Happy New Year to All!

Nescafe Taster's Choice - Giveaway (ends 1/7)

It is the last day of 2010. I think I will end the year the same way I started it. With a great tasting cup of coffee.

Many of you may enjoy those new single serve packets from that bucks place. I think they are a pretty good idea actually. To be able to have your coffee at any place anytime sounds great. Let me share with you a new tastier and more cost effective way to have coffee when you want it. Nescafe Taster's Choice Single Serve Packets!

For my review, Nescafe shared with me the delicious flavors of Taster's Choice Single Serve packets plus the perfect 6 oz mug to make them in. I like dark bold aromatic coffee so I tried the 100% Colombian first. The taste was rich, dark and just as delicious, if not better, than fresh brewed. This can not be an instant coffee, it tastes too scrumptious. I loved the gourmet taste of the Hazelnut coffee. It has a warm nutty richness with a delightful lingering taste. You can never go wrong with a sweet vanilla coffee and the Taster's Choice single serve packet does not disappoint. I like to add vanilla coffee syrups to my coffee when I can, with the vanilla flavor Taster's Choice, I don't need to add the extra syrup, it has the sweet vanilla touch I enjoy! The Decaf House Blend is also super spectacular in flavor. I bought a box of the Decaf single packets they are so good. Rather than making a whole pot, I can have a fresh cup of decaf anytime of the day. It tastes better in the Taster's Choice mug too! It is all about the presentation.

You can find the Nescafe Taster's Choice Single Serve Packets at grocers nationwide. Look in the coffee section. I recently saw them on sale at Target too! A 20 count box was only $3.08. You can spend more than that on one coffeehouse drink. Ca-Ching - savings in your pocket!

Connect with Nescafe USA
Facebook
Twitter

***Giveaway Closed***


Mandatory Entry (First entry)
--Visit Taster's Choice and tell me in a comment which of the single serve coffee flavors you would try.
--Include your email address (if not public in a profile) so I can contact you if you win.

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done.

--Subscribe to my blog and verify the subscription. Current subscribers are eligible too.

--Sign up for Try It On Us. Free Sample while supplies last.

--Follow my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower.

--Follow Nescafe USA on Twitter.

--Follow One 2 Try on Twitter. Current followers are eligible too, just leave a comment saying that you are a twitter follower.

--Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily).
Tweet

--Like NescafeUSA on Facebook.

--Like One 2 Try on Facebook.

--FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES - Write a blog post about this giveaway, with a link to my blog. Come back and leave the link to your blog post. Post FIVE separate comments that you've blogged about this.

Giveaway ends on January 7th, 2011 at 11:59 PM Pacific time. Open to Continental US addresses only. No PO Boxes. Must be 18 years of age and over. Winner(s) will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted. Rules.

Many thanks to Nescafe USA for providing the review sample and giveaway product.

Disclosure: I received gratis sample(s) for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Whish for a Happy New Year - Giveaway (ends 1/9)

Go ahead, make a Whish for the New Year. Did you wish for fabulous body wash from Whish? Your Whish is about to come true.

Whish Body Products are all natural made with organic ingredients. Whish takes care of sensitive skin with gentle products made without sulfates or parabens. You won't find any petrochemicals to dry your skin. Whish is filled with organic shea butter, organic aloe and organic ingredients all working together to bring you beautiful pampering skin care.
For my review, I had the joy of experiencing the Three Whishes Body Wash in Lavender. This is not your Grandma's Lavender as Whish describes it. It is a more modern delicate enveloping lavender. I love the stunning light purple coloring. It looks so classy. The lavender aroma is very pleasing and calming as lavender does. The fragrance brings you to the middle of a lavender field. It smells so delightful. Using the Whishes Body Wash was a real treat for my skin. The shea butter and the delicious orgnaic raspberry butter made my skin super soft and moisturized for a long time. The body wash provided the perfect amount of sudsing action. The Three Whishes Body Lavender Body Wash also contains organic cucumber and organic marigold to sooth dry skin. I noticed a difference in my skin after the very first use. I love the lingering fragrance. It is uplifting and calming at the same time.

To compliment the Three Whishes Body Wash, you can also find Three Whishes Sugar Scrub, and Body Butter, all in the delectable Lavender fragrance. The Dream Collection brings all these fabulous products in one gift set. Pamper your skin with the beauty that is Whish. You can choose from other incredible fragrances too. Almond has always been a very popular scent.

You can purchase Whish Body Products at select retailers or directly online from Whish and other online retailers. FREE Shipping on orders over $50 at Whish Online.

Connect with Whish
Facebook
Whish List Email

***Giveaway Closed***



Mandatory Entry (First entry)
--Visit Whish and tell me in a comment what other product you are Whishing for.
--Include your email address (if not public in a profile) so I can contact you if you win.

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done.

--Sign up for the Whish List Email. Stay up to date on specials.

--Subscribe to my blog and verify the subscription. Current subscribers are eligible too.

