Stella Artois and the Mighty Chalice!

Coming from rural Montana means that you are typically a beer drinker.  While I'm not one of those people that drink it like water I do enjoy a good brew.  My fiance introduced me to Stella Artois a few years ago after telling me that she couldn't stand seeing me drink another Bud Light and that I should expand my beer drinking horizons.  As with most things, she was right.  I'd been neglecting the yumminess that other beers can provide.  While she loves beers that are dark and robust like Guinness and Moose Drool (a local microbrew that is tasty despite its name) I still prefer the lighter ails like Blue Moon, IPA, and of course Stella Artios. 

So really I was pretty excited to get the Stella Artois Chalice in the mail from BzzAgent to see if all the hype was true.  Was drinking from a Chalice specifically designed to enhance the flavor of a beer really possible?  This was the question that was asked of me.  Frankly I'm a bottle drinker and occasionally will have a beer in a pint glass (again have to stick to manly methods of beer drinking) and really didn't think that the shape of a glass would make that much difference in the flavor of a beer.  Again my fiance tried to tell me that it really would change the flavor and even the smoothness of a beer much like letting a wine breath after opening a bottle makes a difference. I thought that maybe it change it slightly but it wouldn't be something that a rough neck like me would detect.  She was right AGAIN! A beer I already liked was made better. 

I followed the 9 Step pour to a T and had my first frosty chalice full of Stella Artois a couple days ago.  Somehow the shape of that glass, and the pour, allows for the beer to smooth out and become even lighter.  There was no bitterness at the end and it reminded me of the difference between a filtered and unfiltered microbrew.  So from now on, at home anyway, I'll be enjoying my beers in this chalice.  My only issue with it is that its not particularly manly so I probably wont be breaking it out with the majority of my friends around.  Although I did tell a bunch of them about it and I know a few of them are curious now too.  Maybe I'll be a trend setter!

Torani Syrups

A few weeks ago I was telling you about the amazing offer that Shespeaks has told me I was getting with two full sized bottles of Torani Syrups.  Well they came on Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) and I've been trying them out in various drinks and even desert recipes all weekend long.  Heck even now I'm drinking just some regular drip coffee with a splash of Torani's Gingerbread flavored syrup right now.

So when I first signed up for the Torani Holiday Cheers Contest I was informed that I'd get two 750ml bottles of Torani Syrup that would be along the lines of holiday flavored and I certainly wasn't disappointed when they arrived.  The first bottle is a sugar free Salted Carmel which I've been making latte's and italian sodas with over the weekend.  I also drizzled a little bit in a frosting that I made to cover a mocha cake I made yesterday and the results were fantastic.  The frosting had a perfect hint of Carmel that just made the cake that much better.  I love that Torani has such a variety of sugar free syrups because I have family members that are diabetic and its hard to find items that are sugar free, especially ones with such creative flavors. 

The second bottle I received was Gingerbread flavor and I have to say I've been loving this one.  Its a nice spicy sweet that puts a bit of a kick in my espresso in the morning.  Torani nailed this Gingerbread flavor but more than anything its the aroma it gives off.  To me the smell of gingerbread in the house is a memory from my childhood in the weeks before Christmas and Torani's Gingerbread syrup brings me right back to those happy thoughts.  We had several couples over for a dinner party last night and my best friend and I were mixing white russians for everyone and we put a little bit of the Gingerbread syrup in the mix just to make it different and everyone loved it. 

I was also really excited that in my Torani package from Shespeaks I received a booklet from Torani with a bunch of drink recipes to try, though the recipes used syrup flavors that I didn't have.  But Torani thought ahead on that one too and sent along 5 coupons for me to use as well as a 10% off discount code I can use when I order more syrups from Torani.com.  I can't wait to get some of the fruit flavored syrups to make some amazing lemonades and iced teas and of course in the summer some awesome margaritas.  There is just so much a person can do with these syrups and if you have the opportunity to give it a try be sure to share your ideas with me.  Maybe we'll have a Torani syrup mixology party in the near future!

