Keurig® 2.0 K550 Brewing System Review

Off topic today, but I had to share with you my new coffee brewer.  I received the Keurig 2.0 K550 System for review from Influenster.com.  I have had the machine for about a month now and I feel I can give you an honest opinion of the machine at this point in time.

I really like the machine but there are a few things that really irk me to....more about that later.  It has a really fun feature that you can change the color of the lighting of the water container to red, green, blue or white....not a huge thing but it makes it fun to be able to customize the color of light to match your decor or mood.  It has a new touch screen feature that is easy to use unless you are a lady with long finger nails....then it can be some what cumbersome but a nice feature for those rocking the nubbins...lol.

The brewing system works really well on this machine.  Every cup is more consistent over my old machine, which is really nice.  It is has a large 80 oz water reservoir that can handle most morning rushes for coffee and for the carafe feature.  The machine has an additional carafe, which makes 2-4 cups depending on your chosen setting.  The K-Cups for this feature are larger and a separate purchase for these at a cost of $12.50-14.00 for a pack of 8 cups.

Now onto the things I am not thrilled with in regards to this machine.  I own hundreds of K-Cups that will not work with this machine.  They are Keurig brand K-Cups but because of the new DMR technology, it for some reason will not brew these Keurig Brand cups.  You cannot use your my K-Cup for your chose of loose coffee....will not work.  The carafe is plastic and not thermal at all.  I really have a problem with decanting hot fluids into plastic and would preferred that they included the thermal carafe option and just charged more for the machine.  The thermal carafe is available for $24.99 at Target and Walmart.

Overall, I like this machine but I have to keep my two machines side by side until I run through all my cups.  I have so many that will not work in this machine and will not throw them out.....cold hard cash spent and not gonna waste it.  I do recommend this machine to anyone who uses K-Cups exclusively but you may want to wait until the older stock of cups are gone so that you will purchase only DMR type cups or you are wasting your money.

Secret Outlast Completely Clean Clear Gel

I received this item from Bzzagent.com to review.  I am a Secret Outlast Solid user and had given up on gel formulations but I was pleasantly surprised at how well this deodorant works.  It applies smoothly, dries quickly with no stick residue and the lasting power is impressive.

I tested its staying power the other day.  I took a shower and set out to do fall yard cleanup.  After 6 hours of hard sweaty work, I was clean, dry and no odors in my arm pits (the rest of me was another story..lol).  Which was a plus since hubby came home and wanted to snuggle before I could clean up after all my hard work.

Next test was the black clothing test.  I love wearing black and have had my share of white solid deodorant mishaps.  I was pleased to find that this leaves none to be found.  Time after time, I got dressed or changed my clothes and no marks left behind.  A real bonus in my book.

I really like the scent of this deodorant.  It is fresh, clean smelling that is not over powering and does not clash with my other scented items I use on a daily basis.  So I never worry that it will affect the chocolate chip cookie scent I am known by my friends and family to wear all the time.

As for the 48 hour claim, I have found it to be true if I do no do to much activity over a two day period.  I did back to back heavy workouts and it did give out the second day.  I started smelling body odor but not bad for 36 hours of wear and two hours of workout over two days.

I highly recommend this for the active woman or those who love to wear dark colors.

With Secret Outlast® Completely Clean Clear Gel all it takes is one twist and two swipes right out of the shower for 48 hour odor protection free of white marks:

• Secret Outlast® is specifically designed with fast drying ingredients to evaporate in seconds
• Water-based formula allows active ingredients to permeate sweat glands faster and more efficiently than invisible solid deodorant
• Bid farewell to white marks forever with rub-off resistant coverage that won’t leave a trail
• Clinically tested to help stop odor before it starts, continually working to detect odor and wetness
• The pH of Secret Outlast® minimizes odor-causing bacteria for longer-lasting, 48-hour odor protection

ChapStick Hydration Lock Moisturize & Renew

I received for review and was pleasantly surprised with the formulation.  I am so use to the waxy feeling of the Chapstick I have used in the past that it was a real treat to discovery that this was the total opposite.  The application was smooth, non tugging and left my lips moisturized and kissable.  I really liked everything about this lip balm and have used the product everyday for a month and I am almost out and ready to purchase another one.  That right there says a lot about this product, I never finish anything unless I really love it.  I have drawers full of products that I am not to happy with.

I recommend this to anyone with dry lips and it is a steal for under $3.00.

I received ChapStick Hydration Lock Moisturize & Renew for free from Smiley360 for review.  This review is my own opinion and were not paid for. http://h5.sml360.com/-/793c

Scotties® Facial Tissues Review

I like how the tissues are soft but still tough enough to do their job. I am not a fan of rough tissue when I have a cold or dealing with allergy season and need to wipe my nose frequently. Scotties tissues is that they are hypoallergenic and created without inks or dyes so when your eyes or nose are already sensitive they are not additionally irritated by additives.

