Coffee: Do You Like It Hot Or Cold?

A couple of weeks ago my husband won this....

The Keurig Elite Brewing System. It came with a variety box of K-cups to try. None of them were all that great for the price. Those little suckers are EX-PEN-SIVE! So I bought him the little cup adapter so he could buy bulk coffee beans and grind his own, which he says is better. I wouldn't know, I don't drink HOT coffee.

I like my coffee COLD and SWEET and CREAMY! This new system that takes up ALOT of room on my counter is supposed to brew hot chocolate, tea and ICED COFFEE. So when I went shopping I was going to pick up some cream and try to make my favorite...

Starbucks frappuccino mocha iced coffee!

But instead of cream I found this....

It is everything I love in an Iced Mocha Coffee. Cold-Sweet-Chocolaty-Creamy. And the price wasn't bad either. I figure I deserve a treat once in a while.

Move over Starbucks! There is a new Mocha in my fridge. If you like Starbucks' you have to try International Delight!

Treasured Amish and Mennonite Recipes: Cookbook Review

Treasured Amish and Mennonite Recipes: 627 Delicious, Down-to-Earth Recipes from Authentic Country Kitchens
Author: Mennonite Central Committee

If you love simple, down-to-earth cooking, then this is the cookbook for you. These recipes are the best of the best from the two original volumes which have been out of print for years.

There is a “Brief History of the Amish and Mennonites” section for those interested in learning more about the cultures, as well as a wonderful
Foreward that explains the purpose of the Mennonite Central Committee and their relief work.

Sprinkled through the pages are tips, interesting facts, stories, and gorgeous photos, not of any of the recipes but of this way of life.

You will find a Table of Contents as well as an expanded index. The recipes are organized into 14 categories from Main dishes and Casseroles, Side Dishes and Vegetables, Desserts and Sweets to Grandma's Remedies and Soap Making. . You will also find some recipes for European dishes (Apple Moos-yum!) and for crowds of 200 (Threshers Dinner, Funeral, Barn Raising Dinner). The recipes are easy to understand and the items can be found in your pantry or grocery store.

This is truly a unique cookbook and I am delighted to add it to my shelf of favorites in my kitchen.





I received a free copy of this book from Fox Chapel Publishing Company for me to review.

BUILDING PROJECTS FOR BACKYARD FARMERS AND HOME GARDENERS BOOK REVIEW

Building Projects for Backyard Farmers and Home Gardeners: A Guide to 21 Handmade Structures for Homegrown Harvests Another great book by Chris Gleason!

There are easy to follow construction plans with step-by-step instructions for 21 projects including a green house, beehive (I want one!), rabbit hutch (very cool! and I didn't know how much they helped your garden!), raised beds, squash ramp (had never heard of such a thing!), bean leaner (another cool idea), trellises, and more.  I love that his projects don't call for hard to find-expensive supplies, and are simple enough my 14 year old son and I can build together.

There is lots of great information for anyone! He includes several profiles of farmers also with their hints, tips and advice; a vegetable plant per person chart; some square foot gardening tips and much more.  This one should be on everyone's bookshelf, order yours today!

If you missed my review on Art of the Chicken Coop, be sure to check it out.



Linked up to:

and Book Sharing Mondays

Have you tried OrGREENiC saute pans?

I've been searching for a saute pan or skillet that will not warp when used on my ceramic top stove. I prefer non-stick skillets but the last three I've bought has warped within a few uses.

I seen the commercial for OrGREENiC pans. They claim no more sticking, no more grease/oil, no more chipping but say nothing about warping.

Does anyone have any experience with this product?

Art of the Chicken Coop Review

Art of the Chicken Coop by Chris Gleason

Keeping a small flock of backyard chickens is becoming more and more popular.

In Art of the Chicken Coop there are easy to follow construction plans for seven different coops, four of them for flocks of six chickens or less. The perfect size for a backyard flock. One coop is a space saver, only using 2 ½ x 3 feet of space! Each coop includes a complete supply list and lots of pictures!

If you will be keeping over six, up to fifteen, three of the coop designs will accommodate such a flock. The author also includes instructions on how to increase the size of any of the coops in the book.

What I really liked was the use of salvaged materials. Both my coops used salvaged materials. I’m sure my new coop will be no different.

