BzzAgent

I love trying new products.  I'm always on the hunt for free samples or coupons for free items.  I came across a website a few months ago that I think anyone who likes trying new products (and doesn't mind taking some time to spread the word) should be a part of. 



BzzAgent.com sends out free, full-sized products for you to try in exchange for your feedback and sharing the product with others.  I have been a member for a short time and have already received 2 products to try, so this isn't one of those sites where you sign up and take survey after survey and never get rewarded.  You fill out your profile, answer surveys, and wait for them to invite you to join a 'BzzCampaign' that matches you.  You must accept the invitation - they won't send you something you don't want to try.  When you receive your product, you usually have a couple of months to use it and then write a review, tell others about the product (they do ask you to report back to them about this), blog about the product, etc.  Sometimes you'll receive coupons to give your friends.  You'll get a 'BzzScore' (1-10) based on how active you are with your campaigns, and a better score will help you get even more products to try.


So far, BzzAgent has sent me Childrens' Claritin Chewables, and Hills Ideal Balance cat food.  There have been a lot of other campaigns that I was interested in, too..  but I guess you can't get them all :)

Palmolive Fresh Sponge

Last week, I got another product in the mail from Influenster.  This time, it's Palmolive's new dish soap, Fresh Sponge. 

The new Fresh Sponge formula not only cleans your dishes, but it supposedly removes the residue that causes odor in your dish sponge.  It smells amazing.  I can't wait to try it!  (Check out their website here. )  I'll write a review in a couple of weeks and let you know how bad my sponge stinks!  :)

The kit from Influenster includes a very large 25 ounce bottle of the dish soap, a dish sponge, and coupons for me and 5 of my friends.   Just like with the VoxBox I described before, I received the dishwashing kit for free.  My only obligations are to use the new soap and tell my friends about it, and then check back to Influenster for a product review and a survey.  

Influenster is free to join!  Sign up at www.influenster.com. 

Chicken Enchilada Chilli

I found this recipe in my Betty Crocker So Simple cookbook.   I made it in my Crock Pot for dinner the other night, and it was super easy and tasty!

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Chicken Enchilada Chilli -
Prep Time: 10 minutes          Start to Finish: 7 hours 10 minutes               6 Servings

• 1 1/4lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 medium yellow or green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
• 2 cans (14.5oz each) stewed tomatoes with garlic and onion, undrained
• 2 cans (15-16oz each) chilli beans in sauce, undrained
• 1 can (10oz) enchilada sauce
• Sour cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 - Spray 4-5 quart slow cooker with cooking spray.  In cooker, mix all ingredients except sour cream and cilantro.

2 - Cover and cook on LOW heat setting 7-8 hours.

3 - Stir mixture to break up chicken.  Top each serving with cilantro and sour cream.

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I used chicken breasts instead of thighs.  The recipe doesn't require that you cut up the chicken, but I cut mine in cubes before putting it in the crock pot.  If I ever make it again, I will try to shred the chicken; I think it would be better that way.  I also skipped out on the cilantro and topped mine with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.  This turned out really yummy, and there was enough flavor in the ingredients that I didn't even need to add a single seasoning to it.  Doesn't get much easier than that!

New Jergens Product!

Summer is coming, and people, please...... WEAR SUNSCREEN!

I was blessed/cursed with an extremely fair complexion.  Just like everyone else, I want a tan in the summertime.  I've had some nasty sunburns in my life, and spent some time in tanning beds as a teenager.  But I've learned my lesson and hopefully, I didn't change my ways too late.  (Did you know that 40-50% of Americans will, by age 65, have skin cancer at least once?  If you've had more than 5 sunburns, your risk for melanoma is doubled.  Only 15% of  people with advanced melanoma survive.  See www.skincancer.org for the scary statistics). 

There are tons of products out there that offer a tan in a bottle.  Lotions, sprays, wipes, mousse... from dozens of companies.  Some can turn your skin a sickly shade of orange, or leave you blotchy.  But I have found a favorite, and this year it's even better!

