Yummy COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

COOL WHIP Whipped Topping is always in our refrigerator in the freezer section. I still remember the first time I tried it. It was introduced to me about six years ago and since then, it is always on my list when we go to the grocery store. It does not take very long before it is gone because I can use it for any dessert to make them even more special. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you probably have noticed that I eat a lot of sweets and chocolate. COOL WHIP is definitely a sweet treat. There are varieties of COOL WHIP now but I still prefer the original.

Everyday can be special with COOL WHIP. You can get a ready to make pie and put some COOL WHIP on top of the sliced pie and it makes the dessert tastier. I think desserts are an important part of the meal. I don't need to be a chef or a kitchen genius to make good desserts. Some other ways I use COOL WHIP Whipped Topping is with strawberries and grapes as you can see from the pictures. Sometimes, I just dip the strawberries in COOL WHIP but for this post, I want it to be a little more presentable. I removed the leaves, sliced them for a better presentation and added COOL WHIP.

A cup of coffee can also be more tasty and better with COOL WHIP. When I go to a coffee shop, I always request a whip on top but at home a scoop of COOL WHIP Whipped Topping does the trick. Just scoop the COOL WHIP with a spoon and it's done. For me, it personally makes our desserts better and my family loves it too.

This is an iced chocolate drink I made earlier and I put three dollops of COOL WHIP on top.

If you want to use COOL WHIP as an icing on a cake or pie, there are many recipes that you can find online. One idea that I found before is that you can mix it with a pudding to make it thicker. I usually use it just the way it is, it is a lot easier that way. How about ice cream with COOL WHIP? I tried this before and it is really good too!

What other ways do you use COOL WHIP in your home? Please feel free to let me know your ideas in the comments section.


Sponsored posts are purely editorial content that we are pleased to have presented by a participating sponsor. Advertisers do not produce the content. I was compensated for this post as a member of Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all my own.

Portable USB Charger Battery

Most of us probably have a big collection of things that require batteries. We have cell phones, digital cameras, laptop computers, camcorders, and lots of other things which use batteries.  The problem comes when we're away from home and we forgot our charger.  Then we have to figure out a way to charge our batteries.  Some people resort to buying extra AC adapters, but there's an easier way.  A portable USB charger battery can be used instead of your AC adapter and will charge your cell phone quickly and easily. 

Anything that has a USB cable can be charged, including your iPhone, iPad, cell phone, Nintendo NDS, and all types of digital cameras and camcorders, anything that requires five volts or less of power.  So stop worrying that your battery will die and leave you in a bad condition.  You can order a portable USB battery charger at batteryheads.com.  That's not their only battery product, they also sell laptop batteries, surveying batteries, DC adapters and other types of external batteries.

Please visit batteryheads.com for more information. This post is brought to you by their website.

Horseback Riding

Horseback riding is growing as an international sport particularly in China, Columbia, Germany and England. I’m not into sports. I was just reading a website about a recent horseback riding in China experience. Some of the professional horseback riders have to wear kerrits breeches as uniforms.

I mentioned my last horseback riding here at my blog. I shared this picture before and I'm posting it again. It was at the Aloun Farm Pumpkin Patch, their horses seemed to be small but I was still a little scared getting up the horse.  I’m sure the little children were more courageous than I am. It’s enjoyable once you are already riding it. Have you ever ride a horse before? I hardly see horses here in Oahu but there are ranches that offer horseback riding. We’re planning a trip to Kualoa ranch and this is something I might try again. I think riding the horse by the beach can be pretty romantic too.

In the Midwest, having horses in people’s barns is common. I think if you have horses as pets, you can easily get attached with them. In the older days, most especially, horses can be companions wherever people go.

Disclaimer: I was asked to provide my opinions/experience about horseback riding and will be compensated.

Garnier Skin Renew B.B. Cream Review

Picture before Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector B.B. Cream

 After applying Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector B.B. Cream

I hope you can clearly see the difference from the pictures. I did not do any editing (except to crop the photos). I took pictures of my entire face but I'm not ready to post an overly close up photo yet so I just posted half of my face here.

