Heart Zipper: 2017

Monday, November 20, 2017

Glee Gum Make Your Own Chewing Gum Kit Review & Coupon Code

*I received the featured product free of charge in order to give an honest review. No other product or monetary compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own and others may have a different opinion. Products received will never influence the content, topics, or posts made on this blog.**

Just in time for the holidays!!

Glee Gum Make Your Own Chewing Gum Kit

Make your own chewing gum with natural rainforest rubber. Everything you need is included, and it’s easy!

Inside each Make Your Own Chewing Gum Kit, you’ll find natural chewing gum base, confectioner’s sugar, corn syrup, two natural flavors, a small pan, simple instructions, and a story about the sustainable harvest of rubber.

First you soften the gum base, either in the microwave or on the stove. Then you add the sugar, corn syrup, and flavoring, knead it a little, and WOW! You’ve made your own gum, right at home!

Each Gum Kit makes 30 – 50 pieces of chewing gum. Adult supervision is recommended. A fun activity for classrooms, scout troops, birthday parties, home schools, date nights, and more. A great gift for kids (ages 8 & up) and gum chewers of all ages!

This is such a fun gift to give for the holidays!! We absolutely loved this product. I have a 10 year old girl that loves cooking and crafts so this was the perfect thing for her to try out. This product is recommended for ages 8+ which I do agree with because it can be messy and you do have to follow directions closely. Everything is included in this box to make your own chewing gum. My daughter loved making her own chewing gum with this kit. She was also really excited when she saw on the box that it was supposed to make 50 pieces of gum. It was a really fun learning experience for her and a great teaching tool. We really like this make your own gum kit. This kit takes a little time and needs parents help, but it was well worth it. It was definitely worth seeing the look on my child's face and how much she really enjoyed making this kit. We would highly recommend this kit for kids that love cooking and crafts!!

Also check out many other great products from Glee Gum

Glee Gum just release 2 new flavors of gum. Sugar-Free Wintergreen & Bubblegum flavored gum. I like that these are also made with xylitol rather than other sweeteners. I get migraines from many artificial sweeteners but I don't get them from these. :)

Check out all the products at gleegum.com

Save 15% with this Coupon Code

Exclusive web-store discount:
Save 15% on EVERYTHING at GleeGum.com!
Coupon code: HEARTZIPPER
(Offer only valid on web-store orders placed at GleeGum.com. Enter coupon code in the lower left of your shopping cart & hit "apply coupon." One time only; one coupon code per order. Offer ends 12/31/17 at 11:59 pm ET.)

*I received the featured product free of charge in order to give an honest review. No other product or monetary compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own and others may have a different opinion. Products received will never influence the content, topics, or posts made on this blog.**

Cave Tools Stainless Steel Kabob Set Review & Coupon Code

Just in time for the holidays!

Cave Tools Stainless Steel Kabob Set

As you know from my previous posts our family loves grilling. I am also a huge fan of Cave Tools for grilling. I was excited to have the chance to try another product from Cave Tools.

A little bit about Cave Tools Stainless Steel Kabob Set

PERFECT GRILL CLEARANCE so your food will never stick to the barbecue grates - SIMPLE FOOD REMOVAL disc easily slides food off skewer

FLAT SKEWERS ROTATE 360 DEGREES - 8 different skewer positions for perfect rotisserie while cooking & flat bbq sticks keep food in place

DISHWASHER SAFE & EASY STORAGE - Stainless steel design for easy cleaning - Kabob rack fits on any shelf and skewer hanging loops make storage a breeze

COMES WITH 25 PROFESSIONAL RECIPES - step by step instructions and detailed tutorial videos are great for the family

This stainless steel kabob set is one of the more sturdy kabob sets I have found with a very easy to use design. I like that they have disks at the ends by the handles to help prevent the food from sliding all the way down while you are putting them on the kabob stick and also to help slide the food off. These kabob sticks were much better than using the wooden kabob sticks that I have used in the past. Much better than picking little splinters of wood out of your food while trying to eat!!

