http://www.viewpoints.com/aboutme/AWESOMEMOM88 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:59:38 GMT Reviews by AWESOMEMOM88 http://www.viewpoints.com/Ocean-Spray-Craisins-review-bfcc3 Anything you can do with a raisin, you can do with a craisin....its that simple.  Snack on them, put them in a lunchbox, bake them into cookies or bread or muffins, or cake...You can add them to a salad to give it an extra punch of sweetness.  You can rehydrate them by steeping in warm water and then use the water to make a wonderfully naturally flavored cup of tea.  I have also used them to glaze ham by mixing them with orange juice, and some clove and basting.  I have used them in marinades for pork or poultry.  They go great in yogourt, and try them mixed with cottage cheese instead of pineapple.  Dress up a boring bowl of canned fruit with some of these little pops of flavor.  And certainly go ahead and mix them into the oatmeal or pancake batter or waffle batter...I have also put them on top of the french toast and then drizzled it with sugar glaze instead of maple syrup.   They have a phenomenal shelf life if kept in a properly sealed... Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:59:38 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Ocean-Spray-Craisins-review-bfcc3 AWESOMEMOM88 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Frito-Lay-Baked-Cheetos-review-1e523 Baked Cheetos are about as wonderful as those fat free potato chips-(you remember, the ones linked to digestive distress because of olestra?)  I realize that companies are trying to cater to our more healthful nature, and provide snack foods that aren't damaging, but you also don't particularly want to snack on them very much.   In a side by side taste comparison with my kids....everyone was able to pick out the baked ones over their traditional counterpart without even tasting.  Even the coloration is less intense, the crunch less satisfying.  The orange fingers are actually worse, because the powdered cheese additives don't stick as well when the product is baked and therefore alot drier and grainier.  The politically correct, food police seem to have even reduced the sodium-either that, or with less cheese clinging to the baked items, you lose the saltiness of the snack.  The package has lesser ounces for the price than the traditional Cheetos,... Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:43:05 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Frito-Lay-Baked-Cheetos-review-1e523 AWESOMEMOM88 2 http://www.viewpoints.com/Miller-Lite-review-5a163 I won't indicate how many years ago, but when I was in college, the light beer thing was really hip and cool, because you could drink more of it with less impact on the waistline (or so the theory went), and I remember Miller Lite being one of the early and very popular brands ( perhaps more for the fact that they had such an aggressive marketing campaign than the others).  I also remember that I didn't really like it very much at the time.  I believe that I ranked it somewhere in the same genre as dishwater with generic label suds-seriously lacking in any sort of punch, and certainly no foamy head.  Decided that I would drink less and enjoy more.............Fast forward to a few weeks ago, when my company hosted a picnic outing to the ballgame and graciously provided meal and beverage (among which was, you guessed it, Miller Lite), so what the heck, time has passed, technology has improved, the beer market is extremely competitive, and surely, it wasn't as bad as I... Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:29:56 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Miller-Lite-review-5a163 AWESOMEMOM88 1 http://www.viewpoints.com/Budweiser-Bud-Light-Lime-review-d8850 The idea of lime and beer seemed refreshing, cooling...and I had sampled Miller Chill at a backyard celebration earlier in the spring (and was seriously less than impressed with it), but decided that perhaps Bud could do it better....they did- a little bit- it was passable, acceptable, but certainly not memorable or exceptional.   Save your money, and take your favorite beer, and invest about $1.50 at the local produce market for 15-20 fresh limes.  Mix to taste.  I expect that this all started because of Corona Commercials....It doesn't seem to be a good pairing with American beer.  If you like the combo, you like it.  The lime actually overshadows the light beer...you actually lose the beer flavor, and at that point it isn't much different than a bottled water with lime.  And I have a problem with the whole concept of light beer.  Considering what components make up beer, what can you take away to reduce calories and carbs without seriously... Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:20:09 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Budweiser-Bud-Light-Lime-review-d8850 AWESOMEMOM88 2 http://www.viewpoints.com/Kong-Red-Tuffy-review-f58f0 I bought these because they are advertised everywhere as virtually indestructible and rated for heavy chewers....and I was even fair about it, and didn't quibble when my GSD made itty bitty bits out of it in approximately 2 hours (This was the pricey Giant size).  My GSD seems to be able to bite through anything man made...but I had gotten toys for each of my dogs, because it is the only sane thing to do, and was surprised that despite taking them a bit more time than the GSD, the coonhound, and the wolfhound were able to break the Kongs into little rubber sections fairly quickly as well.  In fact, a week after purchasing the Kongs, they looked like they had been run through the chipper/shredder, and I was noting that while on poop patrol, a goodly amount of rubber bits passed through the digestive systems as well, which caused me some concern due to the idea of bowel obstruction...I won't be buying them again.  Can anybody tells me who tests this stuff.  I... Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:08:52 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Kong-Red-Tuffy-review-f58f0 AWESOMEMOM88 2 http://www.viewpoints.com/Planet-Dog-Orbee-Tuff-Balls-review-6c0e3 My GSD has actually been able to destroy the same said balls that are used at the zoo to entertain the bears....that being said, he doesn't often get balls to play with, because he is so rough on them...In fact, he has worn down his fangs completely even in height with his other teeth with his insatiable need to chew, and also the bite strength of a great white shark...so after reading these glowing reviews-particularly the part about the guarantee, I was on board.  And as George M Cohan once said...."I thank you, my mother thanks you, my father thanks you, my sister thanks you.", and (this is an insertion from my GSD, Peyton)  Bark, bark Bark bark-doggie thank you....He can play, play, play, which makes him happy, happy, happy, and I am not breaking the budget to keep him in round things to fetch...Oh Happy day...Even if he does destroy them, I am not concerned.  By the way, he really doesn't care about them floating (although they do), because he is not a great... Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:00:44 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Planet-Dog-Orbee-Tuff-Balls-review-6c0e3 AWESOMEMOM88 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Mycodex-Pet-Shampoo-with-Carbaryl-review-4f0e1 Mycodex....well, it sounds pharmaceutical, and it sounds like it has alot of pharmaceutical grade stuff to cure what ails the pooch or the cat ( namely skin and coat distress)  And I was in desperation to stop the endless licking, biting, scratching, oozing, scabbing, and hopefully avoid an expensive trip to the vets office for an even more expensive bottle of stuff that I couldn't hope to pronounce.    Mind you, I had alread tried the tried and true remedies containing pine tar, and salycylic acid, and tea tree oil.....basically, we had run the gamut.  So into the tub, one by one, three dogs got dragged and sudsed and rinsed (And I am a manaic about rinsing cleanly)  By halfway through the second dog, I noted that my hands and forearms were really quite pink, but I was also sweating trying to keep a rather unhappy and foamy German Shepherd from departing the tub prematurely.  But into the third and final dog-my skin actually felt warm where the... Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:48:47 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Mycodex-Pet-Shampoo-with-Carbaryl-review-4f0e1 AWESOMEMOM88 1 http://www.viewpoints.com/Flat-Earth-Baked-Fruit-Chips-review-a2a13 Snack food fall into the category of minimizing negative impact.   Kids want things that are sweet, and crunchy, and fun and portable, and parents want to minimize excess sugars and preservatives, and fried food, and empty calories....Flat Earth has actually brought something to the table that makes both sides pretty happy.  The Berry crisps were a big hit at our house flavor wise.  A little bit sweet, a little bit tart and defnitely crispy.  I found it kind of pricey to be offering on a regular basis-especially when my son can down a bag in what seems like seconds.  It does make a nice change of pace treat, and an alternative to more harmful snack choices.  Mom and Dad like them... Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:13:29 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Flat-Earth-Baked-Fruit-Chips-review-a2a13 AWESOMEMOM88 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Flat-Earth-Baked-Veggie-Crisps-review-89081 I love crispy types of snacks, and find the veggie variety to be a great alternative to potato chips (and ever since the British court case which excluded Pringles from the potato tax liability because it only has 40% potato-nobody is saying what else is in those little uniform crisps-I have really decided to cool the whole potato chip thing.)  I didn't find the veggie flavor distinctive or reminiscent of a particular favorite veggie, it just tasted different than potato chips.  The crispiness is great-so it does satisfy the need for a noisy crunchy snack.  When I went back to the store to investigate other products in this line, I found a berry based crisp that I really adored, it combined crisp with sweet and tart and all the great things you would associate with fresh berries.  There was also an apple cinnamon variety that had real baked apple flavor.   My reason for preferring the fruit varieties over the vegetable is that the veggie left a kind of... Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:07:21 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Flat-Earth-Baked-Veggie-Crisps-review-89081 AWESOMEMOM88 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Nabisco-Ritz-Snack-Mix-review-943c6 What is not to like....Ritz crackers are the best snacking cracker around, regardless of how you choose to top them or not, and then combined into a (lets face it, these are all kind of a new spin on the old Chex Mix standard) a wonderful snack medley...and yes, I do like the idea of portion control packages to limit the damage I can do to my diet with snacking, but...lets face it, crunchy snacks are like an avalanche picking up speed as it rolls downhill...I don't find the 100 calorie portion very satisfying.  It is almost a tease.  I found myself wanting to eat multiple packs which kind of defeats the purpose of portion control.  So I can't fault the quality of the product in any way.  Crispy, crunchy, with different textures and flavor variety along with the smooth buttery type of taste that we have all come to expect from Ritz crackers...And it would make a good lunch box stuffer for kids or adults.  The individual portion packaging makes it a more costly... Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:51:14 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Nabisco-Ritz-Snack-Mix-review-943c6 AWESOMEMOM88 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Dr-Bronners-Peppermint-Pure-Castile-Soap--17667-review-1ae611 For an exhilerating, all over, body experience, it makes a great bath and body wash (dilution rates are actually printed in itty bitty print on the bottle along with alot of other information about ingredients, and that fact that everything in the bottle is natural and fair trade.  