Love & LavAzza

I've been enjoying the flavours my my LavAzza coffee packs for about a month now.  I use a four-cup Cuisinart drip coffee maker at home - or rather, my husband does...I'm too sleepy in the morning to be much use.  Special coffees are love at work in our home.
 

We started off with the Gran Aroma which is a medium roast.  I love my morning Special Coffees which consist of about a third a cup of coffee, topped by milk foam and cinnamon.  Here is my first Gran Aroma cup and you can see that there is a a lot of foam!  The first sips are sweet and warm, perfect morning waking comfort.  Then the coffee comes through and its a warm nudge of deliciousness and awakening aroma.

The aroma on this coffee is amazing.  From the first opening of the package - which has a round air seal by the way - its just dreamy!  I stood there inhaling the scent of the grounds in my slippers one morning and I could have gone back for more later in the day.

The taste of the Gran Aroma is a standard medium roast - a bit acidic, not very deep - although there is a sense of quality in the liquid - it truly has become coffee, not hot water and coffee.  For myself, medium roast is an okay roast - I prefer the dark.  The Gran Aroma is a medium roast I would go to for the quality if I couldn't find any dark roast.

Onto the Gran Selezione.  THIS is the roast for me.  Oh how amazing it tastes in the morning and blends into the foam like its in a lover's arms.  Yes, the Gran Selezione is so delicious its making me poetic.  It is dark, velvety, smooth, and deep with a hint of quality chocolate.  This is the one I will be looking for in stores.  I'm so sorry that my package is almost empty!  Again, I could inhale the scent of the grounds themselves for hours. 

If you are a dark roast lover, I recommend the Gran Selezione.  My price-checking has come up with $12.99 a package at London Drugs.  I did find Gran Aroma at Superstore, but only that roast.   Don't forget to scour the internet for a $2 off coupon, and I also found Sample Source tear-off coupons for $2 off a package at Superstore.

My BzzKit came with a few $4 off coupons, if you know me, you may be one of the select few recipients. 

It's Here!! LavAzza Coffee BzzKit!

Arrived this morning.  Can't wait to try it!

LAVAZZA Italy's Favourite Coffee

A BzzCampaign!  Hooray!

Notification came today to participate in this BzzAgent campaign for Lavazza's new drip coffee.  How deliciously exciting!

My previous experience with Lavazza has purely "bean" with espresso  (they have the best decaf around), so this will be an interesting venture into whether or not they have been successful with the drip coffee/French press variety.

Drip/French Press coffee varieties by Lavazza include:

Gran Aroma

Medium Roast

A balanced, highly aromatic blend of 100% Arabica beans with fragrant floral notes and a citrusy flavour profile.

 

Classico

Medium Roast

This blend’s start-stop roasting method produces its intense aroma of dried fruits and rich, full-bodied flavor.

 

Gran Selezione

Dark Roast

A full-bodied Arabica blend with intense flavor and chocolate undertones that comes exclusively from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms.

 

Perfetto

Espresso Roast

Made from 100% carefully selected Arabica beans, this dark and velvety blend is bold with lingering caramel notes.

The campaign officially begins February 26th.  The BzzKit is slated to include:

• A FREE 12 oz bag of Lavazza Gran Aroma Specialty Drip Coffee
• A FREE 12 oz bag of Lavazza Gran Selezione Specialty Drip Coffee
• A travel mug per me (that's "for me" in Italian)
• $4-off coupons to share with other coffee drinkers (would that be you???)
• Lavazza magnets to pass along, too
• An Italian Gestures Game for my Passion Party (not the lingerie party, a coffee party!)

 The game idea makes me smile.  I hope it will be a good laugh.

Grazie, BzzAgent & Lavazza!

Nutrience Pet Food Campaign from BzzAgent

Yes!  A BzzAgent Campaign for my furballs!  I love my cats and purchase high-end food for them, both because I love them dearly and because one of them has digestive issues (he's a barfer). Previous dry food brands have been Nutro and Royal Canin.

The campaign I was selected for is for Nutrience pet food.  It has both dog and cat varieties.  I have three cats.  Two are indoor, and one is outdoor.  The outdoor one is a feral cat who we eventually after 2+ years convinced to come inside at night when it is cold outside.  Of the two indoor cats, one has been a indoor cat all of his eight years (he's the barfer), and the other came to as a stray older kitten, now about three years old.  He is inside but does have supervised outside time on a harness and leash. 

