Review: Easter candy from Hershey

Easter is upon us once again, which means candy is also upon us.  (And, shortly thereafter, within us.)  Normally my favorite thing about Easter candy is buying it the day after Easter when it's drastically discounted for no other reason than being in a different color package.  This year, however, I decided to try a different approach and pay attention to some of the varieties that are sold specifically for the holiday.  Indeed, these are probably the varieties which don't last until my discounted-purchase-day, so perhaps this will be a new experience of sorts. Hershey supplied us with the Easter themed candy to try and talk about and they out did themselves again!

 

 The first thing I picked up was a bag of Hershey's Eggs.  They're basically like oversized M&M's, and I approve of that.  It's as if somebody took a candy made for a child, and made it for an adult.  (Think about it, as you got older you started eating M&M's by the handful.  As it turns out, what you really wanted was Hershey's Eggs.)  And the increased size is a vast improvement over the competing confection.  More chocolate means more flavor on the palette.  You can genuinely taste it and think to your self, "Well, this is what milk chocolate should taste like."  It doesn't just take up space.  It's not just a snack for the sake of snacking.  It's a ball of milk chocolate, and that's exactly what I wanted.

Additionally, the increased size means a proportionally increased candy shell.  So rather than just being a transport vessel which for no other purpose than preventing the candy from melting, it actually adds to the texture of the snack overall.  As the surprisingly large ball of milk chocolate is crushed by my mighty jaws, the thicker candy shell shatters and mixes throughout the chocolate, providing a nice crunchy texture to the whole thing.  It's basically everything that's good about its competitor, but big enough to be noticed.

Next was a supposedly-not-as-new-as-I-thought take on the chocolate bunny.  I'd always assumed that chocolate bunnies were well defined and very finite in their nature.  There's solid, and there's hollow.  (More specifically, there's the one the kid wants and will last in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a month... And there's the one the kid actually gets.)  But I'm told that this new variety has apparently been around for a while now.  Guess I haven't been paying attention.  Anyway, the bunny I'm talking about is Hershey's Snapsy Snap-Apart Bunny.

I applaud the concept.  First of all, it's solid.  Which means it's one of the good chocolate bunnies.  But the one single drawback of solid chocolate bunnies has always been the inability to properly break them apart.  Sure, the ears are easy enough, but then what?  One person gets the ears and another gets the rest?  That's not good enough.  So Snapsy pre-cuts the chocolate to make it easier to, well, snap apart.  It's not a contrived effort, either.  The lines along which the snapping is intended to take place are legitimately part of the design of the bunny itself.  So finally, at long last, after decades of giving someone the ears and keeping the rest, I can now easily break apart the chocolate bunny into a handful of relatively even pieces.

I won't, of course.  Because it's my chocolate.  But I can, and that's the important part.

Third and last (because I can really only eat so much candy while I write this) is the Reese's Peanut Butter Egg.  Now, it's not secret that I love Reese's peanut butter and chocolate.  Did you know that they make a half-pound Reese's Peanut Butter Cup?  It dwarfs their "Reese's Big Cup" and even comes in twin packs.  Seriously, it's like something out of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.  If you want to both live and die by the peanut butter cup, that's the way to go.

But I digress... This is the Reese's Peanut Butter Egg.  It's sizable, weighing in at 6 ounces.  And the packaging really sells it, too.  The picture on the front of the package is the aforementioned egg sliced for serving sizes as though it were a Friendly's Jubilee Roll.  It's a Reese's Peanut Butter family dessert serving.  Removing it from the box finds it encased in a form-fitting plastic tray.  The shape of the tray reminds me of a fat king lying in bed, undoubtedly plump from satisfying his royal appetite for Reese's.  The egg resting upon the tray has the essence of Fabergé.  The entire experience of this dessert is decidedly regal.

Eating it is like eating any oversized Reese's candy.  (Except perhaps a ridiculously oversized Reese's Pieces.  Or, um, Reese's Piece.  I don't think they have those.  But they should.  Now.)  It's expected.  Which is good, because I expect Reese's.  It's what I want, and it's what they deliver.  Nay, this variety isn't about bringing anything particularly new, it's about decorating an existing experience with frills and elegance.  The only advice I can give is to prefer the center of it over the ends.  The ends are too chocolate-heavy, lacking in the peanut butter experience that defines Reese's.  It's not unlike the undesirable ends of a loaf of bread.  The real treat is in the middle, leave the ends for the kids.

 

I hope some of these are left over the day after Easter.

Halloween candy from Hershey

Everybody knows the best thing about Halloween is the candy.  Everything else is just a means to that end.  But, to be more accurate, the best thing about Halloween is getting better candy.  You know how it is... You buy the standard fare for passing out to the neighborhood kids, and you conveniently save the best stuff for last knowing full well that you're going to keep it.  Then, when your children come home from their own trick-or-treating, you quickly filter through their candy to put the standard fare into the bowl and swap out with the better stuff.  Get the uninteresting stuff out the door, get the better stuff into the house.  That's the name of the game.

And every year the various candy makers of the world try their own tricks to bring out the better treats.  But is there really anything new under the sun?  One likes to think that there's something left to still be discovered, but hasn't everything already been invented in this arena?  Hasn't every combination of chocolate and peanut butter been thoroughly explored?  Or does Willy Wonka's factory still have something new to show us?

This year we stumbled upon a few things we hadn't seen before.  They weren't necessarily "new" per se (that is, they weren't candy balloons or everlasting gobstoppers) but they were at least something.  They were attempts to set one's confection apart from the rest.  And, at least for that, a chocolate lover such as myself is very grateful.

