Ritter Sport Chocolate Veteran’s Day Party

Last month I hosted another Tryazon party; this one was for Ritter Sport Chocolate and was Veteran's Day themed!  It was so much fun learning about Ritter Sport chocolates and getting to do a blind taste test with all of my guests!  Ritter Sport offers so many different varieties of premium chocolates including alpine milk chocolate, marzipan, dark chocolate, peppermint,  and milk chocolate with cornflake, butter biscuit, macadamia nuts, coconut and strawberry crème.  It was so hard to pick a favorite as there were so many to choose from!

For the blind chocolate tasting game, 6 different mini candy bars were unwrapped and guests had to blindly taste each one and then rate them in the order that they like them.  The top two winning flavors were peppermint and milk chocolate with cornflake!  In honor of Veteran's Day, we made this creation out of Ritter Sport Chocolate:

Thank you to Tryazon for selecting me as a host for this amazing party and thank you to Ritter Sport for making this party so delicious and chocolatey!

Goddess Garden Party

This Memorial weekend was a BLAST!  We hosted a Goddess Garden party with friends and their kids.  Tryazon graciously sent samples for each family to try along with an amazing array of their different sunscreens to fit every lifestyle.  Everyone had so much fun enjoying one another's company and learning about Goddess Garden products.  The adults talked about vacation plans for the summer, the importance of using sunscreen outdoors, what to look for when purchasing sunscreen and why Goddess Garden sunscreens are so wonderful.  The kids applied sunscreen and then headed out in the sun to play some fun water games (they didn't even have to wait for 20 min for the sunscreen to absorb because Goddess Garden sunscreen is effective immediately!)

One of the main reasons why Goddess Garden sunscreens are so great is that they are made with minerals (including zinc and titanium that reflect the sun's rays) rather than chemicals.  This means that the sunscreen isn't absorbed into the skin, won't break down in the sun and doesn't contain synthetic chemicals that can cause allergic reactions or other health issues.  Since Goddess Garden sunscreens are made with natural minerals, they’re just as safe for the earth as they are for  #GoddessGarden   #Tryazon 

Ozobot Evo Ground-Zero Party

with I recently hosted an Ozobot Evo Ground-Zero party with several of my friends and their kids.  The Ozobots were sent to me, courtesy of Tryazon, in exchange for our honest opinions of this product.  The kids at the party ranged from 2-8 and while even the youngest ones enjoyed interacting with the Ozobot, the oldest ones were able to get the most out of it by using it in conjunction with their ipads and drawing unique designs on paper for the Ozobot to follow.  The kids loved being able to race each other with different Ozobots to see which one would be crowned the winner.  Even the parents were getting in on the action and enjoying the Ozobots as much as the kids were!  There were times that the Ozobots would get confused and would need to be recalibrated, but it only took seconds to recalibrate and for it to be ready to go again.  This is definitely a product that I would recommend as a fun, learning tool that can be used individually or in a group setting.  My friends love that this product will grow with their kids and agree that it is a great way of introducing them to coding and STEM in a fun, engaging way. 

These smart toy robots can be purchased directly from the Ozobot website (http://ozobot.com/) or on Amazon.   #tryazon #ozobot

Enjoying New Silk® Protein Nutmilk!

I recently found out about the new Silk® Protein Nutmilk, compliments of Crowdtap, via a coupon for a free carton that I could use in exchange for my honest opinion of this product.  I had used Silk® milks before (my kids are especially fond of the dark chocolate almond milk!), but had never heard of this new nutmilk with packs in 10 grams of protein per serving from 100% peas!  I was SO excited to try it! With the goodness of almonds and creaminess of cashews, Silk® Protein Nutmilk is delicious over cereal, in smoothies, as part of a favorite recipe or served alone in a glass. Silk® offers this nutmilk in regular or vanilla varieties and I opted to first try the vanilla.  I love the creaminess of the milk, the slight sweetness of the vanilla (with only 6 grams of sugar!), the fact that the nutmilk is non-GMO, packs in 10g of protein and comes from a brand that I trust and that cares about the environment. 

I first made this delicious oatmeal for my family for breakfast using Silk Protein Nutmilk, blueberries and almonds.  It was DELICIOUS!  Kids and adults loved the hint of sweetness of the vanilla and the creaminess of the nutmilk.  As a mom, I love that this nutmilk is packed with 10g of protein, half the sugar of regular milk and is plant-based and non-GMO.  In the past, I would add brown sugar, agave, maple syrup or regular sugar to the oatmeal to sweeten it, but when using this vanilla nutmilk, I didn't have to add any additional sugars! 

