I know what you're thinking... Campbell's? They're not new - they've been around forever! Yes... they have. But you might be surprise what all falls under the Campbell's brand. And I was lucky enough to try a bunch of their items, both new and old (but maybe new to me). 
I was actually surprised at a few of the things that fall under their brand umbrella. But it made me like the Campbell's brand that much more.
So CrowdTap helped me discover all these Campbell's brands over the past couple of months or so. Among the items we a new V8 juice (I chose Spicy Mango!); Skillet Sauces; a new Prego flavor (light Alfredo); a new Chunky soup (Beer & Cheese with Beef and Bacon); Easy Cooking soups; Swanson Cream Soup Starter; microwavable Spaghetti-o's; another 'style' of soups for cooking (Creamy Poblano & Queso!); and Slow Kettle microwavable soup. So, it seems like a lot for one blog... but as a quick summary, I loved everything I tried and it really opened my mind up about 'easy cooking options' for a quick weeknight meal. Or a nice weekend meal. The key is they taste great!!
So what all did I actually do? Well, they helped out by including some recipes to kick start my ideas. And they helped. But not everything needed one of their recipes... I found that some of the items helped as a shortcut for my own recipe ideas. 
Like the Cream soup starter... it was perfect for this Roasted Cauliflower soup recipe I had. It was perfect on that first cold weekend we had. It saved so much time and so many steps! I bought another box of it the next grocery shopping trip I went on, knowing that it would come in handy as winter really set in.
I've heard about turning a can of Chunky Soup into a meal for more than one in the past (by pouring it over a starch base), so I tried that with the Beer Cheese soup I was given. It was perfect over some potatoes and Eric even loved it. It really filled both of us up.
Both of the 'soups for cooking' were surprises for me - I used the recipes they sent for both of these; Speedy Sausage Rigatoni and Creamy Poblano Mac & Cheese. Both got raves an will definitely be made again in this house. And while Skillet Sauces are already part of my regular regimen, this was a new flavor for me (Parmesan Chicken), and it, too, will be bought and made again.
I also loved all what I will call 'the simple samples' in the box, which include the V8 juice, the Slow Kettle soup, and the Spaghetti-o's... though I drank all the juice before I got to try the mango simmered rice recipe. Still want to try that one... sounds awesome!
So yeah... if you haven't tried some of these things, get out there and try them. Check out Campbell's website for recipes if you're unsure of how to use something. Or just experiment... they make it so easy to make great meals, weeknight or otherwise. And if you start with Campbell's you are sure to make a meal that will make others smile.
I'll be the first to admit that many years ago, I started avoiding Scotts toilet paper because I felt you got what you paid for... it was cheap, and it felt cheap. Once I made that decision, I never looked back. But as a brand, they've hung around and definitely have their loyal users. Nothing wrong with that.
Well, recently, they threw out a concept that even got my attention enough to want to try it out... they went tubeless. And they brought to the attention of the world how made tubes are 'wasted' every year (recycled or not). I'm not a tree hugger, but I do care about the environment and try to be aware of the waste m household sends to the incinerator Indy doesn't do a landfill/dump) every year. Then I had a chance to try it though CrowdTap.
I was skeptical, at first. How does it stay 'roll like' and what keeps it was unrolling from the inside out? What happens when you get to the end - does it lose it's form then? To my pleasant surprise, it 'acted' just like any other toilet paper out there. Roll stayed intact through the end, though it got more squishy as it got to the center. And it lasted quite long... likely due to the single ply.
And that's where I was still disappointed with the Scott Brand. Still a little rough on a sensitive bum. Better than before, but still 'crispier' than I like - felt like what I get in my office building restroom or other public facility. not what I like to have at home. Of course, everyone has they own opinion and it might be perfectly acceptable softness to others out there.
So all it all, major probe for being environmentally aware. But no improvement, in my eyes, on the quality of the paper, itself. Except for a few ridges... but not softness. If you're already a Scott's user or are very much an environmentalist, you'll want to give this a try. In fact, it's worth a try for everyone out there. But just know that if you've come to expect the softness that so many other brands push and try to sell you on, then this will be a change from that repertoire for you.
