Reviews by Friends of Deanna

PattyTherre says "10 watches for the Gossip Girl who can't make up her mind!" about Gossip - Interchangeable Mother-of-Pearl Watch Set

PattyTherre — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:52:20 GMT

Quick View: I have a teen girl on my shopping list who is as fickle as I am. She loves style but her moods change all the time. When I saw the Gossip - Interchangeable Mother-of-Pearl Watch Set, I knew she would like it. I gave it to her for her birthday but I now have a set too. For $28.00, how could I go wrong?

My Take on the Gossip - Interchangeable Mother-of-Pearl Watch Set

Gossip makes many styles of fashion watches, none of super high quality. This set comes with a mother of pearl face and can be purchased in silvertone or goldtone. I bought one of each. I gave my relative the gold and I bought the silver. The silver looks better and more high quality.

This set comes with 10 interchangeable croco look straps in black, pink, bronze, white, purple, orange, dark green, seafoam blue, brick red, and deep blue. That's a lot of choices! The watch is stainless steel and the face has Arabic numbers at every hour. It has hour, minute, and second hands. The face is easy to read and the width...

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Jolie says "buyuggsboot.net is a scam! Ugg Boots from China that are fake." about www.buyuggsboot.net

Jolie — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:22:46 GMT

Background on Buyuggsboot.net

A friend of mine at Viewpoints recently passed along a site called www.buyuggsboot.net. She found it online. www.buyuggsboot.net is a web site that sells all styles of Ugg Boots at discounted prices.

We werent certain if www.buyuggsboot.net were the real or not. But after a thorough review of the site, we thought it was legit. Buyuggsboot.net looks like a reasonable reseller of Ugg Boots. The page is designed well, the pictures look authentic and they make claim to having the real deal. They also consistently site throughout the web site having customer satisfaction commitments.

To add to the thought it was authentic, the pricing seemed good but not amazing. As you probably know a typical pair of Ugg Boots cost about $110. On Buyuggsboot.net the cost was $89.00- approximately a $20 savings. Seemed like a good deal, but they werent so cheap that I thought it could be scam. As an aside, last year Nordstrom had a similiar sale on Ugg boots so the pricing seemed...

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njchicaa says "A faithful and great adaptation of the 4th Harry Potter book." about Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

njchicaa — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:00:18 GMT

I've been a fan of the Harry Potter series of books (and movies) ever since J.K Rowling started releasing them. For some reason, I missed seeing the fourth movie in the series, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, many years ago so I added it to my Netflix list and recently watched it for the very first time.

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire follows Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione as they work their way through their fourth year at Hogwarts, the school for the magical education of wizards and witches. Aside from the usual classes, struggles with Slytherins and Professor Snape, this movie also includes the Tri-Wizard Tournament. This tournament is between the 3 magical schools (Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons), is held every 5 years, and is designed to test school champions in their magical powers, courage, intelligence, etc. Witches and wizards over the age of 17 are eligible to place their names into The Goblet of Fire and the cup selects one champion from each...

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Jo says "Clinique Lines and Defines my Lips" about Clinique Defining Liner for Lips

Jo — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:15:38 GMT

To the Point

Clinique Defining Liner for Lips is the second lip liner I have bought in about 10 years. My first experience wasn't great. However, my friend told me that it keeps her lipstick on longer.

On my makeup shopping spree to the Clinque counter I bought Clinique Defining Liner for Lips.

A Closer View

I took the advice of the sales clerk and bought the color pomegranate. Clinique Defining Liner for Lips costs $14.00 which is about the same amount as I would pay for any decent liner.

I didn't know until I went to write this review that the cover has a built in pencil sharpener. That's really cool. I have a pencil sharpener but it's nice to have one anytime I need it.

Clinique Defining Liner for Lips is creamy and goes on very smoothly even when sharp. I agree with the claims that it goes on evenly as well. I line my lips and then was told to color my lips with the liner. Another method is to draw two dots on the upper lip's bow, a dash across the bottom of the lower lip and then...

