Don't Leave Home Without It!

I was beyond thrilled when Amazon Vine sent me the GoalZero Guide 10 Plus Adventure Kit. The photos don’t really do it justice. This small design is light weight and extremely pack-able and fast charging.

GOAL ZERO Nomad 7 is two solar panels about the size of a trade paperback, bound in black canvas and much like a book, closing with the panels inside protecting them between uses. A sturdy Velcro closure folds over like an envelope flap and on the back is a super tough mesh carrying case to store all the wires and Guide 10 Plus battery pack. Two zipper pulls make it accessible. The Nomad 7 can be used together to charge one unit (like an iPad) or to charge two separate devices: a phone, mp3 player or battery pack. The the panels are housed in durable canvas, stitched with French seams, and sports ten braided loops at various intervals for a myriad of hanging options. The entire unit is weather and water resistant.

This kit contained the Guide 10 Plus, a rechargeable, four-battery pack of AA batteries (included), with a snap-shut door to keep the batteries in place. It also included an adapting clip that pops right in, allowing the recharging of AAA batteries.  User tips and Nomad 7 and Guide 10 Plus user guides, and warranty were included.

Three distinctly different charging and usage wires included in the kit give the user various charging options; one connects the solar panels to the Guide 10 Plus, a second connects via USB to the batteries or directly to the Nomad 7, and third, a 12 volt output. I plugged my Koolotron into the latter, but it didn’t so much as turn on the fan. (For that I would need their larger unit.) I hooked it up to my fiance’s phone and it began charging immediately. Currently we are looking for other electronics that we can charge this way. (A Kindle? A Nook?)

I intend to take this unit on our next vacation and several planned camping trips to give it a thorough field test. Everything about this product is first rate and with proper care would last for years. I give this item a 5 out of 5 stars. I won't be leaving home without it.

Alluring Addiction

One doesn’t hear about opium per se these days. I became curious immediately, especially that the author of this tome was still among the living. To be clear, I’ve not used opium or any of its derivatives knowingly. I have known several people who did. Certainly nothing comes close to the exotic opium smoking Steven Martin conveys here. One assumes an opium fiend to hold the less glamorous title: addict. It is at this point, trying to break the addiction, that Steven Martin begins his personal story.

The book is rich with Asian history and tales that surround opium’s mysterious, though sordid, rise in popularity. Martin, a collector of opium smoking paraphernalia, is masterful in his ability to captivate the reader and carry them along in this dangerous and illegal foray. It isn’t long before he becomes prisoner to the pipe. However, three quarters of the way through the book, I was tired of being a spectator to this self-indulgent, self-aggrandizing adventure. But honestly, I didn’t want to miss a word he wrote. Fortunately, the author’s tale takes a turn for the better. All of the people in his story were not so fortunate.

The writing is spectacular, and the neighborhoods and shacks where Martin finds company with his muse bloom in the imagination. At times I felt intensely interested wanting to be present where this activity might be taking place, and actually, I have no real desire for such things. My concern is that his portrayal of opium smoking will be found alluring to a new generation. I give this book four stars. It’s a boldly honest book, and if you choose to read it, not one you will soon forget.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Amazon Vine Program, I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

You Can Get There From Here

The title of Gene Edwards book grabbed my attention straight off. I hadn’t been good at living close to God for a long while. As of late, I’m not great at morning devotionals, don’t usually have a list of prayers at the ready, nor will you find me burning out my kneecaps in hours of prayer. Somedays I need a drive-thru church, prayers that I can say while reheating my morning coffee in the microwave and sound bites from my Heavenly Father. I had fallen under the spell of “too-busy.” Add to that, I was thrown into heavy duty life changes every other year.

What I also noticed, however, (and usually late at night) is the insidious, ever-widening gap between me and God. Gene Edwards reveals that for him connecting with the almighty in a real way was elusive, not only to me and others,but to him, a pastor. I had beautiful seasons, life on the edge seasons, breath-taking, white-knuckle seasons, hold-your-breath-until-this-is-over seasons. When there is God or nothing, I choose all God. But honestly, outside of a crisis, when everything is going right, I didn’t know how to connect.  So how does one cross the threshold into continuous, meaningful relationship with God?