There are also 3 profiles of chicken keepers who offer some great advice and tips, a whole chapter on building coop runs, advice on everything you’ll need in your coop, a characteristic chart of popular backyard breeds (with each breed pictured), and egg recipes.

From beginner to veteran this book has great information for anyone!

Qubie Coupon Binder System Review & Giveaway

The Qubie™ Coupon Organizing System is a fast, fun and easy way to organize ALL of the coupons in your life.  Whether you are a beginner couponer or a seasoned pro, Qubie will work for you.

The Qubie system offers a complete set of 3 binders that includes organization for grocery stores, pharmacy, restaurants, and gift cards.

I really love the smaller pal and plus to get all those store loyalty cards and gift cards organized! I know exactly where everything is now and it is easy to carry into the stores using the bag that came with the system.

The Qubie Pro (for grocery and pharmacy coupons)
••11.5" X 10.75" Binder
•Holds 324 Coupons (9 coupons per page x 36 pages)
•16 Pre Printed Section Dividers with Durable Mylar Tabs
•2 Customizable Section Dividers with Durable Mylar Tabs
•Holds 9 Store Loyalty Cards
•4 Section Page to Organize Your Coupons While You Shop
•Customizable and Expandable

The Qubie Plus (for specialty store coupons)
••7.25" X 9" Binder Size
•Holds 12 Store Loyalty Card Holders
•10 Pages of Single Slot Coupon Holders
•Customizable and expandable

The Qubie Pal (for gift cards and restaurant coupons)
••4.25" X 5" Book Size
•Holds Up To 56 Gift Cards or Restaurant Coupons
•Perfect Size to Keep in Your Purse, Glovebox, Backpack or Briefcase

Qubie Bag
•15" X 16" X 3" Durable Gusseted Tote Bag
•Holds all of your Qubiebooks and couponing supplies ready for you to shop and save money.

Qubie is proudly made in the USA

Now for the GIVEAWAY!
1 of my lucky readers will win a Qubie Coupon Organizing System for FREE!

To enter this giveaway, you must complete the mandatory entry first, and then you may complete any extra entries. Be sure to include your email address in your comments!

Entry ends midnight March 15th. USA only. One lucky person will be chosen by random March 16th. The winner will receive their prize pack directly from Qubie.

MANDATORY ENTRY: What is your favorite feature of the Qubie Coupon Organizing System?

EXTRA ENTRIES:
"Like" Easy Frugal Living on Facebook
Follow Easy Frugal Living on Twitter
“Like” Qubie on Facebook
Follow Qubie on Twitter

Disclosures: This post reflects my honest, personal opinion and experience with the product which may differ from yours. Product information courtesy of the sponsor. No monetary compensation was provided for this post.
winning disclaimer- The sponsor of this giveaway is responsible for sending this product. Easy Frugal Living can not be held liable for lost/damaged items.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Sponsored by Tomoson.com

Win a Cinnamon Burst Cheerios Prize Pack Giveaway

Cheerios provided my family with this free Cinnamon Burst Cheerios gift pack through MyBlogSpark.

Boy wonder and I tried them for breakfast yesterday. We love cinnamon cereals and Cheerios so this was a home run for us!



Made with real cinnamon, new Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal will delight your taste buds! This newest edition to the Cheerios line-up allows you to provide your family with a delicious and nutritious breakfast that contains 20% of the Daily Value of fiber (or 5g per serving), has 9g of sugar, is low in fat, saturated fat free and naturally cholesterol free. Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal also provides at least 8g of whole grain per serving; at least 48g recommended daily. A true crowd pleaser, Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal is sure to kick-start any morning!

Win your own Cinnamon Burst Cheerios Prize pack which includes a box of Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal, 4 cereal bowls, a travel cereal chiller and a cinnamon scented candle.

Mandatory Entry: Follow this blog through google friend and tell me what you do to start your day off with a smile. Be sure to also leave your email address with your comment so I know how to contact you if you win.

Extra Entry- Tweet the following: Win a Cinnamon Burst Cheerios Prize Pack! from #myblogspark  #giveaway http://tinyurl.com/4qd3xpy

Entry ends midnight February 9th. USA only. One lucky person will be chosen by random February 10th. The winner will receive their prize pack directly from MyBlogSpark.


