MRLR June Cat-Lover's Contest (and May winner!)

Mr. Cheddar here.

Yes, I am spending a lot of time these days "chilling out" on the floor tiles and dreaming of the next big bug catch! Meowmie and I have also been putting together a prize package sure to please all you who are owned by felines for this month's contest, here at My Real Life Reviews!

Here's what's up for grabs this month:

Isn't this cool?

Meowmie actually wants this for herself but I told her no-can -dooodoo!!! Snort.

 This lovely cat-inspired tote has been kindly provided by Georgia's Gifts.

Here's a bit of info. about their feline-fab gift-galore website:

Georgia's Gifts is a website for cat lovers and gifts for cat lovers. Featuring Whimsiclay Cats, we continue to search for other whimsical ceramic and plush cats. cat home and garden decor, accessories and jewelry to add to our products.

You simply must stop by to check out all the goodies over at Georgia's place. She is an enchanting human and of course owned by felines herself. This tote bag is a mere sampling of the delights that await all feline-lovers. A great place to visit if you are looking for feline-themed gifts too, that are unique and oh so reasonably priced.

                            

Our next prize:

The book: Crafting With Cat Hair is one that I've already reviewed here at MRLR:

This is a book that I can personally and whole-catedly endorse. You can read my full review here. And if you simple can't wait to see if you're the winner, there are ordering options included with my review.

 BTW, for all of you who have been inquiring about my hopes of meeting that babe on the cover, I'm still waiting for a reply email from this goddess! She is never far from my thoughts though, sigh...

Thanks to Random House for supplying a copy of this groooovy book, for this contest.

And last but certainly not least.

A feline sampler pack, personally chosen by me. Several sample bags of gourmet, personal fav cat foods will be included in the bundle! A whole lotta chompin' to follow. Sure to delight even the most discerning of felines!

Meowmie is in charge of packaging though, snort....as cello-tape and my fur do not make a good match! I leave the mundane tasks to the humans, whenever possible.  

***

The lucky winner will get all 3 prizes valued at over $50.

Contest open to residents of the US and Canada. Cat-owned humans only this time please.

Winner will be chosen by a random system. Contest ends June 30th.

To enter:  leave a comment below, including the names of your own felines, to be entered.

Winner will have 2 weeks to claim their prize, after the winner is announced the first week in July. If not claimed in that time period, a new winner will be chosen.

How easy and fun is that? Definitely human-doable, I believe! Snort!!!!

***

I'm looking forward to reading your comments/entries and DOOOOOO specify if any of the feline-females out there are also looking for love, I am listening. I can't wait forever for that cover-babe!

Laters, Mr. Cheddar, Feline Celeb Blogger, Fearless Bug Warrior and STILL looking for love.

Now Meowmie has something to add:

The winner of the Fab Foodie May Cookbook Contest is: RumpyDog!

Congrats, Rumpy and Happy Cooking!!!

and an update re: March Nature Clean contest:

Jen at Muddy Boot Dreams has now been chosen as the alternate winner for one of the gift packages as it was not claimed by the first winner (Jessica) who was previously chosen.

Brenda Cavanagh at Mullin Ave. Workshop was the other winner in this contest.

Winners have 2 weeks to claim prizes.

Send your mailing info to: myreallifereviews  at myway.com 

and I will get your prizes sent out.

Meow, Meow and Good luck everyone! :<)

Blogger Post Issues and Upcoming Contest

Dear Readers,

As any of my regular readers know, I have been hosting monthly prize giveaways in recent months. I have one upcoming for June that I was working on yesterday. Obviously, when I need to write and schedule a post (which I do for early morning: 12:02 AM) I need to get the post ready ahead of time, if I want it up on my blog for the 1st. These contest posts take a considerable amount of time to put together, with links, photos etc...

I was finishing up the June contest post yesterday and had tentatively chosen the winner in the previous contest for May and also an update re: winner for one of the April prizes. Tentative winner, as I do wait until the 1st of any month to see if there are last minute entries to add to the mix and then again randomly select a winner. As there aren't usually any entries the last couple of days, it's usually a given that the names that are entered at that point, are all that will be.

