Palmolive Soft Touch Dish Soap ~ #PalmoliveSoftTouch

I already have really dry skin, and you know what makes it worse? Washing the dishes!

Luckily, I have a dishwasher to do most of the dish washing for me. However, you know there are certain pots or pans, that are either too big for the dish washer, or they just won't get clean in the dishwasher? I have no other choice than to wash those dishes by hand.

I recently tried a new dish washing liquid soap by Palmolive, called Soft Touch, which was provided to me for free from Influenster. I received one bottle each in Vitamin E (Pink) and Coconut Butter (White.)

Both the Palmolive Soft Touch Vitamin E & Coconut Butter variety, are designed to be soft on hands, but still have the grease cutting action to leave dishes sparkling clean.

Palmolive Soft Touch looked and sounded like a fabulous product, I rushed over to my BFF's house, and left the Palmolive Soft Touch with Vitamin E for her to try.

Then, I rushed back to my house to tackle, a stubborn grill pan that I had used to grill chicken the night before.

After a bit of scrubbing, my grill pan is as clean as it can get, considering all the abuse it has seen over the years! And, the scent of Coconut Butter wafting through the air was heavenly!

My hands are soft, and my manicure still looks great!

Palmolive Soft Touch come in three varieties, Vitamin E, Coconut Butter & Aloe. I'm looking forward to trying the Aloe Variety, because it is specifically formulated for dry hands!

I was asked my Influenster & Colgate-Palmolive to review Palmolive Soft Touch Dish Soap. I received 2 free bottles, but was not compensated for this post. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

What's Good at the 99 Cent Only Store this Week ? 5-22-13

Today was the first shop in weeks, that I was SUPER excited about what I found. My eyes must have been as wide as saucers, when I saw the 18 ct. Gevalia Dark Royal Roast K-Cups.

I just bought 5 - 12 ct. boxes at Ralph's a few weeks prior. They were on sale for $6.99. If you bought 5, you saved $5. There were also $1.00/1 tear pad coupons, bringing them down to $4.99 or $.41 a K-Cup. I was okay with that, lol.  What you see above are 18 count boxes, making each K-Cup only $.05! AMAZING! We go through Coffee like crazy in our house!

One of the boxes I purchased was opened & one K-Cup was missing. However, even a 17 ct. box for $.99 is a steal, so I picked it up anyway. These retail for at least $11.99 a box....score!

I also found Mrs. May's Naturals Crispy Veggie Chips! I've heard of this brand, because their products have been included in several of the subscription box services, lately. So, I knew they would probably be great, and I was right! This retails for around $5.00 a bag!

And last but not least, I found Biscoff Spread. If you are not familiar with Biscoff Spread, it's basically a spread, with the same consistency of creamy peanut butter, but made out of ground up Biscoff brand cookies. It's sweet with hints of cinnamon & brown sugar.  Please check out my recipe for Banana Biscoff Rice Krispie Treats here. This retails for around $4.00 a jar.

Pictured Above:

18 ct. Gevalia Kaffe Dark Royal Roast K-Cups Exp. 6-29-13

4 oz. Mrs. May's Naturals Crispy Veggie Chips Garden Fresh Mix Exp. 7-16-13 (See Close-Up Pic Below)

14.1 oz. Lotus Biscoff Spread Exp. 7-14-13

8 ct. Earth's Best Strawberry Snack Bars Exp. 7-26-13

5 oz. Sun-Maid Oatmeal Raisin Apple Cookies Exp. 1-24-14

16 oz. Wish-Bone Balsamic Marinade with Extra Virgin Olive Oil Exp. 6-11-13

13.75 oz. Betty Crocker Hot Chocolate Cupcake Mix Exp. 10-4-13

17.4 oz. Betty Crocker Hot Chocolate Brownie Mix Exp. 9-26-13

My 99 Cent Only Store has had these forever, I just haven't picked them up until now, for some reason.

64 oz. Cal-Maid 100% Unsweetened Orange Juice Exp. None that I can see.

2 pound bags of Promate Nectarines



Here are some other things I spotted worth mentioning.....

Please come back next week to see what I pick up at the 99 Cent Only Store!

The Best $7 I Ever Spent ~ The Goodies Co.

How many of you have jumped on the subscription box band wagon yet? I recently went crazy and signed up for 5 different subscription box services, and I'm on the waiting list for a sixth! As those boxes trickle in, I'll share with you all the amazing products I receive!

I think this particular box, from The Goodies Co., is an amazing value! I first learned about The Goodies Co. on Facebook. There was an ad in the side bar of my Facebook news feed, where I clicked and requested an invite. The Goodies Co. is still currently available by invite only, however in this months box, there was a promo code to "skip the line." So, if you don't want to wait a few weeks for an invite, use the promo code SKIPTHELINE.

The Goodies Co. box is only $7 a month! And, when you complete reviews of the products you receive, on their website, you are rewarded with points. These points can be used to purchase free boxes! How sweet is that!?! Also, if you absolutely love something, you can purchase the full size version on The Goodies Co. website.

Okay, on to the May 2013 box!

