Smelly Washer Winner

Congrats to moplans - you've won the Smelly Washer cleaner. I'll be in touch.
I don't have anything else up my sleeve to giveaway but I'll link back here next time I have something to post about!

Extension - Smelly Washer

I'm giving this contest a few more days as we were distracted by kiddie illness and Christmas parties. You have until Wednesday 7pm EST to enter, now.

Smelly Washer : Review and Giveaway (CAN and USA)

Don't worry, I'm not going to send you my smelly washing machine.


Do you have an HE front loading washing machine? They've become quite popular in North America in the last few years. They are the norm in Europe. When I lived in the UK, everyone had small front loading washing machines (and no dryer, but that's another story). When we moved to Canada, Mark immediately purchased a nice washer and dryer set.

Well, nice, except it stinks and it's filthy.

So Smelly Washer sent me an email asking if I'd like to try out their product, and I agreed, because yes my washing machine smells and I haven't done anything about it. Add cleaning out my washing machine to the list I have of things to do that's about 10 pages long. (Apparently some machines have a setting now that is for self-cleaning, like an oven; seems like a good idea).


I'm very sorry that the internet does not have scratch and sniff photos yet. Oh wait, you're probably not sorry. This is my washing machine, before I used Smelly Washer. Take my word for it - it stank and my clothes did not smell nice.

No need to post an after photo, it looks the same - BUT the result is that my washer does not smell and my clothes genuinely smell fresh for the first time. Really. We don't use heavily scented detergent, and we don't use fabric softener liquid at all, but I had no idea we were missing out so much on that 'fresh' smell.

It's easy to use. It asks you to use the hottest setting on the washer (which for mine is actually just 'warm'), and add a cap to the load. Run it for two minutes, then pause it overnight, and finish the cycle in the morning. That's it.

I've done that cycle with the powder a couple of times since receiving this product in October. It does remove the smell, but it doesn't actually remove the mold or mildew or whatever. You mean I still have to clean my washing machine?! Damn. At least this is a fix in the meantime, and it's safe for septic systems (like we have).

I received one bottle of Smelly Washer for this review, a bottle that says it's a years' supply (about 24 capfuls). Actually probably the only complaint is that it can get a bit messy pouring it into the small cap. Hopefully an easy fix.

Want to try it out on your washing machine? You can win a bottle, just like I received. Here's what you need to do:

1. Leave a comment on this post before 7pm EST Sunday, December 6th. Please include your email address so I can contact you if you win!
   
2. Have an American or Canadian postal address.

I will use random.org again to select the winner, and I will provide your name and postal address to the company so they can send you your product (once I contact you by email).

If you'd like to buy it yourself, Smelly Washer has kindly provided my readers with a promo code for 10% off. The code is wherewiller.

Winner - Sleep Number pillow

Thanks to everyone who entered.

I made a list of all entries in order, numbered them, and eliminated 2 double comments.

So here is what random.org came up with:
Congrats to Jamie!

And thanks for playing everyone.

Next week I've got a review and giveaway of a washing machine cleaner.

Review and Giveaway (CAN and USA): Sleep Number Memory Foam Contour Pillow by Select Comfort

Ask my husband and he will tell you I am a little weird about my pillows. I'll give you a little background on how attached I am to them. When I was in university, doing my Masters I think, my mother bought me some proper-didn't-only-cost-3-dollars-each sort of pillows. They are firm, foam filled, and well loved. How well loved? I moved to England with 2 suitcases of belongings to my name and THEY CAME WITH ME. They are my pillows. No one else can have them. If we change the bedsheets and my husband gets one of mine by accident, there is WRATH. And of course grabbing back. Because I am mature like that.

So I was intrigued by an email that offered me the opportunity to review a Memory Foam Contour Pillow sold by Sleep Number by Select Comfort. Sleep Number sponsored at least one blogger to go to BlogHer, which I think is a cool thing for a company to do, and I must have passed on my business card (I gave out a lot of business cards; forgive me for my lack of memory).

We already have a memory foam mattress topper on our bed and I LOVE IT. I started getting lower back pain after the babies were born and it totally eliminated it. It even comes back if I sleep on a different bed that isn't quite so wonderful.

So I received my pillow about a week ago, used the foam inserts to take it to its highest height, stuck a pillow case on it, and got a little excited to go to bed. Because, sleep, right? Sleep is good.

Sleep keeps me sane. Sleep means I am less grumpy. My relief at my children normally sleeping through the night, and thankfully sleeping very well, is palpable. Select Comfort would also like to point out the following benefits of a good nights' sleep:

What can you do to ensure you’re getting enough sleep so you can stay healthy?

1. Make sleep a priority: Put sleep at the top of your to-do list.

2. Consistency is key: Maintain a consistent bedtime routine and schedule sleep all week long - even on the weekends - since altering your sleep schedule can create jet-lag-like symptoms. Remember that sleep is not negotiable.