There was plenty of room on the stand to be able to fit all the food nicely. The downfall was the space they are set apart didn't quite allow the air to flow around the food evenly. At least in the case of the food that we made with it. Aside from that it was really nice to have the food up off of the grill and they were much easier to turn each time. It will probably take me a couple more uses to figure out what food I like to cook best on these kabobs. My favorite part are the actual kabob sticks themselves. Much more sturdy than other options, won't catch on fire like wood sticks, won't leave splinters in your food, and has the disk to help slide the food off. Overall I feel like this product is worth it just for the sticks. I kind of wish that I could purchase just a package of more of the sticks without the stand. I also really like that they are stainless steel and are able to go in the dishwasher if you wish. Overall a great product and would make a great gift!!

I think next time I want to try using this in our meat smoker. Maybe with some chicken wrapped in bacon.....

Just in time for the holidays you can get 15% off with this coupon code!!

Kabob Set 15% Off:

KABOBSET15

Check out these kabobs for yourself and many other great grilling products from Cave Tools!

Sunday, September 24, 2017

How I Increased My Milk Supply In Just One Week!!

How I Increased my Milk Supply in Just One Week!!

I am a part time pumping mom. I work only part time so I usually pump while I am at work and then I am able to nurse my baby for the other feedings throughout the week. My baby is currently 5 months old and he is my third child. With my first two I wasn't able to nurse them very long.....at least that is what I had thought at the time. I have a 10 year gap between my baby and my next child up so for me this was completely starting over. With my first two children I stopped nursing around 4-5 months. I never felt like I had enough milk for them so I in turn just ended up giving up and feeding them formula. For my first child I also went to work when he was 4 months old and didn't know anything about pumping so I just put him on formula at that time. This time around I was determined to go as long as I can with this baby.

I hadn't given him any formula yet at all. I had been strictly breastfeeding. For me it was a means to save money because formula is so expensive. So when my milk supply suddenly dropped I was devastated. I had a trip to the ER for an extreme migraine that I had for 10 days straight. They ended up giving me some medication through an IV which they said they weren't sure if it would decrease my milk supply when I asked. (Later I found out from other doctors and health professionals that they knew that it would decrease my supply so they weren't sure why they gave me that medicine in the ER since I am a nursing mother.)

After having this medicine my milk supply almost completely dried up!! My baby was fussy all the time and so I just kept nursing as much as I could and was dipping into my frozen supply that I had in my freezer. This kept my baby somewhat satisfied. I was pumping extra at this time just to stimulate and get my milk production back up. Nothing was working! My doctor had told me to just keep at it so that is exactly what I did.

I was only getting 1/2 oz from each side during a pumping session. So I was only getting one ounce total!! This was so hard for me because before my ER visit I was pumping about 3-4 ounces in one pumping session of 20 minutes.

I was desperate to try anything I could to increase my milk supply but didn't have much time to do a lot of extra pumping sessions. I decided to go the route of trying supplements rather than power pumping sessions.

I had first ordered a supplement that I heard was supposed to increase your milk supply. I ordered that supplement and then tried it for a few days. It was a bottle of drops. They tasted absolutely disgusting and I didn't have much success at all with them. I felt like I had just wasted $30. So I needed to find another option.

I had used FairHaven Health products in the past and noticed that they had breastfeeding supplements. I was SO excited to have the opportunity to be able to review this product. I was very hopeful because I really liked the other fertilaid products from FairHaven Health that I had tried in the past.

I decided I was just going to try the supplements and do nothing more than what I was already doing to try and increase my milk supply.

I was pleasantly surprised!!

I tried three different products from FairHaven Health. I tried the Milkies Nursing Blend, Milkies Fenugreek, and the Milkies Nursing Time Tea.

The thing I liked the best about these products is that I wasn't having to take the nasty drops. I love these capsules because you don't have to deal with the nasty taste that you get with some of the other breastfeeding supplements. They are also so much easier to take.

