I LOVE Applebee's Fresh Flavors of Summer Menu! {Review & Giveaway ~ Open to US & Canada}

My husband and I love going out on dates together. Dates are welcome outings to our busy schedule and often help us to regroup and connect while away from the children. I have to admit though that sometimes, we truly talk about the children the entire time we are gone. THAT amazes me but raising children does take a lot of brainstorming and talking. So, one restaurant that we frequent when on dates is Applebee's. The casual environment, the yummy food and the variety of choices is always fun and we have enjoyed Applebee's immensely. In fact, when we were courting we would go for their 1/2 priced appetizers after 9 and to this day, we treasure those outings. One thing I have learned is that every Applebee's is different. Honestly, we have been in some fantastic ones and some that left a bit to be desired. However, our overwhelming vote has been positive for this particular restaurant. 

In celebration of these early days of summer, Applebee's has rolled out a Fresh Flavors of Summer Menu and there are some really yummy dishes that are featured on this menu!

The chef behind these dishes has some great tips and hints on how to create your very own "Fresh off the Vine" dishes! Here are some tips from Applebee's Executive Culinary Chef, Michael Slavin...

How to Pick a Perfect Tomato:

• The type of tomato depends on the recipe. Roma tomatoes are great for cooking while Beefsteak tomatoes make big, juicy slices and are ideal for a sandwich or salad.
• Once you know what type of tomato you need, there are a few things that you want to look for:
• Color: Tomato should be a deep red without blemishes or bruising
• Feel: A great tomato will feel heavy for its size, firm and should yield slightly when you squeeze it but have the resiliency to go back to its original shape
• Smell: Tomatoes that are fresh and ripe will have a grassy, earthy smell, especially right where the stem is
• Stem: While an intact stem doesn't mean that a tomato is automatically fresher than one without a stem, it is an indicator that the tomato was handled with care, probably by hand 

How to Cut a Tomato:

• To avoid splatter (and mush), start with a sharp chef’s knife.
• Make sure the skin side is against the hard surface of the cutting board and not the soft “meat” of the tomato.  You want to cut through the soft side, not through the skin.
• Excess seeds and juice mean you probably got a tomato with an overgrown seed cavity, an indication that the tomato was left on the vine too long. This is most common with larger tomatoes.
• Everything that ends up on your cutting board (aside from the stem and core) should go in with your food! Anything red, all the seeds… All of this will add to the quality and freshness of whatever you are preparing.

How to Pick a Perfect Avocado:

• Avocados begin to ripen as soon as they are picked off the vine so a freshly picked, hard avocado will need 1-2 days before it is ready to eat.
• If you buy an avocado that is perfectly ripe but that you are not ready to eat, a great trick is to put it in the fridge, as that will slow down the ripening process.
• Feel: An avocado is ready to eat when you can squeeze it without leaving any indentations. If indentations remain it means the avocado is overripe.
• Color: Avoid avocados that are completely green. You want color variation. An avocado that is extremely dark means it is overripe so look for something in between.

How to Dice an Avocado:

• Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut the avocado in half lengthwise. With one hand on each side, give it a quarter turn twist and it will neatly bisect into two halves (one with the seed, one without).
• To safely remove the seed, use a sharp teaspoon and slide it directly under the seed until it pops out.
• Once the seed is out, hold one half of the avocado so that it lies in the natural shape of your hand and using a chef’s knife, score it twice lengthwise and three times horizontally.
• Using the same sharp teaspoon, scoop around and under the avocado meat and 12 nice chunks will pop right out.

I have NEVER known how to dice an Avocado so these tips are so helpful for me. I love to prepare fresh foods for myself (seeing as my family doesn't eat fresh veggies) and think that these tips will be great!

So, for this review I was sent a $50 Gift Certificate for Applebee's and hubby and I were very excited to get away for an evening. Last night, we were able to get my sister to come and babysit the children and we escaped for a date together. 

The first thing that caught my eye were the little kiosks on each table. I immediately asked my husband what they were and when we were seated, I found that on this kiosk you can order drinks, appetizers, play games (for a price) and do other things to make your dining experience more pleasant. 

