Review of Cuties Juice- Clementine + Mandarin Blend

When I first stumbled upon a small 8 ounce container of Cuties Juice- Clementine + Mandarin Blend, I found myself smiling at the way they advertised the drink. It comes in a small bulbous plastic container, colored a bright orange, and it features a little cartoon smiling face on it. Then I looked over at the price, $1.89 for this micro tiny container!? There had to be a reason.

Well, naturally there was, this little orange Cutie, contains 2 servings of fruit in every bottle. That is not all though, its gluten free, sugar free, all natural, no preservatives, has a total of 6 cuties tangerines in it and contains 150% vitamin C. Basically it's a itty bitty bottle of healthy goodness, and with anything healthy on today's market, you pay, and you pay big.

The curious consumer I am though led me right to plopping it into my cart, and waiting to get home to try it out.

Flavor:
Now the sense before drinking it tell you that you're about to taste some ultra ripped vitamin packed orange juice. However, this is tangerine juice.

Cuties Juice- Clementine + Mandarin Blend is a strange hit to the tastebuds at first, it definitely has a blast of tangerine flavor and I tasted that right away.

It's sweet, but not sugary, and it has a sort of vitamin-y aftertaste that is very subtle, but obvious enough.

I liked it a lot, but the packaging leans more towards getting kids to like it. To me though, this juice is something that an adult would prefer over a child, and should be marketed as such.

No the thing about the juice is that even though the container is so tiny, I actually could not stomach drinking the entire 8 ounces due to this vitamin like aftertaste that sort of sticks to your tongue.

I like that I can save half the container for another day though. However it's designed to give you 2 servings of fruit, and if you can only get through half the container, getting in those daily requirements of fruit intake makes it tough.

Overall:

It is good, has a nice flavor I have never seen come from juice before, but at the same time has this aftertaste that you get sick of very quickly.

All in all, I would till recommend it to others, but the price needs to come down. You can get an entire boxed container of 100% orange juice for just a few cents more.

Review of Limited Edition Archer Farms, Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee

About a month ago, I picked up a bag of pumpkin spice coffee, and sadly I was not able to find this particular brand again. It sold out, and for good reasoning; it tasted simply divine.

While out searching for a new bag of coffee, I came across Limited Edition Archer Farms, Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee. I was able to smell the aroma of the coffee through the bag, and it had a much darker roast scent to it than the first bag of pumpkin flavored coffee, and it's pumpkin scent was a lot more realistic than the other brand as well. Archer Farms coffee smelled more realistic to a pumpkin pie as well, it has that warm pumpkin fragrance to it, with a tint of cinnamon. Only it seemed perhaps a little too strong in regards to flavor. Even with the darker aroma, I wanted to try it out, especially considering the fact that this too would be on shelves for a short period of time.

Brew:

I went straight ahead and brewed up a pot of the coffee once I got home. I noticed quickly that the scent was al little overpowering once it started brewing. The pumpkin scent smelled more like pumpkin puree, with a hint of cinnamon. It smells like pumpkin pie alright, but at the same time it smells like pumpkin pie that is missing a few ingredients.

With Milk and Sugar:

It was pretty horrible with just milk and sugar. That pumpkin puree flavor was overwhelming, and the sugar I added was not enough to boost the flavoring and make it somewhat good.

I would not give up though, I knew I could mix this brew up with something more to possibly make it more tolerable, and less pumpkin puree like.

With Half and Half and Flavored Creamer (coconut):

Yes, coconut is an odd mix to add to pumpkin flavored coffee, however it actually transformed the cup into a really good one. The pumpkin flavor was less overbearing, and the coconut mix added a sweetness and smoothness that it was lacking before.

Overall:

Limited Edition Archer Farms, Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee is not a very good flavored coffee on its own. In order for it to be tolerable I would suggest a very small dash of flavored creamer. Coconut worked very well in mine, as well as a french vanilla or cinnamon bun creamer.

Alone with milk, all you taste is a whole lot of pumpkin puree flavoring, which really kills the actual essence of the coffee.

This one gets 2 stars out of 5 from me.
4 stars out of 5 when you add a flavored creamer.