Cheerios provided my family with the free product, information, and gift pack through MyBlogSpark. All opinions are our own.

I won a Mozaik Gift Pack!

What is Mozaik you ask? Mozaik is the cadillac of plasticware.

I won this awesome gift pack from Kristie of Healthy Living at Home

Mozaik is designed like real china and silverware.  Mozaik may look like the real thing, but it’s durable, affordable plasticware that you can wash and reuse or throw away. 

Mozaik offers the perfect solution for those occasions when you need something nicer than paper plates, but you just don't have enough real settings.

You can also opt to reuse Mozaik, just hand wash or place the partyware in the dishwasher on the gentle cycle.

This 40-piece service for 8 set (complete with dinner plates, salad plates and “silver”ware) costs under $10. You can pick Mozaik up at CVS or even order it from Amazon.com. For a full list of retailers go HERE.   There are lots of other pieces, so be sure to check out their website.

Wall Art & Decor from CSN Stores

I have the opportunity to do another CSN review. Have you checked out their wall art and decor?  They have some of the coolest stuff. 

Wall paper

Vinyl lettering

 Chalkboard decals

I've got something really cool picked out and will be sharing it with you in a few days, so be sure to check back!

Red Gold Variety Gift Pack Giveaway

Red Gold Tomatoes contacted me and asked if I would like to receive a special variety gift pack and giveaway two of them! Loving Red Gold Tomatoes the way I do, I couldn't say yes fast enough.  They always taste so fresh and are seasoned wonderfully.  The tomatoes never taste "canned".

Red Gold Tomato is based in Indiana and pride themselves in locally grown Midwest tomatoes from Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. They are very active in their communities. Yesterday, Red Gold donated over 30,000 pounds of tomato products to two different food banks/pantries.

Here's what the gift pack includes:
14.5 oz. can of 100% Natural Premium petite diced tomatoes
14.5 oz. can of 100% Natural Premium petite diced tomatoes with green chiles
14.5 oz. can of 100% Natural Premium diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil
14.5 oz. can of 100% Natural Premium whole peeled tomatoes
20 oz Premium Tomato Ketchup
1 Red Gold Heartwarming Recipes cookbook
Recipe cards
Reusable bag
Refrigerator magnet and frame
Key chain

There will be TWO lucky people that will win a Red Gold Tomato Variety Gift Pack.  This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

To Enter:  BE SURE TO LEAVE ME YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS ON EACH COMMENT SO I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU ARE A WINNER.

Mandatory Entry: Go to Red Gold Recipe site and check out their fabulous recipes. Then come back here and comment on which recipe looks the yummiest to you.

Extra entry: Subscribe to this blog via Google Friend connect found on the left sidebar and then come back and comment to let me know you did or let me know you are already a follower.

Extra entry (only 1 tweet per day per person): Tweet "I want to win a Red Gold Tomato gift pack from @EasyFrugalLivin http://t.co/EWdcJVA " Leave an additional comment here on this post with the link to your tweet.

You have until midnight on Friday December 17, 2010 to enter.  I will use random.org to draw the winners and notify them by December 18, 2010. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to claim their prize.
Thanks and good luck!

* A free variety gift pack of this product was given to me for review purposes. This had no bearing on the review and all comments are my opinion and not that of the manufacturer’s.

Another Wonderful Upcoming CSN Review

I've been invited to do another CSN review, and my representative is so wonderful to work with, so I accepted. I found the Children's Luggage and was surprised to find these:

Hoohobbers Personalized Lunch Box- This would be a great gift for the little girl in your life.  All children love personalized gifts.

How about a Wildkin Dinosaur Duffel Bag for the little guy on your shopping list?

CSN Children's Luggage even has sleeping bags for the little ones.  These make great gifts.

So go on over and check out all the affordable merchandise and start crossing people off that holiday shopping list!

I will be deciding what item to review in the next few days. It will be a hard decision with so many choices, so be sure to come back and see what I chose!

My Review of Wireless Digital Rain Gauge

Originally submitted at CSN Stores

Features:

• Wireless digital rain gauge
• Plastic construction
• Measures and displays cumulative rainfall upto 99.98"
• RF rain measurement transmission icon
• Records and displays hourly, daily, weekly, monthly rainfall history
• Daily min/max...

