Reviews by dovey

dovey says "Where's the meat in this meat lasagna" about Culinary Circle Meat Lasagna

dovey — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:39:29 GMT

Culinary Circle is a brand name of Shaws supermarkets. It is a step up from the store brand in appearance and the price point is a little lower than national brand names. My family loves lasagna and I usually make it homemade, but when I don't have the time, I buy the Stouffers. The picture on the box of the Culinary Circle Meat lasagna looked so delicious, I bought it instead. This experience has shown me, you can't judge the product by the box!

Culinary Circle Meat lasagna has a thin sauce with a bland tomato taste. The texture was mushy. The box boasts sausage, garlic, seasoned ground beef, ricotta and mozzarella cheese. I didn't get any of that. My daughter, who can not tell pork from chicken, tasted this and asked, "where's the meat". There was no meat to be found...there was no flavor to be found.

I have not tried any other Culinary Circle products and now I am pretty sure I won't.

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dovey says "Happily surprised they work a tad better than Huggies!" about Pampers Pampers Overnight Extra Protection Diapers Diapers

dovey — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:14:51 GMT

We have used Huggies overnight for both our girls. I have been looking for something else as my toddler has been waking up every morning wet around the middle. The grocery store I shop at just started carrying Pampers Overnight Extra Protection.They were on sale and I had a three dollar off coupon, so the price was great. If they didn't work, I would just use them as regular diapers.

Pampers Overnight are soft and thin and my first thought was that no way was this diaper going to last the night! Huggies are more substantial and stiffer. The pampers fit very nicely around her middle without a lot of diaper hanging down between her legs. Well, wasn't I surprised when they held up and no leaks. I love when I try something new and it actually works!

I am convinced after reading many diaper reviews and trying just about every name brand and store brand out there that sometimes a diaper will work for one child and not another. Every baby is shaped differently and some diapers will just fit...

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dovey says "Actually works too well, leaving big clean circles on my carpet!" about Bissell Spot Bot Vacuum

dovey — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:09:50 GMT

The Bissell SpotBot handsfree compact deep cleaner does a good job cleaning up messes from the carpet. It can not replace a regular carpet cleaner for general cleaning. I have three dogs and two kids and I was getting tired of dragging out the big carpet cleaner. I also have a small handheld cleaner, but in order to be effective you have to catch the mess right away. I don't always have time to clean right away and I don't always catch all the messes right away either!

The SpotBot is heavy, although compact and easy to store. This machine is fairly easy to operate and the controls are very straightforward. After filling with water and cleaner, you place the brushes over the stain and turn it on. This thing is loud! I mean, really loud. This is a draw back for me as I usually clean at night or during nap time. The main issue I have beside the noise, is the suction. It just is not that powerful, it leaves a damp circle behind. I end up using the hand held brush after it finishes cleaning...

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dovey says "not so sweet on PureVia" about PureVia All Natural Zero Calorie Sweetener

dovey — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:57:13 GMT

I was very excited to receive a box of PureVia Natural Zero Calorie Sweetener. I usually use Splenda or Demerara Raw sugar. I thought it would be great to find a natural zero calorie sweetener. The first way I tried this PureVia was in my coffee. I am used to Demerara in my coffee. I did not like the PureVia! I could taste it and I found it not sweet enough and with a slight licorice-like taste. The PureVia tasted even worse in my green tea as it added a peppery taste. In the black tea with milk, the peppery taste was less prominent. My husband found that it did not blend as well in his ice tea as Splenda does. He found the taste ok, but still thought Splenda was superior. The last thing we tried it on was our wheat flakes and both of us thought it was tolerable, but no where near as satisfying as real sugar or as good as Splenda. We both like the idea of a natural product as opposed to chemical, but this won't be it for us.

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dovey says "Almay mascara, can't get it right" about Almay One Coat Nourishing Mascara

dovey — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:20:07 GMT

Oh come on Almay, you can do better than this!!!! I forgot I wasn't buying Almay mascara any more and bought this. It was on sale and I was rushing to pick up diapers and remembered I needed mascara. This was truly an impulse purchase.

One coat of Almay Nourishing mascara gave me lashes that looked the same, except colored all the way to the tip. The claim on the package says 100% bigger lashes. No way. But I do like the natural look, so ok. I always buy waterproof because I hate smudging. Well, during a very fun Wii game of tennis with my hubby, I was laughing pretty hard and ended up with a grey shadow under my eyes. So maybe it is waterproof but not laugh proof. Then my eyes began to sting and I had to take a break from tennis to wash my eyes and rinse them out!

I don't ask much from my mascara. Just stay put and look nice! And try not to irritate me while doing it. Almay should be able to pull that off. This time I will remember...no more Almay mascaras for me.

