty more fun summer picnics with Daisy and her pals!

Pet Shade:

Quik Shade Go Canopy:

  • $149; Backpack Canopy with two fold up chairs
  • $79; Just the backpack and canopy
  • Colors vary; available at http://www.quikshade.com/ 

We received product samples so that we could try them out for ourselves and give you our honest opinions. We were not obligated to write a review nor were we told what to say. All opinions are 100% our own.

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Safe and Natural Hair & Body Care from ThinkSport

June 4, 2013

thinksport shampoo

A while back, I told you about the absolutely coolest water bottle I’d discovered from ThinkSport. Well, they’ve done it again with a new safe and healthy line of body care products that is perfect for the whole family! And I’m super happy that they sent us some to try so that we could tell you all about it!

If you’re like us, you have a space-hogging assortment of shampoos, conditioners, body washes and soaps for different members of the family. One is too floral for him, another to harsh for her, etc. Plus there’s the whole issue of ingredients. I’ve got bottles of stuff sitting around that I thought were natural or healthy only to discover that they irritate my skin or scalp anyway or just don’t live up to their claims! Have you ever read the label on some of the stuff you’ve been using??? In addition to the false promises made by many companies, there’s a large number of ingredients that are unhealthy and shouldn’t even be in products we use on our bodies! ThinkSport has solved all of this with their new line.

Don’t let the name fool you. I was concerned when I first heart about these products that the scent or strength would be too “sporty” for me but both the ThinkSport Shampoo and the Conditioner smell amazing and are gentle yet effective at the same time. I LOVE that the shampoo was designed to double as a body wash! I use it to shave my legs, and with my Clarisonic brush on my arms, elbows and knees to gently exfoliate those rough spots. The hubby started training for a marathon, and he commented recently on how the grapefruit scent is a nice pick-me-up after a long run.

thinksport label

In addition to being really nice hair and body products, it’s important to point out that all the ingredients are clearly listed on the bottle and are 100% safe. There are no parabens, PABA, phthalates or 1,4 dioxane…which are all things that you want to avoid according to the health experts from the Environmental Working Group that studies this stuff.

ThinkSport has even gone so far as to publish the EWG ratings for each ingredient, right on the bottle’s label! As you can see, every ingredient has a 0-1 hazard rating which is the BEST according to the EWG Skin Deep Database and rating scale for product safety. Try comparing your current shampoo or body wash ingredients and learn more about the Skin Deep Ratings here.

Compared with other similar quality natural shampoos I’ve seen around, ThinkSport has priced these pretty well at $12.99 for a 16 oz. bottle of shampoo/body wash or conditioner. I always tend to run out of conditioner first, but with the shampoo also doubling as a body wash, my bottles are staying about even which makes it easier for restocking. They also make a baby shampoo and an after sun/sport body lotion. You can find out more and browse everything at the ThinkSport online store.

I received the products mentioned so that I could use them and let you know what I think. All opinions are 100% my own and I was not told what to say. 

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Summer Fun with Tommy Bahama and PetSmart!

June 3, 2013

Woohoo! Daisy and I love everything tropical…luckily we live in Florida and have palm trees, beaches and even pink flamingos to enjoy year round! And since PetSmart invited us to sample their exclusive new Tommy Bahama collection, it’s really turning into tropical pet paradise around here!

Daisy enjoying Tommy Bahama for pets

Daisy got so laid back enjoying her island-style living that I couldn’t even get her to look at the camera and say Aloha, so I’ll just have to tell you a little bit about the collection myself!

First off, we want you to know that Five Percent of the sales from items in this line go to PetSmart Charities to benefit grant recipients and adoption partners to save homeless pets. We love that, since every pet deserves to live the good life, too!

The Tommy Bahama pet collection at PetSmart includes beds, toys, and tropical apparel all designed to bring the island lifestyle to you and your dog wherever you live!

