Baby Gear

I get totally overwhelmed when picking out baby gear. I have, on several occasions, been researching products and looking at different ones, gotten overwhelmed and bought whatever I had seen first. There are so many options out there!I do love my some BabyGuyNYC and Lucie's List for recommendations (OMG I love BabyGuy boxes and he's why we got the UppaBaby system) but it can all be SO overwhelming!One resource that I have found that I cannot live without is Diapers.com (and Soap.com). Seriously. It's like Amazon but it's baby focused and I feel like I can find and compare products easier there. Then, if you spend the whatever it is... I think $39, you get free shipping. I save all my items in the cart until I hit that number and then it's two day shipping. The super nice part is that it's across their affiliates. So you can buy dish washer soap and baby food in the same order, with free shipping (true story... the box is in my kitchen).Not to mention that they have awesome sales. Like this one - right now Britax convertable car seats are 25%! Check it out! Also, if you've never ordered with them - try the widget on the right of this page for 15% off!What's your secret mom shortcut? I order everything I can from Amazon Prime, Diapers.com or Soap.com, and Costco.com. Saves my behind!

Of Babies and Husbands

I have a husband and I have a scootchy, army crawling almost toddler. They both get into plenty of messes. Between my husband's garden and CrossFit workout clothing, he makes plenty of laundry. I'm always looking for ways to get the stink out... I gave up on stains on those a while ago. But now, with an scootchy baby and a house full of hardwood, I have a new challenge... getting nugget's clothing looking like new.I'm a big fan of Purex but truth be told, lately, I'm a big fan of anything I have a coupon for... which has not been Purex, of late. However, the folks at Purex recently sent me their newest stain fighting laundry detergent - Purex^® plus Clorox 2 - to try.And wow, it's like they just knew what was coming... shortly after I received the box, my son got a nasty virus... let's just say it was coming out both ends and I was doing A LOT of laundry. When he has had tough stains in the past, I have had to wash his onesies twice sometimes or at least stain treat them before... not with Purex^® plus Clorox 2! WOW! They came right out and it was safe for colors. I was thankful because all nugs wanted to do when he was sick was snuggle and I'd rather snuggle that baby boy than do laundry any day. I've checked it out in the store and it's a pretty smart value. Price is good and the quality is excellent.

What is the worst stain you have had to deal with? What's your secret laundry weapon?

  And for being an awesome, hardworking laundry do'er... Purex^® sent along a coupon for a free bottle for me to share!

One lucky person will receive a coupon for a free bottle of New Purex plus Clorox 2 detergent!

Just enter the giveaway form below. Entries will be verified. Open to US residents only. Must be 18 years of age or older to participate.

Purex plus Clorox 2 - available in Original Fresh or Sunny LinenYou can find Purex on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

 

Enter by May 22, 2016

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Purex brand provided me with a sample of Purex plus Clorox 2 detergent in exchange for a product review. However, all the opinions expressed here are mine.

Purex Post: Dial Hand Soap (GIVEAWAY)

As you may know, I am very fortunate to be a part of a program called Purex Insiders. They often will send products for me to test and talk about along with some coupons.In this case, I was sent two Dial products to try and blog about. One was their new Miracle Oil Hand Soap and the other was the Sugar Cane Husk Scrub.I was a bit skeptical about the miracle oil because I wasn't sure what kind of residue would be left behind. I am REALLY particular when it comes to my hand soap. Smell, feel, and how my hands feel afterwards are all factors for me.I was so impressed by both of these products on all levels. Both soaps left my hands feeling clean with no residue, smelling awesome, and not dry at all.I really enjoyed the Miracle Oil soap for it's smell and the moisture it left behind on my hands. Not oily, but moisturized. It is infused with Marula oil and really conditioned my hands nicely. Plus, I knew that I was getting the Dial commitment to health and safety. I wish the doctor's office would stock this instead of their harsh foams! Starting in February, you can find Dial Miracle Oil Hand Soap any where you buy Dial soaps.The other soap I tried was the deep cleansing Sugar Cane Husk Scrub. This is also a hand soap and has these tiny little (they call them) 'micro scrubbers' in the formula to help exfoliate and clean your hands. This product also impressed me with the smell and feel of the soap. I guess I shouldn't be so skeptical about the smell of hand soaps but I am. Too many awful experiences that leave my hands dry and smelling terrible! I used to work for a local luxury soap maker here in Denver as a side job, selling their products in the retail store. One thing I loved about them was that they sold sugar scrubs instead of salt. Many people don't realize that a sugar grain in rounded where as salt has sharp edges. You get a similar result but the salt actually scratches your skin and drys it out. Sugar is for sure the way to go when you exfoliate. I don't know if these 'micro scrubbers' are actual sugar crystals but they seem to do the job and do it well. All in all I was very pleased! Again, the Dial Sugar Cane Husk Scrub is available at retailers starting in February.So to wrap this up, I actually have a little give away! Comment below and tell me what your pet peeves are about hand soap and which is your current favorite and I will pick THREE winners to receive a coupon for a FREE DIAL HAND SOAP! Comment by April 5 to be entered!A special thank you to the Dial brand for providing the products and the coupons. And as usual, they provided the sample in exchange for a review but all opinions expressed here are my own!

