FOODIE TIPS
Food Network Magazine - March Issue (The Chocolate Issue)

Who knew?  White Chocolate is an impostor!  Although it is made from cocoa butter (the fat from cocoa bean), it isn't really chocolate because it has no cocoa solids, the dark-colored stuff that gives real chocolate its identity, deep flavor and antioxidant punch.  by Ellie Krieger, Food Network Star

The best type of chocolate for dipping (i.e., pretzels)?  When making chocolate fondue, I find that the easiest thing to do is melt semisweet chocolate with a small amount of grape seed oil, (grape seed oil has little or no flavor, so it won't change the original flavor).  The oil adds a little slickness, which lets the chocolate spread evenly without affecting the taste, and it gives a nice shine to the dipped foods.  by Robert Irvine, Food Network Star

Who Knew?  There's a coffee for Chocoholics!  Choffy, roasted and ground cacao beans, can be brewed just like coffee.  The treat has a smoky chocolate flavor with a hint of bitterness.  It's slightly more caloric than coffee (20 calories, compared with 2 calories for an 8-ounce coffee), but it's fat-free and contains only trace amounts of caffeine (roughly 24 mg, compared with coffee's 100 mg or more).  $20.00; drinkchoffy.com

BEAUTY PRODUCTS TO TRY (perfect for travel)
Highly recommended by Diane Vadino of
Nylon Magazine (March Issue)

These very cool new products are also perfect for Travel.  Check them out . . .
Or if you have tried any of them yet, I would love to hear what you think. 

ALMAY OIL-FREE MAKE-UP ERASER STICKS
Found this on drugstore.com for only $4.40

SEPHORA COLLECTION UNIVERSAL ATOMIZER - (I SO NEED THIS)
At .15 fluid ounces (about 55 sprays) it's well under the TSA-mandated limit of 3 ounces for carry-ons.  And the price of $15.00 @ Sephora. com is fantastic.

SUPERGOOP SUNSCREEN WIPES
I found on soap.com at $34.00 for a 40 count box (same price as supergoop website but only for a box of 21). 
Kind of pricey, but I think it might be worth it since I hate putting on sunscreen and this just seems so easy.

DID YOU KNOW????
HGTV Magazine, February/March Issue
(My new favorite magazine - love it soooo much)

DID YOU KNOW . . .
  That you should clean the inside of your washing machine?  If your machine has an odor, they suggest to fill it to capacity with hot water, then add a gallon of plain white vinegar and run a normal cycle. 

  (My wonderful new Samsung Front Loading Washing Machine has a cycle specifically for this task.) 

DID YOU KNOW . . .
  You can put the lint screen from the dryer in the dishwasher?  If you want to give it a thorough cleaning, this will do the trick.  Wash it on the top rack every three months or so suggests Fred Holzhauer, Green Chef at Method. 

DID YOU KNOW . . .
  Using too much detergent can actually make your clothes dirtier?  (I didn't)  Overdosing creates excess suds, which results in residue on clothes that attracts dirt and odors.  Trust the fill lines and pay attention to load size. 

DID YOU KNOW . . .
  That if you notice a lot of lint (more than usual) that it's a signal to calm down on the bleach, the hot water, or both.  Fred Holzhauer, Method

NEW SPRING BAGS
LUCKY MAGAZINE APRIL 2012 ISSUE


LOVE LOVE LOVE THE NEW SPRING BAGS I FOUND IN LUCKY MAGAZINE.  Here are some of my fav's and they are reasonably priced.  Of course, Lucky Magazine includes a lot of bags that are absolutely stunning, but unfortunately I can't afford most of them.  I do love looking at them though. 

TWO-HANDLED SATCHELS

The Bella-Donna can be found on handbags.com for $105 - love the tassels!!!


WRISTLET CLUTCHES

This adorable clutch is on express.com for $25 - I usually don't use clutches but I might use one with a wrist strap.


