review Archives - Two Twenty One

Fish Foam Review + Giveaway

When I was out in Salt Lake City for SNAP! conference I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely people of Fish Window Cleaning. They asked if I’d be willing to review their environmentally-friendly window cleaner and give away some Fish Foam to a reader. Since Jack is always rubbing his nose on our glass backdoor and storm door in an attempt to hunt birds and rabbits, I gladly agreed to give it a try.

Oh look, there’s the dirty glass culprit.

Here’s our well-loved-by-Jack doors. See all the nose marks and muddy paw prints?

I sprayed the Fish Foam on each side of each door and wiped it off with a paper towel. I love how the foam doesn’t run down the glass like other window cleaners. It’s also ammonia-free so you don’t get the strong odor.

The windows came out sparkling clean without streaking. No dog nose smudges or muddy paw prints in sight. Perfect for viewing the crack in our patio.

If you’re interest in trying some Fish Foam you can purchase it on the Fish Foam website or amazon.com.

But why don’t you try to win some first? Up for grabs is a three-pack of Fish Foam. Use the Raffletcopter widget below to enter.

Giveaway is open to residents in the continental US with a street address (sorry, no PO boxes).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

52 Comments · Filed Under: cleaning, giveaway, review ·

Making Every Day a Little Brighter with Outshine Bars + $100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway

Recently, I was asked to sample Edy’s Outshine frozen fruit bars. The ones I tried were less than 100 calories, made of real fruit, and are fat free. Basically the perfect summer snack.

Outshine bars come in many different flavors, but I decided to try strawberry, peach, raspberry, and their assorted box of no sugar added variety (black cherry, strawberry kiwi, and mixed berry). I like how they offer a no sugar added option for those watching their sugar intake.

Sometimes when I read review posts I wonder if the blogger actually ate the product they’re reviewing. So to prove that I did, in fact, try the fruit bars I photographed my proof. I had a little taste test session. This made me feel very official.

I tend to lean toward no sugar added products so I really wanted to try their no sugar added bars. I must say– they’re pretty tasty. The regular fruit bars are really good. They have great, real fruit tastes, not manufactured tastes that other fruit flavored bars have. Know what I mean?

My favorite? Strawberry. But I also really liked the peach. I’m not a raspberry person, but if you are, you’ll love the raspberry bar because it has a great raspberry taste.

If I had kids I would have taken them to the park and given them Outshine bars. I would have taken photos of them laughing and adorably licking their fruit bars. But since I don’t have any children (of the human species variety), I decided to do the next best thing. I used Jack, my dog child. No one wants to see a photo of me eating a frozen fruit bar. A photo of Jack eating an Outshine bar? Priceless. Just look at the blurred tail. He was loving the peach Outshine bar we let him sample. Jack kept trying to grab the bar out of Brad’s hand so he could run off with it and eat in peace.

Disclaimer: No animals were harmed during the making of this post.

I look forward to snacking on these refreshing, low calorie fruit bars throughout summer. I have a feeling they’ll hit the spot when it’s 90 degrees outside.

Now, how about a giveaway so you can grab some of these yummy fruit bars for yourself? A $100 Visa gift card is up for grabs. To enter, simply check out Outshine on Facebook and leave a comment below to tell me which Outshine flavor is your favorite or which would you most like to try and why.

Sweepstakes Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 5/8/13 – 6/12/13.

Be sure to visit the OUTSHINE brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

290 Comments · Filed Under: giveaway, review ·

Laundry Switch: The Honest Co.

Recently, I was asked to try out some laundry cleaning products from The Honest Company. Since I’m not married to any particular laundry products, and I’m all for trying out new things, I said “you bet”. I’m also a sucker for pretty packaging.

I was particularly excited to try out The Honest Co. because all of their products are natural, non-toxic, and eco-friendly. There seems to be so much unnecessary garbage in products and product packaging these days, so knowing their products are natural gives me a greater peace of mind. That, and I love companies who give to charity. With every purchase made, The Honest Co. donates time, money, and product to their current charitable partner Baby2Baby.org, a non-profit that supplies families in need with essential baby gear and clothing for children up to 12 years old.

I put the products to use the other day. Brad got a couple dirt stains on his track pants, sliding to catch a softball during a game. I asked him if he caught the ball. He didn’t. But A for effort. This was the perfect stain for the stain remover.

The detergent smells really good– crisp and fresh.

The reusable “wet” dryer cloths (they feel like baby wipes) left our clothes soft. The cloths naturally infuse plant-based softeners directly into clothes as they dry, which leads to soft, static-free clothing without toxic scents.

