New Addiction: Quaker 3 Minute Steel Cut Oats

I recently wrote a review for the Quaker 3 minute steel cut oats and I am writing once again to say how amazing this breakfast, snack, lunch, dinner, whenever you want to eat it food it is. I love that is low cal + low fat, as well as a filling option for any meal of the day. My husband adores it as well and we have purchased several boxes since trying our initial box free via Bzzagent. I was always a fan of oatmeal, but never have liked it as much as I love this variety. I highly recommend trying it even if you have never liked this type of food before. It has an extremely creamy texture with a light blueberry and cranberry flavor. I especially enjoy that you do not have to add any additional sugar or milk. Well worth it to try a box for yourself and become an addict like myself and my family. Plus you cannot beat the heart healthy qualities!

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3 minute quaker steel cut oatmeal (product review)

I was recently given the opportunity to try the new 3 minute Quaker steel cut oatmeal via Bzzagent and I must say this is one of my new favorite products. After trying my free box for the first time, I found that it was simple to make just by following the directions on box and came out perfect. I did not even need to add any dairy products or sugar, which I find I have to do with regular oatmeal and other varieties. After even the first bowl I was hooked and have been ever since. It is my go-to breakfast and I also utilize it as a healthy snack. My favorite is the blueberry and cranberry, but I am sure the other is great as well. These are the perfect low calorie, low fat, low cholesterol simple and quick breakfast that everyone needs to try. I am highly impressed! This does not taste like a healthy meal either and in fact it keeps you very full throughout the morning.

<img src="https://img.bzzagent.com/image/quakerSteelCut.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=5118392546&Campaign=8398383631&Uid=1665591&token=f48e233420e335f9c887ef1f5716db4e" alt=""/>

Barilla Collezione Pasta Review (free trial from Bzzagent)

I recently had the priveledge to try the all new Collezione pasta free from Bzzagent. This is a new type of pasta offered from Barilla, which has always been a trusted brand in the pasta world. They also are very affordable and always have great deals & coupons, especially for the high quality of their product. I was very excited to try this in a recipe I had been wanting to make for some time and it turned out fantastic! The dish itself required to not only boil the pasta, but to also bake it. This pasta has a very lovely shape and the pasta held up through all the various methods of cooking and baking. It kept its shape and flavor as well! The dish was a pumpkin cheese baked pasta dish and it was fantastic. Below is a photo of my creation and although I used a different type of pasta it was one of the best new dishes I have made in a while! Try this recipe or another one yourself using the new Collezione (makes your dish look, taste, and feel more fancy).

<img src="https://img.bzzagent.com/image/barilla.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=1624673529&Campaign=8495501160&Uid=1665591&token=798cbd85b46d86c7ef08c13b70bdd49b" alt=""/>

Baby Orajel Naturals Nighttime Teething Formula (product review)

I am excited to write yet another product review for the Orajel I received recently for free via Smiley360. I think this is another wonderful product that is moving away from the harmful dyes and chemicals to a more natural based product. Although we have not been able to actually try it hands on, since we have not had an instance to, I can only assume that it works as well as any other Orajel brand product. Orajel is great, not only for kids, but adults as well for toothache pain. I especially love that it is a nighttime product and therefore should last longer than the average Orajel. For those who have not heard of this newer product, it is free of dyes, parabens, belladonna, & benzocaine, but relies on more homeopathic ingredients such as chamomile.

Kettle Brand Popcorn Review

I recently was able to try Kettle Brands new popcorn, and sliced potato chips (but that is for another day) free from Bzzagent. Once again I have found a product that I really like and interested to share with others! I am absolutely in love with the new Sriracha popcorn from Kettle Brand! It is so yummy and I cannot get enough spicy anyway! I think it is really good in comparison to other popcorn snacks and I love that they have branched out beyond just salty or butter flavored. It is convenient as a snack as well and I am really impressed with the quality of the taste! They also offer some other unique flavors as well, including Maple & Bacon, which judging from the yummy taste of the Sriracha is probably good as well. The best part is the calories won't break your budget, but tastes like it should!

Still loving Secret Outlast Gel!

In my previous post, I reviewed the new Secret Outlast Clear Gel product I have been able to try and test for Bzzagent. I have continued to use this product and have been thrilled with the results and how well it works. I have not ever had a major problem with odor or anything, but this stuff works wonders at keeping you dry and smelling fresh especially when you are on the go all day! In the past, I have actually kept an extra stick of deoderant in the car just in case, but since using Secret I have not needed to have that extra safety net because it works so well!

Secret Outlast Completely Clear Gel (Product Review)

I was recently able to try the new Secret Outlast Completely Clear Gel for free from Bzzagent and I absolutely love it! I am usually not a fan of the gels because they seem to make you feel sticky, but this brand is totally different. It goes on smooth and when it dries it does not leave a strange feeling of leftover gel under your arm. I also feel that it works very well for odor protection. I have used it at the beach on vacation, at cheerleading practice while coaching, and on a daily basis for regular use as well. The best part, however, is it leaves no white marks or streaks on your clothes! I wear a lot of black tops and hate that most deodorants leave those pesky white streaks, but this one absolutely does not. Try it out today!