--Follow my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower.

--Follow One 2 Try on Twitter. Current followers are eligible too, just leave a comment saying that you are a twitter follower.

--Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily).
Tweet

--Like Whish on Facebook

--Like One 2 Try on Facebook.

--FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES - Write a blog post about this giveaway, with a link to my blog. Come back and leave the link to your blog post. Post FIVE separate comments that you've blogged about this.

Giveaway ends on January 9th, 2010 at 11:59 PM Pacific time. Open to Continental US addresses only. No PO Boxes. Must be 18 years of age and over. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted. Rules.

Many thanks to Whish for providing the review sample and giveaway product.

Disclosure: I received gratis sample(s) for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

PopMarket: Hot Deals on Cool Music - Giveaway (ends 1/9)

Did you get a wonderful new stereo for Christmas? Are you a music fan always looking for the coolest music? Let me introduce you to PopMarket.com.

PopMarket.com is an online shopping club for music fans. PopMarket features limited time private sales on a first come first served basis. Membership to PopMarket is completely free. Sign up to be a part of music sales exclusive to members.

The music you will find on PopMarket is amazing. This week's deals included David Bowie, Alabama, Simon & Garfunkle with Louis Armstrong and Sony 100 Years specials to come. Each sale starts at Noon eastern time daily.

Currently on sale are Live from the Vaults featuring several music artists to choose from. Iron Maiden, Cheap Trick, Journey, Ozzy Osbourne and Judas Priest for the great price of $25.99. Something a little mellower - Check out the Vocal Masters Rod Stewart, Luther Vandross and Love the Train: The Sound of Philadelpia. The music deals are always changing. You can find deals on Romantic Hits, the 70's and the 60's along with the Today's Sale and Vocal Masters.

I am excited about the Celine Dion Collection of Three classic Celine Dion albums all in one beautiful gift box. Albums included:

•Let’s Talk About Love
•Falling Into You
•A New Day Has Come

All this for the low price of $15.59.

If you like music, join PopMarket for access to exclusive sale items. Membership is FREE and it takes just a minute to sign up.

Courtesy of PopMarket, I recieved an incredible selection of Elvis music. Elvis Hitstory contains 91 tracks of the great hits of Elvis. I am in Elvis bliss! The 3 cd set is a joy to listen to as the big Elvis fan I am! I don't think I have stopped playing it.

That is the type of specials you can find at PopMarket. Exclusive limited edition music.

Membership is completely free but you must be a member to take advantage of the sales.
Simply sign up on the site.
The specials are different daily. Be sure to check each day. Your favorite artist may be on special!

Connect with PopMarket
Twitter
Facebook

***Giveaway Closed***


Thanks very much PopMarket!

Mandatory Entry (First entry)
--Visit PopMarket and tell me in a comment which deal of the week you would be interested in.
--Include your email address (if not public in a profile) so I can contact you if you win.

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done.

--Join PopMarket. Sign up and let me know you did. It is FREE!

--Subscribe to my blog and verify the subscription. Current subscribers are eligible too.

--Follow my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower.

--Follow PopMarketMusic on Twitter

--Follow One 2 Try on Twitter. Current followers are eligible too, just leave a comment saying that you are a twitter follower.

--Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily).
Tweet

--Like PopMarket on Facebook

--Like One 2 Try on Facebook.

--FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES - Write a blog post about this giveaway, with a link to my blog. Come back and leave the link to your blog post. Post FIVE separate comments that you've blogged about this.

Giveaway ends on January 9th, 2011 at 11:59 PM Pacific time. Open to Continental US addresses only. No PO Boxes. Must be 18 years of age and over. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted. Rules.

Many thanks to PopMarket for providing the review sample and giveaway product.

Disclosure: I received gratis sample(s) for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Got Gift Cards? PlasticJungle - Giveaway (ends 1/9)

Did you get a lot of gift cards this past holiday? It is such a convenient way to gift someone so they can get what they really want. What happens if you get a gift card for a store you really do not want to buy from? Introducing Plastic Jungle.

You can sell gift cards to Plastic Jungle. Take all those unwanted gift cards and find out the amazing offers at Plastic Jungle. They will pay you in cash by a check or by Paypal or you can request an Amazon.com gift card.

Here is how it works:
- Go to the Sell Gift Cards link on PlasticJungle.com
- Enter the merchant gift card and the balance of the card
- Click See Offers
         They will make a cash offer or other alternative for a greater value.
- Select your offer
- Complete your transaction
- Mail the gift card(s) to Plastic Jungle with the provided prepaid shipping label.
     Once the gift card(s) are received, Plastic Jungle will send you a check or issue the Amazon Gift Card  ecode.

Simple!

