Review: The Ultimate Cloth

With two kids, a husband and three cats, there is always something in my house that needs to be cleaned. I hate buying cleaning products and disposable wipes or papertowels. I don't like the chemicals or the waste.

I've finally found a great substitute! The Ultimate Cloth is made of exclusive MiraFiber Technology that cleans with just water! Now I don't need to buy or use all those chemicals in my home. I received the Ultimate Cloth and promptly gave it the true test. I used it to wipe the fingerprints off the door frame.... and I do mean fingerprints, lots of them. I was totally amazed at how well it worked. The cloth is very sturdy and truly doesn't need any chemicals at all to work!

The Ultimate Cloth doesn't streak mirrors or glass guaranteed. It also doesn't leave behind lint or dust! Each cloth costs $6.00 but it has a 5 year general use guarantee! Wow imagine how much money you'll save not buying paper towels and cleaning products for five years!

The Ultimate Cloth is eco-friendly solution for homes as well as a money and time saver. The Ultimate Cloth is a brand new technology – in fact, it is the only cloth to receive a new patent in the last 25 years. The Ultimate Cloth is a simple, green and effective one-step cleaning process. The Ultimate Cloth cleans any hard surface – glass, wood, granite, stainless steel and many more – with just water! No longer do you have to use harsh chemicals in your home, nor do you need spend hundreds of dollars per year buying them. The Ultimate Cloth has been lab tested to remove 96% of bacteria, without the use of chemicals. And, can cut 50% off your cleaning time. The Ultimate Cloth is truly the ultimate in green cleaning. It can be washed, bleached and reused many times.

You have a chance to get your very own FREE Ultimate Cloth.

All you need to do is follow Ultimate Cloth America on Twitter or become a fan on facebook.

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/Ultimate_Cloth

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ultimate-Cloth-America/209222110335?v=wall&ref=ts

They will reveal how to get the free Ultimate Cloths via Twitter and facebook.

Main Website:

http://www.ultimateclothamerica.com/index.html

Cloth Information:

http://www.ultimateclothamerica.com/information.html

Purchase Page:

http://www.ultimateclothamerica.com/purchase.html

As required by the FCC: This is a MamaBuzz review. I received one Ultimate Cloth free in order to write my review. I received no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

Author Spotlight: Gary Maccagnone author of For the Love of St. Nick

I was lucky to be chosen to host Garasamo Maccagnone, author of For the Love of St. Nick.



Garasamo Maccagnone studied creative writing and literature under noted American writers Sam Astrachan and Stuart Dybek at Wayne State University and Western Michigan University. A college baseball player as well, Maccagnone met his wife Vicki as a junior at WMU. The following year, after injuring his throwing arm, Maccagnone left school and his baseball ambitions to marry Vicki. After a two year stint at both W.B. Doner and BBDO advertising agencies, Maccagnone left the industry to apply his knowledge of marketing in a new venture in an up-and-coming industry. Maccagnone created a company called, "Crate and Fly," and turned it from a store front in 1984 to a world-wide multi-million dollar shipping corporation by 1994.

In the mid 90’s Maccagnone decided to fulfill the promise of his writing career, by first penning the children’s book, The Suburban Dragon and then following up with a collection of short stories and poetry entitled, The Affliction of Dreams. His literary novel, St. John of the Midfield was published in 2007, followed by his For the Love of St. Nick, which was released in 2008. Maccagnone expanded the original version of For the Love of St. Nick and had the book illustrated for a new release in June 2009.

Garasamo “Gary” Maccagnone lives today in Shelby Township, Michigan, with his wife Vicki and three children. You can visit Gary online at www.garasamomaccagnone.com.

A brief synopsis of the book For the Love of St. Nick:

Two California boys, coping with the loss of their mother, find themselves uprooted when their father, a Navy Commander, is transferred to a base in Northern Michigan. With the youngest boy continuously sick, the family must survive military life and the northern elements as they dwell in their little hunter’s cabin on Lake Huron. When the boys’ father must leave prior to Christmas to fulfill his secret mission for the United States Military, the boys are surprised by a chance encounter that saves a life, and reunites a family.

For the Love of St. Nick can be purchased at Amazon:



If you're looking for a touching Christmas story to share with your children, this is the book to get.

