Reviews by Friends of wonkao

Jo says "Burn calories while drinking Herbal Tea by Herbalife" about Herbalife Herbal Tea Concentrate Lemon 3.53 ounces

Jo — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:21:17 GMT

As I mentioned in my review of the Herbalife Shake I have bought into a 12-week Herbalife weight loss program. Another product I bought is Herbal Concentrate Tea. We were told that for every 8-ounces we drink we burn 80 calories. We were also told not to drink it after 3:00p.m. unless we like being up all night.

Herbal Concentrate Tea has caffeine thus it gives me a boost. It is also used for weight management because it burns calories. However, any caffeine will burn calories and boost your metabolism so is there anything special about Herbal Concentrate Tea?

I really do like Herbalife's Tea. It comes in a powder. I bought the larger bottle coming in at 3.53 ounces for about $30.00. It also comes in a 1.8 ounce bottle.

Herbal Concentrate Tea comes in several flavors. I didn't have a choice and have lemon. It is really delicious tasting. In spite of it not being sweetened it tastes sweet. It does contain fructose powder which is a form of sugar but one that Herbalife doesn't consider...

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Jo says "Where's all the protein in Healthy Meal Nutritional Shake? " about Herbalife Shakes

Jo — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:00:49 GMT

I am doing a 12-week weight loss program sponsored by Herbalife. When I enrolled I didn't know that they were sponsoring it. I have bought quite a few of their products. The first one I bought was the Healthy Meal Nutritional Shake Mix. It is for "healthy nutrition and weight management".

The flavor I chose is french vanilla, which is delicious. I add soy or almond mix to two scoops and ice cubes and have a yummy snack. The program suggests that we have one or two shakes a day. I normally have one and stick to the amount of calories per day I should eat.

I paid about $35.00 for a 26.5 ounce canister. This makes 30 servings per container.

It has 19 essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients; however, you will get these in a multi-vitamin. For example, you'll get 35% of Vitamin A when you add milk and 50% of Vitamin D, which you will get if you go outside for 15 minutes a day. Yes I am skeptical because I haven't seen results and I think it is over priced.

The "wellness coaches" say that...

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Jo says "I watch TV; my husband works. Thank you Sony Infrared Headphones" about Sony - Infrared Cordless Headphones MDR-IF240RK

Jo — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:45:15 GMT

To the Point

The problem isn't new but the technology to fix it seems to be new - at least new to us. The problem was that our house has an open floor plan meaning my husband's office and our living room are connected. I got used to reading the closed caption wording but sometimes my reading was slower than the words on the screen.

In comes wireless headphones. I tried out a pair of Radio Shack brand headphones at our daughter and son-in-law's but my husband ended up buying me the Sony Infrared Cordless Headphones MDR-IF240RK.

A Closer View: The features

The Sony Infrared Cordless Headphones

come with a transmitter. The transmitter is placed near the television and comes with an AC power adapter.
come with a connecting cord. The box says that the connection to the TV, Audio, or PC equipment is easy. It probably is. For some reason it took us awhile to figure out what plugs went into what holes.
a range of 24 feet depending on the angle of your head.
will last for 60 hours using regular...

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Jo says "My Silicone Grid saves burning or scratching surfaces" about Highly Evolved Housewares Silicone Zone The Grid

Jo — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:44:37 GMT

My Highly Evolved Housewares Silicone Zone The Grid Trivet was an inexpensive ($2.00) impulse buy. You can find the company's website here: http://tinyurl.com/ybywr84 where you will see the assortment of silicone products made.

The Grid comes in red, blue, and black. I bought a black Silicone Grid Trivet. This was my first time using anything like this though if I see potholders and other items I could use I would for sure buy more items by Highly Evolved Housewares.

The Grid is a non-skid counter mat and it truly does not skid. I love the feel of it - soft and rubbery. I don't have to worry that it will scratch my oven, table, or counters.

The Grid is made with InSILate Technology making any thing up to 675 degrees alright to put on the Highly Evolved Housewares Silicone Zone The Grid Trivet.