I'm not really hoping for a miracle when I try this so when I was still able to see the acne spots at my chin where I got the most dark spots after application, I was not surprised. However, after applying the Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector B.B. Cream, my skin was clearer and the spots faded. I'm very happy to  have tried this product. It made my skin more even and the results are immediate.

This is my first B.B. Cream, I have a sunscreen that I don't use everyday. I'll make the switch on this one, it is very light weight and not oily at all. I'll try to use this whenever I go out, not only does it make my face brighter, it also rated as SPF 15.

I received a Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector B.B. Cream through BzzAgent in exchange for an honest review.

Potato Goodness (Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe)

If you were asked what vegetable that is on tables most often, you’d probably say potatoes, Here in the United States, most people eat potatoes daily in the form of hash, French fries, and baked potatoes for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  For snacks, we eat potato chips.  There are many varieties of potatoes including russet, white, yellow, Yukon, new, etc.

The US Potato Board provided me a coloring book with recipes and some potato gadgets so I can try one of the recipes. You can download a copy of the coloring cookbook at PotatoGoodness.com.  The site has plenty to offer-- recipes, healthy living, kid's activity sheets and more. We can show more of our support to the USPB by liking their page at Facebook or following them at Pinterest.

I always loved baked potatoes so I decided to try the “Twice Baked Potatoes”  because it’s different from the ones I already had before, this one is double baked!

Here is the recipe from the coloring book:

I followed the recipe and just made a few changes. I did use larger potatoes so I had to cook them longer because they were not cooked enough to scoop the center when I removed them from the microwave. I also baked them in the oven longer.

I did not mash the potatoes and brocolli thoroughly because I know they will already be very tender. Instead of reduced fat cheddar, I used a four cheese blend-- medium cheddar, monterey jack, asadero and quesadilla cheeses.

The potatoes were delicious and healthy too! You can play around with the recipe if you like. Next time, I'll try to add some meat into it and it can be a meal.

Disclaimer:

I want to thank USPB and Family Review Network for providing me with this opportunity. I loved the coloring book! It made me learn about the types of potatoes and I know that RC will love coloring on it. The recipes are easy to follow. I was very pleased with the potato smasher and the gloves that I got. They are  my first ever gadgets just for potatoes. (I know I'm such a late bloomer including trying to learn how to cook.)

I'll also be entered into a cash giveaway for trying out this recipe and for giving my honest opinion. I'm crossing my fingers! No other compensation was received.

XperienceDays.Com $50 GC (Win an Adventure!) Ends 4/2 US

Nascar driving experience, hot air ballooning, indoor skydiving, all of these adventures you'll find at XperienceDays.com. Just search the website based on your area or the place of your upcoming vacation. If you are not into extreme adventures, there are also some food tours, sailing and other classic activities.  With Xperience Days, you can give unique gifts to those you care about or you can purchase an activity for yourself. I'm hosting a giveaway for Xperience Days. Win a $50 XperienceDays.Com Gift Certificate. This is also my entry for the March Into April Giveaway Hop.

Welcome to the

March Into April Giveaway Hop

hosted by Planet Weidknecht and

Going Crazy!! Wanna Go??!!

All the bloggers participating in this hop are giving away prizes

worth at least $20 on their blogs. After you enter my giveaway,

be sure to hop around to all the blogs on the list below

to enter more awesome giveaways!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I was provided with the giveaway, no product or other compensation was received.

Long Beach City View

These are some pictures I haven't shared yet from our mainland trip last November. I have more to share. I completely forgot the name of this park, it's just a park but it's uphill overlooking the view of the city of Long Beach in California. Just a few more days and I can wear my coat, my sweaters and jackets again.

I haven't had pictures of myself in awhile. You might have notice it's always RC here lately. I catched the cold that she had so now we can have a duet in coughing.

I hope all is well with you and thanks again for those who keep visiting.

