TESLA

Farktop Women's Embroidery Patch Velvet Biker Bomber Jacket

This item has some real pros and cons to it and while I prefer not to start a review with a con, I will begin with the fact that the color (burgundy) is true to the photos and is very rich and pretty.  The details are reminiscent of a Letterman's jacket or a bomber-type situation.  It’s very casual, preppy, and cute and goes so well with a pair of jeans. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/b01m7qq1ca

A shot in true, unfiltered color on a mannequin.  The collar, cuffs and waist are all made with stretch, ribbed material. 

Just showing off the fit and hang of this garment.  It will keep it's shape well with the stretch and durability that velour is known for, I believe it will stay true through the duration of it's life.  

The applique is really wonderful and in my opinion, the best part of the jacket.  There is some real beautiful and detailed embroidery.  It is to be noted that the embroidery is not directly on the jacket itself, but these are embroidered applique that are sewn on separate to the actual garment.  When washing, these applique can curl at the edges if they have not been sewn on carefully and result in a sloppy look, so be prepared for this.  I will touch on this again later in the review.  These embroidered details can be found on the front and sleeves of the jacket.

Look at that!  Gorgeous! all of it is quite detailed and lovely, though not applique directly to the jacket.  It is sewn on and there will more than likely be issues with the applique base turning up and pilling after washing.  

And now, for the critical points:   When the package arrived, it was very thin and small and I was actually rather surprised when I opened it and saw that it was this jacket.  The photographs on the Amazon listing, present it as being an actual substantial jacket, with at least some kind of lining and thickness.  This is not the case.  In fact, you are getting a velour tracksuit type zip-front long sleeve shirt, which is perfectly fine, but when the photographs lead the buyer to believe there is a thickness and warmth to it, when it is, in fact, simply a long-sleeved shirt, it can come as a surprise to the buyer.  Be prepared that this is not the case.  You can see the listing's photo here.  This photo is actually a link given to me by Amazon that will take you to the actual product on Amazon.

See how nice and fluffy that looks?  It looks warm and thick here.  It's not.  

It runs incredibly small.  An XXL size is an American medium. My daughter is a size 12, and as you can see by the pictures, it is a fitted jacket.  There is some stretch to it, but it being as small as it is, stretch and length go hand in hand.

Like I had mentioned, there is no lining.  It is stretchy velour. Inside you will find raw surged edges and you can see the stitching from the applique.  There is no insulation, or lining at all as can be seen by the photo.

No lining at all, raw surged edges, the seams from sewing on the applique is obvious. You will also need to go through the jacket with a pair of scissors, as there are strings hanging everywhere inside.

BOTTOM LINE:  Though, this jacket is very small and lightweight, it is still very cute and easy to wear.  For the right person, this can be an extremely handsome addition to their casual spring or fall wardrobe, though care awareness with the applique should be kept in mind.  The listing does mention that dry clean will be best for this item and I tend to agree, if nothing else, but to preserve the applique.

Despite noting that dry clean is recommended, machine washing is not discouraged.  The tag on the garment simply states “wash separately,” but without further instruction.  Between you and me, my suggestion would be to wash gently in cold water only with a mild detergent.  I would not dry, but lay flat, making sure all the applique areas were perfectly flat as well.  Run a lint roller over it when completely dry, to fluff the velour and to clean any fuzzies that the material will more than likely attract in the wash.  This is how I plan to care for this garment to get as much wear out of it as possible.

A very fun piece, but details need to be clear and accurate in the listing.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/b01m7qq1ca

The Truth About Reviewing Products

Today I am not going to do a review, but instead kind of explain how to go about doing reviews and building up a reputation to gain trust and obtain more review opportunities.

First and foremost, I need to be clear that there will be work involved and a lot of times, you will get a deep discount as opposed to free.  The terms of service for whatever site you are reviewing on should be read in its entirety and followed closely.  Amazon now has very strict rules regarding writing reviews.  If Amazon is where you want to be, you need to make sure you read up on that.

This is not easy money, it's not effortless.  It takes time to do the reviews and it takes effort to build followers and a reputation.  It takes time to take pictures and videos, to edit it all, to type, to test.  If you are okay with that, go ahead and read on.