I have also been enjoying trying out different smoothies using this new Silk Protein Nutmilk.  This particular one was quick and easy to whip up and a favorite amongst my kids.  I would highly recommend this delicious, healthy nutmilk!  #TastesLikeBetter

Trying NEW French’s® Dijon Mustard With Chardonnay

I was recently sent a free sample bottle of French’s® new Dijon Mustard With Chardonnay to try in exchange for my honest opinion, compliments of Crowdtap.  I love all different kinds of mustard, so when I found out about this new Dijon mustard with chardonnay, I was excited to try it with various types of recipes.  I love to cook with different wines and thought that this would be a great way to kick my recipes up a notch and give them a new level of flavor.  Sure enough, this mustard did impress!  Along with the bottle of mustard, I received a recipe card and immediately made the Deviled Eggs recipe.  The eggs were delicious!  My entire family loved them, including the kids.  The mustard has a nice creamy flavor with a touch of chardonnay and horseradish. 

 

My next recipe was Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash With Candied Dijon Sauce.  It was DELICIOUS!  The original recipe called for carrots, but I substituted butternut squash. 

 

This is the recipe if you are interested in making it:

      

1 lb. fresh Brussels sprouts, cleaned and cut in half

2 cups cut carrots

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. butter

1/4 cup FRENCH'S® Dijon Mustard

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

1/3 cup dried cranberries        

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut  off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the carrots, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, tossing twice. Roast until tender on the inside. Melt butter in saucepan over medium low heat. Stir in mustard, orange juice, and maple syrup. When vegetables are ready, pour sauce over them and mix in cranberries. Bake for 5 minutes.


It has been fun trying all sorts of appetizers, main dishes and sides with this new mustard.  It's also great just by itself as a dip (I enjoy dipping my egg in it in the morning).  And I love that it's made with all natural ingredients, no thickeners or fillers and no high fructose corn syrup.

Tryazon SmartGames Party

I recently hosted a SmartGames party through Tryazon and boy did the kids have fun!  I invited a few friends to our house for dinner and games.  While the adults were finishing up dessert, I brought out the games and introduced them to the kids.

 

Some kids decided to play a friendly game against each other and others played individually.  The three SmartGames that we played were Busy Bugs (using 4 puzzle pieces, kids had to find the hideouts of the busy bugs!  This game is magnetic and perfect for on-the-go!), Ghost Hunters (this was the party favorite!  In this game, kids light up all of the ghosts in each challenge by placing all the flashlight puzzle pieces correctly) and IQ XOXO (this game is neatly compact and is also great for on-the-go.   Players are challenged to fill the grid with 10 colorful, double-sided pieces, leaving X’s and O’s in sequence).  All three games were fun brain teasers and the kids had such a fun time comparing how they did on each of the games to their opponents. 

After the kids got the hang of how each of the games work, the adults got in on the action and we teamed up - parents against kids!  It was so much fun!  I explained to the parents that SmartGames has won over 70 awards worldwide and then we browsed their website for other games made by SmartGames.  All parents agreed that their website is laid out so user friendly with games categorized by "The Originals", "The Compacts", "The Pockets" and "The Magnetics".  Games are further broken down by age group.  Each of the games are awesome because they can grow with the kids.  Challenges are divided into 4 or 5 levels of difficulty. You start with the easiest challenges. Gradually, the challenges get more difficult so that they stay interesting and fun.  These would make GREAT gift givers, especially with Christmas right around the corner!  http://www.smartgamesusa.com/about-smartgames/

 

#tryazon #SmartGamesUSA 

Blount Organic Soup Party

I recently hosted a Blount Organic Soup party through Tryazon with several family members.  While the snow was falling outside and the temperatures were dropping, we were warm and cozy inside, enjoying each other's company and sampling many of the wonderful soups by Blount Organic.  We sampled Blount's Organic Coconut Lentil, Minestrone and Chicken Tortilla soups.  Each one was unique and had a wonderful flavor!  We paired the soup with some cheese fondue and oven crisped bread.  The combination was yummy!  After enjoyed each one of the soups, I will definitely be looking for other varieties at my local grocery store.  All of the ingredients used in Blount's bulk organic soups & sides contain no genetically engineered ingredients and are USDA Organic certified.  For more information on Blount Organic soups, please visit http://www.blountfinefoods.com/blount-organics.    #tryazon #blountorganics 

AMOPE® GelActiv™ Insoles - Crowdtap Review

I was recently sent a free package of AMOPE® GelActiv™ Insoles, compliments of Crowtap, in exchange for my honest review. 

Upon receiving the insoles, I immediately had to try them out.  I have had problems with foot pain for several years (had a bunion removed a couple of years ago and still have a bunion on my left foot).  So it hurts to wear flats, heels and any shoe with a tampered front.  For as long as I can remember, most shoes are uncomfortable to wear, especially for long periods of time.  But I've continued to hang onto my favorite pairs of shoes, uncomfortable or not, for special evenings out with friends and date nights where I will be sitting most of the time (going to dinner) or only need to wear the shoes for an evening.  I first tried the insoles with my favorite pair of Mary Janes - they are classy and go with lots of different outfits.  To my amazement, the shoes that were once uncomfortable to wear now feel like I'm walking in sneakers!  YEAH! 

