Make your own soda

I have been drooling over the Sodastream Fountain Jet Soda Maker since I saw it last year at a local outdoor/hardware store (great place to find the coolest items). The cost of the system has left me wanting. It's about $100 and I am just not ready to invest that sort of money. However, recently I reviewed Homemade Soda by Andy Schloss. He shared recipes for making your own sodas, many which could easily be made from carbonated water. This is the same concept for the Sodastream. The device makes carbonated water in a reuseable bottle and then you add syrup. The syrups come in a variety of flavors. Between the two, we could completely give up purchasing soda all together.
I really want one and I have an opportunity to test the Sodastream Fountain Jet Soda Maker. I know this isn't my normal sort of post but I believe that the Sodastream is the new wave in sodas. It's economical, environmentally sound and it's fun.
My best memory of soda comes from a time when Schwann's sold their soda maker (back in the 80's). I loved it and it was fun to make your own soda. That was similar to the Sodastream of today. I don't know why Schwann's stopped with their make your own soda line. I can give my son the same memories.
Please help me convince Bzzagent that I am perfect to test this product. Not only will I review the product itself but I can do a whole series of posts for making your own. I believe that the investment will pay off.

Breve Creme

Breve Creme is a new line of coffee creamers from International Delight. I discovered Breve Creme through Vocalpoint and was given a coupon to try the product for free. We picked out the Vanilla Caramel Cream since my husband loves caramel in his coffee.
After Sunday dinner, I brewed a pot of coffee and offered up the cream. We drank the entire pot (strange for a family that doesn't drink coffee on a normal basis). I added enough cream to make the coffee a dark beige (I wanted to start with a small amount and work my way up to my usual creamy white). It was wonderful. I didn't need to add anymore than that. There was a perfect amount of sweetness and flavor. I felt spoiled. I don't often buy coffee creamer because they all taste artificial but not this one. It was smooth. I added a review of the coffee creamer to Vocalpoint's website and many of the reviews remarked that there was no artificial aftertaste (I hadn't noticed any aftertaste, and therefore didn't mention it, which was a really good aspect of the creamer). It's not any more expensive than the other International Delight creamers. Right now there is a 55 cent coupon on their website.

L'oreal Paris

This is a stretch I understand but sometimes a woman needs to use makeup even if it's just to feel better. I, personally, don't wear makeup. I have some weird makeup allergies and it just feels weird on my face. I don't mind a little lipstick or eye makeup now and again but I haven't bought any in a long time (means I no longer have any makeup in the house). Because I keep thinking I'd like to buy some makeup, I jumped at the chance to try some of the new L'oreal Paris eye makeup.
I received the One Sweep Eye Shadow and the Double Extend Eye Illuminator Mascara that had been specifically selected to go with my green eyes.
The One Sweep Eye Shadow is neat. It has a specially designed applicator that allows three colors to be applied to the eyes at once. I did find that it applied lightly and I would have liked it a little darker. Aside from that it was a great product.
The Mascara had a normal black color and a golden color designed to go over the black. I found the black to be clunky and I didn't like the way it felt on my eyelashes. The gold color did nothing for me. My husband said he thought they looked nice but I really didn't care for it.
I have no idea what these products cost but if it's reasonable I would recommend the One Sweep Eye Shadow just because it does seem to be a nice short cut.

