Reviews by Friends of sunnylori13

this2shallpass19 says "The Philosophy Recipe Box makes a great gift for the holidays!" about Philosophy The Recipe Box gift set

this2shallpass19 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:49:39 GMT

A little bit ago, I ordered the Philosophy Warm By the Fire gift set, and loved getting a variety of different products to try out. It's a good way to introduce yourself to new scents without having to pay for the full-size product.

Having a good experience with the last gift set, I decided to order a new one: Philosophy The Recipe Box gift set. Like the previous gift set, this one also comes in adorable, gift-ready packaging. The box looks slightly festive and cozy with a little girl wearing a bakers hat. This gift set includes the following:

Red Velvet Cake 3-in-1 Shower Gel (6 oz.)
Sweet Creamy Frosting 3-in-1 Shower Gel (6 oz.)
Real recipe cards for Red Velvet Cake and Sweet Creamy Frosting
Reusable recipe box

If you are not familiar with Philosophy 3-in-1 products, they can be used as shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath. I love them for shower gel because they lather nicely and smell great, but I'm a little disappointed in their lack of bubbles for bubble bath.

I'm a...

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this2shallpass19 says "What's the point of a pocket if it doesn't catch anything?" about Circo Baby Bib

this2shallpass19 — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:28:31 GMT

My son has been trying to spoon feed himself lately, and we've been making a mess! His baby bibs don't fit anymore, so I went to Target looking for a toddler bib. I bought the Circo Baby Bib because it is made out of a plastic-like material that can be wiped off and it has a pocket to catch food that might fall down. It also has a dinosaur on the front, and my son is in a major dinosaur phase right now!

This Circo Baby Bib was $5.99 for only one bib, so I was a little hesitant to buy it at that price, but I bought it anyways. The bib has a velcro closure around the back of the neck like most bibs have. The front of the bib is made out of polyurethane, so you can easily wipe food off of it. There is a pocket at the bottom of the bib that is supposed to catch crumbs, chunks or whatever. I find the pocket to be almost totally useless.

The first time I put this bib on my son, I gave him a muffin to eat and excitedly looked inside the pocket afterwards to see what it collected. ...

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this2shallpass19 says "Pomegranate Pizzazz is a fruity tea that's not too sweet or sour" about Bigelow - Pomegranate Pizzazz Herb Tea

this2shallpass19 — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:13:51 GMT

Bigelow Pomegranate Pizzazz Herb Tea is a nice change from the horrible Tazo Wild Sweet Orange Tea I just bought. Pomegranate Pizzazz is a great tea that is made with all natural ingredients and comes in individually wrapped tea bags for freshness.

What makes Bigelow Pomegranate Pizzazz Herb Tea different from other teas I have had is that it is made with real fruit juice. The fruit juice must be what gives this tea a beautiful, dark cranberry color. They really put the best fruit flavors together in this tea because it is slightly sweet, not too "fruity", and just a tad bit tart. The pomegranate is detectable, but I also taste a little cranberry.

The tea bag wrapper states that since this tea is made with real fruit juice, it would make a great cold tea too. I have to admit, that sounds like it would be amazing. I think the fruit juice adds a great element to this tea that might not otherwise be obtained. If you enjoy fruit flavored tea, you should definitely love this!...

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LisaCarey says "I can breathe again- boy this is fast acting!" about 4 Way Fast Acting Nasal Decongestant Spray 1 Fl.oz

LisaCarey — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:29:38 GMT

It's winter time, which means I have sinus trouble. Between the wonky weather in Houston (one day it's 70 the next its 55), travel, dry air from furnaces and the cold weather when I travel the months of November, December and January are tough on me. Desperate for fast relief I sent the husband out (my hero!) to pick up a sinus spray that would really work. He came home with 4 Way Fast Acting Nasal Decongestant Spray.

4 Way Fast Acting Nasal Decongestant Spray is easy to use, and only takes a couple of puffs of the applicator. The applicator actually is the right size for me, not too big and not too small. It is important to follow the directions as using this product too many times or using too much of it can really damage your sinus passages and cause nose bleeds.

