Raspberry Lemonade Crystal Light Greek Yogurt

Yep, you heard right, another Crystal Light recipe, lol. I think I've become a little bit obsessed with my new favorite flavor of Crystal Light, but I don't think there's anything wrong with that, right?!

So without boring you all with my rambles, I'm just going to share with you one of the easiest things to make, EVER! And the best thing is that there's no cooking involved, woot-woot!

This took less then 5 minutes to make and was super delicious. The lemonade gave it a little tartness, but the raspberry gave it a nice touch to even it  all out. Enjoy!
.

Raspberry Lemonade Crystal Light Greek Yogurt

Ingredients:
3/4 Cup of Greek Yogurt 
1 packet of Crystal Light

Directions:
In a bowl put 3/4 of Greek Yogurt and add one packet of your choice of Crystal Light, stir until well blended and enjoy!

~LaQuita

Thirsty Thursday: Raspberry Lemonade Crystal Light Slushy

I went to the states last weekend. I bought a ton of stuff we don't have over here in Canada and since I'm on Weight Watchers I bought a ton of Crystal Light over there, it's way cheaper, you get so much more in the boxes and they have a lot more selection in flavors.

Out of all of the different flavors I got, the raspberry lemonade was just too yummy and my favorite. And this is where our Thirsty Thursday drink comes in. I had some frozen raspberries in the freezer and decided to use that in someway for a nice yummy drink since it was warm outside. I wanted something refreshing, so I decided to make a slushy. It came out so yummy and was so easy to make. You can make this with any frozen fruit and crystal light flavor you think might go well together and if you're in the mood you can add a splash of your choice of alcohol, I didn't add any alcohol in mine, but I look forward to adding some the next time I make this on a nice hot day out. Enjoy!




Raspberry Lemonade Crystal Light Slushy
Ingredients
2 Cups of Ice
1 Packet of Raspberry Lemonade Crystal Light
1 Cup of Frozen Raspberries

Directions:
Make packet of Crystal Light as instructed with water.
Pour ice, frozen raspberries and then crystal light drink into blender, blend and enjoy!

~LaQuita


Butt Bench Review



Butt Bench | The All in One Bathtub Seat

Butt Bench is a sturdy, high-quality patent-pending bathtub seat made of natural wood. This tub seat supports your weight – use it to make shaving easier, or sit down, relax, and turn your shower into a sauna. Butt Bench is also a great bathtub storage ledge!



We got an opportunity to test out one of the Butt Bench's, we chose the white pine bench. The bench was very sturdy and very well made. The fact that it allowed myself to sit on there without even moving was great and trust me, I don't way less then 100 pounds. I loved the fact that the behind the bench came the suction cups that kept it still against the tiles in my tub. Shaving my legs was very easy to do and it worked great with storing some of my bath items we use daily. It's not too big and the great thing was it didn't look out of place in my bathroom. Another great part about the bath bench is that it's great to just soak your feet in to give yourself a pedicure in case you don't have a pedicure tub or in case you don't want to get it out or go to the nail place!


~LaQuita
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received a Butt Bench at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Manischewitz Organic Matzos & Mint Chocolate Macaroons Review & Giveaway


Manischewitz is the nation’s largest manufacturer of processed kosher food products. They're also the number one baker of matzo or unleavened bread in the entire world. They produce hundreds of other kosher foods too, including baked goods, pastas, soups, gefilte fish, grape juice and borscht.

Under the Manischewitz, Horowitz Margareten, Goodman's and Season names, they sell their products to specialty food distributors in the United States, Canada and throughout the world––although from the homemade quality of our products, you’d think they came right from your Bubbe’s kitchen.


I got the chance to try Manischewitz Organic Matzos. I would have preferred to get the salted version of this matzos if I were to eat it alone, but that’s just because I really enjoy salt. I decided to follow the recipe suggestion on the back of the package, which was a great choice! The tip about warming it in the oven really did make it taste as if it were freshly baked and the seasonings in the recipe made this a perfect snack! I would defiantly buy this product again for myself and for gatherings that need kosher products!

