Kitchen Tools Thanksgiving Round Up Edition

Who doesn't eat on Thanksgiving?

The Turkey, because he is always stuffed!!

As I cleaned up from our Thanksgiving meal, I realized that the whole ordeal would have been a lot more difficult without some of the tools I have in my kitchen. 

While my knives and my pots and pans along with my KitchenAid mixer are my favorites (and most likely always will be), I have found some new kitchen tools that also helped make the dinner a success. 

I have recently tried out products from a company called Sunsella and since then have become a big fan of theirs. Their products are practical multi-tasking tools that in my experience are well made and take care of a wide variety of tasks.

The Sunsella dough cutter and scraper proved invaluable out on the Thanksgiving field this year. This dough scraper has a sharpened edge than can cut through almost anything. While it will not replace my knives it is great for cutting through small vegetables and more importantly dough for those delicious dinner rolls. The stainless steel blade is stamped with inch measurements so I can be better about making all my rolls roughly the same size. The handle is made out of a durable rubber material that is shaped to fit comfortably in my hand. It is definitely a contender for MVP in my kitchen!!




The  vegetable steamer that Sunsella makes is useful for more than just vegetables. This Thanksgiving when stove top space is at as much a premium as a well located apartment in down town New York, turn over has to be completed quickly and efficiently. This steamer aided in that especially while I was hard boiling a dozen eggs for my deviled eggs tray. The steamer allowed me to pull all of the eggs at once and get them into their ice bath in a fraction of the time it would have taken me to pull them individually. This freed up that space on the stove top for other dishes to begin cooking.  Like Sunsella's other products this steamer basket is 100% stainless steel and the flanges of the basket are a little thicker than other steamer baskets I have seen making this one more durable. Probably the best part is how small it is when it collapses down. It really does save space.



The next big challenge after cooking a Thanksgiving meal is storing the left overs. In the past I have stored each dish in its own container and then some of the left overs would get eaten quickly while others would linger in the fridge until eventually I would have to throw them out. This year, I decided to take a different approach. I decided to try Sunsella's bento-style buddy boxes. These containers have three compartments allowing me to store a full meal in each one.

Each compartment seals individually preventing food from one compartment from spilling over into the others and "contaminating" them (words from my picky eater who cannot stand to have food touching). These boxes have made packing lunches for work a breeze as now all I have to do is grab one and go and I know that it is a full meal all in one go. 

And the MVP award for this Thanksgiving's preparation tool goes to........

The Sunsella Bento-Style Buddy Boxes!!!

The buddy boxes may have made left over storage a little more time intensive but having the ability to just 'grab-and-go' before work has proven invaluable. They also seem to be holding up really well to the abuse of the dishwasher without warping.


As always, comments, feedback, questions and suggestions are welcome. Don't forget to follow the blog and register your email address at the top of the page to have updates sent directly to your inbox so you never miss a  post!


Disclaimer: Items mentioned in this blog may have been received for free or at a discount in exchange for a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed above are my own regardless of how the item was acquired. 

Happy Turkey Day!!

Greetings Everybody! I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels for those who took to the roads to visit family.

Tomorrow begins the mad dash to finish shopping for Christmas gifts for loved ones. If you have a girlie girl like my minion Number 2, or just like nail polish yourself, then I have a great insider tip for you. 

Del Sol, the company who makes the super cool color changing nail polish is launching a HUGE Black Friday sale starting 11/27 and lasting until 11/29!! 

Everything on the site is 50% Off with the exclusive coupon code WHOA.

Del Sol Nail polish make excellent stocking stuffers!! 

They also sell more than just nail polish, Del Sol also sells other color changing apparel and accessories.

Click HERE to visit their site to see their entire selection and don't forget to apply the coupon code WHOA at check out to take advantage of their Black Friday Super Savings!

Newcomer to the Great Diaper Debate

Did you know that Toys'R'Us has started their own line of diapers?

I just found out. I have a pack to try courtesy of Influenster.

Stay Tuned to see how they stack up against the other diaper brands! Updates to come!

A Good Night's Rest

A good night's rest, I don't even know what that is anymore. I don't recall having anything close to a good night's rest since about the 2/3 mark of my pregnancy with Number 1 almost 10 years ago.Every once in a while I can get really close though, but it requires the aid of a few things and quite a bit more preparation than just falling down on the bed (like I could have done before kids).

Things that help me get a good night's rest.

Preparation!