******This Post is sponcered by Torani Syrups and Shespeaks.******

G Collection from Gold Toe- a post from TP

I was extremely excited when Bzz Agent told me I was going to be one of the few agents to get products from the new G Collection from Gold Toe brand.  Most of the time I'm the kind of guy that is wearing work boots out in the woods so my socks just have to be warm and very very durable.  But every once in a while I get a wild hair to take Tracy, my fiance, out on the town and we both dress up.  Frankly I have very few nice dressy (Sunday Best quality) clothes, but even fewer dressy socks.  I usually end up wearing a pair of athletic socks with my dress shoes which just looks tacky.  But now with my G Collection socks I'm in a whole new zone.

Now my future father in law wore the original Gold Toe socks for years, both for dress socks and then they make a really durable crew sock too. But I had never tried them before.  When I got my Bzz Kit I was impressed with the range of colors and patterns available to try out.  Of course there was a pair of plain black dress socks but the other 5 were tastefully striped, checked, and otherwise patterned in greys, blacks, navy blue, and tan.  All the typical colors of my dress slacks.  They were just my style.  A little fun and funky without going to wild extremes though from looking at the G Collection online there are some pretty outrageous ones to chose from too if a person would so desire.  I tried them out immediately and loved how soft they were and how they didn't bunch at all in my shoes or ride down my calf as I walked throughout the day.  I never had to pull them up or straighten them out like I do my regular socks.  Also the seam in the toe is virtually undetectable so my toes didn't rub against the socks funny in my dress shoes that are of course my most uncomfortable shoes I own (just not used to wearing them).

In my BzzKit I also got 6 pairs of G Collection boxers to try out.  I've never been a huge fan of boxers because of how rough they always are and when I opened these ones up I was afraid I was going to run into the same problem.  Tracy suggested running them through the wash a time or two before making my final decision and of course she was right.  After putting them all through one wash and dryer cycle the fabric softened right up and they are sooooooo comfortable.  Unlike other boxers I've worn they don't rub funny or bunch in my trousers which are the major downfall of most boxers I've ever tried out.  Again these came in some great colors and patterns.  I've noticed that Tracy started wearing a pair of them for pj shorts too so I might have to hide them. 

My BzzKit also included about 100 $5 off coupons and I've been handing them out left and right to all my buddies at work.  They might not want the dress socks but the under ware and t-shirts certainly are great and I'm hoping they'd like to give them a try.  Of course I kept a few coupons for myself too so I can shop at Kohl's in Spokane and pick up a few more socks.

Coming Soon....

So I know I haven't been posting much on here lately but that's because I'm a busy woman with other stuff going on too so blogging isn't the highest priority in the world.  But the good news is that when I do have the extra time (and something to say) I do actually write something.  Since my Glade Expressions Collection BzzCampaign I hadn't been invited to participate in anything new in the last month but in the last week I got several invitations so I should have a lot of good stuff to talk about in the very near future.

Here is the sneak peak at the products I'm getting to try out during this holiday season...
1. Torani flavored coffee syrups:  Now this is right up my ally.  As many of you may know, I'm a bit of a coffee addict.  Its an addiction I wear proudly and am certainly not ashamed of.  I'm among the first to try out new and creative flavored coffees and dark roasts when I see them in the coffee isle at the store.  I'm particularly guilty of this when seasonal coffees come out.  And lucky me, Torani is working with Shespeaks and I'm getting two full bottles of their newest Holiday/Seasonal syrups to try.  When I agreed to participate in this particular program I got the choice of 2 regular syrups, 2 sugar free syrups, or 1 reg/1 sugar free syrup and the company would select at random which Holiday flavors I'd get.  I'm super excited about this and choose the 1 reg/1 sugar free option so I'd be able to share with all my friends when they come over (I have a few friends that are diabetic and don't want to send them into sugar rush coma).  Torani has some spectacular flavors and though I don't know which ones I'll be getting the possibilities include: Almond Roca, Brown Sugar Cinnamon, Butter Rum, Carmel Apple, Chocolate Macadamia Nut, Gingerbread, Creme DeMinth, Shortbread, Cheesecake, and Italian Eggnog syrups (all of which are in the sugar free varieties too).  How exciting is that!!???

2.  G^® Collection from Gold Toe:  Now this campaign is through the fabulous BzzAgent and its not actually for me to try out but for my loving fiance, Mace to give a go.  My dad was a big fan of the original Gold Toe products and I'm sure that the new G Collection will be just a new twist on a great line of products. This particular BzzKit includes: 1 pack of G Collection underwear or undershirts, 6 pairs of G Collection socks, and tons of coupons for the G Collection line of products to use and share with my friends.  Who can beat a deal like that? If you are interested already in this line here are some useful links to go check out.

