Cascade Platinum Dishwasher Pacs (#sponsored by Mom Central Consulting)

~I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating~

little miss likes to help with everything

For those who follow this blog regularly, you know we moved into our first home this past Fall. I wrote a few posts about it, and in one of them I complained about all of the problems we encountered. One of the problems was a supposedly working dishwasher, that did not get our dishes clean. I know I have really high cleaning standards, but even a moderately messy person would not have been okay with the results of our dishwasher. Thankfully, our home warranty covered a repair. It turns out the water line was pretty much broken and an easy fix. The dishwasher is still not the newest, top-of-the-line dishwasher I'd love to have, but it's average. And that's okay.
 

We are a family of 4, and use plenty of dishes. By being a SAHM, I think we use more dishes than a two-parent working family since we are using dishes at home all day. Additionally, eating out is a super-rare occasion for us, period. I use our dishwasher every day and a half to two days, but could run it every night if I wasn't trying to be so eco-conscious. I hand wash cookware, like pots and griddles, and other large items like a colander.
I hate the concept of rinse-then-wash. Seems silly! I do it only when the dishes have portions of food left, or if globs of ketchup or the like remains. I think something that helps me not have to do so much rinsing is our use of Cascade dishwasher detergent. I've tried store brands, and love the price, but not the results. I've tried other leading brands too, but none of them work as good as Cascade. Cascade leaves our dishes cleaner, with minimal or no film, and allows me to maintain my no-rinse lifestyle.

For the past 3 years or so, I've only bought Cascade Action Pacs. My favorite had been the yellow Pacs that had bleach in them, because I felt they worked the best. They became really hard to find (I'd usually buy 3 or 4 bags when I could find them!). I used the blue kind (power of Dawn) when yellow wasn't available. In the past few months, I bought Cascade Complete Pacs to see if they made a difference. They were originally on sale and I was tired of some occasional film left on glasses or plates. Turns out there is quite a difference between Complete and the original Pacs. I definitely think Complete is worth the higher cost.

At the same time I was switching to Complete, I saw that Cascade released new Platinum Dishwasher Pacs too. They have an additional feature--they help keep your dishwasher clean! I wasn't ready to commit to the even higher price of the Platinum Pacs in the store, so when I was given the opportunity to review them for Mom Central, I jumped at it!! I feel super qualified to review the newest Cascade product because I've been brand loyal to them for as long as I can remember (a few months after we got married, I think, so around 4 years).

Here's how it breaks down within the Cascade family of Pacs;

• Action -- contain the grease fighting power of Dawn, fight coffee and tea stains, offers brilliant shine on dishes, and does a good job of leaving dishes virtually spot free
• Complete -- all of the above including a better job of leaving dishes virtually spot free PLUS advanced tough-food cleaning (24 food dried-on)
• Platinum -- all of the above PLUS the best film protection for a sparkling machine and dishes

Platinum has 3 different awesome power ingredients, Complete has 2, and regular action Pacs have 1 (not pictured) in addition to the Cascade detergent on the bottom of the Pac

In my experience, there is a big difference between Action and Complete Pacs, but not a noticeable one between Complete and Platinum. I do think there was a small difference in film residue. My glasses do look a little better. I don't notice a difference on my machine though, but as I mentioned above, it's just an average machine. I think if you have a new dishwasher, especially a stainless steel interior one, you'd notice less film from hard water. (It is also recommended to use a dishwasher cleaner to remove old hard water film so that Cascade Platinum Pacs can then continue to prevent hard water film residue.)

Cascade recently partnered with Top Chef Judge Gail Simmons, because they both believe presentation is just as important as preparation when it comes to food. Boost your great tasting recipe with spot and film free dishes by using Cascade Platinum Dishwasher Pacs. By having dishes that are always sparkling clean, you don't have to worry about last-minute guests. Your layered desserts will look fabulous in your film-free glassware and entertaining is easy when you drizzle sauces over sparkling white plates, says Simmons.

