The Company You Keep (DVD, Instant Download)

The Company You Keep

I finally got around to seeing this movie from 2013, the other night. I'm always "late" when it comes to seeing new movies it seems. ;-)

Unfortunately, it was a big disappointment.  I expected a LOT better from Robert Redford, one of my all-time fav actors. It fell well short of the mark and for so many reasons.

So many things in this story didn't add up, here are just a couple of examples: 

The FBI is looking for Nick (the character that Robert Redford plays) for over 30 years on a murder charge and can't find him with all their resources, technology etc..but a young, brash reporter does a few clicks on Google and voila, all is revealed. Come on!!!

Having Robert Redford as the biological father of a very young girl made him look even older than usual. Could they not have made it just a bit believable by having his daughter at least in her teens or as her step-dad perhaps. He looked like a grandpa or great grandpa in this one. SO sad.

He supposedly commits this murder of a bank guard in the 70s, in the daytime, at a bank when he's not even there. Again, come on!!! I'm pretty sure they had video cameras in the 70s in places like banks at least, how could they screw this up so badly?

The lack of chemistry between Julie Christie (she's still so beautiful) and Robert Redford was painful to watch. Two great actors but no sparks at all!

There were more faux pas, but that was enough to totally discredit this movie,  for me.

Robert Redford has made some wonderful movies: The Way We Were, The Natural, The Horse Whisperer... this isn't one of them. Maybe time to give directing and acting a miss. Leave a legacy of quality work instead of drivel like this one.

If you have seen this movie, I'd love to hear your thoughts about it! 

Overall rating for this product: Unsatisfactory. 1 out of 5

PS: Have any of you with Blogger blogs had problems adding links to your sidebar? 

I can't figure out why I'm no longer able to add links (and not just review titles) to the categories on the sidebar. If you can help with this, thanks so much! :-)

Ringo Starr: Icon (CD)

Ringo Starr: Icon

I got this CD for Joe as a Christmas present, as he's always been a big fan of Ringo. 

I ended up liking the CD just as much as he does. ;-)

I've always been a huge Beatle fan, right from the time in the mid-60's when they first came over from England to the US and captured the hearts of fans everywhere, including me, as a (very) ;-) young child. 

My brothers (all older than me) REALLY got into the groove: wearing Beatle boots (remember those?), sporting the long, shaggy Beatle haircut and lapel-less sport jackets. 

The Twist and Shout (MONO LP and bought for $5 and change at the time!!) played almost endlessly, when we all got home from school. As we danced and sang our way around the house, 'til suppertime. Such happy, groovy memories! 

In those early days, Ringo always seemed like the "joker" of the group, "Mr. Cut-Up", in spite of being a very talented drummer. But he certainly proved in the years to follow that he is also a talented singer, producer and all-around musician. This ICON CD is proof of that, in a big way. 

I love the variety of songs on this CD. Every one is different and unique. 

My particular favs are: Only You, You're Sixteen and Walk With You, but I enjoy them all. 

And just like those Beatle tunes all those years ago, this CD gets me up and grooving around the living room too! ;-)

The sound quality is excellent on this CD. 

And what a great price: currently only $5. at Amazon.ca and $7. at Amazon.com. That is kind of weird, as online Canadian prices are almost always higher than US. But I'm not complaining. 

If you are a fan of the Beatles and in particular Ringo, this is a CD you will definitely want to add to your collection. 

ROCK ON RINGO! :-)

Overall rating for this product: Excellent. 5 out of 5.  

A Body at Bunco (Myrtle Clover cozy mystery series, book 8 )

A BODY AT BUNCO 

When I noted this cozy mystery by Elizabeth Spann Craig (click to visit her site/blog) at Amazon recently, it was the word "bunco" in the title that caught my attention first.  

Many years ago, my mom hosted bunco parties. 
At that time, I was a little girl, sneaking out of bed to see what was going on with all these ladies moving around our living room and porch, the tables, the treats...what a nice memory it brought to mind. :-)

And In case you haven't heard of BUNCO, it's a dice party game that is apparently still quite popular now.

A Body at Bunco was a real treat and Myrtle Clover is my kind of main character.

 Myrtle is spunky, sassy, opinionated (in a good way) and lives life on her own terms. 