The Goodies Co. box looks like this when it arrives.

 

The inside of the box is adorable, and everything was packaged beautifully.

 

Woo hoo! The big reveal of my firsts Goodies box! (Not really, lol....I looked at spoilers online before I opened it! The anticipation was killing me :-)

Beanitos Original Black Bean Chips with Sea Salt, 1.5 oz ~ Retail Value $.99

Corn Free, All Natural, No Trans Fats, No Preservatives, Gluten-Free, No MSG, Kosher, Vegan, Low on the Glycemic Index, High Fiber, Lightly Salted, Cholseterol Free  

4 Weight Watchers Points Plus per serving (each bag contains 1.5 servings)

 

Kathie's Kitchen Super Seedz with Sea Salt ~ Gourmet Shelled Pumpkin Seeds, 1 oz. ~ Retail Value $.99

No Gluten, No Tree Nuts, No Peanuts, No MSG, No Soy, Vegan

4 Weight Watchers Points plus per serving (serving 1 package)

 Dorval Sour Power Straws in Blue Raspberry & Pink Lemonade, 1.75 oz (9 pieces each) ~ Retail Value $.99 each

Fat Free

5 Weight Watchers Points Plus per serving (Serving, 1 package)

Bronco Bob's Roasted Mango Chipolte Sauce, 2.5 oz. ~ Retail Value $1.49

All Natural, No Preservatives 

2 Weight Watchers Points Plus per serving (Serving 2 Tbsp)

California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Everyday Meals, .4 fl oz. each ~ Retail Value $.47

Numi Organic Tea in Morracan Mint ~ Retail Value $.38

Made with real fruits, flowers & Spices

Zico Pure Premium Coconut Water, 1 liter ~ Retail Value $6.39

 More Potassium than a banana, 5 essential electrolytes, supports rapid hydration, zero fat, gluten free

1 Weight Watchers Point Plus per serving (serving 8 fl. oz.)

 

Coupon for FREE Wholly Guacamole Product (up to $6.50) Exp. 12-31-13 and Chip Clip!

The total retail for this box is $19.19, not including the chip clip!

If you want to give a fun, surprise gift to yourself every month, I highly recommend The Goodies Co.!

Wafu Wasabi Edamame Japanese Vinaigrette

Even though I'm not a big Edamame fan, I was still excited to try a sample of Wafu Wasabi Edamame Japanese Vinaigrette, which was provided to me free by Swaggable.  I love Wasabi, and I've been obsessed with Wasabi Peas, ever since I was sent some from my Foodie Pen Pal Gigi back in February.

Acording to the Wafu website, their Wasabi Edamame Japanese Vinaigrette, combines the sweet and natural flavors of edamame (soybeans) with a touch of wasabi (Japanese horseradish) to give it some kick. 

Wafu Wasabi Edamame Japanese Vinaigrette, is free of artificial colors & flavors, trans fat, cholesterol, as well as, Vegan and Kosher. This dressing also comes in a Natural/GMO Free/Gluten-Free variety.

When I read that this dressing has Wasabi, I assumed it was going to be a bit spicy, but I was wrong. It was not spicy at all. I was a bit disappointed by this. Overall, this dressing has a sour flavor, even though the description describes it as being "sweet" from the flavor of Edamame. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either, and would probably not purchase the full size version.

There is nothing "wrong" with this dressing, it's just not right for me. It is a very healthy option if you are trying to lose weight. The sample I received was 1.5 oz, and the entire packet was only 2 Points Plus on the Weight Watchers Program.  I was able to get 2 uses out of this sample for the salad size pictured. So, I was able to get a generous amount for only 1 Point Plus! That's definitely a plus!

I was asked by Swaggable to review Wafu Wasabi Edamame Japanese Vinaigrette . I received a free sample from Wafu, but was not compensated for this post. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

7th Heaven Clean Up Mud Volcanic Mud Exfoliating Masque

Have many of you out there are a fan of mud masks?

I must admit that it has been ages since I used one. Really, like ages.... I'm 34 years old, and I must have been in high school. My mom probably had a mud mask in a tube, and indulged me by allowing me to try some. Since I'm going to be 35 next year, I feel it's time to start getting serious about skincare. Currently, I'm not very serious....like at all. I dont' follow any kind of skin care regimen, other than just washing my face with a cleanser daily. However, I plan coming up with some kind of plan, so I can keep my skin looking youthful!

I was lucky enough to receive this Clean Up Mud Volcanic Mud Exfoliating Masque from 7th Heaven and Swaggable. This mask is made of Moroccan Volcanic Clay and Lava Pumice. It also contains Organic Rosemary, Organic Witch Hazel, Organic Aloe Vera, Organic Cloves, Organic White Willow & Organic Tea Tree Oil. All ingredients are 100% natural, with no artificial preservatives. This particular masque is designed for normal or oily skin, and claims to flush out your pores & condition your skin.

So basically, you just squirt the contents of the packet into your hands, and apply it to your skin. I didn't have any make-up on before using it, so I just rinsed my face as suggested in the directions with warm water.

