I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

We’re probably not atypical – in our family my wife cooks and I clean.  I have a certain way of cleaning and loading the dishwasher – yes, I am THAT person that gets all bent out of shape when a dishwasher is not loaded correctly.  I do pre-rinse/wash the dishes, call it a habit, call it a mental “isn’t that just common sense?” as I tell my wife often (much to her irritation ) “The dishwasher can’t scrub sweetie, it just sprays water!” (emphasis on a sarcastic ‘sweetie’).  So I was interested in checking out this new product from Cascade.  ”No scrubbing?” you say?  HA!  I was going to prove them wrong!  Nothing is no scrub, the dishwasher does not have little arms that come out and scrub the grime and dried sauce/food away!  But in fairness we also needed to use our old standby dishwashing detergent and do a ‘no scrub’ load as well.

Here is what Cascade Platinum promises:

• Scrubs away tough 24 hour stuck-on food
• Eliminates the need to pre-wash dishes
• Provides exceptional dishware shine
• Contains the grease fighting power of Dawn

So we tried it out.

It was hard.

It was VERY hard to control myself.

It almost felt a little gross.

I only threw the big pieces of food away, did an arbitrary rinse with water – which honestly made little difference when it came to the sticky stuff.  And that was it.

In the interest of full disclosure – since we aren’t consumer reports – we used Cascade PLatinum for one night (where we had mac and cheese pot and bowls) and another night we had barbecue ribs (baking tray and plates)  - so no it wasn’t an exact dish and plates comparison, but I have to say the experience has surprised me.

I really don’t have to scrub!!!

BEFORE

AFTER – See what I mean by gleaming?

The truth is I didn’t need to scrub for either of the dishwashing detergents.  BUT Cascade Platinum produced results that did have more shine… my wife calls it the “Ting!” of shine, while the other detergent left the dishes clean but (I am NOT kidding) lackluster.  Another thing I did notice was our daughter’s lunch thermos was gleaming clean (after mac and cheese which was left in it all day after lunch and only cleaned later at night) with Cascade Platinum, but the next day did have some remnants or smears (pesto pasta this time) left when we used our old detergent.

By the way we have an OLDER dishwasher (5-6 years old or so) and even in its hey day it wasn’t top-of-the-line.  Okay part of me was creeped out with why my dishes, pots, and containers were so gleaming clean after a load with Cascade Platinum – but this is what they say about how they make it ALL happen –

• Increased enzyme power delivers better tough food cleaning than regular Cascade complete pacs.
• Unique liquid-top dual surfactant system delivers exceptional shine for the dishes while helping to keep your dishwasher sparkling.
• Specially designed chelant and polymer system helps prevent hard-water film build-up on your dishes, glasses and interior walls of your dishwasher.
• That same chelant is designed to fight Calcium that comes in with hard water and food to deliver film-free dishes.

My wife is currently scouring BJs and Costco Warehouses to see if they carry the Cascade Platinum Pacs – truth is, I’m not sure how much cleaner it makes the dishes compared to our current detergent but it certainly makes the dishes and pots look gleamingly clean.  And my regular detergent didn’t clean the pesto pasta filled lunch thermos completely!

I can see why Cascade Platinum has partnered with Gail Simmons (of Top Chef and Food and Wine fame) to discuss why presentation is just as important as preparation.  They have tips on prepping and plating, as well as helpful videos here.  We’re not absolute foodies by any means but we do enjoy food that looks good and part of food looking good is the cleanliness of the plate it’s sitting on.

Additional Links -

• Cascade website
• Cascade Facebook Page
• My Platinum Instagram Contest - Submit your own photos for a chance to win prizes! Each week, two contestants will be selected to receive a brand new Whirlpool dishwasher, and one lucky grand prize winner will receive a Platinum kitchen makeover the contest ends on June 30th.