Wireless Digital Rain Gauge

Has all the bells and whistles

I finally was able to make up my mind on what I wanted to review from CSN. They have anything you could need or want.  With over 200 online stores you can get anything from a bar stool to a screw! So it was very hard to make up my mind!

I decided to buy my husband a digital rain gauge for Christmas.  Somehow he manages to always get his Christmas early. lol

CSN Stores has several digital rain gauges to choose from. But you really have to compare their features.  This rain gauge measures and displays cumulative rainfall up to 99.98" as well as records and displays hourly, daily, weekly, monthly rainfall history.  The others were lacking in these recordings.  And all men love more bells and whistles, right?

Another great feature is that the gauge is self emptying!  No more running out in the rain to see how much has fell or to empty a full gauge.

The transmittor is small, about the same size as my kitchen timer.  It is easy to operate by just pushing a button and the rainfall data in memory is pulled up to review.

My hubby loves the rain gauge.  He was excited to come home today and check all his saved data.   I'm considering buying another one as a gift for my father.
This was my first time ordering from CSN Stores.  At the same time I ordered the rain gauge, I ordered another item. My order was split into two separate deliveries and arrived earlier than I expected.

My representative who contacted me about the review was professional but friendly and helpful. I was also satisfied with the professional customer service I received from CSN Stores and can't wait to work with them again on another review or giveaway.

By Easy Frugal Living from Missouri on 11/11/2010

5out of 5

Pros: Weather Resistant, Wireless, Withstands Winds, Accurate Readings, Easy to operate, Self emptying
Cons: Havn't found any
Best Uses: On your deck
Describe Yourself: Budget Shopper

No more running outside to read or dump gauge! Yeah!!!!

(legalese)

Upcoming CSN Stores Product Review

Who hasn't heard about CSN Stores?  I hadn't until July of this year. Boy I was missing out.  They have anything you could need or want.  With over 200 online stores you can get anything from a bar stool to a screw!

I lose time when I start browsing through the sites and before I know it, the day is gone and it's supper time!

I'll be doing a review on the coolest thing from CSN Stores before too long, so keep an eye out for it!

Anybody wanna guess what it is?

Preserving Apples- Freezing Apple Pie Filling

We have a granny smith apple tree in our backyard. In years past, there hasnt been many apples. This year was a different story, it was loaded with apples. Apples that weren't very pretty to look at, but had an amazing taste!



When you grow your food all natural, using no herbicides or pesticides, they LOOK different than what you buy in the store. They also TASTE different! The look is not so appealing, the taste is sooooo much better and fresher! Just look at these sad looking apples before being peeled. Then look at them peeled. Yummmo!

I decided I needed to preserve them into pie filling. I found a great freezer recipe in one of my aunt's church fundraiser cookbooks.

We needed to prepare a lot of apples.

I was lucky and kiddo was home and bored. Being the creative young man he is, it took him 5 minutes to rig up this apple picker and we had a 3 gallon bucket full of apples in less than 15 minutes!

I set our kitchen up in stations. I have two Apple And Potato Peeler/corer/slicers, with different bases. I love these things!



I picked mine up at garage sales for a couple bucks. You can get one FREE using your Amazon gift cards earned from Swagbucks!



You can read some other people's reviews on CSNstores.com. They love it too!

We set the suction cup based peeler on the glass top stove. Kiddo was in charge of running the apple peeler, I did the "detailing" of the apples. The little machine makes fast work of a bucket of apples and they all come out the same thickness! It took us about 40 minutes to prep the apples.



24 cups thinly sliced apples
4 tablespoons lemon juice ( used some lemon juice mixed with sprite to keep em white!)
5 cups sugar (I used 2 cups brown and 3 cups white)
1 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 cups water

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and set aside. Pour water into a Dutch oven over medium heat. Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add to water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
2. Add apples and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.
3. Ladle 4 1/2 cups into freezer ziploc bags. Cool at room temperature no longer than 1 1/2 hours.
4. Seal bags and freeze. Can be stored in freezer for up to 12 months.

After cooking down, I had enough to fill 4 ziploc bags for four pies! The apples were free, so I have the cost of the added ingredients which I figure is maybe $2.

