Thursday, July 22, 2010

Cystex Review and Giveaway...

Thanks to the folks at Cystex, I was recently given the opportunity to review Cystex Liquid Cranberry Complex with Proantinox:


Some info about Cystex:
"Cystex® Helps Manage UTIs...and Now Promotes Urinary Health!
Cystex® is the trusted urinary health brand that has helped millions of women manage the pain and discomfort of urinary tract infections. While anyone at any age can get a urinary tract infection (UTI), women are more prone to them (60% of women will experience a UTI), and of those women who experience this infection, 40% will have another....millions of women will have multiple infections! Those most prone to recurring UTIs now have a great, new option to help with infection prevention and boosting urinary tract health* without needing to drink all that cranberry juice! New Cystex® Liquid Cranberry Complex with Proantinox®! Safe and effective, and clinically-proven to help prevent urinary tract infections from recurring. New Cystex® Liquid Cranberry Complex with Proantinox® provides powerful urinary tract protection in just one tablespoon daily - more than cranberry pills or cranberry juice! This pleasant-tasting, unique blend is more than just cranberry concentrate - its proprietary formula also contains D-Mannose, inulin, bromelain and vitamin C - a combination designed to boost bladder health. Cystex Liquid Cranberry Complex with Proantinox also has a higher absorption rate than cranberry tablets, provides 17 times more proanthocyanidins (PACS)¹, is lactose-, gluten- and sugar-free, and is just one calorie per tablespoon. In fact, just one tablespoon of Cystex Liquid Cranberry is equal to 8 glasses of cranberry juice with much less sugar and calories! A new study in the journal Urology shows 91% of women taking the formula in Cystex Liquid Cranberry Complex with Proantinox daily remained free of recurring UTIs and showed improvements in quality of life. If you are experiencing signs and symptoms of a UTI, you can manage it with Cystex® Urinary Pain Relief Tablets, the only over-the-counter urinary pain reliever available with a dual-action formula that not only eases the pain and burning caused by a urinary tract infection, but also contains an antibacterial (methenamine) to help keep the infection from getting worse while you wait for your doctor's appointment. It won't cause a change in your urine color either."

What we thought:
I really dislike the taste of cranberry anything so I was really taken by surprise at the almost pleasant taste of Cystex. I have been taking the recommended dose of 1 Tablespoon daily for a month now and haven't had any UTIs or even symptoms of UTIs. I was floored when I read that 1 Tbsp of Cystex is equal to 8 glasses of cranberry juice!! I think taking Cystex daily to prevent recurring UTIs is definitely better than the alternative of frequent doctor visits and fees and prescription antibiotics:) ABCD Diaries gives Cystex Liquid Cranberry Complex with Proantinox an A!

Buy It: You can find Cystex in most pharmacies.

Win It: Cystex has generously offered one ABCD Diaries reader a bottle of Cystex Liquid Cranberry Complex with Proantinox, a $9.95 value(and more if it keeps you away from the doctor's office:) To enter, leave a comment below.

Extra Entries:
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6.Enter any other current giveaways on ABCD Diaries and leave a comment saying so. +1 for each entered

Giveaway ends Friday, July 30, 2010 at 11:59cst. Winner will be chosen via random.org and emailed. They will have 48 hours to reply. Open to US residents 18+:)

Disclosure: ABCD Diaries was given a bottle of Cystex for review purposes only. We were in no other way compensated. The opinions expressed in this post are ours and ours alone.

Jamba All Natural Smoothies Review...

Thanks to Jamba, we recently had the opportunity to try out these delicious make-at-home smoothie kits:

Now you can enjoy your favorite Jamba smoothie anytime, anywhere. Just add juice and blend! Loaded with all-natural premium fruits and yogurt, our fat-free smoothie kits include a healthy antioxidant boost, one full serving of fruit and 100% daily value of vitamin C.

The smoothie kits come in 3 flavors: Mang-a-go-go, Razzmatazz, and Strawberries Wild. You can find them in the frozen foods section of select store locations including Randall's, Safeway, Von's and Meijer. They run between $2.99 and $3.29, which is a pretty good deal for 2 smoothies! Each package contains two, eight ounce smoothies each containing one full serving of fruit and 100% Daily Value of Vitamin C. Jamba All Natural Smoothies contain real fruit, non-fat yogurt and Jamba's proprietary antioxidant boost.These smoothies contain no high fructose corn syrup, 0 trans fats, no artificial flavors or colors, and no preservatives. They are fat free and 120 calories or less per serving. They are quite simple to make...you just add the contents of the package and 1 cup of apple juice to your blender, blend for 15-20 seconds and Voila! Delicious smoothies made in the convenience of your own home! We especially loved the Strawberries Wild flavor:) ABCD Diaries give Jamba All Natural Smoothies and A!


