Reviews by Friends of JOEANDJENNBARLOK

vivasuzi says "Use them on the window, or the fridge, or the wall!" about Product Works Jingle Jelz Window Decor

vivasuzi — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:12:35 GMT

I bought two different kinds of Jingle Jelz at Bronner's Christmas Wonderland and now I can't wait to go back and buy some more.

Jingle Jelz are holiday decorations that come in a variety of cartoon characters and shapes. At Bronner's I only saw the Christmas kind, but online I see they have various holiday designs. I bought Woodstock (from snoopy) and a set of snowflakes as seen in the picture. These are window clings, but what makes them different is that the Jingle Jelz are made of a thick gel-like substance that makes them soft and mushy.

Jingle Jelz aren't just for windows! As you can see from my pictures, I use them on my painted walls. I was worried they would eventually fall off, but they've been up for weeks with no trouble. Last year I had woodstock on my fridge and the snowflakes on my glass door. So there are various places that these will stick. Any smooth surface should do. I like to keep the Jelz inside the house where I can see them rather then putting...

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vivasuzi says "For once, I'm glad I ran out of Chapstick!" about Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil

vivasuzi — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:13:43 GMT

I had never used Burt's Bees, but I signed up for their email newsletter because everyone told me they had great products. A few months ago, I received an awesome email deal and went and got a ton of their products, but I didn't open any of them until now.... when I finally ran out of Chapstick.

I always used Chapstick because it is supposedly medicated, and supposedly the best thing for chapped lips, however now that I had some Burt's Bees to try - I couldn't wait! The Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil smelled great when I first opened it, and every time since. It is hard to describe the smell of Burt's Bees products, all I can say is they are strong! But don't worry, it doesn't smell that strong after you put it on.

I choose to try this one first because it said it was Replenishing. My lips get dry often and I can't stand it. With Chapstick I often had to reapply over and over. However with Burt's Bees I put it on once and my lips stayed moisturized...

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CyndiA says "Boys love these snack bars - I'm more the Plain Jane type." about Quaker - Chewy Granola Bars

CyndiA — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:48:45 GMT

I have teen boys, so I buy lots of food and snack foods including Quaker Chewy Dipps. Chewy Dipps are snack bars with granola in the center and then coated in chocolate. They have various flavors, but the peanut butter go over well here.

Personally, I do like the granola bars, but I like mine rather plain. I go more for the granola and with nuts or fruit only. The boys, on the other hand, like the extras like the chocolate chips, chunks, and dips.

These Quaker bars are tasty. The center is, as they say, kind of chewy. Not as hard as some of the snack bars. This makes for a rather packed taste versus some of the looser ones that I generally go for.

With chocolate on the outside, these Dipps are messier. But, the boys eat them fast, so that's not such an issue. With little kids, I would expect some mess.

The Quaker Chewy Dipps bars are small as with most snack bars, and they rack in at around 150 calories. That, to me, seems kind of high for a snack. But, I'm an adult female. My boys can...

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CyndiA says "Barbie gets in shape on her pink bike with her boucing puppy. " about Barbie Beach Party with Bike and Puppy

CyndiA — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 23:30:09 GMT

Barbie is going to have a blast on her new pink bike, and so is her little puppy who bounces up and down in the basket that fits on the handlebars of the bike.

Beach Party Barbie is a set with a blonde Barbie who is wearing, of all things, a mini skirt dress in blue, pink, and lavendar. But, do not fear. She has on pink tights with her rather ugly blue tennis shoes, so I guess that's OK. Her pink sunglasses and lavendar bike helmet are cool. So, she is styling while getting some exercise. Not that she looks like she needs it.

Her little dog in the front basket is fashion focused too. He or she (could not tell) has a pink collar and lavendar sunglasses. OK. That is probably a she dog then.

The bike is not super sturdy, but what Barbie accessory is these days? The Barbie bike is pink and plastic. The wheels roll, so Barbie or any of her friends should be good to go. Now, Ken might look funny on the bike, and it is girl style with the dropped bar, but . . . well . . . Ken probably wouldn't...

