Wednesday, January 15, 2020

#HealthyStart - Evo Oil Sprayers Make Healthy Eating Easy!


*DISCLOSURE* Thank you to EVO Oil Sprayer for providing product samples in order to facilitate this post.  All thoughts are strictly my own. 


Today's featured brand offers a line of products that make preparing healthy and delicious foods at home insanely easy!  Check out these Evo Oil Sprayers:


We use olive oil in many of our dishes as a healthy fat option.  Whether we are tossing veggies in oil to roast them, whipping up a fresh salad dressing, coating chicken to be baked or sauteed or frying up eggs for breakfast, olive oil is a staple in our kitchen!  Evo oil sprayers makes it so easy to get the right amount of oil on our foods and they are cute to boot!  Evo oil sprayers come in several sizes and materials to suit the needs and style of your kitchen.  Check out a few of our faves: 

Evo 6 oz Glass Sprayer

The glass sprayer is ideal for those who prefer glass dispensers.  They come in a variety of bold colors.

Evo 8 oz Plastic

This is the smaller size plastic sprayer which also comes in a range of bright colors that add flair to any kitchen.

Evo 18 oz Plastic

This is the larger size plastic sprayer, perfect for those that use oil on a daily basis.

Evo 16 oz Stainless

This stainless steel sprayer looks great in modern kitchens.

Evo also offers accessories for these fantabulous sprayers.  We are loving the Evo Flavor Filters:

Evo Flavor Filters

These nifty little filter make it easy to infuse your oils with herbs and spices with yummy flavor in every spray.  They keep the bigger pieces from clogging the sprayer, but allow for all that deliciousness to come out with the oil.


You just put the sprayer tube through the spiral, clip it into place around the base and bam!  Get ready for infused oils in sprayable form!


Evo Oil Sprayers use a trigger sprayer with the ability to atomize oils completely free of any aerosols.  That means just the right amount of oil with no harmful propellants or chemicals!  The Evo provides ¼ teaspoon per trigger pull, that allows portion control and consistency. The rotating nozzle allows the Evo to spray in both a straight lined vertical or horizontal pattern that covers a large area.

The bottles are ergonomically designed and are BPA, Latex, and DEHP-free.  That are made with shatterproof materials and are handwashable.

It couldn't be easier to get healthy and delicious meals and snacks for your family!  Evo Oil Sprayers are helping us get 2020 off to a healthy start!







Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

#HealthyStart - Countertop FoodCycler Transforms Food Waste Into Soil Amendment #NoFoodWaste


*DISCLOSURE* Thank you to FoodCycler for providing product samples in order to facilitate this post.  All thoughts are strictly my own. 


For years now, I've been looking for a way to re-purpose food waste.  We try our best to use leftovers in recipes like these, but we still seem to have plenty of food waste.  Before Hurricane Harvey devastated our home in 2017, we had a large backyard and several raised beds that needed amended, so we tried the "dig a whole" method.  The dogs really loved that method and so did several other critters.  It was kind of a mess and after a few months, with very little to show for my efforts, I bought fertilizer from the feed store and started throwing out the food waste again.  After the storm, we bounced around rentals so much (waiting for insurance to pay out for damages) that we never planted a garden.  Tired of waiting for the insurance company and the lawyers to sort it all out, we finally bought another house last year (and we are glad we did since we are STILL in litigation with the insurance company!)  This will be the first year that we will put in an actual garden (we did container veggies last year) and we are super excited to say that we have found a great way to re-purpose our food waste that will help our backyard crops grow all year long!  Check out the FoodCycler, the no muss, no fuss answer to creating nutrient-dense small scale "foodilizer" 


The FoodCycler is a countertop appliance that lets you turn your food waste into something super useful with just the touch of a button!



The unit is super sleek and looks great in any kitchen.  It has only one button, so it's super easy to use.  A few simple lights alert you to the stage your unit is in and also let you know when the filter needs changed.


The lid is easy to twist on and off and keeps all the smells inside the unit!



The bucket has a handle for easy removal and we find that it is large enough for about 2-3 days of normal fruit and veggie waste before we need to run it.  


We'll also throw in egg shells, coffee grounds and tea leaves.  We do use quite a bit of produce though, so you might find you can go longer between runs if you don't have as much waste.


The filters are easy to change and use activated charcoal to keep smelly food odors at bay.