My transaction: I have quite a few gift cards. One in particular I know I won't use is Red Robin. They closed the restaurant close to my home and it is quite a drive to get to the nearest one. My Red Robin Gift Card is $25. The offer from Plastic Jungle is $19.25 cash or PayPal or a $20.21 gift card to Amazon. I will definitely use the Amazon card so I think that sounds pretty good. It is just slightly below the original $25 card value. That works out for me. I would rather have the $20 to use at Amazon than to sit on a gift card I will never use. The process was very easy. I entered my Red Robin card I wanted to sell, Plastic Jungle made an offer, I accepted the one I want. I chose the Amazon gift card of course. Plastic Jungle then created the prepaid shipping label to print out. I just have to put the card in an envelope, use the shipping label and mail it!

I am anxiously waiting for my Amazon Gift Card.

Looking to buy gift cards? Here is your chance to buy cards for the merchants you want at a discount price. The ones I have looked at are up to 30% off the price.

Browse the Buy Gift Cards link to see a list of the cards currently available. The deals go fast. If you see a card, or cards, you really want - ADD it to your cart. You can pay by PayPal or credit card. Your purchased gift card(s) will be delivered to your door.

Buying gift cards is where the real savings is. At the time of this post, there are 134 merchant cards to choose from. Each merchant listed shows the amount of cards available.

Here are examples of the savings:

Coldwater Creek Gift Card - 13 cards available
Balance $300 is only $264.00. That is a savings of 12%

Home Depot Gift Card - More than 100 available
Balance $100 is only $93.00. Save 7%

There are lots of gift cards to restaurants too.

Starbucks - 26 cards available
Balance $25 is only $22.75. Save 9%

I am amazed at the savings and the selection. Anytime you can save a few dollars is a great deal for me!

Plastic Jungle gift cards are always changing too. That is part of the fun. You never know what is available.

Connect with Plastic Jungle
Facebook
Twitter
Sign up for Email notifications too!

***Giveaway Closed*** 


Mandatory Entry (First entry)
--Visit Plastic Jungle and tell me in a comment which gift card you would most like to have.
--Include your email address (if not public in a profile) so I can contact you if you win.

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done.

--Subscribe to my blog and verify the subscription. Current subscribers are eligible too.

--Follow my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower.

--Follow Plastic Jungle on Twitter

--Follow One 2 Try on Twitter. Current followers are eligible too, just leave a comment saying that you are a twitter follower.

--Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily).
Tweet

--Like Plastic Jungle on Facebook

--Like One 2 Try on Facebook.

--FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES - Write a blog post about this giveaway, with a link to my blog. Come back and leave the link to your blog post. Post FIVE separate comments that you've blogged about this.

--FOR 5 MORE ENTRIES - Let me know if you sell a gift card to Plastic Jungle. Post FIVE separate comments about your transaction. Subject to verification.

Giveaway ends on January 9th, 2011 at 11:59 PM Pacific time. Open to Continental US addresses only. No PO Boxes. Must be 18 years of age and over. Winner(s) will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted. Rules.

Many thanks to Plastic Jungle for providing the giveaway product.

Disclosure: No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Lucky Winners to Announce and Giveaway Update!

Here is an exciting giveaway update: The wonderful people from Purex have increased the prize value of the Purex Complete Crystals Softener Giveaway Coupons. The coupon will now be for a FREE bottle of Purex Complete Crystals Softener! I am giving away THREE coupons! Here is the link to enter:

Purex Complete Crystals Softener (ends 1/5)


Here are the lucky winners for recently ended giveaways. Congrats to all the winners!

Gluten Free CookbooksRandom Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
40 Timestamp: 2010-12-18 21:56:44 UTC

40. SLS(atlmuzikfanzinc

Simplehuman Trash Can
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
121 Timestamp: 2010-12-18 22:44:50 UTC

121. cloud10277

Flings Bins
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

116 102 Timestamp: 2010-12-21 02:39:25 UTC

116. Jessy B

102. Betty C

Aloha From Oregon Re-draw
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
110 Timestamp: 2010-12-22 17:13:17 UTC

110. polly

Softlips Winter Collection
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
139 Timestamp: 2010-12-28 16:41:01 UTC

139. lewalk

Beauty Gifts Galore
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
193 Timestamp: 2010-12-28 16:44:05 UTC

193. Susanmeep

Rita Monti Coffees
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
6 Timestamp: 2010-12-28 16:48:01 UTC

6. jennem

Thanks everyone for participating. 2011 will be an exciting year at One 2 Try. Some changes are coming soon, I am sprucing up the look and more in the next few weeks. Stay tuned.

New TV for Christmas? Shop for a TV Stand.

Were you one of the lucky gift recipients of a new TV this past Christmas? Maybe you got a bigger TV and it really does not fit your old stand. Maybe you just want to rearrange your furniture for a new Corner TV Stand.

TV Stands.com is one of the fabulous 200+ stores of CSN Stores. All Home Styles Corner TV Stands are on sale for a limited time for $375. The styles will fit any decor. You can find the perfect size for your TV or the best match for your living space. My personal favorite happens to be on sale currently. The dCOR design Amara 32" - 52" Corner TV Stand in Solid Wood. It lists for $529 but is on sale for only $199. What a deal!


