Product review: RECCI 4-Inch Memory Foam Mattress Topper

The best thing about Recci mattress topper is comfort.  It feels very comfortable whether I sleep on my back or on my side.  I have back problems and they make me very sensitive to the mattress. This topper makes my back feel good!

However, there it also has some things about the matress topper that I would qualify as minor minuses.  The comfort out-weighs all the minuses, but  the downsides will give you the full picture.

1.  The mattress topper is pretty heavy and if you have a habit of rotating or flipping the mattress the processes becomes more difficult then before.
2. The topper adds extra 4" thickness and these extra 4" made my extra large pocket sheets just barely fit over both the topper and the mattress. I was worried that the fitted sheet would slip out during the night, but it has not done so far after one week of use.
3. The topper retains and reflects heat more than my original mattress on its own.  The topper description says the topper cover promotes circulation, but this is my first memory foam topper so I have no basis for comparison with other toppers only original rubber latex mattress.

4. The memory foam makes your body sink into it a bit (this is where the comfort is coming from) but that made it more difficult to turn and get out of the bed.

Overall, the topper's comfort outweighs the four issues I noted.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid Daily Facial Sunscreen 70 SPF

I have been looking for a strong and effective sunscreen that does not leave a white sheen on my face.  I also prefer unscented sunscreens.  This Neutrogena sunscreen has a very faint scent (not unpleasant) but it goes on totally clear. This sunblock is a creamy white lotion.  It is a little more runny then other Neutrogena sunscreens I have tried, I like its consistency because it is easy to spread.  The bottle is fairly small (attached photo shows it on 1/2" grid), so it fits into my purse and I carry it with me all the time so I can re-apply when I am away from home. I have not noticed any stains on my clothing (especially around the neck where some sunscreens tend to leave yellow stains).  I am pretty pleased and plan to purchase it again.

Ali Julia review

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Book review: Heads You Win, Jeffrey Archer (spoiler alert)

I loved this book, it is quite unique in that it really is two different stories - two alternative lives because it could have gone either way based on the toss of a coin made in the beginning of the story.  Both stories are fascinating and kept me on the edge of the seat until the very end where I suddenly was thrown into a complete confusion "What just happened?"  Only after re-reading the last several chapters again, I saw that Jeffrey Archer did not reconcile the two stories but gave us a dual ending.

I had no trouble keeping the two stories apart up until the very end. One story tells us what happens to Alexander Karpenko when he emigrates to England, the other how he life turns out after he emigrates to United States. I was wondering through out the book how he will resolve the two lives, how will the two story lines converge. But the ending was not what I expected at all.  The book ends with a surprise and a cliff-hanger. The surprise had to be that way to make the story believable. The cliff-hanger, however, is most  unusual.  Through out the book the heros were referred by nick names of Alexander - as Alex and Sasha - where as at the very end Jeffrey Archer began referring to the hero as Alexander so the reader could not really know which one of them the author was referring to.

After I finished the book I search for various "spoilers" to help me resolve the ending, and I found that I was not alone in my confusion. I will not reveal the spoilers here, but if you search for the word "spoiler" and the book title you will find them.

And no, the unresolved ending did not make me like the book less. Quite the opposite, it left me wanting more! What a way to end the story!

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Visine Dry Eye (less expensive but not as good)

I normally use Refresh eye drop several times a day for dry eyes.  Refresh is pretty expensive, so I decided to try Visine Dry Eye drops. They are less expensive, but they don't work as well. They provide very short term release. I will no be buying them again.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Product review: BodyGlide Anti-Chafe Balm

For years I suffered with blisters on my pinky toes when I walk for more than 30 minutes. I tried various remedies which did not work until I found Glide. Even orthopedic shoes did not fully cure the issue. But Glide did. I put a little bit between my toes, smooth it out with a finger, and I can walk all day without any ill effects.  Recently BodyGlide introduced FootGlide which works just as well.  I buy which ever one is cheaper when I need a new one.

Glide does not feel greasy or slippery, it just works. My skin feels softer too. My blister covered pinkie toes now look smooth and pretty like baby toes! One large bottle lasts a long time (more than a year of daily use).
I use the smaller 0.45 oz bottle when I travel. I don't leave the house without applying BodyGlide to my toes, it is now part of the routine like applying deodorant.

If you have a problem with blisters on your feet, I highly recommend it!

You can find FootGlide on Amazon by following this link.


You can find BodyGlide on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Lepard Printed 3D Hoodie Sweatshirt

This Hoodie has a super cute design (Leopard). It is all over design (front, back, hoodie) and the colors are vibrant. The hoodie tightens with the cord but overall it is a pull over hoodie, there is no zipper or any other closure on the dront of the sweatshirt itself.  The sweatshirt has no labels, it feels like a stretchy nylon type material. It is slippery to touch. It is has a white nylon liner over the entire inside side.  It feels nice to touch.  I have washed it in cold water and it did not shrink.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Book review: The British Mad Dog: Debunking the Myth of Winston Churchill by M S King

This book might have been interesting if it was not written in such a hateful tone. The book has a large number of photos which I enjoyed. However the tone and the choice of words totally discredits the research as it appears that the author has a personal vendetta rather someone presenting historical facts. The homophobic name calling, racist comments about Jews and other ethnicities appear purposely inflammatory in way that discredit the author as a serious researcher or a person worth listening to.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Product review: TEESTA - Masala Loose Leaf Tea

I like drinking loose black tea, I recently discovered Teesla teas. Teesta is a tea that comes from North-East India. Masala tea is rich and fragrant flavor. After brewing for 2 minutes it has nice copper color. In the attached photos you see Teesla Masala tea after 2 minute of brewing in hot water which is just below boil (90°C/194 °F).

The tea comes in a bag with a zip closure. The closure closes well and it takes a bit of force to re-open it (this is a good thing).

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Magnetic Whiteboard Calendar Planner by BeezArmor

I got this dry eraser magnetic calendar for my office - the new office has a lot of metal surfaces and not enough bulletin boards where I used to pin me once-month-at-a-glace calendar.  This magnetic calendar works perfectly. It is just the right size: enough room to write, but not too big too take too much space.

The pens write well and don't stink (no smell at all) and the erasers remove ink cleanly.  There are small erasers on the caps for removing a word or a date, and a large eraser to remove all writing for the next month.  The set includes 17" by 17" calendar, 6 pens with eraser caps, and one large eraser.
Works great!

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: TEESTA - Chai Assam Loose Leaf Tea

I like drinking loose black tea, I recently discovered Teesla teas. Teesta is a tea that comes from North-East India. Chai Assam tea is rich and smooth flavor. After brewing for 2 minutes it has deep copper color. In the attached photos you see Teesla Chai Assam tea after 2 minute of brewing in hot water which is just below boil (90°C/194 °F).

The tea comes in a bag with a zip closure. The closure closes well and it takes a bit of force to re-open it (this is a good thing).

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: E-Z Ancor Tap-N-Lock Utility Screws and Anchors

I picked up a set of Tab-N-Lock anchors for hollow walls at a local store. The pictures shows that 3/4 of an inch of the green plastic will fold and will form a fairly long anchor compared to the other models of anchors I have tried. That sounded like a good idea,

Before starting the job I checked for studs. The area I needed to put the hook in did not have a stud. The instructions said to just tap in the green anchor without pre-drilling. I made a small pilot hole just so the anchor went in exactly where I wanted. Then I began tapping in the anchor. The ancor went in about half way but as the anchor got thicker and had more resistance from the wall it would not budge. I pounded it harder and was able to get in more but the thick head of the anchor  just would not go in. I attempted to remove the anchor first my hand, then with pliers. At which point the head of the anchor broke off, leaving a couple of mi-limiters of green plastic sticking out of the wall, and chucks of the anchor head in my hand (those chucks are included in the photo). Then I had to spend a lot of time sanding the plastic and re-speckling the wall. I tried again in a new spot with similar results - the thick part of the anchor is just no strong enough to go through plaster. At least the second time I was able to pull out the ancor without leaving plastic in the wall. After another re-speckling session, I went back to the standard anchors and the job was completed quickly.

These anchors sounded like a good approach unfortunately in practice they do not work.


You can find these anchors on Amazon by following this link. AVOID!

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Product review: TEESTA - English Breakfast Loose Leaf Tea

I like drinking loose black tea, I recently discovered Teesla teas. Teesta is a tea that comes from North-East India. Its flavor is a typical English Breakfast Tea, it has rich and smooth flavor. After brewing for 2 minutes it has nice golden color. In the attached photos you see Teesla Breafast tea after 2 minute of brewing in hot water which is just below boil (90°C/194 °F).

The tea comes in a bag with a zip closure. The closure closes well and it takes a bit of force to re-open it (this is a good thing).

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Food review: Mother Earth Dried Cabbage

I really like the flavor and texture of Mother Earth dried cabbage.  This is a repeat purchase for me, the latest container is my third. A small amount really expands so it goes a long way. I like adding it to soups for texture and flavor. I add it to the soup before I microwave for a couple of minutes and that all it takes to make it soft yet still texture and flavor. 

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Food review: Mother Earth Dried Spinach

I really like the flavor of Mother Earth cabbage, so I thought I would also like the dried spinach.  However, it is very disappointing.  It is totally flavorless.  The spinach flakes are very small so they also have no texture.

The only way I found to use it is to mix with dried cabbage so that the combination it has flavor and texture but the spinach makes no contribution to either.  I will not be buying it again.

Ali Julia review

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Product review: Ban Roll-On Antiperspirant Deodorant, Unscented

I am repeat buyer of thie deodorant because it is effective and totally scent free. For every day use I use the 3.5 oz size, and 1.5 oz is fairly small and I buy it to take along when I travel.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★