Basically, the FoodCycler dries out the food waste and then grinds it.  It does this several times per cycle to break down the food until it's the perfect size for adding to your soil.  Here are pictures from our first run:  

Before:

Avocado, garlic and onion skins, banana peels, potato "bad spots" and kiwi trimmings.

During:

One push start, easy peasy!

After:

Gorgeous foodilizer ready to be mixed with soil!

The process takes a few hours, but the unit is super quiet and uses less than 1 kWh of electricity during a single cycle. 


Knowing that the average person produces 475 pounds of food waste per year makes us uber aware of our own family's contribution.  The FoodCycler really helps us reduce the amount of waste we send to the landfill. This unit also creates 94% less greenhouse gas emissions, including methane gas, than your average landfill and creates 54% less CO2 than a regular backyard composter.  

The FoodCycler is also waaaay easier and quicker than other composting options! Hot turn compost bins take up to 20 days, black soldier fly compost bins take 3 weeks, a worm compost bin takes between 1-3 months and a slow no turn compost bin takes between 3-12 months to provide you with usable soil amendment.  Not to mention, it takes up way less space.  The FoodCycler is perfect for those who have limited space or require smaller amounts of "foodilizer."

It's never been easier to create a safe and natural soil amendment at home!  The FoodCycler is a simple solution to our family's food waste issue.  We feel better about not sending as much to the landfill and we get some really awesome soil amendment to boot!  It is already saving us so much time and money! 

The FoodCycler is a wonderful way to get your home off to a healthy start in 2020!  Check out this blog post for more reasons you need a FoodCycler in 2020!


ABCD Diaries readers can get $50 off the FoodCycler!  Use this link to score this fantastic deal:  https://www.nofoodwaste.com/discount/ABCD50




Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Monday, January 6, 2020

#HealthyStart Rapid Slicer is a Huge Time Saver in the Kitchen! #giveaway


*DISCLOSURE* Thank you to Rapid Slicer for providing product samples in order to facilitate this post.  All thoughts are strictly my own. 


One of our favorite new handy kitchen helpers saves us so much time when it comes to prepping fresh fruits and veggies!  Check out the Rapid Slicer:


The Rapid Slicer® is simply the FASTEST and SAFEST way to slice those round fruits and vegetables that tend to roll.


Rapid Slicer is proudly made in the USA out of high quality, BPA FREE, FDA approved food grade material. 



The base features grippy feet to keep the Rapid Slicer from sliding around your counter top.  By placing your hand on the top knob, your fingers are safely out of harm’s way when slicing foods.


Our Rapid SLicer is quickly becoming one of our most used kitchen helpers!  It is a multi- purpose tool that provides a safe and stable platform for slicing a variety of foods in half.  We've used it on tomatoes, grapes and olives, but it can also be used for other slippery or crusty foods like shrimp, chicken breasts and bagels!






Using the Rapid Slicer is easy and safe.  The kiddos are loving helping out in the kitchen even more now that they have this awesome tool that easily cuts prep time of round fruits and veggies by a ton.  A chore that used to take 5 to 10 minutes can be done in less than a minute!  

Rapid Slicer makes it easy to prep healthy foods and saves you time.  Definitely a great product to have to help your healthy start to 2020!






Enter below to win your very own Rapid Slicer!

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

ABCD Diaries' 2019 Holiday Gift and Entertaining Guide!

***This post will remain at the top of our home page until Dec 31st.  To read our newest articles scroll down.  Happy Holidays!***


It's the most wonderful time of the year! We've gathered our favorite gift ideas and entertaining goodies and will be putting the whole list here for easy reference.  As we find these awesome goodies, we'll be adding them to this post along with pictures and a link to our review of the product.  This listing will be updated daily, so check back often to learn about hot, new gifts for everyone on your holiday shopping list!

Have a product you'd like featured in our gift guide?  Contact me at christinbanda (at) yahoo (dot) com


Gifts for Her

Ruby Ribbon Camis and Sports Bras

Review Link
Purchase Link

Fissler Pan

Wild Interiors Plants

Review Link
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Plaka Rope Sandals

Review Link
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Best Planner Ever

Review Link
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Gerrard Larriett Coffee Shop Candles

Review Link
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Borbón Soothing Herbal Massage Serum

Review Link 
Purchase Link

Succulents Box Subscription

Review Link 
Purchase Link

MyManeBio Foundational Hair Analysis

Review Link coming soon
Purchase Link

Secret Celebrity Shoes

Review Link
Purchase Link

Soft Comfort Shoes

Review Link
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Sweet Jule's Gifts