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Another Manischewitz product I got to review was Mint Chocolate Macaroons. The first thing that I noticed about the packaging was that there were no sulfites, cholesterol and no trans-fats. Which made me feel like this could be a guilt free snack, then, I saw that for two macaroons there were 110 calories. (which would be fine, if you could really stop at just two.) Each macaroon was very soft and moist (and not in a greasy way, Yay!) To my satisfaction, neither the chocolate nor the mint overpowered the other flavor, which was a worry of mine that was quickly put to rest.


~Sarah
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received mentioned products above at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. A big thank you to the PR company for providing the giveaway prize. 


Immortals Blu-Ray Review



One brave warrior, touched by the gods, must overcome all odds to save mankind from a merciless andpowerful tyrant. Directed by visionary filmmaker Tarsem Singh (The Cell, The Fall) and written by Charles Parlapanides and Vlas Parlapanides, the home entertainment release is chock-full of must-see bonus features including an alternate beginning, two alternate endings, deleted scenes and an amazing graphic novel, creating the ultimate viewing experience.
 From the producers of 300, Mark Canton, Gianni Nunnari, and Relativity’s CEO Ryan Kavanaugh, IMMORTALS explodes off the screen with action-packed battles, mythological adventure and an all-star cast including: Henry Cavill (Superman: Man of Steel), Luke Evans (Robin Hood), Kellan Lutz (Twilight), Isabel Lucas (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire), Stephen Dorff (Public Enemies), John Hurt (Hellboy) and Mickey Rourke (Iron Man 2). In this epic tale of vengeance and destiny, power-mad King Hyperion (Rourke) threatens to destroy all of humanity on his maniacal quest to obtain the ultimate weapon – the legendary Epirus Bow that gives the power to unleash war on both Heaven and Earth.  But Theseus (Cavill), a heroic young villager chosen by the gods, rises up to stop Hyperion’s brutal rampage.  With supernatural help from the beautiful oracle Phaedra (Pinto), Theseus embraces his destiny and leads a fierce band of warriors in a desperate fight for the future of mankind.

 We're not much of an action type movie buffs, we're more into comedies, but when we do watch an action film we pick ones that we have high hopes for and hope to not get let down, Immortals did not fail us. I thought the beginning was a bit slow as you are listening to the narrator explain to you what's going on, but once you actually get to the point of where the story begins, the movie goes by pretty fast.

This is not a movie for children at all, there's a lot of blood and tons of killing going on, we kind of expected this since we were big fans of the movie 300. So if you plan on watching this and have little ones, make sure they're not around for this movie.

One of the features on this blu-ray I thought was great was that you get an alternate beginning and two alternate endings for this movie, which we thought was awesome. We decided to go with the regular version, but after we were done with the movie we went back to see both alternate beginning and ending of the movie and although they were great, we were glad we went with the regular version of this movie.

I loved the ending to this movie, how there "could," be another one if they really wanted to create one, but movies like these are better left alone to be a classic.

 IMMORTALS is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.

~LaQuita

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Immortals at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Win A Getaway For You & Summer Camp for the Kiddos! #pioneercamp



This contest is open to CANADA, excluding Quebec. A full list of
rules and regulations can be found HERE.

As a kid growing up I went to church camp overnight only once in my life when I was about 10 years old. I have to admit it was one of the best times I've ever had. We got to get away from home and spend time with my friends, I met so many new ones and got to know the ones I would see at church but not talk to a bit better. I learned so much those two weeks, trusting the people looking out for us and becoming a bit more independent. This was the longest I had ever been away from my parents and after a few days I was starting to miss them, but talking with my camp leaders and letting them know how I felt helped me get through it. The songs, the food, the companies and the activities were all great. After coming home and sharing my experience with my parents and siblings my parents made sure each of my siblings got to go to camp at least once as well. Not only that, we as a family went camping several times a year during the summer. This made our family so much closer. 

I look forward to one day sending both my little ones to camp, I know if I do it at least once in their life they'll have a great experience like I did. This is why I entered Pioneer Camp's contest they have going on right now to maybe win a free trip for myself and a camping trip for one of my kiddos. If you're interested or thinking about sending your kid(s) to camp, check out Pioneer Camp and see what they have going on, while you're there be sure to enter their contest and you may be able to win a trip for yourself along with free camp stay for your kiddo, it's easy to enter!

Pioneer Camp Contest entry Steps:  
  1. ENTER YOUR INFO
  2. PICK YOUR OFFERS
  3. SHARE THE CONTEST
  4. PRINT YOUR COUPONS! 