I can't wait for one of those cold grey evenings with snow flying for one of these pies to spice up my home and warm my family!

Did any of you preserve any apples this year?

{EXPIRED} SodaStream Fountain Jet Giveaway

My family is HUGE soda drinkers, so when I was given the opportunity to review SodaStream Fountain Jet, we were so excited.

The Fountain Jet ROCKS! It took less than 5 minutes from out of the box to a refreshing root beer.

4 SIMPLE steps to set up:
Insert carbon tank into back
Fill bottle with cold water, insert in front
Press the button on top to carbonate
Pull out bottle, add flavor
Enjoy

The slim machine itself looks great on the kitchen counter. It takes up very little space. The flavor bottles don't take up much storage space either. It will cut down on the heavy lugging of pop from the store and on our plastic disposal.



Not to mention the savings on soda and energy drinks. Energy drinks are over $3 a piece!

We have tried the Cola, Root beer, Energy Drink (taste like Red Bull according to my husband) Orange Mango, Diet Cola, Cranberry Raspberry, and several other flavors they sent us. I love the Cranberry Raspberry. The kiddo loves several and has been drinking the energy drink before football practice. Hubby also likes the energy drink.

There is still so many we havnt tried yet; sparkling water, sparkling flavored water, sparkling water with juice (like Crystal Geiser Juice-Sparkling water Spritzers), and club soda.

The Soda Stream flavors contain NO high fructose corn syrup or artificial ingredients and are lower in calories than name brands. To compare your favorites go HERE

“One SodaStream carbonator makes 60 or 110 liters, equivalent to 170 or 310 aluminum cans! When empty, the carbonator is refilled and reused, ready to make more fizzy and tasty soda whenever you want it.”

There are several authorized dealers now too! Bed Bath & Beyond being one of them, so you can pick up your flavors there as well as exchange the carbonators.

In summary, the machine is incredibly easy to use and is attractive left on the countertop. The resulting carbonated products are delicious and the flavoring possibilities are endless. It’s an economical and ecofriendly way to cut back spending on a ton of different drink products you may buy on a regular basis.

Buy It For Yourself! The Soda Stream Jet Starter Kit starts at just $99 and can be purchased HERE, along with a ton of awesome flavors.

WIN IT!!! SodaStream Giveaway: SodaStream has generously offered to give away a complete SodaStream Starter Kit featuring the fountain jet, carbonator, and several soda flavors to one of my lucky readers! US residents only. NO PO BOXES ALLOWED.

Mandatory Entry: Subscribe to my blog via Google friend or RSS Feed, and come back here leaving me a comment letting me know that you did. If you are already a subscriber leave a comment stating so.

Extra Entries: There are several ways to gain additional entries in this amazing giveaway!
1. "Like" my facebook page. CLICK HERE
2. Follow SodaStream on Twitter CLICK HERE and leave a comment here with your twitter name.
3. Follow me on twitter. CLICK HERE Leave a comment here with your name.
4. Visit SodaStream’s website and let me know what two flavors you are most excited to try in a separate comment.
5. Blog about this giveaway on your own blog and leave me the URL in your comment.
6. List this giveaway in any forum or Mr.Linky and leave me the URL in your comment (only one comment for each forum or Mr.Linky per person).

Entry deadline is October 16, 2010. The winner will be drawn by random.org on October 17, 2010.

GOOD LUCK!

I was offered no other compensation for reviewing this product and all opinions are my own and my family, they may differ from yours.

Making A Mini Toilet Roll Tag Book With Elmer's Crafters Kit

I received the above BzzAgent kit to review a few days ago. I had been wanting to scrap a mini toilet roll tag book for some time now and decided this was the perfect opportunity to use and review this kit!



To adhere the pretty papers to the rolls, I used the tape runner on the body and the glue stick to tuck the paper ends into the roll. The glue pen was also used on some of the ends. It is really cool being a double tipped glue pen! All adhesives are acid free and archival safe.

Front cover: On my flower and butterfly embellishments I used the glue pen and glue spots. The glue spots make the embellishments stand off the page giving it more dimension.



I used the X-acto corner rounder punch to round off some of my stickers and the scissors to cut a pretty edge on some of the scrapbook papers. Each page has room to add a photo and a journaling tag that slides out from inside the covered roll to journal any thoughts and important info about the photo.