After I completed my June 1st contest post, I tried to schedule it and here's where everything went wonky. Blogger posted it on my blog instead. When I tried to remove it, I note that it's still showing up in Reader as of today.

So, just by way of explanation, everyone who enters any of my contests IS in the running and right to the last day of the month. I hope you'll stop by tomorrow to enter the new contest and see who won previously. It might be you!

Sorry for any misunderstandings.

Last Chance to Enter the Fab Foodie Cookbook Contest!

If you haven't already, there's still time to enter the May Fab Foodie Cookbook Contest for a chance to win a collection of 6 fabulous cookbooks valued at over $120. 

Contest closes May 31st.

Stop by the first week in June to find out if you are the winner!

Good luck everyone!!!

Desert Essence Castile Liquid Soap

 

This will be a short review. There isn't much to say about this soap except NOT to buy it!

I had high hopes for this product. I liked the fact that it was recommended not just for hand-washing (as is the case with a lot of liquid soaps) but also for face and body use too. The ingredient list was better than average too as was the price, about $7. for an 8 ounce bottle.

So what's wrong with this soap?

In a word, it STINKS!!! My husband has compared it to the smell of 10W30 (whatever that is) LOL.  It reminds me of that smell when you take your car in for service. How the garage and the mechanics smell. Yes, it really is that gross.

Definitely not something you'd want to shower with and try out on a first date either LOL!!! Unless you're dating a mechanic, they might like it. Sorry, I'm digressing with the garage jokes... No offence intended to anyone in that industry. I've got a lot of respect for good mechanics.

The pump on this product is also poorly designed. It sticks straight out from the bottle so if you don't keep your hand completely covering it when you pump the soap, you end up with it all over the walls, not in your hand. Someone was definitely having a bad day in the design department, when they came up with this one! ;<)

I like to buy green, organic and healthier choices whenever possible and that includes hand soaps. Many of the mainstream liquid hand soaps available are chemical nightmares. But the natural alternatives have to work and they have to be pleasant to use. Desert Essence Castile Liquid Soap is not in that category. It not only stinks and how, it doesn't really clean well either.

If you click through to the product page at their site, you can read what some customers had to say about this product. Maybe relatives? Or people with no sense of smell.

 I know I won't be buying this "stinker" again!

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

Mountain Rose Herbs Celestial Tea Strainer

I've never been an avid tea drinker, especially when it comes to herbal teas. But recently, I was reading about the many health benefits of spearmint (click for more info.) and began buying pre-made organic spearmint tea bags from our local food co-op.
                                                                                    

Having always used tea bags, I must admit I was skeptical about making tea any other way. Too messy, too much work and time involved. But those tea bags DO stack up, in the compost bin. And more and more, it seemed like such a waste to continue to make tea in bag form, instead of from loose leaves. That string, paper and excess packaging had to go!

I happened to find this interesting and informative video over at YouTube: How to Make Tea with Loose Herbs and for me this was the incentive I needed to finally kick my tea bag habit!

Not only is it easy to make tea from loose herbs, it's also a big $$$ saver. I had been buying 20 organic spearmint tea bags for $6+ a box. I bought a pound of organic spearmint leaves for $9. at Mountain Rose Herbs!

I'm guesstimating I'll be able to make the equivalent of 200+ tea bags with the bag of spearmint tea I now have on hand. A pound of tea is much more than I expected! But it came in a air-tight resealable bag and I drink a cup or two of spearmint tea every day, so it should all be fresh and flavorful to use. The fragrance that came from the package when it arrived at our door was so nice too! Not like the usual "unscented" mail. LOL ;<)

So, on to the gorgeous tea strainer pictured above. This beautiful gadget is also from Mountain Rose Herbs and is featured in the video.  It is so much nicer than those tea balls and plain tea strainers that are the norm.

Works great too. It has a wide rim that fits even a large cup or mug and it is made of stainless steel. I've also used it with a teapot when I'm making more than one cup of tea. I let the tea steep for 10 minutes covered; then remove the strainer. Easy to clean and it only costs $7. A very good value.

