Along Came a Spider {Product Review}

Sponsored post

Before I had kids I was a little nicer to bugs. However, when my babies were born, as soon as I spied a creepy crawly in the house I would go into protector mode and that bug had no chance. I was especially fearful of a spider going near my little people, but I also freaked out about flies fearing that they may end up in my child's mouth and choke them.

I was just protecting my kids

A squish or a splat is generally a very effective method of removing a nasty creepy crawly but it is better (in my opinion) to make sure that they are not there in the first place. A few of my friends have had their houses sprayed by pest control people but that is not something that fits into our budget so I mostly resort to sprays to prevent bugs coming near my kiddies.

Recently, Mortein sent me a couple of their products to try out. At the moment we don't have lots of bugs in the house (apart from a few spiders who are taking advantage of our central heating), but in summer we have a seriously bad fly problem. It doesn't help that the kids leave the door wide open despite me yelling at them to close it.

I really like the Mortein pest control products I trialed. I especially love the NaturGuard fly and mosquito killer. It isn't like those scary sprays that feel like you are going to poison your family as well as kill the bug. Not only is it odourless, but it is also made out of 90% natural ingredients.  This product is also a mosquito killer which is perfect for our family as I am considered a delicacy in mozzie circles. I think I will also be checking out any mosquito repellent products available.I think when summer comes along these products will be a must have to keep those creepy crawlies away from my little people and from me. 


When it comes to bugs are you a sprayer or a squasher?

Truzee Baby Milestone Cards {Product Review}

These Baby Milestone Cards are too cute not to share with you. If you are looking for a different, but lovely idea for a baby shower these are the way to go. Instead of the traditional baby book milestones, these cards mark the moments most don't.

They are available in pink or blue.

Printed on recycled paper, this set of 12 illustrated milestone cards let you record special moments in the early years of your child life.

I was sent a set and even though Ali is 16 months old there are still many of these milestones which she is yet to achieve (some I am thankful she hasn't achieved -see the picture below). It is a gift that you could even buy for a first birthday and is also great for a third child whose mother has neglected their baby books a little (that might just be me).

check out some of the great milestones you can record

These  milestone cards are available from Green Envy Living for $24.95. While you are there check out all the other lovely products for sale.

These was not a paid review, however I was gifted a set of Milestone cards for the purpose of the review.

The Next Best Thing to Having Cleaning Fairies in Your Home.

My friend Katrina recently became a consultant for Norwex. When she told me I had no idea what it was all about but I agree to be her guinea pig party hostess. I was happy to listen about the products and buy a few cloths but I didn't really think a party for cleaning products would be all that exciting. I was wrong.

I do love a clean house but I'm not into spending lots of money on cleaning products. I was hoping she was offering the secret to having the cleaning fairies to do it for me, but she showed me the next best thing.

Norwex (if like me you haven't heard of them) are a company that makes a cleaning range which has a range of micro fibre cloths and mostly relies on tap water to clean your home. The great thing about this is that is means less chemicals around the house.

At my party, Katrina showed me what the Enviro cloth could do for my windows. I have sliding glass doors which are constantly covered with grimy finger prints. For added impact, Katrina drew some lovely designs with lipstick on the glass. She armed herself with paper towel and Windex and I used the Enviro cloth with water, followed by the Window Cloth to polish. These cloths are amazing. The lipstick was no trouble for it and I was done way before Katrina (she used a million sprays of Windex and a stack of paper towel). Even days after she left, my glass (cleaned with the Enviro cloth) was so clean it looked like there was no glass at all.

Enviro cloths

I also got a Kitchen Dish Cloth. This one is used for the dishes and you can even do benches, dinner table and the high chair. I used to use a blue chux style cloth and there is a massive difference. I have a glass dinner table which used to make me cry every time I cleaned it. It would only look nice if I got windex and paper towel. Since I got the cloth all I am doing is wiping it down of food scraps and it is honestly sparkling. Even my hubby has noticed the difference.

Dish cloth

My absolute favourite has to be the Bathroom Scrub Mitt. I have two bathrooms and a downstairs toilet and sink. So it usually takes ages to clean it all. Not with this Mitt. It has a textured side to get the soap scum off and a soft fluffy side to wipe up dust and other debris. I used to spray with chemicals, then scrub, the wipe with a cloth (to get the dust off, then get paper towel and dry it off so it was shiny. Now I use the scrub side, then the fluffy side (only with water), then I wring it out and use the fluffy side to mop up any excess water. It is so much easier and looks sparkly. This one is a special for party hosts though so you will need to book a party.

Bathroom Scrub Mitt 

I recently got the Norwex mop with the wet and dry pads. I am loving it so far. The dry one picks up everything (much better than a broom). The wet pad is perfect for me as it just needs to be sprayed with water and then straight onto the floor. It is much easier than making up a mop bucket (so I can easily mop spills up straight away and it is not such an effort to mop the whole floor).