Disclosure: ABCD Diaries was given Jamba Smoothie Kits for review purposes only. We were in no other way compensated. The opinions expressed in this post are ours and ours alone.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

The Disappearing Spoon Review and Giveaway...


Details:
The Disappearing Spoon-And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
Author: Sam Kean
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (July 12, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316051640
ISBN-13: 978-0316051644
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.2 inches

Synopsis:
The Periodic Table is one of man's crowning scientific achievements. But it's also a treasure trove of stories of passion, adventure, betrayal, and obsession. The infectious tales and astounding details in THE DISAPPEARING SPOON follow carbon, neon, silicon, and gold as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, war, the arts, poison, and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them.
We learn that Marie Curie used to provoke jealousy in colleagues' wives when she'd invite them into closets to see her glow-in-the-dark experiments. And that Lewis and Clark swallowed mercury capsules across the country and their campsites are still detectable by the poison in the ground. Why did Gandhi hate iodine? Why did the Japanese kill Godzilla with missiles made of cadmium? And why did tellurium lead to the most bizarre gold rush in history?From the Big Bang to the end of time, it's all in THE DISAPPEARING SPOON.



What we thought:
This book is very interesting, especially if you like chemistry, but even if you didn't pay much attention in high school, you'll probably enjoy this book. I think if the elements had been taught using this book, I would have retained a little more knowledge of the Periodic Table(sorry Ms. Polski:) The tales behind each element are truly fascinating and Kean does a fabulous job of getting the reader interested in the subject matter. ABCD Diaries gives The Disappearing Spoon an A!

Buy It: You can get your hands on your very own copy of the Disappearing Spoon at your local book store or online book seller:)

Win It: Hatchette Book Group has generously offered two ABCD Diaries readers a copy of The Disappearing Spoon!!
To enter, comment below telling us whether or not YOU paid attention in high school Chemistry class!

Extra Entries:
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Giveaway ends Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 11:59cst. Winner will be chosen via random.org and emailed. They will have 48 hours to reply. Open to US residents 18+:)


Disclosure: ABCD Diaries was given a copy of this book for review purposes only. We were in no other way compensated. The opinions expressed in this post are ours and ours alone.

HAM AND EGGS Review and Giveaway...

Another amazing Etsy find...HAM AND EGGS! The cool thing about this shop is the wide range of goodies you can find here. We were lucky enough to get to test out the gorgeous crocheted Swiffer cover shown below:
A word from the creator about the creations:
"HAM AND EGGS offers a unique variety of handmade goods, from adorable crocheted critters to stylish market bags and housewares to modern and fun digital designs. You'll never know what you might find here, but it'll always be... OMG, the cutest thing EVER! :) I love custom orders! If you want me to customize an item (say you'd rather have a green octopus instead of the blue one), please let me know! Quantity discounts are available on all items- please send me a convo before ordering and I'll make a reserved listing just for you.

How the Swiffer Cover was born:
"We have two cats and a dog and hardwood (okay, laminate) floors throughout our house, so we’re constantly sweeping up after them. The pet hair removal effort is never-ending. We used to go through a box of Swiffer duster covers a week- those things are dang expensive! I thought there had to be a better way to do this aside from shaving the pets. (We gave one of the cats a bath once. It wasn’t pretty. Can you imagine shaving the hairy beast?) Luckily for you and for me, I found one: crocheted Swiffer covers. I know what you’re thinking: “really?” and my answer is “heck, yes!” The great thing about these is that they’re reversible and reusable! Just throw them in the wash when you’re done swiffering. And they’re super-stylish to boot. Fits one standard Swiffer sweeper. Send me a convo if you want custom colors- why not match the swiffer cover to your décor?"

