Sunday, April 26, 2020

Product review: Crocs Men's and Women's Classic Lined Clog


I have tried Lined Classic Crocs and Blitzen Crocs as my first Prime Wardrobe purchase.   I have owned a number of Crocs.  Great arch support, very comfortable sole, and the ones with a warm liner are very warm.

The Classic Crocs fit exactly as I expected, nice and comfortable. I compared it side by side with my old Classic Crocs and these have slightly less arch support.  The wooly liner is NOT removable for washing.  My old classic Cros had the liner that went all around the opening, and so all edges feel soft.  These new Crocs have a liner that ends at the edges, so the edges feel sharper. I feel this difference only as I try to stick my feet into it, especially at night. This is not a deal-breaker but this is why I am rating these Crocs as 4 stars while my old ones were clearly a 5 star.

Blitzen Crocs, by the way,  did not feel like Crocs to me, they have no arch support and did not feel as comfortable as the Classic Crocs.

With Prime Wardrobe I could try on both shoes (inside, keeping all the labels attached) and then return whatever did not fit as well as I expected.  Blitzen Crocs went back and Classic Crocs were a keeper.  This worked very smoothly, I was only charged for the pair I kept.
You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Friday, April 24, 2020

Product review: The company store sateen cover Genevieve 400-thread



Genevieve duvet cover has pretty colors, silky sateen fabric, and feels nice to touch.
I purchased full size duvet for a quilt which 84" by 84".  I measured the duvet before washing it and it was 84" x 90" and after laundry, it shrunk to slightly under 82" wide.  This means the quilt cannot lay totally flat, it buckles within the duvet. 

I previously purchased a flannel duvet cover which was made 2" bigger to account for shrinkage (before laundry 86" x 92", and after laundry 84" x 90").  I am not sure why the same allowance was not made for this (more expensive) sateen duvet.  It has a very similar shrinkage factor.  Disappointing!  I love it in every other way.

The Company Store carries high end and fairly expensive bedding and bath linens but often runs special sales 25% to 50%.  You can find the store by following this link and get friends and family $50 off discount.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Product: Just the Cheese Bars, Crunchy Baked Low Carb Snack Bars - good taste / bad price


I liked the flavor of these snacks.  The quality of all but one package was good overall, however, one package was too brown/burned for my taste. 

I thought the price was too expensive for the number of cheese slices you got.  I cannot be justifying buying it again.  I would buy again at half the price. I bought 12 packages for $24, I thought $12 would be a reasonable (not cheap) price for 12 packages (24 slices).
You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆




Monday, April 20, 2020

Product review: Amazon.com Gift Card Balance Reload - What is it really worth?


Despite using Amazon for over 20 years this is the first time I reloaded  $100 to a gift card from my Amazon Prime credit card.  I was charged $100 on my credit card and saw  $100 dollars added to my Amazon gift card balance. That line was labeled "Balance Reload".  I also a separate line  "Reward for reload order" for $10. These lines appeared within a minute from me hitting the "Reload" button.

This is a one time offer for the very first reload of the gift card balance.  In addition to the $10 bonus, I got $5 rewards on my credit card for spending $100.If I were to spend the same $100 by just paying for the purchase using my Amazon Prime credit card I would get $5 in regular Prime card rewards. So, the overall bonus is really an additional $10. I originally (and incorrectly) thought that reload will not result in the $5 Amazon reward points, thus reducing the benefit in half.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Product review: Mike & Ike Mega Mix Sours Candy


I discovered these candies on a trip to Philadelphia where these candies originated.  They have a very pleasant sour flavor and a variety of fruity variations.  They are chewy but do not stick to my teeth.  Each candy has 7 calories and 1 gram of sugar.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★




Thursday, April 16, 2020

Product review: Liberte Organic Yogurt, Baja Strawberry Whole Milk Yogurt






Liberte yogurt is one of my favorite yogurts. It is creamy, not too sweet, and the fruit on the bottom is delicious.  This is a real treat!

It is 210 calories per serving (1 container).  It is made out of whole milk yogurt and it is made with no gelatin, sugar substitutes or preservatives.

Purchased in a local Whole Foods store.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★





Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Product review: Buf Creamery, Ricotta Buffallo ricotta







This is my first purchase of water buffalo ricotta and I hoped to like it more then I did.  This container contains 6 servings (per label) each serving of 50 grams and 78 calories.

It has zero sugar and I do not like its flavor as is.  I was able to cook with it and fix the flavor but I am not planning on purchasing it again.

Purchased in a local Whole Foods store.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆








Sunday, April 12, 2020

Product review: Schwarzkopf Keratin Color Permanent Hair Color Cream - first time home hair color during COVID-19 pandemic



Like many folks due to Corona Virus, I am not able to visit my hairdresser, and the greys in my hair did not look good. I decided to color my own hair for the first time in my life.

