**REVIEW** Extra Large Natural Cotton Laundry Bag from Ohuhu

Since this review is for an item with a specific and basic use, I will keep the post brief and simple.

The product is the Ohuhu® Natural Cotton Laundry Bag (extra large size).

photo from Amazon product page

photo from Amazon product page

That's pretty specific and basic, right? However, I have a feeling that some people will find other uses for this natural cotton laundry bag:

Because the bag is so big (and it's much bigger than it looks when you first see it in the wrapping), it's great for use in a dorm room. On the other hand, if it's filled up, it could be kind of heavy. For laundry use, I think it would be better for storing dirty laundry neatly in a wash area.

Like I said, it's a simple product, made for storing and carrying  (or temporarily hiding) dirty clothes. The standout features:

• Holds a LOT of clothing (4 to 5 loads)
• Is machine washable and won't shrink
• The 100% "natural colored cotton" material is breatheable to prevent mildew
• Can also be used as a hamper liner
• Is quite large - 36 inches high & 28 inches wide 

(By the way, I'm not sure if we all consider a load of laundry by the same measures!)

When I was younger, I remember my mother talking about having learned from her mother to multi-purpose everything she bought. If she bought Crisco for cooking, she also used some as a skin moisturizer. I also remember her talking about having used flour sacks to make clothing and curtains.

The material of this laundry bag is so sturdy that I immediately thought, "My mom would probably multi-purpose the heck out of this!" And, of course, I started thinking of other ways the bag could be used for "modern" household use:

• As a toy sack (for a kid's playroom)
• To carry around anything that's bulky or in pieces, and...
• ...My favorite idea - to hide Christmas gifts in.
• Lining the hamper used for diapers or smelly exercise clothing is a great idea

photo from Amazon product page

Actually, if this were dyed or decorated, it would make a super-cute "Santa" bag. Maybe because it's close to that time of year, that's one of the first things that popped into my head. Since 2 of my nieces are both pregnant, the idea of using this to line a hamper in the baby rooms is nice. I don't know if my girls plan to use cloth diapers or not  (NOT!!!), but infant clothes can have their own special funk once they get stained with formula or poop... I'm just saying.

One last thing I want to mention is that the material of the bag is a bit on the rough-feeling side when you recieve it. I'm hoping that it will soften up some after a run through the machine with some fabric softener.

The price is great for a bag of such a large size, especially the Prime price.

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

**REVIEW** BLACK+DECKER 400-Watt Fruit & Vegetable Juice Extractor

As you read this review, keep in mind that I just used it for the first time today**. Later on, after more use, I will come and update the review if need be.

This is the Black and Decker 400-watt Fruit & Vegetable Juice Extractor:

When I first saw it at the store, the first thought I had was, "How good can a $35 juicer be?" I also wondered why it was labeled as a "juice extractor" rather than just a "juicer".

Out of the box, this was easy to set up. The only thing I had to do was remove the cup from inside the pulp container.

Let me stop here and explain why I even wanted a juicer.

As you all know by now, I flip flop when it comes to taking care of myself. I go through stages of watching my nutrition and exercising better sometimes than I do other times. I'm going through one of my upswings. Going to the gym and losing weight, yada yada ya.

In addition to eating better, I'm also more conscience of my overall health. High blood pressure runs in my family. I had HBP when I weighed 97 pounds so all the weight loss and exercise isn't going to cut it. However, excersizing does help (mainly because I think it relieves stress) and I recently heard that drinking beet juice helps a bit. Well, I love beet juice. I don't love the price of beet juice, so... I decided that juicing my own would be better.

I still use my blender to do smoothies but I tend to go overboard with smoothies. I can't just do a simple fruit and veggie protein drink. I go all Guy Fieri and start adding something from every food group until I end up with something that looks like a drunken dessert.

Juicing is simpler. I do what I did tonight with the Black and Decker: chop up some beets, carrots and maybe an orange, then store it in a quart container to drink off of for a week. I have to say that the Biotta beet juice that I've bought is slightly sweeter than my homemade. which is why I added carrots and tangelos to the blend. Now mine is not only cheaper but even better than the store bought juice! Ha.

Here is my video of my first use of this:

So. On to the pros and cons of this juicer. By the way, the model number is JE2200B.