Mop

I got a some other products but those are my favourite. One of the other selling points for Norwex is the fact that the cloths are Antibac which means a cleaner home and they are also made of microfibres which helps to attract the dust and dirt. 

If you are living in Sydney or Canberra and want a Norwex demonstration you can contact Katrina and she would love to show you these products. If you don't want to have a party, but want to try the products Norwex offers a 60 day money back guarantee. SO if you hate them (unlikely) you are not stuck with them and you get your $$$ back. 

I hear that the best thing to do is to buy the home conversion kit. It is a little pricey but in the long run it saves you money (when you become addicted and keep calling your dealer  consultant for more and more Norwex).

Please also visit (and like) her Facebook page which you can find out more about the range and all the wonderful things they can do. You can also visit her website: https://katrinalawson.norwexbiz.com.au/

I have written this post because I have seriously been impressed by the range but I am also keen to help a friend out with her business venture. I may get a cloth or two out of it.....(wink, wink, Katrina??).

If you are not in Canberra you can contact another friend of mine Celia (celia.chew@gmail.com). She is based in the far north coast of NSW (around Byron Bay), or both Katrina and Celia can arrange postage to you.

Have you heard of Norwex? What do you think about it?

Diary of a SAHM {Book Review & Giveaway}

It's not everyday that someone I know writes a book and then asks me to review it. Jess from Essentially Jess has done just that. She is now a published author and today I am going to tell you how wonderful her book is. Not just because I like her, but because I really enjoyed this book.

Diary of a SAHM, is a book about Jess' life with her husband and young family. It is written in diary form so you can just imagine her sitting down at the computer after a hard day with the kids and writing each entry. Although, unlike the type of whiny diary I would keep, Jess' book is full of wonderful reflections about what God is doing in her life and the lives of her family.

I love this book because Jess is real and honest. There were so many moments as I was reading, where I thought, "I can so relate to that!". She hasn't written a book telling us how to be a better Christian or a better parent. She has written about the struggle to trust God and to walk in his ways in the midst of the journey of parenting. She tells it like it is (incredibly hard at times), but instead of negativity she shares how she leans on God through it all and seeks to train the hearts of her children to live for Him.

One of my favourite parts of the book was Jess telling a story where, despite an epic effort to get the kids to church (walking three small children in the Darwin heat), she didn't get to hear a word of the sermon and had to deal with a baby who refused to sleep. Why would she bother to do this? To show her children that church was is priority in their family, and because she wants to live a life that reflects what she believes. I just loved it because sometimes it would be so much easier to skip church but how will our children learn to make meeting with other Christians a priority if their parents don't.  This story is one of many, where Jess shares a struggle and then reflects on what God is teaching her. 

This is the type of book I could (and will) read over and over again. Not because she gives us a "how to" of Christian parenting, but because it's like chatting with a friend who encourages us to see where God is working in our lives and the lives of our kids.

If you want to get your hands on a copy of her book the best option is to head to her website, Essentially Jess, and buy it now. I also have one copy of Diary of a SAHM available to giveaway to one lucky reader. Just complete the entry form below and tell me why you would like to win this book.

Of course I am linking up with Jess this week for IBOT.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Delicious Fresh Fruit & Veg Delivered to Your Door!

About a year ago I decided that I wanted to buy fruit and vegetables that were in season rather than just sticking to the same boring stuff all year round. I was also tired of going to the supermarket and being disappointed with the quality of produce available. Even with my fancy Tupperware containers to keep vegetables fresh I was finding them going bad before I was able to eat them.

I had a look online to see what delivery services were available in Canberra and stumbled across Vegies To Your Door. The first time I ordered I purchased a small seasonal box. When it arrived I was really excited to see the range of delicious produce and it was all great quality. My husband was unsure at first as he thought it was a more expensive option for fruit and vegetables. To test it out, I looked up the items on the Coles online website and found that the price was almost the same. Although even if it wasn’t I would be prepared to pay for the quality. The vegies from Vegies to Your Door come straight from the Sydney markets so are as fresh as possible and have not been sitting in the supermarket with everyone touching them.

What arrives straight to my door each fortnight. Yum!

Not only are the vegies fantastic, but the service is some of the best I have received. Will and his wife Sharon run the business and they are just lovely. When Will delivers my order he is always up for a chat and a joke and makes sure that I am happy with the past deliveries. I have only once received items I wasn’t happy with. Will had previously told me that if I had ever had problems with my order to let them know. So as soon as I noticed some of the fruit going bad too quickly I gave them and call and it was no trouble to have the price of the items deducted from my next order.

