Reviews by Friends of thedabostic

RudiXeno says "TRESemme European Shampoo: Works nicely for us" about TRESemme European Shampoo, Vitamin E Moisture Rich, Dry or Damaged Hair

RudiXeno — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:59:24 GMT

When you live in a household with a bunch of longhaired, oh so style and fashion conscious women as I do, an almost omnipresent item on the shopping list is shampoo and conditioner. Yikes! This can leave a huge hole in the wallet, especially if you've fallen for the "salon brand hype".

I have a pretty fair degree of training in chemistry. I produce my own soaps and skin care preparations and even manufacture specialized high performance cleaning products. So, I'm pretty much at home with the ingredients that typically grace the label of shampoos.

But it seems no matter how much I try to impress my family with the virtues of brands such as Suave and White Rain that can be purchased for the mere value of the products, it's a tough fight.

Interestingly, the most costly ingredient in a 32oz. bottle of a Salon Brand shampoo is the plastic bottle and the dispensing cap! The ingredients inside the bottle rarely exceed 50 cents. Now that's just plain pathetic.

TRESemme European Shampoo,...

...

RudiXeno says "Polar 24 oz. Insulated Water Bottle: Gentler on the environment" about Polar Bottle Insulated Water Bottle, 24 Oz

RudiXeno — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:49:46 GMT

A few months back, my daughter returned from school announcing that she had just joined a project to design an effective campaign to reduce the use of single serving plastic water bottles in favor of re-usable insulated bottles by her classmates.

As a result of her participation, we paid a visit to Sports Authority and purchased a Polar 24 oz Insulated Sports Bottle.

Some Interesting research

In 2007, Americans consumed approximately 50 billion single serve bottles of water. That's about 1 billion bottles a week. Although this water is transported in a combination of ships, trains and trucks, imagine a weekly convoy of almost 38,000 18-wheelers needed to transport this water.

While almost all water now comes in totally recyclable polyethylene terephthalate plastic (PET) bottles, it is estimated that over ¾ escape recycling and end up in landfill. Since most of the bottled water we drink is consumed outside the home most bottles are simply trashed. This certainly has the ring...

...

njchicaa says "LUSH So White smells pleasant but doesn't impress." about LUSH So White Bath Bomb

njchicaa — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 01:42:14 GMT

I was super-unimpressed with this year's LUSH holiday lineup and refrained from buying more than a small handful of the products to try. I recently picked up 3 of their So White Bath Bombs in a "buy one, get two free" sale. There wasn't much that I was interested in trying, but I liked the scent of this reasonably-priced product.

According to the company's description, LUSH So White Bath Bomb "is made with an uplifting fragrance of refreshing oranges, apples and romantic rose and is meant to awake you if you've been under a spell." I liked the fact that it had a pleasant green apple-type fragrance which is why I decided to bring a few of them home.

Unfortunately, the performance of the So White Bath Bomb left a lot to be desired. It did impart a bit of fresh apple fragrance to the immediate bath area, but the water softening and overall relaxation experience was lacking. Each one of these LUSH Bath Bombs cost $3.95, but I have to say that I don't think that they are even worth...

...

njchicaa says "After 30+ years, I've finally found a potato that I don't like." about Simply Potatoes Hash Browns

njchicaa — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 23:56:49 GMT

I looooooooooooooooooove potatoes. In fact, my mother reports that she had serious cravings for mashed potatoes when she was pregnant with me. Mashed, baked, scalloped, home-fried, twice-baked, stuffed, there really was no way to prepare them that I wouldn't completely love... until now.

I bought a 20 ounce bag of Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns to prepare for a possible snow-day sleepover with my sister and her boyfriend. That never materialized, so I decided to make myself a nice breakfast this morning of scrambled eggs and nice crispy hash browns. Unfortunately, after following the directions on the bag exactly, these Shredded Hash Browns remained white and soft no matter now long I let them cook in the skillet. Sure, I wound up with a nice burned layer of potatoes stuck to the bottom of the pan, but the main bulk of the potatoes never "crisped" up. I wound up spreading them in a glass baking dish and broiling them... and, still, with that extra added step it took about...

...

