Cascade Platinum Pacs {Review} #MyPlatinum #sponsored

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.


I don't know about you, but I have to say... doing the dishes and emptying the dishwasher is one of my least favorite things to do! So when I go to empty the dishwasher and see spot and residue left on my dishes and glasses... I get mad. Yep, mad... because {1} I know that I have to either re-wash these items by hand or {2} re-run the dishwasher... and hope for the best! Believe me... I choose option #2 with sub-par results.

Over the past year or so, I thought that the left over residue and spots were the result of our aging dishwasher. Lo and behold, I was surprised to find out there was another VERY interesting and important reason I've been getting these unsightly spotty results!

Cascade© Platinum Pacs feature an advanced triple action recipe that is specially designed to leave dishware virtually spot-free and help prevent the build-up of hard-water film on dishwasher walls. Each pre-measured Pac contains a granule dish-detergent paired with the grease fighting power of Dawn. Convenient, easy to use and they fit perfectly into my dishwasher’s detergent holder. 

Cascade© Platinum Pacs achieves a clean so powerful it helps keep the dishwasher sparkling while delivering a variety of dish care benefits.

• Delivers Cascade’s ultimate clean for dishes 
• Scrubs away tough 24 hour stuck-on food 
• Eliminates the need to pre-wash dishes
• Provides exceptional dishware shine
• Contains the Grease Fighting Power of Dawn

So will Cascade© Platinum Pacs achieve it's claimed results? Check out my test below.

Test subject (dirty dishes sans rinse)

Test Result

Go ahead, don't be shy.... take a look.... clean, shiny and spot free. Clearly.... A SUCCESS! Additionally, the odor from the interior dishwasher is NOW gone. Double bonus! Thank you (again) Cascade, you've done it AGAIN!

How Does the NEW Cascade Platinum Pac compare to other's in it's line?

To learn more about the complete family of Cascade products, please visit the Cascade website.

Cascade’s Partnership with Gail Simmons

Now, more than ever, people eat with their eyes, and the evidence is all over sites like Facebook and Instagram. With that in mind, Top Chef judge and editor of Food+Wine magazine, Gail Simmons, has partnered with Cascade to discuss why presentation is just as important as preparation.

• From prep to plating: It’s more than just a great-tasting recipe, but also perfect presentation. Sparkling dishes, shining flat ware and spot-free glasses truly let you put your best food forward with culinary creations that pop!

• Gail recommends impressing with a Platinum Presentation: “The easiest recipes pop with unexpected, gourmet presentations. Drizzle bright sauces on sparkling white plates or layer desserts in crystal-clean glassware. Keep your presentation sparkling with Cascade Platinum, which keeps dishes perfect for anytime entertaining and impromptu guests.”

Learn more about Cascade’s partnership with Gail Simmons by viewing additional videos available on Cascade's Facebook page as well as Cascade's YouTube page.

Cascade Platinum Contest

Show your sparkle and win! Enter Cascade’s #MyPlatinum Instagram Contest for a chance to win a KitchenAid® Kitchen Makeover and a 1-year supply of Cascade^®! Weekly entries have a chance to win a KitchenAid^® Dishwasher and six-month supply of Cascade^®too!

To enter: Login with Instagram from the contest page and follow the instructions. Upload a photo to Instagram that is inspired by the current week's theme.

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2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Keurig Vue V700 Brewing System {Review & Giveaway}

Featured Sponsor

Shortly after celebrating Thanksgiving, it's scary to say, the holidays are just around the corner. Now, with that said, have you come up with the perfect gift yet for that coffee lover in your life?? If you haven't, please let me make a suggestion for you, please buy him/her the Keurig Vue Brewing System, he/she will love it!

The Keurig Vue Brewing System is not your typical coffee maker! Not only can you make coffee, but you can also make cappuccino, latte, espresso, hot chocolate, tea and iced beverages. Essentially, Keurig beverage choices are limitless. What's great about this brewer is that is uses convenient Vue packs which are available at a variety of retailers. Each Vue pack contains a premeasured amount of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. Just insert the Vue pack and brewing simply begins with the push of a button.