First was the Cadbury Screme Egg.  It's basically a Cadbury Creme Egg, but with green filling.  What I admire most here is the attempt to break out of their type-cast market.  A Cadbury Creme Egg in October?  Is it... Is it left over from Easter?  What kind of upside down world is this when we're eating Cadbury Creme Eggs in autumn?  Normally I would yell at this confection to get off my lawn and get back to its own holiday season.  After all, in my day Cadbury Creme Eggs stayed in the springtime where they belonged.  But it's a brave new world, and it's apparently now one in which I genuinely risk walking in snow (uphill both ways, of course) to get a Cadbury Creme Egg.  I suppose I can accept that, because eating the ones that we've hoarded since Easter was starting to feel a little unsettling.

Second was the orange Kit Kat bars.  No, I don't mean the wrapper.  I mean the bar itself.  The chocolate was orange.  It's a simple enough trick to apply to a treat, what with artificial colors and preservatives and whatnot.  The weird part wasn't that the chocolate was orange.  The weird part was that the chocolate and the wrapper are orange.  And that should just never happen.  I can't really explain why.  So I won't.  Now, were these as good as regular Kit Kats?  I think I was distracted by the fact that the bar matched the paper, so it's tough to say.  But they do hold their own in a double-blind study, also known as a bowl of candy.  Having Kit Kats is always a good thing.  Having a mixture of regular and novelty Kit Kats adds some texture to the scene, which is nice.  By themselves they were stunningly "alright," but mixed in with the genuine article they provided a nice break from the ordinary.  And wasn't that a slogan of theirs at some point in antiquity?

Finally was the pumpkin spice Hershey Kisses.  You heard me.  Yes, it's October, which means that everything apparently needs pumpkin flavor.  While it's a bit much, I usually don't complain.  If I could eat fresh pumpkin pie all year long, I would.  Anybody who says otherwise is a communist.  But just because something is good doesn't mean that it needs to be added to everything else.  Two good things can mutually make each other... less good.  Oxygen is good, we need it to survive.  Too much will kill us.  Fire is good, it's one of the pivotal discoveries of ancient hominids.  Mix it with a lot of oxygen all willy-nilly-like and you're going to make the fire worse.  (Or, I suppose, better... depending on your predisposition to fire.)  The same can be said of chocolate and pumpkin spice.  It ends up not really tasting very pumpkin-y, since it's a chocolate candy and not a pumpkin.  And at the same time it also doesn't taste very chocolate-y, since it's polluted with an attempt to make it taste like something else.  There are many variations of the classic Hershey Kiss, and they are often quite good.  Classic, mini, peanut butter filled (my personal favorite), caramel filled, mint... to name a few.  But don't get carried away, Hershey.  The pumpkin ones are not necessary.  I hope not to see turkey flavored chocolate candies next month.  Nor will I long for pine tree flavored candies in the following month.  Stick with the candy, leave the gourds out of it.

(NB: I realize that this account referred to "October" in the present tense, and I equally realize that this is inaccurate.  Look, Halloween is at the end of October.  It's not only on the last day, but it's at night.  It's as late as it can possibly be in October while still being in October.  So one can naturally assume that any stories of Halloween will be told in November, when the rest of society is thinking ahead to the heartier foods of the next holiday.  I did intent to write this earlier, but I lapsed into a bit of a candy coma.  The doctors, by whom I mean the cashiers at the local convenience store, say that I should be fine if I slowly step down my doses.  The last thing I need is to relapse into what has become known as the great peanut butter withdrawal episode of 2011.  By the way, did I mention that Halloween candy is sold for pennies on the dollar in November, simply because the wrappers are different?)

Review: Hershey's Ice Breakers DUO

I don't like mints.  It's important that I preface with that statement so you can understand where I'm coming from here.  It's not that I'm against the concept of mints nor do I harbor any manner of grudge against them for some past transgressions.  Mints didn't tease me in grammar school.  They didn't rear-end my car on the highway.  I'm just not a fan of mint in general.  Even when served in the form of ice cream with chocolate chips or when delivered to my front door in cookie form by a young girl raising money for her "den."  (On both occasions the inclusion of chocolate is a noble gesture, but I'm afraid it remained overpowered by the mint.)

I simply find the flavor of mint aesthetically displeasing.  The air of minty freshness it releases chokes me.

So you can imagine my reaction upon receipt of a box of Ice Breaker DUO Fruit + Cool Mints in the post.  Is there an opposite to elation?  Apathy, perhaps?  Needless to say, I wasn't interested in trying some new mints.  My wife assured me, however, that these mints were somehow different.  They were in some way "fruity, not minty."  First of all, if that's the case then they're not in fact "mints."  They're... "fruits"?  No, clearly not.  That name has been taken.  Something else, perhaps.

But the package clearly says "mints" upon it.  The term is downplayed, to be certain, found just beneath the phrase "sugar free" (which also doesn't instill much confidence in me, truth be told).  The packaging is also clearly of the "mints" variety.  A small plastic cylinder, blue and white primarily, with various ice-inspired designs to convey a feeling of coldness... All features one would expect from mints.  But central to the label and more prominent than the word "mint" was the word "strawberry."

Surely, said I, surely that is some gimmicky apparatus.  Let me see then what thereat is and this mystery explore.  Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore.  Tis a mint and nothing more.

I'll be honest with you, or at least as honest as I can be in anonymous internet written form.  It's good.  I dare say it's not a mint at all.  It's a fruit, it's Ice Breaker DUO Fruit + Cool Mints.  (No, that name's been taken.  The product clearly needs better marketing.  We should brainstorm product names on the back of a pub napkin someday.)  Well, it's half-fruit.  The other half is auspiciously referred to as "cool."  Therein lies the marketing, I suppose.  It's not a mint, it's a "cool."  At least in part.

The overall sensation providing the aftertaste from the entire experience isn't quite as overpowering, quite as curiously strong as competing products may provide.  While I can't speak for the majority of the population in this matter, I can attest to my own appreciation of this.  It doesn't fully cleanse the palette, but it does provide flavor.  As any after-dinner... non-mint... should.  And I don't want my palette cleansed.  That is to say, I don't want to choke on a cloud of "coolness" while it overpowers the remnants of a perfectly good meal that I would like to continue to enjoy.

