8" Green Earth Frying Pan by Ozeri

Going Keto can be a bit of a challenge. There is essentially no way to get around cooking, unless you just want to eat sliced cheese and sausage, or spinach salads every night. We have an awesome set of pans that we received as a wedding gift.  They're a nice, solid, non-stick set. But non-stick scares the crap out of me! There is so much information available about the health hazards of cooking with PTFE and PFOA non-stick coating. At very high temperatures, PTFE begins to decompose and release fumes which are documented to be lethal to birds and small pets, and which can be harmful to humans. PFOA is classified by the EPA as a 'persistent pollutant of the environment'. 

When the kind folks at Moderna Housewares contacted me to review the 8" Green Earth Pan by Ozeri, I jumped at the opportunity! And I have to say, I'm impressed. 

 The Green Earth pan is a die-cast aluminum pan with a textured ceramic cooking surface. It is completely free of PTFE and PFOA. No more worrying about dangerous chemicals and gasses coming off my pans while I'm cooking!

As soon as it arrived, I knew that I was going to make eggs in it. There's no better test of a non-stick surface than eggs. And the stickiest, messiest of all of my favorite egg dishes is a tuna and spinach stovetop frittata.
It literally slid right off the pan and onto the plate. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought the pan had never been used! There was not a single thing on the pan! It was amazing.

I tried it again last night to fry a chicken breast. It wasn't quite as amazing as the first time, but it still released the meat without any fuss and there was very little remaining on the pan after.

I'm incredibly impressed. And feeling much more safe about my cooking surfaces now that I have this pan to use!

You can find out more information about the Ozeri line of products on their Facebook page  and more about the Green Earth Pan on Amazon.

Financial compensation was not received for this post. A sample product was gifted from Ozeri/Moderna Housewares. Opinions expressed here are my own.

Terrified by Soap!

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I've always been fascinated by the concept of making soap. But considering a lot of the crafting failures I have had over the years, any project that involves using a caustic substance like Lye makes me a little bit nervous.

I was gifted a copy of Soap Making Made Easy and read through it. I'm still a bit nervous, but feeling much more confident! There are three books included in the Soap Making Advice kit, including Soap Making Made Easy, Soap Making: A Quick Guide, and Soap Recipes. The book has all the information you need to make the process safe and practical, including great tips on packaging and starting a soap making business if you were to chose to go that route.

Author Michelle Gaboya has offered a copy of all three books to one lucky Ameliaesque reader.  Enter below and I will announce the winner on December 15!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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.

Studio Gear Holiday Pallete

If you know me in real life, you know that it takes a pretty special event for me to put on a full-face of makeup. Sure, I love feeling girly and pretty, burt it doesn't take a whole lot more than some mascara and lipstick to do that. In fact, most days, I tend to look more like this:

Presentable, for sure. But not exactly fancy. And I would definitely feel a little on the naked side at some of our upcoming holiday festivities. 

I have a major fear of eye shadow, however. I know, it makes your eyes pop and really spruces up the area. But I just get a bit panicky about it. Have you seen the commercials that are floating around with the mom explaining to her kids that she is wearing the trendy "smokey eye"? Yeah, that's how I worry that I'm going to wind up looking. 

Enter the Studio Gear Cosmetics Holiday Smokey Eye Palette.  

This little ingeniously packaged pallet talked me through the entire process and made eye makeup SO much less intimidating. It gave me a nice, natural-looking smokey eye, which could easily be made even more dramatic. 

BEFORE

AFTER

I swear it even looks like I changed the shape of my eyes! It is mildly shimmery, but doesn't leave glitter all over the place like I've noticed with some eye shadows. It goes on smoothly and didn't settle into creases and lines. (a.k.a. wrinkles! Shhh!) 

I'm not sure that I will become a regular eye shadow user, but when I want a little extra sparkle, I'll definitely be considering this palette from Studio Gear.

As a special offer to Ameliaesque readers, Studio Gear is offering a permanent 10% off! You read that right- permanent! It never expires! Just use the code SGHOLIDAY at www.studiogearcosmetics.com. 

Financial compensation was not received for this post. A sample product was gifted from Studio Gear through Brand Backer. Opinions expressed here are my own.

Printable Holiday Entertainment

I am the first to admit that I am not the world's greatest hostess.  I love to bake and cook and prepare all sorts of amazing treats and drinks for my friends and family. At any gathering at our host, there is generally enough food to feed a small (or medium) army.

What there usually is a lack of is entertainment. I turn my television to the music channels and maybe pull out a deck of cards. My friends are pretty social people, so sometimes that works. People mingle. They have a few drinks. They tell a bunch of stories.

But sometimes, it's a massive disaster. There are long uncomfortable silences. People tend to sit and stare at one another awkwardly over their plate of barbeque little smokies.

This year, I plan on printing out a variety of the games available at Python Printable Games. Python's printable Christmas game pack is full of games for every age level. There are sheets of trivia, scavenger hunts, paper dolls, coloring, and silly holiday facts. So much fun and something for everyone! I really appreciated the fact that the pack includes both religious and secular options, so I can cater the games I print out for any crowd. *And* once you buy them, they are yours to keep. So, you can print them over and over for every eyar!



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.