Review: Derailed by Tim Irwin, PhD

Book: Derailed
Subtitle: Five lessons learned from catastrophic failures of leadership
Author: Tim Irwin, PhD
ISBN: 978-1-5955-5274-7
Publisher: Thomas Nelson

From the book’s website:

“…ultimately this book is not really about six famous leaders who derailed. It is about you. And me. And anyone who ever decided to accept a position of leadership.”
-Patrick Lencioni, writer of foreword for Derailed, author The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

"This is not just a book for CEOs. It is for anyone who serves in a leadership capacity—pastors, teachers, government officials, and even mid-level managers in corporations. Not only is this a book you should read; in my opinion, it’s a book you can’t afford not to read. There is simply too much at stake."
- Michael Hyatt, CEO, Thomas Nelson

****************

Derailed chronicles the careers of six CEO’s in the business world. Each of these CEO’s had a career that many would envy; well paid and in control. They also each had one thing in common. They all failed at their careers due to a lack of leadership skills and character.

Derailed gives the reader a look into each person’s career and allows them to see how they failed and what lessons can be learned from their failures. A few of the CEO’s he describes include Dick Fuld, former CEO of Lehman Brothers, and Durk Jager, former CEO of Proctor & Gamble.

Tim Irwin explains what the five stages of derailment are and how we can avoid them in our personal lives by recognizing the attitudes and behaviors that lead us there. This book is ideal for anyone who holds a leadership position in their lives. You don’t have to be a leader in a business capacity, these ideas can easily be used by teachers, pastors or youth group leaders.

This is the author’s website:

http://www.drtimirwin.com/derailed/index.html

This is a detailed look into the book:

http://thomasnelson.insidethecover.com/widget/?isbn=9781595552747

Derailed can be purchased at Thomas Nelson:

http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=159555274X&title=Derailed

Derailed can be purchased at Amazon.



As required by the FCC: I received one copy of this book in order to write my review. I received no monetary compensation for this review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are mine alone.

My thanks to Tim Irwin and Thomas Nelson for sending me a copy of this book to review.

Winner of Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks Simple Joys Giveaway

I have chosen a winner:

GabbyLowe said...
I follow you blog and gushers are our favorite fruit snacks

The winner has been notified by email & has 48 hours to respond or I will choose another winner.

Thanks for entering & please enter my other contests!

Everything's breaking!

Well it's been one of those weeks. Our washing machine is acting funky & is not spinning the water out when we use it. I have to go in & put it on an extra spin to get it to work right. No idea why.

The glass in front of our brand new woodstove broke for some unknown reason & needed to be replaced. Of course there is no warranty on the glass so it cost us $114 to replace! That means 2 days without laundry since our woodstove dries our laundry. We had to use our furnace which as only a little bit of oil in it for emergencies since our primary heating is wood.

Then the seat on our toilet seat broke :) and I will have to buy a new one. OK I am done with things breaking now!

Taste of the West Sweepstakes

You can enter now for a chance to win A Taste of the West during a 7-day/6-night trip for 4 people to the incredible Mountain Sky Guest Ranch in Montana’s Paradise Valley, just North of Yellowstone National Park. For more information, please visit us at http://www.challengedairy.com/sweepstakes/index.html.

In addition to world-class fine dining, the guest ranch features cozy accommodations, horseback riding, hiking, fishing, rock climbing, clay shooting and much more! Revive, rejuvenate and reconnect with a variety of activities for everyone in this $17,000 luxury getaway.

But that's not all! We’ll also be churning more good luck with an $850 kitchen package from Spice Islands and OXO.

Free Samples of Lipton Green Tea

Choose your flavor & get four free Lipton Green Tea bags:

http://www.liptont.com/greentea/

Free is good!

Winner of Who Turned out the Lights?

And the winner is:

HermitJim said...
Thanks for the gret review...always good to know what these books are really about!

I will be emailing the winner in a moment. The winner has 48 hours to respond or I will choose another winner.

Thanks for entering & please enter my other contests!

Review & Giveaway: Ecoholic by Adria Vasil

Book: EcoHolic (when you’re addicted to the planet)
Author: Adria Vasil
ISBN: 9-780393-334289
Publisher: WW Norton & Co

From the book’s website:

Ecoholic is an eye-opening guide to decoding the green from the greenwashed in the maze of products lining our shelves. Unlike other eco guidebooks, Ecoholic names names and gives you the dirt on what not to buy and why, as well as the dish on the most sustainable food, the greenest clothes, beauty products, home supplies, banking choices, sports gear, kids stuff and much much more. And yes, it will even take the toxins out of your love life. Ecoholic is a witty and indispensable guide to the small eco choices that make the biggest difference. No wonder reviewers have called this "sassy eco-bible" your " sacred text when it comes to making any life decisions."