 

Review of Yankee Candle, Pumpkin Patch

Over the past 2 years or so, I have completely skipped out on buying Yankee Candles. There came a point where I was buying them regularly, only to come home and find that as soon as they were lit up, the scent vanished. Yankee was known for high quality candles, and suddenly (at least for me), the quality was no longer found, and cheaper candles were delivering a higher potency in fragrance.

While Yankee diminished off of my radar when shopping for candles, their prices still remained blown out of proportion. They would be prices that would be justified had their candles been any good.

About a week ago though, someone gave me one as a gift. I was excited because it had been a long time since I lit up a Yankee Candle, and I was curious as to whether or not the quality in their candles had been raised back to what it once was.

This candle was labeled Pumpkin Patch, and initially, like all candles, it smelled fantastic in the jar. Pumpkin Patch had a warm pumpkin pie note to it, with a creamy spiced cinnamon tint to the scent. I liked it, and I liked it a lot. I hoped though that when I lit it, the scent would stand strong.

Results:

Well I am a Yankee Candle fan again. It took a long time to get me back, but they managed to convince me that their candles are worth the splurge. Pumpkin Patch smelled delicious, and it took only 10 minutes of burn time for the fragrance to begin to swirl throughout the room and fill it up entirely.

The pumpkin scent is true to what I smelled before I lit the candle, and the warmth of the cinnamon spice remained as well.

All in all Yankee Candle, Pumpkin Patch was the perfect scent for my home to begin kicking off this fall season.

Review: The Dog Bakery, Gourmet Meal: Chicken Carrots, Green Beans and Rice Recipe

I came across a semi decent sized pouch of The Dog Bakery, Gourmet Meal: Chicken Carrots, Green Beans and Rice Recipe, at my local Walmart. Although it was a bit more pricey than what I normally would pay for dog food, I like to spoil my dogs every now and again, and there was more than enough in the pouch to satisfy both my large dog, and my toy sized dog.

Unfortunately though, I did not really know what I was getting, as the pouch is completely sealed with no viewing window to see exactly what this supposed gourmet meal looked like. By the looks of the photograph the company affixed to the package though, everything made it look like it would be a good solid, healthy meal for my dogs. However, any consumer knows, that looks can be deceiving.

Out of the Pouch:

The meal seriously did look good enough to eat, even for a human. I have had stews and pot pie fillings that looked almost the same, so I was happy with the overall appearance, and the aroma is fresh as well, and appealing to what I believed my dogs would like.

Did They Eat It?

That's the main question, no matter how good it looked to me, and how appealing the aroma was, everything would be pretty wasteful if they didn't touch it.

My larger dog scoffed his portion down in a record time, which was not unusual, this dog is a glutton and will usually eat everything. Now my little guy is the picky eater, and he simply gave his portion a sniff, and walked away.

All in all though, I feel that so long as your dog is not picky he will enjoy this one. Picky eaters may just give it a glance, so take this into consideration when purchasing the pouch.

Review of New Gain, Dreamy Desire Fabric Softener

Gain, Dreamy Desire Fabric Softener is truly something entirely brand new in the scent department when it comes to fabric softened fragrances. This one is so far outside of the box of what you would normally expect softener to smell like. It is so different, that it is simply desired. The name Gain gave this one was truly a perfect fit.

The Bottle:

This one sticks out like crazy compared to the other competitor softeners on the shelves. It has a joyful purple coloring to it that is both deep, and pastel in coloring. It sticks out, you find it easily, and like me, you will likely find yourself baffled by what Gain has done this time.

But the change is good, oh it is delicious.

The Scent:

I fell in love with the fragrance directly in the store. Dreamy Desire takes you there. I would call this scent a mood enhancer, and it gives off such a calm, soothing and relaxing fragrance, that your mood is instantly placed into a dreamy state. It'll make you yawn, but in a good way, not a bored one.

Dreamy Desire is a darker more alluring fragrance, it has a musky quality to it that is warm and makes you think of cuddling up in a fluffy blanket in front of a fireplace with your significant other.

