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Thursday, February 27, 2014

Reviews: Pine Brothers Softish Throat Drops

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.
I received this terrific pack of Pine Brothers  Softish Throat Drops to try. We have been very fortunate in our house this year and none of us has had a cold or the flu. However, the outside temperatures over the last month have swung wildly from Spring-like weather to single digits accompanied by snow, freezing rain, sleet and wind. Being subjected to such drastic changes and the dryness created by having the heat on has left me with a scratchy dry throat. The irritation is...well irritating! So these arrived just in time! Before now, I had not heard of Pine Brothers Throat Drops. They were not like the cough drops you might think of when this kind of product comes to mind. Over the course of the last week I have tried the different flavors I was sent. The first thing you'll notice is they are not hard as rocks, but also not as soft as a gummy bear so you don't feel like your eating your kid's candies. They are quite pleasant and since you don't chew them up, the soothing effect every time you swallow, lasts a long time.

 I tried the Wild Cherry flavor first. It is a smooth flavored cherry, not a harsh, eye-watering flavor. Since these are made with natural ingredients, there is no alcohol "burn". I noticed near instant relief from the dry, scratchy irritation I have been having. The irritation was calmed, the scratchy feeling that had made me feeling the urge to clear my throat was soothed. 

I next tried the Licorice. I happen to really like licorice so I liked theses drops. Licorice has a stout flavor all on it's own so there isn't a surprise with this flavor. It offered the same soothing relief but if you's not a fan of licorice, you might not like it for that alone. 

The Natural Honey drops are also very soothing without having an overly sweet taste. It's also a smooth flavor. I really liked that they are made with natural ingredients and don't leave a bad after taste like some products that contain artificial stuff. I also like that Pine Brothers are made right here in the USA.  


Here's a brief history of Pine Brothers:
Ulysses S. Grant was President, the population of America hovered at 39 million, and the telephone was still a pipe dream, when in 1870 J. Herman Pine hung out a confectionery shingle on 8th Street above Walnut in Philadelphia and, along with his brother, sold their first batch of what they called 'Pine Brothers Glycerine Tablets.' In an attempt to relieve his own sore throat and those of his family members, Mr. Pine, a former German confectionery maker, determined that by combining the soothing natural qualities of glycerin with the healing properties of gum acacia, he could sooth and mitigate the mild discomfort of a sore throat. Add in some natural flavoring and a sweetener and voila, Pine Brothers Softish Throat Drops were born. "I have discovered something," Pine wrote, "which will give quick throat relief to thousands afflicted as I was." He added,"Perhaps I won't make much money out of this. But I can make people happy, and that's more important than money." Mr. Pine was being unduly modest, as his "discovery" would become one of the most successful, most delicious and most unique throat lozenges in the world. Nor has the recipe changed appreciably since it was first introduced to the public over 140 years ago.

In 1930 Pine Brothers was sold to the Life Savers Company and continued to flourish. Known for its 'soft drop consistency,' Pine Brothers lozenges became a favorite of adults and children alike. The product, which attracted healthiest sales in the eastern and northern states, due to its icy winters, reached its peak popularity in the 1970's. The company was sold by Life Savers, and then, having been re-sold and acquired a number of times, found itself essentially rudderless and under appreciated; this despite a legion of loyal customers. Cost cutting changes were made to the original recipes, packaging became stale and marketing non-existent; Pine Brothers began to be made overseas. Sales declined.

Recently, Pine Brothers was acquired by the creator and former owner of Airborne, Victoria Knight-McDowell, for her new company 3 Sisters Home Products™. Much time and effort has been spent locating the original Pine Brothers recipes, redesigning the packaging, and creating an exciting yet classic new look. The natural product is once again being made in America, and re-launched nationally in fall 2011.


No matter which flavor you choose, you'll like the fast relief that comes from the natural ingredients.
Check them out, buy online or find locations where they are sold by visiting the Pine Brothers website,
Their Facebook page
Follow them on Twitter
or on Pinterest

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How has your family fared this winter? Have you had colds or flu knocking you out of commission?

Disclosure:I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. The opinions express are soley my own and may differ from yours. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Visit My Oddity Store



~* Visit my Oddity Store *~

Since 1975 Oddity has provided on-trend stylish home decor, fragrance and "hard to find decorating oddities" to our customers. It all started with our candle ring collections that featured seasonal and everyday selections to meet the many diverse decorating tastes of our customers. As time went by our customer base grew and so did our product line. Requests from customers led the way for more and more items. Although we continue to design and offer gorgeous candle and accent ring collections our line now offers much much more... candles (both traditional wax and battery operated), flameless fragrance, glass holders and vases, faux floral stems, lighted branches, seasonal accents, decorative botanicals.

Shop 3 easy ways: Shop the catalog, by category or by Specials. Find decorating items for your home, garden, gifts or any occasion.
Oddity offers thousands of unique items from glass containers, wooden birdhouses and candles to ribbon, lighted branches and wasp traps.
Thanks for visiting my Oddity Store!!


Disclosure: This post contain affiliate links

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Review: Bonefish Grill Restaurant

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Today I had the pleasure of reviewing the Bonefish Grill restaurant at 4800 Whitesburg Drive South in Huntsville Al. I had never heard of Bonefish before the review opportunity came up so I had no idea what to expect. I will admit I was a little put off by the fact that there was no mention beforehand that I would be constrained by WHEN I  would be able to review.... the voucher I received was only good for Sunday Brunch which made it a little more difficult for me to get there. However, once we entered, those feelings evaporated. I took my guys with me since they really like fish. From start to finish, our visit was wonderful. We arrived right as they were opening and there were a few other people already waiting out front on the beautifully decorated outdoor area. We were treated very cordially by the hostess and seated at a table right away. We really liked the atmosphere provided. It has a nice feel to it. Not to casual, not to formal. 



