Busy Mom Reviews

I love that (has sound) Kaboom! is advertised as an "aggressive" bathroom cleaner. Makes it sound mean, like you need to get out of the way, or, something.

I received the Bowl Blaster Foaming Toilet Cleaner, the Shower, Tub & Tile Cleaner, the NeverScrub! Continuous Toilet Cleaning System, and, the Ultra Scrub for review.

The Bowl Blaster foaming toilet cleaner is a lot of fun. You dump the powder in the toilet bowl, and, stand back! It produces some serious foam to clean the toilet bowl. It doesn't have a strong smell, but, you do need to keep away from the powder, because it causes a little dust cloud.

You can use it on a clean bowl for a touch up, or, you can scrub first. It seemed to clean the toilet well when I tried it without scrubbing first.

The Never Scrub! system is an in-tank cleaner. It takes a minute or two to install, versus a drop-in cleaner. The water remains clear, but, I wish it had a subtle scent of some sort. It's refillable, safe for septic systems, and, prevents rust and hard water stains.

I haven't really seen a big difference, but, I think the under-rim area may look a bit better than usual.

The Shower, Tub, and, Tile Cleaner has done a pretty good job on the soap scum in our fiberglass showers. It's a spray, and, has a subtle scent.

I like the Ultra Scrub a lot. It's a thick cream that has done a really good job on some of the old toilet and stains. OK, not that our toilets and bathtubs were all grody, or, anything, but, it's helped with the basic cosmetic issues of older fixtures.

All the products area available here, and, I really like them. I'd buy them again if I saw them in the store, but, I'm not really good at keeping up with online ordering.

You've seen Oxi-Clean products on TV, and, I got some to try!

I received Oxi-Clean Versatile Stain Remover, like it says, you can use on most anything, Oxi-Clean Spray Away, a small spray instant stain remover to carry with you, and, Oxi-Clean Laundry Stain Remover, that...wait for it...removes laundry stains.

The Oxi-Clean Spray Away is small enough to carry in your purse or diaper bag, and, it works instantly on many types of stains.

It did a good job on a coffee stain on my shirt, I was very impressed.

The Oxi-Clean Versatile Stain Remover tackles over 101 stains on multiple surfaces like carpet, upholstery, kitchen and bath surfaces and even works outdoors on gutters, unfinished decks, and patio furniture.

And it’s color safe and 100% chlorine-free!

I used it to work on some rust stains on the vinyl liner of the pool, and, it did great. Now, I have no idea if I was supposed to do that to the liner, so, I'm not telling you to do that. I just like to live on the edge.

The Oxi-Clean Laundry Stain Remover works on common stains such as grease, grass, and, dirt. It claims to even fight set-in stains, and, in my experience, it did a great job on some old under-arm shirt stains.

I really like all of them, you should get some, too!

Bounty Select-a-Size paper towels are the same quicker picker upper" towels you know, and love, but, now they're perforated into smaller sizes so you can get just the size you need for smaller messes.

Bounty is also sponsoring the One Sheet Challenge, where you can win a $30,000 kitchen makeover by:

* Step 1: Put one sheet of new best-ever Bounty to the test on a tough household mess.

* Step 2: Share the dirty details—the more descriptive, the better. Then, tell us how one sheet cleaned up when put through the wringer.

* Step 3: Be one of the first 50,000 to submit a story, and you'll receive a $1-off coupon for new and improved Bounty.

See official rules, and, hurry, entries must be received by 12:00 PM (noon) (EST) on 6/30/07.

Have you heard about the Busy Body Book Personal and Family Organizers?

The Busy Body Book's Weekly GRID format will keep anyone's busy schedule organized. There are 5 columns that allow you to schedule 5 family members or activities all on the same page.

I received the sturdy polka dot patterned one for review, along with the 7 Column Weekly Fridge Grid Pad, which I love, because all of our scheduling begins on the fridge. The pad has plenty of room to write on it, and, has secure magnets.

