Stuff Parents Need

Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

Creating Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule

· by · 3 Comments

I’ve been reading the blog i Dream of Clean for several months now, and I have to say that I find it to be a breath of fresh air. There are many organization blogs out there, and frankly, I find that so many of them just make me feel bad! That could be my own issue, but so often the images they show are of homes ready for a magazine shoot. That is just not ever going to be my home. I also think that the organization ideas they propose are so complicated that they only seem achievable if you don’t need to do anything else, at all, for the next week. I need ideas that are quick and effective so that I can get a lot of mileage out of the time I put into projects. Basically, I need a cleaning schedule for working moms.

Christine is the brains behind the very inspiring blog i Dream of Clean. She offers user-friendly tips to help you conquer clutter and bring a bit of order to your chaotic life. I was absolutely tickled when I saw that she created a new e-book called Creating Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule, just in time for the new year and for folks who are wanting to make some positive changes in the way they run their households. Sign me up, Christine!

whole house cleaning schedule Creating Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule is very easy to digest, and I love that! Christine does offer a list of pretty much every household task you can think of, and even makes suggestions for what should be done daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annually. Of course, she encourages you to customize the schedule to your liking and personal needs (for example: as much as it might need it, our bathrooms just aren’t getting cleaned more than once a week. Sorry!). Several of the tasks listed in the book are even hyper-linked back to posts that Christine has written about how to tackle that specific chore.That’s super helpful for folks like me who weren’t ever taught how to clean in an efficient and effective way.

Now, I’m gonna tell you the truth, here. Putting together a cleaning schedule that really and truly works for your family is not going to be effortless. You are going to need to spend some time really thinking about it, and also thinking about how your household management needs tie into everything else you are committed to doing on a daily and weekly basis. I have found that if I put together a cleaning schedule without thinking about what else is happening in our lives, I’ve just set us up for failure. So I’ve been slowly working on putting together a specific plan for every day of the week that makes the most sense for us, and I also have a running list of less frequent tasks that we can accomplish (usually 2 each week). Creating Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule really has empowered me to roll my sleeves up and get to work. Having guidance from Christine has given me the head start I needed, while her book also helped me realize that there is no such thing as a magic plan made by someone else that I can just plug into my own life.

As I slowly map out objectives for each day of the week in my home, I am feeling more and more confident that I’m creating a plan that will truly work. This is just one more way that positive change is coming to our family this year. As the household manager, I’m setting myself up for success by creating a schedule that makes sense and allows me to work smarter, not harder.

Buy it! Creating Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule is available for just $7.99, and is SOOOO worth the money. Let Christine help you create a system that works for you and your house today! IF YOU BUY THIS AND THEN WIN, YOUR MONEY WILL BE REFUNDED!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will snag this helpful e-book! The contest will run until January 29th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: First, “like” i Dream of Clean on Facebook, then come back here and let me know you did!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Subscribe to i Dream of Clean by email or RSS (you will love it!)
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need by Google Friend Connect

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my homepage.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Smiley Cookies!

· by · 2 Comments

When was the last time you got something fun and sweet for yourself? Something that would just make you smile? If it has been a while, I have a suggestion for you: Heart shaped cookies from Smiley Cookie. smiley cookies

Don’t they just make you smile to see them? I can tell you from experience, they taste pretty darn good, too! While I recommend them as the perfect cookie gift to yourself (I’m my own Valentine, people), they are also perfect for school or office Valentine’s parties (“Why yes! I did just whip these up!”) or for a sweet alternative to a box of chocolates.

Smiley Cookie has a very impressive selection of gourmet cookies for any event. You can shop by price, occasion or category…the website is super easy to navigate! Shipping is just $6.99 regardless of the size of your order, so get a few different types of cookies and bring some cheer to lots of people in your life. I think I’ll be helping out with a baby shower or two this year, and these mini cookies would be perfect!

Buy it!: Smiley Cookies can be purchased for $12.99/dozen and up!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. 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. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Handstamped Jewelry You Will Adore (GIVEAWAY!!!)

· by · 53 Comments

Last May I featured some of the best of the best when it comes to Memphis artists. It was such a fun experience. My old hometown really has a lot of talent! One such designer is Christine, owner of Mozella Designs. Last year I featured her lovely earrings, which I still wear on a very regular basis, because they are really fetching, and also because I always get compliments on them!

I think Mozella Designs is an amazing Etsy shop. Christine seems to stay on top of fashion trends with her jewelry, while also incorporating a certain sense of femininity to every piece that gives them staying power beyond the trends, themselves. She has such a good eye for balancing style with function. Every time I browse her shop I am struck by her beautiful jewelry.