I love when I get to try new products out - I think that's obvious by this blog. Even if everything isn't rand new on here, it's usually new to me. But this time, the product is really new.
Everyone knows the brand Ricola. The brand's been around a long time and everyone know their 'catch phrase' from commercials... "Riiii-co-laaaaaaa!!" Well, now they've taken their natural herbs from their cough drops and put together a new kind of 'drop' for us... a Revitalizing Herd Drop. 
I tried the Lemon Zest flavor through CrowdTap and I have to say, it surprised me... quite literally!
I popped one in my mouth and started sucking on it like I would one of their cough drops. And then in true impatient form, I could wait no longer and had to crunch it up. And that's when the shock came! It says right on the bag, 'Effervescent Center' but I didn't fully comprehend what that would be. It fizzed up and tingled and felt all crazy for a minute. But definitely in a good way.
Now the whole point of these is that they are 'revitalizing' and supposed to restore your energy. They definitely tasted good, and the citrus flavor did it's job with the 'illusion' of waking you up wit the scent/flavor. But I'm not sure if it truly 'restored' energy. I guess that's where I was left a little unsure... to what extent was it supposed to restore my energy? Like a shot of caffeine? Or just enough to keep you going?
Either way, I did enjoy them. They were quite tasty, and even if this was treated like a straight piece of candy, I'd be okay with that. If nothing else, the effervescent pops you awake, however briefly. Not a bad thing if you're stuck in front of a computer all day.
I am the first to admit that I hate cleaning. It takes too long and more often than not, I'm not content with the outcome, which means it takes longer still to get it to a point where my OCD self is happy with the results. So you can imagine my skepticism when I had the opportunity to try our a cleaning product.
Enter Zep cleaning products and, for my trying pleasure specifically, Zep All Purpose Clean & Degreaser and Quick Clean Disinfectant. First thing to tackle... the kitchen. I used the Quick Clean Disinfectant on all the counters and was pleasant surprised by how easily it cleaned some of the grime from the sticky lunch that afternoon. It seems almost too easy (that was the skepticism in my head). But they looks great and there was no denying they were clean. But what about the stove? 
It seems to get attract grime, even if it's not being used. So I tried out the degreaser here. WOW! It made removing even some of the tough stuff so easy... just wiped right off.
I was sold at this point. Me... of all people. I wanted to try it out in some other rooms. Next stop... the bathroom! Our powder room has an antique sink in it that, in my opinion, just looks dingy all the time. I just chalked it up to being old. But even it had some shine left in it after using the Zep Quick Clean on it. Was there anything this stuff couldn't do?? Imagine what their other products are capable up. If they can make all cleaning this easy, I might actually getting into a cleaning routine I don't dread!
Zep cleaning products may be a new name to some people out there- it was to me. But apparently, it's been in the commercial markets for years. Businesses have been using their products to clean grime and grease in the background of probably some of your favorite restaurants. But now they're trying to bring their products to you. I even saw them in a hardware store since I was able to try these out. They have a FULL line of products... anything you could imagine needing to clean, they probably have something for it. So go... NOW! Buy this stuff! You won't regret it!
Let me start by saying I'm a Vichy fan. I've only tried the basic stuff up until this point, and it's just one of those brands that feels refreshing going on. The products I've used are light and smell awesome!
That said, when I had the opportunity to try Vichy's Idealia, I was pretty excited and probably set the bar a little higher than I typically would for a new product. Now, to be up front, I don't have a lot of what I would consider extreme issue with my skin. I have some freckled cheeks and the occasional hormonal breakouts... and sure, some annoyances to me that other wouldn't consider issues. But nothing crazy.
So I did an 8-Day challenge, using Vichy Idealist morning and night. The product, itself, just like other products by Vichy, was very nice... felt good, smelled awesome, and almost refreshed my face as I put it on. It was a nice scent to fall asleep to, which was a bonus for me.
I took some pictures before and after... but the pictures don't really convey the results, I think. Which, while were evident to me, may not be evident to others. In other words, it wasn't an immense change for me - mostly a texture and feel to my skin. This does not make it a failure. I think, in the big scheme of things, it's a good product. And, quite honestly, if I used it longer, I might see more results. Or, if I had some reoccurring redness or dark spots or dullness, it probably helps greatly. But I didn't have those issues when I tried it.
