Reviews by Friends of sharoncookie

Meri says "Did I mention how good it is?" about Taco Bell Fresco Steak Taco

Meri — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:08:45 GMT

My son, Devin says that all Taco Bell has to offer are different versions of beans, meat, cheese and lettuce. I used to agree. Most items had a similar taste...until now.

Taco Bell has come out with a reduced calorie menu that they are calling the Drive-Thru Diet. There are seven items on the menu including the Fresco Steak Taco. I didn't know what to expect of it but I had a free coupon so I decided to give it a go. Oh, wow. Did I mention how good it tasted? I only ordered the one taco but wished I had ordered two.

The Fresco Steak Taco comes on a soft shell. The steak is marinated and they actually put a generous amount on the taco. The next layer is a generous amount of lettuce- more than a regular taco. Then, comes the Fresco layer of fresh tomatoes and spices. I don't know what the spices are but they are delicious.

Right now you can try them in a combo of two tacos and a large soda for $4.99. Taco Bell also has a printable coupon for a free one so you can taste the deliciousness for...

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Meri says "Superior Cinnamon makes me look like a Superior Baker!" about Watkins pure ground Cinnamon

Meri — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:01:13 GMT

My mother-in-law introduced me to Watkins pure ground Cinnamon in the 70s. It has been a staple of my kitchen ever since. There is definitely a difference that you can smell and taste.

This cinnamon is different from the standard, run-of-the-mill variety. Most stores carry cinnamon that is made from the Ceylon variety. The essential oils in this variety only range from .5% to 2%. Watkins pure ground Cinnamon is made from the Korintje Cassia variety that has a very high oil concentration of 3-3.5%.

Watkins products have been around since 1868. They use only the finest ingredients and are the recipients of numerous awards.

If you don't believe me, try opening a can of Watkins Cinnamon and a can of another brand and just smell the difference. It is amazing. That same difference bakes into your favorite recipes and makes them taste better. People are always asking for my Cinnamon Bun recipe but don't understand when theirs don't taste as good. I tell them my secret- it is all in the Watkins!...

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GrandmawsOpinion says "Outstanding Service and More" about Progress Energy - Raleigh, NC

GrandmawsOpinion — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:30:01 GMT

At the end of last year much of the country suffered from severe weather. Western North Carolina suffered from a severe winter storm that resulted in fourteen to twenty inches of wet snow. It bought down power lines, tree limbs which caused numerous power outages. I was personally left without power for eight days. Our county is divided between two power companies. Unfortunately, our provider didn't have the capability of getting our electricity back nor did they have the modern technology to inform their customer when it would be restored.

The energy dividing line is obvious. Across the road our neighbors have Progress Energy. Not only did Progress Energy customers have their power restored quickly they provided them with daily recorded telephone message updates as to when it would be restored. I was very impressed with their state-of-the-art website, consumer service update system via telephone, email and Twitter! Progress Energy was prepared to assist and comfort...

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Meri says "The most beautiful lake in the world!" about Lake Skaneateles

Meri — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 02:31:04 GMT

Located in the finger lake region of New York State, Lake Skaneateles is sometimes called "The Roof Garden of the Lakes" because it is elevated higher than the rest of the finger lakes. The lake is in three counties: Onondaga, Cayuga, and Cortland. The Victorian homes on the north end make that side of the lake as picturesque as it was in the 1800s.

My husband and I discovered the lake on a genealogy trip in search of seeing where his ancestors had lived in the high town of Spafford. Spafford is located on the east side of the lake. One of his ancestors, Asahel Roundy came to Spafford in 1804 by horseback from Rockingham, Vermont. In 1807, along with a few other settlers, Asahel moved to the Spafford Corners part of town. In 1820, Asahel built the Spafford Hotel and ran it until 1843. He also owned a 100-acre farm near the hotel. He was the first postmaster of the village and the first justice of the peace.

A History of the Town of Spafford says this about Asahel, "Spafford made a good...

