BrytonPick Floss Review

They say: Reusable and Portable dental floss for people on-the-go or those who are unable to floss (or hate flossing). Great for people wearing braces or Invisalign. Credit card size carry-pouch included.

I say:  As someone who hates flossing, I was anxious to review this product. It was only okay. My first issue with it was that it was so flimsy that I actually bent one of the metal parts when I took it out of the package. However, it was easy to use, worked well and worked quickly. It fit well between my tight teeth. But I still have a lot of metal fillings, and so I wan't so keen in putting metal in my mouth. If they made a plastic version, I would definately buy it.

This product would be great to pack when you are traveling or if you don't have metal fillings. For more information, visit BrytonPick at http://www.brytonpick.com/

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com  Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

2011 Cozy Mystery Challenge!

I have been wanting to do some sort of book challenge in 2011, so when I heard about the cozy mystery challenge (from http://dollycas.blogspot.com/) I knew I wanted to participate. Cozy mysteries are some of my favorites, and they are quicker reads too, which is perfect!

The 2011 Cozy Mystery Challenge is being hosted by Debbie's Book Bag!  

What is a cozy mystery, you ask? Click HERE for a great definition from www.cozy-mystery.com, which will provide you with lots of great options for this challenge, including an alphabetical listing of cozy mystery authors.

Cozy mysteries usually involve an female amateur sleuth that gets herself into a trouble trying to solve a mystery. These are light, fun reads that appeal to women who liked reading Trixie Beldon and Nancy Drew books when they were growing up. They are not as heavy and deep as most mystery/thrillers. They usually come as part of a series with specific themes. You can find just about any kind of cozy mystery from knitters, to bakers, to bookshop owners and tattoo artists.
 
Sign Up:

~To Sign up for the challenge you must make a post on your blog announcing your participation in the challenge, your level of participation and link back to this sign up page.

~You then must use the URL of that post to sign up through the Mr. Linky provided here.

~Please post the 2011 Cozy Mystery Challenge Button on your side bar so that others can link back to Debbie's Book Bag, if they want to sign up.

Other Details:

~The challenge will run from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011.

~ There will be three levels of participation to choose from:

Amateur Detective: Read 1-5 Cozy Mystery's
Private-Eye: Read 6-10 Cozy Mystery's
GumShoe: Read 11 or more Cozy Mystery's

~ You do NOT need to list your cozy mysteries ahead of time, you can add them as you go. If you do choose to list them up front, feel free to change them as you need to.

~ You can sign up any time during the year!

~ Books that have been read before January 1st 2011 will not count for this challenge.
~ Cross-overs from other challenges are accepted.

~ At the beginning of each month I will make a post for you link your reviews to.

Prizes:

~Every person who signs up for the challenge and links at least 5 cozy mystery reviews within the challenge period will be entered to win a prize at the end of the challenge.

~The prize will be a complete cozy mystery series from your favorite cozy author!

I will be signing up at the Gumshoe Level to read 11 or more cozies in 2011.

Head over to Debbie's Book Bag to sign up! Let me know if you are going to sign up. This sounds like fun :)

Christmas is Over...

I hope that those of you who celebrate Christmas had a good one! Jeff and I did... very blessed with what we received (how can you be humble about the presents you got? lol I'm trying!)He bought me a Zune! The only MP3 player I have ever had was a 1st gen ipod shuffle that I never used, so this is very exciting!! He also bought me the Harry Potter Lego Wii game, which I have already played  and really like! Not sure what his fave present is, but I think that he really likes the router my dad gave us!

On second thought... it is probably the bag of crap from woot lol

In the evening, we went to Jeff's parents for the Christmas dinner with the extended family - a change of venue from the usual, but it is always good to get everyone together! We ended up staying later and watching Elf on their beautiful high def TV. On the way home, we drove around looking at Christmas lights.

Even the cats got a few presents, thanks to my friend Teresa!

So here it is Dec. 26th... and the Blizzard of aught ten has begun. Thankfully my boss called and said that I don't have to go into work tomorrow! Wa hoo!!

Right now I am looking into the coming year and changes I want to make.... before the biggest change of our life arrives!!

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas to all of my readers who celebrate!

I hope you all have a wonderful day filled with friends, family and lots of love! <3

Free Ruffles - still valid!

Behind on the times so I jsut now got to try the "Get Bagged" Ruffles coupon - and it still worked.

All you have to do is  like Ruffles on Facebook and  click on the "Get Bagged" tab.  Add the app, fill out your info and get a  "99¢ off a 99¢ bag" coupon mailed to you. That means a FREE BAG OF CHIPS! Woo hoo. not sure if its only for their new flavors, but at least those are two Jeff would like :)

Oreo Truffles!

