Reviews by CloudNine

CloudNine says "stevia causes birth defects!" about PureVia All Natural Zero Calorie Sweetener

CloudNine — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:11:57 GMT

I recently read an article posted on spark people about the actual science and history of Stevia, the ingredient in PureVia and other sweeteners. The contents of the article may surprise you. Did you know that Stevia, until recently, was NOT approved in the US as a food additive? It had to be sold as a "Dietary Supplement" because the FDA revoked its use as a food additive in the 1970's.

New reports were ordered a few years ago, and the conclusions of those reports were that the sweeteners in stevia are "GRAS", or Generally Recognized As Safe. The new studies did not evaluate both chemicals that make up the sweetener, so the new studies are not as thorough as the studies from the 1970's.

Now, one thing you should know is: "When the FDA adds a food (or ingredient) to the GRAS list, it can be sold in foods and as a food product, even without prior FDA approval and without definitive proof that the food actually is safe."

This scares me. Generally recognized as safe? the FDA has not approved...

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CloudNine says "Home School Day is the best! " about Six Flags Magic Mountain

CloudNine — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:00:11 GMT

We just got back today from our trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, CA. We went to their annual Home School Day, which they've had for more than a decade. During the Home School Day, the park is closed to the public and almost all the features of the park are open. The tickets cost nearly 1/3 the price, and you can also purchase meal vouchers for a savings on food, and photo vouchers for a huge savings on the pictures taken throughout the park. By going on Home School Day, we saved about $100 total. That's a lot of cash in this economy!

Home School Day is an annual event, and it isn't usually advertised on the website. This year, in fact, the website just said the park was closed. If you are involved in home schooling in any way, you are welcome to come. Just call Six Flags and ask about it. It's a great program, and Six Flags is one of the very few who offer something like this. That makes me very loyal to the company itself. I have heard that Disney also has programs for home...

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CloudNine says "The best for under $10" about Oral-B CrossAction Power Toothbrush Battery Operated

CloudNine — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:47:16 GMT

I'm really big on oral hygiene. I hate the idea of cavities or losing my teeth. In fact, my worst nightmares involve losing my teeth. Just thinking of it makes me shiver. I am meticulous in my oral hygiene routine. Brush, floss, mouthwash; all is right with the world. So I can tell you, and you can understand totally, that my toothbrush is important to me.

We have used this brand, the Oral-B CrossAction, for years. I can remember the very first time I used a powered toothbrush, it was a crossaction. Being very analytical, I did the same experiment I used with my new Vacuum: Use the old one, then immediately go over it all again with the new. If you haven't switched from a manual brush yet, do so today. The difference is night and day. Try my experiment and see for yourself.

Anyway back to the specific brush. The Cross Action is lightweight and ergonomically designed to fit nicely in your hand. It takes only one AA battery, and the heads are also replaceable (using a tool that comes with...

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CloudNine says "awesome perfume: light, feminine, subtle" about Lucky You 3.4oz Spray by Lucky Brand for Women

CloudNine — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:20:09 GMT

I first bought this one for myself. I had somehow gotten a sample (i can't remember how) and I just loved the scent so much, I bought some for myself. Other fragrances I wear are eternity for women, happy, ghost myst, tuscany per donna. Not sure of the manufacturers of all of those, but I figure if you like them, you'll like Lucky You.

I've never written a perfume review. It's much harder to write. How to describe a smell? And fragrance is so personal and specific, so prone ro whims and memories. Especially for women.

Lucky You is my second favorite perfume. My favorite would be Eternity for Women. They are similar, but Lucky You is very much less expensive, and more widely available. It's only about $20, and you can get it at any drug store that sells perfumes. I think they sell it at department stores as well.

I googled it, and it's described as flowery, feminine, flirty. things like that. I'd have to agree. It's really a very girly perfume, and even though I'm not a girly-girl, I love...

