The holidays are here and we all want to look our best.  Unfortunately, we don’t always have time to get to the gym before our family comes to town.  That’s where the beauty of Annette’s Diva 24/7 Brief comes in!  It helps you look your best without that quick stop to the sweat lodge!  It’s specialty?  Making you look slimmer and more toned in seconds with next to no effort on your part.

I was lucky enough to be able to test out Annette’s Diva 24/7 Brief for myself, and I must say I’m very impressed with the results of this tummy sucking underwear!  The underwear is surprisingly comfortable too.  It’s soft and silky, and the band doesn’t dig into you like other pairs of underwear that attempt to do the same thing.  In two words, this underwear is simply comfortable and effective!  Everyone is after different a look and has a different body type, and the people at Annette understand that.  With this in mind, they designed their underwear to be adjustable.  With three different band lengths, you can make your same undergarment go from a little suck, to a major one!  It all depends on you, your mood, your style and your outfit! How unique is that?  I personally found myself in awe over their ingenuity.  Annette certainly understands women!

Spanx vs Annette Shapewear

Spanx makes one of my favorite shapewear briefs, so I was particularly curious to see how Annette’s adjustable shapewear would stack up to my trusty Spanx.  I still love my Spanx, but they are much more of an “everyday” shapewear.  They give you a little shape and lift, which is essentially equivalent to the Annette shapewear on the “loosest” setting.  But what is fabulous about the Annette Diva Defined 25/7 Briefs is that you can tighten them up to give you more tummy tucking power for special occasions (or for that hot date you have after work!).

Annette Diva Defined Shapewear Put To The 24/7 Test!

As I wore the Annette underwear to work one day, I admit that I felt a bit skeptical about if the Diva Brief could maintain the great shape that it gave me when I first put it on.  After all, clothing tends to stretch as the day goes on.  You slip on your favorite pair of jeans in the morning, and by lunchtime they are stretched out in all the wrong places.  With this in mind, I was almost certain that the transformation of the Diva Brief would have me turning back into a giant pumpkin by the time the clock struck midnight, just like Cinderella’s carriage.  Boy was I ever pleasantly surprised!  I looked just as good by the end of the day as I did at the start.  And not only that, but when I went to a friend’s party that same day, everyone was complimenting me on the weight I had supposedly “lost”.  See for yourself in the before and after pictures taken below!

It was enough to leave me glowing by the end of the night!  Holiday feasts?  Bring it on!  I’m ready for you with my new best friend: the Diva 24/7 Brief by Annette!

Where Can I Buy Annette Diva Defined 24/7 Adjustable Shapewear Briefs?

While I was lucky enough to receive a pair of Annette’s briefs for free so that I could do this review, you can buy your own pair of Annette Diva Defined 24/7 Adjustable Shapewear Briefs by visiting this link: Annette Online.  Plus, while you are there, checkout all of their other fabulous shapewear items.  I know what is going on my holiday wish list (the Diva All-The-Way Shaper Slip)!  They even have fabulous items in their Intimama line for women who are expecting, like their Post Pregnancy Shaper.

Stokke Xplory Stroller Features Review:

1. Stokke Xplory Adjustable Seat Height

After passing the Stokke Xplory around for testing by several Opinion Queen contributors, we sat down to discuss our favorite features of the stroller.  And the number one feature that kept coming up over and over again is how much we loved the adjustable seat height.  No other stroller on the market (at least that we have seen in America!) has the versatility and adjustability of the Stokke Xplory.  You can easily move your baby up and down with a simple lever underneath the seat.  Why does this matter?  The majority of babies being strolled around town get a lovely view of the ground, feet, ankles,  and, possibly, knees.  But babies who use the Stokke Xplory can sit higher up, and therefore their view is much more stimulating and similar to the view that we adults have as we walk around.  In addition, since your baby is at your height, you are likely to interact with your baby more often than if you had to squat down or bend over to talk to your little one (talk about a major backache saver as well!).  Studies have shown time and time again how important it is to stimulate your baby.  Think about how much we spend on “educational toys” that claim to stimulate our children and make them smarter.  But chances are that your baby will spend many more hours in the stroller that you buy than playing with the toys you so carefully select.  So around here we have nicknamed the Stokke Xplory the “Educational Stroller” because it exposes your child’s mind – at an earlier point in his or her development – to a whole new world.  In addition, since your baby is sitting closer to you and other adults, the amount of adult interaction increases which helps to build social skills.  See how the name the Educational Stroller makes sense?

Why would you ever want to lower the seat on the Stokke Xplory?  Ah, I am so glad you asked that question!  For strolling around the mall or the park, I love to boost the seat up to the highest position.  But what about when it is lunchtime and you stop in at a cafe to grab a bite to eat?  You can hope that they have a highchair (and then pray that it is not disgustingly dirty and full of germs from all of the previous babies who used it), or, if you have the Stokke Xplory, you can pull it right up to the table instead.  You can adjust the seat height (without even removing your baby from the Stokke) so that your little one can sit at the table in the stroller.

