Brieftons QuickPull Food Chopper, Blender, Slicer & Grater

I don't know why, but anytime I cook it takes me forever. 

The recipe may say that it is 15 min prep time and 30 min cook time, but it's going to take me 3 hours to make it. I am not joking. This happens all of the time. 

It's partly why I hate cooking. My family has gotten used to Spaghetti, Pancakes, and Macaroni for dinner.

But I have a feeling that this new product I have been using is going to change that. 

It's the Brieftons QuickPull Food Chopper, Blender, Slicer & Grater. And it is marvelous! 

I made Sweet Potato Nachos, and it was a breeze. I used the chopper to cut up the tomatoes, avocados, and onions. I used the grater for the cheese. And I used the slicer to make the sweet potato chips. It took me no time at all. I usually save this recipe for special occasions because it takes me so long to prepare it, but not anymore. I had it made and on the table in no time. 

This is probably going to be my most used kitchen gadget. 

The chopper only takes a few pulls to get items into small pieces.



The grater was nice and sharp.



The slicer was so easy to use, and no fingers were cut in the process.



I haven't used the blender, but it will come in handy the next time I make scrambled eggs. 

If you don't own one of these then you need to. It will seriously save you so much time in the kitchen. And it is incredibly easy to use, put together, change out parts, and clean.

You do need to wash it by hand, but that's okay because I don't own a dishwasher anyways. 

You can check it out for yourself on Amazon HERE.

I received this product complimentary in exchange for an honest trial and review. 

BZTZ Watermelon Slicer and Pineapple Corer

I love fruit!

I haven't found a fruit that I don't like.

I especially love tropical fruits.

But I am always hesitant to get them. First of all, the cost. I live in the Rocky Mountain region. We don't exactly have coconut and banana trees growing on the corner. Second of all, the preparation. Everything is much harder to prepare. The last time we ate a coconut it required power tools to get it open. That's not as easy as simply biting into an apple. 

And even though we can grow watermelon here it is still a pain to prep. It usually requires a large knife, large cutting board, a tray to catch the drippings, a large bowl to store it, an entire shelf in the fridge, and a lot of time for cutting. 

But you can now get rid of 3 of those things. If you have a watermelon slicer then you only need a large knife and medium cutting board to cut it in half; a large bowl and room in the fridge, and a few minutes for cutting. 

It does take a little bit of time to get used to the watermelon slicer. I don't know, maybe you'll be a pro on your first slice, but I wasn't. I had to make a few slices before I got the hang of it. Not all of my slices were perfectly straight, but they were very easy to make and get out. 

The watermelon slicer is going to make summers so much more enjoyable and simple. 

The pineapple corer was definitely my favorite. It was even easier to use than the watermelon slicer. 

You simply attach the handle. 

Cut the top off of the pineapple. 

Center the corer on the open end of the pineapple. 

Press firmly (It doesn't take much at all) and twist clockwise. 

Once you get to the bottom then pull up and out.

Remove the handle. 

Slide off the pineapple and enjoy. 

You can cut it up into smaller pieces, break pieces off, or enjoy the slinky version. 

It literally took me 2 minutes to have diced pineapple. 

Amazing!

You can find it on Amazon HERE.

I received this product complimentary in exchange for an honest trial and review.

5-Way Off the Shoulder Tunic

Hello, my name is Caraline and I LOVE clothes.

I do NOT plan on completing any 12 step programs for this addiction though. 

I mean seriously. How many people out there don't love clothes?

And I am completely in LOVE with this Off the Shoulder Tunic made by Simlu.

It can be worn 5 different ways!

And it comes in 22 different colors/patterns.

You could almost wear a different one every day next month... almost. I'm sure they could fix that if we really needed them to. 

The material is soft and comfortable. It is stretchy, but not tight. The bottom layer stays nice and snug against your body while the top layer flows and hangs delicately against you. If you have trouble spots (i.e. those love handles) then this shirt will be your new best friend. It is so flattering and girly. 

I absolutely love mine. You can wear it dressy or casual. You could even wear to the club on Saturday night and to church on Sunday morning. There are 5 different ways to wear it:

1. Both shoulders covered

2. Hanging off the right shoulder

3. Hanging off the left shoulder

4 Hanging off both shoulders

5. Just hanging onto your chest.

This shirt is a must have for those that are on a budget and want to expand their wardrobe with just one item. You're pretty much buying 5 shirts in 1. 

You can find it on Amazon HERE. 

I received this product complimentary in exchange for an honest trial and review.

Cheek Retractor Game and Review

A couple of weeks ago I found out that I was going to be reviewing a set of Cheek Retractors and I was so stoked! It doesn't sound like that much fun unless you have heard of the game Watch Ya' Mouth. About a month before there was a video going around on Facebook and I instantly knew I had to play it.

Looks hilarious, right?!?!

It is! And it is actually even funnier when you play it yourself!!!

That is why I was so excited to review the Cheek Retractors from W-Plus.