SHARE & WIN
Once the participant enters the contest they will receive one ballot / contest. The participant can receive more ballots by sharing their contest PURL(s) with their online connections. There are 3 easy share buttons at the end of the entry form; Facebook, Twitter and Email, but any and all social channels can be used. They will just have to cut and paste their PURL(s) where they want to share it.

Your friends may receive an email with your unique linkThe more people that sign up from your PURL, the more extra ballots you will receive.


Once done you will get to pick from the following Bonus Offers and print the coupons you want. The coupons will also get emailed to you in case you don't want to print them out right away. 
  • 20% off prices for new Circle Square Ranch campers
  • $5 off a $50 Mabel's Labels purchase
  • 15% off a purchase at the Crossroads E-Store
  • 25% off Circle Square Ranch merchandise ($20 or more)

Contest Period: March 21, 2012 at 12:00 a.m. EST (“Eastern Time”) and ends on June 15, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. EST - Canadian Residents Only (excluding Quebec).

~LaQuita
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I am a Pioneer Camps & Circle Square Ranch Camp Ambassador, this post has been compensated.

Seattle's Best Coffee Review


         

Since 1970 Seattle's Best Coffee has been satisfying coffee lovers' demand for great coffee, fueled by the simple notion that everybody deserves a more enjoyable coffee experience. 

I was contacted and had the pleasure of reviewing a sample of Seattle's Coffee from level one through five. I've tried their Vanilla Latte's before a couple of months ago, so I was very excited to try all levels of their coffee. We love coffee in our house. I try not to have more then one cup a day, but there are some days where you need more then one cup of Joe. So last week the hubby and I decided to drink each level of coffee starting backwards from five to one. 

I thoroughly enjoyed all of the levels, they were fun to try, but I have to say level three was my favorite and one I'll be sticking with. It wasn't too strong and it wasn't too weak. It was just right. I found it to be rich and flavorful and went perfect with my french vanilla creamer. 

I love the fact that you can choose your own level of coffee to fit exactly what you need. The hubby liked level five, but he likes coffee pretty strong.

You can either order online on their website, they even have them on amazon or you can run to your local Mac's like I had the hubby do yesterday morning after I seriously needed a cup of Joe to wake me up after the night I had at a friend's Stag and Doe. He came home with a level three large which was perfect.

~LaQuita

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received samples of Seattle's Best Coffee's at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. 

We Bought A Zoo Review



 

This Easter, be unpredictable, do something crazy and embrace your wild side!  Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment presents an inspiring adventure based on a true story of one man who brought a zoo back to life and family back together in WE BOUGHT A ZOO, arriving on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download April 3.  Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire) and starring Matt Damon (Contagion, True Grit), Scarlett Johansson (Iron Man 2, Vicky Cristina Barcelona) and Thomas Haden Church (Easy A, Sideways), WE BOUGHT A ZOO is “a sweet-natured tale…that you’ll want to see with your kids” (Liz Braun, Jam! Movies).

Benjamin Mee (Damon) is a Los Angeles newspaper columnist and adventure writer who, as a single father, faces the challenges of raising his two young children.  Hoping that a fresh start and a new life will restore their family spirit, Mee quits his job and buys an old rural house outside the city with a unique bonus feature: a zoo named the Rosemoor Animal Park, where dozens of animals reside under the care of head zookeeper Kelly Foster (Johansson) and her dedicated team.  With no experience, limited time and a shoestring budget, Mee sets out with the support of his family and the local community to reopen the zoo.  Now, Benjamin is no longer reporting an adventure story; he’s living it in his own backyard.

This was such a good movie. I laughed, I cried, this really was a family friendly movie. Although it was kid friendly my four year old had a hard to staying focused and watching it he took off a couple of minutes after it started, but my six year old loved it. She loved watching the animals and being like her mama she teared up a couple of times as well. 

This is the first time I saw Matt Damon portray a family man, he's more of a action kind of guy, but he did pull this role off and I think he'd do great in more movies like this. I loved seeing this side of him where he wasn't trying to kill someone or be killed, lol. 


Want a bit more info on We Bought A Zoo? Feel free to download the We Bought A Zoo Study Guide below!



~LaQuita

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received We Bought A Zoo at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. 