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njchicaa says "I really enjoyed Half Broke Horses." about Half Broke Horses

njchicaa — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:22:06 GMT

Half Broke Horses is written by Jeannette Walls, a former entertainment reporter who wrote a gripping memoir of her childhood called The Glass Castle. This book tells the story of her grandmother, Lily Casey Smith, and her life from childhood through adulthood and even up until she became a grandmother for the first time.

Lily Casey Smith had a challenging life. She grew up in poverty, eventually escaped Texas ranch life for Chicago, marries a man who is already married, divorces, and then moves to Arizona to start over again. She is a strong and confident woman who takes life as it comes, learns the lessons she can from it, and carries on as best she can in any given situation. It is very reminiscent of The Glass Castle in that both of the main characters refuse to be broken by what life throws at them and still manage to improve their circumstances as best they can.

I've long considered Jeannette Walls' The Glass Castle to be one of the very best books I've ever read and I...

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Jo says "Chobani Greek Yogurt: give it a try" about Chobani Greek Yogurt

Jo — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:34:22 GMT

I learned about Chobani Greek Yogurt at a 12-week weight loss class I have been taking. The reason it was mentioned is because of the amount of protein the yogurts have.

I just finished Blueberry Non-Fat yogurt. I have tried every flavor (except plain) and find them all really delicious. Make sure you stir them because the fruit is at the bottom. I have one a day!

Chobani Greek Yogurt comes in 6-ounce and 16-ounce cups. That is a bit strange because the larger containers serve 2 although they have 8 ounces. Obviously you'll get more calories in half of the 16 ounce yogurt.

The company donates 10% of their profits to charities. http://www.chobani.com

Chobani Greek Yogurt is delicious. I was a bit apprehensive at first because I am so used to non-Greek yogurt I had no idea what to expect. I thought it would be too thick but it isn't. It is just the right consistency.

My Blueberry yogurt has real blueberries in it; 14 grams of protein; no fat; and no cholesterol. However it has 20 grams of...

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Jo says "Amana 30 Inch Freestanding Electric good on a budget Range " about Amana 30 Inch Freestanding Electric Range #AER5830VAD

Jo — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:36:42 GMT

To the Point

We finally decided that having two burners on which to cook just wasn't working. We wanted a ceramic top and it had to be electric. We didn't want to spend a lot of money. The Amana 30 Inch Freestanding Electric Range #AER5830VAD was $400.00 on sale at Home Depot back in August. The regular price is around $550.00. That's still in the low end of range prices.

A Closer View

The first thing we noticed was that this range is smaller than our previous one. It doesn't make a difference to us. We have a small kitchen so it is good. What isn't good, especially for a family, is that the bottom drawer is not nearly as deep as any other range I've owned. My cookie sheets are always falling in the back and onto the floor.

I would not recommend the flat top style range if you have children. I know that kids touch coils as well but the ceramic is hot even when it is not red. There is a hot light indicator but a child would have to know to look for it.

The Features

Pros

The Amana 30 Inch...

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PattyTherre says "My two fave inexpensive body butters but which wins my $8.00?" about Tree Hut vs. Avon's Mark Self Sanctuary: Battle of the $8.00 Body Butters. Which is Better?

PattyTherre — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:00:10 GMT

Body butters! I love them. I have very expensive ones, all natural ones, and I have some inexpensive ones. Two of my favorite body butters under $8.00 are Tree Hut's various butters and Avon's Mark Self Sanctuary body butters. But if I had to pick just one, which would it be? Read on to see!

Tree Hut Body Butter vs. Avon's Mark Self Sanctuary Body Butter

Size and Cost

Tree Hut's body butters come in a 7 ounce tub for about $7.50. Self Sanctuary body butters are 6.7 ounces and cost $8.00. Both go on sale frequently though. There is so little diffrence in the two in these areas that I call this one ...

The Winner: A Tie

Scents

Tree Hut has luscious scents like Coconut Lime, Hawaiian Kukui, and Almond Honey. Avon's Mark brand comes in fresh blends like Lemon Sugar, Honey Jasmine, and Lime Lavender. My favorites are Tree Hut's Coconut Lime and Mark's Self Sanctuary Lemon Sugar. I have tried the other Tree Hut scents and all were amazing. I smelled the Lime Lavender Avon brand and thought it...

