I had been hearing how great the Keurig brewers were for ages. I really didn’t see how one coffee maker could be better than the next.  It wasn’t until I got my own Keurig B30 Mini Brewer that I realized just how AWESOME a Keurig really was.

I chose the Keurig Mini Brewer because while my kitchen isn’t tiny, I don’t like a lot of big appliances taking up space. I also drink only 1 cup of coffee per day and just needed a small unit that made great tasting coffee.

My Keurig Mini has exceeded my expectations with the quality of it’s coffee in it’s pint little size.

The Keurig Mini couldn’t be easier to use. Just pop in a K-Cup, add a cup full of water and press the button. Voila! A delicious cup of coffee in just a few minutes. I love the easy cleanup because there is none! Just throw away the used K-Cup and replace with a new one when you want your next cup.

The K-Cups are fabulous! There are  over 200 K-cup varieties of gourmet coffee, tea and hot cocoa from your favorite brands (Green Mountain, Tully’s etc) to choose from. There really is something for everyone even if you are not a coffee drinker. My 5 year old daughter loved the hot chocolate, and my mom loved the tea.

Product Features

- Single-serve brewing system for gourmet coffee or tea

- Uses patented K-Cups; no messy grinding or clean up

- Brews an 8-ounce cup at a time; ready in less than 3 minutes

- 1-touch technology; variety pack of 10 K-Cups included

- Measures 11-1/2 by 10 by 13-1/4 inches

- Take it with you anywhere–Office, Vacation Home, College Dorm

- Available in Black, White & Red

Ages – Adult use only (perfect gift for mom or dad)

Price – Retails for $89.95

Buy – Buy the Keurig B30 Mini Brewer

Rating: It gets 5 extra starts because it’s that good!

“I was provided  a Keurig Mini Brewer from MS&L to review. I was allowed to keep the product, but the opinion I am sharing remains my own.”

Do you love coffee (or any other hot beverage) but hate having to wait for your drink to cool to the perfect temperature?

The Brugo Travel Mug is just what you need. The Brugo Mug is unique in the fact that it takes any hot beverage and cools it to the perfect temperature from the first sip.

“Fresh coffee is brewed at 205 degrees, but its vibrant flavors are most distinguishable and pleasing at around 150 to 170 degrees. By using a simple “tip and sip” motion, BRUGO™ users transfer sip-sized amounts (one fluid ounce) of their hot beverage to the temperature control chamber, where it immediately reaches this Perfect Temperature Zone. Only the liquid in the chamber is cooled and only this liquid exits the sip opening. This inventive system eliminates the need for coffee drinkers to blow on their beverage, add ice to it, or wait for it to cool.

The BRUGO™ lid has three options: LOCK, TIP & COOL, and SIP. The LOCK setting seals the mug and is perfect for transporting the beverage without spilling. TIP & COOL gives the consumer the full benefits of the temperature control chamber. Once the beverage in the mug has cooled to a palatable temperature, users simply turn the dial to SIP and drink the beverage directly.“

I received a Brugo Mug to try for myself. When I took it out of the package for the first time I noticed the size. This is a serious mug. Visually the Brugo is very appealing. It comes in a wide variety of colors with the same basic style. There are grooves on the outside to ensure a nice fit in your hand and to prevent slipping. The lid to the Brugo has 3 settings that you can dial based on your needs.

I tested out the Brugo right away with a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee from my Keurig. When I used the Sip feature it was too hot, so I dialed it over to Tip & Cool which was noticeably cooler. I took me a little while to figure out the Tip & Cool feature as you must tip it a certain way to get the hot liquid in the chamber. A little practice will make perfect. The lock feature is also nice if you are traveling to prevent spills.

Ages – Adult use only (perfect gift for mom or dad)

Price – Retails for $19.95

Buy – Buy the Brugo Travel Mug

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PartyLite has been known for selling quality candles and accessories for over 35 years. While most people know that PartyLite is a direct sales company, many do now know that you don’t have to be a representative or attend a party to purchase PartyLite’s unique candles and accessories.

I was sent a PartyLite pillar and candle holder from the seasonal Peppermint Delight collection to review.