Does the Scent Last:

The reason I turn to Gain 9 out of 10 times is due to the fact that I know how well their brand works. I know how long the scent lasts, and the company has never been one to dissapoint. I expected perfect results when it came to Gain, Dreamy Desire Fabric Softener.

As expected, the softener does not disappoint. It leaves clothes smelling like the delicious warm dark scent, a scent that will last and last. It does more than deliver long lasting addicting scent though, it also softens clothes better than any other brand I have tried. The soft feel of clothes transforms them into feeling brand new with each and every wash; where other brands will literally wipe away the threads of quality with each wash. Gain does the opposite.

Overall:

This is a spectacular new release by Gain, and I patiently await their next fragrance. I couldn't recommend this scent enough. It is one in which I think everyone will love.

Review of Limited Edition Febreze Air Effects, Cinnamon Sugar & Home

The fall season has finally approached, even though the weather in New York at this time would suggest otherwise. Regardless of these 80 degree extended summer days, the fall season is already in play, and a quick browse through local stores say so too.

With changing seasons, a lot of companies release fall fragrances for homes for us consumers to eat up and enjoy. You have to be quick though, as these consumer goods only last for a limited time, especially when they are themed for certain times of the year.

This is basically how Febreze Air Effects, Cinnamon Sugar & Home came about. This is a limited time fragrance for the home, and you will only find it this fall season (hopefully next fall season as well).

The scent captivated me the moment I took in a quick tester sniff at the store. Cinnamon Sugar & Home smells just like a freshly baked cinnamon bun baking in the oven.

Now the problem I had with Febreze fragrances last fall season is that they had this aftermath fragrance that smelled too strong, and the clean airy scent would literally distract from the actual fragrance advertised on the bottle. Febreze cleaned up that issue, and this particular scent delivers nothing but a fall burst of ooey gooey deliciousness.

The Last:

A lot of Air Effects fragrances are short lived when it comes to fragrances. They provided a quick boost of fresh scent, and then quickly diminished. It has always been one of Febreze's main downfalls. However over the past year or so, they have really managed to whip it up quite a few notches, and the fragrances now have a lasting, and lingering quality to them.

When it comes to Cinnamon Sugar & Home you get a quick burst of potent warm and buttery cinnamon fragrance, that actually lasts for quite some time after spraying just one spritz into the air.

I find that the higher you spray it, the longer the scent lingers. It does not just fall to the ground, it literally mists slowly throughout the room, drifting about and filling its entirety with the scent.

Overall:

Febreze Air Effects, Cinnamon Sugar & Home is a gorgeous fall fragrance, one I hope makes a comeback next fall season. It has a nice lasting quality to it, and the scent is simply addicting. I'd suggest getting one before they're gone.

Review of New Cocoa Puffs, Brownie Crunch Cereal

Cocoa Puffs, Brownie Crunch Cereal caught my eye immediately this past weekend. I have never seen anything being branched out from the Cocoa Puff brand before, so I was definitely excited to give it a try. It reminded me of when I was a child, getting excited over candy, a feeling that does not come too often anymore. Who would of guessed, it would be a cereal to awaken a sleeping inner child?

The box is pretty impossible to miss in the store; that is, if you actually are lucky enough to find a store carrying it.

It is brown, and features that same chocolatey cocoa puff bird on the boxes front, however it is easy to distinguish between the original Cocoa Puff cereal due to the picture on the box of the cereal, and the huge, cannot miss it, NEW logo and Brownie Crunch logo written largely over the main area of the box.

I was wondering if Cocoa Puffs, Brownie Crunch cereal would actually taste like a brownie; being one of my favorite pastries of all time, I truly hoped they managed to capture the essence of the real thing.

Eaten Dry:

At home, I tasted the cereal dry before adding milk. It is shaped like a brownie as best they could manage, so the vibe of bite sized brownie bits is there. However the flavor is more cocoa puff chocolate than it actually is a brownie.

I was slightly disappointed, and hoped that maybe when I added milk, the cereals chocolate taste wouldn't be as dominating. The brownie flavor is there, but it is more like an aftertaste, that does not last long, especially if you were to shovel the cereal in your mouth one bite after another. It'd be easy to miss a taste of the aftertaste.