In the span of writing this, I've eaten several more of these non-mints.  The Ice Breaker DUO Fruit + Cool Mint packaging has two openings, one labeled "to share" which is small and allows only a single non-mint to escape upon shaking and the other labeled "not to share" which opens half of the lid and allows the owner to greedily finger about the contents and take as many as one likes.  Be assured that only the latter opening is needed.  Though the poetic reference of the option is neither unnoticed nor unappreciated.

For the past couple of years the center console of my car has more often than not been equipped with a particular brand of gum.  It's a very good gum.  But it is still gum, which inevitably means that it must be disposed of when one is finished with it.  This is never a pleasant or dignified process, no matter how discretely executed.  I'd have replaced this small portion of my life with mints long ago, were it not for the small detail that mints are vile and unpleasant things.  Non-mints, however, may indeed succeed in breaking into the niche market that is the center console of my car.  All that remains is to find these at the checkout aisle as conveniently located as my chosen brand of gum so that these can instead be purchased with as much convenience.  Then the transition from gum would be complete.

I still don't like mints.  Non-mints, Ice Breaker DUO Fruit + Cool Mints, however, are thoroughly enjoyable.

Review: Hershey's Air Delight from Hershey

Hershey's at it again with their new Hershey Air Delight chocolates! They sent us some of the candy bars and kisses to try out. And I was very delighted in the experience and so were the girls once they saw mommy eating the chocolate and wanted some.

Now you are wondering what is the difference with the regular chocolate bars? Not much in terms of nutritional value and some say you are getting less chocolate but it comes out to only 3 grams less is all (40g versus 43g). But what you are getting is a new texture, a new feeling, a new experience when eating chocolate.The chocolates are aerated making the melting process just slightly different but oh so enjoyable as always.

If you want to try something besides the regular chocolate bar, I would suggest grabbing a new Hershey's Air Delight and trying one yourself, the experience is well worth it.

The new Hershey's Air Delight Chocolate is currently available and sold nationwide at grocery, drug and convenience stores. For more information, visit www.hersheys.com.

Review: Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX, Wireless, 4 Buttons/Scroll from CSN Store

I've needed a new mouse for a while now. Just to give you an idea of how old mine was, I still have to remove the ball and clean it every so often. But a mouse is a bigger purchase than people tend to realize. It can't just get the job done, it has to be exceptional. After all, how could you use something so much that's uncomfortable or awkward? It would ruin the entire experience of using one's computer, which can be stressful enough as it is :)

I'd tried some fancy laser mouse that my husband uses. It was really nice, but there was a problem. It didn't respond well on my desk. I needed to use a mouse pad with it, and in my opinion that kind of defeats the purpose of having a laser mouse. I guess what I wanted from my mouse was more freedom to move. I didn't want arbitrary boundaries.

As you can imagine, the Logitech Anywhere Mouse caught my attention from the CSN Store. Worry-free movement on ANY surface? According to the product description it even works on glass. So of course, after I confirmed that it worked wonderfully on my desk, I had to go find a glass surface to test it. And what do you know? It works!

Obviously, there's no laser. And for me that was actually a big selling point. I don't know how my husband stands that red light constantly on in his office. Even when it's dimmed, it's still on. You can still kind of see it. But not with this Anywhere Mouse. Honestly, it's actually a bit stylish. But for me the best part is that it just works. No hassle, no worry, and no arbitrary boundaries. Whatever surface it's on is its mouse pad.

And did I mention it's wireless? Even more freedom. And I don't mean "wireless" in that it has some bulky cradle or some receiver that sticks out from the computer. It has a receiver, yes. But it's the smallest thing I've ever plugged into a USB port. I don't have a laptop, but I imagine something like this would be PERFECT for them. A comfortable mouse (as opposed to one of those terrible track pads) without a "dongle" that sticks out of the laptop waiting to break. This little receiver is barely visible and doesn't stick out at all, so not so much worry about breaking it off.

Usually my husband is the gadget geek, but I just can't help but love this mouse. And that's important. Like I said, when it comes to something that you use every day to facilitate other work, it has to be exceptional. Anything less just gets in the way.

Review: Chocolate Bunnies, Egg-Shaped Sweets and Special Edition "Hop" - Themed Candies from Hershey

What's Easter without candy? Well, sure, there's a lot more to Easter traditions than a basket with chocolate... But let's be realistic and let our inner children (and outer children) answer the question. Easter, for all of its traditions and meanings, is also a time to get a basket full of candy. Now, don't ask my why, but that candy is supposed to come in two basic shapes: Bunnies and Eggs.

Now, there are a lot of these on the market. You can't go to a store in March without seeing a whole array of chocolate bunnies. Small to large, solid to hollow, there are plenty of options. The same is true of eggs also. Bite-size, egg-size, cream-filled, solid, etc. Lots of colors, lots of decorations... Lots of options. But how many options do we really need? Ask yourself, when you think about chocolate, what name comes to mind?

Hershey's. No question, no close second place, nobody else. Hershey's is America's chocolate. They've been at it for generations and they still continue to bring new ideas to market. And, not to be outdone in the Easter season, they've come out with new bunnies and eggs to keep consumers delighted. And I had the opportunity recently to try their new Snapsy Bunny and HOP The Movie Magic Bunny. (Solid, of course... Hershey's doesn't cut corners on chocolate.)

Well, what's to be said? They're chocolate bunnies. My kids certainly love the movie tie-in. But for me, it's all about the chocolate. Pure Hershey's at its best. Mix in some Cadbury Creme Eggs or, my personal favorite, Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs and your holiday indulgence is pretty much complete. After all, what's Easter without candy?

CSN Stores Review for the new year!