All the glues dried clear. The scissors and punch cut sharply without tearing my papers or stickers. This is very important!



The only problem I had with anything in the kit was the glue runner was tempermental. It seemed to work great at first, but after 3 pages it began working intermittently. I'm hoping this was just a faulty runner and want to try another one because the quality of the adhesive was wonderful.

Over all, these products were easy to use and performed as expected.

Visit Elmer’s website and register to receive insider information from Craft It! with Elmer’s. You’ll be among the first to receive free samples, project ideas and inspiration, exclusive newsletters, special offers and new product news. Plus, there will be new weekly craft projects available online!


Disclosure: I am a BzzAgent and received this Elmer’s Crafters kit as a part of their BzzCampaign. I was offered no other compensation for speaking about the products, other than the kit that I received. All opinions are my own, and may differ from yours.

SO TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT MY MINI TAG ALBUM. DID I DO GOOD FOR THE FIRST TIME MAKING ONE, OR SHOULD I HAVE DONE SOMETHING DIFFERENT?


Join us at Show Off Your Stuff Party! The place were we all get together and SHOW OFF OUR STUFF!!

Don't miss my latest giveaway!

Don't miss my current giveaway! You can enter here: Lotus Chemical Free Home Sanitizing System

Here's a quick review...

Take a step towards healthier living and live Chemical Free with the Lotus LSR100 Sanitizing System



The amazing Lotus LSR100 Sanitizing System from Tersano lets you turn on your faucet and treat your home to an effective sanitizer that safely wipes out germs, odors, stains, mold, mildew and pesticides -- all without chemicals.

Here are just a few more of the many uses for the Lotus Home Cleaning System:

- Remove Stains on Carpets, Upholstery and Fabric

- Sanitizes & cleans all kitchen counters including granite , Stainless Steel Appliances

- Kills mold & mildew

- Sanitize & deodorize trash cans and lids

- Sanitize & cleans windows & mirrors with no streaking

- Deodorizes & sanitizes pet beds/areas, closet odor, gym bag/shoe odors

- Disinfect toys, Baby Bottles, Pacifiers, Baby’s Highchair, crib mattresses, diaper pails

- Clean Personal Grooming Tools (toothbrushes, combs, brushes)

-Deodorize & sanitize bed mattresses!

- Sanitizes Fruits and Vegetables as well as Meat and Poultry (a friend of mine treats her chicken and pork chops! I've not cooked those yet, but I will be trying it also!)

This is not a newly released product! The Lotus Sanitizing System was recognized as one of the Best Inventions of 2006 by Time Magazine.

It was also tested by the Rachael Ray Human Lab team. Click on the Racheal Ray link above and watch the video for proof of it's sanitizing capabilities!

The system is:
FDA and USDA approved for food sanitation
EPA registered for produce and household surfaces
Non-abrasive; safe for use on non-porous surfaces
Kills 99.9-percent of:
E. Coli
Salmonella
Staphylococcus aureus (Listeria)
K. Pneumonia

And here's the best part for you.... Tersano is allowing me to giveaway a Lotus LSR100 System to one of my lucky readers! The giveaway is open to all U.S. and Canadian residents. The giveaway will end September 13, 2010 and midnight.

Tersano Lotus LSR100 Home Sanitizing System Giveaway

Take a step towards healthier living and live Chemical Free with the Lotus LSR100 Sanitizing System



The less chemicals I use in my home the better I am able to breathe due to asthma. Tersano was gracious enough to send me the Lotus LSR100 to try in my home.

The amazing Lotus LSR100 Sanitizing System from Tersano lets you turn on your faucet and treat your home to an effective sanitizer that safely wipes out germs, odors, stains, mold, mildew and pesticides -- all without chemicals.

The first thing I sanitized was my kitchen. I started at the top with my cabinets. I was wondering how many germs were lingering on my cabinet door handles. ewwwww! And I worked my way down to the countertops, stove, sink, refrig and dishwasher. My stove has never looked better and I've bought expensive pastes to clean the glass top before!

It took greasy grime off two crocks on my counter, one is used to hold my spatulas and spoons, the other holds cooking grease. I have ran these two crocks through the dishwasher many times before and they didn't come this clean!