Related articles

• Cascade Platinum Pacs Review + Instagram Contest #MyPlatinum #sponsored (momfuse.com)
• My Dishes are Sparkling Clean with Cascade Platinum! (prettyopinionated.com)
• A Powerful Clean with Cascade Platinum Pacs #MyPlatinum #sponsored (myhighestselfblog.com)
• New Cascade Platinum Pacs! #MyPlatinum #sponsored (thecinnamonhollow.com)
• Cascade Platinum for Sparkling Dishes (sweeptight.com)
• I’m a Cascade My Platinum Ambassador (serendipitymommy.com)
• Cascade Platinum Dishwasher Pacs #MyPlatinum Instagram Contest @MyCascade (thecinnamonhollow.com)

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Dad Central Consulting for LongHorn Steakhouse. I received a gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.”

Since my 7 year-old daughter’s birthday is the same week as Father’s Day and now that we’ve moved to Virginia just shy of a year ago, this Father’s Day is now squished in somewhere between DD’s birthday party preparation and the last week of school chaos.  With all the recitals and school events coming to a head, I have to admit that our last week or so has been pretty much a piecing together of whatever we can scrape from the fridge for dinners.

Being first generation Chinese American with parents who were not familiar with Western ‘Holidays’ (i.e. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, etc), as a kid I didn’t really celebrate Father’s Day with my dad growing up (aside from the school craft/art project each year in Elementary school).  That being said, that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the day now that I’m a dad of two girls.  It is not hullabaloo-ed as much as Mother’s Day in our little family, BUT a reason to eat well is never ignored!  And we ate well this week as I was fortunate to have been chosen by dad central  to review LongHorn Steakhouse 

I am absolutely honest in my review.  We have never dined at LongHorn, although we are familiar with their brand – we thought they would be more like a “Olive Garden” for steaks – but was pleasantly surprised.  We went to the LongHorn in Chantilly VA, the restaurant was pretty new and nicely decorated - it didn’t feel drab or too stereotypical country/western either (no “Hi Ho Silver Away! feeling).  We did not need reservations (it was a Tuesday at 6:30pm when we arrived), the waitstaff was efficient and it was VERY kid friendly.  From the hostess to the busboys and waiter, they interacted with our kids and were very patient and accommodating (a pile of napkins, extra EXTRA butter for my girls who LOVES butter, etc).

RIB-eye happiness! Perfect ‘medium’ steak, well seasoned, browned outside & juicy inside. Loaded baked potato – I actually appreciate that it wasnt a GIANT potato. Little S had a grilled cheese sandwich.

The winner with the girls – lobster and shrimp cheese dip! Yes, that is cheese dripping from her chin…

   Little S had the grilled cheese sandwich – all kids meals come with fruit which is nice.  My wife ordered a T-Bone steak  - part of it was a little dry but it was seasoned really well and her asparagus was cooked perfectly.

Overall, the experience was real good, the food was what you would expect in a good steakhouse, it wasn’t too fancy, but was nice enough for a special occasion.  The prices are fair – not expensive and not all ala cart!  Your entrée comes with a side salad and a choice of side dish!  I honestly enjoyed my dining experience there more that I had at Outback steakhouse.  I would go again when I have a hankering for steak or when I don’t feel like firing up our grill.  

 

THE shrimp and lobster dip that the kids loved! I think it may also be the fact that the chips were the thin kind which also won them over )

Yup! This is a kid’s entree salad with grilled chicken.  The chicken was flavorful and not dry!

Some things that really stood out – THE BREAD came out piping hot and with soft spreadable butter!  When we asked for more the waiter said that we had to wait a few minutes since the bread was still baking – there is just something about freshly baked bread…mmmm!

As part of our review package, we received this nifty set of LongHorn steak knives – made of carbon steel with serrated edges.  We havent opened ours yet, BUT used the knives when we were at the restaurant.  I like my steak knives with some heft in them and this felt like a real knife – I was surprised to see that a set of four was only $30!  They felt sturdy and good quality, so I thought it would cost more.

