Household Product Reviews – Page 3

I’m in Love… with My New Keurig OfficePRO Single-Cup Coffee Brewer

My typical day is pretty hectic with three little ones and this Momma needs her coffee. In the morning while I am getting breakfast ready, I normally get out my canister of coffee with intentions of brewing a pot. Keyword there: intentions. Some days, I get so sidetracked I forget all together. Other days, I notice the canister is out an hour or two later and finally brew my pot of coffee. However, I get sidetracked again and I forget that there is a pot brewing. After another hour or so, I will remember and eventually get a cup. By the time I go back for cup number two, to my disappointment, the auto-off has already shut off the brewer. I could turn it back on to keep the coffee hot, but it just gets burnt and doesn’t taste that pleasant. As much as I love coffee, I always seem to be wasting almost a whole pot or not making any at all. However, I am enthused to say that I finally found a solution: The Keurig OfficePRO Single-Cup Coffee Brewer.

I have only heard good things about Keurig, and thanks to Staples, I finally got to discover for myself how great they really are. The OfficePro is a commercial brewer that has a 48oz water reservoir and generally brews about ten times the amount of a typical home brewer. This is perfect for me because it is always ready to brew and I can drink a lot of coffee. The brewer also comes with a 12 pack of variety K-Cups to sample (I enjoyed each of them). I also recieved an 18 pack of Tully’s French Roast (my selection and very delightful).

Once I received the package, I couldn’t wait get my new Keurig set up and brewing. Setup was simple and the instructions are easy to follow. Before use, it has to be primed. To prime it, all I had to do was fill up the water reservoir and turn the power on so the brewer fills and warms the water. Then, press ‘brew’ to cleanse and fill a cup of water (with no K-Cup). The process takes less than five minutes. Now, its ready to go.

To brew a cup of coffee (or other beverage), insert a K-Cup into the holder and close. The blue light around the ‘brew’ button will flash alerting you it is ready to brew. Within about 30 seconds of pressing the brew button, you will have a fresh cup of coffee ready to enjoy! After 15 seconds, the brewer will be ready to brew the next cup of coffee. Please note that when the water tank is filling up the there is a vibration noise momentarily. It’s not that bad, but it is normal.

There are many features to the Keurig OfficePro including:

‘Auto-Off’ Button: When selected, it will turn off 2 hours after the last cup of coffee is brewed.
Cup Size Selection: The brewer can brew 6oz, 8oz, or 10oz at a time
Removable Drip Tray: Removes to allow for travel-size mugs and easy clean up. Also holds about a cup of liquid in the event that a cup is brewed with no cup/mug.
Single Cup Brewing: No wasted, forgotten about, or burnt coffee
Always ready to brew: When I turn it on in the morning, I am enjoying a fresh cup of coffee within three minutes.
Designed to stay on all day: I have comfort in leaving the brewer on all day long knowing it can handle it

Not only is the Keurig OfficePro convenient, is also eliminates the mess of coffee grounds & filters and the error of using too much or too little coffee grounds. The only thing that could be negative about the brewer is that I may be drinking way too many cups of coffee now. I have not went a morning without at least one cup of coffee since I received the Keurig and I have even enjoyed a cup or two in the evening. I am truly in love.

Disclosure: I received a Keurig® OfficePRO® Single-Cup Commercial Coffee Brewer from Staples to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed are 100% mine.

Decorating for Halloween with Hallmark + Prize Pack Giveaway (ends 10/23)

Even in this digital age, I still prefer paper greeting cards. I still use ‘snail mail’ to send cards to friends and family for holidays, birthdays, and just to say I am thinking about them. When you think of greeting cards, what is the first thing the comes to your mind? For me, it’s Hallmark. I love everything about Hallmark. Not only do they have greeting cards for just about everything, they also have great gifts. This year I was excited to learn about their Halloween Decor. My little guys love Halloween and they enjoy all the decorations around the house.

From humorous to sincere, Hallmark has greeting cards to send to someone special for Halloween or fall. I love the over-sized witch one I received. My sons’ favorite part are the “googly-eyes” and we have set it up on our mantle for display. I also received a “Thinking of You” card with an autumn theme that I sent to my grandparents that live out-of-state. I know they really enjoy receive greeting cards and what can be better than a surprise card when you least expect it?

My Pet Ghost

Meet our pet ghost, Julian Hijinks. Safe in the bottle, Julian makes an appearance when the top bottle stopper is pushed. With spooky sounds and different sayings, this pet ghost is a hit with my preschoolers. The boys love that they have control over when the ghost appears and it can keep them entertained for quite some time. I have a feeling after Halloween, when all the Halloween decorations get packed up, I will have a hard time getting them to say goodbye to Julian. Hallmark also sells two other pet ghosts, Maxwell McSpooky, Genevieve Ruffles. Each ghost is different, but all share that spooky fun.