Our menus were handed to us and we had already decided that we wanted French Onion Soup and an appetizer to start. Our waitress, who was named Rachel, took our drink orders and hubby ordered a Frozen Strawberry Lemonade. He let me try it and it was DELICIOUS. :)

Obviously, after hearing so much about the new Fresh Flavors of Summer Menu, I eagerly opened my menu and began searching for the newest additions. I sort of wish that they had a specific section dedicated to this menu as the items were scattered amongst the other menu items and you kind of had to look for them. Some of the newest dishes are, Blackened Sirloin & Garlicky Green Beans, Margarita Queso Chicken & Shrimp, California Shrimp Salad, Lemon Shrimp Fettuccine and Green Bean Crispers. Everything sounded sooo delicious (except for the shrimp dishes as I am not a shrimp fan) and I had a hard time choosing something.

One thing that I noticed that is really nice is the fact that they have Weight Watchers menu items (complete with the number of points that meal will use) that make choosing a meal simple for someone who is on the Weight Watcher's diet. Just wanted to note that. :)

While we were waiting for our meal to come out, we decided that we would really love to try the Chili Cheese Nachos. Our Nachos arrived hot and ready to be eaten and we dug right in! As I was eating, I spied something unusual in my Nacho's and upon careful inspection, I found that there was a long, black hair wound around the chips. Whoa, that was totally unexpected. Our waitress was taking care of another table and so I flagged down someone who looked like a manager. After pointing the hair out, he apologized profusely and took the bad nachos to the kitchen. It wasn't long until a new platter was brought out and we thoroughly enjoyed them (in fact they were better than the first platter because there were more toppings on them). Later on in the evening, the manager came back to our table and again apologized for the issue we had. He also told us that it should NOT have happened and that he had removed the Nachos from our bill. I was VERY impressed with his professionalism and the fact that he had taken the almost $9 appetizer off our bill. We were happy with that. :)

For my dinner selection, I chose to try the Blackened Sirloin & Garlicky Green Beans. I typically always order the same thing when I go to familiar restaurants but wanted to try something different and LOVED my choice! This particular dish comes with fried red potatoes, a 7 oz. sirloin rubbed with blackened seasonings and basted in lime butter, garlicy green beans topped with chunky roma tomato pepper relish. The tomato relish was AMAZING. 

My husband chose a full rack of barbecued ribs. He is a fan of ribs and loved his dinner! We ended up taking almost all of his dinner home because he was full from the soup and appetizers. His eyes are always so much bigger than his stomach...ha ha! It seemed as if the restaurant was short staffed as our waitress was gone for long periods of time and that caused the managers to be out and about, waiting on tables, taking care of checks and bringing take-home boxes out. It was nice to see the managers helping out but I do think that Applebee's should do more to make sure they have sufficient staffing to take care of customers. Other than that, our food was delicious and we were glad that we chose to eat at Applebee's last night! 

So, this summer as you contemplate where to visit for a fresh dinner, check out Applebee's Fresh Flavors of Summer Menu! There is something for everyone and if you are like us then you will have absolutely NO ROOM for dessert! The new menu is wonderful and one that I would like to try again very soon. 

Applebee's has graciously given me a $50 Gift Card (electronic...you will need a printer to print it out and take to a restaurant) to give away to one of you so you can go and try out this new menu too! Here are your entry options...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a free Applebee's Gift Card for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the Applebee's websites and email.  Prize is being provided by the sponsor. This blog is not responsible for lost, damaged or stolen prizes. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

Produce For Kids & Price Chopper Launch Get Healthy, Give Hope Campaign

Last year I posted about Produce for Kids and their Get Healthy, Give Hope Campaign and I am pleased to announce that it is once again time for this fantastic campaign! My children have a problem eating healthy (as do many children I know) and I am constantly on the lookout for fun and exciting ways to get them to eat better. When I first met Produce for Kids, I was overwhelmed with their commitment to nutrition for kids and have kept in touch with them ever since. On their website you can find recipes and fun ideas to get your children in some better eating patterns and I for one have enjoyed the experience of finding new ways to prepare simple foods. Want to know more about this campaign? Check out the details...