I will say that I had a hard time figuring out how to open the packaging. The flap is clear (as you can see below), and there’s no “open here” identifier for Captain Obvious’s like myself. So keep this in mind when you’re contemplating ripping the packaging open with your teeth.

Tadah! Stain be gone.

I’m pretty much sold on The Honest Co. Our clothes are clean, static-free, and I was able to eliminate toxins from one more category of cleaning products in our home.

Check out the Honest Company
Email Sign Up • Diaper Trial • Cleaning Trial • Twitter • Facebook • Blog

Want to try out some Honest Company products? Get $10 off a $40 purchase at The Honest Company using code 10off40Pollinate. (Limited to first-time customers and one use per customer. Expires May 8, 2013.)

Have you tried any The Honest Company products?

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and The Honest Company but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #NaturallyHonest http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.

13 Comments · Filed Under: laundry, review ·

Holiday Gift Wrapping Station with Martha Stewart™ with Avery™ + $100 Staples gift card giveaway

With the holidays quickly approaching I decided to make life a bit easier and create a holiday gift wrapping station in my home office with the help of the Martha Stewart Home Office™ with Avery™ collection which Avery sent for me to try out. To say that I’m excited to utilize this station and the products in it is an understatement. Prepare yourselves, organization lovers.

My stenciled file cabinet was put to work, becoming the base of my station. I topped it with the Stack + Fit™ organizer. Isn’t it pretty? I used the Stack + Fit to organize my gift tags, holiday shipping tape, ribbon, scissors, pen, and holiday gift bags.

The Martha Stewart mitten and stocking shaped gift tags are the most adorable gift tags I’ve seen. They rank up there with puppies in the adorableness department.

I used the back part of the Stack + Fit to organize my gift bags and a red and white striped padded shipping envelope.

Have you seen the festive Holiday Shipping products Martha has come out with? They’re available in-store at Staples. Definitely more cheerful than slapping someone’s gift in one of those boring, yellowish brown, padded envelopes. And check out the awesome holiday-themed shipping tape.

Instead of throwing all my coupons in my purse, I decided to organize them in this Shagreen Accordion File. When I go Christmas gift shopping I’ll throw the file in my car, and when I arrive at the store, I’ll grab the coupons I need. I’m sure this method will be ten times more stress-free then spending five minutes digging through my purse.

I hung this Shagreen Pocket, which comes with thumbtacks (thank you, Martha) above the file cabinet. I filled the pocket with address labels in a Corner Lock™ High Capacity Document Sleeve and addresses and return address stickers in another Document Sleeve. This area will definitely come in handy when it’s time to send out Christmas cards.

I used a large galvanized container to hold my rolls of gift wrapping paper. Care to guess my favorite paper? Hint: mittens.

I used some boxes I already had to organize my gift bows and tissue paper. I used these great Martha Stewart Home Office with Avery Chalkboard Labels to mark the boxes. The Chalkboard Labels are such a great idea because when the holidays are over and I put the holiday stuff back in our attic, I can erase the labels and use the boxes to store something else. The labels are also removable, an added bonus.

And there you have it.

Bring on the holidays. This chick is organized and ready.

Are you organized and ready for the holidays? No? Well you’re in luck because I have a $100 Staples gift card to give away to one lucky person. That’s right, one of you will be able to head to Staples and pick up some of this awesomeness from the Martha Stewart Home Office with Avery collection.

GIVEAWAY
To enter the giveaway, comment on this post and tell me which Martha Stewart Home Office with Avery item you’d love to buy if you won the $100 Staples gift card.

Visit Staples to see the entire Martha Stewart Home Office with Avery collection. Be sure to check out the Avery website and Facebook page.

Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 11/14/12-12/14/12.

Be sure to visit the Martha Stewart Home Office with Avery page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’m sharing this at the following parties: Home Stories A to Z, Tatertots and Jello, House of Hepworths, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Tidy Mom, Liz Marie Blog, Craftomaniac, The Shabby Nest, Positively Splendid, Whipperberry, Funky Junk Interiors, Classy Clutter, Today’s Creative Blog, Uncommon Designs, Live Laugh Rowe, Miss Mustard Seed, and Serenity Now.

173 Comments · Filed Under: christmas, gifts, giveaway, holiday, home office, organization, review ·

The Handbuilt Home Book Review & Giveaway

I never thought at age 27 I’d be kicking myself for not taking woodworking in 4-H (I heard most kids’ parents did their projects for them anyway and my parents aren’t woodworkers). I also never knew that I should have asked potential suitors if they liked to build things. Because I married a man who can play a mean guitar and fix a car like it’s nobody’s business, but (and I’m quoting him verbatim here) “hates working with wood”. You win some, you lose some. So I guess this means that I we need to up our woodworking game.