3. Avoid anti-sleep activities: Don’t eat, exercise or consume caffeine late in the day.

4. Pay attention to your environment: Go into a dim, quiet room one hour before you plan to go to bed, and turn off all screens so you start to relax.

5. Check your bed: Take advantage of innovations in bedding that allow you to customize your comfort, like the Sleep Number bed and accessories.

So I tried the pillow - and just the one pillow, rather than my normal two. And lo, it was good. And comfortable. I really, really like this pillow. I would really, really recommend it. I'm still sleeping with it. I haven't gone back to my old trusty pillows yet.

And hey it's Christmas - it's a good time of year to splurge on a gift for yourself or your family. I'm glad I got to try it out and I will be looking at more memory foam pillows for our family. And I understand the company has some pretty big sales coming up. You can follow @SleepNumberSara on twitter for more info. And look, a contest!

I was not compensated for this review. I was provided with a pillow to review and keep.

Would YOU like to try one out? Sleep Number by Select Comfort has graciously offered me a pillow to give away.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Leave a comment on this post between now and Thursday, November 26th, 7pm EST.
2. Include your email address (even in the format of name dot name at gmail dot com, I will figure it out).
   
3. Be living at an American or Canadian postal address.
4. Only enter once. (Please, play fair).
   

Please note, before you enter: Sleep Number by Select Comfort will ask me for your name and email address if you enter and show interest in their product. They would like to add you to their sales/deals/sleep tips email list. They will never sell your contact information.

What I will do:

1. Use random.org to pick one winner from the entries received before the deadline.
2. Provide names and email addresses of entrants to the company for their newsletter.
3. Provide the name and email address of the winner to the company so they can arrange delivery.
4. Post details of the winner after the contest is closed.
   

Good luck!

Winners - Green Works coupons

Well, that was easy. 10 coupons, 10 winners, 10 comments. Stay tuned for another giveaway in the next week.

Green Works Laundry Detergent: Giveaway (CAN only) & Review

So I was recently given an opportunity to try out some Green Works by Clorox laundry detergent, as well as their all-purpose cleaner, by a company called Matchstick who does 'word of mouth' marketing.
I had already bought Green Works products many times before this opportunity came along, mostly the household cleaners.

I like them because

• The odour, if any, is not strongly laden with perfume
• They work
• They are very affordable (which can be a barrier to purchasing 'greener' cleaners)
  
• They are environmentally conscious
  

So I was interested to see what the laundry detergent would be like when it came out. I had already purchased it before Matchstick provided me with the sample, and I was happy with its performance.

Here's some info from the company:

Clorox® is leveraging its world-class expertise in the household cleaning category to develop a new platform of natural cleaning products called Green Works^tm. These products are made with at least 95% natural plant and mineral-based biodegradable cleaning ingredients and clean as well as many traditional cleaners on many soils. Green Works® products are a practical way for consumers to live a greener lifestyle without compromising performance.

All Green Works^tm natural cleaners are made using plant-based ingredients derived from coconuts, as well as essential oils. The products are formulated using biodegradable ingredients, are packaged in bottles that can be recycled and not tested on animals.

In lab tests, Green Works^tm hard surface cleaners clean as well as many traditional cleaners on many soils.

I like the environmentally friendly elements of this product, particularly as we are on a septic/weeping tile system here (so I am very conscious of what products we use around the house). And I also like that it works.
I was concerned with the price when I first bought it. I actually bought it because although it was selling for around $9 (way more than I would normally spend on detergent), I had a coupon for $3 off, making it close to the same price as I would spend on non-environmentally friendly detergent. This week, I noticed that the price had come down to around $6 or $7 at Real Canadian Superstore and Wal-Mart.

Do you want to try it out, too? Hey Canadians, I have 10 free samples to give away.

What you need to do:

1. Leave a comment on this post indicating you are interested, making sure you include your email address. Deadline: 7pm EST on Monday November 16th, 2009.
   
2. Be willing to send me your postal address in an email once I let you know you have won. I'll send you a coupon via snail mail for free full size bottle of the Green Works laundry detergent.
   
3. Be willing to answer a survey about this product located here. For every completed survey, Matchstick will donate $2 to the Redwood Shelter in Toronto. Pretty please, answer the survey? It's for a good cause.
4. If I get more than 10 comments, I'll use a random.org to select the winners.
   
5. And if I get less than 10 comments, you'll be lucky and get more than one coupon!
   

In accordance with The Word of Mouth Marketing Association’s (WOMMA) guidelines, Matchstick requires that all program participants disclose that they are participating in a word of mouth marketing program.

A new review blog

I've decided to keep my product reviews separate from my main blog. Because it doesn't seem right to suddenly give away detergent in the middle of my journal.

So here we go. Back to Blogger, where I started, for a little project on the side.

Book review: Character is the Key

At the home blog

Tassimo review

At the home blog

Mamma Mio Review

At the home blog

Oliver's Labels review

At the home blog