Before and After using Platinum for the first time

With super clean dishes, and delicious looking food, Cascade is also helping those of us with food-picture-additions! I love taking pictures of my food, so much so that in public my husband is probably embarrassed (though used to it now)!! Photos of delicious looking food litter my Facebook Timeline and I use Instagram to take artsy shots of my recipes-come-to-life. If you're like me and would love a new dishwasher, enter photos of Cascade making your pots, pans, and plates sparkly! The "My Platinum" contest is a four week Instagram contest with weekly themes. Each week, two people will receive a brand new Whirlpool dishwasher!! The grand prize winner will get a new Platinum kitchen make-over. For details and to enter, check out this site. (You will have to register for Instagram, if you are not already using the app) The themes are Plate, Bite, Clink (glassware), and Table--it runs through the end of June, so head over to enter now! {To win, you must register and upload a photo with #MyPlatinum tag and also tag @MyCascade. If you have not registered, you will be disqualified from winning.}

Finally, there is a 12% price jump (MSRP) from Complete to Platinum, so I personally will be sticking with Complete until we have a new dishwasher that I care about keeping sparkling ;-) I do, wholeheartedly, recommend the Cascade brand...and Pacs are for sure the way to go because it's so easy to just pop one into the machine with no measuring or spilling.

Big Layaway Giveaway at Kmart

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kmart for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
My personal experience with layaway is limited. I tend to buy with credit cards instead...which is sometimes not the greatest idea, but as I've aged I've gotten a great handle on spending versus shopping :-)
My only layaway purchase to date was when I was about 13 or so. I put a fancy (in the eyes of a kid) jewelry box on layaway for my mom's Mother's Day gift. It was from a local store, and I made payments as I went. I felt SO accomplished when I paid it off and gave it to my mom. I think she was proud of me too, even though she always says not to spend money on her. Yeah, yeah, yeah ;-)
Kmart Layaway is nice because you pick out your gifts or personal items and make payments on them as you go (down payment plus biweekly contract payment). You can lock in today's low prices, rather than wait until you can pay in full to get the items (when prices may have gone up, or the item may be unavailable).

Back-to-School Shoe Savings at Famous Footwear

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Famous Footwear for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Although G isn't school age, it is certainly nice to take advantage of 'back-to-school' savings for our little family anyways! I really hate buying clothes when I'm pregnant, so shoes are especially fun to shop for. We are saving money for a new baby, though, so buying isn't exactly something that happens on a frequent basis. Famous Footwear is making it easier for families to get great name brand shoes, in a huge variety of styles, with their Back-To-School promotion. You can get 15% off, PLUS take advantage of their Buy One, Get One half off offer: BOGO + 15% off Famous Footwear Coupon (print coupon & redeem in-store between 8/2 and 8/18)

Win a Trip to LEGOLAND Florida from Atlantic Luggage

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Atlantic Luggage for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

During our recent mini-trip to Yosemite National Park, we stayed in a really nice cabin that had extended TV channels, including History Channel. Late in the evening, tired from a long day of sightseeing, we relaxed on the couch to watch a special on LEGOs! Both my husband and I grew up loving to build things with our LEGOs, so it was fun to watch the history of the company and product, in addition to the future plans of LEGO--including themeparks. Our previous home of Kansas City just opened a LEGOLAND, so of course we have to check it out when we go back to visit. I've since learned that there are several LEGOLANDs across the country!

Quaker's NEW Soft Baked Bars

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Quaker Oats for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
I don't know about you, but I get pretty grouchy when I'm hungry; so I keep a cabinet full of snacks (mostly healthy) for those times when a full meal would take too long to cook, or isn't necessary to satisfy my hunger. G is allowed to 'play' in the snack cabinet because she can't hurt (or get hurt) by anything in there. She loves pulling everything out and putting it back in. She also knows that when I say, "snack time!" she gets to pull something out.