• www.GoldToe.com
• Facebook.com/GoldToe
• Twitter.com/GOLDTOE

3.  Eukanuba Dog Food:  Last but not least Cassie our wonder Dalamation also gets something to try out this month.  Again this is a BzzAgent Campaign so it includes a lot of great stuff such as : A 20 lb bag of any Eukanuba dog food,  a flash drive that contains info on doggie dental health, chew toys, treats, and of course coupons for future Eukanuba products.  Now my dog is kind of a fussy eater so it will be interesting to see if she likes Eukanuba or how it affects her skin, coat, and old dog hips.  But I'm sure she'll enjoy the chew toys and doggie treats.

So that's the skinny for right now.  These all should be coming in the mail to me within the next few weeks so I'll be sure to keep this up to date with the latest news about these products and post any online coupons or savings codes I get.  In the mean time... I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday preparations!

Glade Expressions(R) Collection

It is truly amazing how certain smells can trigger fabulous memories or transport you to a glorious spot.  Its even better when you walk through your front door and those are things you first encounter.  A couple weeks ago BzzAgent gave me the opportunity to participate in a new Glade campaign and try out their Glade Expressions(R) Collection.  I of course was thrilled at this since I'm always burning candles and using plug ins in my house to transform it from just plain house smell to something wonderful.  Please don't think that plain house smell is bad... its just not anything to rave about.  So after letting BzzAgent know I'd love to participate in this campaign I had to wait a couple weeks to receive my BzzKit which included a coupon for a free Glade Expressions Mist Fragrance and a Glade Expressions Oil Diffuser.

As soon as I got my Bzzkit I drove into town, a mighty 120 miles away and went to my "local" Walmart to pick out my new Glade gear.  I was so excited to try out some new fragrances but also wanted to pick something that I new I would really love.  I'm a sucker for anything apple so I got the Oil Diffuser with Glade's new Fuji Apple & Cardamom fragrance.  Then in the Mist I picked the Pineapple & Mangosteen fragrance.  I also bought that one in the oil too so I could trade out my oil diffuser.  Thought I would mix it up a bit. 

So with my new Glade products in tow I made my way back home as quickly as possible to try it out.  OH MY GOODNESS was I so happy.  I first tried the Pineapple one and was quickly transported to a tropical paradise.  It is fruity, sweet and has a nice underlying coconut fragrance to it that made me think of laying on a beach with a pina colada in my hand (not a bad thought).  I loved how when I'd step out of my house for a while and come back in after a few hours how I was greeted with this fragrance but not overwhelmed by it at all.  When it says diffuse it means it!  The fragrances just subtly floats around the house without being overpowering or thick.  I also loved that the oil diffuser was stylishly made... kind of funky and Asian without being any kind of eyesore.  Right now I'm using the Fuji Apple & Cardamom oil and love it even more because the weather around here has definitely turned to something very fall and these are the kinds of smells I associate with the season.  Again its sweet and a little spicy which makes me think of spiced apples at Thanksgiving or homemade mulled cider.  When I come in from the cold the fragrance warms me up and takes me back to my childhood. 

I have yet to try my Pineapple & Mangosteen mist yet because I've been so enthralled with my diffuser but I'll definitely let you know what I think about it.  I know I already love the smell so I'm sure it will be a positive experience.  So if you guys love having your house smell great (and really who doesn't want that) be sure to try out Glades Expression Collection.  There are several other fragrances to choose from and I know you'd find one to fit your particular style just as I did.  Be sure to check out my facebook page because I posted a $2 off coupon for the mist and $4 off coupon for the oil diffuser.  Just love passing on the savings to you guys.

Unreal (TM) Candy Campaigne Startup!!

Do you love candy but hate the consequences of eating it?  ME TOO!!!  I've always been a sucker for Reeses Peanut Butter Cups and have always known they are sooooo bad for me.  Too much fat, too much sugar, and of course too many evil carbs.  Well now with the new Unreal™ Candy those wories can go by the wayside and my wasteline wont argue with me if I have a candy bar from time to time. 

