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Say Goodbye To Burned Popcorn #PerfectPopApp

July 26, 2014

(This post is sponsored by Pop Secret but all the stuff I say comes from my own head.)

We were alone…finally. Me and my husband with a movie that didn’t include animation, singing or furry costumes. We had the rental, the dimmed lights and lastly, the bag ready to pop in the microwave of “Movie food” aka yummy popcorn.

But then…things went wrong. Terribly wrong. The rental wasn’t playing. The kids woke up and took up the couch. None of this compared to the worst part of all….the last bag of popcorn in the house BURNED IN THE MICROWAVE!!!!!

Needless to say, our night of alone time was a disaster.

I bet you hate burned popcorn as much as I do. The smell. The way it clears a room. The way it ruins a good movie during the opening credits.

Burned popcorn can turn an awesome night into one of disappointment, heartache and sorrow. It’s true, take it from me. I lived it.

Here’s a popcorn fact for you (courtesy of Pop Secret):

1 in 3 bags of popcorn winds up burned and it’s the #1 complaint people have about popcorn.

1 in 3!! That’s one-third of your brand new box of popping corn. A waste of money?? Yes.

Pop Secret wants to avoid the “3rd Burned Bag”. They want you to feel comfortable popping in the microwave. They want you happy.

As do I.

So, the company has created the Perfect Pop App to use with their Pop Secret Popcorn. The app is free. What you gives back to you is piece of mind. Words straight from the geniuses at Pop Secret:

To help popcorn lovers everywhere, Pop Secret created the Perfect Pop app. It helps make sure every single bag of Pop Secret gets perfectly popped. (Note: The app is designed to work with Pop Secret microwave popcorn only)

I could not wait to try out the app and check for two very important reasons: 1) Will it hold up to its “no burned popcorn” promise and 2) How many un-popped kernels will I get in the end? If you remember the day of the kernel up the nose incident, you know why it’s an important factor in my household.

First, you need an iPhone 5+ on iOS 7+

It’s pretty easy to use. Just allow the app to access your microphone and it “listens” to your pops. Normally 2 minutes is not enough time and 3 minutes is burnedpopcorncity so I put it at 2:50 to allow the application to get an accurate time. I snapped a few screenshots of the app. The “popcorn screen” is my favorite one because it fills the screen with popcorn as your bag fills with popped goodness!!

It took approximately 2:16 to pop my corn. The red bowl (seen in the picture below) holds one bag of fully cooked popcorn.

BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRY!!!

When all was said and done, I had…ready for this…two un-popped kernels. 2!!!!! Two!!!

The kids were given their popcorn. Nothing was burned. Nothing was un-popped BECAUSE I THREW AWAY 2 KERNELS!! No one put anything up their nose. It was a stellar night. Pop Secret saved my household.

Do YOU have a burned popcorn horror story to share? Post your experience below and tell me why this app would save your family too!!

t.r.m.

Filed Under: consider this a review. 2 Comments

Stick Me Anywhere #Kidecals Giveaway

July 24, 2014

I love stickers and labels. How awesome was it that Kidecals reached out to me and offered to give my readers some labels?!

Not just any labels. Reusable, personalized, beautifully created labels.

I use my salsa as inspiration for my jar labels.

ZIPPY!! Delicious!! SPICY!! olé!!

Now I can make salsa year round and add a cool label to give as gifts!!

And, of course, I had to get the mustache labels that stick anywhere. You know, for Movember!!

MUSTACHES!!

The best ones? The FOOD ALLERGY ONES!! Yup, you can get labels to stick on your kid’s school items. Another way to keep your kids safe. Great for play dates or parties.

You want some labels, don’t you??
You want to show off the labels in your house to the other moms with a twinkle in your eyes and a smirk on your face?
You know you want to.

So, enter below to get some labels of your own.

t.r.m.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Choices or “The Coin Toss”

July 21, 2014

2 children.

One is guilty.

Time for making choices.

A broken bowl. Inexpensive but one of my favorites. I’m really pissed off and want the truth. I can’t handle the truth. It not about the bowl. It’s the principle.

They stand there looking up at me. Both on the defense. Both whining. My children have crossed the proverbial line with bullshit like…

I didn’t touch it!

Denial.

I didn’t even look at it!

Ridiculous Denial

You should’ve never put candy in it, Mom!

Redirection of Blame

It was ugly anyway.

Words To Make Me Lose My Shit.

I’m torn between anger and complete freak out. Over a bowl.
The morbid thought that entered my mind was of that scene in “Sophie’s Choice” where Glenn Close had to choose between her children.
That was more life and death. This is about a stupid, replaceable bowl.
It was then that I calmed the fuck down.