Tommy Bahama dog bed

In addition to cool colors and patterns, the collections is made with great attention to detail, just as you’d expect from Tommy Bahama. The dog bed is soft and squishy and has a no-skid backing which is great if you’ve got hardwood flooring rather than carpet. It’s the perfect bed for chilling and relaxing island-style but maybe not quite firm enough for dogs with special orthopedic needs. You can see that Daisy had NO problem falling right asleep in the middle of our photo shoot!

tommy bahama dog bed

Before she did though, she had a ball playing with the fun Pink Flamingo and the Plush Bungee Tennis Ball Toy…both incorporate the signature style floral patterns Tommy Bahama is known for. I didn’t notice at first, but check out how this toy even matches our dining room rug!

tropical dog toy

We love the unique tropical flavor of this Tommy Bahama collection and can’t wait to pick up a few more items as gifts. You can check out the full range of tees, dresses, beds and toys at PetSmart.com and give your pet a piece of paradise, too!

blog info

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The Omni Diet: New Book and Program for Weight Loss, Health and Well-Being

May 14, 2013

As you may already know, the hubby and I have been losing weight and getting healthier together. We’ve been on the Nutrisystem program for the past 30 weeks and it’s been great! You can read our weekly weight loss updates for more info on that. Since our time on the plan is coming to an end soon, I’ve been doing loads of research and reading about different types of eating plans and diets, since we won’t be receiving packaged food anymore and want to stay on track with our progress so far. We also want to start learning more about eating the right kinds of foods for overall health. It turned out to be perfect timing when I received a review copy of the new book, The Omni Diet by Tana Amen.

the omni diet book

You may have seen The Omni Diet on The Today Show or other talk show recently…that’s how I first heard about it. The book and program are based on a formula of 70% plants including fruits and veggies, and 30% protein from lean meat sources and nuts. There’s no dairy, sugars, processed foods or grains permitted. The goal of the program is to help you lose weight, reverse disease and fight inflammation.

The author is a registered nurse and designed this plan based on her own health issues and experiences with chronic conditions including thyroid cancer and severe digestive issues. Her diet is based on the concept of eating real foods with lots of flavor and is NOT a deprivation diet. The focus is on eating calorie-burning proteins and illness-fighting plant-based foods rather than on calorie restriction like some diets.

The plan itself is easy to follow, although some of the recipes have a lot of ingredients…that’s just a personal observation from someone who gets easily overwhelmed by too many choices and ingredients, but the concept and overall program makes sense. It’s more of an overall well-being plan than a traditional diet book and some of the goals of the program include:

  • Decrease inflammation
  • Optimize brain function
  • Eat high-quality, nutrient-dense calories
  • Decrease feelings of hunger and deprivation
  • Balance hormones and break food addictions
  • Increase energy and overall well-being

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My Dog: The Paradox. A Lovable Discourse from The Oatmeal

May 3, 2013

Daisy & I managed to get our paws on an early review copy of My Dog: The Paradox: A Lovable Discourse about Man’s Best Friend, the new book by Matthew Inman (The Oatmeal), but the rest of you won’t have to wait long since it’s being released next week! It’s a little book, but one of those really special ones that you’ll find yourself thinking about at random times, and that you’ll pick up to flip through frequently.

The Oatmeal book, My Dog: The Paradox

How one little book can manage to be both so hilarious AND heart-breaking I don’t know, but it does. In a few short pages, it captures and coveys everything that is true and funny and silly and sad about having a dog in your life. And just like a dog, it will make you cry some, but it will make you laugh a whole lot more.

If you’re familiar with The Oatmeal then you’ve probably already seen the online comic version of My Dog: The Paradox and might be wondering why you’d bother to get the book.

First of all, it’s been redrawn in full-color (the online version is black & white).  Also, there’s nothing like holding a real copy of a book in your hands and flipping through the pages. I’m a fan of the library and Kindle too, but trust me, this is one of those books you’ll be happy you own. And at around ten bucks it’s a deal.

If you’re still looking for a reason, supporting The Oatmeal by buying his book is a nice way to say Thanks if his free online works have ever: cured your Monday blues; provided much needed workday distraction; or just made you appear cooler and funnier than you really are when you shared them with friends on Facebook.

As of now, there are no reviews posted on Amazon or anywhere else that I can find, so you’ll just have to take my word for it and buy a copy here! Release date is May 7, but it’s available for pre-order now at $8.99 ($9.99 list).

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