Reviews by Friends of ladysong

njchicaa says "Jodi Picoult's Vanishing Acts is not her best work." about Vanishing Acts

njchicaa — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 04:04:49 GMT

Jodi Picoult's Vanishing Acts is a novel that was first published in 2005, but I am just getting around to reading it thanks to my sister's loan of several Picoult paperbacks. I recently had 3 unplanned days off from work due to a major snowstorm, so I tore through Vanishing Acts in some of that free time.

This novel centers around Delia Hopkins, a woman who works with her bloodhound to perform search and rescue missions for local police, county, and even federal agencies. She is engaged to be married and has a gorgeous daughter... life is good for Delia until her father, the only parent she has ever had, is arrested for kidnapping her as a child. Her life is turned upside-down and the fact that her fiance is representing her father (and not sharing information about the case with her) doesn't help the situation.

There are many subplots in Vanishing Acts. Aside from the obvious kidnapping trial, there is a prison story, a sisterly story, a relationship story, a friendship story,...

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njchicaa says "Ooooooooooooh I love my Sunbeam Microplush Warming Throw!" about Sunbeam Microplush Warming Throw

njchicaa — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:58:04 GMT

I'm always cold during the winter... I keep an electric blanket on my side of the bed to keep me warm and cozy while in bed. Sitting on the couch at night after the automatic thermostat has cranked down the heat has always been problematic, but I recently bought myself a Sunbeam Microplush Warming Throw to deal with the situation.

Basically, this product is a mini electric blanket that you can keep by the couch or office desk to keep you warm and comfortable if room temperatures are chilly. The suggested retail price is about $65 but I bought mine for only $35 which is a much more reasonable price in my opinion. The Sunbeam Microplush Warming Throw has a 3-level heat controller (low, medium, high) and an automatic turn-off after 10 hours. It is supposed to be machine-washable, but I've never had luck with washing my electric blankets so I'm not going to start with this one.

I love the convenience of having this Sunbeam Microplush Warming Throw Blanket. I can take it downstairs...

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njchicaa says "This Iowa Pine Lquid Hand Soap simply smells like Christmas. " about Mrs. Meyer's Iowa Pine Liquid Hand Soap

njchicaa — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:23:22 GMT

I've been a big fan of the Mrs. Meyer's line of cleaning products for several years now. They used to sell a lovely gingerbread-scented hand soap each Christmas, but this year they are featuring Iowa Pine as their holiday scent. The company describes it as an "aromatherapeutic" and festive blend of pine, clove, and cedar.

I picked up a 12.5 fluid ounce bottle of Mrs. Meyer's Iowa Pine Liquid Hand Soap at the local Target for about $7. I love the fact that the company doesn't test on animals and uses biodegradable ingredients. This is a fairly thick liquid soap, so you only need one pump's worth of product to completely and thoroughly wash your hands. It produces lots of bubbles and lather as you use it, it rinses away quickly and easily, and leaves hands smelling lovely without completely stripping skin of moisture. The scent is complete and total "Christmas": spicy fresh pine with a hint of cedar and spice. LOVE IT!

I'm very happy to have found Mrs. Meyer's Iowa Pine...

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njchicaa says "Everyone loves Christmas Vacation!!!" about National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

njchicaa — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 04:00:46 GMT

I've never been a fan of silly, obvious, and slapstick humor which is why I refuse to watch movies by Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Mike Meyer, Steve Carell, etc. I really am a huge movie snob when it comes to watching holiday films. I hate most of them but I absolutely adore National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation once again follows the Griswold family as they prepare to celebrate the holiday. Clark has decided to host both sides of the family for a "fun, old-fashioned Christmas". He starts by getting a tree that is entirely too large for his yard, let alone his living room. He follows that up with several tens of thousands of lights all over every exterior surface of his house. Most people would consider such a spectacle to be, well, a spectacle... but after watching Christmas Vacation a house completely illuminated by tiny white lights seems reasonable.

Simply put, there is no funnier holiday movie than Christmas Vacation. Chevy Chase...