I also sanitized all my cutting boards, my hubby's two coffee mugs that he won't let me run through the dishwasher (do you know how many germs an unwashed coffee mug harbors? double ewww!)my dishrag & sponge and our toothbrushes! I even sprayed door knobs all around the house before moving to the bathrooms!

All the fixtures in the bathrooms sparkled after their treatment and then I sprayed the floor and used my swiffer with a microfiber cloth to mop. The floor looked wonderful and the whole bathroom smelled so fresh!

The Lotus LSR100 eliminates germs and pesticides from your food also. It even extends the shelf life of fruit and produce. My lettuce has lasted a lot longer so far. With all the salmonella recalls on spinach and lettuce, in the last year (not to mention the peanut butter and eggs) it gives me peace of mind knowing I'm serving my family produce that is safe. I dumped the water from the bowl on my potted flowers. A friend of mine says her plants love the extra super charged water!

I found the system very easy to use and the bottle easy to operate as far as how the trigger fit my hand and the amount of pressure to squeeze the trigger. Having arthritis in my hands makes it difficult at times to use certain spray bottles that are hard to squeeze.

I love the money saving idea of turning ordinary tap water into the world's most powerful sanitizer in about two minutes, for a fraction of a penny. Studies have shown that ozone is 50-percent more powerful and more than 3,000 times faster acting on bacteria than chlorine -- at 100 times the strength. Water treated with this system will kill 99.9 percent of germs on any surface it contacts.

Here are just a few more of the many uses for the Lotus Home Cleaning System:

- Remove Stains on Carpets, Upholstery and Fabric

- Sanitizes & cleans all kitchen counters including granite , Stainless Steel Appliances

- Kills mold & mildew

- Sanitize & deodorize trash cans and lids

- Sanitize & cleans windows & mirrors with no streaking

- Deodorizes & sanitizes pet beds/areas, closet odor, gym bag/shoe odors

- Disinfect toys, Baby Bottles, Pacifiers, Baby’s Highchair, crib mattresses, diaper pails

- Clean Personal Grooming Tools (toothbrushes, combs, brushes)

-Deodorize & sanitize bed mattresses!

- Sanitizes Fruits and Vegetables as well as Meat and Poultry (a friend of mine treats her chicken and pork chops! I've not cooked those yet, but I will be trying it also!)

The Lotus Sanitizing System was recognized as one of the Best Inventions of 2006 by Time Magazine. It was tested by the Rachael Ray Human Lab team. Click on the Racheal Ray link above and watch the video for proof of it's sanitizing capabilities!

The system is:
FDA and USDA approved for food sanitation
UL and CSA tested and approved
EPA registered for produce and household surfaces
Non-abrasive; safe for use on non-porous surfaces
Kills 99.9-percent of:
E. Coli
Salmonella
Staphylococcus aureus (Listeria)
K. Pneumonia

And here's the best part for you.... Tersano is allowing me to giveaway a Lotus LSR100 System to one of my lucky readers! The giveaway is open to all U.S. and Canadian residents. The giveaway will end September 13, 2010 and midnight. All comments entered after this time will be deleted. I’ll use Random.org to select the winner, who will be notified by email and listed on this site. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected.

Please be sure to leave a separate comment for EACH entry. Also leave your email address so I know how to contact you.

Mandatory Entry: "Like" my Easy Frugal Living Facebook page. Click the link here or on the button found in the top left hand column of this site. Leave a comment on this post letting me know you have "liked" my page as well as your email address.


Optional Entries:

1. Subscribe to my feed or email and leave a comment on this post letting me know that you have subscribed.


2. Become a Follower! Leave a comment on this post letting me know that you are/have become a follower through google friend connect.


3. Follow Easy Frugal Living on Twitter (click the link) and leave a comment on this post letting me know that you are a follower.


4. Follow Lotus on Facebook (click the link) to find out when the next Lotus LSR100 giveaway will be and leave a comment on this post letting me know that you are a follower.


5. Follow Lotus Purely For Life on Twitter (click the link) to find out when the next Lotus LSR100 giveaway will be and leave a comment on this post letting me know that you are a follower.