SCJ Smart and Easy Spring Cleaning

I participate in a few product sampling/promotion programs and one of those happens to be Bzzagents. I sign up to test products or websites and then share that information with my friends and family. I realized that I can share some of that with my readers here. I promise not to unindate you with product promotion (only once a week for any product or service I opt to share) and to only share those I feel really belong here.
SC Johnson is a large company that owns a variety of brands. This particular promotion covers Pledge, Scrubbing Bubbles and Glade. The kit that I got in the mail had Lemon Pledge, Scrubbing Bubbles Shower spray, Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Gel, Glade Spring candle and a Glade Oil plug-in refill. I haven't tried the Pledge or the oil re-fill (I don't have an oil plug-in and forgot to get one my last trip to the store). I didn't try Pledge because I still have the notion it's for dusting and I haven't really dusted in awhile. The company swears that it can be used on any surface but it just hasn't happened yet.
I do enjoy the Glade candles (I am a big candle person and often get them as gifts). The spring scents are really nice but I like all their scents. So about this time you are asking yourself - what is the point of this post.
I want to share the Scrubbing Bubbles products with you. I tested the toilet gel a couple of years ago and was hooked. I live in an area with really funky water and my toilet seems to develop this nasty orange slime in the water unless I scrub it all the time. The slime has something to do with the water because we get the same problem in the shower any where the water sits. When we tested the toilet gel the first time, I was so impressed. Not only did it keep the slime away, it made my toilet smell good.
The toilet gel comes in this magic wand that attaches a lump of gel to the inside of the toilet. It does take some trial and error to get the wand to work just right but it's not all that difficult. The gel stays in the toilet for about a week making the wand good for 6-7 weeks. It is a little pricey for a toilet cleaner at about $4 depending on the store but it's so worth it.
The other product they provided was a shower cleaning spray. I loved it too. I have a real hard time getting everyone to understand (in my family) that the shower needs cleaning too. It just gets gross. It may not be visibly gross but if the floor feels slimey then the shower is well overdue for cleaning. I don't know how the orange slime doesn't gross my boys out but it never seems to. The shower spray was easy to use, it foamed slightly and can be rinsed or wiped off. I opted to wipe it down with a wet rag as I slid into the shower to wash myself right after. I was really impressed by how easy the product was to use and how nice my shower looked when I was done.
I like scrubbing bubbles products and often forget about them when I go to the store because I don't like one purpose cleaners. The bathroom is one of the few exceptions I make. I want something that kills all the germs in the bathroom and helps battle the water issue.

Quick Stir Pitcher

I first saw a self stirring pitcher on a blog about home storage and emergency preparedness. The blog talked about how this pitcher was an absolute necessity for any home. I thought about it but I rarely buy something online, for no real reason except that I hate paying extra for shipping. A month later, I was at an event that had seller's tables set up in the lobby. One table had Pampered Chef items and this pitcher was something new that they were promoting. The Pampered Chef pitcher did come out to be a few dollars more for the actual cost of the pitcher but I was able to walk away with it that day and that's what I really like (I like holding my products in my hand).
At first, it was fine. We used it all summer to make kool-aid but I just didn't get it. I didn't have anything negative to say about it but I didn't love it. When my husband lost his job in December, I felt it was a good time to start using up all those cans of powdered milk or at least make a big dent in them. Over the last 4 months we've found that we tolerate the powered milk just fine. We don't drink it just because but it works fine in cereal and for cooking. What I hate is that this particular brand of powdered milk seems water resistant. The powder hits the water and forms tight little balls that never seem to really dissolve. It's a real pain. Then I re-discovered that quick stir pitcher in the back of the cabinet and thought 'couldn't hurt'.
I, now, understand why that pitcher is a must have. With a little effort (not as much as without) the powder is quickly blended into the water. There are no more lumps (an occassional bit stuck to the side of the pitcher but nothing to worry about). It cleans quickly and fits easily into our refridgerator. I absolutely love it. The pitcher looks like a normal pitcher but has a plunger in the lid but instead of a rubber end, it has a pinwheel like plastic piece. It's not hard work to get the milk mixed. It does create a lot of foam and bubbles so you have to watch over pumping and foaming out the spout but other than that I have no complaints.
I look forward to buying real milk again. Our local co-op now has raw organic milk and I envision my little pitcher turning that milk into a vat of butter with as little effort as it makes my powdered milk. I definetely say this is a must have. Pampered Chef sells it in two sizes but I think the smaller size works just fine. I know that it's out there from other companies so any one should do.