And In spite of being in her 80s, she is not portrayed as some achy, whining older woman (which has all too often been the case in other books I've read), who is past doing anything constructive or exciting, Myrtle is still living life full-tilt and making the most of every day! ;-)

The story has LOTS of twists and turns and red herrings left along the way. Had me guessing who the real killer(s) was too, I like that. I don't like stories with obvious finales almost right from the start, that are too obvious.

Another plus with this series, the stories can be read in any order. Too often books in a series don't make sense, unless they are read in order from book 1...I appreciate that. 

I will definitely be reading more from the Myrtle Clover series! :-) Just delightful.  

Overall rating for this book: Very Good. 4 out of 5

Have a Beautiful, Memorable Summer! :-)

I'm taking a blog break for the next few weeks, at all of my blogs. 

I will still be writing a few reviews at Amazon.ca and Amazon.com during that time, so if you have a book or product you'd like me to consider for review, you can send me an email with your proposal. (See the top of the home page here for more info. about submitting review proposals.)

I'm going to be spending more time outside, enjoying the sunshine and working on a few projects too. 

I'll be back before autumn, with more reviews and hopefully some new contests too. Hope to see you then.

In the meantime, have a safe and happy summer. I hope it's your best one ever! :-)

Midnight in Paris DVD

I've been a fan of Woody Allen for a long time. He never fails to surprise and delight me with the range of talents and ideas that he brings to his work. And there are so many movies that he's directed, written and/or starred in to enjoy!  

                            

 Midnight in Paris is no exception. I loved (almost) everything about this movie.

It has a story with a timeless message. We can be happy wherever we are. Life is what we make of it, right here and right now. Seeking happiness in other places (and in the case of the main character in this story: other eras) never really lasts. But what a fun trip it was to go on, watching this story unfold.

Visually, this movie is such a treat. The beauty of Paris portrayed in the present and from the perspective of the 1920's is breathtaking. There is a dreamy quality to this film throughout.

Loved the costumes and the mesmerizing musical score too. My kind of music....classical jazz and Cole Porter, play on! 

Life is but a dream for the lead character Gil (Owen Wilson). Night after night... wishes granted. Visiting legendary haunts with some of his literary idols from the past, Gil is transported to another time and place. And a place in time that he doesn't really want to come back from to face the problems in his own 21st century life including a fiancee and in-laws that leave much to be desired.

There is also a sadness to this story. Not just the voice but also the heart and soul of Woody Allen come through the main character's thoughts and words. It is obvious that there are personal memories woven into many scenes of this film. Maybe some "could have beens" and perhaps regrets for him too. It made the movie even more memorable and touching for me. I teared up a time or two watching and considering Woody Allen's mindset as the final cut rolled. 

The only negative for me. Some of the acting was a bit "stilted" for lack of a better word when it came to present-day interactions between Owen Wilson and his fiancee in the movie Rachel McAdams. I found some of the dialogue and interaction between these two characters a bit over the top at times, tedious...I was always happy when the story slipped back into the world of the 1920's and Gil's vivid imagination.

This is an escape and "feel good" movie of the very best kind.

I could imagine seeing this movie in a big old theatre. The kind that still has chandeliers, velvet seats and heavy drapes on the stage. For a matinee performance, even better. Stopping in for a break from a busy city street and day. That would really enhance the experience. It's just that kind of film.

                          

From the Amazon product page:

"Paris is a city that lends itself to daydreaming, to walking the streets and imagining all sorts of magic, a quality that Woody Allen understands perfectly. Midnight in Paris is Allen's charming reverie about just that quality, with a screenwriter hero named Gil (Owen Wilson) who strolls the lanes of Paris with his head in the clouds and walks right into his own best fantasy. Gil is there with his materialistic fiancée (Rachel McAdams) and her unpleasant parents, taking a break from his financially rewarding but spiritually unfulfilling Hollywood career--and he can't stop thinking that all he wants to do is quit the movies, move to Paris, and write that novel he's been meaning to finish. You know, be like his heroes in the bohemian Paris of the 1920s. "

"At age 75--with more than 40 films under his belt--Allen has created a film that literally glows. Its dazzling cinematography, inventive plot, and Parisian score, combined with the top-notch acting and set-design, makes for an almost-perfect film, one that's not only clever and thought-provoking, but also entertaining and accessible--even to mainstream audiences."

"Refreshing break from melting buildings, crumbling sidewalks, 50 car pileups, crude, rude humor and stacks of shot up bad guys. A breath of fresh air."

Here, here on that last quote!!!