Keurig Vue V700 Brewing System

The Keurig Vue V700 Brewing System gives you total control to brew your way: stronger, bigger, hotter and with more choices than ever before. With an interactive Touchscreen and revolutionary new Custom Brew Technology™ Vue ensures every beverage is brewed to perfection, giving you perfect results – every cup, every time. And your choices are nearly limitless. In addition to coffee, tea, hot cocoa and iced beverages, Vue brews delicious café and specialty beverages as well. Includes a bonus variety of 10 Vue packs. This product is BPA free. 

Product Features

• Fully programmable color Touchscreen
• Brews in under one minute
• Strength & Temperature control
• Eight brew sizes – from 4oz. up to a full size 18oz. travel mug
• Energy Savings Mode – Auto On/Off
• Enjoy beverages hot or over ice
• Brews frothy café beverages
• Removable 74oz. water reservoir with easy fill, flip-top lid
• Removable drip tray with adjustable plate
• Cord storage

Check out my full review of Keurig's Vue V700 Brewing System HERE.

Fun Additional Accessories 

There are certainly a number of accessories that you can purchase for your Keurig brewer, but one of my new favorites is the {Keurig Stainless Steel Travel Mug}. This mug is perfect for home or on the go. It features Contigo® AUTOSEAL® technology. Leak and spill-proof means you’ll never spill another drop, and convenient one-hand operation makes this the perfect travel mug for busy lifestyles.

• Fits under all Keurig® K-Cup™ and Vue® reservoir brewers
• Patented Contigo® AUTOSEAL® lid technology; press button to sip, release to seal
• Leak and spill-proof; automatically seals between sips
• Vacuum-insulated technology keeps beverages hot for 4 hours and cold for 12 hours
• Double wall stainless steel construction
• Holds up to 14 oz. with the lid on
• Dimensions: 3.5” wide x 7.8 ” tall x 2.5” base diameter

Why Not Try These Flavors?

Perfect for the Fall and into Winter, why not give Green Mountain Coffee flavors a try, like Pumpkin Spice , one of my all-time favorites!

The sweet, creamy flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg make Pumpkin Spice just right for fall’s crisper days and cooler nights. This warm, aromatic flavor is one of several coffees created to reflect the best aspect of each season.

Not a coffee drinker, why not try, Cafe Escapes' Specialty Flavors such as Chai Latte or Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa. Both are delicious and adds a nice change to your regular coffee routine, plus, who doesn't LOVE hot cocoa?!!

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Buy It

You can purchase the Keurig Vue V700 Brewing System for $229.95 at Keurig.com, at a variety of retailer including Bed, Bath and Beyond, Kohl's as well as other online retailers.

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Win It

Thanks to Keurig One LUCKY ace and friends reader will win
a Keurig Vue V700 Brewing System
(pictured above), of their very own!

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Danze Taju Single Handle Pull-Out Kitchen Faucet {Review}

When we moved into our home just over five years ago, we were lucky to find an amazing spec home that met the majority of our needs. However, with a spec home, they often install standard type items, including faucets.

We’ve been in the process of FINALLY remodeling our kitchen by painting, adding glass tiles and new light fixtures. With that, I’ve been looking for the perfect kitchen faucet to replace our existing one.

I was recently offered the opportunity to review a new faucet from Danze, so I jumped at the chance.  After checking out their site, I was even more excited to see the extensive and beautiful line they offered and picked out the perfect one for DG to install in our kitchen.

About Danze

{source: danze.com}

Danze, Inc. is a leading manufacturer and marketer of fine furnishings for the kitchen and bath. Its product lines include a wide array of kitchen and bath faucets, bath furniture, toilets, sinks, showerheads, bath accessories and more.