The night before, I set up everything to where the older kids can get up and help out with the younger ones. For example: I will set out the things they may need for breakfast (ie: bowls and cereal from higher shelves, make sure that the milk is in a manageable container for them to pour). Another thing I do as part of the preparation for the kids to be self sufficient when they wake up bright and early is to go ahead and line up quiet entertainment. That usually means cartoons and books for the older two and truck and cars for Number 3.

Over the years I have found a few products that have enhanced my sleeping experience.



I don't know why but great smelling laundry helps me fall asleep faster. I guess it doesn't trigger that ever growing To-Do list and keep me awake. For me the best thing in the world that I have found for keeping the laundry smelling fresh is Downy's Unstoppables. I especially like the Dreams scent. To me to smells like a light mixture between Lavender and Sweet Pea. The scent will keep your bedding smelling fresh in the closet for up to 12 weeks. In my experience, it will keep it smelling fresh on the bed for up to 2 weeks.






Other items that help get a good night's rest, after you have kids, is investing in a good sleep mask. I have tried a few  but Dream Essentials has been my favorite so far.

Dream Essentials Sleep Mask 

This mask and ear plug combo are awesome for blocking out unwanted stimuli while you are trying to get some sleep. The mask itself is soft and completely opaque. The nose form fits my face perfectly and helps to block out any light that tries to creep in from the tent my nose creates in non-formed masks. The elastic on the mask is also top notch. It has a Velcro attachment in the back to make it fully adjustable which is great because I seem to have a head radius that is smaller than average. 

(*Hint Hint* If there is anyone in your house or family that you know could use a little help in getting a few extra Zzzzs, this makes for a great, yet inexpensive gift.)

Disclaimer: Any product mentioned in this blog may have been received for free or at a discount in exchange for a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed above are my own  regardless of how the item was acquired. This post contains Amazon Associate links. The links help connect readers to the product on Amazon.com and a portion of the sales completed through these links are given back to the blog to help support it. 

As always, feedback, comments, questions and suggestions are always welcome. Please remember to follow the blog and register your email address at the top of the page to have new posts emailed directly to you so you never miss an update!

The Skinny on Diet Supplements

Ever since child Number 2, I have struggled with my weight. Those maternal fat stores are so stubborn and hard to get rid of. What makes things worse for me is that my day job is so sedentary, and I work long shifts so I am sedentary for long periods of time.

I can't tell you how many times I have just wished for a "magic pill" that would 'melt the fat right off'. But this is not a fairy tale, and things just don't work like that in real life. So I usually take the claims of diet pills with a healthy dose of skepticism.

I recently got to try out two diet supplements. The results were of course less than amazing but like I mentioned above, I always read these with a considerable amount of skepticism.

The first one that I tried is labeled as the "Best Weight Loss Pills to Lose Weight Fast for Women". It is made and sold by Petite Plus.

This diet supplement makes a lot of bold claims. I have listed them below.



• Lose Weight
• Suppress your Appetite
• Relieve Stress
• and Boost your Energy ALL in one supplement

After taking these as outlined (twice a day for at least 7 days), my results were minimal.

I did not lose any significant amount of weight. My appetite was decreased but that was in part to the weird tasking burps the ingredients gave me. (I don't  want to eat a cheeseburger when my burps are leaving a weird sweet/herbal taste in my mouth.) I did not notice any significant reduction in my stress, but then again I am on antidepressants. As far as having increased energy, it did help me feel a little alert in much the same way a cup of coffee would have but it did not make me want to go run a marathon or anything.



The second diet supplement was labeled more as a Detox diet cleanse. It is made and sold by Justified Laboratories.





• Support and Mains Appetite Control
• Detoxify and Digestive Support
• Natural Weight Loss Aid
• Natural With No Stimulants Added







Justified Laboratories has made this product from Green Coffee Bean Extract, so naturally it contains some caffeine. This product is only intended to be taken twice a day for 14 days at most once a month. When I took it is described I did notice a decrease in my appetite with out any additional side effects. The energy boost was minimal. It was about that of a cup or two of coffee (made from coffee so go figure). While taking this my body did *ahem* eliminate waste more frequently, but other than that and the suppressed appetite, there were not a whole lot of other noticeable effects.

Please note that herbal supplements much like with any medication will perform differently for different people. My results from taking this may be different from anyone else's as we are all unique.

As always, comments, feedback, questions and suggestions are welcome. Please remember to follow my blog and register your email address at the top of the page to have new posts emailed directly to your inbox and never miss an update!


Disclaimer: Any product mentioned in my blog may have been received for free or at a discount in exchange for a fair and honest review. The opinions stated above are my own regardless of how the item was acquired.