If you haven't tried Jergens Natural Glow products for your sunless tan, do it!  It comes in multiple lotions (express, firming, antioxidant, facial), foaming moisturizer (like a mousse),  and new this year, today is LAUNCH DAY for their new lotion with SPF 20.   (I'm really excited about this, since I can wear the daily moisturizer without having to worry about applying sunscreen and making it streaky!)  You apply the product every day until you are as dark as you want to be, and then reapply every few days to keep your color.  Each product comes in 2 shades, for darker vs. lighter complexions, so you don't wind up with a fake-looking color if you're fair, like me. 



Today on Facebook, Jergens is celebrating launch day with some samples (which are unfortunately gone, now) and some other surprises throughout the day. 

Even if you're not into self-tanning products, make sure you're using a good sunscreen, at least SPF 15, and make sure it is "broad spectrum", or blocks UVA and UVB radiation.  Apply it 30 minutes before you go outside, and reapply it every 2 hours, even if you're not swimming.  Store your sunscreen in a cool place (not in your car!) and throw it away when it's expired.  Go HERE for everything you need to know about sunscreen.

Want free glasses?

First freebie post:

First, I just want to make sure you know that I'm not getting anything for posting this.  There's no catch.  It's not a trick.  Just a really awesome deal!

Coastal sells glasses and contact lenses online.  They have a promotion (which seems to be ongoing) where you can get your first pair of glasses, frames and lenses, for free.  You only pay shipping, which is around $10.  For women, there are currently 925 frames to choose from.  The free pair includes the cheapest lenses (which are fine for me) but you can uprade to nicer ones for a really reasonable price, if you want to.  The promo code is: firstpairfree.

I was suspicious of this at first.  You can pay with PayPal, though, so I went ahead and placed an order for a really cute pair of Guess glasses for close to $10.  They shipped fast and were *really* nice.  They even came with a free case, lens cleaner, and a little tool kit.  Truly, no strings attached.  You really can't beat that!

Slow Cooker Chicken

I wanted to share a really tasty, easy chicken recipe I made for dinner last night.  I found this recipe on All Recipes.  I love crock pot recipes for summer!



Jennie's Heavenly Slow Cooker Chicken:

Ingredients:
2 tbs. butter
1 0.7oz package of dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 10.75oz can of condensed golden mushroom soup
1 8oz. container of chive and onion sour cream
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Melt the butter in a pan and add the salad dressing mix, soup, sour cream, and wine.  Allow to cook on low-medium heat until contents are well mixed and the sour cream is melted.  Place the chicken breasts into the crock pot and pour the mixture on top.  Cook on low for about 4 hours, or until chicken is tender. 



I served mine with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.  The extra sauce would be wonderful on pasta.

Venus & Olay Razor

My second favorite product that I received in my Love Vox Box from Influenster is the new Gillette Venus & Olay razor.  This product was just released into stores today!

The razor comes in a wonderful easy-to-open package.  Included is a suction up mount to hang in your shower.  This is one of those razors where you don't have to use shaving cream.  When it gets wet, the two Olay moisture bars (above and below the 5 blades) create a slippery surface for shaving. 

While I wasn't SUPER impressed with the feel of the razor against my skin, I thought it did a pretty good job - at least as good as my regular disposable razors with shaving cream.  It was easy to shave the knee area, and I didn't feel like I was going to cut myself in that spot.  I could feel it drag across the skin a little bit, but it wasn't really uncomfortable.  I also like the suction cup idea.  The refill cartridges cost about $14.99 - $19.49 (for a 3 pack).  I probably won't buy them for everyday use.  I will, however, use this for traveling, especially if I'm flying or trying to pack light, since I won't need shaving cream.  It would be perfect to take to the beach!

I received this for FREE from Influenster through their Vox Box program to try and review.