I was pleasantly surprised that Schwarzkopf Keratin Color Permanent Hair Color Cream did not spell bad (note that the left-over color started to smell the next day, so dispose of it before the smell develops).  The overall process was pretty straightforward, my hair color looks good and natural (I selected Capuccino color, which made my hair slightly darker then it was before I applied the color).

I am writing this review two weeks after I applied the color so I can see how the color is holding up. It is doing okay.  By that, I mean that the roots lost some of the color, but the hair color still looks acceptable.  I can tell it will not last as long as the salon color job, but it cost me eight times less so it is not so bad if I have to do it every three-four weeks.

The package includes 4 containers (color, developer, pre-conditioner, and post-conditioner) and gloves. The package does not include a brush to spread the color and no mixing container (you are supposed to use the developer bottle and shake to mix).  The gloves are huge and I replaced them with my own nitrite gloves that fit better.  I also used my own bowl to mix (it works much better than shaking a container) and a brush to apply color (it is much easier to use than the container tip).

I started by pre-condition my hair per instructions.  Then I applied chapstick around my hairline so the color does not stick to the skin (I read about this tip on-line and it worked great).  Then I mixed the color and the developer. I first did it a bottle per instructions, and then poured it out into the container.  This is when I saw that the mixture was rather unevenly mixed, I was able to do a better job using my small brush.

I used the brush to paint color on my scalp, first around the hairline then all over the scalp. I used my gloved hands to work the color into the hair and scalp and left the color on my head for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes I applied more color to the rest of the hair and again worked it with my hands. I waited another 6 minutes and then got into the shower to wash off the color. Note that I was wearing a t-shirt, and even though I did not really care about it I realized that if I were to take it off before the shower I would get the color all over it, so I got into the shower wearing the t-shirt.

One of the fears I had is that the color will stain my shower, my shower curtain, the walls, etc.  Those fears were unsubstantiated. Once the water began running clear I saw that there was no staining on the tub, walls, or shower curtain.

I dried the hair and applied the post-conditioner.  After keeping it on my hair for a few minutes, I rinsed the hair one more time.  There was enough conditioner to apply it to my hair for another week.

The entire coloring session took about an hour including all the prep steps. I have short hair and about half of the color remained unused.  I am pleased with the results and plan to do it again in four weeks.


Ali Julia review

Note that the pictures came out a little lighter than the hair color in real life.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Friday, April 10, 2020

Product review: Aquaphor Healing Ointment - Dry Skin Moisturizer - Hands, Heels, Elbows, Lips




My dermatologist suggested Aquaphor when I had a minor procedure on my face for quicker healing without scars.   It is non-greasy, effective and has no odor. It is now my first choice for any skin issues - healing or dry skin.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Product review: ELLEN TRACY Essentials Womens Seamless Briefs


Ellen Tracy's panties are excellent.  They are super comfortable at the leg and waist. They have good coverage.  The material is very stretchy so it does not pinch.  This was my first experience in Ellen Tracy's underwear. I bought one set at a local Marshalls, and the next week went back to buy another set in case I will not find it again in a few months.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Monday, April 6, 2020

Product review: Fruit Love Smoothie


Fruit love smoothies are one of the most disappointing deserts  I have tried.  It is pretty much tasteless.  It does not taste like fruit or yogurt.  I could not finish it and had to throw it out.  I rarely do anything so wasteful, but I just could not force myself to finish it.  I found this desert in Market Basket in the yogurt section.

Ali Julia review

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Product review: Mr. Clean Freak Deep Cleaning Mist Multi-Surface Spray Lemon Zest Bundle



I was a bit turned off by the fact on Amazon I had to buy the mister and the refill together not knowing if I was going to like this cleaner and wanting a refill.  I would have preferred to buy just the mister at half the price and buy refills if I wanted to at a later date.  I found no such option on Amazon and for that, I am reducing the rating by one star.

However, I did like the cleaner.  It was more effective on some tough spots that resisted previous cleaners.  The cleaner did well on porcelain, tile, fiberglass, and plastic.  It also was very effective on chrome. I am including a few before/after photos for several cleaning tasks.

I liked the unique mister that is used on this cleaner.  The mist covered a large area and did not leak. It would be easy to use for a person with arthritis - the handle is large and the squeeze motion is natural without requiring precise control or use of a single finger.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Product review: Mike and Ike Original Candy



I discovered these candies on a trip to Philadelphia where these candies originated.  They have a very pleasant flavor and a variety of fruity variations.  They are chewy but do not stick to my teeth.  This package has Cherry, Lemon, Lime, Orange flavors.  Lemon candies are my favorite. Each candy has 7 calories and 1 gram of sugar.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★