Looking Back on 2019 Reviews

I'm late doing this because I forgot to schedule the post Anyway...
Here are some products from 2019 (and a few from before) that have made a lasting impression on me

Of all the beauty stuff - hair, makeup, skincare - I have almost too many I want to mention, but let me try to hit the mains:

Curel HydraTherapy & Garnier SkinActive Moisture Mask  are both from this review. Love both products and still buy the Garnier on a regular basis (check recent posts).

With all the rage about Asian skincare products, I want to mention the KOSE SOFTYMO Speedy Cleansing Oil and Kikumasamune Sake Skin Lotion High Moisture. I like them both but have to use sparingly. The oil will break me out if I use too often and the lotion is great but has that yeast-like odor...

This toner from Whal Myung is awesome, but... I cannot afford to indulge. If you can budget this in, you might want to.

The Aquafor Body Spray and Pantene Foam from this beauty box will always be in my arsenal.

Lumify Eye Drops are pricey as gold but so worth it. Haven't found anything that comes close.

I'm sorry, but the more I think about the FabFitFun box, the more ridiculous it seems to spend $50 on a box of random items of possible regret. I will stick with my $5 mood-lifting Walmart and Target boxes. If I had $50 a month to toss away, it would be on vape devices.

I have not ordered any skin or fragrance oils from Piping Rock in a long time. They usually have good products at good prices but when you get a stinker, they don't care. Customer service is everything, people.

I use Pumpkin Seed Oil or another good oil almost every night as a cuticle treatment and I use it on my hair when it gets ridiculously dry. This or another oil mixed with emu oil is so good on cuticles.
Greek Remedy Oil is another multi-purpose oil. It smells so good and is soothing just before bedtime. I also love their soap and foot cream.

I haven't used this beauty brush since I don't know when. I'm not good about keeping up on batteries for things. It's one of the reasons I haven't gotten a milk frother - the affordable ones are all battery operated. Ugh!

I have tried a few different brands of Magnesium Oil but the basic product is so good for helping me to relax and sleep through the night. I've recommended this to friends and family members.

By the way, I still get the Walmart Beauty Box and have no regrets (most of the time). It's a five-buck-for-handling deal so you can't beat it.

   

For around the house

Cosco 2-Step Steel Folding Step Stool (Can't recommend this enough. I use mine at least 3 times a day.)

I have not been able to kill this little coffee pot. It's so perfect for me as a single. When it wears out, I plan to get another just like it.

I probably don't have to mention that the Instant Pot is a fave. I did upgrade to a larger size. Best thing for singles and families.

Flour Sack Towels for the kitchen are essential. If you get a good brand, they are so worth having.

The Eco-Friendly Reusable Towels are... they are good if you don't mind replacing them fairly often. Once they have been washed about 5 times, they start getting lint-y and kind of gross. I kept some old ones to wipe up floor messes but I don't want them near my dishes once they get too worn. Honestly, I prefer using paper towels at this point.

This steam cleaner is the business. I don't use it as much because it's sometimes easier to just wet mop the floor, BUT... it's great for steaming to disinfect things. Also, I use it to clean the floors when they are super icky from a spill or on the carpet to kind of fluff it up. The only con to this is setting it to use and then dumping any leftover water.

The seller replaced this food sealer once and I still use it probably 5 times a day. Seriously. As a single person not wanting to waste products sold in large quantities, this is a must.

The stick blender is another love of mine. I use this almost every single day - or twice a day - to make smoothies, add stuff to my coffees, or to prep food for cooking. (I just realized that I never reviewed it here I'll have to do a quick post on it!)

I am in LOVE with my Dutch oven. Of all my cast iron, that's probably my favorite.  Nah. I can't pick a favorite piece of cast iron!

Okay. Another year has rolled around so let's talk about this juicer... So I am not doing all the juicing I thought I would. I hate cleaning a juicer. I hate dealing with the mess of juicing. Fruit is so freaking expensive in the winter. And blah blah blah. I need to sell this thing and get me a good milk frother for my coffee.

And pantry & fridge

I still do a large part of my grocery and household shopping online. Hy-Vee went and raised their delivery rates and that sucks, but, still...