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CyndiA says "Like the smaller sized Grands Jr but not so much the sweet taste" about Grands Jr Honey Butter Biscuits

CyndiA — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:36:12 GMT

I usually make biscuits from scratch, but I do buy Grands canned biscuits from time to time. For canned biscuits, they've very good. But, they are large.

I was glad to see these Grands Jr biscuits which are less than half the size of the usual Grands biscuits. While the boys knock out the big biscuits, I've always found the Grands size awfully big for the bread part of the meal.

The texture is like the regular Grands with the Grands Jr Honey Butter being the flaky type. They kind of have layers and do flake apart if you pull. The Southern style is more like other biscuits but a bit fluffier. We all like either style, but I think the flaky comes out a bit ahead.

My youngest son loves honey, so I decided to try out the honey butter version of the Grands Jr. The rest of us like honey as well, but he's the really big honey fan.

The flavor on the Grands Jr honey biscuits is rather like honey. Probably as close as you'd get with canned. But, it is awfully sweet.

One honey Grands biscuit each did...

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CyndiA says "Nice place when we finally found it - close UNC Chapel Hill." about Hampton Inn - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

CyndiA — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 01:30:50 GMT

It took us a while to find the Hampton Inn on Fordham Blvd in Chapel Hill. It wasn't just us. the TomTom didn't know either. It told us we were at the hotel when we were right at some woods. Hum. I know Hampton Inn does not have camping spaces.

You want to get on the service road off Foardham right at the McDonalds. This is all right bewteen the Sheraton and the Holiday Inn which can be seen better from the highway with the Hampton back off the road and with a small sign.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn the last time we stayed over to see my kid in college, but it was booked up. So, they told us the Hampton was about the same price, and it was. It came to $110 for a weekend night which is good for Chapel Hill, NC.

Both these hotels are old style with balconies rather than halls and with outdoor pools kind of in the center. The rooms are a little newer looking at the Hampton Inn but are also a little smaller.

Hampton Inn has free wireless. It says the code is on your key package, but you really...

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busycharles says "For super soft skin where ever you go!" about Avon Skin So Soft Winter Soft with Hydroseal Complex Intense Concentrate 3.4 Fl. Oz.

busycharles — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:41:01 GMT

I suffer from super dry skin in the winter so I would normally keep a bottle of lotion next to the sink and next to the bed and in my purse and... You get the picture! Well I ordered the Avon Skin So Soft Winter Soft hand soap and lotion and now I have the hand soap next to the sink and the lotion in my purse. They work that good!!!

This is the first year that my hands didn't dry out to the point of cracking at the sight of snow! And by keeping the lotion in my purse I can have super soft hands where ever I go!

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busycharles says "Super soft hands for the whole family!" about Avon Skin So Soft Winter Soft with Hydroseal Complex Hand Wash 8.4 Fl. Oz.

busycharles — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:26:10 GMT

Normally in the winter we suffer with super dry skin, especially our hands because we wash them all the time to keep from spreading germs. Then I have to place a bottle of lotion next to the sink to try help out. But reminding everyone that in the winter we need to add an extra step is not always easy, especially with my husband who is probably like most men in that they think lotions for girls!

With Avons Skin So Soft Winter Soft hand soap you can actually skip the lotion next to the sink! My hands have never felt so soft and smooth in the winter! I love it!!! I asked my husband what he thought of it and...go figure...he said it was sort of girly! Oh Well!!! I'm not about to start giving options at the sink, my kids would for sure make an even bigger mess trying to mix them together!

Just so you know, I also use the Avon Skin So Soft Winter Soft hand lotion. I keep it in my purse for the times when I wash my hands away from home...So I can keep my super soft hands anywhere I go!

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CyndiA says "Love these little mini 5 x 7 inch legal pads in pastel colors." about Tops Docket 5 x 7 Mini Legal Pads

CyndiA — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 02:04:49 GMT

Legal pads are convenient but bulky, but these Tops Docket 5 x 7 inch are just perfect for most situations. I can even stick one in my purse which comes in handy for so many times when I want to write down a quick note.

I first ordered these at work through Office Depot, and I continue to do so. My boss found out that he liked the little pads better than the big ones too - or for most things.

