I know the last few years have been very strange for all of us. I hope that things start to normalize soon, whatever the “new normal” may be. I’m trying to catch up on the products I have for testing, but also wanted to write a bit about a not so new bargain brand of cosmetics I fell in love with. As usual, there are affiliate links in this column and I always appreciate earning a little when my readers click on them. Spread the fruit… A selection of jam is something that’s always in my house. Whether it’s on an English muffin or a waffle, with peanut butter, cream cheese, or on its own, I love spreadable fruit. The only problem is that many brands are filled with tons of sugar and additives. I was more than happy to try Crofter’s Organic in three of my favorite flavors: cherry , raspberry, and peach. Crofter’s is a family business that not only makes organic fruit spreads that are low in calories and sugar, and don’t cost a fortune.   I loved all the flavors. You can purc...

Life is continually changing in 2020 and I am going with the flow. I had already cut down on traveling for health issues, and Covid-19 has made that part of my life non-existent. With all the time I’ve spent at home, I’m glad the product reviews have increased. I’ve found some wonderful things I’d like to pass along. As always, I appreciate it if you purchase through my affiliate links below. Brunch cocktails for your picnic… What a great idea this is: your favorite brunch cocktails canned for takeout. There’s still time to enjoy the outdoors and we’ve all been doing a lot more takeout than restaurant dining this year. We Picnic Brunch has Mimosas and Bloody Mary’s canned for you to take wherever you’re going. I absolutely loved the Bloody Mary, full of flavor with a little spice. It’s 5.5% ABV. The Mimosa is not quite what you might be used to as it has some other fruit flavors (not specified) in addition to the usual orange juice, but it is good. It has a 6.9% abv. Oats, the ...

With things so slow in the travel industry right now, I’m receiving more samples than ever and many are quite unusual. I especially love when I have ingredients to create recipes with and am trying to do at least one of those a month. Cocktail in a bottle… It’s always nice to keep it simple in the summertime. There are times when I like to fuss with cocktails when sitting outside with friends, but most of the time I just want to pour a drink. Alize has a selection of fruit vodkas, a few of which I’ve tried before . The latest is Alize Mango . Forget the words “flavored vodka,” Alize makes it taste more like fruit with vodka. The mango is subtle and I almost taste a little peach in there. It’s fruity without any phony or super sweet taste. This is a bottle you want to keep in the fridge and, depending on how strong you like it, just add a little ice, water, or soda. If you want to fuss a little more, put it in a blender with the ice and you’ve got an instant frozen drink. SOS...

Hello, Everyone! Yes, it’s been awhile. I apologize, but I’ve been recovering from what I hope will be my last back surgery! I have been staying home for months, since I have a compromised immune system and needed to go off my meds for surgery. Now, I am feeling better and back on my meds and everyone is told to stay home! I’m confident we’ll get out of our houses eventually. I can tell you, from someone who has been social distancing since December, it can be done. Hang in there. One thing that has kept me entertained is the selection of products that have come to my door. There have been some really good ones these past two months. As usual, there are links to them, and you can find anything sold on Amazon on my influencer page. I always appreciate the support. It’s helpful to earn a little from these items – and I only put what I like on there. My favorite discovery this year… Since receiving samples of bNutty , I hardly go a day without having some. I alway...