PROS:

• Easy to assemble (and disassemble for cleaning)
• Easy to clean (the strainer is only part that I had to use a sponge on)
• Smaller sized for tighter counter spaces
• Not too loud. (as you can see/hear for yourself in the video)
• Juices beets, carrots and oranges without leaving over un-juiced chunks in pulp
• Pulp comes out really dry (so I assume I got maximum juice extraction)
• It's just under $35

CONS:

• Cup to hold juice doesn't attach to juicer (can get pushed around)

Seriously, that's the worse thing I can come up with as a negative. This wouldn't be a big deal with most fruits and veggies, but for the beets (which stain everything), I put a plastic bag under the cup and juicer just to catch drips and spurts.

I read a bunch of the Amazon reviews (even though I purchased mine at Walmart) and I disagree (so far) with any of the negative ones. Of those complaining, most reviewers focused on the fact that they had to cut up their fruits and veggies or that the machine "clogged", etcetera. In my opinion, for this type of smaller (in size) juicer and with the 400-watt motor, I'd expect to have to do some prep. Matter of fact, some years ago, I had a very expensive juicer that didn't do as good a job as this one. With that one, I could drop in big chunks of stuff but I didn't get the dryer pulp and the cleanup was a nightmare.

Tonight I got a almost a quart of juice from 6 beets, 10 carrots and 2 tangelos (I've been drinking from it already, so...):

Drank about 15 ounces of my fresh juice! Delish!

Like I said, for the price (which equals about 5 of the 16-ounce bottles of Biotta brand beet juice), if this gets me through the rest of winter, I have saved quite a bit of money. Plus, I'm doing something good for myself.

Peace

--Free

**I wrote this review last night before bed. Posting it today, so... ya know.

**REVIEW** Unilever Dry Spray Anti-perspirant

Just love checking my mail sometimes

I don't often get stuff from Influenster and, when I do, it takes a while for products to reach me way up here in Alaska. This time, I am getting to try out a new anti-perspirant from Unilever:

This is Degree Motionsense Dry Spray.in the "Fresh Energy" scent. Let's go down the list of what I really like so far:

• The nozzle is designed nicely. There's a click-to-open and spray function. This means that I won't be randomly spraying the inside of my gym bag because... me. 
• The container is shaped in way that makes it easy to hold (even with hands damp from the shower) and is just cool to look at.
• The spray itself is super-finely misted and it really is very dry. If it weren't for the scent (which is nice enough), I wouldn't have been sure I had actually applied product. This is a big deal for me because I do NOT like damp deodorants. I have been using a stick deodorant that I always blot after applying. Before now, I've never been too crazy about spray products just as a personal preference. 
• The scent is mild, even though I would prefer no scent. It doesn't linger or interfere with my essential oil fragrances.
• I tested this by applying a few hours before going to the gym. Probably because I am so freaking out of shape, it only takes about 20 minutes on the treadmill before I'm sweating like a murder suspect. I was sweating alright, but not in my underarm area. (Wish someone would make forehead anti-perspirant!)
• Since I was testing this product for it's "48-hour" anti-perspirant claims, I didn't shower for about 4 hours after the workout (just that one!). I wanted to see if the deodorant properties were on point. Answer: Yes. Definitely so.

I have to give this product some points for living up to the hype. There were just a couple of things that would make me like it more:

• While the click-to-open pump is nice, it is tricky to re-close. I was always worried that I might not have locked it back into place. (Kind of a minor point, I know...)
• The "Fresh Scent" is not my favorite. Since I don't see an un-scented version, I think I would prefer the "Sheer Powder" scent. (Just a very personal preference.)
• I can't tell yet how long this will last. From what I can tell, the 3.8-oz size is around $5.00 at Walmart (and also on Amazon as an "add-on" item). 

By the way, you can pick this product up at Walmart and here are the different scents available:

Again, there isn't much that I don't like about this anti-perspirant. What I do love is how dry it goes on. I have to agree with the blurb on the Influenster box: "This is a game-changer." It just might be...

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned in the post compliments of an Influenster campaign in exchange for testing and reviewing.

**REVIEW** Daydreamer Travel Pillow by AirComfy Travel

I ordered this Daydreamer Travel Pillow by AirComfy Travel just a lit-tle too late to use on my recent travels.

This is pillow in the case

Never fear, I did put it to the test in a couple of unusual ways. I mean, traveling on a plane is not the only time you need to get comfy for a bit of a nap, right?