Unreal™ is candy, unjunked™. Made with real ingredients, no corn syrup, no GMO’s, and a lot less sugar, Unreal™ is unjunking™ the world!”. Or at least thats what the information provided in my BzzAgent campaigne invitation claims.

Now until today I had never heard about Unreal™ Candy.  But this new campaigne invites me to give it a try and see how I like it.  They have several choices of "candy bar" that are knockoffs of some of the old classics like peanut butter cups, M&M's™, peanut M&M's™, etc. These are definitely some of the great classic candies we've all grown up with so its going to have to work hard at matching up to those classic flavors without as much "bad for ya" stuff in them.  The BzzAgent campaigne BzzKit will include more information on these products as well as coupons for me to go out and pick a few for free to give them a try.  I can't wait till my BzzKit arrives and I can try this out.  Now granted the Unreal™ brand is not claiming that their candy is good for you but the reduced fat, calories, and lack of unnatural sugars ceratinly gives it a leg up healthwise compared to other candies. 

I've been cruising the Unreal™ Candy website and so far have been impressed.  If you are interested I highly recommend checking it out as well at http://getunreal.com.  There you can read the story of how Unreal™ came about and what they are doing to make these classic candies without all the unnatural junk we hear so many bad things about. I'm hoping to get my Bzzkit within the couple of weeks and I'll pick up the candies to try as soon as possible and report back on here how they stack up flavorwise to their "parent" candy.  I'll keep you all posted!

Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy

I am always game for trying new products, especially when it comes to products for my hair because I'm always looking for ways to improve its condition.  As you all know from previous blog posts I have issues with my hair (nothing serious but bothersome just the same).  Luckily I was offered the opportunity to try out and review the Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy line through Shespeaks.  You all may have seen the commercials coming out lately with Heidi Klume advertising this particular line.  If Clear is what she's using then I'm all for giving it a whirl since her hair is gorgeous!

Until Shespeaks offered enrollment in this program I must admit that I'd never even heard of this line of products and hadn't paid any attention to the advertising on tv, but now I am seeing commercials for it and am more interested than ever.  What is supposed to make Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy products out perform all other hair care products is that it nourishes the scalp and the hair folicles since that is where 99% of hair health starts.  And maybe that is where I've been going wrong.  For years I've been trying to find the best possible hair care products for damage that is already being done to my hair and not concentrating on starting out with healthier hair.

This product line comes in a variety of formulas for specific hair needs such as Total Care, Damage & Color Repair, Volumizing Root Boost,  Strong Lengths, Moisturizing Dry Scalp,  Complete Care, and Ultra Shea.  I believe that I will be trying out the Total Care formula through Shespeaks but I would really be interested in trying out the one for strong hair because its not only supposed to nourish your scalp but correct damage that is already done to the hair shaft and for me that would be the best of both worlds. 

Shespeaks asked each of us to go to our local Walgreens and look at the display they had for Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy and take a quiz there.  I did indeed go to the closest Walgreens around (130 miles away in Missoula) and was a bit disappointed that the products were just in with the rest of the hair care products and that no additional information was provided in their display... meaning no quiz to take either.  I'm sure that the major displays are probably in stores that are in bigger locations but I was hopeful when I drove into town and stopped by that Missoula would be so lucky.  I did find out more about each of the individual formulas though while I was there.  But just so you know, Walgreens isn't the only place you can get these products. Walmart, Target, CVS, and other online retailers also sell Clear products so go check them out!

Heavenly Heels Thanks to Dr. Scholls!

I'm not the kind of person that dresses up very often.  Well to put it plainly I live in a rural town in Northwestern Montana that has two gas stations, two bars, and a post office.  None of which allow for much opportunity to have a night out on the town.  But my dear sweet fiance knows that I love to go dancing but complain about my feet hurting afterwards.  So when my Dr. Scholl's For Her High Heel Insoles arrived a few weeks ago in my Bzzkit from BzzAgent we made plans to go to Sandpoint and have an honest to goodness night out (including dancing). 