Produce for Kids is launching its annual Get Healthy, Give Hope campaign with major supermarket chains across the country, including your local Price Chopper store, to help raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and Children's Hospital at Dartmouth this Sunday. Beginning June 16th, the joint campaign will run through July 27th and will help raise money for children in need. The more produce Price Chopper shoppers add to their shopping lists, the more hope they can give to local children. All participating fresh fruit and vegetable suppliers at Price Chopper stores will make a consumption-based donation to local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

To learn more about the campaign, shoppers can visit the Produce for Kids in-store display which features easy-to-prepare recipes, helpful materials with additional information on the campaign and links to visit more than 90 easy Ideal Meals® recipes online. The display also features characters from the popular Sprout® health-focused children’s series “LazyTown™” and “The Chica Show,” along with tips on healthy eating for kids.

Here are some of the recipes that Produce for Kids offers...

Banana Fro-Yo

Serves 4
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
·   2 bananas, peeled, chopped
·   3 cups lowfat yogurt
·   1 cup pineapple, cored, chopped
·   ¼ cup caramel dip
Directions:
1. Place bananas in freezer bag and freeze overnight.
2. Blend bananas, yougurt and pineapple in blender until thick and smooth.
3. Portion and freeze for 25 minutes.  
4. Drizzle with caramel dip and serve.

Smoothie Pops & Super Cereal Mix

Serves 16
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
·   1 large peach or mango, peeled, chopped
·   1 large nectarine, peeled, chopped
·   2 medium bananas, peeled, sliced
·   1 cup strawberries, leaves hulled
·   1 cup blueberries
·   ¼ cup orange or fruit juice
·   2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt
·   16 paper cups
Directions:
1. Place all smoothie ingredients in a blender and blend until just smooth.
2. Place 16 paper cups on a baking tray.  Pour smoothie into paper cups.  Place tray in freezer and freeze until slushy, about 20 minutes.
3. Remove tray from freezer and insert one popsicle stick into the center of each cup.  Return to freezer and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
4. Tear away paper cup and place on plate.
Serves 4
Preparation Time:
Ingredients:
·   1 cup toasted oat rings cereal
·   1 cup round corn puffs cereal
·   ½ cup round colored corn puffs cereal
·   ½ cup roasted, unsalted peanuts
Directions:
1. Combine all cereal mix ingredients in a large bowl.

Super Green Smoothie

Serves 4
Preparation Time: 10 Minutes
Ingredients:
·   2 cups 1% milk
·   1 banana, peeled, cut in half
·   ½ avocado, pitted, peeled
·   1 cup spinach, gently packed
·   1 cup green apple, cored, chopped
·   3 Tbsp. ground flax seed
·   2 Tbsp. honey
Directions:
1. Blend milk, banana, avocado, spinach, apple, flax seed and honey in blender until smooth.

YUM, YUM, YUM! Here is a bit more information about who Produce for Kids is and what they have to offer parents all across the country...

Produce for Kids’ marketing programs take place in grocery stores across the country promoting healthy eating and benefiting local children’s non-profit groups. These campaigns combine advertising, in-store displays and events, public relations and Internet marketing. Ideal Meals™ offer simple, healthy meal solutions for busy parents through complete meal recipe ideas created by a chef and approved by a nutritionist.

Since its creation in 2002 by Shuman Produce Inc., Produce for Kids has raised more than $3.7 million for children’s non-profit organizations including Children’s Miracle Network® Hospitals, Let’s Move Salad Bars To Schools and PBS KIDS® among others. All funds raised directly benefit these partner organizations.

Year-round resources for parents include Ideal Meals; the Parents on Produce board, a panel made up of busy working parents; Ideal Meal demonstration videos and healthy eating tips and articles.

The Produce for Kids program has been embraced by the produce industry and covers grocery store retailers in more than 40 states and incorporates suppliers in every major produce category.