Witch’s Hat Door Decor

The Witch’s Hat hangs on your door and is motion activated. When someone walks by it, a witch’s face appears and it cackles and says ‘Happy Halloween’. To ensure my sons get the most out of the Witch’s Hat, we have it hanging in our living room. They can’t get enough of the witch. When it goes off, they laugh, jump up and down, and yell, ‘Again, Again!’ Since we do have it in a high-traffic spot, we only leave it turned on a few times a day for the kids, which is easy with the ‘on-off’ switch. On Halloween I will move it to the front door so the witch can surprise unsuspecting trick-or-treaters!

You can purchase Hallmark’s Halloween Decor at your local Hallmark store or near the greeting card section at retailers such as Walmart. Hallmark is also offering you 30 percent off Hallmark’s selection of Print On Demand photo cards and party plates with the online coupon code Blog30.

Win it!

Hallmark is giving one lucky Nifty Mom reader a Witch’s Hat Door Décor and a gift pack of Halloween greetings!

No purchase necessary to enter. The giveaway is open to US residents only, 18+ and giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST October 23rd, 2012. Winner will be selected via random.org and contacted by email. The winner has 24 hours to reply to confirm their prize or a new winner will be picked. Sponsor is responsible for shipping the prize to the winner, not Nifty Mom. If you have any issues entering or have any questions, please email me at contact (at) niftymom(dot)com.

GOOD LUCK!

**THIS GIVEAWAY IS OVER**

Disclosure – I received the named products at no cost to conduct this review and was in no other way compensated. All opinions expressed are 100% mine.

Dropps Fabric Softener Review & Giveaway

There are two household chores I am guaranteed to do everyday rather I like it or not: dishes and laundry. Laundry seems to breed in my house and I love products that help make it easier. When I got the opportunity to try Dropps new fabric softener I was thrilled!

If you have never heard of Dropps, they first created laundry detergent in an effort to keep clothes looking better longer. In order to make the product smaller than traditional detergent jugs (and more convenient), they put just the right amount of detergent in small dissolvable pacs. These pacs just ‘drop’ into the washer. They have recently created fabric softeners with the same convenient dissolvable pacs.

Dropps fabric softeners are offered in three scents: Orange Blossom, Lavender, and Wild Orchid. I selected the Wild Orchid scent. The scent was delightful. The first thing I washed was a throw we keep in the family room. When I pulled it out of the dryer it was extremely soft and the scent put a smile on my face. For days the scent lightly lingered in the whole room. It was always a pleasant surprise to smell the freshness each time I entered the room. After a week, as I was putting it in the washer again, the throw was still just as soft and still carried the Wild Orchid scent! And trust me, this did not just sit there all week, it gets used often.

I also received a sample of Dropps Baby detergent (to use with the softener) that is scent, dye, and enzyme-free; perfect for my little guys sensitive skin. I have three sons under the age of three (includes a newborn) and I am very cautious to what I wash their clothes in and always try to use fabric softener. My problem is 95% of the time, I miss the rinse cycle to add the liquid fabric softener. I am never near the laundry room and I have too much going on to remember to check on it. That means re-rinsing (with fabric softener) and wasting more water, energy, and time. With Dropps softener, the pac gets added at the same time the detergent does when you put the laundry in. That is a HUGE hit with me! That alone makes me feel a more ‘green’. Dropps is a very green and friendly product.

To learn more about Dropps, you can visit Dropps.com, fan them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

BUY IT: Purchase Dropps at their online store, find a retailer near you, or on Amazon.com.

WIN IT: Two winners will win (1) 16ct Fabric Softener and (1) 20ct Detergent. The giveaway is open to US residents 18+ and will end on May 2, 2012, at 11:59 pm EST. The winners will be selected through Rafflecopter via random.org and contacted by email. The winners has 48 hours to reply to confirm their winnings or a new winner will be picked. If you have any issues entering or have any questions, please email me at contact (at) niftymom(dot)com.

*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED*
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS

Check out these other blogs from Karma Media that review Dropps:

I received the named product at no cost to conduct this review and was in no other way compensated. All opinions expressed are 100% mine. This review is brought to you by Karma Media.

Savvy Rest Shredded Latex Pillow Review

Have you ever heard of Savvy Rest? Savvy Rest can help you get a good night’s sleep while using consciously-sourced materials in all their products. They create mattresses and other bedding with natural latex rubber, certified organic wool and certified organic cotton to assure you aren’t sleeping with products that contain toxic chemicals.

I was lucky enough to receive a Standard Shredded Latex Pillow to review from Savvy Rest. When the package arrived, I was shocked at how heavy it was. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have never guessed a pillow was in the box. The pillow is extremely stuffed with very soft natural shredded latex. They over-stuff each pillow to allow you to customize it to your liking. I normally only sleep with one small pillow and don’t need that much stuffing. So I can take out as much as I want to be comfortable and add more later if I change my mind. I love that! Another plus is the pillow has an organic cotton casing with a soft flannel finish.