We were seated and I noticed the other tables filling pretty quickly. It took us a few minutes to look over the menu and decide what we wanted, but our waitress was very patient and was back at our table quickly to receive our order. Once that was done I took a few moments to look around. The place was very tastefully decorated and very clean. Everything at our table was nice, no dirty glasses or tableware. I watched the wait staff bringing orders out and they were very quick, efficient and pleasant to the other customers. 
First, we were brought bread and pesto:

I had never had pesto before today and I really liked it! 
Our order was brought out quickly as well. Considering they had just opened the doors as we arrived, I was greatly impressed.
 The Mister had the Tilapia with garbanzo beans and the Roasted Wild Mushroom Risotto.

The Mini Mister has the Atlantic Salmon with garbanzo beans and Whipped Garlic Potatoes. 

And I had the American Kobe Burger with House-made Chips.
Both the guys really liked their fish! Mini Mister took his first bite and said "This fish is REALLY good!" :)
My burger was one of the best I have had in a very long time. It was cooked to perfection, tender and juicy with fabulous flavor. The house chips were good too. Being fresh, they have a great unique flavor that makes them not "just potato chips"
While the Mister and I were full after our meals,the Mini Mister also had a dessert of Macadamia Nut Brownie. It is a flourless brownie with raspberry sauce, drizzled chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream,  whipped cream and sprinkled with macadamia nuts. 
I'm not sure he knew what to think about the raspberry sauce. I don't think he's ever had a "fancy" brownie. He was very impressed with it and loved it.
We were all impressed with the service, the food, the staff and the everything about our visit. We even visited the restrooms before leaving and they were extremely clean and neat. This is a restaurant I would gladly take someone to and would recommend to our friends and family without hesitation. Bonefish Grill has a variety of new offerings guests can take advantage of including the following: Sunday Brunch, Coldwater Catch, Lunch, Triple Bang as well as special holiday offerings.

Visit their website to see if there is a Bonefish Grill Near you!

A fish door handle on the revolving door entrance

A wonderful  outdoor area with bench seating and plants. 
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Disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. The opinions expressed here are 100% my own and my differ from yours.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

REVIEW: Ozeri Instavac Green Earth Food Storage Set


I received a set of these bowls to review. I LOVE them! Ozeri has taken the best features and combined them to create a fabulous storage bowl. The lids lock on tight. You can push out excess air with just the press of the lid to keep freshness in. The dial helps you remember how long your food has been in the fridge. There is even a wave patterned bottom to keep fruits and veggies elevated out of juices. They nest perfectly for storage, keeping the cupboard neat and tidy. And the sizes are wonderfully generous! 
The largest is a huge 5.2 quart, the next one is 3.2 quarts, the next is 1.6 quarts and the smallest is 3 cups. 

The 3 cup container is fabulous for taking food on the go! I have used it on several occasions to take things like chicken salad or tuna. I was so impressed that there were no spills even as the container was tumbled around in my bag throughout the day. The largest ones are handy for holding larger amounts of foods like my homemade spaghetti sauce and cookies. 

The containers are BPA-free, stain resistant, shatter resistant and transparent so you can see what is inside. They are also freezer, microwave and dishwasher safe so you can be confident storing, heating and cleaning them. 
Green Earth has developed some terrific products that eliminate the toxins that are so harmful to our health and the environment, yet maintain high quality that makes our tasks in the kitchen easier and economical. 
Check out the Ozeri INSTAVAC Green Earth Food Storage Container Set on Amazon!
 

Disclosure: I received the product above to facilitate this review. The opinions expressed are 100% my own and may differ from yours. This post contains affiliate links.

REVIEW: Total Colon Cleanse & Detox

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.


I'll admit, I did not know what to expect of this product. I have never had anything like it but have been hearing about different detox programs. To be honest, I was a little nervous to try it. I had visions of things like... ummm..... rapid, explosive, projectile... so one the first day I very nervously took the first capsule..... and NONE of those things happened! :)  The directions state to take 1 or 2 capsules and I started with one simply because I rarely take any medications or pills of any kind and I have learned that sometimes the effects or my reactions to things are amplified. I mean even aspirin makes me sleepy! So I thought it best to start with the minimum. 
By the second day I was feeling better and by the third day some of the bloated feeling I had been having was easing. By the fourth day I was feeling energized and not having an afternoon crash and getting so sleepy I couldn't hold me eyes open. In the short time I have taken it, I haven't noticed a drastic weight loss but I have noticed feeling much better and having more energy as well as being more regular and having less bloating. The product has performed as labeled: Gently and effectively without causing any embarrassing effects.

Check them out on their website or find Total Colon Cleanse & Detox on Amazon
 


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. My opinions and results may differ from yours.

Get FREE Milkweed Seeds For Butterflies


Like the bees, butterflies are in trouble. The numbers are down and they need our help. The creatures are not only beautiful, they are an integral part of our eco-system. Without the insects pollinating the plants and trees, we are all affected. For some FREE milkweed or mixed seeds appropriate for your area, send your self adressessed, stamped envelope to:


Live Monarch - Seed Campaign 2014
3003-C8 Yamato Road #1015
Boca Raton, Florida 33434


For a larger quantity of seeds, a small fee is required. Visit the Live Monarch website for more information and instructions on ordering.

For a fun and educational experience, you can also raise an online butterfly! Click around this site to learn more and see how you can help.

Winter Weather ~ The Next Day

The morning after the snow storm moved through, we had a Winter Wonderland!









 


Branches weighted to the ground..




Pecan Tree...




Throwing snowballs

Sliding down the hill



Snowy Crepe Myrtle



....The next day it was all gone.