SH&SH Pizza Cutter Review

So I like to make homemade pizzas, because 1. I love pizza and 2. I like easy meal prep. Of course when you make homemade pizza, sometimes the crust can be tough to cut through and although we have some knives to do the job, the end result isn't always pretty. Therefore, I was excited to review the pizza cutter from SH&SH.

Fulmar Expandable Bamboo Cutlery Organizer Review

Crafty had just come to help us pack our house up for the move and when we received the message about the Fulmar expandable cutlery organizer, she knew it would be perfect. We currently have a smaller one in the drawer, but with the move, it's time to think about what we could use and this was something I commented that we needed. So it came at a perfect time!

Federico's Car Care Tire Gauge Review

My husband travels more than 50 miles each way daily for work, so I'm always concerned about him driving that much and always on the lookout for products that will help keep his car running. When I was given the chance to review the tire gauge from Federico's Car Care, I was excited, because we have definitely spent a small fortune on tires over the years. It's a simple product, but having something on hand to ensure that we can extend the life of those tires is nice.

Live Infinitely Infusion Water Bottle Review

Getting my family to drink water is getting easier. I recently reviewed an infusion water bottle that had them begging for water. This past week, I was sent the Live Infinitely Water Bottle to review as well. 

Sumo Ice Cream Scoop Review

I love ice cream. I eat a ton of ice cream. But I always use a spoon to scoop it because I haven't had much luck with ice cream scoops. Usually they are either too weak to really do anything or, more often, the materials they're made with just aren't very long-lasting. So when I had a chance to review the SUMO Stainless Steel Ice Cream Scoop, I wanted to see if it made a difference. It is described as indestructible, so I figured why not?

Friendly Bands Sunshine Loom Craft Kit Review and Video

When I am stressed out or need a break from everyday life, I like to step away into my own little world with my loom and rubber bands. I have several straight looms, finger looms, and monster tail looms from Rainbow loom, but the loom Friendly Bands sent me is quite different. I was obviously very excited when they contacted me about doing a review.

Smarty Pants Zester/Grater Review

When we tried Blue Apron for the first time, we had no idea how to get zest from a lemon. Mostly because we didn't own a zester. It was never something we thought we really needed, but after trying to zest with a peeler and knife, we were very excited to be given the opportunity to review the zester/grater from Smarty Pants!

Boxy's Kitchen Supreme French Press Review

Recently, Crafty tried her own French Press for the first time, and I knew I had my own to review from Kitchen Supreme. She was new to the concept entirely, but I have actually used a French press for a very long time - since high school, in fact. I am slow in getting this review up just because with the move, I have been in a state of constant chaos!

In theory, I think a French press really is the way to go when drinking coffee, although I admit I do love the convenience of something like a Keurig. However, a French press has a ton of benefits, including the fact that it makes the best possible coffee if done correctly. It's a bit more complicated to get it perfect, of course, but once you do, you can't beat the flavor.

Another reason I always loved my French press was simply that it was allowed in my dorm. I worked at a cafe in high school and then for a while in college, so when I went away to school, I wanted coffee at the ready. I didn't feel like trekking over to the college center to get it in the cafeteria when my classes were in the opposite direction. My university didn't have a giant campus, but it gets cold up here and roaming around at 8 am without coffee? No. Of course, the dorm was about 200 years old and we weren't allowed to have anything that could be a potential fire hazard. There was a coffee maker in the kitchen in the dorm, but this was before the days of Keurig and you just didn't want to drink from a communal coffee pot. So the French press was great, because I could walk to the kitchen down the hall, heat my water, and bring it back, letting my coffee brew while I showered. No electricity needed and no fire hazard.

It's been a long time since I have owned a French press, or at least a usable one. I have a decorative one that was expensive that I bought with a full week's pay when I worked at the cafe, but that has never been used. So this came at a great time. My old one broke in one of the moves after college and I just never replaced it.