If you enjoy romance and nostalgia at it's best. Perhaps dream of Paris now and from days gone by? And if you love to be transported by a story (sans the guts and gore!) you won't want to miss: Midnight in Paris.

It is a departure from most stories/films created by Woody Allen, but in a good way.

And if you've never been a Woody Allen fan, this might be the one that changes your mind.

Overall rating for this DVD: Very Good. 4 out of 5.

Breathe Right Nasal Strips

I recently received a couple of samples of Breathe Right nasal strips in the mail, along with a coupon to buy more. Well, I won't be using that particular coupon after giving this product a try.

I had seen ads about these strips on TV and read a few reviews about how effective they were for some consumers who had tried them. I had good expectations about giving these a try too. I don't have serious breathing issues, but there are times (especially when the air is very dry) that I could definitely breathe better at night, to help with my sleep.


In a nutshell, here's what they are suppose to do:

From the Amazon product page-Breathe Right nasal strips can provide temporary relief from nasal congestion and stuffiness and may also reduce or eliminate snoring. Breathe Right nasal strips open your nose to help you breathe better so you can sleep better.

And what did these "magical" strips actually do for me?

Nothing, nada...no difference at all!

I had two samples so Joe my husband tried one as well. Same thing, nothing, no difference. We both were careful to apply the strips exactly as directed. Absolutely nothing!

And to remove these afterwards, ouch!!!! They really stuck on and how! If someone wasn't careful to wet the edges of these strips before trying to remove, they could actually harm the skin on their nose quite easily.  Also, the ones we got (the regular colored strips) are made of latex rubber so again, something to take note of, for allergies etc. They do have other types of these (clear ones, different sizes...)so the rubber content may or may not be a problem for all the types of these strips.

I would be interested to hear about your own experiences with Breathe Right strips if you've tried them. I don't like to use the "scam" word but in my opinion, that's close to what these are, based on my experience.

If something can actually open up a person's nasal passages effectively enough to make a significant difference in their breathing, would it not take more than a thin bandaid-type of rubber strip to achieve this? Maybe a lot of the good hype about these is perhaps some wishful thinking thrown in. It's not pleasant to try to sleep with a congested nose. Perhaps some "mind over matter" or placebo effect is at work, when people feel so much better with one of these stuck to their nose! I don't know.

What I do know, I'm glad these were samples and not something I spent money on. I'd rather put $$$ towards an air purifier or a facial sauna to help relieve nasal congestion.

If it's a continuous and/or serious issue(s) maybe it's time to talk to a doctor or other health care professional about it. They call it the "breath of life" for very good reasons. Not something to ignore.

Overall rating for this product: BAD. 0 out of 5.

PAL: The Pets Add Life Campaign

                                          

I agree with Mr. Cheddar on this one, definitely a no-brainer! Pets DO add so much to our lives.

I recently found out about a new pet campaign: PAL: Pets Add Life.  When it comes to spreading the word about responsible pet care and helping to promote and find loving homes for our furry friends, I'm all for it. I've been a pet owner for many, many years. Years ago, I worked as an Education Officer for the Humane Society, in addition to many other campaigns and programs I've been involved with, to assist and protect animals.

It's encouraging to see new initiatives like PAL that really send out a positive message about what pets can add to our lives, in return for providing a safe and happy environment for them to enjoy and thrive in.

In addition to the companionship and unconditional love that pets bring into our lives they also improve our overall health in so many ways: 

• Lower your blood pressure by patting a cat or dog.
• Increase optimism and reduce sadness by sharing your home with a pet.
• Reduce stress levels significantly by spending quality, fun time with pets.
• Get some daily exercise, take a brisk walk (or two) with your canine pals.

To name but a few...

Add happiness to every day of your life while giving a pet a loving home. It's a  win-win all around!

A fun promotion from the PAL website.

This is one of the MANY entries in PAL's  recent pet poetry contest for children:

Submitted by Gloria in Grade 5, Paramus NJ, USA
                                  
 "My beauty, my life, my treasure, my Kelsey. I love her every day. She lights up our house with her million dollar smile. Her smile is like the brightest star in the sky. When I am feeling sad, she comes to me and makes me smile. She loves everyone she meets. She is always so happy and overjoyed. When I am scared she comes to me and licks me. When I am stressed she comes to me and nudges me until I play with her. Kelsey is a special dog she really stands out. I like that about her. That is why I would not trade her for anything else in the world."
                                                                              
It was so wonderful to read some of the entries (too many to read them all!) and to see so many children interested and involved in making a good life for pet friends too.



