Product review: Adams Manufacturing 36-Inch Deluxe Garden Planter

I bought this planter in the spring of 2014 and waited to write this review until I saw how it aged through the a few seasons  (I left it outside in the snow and rain). Now I finally got around to writing this review. The planter held its shape and color well.

The planter is sturdy, it is roomy.  I needed to drill more holes to improve draining so the water did not pool in various areas.  The legs occasionally pop out and I use a mallet to pound them back in.

The planter is 36" long, 15.5" wide, and 24" high. It can support 150 pounds. When it is empty it weighs about 10 pounds.  Overall, I works fine, it is a solid 4 stars product.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Winchar Chinese/Japanese Folding Silk Folding Hand Fan

This is a pretty folding fan, it has bamboo (painted in black) frame and pretty blue silk fan.  It generates nice breeze and folds up compactly.  I keep in my purse when we go to places which have no air conditioner.  We often go to concerts held in tents or old churches which get pretty hot in the summer, and the fan works much better than a concert program!  The fan comes with a carrying pocket.

It size when folded is 8.25" x 3/4", and when open it is 8.25" x 13.75". 

I use for practical fanning purpose, but it is pretty enough to be a wall decoration.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: MuDan Womens Roman Gladiator Sandals Flats Thongs Shoe

I found these sandals very uncomfortable.   I thought these sandals would be a lot more adjustable than they are. The lacing is purely decorative. You cannot loosen or tighten the strap because the material under it is solid leather. If you tighten it it bunches up and hurts the foot, and obviously you cannot make it any looser than it is as you cannot stretch the leather. Luckily for me I can wear it as is, I would have liked it maybe a little looser but I think they will stretch a bit as I wear them. I normally wear size 7.5, I got size 8 and it fits like size 7. Size 8 usually is a bit more loose on me. On these sandals I am using the last hole on the strap and there is barely any space between my heel and the end of the shoe.

The sole is totally flat, there is no arch support.

On a hot day these shoes are nice and cool, but I cannot wear them all day if I have to be on my feet. Their sole and overall fit are not comfortable enough for that.

Both the sole and the top are man-made materials. I show the shoe upside down in one of the photos, the soles are not textured and would not be good on wet slippery surface.

I have owned these shoes for over a year, I wore maybe once or twice at home where I could take them off when they became totally uncomfortable.  This spring they went into donations bag for a local charity.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Book review: How to Grow Potatoes: Planting and Harvesting Organic Food From Your Patio, Ruppenthal

This year was the first time I grew potatoes in my garden.  Ruppenthal's book "How to grow potatoes" was an inspiration that got me started.  The book did not spend a lot of time on how to grow potatoes in a grow bag but it said enough that made be interested in trying it out.  I started with the spuds in 1 inch of dirt and adding more and more dirt as the potato plants grew. Eventually the grow bag was filled to the top (12" deep).

In attached photos you see what I got from one red potato and one fingering potato. Each of the spud potatoes was cut in three, and I had three plants in one 7 pound grow bag.  I was able to grow the potatoes on my patio, and the best part of growing potatoes in a grow bag is how easy it is to harvest. All  I had to do is dump the content in a wheel barrel and pick out the potatoes.  It required very little bending and effort, and the gentle potatoes skins did not get damaged.

This book gave me enough information to get me started and this weekend I saw the results of my labor.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Fabric grow bags (product review after harvest)

This year was the first time I used grow bags to grow potatoes.  In attached photos you see what I got from one red potato and one fingering potato. Each of the spud potatoes was cut in three, and I had three plants in one 7 pound grow bag.

The best part of growing potatoes in a grow bag is how easy it is to harvest. All  I had to do is dump the content in a wheel barrel and pick out the potatoes.  It required very little bending and effort, and the gentle potatoes skins did not get damaged.

I will be using grow bags again!

The method I used was starting the spuds in 1 inch of dirt and adding more and more dirt as the potato plants grew. Eventually the grow bag was filled to the top (12" deep).

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: BenQ ScreenBar Office Lamp Light

This monitor bar exceeded my expectations. First and most important it provides light without getting in the way.  Once I mounted it I was able to position it in such a way that I don't see it at all.

My ViewSonic monitor has a thin bevel of 3/4". I was worried that the bar will hang lower covering some top portion of the screen. It does not. The mechanism that holds to the monitor can be tilted in a variety of ways, and it was easy to find a position where it aligned with the trim.  There are no screws, no tape, it works by gravity.

The light bar comes with a switch that can change the brightness and color of the light.  The same switch is used to turn the light on and off.  The bar generates no glare on the screen. It provide excellent light for the desk below it and the keyboard which is on a movable try below the desk in my set up.

The lamp runs on USB power using a special proprietry cable which slits in two: one goes to the back of the light bar, the other one goes to the switch.

The lamp feels solidly made, it is fairly heavy and has dark grey/black finish.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Rantom Personal Blender

This little mixer looked terrific when it arrived. I went out and loaded up on fresh fruits.  However, my unit turned out to be deffective, I could not turn it on and I have tried for a long time.

To turn it on you are supposed to slide from OFF to ON twice in one second. You are supposed to stay within the oval, you fingures cannot go outside the oval.

The unit was fully charged (you can see red light when it is charging, the light turns blue when it is fully charged).  I have tried many time before giving up.  Pretty disappointing especially because it looked quite nice.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