Embrace Review

Embrace (Embrace, #1) 

Title: Embrace
By: Jessica Shirvington
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Publication Date: March 7, 2012
ISBN:  9781402268403
Pages: 367

It starts with a whisper: “It’s time for you to know who you are…”

Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms that wasn’t there before.

Violet is determined to get some answers, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth. The guy she thought she could fall in love with has been keeping his identity a secret: he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her.

A centuries-old battle between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity has chosen its new warrior. It’s a fight Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. When angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden…
 Wow doesn't even come close to how great this book is, not to mention that this is book one of a series. From the time I started reading I got sucked in and couldn't stop. Every time I ended a chapter I had to just get one more in before putting it down, which was very hard to do.


Jessica Shirvington did an amazing job with this book, you feel for the main character, Violet so much and what she's going through. You connect with how mad she gets when she finds out that the only person that she'd ever connected with lied to her about what and who she really is. And you can't help but feel her connection with Lincoln. Throughout the book you feel how much they love one another and how protective he is of her.


 I also couldn't help feeling a bit of an attraction when Phoenix entered the picture. At times I was glad he was there with Vi, but knew that something was off with him. This story is unique and brings a new and unique perspective on the word, Angels. I'm super excited for the second installment to come out in September, I'm hooked. 

~LaQuita

PS - Keep an eye out later next month as we're going to be interviewing Jessica Shirvington and she will also be guest posting on Just Us Girls, we're very excited!

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Embrace at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. 

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

We love Sloppy Joe's in our house, in fact it's my four year old son's favorite food. If he could, he'd have them for dinner every day, it's true, he even told me so, lol.

A couple of months ago I came across a recipe for a twist on the regular Sloppy Joe, make it a Philly Cheesesteak. Seriously?! How awesome is that, we love Philly Cheesesteaks, but are kids are not a fan. Well they sure did fall in love with these, so did the hubby and myself. It's not the same as an actual Philly Cheesesteak, but it did help with the cravings of wanting one.

I almost completely forgot about this recipe until I was looking in my food folder and saw it just sitting there waiting to be posted and shared with our lovely readers. So here it is, enjoy!



Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
Source: Adapted from A Taste of Home Cooking

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 softball-sized onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons steak sauce
1 cup beef stock
Salt and ground black pepper
4 dinner rolls
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 cup provolone, shredded

Directions:
In large skillet over medium-high heat add the oil and then brown the ground beef, about 5-6 minutes. Add the onion and green pepper and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables start to get tender. Stir in the steak sauce and beef stock, season with salt and pepper, bring up to a bubble and cook about 2 minutes.

Split open rolls and remove most of the soft insides, leaving a bed to hold the meat mixture. Toast the rolls and set aside. 

While the meat is cooking, melt the butter in a medium-size pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, bring up to a bubble and let thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in the cheese. 

To serve, place a scoopful of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the rolls, then top with the cheese sauce and replace the top of the roll. 


~LaQuita

Thirsty Thursday: Banana Pina Colada

Has your weather been as wonderful as ours? It was over 80 here yesterday, absolutely gorgeous! We spent our day outside and I took a day off blogging and it felt wonderful  just sitting outside and enjoying the sun. The kids had a blast riding their bikes, blowing bubbles, writing with chalk on the driveway and playing with the neighborhood friends. This is what Summer is suppose to be like, but it's Spring!?!?  I'll take it!


Today's Thirsty Thursday is what I decided to make us yesterday as we enjoyed the weather and hung out on the front porch. I hope you enjoy!





Banana Pina Colada
Source: Adapted from Skinnytaste
Serves 2


Ingredients:
3/4 cup light coconut milk
6 oz fat free Greek yogurt
3/4 cup fresh pineapple, cubed
1 ripe medium banana
1 1/4 cups ice
A splash or two of Malibu Rum (Optional)

Directions:
Mix in a blender, pour in a cup and enjoy!

~LaQuita

DIY: Hawaiian Lei #Chipwrecked

Today's DIY post is all about the Hawaiian themed since next week on March 26th Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked will be out for all to enjoy on Blu-Ray and DVD. I thought I'd share with you what my kids and I made during our March Break and also share with you a contest that's going on from 20th Century Fox and Parenthood.com on Pinterest.