Plan your SoCal vacation with VisitNewportBeach.com

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Newport Beach for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

You've already read about our recent move to California--the San Francisco Bay Area to be specific--and perhaps you are a bit envious that we live in Sunny CA. It is nice where we live, but I'm jealous of my friend who just moved to Orange County. That area has more of a California-laid-back-ocean-view vibe than what we have where my family lives. I really want to visit SoCal and have looked up several places to consider. One I recently saw was Newport Beach. It has plenty of water and beach activity, plus shopping and eclectic dining. You can check out VisitNewportBeach.com to see all that the community has to offer. The site allows you to peruse hotels by 5 different filters and make reservations directly. You can search restaurants--including dining for pets! VisitNewportBeach.com has sections for planning a wedding or meeting at the gorgeous beach front community. I think trip-planners will most appreciate the "Things To Do" tab. I'm the vacation planner in our family. I like to find fun activities that we can all enjoy, so it's helpful that VisitNewportBeach.com has 12 different sections of "Things to Do" from which to plan. Under the "Yacht Charters, Boating, Tours & Whale Watching" section, I found that we can rent a personal boat to explore the Newport Bay waters. My husband would especially love that because he is passionate about boats. I'd really enjoy it, but I also found tons of beaches we could visit under the "Beaches, Parks & Trails" section--which is what I'd love to do most. Find a pretty beach and sit on it. Sounds lovely :-)

Which of the activities would you like to try?

There's an interesting feature on the VisitNewportBeach.com site that I think many of you with older kids might appreciate. The Kids Camps section under "Things to Do" describes three different camps with hundreds of options between them. There are day camp options if you are on vacation but the kids want something different--and there are week+ options if you live in the area. Kids can participate in sport camps--like surfing, soccer, or volleyball; science & discovery camps--like physics fun or junkyard challenge; and also options in dance, media, cooking, art, acting. G's still too young for anything besides swimming lessons; but I know if I was a kid, I choose a cooking class. A fun camp plus a sweet treat?? Sounds super fun!
If you need more convincing to travel to Newport Beach...the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach hotel has a promotion for vacationing families right now. If you buy one room at full price, you get a connecting room for kids 18 and under for 50% off! It's a bayside, resort-style hotel that sits on 26 acres with three pools and whirlpools. There's also shuffleboard, ping pong, and a nine-hole (par 3) golf course! Just call 800-233-1234 and ask for the Family Plan to receive the promotion.

Check out this video and I bet you could come up with plenty of reasons to head to Newport Beach!
I'd love to hear one :-)
 

Celebrate with the new #CoronaRita at Chili's

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Chili’s Grill & Bar for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

With all the gorgeous warm weather around us lately, I've been dreaming of spicy dinners and cold drinks. In college, Chili's was a favorite spot for me and my girlfriends to grab a drink while munching on the Skillet Queso. Chili's is also where we started my Bachelorette Party with dinner and drinks! Their drink menu is pretty much unbeatable for the price and it doesn't hurt that the food is yummy too.

Now that May is here, it's time to consider where you'll celebrate Cinco De Mayo, college & high school graduations, and that much deserved warm date night alone. Chili's is a great place for them all, but with our baby girl in tow, we'll stick to celebrating family! Chili's has a casual family atmosphere in the dining room and a friendly kids menu...but a party on the drink menu ;-) if you choose to imbibe.

Going to college? CampusBookRentals.com saves you money!

I miss college. I knew I would. It was seriously an awesome time in my life. I grew so much as a person during those five years (switching your major from journalism to sociology to marketing to Math Education tends to tack on an extra year) and I had a lot of fun doing it. Life wasn't all roses, though, because I worked a lot, on top of attending classes. After my freshman year, I paid for pretty much everything, though my parents did help with rent until I got married during my junior year. I learned to cut expenses and one thing that seemed absolutely ridiculous were textbook prices! The campus bookstore was close, but it just seemed crazy to pay $100 for a book I could find elsewhere for $50. After the semester, I'd try to sell the book online, but would never make back what I spent, and sometimes it'd takes weeks or months to get rid of the book (so it'd end up hogging up shelf space in my little apartment). I often wished there was a way to get a book at the library for the whole semester but then return it after my final...you know, like renting a textbook! Why didn't my school bookstore do that?? (I've since found out they now offer some textbooks for rent, but not all)