With Milk:

So the brownie flavoring is very very subtle and weak when milk is added. Yes it's slightly disappointing that they even called this one Brownie Crunch, but I can't lie and say the cereal is bad, because it is anything but bad.

It does taste more like a chocolate cookie sort of cereal, and it does turn your milk into chocolate milk, but all in all it's actually really good. It's like Cocoa Puffs with a more burnt flavoring and new thicker texture.

All in all, I like it, and I'd buy it again. I do however wish it would have captured the flavor of an actual brownie though. That would have been interesting. Truly though, I suppose they can only go so far when it comes to flavoring of cereal.

Review of the New Keurig Platinum Brewing System

I am a coffee junkie, and for the past year now I have passed by Keurig Brewing Systems, with a scrunched up sad face. I kept telling myself eventually I will get one; but every time I nearly bought one, I could not justify spending that much money on a system. Lady luck decided to knock on my door when I was literally given a brand new one for half the price of what one would normally pay.

Instead of spending $100 on a standard system, I spent a mere $100.00 on the Keurig Platinum Brewing System.

Packaged with the system comes a 12 K Cup variety pack which includes some of Keurig's top sellers (although I personally would have chosen otherwise).

Appearance:

Nearly everyone I know refers to Keurig Brewing Systems as the Ferrari in coffee makers, and I have to say, since owning one that statement has lived up proudly and true.

The Keurig Platinum Brewing System is literally a gorgeous machine, with a near retro yet modernized shape to it. This particular model has a water chamber set off to the right, which glows a neat blue color when brewing. To the left you have your control panels which allows you to adjust you cup sizes, your waters temperature, and other things such as auto, which allows you to set the brewer to begin brewing automatically for you in the morning. The panel also includes a clock for you to adjust.

At the center you have your brewers K Cup holder, where you place your K Cups while waiting for the water to heat up to temp.

Set Up:

Setting the Keurig Platinum Brewing System up was simply a breeze. You will however want to run a few cycles of water through the water chamber and clean it out, or your first batch of coffee will tastelike plastic.

Once your chamber is clean and full of water, you can then insert your choice of K Cup into the holder and close it up. Wait until the system blinks that it is ready to brew, and hit the middle silver button to begin the brewing process.

The entire process of brewing a cup of coffee on a machine that was initially left off will take around 2 minutes.

Clean Up:

Besides the delicious hot fresh coffee this machine makes brewing your morning cup on the run an absolute diamond considering how fast and easy it is to clean. In a world that is moving fast, and quickly moving faster, this machine allows you to keep up with your daily demands, without stealing any time.

Clean up is as easy as lifting the K Cup chambers latch up, and chucking out the cup. No filters, no grinds, no mess at all. I wished I had purchased one ages ago.

The Coffee:

With over 200 brands of K Cups you will never have to worry about not having enough variety to choose from. Keurig even offers limited edition flavors of coffees, teas and even hot cider, which you will see coming around during the fall and winter seasons.

Overall:

Perfectly fresh, hot and delicious coffee every time, with zero hassle. It's like having a coffee shoppe in your very own kitchen, and I could not recommend this system enough!

Review of Coffee People, the Original Donut Shop Coffee- K Cups

It takes a special coffee company to be able to make a coffee both bitter and weak at the same time. However some marvelous companies manage to totally screw up the formula and deliver acidic, muddy water and call it coffee.

This is basically how I felt about Coffee People, The Original Donut Shop Coffee K Cups.

I knew immediately I wouldn't like this one as it brewed. The thing was, it did not deliver much of an aroma, so I knew it would be weak. I had no idea that when I actually tasted it, that it would deliver a weak and bitter flavor all rolled into one.

The brew itself was very light, with a lack of aroma, however the party in your mouth told a different tale. Coffee People, The Original Donut Shop Coffee initially is runny and watery, then suddenly this acidic bitterness spikes up every taste bud, leaving you with one lasting impression. Blech!

Adding extra cream or sugar also did this cup of coffee no justice. It just tastes more milky and still the bitterness outweighs it all.

