WizzHome’s Creative Scents 3-Piece Foldable Storage Organizers

Sometimes, things can get cluttered, disorganized, and just…out of place. And sometimes, that will drive right up a wall. I hate mess, clutter, piles of stuff with no home. So when I got a chance to try out WizzHome’s Creative Scents 3-piece foldable storage organizers, I was over the moon! To start, as I mentioned, they fold down flat so when your temporary madness of mess has subsided, these can be folded away and stored almost anywhere! The are a nice, durable woven fabric (I chose the tan “Sand Dune” color, but there’s also a “Gray Birch” as well), with strong cardboard sealed inside that holds the shape but will also flex just a little. I even stuck some little non-skid feets on the bottom of the smallest one, because he’s now a permanent fixture on the dresser. They’re that good looking!

You get three sizes, large (9″ x 12″ x 4″), medium (6″ x 12″ x 4″), and small (4″ x 12″ x 4″). The large container will fit a few small shirts folded nicely, the medium is perfect for face and hair care accessories, and the small one is good for keys, a wallet, or whatever junk you’ve accumulated in your pocket throughout the day. Sure beats throwing that stuff on a dresser or endtable, right?

If I had a single gripe, it’s that they’re somewhat small for the price. you can find similar or larger storage containers of this type for less on Amazon (and probably elsewhere). So for $24.99 (at the time of this writing), it’s a little pricey. I would have also liked to see some kind of handle or loop on the sides, but that’s a personal preference and not a complaint.

Overall, I liked these very much, and despite UPS’s best efforts to destroy them, they arrived mostly intact and have all been put to good use. Even so, WizzHome offers a “Lifetime Guarantee” so if they should start to come apart thanks to UPS’s rough handling, I feel confident WizzHome has my back. I recommend these WizzHome Creative Scents Foldable Storage Containers, and I hope they find a place in your home too!

 

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from WizzHome.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

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Effenfine Facial Hair Scissors Review

Everyone grooms themselves to a certain degree, some of us more than others. Hubby takes a mostly no-nonsense approach to grooming, with short hair on his head and no facial hair. But, his face have nooks and crannies that a razor just won’t fit into, and that leaves long, unsightly hairs that not only look funny, but bother both him and I. What’s a fella to do?

We thought Effenfine’s facial hair would be a simple and easy solution, that didn’t require cords, batteries, or a bunch of time like so many of the facial grooming products on the market. Sadly, while the Effenfine Facial Hair Scissors are a great pair of scissors, they leave much to be desired for any kind of close grooming. See, there are few things Hubby hates worse than his sharp, coarse stubble around his lips. It’s annoying to him and abrasive to me with every smooch. Like 40 grit sandpaper. A razor sometimes misses at the corners of his mouth and at the peak of his top lip. So he’s been using a pair of my eyebrow scissors, with fine, thin blades. We both though these Effenfine Facial Hair Scissors would be just the thing to get my other scissors back, especially with the blunted safety tip. Alas, it was not to be.

See, these Effenfine scissors are thick, heavy duty forged German stainless steel. Which means they should resist rust and corrosion for quite some time. But, it’s terrible for getting up close to trim facial hair like Hubby’s last pair. Which leaves the same coarse, sharp stubble as before. The lack of a pointed tip means that effectively getting into the corners of his mouth is next to impossible too. If you’re just trimming the occasionally stray hair in a mustache or beard, and closeness isn’t what you need, you’d be golden with these Effenfine Facial Hair Scissors. But the last nail in the coffin here for me is the price. They’re significantly more expensive than I would have wanted to pay for a pair of facial hair scissors, and even moreso than a number of competitors on Amazon offering a similar product. So while they are a very capable set of scissors, and seem well made, they fail at what they’re advertised for for us(facial hair). Although I was able to re-purpose them as sewing scissors, so it’s not a total loss.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Effenine.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

 

Inspired Basics Nomex Heat-Resistant Oven Gloves

It’s should be no secret that I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Cooking, baking, trying new things. Hot handles, pans and oven racks are par for the course. Sometimes, our potholders don’t cover right, or are awkward, or just flat out don’t give you enough grip. Oh, but if only there was an oven safe glove that was EN 407 and ISO Certified up to 662 degrees, with a soft cotton interior, and silicone grip bumps on them. Oh, wait…Inspired Basics has just such a glove!!

