http://www.viewpoints.com/aboutme/njchicaa Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:21:59 GMT Reviews by njchicaa http://www.viewpoints.com/Boots-Strawberry-Flavor-Detox-5-Day-Plan-review-03102 I am a Target junkie and love to try pretty much anything that is new in the beauty and health section.  When I saw the Boots Strawberry Flavored Detox 5 Day Plan for just $18, I knew that I had to try it out.  — This detox kit consists of five 1 fluid ouce vials of strawberry-flavored herbal suspension.  According to the package, Boots Detox 5 Day Plan contains grape vine leaf extract, pycnogenol, and schisandra chinersis but there is no information about how/why those ingredients may help in detoxifying your body.  Still, I was determined to cleanse my body so I faithfully mixed the 1 fluid ounce bottle of Boots Detox into two 0.5L bottles of spring water.  — I drank them fairly quickly and close together (within two hours) without any adverse side effects.  The strawberry flavor isn't particularly tasty but it is easy enough to get down.  I will say that I was having some mid-back pain associated gall stones in the days before I... Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:21:59 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Boots-Strawberry-Flavor-Detox-5-Day-Plan-review-03102 njchicaa 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/The-Devil-Served-Tortellini-review-fa502 I read a couple of Shirley Jump's "Food Series" books this summer and was eager to get my hands on a few more of the books.  I immediately started reading The Devil Served Tortellini as soon as I got home from the library and, well, I didn't stop until I was finished with it several hours later. — The Devil Served Tortellini is a cute contemporary romance story that centers around Maria Pagliano.  She is trying to lose weight in order to look good for her high school reunion and an ex-boyfriend.  Maria runs into the devlishly-handsome Dante Del Rosso one evening and he invites her back to his restaurant for some fabulous Italian food.  She tries to resist his charms but eventually breaks down and agrees to a meal in his place.  That was all it took for Dante to become interested in the genuine and confident Maria.  Unfortunately, she decides that he smells too good (i.e. like lasagna and alfredo sauce) so she must avoid him before she eats all... Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:25:09 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/The-Devil-Served-Tortellini-review-fa502 njchicaa 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/A-and-E-Cage-Company-Toy-Feeder-Foraging-Cage-review-3f9c5 My 5 year old Blue & Gold Macaw is quite a handful.  He screams, he curses, and sometimes he is really just a jerk.  He learned some horrible habits in the years he spent in his first home.  He's come a long way and doesn't scream like he used to, but if he is feeling bored or ignored, he'll let you (and the whole neighborhood) know about it.  I had been thinking about getting him into foraging for awhile, so I bought the A&E Toy Feeder Foraging Cage.  — This is a small metal "cage" that you can fill with nuts, shredded paper, plastic bits, etc.  In the wild, parrots spend most of their time flying around and trying to find their food.  When we keep them in captivity and just dump loads of nutritious food into their bowls twice a day, they don't know exactly what to do with all of their excess energy and instincts.  When you get your parrots into foraging, it makes them work, keeps them busy, and we all know that a busy parrot is a... Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:22:43 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/A-and-E-Cage-Company-Toy-Feeder-Foraging-Cage-review-3f9c5 njchicaa 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Dentleys-3-quot-Bone-shaped-Basted-Beef-Rawhide-Chips-review-e61b0 We recently took in a litter of six 5-week old Lhasa Apso-mix puppies.  They are full of energy and don't like to be left alone in their exercise pen, but their teeth are just coming in  and their little mouths are too tiny for most puppy toys.  I bought dozens of packages of rawhide toys last week at PetSmart when I saw them marked down to just $1 each in some kind of clearance sale.  I didn't really know how much use we'd get out of the Dentley's 3" Basted Bone-Shaped Beef Rawhide Chips until we picked up the puppies and I saw just how teeny tiny they were.  — These dog chews are punched out of thin pieces of American beef rawhide into bone-shaped pieces and basted with a beef-flavored coating.  They are thin enough for our baby puppies to chew on without any trouble.  I've also given them to the two 10-week old terrier-mix puppies that we also took in.  Those guys are much larger than the babies, but these chews still took them... Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:33:14 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Dentleys-3-quot-Bone-shaped-Basted-Beef-Rawhide-Chips-review-e61b0 njchicaa 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Berkley-Jensen-Womens-Premium-Multivitamin-with-Minerals-and-Herbs-review-8f6d4 I'm not at the optium weight, I have allergies and asthma, and I have gall bladder issues.  I finally decided to start taking better care of myself, and that action plan included a giant 240 tablet jar of Berkley & Jensen Women's Premium Multivitamins with Minerals & Herbs.  — As the name implies, these tablets are specially designed to meet a woman's unique nutrition needs.  Along with the usual lineup of vitamins and minerals, these pills contain the extra calcium, iron, and folic acid necessary for all women.  Berkley & Jensen Women's Premium Multivitamins with Minerals & Herbs also contains an antioxidant fruit & vegetable blend (including carrot, apple, spinach, pineapple, orange, papaya, soybean, raspberry, and kale powder), green tea extract, cranberry extract, etc.  This vitamin/mineral/herb supplement is supposed to be comparable to GNC's Women's Ultra Mega Supplements.  A note for those with food allergies: these tablets contain fish... Wed, 16 Jul 2008 02:47:18 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Berkley-Jensen-Womens-Premium-Multivitamin-with-Minerals-and-Herbs-review-8f6d4 njchicaa 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/LUSH-Mask-of-Magnaminty-Face-Mask-review-3f471 Of course I had to buy Lush Mask of Magnaminty Face Mask because A) I am a sucker for LUSH products and B) I am a huge fan of face masks.  I bought my first 11.1 ounce pot of this fabulous face mask over a year ago and, well, I've kept it constantly in stock since! — LUSH Mask of Magnaminty is described as a "deeply cleansing, toning, and exfoliating pepperminty mask" on the jar.  It is a dull green with dark specks scattered throughout, so much so that my husband thought it was a mini-container of mint chocolate chip ice cream.  The main ingredients include water, kaolin clay, honey, talc, glycerin, evening primrose seeds, peppermint oil, and vanilla fruit extract.  This product smells like minty clay to me.  I just don't pick up any of the vanilla fragrance that the LUSH web site promises. — It is very easy to spread this face mask across skin.  You only need to use a small amount for thin and even coverage.  I would suggest... Sat, 12 Jul 2008 02:05:13 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/LUSH-Mask-of-Magnaminty-Face-Mask-review-3f471 njchicaa 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Blue-Buffalo-Wilderness-Dry-Cat-Food-review-c8a86 After using Blue Buffalo's Wilderness Dry Food for dogs, it was only a matter of time before I tried it out with our cat crew.  I am a big fan of high-protein, low-carb diets for felines and sometimes wish I could just hang out in the grocery store aisle one day to convert all of those people who feed their cats the cheap, gross stuff like Friskies and Purina.  — Blue Buffalo Wilderness Dry Cat Food is a high-protein, low-carb product that contains no grains, by-products, or mystery meat.  The company claims that it is an alternative to a raw diet because it is nutritionally balanced and doesn't require constant testing and tweaking.  I tried to convert my three cats to a raw diet a few years ago and two of them flat out refused to eat raw meat.  They like raw-based kibble like Innova EVO and Blue Buffalo Wilderness, though, so I am lucky in that respect.  — All of the various cats and kittens that we have here enjoy Blue... Fri, 11 Jul 2008 22:52:10 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Blue-Buffalo-Wilderness-Dry-Cat-Food-review-c8a86 njchicaa 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Love-The-One-Youre-With-review-0d063 I bought Love The One You're With because I've read Emily Giffin's other three books and like her style.  Although Babyproof didn't really impress me, I enjoyed both Something Borrowed and Something Blue.  I was hoping that Love The One You're With would be closer to her first two books. — The story centers around Ellen, a newlywed who has been married to the kind and loving Andy for 100 days.  She is content and happy with her life until she unexpectedly runs into her ex-boyfriend Leo on the streets of Manhattan one day.  Suddenly her life is turned upside down.  Is she really meant to be with Andy, or was she supposed to be with the one who got away? — Love The One You're With is, in my opinion, mediocre chick-lit.  Sure the idea behind the story is interesting, but I wasn't really impressed with what Giffin did with it.  