So, I decided to throw a dinner party and play it with my friends afterwards. But I didn't tell them what we were going to play. I just told them to bring a toothbrush. Of course they didn't listen to me. And we ate broccoli and chicken and stuff... But that's alright because we love each other and don't judge. 

However, they do not come with the game cards or anything. So, as the dinner party started getting closer I decided I should probably just buy the game to play it safe. But it said it could take 1-2 months if I ordered it on Amazon. Same thing with their website. Then I decided to just get the Hasbro version. But I couldn't find it anywhere. I finally found it at a Target near me and online they said there were only two left. I went the next day and there weren't any there. They didn't even have a spot on the shelf for them. So I don't know what happened there.

I just ended up taking large, blank index cards and cutting them in half and made my own. Each team was responsible for filling out their stack of cards.

Alright, I'll just write out the way to play here:

Whatcha Saying??

- Pair up into teams of two (we had three teams with two people on each team)

- Give each team at least 30 blank cards/pieces of paper

- Each team member fills out a phrase on half the stack (about 15 cards)

- Mix together both team members cards into one stack

- Pass the stack to the team on the left (make sure the cards are upside down so that they can't see them)

- Set a timer for 30 seconds (we used our phones)

- Player #1 on Team #1 inserts the cheek retractor and repeats the phrase on the card until their teammate correctly guesses the entire phrase. No skipping cards!

- Each card that they correctly guessed within the 30 seconds counts as 1 point

- Now it's Player #2 on Team #1's turn. They use their own cheek retractor to read from the stack of cards and Player#1 has to guess the phrases.

- Then it moves onto Team #2 and each teammate gets a turn

- Then Team #3 goes

- And it just keeps going round and round until a team runs out of cards

- The team with the most points wins!

- And then we just crossed out the used side and wrote new phrases on the opposite side and played again!

You can order the cheek retractors off of Amazon HERE.

The retractors I received from W-Plus were perfect. They came in a pack of 12 and can easily be cleaned and reused. They are the same quality as a different pack I ordered off of Amazon. I feel like they will last a very long time. And if you make the game yourself like I did then it is definitely cheaper than buying it and waiting for it to arrive. I definitely recommend these!

This is the one on the bottom, and the blue one is from the other company. Pretty much identical except for the coloring. 

I received this product complimentary in exchange for an honest trial and review. These are my personal opinions and experiences. 

The Ultimate Squat

I was really excited to try this out. I liked the idea of being able to use the wall to help maintain posture. At first it feels really awkward for people who aren't used to squats because you have to extend your feet farther forward to prevent improper positioning of the knees. But it feels great when you're flowing through the movement. 

I'm 5'4" and I feel like the bands don't engage until I am nearly fully extended. There would be more resistance for taller people. I would really like to be able to increase the resistance.

Backward lunges are much easier to do with this system because you don't lose your balance like you do with free weights. It doesn't hurt at all, but the links rest on my shin during the movement which is distracting to me. You can place it behind your leg, but then you have to use extra muscle to keep your heel planted. Be careful so it doesn't break free and flick you where it hurts most. 

Also, the foam on the foot handles is very thin and flimsy. I don't see it lasting very long especially if you're wearing shoes. But you'll still be able to use the system even if the handles fall apart. 

I loved the workout! I especially love the carrying case. I took it with me on vacation and it was perfect. It's small enough to fit in your luggage and you can assemble it in less than a minute. Just be sure to store it so that the foam rollers aren't compressed or else they become lopsided for a bit and you'll feel it when they're rolling along the wall. 

I received this product complimentary in exchange for an honest trial and review. These are my personal opinions and experiences. 

SantaMedical Aneroid Sphygmomanometer and Stethoscope

I have worked in the healthcare profession as a CNA and was curious to see how a kit like this would compare to other products I have used. I personally prefer taking blood pressures manually because I feel it is more accurate.

The box it came in was pretty hammered and seemed fairly stuffed when it arrived. I was quite impressed when I first opened the box though. I ordered the purple because I like pretty colors that brighten my mood.

It's prettier in person.

The carrying case was a beautiful purple. Great quality too! I love the carrying case because I store my others in their original boxes which are hard to put back together and are falling apart.

This is the first set I've gotten that came with so many extras! The extras include: one large diaphragm, one small diaphragm, two ear tips, a large bell, medium bell, and a small bell.

The cuff is pretty nice. It's the exact same color and fabric as the case. I wish the material was a little sturdier though. As you pull it through the D-ring it tends to wrinkle and cinch. It takes a little extra attention to make sure it stays flat.

The meter face is much larger than the ones I typically use. Which makes it much easier to read! However, it does take up more space and is nearly as big as my entire palm. It inflated and deflated as it should. It was fairly easy to turn the knob while taking my blood pressure by myself. I wish the velcro extended just a bit further though because it almost didn't fit my arm. I have smaller arms, but they're not as small as some (about 14 in. circumference around my bicep).