I'm still a huge fan of Monk Fruit Sweetener. I do my coffee black most of the time now, but use the sweetener in green smoothies to take off the edge...

While I haven't gotten any more Golden Tea, I am using my regular Tumeric in my a lot of my food and coffees and teas. 

The Hoosier Hill Farm All American Whole Milk Powder and the heavy Cream are both worth it. If you are single or need to store a lot of milk for kids, this is the best way, IMO.

I cannot rave enough about having some Manuka honey around - any good quality raw honey.

After having this fresh nutmeg, I don't think I can do with canned variety anymore. I like the fresh so much that I am looking for other spices to get. Just getting bougie!

While I still love using Miracle Berries, I haven't been buying any. The prices are not great for using these on a regular basis and the quality from purchase to purchase can be iffy. Still, this is something I use every now and then.

And the vape life...

I am still on the vape. I love it. I don't think I have had a cigarette craving in a few months now (and I am close to 2 years quit! I am to the point now where I can go days using only zero-nic juice but when I get cranky...

The Voopoo Caliber vape pen let me down, design-wise. It's still a great device but the center pin is a mess. I still use it but I have to use my Smok Beast tank with it to connect to that pin. Booooo, Voopoo!

The Boulder Rock Vape Pen is still one of the best (and cheapest) devices. Love this thing, but I gave it to my sis in law.

The Voopoo Alpha Zip is probably the most discreet pod device I've seen. For something this sleek and streamlined, it's a good vape. So Voopoo can do something right.

Speaking of good vape devices, this SMOK Veneno is still a workhorse after all this time. Love it, love it, love it.

I still use this regularly. The Uwell Caliburn gets a lot of hype and it is a good device, but it's only a Juul-killer because of the quality of the device - Juul still has the best juice that ever was. Not that it's easy to buy anymore...

The writing and the random

If you have not checked out Bibisco's software for writers... well, just do so.

And I am still using my Livescribe pen, yes, I am.

I no longer use CBD oil or Kratom anymore. I don't trust the variations in quality. I vape because I only use juices tested sources, so I'm sure not going to risk messing with other random things.

There are more faves and regrets among the reviews of the past year, but I don't have the patience to sift through the old posts. This year, I hope to do as much actual blogging about life as I do posting reviews.

Peace
--Free

And for the music today,  a little bit of Beth Hart

This song should end up being a classic

**SIFO** Find Some Of Your Amazon Stats

This is Stuff I Found Out a long while back and forgot to ever mention here. You might not want to know but probably should know how much you have spent on Amazon. Here is how you figure it out.

You can
buy this on Amazon! LOL

• Sign into Amazon (you can only do this for a member account you have access to)
• Go to Accounts & Lists (at the top of the page, right under the little "Hello" notice)
• Click on Your Account
• Under the list of Ordering & Shopping Preferences, the 6th choice is to Download Order Reports

On this page, you can choose which type of report you want:

• Items 
• Orders and Shipments
• Refunds
• Returns

As for the date parameters, there are some Quick Set Options, or you can choose a range starting back as far as the start of your membership. You can download it to view it in MS Excel or Google Drive (and I can't help with that because I have always used Excel). Also, Amazon will send you a link to download in case you forget. The email will also provide a link back to the Reports page - just so you don't have to remember the above steps. Bookmark that.

He might not need more, but...

If you are faint of heart, you can just scan the prices you paid for each item on the list. If you really do want to see the totals, you can use the Excel formulas to do the math. If you are like me and suck at Excel, the easiest way is to use the automatic formula buttons in the program:

Like I said, you may or may not want to know, but it sure is helpful. I go in and look at my report whenever I need to see what I'm spending on household goods (or on things I shouldn't be!). I will also use the report to compare the prices of things on my shopping against Walmart, HyVee, etc. This is helpful for saving on household items you purchase on a regular basis. 

(By the way, if my brain is behaving, I will really grind down looking for savings by using the Price Cruncher app for comparing things. Super helpful, especially at the store or when shopping online between 3 or 4 different stores. There are other similar apps but this one is free and works fine, IMO.)

Back to the Amazon reports...