The Difference Between Well and Good

Proper grammar has always been important to me.

I grew up in the deep south but I have extended family far above the Mason-Dixon line. I remember the first time I went to go visit them. I was ten years old and when I uttered the southern hallmark colloquialism "y'all", it felt as though time stood still. All conversation stopped and I almost heard a robotic creaking as all heads turned to me in disbelief. I could have died on the spot.

Of course this is an exaggeration, but this is how it honestly felt to my fragile pre-teen self. Right then and there I vowed to neutralize my southern accent, and grammar and pronunciation became my obsession.

Since then, this compulsion for accurate grammar has haunted me and has become almost second nature to the point where I mentally correct the grammar of what I hear.

 Two weeks ago my best friend from high school shared an article from MentalFloss.com called The Top 10 Grammar Myths. She stated that there was one point on there that she did not quite agree on. Number 8 to be exact.


8. IT'S INCORRECT TO ANSWER THE QUESTION "HOW ARE YOU?" WITH THE STATEMENT "I'M GOOD."

Wrong! “Am” is a linking verb and linking verbs should be modified by adjectives such as “good.” Because “well” can also act as an adjective, it's also fine to answer "I'm well," but some grammarians believe "I'm well" should be used to talk about your health and not your general disposition.

I have to agree with her. There are many reasons why 'good' and 'well' are not interchangeable.


About a week before my friend shared the article, I was trying to get minion Number 2 to fall asleep. This usually entails laying down with her in the complete dark and just waiting for her to wind down. (She usually goes to bed pretty easily.) We had been laying thusly for about 15 minutes. Everything in the house is quiet. I was sure she was almost asleep as she was also laying very still.

"People taste good."

That one little statement uttered without warning and without further elaboration cut through the silence. Many thoughts swirl through my confused brain. I have to admit the statement did have cannibalistic/zombie under tones.

Then I remembered that Number 2 is still working on grammar structures and finally realized that this was a perfect moment to emphasize the difference between well and good.

What my daughter meant to convey was that people have a great sense of taste. (i.e. - They can taste well.) Instead she said that they taste good implying that the taste of people pleases her. She also got a brief age appropriate lesson on cannibalism.

Furthermore, I always see the differences in good vs well in answer to 'How are you?' to be pretty distinctive as well.

For example: How are you doing in school?

I am doing well. -- To me this implies that you are learning and completing work and other assignments and generally earning decent to good grades.

I am doing good. -- To me this implies that you are doing feats for the greater good as if you are attending a school for super heroes.

So if in the future you begin to wonder if the difference between well and good is as big a deal as it is made out to be, Just remember, it could come down to whether or not people have a great sense of taste and cannibalism. 

As always, feedback, comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcome. Please remember to follow my blog and register your email address at the top of the page to receive updates in your inbox and never miss a post!

Quick Little Thought

The other day number 3 pulled one of my favorite drinking glasses off my desk an onto the floor. It of course shattered.

Goodbye Gentle Domo Kun.

It always feels as though no matter how carefully I pick up the glass nor how many times I sweep the area, I always manage to find little shards of glass in the most painful ways possible. Usually with my awesome glass detecting feet.

Digging glass out of any part of your skin can be tricky and painful. Thankfully I had matured past the days of trying to dig it out with my fingers while crying incessantly.

I have found a set of tweezers that makes the process much easier.

They were designed by Majestic Bombay to be the ultimate precision tweezers. They are made from two solid pieces of metal. The tips come to a point and meet up perfectly. The grip area is wide enough for a secure hold during any extraction exercise.

In addition to glass removal, they would be perfect for the removal of splinters as well as ingrown hairs.


Disclaimer: I may have received this product for free or at a discount in exchange for a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed above are my own regardless of how the item was acquired.

Working Out Working Out Equipment and Accessories Edition

Well here we are again, discussing workouts. In my last post regarding working out, I started off with the apps that I find useful for keeping me on track. I had originally intended for that post to also include the equipment and accessories as well, but once I got down to the bottom of the post I realized that it was already long enough. I didn't want to bombard everyone with a really long post. So I broke it up into two.

Welcome to the second half of the workout post.

The first items up are running belts. A lot of workout clothing lack what I consider a major feature: POCKETS. Running belts help to remedy that situation.


On A Hop has a nice running belt.



It has a two pocket design. Both pockets are water resistant to keep your stuff somewhat dry if you get caught out in the rain. The main pocket is large enough for a phone with a 5.5in screen and it has a port in the back to pass through your headphones. The running belt is adjustable with on clip in the back. The straps are thick and durable. The pockets and side panels are reflective to aid in visibility. My only complaint with this belt is with the "water bottle holders". When you have water bottles in there they bounce around awkwardly when you run.