My only issue with the pillow… my husband loves it so much I haven’t gotten to sleep on it for even a full night! But I am totally okay with that. I have had the hardest time finding him a pillow he doesn’t end up complaining about. Most pillows end up lossing their fluff, aren’t firm enough and thin out quickly. He’s always ended up stacking pillows to try to get more comfortable. He prefers the pillow as it came, completely over-stuffed, and couldn’t be happier. And in the month he has been using it, it hasn’t changed at all. It is still very firm and to his liking. He comments about it almost every night still!

Some other products Savvy Rest specializes in include natural latex mattresses, organic mattress toppers, sheets, mattress pads and dog beds.

For more information on all the Savvy Rest products or to purchase your own, visit their website at SavvyRest.com. Also for the latest updates, make sure you follow Savvy Rest on Facebook and add Savvy Rest on Google+ to your circle. You can also find Savvy Rest on Pinterest!

Disclosure – I received the named product at no cost to conduct this review and was in no other way compensated. All opinions expressed are 100% mine.

The Slice Safety Cutter – Review

I had the opportunity to try the Slice™ Safety Cutter. The Safety Cutter is small with a microscopic ceramic blade. The blade is so small, there is no risk of injury. The first thing I did when I received it was run my finger over it numerous times and I was shocked, I could barely even feel the blade. It is safe enough for kids to use! The small size is great. It fits perfectly in my hand for comfortable use and it can be stored just about anywhere. I slipped mine in my wallet, you never know when you are going to need to cut a coupon or open a package!

The Safety Cutter is great for couponers. I used it to cut the coupons out of the All You magazine. I was amazed at how easy it was and that it did not cut the pages underneath. I had all the coupons cut in no time. You can keep the cutter in your coupon binder since it is so small. It also has a hole where you can put it on your keyring.

Other things I know the Slice Safety Cutter is going to come in handy for is scrapbooking, crafts, opening packages, and cutting wrapping paper! With the holiday quickly approaching, I know I will get lots of use out of it.

You can purchase the Slice Safety Cutter for only $5.99. This is a great gift idea as well! Visit Slice Products for other great products such as graters, vegetable peelers, ceramic mills, and other innovative cutting devices.

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.

Review & Giveaway – Artistic Letters Photography

Artistic Letters was created by Jodi, a photographer whom takes amazing pictures of everyday things in a way that they look like letters. Each one is unique and original. After she started receiving great design ideas from friends and customers, she decided to offer customers a database of alphabet photos to allow the customer to create endless personalized designs.

I was extremely excited when Rafflecopter had brought Jodi and I together to allow me the opportunity to review Artistic Letters. I love creating projects for my home, as well as making personal gifts for friends and family throughout the year. This is perfect for doing just that!

First, I downloaded the 400+ images of letters and numbers and browsed through them. I have to say, the quality and creativity of each individual photo was impeccable. The photos can be used for so many different things including scrapbooks, art decor in your home, greeting cards, and craft projects. The possibilities are endless. What makes this great is no matter what you create, it is one of a kind. You can make something professional right from your computer. For gift or project ideas or to get your creative juices flowing, you can visit Artistic Letters’ “Get Ideas Here” page.

There were many different things that I wanted to make and ideas I had to create artwork. We are moving at the beginning of December so I wanted to make a “Welcome” frame for the entry and pieces for the kitchen. Then I decided to make these ‘We’re Moving’ photo cards to send out to family friends with our new address on the back:

There is so much you can do with the photographs that when I was working on creating projects, I would lose track of time, only to notice 3 hours later how late it would be getting. It kinda gets addicting. A few other thing I have created included a ‘Welcome’ photo for our entry and what I love is each season I can change the background easily on my computer and print out a new one.I also created a piece for my newborn niece. This is a great gift idea for a nursery.

I use Photoshop to create my projects, but if you don’t have Photoshop or a similar program, you can visit the “Letter Design Tutorial” page to download free software and learn how to create photos with the letter images! How great is that?

WIN IT – One lucky Nifty Mom reader will receive a download of 400+ letter and number images! Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Entries:

Mandatory Entry: Visit www.BuyAlphabetPhotos.com and leave a comment describing a project you would like to do.
Optional Entries:
- ‘Like’ Buy Alphabet Photos on CD and Download on Facebook
- ‘Like’ Nifty Mom on Facebook
- Follow Nifty Mom on Twitter
- Subscribe to Nifty Mom’s RSS Feed or Email
- (Daily) Tweet about this giveaway

Giveaway is open Worldwide, 18+! The giveaway will end at 12:01am EST on 11/18/2011. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply and confirm or a new winner will be selected. If you have any issues or questions, please email me at contact(at)niftymom.com.

Good Luck!