Archive | September, 2011

Teva® Mush Flip Flop Review by Phoebe

21 Sep

Back in September of 2009, my fiance and I attended the wedding of a friend of his from his days as an airline pilot. I had met his friend on several occasions, but never got to meet his bride until we made the trip to West Virginia for the wedding. We were invited to stay in a chalet with the families of the bride and groom. It wasn’t until we were directed to our room when it was brought to my attention that the bride owned a couple of shoe stores. I love her already.

When we opened the door to our room at the chalet, there were two gift bags on the bed. One for him and one for me. Inside the gift bags were some snacks and a few gifts including a pair of flip flops. Say WHAT?! I love flip flops! The kind of love I would feel for a long, rough, oily back rub from a male underwear model on a beach in the French Riviera. True love.

I put the flip flops on my feet to ensure that they fit and I haven’t taken them off since. The flip flops were women’s size 8 Teva Mush sandals. The sandal from Teva gets its name from its “Durapontex® EVA midsole and three-point nylon thong upper, which offers a springy, luxurious fit” (according to their own product description). There was no breaking them in. They were immediately my new favorite footwear. Well … at least I THOUGHT there was no breaking them in.

I took the sandals home and wore them non-stop (as I said before). It wasn’t until a couple weeks after the wedding when I realized what made these flip flops even more better. Yes, I said, “even more better.” Because that’s how awesome what I’m about to tell you is: The sandals began to take the shape of my feet. Sure this happens sometimes with flip flops, but this was different. Is was almost like slipping my foot into a mold that was made specifically and uniquely for my own feet. Arch support in a flip flop?! What!?

The support that I began to experience from the Teva Mush was incredible. I would go to amusement parks and instead of wearing sneakers, I would wear my Tevas. I would take a walk with my family and instead of wearing sneakers, I would wear my Tevas. I would go to a sporting event (as a spectator) and instead of wearing sneakers, I would wear my Tevas. It’s ridiculous how comfortable they are!

*Before reading further, please be aware that “over-wearing” flip flops or wearing them for physical activity is frowned upon by most medical professionals and I do NOT recommend that you do this. It just so happens, I can be a little stubborn and tend not to listen to medical professionals.

I have owned them for two years now and they have not torn. They have not ripped. They have not crumbled. They have not given me blisters. They have not let me down … ever. If I could have intimate relations with these shoes, I would. *I’m sure this last suggestion would also be frowned upon by medical professionals.

Anytime I feel like making love to a shoe, it automatically gets 5 Cups of Joe.

 

 

 

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Vinegar – a Green Alternative To Clean by Ramona

15 Sep

A while back I ran across something on TV that warned of the dangers of household cleaners. Honestly, about 4 years ago, I would probably have skipped over that show with a roll of the eye, thinking how crazy people have gotten when it comes to all things “green.” However, having a child with health issues has certainly opened my eyes to a new way of thinking.  I absolutely loved my household cleaners. After each use, I truly felt as if I had single-handedly just spared my family of microscopic toxins and germs invading our home. The trademark of this heroic feeling? The smell of clean! Ahhh!!

I began looking at the labels of my everyday household cleaners. I had a cleaner for my bathroom, one for my kitchen, another for dusting, yet another for windows, and of course a million containers of disinfecting wipes. I began educating myself and learning just how bad these products are for the environment and your health with prolonged exposure. Not to mention, I really spent a fortune in cleaning products when I sat down and thought about it!

I began to consider the “greener” options and the results were astounding. Vinegar became my weapon of choice. I purchased several large spray bottles (from the dollar store) and a huge bottle of white vinegar ( 1 gal is about $3-$4 at Wal-mart). I made up a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water and went crazy. What I had just found was a multipurpose, inexpensive, disinfecting, green alternative to my clusters of hazardous cleaning products. I will admit the smell of it is not easy on the nose, but after it dries it is completely odorless. If you are still missing the scent of your old cleaners, you can dapple in various essential oils. Lemon, eucalyptus, lavendar….just squeeze a few drops into your bottle and the take a wiff!

Just a few of the many possible uses….

