Reviews by Friends of McMan

this2shallpass19 says "The Philosophy Recipe Box makes a great gift for the holidays!" about Philosophy The Recipe Box gift set

this2shallpass19 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:49:39 GMT

A little bit ago, I ordered the Philosophy Warm By the Fire gift set, and loved getting a variety of different products to try out. It's a good way to introduce yourself to new scents without having to pay for the full-size product.

Having a good experience with the last gift set, I decided to order a new one: Philosophy The Recipe Box gift set. Like the previous gift set, this one also comes in adorable, gift-ready packaging. The box looks slightly festive and cozy with a little girl wearing a bakers hat. This gift set includes the following:

Red Velvet Cake 3-in-1 Shower Gel (6 oz.)
Sweet Creamy Frosting 3-in-1 Shower Gel (6 oz.)
Real recipe cards for Red Velvet Cake and Sweet Creamy Frosting
Reusable recipe box

If you are not familiar with Philosophy 3-in-1 products, they can be used as shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath. I love them for shower gel because they lather nicely and smell great, but I'm a little disappointed in their lack of bubbles for bubble bath.

I'm a...

...

this2shallpass19 says "What's the point of a pocket if it doesn't catch anything?" about Circo Baby Bib

this2shallpass19 — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:28:31 GMT

My son has been trying to spoon feed himself lately, and we've been making a mess! His baby bibs don't fit anymore, so I went to Target looking for a toddler bib. I bought the Circo Baby Bib because it is made out of a plastic-like material that can be wiped off and it has a pocket to catch food that might fall down. It also has a dinosaur on the front, and my son is in a major dinosaur phase right now!

This Circo Baby Bib was $5.99 for only one bib, so I was a little hesitant to buy it at that price, but I bought it anyways. The bib has a velcro closure around the back of the neck like most bibs have. The front of the bib is made out of polyurethane, so you can easily wipe food off of it. There is a pocket at the bottom of the bib that is supposed to catch crumbs, chunks or whatever. I find the pocket to be almost totally useless.

The first time I put this bib on my son, I gave him a muffin to eat and excitedly looked inside the pocket afterwards to see what it collected. ...

...

this2shallpass19 says "Pomegranate Pizzazz is a fruity tea that's not too sweet or sour" about Bigelow - Pomegranate Pizzazz Herb Tea

this2shallpass19 — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:13:51 GMT

Bigelow Pomegranate Pizzazz Herb Tea is a nice change from the horrible Tazo Wild Sweet Orange Tea I just bought. Pomegranate Pizzazz is a great tea that is made with all natural ingredients and comes in individually wrapped tea bags for freshness.

What makes Bigelow Pomegranate Pizzazz Herb Tea different from other teas I have had is that it is made with real fruit juice. The fruit juice must be what gives this tea a beautiful, dark cranberry color. They really put the best fruit flavors together in this tea because it is slightly sweet, not too "fruity", and just a tad bit tart. The pomegranate is detectable, but I also taste a little cranberry.

The tea bag wrapper states that since this tea is made with real fruit juice, it would make a great cold tea too. I have to admit, that sounds like it would be amazing. I think the fruit juice adds a great element to this tea that might not otherwise be obtained. If you enjoy fruit flavored tea, you should definitely love this!...

...

this2shallpass19 says "I really wanted to like this eco-friendly product but....." about Scott Naturals Napkins

this2shallpass19 — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:03:45 GMT

Whenever I have options, I always try to buy the eco-friendly version of something as long as it isn't unreasonably priced. For Thanksgiving this year, I went to the desert with friends. As I did my shopping for the trip, I was searching the paper towel aisle for napkins made from recycled paper. There weren't very many to choose from, but Scott Naturals Napkins were both reasonably priced and made from recycled ingredients, so I chose them.

I like that you get 120 napkins in a package, and I also like that these napkins are made from 80% recycled fiber. Unfortunately, those are all the positive comments I have for Scott Naturals Napkins. Not only are these eco-friendly napkins one-ply, but they are unbelievably thin. They are so thin, they require several of them to do the job that a regular napkin can do in one. As soon as they get wet, they shrivel up and become totally useless.