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5 hour Energy (LBBC Support) Product Review

I recently was able to test two 5 hour energy products care of Smiley 360. These special bottles were in support of "Living Beyond Breast Cancer" or LBBC. They were really cute with the pink ribbon for breast cancer and part of the proceeds of actually purchasing the product would go to raise money for breast cancer research and awareness. I love when products that people purchase normally raise money for causes. It makes the product that much better in my opinion! With that being said, I do not use products such as 5 hour energy very often, but they do work! I especially like that it is Sugar free and low in calories. Try it out if you need a quick boost of energy during the day.

My #5hourGoesPinkSelfie

Mucinex Multi-Symptom Cold PRODUCT REVIEW

I recently was able to try a free full size sample of Mucinex Multi Symptom Cold for my child care of Smiley360. I would not call it lucky, but our whole little family got sick last week after coming home from vacation and we were actually able to try the product out. I was worried that I would not have anything to say about the product because I did not think there would be an opportunity to see how it actually worked. However, I was pleasantly suprised as to how well it DID work for our daughter, who is six years old. It really controlled the symptoms and was a good addition to the antibiotic we were given by the doctor. I have always been a fan of Mucinex products and this one is great because it has added ingredients (thus being multi-symptom) that the original does not have. Madeline also said she did not mind the taste, which is always a plus when kids have to take medicine! I would recommend this product to anyone who has a younger child for when they unfortunately catch a cough or cold.

Chapstick Dual Ended Hydration Lock (PRODUCT REVIEW)

I recently was able to try a free full size sample of Chapstick's new product care of Smiley360. It is the new dual ended Hydration Lock chapstick and one of its characteristics is that it has two seperate ends on the stick that hydrate & moisturize as well as heal. I felt that it worked quite well for chapped lips, but I did not feel that it was much different or any better than any other brand on the market. I enjoyed being able to try the product and I have mentioned to my friends some of the positive qualities, one of them being that it leaves your lips feeling very smooth and the chapstick itself has a very creamy feel. Great product to try and test it out for yourself.

Victoria's Secret Store Experience

I used my coupon (finally) last weekend at Victoria's Secret in Cool Springs. I am just now getting around to blogging about my store experience. The 25% coupon was great and I definately could not pass up using it. I grabbed one of the tank tops from the line as well as a second sports bra that had a little less padding than the one I received in my VoxBox. I loved my experience, as always, at the VS store that I shop at. They are always so nice and helpful and were excited that I was coming in to check out the new sportswear line. In addition to visiting the store, I looked on the website quite a bit too and have considered purchasing a few additional items from the collection. I think it is great that VS is branching out and offering such a variety of products!

Keurig 2.0 VoxBox Product Review

I have been using my complimentary Keurig 2.0 I received for testing purposes for about a month now & I must say I am literally obsessed! It is my first experience with anything from the Keurig line & I am one of my only friends or family to have one! First of all the set up for the machine when it first arrived was so easy. I think I had the thing all together, making a carafe of coffee within 30 minutes of its arrival at my house. I think this is a perk because many of these fancy appliances take forever to set up and are very confusing for consumers.

Now, onto the carafe. It brews a 4-5 serving carafe in addition to the single serve cups of coffee. To be honest this is the reason I was so excited about this product in general because that is about how much I would like to make so it is not a waste, but it is still more than one cup of joe. I especially enjoyed the Hawaiian blend that came with my VoxBox. Tasty stuff!

I have also enjoyed making myself a single serve of tea or coffee as well and this feature still being a part of the product is great for when I just want something so I can head out the door. It is fast and easy. Pop the K-cup in and you're ready to go!

I have fell in love with my Keurig 2.0 so much that I actually just got rid of our old coffee maker and have made the commitment to the Keurig line of products.

The only downside to these machines is that you can no longer use the older style K-cups or the reusable cups inside the machines. There are ways around this and you can you tube how to "trick" the machine to still be able to use these. Up to you if you want to get into all that and are super crafty with those types of abilities. The reason I disagree with this is they need to come out with something that is reusable to make this product more environmentally friendly since as of now you are just throwing away K-cup after K-cup. Please make this product more green instead of trying to get every dime out people by forcing them to buy the K-cups.

Long story short.....check this thing out. Its pretty amazing!