They are, as I said, 5 x 7 inches - a nice size.

These little notepads are lined which is nice. They may have unlined paper pads too. I've never checked. I personally like lines on my paper.

The colors that I get here are yellow, blue, and my favorite - lavender. They call them pastels. They have a bit of color but not enough to make it hard to read over them. It's very easy to read my black and blue pens over these colors.

I do use full size legal pads from time to time, but these 5 x 7 inch writing pads are my "go to" now. I really like the size.

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CyndiA says "Yay - Found Rainbo Rolls so can make little ham cheese snacks." about Rainbo Dinner Rolls in Foil Tray

CyndiA — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:35:21 GMT

Remember those little ham and cheese roll sandwiches that always got gobbled up at parties? Well, maybe they were not big all over, but they were super popular in the South.

For some reason, the grocery stores around don't carry the little Pepperidge Farm rolls now, so that knocked out these appetizers. Until . . . Rainbo started selling a similar type roll in the foil tray.

And, yes, it is Rainbo with no w and not Rainbow rolls. Bet that will confuse a lot of folks huh.

Rainbo rolls can just be heated up as bread, but I usually make the ham and cheese sandwiches. The whole tray of rolls are split like one giant sandwich. Then just put ham and cheese in there and pour butter with mustard and poppy seeds (though I used parsley this last time).

I'm glad I was able to find this brand making the tiny rolls. It had been ages since we had ham cheese appetizers, and they went over great at our family gathering this past weekend.

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CyndiA says "Sea Best Tilapia - healthy and does not taste fishy." about Sea Best Tilapia Fillets

CyndiA — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:41:19 GMT

We are trying to eat healthier and especially like tilapia, because it does not taste fishy like some fish. There are several brands I buy, but I like Sea Best which comes in a one pound bag with each fish fillet individually wrapped. I can cook up one fish fillet or the whole bag, and the fish all stays fresh.

There are six fillets per bag or, at least, the bags I've bought have had six. The sizes are small, and the bag says it's 4 servings. So, I guess they figure on everyone eating one and one half piece of small tilapia fillet. That seems rather odd - but well . . . OK. They are small enough that my son actually needs 4 to fill up.

Tilapia is healthy and has the good fish oil, and this is straight up fish and not breaded or coated with anything. And, it comes it at under 100 calories per serving, but as I mentioned, the fillets are small.

We quick pan fry the tilapia or broil it, but my son likes it's baked with cheese and butter which is fabulous - but that kind of sucks the "healthy"...

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vivasuzi says "Another one that you have to see at the IMAX in 3D!" about A Christmas Carol starring Jim Carrey

vivasuzi — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 04:40:11 GMT

My mom and I have had A Christmas Carol reserved on our calendars since months ago when we heard it would be showing at the IMAX in 3D. As with most IMAX movies, this was totally worth the $11.75 ticket price and the 1 hour wait in line! Buy your tickets early because many showings are selling out at the IMAX by us and it will only get worse as it gets closer to Christmas.

A Christmas Carol takes the classic story that we all know and love, and transforms it into something you've never seen before. Even if you know the story inside and out as I do, this movie will still shock and amaze you because it doesn't happen exactly as you expect. This is the story of Scrooge as you've never seen it before - and it's in 3D!

Jim Carrey stars as Scrooge and also voices the 3 ghosts. As you may expect from Jim, there is some humor thrown in to each of these characters. The audience giggled at many parts throughout. The animation was so well done that some of the characters, including...

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vivasuzi says "I'm making Fannie May into a new Christmas Tradition" about Fannie May Candies

vivasuzi — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 17:28:18 GMT

I discovered Fannie May Candies last year after a supplier sent us some Trinidads at work. Trinidads are made of chocolate cream covered in a toasted coconut shell. They are very yummy! So I went online to find Fannie May and ended up buying an assortment that very same year. The gift went over so well that I did the same thing this year!

The Create Your Own Assortment allows you to pick your favorite chocolates to build an assortment of any size ranging from 1 pound to 2.5 pounds. I purchased the 2.5 pounds assortment and picked 10 different 1/4 lb candies to include. This assortment cost $45 before shipping and I think that is pretty reasonable considering how I distribute the candy to 6 or more people.