So... my overall thoughts on it... like all Vichy products I've tried, it has all the elements of a great product, meaning it goes on the skin great and can fit right in your routine easily. This one is likely more beneficial if you have the dark spots, dullness, etc. on your face and it's a concern to you. If you don't have a lot of those types of issues, you might be disappointed in the visual results (minimal), but that does not mean you're not getting results from the inside out. For the price you pay, just make sure you understand what you expect the results to be. Regardless, I don't think it would be a bad thing to have as part of your routine.
So this is a bit of a personal post, in that this seems to be a moot subject for so many. And it doesn't need to be... and shouldn't be. But I digress.
I'm talking about feminine products. I used to be very brand loyal to one tampon brand that had a sleek, flushable cardboard applicator. Then they stopped making them for some reason. Once I realized is was no longer being made, I literally went out and bought as many boxes as I could find to stash... about 6 months worth. But then I wandered aimlessly. The 'big brand' out there I've never liked because of the way it 'grows' during absorption. Which, in my opinion, was why it was more apt to leak. I tried the kind without an applicator, you know.. eco-conscious. Could never quite be okay with that... any then a 'new brand' came out. But it wasn't really a new brand... it was a partial rebrand for the younger generation. U by Kotex.
Now, I was no longer in that younger crowd, but I liked what I saw, so I tried them. And I liked them. A lot. It did everything my old brand did, minus the flushable applicator. But it had a 'clickable' version, making it smaller and easier to put in my pocket. Score. Years (I think) later, I still use them exclusively, and not they have a very smart campaign going... "Save the Undies!" This suits them well because, well, this brand does that! I never have leakage issues. And if you go to their website, you can even get a sample. Which I highly recommend.
My latest fun sampling came through CrowdTap again, which always has good ones, it seems. This latest sampling through #TheHerbalistas was their latest body wash, Hello Hydration. I'll be honest, I'm not the most loyal when it comes to body washes. Nothing has ever really 'wow'd me, either in scent, feel, or after-effects. I buy a lot of body washes from a certain body care chain, since they always have a 'buy 3 get X free' sale going on. And because of that that, I have a backlog of body wash, all sorts of scents and even types (gels, liquids, etc.). Do they clean me? Yes. Do they smell good? Yes. Would I ever switch it up to another brand? Yes. Nothing is really keeping me with them other than my backlog of inventory.
So back to this latest sampling. Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Body Wash. I was kind of excited about trying it out - Herbal Essences always has good advertising that makes you want to try their stuff. From the orgasmic showers to the convincing name (making it seem all natural). Which, let's be honest, no body wash is truly 'natural' in ingredients. Nothing 'natural' lathers up like soaps we're used to and expect. But I wasn't expecting that, so no worries there. So not to the actual sampling...
First off, it smelled awesome! I really dug the scent. The little bottle made it a little difficult to put as much soap as I normally do on my pouf... well, the bottle itself didn't, but my perception was off since it seems like way more was being used. But after the first try, where it didn't stay lathered up long enough, I figured out I just didn't have enough on my pouf. But once I did, it lathers nicely, smelled good, and I felt clean afterwards.
But beyond feeling clean... I felt no additional hydration. Maybe it was because my skin has been going crazy with the changing seasons (FINALLY!) and has been unusually dry lately. The scent didn't linger long, either. I guess if I very purposely tried to smell it, I could still catch a bit of the scent. But having a lingering scent has never been a big deal or desire to me.
So at the end of the day, what are my thoughts? Well, I still don't see a body wash that wow's me. It's nice, but it seems to be in with the standard fair of body washes. Smells good, gets me clean, but there's nothing there to make me loyal to it. No super moisturizing wow factor, which I was hoping for in the name 'Hello Hydration!" No all day effect that had people asking what I was doing differently. Would I buy it? Sure. Why not. Would I search it out if my normal store didn't have it? Probably not. Would I recommend it? Well, I wouldn't NOT recommend it. If someone asks, I'll tell them it's a great smelling product and I'd use it is I had it. So, all in all, neutral. A little more than "meh" but not at the level of 'wow' I'm still searching for.