Once you request a report, it will stay listed on your Reports page. I try to give my reports specific names (for example: "Checking Against Monthly Budget" or "Household Buys for ## to ##". This helps when you go back to look at a report you created a year ago.

By the way, I am working on thinning out my already paper-thin budget. One way I'm doing that is being better organized about timing household purchases. Because my memory is crap, I have set up a written schedule for re-ordering things like tissue, soap, floor cleaner, etc. Just organizing my bathroom pantry helps with that. And checking these Amazon spending reports is very motivating. And every now and then I look at this and get mad enough to go without only but the barest basics...

So that's the deal with that. I hope that this helps you.

Peace

--Free

Instead of music, I thought I'd post a different kind of video. Interesting, no matter what you believe, and something to think about.

UPDATE **REVIEW** Cast Iron Skillet Cleaner with Good Grips

Please check the last part of this post. I had to do a serious update - with more photos. I just discovered that some of my negative impressions about this product are totally unwarranted. My bad.

I was talking recently about taking care of my cast iron pots and pans. This is the chainmail cleaning tool I decided to try out:

There are several I could have chosen but this off-brand one had the silicone pad feature of some more expensive ones. It wasn't super-cheap though so I had planned to return it unless it really impressed me. It has a lifetime guarantee and, even though it hasn't been reviewed by a lot of users, the reviews are all 4- and 5-star ratings.

It's from a company that seems to sell a hodge-podge of items. I was kind of surprised at how well made this scrubber is because most of the products on WYPQ's storefront look like cheap knock-offs. I've bought from companies like this before and always hope the product's okay because it often soon designated as "item no longer available". I was surprised that the company priced this scrubber at more than $10.00. I honestly don't think I will buy more stuff from that page, but this item is definitely worth $12.99.

This is much thicker than I thought it was going to be (that's good, by the way), and the silicone is locked in with clasps on either end. You can remove the inner silicone pad to clean it, but I notice that it rinses well while inside the chainmail.

Links are well made

I first used this on a pan that had some meat scrapings coating the pan. You know how some of the meat searing gets stuck to the pan? Usually, I soak the skillet with some hot water inside before I do the salt and oil cleaning trick. This was the perfect time to test the Skillet Cleaner.

I did use some hot water from the faucet, then I started working the chainmail around the pan. I will be hot-durned if every bit of the seared gunk wiped off like it was nothing. I didn't even need to use the flip-side silicone pad-scraper thingie. As usual, I then dried the pan on the stove and rubbed it with oil. There was no damage to the pan and the cleaning took very little time. When I use salt and oil for cleaning, it takes more elbow grease. (By the way, cast iron can take a lot of punishment. I have cut up meat that was in the skillet and my seasoning was just fine... The biggest no-no in my book is using harsh soaps.)

dense but soft scrubbing pad

Last night, I fixed stir-fried chicken and veggies with egg in the skillet. That is always a nasty mess. This particular skillet is getting more and more seasoned with use, but stuff like eggs cooked with veggies still sticks. I could not wait to try out the Skillet Cleaner. I think I was almost looking for a reason to send it back!

The silicone did nothing for the eggy mess, but that chainmail... That stuff works. If I could have one wish, it would be that the chain was thinner. I might look into getting some thinner chainmail just to try it.

This product photo here is of "The Ringer" and it looks thinner. Maybe because that's because it's not wrapped around silicone? I don't know but I think it would work better for some skillet sizes.

The Ringer

I can't really complain about the Skillet Cleaner. There are a few things I would like to see improved though. One thing is that the way the silicone is placed inside the chain, it bunches up and gaps a little when I am using the metal and looks as if it's oozing out of the cage. The other thing is that I want thinner chainmail for the smaller skillets. This one is great in my 9-inch but I have a 5-inch skillet for which this cleaner is too big to maneuver around the inside with.

The clasp is too far to one side

One extra positive to this particular cleaner is that there is not only silicone inside the chainmail, but there is a scrubber pad on one side. That has come in handy for cleaning less messy skillets.

I would give this cleaner an 8.9 out of 10.