I expected the struggle to be a bit more subtle and internal than it actually was, which meant I was frustrated... Fri, 11 Jul 2008 21:52:00 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Love-The-One-Youre-With-review-0d063 njchicaa 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/LUSH-Flying-Saucers-Shower-Gel-review-7a1f4 According to the label on the bottle, LUSH Flying Saucers is "a honey shower gel with lashings of essential oils to prevent the need to throw saucers."  I took that to mean it was a product with some uplifting notes to wake you up and improve your mood.  This shower gel contains honey, water, ylang ylang oil, palmarossa oil, vetivert oil, cypress oil, perfume, and some synthetic ingredients like sodium laureth sulfate.  — The main fragrance component is true honey--like the kind that you use in your tea when you are sick. The honey fragrance is tempered a bit by the herbal notes.  I'm not usually into herbal scents, but I like the way that the other ingredients temper but also enhance the main honey fragrance.  — Flying Saucers Shower Gel is a concentrated product.  I only need to use a dime-sized amount on a bath pouf to produce enough lather to wash my entire body.  Although the 8.4 fluid ounce bottle is somewhat expensive... Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:59:10 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/LUSH-Flying-Saucers-Shower-Gel-review-7a1f4 njchicaa 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/e-p-t-Home-Pregnancy-Test-review-a2953 When certain bodily processes didn't occur as usual, I found that I had the need for a home pregnancy test.  I didn't know much about them and wasn't interested in lingering next to the prescription counter, so I just grabbed the e.p.t. +/-  Home Pregnancy Test because it was a well-known brand name.  The fact that the $19.99 package contained two test sticks for the price of one wasn't something I really cared about at the time. — When I got home, I immediately tore open the box and read the instructions.  They are pretty simple: put the test part of the stick into urine stream for no more than 5 seconds (you also can immerse it into a cup of urine if you need to), place the stick onto a stable surface for 2+ minutes, and then read the results (+ = positive and - = negative) in the window.  Personally, I think the test should come with a shot of Jack Daniels or a Xanax or something for you to take while you are waiting for the results... but that's... Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:57:05 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/e-p-t-Home-Pregnancy-Test-review-a2953 njchicaa 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Lifes-Great-Poop-Off-Bird-Poop-Remover-review-782c2 With 3 parrots in the house, that means there are 3 cages and 3 playstands to deal wtih.  I work full-time, I run an animal rescue out of my home, and I have the normal day-to-day cooking and cleaning to do.  I am all about anything that will save me time and make my life easier.  Enter Life's Great Poop-Off Bird Poop Remover. — This product claims to "instantly dissolves bird droppings" and other things on "bird cages, walls, carpet, clothing, bird toys, floors, upholstery, etc."  The label states that it will remove droppings from all types of avian diets including "seed, fruit, nuts, meat, veggies, nectar, bugs, grains, formulated diet, and greens."  Poop-Off contains enzymes and surfactants to loosen and lift dried stains like poop or food.  — To use Poop-Off, you simply spray it onto the stain/droppings, allow it to sit for a few minutes, and then wipe everything away with a sponge or paper towel.  When there is a... Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:14:10 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Lifes-Great-Poop-Off-Bird-Poop-Remover-review-782c2 njchicaa 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Goldenfeast-Asian-Medley-review-92391 A friend of mine picked up a few pounds of Goldenfeast Asian Medley for me a couple of weeks ago while shopping at a bird superstore.  I've been using it with my crew since then with excellent results! — Asian Medley is a cook-and-serve mix that you prepare on the stovetop: 2 cups of dry mix to 3 cups of water.  You bring it to a boil, cover, and let it simmer for 20 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed.  It is very easy to make, but I will point out that it is important to factor in some "cooling off" time before you try to feed this mixture to your parrots.  — Goldenfeast Asian Medley contains ingredients like basmati rice, beans, dehydrated veggies/fruits, dried flowers, spices, nuts, pasta, cinnamon sticks, etc.  I have no complaints about the components of this food as many of them are the same that I include in my own homemade parrot food mixture. — At $3.50 per pound, Asian Medley may seem expensive to some,... Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:56:39 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Goldenfeast-Asian-Medley-review-92391 njchicaa 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/LUSH-Marzibain-Bubble-Bar-review-cf5c2 I picked up a few LUSH Retro products yesterday during a trip to their Atlantic City shop.  What are they? Well, the short version is that they are discontinued products that LUSH has decided to make again.  I'm not sure if they are available for a limited time only or forever, but they are some of their most popular discontinued items.  Anyway, when I smelled the Marzibain Bubble Bar, I immediately threw three of them into my basket.  I had high hopes for this product! — — LUSH Marzibain Bubble Bar is a chunk of solid bubble bath that you are supposed to crumble under the running water of your bath.  It is supposed to smell like almonds and, in fact, has a whole shelled almond sunk into the top of the bar.  To me, Marzibain smelled almost exactly like the famous LUSH Snowcake fragrance of sweet almond icing which is why I decided to buy three at once.  The scent is incredible! — — I had some trouble crumbling Marzibain into... Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:12:00 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/LUSH-Marzibain-Bubble-Bar-review-cf5c2 njchicaa 2 http://www.viewpoints.com/Cozumel--147464-review-36ec6 We spent a week in Cozumel, Mexico this past April.  My husband and I had never been there before, but most of the members of our 15+ group were returning to the island for their second, third, and fifth year.  After spending a week on the island, I absolutely love it and am hoping to return there again next spring. — As a small island off the coast of mainland Mexico, the island can be broken up into four distinct parts: the main "downtown" section, the rest of the town of San Miguel, the southern resort area, and the eastern, uninhabited side.  Cozumel is known mostly for its scuba diving and fishing, but there are also remote beaches, loads of cheesy tourist shops, attraction-type beaches, etc.  — The members of our party went scuba diving, fishing, snorkeling, shopping, to the fun beach attractions, and to various restaurants.  We also spent a fair amount of time laying on the beach and swimming in the pool at our condo complex.  Hey,... Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:51:54 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Cozumel--147464-review-36ec6 njchicaa 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Lypsyl-Lip-Balm-review-62768 As a lip balm addict, I've tried pretty much every one that has crossed my path.  My ideal product is one that moisturizes, has minimal shine, and is long-lasting.  I've tried so many, but there are very few that I would actually buy again.  I actually bought Lypsyl Lyp Moisturizer because one of my students told me about it.  She (and all of the rest of my students) had seen me applying my lip stuff pretty much every day, so she knew I was into this kind of product.  I'm so happy that she told me about this lip balm because I absolutely love it!!! — Lypsyl Lip Balm is sold in an 0.10 ounce oval plastic tube with a little slide tab to move the product up and down.  The main ingredients include mineral oil, petroleum, paraffin, coconut oil, beeswax, and shea butter.  When you apply Lypsyl, it leaves a nice layer on lips.  It is an interesting thing because this isn't a thick balm, but you don't need a lot in order to create a lovely and... Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:51:36 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Lypsyl-Lip-Balm-review-62768 njchicaa 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Beak-Appetit-Cheese-Teaser-review-28962 Although I prepare a large batch of a homemade cooked food mix for my three parrots each week, I still like to give them something different a couple of times per week as a little treat.  I've been using Beak Appetit cook and serve mixes for a few years now and have been very happy with them.  On my last "spoil the parrots" shopping spree, I picked up a 13.5 ounce bag of Beak Appetit Cheese Teaser which is one version that I hadn't seen or used before. — Beak Appetit Cheese Teaser is a nutritionally-balanced, low-fat cook and serve mix that is suitable for all types of birds, including macaws, cockatoos, African greys, conues, finches, lories, cockatiels, parakeets, Amazons, Eclectus, etc.  It contains ingredients like basmati rice, whole wheat, millet, lentils, cracked corn, split peas, carrots, peanuts, pecans, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, kelp, tomatoes, peppers, celery, etc.  It also has many vitamin/mineral supplements.  The packaging suggests... Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:12:46 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Beak-Appetit-Cheese-Teaser-review-28962 njchicaa 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Shoe-Addicts-Anonymous-review-b65f5 I bought Shoe Addicts Anonymous because it is summer, I have loads of free time, and I was fresh out of reading material to take to the beach.  I enjoy reading chick-lit, so I grabbed this book when I saw it sitting on an end cap at Target.  After reading it, I have to say that it is a mediocre story and not one that I would recommend. — Shoe Addicts Anonymous is the story of four women, Helene, Lorna, Sandra, and Joss, and their shoe collections.  Helene is the wife of a prominent politician who happens to also be a controlling husband.  He cancels all of her credit cards which means that Helene can't buy anything, including the shoes that she loves to acquire.  Lorna is a waitress who has bill collectors and bankers calling her about her massive debt.  Sure, she knows she needs to cut back on her spending, but she can't seem to resist several-hundred-dollar pairs of shoes that seem like such a "bargain".  Sandra is a phone-sex... Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:31:40 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Shoe-Addicts-Anonymous-review-b65f5 njchicaa 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Bird-Paradise-Ultimate-Blend-Parrot-Food-review-ab575 I had been hearing raves about Bird Paradise Ultimate Blend Parrot Food for a couple of years before I finally decided to see what everyone was talking about.  A good friend of mine was visiting their bird superstore in Burlington, NJ so I asked her to pick up a couple of pounds of this dry mix for me.  After using it with my three parrots for a couple of weeks, I have to say that it is probably the best parrot food that I've ever seen. — According to the Bird Paradise web site, Ultimate Blend is a nutritionally-balanced blend of non-colored pellets, human-grade nuts, dried fruits, vegetables, and herbs.  They state that this parrot food is made fresh daily at the store and that the recipe is a secret.  A quick look at the bag reveals that Ultimate Blend contains things like shelled almonds, banana chips, freeze-dried green beans, dried corn, shelled walnuts, peas, pellets, raisins, raw shelled pumpkin seeds, pineapple, coconut flakes, dried chili peppers,... Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:23:31 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Bird-Paradise-Ultimate-Blend-Parrot-Food-review-ab575 njchicaa 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/NYC-Photobooth-review-81db1 Although we were married a couple of months ago, we just had our post-wedding party last week.  We didn't want to have anything fancy and formal, so we spent the bulk of our budget on good food and drinks.  One other thing that I insisted on having there was a photobooth from NYC Photo Booth.  We had seen it at our friend's wedding a few years ago and knew that I wanted to do the same thing for our party.  My parents fought me tooth and nail on it because they thought it was a really stupid and really expensive idea.  In the end, though, they had to admit that they were completely wrong because everyone loved it! — As the name implies, NYC Photobooth is a company that rents out boardwalk-style photo booths for weddings, parties, corporate events, etc.  They are based out of New York City but claim to serve the tri-state and northeastern area.  You can hire them for 5 hours of unlimited pictures for the hefty price of $1695.  You also... Sun, 22 Jun 2008 01:43:19 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/NYC-Photobooth-review-81db1 njchicaa 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Skindecent-Bermuda-Beach-Smoother--134971-review-0aef3 I'm a big fan of the Skindecent line of bath and body products.  I also love super-strong exfoliating scrubs that feel like someone is scratching my skin with their fingernails.  Skindecent's Bermuda Beach Smoother is pretty much my ideal body scrub and something that I will use for as long as it is available. — This bath scrub contains sugar, castor seed oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, cocoa seed butter, shea butter, fragrance, and a few other ingredients.  Skindecent has over 100 fragrances from which to choose and there truly is something for everyone, including bakery, botanical, drink, fruit, designer duplicate, romantic, and seasonal scents.  I've used Bermuda Beach Smoother in Pink Grapefruit, Buttermint, and Lemon Sugar and have been very happy with them. — When you apply Skindecent Bermuda Beach Smoother, it feels like you are smearing loads of beach sand across your skin.  It isn't sand, of course, but this body scrub contains so much... Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:23:23 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Skindecent-Bermuda-Beach-Smoother--134971-review-0aef3 njchicaa 5