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Ahhh, it is Christmas time. Marathon shopping trips, days of baking in the kitchen and Olympic sport type cleaning sprees going on. We have company off and on many days throughout the holiday season and with 3 dogs we have to clean on a daily basis around here. I mean really, we are used to the dog hair, but guests, not so much. Because of that we typically have to buy a new vacuum cleaner once a year. All of the dog hair is hard on a vacuum and they tend to be a disposable commodity instead of a device that lasts for many years to come. Also, it is hard to find one that can hold up to the demands that we place on it and the ones that have enough suction power to do the job at hand are usually very expensive. Then, we found the Panasonic Jetforce Vacuum MC-UL427.

best vacuum I have found

It is sturdy yet lightweight. A very important feature to me. My back can’t hold out when using a heavy vacuum and will put me out of commission. The Panasonic Jetforce is light and efficient. It has great suction power for carpet, hardwoods and upholstery. Seriously, it does a fabulous job on all of our surfaces. We have to vacuum often, at least several times a week, sometimes daily. And a vacuum that can hold up to our home has to be reliable, easy to empty and bagless. Buying bags can get expensive when you have to replace them as often as we do…because of these guys:

dogs on furniture

Consider a constant flow of teenagers on top of the dogs…and well you get the idea. Then add a few OCD tendencies to that. I am no where near as bad as I used to be but I still like to have a clean home and am a little obsessive about it.

Panasonic Jetforce with retractable cord

One of my favorite features of the Panasonic Jetforce Vacuum is the retractable cord. YES, you heard me right. It is retractable!! No more winding cords, no more cords strung across the room because you have a teenager that is too lazy to coil it back up. No more dogs chewing on the cord and destroying the vacuum for you.My second favorite is the Pet Hair Air Turbine brush attachment. LOVE that it is easy to use and powerful enough to get all the dog hair off my couch.

Some other best features:

• JetForce technology separates the dust and air via centrifugal force and a unique hour glass shape dust container construction, allowing for no loss of suction
• Nine cylinders for multi-­‐cyclonic dirt separation and cleaner exhaust air
• HEPA filter to capture small particles such as allergens, irritants, and pollutants
• Stretch hose, wand, dusting brush and crevice tool for above-­‐floor cleaning
• Pet hair removal attachments – able to get pet hair/dust & dirt off the couch, curtains, table clothes, etc. with all the different attachments and tools for above-­‐floor cleaning.
• Automatic carpet height adjustment
• Under 15 lbs.

• 12-­‐amp motor for powerful cleaning performance
• On-­‐board attachment storage
• Agitator shut off switch and soft wheels for safe cleaning on hardwood and tile floors
• Easy-­‐to-­‐empty, bottom drop dirt cup for quick and easy dirt disposal
• 13’ wide nozzle allows for quicker cleaning of large areas
• 24’ automatic cord reel for easy and convenient storage

This is the best and most reliable vacuum we have come across, and trust me, we have tried a LOT of different ones. With a suggested retail price of $149 it is also affordable. And heck, I like the color of it too. For more information on the Panasonic Jetforce MC-UL427 or to check out some of their other great products visit the Panasonic Vacuum website!

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Panasonic. I received a product to facilitate my review.”

 

I am not sure about other folks, but I personally have to have a fan going at night. I like the breeze, I like the noise. We had a traditional box fan in our bedroom. It has been a fixture there for years. A trusty, although loud friend through hot southern summers. Offering up a miniscule amount of relief if you stood directly in front of it when the weather was so stifling hot that you could barely stand to breathe. A comfort to the ears on winter nights when you just needed to move a little air around a house battened down tighter than Fort Knox. Most feel that fans are a seasonal product, but we use ours year round.