Update to American Express Post

A while ago, I posted a letter about our issues with American Express and United Airlines. You can read it here. Here is our update...We were kindly contacted by some folks at Amex who put some of their best people on this situation. The agent who helped us was very kind and worked very hard for us. But it boils down to this, airlines are notoriously difficult and not interested in being the best at customer service. They were unable to do anything for us but did compensate us for being good customers.Our issue now has been clarified. United Airlines customer service is atrocious. We initially called when we noticed the problem and after a significant amount of time on the phone, the customer service rep HUNG UP ON ME. Really? That is how you handle customers? When we asked how to resolve our issue they offer us two options: 1. pay hundreds of dollars and rebook tickets OR 2. put it in a type of mediation service that takes a long time and may or may not solve our issue in time to make it to the two weddings. What kind of choice is that? It's a choice by a company that clearly could care LESS about us and our travel situation.Our boycott now lays squarely at the feet of United Airlines. So in addition to our boycott, we recommended to my brother, who will be traveling a significant amount for his new job, to avoid United Airlines and recommend to his colleagues to do the same.

Review: Mayim’s Rainbow Cabbage Salad with Tahini-Lemon Dressing

As you read in this blog - Review: Mayim's Vegan Table - Kosher Hubby and I each selected a recipe we wanted to make out of Mayim's new cookbook to review. This is the one Kosher Hubby chose. He wanted something without pasta, bread, potatoes, etc. We just don't have those items in our diet, or at least very often. He chose this because he enjoys cabbage salad and thought it would be a great addition to our dinner. If you want to see my choice, it is here - Review: Mayim's Shepherd's Pie.Again here, she says it serves 4 people but it lasted for more than a week in our fridge. Know your tahini... we selected a common, Kosher brand and I found the flavor overpowering and ... not great. I've had tahini before and enjoy it. I did not enjoy this particular product. Kosher Hubby (KH) added his own flare and flavoring to the dressing.[ingredients]Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Using a rimmed baking sheet, toast the seeds for 8 to 10 minutes, watching closely. You can also use a toaster oven until the seeds start to darken, or sauté them without oil in a small pan until they brown and become fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
2. Boil 8 cups of water while you chop the cabbage. Slice the cabbage in half through the stem. Slice each half in half again and chop roughly.
3. Place the chopped cabbage into a strainer over your sink and pour the boiling water over it. Rinse quickly with cold water. Dry the cabbage roughly with a (dark-colored) hand towel or in a salad spinner.
4. In a large bowl, mix together the celery, pepper, cabbage, shaved carrots, and parsley.
5. Place all the dressing ingredients in a blender (tahini, garlic, lemon, and cayenne). Add enough water to make a dressing consistency.
6. Add the dressing to the cabbage salad just before serving.

It was tasty and KH really enjoyed it. The strong tahini flavor really made it hard for me. We had some that wasn't quite dressed and I enjoyed it. Again I will say this here... I know that ethically, Mayim (and her co-author Dr. Jay Gordon) don't believe in eating animals and you can eat healthily without any type of animal products. We don't agree. In the Kosher, She Eats kitchen, meat is a very vital and central piece of the puzzle. We are really big animal protein people. I respect their views, I just don't agree with them. I found this dish to be another great parve side dish option for a dairy or meat meal.** Disclosure: I received this cookbook for free but I was not compensated for this or any posts related to Mayim's Vegan Table. Additionally, Mayim is a personal friend but that did not come into account while reviewing this cookbook. **

Review: Mayim's Shepherd's Pie

As you read in this blog - Review: Mayim's Vegan Table - Kosher Hubby and I each selected a recipe we wanted to make out of Mayim's new cookbook to review. This is the one I chose. I got really excited because for a long time, I thought Shepherd's Pie would probably be a delicious dish but it was never Kosher (since most include ground beef and dairy). Mayim's recipe offered me the opportunity to try something I couldn't before.She says it serves four. It lasted more than a week in our house (granted there were only two of us). We halved the potatoes because we don't eat much white starchy foods in the Kosher, She Eats kitchen. It still covered the whole dish and we found ourselves eating the goodies under the potatoes. I also did not use the vegan margarine... I just couldn't bring myself to buy it when I knew I wouldn't use it again or often. VERY surprisingly, the mashed potatoes still were tasty without it.Other adjustments? Like I said, we halved the recipe for the mashed potatoes section. We couldn't find canned lentils so we bought some store brand, dried red lentils. They didn't need to soak, just be throughly rinsed and boiled. We were just unsure what the conversion would be between dry lentils and the can... we did about a cup, it could have taken some more. Also, I recommend prepping all the ingredients PRIOR to getting started. It will just help, things move pretty quickly.[ingredients]Preparation:

1. Prepare the potatoes:
   1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil a 9-inch baking pan with the cooking spray.
   2. Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender; about 29 minutes. Drain, return them to the pot, and mash.
   3. Place the nondairy milk and margarine in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the margarine has melted. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper, and then add to the mashed potatoes and stir well until incorporated.
2. In a large pan over high heat, heat the oil and sauté the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic until soft, about 8 minutes.
3. Add the Italian seasoning and cook for 30 seconds.
4. Add the lentils, peas, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and remaining teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and cook for a further 5 minutes.(I recommend combining the Worcestershire sauce and mustard in a bowl and mixing. It got a little lumpy and I was afraid of pockets of mustard.)
5. Pour into the prepared pan and spread the mashed potatoes on top. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden.

This reheats really nicely and is very tasty cold too. I ate it nearly every day for a week after we made it and enjoyed it each time! However, she uses this as a main dish. It just wouldn't fly in our house. We are really big animal protein people. I know that ethically, Mayim (and her co-author Dr. Jay Gordon) don't believe in eating animals and you can eat healthily without any type of animal products. We don't agree. In the Kosher, She Eats kitchen, meat is a very vital and central piece of the puzzle. I respect their views, I just don't agree with them. I found this dish to be a great parve option for a dairy or meat meal.** Disclosure: I received this cookbook for free but I was not compensated for this or any posts related to Mayim's Vegan Table. Additionally, Mayim is a personal friend but that did not come into account while reviewing this cookbook. **