Product review: Good Good Keto Pancake & Waffle & Crepe Mix Low Carb

 

This mix is based on almond flour with vanilla and other flavors to give it more flavor. The title states no sugar added, which does not mean it is unsweetened.  The mix includes erythritol as a sweetener.

To make it, you need to add water & oil/butter, mix, and cook.  The instructions are really off in the proportions. The instructions call for 1.5 cups of water for 1 cup of the mix. I reduced the amount of liquid to 1 cup, and still, the resulting mixture gave me crepes, not pancakes or waffles. I liked the flavor of the crepes, and I can stuff them with other goodies to further improve the flavor.  If you want pancakes, you probably need 1/2 cup of liquid rather than 1.5 cups.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Caliwater | Organic Nopal Cactus Water, WILD PRICKLY PEAR + Electrolytes for Hydration + Recovery, 100% Plant-Based, Non-GMO, Non Carbonated, No Artificial Sweeteners or Ingredients

 

The drink tastes very, very, very sweet.  No artificial sweeteners do not mean any sweeteners.  The overly sweet flavor comes from blue agave and monk fruit, which are the sweeteners used in this drink.

I do not detect any other flavors other than sugared water.  It is too sweet for me to drink as is. I can tolerate it if I dilute one can of this drink with one can of plain water and add fresh lemon juice to turn it into something I can drink. Then it turns into a type of lemonade.

Ingredients: Water, blue agave, lemon juice, raspberry juice, natural flavors, prickly pear powder, monk fruit extract.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Product review: KitchLife Reusable Bamboo Towels

 These bamboo towels are pretty stiff compared to regular paper towels. They are strong, stretchy, and absorb water well. The towels are slightly narrower than regular paper towels. The rolls still work in my paper towel holder because it is not tension-based; my holder has an end-to-end rod. If you have a tension-based paper towel holder, these rolls will not work because they are not as wide. For their strength and rough finish, I use them as shop towels. You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Foot Warmer Electric, 3 Timer & 3 Temperature Control Foot Heating Pads,Brown 14" x 14"

This is an electric pocket with heat elements for feet.  The warmth is generated only on the bottom of the pocket and not over the entire surface; the top just keeps the warmth inside the pocket. The pocket is 14" x 14", so you need to keep your feet fairly close together.  The pocket is divided into two parts, locking in how your feet have to be positioned; I would have preferred one big opening to angle the foot as I wish.  I do not like sitting with my feet so close together so that I can warm only one foot at a time.
 
The pocket has a controller that controls the heat level. The manual is NOT aimed at the USA audience; all temperature levels are given in Celsius.  I looked at conversion for the manual, and the temperature can be controlled from a high of 140 °F to a low of 113 °F. The timer options are 30/45/60 minutes.

The warmer comes with a relatively short USB cable of 56".  AC converter is not included.  The foot warmer can run from an external battery bank, but it does take a lot of energy, so you need several power banks to run it all day.

My feet always get cold in the winter, and it will be nice to add this heated pocket to my collection of electric socks, electric insoles, and electric booties.  However, by comparison with other products, is not at the top of the options.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: kemimoto Heated Insoles, Rechargeable Remote Control

 

 My feet get really cold in the winter, and I own a collection of heated socks and insoles. The insoles come in two types, ones that have a battery in the insole itself (they are thicker) and the ones that have an external battery strapped to your leg (they are thinner but more cumbersome).

The heated element in Kemimoto insole is located in the toe area of the insole. The battery is located in the insole heel.  Because the battery and the heating element are located inside the insole, the insole is relatively thick. Once I insert these insoles in my shoes/boots, my foot no longer fits as the shoes/boots are not large enough to fit the additional thickness.  I use the insoles in my husband's slippers while sitting behind my desk, working on the computer.  This solution addressed my primary need.