When I opened the box I was blown away by the detail and cuteness of the gingerbread candle holder. The snow is glittery and every detail of the gingerbread family is perfect. The red and white striped pillar is scented in peppermint bark! This candle has a burn time of 85-90 hours. The set is absolutely adorable and I now have it prominently displayed on own living room end table.

I also received a set of 2, 3″ ball candles in white (also scented in peppermint bark) to switched in and out of the candle holder as desired. I love how the candles can be mixed and matched with the accessories.

How cute is this?

PartyLite has a wide variety of candles and accessories to help illuminate your home. There are pieces for every day, and every season. Each piece it of the highest quality and the candles smell delicious! You will be proud to display PartyLite candles in your home.

PartyLite makes a great gift for mom and you don’t need to attend a party to purchase their candles or accessories.

Simply visit partylite.com and click on “Shop Online”. You will need to enter your zip code to find a representative in your area. The whole process can be done online and there are no parties to attend.

Of course if you are interested in hosting a party or becoming a consultant that is there too!

Ages – Adult use only (perfect gift for mom)

Price – Gifts from $10

Buy – Buy PartyLite Candles & Accessories

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Sheer Cover Mineral Makeup is a must have product for moms.

Every mom wants to look good, but most of the time we just don’t have the time to get all made up. I know I want a 5 minute application. We also don’t like the hassle of constantly reapplying or doing touch ups.

I have been using other brands of mineral makeup for years, but this was my first time trying Sheer Cover, and I was very impressed.

Sheer Cover is like most mineral makeups in the fact that it looks like a powder and is mineral based. I think Sheer Cover is a finer milled powder than the other leading brand. At first it may seem like the sheerness of the makeup will not cover, but after a full application you will definitely notice the difference. I also noticed a dewy appearance to my skin which I liked.

I sampled the light kit which came with 3 shades: Frost, Nude and Bisque

The Frost seemed most compatible with my skin tone, but after applying I noticed it was a bit light, so I blended in some nude which complimented my skin tone perfectly.

I love the blendability of the Sheer Cover foundations, especially since it still felt so light on my skin after a few applications.

My Sheer Cover kit also can with a brush and duo tone concealer…which is awesome! The concealer was a perfect match to my skin and was not cake-y like most concealers. A winner.

Sheer Cover stayed on my face all day and only took a few minutes to apply. No touch ups needed throughout the day! For a busy mom on the go, this is a must.

Sheer Cover makes a great gift for mom this holiday season.  The Sheer Cover kits come in Light, Medium, Tan or Dark.

Ages – Teen and up (Perfect gift for Moms or Teen Girls)

Price – $29.99 with free shipping for starter kit

Buy – Buy Sheer Cover Mineral Makeup

Rating:

“I was provided with a sample kit of Sheer Cover by Guthy-Renker. I was allowed to keep the product, but the opinion I am sharing remains my own.”

If you are looking for a holiday sweet treat to send to your friends and family this holiday season, look no further than Byrd Cookie Company.

Based out of Savannah, Georgia,  Byrd Cookie Company has been making gourmet confections since 1924!

We sampled Byrd Cookie Company’s Decorate Your Own Cookie Party! and were impressed with both the presentation and taste of the cookies.

The Decorate Your Own Cookie Party! comes packaged in an adorable peppermint candy box-

Inside comes 12 Iced Gingerbread Holiday cookies and 4 confectionery ink markers-

I let my daughter be the artist and she decorated the cookies to her hearts content. She had a blast making these little gingerbread people-

And how was the taste of the cookie? They were delicious! The gingerbread was crisp and the icing was perfect. There is no additional taste to the edible marker in case you were wondering.

This was such a fun activity, and with 12 cookies to decorate, multiple children can participate.

My first thought was this would be an awesome gift for a child the night before Christmas to decorate cookies for Santa.

Byrd Cookie Company has a whole selection of holiday gifts, as well as their traditional Byrd Cookie Favorites.

Ages – all ages (Perfect gift for both kids and adults)

Price – $21.95 for cookies shown, cookies start at $6.95

Buy – Buy Byrd Cookie Company Cookies

Rating:

Wen by Chaz Dean is a unique shampoo and conditioner for your hair that is unlike anything else on the market.

What makes Wen so unique is that is does not contain sulfates or detergents that normally strip the hair. Wen is a non lathering shampoo and conditioner in one. The formula is similar to a lotion that is used to coat your hair and then is rinsed away.