****************

Ecoholic is THE book that anyone who is concerned about environmentally friendly products needs to read. This book is “your guide to the most environmentally friendly information, products & services”.

Ecoholic is broken down into chapters on bathroom confidential, what not to wear, green’s anatomy, food for thought, no kidding around, homeward bound, home improvement, outer space, I get around, it’s all fun and games, you work hard for your money and big issues.

Each chapter discusses several products in general and how safe they are. Then it lists specific products that it recommends as environmentally friendly. It also lists what products & companies aren’t environmentally friendly.

Have you ever wondered just what’s in your mascara? Are antibacterial products really good for you? Just what’s in that lotion you put on your baby’s skin? How organic is that food you’re buying? Which company’s products are produced in sweatshops? What are genetically engineered seeds? Who is Monsanto?

These questions and hundreds more just like it are answered in Ecoholic. These are a few facts I learned:

We used to eat 10,000 different species of food plants, and now 90% of the world’s diet is down to 120.

Nearly a third of all the garbage Americans toss each year is packaging.

This is the author’s website:

http://www.ecoholic.ca/

Ecoholic can be purchased at Amazon.



Or you can enter my contest for a chance to win this book for yourself!

Win It!

You get one entry for each of the below things that you do. You must leave one comment for each entry. You must do the mandatory entry before you can do any of the extra entries.

Mandatory entry:

1. Follow this blog & tell me something you learned from the authors website.

Extra entries:

1. Follow me on Twitter (@scentednights) & tweet about the contest. You can tweet daily. Just leave one comment for each daily tweet:

Book giveaway – Ecoholic (when you’re addicted to the planet) @scentednights http://tinyurl.com/yeqxkrk

Leave a link to your tweet.

2. Be my friend on Facebook (click on the Facebook badge on my sidebar)

3. Subscribe to my blog by email.

4. Blog about this giveaway on your blog (four entries). Leave a link to your blog post in your comment.

5. Post this contest on Facebook & leave a link for the post.

6. Add my button to your website (see right hand column)

7. Enter my Betty Crock Fruit Snacks giveaway.

http://confessionsofanover-workedmom.blogspot.com/2009/11/review-giveaway-betty-crocker-fruit.html

8. Enter my The Five Secrets From Oz giveaway:

http://confessionsofanover-workedmom.blogspot.com/2009/11/review-giveaway-five-secrets-of-oz-by.html

Remember, please leave a separate comment for each entry. And please enter only in the ways listed above. I reserve the right to delete comments not adhering to the above entry guidelines.

You must be 18+ years old & live in the USA. I will pick a winner on 11/23/09

As required by the FCC: I received one copy of this book in order to write my review. I received no monetary compensation for this review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are mine alone.

My thanks to Adria Vasil and FSB Associates for sending me a copy of this book to review.

Review & Giveaway: The Five Secrets From Oz by Steve Garrison

Book: The Five Secrets of Oz
Author: Steve Garrison
ISBN: 9-781439-249741

From the book’s website:

In early 2006, Steve Garrison accomplished something that most people will never get to do. He walked on 1200-degree hot coals at a farm in Sydney, Australia. Most people call that fire-walking. He didn’t do it to show people how crazy he was, but he did it to break through his limiting beliefs and overcome a task most people find impossible.

This is where emotional and physical breakthroughs come in our life. It was this breakthrough that turned the course of Steve’s life forever. Known for his abundance of energy and enthusiasm, Steve was given this great gift. Steve’s message of hope and finding your inner light will help people all over the world with his second book, “The Five Secrets from Oz”.

If you are suffering from alcohol abuse or obesity or depression, or if you are in a gang and can’t get out, or if you have lost your belief in life, or struggle in your relationships, “The Five Secrets from Oz” will give you the tools to a better life and help you find your inner light. You will laugh, you will cry and you will change. Buy “The Five Secrets from Oz” today to see just how far you can change.

This very powerful book will help you one secret at a time.

****************

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading The Five Secrets From Oz. I don’t generally read self-help type books. I have to say that this book really inspired me. The book introduces you to a number of people with problems – drug addiction, obesity, anger management, etc.

By chance, they meet “Oz”, an older man who appears rather down on his luck. As he speaks to each person, he introduces them to the five secrets that will allow them to change and make their lives what they want them to be. They each apply the secrets to their own lives to figure out how to change.

I really enjoyed this book because it doesn’t read like a lecture. It has no bulletted lists of what you need to do. There are no pills or magic ways of thinking. No tells you about what you have to do while you’re reading.

The Five Secrets of Oz is written like a story and I could identify with several of the characters. Not only that, I saw similarities between some of the characters and people I knew.