Fenugreek (above) Nursing Blend (below)

My only hesitation was the Nursing Time Tea because I was scared of the taste. This tea was actually not bad at all. None of the flavors were too potent for me to handle like I thought they would be. Nursing Time Tea has a nice lemon flavor that helps balance out the other flavors. I'm not usually a huge herbal tea drinker because I just can't stomach the taste of most of them. Some of the herbal teas just remind me of many flavors I have tasted growing up that I had a huge dislike for. I was so glad when this tea had such a mellow taste. I was able to drink this tea just fine.

Now on to the results.......Here is what I was able to pump after using these products for just one week. I went from pumping 1 ounce total to 3 ounces total. Still not what other people may be able to pump or maybe not what I would expect after comparing myself to others......but these results made me ecstatic! I also noticed my milk was a better quality. I didn't change anything else in my routine other than taking these supplements. I was already drinking TONS of water and a little Gatorade each day because that had helped me in the past. I didn't do any extra pumping or anything during the week to increase my milk supply. I actually only pump about 8-12 times total a week depending on how many hours I work. I only pump to replace the feedings I miss while I am at work.

After trying these supplements I ended up with a much happier baby!! I did talk to the doctor a week ago and did a weight check and we do now have to supplement one feeding per day with formula to get his weight up but I am absolutely ok with that because I know I am doing my best as a mom. I'm just SO happy to be able to nurse him as much as I can. Thanks to FairhavenHealth Products I can do that!!

I will definitely continue to use these products.

If you are struggling with a decrease in milk supply or just have low milk supply I highly recommend trying these products.

Do whatever you feel is best for your own life and your baby. Whatever your best is that is definitely good enough. You are a great mom......remember that!!

We sure love our happy little man!! :)

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Cave Tools Grill Tongs Review & COUPON CODE

Summer is not quite over, well at least for our family. We still have a couple more weeks before school starts and are still trying to enjoy the outdoors. What better way to enjoy the outdoors before it is cold than turning on your grill.

I recently had the pleasure of being able to try another great product from Cave Tools.

Cave Tools Grill Tongs

These grill tongs from cave tools did not disappoint. The grill tongs that I had in the past were very pointy and sharp at the end. When I would try and use them they would poke holes in the hot dogs or cut pieces off just trying to pick them up. It would make grilling with them very difficult.

I was extremely happy with these new stainless steel grill tongs from Cave tools.

Rather than being really sharp they have a rounded edge which I really like. I also really like that they are just slightly curved in to be able to pick up the food better and keep it in the tongs. So many times with old tongs I would have a hot dog fall right out of the tongs to the ground and then have a hot dog wasted just because it wasn't the right shape to be able to hold the food.

These grill tongs have the perfect shape to be able to hold the food and not lose it. It allows you to turn your food or move your food without worry of it slipping out. They have a great grip for the food as well because of the design with the slots on the edges rather than just having a serrated looking edge.

As with the other products from Cave Tools I love that these are stainless steel. It makes for great quality and I love that they are dishwasher safe!! I love these grill tongs and look forward to many years of use with them.

If you are looking for a great gift or need some new grill tongs for your home. Order them now using the coupon code below.

Cave Tools Grill Tongs 15% off Coupon Code

TONGS15

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Cave Tools Spatula Review & Coupon Code

**I received the featured product free of charge in order to give an honest review. No other product or monetary compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own and others may have a different opinion. Products received will never influence the content, topics, or posts made on this blog.**

Who doesn't like an awesome BBQ in the summer?? Great tools are very helpful when you want to do some summer entertaining.

I was excited to have the opportunity to review another great product from Cave Tools!!

Cave Tools Stainless Steel Spatula

We really LOVE this stainless steel spatula from Cave Tools! I have been through so many BBQ spatulas during summer time due to quality. Many spatulas I have had in the past had plastic handles that would either end up breaking or somehow get melted from getting set too close to a flame.