VS Sports Tester (Product Review)

Hey y'all! Recently I received a Victoria's Secret VoxBox from Influenster in the mail & I was so excited! The box itself came with several 25% off  VS sport item coupons, a sports bra, & exercise pants. Just like when you get anything new, I immediately had to try it on & it fit very well! I decided I would wait to write my review until I was able to try it out further and also after I at least washed it one time to see how the fabric would hold up. I was pleasantly surprised that after washing it, the fabric was still like brand new. It is made with extremely sturdy fabric, especially being that it is relatively affordable exercise clothing. That also leads me however to my only complaint about the product.....it is slightly uncomfortable to wear while actually working out. It holds everything in place almost a little too well, at least for my taste. These sports cloths will absolutely not double as "couch pants" or anything you would really want to wear for any other purpose but to exercise in. Now that may be great, but it is just something I would want to be aware of before I ran out and purchased a $50 pair of workout pants. The upside is like I said it holds everything in and gives you a lot of support, especially the pants in comparison to other brands. I also LOVE the patterns that you can choose from and all of it is very stylish.

ARM & HAMMER (TM) Baking Soda

ARM & HAMMER (TM) Baking Soda Check out this wonderful product! There are so many uses for baking soda that many people have no idea about! I got to try it free through Smiley360!

TLC VoxBox (rocks!)

I received my TLC VoxBox a week ago & I was so excited about the products inside! Especially the fact they were extremely useful items (& full size!). Included was a sample pack of Puffs, Neosporin to Go, Ivory soap, Avon Anew foundation cream, a Shell gas rewards card, & the best part, FREE GELATO! I haven't had an opportunity to use a few of the items, but most I have. I will say the caramel gelato was to DIE for (definite diet ruiner) & the Avon has been a cool product to try. Influenster is an awesome program & I LOVE being able to try new products & review them. It's nice to get a sample & decide whether you would buy it again.

cheap hefty baggies @ Deals!

Got 12 boxes of Hefty baggies for $4 (stupid tax!) today at deals! I used 6 $1.50/2 coupons and the baggies were only a $1 a piece! Pretty decent deal. I had a 60% savings! Supposedly, some Dollar Trees are running $2/$1 on them, but not here in Nashville. :(

what i wore this week. a bow dress! (DIY) <3

Made a bow dress for our annual tacky sweater chrismakkuh party! pretty simple, just time consuming (& you
may get stuck by a pin). Basically, I took an old cotton dress and used safety pins to attach a variety of Christmas bows all over the dress. I used various sizes, colors, etc.

Safety pin from the inside so it isn't visible in the outside!

I wore magenta pink tights and multi colored sparkle shoes. I also painted my nails 4 magenta pink & the other a teal with sparkles. Matched the dress!

My earrings -- (DIY):
Used two extra small size bows and popped the dangling earring back through it. You could not buy the earring backs at the craft store and borrow some if you have some costume jewelry! Easy peasy!

COUPON ALERT! the lumene deal is back at CVS!

You can still cash in on those ECBs (which double if you have signed up for it!) -- buy $30 of Lumene products and get $10 ECBs. It's a great deal, but you need many of their $4 off coupons they have been offering on their Facebook page! Happy shopping! <3

CVS & Walgreens couponing trip. 12/3

Lets start with the CVS trip! I started with $20 in ECBs from my last trip from the double rewards on the Lumene products (see previous blog post from 12/1). Here's the breakdown of transactions --

1. 6 Lumene products (ranging from 3.99 to 6.49) -- unfortunately they were out of most of the cheap ones so I had mostly 6.49 products.
Used 6 $4 off any Lumene products from their Facebook page + my $20 ECB. Basically FREE after the next $20 in ECBs printed.

2. 1 Playtex Gentle glide tampon, 40 ct (8.49)
1 Playtex sport tampon, 16 ct (5.29)
2 Schick Hydro shave gels (3.69/ea.)
2 Right Guard total defense deodorants (2.99/ea.)
1 All Laundry detergent or Mighty Pacs (on sale, 3.99)

Used coupons:
B1G1 free gentle glide
2- $1/1 schick hydro shave gel
$3/2 Right Guard
$1/1 All Mighty Pacs

Spent about a $1.11 due to tax, but got $13 in ECBs!!! Decent night at CVS! Probably will hit up some of these deals again this week and rack up some more bucks and hopefully find the cheaper Lumene products at another location in the Nashville area!

Walgreens Trip:

Best deal ever on Kre-O Transformers! They have them Buy 2, Get 1 Free right now and in this past weeks Smart Savver they had a coupon for a free one (no purchase necessary!). We got 6 total for only the tax! Use 2 coupons and get the third free! A 100% savings! These would be great as Christmas gifts or donations or if you have kids as prizes!!

CVS couponing trip 12/1.

Last day on the lumene deal (get $10 ECBs if you spend $30)! Got several
And used a combo of $4 off coupons emailed to me by a fellow coupon friend from Lumene's Facebook page & $3 off CVS tearpad coupons. Ended up with all I got I spent $1.73. Plus that $30 ECB doubled and I can't wait to use it on the next couponing trip!

Also, check out how much I've saved just this fall by using coupons!