I have had health issues over the years and continue to have them. Shedding seventy pounds big time helped a lot. Still I have to monitor foods to avoid medical complications. I have to monitor foods not to regain lost weight.

As a diabetic, blood-sugar level can poise problems. By planning meals and snacks, I can avoid many of them. I try to avoid fast-foods. Health wise they can be no-no’s. I often bring my own food, snacks, and beverages along. I even have some things in the car 24/7 like bottled water just in case.

I am always on the lookout for legal food for me. Recently I got to try several of Stretch Island Fruit Company’s Fruit Strips. FYI: This product is fantastic. It’s portable with a suggested shelf life of one year, kosher, gluten free, dairy free, and has no added sugar. Take a look at one look at one of the labels.

I like every variety – apple, apricot, cherry, grape, mango, strawberry, and raspberry. The apple tasted almost as if it came fresh from the orchard. The cherry tasted as if I bought it at local fruit stand. The leather reminds me of gummy bears or fruit roll-ups but better. They are dense, sweet, slightly sticky. If mama had not taught me not to play with food, I would try to see if it stretches….

Stretch Island Fruit Company products are available online and in retailers like Walmart. It lists at 8 for $2.99 and 30 for $13.99. Only 45 calories for a half serving of fruit, all-natural, nothing artificial, it is worth the price to me.

This summer, Stretch Island Fruit Co. is giving 250,000 Continental Airlines passengers a free Stretch Island Fruit Co. Fruit Strip. I know those folks will surely enjoy it and find it to be a healthy, portable and convenient snack and surely a welcome alternative to standard airplane food.

WIN IT!

ONE winners will receive a variety of Stretch Island Fruit Co. Fruit Strips.

HOW TO ENTER. (MANDATORY)

To enter leave a comment on this post telling me which flavor you’d like to try most.

BONUS ENTRIES – LOTS OF THEM!

1 – Subscribe to my newsletter. (sidebar)
1 – Subscribe to my RSS feed. (sidebar)
1 – Follow me on Twitter AND leave your Twitter name here. (sidebar)
1 – Tweet this giveaway.
1 – Friend me on Facebook. (sidebar)
1 – Blog about this giveaway, including a link here.
1 – Place my button on your blog. (in sidebar)

Leave an additional comment for each entry you qualify for. You must have completed the first entry according to the instructions to be eligible for any bonus entries.

THE SMALL PRINT.

US addresses only please. This contest will end on Monday 08/23/10 at 11:59 pm est. If you’ve entered any of my giveaways before then you know that only comments containing all of the requested information will be eligible for entry. The winner must contact me to confirm they wish to receive the prize within two days of my email notifying them they’ve won. Good luck to everyone!

The product(s) featured in this review was provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of product testing and review. This review has not been monetarily compensated and is based on the views and opinions of my family and/or self. Please note that the opinions reflected in this post have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

I washed my first load of clothes after I finished high school. My mother who left school at 11 to work in the Brunswick Laundry spared me the task. I remember watching her wash loads of clothes using brown soap and a washboard in the kitchen sink. It was only years after she and my father retired that she got an automatic washing machine for herself. Laundry Basics 101 was my right of passage into the adult world.

My first experiences were less than remarkable. Color them dingy, marked with set in stains, ring around the color. Pretreating and bleaching were not how I did things. It was all about convenience back then. I tried to avoid hard work so I omitted steps like sorting them into delicates, perma-press, regular or separating whites, brights, darks.

Do you remember this Wisk commercial?

Forty+ years later my results are better. Everyone teases my middle son for always being on spot patrol. His hatred of stains has left a lot of clothes marked for me with “Get rid of!” I don’t though. I always try to get the stains out.

Just days ago NEW Wisk With Stain Spectrum arrived on the market. I’m looking forward to trying it out on our laundry, especially my son’s pile of discards. New Wisk with Stain Spectrum Technology was designed to target the three major stain groups – Carbohydrates such as milk chocolate, Proteins such as grass, and Oils such as peanut butter. Check out this teaser video on the New Wisk.

Go to Wisk.com for more information. You can sign up online for a $1.00 promotional coupon. The suggested retail price for the 50 fluid ounce bottle that cleans 32 loads is $5.99. You can also visit Wisk at www.Facebook.com/Wisk.