 


Pin It To Win It - Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Parenthood.com are hosting a contest on Pinterest!  Participants will be entered to win a copy of the Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Download Combo Pack.

To enter, pin your crafty, DIY chipmunk ideas to your board and be sure to use the hashtag #chipwrecked.  Parenthood.com will re-pin your idea and contact you via Pinterest if you are a lucky winner!

Now for our DIY Hawaiian Lei:



What You Need:
String
Paper or Craft Foam
Drinking Straws
Scissors
Hole Punch

Instructions:
1. Leis can be worn as necklaces, headpieces, bracelets or anklets. Decide which ones you want to make and cut the appropriate length of string. Make a knot on one end of your string.

2. Draw and cut flower shapes and leaf shapes (optional) from colored paper or craft foam.

3. Punch a hole through the center of each flower and leaf. Make sure that the hole is big enough for the string to get through.

4. Cut drinking straws into 1-inch long pieces. You'll need approximately the same number as the flowers.

5. String the pieces together in this order: straw, flower and leaf.

6. When you've strung enough pieces, make a knot right after the last piece.

7. If you're using an elastic string you can tie both ends of the string together to complete the lei.  If you're using ordinary string, knot both ends as you wear the lei.

Also, please enjoy these Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked activity sheets, ecards and post cards you and your kiddos can have fun with. All you need to do is click and download to get your fun freebies!


~LaQuita


The Muppets Are Coming!

Are you as excited as we are? We've been waiting since November of last year to see the new Muppets movie and it comes out tomorrow on Blu-Ray Combo! Until then we'll have to wait, but while we do we can enjoy these free printable activities from Disney to help pass the time! The printables include three games, spot the difference, The Great Maze and Colour Moi Piggy. They've also included a couple of fashion tips from Miss Piggy along with a few recipes from Pepe and a few fun jokes from Fozzie. Enjoy!

 


~LaQuita 

Breakfast with Kelloggs

Everyone knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It's also the hardest meal for me to eat. I wake up pretty early in the mornings and so I don't always feel like eating anything.  Although now I'm doing a lot better then I was before. I've been making an effort to at least eat a bowl of cereal or an egg in the mornings as I'm working.

Between getting the kids ready for school, work, cleaning the house, running errands, etc., breakfast isn't always on my mind much during the week. On the weekend it's a different story since my hubby makes a huge breakfast for our family. Now that I've been eating something in the mornings I've noticed a change in how much energy I have during the day. This is why eating a nutritious breakfast is important. It's not only refueling your brain and body for the day, it also gets your metabolism going so that you have tons of energy throughout the day.


That's why I was super excited and happy when I received a huge box of goodies from Kelloggs. Kelloggs has always been a company both my husband and I both grew up with and have also made sure to share Kelloggs with our kids as well.

I was excited to see that along with some favorites of mine, Kelloggs had a few new products that they shared with us and we absolutely loved. They now have rice krispie treats that have granola in them. These are my son's favorites. Every time we go to the store and I allow the kids to pick out a treat, this is what he wants, always. They've also made Rice Krispies using brown rice and gluten free, which I think is pretty awesome. I've had a couple bowls and I actually prefer it over the original. The kids loved the Cinnamon Corn Pops. We had already had a box of the original in our cabinets so the kids wanted to mix them both and they thought that was the coolest thing ever, lol.

Along with the cereal and treats we got from Kelloggs we also got a shirt and two bowls, which let me tell you, two bowls and four people does not equal enough, lol. These are now our favorite bowls to have cereal or anything in.

To check out all of Kelloggs new products and some of their old ones feel free to check them out on their website over at www.kelloggs.ca

~LaQuita

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I am a Kellogger and receive products to test out and share. No post was required.  No compensation was received.

Dirty Brown Rice & Shrimp

I love finding recipes and trying them. What I love even more is finding recipes that are healthy and still delicious. Last week I stumbled on a site called, Skinnytaste. It's has become one of my favorite sites to get recipes from. The pictures are beautiful, but most of all the food she posts are healthy and fits right with my weight watchers plan. She lists the nutrition along with the new and old point system for those of us that are on weight watchers and not to mention the serving size. How awesome is that?

This is just one of the few recipes I've tried so far from her site and my family and I thought it was just delicious so of course I had to share it with you. Enjoy!