2. Stokke Xplory Seat Positions

Not only is the seat height adjustable in the Stokke Xplory, but you can also pick from five different seat positions.  There are three seat positions where your baby faces towards you (fully reclined, slightly reclined, and upright) and an additional two seat positions where your baby faces forward (upright and slightly reclined).  Have a sleeping baby?  Then the fully reclined position facing towards you will be super comfy.  And if your baby is still an infant, you can use the infant seat insert (which comes with the stroller) for added comfort in this position.  Or maybe you have a super curious toddler who wants to explore the world?  Then the forward facing and fully upright position will be his or her dream come true… your child won’t miss a thing!  Here are some photos to give you and idea of the difference between the various reclining seat positions:

The photo above shows the Stokke Xplory in its fully reclined position facing towards you.

The photo above shows the seat slightly reclined, facing towards you.

The photo above shows the Stokke Xplory in its fully upright position facing towards you.  See how easy it would be to talk to your baby in this position?

The photo above shows the Stokke Xplory in its fully upright position facing forward.  There is one other position while facing forward, which is slightly reclined (similar to the photo above where the seat is slightly reclined facing towards you).

3. Stokke Xplory Handle Features

Does your family have a tall daddy and a short mommy?  Or are you a tall mommy and a shorter daddy family?  Any permutation of different heights makes no difference with the Stokke Xplory.  The handle height is completely adjustable so that it is comfortable for any height.  We tested the Xplory on a man who is 6’3″ and on a lady who is 4’9″, and both of them said it was perfect for their height.  In addition, the handle (shown in the photo below), can flip up or down to various positions so that your hands and wrists will be comfortable as well.  If you are familiar with the ergonomics of the Herman Miller Aeron office chair (which is one of the most popular and ergonomically-sound chairs used in offices around the world), I think the Stokke Xplory is the baby stroller counterpart for it!

4. Stokke Xplory Adjustable Footrest

If a stroller is going to take your baby comfortably from being a newborn through the toddler stage, then surely an adjustable footrest is a must.  No more dangling baby feet and no more toddler’s knees up to their ears because they are “too tall” for their stroller.  All you do is push on the gray lever (shown in the photo below), and the footrest can be moved up or down to adjust to the perfect length for your child.

5. Stokke Xplory Visor Features

Too hot?  Too cold?  Too much sun?  Not enough light?  None of these are an issue with the Stokke Xplory because of the versatility that the visor over the seat offers.  You can extend the visor fully, collapse it (or even remove it) entirely, or adjust it with snaps to something in-between.  And one of my favorite features of the visor is that you can unzip a portion in the back to reveal a mesh panel, which is great for giving your baby some extra ventilation if it is a hot day but it is also ideal for keeping an eye on what your child is doing when the seat is facing forward and away from you.  It is like a peek-a-boo panel (as you can see in the photo below)!

6. Stokke Xplory Safety Features

A stroller can have the most amazing features in the world, but if it is not safe, who would want to put their child in it?  Stokke did not miss a beat in making sure that the Xplory has all of the safety features to help mom sleep easier at night.  There is a 5-point harness that holds your baby in place, in addition to a bumper bar that attaches to the front of the seat as an extra safety precaution (it is removable as well).  Plus, Stokke even took into consideration the safety of the adult pushing the stroller by leaving plenty of extra legroom so that people with longer legs (and longer strides) will not trip over any part of the stroller.  In addition, there is a bright orange footbrake next to one of the wheels to make sure that your baby and stroller are not going anywhere unless you unlock it (see the image of the brake below).

7. Stokke Xplory Carry Cot Review

Do you have trouble getting your baby to fall asleep?  The Stokke Xplory Baby Carry Cot has been the saving grace for many parents!  After interviewing several moms (and happy owners of the Stokke Xplory System) at our local baby store, we kept hearing the same thing over and over again – buy the Infant Carry Cot because it is one of the few surefire ways to get your baby to sleep!  The Carry Cot is sold separately, but it is perfect for newborn infants who cannot yet support the weight of their head.  A stroll around the block in the Carry Cot and your infant will be asleep in no time.  We even spoke to a mom who said that she has her infant take naps during the day in the Carry Cot so that she does not have to run up and down the stairs to her baby’s room every time her baby wakes up.  The Carry Cot (shown in the photo below) comes with a baby blanket / wind cover that snaps on top, plus a mosquito net and a rain cover.  So no matter what the weather is like, your baby can get use out of the Stokke Xplory!

8. Stokke Xplory Storage Bag & Accessories

I always worry when I see mothers balancing heavy diaper bags on the handle of their strollers, but Stokke came up with the perfect solution to this issue.  The Xplory comes with a storage bag that conveniently (and safely!) clips onto the base of the stroller.  This means you do not have to worry about the stroller tipping over from a heavy bag.  You can easily fit in the roomy bag the mosquito net and rain cover (both of which come with the stroller!), a few changes of clothes, several diapers, pacifiers, bottles, and anything else your baby may need while you are out.