What I have been doing for the last 2 years is ordering a variety of 10 of my favorite Fannie May candies. The assortment comes in a large tower box that is decorated to look nice under the tree. However I take things a step further! I open the assortment and all...

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vivasuzi says "Cute but a little silly" about I Me Wed (2007)

vivasuzi — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 05:48:25 GMT

Isabelle is a successful 30 year old woman who is sick and tired of all her friends and family pressuring her to settle down. She's perfectly happy being single and successful and finally decides she is going to prove it to everyone once and for all. How can she do that? By marrying herself!

I Me Wed follows Isabelle as she plans her wedding - in which she plans to marry herself. It starts as a simple fun thing she wants to do for herself, but then a news story comes out of it. That news story turns into more newspaper stories and then the tv shows get involved. Isabelle meets a man that she actually really likes! Will she still go through with wedding? Will the man be okay with it all? And can she get her friends and family to understand what she is doing?

I Me Wed is cute but silly. Ok, so I get the point Isabelle is trying to prove. She wants to show her friends that she can be perfectly happy even if she never finds a man. Her story starts to inspire other...

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vivasuzi says "A yummy gift for the winter holidays!" about L.L. Bean - Hot Cocoa

vivasuzi — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:15:16 GMT

I love Hot Chocolate and will drink it non-stop around the winter season to stay warm. So when a coworker got all of us the L.L. Bean Hot Cocoa Mix for Christmas last year, I couldn't wait to try it. Unfortunately the first time I tried it, I used water, and it was disgusting! Most hot chocolate mixes I've owned work with water or milk so I assumed this would be the same. I found out after I made it that it calls for milk specifically, but I was so turned off that I didn't bother trying it.

The hot cocoa mix sat on my shelf until this winter when I decided to finally give it a try with milk. The L.L. Bean Hot Cocoa Mix is delicious with milk! It tastes just as good as hot chocolate that you might get from a coffee shop. Now that I've finally tasted this with milk, I know it will be gone quickly as I drink it every week.

How To Make It: It calls for 8oz of milk but I like more than that so I usually make 12. Just warm up 12 oz of milk, then pour it in a mug and add...

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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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vivasuzi says "Not bad, but a bit more talking than I expected." about 2012

vivasuzi — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:26:28 GMT

2012 is a story about the end of the world. Apparently the Mayan's predicted the world would end in 2012, and guess what, it looks like they were right! According to this movie at least. The movie actually begins in 2009 as scientists discover some anomalies happening at the Earth's core. This news spreads up to the president of the United States and from there makes it to all the important people of the world. But the regular person, like Jackson Curtis and family, have no idea what is about to happen to them.

The film follows the president, the scientists, and his daughter on one side of the spectrum. These are the people in the know and trying to figure out what to do while keeping things underwraps. Then the film also follows Jackson Curtis, his ex-wife and kids as they try to piece together things they hear and save themselves before it is too late. Who will survive? You'll have to watch and see!

John Cusack plays Jackson Curtis, a writer who wrote a book that...

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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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vivasuzi says "It's cute, and definitely keeps me warmer at work!" about Covington Sport Microfleece Jacket

vivasuzi — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:51:39 GMT

I went to Sears looking for a cardigan with the intent to get a large warm cardigan for work. My building is usually freezing, but sometimes it is warm so I don't like to wear a sweater every day. Instead, I wanted a cardigan I could leave at work for times when it gets really cold. After looking at the cardigan's at sears, I was having no luck. Many of them were 3/4 sleeves and others were the holey material that didn't look too warm. Luckily I walked a little further and found the Covington Sport Microfleece Jacket in the Misses section.

The Covington Sport Microfleece Jacket is cute and that is the first thing I noticed. It seemed like something I would wear and I was drawn to it as soon as my husband pointed it out to me. I instantly handed him my coat and purse so I could try one on. I felt warmer the instant I put it on and knew that this is what I needed for those chilly days at work!

The Jacket is very soft and made of 100% polyester. This is so comfortable that I feel...

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