History of coffee making – I was curious about the brewing process and the history of coffee brewing.  I’ve listed some interesting points below. (I’ve also listed my sources in case you want to read more.)

• Early on, coffee was simply made by heating water and coffee beans, the beans were later ground up in a mortar and pestle to improve the brewing process
• Early coffee pots were designed to catch the grinds or beans when pouring, not when brewing
• The French are credited with inventing the filter process around 1710
• There are numerous methods and pots for brewing coffee and everyone seems to have a preference
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffeemaker
• http://visual.ly/complete-history-coffee-making

What is it?

This is a small, single serve coffee press that uses hot water and medium grind coffee to make a delicious cup of coffee.  It’s meant to be used on the go and to keep your coffee hot for a long time.  To make, put hot water and coffee in the cup.  Wait 3 minutes, then press the inner mug in to filter and trap the coffee.  Your coffee is ready!  I was skeptical.  This sounds too good to be true.

How I used it

I made coffee.  Lots of coffee.  We drink a lot of coffee in this house.  In fact, that’s why we wanted to try this.  Our Keurig machine gets a lot of use and since we’ve had it for several years, it’s starting to act up.  Also, K-cups are SUPER EXPENSIVE!  Not to mention we’re severely limited on our coffee choices.  I really enjoy trying new coffee and that isn’t really possible on the Keurig without spending a fortune on a 12 pack of K-cups or using the adapter cups that don’t always work.  And yes, we’ve been burned a few times when trying new k-cups or using the adapter.  To try out my presse, I made hot coffee and iced coffee.  I tried using hot tap water (our tap gets really hot!) and hot water from the Keurig machine (lazy, I know).  Neither one got the water hot enough to keep the coffee warm for a long time.  It wasn’t until I used our electric kettle that my coffee stayed warm for a long time, so make sure you are using very hot water.  You might have to wait a few minutes to drink it, but it’s worth it to have hot coffee for a long time.

Hot Coffee:

1. Place 3 Tbsp of coffee in the outer mug (note: the little basket on the bottom of the inner mug holds about 3 Tbsp so I just used that to measure my coffee)
2. Add hot water to the outer mug (about 3/4 of the way full to leave room for cream and sugar)
3. Let sit for 3 minutes
4. Press the inner mug down to trap the coffee grounds at the bottom
5. Add cream, sugar, or whatever else you put in your coffee
6. Place the lid on and go (if you use super hot water like I do you might want to wait a few minutes to drink)

 

Iced Coffee:

1. Place 4 Tbsp of coffee in the outer mug (if your lazy like me, this is a full basket with a small mound on top)
2. Add enough hot water to fill about half the outer mug (the iced will melt to create a full mug of iced coffee)
3. Let sit for 3 minutes
4. Fill the inner mug with ice, then press the inner mug down to trap the coffee grounds at the bottom
5. Add cream, sugar, or whatever else you put in your coffee
6. Place the lid on and go

Likes

• It’s really easy to use.  Seriously!  Like the instructions say: Press, brew, & go!
• The coffee was delicious.  I think I actually prefer this to the Keurig coffee.
• My coffee stayed hot FOREVER!  YYYYEEESSS!!

Dislikes

• The first few times I used it, the lid had a chemically smell.  I washed it before I used it so this was kind of surprising.  The smell ruined the coffee.  After using it for a while, the smell went away, but it might turn some people off of using it at first.

Conclusion

It takes some practice to figure out how much hot water you need to add for your taste, but it’s worth it!   This is my new coffee maker.  It’s easy, convenient, and it keeps my coffee hot forever! Check it out below!  They also have some recipes on their website for coffee drinks that I can’t wait to try out!

WaterBobble.com

*I received this item free for the purpose of my review.  Opinions are 100% my own.

 

**UPDATE 9-11-18**  I have been using this almost everyday since I got it and I still love it!   It keeps my coffee hot FOREVER!!  This is my favorite way to enjoy coffee.

History of baby wipes:  I was curious about baby wipes in general, so I did some research.  My source is below if you are interested in reading it, but I’ve listed some of the most interesting points.

• Developed in the 1970s (I don’t think I need to tell you why they were developed)
• During the manufacturing process, each component of the baby wipes (packaging, wipe, and cleansing solution) must pass a series of quality check points
• Water is the main ingredient  in the cleansing solution
• Made of non-woven fabric (pressed fibers)

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Baby_products.aspx

What are they:  These are Seventh Generation’s brand of baby wipes.  Seventh Generation’s mission statement is “To inspire a consumer revolution that nurtures the health of the next seven generations”. They are working on this mission by advocating for toxin free products.  Honestly, I’ve never used any of their products before this so I didn’t really know what to expect. I really wanted to try these wipes because they are safe to use on your baby’s hands and face.  YAY!!!

