Reviews by Friends of vytas

Sara1231 says "Not the best volumizer out there" about TIGI Catwalk Root Boost

Sara1231 — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:33:49 GMT

What is Root Boost? A spray on volumizing styling product - you spray it directly into your hair

What does it do? Root Boost adds volume when you blow dry your hair upside down after applying the product, but it doesn't create the light, bouncy look that other more expensive volumizing products offer.

Why you might like this volumizer If you don't have extremely flat hair in need of a super volumizer and want a product within the $10 - $12 dollar range, Root Boost is for you!

Why you might not like this volumizer If you really need a bunch of help in the volumizing department, you might want to opt for a stronger product.

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ChrisJarmick says "Remarkable visual feast is full of predictable cliches." about Avatar (2009)

ChrisJarmick — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:17:08 GMT

Avatar is the biggest, most expensive movie ever made. It costs over 300 million, perhaps 350 million to make and they are spending over 50 million to market it. It's a staggering sum of money which created new devices and upgraded available technologies with which to make movies.

Avatar is of course a breathtaking visual feast particularly seen in IMAX 3d. It looks much better than it did in the previews. There are many well staged action sequences and lots of things blow up.

Director James (Aliens, Terminator 2, True Lies, Abyss, Titanic) Cameron has been talking about this movie since he made Titanic. He said it would be several years before he could make this movie because technology had to catch up so he could do it the way he wanted to. Cameron pushed movie technology when he made Terminator 2, Abyss and Titanic. With Avatar he again borrows ideas from writers like Phillip K Dick, A.E. Van Vogt, Isaac Asimov and others and expanded on how worlds were created...

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RudiXeno says "Executive Choice Pop-Up Foil Sheets:Instead of Reynolds Wrappers" about Executive Choice Pop-Up Foil Sheets

RudiXeno — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 17:22:20 GMT

Yesterday I wrote a review on Reynolds Wrappers, pre-cut aluminum foil sheets that among other things are ideal for wrapping sandwiches and leftovers.

My only reservations about the Reynolds product were that they came in only 2 size packages (25 & 50 per package), they are getting increasingly hard to find in stores and even when found in the dollar store, their cost was relatively high at 4 cents a sheet. When originally purchased in the supermarket they were sold for $2.59 for a package of 50 ( a bit over 5 cents a sheet).

Having attended many a sporting event where hot dogs and hamburgers were sold wrapped in foil sheets I knew that this was hardly a brand new product concept. Surely they must be available through a food service supplier.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

A couple of months ago, I was attending the Softball League Fall Championship game here in Boca Raton. My daughter had volunteered to work in the food concession as part of her annual Community Service requirement...

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TheBard says "Quality Costs and These Headphones Are Worth the Price" about Sony MDR-V6 Professional Headphones

TheBard — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 14:03:34 GMT

Bottom-Line: I am very pleased with my new Sony MDR-V6 Professional Stereo Headphones, so much so that I might just purchase a set for work.

From the Manufacturer: The Sony MDR-7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone is a large diaphragm foldable headphone designed for professional studio and live/broadcast applications. These large diaphragm, foldable headphones feature a rugged construction, a secure, highly effective closed-ear design, and a 40 millimeter driver unit for clean, clear sound reproduction. The closed-ear design provides both comfort and outstanding reduction of external noises. The included Stereo UniMatch plug allows use in both 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch applications. A soft case for protective storage is included with the headphones.

My Viewpoint

I am very pleased with Sony MDR-V6 Professional Stereo Headphones. They have met all of my criteria nicely; they cost under $100.00 ($70.95 at Buy.com); they are light weight, and; they reproduce sound across the entire musical...

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RudiXeno says "Reynolds Wrappers: Convenient in kitchen, but try to find them" about Reynolds Wrappers

RudiXeno — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 05:03:23 GMT

About a year ago I opened the drawer we keep our wraps, baggies and the like in. It was early in the morning and I was making sandwiches for my daughter's and wife's lunch bags before they went off to school; my daughter, of course to study, and my wife to teach. It's kind of a morning ritual for me once I put up the pot of coffee.

Ordinarily I find a roll of Reynolds Wrap there and I tear of two sheets to wrap their lunches. But, on this day, instead I found a box or Reynolds Wrappers. I knew I hadn't bought them so I took a closer look. The box held 50 individual wrappers of 14" x 10¼" that are kind of self dispensed "tissue-style". And, since there was a foil sheet already popping out of the side of this box, I was now certain that I hadn't bought them.