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CloudNine says "fun way to discover new things" about StumbleUpon

CloudNine — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:46:54 GMT

I used to use this site quite a bit. It's very simple to use, simply check boxes for the things you find interesting. Easy-peasy. You can choose to recieve e-mails or use a toolbar, which is seriously fun. you hit one button, which looks like the stumble upon logo, and it takes you to this totally random site, but it bases its choices of sites on your ratings and interests. So the more you use it, the better it works. There are many sites out there that do similar things, but I think this one is the best.

The only real drawback is that it can be a serious time-waster. Every click brings you something new and interesting, so it can be really tempting to keep clicking away, rating, sending emails to your family about what you've discovered, delving deeper into each site. It's great, but before you know it, you're getting "where the heck are you?!?" phone calls, because you've missed appointments in all the engrossing web browsing.

There is also a profile page, and the basic social networking...

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CloudNine says "better than the DS lite, and (sorta) worth the upgrade" about Nintendo DSi Matte Blue Console

CloudNine — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:13:49 GMT

So, they came out with yet another version of the Nintendo DS. First came the DS, then the DS Lite, and now, drum-roll please, we have the DSi. Your question is: "Is it worth it?" The simple answer is Yes, mostly.

The "Yes" part is simple to explain: better graphic resolution due to the larger screens, better sound, better button placement. Just simply better. The DSi is a much better machine than the DS lite, which in turn was better than the original DS. Have you seen the original DS?

It's the "mostly" part I'd like to elaborate on. Any of the reviews on the DSi will give you the facts and statistics on why it's better than the DS lite. It's an upgrade, and as far as I'm concerned, that's enough said. I'm one of those people who will nearly always upgrade gadgets, so long as they're affordable. Especially when the original has some irritating little things I hope they've fixed in the new version. And does the DS Lite ever have those annoying features. Have you ever accidentally turned...

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CloudNine says "they'll drop you in a hot minute" about Allstate Insurance

CloudNine — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:42:25 GMT

we had allstate for our auto insurance, and our homeowners as well. when we filed a claim, they weaseled out of paying, and then dropped us. allstate stinks!...

CloudNine says "Best Butter you can Buy" about Land O Lakes Butter

CloudNine — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:39:53 GMT

I use butter, and I'm proud! I believe it is better to live, truly live, than to merely exist. My mom grew up in Wisconsin, and tells stories about her mom smuggling margarine into the house, mainly because it was cheaper than butter. Amazing to hear stories about a time when there was no choice. My mom remembers the invention of margarine! crazy!

Anyway as far as butter goes, just like cheese and milk and eggs, there IS a noticeable difference between brands. Here at our house, we believe in saving money, but that is always tempered with the idea that some things cannot be "cheaped out" on. Butter is definitely one of those sacred things. We always buy Land O Lakes.

Now, we don't use butter on everything, we buy margarine, too (Land O Lakes also, FYI) and we use it on toast and sandwiches and the like. Butter is reserved for baking and cooking certain meals. Some things just need butter. I suggest making a recipe both ways. Sometimes butter doesn't work, sometimes it's essential.

Regardless,...

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CloudNine says "If you love reading SciFi/Fantasy, sign up today!" about Science Fiction Book Club

CloudNine — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:41:01 GMT

We've been members of SFBC for about 4 years, and we've always been satisfied. This is the only book club we've ever belonged to, so we don't really have a basis for comparison, but it beats the heck out of paying retail at the big book stores.

We joined from one of those direct mailing letters from the book club, where you get four books for a dollar or whatever. I love that! The commitment you make is rather small, I think it was like four or five books bought in a year. Totally manageable, especially since the prices are so low.

The one drawback of this particular program is that if you're ready to cancel, you have to write a letter to them. You can't cancel over the phone or online. That's a bummer, as our original plan was to cancel after a year, wait a while, and sign up again to get the great introductory deal again. Instead, we've just stayed members for the last few years, mostly because I'm too lazy to write an actual snail-mail letter. How archaic!

One bonus I've found is the...

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CloudNine says "great game to play with your kids" about Educational Insights Blokus

CloudNine — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:16:39 GMT

SpokaneMan's review was so complete, i don't think i really need to add anything but my wholehearted agreement!