This post is part of a campaign for Wisk and the new Stain Spectrum Technology and I will be compensated for my time. As always, the opinions reflected in this post have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way. Thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

BREWSTER MCCLOUD

• DVD Release Date: July 13, 2010
• Run Time: 101 minutes
• Format: Color, Digital Sound, Dolby, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Warner Bros.
• ASIN: B003XTOBU0

Film giant, maverick Robert Altman of MASH fame, directed this irreverent, hedonistic, bizarre movie. His characters are detractors and deviants portrayed without sympathy. Made in 1970, this film is a satire and a commentary on life of the times with all its hypocrisy and conservatism. Its humor is black at best, probably offensive to many. I myself enjoyed the scenes with Detective Shaft (Michael Murphy) investigating the serial killings ala Steve McQueen and the automobile license plate sight gags (OWL 180, DOD 086, DUV 222, and BRD SHT) which are understandable only within the context of scripting.

Brewster McCloud (Bud Cort) is a recluse who lives in a fallout shelter 25 feet underground the Houston Astrodome. Louise (Sally Kellerman) looks over and protects him with the proviso that he not indulge himself in sex. Because he wants to fly like Icarus and Daedalus, she helps him make human-size wings. Brewster is the insane oddball loner.

People who surround him are murdered. Daphne Heap (Margaret Hamilton), the witchy Astrodome Star Spangled Banner singer, dies as does Abraham Wright (Stacy Keach), his boss. More homicides occur–all strangely connected with bird droppings. Brewster experiences first love with Suzanne (Shelley Duvall), an usher who provides his undoing.

Take a look at a cast with so many actors and actresses who were or who became household names:

* Bud Cort as Brewster McCloud
* Sally Kellerman as Louise
* Michael Murphy as Detective Shaft
* William Windom as Weeks
* Shelley Duvall as Suzanne
* Rene Auberjonois as The Lecturer
* Margaret Hamilton as Daphne Heap
* Corey Fischer as Officer Hines
* Stacy Keach as Abraham Wright
* John Schuck as Officer Johnson
* Bert Remsen as Officer Breen
* Jennifer Salt as Hope

Brewster McCloud was released for the first time ever to DVD on July 13, 2010. It runs for 105 minutes and has no special features. It lists for $39.98. Call the curve ball ending of The Greatest Show on Earth droll, macabre. I like my movies simple, requiring little thought. They are meant to be enjoyable and a pleasant escape. Brewster McCloud did not fill my playbill. The audience will have to rate this one as taste and sensibilities will weigh in whether Brewster McCloud is playful or purposeless.

The product(s) featured in this review was provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of product testing and review. This review has not been monetarily compensated and is based on the views and opinions of my family and/or self. Please note that the opinions reflected in this post have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.

I recently received some GUM Soft-Picks to review. Wow! Being a frugal shopper, price has usually been my #1 consideration up until now. I floss regularly. You know the drill on the string, how it breaks, and how you wish you could find a better way. Well, I just did.

About GUM Soft-Picks

When was the last time your dentist said, “Great job flossing”?

For 87% of us, it’s been a while. That’s the percentage of dental patients who don’t floss on a regular basis according to the American Dental Association.
So we made an alternative to flossing that’s effective, convenient, and easy to use while on-the-go. GUM® Soft-Picks®.

* Clinically-proven plaque removal between teeth*
* Safe for dental implants, bridges, crowns, and orthodontics
* Gentle on gums and more comfortable than wooden or plastic picks
* 76 soft, rubber bristles massage and stimulate gums
* Wire-free, tapered design dislodges food
* Easy to use for people of all ages

Flossing is not exactly fun, even for those who do it regularly. But GUM® Soft-Picks® makes the job a lot easier. For a better smile and healthier teeth and gums, pick up a pack today in the oral care section.

Soft-Picks, classier than toothpicks, are small and discreet. They are just what the ads say–ultra portable and easy to use. What they do not say is that they are easier to use than their alternative floss. Their soft bristles didn’t make my gums bleed. I myself saw remnants of the plaque buildup between teeth they effectively and painlessly removed. Gone one source of bad breath and gum disease. Now the only thing that will make Gum Soft-Picks even better is if the manufacturer supplies a small carrying case. That way men and women alike can carry them 24/7 and not worry about stuck particles and the like.

WIN IT!

ONE winners will receive a prize pack that includes GUM Soft-Picks, GUM Technique Toothbrushes and GUM Go-Betweens.

HOW TO ENTER. (MANDATORY)

To enter leave a comment on this post telling me what you use to floss and why you want to try this product.

BONUS ENTRIES – LOTS OF THEM!