There are tons of other accessories that are sold separately (and which we did not review), but sound fabulous.  For example, you can get a car seat adapter that will allow you to snap your baby’s carseat directly onto the frame of the Stokke Xplory.  Or if you have a new little baby and an older toddler (with tired little legs), you can attach a Toddler Standing Board that allows you to push around both your older child and the new addition to your family.  And if you are all about style, you can buy things like a parasol, a foot muff or even sheepskin lining.  One accessory that seems like a must-buy if you have the Carry Cot is a few fitted sheets so that you can have an easy cleanup if your baby makes a mess while sleeping.  There are even summer kits (to keep your baby cool in the summer) and winter kits (to keep your little one as snug as a bug in a rug)!  And the colors and patterns that you can choose from are a fashionista’s dream come true.   If you have a little girl, I simply do not know how you can resist the Limited Edition Pink Stokke Xplory.  I have not seen any other hot pink stroller anywhere!  Other colors that the Stokke comes in include beige, a light gray-blue, red, an eggplant purple, light green and dark navy.

We have put together the video (below) to review the features of the Stokke Xplory Stroller, because if a picture is worth one thousand words, imagine how much a video is worth!

How To Assemble The Stokke Xplory

Along with having a new addition to your family comes the joy of assembling loads of baby products.  For those of you who love putting things together, this might sound like fun.  But for the majority of us, I think it is safe to say that this is one of the things that we do not look forward to.  Luckily, the Stokke Xplory’s intuitive design means that you can put the entire stroller together in 5 minutes!  Just to show you how easy it is, we put together the following how-to video:

For more information about the Stokke XploryStroller and Baby Carry Cot, please visit Stokke’s website here.  You can purchase the stroller here: Stokke Xplory Stroller and the Infant Carry Cot here: Stokke Xplory Carry Cot.

The Blendtec Blender – the queen of blenders or is it just a bunch of hype?  Being one of the biggest fans of Dr Oz, I am forever testing out his healthy smoothie recipes.  From Dr Oz’s Green Drink to Dr Oz’s Red Drink, and everything in between… I have tried them all!  However, a lot of these smoothies are very hard on blenders because of the ice crushing that is involved.  Plus, since a lot of the drinks contain whole vegetables, quite a few of the blenders I have previously owned produced vegetable smoothies with a less than appealing texture.  So, I set out on a mission… to find the most powerful and versatile blender that is truly worth the counter space that it requires.  I had read amazing things about the Blendtec Blender and when they offered to let me test out their product, I was ecstatic!  I will give a complete review of the Blendtec below, but the bottom line is that I love the blender (and all of you!) so much that I bought another Blendtec to giveaway to one of my readers (details on how to win are below)!

Blendtec Blender Smoothie Review

Ever since I got my Blendtec, I have started every morning with a healthy smoothie.  I either try one of Dr Oz’s recipes or I create my own based on what I have in the house.  One of my family’s favorite smoothies consists of plain organic yogurt (here is my Cuisipro Donvier Yogurt Maker Review in case you missed it!), ice, frozen strawberries, bananas and flax seed (shhhh, nobody even notices when I slip in this healthy ingredient that is full of omega 3′s because the Blendtec grinds it up so finely).  With previous blenders that I have tested out, I would end up with large bits of frozen strawberries or big ice chunks in my smoothies.  But the Blendtec creates completely smooth, thick smoothies…even better than the ones that you get at the mall.  And you do not even have to watch the blender.  You literally push a button and it stops on its own when your smoothie is done.  Perhaps this is why Panera and Starbucks both use Blendtec Blenders to create their yummy smoothies and frappucinos!  Here is a video that I took one morning while making my daily smoothie:

Blendtec Blender’s Many Uses

The Blendtec Blender passed my smoothie test with flying colors.  No matter which ingredients you put in…even if you add something with tons of fiber (like spinach) to your smoothie, it comes out smooth and delicious.  I finally actually enjoy Dr Oz’s Green Drink Recipe, whereas before I had to try and force it down because of its texture.  Frankly, even if the Blendtec could only be used to make smoothies, it would be worth the counter space!  But I tested out quite a few other uses for the Blendtec.  Next stop, Hummus!  My family loves to snack on fresh veggies dipped in hummus, but after tasting homemade hummus, I promise that you won’t be able to go back to the store bought variety.  Usually, hummus is made out of chickpeas and tahini (which is a sesame paste).  However, the Blendtec is so powerful that it can actually puree the sesame seeds into tahini on its own.  I placed into the blender 1 TB water, 3 TB olive oil, 4 TB lemon juice, 6 tsp sesame seeds, 1 cup garbanzo beans, 3 cloves garlic, a small piece of raw onion, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cumin and 1 TB dried parsley.  You can use canned garbanzo beans, but I decided to go with the garbanzo beans that you buy in the bulk section and soaked them overnight in water.  After a minute or so on speed 5 in the Blendtec, you will have the most creamy and delicious hummus that will totally wow everyone who tries it!

My house goes through almond butter and walnut butter like its water!  So, I tried making my own nut butters.  Much to my delight, nuts are not a challenge for the Blendtec.  It could not be easier, you just place raw almonds or walnuts into the blender, and let it go for around 10 minutes.  With other blenders, you have to let the nuts run for a couple of minutes and then let the machine cool down for a few minutes, and continue repeating this process until you get a nut butter consistency.  Otherwise, the blender overheats.  However, I do not have to do this with the Blendtec.  I can just let it run for 10 minutes and it produces the perfect nut butter.  Also, if you stop the blender sooner, you can make your own almond flour (which can be used in quite a few recipes as a healthy substitute for white flour).

