Happy Friday! Today I am sharing five short reviews of products and experiences I've had recently. 1) Mixbook - Last fall when I was putting together Lil's annual photo book, I tweeted about it. Mixbook contacted me and offered me a coupon for to make a photo book, gratis. I created a book about our homestead to share at the OEFFA conference and future workshops, pictured at right. Soon I will write a full comparison of the half dozen photo book brands I have experience with; Mixbook is at the top of the list.

2) Kardea Nutritional Bars - I won a sampler pack of ten bars from the Healthy Heddleston blog. Each has 140 calories with seven grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber plus added vitamins for heart health, which is pretty good nutritional punch for a small amount of calories. I put them in the snack drawer and forgot about them until one day last week when I was running out the door without lunch.

I opened the box and all but two were eaten! I asked the most likely suspect, Alex, and he admitted to enjoying these for snacks at work. I liked the one I had too - the chewy texture was appealing and the chai spice flavor was surprisingly tasty.

3) Celtic Naturals - In a twitter contest, I won a set of Celtic Naturals chocolate covered cherry bath bombs, shea butter whip, and soap. The creator, Angela, kindly delivered them to my home. Devie tried to eat the bath bombs because they smelled so good. Not one to waste something because of a few chew marks, I let Lil use them in the bath the next day and she loved how long lasting they were. My dry skin is enjoying the shea butter whip.

I often avoid beauty products because so many are full of carcinogens but Celtic Naturals products are clearly labeled with understandable ingredients, many of them so safe they are edible.

4) Multigrain Cheerios - My Blog Spark offered me a chance to try Multigrain Cheerios. I jumped at the opportunity because Lil loves Cheerios. A LOT. She eats them every morning for breakfast and usually snacks on some before bedtime too.

When we tried Multigrain Cheerios, Lil's verdict was mixed. She says "In the milk they are too sweet." I dislike the sweet coating myself and the stickiness it leaves everywhere.

I will not purchase Multigrain Cheerios in the future because in comparison with regular Cheerios, the Multigrain variety has more sugar and calories with fewer grams of protein or potassium. Still, I can see this variety appealing to those who wish to transition from very sugary cereals to something more balanced.

5) Cooking Class at The Hills Market - Yesterday, fellow food blogger and marketing director Jill invited me to attend the vegan cooking class with Wellness Forum chef Del Sroufe. Myself and sixteen others spent the first hour in the kitchen watching and conversing with the chef. Then we were escorted to the wine department for service of the three course meal including three glasses of wine. The meal was tasty, the class entertaining, and a great value, for $35.