So, this summer as you prepare to enjoy picnics at the park, warm, sunny afternoons at the beach or simple snacks for after nap time, check out Produce for Kids and see what they have to offer you. Have a great summer!!

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I will be receiving free Produce for Kids products in exchange for this post. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine. 

Cate & Levi Now Makes SLIPPERS!!!

I have some really fantastic news to share with all of you today. Cate & Levi, a company based out of Canada that has sponsored several reviews and giveaways here, has recently launched a new product line! Now, sold exclusively at Uncommon Goods, you can find some darling slippers. Does your little one need something soft and cozy for their feet? Then Cate & Levi has just what you are looking for. Check them out...

Toddler Shark Slippers and Adult Shark Slippers

Baby Shark Slippers

Baby Guppy Slippers

Aren't they cute? I am really loving those baby guppy slippers...so adorable and so cozy looking! All of these slippers retail for $34 - $36 and are available at Uncommon Goods. I will be receiving a pair of these in several weeks and will be sure to blog about them so you can see what they look like on my little guy. Have a great weekend everyone!! 

YouthPerfect Spa Pillow Case Kit Review & Giveaway

I don't think I am alone when I say that I love to sleep. For me, laying down at night and drifting off to dream land is one of the nicest things ever. The hardest times to sleep are when I am pregnant, sick or when I have recently had a new baby. Sleeping when there is a new baby in the house is very challenging and difficult to do. My first baby never really slept at all...she cried alot but never really slept much for the first three months of her life. I figured her out by three months and once I knew what would get her to sleep, we were sleeping much better. My current baby is 13 months old and is now (YAY YAY YAY!) completely sleeping through the night. He is teething though so I do wake up sometimes in the middle of the night to give him some Tylenol or to rock him but basically, he is a good sleeper. I on the other hand have trouble relaxing some nights and it takes me a while to actually fall asleep.

To aid in relaxing better at night, I have discovered a kit called the YouthPerfect Spa Pillow Case and this is a kit designed to get you relaxed and ready to sleep, AND stay asleep! I will take any and all opportunities that come my way to be pampered and this kit sounded like the perfect solution to my restless nights. Here is a bit more about this product from a recent press release...

Studies have shown that getting a good night’s sleep is essential to health and overall well-being. And, as people age, adequate sleep is also important to protecting the youthful look of skin. Designed by a medical doctor and a licensed cosmetologist, YouthPerfect’s patent-pending YouthPerfect® Spa Pillowcase now offers the ultimate in sleeping luxury, designed for superior rest while actually working to reduce sleep lines that can become wrinkles.

When sleeping on a regular pillowcase, facial skin can bunch to form creases – also known as sleep lines – overnight. As skin ages, it also becomes less resilient and these lines can start to create permanent wrinkles. With the YouthPerfect Spa Pillowcase, pressure points on skin are diminished for a restful, crease-free sleep. 

“According to the American Academy of Dermatology, resting your face on a regular pillow every night leads to wrinkles. To prevent this, many experts recommend sleeping on your back – not the most natural or comfortable position for many of us,” said Dr. Stan Batiste, M.D., president and CEO of YouthPerfect. “The YouthPerfect Spa Pillowcase Is an ultra-soft, luxurious pillowcase designed to promote restful sleep in any position. Its frictionless and high-quality engineered material blend protects the skin against forming creases that can lead to permanent wrinkling.”

I know that I have woken up to those wrinkles on my face that are caused by my pillowcase. Those are sooo hard to get rid of and are embarrassing if you have to go somewhere in the morning. Thank goodness I don't go out very often! When I heard that this pillowcase helps to eliminate those pesky creases, I was really excited!

So, for this review I was sent a YouthPerfect Spa Pillow Case Kit and as soon as I opened the box, I could smell the aromatherapy oils! Included in this set are three bottles of aromatherapy spa scents...Eucalyptus, Lavender and Vanilla. Mmmmm, did they smell wonderful!!