The tip of insoles can be trimmed to fit different shoe lengths.  The battery is not removable.  It is recharged by plugging in a C-type charging cable directly to the insoles.  The charging cable is provided, but it is very short, and I am using my own cables to give me more length.  It takes about 4 hours to charge fully.

There is no indication that the insoles are charging.  The only way to tell if they are charged is to remove the cable, and then there is a brief blink of a led - red for fully charged, blue for partially charged, and green for not fully charged.

The package includes a remote control to turn on the heat.  The insole itself does not indicate if it received the command from the remote.  The remote does blink with a red light when the buttons are pressed.

If the remote does not work, the insoles themselves have a power button next to the USB port.  To turn on using the button, you need to hold the button down for 3 seconds.


The warmth of the insoles is pleasant. It is not too hot and not too cold. I usually start on hot and in a couple of hours switch to medium.  I can do that with a remote without taking out the insoles.  If you lose the remote, you can also change the temperature by the button on the insole itself. I was pleased that they did not have the chemical scent some of my other insoles have.

Overall, this is probably the best insole I purchased, with the only negative that the thickness restricts what shoes I can use them in.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Cleanitize Hospital Disinfectant Wipes

 

These wipes contain a strong disinfectant used in hospitals to combat viruses like COVID-19 and MRSA.  
Active Ingredients: Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chloride, Dimethyl Ethylbenzyl Ammonium Chloride.

The wipes should not be used on surfaces where you prepare food.  Skin contact either should be avoided or minimized, and then the hands need to be thoroughly washed before preparing food or using the bathroom (per instructions on the package).  For cleaning and disinfecting, the surface should be thoroughly wet and then left to dry.

The wipes are sized 7" x 8.5", made out of thick cellulose and synthetic fibers.  The wipes are not unscented. I would have preferred a totally unscented.  

Powerful cleansing wipes require careful use, so they are not for everyone and everything.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: TB12 Vibrating Mini Massage Ball - Relieve Pain and Soreness, Lower Back, Shoulders, Calves and Glutes, Pliability Massager with 4 Speeds

 

 I have been using Lacrosse balls for pressure massage to help work off the knots in my painful shoulder, upper back, and neck area.  When I use the Lacrosse ball, I  press it against the wall and roll it against the painful spots in my neck, shoulder, and back. If I am in pain, I use the ball several times a day.  As soon as I feel a twinge of pain, I can usually work it out with the pressure massage.  It is incredibly effective.

I thought this ball might work as well and hoped vibration would add additional help.  Turns out it is not as good as a Lacrosse ball.
1. Lacrosse balls are made out of hard, smooth rubber.  The hard rubber has some give.  When I press against it, it does dig into my skin. It only provides intense pressure.  This ball does not have much give and has some ridges.  The combination of ridges and stiffness does not allow me to put as much pressure as I want on the painful knots.
2. What helps the pain is not the pressure in one spot, but the ability to move pressure over a bigger area.  The movement I can achieve with a Lacrosse ball is similar to how massage therapists move their hands; they don't just press in one spot and then another; they move over the entire area.  The ridges and the stiffness of this ball make it difficult for me to move the ball (by pressing against the wall or floor) over the painful knot as easily as I do with the Lacrosse ball.
3. There are four vibration modes.  The vibration sensation is "interesting" but does not relieve the pain as effectively as the good pressure I can generate using a Lacrosse ball.


What I liked: The packaging is very nice. Everything in the package looked upscale. I liked the on/off button was recessed, so I could not accidentally turn it off.

I think the ball would have worked better for me if the vibrations were added to the ball with the following changes:
(1) If the ball was slightly smaller. This ball is 3.5" in diameter; Lacrosse ball is 2.5."
(2) If the ball was slightly softer. Lacrosse ball is made out of very firm rubber.  Side by side, the Lacrosse is only slightly softer than this ball, but it makes a big difference.
(3) If it was less expensive.  Lacrosse ball is 5 dollars.

You can find it on Etsy by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