I have insomnia and use it to my advantage. Since ours is a very noisy household, I do my writing while dawn is only thinking of breaking. I like to sit up in bed with my back against the wall when I am writing. The only problem with that is neck and shoulder fatigue. I end up bunching my bed pillows behind my neck, but they fall down whenever I shift positions. Guess what? It' may not be what the makers had in mind, but this pillow is perfect for my writing in bed habit. It's also great for when I go to my infusion treatments. The pillows the nurses provide are starchy and flat. I need two or three of them to prop into position to read or write for the couple hours I'm stuck hooked to a machine.

I'm fussing and griping, but I bet there are a lot of you who find yourself in similar circumstances. This pillow might have been made with travel in mind, but it's got a lot of uses.

Just imagine how good this would be for actually traveling - on a plane, a train (or even in a car) - or wherever you're in a cramped space for a long period of time. (Speaking of cramped spaces: I think plane seating has shrunk in the past couple of years. Even "First Class" seating is tiny.)

Probably the nicest feature about this pillow is the design. It deflates down to fit into the carry-bag (which has a handy clip for attaching to luggage) and, when you're ready to use it, the button-pump is so easy.

This is fabric-covered pump

The pump and release features make it easy to adjust the firmness (and fit) for every preference and neck size. You actually can adjust the firmness without taking the pillow off your neck.

You can choose from 3 colors: Blue, grey, or purple. The photos don't show how soft the material is. Trust me on this: it is really soft and smooth against my skin.

This is the unfastened zipper

Best of all, the cover is removable for washing. The pillow is so nicely made that I had trouble spotting the zipper at the back of it.


By the way, I saw a lot of travel pillows in the different airports that cost the same or up to $10 more. The ones I saw didn't have the features of the Daydreamer and none of them were as soft.

Like I said, I ordered this too late to take on my trip, but I am not disappointed at all. I'm going to get plenty of use out of this for sure. I know that there are plenty of people (doctors, nurses, students) who put in odd working/study hours. I think this is a good gift for someone like that. Sometimes people have to get their snooze in where it fits in.

Peace
--Free


DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

**REVIEW** Suja Organic (organic juices)

My weight has gone up. Again. Probably has something to do with the fact that I tried eating way through North Texas...





(None of those photos show my chowdowns at WhatABurger, ChicFilA, Jack in the Box, Sonic or the aisles of Kroger...)

The last week that I was there, I slowed down and tried eating healthier. I discovered a love for sushi (as long as it is cooked) and certain seafood is cheaper there in Costco. I took up walking because of the amazing trail system that is near my niece's house. By the way, I wish that more places had a color-coded system of walking/biking trails. I think that having such an even terrain and safe place to walk would be a huge motivation for people to get in shape.

As part of my diet, I tried to drink a lot more water. Also, I tried out a couple of juices that are new to me. This is the first one I tried out:

 It's "Sweet Beets" by Suja Essentials. I picked it up because I love beet juice and the other ingredients are nice. The one ingredient that I had never tried was tumeric. Because of the other flavors, I can't describe the taste accurately, but it didn't take away from the light and mellow sweetness of the drink. What it did do was, uh... "move" me. After just one bottle (which I sipped out of over about two hours), I was doing 'eliminations' like nobody's business. Really. Nobody needed to be involved with that.

I've been looking around for the same blend of "Sweet Beets" but can only find this one of "Berry Goodness" here in Anchorage.

Of course, I haven't yet been to all the local stores to look for the brand.

The only downer to this product is the price. In Texas, I paid $2.50 each for 2 bottles (because there was a store sale). In Anchorage I paid around $3.50 for the one bottle. Crazy, right?

Since I like the "Sweet Beet" brand, I plan to juice the combination of ingredients myself. As much as I like the brand, if I can't find a better price, I will probably only buy it once in a blue moon. BUT, for anyone who can afford it, the juice is pretty terrific. Both blends taste great and they aren't too thin or thick. I could actually use one as a meal substitute. Also, in the warmer weather, the juice was super refreshing and cooling.

Oh - speaking of meal replacement,  there is one other thing about these juices: the calorie content is up there. For the "Sweet Beets" it's 210 calories for a 12-oz bottle (plus 65 mg of sodium, 40g sugar and 49g in carbs). "Berry Goodness" is 190 calories (0 sodium, 36g sugar and 44g carbs).