That being said, if you follow the directions and just want quick relief then 4 Way Fast Acting Nasal Decongestant Spray is a good nasal spray to use. Within about an hour I was able to breathe freely and get...

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LisaCarey says "Takes off a days worth of makeup and more " about Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover

LisaCarey — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:12:01 GMT

My mom likes Clinique (and Lancome) in that order. I like Lancome and Clinique - in that order. The good news is that when we visit each other we don't have to pack our entire skin care regime but borrow from each other to take care of our skin. During my week of borrowing one of the products I absolutely had to use of her's was Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover.

I am not big on makeup, but when I put it on I use products that are meant to last a long time, all day and most of the evening too, so I use waterproof mascara's and long wearing lipsticks. This makes removing make up at the end of the day a little tough, so I need something that can "take the day off" and be gentle enough on my skin. Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover does a very good job of both.

Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover is easy to use, but I do suggest using only cotton balls. I was out, and used a tissue and ended up having to use far more than I normally do. so invest in some cotton...

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this2shallpass19 says "I really wanted to like this eco-friendly product but....." about Scott Naturals Napkins

this2shallpass19 — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:03:45 GMT

Whenever I have options, I always try to buy the eco-friendly version of something as long as it isn't unreasonably priced. For Thanksgiving this year, I went to the desert with friends. As I did my shopping for the trip, I was searching the paper towel aisle for napkins made from recycled paper. There weren't very many to choose from, but Scott Naturals Napkins were both reasonably priced and made from recycled ingredients, so I chose them.

I like that you get 120 napkins in a package, and I also like that these napkins are made from 80% recycled fiber. Unfortunately, those are all the positive comments I have for Scott Naturals Napkins. Not only are these eco-friendly napkins one-ply, but they are unbelievably thin. They are so thin, they require several of them to do the job that a regular napkin can do in one. As soon as they get wet, they shrivel up and become totally useless.

I'm all for eco-friendly products, but if they don't work well, I won't bother. Unfortunately,...

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LisaCarey says "Great for moisture - not so much on wrinkles " about Olay Pro X Wrinkle Smoothing Cream

LisaCarey — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:55:55 GMT

Thanks to my membership with Vocalpoint I received a full size jar of Olay Pro X Wrinkle Smoothing Cream to give a try. Now, I am willing to pay more for a quality product, (like Lancome or Clinique) but was so glad I had the chance to try this first.

Let me start by saying, I don't really have any wrinkles. I do have one along the top of my forehead, but around lips and eyes I am pretty lucky. I think it's genetics because my mom still has beautiful skin and she is over 60. The first week that I used Olay Pro X Wrinkle Smoothing Cream the very first thing I noticed was that it was very smooth to apply, only took a little bit to handle my face and neck and that there was no "yucky" scent to deal with. It was also extremely moisturizing, so much so that I had concerns about my skin turning oily.

The next week I used Olay Pro X Wrinkle Smoothing Cream my skin was softer and smoother, but still no discernible difference with my wrinkles.

After a week traveling (and...

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LisaCarey says "I feel pretty oh so pretty - and romantic and I smell good too?!" about Michael Kors Fragrance

LisaCarey — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:11:46 GMT

Most people are very selective about the perfumes and fragrances they use. It's a very personal thing. For example Angela feels Beautiful when she wears Estee Lauder's fragrance every after many years of use. I feel the same way about Michael Kors perfume.

What do I like about Michael Kors perfume?

it's sexy, every time I put it on I feel like I am attractive
it's romantic
I like it so much I put it on just for me!
subtle tones, but "load" enough to stand out
every time I wear it someone asks me what I have on
the sales lady laughs when I buy it - saying you have to have a certain type of personality to go with this one - and I guess I got it
long lasting
florals, musks, spices

What don't I like about Michael Kors perfume?

it is expensive

Michael Kors perfume is not so subtle, or soft but it is brilliantly beautiful to the senses. It evokes romance and a feeling of being beautiful, not to mention gets me noticed. What more could a girl ask for in a fragrance? ...