Next up, hot soup?  Really?  A blender can make fresh, hot soup?  Yes!  Minestrone is a family favorite, but ever since we have been moving away from canned foods, soup has made an appearance at our dinner table less and less.  What is great about soup in the Blendtec is that it is quick and easy, plus it is a great way to hide certain veggies that your kids say that they hate.  The tomato base that I start with is 1 cup of hot vegetable broth, 5 tomatoes halved, 1 cup purple cabbage, 1/2 onion, 3 cloves garlic, and a handful of basil leaves.  But you can add any other vegetables that you want to use up as well!  Run the Blendtec on speed 5 until you reach your desired consistency.  Then I add to the soup leftover plain pasta from the night before (any shape!) and some frozen vegetables that I have warmed up.  I love that I know exactly what is in my soup and can control the sodium, plus it only takes a few minutes – including clean-up!

I could go on and on, but I have to share just one more treat that I recently discovered – Dr Oz’s Banana Ice Cream.  You can make ice cream with only one ingredient – bananas!  No sugar, no cream, and nothing unhealthy.  Sounds like a dieters heaven, but would it actually work and taste good?  I have heard complaints from people who say that it does not come out creamy like ice cream.  And you know what I tell them?  That must be because of your blender or food processor, because when I make Banana Ice Cream, it comes out tasting like a bite of heaven.  All you have to do is freeze chunks of bananas, throw them into the Blendtec for a minute, and you will have a tasty frozen dessert that even the pickiest eater will love.  I have been experimenting with the concept by adding chocolate syrup, caramel or even peanut butter for an even more special (and slightly less healthy) treat… and every “experiment” has been devoured by my family with absolutely no leftovers!

Best Way To Clean A Blendtec Blender

The final requirement for any kitchen appliance in my house is that it must clean-up quickly and easily.  All I have to do with my Blendtec is to fill it up with some hot water, add a few squirts of dish soap, and let it soak for a couple of minutes.  Then run the blender for a minute or less, pour the soapy water back into the sink (on top of my other dirty dishes to give me a head-start!), and rinse out the blender jar and lid.  Only a few times have I even had to go over the blender jar with a sponge.  Even my husband, who hates doing the dishes, volunteers to clean the Blendtec because it is so simple.  Here is a video that shows just how well the Blendtec cleans itself:

How to Enter the Blendtec Blender Giveaway:

You can buy one here: Blendtec Blender

How to Win: Each of the following will give you a certain number of entries into the Blendtec Blender Giveaway, so do as many of the following as you would like to increase your chances of winning!  Good luck everyone!

1.  Leave a comment below and share your favorite blender recipe! (1 entry)

2.  Subscribe to my updates via e-mail by clicking here: Subscribe to Opinion Queen by Email, confirm the subscription, and leave a comment below to let me know that you have subscribed to my e-mails (or tell me if you already are). (2 entries)

3.  Tweet about my giveaway with a link to my site, and leave a comment below with a link to your tweet.  You can do this every day! (2 entries)

4. Make your facebook status about my giveaway with a link to my site, and leave a comment below with a link to your page.  You can do this every day! (2 entries)

5.  Grab my Banner in the right sidebar and post it on your website (or tell me if it is already there)! (3 entries)

6.  Add a link to OpinionQueen.com from your blog or website, and leave a comment below with a link to where you added the link. (3 entries)

7.  Follow me on twitter: TheOpinionQueen and then leave a comment below with your twitter name. (2 entries)

8.  Tell everyone about this giveaway on Digg, Stumble, in a forum, meme, Google Buzz, blog it, or any other social networking place (2 entries for each one that you do!)

9.  Leave a comment on a non-giveaway product review post on my site and leave a comment below to let me know what you commented on. (1 entry)

The winner will be selected on June 6, 2011 through a random number generator and contacted via e-mail.  If there is no response from the winner within 3 days, another winner will be selected.  Only US Residents are eligible for this giveaway.

UPDATE: Due to the technology problems we have been experiencing over Memorial Day Weekend, we will be extending the opportunity to enter the Blendtec Giveaway for an extra week (through June 6th).  Sorry again for the inconvenience!

Congratulations to Sarah on winning our Blendtec Blender Giveaway!!!

Murad Firm and Tone Review

First, lets start with what Murad promises with their Murad Firm and Tone Dietary Supplements.  On the box it says “Patented scientifically based complex supports skin strength by encouraging the appearance of firmer skin by up to 78% in eight weeks and by helping to improve the visual texture of stretch marks by up to 47% in eight weeks.”  Each box contains 28 days worth of supplements, so I cannot tell you what would happen if I took the Murad Firm and Tone Dietary Supplements for eight weeks.  However, if 28 days is any indication – this kit rocks!  Every day you have two packets of supplements to take – a daytime packet and a nighttime packet.  The daytime supplements include one multivitamin, two connective support complex pills, two essential fatty acid pills, and one cell energizer.  The nighttime supplements include another multivitamin, two more connective support complex pills, one essential fatty acid pill, and one more cell energizer.  So the only real difference between your daytime and nighttime supplements is that you take one more essential fatty acid in the morning.  What do all of these pills do?  Here is the scoop:

Murad Multivitamin

The multivitamin has the vitamins that you need everyday as well as trace minerals, all of which are optimized for healthy skin.