Yeah.

Just like with most "healthy" juices, you have to watch the nutrition labels for the real story. I was only looking at the brand's hype label when I purchased the juice. They do have great hype.

I think that a lot of us focus on the 'organic' notice and ignore the breakdown of the content. There is good and not-so-good in the two juices I tried.

Plus side: "Sweet Beets" daily value is 90% Vit A and 4% of calcium (but only 1g dietary fiber and 2g protein).

The "Berry Goodness" values are high in Vit C at 42%, with 5% iron and4% calcium. Fiber is 2g and protein is 1g.

Since my body reacted to the "Sweet Beets" in ways that it never has to the other ingredients, I figured I needed to learn more about turmeric. I've only ever heard of it being used to season food. What I learned is that it does have a laxative effect. Also, I wanted to be aware of any possible cautions and side effects. I don't love that whole "stimulating the appetite" part!

Bottom line: I really enjoy the juice (at least the 2 I've tried), but the cost is up there right along with the calories. This is something that will be a splurge treat - maybe in place of a fatty coffee? - but not one that I can indulge often.

By the way, I have re-joined the gym and am working to be in top shape before the sun warms Anchorage again. That should give me ample time!

Peace
--Free


NOTE: I was calling the whole brand "Suja Essentials" but, as you can see on their site, "Essentials" is just one of a line of several types of juices. Sorry about that Suja!

**REVIEW** Miss Jessie's Leave-In Condish

Yes, I know. I have had very poor results with a couple of Miss Jessie's products. Very poor. In fact, the only reason I decided to give yet another Miss Jessie's items a try at all was because I cannot believe such a successful brand is all bad.

Let's recap the instances I've had my feelings hurt, hopes crushed, and hair (and wallet) left in need:

• There was the time I tried "Pillow Soft Curls" only to discover that the 'pillow' referenced had to be a stone one from Wilma Flintstone's bed... (although, as a conditioning treatment, P.S.C. worked better.)
• Then I mentioned (or ranted) about the high cost of such products.
• Latest was when I obviously wanted to believe in Miss Jessie's the way I once believed in a bad relationship... Yeah. Pillow Soft Curls didn't teach me nothing; I just had to try the "Jelly Soft Curls" because, you know, "Baby, I swear I won't_____ anymore." (And you can fill in that blank with whatever the last lie is that you were told...

And, by the way, falling for the lies of that dang Miss Jessie didn't teach me quite enough. I rebounded by running into the arms of Miss Jessie's less well known cousin, "Aunt Jackie". sigh.

If this were a history of my past romantic entanglements, I'd be swearing off men and entering a convent. Really. Seriously. HOWEVER... I might have a cold heart when it comes to certain men, but I'm warmer blooded when it comes to my hair. Which is why I did pick up the "Leave-In Condish".

 Also, the 8-ounce bottle was cheap. And I'm on write-cation. And I can spend $10 on a hair product when I am on write-cation and not really writing as much or as well as I thought I would be. So there.


I picked this up for about $10.00 at a Target here in Texas. I've never seen this item in Anchorage stores but, no doubt, the price would go up by two or three bucks on those shelves.

As usual, the first thing I did when I got the product was to smell it. It smells like that plain old bath bar soap that you get when you stay in cheap motels. Just so plain and funky that you automatically think that it's either really cheap stuff or that it will strip all the sebum right out of your skin and hair.

Maybe the mix of ingredients???


Of course, the smell had me thinking that I was about to be disappointed once again... But, nope. Once I got past the smell to give the product a try, it wasn't half bad.

I think I already mentioned that the air here is extremely humid. I have been calling it "no-lotion" weather. The thing is, it's great for my hair and skin but it also makes my hair resistant to styling. The only way I can get my hair to hold a nice twist-coil wave is to wash it. That's because my hair tends to dry out when I wash it (which is why I am careful about using the right shampoo).

Since the Leave-In Condish is to be used on damp (not wet) hair, I did a co-wash with the cleansing conditioner I told you about yesterday, then I let it go from wet to damp. I applied the Leave-In and waited for that to dry.

Result: quite stiff.

I then used a spray bottle to fine-mist on some water that I massaged into my hair.

Result: much better. Actually, my hair felt quite soft and moisturized.