Looking for something larger - TV Stands.com has very decorative entertainment centers too! Bring your new larger TV to the focal point of the room. Shopping at TV Stands.com is easy and with styles plus prices to meet every budget, you are sure to find the perfect stand for your newest toy!


As a Preferred CSN Blogger I am passing this information along.

Disclosure: No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Purex rocks the world of fabric softeners! - Giveaway (ends 1/5)

Tweet

Laundry is about to have a new fresh smelling fabric softener. Introducing NEW Purex® Complete Crystals Softener.


Purex Complete Crystals Softener is a unique crystal you simply add at the beginning of the laundry cycle. The Purex Complete Crystals Softener works by infusing your clothing fibers with long lasting fragrance. The fragrances available are Fresh Spring Waters, Lavender Blossom and Tropical Splash.

The Purex Complete Crystals Softener are safe for laundry and will not break down fabrics. The Crystals are 92% natural for gentleness on your clothes.
As a Purex Insider, I had the chance to try the new Purex Complete Crystals Softener. I was actually looking forward to doing laundry ( I never thought I would say that!) The Purex Complete Crystals Softener is measured and added at the beginning of the wash cycle with the clothes and the detergent. No more waiting for the rinse cycle or having to pour liquids in the softener reservoir. I loved the fragrance the wash was emitting. The scent was freshening my entire laundry room. It was like a room air freshener too! The very pleasing aroma of the Fresh Spring Waters is not overpowering with a clean fragrance. I liked the sample Purex Complete Crystals Softener so much I went to my local Walmart to purchase an additional scent. The Tropical Splash is a scent of the islands! This smells really good. I love the ease of measuring the crystals for each load. The Purex Complete Crystals Softener are safe for HE machines too! My laundry came out very soft and fragrant. I will have to see in a few days if the fragrance has lasting power. My only wish for the Purex Complete Crystals Softener is to better control static. I noticed some static in my clothes from the dryer so with the next loads I was using my dryer cut in half just for static control. It did not affect the Purex Complete Crystals Softener fragrances, I could still smell the deliciously fresh scent.

You can find the new Purex Complete Crystals Softener at your local food, drug and mass retailers nationwide. The suggested retail price is $3.99 to $5.99 depending on the retailer. At my local Walmart the price was $3.97.

Try new Purex Complete Crystals Softener in your laundry. Change the way you think about fabric softeners!

***Giveaway Closed***


Mandatory Entry (First entry)
--Tell me in a comment which Purex Complete Crystals scent you would love for your laundry.
--Include your email address (if not public in a profile) so I can contact you if you win.

Giveaway ends on January 5th, 2011 at 11:59 PM Pacific time. Open to Continental US addresses only. No PO Boxes. Must be 18 years of age and over. Winner(s) will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted. Rules.

Many thanks to Purex Insiders for providing the review sample and giveaway coupons.

Disclosure: I received gratis sample(s) for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Lucky Leaf Festive Recipes and a Contest!

I love making recipes with the delicious pie fillings from Lucky Leaf. With all our holiday travel the past few weeks I could not get these incredible recipes made until yesterday.

Lucky Leaf makes it so easy to make delicious desserts. The Apple Streusel Bread made with Lucky Leaf Apple Pie Filling is scrumptious. The recipes makes two regular size loaves. The taste is like a slice of apple pie. The recipes calls for apple pie spice which gives it the fresh baked pie flavor. The big chunks of apple are delightful. The Lucky Leaf Pie filling is filled with more fruit so you get lots of tender apples in the mix! I took a slice, heated it slightly in the microwave then added a little butter for a decadent breakfast treat. So good! It was such an easy recipe to make I would make this one again! It could easily become a family favorite.

Apple Streusel Bread
Provided by Lucky Leaf

Ingredients

•2 1/2 cups packaged baking mix

•1/2 cup flour

•2 teaspoons apple pie spice

•4 eggs, beaten

•1 (21-oz.) can LUCKY LEAF Apple Pie Filling

•1 cup LUCKY LEAF Apple Sauce

•3/4 cup packed brown sugar (divided)

•2/3 cup cooking oil

•1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8x4x2-inch loaf pans. In a large bowl combine baking mix, flour, and apple pie spice. In another large bowl combine eggs, apple pie filling, apple sauce, 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, and oil. Add to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Top each loaf with remaining brown sugar and walnuts (if using). Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight for easier slicing. Makes 2 loaves

For another festive recipe, perfect for your New Year's Eve party, make Lucky Leaf Lucky Stars Sugar Cookies! This recipe could not be a simpler. Use your sugar cookie dough of choice with 1 can of Lucky Leaf Premium Raspberry Pie Filling to make filled cookies!