In your kit you will find all the tools necessary to help you get a good night's sleep. There are two satiny pillowcases, three bottles of aromatherapy spa scents, one soothing cool eye mask and 36 aromatherapy diffusion strips.

These scents are beautiful! Lavender has been a long-time favorite of mine for relaxation and helping induce sleep. In fact, I use a lavender cream on my baby before he goes to bed as it seems to help him sleep a bit better and relax into a deeper state of slumber. Out of these three scents, my favorite has to be the Lavender.

To use this pillowcase, all you do is put a drop of the aromatherapy scent of your choice on one of the diffuser strips and place the strip into the pocket that is in the pillowcase. That's it! You are ready for a restful night as you enjoy the relaxing scents that infuse your pillow.

I am really loving how soft and silky these pillowcases are too. They feel great against my face! Another feature that I love is the buttons that are on this case. I hate it when my pillow slides out of my pillowcase and having buttons on the pillowcase is a really ingenious idea!

I haven't had a gel mask to use in such a long time...what a treat this one has been! I like to chill it in the refrigerator before I use it and it seriously helps me to unwind and it also helps to brighten my eyes in the morning. The coolness helps to eliminate puffiness that occurs around the eyes, which I think we all get at times. :)

This YouthPerfect Spa Pillow Case Kit retails for $19.95 and you can purchase it directly from the website. You can also get Queen and King sized pillow case sets and those retail for more. 

So, in my opinion...this YouthPerfect Spa Pillow Case Kit is wonderful! I love how I sleep so well with it and as of yet, I have not had any wrinkles on my face when I wake up in the morning! It is really nice to have  sweet scents in my pillow as well...what a nice touch! I would definitely recommend this product to anyone. You can pamper yourself and get a good night's rest...all in one box! 

One of you now has the opportunity to WIN one of these kits for your very own! Your prize will be: 2 YouthPerfect pillow cases, 1 Gel Cooling Eye Mask, 3 aromatherapy scents (Vanilla, Lavender and Eucalyptus), and 36 diffusion aromatherapy diffusion strips. The giveaway winner must have a United States mailing address (NO PO BOXES). Here are your entry options...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive free YouthPerfect products for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the YouthPerfect websites and email.  Prize is being provided and shipped by the sponsor. This blog is not responsible for lost, damaged or stolen prizes. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

Dress Up Your Hair With Qoileez! Review & Giveaway

From the time my daughter was a baby, I have always loved to doll her hair up in pretty styles. She was TERRIBLE about keeping anything in her hair as an infant so I sort of gave up until she was older. Now that she is bigger, I am constantly giving her special styles in her hair and for the first time ever, I did her hair in rag curlers the other night. Woo! Was her hair ever curly the next morning!! She loved it and I loved doing it for her. Curly hair on little girls is just too cute. :) Some of the other hair styles that she loves are braids, half up and half downs, pony tails and other easy styles. Because she is older, she also sits still for longer periods of time while I do her hair. This was something that she always had trouble with when she was smaller. I have convinced her that when she sits still so mommy can do her hair, she can end up looking like a fancy princess and that usually does the trick in getting her to stay still longer.

I have recently discovered a really cute and versitile fashion accessory that looks super classy in Hannah's hair and wanted to share it with you today! Qoileez! is a company that makes small, curly hair accessories that are easy to use and fun as well! Here is a bit more about Qoileez!, and the founder of this company, Maria Casarez...

Qoileez! came from being inspired by so many successful inventors/entrepreneurs' stories that I have read and heard about.  And the drive to invent and create something overpowered me. I said to myself: "I want to create something. Something fun and fashionable. Something with a multi-purpose." Well, one day I was at the store and I was thinking of the inventor who invented the Topsy Tail and I said to myself "I am going to look in the knitting, crochet area and see if there is something like the Topsy Tail that I can use in my hair." So I did and found these tiny stretchy plastic things that were used to hold knitting needles together and I said to myself those would look cute in my hair. So I bought them. They were $5.99 for a pack of 5 solid colors (purple, green and white). I experimented with them. They held my hair together and helped me create some cute hair styles but didn't have that, "Wow factor"!  

