Rachael Ray Nutrish Zero Grain Review

We all know what it's like to have a loved one, who has always been a junkfood addict, have to straighten up and go on a diet. It's not just hard on them, it's hard on us, too. For instance, when it was too obvious to ignore that Mr. Kitty, had a serious junkfood problem from eating Meow Mix--putting on weight, throwing up, having asthma--I knew I had to do the hard thing and put her on a balanced, healthy diet.

This has not made either of us happy. While she will eat Rachel Ray's Zero Grain catfood, she makes it very clear as she broods over her cat dish and picks at it that she no longer has the joy she once had when she approached the cat food dish. She slides me glances that say: "I hope you're happy. I do this now for you, only out of a sense of duty. There is no sense of fulfillment. You've taken all the joy out of living with this move."

It's even worse when I indulge in a little junkfood myself. I feel compelled to hide in the bathroom and munch my potato chips furtively while she stalks around outside, pretty sure what I'm up to in there while forcing her to nibble on her healthy cat food. She doesn't seem to appreciate, as I do, the way her asthma has disappeared, she no longer throws up, and she's lost weight.

I don't think the small furbearing animals in this area appreciate it either. I have a dark, nightmare suspicion that she's taking out all of her angst on these poor defenseless creatures. She has that look in her eyes when she goes from her unfulfilling dish and then outside. I tell her that I'm only doing it out of love, but she doesn't seem to believe it.

All I'm saying is that while I think this cat food is top of the line and will help your cat to be healthy, don't expect to be appreciated by your feline friend for exercising your tough love muscles.

My Influenster Treat Voxbox

I was selected to receive the Influenster Treat Voxbox, and what a treat it was! This voxbox was crammed full of so many amazing products - products that were new to me and a few of my long, time favorites!

The theme of this voxbox is TREAT, and it came at the perfect time! Spring is always busy with the hustle and bustle of work and my itch to get outside to start yard projects. The products included in this box helped me to relax and calm myself as regular 'to do's' and my list of wants kept building.

Here's a quick look at all the wonderful products I received: 

Yum-V's: These adorable bear shaped vitamins are perfect for your little ones. This probiotic helps to add fiber into their diet and keep them healthy. Yum-V's have a chocolate flavor that helps the little bears to quickly be gobbled up.

Hills Bros Cappuccino: I'm a huge Cappuccino fan, so when I saw this English Toffee flavored mix I was thrilled! Each box comes with three packets that you can quickly and easily mix with hot water on the go. I'm always in a hurry in the mornings, so I add hot water to a thermos and mix these babies up once I get to the office. I also received a package of K-Cups, which are equally as convenient.

Country Crock: The Voxbox included a coupon for a free container of Country Crock. I've used Country Crock for as long as I can remember, and my parents used it while I was growing up too. It's a trusted brand that has never failed me. In my opinion, you just really can't go wrong with Country Crock.

Weleda: Weleda is a great brand that I discovered while pregnant with my youngest. I've tried several different Weleda products since my discovery and can't say a bad thing about this company. Their mission is to stimulate and inspire our body, soul and spirit. Good golly, that's a great mission. All that aside, I feel safe and comfortable using this Weleda products on my precious little one and that goes a long way with me.

Yogi Tea: Who doesn't love Yogi? Their tea is organic and healthy, they have the most adorable packaging and they include fun, inspirational sayings on their tea tags. This brand is just all around perfection!

Influenster put together another fabulous voxbox! They really got it right with the Treat Voxbox and I can't wait to see what they throw together in the next voxbox that I qualify for! Want to join the mission of influencing others and get your own Influenster Voxbox? Well you can! Join the crew by visiting Influenster today!

Ore-Ida Totchos

When I think about tater tots, I think about Ore-Ida. The quality brand tater tot is all we buy in my household. Recently, I was provided with an opportunity to try Ore-Ida Tater tots for free with the challenge of trying a Totchos recipe. What are totchos, you ask? Well.. only the best thing you've ever tried! Nachos with tater tots instead of chips! I selected a recipe and hustled to the store to grab the key ingredients. Tater Tot Nachos Ingredients: 1 package frozen tater tots (32 oz) 1 lb very lean ground beef 1 packet of taco seasoning 1-2 cups of shredded cheese 1/4 cup sour cream 1/3 cup pico de gallo 1/3 cup sliced blacked olives 2 Tablespoons diced cilantro Directions: 1. Prepare tater tots according to package. 2. While they are baking, cooking your ground beef with a package of taco season, or my homemade taco seasoning, until beef is browned and cooked through. Set aside. 3. Once tots are done cooking, removed from oven (but keep oven on) and top with cooked beef and cheese. Pop back in the oven until cheese is melted. Removed from oven and top with sour cream, pico de gallo, olives and cilantro. My entire family gobbled them up in no time, and this recipe earned a spot on our rotating recipe list!

Annie's Homegrown Soup - Creamy Tomato & Bunny Pasta

I received Annie's Homegrown Soup to try for free in exchange for an honest review. Prior to receiving Annie's Soup, I was aware of the brand and that they made organic products available at my local mass retailers. I have purchased Annie's fruit snacks on occasion in the past and my son has had Annie's products at daycare. My overall opinion of the brand was positive and remains to be. I like that Annie's is organic and a safe option for my toddler. When trying Annie's Creamy Tomato & Bunny Pasta Soup, I noticed that the tomato taste isn't as strong as other popular brands on the market. I prefer the more subtle and smooth tomato flavor of Annie's over other brands. My toddler seemed to enjoy the smoother taste as well. He especially enjoyed the Bunny Pasta in the soup. He ate the entire bowl and asked for more - I love that he enjoyed it so much and that it's a healthy option for him.

SweeTARTS Ropes Review - Smiley360 Mission

I was thrilled to be accepted into the Smiley360 SweeTARTS Ropes mission. As a member of this mission, the Smiley360 team sent me a sample of the new SweeTARTS Ropes to try and review for free.

The new SweeTARTS Ropes are the perfect combination of soft & chewy. They outer candy licorice rope is flavored as 'cherry punch' with the inner middle section containing that famous tart SweeTARTS flavor. When first biting into my first SweeTARTS Rope, I was impressed with the softness of the candy (it's not often that you find a candy as soft and chewy as this). My second initial reaction was to the tart inner section of the rope candy. It's definitely tart, but that good kind of tart that keeps you wanting more. SweeTARTS got the sweet and tart formula right with these new ropes! You might find yourself having a hard time putting them down. Want to learn more about SweeTARTS Ropes and Smiley360? Click here: *This review is my honest opinion. I was sent the product for free and have not been paid for this review.

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day®

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day®

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day®

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day®