The beautiful bread Picture does not do it justice

Rib eye heaven! Juicy, well seasoned, marbleized goodness!

Dessert Trio – the cheesecake was ‘meh’, but the chocolate dessert and the apple crumble with vanilla bean ice cream were delicious!

More Links:

- LongHorn Steakhouse Grilling Fact Sheet  

-  LongHorn website- find one near you!

Related articles

• Taking a #SteakCation at LongHorn Steakhouse for Father’s Day (benspark.com)

Summer Shoes with the labels on... then 2 months later...

THEN reused into her fall/winter shoe TADAH - not sure if I'll be trying to re-reuse the label into her summer sandal again... but then I might just to see if it'll take

October 2011

March 2012 - After numerous washes, falls, stains, and God knows what else...

We are very happy with this little labeler. We’ve also used it to label stuff for our daughter’s school like her plant pot etc. and its been great. After the major organization work in our art area and the mud room and all the girl’s stuff – we only replaced the cartridge at the end of all that — not too bad IMHO

Related articles

• Organizing the Arts and Craft Area – Voila! Part 2 (declutterorganizerepurpose.wordpress.com)
• Brother P-Touch Tough Electronic Labeling System Challenge (2wired2tired.com)

As family movies go, at least this one doesn’t take itself too seriously, the ‘geeks’ are goofy, and the actors are likeable.  Yes, the story line is somewhat predictable, BUT if you want a family tv movie that at least puts college education in a fun and intellectual light (barring the fact that one of the faculty tried sabotaging a student) this movie is for you.  It has a positive message on family, loyalty and doing the right thing.  I would say that the age range for kids to get the most out of this might be at least 7 or 8 to late tweens.  After that it might be too boring for actual teenagers.  My 5-year-old did find it interesting that college kids don’t have to live with their parents anymore ;o) . There is no uncomfortable love scenes to be worried about and things stay very G-rated.  They do end the movie with a Christmas scene!

 Below is the detailed synopsis –

When industrious high school gamer Zach Taylor lands a prized scholarship to the prestigious Digital Institute of Game Design (DIGD), his future breaks wide open. The opportunity to study under gaming legend Marcus Bentton and alongside the country’s most creative minds will certainly propel him into a successful career as a video game designer. That is, if he can pass the infamous freshman project that eliminates more than half of the class within the first three months.

Paired with brilliant yet socially awkward teammates Phillip and Donald, the trio persuades Sara Ramirez – a determined and striking team leader with whom Zach has a history (and possibly a future) – to join their team. Working off-campus in the teched-out Lincoln Alley loft, the four set out to involve the entire campus in a quirky new social interactive game. But as the group becomes entrenched in the project, Zach learns that his father Billy, a widower, is facing growing financial woes at home. To help out, Zach accepts an opportunity to work directly with Marcus Bentton on a secretive side project that seems too good to be true. The effort requires nearly all of Zach’s time and energy, which he should be devoting to the project. Struggling to keep it together, Zach is torn between his responsibility to his team, his admiration for Bentton and a chance to help his father.

Everything comes to a breaking point when Zach’s team threatens to remove him from the group and the deceptive truth behind Bentton’s project comes to light. With the guidance of Professor Abbie Lambert, Zach must make a decision that not only affects his future, but the lives and livelihoods of the people around him as well. It’s a revealing story that recognizes the magnitude behind the choices we make and the importance loyalty plays in making good decisions.