Sunsella Buddy Box Bento Style Lunchbox Review

My two older children and I take a lunch/dinner to school or work nearly every day. Generally, the kids take a sandwich, a fruit, and a snack along with a drink. We put the fruit in a plastic bag and use plastic wrap or tin foil for the sandwich. I was very excited, though, to review Buddy Boxes from Sunsella, which are great for helping to eliminate some of the waste, as well as helping with controlling portion sizes.

Little Lace Box Canvas Print Review

People love to complain. I work in customer service, so I know this, and I also know that customers tend to believe they're always right. Oftentimes, they just aren't, but you can't really say that, but I kind of wish you could. Anyway, Little Lace Box has had a heck of a few months because some people just aren't happy with them. I have no desire to minimize anyone's experience, but I just don't see it because I've enjoyed my Little Lace Box subscription. To each his own, though. 

One of the items in the last month's box was a canvas print. It wasn't technically in the box since it had to be shipped separately, but this is such a nice addition - a valuable work of art for your walls using your own photography. It sounds like it's been a bit of a nightmare for Little Lace Box - between people complaining that they can't choose a picture, that the process is too complicated, and then not being able to follow the directions. In a recent email, it sounds like a lot of people uploaded the wrong things. I know computers are complicated and I definitely get that. I wasn't sure I did it right, either, but my box arrived and it seems I did. I also have to say that this was far from complicated. I think the entire process took me ten minutes. Maybe. 

Sunsella Stainless Steel Vegetable Steamer Review by Crafty

For once my husband is so happy that I receive boxes nearly every day in the mail! My most recent package was the Sunsella Stainless Steel Vegetable Steamer, which I was given a chance to review.

Black Bear Market Single Serve Hot Chocolate Review by Crafty Family

All winter long, all I heard from the kids was, "Can we have hot chocolate now?" My typical response was, "Not right now. I don't feel like making it." Black Bear Market Hot Chocolate provides hot chocolate for the kids in single serve cups that they can make all by themselves with the Keurig. This was, therefore, a perfect item for review!

Angel Crafts Transfer Tape Review by Crafty

For a person who loves to craft and create as much as I do, I have one very tragic flaw when it comes to crafting: I can't draw, or even cut, a straight line to save my life. Even with a ruler or rotary cutter, my pieces are still uneven, my letters are crooked, and everything has an uphill climb to it.

Since I scrapbook and create other items using letters cut from my Cricut, this is a problem. My albums have the telltale sign of someone who can't use a ruler; every title in has letters that are staggered or offset. I do believe, though, I may have solved this problem. That is, Angel Crafts has, with their transfer tape that has a grid, making it that much easier to lay titles or vinyl images straight. I was so excited to receive this product for review!

I have used transfer tape before many times; however until recently, it was hard to come by. I could order it online, but it was fairly expensive and I needed to purchase a large amount at one time. This was helpful for a big project, or if I was working on many projects at the same time, but not for simple things. My other option was to stop at a shop that makes signs and ask if I could purchase a small amount. In our area, these shops are becoming harder and harder to find sadly, which makes Angel Crafts transfer tape almost ideal. It comes in a roll that is 12 inches wide and 8 feet long at a reasonable price.

To try this tape out, I decided to make Boxy a cute little tumbler with our blog name and cat on it. I used my Cricut to cut out the letters in vinyl. If you are not familiar with vinyl, it has a sticky back, which allows it to stick without having to add additional glue or adhesive. Once I had cut out the letters, I cut small pieces of the transfer tape making sure I had the grid lines to follow for placing the letters. I then lined everything up the way I wanted it to look.

The next step was to peel the backing off the vinyl so that I could place it on the tumbler.

I placed the words in the positions in which I wanted them and then I used my finger to press firmly on the letter outlines on the vinyl. This helps to make sure the vinyl sticks to the surface once the transfer tape is removed.

One of the problems I have had with transfer tape in the past is that it likes to stick to the vinyl. When it's pulled off, this sometimes distorts the letters. It also makes it hard to make sure they are lined up correctly. When I was ready to pull the transfer tape off this project, though, I had no problems at all. Everything came off smoothly, leaving only my design behind (and where I wanted it).