And I’m always especially pleased with her prices. For handmade jewelry that is fashion-forward and that won’t be out of style next month (or even next year!), Mozella Designs just can’t be beat!

Christine has added handstamped jewelry to her collection, and you are going to love what she is currently showcasing in that line! She sent me a beautiful bracelet that is absolutely perfect for wearing between now and late spring! I love the delicate pink beads and accent pearls. But the handstamped initials on the piece are my absolute favorite. I’ve got to tell you, I’m not all that big into having my initials scrawled all over everything I own (more power to you if that’s your thing). These initials are like a whisper, and I adore that. They are soft and sophisticated, just like the bracelet. They are just very…me!

For the gents, oh how I’m swooning over the personalized cuff links Christine has for sale. What a PERFECT Valentine’s Day gift for your man. They are so much cooler (in my opinion) AND so much less expensive than what you’ll find at a department store. They are also a perfect gift for groomsmen if anyone out there is getting married. They can be personalized however you like. I’d love to get a pair for Tim with our wedding date on them.

Buy it!: If you have been wanting some handstamped jewelry but haven’t been too keen on the price tags, drop a hint to your loved one to check out Mozella Designs. The work is top notch and the prices are quite competitive!

Win it!: One lucky winner is going to get $25 to spend at Mozella Designs. Oh how I envy you! The contest will run until January 28th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Show some love for Mozella Designs by liking it on Facebook and post on her wall that Stuff Parents Need sent you!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Subscribe to Christine’s blog, where you’ll see her complete a new piece of jewelry each and every week (so fun to watch…she’s so talented!).
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need using Google Friend Connect (if you don’t know how to do this, just email me and I’ll help you out!)

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my homepage.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Outdoor Enclosures for Cats

· by · 123 Comments

Have I told you that we have a cat? Her name is Hattie. She’s an 8 year old long-hair calico, and she is a DIVA. She has picked up on the fact that I think I’m in charge around here, and this completely disgusts her. Who do I think I am?!

Hattie has been an indoor-only cat her ENTIRE life. And yet, she tries really hard to get us to let her outside. If we ever have company, she’ll go to the door and cry in the room they are in, hoping that they will take pity on her and let her out. She’s jumped out of a 2 story window before (well, we actually think she fell….story for another day…she landed on her feet, as they always do!). And since we moved to Chattanooga, she has escaped from the house when we left a door open for just 2 seconds too long on multiple occasions (like 5 or 6).
But here’s the thing, you guys. She’s curious, but very scared once she gets out there. She’s like a deer in the headlights, seriously! She’ll sniff around a bit, and then she’ll just sit down and cry until someone comes to get her.I’m super reluctant to turn her into an indoor/outdoor cat because she isn’t used to it, I fear for her safety, and Tennessee also has a HUGE feline AIDS problem. Our neighborhood has lots of stray cats, so it just isn’t a good environment in which to turn Hattie loose.
safe outdoor enclosures cats
Thanks to other bloggers I learned about a product that is just perfect for cats like Hattie. It is called the Kritter Kondo. It’s basically a cat enclosure, so that they can safely have some outdoor time. It’s the coolest thing! We put Hattie out in our backyard, and after her initial fear of being outside wore off, she was SOOOOO happy. She purred and purred, and walked around her “kondo” and just enjoyed the winter air. She’s got really long hair, and it finally got put to good use out in the cold for a few hours.

cat outdoor enclosures kits I know she enjoyed herself, because when we brought her back inside, she stared out the window and cried. So sad!

This is the perfect solution for apartment dwellers, especially if you have a balcony or porch. The kritter kondo does take up quite a bit of space, so if you are always out on your little balcony, yourself, you may find that it takes up too much space. The Kritter Kondo is designed with cats in mind, but it can also work for small dogs. When you aren’t using it, it folds up compactly and even has a carrying case in case you want to travel with it.

I think it rocks that Hattie can now go outside and enjoy herself a bit each day, and I have absolutely no worries about her getting lost, running into the street or fighting with other cats.

Buy it! The Kritter Kondo is available for $124.99 (this price includes free 2 day shipping). If you have a small pet who longs to be outside, this is the ultimate gift! You can also check prices on Wayfair, but when I last checked, the price was significantly lower on Amazon.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you.