This was a different 'try-out' from my normal routine. Fertilizer. Kind of cool to try something different... something for the house, more so. We have a small yard, so a lot of the stuff that seems to come out is meant more for suburbia. But we're lucky to just have our little patch of green in downtown... just enough without an overload of up-keep.
But there is still up-keep. And that's where this handy gadget comes into play. With our small backyard, and awkward raised/sloped/walled front yard, it's never easy to work with the 'normal' gadgetry of yardwork. Now, I'm not complaining about said yardwork... but it makes it both easy to do and easy to put off. So if we can make it even easier, why not?
We've all fertilized or put down weed control in our yards. Well, I assume we have. Even when I had a bigger yard in the suburbs, I never bought more than the hand spreader to fertilizer. But my hand would cramp up or the fertilizer would get stuck in a sticky ball. It was the simplest task, yet not so simple. With this Ready2Go Spreader, it's battery operated! 
It does the spreading for you - you just walk the line. And since the fertilizer is self contained and not exposed to the elements, it stays in it easy granular form.
It took me a couple of minute to figure out how to open it and get the batteries in, but then it was very easy to use. The only issue I had was because of my OCD nature, in that since this was the 'weed control' fertilizer, I tended to focus a little too much on the areas that had weed problems. I'm sure if I would've walked the lines like I was supposed to, instead of doubling back, it would've been fine. Probably why I use the liquid version of the spring fertilizer usually... but you know what? No matter. It worked. Within a few days, I could see the weeds starting to wither.
This one is a winner in my books. I'll likely look for the various refills in stores - you reuse the canister and spreader and just buy the refill bags. So if you see this in stores and have a postage stamp of yard, go for it. I think you'll be glad you did.
Some opportunities I get to try new things are just awesome. This was one of those such things... how could it be anything but good? It was from Hershey's, after all! Plus, it was a CrowdTap sampling... they've continuously had great samplings! I only wish I had more time to try this before really talking about it... like, time to go through the whole jar! But between the weather and the fact that the post office damaged the delivery, I really only had a week before needing to report back. Not that I needed more time to tell you it's great stuff.
So the new Hershey's spread... I received Chocolate with Almond, which, quite frankly, I love Hershey's candy bars with Almonds. And while I get this was Hershey's answer on getting in the popular 'chocolate/hazelnut spread race' that was spurred on by the ever popular Nutella, I like that this isn't hazelnut. Ironically, I bought some almond butter instead of peanut butter a couple of months ago. I like the trying the slightly different.
Anyway... back to my 'testing' of a product I had no doubt I'd like. But I tried to put that aside... go into it with an open mind and truly form an opinion about it. SO I tried it with a bunch of different things to get a feel for how it would be. Interestingly enough, I didn't try it the one way I'm sure I'll eat it often - on a sandwich of a piece of toast. I was more focused on trying it in different ways. First place I tried it... waffles. The warmth of the waffles melted it just a little to give it a nice gooey yumminess. Then I tried it as a snack with some strawberries and apples. 
I liked the strawberries better, but both were still good. Then with some Nilla wafers. And then some pretzels. Finally, I melted some in the microwave so I could drizzle it on ice cream. It was pure goodness.
But wait. Then genius struck me... time to make a sundae! I chopped up some strawberries and threw in the Nilla wafers... voila! THIS was by far the best thing. It was so good I forgot to take a picture of it! I can guarantee that I'll be doing this again very soon! The mixture of all these items together was just all brought together by the now Hershey's with Almost 'sauce' that I melted down in the microwave.
So yes... when you see this on shelves, you need to get some. It is absolutely wonderful and quite a tasty treat in many forms, from breakfast to dessert. I can only imagine what craziness this might add in my baking... just thinking about the possibilities truly gets me excited. Maybe you'll be the lucky recipient of one of these treats!
I was actually surprised at a few of the things that fall under their brand umbrella. But it made me like the Campbell's brand that much more.
Like the Cream soup starter... it was perfect for this Roasted Cauliflower soup recipe I had. It was perfect on that first cold weekend we had. It saved so much time and so many steps! I bought another box of it the next grocery shopping trip I went on, knowing that it would come in handy as winter really set in.
