Chalk Markers Review

Stardom Brands Liquid Chalk Marker Review

As a blogger, I am offered some amazing opportunities to review products.  Stardom Crafts offered me a FREE set of their Liquid Chalk Markers Mega Pack in exchange for an honest review. This has been one of the most fun reviews I have done! I love these chalk markers and plan to use them a lot in the future.

These liquid chalk markers are amazing. First of all there are a lot of them! 18 markers. Most other packs I have seen come either only with 8 or 10 markers, so you get an great value with this Mega Pack. The colors are bright and once the liquid is completely into the tip (within a few seconds) they create a wonderful solid line.

These markers write on many surfaces. Chalk boards, mirrors, metal, glass. It just needs to be non-porous. If you're not sure it will work on your surface test in a small area before continuing.

• An amazing feature of these markers is that the tip is reversible so you can choose whether you want a bold or a finer line by choosing the chisel or bullet side of the tip. Great for creating a professional look to your chalk work.
• These are easy to use. Unlike regular chalk, they are completely dust free! No smudging and mess.
• The markers are water based for easy clean up and are non-toxic. They are safe for the environment and for anyone 3 and up.
• 90 day money back guarantee. If you don't love your liquid chalk markers Stardom Brands will refund your money no questions asked.

Creating beautiful designs and writing messages with chalk is so much easier with these fabulous markers. They are perfect for business or a budding artist. Check out what I made with them.

Had to clean all of the nasty chalk dust off the board from using regular chalk.

I took a few minutes to shake each marker and get the liquid into the tips (a few seconds for each one).

Started playing!

These markers are amazing! Super easy to use, the liquid flows nice and evenly and cleans up quickly with water. My new favorite!!! 

Perfect for summer :)

6 Piece Canning Set Review

I am still learning when it comes to canning but I religiously make freezer jam every year and this year I am determined to try more fun things! Through Tomoson, the SKG Group offered me this Bellemain 6 Piece Canning Set for FREE in exchange for my honest review.

All the pieces in the step are handy for each step in the canning process from sterilizing, to filling, to sealing the jars.

The Set includes 6 pieces:

• Funnel
• Jar Lifter
• Magnetic Lid Lifter
• Tongs
• Bubble Popper/Measuring Stick
• Lid Remover Wrench

All the metal tools have a vinyl coating for a better grip and are stainless steel. They will last longer and are easy to care for.

The entire set is dishwasher safe!

If you are new to canning like me or an expert, having good tool makes the process easier and safer.

The Wide mouth funnel is made of heavy-duty plastic and will work with both standard and wide mouth jars. Vent notches help foods flow through the funnel quicker and the thumb grip is perfect for keeping your hands clean.

The Jar lifter is a scissor action tool that helps safely lift any size canning jars out of boiling water. This is important for minimizing the risk of burns and potential jar breakages. The vinyl coating on the lifters offers a more secure grip while handling hot jars.

Removing lids from a boiling sterilization bath can be tricky. The Magnetic Lid Lifter removes the danger of burning hands and with the touch of the magnet to a lid allows you to lift if out of the boiling water, place on the jar keeping it perfectly sterile during the canning process.

To move food around inside the jars or to move jars around inside the canning bath, the tongs will keep your hands away from boiling hot liquids. The vinyl coating on the handles in addition to the texture nodes on the grabbing end aid in a better grip at both ends of the tongs.

The bubble popper/measuring stick is a heat-resistant plastic wand that makes removing bubbles from processed jars easy before putting on the lids. There are measurement marks on the other end to make sure that filled jars have the proper amount of "head room."

Tightening lids on hot jars can be hard on hands and fingers. The heat-resistant vinyl cushioning on the lid remover wrench helps protect jars from breaking as well as your fingers from burning while you tighten the outer lid rings. Once the seal is complete, it can be used to remove the rings for reuse and to extend their life.

This set is great quality and has all the essentials for canning.

Zester/Grater Review

So, ya'll know I'm a sucker for anything in the kitchen. I love baking and I love making new recipes. So, when Tomoson gave me the opportunity to work with Smarty Pants Supplies and get their #1 Best Premium Zester/Grater for FREE in exchange for my honest review, I accepted without hesitation.

When I moved last summer I lost my old zester and I didn't realize how much I loved it until I didn't have one any more. These zester/grater's are perfect for zesting citrus, grating cheese, chocolate, cinnamon, spices, and nuts.

It has a sharp stainless steel blade with a cover.

Add Flavor in Seconds!

• Grate Parmesan over soups and salads
• Add chocolate garnish to a chocolate drizzled dessert
• Add garlic and peppers to homemade guacamole
• Grate lemons, limes, and oranges to add zest to pesto, dressing, desserts...
• Create a marinade for seafood, chicken, and meat with fresh spices and flavors

Safe, Easy to Use and Clean up!