You even find out where the botanical elements were harvested.  The bottle reads like war and peace if you happen to have a magnifying glass....or you can take my word that it is a great cleanser, all natural, harkens back to things that our grandparents and great grandparents used.  I have used it in pump bottles on the bath sink for quick touch ups...Kids love the scent, so I think that soap is actually used in the handwashing process.  And a little bit goes a long way in terms of lathering.  The peppermint is so cooling in the shower on a hot day....and you feel so squeaky clean afterwards.  It is gentle enough to use daily.  My son even uses it instead of shampoo and... Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:42:00 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Dr-Bronners-Peppermint-Pure-Castile-Soap--17667-review-1ae611 AWESOMEMOM88 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/James-Bond-007-The-Sean-Connery-Years-review-41e83 I remember as a kid, my Dad anxiously waiting for his next James Bond installment from the bookclub.  And I remember his avid anticipation of the early Bond movie releases, but being a youngster, not yet in grade school...it was a safe bet, I wasn't going to directly discover what all the fuss was about...until this collection.  All that followed, all that lampooned, and everything spy related, cold war related harkens back to the original portrayal of Bond.  I almost resented seeing the other incarnations of the great Bond.  I thought Roger Moore too much a pretty boy and lacking in brilliance.  I had no use for Timothy Dalton...Piers Brosnan made a decent run at it, but didn't quite hit the mark.  Connery is, was, and always will be James Bond.  Some things shouldn't be messed with (Kind of like Yul Brenner as the King in the King and I)  It is a bit campy, but for the time was pretty darn high tech and pretty risque too.  The Bond... Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:09:47 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/James-Bond-007-The-Sean-Connery-Years-review-41e83 AWESOMEMOM88 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Intex-Inflatable-swimming-pool-above-ground-review-cb701 We elected to spend our meagre entertainment/vacation budget on a backyard swimming pool.  Prices for park district passes have become costly and there is still driving back and forth to facilities with no guarantee on a hot day that you will get in.  We bought this nifty pool that has an inflatable top ring and then you fill...the top ring floats upwards with the water level until the pool is full.  The box comes fully complete with a filter, a strainer, one filter motor, and even a vacuum attachment and hose along with a ladder.  The kits come in varying sizes and depths and prices adjust according to size, but the entire enterprise, pool, chlorine tablets, even some floating inner tubes set us back less than $350 which according to our calculations is basically a couple family outings to places like the zoo or amusement parks or museums, especially with gas prices what they are.  And we certainly expect to get more than two days use out of this.  The... Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:05:10 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Intex-Inflatable-swimming-pool-above-ground-review-cb701 AWESOMEMOM88 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Caribou-Coffee-Chocolate-Mocha-Granola-Bars-review-211a2 Surprise....these caribou granola bar treats have a much wider appeal than just among coffee drinkers.   My son, who detests drinking coffee, even though he is a sleep deprived college student, loves these things.  Particularly the ones with the mint chocolate element.  And as he isn't a huge fan of granola bars (they kept returning unopened in the lunch box while he was in grade school and high school) I found his affection for these quite surprising, but his comment was that they weren't the usual raisins and sawdust type of affair like alot of healthy snacks, they actually taste like a candy bar.  They are not diet food, but a good energy pick me up with alot of chew and flavor to offer.  There are a variety of flavors to choose from, but the mint chocolate combo is the biggest hit in our house.  I find them price comparable with other coated or filled granola snacks.  Most of the grocery stores in our area have started carrying them, but at... Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:44:33 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Caribou-Coffee-Chocolate-Mocha-Granola-Bars-review-211a2 AWESOMEMOM88 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Zoom-Panel-Surveys-review-a6976 I have been doing surveys for various groups for years...Literally.   Just recently, I came to the conclusion that the survey companies are being paid huge sums by corporations to gather these opinions that shape the products and services which we buy.  While the surveys are convenient, siimple, point and click online activities....well, the time spent doesn't usually match up with the reward points given, especially if you weigh it against how many points you have to have for redemption.  A $10 gift card for a restaurant can cost you 4000 points, and at 50-100 points per survey, that is a real pile of surveys taken for a gift card that might not even cover one lunch meal with drink.   And admittedly Zoom panel is one of the more generous ones both in numbers of surveys offered and rewards for completing them.  However, I have noticed a trend recently.  You will get, say 2/3rds of the way through a survey and suddenly a message pops up that the... Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:53:04 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Zoom-Panel-Surveys-review-a6976 AWESOMEMOM88 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/McDonalds-McGriddle-review-0b485 I realize that in the breakfast sandwich world, the choices are limited.  