Reviews by Friends of onyx95

PattyTherre says "Lavoris whitens my teeth before I even brush them!" about Lavoris Whitening Rinse

PattyTherre — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:57:56 GMT

Quick View: This whitening rinse actually works well to remove stains on teeth. I use it before brushing and my teeth have become noticeably whiter!

My Take on Lavoris Whitening Rinse

This mouth rinse is designed to be used before brushing. Just pour a half of a capful into the cap (or other cup) and swish your mouth for around 60 seconds. The clear liquid is minty fresh and doesn't hurt sensitive teeth although it does contain peroxide. It also contains ingredients to strengthen tooth enamel which is a plus. After swishing, spit it out, then brush teeth as usual.

You will see a bit of foam on your gums at times but that's just the peroxide and it doesn't sting or hurt anything. My stains come from tea and diet cola and I am forever trying to make my teeth whiter. I have used other rinses which worked pretty well but Lavoris Whitening Rinse works the best so far. My teeth are noticeably whiter and cleaner. My dentist was very impressed with how good my teeth looked since my last check up....

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Bryan-Carey says "Discovery Channel Meets E-Commerce" about The Discovery Store

Bryan-Carey — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:02:31 GMT

If you like the subject of science, then chances are you are a fan of the many science- oriented television channels and you likely enjoy the educational aspects that make this type of viewing more worthwhile than other channels. And, chances are, you probably count the Discovery Channel among your favorites. If you do, then you might also enjoy The Discovery Store Online, the online store for the popular cable channel.

Online Store Commentary:

The Discovery Store offers items for sale in several categories, including toys and games, dvd, books, telescopes, fan gear, and more. Along with the merchandise available in these categories, visitors to The Discovery Store can also purchase gift cards, request a catalog, and sign up for e-mail alerts when specific items of merchandise or events become available or known.

I first visited The Discovery Store looking for items for my two girls and I did find some good, educational toys and games for sale- items that help to expand knowledge...

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PattyTherre says "10 watches for the Gossip Girl who can't make up her mind!" about Gossip - Interchangeable Mother-of-Pearl Watch Set

PattyTherre — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:52:20 GMT

Quick View: I have a teen girl on my shopping list who is as fickle as I am. She loves style but her moods change all the time. When I saw the Gossip - Interchangeable Mother-of-Pearl Watch Set, I knew she would like it. I gave it to her for her birthday but I now have a set too. For $28.00, how could I go wrong?

My Take on the Gossip - Interchangeable Mother-of-Pearl Watch Set

Gossip makes many styles of fashion watches, none of super high quality. This set comes with a mother of pearl face and can be purchased in silvertone or goldtone. I bought one of each. I gave my relative the gold and I bought the silver. The silver looks better and more high quality.

This set comes with 10 interchangeable croco look straps in black, pink, bronze, white, purple, orange, dark green, seafoam blue, brick red, and deep blue. That's a lot of choices! The watch is stainless steel and the face has Arabic numbers at every hour. It has hour, minute, and second hands. The face is easy to read and the width...

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Jolie says "buyuggsboot.net is a scam! Ugg Boots from China that are fake." about www.buyuggsboot.net

Jolie — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:22:46 GMT

Background on Buyuggsboot.net

A friend of mine at Viewpoints recently passed along a site called www.buyuggsboot.net. She found it online. www.buyuggsboot.net is a web site that sells all styles of Ugg Boots at discounted prices.

We werent certain if www.buyuggsboot.net were the real or not. But after a thorough review of the site, we thought it was legit. Buyuggsboot.net looks like a reasonable reseller of Ugg Boots. The page is designed well, the pictures look authentic and they make claim to having the real deal. They also consistently site throughout the web site having customer satisfaction commitments.

To add to the thought it was authentic, the pricing seemed good but not amazing. As you probably know a typical pair of Ugg Boots cost about $110. On Buyuggsboot.net the cost was $89.00- approximately a $20 savings. Seemed like a good deal, but they werent so cheap that I thought it could be scam. As an aside, last year Nordstrom had a similiar sale on Ugg boots so the pricing seemed...