We both got gussied up and I found my cutest aka most uncomfortable pair of little black stilettos I own and put the insoles in them.  I figured if I was going to give them a true guns a blazing try this was going to be the make it or break it test run.  Ever since I got the Dr. Scholls insoles I'd be moving them from shoe to shoe to see how they would perform while I was on my feet all day at the local school teaching.  I'd had great experiences with all those shoes and my feet loved these insoles so I was optimistic about trying them out in this situation.  I've only worn these shoes a couple of times for less than two hours because they are so hard on my heels and the balls of my feet.  I've even thought about giving them away to friends because what was the use of having something so cute if you couldn't enjoy them.

So after dinner Mace and I went for a walk along the the boardwalk of Pond Oreille as a "warm up" and my feet still felt fantastic.  So we moved on to the club and got our groove on.  After 3 hours of dancing up a storm and then walking around town to get back to our car I was more than impressed that my feet still felt great.  My legs were tired but it wasn't coming from my feet aching.  So if you gals really want to break out those great shoes you have at the back of your closet GO FOR IT.  Just make sure you get some Dr. Scholls For Her insoles in there. Your feet will thank you!

Dr. Scholls for Mace Too!!!

Apparently I'm not going to be the only one in my household with cozy feet.  The other day Mace was invited to the Dr. Scholl's Massaging Gel Insole campaign through his BzzAgent account.  I have to admit I was really happy that he got invited to this particular campaign.  His work boots make his feet hurt like crazy after a long 10-12 hour day in them and usually I get to unlucky chore (I'm only teasing here, I'd do anything I could for him) of rubbing his tired feet at the end of the day.  As we all know a pair of tired, hurting feet just make the rest of your body feel crummy and achy too.  We're both hoping that his energy level will come up a bit if these insoles do everything they say and help his feet from getting so worn out by the end of the day.  Maybe then I'll be able to convince him to go out dancing with me in my high heels!

Living Below the Line Starts Tomorrow!!!

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the Live Below the Line Challenge.  As I stated in a previous post this is a charity driven campaign that BzzAgent invited both Mace and I too participate in.  Now we are by no means rich and frankly I try to maintain a strict meal budget all the times since we live so far away from a grocery store (130 miles away) but this is going to put my best week's budgeting successes to the test.  Each of us has $1.50 ($7.50 total for the whole week) to spend on each day's meals.  Granted because we are doing this as a couple it makes it a bit easier because cooking for two or more people is always easier than cooking for only one. 

So yesterday Mace and I spent an hour or so figuring out our meals, breakfast, lunch dinner, and drinks that would total under $3.00 for the both of us for every day the challenge is going on.  We've come up with some great and interesting ideas but I have a feeling its going to be easier for me to stick to the plan than it is for Mace.  One of the things we cut out for him for the week was Pepsi and switched him to drinking water which is something he absolutely hates.  I'm the kind of person that prefers water and end up drinking quite a bit each and every day.  Hopefully he wont go through caffeine withdrawals over this.  He's also a snacker which isn't going to work unless we plan for it.  Right now I have a about $2.75 left in our combined $14.00 total for the week so it'll give him a little wiggle room.

But the main thing is that I'm really looking forward to this campaign challenge because I think it will give more people an idea of how hard it really is to survive these days.  Groceries are horribly overpriced and there are a lot of people who aren't working right now so the poverty line is becoming more familiar to people that once never had to think about budgeting for anything let along a simple necessity such as food.  So please if you really want a challenge take this one up or at least donate a little something to a few of the charities participating in the Live Below the Line program.

Dr. Scholl's For Her BzzCampaign!!!

Normally I'm a tom boy but there are those occasions that I like to break out the little black dress and stilleto heels and have some fun.  The worst part of that scenario however is those damned little shoes.  Yes they look great and make a person's legs long and fabulous but the wear and tear on your feet can make you feel like you are making a deal with the devil when you slip them on.  Thankfully this past week I was invited to BzzAgent's latest campaign... Dr Scholl's For Her Insoles!!!!  I get a pair of Dr. Scholls For Her Insoles and a bunch of coupons for other Dr. Scholl's products to use or share with my friends in my BzzKit when it arrives.  I'm sooooooo excited.