Premiere of Game of Your Life is on Friday, December 2 on NBC at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

The official Family Movie Night website:
http://www.familymovienight.com/

The Family Movie Night Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/familymovienight

Disclosure:

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

OK, I’m done with the whining. :0)

What really helped was knowing that our 5-year-old would end up having a creative and most importantly ‘functional’ space for herself.  We wanted a space that would be easy to clean up because it wasn’t so cluttered and unorganized.  Here are some things we had to think about when we were planning out the space:

• What does she enjoy doing there? (For her it was, writing in her journal, drawing, coloring, crafts, making cards)
• What items needs to be easily accessible to her (ie. her coloring books, crayons, etc.) and what shouldn’t be (ie. glue gun, beads etc.)?
• What doesn’t belong there, and why does it keep on showing up there? (toys, hats, coats, sunblock, etc.) and how do we address that?
• How do we label the different aspects of the space where it would be easily understandable by a 5-year-old?

After the initial mess of piling everything into groups and weeding out what doesn’t need to be there, we were surprised to see that we do have space!  Here are a couple of organizing materials that really helped.  I have to admit this was our THIRD time trying to make sense of this space.  So I think these things really helped make this time matter.

Labeler

Our new Labeler!

We were lucky to be able to participate in the Brother P-touch program.  We never had a labeler, I looked into buying one eons ago, but never got around to actually purchasing one (life happens).  My experience with labelers were those dymo things when I was a teenager and it was never easy to use and I don’t think I ever really used that to organize anything either.  Lately we’ve been pathetically using post-it notes and white sticker labels that you hand write on – I found one on the floor a couple of weeks ago and it took me a while to figure out where it goes!  Some things that surprised me (as a novice labeler):

- It’s actually was quite easy to print out the labels – in the midst of organizing the space I really didn’t want ANYTHING that needed a learning curve.  It was VERY straight-forward.  In fact even inserting the label tape/ink cartridge was idiot proof with a drawing of the cartridge etched into the spot!

- The labels aren’t permanently welded in place after sticking them on.  After a couple of weeks I was still able to move one label from one spot to the other – it was on plastic though, but still it transferred well and re-stuck well.

- You can’t beat how NEAT labels look compared to hand-written post its (yeah, I know… duh)

- The designs available were easy to use too – I used a plain rounded edged rectangle for most of my labels, while for my boxes and storage containers I used something that looked like a clipboard.

The way I organized our space – things Julia has access to in the bottom shelves, and more ‘storage’ items on the top shelves.  I placed items first prior to affixing the labels in order to get a feel for where they are.

Arts and Crafts Double Tower 

(sfx: Angels singing) Our New Storage Tower! All labeled up and ready to go...

After going through multiple iterations of storage choices – ie. boxes, baskets, drawer units – We realized that having multiple places to put things just leads to more clutter and not much organization.  By pure fluke we happened upon our local education/school supplies store’s back to school sale and found exactly what we needed!  At first 20 drawers felt like a lot, but in reality it was just enough so that everything literally has a place and isn’t cluttered into one big drawer or container.

So now, scissors has a drawer of its own, so does tape, colored pencils, and markers – just to name a few, but you get my point.  I also decided against going alphabetical, since this was to be used daily by my 5-year-old.  I opted to go from most used (colored pencils, stamps, scissors, tape, markers) on the top half and less used on the bottom (pipe cleaners, glitter glue, pom poms, etc).

The final result is below!  I have resigned myself to the fact that an area filled with all these minute items will never truly look pristine.  But at the very least it is now functional, and best of all – everything has its place now. )

Re-positioned the table, made a new tabletop cover, reorganized everything and Voila! the new space!

One last tip — I found this plastic cloth-by-the-yard at Michaels that really helped make the table more interesting  and like-new again –  we simply  taped it to the bottom of the table (much like when gift wrapping) and tucked some colorful tissue in between for color.

We aren’t exactly poster children of organizing, but there are two things that make us go through the rigors of organizing

– We seem to love our stuff  and with two kids there never seems to be an end to the amount of stuff we have all over the place.  With stuff accumulation comes the burden of organizing the stuff!

– We want our kids to live in an environment where they can actually have fun, relax, learn, and be kids – without the clutter, junk and mess.