I suggest, first, that you start out with a blog, social media, YouTube, Imgur, etc.  Where you post depends on what you are doing.  Let's say you love makeup.  You have to ask yourself who will pay more attention to your review, photos in a blog, or a video of you applying the product with commentary and a before and after shot?

Then, it's a matter of just writing/making content.  Let's pretend you need to buy some headphones anyway, so you go online and you buy a pair for full price the first time.  (You may need to do this a few times before you start gaining a reputation and followers) You take a photo of the package, the item itself, the accessories.  Talk about how they look, how they feel, how they are built--if they come to you damaged, don't allow that to be part of the review for the item. That is a packaging problem and more often than not, if you talk to the company that sold it to you, they will replace it.  Your job is to write content on the item itself.  Take really good pictures in natural light from many angles.  Have fun with it.

I recently bought a pair of headphones that I just loved because I love geek things.  They were  headphones, but were also elf ears. I paid full price for them, because I loved them, but wrote a review to build content as well as spread the word about a surprisingly decent and fun item.
So, one of the places I like to discuss content on is Imgur and the photograph I used was from a photo shoot my daughter did where I was dressed as a winter elf.  We had fun with it, promoted the product, and created a setting that attracts headphone fans and cosplay fans.  See?

Eventually, you will be noticed, especially if you tag your items as a product review and with the brand you are reviewing.  

Make sure you are honest.  If there is something you don't like, explain why you don't like it, but also make sure to explain why you think it will be good for someone else.  An example would be a Christmas laser light that I reviewed a while back.  I had trouble with it working in the extreme cold we have here in Wisconsin.   Despite the fact that the description said it could handle the cold, it could not; however, it would be perfect for an indoor situation (a dance in a big basement or gym) or used in a climate that it wasn't -40F windchill at night.

There are places online that you can find products for a deep discount to review.  A simple Google search will bring up several and some of them, after building a reputation and followers, will even pay you to write reviews in your personal blog and on your social media.  I'm not going to list them here, because there are other blogs that extensively describe who offers what and I want them to get their traffic too.  

The point is, you will get there.  Don't lie, don't take bribes.  You do NOT have to change your review if it is honest. Taking free stuff for a false review is wrong.  Doing a review without trying out the product is wrong.  Writing a hateful or an abusive review, a sloppy review, an unprofessional review is wrong.  

These companies rely on you for both quality control and promotion.  This is their livelihood and while you can choose whether to do the review or not before you get the product, you are obligated to put in a professional effort when you agree to do the job, because, that's what this is.  A job.  You are a freelancer and you are getting paid by being able to keep what you are working for. 

I wish you good luck! 

SoundPie AI Smart In-Ear Earbud Iphone Headphones SP33

I have tried out SoundPie products before and, for the most part, for the rice they really seem to know what they are doing.

I thought the packaging was rather standard, but functional.  As long as they get to me in one piece, I’m happy.  I was pleasantly surprised by the little coin purse that came with, as I tend to have several hard cases on hand just for headphones.  I like to be able to have them in a bag or purse without the headache of trying to detangle them from lip gloss and keys, and having to dust the buds before using them.  Thank you for that SoundPie, that’s a nice addition.

You get extra buds in various sizes to ensure a good fit, a clip, and a nice coin purse-like carrying case with a pressure opening.
The look is really nice.  I really like headphones with the rubberized wires.  They don’t tend to tangle as much, nor do they seem to stress as much as hard plastic cables.  There is no wire noise and they just really feel good.  I have been putting them through the wringer this week and have had no problems as far as performance.  I tend to be the type that will yank the wire to remove the buds from my ears when in a hurry, so I often pay special attention to the connection at the buds themselves as well as wires.  Whether right or wrong, it happens and I think the manufacturer should keep it in mind when making an every-day earphone.  The connections are secure both at the buds themselves and where the wires split.  There is a slide on the split wires to enable you to snug them if you need to.

The buds: Gunmetal in color and really cool looking.  I had reviewed a pair of metal headphones a couple of months ago in which I found them to be really heavy and hard to keep in my ears. These, however, are considerably lighter, quite comfortable, and really nice looking.

Here’s what sold me:  You can use all functions on both android and iphone.  So often, I am unable to use all the functions, such as answering and hanging up, skipping songs, volume…it’s kind of a tossup as to what you are going to be able to do.  These work the first time.  YESSS!

Lastly, how do they sound?  Good!  I noticed better noise isolation with these than I have with other headphones.  So often I read “noise cancelling” when really it should be “isolation” and even then, it’s not.  These are.  Background noise was set to a minimum while the music was brought forward, well balanced, a little tinny with acoustic music, though not overly basey with a more soul-specific  genre.  I think where these really excel is when having a conversation on the phone.  The tonal quality is crisp and clear, voices are brought forward and not swallowed up like I have experienced with other headphones—especially if they have some kind of expanded base system.  Those can be really great for music, but lousy for conversations.   These headphones I would recommend for more conversational use or, if you are a transcriber, these would be an affordable option to get you through speech-to-text.  Pretty standard for music, very good for conversation.

The Ancord Outdoor, Waterproof, Bluetooth Speaker

I was looking for a speaker that could be used outdoors that was affordable and found one in this product.

Just look at this thing! It's built like a little tank. 

Waterproof, shockproof, dustproof. A go-anywhere little speaker you can throw in your bag, have hanging in a tree at the campsite, set it on the ground around the fire pit, even in the shower. This is one of the toughest little speakers I have seen.

The unit comes in a gift worthy box. No frills. You have a charger and adapter and an instruction booklet.

I turned it on and a female voice announced the unit was in Bluetooth mode. It connected to my phone just fine and the female voice announced a connection.

Buttons on the top are all enclosed and features play/pause/answer phone, volume up and volume down. An addition had been made to the instruction booklet explaining how to get the FM radio to work (evidently, that has been an issue up until this point). I was able to scan channels and listen to FM radio, then switch over to Bluetooth again easily. When in Bluetooth mode, the light shines blue. When in FM radio mode, the light shines green.

Obviously, the trap door should probably be closed if you want to maintain "proof-ness"

A little trapdoor opens on the unit giving you access to the micro USB, adapter and there is a slot to insert a TF card.

There is a strap to allow you to hang it from your wrist, a tree, outdoor hook, whatever. What I thought was cool, was the fact that there is a place you can screw in a mini tripod if you like. Please note, my photos show the speaker on a tripod just to show that it is an option. The unit does NOT come with the tripod. This is one I already had for my camera.

Pretty official-looking huh?

Sound is little tinny, especially with acoustic music. There is distinct bass and it is loud. It actually sounds much better outside than inside and it is definitely loud enough for outside use in my opinion. Often, these little speakers are just not loud enough, especially when outside. This is not one of those speakers.

I am having some trouble with it skipping out when I walk away from it. As long as I stay within about 5 feet I have no problems; however, I left my phone in the house and walked outside and only managed to get about 10 feet away before there was skipping in the music. I am wondering if this is because of the door separating me from the phone. As long as I am on the same side of the door as the speaker, things seem to stay connected fine.

Bottom line? A great little outdoor speaker. It’s loud enough to enjoy outside, good long lasting battery, good range on the Bluetooth, tough enough to be dropped and rattle around on a pack, no need to panic if it falls in a puddle or gets left in the rain. This is a great camping staple or for just out in the yard during a BBQ.

Drama Queen Approved

I received this product with a discount in exchange for an honest review.

His name is Tiny Wiener.  He loves long walks, Beggin' Strips, barking, warm blankets.  He hates having his nails trimmed.  As a matter of fact, he would rather die. At the sight of a pair of traditional clippers, he puddles on the floor and tips over on his side, too weak to move.  When you pick him up, he starts squealing like a stuck pig.  Drama queen.

"Tiny Wiener, can I do your nails?"

"No.  Go away."

  

Enter the Almago Electric Pet Nail Grinder. 

The package is very standard and features a simple plastic display with the unit and a display card.  On the reverse side of the card, are simple instructions on how the unit works. 

First, you need 2 AA batteries.  I use rechargeable batteries, which seemed to work fine, but the unit really does drain them rather quickly.  I found that I needed to keep refreshing the batteries often.  I suggest using a heavy duty battery that is made for products that tend to drain faster.  This product would be really nice if it had a rechargeable lithium battery in it that could be charged when it is not being used.  I will take away 1 star for this, since hunting down and charging batteries when getting ready to trim a frightened dog’s nails is not something I particularly like.   I am unaware if the lack of power was because the batteries were draining so quickly or if the unit itself was not powerful.  My guess is going to be the batteries, since when they were fresh from the charger, the unit seemed to function quickly, gradually becoming less powerful and functional as the batteries drained.

The unit is very quiet and was not startling to my pets.  Like I implied at the beginning of my review, I have a very dramatic little dog that will scream the second you even discuss trimming his toenails.  He was the one I reviewed the product on and he did not recoil at the sound at all, took his time smelling the unit and got used to the sound rather quickly. 

NOTE:  Because I love to add in the obvious, keep the cover on the unit when you first turn it on and let the dog smell it.  We are not trimming doggy nose hairs.  I should not have to mention this, but there are a few people on the planet that actually do need to be told that the coffee is hot...so...

The business end.  Keep the cover on while the animal gets acquainted.

The back of the display card suggests using  the various “ports” according to dog size, though I found it easier to hold the unit like a baton and bring the dog’s nail down to the side ports  instead of trying to feed the nail into the end. 

I should mention here that the instructions have been translated and they are rather broken English.  While the directions are able to be followed, they can be a little confusing simply because the translation is not completely correct.   They do cover use as well as care and cleaning in a convenient, brief, bookmark-sized card.

After some convincing and having to take the entire chore slowly due to my own pet’s anxiety, he did finally settle down and allow for me to trim his nails.  This is actually a small miracle since just showing him the traditional nail clippers would make him puddle on the floor.  While he never really relaxed, he did yawn once during the procedure, and turn his nose up to give me kisses at one point.  

Aside from the power issue, the quiet motor, the diamond wheel, and ease of use makes this a good suggestion for an affordable alternative to the vet, as well as a gentler, less invasive alternative to the traditional pet nail clippers.  I will give it 4 stars, with a clear alert to the battery issue and suggest again a rechargeable unit for future models.  I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Who doesn't love socks???

You know the scenerio.  It's within the arena of Christmas time, and someone shows up with a gift.  You have no gift in return.  Now, I know, its not about the gift, but it's always nice to have the option.  Here is one of those little options. I LOVE THESE and, if no one shows up, you get warmy socks to keep all to yourself! The cuteness! THE CUTENESS!

So, this is what is gonna happen here:  You get 3 pair of socks; a Santa, reindeer, and a snowman. Each one comes with its own peek-a-boo hanging gift box.

The snowman has got to be my favorite. The snowman is thick and has kind of a nubby, weave to it. Very snowman like. His face is embroidered on with a little carrot nose and a fun pompon on the cuff where his hat is.

Cute and nubby.  

I'm fairly certain these were made to be paired with hot chocolate.  

Santa also is very soft. His hat is knitted and his little face is also embroidered on, smiling, with little rosy cheek apples and bright blue eyes.

What?  He is poking his face out of the box?  YES.  

Creepy cute.  But then, Santa always was a little funny like that. 

Lastly, Rudolph. A tan, super soft sock, with a big, red pompon nose, little brown embroidered eyes, knitted ears, and even sports little felt antlers at the cuff.

Antlers people.  

Rudolph is a close second on the cuteness Richter scale. 

All socks stretch quite a bit and quite comfortably, making them one size fits all and, like I mentioned before, they all have a pyramid-style gift box with a peek-a-boo window. If you roll up the socks, you can situate them inside so that the little faces peek through.  (Yes.  That was established with the pictures, Einstein.  Thank you). 

FUN CHRISTMAS IDEA:  The boxes also have a hanging loop, so if you have a large tree, you can “hide” them in the branches for the grandkids to find, or hang them around the room to be found like Easter eggs, dangle them from the mantle, or simply hang them around the tree all willy nilly, ready for that surprise neighbor that shows up with a cookie platter.

As someone who adores soft socks in the winter, I am just in love with these and would be thrilled to get them as a gift. Definitely should be on your gift list this year. Fun for young or old, affordable, quality feeling, snuggly, and an epic stocking stuffer item.