Product Review: Litter Genie® Cat Litter Disposal System

Through Crowdtap, I had a chance to try out the Litter Genie® Cat Litter Disposal System. My sample package included the Litter Genie with a refill of bags. The unit was easy to put together. Just open the unit, snap the scoop holder into place, pull the tab on the bag refill and pull down about a foot of film (bag). Tie a knot at the bottom of the bag and sit the refill on the unit. Close the funnel (top part of unit) and put Litter Genie next to your litter boxes.

Scoop used cat litter up with the scoop provided and toss it into the unit. Once you're done, close the lid and pull the handle. This will drop the used litter into the bottom of the unit (into the bag). Push the handle back in and used litter and odors are trapped inside.

Once the bag is full (about 14 days), open the unit in the middle and slide the film into the cutter. Tie a knot at the top of the bag and dispose of full bag. Pull down on the film in the Litter Genie and a tie a knot at the end so that it is ready to use again. You can see this process in the video below.




What I like about the Litter Genie is that it makes controlling cat litter odors a breeze. It is easy to set up and small enough to be tucked into a corner. Part of me wonders why I never purchased one before. In the past, I would toss used litter into a small garbage bag and haul it upstairs to toss it out in an old diaper pail in the garage. The Litter Genie definitely takes less time.

The things I didn't care for are the small size of the cat litter scoop and its smooth edge, the lack of stability for the scoop holder, and the bit of mess it makes when emptying multiple cat boxes. We have three cats and three litter boxes. Over the years, we've found a cat litter scoop with rake like tips makes scooping used litter from the bottom of the boxes easier. I can't use my larger litter scoop with the rake like tips to pour into the unit without making a mess, so I am stuck with the smaller smooth edged one provided with the unit. In addition, when the Litter Genie is open at the middle, the scoop holder tends to fall off. We placed the unit to the right of our three litter boxes. There's no way to avoid a bit of mess while emptying the boxes unless I want to pick the Litter Genie up and move it as I empty each box. Not a big deal, but something that would be good for anyone with multiple cats to consider.

I just bought a 2-pack of refills for our Litter Genie, so you can bet we'll be using this unit regularly.

This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Product Review: Poise® Sampling Program

Through Crowdtap I had a chance to participate in the Poise® Sampling Program. Childbirth was not kind to my body, and as a result I've dealt with light incontinence for close to 30 years. Now that my uterus has fallen, the occasions are more frequent, and I don't feel right leaving the house without protection.

For this sampling, I received a plastic wallet filled with two Poise Microliners, a Poise Liner, and a Poise Ultra Thin Pad. I was most excited about trying the Microliner because I long ago abandoned maxi-pads for my periods and moved to tampons, so I certainly didn't want to go back to anything bulky.

I've tried the Poise Ultra Thin Pad in the past and felt it was close to as comfortable as I was going to get for daily protection, but these new Microliners are so thin they are almost like wearing nothing. I felt fully protected and confident leaving the house. Overall these are a great addition to the Poise line, but like most very thin pads, they can tend to crinkle a bit if not firmly pressed into place or after several hours of use. I'm an active person, so someone who is not constantly on the go might not experience this issue.

I shared the other pads with friends and they thought this was a nice change from using a period pad for light incontinence. I know I'll be purchasing the Poise Microliners again.


This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Product Review: Herbal essences® Body Wash (Hello Hydration)

Through my participation at Crowdtap, I received a 1.2 oz sample of Herbal essences® Hello Hydration Body Wash. I don't tend to use a lot of body washes because I am allergic to fragrances; but I am always on the lookout for something that I am actually able to use.

I have to say that I am impressed that the fragrance is light enough that it doesn't bother my--or my daughter's--allergies at all. The foamy, silky feel is nice on the skin and rinses off easily. Since I love the smell of coconut, this body wash with its coconut extract transported me back to Bermuda, where I vacationed many years ago.

I'm not ready to switch from my goat's milk soap simply because of the numerous synthetic ingredients found in the Herbal essences body wash, but it would make an easily transportable alternative if I were traveling. The ingredients are standard ones found in many beauty products, but I keep hoping to see more natural ingredients become the norm.

I received this sample product from Herbal essences through Crowdtap. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Hidden Valley® Ranch Fest House Party

Last month, my Hidden Valley® Ranch Fest party pack I received through Crowdtap arrived. It included a Hidden Valley Team Ranch T-shirt, a bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch Original Dressing, a packet of Hidden Valley Original Salad Dressing and Seasoning Mix, a packet of Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dips Mix, packets of Hidden Valley Farmhouse Originals Italian with Herbs Dressing, and a party insert with activities, recipes, and a coupon. It also came with samples for my guests, inserts with coupons, and a surprise gift.