Honeywell Quiet Set Tower Fan

The thing I didn’t know, was that there was a better fan. One that provides a more even air flow. One that doesn’t sound like windows rattling. One that is almost dang near perfect. I am so in love with this new fan. It is just enough white noise to make me happy but not keep Bric up all night. And moves enough air that I don’t wake up in the morning soaking wet from night sweats but it doesn’t freeze Bric out of the bedroom. Honeywell and a 2012 survey of Americans shows that fans get a lot more action than originally thought.  Big, small, tabletop, or stand-up – fan usage curiously oscillates from pets and white noise to hot flashes and kitchen odors.  I have used them for all.

honeywell infographic

Life’s a Breeze…

 

Honeywell Quiet Set Fan

…or it can be a whisper.

The Honeywell QuietSet Whole Room Tower Fan uses the new and revolutionary QuietSet technology which lets you choose from 8 levels of quiet operation as you adjust the cooling power of this fan. Use the HY-108 and stay cool and comfortable without the excessive noise of a standard fan! This sleek and elegant fan will cool your medium to large room while offering you a chance to save up to 20% on heating and cooling bills.

Quiet Set settings

Features:

  • Provides powerful, quiet, whole room cooling.
  • 8 levels of quiet control including “whisper” and “white noise”.
  • Recommended for medium to large rooms.
  • Small footprint designed to take up less space in your home.
  • Oscillation for wide area cooling.
  • LED Electronic Controls.
  • Auto Shut-Off Timer with multiple settings (1, 2, 4, and 8 hour settings).
  • Convenient Remote Control.
  • Easy-to-carry handle.
  • Dimensions: 10.75 x 8.23 x 32.83 in.
  • Warranty: 1 Year Limited.

What do I really like about this fan? Everything. But my favorite features are all of the different settings, the remote control, and that it is quiet. I like that it isn’t huge, bulky and ugly. The only thing I would personally change about it, is that I would make it taller. Our bed is really high and we have to set it on a stool But with an adjustable base that would raise and lower the height, it would be PERFECT!

“Thanks to Honeywell for supplying product and some of the information to help facilitate this post. All opinions are those of my own and were in no way influenced by any outside source.”

 

 

OhhhhMyStinkinHeck! I can’t say enough how good these are. Recently I was sent some chocolate shavings by Chupon Chocolate. For a couple of days they sat there and taunted me. I mean really, how can you just let chocolate sit there?? Every time I would walk past them they would scream at me “Drink me, You know you want to!” But I also knew I wanted to make something with them. Something to satisfy my love of sweets. And my love of chocolate. After pondering it a day or two I decided on cookies.

Chupon Mocha Chocolate Cookies

After making the cookies and icing about half of them I decided they would also make fabulous whoopie pies, and that is what happened to the other half.

Chupon Mocha Chocolate Whoopie Pies

I can’t quit eating these. Seriously. I am probably going to gain 500 pounds between now and Christmas.

Chupon Drinking Chocolate is made by an 8th-generation Swiss chocolatier using a proprietary method for fusing spices, fruit and teas into Swiss Neuchâtel chocolate, and is available in Green Tea White Chocolate, Mocha, and Mayan flavors. The product line includes:

 Chupon Chocolates

Gift boxes of 8 ounces of shaved chocolate, retail price: $16

Eco-bags of 8 ounces of shaved chocolate, retail price: $14

Individual servings of 1 ounce of shaved chocolate, retail price: TBA

 

Chupon is delicious, delectable flavor-infused chocolate shavings for hot chocolate, mixed drinks, baking and more! It is how hot chocolate should be made… and much more! All 3 flavors are delicious. I am in love!

 Ingredients for Chupon Mocha Chocolate cookies

These are really easy to make. Simply mix the cake mix, butter flavored crisco and eggs.

mix ingredients for Chupon Mocha Chocolate cookies

Warm milk in microwave for 30 seconds, add the Chupon Mocha, mix well.

Add into batter. The batter is going to be pretty thick. That is the way it is supposed to be.

un-iced Chupon Mocha Chocolate Cookies

Bake for 8-10 minutes on 350 degrees.

ingredients

Gather up the ingredients for the icing. I love this icing! Of course I love marshmallow cream alone so of course this is going to be one of my favorites.

add marshmallow icing

Ice the cookies

sprinkle with Chupon Mocha Chocolate shavings

 And sprinkle with chocolate shavings.

