Dr. Scholl's® Massaging Gel® Insoles Review

I have one of those jobs where I am on my feet a lot and often times I'm standing in work boots for long periods.  My feet hurt.  There's no getting around it....the older you get, the more things hurt.  I used to be able to stand for hours with no problems, I used to be able to wear those super cute high heel boots and high heel shoes with no problems.  Not any more.

That's why I was more than happy to test out these new Dr. Scholl's® Massaging Gel® Insoles.  I've tried the foam insoles before with not much luck.  I've also tried the ones made specifically for women's high heel shoes, but they always slide around too much or cramp my feet because they're too thick.  These insoles are pretty nice for something like a pair of high heel boots or maybe even a pair of flats.

I first tried them in my work boots.  I followed the instructions and took out the insoles that came in my boots and replaced them with the Dr. Scholl's® Massaging Gel® Insoles.  I had a lot of problems with them sliding around when I went to shove my foot in the boot.  I think that it's probably because the bottom of the insole is a gel/plastic type of material and the bottom of the boot is smooth plastic.  They also didn't let my feet breathe very well in the work boots.  The insoles that came in the boots have air holes for circulation, while the Dr. Scholl's® Massaging Gel® Insoles don't.  I tried the two insoles together, but that made it even hotter than just the gel insoles alone.

I decided to move on to another pair of shoes to try the Dr. Scholl's® Massaging Gel® Insoles in.  My high heel boots are okay to wear walking around for a very short period of time, but if I do something more like walk around Walmart, they really start to hurt.  There wasn't a removable insole in these boots, so I just slipped the Dr. Scholl's® Massaging Gel® Insoles on in and tried it out.  They were a little tricky to fit in the toe area just right, but after I got them in, they didn't move, even when I shoved my foot in.  I didn't have to wear normal socks any longer to give myself some extra padding, I just put on a knee high and wore the boots all day Sunday with no pain or problems.  The insoles didn't slide around after walking and didn't move when I took the boots off.  The Dr. Scholl's® Massaging Gel® Insoles are definitely staying in these boots!

Kroger: Indulgence Without All the Guilt! ~ A Review

I am a sucker for frozen treats.  I love ice cream, popsicles, smoothies, ice cream sandwiches.....you name it, I probably like it.  However, I don't love all the extra fluff it gives me around the mid section when I indulge in a frozen treat each night.  A while back I posted about the awesome Kroger Fruit Bars I found and have been buying them for the family regularly.

I was excited to hear about a new line of treats that are both yummy and calorie friendly.  I decided to try Kroger's Yogurt Smoothie Bars because I'm always looking for a yummy smoothie that's easy on the wallet AND on the hips.  I also don't want to have to worry about my kids having unhealthy selections for dessert.  The yogurt smoothie bars came in strawberry banana and triple berry flavor.  I chose to go with the triple berry, at just 100 calories and 1 gram of saturated fat per bar.



Everyone in the family loved these treats, teens and adults alike.  They're super creamy with just the perfect balance of sweetness to tartness.  The small portion size was a little disappointing, but that's the way most products are going lately. I'm looking forward to buying the Strawberry Banana flavor next.  I can't bring myself to pay $5 or so for 6 bars of the Skinny Cow or Weight Watcher's yogurt bars, but these were very reasonably priced and worth the money.

Mrs. T's Pierogies Review

I am always on the lookout for a quality side dish that my kids will love as much as hubby and I do.  Sometimes it is difficult to find something new that's acceptable to kids and adults.  I do believe I have found a new stand-by for my dinner side dishes.....Mrs. T's Pierogies.  I had never heard of a pierogie before and had never given this product a second glance in the store.  When I was offered the chance to try them, I thought it was a great opportunity to either find a new favorite or mark something off of the 'need to try' list.

I chose the Potato & 4 Cheese Blend Mini Pierogies.  They were super easy to cook and so versatile that you could either serve them as a side dish prepared as is or as a part of a main dish when combined with onion, garlic, and veggies.  I decided to serve it as a side dish, but with a little personality.  I decided to saute them in a little olive oil, garlic, and onion.  Wow....I never expected a frozen potato & pasta side dish to taste so wonderful!  My teenage son love them, my hubby loved them, and I loved the taste and ease of preparation.

 

To prepare, you can boil, saute, or bake.  They went from freezer to table in under 10 minutes using the saute method.  I highly recommend these cute little pockets for a side dish to your next meal.  They can be found in the freezer section of your grocery store.

Kroger Spring Dinner: Make it a Family Meal with Kroger

 

I love Kroger store brand products.  I have found that Kroger hamburger, frozen veggies, and frozen novelty items are just as good as the name brand but without the high cost.  The only Kroger brand item that I've ever bought and returned was their tropical trail mix.  Last night, we decided to try a few new things from Kroger for dinner.  I tried their pork tenderloin and frozen lima beans and then finished it off with Kroger cake mix and frosting.

