Holiday Crunch from Truly Custom Cakery

Yum. Yum. Yum... and one more yum for good measure. Yesterday my mail lady dropped off the tastiest treat that I have had in a long time- it was a tin of Holiday Crunch made by Truly Custom Cakery (for you local readers, this is a Philly suburb based company!!).

Ranging from $2-$25, Holiday Crunch is the most succulent blend of salty and sweet. The mix includes popcorn, pecans, and almonds that are coated with caramel toffee and drizzled with dark chocolate.

Holiday Crunch is perfect to give as a gift or to put out on your dessert table. It's that one dessert that all of your guests will ask you over and over again where you bought it!

Available from: Truly Custom Cakery

Brugo Mug

I'm a huge coffee fan, and since I received my Keurig coffee maker, my enjoyment of coffee at home has increased tenfold. I have at least one big mug a day, and sometimes I take a travel mug with me when I'm running errands. Biker Bob takes a travel mug to work everyday, and we always take them with us when we go on vacation! They make it even easier to take advantage of the free coffee provided at many hotels.

For years now Biker Bob and I have been on the search for the perfect travel mug, and honestly I think we'd about given up. We've bought mugs at the dollar store, we've bought them in tourist traps, we've even shelled out top dollar for them at certain coffee stores. All of them have had some sort of flaw... leaks and not enough insulation have been the worst repeat offenders.

I couldn't wait to try out the Brugo Mug when it arrived. This mug is actually designed with a special temperature control chamber above the liquid chamber. Your hot beverage stays nice and steamy down below. Tip the mug and some of the beverage will enter the chamber above, cooling it to the perfect (non burning!) drinking temperature. Genius!

It's been a couple of weeks since our Brugo Mug arrived, and Biker Bob and I have both had a chance to try it. We both agree it's a great idea. It does keep the beverage hot in the main chamber, but we didn't notice it staying hotter any longer than some of our other mugs. The tip and cool feature is neat- I prefer that to the sip position because I hate scalding hot coffee. Biker Bob likes his coffee piping hot, so the sip position is his favorite choice. The design of the mug is really nice- we have the dark blue one and it's a pretty color and fits nicely in your hand and cup holders.

Check out the video below that provides a nice overview of the Brugo Mug:

Price: $14.95 for Sport Collection, $19.95 for Executive & Jazz Collections

Available from: Amazon and Brugo

magicJack- The Perfect Gift to Keep in Touch!

Okay! You are going to LOVE this! Today's product up for review combines several things that I am crazy about: saving money, convenience, technology, and communication. They are most definitely my favorite features to look for in a great product.

Kiss your hundred dollar monthly phone bills goodbye, because with magicJack, they are things of the past. You may have seen the infomercials for magicJack... I have seen them several times, and was always curious as to how well it really worked. Here's a breakdown of how simple this product is.

magicJack is a small USB device. One end of it plugs directly into your computer's USB port. On the other end is a port to plug your regular old phone into. After you plug the magicJack into your computer, you will be prompted to set up your account. You are assigned a home phone number (over 200 area codes to choose from) and you can even set up 911 dialing. Here is mine plugged in and ready to go:

Basically what happens is the magicJack uses your internet connection and turns it into a phone line. Your phone is plugged into the Magic Jack, and can make and receive outgoing calls. I got mine installed in a matter of minutes and tested it out by calling Biker Bob and my neighbor. The clarity of the line was nice and clear. I just can't get over how simple this is!

magicJack isn't going to replace your cell phone. However, it could absolutely replace your land line or serve as a cheap alternative to a second traditional land line. I have talked to family and friends about how they use magicJack, and they had these great suggestions:

• Land line for the kids to use
• Great to take when traveling
• Perfect for vacation homes
• Good to have on hand if your cell phone dies
• Really awesome for members of the military or our families stationed overseas
• Used by college students studying abroad

The possibilities are really endless. Plus, with magicJack you get many of the same features that you enjoy on a land line, including voicemail, call waiting, and caller ID!