Here is what my Nutrience BzzKit came with:

Nutrience BzzKit Contents September 2013

As you can see, a coupon for a full free bag for me was included!  Also five coupons of $5 off a any bag to share, two flavours of sample bags, and a French/English information booklet on all the varieties of Nutrience dog and cat food.

Our first plan of action was to mix the sample bags in with all of our cats' current dry food to give an adjustment period.  This lasted 10 days.  Both indoor cats seemed to like it, our outdoor cat seemed to LOVE it - not a kibble left in the bowl the first few times.  The indoor barfer cat was fine with the mixed days, and fine for about a week with only Nutrience.  He has had one big "sicky" recently and we will be watching him closely.

We are concerned about our second indoor cat and are seriously considered switching him back to his old food.  He seems to be having bathroom issues since the full switch - he'll be in the litter box with the "I'm-trying-to-go" stance/look for 10 minutes+ at a time, over and over.  There is only a tiny piddle if anything each time.  He does seem to be pooping at other times.  We are worried about crystals or something else as this is a totally new thing for him and there is no other change to his diet, litter type/location, or habitat. 

Now, in terms of finding a vendor in order to use the free bag coupon...

We started by first calling a private pet food store close to my place of work where we had recently picked up a bottle of Vetericyn for our outdoor cat's hot spots.  No luck there, but they did offer to order it in for us.  Since it was for a free bag, we declined otherwise we'd feel guilty.  We called our regular private pet food store and they did not carry it.  Next we tried one of the bigger chain stores, no luck.  Finally, the fourth try - PetSmart - had it.  I would have preferred to support a smaller local store, but no avail.  The flavour selection was limited, but we were able to get the big bag for free, almost a $40 savings.

After 10 days of mixed food and about 10 days of solely Nutrience the initial verdict is that it is good for our outdoor cat, but varying results for our indoor cats.  We'll keep monitoring the situation.

The indoor "barfer" cat eating Nutrience dry food

Final thoughts on Crest Pro-Health suite

The Crest Pro-Health™ BzzAgent campaign ended a few weeks ago and I want to share some final thoughts.   Overall, not a bad suite, just not as good as I was hoping. My review of the Oral-B CrossAction^®toothbrush stands.   Its good for when I have a cold, that's it.

With regards to the Crest^® Pro-Health^® Multi-Protection Rinse (mouthwash), it DOES make a difference with morning breath if it is used right before bed.  I still can’t attest to during the day as the no-eating/drinking-for-30-minutes-after-use rule has prevented me.

The  Crest^® Pro-Health^® Toothpaste: I thought it was good.  Until I went to the dentist.  I forgot to take a picture of my teeth before my appointment, so there is no “after” shot to compare to my first short.  The reason I won’t be repurchasing is that for the first time ever my dentist told me I had coffee stains on my teeth!  She even showed me the brown marks with a mirror.  I have been drinking coffee every morning for six years.  I can only attribute this to the change in my toothpaste.  

I believe the problem is that the toothpaste I sampled was non-whitening.   I have since discovered that Crest Pro-Health™ does have a whitening type.  If the price is right when I run out of the whitening brand I returned to after my dentist appointment, then I will consider trying it out.  I did like the Cool Peppermint flavour.

Review of Crest Pro-Health Products

I forgot my blogger password so this is a little late, but here are some of my thoughts regarding the Crest Pro-Health™ products I received for free from BzzAgent.

Oral-B CrossAction^®  Pro-Health™ Toothbrush:

     My mouth is on the small side, so at first I thought the toothbrush would be very awkward due to its size.  However, I found that it didn't matter much as I could get a comfortable grip on the brush handle at any point.  The toothbrush has raised bumps on the outside for cheek and tongue cleaning.  It also has flexible longer rubber bristles all around the outer edge for gum cleaning.

Back "Bumps"

Side "Rubber Bristle" & Pro-Health™ toothpaste

 

I used the toothbrush for about a week and thought it was really neat.  I liked the way my cheeks were cleaned and my gums massaged.  I should note that the Oral-B CrossAction^®  Pro-Health™ toothbrush I received is the Soft variety.

    However after a week, my inner cheeks started getting sore.  By 10 days in, I knew I couldn't use the brush anymore - my inner cheeks had become too sensitive to the friction of the bumps and it hurt to use the brush.  I went back to my old toothbrush without the bumps, still using the Crest^® Pro-Health^® Toothpaste.   