Bus

Guest post written by Joseph Finch

I’m new here in town and my landlord gave me a handy little flyer with all the local numbers and contact information I will need to get things set up. I used cabletelevision.net, as listed on the flyer to get my tv hooked up. The thing I’m trying to figure out now is the bus system. One of the main reasons why I chose this apartment complex is that it is on the bus loop. I do have a car, but it is far from reliable. I need to have a backup plan for getting to work if my car doesn't star. It looks like a bus comes every 45 minutes; I’m just not sure if they all go the same route or if they go different routes. The map is confusing to me. I think it was originally color coded, but my landlord’s copy is black and white. I can’t tell what they are referencing. I might just have to go to the bus station and get a colored map this afternoon or tonight.

Gluten Free Manischewitz Cake Mix Review

What is a Gluten Free Diet? According to Wikipedia, it’s a diet that excludes foods that contains protein found in wheat, barley, rye, malts and triticale. I heard about Gluten free before I just learned about what it really meant a few days ago.

I was provided a Manischewitz Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix with Fudge Frosting and I’ll share it with you how I made it. There’s an easy to follow instruction but I was in a hurry when I made it so there are some flaws here and there but overall, I think it still tasted good in the end.

 

I just basically followed the recipe at the back of the box. I emptied the cake mix, add 3 eggs and half a cup of vegetable oil. I did not have a fancy mixer, I had to use a manual mixer and I was supposed to do 600 strokes. I was lazy and probably did around a hundred but I made sure that all are  mixed together and the cake powder are all moist. If you have an electronic mixer, you can beat on medium speed for four minutes. It’s ready to be baked.

For the frosting, I needed 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of boiling water and then I mixed it with the frosting mix. My mistake with this one is that I placed the frosting on top of the cake before it was completely cooled. As you can see, my cake isn’t perfect looking at the frosting. There's always room for improvement. Next time, I'll do better!

It’s gluten-free and has zero grams trans fat per serving.

I was also provided with  Manischewitz Mediterranean Matzos for review as pictured above but I'm still waiting for the perfect time to serve it. I tried it just to taste it. I can taste some herbs but it's still a little plain for me just like a cracker but there's a recipe at the back that I want to try soon.

Thanks Manischewitz! Please go to Manischewitz.Com for more information about their products.

From Cable to DirecTV

Many people are ditching their Cable TV nowadays because some TV programs can now be seen online. I’ve decided that I want to terminate our cable subscription too but my husband is not ready yet.  They just increased the monthly fee for cable in our area.  I think the cable box is just collecting dust under the TV. I feel that RC watches too much TV too. Our TV is always on cartoon channels.

For people who want to save but would still want to keep the regular TV channels, one option is to have a Direct TV subscription, it is much cheaper than cable. However, I have not tried this myself so I can only compare pricing. I still have yet to do my research too on what channels they offer. Did you ever see the DirecTV commercials? I thought they were funny because they connected unrelated events into something hilarious. You can find more information at dx3 direct tv (clickable). Their packages start at $29.99.

I don’t think there is too much difference on DirecTV and Cable TV so I’m not really sure why cable is a lot higher. I think we can still have our cable online internet access subscription and cancel the TV cable.

The links on this post is brought to you by dx3.net.

Wordless Wednesday: Bubble Fun w Linky

Please feel free to link up with me. You can place your Wordless (Wordful/Wordy) Wednesday posts below, not your main URL. Thanks!

Bunny Hat

Easter is just around the corner and I thought this is an easy project for our preschoolers. We made it at the library over a week ago. Just cut out some shapes from paper as seen at the first picture and attach the elongated oblongs as ears on the other piece. So the child can wear it as hat, just tie a knot at the ends using a yarn. I may not have explained it well but I think with the pictures, you can see how it was made.

RC got sick Wednesday night and she is still sick so last night we decided to take her to the emergency room. Thankfully, she acted like a big girl. I did not have problems with collecting her urine for a UTI test and she had an X-ray without crying. Another reason to be thankful is that she don't have urinary tract infection nor a pneumonia, just an ear infection.