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Jo says "Clinique Lines and Defines my Lips" about Clinique Defining Liner for Lips

Jo — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:15:38 GMT

To the Point

Clinique Defining Liner for Lips is the second lip liner I have bought in about 10 years. My first experience wasn't great. However, my friend told me that it keeps her lipstick on longer.

On my makeup shopping spree to the Clinque counter I bought Clinique Defining Liner for Lips.

A Closer View

I took the advice of the sales clerk and bought the color pomegranate. Clinique Defining Liner for Lips costs $14.00 which is about the same amount as I would pay for any decent liner.

I didn't know until I went to write this review that the cover has a built in pencil sharpener. That's really cool. I have a pencil sharpener but it's nice to have one anytime I need it.

Clinique Defining Liner for Lips is creamy and goes on very smoothly even when sharp. I agree with the claims that it goes on evenly as well. I line my lips and then was told to color my lips with the liner. Another method is to draw two dots on the upper lip's bow, a dash across the bottom of the lower lip and then...

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ladym33 says "Bakugan Booster Pac Extension Plus New Vestoria " about Bakugan Booster Pac Extension Plus New Vestoria

ladym33 — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:35:29 GMT

I did not even really know what Bakugan was until McDonalds was giving away the Bakugan toys. But apparently my 5 year old did. He has been watching the show with his older brother and when he got a Bakugan toy from McDonalds he went nuts. Then he started seeing them at the store and started begging me for them.

Bakugan is kind of like Pokeman it is a Japanese action anime drama which surounds the lives of creatures called Bakugan and the battle brawlers who possess them. The Brawlers use the creatures to fight in battles. Based on the series several Bokugan toys have been released. Kids can use them with a set to battle other kids or having each Bakugan creature battle an other or they can just battle individually. You can buy sets that include a few different Bakugans or you can buy individual Bakugan creaters in Extension Packs.

One of the ones that I bought my son is Bakugan Booster Pac Extension Plus New Vestoria. The New Vestoria Bakugan creature is dark blue...

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AngelaWLaFon says "Cuisinart Waffle Maker Makes Homemade Waffles Easy & Yummy" about Cuisinart Waffle Maker - Classic Round Waffle Maker - WMR-CA

AngelaWLaFon — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:09:56 GMT

Cuisinart Classic Waffle Maker

I am a big believer in starting the day off right with breakfast. As a homeschool family, we enjoy making and eating breakfast together. It may be as simple as some yogurt with granola or scrambled eggs with rosemary but waffles are always a hit. I admit I've been a frozen waffle buyer for years but last year we traveled across the country and the kids discovered fresh waffle makers in hotels. It's just hard to go back to frozen waffles after enjoying freshly made waffles.

The Cuisinart Classic Waffle Maker:

Comes in stainless steel

Easy to use with a "Ready to Bake Light" and "Ready to Eat Light"

3 settings for your waffle preference

Heats up fast

Wipe clean baking plates

The Cuisinart Classic Waffle Maker really is easy to use. I have a couple of tips though. Spray with Pam. Follow the directions and don't fill the waffle maker plates all the way or else it will run over. Fill about 2/3 full and you'll have a full size waffle after you close...

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Jo says "Chobani Greek Yogurt: give it a try" about Chobani Greek Yogurt

Jo — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:34:22 GMT

I learned about Chobani Greek Yogurt at a 12-week weight loss class I have been taking. The reason it was mentioned is because of the amount of protein the yogurts have.

I just finished Blueberry Non-Fat yogurt. I have tried every flavor (except plain) and find them all really delicious. Make sure you stir them because the fruit is at the bottom. I have one a day!

Chobani Greek Yogurt comes in 6-ounce and 16-ounce cups. That is a bit strange because the larger containers serve 2 although they have 8 ounces. Obviously you'll get more calories in half of the 16 ounce yogurt.