    However, I am keeping the Oral-B CrossAction^®  Pro-Health™ toothbrush, as when I get my first seasonal cold/flu I know I will love being able to scrape the inside of my mouth, cheeks, and tongue of all the sick goo from colds/flus until I get better.  So, although it is not for me for everyday use, the Oral-B CrossAction^®  Pro-Health™ toothbrush does have a place in my oral health routine.

Crest^® Pro-Health^®  Toothpaste:

    The toothpaste is a blue gel with tiny darker blue dots within it.  It has a pleasant mild mint taste.  I received the Cool Peppermint flavour - nothing overpowering while brushing, and nothing really lasting either.  I like the cap on the toothpaste tube as you can stand the tube upright on your counter to save space and also let gravity do the work of getting the toothpaste to the open end of the tube and not rolling and squishing yourself.  I have taken a teeth smile photo of when I started using the Crest^® Pro-Health^® Toothpaste:

My crooked smile

and will post another after two months use.  I began diligently using it in the morning and the evening, however I have been a bit lax after four weeks with the evening brushing.  The instructions do say to use it twice per day for results. 

Crest^® Pro-Health^® Multi-Protection Rinse: (aka mouthwash)

    I like this stuff.  It is blue in colour and does not taste too strong.  I can sometimes feel the tingle stronger, and I guess that is because there are more germs in my mouth to work on at that time!  What I do not like is that you cannot eat or drink for 30 minutes after rinsing.  This sucks in the morning, as I sip my coffee on the way to work and of course, eat.  I rush getting ready every morning and having to wait 30 minutes to eat or drink - anything, including water - is a huge pain in the butt.  Thus, I do not use it in the morning, only right before getting into bed in the evening.  The Crest^® Pro-Health^® Multi-Protection Rinse instructions do say to use twice per day but I have only been using it once because of this.

    A different aspect of the rinse is that after swishing, gargling, and spitting out, there is a slight blue residue on my tongue.  Sometimes there is a bit of a thin blue glob on my tongue in places.  I can't really feel it or taste it, but I can see it in the mirror: 

Little blue streaks on my tongue

  My guess is I have more junk in my mouth and the rinse is attaching itself to those bits of junk and not letting those bits grow into more germs and/or bad breath.  Since I am only using the rinse before bed, I don't know how long this lasts, but it is gone in the morning. 

Suite of Crest^® Pro-Health^®products

Crest Pro-Health BzzAgent Campaign

I'm doing awesome with BzzAgent this year!  The latest campaign I have been selected for is Crest Pro-Health^® .  By BzzKit arrived this week in the mail and contained:

1. 500ml bottle Crest^® Pro-Health^® Multi-Protection [Oral] Rinse (aka mouthwash)
2. 85ml Crest^® Pro-Health^® toothpaste in Cool Peppermint
3. One Oral-B CrossAction^®  Pro-Health™ toothbrush in Soft

I am a wee bit disappointed that the kit does not include the floss from the line, and there are no coupons to share with friends/the-world-at-large this time.

So far all I've done is recycled the cardboard from the toothpaste box and read the instructions for the mouthwash, which are a bit intense.

The mouthwash instructions are to use twice per day, but to wait 30 minutes before eating.  A bit annoying as I brush my teeth and then have my morning coffee which I sip throughout the morning.  We'll see how this works out. 

The toothbrush looks really big and has quite a long handle as compared to my current one.  Good timing for me, though, as my current one its starting to look a little worse for wear.

I like how the toothpaste tube (not shown) will stand up on its cap, and then cap is a flip-top.  This makes it easy to keep at the sink and doesn't take up much room, as well as letting gravity keep the toothpaste near the opening so you don't need to roll down the end of the tube to squeeze it out. 

I'll report back after I've tried the kit contents for awhile.  

On a side note, I love the BzzAgent packing tape with their bee brand!

Review: International Delight (TM) Iced Coffee

With the free coupons I received from BzzAgent, I purchased two varieties of International Delight (TM) Iced Coffee.  I bought one Mocha which I brought home with me to try, and another Mocha plus a Caramel Macchiato flavour to take to work for the party I mentioned in my previous post.