RudiXeno says "Bosch Nexxt 500 Plus: The Right Front Loader" about Bosch Nexxt 500 Plus WFMC5301UC Front Load Washer

RudiXeno — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:35:34 GMT

A couple of years ago, when our house saw its 20th birthday, several of our major appliances were growing long in the tooth. For the past few years we have noticed that they needed more frequent repair. But now they were beginning to fail. First to go was our GE Dishwasher. After careful research we settled on a Bosch Evolution 500 Series as its replacement.

Next came our washing machine. Our Kenmore Top Loader had served us well. It's no longer common to find washing machines that will last for 2 decades. But now it was beginning to rust out and the time had come to replace it.

Perhaps 10 years ago we might have marched into Sears and purchased an updated version of the top loader we owned. But we were looking for something that was more efficient both in terms of water usage and energy consumed.

The Search

Over the last several years I've read and rated over a thousand reviews of washing machines. With all that experience I found that information has a way of sticking....

...

RudiXeno says "Mitchum Clear Gel Antiperspirant & Deodorant: A Family Choice" about Mitchum Clear Gel Antiperspirant & Deodorant - Rain Storm

RudiXeno — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:03:32 GMT

Recently, when I was at the market I found our Mitchum Clear Gel Antiperspirant & Deodorant nowhere to be found and so we "settled" on Degree Invisible Stick - Cool Rush. We liked it, but still our Antiperspirant & Deodorant of choice remains Mitchum Clear Gel in the Rain Storm Scent.

Living in South Florida, we find that a deodorant itself isn't enough. We prefer a combination deodorant/antiperspirant. Ideally, it should be a product that the whole family both can and want to use. For us that product is Mitchum Clear Gel Antiperspirant & Deodorant.

Mitchum Clear Gel Antiperspirant & Deodorant in the Rain Storm scent goes on as a light gel that is quickly absorbed into the skin. The active antiperspirant ingredient, Aluminum Sesquichlorohydrate, is mild and temporarily fills the pores through which you would ordinarily perspire.

What We Like

The alcohol-free, quick drying formula is mild enough for the Xeno women to use the product soon after shaving underarms. Unlike many...

...

njchicaa says "Freshen up your counters with this Norwegian Angelica Spray." about Caldrea Norwegian Angelica Countertop Cleanser

njchicaa — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 02:20:44 GMT

I've been a big fan of the Caldrea line of cleaning products over the past 10 years now, so it wasn't a surpise for me to find their Norwegian Angelica Countertop Cleanser in a Christmas gift from my ssiter.

According to the label, Caldrea Norwegian Angelica Countertop Cleanser contains essential oils of lemon and parsley. The name of this product comes from the name of a plant, Garden Angelica, that has an herbal fragrance. The actual scent of the product is very herbal, fresh, and clean. If you gave me 4 or 24 hours to try to figure out exactly what the scent components were, I wouldn't be able to do it. To me, the scent is just a bright and fresh herbal-type aroma.

As with all Caldrea Countertop Cleansers, this one is highly-scented spray cleanser that can be used on walls, woodwork, tile, laminate, porcelain, fixtures, sealed wood floors, and sealed stone. It is great for light clean-ups and freshening up the scent of a room, but this Norwegian Angelica Countertop Cleanser...

...

njchicaa says "Cran Slam is a nice holiday candle scent!" about Yankee Candle Beanswax Cran Slam Candle

njchicaa — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 00:24:53 GMT

I never really got into the soy wax candle thing, so I had no experience with it until a few days ago when I received a Yankee Candle Beanswax Cran Slam Double Wick Candle as a gift from my cousin's fiancee. I'm all about candles, so I was eager to try it out.

According to the Yankee Candle company web site, Beanswax candles contain 100% soy wax, no artificial colors or dyes, and are made from a renewable resource. The Cran Slam candle that I received was completely opaque white in color and with a wooden lid lined with some kind of metallic foil layer to prevent it from catching on fire.

I've been burning my Beanswax Cran Slam Double Wick Candle for a few days now and I just love it. The scent is a lovely combination of sweet and tart cranberries. Despite the fact that the wax melts and the wicks become exposed quickly, there is no black smoke or soot produced by this Beanswax Candle. One of the biggest turn-offs for me about the regular Yankee Candle Housewarmer Jar Candles...