It's that time again! Time for another review for a great product over at CSN Stores. These guys have been so great to us. Furniture, kitchen items, tech gadgets, small appliances, even one of their swing sets for our kids! So what should we get this time? As always, we're open to suggestions. But I do have a computer component that doesn't work so well anymore and needs to be replaced so this could be good timing for something simple and practical :)

I know, we should get more stuff for the kids and less for us, right? After all, kids are expensive enough as it is so we might as well save the money where it counts! But we also want to maintain a nice diverse selection of items from CSN to make sure we cover all the bases. And a dollar saved is a dollar saved no matter where it is in the budget, right? :)

Review: Crane Cool Mist Humidifiers from CSN Store

Sometimes this dry winter air is just too much to deal with at night. Our daughters started sleeping less and waking up with chapped, even cracked lips. So naturally we needed to get humidifiers for their rooms. But, being kids who are afraid of noisy things and love cute things, they of course had to be kids' humidifiers! The Crane Cool Mist Humidifiers at the CSN Stores caught our attention with their fun animal shapes, and the girls immediately said they wanted to get them, so the choice was easy. It was just a matter of asking each girl which they wanted. The older one wanted the penguin (since her favorite color is blue) and the younger one wanted the dragon (since her favorite color is pink, and red is close enough).

At first I was a little concerned about their water capacity. The humidifier in the master bedroom holds considerably more water and barely lasts through the night. But as it turns out they don't need a whole lot of water. At full capacity, with the dial turned all the way up, they last a couple of nights at least. Must be something about the cool mist instead of the usual warm steam humidifiers that helps them work on less water. But there's certainly no shortage of mist coming out of them throughout the night. From the moment you turn them on, a mist (noticeably cool to the touch) starts pouring out of the unit. For the penguin, it comes out of its mouth. And for the dragon, it comes out of its ears. The girls absolutely love it :)

There's really not much to say about them, they're just humidifiers. But they work. The girls are sleeping better now, and are waking up to better mornings. One odd thing I've noticed is that the control dial is different on the two units. The penguin can be "shut off" by turning it all the way down and clicking into the "off" position. The dragon, however, doesn't seem to have an "off" position on its dial. You can turn it all the way down, but it's still on and still working. So the dragon needs to be unplugged to turn it off. Not really a problem, it's just odd that the controls would be different. But all in all, these humidifiers work very well and fit in great with a child's room decor.

For the price they offer these at, it is well worth it when you need them as they work and are the same price as the plain boring ones.

Review: Pure Fun Kid's Jumper Trampoline from CSN Store

When I first saw the Pure Fun Kid's Jumper Trampoline, I was concerned that my daughters might be constantly hitting their heads on the hand-rail. As parents we've all heard the stories of kids hurt on trampolines, so naturally I was concerned. However, after a small amount of use, it became clear that the hand-rail not only wasn't a danger to them but actually did the job it purported to do (help them stay upright) reasonably well. This by far is one of the best items we have bought from the CSN Stores when it comes to price, shipping and overall fun of the item.

The construction of the trampoline isn't entirely easy. But, honestly, we're talking about something that needs to be both very sturdy and well balanced. Of course the parts are going to be difficult to fasten together. (Also, pay close attention to the orientation of the pieces as you assemble them. They can go together a number of ways until you get further along and then realize one or two of them are backwards.) Not until all of them are in place are they going to counter-balance each other properly. So each step of construction until the last step involves pieces that are trying as hard as they can to separate from one another. :) We also received one with orange foam instead of the pink that's pictured on the site.

But once it's assembled and set up, the girls immediately loved it (2 and 5 years old). It's amazing how something as simple as standing in place and bouncing can entertain a child so well. Naturally, they use it with other toys (pretending their dolls are jumping on it, pretending it's a pool for their dolls since the internal fabric is light blue, etc.) and as an all-purpose play platform. And it's more than sturdy enough to facilitate these creative endeavors.

Like I said earlier, as a parent I wasn't entirely sure about this one. But my kids have convinced me that it's safe and fun. And the fact that it's such a simple item means that the kids are naturally more creative with it, which I always endorse. (Kind of like how a large cardboard box is a better toy than an electronic game... because imagination is required to expand its playability.) For the price, I don't think we've ever bought a toy more enjoyed by the kids.

Review: Snikiddy Baked fries

Are you in need of a new healthy snack for your kid? I was given the opportunity to try out Snikiddy Baked Fries. You hear the word fries and think, "Healthy? How?" These snacks are all-natural, gluten- and wheat-free, and have no preservatives, no corn syrup, no trans-fat, no hydrogenated oils, and 50% less fat than regular potato chips! The Baked Fries comes in four flavors: original, ketchup, parmesan garlic, and cheddar cheese.

I was given a sample of the cheddar cheese flavor to try for free and give my honest review of it. The packaging is like any single serving size bag of potato chips but when you open it and look inside the quantity seems higher then most potato chip bags. The 1.0 oz bag has 130 calories and 4.5 grams of fat. One bag of regular potato chips have 240 calories and around 16 grams of fat! One funny thing I did see was that the expiration date for my bag was Dec 15, 2010 unlike some chips I have which are May 9, 2011! A lot can be said about the shelf life and you can see they are serious about the "no preservatives."

The Snikiddy Baked Fries themselves are perfect for my 2 year old. She enjoyed eating a few then going back to playing. If I gave her a bag of potato chips they'd all be gone in a matter of minutes. The cheddar fries are a perfect snack to not fill up your child before meals and also not fill then up with calories and fat. The 1.0 oz bag lasted two days for her with the same amount of snacking she normally does but took in a lot less calories and fat. The cheddar flavor isn't artificial tasting either. You really can taste the cheddar with a crispy crunch.

Overall, I think these are a big hit in my house and I love the nutritional value they have. You can get these on-line at Snikiddy or places like Whole Foods, Kroger, Toys 'R' Us and Babies 'R' Us. They also have a facebook promotion going on at Facebook.com/Snikiddy.