Murad Connective Support Complex

The Connective Support Complex is supposed to smooth out your skin and increase the elasticity of your skin, which is great for helping your skin to age gracefully.

Murad Essential Fatty Acids

Dr Oz is always talking about the importance of fatty acids for your skin’s health, so I was thrilled to see that Murad included this in their supplement pack.

Murad Cell Energizer

The Cell Energizer protects your skin from cell damage while simultaneously increasing the amount of cellular energy made by your skin’s cells.

I was all set to type up all of the ingredients and the exact percentage of each vitamin and supplement in the Murad Firm and Tone Dietary Supplements, but then I noticed that all of this information is neatly presented and available on Murad’s Website here.

Murad Supplements Review: End Results

Now for what everyone really wants to know – so, did they actually do anything?  Do they really get rid of cellulite and stretch marks?  I was surprised, because even in the first week I could already notice a difference in my skin – not so much with respect to cellulite or stretch marks, but my skin looked healthier and really glowed.  I even got compliments from strangers at the grocery store – I kid you not!  I noticed that my skin broke out less during the first week as well.  The results only got more impressive as I used the Murad Firm and Tone Dietary Supplements, and by the 28th day I was so sad to be out of these wonderful supplements!  My guess is that if you take these for the full eight weeks, which means two boxes of Murad Firm and Tone Dietary Supplements, your cellulite will be barely noticeable and the texture and appearance of your stretch marks will completely shock you.  As for me, I totally plan on using Murad Firm and Tone Dietary Supplements again in the future, but for now, I am waiting to hopefully have a baby!  And so the search begins for supplements, creams, lotions, and potions that help to prevent stretch marks in the first place when you are pregnant.  Any suggestions, ladies?

For more information about Murad Firm and Tone Dietary Supplements, please visit Murad’s website here!

Zoe Juice Giveaway

We were thrilled when Zoom Worldwide told us that they wanted to help our readers kick off their new year to a healthy start by giving three – yes, you read that correctly – THREE of our readers a free 4 pack of Zoe.  Looking for a boost in antioxidants?  Do you want to help your skin glow and be perfectly clear from the inside out?  It is amazing what Zoe Juice is able to do for everything from eczema to acne!  Want a chance to win one of the free Zoe Juice 4-packs?  Here is how to enter the giveaway:

How to Enter the Zoe Juice Giveaway:

How to Win: You can win one of three 4-packs of Zoe Juice by visiting the Zoom Organic Website and leaving a comment in the Opinion Queen Comment Section (below) telling us what you loved the most their products.  This is a required step before getting extra points with the optional contest entry opportunities listed below.

Optional Contest Entry Opportunities: Each of the following will give you a certain number of EXTRA entries into the giveaway, so do as many of the following as you would like to increase your chances of winning!  Good luck, everyone!

1.  Subscribe to my updates via e-mail by clicking here: Subscribe to Opinion Queen by Email, confirm the subscription, and leave a comment below to let me know that you have subscribed to my e-mails (or tell me if you already are). (2 entries)

2.  Tweet about my giveaway with a link to my site, and leave a comment below with a link to your tweet.  You can do this every day! (2 entries)

3. Make your Facebook status about my giveaway with a link to my site, and leave a comment below with a link to your page.  You can do this every day! (2 entries)

4.  Grab my Banner in the right sidebar and post it on your website (or tell me if it is already there)! (3 entries)

5.  Add a link to OpinionQueen.com from your blog or website, and leave a comment below with a link to where you added the link. (3 entries)

6.  Follow me on twitter: TheOpinionQueen and then leave a comment below with your twitter name. (2 entries)

7.  Tell everyone about this giveaway on Digg, Stumble, in an internet forum, meme, Google Buzz, blog it, or any other social networking place (2 entries for each one that you do!)

8.  Leave a comment on a non-giveaway product review post on my site and leave a comment below to let me know what you commented on. (1 entry)

The winner will be selected on February 14, 2011 through a random number generator and contacted via e-mail.  If there is no response from the winner within 3 days, another winner will be selected.  Only US Residents are eligible for this giveaway.

Boos Block Maple & Stainless Steel Feet Review:

The first Boos Block Cutting Board I reviewed is the one pictured above (and this is also the one that is available in our give-away – read on for additional details).  The model number is MPL1812175-SSF and it is a phenomenal hard rock maple cutting board with a juice groove around the edge and the perfect, modern, globe-like, stainless steel feet.  This John Boos Cutting Board With Stainless Steel Feet retails for $148.95.  Why such a high price tag?  Because you are getting an extremely high-end cutting board that is of superior quality to most cutting boards.  We are not talking about your 1/4″ thick wood cutting board that will get sliced and destroyed by your knife in a matter of weeks.  The  Boos Block Cutting Board With Stainless Steel Feet is a whopping 1 3/4″ thick, 18 inches wide and 12 inches deep – this is the furthest thing from a light weight, flimsy kitchen tool we are talking about!