Guys, answer me this? Were you throwing a toy that I asked you not to?

In unison, “yes”.

Then the toy is now mine. How are we going to fix the bowl situation? I can’t put it back together. So, you must work off the chore of cleaning it up since the pieces can cut you and I don’t want you hurt. I’ll be picking up my bowl. You will be dusting and vacuuming this room after I’m done. Who will dust and who will vacuum?

Both talk at once. I already know who is going to do what. I hush them.

No, I’m letting the coin decide. Heads, CP vacuums. Tails, Hallie dusts.

“Okay”, in unison.

Are you both responsible for the bowl breaking?

“Yes.”

What do you need to do now?

“Say sorry”

and dust and vaccuum. Get to it.

I headed to Etsy to see if I could replace the bowl while my kids cleaned house or realistically, move around the dust and push dirt on the carpet back and forth. They aren’t cleaners.
But that wasn’t the point, right?

The best part?
I didn’t have to make a choice.

t.r.m.

Filed Under: learning to parent, misc. ramblings Leave a Comment

I Blame My Children

July 21, 2014

I’ve been losing sleep for 7 years now.
I comes with the parenting territory.

I blame my children.

When I was pregnant, it was rubbing my tummy with a mixture of joy and holy crap, there’s a human inside me that I’m responsible for!!
I’m a freaking worry-savant.
Worry is my permanent face.

I blame my children.
Now that they are older, my ulcers have ulcers. My skin breaks out when they slam their toes in the door.
I think about injury or death at least once a day even if they go without harming themselves.
I think about them when they aren’t in the room that they are not breathing correctly. I have panic attacks over them finding my lost sewing needles with their eyeballs. You know, because they like to drag their faces across the rug sometimes.

My ridiculous fears. I blame my children.

If I hadn’t birthed them, I’d be caught up on all my shows I ever watched. Now if I’m lucky, I watch TV at midnight because, you know, I’m wide awake, worrying.

No sleep. Dark eye circles.
I blame my children.

Stupid weight gain from finishing their ice creams. Baking cupcakes to see them smile and then watch them get mad when they fall apart in their hands.
Hissy fits that I have in my closet with airplane bottles of vodka. I blame my children.

There’s fucking dried up play dough EVERYWHERE!!
I have a vacuum and a back-up, just in case.
I blame my children.

I step on LEGOS and want to die.

I blame my %#^* children.
….ouch….

No sleep. Weight gain. Anxiety skin issues. A heart full of exploding love.

A life I never knew I wanted until those crazies showed up.
However, my skin may never heal.

I blame my children.

t.r.m.

Filed Under: misc. ramblings 1 Comment

Your Steam Cleaner Needs Love Too

July 19, 2014

With your family spending more time going outside during the warm summer days, your carpets could need some love. Here’s a few tips about how to keep your steam cleaner and your home happy and healthy.

How to Keep Your Steam Cleaner in Tip-Top Condition

There are certain accessories around the home that are excellent devices to aid in regular maintenance tasks. Steam cleaners are revolutionary cleaning accessories that disinfect and kill germs in no time at all. Although these machines were only able to be utilised by trained professionals in the past, modern technology has allowed the homeowner to enjoy the numerous benefits that such cleaners will offer. Regularly maintaining these units is a key to their longevity and effectiveness. Let’s take a look at some easy steps to be taken.

Draining the Reservoir

Steam cleaners will normally use a combination of water and a detergent. The chemicals from this detergent can build up in the unit over time; causing excess wear and tear and even a blockage. Draining the tank after each use is an excellent way to help prevent this from happening.

Removing Scale

Almost all household water contains elements such as calcium and magnesium. Otherwise known as hard water, their buildup within the cleaner can lead to a condition known as “scaling”. In other words, some of the moving parts will become coated with these substances. It is best to prevent this from occurring whenever possible. Every few months, place a mixture of baking soda and warm water (one unit of baking soda for every ten units of water) inside the cleaner. Allow it to sit in the tank for a few hours and then use the machine as you would normally. After a few minutes, turn the cleaner off and allow it to cool down for another two hours. Finally, drain the tank. This will help to eliminate scaling.

Physical Inspections

We must never forget that a steam cleaner is an electrical mechanism. As recent studies have shown that a lack of safety has placed millions at risk, it is essential that you make sure your device is free from defects. These include water leaks, frayed wires and blocked intake vents.

Following these tips can not only guarantee that your steam cleaner will last a long time, but that it will continue to operate under safe and satisfactory conditions.

t.r.m.

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