Reviews by iluvmonk

iluvmonk says "not the worst" about mayflower aka united van lines

iluvmonk — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 05:52:34 GMT

i can't really say i have ever really had a good experience with a moving company. i have moved several times with a large household. i have dealt with several different moving companies. the only one i can say that was not as horrifying as most was when a corporate account paid for a full service pack-unpack move (for my husband's work). that was for mayflower. i don't know the name of the local office, but it would have been one near henderson nevada. even still, time and load was way way underestimated.

i dealt with mayflower again recently on a move from denver co to southern california. this time it was not paid for by any company. it was my own pocket, so it was not full service pack and unpack. still, things would have been pretty tolerable if mayflower did not try to overcharge me in the end. i am still dealing with it a month now since the move.

so, in my opinion, there is not a good moving company that i have ever run into. there are really awful ones and...

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iluvmonk says "good value, great taste, fresh" about Great Value strawberry cream cheese spread

iluvmonk — Fri, 29 May 2009 03:14:17 GMT

i have compared philadelphia brand strawberry cream cheese with walmart's and targets store brands. my kids and i have decided that there really isn't a difference in taste or texture for any of these three. moreover, walmart's brand costs less, and when target puts theirs on sale, it is a really great deal.

i have tried the philly and walmart brands of regular cream cheese with the same result. i have not tried target's regular flavor.

lucern makes a strawberry cream cheese that i tried because it was on sale. it tasted very sugary. i will not use it again.

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iluvmonk says "i'm hooked on Howrse" about Howrse

iluvmonk — Tue, 12 May 2009 22:17:20 GMT

i tried Howrse.com after seeing it here on Viewpoints. it is a lot of fun. it is a very slow moving game, though. you start out with one horse or pony that you create. you do a few things with it every day and he slowly grows up. there are so many different parts to the game to learn, though, that makes it interesting.

as your horse grows, you take knowledge tests so you can get better jobs. your horse gradually gains skills as you work with him daily. when ready, you will race him in competitions, breed him or her with others, etc.

you can open up an equestrian center and run the business. you can buy and sell howrses, you can chat with other players, etc. etc.

the game is free. you can choose to buy extra things for your game if you want, but it is not required.

give it a try. have some fun.

p.s. seems that a lot of players start thinking of these howrses as almost real. they sometimes talk about how "nice" or "sweet" they are. it's funny.

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iluvmonk says "love the convection and rotisserie, less love for toaster" about Euro-Pro convection oven & toaster

iluvmonk — Tue, 12 May 2009 21:49:12 GMT

review for euro-pro rotisserie convection oven. model TO241R, 1500 watt

bought at walmart april 2009 for $59.

overall, i am very happy that i chose this toaster oven. the convection works very well for even cooking and speed. the design is easy to keep clean since you can reach every corner. the controls are simple and user friendly. and i have a newfound love for rotisserie cooking since i have now experimented with a pork loin and a chicken.

the only annoying thing i have found, and it is a really very minor annoyance, is the toasting control is too imprecise. most of the time it doesn't "ding" when finished, and you can't really know if you are going to get pale or over-tanned bagels unless you keep an eye on it.

however, my history with toaster ovens are that they never live very long in my house no matter how cheap and simple or fancy and expensive. so i will not spend a whole lot on them anymore, and i have found this one to be a very good buy so far. that is if...

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iluvmonk says "expanded my cooking repertoire" about KitchenAid Classic 6-Quart Stand Mixer

iluvmonk — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 22:44:58 GMT

if my hubby hadn't bought me this Kitchen-Aid Classic stand mixer, i would never have realized what a terrific cook i can be! I have only the basic attachments right now, but i have used this handy mixer a lot. it is powerful, easy to clean, has a good range of speeds. i love it.

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iluvmonk says "love the intense color" about L'Oreal HIP Eyeshadow

iluvmonk — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 22:13:51 GMT

just as advertised, the HIP colors are very intense. i usually use the dark shade as a lid liner applied with a thin brush and the lighter shade to shadow the rest of my eyelid. it stays on all day.

for the artistic, you can really do a lot of creative coloring. the powder can be applied as darkly as a liquid liner, or more softly as a highlighter.

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iluvmonk says "my main bank for over 12 years. never a difficulty" about Mission Federal Credit Union - San Diego county, CA

iluvmonk — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:36:31 GMT

San Diego's Mission Federal Credit Union has been my main checking and savings bank for many years now. i can't remember a single issue that has come up with them in all these years. they have low fees for the (ahem..) time or two (ahem) that I messed up something. there is no charge for basic banking, online bill pay, or direct deposit.

they have not had the best rates, however, for home and car loans, so i have never used them for that.

customer service is excellent and accessible by phone or email.

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iluvmonk says "good rates in boulder area" about Elevation Credit Union - boulder, CO

iluvmonk — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:14:08 GMT

Elevations credit union has very nice savings and cd interest rates, a terrific children's program, easy to find ATM access or compatible spots to use card. the customer service has been very good, i have'nt run into a single issue for the past year since i joined.

membership open to anyone who lives or works in Boulder county, Colorado.