So I thought to myself what can I do to make them look better?  They became my prototypes. Now I know what prototypes are because I have done a lot of research and have been educating myself on inventing and bringing products to market.  I researched the material manufactures, colors, design and so much more. I thought to myself "these" coils would look so cute if they were different designs and colors and would make such a cute fashion accessory for my hair.  My kids and I started to come up with all these ideas of how these coiled plastic objects could be used for. So I bought some nail art stickers cut them and put them over the coils and molded them to fit the coils. They looked so cute!

Once again, I have discovered a product that has been invented by a mom and that is what I love about doing reviews. It really opens my eyes to the number of great companies out there that have their roots in family and that is so great.

So, for this review I was sent three packages of Qoileez! to try out and experiment with. As I said before, I love doing my daughter's hair and this created the perfect opportunity for a quick hair style for her.

As you can see, there are many different styles, colors and themes to choose from when shopping for Qoileez! I am not a really flashy type of person so I love the pretty colors that I was sent. They are just enough color to add a bit of "pop" to any hairstyle.

Measuring about 1/2 inch in length, these are flexible little coils that wrap nicely around the hair. They are made out of a flexible plastic type of material and once they are stretched, they can be coiled around just about anything!

Are you a student or teacher? Then Qoileez! would look really great coiled around your pencils and pens. As an added bonus, not only can you have them decorate your writing utensils but you can also have a hair accessory handy for those moments when you forgot your hair tie and need to put your hair back! I love that idea.

Hannah's hair tends to be wispy and gets in her eyes really easily. So, I pulled her bangs back and wrapped the Qoileez! around the hair. I was amazed at how nicely it held her hair in place. Not only did it hold her hair for the remainder of the day but it also held throughout the night too. THAT was impressive. :) Her hair isn't that thick either so I thought the Qoileez! held her hair together really well considering that aspect. I am also wanting to put several of these throughout her hair when I braid it...I think it would look super cute. 

So, to buy Qoileez!, simply visit their website and click on the "shop" tab. This will give you so many options for colors and styles...they have something for every one and every taste out there! Right now, they have free shipping too so be sure to take advantage of that. Think ahead to Christmas...stocking stuffers are always difficult and these would make PERFECT stocking stuffers!!  One package of 7 Qoileez! retails for $4.99 and you can also get 14 count packages for $7.99 too. Fantastic price for outstanding hair accessories!

So, in my opinion...Qoileez! are really cute hair accessories that I have been having fun with. My daughter's hair looks even cuter now that I have these and I seriously am using them all the time. They don't pull her hair or put kinks into it...plus, they are super easy to use. I would definitely recommend them to anyone!

Qoileez has offered to giveaway three packages of Qoileez! to one of you! The winner will have their choice of which three packages they would like to receive as well. Here are your entry options into this awesome giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive free Qoileez! products for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the Qoileez! websites and email.  Prize is being provided and shipped by the sponsor. This blog is not responsible for lost, damaged or stolen prizes. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

A Wedding Weekend!

Well, my brother is married!! The wedding was beautiful and the bride and groom were sooo cute. It is such a blessing that my brother found such a wonderful girl and that they are so happy together! It was an incredibly busy weekend but one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Congratulations to Reuben and Hannah!! Here are some photos of the wedding...

 The Happy Couple. :) Can you believe she got her dress on ebay?????

The wedding was at Becker Farms...what a beautiful venue! If you are looking for a gorgeous place to hold your wedding, this is definitely a great option!! Everything was nicely done and looked so elegant. The food was yummy too!!

 The bride's mother made the cake...it tasted as good as it looked!

I love this picture. My littlest man and my hubby. So cute together. :)

My honey and I.