Windows – to me, works just as well as Windex

Bathrooms – Counters, mirrors, tubs….Add a little Borax (found in cleaning isle) with your vinegar solutions to have a sparkling toilet!

Floors – Just spray and mop!

Kitchen counters – replaces my disinfecting wipes (interesting enough if you read the labels, it says to wipe off with water after use! Who does that!?)

Appliances – A few sprays in the microwave and heat for 10 seconds and stuck on food wipes off with ease. Also great for cleaning out the fridge!

Weed Killer – Pour a little on your outdoor weeds in your flowerbeds and watch it work!

Wall paper remover – I would never have believed this is I hadn’t done it myself. It works better than any stripper I have ever used. Just spray on wipe over with a damp rag to distribute, wait a few moments and it literally almost falls off the walls.

The possibilities are endless! I challenge you to try this and then let me know your thoughts! You will be amazed!

I give this a 5 out of 5 Cups of Joe!!

 

 

 

 

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Ouidad Climate Control Review by Phoebe

12 Sep

I have a confession to make: I am a former hair straightening addict. It didn’t matter where I was going or what I was doing: I would not leave the house with so much as a teeny wave in my hair.  I was born with stick straight hair. Then, when puberty hit, it brought with it some evil little troll who invaded my head and magically transformed my maintenance free straight hair into a curly, wavy, frizzy disaster. I immediately began straightening my hair and didn’t stop for 20 years. I started “getting my hair did” after I divorced back in 2003. This combined with chronic straightening and my hair became dry, damaged, overworked, overtreated and ultimately turned on me. I lost chunks of hair and my stylist put her foot down. I believe her exact words were, “I’m not highlighting your hair anymore and you need to stop straightening before you go bald.” Okay…maybe that’s not what she said, but that’s what I heard.

So I began wearing my hair curly and went through about 50 different products including mousses, gels, sprays, balms and even some kind of paste that took about one full week of shampooing to get completely out. I was at the end of my rope. Nothing would give me the curl I wanted without the frizz and stiffness. All I wanted were nice, gentle SOFT curls that could be touched without making them go limp or get frizzy.

I was up late one night and saw an infomercial for a product that claimed to instill “curl confidence” in it’s customers with a line of climate control gels and sprays that were guaranteed to give you the EXACT curl you want without frizz. Naturally, they showed before and after pictures to show the IMMEDIATE results. I was hesitant, but then I looked in the mirror at my out-of-control locks and decided that I had nothing to lose. It was reasonably priced and the before/after photos were hard to ignore.

I ordered it and 3 weeks later it appeared at my doorstep. Naturally, with most infomercial products they set you up on an auto-delivery, auto-pay system with the option to cancel within the first 30 days. However, you can order as little or as often as you need to on their website without the auto-delivery option. The package I ordered came with the Climate Control Heat and Humidity Gel, Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner, the Botanical  Boost Spray, a comb and 5 hair clips. I was a little overwhelmed. Why in the hell did I need all of this? I removed the instructional booklet from the box and saw that it also came with a DVD.  Oh…okay. Let’s watch.

I felt like I had all the information I needed to get started. I washed my hair and went to work. I started with the Leave-In Conditioner. My hair is a just little longer than shoulder length, so I used just a tad (maybe a quarter-size) of the conditioner. I worked into my hair as evenly as I could and moved onto the Climate Control Gel. The instructions say to let your hair air dry. So, I put it into the curling position I wanted using just the comb and my fingers. The clips are handy if you like a little “bounce” around the face. You secure the clips while your hair dries for a “lift.” I scrunched it just a little and left the hair at the top of my head and around my face a little straighter. Two hours later I was left with some crusty, heavy hair. I began “squeezing” the crustiness out of my hair by just scrunching it with my hands. This worked to soften up the curls and give it a softer look. However, the leave-in conditioner left my hair feeling REALLY weighed down and kinda sticky. Not cool. I believe that if you have very thick, dry or frizzy hair, then the leave-in conditioner may help you more than it helped me. I have average thickness to my hair, not thin, not thick…but my hair is FINE which may have led to the heaviness feeling.