As you can see in the photo above, the juice groove on the Boos Block Cutting Board With Stainless Steel Feet is not just a tiny indentation that does not really serve a purpose (as is the case with so many other cutting boards).  This juice groove is as thick as two of my fingers.  I was able to cut an entire watermelon without getting juice all over my counter – and that is a difficult task since watermelons always equal a messy, sticky counter-top with just about any other cutting board!  The Boos Block Cutting Board With Stainless Steel Feet is so gorgeous that you can make an impressive display with a few types of cheese and a handful of grapes at the spur of the moment – like when your in-laws make a surprise visit and you have nothing prepared!

Boos Block Reversible Maple Cutting Board Review

The second cutting board that I reviewed is the R02 or the John Boos Commercial Maple Cutting Board, which is a real work-horse of a cutting board.  This cutting board is what I now use for my serious cooking jobs where I need a lot of cutting board space.  As you can see in the photo above, you can place a ton of apples, pears, and tangerines next to each other on the  Boos Block Maple Cutting Board, which is 24″ by 18″ by 1 1/2″ thick.  Carving a huge turkey? Chopping up tons of veggies for a stir-fry for a big group?  Or making a large fruit salad to take to your friend’s pot-luck?  The Boos Block Maple Cutting Board can handle all of this!  I love that I do not have to chop up some of the ingredients and then dirty another bowl to clear up more space on my cutting board.

John Boos Cutting Board Review:

In addition to looking great and providing me with a huge surface area to chop to my heart’s content, the quality of the Boos Block Cutting Boards really cannot be beat.  I have chopped everything you can possibly imagine on my Boos Block over the past month, and my husband keeps remarking on how it still looks practically new.  Another aspect that I love about using a wood cutting board is that your knives stay sharp for longer.  With how expensive good knives are, it pays to take good care of them.  Yes, you can certainly sharpen most knives (especially good quality knives), but you can only sharpen knives a certain number of times.  Plus, let’s be realistic, how many of us are using dull knives right now because we just cannot find the time to sharpen them?

The bottom line – Boos Block Cutting Boards are popular among professional chefs and on the Food Network for a reason!  Between its superb quality and the beautiful addition it makes to any kitchen counter-top, I think it is safe to say that I (and every person who has visited my kitchen since I got it) am in love with my Boos Block Cutting Boards!

How to Enter the Boos Block Cutting Board Giveaway:

Where to Buy a Boos Block Cutting Board: You can buy one here: Boos Block Cutting Boards

How to Win: You can win a Boos Block Cutting Board with Stainless Steel Feet by visiting the John Boos Website and leaving a comment in the Opinion Queen Comment Section (below) telling us what you loved the most on their website.  This is a required step before getting extra points with the optional contest entry opportunities listed below.

Optional Contest Entry Opportunities: Each of the following will give you a certain number of EXTRA entries into the giveaway, so do as many of the following as you would like to increase your chances of winning!  Good luck everyone!

1.  Subscribe to my updates via e-mail by clicking here: Subscribe to Opinion Queen by Email, confirm the subscription, and leave a comment below to let me know that you have subscribed to my e-mails (or tell me if you already are). (2 entries)

2.  Tweet about my giveaway with a link to my site, and leave a comment below with a link to your tweet.  You can do this every day! (2 entries)

3. Make your facebook status about my giveaway with a link to my site, and leave a comment below with a link to your page.  You can do this every day! (2 entries)

4.  Grab my Banner in the right sidebar and post it on your website (or tell me if it is already there)! (3 entries)

5.  Add a link to OpinionQueen.com from your blog or website, and leave a comment below with a link to where you added the link. (3 entries)

6.  Follow me on twitter: TheOpinionQueen and then leave a comment below with your twitter name. (2 entries)

7.  Tell everyone about this giveaway on Digg, Stumble, in a forum, meme, Google Buzz, blog it, or any other social networking place (2 entries for each one that you do!)

8.  Leave a comment on a non-giveaway product review post on my site and leave a comment below to let me know what you commented on. (1 entry)

The winner will be selected on February 7, 2011 through a random number generator and contacted via e-mail.  If there is no response from the winner within 3 days, another winner will be selected.  Only US Residents are eligible for this giveaway.

Mauviel M’Cook Pan Review

Mauviel has been manufacturing both professional and commercial cookware since 1830, hence the name Mauviel 1830 that you see on their packaging and website.  In addition to being well-known for outstanding quality copper cookware (which I would LOVE to review someday!), they make stainless steel and aluminum cookware that is truly out of this world.  When I bought my first set of pots and pans for college, I bought a combination of a couple of stainless steel pieces and a couple of non-stick pieces.  The stainless steel pots and pans were given away within the first month because I could not get anything to cook in them without sticking – unless I used way too much oil which resulted in unhealthy (and greasy tasting) food.  At the time, I thought that my non-stick pots and pans were fabulous – I could cook eggs, ground beef, chicken breasts and just about anything else with little to no oil, and it would come out perfectly.  Over the years and more recently, when I started hearing about the health dangers of non-stick cookware, I panicked.  Would I have to choose between (potentially) toxic nonstick surfaces or super oily food?  Or, would I be able to find the cookware of my dreams?  I am relieved to say that, after a few tweaks to my cooking routine, my Mauviel M’Cook is exactly the dream cookware I was looking for!