All in all I had high hopes for this one. I liked the cute labeling they placed on the K Cups lid, and normally I would buy something like that, something with fancy labels. However I have learned that when it comes to K Cups, a lot of companies add these fancy labels, and deliver the worst flavors. This being the top offender.

Overall:

If you actually want to enjoy your cup of morning brew, then simply steer clear of this one. There is nothing pleasing about it; unless of course you prefer a watery bitter blend.

Review of Green Mountain Naturals, Hot Apple Cider K Cups

A week ago I spotted a box of Green Mountain Naturals, Hot Apple Cider K Cups for sale in a local superstore. A week ago I did not have a Keurig brewer when I spotted them. A few dayslater I had my brewer, and these Hot Apple Cider K Cups popped right back into my head, as one of the first non-coffee K Cups I would be trying.

With it being the fall season, and winter around the corner, I knew these would be nice to have on hand, as it is always cozy to snuggle up to a burning fireplace with a cup of hot cider in hand.

I hoped they would be as all natural and authentic as the box claimed though, otherwise we were going to have a whole lot of them on hand after trying them. Sometimes I wish they'd sell these K Cups singular for those just looking to try them.

While Brewing:

The Keurig brewer does do these Hot Apple Cider K Cups justice while it brews. A sweet and authentic red delicious apple scent floods the room quickly, with just the right pinch of cinnamon. I couldn't wait to try it, but had to wait for it to cool off.

Flavor:

I am not a huge hot cider fan by nature, I just enjoy a cup of it a few times during the winter season, but I have to say Green Mountain Naturals, Hot Apple Cider K Cups was by far my favorite hot cup of cider I have ever had.

I had come across reviews online slamming this flavor, but I have to say I have no idea what they are talking about, and perhaps they have brewers that are not functioning properly. To call this one weak? I beg to differ.

This hot cider had a delicious and strong flavoring of apple and cinnamon, with no strange aftertaste as described by a few others. Again, perhaps cleaning the system will help?
This Hot Apple Cider tastes like a fresh juiced apple, with a pinch of cinnamon and no sugar is needed as it has the perfect balance of sweetness already added. You simply add the K Cup to your Keurig and let the system do the rest.

Delivered to you is a perfect seasonal cup of hot apple cider.

I have no complaints, and I would recommend it to anyone looking to try it out.

Review of Green Mountain Coffee Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice K Cups

Pumpkin flavored coffee is literally one of those flavors that I wait all year for, and once that time of year comes, shelves line up with new limited edition pumpkin flavored delights. Pumpkin flavored coffee has always been something I would stock up on, just to ensure a good stock before the flavor vanished once again.

When I spotted Green Mountain Coffee Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice K Cups, I was very excited to try it. I hated having to spend $11.00 however just to try it. I still wish that Keurig would offer customers the option to purchase singular K Cups just to try them, otherwise you are stuck with a box of garbage you will never use.

That is pretty much where Green Mountain Coffee Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice K Cups lands. A box of wasted funds.

While brewing up the coffee, the aroma was promising. It had a very realistic pumpkin pie quality to it, which was both pleasing and mood enhancing for me. However once I added my cream, and sprinkled in my sugar, the entire fall experience vanished once I tasted the coffee.

Green Mountain Coffee Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice K Cups, to better put it, tasted like garbage.

For me it was equivalent to brewing up a pot of coffee, and adding old pumpkin pie slices to the pot of coffee, letting it sit for a month, then dipping a dirty rag into the old moldy brew, then ringing out the rag into this K Cup to call it Green Mountain Coffee Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice K Cups.

It tasted just like that, old pumpkin pie rag water.

Overall:

Too bad about this one. There is only one other pumpkin flavored K Cup on the market, and I hear that one is pretty rancid as well. It really stinks to have to be without my fall favorite flavored cup of Joe this season. I guess I will just have to buy this one at a coffee shop.