Because it's tough to get everyone together this time of year, I opted to use Thanksgiving Day as my party date. We invited family and friends to join us. In all, there were nine of us. Next to Christmas, Thanksgiving is the largest meal I prepare each year. We had standard Thanksgiving Day fare, starting out with cheese and crackers, chips and salsa, and cut vegetables served with Hidden Valley Ranch Original Dressing (because they think ranch dressing is the perfect companion for them), then moving on to the main meal of salad with Hidden Valley Farmhouse Originals Italian with Herbs Dressing, turkey, mashed potatoes, bread stuffing, gravy, squash, and rolls.

I set the table so that every guest had a package of Hidden Valley Farmhouse Originals Italian with Herbs Dressing in their salad bowls. We're all game to try just about anything foodwise, so the rest of the group was on board.

My sister-in-law loved the individualized packets of dressing because they were the perfect size and amount for her salad. I liked that I didn't have to find room in my crammed refrigerator for yet another open bottle of salad dressing. I sent my guests home with some Ranch to Go packages I received. They are the best size to tuck into a lunch bag or bring up to my desk while I'm working so I can catch a quick and healthy snack. Guests also received coupons that came with party pack.

Finally, I used the remaining packets of Hidden Valley Farmhouse Originals Italian with Herbs Dressing in a slow cooker recipe this week. You can find the recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore at https://www.hiddenvalley.com/recipe/962/slow-cooker-chicken-cacciatore/ With the exception of pizza, no one but me is a huge fan of tomato based meals, but everyone ate this one up. The best thing for me is that it took very little time to prepare, and then I turned on the heat and left it alone to cook for four hours.

I've usually stuck with Wishbone or a store brand for dressing, but this party convinced me that Hidden Valley dressings need to be regular purchases for our household.


I received my Hidden Valley® Ranch Fest party pack through Crowdtap. This review contains my honest opinions, which I was not compensated for in any way.

Product Review: Truvia Natural Sweetener

This product sample came to me through Crowdtap. I received two cellophane wrapped sample packets. Each one included two single use Truvia® natural sweetener packs and a coupon for 55 cents off on any size of Truvia natural sweetener. We used one sample packet and I shared the other with my mother-in-law, who uses calorie-free sweetener on a regular basis.

Because I like to get a good sampling from my household, I went ahead and purchased a box of Truvia on my regular grocery shopping trip, so that I could have enough packets to share here. I slipped the Truvia into coffee and tea, so no one else knew beforehand. Both of my girls felt the Truvia didn't provide as much flavor as our regular calorie-free sweetener, so they wanted to use two packets as compared to one of our usual brand. My husband and I didn't notice any difference between them in that regard, but Truvia has a nice taste to it and we both like that it is an all-natural product versus a product whose two main ingredients are Nutritive Dextrose and Saccharin.

For the time being, we are a two brand calorie-free sweetener family, but I'm hoping over time the girls will give Truvia another try and make the switch.

I received free samples of this product through Crowdtap. I also purchased additional product in order to sample my entire household. This review contains my honest opinion, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Product Review: Cottonelle Fresh Care Flushable Cleansing Cloths

Through Crowdtap, I got a chance to sample Cottonelle® Fresh Care Flushable Cleansing Cloths. This is part of their "Clean Care Routine" that features Cottonelle Toilet Paper and the Fresh Care Flushable Cleansing Cloths. My sample pack included their One Touch dispensing tub and two trial packets of Flushable Cleansing Cloths to share. I gave one to my mother-in-law and the other to a neighbor. Each trial packet had a coupon for $3 off the purchase of Cottonelle Toilet Paper and the Fresh Care Flushable Cleansing Cloths when purchased together.

I have to admit, I don't really care for the television commercials for the Cottonelle Clean Care Routine, but they are memorable, and they are also how I learned about the Flushable Cleansing Cloths. While I'm not overly comfortable talking about bathroom habits, I have to admit these are such a great addition to the bathroom routine that I've bought a container for each bathroom in our house. My kids love them, too. You come out feeling totally clean. I don't always buy Cottonelle Toilet Paper, but it is one of two brands I use regularly.

There have been reports, like this one in the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette, that says utility companies claim the use of these Flushable Cleansing Cloths (and other products like flushable toilet wand scrubbers) clog sewer systems because they take longer to disintegrate. I tend to toss many of them in a diaper pail in the garage that I use for bags of used cat litter instead of flushing them.

I received a free sample of this product through Crowdtap. This review contains my honest opinion, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

You've Got Mail Monday

Oh my gosh, it's been busy around here. I've been finishing off registration for WriteAngles, a local writers conference I attend each fall. The mail carrier delivered the remaining plants for the backyard, which got added to the new flower bed yesterday. I've been taking in the rest of the herbs and freezing them or making herb butter so I have them for the winter. And of course, there is still soccer and cheerleading.