Dirty Brown Rice & Shrimp
Source: Adapted by SkinnyTaste

Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
  • chicken bouillon cube (Knorr)
  • 2 bay leaves, divided
  • 1/8 + 1/4 tsp cayenne, divided
  • 1/8 + 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/8 + 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 celery, diced
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 lb 96% lean ground beef (Laura's lean beef)
  • salt and fresh pepper, to taste
  • 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 scallions, chopped

Directions: 
Cook brown rice according to package directions in water along with a chicken bouillon, 1 bay leaf and 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 each of salt, cayenne, paprika and thyme. 

When the rice is almost done cooking, heat a large heavy saucepan on medium-low heat. Add the oil, onions, green pepper, celery, bay leaf and garlic. Sauté on medium-low heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add beef, salt, black pepper, remaining paprika, thyme and cayenne pepper. Sauté until browned, about 10-15 minutes; add shrimp, cover and cook 5 more minutes.

When the rice is done, toss with beef and shrimp and combine well. Top with scallions and serve.
Makes 6 1/2 cups. 

~LaQuita



Thirsty Thursday: Mint & Lime Iced Tea

This week has been beautiful outside, so we've put most of our March Break activities that I had planned for the kids aside so that we all can play outside and enjoy the warm weather. And enjoy it we have been. We've been outside from the time the sun starts shinning until it sets and loving every minute of it. By the time the kids get in and after we've eaten our BBQ dinner, they're passed out because they've been playing all day. Which is great. This just makes me more anxious and excited for the Summer to get here. This week's Thirsty Thursday is a drink perfect for this weather we've been having this week. Enjoy!






Mint &Lime Iced Tea

Source: Adapted from CHOW

INGREDIENTS

8 cups (2 quarts) water
8  tea bags
1 bunch fresh mint
1 1/2 cups superfine or granulated sugar (I used splenda, taste great!)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 4 medium limes) 


INSTRUCTIONS

Place the water in a medium pot and bring to a simmer over high heat. Remove from heat, add the tea bags and mint, cover, and let steep for 10 minutes.

Once the tea has steeped, discard the tea bags, add the sugar, and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Let cool to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator to cool completely, about 2 hours.

Once the tea is cold, remove the mint and stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust with more lime juice or sugar as desired. Serve over ice with a sprig of mint and a wedge of lime (if using). 
~LaQuita



Tooth Fairy 2 Blu-Ray Review

 

The comedy with bite is back and funnier than ever,   TOOTH FAIRY 2 arrives on Blu-ray and DVD March 6 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. The one man comedy phenomenom Blue Collar Comedy Tour’s Larry the Cable Guy (Cars, Cars 2, and History Channel’s Only in America) sinks his teeth into this outrageous follow-up to the 2010 theatrical hitTooth Fairy.

Larry Guthrie (Larry the Cable Guy) is a fun-loving dreamer with a serious mission: win back the love of his life before she makes a terrible mistake and marries the wrong man!  In his attempt to get back on his long lost love’s good side, Larry visits the school where she works and make’s a horrible mistake…  He accidentally tells a child that the Tooth Fairy is just a myth.  Crushing the child’s dreams sets off a chain of events that are far more than Larry bargained for including being  “sentenced” to become a Tooth Fairy or face  having his memories erased for good…PLUS losing any chance of getting back the girl of his dreams!  Larry is brought before a 500-year-old Tooth Fairy stuck in a 10-year-old girl’s body (played by newcomer Brady Reiter) for sentencing.  The Tooth Fairy demands that Larry make retribution by temporarily serving as a Tooth Fairy and proving that Tooth Fairies really do exist. His mission?  Larry must collect 20 teeth in 20 days. With his orders in hand, Larry embarks on a journey to prove the existence of Tooth Fairies and to win back the love of his life.


When I got the opportunity to review Tooth Fairy 2 I said, heck yes. Not only because my hubby and I are big Larry The Cable Guy fans, but also because we had watched Tooth Fairy with our kids a couple of months ago and the kids really liked it. 

Again, we're huge Larry The Cable Guy fans and we're huge comedy fans when it comes to movies, so this was definitely something for us all to sit around to enjoy, which is what we did last weekend. We took out the popcorn, made a few snacks and all sat down to enjoy the movie. 