The company donates 10% of their profits to charities. http://www.chobani.com

Chobani Greek Yogurt is delicious. I was a bit apprehensive at first because I am so used to non-Greek yogurt I had no idea what to expect. I thought it would be too thick but it isn't. It is just the right consistency.

My Blueberry yogurt has real blueberries in it; 14 grams of protein; no fat; and no cholesterol. However it has 20 grams of...

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Bryan-Carey says "Gladys Porter Zoo: Small, but Very Memorable" about Gladys Porter Zoo

Bryan-Carey — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:29:08 GMT

Family time at the zoo is a regular occurrence in my household, thanks to our membership at the Houston Zoo. We visit several times per year, for educational and recreational purposes but even though we have a membership, we still like to check out other zoos while on vacation. And one zoo we visited recently and enjoyed very much is the Gladys Porter Zoo, a small zoo located in Brownsville, Texas.

Zoo Facts:

The Gladys Porter Zoo is located near downtown Brownsville, Texas. This small zoo opened to the public for the fist time on September 3, 1971, the result of a private donation to the City of Brownsville, which now owns and operates the zoo. The zoo is smaller than average, with only about 31 acres of total space.

Gladys Porter Zoo includes exhibits of animals from all of the major continents and the animals are allowed to roam freely. This zoo divides itself into four main sections: Tropical America, Indo- Australia, Africa, and Other. In addition to the animals, the Gladys Porter...

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Jo says "Amana 30 Inch Freestanding Electric good on a budget Range " about Amana 30 Inch Freestanding Electric Range #AER5830VAD

Jo — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:36:42 GMT

To the Point

We finally decided that having two burners on which to cook just wasn't working. We wanted a ceramic top and it had to be electric. We didn't want to spend a lot of money. The Amana 30 Inch Freestanding Electric Range #AER5830VAD was $400.00 on sale at Home Depot back in August. The regular price is around $550.00. That's still in the low end of range prices.

A Closer View

The first thing we noticed was that this range is smaller than our previous one. It doesn't make a difference to us. We have a small kitchen so it is good. What isn't good, especially for a family, is that the bottom drawer is not nearly as deep as any other range I've owned. My cookie sheets are always falling in the back and onto the floor.

I would not recommend the flat top style range if you have children. I know that kids touch coils as well but the ceramic is hot even when it is not red. There is a hot light indicator but a child would have to know to look for it.

The Features

Pros

The Amana 30 Inch...

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PattyTherre says "My two fave inexpensive body butters but which wins my $8.00?" about Tree Hut vs. Avon's Mark Self Sanctuary: Battle of the $8.00 Body Butters. Which is Better?

PattyTherre — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:00:10 GMT

Body butters! I love them. I have very expensive ones, all natural ones, and I have some inexpensive ones. Two of my favorite body butters under $8.00 are Tree Hut's various butters and Avon's Mark Self Sanctuary body butters. But if I had to pick just one, which would it be? Read on to see!

Tree Hut Body Butter vs. Avon's Mark Self Sanctuary Body Butter

Size and Cost

Tree Hut's body butters come in a 7 ounce tub for about $7.50. Self Sanctuary body butters are 6.7 ounces and cost $8.00. Both go on sale frequently though. There is so little diffrence in the two in these areas that I call this one ...

The Winner: A Tie

Scents

Tree Hut has luscious scents like Coconut Lime, Hawaiian Kukui, and Almond Honey. Avon's Mark brand comes in fresh blends like Lemon Sugar, Honey Jasmine, and Lime Lavender. My favorites are Tree Hut's Coconut Lime and Mark's Self Sanctuary Lemon Sugar. I have tried the other Tree Hut scents and all were amazing. I smelled the Lime Lavender Avon brand and thought it...