Next, I did my twist-coils and let them dry.

The final result was not bad at all. My hair was not stiff or sticky at all, though it was a little bit over-dry. Since it is so humid here, I expected better. However, I do have very dry hair after washing.

Overall, I have to give this Miss Jessie's product a 9 out of 10. I'd even give it a 10 if not for that icky, soapy odor. (I will resolve that by adding to my water mister a touch of the yummy-smelling Pomegranate Cleansing Conditioner, or some of my Vanilla Grapefruit Fragrance.)

Also, please notice what is not in this particular product: sulfates and other no-no's for (especially) natural hair.

So, yay to Miss Jessie's for finally having a product that lives up to the labeling & goes easy on the average wallet.

At some point, I will compare the results I'm getting with products here to the ones I get in Alaska's drier climate.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Sweet Pomegranate Cleansing Conditioner (by Renpure Solutions)

Just because I am on a little "write-cation", it doesn't mean that I'm not going to keep up on the reviews.

I actually picked up this product in a Target here in Carrolton, Texas. I sure do hope that I can get the Anchorage Target to order some for the future.

Renpure site also has different fragrances

The main reason I decided to purchase this (even though I had never even heard of the brand before now) is because of the delicious smell. Oh, my GOODNESS!!! This is the nicest scent I think that I have ever smelled in a hair product! When I was trying to think of how to describe the scent, I asked my niece to help. We both decided that it's like a very sweet and juicy pomegranate. Or, as my niece said, "I'd drink it." Oh-kay!

There are a lot of ingredients (not all as healthy-sounding as I prefer), but notice the things that are not included. (Sorry for the crappy photo. I'm having camera issues.)

As far as how well it works, I give it an 8 out of 10. For one thing, it does a great job of cleaning  the hair, but the moisturizing could be a smidge better. Here in this part of Texas, my hair and skin are already super spoiled by the humidity. I haven't had to use nearly as many oils for moisturizing as I do back in Anchorage. I have a feeling that this conditioner is going to need a boost from some of my other products when I use it in that drier climate. In this moist climate, it does alright, but I did have to use some moisturizing curling gel after my hair dried.

The smell alone makes this worth using (even if I have to add another conditioner) and I only used the size of three quarters to do my hair in the shower. And the entire bathroom smelled amazing afterward.

No kidding, I actually wish I could find this same exact scent in perfume or lotion.

The price was nice on this (at least at the Target down here...). I paid $6.99 (plus tax) for the 16-ounce bottle. I checked Amazon and found it as a Prime "Add-on" item for the same price. The Renpure site just sends you to other retail sites for the products.

I did have a moment of surprise when I noticed the back of the product:

Co-washing started, I thought, as a thing that black women did to protect their natural hair growth. Whatever.

I'd love to hear what women with different hair textures have to say about the product. Maybe the reason it isn't as moisturizing for my kinky/curly hair is that it wasn't formulated for this texture??? So, if someone with a different hair texture has tried this, please let me know what your results were. I bet we can all agree about the yummy fragrance.

This is a good price for decent results on my normally very dry hair. I imagine it will work much better for hair is that is less problematic.

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Deluxe Botanicals Castor Oil

This 100% pure & organic castor oil by Deluxe Botanicals surprised me. Pleasantly.

It's not the first castor oil I've used, of course, but it's the first "clear" castor oil I've used since I was a kid and my Mom and one of the Grands would make us kids eat a spoonful everyday. Ick.

This one is not for ingesting. It's for the hair, skin and nails.

See?

When I got it, I noticed that unlike, the castor oils I've been buying locally (black ash oils), this one was in a bottle with a dropper. I love having a dropper for oils because they make it easier for dispensing and adding to other bottles.

Where this oil surprised me right off the bat is with how freaking thick is is!

The other castor oils I've used are not thin or watery, but this one is so thick that it reminds me of corn syrup. And that is part of the beauty of it.

Because the oil is thick, I thought it would be too heavy for using as a moisturizer. I don't want a thick, greasy mess left on my hands, and I really don't want to use anything like that on my face, right?

No worries. I did test it on my face (and neck) and it really didn't bother my pores. I just rubbed some water and a drop of the oil in my hands and patted it onto my face and neck before bedtime. I think it helped a lot because the house is really dry with the heat turned up for winter. Ugh!

