Easy Bake Oven: Ashley's Review

My daughter received this as a Christmas present and I was immediately excited to try it! I remember having one as a kid and enjoyed every minute of playtime I got with it.

Once the dust settled from the holiday chaos, my daughter and I headed to the kitchen and went to to work. It was very easy to ''set up'' (just unscrew the back and put in  a bulb) and the instructions were very easy to read. However, I am slightly disappointed that it didn't come with more mix packets. Just one for chocolate frosting, one for yellow cake and one for sugar cookies. The cake packet made one pan, so you don't even get a regular two-layer cake from it. However the instruction booklet does imply you can use regular cake mixes, so I was still excited to get started.

We set out to mix up the cake batter. The oven had been pre-heating and I followed the instructions as written. What's neat is it comes with a little measuring spoon 'X' shaped thing that you use to add water. It uses symbols instead of numbers, so it's fun and kid-friendly. The batter was poured into the prepared pan nd put into the oven. Fun and easy!

Unfortunately though, when i removed the cake from the oven i was disappointed to see a mushed up mess in the pan. It's likely this was due to the little candies my daughter insisted on placing in the batter and if so, let this be  lesson: no add ins! Still, it was cake either way so I wasn't too saddened....until i tried to get it out of the pan. The pans re a sort of shiny aluminum, I believe, and the instructions say to prepare the pans by spraying them with non-stick spray. I did this. It stuck. I pouted. My disappointment mounting, I slap on the chocolate frosting and hand it over with a fork for my daughter to enjoy. In the pan. She ran off, giddy and un-phased, to devour her first Easy Bake creation.

Pros: Cute design. Sort of retro in it's appearance, with a nice pale blue faux door. Very easy to use. You can use your own mixes, with no alterations, and they should turn out fine.Otherwise, they sell mixes online.

Cons: I wish it came with other pans. It only comes with two round cake pans and tow ''warming cups'' for heating up sauces. There is, however, a non-stick bakware set here as well as some other adorable accessories like this Baking Set and a Measure & Pour Set.

All in all I'm giving it a 4 out of 5 stars. It's fairly affordable, although there are all those cute accessories you won't be able to resist, and it seems to work well for something that cooks with the heat of a light bulb. It's safer than a real oven, making it ideal for young bakers in training.

Next, I'm going to review the microwave version that was also gifted this holiday season :)

Monkey Fuzz Reusable Tea Bags: Ashley's Review

''Love, Hope, Joy" Cup Size Tea Bag Set-$5

I spotted these unique and adorable reusable teabags while browsing Etsy. They're designed by Monkey Fuzz and feature little metal charms on the end, instead of paper tabs like traditional tea bags. They're made from a net-type material that might be tulle, but don't quote me on that and are the perfect size for a cup of tea. She sent me three charmed cup-sized bags (set of 3 pictured above, $5) as well as a mug-sized bag and a teapot sized bag ($5). Bonus! She also sent some delicious mint tea for me to try :)

I love tea! In fact, I drink at least 2 cups a day and love all varieties. My favorite is herbal teas (depending on what I need it for it could be mint, ginger, chamomile, echinacea or any combination of wonderful herbs). Lately I've been using pre-bagged teas, but was eager to get back to brewing fresh loose tea. Now I have the opportunity to do so conveniently and with eco-friendly reusable bags!

I've only used the mug sized tea bag so far (need a smaller cup for the cup-sized bags and I don't have a teapot to use that size bag on just yet). The bag did very well in preventing any of the tea leaves from floating into the water, while still allowing for the tea to properly brew. It was easy to use (put the tea in and pull the drawstring to close) and looked decorative in my mug. Additionally, since these are reusable fabric bags, I can simply use a bit of soap and warm water to clean them if necessary. They're definitely a treat to use.