Review of Celestial Seasonings, Perfect Iced Tea- Half Black Tea Half & Lemonade, K Cups

I have never been a big fan of hot tea, however I do enjoy trying out different flavors of iced tea, and when my significant other began displaying signs of interest in my Keurig Brewing Machine, he went out on his own and bought a box of Celestial Seasonings, Perfect Iced Tea- Half Black Tea Half & Lemonade, K Cups.
Seeing that he is not a fan of coffee, he began buying teas for the system. Score for me, more K Cups to try for free!
I had been brewing up coffee all week long on the brewer and could not wait to try out his newest find. Having to wait for my turn to try it out was killing me with anticipation.

As it brews it smells fantastic, fresh, but at the same time it lacked in sweetness. It was obvious when it came to this one, you would have to add your own additives to sweeten it up.

You must fill your cup with ice and sugar, otherwise your result will taste like plain hot tea, however, If that is your thing, then by all means leave out the sugar, but for me, personally, this iced tea tasted like freshly brewed iced tea heaven.

We brewed the tea on the hottest setting, in order to really strip the K Cup of all of the flavor it had to offer, however we had to add a little more ice after the process was over, this does not distract the flavor any or water it down.

Overall:

All in all, you are left with a fast, easy to make cup of freshly brewed iced tea, and the flavor is perfect. It's got a very nice and distinct black tea flavoring, with a teeny tiny aftertaste of lemonade, making it so you do not have to add your own lemon wedge. There is nothing fake about the flavor, it will likely become one of your favorite K Cups to come back to time and time again. A perfect summer brew, but we will drink this one year round.

Review of Emeril's Gourmet Coffee, Big Easy Bold Big Easy Intense K Cups

Maybe I am weird, maybe the scent of coffee being poured, and then left in an ashtray is a scent only a few slobs like myself ever encounter.

You know...like when you light your ashtray on fire because you were too lazy to empty it out and all you have on hand for an extinguisher is your cup of coffee.

Then you are to lazy to clean the ashtray out still, even after the fire and coffee extinguisher mess.

Maybe you have never been there before, but I have, so I know the stink pretty well, and well enough.

Emeril's Gourmet Coffee, Big Easy Bold Big Easy Intense K Cups smells just like that slobby mess while it brews. A distinct and gross scent that smells just like that, an old ashtray and a sour twang of coffee in the mix.

Brewing this one was pretty gross, but it was a bold coffee, and bold is not something I usually ever drink, so I figured maybe this sour funky scent was normal. I figured I'd just add a bunch more cream and sugar than usual to kill this scent.

The Flavor:

As the scent, went the flavor, even with a whole heap of cream and extra sugar to lighten this one up, my overall flavor was that of ashtray scrapings and coffee. It was disgusting.

Overall:

Unless you are into this sort of funktastic flavor, I would skip out on this one entirely. I am glad it was a freebie in the sampler box that came with my brewer. I expected more from such a pristine name in the industry, and had I spent money on a box of this garbage I would have been really angry.

Review of Caribou Coffee, Caribou Blend K Cups

When you purchase a Keurig Brewing System, more than likely your purchase will come wth a 12 K Cup Variety sampler pack. Basically this is the only reason I got hold of Caribou Coffee, Caribou Blend K Cups. All in all it did not look like a coffee I would purchase, as I am more into unique flavors or limited edition spiced flavors.

Seeing that it was pretty much free and thrown my way, I was not going to skip out on trying it.

While Brewing:

The Caribou Coffee, Caribou Blend K Cup smelled promising while it was brewing in the Keurig, so I felt confident in thinking that my cup of Joe would taste as divine as it had smelled.

I added my usual packet of sugar, and a dash of milk.

The Flavor:

Out of the 6 or so varieties I have tried thus far, Caribou Coffee, Caribou Blend has got to be one of my least favorites in the entire batch.

I brew my coffee on the Keurig using the standard 8 ounce mug size, and usually my coffee comes out perfect, with a nice balance of flavor and strength.

When it came to brewing an 8 ounce cup of Caribou Coffee, Caribou Blend, the story was much different. The coffee has a very obvious watery quality to it, followed by this ultra bitter, ultra bad aftertaste.

The aftertaste is so bitter that using some of my flavored creamers could not do this one justice. Instead you end up with a watery brew, with flavor and a nasty bittery aftertaste that lingers regardless of what you add.

Overall:

All in all, I was glad to have been given the freebie K Cup to try, at least I know now what brand to avoid for future purchases.