Of course I mainly wanted to test this on my hands and nails. The Deluxe Botanicals goes on thick, but not too sticky and, after about 2 or 3 minutes (maybe less), it has absorbed completely. I mean completely. My hands (and nails) were very nourished without any sign of greasiness.

When I tested the oil on my body (legs and feet), I got the same results. I just let the castor oil absorb before I on clothing.

Because thisi is a 4-ounce bottle, I'm not going to waste it using it full-body. I added several dropperfuls to a bottle of the lotion I'm taking with me on vacation and left it at that. I'm saving the rest to use on my hair and nails (and my feet).

When I'm not sponge-curling my natural hair, I like to do a 2-strand twist of cornrows overnight. Tonight, I did my twist-rows, then used the castor oil on my scalp in between rows. I want to see how my scalp feels tomorrow when I take my hair down. I will let you know at the finish of this review.

My pre-bed look:

Looking like Celie! LOL

I just oiled my scalp bewtween the twist-rows

This oil is also supposed to be good for acne treatment, but I can't test for that. I do know that when I remembered to try it on my lips it felt great. (If your lips are currently chapped and peeling, apply the oil and let it set for a minute, then do a mild cloth or sugar scrub. I noticed that this worked excellent with some sugar for a scrubbing.) There isn't a strong taste to it, thank goodness. I'm going to try using it a few minutes before I apply lipstick because, for some reason, some lipsticks suck all the moisture right out of my smackers.

Finally, the $14.48 Prime price seems reasonable to me for the 4-ounce bottle because I will be adding this to other products and saving some for direct application. This works well enough to add to my oil purchases in the future and I'm glad that I got to try it out.Also there is a 30-day guarantee. If you don't see results, you get your money back. Good deal.

I checked out Deluxe Botanicals Facebook page and noticed that they share some nice tips and hints. I especially like the "Essential Oil Conversions" chart.

Peace
--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

**REVIEW** Greens Plus Superfood Raw

When I mentioned that I was finally getting some energy back and would try catching up on reviews, this is something that I believe helped a little bit:

I got it because I want to get rid of some of this "sad weight" I've put on. I actually should calling it "saddage weight" since it is from mood and age! Ha!

Greens Plus Superfood Raw was a bit of an impulse buy. I was strolling through the local Carrs/Safeway store's health food section, trying to find something that would help with the whole "I seriously need energy" thing. When I saw the GPSR, I recalled reading something in a forum about such "superfood" blends helping with the immune system. Another benefit I could use. With a $25 dollar price tag, the GPSR should probably come with a blender and some utensils...

I googled to see where else the product might be available locally for cheaper, and... No such luck. Since I haven't really done anything frivolous with the recent PFD money I got, I went ahead and splurged. Because I will return for refund if something I buy doesn't work for me.

What almost made me return it was what it looks like.

Yuck, right?

What made me give the first taste a try was remembering how yucky my wheat grass powder also looks. It's not as yucky as it looks, so...

Let's check the label one more time to see if I might be able to use this stuff:

That's a lot of stuff - green and otherwise. Of course, I had to Google most of the ingredients.

• Barley grass
• Wheat grass
• Alfafa grass
• Oat grass
• Dandelion leaf
• Stevia leaf
• Red beet juice (potential benefits & second mention)
• Spirulina (warning: annoying pop up!)
• Chlorella (first link and second)
• Dunaliella salina algae (what it is vs possible benefits)
• Nova Scotia dulse (love that the blog is just unfinished!)
• AppleBoost (dehydrated apple peel powder)
• Sambuzon acai berry ('Sambuzon' is the brand, Acai info.)
• Acerola berry juice powder (thoughtful info & health info)
• 2 probiotic cultures (link 1, link 2, and link 3)

Whenever I read an ingredient list like this, I realize how little I have lived, travelled or hung out with people who read nature magazines. 

You can check out the links to the various ingredients - or at least the links I found interesting - but I can tell you about the taste of this blend. It is not bad. Not bad at all. 

I'm pretty relieved about the taste because I read some of the Amazon reviews and, boy, some people went in!

While the taste is not bad, I hate the slight grit. Maybe if I blended the powder into a smoothie, it would be better, but I don't really have my own kitchen so that's kind of a hassle. I simply add the powder to about 8 ounces of any juice with a strong flavor of its own. Apple cider works best, but I also use regular apple juice. Yesterday, I added some to one of those sugar-laden aloe drinks and that didn't work out so well. For one thing, the powder clumped up with the aloe pulp. For another thing, too much sweetness. Ick. I will stick with the apple ciders and juices.