• Super thick handle for a safe, comfortable grip
• Plastic snap on cover to protect blade during storage
• Extra long, 8" stainless steel blade means zest is perfect every time
• Dishwasher safe for easy clean up
• Durable and built-to-last design is backed by a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee

I totally love this! The blades are sharp, cut evenly and consistently and cleans up great in the dishwasher.

The first time I remembered to actually take pictures using my zester was while making homemade Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes. Since the base cupcake recipe was borrowed from a good friend I wont post it but I will be creating something fabulous from it in the future :)

The zest came off easily and clean without getting to the pith. It added amazing flavor to the cupcake batter and to the raspberries for the frosting.

Yummo!

What do you think of my cute little gifts?

Yummy Yammy Sweet Potato Salsa Review + Giveaway!

As a Tomoson Blogger I get some amazing opportunities to try out new products for FREE! I was excited to be introduced to Yummy Yammy. This women owned New England based company makes healthy sweet potato salsa's in three flavors: Mexican, Moroccan, and Tuscan. In exchange for an honest review, I received sample jar of all three!

These salsa's truly are a "Vegan Superfood Meal in a Jar." They are full of good flavor and good for you!

• These salsa's are the only sweet potato salsa's in the world!
• No fat
• No sweeteners of any kind
• 250 calories in an entire jar! The Moroccan only has 200.
• Gluten free
• Non GMO corn and citric acid.
• Woman-owned company
• Vermont-based company
• Available in 100 stores from Wisconsin to Florida

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The only thing I have an issue with these salsa's is the name. Salsa to me brings to mind images tomatoes and a fairly liquid dip/topping. These sweet potato salsa's are thick and creamy almost the complete opposite of what you'd expect in a salsa. They are more the consistency of a bean dip than that of a salsa. But I suppose that problem is based merely on semantics...

Regardless of the name, the flavors of these salsa's are absolutely amazing.  I love that they are amazingly healthy for you, and I love that they are full of flavor without any unnecessary ingredients.

I loved the depth of flavor in the Mexican salsa. Chipotle and black bean are a classic combination and great on tortilla chips.  This would be fantastic on nachos or in a quesadilla. I thought I was getting the medium strength so when I realized it was hot I was a little nervous. It was still great.  My kids wouldn't try it because it was hot, but had I received the mild or medium version of the salsa I know at least my oldest would have devoured it with me.

The Tuscan salsa has the sweetest flavor of the three, even though there are no additional sweeteners added. Balsamic vinegar is pared with the amazing flavor of roasted red peppers, white beans, and basil. It is like Italian food in a jar minus the tomatoes. In my opinion this is the most kid friendly, with familiar flavors and a sweeter rather than spicy flavor.

The Moroccan salsa has the most flavor. The roasted sweet potatoes are mixed with curry spices, lentils, and kale. This is absolutely delicious on pita bread or would be amazing mixed in a soup or served over rice with lamb or chicken.  Adults are sure to love this one! My kids are a little reserved in their cultural cuisine so this was the one of the three that was too spicy for them. I am totally on a Mediterranean food kick right now, so I thought it was absolutely amazing.

The salsa's can be used as a traditional salsa/dip, added to a finished entree, or as the base of a meal. Use it as filling in a burrito or wrap, topping on a pizza, sauce for pasta or rice, as a nacho topping, or to flavor the main protein in your dish.

If you like what you see, Yummy Yammy is currently looking for fellow Yambassador's on their website. As a Yambassador you receive the best deals and specials, plus news and recipes, and a special thank you gift of a free shipping code for one Amazon.com order!

The website has a blog and a recipe collection for you to browse and get great ideas for your salsa's.
Some examples of recipes are:

• Quick Tuscan Pasta
• Simple Tuscan Wrap
• Fast and Nutritious Moroccan Breakfast
• Moroccan Lamb Stew
• Superfood Nachos
• Instant Mexican Soup

Head on over to the Yummy Yammy website and join the Sweet Potato Revolution :)

A little excerpt about the owner from the website:

Hi! I am Lisa Johnson, the Yambassador at Yummy Yammy. I have chosen my business name and corporate title to celebrate how declicious, healthy and fun our sweet potato salsas are.  Yummy Yammy's mission is to help busy people eat better by delightfully bringing sweet potatoes to the nation.

Why Sweet Potatoes?

• Sweet potatoes are delicious
• Sweet potatoes are gorgeous, with their sunny orange color
• Sweet potatoes offer great mouth-feel, velvety texture, and smooth creaminess
• "Yam" is a fun name to work with
• Sweet potatoes are so undervalued in our busy, hectic, and fast-food culture and...
• Sweet potatoes are so incredibly healthy fur us to eat!

Whether you already love sweet potatoes, or have never liked them, or don't even know what they are, you should try our salsas. They're delicious, they're new, they're fun, and they're so healthful you won't believe it.

Many people enjoy yams with brown sugar, butter and marshmallows.  That's certainly how we had them when I was a kid, at Thanksgiving dinner. And now you can get rich, scrumptious sweet potato fries at any restaurant.