Photogator: A New Way to Display Cards and Photos

· by · Leave a Comment

Is there someone in your life who loves to get cool little gadgets that solve problems or make improvements to existing solutions you might have? Are you that type of person? Either way, I’ve got a cool product to show you!

Introducing the Photogator Stand, a sleek and subtle way to beautifully display cards and photos in your home. Think back to this past holiday season. Were holiday cards cluttering up your refrigerator? Were they all displayed on the mantle or a table, but would fall over and cause a domino effect if someone rushed past them? Were they just taped to the wall so that they could be seen, but the display was not exactly lovely to behold? Hopefully you didn’t put push-pins into your walls, but if you did, then you most definitely need to get yourself some Photogator Stands!
We were able to use our Photogator Stand to hold a holiday card this year, and I thought it was just perfect. It held the card upright, made it so that we were able to look at the card with ease, and honestly, you didn’t really notice the stand it was on.

That’s the perfect type of card holder, in my book, because the point is to look at the card, not at what is holding it (see the picture to the right to get an idea of a card holder that takes away from the cards, in my humble opinion).

What I also like about the stand is that it isn’t just useful at the holidays. You can display birthday cards, wedding invitations, graduation announcements, and even beloved pictures! I plan on using it for pictures of Darah that I just love and want to look at, but that I don’t have the time and/or energy to put in a frame. It’s like an instant frame, and the picture is super easy to switch out. Love it!
The Photogator Stand will sit on any flat surface, and it has curved slots. It also has a wider center slot for thicker card stock.
These are perfect for year-round use, but if you only want them out a certain times of the year, they are stackable, which makes them super easy to store. That’s yet another great design feature of this product.

Buy it!: Photogator would love to offer SPN readers a 10% discount on your purchase. Just use code SPN10 at checkout (the code is good until 01/31). These make wonderful gifts for co-workers, friends and relatives, alike! It’s one of those “anyone would like this” type of gifts! Definitely a good thing to keep tucked away in the gift closet! You can get a pack of 10 for $14.99 ($13.50 with the discount!).

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

The TRUE Story of the 3 Little Pigs

· by · 82 Comments

A few weeks ago we were talking about the fabulous dvds that Scholastic has been putting out. In the comments, several of you said that you are also really interested in one of their new releases. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs…and Other Animal Adventures.

Good news! I’m about to tell you about it! true story of the three little pigs
Let’s start with the title story. It is narrated by Paul Giamati (lead actor from Sideways and other great movies). It is a HILARIOUS story, told from the perspective of the wolf. Basically, he says he was totally framed. It’s a riot.
But wait! There’s more! This dvd contains four other stories, one of which is narrated by Zach Braff (Scrubs, Garden State) and one which is narrated by….wait for it…..MANDY PATINKIN!!!! Where do I even begin with all the things this fabulous man has been in??? The obvious place, I suppose, is with his role in The Princess Bride. He was Inigo Montoya.
Scholastic knows that it is best for the parents to stay in the room with their children when watching any type of video. And they make that so easy to do when they use such wonderful narrators. Once again, well done, Scholastic! I love watching these stories just as much as Darah does!
Buy it!: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs…and Other Animal Adventures is available for just $14.95 (actually much less than that on Amazon right now!). I highly recommend it!
Edit: This giveaway is closed.
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will be taking home Scholastic’s The True Story of the Three Little Pigs…and Other Animal Antics! The contest will run until January 24th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me a famous person you’d love to see Scholastic use as a narrator.
My answer: I love Dolly Parton’s voice, so that would be fun!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Join the Scholastic mailing list(found on the left sidebar…just scroll down a little bit)

2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need via RSS or email.
Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.

Oliver Twist Meets Chiquita Banana (Giveaway with 5 Winners!!!)

· by · 123 Comments

Lovely readers, I have such a funny story for you today. It is all about a mommy fail at daycare, and it happened to yours truly.

Darah comes home with notes at the end of the day every time she goes to her Parent’s Day Out program. They tell me about how her day went, and there’s room for the teacher to leave me any special notes. One day in November, I didn’t look over the note while we were still in the school because I was in a hurry. I pulled it out of her diaper bag when we got home, though, and read the following: “Darah often begs for other children’s bananas. If you like, you could send one with her from time to time. She seems to REALLY enjoy eating!”

Let’s break that down for a second.

First, “often begs” was said. Not, “sometimes asks for” or “seems to want.” OFTEN. BEGS. Can’t you just picture my little Oliver Twist with her hands outstretched and that pitiful look on her face??