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dovey says "This toy is mildly entertaining, has cute music and is sturdy." about Fisher Price Go Baby Go! Crawl & Cruise Musical Jungle

dovey — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:05:46 GMT

Fisher Price Go Baby Go! Crawl & Cruise Musical Jungle is a large plastic toy with lights and music and a couple animal sounds. The toy has different color balls that are balanced and dropped in holes and slide down slides. The idea is that the child will enjoy this toy from sitting infant to toddler. As they learn new skills they can do more with the toy.

We bought the Go Baby Go! when our daughter was 9 months and we enjoyed playing it with her. She continues to occasionally play with this at 18 months. At $60 at the time, it was expensive for the amount of time and enjoyment she has gotten from this toy.

The Go Baby Go! Crawl & Cruise Musical Jungle is pretty sturdy. The music is fun and catchy. Once your child discovers the trick of getting the ball to fall off the monkey's hand into the hole, they will like to do it again and again. But really there is not a lot to this toy, as big as it is. The other hole to put the balls through is the elephant ears and then the ball...

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dovey says "My Princess loves her Fisher-Price potty" about Fisher-Price Pink Princess Stepstool Potty in Pink

dovey — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:53:57 GMT

The Fisher-Price Pink Princess Stepstool Potty is a great little potty to have for a little girl toddler who is beginning training. It also serves as a step stool by folding the back of the chair down. The seat is sturdy and the bottom does not slide easily across the floor. The seat lifts off and is supposed to fit on a regular toilet when your child reaches that stage. The little potty seat did not sit on our toilet seat, unfortunately.

The fun thing about the Fisher-Price Pink Princess Stepstool Potty is it rewards your child with a little song when any liquid or waste hits the bottom of the potty. The potty then lifts out and you dump the waste in the toilet. The potty is fun for a little girl to sit on as it looks like a thrown. Since it is all plastic, it is light and easy to move around. It is also easy to clean.

The one issue I have with the Fisher-Price Pink Princess Stepstool Potty is the very thing that make it so fun! The music, while adorable and rewarding, can at the...

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dovey says "Skin looks and feels great, but where's the lift?" about RoC Lift Serum

dovey — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:33:11 GMT

I am guessing I have tried most of the "drug store" brands of skin care in my quest for beautiful, fresh, unlined skin. I am starting to realize that shipped has sailed. But I keep hoping the next thing I try will turn the ship around.

RoC products have given me the most results for my money so far. I am now using the whole firming line. Some good things about RoC Lift Serum; it does not irritate my sensitive skin, it does not dry out my skin, and it does not have a strong scent. This serum is pleasant to use. It goes on very smoothly and asorbs right into the skin. My face has a warm feeling to it immediatly after the serumis applied. I then apply the RoC Lifting day or night lotion or cream depending on the time of day.

The RoC Lifting serum improves the look of my skin. My skin looks fresher and healthy. It does a nice job moisturizing my skin and improving the texture. Of course this is subjective and in no way scientific, but I feel like the lines in my skin have a somewhat...

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dovey says "Love this inexpensive booster!" about Fisher-Price Healthy Care Booster

dovey — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:55:33 GMT

I love this Fisher-Price Healthy Care Booster. We have two, the "deluxe" blue one at grandma's and this basic one at home. I prefer this one! The colors are a bit bright being yellow and orange. Not sure why they can't make one in an understated beige or non descript cream, but oh well. This basic booster has everything I want.

The seat is sturdy and attaches securely to the chair you place it on. The three point restraint system is attached to the booster making it easy to get the straps around your child and easy to adjust when neccessary. The tray is small (just right) and snaps off easily and washes easily. The Booster itself is a breeze to clean.

The Fisher-Price Healthy Care Booster is easy to clean, sturdy, and takes up no room like a highchair does.,One thing to keep in mind with a Booster is that it is for bigger babies and toddlers, not for infants. A Booster safety issue is that if a child can touch their feet to any part of the table they could possibly push themselves...

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dovey says "Good and practical, but liked the less expensive one better." about Fisher Price Healthy Care Booster Seat

dovey — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:36:31 GMT

This Fisher Price Healthy Care Booster Seat is a decent seat. The height is adjustable, there is a three point restraint and the booster straps securly into the chair it sits upon. The booster is molded plastic and therefor easy to clean up as is the tray that easily snaps on and off.

The Fisher Price Healthy Care Booster seat is pretty basic and sturdy for plastic. But this is not a high end booster. The first thing I would say about the design of the straps is that they are awkward to adjust after your child is seated. The three point system is all attached making it less capable of staying put. This is hard to describe in writing, but take it from me, if the staps were positioned to come out from the body of the chair it would MUCH more secure and easy to adjust. As your child sits down you need to fumble behind them to grapple with the straps. It gets annoying with a wiggly toddler. Also you have to assemble the tie down straps yourself. Ok, this is not a biggy, but the less...