– With the daily grind of life, things are hectic enough without the stress of trying to find something every hour or so.  (Where are those pair of scissors?  Where is that little empty drawstring bag?  I swear I have a jar of googly eyes somewhere!)

– And with the ability of finding something and knowing where things should be, comes the $$ savings from not having to go out and buy more thinking that you’re out.  (I wasn’t REALLY trying to accumulate 5 bottles of Elmer’s glue!)

Hope this helps somewhat  If you have any organizational tips please do share by leaving a comment on this blog post – would love to hear your tips!!!

Disclaimer

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Brother P-Touch and received a product and gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Related articles

• Reorganizing Our Arts and Craft Area (Heaven Help Us) Part 1 (declutterorganizerepurpose.wordpress.com)
• Label Challenge! Reviewing the Brother P-Touch Labeler (declutterorganizerepurpose.wordpress.com)
• Clever organizing tricks and storage ideas (cnn.com)

My wife has been really BAD with taking her supplements and vitamins lately – and has seen the effects of her lackadaisical attitude on her health.  Lets not even mention her bad eating habits (Lunch? Breakfast? Who needs those?).  She knows that she helps nobody by being half of what she could be. On top of that – we’ve noticed that health is REALLY a family affair – we are only as good as our ‘sickest’ person – so in our case it has been an endless cycle of someone getting sick and passing it on to someone else. Sound familiar?

There are a couple of things we are all doing to (hopefully) help give her immune system a boost:

- Drinking more water (so our body doesn’t run on fumes) – did I also mention my wife is still breastfeeding?
- Taking supplements - she looks for supplements that are absorbed fast by her body, have no ‘fillers’, and are made with natural ingredients.  She prefers a mix of multi-vitamins (since she still needs a mix of things and this is the easiest way to get it all at once) and for her immune system an extra dose of vitamin C.

- For the kids, something flavorful and quick – we don’t have time to cajole them into taking anything (medicine is hard enough)

- We’ve added yogurt in order to boost live cultures into our diet – helps with digestion too.

The timing for receiving the Emergen-C Kidz samples couldn’t have been better, with winter on its way and trying to get healthy on our list of to-do’s – we were ready!

We got to try Orange, Fruit Punch and Grape flavors

Each box comes with 30 packets, you empty one packet into about a 4-6 ounce glass of water & stir. Pretty simple really – it was the taste test that was important – the fruit punch and grape did not make the grade for my 5-year-old but the orange flavor was well-received.  It wasn’t powdery as I feared and dissolved very fast.  We used cold water which made it easier to drink.  If the taste is a little too strong, just dilute it with some more water or even add ice cubes to make it a nice cold drink.  Our kids also take a gummy multi-vitamin everyday and this will help supplement their vitamin intake during the months where ‘everyone’ seems to be getting sick so often .

Take the Emergen-C Pledge!! For every pledge they receive on facebook Emergen-C will donate 25 cents to Vitamin Angels! We just took the pledge and it took only a second – no lengthy sign-up involved! The fastest ‘donation’ I’ve ever made!

The Emergen-C Kidz Pledge

I pledge today to commit to creating a fun and healthy lifestyle for me and my family, which includes: eating more nutritious foods, taking vitamins daily, and getting regular exercise – all while having fun and spending more time together! With this pledge, I will also commit to teaching my children the importance of helping others through actions big and small.

Why 25 cents? 

25 cents covers the cost of annual vitamin A supplementation, which can reduce mortality for children 6-59 months by 23%.

GIVEAWAY!!!  Want to win a 3 pack of Emergen-C Kidz as pictured above?  Take the Emergen-C Kidz Pledge and then leave a comment with your email address, the age(s) of your kid(s) and how your family is or will lead a fun & healthy lifestyle.  One reader will be randomly selected to receive 3 packages of Emergen-C Kidz at 5pm CST on September 30, 2011!!!