The Busy Body Book also feature monthly planners, months at a glance, removable shopping lists, and, plenty of room for notes.

There are several cover designs to choose from, and, they are available in an August to August (school year) format, or, a traditional January-December format.

These planners would be good for a student, for tracking exercise, for work, or, for a busy parent.

The Busy Body Book Personal and Family Organizer is $16.95 plus shipping, and, the Fridge Pad is $11.95 plus shipping.

The Febreze Candle combines a classic method of scenting the home with the odor-eliminating technology of Febreze and has a unique odor-eliminating core, leaving behind the Febreze scent while getting rid of odors.

Available in July, 2007, it will come in five scents:

-Meadows & Rain
-Spring & Renewal
-Linen & Sky
-Vanilla & Refresh
-Apple Spice & Delight

I was sent the Apple Spice & Delight for review, and, I'm not all that wild about candles, most of them smell funny to me, or, they are too strong. But, I'm really liking this one

It's a large size, and, comes in a clear glass votive holder, and, has up to 30 hours burn time.

It was easy to light, and, I'm almost embarrassed to tell you how we tried it out.

There's a terrible smell in the kitchen, we think something may have died under the house, but, we can't figure out where it is. The smell crops up now and again, and, we had guests coming, so, we lit the candle, and, it really helped without being too overpowering.

You can definitely smell it, but, it creates a warm atmosphere that will be especially welcome in the fall weather.

The suggested retail price is $6.99-$7.99

3x Concentrated Wisk Multi-action Laundry Detergent is a detergent, and, stain pre-treater in one.

I received a bottle for review, and, we put it through the test at the beach for a week, and, then with dirty camp laundry.

It's highly concentrated, so, it only takes a small amount to clean a load of laundry. It has a pleasant smell, and, dissolves easily. It has a color-safe bleach that did a good job with whites, and, colors at various temperatures.

There's also an HE formula for high efficiency washers.

Also, check out Wiskmom.com and you can upload digital photos of your kids and place them on the digital cover of Life(r) or Sports Illustrated KIDS™.

The Straight Edge, Inc. designs and produces educational placemats, educational puzzles and interactive children's books.

I received the cutest educational placemats for review. The Read a Mat placemats are thick, long-lasting vinyl mats measuring 11 1/2" x 17 1/2".

They're great as a gift, homework helper, teacher resource and place mat, in over forty titles in areas including basic skills, astronomy, geography, math, performing arts, and, history.

The Day at the Beach Mat received the Best Product Award from Dr.Toy in 2007.

We love our Day at the Beach (how to stay safe and healthy at the beach), Visit to the Doctor (reduce doctor visit anxiety, and, teach good health habits), and, Street Smarts (street safety tips for ages 6-9) mats. They are very sturdy (important when you have fork jabbers at the table), and, wipe up easily.

They are $5-$6 each, and, are available at various locations including teacher supply stores in the United States.

Also, be sure to check out the Straight Edge Inc. website for all their educational products.

Now, I'm not an environment killer by any means, but, sometimes, when you think of recycled household products, the items can sometimes be a little "off', or, not as sturdy as you'd like.

I was sent a variety of the Preserve recycled products from the fine people at Recycline, and, I really like them.

The Preserve products boast 100% recycled plastic (much of it from Stonyfield Farms yogurt cups), and, they demand the best in performance and function.

We tried the tableware first, as the day I got the package, we had drop in guests. The colors were cute and bright, and, I thought maybe they'd be about the same quality as the higher end disposable tableware.

I was pleasantly surprised however, they are quite sturdy, and, have maintained their quality through several uses and washings in the dishwasher.

They can also be recycled in communities with #5 plastics recycling.

I also tried the flavored toothpicks. Though I don't really think about toothpicks in my everyday life, these got my attention since flavored toothpicks were all the rage when I was growing up in the seventies. Seems like you don't see them anymore.

