The Nutritionist Reviews

November 30, 2011

Dachshund Skin Problems...Please Help!

Hi, thanks so much for stopping by my blog. I'm Amanda, a registered dietitian that does product reviews and giveaways, healthy recipes and more. For any nutrition related questions or other questions or comments, please email me at achernandez711@yahoo.com _________________________________________________________________________________ Dachshund Skin Problems Pictures ***To find out what happened to my sweet Ava, click here for the update. Dachshund Skin Problems I am coming to all of you needing some help. My 2 year old dachshund Ava has gotten the skin condition over the last year or so and I can't take it anymore. I have been to the vet 3 times (3 different vets) and no one knows what it is. Literally, the vet opened his vet book and searched for 20 minutes right in front of me searching for something. Dachshund Skin Issues -About a year ago, she went bald on her chest. -About 6 months ago, little tiny flat dots started showing up on her chest. They are

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November 29, 2011

To February Review and Giveaway

To February is a company that specialized in Asian fashions.  They sell a bit of clothing and tons of different jewelry options. Their items are very affordable (about $7-11 or so) and come in the latest fashions. Here is a little bit of information about the company :  ToFebruary.com is an online store specializing in bringing you Asia's uniquely cute and colorful fashion, jewelries, and accessories. All items sold here come from Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, or China and many selling products are featured in Asian Inspired Fashion magazines such as Japan's hit fashion magazine, ViVi. Here at ToFebruary, we value each and every one of our customers and strive to make every transaction a fast, successful, and most of all, happy one! I love this cross and key necklace! I could wear it somewhere more formal like church or out to dinner. This necklace on the To February site says that it is a T. I think that it looks more like a cross but a T works too beca

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November 28, 2011

Thanksgiving with Family 2011

 Troy and I  Me, Olivia (my brother's girlfriend), and Natalie (my sister)  Troy and I being weirdos : )

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November 28, 2011

Ryders Eyewear Review

Ryders Eyewear is a company that sells all different kinds of athletic sunglasses. They sell products for men and women and also carry snow goggles.  Th ey offer 100% UVA, UVB, and UVC protection.  They have optically-correct, scratch-resistant,  shatterproof , polycarbonate performance lenses.  Most models feature high-performance features such as anti-slip hydrophilic temple tips and/or nose pads that  get tackier as you sweat, preventing bouncing or sliding. Frames are made with TR90, a material known for its extreme flexibility and lightweight properties. There are a bounty of lens and frame options that are available. For my review, I chose two pairs of sunglasses. One is the Duchess sunglasses on the right which retail for $39.99. I like these because they have more coverage from the sun than many other sunglasses but are still stylish.  I've been wearing these on the couple of sunny days in the last week.   The other sunglasses that I was sent are the Defcon Pol

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November 28, 2011

Tiny Footprints Coffee Review and Giveaway

I'm a  girl who loves to have one cup of coffee everyday. I love to try new kinds of coffee and when I saw this Tiny Footprint Coffee on my friend Alli's blog , I knew I had to try it. I chose the light roast, ground coffee to review. The coffee comes in a 1 lb bag and has a lot of great meaning behind it.  The coffee is organic and is carbon negative. My opinion, the coffee tastes great! It is very flavorful and tastes perfect with just a splash of milk. Here is some information about the coffee : Our organic 100% Arabica coffee beans are shade grown on small, rustic family-owned farms known for producing some of the finest organic coffee beans in the world. It’s here, in rugged, remote places like Ethiopia, Sumatra and El Salvador that our beans begin their long journey from vine to coffee mug. Once harvested, the green beans are roasted in small batches on a vintage, German-built “Probat” roaster retro-fitted with modern fuel efficient burners. The result is a