Okay so I thought it would be simple. I had a cookies disaster of epic proportions! It was not the fault of the recipe it was more of the cookie dough I chose. I picked up a refrigerated Sugar Cookie dough and used it. WRONG! Then I seemed to put too much pie filling in my cookies and when I sandwiched them together - the filling oozed out all around the cookies. It was not so pretty. I cleaned them up and baked them as directed. It was smelling really wonderful then I opened the oven. My cookies became the size of small dessert plates! The dough I used spread so much they were like flat pancakes with a thin raspberry layer. Oh but they smelled so yummy! I had to taste them anyway. Delicious! All was not lost. The cookies were too large to stay as cookies, and very fragile too, so I broke them up in smaller chunks of cookies. I placed the cookie pieces in dessert dishes then served them with a little vanilla ice cream. Yeah that's it, that was my plan all along! It was one of the best impromptu desserts I have made in a long time!

The recipe really needs to have a good dough for the rolled type of cookies. The filling needs to be a smaller dollop. I bet you could use any of the other delectable pie fillings to make these filled sugar cookies in all sorts of flavors. These would be wonderful for brunches too.

Lucky Stars Sugar Cookies
Provided by Lucky Leaf
Ingredients

•1 Prepared raw sugar cookie dough of your choice

•1 (21 oz.) can LUCKY LEAF Premium Raspberry Pie Filling


Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cookie dough according to package directions or the recipe of your choice. Roll out sugar cookie dough to about a 1/4" thickness.

Tip: place parchment paper on the counter and on top of the dough to prevent the dough from sticking to your rolling pin.

Use a star cookie cutter (or a cookie cutter of your choice) to cut out an even amount of cookies, then place half of the cookies on a baking sheet. Place a dollop of pie filling in the center of the cookie, then place another star cookie on top. Gently seal cookie with a fork to crimp the edges together.

Bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown.


On to the Baking Contest! Lucky Leaf is giving you bakers a chance to show your creative recipes! Enter your original favorite recipe using Lucky Leaf Pie Filling into the 2nd Annual Made With Love Recipe Contest! Your winning recipe could be the grand prize winner of $4000! Entries can be submitted through February 28, 2011. For more details and the rules of the contest visit Lucky Leaf. Grab a few cans of Lucky Leaf Pie Filling and get baking!

Many thanks to Krista and Lucky Leaf for providing the review samples for baking.

Disclosure: I received gratis sample(s) for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

It was a Silent Night!

Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Mine was very peaceful. For the first time ever, my hubby and I decided to disappear for the holiday. We loaded up the RV, took the dogs and spent a few wonderful days at Santee Lakes near San Diego.

I decorated the RV with a little Christmas Tree, some lights and a few other decorations. Our site was right on the lake just 12 feet from the water. We went fishing. One of my gifts was a new fishing pole so I gave it a try. I caught two pretty good size catfish. My reel even locked up and got all knotted but I began pulling the fishing line in by hand! It was a 4 pound catfish! Then I caught another one! Both were put back in the lake.

There were many ducks in all colors plus gorgeous birds. It it a perfect spot for bird watchers. I fed the ducks and they were eating right out of my hand! That was pretty cool. Our holiday dinner consisted of grilled steak and rice pilaf followed by cheesecake for dessert.

It did get a little scary at night because we heard a lot of coyotes in the area. We had to be real careful with our little dogs. Coyotes will go after our pups and the campground did warn us of the coyote problem. As long as they were outside, I felt safe. It was exciting to hear the howling. We also had a visit from some raccoons at night too!

We are definitely planning a return trip to Santee Lakes. We had a blast and can't wait to get back to the beautiful lakes.

After a peaceful Silent Night, it is back to regularly scheduled programming. I missed you guys!

Happy Holidays to All!

Last Minute Gift Idea: Smarty Ants Phonic Reading Pup - Review

I am a real softie for animated fun toys. I become mesmerized with each movement. Here is a cuddly learning toy to bring joy to your children while helping them learn. Introducing Smarty Ants.

Smarty Ants is created by the Founder of Leapfrog. This adorable Phonics Reading Pup comes with 10 songs to teach your child the alphabet, letter sounds, rhyming and sight words, Phonics word building and more! Signing up for a membership at Smarty Ants includes access to 300 learning songs to download and a fun online learn to read experience.

Did I mention the cuteness of Smarty Ants? The Phonics Reading Pup comes in two furry styles - The Phonics Reading Pup White and the Phonics Reading Pup Husky. Courtesy of Smarty Ants I am enjoying the pleasure of listening to the adorable Husky. He is so cuddly with big bright eyes. I love watching him move as he sings and shares the learning lessons. The vocals are pleasant too. The tunes are very catchy. I find myself singing along quite easily. To activate the pup, you simply press a paw. Your child will be learning from a furry friend!

My sister is a 1st grade teacher, which is perfect for the suggested age of Smarty Ants. Ages 4 to 7. When the holiday break is over she will be sharing Smarty Ants in her classroom. That should be a lot of fun.