Which is why I’m thankful for Ana White’s new book The Handbuilt Home. Ana has a great website with a plethora of free furniture plans. But I was excited when I heard that she was coming out with a book because I could get a bunch of useful information in one place (sometimes I get distracted on websites). I was even more excited when I was asked to review The Handbuilt Home.

source

The book is split into ten chapters. The first couple chapters cover tools & equipment, materials, prep, cutting, building, and finishing. And the rest of the book is broken down to areas of your home (entryway, family room, kitchen & bath, dining room, office & craft room, bedroom, children’s room, and outdoor furnishings). There’s step-by-step instructions, building illustrations, a shopping list, tools, and a cutting list with each of the 34 projects featured in the book. Each project also includes 3 icons which represent skill level, cost, and time necessary for completion. Very handy. The building illustrations are detailed and include the measurements. Lastly, the book is pretty. I bet you didn’t think that a woodworking book would be pretty, but it is. The layout is bright and neatly arranged. And the illustrations are detailed and the photos are beautiful.

The book left me feeling that I could take on woodworking and build something all by myself, with or without my “I hate working with wood” husband. I’ve already chosen a project from the book that I’d like to tackle. Don’t worry– you guys will be the first to know about it.

Now here’s your chance to take on woodworking because I’m giving away a copy of The Handbuilt Home. You must use the widget below to enter the giveaway. If you are reading this in your email, you’ll need to click through to the blog to enter. Giveaway ends 11/14/12 at 12:01AM (EST). Giveaway open to those in the US.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What would you like to build in your home?
Did you take woodworking in 4-H?
Did your parent build the majority of your custom built porch swing for you?
Does your husband “hate working with wood”?

76 Comments · Filed Under: giveaway, review ·

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Daily Treatment Conditioner Review

Most of you know that I have naturally curly hair. I get it from my dad. Homeboy had a crazy fro back in the day. I wish I had a photo because I would totally post it. My older brother, Ryan, also inherited my dad’s curly hair. Ryan owned, and still owns, his ringlets. He once participated in a “win a trip to a Justin Timberlake concert with a Justin Timberlake look-a-like” radio contest. He was was the Justin Timberlake look-a-like. I died.

Obligatory photo of my curly locks:

Curly hair is both a blessing and curse. Yeah, it’s pretty and appears to be low maintenance (emphasis on “appears”) but it can dry out and frizz like nobody’s business. In short, conditioner is one of curly hair’s best friends. Gel and hair spray being the other besties.

When I was contacted to try out Dove’s Nourishing Oil Care daily treatment conditioner I was all for it because I’m always looking for a good conditioner to combat frizz. Dove Nourishing Oil Care daily treatment is designed to nourish hair without leaving that greasy feel. It contains conditioners that seal cuticles and smooth frizz. The end result benefits are said to be softness, smoothness, shine, and frizz control without greasiness.

So what did I think? It smells nice. You know how I am about smells, and this definitely passes the Chelsea smell test. You don’t need a lot to get the job done– a little goes a long way with this conditioner. The first day I went a little crazy and used about 1/8 cup on my hair. Not a good idea. Sometimes I get excited and over do it with products. The next time, I used a fraction of what I used before and the results were much better. Take note. My hair is soft. During the summer months I don’t wear my hair curly very often because that involves a hair dryer, and I don’t like being hot. Well, that and a certain company stopped manufacturing my hair gel so I’m hoarding my remaining 4 bottles like a crazy lady hoards her 53 cats. Dove’s conditioner keeps my hair from going all frizzy and crazy sans hair gel and hair spray. Thanks, Dove. The general public and I are appreciative.

Enter to win a $1,000 Spafinder gift certificate!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

COMMENTS TO THIS POST ARE NOT SWEEPSTAKES ENTRIES. PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR ENTRY METHODS FOR THIS SWEEPSTAKES.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Follow this link, and provide your email address and your response to the Promotion prompt

b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and then visit this link to provide your email address and the URL to that Tweet.

c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and then visit this link to provide your email address and the URL to that post.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. Winners will have 72 hours to claim the prize, or an alternative winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 9/4/2012 – 9/30/2012

Be sure to visit Dove^®Hair.com to get a coupon for $1.50 off Dove Hair Therapy products.

1 Comment · Filed Under: review ·

Single Rosette Necklace

Hey, friends! Let me start by saying THANK YOU for all your wonderful comments and emails in regards to yesterday’s post. I was apprehensive about publishing that post, but I’m thankful I did. The blogging community (bloggers and non-bloggers alike) never ceases to amaze me. I love you guys like emo boys love tight pants.