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njchicaa says "Emeril's Essense Seasoning is a wonderful addition to your meals" about Emeril Original Essence Seasoning

njchicaa — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 01:58:15 GMT

When I was growing up, my mother made hamburgers out of plain ground beef and occasionally topped them with a slice of cheese. They never had much flavor and I wasn't a huge fan of burgers... until I met my husband. When we would hang out on weekends, he'd make these delicious hamburgers that he made with various spices/seasonings, A1 steak sauce, and a dash of worcestershire sauce. I was introduced to the whole wide world of flavored ground beef!

I've been using Emeril's Original Essence Seasoning for several years now to add flavor to the meals that I prepare. I add it to ground beef to add flavor to burgers, meatloaf, and savory meatballs. I've also sprinkled it on roasting potatoes and even grilled corn on the cob to add a bit of spice. You can buy a regular-sized bottle in your local grocery store for like $5, but I picked up a large 21 ounce bottle for about $8 at the local BJ's Wholesale Club.

A little goes a long way with this seasoning blend that contains ingredients...

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njchicaa says "The Wine Tree Wine Rack looks lovely on your shelf." about The Wine Tree Wine Rack

njchicaa — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:05:28 GMT

One of the things my then-boyfriend brought to this house was the Wine Tree Wine Rack. I've never been a huge wine drinker, but my husband is and I use a fair amount in my cooking. The fact is that we go through several bottles of wine each week between cooking, relaxing, and entertaining. We keep the Wine Tree Wine Rack prominently displayed on the back counter of our basement bar and it never fails to be admired by our guests.

Basically, this is a 6-bottle wine rack that stores 750mL bottles in alternating and inverted directions. It looks pretty cool when you have 3 bottles of red and 3 bottles of white lined up by color in this Wine Tree Wine Rack. It has a loop at the top so it can be either suspended from the ceiling or simply set on a counter. We used to keep it crammed on top of our microwave and jammed next to cookbooks in our kitchen, but since we've built a large wet bar down in our newly-finished basement, we now keep this Wine Rack downstairs and prominently displayed...

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njchicaa says "Need a quick appetizer? Buy these Pepperoni Pastry Bites!" about Pillsbury Savorings Mozzerella and Pepperoni Pastry Bites

njchicaa — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 20:14:57 GMT

I'm usually the person who invites people over and makes all of the food (appetizers, main course, side dishes, bread, etc) from scratch. I was recently served several varieties of Pillsbury Savorings Frozen Appetizers including these Mozzerella and Pepperoni Pastry Bites.

As the name implies, these frozen appetizers are bite-sized pieces of pastry filled with mozzerella cheese and bits of pepperoni. They go straight from the freezer to a 400 degree preheated oven for 17-19 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. You can find Pillsbury Mozzerella and Pepperoni Pastry Bites in grocery stores and even in the "frozen food" sections of Walmart and Target. They are very easy to find and reasonably priced at about $5 per box.

These Pillsbury Savorings Pastry Bites have been big hits the few times thus far that I've served them to guests. They are very tasty and, well, I guess a more elegant version of pepperoni pizza rolls. I am the kind of person who tends to make all of my...

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njchicaa says "Stay roasty toasty in bed with this Biddeford Electric Blanket!" about Biddeford Twin Electric Blanket

njchicaa — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:11:26 GMT

I am always cold at night during the winter. The fact that my husband has the heat turned down to 62 degrees while we sleep. I've been using an electric blanket for the past several years, but I don't seem to have much luck washing them so I wind up buying a new one each year. This year I bought myself a Biddeford Twin Electric Blanket at the local Kohl's store. It was originally listed at $89.99 which is a price that I never would have paid, but we got it on sale for just $39.99 which is a much more reasonable amount!

This Biddeford Electric Blanket is blue polyester with a nylon trim at the top. It is the first warming blanket that I've ever used with digital controls. I love the design of the control box because it sits upright on your nightstand so it is as easy to see and use as an alarm clock. You select your desired level of heat (1--low to 10/H--high) and then wait just a few minutes for the blanket to be all warmed up. This product is supposed to be machine washable,...