Well, I had a few firsts this evening.... first time using a food processor (donated by the mother in law) and first time using a double boiler (homemade). Though making truffles was a first for me too!

I FINALLY got a start on my holiday baking... a late start, since everything has to be done by 8 a.m. Wednesday morning... I'm also working Mon all day and Tues afternoon.  Yup. lol At least none of this is gifts this year, just dessert for the work holiday party and for Christmas Eve dinner.

I thought truffles would be quick and easy, and they were somewhat. My biggest issue was them falling apart a little in the chocolate. I think that it took me so long to melt the chocolate that they dried out a bit. If I make them again, I'll get the double boiler going as I do the steps of the steps.

Sorry for the cruddy pic... I forgt to take one before I put them in the fridge!

Note: I don't know where the recipe is from, but I'd guess one of the brands below ;)

• 1 (16 ounce) package OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, divided
• 1 (8 ounce) package PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 2 (8 ounce) packages BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

Directions

1. Crush 9 of the cookies to fine crumbs in food processor; reserve for later use. (Cookies can also be finely crushed in a resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin.) Crush remaining 36 cookies to fine crumbs; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1-inch in diameter.
2. Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.) Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.
3. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator.

(I also used sanding sugar and nonpareils to decorate the tops. And also regular semi-sweet chocolate chips as the chocolate)

Now to figure out what to do with the leftover cookie crumbs and melted chocolate... Any suggestions??

Christmas Tree!

 

Christmas Tree!!

This is literally what I was doing all weekend long,... it took us FOREVER to get it home (thanks to the kids at the church who had no clue what they were doing) to getting it in the stand right... to fixing it again in the stand then  huge hassle with the lights... but it is FINALLY up and decorated. ... and I am so much more behind in all I need to do!

I did just get together my Christmas card list. Next is the cookie/candy list (currently in my head!) then a schedule for them. Of course, I am working a few full days this week and next, but i am not giving goodies as gifts this year, so I'll be making less than usual.

Thennnnn more present wrapping!! I need to get everything packed up and mailed out Wednesday. It will all get done... it will!!!

FREE Cup of Yoplait Original Yogurt!

Yoplait is having a million cup giveaway! Just go to their site and sign up to have a coupon for a free cup of yogurt sent to your home! Yum!!!

FREE Subscription to American Baby!!!

Well, this comes at the perfect time for me...
BTW it looks like we ARE having a boy! Very nervous about that... scared of the bugs and violence and roughness and not having a clue what makes boys tick lol We'll learn as we go, I suppose, just like with everything else, right?

Right now you can get a free subscription to American baby magazine!

Winners!!!

First, my big win today was Rubbermaid Reveal Mop from http://www.mysillymonkeys.com/!!  I've entered so many giveaways for this and FINALLY won! OF course this means I'll have to clean the house... hmmm lol This just seems like it'll be so much easier and work better than my Swiffer - of course with the whole reusable factor, which is awesome!



Onto MY winners....


The BRILLIANT LENSES winner is....
Comment #2: Tabitha!!!

The winner of the Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop is....
Comment #518.... the happy booker!!!

Woo hoo!!!
Winners have been e-mailed and have 48 hours to reply.
Look for more giveaways coming soon!

Woo Thanks and MPM

Thanks to everyone who entered my Gift Hop Giveaway!! I have had such a crazy week and weekend that I never had time to enter anyone else's! :( I have to be back at work in an hour to get ready for this HUGE event tonight, so I'll announce the winner of this giveaway and the Brillant Lenses giveaway tomorrow.

I actually planned a menu for this week, after about a month of no grocery shopping, I knew I had to!! This is actually a regular week, so it was a good week to start back into it. This week we will be fulfilling a few pregnancy cravings!!

http://orgjunkie.com/2010/12/menu-plan-monday-dec-6th.html

MONDAY: buffet at the event. So looking forward to it!!!
TUESDAY: free for all
WEDNESDAY:  Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie
THURSDAY: Jeff is cooking pork chops on the Griddler
FRIDAY: Pizza Turnovers
SATURDAY: I'm going ot a holiday paty and Jeff will have leftovers
SUNDAY: More leftovers

I am really looking forward to this week!!!!

Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop is here!!!!

I know, the excitement has arrived!!!!
Welcome to my Giveaway!!

ONE PERSON will win all of this:
1) a $25 gift card to everyone's favorite low cost retailer: WalMart!