So the next day, I tried it again without the leave-in conditioner. MUCH BETTER! While it still dried “crusty,” I was able to squeeze it soft and it kept its shape without the frizz. I might be in love. It took me about two weeks to figure out the right amount and styling secrets. But I stuck with it and now I use it almost every day. There are many different products to choose from on their website, www.ouidad.com. So many that it can be a little overwhelming. They make it easier by allowing you to shop by category, curl type or concern.

I use only the Climate Control Gel and it really gives me the look I spent nearly a year trying to perfect. I now have soft manageable curls that are easy to maintain and it doesn’t look “white-trashy” (I mean no offense to anyone by using that term, but couldn’t think of a better description). Not to mention, my hair is healthier than it’s been in nearly 8 years. My stylist was pleased with my progress and she happily began highlighting me again without threats of making me go bald. Always a plus.

There is ONE drawback to using the Ouidad Climate Control Gel. It doesn’t wash out well with regular shampoo (I have not tried the Ouidad Clear and Gentle Clarifying shampoo). There are still times when I like to straighten my hair. When I do, it tends to be sticky and frizzy and does NOT cooperate. I found that if I want to straighten, I need to use an over the counter clarifying shampoo to really get all the Ouidad product out of there. That would be my only drawback and is the only reason I’m giving Ouidad 4 Cups of Joe.

*I was not provided free/discounted products from Ouidad, nor did they ask me to review this product for them.

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Black and Decker Waffle Maker Review by Ramona

9 Sep

My family is ridiculously obsessed somewhat fond of waffles…so much so, that they would eat them for every meal if given the chance. They would eat them here or there, they would eat them anywhere, with a fox, in a box (can you tell what story we just read for nap time?) …  My four-year-old asks me every time we leave the house if I am going to bring him home a waffle.  My husband will pile 6 at a time into the microwave just for himself. You can see how this adds up! I have purchased many of the whole grain good-for-you varieties but they are easily twice as expensive as the store brand ones and they don’t have a family or bulk size that I have seen. I cringe when I have to purchase the family size box with hardly any nutritional value whatsoever. I know they aren’t made with battery acid or anything, but hey, I try to get in the whole grains when I can!

So, the other night while making a mad dash trip to the grocery store for a few forgotten items, my four-year-old screams and bolts through the aisles as if he has just seen Chucky Cheese passing out free tokens. Following him, quite curious as to what my tube-fed child would be so excited about in a grocery store, I found him standing in the aisle with small appliances and utensils. Really? Kroger now sells small kitchen appliances? Who knew? With a smile the size of Montana and eyes like saucers he showed me … the waffle makers.  We had talked about a waffle maker in the past but a few that we saw were crazy expensive and because we don’t get out much, we haven’t run across them since that time. The model in front of us now was the Black and Decker WBM500 Belgian Waffle Maker. From the picture of the box, it appeared to be easy to use, small enough to store, and displayed a beautiful fluffy waffle that was neatly divided into four sections when removed from the maker. Knowing that there was no way I could now leave this store without said waffle maker, I glanced down at the price expecting to laugh out loud. Shockingly, it was only $18. 97! Being a believer that you get what you pay for, I was a little skeptical, but we went ahead with our purchase. On the way home, my four-year-old and I began discussing which creations we would attempt first. My excitement was mounting. I could now make delicious homemade waffles in any flavor I wanted.