It is dishwasher safe and made in China. The Grid has a hole so you can hang it or just a place for me to hold on to it.

Highly Evolved Housewares Silicone Zone The Grid Trivet literally is a grid...

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Jo says "There were 16 then 15 of my Anchor Hocking Beverage Set" about Anchor Hocking Trivium Beverage Set

Jo — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:04:50 GMT

To the Point

So there I was looking at glasses trying to remember which ones Rudi recommended. I bought a 16- piece glassware set by Anchor Hocking. The style is called Trivium.

A Closer View

When I got home I looked Anchor Hocking Trivium up online and saw some bad reviews. But I only paid $10.00 for eight 11-ounce double old-fashioned glasses and eight 16- ounce coolers. I would have preferred a color but there was only clear in this style. I just wanted to get through Thanksgiving with a new set of glasses.

I liked the style of the Anchor Hocking Trivium glasses. They are simple but have an hour glass design. I thought out of all the ones on the shelf these would be the least likely to spill. They are dishwasher safe and seemed to be thick enough so that they would last at least a month. I have Pfaltzgraff glasses that have been with me for 15 years!

I am the type of person who saves new things. Not wanting the glasses scratched I didn't use them but my husband did. The point is the...

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Jo says "Pur Power Resistance Cord gives you a traveling gym" about Zenzation Athletics PurPower Resistance Cord 10128

Jo — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:14:05 GMT

The PurPower Resistance Cord was an impulse buy. If you have a Marshall's near you then you'll know the bargains offered. The $11.99 Cord was $5.99 so I grabbed it. I've used Resistance Cords or Bands as I call them for years. If you haven't it is a great piece to either add to your routine just use it to work your whole body. Don't worry because it comes with a piece of paper that show you a few exercises to do. You can see the PurPower Cord here: www.jr.com/zenzation-athletics/pe/ZNZ_WTE10128/.

The PurPower Resistance Cord

is made of latex so stay away if you are allergic to latex.
is purple which is a medium strength. Other name brands such as Spri makes it much easier to know what the strength is of the Tube/Cord/Band. There was no indication on the package but I figured if it was too easy I could just make this 5' Cord small by wrapping it around my wrists. This makes it shorter and thus harder.
is portable and a super prop to take with you on your travels. Unless you are a body...

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Jo says "Colgate Orabase didn't Relieve my tongue Pain" about Colgate Orabase Maximum Strength Oral Pain Reliever

Jo — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:22:27 GMT

To the Point

I had surgery on my tongue yesterday or shall I say in my tongue. In any case I had a tongue lesion which was removed and I have stitches. Dr. Lane, an oral surgeon, gave me several samples of Colgate Orabase Maximum Strength Oral Pain Reliever.

A Closer View

I have been taking Tylenol and Advil which has helped the pain somewhat. This morning I decided to give one of these samples a try. Colgate Orabase Maximum Strength Oral Pain Reliever comes in a .21-ounce tube in the $5.00 range.

The active ingredient is benzocaine (20%) which is supposed to stop the pain of mouth and gum sores.

Adults and children two years and older can use Colgate Orabase Maximum Strength Oral Pain Reliever. I followed the instructions which are to gently dab on the site of irritation with a cotton swab or fingertip. I can use it up to 4 times a day or according to what your doctor or dentist recommends.

Don't use Colgate Orabase Maximum Strength Oral Pain Reliever if you are allergic to local anesthetics...

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Jo says "Yogacise Lifts my Body without hurting my neck" about Gaiam Yogacise Body Lift

Jo — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:56:58 GMT

I don't think I have met a Gaiam product I didn't like and this is true of the Yogacise Body Lift. We use this prop regularly in Yoga class.

The specifications

Yogacise Body Lift

is made in China
supports 250 pounds
is 28 inches long by 21 inches wide by 15 inches high
is very portable weighing in at 19 pounds

Why use the Yogacise Body Lift?

I'll talk about what I see as the primary use of the Body Lift and that is to do an inversion. Yoga is one of the few systems of health that suggest you regularly turn yourself upside down for extended periods of time. My Yoga teacher always tells us how amazing inversions are from relieving anxiety to relieving constipation.