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njchicaa says "Our puppies love Trader Joe's Chunky Chicken Canned Dog Food." about Trader Joe's Chunky Chicken Dinner Premium Canned Dog Food

njchicaa — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 23:21:24 GMT

Although I feed our foster dogs and puppies a diet primarily consisting of dry kibble, I mix in some canned food once or twice a week as a little treat. I really like the Trader Joe's line of canned dog foods and have recently been using their Chunky Chicken Dinner.

I like Trader Joe's Canned Dog Foods (and cat foods) because they don't contain by-products, mystery meat, or carcinogenic preservatives. The main ingredients include chicken, beef, textured soy protein, animal liver, guar gum, and a bunch of vitamin/mineral supplements. When you open up the can, Trader Joe's Chunky Chicken Dinner looks like your typical canned dog food: a dense brown mass covered by a layer of brown slime. It doesn't look appetizing to me, but the puppies definitely don't mind the appearance. In fact, they all come rushing up to me when they hear the can opener going with tails wagging. They LOVE eating this Chunky Chicken Dinner and haven't had any problems like stomach upset or allergy issues...

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njchicaa says "Julie and Julia is cute enough but I wouldn't watch it again." about Julie & Julia

njchicaa — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 04:48:42 GMT

As someone who has spent the past couple of years following recipes and learning how to make new dishes, I loved the idea of Julie and Julia. The film simultaneously follows Julia Child and her entrance into the cooking world and Julie Powell, a young wife who is dissatisfied with her career. Julie decides to set a goal: to prepare all of the 500+ recipes in Julia Child's classic cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking and publish a blog about her cooking adventures online.

I really loved the idea of a young wife trying to tackle every recipe in a cookbook. I have several free hours in my afternoon which is how I got started with the cookbook collection and trying new things. Unfortunately, the focus of Julie & Julia was more on the marriages of the main characters rather than their cooking experiences. The actress who played Julie Powell did an adequate job, but nothing that really made me feel connected to the character. Meryl Streep, on the other hand, was phenomenal...

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njchicaa says "I just don't get Yankee Candle's Christmas on the Beach candle." about Yankee Candle Christmas on the Beach 22 Ounce Housewarmer Jar Candle

njchicaa — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:47:41 GMT

As a fan of both candles and tropical scents, I was sorely tempted to buy myself their new holiday candle, Christmas at the Beach, when I received their holiday catalog. I had done a ton of shopping at the time, though, and figured that I needed to restrain myself and take a pass on it. A month later, I was ordering Christmas presents at YankeeCandle.com and, well, my resolve crumbled and I included TWO Christmas at the Beach Housewarmer Jar Candles--one for me and one for a gift!

I must confess, I expected Christmas at the Beach to have a festive evergreen-type fragrance with hints of coconut and pineapple. Instead, I discovered upon removing the top of the jar that this is a completely tropical fragrance blend of pineapple and coconut. Yankee Candle's description claims that it also is supposed to smell like cilantro, too, but I can't detect any hint of one of my favorite spicy herbs. In all honesty, this "holiday" and "festive" Yankee Candle seems to be the exact same formulation...

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njchicaa says "philosophy's Purity Facial Cleanser is expensive but effective." about Philosophy Purity Made Simple

njchicaa — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 02:08:12 GMT

When I first discovered the philosophy brand of skin care products 8 years ago, I wasn't the type of person who would willing spend $16 on a small bottle of facial cleanser. When I received it as a free gift with purchase, though, it was all over. I loved it and I've been using it ever since!

philosophy Purity Made Simple is described by the company as a "one-step facial cleanser" that will remove makeup, cleanse skin, and moisturize it at the same time. The ingredients are a long list of chemicals with a few plant oils mixed in for hydration and fragrance. The bottle claims that it is "fragrance-free", but I do have to say that this cleanser has a strong herbal scent that, after all of these years, I still can't describe as pleasant.

Purity is a gentle cleanser that cleans skin and leaves it feeling soft. (I don't normally wear makeup so I can't speak to how well it removes makeup) This philosophy skin cleanser doesn't really produce any bubbles or lather, but that doesn't...