When fall arrives, it's kind of sad to watch as the plants die off, the patio furniture is put into storage, and all the leaves fall down. But it's nice to see the yard looking so clean after we rake up and blow the fallen leaves away and clean up the flower beds and vegetable garden. I'm also making plans for spring, so I have that to look forward to.

Like I said, the mail carrier brought in those remaining plants I was waiting for. The Lil' Diva helped me get these beauties into the ground yesterday. I can't wait to see what this looks like next year. This area is mostly shade, so I stuck with hostas, a brandywine bush, some lilac astilbes, neat-looking black mondo grass, and an ostrich fern.

Through Crowdtap, I received samples of Cottonelle's® flushable wipes, along with two small sample packs to share with neighbors. I'm reviewing these on their site. I have another sample package for Truvia® Natural Sweetener coming soon. I have to say that Crowdtap has been the most successful in the terms of winning prizes and being accepted to try free samples.

My Land's End Kids catalog and the Oriental Trading catalog arrived last week. I usually find value priced Christmas ornaments for my many trees in the OT catalog. Another great book arrived last week, too: Amanda Weds Her Man by Naomi King. I've been following the Cedar Creek series for a while and I'm always thrilled to see a new book release. I'll be reviewing this book at The Book Connection.

That's it for this week. Hope you have a great one.

NEW Healthy Choice Baked Entrées

As a member of Crowdtap, I applied to participate in a sample of NEW Healthy Choice Baked Entrées. I received a $1.00 OFF coupon to sample one of six varieties.

I haven't had anything with sausage in it for a while, so I opted to try the Italian Sausage Pasta Bake. It was yummy! Just the right portion, it featured whole grain rotini pasta with Italian sausage, tossed in a garlic marinara sauce that was topped with mozzarella cheese.

Since I cook with garlic on a regular basis, I expected to love the flavor, and I did. We switched to whole grain pasta a few years ago. I like that it is healthier for you than regular pasta. What I have always enjoyed about Healthy Choice dinners is their lower sodium content than other frozen entrees. This provided me a quick and easy meal that tasted close to homemade. I'll definitely be buying this and other varieties soon.

Product Review: Playtex Sport Body Wipes Perfect When No Time for Showers

As a member of Crowdtap, I was asked to participate in a trial of Playtex Sport Body Wipes, which are part of their entire Playtex Sport line. These wipes with a "fresh & clean scent" wipe away dirt and sweat for those moments when you're on the run and don't have time to shower between activities.

As part of the trial, I received a dozen samples, which I was asked to share. I provided 2 people and myself with 4 wipes each and we used them for the next week after working out or when we felt the need for a quick clean up to feel fresh. One of the participants was my older daughter. The Lil Diva is only 9, but she's had to use deodorant for the last two years. She's developing earlier than I did, and sweat and body odor is an issue, especially since she hasn't reached that age where three showers a day is the norm. She also plays hard, so there are times when she smells less than fresh.

As I mentioned in an earlier post today, during my last pregnancy, I started feeling much warmer than I used to. In addition, though I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, I'm beginning to experience mild hot flashes, where I'm just sitting there and suddenly I feel like it's 100 degrees in my office. I'm not going to get up and shower each time it happens.

The other participant was a friend of ours who leads a busy life as a working mom.

When we regrouped and shared our thoughts, here is what we came up with:

•  This product is great for a quick clean up. The fresh scent leaves you feeling refreshed and clean. This feeling lasts too, so that's a big plus.
• While I am allergic to many scents, I did not have an issue with the light fragrance.
• Playtex Sport Body Wipes have no alcohol, so we were able to use them on our faces without excessive drying.
• Because these wipes are flushable, you can use them to wipe delicate body parts, and then easily discard them.
• Each wipe is individually wrapped (20 count package) and their small, slim size (4 1/4 x 2 1/4 inches) means you can tuck them into even the tiniest of pocket books.
• My daughter also tried another brand of sports wipe a few months ago. She preferred the slightly larger size of those than the 9 X 5 1/2 inches of the Playtex wipe. She felt it gave her better coverage and she could use one wipe, where she felt maybe two of the Playtex ones would make her feel more confident.

Playtex Sport Body Wipes are sold in 20 count pack or a 24 count travel pack the size of a travel pack size diaper wipe pouches. I'm going to purchase the travel pack for our car trip to North Carolina in July.

We all thought this was a great product for active girls and women. I'm starting to carry them to our other daughter's softball games. That way she doesn't have to climb into the car feeling all dirty.


This review contains my honest opinion. I did not receive any monetary compensation for providing my thoughts.