This spatula is of very high quality. It is a solid sturdy tool to use inside your home and out. We have used it inside with our cast iron griddle and outside with our grill. I really like the nice design of this spatula. Not only does it have a great look but it also has great features. It has a bottle opener feature handy for those of you that have a drink by your side while grilling during the summer. No need to have an extra item lying around in your way to use for that purpose.

Cave Tools Stainless Steel Spatula also has a serrated edge that I really like for those pesky packages you take out to the grill and forget something to open the package with. This edge is great for cutting those packages right open. It is also great for cutting your meat open a little bit to check how cooked your meat is. The serrated edge on this spatula has many other great uses. I really like that this spatula acts as many tools in one.

Of course, we also really love that this spatula is dishwasher safe!! This makes it great for people like me who are lazy and hate the "by hand" dishes. It came out very clean after just one time through the dishwasher.

The only thing that I wish is that it came with a little plastic box or something to put it in. It can be pretty sharp around that serrated edge and I don't want to just leave it in a drawer for my kids to get cut on. (I don't have many storage solutions at my home.) My husband ended up keeping the box to store it in because the box was really nice and made of great cardboard that wasn't at all flimsy. Although my storage situation, the storage of the spatula would not be a deal breaker for me. I would buy and recommend this spatula to anyone!! We really love this quality spatula!!

For those summer BBQs and with 4th of July coming up I recommend you check this product out for your family or a great gift. This spatula could even make a great wedding gift if you know anyone getting married this summer season.

Cave Tools Spatula 15% Off Coupon

Code:

SPATULA15

You can find this SPATULA here.

OR HERE

BabyIt Comfort Gel Review

Just a few months ago I shared the happy news that we were adding a new addition to our family. We have since welcomed that beautiful baby into our lives. There are so many things that have been helpful along the way. I just wanted to take some time today and share one of those things with you.

I had never been one for perineal massage with my previous pregnancies. I decided this time around I was going to give it a try. It was something that was worth a try after tearing with my previous pregnancies in addition to getting an episiotomy and having a more difficult recovery.

A little bit about perineal massage and BabyIt Comfort Gel:

BabyIt Perineal Massage & Postpartum Comfort Gel

What is Perineal Massage Anyway? Perineal massage is a daily massage that helps prevent trauma to vaginal tissues during childbirth, and helps postpartum recovery go a little more smoothly. Perineal massage has also been shown in studies to reduce the need for episiotomy during childbirth and to diminish postpartum pain during sex.

What Makes BabyIt Great?

BabyIt is isotonic, meaning its salt concentration is perfectly balanced to match your vaginal cells. Other products are hypertonic or hypotonic, causing water to be either sucked into — or out of — vaginal cells, leading to serious irritation and tissue damage.

BabyIt contains NO parabens, oils, or glycerol.

Each box includes detailed instructions on how to perform perineal massage.

MY REVIEW:

I decided BabyIt Perineal Massage & Postpartum Comfort Gel would be a great product to give a try in an effort to improve my birthing experience this time around. I was very happy to have the opportunity to review this product. I was able to do some perineal massage for just a couple of weeks. I personally feel weird doing it and I found it a little painful (maybe I wasn't doing it right), but now that I have tried it I feel like it was worth the try. I ended up delivering my baby 3 weeks early due to some complications so I wasn't able to use the product as long as I would have liked before my delivery. The gel has a very smooth and slimy texture, but it isn't oily. It was comfortable to use and I didn't feel like it just sticking around forever.

I am happy to report that during my delivery I actually didn't tear at all this time in addition to the episiotomy!! Not additionally tearing made my experience better. I can't say for sure if it was strictly due to using the product and doing the perineal massage but I am sure that the combination of everything really helped in my delivery process. This also made for a better recovery.

Due to the fact that I wasn't able to use this gel as much as I would have liked before delivery my favorite use for it was actually for after delivery. It was so soothing for the healing process to use as a moisturizer with the witch hazel pads I was using. Since this gel isn't oily it washes off your hands very well after application. Which is very nice compared to many other products. I like to put this gel in the refrigerator to cool it a little in order to dull the pain a little more and provide more pain relief. Kind of like what you would do with aloe gel after a sunburn. After I refrigerated it then I actually applied it to the pads I wore. This was great to keep my stitches moist so they never felt any "itch" from the healing process. I also healed a lot quicker this time around and my pain level was very low compared with my previous deliveries.

