Drop Dead Diva

Due to the utter fabulosity of DVR (quite possibly the world's greatest invention), I manage to watch a ton of TV.
I let it stockpile and then when I'm in my kitchen preparing any number of meals, I get all that TV watched. Multitasking is something I have my Master's in. (And a Ph. D. in sarcasm, in case you were curious).

I was contacted to give the first season of Lifetime's Drop Dead Diva a watch to get my opinion. I had seen promos for it, of course. Though it certainly looked interesting (and really, how could anything with Tim Gunn as a guest star not be?) I didn't really think about adding it to my extensive roster of recorded TV fare.

How wrong I was. It is a great little show. And I say little because I imagine not enough people are watching it.

First, I must say, if you haven't seen the first season, get the DVDs and catch up. Especially because there's sort of an "afterlife meets Freaky Friday" type setup that is a bit imperative to the main character Jane (Deb). Trust me...you'll be glad. I received the first season as I was preparing for an extensive trip and it got me thru a very boring and tedious round of packing suitcases.

Jane is a lawyer, but this isn't your typical courtroom show. For one thing, it's not got the depressing overtones of many lawyer offerings. Drop Dead Diva is lighter, even when there is serious subject matter...probably because everything usually turns out OK because Jane (with Deb) is really good at her job.

Tim Gunn isn't the only guest star to make an appearance. Rosie O'Donnell has a recurring role as a judge and I must admit that while Rosie usually irritates me to no end, she is very very good in this part. Margaret Cho is absolutely unbeatable as Jane's assistant.

The second season of Drop Dead Diva started in June, new episodes and reruns are still yours for the watching. You don't want to miss this gem any longer.

***I was not compensated for this review.
***I received a DVD of the first season for review purposes.

Yoplait Greek Yogurt

I’m a foodie. Big time. Or food snob, foodaholic…whatever catchy term is the current trend, that’s me. There are times, in my culinary life, when I’m called to make things and being not in a big city nor with easy access to anything resembling a gourmet market, substitutions sometimes must be made.

That was the case not all that long ago in regards to Greek yogurt. I KNOW!! Crazy!!! But, my usual grocery store just didn’t carry the stuff. And substituting plain regular yogurt for Greek yogurt is just a let down. You know, because if the person who created the recipe wanted you to use plain yogurt they would have just said so. It’s like you’re cheating. Boo!

Now, lo and behold, there’s a Greek yogurt section! With TWO brands, even.

I got a great kind of “pamper yourself” box from Yoplait and decided to make a chilled soup recipe I’d had my eye on but was waiting until I had real Greek yogurt to bother with making.

I made Barefoot Contessa’s Chilled Cucumber Soup with Shrimp (an adapted version is available here). And I intended it to be a nice, refreshing late afternoon option for my spouse and I. He ate three bowls of the stuff. And you know, that’s kind of funny especially considering I’m pretty darn sure once upon a time he told me Greek yogurt is “disgusting”. Um, seriously??? One of those moments where you just keep quiet. Sucker.

Maybe he has some kind of strange problem with the fact that Greek yogurt has gobs more protein (gobs being a scientific term) than the usual yogurt option.

Not sure if you've tried recipes for it, or just never given it a thought, but you can print your own coupons at this link. Seriously. And there's not just the plain stuff. Oh no sirree. There's also Strawberry, Blueberry, and Honey Vanilla. I just created my own granola and am going to put some of that in the strawberry next chance I get.

Since I'm madly in love with sharing anything foodie and also, whatever leads to relaxation, I'm GIVING AWAY the pampering gift pack to one of you lovely readers as well so you can "nourish your inner goddess". All you have to do is leave a comment about which flavor you'd like to try. This contest ends FRIDAY, JUNE 18th at NOON!!! So, leave that comment! Also need to have a contact email so I can get your mailing address for the gift package to get sent out!




**I was provided with the samples and gift pack by Yoplait via MyBlogSpark. I was NOT compensated for this review**


COMMENTING IS NOW CLOSED, Congrats Professor J, your comment was chosen to receive the prize package!

Fraggle Rock: Wembley's Egg Surprise

While the animated series DVD we got to take a peek at was enjoyable to 75% of my offspring (disgruntled teen not registering in these results), I've got to admit, NOTHING on the planet can beat the Fraggle Rock original series.