Here is some additional information about this tea strainer from the Mountain Rose Herbs site:

Celestial Tea Strainer: Savor tea in style with this versatile stainless steel tea strainer warmly decorated around the rim in a beautiful celestial motif.
Equally suitable for all sizes of mugs, and fits well on small tea pots. Simply place a small amount of material into the steel mesh canister and submerge into a cup of hot water to brew your favorite infusion. Dimension of the actual infuser meshis 2" and dimension of outer rim is 3.75"

If you've been holding off kicking the tea bag habit, do check out the video above and also take a browse over at the Mountain Rose Herbs website.  I'm very impressed with the quality of the products they sell and their company's many green initiatives are commendable and far-reaching.

This tea strainer would also make a wonderful gift. Perhaps to go with a package or two of favorite tea/ blend. Mountain Rose Herbs has many wonderful teas to choose from. Also herbal cosmetics and remedies, essential oils, tea pots, herbs, spices, bulk ingredients....it's definitely worth a visit!

                          

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

Mountain Green Dishwashing Liquid

I'm always on the look-out for green cleaners, detergents and dishwashing liquids that truly do "walk the talk" when it comes to being a good product to buy.

As we all know, that's not always the case with some so-called "green" products and companies. An example of this: Seventh Generation dishwashing liquid.

Fortunately, there are companies who are offering alternatives to main-stream, chemically-laden cleaners that we can feel better about using. And that still do a good job of cleaning!

I recently tried: Mountain Green Baby Bottle & Dishwashing Liquid for the first time. I had been doing an online search (again) for some better choices for dishwashing liquid products. 

I found the Mountain Green brand over at BuyGreen.com. I was impressed by the very short ingredient list for this product and all the other information provided at the BuyGreen.com site that were all pluses about trying this product.

Click through to the product page to read (a lot of good information here) and judge for yourself.

Here is some of the general information provided: Mountain Green products are all natural and skin sensitive. This dishwashing liquid is accredited by Leaping Bunny and Feingold organizations.

Why would you want to leave harsh chemical residue on the plates, glasses and untensils you use every day? Not good for you or the planet. Mountain Green diswashing liquid is just as effective with out uneccesary toxins. 

All Mountain Green products are free of harsh chemicals, phosphates, phosphorous, enzymes, PEG, polycarboxylates, benzene, cocamide DEA, chlorine, SLS parabens and artificial dyes. 

Dishwashing liquid available in Orange Burst, Green Apple and Baby Free and Clear (the type with no-scent I've tried so far) in 25 oz bottles.

After my own research, I was ready to give it a try.

 In terms of cleaning dishes effectively, Mountain Green Dishwashing Liquid does a great job! My criteria for any dishsoap is the "grease-cutting" factor. If it doesn't work when it comes to effectively removing oil and grease, it's off the list for future purchases. This product delivered!

 No residue or scent left behind, after rinsing dishes.

It has a very low-level of sudsing but as I'm finding out, having a lot of soap-suds can be an indication of some undesirable ingredients in products like sodium lauryl sulphate, a definite no-no, for so many reasons. I can live without suds if the dishes are clean; it just takes a bit of getting used to, after years unfortunately (sigh....) of using mainstream, sudsy dishwashing liquids.

Reasonably priced too. A 25 fl. oz. bottle at BuyGreen.com is $4.75. Price is no longer an excuse for buying those main-stream brands that leave a lot to be desired.

If you've been looking for a green dishwashing liquid that you can feel good about using, is reasonably priced and that really works, you might want to give this one a try!

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

HP Deskjet 3052A Printer

I've been without a printer for quite a while but a couple of weeks ago, I finally bought a replacement : the HP Deskjet 3052A.

Very reasonably priced at Walmart Canada online on sale for only $50 when I bought it. Our local Walmart store had a very limited supply of printers in-store, so I had to go the online route. But the printer arrived in only a couple of days, so no long wait to get it!

Overall, I'm pleased with this printer, so far.

                                    

Top priority: the print quality is excellent.

