Books, History, Food, Politics, and Life

Books, History, Food, Politics, and Life
Things through a different light...

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Featured Product: Radha Beauty Tea Tree Oil




The Summer is here...as I have continued to say over and over again during the last few weeks. I think I continue to reiterate that point simply because the temperatures have escalated pretty quickly here in Georgia, leaving us all with a desire for cold drinks, air conditioning, and a nice afternoon by the pool.

The Summer also leads to an increase in skin irritation for my family...we are the fair skinned three here in Warner Robins and bug bites, rashes, and dry scalp can really be bothersome.

I like using different oils and so when the wonderful people at Radha Beauty offered a bottle of their Tea Tree Oil to sample, I jumped on the opportunity.

Here are my observations!

Product: Radha Beauty Tea Tree Oil 4 0z.
Price: $14.98 with free shipping for Prime Subscribers at amazon.com

Observations: I am a pushover for the fragrance of Tea Tree oil first off... I love its fresh and slightly sharp smell and so I am known to dab a bit on my wrists during the day. While there are no overall benefits to this, it is enjoyable to me. The product site does note that the fragrance of the oil is great for clearing sinuses and I can see this as a use during the Winter/Spring months.  When testing the oil, I used it as a scalp treatment and tested it on some irritated skin (both resulted in a pretty positive outcome). 
First for the scalp treatment, I placed a few drops along my scalp prior to washing...rubbed it in and let it sit for a few minutes. The oil left my scalp tingling and feeling fresh, removing some of the grimy oils that I do not like in my hair. The Results were...after washing, my hair felt cleaner and my scalp was less oily throughout the day, it was amazing and I loved it. I think this will be the primary way I use the oil.  Second, the folks at Radha Beauty recommended the oil for acne and skin irritation and so I rubbed a bit on a few spots on my face. Again the oil felt very refreshing on my skin and I will say that the spots were less irritated, but still took the same amount of time to go away...so this is more of a soother.
Finally, I tried it in an oil infuser to perhaps spread that amazing fragrance through the house, but this oil is not good for that...it lasted only a few minutes and so would not be cost effective.

Over all, I found this to be a great scalp treatment and very effective at soothing irritated skin.




The Radha Tea Tree Oil was provided to me for free as a product to test in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. 


Thursday, May 28, 2015

Review: XShade Car Shade

Summer is here... even if the date is early!
When we reach near 90 degrees heat before June, our cars can smolder in the sun and cause some pretty tricky situations when it is time to go somewhere. Having a easy to use, compact, and functional sunshade really helps in the South during the Summer... so I decided to test one out!

Today we will be talking about the XShade compact Sunshade and how it performed over the first few weeks of Summer here in Georgia.

Product: Jumbo Car Windshield Sunshade by XShade. This shade offers UV protection, heat resistance, and the ease of simple storage with its quick fold-up design.

Price: $14.97 with free two-day shipping for customers who have Amazon Prime. Get Prime at amazon.com .

Click Here to See the Shade

My Review:
This compact and easy to use sunshade is perfect for my compact 2014 Toyota Prius. I found the shade easy to open, install into my car and store when I am not using it. The shade comes in a small bag that is notebook sized and the shade is very easy to fold back up when you are done with it for the day. I found storing it in my tiny trunk space no problem and it is even small enough to store in the glove compartment or under the seat! The reflective material works great, I found that after using the shade on a hot day my car was NOT overly hot when I got in to leave and after folding the shade up I was off...cooling the car with no problems and NO HOT and painful steering wheel!!!

The shade is also durable, it handled a trip to Florida and a stroller being stored on top of if with ease, it is also easy to clean... a damp cloth does the trick. I will admit, I rarely close the shade up and just chunk it in the trunk and pull it out when I park, even with this abuse, the shade has not torn and held up well.

Overall I think the sunshade was amazing and I am completely satisfied.

I would like to thank the folks at x-shade for the opportunity to test the Sunshade. The product was provided to me at no cost in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.






Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Review: La-Kitchen Veggie Fruit Peeler

Product: the La-Kitchen Veggie Fruit Peeler

Item Description: 
  • PEEL VEGETABLES, ABRASION PROOF ; Clean, vogue,sharp, abrasion proof.Best for making unique, healthy, and pleasing meals
  • CLEAN AND HEALTHY COOKING:Health antibacterial and environmental protection. Unlike metal and steel which tend to have bacterial growth.
  • SHARP PEAL YET DURABLE:Sharp and able to endure wear and tear. Could be used for vegetables, potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, and other vegetables fast and with ease with sharpest blades ever created you are a master chef. Saves time.
  • CERAMIC CAN STAND EVEN ACID AND NEVER RUST; long lasting durable
  • LIGHT AND CONVENIENT, EASY TO CLEAN: enjoy your cooking and get kids involved. If, for whatever reason, you don't fall in love with this vegetable Peeler, just return it. We'll refund
Price: $9.00 with free two-day shipping for Amazon.com Prime Members 

I found this to be a strong, easy to use, and effective peeler that has the bonus of being safe to use and not as dangerous as the more common metal peelers. I thought the price was reasonable and overall I was very pleased with the results.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO WIN ONE... VISIT MY FACEBOOK PAGE!!!
Please watch my video demo below:


This peeler was provided to me as a product to test from La-Kitchen. I did not pay for the item and in exchange promised to provide an honest and unbiased review of the item.  I would also like to thank them for the contest! 


PureCopper Mugs for Summer Cocktails is the Way to Go! (And Beat the Heat) (UPDATED!!!)

Did you know it was Summer?  I mean I know "officially" Summer has not hit yet... but it is 90 degrees outside so it is Summer for me!

Is there a better way to beat the heat than sitting in the sun and having a nice ice cold cocktail?  No. (I answered for you)

I like the new "rustic" wave of decor, I like utility even better and the PureCopper Copper Mule mugs are both.  They are beautiful and functional... keeping drinks cold, holding up to abuse, and looking very pretty while doing it.

Product: 100% Pure Copper Mug for Cocktails, 16oz.

Price: $18.97 with free two-day shipping for all Amazon.com Prime Membership holders. 

GET THE MUG HERE!

The Pure Copper Folks have NOW added an awesome hammered mug that I like even better than the first, you can get it HERE for $21.97 with free two-day shipping for all Amazon Prime members, the hammered mug has the durability and versatility of the original mug with an amazing hammered finish.  It also comes with the recipe cards and is as thick and well made as PureCopper's first mug! 

I loved the mug. I found the copper to be stunning and sturdy. You can tell this is a well made product and it holds well with cold liquids. I used it for beer ;)

The mug is easy to clean and will last forever.

It fits with the new mode of rustic decor and would be an asset to anyone's outdoor dining collection.

The mug is affordable and less expensive than similar products.

I LOVED the recipe cards that came with the mug which included:
The Jack-Ass Mule, The Classic Moscow Mule, The Black Honey Mule, The Mexican Mule, and the Mule-jito.  All sound amazing and are on decent cardstock that will not fall apart upon using it once. The packaging was great and you can tell that the maker puts time and effort into each shipment. 
This is an amazing little mug, I am so happy to have one!

The PureCopper mug was provided to me by the nice people at PureCopper for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of their product, I was not paid for this review. I would like to thank everyone at PureCopper for the lovely mug!






Product Review: YaeloDesign Laundry Bag

With two adults, a toddler, jobs, and school...we go through a pretty heavy amount of laundry on a daily basis at the Wilson household. I love those surveys I take that ask if we do at least one load of laundry a week because I ask myself... who on earth is able to do that? We are so rough on the laundry...that most of our baskets are broken... and are always full. This does not change when we travel...the dirty clothes pile up fast (especially with someone who is indecisive about what they are going to wear...just blaming myself here). 

Today I am going to go over and review the YaeloDesign laundry bag. It is a pretty simple and no frills little accessory, but quite useful.

The laundry bag has  a simple 30x40 inch design with a thick strap that can hold up to some pressure. It is made out of polyester and feels like the same material a tent is made out of. This has some pretty awesome benefits...