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dovey says "Nothing special soup " about Campbell's V8 Golden Butternut Squash Soup

dovey — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 02:03:58 GMT

I love squash soup and was so excited to try this. We drink V8, the fruit kind and love it, so I thought the soup would be good, too . Campbells's V8 Golden Butternut Squash soup comes in a box, not a can. Really, it has all the makings of a great soup. A great company, a full serving of vegetables, no preservatives and butternut squash! In a box!

But sadly, for me anyway, this soup is just mediocre in taste. The texture is not smooth and creamy, but more like soft oatmeal. I could deal with that if the flavor was there. This Campbells V8 soup is so bland, I had to put a lot of salt in it. I never add salt to store bought soup! I expected so much more from Campbells V8. The description on the back of the box calls it mellow-sweet. Unless this is code for bland and tasteless, the box is wrong!

Campbells's V8 Butternut Squash soup may be healthy and offer up a full serving of vegetables, but there are much tastier ways to be healthy.

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dovey says "Did we get rid of the dogs? No, we got Odor Eliminator!" about Arm & Hammer Odor Eliminator for Carpet and Room

dovey — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:58:11 GMT

We have three small dogs. These little guys spend 95% of the time inside and despite their small size,(the largest being 20lbs), they can sure rack up the stink. When you walk in my house, I don't want the first thought to be, "oh my goodness, they must have a pack of Bull Mastiff's in here". No offense to Bull Mastiffs, but if my pom can generate a smell at 4 pounds, I can only imagine what a Bull Mastiff is capable of.

As i am very sensitive to smells, I don't like sprays very much or plug ins. Plus I have a little child, so safety is a concern. We have carpets that the dogs lie on and even after vaccuming, they hold the doggy odor. I have tried different powders for the rugs before and they have made me feel sick and headachey. I have tried fabreeze, but the idea of a damp carpet seems kind of gross.

Arm & Hammer Odor Eliminator for Carpet and Roomin the powder formula, specifically the Fresh Country Breeze scent is the latest product I have tried. The product shakes out of...

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dovey says "Yuck, cheaper is NOT better!" about Walmart Great Value Milk

dovey — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:23:38 GMT

In my quest to save money I recently bought Great Value Brand (Walmart) milk when I was shopping for household goods. I have bought several Great Value brand products before and had been satisfied with them, specifically the cereal. I figured the milk would be just as good as the Garelick farms or Hood that I usually buy. Was I ever wrong!

I made my daughter a sippy cup of this with her dinner and she did drink it, but she kept putting it down and trying it again. That night I had a bowl of cereal with it and nearly spit it out. I had to throw my cereal away, not cool! I smelled it and it smelled fine. I tasted it without the cereal and it was horrid. Great Value brand milk tastes tart and watery. I don't know what they are feeding their cows wherever they get this milk from but i feel badly for them. I had heard that dairies sell their milk to all different companies, so theoretically, the same cows could be supplying name brand comapanies. I don't know, but I have tasted many brands...

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dovey says "great toast and more in little time " about Black & Decker TRO620 1200 Watts Toaster Oven

dovey — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:03:31 GMT

Black&Decker Toast-R-Oven Model TRO620 is your basic counter-top toaster. At 15 1/2 by about 8 inches, it does not take up too much space on my counter, which is at a premium. This model has everything thing I need and nothing I don't. I have found that for us, simpler is better...less features means less things to break or wear out or go wrong somehow.

When shopping for a toaster oven I had some things in mind. I needed a model that could make toast quickly and evenly, cook a small frozen pizza and other small dinners, and was simple enough that my 8 yr old could use it. Black&Decker Toast-R-Oven TRO 620 was just what I was looking for.

There are so many models of Black & Decker toasters! It can be a little confusing when reading reviews. Here are the features listed for this model.

A toaster oven boasting a welcome versatility, this design broils, toasts and bakes

Features a crumb tray, bake signal bell, toast signal bell and forward rack

Breakfast is Easy with this 4-Slice...

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dovey says "quick shave, great idea!" about Schick Schick Intuition Plus :Sensitive Care

dovey — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:54:13 GMT

Schick Intuition Plus Sensitive Care razor is shave lotion and blade in one. It lathers, shaves, and moisturizes. This is a pretty great idea. I was really jazzed about this razor when I got it. I have dry sensitive skin on my legs and I keep an eye out for new ways to care for my skin while keeping my legs smooth.

The Sensitive Care razor has four blades. I am not really sure how many blades a razor needs to do the job. I guess they figure if two is good, four would be really good.

My first impression of the Schick Intuition Plus Sensitive Care razor was that it felt a little awkward in my hand. A bit top heavy, it takes a moment to figure out the best angle at which to hold it so the razor is flat against your skin.