The appearance of the mud is smooth, but as you apply it, you can feel the pulverized pumice exfoliating your skin. The scent that stood out to me the most was the Tea Tree Oil.

This is what I looked like with the masque freshly applied. I really need to invest in one of those cotton headband things, so the mud doesn't get in my hair! It was fine though, it came out easily when I rinsed it off.

This is what the masque looked like after the 15 to 20 min hardening time.  

The masque smelled great, and feel great going on, however, waiting the 20 minutes to let the masque harden was borderline torture!  As the masque starts to harden, you have less and less ability to move your facial muscles. I don't suffer from any type of claustrophobia that I know of, but I can imagine it might feel something like wearing this masque! I couldn't wait to rinse it off,lol. I was literally checking the clock every minute, the last 5 minutes! 

After rinsing off the masque with warm water, my skin did feel conditioned. I'm not sure how well it cleaned out my pores, since I don't really have oily or acne prone skin. I occasionally get pimples on my chin area, and haven't had any breakouts since using this masque, so assume it did what it claimed! This mud masque retails for $2.99.

I was asked by Swaggable to review the 7th Heaven Clean Up Mud Volcanic Exfoliating Masque.. I received a free sample from 7th Heaven, but was not compensated for this post. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

 

What's Good at the 99 Cent Only Store this Week? And, Dole Nutrition Plus Chia and Fruit Clusters Review!

Another great trip to the 99 Cent Only store this week! Look at those 8 oz. packages of Kraft Cheese! Love it!

8 oz. Kraft Pizza Mozzarella Cheddar Cheese Exp. 6-10-13

3 packs/14 pieces each Stride Tropical Trance Gum Exp. 8-21-13

1 oz. Yellowstone Brand All Natural Beef Jerky Exp. 9-13-14 

Not sure this is such a great deal, however, I was on the lookout for healthier snacks & this fit the bill. I love to sample new products!

Look at this HUGE package of TUMS!

140 ct. Tums Smoothies Berry Fusion & 25 ct. Tums Refreshers in Cool Mint! Exp. 2-2014

For those of you not familiar with Tums Refreshers, they're an antacid & breath mint in one! 

Scholastic Travel I SPY Memory Game ~ I put this in my son's "Caught Being Good" treasure box.

2 Ct. Cupcake Holders ~ I thought these were so cute! Perfect to send cupcakes in school lunches.

Disney 30 Ct. Cotton Swabs in Decorative tin ~ Again, so cute! I'm definitely saving these to add to gift baskets around Christmas time.

3 oz. Degree Girl Just Dance (scent described as sweet red berries, with a dash of citrus) Body Mist Fragrance

Here are some other products worth mentioning, that I did not buy.

Okay, now on to my favorite find of the week! Drum roll please! 

Introducing...... Dole Nutrition Plus Chia & Fruit Clusters in Cranberry Apple! Exp. 7-30-13

From the back of the bag:

From Dole Nutrition Plus, are Satisfyingly delicious crunchy clusters of dried fruit and whole grains, including all natural cold-milled chia seed ~ an ancient grain superfood.

Since 1851, Dole has believed in the health benefits of fruits & vegeatbles. To better understand these benefits, the Dole Nutrition Institute was founded in 2003 to lead research on plant based diets. Dole Nutrition Plus brings this knowledge to life, with great tasting snacks that naturally deliver the essential nutrients we need to live healthy lives. 

Ounce for ounce, Chia seeds provide: 2x more Omega 3 than Walnuts, 3x more fiber than oatmeal, 5x more calcium than whole milk & 26g more protein than an egg!

Ingredients: Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Dried Fruit(Cranberries, Apples,) Crisp Brown Rice, Dried Cane Syrup, Milled Chia Seeds, Brown Rice, Brown Rice Syrup, Oat Fiber, Maltodextrin, Honey, Canola Oil, Natural Flavor, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Vitamin C, Vitamin E.

This is the suggested serving size of 30 g or 12 clusters. If you are following the Weight Watchers Program, each serving is 3 Points Plus. As you can see, mine were broken up a bit.

These were delicious! You can clearly see all the goodness packed into these tiny clusters. Crispy brown rice cereal, oats & dried fruit. Please don't let the chia seeds scare you! You can't even tell they are there.

I've eaten chia seeds in the past, but they were in a sauce my mom served over cheesecake. When chia seeds come into contact with moisture, they absorb it, swell and become slimy.  Yuck!

After my initial experience with chia seeds, I was not impressed. However, after trying the new Dole Nutrition Plus Chia & Fruit Clusters, I'm given them a second thought. I never realized that chia seeds could be so tasty!

These clusters are slightly sweet, and very crunchy. The contrast of the chewy bits of dried fruit is just right. These are delicious as a snack, but would be great to sprinkle the crushed clusters over yogurt.

Dole Nutrition Plus Chia & Fruit Clusters also come in Mixed Berry & Tropical Fruit!

I bought 2 bags, and started eating one in the car, because I skipped breakfast. After I realized how delicious they were, I went in and bought 2 more!

Please come back next week to see what I pick up at the 99 Cent Only store!