When you purchase Smarty Ants you get a free 30-day membership to SmartyAnts.com. This secure password protected website is designed for pre-kindergarten through first grade reading skills. Entering the world of Smarty Ants is easy for kids of all reading levels. There are over 60 stories and over 125 interactive videos for learning.


Welcome To SmartyAnts! from Smarty Ant on Vimeo.

The Phonics Reading Pup connects to your computer with a USB cable for downloading new songs. The great part is the Pup is portable to take anywhere. It is fun, practical and educational. It makes me wish I were a kid again!

You can purchase Smarty Ants Phonics Reading Pup at Amazon for the starting price of $29.99 or higher with a 1 year subscription to the Smarty Ants Website. It is still a reasonable price for the knowledge of learning.

Smarty Ants Phonics Reading Pup makes a wonderful gift. Cute, Cuddly and great at teaching!

Disclosure: I received gratis sample(s) for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Coffee-mate: Coffee House at Home - Giveaway (ends 1/3)

As many of you know I am a multiple cup daily coffee drinker. It is my beverage of choice at home and in restaurants. At home my coffee is always made with the great flavors of Coffee-mate.

I have been faithfully enjoying Coffee-mate liquid as far back as I can remember. Years I would say. At any given point I can have 4 flavors in my refrigerator. Right now I have only two but a trip to the store is imminent. I like to enjoy different flavors during the day. The fun part is when I have company. I set up my own "coffee bar". I have two types of coffee brewers to offer a choice of coffees, then I set up a variety of mugs, (oh yes I am obsessed with mugs too), then I line up all my Coffee-mate flavors on the counter for the choosing. I enjoy watching which mug and which flavor my guests choose.

My two favorite flavors of the moment, and in my fridge are, Italian Sweet Creme and Creme Brulee. I purchase the larger 32oz bottles so I don't run out.

A few of my other fave flavors:
Parisian Almond Creme
French Vanilla
Vanilla Caramel
Chocolate Raspberry

I took the fun What's My Flavor Quiz and the answer came up Caramel Macchiato! I will have to try that flavor. It is on my shopping list.

I love the creamy rich taste that only Coffee-mate delivers in my cup. I look forward to the very first sip of delicious creamy coffee in every cup. For a seasonal treat, try the Pumpkin Spice or the Peppermint Mocha to make your own fancy coffeehouse drinks at home! I think my coffee tastes better and I save money too! I can make a lot of flavored lattes with one Coffee-mate bottle for about the same price as one of those spend bucks drinks. With an incredible selection of Coffee-mate flavors you can have your own "Coffee Cafe" in the comfort of your home, anytime.

Visit the Coffee-mate My Cafe section of the website for tips on being your own Barista plus delicious Coffeehouse recipes to make. I am making a Cinnamon Vanilla Cafe tonight after dinner. YUM! Did you know you can use Coffee-mate to make desserts? I am drooling over the Gingerbread Creme Brulee or the Winter Spice Scones.

To Purchase: Look for Coffee-mate at your local grocer. The liquid is found in the dairy section while the powders are usually found in the coffee aisle. Whichever you prefer, liquid or powder, you have a fabulously delicious selection of flavors to choose from.

Connect with Coffee-mate
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***Giveaway Closed***




Mandatory Entry (First entry)
--Visit Coffee-mate and tell me in a comment which is your favorite flavor to create your own Coffeehouse drink at home.
--Include your email address (if not public in a profile) so I can contact you if you win.

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done.

--Take the Coffee-mate What's Your Flavor Quiz and leave a comment on the results. Try a new flavor!

--Subscribe to my blog and verify the subscription. Current subscribers are eligible too.

--Follow my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower.

--Follow Coffee-mate on Twitter

--Follow One 2 Try on Twitter. Current followers are eligible too, just leave a comment saying that you are a twitter follower.

--Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily).
Tweet

--Like Coffee-mate on Facebook

--Like One 2 Try on Facebook.

--FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES - Write a blog post about this giveaway, with a link to my blog. Come back and leave the link to your blog post. Post FIVE separate comments that you've blogged about this.

Giveaway ends on January 3rd, 2011 at 11:59 PM Pacific time. Open to Continental US addresses only. No PO Boxes. Must be 18 years of age and over. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted. Rules.

Many thanks to Coffee-mate for providing the review sample and giveaway product.

Disclosure: I received gratis sample(s) for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Choccreate: Your Chocolate Your Way - Giveaway (ends 12/31)

I never met a chocolate I did not like (so far anyway). I dream about chocolate and the flavors I would love to see in a chocolate. With the help of Choccreate, I was able to bring those flavor dreams to life.

Choccreate lets you make Your Chocolate Your Way. Starting with your favorite chocolate - milk, white or dark, you then select from a nice variety of ingredients to create your special flavor combination. The combinations are only limited to your imagination.