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Meri says "Great Variety of Designs ..." about Provo Craft Cuttlebug Embossing Folders

Meri — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 01:07:34 GMT

After using my Sizzix Embossing Machine for a while I was bored with the embossing folders that came with it. I searched my local craft stores and found a couple designs that I liked but was disappointed in the lack of variety that I found. I decided to go online. I found several designs I liked but most were sold out. I noticed that the Cuttlebug brand made embossing folders that looked just like the Sizzix ones and wondered if they would be interchangeable.

I made another trip to the craft stores to check them out in person. Again, I was disappointed in the variety but I discovered that they were the same size and decided to try one. It worked great but the embossing depth was not as good as the Sizzix folders.

Bottomline:

The Cuttlebug embossing folders are the same size as the Sizzix ones and work in the same manner. The designs are plentiful and super cute but the folders are not as sturdy as the Sizzix ones. I found a site that had scads of folders on clearance so I ordered enough...

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Meri says "Addictive Family Fun Made Easy!" about Cardinal Mexican Train Game

Meri — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 23:28:37 GMT

Years ago we learned to play Mexican Train with a set of double colored dominoes and pennies for the trains. The rules were passed down through memory. After a number of years I discovered and bought a battery operated "train station" that whistled when the middle was depressed at the end of each hand. It also came with little plastic colored trains that made the game a lot more fun than using pennies. Still, after several more years I discovered the Cardinal Mexican Train Game that took all of the game components and housed them in an adorable silver suitcase along with game scorecards.

This game is equally fun for an evening with friends or family. All ages will love it and maybe make it their favorite game. The rules of the game are easy to understand and once a practice hand or two are played strategy begins. Sometimes you'll win. Sometimes you'll lose because no matter how good of a strategist you may be, luck comes into play.

The object of the game is to discard all of your dominoes....

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BayouBengal says "Beyond BodiHeat Delivers Heat to Sore & Aching Areas for Relief" about Beyond BodiHeat Heat Pad

BayouBengal — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 17:42:21 GMT

When it comes to aches and pains, I have my fair share having both Fibromayalgia and arthritis. I've learned to live with both and the pain that they bring. I have several prescriptions for pain relief, but I prefer to deal with the pain in other ways if at all possible. Beyond BodiHeat Heat Pads have proven to be one of the products that I can count on for non-prescription relief from aches and pains.

Beyond BodiHeat Heat Pads

Beyond BodiHeat Heat Pads come in various size packages. I picked up the 4 pack which had a bonus pad inside. They were also on Rite Aids rebate list for the month of November so this was a pretty good deal with a discount and also an extra pad! The 4 pack normally retails for around $8.99 a package.

Beyond BodiHeat Heat Pads claim to sooth and comfort sore muscles and also relieve pain in backs and joints. The pads have an adhesive backing which attaches to clothing so you can adjust the pad for the exact area that needs the warmth and pain relief....

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BayouBengal says "Graveyardmall.com is a Great Online Site for Bargains" about Graveyard Mall

BayouBengal — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 01:45:58 GMT

It has been some time since I ordered anything from www.graveyardmall.com and today I decided to visit the site to see what they had to offer. I was surprised to see many high end items for the kitchen and also name brand lighting fixtures added to the site since I last visited. All of these items will be of interest as we start to remodel our house we moved out of last year. And yes, the project is way behind with my dad's illness.

Graveyardmall.com

In case you don't know www.graveyardmall.com is a discount online store that sells closeouts and other discontinued items. You can find some hard to find items here and some good buys. There are other deals that just make you want to say, "that is junk!" So visit the site with an open mind.

I've always enjoyed surfing the site to see what is available. Stock changes often, sometimes even daily. If you see something you want, you should buy it NOW.

The site is easy to navigate and the pages load quickly. All items are shown with...

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Matt says "The Four Seasons in Costa Rica is serene and beautiful" about Four Seasons Costa Rica

Matt — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 03:20:12 GMT

Our extended family of 14 people recently went to the Four Seasons in Costa Rica over the Thanksgiving holiday. We had a fantastic time. I would highly recommend this Four Seasons to anyone looking for a fun and adventurous luxury resort.