Blokus is the perfect game for us. We have an only child, who is 8 now, and we're a very close family. We love to do things together. Playing board games with a kid can be really... tiresome. Most games are so hard the kids can't remember all the rules, or they're so simple the adults get brain damage from the boredom! Blokus is different.

The premise of the game is simple, it's the strategy that makes it challenging. When you play this strategy game with a child who is incapable of strategy, it only makes more of a challenge for you. You must constantly adjust your game to compensate for the unpredictable placement of your opponent's pieces.

It's sort of like trying to rob a museum with a monkey as your partner: crazy, fun, and sometimes flabbergastingly complicated. I mean all that in a really good way. (Also, i think maybe "flabbergastingly" might not actually be a word.)

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CloudNine says "this one is lots of fun!" about Nintendo Wii - Link's Crossbow Training

CloudNine — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:58:42 GMT

We bought this game basically because it came with the crossbow peripheral for the wii. The game was a bonus to us, we just wanted a gun for the wii that was accurate.

Man were we surprised! The game is a lot of fun! You might think that shooting stuff over and over would get tiresome after a few minutes. Not so! Especially when you can compete with your friends and family, trying to beat each other's high score. The varying levels are awesome, so many different ways to shoot em up. the best part is that the nunchuck fits into the apparatus, and is used to walk the character around in some levels. so you're not just a slave to the whims of the programmer, you can choose to walk over there and shoot that giant spider-thing.

I suppose someone who's not very competetive might not find it as engrossing, or someone without anyone to play against. i can't speak to that. but our experience was very positive. even our eight year old loved the game, and was pretty good at it!

Bottom line: great...

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CloudNine says "great for kids, and mostly free" about Wizard101.com

CloudNine — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:48:10 GMT

Wizard101.com is a MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game), and it follows the conventions of other mmorpg's. So in many ways, it's very much like any other online game you or your kids may have played. The bonus here, is that it's FREE! most other quality online games have an expensive subscription from the get go. Wizard 101 does not. That can be a blessing, and a curse.

A blessing because, for free, you can offer your kids a very effective incentive for good behavior. we use a system of play money that our daughter turns in for later bedtimes or time on wizard101. she earns the money by doing everyday things in a timely and thorough manner. (it's a lifesaver, people!) this game IS a blessing, though. it has limited options for names, clothing, hairstyles. the best part is the limited chat options and parental controls.

but the endless free trial can also be a curse, because the area available in the free trial is large, but the more you play, the more you love it. and...

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CloudNine says "rented it. didn't really think it was all that great" about Nintendo Wii - Boom Blox

CloudNine — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:27:41 GMT

i gotta say, i am so glad i didn't buy this game. we rented it, and it was one of the few games we remembered to return on time, because it was...boring. everyone raves about it. i just don't see the appeal. i played it, hopeful. i had read the reviews online. i thought "we can't lose! it's a great game, got rave reviews!" but... nope. not so much.

i mean, i get why people would like it. it's fun. it's entertaining. it's silly. but after about an hour, i was over it. totally.

sorry. it was boring for me, and my husband. the kid liked it. but she was 7 years old at the time. and she still had a hard time getting the hang of the controls. it frustrated her, but in a good way. she would have found it addictive, had we bought it. but this isn't a bargain game. it's full-priced. and i'm not going to pay that much for a game only 1/3 of my household likes.

so, this isn't really a bad review. i'm just saying boom blox was not the game for us. that's not really helpful, but it's one of those...

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CloudNine says "good buy. get it when you buy your Wii" about Nintendo Wii - Wii Play

CloudNine — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:18:13 GMT

we bought this game/hardware when we bought our Wii. mostly because the Wii comes with ONE wiimote and one nun-chuck. this game includes another wiimote, so it's a good deal. i would recommend everyone get it at the same time they purchase their new Wii.
the games basically teach you all the ways to use your wiimote. it's a showcase, basically, for the features of the Wii.

the games are short and fun and lively. none of them is particularly addictive. they're fun for a few times. good for teaching people how to use the wii when they come over and want to try it out. my favorite is cow racing. for some reason they're stuffed, knitted cows. the quirkiness of that game still cracks me up. some of the games are difficult to master. some make your bum shoulder ache if you play too long. (it was the fishing game on this disc and the tennis on wii sports that introduced me to "wii arm": a painful condition resulting from over-use of your right shoulder.)

so, the reason to buy this game is this:...