The next pair of shoes I tried on using AMOPE® GelActiv™ Insoles is my favorite pair of flats.  I tried wearing these a month ago when I started my new job, but by the end of the day, my feet were in lots of pain.  With the insoles, I was able to wear them all day long without a problem. 

I love how versatile AMOPE® GelActiv™ Insoles are - I am able to use them with lots of different pairs of shoes, they are thin enough to fit into my shoes and still be comfortable and provide arch, heel and toe support for my feet.  Also, the insoles stay firmly in place inside my shoes and don't shift at all - this is a huge plus!  I am so glad that Crowdtap has introduced me to AMOPE® - I am a huge fan!

 

T-fal Ingenio Stop, Drop & Chop Party

I was lucky enough to be selected another Tryazon party last weekend.  It has been such a fun summer with lots of family gatherings and time with friends.  July is no exception -- my son turned 5 years old and I hosted a birthday party for him.  The afternoon before the party, I hosted a T-fal Stop, Drop & Chop party using a T-fal Ingenio Rapid Chopper, Micro Edge Peeler, 4 Quart Bowl, Zen 6" Utility Knife, Tripod Strainer and Cutting Board.  These items were sent to me along with peelers for guests to take home, compliments of Tryazon, in exchange for our honest opinions.  We started by cutting the food into smaller pieces so that they would fit into the chopper.  With just 5 pulls of the string, the food was evenly diced and ready to be added to the bowl.  What would have taken me 30 minutes to chop by hand only took 10 minutes with the T-fal Ingenio Rapid Chopper!  Already I was a HUGE fan!  This chopper is going to allow me more time to get other party preparations done before the big day tomorrow!  Other great features of this gadget is that it uses no electric power, is very easy to clean, can chop food in 5 seconds and has a lifetime warranty!

For the next recipe, we made home made guacamole.  I was curious if the food chopper would dice the avocado or if the avocado would come out mushy.  Much to my delight, the chopper did the perfect job and the avocado was diced perfectly!

We each tried a turn dicing ingredients for the recipe and love how effortless the chopper is to use!

The guacamole was delicious!  Not much left in the bowl!

 

We saved the Hawaiian Salsa to serve the next day - I spooned it into a halved pineapple to make it look fancy!

The party was a huge success!  I made sure to speak with everyone about the T-fal Ingenio Rapid Food Chopper and how it made food preparations so much quicker.  I spoke with them about how all of the T-fal Ingenio products are such nice quality and can be purchased on Amazon. 

#tryazon #tfal 

Sterno S'mores Maker Party

I was recently sent a complimentary Sterno S'mores Maker, compliments of Tryazon, in exchange for my honest opinion of this product.  This past weekend I hosted a family gathering and we were able to make S'mores right on the table on our patio without the need to build a fire!  Adults and kids alike had a great time.  The S'mores Maker was easy to set up, cleanup was a breeze and it provided wonderful S'mores and fun entertainment.  Here are some pictures of my family enjoying the great outdoors with one another and making tasty S'mores!  #tryazon #smoresanytime 

Kids on the Block Party

I was recently introduced to IO Blocks (a product made by Guide Craft) compliments of Tryazon, in exchange for my honest review.  As an alternative to Legos, kids can use them to build all sorts of things (animals, robots, buildings, vehicles and more) by using their imagination or the set of creativity cards that come with the set (showing them how to build certain things).  The blocks are soft to the touch, come in bright colors and are very easy to assemble (easily adjustable friction fit) as well as disassemble.  I recently hosted a "Kids on the Block" party and the moms that attended love how these blocks foster their child's imagination as well as foster STEM skill development.  Another very cool feature to the set is that it comes with an innovative augmented reality IO Blocks App that acts as a virtual build guide: free download included for your smartphone or tablet.  Below are a couple pictures from the party:

                                The kids are enjoying sharing ideas and using their imagination

                                  What a fun filled day playing with friends while learning!