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November 27, 2011

Jonathan's Spoons Review and Giveaway

I love to cook and try out new kitchen equipment and tools. I found Jonathan's Spoons in a magazine and became quickly interested. These spoons are made of cherry wood and are excellent quality.  For my review, I was sent the original lazy spoon, wiggle spoon, large spatula, and chowder spoon to test out. Here is some information about the company: "My collection of handcrafted cherry wood utensils has evolved over 30 years of experimentation in the woodshop and kitchen. These spoons can serve anything, from soup to spaghetti, pudding to pie; they can spread, scoop, strain, whisk, ladle, grab, cut, peel, paddle, or pour. Use them at the stove or on the table. I hope you'll enjoy the balance, function and quality we have built into every utensil and that they will serve you with pleasure for many years." I like all of the spoons that I was sent but my favorite is definitely the lazy spoon (second from the left).  It goes on the edge of a pot and stays the

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November 26, 2011

Belle Banquet Review and Giveaway

Belle Banquet is a company that sells different fancy placemats for get togethers. They are pretty affordable in price (often $24 for a 6 pack) and come in all different styles and colors. For my review, I was sent a 6 pack of the Harvest and Orange placemats. I really like both of the placemats that I was sent! They are fun patterns and the Harvest one looks like it could be great for the holidays.  If you are having people over for a holiday party, Belle Banquet placemats would look nice.  Also, these could be given as a gift to someone who loves to host parties or something. Here is some information about Belle Banquet: Belle Banquet sets a beautiful table! Make your table a work of art with our exclusive place settings. These unique placemats will enhance any occasion whether eating alone at your kitchen counter, entertaining friends, or throwing a belle banquet. Crisp clear images that relay the elegance of the past. The perfect gift for a hostess, bridal shower o

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November 25, 2011

Guayaki Yerba Mate Review

I have been wanting to try yerba mate for a couple years now. I actually saw this product at my local Meijer and was contacted by the company the same day asking if I wanted to try it! For my review, I was sent the organic yerba mate and the pure empower mint from Guayaki .  Guayaki is a company that is organic and sustainable. To be honest, I was not sure what to expect since I had never tried yerba mate before.  Here is some information on what yerba mate actually is: "yerba mate, it’s a traditional tea-like leaf native to the South American rainforest revered for centuries as a powerful rejuvenator.  Yerba mate has the strength of coffee, the health benefits of green tea and the euphoria of chocolate. " I tried a cup of each on different days and loved them both.  The yerba mate is slightly sweet and tastes very similar to green tea.  The pure empower mint was very minty and fresh.  I really enjoyed the mint tea with a little honey creamer in it. Here is so

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November 23, 2011

PackIt Review

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PackIt for SocialSpark . All opinions are 100% mine.   PackIt lunch boxes are a bag that I use every day.  I take my orange bag with polka dots (the same one seen in the picture above) all over it to work Monday-Friday.  The bag can hold a good amount of stuff and keeps the food pretty cold too.  The bag is good for all ages and when I was at my school rotation for my internship, I saw a first grade girl with the same bag. Adults and children can both enjoy the PackIt. Before using the PackIt, I would take my lunch in a brown paper bag which of course did not keep it cold enough.  The PackIt keeps the food cold for 3-4 hours pretty well. What's really easy about this bag is that the cooling system is built right in and you don't have to add your own ice boxes or anything. Watch this video to learn more information about PackIt: ***Right now, on the Pac

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November 23, 2011

Vegetarian Purple Shepherd's Pie

 On Friday, I wanted to make a nice dinner for my husband and I but had not defrosted any ground venison that I wanted to use to make a shepherd's pie.  I remembered about some Harmony Valley vegetarian meat substitute that I was sent and decided to try that out. I was nervous to try it because it came from a mix but actually was excellent. Also, why is this meal purple? Well, I used purple potatoes! They taste the same as regular and are higher in vitamins and minerals than white potatoes. Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie Serves: 6-8                  Prep Time: 30 minutes          Total cook and prep time: 1 hour Ingredients: 3 large carrots, diced 1/2 lb frozen peas 1 diced white onion 1 package Harmony Valley meat substitute 1 lb purple potatoes 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1 cup 2% milk 2 tablespoons goat cheese Directions: 1. Follow directions on Harmony Valley bag for so