Usually some sort of egg, some sort of meat, some sort of bread substance....and the McGriddle follows all those basic sandwich rules, but to be really honest, they lost me completely when they decided that the sandwich was to have both cheese and maple syrup-two things that just don't seem to really meld-especially not with the synthetic gooey stuff that passes for cheese at MacDonalds.  I could handle the sausage (or bacon, or ham), the egg, the pancake (especially buttermilk)-then the whole thing just went haywire with cheese....I have never associated cheese as a pancake side either.   It just doesn't work for me.  A sandwich that is trying to be everything to everyone has left me totally out.    — And unlike the muffins, these pancakes are really pretty nasty if they happen to get cold.  A cold muffin isn't unlike a regular piece of bread, but a cold... Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:57:59 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/McDonalds-McGriddle-review-0b485 AWESOMEMOM88 2 http://www.viewpoints.com/True-Orange-Cyrstallized-Orange-Substitute-review-da943 Okay, so you have your healthy water bottle, and it is good and frosty cold, but it is soooo borrring....snore, yawn, snore...and the kids are screaming for something (probably sugary and not very nutritious).  Well, in the great words of Emeril "kick it up a notch" with True Orange crystals which come in lovely single serve packets that travel well in purse, lunchbox, pocket, etc-can leave them in the desk at work, the glove compartment of the car, even out in the garage or garden shed.  You get 32 packets in a box (this stuff is such a deal at a bit over $3.50)  One packet nicely flavors 16 ozs of water...but wait, it gets better.  You have the choice of True Orange, True Lime, or True Lemon-and all are completely 100% natural with no artificial sweeteners, in fact, no sweeteners at all.  O calories, O sugars, O grams of carbs, but tons of taste-real fruit taste.  This is actually crystallized citrus from juice and the oil from the rind of the fruit-I... Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:49:37 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/True-Orange-Cyrstallized-Orange-Substitute-review-da943 AWESOMEMOM88 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Crystal-Light-OnTheGo-All-Flavors-review-df832 OK, so it isn't the most healthy choice, but in a world of multitudinous snacking choices, it is a lesser evil.   On a huge number of levels, soda is not good for you, either with or without sugar.  There are those out there who want us to stop drinking fruit juices because it has too much sugar-even if it is 100% natural with no added sugars.  So that leaves water, which is a good thing, and I drink plenty of it-plain and straight up, but when I have a taste for one of the other forbidden items, I do enjoy the variety of the vitamin waters...At a $1 to $2 per bottle, my treats were kind of pricey and I was experiencing alot of budget angst....enter the Crystal Light - On the Go - flavor packets....I agree that they are a bit too strong when made according to the package directions.  I tend to split a pack between two water bottles, or use my giant 32 oz sports bottle and only use one packet.  I am still getting the modest amount of vitamin and... Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:30:47 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Crystal-Light-OnTheGo-All-Flavors-review-df832 AWESOMEMOM88 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Citi-Bank-Chicago-IL-review-bdb93 Our first Visa card came from Citibank, way back when we were first married and in the succeeding 25 years, we have been through all variants from gold to platinum to diamond preferred....the one constant is top notch customer service.  And they really do show concern about my credit history and my personal identity-long before it became a buzzword of modern culture.   A large, unusual expediture for our family was followed almost immediately by a phone call checking to insure that it was, in fact, our charge.  When we made inquiry about interest rates being offered by other credit card companies soliciting us for our  business, they adjusted our rate accordingly.  Since starting with them, we have also had our primary mortgage sold to them as part of the CitiGroup, and the same excellence of service has always applied.  I like the fact that they have options.  Reward programs are available (I choose not to participate, but that is my personal... Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:40:53 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Citi-Bank-Chicago-IL-review-bdb93 AWESOMEMOM88 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Dunkin-Donuts-review-953e2 As many of you have guessed, I am a huge Dunkin Donuts coffee fan, but the same can't be said of their donuts....I do have a preferred type, should I eat them (which is rare)  I find their donuts to be very heavy, very greasy, and strange stuff happens to these things if they have been out of the oven for more than a few minutes.  They literally morph into something that you could probably use as landscaping bricks.  And usually, a trip to Dunking donuts which includes the donut part of the experience ends up with acid reflux later on...(Don't have this reaction with other donut shops-just Dunkin)  I do think that they have pretty decent muffins, but kind of pricey.  Forget the drive up window, because I swear you could make your own donuts faster than you would get through the line at the window.  And remembering what I said about donuts morphing....well while you are waiting in line at the drive up window, the clock is ticking on those babies-you may... Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:06:34 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Dunkin-Donuts-review-953e2 AWESOMEMOM88 3