Review: Ice Breaker Frost

What comes to mind when you hear the word "Hershey"? Chocolate, right? But Hershey's also has other products that live up to its name. The new Ice Breakers Frost sugar-free mints is an example of one! They are available in two flavors: Wintercool and Peppermint. These two new mints join the line of Ice Breaker mints (first introduced in 1999) which already come in Coolmint, Wintergreen, Spearmint and Cinnamon flavors. I am fortunate enough to try the Wintercool mint and write an honest review of what I think about them.

First, the packaging. It comes in a easy pocket- or purse-sized container that stays shut when tossed around. The latch is at times hard to open, but I would rather it be hard to open then have little mints all over my purse. Each 1.2 oz container contains around 30 mints. Overall it's a great design.

Second, the mint itself. They are about the size of an M&M. The Wintercool mints, which is a flavor developed by Hershey's, has a minty flavor with a hint of that holiday scent you get while outside in the snow surrounded by pine trees. The mints are sugar-free which is a plus for diabetics and people watching what they eat. One mint contains fewer then 5 calories, no fat or sugar, and no sodium!

Hershey's states, “Ice Breakers Frost mints are designed for those who are looking for a strong mint, but don’t want to sacrifice taste." "The mints feature the same great flavor of our core Ice Breakers mints, which is then frosted with a combination of xylitol, cooling and flavor crystals for a uniquely powerful taste and texture,” said Anna Lingeris, spokeswoman for Ice Breakers Frost mints and The Hershey Company. “The result is a satisfying and powerfully cool taste experience.” When they say strong they mean it. I bit into one and it was intense to the point it kind of hurt. My mouth and throat felt like an ice cube had frozen them and breathing in was very cold. I drank some hot liquid and fixed myself right up. So I DO NOT suggest biting these like you do to tic tacs and such.

Overall, I enjoy these mints. They are the right size and flavor for when you need to cleanse your mouth after that onion ring you ate! You can get these at participating mass, grocery, drug and specialty retailers.

CSN Stores Review for the holidays

The holiday season is on its way and that means it's time to shop! Our kids have made out like bandits every Christmas and always ended up with one or two "big" items amid a sea of smaller items. We're running out of room in the house! This Christmas may see less size but more substance. Honestly, as a mom, I think in practical terms. They could use new sling backpacks for school, since their old backpacks are getting a little worn. But that hardly brings out the magic of Christmas for a child now does it? :)

Perhaps we'll focus our attention now on some educational toys for the kids from the CSN Stores. Building sets, educational computer games, maybe some outdoor learning activities since they like to go out into nature with daddy all the time. I imagine they'd love some of those bug catcher science toys, though I dread the idea of them bringing home bugs in plastic cages that they will invariably leave open and laying around the house! We'll just have to see what Santa decides to bring :)

Why I don't shop at Kroger much if at all

So they are saying I have to spend money before I can save money... ya I don't think so! I'll keep shopping at Publix, Bi-Lo and sometimes Food Lion. My pattern is I go where the sells are and if I don't get your coupons to make my total spent cheaper I don't go there. Publix is awesome as I get like 2-3 magazines in the mail and the baby/kids club stuff AND they take competitors coupons all without having to develop a pattern shopping there. The Bi-Lo doubles up to 60 cents here and Food Lion is just close to my house. Here is the response to why I don't get there mailers even though my co-worker does and some friends, all who don't go to Kroger on a regular bases but live closer to a Kroger then I do. Their logic is flawed and not helping their cause of us wanting to shop there.
Dear xx:

Thank you for contacting The Kroger Co. We apologize you have not received coupons/my magazines. Our mailings are based on a very complex amount of data that takes into consideration your frequency of shopping, total spend amount, spend by shopping trip, type of items that are purchased, departments that are shopped in the store and other factors. Your must establish and maintain a shopping pattern in our store, once a pattern has been established you will begin to receive coupons/my magazines in the mail.
 
If you have any additional concerns, or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact our customer service line at 1-800-xxx-xxxx and speak with a representative. Thanks again for contacting the Kroger Co.

Sincerely,
xxx
Consumer Affairs

Review: Emerson Karaoke Karaoke Player from CSN Store

We were definitely looking forward to having a karaoke player in the home. We've seen them in bars and at parties, and we knew our daughters would just love it and it would make a great family video of the kids singing. By those measures, this unit is definitely a success. The kids have a great time with the Emerson Karaoke Karaoke Player, and the sample CD that comes in the package contains some children's songs that they know (Jingle Bells, Itsy bitsy Spider, etc.), so we were able to begin enjoying it as a family right away.

Now, if you're expecting to get the same experience as you get in bars and at parties, remember that those machines usually cost many hundreds or even thousands of dollars. It seems like the Emerson Karaoke Karaoke Player should be simple enough, and I honestly think it should. Emerson always has given what I want in electronics. But you'll quickly see that the price point on this unit brings it well below the professional units in terms of quality. So let's get that information out of the way...

The sample CD includes vocals. It's a small thing, but it kind of gets in the way when you're trying to hear the singer. If you turn it too high then the singer has to shout to be heard (which sounds terrible), but if you turn it too low then you can't hear the music and the singer might as well be singing without it, which kind of defeats the purpose of the machine. The vocals coming through the microphone seem inordinately loud, as though there's a setting somewhere that's too sensitive. This makes for distorted/compressed sound, or "artificial loudness," which doesn't sound good. Maybe a higher-end microphone will help, I haven't had a chance to test that yet.

The remote has a lot of buttons that don't seem to do anything, and the ones that do aren't very intuitive. Combine that with a fairly unresponsive interface and it's fairly difficult to use the machine in a quick and easy way. There are no interesting graphics or displays of any kind, and the basic menu is pretty lacking. Any song (or file) name that's longer than a couple words doesn't fully display. This makes it very difficult to see an entire artist + song name combination on the screen. The lyrics don't stay in time with the actual song, though that may just be the sample CD. I tried to burn a MP3/G disc from downloaded files, but it doesn't seem to recognize the lyrics at all. The entire unit seems to be advertising MP3/G support, but there's little information about how to make that happen.