Peace
--Free

UPDATE:

I am such a dummy. In this review, I mentioned wanting something thinner for smaller pans. Well. A couple of days ago, I was rinsing the scrubber with some soap. For the first time, I took out the inner silicone padding. Guess what? The scrubber without the padding is perfect for cleaning smaller, tighter spots. To be honest, I actually like using the scrubber and chainmail without the insert. I'll save the thick silicone for when I need to clean a really large pan - like maybe the Dutch oven?

I think I like it better
without the insert...

Scrubber works better with salt and oil
when I don't need the chain

Even stores easier without the insert

I can always put the
insert back in as needed

Look how nice and clean the little pan turned out!

Listen, this is one of those times when I will chalk a stupidity up to the sarc. I have no idea why I didn't think about this before. Anyway, now I have to go over and edit the review I did on Amazon. Pray for me, people. 

One of my favorite MTV memories was watching this dude perform. WTH ever happened to Billy?

**SIFO** Newest Superfoods?

This is the first of what I'm calling Stuff I Found Out (SIFO - sigh-fo)  posts that might pop up from time to time. This will be things I hear about in the news that I usually only share with my family and friends because they haven't heard about it or don't have time to read the source. Here we go...

SOURCE: Article on Chowhound (that I found via the Flipboard app) about new Superfoods.

TLDR Summary: (links added are from me)

• Nervines - a new set of herbs. In the class of herbs known as "adaptogens" that possibly help us combat stress and jitters. Nervines? Think herbs for your nerves.
• Chlorella - algae described as a "complete protein" that is high in B12 and other good stuff. Can be used in powder form to add to soups and salads. (This was a big thing back in Alaska around 6 years ago. The health food stores would put this right on the end of aisles because people were always coming in looking for it.)
• Raw Cacao - is up there with the whole "dark chocolate is good for you" craze. It's high in a lot of good stuff - like antioxidants and has protein and fiber. I will say 2 things here: 1) I actually have used Cacao powder for a few years now and I got my huge bag from Amazon. I add it to my coffee and teas. I will add a photo later in this post 2) I saw an episode of that silly show "Mom" where Bonnie and Adam have a tiff when she eats his chocolate bar made with "Ka-Kow!". It's different from 'regular' choc.
• Fiber - Key to regulating blood sugar and bowel movements. Enough said there.
• Pre-biotics - The popular pro-biotics feed off of pre-biotics. Pre-b's, like fiber, are good for gut health. (I recently started trying to find a decent set of pre-and pro-biotics. It's a bit of a struggle finding something reasonably priced that works consistently.)
• Digestive bitters - These stimulate your body's efforts to break down foods. (I only think of booze when I hear "bitters"!) There is a brand of bitters (for digestive enzymes, not cocktails) listed but the article recommends using bitter herbal teas. Here's Wiki on bitters.

And here is the brand of cacao that I have used. Got my first bag around 4 years ago and it lasted for... possibly 18 months I am guessing. I got my next half-pound bag at a health food store not too long after I moved here and I still have most of it left. It doesn't take much added to my coffee (especially Keto coffee) or tea to give it a real yum yum flavor. If you have to drink black coffee, this is the way to do it! I keep some in a cannister on the counter and the rest heat-sealed in a bag in the freezer.

 Peace
--Free

This is one of my favorite songs.

I watched a documentary about the late Prince the other night. I thought about him when I was writing this post. He was rumored to be a health freak like some of us. The thing is, our mental health may be more important because it has to affect everything else, right Take care of all that you are, folks.

.

**REVIEW** Sigelei Chronus Shikra

First, let me just say what an absolutely beautiful mod. Just gorgeous...

Except for the ugly branding at the bottom.
What the hey, Sigelei???

This is the first Sigelei that I have ever had and I have to say that, so far, I am loving it.

I first saw this device in gold-tone sometime last year, back when I was just cruising vape shop sites. I stopped and gaped until I saw the price tag. I had to cruise right on past that beauty. Every now and then I thought about it though. While discussing the different vape devices we like, I mentioned to someone (apparently someone very sweet!) that I thought this one was a fave in the looks department. They had just started vaping and were checking out several types of devices so they went over and took a look. That person was kind of into the Voopoo Drag (ugh!) and later on ended up getting a jaw-droppingly beautiful piece of art called the Wismec Reuleaux. It is that kind of hot-damn pretty steampunk-ish and copper-looking device with a hot-damn price tag and a name I bungle when I'm drinking. But then they did something nice and got me the Sigelei for a surprise gift after asking if I really thought I'd like it more than the Drag. Are you kidding? I sure as heck did and I sure as heck do. I told them all about my Voopoo boycott.