Danze's product lines include a wide array of kitchen and bath faucets, specialty faucets, showerheads and bath accessories. These products are complemented by beautifully styled fixtures and furniture that feature toilets, bidets, pedestal sinks, premium vanities, vessel sinks and matching mirrors.

Danze products are backed by a limited lifetime warranty. They also provide a toll-free customer assistance line to answer technical, installation or other questions seven days a week. 

They offer so many unique and stylish faucets, but here are my a few of my favorites...

The kitchen faucet that I decided would be the perfect fit was the Taju Single Handle Pull-Out Kitchen Faucet (below). I absolutely love the contemporary/modern look of it and it certainly something that would compliment the style of our kitchen. 

Product Features

• Ceramic disc valve.
• 8 ¾" high spout, 9" spout length.
• 3 function spray/aerated stream/pause.
• Quiet running hose with spring retraction.
• Single hole mount.
• Compliant with low lead content requirements of California AB-1953 and Vermont Act 193.

This single hole mount faucet features a retractable hose/sprayer, and is available in 3 different finishes: Chrome, Stainless Steel, and Satin Black.  Although I really likes all three, the Stainless Steel finish would look best among our other stainless steel appliances. 

{old} faucet.

{NEW} Danze Taju Faucet.

The Taju Faucet's base is extremely heavy, well-made and durable, but when you grab the sprayer, it’s surprisingly VERY light weight. The extractable handle has a three buttons located on the underside and offer two various sprays (see above) along with water flow pause button.

This particular style faucet has some certain benefits as well as some possible disadvantages. The unit turns on very easily and the pull-out sprayer is extremely lightweight and sprays an appropriate and useful amount of water for cleaning. The extendable hose is quite long and easily retracts. On the downside, the handle is quite light and doesn’t exactly lock into the base, which if it gets bumped, can become loose. The other issue I have with this unit is although it sits higher on the sink, the flat design is sometimes more difficult to maneuver certain dishes underneath it. Overall, I really do like our new kitchen faucet and it's a HUGE improvement over the original unit. 

Interested in learning more about Danze products, please visit Danze website, *Like* Danze on Facebook and follow Danze on Twitter to to stay up to date on the latest and greatest on their entire product line. 

[Product review & giveaway disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free from the manufacturer of a PR Agency. Feld Entertainment is neither a sponsor nor endorser of this promotion.
Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." See ace and friends Disclosure Policy HERE.]







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2012 Back To School Guide - Keurig MINI Plus Brewing System {Review & *Vue* Giveaway}

Featured Sponsor

With many kids heading off to college on a limited budget, you may want to arm them with a Keurig's MINI Plus Brewing System. Why you ask? For one, this coffee maker has the ability to brew a quick cup of coffee from the convenience of a dorm room for less than the price of a regular cup of coffee at the local coffee shop. Second, this model is more compact than a regular coffee maker and doesn't take up much space. As most of us know, college dorm rooms don't offer the largest living space. Also, it brews a fresh cup of coffee in under two minutes, with no mess, and fresh water each time. Furthermore, if you are a college student or the parent of one, Keurig MINI Plus Brewing System offers the convenience of a personal brewer right at your finger tips. 

The MINI Plus Brewing System is not your average personal coffee maker! Not only can you make coffee, but you can also make cappuccino, latte, espresso, hot chocolate, tea and iced beverages. Essentially, Keurig beverage choices are limitless. What's great about this brewer is that is uses convenient K-Cups which are available at a variety of retailers. Each K-Cup contains a premeasured amount of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. Just insert the K-Cup and brewing simply begins with the push of a button.

Keurig MINI Plus Brewing System

The MINI Plus Brewing System, now available in a variety of colors,  brews a perfect cup of coffee, tea, hot cocoa or iced beverage in under two minutes at the touch of a button. With the choice of three cup sizes, the MINI Plus brewer offers a removable drip tray to accommodate short travel mugs. To operate, you simply add fresh water into the single-use reservoir, choose your favorite K-Cup® portion pack, brew and enjoy.