I know I feel great after using the Yogacise Body Lift. I have done head stands on the floor but for some of us due to injury, age, fear, or name the reason, prefer not to. In comes the Body Lift. This prop allows me to go upside down without any compression on my head.

The padding is super thick making it very comfortable to rest...

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vivasuzi says "So now I have another one to add to the DVR" about Eastwick (ABC)

vivasuzi — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:46:36 GMT

I had never heard of Eastwick, but after an episode of Dancing with the Stars, I left ABC on because they kept talking about all these new shows that were coming out. After 5 minutes of the Eastwick Premiere, I had already gone in and set up my DVR to record this whole series.

I had just been getting into Lipstick Jungle, when they took it off the air, so I was happy to see Lindsay Price was back on the small screen. Joining her as stars of the show are Rebecca Romijn and Jaime Ray Newman. All three are great in this show and I enjoy their different personalities. Sara Rue, who has been in multiple TV series, also has a pretty big part as the friend of one of the girls. She adds a nice humor and down-to-earthness to the story. Although the show is not a comedy, it isn't incredibly drama-filled either. I'd compare it to Desperate Housewives in that there is some silliness, some drama, and a few chuckles here and there.

Having never seen the movie The Witches of Eastwick, I went into...

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vivasuzi says "It's stylish and useful although a little bit hard for travel" about Bed Bath and Beyond Bamboo Chip 'n Dip

vivasuzi — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:40:02 GMT

I registered for the Bamboo Chip 'n Dip for our wedding because it was pretty. I didn't think about how practical it was like I usually do. Most the items I buy now-a-days are travel-friendly and easy to wash. The Bamboo Chip 'n dip is neither, but it's still four stars!

Made of Bamboo, the 12.5" plate is sturdy, and holds a lot of veggies! Although it was designed for chips, it works well for veggies, bread, or any other food with dip you might have. The ceramic dish in the middle holds quite a lot of dip. This dish is also heavy and sturdy enough to stay put in the little grove inside the bamboo dish.

However as nice as it looks, it is a bit heavy and clunky. While I was able to transport it to a party by covering the dish with one plastic sheet and then covering the rest with more plastic, I had to wrap it really tight to keep the items on the dish. While I managed to wrap it and carry it to a few parties, over time I decided it's easier to bring the veggies in...

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vivasuzi says "A great brush with many optional pieces" about Aqua Palm Bath Brush

vivasuzi — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:54:29 GMT

My mom had a bath brush when I lived at home, and I never realized how much I missed it until I moved out into my own house. Although I can reach my back and legs and feet, a bath brush just makes it 10 times easier to scrub these areas.

I found the Aqua Palm Bath Brush at Bed Bath and Beyond and bought it first and foremost because it had various attachments. While I only purchased the brush with the scrubbing head, they also had a pumice stone attachment and a few other attachments. I figured I could always go back and buy those attachments if I felt the need in the future.

The handle is plastic and is 18" long and makes it so you can reach any part you need to reach. Scrubbing the bottom of your feet just got easier! Even if you can normally reach everything just fine, this scrub brush is a good thing to have for days where you are sore or tired. They say the handle is shatter resistance so you don't have to worry about that either. It's a very lightweight plastic so...

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vivasuzi says "Great tasting and healthy too!" about Turkey Hill Duetto

vivasuzi — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:27:40 GMT

We are always looking for a good ice cream to make smoothies with because I just love making smoothies with my Party Blender! But at the same time, I'm also looking for healthy options because ice cream can be quite fattening and it's not worth it. Lately we've been looking for frozen yogurt, which has been hard to find!

When I saw Turkey Hill Duetto at Kroger on sale, we bought it thinking it can't be that good. A lot of times cheaper frozen yogurts and ice creams are watered down. However, we were very pleasantly surprised! In the flavor we bought, the Strawberry Venice Ice combines with the Banana Soft Serve to make the perfect treat! I added some strawberries and bananas to turn it into a perfect smoothie. Even eating it straight out of the bowl, it's very yummy.

