Pine Cone Mug and Green Mountain Coffee Wellness Collection: Review

I had the opportunity to try the new Green Mountain Coffee Wellness Collection in k cups. 

I am an avid coffee drinker, and I drink A LOT of coffee, daily. 

Due to a crazy work schedule, I also have unhealthy sleep patterns and so I am generally 

groggy and irritable at times. (I need a boost in mood, focus and concentration!) 

The Focus blend has L-Theanine which has been thought to help with mental clarity, focus, 

boost mood, and improve cognition. It has been linked to reducing stress and also anxiety. 

The flavor is more mild than I had expected since it listed these as a medium roast coffee. 

My wife likes more flavored coffees (which these are plain, unflavored coffees) so she passed 

these by. I didn't taste any difference in the coffee due to the additives to the coffee. There 

did not seem to been an after taste (due to the vitamins) in the antioxidant blend or focus 

blend. Vitamins C and E were added to the antioxidant blend. Vitamin C is an useful nutrient 

and helps us fight colds. 


I would be happy to purchase these coffee blends in the future and would love for Green 

Mountain to have these same additive types but with hazelnut or french vanilla flavor as we

normally purchase flavored coffees. I enjoy this brand and look forward to testing out more 

coffee. 

Here I am standing in front of the wonderful invention: my Keurig brewer, waiting in 

anticipation of a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Notice my favorite pine cone pottery mug, a 

gift from my beautiful wife.

Dapper Dad and His Dapper Golden Toes

I was super happy to receive an invite to try out the Gold Toe Campaign. I immediately opened the bzz kit when my items arrived and was super impressed with the appearance of the socks (colors/styles included in my kit) and the supreme quality. Even before putting a pair of the socks on my feet, I could clearly see that these were made for comfort and the quality of these meant they would last a long time. I have always been an avid consumer of the Gold Toe brand and when my wife and I were dating in our early years of college, I was one of the very few men in my twenties that wore this brand. While other guys my age wore the white, bulky, sport socks with worn out sneakers, I wore Goldtoe socks (usually in an Argyle print) and "boat" shoes (you know, the kind that has the laces weaved through the sides of the leather). I even wore these shoes and socks in high school. Even then, in my youth, I knew these were supreme quality and classy. Back then, my girlfriend (now who is my wife)would lovingly tease me for my argyle socks and GoldToe brands. But when my wife's silly and cheaply made socks would easily wear out on the soles of the feet or get holes at the toe, she would sneak a pair of my Gold Toe Socks (despite the fact they were men's size 10-13 and she wore women's 9-11.) A few times I would then lovingly tease her when I saw a vivid argyle patterned pair of MY Argyle Gold Toe socks were peaking underneath her jean pant cuff. She then confessed they were the most "smoothest, softest, and quality" socks she had tried. Some background on the Gold Toe brand: Their socks are made with only the top quality yarns, they are each carefully reinforced at the heel and toe for longer, more comfortable wear. They are machine washable and dryable. This not a new brand, they have been around awhile and know what they are doing in terms of how to make a top quality, well designed, comfortable, and fashionable sock. They began 75 years ago under the name, Great American Knitting Mills. Great American introduced a sock with a gold reinforcing yarn sewn in the toe. This not only looks classy, but it performs well. During 2002 the Company changed its name to Gold Toe Brands, Inc. These socks are not just for business men or your grandpa! These are classy, nice looking socks that can be worn with anything. I sometimes wear the simple black socks with gold toe, and sometimes I wear the colorful Argyle patterns. I wear these with khakis, dress pants, and jeans. My wife likes these socks too, and I still find she takes a pair every now and then. Gold Toe also makes more products, not just socks! They make undershirts, tshirts, and boxers! I also received some nice boxers in my bzz kit and they were equally nice. These items can be purchased at many retailers online and locally. I have seen these at Kohls and Macys. I give these products my Gold Seal of Approval!

