Gardein, not just a replacement for meat...better than meat

I received vouchers for two free Gardein products from BzzAgent at no cost to myself.

Having been a fan of the occasional faux meat product since I went vegetarian, I jumped at the chance to review some of
their products. I decided to go with the Mandarin Crispy Chik'n and the Meatless Meatloaf. I had tried other products from this line before, so I decided to go with unfamiliar options.

We ate the Mandarin Crispy Chik'n with veggie fried quinoa. It was fabulous! I had never had orange sauce before. The flavor of the sauce was great. And the texture and shape of the chik'n was perfect. We often chop up Gardein Chik'n fingers to add to dishes and salads, but it was so nice to have chik'n chunks that were the perfect size. We loved this chik'n so much, we've already repurchased and consumed another bag!

I was slightly hesitant about the Meatless Meatloaf. Beef-type texture and taste can be so hard to replicate! But Gardein did it! The "meatloaf" reminded me of my Mom's. A perfect balance of spices, onion, and the texture was spot on. I often make lentil loaf at our house, but it was so nice to have the right mouthfeel. We whipped up some mashed potatoes and had a true comfort food meal. We were going to try the loaf on sandwiches the next day, but unfortunately, there were no leftovers. I think we'll be keeping this entree option in our back pocket for cold, dreary days when no one wants to cook. We generally avoid prepackaged meals, but Gardein's easy to understand and recognizable ingredient list makes it the one pre-made meal line we keep in the freezer.

Alas, I was so excited by our tasty meals, I forgot to take pictures of the food. I won't be making that mistake again. I can't wait to share our awesome, vegetarian meals with friends and family! Gardein products can be found in the freezer section of your local supermarket or grocer.

Barilla Collezione Pasta

I received a free box of Barilla Collezione Pasta through Bzzagent. I received the Casarecce pasta. Casarecce is a scroll shaped pasta, and that shape makes it excellent for holding sauces. I made white bean "meatballs" to go with marina sauce and lots of melty mozzarella. The pasta was delicious and very toothsome. However, I don't think the extra cost is justified for weekday meals. I would definitely recommend the Barilla Collezione Pasta for fancy pasta nights.

Dial Acne Control Face Wash

I received a free bottle of the new Dial Acne Control Face Wash from Smiley 360. I was initially hesitant because most of Dial's products are too harsh for my skin. However, this wash was similar to the Neutrogena and Clean and Clear face washes I've used in the past. A good, basic face wash with a pleasant, light scent and fluffy lather. My skin did seem clearer and certainly felt clean while I was using it. It will be interesting to see how my face reacts to this face wash during the winter months, when I tend to be dry and flaky. Overall, a good, inexpensive face wash for those with mild to moderate acne.

5 Hour Energy-Pink Lemonade Flavor

I received a free sample from Smiley 360 consisting of two bottles of 5 Hour Energy in the pink lemonade flavor. These are part of their Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaign, they donate 5 cents from the sale of each specially marked bottle to Living Beyond Breast Cancer. A clever promotional tactic. The flavor is very tart and rather unpleasant, more lemon than lemonade, but they do provide energy. The result is similar to drinking a cup of coffee. And if you have the time in the morning, it's more pleasant to have a cup of coffee. However, all in all, the energy shots do provide energy. So, mission accomplished?

Chapstick dual ended hydration review update

I've been using my free sample of Chapstick Dual Ended Hydration Day and Night from Smiley for several days now.  The formulas are pleasant enough, but nothing to write home about. I usually use all natural lipbalms, so adapting to a more synthetically derived formula was a transition. Lip balm is lip balm, I have no scientific reason for using all natural balms, I simply prefer the flavors and generally find them more hydrating. This Day and Night Chapstick  is perfectly funcitonal. However, I found the "slip" of the two balms waxy, far more waxy than formulas that contain actual beeswax. Additionally, the orangey flavor of the Night side is odd, because citrus tends to wake me up, rather than soothe me, and the Day side has a vanilla flavor which is pleasant, but far more calming than I would expect a basic, daytime balm. I do however appreciate the SPF in the daytime side. And lastly, while I originally expressed concern about keeping track of a single lipbalm all day, the larger stick size actually facilitates finding it in work bags and rummaging for it in pockets.

Chapstick Dual-Ended Hydration Lock Day & Night review

I received this Chapstick as a free sample from Smiley 360.  The formula is pleasant enough, but both the day and night sides have odd flavors. The day side, which boasts SPF 12, tastes like fake sugar cookie flavor mixed with fake cherry. The night side tastes like orange, probably a result of the Tamanu oil. Certainly a good enough lip balm. But the gimmick relies on an individual's ability to keep track of one lip balm tube (this tube is slightly larger than a usual tube) and use it consistently.

o.b. Pro Comfort tampons-first impressions

I just received my free sample of o.b Procomfort Tampons from Smiley 360 in the mail. I'm quite impressed with the sleek and slim packaging and the discreetness of the design. It's definitely more eco-friendly than tampons with applicators. The only issues I could forsee are struggling with the plastic wrapper as it seems very clingy, and the messiness inherent in applicator-free tampons. However, I do think these would be an excellent choice for women more experienced with tampons and those who have no problem going to the sink in public restrooms with "messy" fingers.

These are just some passing comments, as I won't have a chance to use them for at least a month...ahem, which is never something to look forward to. I am however, pretty excited to try a new feminine hygiene product.