Reviews by Friends of Sowker

AmyA says "Hours of fun and laughs with Fling-ama-string (a toy for cats)" about Moody Pet Fling-ama-string

AmyA — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 14:17:34 GMT

This is not only a fun toy for cats and pet parents, but it has also won awards for Product Excellence (Gold Retailer Select), Editor's Choice (Cat Fancy), Best New Cat Product (Global Pet Expo) and Best in show (Global Pet Expo).

It was the awards that sold me when I was shopping for something new for my girls and it's was my girls reactions that made me happy I made my choice.

This is a battery operated (3 AA batteries) toy that is a simple multi colored string that goes around on an elastic belt...pulls the string up and when it gets to the front the string drops and my girls were pouncing, jumping and trying like crazy to capture the string. They both were having a blast. Scrappy (three years old) and Snickers (one year old). Doesn't matter what age...it gets them off their furry little tushies and keeps them going.

A snap to put together. place batteries in and turn it on (so easy). This two has two speeds and it hangs on an ordenary door knob so you don't have to worry...

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PattyTherre says "Adidas Tropical Passion is fruity but best for young women." about Adidas For Women Tropical Passion Eau De Toilette Spray

PattyTherre — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 05:45:29 GMT

Quick View: I adore fruity fragrances, especially lemon, lime, and orange scents. When I saw Adidas For Women Tropical Passion Eau De Toilette Spray (1.7 ounce) for under $10.00 while shopping online, I added it to my cart. It does smell nice but it's very unsophisticated and the scent fades fast.

My Take on Adidas For Women Tropical Passion Eau De Toilette Spray

This fragrance comes in a glass 1.7 ounce bottle and is tinted slightly orange. It has notes of tangerine, melon, pineapple, magnolia, orange blossom, cedar and musk. It sounded like an amazing light scent that I would enjoy. And I do. But the fragrance is very ... unsophisticated for lack of a better word. It is straight up fruity with orange notes being the strongest.It doesn't change as it dries down. In fact, it smells much more like a body mist than an eau de toilette. And it lasts about as long.

Adidas For Women Tropical Passion Eau De Toilette Spray is strong to start. It is almost overwhelmingly fruity. It then dries down...

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LoveisJoy says "Dollar Store Quality - I Expect A Little More From Avon" about Avon NATURALS Pomegranate & Mango Refreshing Shower Gel

LoveisJoy — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:11:00 GMT

I bought a bottle of Avon Naturals Pomegranate and Mango shower gel mostly because the description sounded delicious. It's described as a fruity, tropical scent with a coordinating lotion (reviewed here) to go with it. Since it is much less expensive than Bath & Body Works products, I was hoping that I could find a similar quality shower gel at an affordable price.

Unfortunately, I was wrong. The shower gel smells nice, but it is thin and doesn't lather especially well. Unlike Bath & Body Works products that have pomegranate scents that are sophisticated and a little sexy, Avon Naturals smells like it was made for kids. It's a very sweet and simple fragrance that probably won't appeal much to a mature woman.

As noted above, the consistency of the shower gel is much thinner than what you get from similar products. It lathers okay, but doesn't feel particularly moisturizing. It does rinse off cleanly, without any residue. However, you're definitely going to need a lotion...

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Jo says "It may be hard to find your jewels at YardSaleTreasureMap.com" about YardSaleTreasureMap

Jo — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:23:26 GMT

I was elated when I read about www.YardSaleTreasureMap.com. I love to go to yard sales. Before we moved I would plot out my morning by streets and spend several hours at yard sales.

Not knowing the area quite so well I have limited my hobby to yard sales on one long street in my town. www.YardSaleTreasureMap.com is simple to use. I just put in my starting address, the maximum miles I want to drive and the day I want to go treasure hunting.

When I saw a red balloon I clicked on the listing and found the specific time of the yard sale and where it was. There were details of what would be for sale as well.

There are two problems with www.YardSaleTreasureMap.com.

The listings are taken from www.craigslist.com. That is very limiting for someone like me who lives in a suburban area 50 minutes from Boston. Yard sales are posted in local newspapers or just via signs on the trees. I found one yard sale in my town. I put in Boston and found a few more but not enough for me to rave about YardSaleTreasureMap.com....

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jasyjen says "If you want to make your dog smile, give them this food!" about Pedigree Little Champions; Pouched Dog Food

jasyjen — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:35:03 GMT

As a very special treat, I purchase a box of Pedigree Little Champions packets for my two dogs to share. My pups usually get dry food only, so giving them a combination of the wet food and dry food together was a big treat for them.