I tried the Wen Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner for myself and I was shocked at the results after 1 use. My hair felt clean, and was silky soft. It is hard to describe, but I saw a noticeable difference in my hair texture and even color. Wen does not change your hair color, but its like it turned to its natural color. Again hard to explain, but the results spoke for themselves.

I also used this on my daughter’s hair and she had similar results.

I  LOVE the scent of the Wen Sweet Almond Mint and kind of felt like the whole experience was spa-like, vs. just simply washing and conditioning my hair like a chore.

Wen recently won and award for best Shampoo and Conditioner and I can see why. It is awesome! A perfect gift for mom (or even dad) this holiday season.

Ages – all ages (Perfect gift for mom)

Price – $29.95 for a 30 day supply, includes 4 products and shower comb

Buy – Buy Wen Cleansing Conditioner

Rating:

“I was provided with a sample bottle of Wen Cleansing Conditioner by Guthy-Renker. I was allowed to keep the product, but the opinion I am sharing remains my own.”

My absolute favorite presents are gourmet food gifts. Our family likes try new things that we normally don’t normally buy around the holidays.

One of the companies I have been drooling over is Mrs. Prindables.

Mrs. Prindables invented the caramel apple as we know it today. They don’t just make ordinary caramel apples though, they make JUMBO caramel and chocolate covered apples, handmade with only the freshest premium ingredients.

Mrs. Prindables  Gourmet Apples make the perfect gift or hostess present for your loved ones this holiday season.

We were sent the Holiday Jumbo Apple to sample and enjoy.

A juicy, jumbo apple drenched in caramel, chocolate and gourmet toppings all dressed up with a seasonal Holiday bow! Available in all our Signature flavors, shown on Milk Chocolate Walnut Pecan.

The apple arrived very quickly, packed in a large box with ice packs and and in an insulated bag.

The presentation was perfect for gift giving.

This personalized packaging is complimentary with any apple or confections purchase.

Inside the box the apple was securely wrapped in cellophane.  We chose not to eat the apple right away and took it out of the box and placed it in the refrigerator, where it sat – tempting me to eat it.

The next day, when the whole family was together, we decided it was time to sample this treat.

First of all, this is no ordinary covered apple.  Its about 2 times the size of a normal apple and COVERED in caramel, chocolate, pecans and walnuts. The weight of the apple was 1.5 lbs and suggested serving is 8-10.

While the apple was definitely large, I can’t imagine this serving 8-10 people. We shared it between the 3 of us and I had 75% of it. My husband and daughter each had a serving, and I had probably 4. So easily serves 6, but really you will not want to share.

The actual apple itself was crisp and juicy. Perfect color and obviously very fresh. Here you can see the thick layer of chocolate and nuts.

I was in chocolate/nut apple heaven.

I can honestly say, hands down, this was the best gourmet covered apple I have ever had.

Don’t forget your out of town friends and family this season. Mrs. Prindables will ship your apple anywhere in the United States.

This is a gift that everyone will remember!

Ages – All ages (Perfect gift for the family, gourmet food lover)

Price – $22.95

Buy – Buy Mrs. Prindables Holiday Apples

Rating:

**Mrs. Prindables sent me a Jumbo Holiday Apple to enjoy in exchange for sharing my honest opinion of the product – Apple was delicious!**

The Oreck Halo is one of the most advanced vacuums on the market. What makes the Oreck Halo so unique is it’s patented UV-C germ killing light.

The Halo has the same power as the other great cleaning Oreck vacuums, but the special UV light kills many microscopic germs, bacteria, viruses, mold, dust mite eggs that are commonly found in carpets.

I received a Oreck Halo to review and here are my observations.

What I Love

- The Suction

The Oreck Halo hands down beats my previous vacuum. Its nice to go over the carpet 1 time to get the carpet clean. Excellent suction power.

- I love the UV Light Feature

You never know what may be lurking in your carpet. Having the UV-C light gives you piece of mind that those tiny dust mites, germs and bacteria are finally gone for good. Great feature for moms with babies and toddlers crawling on the carpets. Also important for those with pets.