I'm all for eco-friendly products, but if they don't work well, I won't bother. Unfortunately,...

...

this2shallpass19 says "Badger Cheerful Mind Balm smells so good!" about Badger Sweet Orange & Spearmint Cheerful Mind Balm

this2shallpass19 — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:44:06 GMT

I recently purchased several citrus-scented Badger products online and experienced mixed results. I absolutely loved everything about their Tangerine Breeze Organic Lip Balm. The scent was perfect and so was the feel of it on the lips. As great as the citrus scent was of the lip balm, I was totally disappointed in the scent of the Fresh Citrus Body Butter. Instead of smelling like fresh citrus, it smelled like lavender. I have a major aversion to floral scents, so I had to throw it away.

One of the employees of Badger contacted me and wanted to make up for the bad experience with the Fresh Citrus Body Butter. She mailed me a couple of products to say sorry, and Badger Sweet Orange & Spearmint Cheerful Mind Balm is one of those products. It is supposed to be an aromatherapy product, which means it can enhance your mood as well as your body. Badger says: "Just rub a little on hands, temples, forehead, or anywhere that needs soothing. Breathe it in."

What I love about...

...

this2shallpass19 says "An average diaper rash cream with mediocre ingredients." about Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Diaper Rash Cream

this2shallpass19 — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:18:27 GMT

I am a member of BzzAgent, so I receive free products or samples in exchange for my honest opinion of the product. My latest campaign is for two Aveeno Baby products: Aveeno Baby Essential Moisture Shampoo and Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Diaper Rash Cream.

I thought the shampoo was pretty average and I think the same of the diaper cream. I might be a little biased though, because I prefer baby products that are made with all natural ingredients.

What I do like about Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Diaper Rash Cream is that it is nice and thick. It coats the problem area very well and provides a nice barrier. I also like that it is made with oat kernel extract, beeswax and a couple other natural ingredients. After several applications, it did help the beginning of my son's diaper rash.

What I don't like about this product is that it contains mineral oil and two types of parabens. I don't buy any products for my son that contain either of those ingredients, so naturally, I'm a little...

...

this2shallpass19 says "This soy-based candle smells amazing and burns a long time!" about For Every Body Holiday Memories Sugar Cookie 22-oz jar candle

this2shallpass19 — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:43:11 GMT

While shopping at my second favorite store, Ross, I came across a deal that seemed too good to be true - For Every Body Holiday Memories Sugar Cookie Candle, which is a 22 ounce, soy-based jarred candle for only $4.99. Anyone who buys candles knows one, how expensive soy-based candles are and two, that 22 ounce candles of any variety usually cost a lot more than five dollars. Soy-based candles last longer and burn cleaner, so it was a real bargain.

I didn't expect much from this candle simply because it was so inexpensive. Lucky for me, this candle is absolutely perfect AND only $4.99! I have been burning this candle for a while now and can barely see an indentation of burned wax. I can tell this candle is going to last for a very long time. Besides how long-lasting this candle is, the best thing about it is the delicious Sugar Cookie scent. The scent is nice and strong and permeates the air nicely. It smells like a wonderful combination of butter, sugar, crust and vanilla. ...

...

this2shallpass19 says "Tons of veggies in this Gerber Graduates Meal!" about Gerber Graduates for Toddlers Lil' Entrees - Garden Vegetables & Pasta in Tomato Sauce

this2shallpass19 — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:44:42 GMT

I do cook a homemade dinner on most nights, but there are those days when we are eating something spicy, or I just don't feel like cooking that Gerber Graduates meals really come in handy. My son is a very picky eater, so I am making my way down the varieties seeing which ones he'll eat. The most recent variety is Garden Vegetables & Pasta in Tomato Sauce. He ate it, but it wasn't exactly like eating pizza!