I tested it by printing this photo first:

I set the printer to a regular plain paper, normal setting for test purposes, not a photo type paper or best quality. Not only was the photo clear, it came out of the printer completely dry and in a matter of seconds! Impressive.

I also made some new biz cards as another print test:

Again, printed (a whole sheet of 10 cards) very fast. This card doesn't show up nearly as well here as it really is. The colors and text are very bright and crisp.

In terms of ink usage, again seems good so far. I've had printers in the past that have just "sucked up" ink, even with simple plain black and white printing being the most common use I had. I just checked the levels now, after a couple weeks of use and they are down to about 3/4 full so not bad. I did have several items to print, that had been on the "wait list" LOL.

Set-up of this printer was fairly easy except for the fact that the print "quick" instruction page left me high and dry, when it came to using a USB connection instead of the wireless mode, which HP seems to be pushing.

I finally figured out (I'm no techie) to go to my computer device page and to continue set-up via that route, including downloading a driver to use for this printer.

I know a lot of people prefer the convenience of wireless these days but I don't think it's as secure as a wired connection for internet etc..especially when it's no biggie to have a USB cable connection, at home.

I also didn't appreciate that HP had one of those checklists during set-up where they had "conveniently" pre-selected a number of sites to subscribe me to for: coupons, Bing search engine etc...I noticed this one (been there before with other products) and chose the custom option and took off these add-ons, which I did not chose myself and did not want either. Why companies do things like that is a mystery to me. I'm turned off by being told what I want to subscribe to, etc...let the consumer decide HP!

The plastic used in this printer is a bit "flimsy" but I guess that's the case for a lot of  printers. It's also quite noisy when it's printing but I can put up with that when the print quality is as good as this one is.

Here's some additional basic information about this product from the Shoplet.com site:

Easily print, scan and copy everyday documents with this wireless e-all-in-one inkjet printer that delivers dependable performance. Use mobile printing solutions, like the AirPrint app for iPad, iPhone or iPod touch and HP ePrint, to wirelessly print files and photos directly from your smartphone. Produce documents that feature laser-quality text and vivid color graphics, thanks to the high print resolution. Reduce energy consumption and conserve resources with HP Auto-Off Technology that shuts down your printer when it's inactive. Make the most of your workspace, thanks to the compact footprint that is designed to fit in tight places. Print Technology: Inkjet Maximum Print Speed Black: 20.0 ppm Maximum Print Speed Color: 16.0 ppm Network Ready: Yes.  

Shoplet.com is currently selling this printer for $86. with free shipping. If you can get it via Walmart though,it was a better price, at least when I bought it. I'm not sure if that would be the case with Walmart in the U.S. I couldn't find this exact model at Amazon.com either.

If you are looking for a basic inkjet printer that has good print quality and is easy to set-up and use, you might want to check out the HP Deskjet 3052A Printer . So far, I'm happy with mine!

Overall rating for this product: Good. 3 out of 5.

MRLR May "Fab Foodie" Cookbook Contest (and April winners!)

I am so excited about this month's prize giveaway!

 I LOVE cookbooks and I'm thrilled to be able to offer this beautiful collection of 6 fabulous new cookbooks as this month's prize.

The winner will receive all 6 cookbooks, valued at over $120 !!!

To enter the contest, leave a comment below. And in keeping with the foodie theme, name your all-time favorite cookie with your comment, to be eligible to win.

No anonymous comments please. Please sign in with your blog account to enter if at all possible.

And check back the first week of June to find out if you are the winner! If you are the winner, you have two weeks to claim your prize.

Winner will be chosen by a random system.

Contest open to residents of the U.S. and Canada.



Here are my mini-reviews of the contest cookbooks:

Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking by Carla Kelly ($17.95 U.S./CDN $21.95) : If you are a vegan, vegetarian or wannabee for either, this is a new cookbook you'll definitely want to check out. Combining the ease and convenience of one-pot slow-cooking with a wide array of tempting, all-vegan recipes. The book also includes a handy "to serve with" section that offers 30 pages of side dishes, salads and breads to round out your slow-cooker dinner creations! An attractive, easy to use recipe format throughout. By the author of The Quick and Easy Vegan Bake Sale. Great for meat-eaters too, looking to add some new non-meat options to their recipe repertoire.

