Soft Scrub 4-in-1 Toilet Care ~ Review and Contest!

I received Soft Scrub 4-in-1 Toilet Care for review from Purex Insiders.  I love getting products to try from them because they are always new, innovative ways to do things around the home that already need to get done- in this case, clean the toilet.  Now, at my house, that's my dad's job anyway ;-) but he hates it, so anything to make it easier on him would be nice.

Unfortunately, I really did not like the scent of this product.  I love smelly things- lotions, soaps, room sprays, etc.- but the smell of this toilet cleaner was overwhelming.  I could smell it through the box when it was delivered to my house.  It was really strong, and I couldn't imagine having that smell in my bathroom for weeks on end.  Because of that, I was not able to test this product for what it is supposed to do- clean the toilet.

The scent, Alpine Fresh, was very floral and very sweet.  If that's a scent you like, then it would be worth trying this new Soft Scrub product.  If you're put off by strong scents, though, stay far, far away!  That's not to say that Soft Scrub as a brand only makes overly scented products.  This is the first item of theirs that I've not been able to use.  So even if you don't like this toilet cleanser, still try their other products out.  The quality is good and they always get the job done.

And now, the CONTEST...!

Enter to win $1000 or free Soft Scrub!  At this link you can also download coupons for $1 off a lot of Soft Scrub varieties!

Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends

I was lucky enough to receive a sample of new Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends to review.  This was new for me because I generally don't review food products.  However, the flavors in this cereal sounded like ones I enjoy, so I went for it, and am I glad I did!

Tropical Blends combines the flavors of mango and coconut into one delicious cereal.  The flakes taste like mango and the clusters taste like coconut.  But what I particularly liked was that there were also real mango and coconut pieces in the cereal!  The flavors were great and I also felt like I was eating something fresh instead of just processed cereal pieces.

I am not typically a breakfast eater- I much prefer to sleep late in the mornings!- but I enjoyed Tropical Blends as an afternoon snack.  It's sweet, but much healthier than cookies or anything else I tend to pick up.

On a slightly different note, I was happy to find a Honey Bunches of Oats cereal that does not include any nuts- most of their cereals have almonds in them.  I'm allergic to nuts so there are a lot of cereals that I can not eat.  I am so glad I can eat this one!

Overall, I would definitely recommend this cereal, whether you are a "breakfast person" or not. It's a great snack throughout the day!  Its unique flavors are unlike anything else I've seen in a cereal, but don't let that deter you.  This cereal was a big hit for me and my family.

Disclaimer:  I received Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends cereal for review from Purex Insiders.  All opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced in any way by Purex Insiders, Post, or the fact that I received the product for free.

Purex Baby Laundry Detergent

I received a bottle of Purex's new Baby Detergent to review.  Unfortunately, I was not able to test the detergent out myself because I have so many open and partially used bottles of laundry detergent in my house and so I am trying to save the closed bottles I have until I really need them.  However, I will share with you some specs on this detergent to help you decide whether it is right for you and your family.

From the product information sheet:

"Purex Baby detergent delivers the same bright, white clean you've come to expect from Purex, yet is sensitive on baby's skin... The dermatologist-tested formula guarantees to remove stubborn stains without hurting delicate clothes, like those adorable little footie pajamas."

Purex Baby detergent is "hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested, and delivers a bright, white clean with a gentle baby-inspired fragrance."

You can find Purex Baby detergent in 50 oz. bottles now, and 100 oz. bottles soon!

Like I said, I have not had the opportunity to use this product myself, but I wanted to share information on this new laundry detergent for any of my readers who might have little ones at home and could benefit from a safer detergent for their kids.

FTC Disclaimer:  I received free products from Purex Insiders in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced in any way by Purex Insiders or my receipt of free products.

Dial Holiday Hand Soap

I was lucky enough to receive two of Dial's Holiday Hand Soaps for review.  These festive bottles combine Dial's delicious smelling antibacterial foaming hand soaps with fun holiday designs on the bottles.  There are four different bottle designs, and I received the candy cane and snowman ones.  There are also Santa and Christmas tree ("Holiday Scene") patterns available.  Even though the holidays are over, it's still winter and these soaps definitely add a festive flair to any bathroom.  They're fun to look at and they remind me of all the happiness this season brings.  I like having little touches of festiveness in my house year-round, and these soaps sure do bring that.  They are a lot more exciting than a boring bottle of hand soap with no pattern on the front!