I have been ordering on and off since July last year and have recently signed up to the Do It For Me service, where a large seasonal box is delivered to me fortnightly. I absolutely love getting my delivery. When it arrives I can plan delicious meals for the family based on seasonal produce. We are eating so much more fresh fruit and vegetable and eating a broader range of it. I have found that almost all the produce lasts for the fortnight and I basically never throw anything out. Once I forgot about some strawberries for at least ten days and found them still perfect (unlike the supermarket ones that went mouldy overnight).

Vegies ready for a stir fry!

This was the tastiest pear ever! Ali ate one
 and then begged for the rest of the one I was eating!

The very exciting news is that up until the 15^th of May, if you sign up for the Do It For Me service you can get FREE delivery forever!!!  

So if you are in Canberra (and this includes Jerrabomberra, Queanbeyan, Royalla and Hall) I highly recommended you place and order. Stop wasting your time and money buying supermarket vegies and try Vegies To Your Door.

They also have a great facebook page so head over and like Vegies To Your Door on Facebook

Do you have any other questions? Head to the website or feel free to ask me.

I was compensated in fruit and veg for my review. However, I have been a very happy customer since July and all opinions are my own.

Product Review: Masha & White Bean Mash Recipe

A couple of years ago something big happened in out kitchen. After watching an episode of Masterchef,  our mashed potato was never the same. With a simple (yet painful and messy) push through a strainer we were able to enjoy lump free mashed potato. We have been pretty happy with this technique but just recently I was given a Masha to review and things have changed again.

Masha

If you have ever tried to achieved mashed potato in a food processor you will know the gluey mess that results. This new product is different. It actually creates, smooth and fluffy mashed potato super quickly. Instead of blades, it uses a Rotor cone (see picture below) to spin and squeeze the mash through the outer mesh.

So far I have tried it on mashed potato and the white bean mash (see recipe below) and it has worked really well. It is also able to puree baby food, make dips, and rub butter into flour (I can't wait to try this with scones!).

So far the things I love about the Masha are:

• It makes mashed potato quickly.
• It is easy to assemble and to clean (no more trying to clean the strainer).
• It can go in the dishwasher.
• No blades so it is safe.
• It feels well made and not like it will break after a few uses.
• It doesn't just make mashed potato.

The only thing that I found difficult about the Masha is that it seems to work best with larger quantities.  When I first tried it out with mashed potato I had to chase it around the pan a bit. Otherwise it is a great product and I am looking forward to using it for lots of other recipes.

Here is one that I created with Cannellini beans as a really easy and quick side dish.

White Bean Mash

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 clove garlic (crushed)
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 can of (cannellini ) white beans
salt (to taste)


1.Put the olive oil in a saucepan, and mix in the garlic. Add the the lemon zest and warm through.
2.Drain the beans and rinse under a tap, then add to the pan and warm through.
3.Remove from heat and allow the pan to cool slightly.
4.Using the Masher, mash the beans until they are the consistency of mash potato (although it will be thicker).
5.Season and add extra lemon juice to taste.

Masha is available online for $59.95

For more information, please visit www.prepstore.com.au

I was gifted the Masha for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.

Mox Shoes {The Things I Love}

When I love a product I feel the need to tell everyone I know about how fantastic it is. That is exactly why I want to share with you the shoes that I am totally in love with at the moment.  If you haven’t come across Mox shoes yet, then you are missing out on something amazing.

I first discovered Mox shoes when Naomi from Seven Cherubs posted a picture of herself wearing them. Then, a few days later I noticed that a friend had commented on the Moxonline facebook page. My friend posted that she had bought nine pairs so far. After seeing that two people I trusted loved them I just had to have a pair.

I have always been a Havaiana thong wearer (and still love them), but it was time for a change. Mox shoes are made of a similar rubber-like material to the Havaiana’s, which makes them really soft and comfortable. I decided to buy a black (liquorice) pair and was excited when they arrived in record time (with FREE delivery). It is a bit scary buying shoes online but the sizing guide is really clear and mine fit perfectly as soon as I put them on my feet. I also found that after a day or so they mold to your feet and get even more comfortable.

I have just been on a holiday which involved swimming, shopping, picnicking and eating out and I wore my Mox shoes the entire time. Apart from the fact that they are super comfy they are also stylish enough that you can wear them out for dinner. I even tested them on a long walk and I had no blisters or any kind of rubbing at all. I love these shoes so much that I keep making my friends try them on, just so they know how comfy they are.

My second pair in chocolate

If you are looking for a great present for a friend or family member this Christmas, I would highly recommend Mox. Just make sure you get a pair for yourself otherwise you will end up with shoe envy.

I loved my Mox shoes so much that I approached them about writing this post. I was not paid, however I did receive a pair of shoes (now I just need to buy them in Latte, Sherbet, Olive & Blueberry and I will have them in every colour).