...

njchicaa says "Goodbye Grind and Brew! I love my new Keurig Platinum Brewer!" about Keurig Platinum B70 Keurig Brewer

njchicaa — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 23:29:24 GMT

We received a Cuisinart Grind and Brew Coffee Maker a few years ago as a Christmas present from my sister. I hated it from the get-go, but we were stuck with it because it was a very expensive gift that family members expected to see in the kitchen month after month and year after year. I expressed a desire for a Keurig Platinum B70 Brewer many times over the past year to my husband, and wouldn't ya know? Santa left one under the Christmas tree for me this year. He's good like that!

The whole point of the Keurig Platinum Coffee Brewer is that you simply put a pre-measured package of coffee into the machine, put a cup under the dispenser, and then simply hit "brew". You'll have a piping hot cup of coffee in 30 seconds! There is no messing around with measuring beans, grinding beans, cleaning out filters, etc. You just pop the K-Cup into the Keurig, hit brew, and voila! Coffee! There are also K-cups to make several varieties of tea, hot chocolate, and even chai. K-cups average...

...

njchicaa says "If you like red licorice, check out this philosophy shower gel!" about Philosophy Red Licorice 3-in-1 Shampoo, Shower Gel, and Bubble Bath

njchicaa — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 22:41:29 GMT

I used to be an equal-opportunity licorice fan until one very bad night back in college involving Black Sambuca. I stick to red licorice these days and was thrilled to find a bottle of philosophy 3-in-1 Red Licorice in a Christmas present from my sister.

philosophy Red Licorice 3-in-1 is a combination product that can be used as a shampoo, shower gel, and bubble bath. It is a transparent but deep red in color and smells SURPRISE!!! like red licorice. If you had someone blindfolded and wafted the scent of this stuff under their nose, they would bet their life that you had a bunch of Twizzlers in front of them. The smell is THAT dead-on.

As with all of the philosophy shower gels, Red Licorice works exceptionally well as a shower gel. A dime-sized amount of a mesh sponge produces enough bubbles and lather to completely wash my whole body. As a bubble bath, it does produce some bubbles and fill the tub area with the pleasant licorice scent, but the bubbles disappeared fairly quickly. ...

...

njchicaa says "Jodi Picoult's Vanishing Acts is not her best work." about Vanishing Acts

njchicaa — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 04:04:49 GMT

Jodi Picoult's Vanishing Acts is a novel that was first published in 2005, but I am just getting around to reading it thanks to my sister's loan of several Picoult paperbacks. I recently had 3 unplanned days off from work due to a major snowstorm, so I tore through Vanishing Acts in some of that free time.

This novel centers around Delia Hopkins, a woman who works with her bloodhound to perform search and rescue missions for local police, county, and even federal agencies. She is engaged to be married and has a gorgeous daughter... life is good for Delia until her father, the only parent she has ever had, is arrested for kidnapping her as a child. Her life is turned upside-down and the fact that her fiance is representing her father (and not sharing information about the case with her) doesn't help the situation.

There are many subplots in Vanishing Acts. Aside from the obvious kidnapping trial, there is a prison story, a sisterly story, a relationship story, a friendship story,...

...

RudiXeno says "ForceFlex Quick-Tie: Not quite ready for prime-time" about Glad Forceflex Quick Tie Kitchen Trash Bags

RudiXeno — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 06:02:41 GMT

Not too long ago I tried Glad's ForceFlex Tall Kitchen Trash Bags. This was the variety that came with the familiar drawstring. Having previously pretty much stuck with the Publix store brand, I had to say I was impressed. In fact I tested them for their strength and found that they could easily hold four 1 gallon bottles of water weighing just over 32 lb. My Publix bags couldn't.

So it wasn't long before I found Glad ForceFlex bags on deep sale in the local BJ's Wholesale Club. A box of a million or so bags (actually "only" 140) for a very reasonable price.

All Glad ForceFlex Bags are not created equal

Had I looked carefully I would have noticed that these bags had no familiar red draw-string. Sure they had the signature criss-cross pattern from which they derive their incredible strength, but no draw-string. In its place were four elongated flaps that could be tied together in order to seal the bag closed. As far as I was concerned, I didn't think it was going to be much...