I found Gene Edwards answers surprising and simple. Almost too simple. He explains the entryways that led him to the heart of God, and profoundly impacted his journey. I appreciated Edward’s honesty that as a pastor he struggled in many of the same ways I did: falling asleep while reading the word or praying, running out of things to pray or talk to God about and his feelings of inadequacy.

His steps to living in communion with God are so easy anyone serious about their journey can follow. At the back of the book were exercises and questions that could be utilized alone, with another or in a small group setting. I will be sharing this book with my fiancé and in the fall, our writers group. I’m giving this book 5 stars.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

More Zzzzz's with ZzzQuil

Unlike other NyQuil products you don't have to be sick or in pain to take ZzzQuil. If you are having a sleepless night, you definitely want to give this
a shot. I read the package instructions, expecting to be told I needed 8 hours in which to make optimum use of this product. If they are printed on the package, I didn't see it.
What I did see was the recommendation that it not be used with alcohol.

After lying awake for an hour one night, I took the recommended dosage, 2 caps. What I should tell you is that I rarely take medications of any kind. I am, apparently sensitive to them. As someone pointed out to me once after taking a certain type of over the counter cough medicine, "You should not be seeing star trails when you move your hand from otc cough syrup!"

At any rate, when the ZZZQuil hit my system I was out. At 7 am when it was time to get ready for work, I could have easily slept for another two hours. I was relatively groggy until 9:30 a.m.

In the future, if I'm partially through a night but still need to sleep I may take half the dosage. My fiance also tried it and found it very strong. He takes some medications but nothing depressant type. He felt foggy headed for several hours after waking.

I like the way it works within 30 minutes and the sleep was deeply restful. I just wanted to keep sleeping.

Contigo for People on the Go

The Contigo Autospout Addison Water Bottle from Amazon Vine was a beautiful deep translucent blue. My fiancé and I had tried all kinds of water bottles: Aluminum, steel, recycled plastic. We prefer the fresh taste of filtered water, but always there was the disappointing reality that some taste attributed itself to the bottled water.

 Some other bottles we've used weren't conducive to in-motion use, like if you're driving, or cycling. One finger press unlatches the drinking tube from it's shield and one finger press puts it back. It's ideal for use in rush hour traffic, riding your bike or anyplace you don't want to be fumbling with two hands to open a bottle. The top has a sturdy loop that makes it easy to grab and easy to carry. The wide mouth makes it easy to fill and threaded seal doesn't leak. The removable straw inside means you have options of no tipping the bottle or using it without the straw. When the bottle is closed it doesn't seep and water doesn't run out of it if it happens to fall over. The design has no pressure-equalizing air hole. So in order to drink from it (with the straw) you need to slightly loosen the cap or blow air into the bottle. The silicone drinking spout lets the flavor of the water have center stage.

My fiancé had no trouble going through 24 ounces of water the first day we had it, as opposed to possibly eight ounces on any given day. I found the color of it appealing and it comes in additional colors: charcoal purple and raspberry. I like this design the best so far of all their bottles. I would recommend this product as the positives outweigh the negatives. And I think I need to get another one anyway since it keep ending up in you-know-who's lunchbox!

Ultra Doesn't Do It

Dear Neutrogena,

You don’t know me, but I was recently given Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser through the Amazon Vine program. I washed my face this morning and thought, it was pretty good stuff. I let my fiancé try it too. His skin is extremely sensitive. So much so, that some sensitive skin products leave the t-zone of his face dry and inflamed.

He agreed to try your product, and he initially looked good afterward. His quotes, “I am not fond of liquid soaps. But this wasn’t bad.”  He looked nice, softer, no exzema. I pressed a little further. 

“How do you feel after washing with it?

“I like bar soap. But it was better than Dove.”

I admit it, Neutrogena. I am not afraid. I decided to put you to a real test, and do a total body wash in your product. I figured if it can handle his face, it should be able to handle my body. I am prone to dryness, but have no sensitivities.