Now, on to today’s post. My bloggy/Instagram/Twitter friend Jen, from Rellas Bellas, revealed her new brand redesign and an awesome new product this week.

RB-Full-Logo-Pink

She was kind enough to send me her new product– a single rosette necklace. And I love it! It’s perfect for adding a punch of color to any outfit, especially a boring t-shirt. Seriously, add it to a plain t-shirt, and it will appear to others that you’re actually trying to look put together. No one will even notice that you haven’t washed your hair in days, and you’re only wearing concealer. All they’ll notice is the pretty necklace you’re wearing. Trust me, I’m speaking from experience here.

Jen offers the necklace in a variety of colors and they’re only $12 each.
A handmade necklace for only $12, you say? I know. That’s basically unheard of.

4 single with logo

And because Jen is awesome, she’s offering you 10% off! Just enter “SINGLEROSETTE10″ when you checkout. The coupon code is good until Saturday, July 28th, so don’t dilly-dally.

I don’t know about you, but Christmas is coming faster than you know it (they already have Christmas stuff displayed at Hobby Lobby, people!). Knock some of that shopping out of the way now and support small businesses like Rellas Bellas.

Feel free to stalk Jen! Tell her I sent ya! I’m sure she’ll be flattered.

shop: http://www.rellasbellas.etsy.com

blog: http://www.rellasbellas.com

twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rellasbellas

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rellasbellas

What do you think of Jen’s new single rosette necklace?

Have you started Christmas shopping yet, you over-achiever, you?

How many days do you go between hair washings?
(I have curly hair so I have a legit excuse.)

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own. Boom.

7 Comments · Filed Under: etsy, review ·

Dove Visible Care Body Wash

I don’t know about you, but I’m more of a shower person than a bath person. I like to get in and out. No bathroom dilly dallying here. My showering routine is a well-oiled machine. Shampoo. Conditioner. Soap. Razor. Body Wash. Rinse conditioner. Facial cleanser. Boom. Done.

I’m loyal to my shampoo, conditioner, and facial cleanser brands, but I’ve yet to find a body wash that I love. So when I was contacted to try Dove Visible Care Toning Creme body wash, I said, “I’m down, send some my way!”

Let me start by saying that the first thing I assess with a body wash is the smell. I don’t care if it makes my skin look and feel like ~~Channing Tatum’s~~ a baby’s butt, if it doesn’t smell good I’m not going for it. (I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again– I have a very sensitive sense of smell. Heaven help me when I get preggers.) I can say that I enjoy the light, refreshing scent of the Dove Visible Care Toning Creme body wash. I’m told that it’s a warm ylang ylang and delicate wood fragrance with robust citrus notes of mandarin and Italian bergamot. Oooh la la.

Since the body wash passed the “Chelsea smell test”, I moved onto my next criteria: hydrating. No one likes dry skin. Unless you’re a reptile, and I doubt reptiles read this blog. This body wash has Dove’s highest concentration of NutriumMoisture and added vitamin E. I was curious about this NutriumMoisture business so I went to Dove’s website to check it out. Their NutriumMoisture technology is designed to penetrate and moisturize your skin, whereas other body washes just stay on the surface. You learn something new every day.

Now that’s usually where I stop in my body wash criteria. What can I say, I’m easy to please. But Dove took a step further. Their Toning Creme body wash is designed to help promote skin’s elasticity and strength. Your skin is supposed to be visibly more beautiful in just 1 week. And it’s supposed to look even better after 3 weeks. I’ve used the body wash for a little over a week now, and I can honestly say that my skin is looking rather beauteous lately. And it’s not from my constant “glow” from it being 100+ degrees here.

In closing, if you’re looking for a body wash that gets you clean, smells good, hydrates your skin, and promotes elasticity and strength, give Dove’s Visible Care Toning Creme body wash a try.

Are you a shower or bath person?

What’s on your body wash criteria checklist?

Are you a reptile who also reads this blog?

Visit Dove^® VisibleCare^® to get a coupon for $1 off!

Enter to win one of two $500 Spafinder gift certificates!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

COMMENTS TO THIS POST ARE NOT SWEEPSTAKES ENTRIES. PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR ENTRY METHODS FOR THIS SWEEPSTAKES.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Follow this link, and provide your email address and your response to the Promotion prompt

This giveaway is open to US Residents age

18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. Winners will have 72 hours to claim the prize, or an alternative winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 7/18/2012 – 8/22/2012

Be sure to visit the Dove^® VisibleCare™ Crème Body Wash brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!