So, after a long weekend I am ready to get back into blogging...stay tuned for some fun and exciting reviews and giveaways! :)

20 Mule Team Borax Review & Giveaway {3 Winners}

Well, summer is in full swing and I am loving the cooler weather that we have had this week. It makes working in the kitchen enjoyable and I love to bake and clean when the air is cool. When it is hot and sticky that last thing I want to be doing is working. If this cool weather is any indication of how the rest of the summer is going to be, I am SO ready! :) Cleaning is something that I really do enjoy and when it comes to keeping my house clean, I am pretty good at keeping up with things. I am not OCD about my house though (unless we are talking about toys, then I am terrible!) and it doesn't have to be spotless 100% of the time. My family comes first and if the house needs to wait until tomorrow to be cleaned then so be it. It can wait. Now, at the end of my day, I typically do a walk-through of the house and pick up toys, wipe down counter tops and straighten things up a bit. If there is one thing I do enjoy it is waking up to a clean and ready-for-the-day house.

One of the rooms of my house that just has to be clean is my kitchen. I have a lot of experience with ants and so I know the importance of a clean kitchen. So, when it comes to cleaning supplies for my kitchen I tend to use multi-purpose cleaners. 20 Mule Team Borax Detergent Booster is something that I use regularly for my laundry but did you know that it can also be used for cleaning purposes? I never did until recently and have been using Borax around my house ever since. I have often wondered where the name "20 Mule Team" came from and thought you would be interested in learning more about the history behind the famous name...

Twenty-mule teams were a solution to the transportation problem of moving millions of pounds of borax from remote mines in inaccessible Death Valley to the railroad at Mojave.

Originally, teams of eight and 10 mules were used. But the 165-mile trek proved to be too much for these teams. According to local legend, Harmony Borax superintendent J.W.S. Perry and a muleskinner (or driver) named Ed Stiles came up with the idea of hitching two 10-mule teams together. The result was 100-foot-long team that took 10 days to carry 10 tons of borax one way across the desert.

Three men operated the 20-mule teams, which were actually 18 mules and two horses. The mule teams hauled more than 12 million pounds of borax 165 miles in the five years between 1883 and 1888. During this time not a single animal was lost, nor did a single wagon break down. In 1894, a steam traction engine named “Dinah” was brought in to replace the mules, but she proved less reliable, and was eventually towed back to town by the mules she tried to replace.

After the mules were replaced by a new rail spur, the Pacific Coast Borax company added the name 20 Mule Team to Borax. The symbol was first used in 1891 and registered in 1894.

How interesting is that! I would have never guessed but now, I know! It is also really neat to note that Borax has been used for so many years. You really know a product is good if it has stood the test of time and is still used now!

So, for this review I was sent a box of 20 Mule Team Borax Detergent Booster and also some coupons to give away to some of you! Borax is a regular additive to my laundry and while it is odorless and doesn't seem to add much to my laundry, it does a great job cleaning my clothes and helping my detergent work better. It is also really helps to remove stains in clothing and believe me, with three toddlers we have a LOT of  stained clothing around here!

Because I have never cleaned the drains of my kitchen sinks, I thought that it would be a good idea to use the 20 Mule Team Borax on them to see how well it worked! You can also use this product to clean your disposal if you had one. I had one at the old house and I miss it terribly!! Those things are simply the BEST.

So, all you do is sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons down the drain and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then, flush well with water. That is all you need to do! Any foul odors will be gone and your sink will be cleaner than it was. I have never noticed any bad smells from my drains but it is good to know that now they are clean!

Not only can you use Borax in your sinks, but you can also use it for your laundry (it naturally softens hard water which helps your detergent work at it's maximum capabilities), washing your dishes and even adding it to your dishwasher to eliminate water spots and residue! I love that! I have been noticing water spots on my glasses recently so I may try this out in the dishwasher too.

20 Mule Team Borax Detergent Booster retails for about $3 and can be found at mass retailers around the country. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone! It is multi-functional, practical, natural and VERY effective! Try it out today!

I have some coupons for Free 20 Mule Team Borax Detergent Booster to give away to three of you! Here are your entry options...
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive 20 Mule Team Borax for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the 20 Mule Team Borax website and email. Prizes are being mailed by myself. This blog is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged prizes and in this case I cannot replace lost coupons. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.