One thing they claim is that it is easy to scoop because it is soft serve. It turns out to be very easy to scoop even if it's been in the a really cold freezer. There's no defrosting for Turkey Hill

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vivasuzi says "Finally! Scissors that HELP my scrapbook rather than HURT!" about Fiskars Brands Fiskars Scissor 8" Razor Edged

vivasuzi — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:54:10 GMT

After years of dealing with junky dull scissors, you would think that this scrapbooker would have invested in a solid pair of scissors. But it was actually my sister who ended up buying the Fiskars Razor Edged Scissors. For her wedding, we had to cut up 100s of cloth squares to make some candy roses. I cut the majority of them in my spare time. No other scissors would cut through cloth like these ones could! It made the job a million times easier. I was able to put the scissors down and slide them to slice right through the cloth - just like the pros do at Michaels stores! We set up the cloth roll so that we could pull one edge out, cut on the measurement, and repeat.

After her wedding roses were finished, she gave me the scissors for scrapbooking with and I absolutely love them! Everytime I'm cutting out a photo or cutting up an accent piece, I can't believe how quickly and easily these scissors cut! In fact, if I'm not careful it would be easy to cut a photo all the...

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vivasuzi says "The best scrapbook I've ever seen!" about Kolo Newport Scrapbooks - various sizes

vivasuzi — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:16:55 GMT

I found the Kolo Newport Expandable Refillable Scrapbook at JenniBick.com and I'm ready to buy more once my current scrapbook gets "full". Of course, it's hard to know when an expandable refillable scrapbook will get full!

The Kolo Newport Scrapbooks come in various sizes but my size of choice is 12"x12". The best part of this scrapbook is that the pages are almost completely 12"x12" instead of being cut off for binding like some other scrapbooks. The actual page you scrapbook on is 12"x12" with a cloth hinge added on to that so you can hook it in to the book.

The best part about the Newport Scrapbook is that I can now work on pages of my scrapbook individually without having to take the whole book out. My first scrapbook was spiral bound so it made it hard to work on individual pages. With the Kolo Newport, I keep the book empty and add each page only after I complete working on both sides. Adding pages is easy with the screw-like pieces that are tucked inside the book...

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vivasuzi says "Who knew there were so many different Easter Shapes!" about Wilton 18 Piece Easter Cookie Cutters

vivasuzi — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:40:09 GMT

Someone bought me the Wilton 18 Piece Easter Cookie Cutters for my wedding shower. I kept them even though I had already gotten the 100 Piece set (which contained some of the same shapes) off of my registry.

While the 100 Piece set is plastic, the 18 piece set is made of tinned steel. The benefit of this is they have sharp edges so they cut easier, but the downside is that you have to make sure they are clean and don't get rusty. Also, the sharp edges may be a little too sharp for kids. If you plan to bake with kids, the 100 Piece set is safer because it's plastic.

I would have never gone to buy this set since I already had the 100 Piece set, but since someone bought it for me, I used it. The cookie cutters came in handy on Easter a few years ago, and more recently they were great templates for cutting out photos from my Easter Holiday for my scrapbook.

The set comes with some Easter specific items and some that are generic to spring. There are 4 different styles of bunnies,...

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vivasuzi says "It works and it's low odor but it's pricy" about Raid House and Garden Spray - 12 Pack

vivasuzi — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:51:04 GMT

We had tried various things after a fruit fly problem but none of them seemed to really work as we had hoped. The fruit flies were a result of a leaky washer, but even after the washer was fixed we still couldn't get rid of them!

Once I bought Raid House & Garden all of my problems were solved. This brand is low odor so you aren't dying as you spray it. Obviously you aren't supposed to stay in the room breathing this in, but at least while you are applying it you aren't completely drowning in a bad scent.

How it works for flying insects is that you spray all around the room, aiming at windows and light sources. Then you completely fill the room with the scent and close all the doors. Leave it like that for 15 minutes (or longer if you have the time) and next time you go in you will see a bunch of dead fruit flies all over the ground. It's a good idea to clean out the room before doing this so you avoid having bugs on all your things. Alternatively you could cover your things...