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njchicaa says "This is delicious and really inexpensive Extra Virgin Olive Oil!" about Trader Joe's Extra Virgin Olive Oil

njchicaa — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:59:36 GMT

As someone who is interested in cooking and always attempting to improve, I've been cooking more often with extra virgin olive oil. The problem is that it is so expensive at the local grocery store--$20 for a 1 quart bottle. I had been reluctantly buying it and sparingly using it due to the cost. When I saw 1 quart bottles of Trader Joe's Extra Virgin Olive Oil for just $5.99 each during a recent visit to the store, I picked up two and now wish I had bought several more.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is made from the first pressing of the olives which means that it has the most color and flavor of all of the various types of olive oils. EVOO, as it is sometimes called, is full of heart-healthy unsaturated fats and lots of fruity flavor. Due to the strong flavor and expense, Extra Virgin Olive Oil is usually used for sauteeing, marinades, salad dressings, etc. You don't want to use it for baking due to the strong flavor or for frying due to the low smoke point. I use Trader Joe's...

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njchicaa says "Add flavor to steaks and burgers with the Steakhouse Grinder!" about McCormick Steakhouse Seasoning Grinder

njchicaa — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:59:05 GMT

My husband loves to try different seasonings and rubs that he finds in the spice section of the local grocery store which is how we wound up with the McCormick Steakhouse Seasoning Grinder. It is sold in a 1.3 ounce glass bottle with a grinding apparatus at the top.

This McCormick Steakhouse Seasoning Grinder contains a blend of spices and herbs including black/pink/green peppercorns, red pepper, sea salt, garlic, onion, parsley, and paprika. I've always liked the various McCormick steak and burger seasonings that I've tried in the past, so I figured that I'd like this Steakhouse Seasoning as well... and I was correct.

The big selling point of this Steakhouse Seasoning is the fact that the jar has a built-in grinder so you can add freshly-ground spices to your beef, chicken, etc. To dispense them, you simply remove the top, turn the jar upside-down, and then twist the "base" to grind and sprinkle the seasonings onto the food.

I've used the McCormick Steakhouse Seasoning Grinder...

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njchicaa says "Omaha Steaks Burgers are mediocre pre-made hamburger patties. " about Omaha Steaks Burgers

njchicaa — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:17:29 GMT

We recently placed a couple of Omaha Steaks orders and wound up with a package of 6 free Omaha Steaks Hamburgers as a "free gift" with purchase. We've had them for dinner twice now and, while they aren't horrible, they aren't something that I'd go out of my way to buy in the future.

These Omaha Steaks Burgers are four ounces each and contain North American beef. Each one contains about 290 calories and a whopping 23 grams of fat. There are no seasonings mixed into the ground beef which means that, although the Omaha Steaks Burgers are very juicy, they don't have any real flavor.

A package of six of these 4-ounce hamburgers costs $21 plus shipping. Seriously, I can buy twice as much ground beef at less than half of the cost at the local grocery store, add some seasonings, and make a much tastier (and leaner) burger. Omaha Steaks Burgers aren't totally awful, in fact they are pretty juicy though without much flavor. In fact, they are probably better than your typical pre-made...

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njchicaa says "Ziploc Evolve Gallon Bags: kind of the Earth but very thin." about Ziploc Evolve Gallon Food Storage Bags

njchicaa — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:42:45 GMT

I'm always looking for environmentally-friendly alternatives for the products that I usually use. When I saw Ziploc's Evolve series of plastic storage bags, I decided to try them out despite the fact that they were more expensive than the regular ones. Ziploc claims that their Evolve Food Storage Bags are "better for the environment" because they are ultra-light bags that use 25% less plastic and are made with wind energy.

I typically use gallon-size food storage bags for two things: marinating meat in the fridge and storing meats in the freezer. Ziploc Evolve Gallon Storage Bags work well for soaking beef, chicken, pork, and even fish in a marinade for a couple of hours in the refrigerator. They hold in the food and liquid marinades without the leaks that I've experienced when using other brands of plastic storage bags.

As for long-term use in the freezer, the jury is still out on that one. There are only 2 of us in the house and I usually buy meat (chicken breasts/thighs,...