Bzz... Bzz... Bzz

I was selected by Bzz for this - my SECOND Bzz Agent campaign... [NOTE: The decision to be selected for a Bzz campaign was due to my own Bzz agent profile feedback to many surveys received. With each survey completed I am able to be filtered as a prospective potential target consumer for this and other products. Also as I understand the more involvement with Bzz the greater the chances there are to be selected to participate in more promotions.] It's my second Bzz agent campaign - heck - this is not a scam! Promise. Here are a few points and my feelings on this new UnJunked / UnReal candy... 1) UnReal #54… (Peanut M&M version) Colors... pretty neat and pleasantly surprising - Not at all the highly glossed and fake colors Taste… chocolate was smooth and good, fresh taste but kept expecting the distinct M&M flavor which was lacking – making me sadly feel I was eating inferior and perhaps generic candy. Quantity… well… this was free after all – right? So how can I complain? However – had I spent the MSRP price of about $1 I might scoff at the somewhat paltry number. See photo… yes, there were more than four candy pieces, however not a lot more. Health… candy is candy – not a ‘health food’… but FYI this has less sugar (10g less than M&Ms); less fat (2g less than M&Ms); fewer carbs (10g fewer); fewer calories; more fiber and protein (a tiny bit more of each – but hey, more of the good stuff – a conscious decision I am sure); no high fructose / corn syrup; no GMOs (hey Whole Foods… why aren’t you guys yet carrying these… FYI – went to my local WFM and asked, the service desk manager reported they just had not been approved / reviewed by corporate yet, but the employee said the packaging (on the coupon I showed him) was ‘sexy’); and no preservatives – FYI here’s reason to enjoy it right away. Also – this is ‘serving size to serving size… which is slightly unequal – to be fair. Check out… http://getunreal.com/unreal-candy/unreal-54/ for the details. Overall… love the fact that these are not filled with ingredients I cannot pronounce and made within our continent! (Side note / rant: I say this as an appalling volume of goods is brought on a slow boat from… you guessed it – China. So much outsourcing to such countries as China, India, Mexico, and other ‘developing countries’ is the number one reason for job loss and a poor economy here in the US, Canada, and Europe – well – that and the horrible banking business of selling variable interest rate loans to individuals, companies, cities, and even countries. I know – I know – ‘global economy’ – blah, blah… but hey – when companies only have their corporate HQ in the US and all manufacturing, tech support, and labor is off shore that’s the reason for the ballooning ‘lower class’ / impoverished class dependant on the growing welfare state that is these United ‘socialist’ States, and a small but vastly top ‘upper class’. The industrial revolution is what brought the US to the top of pack as a global super power with a robust economy, but when we stop making things and only come up with ideas and consume / import – things change. It is simply not sustainable. Now as far as a safety net for society, I am all for that, but let’s start by importing less so we can boost domestic manufacturing, and help put people back to work. Also, I understand that other nations of the world need to gain more ‘fair trade’, however this is a slow moving transition from profit sharing of larger percentages to those producing instead of all to the corporation. Anyway… back to the candy feedback. Again – another blog, another blog…) 2) UnReal #5… (Milkyway version) Color … as expected – brown chocolate Taste… pretty amazing actually! I was very pleased with this selection; by far it was better than the other candy versions tried. The nougat was smooth and very chewy – now – I did place mine in the fridge, as I like these types of candies a bit chewer than designed. That and it was a pretty hot drive home from the pharmacy where I picked up the candy. Quantity… about as expected. As with any good candy – only wish there was a little more :) Health… again, not like broccoli or an apple. But better than the competition… again, check out the link for all details… http://getunreal.com/unreal-candy/unreal-5/ Overall… better than the Mars original to my taste and love not having all the nasty added ‘junk’. 3) Unreal #7 … (Reese’s Peanut butter cup version) Color… as expected – but there were no cup holders – like always found with Reese’s PB cups – funny, I found myself trying to pull off a non-existent wrapper cup. Taste… well – to me the biggest disappointment. I guess I am somewhat brainwashed still into the taste being of a Reese’s – thus since this was a bit far removed it was not as tasty to me. Perhaps I ought to try some more again and try. For the sake of the blog – of course. The candy was more like peanuts than peanut butter, which was nice. Quantity… as with the Reese’s – two is how many you get. Health… http://getunreal.com/unreal-candy/unreal-77/ There’s less sugar and fat, but serving size is a whole 6g less too… so… keep that in mind. Overall… different than expected. Good. Not as expected so again, like the Unreal # 54 – it left me feeling as if I were enjoying a generic and not a gourmet chocolate… not that Reese’s is gourmet by any sense, but far from the Godiva my wife and I so enjoy. Thanks for the trial of your products - UNREAL candy... great thought on making the candy industry a healthier place. I hope you guys take off and do really well, then in turn cause the big boys to lose some of their market share then take note and change their own ways too. Organic may not make us healthier (per a recent sad study) however it can be better all around. The packaging was all too similar for me, and seemed to make it tough to determine if I had one candy type or another. Perhaps future marketing changes to come there. Now, go and try some of this candy - help this company out - they've got some good ideas here!