So, yes, it sounds great- but what's the catch? There really is none. Get this- the magicJack is only $40. And then it is $20/year. DID YOU HEAR ME? $20 a year!!!!! For unlimited phone use! That's $1.67/month. WOW!

I am so super excited to share with you- that you can actually get a free trial of magicJack just by heading over to their website! So what do you really have to lose? This would make such a thoughtful gift for just about anyone on your list.

Sherpa Chair

How many times have you been out and about at some event or another, and wished that you had a chair? Or what if you are at a sporting event and try sitting on the bleachers- ouch! My back would be screaming by the end without having any support to lean up against. How many times have you wanted to bring a chair with you, but you simply run out of hands to carry one?

The solution= The Sherpa Chair!

The Sherpa Chair is one of those products that takes every comfort you could desire and presents them in a fantastic package. It is definitely a problem solver!

Features:

• Easy to carry (has straps and a handle)- you can even wear it like a backpack!
• Spacious pouch is attached for carrying whatever you need
• Effortless to set up- takes seconds!
• Weighs just 5 pounds
• Has an attached cup holder
• Easy to store (I will definitely be keeping mine in my trunk!)

We have used our Sherpa Chair for a couple of different events so far- a family party and a Halloween parade! It worked perfectly and was a time, space, and back saver!

Price: $29.99

Colors: Red, Forest Green, Camouflage

Available from SherpaChair.com.

Blurb.com Photo Books

Sometimes memories are so precious, only the highest quality method of preserving them will do. That is the case with Blurb.com. I have tried many company's photobooks. Most have been okay, some have had less than quality printing. Blurb Books and their quality can be summed up in one word: stunning.

In what was an extremely hard task, I chose my very favorite pictures that Caitlin Domanico has taken of Lily Bean throughout her first year of life. I used them to put together a Large Landscape book. Blurb was kind enough to give me a credit to put towards part of my book price.

One thing that I really like about Blurb is that you design your book using their easy to use software. After downloading the software onto your computer, you create the book offline. It's very user friendly (an amateur should have no problem using it) and there are various templates and page layouts to choose from. You can choose a book jacket or have your images printed directly on the cover.

Once you're finished creating and reviewing your book, you simply upload it (well, the software uploads it) back to Blurb.com. You then order your book, and within about a week, it's delivered to your door! Books start at just $12.95 for a 7x7 inch square hardback book.

Start creating your own Blurb Book today! (They also offer gift certificates- what a cool gift for just about anyone on your list!)

Sort it Out! (The Game of Putting Things in Order)

Confession: I am not a fan of board games. I liked them as a kid, but for some reason, unless they are really fun, I just can't get into them.

When I was pregnant and in fact 4 days overdue with Lily Bean, Biker Bob thought a nice game of Scrabble would take my mind off of things. I was so miserable that when he went to the bathroom, I cheated, just so the game would be over!

I was actually curious to try out the new board game called Sort it Out! from University Games. I thought maybe, just maybe, this could be an enjoyable game. It looked like it was a fast paced game with obscure, random facts- something that definitely amuses me.

Designed for 2-6 players, we gave it a whirl. I can't believe it- I had fun. LOL (Shhh.. don't tell anyone!) This is a great party game, because there is a little something for everyone. The main idea of the game is to put things in the correct order- this could mean sorting items by which one is the biggest, fastest, loudest, smallest, or longest!

Here's a sample question: Sort these things by their height- 1) Barack Obama, 2) adult kangaroo, 3) standard 6 foot ladder, 4) T-Rex, 5) full size double bass. The more you place in the right order, the more you score!

Game includes: game board, 6 moving pieces, 6 tile holders, 30 colored tiles, over 300 topic cards, sand timer, and instructions.

Ages: 12+

Price: $18.75

Available from: Amazon, Target, and Are You Game