Disclosure:  I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Emergen-C and received samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Related articles

• Easy Strategies for Boosting Immunity (everydayhealth.com)
• Brain Vitamins Are Not Just For The Brain (pkurdu.wordpress.com)

Just in time for the fall football season, NBC and P&G gives us Game Time:Tackling the Past. In my humble words, this movie is a story about a pro-football player’s relationship with his family and how ambition and drive can sometimes come between a person’s true self and the achievement of happiness. The story felt like it took a while to get rolling, but at its core its got some heart. If watching with kids, it brings up interesting talking points around the importance of family, communicating with people you love, defining success, and setting your priorities.

Although the movie does have its share of stereotypes (the gruff no-nonsense coach, the super-ambitious pro-quarterback, the earnest brother, the shallow sports manager, etc.) it has occurred to me that to my young kids (who haven’t watched many sports-focused movies), these wouldn’t be stereotypical characters, but people they are seeing for the first time – thus providing a good opportunity to discuss these characters. No, Game Time: Tackling the Past probably won’t be winning any Emmy’s, but it’s a decent Saturday night movie for the family and gives you the chance to talk about sports, defining success, importance of family and communication, setting priorities, etc.

Trailer for Game Time: Tackling the Past

This made for TV movie premieres Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 8pm ET/7pm CT. So set your Tivo/DVRs and/or gather your family and make some popcorn for this family friendly movie!

To read more about Game Time: Tackling the Past, click here to go to the official Family Movie Night website. View the movie trailer here. Also, check out the Family Movie Night Facebook page!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

We got the test/durability kit yesterday. Our plan is to run the labels through our version of rigorous testing scrubbing, dishwashing, rough handling and kid-use.  One test label will be placed under a favorite bowl and put through weeks of dishwasher washing.  Another use for the labeler in our household would be as a name label – so the other test label will be affixed on the heel of my daughter’s shoe.  Finally, we’ll scrub, sponge and submerge the third test label in water.  We’ll then report our real-world results in a subsequent post.

We’re planning on tackling a couple of ‘spaces’ that REALLY need work in our house – our pantry, our storage/hall closet, and finally, our daughter’s art/craft area. Watch out c-r-a-p we’re out to get you!

By the way it would be great to know, what is your favorite labeler brand ?

Stay tuned for future posts on our actual testing and productive use of the Brother P-Touch Labeler!!!

Disclaimer:
I wrote this post while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Brother P-Touch and will receive a product and gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

So what’s my outfit of choice?  Depending on the weather/temperature and outing/occasion: jeans/khakis/walking shorts and a polo or button down shirt is typical.

Polo shirts – a classic from the 1980′s that will never go away – the casual version of the lady’s little black dress if you will.  Great to wear for leisure or business casual attire at the office (even dress it up with a sports coat over it!).  I love ‘em!

So, when there was an opportunity to participate in a blog tour by Dad Central Consulting to wear and review the “new & improved” Land’s End Polo shirt, I was very happy to do so!

 The Land’s End polo shirts are great – good value, excellent quality and come in a bountiful color choices.  If you want to OR dare to step away from the typical white, blue, and black, try “bold sun,” “orange spice,” “bright leaf,” or “ocean breeze.”  Aside from the wonderful color options, I appreciate the no curl collar, no annoying tags and the feel and quality of cloth – a nice thick, yet soft cottony mesh (no/minimal worries of nipple-age).

So, with Father’s Day right around the corner, I honestly think the new & improved Land’s End polo shirt would make a great gift!  Change things up and get Dad a more vibrant colored polo – let him shine!  Personally my two favorite color choices are Orange Spice and Bright Leaf! 

GIVEAWAY!!!  One of my blog readers will win a Land’s End polo shirt, which will be shipped directly from Land’s End.  To enter, leave a comment about why you would like to win a Land’s End polo.  A winner will be selected the week of June 20th and notified via email.

Disclosure:  I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of Lands’ End and received a polo shirt to facilitate my review, one to giveaway, and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.