Some additional information from the PAL website and the Impetus Agency, the company who recently launched an online campaign promoting the benefits of PAL. 

The PAL - Pets Add Life campaign is designed to demonstrate the joys and benefits of pet ownership, thus driving increased adoption of pets and responsible ownership of pets. Produced by the American Pet Products Association (APPA), PAL includes three thirty-second TV spots, regular pet news segments, a brochure, an ad, web links, a poster, and other promotions.

In addition, a new social media campaign has been launched on behalf of PAL- Pets Add Life. The campaign is dedicated to promoting the joys and benefits of responsible pet ownership.

Join the  online communities and follow the campaign regularly. There will be some exciting updates throughout the year.  And do  help by spreading PAL’s message as the campaign aims to increase pet adoption awareness and promote responsible pet ownership. 

If you'd like to find out more about PAL and it's current and upcoming initiatives, do stop by their informative and fun website and also their social media pages:

PAL Website
                  

                                                             

  PAL on FaceBook

PAL  Twitter Page

Please spread the word about PAL(Pets Add Life). And make sure to hug your pet(s) today. They truly do add life to our lives!

Overall rating: Excellent. 5 out of 5.

Depy Velvet Touch Hair-Removal Products

Hair removal (for women) products is a billion dollar industry. It can be a tricky product line to navigate at times, at least that has been my experience, especially when it comes to painless, relatively inexpensive options that get the job done effectively.

I've been using the Depy Velvet Touch facial hair removal strips for a couple of months now. Yes, I do have some of the dreaded "peach fuzz" facial hair in a couple of small areas that I could certainly live without. But those little "suckers" are a hardy bunch! Not a lot but enough to make me want to get rid of them and asap!I have found these hair removal strips from Depy to be effective and painless.

The keyword when it comes to use is to go GENTLY! Don't use excessively or apply too much pressure.

for legs>  < for facial hair

                                                                                                                      

The strips are for lack of better description: a very fine grade of a sand-paper type of material that exfoliates the skin at the same time that the hair is being removed. It is also suppose to contain other natural ingredients, but these are not actually named on the company's website or packaging (at least I couldn't find this information). Go figure?

It does not pull out the hairs by the root, but rather "clips" them off with the rotation of the strips on the skin surface. If you use these too much or apply too much pressure, I think it could result in a rash and/or pain. I've been careful to follow the instructions to the letter and it's worked just fine. The strips are attached to a small plastic holder (see photo above) and the paper strips can be removed and replaced with refills as required. I find that wiping  and storing carefully after each use allows for multiple uses before the strips need replacing.

I plan to continue using these facial strips as long as I need to. Apparently with continued use, hair growth is suppose to slow down. Sounds good to me!LOL 

I've also tried the "mitt" from Depy for removing hair on the legs. Now this is another story. I found these to be just plain sad. The "mitt" is actually just a rougher grade of the same material in the facial type product, formed into a wide ring. Remember those construction paper chain links from grade school? That's what these reminded me of!!! Tres cheap!

I have rather small hands and I found it hard to even slip this "mitt" on and off for use. If someone has larger hands, I don't know how they'd even get it on. And what a mess it was to use! It left a residue all over my legs (a mix of skin and sandpapery particles yuck!!!) and the hairs (which I don't have a lot of) on my legs stayed where they were for the most part, didn't do a good job of removing them at all. I won't be buying or trying these again.

Here's some information from the Depy Beauty Maid site: http://www.beauty-maid.com/main.html including a link for ordering online.

They are a Canadian company but they do ship worldwide. If you are looking for a solution for fine facial hair removal, you might want to give these strips a try. If it's for legs or other areas of the body, keep looking!

Overall rating for these products:
                       
Depy Facial Strips: Good. 3 out of 5.
Depy Hair Removal Mitt (for legs):  BAD. 0 out of 5.

The Woman I Was Born to Be by Susan Boyle

I've been a fan of Susan Boyle's since her first appearance on Britain's Got Talent back in 2009. I wrote this post over at my poetry blog at that time.The YouTube video of her performance/audition: I Dreamed A Dream, has been seen by millions and millions of viewers from around the world.