So, the Sigelei got here and I was so freaking happy that I did a little dance around the living room. Until I lost my balance and had to sit my happy behind down!

When I was window-shopping, I couldn't decide between the red one and the black one. This Gunmetal Stainless Steel Shikra is everything I drool over. I will explain later why I'm glad I didn't get the red one. Of course, I went and looked at comparison photos and, yep, I am digging this Gunmetal more than ever. I think others are too showy for my personal tastes. (And, by the by, there is a "regular" Chronus and this Chronus Shikra  Edition)

Enjoy the photos then check out what I thought was pro and con about it all.

The tank and the mod had their own separate boxes inside the main box. That was cool. I liked the attention they paid to padding the tank box. By the way, I didn't know until recently that shops sold mods without tanks. I guess it's a good thing I've always gotten starter kits with everything included but the juice! This starter kit comes, as others do, with extras and accessories.

I have mine set up in the simplest way. You know, cos I'm simpleminded... This is what my main screen looks like while the device is in use:

This right here is the joystick. It doesn't stick out too much from the device.

I dig the joystick feature more than I expected to. The joystick will get you into the settings. From there you can customize a bunch of stuff such as the GUI (the visual interface), the clock, puff time, etc.

Being able to check the battery
with a flick of the joystick is cool

So, what do I think after using this bad boy for a few days? I was kind of worried about writing a review for such a nice gift because I didn't want any criticism to sound ungrateful but I want my reviews to be solid. Luckily, I don't really have much negative to say.

Other than being a looker, the Shikra (I don't like that name so let's call it the Chronus SE) the design is really functional. But let's get right into the Pros and Cons.

PROS:

• As with a lot of beautiful things, photos don't catch the full understated elegance of the Chronus SE. The design is not cheap or painted on. I saw a video where a guy tries to scratch the finish alloy and steel finish with a pocket knife. The finish held up without a mark. I understand that you can't do the same thing with the Chronus.
• The clock is nice although it only seems to show military time (unless I just have not found a way to adjust that). When you power off, the clock appears for about 10 seconds; you can hit the firing button or press the joystick to show the time again. Neat.
• I like the joystick feature for adjusting settings and setting wattage, etc. It's easier to use than I expected. That it's in copper-tone really adds to the overall look. One guy in a  video review cracked me up when he said it reminds him of a human nipple. That image comes back to me every time I adjust a setting on this thing.
• The battery door seems solid. That's important to me because I have a Smok Priv V8 that's got the crappiest door. I have to hold it shut in order for the vape to fire. 
• The firing button is awesome and I don't understand all the other reviewers' complaints about it. Mine is not loose and does not jiggle or rock at all. It doesn't move until I press it to fire the vape. Maybe Sigelei updated the design after some criticism from their compensated reviewers? ~shrug~
• I haven't had to change the coil yet, but someone else pointed out that because these coils are "drop-ins", you don't have to wait to finish the juice in the tank or dump it. That is really nice. 

I like being able to adjust the screen brightness

CONS:

• Staying on the subject of the design... With such a beautiful device that comes in such a lovely array of colors, I have no idea why the brand name is placed and colored to be as ugly as can be. It's white and is right on the bottom front of the device. The color and font just don't work with the rest of the design. I have even considered blacking it out with a marker.
• The ... coil... sucks. I'm no pro at vaping and even I can tell that the coil in this thing really mutes the flavors. Any of my Smoks (and even the crappy Voopoo Caliber) give full flavor to almost any juice I have used. I tried using a tangy lemon in this one and... nothing. I can tell it's lemon but that's it. In my Smok, that lemon is so tangy that it just about locks my jaw every time I hit it. Luckily, another reviewer pointed out that I can use Smok Baby Beast coils in this. Sigelei even supplies an adapter pin so that you can use other coils. Maybe they know theirs are no good???
• This device goes through battery life as if it's powering a Humvee. My Smok Veneno (yes, I compare everything against Smok) can go for up to three days - sometimes more - on a single charge-up. Maybe it's because the Sigelei is running a clock that the battery drains so fast?
• And the biggest negative, in my opinion, is the passcode feature. Now, this might be helpful even though I have no kids around here, but when I want to protect the mod from accidentally firing in my purse, I just power it off. And, that annoying passcode has to be entered every time you change the batteries. Since I charge my batteries externally, this is going to be a minor pain in the hind parts. Also, I have read where some users had problems with the code after updating the firmware - some even getting locked out of the device. Yikes.
• This last one is petty but I really hate that Phoenix on the back of the mod. That would have been a nice spot to put the brand name and stop there.

