Product review: Foldable Reading Glasses Stainless Steel Telescopic Legs Unisex Anti-Blue Light Reader Glasses with compact case

 

I need to carry reading glasses in my purse to read menus and small print on items I buy. I want something small and something in a hard case not to get the glasses scratched by things I carry in my purse like keys and pens.  These folding eyeglasses are exactly what I was looking for.  The glass in eyeglasses is very clear, and the power seems to be just right.  The case opens by pressing the lines on the top of the cap.  When the glasses unfold, they are the same size as my regular readers.  The earpieces are thinner, but they rest on my ears without any problems.

The package includes a nice size cleaning cloth, and I was able to fold it and fit it at the top of the cap, so I always have the cloth when I need to clean the glasses.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Sweet Nature Birch Xylitol Sweetener

 

Sweet Nature Xylitol sweetener comes in a large resealable plastic bag. It is 5 pounds, and it seems to be in line with other 5 pound bags on Xylitol on Amazon. Sweet Nature estimate is 1 cup of sweetener for 1 cup of sugar to my taste buds Xylitol is not as sweet as sugar.

I mix real sugar and Xylitol for my morning coffee to lower the overall sugar level, yet the same sweetness and flavor I enjoy and reduce the unpleasant side effects.  The side effect of Xylitol sweetener gives me gas and loose stool.  However, during the COVID pandemic, I am working at home, so I can handle the unpleasant side effects.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: PARASOL 3-ply Disposable Medical Face Mask, COVID-19 mask

 

This package contains 10 masks.  The masks have a nose clip and passed a number of tests I do on each paper mask to ensure they are reliable (more on the tests below).

The masks fit comfortably over my face, do not pull on ears too much, and breathing in them is very easy.  I took the mask on and off several times while testing it, and the loops stayed attached and did not snap off, which appears to be a common issue with some of these masks.  The masks are a little bit smaller than other masks I have, so they don't cover as much of my face, and there is a little bit of bunching going on the side, forming gaps.  I believe because the mask ends in the middle of my cheek rather than going closer to my ear.

I found five tests to tell apart fake surgical masks and real surgical masks and performed three of the tests. The main test is the "water" test, which shows that the mask does not let through the water.  This means it keeps my spittle inside the mask and keeps other's people spittle away from me.

Since the masks passed those tests, I did not do the burn test, so I would have to destroy the mask.

Below are the five tests to tell part a good surgical mask from a bad one:

1. Light penetration
The real mask does not let the light through; the fake mask lets the light through.

2. Blow out a flame
You cannot blow out a flame through a real mask; you can flow out a flame through a fake face mask.

3. Hold water
The real mask holds water, the fake mask leaks.

4. Burn test
The filter in the real mask melts but does not burn; the filter in the fake mask burns with a flame.

5. Electrostatic attraction test
The real mask attracts particles; a fake mask does not.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: LAVAU Womens Winter Snow Boots Fur Lined Warm Ankle Boots Slip On Waterproof Outdoor Booties Shoes

 

 The boots are cute, but they run small. Once I put the boots on, it is difficult to close the zipper. The zipper is tight and on an angle that is hard to pull. It feels like the pull will come off soon as I have to apply so much pressure to try to close it.

The inserts included in the listing do not provide much arch support because they are made out of memory foam. However, it is useful to have them as a template to trim a more supportive arch support insert.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Sweet Nature Monk Fruit Sweetener, Golden - Sugar Substitute - Keto Friendly

 

I purchased both Sweet Nature Allulose sweetener and Sweet Nature Monk Fruit sweetener.  To compare both with regular sugar, I used the same amount of each as I use to sweeten my sugar.  Monk Fruit is sweeter of the two, and I liked its flavor best; however, both were less sweet than regular cane sugar.  Sweet Nature estimate is 1 teaspoon of Monk fruit sweetener equals one teaspoon of sugar; to my taste buds, that is not correct.

The main difference between the two is that while Allulose causes me to have sudden loose stool, Monk Fruit sweetener has no unpleasant side effect. The bottom line for comparison: I like Monk Fruit sweetener better; however, its high price is a negative strike against it.

For my morning coffee, I mix real sugar and Monk Fruit to lower the sugar level's overall level and decrease the price of the sweetener I use for each cup.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.  

Ali Julia review ★★★★★   

Product review: Superthotics Deluxe Bundle, adjustable orthodics

 

Superthotics Deluxe Bundle listing includes memory foam slippers, 3/4 insoles, and a small tube of cream.

===============
INSOLES
===============
The insoles are adjustable; you are supposed to slide in a piece on the sole that raises the arch support in the insole. On paper, this is a clever idea. In reality, sliding the yellow strip is difficult, and in the end, I never got it to lay flat. Perhaps it is not mean to be flushed with the insole, but the instructions have no pictures of what each level 1, 2, 3 should look like when inserted. I could only compare how they looked with the inserts that were inserted when I received the insole.

The second problem I had with the insole is that the heel cup is very narrow, and even though I don't have a wide foot, the edges on the heel bowl dug into the bottom of my foot and feel very uncomfortable. I tried them with various shoes, and it could not find a shoe in which the heel did not hurt.

I feel where 3/4 of the insole ends all the time; the height difference is not gentle enough.

Finally, a problem that is not unique to these insoles: 3/4 insoles slide forward when you insert your foot into the shoe. So once my foot is in, I need to stick my finger under my foot and slide the insole back.

===============
SLIPPERS
===============
I wear size 7.5 shoe and got 6.5 - 8 (Women) size. Length-wise, my foot fits and goes to the very end of the insole. I think a foot with size 8 shoe may be too large. The rise of the shoe is pretty low, and initially, it felt too tight. I could not wear the slippers with thick wool socks. I wore them for a week with thin socks, and they became more comfortable as the foam got matted down.

===============
CREAM
===============
The foot cream is minty, and since I don't like the scent of mint, it is not for me. I know many people like the mint scent, so probably this is not a problem for most people.

The insoles are innovative but, unfortunately, did not work for me.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.
 

Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Product review: Face Mask Reusable，Cloth Face Mask Washable with 6 Filters（Black Mask），Adult Adjustable Face Masks, COVID-19 cloth mask

 

 I got the adult size mask. The package contained one cloth mask. The cloth mask's effectiveness is affected by the number of layers, material, and fit.
 
I liked:

1. The mask is large and covers my face starting from the nose going well under the chin as a good mask should.
2. The mask has two layers; the inner and outer materials are the same - appears to be regular cotton fabric.  It has a pocket for a filter.  And the package includes 6 filters.
3. This mask has a nose clip, so the fit is pretty good.  

I did not like:

1. I run all my masks through the water test: I pour some water into the mask and see if it leaks or not. This mask does start leaking after it gets soaked with water. It is not totally surprising for a cloth mask to let through water, but I have some cloth masks that do not leak and hold water.
2. It has hard holders that allow me to adjust the elastic that goes around the ear.  These plastic clips are not bad; I feel them less than other designs I tried. However, I prefer one-size-fits-all elastics as I find them more comfortable.

Comparison of mask effectiveness:
1. Cloth masks provide 30% protection
2. Surgery masks  provide 60% protection
3. N95 or KN95 masks provide 95%

When I go into crowded places, I actually double mask.  This washable mask goes on top of a surgical mask.  A surgical mask does not let through water, so it gives me additional protection against droplets.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