1. It is spacious and can carry a lot of clothes (I got two full loads of laundry into the bag)

2. It is VERY light, it weighs nothing, so it is not going to weigh down your already heavy laundry. 

3. The material is light, but sturdy...it holds up well and will not tear easy.

4. The Strap means that you can transport your laundry with ease. 

I recommend a laundry bag like this for travel or for those families that do not have laundry facilities where they live... this is a GREAT bag for carrying the laundry to a laundry mat or a communal system. I totally see a college student or a frequent camper using this bag...it is great for transport.

I used it in my house as an extra laundry bag and found it also pretty useful. It might also be a good way to store Summer/Winter clothes out of season.





Product Information:
30 x 40 inch polyester laundry bag
Price: $13.99 with free two-day shipping for Amazon prime customers

This item was provided to me for free to test in exchange for my honest and unbiased review of the item, I was not paid for this review. 


Friday, May 22, 2015

Review: Eco Defense Bed Bug Killer

This product was provided to me by the manufacturer for free in exchange for a product test and an honest and unbiased review of the product. I was not paid for this review.


Product: Eco Defense Bed Bug Killer

Information: This spray comes in a 16 oz spray bottle and is ready to use upon opening. 
The spray is 100% organic and boasts all natural ingredients.
They do say that the killer is exempt from registration with Federal EPA under the FIFRA Act Section 25B and such is not registered with the EPA.
That being said... here are the ingredients listed on the bottle:

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Geranium Oil, Distilled Water, Citric Acid, and Ethyl Lactante.
(that is all)

The makers also state that if a customer is not satisfied with the purchase, it is 100% guaranteed. 


Price: $19.99 with free two day shipping for Prime Customers at Amazon.com

To Order the Product now.... CLICK HERE


Here Are My Observations:

1. The Spray comes out easy from the bottle with no leakage and has a steady flow without getting stopped up. The nozzle has the standard spray and stream options... stream is good for the sides of the bed and in crannies. 

2. I found that the spray had a very light scent that I had to bend down and almost get right up against to notice. If you are not fond of scents or have a problem with overly chemical smells, this spray works well for you. Without an overwhelming smell, I was able to continue working in the room following the initial treatment and had no issues.  I find this to be very beneficial because chemical sprays often smell horribly. 

3. After two weeks I have noticed no bedbugs OR fleas in the room. While our own home has never had a bedbug problem...we have dogs and often have fleas and this spray does repel the fleas as well.

I found this to be a very nice product, I am mostly interested in its 100% organic promise with very few ingredients.

I recommend this spray and gave it 5 stars on Amazon.





Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Review: BriaUSA Shirt/Dress Velvet Hanger Set of 10 Black Notched Shoulder Prevents Slipping Steel Swivel Hooks

Laundry is an untamable beast in our home... and I hang up everything (except pants, I do not hang up pants)... but from tank tops to tees, everything gets hung up in our home, so when the folks at BriaUSA asked me to test out their velvety shirt hangers, I jumped at the opportunity. Here are my observations:

Product: The BriaUSA Shirt/Dress Velvet Hanger set
Cost: $8.95 for a set of ten hangers with free shipping if you are an amazon.com Prime customer

1. You get a set of ten hangers in the set.

2. The hangers are compact, but not short in length. 

3. I found each hanger's velvety soft exterior to be really helpful to keep hard to maintain shirts and blouses on the hanger. The grip of the velvet is VERY useful because some items just slide off regular hangers.

4. The Hangers also include a handy notch to keep strappy tops on the hanger with ease, this works well.

5. The light-weight and compact hangers are none the less sturdy. They hold well and maintain their shape with heavy garments such as coats and sweaters. 

6. The Small swivel handled hangers fit into the closet well and do not add extra bulk, allowing for more efficiency in smaller spaces. 

7. The hangers are quite affordable in comparison to other similar products on the market, paying less than a dollar per hanger means that you can buy sets of these for your nicer garments and not spend a great deal of money.

8. Overall I found these hangers to be an affordable and functional product. They grip the clothing well and do not add an overwhelming amount of bulk in the closet. 








This is a product test solicited by the maker of the hangers. I was provided for free the hanger set in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of the product. I was not paid for this test. 