The author has a fun way of writing that really gets you into reading the book. I don’t think there are many people that won’t identify with at least one of the main characters. This book truly has the power to transform your life.

This is the author’s website:

http://www.thefivesecretsfromoz.com/

The Five Secrets From Oz can be purchased at Amazon.



Or you can enter my contest for a chance to win this book for yourself!

Win It!

You get one entry for each of the below things that you do. You must leave one comment for each entry. You must do the mandatory entry before you can do any of the extra entries.

Mandatory entry:

1. Follow this blog & tell me something you learned from the author's website.

Extra entries:

1. Follow me on Twitter (@scentednights) & tweet about the contest. You can tweet daily. Just leave one comment for each daily tweet:

Book giveaway – The Five Secrets From Oz @scentednights http://tinyurl.com/yahahe7


Leave a link to your tweet.

2. Be my friend on Facebook (click on the Facebook badge on my sidebar)

3. Subscribe to my blog by email.

4. Blog about this giveaway on your blog (four entries). Leave a link to your blog post in your comment.

5. Post this contest on Facebook & leave a link for the post.

6. Add my button to your website (see right hand column)


7. Enter my Betty Crock Fruit Snacks giveaway.

http://confessionsofanover-workedmom.blogspot.com/2009/11/review-giveaway-betty-crocker-fruit.html

Remember, please leave a separate comment for each entry. And please enter only in the ways listed above. I reserve the right to delete comments not adhering to the above entry guidelines.

You must be 18+ years old & live in the USA. I will pick a winner on 11/22/09

As required by the FCC: I received one copy of this book in order to write my review. I received no monetary compensation for this review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are mine alone.

My thanks to Steve Garrison and Bostick Communications for sending me a copy of this book to review.

Ohio Buckeye Candy recipe

Each year for the holidays, I make Buckeye candies. These candies have a peanut butter & confectioners sugar center and are dipped in chocolate. They are very easy to make, they taste delicious and they are gluten free!

PEANUT BUTTER CENTER

1 stick softened butter
1 3/4 c. (1 18 oz. jar) creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
About 1 lb. confectioners sugar

CHOCOLATE COATING:

1 (12 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp. vegetable shortening

Cream butter, peanut butter, and vanilla together, adding confectioners' sugar until proper consistency is reached. Roll candy into 1-inch balls and place on wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Melt chips and shortening together in top of double boiler. Keep chocolate mixture in double boiler over low heat while you dip each candy. Using a toothpick, dip each ball, covering about 3/4 of candy. Place candy on sheet to cool.

These are really tasty. They make great gifts. You can place each one in a mini muffin paper if you want to dress them up a bit.

Winner of Rose Bowl Dreams Giveaway!

The winner is:

sharon54220 said...
I love memoirs. I would love to win this book. I am a new follower

I will be emailing the winner right now. You have 48 hours to respond or I will choose another winner. Thanks for entering!

Please enter my other contests!

Weight Loss

Over the past few years, I've put on about thirty pounds that I'd like to loose. Technically I'm about 20 pounds over weight but I'd really like to loose thirty to feel good about how I look.

I decided to join Weight Watchers two weeks ago and so far have been doing really well. I've lost four pounds so far. I go every Wednesday night to meetings which I think helps with my will power.

It's not an easy journey for me. I work on the road so in the past I have grabbed fast food for lunch. I know - a really bad choice which is why I've probably gained the weight I have. But it was quick and easy. Now what I'm trying to do is pack my own lunch to take with me along with a few snacks to take along like an apple or yogurt.

Making dinner is tough because I need to find something everyone can and will eat. My food needs to be low calorie/fat. Sarah16 needs to be gluten free. David12 has ADHD and needs to have as few artificial ingredients as possible. Marty is a very fussy eater and won't eat veggies. He'd probably be quite happy to live on pizza and donuts for the rest of his life.

I'm trying really hard to put together a menu plan with meals planned out so there is no last minute urge to cheat. I know I'll feel a lot better and be able to accomplish a lot more when I loose this weight. I just need to stick with it and plan ahead!