I squirted clear liquid formula in a scrubbie lathered up to a medium foam. I didn’t think much of that, while I scrubbed and shaved and sloughed off a whole days work in the city. That medium foam had real staying power.

But, after setting the scrubbie aside, I washed my hair (for another product review). When I came back to my scrubbie, it was still full of lather. I can’t say that about many skin cleansers, let alone ones for sensitive skin.  After patting myself dry, my skin felt soft, your product impressed me. The pleasing,  aromatic fragrance is definitely a plus, neither masculine or feminine, but clean.  I personally like your formula.

My fiancé however, did not fare so well. The next day he was red and inflamed and even a little flakey. He won’t be using it. We were disappointed that it didn’t work for him. I’m giving it  3 out of five stars.

Signed,

Your Test Market

Expand Your Options With Seagate

It's summer, you're planning a vacation of a lifetime: maybe abroad, the Bahama's or Route 66. You're planning to take hundreds maybe thousands of photos. You want to write in your digital journal every day. You might even interview the locals, shoot some video and you can already see your laptop choking on all the saves. You need to travel light, but you want to capture, store and retain as much as possible. Do you pack your terra book? It's got the storage, but it's so bulky, so heavy! all those wires...

 No! Seagate Hard Drive to the rescue! Seagate Expansion 500 GB USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive STBX500100 comes in a sleek, low profile design. It's slightly larger than my fiancee's wallet and about the same weight. It requires only one plug in to work : a USB 3.0 cable (included with a quick start guide) and unlike the book, doesn't require an additional power source in addition to the port.

 The super speedy USB 3.0 is "backwards compatible" with USB 2.0 ports, is automatically recognized by the Windows operating system. No time-consuming installations and nothing to configure. This has my vote for portability, compact space saving design and ease of use. I plugged it in and within 10 seconds, I was dragging and dropping photo files to store. Not only that, it fits inside my netbook bag. I will be recommending this to everyone of my digital photography travelers, and business associates.

A Big FAT No to Feather Pillows

My assistant and I have been talking about pillows. Bed pillows. How difficult it is to find something light, fluffy with enough support to keep a neck from kinking. We had found some inexpensive ones at a discount store (which shall remain nameless.) I tried to remember why I hadn't owned or bought a feather pillows in years, so we each got one.  I left, feeling like I'd got a pretty great deal, and with a smile, I looked forward to the wonderful experience of sleeping on a real feather pillow.

The question floated in the dark recesses of my mind, did I not like feather pillows?  I laid my head down for a relaxing night’s sleep. A single feather poked me in the head. So, I pulled it out and let it fall to the floor. The next day, we went to the store to get cases for the pillows. That night, I slept pretty well. If a feather scratched out, I pulled it out and let it fall to the floor. After a week, there were enough feathers on the floor to wing a small bird. A second pillow case was obtained.

This worked for awhile. But eventually, after a month, they began emerging all over again, scratching my cheek, head and neck until I pulled them out.

When we couldn't stand it anymore, we removed the pillow cases to shake them outside. That’s when we saw how many barbs had actually migrated through the fabric. Try as I might, the feathers didn’t want to shake free; barbs stuck to everything. It was also when I noticed the pillow tag: Contains chopped waterfowl feathers. Uh… gross.

After washing the cases, pillows were stuffed back inside them. That night as I tried to sleep, bizarre imagery swirled in my mind. Pictures of dismembered birds, their feathers being unceremoniously plucked and boiled clean. Were these feathers from oil-spilled waters?  Feathers harvested from dead water birds? Couldn’t they have put a little better spin on this? Used prettier sounding words? But even I couldn’t come up with anything that sounded pleasant.

When the chopped feathers began poking through again, another pillow case went over the pillow. How many cases can I put on one pillow? How many would it take before they stopped coming through?

I developed a-middle-of-the-night coughing spell. A dry hacking cough that went a few rounds before it allowed me to fall back asleep. This went on for a week or so, until I noticed on the dark colored sheets, what looked like a layer of dust at the head of the bed. Every time I moved them, fluffed, settled my head, shifted or turned the pillows, out sifted tiny white curls of waterfowl debris. The pillows were degrading. I felt nauseous. I removed the pillow from the bed and set it on the floor. I refused to sleep on it another night. I advised my assistant to do the same.