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vivasuzi says "Much more interesting than I expected" about Slumdog Millionaire

vivasuzi — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:10:24 GMT

I would never have taped Slumdog Millionaire off of HBO if it wasn't for so many people saying how great it was. It takes a few minutes to get into it, but once you do it is actually very interesting. Perhaps it's just so new and different that I'm drawn in with the details of this culture.

The movie begins with a man getting tortured. Apparently he was 1 quesiton away from winning a million dollars in the Indian version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire". The reason he is being tortured is because they are trying to find out how he cheated. They assume he cheated because how else would a "slumdog" know all these questions.

Jamal goes about to tell them stories from growing up that explain why he knew all the answers. Each story though goes to show how horrible his life was growing up! I'm not going to tell you any of the stories because I think you should see for yourself. Seeing a young boy grow up in these conditions is insane and I'm sure it's realistic.

Dev Patel...

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vivasuzi says "Nice variety of scents but can get pricy" about Bath & Body Works Wallflowers

vivasuzi — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:26:18 GMT

My friend gave me a Wallflowers as a gift after I was in her wedding. This is something I had wanted to try for years but never went ahead to try them. Now that I have one, I have been using it and already went to buy a variety of scents to get me through the holidays :)

A "wallflower" sold at Bath and Body Works is basically a plug in air freshener. They plug in to any regular plug and dispense a scent constantly until it runs out. The scents come in liquid "bulbs", named as such because they look like light bulbs. You twist these on to the product, plug it in and the scent you have chosen will last approximately 2 months, give or take. I know 2 months is long for some, but for me I think it's short. I have started to unplug this during the day when I'm not home or when no one is coming over and save it for company :) Why waste it if no one is there!

I also found if you leave it plugged in constantly, you start to get used to the scent and not notice it as much. So...

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Jo says "Home Cookin Toaster Oven Works in all sorts of Weather" about WeatherWorks Home Cookin Toaster Oven

Jo — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:36:26 GMT

We needed a new toaster and usually buy inexpensive small appliances and replace them frequently. I picked up Home Cookin by WeatherWorks at one of the large department stores for $20. The website http://www.weatherworks.net has it for around $34.00 but I am sure you can do better. The model number is 6868.

Pros

Home Cookin by WeatherWorks Toaster Oven

is attractive. I got it in black but it also comes in white.
is compact. There are only 2 of us who eat human food in my house so the fact it will fit 4 slices of bread is just fine.
has an easy to open cool touch door handle.
has feet that do not skid on my counter top.
has a baking tray and a grill rack.
has a power light so I know when the toaster is on.
has a full ranger of temperatures.
has a 60-minute timer but also has a stay on feature so I don't have to time something.
has 3 settings: broil, bake, and toast pizza.

Cons

I am lucky enough to have cleaning help so I didn't notice this until I went to review my HomeCookin Toaster...

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vivasuzi says "A cheap option to avoid losing tupperware at parties" about Durable Foil Bake & Take 13" x 9" x 2" Cake Pan With Lid (Set of 2)

vivasuzi — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:19:10 GMT

When I had to make Deviled Eggs for a potluck, the first thing I thought of was how would I get them there? I only have a few big sized tupperware, and I know these pot lucks are always all over the place so I was worried I'd lose my tupperware. That is when I found Durable Foil Bake & Take Cake Pans.

The Durable Foil Cake Pans are 13" x 9" x 2", therefore the perfect size for almost anything you need to bring to the party. The lids add another 2" to the height though, which I think is a bit higher than is needed. However, this means you have 4" of space to stack whatever you are bringing.

The pans come in a set of 2 and the reason I choose to buy the set (instead of just one) is because the second one ends up being great to keep my dish on ice! I bring both to the party and since they are stacked it's not a big deal to carry both pans. Then when it's time to serve, I can fill the empty pan with ice and put the other pan inside of it.

The set of 2 costs about 3$ depending...

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