Recommended?

No, not unless watery and bittery coffee is what you desire.

Review of Green Mountain Coffee, Nantucket Blend K Cups

Green Mountain Coffee, Nantucket Blend K Cups came with my Keurig Platinum Brewer in a sampler pack. Normally I would only seek flavored coffee's, but I was glad to have gotten this particular K Cup for free, because I pretty much fell in love with it's flavor.

I had been let down with a few of the free samples by Green Mountain, so I was not expecting to be all that thrilled with the Nantucket Blend. My initial thoughts however were dead wrong, and this one ended up being my favorite freebie in the bunch.

With Cream & Sugar:

Green Mountain's Nantucket Blend has a really nice aroma when brewing. It had a strong roasted quality to it's scent, followed by a freshness that I knew would be a great cup of coffee even before trying it out.

I added my usual rounds of cream and sugar and was pleasantly surprised at how high quality; borderline gourmet this one tasted.

It's not a strong or bold cup of coffee, which was fine by me, as I have never been a big fan of the deeper bold flavors some companies offer. Instead what I got was (according to my palette) a delicious medium roasted blend of perfection. The flavoring of the coffee is just enough to compliment my cream and sugar without it being too watery or sugary tasting.

There is no bitter aftertaste, nor is there anything flat, old or unpleasant about this K Cup.

Overall:

Green Mountain, Nantucket Blend is by far one of my favorite non-flavored K Cups I have come across thus far. Dunkin Donuts makes a decent K Cup on their original blend, but this one just stands out due to it not having that burnt aftertaste that the Dunkin Donuts original version has.

Recommendation:

This one is for those who love coffee, but do not like the deeper bold dark roasts that plague the market. It's perfect for those who like the strength of their coffee to be right smack in between.

Review of Cafe' Escapes, Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa K Cups

 It is times like these when you wish that you could buy your K Cups individually, just to try them. If you like them, then you can go back and buy a big ole' box. Sadly, I am not stuck with a whole heap of Cafe' Escapes, Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa K Cups, because they are truly that disgusting.

I picked them up initially after growing excited about buying a new Platinum Keurig Brewing System, so I went wild and bought up every box of K Cups that looked like something I'd want to try. Unfortunately they are expensive, and if you hate the flavor, you are stuck with the cups.

In this case, I couldn't even give them away.

Cafe' Escapes, Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa K Cups when brewing even smell semi funky, like a malty sort of twang to it that you will note right away. I oped though that the scent was just off, and that the cocoa itself would actually taste good.

The Flavor:

It tasted like watered down malty milk with just a hint of something chocolatey, but that flavor is totally crushed by this disgusting fake aftertaste. This is caused by the addition of Splenda, which is ridiculous to add to cocoa.

I was really bummed out when it came to this purchase. I tried adding marshmallows and whipped cream to try and amp up the flavor, but nothing, and I mean nothing, could do this one justice.

Overall:

These K Cups are majorly overpriced for what you get, which is a gross aftertaste, a watery initial flavor. I would not even consider this one hot cocoa.

Review of Mainstay, Pumpkin Spice Candle

That time of year is approaching where I go out on a mission for new fragrances for the house. I pack away all of my summery floral fragrances and snatch up new fall and winter scents.

When I came across a cheap candle at Walmart called Mainstay, Pumpkin Spice Candle I was not expecting the candle to deliver such a powerfully packed scent. However when I lifted it up to my nose for a test, I was surprised at how potent and delicious the candle smelled.

Unlit:

Mainstay, Pumpkin Spice Candle smelled like warm baked pumpkin pie. It had a very authentic pumpkin pie fragrance, mixed with the perfect warm vanilla and cinnamon spice. It seriously smelled good enough to eat.

I hoped that when I got it home to light it, that it would give off the same scent. Many candles smell great in their jar, yet when I light them up and wait for the scent to disperse throughout the home, it either does nothing, or the scent changes.

When Lit:

The candle has 3 wicks, and when lit each wick, it took around 15 minutes for me to really pick up on the scent. Once it got going though the scent grew stronger and more delicious, in turn flooding up our entire kitchen with the delicious baked pumpkin pie fragrance. The scent never seemed to change, nor did the scent seem cheap.

