Product review: Adams Manufacturing 36-Inch Deluxe Garden Planter

I bought this planter in the spring of 2014 and waited to write this review until I saw how it aged through the a few seasons  (I left it outside in the snow and rain). Now I finally got around to writing this review. The planter held its shape and color well.

The planter is sturdy, it is roomy.  I needed to drill more holes to improve draining so the water did not pool in various areas.  The legs occasionally pop out and I use a mallet to pound them back in.

The planter is 36" long, 15.5" wide, and 24" high. It can support 150 pounds. When it is empty it weighs about 10 pounds.  Overall, I works fine, it is a solid 4 stars product.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Winchar Chinese/Japanese Folding Silk Folding Hand Fan

This is a pretty folding fan, it has bamboo (painted in black) frame and pretty blue silk fan.  It generates nice breeze and folds up compactly.  I keep in my purse when we go to places which have no air conditioner.  We often go to concerts held in tents or old churches which get pretty hot in the summer, and the fan works much better than a concert program!  The fan comes with a carrying pocket.

It size when folded is 8.25" x 3/4", and when open it is 8.25" x 13.75". 

I use for practical fanning purpose, but it is pretty enough to be a wall decoration.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: MuDan Womens Roman Gladiator Sandals Flats Thongs Shoe

I found these sandals very uncomfortable.   I thought these sandals would be a lot more adjustable than they are. The lacing is purely decorative. You cannot loosen or tighten the strap because the material under it is solid leather. If you tighten it it bunches up and hurts the foot, and obviously you cannot make it any looser than it is as you cannot stretch the leather. Luckily for me I can wear it as is, I would have liked it maybe a little looser but I think they will stretch a bit as I wear them. I normally wear size 7.5, I got size 8 and it fits like size 7. Size 8 usually is a bit more loose on me. On these sandals I am using the last hole on the strap and there is barely any space between my heel and the end of the shoe.

The sole is totally flat, there is no arch support.

On a hot day these shoes are nice and cool, but I cannot wear them all day if I have to be on my feet. Their sole and overall fit are not comfortable enough for that.

Both the sole and the top are man-made materials. I show the shoe upside down in one of the photos, the soles are not textured and would not be good on wet slippery surface.

I have owned these shoes for over a year, I wore maybe once or twice at home where I could take them off when they became totally uncomfortable.  This spring they went into donations bag for a local charity.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Book review: How to Grow Potatoes: Planting and Harvesting Organic Food From Your Patio, Ruppenthal

This year was the first time I grew potatoes in my garden.  Ruppenthal's book "How to grow potatoes" was an inspiration that got me started.  The book did not spend a lot of time on how to grow potatoes in a grow bag but it said enough that made be interested in trying it out.  I started with the spuds in 1 inch of dirt and adding more and more dirt as the potato plants grew. Eventually the grow bag was filled to the top (12" deep).

In attached photos you see what I got from one red potato and one fingering potato. Each of the spud potatoes was cut in three, and I had three plants in one 7 pound grow bag.  I was able to grow the potatoes on my patio, and the best part of growing potatoes in a grow bag is how easy it is to harvest. All  I had to do is dump the content in a wheel barrel and pick out the potatoes.  It required very little bending and effort, and the gentle potatoes skins did not get damaged.

This book gave me enough information to get me started and this weekend I saw the results of my labor.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Fabric grow bags (product review after harvest)

This year was the first time I used grow bags to grow potatoes.  In attached photos you see what I got from one red potato and one fingering potato. Each of the spud potatoes was cut in three, and I had three plants in one 7 pound grow bag.

The best part of growing potatoes in a grow bag is how easy it is to harvest. All  I had to do is dump the content in a wheel barrel and pick out the potatoes.  It required very little bending and effort, and the gentle potatoes skins did not get damaged.

I will be using grow bags again!

The method I used was starting the spuds in 1 inch of dirt and adding more and more dirt as the potato plants grew. Eventually the grow bag was filled to the top (12" deep).

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: BenQ ScreenBar Office Lamp Light

This monitor bar exceeded my expectations. First and most important it provides light without getting in the way.  Once I mounted it I was able to position it in such a way that I don't see it at all.

My ViewSonic monitor has a thin bevel of 3/4". I was worried that the bar will hang lower covering some top portion of the screen. It does not. The mechanism that holds to the monitor can be tilted in a variety of ways, and it was easy to find a position where it aligned with the trim.  There are no screws, no tape, it works by gravity.

The light bar comes with a switch that can change the brightness and color of the light.  The same switch is used to turn the light on and off.  The bar generates no glare on the screen. It provide excellent light for the desk below it and the keyboard which is on a movable try below the desk in my set up.

The lamp runs on USB power using a special proprietry cable which slits in two: one goes to the back of the light bar, the other one goes to the switch.