How to Use the Mauviel M’Cook Stainless Steel Pan

I showed two photos above – one with a banana in the pan and one with my hand on the pan handle – so that you could get a good feel for the size of the  9.5″ Mauviel M’Cook Pan.  It is the perfect size pan for everyday dishes, but if you have a big family or cook large quantities, then have no fear because the Mauviel M’Cook line has a variety of different sizes including larger pans.  The 9.5″ is the perfect go-to pan for most people though, because it is large enough for a small family and light enough to make it very easy to handle.  After testing out a variety of different dishes in the Mauviel M’Cook Stainless Steel Pan, I found the perfect way to cook with this pan so that it is almost identical to using a non-stick surface:

How To Make A Stainless Steel Pan Non-Stick:

1.  Place the Mauviel M’Cook Pan over medium heat and let the pan heat up for about a minute.

2.  Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil or canola oil (depending on what you are cooking) to the pan.

3.  Let the oil warm up for about 30 seconds.

4.  Now you can cook whatever you want and nothing will stick!  Not even scrambled eggs, which is my true test since scrambled eggs always seems to stick outside of a non-stick pan!

Mauviel Review: Top 10 Reasons I Love My Mauviel Pan

It is hard to capture the beauty of how food cooks in the Mauviel M’Cook Stainless Steel Pan, but you can see in the photo above (on the left-hand side) how even ground beef does not stick to the pan (and this was with adding no oil at all since ground beef always gives off enough oil on its own).  You can also see how perfectly the pan caramelizes vegetables like peppers and tomatoes – see the little dark bits of deliciousness?  And I included a photo of the finished stuffed peppers (on the right hand side) to really get your mouth watering!  I absolutely love my new Mauviel M’Cook pan, so I came up with the following top 10 reasons for why it really is the best stainless steel pan I have ever used.

1. The Mauviel M’Cook pan is made of 5 layers of stainless steel, so that the pan heats up evenly and quickly.

2.  The sleek and modern look of the Mauviel M’Cook pan is perfect for any kitchen.

3.  The entire pan is stainless steel, and so you have no worries about moving it from the stove into the oven (it is safe up to a whopping 680 degrees F) – imagine the delicious filet mignon steaks!

4.  No non-stick surface or chemicals like PFOA to make your family sick.

5.  It cooks very similarly to a non-stick pan except it browns meat and caramelizes vegetables far better than any non-stick pan.

6.  The handle fits perfectly in your hands – perfect for those of us working on our pancake flipping technique!

7.  The Mauviel M’Cook pan comes with a lifetime warranty, not that I expect I will ever need to use it because it really is top notch quality.

8.  The pan is dishwasher safe, and while I mainly wash my pans by hand, it is a nice feature to know about for when you are in a pinch.

9.  I am DYING for an Induction Cooktop, but I had the pleasure of testing out this pan on my friend’s Induction Cooktop and it worked liked a dream.

10.  This came as a total shock to me, but even though the handle is made of stainless steel and it is super ergonomic, the handle also magically stays cool when you cook over the stove.  How do they do that?!?

How to Enter the Mauviel M’Cook Pan Giveaway:

Where to Buy the Mauviel M’Cook Stainless Steel Pan: You can buy one here: Mauviel M’Cook Stainless Steel Pan

How to Win: You can win a Mauviel M’Cook Stainless Steel Pan by visiting the Mauviel Website and leaving a comment below with your favorite product on their site!  You must do this before doing any of the extra entries listed below.

Extra Entries: Each of the following will give you a certain number of EXTRA entries into the giveaway, so do as many of the following as you would like to increase your chances of winning!  Good luck everyone!

1.  Subscribe to my updates via e-mail by clicking here: Subscribe to Opinion Queen by Email, confirm the subscription, and leave a comment below to let me know that you have subscribed to my e-mails (or tell me if you already are). (2 entries)

2.  Tweet about my giveaway with a link to my site, and leave a comment below with a link to your tweet.  You can do this every day! (2 entries)

3. Make your facebook status about my giveaway with a link to my site, and leave a comment below with a link to your page.  You can do this every day! (2 entries)

4.  Grab my Banner in the right sidebar and post it on your website (or tell me if it is already there)! (3 entries)

5.  Add a link to OpinionQueen.com from your blog or website, and leave a comment below with a link to where you added the link. (3 entries)

6.  Follow me on twitter: TheOpinionQueen and then leave a comment below with your twitter name. (2 entries)

7.  Tell everyone about this giveaway on Digg, Stumble, in a forum, meme, Google Buzz, blog it, or any other social networking place (2 entries for each one that you do!)

8.  Leave a comment on a non-giveaway product review post on my site and leave a comment below to let me know what you commented on. (1 entry)

The winner will be selected on January 9 through a random number generator and contacted via e-mail.  If there is no response from the winner within 3 days, then another winner will be selected.  Only US Residents are eligible for this giveaway.