Finally Decorating Alicia's Room

Poor Alicia, before she was born her room was undecorated as we wanted to wait until she was born to decorate her room. As we did not know whether we were having a boy or a girl it made sense to wait to decorate. However she is now 3 months old and her room is only partially done. We are planning to move before the end of the year so it kind of seems pointless to decorate but I have done a little bit..just to show her we care.

I was also send a pack of 3M Picture Hanging Strips to use and review (a very long time ago..sorry!). These things are great! I have always disliked the fact that when you hang a picture on a wall it sticks out at the top. These mean that you can have your frames flat to the wall which make for a cleaner, neater look.

They are easy to use. You just click them together, remove the stickers and stick the frame to your wall. Here is a video that shows you exactly how to do it.

They are a little bit hard to get right and I think that some careful measuring is required. We were in a bit of a rush so I think that ours are not perfectly straight..but hey, we are moving and will try to get it right at the next place.

The other great thing about them is that they are removable. As we are currently renting there are rules about what you can hang on a wall. These take away any annoying hooks or marks that can be left on walls.

I used the gorgeous photos that my friends annette audrey took of Alicia, and bought some $5 frames from Big W. 

In decorating Ali's room I also decided that I would make my own bunting. It was surprisingly easy (even if it did take me three months to get around to finishing it). I found the tutorial for the bunting on the Loridanelle blog. I also used the fabric I had won from Duckcloth after entering a competition on www.lovelyliving.com.au

 

I am also planning on making some cushions out of the fabric with pink hearts on it. But who knows how long that will take????

What have you been creating lately?

Frost Bite: Easy Cooking for Your Freezer: A Review

A little while ago I entered a competition on the Lovely Living Presents: Cook.Eat.Play Blog and won a copy of the cook book Frost Bite. I was very excited as I was planning on getting a copy anyway as it looked great. I have had the book for a little over a month and have been busily working my way through the recipes so that I could tell you all about this book. I have not been asked to review this book I just love it and wanted to share it with you all.

Frost Bite is written by Susan Austin a home cook who swears by her freezer as a place to save time cooking everyday meals and even make entertaining easier. 

The cook book includes the following sections: Baby Food, Brunch, Lunch, Lunch Boxes, Snacks, Soups, Finger Food, Entertaining, Weekday Meals, Kid’s Parties, & Desserts. 

Each recipe lists all the ingredients (and there is no super expensive or ultra hard to find ingredients), then how to cook the recipe up until freezing time. There are then instructions on how to freeze, how to defrost and how to serve.

So far I have cooked these recipes from the book:

• Chicken Sang Choy Bow
• Chicken Balls
• Cheesy Scones
•  Fried Rice
•  Lemon & Blueberry Mini Cheesecakes
•  Soy Glazed Chicken Skewers
• Chicken Wrapped on Prosciutto with Creamy Pesto Sauce
• Eggplant & Roasted Pumpkin Lasagne
• Chicken with Coriander Peanut Pesto & Turmeric Rice
• Cream Tuna Pasta Bake
• Pasta with Pesto Sauce
• Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
•  Brownie & Coffee Ice Cream Cake

All of these recipes are straight forward and easy to cook and those that have made it into the freezer have defrosted and served really well. However most of the time I have just served the meals up as they looked too yummy to store in our freezer.

So far my favourites have been the Chicken Wrapped on Prosciutto with Creamy Pesto Sauce which we served to guests and it was absolutely delicious and so simple to prepare, and the Brownie Ice cream cake (we used the snickers instead of coffee option). This cake did not last long in our freezer, little by little pieces kept disappearing and when my sister-in-law and her family came to stay we served it to them and they loved it and took the recipe.

One other great thing about these recipes is my kids who are both under three have eaten every meal we have served them from this book. They are not fussy kids generally but often won’t eat anything too fancy (for example the Thai Beef Salad I recently tried to serve them...I don’t really know what I was thinking), but Susan’s book has been a winner 100% of the time so far.

 I have been trying to think of what I don’t like about the book and there is not much. If I was being really picky I would like to see more beef recipes that are not mince (but I say that because we had some steaks in the freezer and I wanted to cook them). Although, there is the Thai Fillet of Beef but I did not think the kids would eat it.

I can highly recommend Frost Bite as a cook book, it is simple to follow and has lots of lovely recipes that can be made in advance when entertaining or just made in bulk to save time during busy weeks. I like it as it has provided me with different ideas for our church freezer which we like to keep stocked for when people have babies, get sick or just need some time off cooking.

To find out more about Frost Bite, get other recipes or to order a copy visit Susan's blog http://www.frostbitefood.blogspot.com/and you can also follow her on facebook at www.facebook.com/frostbitefood