**Because I love my customers, you'll get a FREE GIFT with every shipped purchase! It's a surprise, so you'll have to order something to find out what you'll get. AND, if you love your purchase and leave me some positive feedback, I'll give you 10% off your next purchase!**

Here are a few of my favorite items from HAM AND EGGS:
Strawberry Blueberry Popcorn-

A gorgeous market bag-

An ADORABLE Amugurumi penguin, Martini is his name- What we thought:
I love the idea of a reusable, washable Swiffer cover. It is just ingenious! Those refills are super pricey, even with coupons, and they fill the landfill every time you throw one out! I am all for anything that saves the Earth and saves me money at the same time, not to mention makes my cleaning "tools" look a little more stylish:) And the coolest thing...these crocheted Swiffer covers really work!! B was skeptical at first, but I amazed him with just one use and now he, too is a believer!! ABCD Diaries gives HAM AND EGGS an A!
Buy It:Whether your looking for crocheted goodies, gourmet popcorn, or stylish web design, check out HAM AND EGGS Etsy shop!
Win It:HAM AND EGGS has generously offered one ABCD Diaries reader a Swiffer cover of their very own!! To enter, visit HAM AND EGGS and comment below with something that catches your eye.
Extra Entries:
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4.Heart HAM AND EGGS on Etsy +1 entry
7.Make a purchase from HAM AND EGGS during this giveaway +5 entries
8.Tweet about this giveaway(leave link)+2 entries...comment twice please
9.Blog about this giveaway(leave link) +2 entries...comment twice please
10.Enter any other current giveaways on ABCD Diaries and leave a comment saying so. +1 for each entered
Giveaway ends Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 11:59cst. Winner will be chosen via random.org and emailed. They will have 48 hours to reply. Open to US residents 18+:)
Disclosure: ABCD Diaries was given a Swiffer cover for review purposes only. We were in no other way compensated for this post. The opinions expressed here are ours and ours alone.

Winners...

Yellow Daisy Creations Toffee-#14 meeyeehere

Palettepassion Scarf-#25 heartnsoulcooking

Haircoverings.com-#31 louis

Build-A-Bear-#81 ellie

Joy of Soap-#155 Trudy, #119 Anonymous

You have all been emailed! Thanks to everyone who entered!!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Check out the giveaway...

At Homemaker Honey! Yuka Accessories

At The Dill-io! Family Rules

At Steals, Deals and Heels! anthology

Enstrom's Almond Toffee Review and Giveaway...

Thanks to Enstrom's we recently got to try this melt-in your mouth milk chocolate almond toffee:

A little background on Enstrom's:
"Three generations ago, Chet Enstrom perfected the art of blending the finest natural ingredients to create batches of almond toffee as gifts for family and friends. By 1960, his almond toffee had begun to develop a reputation and, at the urging of family and friends, Chet and his wife, Vernie, founded Enstrom Candies in Grand Junction, Colorado.Over the years. the business has grown and been passed down from generation to generation. The family still follows the same original recipe for the almond toffee that Chet perfected almost 60 years ago. The family has also created a delectable selection of fine chocolates, which like the toffee, is blended with only the freshest natural ingredients to create luxurious and unique creations that are shipped around the world. Today, Chet’s granddaughter, Jamee and her husband, Doug Simons, oversee the operation out of Grand Junction and Chet’s grandson Rick, and his wife Linda, manage the Denver stores. This third generation continues to take pride in creating truly exceptional confections and still operates with the philosophy begun by Chet over 60 years ago; that they’re just making a little Almond Toffee for a few of their friends."
What we thought:
This is definitely one of my new favorite indulgent snacks. This stuff absolutely ROCKS!! It is delicious and will settle you sweet tooth craving without making you feel like a complete fatty because a little chunk goes a long way. And the kiddos liked it too:) But the best part is, Enstrom's doesn't just make toffee, they make gourmet chocolates and caramels and popcorn and even these awesome gift basket stuffed full of goodies:
ABCD Diaries definitely gives Enstrom's Almond Toffee an A+!!!
Buy It: Indulge yourself or someone you love with Enstrom's goodies here:)

Win It: Enstrom's has generously offered one ABCD Diaries reader a box of gourmet almond toffee!!
To enter, comment below with what YOUR sweet tooth craves:).
Extra Entries:
1.Follow ABCD Diaries via Google Friend Connect(if you already follow, leave a comment saying so) +1 entry
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5.Blog about this giveaway(leave link) +2 entries...comment twice please
6.Enter any other current giveaways on ABCD Diaries and leave a comment saying so. +1 for each entered
Giveaway ends Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 11:59cst. Winner will be chosen via random.org and emailed. They will have 48 hours to reply. Open to US residents 18+:)



Disclosure: ABCD Diaries was given a box of toffee for review purposes only. We were in no other way compensated. The opinions expressed in this post are ours and ours alone.