Now, there are good things about this unit. The comparatively low price point for karaoke players is a plus. There are lower-end units on the market, standard portable ones with their own speakers. But for something that plugs into a television and acts as part of the home entertainment center, this works reasonably well. It has a USB input, suggesting that it can pull songs off of a thumb drive as easily as a CD. That'll definitely be handy for anybody who has a large collection of music and doesn't want to maintain a library of discs for the karaoke player.

The entire unit is pretty small, much smaller than I thought it would be. It's considerably shorter and narrower than a standard entertainment center component device, and it doesn't run hot, so there are a lot of options of where to put it. For us it's even low-profile enough to sit directly under the TV (a flat-screen on a stand) without looking like some ugly media component. The unit also has dual microphone inputs. By default it comes with only one microphone, understandably. But a second microphone is easy to come by. This is especially handy when there are two small children arguing over whose turn it is!

All in all, I wouldn't say that I'm dissatisfied with this unit. It's not what I was expecting, so there was some disappointment. But for the price compared to professional units it at least gets the job done. Whether friends or family are over and using it, or whether the kids are playing with it themselves, it provides entertainment. We definitely enjoy having it as part of our entertainment center.

New giveaways entered as of 11/12/10

Ran into a twitter error so could not enter in all I had done...

Mommy? Im Hungry! Product Reviews and Giveaways
Progresso Healthier You prize pack 11/15
3 pairs SmartKnitKIDS Seamless Socks 11/15
2 hairfreé brushes 11/16
Foster Farms Great Bites -5 Winners! 11/17
MAGNAblade 11/18
Butter Bell Crock -3 winners! USA/Canada 11/18
Cystex Liquid Cranberry Complex w/Proantinox 11/19
Pedia-Lax Fiber Gummies 11/19
New! Certain Dri Solid Anti-Perspirant 11/19
Live Gluten Freely Prize Pack 11/23
Seventh Generation Optical Brightener Discovery kit 11/23
ROHTO Hyrda and Cooling Eye Drops 11/26
Progresso Lemon Pepper Panko & Chef Chiarello's Cookbook 11/26
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Minnesota Mama's Must Haves
Holiday Gift Guide: Melissa & Doug Easel from Gummy Lump! Review & Giveaway! 12/1
My Baby Clothes Boutique Review & Giveaway!! 11/24
Holiday: Pillow Pet of your choice! 11/24
Holiday: Expressionery Hamilton Stamp Set valued at $70! 11/24
Holiday: 2 Dozen Sqwishlanders 11/22
Holiday: Maukilo.com $50 Gift Certificate for toys! 11/22
Holiday: Lunch Bags! & Scandiniavian Stitches Sewing Books 11/22
Holiday: Hearthsong Personalized Book Rack 11/22
Holiday: K'Nex Preschool Prize Pack w/3 Sesame Street Canisters & Big Building Tub! 11/22
Holiday: Little Tikes Neighborhood Market Value $100! 11/22
Holiday: Moxie Girlz Magic Snow Doll 11/17
Holiday: Knickernappies Baltic Amber Teething Necklace 11/15
Holiday: 2 Double Packs of Mix Pups 11/15
9 Month Supply Prenatal Vitamins, Food Processor & gDiapers Cloth Diapers Prize Pack! 11/15
Bella Materna Nursing Tunic or T-Shirt Nursing Bra! 11/15
Sprout Change Cloth Diaper 11/15

Simply Stacie
$50 Walmart Gift Card Giveaway 11/12
Holiday Gift Guide: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Cheese Touch Board Game Review & Giveaway 11/20
Holiday Gift Guide: Prima Princessa: The Nutcracker-DVD Review & Giveaway 11/21
Holiday Gift Guide: George Foreman Evolve Grill Review & Giveaway 11/23
Amazon & Chapters Gift Card Giveaway 11/25
Holiday Gift Guide: Chimp and Zee Shopping Cart Dash Review & Giveaway 11/26
Holiday Gift Guide: Magnablade Review & Giveaway 11/26

Born 2 impress
Scholastic -THE HALLOWEEN STORIES COLLECTION Review and Giveaway 11/13
Holiday Gift Guide - Pearl Paradise Review and Giveaway 11/17
Holiday Gift Guide - Breyer Horses Review and Giveaway 11/30
Holiday Gift Guide - Britax Marathon 70 Car Seat Review and Giveaway 12/15
Holiday Gift Guide - GiftZip.com Giveaway 12/9

Mom Spotted
PartyLite Fall Prize Pack (up to $166) 11/15
Walmart Gift Card from Febreze 11/15
$50 Hallmark Gift Card 11/22
Personalized Gift from Things Remembered 11/22
Progresso Giveaway 11/29
Gift Card to Fantasy Jewelry Box 11/29
Personalized Holiday Ornament 11/29
Custom Holiday Stamp 11/29
Hal & Holly Moose Christmas DVD& Book 11/29
$500 B-Ready Stroller 11/29
Stunning Wine Bottle Chopping Block – Review & Giveaway! $130 Value! 11/29
Crocs Crocband Winter Boots – Review & Giveaway (FOUR Winners!!!) 11/29

Outnumbered 3 to 1
$50 Hayneedle GC 11/12
Hold on Scooby Doo Game 11/15
The Young Science Club Animal Tracks Game 11/17
Tonka Strong Arm Fire Truck and Garbage Truck {US & Canada} 10/18
Candy Land The World of Sweets Game 11/25
Deluxe Magic Set by Melissa & Doug 11/26

Baby Loving Mama
Midwest Dairy Association Healthy Morning Tips & Presto Griddle {Giveaway} 11/29