My first selection was the Mocha at home. At first sip, I thought “Wow, this is really sweet”.  Then I looked at the ingredient list.  It contains both sugar AND corn syrup which explains why it is so sweet.   However I was pleasantly surprised to see that it did NOT list palm oil or any other non-dairy byproducts on the list.   Hooray!  I sipped some more, and liked it a little more – I thought “This would be great as a granita!”.  I drank more, ”Hmmm, this stuff is growing on me!”.  I shook the container up lots as per the instructions and poured over ice – holy smokes, now I am addicted!  

I still think it is quite sweet, so I would not have the same amount as I would a regular coffee, but I would buy the Mocha again.  To me, it tastes more “sweet” than “chocolate mocha”, so my suggestion would be to cut the corn syrup, leave the same amount of sugar, and up the cocoa content.  I did add some extra coffee and milk to my cold cup to cut down on the sweetness.  I don't normally add sugar to my coffee so others may not feel this is necessary.

I tried the Caramel Macchiato flavour at my work party.  Definitely too sweet for me – tastes like thin syrup.  Yuck.  But, to be fair, I do not usually like caramel.  I didn’t waste my coupons on the vanilla variety as I know I don’t like vanilla at all so it wouldn’t be right to review that one.

One of my co-workers gave me a review of both work party flavours.  She doesn't like the Mocha so much as she thinks it "tastes like chocolate milk".  On the other hand, she really likes the Caramel Macchiato flavour - the rest of the container is hers to finish!  This is a person who likes dulce de leche and caramel flavourings, so if you are the same, chances are you will also like Caramel Macchiato!

If anyone else I gave free coupons to gives me a review I will post it.  Here are our drinks from the party (creamo for regular hot coffee drinkers is blocked out):

Mocha & Caramel Macchiato Flavours

A sub-note: the International Delight TM cold cup/tumbler I received really does keep drinks cold!  I was impressed and will be using it throughout the Summer.

                             

International Delight (TM) Iced Coffee BzzAgent Campaign

Hooray!  I got into another campaign!  This year is going well with BzzAgent, the word of mouth review company that sends free samples and coupons for people to give honest product opinions.  This campaign features International Delight(TM) Iced Coffees!

My campaign box has already arrived.   Inside were nine coupons for an entire carton FREE of any flavour International Delights (TM) Iced Coffee.  They come in three flavours: Mocha, Caramel Macchiato, and Vanilla.  They regularly retail for $4.99 and are on sale at Shopper's Drug Mart this week for $3.99.  Just shy of two litres, each carton should give about 7 - 8 "Tall"-sized servings.

Also inside the box were two plastic cold beverage tumblers with straws. They look like this:

They are a hard, clear plastic - definitely washable and reusable.  They look like they will be fun to fill with ice and then splash over a good serving of International Delight (TM).   My SO does not like drinking out of plastic, so the second one will be a gift - possibly to the person who gives me the most honest feedback of the different tastes when I bring all three varieties into work next week.  Lucky coworkers!

For myself, the flavour I will use my coupon on will be Mocha.  I don't like vanilla and only like caramel slightly more.  My SO will have the choice of which one of those two he would like to try.  That will leave me with four free coupons.  One will go inside the tumbler to give away, the other three - hmmm - how many should I save for myself and how many to give away to others?

*Photos are from bzzagent.com and International Delight's (TM) FB page.

Always Infinity Campaign Update

I was away for a bit and when I returned home I was happy to see a little brown box with my name on it had arrived from BzzAgent™!

Inside were a page of campaign directions, my free package of Always Infinity, three individually wrapped yellow regular Always pads, and eight $1.00 off Always Infinity coupons to share.

I am happy to report that the free package was this one:

It is the heavy with wings version, which is more appropriate for my personal cycle.

I am also happy to report that they are VERY comfortable and so thin I can't even tell just standing in my underwear that I have them on - the only giveaway is the wings on the outside of the crotch part of my underwear.  They also absorb quite a bit.  It is a great relief to not have to worry about running to the bathroom to change every hour during my heaviest days.  These ranged for me from being good from two to four and a half hours, depending on my level of flow.  This is very important so I don't get dirty or questioning looks at work about going to the bathroom often, and for my peace of mind that there will not be leakages.

It also makes me more comfortable in wearing a shirt that does not cover my bum (in case of leakages) during my period.

I like the "feel" of these against my "delicate parts".  It feels like a cotton fabric - not like any kind of a plastic.  I absolutely hate the comparison of pads to diaper by some not-so-nice women and men.  There is nothing farther than the truth and comparisons like that seek only to shame women for dealing with the natural cycles of their bodies.  For any woman out there who has felt humiliation, embarrassment, or any other negative emotion for their decision to wear pads during their period, I say that Always Infinity can alleviate that negativeness by being thin and fast/heavy absorbing.