The lamp feels solidly made, it is fairly heavy and has dark grey/black finish.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Rantom Personal Blender

This little mixer looked terrific when it arrived. I went out and loaded up on fresh fruits.  However, my unit turned out to be deffective, I could not turn it on and I have tried for a long time.

To turn it on you are supposed to slide from OFF to ON twice in one second. You are supposed to stay within the oval, you fingures cannot go outside the oval.

The unit was fully charged (you can see red light when it is charging, the light turns blue when it is fully charged).  I have tried many time before giving up.  Pretty disappointing especially because it looked quite nice.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Book review: Paper Crafts: 51 Card & Invitation Crafts For Birthdays, Weddings, Showers. by Kitty Moore

I did not find this book helpful. The biggest problem is this book has no pictures. You don't know what the final project will look like before you invest time in doing it. Each project has a link "click here for images to this craft" but it does not lead to the images instead it takes you to the marketing material for more items from the same author. I hate being tricked! In addition to these deceptive links every few pages there are ads for the seller's other books.  These ads take several pages! This makes reading the book very unpleasant like being constantly annoyed by a pushy salesman.

Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Product review: Urbancolor Women's Driving Suede Leather Moccasins

Buying shoes on line hedges on the sizing being true to size.
I normally wear size 7.5 ladies shoe and ordered size 7.5 size of Urbancolor Moccasins.  When they arrived I saw that the bottom of the shoe was marked "9" and thought there was a mistake in packing. However, when I tried them on... the fit was just right, it fit just like any standard shoe marked as 7.5 in a local retail store.

The shoes are quite comfotable, they have a nice thick insole with some arch support. The top of the shoe is made out of suede leather, the bottom is a rubber sole.

The weakest part of the shoes are the leather ties.  I am finding it difficult to make them looking "neat".  It is not a deal breaker but I find myself fussing with them a lot.  Other than the ties these nice casual shoes for running chores!

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Sony Alpha SEL1855 E-mount 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OSS Lens

I wound up purchasing this lens twice.  The first lens as part of the original SONY NEX-5 purchase in 2011, and then again in 2013 when I dropped the camera from a tripod on a stone and broke not the glass but the plastic casing around the lens. So be aware that the camera lightness comes from using materials more fragile than heavy metal.

Five years later I am still happy with the decision I made. I use the camera almost every day. I find it to be reliable under various lightening conditions, it is fairly light and portable compared to my Canon SLR. Its weight is 18-55 6.9 oz (194g). It has a standard Sony E-mount and filter diameter is 49 mm. The lens came with both caps.

The only negative thing I can say that it cracked because parts of the lens are made out plastic. However, that is what makes the lens lighter than my Canon zoom lenses.

In attached photo you see New York skyline taken at dusk (hand held) and below it I show super zoomed in areas to show the sharpness of the image in different areas of the shot - you see that the center of the shot (photo 2) is sharper than the edges (photo 1 and photo 2). I think it did a nice job given the lightning conditions and no tripod.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Product comparison of wireless comeras Blink XT Video Camera vs Arlo Video Camera

I purchased Arlo video camera in May of 2015.  You can read my detailed review of it here (original review and updates through the years). During a recent Prime day Blink video cameras were on a good sale and my I decided it would be interesting to compare the two and if see if we can use Blink camera as a wild life camera so we can watch for our favorite visitor (blank bear!) on the phone rather having to remove the video card from the wild camera cams we have set up. 

This review compares the two cameras.

1. Both cameras produce high quality high definition videos. I think Arlo's video is somewhat better but they comparable. The video you see in this review is taken by Blink video camera, you can see Arlo videos in the Arlo review referenced above. I call this comparison even.

2. Blink camera feels very light and has a feel of cheaply constructed camera.  Arlo is relatively heavy, has a very solid feel to it, does not feel cheaply made.  Edge to Arlo.

3. Arlo has a magnetic mount which makes it very easy to mount and dismount when the battery needs to be changed. Blink camera mount feels very flimsy. To remove the camera you need to unsnap it from a thin plastic mount which feels like it is not going to last too many snaps and unsnaps.  If the camera is mounted high then unsnapping is a bit tricky as you need to do it a certain angle to be gentle.  Arlo is very easy to position on its holder (it is a ball so any angle works), and Arlo's app provides further control over the position and zoom.  Edge to Arlo.

4. Arlo runs on four RCR123A batteries.  I buy them in packs on 20. I tried a variety of batteries through the years (both primary and rechargeable) and found that Panasonic batteries sold by Amazon (not third party dealers which tend to sell older batteries) work best. They last 2 to 4 months (less in the winter, more in the summer).  Blink runs on two lithium AA batteries.  We have not had Blink long enough to determine battery longevity, but from reading other people reviews a claim of battery lasting over a year is exaggerated. However even if the batteries only lasts several months the edge goes to Blink here, as AA lithium batteries are more common and cheaper batteries.