I absolutely LOVE the way Pedigree Little Champions comes packaged. In one box, you get several pouches of food. Each pouch is one serving. The serving is small - Only a little over five ounces. The pouches are lined up nice and neatly in the box, so you can keep them all stored in the box until they are gone. The pouches are very easy to open and the food, literally, slides right out. You don't have to get a spoon and dig it out, or bang on the bottom it to get the food out....it just slides right out. SO EASY! Since the servings are so small, I mix it in with the dry food and give it to my pups. THEY LOVE IT! I have never seen my dogs devour their food with such intensity. They don't eat it down very fast, it's almost as if they are...

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jasyjen says "Get the scent of a freshly cut Christmas tree with this product!" about ScentSicles Scented Ornaments

jasyjen — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:18:41 GMT

While out shopping, I was speaking to another shopper about how much I miss the Glade holiday scent, Glistening Snow. Discontinued this year, it was the only scent that I had ever found that smelled like Christmas. As we were talking, the woman happened to mention a product I had never heard of. ScentSicles. She informed me that ScentSicleswere sold at Walmart (where I happened to be) and worked really well in giving an authentic scent of pine.

I was able to located ScentSiclesscented ornaments in with the seasonal merchandise in Walmart. They were actually on an endcap all by themselves. There were only two packages left, and I bought the 'White Pine' scent. ScentSicles are green sticks that you hang directly on the Christmas tree. There were six ScentSiclesto a pack and each stick was about 5" in length. The top of each stick in capped with a silver area where you can insert a ornament hanger. The package is tightly sealed, and when you open it up, the sticks are wrapped...

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jasyjen says "Get the scent of a freshly cut Christmas tree with this product!" about ScentSicles Scented Ornaments

jasyjen — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:18:30 GMT

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jps246 says "Always start a fire - Coghlan Waterproof Matches" about Coghlan's Matches

jps246 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:57:29 GMT

I think waterproof matches are an indispensable tool for any outdoorsman and that's why I keep a pack of Coghlan's Waterproof Matches in my backpack, even on day trips.

These are regular wooden safety matches, except they are treated so that even if they are damp, they will start when you strike the match on the side of the matchbox. In all but the wettest conditions, the matches will light. I've used them in heavy rain, snow and other damp and wet conditions and have had them start after one or two strikes. You get 45 wooden matches in each matchbox, so even a single box will last you for quite a while. I don't think there's really an expiration to the matches, they seem to last at least several years since even the oldest ones I have still work.

I keep these matches in my backpack, whether I'm day hiking or doing a multi-day trip. You just never know when you might need to start a fire or light a stove and what the conditions may be when you do. So the Waterproof Matches tend to...

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PattyTherre says "A very good clarifying conditioner that also adds moisture." about Avalon Organics Lemon Clarifying Conditioner with Shea Butter & Babassu Oil

PattyTherre — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:53:17 GMT

Quick View: I love Avalon Organics Lemon Clarifying Shampoo with Shea Butter and bought the conditioner to accompany it. This lemony conditioner adds moisture to dry hair yet keeps build up and weigh down away. My only small gripe is that it doesn't detangle as well as I would like but otherwise, my hair loves it.

My Take on Avalon Organics Lemon Clarifying Conditioner with Shea Butter & Babassu Oil

This 11 ounce bottle of white conditioner smells as great as the shampoo,. It has natural lemon extract and smells of fresh lemons. There are no parabens, petroleum-based ingredients, sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate, or other harsh preservatives or chemicals and no synthetic fragrances or colors, It is 100% vegetarian and cruelty free.

The conditioner is of medium consistency and comes out of the flip cap easily. I need quite a bit because my hair is very long but most people will only need a small amount to cover their hair. The scent is great and stays in my hair after drying which I love.

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steve9631 says "Anyone for oppulance??" about Michelangelo Hotel - Johannesburg, South Africa

steve9631 — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:38:30 GMT

As an overnight stop, I kinda like this place. Traveling from the Mpumalanga region of eastern South Africa headed to Zimbabwe, my travel agent booked me into a "safe haven" in the Johannesburg suburb of Sandton. Not to my usual tastes, as I like to get more into the local flavor and hang with the locals, but an easy place to hang out overnight whilst waiting for my flight the next morning. While a little bit hesitant on first arrival, the place grew on me quite quickly.

Check in was smooth. Staff was efficient and cordial. Room was downright impressive. Marble bathrooms elegantly appointed and a comfortable bed. Television was cablized to get the international news and events, and they had free internet. So far so good.

What I hadn't realized is the hotel being connected to a monstrously high end mall with around 600 stores accessible from the hotel lobby. You name it, you could get it in this mall, not to mention scores of restaurants to choose from. Local dishes,...