Outdoor Fitness Workout Runners Belt is great for those who want to look great when running.





This running belt has a low profile, is light weight, and is extremely comfortable (thank you Spandex). It is a hollow belt creating a wrap-around pocket that is accessible through horizontal slits. It can accommodate  a large phone with a screen size of 5.5in. I was able to fit a half liter water bottle in it, but it makes for an awkward looking bulge in the belt.




As far as exercise equipment goes I would feel lost without my Forever Flex Exercise Ball.

I was pleasantly surprised with Live Infinitely's Forever Flex exercise ball.

The ball itself had really thick rubber walls. When inflated as per the included instructions it is true to size. The instructions were really easy to follow. The kit has everything that you would need for the ball including a hand pump.

Now for the detriments of the product. Using the hand pump is tedious. It will take a while to get it fully inflated. I wish the stroke on the hand pump were just a little longer to move more air with each stroke. I did notice that the pump is dual action. It blows air with both movements of the pump.

Now here is why I LOVE this ball. About 4 days before I received the ball my youngest child knocked over a glass and broke it. I swept everything I could up, but like always I managed to miss some. I found a shard of glass that I had missed lodged in the ball I had just finished inflating and my heart sunk. I carefully pried out the shard and felt over where it was and was shocked that I could not detect any air leakage. That was more than 24 hours ago. The ball is still measuring the same size, indicating that there has not been any air loss. Please note that the shard of glass was really small and was lodged in the side of the ball less than 2mm. Even so, with my experience with other exercise balls that would have been enough for them to start leaking.



Ever since I injured myself 10+ years ago, injury reduction has been the name of the game. I have found a great product through the company Rip Toned.

I had injured the tendon in my right elbow resulting in the tendon being stretched to where it now can pop out of its little groove and pinch nerves. Not a fun time nor a pretty sight.

Ever since then, I have had to give up a lot of activities I used to enjoy, and even then occasionally the tendon would slip out of place during everyday activities. I have not been able to go bowling or to even rough house with my kids for fear of re-hurting myself.

I have tried a few elbow supports in the past but they never really gave me a sense of security that they were stabilizing my elbow.

This compression sleeve is perfect. It is soft with a little bit of give that makes it easy to slide on. It is still tight enough to provide secure compression without feeling like it is cutting off circulation. The neoprene material is breathable and allows some of the sweat underneath to evaporate. (if you sweat while wearing it, you will still be damp where the sleeve was but it won't be swamped underneath it.)

I have tentatively started easing back into the activities I used to enjoy. I haven't tried to bowl yet, but I have rough housed with my son and I haven't gotten hurt like I used to.

After a workout I end up with some kinks and knots in my muscles. What I have learned is that muscle fibers run in all different directions in our body and muscles are layered on top of each other from our heads to our toes. This is a good thing and the reason why we can bend, twist, dance, and play sports. Our muscles are meant to be pliable, strong, and challenged. However, when we sit at a computer all day in the same position and if we injure ourselves, or if we are chronically dehydrated, we can lose our mobility and flexibility. The various muscle fibers start to stick to each other and become adhered. This new hard and lumpy feeling is a muscle ‘knot’.

Muscle ‘knots’ are incredibly common but common doesn’t mean they are normal or harmless. Chronic stress on our muscles creates micro-tearing of muscle tissue, which creates scar tissue. Unfortunately, if left untreated, the muscle tissue will continue to lose elasticity and cause postural stress that is hard to reverse.

I used to visit a massage therapist a few times a month with issues of knots developing in my left shoulder. She told me to find a ball that was fairly hard and use it to apply pressure and roll it back and forth over the knot to help work it out. After that I began my Goldilocks adventure to find the right tool to help work out those shoulder knots. I tried tennis balls and found them to be a little too soft. I tried hard bouncy balls and found them to be too small. To date the only thing that I have found to be perfect for me was lacross balls.

These lacross balls by Azatrum Health are just the right size and the right amount of hardness to apply pressure to the knot without hurting too bad. So far they are the only that I have found that really helps to work out those pesky knots.



That wraps up my list of must have items for working out. Please remember that any items mentioned in my blog may have been received for free or at a discount in exchange for a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed above are my own regardless of how the item was acquired.

As always, feedback, comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcome. Please remember to follow my blog and register your email address at the top of the page to receive updates in your inbox and never miss a post!