I tell you, those little Doozers were always kind of a favorite of mine. The great thing about Fraggle Rock though, like so many of Jim Henson's other endeavors, is that there is such a varied offering of characters, there is a different favorite for anybody who cares to watch.

And you know, I didn't pay attention to any awards or whatever back in 1983 when the show started but am not surprised that it received multiple Cable Ace Awards and an International Emmy for Outstanding Children's Program.

We got Fraggle Rock: Wembley's Egg Surprise which features three episodes from the original series. And I suppose looking at it, there are elements of this live action show that may seem a little dated....but, that didn't seem to register with the kids, they just enjoyed watching it.

Buy Fraggle Rock: Wembley's Egg Surprise here on Amazon.

***I was provided with this DVD for review purposes. I was not paid for this review.***

Fraggle Rock: The Complete Animated Series

I am checking myself for gray hairs. Because, OMG, I had NO IDEA that Fraggle Rock is over 25 years old! My little brother and I loved the show when it was brand new. And while I was a bit on the older side and outgrew it, my brother continued to watch all the way thru the creation of the animated series in 1987.

Of course, my kids have no reference point for Fraggle Rock. Although, one of my best friends from college was reminiscing not long ago about how hearing the theme song can throw you right back to that time. It was cute and creative. Then again, I was a sucker for all things Jim Henson.

So I got the animated series on DVD and had my kids watch it...because things that I think are cool I force my children to like or ELSE!!! Actually, I really just thought my 6 and 7-year old daughters would be the only ones to bother but my 11-year old son was nabbed watching along as well.

The DVD comes with 2 discs that includes all 13 episodes from the series. As was the way with Fraggle Rock, different episodes take turns highlighting the different variety of characters.

Buy Fraggle Rock: The Complete Animated Series here on Amazon.

***I was provided the DVD for review purposes. I was not paid for this review.***

Cascade ActionPacs

So I got a sample of Cascade ActionPacs sometime in December. Yeah, and right about then the winter from HELL hit and Iowa has had all kinds of record-breaking, apocalyptic bad weather.

Bad weather to the point that 400 energy company workers were here at the height of one bad whopper of a storm trying to restore power to thousands of people.

WTF?

So, you know, it makes you really think about the things you take for granted. You know, like heat. And hot water. And my dishwasher.

I do actually love having a dishwasher because my parents didn't have one when I was growing up, so my brother and I washed dishes. It sucked. A lot. I finally got to have a dishwasher at age 25. OMG, that is a long time to do them by hand.

We got a new dishwasher a couple years ago when the other one died, and the thing with this new one is it does NOT like straight dish powder. It likes those oozy gels or it likes the Cascade ActionPacs. I don't know what happens with the disintigration of the cleaning agent in our dishwasher, but it likes those little suckers.

There's a video you can watch with Alyson Hannigan, a working mom herself, about how easy they are to use.

***I was not paid for this review***

General Mills Cereals

We eat an insane amount of cereal at our house. Getting four kids ready for school in the morning is a chore. I mean, there are deviations from the menu from time to time, but the quickest and easiest option is cereal. It just is.

I say this as a former cereal kid myself, my brother and I turned out fine. Truly, though, I think cereal companies are under a lot more pressure now though to make cereals that kids are gonna want to eat be very nutritious. Childhood obesity is off the charts. There needs to be some responsibility.

So, I was standing there in the cereal aisle looking at the General Mills cereals. I'll be honest, I don't pay attention to brands of cereals...I just get the favorites of the people in our family. So, thankfully, there are lots of General Mills favorites, and I grabbed a few to take home.

My husband has, for many years, had the same thing for breakfast. Usually, two pots of coffee and microwaved leftovers of whatever I made the night before for dinner whether it be lasagna or pot roast. I know...he's a freak. So, when we were in Arizona for Easter last year visiting his folks, his mom made him try the Oatmeal Crisp Hearty Raisin cereal. He's a mama's boy, so you bet your butt he tried it. And she was right...it's now his favorite cereal. He eats it every morning and occasionally, a bowl before he goes to bed.

Let me tell you something about Golden Grahams. We go way back. I will cut you for some Golden Grahams. And, annoyingly, my kids also like it and so I have to hide it or, egads, SHARE. Little urchins. Sometimes I share. Sometimes I hide. Go ahead...judge, whatever.

