Reviews by Friends of Mandigrl

jasyjen says "An inspiring book, but difficult to read for many reasons" about Precious

jasyjen — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:48:03 GMT

The novel, Precious, was originally released titled, "Push" in 1996. It was renamed Precious, I think, because it was made into a movie that has yet to be released. I learned about the book Precious from Oprah Winfrey, who recommends the book.

NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW:

Precious is an illiterate girl who has been sexually abused by her father, physically abused by her mother, and is pregnant with her second child from her father. For many reasons, the book Precious is difficult to read. There is graphic descriptions of the abuse that Precious suffers at the hands of both her parents, which is difficult in itself. When Precious gives birth to her first child, it is born with many birth defects and is quickly taken away from her. Pregnant with her second child at twelve years old, Precious is confused and concerned about her unborn child's health and wellness, and how she will care for it once it is born.

The book Precious is written AS Precious herself speaks. Her language...

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jasyjen says "Better than any travel mug I have ever owned" about Chinet Comfort Cups

jasyjen — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:26:22 GMT

It seems that I am always on the go, running the kids somewhere that they need to be. Between football practice, baseball practice, school event, work, and everything in between, there is always somewhere that I need to be. As a coffee lover, I have tried several different types of travel mugs so that I can enjoy my coffee on the go. No matter how much I spend, or what type of brand I buy, travel mugs always leak and drip coffee on my clothing! It frustrates me to no end.

On a recent trip to Walgreens, I saw Chinet Comfort Cups on sale. I liked the fact that they came with lids and a chique' pattern that looked like something you'd see from your corner coffee shop. The cups came 10 to a pack, with lids, for a price of right around $ 3.00.

As soon as I tried the Chinet Comfort Cups, I began telling everyone I know about how great they are. These things are better than ANY travel mug I have ever owned! They don't leak, they keep my coffee nice and warm, and they look nice...

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vivasuzi says "Now this is what I call Cheese and Crackers!" about Keebler - TownHouse FlipSides Pretzel Crackers

vivasuzi — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:41:46 GMT

I would never had heard of Townhouse FlipSides Pretzel Crackers if it weren't for an offer I got when I was clipping coupons. The coupon didn't say much except that they were "pretzel crackers" so I was certainly curious!

Now that I've bought them, ate them, and loved them, I know these crackers will be a staple in our house and something I bring anytime I need to make a cheese and cracker plate for a party. With one side tasting like a pretzel, and the other side tasting like a cheese cracker, these things are delicious right out of the box. However, as you can see from my pics I really like to eat crackers with cheese so I added some sliced Kraft to my cracker and it was 10x better! I can't wait to tell my sister about these crackers so she can serve them with her famous Cheese ball! They are just so good and I bet they would go great with a whole variety of dips and spreads.

The best part is, the crackers are strong and can easily be used for dips without worry of them breaking....

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jasyjen says "The most delicious way to get in your daily fiber" about Kellogg's - Fiber Plus Chewy Bars

jasyjen — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:04:59 GMT

When you think of eating something with Fiber in it, you typically think of it tasting like cardboard. Right? I know that I always thought of fiber intake until I tried this product. Fiber Plus bars will change the way you think of food with fiber in it.

This particular review is for the Fiber Plus Chocolate Chip bars.

These things are absolutely, positively, 100% delicious! If someone blindfolded you, and didn't tell you what they were feeding you, you would think you were eating a candy bar with some type of delicious rice crispy treat mixed in with it. The taste is outstanding, the texture is appealing, and the chocolate....oh the chocolate! You can smell the rich dark chocolate as soon as you tear open the package! The bottom of the Fiber Plus bar is completely coated with a thin layer of dark chocolate, and then the chocolate is drizzled over the top, and there are miniature chocolate chips scattered over the top too. YUM!

My eight year old son suffers from occasional...