Good: They're reusable, which makes them much more environmentally friendly than conventional tea bags. They're decorative so they look pretty sitting in your mug. They're also washable, easy to use, and her customer service was great. The other items in her shop are just as adorable, so I can't wait to shop some more! She even makes Upcycled Wool Squeaky Dog Bone, $14 and Upcycled Reusable shopping Bags, $5.95 Everything is also affordable. All in all, I enjoy using them and will continue to do so.

Bad: My only concern at this point is how the smaller cup-sized bags are designed. They don't have a drawstring feature like the others to allow the bag to be closed completely when in use, however the opening is fairly small. I haven't used them yet, but my concern is that once in the water some of the tea might float out of the opening. We'll see if that actually happens when I use it though.

Interesting in seeing more? Check our her Esty Store Here!

Spalicity Explicity 4U: Ashley's Review

Down by the Sea Vetiver Scented Bath Salts

 

"Allow yourself time to pamper yourself!!! You know you deserve it!" says the opening sentence on the Spalicity Explicity 4U home page. So pamper myself I did! I was very excited to receive my spa-like items from this maker of natural scrubs and bath salts.

I was immediately pleased with the packaging of the samples. The jars had a nice, classy feel to them with the metal lids and white labels. I received a jar of bath salts and a jar of body scrub. I don't usually take baths (could my bath tub be any smaller? hahaha) so I decided to indulge my daughter in a deliciously scented bubble bath using some of her favorite bubble bath and the Down by the Sea Bath Salts. She LOVED how it smelled and her sensitive skin did not disagree with the product at all. Big plus there! The sample jar she sent was enough for three baths, so she was quite generous with it :)

I love sugar scrubs and the one she scent me was the perfect combination of oil and sugar to exfoliate and moisturize. I'm not sure which one it is that she sent me. The label doesn't say, but it smells of lavender and appears to be white sugar. I could be wrong, though. Whichever one it is, it smells nice and clean and exfoliates well. My skin was very soft after using it and the scents were not overpowering. Plus, the prices aren't over the top.

Overall, I enjoyed trying these products and wouldn't mind trying a couple more if I get a chance (the facial cleansing oils are intriguing and the holiday bath salts sound very nice!). My only two critics are that the labels are not complete enough for me. The ingredient listing was sparse and generic. Not specific to each product it was on (hence why I'm not sure which sugar scrub she sent me). The other thing is that the website is not all that appealing to me. It's ok, but I was hoping for something a little more aesthetically pleasing for my shopping experience.

Hoover WindTunnel T-Series Rewind Vacuum: Ashley's Review

 I purchased this vacuum earlier this year, around early April. Actually it was purchased for me by my husband as a surprise (we lost our last one in a move). He said he bought it because it was similar to our previous model and on sale--good job Jim! hahaha. The feature I immediately fell in love with was the retractable cord. Indicated by the term 'rewind' in the name, this little feature makes that simple, yet often times annoying, task of wrapping that lengthy cord around those two hooks a breeze. Simply push the foot petal and zoom! the cord rewinds into it's little storage space. Even my 4 year old gets a kick out of rewinding the cord herself. Neat right? Well, there's more:

The Good: Aside from the nifty rewind feature, this model also features a height adjustment for the roller (including a setting for bare floors), a 27-foot cord and washable filters, one of which being a HEPA. In addition, it has a system check indicator light that lets you know when the filters need to be checked or replaced (although, according to Amazon.com, the filters should not need replacing with regular care). On top of this it comes with the standard attachment accessories: crevice tool, upholstery brush, dusting tool and extension wand. Plus the canister is super easy to empty as it opens from the bottom and snaps into place with ease. Did I mention the powder button is right on the handle, within thumb's reach? Yeah this is a pretty sweet vacuum, if I do say so myself.  And it sucks great too! (in a good way)

The Bad: Not much, really. Although it's always nice to have a wet-dry vac, that's not necessarily a must and the same goes for the headlight feature that some other vacuums carry. I suppose for some the price might be an issue. We got it on sale for under $100. Regular retail price is $129, so I'd say it's moderately priced.