Review: Sense and Sensibililty and Seamonsters

Book: Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
Author: Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters
ISBN: 978-1-59474-442-6
Publisher: Quirk Books

From the book’s back cover:

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters expands the original text of the beloved Jane Austen novel with all-new scenes of giant lobsters, rampaging octopi, two-headed sea serpents and other biological monstrosities. As our story opens, the Dashwood sisters are evicted from their childhood home and sent to live on a mysterious island full of savage creatures and dark secrets. While sensible Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars, her romantic sister Marianne is courted by both the handsome Willoughby and the hideous man-monster Colonel Brandon. Can the Dashwood sisters triumph over meddlesome matriarchs and unscrupulous rogues to find true love? Or will they fall prey to the tentacles that are forever snapping at their heels? This masterful portrait of Regency England blends Jane Austen’s biting social commentary with ultraviolent depictions of sea monsters biting. It’s survival of the fittest – and only the swiftest swimmers will find true love.
****************
What happens when you combine a Regency romance with a science fiction book? The outcome surely must be similar to Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. I had a fantastic time reading this book. It has all the romance you would expect in a Regency story but is coupled with giant lobsters, pirates and hideous monsters.

This is the story of the Dashwood sisters who are sent to live in a mysterious island. The island is plagued by all variety of sea monsters and strange creatures. During the course of the story, both sisters fall in love in true Regency style and are menaced by all sorts of sea monsters and of course that leads to being rescued by handsome men.

This book is truly hilarious and is a fantastic combination of a classic novel and a comedy. Not only did I enjoy it, as soon as my sixteen year old daughter saw it she pronounced that several of her friends had read it and enjoyed it and the book was hers when I was done with it!

This book can be purchased at Amazon.



The author’s website is:

http://www.benhwinters.com

As required by the FCC: I received one copy of this book in order to write my review. I received no monetary compensation for this review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are mine alone.

My thanks to Ben Winters and FSB Associates for sending me a copy of this book to review.

Review: Golden Moon Tea Company

Golden Moon Tea is a tea lovers paradise! They offer many varieties of green, white, black oolong and flavored teas. They also offer exquisite tea pots & tea accessories!

I recently had the opportunity to try their Kashmiri Chai tea which is an exotic, spiced tea from the Himalayas of Northern India. It is aromatic and warming and is served with cream and honey for a rich treat. The tea is made up of the finest black & green teas, cardamon, cloves, cinnamon and spice oil. This is a wonderful indulgence on a cold, rainy day like we're having today.

While I was browsing their site, I fell in love with their Serenity Bamboo Handle Tea Pot! They have tea pots, kettles, cups & lots more accessories to make your tea drinking experience even more special.

What I really liked about their site was that you can order samples of their teas for only .99c. If you think one of their teas sounds good but you don't want to buy a whole tin of it, get a sample of several and see which is your favorite. They have a 100% satisfaction guarantee too!

If you're not sure which tea you'd like to try, their website lets you search based on origin (China, Japan, Sri Lanka, etc.), cuisine, time of day, caffeine, mood and price per cup. This is a great way to expand your tastes!

As required by the FTC: I received one tin of Kashmiri Chai Tea to try in order to write my review. I received no monetary compensation and my opinons are mine and mine alone.

Blog Host for Shelly Nicholson - Jake the Snake books

First I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ellen for hosting me on her blog! Thank you, Ellen. I am so excited to be here.

As a writer, I have always had a passion for reading. And I have always had fun making up stories, whether it be a crazy tale for my kids about a snow monster that lives on the ski slope behind my house or a funny poem for a friend, I love to write.

My Jake the Snake books are an early chapter series written for boys ages 5-8 in mind; however I really think a bigger audience (including girls, older kids and even parents) will enjoy the laugh out loud humor Jake the Snake's candid, tell-it-like-it-is voice offers.

The inspiration for my first book Jake the Snake and the Stupid Time-Out Chair came from my youngest son Jacob (who is now 8-years-old). Jacob used to be a very ornery little rascal. He did everything from swinging on the dining room chandelier to white washing the garage and himself. I gleaned loads of stories from his toddlerhood antics. I kept the memories alive in his baby book and am now writing his own series of books.

In my writing, whether it be a magazine story or a book, it is my intention to get children interested in reading through funny events and relateable characters. I especially think boys who are just beginning to read need funny books to keep their attention; otherwise they'd probably rather be playing a video game. I also want to instill a valuable lesson into my stories. Jake the Snake and the Stupid Time-Out Chair deals with thinking of others first and sibling camaraderie, with the hopes that children will be laughing the whole way through at Jake's antics, but will still find an endearing lesson in the end.

I hope that your kids will love the adventures of Jake the Snake and want to read more. They can also look for my 2nd book A Stinky Surprise for Jake the Snake being released early in 2010.

Thank you again, Ellen, for letting me visit your blog! Happy Reading! :-) Shelly Nicholson

Thank you, Shelly, for stopping by my blog!