- The Vacuum is Sturdy

No doubt about it, this vacuum is well made &  solid

- Easy to turn on/off

I love the push button on/off switch at the vacuums handle (my precious vacuum did not have this)

- Long Cord

The Oreck Halo has an extra long 29 ft power cord!

- Seal of Approval from The National Parenting Center

The Oreck Halo was awarded a 2009 Seal of Approval from The National Parenting Center. This Seal of Approval has recognized the finest products for children and families since 1990.

What could be better

- The Weight of the Vacuum

Compared to the other light weight Oreck vacuums, the Halo is much heaver. While it doesn’t bother me as I have a 1 story house, if you live in a house with  multiple floors this may be a consideration. The vacuum weight is 17lbs.

- The Attachments

The attachment features are just OK, not a large variety and a little hard to manage at times.

- The Bags

This vacuum is not bag-less, and as far as I can tell, the bags are not sold in stores and are rather expensive. The good news about the bags is that it does keep all the debris contained (more sanitary) and they have a HEPA13 filter. So this could go either way depending upon you views on bags.

From the Oreck website:

What is Halo Technology?

Halo Technology is comprised of a patented light chamber that magnifies and concentrates ultraviolet light in the C spectrum, effectively killing many microscopic germs, bacteria, viruses, mold, dust mite eggs, flea eggs, and other microorganisms that could living and breeding on your floor surfaces.

Why do I need a germ killing vacuum?

Carpets can be one of the dirtiest places in the home because they are rarely, if ever disinfected. As a result, they can contain one of the highest concentrations of allergens in the home. One allergen that can live and breed on carpets and floors is the dust mite, which is one of the leading indoor triggers of allergies and asthma symptoms. The Oreck Halo can kill dust mite eggs, helping to make your home cleaner.

Ages – Adult use – perfect gift for Mom

Price – Retails for $599.95

Buy – Buy the Oreck Halo Vacuum

Rating:

**Oreck sent me the Oreck Halo Vacuum in exchange for sharing my honest review of the product**

I know the Shark Steam Mop is at the top of the gift wish list for many moms.  I know this because I was one of those moms who just had to have a steam mop.

The floors in our house are half tile half carpet, so I need to mop just as much as I need to vacuum, sometimes more because the tile is in high traffic areas.

I ended up purchasing the Shark Steam Mop for myself because I had heard so much about it and didn’t want to mop my floors anymore.

The Shark Steam Mop is a very lightweight appliance that uses just water to steam clean floors. I am going to be honest by saying it is a little more lightweight than expected and probably not as sturdy as I would have liked.

The Shark Steam Mop DOES NOT clean grout. I was hoping on a miracle that it would, but it does not. For that you will still have to get on your hands and knees and scrub. It also DOES NOT get off stickers or any caked on messes. Having a Kindergartner I get a lot of tough messes, even with the steam mop, I still have to go back and pick at the tile. Examples are stickers and gum.

The Shark Steam Mop is good for maintaining fairly clean tile or wood floors, as well as reducing germs. A definite must have if you have a baby crawling around on the floor and want that extra bit of clean.

Since the Shark Steam Mop only uses water there are no extra chemicals or cleaners to buy. I do miss the smell of my favorite floor cleaner, but the trade off is a clean floor without chemicals.

The pads for the Shark Steam Mop are reusable and washable. Just throw in the washer and hang dry. My Steam Mop came with 2 pads and I think more are needed, so be prepared to buy extras. I lost one of the pads and am now down to one, which isn’t enough if you want to clean the whole house. After about 2 rooms the pads are filthy and if you continue to use them you are just pushing dirt around the next floor.

Overall I do enjoy using the Shark Steam Mop, and even with my complaints, I would still by again. It is nice not to have to load up a bucket with water and use chemicals to mop the floor.

Ages – Adult use only, Perfect gift for Mom or Dad

Price - Retails for $79.99

Buy – Buy the Shark Steam Mop

Rating:

Stop wasting money on bottled water and get clean hot or cold water from the new Cuisinart CleanWater Counter Top Filtration System. Makes a great gift for the family that can be used for years to come.

Review – Click to see my full review of the Cuisinart CleanWater

Ages – Product meant for adult use, perfect gift for family

Price - Retails for $149

Buy – Buy the Cuisinart CleanWater Filtration System

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