I plan to put these little insoles to the test.  Over the past few months I've been working as a substitute at the local school almost everyday and also as a preschool teacher two days a week and never get to sit down during the day at either job.  Because of that I try and wear my more comfortable dress shoes but after this Dr. Scholls Bzzkit arrives I'm breaking out the fancy uncomfortable heels and wearing them all day long.  If these insoles are all that they are cracked up to be my feet should be fine.  If however I have to slip them off part way through the day I'll be bummed out.  I have other Dr. Scholl's products in other shoes like my Whites (if you don't know what these are you've never worked out in the woods), which are my rugged, stiff, backwoods, work boots with a vibram sole.  When I first got my boots I had to break them in of course but after the initial break in I still had a few spots that rubbed the balls of my feet the wrong way when hiking off the mountains.  But once I put in some gel Dr. Scholls insoles in them they felt just like my old beat em up tennis shoes.  So I'm hoping that these Dr. Scholls insoles designed specifically for heels have the same dramatic effect. 

I'll let you all know what I think but I have to say I'm really looking forward to trying out this product for BzzAgent!

Live Below the Line Campaign

Most of the time BzzAgent gives us campaigns that give us something for free to try out but occasionally we are invited to participate in campaigns that either try to make people more aware of problems in society or to help those that are less fortunate.  Both my fiance and I were invited to BzzAgent's Live Below the Line Campaign and we're determined to give it our best shot. 

This campaign is a charity campaign so we don't get a kit.  Instead we are encourage to spread the word to everyone we know about world wide hunger and extreme poverty.  We are challenged to eat and drink each day for 5 days on $1.50 or less a day.  Not only that but we are invited to join a participating charity to gain donations to combat poverty.  Some of these organizations include:

• Shot at Life
• UNICEF
• The Global Poverty Project
• CARE
• Global Syndicate
• Malaria No More
• Rainforest Foundation US

Each of these non-profit organizations try their best to provide goods and services as well as training to those that need it in order to help people provide for their families.  So I strongly encourage each and every one of you who reads this to join in and show your support for these activities.  For more information on these partners go to http://livebelowtheline.com/us-partners.

Also you can

• Like Live Below the Line on Facebook to connect with others participating in this year's challenge
• Follow Live Below the Line on Twitter to get some moral support from the team plus other participants.
• Check out the Live Below the Line YouTube page to see videos from previous years. Great for some preparation ideas and what to expect.

Coupon Clipping Digital Style

Though I don't have a printer at the moment (my ol' Dell printer finally gave up the ghost) there are some incredible online coupons out this weekend.  All the ones I have were provided to me through BzzAgent and I tell you what... if you haven't joined this site you are really missing out.  I love being a BzzAgent and being able to get first looks on opportunities like this and I've even convinced my fiance and my nephew to join as well.  They have both gotten some great stuff as well.

First there is a coupon for Garnier Fructis.  As I mentioned in a previous post I've been trying out some of their new formulas and am loving it so far.  When I get a new printer I'm definitely going to print this coupon out and use it.  Just click the following link and I'll be sharing this BzzAgent exclusive $1.25 coupon with you all.  Enjoy.

Next up BzzAgent sent me a link for Childrens Clariton.  As an adult that has been lucky enough to outgrow most of my childhood allergies I can really feel for those little ones that suffer from the sneezing, itchy eyes, and all around gookiness (yep I'm claiming that as a word) that comes along with spring time allergies.  Just click the following link and you should be redirected to a page for printing out this particular coupon.  Hope the kids feel better soon http://bricks.coupons.com/Bstart.asp?o=98462&c=MK&p=Kx4bhfSE

Thats all I have for right now but I'll be sure to post others as soon as I get them.  Happy clipping!!!

Garnier Fructis Here at Last!!!

For the past several weeks I've been waiting for my latest BzzAgent campaign product to arrive and yesterday it finally did.  BzzAgent offered me the opportunity to try out one of Garnier Fructis' new formulas.  I could choose between "Sleek and Shine" and "Triple Nutrition".  If you know me well then you know I also have issues with endless split ends so I went with the Triple Nutrition formula which endorsed itself as being ideal for dry and damaged hair (yep that would be what my hair is right now).  The information in the BzzKit and on the product packaging claims that I'll see an improvement in my hair within the first weeks use and I plan on putting that to the test.  I want my nice shiny healthy hair back and maybe this is just the product to do it.