I also took the pieces of tape I used and returned them to the backing to reuse at another time. I am looking forward to being able to create many more items now without having to use the staggered placement of letters to hide my inability to make a straight line. 

Would you like to try Angel Crafts transfer tape for 50% off? Click Here! 

Crafty Reviews 3600 Piece Glow-in-the-Dark Loom Bands

It is no surprise to anyone who knows me or follows this blog that I love to use my loom to create all kinds of interesting things. I was so pleased with the first set of loom bands I received from Rubber Band Bracelet that reviewing their glow-in-the-dark bands just made sense. These were provided for me to review.

Fruit Infusion Water Bottle Review by Crafty

I am so terrible about drinking water. I am well aware of the benefits and the necessity of drinking at least 64-ounces a day, although I never seem to do it despite knowing them. I am like a child, though; if you give me something new to put my water in, I will then consistently drink water for days. That is where my new fruit infusion water bottle comes in. I was so excited to be given a chance to review this, because I've been eyeing these for months.

Temptations Snacky Mouse Review

IMPORTANT NOTE: I posted my review on the Temptations site as expected from Influenster, giving them a four star rating because this was a fail for us as you will see but may work for others. Temptations decided to remove my review and will not respond to customer service contact. I have decided no longer to purchase their products, as I do not support unethical businesses that behave this way. I think people should be aware when companies only want praise and not honest feedback. This may explain why they have so many recalls, because they don't care about anything but publicity and scamming consumers.

I am ashamed to admit this, but we have discovered that our cats are dumb. I love them very much and they are my babies, so I am sure this is the same sad feeling parents have when they realize their son, whom they really hoped would be the star quarterback, decides he hates football.

When Influenster sent me an email saying that we (well, our cats) had been selected to sample and review the new Snacky Mouse from Temptations, I was excited. My cats love Temptations treats and they love boxes now so this would be perfect. We received a big yellow box and I called the cats when I was coming inside to get them excited.

Instacandi Review and Video Tutorial with Giveaway!

As everyone who follows this blog likely knows, I love candy. I don't, however, like things made from animals. So I was interested when I was offered a chance to review Instacandi, but I did need to reach out to them to ask if I would be able to get a gelatin-free pack. They responded almost immediately and didn't even have to ask which candies to remove, because they had already gone ahead and looked up the candy list from PETA of vegan friendly candies. That alone endeared me to them - and then they sent me candy, too! :D

Here we have a review, a video tutorial of how to use their website, and a giveaway to win your own candy. I will say this package arrived really fast after we talked and it was gelatin-free (there was a stray Starburst, but I think that was a miscommunication because I noted that I used to love Starburst until I stopped eating gelatin so I think they assumed I still ate it. 

Sunsella Little Gems Silicone Baking Cups Review

I actually really enjoy baking and I'm always happy to try new products that make baking easier or less messy. When I was given a chance to review the silicone baking cups from Sunsella, I was excited because I have heard great things about these. Currently, I use my muffin pan and paper baking cups, but those can be wasteful. Plus the muffin pan needs to be cleaned after and it's often not easy unless I use the baking cups. 

The silicone baking cups eliminate the need for a muffin pan, since they can be set up on a cookie sheet, and they are very easy to clean. In addition, you can serve the muffins or cupcakes in them if you like, so it's less wasteful. They come in pretty colors, too!

EverKitchen 2 in 1 Lemon Squeezer Review by Crafty

Do you like a little lemon or lime in your beverage? If so, you should give the EverKitchen 2 in 1 Lemon Squeezer a try. I was sent this product for review and, after Boxy received her own to review, I was excited to try one.

Tarte Miracles from the Amazon Product Review

I think I need to accept that I have an issue. Sometimes I buy things just because they're on sale. I don't wear makeup, but did that stop me from buying a six piece makeup collection when I got a great deal on it? Of course not. 

One of the reasons I decided to get this was the variety of the kit, as well as the fact that Tarte is a quality brand. I am happy with the box, even if I won't use most of the items too often.