The shave lotion is in a cake form that spreads when wet. This proved a bit awkward for me as well as I could not tell where I had shaved exactly and had narrow strips of stuble left. The "lather" is not really visible so you are guessing where you shaved. I...

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dovey says " A good solution to cleaning up pet waste" about Doggie Dooley Plastic Septic Tank Style

dovey — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:19:21 GMT

The Doggie Dooley is a septic tank for pet waste. It is shaped like a small plastic garbage pail with a foot operated lid. The Dooley is installed into the ground. Added water and digester break down the pet waste. There are two wedge shaped holes at the top that allow digested pet waste to overflow into the earth.

This is a great idea! Here is why it doesn't get a five star rating. It is not easy to install. It is straightforward, simple,even...but not easy! You have to dig a fourteen inch diameter hole four feet deep. I thought it would be pretty easy, we have a pole digger. I never realised just how deep four feet was! Thankfully I have a very fit husband who was able to help with this.

The Doggie Dooley requires daily maintenance, every time you add pet waste. In order for the unit to work properly, water must be added daily. It is also necessary to clean your yard daily. The Dooley won't work if it is overloaded. Once a week, a tablespoon of digester must be added to the Dooley....

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dovey says "Good-bye cellulite...well, almost" about Nivea Goodbye Cellulite

dovey — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:14:00 GMT

How could I not try this Nivea product with the promise of smoother skin and reduction of cellulite in just two weeks?!The front of the tube promises to visably reduce the appearance of cellulite. Nivea body Good-bye Cellulite smoothing gel-cream contains L-Carnitine. L-Carnitine is found naturally in the skin. According to the back of the tube, this substance "supports the conversion of fat into energy". Sounds pretty promising, right?

I tried this Good-bye Cellulite on the top back of my thighs. I am slim and active and have very mild cellulite. I was hopeful this product would make it disappear since my cellulite problem area was so mild. Well, after about three weeks of once daily use there was an improvement. Nivea Good-bye cellulite is not a miracle. It does not wipe away the dimples. It does offer a slight improvement in the appearance of the skin. My skin looks better, a little smoother, but I am not a short shorts model yet!

This gel-like lotion feels cool going...

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dovey says "yourbaby/toddler can ride in style and comfort" about Graco ComfortSport Car Seat

dovey — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:56:41 GMT

We love the Graco ComfortSport car seat with "gracopedic" comfort foam. We have owned at least five other car seats and this is the best. As a mom you want the safest car seat for your baby, but there is also the budget to consider for some of us. I did a lot of research to find a car seat that I felt was safe and comfortable and also affordable.

The Graco Comfort sport with gracopedic foam was reasonable in price, sort of right in the middle. But what really made the decision easy for me was the comfort! This seat is plush. And the seat cover comes off to clean, how great is that?! You don't have to disassemble the whole thing to clean it. The straps are easily adjusted from the front. Because this is a convertible car seat, it is usable for a few years. This makes it much more economical than having to buy two seats.

As far as the install, I was able to do it myself and without breaking every nail or bruising too many things. Let's face it, installing a car seat...

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dovey says "this is just a fancy sun block!" about Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Sun-Damage

dovey — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 13:30:46 GMT

Garnier Skin Renew Anti-sun damage is just a sun block. I looked up the ingredients. It won't take away the years, it won't renew anything. I bought several products in this line after falling for their great ad blitz. I wanted to buy all the products in the line and try them together figuring I would surely see some benefits. I didn't.

There are some good things about Garnier Skin Renew. It has an SPF of 29 with broad spectrum protection. It does not sting, or run, is readily absorbed and does not have an over powering scent. If Garnier advertised this as a sun block lotion than I could rate this product high. I think it is a great daily sun block! I have a hard time putting sun block on my face because of sensitive skin and Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Sun has not caused any reaction. Another good thing about this lotion is makeup goes on smoothly over it with little streaking. SO if you are looking for a good daily sun block, this could be your product. If you are looking for...

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dovey says "useless as a firming cream, nice moisturizer" about Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Eye Cream

dovey — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 01:27:43 GMT

Garnier Nutritioniste Anti-Wrinkle firming eye cream worked as well as their anti-puff eye roller...it didn't. I have no luck with Garnier products! As a fair skinned woman who is approaching 40 and a dry skin sufferer, keeping my skin in good shape is a top priority for me.

After using the whole amount of the product, I noticed no results. There was no change at all in the firmness of the eye area. There was no difference in the fine lines. I will say this eye cream has a very nice consistancy and spreads on smoothly. It absorbs quickly into the skin. I found that it was a good moisturizing cream and that makeup went over it nicely. But since it is advertised as a firming cream, and it did not do that, I can only give Garnier Nutritoniste Anti-Wrinkle firming cream two stars.

Garnier products do seem to work for some people; SJP, maybe? Maybe not. But the products I have tried so far have not given me any results. I can not recommend them.

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