The actual soap looks red in the bottle and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the soap smells like apples!  The scent is not overwhelming but it does smell a lot better than most foaming hand soaps.  I find that in general they have a more sour scent than many other types of soap.  If you can't stand any scented soaps (like my mom), then you might have a problem with these, but if you like something lightly scented, these soaps are perfect for you!

The one thing that I noticed was different about these soaps compared to other foaming hand soaps was that they recommend you pump the soap onto your hands while dry instead of wetting your hands first.  I didn't follow these instructions at first because it seemed strange, but the foam aspect of the soap deflates rather quickly if your hands are wet.

The four holiday soaps come in 7.5 oz bottles.

You can find out more about Dial at their website or Facebook page.

FTC Disclaimer:  I received free products from Purex Insiders in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced in any way by Purex Insiders or my receipt of free products.

CONTEST~ Purex Laundry Detergent!

A quick contest that will run for the next 24 hours- win free Purex laundry detergent!  Here's what you have to do to enter:

Visit Purex's Let's Be Honest page or their Youtube feed and watch some of the Let's Be Honest videos.  Then, come back to this page and comment with what your favorite video was!  Simple!  For an additional entry, you can Like, Share, or Tweet about your favorite video, and then comment here that you did so.  One entry per method per person; contest ends 11:59 PM on Thursday, 7/19/2012.

Let's Be Honest is a campaign by Purex to convey simple, to-the-point messages about why Purex is a better laundry detergent for your family to use. From the website,

Whether it’s paying too much for “premium” detergent or uncovering the truth about skinny jeans, we’re shedding some light on everyday absurdities.

Visit the Let's Be Honest website for yourself to see why you should replace your other laundry detergent with Purex!  And, be sure to enter my contest to win free Purex for yourself by Thursday, 7/19!

FTC Disclaimer:  Purex provided me with coupons for free Purex laundry detergent in exchange for hosting this contest, and will provide me with additional coupons for myself after the contest ends.  All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

CONTEST! Dry Idea Deodorant

~It's time for a contest!~


I was lucky enough to be selected to sample Dry Idea AdvancedDry deodorant.  I always love to try new products, and with summer in full swing, I was especially glad to have this opportunity to try a new deodorant.  I work as a summer camp counselor outside in the woods, so my usual scented deodorant that I use the rest of the year is no good- it attracts mosquitoes with its sweet scent!  Dry Idea AdvancedDry deodorant is unscented, so I can wear it to camp.  And, I was very happy with how dry I stayed throughout the day, even with being outside in over 100 degree temperatures, running around, and even swimming!

Dry Idea AdvancedDry deodorant is available in roll-on, clear gel, and invisible solid styles.  Scents include unscented (which is what I sampled) as well as powder fresh, cotton dry, and cool burst; this varies depending on which style of deodorant you get.  You can find out more information about this deodorant at the Dry Idea website or at Dry Idea's Facebook page.


And now, for the contest:


I have coupons to give away for FREE Dry Idea AdvancedDry deodorant!


If I have 5 or less unique entrants, I will give away one coupon.  If I get more than 5 entrants, I'll give away two!


Here are your options for entering (please leave a comment for each entry you complete, and, if the entry includes a Facebook post, a Tweet, or a Pin on Pinterest, link to that in your comment):


1. like Dry Idea's Facebook page
2. post on Dry Idea's Facebook page that you were referred by Des Abdurdites (& leave a link to my blog in your post)
3. share this post on Facebook
4. share this post on Twitter and mention @desabsurdites
5. pin this post on Pinterest and tag @desabsurdites
6. Dry Idea is holding a sweepstakes with $1000 in prizes!  Enter through this link- good luck!
7. share my link to the Dry Idea sweepstakes on Facebook or Twitter (1 entry each)


That's 8 entries to my contest if you do everything- plus an entry to win Dry Idea's huge sweepstakes, too!