                     
The Mom 100 Cookbook by Katie Workman ($16.95 U.S./CDN $19.95): The sub-title for this book, 100 Recipes that Every Mom Needs in Her Back Pocket, says it all! A family-style cookbook with a definite "kid friendly" recipe emphasis. Would make a great gift for any mom on your list. Serving up the must -have comfort recipes including: Fudgy One-Pot Brownies, Lunchbox Wraps, Corn Chowder, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Variations, Caesar Salad and many more. Over 300 pages with tempting color photos throughout. Some good tips for "change-ups" and vegetarian options too. Also numerous suggestions for getting the kids involved with the cooking! A fun cookbook.

                          
Popcorn Treats by Hannah Miles ($15.95 U.S./CDN $18.95): What a fun and rather unique cookbook this is! A must-have for all popcorn lovers (and who isn't??). In addition to a variety of sweet and savory flavoured popcorn ideas, the book also includes recipes for: popcorn cookies, rocky road popcorn slice, popcorn pie, even popcorn lollipops! Tempting photos throughout this 64 page cookbook.

                 
Pop Party. 40 Fabulous Cake Pops, Props and Cakes by Clare O'Connell ($19.95 U.S./CDN $23.95) : If you are planning a special birthday or other celebration and are looking for some show-stopping handmade sweet treats to make; this is a cookbook you'll enjoy checking out. So what exactly is a Cake Pop? Moist, delectable cake "bites" decorated to match a party's theme, usually served on long sticks and embellished with all kinds of fanciful icings and decorations. There are: Turtle Pops, Tiger Pops, Crocodile Pops, Tiered Cake Pops....in addition to several gorgeous cakes including a Pink Ruffle Cake that would be a big hit at a baby shower or for your little princess' next birthday party. Instructions for other types of party decorations are also included: paper roses, pinwheels, cake bunting, pom-poms... A stunning and visually appealing presentation throughout.


The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook by Cheryl and Griffith Day ($24.95 U.S./CDN $29.95) : To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Back in the Day Bakery (a Savannah, Georgia landmark) authors/owners Cheryl and Griffith Day have put together a collection of some of their customers all time fav recipes. Down-home Southern treats that are tempting and sure to please. Recipes included many of the "baking basics/must-haves": Blueberry Muffins, Brown Sugar Banana Bread, 'Nana Cream Pie, Chocolate Chip Cookies....to the oh so decadent choices: Drunk Blondies, Red Velvet Cake, Chocolate Bread, Pecan Brittle...the list goes on and on. Over 200 pages of recipes, cooking tips and shared recipe origins and memorable moments. This is Southern-comfort cooking with stick-to-the ribs" appeal. Definitely not for diet days though LOL. A great gift idea for your favorite baker too.

American Bar by William Yeoward ($24.95 U.S./CDN $28.95): If you've always wanted an easy-to-follow home guide to making those amazing, upscale cocktails. The kind served in some of the finest hotels and bars in the world. Then this is a book you won't want to miss. The author takes his readers on a tour of 5 of his all time fav, iconic bars: The Connaght Bar, Annabel's, Berkeley Blue Bar, Beaufort Bar at the Savoy and The American Bar at the Savoy. From each of these places, Yeoward chooses his favorite cocktail recipes to share. Over 100 cocktail recipes are included: Amber Manhattan,Gin Lane, Absinthe Drip (oh, that sounds intriguing!), JF Julep, The Connaght Martini to name but a few. The book also includes some of the author's favorite personal recipes for canapes, suggestions for glassware and presentation and numerous tips and techniques. Would be a wonderful house-warming gift to accompany a bottle of the host's favorite spirits. Beautiful photos and presentation throughout.

Stop by the Thomas Allen website to read more about all of these fabulous cookbooks and browse  their other wonderful,top-quality book choices too. And if you can't wait to see if you've won the contest, there are ordering options for all of these books at Thomas Allen & Son.

***


And the April Earth Month winner's of the two Nature Clean Gift Sets are:

Brenda/Mullin Ave Workshop and Jessica/The Middle Class Mom.

Update June 1st. Jessica has not claimed her prize so a new winner has been chosen: Jen at Muddy Boot Dreams is the alternate winner.

Congrats Brenda and Jen!

Please email your mailing address to: MRLR at myway.com and I'll get your prizes sent out.

                               

Good luck in the Fab Foodie Contest and Happy Cooking! :<) 

Last Chance to Enter this Month's Nature Clean Giveaway

Last chance to enter this month's: Earth Month, Nature Clean Giveaway !

Contest closes April 30th.

             

And stay tuned for next month's contest, with a Foodie-Lover's theme. 

Also, the announcement of the two winners for the Nature Clean Gift Sets.

Coming up next week.

Good luck!!! :<)

A Mr. Cheddar Review: Crafting With Cat Hair by Kaori Tsutaya

Mr. Cheddar here.

Yes, I'm finally back to blogging. It's so hard to get Meowmie off this computer most days and the humans won't stretch to buying me one for my own personal use. The word "cheap" comes to mind, considering what the humans do spend money on. I think they could definitely cut down on their own oh so generous food portions. But that's a whole other story that I'll share at another time, sigh...

The "action" shot snort....above, is from a recent Sunday, during my weekly grooming session.

Of course, we all need a bit of "sprucing up" even for felines as oh so handsome as I. Meowmie ( I must admit) does a pretty darn good job of keeping me looking my best. With the help of my fav slicker brush of course.

Talk about a pleasure toy!!! ;<)

I love my slicker brush almost as much as I love my fav kibbles! 

Heaven, I'm in heaven.

Oh what a feeling, what a rush....

 

Anyhoo, to get to the review part of this post and past my oh so photogenic self; Meowmie wants me to share a new book with you.

My first book review, I'm just juiced about that too.

Crafting With Cat Hair

 

After I got through with checking out that babe on the cover  ( I'll be your puppet, anytime!!! ) Meowmie and I started to turn the pages. And wowsa, what a cool craft book this is indeedy.

Meowmie is quite a crafty human but one thing she has never used as a craft material before is feline hair/fur. That's about to change, now that she's got this book.

Kaori Tsutaya, the author of this book, makes all kinds of fun crafts, decorated with felted cat hair. The book is full of all sorts of projects including: finger puppets, coin purses, book covers, tote bags, jewelry pins...all embellished with cat-hair felting.

Stop by the Amazon page to "click inside the book" and see some of the goodies.

So you're probably wondering how cat hair can be transformed into stylish accents for all these projects? Easy peasy actually. The cat hair is applied to each project, using a felting needle. It's not as hard as it sounds. Even my Pawmie has done some felting in the past and it came out great.

Click here to read more about how needle felting is done.The only real caution it seems is to watch those paws when using the felting needle. Oueeey, if you miss and stab yourself, instead of your work!!! I don't want to even consider how that would feel. Definitely not for young kids to try.

So now Meowmie is not only giving me my weekly grooming as per usual, she is also collecting up my gorgeous "fur droppings" for later use to make some of the projects in this book.

Even my "left-overs" are gorgeous aren't they, snort!!!

Anyhoo, it's going to be a while before Meowmie actually gets to any of these catty projects. She has a gazillion projects on the go already. But I dare say, none will be finer than those craft projects embellished with my wonderful fur-droppings. Not possible!!!

So humans, when grooming time rolls around for the felines you share life with, get yourself a cookie tin or similar vessel and start filling it with the fur collected on the grooming comb/brush. And get a copy of this groovy book to get those creative juices flowing too.

Meowmie noted this book is on sale at Amazon right now so it's a good time/place to put down the $$$ and start planning your own catty craft adventures.

Here's one last pic of me and an itsy bitsy bit of Meowmie.

She didn't want too much of her thighs to show, snicker...

Sorry Meowmie, just joshin!!!

              

Get this book, you won't be sorry.

It's a cat-doozie!!! I definitely give it the Paws-UP!

 Chiao for now, The Chedster (groomed and looking oh so fine)

And Meowmie's final word on the subject:

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

Clover Yarn Guide (knitting tool)

I recently knitted my first Fair Isle project (a cardigan) that I posted about here.  It was fun and challenging at the same time. And one of the biggest challenges of all, was trying to keep all the yarns from tangling up, when working on the colorworks section of this sweater. Not that it was a complicated design but even with two strands of yarn on the go, they did tend to tangle as I worked across the rows.

I found out about the Clover Yarn Guide over at YouTube.

The guy (yes guy) in this video (and it's a hoot watching this, love his accent. He's quite the accomplished knitter too!) was showing how to use this yarn guide.
                                                                                                                    

But this product looked rather small and flimsy in the video especially in terms of the adjustable ring that is worn on the index finger. I have rather slim fingers so I thought to myself; if that was the only concern it shouldn't be an issue for me personally. So I went ahead and ordered one with my last yarn order.

Well the reality is, it IS small. Really small. I can put it on but it fits quite snugly. I think I will be able to use it. But I don't know why they would make this so small. A very cheap and poor design.  For a lot of woman and of course men who knit who have large fingers;they would not even be able to get this yarn guide on, let alone use it!

The top part of this gadget has a slot with little sections in it, to place each color of yarn you are using, when doing Fair Isle knitting. Again, rather flimsy and poorly designed. If you had anything thicker than a worsted weight yarn, I don't think it would slide through these grooves easily.

It was only a couple of bucks so I am going to keep it. I will try it when I make another Fair Isle project. But it could have been designed so much better, if the company who makes these had thought about all shapes and sizes of knitters and yarns there are LOL.

I would gladly have paid a couple of extra dollars for a well-designed (in all respects) Fair Isle yarn guide/gadget. I'm sure there are lots of other potential customers that would have too! 

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

Weider Daily Protein & Fibre Drink Mix

I've been making an effort since the beginning of the year to eat healthier and get into better shape. One of the best things for me, in terms of cutting down on calories but not nutrition, is to start the day with a protein drink/smoothie.

I recently tried Weider Daily Protein & Fibre drink mix in the Berry Blast flavour.

On the plus side, this product has a fairly good ingredient list:

"Whey Protein Isolate, Inulin, Erythritol, Stevia, Natural Flavour and Red Beet Powder"

Not bad. I checked out each ingredient and they were acceptable. Some protein mixes are packed with sugar, all kinds of additives and colors....this one isn't.

It also packed a fairly good punch when it came to protein per scoopful/serving. Mixed with water, a serving provides 14 Gr. of protein. It also provides 5 Gr. of dietary fibre. The mix also dissolved easily and completely, just in a shaker. No lumps and no blender to clean either.  Calories: 106 per serving, when mixed with water. That was all good.

                       

What I didn't like about this product?

Well the Berry Blast flavour was a bit weird. Rather artificial, not a nice fresh berry taste. It had a lingering after-taste too.

And as far as being filling, again it wasn't acceptable in this regard. A couple of hours after drinking one of these smoothies, I was starving! I ended up eating more that morning than I usually do, without a protein drink! So that certainly defeated the purpose of having one. I've used protein powders in the past that kept me satisfied and feeling alert for HOURS afterwards. Not the case with this product.

Weider Daily Protein & Fibre drink mix is not the worst protein powder I've used but it certainly isn't the best either. I won't be buying it again. I probably would have tried another flavour IF it had been filling and satisfying, but that wasn't the case.

                    

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

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

I finally got around to reading :The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, last week. It is a novel I had heard so much about and had planned to read for a long time. I'm not usually interested or drawn to books with overtly sad or violent themes but as I said already, I had heard so much about this book, I decided to give it a try anyways.

On the plus side, the author has a fairly engaging style of writing. The title alone is such an attention-grabber. I was looking forward to a good story as I settled in on the sofa for an extended reading session.

But what came to my mind almost immediately was the sheer implausibility of the plot.

A 14 year old girl Susie Salmon is walking home through a deserted cornfield after school. It is December, already dark outside. She is stopped along the way by the neighbourhood "weirdo"  Mr. Harvey.  He appears seemingly out of nowhere and begins talking to Susie.

Yes, she was startled by him being there. But does she hurry along, run away, scream, tell him to get lost. None of those. No, Susie Salmon is (quite easily) talked into following Mr. Harvey to his "little hiding place" in the cornfield that he wants to share with her.

When they get to the location of the underground space that Mr. Harvey has "cleverly" disguised  with a wooden cover, Susie continues to stay with him, not at all concerned about her safety. No, she is curious and wants to see more!

Mr. Harvey opens the wooden cover to reveal the space in the ground below. Without any coaxing, Susie follows him down into the ground and to the obvious disastrous events that follow, leading to her death.

Right there, I was stopped on the page. COME ON Ms. Sebold!

 A 14 year old girl, following a strange man, in a cornfield, in the dark, going down in an underground cave because she was curious! No way. Maybe if the main character had been 6-7 years old, in the daylight, with a so-called family friend calling the shots. Maybe this kind of plot would have rung true. But no, not for a teenage girl, especially in the circumstances of how this happened.

After her death, the story takes a different twist and we are transported to Susie's heaven, where she continues watching her family and friends from the other side. I couldn't be bothered reading any further after that. If I'm not engaged by a believable plot from the get-go, I can't waste my time on reading further.

As is the case with so many books that hit the best-seller lists, it seems that the hype about this book has kept up the ongoing reader interest, year after year.

I've never been swayed much by popular opinion when it comes to books, movies, websites, blogs... I enjoy or not. I'm happily not a "sheep" following the crowd LOL.  

Some of the best books I've ever read have been by relatively unknown authors with the talent to write a great story but unfortunately not the media "engine" behind them to propel their work to the top of the page, when it comes to reviews, lists and popularity.

Here's a reader's comment on the Amazon product page for The Lovely Bones. I guess not everyone loved it. There are plenty more comments from readers, similar to this:

"This book is complete and utter drivel. It is poorly written and inconsistant. I don't understand how or why it is on the best-seller list. The author uses every overly dramatic movie-of-the-week cliche in this book. My theory as to why this book is so popular is that some marketing/advertising hot-shot remembered this piece of [junk] sitting on his or her shelf when the rash of missing girls occurred and decided to capitalize on these tragedies. A huge marketing campaign took place with this book when it first came out. There were even TV commercials for it. I find the whole timing of this book's popularity very disturbing."

I really was amazed how implausible this story was. And yes, I also agree with the comment above; it is disturbing to think people would be drawn to it (if that is the case) by the violence and sinister tone of the story.

 If you've read it, I'd love to hear your opinion of this book.

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

April Prize Draw at My Real Life Reviews (and March WINNER!)

It's time for another prize giveaway here at My Real Life Reviews!


For April (Earth Month) there are two prize packages to be won. 

To enter to win a Nature Clean gift set containing:
                          
Nature Clean Pure-Sensitive Shampoo, Conditioner and a Nature Clean Calm Bath Bar (retail price approximately: $28. for the set) leave a comment for this post/contest.

That's it. That's all. Easy peasy! :<)

One entry per person. Open to readers in Canada and the U.S.

Please, no anonymous comments/entries. A comment/entry via a blog account (Blogger, WP....) is preferred to keep this as fair as possible.

The winner will be chosen at the end of the month, by a random generated system.

                                 
*** I know a lot of people aren't comfortable sharing their email addresses on sites/blogs (me included!) so I'm just going to post the winner of each draw, the first week of the following month. Check back then and if you are a prize winner you will have one month to claim your prize. If not claimed, I'll pick another winner. ***




   You can read my full product review: Nature Clean Pure-Sensitive Shampoo and Conditioner.

***


And the winner of the March Giveaway for a CreaClip haircutting tool was: Brian Miller.

 Congrats Brian! I hope you and your family enjoy the CreaClip as much as I do.  

Please email your mailing address to: MRLR at myway.com and I'll get your prize sent out.


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Good luck to everyone this month and Happy Earth Month!