I’ve tried silicone BBQ gloves/mitts in the past. I even reviewed a pair here. They’re pretty good. They can be awkward to clean, wear, and use, and fit me poorly, and while dishwasher safe can start to build up a film and hold a smoke smell pretty quickly. And silicone gets pretty slippery when wet. My fondness for them faded pretty quickly. But these gloves (machine washable…yay!) seem more for me. with a form fit and protection halfway up my forearm, there’s no worries about grabbing a deep roasting dish and getting that burn on your wrist. I can get my fingers into the handles just fine, and lose almost no dexterity. And while they did fit me, they were very large. That would be my one drawback, and I wish they came in more sizes. They fit hubby nearly perfectly, though. And that’s good, because he isn’t as well rehearsed in the kitchen as I am. Thankfully, these are the made of the same flame-resistant material used in racing and firefighter’s survival suits, Nomex. So, these are good for the BBQ as well. and again, being machine-washable there’s no worry about stains or grease or soot, because one quick trip through the old washer and they’re good as new! I would, though, for the sake of durability, probably recommend hand-washing and air drying. Things just get cleaner and last longer that way for me. Now, don’t go pouring boiling water over them. That’s the one single benefit of silicone gloves is water resistance, but these are fiber and 100% cotton, so don’t go grabbing pasta out of the boiling water or anything.

Lest you think these gloves are good for the kitchen only, you can use them to safely grip just about any dry, hot surface you can think of. Hot light bulbs? Check. Hot engine parts? Check. Hot logs on a chimenea fire need arranging? Check, check and check! I like these Nomex Heat-Resistant Gloves from Inspired basics, and I think you will too. They’re also backed by a lifetime, no-questions-asked, 100% refund policy, so you can buy with confidence.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Inspired Basics.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Celebright: Premium Flameless LED lighted tea Candles #Review #FlamelessCandles

I usually purchased my tealight candles in bulk and a box or several bags lasted me for years. Five years passed and I took for granted always having that surplus of candles and then came having to shop for them. I never thought I would be shorted on candle wax! My older tealights are literally half thicker and last three times as long than the wafer thin candles I found today. I started pricing and noticed that most places charged premium prices for anything close to what I had, so I started thinking about use and placement. Candles have never been a danger in my home and I am thankful that I remember to blow them out, never leave a room with a candle lit and make sure to never place a candle holder under a vent that if the candle were to be lit and the central air kicks in, it could cause a flame to blow more towards one side and ruin the holder itself or worse. This means I’m limited. Yes, I love scents but I have candle holders that are just too pretty to burn a candle in them. I don’t want black marks over time to build and ruin the glazes/finishes, so I started looked for options. In my hunt, I reached out to Celebright and they were kind enough to send me a box of 24 LED lit and candles. Talk about having enough candles to light up any room for any occasion or just because. The candles come with batteries and these are not one-time use either, you can simply change the batteries (type CR2032) and continue to enjoy the tealights. No heat, no limitations, no worrying about leaving and did I blow that candle out and it you have children or pets, no worries if they come too close for comfort. I sort of like this worry-free living! Everything is great but looks also matter and these mimic a flame with a nice small flickering. They all flicker differently so you don’t have a sequence doing the same flame moment at the same time, just a nice mellow light that is somewhat relaxing. When you are done, you simple flip them over and they even have a switch to control them on or off, so no need to mess with screws or hard tops to pop off. Retail Price Point: $19.95 for a set of 24 tealights with batteries included and already installed. That is less than a $1 a piece!  Candles also come with a Lifetime Guarantee.