She has been napping a lot today. I'm worried about our upcoming trip although we still have days left before our trip to California. I'm hoping everything will be well before then.

I'm linking with Sundae Scoop, Party Time , Creative Bloggers Party  Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays Trash to Treasure Tuesday Get Your Craft On, Take a Look Tuesday, A Little Birdie Told Me, Handmade Tuesdays, Show and Tell Friday

Miracle-Gro Expand 'n Gro Concentrated Planting Mix

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
I was provided a sample of the Miracle-Gro Expand ‘n Gro Concentrated Planting Mix. I would admit that I still have to use it. I did however purchase a Miracle-Gro soil before when we had a balcony at our old apartment and I had some plants there. I may have not used the exact concentrated mix that I was given now but it was another planting mix from Miracle-Gro.  I can tell the difference between the ones planted out of regular soil and the one that were planted with the soil mix.

We’re thinking of getting rid of some of our furniture so we can have more space at our living room. I can clear the area by the window so I can have a plant or two. I’m thinking of some kind of an indoor fern plant that I saw at the open house we went to before.  I can’t wait to have more space and have a plant here.
More information about the Miracle-Gro Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix:
-You can have up to three times flowers and vegetables compared to the native soil
-It feeds for up to six months and improves the soil for years to come
-It holds more water because it has natural fibers. The plant mix also expands up to three times when water is added.


If you are into gardening/ planting, check out the new Miracle-Gro Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix. It’s an easy way to keep your plants healthy and pretty especially during the seasons of Spring and Summer. Please feel free to comment below about your thoughts on the new planting mix from Miracle-Gro.

Laptop Storage Carts

If you were asked to choose the one item that wasn't in very many homes 30 years ago, but now every home has at least one, you might answer correctly the computer.  Today computers are a part of everyday life, and if our computer is down at work, we just sit there and act like we can't do any work at all.  The days that we used typewriters and steno pads are long gone, replaced by the desktop personal computer, the laser printer, and USB memory devices.  But, computers themselves  have seen a major transformation over the years, going from large bulky things that took up an entire desk, to small sleek pieces of art that complement a work area.  The desktop PC's are slowly giving way to laptops and tablets, and laptops are outselling desktops now in the US. 

Along with moving away from large PC's the desks we're working on and the areas for laptop storage have evolved.  Now we have laptop carts that are easily moved from one location to another so we can be more mobile while working.  And a laptop cart can also be used as a desk and for storage of laptops or other items.  You're probably reading this on a laptop or tablet as the world of computers keeps changing and moving toward smaller devices.

The links on this post is brought to you by elaptopcarts.com. Please visit their website for more information. The picture is from their website.

Ebay's Final Value Fee on Shipping

This is just a little rant about Ebay. I decided to sell items to expand my stay at home jobs and I had high hopes about it before I sold and found out that Ebay is now charging a Final Value Fee on Shipping. I live in Hawaii so it’s usually cheaper to send bulky items using Priority mail boxes.

I was reading discussions about it and the explanations people can think of was because Ebay is promoting the “Free Shipping” feature and some sellers were taking advantage of the shipping not being charged by Ebay. For example, an item can be 0.99 cents and the shipping will be $20 for a small item.  If these are actually the reasons, I believe Ebay is not being so reasonable on the sellers’ part. Ebay will not pack the items, print the shipping label or drive to the post office. I consider these the handling fees. So if you are a seller and you charge the exact amount of shipping the post office is charging, you will lose money not only because of the handling fees but because Ebay is now charging a final value fee on shipping. The regular sellers will probably have to add these charges to their item cost.

Ebay removed the insertion fee which is the fee that you pay when you list an item. Before, whether you sell the item or not, you still get charged of the listing fee (considering you did not use a subtitle, buy it now feature etc). That was a good thing. However, now once you sold an item, you will be charged: Final Value fee on the item based on the amount for which it was sold, Final Value Fee on Shipping and Paypal fees.

