T3 Source Handheld Shower Filter for Healthier Hair, Skin and Fur!

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t3 shower filter

Did you know that regular household tap water can contain half as much chlorine as a swimming pool? And that chlorine can cause dry and damaged hair and skin? I didn’t either until we were invited to try the T3 Source Source Shower Filter.

Not only does the T3 filter out up to 95% of chlorine but it also helps remove other irritants including Hydrogen Sulfide, Iron Oxide, dirt and other sediment, for healthier hair and skin. The T3 Tourmaline technology produces negative ions reduce water cluster size which improves filtration as well as help to PH balance the water.

You might think this only affects the people in your house, but if your pets have itchy skin or shed more than normal, poor water quality and too much chlorine could be a factor!

installing shower

I was super excited to install the new shower filter as soon as it arrived but had to wait for Woof Woof Papa to come home and help so that I could get some photos of the installation process. Trust me, now that I’ve seen him do it, you don’t need to add it to the “honey-do list” or wait for anyone to help you. If you’ve got an adjustable wrench, you can do it yourself in about 5 minutes. Everything else you need is in the box!

t3 shower filter

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Lunch with #HeinzVinegar: Apple Walnut Salad with Maple Cider Vinaigrette

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I’m participating in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Heinz Vinegar. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and as a thank you for participating.

Apple Walnut Salad

I’ve been a fan of using apple cider vinegar around the house for quite some time…mostly for cleaning, as a hair rinse and as a natural remedy for Daisy, both as a skin soother and added to her kibble for digestive health. Many pet parents also use it as a natural flea deterrent.  Of course, it’s also great in the kitchen especially for sauces, dressings, pickling and more.

Since I work from home, I love making a big salad for lunch with whatever I have in the fridge that day, but especially love this combination of apples, walnuts, avocado and simple dressing I mix up ahead of time in my blender bottle so I always have some ready to go with just a quick shake! Here’s the recipe, if you want to give it a try…

Apple Walnut Salad with Maple Cider Vinaigrette

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Soundfreaq Sound Platform 2: Stream Great Sounding Wireless Audio from Your Favorite App and Device

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I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Soundfreaq. I received a Soundfreaq Sound Platform 2 to facilitate my revew.

Soundfreaq Sound Platform 2

Daisy and I have been busy testing out the cool new Soundfreaq Sound Platform 2. It’s a wireless Bluetooth speaker packed with features but super easy to use with just about any device you own, whether it’s Apple, Android or Windows. It comes with a simple setup guide about the size of a large postcard but I didn’t even need it. I took our new speaker straight out of the box, plugged in the power cord, and paired it immediately with my Samsung Galaxy S3 phone. It was as easy as using a Bluetooth hands-free device and in less than 3 minutes we had rich sounding audio…no cables or docking required!

The first thing I did was experiment with switching between all my favorite music apps as well as test out how easy it would be to switch between devices. On my phone, I usually use Pandora so we played around with that one first.  Since the Soundfreaq is wireless, and designed to work with just about any phone, tablet or PC out there, your smartphone or other Bluetooth device becomes the remote control. I love this because we’ve already got way too many remote controls to keep up with! And not having to dock my device on the system itself means I always have my phone with me. I can be working in the kitchen and still be totally in control of the music selection and sound level playing in the other room.

controlling the speaker from the kitchen

It works just as well with my iPad which is great because that’s my favorite way to access my iTunes library and also to watch movies on Netflix. And it’s also got an FM radio with fantastic reception…even better sounding than the satellite radio we used to have!

ipad and radio

Since docking is not required, there are no compatibility issues. I love this because I think we’re all pretty sick of getting a great new device only to discover that our current accessories are now outdated and need to be replaced. If you do happen to have an older device that isn’t Bluetooth compatible, there is an AUX IN jack to connect any device with headphone or line out jack.

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

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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!

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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.