Plastic Cutting Board Review

Before receiving the cutting boards, one of the first things that struck me about The Cutting Board Company was how their plastic products were listed by the NSF, USDA, FDA and the Canada Department of Agriculture.  In addition, these Plastic Cutting Boards are made in America, and with all of the scares about plastic products coming out of China, this certainly helps me to rest easier at night.

The boards are made out of Super High Density Polyethylene Plastic, which did not mean much to me – until I received the Plastic Cutting Boards shown in the photo above.  You cannot tell from the picture, but these cutting boards are seriously heavy-duty and amazing quality (hence the word High Density!).  Each cutting board is 18″ x 24″ and they are a 1/2″ thick – making them the perfect balance between durability and weight.  Another added health benefit of The Cutting Board Company’s Color Coded Cutting Boards is that you eliminate the possibility of cross contamination.  The Red Cutting Board is only for use with beef, the White Cutting Board is for dairy, the Green Cutting Board is for fruits and veggies, the Blue Cutting Board is for already cooked foods, the Yellow Cutting Board is for poultry and the Tan Cutting Board is for seafood.  This means no more worrying that the salmonella from your chicken will get into the raw vegetables that you are dicing for your salad – and for anyone who has ever had food poisoning, you will greatly appreciate this!

Some of you might be thinking that six cutting boards are great in theory, but how can you store all of them?  The above product I did not get to test out, but I would absolutely love to get it in the future because it answers the big question of where to conveniently store your cutting boards.

The bottom line – if you are looking for high quality, warp resistant, stain resistant, hygienic, color coded cutting boards then look no further.  These are definitely on my Holiday Gift List for several members of my family!  You can purchase these Plastic Cutting Boards and Cutting Board Stands by clicking here or you can read more information about the professional grade cutting board company here: The Cutting Board Company.

How much fun is this packaging?  That was my first reaction upon opening my lovely pink Booty Pop box filled with bright pink and sparkly blue confetti, two lollipops and of course my Booty Pop – it was like receiving a party in a box!  I ran straight to my bedroom to put on my favorite pair of jeans with the Booty Pop.  I came out of my bedroom and passed by my husband on the way to the kitchen – woah, he totally checked me out!  He even made a comment about how nicely my jeans fit me and thought that they were new.

Check out this side-by-side photo of me without wearing the Booty Pop and again afterward with the Butt Lifting Underwear on.  Amazing, right?  In the before photo, you can see how my jeans sag in my butt, especially towards the bottom of my booty where there is extra fabric just hanging loose.  In the after photo, you can see the my Faux Butt fills out my jeans and there is no saggy material.  Another great thing about these Butt Enhancers is that they make my waist and tummy seem smaller by making my butt appear bigger.  The Booty Pop slogan should be “slide on a pair and instantly look 10 pounds lighter!”

In the photo above, you can see the front and back of my pair of Booty Pop, which are a size small in black (but they come in a variety of other colors and textures).  They are very comfortable to wear, and I actually find it more tolerable to sit on hard surfaces, which I used to complain about since I have a rather boney butt.  The Booty Pop is machine washable and you can apparently put them in the drier as well, although I hang them to dry just to be safe.  So far, they have help up nicely in the washing machine, but frankly, even if I have to replace them in a few months, it will be totally worth it.  Think of it this way, many of us (including me!) have spent well over the cost of the Booty Pop on having a seamstress alter our clothing, so why not pay a one time fee to have all of your clothing automatically fit you better without any alterations?

For more information about the Booty Pop, please visit the Booty Pop Website.

The Sona Pillow can be spotted a mile away because of its unique shape and its signature stripe pattern on the bottom.  I was curious as to whether this would be a firm or soft pillow and whether it would actually be comfortable to use or not.  After taking the Sona Pillow out of its package, I was impressed by the firm support of the pillow.  I am not a fan of soft wimpy pillows – the firmer the better to me.  I slipped the Sona Pillow into the machine washable pillow case that it comes with and put it on my husband’s side of the bed for him to use that evening.

My husband was not fond of the idea of me taking a photo of him sleeping in bed and posting it on the Internet, so you can see another nice man (who is not quite as cute as my husband!) demonstrate how to use the Sona Pillow in the photo above.  Basically, you place an arm under one of the indented sections of the pillow and rest your head on the middle section.  My husband used the pillow for several nights, and while he used it, his mild snoring did seem to improve a bit.  The only problem is that he would wake up in the morning with the pillow on the floor.  It was almost as if he could not adjust to sleeping in this exact position on his side for the entire night, because he tends to be a back sleeper.

Being a side sleeper myself, and loving firm pillows, I decided that I wanted to give the Sona Pillow a test run even though I do not snore.  It did take some getting used to, but after a few days of “breaking it in” I found the Sona Pillow to be exactly what I would want in a pillow.  My sleep improved and I did not toss and turn nearly as much.  After hearing how much I love the Sona Pillow, my husband said he wanted to give it another try – so it looks like we will be ordering another one because there is no way that I am parting with it now!

To read more about the Sona Pillow and its patented design that was approved by the FDA as a medical advice, please visit the Sona Website.