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jasyjen says "This convenience product isn't worth the money." about Scotch-Brite Stainless Steel Cleaner

jasyjen — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:40:11 GMT

Scotch-Brite Cook Top Cleaner is a product that you would only use if you own a glass top stove or ceramic cook top. The way you would normally clean a glass top stove is with a liquid that you apply with a soft cloth, and then buff it in. After it is applied, you would then wipe it clean with a papertowel. It is not a difficult process, but it can be time consuming. Thus, when I saw the Scoth-Brite Cook Top Cleaner, I was intrigued because it promotes itself as being 'an easy solution to keeping your glass or ceramic cook top free from stuck-on food and grease stains'. I'm the type of person that REALLY appreciates a convenience product, and will usually purchase something if I think it will save me time.

The Scotch-Bright Cook Top Cleaner comes in a starter kit, which includes a scratch free pad with an easy to hold handle, and pre-moistened pads that you use to clean the cook top. The bottom of the scratch free pad has a velcro-like material, and you just press a cleaning...

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NattScatt says "A Show About Cats For Those Of Us Who Like Cats" about Cats: 101

NattScatt — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:04:29 GMT

I have a cat named Que Sera. She is about a year old. She is a love. I also collect cats. Cat figurines, glasswear, knick-knacks etc. I think this qualifies me as a cat lover. I just think they are so pretty. So funny and mysterious. Since I work ful time and Que Sera is often left alone, I switch on a TV to the Animal Planet and turn the volume down on my way out the door. I don't think the cat watches this, mind you, but I feel better thinking I left her with entertainment.

One evening when I came home, I sat petting Que Sera while absently watching whatever show that was on Animal Planet at that time. I saw a commercial for a show called Cats: 101. It said it was a new series about cat breeds, their origins, habits, health and how well they would work in certain families. I immediately set up a series recording for the show and then turned the channel and went to take a shower.

The first episode of Cats: 101 I caught was about three different cat breeds. ...

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GigiandAdonai says "A gift from someone who is now an angel in the truest sense." about Bradford Exchange I Wish You Porcelain Angel Figurine

GigiandAdonai — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:49:58 GMT

In August of this year I lost a really special friend to a tragic accident. Brannigan and I were on the same dance team for the last four years and this year we began dating prior to him returning to Australia for a visit with his family. He was involved in an ATV accident that claimed his life and I was left with only the memories of having danced with him and loved him for a short time.

After staying with friends and family for a week I returned to work and went to the post office to check my mail. I had a package to pick up and it was from Brannigan. It seems that while he was in Australia he sent me the "I Wish You" porcelain angel by Bradford Exchange. Along with the angel was a card that said, "Sending you this angel to watch over you until I can hold you in my arms again." He didn't know that I was going to meet him at the Atlanta airport so he mailed me this package as a way of letting me know he was thinking about me and would be seeing me again. Well, our plans were...

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GigiandAdonai says "This might very well be Twilight Woods in a bottle." about Ultra Downy Simple Pleasures: Spice Blossom Dare

GigiandAdonai — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:49:53 GMT

Being single, I don't have to do laundry that often and it's probably one of the household chores that I don't care for that much. I love the smell of fresh laundry but I hate the folding and putting away. About a year ago I reviewed the Ultra Downy Tahitian Waterfall fabric softener. I loved that stuff but as is the case with me; I think they discontinued it so I went back to the original April Fresh for months. I stayed clear of the Simple Pleasures for some time because they were always too intense for me. But then the other day I saw this beautiful burgundy bottle. It was Ultra Downy Simple Pleasures: Spice Blossom Dare. I decided to see what it smelled like. I opened the cap and wow! It smelled wonderful. I don't quite know how to describe it; except to say if you have ever smelled Bath and Body Works Twilight Woods then this closely resembles it.

The scent is classy and elegant but not too overwhelming if you are washing men's clothes. It's like an outdoorsy...