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njchicaa says "Change of Heart is predictable and a rip-off of The Green Mile." about Change of Heart

njchicaa — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:08:23 GMT

I am very hot and cold with Jodi Picoult novels. Most of them disappoint, but I keep holding out for something as wonderful as My Sister's Keeper. My sister is the one who tends to buy the paperbacks and then passes them along to me to read. The latest one I've read is Change of Heart. Not impressed.

Jodi Picoult's Change of Heart centers around Shay Bourne, a death-row inmate who has been convicted of the double-murders of both a police officer and his young step-daughter. When he is transferred to the prison where he will ultimately be executed, we also meet fellow inmate Lucius (an AIDS patient), Maggie Bloom (an ACLU lawyer), and Father Michael (a priest who served on Shay's jury back when he was in college and voted to convict him and sentence him to death). As soon as Shay enters the prison, strange things start happening. It doesn't take long for word to get to the outside world and thousands of people believe that he is the Messiah and performing various miracles. ...

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njchicaa says "Your one and only chance to see good acting by Madonna." about Evita

njchicaa — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:31:48 GMT

I never knew who Eva Peron was before watching the film version of Evita 13 years ago, but I also must follow that statement up by saying that I've never forgotten who she was since then. I went to see this movie for the first time back in college with a group of friends. We loved it then and I still love it now.

Evita is a 1996 film adaptation of the musical by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice. It tells the life story of Eva Peron from her young childhood days as the illegitmate daughter of a prominent man to her late teenage years and twenties as she worked in various positions (figuratively and literally) and continued to meet influential people. Ultimately, she met Juan Peron and they were like a huge set of lit fireworks. They entertained and inspired the Argentine people which helped to create a type of "people's revolution." After a few years in power, Evita develops cancer and dies at the young age of 33.

Madonna's acting and singing can be horrific, but she really...

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njchicaa says "WickIt Good's Atlantic City Gold is my all-time favorite candle!" about WickIt Good Candles Atlantic City Gold Candle

njchicaa — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:26:26 GMT

I love candles and have tried many brands over the years, but I always seem to keep coming back to a local brand, Wick It Good Candles, based out of Point Pleasant, NJ. They have a handful of shops scattered around New Jersey, but those who don't live by one can order their products through the company web site.

My absolute and most favorite candle scent ever in the history of the world is WickIt Good's Atlantic City Gold fragrance. According to the web site's description, it is a blend of salt water taffy, caramel, butterscotch, and tutti fruiti. Personally, those aren't the fragrance notes that I'd guess just by smelling the candle, but I do agree that it has a lovely warm and sweet fragrance that comforts and makes you smile without being cloying. I've been using WickIt Good Atlantic City Gold Candle for 8 years now and it never fails to make me smile, lift my spirits, and attract compliments from the many guests that we've entertained over the years.

Wick It Good Candles...

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njchicaa says "Taste of Bourbon has a limited selection but super-fast delivery" about Taste of Bourbon

njchicaa — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:37:08 GMT

My husband is a huge fan of bourbon. We mutually agreed not to go crazy on Christmas this year, so I bought him one main present ($140) and was looking for stocking stuffers for him. I was really coming up empty, but then I had the brilliant idea to do a google search for "bourbon gifts" which led me to TasteofBourbon.com.

The Taste of Bourbon website does not sell actual bourbon, but it does sell bourbon-themed gifts like bourbon BBQ and worcestershire sauces, bourbon-flavored coffee, bourbon chocolates, jelly, bread mix, and even sets of glasses/shot glasses and bottle holders (shaped to look like antlers!). I tore through the site in less than 10 minutes and was hoping to find a wider variety of bourbon-themed items, but I still managed to find a few products that I knew my husband would get a kick out of.

I placed my order at about 5pm this past Friday and I received my order here in New Jersey today (Monday). I cannot even fathom that. Taste of Bourbon is based in Kentucky...