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LisaCarey says "Makes me a Picasso with photos " about Google Picasa 3

LisaCarey — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:59:11 GMT

I am a frugal person by nature, and if I can find something for free that will do a job as well as something I have to pay for then I am all for giving it a try. Google Picasa 3 is one of those free things that works as well if not better than many other photo enhancement and publishing tools.

What I like about Google Picasa 3

it's free
it is easy to use simply download and start using it
stores my photos for me
allows me to safely and quickly share them online (without any need to have ads to buy something like Snapfish does)
easy to use correction and enhancement tools - zoom, cut, crop, red eye
and best of all - easy to do export

For example, I took hours trying to figure out how to make a picture the right size pixels using other tools. I really need pictures as part of my service writing articles and since I can't afford a professional photographer - it's all up to me. In order to make a photo the right size I simply go to the photo choose the short cut for export...

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LisaCarey says "Helps this family save on entertainment, dining and more!" about The Entertainment Book

LisaCarey — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:12:40 GMT

I love to save money, but don't we all. One of the best ways I found to save money many years ago (when I was a single parent) was the Entertainment Book. Now, many moons later, I am older, wiser, still a parent and still using the Entertainment Book just about every week. To be honest, the only time I didn't use it was when we lived in Knoxville because there wasn't one available there.

What I like about the Entertainment Book:

easy to buy online
pays for itself in just one use
used for dining, fast food, entertainment, dry cleaning, car washes, oil changes, travel plans, hotels,
helps me find places I may not have tried without the book
helps me save money wherever I go
savings with both coupons and the card
registering my book means I can use extra printable coupons from the website
coupons grouped according to usage
coupon index in alpha and neighborhood order

What don't I like about the Entertainment Book:

that this year I don't have two of them and...

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this2shallpass19 says "Badger Cheerful Mind Balm smells so good!" about Badger Sweet Orange & Spearmint Cheerful Mind Balm

this2shallpass19 — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:44:06 GMT

I recently purchased several citrus-scented Badger products online and experienced mixed results. I absolutely loved everything about their Tangerine Breeze Organic Lip Balm. The scent was perfect and so was the feel of it on the lips. As great as the citrus scent was of the lip balm, I was totally disappointed in the scent of the Fresh Citrus Body Butter. Instead of smelling like fresh citrus, it smelled like lavender. I have a major aversion to floral scents, so I had to throw it away.

One of the employees of Badger contacted me and wanted to make up for the bad experience with the Fresh Citrus Body Butter. She mailed me a couple of products to say sorry, and Badger Sweet Orange & Spearmint Cheerful Mind Balm is one of those products. It is supposed to be an aromatherapy product, which means it can enhance your mood as well as your body. Badger says: "Just rub a little on hands, temples, forehead, or anywhere that needs soothing. Breathe it in."

What I love about...

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this2shallpass19 says "An average diaper rash cream with mediocre ingredients." about Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Diaper Rash Cream

this2shallpass19 — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:18:27 GMT

I am a member of BzzAgent, so I receive free products or samples in exchange for my honest opinion of the product. My latest campaign is for two Aveeno Baby products: Aveeno Baby Essential Moisture Shampoo and Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Diaper Rash Cream.

I thought the shampoo was pretty average and I think the same of the diaper cream. I might be a little biased though, because I prefer baby products that are made with all natural ingredients.

What I do like about Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Diaper Rash Cream is that it is nice and thick. It coats the problem area very well and provides a nice barrier. I also like that it is made with oat kernel extract, beeswax and a couple other natural ingredients. After several applications, it did help the beginning of my son's diaper rash.

What I don't like about this product is that it contains mineral oil and two types of parabens. I don't buy any products for my son that contain either of those ingredients, so naturally, I'm a little...