For more information on this product, where to buy and to view the different IO Block sets, please visit http://www.guidecraft.com/product-cat/ioblocks/.   #tryazon  #ioblocks

L'Oréal® Paris Advanced Haircare

I recently sampled L'Oréal® Paris Advanced Haircare Extraordinary Oil Shampoo, Conditioner and Lustrous Oil Serum, compliments of crowdtap, and LOVE the results!  I have used other L'Oréal® products in the past and have been very happy with them, so I was very excited to try this product line for the first time.  The shampoo easy lathered (but contains sodium laurel sulfate, so is not safe for color treated hair) and smells wonderful.  I left the conditioner on for 5 minutes (directions stated 1-3 minutes) and as soon as I washed it out, my hair felt the silkiest and softest it's ever felt!  After showering, my hair felt so healthy and nourished.  Next, I applied the Extraordinary Lustrous Oil Serum and once my hair dried, it was so shiny and my hair wasn't frizzy like usual.  My hair is prone to breakage, so I love that this product line targets this problem and also contains coconut, argan, chamomile, amla, soja and sunflower oils that penetrate and nourish each strand from deep within and then seals in each cuticle to protect hair.  And even with all the oils in each product, my hair didn't feel weighed down at all or greasy.  Once again, I was not disappointed with this line of L'Oréal® Paris products.  I would definitely recommend!  Below is an after photo:

Getting Crafty With Mr. Sketch® Scented Washable Markers

My kids and I recently sampled Mr. Sketch® Scented Washable Markers, compliments of Crowdtap.  It was the perfect day to try out these markers because it was snowing outside and the kids made artwork with these markers for 2 hours!  I sat down with them and began drawing, too... the smells brought back lots of great memories from my childhood and I loved being able to pass that down to my kids.  The boys very much enjoyed closing their eyes and trying to guess the scent of each marker.  We had so much fun!  They love the bright, bold colors and I love that the marker easily washed out of their clothing after all the fun.  Thank you Mr. Sketch® and Crowdtap for a fun afternoon!

Cooking With Country Crock® Calcium plus Vitamin D

I recently received a free tub of Country Crock® Calcium plus Vitamin D, compliments of Influenster, in exchange for me honest opinion of this product.  Before receiving a free coupon for this product, it had been YEARS since I used Country Crock®.  I forgot how delicious and creamy it tastes!  Not only that, but this variety has added Calcium + Vitamin D.  It is also easy to spread and is made with natural flavors and oils.  This is a butter I can feel good about using!  Here is a small sampling of some of the desserts and melted chocolate I recently made using this butter.  The dessert turned out delicious!  If you haven't tried this butter in awhile, give it a try - you won't be disappointed!

Garnier Clearly Brighter Challenge

I recently took the Garnier Clearly Brighter Challenge and can honestly say that my skin has never felt and looked better.  After using this Brightening & Smoothing Daily Moisturizer for only one week, my face is visibly more radiant, feels smoother, appears more even toned and is moisturized.  I love that the Clearly Brighter Brightening & Smoothing Daily Moisturizer is infused with antioxidants (Vitamins C & E, Pine Bark Essence, and gentle exfoliating Lipo-Hydroxyl Acid), and contains a broad spectrum SPF 15.  It has a wonderful smell (unlike some moisturizers with sunscreen in them) and absorbs into the skin quickly without that greasy feeling.  After seeing results with this product, I plan to add other Clearly Brighter skincare products to my daily routine.

Sheila G's Brownie Brittle Tryazon Party

I hosted this Thanksgiving at my home and after our feast, I introduced Shiela G's Brownie Brittle to family and friends.  I was sent several complimentary bags from Tryazon in exchange for an honest opinion of this product.  Each person that tried the dessert LOVED it!  It has a nice crisp texture and a rich, chocolate flavor with very few calories. 

For the recipe, I made Brownie Brittle Toffee.  Recipe is as follows:

Brownie Brittle Toffee

1 bag (5 ounces) Brownie Brittle

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon corn syrup

3/4 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1. Line a 9 x13 pan with foil. Lightly spray with cooking spray. Place Brownie Brittle in a single layer on bottom of pan, start with the large pieces and then fill in the gaps with the smaller pieces and crumbs. Set aside.
2. In a 2 quart sauce pan, melt butter, sugar, water and corn syrup, until sugar is melted and all combined. Increase heat to medium, stirring frequently, heat to a temperature of 290 degrees (hard crack stage on a candy thermometer)
3. Remove from heat and carefully pour evenly over Brownie Brittle. Let sit for 5 minutes then sprinkle chocolate chips over top of toffee layer. Let sit another 5-6 minutes, until chocolate chips start to melt. Spread melted chocolate evenly over top of toffee. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.
4. Let candy completely cool. Lift candy out of pan using foil. Remove foil and place candy on a cutting board to cut. Using a sharp knife, cut candy into squares. Store in an airtight container.

Brownie Brittle is only 120 calories per ounce, so it makes for a wonderful dessert (even for those who are watching their calories)!  Brownie Brittle can be found in more than 20,000 stores.  For a location near you, visit http://browniebrittle.com/find-a-store.

For more recipes using Brownie Brittle, please visit http://browniebrittle.com/recipes-all/.  And right now you can order on their website using code DEC25 to receive 25% off your order!  #tryazon #browniebrittle