2) a $25 gift credit to jasmere.com - a unique social shopping site. Every day they feature one awesome item- and the cost of that item goes down as more people buy it! What a win-win! How cool is that?

And as a bonus!!!
You will also win a $5 Sears gift card and a $5 Shell gas gift card! Woo hoo!!

Want to win all of these great gift cards? It's easy, here's how:

Mandatory Entry:

1. Leave a .comment saying which gift card you are most excited to win. Include an e-mail address so I can contact you if you're the winner.

Bonus Entries:

*must do the mandatory entry first*

2. Fan my BRAND NEW Facebook page!  Leave your Facebook name or part of your name in the comment.

3. Subscribe to me via Google Friend Connect.

4.  Follow me on Twitter. Leave your Twitter name in your comment.

5.  Sign up at jasmere.com using my link.

Open to U.S. Only. Giveaway ends on December 5, 2010 at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and notified by e-mail and will have 48 hours to reply back before a new winner is selected. Good luck!

Double Chocolate Toffee Cookies!

Tomorrow I am going to a cookie swap! Yummm. Of course, I can't make cookies I've made before, so I searched through my bookmarks and came up with 3 contenders... which I  literally kept opened on my Firefox for 3 days until I made my final decision. And this is why buffet restaurants are my favorite LOL So bad at making decisions.

I took this Double Chocolate Toffee Cookie recipe from Good, Cheap Eats. I did change it a little, I doubled it as well - since I need 48 cookies, and I wasn't sure how many this recipe made. These cookies were so good!!!!  My doubled recipe made 79 cookies but the first few cookies were smaller than the rest  - these don't spread very much.



Here's my very slightly modified recipe (note: this is for one batch, but the recipe can be easily doubled)

Double Chocolate Toffee Cookies

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup butterscotch chips, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup crushed Heath bars

Preheat oven to 350°. In mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, whip butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and continue whipping until incorporated. Beat in eggs, melted chocolate, and vanilla. Beat until well combined. Beat in flour mixture and stir in crushed candy.

Spoon dough onto cookie sheet by rounded tablespoonfuls. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool in pan for a few minutes, then cool on rack.

(Instead of chocolate chips, I used an 85% dark Lindt chocolate bar)

Odds N Ends

Is it just me or are the  Cyber Monday sales really disappointing?No great deals. I started shopping a few places but the high cost of shipping spoiled me Almost $9 for a few socks and baby clothes? No thanks. I pretty much have my Christmas shopping done anyway... except my brother of course. There;s always one person impossible to shop for LOL!!

The biggest news - I THINK I felt that baby move Sunday morning! OF course I haven't felt anything else yet lol So who knows.

Impatiently waiting for my sono appt. Thurs.  Just want to know for sure so we can really get started on the registry. Yeah, all of that is still overwhelming, what brands and types of items to sign up for.

Speaking of... the other day I received my Secret Santa gift from Survey Junkie's Secret Santa Exchange. My Santa was Marah at diary of a devil dog wife.  She got me a really AWESOME gift - it is a belly measuring tape, but it comes with stickers and a marker so you can mark hoe big you were at certain events like hearing the baby's heartbeat, feeling kicks, each trimester, etc.

Blurry pic but how cute and original is that? I love it - thank you so much! I have the gift for you guys, just need to wrap and send. They're not as cute and original though!

Also: I NOW HAVE A FACEBOOK FAN PAGE! Please click on my button on the left to add me :)

Holiday gift Giveaway Hop in jsut a few days!

Are you guys getting excited?I will be giving away TWO $25 gift cards and a bonus of TWO $5 gift cards!!!! Woo hoo!!! Can't wait :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Right now I am sitting on my rear, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, while my husband makes rolls for today's dinner. :) Can't complain!! Hope you all have a fabulous day surrounded by family, friends and love (I wish that for my U.S. and non-U.S. readers!)

And we're having a... maybe.

Ah, yes. Had the level 2 sonogram this past week. Baby is measuring well, looking good, my belly is right on target. But he had his legs tucked under him (like mom, like baby I guess!) so yes, the tech did say it was "probably" a boy! I have to go back in 2 weeks because he wouldn't turn around so she could meaure his spine. Hopefully we'll find out "for sure" then.

We are going to start a registry soon. Ran out of time this weekend. So overwhelming. I have the baby bargains book on hold in the library. That should help! Need to figure out where else to register, other than BBB.

In other news... I have popped!!! I noticed this morning and thought that it was just what I was wearing. But nope, I am popped! So exciting. I love it.