Second, I love the super polite way that her teachers said, “Hey, lady. Give the child some dang bananas!” I swear I buy them for her. But I try to only go to the grocery store once every 2 weeks. This is a very effective way to save some money, but it is a very ineffective way to make sure our home is fully stocked with fresh fruits and veggies, especially bananas.

You better believe that child had a banana the next time she went to class. And she’s had one almost every time since then.

I was recently approached by Chiquita to see if I would like to become a Chiquita Mom, and help them spread the word about the tremendous value that bananas have in terms of vitamins, minerals and of course, great taste (unless you are my sister-in-law, who cannot stand even the smell of bananas…oh well, more for the rest of us!).

So I checked out their site, because I wanted to know more about what a Chiquita mom is, in their view. “She’s a mother who wants to spend as much time with her family as possible, so having a variety of healthy, easy meal and snack solutions makes her job easier. She is busy and needs a healthy energy boost throughout the day because coffee and energy drinks just won’t do.” Check and check! Let’s rock and roll, Chiquita!

I wanted to tell you a bit more about why bananas are awesome, just in case they aren’t a fruit you are normally buying for your children and yourself. First, bananas are full of three kinds of natural sugar: glucose, fructose and sucrose as well as a significant amount of fiber, making them an ideal source of energy to give you that wake-up call in the morning and pick me up int he afternoon. I remember my doctor telling me that bananas were the absolute perfect food to eat when you hit that 2-3pm slump at work. I switched out my Dr. Pepper for a banana and found that I got better results! 🙂

Second, bananas have more digestible complex carbohydrates than any other fruit, which are essential for energy because your body burns carbohydrate energy more easily than from protein or fat calories. If your kid is like mine, and bounces off the walls (have I mentioned that Darah has turned up her energy level 1,000% in the past week???) then you need to give him or her a banana!

Finally, why Chiquita bananas? Well, Chiquita bananas are of the top quality sold. So you can shop with confidence, first and foremost. Second, Chiquita is a company that really values educating and supporting moms and dads out there who are trying to do the best for their kids, including giving them food that is healthy and tasty. I love when a company is actively trying to bring awareness to its customers! Yay, Chiquita!

Win it!: 5lucky Stuff Parents Need readers are going to get a fabulous Chiquita Mom kit that contains the following:

  • Chiquita Mom’s Flip Book(contains really helpful info!)
  • Chiquita Banana Recipe Cards
  • Chiquita Moms Grocery Tote Bag
  • Chiquita Moms Freezer Bags
  • A coupon for FREE Chiquita Bananas

The contest will run until January 23rd at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me one thing you learned from the Chiquita Moms website. It’s a cool resource!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Chiquita Banana on Facebook and tell them Stuff Parents Need sent you over!
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on GFC (find it on the right side of my page..sign up is easy!)

Disclosure: I received the same kit that is being given away for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

I Don’t Like Hot Food but I Do Love TABASCO

· by · 1 Comment

This post brought to you by TABASCO® Original Red. All opinions are 100% mine.

I often tell people that I have a British palette. By that, I mean that I can’t really handle much in the way of spiciness. I have rejected certain brands of “mild” salsa for being too hot. Seriously.

tabasco recipe So why in the world would I, of all people, be writing about TABASCO® Original Red? Because believe it or not, I use it rather frequently in my cooking. No joke!

I know people who keep their bottles of TABASCO® Original Red on their kitchen counters. I actually knew people in college who would bring a bottle with them to the campus dining halls. It’s no wonder that so many people have been fans for as long as they can remember: TABASCO Original Red has been around since 1868. Clearly they are doing something right!

I actually never even dared to try TABASCO until I noticed that so many dishes I really wanted to try called for just a little splash of it. I finally caved and bought some, and I’m so glad that I did! Depending on the dish I’m making, I’ll sometimes use half the amount of TABASCO called for, or on occasion I’ll go for the full amount. What I have discovered is that TABASCO Original Red can add tremendous flavor to a dish, and that flavor isn’t just heat. I think there are some versions of hot sauce out there that are just that: HOT. TABASCO Original Red really enhances the flavors that are already present in a dish, and I find that adding it it improves the taste of many of our soups and casseroles. You know how sometimes you are working on some food, and you taste it, and realize that it needs something, but you aren’t quite sure what it is? It just might be a splash of TABASCO Original Red!