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November 22, 2011

Nutra Sonic Review

Nutraluxe is a company that sells different skin, lip, body, and hair products.  Specifically, they sell a product called the Nutra Sonic which is a professional face cleansing brush.  I have always wanted one of these brushes to ensure that my face is getting a proper cleaning and finally got one to review! What I like about it is that it gives your face a great cleaning but is gentle enough that it doesn't hurt.  It claims to also help reduce wrinkles and make you look younger. I am pretty prone to getting blackheads on my nose and this product is great because it helps to unclog pores. This kit retails for $139. Here are some of the benefits of the product:  • Fully Waterproof and rechargeable, use it without risk in the shower, tub or at the sink • Comes with 3 brush heads for Sensitive Skin - Normal Skin - All over Body Brush • Removes 6x more makeup than manual cleansing • Leaves skin feeling and looking smoother • Increases performance of skin care products thro

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November 20, 2011

Design with Vinyl Review

  Design with Vinyl is a company that sells all different vinyl decals for walls . I have a few vinyl wall decals up in my current home and contacted this company to review some of their decals for my new home.  Since we do not move in for a couple of months, I just chose items that I knew that I wanted to put up.  I chose the 1st quote above to go in my family room or upstairs somewhere. I love the cursive handwriting and it is a great bible quote. For the below quote, I chose that to go somewhere in my entryway.    For the "To Live Well is to Eat Well" quote, that will go in a little eating room right off the kitchen. Finally, the last quote which is the laundry room quote will go in my laundry room. Since I could not actually hang these right now, I just took them out of the tube that they were sent in and started to peel the letters off the paper to check the quality.  The removable vinyl lettering seems to be a very nice quality and the colors are bold and

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November 19, 2011

San Diego Pretzel Company Review and Giveaway

I've always been a big fan of hot pretzels at the mall and was excited to try this large Bavarian pretzel by the San Diego Pretzel Company .  I was sent the Jumbo Gift Pretzel which retails for $19.99.  It comes with the extra huge pretzel seen above, mini mustard, pretzel salt, and a pretzel shaped pencil. Last week, my husband and I sprinkled a little of the salt on the pretzel and threw it in the oven for 6-10 minutes.  It got nice and hot and a little crispy.  The pretzel was delicious; especially dipped in the mustard.  It was a really fun snack for my husband and I to share.  This pretzel easily feeds 2 people but could also feed 3-4 depending on how hungry you are. The pretzels are a high quality and taste very fresh considering that they were sent in the mail.  This pretzel would be a great gift for Christmas for someone you know. I would definitely recommend it to someone who loves a fun treat and who likes pretzels. Giveaway The giveaway will be for the Jumbo Ba

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November 18, 2011

Ornaments with Love Review and Giveaway

What's better for a holiday gift than a personalized ornament? I was very excited to review this ornament from Ornaments with Love . The company makes tons of kinds of ornaments and it was hard to choose which one to do. I loved the teacher one for my husband who is a teacher and the one with the couple and two dogs. My husband and I just purchased a home and I decided to create an ornament related to that. I love the ornament that I was sent and will give it to my husband this weekend for a pre Christmas gift. The ornament is affordable and retails for $15.95. The ornament is actually made of bread dough also! I can't wait to hang this on our Christmas tree. What really impressed me was how fast the order shipped! It was here within a week of ordering it which is great! Here is some information about the company: Ornaments with Love is a company run by a family that has been in the retail gifts business for over 50 years. For the past 16 years, we have taken our experi