I’ll stop selling in Ebay for now until I find another way to ship items cheaper.

All opinions in this blog post are mine. Picture was taken from ebay.com.

Acne Complex

One of the painful memories of being a teenager and young adult was the onset of acne when puberty started.  Those embarrassing pimples and blackheads were unwelcome and have caused self-esteem problems for young people all over the world.  In the past, we were told to keep our faces clean and use soap and water to cleanse the skin.  Also we were told that certain foods cause acne, and usually the culprit was said to be chocolate and oily fried foods.  Since acne treatment was not very helpful then, most of us still suffered even though we did what people told us.  Today, there are many products available that are for treating acne and its harmful effects. 

Acne is not the only skin ailment that we are concerned with, the aging of our skin due to the sun and environmental factors is also a threat that we should deal with if we can.  Some of the most highly recommended products for the treatment of acne and aging skin are Murad Acne Complex and Murad Resurgence.  You have probably seen these products on TV. You can even obtain valuable Murad Coupon Codes that you can use to purchase these helpful products that will improve the appearance of your skin and give you self-confidence and have others saying how great you look.

This post is brought to you by acnecomplex.com.

Wordless Wednesday: How to Pet a Rabbit w/ Linky

We attended a lecture about having rabbit for pets. The rabbit above is the biggest rabbit I've seen so far. It weighs 14 lbs.

Please feel free to link up your Wordless Wednesday blog posts (not your main URL). Thanks!

Double Glazing

These days with the cost of heating and cooling your home going up at an alarming rate, all of us are trying to find ways to cut energy consumption.  We have removed some unneeded light bulbs and are replacing the needed bulbs with more energy efficient models.  We have also started limiting our trips due to the crazy price of gas, and we try to combine trips to keep costs lower.  Here in Hawaii we don't really worry about heating bills, but the air conditioning bills can really add up in the warmer months of August through December.  But in those places that have cold weather, energy efficient windows can really make a difference in the monthly utility bills because they keep the warm air inside the home and the cold air on the outside where it belongs. 

In the United Kingdom, for example, they use a method called double glazing to make windows more efficient.  That is where you use double glass that is separated by air or a gas to reduce heat transfer.  Since double glazing prices can vary quite a bit, you should be a smart shopper and find the best service for the price you pay.  There's a website called http://www.alldoubleglazing.co.uk that will take your information and then provide you with up to four quotes from companies who provide double glazing services. 

Please visit alldoubleglazing.co.uk, this post is brought to you by their website.

Window Plant Boxes

You have probably seen window box planters in some homes now.  I see some of these in our neighborhood. These garden window boxes look great even for tall buildings. I think they are simple way to decorate the outside of one’s home.

If you would like some inspiration on how to decorate your window plant boxes, you may go to windowboxplanters.com. They sell the boxes, they have a wide selection but if you already have a window box, I think you can find a lot of color combination inspirations for your plants through their website.

I wish I can have one of this now or even just regular plants by a balcony like I did before. However, the problem with plants is that when you don’t have someone to take care of them when you go on vacation, it is most probably that they will be unhealthy when you get back. Most plants need watering on a daily basis.

This post is brought to you by windowboxplanters.com. Please visit their website for more information. They have various colors and materials of windox boxes to choose from. The picture is from their website.

Sunshine After The Rain

Thankfully, it did not rain today at least in our area. I'm getting a little tired of too much rain lately and we can't go outdoors much because of it. At the pictures above, I dressed up RC a few days ago in rain outfit and the sun decided to show up.

Belated Happy St Patrick's Day!

I'm linking with Shadow Shot Sunday, Scenic Sunday , SOCC Sunday, Sundays in my City, Yellow Mellow Monday, Green Monday and Photo Challenge

Cell Phone Storage Locker

Have you ever gone to a gym or swimming pool and there was a locker available for you to lock your valuables so they don't get wet or stolen? Or, have you ever stayed in a hotel and there was a lockable place to put your passport or other valuables during your stay?  You probably never think about where the hotel or gym acquired those lockers, but there are companies that supply phone lockers and cell phone storage lockers and also supply a wide variety of other types of lockable storage units. 