Popping two sheets from the box was easy. The weight of the foil was slightly less than our usual rolled Reynolds Wrap, but heavier than some of the bargain brands I've come across. I quickly wrapped the sandwiches...

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aleconner says "Hop Stoopid is a smart buy for lovers of IPA" about Lagunitas Brewing Hop Stoopid Ale

aleconner — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 20:50:33 GMT

Consumer Note #1: This beer has an I.B.U. rating of 102! (International Bittering Units are a means of measuring bitterness in beer)

Consumer Note #2: This beer contains 8% alcohol by volume

* Slightly hazy orange-gold with dense and rocky light tan head (with great elasticity and lace).

* Spicy hop nose gives way to luscious toasty maltiness.

* Foretaste is rich sweet malt, followed by layers of toastiness, hop spiciness and, ultimately, bitterness.

* Finish is dominated by resiny bitterness, but is more than adequately backed by malt complexity.

* Body is medium; mouthfeel is dryish due to bittering astringency.

Synhopsis:

This beer was actually quite a bit better than I expected it to be simply because it was not as outlandishly one-dimentional as I thought it would be. As it turns out, it had great balance between the malt and hops and a commendable level of malt complexity at that.

A beer with the name "Hop Stoopid" and 102 IBUs sounds like it would cause the enamel on...

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aleconner says "Unique and interesting hybrid brew" about Schmaltz Brewing Co. Rejewvenator

aleconner — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 20:34:36 GMT

Consumer Note #1: This beer is a blend between a Doppelbock and a Belgian style Dubbel

Consumer Note: #2: This beer is made with "natural date concentrate"

* Briliant, beautiful burnished copper color with creamy light tan head.

* Odd phenolic (plastic-like) character partially masks fruity-malty aromas.

* Rich, malty foretaste expands with unusual fruitiness and late bittering.

* Finish maintains rich maltiness but exposes medicinal flavors.

* Body is full and viscous. Throat-warming is pleasant and it complements (7.8% abv) the malt intensity well.

Synhopsis:

In 1996 (or 5757 on the Hebrew calendar) the fledgling Schmaltz Brewing Company introduced He'Brew "the chosen beer" to the beer market to a chorus of snickers and guffaws. Needless to say, it was looked upon as a gimmick. All these years later, SBC has not only proven itself legitimate and worthy of praise, it has continued to push the boundaries with beers like Genesis Ale, Jewbelation and Rejewvenator.

This edition...

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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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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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SpokaneMan says "Our Baby Simply Loves the Happy Baby Greens Puffs" about Happy Baby Organic Puffs - Greens Puffs

SpokaneMan — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 01:17:03 GMT

When it comes to snacks that we allow our baby to have, one of our favorites are the Happy Baby Organic Puffs. It's a finger food designed for babies, and one that not only keeps them happy between meals, but helps work on the hand-eye coordination as they feed themselves these treats. Being organic and packed with great ingredients makes them the perfect snack food to nearly any baby, and when you toss in the fact that there is a fruit and vegetable mixture at the heart of them they seem almost too good to be true. Our favorite of the Happy Baby Organic Puffs is the 'Greens Puffs', which basically taste like they are spinach Cheerios, and the baby just really loves them.

These Happy Baby Greens Puffs comes in a nice 2.1 ounce container that is sealed from the top much like a wet-wipes tube, and allows you to pour out as many treats as you want your baby to have. Then it easily seals back up for either a nice transport container or something you can just set on the counter until...

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SpokaneMan says "Graduates Youurt Melts are Baby's Favorite Snack" about Gerber Graduates Yogurt Melts

SpokaneMan — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:58:43 GMT

When it comes to snacks for our baby, the Graduates Yogurt Melts are one of her favorites. They are basically freeze-dried whipped yogurt & fruit snacks that have naturally given flavors to help with their enjoyment. The Graduates Yogurt Mets come in several different flavors, including strawberry, mixed berries, and peach, so you will most likely be able to find something that your new baby enjoys. Our baby really favors the peach ones, and they all come in these resealable one ounce packages that make it easy for serving them as a snack to your baby.

The best way to explain what these little snacks look like, are that they resemble Hershey kisses, but with a softer texture and a color used to closely resemble the fruit that they are supposed to taste like. Made with real fruit and yogurt these snacks do have a lot of healthy attributes to offer to their consumers, but its also one of those snacks that the baby will eat until there aren't any left, so you will probably have to...

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