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November 17, 2011

Diamond Candles Review and Giveaway

I've been seeing Diamond Candles around the blogosphere for some time now and wanted to have one myself.  Diamond Candles is a company that makes soy candles with a ring inside of each one. The ring values vary from $10, $50, $100, or $1000.  Each candle burns on average from 125-160 hours. For my review, I sent the pecan pie candle. It was hard to choose which candle I wanted because there were many scents that sounded great such as carnival candy, cinnamon tea, pumpkin chai, etc.  For the last month or so, I have loved to have a candle burning in the evenings to make my home smell nice and also to give a feeling of coziness. On Saturday, I started to burn my candle. It made the whole house smell awesome like pecan pie! The candle burned slowly and by Sunday night, I was able to fish my ring out of the wax.  It is a beautiful ring (see below)! I was impressed. I have no idea how much the ring costs but it is very pretty and I will definitely wear it. Sorry for the picture

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November 16, 2011

Triple Grain Review

1. Oogie's Gourmet Popcorn I've always been a big popcorn fan and love trying new flavors. Oogie's Gourmet Popcorn definitely has some very unique flavors. Chili Con Queso, Sun-dried tomato and parmesan, cracked pepper & asiago? Those are all definitely new-to-me flavors and I couldn't wait to dig in.  My favorite flavor is definitely the cracked pepper & asiago.  It is so flavorful. You can really taste the asiago cheese flavor and the pepper is not too overpowering. The popcorn seemed a lot fresher than most packaged popcorns.  It is a little addictive and once I opened the bag, I could not stop eating it. Something else about popcorn, did you know that it is a whole grain? Yep! That's one of the qualities that I love about it. The cracked pepper & asiago has 150 calories, 3 grams of fiber, and 3 grams of protein per 2 1/2 cup serving. I love that with popcorn, you can have a pretty big serving for not too many calories. If I find this product in

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November 15, 2011

Tassimo Professional

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tassimo for SocialSpark . All opinions are 100% mine. Have you tried out any of the Tassimo products before? I have not but have read great things about them.  Right now, Tassimo is offering a neat deal where you can try their cappuccinos and lattes in your office at work for free.  They are doing demos of the  Tassimo Professional single cup specialty hot beverage system.  To sign up for the demo, just go to the  Tassimo Professional free demo site. Are you going to sign up? From what I have read about the Tassimo Pro, people tend to rave about it.  They talk about the high quality taste of the product.  The company says that it creates a coffee house style of beverage right from your home or office.  The drinks can be made using real Gevalia espresso and real milk creamer. You can make it whatever variety you like. There are tons of different combinations to make. Also, they u

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November 15, 2011

Jacob Bromwell Review and Giveaway

Jacob Bromwell is a company that sells different kinds of cookware for anyplace you could imagine. They specialize in cooking items for a campfire, kitchen, and fireplace.  For my review, I chose the Coloma Colander which retails for $29.99. They also focus on making products like they used to me made in the "good 'ol days". The coloma colander is a gold colored colander that is made with authentic materials like it was 200 years ago. It is made with anodized aluminum and is very light.  This past weekend, I drained a whole bunch of cooked greens in it.  Despite the light weight of the colander, it is very sturdy. The product is made in the USA and is handcrafted. Some other products that Jacob Bromwell makes are a chestnut roaster, original popcorn popper, pioneer folding toaster, etc. Again, the focus of these items is to make them like they were made 200 years ago. The company was actually started way back in 1819 and is America's oldest hardwares company. 

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November 14, 2011

New Wave Enviro Review and Giveaway

As I have stated a few times before on the blog, I always pack my own lunch from home and drink water all day long like crazy.  I recently got together with New Wave Enviro to review one of their fun and bright colored lunch bags as well as one of their stainless steel water bottles. The company focuses on eco-nomical living (eco friendly and economical) by having reusable products that can often be disposable. Since I knew that I could get so much use out of both of these products, I was very excited to try them out.  I was sent the Lunchopolis lunch box and an insulated stainless steel water bottle.  First of all, I love the fun and bright colored swirls on the lunch box.  Inside is a few small tupperware containers and a small container for a drink.  I like to pack my food in little containers like this so that is great.  Although this lunch box is probably mostly geared for kids, I really like it and can use it myself. The stainless steel water bottle is actually a double wa

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