Interestingly, that night, I didn’t cough at all. The next day I and my assistant, who it turns out had not been sleeping well either, drove to a national chain store and looked at lots and lots of pillows. Foam, memory foam, cotton fiber filled, polyester, firm, soft, medium soft. Pillows for stomach sleepers, pillows for back and side sleepers. Prices from seven to twenty nine dollars.

We both settled on the same one: a firm/extra firm with a 2inch gusset. We took them home and slept like babies in cradles of clouds (I got a new body pillow too). I couldn’t believe the difference. So, I am one more step closer to a vegan mindset as a result.

I will not recommend feather pillows to anyone, and if you are suffering from respiratory illness of any kind, you may want to remove feather pillows as a first step toward improved health.

illy issimo delicious!

I'm an avid coffee drinker. I like it hot, iced and on certain days, room temperature. I also like it black with cream on occasion and sweetened slightly. I could not have imagined how great illy issimo Caffe Coffee Drink would taste. 
I poured half for my assistant and myself and after drinking it, we both agreed that this coffee tasted bold without being overwhelming and pleasantly sweet. The flavor was clean, brisk and refreshing.

Each can contains 6.8 fluid ounces and can go just about anywhere you want to take it this summer, running errands, on the way to work, on vacation, or even camping. I recommend this to anyone who drinks coffee and enjoys it sweet and black.



I received illy issimo Cappuccino Coffee Drink from the Amazon Vine program. It arrived the same day as the Caffe but I tried them on separate days. The Cappuccino flavor was nutty and sweet, the same great flavor as the Caffe but creamier. The espresso style coffee contained low fat milk and cocoa. This 8.5 oz can contains only 100 calories but tastes like dessert. I love these ready to drink energy beverages. They come in lightweight aluminum cans with a push pop tab.


I wasn't able to get much of a break at work and I had packed Cappuccino as a "just-in-case" measure. Turns out I really needed it that day.
Cappuccino contains sugar also, 18 grams as compared to the Caffe which is 10. I enjoyed it but the sugar wreaked havoc with my head.If you don't mind sugar you are in for a treat. Give it a try. I will be looking for their sugar free versions.

Big Help form Janet Majure

A month ago I tried again to start another blog on Word Press, thinking, what the heck is the draw? But what I figured out is that looking different is very attractive when you want to get noticed. I had figured out enough to post but not much else. When the Amazon Vine Program offered TEACH YOURSELF VISUALLY WORD PRESS by Janet Majure I grabbed it.
A lot of my writing friends were moving away from Blogger to Word Press almost 6 years ago. I tried to follow them, I really did. But the amount of time I had to invest bore very little fruit. I used to think it was just me, that everything about Word Press seemed complicated. Six years ago, I wasn’t even sure what to talk about, and the options available in Word Press overwhelmed me.

I considered getting help. At the time, I had a stream of constant distractions and opted for the less time consuming option to blogging.
Since then, I’ve heard a lot about Word Press, how customizable it was. The blogs of writer friends were looking impressively professional and really polished. Very unique. I couldn’t believe it: I had blog envy.

This comprehensive book takes you step by step through Word Press, from Chapter one Introducing you to setting up the .com and .org (Word Press offers free and for purchase sites). It goes through the creation of that which makes each site unique : appealing visual and written content, then on to tools, widgets and plug ins. Chapter 9 is a how to on building traffic, so you can have an audience for your site. Majure rounds out the book with Tweaking Theme, Content Management and Maintaining the blog.