The wrapping is fairly quiet for changing in public stalls, but the sides of the package do make some noise.  By opening them slowly less noise happens.  Again, if you are a woman who feels embarrassed by changing your pad in a public bathroom, you can open the package slowly,  but periods are natural and if someone says something or gives you a look, they are the ones who should be ashamed, not you.

The adhesive on the back of the pad is almost the entire pad in length and width in a solid strip.  No bunching happened for me!  The wings have adhesive on each rounded wing and they worked fine.  The wings are made of more tissue feeling material and for me, anchored the pad well and caught any drops from shifting.

I am planning to keep a couple of the free $1.00 off coupons for myself to buy additional packages (they also come in Overnight, so I am going to get some of those) and share the rest.

The three regular pads were put in the kit for me to film an absorption test and post it onto YouTube (you know, the famous "blue liquid" test).  I do not have a YouTube account, and I don't feel right creating one solely for the purpose of posting one video, so it is not likely to happen.

mypoints free and fun

One thing I love to do is browse internet sales and occasionally purchase something that is an awesome deal, taking advantage of any bonuses, extra coupons, or rewards-earning opportunities.  A great way I have discovered to do this is through using mypoints.com 

I was first introduced to this site as a rewards option through completing surveys and reviews for BzzAgent (BzzReports, etc.).  I wasn't familiar with the concept originally and I confess I ignored my first few mypoints rewards (grrr!!! dumb!!!).   Then I checked it out thoroughly and registered for an account.  It was a basic registration - pick an email address and password, enter your real first and last name, and mailing address.  I was a little leery of the mailing address, but I don't think I have had any spam associated with them and I only get about an average of three mypoints emails per month by not signing up for the daily deals alerts.

Anyways, by earning mypoints rewards through BzzAgent, answering occasional surveys, and purchasing occasional products by linking to the company's website via the mypoints site, I have earned various gift certificate rewards that I have put to good (FUN) use.

I have earned since 2009 (keep in mind that I purchase something online on average once per month):

- $50 in Williams-Sonoma gift cards 

- $125 in Macy's gift cards 

These cards physically arrived in the mail to my house about three to four weeks after requesting them and I was able to use both for online purchases via mypoints to earn rewards again on their value. It is an American website, but they still sent my rewards to Canada no problem and most companies associated with their site offer Canadian shipping if you do not have an American address you can use.  Unfortunately, the Canadian shipping on some sites is a total rip-off, so you do need to do your due diligence and remember to think of duty/customs/HST/GST.  But if you're a smart shopper, you can certainly get good deals via mypoints.com and I recommend it.

I'm very excited to see on my BzzAgent account this status for my Burt's Bees Sensitive Skin campaign:

"Shipped via U.S. Mail on 02/23/2012"

Yay!!!!!! Hopefully it will arrive by the end of next week!

Burt's Bees(R) Natural Skin Solutions for Sensitive Skin

Yay, I got another BzzCampaign invite as a BzzAgent!

I am happy that this one is finally open and available to Canadians.

It looks like as part of the kit I should receive coupons to share, plus samples of the sensitive facial cleanser, daily moisturizer, night cream, and eye cream. Estimated arrival time is three weeks. I am slight disappointed there is no toner included (maybe there will be a discount coupon for it?) and I am most excited to try the moisturizer. I have yet to find one that leaves my skin moisturized but non-greasy and doesn't cause it to break out in a day or two.

My Bzzguide says the products contain cotton, rice, and aloe. I've heard of aloe, of course, for sensitivity, but not cotton or rice so I am curious to see how these work with my redness-prone skin. I hope it works on t-zone blemishes, too!

All in all, it was a good day to get the campaign invite email!




Update:
Unfortunately, I didn't really like this particular Burt's Bees product.  It was too heavy/greasy feeling for my skin, especially the moisturizer.  If I had dry, sensitive skin I think it may have worked well.  However, I have combination skin, so it left a feeling of slickness on top and never felt quite clean.  I do love other Burt's Bees products, especially their spot blemish treatment and Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, so I was disappointed with this product.  Most friends I gave the moisturizer sample to had the same experience.

Style Find - Hair Dos!

As mentioned back in September, I am participating in a Bzzagent campaign to increase awareness about the StyleFind.com website.