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Celebright Flame-less candles can be purchased via Amazon and the more you buy, the more you save.  Each tealight offers you 120 hours of continuous LED lighting and no worries about heat, as they stay cool to the touch.  The bases are white, so they go with any decor and that flickering light is really the best imitation of flame I have seen so far!  Great for gifting, holidays, or even just for decor purposes and no worries about spilling wax! Get your Celebright  tealights today and start enjoying safe flameless lighting:

• Amazon
• #FlamelessCandles

 

No worries about wax or real flames!

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Celebright.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

The Simple Baker: Premium Silicone Baking Mat for Macarons #Review #macaronmat

 

Being a baker means I need products I can count on and a multi-tasker is a must in my kitchen. The Simple Baker does everything my expensive silicone baking mats do, plus as much as I did not appreciate the circle pattern at first, I became to really like the convince it provided. My cookies never touched each other, so I have to admit I’m not the best spacer I thought I was!

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The mat yielded the same results as my french branded mat and clean-up was a cinch. The mat cleans up instantly with a little soapy water and I just fill the sink 1/4 way up, make some bubbles and suds on top of the mat and this I find is the most gentle way to clean the mat with no sponge and/or sink brush needed. I simply roll the Simple Baker mat (without creating fold or creases) and use a silicone band to keep it in place.

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I wanted to test the silicone mat out with by making dark chocolate ganache cookies. The cookies are a butter base recipe and I tried both round shapes and heart shapes when baking. My baking time was adjusted, as these silicone mats provide even baking, which tends to accelerate the baking but produces what I call the “perfect cookie”. You get a soft flaky texture on the inside with a cookie top crust that stays in place and only crumbles until you take a bite.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling

Cookies in all shapes can be baked

Perfect results every time!

 

Retail Price Point: $17.97 via Amazon

The Simple Baker Mat will save you money in the long run and pay for itself. I use parchment paper and that gets costly over time and can be a wasteful expense. These silicone mats are reusable, do not hold odors, and are also safe because they are non-toxic. The silicone used is food-grade quality and no need to add extra fats or oils to make them non-stick……their finish stays non-stick time and time again!

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from The Simple Baker.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

BakeItFun: Baking Mat in Blue #Review #BakingMat

 

 

I always use the best ingredients we can afford when cooking and baking, and the same goes for the tools we use in the kitchen. Price does not always equate good quality and/or performance, so I give opportunity to everything because I have been disappointed by high prices/good known name and fallen in love with items that did not even cost half as much!

BakeItFun, makes professional grade silicone baking mats that fit your cookie sheet. I already use parchment paper and I do use a baking mat of like kind made by a French company. I have been happy with both materials, as each serves different needs, so I was eager to see how BakeItFun would perform against my expensive silicone mats.

I baked the most common recipe of them all, chocolate chip and chunk cookies. The cookie dough contains both shortening and butter, with sugars coming from dark brown sugar alone. I begin by unwrapping and washing the BakeItFun mat and washed it as instructed. The directions state the product needs a oil finish before the first use. First time I have seen this, as oil usually beads up/off silicone surfaces. I thought this was odd but I do as directed and opted for Vegetable oil due to it’s neutrality in flavor. Once the mat was “primed” with the oil, I proceeded to bake and tested with one cookie alone.

I set the timer for 14 minutes, as this is how long this recipe takes with my other silicone mats and keep a close eye. I first notice a smell from the vegetable oil and I look inside the oven and notice oil beads sort of floating above. I notice at the 10 minute mark that the cookie looks browner than usual, plus the smell in the air is sort of close to “toasted cookies”. I take the cookie out and allow it to cool one minute on the pan and then move it over to the cooling rack. Once the cookie was on the spatula, I notice the bottom is over crisped and brown. We allow it to cool completely and do a taste-test. The cookie is much crisper on the bottom than desired. I decide to deeply wash the mat and even if I feel the oil is off, I am not adding it back on. Instructions state to oil only at first use and if you use the dishwasher (top rack only) to clean the mat.