Freebies... on Mother's Day

Freebies... on Mother's Day. An hour in the car on a rainy day seems like an eternity. Add a fussy baby and a smelly puppy... well... you get the idea. Seemed like so much more than an hour's drive to the in-laws for Mother's Day. We arrived and visited for a garage cook out hosted by my brother-in-law. As we got ready to eat my wife decided to feed our little Belle first, then after feeding her a while opted to go and get her a plate. Well. There was not much left - however there was one yummy grilled chicken. As she sat to enjoy her meal she soon discovered her piece of chicken was the only one which was not cooked. She silently sat there for a while looking sad until I asked her what was wrong, slightly whispered to her ear. "There isn't any food left, and my chicken is not cooked..." she said. I told her I would buy her some food when we left. While there we were delighted to see two short video's of our 15-month-old being born - videos we had never seen and also thought were lost forever. What a great day after all! Also, Longhorns and a full rack of ribs later did not hurt making it a much better mother's day for my bride. I guess this short ramble is to mention make sure to properly celebrate Mother's Day for your wife, daughter, and mother, whom ever in your life. I feel I dropped the ball on this one, and will make it up to her as I can. As far as the opening line... "Freebies... on Mother's Day"... well. We received a vintage Syroco mirror from my mother-in-law mentioning she discovered this and thought of our Etsy shop - or even our home as we too like to decorate with these mirrors. Also while at Longhorn's we received a couple of extra sides and a gift card for a future free appetizer. Monday is a new day and a day closer to receiving some more freebies from Bzz Agent. I received a Bzz 'campaign' for shampoo and am eager to check it out. Yes, I will post more info when I receive this - my first Bzz agent campaign.

BZZ Agent...

I signed up for Bzz Agent. For those of you that do not know what that is, let me explain. Bzz Agent is sent requests by leading product companies to connect consumers with their products to test. The bzz agent consumer (product tester) is sent different products to use and review. In order for me to get a product to review, I must qualify.

I check my account daily for any surveys to take that might let them know if I would be a good fit to try a product. Example: my wife wears makeup. I do not. :) So she fills out surveys about how much makeup she wears, how often, and what types she might wear. Eventually she may get an "invite" to a "campaign" and get a chance to be sent a free lipstick or face powder.

I may fill out the same survey and check the box, "this does not apply to me" or "I do not wear makeup." I may fill out a similar survey that asks how much hair gel I use. I use hair gel (my wife says too much hair gel--she does not like my hair crunchy)on a daily basis and so my chances of being sent a free hair gel are probable in the future (if that is a product the company wants someone to try). They only send products to the consumer/tester that pertain to them.

After an invite is sent by email, and accepted by the tester, the tester waits for the "bzz kit" package to arrive. The kits contain the actual product, usually full size, and generally include coupons for freebie versions for friends and family to review/test.

There may be a sample size or 2 in the box as well for a friend or family member.
The tester uses the product for perhaps 2 weeks or so, and then gives their honest opinion with a thorough, well written review. I am not selling the products, and if I see the product has a design flaw or is not a good product, I must tell them. They want my true feelings about it. I must also tell others about the product. This is a great marketing plan for the companies. We all know that word of mouth is the best way to spread news about a product.

I will share with you in the next few weeks and months my experiences with these products.

20 Random Things about The Dapper Dad in Argyle Socks

1. I wear Argyle socks. (but did you know that I pretty much wear them daily? Almost all my socks are Argyle.)
2. I listen to National Public Radio when I shower.
3. I get irritated when people sneeze loudly.
4. I have a beige Toyota Rav 4 SUV. Well, my wife calls it "boring beige", and she cannot believe I chose beige instead of black.... It is really "Savannah Metallic" :)
5. I drink about 4 cups of coffee a day, and about the same amount of hot tea a day. Sometimes I will drink 4 cups just in one meal when at a restaurant. I love hot drinks, even when it is 95 degrees outside.
6. My Lenovo laptop (work issued for daily computer use) does not have a touch pad to move the mouse on the screen...only a tiny annoying red dot about the size of a pencil eraser.
7. I color code my dress shirts in my closet and hang up my jeans (I think I only have 2 pairs, I mostly wear khaki style pants.)
8. I hate tuna. I hate pickles.
9. I enjoy cooking.
10. I am extremely afraid of spiders. Little ones, big ones, you name it.
11. I do not like chain link fence.
12. I enjoy oatmeal for breakfast. Strawberry flavored is probably my favorite.
13. I was an English Education major in college. I am TERRIBLE at spelling.
14. We cloth diaper our baby. We use Bum Genius snap diapers, they are awesome.
15. I am from New Hampshire originally.
16. I am not a sports fan.
17. One year we left our decorated Christmas tree up until the end of February. We have a pink faux Christmas tree, my wife loves pink.
18. I do not mind pink dress shirts, but I will not wear purple.
19. I like Classical music.
20. I like trail mix, seeds, nuts, and berries. Yes, you could say I am a forest bear.