Some of the Gerber Graduates for Toddlers Lil' Entrees can be a little bland, but I think this variety was more flavorful than most. This meal comes in a tray with two divided sections. One side is the pasta, veggies and tomato sauce, and the other side has peas and corn. To my son's dismay, this meal is loaded with veggies, so I mix the corn and peas into the other side. By the name of this product: Gerber Graduates for Toddlers Lil' Entrees Garden Vegetables & Pasta in Tomato Sauce, I was thinking it was a meatless meal since there is no mention of meat in the title,...

...

this2shallpass19 says "Thin, low-fat Pretzel Crisps with the flavor of Buffalo wings!" about The Snack Factory - Buffalo Wing Pretzel Crisps

this2shallpass19 — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:18:48 GMT

Knowing I love all things with a Buffalo wing flavor, my husband brought me home a snack he thought I would enjoy: The Snack Factory Buffalo Wing Pretzel Crisps. My husband knows me well, because I love this snack for several reasons: it's crunchy, healthy and it tastes great.

The Snack Factory Buffalo Wing Pretzel Crisps are thin, flat pretzels baked to a perfect crunch, then dusted in Buffalo wing seasonings. The end result is...delicious. The package says that they started with their snack-size pretzels, then removed the middle, leaving a thin, crunchy, pretzel-like snack. I like how crunchy they are; they have the appearance of a pretzel, but crunch like a thin cracker. The Buffalo wing flavor is slightly spicy with notes of vinegar and hot sauce.

What I love about these is that they are not only delicious, but very low in fat and calories. One serving consists of 18 pretzel crisps and only has 110 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. If you're a snacker like me, you know those...

...

this2shallpass19 says "This lip balm had potential, but didn't quite find it." about J.R. Watkins Natural Beeswax Lip Balm

this2shallpass19 — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 23:44:18 GMT

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am addicted to lip balm. Anytime I see an all natural fruity or minty lip balm, I buy it. My latest purchase is J.R. Watkins Natural Beeswax Lip Balm. It met all of my requirements: all natural, minty and paraben-free, but it didn't quite meet my expectations.

What I did like about this lip balm is that it is made with 100% natural ingredients, it's paraben-free and it has what J.R. Watkins calls "a hint of pure peppermint oil". On paper, this sounds like the perfect lip balm, but unfortunately, it isn't.

What I don't like about this lip balm is the way it smells. It smells like plastic or wax, not peppermint. When you apply it to your lips, it smells even more like wax, with the tiniest hint of mint. They weren't kidding when they said there was a hint of peppermint oil in it. Ironically, it does make your lips tingle like peppermint lip balms do. The texture of this product on your lips, isn't too bad, but isn't as soft and silky as...

...

this2shallpass19 says "The Victoria's Secret VSX supports, but it's hard to get on!" about Victoria's Secret VSX Sport Body-Wick Natural Crossover Bra

this2shallpass19 — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:40:26 GMT

I was recently in a Victoria's Secret store taking advantage of a great sale they were having. One of the items I bought was the Victoria's Secret VSX Sport Body-Wick Natural Crossover Bra. It was on sale for only $12.99 instead of it's normal price tag of $30.00. I needed a new sports bra and I love Victoria's Secret products for their high-quality, so I decided to buy it.

The Victoria's Secret VSX Sport Body-Wick Natural Crossover Bra has the following features:

Removable padding
Body-Wick technology moves moisture away from the body
Racer-back
Support for medium impact sports like yoga, hiking and cycling

I didn't read the tag well enough to realize that I was buying a sports bra for a medium impact sport and I needed it for running (high impact). Luckily, this sports bra worked out anyways and provided the support I needed. I do have to say that the plunging neckline is very exposing. It looked like I had a push-up bra on, so there's no way I would wear this by itself,...

...

this2shallpass19 says "I can't believe Trader Joe's sells this stuff!" about Moskovskaya Russian Vodka

this2shallpass19 — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 01:47:57 GMT

I shop at Trader Joe's pretty frequently and it's very rare that I am totally disappointed in something I bought there, however, Moskovskaya Russian Vodka is a total disappointment!