How I used them:  I recently started Lucy on solid foods.  This means feedings and diaper changes are a lot messier!!   To help with this, I need wipes that are:

1. Large
2. Absorbent/Textured
3. Not too wet (you don’t want to clean up a mess, after cleaning up a mess!)
4. Not too dry

I used these for clean up after a meal as well as for a diaper change.  I like using wipes for meal clean up because when I used a washcloth, I ended up doing laundry A LOT!!  The food would get crusted on the washcloth and I would have to get another one for the next meal.  Ugh!!   These wipes are safe for use on baby’s hands and face so I was happy I could use them for this purpose.  Lucy was too!!

Likes:   The wipes are sold in large boxes and in smaller to-go packs.  I won’t  use the to-go packages because I have a really nice reusable wipe container that I love.  I will buy a large box because we will be using this EVERYWHERE!  The ducky design on them helps with cleaning the mess up, not spreading it around.  It’s also adorable!

Dislikes: They were really wet.  This could be the way these small samples are packaged though.  They still got the job done, but I prefer a drier wipe for my baby.  I’m interested to see if the other packaging has the same issue.

Other uses for baby wipes (besides baby bottoms):

• Cat wipes – Buttons is not as flexible as she used to be so we have to help her out sometimes
• Alternate toilet paper or as hemorrhoid wipes – apparently a lot of people do this
• Wiping down surfaces – at restaurants, shopping carts, public toilet seats, etc
• Cleaning little hands – much easier than going to a sink to wash baby’s hands
• After work outs- great for wiping down your yoga mat, treadmill, and even yourself if you can’t get a shower immediately after your work out
• Moistener for envelopes – so you don’t have to lick them

Conclusion: I will definitely be getting more of these. I’m hoping the wetness I experienced in the samples is from the sample packaging.  Even if it’s not, I will use them for other things besides diaper changes.  I love that I can use them for so many different things!  Check out Seventh Generation’s website below to get some helpful tips and learn more about their products.

Seventh Generation Website

*I received a free product for the purpose of my review. Opinions are 100% my own.

I tried…BzzAgent Welcome Kit

 

 

• What is it?
  • BzzAgent is a company that sends you free products or coupons in exchange for your honest opinion about the item.  This is a great way to try new products without having to pay full price for them.  In return, they request that you post your opinion and the fact that you got it free from BzzAgent on various social media platforms.

• How I used it
  • I gave this a try because I love trying new things, but I hate paying for something I might not like.  Also, who doesn’t like to give their opinion?  This is the first “mission” they give you.  It comes with a series of tasks to complete and you earn points by completing them.  BzzAgent focuses on quality, not quantity. They want thoughtful, insightful posts.  Getting more points means you qualify for more missions (more free stuff!).
  • The Welcome Kit includes 2 things:
    • A Welcome to BzzAgent booklet – small, but well written.  It lays out the instructions for BzzAgent missions.  All of the information in the booklet is on the website in case you have trouble keeping up with stuff.
    • A magnet for keeping your coupons convenient.  I think this is brilliant because when I get a coupon I usually just put it in my bag and think “I’ll remember to use it next time I’m at the grocery store”.  How often does that happen?  Almost never.  This magnet will keep the coupon visible and remind me I need to use it.
      

      Hanging on the fridge

• Likes
  • Website is really easy to navigate and I love the look.
  • Instructions are very clear and they walk you through each step.
  • BzzAgent gives you ratings based on your content, not on how many Tweets you send out or how many times you post to Facebook.  They are looking for quality posts.

• Dislikes
  • My mission was considered active before my package even shipped.  This meant I had 28 days to complete the tasks, but my box wasn’t even on the way yet.   I know it won’t take me the full 28 days to complete them, but I did think this was kind of odd.  Also, my package didn’t say it had shipped until after I received it.  I’m curious to see if this happens for all missions or if this was just a one time issue.

 

I am so excited to try this out!  I get free products for telling people what I think!  Who wouldn’t want to do that?!   Go to BzzAgent and sign up.

 

 

I love free samples.  Who doesn’t?   It’s the best way to try new products without having to buy them (or at least pay full price for them).  The problem is, how do you get free samples?  This week I signed up for 4 different product testing/reviewing sites.  It took a while because you have to answer A LOT of questions about yourself.  This is only a one time thing for each site, so i powered through with the help of coffee and podcasts. The sites I signed up for are:

• BzzAgent
• GenerationGood
• Smiley360
• PinchMe

I’m really looking forward to testing new products and sharing my opinions.  I’m also somewhat inexperienced with social media so this will be a learning experience for me.  Stay tuned for product reviews!