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GigiandAdonai says "I don't like spiders and snakes but I love spider legs!" about L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara

GigiandAdonai — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:58:53 GMT

I read PattyTherre's review on her mascara (read it here) and I fell in love with everything she said about it. Many know that since joining Viewpoints every time I read a mascara review I will usually refer back to my wonderful L'Oreal Voluminous; which I had been using for about 2-3 years. You can read JasyJen's review on Voluminous here. I never read any other reviews that made me say, "I've just got to have that mascara" until I read Patty's on the L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion. Not only did I have to have it but I went on a journey trying to find it. If you have read our comments during the past week you will see what I mean.

I started off at Walmart and found the L'Oreal Telescopic Original. Don't pick this up thinking you are getting what Patty reviewed. This is in a gold tube and has the standard brush. The Explosion has a tiny ball-like brush and comes in a red tube. I went to three Walmarts and couldn't find Explosion. It was then recommended I try CVS and Rite...

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GigiandAdonai says "Subtle shades of earth tones that aren't too dark or drab." about L'Oreal Wear Infinite Eye Shadow-Summer Dusk (508)

GigiandAdonai — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:01:34 GMT

Back in 2001 I bought a complete line of L'Oreal makeup and within two days I discovered that I couldn't wear the eyeshadow. It had some sort of fragrance in it that irritated my eyelids and the skin literally peeled off. I knew it was the makeup because once I quit using it my eyes cleared up within days. I returned to my old faithful Clinique and was content for years. But then I bought a new home and decided that I needed to cut some corners and went back to my drugstore makeup versus the elite lines. I have done well until last week.

I was in need of eyeshadow and mascara. PattyTherre had posted an awesome review on the L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion mascara and I just knew I had to get me some. So while out hunting for that I checked out the eyeshadow. L'Oreal has a color line and the "For Brown Eyes" was beautiful. I remembered the problem I had with the eyeshadow several years ago but I just wanted to believe that was a fluke and I could try it again. So, I purchased...

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CrystaBush says "Tresemme is a good fill-in when I run out of my Redken Shampoo." about TRESemme Smooth & Silky Shampoo

CrystaBush — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:18:08 GMT

TREsemme
Smooth & Silky Shampoo

5x Smoother & Silkier
Vitamin H
Silk Proteins
For dry or damaged hair
Professional formula
Under $5 for 32oz.

My Viewpoint!
I tend to be very loyal to Redken hair products and very rarely stray from them. Since the Redken products that I use are bought from a hair salon and tend to be very pricey, I don't stock up and find myself running out of shampoo or conditioner from time to time. When this happens, I fall back on TREsemme Smooth & Silky Shampoo.

I have found that most shampoo and conditioners that I have used in the past have always felt greasy when applying to my hair and very hard to rinse thoroughly out thus leaving my hair feeling weighted down and oily. Since I have blonde hair and have to wash my hair everyday, sometimes twice a day, I need a shampoo that doesn't leave my hair looking dirty.

TREsemme Smooth & Silky Shampoo doesn't leave my hair feeling weighted down or greasy looking like most shampoos seem to do. The Smooth & Silky formula...

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jasyjen says "Your dog will say THANK YOU for these treats" about Purina Carvers Dog Treats

jasyjen — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:15:48 GMT

I received a free sample of Purina Carvers for my dogs and recently fed it to them. I think if my dogs could speak, they would have shouted, "THANK YOU!". I have never seen either of my dogs enjoy a treat as much as they seemed to enjoy Purina Carvers chicken flavored treats.

The sample bag came with two treats, and they were large enough that I had to break them in half for the dogs to eat them. Purina Carvers look like pieces of meat that have been dehydrated and preserved in a healthy manner. The same that we received was the chicken flavor, and it literally looked like someone had sliced a piece of white breast meat off the chicken in a good sized piece, and allowed it to become completely dried out. The texture was firm, yet chewy, and my dogs seemed to really like it. In fact, the two pieces seemed like a tease and I had to go out and buy a bag of Purina Carvers chicken flavor treats the next day.