Ozeri Rev Digital Bathroom Scale with Electro-Mechanical Weight Dial

 
I have been on the verge of tossing our old scale out the window for about six months now. You can climb on six times and you will get one error and five different weights. Infuriating! With the big baby making plan starting in a few months, I've really been trying to get things down in the weight category. Not being able to get an accurate weight from my scale was just not hacking it. 

Enter the Ozeri Rev Digital Scale!

The Ozeri has every feature that I want in a scale. It turns on immediately when you step on it. No more of that ridiculous tap and wait that so many other scales have. It measures down to .2 pound increments. The digital read out is large and backlit, and the electro-mechanical dial moves in sync with the digital read out, which makes it super easy to read. There is a 24-hour alarm that reminds you to weigh yourself at precisely the same time each day.

(Obviously, I do not weigh 82.8 lbs. I just put some pressure on the scale to show the dial.)

Most importantly though? I’ve stepped on and off the scale ten times in a row and received the exact same weight each and every time. Accuracy attained! 

Deep Sleep with Andrew Johnson

 
I've told you all about my problems with sleep. It has always been a huge difficulty in my life and I’ve tried method after method. In the past, I have used a combination of melatonin and guided meditation. I have generally stuck with one meditation series, and I’ve relied on them heavily. But I have found that I’ve started to get to attuned to the phrasings and voices, and I’m not able to stay as present while listening to the recordings. So, I’ve been searching for a few new mp3’s to throw into the rotation.




I gave the Deep Sleep guided meditation by Andrew Johnson a try the other night and was pleasantly surprised. Mr. Johnson has a smooth voice with a Scottish accent. The background music is non-distracting and soft. The meditation is easy to listen to and very soothing. The phrasing works well to help you become grounded, then relaxed, and then drift into sleep. I found that I was able to relax completely and fall pretty easily into a solid night of sleep. I woke up the next morning feeling alert and relaxed. I’m going to continue using the meditation for a few weeks and I’ll update you at that point as to whether or not it seems to have a cumulative effect, but with just the experience I had on one night it was worth my time.

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.

Chasing Sleep

Sleep has always been a challenge for me. Most nights, I’m lucky to fall asleep before midnight. Nighttime is the most difficult time for me to slow my mind and body down. And, of course, after a few nights of difficulty, it starts to impact my daytime hours. I end up irritable and can’t focus on anything.
I've tried all of the sleep hygiene guidelines. I have tried over the counter medications and natural remedies. My attempt to use prescription sleep medications can only be described as comical, but could have ended in disaster. Every night I took them, I did something ridiculous and was completely unaware of it. I cooked an entire meal, but didn't clean the kitchen. I registered for college classes and applied for financial aid. It’s called somnambulist activities. It’s actually the very first side effect listed on the Patient Information sheet. Scary, right? As someone who has experienced it first hand, let me assure you, it’s freaking terrifying! I’m so lucky that I didn't do anything dangerous like driving.


With my vast experience with sleep aids, I certainly didn't have many expectations of success when I was offered a review sample of immortalsleep Deep-Sleep Formula. The packages arrived and I checked out the ingredients.


Ingrendients: L-theanine, rehmannia root, poria, polygala, grassleaf sweetflag, biota seed, licorice roto, platcodon, condonopsis, asparagus root, schizandra, angelica root, scrophularia root, zizyphus seed, salvia root, and ophiopogon root

I used my Google Fu and to research the ingredients. It seems they are all commonly used in TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) and there weren't any significant concerns. (Obviously, I am not a licensed professional and you should consult your own medical professional before trying new supplements)

I've taken the supplement for three nights now. I've been taking it about a half hour before I lay down. Now I won’t say that it has helped me fall asleep, because I am still laying in bed for up to 45 minutes before I manage to drift off. BUT in the past three nights, I have had the most refreshing sleep I have had in years. Generally, I take at least one nap a day, but with imortalsleep, I have not taken a single nap. I feel much more relaxed during the time that I am falling asleep. My anxiety is significantly reduced. My mind just seems generally calmer.

I've done a bit of a scientific testing process with this. I slept one night on the sofa (because I tend to relocate there if I’m having a difficult time sleeping), one night in our bed alone, and one night in bed with Wendy. The location has had no impact on the quality of my sleep.

Overall, I think that if I didn't have the sleep issues I have, immortalsleep would be the perfect remedy to help with occasional insomia. 

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.

Junior High Revisted

Junior High Me (along with a friend)

When I was in junior high, I was a "choir girl," as were most of my friends. And we really fancied ourselves singers. Any opportunity we had to sit around harmonizing, we would. Lunch regularly became a sing along around our cafeteria table. We would always plow through our choir repertoire incredibly quickly and then start searching for songs that we all knew. And because of our age group, Disney songs soon became elaborately arranged with four part harmony. 

I was super excited when I read that Walt Disney Records is releasing the Disney Classics box set on November 12! The set is going to include 94 of the best Disney songs in history!  Four awesome CDs!@

• Disney Modern Classics
• Disney Theme Park Classics
• Disney Timeless Classics
• Disney Television Classics 

All of my favorites! And it includes this bonus of a capella medley from YouTube artists Peter Hollens and Alex G. If you haven't heard these guys, look them up! They orchestrate the entire medley using only their voices. So cool!

Pre-ordering is available on Amazon, but you can also buy the set now if you live near any of the Disney parks! I wish I was somewhere near one of the parks, because I would be on my way there now!

I am participating in a blog post campaign from One2One Network and Walt Disney Records. All opinions are my own.