This product to me was definitely worth the try. I really like this product for after delivery and would buy it to use if I ever deliver another baby.

It was very comforting and helpful to me after delivery. If you are pregnant or know someone who is pregnant I would suggest you consider trying this product out.

If you would like to try some BabyIt Perineal Massage and Postpartum Comfort Gel you can find it here.

Here are a few photos to give you a little glimpse into our world with our little blessing.

24 Hours old

He changed so much just during the time we were in the hospital. We were there for 2 weeks and by the time we were able to go home I was SO ready to take my little man home and share him with the rest of the family.

3 Days old

2 Weeks old when we got to leave the hospital.

6 Weeks old. Boy does time go by WAY too fast!!

We love this little family of ours. I am so lucky to have them as a part of my life.

If you are trying to conceive or are pregnant check out FAIRHAVEN HEALTH for some great products!

I also LOVE their fertility vitamins!!!

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Cave Tools Vegetable Grill Basket Review & Coupon Code

Cave Tools Vegetable Grill Basket Review

With warm weather and summer just around the corner this veggie basket was something I was in need of. We LOVE warm weather and BBQs!! We grill a lot in the summer and it is so hard to find good products to grill more food than just meat. I was so excited to have the opportunity to review this product.

Vegetable Grill Basket

The Perfect BBQ Basket for Small Foods - Grilled Veggies, Fruits, Shrimp, Fish, Meats and any other food that would normally fall through the grates now has DELICIOUS BARBECUE FLAVORS

Convenient Side Dishes - No more pan frying your sides in the kitchen while cooking your entrée out on the grill. Your Veggie tray takes up less space on the grill so you can cook everything at once.

Cave Tools has some great products for outdoor grilling!! This veggie basket was just what I needed for the upcoming grilling season. I had a grilling tray in the past that I purchased and tried using but I just never liked it. It didn't have 4 sides (only 3) to keep the food in like this basket and the holes were bigger so those smaller veggies would still fall through. The sides were short making it almost impossible to stir food without it falling off. I also didn't like that it would just never really get clean after use no matter how much scrubbing I did.

This stainless steel basket has great sides which are angled just right to keep the food in the basket and yet still allow enough room for being able to stir the food for even cooking. It also has slots rather than holes which I really like because the small veggies never fell through.

We decided to do a combination of veggies including yellow squash, green & red bell peppers, carrots, and onions. I added some extra virgin olive oil to coat the veggies because I wasn't sure how bad they would stick to the basket. I also did this so my seasonings would stick really well to my veggies. I then added season salt, garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper, steak seasoning, and parmesan cheese. We then added steak strips to complete the meal.

IT WAS SO DELICIOUS!!

Our food ended up with the perfect grill flavor without being burned or falling down into the grill. It was one of the best tasting meals I have had in a while and I will definitely be making this meal again. Next time I use this basket I plan on grilling pineapple in this basket for dessert. :)

This is a AWESOME product that I plan on using over and over again!!

My absolute favorite feature of this Vegetable Grill Basket is that it is DISHWASHER SAFE!!! I hate trying to wash my grilling products by hand. The one thing I did find with washing this basket was that it did wash best on the bottom rack completely flat so that all the surfaces got clean. It is SO much better than scrubbing by hand!!

If you are looking for a great gift for someone that loves to grill I highly recommend this Vegetable Grill Basket!! It would make a great gift for Mother's Day, Father's Day, or just a great gift for yourself.

Use this coupon code below for 15% off of the Cave Tools Vegetable Grill Basket!!

COUPON CODE

Vegetable Basket 15% Off: VEGGIE15

I would highly recommend this Cave Tools Vegetable Grill Basket to anyone!!