6. Tweet this (and leave a link to your tweet): I entered to #win a #Lotus LSR100 Home Santizing System #giveaway from @EasyFrugalLivin & @Lotus_network http://tinyurl.com/27qz59j -RT-

7. Write a post about this giveaway on your site and leave a comment on this post letting me know.

That's a total of 8 entries per person. Good Luck!

*PLEASE leave separate comments on this post for each entry. That will give you a greater chance of winning!

This was not a paid post, it is my honest opinion of featured product. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others. Thank you to Tersano who supplied the products for the review and giveaway.

And The Winners Are....

Thank you to everyone who participated in this great giveaway. I appreciate everyone who posted about it on their blogs, twitters and facebooks.

There will be some more fun giveaways coming up here, so keep a watch out!

In the meantime, my blogging budding Annie at Real Life Living is hosting an awesome giveaway right now! Head on over there for a chance to win a $60 gift card that can be used on anything at CSNstores.com. They have so much to offer (garden, kitchen, lighting, toys, decorating items and much more) including FREE SHIPPING!

And now for the moment you've been waiting for....



Congratulations Shelly and LydiasPennies! Please email me your full names and home mailing address so your BE THRIFTY-NOT CHEAP books can be dropped in the mail to you!

If you were not one of the lucky winners, you can order your copy of BE THRIFTY - NOT CHEAP through Amazon by using one of your Amazon gift certificates you received from Swagbucks for FREE!

What? You're not a Swagbucks user? Don't wait any longer... get signed up today. It's quick and easy, and you'll have your copy of BE THRIFTY - NOT CHEAP in no time! CLICK RIGHT HERE!

Product Review: Power Tools for Women=Black & Decker 18v Outdoor Tools

Power Tools for Women=Black & Decker 18v Outdoor Tools!

We've owned a Black & Decker 18v rechargeable battery operated drill for several years. I love it. I think I probably use it around the house for repairs, crafting etc. more than hubby does.

So when my Ryobi rechargeable weed eater/trimmer battery died and needed replaced, it only made sense to check into Black & Decker's line. That way all the batteries are interchangeable (as long as they are 18 volt).

I'm the one who does most of the weedeating/trimming here on our 5 acres. I wanted something fairly light, easy to replace the line, no extension cords to drag every where, and no start cord yanking or gas/oil mixing!

At Home Depot I chose the Black & Decker Cordless Grasshog Trimmer/Edger and I love it!



Hubby was very skeptical, but it was what I wanted, and it was Mother's Day. We also seen a chainsaw to go along with this 18v line and hubby said he thought it looked pretty neat and wouldn't mind having one of those.

The trimmer came with two interchangeabl 18V batteries. The instant start trigger means no more frustrating pull cords! With it being a Two-Tools-in-One it easily converts to edger to cut along sidewalks and driveways. It's lightweight, balanced, has an adjustable handle and telescoping shaft making it so versatile and comfortable to use.

The Automatic Feed Spool® System advances the cutting line as needed - no need to stop and bump. No more frustrating re-winding line.

Have I mentioned I love this trimmer?

So now I'm all caught up (well almost) on the trimming around the 5 acres. Last week when the storms blew through our area, it broke and blew over one of our bradford pear trees. It laid there all week because my hubby is working about 80-90 hours right now. I kept telling myself if I had a small enough chainsaw, boy wonder and I could get it chopped up for hubby.

Being so happy with my Black & Decker trimmer, I decided to try the Black & Decker 18v Chainsaw.



OMG! Talk about making some easy work of a big job! I had the tree cut up into manageable pieces within 30 minutes and fell in love with this little saw. The saw is so easy and fun to use.

There is no gas/oil mixing, no electrical cords to deal with, and most importantly no start cord to yank on. I HATE YANKING ON START CORDS! I've always been intimidated by chainsaws, but not any more!

Hubby gave me a two minute training on how to use it correctly and safety. Then boy wonder (my 12 year old son) wanted to try it. I gave him the same safety precautions, showed him how to use it correctly and he had no problem using it either.

I also trimmed up the remaining 5 trees and today I think I will cut what's remaining of the 6th one down!

Now that the 5 good trees are trimmed up properly, hubby can get under them when mowing and that means LESS WEEDEATING/TRIMMING for me. Do you see how that worked out ladies? lol

Next on my wish list is the garden cultivator. I'm wondering how well I would love it!