The Setting
The Four Seasons Costa Rica is set at the end of a Peninsula about an hours drive away from the Liberia airport. The best word to describe the surrounding area is lush and green. The first day we got there is was really hot and muggy but it quickly got better. But make not mistake it is hot in Costa Rica in November. The lobby of the hotel is pure Four Seasons. Modern, clean, sleek and calming. Immediately on the other side of the lobby there are the restaurants and pools. To the right and left there is an ocean beach on one side of the resort and a very short three minute walk up a small hill and around the pool, there is a beach on the bay. We went swimming on both sides with the kids. The waves are not overly strong. ...

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Matt says "The Ritz Carlton Maui is near perfect for families" about Ritz Carlton Maui - Kapalua, HI

Matt — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 23:35:29 GMT

I am writing this review from the porch of our 1 bedroom unit at the Ritz Carlton Maui. Although I will go into more detail later in the review, let me lead by saying we have been here for 7 days and the time has flown by. The weather has been near perfect, the natural beauty of Maui breathtaking and the grounds of the hotel have been great for three boys who love to run around. Although I will be critical of the Ritz at times during this review, all in all we have had an amazing vacation that compared favorably to many other five star resorts we have stayed at.

Basis of comparison
As a point of comparison we recently stayed at the Four Seasons Costa Rica and are regulars at Esperanza in Los Cabos. I would consider the Ritz Carlton to be a peer hotel of these other five star beach resorts.

My wife and I first stayed at the Ritz Carlton Maui fifteen years ago when it first opened. We fell in love with it then, and then last year when we were staying in a house in nearby Kanapali...

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BayouBengal says "ProAir HFA is Not as Good as Albuterol" about ProAir HFA Asthma Inhaler

BayouBengal — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 23:21:12 GMT

I discovered that I had asthma several years ago. I had no idea that I had it but started having allergic reactions to certain things quite often and was sent over the edge with chemical pneumonia when someone decided to do some painting indoors at work without ventilation the building. After that episode it was all downhill. I developed a bad case of allergy induced asthma and was prescribed an inhaler, Albuterol. This past fall when I got my new prescriptions I found a new drug, ProAir HFA, which is the good source of Albuterol sulfate so I was told.

The ProAir HFA Inhaler is smaller than the inhaler I was accustomed to but other than that, it was made the same way. There is a small canister and a mouthpiece with a cover. To use the inhaler you should first shake it up well, remove the cover, place in mouth and make sure your mouth is closed completely over the mouthpiece and press down on the canister to administer the medication. Hold your breath for 10-12 seconds before...

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Matt says "The Lenovo T500 Review - so far so good!" about Lenovo ThinkPad T500 (20564RU) PC Notebook

Matt — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 23:12:47 GMT

This is my first impressions review of a Lenovo T500 laptop I started using a few days ago. I will add to the review as I gain more experience with the machine.

First, a bit of background. I am a demanding laptop user. I rely very heavily on my laptop for both constant e-mail web surfing, and office applications such as Word, Excel and Powerpoint. I am not a gamer and don't care that much about the high end graphics features of some gaming laptops. My priorities are: a) a long battery life, b) a nice screen, c) fast and worry free and d) a nice solid well built feel. I use a computer 12 hours a day so it I have no problem paying a premium.

For the last year or so I have used a Dell XPS 1330. It performs like a champ and I am a big fan. However, Dell recently discontinued the XPS in favor of their Studio line but I was still interested in upgrading to Windows 7. My reasons for wanting to upgrade were: a) I had read that the Lenovo in particular had very fast boot up and...

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Katrena says "Paws -n- Claws Pet Brush Has Two Types of Bristles & Only $1" about Paws -n- Claws Pet Brush

Katrena — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 06:35:38 GMT

Paws n Claws Pet Brush is a dog grooming brush with a brown wooden handle with two different types of bristles. One side has short black bristles while the other side has longer metal bristles with little balls on the end of each bristle. We tried both sides of the brush on our poodle mix, but only the shorter and softer black bristles work well for our poodle mix.