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CloudNine says "innovative, but fighting games aren't for me" about Nintendo Wii - Super Smash Bros. Brawl

CloudNine — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 03:57:37 GMT

So we bought this game on the recommendation of the sales associate at the K-mart where we bought our Wii. when was that... over a year ago? (i think...)
anyway this kid was maybe 19, and so we asked him which was the most popular game for the Wii, and he says "get this one, it's awesome".

um... not so much.

it's a good fighting game, don't get me wrong. it's cool you get to be link or zelda or mario or even pikachu. it's got a pretty cool story line game as well. good for co-op mode. bonding time with the hubby. nice. but most people will play just for the street fighter style fighting game. and i really stink at those kinda games. seriously. i'm a "button masher", always have been. i have irritated every male person who dares invite me to play a fighting game. you know those guys who practice the combos? the ones who play with this look on their face of either total and complete concentration or constipation? yeah, they hate me. passionately. (1997-me and my boyfriend in his living...

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CloudNine says "my favorite camera!" about FUJIFILM FinePix S5100 Digital Camera

CloudNine — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:39:15 GMT

OK. i feel i should preface this one with the fact that i once aspired to become a professional photographer. took classes in HS and college. (i kinda got a little knocked up & life went a totally different direction for me.) So i feel i'm fairly knowledgeable about cameras, but keep in mind, my schooling on the subject ended in 1999. so i'm totally self-taught on digital photography.

anyway. the Fujifilm S-5100. awesome camera. i'm big on fuji. i think they have excellent lenses and make great 35mm film. when i use my 35mm camera, i use fuji lenses and film. i'm loyal like that. so, being loyal, my review might be a little slanted. it's hard to be objective about the things you love!

the S-5100, that all being said, is outdated. we bought ours years ago when it first came out. it's only 4 mega-pixels, if that tells you anything. but honestly, if you're not a professional, you don't need more than 4! 8x10 photos look amazing with 4 mega-pixels. and i don't know many average users...

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CloudNine says "mine's super old, and still works like new!" about Cuisinart it wore off!

CloudNine — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:37:43 GMT

my mom gave me the cuisinart food processor she bought many many years ago, plus a whole bunch of accessories to go with it. that old workhorse is still going! i don't even know the model #, it's worn off! but that baby still kicks butt, 20 or so years later! buy one!...

CloudNine says "really helps" about AcneFree 3 Step System

CloudNine — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:27:55 GMT

nothing's ever worked for me totally, the way you see on TV. but this stuff helps a lot. i have a weird, hormonal acne, and it's tough. but the acne free system really helps. it reduces the size and duration of my pimples. just wish i could find the "perfect" product!...

CloudNine says "must see, but be ready to walk!" about Grand Canyon National Park , Arizona

CloudNine — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:25:41 GMT

the grand canyon is amazing, educational, and can be done in a day or a week. it's perfect for any type vacation. there are a million things to do. i love going to the canyon. it's never the same minute to minute, and never boring!...

CloudNine says "not just pretty faces, though they have that too =)" about Bones

CloudNine — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:53:03 GMT

Bones is one of my most favorite shows. the writing is witty and twisty and interesting. the characters are not just cookie cutters, like in some other shows. and the mysteries are inventive and sometimes mind-boggling. although the bodies can be kinda gory. not one to watch with the kiddies.

Bones is based on the books written by Kathy Reichs. I've not read the books, because i saw the show first, and i've found that reading the books afterward can be disappointing. I found this out after the Dresden Files was cancelled. I absolutely adored that show, so i read the books. Turns out the TV show was loosely based on the books. and one episode of the series was taken directly from one of the books. and changed. So when i read the book through the filter of having seen and loved the show, i was disappointed.

that lesson learned, i therefore can't comment on weather the show or the books reign supreme. i can only comment on the show. which is awesome!

Temperance Brennen is an anthropologist...

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