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njchicaa says "Celebrate Christmas with Mrs. Meyer's Peppermint Soy Candle." about Mrs. Meyer's Peppermint Scented Soy Candle

njchicaa — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:53:32 GMT

I love candles and always have them burning throughout my house. I change the scents to match the seasons and one of my absolute favorite holiday scents is peppermint. I didn't buy any this year, though, because I was already overloaded with Christmas-type scents. My sister surprised me, however, with a Mrs. Meyer's Peppermint Scented Soy Candle and I've been burning it ever since.

This 7.2 ounce candle is made with vegetable wax, fragrance, essential oils, and a paper core with cotton wick. It is opaque white in color and has a festive minty scent. The suggested retail price for these candles is $9.99, but my sister found it in Home Goods for about $3.

Mrs. Meyer's Peppermint Scented Soy Candle has kind of a medium scent. It is less intense than your typical Yankee Candle and is best suited for smaller rooms like bathrooms, offices, or even bedrooms. I first tried burning mine in our living room, but the scent was so mild that I felt like I was wasting the andle. I then...

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PattyTherre says "Good soap but doesn't last long. The others are better values." about Bath and Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap

PattyTherre — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:33:01 GMT

Quick View: Bath and Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap is great smelling soap that effectively cleanses hands. I find, though, that the foam type seems to run out very quickly compared to the deep cleansing and moisturizing varieties in the same scents. I like this soap but prefer the longer lasting non foaming soaps better.

My Take on Bath and Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap

This liquid hand soap comes in 8.75 ounce plastic pump bottles in many signature scents and newer fragrances that Bath and Body Works carries. You can choose from unisex scents to very girly ones to clean, fresh types. The pump soap is fragrant and it is, indeed, a frothy foam. It's very lightweight and doesn't dry my skin. However, I find that I have to pump it several times to get enough to feel as though my hands are really clean. My husband and son also seem to use much more than they would if it were regular hand soap as compared to the foam.

When I rinse my hands, they do feel cleansed and smell great....

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njchicaa says "Trader Joe's Spanakopita has yummy filling but mushy filo dough." about Trader Joe's Spanakopita

njchicaa — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:28:04 GMT

I'm not usually one for pre-made appetizers or meals, but when I saw Trader Joe's Spanakopita sitting prettily there in the freezer last month, I remembered how good the Barefoot Contessa's version looked when I saw it on Food Network and tossed 2 boxes into my cart. I didn't get around to actually trying them until today...

To prepare Trader Joe's Spanakopita, you simply open up the box, remove the plastic wrapping, and bake the pieces (straight out of the freezer) in their foil pan at 375 degrees F for 20-22 minutes. After they are cooked, you are supposed to let them cool for 10 minutes before serving. I followed the directions while preparing the Spanakopita and was somewhat disappointed. Yes, after 22 minutes the filling of the little pockets was warm, but the phyllo/filo dough was still very soft and doughy. I tried to cook one of the trays for an extra 10 minutes or so, but that just resulted in the phyllo dough cracking, splitting, and otherwise self-destructing rather...

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njchicaa says "I'm very happy with this Depo-Provera generic birth control." about Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (Depo-Provera generic)

njchicaa — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:42:29 GMT

At 32, I'm pretty sure that I don't want children. I already take a fair amount of medication daily for my asthma, so I didn't want to use birth control pills. I had used Depo-Provera injections successfully in the past, so that was what I chose to go with again on my last visit with the OB/GYN.

Medroxyprogesterone Acetate is the generic version of Depo-Provera and what the pharmacy has been giving me for the past year. It is basically a derivative of progesterone, that prevents ovulation and thickens cervical mucus. It is 99.7% effective which means it provides more pregnancy protection than pills and condoms. It is worth noting, however, that Medroxyprogesterone Acetate Injections do not provide any protection from STDs, including HIV and HPV.

You receive these birth control injections intramuscularly every 11-13 weeks. The needle is rather large but, I promise you, you won't feel it if you can stand to drop your pants a bit and have the injection in your upper butt. ...