I found this awesome recipe on AllRecipes.com and decided it was a perfect fit for what I had planned.  Then, I broiled some of my homemade wheat bread that I brushed with olive oil, basil and garlic slices.  Hubby and kids were so excited to try this pork dish that I didn't have time to take a picture of the final product before it was in their mouths!  Sorry that you didn't get to see it as a finished product, but believe me it was super yummy and tender.  The Kroger pork tenderloin had a perfect layer of fat on the one side and was extremely moist and delicious.  I only made half of the tenderloin last night and tonight I plan on roasting the other half with some salt, pepper, and garlic on top.  I bet the fat layer is going to create a magnificent moist roast.

I made the Kroger homestyle mashed potatoes with a little bit of garlic salt and whipped in a little Kroger greek yogurt for a bit of extra creaminess.  It was superb and better than I ever expected pre-cooked mashed potatoes to be!

No dinner can be complete without a nice dessert.  While the pork was marinating, I whipped up this Kroger Butter Recipe cake mix and when it cooled, topped it with Kroger vanilla frosting.  I followed the instructions on the cake mix to a tee and am sure glad I did because the outcome was a seriously moist and fluffy cake!  I thought beating it with my Kitchen Aid stand mixer for 4 minutes on medium was going a little far, but the consistency of the batter after that was like a light and fluffy mousse.  My daughter and hubby scarfed up the cake and asked for seconds immediately!

Do you love Kroger brand products as much as I do?  They're a great way to save money while still getting a quality product.  Best of all, they even send you coupons for their store brands if you've signed up with them at Kroger.com.

Again....Cheaters Are NOT Tolerated

I found 1 person on my OraMD giveaway that did NONE of the entries she claimed to have done and all of her entries were deleted.  After one winner never responded to claim her prize, I did a re-draw for a winner and 7 people claimed to 'like' my page on Facebook but did not.

I DO check entries for fraudulent people before I draw winners and when I get a winner, I check their winning entry to make sure it was really done.  I won't tolerate cheaters.

OraMD Oral Care Review & Giveaway, ends 4/17/13

I have sensitive teeth and lately even putting my Crest ProHealth Sensitive toothpaste on my teeth sends sharp pains shooting through my mouth.  I have tried everything (or so I thought) for sensitive teeth and my problems just seem to get worse as I age.  I found a new product that has been a God-send, and not just to my nerve endings, but also to my nose!  My hubby sometimes has what we call "Devil breath" that comes out during church and no matter how many products he uses in the morning, it's still there.

OraMD isn't like traditional toothpaste, it's a blend of natural oils (peppermint, spearmint and almond) that cleans your teeth and kills the germs in your mouth.  It's safe for people with braces, veneers, bonds, crowns, fillings and dentures.  It also doesn't contain alcohol that can dry out your mouth (causing bad breath) or harsh abrasives (that can hurt sensitive teeth).  I am not sure of all the science to it, but you can read more about it here.  All I do know is that it works and works really well.  No longer do I have pain in my teeth when brushing; no longer do my teeth feel like they have plaque build-up after just a couple hours; no longer does my hubby have his Sunday morning "Devil breath".  OraMD has fixed ALL of that.

This stuff tastes horrible, although the potency of it does seem to wane a bit after the first few uses.  It has a very strong menthol taste to it but it doesn't last long at all; as a matter of fact, it's pretty well gone right after I put my toothbrush away.  After the first day, I wasn't sure if I could intentionally put that stuff in my mouth again, but after realizing how good it was working on day one, I steeled myself to do it again.  I do use a whitening toothpaste on my front teeth that aren't as sensitive a couple times a week because OraMD doesn't have any whitening properties.

I've read from others that this product is super awesome at treating periodontal disease, but I don't have that issue, so I don't really know.  I'd recommend this for anyone with breath, sensitivity, or gum issues.  It may be a little expensive, but you only use 2 drops per brushing because of how potent it is.

Aside from the giveaway below, the manufacturer is willing to offer my readers one FREE bottle. They said they would love to have our readers try out OraMD and agreed to send one bottle FREE if our readers would pay a minimal shipping and handling charge.  They also agreed to include 2 eye-opening reports called 1) “The 6 Hidden Dangers In Toothpaste” and 2) “Why The FDA Requires A Warning Label On Your Toothpaste.”  That’s a total value of over $40.00.  Click here to get your FREE bottle and FREE reports now.

The wonderful folks at Trusted Health Products have offered 3 of my readers a FREE bottle of OraMD just like I received.  This giveaway is open to US residents and ends 4/17 at 11:59 pm.

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Photography Sessions in SWVA

Photos courtesy of http://jessicaslilmoments.blogspot.com/

It's getting to be the time for graduations, weddings, and family portraits! If you're in the Bristol, VA or Southwestern Virginia area, I encourage you to check this out! Jessica is currently offering custom on-location photo sessions near her location in Southwest VA. What's even better? Some of her sessions are FREE, she does usually include a CD for you to print an unlimited amount of pictures from. Like her photography page at http://facebook.com/jessicaslilmoments to keep up with her photography session offers! She also has a blog here: http://jessicaslilmoments.blogspot.com/ (you just click on the links running across the top to see the specific pages she has).