Or, slap a bunch of icing in the middle of two cookies and you have a whoopie pie!

 

CHUPON MOCHA COOKIES OR WHOOPIE PIES

1 chocolate cake mix

1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening

2 eggs

3 Tablespoons milk

3 Tablespoons Chupon Mocha Chocolate

Preheat oven to 350. Combine cake mix, eggs, shortening in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer and mix until well combined. Warm milk in a mug in the microwave for 30 seconds and add chocolate, mixing well. Add the chocolate milk to the dough and mix well. Drop dough by the tablespoon onto a baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the cookies appear done but are still soft in the center. Do not over-bake. In my oven 8 minutes is perfect.

ICING

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine or butter, softened

1 jar (7 oz.) Marshmallow Creme

1 tsp. vanilla

1 pkg. (16 oz.) powdered sugar

1 to 2 Tbsp. milk, divided

Place margarine, marshmallow creme and vanilla in small bowl; beat on medium speed until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating after each addition until well blended. Mix in 1 Tbsp. of the milk. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. milk if necessary for desired spreading consistency. I only needed to use one tablespoon of milk because I wanted mine to be a little on the thicker side.

AND, thanks to the great folks at Chupon, one of you lucky folks are going to win a 3-pack sampler!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

” Thanks to Chupon Chocolate for supplying chocolate for review and giveaway. This stuff is superb! And as always, all opinions are mine.”

 

Brita Stainless Water pitcher

We keep a pitcher of filtered water in our refrigerator at all times. It is so much more economical and better for the environment than purchasing individually packaged bottle water and I find that it actually tastes better too. The only bad thing is that when we have company, the filtration pitcher isn’t really something I like to sit out for guests. It is bulky and not very attractive. But FINALLY, a self-filtering water pitcher that is sleek, stylish and perfect for a holiday or dinner party table!! Brita has introduced the all-new Stainless Steel Pitcher made of brushed stainless steel. Combining high-end design with the advanced filtering technology consumers know and trust from Brita, the Stainless Steel Pitcher features a sleek innovative look that fits perfectly in today’s modern kitchen.

I love it. I love that I can use it at any occasion and it looks great on my table or counter. I love that it is large enough for a crowd but also fits easily into the door of my fridge. And it is easy to clean!! Shhhh, don’t tell but I have already purchased another as a gift I like it so much!!

Brita water pitcher filter indicator

I also love that it tells you when to change the filter. That has been a guessing game for us in the past with other brands of filtering pitchers. The Stainless Steel Pitcher hits stores shelves at nationwide retailers this November, just in time for the holiday season. Now staying hydrated is both stylish and affordable with a pitcher that fits any lifestyle or need:

·         For Entertaining: A chic and modern entertaining accessory for keeping guests hydrated

·         At Home: Made with a slender shape, the Stainless Steel Pitcher is a space saving solution that fits perfectly in the refrigerator or on the dinner table

·         Better Water: Featuring filtration technology that removes unwanted contaminates from tap water and reduces chlorine (taste and odor), the new pitcher conveniently provides great-tasting water

 

In addition to the Stainless Steel Pitcher,  Brita products has several other great products for your holiday entertaining or gift giving:

·         Brita Bottle: A reusable bottle with a built-in-filter, providing great-tasting water anywhere, anytime

·         Brita Bottle for Kids : As a miniature addition to the original Brita Bottle line, the Brita Bottle for Kids is a squeezable, reusable bottle that filters water as you drink it, making it convenient for little ones to enjoy great-tasting tap water at school or on-the-go

·         Brita Colorful Grand Pitchers:  Available in eight fun colors and new designs, the colorful pitchers are great for adding a splash of color to the kitchen or dorm room

 

“Thanks to Brita for supplying some of the information and sample product to help facilitate this post. All opinions stated are those of my own and were in no way influenced by any outside source.”

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