Even though I learned a good bit on my own, this book has been enormously helpful. It’s like having someone sitting in the room with you helping you each step of the way. I recommend this highly for people who have been frustrated and/or overwhelmed by Word Press. If you are trying to put together a unique and professional looking blog, this is a must read.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Amazon Vine program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Applause for Avitae

Who knows what I expected when a bottle of
Avitae Caffeinated Water arrived from Amazon Vine program, but what I found was a nicely tapered 16.91 oz bottle with caffeinated water. I put it in the fridge and went about my day until my energy started to flag.
I have two jobs and on the way to my second one, I drank the water. At first, I really didn’t notice a difference. Within twenty minutes I started feeling a little more alive. I don’t like feeling my heart pounding in my chest like I get with some energy drinks. Avitae hydrates without all the hype and has no calories, carbonation or flavorings, no dyes or artificial ingredients. With 90mg of natural caffeine, it’s a little less than a regular cup of Starbucks (260mg).
I'm not always in the mood for tea and like the idea of getting a caffeine lift from water, especially with summer right around the corner and this answers that problem for me. I will recommend it to my friends and co-workers. Try it, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Is Bloggers Boot Camp for You?

I’ve been blogging for almost 8 years. In that amount of time, I‘ve put them up, taken them down, restarted, deleted renamed and rewrote several.
Once, I had a blog that I faithfully posted on three times a week, (The Radical Write) and on a dare, took the challenge to post once a day for a year (One Lap Around the Sun.)

BLOGGERS BOOT CAMP, written by Charlie White of Mashable.com and John Biggs of Crunchgear.com. takes blogging to the next level by showing you how to set up your blog, post several times a day every day, how to find your sources and a plethora of helpful hints.
This is well beyond what I'm interested in, but I decided to see what they had to say, figuring the very least that could happen is that I’d become a better, slightly more focused blogger.
The book is laid out like a workbook, with wide margins for writing notes and ideas. I generally hold books in sacred regard, choosing not to highlight or write in them. This one practically screams write in me. So I did and dog-eared a dozen and a half pages of information that I want to re-read and absorb every drop of information; from Chapter 3 Target Practice “Writing begets more writing”, Chapter 5 What to Write About and making the most of previous posts to Chapter 8 Building Traffic, Making Money and Measuring Success. White and Biggs take their years of impressive experience from several fields and combine it to give you a current, thought provoking look into the professional realm of blogging.
BLOGGERS BOOT CAMP is filled with timely and useful information but it is at times overwhelming. I am not someone who blogs full time, nor am I a journalist. But if you're putting together a website for news, marketing or public relations this book is definitely worth a look.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Amazon Vine program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

Weather Alert Radio

ETON American Red Cross FR-X2 Hand Turbine NOAA AM/FM Weather Alert Radio I come from a long line of outdoorsmen. I also happen to believe in having the right tool for the right job. That’s where the ETON American Red Cross FR-X2 Hand Turbine NOAA AM/FM Weather Alert Radio comes in. Whether on land or sea, this solar and hand turbine powered AM, FM, weather radio is a must have. It comes with a USB smart phone charger, which allows you to charge your phone no matter if you have access to electricity or not. The LED flashlight can easily replace the battery operated one I used to use and comes with a handy carrying strap. “It’s like the Swiss Army Knife of radios,” said my assistant. Additionally, the FRX2 has a DC-input (mini-USB) for AC power and a headphone output port for individual radio listening, something my green ETON FR160GR Microlink doesn’t have. The case is hard plastic and seems more fragile than the less expensive matt green FR160. What I would like even more, is a meter of some sort to show how charged the unit is. But, overall I’d recommend it to all my traveling friends and as a really nice unit to have on hand in case of emergency.

Pleasing Peugeot Pepper Mill

I’ve had a lot of pepper mills in my life, some tall, some wood, some acrylic. When I find one I like, I used it everyday. With many of them, they became useless or broke under the stress of daily use.
I prefer wooden pepper mills for this very reason, and the harder the wood the better for the sheer longevity factor. The Peugeot Peppermill has some real heft to it, it’s not too light, made from beech wood and has a soap-smooth matt finish that doesn’t show fingerprints. It’s pleasing to hold and a pleasure to grind. The horizontal crank at the top appears to be brushed aluminum and feels sturdy. The grinder turns clockwise for fine or counterclockwise for coarsely ground. The grinding mechanism is guaranteed for life.
The pepper it came with is flavorful and pungent. Each turn of the crank delivers nearly 1/8 of a teaspoon of pepper, which is far more than most of mine gave.
It makes an aesthetic elegance to any dining table. I would recommend this to everyone who enjoys freshly ground pepper.