The majority of the alcohol I drink is either wine, vodka or tequila. Trader Joe's has excellent prices on beer, liquor and wine, so I tend to buy the majority of my alcohol there. The last time I was at Trader Joe's, I decided to try a new bottle of vodka they had, Moskovskaya Russian Vodka. It was only $8.99 and has a label that looks like a knock-off of Stolichnaya, my favorite vodka, so I decided to give it a shot.

Moskovskaya Russian Vodka is 80 proof, 40% alcohol, made with 100% grain and imported into the USA from Russia. The label reads: "Moskovskaya is the most distinctive vodka in the world. Distilled from rich grain and finished with pure glacial waters, Moskovskaya is imported from Russia, the birthplace of great vodka."

I have made several drinks with this vodka, and each and every time...

...

this2shallpass19 says "Huggies Little Movers Diapers are perfect for your little mover!" about Huggies Supreme Little Movers Diapers

this2shallpass19 — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:57:41 GMT

I received a free sample of Huggies Supreme Little Movers Diapers in the mail the other day from one of the online sites I visit for free samples. I currently use Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers, so I was interested in seeing what the difference was between these two kinds of Huggies diapers.

My son's regular diaper, Huggies Snug & Dry, has a pretty straight line from the front to the back when you spread the diaper out flat. The Huggies Supreme Little Movers Diaper has a more hour-glass shape to it so that it is tailored to fit the baby's body better. This diaper has stronger, more durable tabs than my regular diaper and I definitely like these new tabs better.

Besides the contoured shape, I also love that it is nice and thick. My son wore this diaper while playing and also while he was taking a three hour nap and when he woke up, this diaper performed great, just like the Snug & Dry Diapers do.

Basically this diaper has strong, sturdy tabs and a contoured shape to adhere to a moving...

...

this2shallpass19 says "Love it, love it! I love Skindecent Salt Glow Body Scrub!" about Skindecent Salt Glow Body Scrub

this2shallpass19 — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:45:12 GMT

In one of my recent Skindecent orders, I decided to try something new: Skindecent Salt Glow Body Scrub. I have already tried the Skindecent Sheen Appeal Body Scrub which is a sugar-based scrub, but now I wanted to try this one because it is a salt-based scrub.

Not only is Skindecent Salt Glow Body Scrub a salt-based scrub, it is made with dead sea salt, which is known for it's detoxifying properties. As with all Skindecent products, you can pick which scent you want your product to be made with and it will be custom made for you. I chose the scent Orange Sherbert and absolutely love it. It's a creamy, orange scent that is to die for!

What I love about this scrub is how moisturizing it is. When you open the jar, you see salt with a thick layer of oil on top. Those oils are grapeseed oil and coconut oil, which are very moisturizing. Just mix up the salt and oil and lather it on your skin. It will feel pretty oily, but those oils are good for your skin and will replace...

...

this2shallpass19 says "Hmmm....cats eating human food, what a concept!" about Fancy Feast Elegant Medleys cat food

this2shallpass19 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:27:48 GMT

The slogan for Fancy Feast Elegant Medleys is: "Restaurant inspired food for cats". When you see all the flavor combinations like: White Meat Chicken with Long Grain Rice and Garden Greens or White Meat Chicken w/Cheddar Cheese Souffle with Garden Greens, it makes you think - why am I buying over-priced human food for my cat?

I do buy my cat canned cat food, usually varieties that are all meat, but I had a coupon for two free cans of Fancy Feast Elegant Medleys with the purchase of a bag of Fancy Feast dry cat food, so I couldn't pass them up. I was standing in the pet aisle for quite awhile trying to figure out which of these concoctions my cat would like. These cans are more expensive than other canned cat foods, and like most Fancy Feast cans, smaller too.

Although my cat liked this food just fine, I just don't see the point in buying more expensive cat food because it contains human food. It's not like extraneous ingredients like long grain rice and garden greens were...