I tried it out for the first time last night and I have to say that so far I'm pretty impressed.  First the scent is terrific!!!  Its subtle and fruity.  Second I was encouraged at how rich the formula was and how good it felt when in my hair.  I could feel the strands of hair being coated but not weighed down both by the shampoo and conditioner.  Also it takes very little product to work up a nice lather which isn't always the case in my house since we have the worlds hardest water.  The shampoo rinsed out cleanly and didn't leave any kind of a residue behind and the conditioner left my hair super smooth and easy to brush through.  NO TANGLES!!!  I didn't go through my usual motions of styling my hair and just let it dry naturally and I found that my hair was much softer than usual and stayed that way without get oily or frizzy or any other thing that it usually does.  Now of course this is only one days use and I have 6 more to see a difference like it claims but I have high hopes for this product!  I'll let you know how the remainder of the test goes.  Its ever so scientific.... lol.

Last Few Days of the Smarterer Campaign

For some reason its felt like this particular campaign has been going on FOREVER. Not that its a bad thing but I keep going back to my BzzAgent account hoping for something new and different to try. I started the Smarterer campaign with an open mind and at first thought it was kind of fun to go and take this quizzes, but I have to admit that once the newness of the idea wore off I struggled to want to go back and take more quizzes and see how I scored against others. Each week I got a new email from Smarterer saying they had new quizzes for me to try out and I did go back to see what was available but it was just more of the same stuff and my interest faded pretty fast. I know a few of my friends went and checked out the site and in the end felt the same way. There has to be something else going on for this website to be successful in the long run. As I've said in my previous blogs and reviews this is pretty much just a great site when you are bored and looking to waste some time. I'm not saying I'm disappointed with my experience because at times it was fun but it just didn't have the staying power or the draw to keep me coming back all the time.

Pantene is Coming!

I just got an email a few days ago from Shespeaks telling me that I get to try the new natural fusion Pantene line of shampoo and condition and it should be arriving in the mail any day now. This is super exciting since I use Pantene products and love them so I'm always up for trying something new that might be even better. So now I just have to wait for them to show up in my mail box. I'll let you know when I get them and what the details of the product are when it gets here.

BzzScore Finally Launched!

Ever since I became a BzzAgent two and a half years ago, progress as a member had been monitored by a function called status. Starting at "solitary bee" and working your way up the honeycomb strata, you could gain status by bzzing about products they sent you as campaigns and reviewing products you used on a daily basis in their bzzcapes and frogs program. I know this must all sound strange to those of you who haven't become agents, and I must admit it was a little convoluted for those of us who were agents as well. It all seemed kind of arbitrarty and you never knew how you stacked up to other agents or if you really were progressing in a way that you would be invited to new campaignes any earlier than anyone else.

So BzzAgent did away with bzzcapes, frogs, and even status itself and launched the new BzzScore which is a numerical evaluation of the work you as an agent have done since entering their program. This evaluation is based on your participation in campaings, the quality of information you provide others when you bzz about products, and how active you are as an agent. If you become lazy and subpar your score goes down while if you really participate and in general have fun while being an agent the score goes up.

Its a rating based on a 0-10 scale so when I first checked my score this past week I was really hoping for a 10 but was sad to see that after so long I was only an 8.2. The break down is 0-2 BAD (why are you even bothering to be a BzzAgent), 2-6 OK (you are giving it a good showing and keep up the work you are doing), and 6-10 AWESOME (you are kicking butt and taking names). Now this is nothing to be ashamed of by any means and it really motivates me to participate even more than I do. Even with an 8.2 I know I can do better. So thanks again BzzAgent for lighting a fire under my behind and making me want to do even more for your program! Hope all the other Bzzagents feel the same and we can make BzzAgent even more awesome!

CHOCOLATE!!!!!!

Who in their right mind could possibly say no to trying out Ghirardelli's newest chocolate squares? Certainly not me. But as most of you know I have two major vises in my life... coffee (which I drink by the potfull) and chocolate! So when Shespeaks offered me a free sample of Ghirardelli Milk & Truffle Squares I hopped right on board that train. Not only did I get a full sized (4.63 oz) bag of squares to try but I also got two $1.00 off coupons to share with friends as well.