My kids have a new discovery and I think it was in a moment of weakness I just said to pick something and somebody grabbed Reese's Puffs. Now, when I get a box, it lasts two mornings. They are VULTURES these kids...it is ridiculous. Now, I haven't tried them myself because that's not my preference, but they, meaning Reese's Puffs, must be the epitome of a legal, addictive substance.

There's many, many more cereals my family really likes. And when I got the information about cereal, I'm feeling better about it, really.

Ready-to-eat cereal eaters consume less fat, less cholesterol and more
fiber than non-cereal eaters. Cereals also deliver important vitamins,
minerals and other essential nutrients, making cereal a top source of key
nutrients in children's diets.

Yippee!! There's gobs of informational stuff on their website too, if you want to check it out at your leisure.

***I was not paid for this review. I did get some coupons courtesy of MyBlogSpark and General Mills so I could get cereals to try***

Airwear Lenses

I haven't been this excited about a product review opportunity since I can't remember when.

There's two reasons for this.

One, I have worn glasses since I was in 1st grade. Age 6. TRAUMA. In the 70s glasses were not attractive, and I was not attractive in them, and we were poor so I basically always had the MOST unattractive glasses at the optometrist's office.

Two, I would call myself a moderate tree hugger. I have implemented many greener options for myself and my family in the last few years in order to be nicer to the planet. I make my own laundry soap, grow some of my own food (because I'm a making homemade food type person rather than a preservatives and frozen dinners type person), buy green products for my family's use when possible, and so on. I could and will do more. Every day there are new options and changes to be more environmentally-friendly.

So when Mom Central contacted me about eyeglass lenses that are supposedly green, I wanted to try them, definitely, but really had no idea what exactly could make a product like this "green".

First thing I did was head to my eye doc. I needed to update my prescription, a very slight change, and I also picked out some new frames (seriously, so cute....they're like Buddy Holly glasses but PURPLE, so I'm madly in love with them). So, my eye doc had to fill in all the technical mumbo jumbo to send off for the lenses and made the comment that this is a company the office already uses.

Now, I'd like to think, and I do believe, my optometrist only carries products that are of the highest quality. I live in a small town...if they had crappy frames, lenses, etc. the whole town would know about it and they'd be out of business. So, I think it's pretty safe to say I'm getting the best stuff when I go in there.

So knowing that Essilor Airwear lenses are something already held in high regard by my 3rd-generation optometrist, that makes me feel pretty darn good about them.

Also worth mentioning are the bulletpoints about exactly HOW they're "green". Because truly, I had no idea what they could do to make them in a green way.

• Airwear lens packaging uses 100% recyclable cardboard.
• The water used in the manufacturing process is 100% recycled, which conserves millions of gallons of water annually.
• With the production of all ophthalmic lens materials comes the inevitable waste. However, waste produced from the manufacturing of Airwear lenses is given a second life in other industries, such as automobiles and toys. (My family is in the car business, so this was a factoid I really liked....we need all the help we can get!)

Now, speaking of the basic eye care necessities, the Airwear lenses really do deliver. I have been wearing my new peepers nonstop since they arrived and aside from the couple of minutes it took my eyeballs to adjust to the new prescription, I'm TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY in love with them. I have a crazy weird prescription too, with one bad eye that is practically blind and an astigmatism...so unless the lenses are good, I look lopsided from the magnification.

• They are 30% lighter and 25% thinner than standard plastic lenses. (for me, the thinner part is really good with that one bad eye)
  
• Unlike standard plastic, Airwear lenses provide 100% UV protection from harmful UVA and UVB rays. (Now that I've gone thru a couple skin cancer biopsies and am more mindful of the damage of the sun, this is an incredibly important point for me...especially knowing that along with skin cancer, I have a significant family history with cataracts as well)
• According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, more than 100,000 people sustain eye injuries each year and more than half of those injured are children. Airwear lenses are 12x stronger than standard plastic lenses - so tough that NASA even uses the same material to construct visors for astronauts.

I could have read all the literature and been willing to give the Airwear lenses a try. But after wearing them, and being so pleased with the results, I'll be sharing my thoughts with all my friends who wear glasses. They are really, really impressive.

Airwear website link here.
Lighter. Safer. Greener. website link here.


“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Airwear and received a pair of Airwear eyeglass lenses to thank me for taking the time to participate.”