Later that evening I took the waffle maker out of the box (with great force, I might add. It was really hard to get out!) and began examining it and reading the directions. The next morning, the boys and I threw together our first waffle recipe. I used  buckwheat pancake and waffle mix, 1 egg, oil, and milk (which the box calls for) and we threw in cinnamon and blueberries. The directions say to plug the waffle maker in and wait a few minutes for it to preheat. We did so and after about 4 min, the light on top went from orange to green, indicating that is was ready. I opened the top of the maker and carefully poured in a little over 3/4 C of mix, spread it out with a spoon and shut the lid. The directions say that the light will again switch from orange to green when it is ready. This took 4 minutes exactly. When I saw the light switch, I immediately wished it had a buzzer, or timer, or something to indicate with sound that this process was complete. Otherwise, you have to stand there for four minutes, waiting for the light to change. Not sure about you, but I usually have ALOT going on in my house at any given time. A lot can happen to distract someone in four minutes! It would be nice to have an audible reminder when my waffle is done. Aside from that, when I opened the lid, I was pleasantly surprised to see a fluffy brown waffle, neatly divided into four sections. A success! I was easily able to lift it out with a fork. Clean-up is as easy as wiping it down with a damp rag.  I made a huge batch of waffle mix and just stored it in the refrigerator so we could have waffles again the next day. The following day I froze the leftover waffles to save for another day when I didn’t have quite as much time. Now, I can totally see the need for a larger waffle maker in the future when the budget allows, but for now this will do just fine. I can’t wait to make more waffle creations! Next on the list is pumpkin waffles! Look out Aunt Jemima, there’s a new girl in town!

Overall, a great product for the price, and it will save me a ton of money in the long run. Although not quite as convenient as frozen packaged waffles, in my mind, a much healthier option for just a little extra effort!

I would give this (based on the lack of audible timer) 4 cups of Joe!

 

 

Green B.E.A.N. Delivery Review By Ramona

7 Sep

To me, summer means more than warm weather and water skiing; it means fresh organic produce, farmers markets and gardening (of which I am a habitual failure at). There are few things in life that make me happier than perusing the isles of brightly colored seasonal fruits and veggies. The scent of a juicy cantaloupe as it is being cut is enough to send me into instant euphoria.

When I first heard about Green B.E.A.N. Delivery from a good friend, I was cautiously optimistic. Upon first mention it seemed too good to be true. Fresh, organic produce of my choice delivered right to my door every week? Hmmm … how fresh would it actually be? Can I trust someone else to select only the most perfect grapes? Would every grain of sweet corn be perfectly aligned? If I have anxiety when I send my husband to the store alone, how could I trust a complete stranger!!!!

This company is based out of Indianapolis and has a delivery area that includes the greater Indianapolis and Fort Wayne areas in Indiana, Dayton and Cincinatti, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky. Green B.E.A.N. promises to deliver your customized bin of seasonal fruit and veggie goodness (approx. 40 to choose from) as well as other natural grocery items either weekly or bi-weekly. There are 5 different bins to choose from, each varying in price and size. You can customize your order each week according to your needs. You are also able to see exactly which farm your produce comes from. The website also offers great education sources, food storage tips, and recipes. The company truly prides themselves on customer satisfaction and clearly states if you receive a product you feel to be of poor quality, they will happily offer you a prompt credit.

I eagerly started my membership process and selected a produce bin for my standing order (which you can also change at any time) and waited with baited breath for my first delivery, which was the following week. On my very first “Green B.E.A.N. Day” I could not have been more excited if Santa himself was coming for dinner. I opened the door to a big green bin (looking exactly like a recycling bin, only green … Duh) full of my weeks choices. The contents truly lived up to my high expectations. What I was most impressed with was the size of everything! Often when I chose to buy organic in my local supermarkets, the selections are somewhat lacking in luster. Each item was carefully selected with hardly any imperfections, neatly wrapped in brown paper bags and encased in Styrofoam with a freezer pack on top to keep it cool for delivery! The taste was amazing! While the prices do tend to be a bit above what I would pay my local grocer, I would say the service and quality of the products and the company far exceed the price difference.

Green B.E.A.N. offers more than just front door produce, they are truly dedicated to promoting health and wellness through non-profit organizations and aim to help hunger relief. Their website details their contributions and partnership with each of these organizations. Could this get any better?

You should totally check out their website, even if you have no interest in purchasing,  just to see how much these people rock! Go on now … greenbeandelivery.com

My rating for Green B.E.A.N. is an easy 5 cups of joe!

**Please note that I am in no way contracted with Green B.E.A.N. and they did not ask me to write this review. I did not profit from this and will not benefit in any way if you choose to sign yourself up.**

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