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this2shallpass19 says "This soy-based candle smells amazing and burns a long time!" about For Every Body Holiday Memories Sugar Cookie 22-oz jar candle

this2shallpass19 — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:43:11 GMT

While shopping at my second favorite store, Ross, I came across a deal that seemed too good to be true - For Every Body Holiday Memories Sugar Cookie Candle, which is a 22 ounce, soy-based jarred candle for only $4.99. Anyone who buys candles knows one, how expensive soy-based candles are and two, that 22 ounce candles of any variety usually cost a lot more than five dollars. Soy-based candles last longer and burn cleaner, so it was a real bargain.

I didn't expect much from this candle simply because it was so inexpensive. Lucky for me, this candle is absolutely perfect AND only $4.99! I have been burning this candle for a while now and can barely see an indentation of burned wax. I can tell this candle is going to last for a very long time. Besides how long-lasting this candle is, the best thing about it is the delicious Sugar Cookie scent. The scent is nice and strong and permeates the air nicely. It smells like a wonderful combination of butter, sugar, crust and vanilla. ...

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this2shallpass19 says "Tons of veggies in this Gerber Graduates Meal!" about Gerber Graduates for Toddlers Lil' Entrees - Garden Vegetables & Pasta in Tomato Sauce

this2shallpass19 — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:44:42 GMT

I do cook a homemade dinner on most nights, but there are those days when we are eating something spicy, or I just don't feel like cooking that Gerber Graduates meals really come in handy. My son is a very picky eater, so I am making my way down the varieties seeing which ones he'll eat. The most recent variety is Garden Vegetables & Pasta in Tomato Sauce. He ate it, but it wasn't exactly like eating pizza!

Some of the Gerber Graduates for Toddlers Lil' Entrees can be a little bland, but I think this variety was more flavorful than most. This meal comes in a tray with two divided sections. One side is the pasta, veggies and tomato sauce, and the other side has peas and corn. To my son's dismay, this meal is loaded with veggies, so I mix the corn and peas into the other side. By the name of this product: Gerber Graduates for Toddlers Lil' Entrees Garden Vegetables & Pasta in Tomato Sauce, I was thinking it was a meatless meal since there is no mention of meat in the title,...

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MikeMaroon says "Lookin for Love in all the Wrong Places......" about The Imperfect Enjoyment

MikeMaroon — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 17:36:25 GMT

by Dwan W. Gibson reminds me of dudes I knew in high school who used to brag about all the women they had or everyone sitting around the big screen TV, watching some reality show and recounting their dating horror stories from Match.com. And that's just how it reads. Mr. Gibson opens his first and, so far only, book, a memoir with the statement "The girls have always been good to me, most of the time." He then recounts his first kiss, in the seventh grade. From there it's all about the women he loved and lost.

Sometimes humorous, sometimes serious and always to the point, Gibson fashions a breezy and at times raunchy narrative describing how he got hooked on "the fairer sex", and his pursuit of love, often in all the wrong places. He moves away from his home in Cleveland for the bright lights of California, mostly to satisfy his sense of adventure and desire to get away from the social restrictions of a black man living in the midwest.

What he finds in San Diego isn't exactly...

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this2shallpass19 says "Thin, low-fat Pretzel Crisps with the flavor of Buffalo wings!" about The Snack Factory - Buffalo Wing Pretzel Crisps

this2shallpass19 — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:18:48 GMT

Knowing I love all things with a Buffalo wing flavor, my husband brought me home a snack he thought I would enjoy: The Snack Factory Buffalo Wing Pretzel Crisps. My husband knows me well, because I love this snack for several reasons: it's crunchy, healthy and it tastes great.

The Snack Factory Buffalo Wing Pretzel Crisps are thin, flat pretzels baked to a perfect crunch, then dusted in Buffalo wing seasonings. The end result is...delicious. The package says that they started with their snack-size pretzels, then removed the middle, leaving a thin, crunchy, pretzel-like snack. I like how crunchy they are; they have the appearance of a pretzel, but crunch like a thin cracker. The Buffalo wing flavor is slightly spicy with notes of vinegar and hot sauce.