Review Link
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Simple Addiction Clothing

Review Link 
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Elevita Gifts that Give Back

Review Link
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Womanswork Gardeners Gift Box

Review Link
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Urban Leaf Garden Kits

Review Link
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Canon imageCLASS Printer

Review Link
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Polder Nail Station

Review Link
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Music Note Earrings from oNecklace

Review Link
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Fat Badger Bakery Vegan Cookies

Review Link
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Creature Cups and Wander Pots


Review Link
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Areté Complete Yoga Towels

Review Link
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Bialetti Aeternum Pans

Review Link
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Gifts for Him

Manscaped Grooming Goodies

Review Link
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YETI Hopper M30 Soft Sided Cooler

Review Link
Purchase Link

ZilberHaar Beard Grooming Kit

Review Link
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Mediflow Water Pillow

Review Link
Purchase Link

Texas Foods Gift Baskets

Review Link
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Fenix Flashlights

Review Link
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Shaving Kits from Fine Accoutrements

Review Link 
Purchase Link

Traü Athletic Underwear

Review Link 
Purchase Link

Plate Crate Subscription

Review Link
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Nomad Accessories

Review Link
Purchase Link

Corala Weighted Blanket

Review Link
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Hedgehog Umbrella

Review Link
Purchase Link

Allsop's Solar Boat Lanterns

Review Link
Purchase Link

Gents Lifestyle Box from Izzy Box

Review Link
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Snake Eyes Yard Dice

Review Link
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Tie Mags

Review Link
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Whiskey Sampler from The Bro Basket

Review Link
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Turq Performance Underwear

Review Link
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Gifts for Teens

GOTRAX Hoverboard

Review Link
Purchase Link

JBL Charge 4 Portable Waterproof Speaker

Review Link
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Diamond Art Club Kits

Review Link
Purchase Link

BOTI Box Subscription

Review Link
Purchase Link

DC Comics Graphic Novels


Review Link 
Purchase Links:

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

Review Link 
Purchase Link

El Dorado Board Game
Review Link coming soon
Purchase Link

PlayMonster Games

Review Link
Purchase Link

Toddy Gear Accessories

Review Link
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Gifts for Kids

True Growth Tot Tower

Review Link 
Purchase Link

Bitsbox Coding for Kids Subscription Box

Review Link
Purchase Link

Kids on 45th Clothing

Review Link
Coupon Code abcddiaries for $10 off your order!
Purchase Link

SD Toyz 

Review Link
Purchase Link

Ravensburger Games

Review Link

Thames and Kosmos Games and Kits

Review Link coming soon
Purchase Link

Draw Into Crime

Review Link
Purchase Link

Xyloba Musical Marble Track

Review Link 
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SmartLab Toys Kits



Review Link

Klutz Kits

Review Link
Purchase Link



Gifts for Babies/Toddlers

Yoee Baby

Review Link
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BabyLit Board Books

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Picture Books from Candlewick Press

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Moluk Toys

Review Link
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Baby Jack Learning Lovey

Review Link
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aden + anais Harry Potter Swaddles and Blankets

Review Link coming soon
Purchase Link

NextGeneration Farm Hopper

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Gifts for Pets

Jones Natural Chews Stuffed Treats

Review Link
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Stocking Stuffers

Lafe's CBD Roll-On Deodorants

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Zoku Stainless Steel Goodies

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Legendary Apothecary Smooth Feet

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ItSpray Vitamins

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WannaRub Seasoning

Review Link
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Monkey Business Kitchen Gadgets

Review Link
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SeabuckWonders Health and Beauty Products

Review Link
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Headache Hat

Review Link
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Buncha Farmers Home and Body Products

Review Link
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Adoratherapy Room Sprays

Review Link 
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Garlic Twister

Review Link
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Fruit Bliss

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Heat Holders Socks

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OTO Tip Ear Cleaner

Review Link 
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Entertaining

POM Wonderful

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Chef's Mandala Vinegars and Mustards

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Mozaics Chips

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Creekside Farms Wreaths

Review Link
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True Made Foods

Review Link
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Gaea Olives

Review Link
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goodcook Quick Baste Roasting Pan

Review Link
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goodcook Baking Essentials

Review Link
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Slice Coffee

Review Link
Purchase Link

Crave Coffee

Review Link
Purchase Link