...

RudiXeno says "Alfi Juwel Gold Plated Brass Carafe-Serving it Large & Luxurious" about Alfi 30579000100 Juwel Gold Plated Brass Carafe (Thermal Pot)

RudiXeno — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:23:32 GMT

The Xenos just love to entertain. Give me an audience to demonstrate my cooking chops and I'm all set.

And after the meal is done what's better than to savor a good cup of coffee.

"Who wants decaf?' queries Veronica. "G_o_o_o_d G_a_a_d!" I scream in my head, apparently channeling Norman Thayer from On Golden Pond. Great! Now I have to put up two pots. We have plenty of coffee makers around so that's not the problem.

"Anyone need tea?" she adds trying to be the perfect hostess. By now I know she's just trying to tick me off. Veronica knows that's there's no way I'm going to put three glass pots on the dining room table. She wants to show off the Alfi Juwels.

Alfi Juwels
Alfi has been producing elegant carafes since 1918. They were first used almost exclusively on the Pullman cars of American railroads. They are constructed in Germany and feature double walled glass liners that are guaranteed to keep liquids either hot or cold for up to 12 hours. Each carafe has...

...

njchicaa says "Ooooooooooooh I love my Sunbeam Microplush Warming Throw!" about Sunbeam Microplush Warming Throw

njchicaa — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:58:04 GMT

I'm always cold during the winter... I keep an electric blanket on my side of the bed to keep me warm and cozy while in bed. Sitting on the couch at night after the automatic thermostat has cranked down the heat has always been problematic, but I recently bought myself a Sunbeam Microplush Warming Throw to deal with the situation.

Basically, this product is a mini electric blanket that you can keep by the couch or office desk to keep you warm and comfortable if room temperatures are chilly. The suggested retail price is about $65 but I bought mine for only $35 which is a much more reasonable price in my opinion. The Sunbeam Microplush Warming Throw has a 3-level heat controller (low, medium, high) and an automatic turn-off after 10 hours. It is supposed to be machine-washable, but I've never had luck with washing my electric blankets so I'm not going to start with this one.

I love the convenience of having this Sunbeam Microplush Warming Throw Blanket. I can take it downstairs...

...

njchicaa says "This Iowa Pine Lquid Hand Soap simply smells like Christmas. " about Mrs. Meyer's Iowa Pine Liquid Hand Soap

njchicaa — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:23:22 GMT

I've been a big fan of the Mrs. Meyer's line of cleaning products for several years now. They used to sell a lovely gingerbread-scented hand soap each Christmas, but this year they are featuring Iowa Pine as their holiday scent. The company describes it as an "aromatherapeutic" and festive blend of pine, clove, and cedar.

I picked up a 12.5 fluid ounce bottle of Mrs. Meyer's Iowa Pine Liquid Hand Soap at the local Target for about $7. I love the fact that the company doesn't test on animals and uses biodegradable ingredients. This is a fairly thick liquid soap, so you only need one pump's worth of product to completely and thoroughly wash your hands. It produces lots of bubbles and lather as you use it, it rinses away quickly and easily, and leaves hands smelling lovely without completely stripping skin of moisture. The scent is complete and total "Christmas": spicy fresh pine with a hint of cedar and spice. LOVE IT!

I'm very happy to have found Mrs. Meyer's Iowa Pine...

...

njchicaa says "Everyone loves Christmas Vacation!!!" about National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

njchicaa — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 04:00:46 GMT

I've never been a fan of silly, obvious, and slapstick humor which is why I refuse to watch movies by Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Mike Meyer, Steve Carell, etc. I really am a huge movie snob when it comes to watching holiday films. I hate most of them but I absolutely adore National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation once again follows the Griswold family as they prepare to celebrate the holiday. Clark has decided to host both sides of the family for a "fun, old-fashioned Christmas". He starts by getting a tree that is entirely too large for his yard, let alone his living room. He follows that up with several tens of thousands of lights all over every exterior surface of his house. Most people would consider such a spectacle to be, well, a spectacle... but after watching Christmas Vacation a house completely illuminated by tiny white lights seems reasonable.