I've learned several things about grooming a dog after rescuing this dog from the local animal shelter:

Some dogs love to be brushed and will lie down forever while being brushed (ours is one of those)
Poodle mixes are not bad about shedding. My mother-in-law has a border collie and she probably looses more hair being brushed than our dog has on her skin.
Dogs may mistake this for a chew toy and chew the wooden end.
Babies may mistake this for a person's hairbrush or toothbrush.

This dog brush is distributed in Virginia but made in China. I prefer American made products, but sometimes they are hard to find and afford.

My Viewpoint:...

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Katrena says "Disney Princess 50 Piece Puzzle Comes in 2-Pack for $1.00" about Disney Princess 50 Piece Puzzle

Katrena — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 05:21:34 GMT

Disney Princess 50-Piece Puzzle comes in a two-pack at our local Dollar Tree. That works well because you can get two fun puzzles for $1.00. I picked up this 2-pack of Disney Princess puzzles for my 5-year-old. She absolutely loves princesses and enjoys working puzzles, so I thought this would be right up her alley. Each puzzle, when put together, measures about 5" by 7".

What I Like about Disney Princess Puzzle (2 pack):

The boxes are very small and are handy for packing into something like a stocking or for taking on a trip.
The pictures are of some of my daughters' favorite princesses, like Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, etc.
The colors are fun and bright.
The puzzles aren't real hard to work--they have straight edges around the sides and lots of changes in colors and the pieces fit well together.
The pieces aren't warped like what happened last year when I bought some different puzzles that were similar but larger.

My Viewpoint:

This 2 pack of Disney Princess Puzzles that...

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Katrena says "Color Wonder Under the Sea Has Cool Coloring Activities!" about Crayola Color Wonder Under the Sea Activity Set

Katrena — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 04:58:26 GMT

Crayola Color Wonder Under the Sea Activity Set is an interesting and cool set of activities.

Included in the Under the Sea Activity Set:

Figurines--this one has a fish and seahorse
Paint brush markers--these sort of work like paint brushes but don't color unless used on color wonder materials
Broad line markers--these are more like traditional markers but won't color unless used on color wonder materials
Coloring book with 36 pages

What I Like about Color Wonder Under the Sea:

My 8-year-old daughter received this as a Christmas gift and was absolutely thrilled and said it was the best gift ever (other than getting a dog....)
It is nice to have something that doesn't make a mess in case the younger kids grab these and try to decorate everything.
The figurines were cute and a fun twist to the Color Wonder collection

What I Don't Like about Color Wonder Under the Sea:

The colors of the markers were pretty limited, but we had some other markers from previous gifts that worked with this as...

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Katrena says "Mistle Totes Umbrella Opens Full Size but Closes Very Small" about Mistle Totes Umbrella

Katrena — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 04:52:41 GMT

Mistle Totes Umbrellas are made by Totes around Christmas time. They are sold in a festive and cute box with jingle bells and a bow on top for a holiday-type theme, and my sister, CyndiA, bought this for me for Christmas this year. (I love to recycle things, so jingle bells are always a fun addition to a gift!) An umbrella is a nice and useful gift idea, and my sister gave me one this year for Christmas.

What I Like about Mistle Totes Umbrella:

It opens full size (which is helpful if you have three small kids that prefer not to get wet in the rain)
It's manual (which is helpful if you have kids that like to experiment with umbrellas)
It is easy to open and close and comes with a separate cover (nice for storage)
It folds into a very small size (handy for carrying in a pocketbook or storing in the car)
It has a wrist strap
Mine is aqua, which is a color I like
It has a lifetime warranty (I've had several Totes brand umbrellas and they do tend to work well and last a long time)

The main thing...