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Matt says "Chimney Rock Cabernet was not a crowd pleaser but I liked it" about Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon

Matt — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:35:37 GMT

We held a wine tasting in our office yesterday with all of our employees. All age ranges and all different tastes in wine. I thought the Chimney Rock Cabernet was plesant, smooth and packed a punch in the back of your mouth. I would describe it as having a medium body with a hint of plums. I like a nice full body red wine without a lot of tannins that make your mouth pucker. Apparently a few other members of the staff thought the Chimney Rock Cab was a little boring and light for what they expected from a Cab.

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Fardreamer says "Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket is quirky, violent Vietnam War film " about Full Metal Jacket

Fardreamer — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:26:56 GMT

Before I bought Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket on DVD last year, I had only seen the movie once before - when it was released in theaters in 1987.

I was still in college then, a journalism major and - at the time - copy editor of my junior college campus' student newspaper. But because I had been the paper's Diversions editor during the previous semester, I still wrote entertainment-related articles or reviews if the section needed me to do so.

I went to see Full Metal Jacket with my friends Betsy Matteis and Richard de la Pena; we had met in elementary school in the 1970s and remained close until Betsy moved to Alabama several years ago and (sadly) Richard's death at the age of 41 (cancer).

At the time, many Hollywood studios were releasing "combat experience" movies about the Vietnam War, a topic they had either ignored or danced peripherically around by focusing their attention on the post-war experiences or the home front dramas (The Deer Hunter, Coming Home) of the veterans. ...

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LoveisJoy says "Please Don't Spend 7 Bucks on this Thin Lotion" about Avon NATURALS Pomegranate & Mango Moisturizing Hand and Body Lotion

LoveisJoy — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:36:44 GMT

Avon is well known for offering affordable body products that moisturize and soften. However, most of their lotions don't really offer much in the way of a memorable scent. I do love juicy, tropical scents so I thought I'd try it. I wanted to see if Avon finally paired a good quality lotion with a truly fragrant scent. In my viewpoint, they still have a long way to go.

Avon Naturals Pomegranate & Mango Lotion

The Promise

"A sparkling blend of lush pomegranate and juicy mango to delight the senses and refresh the body and soul. Deliciously nourishing. Soaks in quickly; moisturizes for 24 hours. Leaves a subtle scent."

My Reality

The blend of pomegranate and mango is a sweet treat for the nostrils. Unfortunately, the initial blush of fragrance quickly turns into a cheap, kiddie smell. There aren't enough complex notes in the fragrance to create the depth of scent that you find in similar products (i.e., Bath & Body Works). It's a nice smell, but a very simple one in...

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ChrisJarmick says "Bogart Classics and a Holiday gem highlight TCM schedule" about Best Classic Movie Turner Classic Movies Bogart Wednesday, Holiday Movie Thursday December 16 & 17 2009

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:36:21 GMT

TCM in December means its Bogart Wednesday, and Christmas Movie Thursday night.

The Bogart movies today include the 1940 comedy It All Came True about a gangster on the run who winds up hiding out in a boardinghouse full of eccentric characters (starting at 8:15 a.m. on the West Coast) followed by 1941's circus drama The Wagons Roll at Night. 1942's suspenseful war drama Across the Pacific where Bogart plays an American government agent trying to stop evil spies from following through on their plot to blow up the Panama Canal is a still exciting 97 minute gem co-starring Mary Astor and Sydney Greenstreet and directed by John Huston. Hmm didn't this team make another very famous movie....? (revealed in a moment.. keep reading). It airs at 11:30 a.m.

1942's All Through the Night was made (but not released) prior to Pearl Harbor and was an action comedy involving Nazi's in Brooklyn. The Nazi's are bumbling and comic and are portrayed as comic foils. If you can get over this,...

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LisaCarey says "Dress up dolls in the bathtub? " about Alex Tub Fashion

LisaCarey — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 05:41:02 GMT

Do you remember playing with paper dolls and changing their clothes? My daughter's have moved on to Melissa and Doug dolls, a twin set that gives them lots of clothes and accessories that are magnetic to dress their not so paper dolls. Since they had so much fun with dressing dolls that way, one friend purchased the Alex Tub Fashion set for them to use in the bathtub.

Bathtub time is a big deal at my house. It includes bubbles and playtime long before we get to the business at hand. My girls only a year apart are still where they like to do everything together which includes not using their own bathtub but using mom's instead so that they can have more space to be mermaids. Alex Tub Fashion toy was immediately sent to its room.

What do I like about the Alex Tub Fashion toy?

there are two dolls - and I have two girls
there are plenty of dress up items
the easy to store bag allows them to drip dry
the girls enjoy them
easy to use - just stick the doll to the side of the...

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LisaCarey says "A few suds, no surprises but the girls love it because it's Dora" about Fisher-Price Suds and Surprise Dora

LisaCarey — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 05:23:13 GMT

I was a little surprised with the girls were shopping for their birthday gift and they actually chose the Fisher-Price Suds and Surprise Dora. It didn't seem all that exciting to me but the price was right (on sale for $14.99) so I thought if they really want it that bad, sure let's give it a try.