LADYLIKE MINIS

This Kate Spade bag is fabulous and kind of pricey at $398, but might be worth the splurge (or at least will keep my eye out for a sale).

LIGHTWEIGHT KNAPSACK

This absolutely adorable knapsack can be found at roxy.com for $62 - I think I have to have this one!!! 

WHIMSICAL CLUTCHES



 Lucky Magazine had so many adorable clutches in the shapes of pink lips, birds, fish, apples, etc. but they were really really expensive (like over $1,000 expensive).

But they had this cute star clutch for $48 at modcloth.com.  In fact, they had so many cute things on this website that I saved it for future viewing. 

Cool Website and Apps
Check these out - found them in ShopSmart Magazine March Issue

StarStar - Open this on your smartphone and they will hook you up with where-to-find info for just about anything you might think of (or need).  You dial ** and then whatever it is your looking for, for example **GSCOOKIES or ** WEATHER from your smartphone and info comes to you instantly in a text message.  The article mentions that this service is still growing, so they might not have everything available yet.

I haven't tried it myself yet, but I will eventually.  I find that if ShopSmart recommends something it is really good.  Let me know if you get a chance to try it out and what you think.  

Check out this FREE App - TabBuy for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.  It will bring some pretty cool stuff from various retailers to your phone, will apply coupon discounts, and will let you buy it with one tap (that's kind of scary, but very cool).  Again, I haven't tried it yet, but if you have let me know your thoughts.    

High Rated Kitchen Gadgets
ShopSmart Magazine by Consumer Reports March Issue

I am always looking for high-rated products that actually work and that are reasonably priced.  I pulled these from the ShopSmart Magazine and they were all rated "The Best".  They can all be found on Amazon.com.

BEST JUICER:  CHEF'N JUICESTER

BEST GRATER:  OXO GOOD GRIPS BOX GRATER
I love that it has a container on the bottom to do the catching.

BEST ZESTER:  BEATERBLADE ZESTNEST
Love this and think I really need it.   

 BEST CAN OPENER:  OXO MAGNETIC LOCKING CAN OPENER 

Great Products and Gift Ideas!!! 
Country Living March Issue

BE CREATIVE!

At spoonflower.com you can put anything on fabric - from artwork and photos to old family letters.  I wish I can capture the picture from the article on Country Living magazine (page 21).  They reupholstered a chair in fabric with an old letter that dates from 1882 that they uploaded to the website.  It is one of the most beautiful chairs I have ever seen and I had to share. 

FAVORITE ETSY FIND!

This artist from Etsy.com (Jason Lefarrera) creates pictures of state birds with high resolution scans of the state maps.  It's so cool.  You can find it at etsy.com/shop/laferrera starting at $50.00.

Cool Savings from All*You's March Issue

$ SAVINGS
All*You March Issue

You can earn cash back when you shop on-line: All you have to do is visit a rebate web-site when shopping on-line. When you shop through one of these sites you will receive a percentage of your total dollars spent.
The article I read lists four (4) of these websites as follows:

Ebates has more than 1,200 websites and sends you a check quarterly.
Fat Wallet has more than 1,000 retailers and sends out checks weekly.
Mr. Rebates has more than 2,000 retailers and sends out monthly checks (or PayPal deposit).
Price Rank has almost 2,000 retailers and sends out a monthly check.

They each have their own sign-up bonus and special sales so check out which works best for you.

DID YOU KNOW???? 

"Military families overseas can use expired coupons for up to six months past their expiration date.  You can find out which bases need what coupon by visiting ocpnet.org. 
     from Melissa King "thismommysavesmoney.com"

Some great tips from All*You's Super Saver this month - Diane Marletto

-  You can swap services and products under Craig's List.  Under the For Sale Section, there's a Barter tab.  (For Example:  Pro HandyMan to Trade for Your Massage and $100 Ann Taylor Gift Card for $100 _____ Gift Card). 

-  Check out freecycle.org - a site where people post items they want to give away.  You can view by location.