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Katrena says "The Day Before Christmas Talks about Memories of Loved One" about The Day Before Christmas

Katrena — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 04:42:00 GMT

The Day Before Christmas [1992, Clarion Books, ISBN: 0-89919-866-X] by Eve Bunting with paintings by Beth Peck is a 32-page children's book about enjoying the holidays after the loss of a loved one.

The Story:

A grandfather is taking his granddaughter to see the Nutcracker, a play that he also took his daughter to see many years before. The granddaughter is seven years old, the same age that her mother was when Grandpa took her mom to see the same play. Unfortunately, the little girl's mother died four years ago. The little girl's dad warns his daughter that Grandpa "may be a little sad today," but Grandpa and his granddaughter enjoy their time together and make their own special memory.

This book is a bit nostalgic and interesting in that the illustrations are actually paintings. The Day Before Christmas seems to be set in a former time since the little girl is riding the train to meet her grandfather.

My Viewpoint:

I think The Day Before Christmas might be particularly well suited for...

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Katrena says "Lulu the Big Little Chick Wants to Grow Up and be on His Own" about Lulu the Big Little Chick

Katrena — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 04:26:22 GMT

Lulu the Big Little Chick [2009, Bloomsbury, ISBN-13: 978-1-59990-343-9] is a 34-page children's picture book about growing up and leaving home...almost.

The Story:

Lulu is ready to leave home and set out on his own, so off he goes to make his own way. The other animals that he meets aren't so sure that Lulu is really ready for the big move of being on his own, including:

pigs
sheep
horse
cow
crow

Mama is sad to see Lulu go but lets the little chick take the journey despite such a small size. When Lulu decides that perhaps this newfound independence is a bit premature as danger looms near, what will happen next?

The illustrations are colorful and compliment the story nicely.

My Viewpoint:

I guess that all parents hope to teach their kids to be independent and perhaps all parents wish to protect those same kids. I think kids can relate to a little chick that wants to be on its own but also meets with lots of opposition and danger. The conclusion of Lulu the Big Little Chick is a feel good...

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Katrena says "Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Ancient Egypt Has Too Much Detail" about Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Ancient Egypt

Katrena — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 04:12:51 GMT

Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Ancient Egypt [2001, Scholastic Press, ISBN: 0-590-44680-0] by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Bruce Degen is a 42-page children's book about Egypt. This book takes the kids on a trip to learn about Egypt as they parachute down from their plane. It is very detailed for a young kid's book with lots of extra dialogue and tidbits of facts about Egypt as it was many years ago.

Here are a few examples from the book:

Egyptian art was interesting as the head, hips, legs, and feet were drawn from the side but the eyes, shoulders, and chest were drawn from the front. This perhaps provided the best view of each part.
Many Egyptians had damaged teeth because their bread sometimes had sand in it.
More than two million stone blocks comprise the Great Pyramid.
The Sphinx symbolized many things: the head stood for leadership, the body for power.
Pharoah's body was made into a mummy. One part of doing this was to remove and throw away the brain.

OK--I liked most of the details...

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Katrena says "Cool Concept Reading the Turn-Around Upside-Down Alphabet Book" about Lisa Campbell Ernst - The Turn around Upside down Alphabet Book

Katrena — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 03:56:35 GMT

The Turn-Around Upside-Down Alphabet Book [2009, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, ISBN: 0-689-85685-7] by Lisa Campbell Ernst is a 32-page children's ABC book. Each letter of the alphabet is printed and readers turn the book around to read about each letter. It's interesting to read because each direction that the reader turns the book brings about another interesting way to see the letters.

Here are just a few fun examples:

C can make an angel's halo
K looks like a martian's antennae
N looks like an origami snake
Q becomes a pendulum on a clock
U can be a droopy mustach and then a hot dog on a bun

"Alphabet Improv" at the end speaks a little bit about perspective and imagination. I think children can see lots of everyday objects in different ways, but it seems like somewhere along the way that imagination is often challenged and discouraged.

My Viewpoint:

The Turn-Around Upside-Down Alphabet Book is lots of fun to read as you turn the book while reading. The illustrations are...

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