Radical Review Wednesday: Brilliant Lenses Eyeglass Cleaner and Giveaway!

If you wear eyeglass gthne you KNOW how impossible it is to keep them clean! Enter Brilliant Lenses, which helps to solve that problem. It comes with two small bottles of  lens cleaner, an optical microfiber cloth and a small carrying pouch. Brilliant Lenses is a  premium eyeglass cleaner with SR-8 that adds a protective barrier to lenses to resist scratches and soiling from water, sweat, dust and dirt. Can be used on ALL types of lenses.

 I really liked this product.It did a great job cleaning my lenses, and they stayed clean longer than I expected! The SR-8 scratch resistant coating is such a great incentive to use this every day. The carrying case is a plus because I usually notice that my lenses need to be cleaned when I am driving!  Even Jeff was impressed by it, and I think he'll be stealing my other bottle lol!

One lucky LB&J reader will win their own  Brilliant Lenses eyeglass cleaner and microfiber cloth!

Mandatory Entry:

1. Friend Brilliant Lenses on Facebook OR Twitter. Leave a comment stating whixh one you did and either your Facebook name (or initials) or Twitter name, whichever you did (1 entry)

 

Bonus Entries:

*must do the mandatory entry first or these entries won't count*

*for items with more than one entry, leave a separate comment for each entry*

 

2. Subscribe to my blog via e-mail. (2 entries)

3. Subscribe to my blog publicly via Google Friend Connect ( 1 entry)

4. Subscribe to me in a Reader (1 entry)

5. Follow Me on Twitter. Leave your Twitter name in your comment (2 entries)

6. Tweet this giveaway, using the following tweet or your own that includes a link to this post and @lbandj.     "Win Brilliant Lenses Eyeglass Cleaner and a Microfiber Cloth! Review and giveaway @lbandj http://tinyurl.com/24x4b9v" (2 entries for the first tweet. Can be done daily for one additional entry per day)

7. Add my button to your sidebar. Leave link to your blog. (1 entry) 

LEAVE YOUR EMAIL IN YOUR COMMENT SO I CAN REACH YOU IF YOU WIN!  I will check your entries. Giveaway will end on Wednesday, 11/24 at 10 p.m. EST. Open to U.S. No P.O. Boxes. Good luck! :)

[Product review & giveaway disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Sponsored by Tomoson.com]

Hot Deal:Buy 1 Get 1 Free at Starbucks!

This is my most favorite time of the year for Starbucks! Summer is great because of the frappes, but oh! nothing beats a peppermint mocha! When my friend  posted this information on Facebook, I immediately began making plans: How would I convince Jeff that e need to go to Starbucks? (Sadly the economy has cut down my buying a coffee a day habit!)

From tomorrow,  11/18 to  Sunday, 11/21, stop by any Starbucks between 2 and 5pm and you can buy one holiday drink and get one free! There are several flavors to choose from including Caramel Brulee Latte, Peppermint Mocha, Peppermint hot chocolate, Gingerbread and Eggnog Latte, and more. Click here for the details. You can also click on the picture above!


Also, starting December 1st, you can get a daily deal texted to your phone when you text "12DAYS" to the number 29943. I am so excited about this! I don't think it's a good thing that I work in the same place as a Starbucks LOL

When did you feel the baby move?

Today's question concerns what might seem like the first "real" out of the doctor's office feeling that you are pregnant: feeling the baby kick.
(Uh.. did that sentence even make sense? lol)

Today I am 20w2d, and I don't think I have felt the baby kick yet! It is so disappointing.  I thought maybe, Sunday at church, but the little bubbles feeling seemed very high up. And MAYBE this morning I felt something, right after I woke up, it felt like bigger bubbles popping. But it might have been gas.

How do you tell the difference? I thought that I'd feel it more than once a day. Where exactly will I fell the movements? My stomach was so big to begin with that its confusing. I've read that you should lay on your left side, but all I feel when I do that is my heart beating.

I know it will happen so, but I am so anxious! Usually by now you can feel something :\

Thursday is my Level II sonogram, and we will hopefully find out the sex. I cannot wait!!!

The Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop - Dec 1 to 5!

Mark your calenders because The Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop at Simply Stacie starts in just  2 and a half weeks!