Friday, May 15, 2015

Product Review : Kuuk Premium Grade Professional Silicone Oven Mitts

Kuuk Premium Grade Professional Silicone Oven Mitts 



If they look used... it is because we have used the mess out of these thing


 When you cook as much as we do and you have a tendency to want to burn every part of your body that may have a chance to come in contact with the oven or range... good potholders are a necessity and vital. This is a review of the Kuuk Silicone Oven Mitts.

Price: $19.95 for TWO with free two-day shipping for Amazon Prime Customers at amazon.com


The Silicone is thick and textured
 First, The outside of the glove itself is made of a thick silicone. This protects your hands up to 450 degrees and feel safe. I think the added bonus of a textured outside also gives you as the cook a bit more safety from the hot surface..meaning these mitts provide great protection.

 
Padding means comfort!
 Second, these gloves are not simply silicone in nature. The inside of the glove has a quilted cloth padding, which makes the glove comfortable to wear. I like this for two reasons:
1. LOOK more barriers between you and the molten cooking utensils. The padding does not add weight, but it provides yet another layer of protection...something I liked.  The padding is also thick and well put together, sewn well and with quality, it will not fall apart quickly.
2. Most other silicone gloves I have tried are simply silicone and thus...can be a bit uncomfortable to wear and use. The padding in these gloves means the COMFORT of a traditional pot holder with the STRENGTH and PROTECTION of a silicone mitt.  A lovely combination.

Overall, these are some amazing mitts at a really good price, especially for two.

This is a solicited review. The manufacturer provided these mitts to me for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review of the product. I was not paid for this review nor was I asked to give positive feedback. 
 

Review: Beauty Lashious Pink Eyelash Curler

Having Long Lashes is a Curse....right?

No... I know it is an awesome thing to have naturally, but mine are awfully straight and when you put on mascara...they just extend straight out like they've been electrified, so having a good lash curler is key.

Today I am going to review the Beauty Lashious Eyelash Curler. This product was provided to me for free by the manufacturer in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of the product, I have not been paid for this review.



   
Does this live up to its promises???


Product Info:  The Beauty Lashious Eyelash Curler
Price: $12.95 with free two-day shipping for amazon.com Prime customers  
Get It Here!

This is the product I received
Observations:
The handle has a unique design that helped me grip and curl my lashes with ease. I found the way the grip is designed on the front of the curler allows for a much more secure hold and... thus a better lash curling experience.

This curler does NOT pinch or hurt. I have used it for over a week now with no pinching or pain, was really surprised.

You can use this curler with or without mascara and it produces very good results with little effort. My lashes were curled and springy the entire day after using the curler.

Overall I think this is a lovely eyelash curler that functions well and does not pinch, its unique design allows for a much more sturdy experience... giving you control over how you curl your lashes without any painful accidents. 

Product Review: The Coosh Macbook Car Charger

The Wilson family loves our tech. We travel with two laptops, ipads, phones, ipods...you name it, and thus our car has to be prepared to charge on the go. My mabook pro has a great charger, but it is bulky and hefty... a sturdy three pronged charger...not something I want to lug out of my luggage when we are on the road and so I was looking for something lighter, still reliable and sturdy, but less bulky... and I found it.


This is a review for the Coosh Macbook Car Charger

This is how it arrives


This product was provided to me for free as a product to test in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. 
Details of the product can be seen here 
The Product is currently out of stock on amazon, but when it returns, you can GET IT HERE

Here are my observations:

1. The charger is made for my macbook pro retina display laptop and works great as a replacement for my bulky charger on long trips. It is light, smaller, and yet rather sturdy and you can tell it is made with high quality materials. The charger does not feel flimsy. 

2. The High Speed System includes an automatic off function, which means the charger stops doing its work once the macbook battery has reached its capacity...meaning no continuous drain. There is a green light that comes on once the battery is charged...so I can unplug and continue use...plugging back up as needed and not continuous. 

3. The charger has an extremely long cord...which is fantastic. I think one of the worst thing about some chargers is the relatively short cord that is provided and this Coosh charger goes above and beyond expectation with a long cord that I can use in the back or front seat of my car.





This product was provided to me for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review, I was not paid for this review.