Leslie Loves Veggies
Wasa Thin & Crispy Flatbreads Prize Package – US 11/14
Integrity Outdoor Brands ~ PICO Arm Chair – US & Canada 11/16
WondaWedge inflatable back support pillow – US 11/16
Truly Organic Baking Mixes – US 11/17
Yum Yum Dishes – US & Canada 11/17
Balsam Hill 36 Colorado Mountain Spruce Wreath with Clear Lights – US & Canada 11/26
Green Ostrich ~ To-Go Ware Bamboo Utensil Set – World Wide 11/26
Ultra Concentrated Dawn Dishwashing Liquid – US 11/27
George Foreman Smart Kitchen Multicooker – US 11/28
SKINEEZ Skincarewear Camisole with Adjustable Straps & Shelf Bra – US & Canada 11/30
Smart & Sexy $50 Lingerie Prize Package – US 11/24
Green Earth, Green Home ~ Salt Lamp – US 11/23
CSN Stores ~ $50 Gift Code – US 11/23
Hershey’s Drops – 30 Winners! – US 11/22
Spice Rack Chocolate Collection – US 11/21
Fiesta Large Chocolate Disc Pitcher – US 11/20
The Cravory ~ Mixed Dozen Chef’s Favorite’s Cookies – US & Canada 11/18
Fire & Flavor Turkey Perfect Brine Kit – US 11/18

Thanks, Mail Carrier
My Pillow Pets {Review & Giveaway} Nothing compares to the real thing 11/12
The Energizer Qi Inductive Charger {$25 Gift Card Giveaway} 11/12
1-800-FLOWERS.COM {Review & Giveaway} The Deliver Birthday Smiles Campaign 11/19
PUR One-Click Faucet Mount {Review & Giveaway} 11/19
Hasbro Halloween {Review & Giveaway - 5 winners!} 11/19
Reeves International Toys {Review & Toy of Choice Giveaway} 11/19
ThinkGeek {Gadget and Doodad Review & $100 Gift Certificate Giveaway} 11/19
Checking Our List #11: Alphabet Photography {Review & Giveaway} 11/23
Checking Our List #6: CitiBlocs Wooden Building Set {Review & Giveaway} 11/26
Checking Our List #5: Xtrema Ceramic Cookware 3-Piece 10" Skillet Set {Review & Giveaway} 11/26
Checking Our List #4: KidKraft Baking Set {Review & Giveaway} 11/26
Checking Our List #2: HearthSong {The Learning Tower Review & $50 Gift Certificate Giveaway} 11/26
Checking Our List #1: Little Tikes Neighborhood Market {Review & Giveaway} 11/26
Old El Paso Family Taco Night {Review & Giveaway} 11/26
Wild Creations {Tandem Space Hopper Review & Choice of Product Giveaway} 11/26
ErgoMotion Laser Mouse {Review & Giveaway} 11/26
Checking Our List #9: Melissa & Doug from Gummy Lump {Review & Giveaway} 12/3
Checking Our List #8: Epson PictureMate Show Digital Frame/Compact Photo Printer {Review & Giveaway} 12/3

Burkett Blessings
Super Sipperz Review and GIVEAWAY - FUN STOCKING STUFFER!!! 11/14
Ms. Lady Bug Pillow Pet 11/21

Piece of ME
Floral by Milano Bedset from BeddingSuperStore.com 11/19
Item of your choice from Smitten NYC 11/22
Get More Bang For Your Buck with Ultra Dawn (Review & Giveaway) 11/26
MirrorMate: Custom Frames - For Your Mirror! (Review + Giveaway) 11/27

ENJOY Life, ENJOY Now!!
Chimp and Zee Shopping Cart Dash Game 11/16
Spin N' Store Play-Doh Playset 11/18
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Cheese Touch Game 11/20
Disney Rummikub 11/23
Caspar Babypants "This is Fun" CD 11/26
Music Week Giveaway: DidiPop Goes to Hawaii 11/27

One 2 Try
Progresso Lemon Panko plus Cookbook 11/14
650 Best Food Processor Recipes Cookbook 11/15
Kitchen Table Bakers - Parmesan Cheese Crisps 11/20

The Experimental Mommy
First Impressions Fall Line: Review and Giveaway 11/29
Dominos Aubidle Tracker: $20 Gift Card Giveaway 11/29
Stay warm this winter with Zippo: Review and Giveaway 11/19
Constructive Playthings Today’s Girl Doll and Kitchen: Review and Giveaway 11/24

Mkokopelli
Silikids Giveaway!! 12/15

Deal Wise Mommy
Tanga-iPod Touch 8G Giveaway 11/12
Barney Learning Pack 6 DVD Set Giveaway 11/14
KD Novelties Giveaway 11/15
Gameday Rugs Giveaway 11/15
Esso Watches Giveaway 11/17
DS Game-The Story of Noah's Ark Giveaway 11/18
Mini Bargainz Review & Giveaway 11/18

Energizer Bunny's Mommy Reports
Bob & Larry sing the 80's -Veggie Tales CD 11/13
H-E-B gift pack 11/13
It's A Meaningful Life DVD 11/13
Nimli Azuri Pashmina Shawl -2 winners 11/13
Angelina Ballerina- Nutcracker Sweet DVD 11/13
Gummy Lump Toy of Choice 11/20
VTech Toy's Winnie The Pooh Explore 'n' Learn Table 11/20
Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls gift pack 11/20
Hasbro Family Night Fun Games 11/20
LeapFrog Digital Camera 11/27

CSN Stores Review... So MANY Choices

It's been a while since we reviewed a product from CSN Stores, and I assure you it's not because we couldn't find anything we wanted. It's because we could decide what to get! We'd traditionally reviewed kitchen products because, well, let's face it... This is my blog and I want nice stuff in my kitchen! But my husband wanted to get a toy too, so that opened up a whole new selection of products. In the end, I wanted some new kitchen bar stools and he wanted some electronic toy, and we decided to go with his this time :)

We actually just received his product yesterday, and it turns out the whole family is enjoying it. So we'll make sure to get some good use out of it before we write the review. But in the meantime I think I'll sneak in another product of my own from the CSN Stores and just not tell him! Any requests? I'll admit, I'm a little convinced of the fun electronic toys right now, so I guess anything goes with the next one...