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GigiandAdonai says "Great for dancewear or for layering. " about Intimate Eve Camisole

GigiandAdonai — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:49:22 GMT

The Intimate Eve Cami came from Sears and I can't remember the last time I shopped at Sears. I was with a friend on Saturday and she was in search of the perfect petite-sized housecoat with snaps for her 88-year-old mother. None of the anchor stores at the mall sold them so they kept suggesting we go to Sears; which really was our last department store of choice when we had Belk, Dillards and JC Penneys but we headed to Sears and while on the way to the lingerie department I spotted the camisoles. I wasn't really shopping for anything and honestly, I wasn't in need of more camisoles but they were on sale so I got me two, a pink one and a white one.

I don't wear many of the nylon camisoles that were worn 20+ years ago. I like the sporty camisoles with the built-in shelf bra. Why? Because many of the dancers realized we could wear these as the outer garment during practice because it was like a tank-top but still added some support. Those of us who are flatchested aren't really...

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Bryan-Carey says "Palo Alto Battlefield: The Beginning of the Mexican War" about Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park

Bryan-Carey — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:45:25 GMT

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PattyTherre says "Good soap but doesn't last long. The others are better values." about Bath and Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap

PattyTherre — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:33:01 GMT

Quick View: Bath and Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap is great smelling soap that effectively cleanses hands. I find, though, that the foam type seems to run out very quickly compared to the deep cleansing and moisturizing varieties in the same scents. I like this soap but prefer the longer lasting non foaming soaps better.

My Take on Bath and Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap

This liquid hand soap comes in 8.75 ounce plastic pump bottles in many signature scents and newer fragrances that Bath and Body Works carries. You can choose from unisex scents to very girly ones to clean, fresh types. The pump soap is fragrant and it is, indeed, a frothy foam. It's very lightweight and doesn't dry my skin. However, I find that I have to pump it several times to get enough to feel as though my hands are really clean. My husband and son also seem to use much more than they would if it were regular hand soap as compared to the foam.

When I rinse my hands, they do feel cleansed and smell great....

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bkovacs says "Great location and efficient care" about Inova Woodburn Surgery Center -

bkovacs — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:23:29 GMT

My wife recently had foot surgery, and she had it at the Inova Woodburn Surgery Center. Located just 100 yards from the intersection of the Capital Beltway (I-495) and Gallows Road in Annandale, VA, the Inova Woodburn Surgery Center is close to my home. I do not know if it is associated with nearby Inova Fairfax Hospital, a huge and highly regarded hospital in this area.

Inova Woodburn Surgery Center supports a lot of different outpatient surgery, taking cases that free up the operating rooms at the hospital. I spoke to a woman at Inova Woodburn and she said that the center used to specialize in eye surgery, but that it now does a variety of surgeries. She said that she appreciated the variety.

As for my wife, she had foot surgery by a foot specialist that she's seen a few times. The physician is an orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in foot and ankle problems. My wife really likes the doctor but doesn't particularly like his office, which she finds chaotic and inefficient. However, she...

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TheBard says "Delve deeper, if you dare, into the world of the supernatural" about Living Dead in Dallas

TheBard — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:43:02 GMT

By the end of the HBO series True Bloods' first season I had become intensely interested in reading the series of books upon which the show is based, and so I bought the boxed set of (7) books, the second of which is Living Dead in Dallas.

Synopsis

Living Dead in Dallas picks up where Dead Until Dark left off. The book revolves around the life of a waitress, 26-year-old Sookie Stackhouse, who makes her home in the Northern Louisiana town of Bon Temps.

Living Dead in Dallas opens as Sookie finds the dead body of Lafayette, the openly Gay short order cook at Merlotte's the bar in which she works. Sookie soon learns that Lafayette had been frequenting local sex parties and she believes members of the group might know something about her associate's murder so she uses her "disability" to start tuning into people's thoughts as they come into the bar.

About this time Bill informs her that they have been summoned to Shreveport to appear before Eric Northman at his bar named Fangtasia. ...