Overall:

The candle came to under $5.00, and it has by far been one of my top fall favorites thus far, and I have burned quite a few other pumpkin candles. Mainstay, Pumpkin Spice Candle however seemed to give of the strongest, and most authentic set in my bunch.

All in all, this one is a winner, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a pumpkin fragrance.

Review of Limited Edition Air Wick Candle, Winter & Candlelight Warmth

Every year, around the fall season I begin my annual stock up of seasonally scented candles, as fall and winter fragrances are my favorite. Sadly, I only come across these limited edition fragrances once a year, so it is natural to do a test run with newly released scents to decide if it's something I want to stock up on.

Limited Edition Air Wick Candle, Winter & Candlelight Warm is by far a candle that I will be heading back for to do a stock up on.

Anyhow, when it comes to Air Wick, I have never before viewed them as a fragrance company that would manage to stick around for too long, especially ever since Glade picked up their slack, and Febreze took over in nearly every department relating to home fragrances, from candles, plug ins, and even laundry detergent.

However after coming across Limited Edition Air Wick Candle, Winter & Candlelight Warm, I am pretty confident that Air Wick will hold their own, and do it without issue.

This particular candle comes in a cup shaped frosted glass, inside you have a pretty robins egg blue colored wax, which does in fact remind you of arctic iceberg ice. It's pretty, but gives off a wintery vibe when looking at it.

The Scent:

Limited Edition Air Wick Candle, Winter & Candlelight Warm smells simply fantastic and it gives off a unique icy type of scent. It's scent initially is that of a fresh running river, but with this perfect hint of cool and refreshing mountain air topped with a fresh blanket of snow.

When lit, the candle gives off the same scent that I got from the initial in store sniff test.

The Last:

The candle begins to disperse this iced scent nearly immediately, which I really liked. While burning the scent never changed, which was a major plus in my opinion.

After the candle is blown out, the scent will linger for a very long time, which is another major wow factor for me.

Overall:

Limited Edition Air Wick Candle, Winter & Candlelight Warm floods a room quickly with this wintery blizzard like fragrance, which is unique and definitely new to what is out there as far as competition goes. I would recommend this one to just about anyone who enjoys a fragrance that manages to capture an actual outdoor scent.

For $5.00, I do not think I could find a better wintery candle.

Review of Glade Peppermint Crush Room Spray

Ho! Ho! Ho! The holidays are approaching, and just about every home fragrance company already has their holiday line of fragrances packed up and shelved for consumers. Glade in particular has released some new gems, and I have to give them props, this company was borderline failing a few years ago with the lack of eye candy on shelves. Over the past 2 years though, they have revamped their home fragrance line with enticing and eye catching new products.

Glade, Peppermint Crush Room Spray caught my eye immediately, and even while sitting on a bottom shelf in the fragrance isle.

The can is a pretty ruby red, featuring 2 candy canes overlapping one another. I was not sure what to expect from it, as most companies that release a peppermint fragrance never manage to hit the mark when it comes to something people would want to smell in their homes. Glade however managed to bottle up a very uplifting scent, which definitely captured the essence of the Christmas holiday.

Glade, Peppermint Crush Room Spray smells like a candy cane, that's for sure, but it is not overwhelming or too peppermint like. It has a warm undertone of something more vanilla cream in the peppermint mix which works well, and blends with the peppermint fragrance perfectly.

Does It Last?

Many room sprays have a glorious scent when you first spray them around the room, but sadly many of them also fizzle out just as quickly as they come flowing out of the can.

When it comes to this particular holiday fragrance, the scent does have some lasting effect, however they are not very long lived. You can detect the scent if you leave the room and come back 10 minutes later, but after that, there is not much left that you will notice.

Overall:

The scent is delicious, brings in a holiday essence, but does not really stick around that long. The plus however, is that a very small spray of it floods the room quickly. If the scent could stick around for a loner period of time though, this one would have been a 5 star home fragrance. However due to it's lack in staying power, I'd flop a 3 star rating on it.