Tabasco Recipe

I really appreciate that TABASCO Original Red sauce comes out very slowly. This gives me confidence when cooking with it that I won’t easily over-do it. I’ve actually got a great traditional African food recipe on my blog that I shared with you last year, and it has just a splash (1/8 tsp!) of TABASCO in it. It is delicious, and perfect for a cold day! It’s called Rice with African Peanut Sauce. Check it out and give it a try!

tabasco recipe Since it is almost time for the Super Bowl, TABASCO has a terrific Game Day party menu page with some great recipe ideas. I’m loving all their ideas for improving a simple cheese pizza and will most definitely be trying the caramelized onion pizza idea!
Please let me know if you are TABASCO fan. Do you cook with it? Do you eat it like any other condiment? Do you have any suggestions for how to use it? And also, be sure to print out the coupon on the TABASCO site!

Visit Sponsor's Site

Tropical Traditions Rocks: From Skeptic to Big Fan

· by · 1 Comment

If you’ve been reading blogs at all in the last year, you’ve likely seen at least one or two posts about the company Tropical Traditions. I’ve read several posts, and was initially completely skeptical of a company that could offer such a vast range of products.

But I kept reading reviews from bloggers whose opinions I trust. And my skepticism shifted to genuine curiosity. The products this company makes seem to get high praise again and again. I really wanted to see for myself if I agreed.

So now it is my turn to talk about Tropical Traditions. And after trying out one of their products for about a month, I can tell you that this skeptic is now a big fan.

 

I have personally never used coconut oil in my own kitchen. We are big fans of extra virgin olive oil, and use that for as much of our cooking, as possible. So when the Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil arrived, my first question was what in the heck to do with it! Fortunately, Tropical Traditions anticipated this question and provided an answer. From their site, “There are many ways to use coconut oil and incorporate it into one’s diet. Since it is a stable cooking oil, one can simply replace unhealthy oils in their diet with coconut oil. Since it is a solid most of the time at room temperature or when refrigerated, it can be a butter or margarine substitute for spreads or for baking. Any recipe calling for butter, margarine, or any other oil can be substituted for coconut oil. It is popularly mixed in with “smoothies.” There are also hundreds of FREE recipes here that have been submitted by our customers over the years.”

We had a shrimp dish on our menu the week the product arrived, and I thought I’d try out the coconut oil with that dish. I thought perhaps it would give it a tropical flair like what I would taste at a place like Bahama Breeze (oh how I miss that restaurant since we moved!). OH. MY. WORD. You guys…it was DELICIOUS! The coconut flavor was present in the dish, but it really just complimented the food and didn’t overpower it at all.

The next day, I decided to use the spread as an alternative to butter on my toast. Also delicious! We then tried it with our popcorn that night (we hand crank our popcorn and use a mixture of butter and olive oil. The coconut oil replaced the butter. Tim wasn’t crazy about the overall taste, though he said he liked it just fine. I thought it was great, and took the popcorn in a slightly sweet direction. I think he prefers his popcorn to be more savory, whereas I’m always going to like something if it is sweet! So we were a house divided on that one.

Since I liked the coconut oil so much, I decided to do a bit of research on it. My mom had the impression that coconut oil would contribute to high cholesterol, so I did have a few concerns. The impression that I get is that it is that coconut oil is high in saturated fat, so I wouldn’t want to use it instead of something like extra virgin olive oil. However, if I’m using it to replace a different oil that is high in saturated fat (like butter), that’s the way to go. Tropical Traditions has a great link to some research if you want to read up on why replacing butter with coconut oil might make sense. After we did our homework, we have personally decided to replace butter with coconut oil in several of our dishes. And I’m now using it instead of butter on my toast and bagels.

Buy it! If you’ve never bought coconut oil before, the price tag might alarm you. It isn’t cheap. But the prices Tropical Traditions offers are competitive, and the quality of their oil is one of the very best; just ask all their loyal customers who rave about it! Plus, if you get on their email list, you’ll see that they regularly offer discounts on their oil (and other products). I’ve seen it for as much as half off! The Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil, which is the best of the best, retails for $37.50 for a quart. They offer a variety of sizes, though.

Edit: this giveaway is now closed. 

Win it!: Joy of joys, here’s your chance to get your own jar of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions! The contest will run until January 22nd at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me another product Tropical Traditions offers that you’ve either tried or want to try.

My answer: I want to try their carpet cleaner. Darah is into blueberries right now, and you can imagine how our rugs feel about that!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Sign up for the Tropical Traditions newsletter (emails once a week…always a great sale happening!)
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need by RSS or email
3. Rare bonus entry opportunity: Follow both Tropical Traditions and Stuff Parents Need on Twitter for a third entry (leave your twitter id)

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page.

Disclosure: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.