1 – Subscribe to my newsletter. (sidebar)
1 – Subscribe to my RSS feed. (sidebar)
1 – Follow me on Twitter AND leave your Twitter name here. (sidebar)
1 – Tweet this giveaway.
1 – Friend me on Facebook. (sidebar)
1 – Blog about this giveaway, including a link here.
1 – Place my button on your blog. (in sidebar)

Leave an additional comment for each entry you qualify for. You must have completed the first entry according to the instructions to be eligible for any bonus entries.

THE SMALL PRINT.

US addresses only please. This contest will end on Sunday 08/22/10 at 11:59 pm est. If you’ve entered any of my giveaways before then you know that only comments containing all of the requested information will be eligible for entry. The winner must contact me to confirm they wish to receive the prize within two days of my email notifying them they’ve won. Good luck to everyone!

The product(s) featured in this review was provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of product testing and review. This review has not been monetarily compensated and is based on the views and opinions of my family and/or self. Please note that the opinions reflected in this post have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

Thanks for stopping by! If you have a picture up for Wordless Wednesday, leave your link below on Mr. Linky! Then head on over to Mom Knows It All, From Val’s Kitchen, What’s that Smell?, 5 Minutes for Mom, Go Graham Go and The Not-So-Blog Blog for more wordless fun!

Here are the winners of this week’s giveaways. To select the winner of these giveaways I put the number of entries into the Random Sequence Generator on random.org. I matched the numbers that came out on top to the comment bearing the same number and made sure the comment was eligible.

Caillou’s Fun Outside DVD winners

#8 Brenda, #55 Rachel D, #84 Laura

Breyers Smooth & Dreamy Ice Cream winners

#4 Cassie, #56 Christine, #20 Marj M, #71 Julie Cutshaw

Martha Speaks: Martha Goes To School DVD winners

#14 LC, #59 Dana, #3 Lisa

Carolina Pad products winner

#20 Casey

Super Why Attack Of the Eraser DVD winner

#46 Tina S, #27 pixie13, #4 Andrea v

Band-Aid And Neosporin winner

#31 Helen

Thanks to all who entered the giveaways! Please consider subscribing to my feed so you don’t miss out on the latest posts, reviews and giveaways.

JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH SPECIAL EDITION BLU-RAY/DVD COMBO PACK

• DVD Release Date: August 3, 2010
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
• Run Time: 79 minutes
• Language: English, French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 2
• ASIN: B003L4Y5B2

Adults may find James and the Giant Peach more entertaining than many children. Its dark Roald Dahl story set on screen by director Tim Burton shows that terrible things can happen. James Henry Trotter (Paul Terry), a small orphaned boy abused physically and mentally by Aunts Spiker (Joanna Lumley) and Sponge (Miriam Margolyes), dreams of escape and of friends. A mysterious man (Pete Postlethwaite), some magic crystals, the spider he befriends and three anthropomorphic insects help him along the way.

James and the Giant Peach tells the tale of a happy child and his parents dreaming of life in far away New York City. Then the terrible rhino of death leaves him in the care of his aunts. He explores a gigantic peach on the property, crawls inside it, and rolls away on a wild adventure. His companions are Grasshopper (Simon Callow), Centipede (Richard Dreyfuss), Ladybug (Jane Leeves), and Miss Spider (Susan Sarandon).

James faces seagulls, sharks, icebergs, dangers of the deep, and the rhino on a threatening trans-Atlantic voyage. He makes it through though and lands on the Empire State Building spire. He makes his home in Central Park in a mansion made from the giant peach’s pit, and writes his story. He has found friendship and happiness at last.

This musical fantasy told from a child’s point of view combines live action with stop motion. Its plot is unsentimental and unexpected. Its treatment is macabre and frightening. Villains who hate and mistreat dominate until the last scenes. It is a story of children’s sadness, loneliness, and fears that becomes one of kindness, hope, and rescue.

James and the Giant Peach is being released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on August 3, 2010. The two disc blu-ray combo pack lists at $39.99. Running time is 79 minutes. Its special features include:

* Production featurette – A look at the making of the film
* Spike the Aunts interactive game inspired by the game that plays after the end movie credits.
* Production featurette – A look at the making of the film
* “Good News” music video performed by Randy Newman
* Original theatrical trailer

The product(s) featured in this review was provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of product testing and review. This review has not been monetarily compensated and is based on the views and opinions of my family and/or self. Please note that the opinions reflected in this post have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.