Product review: PChouse 2PC Stainless-Steel Kitchen Sink Strainer

This strainer fits the kitchen sink as expected: nice overlap on the side, nothing flows below the edge. It is a fairly deep strainer without a center a post.  I got this strainer to use with disposable strainer bags - they require a kitchen sink strainer without a post.  This strainer works well, the disposable bags fits and nothing escapes under the edge.  The strainer has a handle which makes it easy to lift it so I can clear it.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: High Mountain Oolong Green Tea, Loose Leaf for Infusers, Tea Tin, Zone - 365

This is nice tasting green tea in a super nice tin.  The flavor is fragrant and smooth.  The tin has a double closure - a tight inner closure, and a nice looking top cap.  I am sure I will continue to use the tin long after the tea is gone.

Outstanding tea and container.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Trail Camera Vizzlema 12MP 1080P HD Infrared Game Camera

We are big animals lovers and I own several wild cams so we can observe the wildlife visitors we are lucky to get every day. The camera lens is not wide angle, so it give me good close up shots as you see in the video.

The camera has good motion sensor and is activated only when something interesting is happening, so every video it captures has something good on it. The camera can be mounted in a number different (strap to attach to a tree or a tripod mount).  I am using the tripod.

Video quality: videos are very sharp.  In many situations the videos are excellent.  Sometimes in very bright sunlight the camera overexposes. The video during the night uses infrared videos (black and white). I included clips taken during the day and during the night.

The user interface is menu driven and is very intuitive, I show it in the attached video to give you a better idea of how it feels to use it.

The camera runs on eight AA batteries (not included). The battery life is pretty good.  After running for a week taking hundreds of videos every day the camera's battery indicator shows that it is half full. The camera include a 8G SD card, the card was in the camera when it arrived. The camera produces AVI and JPG output.

This camera case is robust.  The tripod with the camera has been knocked down by animals several times, and the camera still running, no problems. The case is waterproof and has been out in several rain storms without any problems.

Overall, I am very pleased. I love being able to have a glimpse into the life of our wild life visitors.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Bedecor 2-Pack Waterproof Pillow Covers Zippered Pillow Protectors Cotton

This is very nice pillow protector.  In my video I pour several tablespoons of water and you can see how the water pools and does not go through the material.

The pillow cover finish feels like terry cloth material on top, and has water proof liner on the reverse side. Waterproof liner does not crinkle and feels soft.

The pillow cover is 27" x 21", standard pillow size is 26" x 20" so it is a little large. It has a zipper closure. 

Cleaning recommendation is to wash it in cold or warm water and either air dry it or  dry it on low heat to prolong the life of the liner.  I have washed and dried the cover and repeated my "tablespoon of water" test and the cover remained waterproof.

This is a nice pillow cover.  I like it! If you have a drooler in your family a waterproof pillow cover is a must. It will be the pillow clean and fluffy for a long time.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Vayne Hot Pursuit Electronic Interactive Cat Toy

This toy is a 8.5" disk with six openings from which a plastic tail shows up every now and then.  On one of the settings the disk also squeaks.  The disk runs on three AA batteries.

We have two cats, one of them is a mouser that like to plays with toys.  She became quite interested in the disk. Most of the time she just sits and watches it. I saw her swipe at it just once, but it keeps her transfixed staring at it for hours.  I imagined that she would be batting at it more, however it does keep her attention so she appears to be detained.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Zone-365 Executive Gold Pen with Cross Pen Ink Cartridge

The black and gold foil pen is very attractive.  It writes smoothly without skips, is comfortable to hold, and looks very distinctive. The pen writes in black ink.

✔ It is beautiful - one of my co-workers even commented on the nice looking pen. How often does that happen?
✔ I found the pen comfortable to write with.
✔ It has a clip, which allows me to clip the pen to my notebook while carrying it around.
✔ The pen comes in attractive case. The case is attractive enough for the pen to be a gift.
✔ The pen has a nice retracting mechanism. The pen does not have a cap.
✔ This pen uses the standard Cross D1 refill cartridge.  The package includes two refills: one in the pen, and one spare refill.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: HOMEE Expandable Garden Hose

I have been using flexible hoses for several summers. They are great to work with - they are light and when empty become very short.  However they are fragile.

The main thing you need to know is that you cannot treat them the same as a regular garden hose. This hose require more careful handling: you cannot leave it in the sun when not in use, you can not drag and pull it like you would a regular hose, you cannot step on it when it is full with water, you cannot hang it to store (this puts pressure on the internal hose).  I store it curled up in a bucket and bring it into the cool basement when not in use.  I lay it out in the direction I want to water and only then fill it with water.  I am careful not to step on it and when I have to pull it I pull gently and carefully. I have strong water pressure, so when I use the flex hose I do not put the water pressure all the way up.  I use it at a half force setting.  Before I started using the precautions my flex hoses did not last all summer, now I get more than one season.

This hose has brass connectors which give me a good no leak connection. Also included in the package is a sprayer.  The sprayer has all plastic construction. We have hard water which is rough on plastic. I usually get 2 good seasons out of plastic sprays. The sprayer is a 7-setting sprayer (Amazon description says 8 settings).  All settings but the "mist" setting work fine. Mist is not as fine as I expected.  The nozzle has flow control and a loop that keeps the nozzle spraying without having to hold down the handle. Flow control does not make a big difference, but I use the stopper loop all the time.

Yes, this hose requires extra care but I really like that it is so light which makes it easier on my bad back.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★