There was a lot of interest in Susan Boyle (and that continues to this day) and her rapid rise to fame from a very modest and rather sad beginning has been a story that struck a chord with many, many people. When I saw that she had written a bio, I was really looking forward to reading her story, in her own words.

Well, I wish I could say that this book lived up to my expectations but it did not. After I read it, I was glad I hadn't purchased the book, but rather borrowed it from our local library. It was not a compelling read. I love biographies for the most part. I don't think there's anything more fascinating than true life stories. But in the case of The Woman I Was Born to Be, in spite of being one of Susan's fans, loving her voice and wishing her well, I found this to be a rather poorly written book (some reviewers speculate if Susan actually wrote it!) and several discoveries along the way that actually disappointed me in terms of my impressions of Susan Boyle as woman of character and determination.

Whinny...that's the word that comes to mind for the "tone" of much of this book.

Susan Boyle tells a story of a modest upbringing, some health/mental issues that have affected her since her birth and the repeated telling of being bullied as a child because of other children's cruelty and their perceptions that she was different. Sad reading and one that many people can relate to unfortunately. Her determination to make something of herself and her life is what I was really interested in and of course as the saying goes, the rest is history.

After coming in 2nd on Britain's Got Talent, she spent some time recovering from exhaustion and stress at a mental health facility. After that she got back to her music and went on to record the top-selling CD: I Dreamed A Dream that broke all kinds of records. Suddenly, the girl that had been the victim of bullies and rejection was a superstar! And in such a short period of time.

So why did I find this book: whinny and boring! Well here's what I'd say to Susan Boyle if I could: 

 "Susan, you made it! Stop whining! Stop bringing up the bullies from the past, stop living in the past. And start really enjoying and recognizing the huge opportunity you have been given, against all the odds.And Susan, you can't have it both ways. If you don't like the spotlight and dread the life of a "star" so much, move over and let someone else dream a dream and see it come true."

On page 278 of the book Susan writes in explaining her feelings about performing live: " a kind of dread overwhelms my whole personality,as if all the insecurities I've ever had in my life and all the unresolved problems that I've still go to deal with are swallowing me up. I don't  know why this happens."

In New York for the launch of her first CD, Susan locked herself in her hotel room and had to be coaxed out by several of her staff to arrive at Rockefeller Center in time for her 8:30AM performance and CD launch that was being broadcast on TV as well.  After opening the door with a pass key provided by hotel staff, her manager was able to calm her down and finally convince Susan not to let down her fans, many of whom had flown in from all parts of the U.S. to see her perform that morning.

The "dread" factor comes up, again and again in this book. It comes across not as nerves (which of course are natural) but an actual dread of being on stage and performing. For a person who had waited until she was in her 40's to see her "dream" become a bigger reality than she had ever expected, it's rather a letdown to know that she is not actually enjoying the experience as much as one might expect.

So many, many people never see their dreams come true, especially in an industry as competitive as the music one is. I think rather than whining about how difficult it is, Ms. Boyle should be considering the route her life could have taken. Living in a small town in Scotland, in a small house with her cat Pebbles, in relative obscurity with no dreams ever realised. I'm sure there are a LOT of people who would trade places with Susan Boyle right now and in a heartbeat!

This is not a book I'd recommend unless you are a long-time fan/follower of Susan's career and life. It's an eye-opener if you are a fan though and in my case, that wasn't in a particularly good way.

Overall rating for this book: Fair. 2 out of 5.

PhotoScape V. 3.5

I've tried quite a few free photo-editing software programs over the years and I have yet to find any that I like better than PhotoScape 3.5.

This is user-friendly software at it's best. I am not a techie person by nature! When the instructions get too complicated, boring or technical, I tend lose interest fast and eventually give up on a project. Needless to say, this can be frustrating.

In the past, I've tried the free versions of: Adobe Photoshop, Picasa, Windows Live Photo Gallery, Flickr to name a few. My needs were simple.

Easy ways to organize photos into folders, editing capabilities that included cropping, red eye removal, tweaking colors a bit when necessary and if possible, some of the 'fun stuff' like the ability to make easy collages, photo headers, banners etc. With PhotoScape you get all this and a whole lot more.

This archive article at About.com  re: PhotoScape explains some of it's main features in more detail and also includes (the best part) a long list of mainly happy PhotoScape users who have commented on their experiences with this software.

                              

Here are a couple of recent collages I made (in a matter of minutes) with PhotoScape:

                        

                                                       

                                

And some fun I had with a Mr. Cheddar photo:

                                   

For the Ched photo, it was easy to fill in the background to accomodate the text cloud (which btw is over-the top on purpose!) and there are many, many other fun add-ons to jazz up photos in fun or more formal ways.

I also appreciate that this is a full-version of this software and not a limited trial version with endless requests to buy, buy, buy after the fact. No pop-ups or email spam either.

A very easy to navigate and understand menu too:

If you are techie-challenged (like I am but getting better) or maybe just looking for an easy way to work with and organize your photos without a hefty price tag attached, PhotoScape is definitely worth a try. 

 If you do, let me know how it goes!

Overall rating for this product/service: Excellent. 5 out of 5.

Posting Update for My Real Life Reviews

Hello readers,

Thank you for your continued support and readership here at My Real Life Reviews. I have been very encouraged to date by the stats, feedback, emails and comments from readers all over the world! 


I have been focusing on posting/writing at my other new blog: Take A Happy Break in the past couple of weeks and have gotten behind with posts/reviews here. I will be back to MRLR soon. I have a LOT of product reviews in the works that I hope you will enjoy and find helpful.

In the meantime, I hope you will also stop in at Take A Happy Break where I am posting on a regular basis . Happy, inspiring posts to add some good energy and vibes to the day.


Stay tuned and BFN, Geraldine

West Bend Stir Crazy Popcorn Popper

UPDATE RE: RATING as of Nov. 15:

After using this popper for a longer period of time, I am now downgrading my rating for a few reasons. 

It started scorching popcorn and left too many not popped. 

The stir-wand started to scratch the surface of the popper, when going around. 

And worst of all, it started to give off a WEIRD, chemical smell (LIKE RAID bug spray!!!) at times when it was heated up. Must be something in the plastic composition for this product. Not something I want in contact with food I'm going to eat. 

It is on it's way to the recycling center now. :-(

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I LOVE popcorn!

It's probably my favorite all-time snack, especially fresh and made at home.

 I've tried several types of popcorn poppers over the years. Sometimes, I've just reverted back to the basics: stove-top and a big pot. Just recently though, decided to give another commercial popper a try after receiving a Home Hardware gift card as a gift.

The West Bend Stir-Crazy Popcorn Popper came highly recommended.

It has a rather unique design (we think it looks like a small flying saucer!!) but still takes up a minimal amount of counter space.

It's fairly easy to use although I've made some slight modifications to avoid burning any corn kernels. By heating up the vegetable oil on the cooking surface for a minute BEFORE adding the popcorn kernels, I've been turning out lighter, fluffier popcorn. The instructions state that you should put the oil and popcorn on the cooking surface at the same time. I found that this resulted in soggy popcorn.

Also, when the popcorn is starting to slow down at the end of the popping process (which is very quick) I unplug the popper and allow the last few kernels to pop, without the unit being plugged in. There's enough heat to finish off the popping and this helps to avoid any burnt popcorn. Again, this was a problem with the first try.

One thing I think is poorly designed on this appliance is the butter-melt feature. The clear dome/serving bowl has holes around the top, some for steam to escape and some to place butter on to melt down into the popcorn as it finishes popping. These holes are flat, no slant inward and they tend to trap the butter or margarine along the top edge. I usually push the butter through with the end of a spoon but it's rather messy. Not the best in design ideas here.

The key with this unit is to have everything ready before you start: popcorn, oil,butter...and then place the oil on the cooking surface and plug in and heat up BRIEFLY just before adding the popcorn and the dome lid. It goes very quickly and as with any appliance, caution is required. I wouldn't recommend allowing small children to use this unit unattended,that goes without saying, doesn't it?

This is a much quieter popper than some of the poppers I've used previously and it is quick and relatively easy to operate. Reasonably priced too, especially over at Amazon. 


Updated rating (as of Nov. 15): Unsatisfactory. 1 out of 5.

Previous (initial) rating: 3 out of 5. 

Welcome to My New Review Blog!

I'm just getting started here and really looking forward to sharing my personal experiences using various products and services that I've used in MY REAL LIFE.

I've always appreciated reading reviews before making purchases of any kind. I hope you find my reviews helpful, entertaining and informative. Come back soon and often. I'll be starting out with some products I've already used and written reviews for. These will be posted within the next few days. Right now, I'm just getting accustomed to all things Blogger, a transition for me from my experiences with WordPress.

Hope to see you soon, Geraldine