I think that blending this would help with the grittiness. For now, I just add a touch more juice to thin out the dregs. The taste would be pleasant if not for the grit. 

The suggestion on the label is to do 1 scoop,3 times a day. The first couple of days I stuck to that, but I forgot the third scoop until late last night. There does seem to be a bit of an energy boost - or maybe that's psychosomatic? - so I didn't want to use the powder so close to bedtime. However real the energy boost is, I will say that I don't feel so hungry all the time. 

My feeling is that this adds a lot of nutrients that I'm not getting (when I let my eating habits go downhill) so my body is not craving as much. Basically what I have been doing the past week is fixing a pot of pinto beans with seasoned ground beef and, throughout the day, eating four or five small servings with corn bread. Beans are fiber (filling), meat is good protein (and flavorful), and cornbread is, well... cornbread is just delicious.

I have just about 10 days before I travel. I'd like to not look like a half opened can of biscuits. My bloating is down (in spite of the beans) and I stay full longer.

So, if you are wondering about this product, I can tell you that it's really doesn't taste bad. It's probably yummy in simple smooties. Matter of fact, this might be great for when you only have some liquid and one fruit but want a smoothie as a meal replacement. ~shrug~

Finally, there is one HUGE negative I  see with this (other than the grit) is that it's sold by weight. I was  very disappointed at the cost when I opened the container and saw that almost  a third of it was just air. I mean, why the deception with the too-big container? That's something that will make me look around for a different brand next time.

Peace
--Free

P.S.: I didn't link to this brand because I am put off by the packaging. When I see a can that big, I expect more product for the money and the brands know that!

**REVIEW** Dr Sleepwell SnoreStoppers

This is probably the most fun I have had reviewing a product that I didn't actually use for myself.

First of all, I am trying not to call out the family member who snores so loud that the rest of us feel like we are sleeping around a giant boombox set to extreme BASS!!! Seriously, we love him to death, but I'm sure that his snores rattle the windows.

When I told Mister Snore's wife that I could apply to try these...

Those simple-looking little things in that photo are Dr Sleepwell Snore Stoppers.

She almost logged into my account to order them on the spot. Of course, I was really hoping that "Dr Sleepwell" and his 'Snore Stoppers' would work. I don't mind when I try something that I don't like, but the last time Mister Snore's wife tried a product with me, we both lost some hair. True story.

Anyway, there's not much process to figuring out if these little silicone (medical grade silicone) wonders would work. You insert them as instructed and go to sleep.

Mister Snore had to try the different ones in the pack to find the ones that felt most comfortable, but he had choices. This is what comes in the kit:

• 1 pair of LARGE SIZE SnoreStoppers with rings for extra stability 
• 1 pair of SMALL SIZE SnoreStoppers with rings for extra stability 
• 1 regular pair of LARGE SIZE SnoreStoppers for extra comfort 
• 1 regular pair of SMALL SIZE SnoreStoppers for extra comfort 
• a TRAVEL & STORAGE box 
• an INSTRUCTION MANUAL about HOW to use and clean the SnoreStoppers properly

To be honest, I didn't inspect the different sizes, but Mister Snore did and all I care is that they work. His wife is happy, I'm happy, the neighbors up to three houses down are happy... (Kidding. He's not that bad. Not quite.)

One of the things I didn't notice until after I'd given these to Mister Snore is that, wearing these Snore Stoppers, the user gets more airflow and oxygen with each breath. That sounds healthier to my layperson mind. More oxygen should mean better for the user all around, right? The product info does discuss this, along with the relief from sleep apnea.

The biggest thing about this giving everyone in the house some nighttime relief (especially Mister Snore's wifey) is that there are no medicines or supplements involved. Such a simple idea for amazing results.

These are a great bargain (especially at the Prime price, which is less than lunch for two) but, if you aren't happy with them, you will be happy with the guarantee:

"100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE: Since Satisfaction of our customers is our main priority we offer you a Hassle Free Money Back Guarantee."

That is straight from the horse's, um product page.

Peace
--Free

I received this product via Giveaway Service in exchange for providing a fair and honest review.