Overall I give this a 5 out of 5. It really is excellent for our family but we don't have pets so I cannot attest to it's performance in high-shed environments. It's a model we would purchase again, that's for sure.


If you're interested in checking it out, you can find it on Amazon.com here: Hoover WindTunnel T-Series Rewind Upright Vacuum, Bagless, UH70120

Toshiba Satellite Laptop: Ashley's Review

Now, I'm not a full-on 'techie' but I know what I like, so here it goes haha:

I purchased this laptop from my local Best Buy back in March (you can also find it here on Amazon.com). I'm a business woman, so I needed something that would fit my needs. What initially attracted me to this particular model was the low price (it was actually on sale) and the 3GB of RAM (RAM = performance). In addition to that, the screen size (15.9''), Operating System (Windows 7), and built-in wireless networking were all features that further solidified my decision to buy. I had a 3 (now 4) year old, so we bought the extended warranty to be on the safe side, as well as a cooling device and a carry bag. Altogether we spent about $500.
     Once I got it home, I was immediately impressed with the ease of setup. Everything was ready to go! All I had to do was turn it on and click a few buttons. My husband, on the other hand, spent a significantly longer amount of time setting up his "fancy" (and more expensive) blue Gateway. After the setup was complete, I was ready to roll! The system came with a trial version of Microsoft Office and Mcafee Security Scan, as well as a few other bells and whistles. Overall, it was a great starting experience. I was excited to begin using my new toy :)
     The only thing I've come to dislike about my new laptop is the battery life. It seems annoyingly short (possibly even shorter than the claimed 2 hours) and I have to keep it plugged in often. This could be due to my heavy usage, so I haven't held that completely against it. It's fast (at least for me), easy to navigate, and I really like some of the new features that Windows 7 has to offer (like being able to position two windows side-by-side). I don't watch many videos or play much music (except through my online playlist), and I certainly don't do any fancy graphic design (Photo Pos Pro, anyone?). If any of that is important to you, I would suggest finding something a little more advanced.
     Don't get me wrong, this may not be the most high-end, souped up computing device out there but it gets the job done and done well. The fact that I am able to easily use (or figure out) its features makes it a top-notch product in my book.

So, I give it 5 out of 5 stars for its category (practical computing).

St. Ives Whipped Silk Body Lotion: Ashley's Review

I purchased this lotion in a pinch at a local grocery store. The label boasted 'silky smooth skin' and regular use will 'prevent over-dry skin from recurring'. Ummm...not! Now, to be fair, I have extremely dry skin (seriously, the Mohave Desert is jealous of my dry) so it usually takes breaking out the big guns when it comes to keeping my skin hydrated. HOWEVER, this was during the summer and my skin wasn't *quite* as dry then, so I figured it would do--again, in a pinch. So I decided to give it a whirl. 

The Good: At about $5 a bottle, it's affordable. You also get a substantial amount: 18oz and the pump top bottle makes it user friendly. It also smells nice. Not too perfumy and the fragrance isn't lingering. Clean and pleasant, I'll say. That's where the 'good' ends. 

The Bad: It didn't moisturize NEARLY as well as I'd hoped (and I really wasn't expecting much to begin with). It basically felt like putting water on my skin (really, my skin was 'wet' immediately after application). Once I dried off, I was dried out. If you have oily or even slightly-oily normal skin, this could be for you. Otherwise, find something else. Plus, it's not natural and that's my preference when I have a choice (again, I was in desperate need of SOMETHING at the time).

The Ugly: I give this product a 2 out of 5 stars. Unless you have that rare oily-in-the-winter skin type, then it could easily by a 4. If you do happen to be one of those types, you can find it online here: St Ives Softening Whipped Silk Body Lotion 18oz or in most any grocery, drug or big-box retail store.