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.

Soundpeats M-10 in-ear headphones

Okay you have to admit; metal anything means instant rock and roll.  You don’t see murdering clowns chopping up people with plastic chainsaws, biker guys don’t have plastic chains attached to their wallets, and it’s certainly never a “full plastic jacket” in fun and fabulous colors…

So, it stands to reason, then that the Soundpeats metal in-ear headphones just scream “don’t mess with me” don’t you think?  Or, at least, “don’t mess with my lobes…they mean business.”

The business:  

SoundPEATS In-Ear Headphones Noise Cancelling Earphones Stereo Earbud Headphones with Mic and In-line Control (Metal Housing, Flat Cable, Crystal Clear Sound) - M10 Black

Packaging:  Pretty basic plastic box with a clear visual of the earbuds inside.  Nothing fancy here, but if you spend any time on my blog, you know I get really excited when I get a carrying case with my headphones.  It’s not about the box though; the box is going in the trash.  It’s about the phones, so let’s move on. 

Don't judge your book by the cover...as they say.

Extras:  You get small, medium and large ear tips.  You may have to play with these a little bit.  Usually, I am a medium tip, but this time, I needed small in order to get a good fit.  The tips are soft, but not as soft as I have gotten with other earbuds.  Comfortable though and fully closed not semi-closed or finned), making for a more isolated sound. 

I love me some extras, but when the headphones are nice, its not always about the stuff.  Okay, I love the cases.  When they come with cases, I get giddy like a little fat girl in a candy store. Just not gonna lie...

The cord is flat instead of round, and a nice feeling rubber with no wire noise when it rubs on your clothes.  I like how the flat cord fit into the earbuds themselves, it feels very sturdy and looks very clean.  Also, where it splits off at the Y in the cord, it is a small connection, but seems very sturdy at that point as well.  The cord feels good at the accessory button area; however, I also look for a sturdier connection here, since you fiddle with this spot a lot, more than at the Y-branch area I think, when answering your phone, skipping songs or (on some models) volume.  I feel like there needs to be a bit more reinforcement here, especially at the top of the accessory button, going to the right earbud.

Okay, they didn't actually come with all that dust.  I review in a house with pets...and men.  Ignore the dust part. 

I want to put in there that the accessory button is very simple.  There is only 1 small button here that will allow you to answer an incoming call.  If not on a call, you can pause and play with 1 click.  Two  quick clicks will allow you to skip a song. 

The buds themselves are heavy.  Hardcore heavy metal is…heavy.  This brings be back to the fact that I needed the smaller ear tips.  Being able to insert them a little deeper in the ear canal kept the heavier earbuds in place.  Another little trick is to have the wire pointing upwards, so you can wrap the wire around and behind the ear to take the pressure off a bit.  It sounds like they are 40 pounds when I mention this—not at all; however, you will notice a difference between the weight of these and lighter wood or plastic buds. 

Sound:  With the right sized buds, they are sound isolating and the sound is surprisingly clear and balanced for such inexpensive headphones.   Really pleasant to listen to, not too much bass, but not too little.  Really a nice, even, balanced sound.  No crackles, no skips, no wire noise.  They are a pleasant surprise for such an inexpensive pair of headphones. 

I would recommend these to someone looking for something cheap and decent.  They feel “richer” than a lot of headphones in the same price range.  A little heavy to wear, but with the metal buds, wearing the wire over your ears helps.  The sounds is good, they are durable, the connections are good, simple function—they do what they are made to do and they do it rather well for the money.  

Everything but the...

Music.  But before we get into that, lets talk about the good things. Good things like, dancing around the kitchen while my angry emo teenagers roll their eyes...Huh!?  HUH!?  Okay, get on with it.  Jeez.

SoundPEATS Bluetooth Headphones In-Ear Sports Earbuds Secure Fit Wireless Earphones with Mic (6 Hours Play Time, Bluetooth 4.1, aptX, Sweatproof) - Q15 Black

It was so nice to receive a set of headphones that comes with a case.   All too often I get really nice headphones that might have a nice box to present them in, possibly a fabric bag if you’re lucky, but no case to actually carry them in with you.  I like the option of having a pair of headphones to drop in my bag and not have to worry about them tangling around all my things, in a case that protects my headphones.  Good first impression right out of the box.

Look Ma!  A case!  A case! WOOO!!!

   

You get stuff.  Not only do you get a case, but the unit comes with extra semi closed earbuds as well as closed tips  in various sizes, ear hooks in various sizes, a line buckle for size and line clip to clip to your shirt, along with a USB charging cable.

So many things!!!

Okay.  I was really excited about the case.  

It's the little things, people.  

  

The instructions said that the unit was partially charged, though when I plugged them in for charging, the light was red (indicating charging), but turned blue (charged) after only 10 minutes.  Pairing went well on my android phone, though if you do have a few problems, the instructions cover any troubleshooting you may have.   You are allowed to pair to 2 devices with the same headset, though only 1 can play music with the headset at a time. 

All functions worked well with my android phone with wonderful voice prompts for incoming calls, pairing, low battery, out of range, etc.  Nice and clear pleasant voice. 

The button that rules them all.  

Keep this photo in mind.  I will be referring back to it in a minute.  

The buds themselves were fairly comfortable.  After wearing them for a couple of hours though, I started feeling a little discomfort on the right side.  They stayed in the ear canal without any problems.  I didn’t have any problems with them falling out, especially when using the wire button to keep it all snug when moving around. 

Kind of dude-ly I think.  Good dude-phones...

Inevitably, there are things I am not exactly happy with.

One more pretty picture before we point out the sad parts.  

 

The connections are sturdy both going into the earbuds as well as the multi function control, though the multi function controller is not sealed or rubberized like I like to see in “sweat proof”
headphones.  (see above)  This both makes the unit easier to clean, but I feel like it is more protected from sweat, which is an issue during hard workouts.  This is a factor that I want to mention, because I feel it’s important.

I experienced very little wire noise, however, there was a little (noise traveling up the wire where it rubs on my shirt, or when I fumble with the control).  It was minimized when snugging down the wire. 

Sound:  I was mostly disappointed here.  The sound is rather tinny, quite treble with very little bass balance.  I dislike too much bass; however, it is important for good sound balance.  When comparing the sound with other headphones I have, I felt there could be improvement here.  After a while, I almost felt like a headache was inevitable if I kept on using them.   I have to remove 1 star here.  I considered removing 2 stars, but I exchanged the semi closed tips with the fully closed tips, which isolated the sound quite a bit and improved things but not enough to be happy with the sound.

I think that things like talk radio, audiobooks, or smart TV watching might be more compatible with these particular headphones something with minimal dynamics.

Lastly, range.  I was able to get about 26 feet from the source before serious skipping and cutting out occurred.  The unit says 33 feet is the range.  I go by useable range that you can actually hear the unit without interruption. 

The Bottom line?  Suggested retail for these are $50.00, though they are on sale right now for a little less than $20.  I have experienced better sound from lower priced headphones.    That really is a defining factor for me.  To use in a less dynamic environment, such as I described above, 20$ is a good price.  For 50$ I would expect more sound wise.  Though, the extras are excellent.

I was very impressed with the presentation, the fact that I didn’t have to go out and buy a case, the extra tips and hooks, clear and detailed instructions in English, complete with troubleshooting guide was great.  They are light, the earbuds themselves are sweat proof (I question the multi function button a bit in that regard), nice looking.

SADLY, the sound was very disappointing to me and, while the extras are really nice, the really important part is the headphones themselves.  If they don’t sound nice, the extras mean very little in my opinion.

RUIMI Titanium Step Drill Bit Spiral Metric Sizes - Amazon Review

So, there I was, just a girl needing a hole drilled....

Looking for a cheaper alternative to the step bits that are sold locally, I saw these and decided to give RUIMI Titanium Step Drill Bit Spiral Metric Sizes 3Pcs a try. I, unfortunately, did not read the description thoroughly and was intending to use them on a much thicker piece of wood than recommended. As a whip maker, my intent (wish/desire) was to be able to drill a tapered hole in a handle.  This, of course, is no fault of the manufactures, but it is the overall reason for buying them, since it was recommended to me, by more than a couple of people. For the record, I never did use them for the whip handle. I did some research online about these type of drill bits and they are simply not intended for thicker material, the rule of thumb being, no thicker than the width of each individual “step.”

However, I thought they might be useful for both myself and my husband for other projects, using them for their intended purpose, within the parameters given and I find them very functional for light, hobby-type occasional work. They were sharp enough to drill through the wood, though not as sharp as a better quality bit would be.   The biggest one, especially, had quite a bite to it and wanted to “bind up” while drilling.

I honestly think that the spiral cutting surface was really nice idea, especially when moving wood dust out of the way while you drilled.  They seemed to clear their own path rather well.

The titanium coating was quite thin, and after drilling about 20 holes, it was gone completely from the cutting blade edge. Though again, I was experiencing some binding with the biggest bit and it just wasn’t cutting as well as I thought it should. As you can see in the last 2 photos, the titanium coating is indeed gone completely. I am no woodworking expert and this would be my first experience with a step bit of any kind; however, I expected it to be different in this regard.

As you can see, there is some chipping off right away.

And again, here.

They feel heavy though, they feel very sturdy and the hex shaft is really nice for chucking up securely in the drill. No slipping there. The range of sizes was very nice. Like I said, that biggest one really gives you a good range by itself, while the smallest one is really quite versatile too.

So, the bottom line is this, heavy, solid construction. The hex shaft is excellent for chucking up in a keyless drill. Make sure not to use it on thick material.  The description clearly states, no thicker than 5 mm.  Came with a nylon drawstring bag (pictured).  A good choice as far as being an affordable alternative to the more expensive brands out there, will get the job done; however there are a couple of factors that demonstrate you get what you pay for here.

GRANDCOW Bluetooth 4.0 USB Adapter Dongle

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Boy do I have a happy kid right now. A friend of mine gave my son a pair of over-the-ear Bluetooth headphones. Originally given to listen to music, my son is a gamer, so these were for want of use due to the fact that my son’s laptop was not Bluetooth compatible. After some looking around, I learned that a dongle was the thing to have. So I went looking. I decided to go ahead and start with, not the most expensive dongle on the planet, but on the lower price range due to affordability and just to see if this particular product was indeed going to be “right for me.”  I settled on GRANDCOW Bluetooth 4.0 USB Adapter Dongle for Windows 10/ 8.1 / 8/ 7 / Vista / XP

It turns out, I was pleasantly surprised.

The unit came with a little driver disk, but it was not needed, as the dongle was completely plug and play. Super easy to set up and it worked right off the bat. What we are really excited about is the range. You can walk away from it more than 50 feet without so much as a crackle. 100 feet and things start to get skippy though and you will get signal cut out. For what we are using it for (gaming headsets) you are not going to get much accomplished at 100 feet anyway. The range does make listening to music really nice though as you can freely move around the entire house without losing signal.

Depending on what you are using it for, I have to say this little product works really well. Like I said, we are using it for close ranges to connect headphones to for gaming and music.

Coulax Cx10 in-ear headphones

These headphones came in a really nice box with a magnetic seal.  Very gift worthy and nice looking.  Inside, the headphones were set inside a foam and cardboard cutout.  Not as nice as the outside packaging, but still gift worthy and functional as a protective case.  

You get 3 different sizes of earbuds, a wire clip, and a very short USB cord.

The instructions are very clear and well written and explain very simply what the accessory buttons do and how they should work.  I will get into this more in depth later on in the review. 

The headphones are very nice looking.  The silver accents on the earpieces themselves are sharp looking and would make a nice present for a man. The rubber hooks help hold the earpieces in.  I think this is a nice touch and surprisingly comfortable.  

I do think the earpieces are a little big and a tad bulky and I did have some trouble with the right one falling out.  I tried all the different earbud sizes to try to remedy this, but maybe I just have an odd right ear.  The description boasts lightweight, and I agree.  For the size they are lightweight, though weight and bulk are 2 different things in my opinion. 

I was able to listen to music most of the day with these.  Again, the instructions say 8 hours of continuous music on a full charge, though I am happy to say I had them going about 10 hours total. 

I did experience occasional skipping while in use, with the phone right there in my pocket.  I am not sure why and it was barely noticeable; however, when testing range, I sat my phone down and walked away, getting about 7 meters away before there was regular, noticeable cutting in and out problems.  The description says up to 10 meters is the range.  I disagree.  They were not usable or enjoyable at more than 7 meters and were not usable at all at 10 meters.

The sound was actually very nice.  Isolating, though not noise cancelling in the sense that all outside noise is not gone.  The sound is rich and clear without excessive base, crackling, or at all “tinny.” As a medical transcriptionist, I tried these out on voice files as well as music, just to see how they would do.  Voice files are completely different than music files in how you need to listen to them, so I can comfortably say that I am rather picky when it comes to hearing voice files.  I am happy to say that I would be more than comfortable using them for work, as even the more difficult files were coherent.  This is actually a good thing, as transcriptions are often tethered to their computer with wires and big bulky over-ears headphones. 

These are sweat proof in that everything is sealed and rubberized.  I like the rubberizing anyway, because there is no wire nose, i.e. you don’t hear the wire rub on your shirt.  The wire is very flexible, though I would have been happier to see more reinforcement at the connections, especially on the right side where there is a little more abuse from using the accessory buttons.  

The accessory buttons.  Remotely, I was able to answer the phone, reject a call, manage the volume, and with 2 taps of the multi-function button, I was able to dial the last number dialed.  This was the only remote call-out feature I had.  Everything else had to be done from the phone.  Sometimes, the music went lower while on a call and did not pause.  I did not like that at all.  

Sometimes it did pause completely while on a call, but I was not at all in control of that. It kind of did what it wanted to when answering the phone, though it may simply be the player I was using.   Phone-wise, the description says Android compatible, so I am unsure why there was difficulty there.  

I was unable to pause, fast forward or repeat a song with my phone.  I was, however, able to do those things when synced up with my laptop. This may be due to my media player.  I was not able to confirm this anywhere online, so I will write it here as an issue I had personally on my particular phone.

Bottom line:  Nice sounding, nice looking, workout friendly headphones.  A nice, affordable gift.  Personally, I would say these would be better suited for a man simply because of the bulk of the earpieces and overall style.  I think they would fit a bigger ear better.  If you are looking for something wireless, affordable, clear sounding, and functional for an active individual, I feel that these would be a good choice.  

Simptech Wood Earbuds In ear Headphones

So, here we go.  My first headphone review.  I'm not sure I would have ever really chosen headphones to review on my own, but a friend of mine in Germany gave me the opportunity to experience sound during my visit.  I was of the adage that you can get by just fine with XXX, but after really seeing the difference between low end and high end headphones, I have to say, it was something I wanted to explore.  So, because I am poor, I went with a lower priced product, that appealed to me in terms of looks first.  Wood. Not florescent green, pink, or purple.  Not sporty rubber.  Wood. So, here it is: Simptech Wood Earbuds In ear Headphones - With Microphone,Noise Cancelling,HIFI Stereo Bass,Crystal Clear Sound,Ergonomic Comfort-Fit Design Best for iphone 7 and Android Phones  

 I love the wood accents.  These earbuds are very classy looking, with neutral tones, earthy. The packaging was presentable, gift worthy, though when I received mine, one corner had been “smashed” a bit, so it must have had a rough trip.  

The cord is very flexible and “rubbery” not at all noisy like cheaper earbuds are when they rub over the fabric of your shirt or move around.  “Wire noise,” is what I describe that phenomena.  These buds do not have wire any noise.

The connections seem sturdy and well made, with a flexible rubber connection into the buds and the actual headphone connection is one solid piece.  The jack is advertised as “gold plated” though I have no way of testing that other than, through use.  If it does not corrode, then I suppose it is. 

The wire going through the accessory port, sadly,  was not reinforced in any way however, and I found it a bit disappointing that the care that went into all the other aspects of the headphones were not associated there too, especially since the cord will suffer some abuse when answering the phone or adjusting the volume. 

What I was particularly interested in was the Y connection.   This is a very sturdy area, with distinct separation of the wires-encased, right at the split, with flexible rubber reinforcements.  This is wonderful and the result is a very sturdy, yet flexible connection there. 

The sound itself was good.  I am not a sound nerd, so I can’t go into specifics that way; however, I do appreciate clear sound and always find it impressive when I can hear subtle noises that inadvertently pop up during a recording. I don’t, however, like excessive base.  Balance is the key with me and I was very skeptical when I read that “deep bass” was a selling point. I was happy when I heard a clear, balanced, pleasant sound.  Powerful, but not overpowering.  These could very well be a go-to everyday favorite. When reading the sales pitch, I was particularly looking for a better resonance due to the “wood.” In a side-by-side test with several other earbuds, I heard no difference there. 

They are comfortable.  The buds themselves are very squishy and fit securely to the earpiece and in your ear.  I had recently suffered a very long 10-hour flight with a very uncomfortable pair of earbuds.  After only a few minutes, I could tell these would have been infinitely better.

Taking a call, I had an issue, which I describe below in that section of the review.  The call itself sounds clear, with no crackles or skips. Alternately, the person I was talking to could hear me very well too.

Issues:  I will take 2 stars  away for a couple of issues.  The fact that, these are not what I would consider complete noise cancelling.  Not in the way as I have experienced in other, high end headphones.  I went through and tried all sizes of ear bud that were included to make sure I had the correct fit (this is actually a big factor) and then tried them first without music, sitting in a room where my family was having a conversation.  Aside from the fact that I had something in my ears muffling the noise, they were not noise cancelling.  After turning on the music, I was not able to hear the conversation at all with mid-to-louder volumes, but with the volume on the lower side, I was still able to hear what was going on around me.  The sound was still clear and the music close, and outside noise was brought to a lower level when the music was playing, though I can’t say if it was an electronic anomaly, or simply the music playing in my ears.

I was unable to answer or hang up the phone remotely.  While I could use my headphones while talking on the phone, I was unable to use the accessory button to answer the phone, or hang up or pause the music.  All of these things needed to be done on the phone itself, which resulted in fumbling with the phone, yanking it out of my pocket, and pushing buttons.  For the record, I am using a Huawei phone with an android system.  Since the earbuds clearly state that they are compatible with an android system, I am unsure why all the features weren’t working. 

Lastly, and this is personal preference, but I have always preferred Bluetooth headphones to wired headphones simply because they never make the cord quite long enough on a wired set.  IF I am to carry my phone, I prefer it in my back pocket.  Unfortunately, there I run into problems with strain on the cord, earbuds popping out, pulling apart, or the jack coming unplugged.  If you must have a wire, an extra 2 inches would make a world of difference.   

#notetoself

A shave and a hair cut...

A shave and a hair cut...

Ahhhh!  I'll bet you were thinking I would finish that...I'm not.  All you OCD people out there can just be OCD, because doggone it...it's my joy to pick on the OCD.  Twwwwoooo biii...Nope. HAHAHA!

Okay, now that I have caused chaos, let's talk about shaving.  To be honest, as a girl I have only ever shopped for girl things.  How sexist of me, I know; however, it is what it is.  Walking up and down the isles seeing all those pinks and baby blues, powder scents, flowers.  Not to mention the allure of the tortuous chemical hair removal, wax strips, and the ever soothing and comfortable Epilady...Ever wonder why women are so cranky?  Take a walk through the woman's hair removal section.  The implements of torture are darned pretty though.  Before I get too far into the hilarity, let me just bring up that I am also a penny pincher.  My exploration not only brings me away from the ladies section, but it also forces me to leave the awesome-deal section.  I have 5 kids, 2 of them are girls, one of them is a husband.  That's a lot of razors.  Up until this point, I would be just as happy using a butcher knife to shave my legs if it saved me a few dollars to use elsewhere.

Just like the men, we ladies have quite the selection and we really want to have an easy smooth shave too, mostly though, because we don't want to do it every day.  It's a stupid job and ranks right up there with scrubbing floors and folding socks.

I see these men with these big fantastic beards in magazines and think, "That could be me, wrapped in plaid flannel surrounded by deer heads, sitting by the fire with my armpits all warm and cozy..."

Okay, no.  But, the fact remains that there are endless pages of reviews dedicated to the close and comfortable shaves for men with tree-stump stubble and gnarly beards to hack through.  I have one of those stubbly titanium-laden beard men who spends insane amounts of money on razors with not one, not two, not three, but 5 blades to hack through that facial forest.  The funny part of this story is when he brags about being able to get 6 or more shaves out of one of his fancy blades, yet if I use his fancy blade (always the one in the razor that has been used before) in a pinch, on my flimsy girl hairs, he instantly knows and you would think I ran his razor over a chunk of wood while he isn't looking. The blade imidiately goes in the trash with a manly sigh of disgust every time. Every time.  How could he possibly know!?  He has five blades covered in lube with flex balls and safety wires, swiveling heads, and canned angel song with every blade.  He goes into battle every day with Excalibur in hand, the sun glinting from 4 or 5 stainless steal blades.  If I was a whisker, I would jump ship before going into battle with that, and yet,  the soft, dainty, downy fur of the house mother can destroy this weapon of choice, like the flames of Mount Doom, the Ring.

...It was then and there, I decided to explore the wonders of the man shave and report such as...you know...a woman.

My weapon of choice?  The Gillette Fusion Proshield Men's Razor with Flexball Handle and Razor Blade Refills, 2 Count

After doing some research on Amazon, I have found this to be a favorite among the men.  We have Lubrication before and after the blades.  360 degrees of solid slime to guide those 5 ultra thin, laser precision blades across the contours of your body, --contours that are further thwarted by the innovative flex ball technology.  The added bonus of a precision trimmer for those tiny hard to reach areas where precision is key.  Okay, I don't have a mustache or ear hair, but I do have eyebrows in need of the occasional tame and those few toe hairs that belie my true hobbit ancestry.  I have all the landscape to test this product thoroughly and so, the purchase was made.

Without going into all the gory details, I did find the product to be more comfortable than what I am used to, though I can't say that I have ever experienced such razor burn before.  With all the lubrication strippage fore and aft the blades, I still had some discomfort in that particular area.  However, the entire act of shaving seemed to go faster in that I only had to go over an area once.  That was nice, though being used to a heavier hand with my cheaper, more girly products, I experienced more nicks and cuts during my first try.  Frankly, you would have thought I was a 12 year old angsty tween hacking away at my legs with a bar of ivory soap and mom's trusty get-it-done shaver.   I needed a little practice.  Luckily, I had extra blades to fight another day.
...and I did.  Really, once you are used to it, it is a very nice tool and I attribute my initial issues to the fact that I am used to a product that relies more on visual pleasantries than function.  The accessory blade annihilated the hobbit hairs in one pass, though it was far too cumbersome to attempt eyebrow grooming.  Sorry.  I like my eyes. Not going there.

The bottom line?  I kind of liked it.  It did a better job than what I had in that is was faster, the tool actually does all the work--which sounds kind of stupid, but I guess men can understand.  This not only made me look more critically as to why a good shave is so important to men, but it made me think again about what I want to see in a women's razor.   Multiple blades, sharp blades DO make a difference.  A flexible head and the ability to swivel easily over the landscape with a lighter hand saves you from being cut.  It, frankly, hurts less overall because you don't have to make several passes, less burn (I can't say no burn until you have practiced a bit ladies), though I am not seeing 6 or 7 shaves out of one blade.  I haven't figured out that particular phenomena; however, after some time behind the wheel, as a woman, I am keeping this product as my own as it is becoming a favorite.  Ladies, if you haven't found anything that makes you really happy while wondering the hallowed halls of lady hair removal, take a stroll through the "man" section.  Sometimes, they do know what they are talking about.

You're welcome, men.

Mainstays Pillar Candle Trio, a tale with a happy ending...

After moving into my new home, I had decided that it was imperative to make my bedroom special.  I sleep here and work here.  It is my office and my sleeping area.  I spend a lot of time here and it's my own space.  During the day, the lights are on and I am working, but at night, when its time to unwind and read, I like a little ambiance.  Candles. The thing is, I hate candles.  I always forget about them, they melt wonkey, stop burning, there are rules about wick trimming and wax hugging.  I want something that is candle-like that turns on and off.  Period.  I tried many night lights.  Some were stupid colors, some were too harsh, too poignant...okay the projector one that made stars on the ceiling was cool for a while, but really, I got sick of that after about a week anyway.  I wanted something special.

A quick shop around and I found these.

Mainstays LED Pillar Candle, 3Pk 747663473573

Firstly, they are lightweight. While I appreciate that a bit of weight in a product will sometimes be an attribute to a higher quality, I really wanted a lighter weight candle trio to go on a rather decorative shelf above my bed. I simply don’t trust it to hold a lot of weight and for that, I was happy to know that these are very lightweight, while still being a dependable and nice looking part of my decor.

In terms of looks, from a distance, they are quite natural. On closer inspection, they are obviously a plastic candle and quite false, but it seems no matter how much money is spent on a false candle, it is always apparent, upon close inspection, that they are indeed false. That being said, the benefits of the false candle in that there is no mess as is associated as with a live flame, no heat, and no need for a protective surface , outweigh the few—indeed, very few benefits of live fire. These particular candles have a very pleasant, warm, soft, natural looking yellow flickering light that make them very pleasant and relaxing like its live burning counterpart. All the ambiance without the hassle.

There is a timer feature, which I will explain in a minute; however, the candles can be easily turned on with just a flick of a switch whenever you like, but will turn themselves off after a few hours. If you are like me and want to use them as a nightlight during a certain time every day, you want to flip the unit over. On the bottom you will see the on/off switch and opposite that, an LED light with a black button next to the LED. What you want to do is, turn the unit on at the time you would like the unit to turn on daily, then press and hold the black button. The candle will turn off and the LED light on the bottom will glow red. This sets the time when the candle is to turn on every day. To tell the unit how long to stay on, you press the black button again for every hour you want it to stay on before it shuts off again. I have mine running from 8 at night until 11 at night, so 3 presses of the black button. To set the timer finally, simply press and hold the black button on the bottom until the candle turns back on and the red LED light turns off. You have just set your timer on 1 candle. Repeat the process for each candle individually and they will turn off and on without any help from you. If you ever want to change the hours, simply repeat the process during the time you would like the candles to run.

In my opinion, these are a really great value for 3 nice sized candles. They look so nice when they are lit. They flicker naturally, but with no fuss, mess, or danger that goes along with having live fire you can forget about. Once you have set the timer, you never have to touch the unit again as they are quite dependable and long lasting on 3 AAA batteries. They are lightweight enough to be set on any shelf (even the delicate ones) and really look great no matter where you use them. I would suggest using them in a bathroom to go on after dark to light that area at night, a teenager’s room (they seem to really like candles and this is such a safe alternative), or as a soft light to enjoy anywhere in your home at any time.
I would not use these to give off any substantial amount of light, as they are far too soft for that. These are for ambiance and small amounts of general decorative light only.

Homeless Bunnies, No more

For my daughter's birthday, she got a sweet little Netherland Dwarf bunny.  While we were equipped with a hutch for said bunny, it was in no way made for being outdoors and was not weather proof.  It was actually a depressing little enclosure overall.  Mr Bunny was indeed, homeless.

Of course, if one had time, a very nice little house could be made with scrap lumber and bits of the depressing cage, but frankly, I had no time to invest in such shenanigans.  I went on Amazon looking for a deal.

I found the Advantek The Penthouse Rabbit Hutch and after staring at it for a couple of days, I decided to go ahead and chance the price-vs-quality ratio and buy the thing.  I was pleasantly surprised!!

First of all, the construction side of it could not have been easier. I tend to throw all caution to the wind and go with my instincts always, so there could have been a lot of swearing and sweating here.  Of course, there wasn't.  I didn't even need to throw anything--caution or otherwise.   All the holes are marked and drilled for you, so you can easily set this pen up in less than 30 minutes with just a screwdriver.  All the hardware is included with very clear and easy-to-follow picture instructions.  You don't even have to know how to read!!!

Look Ma!  I'm a carpenter!!!

The wood is very thin and light, my guess is it is pine (indeed the description says fir!), but the entire structure was not all that expensive, so you kind of get what you pay for.  It is stained a pretty reddish brown with white painted trim.  The wire cage is black and sets off the white and red very nicely.  The cage bars are actually a nice sturdy material and is featured at the front and along the right side of the cage.

The front cage door

The nesting box door or, as Mr. Bunny insists, 

the bathroom area.

Shut the bloody door!  Can't a bunny poop in peace!?

There are 2 doors in the front.  One on the left is a rustic boxcar-siding-type door with white trim.  A simple heart screwed to the front serves as a very cute latch.  On the front right, the wire cage also opens with a secure latch. (see photos above)

I think my favorite part of the Advantek The Penthouse Rabbit Hutch has to be the top, which is hinged and easily opened with a support bracket that holds it in place during cleaning, giving you 3 different entrances to the cage.
Inside, the bottom is a plastic drawer, or litter pan, that is easily cleaned, but to follow the theme of the hutch, is trimmed in white painted wood.  There is also a removable, wood “room divider” with an opening to easily allow your bunny to go into his own private room (nesting area-er...bathroom) to the right side of the hutch.

The roof, with the solid shingle feature and white wood trim

The single propping hinge that holds the roof up for cleaning

The removable room divider leading into the nes...bathroom.

We are almost done sweetie.  I promise. 

I have the Advantek The Penthouse Rabbit Hutch sitting outside and so far it has weathered well.  The roof is a solid shingled area and the unit does not leak at all.  Of course, you would want to have the wire cage part turned away from the weather; however, with half of the unit being enclosed, your bunny can easily hide in the more enclosed side of the unit if he/she needs to.  If you do use this as a winter enclosure, I would suggest keeping the snow off of it as much as possible and giving it a good paint job every spring to ensure the wood stays protected, otherwise it is a very cute, very good and comfortable little hutch for your bunny.

I have also gotten Mr. Bunny a heated water bottle and warming pad, to further make his winter home comfortable.  This being a farming community, he is a very spoiled bunny compared to most.

I am seeing all the wild bunnies showing up in the yard just so they can pick on him and call him a sissy.  I don't care.  We love him and if that makes him a sissy, then he's a sissy.  Look at that cute little sissy bunny boy...awwww