According to the website, they are made with with sustainably harvested wood from domestically grown white birch forests, and, come in mint tea tree (spearmint-y), and, cinnamint flavors. The flavor is surprisingly strong and long lasting as well.

I also received a Preserve toothbrush, and, a Junior toothbrush with a Utah Prarie Dog (endangered species) profile.

I had no idea there was such a debate about the benefits and drawbacks of recycled (handles) toothbrushes, but, we've been pleased with these as well. They are also recyclable, and, you can send them (as well as the razor handles) back to Recycline in a prepaid envelope, and, they will reuse them in plastic lumber.

The Preserve Triple Razor is another great product that has performed well, and, the handle is recyclable.

I wasn't aware of these products before I was asked to try them out, but, we really like them.

Preserve has an online store, and some products are available at Target, and, at Whole Foods, and, on Amazon

Dawn Simple Pleasures is the well-known grease fighting dishwashing liquid with an air freshener built into the bottom of the bottle.

It comes in 3 scents, Water Lily & Jasmine, Apple & Pear, and, Lemon & Tangerine.

I was sent a bottle of the Lemon and Tangerine to try. I have to say I had no idea I needed a combination dish washing liquid and air freshener, but, I have really liked it!

My sink area didn't smell bad as far as I know, but, the lemon and tangerine scent is wonderful without being overpowering, and, it makes me happy.

The liquid itself works as well as always, and, I will buy this one again. Looking forward to trying the Apple and Pear for fall.

As a mother with 3 kids, all in sports, I love me some Febreeze.

I was sent a sample of Febreeze To Go, and, I have to say it's a great idea. It's regular Febreeze in a TSA compliant (at the moment) 2.8 travel size, and, it's great to take along in your suitcase to remove travel-funky smells, to keep in a gym bag, or to keep in the car after loading up on Krystals (trust me, even if you're not from the South, neutralizing that is a good thing).

It retails for around $2.00 a bottle, and, is available where you get the regular sized Febreze.

Try it out!

Cascade Complete is a new formula designed to dissolve tough food particles so there is no need to prewash dishes before you load them up in the dishwasher.

As a matter of fact, they believe so much in their product that I was sent a bottle of Cascade Complete as well as a bottle of a competing product, Electrosol to compare the two.

The Cascade was thicker than the Electrosol, and, it really did get some of the tougher, un-rinsed dishes clean. There were a couple of "failures" with especially caked on food, but, even then, the dishes came out in batter shape than they did with other products.

Overall, there has been a huge decrease in the need to rinse or rewash dishes. As a bonus, the dishes seem to look better without clouds or spots, even the plastic storage containers!

I'll buy this one again, try it out yourself, I think you'll like it.

Did you know Best Buy sells appliances?

They sell a range of over 3,000 name brand products from stainless steel refrigerators and dishwashers to top-of-the-line stovetops and ovens.

To help consumers navigate the limitless options of today’s appliances, Best Buy’s Certified Appliance Specialists offer first-hand experience and knowledge.

Be sure to catch the videos (has sound) from the Blue Shirts offering tips on the latest trends in kitchen appliances, how to save money and the environment and easy ways to upgrade your home:

The Eco-Conscious Home and
Easy Ways to Remodel Your Kitchen

They even have a Kitchen & Laundry Design Center where you can create a 3D picture of the ideal kitchen, laundry room or even wet bar.

(Looking for the iPod contest? It's here, but, hurry, it ends December 10, 2007)

Deep clean whites in cold water? Really?

Clorox Plus Cold Water Bleach is specially formulated to whiten in cold water (can work in hot water too) and it helps the environment by using less energy to get your whites whiter.

The U.S. Dept. of Energy notes that 80 percent of the energy home washers use goes towards heating water. Switching from hot to cold water washing can save up to 14 percent in annual energy bills.

I received a sample to try and, once I got used to putting whites in cold water, it does seem to work pretty well, although our socks may never see true white again ever with 2 boys.

Look for in the store and try it out, it's worth saving some energy especially in these tough economic times.