5. Arlo videos can be viewed both on the desktop via a Browser and through a phone App. Blink only has a mobile app. Arlo provides more flexibility, being able to apple to access videos via a desktop app is important to me and Arlo has a big edge since Blink just does not have this functionality at all. 

6. Both Arlo and Blink store videos stored in the cloud.  At no additional cost Arlo keeps the videos for 1 week.  If you want to pay for a subscription you can get longer storage.  Blink provides somewhat longer storage, but only from the mobile app.  For my usage Arlo gets an edge because having videos accessible through a desktop is important.

7. Arlo Video Camera has been in service without any issues for over 3 years. It even survived clumsy drops by owner (me!) without damage.  It stayed attached through a hurricane wind (with some protection given by the house) without falling to the ground.  I have concerns concerns about Blink's thin plastic clip, but Blink is too new at this time to comment on its longevity.  So I will leave this comparison open and update in a few years.

Overall, I like the Arlo camera better.  I compared a variety of features, the two key things for me are Arlo's superior  clip system and availability of video recordsing from the browser on the desktop.  I rate Arlo as 5 star product, I rate Clip as 4 star product.

You can locate Blink Video System on Amazon by following this link.

You can locate Arlo Video System on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review

Product review: Hydrofarm HGBB4 4' Natural Bamboo Stake for Garden

I purchased these in 2015 and made a lot of use out of these bamboo stakes over the past two summers. They held up well through the two summer and I am able to re-use them. Note that I do take them in during the winter.

I used them in my tomato garden to hold up tomatoes and in the flower garden to hold up Phlox stems. I liked that they are tall and strong, and their knobby stems hold threads well so they don't slide.

I used them in mt Phlox garden to keep all Phlox flowers upright. I like that their natural color blends with the flowers and the supports are practically invisible. In fact they were so well disguised that I had to wait until killing frost to take their photo for this review, otherwise they just did not show up well enough to see.

I got 4 foot tall stakes, and when I needed shorter ones I was able to cut them with just good kitchen scissors.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Shoe Horn Pro Precision - Premium Extra Long Handled Telescopic and Locking

Until you really need a shoe horn you may not fully appreciate the subtleties of different designs. Unfortunately, I am an expert on shoe horns. A few years ago I seriously injured my back and after the surgery I lost a lot of flexibility in my back and shoe horns became a regular part of my life. Prior to receiving this shoehorn I have been actively using a number of shoehorns on every day basis.

I reviewed the original version version of this shoehorn and this new improved version. I gave the original shoe horn one star review. The original version had two fatal flaws for someone who actually needs a shoe horn - it did not stay extended when pressure was applied and it flexed so it pushed down on the back of the shoe distorting the back.  Several months after the review was posted the seller contacted me and asked me if I would be willing to test an improved version of the shoe horn. I applaud the seller for not only listening to the feedback but sending another version of the shoehorn to a reviewer who gave it a one star review, a review that had the details of why the shoe horn does not work for people who actually need to use it multiple times a day.  I agreed but said that the review will be positive or negative based purely on my experience with it.

The new version totally resolved one of my complaints, it now locks in place by twisting the shaft and it does not shorten when pressure is applied. Yes, it takes a little longer to extend and twist, but it is nice to have a shoe horn that can be made shorter for storage and it is certainly better than the shoe horn that becomes shorter and shorter as you use it.

However, my second problem still remains. The problem is that the shoe horn flexes down as you push your leg into the shoe and pushes on the back of the shoe and beds down the back of the shoe. If you are putting on sneakers this is okay, so some reviewers may not consider this an issue because they are not using a shoe horn with nice leather shoes. However, as a woman who uses a shoe horn to put on nice leather pumps I do not want the back of the shoes to be deformed. As I mentioned earlier I own many shoe horns and none of them have this feature and I do not see any benefit to the flexible joint. It makes putting on a shoe harder rather than easier.

I like the telescoping aspect of this shoe horn for travel. I definitely think this is an improvement to the first version because this shoe horn stays extended when I press. I am able to use this shoe horn on sneakers. I am not able to use it on nice leather shoes. I hope there will be another version of this shoe horn - I would like it to be stiff and retractable. Given the track record of this seller and desire to keep improving the product, I am hoping it will happen.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Polaroid ZIP Mobile Printer w/ZINK Zero Ink Printing Technology

The quality of the prints is decent. The color is not rendered perfectly but acceptable for the type of usage I see for this little printer. At the end of my video I show the wall print I photographed and the print generated by Polaroid printer side by side. Even though you see slight different in colors the results are acceptable. The printer comes with 10 sheets of paper, each one 2" x 3". Zink paper refills are available on Amazon at about 50 cents per sheet.