I have to say there were a handful of times my husband and I laughed while watching the movie and the kids thought this movie was just hilarious and loved every minute of it. When I asked them what their favorite part of the movie was, my son shouted out, "Larry wearing a pink tutu," lol.  This is definitely a movie for the entire family to enjoy and now you can as The Tooth Fairy 2 is now out on Blu-Ray and DVD in stores.


~LaQuita

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Tooth Fairy 2 at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.








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Strawberry Shortcake: Bloomin’ Berry Garden DVD Review

 

Strawberry Shortcake: Bloomin’ Berry Garden shows that it’s time for garden growing fun with Strawberry and her friends as they prepare for the Spring Flower Festival!  But when magical sparkles make the Berrykins grow tall and the girls shrink down small, they discover that even when they’re tiny, they can make a big difference. 

I got the opportunity to review Blommin' Berry Garden with my little one. We had a great time watching this movie together. I think we were more excited about the movie because it kept reminding us that Spring is here and Winter is finally over, yay, lol.

My daughter just loves Strawberry and her friends just as I did when I was her age. Once the movie was over it was time for us to see what bonus features they had. They had coloring pages you could print out and also had Sunshine Girls dance instruction video, which was awesome. We had so much fun learning the dance and the fact that they were pretty easy steps made mommy look even cooler that I got them right a way, lol. 

Bloomin' Berry Garden is now out for you to enjoy with your little girl too!

~LaQuita

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Bloomin' Berry Garden at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.


Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Brick Road DVD Review

 

Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Brick Road follows Strawberry and her friends as they retell the classic “Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”  When a cyclone blows Strawberry to the strange land of Oz, she runs into trouble with the Wicked Witch and must journey to the Emerald City to ask the Wizard how to find her way back home. 

We recently received a copy of Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Brick Road to review. I think my daughter nearly screamed when she came home to the movie laying on our entertainment center for us to watch together.

This movie was just too  adorable and sweet and if you have a little girl, she would absolutely love it. It actually had me entertained as well with it's version of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The length of the movie was perfect as well, it wasn't too long so that a kid could get bored with it. Although with how my daughter loves Strawberry Shortcake she could never get bored with watching it and hasn't yet because I've heard this playing over and over again in her room, lol. 

One of the coolest things is that the bonus features includes printable coloring sheets for your child to have fun with, which my daughter enjoyed as well. Berry Brick Road is now out at stores on DVD for you to enjoy!

~LaQuita

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Berry Brick Road at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. 

DIY: Drain Cleaner/Declogger

One of the best things about this here interweb is that there are tons of do it yourself home cleaning recipes out there for all of us to share with each other. Now, I'm no fan of cleaning, but I do love the smell and look of a clean house. This includes making sure that there's nothing backing up in any sink, tubs, etc. in my home.

So today I figured I'd spread the word and share with you this easy peasy declogger/drain cleaner recipe I found a couple of years ago and what I use in my house bi-monthly. Even if I don't have a clog I try and use this every once in a while just to clear things in our drains. And you know what, I haven't had to rush to the store to buy Drano and have saved a few bucks in my pocket. Anything helps!


DIY: Homemade Drain Cleaner/Declogger
Source: Adapted from Food.com
Ingrediants:
1/4 Cup Baking Soda
1/2 Cup Vinegar

Directions:
Pour your baking soda in your sink/tub/drain first.
Next pour in your vinegar. Let it sit for a few minutes before pouring hot water down the sink.
Drains should be good to go!

~LaQuita

Chloraseptic Warming Sore Throat Lozenges & Kids Sore Throat Lollipops (R&G)

Chloraseptic

About a month ago we received a couple of products from Chloraseptic. We got to try out their Honey Lemon Lozenges and their Kids Sore Throat Lollipops. They came in the mail just in time, especially since we were all still dealing with the flu season, so there was still lots of coughs, sore throats and fevers going on in our household.

Now, we were already a fan of chloraseptic and their throat sprays, in fact I've been using their throat spray for years. That is my go to spray that I use so that I can keep going while having a sore throat. I had yet to try any of their lozenges and this was my kiddos first time trying their sore throat lollipops.

Chloraseptic Product

About a week after we received our sore throat lollipops both my kiddos were complaining about their throats hurting. So I gave them a sucker of their choice. They were excited and a bit confused until I told them that these lollipops were medicine to help their throats from feeling sore. 