Review: Halloween candy from Hershey

Who doesn't love Hershey's? The name itself has been synonymous with chocolate in American vernacular for as long as any of us can remember. Headquartered in Hershey, Pa. and has operations throughout the world and more than 12,000 employees! Who doesn't love home grown businesses! Halloween, Easter, Valentine's Day... any occasion that calls for candy calls for Hershey's. Whether you prefer the classic milk chocolate bar, the nutty Mr. Goodbar, the Reese's peanut butter cup (my personal favorite), or any of the other varieties, it's a part of our culture that we all grew up enjoying.

That's why it's so difficult to write anything about it, really. But when we received some of their great selection to try out, I had to hide it from the family or it would be gone that night! So what can be said? Is it good chocolate? It's Hershey's. Is it a great selection of bars and candies? It's HERSHEY'S. How can one describe something we've all known since we were small children? Needless to say, the package with the 3 different kinds was my favorite, never can get enough of those York Peppermint Patties. The Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkin was gone that night thanks to the husband who LOVES Reese's. The packaging also was in spirit of the season of Halloween making it more fun to eat!

Rather than try to explain to anybody reading this the simple joy that I'm conveying, I invite you instead to just go have some. Go out and try you favorite, Halloween is next week, and I invite you to do more than just dress up and take the kids out and go through the motions. I invite you to stop for a moment. After a little trick-or-treating, or while sitting at your home giving away candy to the neighborhood kids, just take a break and enjoy your favorite chocolate from the inevitably nearby stash. Pick your one favorite, and take a minute to stop and enjoy. It's that simple. It's Hershey's.

OCTOBER

I finally got the burn out feeling, so for this month I am cleaning house. When all my giveaways have run there course I will be purging my blog by removing some of the blogs I follower, all emails I get, all buttons I have, all twitter names I follow, etc... and slowly one by one adding them back to my sight/list. Also I will keep track of these better as in if I have to add a button or join twitter/email list I will un-join/remove once the giveaway has run its course to keep my numbers reasonable, I have over 2000 joined on one twitter account alone. Honestly I don't read any of the tweets or emails anyway I just want free stuff. Blogs that have numerous giveaways don't need to worry, there's a 99% chance I will continue to follow with all the bells and whistles.

I do have a review coming up with the CSN Store but we are in the process of picking it and NO it will not be another kitchen item! So stay tuned!

Also if you have a product you would love for my family to review we would love to try it out. We give an honest opinion about it including packaging, shipping, how we used it and all that. I will not do giveaways unless I do not have to ship the item out, we work full time with 2 kids and don't have the time to deal with that. The whole point of this blog is to try items I would have never bought because will I am cheap and give my honest opinion about them and also to get free stuff. Who doesn't like free stuff!

Oh how I love the CSN Stores

We've had the opportunity to use several great products from CSN Stores lately, and it looks like we're going to do it again! Between the popcorn maker and the deep fryer, our collection of kitchen appliances is growing and the time we spend as a family home-cooking meals has increased, so maybe we should stick with this theme. I have my eyes on one of the dutch ovens they have, since we can't deep fry everything :)

Well, we haven't yet decided what we'll be reviewing next at the CSN Stores, but if it's anything like the products we've reviewed so far then it will be a welcome addition to our home. Is there anything specific you'd like to see us try before you buy? Let us know!

New giveaways entered as of 9/22/10 (10:00pm)

Piece of ME
Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! "Wubbzy Goes To School" Review & Giveaway 10/5
Take a Moment for Yourself with Pillsbury Sweet Moments (Review + Giveaway) 10/6

My Silly Monkeys
Ziploc Products Review and #Giveaway 10/5

Momstart
Roxy Bedding Giveaway 10/11

Energizer Bunny's Mommy Reports
Spruce up your home with ATG Stores (+ 50$ GC Giveaway) 10/23

Kindred Spirit Mommy
The First Years Via Infant Car Seat Review and Giveaway! @TheFirstYears 10/20

Mom to Bed by 8
Aurorae Yoga Mat and Slip Free Package Review & Giveaway 10/11

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Luke Loves His Playskool Wheel Pals Animal Tracks Jungle Journey Playset! {Giveaway} 10/4

J. leigh designz
Pop Art Toaster 5-in-1 Standard Tasty Baker {Review & Giveaway} 10/11

(un)paint
Spilt Milk Giveaway 10/7

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Blogiversary Giveaway: Executive Gift Shoppe Review and Giveaway 10/5
Blogiversary Giveaway: Polly Blister Stick Review and Giveaway 10/6

Cake Mom
five ACCESSORIES Review and GIVEAWAY! 10/1
Alight.com Giveaway #2!! 10/23
Blush Undershirt Review and GIVEAWAY!! 9/29

Evoluchun's Misc. Blog
Dog Is Good Giveaway (Callin All Dog Lovers USA & CA) 9/29

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Find Your Magic at Macy’s with a $25 Gift Card Giveaway! 10/11

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The Top 30 Preschool Songs CD-Review and Giveaway 10/15

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NEW EZ Bat Turns Every Child Into a Slugger! {Review & Giveaway} 10/6

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Mystery Trilogy by Spencer Quinn #FallGiveaway 9/29

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Review/Giveaway: Yummy Dough 9/30

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Fashion to Figure Giveaway 10/13

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Sockwa Review and Giveaway... 10/19

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Rohto Cooling Eye Drops Review & Giveaway 10/8
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Groobs Shoes ~ Giving is in our Sole {review} + Giveaway 10/22

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"Boo Bash" Anytime Costumes Giveaway! 10/6

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Nostalgic Graphic Tees by Elizabeth Horton Design -- Review and Giveaway! 10/6

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Pillsbury Grands Frozen Mini Biscuits #Giveaway 10/10

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