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CyndiA says "Pelonis heater is great for spot heating in your home. " about Pelonis H0-0218 Heater

CyndiA — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:48:40 GMT

I am sitting here beside my Pelonis heater cube. I tend to chill when sitting still at the computer but hate to heat up the whole house when I know that I'm warm enough when I'm up moving around. Also, the boys tend to like the house cooler. So the Pelonis heater works out great in my small computer area.

My Granny had the Pelonis heater and used it to heat her small living room where she quilted. It was made the whole room nice and cozy, and she didn't much use the other rooms in her apartment, so that worked out great for her. That's what made me decide to get a little portable heater. I really liked hers.

For the size, the Pelonis puts out an amazing amount of heat. I have a bigger model at work, but it does not put out as much heat. It's enough for under my desk. But that one cycles on and off - meaning I'm cold about half the time. The Pelonis has a good fan and just keeps putting out heat until it's actually turned off. So - no cold periods of time.

On high and with the heater right...

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CyndiA says "Masterbuilt Indoor Turkey Fryer - Safer and Easier Large Fryer" about Masterbuilt Indoor Turkey Fryer - Butterball

CyndiA — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:32:22 GMT

We wore out our last turkey fryer and went with the Masterbuilt Indoor Turkey Fryer this time. It's built smaller and safer, plus it can be used indoors which is nice on really cold days which is usually when we fry turkey.

Butterball Turkey company teamed up with Mastbuilt (bit name in turkey or outdoor fryers) for this model which is much like the indoor fryers for chicken and French fries.

There's a housing box and then the oil goes in the unit. A large basket and a lifter round out the product.

It takes around a gallon and a half of oil, so that's a lot. It can be strained and used again. But, I season the turkey pretty heavy, so I don't think it looks good enough to try to strain with all the Holen One rub floating in there. Oh well. Straining oil through cheese cloth and finding a place to store it is not my idea of a good time anyway.

Since we did a turkey breast last night, we ran the temp at 325 F. For a large turkey, it would go up to 375 for frying. With these high temps, we...

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jazzybean01 says "Blue Machine keeps you going all day long" about Naked Juice Blue Machine Juice Smoothie

jazzybean01 — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:13:46 GMT

I've never had a Naked Juice beverage before so I didn't really know what to expect. I was in the mood for a fruit drink without all the sugar. My first experience with Naked Juice Blue Machine Juice Smoothie was the price; $4 a bottle, yikes! My next reaction was also out of shock when I took my first taste. Naked Juice Blue Machine tasted like an entire meal in that one sip!

There is so much going on inside this blue bottle. In each bottle there are 27 blueberries, 3 blackberries, 3 1/4 apples, one banana (banana sustainably grown and harvested-rainforest alliance certified). Drinking Naked Juice Blue Machine Juice Smoothie is a thing for your body and the environment. It's always nice to see companies trying to do their part to be sustainable and support the environment and industries that also try to help.

By drinking Naked Juice Blue Machine Juice Smoothie you are getting lots of nutrients and vitamans without all the added sugar and preservatives. Blue fruits...

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PattyTherre says "A very limited can opener that is really just a novelty" about As Seen on TV Onetouch Automatic Can Opener 29101

PattyTherre — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:56:51 GMT

Quick View: The As Seen on TV Onetouch Automatic Can Opener 29101 is a battery operated can opener that actually opens cans by itself, shuts off by itself, and supposedly lifts can lips up and out of the cans with ease. I found it works on normal sized cans but not on smaller or larger ones very well. It's noisy and slow too.

My Take on the As Seen on TV Onetouch Automatic Can Opener 29101

I bought this gadget when I saw it on a deal a day site for around $11.00 shipped. The hype was that it opened all cans with just a touch of a button, lifted the lids up with its magnet, and took no space on the counter. I liked all that but it turns out that the claims were inflated.

This hand held unit does latch onto normal (vegetables, dog food, fruit) cans and it "walks" itself around the lid. It does seem to lift those lids up with its magnet and the lids nor the can edges are sharp. The unit is noisy and slow though and has a 20 second cycle no matter what the size of the can.

When I use it on...

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