Bad segue here, but I want to point out something another reviewer spotted: the tank sits off-center just slightly. You don't notice (or I didn't) until you look down at the mod from the top. This shouldn't be a problem for me but, as the other reviewer pointed out, some tanks might protrude over one side.

All in all, the positives sweep away any negatives. As you can see, I solved the coil problem by swapping out the tank for the one from my Smok. Works for me. Not pretty but it works.

The Smok tank is MUCH nicer!

The Chronus SE is really comfortable in the hand and it's so gorgeous. What a lucky gal I am to have this one. I will have to order some Baby Beast coils so that my Smok tank is always ready. Good thing that the Smok coils fit the Veneno, the Caliber and this Chronus SE.

Before I go, I want to mention that thing about the device in red... The Chronus SE is a little more expensive than the regular Chronus but it's also slightly heavier and the firmware can be upgraded (not that I ever do that) Here's the thing, if I had bought this mod, I would have probably considered getting the red one or that rainbow - thank goodness someone has much better taste than I - but I learned that the red SE is constructed of the same materials as the regular Chronus. That means that it's lighter weight and probably easier to scratch up. Weird that they did this one only one color of the SE. Anyway, that's about it for this review. As always, I will do updates as needed.

Peace
--Free

While I was watching the 2nd season of Lost In Space, this song came on and I remembered how much I love it. Whenever we heard it, my dad and I would sing the line "Some people call me Mo-Reece" together and break out laughing for some reason. So, yeah.

**QUICK POST** Using Garnier SkinActive (not on the face)

If you have dry arms, legs, etc, then keep reading.

Last year, I got to try Garnier's SkinActive moisturizing mask for the face. I had gotten a sample in a subscription box and like it enough to buy a jar. That single jar has lasted me all this time - WELL over a year. I use this every several days apart during the summer (humid days here near the lake), but during the colder, drier months, I will use it once every 2 or 3 days as an overnight treatment. Until now.

The other night I was applying some of this to my face after getting out of the show. I finished doing my face and wiped some of the excess cream from my fingers onto my thigh and forgot about it. By the time I got ready to apply my body oils and lotion, my arms and legs had dried completely out. There was just that one spot where I had wiped the Garnier that was so nice and supple that I was puzzled for a second. Then lightbulbs started flashing over my head. This was the first time I had applied the product to any other part of my body when it was at it's driest. I had tested it on my hand and wrist before but that was during the summer months and when I was already moisturized anyway. Seeing what this did to my bone-dry winter skin was something else.

So.

Yes, I did start applying the Garnier to the rest of my body. At about $10 a jar, I was getting a little wild, but... Using this as a body moisturizer is totally worth it. I mainly used it on my elbows, butt, and bosom (throw-back word!) and then mixed some in with my regular lotion to use on the rest of my body.

This is the best moisturizer ever for the drier parts of the body during the colder months.And I have used prescription moisturizers. I have used Cerave -which is not cheap - but...

Look how thick this is -

This is from July 2018
I still have about 1/3 of the jar left today

 The thing is, I will only need to do this after hot showers. I love standing for too long under hot water sometimes. Feels amazing but is so harsh on the skin - especially with this Iowa water.

Anyway, I just wanted to share this with you. I am going to have to look around and see if Garnier makes Skinactive for the body. To be honest, though, I think I will just keep using this. I won't need to use it often and it's totally worth it.

Peace
--Free