The stethoscope was a little disappointing though. The double tube makes it kind of awkward because the tubes sometimes fight to go in opposite directions and isn't always easy to lay flat.

The name tag was wonderful! I've always had to purchase mine separately. And this one won't fall off! The only problem is that I could not hear very well through the large diaphragm.

I could hear great through the small diaphragm though. I couldn't even listen to my own heartbeat on my chest through the large one. I don't know why that is. I haven't been able to figure out the malfunction. I can hear it loud and clear through my other stethoscopes though. I read some of the other reviews online and it looks like a couple of other people have had the same issue. Plus, it's not the same purple as the cuff. I don't know why, but that made me a little sad. But it was just as they had it pictured on their page. I must've not noticed the difference when I was ordering.

All in all, it is a pretty good set. I haven't tried reaching out to the company yet, but if they are willing to replace the stethoscope then it'd be a great buy! Just my stethoscope alone costs more than this entire set. I was able to get an accurate blood pressure reading with the cuff, so I think that it is pretty decent quality.

I received this product complimentary in exchange for an honest trial and review. These are my personal opinions and experiences.

Influenster Voxbox ZzzQuil

So, this is actually my second box from Influenster. My first box was amazing! But I really had no clue what I was supposed to do with it so my reviews weren't that great. Sorry guys. I knew what was going to be in this one before it even arrived and I was excited.

ZzzQuil!

I have never used a sleep aid before though so I don't have much to compare it to. However, I do know that I pretty much NEVER get enough sleep. Back before my Fitbit broke (after only 6 months of use. GRRR!) it said I usually only get like 3 hours of good sleep each night. Not enough. I am tired all of the time. Waking up is the part of the day I hate the most because I still want to be sleeping. 

Falling asleep and staying asleep are my biggest issues. For some reason I have always procrastinated bedtime. I probably have some deep-seated, unresolved issues that only a therapist could solve, but who knows because I'm not going to go to one. Anyways, I can seriously put off going to bed for like 3-4 hours on a regular basis. There's always chores that weren't completed, projects to finish, or the only chance I have to watch a show that isn't Clifford and eat a snack that I don't want to share. It's bad. I should hop in bed as soon as I get the chance, but I don't. 

The second problem is more outside of my control. I am a mom and a wife. My kids wake me up all of the time. And I can't sleep in if they're awake because they won't let me. As long as one child is awake so am I. And at least one of them is always awake. Plus, if they stir or cough in the night then I am immediately awake and on alert. Then comes my husband. He is either in bed hours before me or hours after. And he watches this super annoying Youtube channel in bed. If I knew the person that hosted this channel I would pull an Ursula and steal his voicebox. He would never be able to utter a single word again. That might be the lack of sleep talking. He drives me nuts because he can fall asleep within minutes of his head hitting his pillow. It's not fair. But if he can't sleep then he makes sure that I can't sleep either. I've been tempted to Ursula him as well. Plus, we sleep on my 17 year old bed. And it's only a full-sized bed. I NEED a bigger bed. Not to mention, we keep the house hot in the summer and cold in the winter to save money. Ugh. I am soooo tired.

That is why I was so excited to try ZzzQuil. But my night didn't go as planned. It never does. 

My kids were asleep, my husband was downstairs playing videogames and so I figured I had the all-clear to test it out. Wrong. I took the pill and started gathering my stuff for bedtime and then I heard the bathroom door shut. NOOoo! When I heard the shower start I wanted to cry. I could already feel the ZzzQuil kicking in and I still had to wash my face and brush my teeth. About an hour later I was able to finally get ready for bed. I didn't end up falling asleep until about 2 hours after I took the pills. A few hours later one of my daughters woke up whining in the night. I went in and soothed her and then headed back to bed. A couple of hours later my husband woke up and decided he needed to wake me up. I tried desperately to ignore him and go back to bed, but he would not leave me alone. I'm normally pretty ornery when I get woken up in the night, but the ZzzQuil made me that much more tired and even meaner. I wanted to Ursula something else of his and beat him with it. And then of course my daughters were awake within 2 hours after that. Why would they sleep in on a day when I want them to? 

Needless to say, ZzzQuil works. But do NOT take it unless you can actually get some sleep. If you're a mom with a lazy husband then don't even try. It won't make everything that wakes you up disappear. Next time I'm just going to dose everyone else and we'll all get a good night's sleep. Just kidding everyone. Don't go call CPS on me. I promise I don't drug my kids. Maybe I'll try it again in 20 years. (sigh...)

I received this product complimentary for testing purposes. These are my personal opinions and experiences. 

ZzzQuil 

- Helps you fall asleep in less than 20 minutes. - Sleep soundly. Wake refreshed. - Not for pain. Just for sleep. - Non-habit forming. - Ensure time to get a sufficient night's sleep (7-8 hours). 

Read all labels and warnings before use. Consult your doctor if necessary.