Chloraseptic Sore Throat Lollipops for kids provides temporary relief minor irritation, sore mouth and sore throats for children. 

There were three flavors to chose from, grape, strawberry and orange. My daughter chose strawberry and my son wanted orange. I was surprised by their reaction. I thought because they knew it was medicine that they would immediately not like it, boy was I wrong. The kids loved it and after about 10 minutes after they were done with the suckers I asked how they're throats were and my daughter said hers was feeling better. Works for me! I love medicine that not only helps my kids feel better, but ones that they don't mind taking. These are perfect.

Chloraseptic Product
Chloraseptic Warming Sore Throat Lozenges provides  temporary relief from minor irritation, sore throat and mouth pain. These lozenges comes in two different flavor, Honey Lemon and Green Tea with Real Honey.

We got to try the Honey Lemon. I love lemon flavored lozenges. They don't taste like cough medicine and lemon is just an awesome flavor, period. Both my husband and I tried these while we were sick. When you take them you immediately taste the lemon and honey and for me a couple minutes having the lozenge in my mouth, I was already feeling a bit of relief. My throat wasn't so sore and I was able to drink tea without my throat bothering me so much. 

The best part was the end of having it in my mouth, the burst of lemon and honey liquid center was a nice change. Not only was it different from most lozenges I've had, but it was like a double coating for my throat once the liquid center was released. 

I loved both these products so much that I've already told a handful of family members and friends with kids about them. I have yet to see the Kids Sore Throat Lollipops in stores here in Canada, but they are available all over the US. So if you're a Canadian reader reading this, next time you're in the states, look for these, you and your kiddos won't be disappointed.

~LaQuita

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received both Chloraseptic throat lozenges and throat lollipops at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. A big thank you to the PR company for providing the giveaway prize. 


Hawaiian Kettle Chips Review & Giveaway


I had the pleasure of reviewing all four flavors of chips from Hawaiian Snacks, we got to try their original, Sweet Maui Onion, Luau BBQ and Wasabi flavors.


Original- Real potatoes sliced slightly thinner than regular chips, then slow cooked in the old Hawaiian tradition in a select blend of oils for a crispy, crunchy potato chip with just the perfect pinch of salt. 

Sweet Maui Onion- Crispy, golden chips are cooked to perfection, and then seasoned with just the right amount of Sweet Maui onion flavor.

Luau BBQ- Although the front of the bag boasts Sweet and Spicy, consumers say it’s sweet and sassy and full of detectable flavor. Try putting these chips inside your next burger for a yummy twist.

Wasabi- Discover a new world of flavor when you try these unique tasting chips which combine the zest of wasabi root with a kick of horseradish and thick sliced potato chips to create this ultimate island delight.

Our family loves chips. It's hard to buy a bag of chips and have them last in this house for a week. So when we got to try a few bags from Hawaiian Chips this was no exception. All four bags got eaten up rather quickly, they were that good. All bags of chips had the perfect amount of crunchiness to the chips and were delicious. It was hard to share these delicious treats with the family, but I gave them a couple from each bag.

The original chip was decent, if you like original potato chips you should give these a try, they're not too salty and have just the right amount of flavor that keeps your hand going back in the bag for more. My favorite was the Sweet Maui Onion. This chip was just delicious. The flavors of these chips were perfect and spot on. Just the right amount of sweetness with a bit of a kick, I loved it. The Luau BBQ chips were one of the best bbq chips we've ever tasted, seriously. Not only does my family love chips, we love spicy food. So when we tried them and not only tasted the bbq, but the spice to it I was more then pleased. Lastly, the Wasabi chip. WOW! When you put one chip in your mouth you immediately hit with some heat in your mouth, but then a couple of seconds into eating the chip it fades. It was delicous. It gave me some heat, but I think the horseradish in this chip evened it out so that you weren't in need of milk or water to cool your tongue down, lol.

All in all I'd definitely recommend Hawaiian Chips. If you don't try them at least once, you're missing out. Best part is, if you can't locate them in any of your local stores you can order a bag or two or three in their online shop.

~LaQuita

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received four sample bags of the above mentioned flavors at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. A big thank you to the PR company for providing the giveaway prize.