Right now, the website still has "holiday" looks and tips on it and their editors' pick gallery is still the Fall 2011 one. I hope they update it to Winter 2012 soon. I do like looking at their photos and trends.

What I have found today is hair up-do instructions! Yes, something useful! The instructions are found under the "Trends" tab and are for a loose up-do and are short and easy-to-follow.

Various products are recommended to aid in pulling this 'do off, such as the Kerastase Double Force Controle Ultime Extra-Strength Hold Multi-Protective Hairspray for Weakened Hair. This stuff goes for $36 USD for 300ml so its not cheap, but I'm sure you can find a drugstore brand that would work just as well as long as you're not walking down the red carpet.

Sephora snag-free hair bands are also suggested which are priced for the average consumer at 8 for $3.50 USD on their website.

The other style helper is Sally Hershberger Root Boosting Spray - Salon Shape Up Styling Spray - listed at $24 for a 5 oz. pump spray.

Of these three, the easiest to find would be the Sephora hair bands as they have retail outlets in most major centres. Online shipping is reasonable plus you get three free samples with each shipment. Kerastase also gives three complimentary samples with shipping, with free shipping if you purchase over $85 of product - which shouldn't take long at their prices. The Sally Hershberger product link took me to the Home Shopping Network site.

Style Find

Style Find is a website that I was invited to join for free as part of a Bzz campaign.

There was an initial incentive - I think $10 off your first purchase for a limited time? But I honestly can't remember. The first few times I clicked on the site I was blown away by how expensive the products were plus shipping, and then of course taxes and duty from most places so $10 wouldn't have been any incentive to me.

Since then I have noticed that there have been more reasonably priced items. For example, while there are still the $299.95 purses that are marketed as a steal - they are also showing the $39.95 purses that are actually affordable for a person in today's economy that wants a new style every season. I can't imagine ever affording $300 on a purse, or a shirt or skirt for that matter every season. If I want to stay trendy, the stuff has to be cheap. And I mean CHEAP for normal people, not $150 000 salary-a-year-people.

I'll try to post some "real" cheap examples in the next few weeks from Style Find.

The pictures are always great, even if the prices are not!

LunchBots - Hope to get in on this one

LunchBots is the latest daily Bzzz campaign I hope to be invited to join. Once again, I would be receiving a product FREE from BzzAgent.

I have been looking at tiffins, which is a similar product but more like several undivided steel containers that are stacked on top of one another and secured together with steel strapping. The LunchBots seem like they would serve the same purpose, in a slightly more stylish manner.

Plus, I would get to do cool things with them like this:

OXO Candela Update #2

Now that I have had a chance to experience them fully charged, I can report that I do like the OXO Candelas that I received for free from BzzAgent.

They have a bit of a glow to them - no flickering like a candle would so that could be a pro or con depending on the ambiance wished for at the moment. You could read if you were up really close. I'd compare it to one of those paper lamps from IKEA in terms of visibility given.

Nondescript and simple - easy to blend into any seasonal decor or fit on any piece of furniture.

All in all, a good find. I believe they retail for about $20 CDN. OK price for a rechargeable set of two.

If I ever remember to take a photo of them in action, I will add to this post.

OXO Candela Update #1

I spent the weekend plugging in, removing and plugging in again my free-from-BzzAgent OXO Candela Glows. I was out of the house too much to see them in action, but they have now had their 14 + 8 + 14 + 8 prep time. Tonight is the night to check out the glow for real!

OXO Candela

I just received my free* sample of OXO Candela Glow lights in the mail yesterday. The box itself is pretty, with a red ribbon loop coming out of the top. Easy to open, and inside each component has its own protective cardboard box.

The box contains three items: One charger plate with attached cord containing two recessed circles that fit the Two candela glow lamps. Each lamp has an on/off switch underneath its base.

It also comes with instructions and warnings for set-up.

Arg! First complaint - you have to charge the thing for 14 hours before first use! There goes my enjoyment of them this evening. Considering I opened my mail after getting home from work at 8:00pm, these won't be fully charged until 10:00am Friday when I'm at work. They are supposed to be left on for 8 hours following the first charge, and then the 14 hour - 8 hour set repeated again before using them however you want.

Verdict: don't know how they work yet and won't know until 14 + 8 + 14 + 8 hours...


*Free from signing up for the BzzAgent Campaign for Oxo Candela Glow www.bzzagent.com