Each box has pleasing to the eye designs on it, so the boxes add a bit of decor to each room you place them. I also, appreciate that Scotties Brand, plants 3 trees for every tree that they use, helping keep the forests sustainable.  Therefore you can be confident when purchasing Scotties facial tissues, knowing that you will have a high quality, soft facial tissue as well as minimal environmental impact. For more information about Scotties Facial Tissues, please visit www.scottiesfacial.com.

I recieved this product for free and to review from Smiley360.  This review is of my own opinion and unbiased.  http://h5.sml360.com/-/af19

Wet Ones Review

These wipes come in handy when your hands are dirty and there isn't a bathroom around for cleaning.  These are better than hand sanitizer which doesn't work for me.  After it dries, it feels very clean and smooth.  Doesn't dry skin and rated 3 in safety on the cosmetic database.

Wet Ones individual packets come in a 24 pack box in Fresh Scent and Citrus Scent, a 40 count canister also in Fresh Scent Citrus and Sensitive (fragrance free), and travel size of 15 in all three options.  Keep Wet Ones in your purse, briefcase, car, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and all around the house.  They have so many uses, like dusting around the house, cleaning your hands and face while your out, cleaning up the car.  They are must for any mom on the go with her children.

These are also really good disinfecting wipes for my makeup brushes. A good way to wash your brushes without actually washing them everyday.

I received these free from Smiley360 for review and this opinion is my own and is unbiased.

Zep Quick Clean Disinfectant AND the Zep All-Around Oxy Cleaner and Degreaser

I am a member of Crowdtap and was chosen to review and test Zep Quick Clean Disinfectant and Zep All-Around Oxy Cleaner and Degreaser.  I had never heard of Zep products before being chosen to do this review.   If you go to there website, you will see they have a large array of different products for consumers and industry.

Zep Quick Clean Disinfectant: Kills most viruses in 30 seconds to 2 minutes, which is faster than the average disinfectant that has to sit on a surface for up to 10 minutes to work. Zep Quick Clean kills bacteria fast, fitting into your cleaning routine. Additionally, Zep Quick Clean kills Rhinovirus, germ causing agent of the common cold. Safe on virtually all-hard, non-porous surfaces. Zep Quick Clean is perfect for disinfecting kitchens, sinks, stove tops, appliances, bathrooms, floors and so much more.

Zep All-Around Oxy Cleaner and Degreaser: It is a versatile multipurpose cleaner with Oxy action tackles tough stains and degreasing action to break up grease and grime. It is ideal for daily use in kitchens, bathrooms, and throughout the home, yet safe enough to use on delicate materials such as upholstery and granite. Great for use on the following stains: Red wine, blood, fruit juice, food stains, urine stains & dirt.

I used the Zep All-Around Oxy Cleaner and Degreaser on my husbands white undershirts to help with under arm stains and it cleaned all the stains in one application.  Which is pretty impressive since they are bleached with every washing and that usually just dulls the discoloration.  It took out hair dye that had stained my shower stall which was great since my hubby was not to happy about that :-).

The Zep Quick Clean so easy to use in my bathroom and kitchen.  I was left with a fresh scent, a clean and knew that it killed most germs that my children may have brought home from school.

I highly recommend that you give these products a try if you have never heard of them.  The work well and worth every penny for them, especially since they are multi-use.

I have not been paid to write this review. The review is my own unbiased opinion.

Litter Genie Pail Review

I was sent this by Crowdtap for review and I am so glad they did.  I had been eyeing this for a few months now and did not think it was worth my time or money.  After using it for the past few weeks, I have to admit I was wrong.

I am an owner of a large Maine Coon cat and I will tell you me makes a lot of stinky waste.  In our home we clean the box daily. Usually we have to go the kitchen, grab a bag, walk over to the box, scoop, tie the bag, walk back to the kitchen and toss in the garbage and hope that the garbage is full or we get to smell the used litter in our kitchen.  With this awesome product, we did not have to do that.  Just scoop the used litter in the pail and done.  No extra trip to the garbage, no smelly bag waiting to go out daily, and the scoop finally has a place to sit since they include a holder with a scoop on the Litter Genie Unit.

The Litter Genie is made of durable plastic and like I mentioned has an scoop holder and included scooper.  It comes in Silver or White stands about 17 inches tall.  Setup is a breeze and is down in under a couple minutes.  It comes with one refill of the bags and simply drops in ....all you have to do is a tie a knot and away you go.

Ease of using the Litter Genie:

So easy – pop open the top lid, scoop in litter clumps with the included scooper, close lid, pull handle to the open position, and push handle back to its locking position to securely lock the litter/odors in the unit.

Results:

I really love the Litter Genie!  It exceeded my expectations in three areas.

1)  No stinky odors coming from the litter box when opening the Litter Genie to add additional litter clumps.  The sliding handle that seals between cleanings did its job of keeping a tight seal.

2)  Went a week without having to empty the bag (saved trips from tracking used litter back and forth.  The internal bag is very strong but can be a bit heavy...so worth not have a bag of stinky litter in my garbage every day.

3)  So easy to set up and use.

It is super easy to use, costs under $20 to own, refill last about 7 days with one cat, the refills cost under $6 at Walmart.  I will continue to use this awesome product and encourage others to give it a try.