I've always been a big fan of Ghirardelli squares. They have the richest and smoothest chocolate outsides and the different flavor combinations for fillings that they've come up with over the years have been amazing. These Milk & Truffle Squares have remained true to that tradition of quality and will certainly not leave you disappointed but wanting more and more. This new flavor is literally like having chocolate silk melt in your mouth. Its so creamy and rich and yet not so sweet that you are left with a serious sugar high. I definitely recommend this product to my fellow chocoholics... and I know there are a lot of you out there. No reason to be shy about it. So if you are interested, pop me a response, email, im... whatever and I'll send you one of the coupons I have so you can try these out as well. Great chocolate is meant to be shared by all!

Afrin "Stick up for yourself"!

Congested?.... NOT ANYMORE

This BzzAgent campaign couldn't have come at a better time! My fiance an I have been able to fight off the 2011-2012 cold season valiantly until last Thursday. Thankfully my flu shot is still holding strong and I'm feeling fine but my dear Mace succumbed to some sort of cold bug that has been kicking his nice looking tushy. No matter what kind of cold virus is floating around our community he always seems to get the congestion part of it ten fold and this latest routing is no different. BzzAgent in partnership with Afrin came to the rescue however and I was emailed a link to Afrin's new website based around the "Stick up for yourself" motto. The best part of the website outside of it being interactive with polls, videos, posts, and pearls of wisdom was a nice $2.00 off coupon link for Afrin at the bottom of the webpage. The link to the page and subsequent coupon is.... http://www.afrin.com/stickupforyourself/ (you should be clicking on this link NOW).

Since we were going to Sandpoint today to do some massive grocery shopping for the month I decided to go back the website and print out the coupon. It made a regular sized Afrin Severe Congestion formula only $1.27 at the Walmart I shopped at today! So awesome! As soon as we got home Mace used it and can finally breath for the the first time in 3 days and his sinus headache is abating as I'm typing this up! Makes for a much more pleasant man to deal with when his head isn't pounding from sinus pressure. So again I thank you BzzAgent in your campaign timing for making my life just a bit easier at a much more reasonable cost.

New Blog Ahoy!

I've been writing a personal blog off and on since college with moderate success depending on how busy my life has been. I've realized two things: 1- I like that I can be open and honest in a blog and people can either take it or leave it and 2- I should start a blog about the products I'm testing for the various word of mouth programs I'm involved in rather than putting it in my personal blog. Sometimes keeping things separate is a good thing in life and while some of you might just want to know how I'm doing and how life is treating me you should refer back to my old blogs. BUT if you want to know about BzzAgent, SheSpeaks and the products they send me to test this is the place to be.

If you have been following my old blogs (which I hope you have been) you'd know that yesterday I posted about a new BzzAgent Campaign that I'm involved in called Smarterer. Yes I realize that the title of the website is a bit oxymoronic but that is its charm. This morning I decided to go back to smarterer.com and see what other quizes I could take that I thought I might actually do well with. I have always thought that I was reasonably smart when it come to digital and computer related things but looking at the quizzes available I realized that there are really only a few things I'm good at on the computer.... surfing the Internet, checking email and facebook, and downloading massive amounts of music when I realize my playlists are getting a little dull. I don't know how to build a website, I don't use twitter, and rss feeds are like greek to me. With this in mind I decided to tackle quizzes that had to do with Disney Movies and Twilight. You'd think I might be ashamed of this but I'm not. I'm a kid at heart and I'd rather relax and have some fun with taking a quiz online than truly feel challenged by the questions. So two more quizzes down and I rated "smarterer" on each. I'm thinking about trying my hand at the powerpoint quiz since I've used that software entirely too much in my life and figure I'm well versed. I'm also hoping that there is a garmin gps/gis quiz that I can take as well and if not maybe I'll make one for other outdoor geeks like myself.

I have to say that the quizzes that smarterer.com have compiled are rather detailed and encompass the whole scope of each subject, which means each quiz has some rather obscure questions to weed out the wheat from the chaff. For instance the Disney quiz actually asked who some of the voices were from 1940's Disney movies. Perhaps my parents would have known the answers to this but I sure didn't. But I was proud of the fact that I knew that the original Polly Anna was Haley Mills.

So go check out Smarterer.com and let your mind wander a bit if you have and extra hour or so to blow. Trust me when I say the time goes by incredibly fast! Its one of those sites that are great when you are bored and don't have anything else to do.