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I bake fries and the such as the weeks go by and the mat performs perfectly. It saves me on parchment paper, as I have been using the mat to bake savory dishes from potatoes, rewarming pizza, to puff pastry appetizers I made and froze for later enjoyment. I clean the mat by hand and the directions do say dishwasher safe but I feel it will last better if treated kindly 🙂

Retail Price Point: $11.97 via Amazon for a Half Sheet, 16.5″ x 11″

Final Verdict-

BakeItFun silicone mats can withstand temperatures from -40°F up to 450°F, so it is freezer safe too and also says microwave safe. I found the product easy to wash and it did not absorb smells of what you cooked prior, so no blending of odd flavors when reusing it. The price point is low for these type of products and this is BPA free materials and FDA approved. My only con, was having to oil it and knowing the results that would cause. It made no sense as all other mats of same like kind do not require any oil prior use. Oil beads up and the entire point of using these surfaces, is to not have foods sit in oil or leak through. Once I stripped the oil off, which was easy as it just floated in bead form…..I was 100% satisfied with the product. I always follow directions but in my opinion, I would not pre-oil a product like this again! No type of oil is also recommended and with the list of fats from Coconut Oil, Peanut Oil, Olive Oil, Grape Oil……I went with one I felt would add little to no flavor if it was going to remain on. BakeItFun also has a 100% Life-Time Guarantee (no questions asked) and I value that greatly. The product has up to 2000 re-uses and if you bake like me, that adds up quickly with daily oven use and not just using it once a day………so I save on parchment paper and my cookie sheets as well!

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from BakeItFun.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Grazia: Premium Bakeware Silicone Baking Cups, 24 count #Review #graziabaking

The last silicone cups you will need to buy! When silicone cups and “pans” came on the market, I was excited to see how the material would work with my baking mixes. I went from being optimistic to then using a pan with 6-cupcake molds that I literally used once and tossed away. First, the thing was flimsy and you had to be careful filling it with batter as a collapse was eminent and lastly, it did not perform well leaving me with uneven baked cupcakes that were dry. Easily clean-up made me rethink what was easy in my book was not at all easy in theirs. I had to soak the wanna-be pan and in 1 years time, the pan became sticky to the touch like the silicone was breaking down by just being exposed to air because I never used it again. Hardest 6 cupcakes, which I later tossed, that I ever had to bake! I swore off silicone and just baked in parchment cups.

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In comes Grazia with the heaviest silicone cups I have ever felt. To give you an idea, the container of 24 cups weighs close to 9 ounces (unfilled). Sturdy and the happiest colors that fit with any celebration. The silicone material that Grazia uses is:

• Oven Safe
• Microwave Safe, meaning you can make “one-cup” servings to satisfy any craving
• Can be used in the Freezer, so you can have ready-to-bake batches ready to go
• Dishwasher Safe for easy clean-ups
• The product has a non-stick finish too, so no need for baking sprays with harsh chemicals
• Most importantly, also BPA-Free and Grazia uses a silicone material that is FDA&LFGB approved (food-grade silicone)
• Temperature Safe from -40 degrees (for freezer use) to 440 degrees (for oven use)
• Each cup holds 2.5 ounces of batter, filling, anything you want to create! You can make savory treats too by using Puff Pastry combined with cheeses and meats.  Great way to welcome in 2015 with little mess to clean-up.

Grazia Bakeware is not like any other silicone baking cup I have felt on the market. No collapsing when pouring can occur because the cups are engineered with “real-life” baking in mind, meaning the cups stay put and are easily moved on-to a baking pan and again easily transferred without worrying of spilling or even crushing a cupcake if you happen to touch/move the cup. I can just bake as I always do minus wasting money and parchment paper with the cups I would buy or make before. You just pop-out your creations and start munching or easily make a basket of goodies to give-away.

Easy to fill and use!

24-Cups in 4 beautiful and bright colors!

Sturdy cups that keep their shape and form!

 

Retail Price Point: $11.99 on Amazon and Grazia stands by their products by providing a Life-time Gurantee

 

Grazia also supplies you with 24 cups to use in 4 different colors. You can use as many as you need and not have to clean-up an entire pan even if some cups were not used. You simply soak in warm soapy water after using and I let mine air dry on the rack before storing them away in the same plastic cylinder holder provided.  So easy to clean that I felt I did not even need to use the dishwasher!

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Grazia.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.