What I love about these is that they are not only delicious, but very low in fat and calories. One serving consists of 18 pretzel crisps and only has 110 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. If you're a snacker like me, you know those...

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this2shallpass19 says "This lip balm had potential, but didn't quite find it." about J.R. Watkins Natural Beeswax Lip Balm

this2shallpass19 — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 23:44:18 GMT

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am addicted to lip balm. Anytime I see an all natural fruity or minty lip balm, I buy it. My latest purchase is J.R. Watkins Natural Beeswax Lip Balm. It met all of my requirements: all natural, minty and paraben-free, but it didn't quite meet my expectations.

What I did like about this lip balm is that it is made with 100% natural ingredients, it's paraben-free and it has what J.R. Watkins calls "a hint of pure peppermint oil". On paper, this sounds like the perfect lip balm, but unfortunately, it isn't.

What I don't like about this lip balm is the way it smells. It smells like plastic or wax, not peppermint. When you apply it to your lips, it smells even more like wax, with the tiniest hint of mint. They weren't kidding when they said there was a hint of peppermint oil in it. Ironically, it does make your lips tingle like peppermint lip balms do. The texture of this product on your lips, isn't too bad, but isn't as soft and silky as...

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this2shallpass19 says "The Victoria's Secret VSX supports, but it's hard to get on!" about Victoria's Secret VSX Sport Body-Wick Natural Crossover Bra

this2shallpass19 — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:40:26 GMT

I was recently in a Victoria's Secret store taking advantage of a great sale they were having. One of the items I bought was the Victoria's Secret VSX Sport Body-Wick Natural Crossover Bra. It was on sale for only $12.99 instead of it's normal price tag of $30.00. I needed a new sports bra and I love Victoria's Secret products for their high-quality, so I decided to buy it.

The Victoria's Secret VSX Sport Body-Wick Natural Crossover Bra has the following features:

Removable padding
Body-Wick technology moves moisture away from the body
Racer-back
Support for medium impact sports like yoga, hiking and cycling

I didn't read the tag well enough to realize that I was buying a sports bra for a medium impact sport and I needed it for running (high impact). Luckily, this sports bra worked out anyways and provided the support I needed. I do have to say that the plunging neckline is very exposing. It looked like I had a push-up bra on, so there's no way I would wear this by itself,...

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LisaCarey says "Doesn't get my shoes under anywhere " about Shoes Under Shoes Under

LisaCarey — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 07:23:46 GMT

Usually I am very hesitant to purchase most "as seen on TV" items, but I have had some success lately and honestly was getting desperate to find a way to store my daughter's shoes so that we could find them later. After much begging by my daughter to purchase the Shoe Under (she saw the commercials) her dad and I agreed and put through our purchase.

First, let me start by saying the site is awful. Sure I can get lots of them for less dollars (the more you buy the less they charge sort of) but then I had to pay extra for shipping. The doubled my order and never gave me a chance to correct it (no check your order function before submitting). You put in the number your credit card information and hit submit, there is not way to check anything to make sure there is no mistakes. Whallah! A screen pops up and I now have 6 of them coming in the mail and my credit card was charged for it. Next I find out that it's almost impossible to find their customer service number on the site. Once I had...

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LisaCarey says "Nothing fun about the fandango " about Fandango

LisaCarey — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 07:09:52 GMT

Once upon a time I could go to the theater and enjoy a good movie. Now, with young children in the house I have to be much more picky about when I see a movie and which ones I take time for. I first started using Fandango many years ago after moving to help me find cinemas and get information about movies but recently I also gave it a try for a Fandango gift certificate that I won from a contest right here on Viewpoints. (Thanks viewpoints!)

I wanted to take my children to see Toy Story 1 and 2 the double feature in 3D. While some of the online information was helpful such as the cinema and times some of it was confusing and I ended up having to call the cinema anyway. I did like that I could see a quick review there about the movies, but of course nothing that could rival the reviews here on Viewpoints.

Next I attempted to purchase my tickets and use my gift card. There were several things about this process that I didn't like. First, there are service charges - so much...

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