Food review: This Bar Saves Lives, Gluten-Free Kids Snack Bar, Wild Berries

I love the combination of the sweet and tart in this bar. It packs so much flavor that I was surprised to see that it only has 120 calories.

These bars are similar to Kind bars but I like their flavor better.  They slightly less sweet and more intense in flavor.  The fact that they are gluten free so everyone can enjoy them is nice bonus.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: ELEFT 4D Barefoot Arch Support Insoles

I am slightly flat footed, so I often wear sole inserts in my shoes.  This one is different from a gazillion insole I already own.  It has pads made out of memory foam type material.   They are very comfortable, but they do not provide strong arch support a flat person would want.  I am wearing them inside of my home sleepers, where I want to be super comfortable and do not want stuff arch support.

I got size 8 women inserts an fit perfectly the size 8 shoes.  On the back they have lines, so someone with a smaller foot can trim them easily.

Sometimes inserts have unpleasant chemical ordor that takes a few weeks to air out.  I was happy to find that these inserts had no scent at all and I was able to use them right away, no airing out needed.

Nice comfy inserts as long as you understand they are soft and do not provide firm arch support.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Kitchen Gvode Food Grinder Attachment for KitchenAid Stand Mixers

In attached video you can see assembly and usage of this grinder.  It fits my KitchenAid mixer very well. The fit it tight and does not need to be re-tightened.  I purchased round steak which is less than $3, it made much better tasting hamburger than the store-bought ground meat.  The grinder drew in the meat in easily, I only had to push the very last pieces.  The grinder is easy to clean, there was not much left inside.  The little bits of fat were stuck to the plate which I rinsed with hot water. The plate (the piece with the with the holes) is made stainless steel and can be washed in the washer.

A few words about cleaning.  The grinder is made out of three different materials, and the washing instructions are different depending on the material.

The following  parts are made out of stainless steel and can be washed in the dishwasher.
~ The 3x Grinding plates
~Grinding blade
~ 2x Stuffing tubes
The plastic food pusher also can washed in the dishwasher.
~ Food pusher (Plastic)

The Grinder body, grinding worm, food tray, locking ring are Aluminum die-cast. Since its surface is polishing only, without extra nonstick coating it will discolor if you washed in dishwasher.  Even though this does not ruin it does make it look bad.  The aluminum parts should be washed by hadn in soapy water.

The package also include the sausage making attachments.  I will post an update when we use them.

Overall, I am quite pleased. Using the grinder did not make much extra time to set up or clean, I was able to use better cuts of mean, and there is less worry about contamination that happens with the store-bought ground meat.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Female Urination Device (Universal Portable Urinal)

Does it work?  Yes. But it does takes some practice to find the right position and angle to avoid drips and getting your clothing wet. Try practicing in the shower before taking it on the road.

The device comes without instruction of how to position it. One side is longer and one side is shorter. The best position is with the long side up, which makes the tip point slightly up and thus directs the stream away from you and your clothing.

The device arrived quite misshapen, it was flattened and narrow.  However I was able to improve the funnel's shape by reshaping it under hot water and making it wider and oval shaped.  The device is made out relatively stiff silicone, it is not floppy, which is good as it reduces the risk of spills.

Woman's underwear is not designed to be use with such a device, so you have to drop your garments and risk exposure but it less noticeable than squatting. It works very well in a messy porta potty where exposure is not a problem.

Shop around for price, I purchased mine for $9.99 and now I see that there are some as low as $4.99.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Gvode Flex Edge Beater for KitchenAid Tilt-Head Stand Mixer 4.5 and 5 Quart

Before I got Flex Edge Beater attachment, we were using the whisk attachment for KitchenAid to make pudding and waffles. My husband was skeptical that it would make a difference, but we were both surprised - it made a noticeable difference!  In attached video you see pudding and waffles being made with the Flex Edge attachment.  The pudding came out much creamier and than waffles batter was much smoother. The Flex Edge Beater fit perfectly and when it works it scrapes everything from the side, incorporating everything into the batter.  With a whisk attachment I need to use spatula to scrape the sides, with a Flex Edge Beater is not necessary.

Waffles are my husband's specialty on Sundays, so I can this will be a permanent change!

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: LD-160 LED Video Lamp Light By Kshioe

I have been using light panels in my table top photography.  Pangshi light panel is the newest addition to my set up. It has features I look for in a light panel:

1. It gives me an ability to change the amount of light that the panel generates with a simple turn of the knob. This allows me to have perfect lighting in different situations. 

2. It comes with a built-in swivel which allows me to aim it. I use this light panel on table-top tripod as you see in the video.

3. It has a battery level test button on the back, so I know if I should switch batteries before I start a new photo session. It lets me avoid stopping in the middle.

3. It can run on a large number of batteries, including AA batteries.

4. It comes with three filters: frosted, yellow (my favorite), and purple.  The filters fit snugly and do not fall out even when I have the panel upside down or side ways.

The light panel generates continuous light. Once you turn it on the light panel stays on. This panel does not communicate with the camera like a flash. I use it mounted on tripod so I have more control of where the lighting goes and my camera is lighter for a steadier shot.

This panel is easy to set up and easy to change the amount of light I get to fit any situation.  It is working really well for me.

You can find this light panel on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Set of 10, OUTOWIN 304 Stainless Steel 3 MM Extra Thick Hooks

This review is from: Set of 10, OUTOWIN 304 Stainless Steel 3 MM Extra Thick Hook Bathroom Toilet Single Robe Towel Coat Hook Rustproof Kitchen Utensil Utility Hanger Heavy Duty Wall Mounted (Kitchen)
This is a set of very plain stainless steel hooks. The hook extends 1.25" away from the wall at its tip. The tip of the hook is 3/8" wide. The hooks are sturdy, and held by two screws. The package comes with the hardware for hollow walls and also includes nice looking caps for the nails.

Very simple hooks (total of 10), useful for many things.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★