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iluvmonk says "easy to use, does a good job" about Bissell SpotBot Robotic Wet/Dry Vacuum

iluvmonk — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:52:34 GMT

a lot of times i use the spot-bot with just warm water, and the suction is strong enough to pick up the dirt. for fruit stains or pet messes, a bit of cleaner sprayed on first and/or added to to water chamber takes care of the stain and the smell. very handy tool that i am glad i tried. btw, the circle usually disappears after a few days. if it is a clean circle on a dirty, high traffic area, i have found it best to clean a larger area with several circles so it blends in better. (too lazy to do a whole room!!!!)

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iluvmonk says "frequent dropped calls" about Alltel

iluvmonk — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:31:56 GMT

my sister and her family have alltel phones. it is very annoying talking to her when she's on the cell because she will "disappear" so often in the middle of our conversations.

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iluvmonk says "hybrid of classroom and homeschool teaching" about Eagles Peak Charter School - Murrieta,CA

iluvmonk — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:33:58 GMT

Eagles Peak in Murrieta CA is a very good combination of homeschooling with traditional classroom teaching by qualified teachers.

my twins went to this school for 4th and 5th grades. the teachers make assignments for you in most subjects, so you don't have to worry about whether or not you are getting all the subjects in that a regular public school student would get. you progress thru the school year with your student at his/her pace, especially with math and language arts.

the program that i was using was 2 days in class and 3 days homeschool. since it is a charter, there is no tuition or book costs. you have a choice of what books to use in several of the subjects--most notably in math.

there was also a Montessori program that had 2 days at home and 3 days in class.

this is an excellent alternative to traditional classroom schooling for families with irregular schedules, students with learning problems, and families with strong religious convictions. the parent has a...

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iluvmonk says "does not contain Iron" about Gummy Vites 220 Gummy Bears

iluvmonk — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:12:42 GMT

one of the things that fast growing children need that is not always in their everyday diet is iron. please correct me if i am wrong, but i have not yet found a gummy type vitamin that has iron. besides that, gummy candies and fruit leathers are not good for teeth because the sugars stick to the teeth longer than most foods, encouraging bacteria that forms plaque/cavities.

flintstones complete and other solid vitamins do contain iron and a lot of other important minerals that i don't think is possible to put into a gummy.

L'il Critters brand does have a liquid berry flavored vitamin for babies and toddlers that contains iron.

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iluvmonk says "good value, great service, free shipping, discounted prices" about DecideHealth.com

iluvmonk — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:41:41 GMT

i have used DecideHealth.com to order my Herbalife supplies for years now. they have never once made an error, i get the order very promptly, and free shipping for orders over $75. type coupon "preferred" for an extra discount on top of the discounted prices compared to most other distributors.

they carry all current herbalife products. the website is well organized, and whatever you can't find, type into the search. customer service replies by email promptly.

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iluvmonk says "one of the best things about Columbia, MO" about MKT Trail

iluvmonk — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 05:55:12 GMT

great idea to put a review on the MKT. i love this place for walking, jogging, bicycling. it is quiet, level, shaded in a lot of areas. keep your eyes open for the occasional snakes going across the path. in the evening (and probably early morning) you can see deer grazing in the meadows....

iluvmonk says "waste some time for a good cause" about Free Rice

iluvmonk — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 05:34:18 GMT

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iluvmonk says "absolutely loved it" about The Dark Knight

iluvmonk — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 05:32:01 GMT

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iluvmonk says "such horrible, selfish, unrepentant people. so funny" about It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

iluvmonk — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 05:27:50 GMT

this show has such funny colorful characters. i had to watch every episode from the first season. check it out on Hulu.com...

iluvmonk says "the one sunscreen that doesnt cause breakout" about Neutrogena Ultra Sheer, Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 55

iluvmonk — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:00:44 GMT

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iluvmonk says "decent place, spacious for family of 4" about snow blaze condo - winter park, Colorado

iluvmonk — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 23:10:49 GMT

i stayed in a nice, clean 2 bedroom 2 bath condo; full kitchen, master BR with bath and 2nd BR with 2 twin beds. it was a really nice luxury to have a dry sauna in the condo! the fireplace is wood burning. there is coin operated washer and dryer somewhere in the building.

the athletic club has a weight room, racketball court, and locker rooms with steam rooms. there is also a lap pool, indoor hot tub and outdoor hot tub.

the "heated" pool was too cold to use, and the indoor hot tub was extremely hot and heavily chlorinated. we did not like them at all. we did not use any of the other amenities.

we were on the 1st floor and we could hear the upstairs people when they were walking around and using plumbing. it was annoying when we were trying to sleep.

the ski resort has free buses that take you to and from the mountains. they stop at the complex entrance. you can keep your car parked in the covered assigned lots.

if you order delivery from pizza hut, expect it to take 1.5 to......

iluvmonk says "best applicator brush" about Rimmel London Lash Maxxx Mascara

iluvmonk — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:19:32 GMT

the comb applicator gets the mascara even and separated on your lashes....