A few of the best seller combinations are:
Dark Chocolate with Oats, Cranberries and Walnuts
Milk Chocolate with Rice Crispies, m&m's and Marshmallows
Milk Chocolate with pretzels and cheez-its
Milk Chocolate with blueberries. craisins and pecans

Try Zora's favorite of Zora's Banana Split Chocolate: Spectacular Gourmet German White Chocolate merged with Cocoa Nibs, chopped dried strawberries, Blanched CA Almond Slivers, all mixed in and topped with Dried light crisp Banana Chips. YUM!


To really experience Choccreate for this review, I had the guilty pleasure of creating 3 scrumptious bars. First I am impressed with the lovely packaging my bars came in. Each bar was individually wrapped and placed in a see through pink and brown box tied with a fancy pink ribbon. A very nice touch for multiple bar orders. I had a lot of fun mixing flavors for my ideal taste sensation. My first bar - Dark Chocolate with dried figs, rice crispies and walnuts. The dark chocolate is pretty sweet in taste with blended nicely with the savory flavors I chose. I love the big generous size walnuts. I am very fond of white chocolate so I created one with corn flakes, craisins and mini marshmallows. This is really good. the creaminess of the white chocolate with the tartness of the craisins is a burst of taste. The cornflakes added a crunch and the mini marshmallows added an extra chew. I would make this bar again! My last bar is a bit of a flavor experiment. Milk chocolate with dried apricots, chili powder and real bacon bits. I was going for the sweet, salty and spicy tastes. You know what? It works! This is my favorite of all the bars!



What are you waiting for? Get to making some chocolate! To get you started here is a 20% off discount valid through 02/28/2011, coupon code "one2try".
Order directly online from Choccreate. With ingredients of fruits, nut and cereals, gourmet, extras and more, decorations, plus herbs and spices, if you can think it you can create it. Choccreate - Your Chocolate Your Way!

Connect with Choccreate
Facebook
Twitter

***Giveaway Closed***


Mandatory Entry (First entry)
--Visit Choccreate and tell me in a comment how you would make your chocolate bar.
--Include your email address (if not public in a profile) so I can contact you if you win.

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done.

--Subscribe to my blog and verify the subscription. Current subscribers are eligible too.

--Follow my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower.

--Follow Choccreate on Twitter

--Follow One 2 Try on Twitter. Current followers are eligible too, just leave a comment saying that you are a twitter follower.

--Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily).
Tweet

--Like One 2 Try on Facebook.

--FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES - Write a blog post about this giveaway, with a link to my blog. Come back and leave the link to your blog post. Post FIVE separate comments that you've blogged about this.

--FOR 5 MORE ENTRIES - Make any purchase from Choccreate. Post FIVE separate comments about your purchase. Subject to verification. Come on its chocolate!

Giveaway ends on December 31st, 2010 at 11:59 PM Pacific time. Open to Continental US addresses only. No PO Boxes. Must be 18 years of age and over. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted. Rules.

Many thanks to Choccreate for providing the review sample and giveaway product.

Disclosure: I received gratis sample(s) for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

One of a Kind Gift Idea: Priority Bracelet - Review

It is almost time to make those New Year's Resolutions. There has been countless times have I made the same resolution to only forget it in a few weeks or months! This year I have an incredibly stylish way to prioritize my life. Introducing Priority Bracelet. A Life Planner for Your Wrist!

At Priority Bracelet you design a bracelet (or necklace, pin, earrings) that depict what's important to you or the person you are giving it to. We assemble it as per your instructions. You can design a piece of jewelry that

■ inspires
■ encourages
■ recognizes milestones
■ shows gratitude

These bracelets are so packed with meaning that they help strengthen relationships and change lives. That's why we call it A Life Planner for your Wrist.

The premise of Priority Bracelet is to think of your priorities and share them as a charm on a beautiful reminder bracelet. Wearing your Priority Bracelet provides a visual reference to your thoughts and keeps you on track. reminding you of what is important. It is inspiration on your wrist!

I recently had the fabulous opportunity to create my own Priority Bracelet. Deb at Priority Bracelet is a gem of a person to offer such a wonderful bracelet. Thanks very much Deb, I will cherish this bracelet and its meaning for a long time to come!

My bracelet took a bit of thought. I amazed myself at how easy my priorities came to me. First I put my mind into my goals for the new year and then searched for the perfect charms to match those ideas. My bracelet came together easily and when it was finished I felt a sense of completeness in where I am in my life and what I hope to accomplish.


Here are my charm choices and thoughts behind each one:

Integrity - Stay true to myself and ideals
Dog - Play more with my pups
Health - My #1 goal this coming year - get in shape and stay there (lose the blogger butt)
Live Love Laugh - Everyday to the fullest
Teapot - Take time for friends - Stop to share a cup of tea
Apple Pie - Stay as sweet as....
Sneaker - Get more exercise (goes with Health)
I Love My Husband - Tell him and show him everyday (lots more hugs)
Computer - Grow my blog and social media prescence (changes are coming)
Man in the Moon - Reach for my dreams
Camper - Get out more into nature (yes leave the computer behind) 
Donkey - Stay away from Jack A**es (or at least not let them bother me)

It all works for me. It is me and what I am striving for in the coming year and beyond!