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njchicaa says "Switch up your side dishes with Trader Joe's Basmati Rice Medley" about Trader Joe's Basmati Rice Medley

njchicaa — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:20:37 GMT

I'm a huge fan of Trader Joe's products and of basmati rice, so it was only a matter of time before I decided to try the company's Basmati Rice Medley. The side dishes to our chicken, beef, and pork are usually some version of rice (white, brown, jasmine, basmati, etc) or potatoes (mashed, roasted, baked, etc). I figured that this rice blend would be an easy way to provide some variety to our meals without much effort.

The Trader Joe's Basmati Rice Medley comes in 1 pound clear plastic bags that cost about $3 each. Aside from basmati rice, this blend contains wild rice, and dehydrated (all of the following) carrots, onions, celery, red bell pepper, mushrooms, parlsy, garlic, and lemon peel. To prepare it, you simply combine 1 cup of this rice mix with 2 cups of water or chicken broth and 1 tbsp of butter or oil. You bring everything to a boil, mix the ingredients thoroughly, reduce heat, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 15 minutes. After that time, you remove the...

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njchicaa says "Life is easier now that I've started using Pam Cooking Spray." about Pam Cooking Spray

njchicaa — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 01:50:32 GMT

I love to spend hours in the kitchen cooking and creating yummy meals but I dread cleaning everything up afterward. It was getting to the point where I would avoid making some of my favorite meals (lasagna, baked macaroni and cheese, etc.) simply because I didn't want to deal with the baked-on mess that remained in the pans after dinner was finished. Enter PAM Cooking Spray!!

According to the can, PAM Cooking Spray is a 100% natural no-stick cooking spray made with 100% canola oil. One-third of a second's worth of spray contains zero calories and zero grams of carbohydrates, fat, or proteins. I use way more than 1/3 of a second's worth of spray per use, so I'm sure that I am adding some fat and calories to each dish that I use PAM on. It is worth noting that this stuff contains lecithin derived from soybeans for those who have soy allergies.

Many people use PAM Cooking Spray to cook eggs and sautee meats and vegetables in a frying pan. I prefer to use butter or extra virgin...

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njchicaa says "Every little girl should read Little House in the Big Woods." about Little House in the Big Woods

njchicaa — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:03:50 GMT

Little House in the Big Woods was the first children's book written by Laura Ingalls Wilder that was based on her life. The Little House series eventually expanded to 9 books covering her first 20 years of life. Little House in the Big Woods focuses on Laura's life when she was 4-5 years old and living in the wilderness of the remote Wisconsin woods.

Laura and her family (Pa, Ma, Mary, and Baby Carrie) live in a log cabin in the thick of the woods. Pa plants/tends crops in the spring and summer and spends the fall/winter hunting and trapping animals for their furs. Ma has her own weekly schedule of washing, ironing, mending, cleaning, baking, churning, and resting. The girls help with simple chores and spend the rest of their time entertaining themselves with their dolls, paper dolls, the frost patterns on the window, etc. It is a much simpler life than any young child in 2009 could ever imagine.

Throughout the course of Little House in the Big Woods, Laura interweaves morality...

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njchicaa says "Need to kill fleas quickly? Use Capstar!" about Novartis Capstar for Dogs or Cats 2 25lb6 Tablets

njchicaa — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:15:33 GMT

With 7 cats and 2 dogs in the house at the moment, a flea issue can quickly spiral out of control into a major problem... which is exactly what has happened. Once the weather became officially wintry and cold, everyone started furiously scratching (despite being on Frontline). I quickly ordered a different brand of flea preventative and also 2 boxes of Capstar to try to get the problem under control as soon as possible.

Capstar is a flea-killing little tablet that promises that it will start killing adult fleas within 30 minutes of giving it to your cat or dog. It is safe to use in cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies that are at least 4 weeks old and weigh 2 pounds. That is very cool because most topical flea preventatives cannot be used on kittens and puppies until they are 8-12 weeks old. Capstar can be safely given to pets daily as long as there is a continuing flea issue.

As soon as the boxes of Capstar arrived on my doorstep, I started giving the pills to both the cats and dogs...

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