How It Works:

• Each blog will host their own giveaway, but will be linked up through the Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop linky. Entrants  just need to “hop” from blog to blog via the linky entering all the giveaways.
• The theme of this hop is holiday gifts that are easy and quick to ship. The prize must be either cash (ie. paid via Paypal) and/or gift cards. They can be of any amount from any store! You can have one or both and its up to you what the prize is as long as it fits into either of those categories.
• Giveaways must be easy to enter. The main entry must be something that is quick and easy to do. For instance, you can have the entry be “Follow my blog on Google Friend Connect” or “Follow me on Twitter”.  Choose your entry method based on what areas of your blog you want to build up your following.
• The hop will start on December 1 at 12:01 am EST and end on December 5 at 11:59 pm EST.

PR/Sponsors- I  am currently accepting sponsors for this blog hop- so please e-mail me if you are interested. All you would need to do is donate a gift card in ANY amount. It will be a great chance for your business to get a lot of exposure through the blog hop - more than 300 blogs have already signed up! Please e-mail me at petrellinyc-blog at yahoo dot com if you are interested!

Kraft Huddle to Fight Hunger: Donate a Meal for FREE!

Sign up at Join the Huddle and Kraft will donate a meal to a local food bank! How cool is that? When you put in your zip code, local food banks will pop up, and you can choose the one you want them to donate to!

They are going to donate up to 4 million meals! How awesome.

Please go to the Kraft Huddle to Fight Hunger and sign up today. You only need to put in your name, zip and e-mail. Easy peasy! And you'll be helping people in your area.

Save 20% at the Disney Store and FREE Shipping!

EVERYTHING in the Disney Store  is 20% off when you use the code DISNEYFAN at checkout. Through Monday the 15th.

Plus get free shipping on your order over $75.

Have you seen their holiday items? They have such great ornaments this year! And the Jim Shore stuff is always so cute!  Jeff has taken advantage of the sale to buy me some Christmas presents  :D

And this weekend I'll be posting pictures from the new Times Square Disney store! It is totally awesome! (Or B-Awesome! ;) )

Radical Review Wednesday:Taylor Freezer-Refrigerator Thermometer

 I always wondered just how accurate my refrigerator and freezer temperature was. With the Taylor freezer-refrigerator thermometer, I don't have to guess anymore!

The thermometer has an easy to read face. The temperature range 20 F. to 70 F with safe temperature zone indicators. I was happy to see that my refrigerator and freezer were both in the safe zone. It also comes with a safety cap and protective storage sleeve with cooking temperature chart.

It comes with a hook to hang it, but no instructions on ho to attach the hook to the thermometer. I just wrapped it round the thermometer itself and hung if from my shelf. In the freezer, I just put it it one of the buckets in the door.

Find more fridge accessories and info at refrigerator select

[Product review & giveaway disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."]

Dress Shopping and Thoughts on Pregnancy Clothes...

My brother got married a few weeks ago.Yay!!! It was held in an old Vanderbilt house up in the Berkshires in MA, and was such a nice weekend getaway.Congrats to them <3

I needed to buy a dress for the wedding, an of course waited until the weekend before the wedding to go out and buy one lol I wasn't sure if I would have "popped" by then.(I hadn't and haven't yet, but I am getting close!)

My first stop was a maternity shop. My first time in one! Dress-wise, it was very disappointing. All ther dresses were short and summery. I find that almost ALL pregnancy clothes are short sleeved and light-weight. Or they are 3/4 length (which I hate wearing) Let's not talk about how most sweaters are button up! Just not so good where we actually have winter! Anyway, I did try on one dress, but just felt and looked fat and not pregnant. I did end up buying a few things for work though, including an awesome plum colored sweater. I can't find the sweater online, but I had to buy this shirt as well:

My next stop was Kohl's. I didn't think they had fancy dresses, but I had $10 in Kohl's cash to use anyway. Now, they have a pathetic selection of maternity clothes. They have 2.5 racks stuffed full with jeans and pants, and the other half of the second rack has shirts. Half of those are the cami type shirts and the rest are regular shirts. Great for pants, not so good for the rest.

I made a quick stop at Macy's just to see the maternity dept. The same stuff as the maternity store, same prices. Pushed into a dark corner room, stuffed full!

Long story short, I finally ended up at Dress Barn, dragging poor J. with me. The dresses were mostly summery, but at least they were longer. I ended up liking two - one was prettier and longer, and the other was shorter but made me look more pregnant. I chose the second lol It did have straps, but I bought a little cropped sweater which helped (warmth and hiding arm fat!). I was hoping to have a pic of me that really shows the dress by now but no such luck. I will post one if I ever see one :)

But until then... here are a few more pics of the place where the wedding was held.

 Just a small part of the library... it was heavenly LOL

 One of the bedrooms... they were all just amazing. Like staying in a castle!

And finally the happy couple!! <3