Features:

• Personal Brewer
• Choice of 3 cup sizes (6 oz., 8 oz. and 10 oz.)
• Single-use water reservoir
• Energy Savings Mode – Auto Off after 90 seconds
• Removable drip to accommodate larger cup sizes or travel mugs

Here's how easily it works:

{lift lid to add water.}

{add water - your choice of size.} 

{fill to desired size.}

{as you lift the lid, water drains into machine and begins to heat, add favorite K-cup.}

{once ready, button illuminates blue, press and coffee begins to brew.}

{while brewing, brew button illuminates to red.}

{in less than one minute, your steamy hot beverage is ready.}

What I REALLY liked:  The Keurig MINI Plus Brewing System is compact in size, making it easy to place in small dorm rooms, on a countertop or desk area. Perfect for your college student. Ideal for those looking to brew a single cup of coffee quickly. Fresh water added to brew each cup. Brewer is available in multiple colors. Brews a variety of flavors and types. Automatically shuts off after 90 seconds.

Potential Downside: If you need to make multiple cups of coffee, the single reservoir could be a hassle. Limited to three cup sizes.

For Mom and Dad, there's the amazing Vue, the newest addition to the Keurig line. 

Make sure to check out my full review of Keurig's Vue Brewing System HERE to learn more.

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Buy It

You can purchase the MINI Plus Brewing System for $99.95 at Keurig.com (other models also available), at a variety of retailer including Bed, Bath and Beyond, Kohl's as well as other online retailers.

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Win It

Thanks to Keurig One LUCKY ace and friends reader will win a

NEW Vue Brewing System (MSRP $249.99) of their very own!

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OxiClean Dishwashing Booster {Review}

I don't know about you, but I have to say... doing the dishes and emptying the dishwasher is one of my least favorite things to do! So when I go to empty the dishwasher and see spot and residue left on my dishes and glasses... I get mad. Yep, mad... because {1} I know that I have to either re-wash these items by hand or {2} re-run the dishwasher... and hope for the best! Believe me... I choose option #2 with sub-par results.


Over the past year or so, I thought that the left over residue and spots were the result of our aging dishwasher. Lo and behold, I was surprised to find out there was another VERY interesting and important reason I've been getting these unsightly spotty results!


The Culprit


Did you know that in July 2010, a ban on phosphates required the reformulation of dishwasher detergents. Since then, consumers (including me) have noticed that their dishes are just not as clean as they used to be. In fact, many experience a cloudy film on their glasses and dishes that can build up over time leaving dishes looking dirty instead of clean. In a recent study, 56% of respondents switched their detergents 2-5 times in hopes of getting their dishes cleaner and spot free. Yep, (hand raised) guilty! 



The Solution


OxiClean Dishwashing Booster was created to work with hand in hand with these phosphate-free dishwashing detergents to help eliminate spots, residue, and cloudy film on dishes and glasses. 

OxiClean Dishwashing Booster was designed to eliminate this cloudy residue in just one wash and then keep dishware crystal clear wash after wash. All that you have to do is add two squirts to the bottom of your dishwasher, fill the rinse agent dispenser and then add your dishwasher detergent as usual. Press start... and wait for your spot-free results.


The Test

Wash #1 - WITHOUT OxiClean Dishwashing Booster -

As you can clearly see spots galore!

Wash #2 - WITH OxiClean Dishwashing Booster -

Clean AND Spot FREE!

Results: I am happy to report... with the first dishwasher cycle complete, dishes and glasses were free of residue and spots. No rewashing was necessary... ummm, genius! Less work for me = one happy mommy!

Looking for cleaner and spot free dishes... make sure you check out OxiClean Dishwashing Booster on their website or visit them on Facebook to learn more!


[Product review & giveaway disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of OxiClean and received a product sample and serving tray to facilitate my review, and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate. See ace and friends Disclosure Policy HERE.] Pin It