Ordering from Priority Bracelet is a lot of fun. There are more than 800 charms to choose from. Everything from animals, hobbies, school, travel, letters and many more! The prices are reasonable from very inexpensive to higher priced. The detail of the charms grabs your attention. Each charm is so precious. You can choose a variety of bracelets to place your charms on. I chose the very interesting Circle Square Bracelet in Sterling Silver. There are many styles available. You choose the charms, you choose the bracelet - each creation is one of a kind designed by you! How cool is that!

Connect with Priority Bracelet
Facebook
Twitter

Think about yours or a loved ones priorities, goals or milestones. Create a Priority Bracelet as a personal very thoughtful gift! I know I am looking forward to the new year, wearing my goals on my wrist. This could be my best year ever!

Many thanks to Deb at Priority Bracelet for providing the review sample.

Disclosure: I received gratis sample(s) for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Last Minute Gift Idea: Hershey's Pot of Gold - Review

We are almost at Christmas. Do you have someone on your list that you are stumped on what to get? I say you can never go wrong with chocolates. This season give one of the best from the Hershey's Pot of Gold Fine Confections.

My favorite is the Premium Collection. I recently had the pleasure of tasting these chocolaty delights. The Premium Collection contains truffles, nut clusters, caramels and more. The chocolate is rich and delicious. The taste is divine! Hershey's knows how to tickle my chocolate loving taste buds. The Pot of Gold Premium Collection makes it easy to find your favorite with a diagram on the inside lid detailing the flavors. Which one did I grab first? Almond Creme. Mmmm good choice. The chocolate is so smooth while the almond creme filling is creamy and decadent. Inside you will find Chocolate Caramel, Vanilla Caramel. Caramel and Almonds, Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate Truffles just to name a few. I would love to get as a gift a Hershey's Pot of Gold Fine Confections.


There are a few assortments of Pot of Gold to choose from:
Hershey's Pot of Gold Caramel Assortment
Hershey's Pot of Gold Chocolate Assortment
Hershey's Pot of Gold Nut Assortment
Hershey's Pot of Gold Pecan Caramel Assortment
Hershey's Pot of Gold Premium Assortment
Hershey's Pot of Gold Truffle Assortment

The boxes are classy too. Hershey's Pot of Gold is always a welcome gift. With such great assortments to choose from, you can bet your gift will be enjoyed by all.

Need a chocolate treat for a stocking stuffer or maybe to use as a package adornment? Consider the Hershey's Pot of Gold Milk Chocolate Truffles in the 1 ounce box. This small morsel of chocolates contains three pieces of delightfully creamy milk chocolate truffles. Just enough for a sweet treat. The small package size fits stockings very well! For more fun ideas visit Celebrate with Hershey's. You will find lots of Christmas Cheer from Hershey's.

Look for Hershey's Pot of Gold Boxed Chocolates at major retailers and drug stores nationwide.
Instead of cookies I think I will leave Santa some Hershey's Pot of Gold Truffles. I have heard that Santa loves anything Hershey's. I bet he finds an extra gift to leave me.

Many thanks to Hershey's for providing the review samples.

Disclosure: I received gratis sample(s) for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Food Network: My wish list! - Review

I love watching the Food Network. I only wish I were as good a cook as those featured. I have my favorite shows. I love to watch the Food Network Challenge and anything with Guy Fieri in it. If you have a favorite show or want to cook like the pros - you can find all types of cooking items from the Food Network.

Shop by your favorite Food Network Host or by Food Network Show as well as by category or brand. I have a nice wish list going for many faves I hope to find in my stocking this year. Please Santa bring me the Food Network goodies!

I love browsing the wide selection of items. Take a look at the budget friendly gifts under $30. Maybe you need an idea for Stocking Stuffers sure to please any home cook.

A couple of my favorite items:
Tomato Veggie Tote by Rachael Ray
Sweetheart Rose Pan by Nordic Ware

My Must have on my wish list is the Butter Skillet Set by Paula Deen. I love the sunny yellow butter color and I sure could use new skillets! The Skillet Set does come in more colors to match any kitchen decor. My kitchen walls are buttery yellow so these skillets are the perfect choice. I like the two sizes for convenient cooking as well as the nonstick surface. I could make some great omelets in my new Butter Skillets. Thanks Paula Deen!



I have the Giant Cupcake Cake Pan by Wilton. It makes a super fun cupcake shape cake. It is a lot of fun to decorate your giant cupcake. Here it is next to my jumbo size mug! it is HUGE! You can decorate it any way you like! It makes the party fun!


You can find many cooking items and gifts from the Food Network. Make your budding chefs happy in the kitchen. They will feel just like the pros at Food Network.

Disclosure: I received a gratis gift certificate for this review. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.