Simply put, there is no funnier holiday movie than Christmas Vacation. Chevy Chase...

...

njchicaa says "Emeril's Essense Seasoning is a wonderful addition to your meals" about Emeril Original Essence Seasoning

njchicaa — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 01:58:15 GMT

When I was growing up, my mother made hamburgers out of plain ground beef and occasionally topped them with a slice of cheese. They never had much flavor and I wasn't a huge fan of burgers... until I met my husband. When we would hang out on weekends, he'd make these delicious hamburgers that he made with various spices/seasonings, A1 steak sauce, and a dash of worcestershire sauce. I was introduced to the whole wide world of flavored ground beef!

I've been using Emeril's Original Essence Seasoning for several years now to add flavor to the meals that I prepare. I add it to ground beef to add flavor to burgers, meatloaf, and savory meatballs. I've also sprinkled it on roasting potatoes and even grilled corn on the cob to add a bit of spice. You can buy a regular-sized bottle in your local grocery store for like $5, but I picked up a large 21 ounce bottle for about $8 at the local BJ's Wholesale Club.

A little goes a long way with this seasoning blend that contains ingredients...

...

njchicaa says "The Wine Tree Wine Rack looks lovely on your shelf." about The Wine Tree Wine Rack

njchicaa — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:05:28 GMT

One of the things my then-boyfriend brought to this house was the Wine Tree Wine Rack. I've never been a huge wine drinker, but my husband is and I use a fair amount in my cooking. The fact is that we go through several bottles of wine each week between cooking, relaxing, and entertaining. We keep the Wine Tree Wine Rack prominently displayed on the back counter of our basement bar and it never fails to be admired by our guests.

Basically, this is a 6-bottle wine rack that stores 750mL bottles in alternating and inverted directions. It looks pretty cool when you have 3 bottles of red and 3 bottles of white lined up by color in this Wine Tree Wine Rack. It has a loop at the top so it can be either suspended from the ceiling or simply set on a counter. We used to keep it crammed on top of our microwave and jammed next to cookbooks in our kitchen, but since we've built a large wet bar down in our newly-finished basement, we now keep this Wine Rack downstairs and prominently displayed...

...

njchicaa says "Need a quick appetizer? Buy these Pepperoni Pastry Bites!" about Pillsbury Savorings Mozzerella and Pepperoni Pastry Bites

njchicaa — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 20:14:57 GMT

I'm usually the person who invites people over and makes all of the food (appetizers, main course, side dishes, bread, etc) from scratch. I was recently served several varieties of Pillsbury Savorings Frozen Appetizers including these Mozzerella and Pepperoni Pastry Bites.

As the name implies, these frozen appetizers are bite-sized pieces of pastry filled with mozzerella cheese and bits of pepperoni. They go straight from the freezer to a 400 degree preheated oven for 17-19 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. You can find Pillsbury Mozzerella and Pepperoni Pastry Bites in grocery stores and even in the "frozen food" sections of Walmart and Target. They are very easy to find and reasonably priced at about $5 per box.

These Pillsbury Savorings Pastry Bites have been big hits the few times thus far that I've served them to guests. They are very tasty and, well, I guess a more elegant version of pepperoni pizza rolls. I am the kind of person who tends to make all of my...

...

njchicaa says "Stay roasty toasty in bed with this Biddeford Electric Blanket!" about Biddeford Twin Electric Blanket

njchicaa — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:11:26 GMT

I am always cold at night during the winter. The fact that my husband has the heat turned down to 62 degrees while we sleep. I've been using an electric blanket for the past several years, but I don't seem to have much luck washing them so I wind up buying a new one each year. This year I bought myself a Biddeford Twin Electric Blanket at the local Kohl's store. It was originally listed at $89.99 which is a price that I never would have paid, but we got it on sale for just $39.99 which is a much more reasonable amount!

This Biddeford Electric Blanket is blue polyester with a nylon trim at the top. It is the first warming blanket that I've ever used with digital controls. I love the design of the control box because it sits upright on your nightstand so it is as easy to see and use as an alarm clock. You select your desired level of heat (1--low to 10/H--high) and then wait just a few minutes for the blanket to be all warmed up. This product is supposed to be machine washable,...

...