New products from Glade® and $1.50 off coupon

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Triad Retail Media for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
As you've read around my blog, we recently moved to California. The best thing about the move so far has been that we are in a house, not an apartment! Settling into our new home has been exciting, but does create some anxiety with unpacking, cleaning, and organizing. Something that I don't have to worry about is making it smell like home, despite it not being a brand new house. I wanted to share about the new Glade® Expressions™ fragrance mist and new Glade® Expressions™ oil diffuser. I like that they are easy to use and don't smell 'fake.' They feature modern designs; the diffuser fits in with various room decors and the fragrance mist bottle is very sleek.

Sprint Online Sale Ends Wednesday!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sprint for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
We live in Kansas City, where the Sprint National Headquarters is located. This past summer, my husband sat behind the plate at a Royals game, through tickets he earned at work. The Sprint CEO had seats near him and my husband saw him using a new Android phone that had 3G capabilities. My "techno-struck" husband came home speculating how much the phone cost and how awesome it was.

Walgreens Prescription Savings Club - Discounted Rate

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
If you have prescription coverage, check the back of your card. If you see an Express Script logo, your ability to receive discounted prescriptions at your local Walgreens is probably affected.
Walgreens and Express Script have cut ties after a contract renewal agreement couldn't be reached before December 31, 2011. The two companies couldn't agree on Walgreens' reimbursement rate from filling prescriptions, and they also couldn't agree on what constituted a generic drug.
Express Scripts is a Pharmacy Benefit Manager that acts as a middle man between health insurance companies and pharmacies. They work out contracts that will provide prescriptions to consumers at discounted rates from various pharmacies. Express Scripts also offers their own mail-order prescriptions.
Walgreens is the most popular pharmacy chain in America; thousands of people are affected by having to either switch their prescriptions to another pharmacy, or pay out-of-network costs to keep their prescriptions at Walgreens. To help current clients remain at Walgreens, without a huge price difference, the drugstore is offering the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club at a discounted annual rate during the month of January. Families can sign up for $10 a year; which includes spouses, dependents 22 and younger, and even pets. An individual may join for $5 a year. Regular prices are $20 for an individual and $35 for a family.

Benefits of the Prescription Savings Club include:

• Savings on more than 8,000 brand-name & all generic medications
• more than 400 generic drugs are available with a 3 month supply for less than $1 a week
• Discounts on flu shots, pet prescriptions, nebulizers, and diabetic supplies
• Bonuses when you buy Walgreens' brand products and photofinishing services

Many customers are upset by the Walgreens & Express Script break-up, but this Prescription Savings Club discounted rate is Walgreens attempt to ease the burden.
Keep up with their latest news at Walgreens on Facebook and Walgreens on Twitter.

Social Networking to be Healthy - Café Well

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cafe Well for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Cafe Well is a relatively new social networking site that aims to keep you focused on your health. It brands itself as "The Social Network to Get Well and Stay Well," so it's perfect for anyone looking to get healthier in the new year, as well as those wanting to stay in tip-top shape.

Rather than using other popular social network sites to share health-related ideas, goals, or challenges; you can find a niche for healthy living at Cafe Well. I know many of you have made a status or tweet about your latest attempt to lose weight, run a 5K, or make a healthier dinner for your family.... so just take those ideas over to Cafe Well, where you can find like-minded people 24/7. Share your ups and downs with getting in shape, training for a marathon, aiming to drink more water each day, or simply maintaining your weight.

Cute to the MAX!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Puppies vs. Babies for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Puppies vs. Babies is an Animal Planet online competition to answer the eternal question--who is cuter, puppies or babies?!

It's a close call for me: