safety first
Reviews August 26th, 2010
Disclosure: I was sent a safety vest from Care Cleaning and Protection, at no charge to me, in exchange for a review on my blog.
As a mom, you can imagine that my family’s safety is a priority. So I thought it was neat checking out one of Care Cleaning and Protection’s safety vests. This particular vest retails for around $20 and features fluorescent yellow and orange for high visibility as well as reflective tape so that you can be seen in low-light situations. It meets ANSI 107-2004 standard. This vest is a size L and it’s very generously sized. Drew usually wears an XL and it fit him fine. The material is comfortable and not rigid. The reflective tape seems more like a reflective fabric — it moves easily with the vest.
We have a couple acres of woods, so I think this vest would be great for when Drew heads out to chop wood, especially during deer season. Granted, no one is supposed to hunt on private property but… you can’t be too careful. It is not a bad idea to make sure a hunter does not confuse your moments for a deer’s. It would also be perfect for dog-walking in the early morning or evening, when the lighting is dim. I shot a cute video of the boys wearing it, but for some reason I couldn’t upload it. So then I made one with Laura. Babies’ opinions count, too!
video from
I’m no expert on safety vest, but this appears to be a good-quality product. It’s comfortable to wear and the appearance seems a lot brighter than vests I’ve seen on road workers. I think it’ll come in handy.
Ecostore USA Product Review
Reviews August 3rd, 2010
I was recently given the opportunity to review some environmentally-friendly products from Ecostore USA. As a mom to three, including one little lady who is putting everything in her mouth, I was intrigued. I try to avoid chemical cleansers where I can (I have a steam mom to wash my floors and I use vinegar and baking soda for many cleaning jobs), but I don’t exclusively purchase “green” cleaning supplies.
About EcostoreUSA
Ecostore was founded by Melanie and Malcolm Rands over 15 years ago. The couple was living in a New Zealand eco village and sought to produce cleaning products using plant-based ingredients. From the company’s website:
“Our eco friendly, plant-based household cleaning products are as effective as the leading supermarket brands, and our body and baby care ranges are gentle on your skin and are simply beautiful to use. All of our products are made from plant- and mineral-based ingredients, free of toxic chemicals that bring people closer to nature with non-toxic, environmentally safe solutions that also help to reduce our carbon footprint. Our products also help to ensure value for the dollar for our customers. Our super-concentrates means that a little really does go a long way – saving you money by cutting down significantly on cost per use.”
Since I was given my choice of products, I picked the Auto Dish Powder and the Natural Lemon Rinse Aid. I chose the dishwasher detergent because I thought it would really be a test. We live in a rural area and rely on a private well for our water supply. The water is not treated with anything, and this has its good and bad points. One of the negatives is that our water is very hard, and soaps do not produce a lot of suds. Often I need to use more soap than is generally required. So maybe I was putting the dishwasher powder to a challenge that was too difficult.
Auto Dish Powder
The Auto Dish Powder retails for $12.00 and is described as “a high performance blend of simple mineral salts, citrus and Coconut oils.” The ingredients are:
- Palm and coconut based non-ionic surfactants
- Silicates and carbonates including sodium meta silicate (simple mineral salts)
- Citrates and natural citrus oil
- Cellulose (plant based)
- Fatty acid derivative
I wanted to love this product, I really did. The packaging is appealing and I love the way it smells. It has a light lemon fragrance that isn’t overwhelming, but still smells clean. Unfortunately, it was just not up to the task. Sunday night I loaded the dishwasher with our tomato sauce-stained plates and bowls, as well as coffee mugs and various other dishes. When the cycle was complete, I excitedly ran into the kitchen to check on the dishes and many of them had to be rewashed. Even though the bowls did not have time to sit, a few still had a lot of sauce stuck to them.
I gave it a second shot this morning thinking that perhaps I had overloaded the dishwasher last time. The next test included a few dishes from last night that weren’t terribly stained, the usual coffee and tea cups, and breakfast dishes. I also put in a baking dish that had been soaking all night and was still wet. Surely this would be no problem. Again, I was disappointed. The mugs were not clean. The baking dish looked little more than rinsed, and the boys breakfast plates were still dirty (they’d had waffles and sticky maple syrup). My usual brand of dishwasher detergent cleans these dishes without a problem, even if they’ve sat there for a couple days while I wait for the dishwasher to fill up. Maybe the natural ingredients just don’t work well with our hard water. I don’t know. I really wish I could recommend this product but it didn’t work well for me.
Lemon Rinse Aid
The second product I tried was Ecostore USA’s Lemon Rinse Aid, which retails for $5.50 Its description states: “The Lemon Rinse Aid is that final touch to the cleaning of your dishware. Formulated with NO NASTY CHEMICALS, it will leave a subtle fragrance of Lemon Verbena. Use in conjunction with the Auto Dish Powder and see how it assists in drying as well.” The ingredients are:
- Plant based non-ionic surfactants
- Citric acid
- Hydrotope
- Lemon Verbena
- Water
This product also has a lovely lemon smell and I think it is extremely comparable to a product such as Jet-Dry. While the dish detergent might not have cleaned my plates and mugs, my clear glassware did not have many spots or streaks. They were “squeaky clean.” I think the aid also helped speed drying because on my second load, I unloaded the dishes immediately and the only standing water was in those little “pools” created by mug bottoms. That’s something that happens regardless of what you do.
Conclusion
I would not rule out Ecostore USA’s entire line of products based on my experience with the Auto Dish Powder. I’ve read many other blog reviews singing the praises of their other products, and I think their Lemon Rinse Aid is great. I believe their other products would be worth trying. I admire the company’s commitment to producing products that contain “No Nasty Chemicals” and are both environmentally friendly and safe for families to use. Here on the east coast you can purchase their products exclusively at Duane Reed drug stores. Elsewhere in the country, Meijer sells them. Of course, everything is available online at Ecostore’s website: www.ecostoreusa.com. You can also visit their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter to find out the latest information.
Disclosure: ECOSTORE USA sent me two free products for review purposes only. I was not compensated in any other way and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Kid’s Nightlight Review
House & Home, Reviews August 5th, 2009
When Jake and Noah got their own rooms, Noah suddenly decided he wanted a nightlight. Yes, there was one in the room the boys shared, but when Jake was sleeping over at one of his grandmothers’ houses, Noah never wanted the nightlight on. So that was kind of a surprise. I’ve found it hard to find kids nightlights that aren’t terribly bright. I mean — the child is supposed to be sleeping. I don’t want his room lit up like a runway!
I was offered the chance to review a night light from Lights in the Night by Seasons of Cannon Falls. I was sent this funny monkey face night light. It looks great against the red walls in Noah’s room! At first I thought the night light was a little big, but when I plugged it in I thought it looked just fine. I love that it’s not terribly bright, but I noticed that the bulb got really hot really fast. I might switch it out with another night light bulb and see if it makes a difference. The on/off switch is sturdy, which is good. I’ve bought nightlights with flimsy switches in the past. This one seems like it will hold up well. It also has a swivel base that should fit any plug.
The monkey face is made of glass and does not seem like it would break easily, but obviously you don’t want to drop it on a tile floor or anything. The nightlight retails for around $16 and it has Noah’s seal of approval 
Pavement: not just a great band
House & Home, Reviews July 21st, 2008
I’ve been wanting to pave our driveway for oh… about four years now. But when we were trying to sell the house, we figured why bother? It wasn’t worth spending all that money if the house was going to be someone else’s. But when we decided to take the house off the market, we made our driveway a priority this year. And today they did it! We hired Briggs Paving out of Poughkeepsie and they were just awesome! They arrived sharply at 8 AM. The crew was incredibly courteous and happy to answer questions. They did an A1 professional job and we are absolutely thrilled with the results. (The other two paving companies we set up estimates with never even showed up for those estimates!) I just wanted to spread the word on the off chance someone from the Hudson Valley was researching pavers. Briggs is top-notch.
Anyway, clearly I am a big dork by how excited I am over our driveway, but it really is something I’ve been wanting for a while. At the end of the week the boys can have a blast playing out there. I know they will love the fact that Big Wheels rides will no longer be so bumpy 
I have a whole set of photos on Flickr if you’re interested.
Gold Medal Wine Club
Food & Wine, Reviews December 3rd, 2007
As you know, from time to time I get products to review. As you also know, I am a wine enthusiast. So you can just imagine how thrilled I was when I was asked to receive a sample shipment from the Gold Medal wine of the month club. The Gold Medal Wine Club features wines from small-production vineyards – no mass-market stuff. Immediately my interest was piqued. When I received my shipment via FedEx, I immediately noticed how well-packaged the wines were. They were snugly placed in protective Styrofoam wine shippers. There was no way the bottles were going to clang around, even during a bumpy ride. The Styrofoam shipper was then placed in a tight-fitting box. Having worked in the wine and liquor biz, and having received other wine samples for writing assignments, I’ve seen packaging from good to bad to ugly, and I was very happy with the quality and care placed into getting these wines from California to New York. The bottles themselves were wrapped with tissue paper and a bow. Also included in the shipment was a gift card and a newsletter. The newsletter contained tasting notes and details on the wines in this shipment. Since I usually end up checking out the vineyard’s Web site any time I try a bottle, I was happy to get the information at a glance without even having to boot up my laptop. Nice presentation, all around.
But now on to the important stuff, right? The wines. In my shipment I received a bottle of Bradford Mountain Grist Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2004 and a bottle of Belvedere Russian River Valley Chardonnay Sonoma County 2005. Both of these bottles are higher-end offerings from both vineyards. The Bradford Zin retails for around $35 and the Belvedere Chard retails for around $20. Both of these wines are classic California — full flavor, big oak. My husband and I were pleased with both of them. The nose on the Chard is delicious, toasty almond. After a few swirls the fruit starts to come up, but the oak doesn’t retreat. There’s a bit of honeysuckle there too, but it’s subtle. On the palate, this Chard is all wood with a bit of spice and butter at the end. It had a nice mouthfeel and a medium finish. Don’t get the impression that this is over-oaked — not at all. The oak is gentle and well-integrated.
The Bradford Mountain Grist Vineyard Zin also would be considered “big oak,” but really it’s a classic example of a great Zinfandel. Cedar and dark fruit on the nose with the tiniest bit of anise showing up to the party. Right out of the bottle, the wine is totally wood-dominated, but after about 20 minutes, the fruit started to come through. I think that if I had decanted the bottle it would have helped. The wine needed some time to open up but when it did – wow! It also was a star with the filet mignon we ate with it. The wine could benefit from a little time in the bottle — it’s a little young, I think so I’m interested in getting another bottle and holding off for a few years. But it shows a lot of promise and with time I think the fruit will come out a bit more.
The sample subscription I got was from the Gold Tier, which costs between $39-$43 per shipment. Considering the retail value of the wines I received, I think it’s a great deal and I’m actually considering joining. This is definitely a club for true wine lovers — the wines have a lot of character and aren’t the typical mass-market bottles you’re going to find at every Liquorama-type box store. A subscription would be a great gift idea for someone who isn’t afraid of trying different wines and prefers to drink “boutique” wines (like me!). The choices were great, the packaging was top-notch, and the newsletter was informative and interesting. All in all, I was really impressed with everything about the Gold Medal Wine Club.
Microwave Bacon Cooker Review
Food & Wine, Reviews November 6th, 2007
You all know that I have a weakness for kitchen gadgets, so when I was sent a microwave bacon cooker to use and review, I couldn’t wait to try it out! I often cook bacon in the microwave, just out of convenience, but one drawback is all the grease that soaks into the paper towels. Let’s face it — it’s really gross. The CrispyClean® Bacon Broiler solves this problem. It does an excellent job of cooking the bacon in the microwave 1) without burning it (a problem I often encounter when nuking bacon the regular way) and 2) by allowing all the grease to drip down to the bottom of the cooker so it’s not in the bacon.
The device was really easy to use. It came with instructions that were simple to follow. You can see all the basic steps in the image here. (By the way, if you want to view the images in details, just click on the mosaic and it will take you to my Flickr stream where you can view the individual photos.) I placed the bacon over the vanes, attatched the lid, lowered it into the cooker, secured the lid, and microwaved the unit for four minutes. The result? Absolutely perfect bacon, ready for my BLT! I think that because the bacon is almost “steamed” it keeps it from burning easily. Yet the result was still crispy! My husband and I were both amazed at how much grease was at the bottom of the container — of course, that was good and meant it wasn’t in the bacon. No other method of cooking that we’ve tried has rendered so much fat out of the bacon. It was pretty impressive.
I really liked this gadget, but I did have one concern. The plastic seemed to be a little “thin” for lack of a better word. I think the product could possibly benefit from a higher grade of plastic. I’m sure that would make it a bit more expensive, but I would be willing to pay for that if it meant higher quality. I’m not saying this was low-quality! Not at all. It’s just that with all that we hear about microwaving food in plastic containers, I’d rather use one that is a bit sturdier.
However, I think that the benefits outweigh this slight negative and this is a brand-new invention, so it might not even be a concern in the future. To my knowledge, it’s the only completely self-contained bacon cooker out there. There’s no grease splattered around the inside of your microwave, the bacon was incredibly tasty, and it was probably better for you than traditional cooking methods. The CrispyClean® Bacon Broiler retails for 14.95 plus $5.00 shipping and handling. Or you can purchase a twin pack for $24.95 plus $5.00 shipping and handling. Visit baconcleanlycooked.com for more info.
Denim Shirt Review
Reviews October 13th, 2007
About a year ago when I was cleaning out my closet I decided to get rid of my old denim shirt. I’d had it since my freshman year in college! As you can imagine, it was worn thin. I liked to use it as a light jacket or inside the house instead of a sweater if I was just a bit chilly. So when I had the opportunity to recieve a brand-new denim shirt from Clothing4All.com for review, I jumped at the chance! It was delivered very quickly by UPS. You can’t really tell from the photo (and could I possibly look any dorkier?), but the denim is very soft. I’ve worn denim shirts that are kind of stiff, but this would not fall under that category. All the buttons are sewn on tight and although I have not washed it yet, I think it will hold up well. I ordered a size medium and it runs pretty true to size. Clothing4all.com offers wholesale prices to the average consumer, and if I needed a bunch of shirts for an event, I would strongly considered ordering from them just based on the quality of this shirt.