The Fisher-Price Suds and Surprise Dora is a Dora doll that sits on a "tray' that is attached to the side of your bathtub and is removable. Dora's "head" is like those dolls that you can do their hair and put make up on their faces. The Dora head has longer hair than in the cartoon and when wet with cold or hot water it changes color adding stripes. It comes with a little bucket to pour water out and a sponge which causes tattoos to appear on Dora's face when used.

What I like about the Fisher-Price Suds and Surprise Dora

not too expensive
the tray attaches to the bathtub and really does stick
the girls enjoy it
still fun to play with even after all this time
good for ages 2 and...

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LisaCarey says "A cool mist that helps my family breathe easy at night " about Holmes Humidifier - Cool Mist Humidifier - HM1746

LisaCarey — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 05:14:18 GMT

Who would have ever thought living in Houston I would need an humidifier? But two of my daughter's suffers from seasonal allergies and for some reason, as soon as the heat comes on the one has a stuffed up nose, even with the worst cold symptoms. Both my husband and I have seasonal sinus trouble too. My pediatrician recommended that she sleep with a humidifier in her room so needing one that didn't add to the Houston heat we purchased the Holmes Humidifier - Cool Mist Humidifier - HM1746.

What I like about the Holmes Humidifier - Cool Mist Humidifier - HM1746.

not too expensive
lightweight - I can take it from the bedroom to the family room so we can use it all day
once it is filled it lasts a long time
several different settings - from lots of humidity to little as well as three settings for how the fan functions
safety feature on the fan to keep little fingers safe

What I don't like about the Holmes Humidifier - Cool Mist Humidifier - HM1746.

it's noisy - it is not really...

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LisaCarey says "Soft on the nose and the blow " about Kleenex Facial Tissue with Lotion

LisaCarey — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:56:12 GMT

I purchased Kleenex Facial Tissue with Lotion because it was less expensive than the Puff's brands with Aloe or Lotion. I wasn't disappointed but sometimes they just don't hold up to a good hard blow of the nose.

What do I like about Kleenex Facial Tissue with Lotion

softens my skin when I need a tissue
less expensive than other brands
works well - most of the time
easy to find at any store
variety of boxes for any decor
soft and smooth
helps with the pain and redness your nose can get from blowing too often

What don't I like about Kleenex Facial Tissue with Lotion

can't use for anything else
the lotion tends to give me a pimple or two on and around my nose
have to use two or more tissues sometimes for a good blowing of my nose

i admit, I have sensitive skin and when I have to use a tissue a lot (usually in the spring and again the entire month of December) the redness, drying and irritation that regular tissues give my skin is a real pain. At least when I...

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LisaCarey says "Tried and true remedy for congestion " about Vicks VapoRub

LisaCarey — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:44:58 GMT

Here is how it works in our household (and probably yours too). One daughter gets sick. Then the next one, then mom (dad never gets sick lucky dad). Mom is now sick and caring for two or more sick children. Everyone has chest or nose congestion, stuffy noses, runny noses and coughing going on. I know that when all this starts happening whether it's the middle of the night or first thing in the morning, I can grab the jar of Vicks VapoRub and rub it on chests (Mommy that tickles) and back and that within a few minutes all of us will be able to breathe, even those who didn't need any help!

What I like about Vicks VapoRub

inexpensive
tried and true remedy for most cold and flu symptoms
versatile (use in the shower, place some on your chest and back, also leave some on the vaporizer
the scent
it works!

What I don't like about Vicks VapoRub

the sticky feeling - after I apply it it sticks to your clothing yuck!

But this is the most important thing, it is tried and true....

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LisaCarey says "Helps children with tough coughs and colds " about Wyeth Consumer Dimetapp Long Acting Cough Cold, 4 OZ (pack Of 3)

LisaCarey — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:31:20 GMT

I know it's important for children to use a cough to break up chest congestion, but honestly sometimes you (as a parent) and they just need a little bit of down time for that tough painfully loud coughing that is making your children miserable and making it impossible for anyone to get any sleep. That's how the past week or so has been for this family as a tough runny nose and cough has made its way though each girl in this house. I decided to give us all a break and use Dimetapp Long Acting Cough Cold to hopefully get a little break and a whole lot of sleep.

What I like about Dimetapp Long Acting Cough Cold

grape flavor (1 our of 2 of the children like it and it's ok with me I'll take those odds)
small amounts needed to be helpful (1/2 teaspoon for preschoolers)
it really is long acting
children and mom get a break from the coughing
every one gets some sleep

What I don't like about Dimetapp Long Acting Cough Cold

one child has to be forced to take it
it's got lots of...

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