At the store, I was able to see that Purina Carvers are offered in...

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GigiandAdonai says "He started the whole world singing AGAIN!" about MICHAEL JACKSON - "This Is It" Souvenir CD and Booklet

GigiandAdonai — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:14:14 GMT

Yesterday I went to see the Michael Jackson movie This Is It. I won't take a lot of your time to tell you how wonderful it is. Check out my review or better yet; go see it and then tell us what you think. During the movie I was introduced to some songs that he had performed but they were new to me. I enjoyed MJ's music during the 80s and early 90s. I have several MJ CDs and probably wouldn't have bought this soundtrack; except for one reason: They were releasing This Is It and Earth Song.

This evening was our monthly girls night out and before the movie we went over to Walmart to pick up a few things and kill some time. I decided to go to electronics and see if they had the soundtrack and they did. I saw a $10 and $14.88 CD. I "think" the $10 was being advertised as a Walmart exclusive. It was the songs performed in the movie and nothing more. I chose the $14.88 Souvenir Edition because not only did it include a 36-page book with photos from the movie but it also has...

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SpokaneMan says "The Fisher Price Rock-a-Stack is a Fun and Interactice Baby Toy." about Fisher Price Rock a Stack

SpokaneMan — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:43:10 GMT

The Fisher Price Rock-a-Stack is one of those classic toys where most parents now have already had one when they were a child. The Fisher Price Rock-a-Stack has been around for a long time now, and that is because the product is great for the baby's development. Not only that, but the Rock-a-Stack is such a simple toy that even if the baby doesn't understand the point of the toy at first, it double's as a great teething toy with lots of different parts that the baby can play with.

For those who haven't heard of the Fisher Price Rock-a-Stack, it is a toy that comes with a base and a pole which has five rings on it. These donut shaped rings all slide off the top of the pole, and can be played with individually by the baby or toddler. Each ring is a different size, working from the biggest one on the bottom up to the smallest one on the top, and they also all come in different colors. Recently Fisher Price has started selling the Rock-a-Stack with a fifth ring that is partially...

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SpokaneMan says "A Great Set of Baby Keys That is Extremely Affordable" about RC2 First Keys

SpokaneMan — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:29:28 GMT

This is the first baby toy that we have already purchased a second and third time for our baby, and it is simply because she loves them so much. The Rc2 Brand baby keys are nothing spectacular to look at, as they are just five plastic keys that come on a key ring. The draw to these keys from the baby side of things, is that they are so lightweight that they can do anything they want with the keys. What we have taken to doing, is giving our baby these keys when she is waiting in her high chair for dinner, and she takes to playing them until she is served.

There are five keys that come on the little key ring, with each of them having a different shape and color. This sets the keys apart from each other, and makes the whole toy appear bright with color. That makes it appealing to the eyes four our baby, and it gets her attention every time she sees them. The other way we get her attention with the keys is by rattling them, and then she perks up right away. The ring is large...

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SpokaneMan says "The Fisher Price Musical Teether Keys Toy is a Great Baby Toy." about Fisher Price Musical Teether Keys

SpokaneMan — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:56:00 GMT

We purchased an expansive teething toy for our baby that has a lot of different entities to it, and which she has come to enjoy after a lot of use. This particular baby toy is the Fisher Price Musical Teether Keys, which isn't really keys in the typical sense of the word, but could be given that title. I would better classify this Fisher Price toy as a miniature activity center where the baby has a number of things that they can play with or use to teeth on. It's the multi-purpose functionality of this toy as both a teether and a musical toy that make it worth purchasing.

If you take a look at the picture, you can see that the top part is a ring that can hook on to any of your strollers or baby seats so that it doesn't get dropped on the floor. That is connected to another ring, with one side containing three sound making buttons. These buttons give different chimes, with one being a doorbell and another being like a car horn. They also each play a few bars of a song once...