This printer does not need ink. The images appears by heating special Zink paper in different ways. No ink makes the printer small plus when the photo comes out it is totally dry, you cannot smudge it. The print feels thick and very glossy. Unlike regular glossy photo printer Zink paper does not show finger prints.

The printer's size is 4.5" x 2 3/4" x 7/8" and its weight 6.7 oz.

The printer easily paired with my phone. I loaded Polaroid Zip app which allows me to print pictures from the gallery or create name cards from my photos. There is also and option to do some primitive editing (brightness, contrast, crop, a few filters). This little camera can be a lot of fun at the party. I can see it also being useful to generate name cards/business cards when you need to give someone contact info.

The printer takes 10 paper sheets at a time, and you need to put the paper with the shiny print side of the paper up. Make sure that the printer is on as it turns off automatically.

The printer run on a rechargeable battery and it takes 2.5h for me to recharge it. The printer can be used while it is being charged.

Bottom line: nice prints on the go even though not as good as my Epson photo printer.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Fire HD 8 Tablet with Alexa, 8" , 32G - Prime day disappointment

My old 7.8" Samsung tablet just died and I was attracted to to Fire HD tablet because I like the 8" size and the Prime day price was attractive.  Well, some bargains are no bargains. I am very disappointed with this tablet. I  have been an Android user for many years. In addition to my Android phones, I always owned a 7-8" tablet (Nexus 7 tablet and Samsung 7.8 tablet) for reading and playing around at home.  By comparison to these two old devices the Fire HD tablet does not measure up.

1. The screen resolution is not crisp and not bright. I expected it to less bright and clear then Samsung Amoled display but not by such a large margin. By default the screen is set to be half as bright as it can be. You can fix that my swiping down and dragging the brightness to the right.  But even on a full brightness setting it is not even close to an old Samsung screen brightness and clarity.

2. The tablet is very slugging, there is a noticeable delay every time I try to do something.

3. Not all apps (purchased (i.e. not free!) from Amazon app store) that I had on my old tablet appeared in the list of available apps.

4. The interface presented on Fire is very restrictive as I am used to having full control over what I see (and don't see) on my desktop.  Fire HD does not allow me to remove some apps that I know I will never use.   I cannot control where the icons are placed on the screen, how large they, and what sceen page they appear on.  The best I can do is drag built-in apps I will never use to a folder I called "Useless" and give up just one spot on my screen. 

When I open an app, say a Washing Post article, it puts a large icon (larger than a regular icon) first on my home screen taking up half of the screen, moving the apps I use all the time down (leaving just one row of app icons visible) as shown on attached photo. Yes, I can remove the large icon by clicking and selecting "remove from desktop" but it requires extra clicks.

Unlike an Android device with a standard Google interface I have no control over where icons appear.  I like organizing screens by theme: a page for games, a page for photo/video apps, a page for text related apps and so forth. I also like to control where on each icon appears on the screen (top/bottom/left/right) so it is easy for me to instantly locate it. I find the look and feel of Fire HD interface very frustrating as it has a set of behavior that cannot be customized.

5. I purchased half of my apps from Amazon app store and half from Android Playstore. Fire HD tablet does not support Playstore out of the box.

I found instructions on the web of how to install Playstore to make more apps available, but there is no guarantee that all of them will work because Amazon forked the Android OS and potential for incompatible behavior is there for every app.  I was successful in installing Android API (which is part of the instructions) which gave me back the three buttons at the bottom of the page (back button, home page, active apps) which were missing from Amazon interface, but I was not able to run the App Store app itself.

6. Some people mentioned that the package included a rubberized skin for the back of the tablet, but my package did not include it. Perhaps it was excluded because it was the Prime day discount special.

7. The initial set up was quite lengthy, it took about 30 minutes of downloads and updates before I could start using the tablet.

Is there anything that I do like? Yes

1. Battery life (at least while it is so new) is excellent.  I left it unplugged overnight and it was still 100% in the morning.  After using it on and off all day the battery was still more than 50% full.

2. Alexa works well.  I have multiple Alexa devices and since you cannot give them individual "wake up" words that could get pretty frustrating.  However there is a setting (which is off by default) that allows the device closest to you to respond rather having all of them respond at the same time.

3. When the device started it already knew who I was and the registration process was just one click.  If the device was purchased as a gift for someone else there was a chance to say "No, this is not me".

4. For someone totally new to a device the tablet started with a nice tutorial (after all the updates were done).

Given the price (and thus the modest processor it is built on), I expected it to be a bit less responsive, but the sluggishness was more noticeable than I expected. I knew the display will not be as bright as Amoled display on my last tablet but the difference was bigger than I expected.  I also did not expect to be as frustrated as I am with the user interface.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