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njchicaa says "It isn't Christmas in my house without WickIt Good's Noel Candle" about WickIt Good Noel Candle

njchicaa — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:08:15 GMT

I really enjoy candles and am always looking for new brands and exciting fragrances. One of the lines that I keep returning to is WickIt Good Candles, a local candle company that has 3 New Jersey shops and an online store. Each Christmas I buy several of their Noel Candles and enjoy every minute of the fragrance that they spread throughout the house.

WickIt Good's Noel Candle is opaque white in color and has a fragrance described as a "true tanenbaum". I'm not sure what "tanenbaum" is supposed to smell like, but I can say that this Noel scent is simply Christmas. It seems to be a blend of evergreen, mint, and a hint of sweet berries. WickIt Good Candles contain 10% fragrance oil as opposed to the competition's 4-5%, so these are very strongly-scented candles that don't contain fillers, hardeners, or stabilizing chemicals. Basically, they are wax and fragrance.

I bought WickIt Good Noel in the 18 Ounce Double Wick Jar Candle for $22.50. It is a bit more expensive per ounce...

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CyndiA says "Pelonis heater is great for spot heating in your home. " about Pelonis H0-0218 Heater

CyndiA — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:48:40 GMT

I am sitting here beside my Pelonis heater cube. I tend to chill when sitting still at the computer but hate to heat up the whole house when I know that I'm warm enough when I'm up moving around. Also, the boys tend to like the house cooler. So the Pelonis heater works out great in my small computer area.

My Granny had the Pelonis heater and used it to heat her small living room where she quilted. It was made the whole room nice and cozy, and she didn't much use the other rooms in her apartment, so that worked out great for her. That's what made me decide to get a little portable heater. I really liked hers.

For the size, the Pelonis puts out an amazing amount of heat. I have a bigger model at work, but it does not put out as much heat. It's enough for under my desk. But that one cycles on and off - meaning I'm cold about half the time. The Pelonis has a good fan and just keeps putting out heat until it's actually turned off. So - no cold periods of time.

On high and with the heater right...

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CyndiA says "Masterbuilt Indoor Turkey Fryer - Safer and Easier Large Fryer" about Masterbuilt Indoor Turkey Fryer - Butterball

CyndiA — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:32:22 GMT

We wore out our last turkey fryer and went with the Masterbuilt Indoor Turkey Fryer this time. It's built smaller and safer, plus it can be used indoors which is nice on really cold days which is usually when we fry turkey.

Butterball Turkey company teamed up with Mastbuilt (bit name in turkey or outdoor fryers) for this model which is much like the indoor fryers for chicken and French fries.

There's a housing box and then the oil goes in the unit. A large basket and a lifter round out the product.

It takes around a gallon and a half of oil, so that's a lot. It can be strained and used again. But, I season the turkey pretty heavy, so I don't think it looks good enough to try to strain with all the Holen One rub floating in there. Oh well. Straining oil through cheese cloth and finding a place to store it is not my idea of a good time anyway.

Since we did a turkey breast last night, we ran the temp at 325 F. For a large turkey, it would go up to 375 for frying. With these high temps, we...

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PattyTherre says "A very limited can opener that is really just a novelty" about As Seen on TV Onetouch Automatic Can Opener 29101

PattyTherre — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:56:51 GMT

Quick View: The As Seen on TV Onetouch Automatic Can Opener 29101 is a battery operated can opener that actually opens cans by itself, shuts off by itself, and supposedly lifts can lips up and out of the cans with ease. I found it works on normal sized cans but not on smaller or larger ones very well. It's noisy and slow too.

My Take on the As Seen on TV Onetouch Automatic Can Opener 29101

I bought this gadget when I saw it on a deal a day site for around $11.00 shipped. The hype was that it opened all cans with just a touch of a button, lifted the lids up with its magnet, and took no space on the counter. I liked all that but it turns out that the claims were inflated.

This hand held unit does latch onto normal (vegetables, dog food, fruit) cans and it "walks" itself around the lid. It does seem to lift those lids up with its magnet and the lids nor the can edges are sharp. The unit is noisy and slow though and has a 20 second cycle no matter what the size of the can.

When I use it on...

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