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SpokaneMan says "Earth's Best Organic First Squash Went Over Great With Baby!" about Earth's Best Organic Baby Food

SpokaneMan — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:35:04 GMT

Earth's Best First Squash is a baby food sold to parents looking to introduce their babies to new foods. This is one of many beginner foods that Earth's Best sells in an organic form, and another in a great line of products that are made with real ingredients. One of the big selling points to the Earth's Best First Squash is that there aren't additional fillers used to expand the container, and that the ingredients are extremely limited. In fact the only ingredient that even makes the nutrition list is organic squash, putting the minds of parent's at ease about what their child might be getting in this dish.

The Earth's Best First Squash comes in a small jar that is advertised as being organically grown without potentially harmful pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. Each jar contains one serving of the food (71 grams), but because it comes in a jar that can be refrigerated, you don't have to serve the whole think in one sitting. With the Earth's Best First Squash, we have split...

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SpokaneMan says "Gerber Organic Sweet Potatoes Have Been a Great Baby Treat" about Gerber Organic Sweet Potatoes

SpokaneMan — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:22:32 GMT

One of the first real foods we tried with our baby was the Gerber Organic Sweet Potatoes. They are part of the Gerber 1st foods program, where the company has created a selection of foods that are not only easy for the baby to eat, but easy on their stomach. The sweet potatoes option is sold in addition to their carrots and peas, and it comes in a 2-pack that makes it extremely easy to serve the baby. Each of the containers also contains two servings, so with one 2-pack you end up with four good meals. With each being wrapped separately, it also allows you to just use one, and save the other for later.

The Gerber Organic Sweet Potatoes have no filler ingredients, and are limited to just the sweet potatoes and water in their construction. They are a very healthy option for the baby, with each container only having 45 calories total. It's not really the point in their lives where you need to be worried about calories, but it's a good peace of mind to have when you know that...

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vivasuzi says "So now I have another one to add to the DVR" about Eastwick (ABC)

vivasuzi — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:46:36 GMT

I had never heard of Eastwick, but after an episode of Dancing with the Stars, I left ABC on because they kept talking about all these new shows that were coming out. After 5 minutes of the Eastwick Premiere, I had already gone in and set up my DVR to record this whole series.

I had just been getting into Lipstick Jungle, when they took it off the air, so I was happy to see Lindsay Price was back on the small screen. Joining her as stars of the show are Rebecca Romijn and Jaime Ray Newman. All three are great in this show and I enjoy their different personalities. Sara Rue, who has been in multiple TV series, also has a pretty big part as the friend of one of the girls. She adds a nice humor and down-to-earthness to the story. Although the show is not a comedy, it isn't incredibly drama-filled either. I'd compare it to Desperate Housewives in that there is some silliness, some drama, and a few chuckles here and there.

Having never seen the movie The Witches of Eastwick, I went into...

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vivasuzi says "It's stylish and useful although a little bit hard for travel" about Bed Bath and Beyond Bamboo Chip 'n Dip

vivasuzi — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:40:02 GMT

I registered for the Bamboo Chip 'n Dip for our wedding because it was pretty. I didn't think about how practical it was like I usually do. Most the items I buy now-a-days are travel-friendly and easy to wash. The Bamboo Chip 'n dip is neither, but it's still four stars!

Made of Bamboo, the 12.5" plate is sturdy, and holds a lot of veggies! Although it was designed for chips, it works well for veggies, bread, or any other food with dip you might have. The ceramic dish in the middle holds quite a lot of dip. This dish is also heavy and sturdy enough to stay put in the little grove inside the bamboo dish.

However as nice as it looks, it is a bit heavy and clunky. While I was able to transport it to a party by covering the dish with one plastic sheet and then covering the rest with more plastic, I had to wrap it really tight to keep the items on the dish. While I managed to wrap it and carry it to a few parties, over time I decided it's easier to bring the veggies in...

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