When you go to some places with sensitive information they will ask you to leave your cell phone in a cell phone storage locker so you cannot communicate or take pictures of the sensitive area.  The locker will allow you to leave your cell phone and not worry about it being stolen or misplaced.  If you have an interest in these types of secure storage phone lockers, you should go online and check out cellphonestoragelockers.com.

The links on this post is brought to you by cellphonestoragelockers.com, a provider of high quality lockers. The picture is also from their website.

Hollywood California

I've been doing a lot of reviews lately but I don't want to lose touch on why I did this blog in the first place so I'll post some of our pictures from November of last year when we went to Los Angeles. It would not be too long before we go to California again. I still have some more pictures that I have to post from November. I would say we had a productive vacation since we went to a lot of places, mostly tourist spots.

We went to see the Hollywood sign, it was kind of a zigzag ride which I don't like much but the view up there was nice. You can see Los Angeles with all the lights at night.

RC had fun too, she did not complain or throw tantrums while we did the tour and while we were walking at the Hollywood walk of fame.

more pictures while walking

We did a tour of the Hollywood mansions, this van is so cold with the open windows. We just passed by some of the celebrities' home, at least we were able to see the outside. Most of them  have huge trees and walls so we did not really see much. Even so, I was impressed. The driver giving the tour knows about the prices and of course, they were crazy expensive.

I think our next time to California will be a more relaxing trip. We'll just stay mostly indoors with our relatives but we'll see.

I'm linking with Foto Friday, Fun Stuff Friday, Smile with Me, Blue Monday

Kidlandia Game Review

I was asked to review Kidlandia and I was given a code to get more points to "unlock" adventures in the kingdom. It's easy to register. Even if you don't have code/s, I think you can still enjoy playing it because aside from building the kingdom, there are other games that you can play. You can invite friends through email or you can play with someone that is already registered with Kidlandia. If you just want to play it alone just like I do, then you are free to do that too.

You can choose how your "host" would be dressed up and you can have animals in the island. For kids, they can really spruce up their imagination on how they can build the kingdom.

Some of the games are appropriate to RC's age but I think most of them are suited for kids about 5 years and above. I have to admit that I enjoyed playing this. I was challenging myself on how fast I can do the math game without using a calculator. I also liked the matching jewel game and the Tower Tumble. You can visit Kidlandia.Com if you want to try it. It's free to join.

Do you like shopping for personalized items? Kidlandia  has a lot of cute stuff-- mug, placemats, puzzles etc.

Kidlandia is also on Facebook.

I was given a Kreechurs Flapper stuffed toy and a code in exchange for a review.

Geek Gifts

If you are looking for unique and interesting gifts, you may want to browse these Geek Gifts. The website features unique, interesting and functional products produced by various manufacturers.

Here are some of the latest gadgets I found at GeekAlerts.

The Super Mario shoes are so cute and they are hand-painted. They would be a good conversation starter. It makes me want to learn how to wear pointed heels. I was a huge fan of Super Mario when I was young.

RC would like some of the dinosaur chocolates made from the silicone dinosaur mold.  I think her love for dinosaurs was influenced by the TV, there are many kid’s cartoons and shows that talk about dinosaurs.

GeekAlerts recently published an article about the 123Print coupon code to make browsing for coupons even easier for their readers. Even geeks love great bargains. I would not consider myself a geek as I don’t use a lot of gadgets but I still enjoy their website.

Another coupon based website that they featured is the 48HourPrint coupons which also have a mobile app.

This post is brought to you by GeekAlerts.Com. All pictures are from their website. It’s always a pleasure to write for them, I love their website. I can just go page after page when I visit.

Wordless Wednesday: Falls Downtown

Pictures were taken downtown before we went toy shopping.

Come link up your "Wordless/ Wordy" Wednesdays blog post here. No other rules but to only link up posts for Wordy/Wordless Wednesdays.

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