My contest ends at 11:59 pm EST on Wednesday, July 18, 2012.  The winner(s) will be selected randomly by Friday, July 20, 2012 and notified by e-mail.  The winner(s) will then provide me with a mailing address to which I will mail their prize.


FTC Disclaimer:  Dry Idea provided me with a free sample of AdvancedDry deodorant in exchange for an honest review.  Dry Idea provided me with coupons to use as prizes for a contest.  All opinions expressed in this post are my own.  Image courtesy of dryidea.com.

Free Sample Purex

Because of its success in the past, Purex has once again opened up their free sample website!  This time you can get a sample of Purex Triple Action laundry detergent.  (Check out my review of it here!)  If the site is not working, check back throughout the afternoon; it's just going live today and I don't know at exactly what time.  Once you've gotten your sample, stop back here and let me know whether you loved this detergent as much as I did!

FTC Disclaimer:  I received notice of this promotion through my participation in Purex Insiders.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Product Review: Purex UltraPacks laundry detergent

I was lucky enough to receive a sample of Purex UltraPacks laundry detergent for review.  I have used Purex detergent in the past, and I was eager to try the UltraPacks to see if they could really make doing laundry easier.

It was so convenient to just toss one UltraPack into the washing machine before adding my clothes.  No measuring detergent into a cap, no spilling liquid anywhere- the packs were super easy to just throw in to the machine.  The packs contain Purex's Triple Action detergent, which I've used the liquid form of before, in a 2x concentrated formula.  You get the same cleaning power in a much more convenient form!  Once the washing machine is turned on, the packs dissolve in the water and release the detergent inside.  The Purex UltraPacks can be used in any washing machine, including HE.

I used the Mountain Breeze scented UltraPacks.  I love this scent- whenever I use Purex detergent, it's what I choose.  My clothes come out smelling fresh, but not overly perfumey.  However, if you are not a fan of scented detergent, Purex UltraPacks are also available in Free & Clear (100% free of perfumes and dyes).

My only problem with the Purex UltraPacks was that each package only contains 18 packs.  Compared to a bottle of liquid detergent, this is significantly less loads of laundry that can be done.  When I use liquid detergent, I rarely use the recommended amount of detergent- I usually use less- so the bottle lasts even longer.  With a package of Purex UltraPacks, you can only do 18 loads, and there is no way to change that.

I love anything that makes doing laundry easier.  Being in college, I hate doing laundry because it takes up time that I could be doing other things, whether that is studying, sleeping, or hanging out with friends.  Purex UltraPacks make this tedious chore a little bit easier, because it saves me time and mess that comes with using liquid detergent.

Purex UltraPacks will be available for sale beginning in February!

FTC Disclaimer:  I am a member of Purex Insiders, and I received a sample of their UltraPacks liquid laundry detergent in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Purex Triple Action Laundry Detergent

I received the new Purex Triple Action laundry detergent for review from Purex Insiders.  This is the first time I have ever used Purex brand laundry detergent, as my parents have used Tide for as long as I can remember.  However, I am always open to trying new brands of products, so I welcomed the opportunity to sample Purex's new detergent.

I was not at all disappointed!  In fact, I felt as though the Purex Triple Action freshened my clothes better than any detergent I have used in the past.  Oftentimes, I find that my laundry is "clean", but still smells bad even after washing it.  Some of that probably has to do with the fact that I wash my clothes in a dorm laundry room using really old machines.  But, my clothes smelled clean after washing them with Purex Triple Action in the dorm washing machines!  I sampled the Mountain Breeze scent.  It wasn't overpowering at all- my clothes smelled fresh, but not "perfumey" in a way that would clash with the scents I wear as makeup.  My usual laundry detergent is unscented, but I found that I actually prefer the scented Purex detergent.

Here's what Purex says about their Triple Action detergent:

"New Purex Triple Action leverages the best parts of our current formula, combined with new additions, to deliver great cleaning plus improved brightening power... Like all of our current detergents, new Purex Triple Action has been specifically formulated to work in both traditional and High Efficiency (HE) washers."

Overall, I was very happy with my experience using Purex Triple Action.  I will definitely continue using it, because it leaves my clothes smelling clean and looking great!

FTC Disclaimer:  Purex provided me a free sample of their new Triple Action laundry detergent in exchange for a review.  All opinions expressed are my own.