But here's what I do differently: I have a hundred new, different, and exciting ideas for making them savory, taking them from the side dish to the center of the plate, and keeping them the amazing nutritious powerhouses they naturally are.

My background:

• 12 years at natural food stores in Vermont & New Hampshire
• 10 years helping people find fresh farm products and build meaningful economic relationships with farmers (for instance, we helped Dartmouth College buy more local vegetables for their kitchens)
• Lots of stints working at restaurants when I was younger
• Cooking for 36 hungry apple pickers
• Several years of work on organic farms: planting, weeding, harvesting fruits and vegetables
• Living all over the US and in Mexico
• Gardening and cooking all my life for the sheer joy of it

Mostly, though, what you want to know about me can't fit on a resume or list of accomplishments. I am irrepressibly entrepreneurial and my mind is constantly filled with possibility.  People have told me I'm a leader and a visionary, and I can at least say that all my life I have desired those qualities.

This business is possible becuase my husband cheers me on constantly (and does a lot of dishes), my kids draw delightful artwork and taste all my food, and I am surrounded by skilled and inspired friends and professionals who give me lots of feedback.  I know there is no such thing as a "self-made man." We are supported and sometimes carried by the ones who love us, and without that, no business idea ever sees the light of day.

One last thing: please tell your friends about us! Your positive experience is by far the best marketing there is.

So, spread the word - that makes YOU a Yambassador too!

Yammily yours,

Lisa & Family

Cotton Guitar Strap

I have been playing the guitar since I middle school. It is something I love to do and have wanted to devote more time to it now that my kids are getting a little older. For Christmas I was given an amazing new guitar and I love playing it. But without a strap, I have been limited to sitting down whenever I play.

So when Strap Snake and Tomoson offered me this beautiful brown cotton and leather guitar strap for FREE I was super excited!

I absolutely love it. Since it is an acoustic guitar, I was curious how it would work, since there is only one strap button. But it attached beautifully above the neck. Strap Snake does also sell a Head Stock Button but I just used the included string and it worked great for me. Now I can stand up to play and not be hunched over trying to read my music and tab notes.

Check out how gorgeous my guitar looks! Yeah :)

My son, when he got an Electric guitar for Christmas a few years ago, had a nylon strap that came with it. I used it a few times then gave it back because I didn't like it at all. It wasn't comfortable at all. It kept digging into my shoulder, it kept slipping, and it just felt cheap.

This cotton and leather strap on the other hand, is exactly the opposite. It is comfortable. It's easy to adjust and stays put. And it is quality, with real cotton and leather. I plan on buying one for my son so he doesn't have to keep using the other one. Plus it is 100% guaranteed.

The Guitar Strap works for Acoustic or Electric Guitars. It works for Men, Women, Kids, Girls, and Boys.

The soft cotton is thicker, tougher, and stronger than nylon or pollypropylene guitar straps. It cinches down to 33.5" for young kids and teenagers, so they can be comfortable playing on bigger guitars. The strap extends to 56" for larger players and those who prefer a low hanging, full arm strumming, guitar style.

Here is a snipit from the Strap Snake website about the benefits of using a strap.

Play Standing Up Like a Rock Star or Country Star

How long have you been playing guitar? And do you still only sit down to play? If you ever want to perform on stage or rock the house, you gotta stand up and deliver.

It’s time to get a good quality cotton guitar strap and learn how to play your instrument without the safety of a seat. There’s big differences between sitting down and standing up. Here are just a few things to consider:

• Whether to hold your guitar position high or long
• How to place your wrist angle
• How the guitar hangs on your body
• How you see the fretboard

Advantages of Choosing Our Cotton Guitar Strap

Most beginner guitar straps are cheap because they are made of thin nylon material and
plastic leather ends. We do not think saving a few dollars is worth the risk of buying a
lousy strap that might break and damage your instrument.

• Compatible for most acoustic and electric guitar models
• 2-inch Wide Strap Keeps Guitar Stable on All Body Shapes and Sizes
• Secure Fit Leather Ends Prevent Guitar Drop Accidents
• Durable Cotton Webbing Prevents Slippery Cross Body Movements While Playing
• Solid Black Strap Sets Off Classic Appearance of Most Guitars
• Adjustable Non-Slip Buckle Makes it Easy to Change From High to Low Position
• Choose Between Fitting to Strap Buttons or Use String Tie Above Neck
• Adjusts to Minimum Length to be Kid Friendly (Down to 33.5 inches)

Start Performing and Command Attention

The only way to get better is to practice. That includes practicing standing up to get ready for your debut on the stage. Getting a cotton guitar strap helps you out in many ways:

• Making sure you have good posture while playing, whether standing or sitting.
• Making sure you play with the guitar in the right position for strumming and other techniques.
• Getting used to seeing and reaching the neck positions with your non-strumming hand.
• Allows you to find the sweet spot between higher and lower positions.

*images from StrapSnake website

If you are in the market for a new guitar strap. I highly recommend this one from Strap Snake. You can find the link from their website or buy it on Amazon here: