Product review: Modern Wesen Table Lamp, Dimmable Touch Control

This lamp is 16.5" tall, with the shade 11" tall and 6" wide. The shade is made out cream/beige linen (with plastic insert on the inside for stiffness). The base and stem of the lamp are black. The lamp comes with a  bulb.  The description says it is 60W equivalent, but it provides the light equivalent of 40W incandescent bulb.  Given a heavy shade, it provides ambient light.  It is quite good for watching TV - just enough light and no reflections. The lamp has a modern look.

To turn on the light you need to touch the base or the stem.  There is no switch and the lamp cannot be controlled by a wall switch.  The base has two AC outlets and two USB outlets.

If the 40W equivalent bulb is not sufficient for your needs, the instructions state that the max wattage of the lamp is 150W.

My video includes assembly of the lamp:
1. First, you need to unscrew the fixing ring that is shipped attached to the base
2. Then you need to thread the lampshade over the stem and screw the fixing ring back onto the stem
3. Finally, you need to screw in the bulb

You can find Tote boots on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Audio Extension Cable 16ft by ZHUOSHENG

I have an old desktop PC that does not have built-in Bluetooth.  When I work on this machine I use wired headphones, but the cable that came with the headphones is only 3 feet long and puts me on a very short leash.  When I reach for things on my large desk I constantly yang on the cable.  This audio extension cable gives me the freedom of movement!

This extension cable is 16 feet long.  It forms a firm connection with my original audio cable. I have been using it for a week and have not a single break in transmission.  In the attached video, I demonstrate the cable with an external speaker attached to my phone. First I use the original short cable from my headphones and then the original cable attached to the extension cord.


This inexpensive cable made my working environment better.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Oliveda H22 Hair & Scalp Regenerating Treatment

I started using oil in my hair a few years ago on a recommendation of my hairdresser. My hairdresser said the top and back of my scalp is dry and has slight flaking, she called "hat hair". Her instructions were to use a small amount after washing my hair.  She said to massage it and leave in.  A small amount does not leave my hair greasy or oily.

I have tried different types of oil  - argan, Morrocan, and so forth.  Oliveda is my first experience with olive oil.

First impressions: It smells incredibly good, both in my hair and on my hands.  It smells similar to the scent you get if you crush a fresh leave in your hands - fresh and pleasant.  The texture of the preparation is creamy and not runny. It is absorbed well by the skin and as I mentioned it smells really good.  I apply a small amount and leave it in, I do not wash it out.  To test for greasiness the first time I used it I rubbed a paper towel over my head and I could see that it left no oily residue on the paper towel.

I have been using it for a week, and I notice that there is less (actually none!) hair in the drain as I wash my hair.  Before I start applying it I always cleaned up a few hairs from the drain.

The bottle has a pump applicator that dispenses a small amount, just what I need. 

Overall, excellent in every respect.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: SKL Home by Saturday Knight Ltd. Rhapsody 2 Pc Hand Towel Set, Multicolored Bright Colors

The bad:

The stock image is totally deceiving, it shows the reverse part of the towel.  The other side of the towel is very bright: bright red, bright green, bright orange.  I was looking for a pastel multi-colored towel, and this towel is anything but pastel.

The good:

I like the thickness (not too thick, not too thin) and the size of this hand towel. It absorbs water well.

Bottom line: the vendor should show both sides of the towel when there is such a dramatic difference between two sides to avoid a complete surprise when the customer gets it.

These towels are not as soft as the towels from The Company Store.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: RotoEraser Drill Attachment Magic Eraser Sponges

I have a bad back and I am always looking for a way to make tub cleaning easier.

In this review, I am comparing RotoEraiser drill attachment, scrub brush drill attachment, and using a regular Magic Eraser cleaning pad without a drill.

A few general notes before I get into comparison part of the review:

1. The package includes three RotoErasers and one drill attachment.  You need to supply your own drill. The drill attachment has a large round shank.  My small and light drill (that I use with roto brushes) was too small to handle it and I had to use my full-size Black&Decker drill, which is heavier and harder to use for cleaning.

2. When I was making my purchasing decision on Amazon I read in one of the reviews that the foam is not the same as the regular Mr. Clean Magic Eraser foam. I like and use Magic Eraser sponges and that review gave me some doubts about purchasing this product.  I am happy to say that when I compared the RotoEraiser side by side with my Magic Eraser sponges and they looked and felt the same. 

3. Just like the original Magic Eraser sponges, these pads have to be wet to work well.  If they are dry they don't clean well.  I made the sponge wet before cleaning and used liberal amounts of cleaning solution.

4. The RotoEraser attaches to the drill with a Velcro connection. I was worried that pad would be coming off constantly, but as long as you push perpendicular to the surface you are cleaning the connection is strong.  However, if you don't push straight down the drill does not make a good connection and "jumps".  When I washed the tub pushing at a perfect angle was not always and as you see in the video the drill occasionally jumps until I find the angle again.

Now, the comparison of different cleaning methods:

I found that RotoEraiser to clean well if I am able to apply it perpendicular to the surface. Don't think that cleaning is easy.  It takes quite a bit of work and using a heavy drill is quite tiresome.  It does not work for all angles of the tub, as there were places where I just could not angle the drill perfectly. 

The Scrub Brush attachment does not clean as well as RotoEraiser but it does not require a perfect angle. It was easier to use especially when I was using the rounded brush.  The Scrub Brush worked better on the curves.

Finally, the manual Magic Eraser worked the best of all the methods but it was the slowest method of the three and requires me to bend more since there is no benefit of the extension provided from the drill.

So, I found that when I clean the tub I start with RotoEraser, then use the Scrub Brush for the curves, and, finally, finish with by hand with the Magic Eraser sponge to cover the areas they were not fully cleaned with the other two brushes.

Bottom line: RotoEraiser did not provide a magic solution, but is one of the helpful tools.
You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: BooQool Monthly Pocket Planner 2020-2021-2022 faux leather cover

I tried converting to an electronic calendar, but still, find paper pocket calendar much more convenient for keeping track of my schedule and taking notes.

I was looking for three things in a pocket calendar.

1. A non-paper cover for the calendar. I carry a lot of stuff in my purse and it takes some rummaging through my stuff before I find anything in there. A calendar with a paper cover just can't stand up to the rough life inside my purse.  This pocket organizer has an imitation leather cover that is pleasant to touch. The cover is not smooth it feel like suede which makes it easy for me to identify it by feel in my purse.

2. A rubber band to keep the calendar closed. A pocket calendar without a rubber band cannot make it through a year in my purse without all pages getting mangled.

3. A calendar that has more than one year, as I often need to plan a few months in advance and I don't want to carry two calendars at the end of each year.  This calendar has 2020, 2021, and 2022.

4. I did not want to spend more than $10.

This calendar meets all my requirements.  Its paper is thick and easy to write on. Each square is big enough to make notes 3-4 appointments/notations each day. The size of the calendar is 3.8" by 6.3", each page is approximately 6" x 3.5", each square is 0.8" x 1". In addition to the 36 calendar pages, there are 63 pages of lined paper for taking notes.  It also has two built-in ribbon bookmarks.

Overall, this pocket calendar met all my needs.

Ali Julia review

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Feathered Friends 2020 Wall Calendar Bird Paintings

"Feathered Friends" calendar has folky design images. The image on the cover is my favorite and there are a couple
more that I like but not all.

The calendar pages are made of high-quality paper. The paper is thick and glossy.

I write notes of many days and the ballpoint pen writes well on the paper of this calendar.

Each square is 1.5" wide and 1.75" tall.  Each page, when opened, is 12" x 24". Each page shows the current month, small squares with the previous and next months, and it shows USA holidays.

I am a big fan of Lang calendars (which this is not). There are two things I like better in Lang calendars: the hole at the top of this calendar is NOT  reinforce like in Lang calendars. The paper is glossy rather then textured, so if I use scotch tape to attach a note or a business card to a square, it does not remove cleanly. 

Ali Julia review

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Mott's Strawberry Applesauce, 4 Ounce Cup (food review)

I love apples and apple sauce and I love strawberries, so I figured I will love this combination, but it has a strange after-taste and I don't like it at all.  I left a few containers at work figuring with limited options I will eat it but even there I just don't want to eat it. Back to plain apple sauce for me!

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Product review: 2020 Floral Xray Wall Calendar

The X-ray flower images are beautiful and unique, the calendar is lovely to look at.
It is made of high-quality paper. The paper is thick and glossy.
I write notes of many days and the ballpoint pen writes well on the paper of this calendar.
Each square is 1.5" wide and 1.75" tall.  Each page shows the current month, small squares with the previous and next months, and it shows USA holidays.

The price of this calendar fluctuates, I bought it for $12.50.  As a post this review a few days later it is almost $21.  You can always watch for the price drops using amazon price watch websites (like camelcamelcamel) that email you when the price drops to the level you specify.

This is listed as a 16-month calendar, the 4 extra months are 1/4 page squares at the start and have no photos. I would not really consider it a 16 months calendar since it only has 12 images.

I am a big fan of Lang calendars (which this is not). There are two things I like better in Lang calendars: the hole at the top of this calendar is NOT  reinforce like in Lang calendars. The paper is glossy rather then textured, so if I use scotch tape to attach a note or a business card to a square, it does not remove cleanly.  However. the images in the calendar are beautiful and I like how it looks.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: The Company Store Ripple Bath and Hand Towels (Ripple Towel Blue Multi Color)

After not being satisfied with the towels I bought on Amazon, I turned to a high-end linens store called The Company Store. The prices on the web site are pretty high, but this time of year they run very nice sales. Over the last several months, I made five purchases. One day I caught a 50% sale, another 30% sales.

The quality of everything I bought is excellent. On the purchase of the towels I am reviewing in this review, I also experienced outstanding customer service. One of the towels arrived with a stain. Even though I did not get it out completely, I managed to make it reasonably faint with repeated washing. I mentioned this in my review, and they sent a replacement towel free of cost without me even asking for it.

I am picky about towels: I don't like them either too thin or too thick. The Company Store towels (I know bought three different sets so I feel I can generalize) thickness of the towels is precisely how I like it.

The design of the towels in this review is called "Ripple Bath Towels." Their primary color is white, and the color at the bottom of the towels is slightly brighter on one side then the other, but both sides look good. The first washing generated quite a bit of lint, but now after three weeks, they don't produce all that much lint in the dryer. They are soft and absorbent. They are also colorfast.

You can find The Company Store by following this link. If you use this link to order you will get a $50 friends and family discount.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Du Cote du Parc Hand Painted Box (jewelry box, stationary, organization)

This is large (12" x 9" x 3") box has many uses.  Right now - Christmas card writing time - I use it to keep my Christmas cards.  In the future, I plan to use it as a box to keep my earrings.

The box comes with a black divider that splits the box into four sections. The divider is removable and I am currently not using them.

The top is glass and it is decorated with reverse hand paintings.  The bottom surface is black felt with four sillicone feet.  The box feels substatial and well made.

I mentioned that the op is glass decorated by hand painting the glass from the back so the paint is on the inside, the top surface is smooth.  The small details are painted first, and the background last. I found the video that shows the entire process on YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuXdPNgRQ3o&t=54s.


This is a very pretty box, I love keeping pretty things inside of it. You can purchase it on either Amazon or Etsy in the hand-made part of the site, I provide both links below.

You can find this box on Amazon by following this link.

You can find this box on Etsy by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: INJOYLIFE Evening Black Leather Bag Clutch

This evening bag is simple and classic - black leather and sloping curves.  This can be used as a clutch with a short leather strap, or as a purse with a black snake metal chain strap.  I like the metal strap it adds a dress-up touch to this purse.

The purse has a metal clasp closure. The purse is compact (9.5 inches wide and 3.5 inches tall and 1.5 inches side to side) but pretty roomy. I can fit my wallet, phone, and a cosmetics bag with some room to spare.

I bought for myself for an upcoming Holiday party, but enjoyed opening a nice looking black box it felt like opening a present.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Pearlessence Dry Shampoo Cherry Blossom

I've been using dry shampoo for the last year when I need to make my hair look good in a hurry.  I purchased this dry shampoo in a local Marshalls because they had a really attractive price and I was meaning to give Pearlessence a try.  I liked the attractive bottle and the nice smell, however, I needed to use more during each application than Batiste Dry Shampoo. I also noticed the effects did not last as long as when I use Batiste Dry shampoo.

The Pearlessense dry shampoo (just like Batiste Dry Shampoo) goes on like white residue on the hair which you need to work into your scalp with finders and then style with a brush.

So given the price difference, Peralessence did not live up to my expectations.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: INJOYLIFE Business Card Holder Leather Magnetic Case

Injoylife business card holder is a leather case with magnetic closure.  It stays closed in my purse.  It feels substantial (2.6 oz) and well made. Its size is 3.7" x 2.3" x 0.4". In the attached photos I show it on 1/2" grid for size reference.

Even though it is fairly compact I can fit 15 business cards into it.  Sometimes when I go to an occasion when I carry only a small purse I stick a credit card in there as well to access money without carrying my big wallet.  I tested that I can fit 7 credit cards (and no business cards) in the case just to give you an idea of its capacity.

I bought this for myself, but since it is a gift-giving season I want to mention that It comes in a nice looking black box, and would make a nice present.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: The Company Store Ripple Bath and Hand Towels (Ripple Towel Orange Multi Color)

After not being satisfied with the towels I bought on Amazon, I turned to a high-end linens store called The Company Store. The prices on the web site are pretty high, but this time of year they run very nice sales. Over the last several months, I made five purchases. One day I caught a 50% sale, another 30% sales.

The quality of everything I bought is excellent. On the purchase of the towels I am reviewing in this review, I also experienced outstanding customer service. One of the towels arrived with a stain. Even though I did not get it out completely, I managed to make it reasonably faint with repeated washing. I mentioned this in my review, and they sent a replacement towel free of cost without me even asking for it.

I am picky about towels: I don't like them either too thin or too thick. The Company Store towels (I know bought three different sets so I feel I can generalize) thickness of the towels is precisely how I like it.

The design of the towels in this review is called "Ripple Bath Towels." Their primary color is white, and the color at the bottom of the towels is slightly brighter on one side then the other, but both sides look good. The first washing generated quite a bit of lint, but now after three weeks, they don't produce all that much lint in the dryer. They are soft and absorbent. They are also colorfast.

You can find The Company Store by following this link. If you use this link to order you will get a $50 family and friends discount.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★