...

this2shallpass19 says "I don't like my eye shadow to give me a black eye!" about Ulta Mineral Eye Shadow Duo - Black Orchid

this2shallpass19 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:14:44 GMT

I buy a ton of my beauty products online at several different retailers, so I don't get the opportunity to see the real color of some of the make-up products I buy. Unfortunately, even if I could have seen the colors of Ulta Mineral Eye Shadow Duo in the shade Black Orchid, I still would have bought it because it's gorgeous.

Since Ulta doesn't disclose the ingredients of this product either on their website or on the product itself, I can't tell if the ingredients are worth $12.00. Ulta Mineral Eye Shadow Duo in Black Orchid is a beautiful duo of colors. One side is a frosty lilac and the other is a matte, dark purple. In the case, these colors are absolutely gorgeous and look like they would work well together. Unfortunately, that's not true.

The frosty lilac color looks the same on my skin as it does in the case, which is great. However, the matte, dark purple color was the exact color of a bruise. An eye is one place a person doesn't want their make-up to give the appearance...

...

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...

...

this2shallpass19 says "I am in love with Jack In the Box's new Southwest Chicken Bowl!" about Jack In the Box Southwest Chicken Bowl

this2shallpass19 — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:25:06 GMT

After seeing all the commercials for the new Jack In the Box Southwest Chicken Bowl, I had to have one and see what it was all about. Oh my gosh! I'm in love! Not only is it delicious, but I feel better eating this than I would eating a burger and fries.

The Jack In the Box Southwest Chicken Bowl has fajita-seasoned chicken, peppers, onions, black beans, salsa, cheddar cheese and a delicious cilantro lime sauce, all on top of rice. It smelled so good in the car, I had my husband open the bowl so I could have a bite. It was delicious! The chicken is very flavorful, the veggies are the perfect veggies to have in this bowl and the best part is the sauce. The cilantro lime sauce is a creamy sauce that is exploding with flavor. You can taste cilantro, a spicy type of pepper, maybe a little vinegar, I don't know, but it's wonderful! The chicken, veggies and cheese is all nice, but the sauce makes this bowl.

This bowl is very filling and satisfying and relatively inexpensive...

...

this2shallpass19 says "I love my Energizer Lantern, but I wish it had something!" about Energizer Weather Ready Dual Power Lantern

this2shallpass19 — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:44:19 GMT

My family goes camping pretty frequently and on one of our last trips, our lantern broke. I bought the Energizer Weather Ready Dual Power Lantern for our most recent trip and really like it. It offers two choices for lighting: alkaline batteries, or if you are somewhere you can plug it in, a 12-volt adapter.

Energizer says that this lantern has a lifetime guarantee in workmanship and materials for the life of the lantern. The packaging states that the lantern: "provides room-filling light for up to 29 hours on one set of alkaline batteries".

I chose the Engergizer Weather Ready Dual Power Lantern over all the others for several reasons: it has two power sources , it was reasonably priced ($25), batteries AND adapter are included, and I wanted a bulb that would be easy to change when it burned out. Luckily, for me this lantern turned out to be perfect...except for one thing.

While walking around at night or using it on a table as a main light, this lantern was perfect. ...

...

this2shallpass19 says "A free, easy way to make a little extra money!" about Partnership-Plus

this2shallpass19 — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:33:01 GMT

Partnership-Plus.com is a free, easy way to earn a little bit of money if you regularly purchase new clothes. It's all done online and really easy. Every time you go shopping for clothes, or receive clothes as a gift, save the tags that come attached to your clothes and the receipts (if you have them).

At the beginning of every month, you will receive an e-mail from Partnership-Plus.com and it will have an online form for you to fill out regarding the clothes you purchased the previous month. So, at the beginning of December, you will fill out a form for the clothes you bought (or received as a gift) in November. To fill out the form, you will need the clothes you purchased last month, the receipts and the tags.

The form will ask you to simple questions like:

The date the clothes were purchased (from receipt)
The material the clothes are made of
The price you paid for the clothes
The type of store you bought them at (store, online)

The survey is very easy, and only takes about...

...