Thursday Review: Tillamook Cheese

    I love cheese. It's got to be one of my favorite food groups! What? It isn't it's own group? Well it SHOULD be! My family can go through a 2lb loaf in less than a week!
 

    My favorite brand of cheese is Tillamook. When I saw that they came out with a "new flavor" of their Monterey Jack Cheese, I was a bit worried. I mean, if it isn't broke, then don't fix it, right? Of course we bought it anyway, I mean, let's not get drastic here. I tasted it and it was GREAT! Just when you think something couldn't get better, somehow Tillamook made it happen! The cheese has a wonderful, creamy texture and the flavor is better than ever. I challenge you to put it up against any other Monterey Jack cheese and see for yourself! (I would do it myself, but I just don't want to waste the money buying the other stuff! I've been down that road and I KNOW Tillamook is better!)


    Even my eggs were happy that they were going to get some Tillamook Monterey Jack Cheese added to them!

This happened totally by accident, & I HAD to take a pic!

Oh, and don't limit yourself to just the Monterey cheese! Try Tillamook's other varieties, too! I Love the Medium Cheddar, and the Extra Sharp Aged Cheddar, too.
Check out their varieties and try them!


Overall Rating: ¢¢¢¢¢

Thursday Review: Suave Kids 2-in-1 Shampoo Soothers

    I have four daughters. If you have daughters with long hair, then I am sure you are familiar with "the battle". You know the one I am talking about... brushing out the tangles after their hair has been washed. If that sounds familiar to you, I recommend you try Suave Kids 2-in-1 Shampoo Smoothers.

    Don't just take it from me... here is what my 6 year old daughter has to say about it:

    " It really hurts when my mom brushes my hair. It hurts because I get lots of tangles in it. When we used the new shampoo, it got all of the tangles out. It didn't hurt at all. I like the Smurfs Cowabunga Coconut the best because it gets out the big tangles that really hurt. I like the smell too, because it smells like coconuts."


    My 4 year old just told me that she wants to say something about the Strawberry scented one:

    "It has Dora, and that is my favorite movie and the color of that (points to the lid) is green and that (points to the bottle) is pink. It smells great because it is the strawberry kind. I like it because it gets tangles out."

    There you have it! I couldn't have said it better myself!
I love that it takes the battle out of brushing out their hair after bath time. It leaves their hair soft and shiny, too. At just under $2 at Walmart for a 22.5 oz bottle, Suave Kids 2-in1 Shampoo Smoothers is a great value!

Overall Rating: ¢¢¢¢¢

Tuesday Review: Little Caesar's Hot-N-Ready Pizza

 

 What's better than pizza? Inexpensive, Hot-N-Ready, yummy pizza! That's right! At Little Caesars, there is no wait! You can get a 14 inch Hot-N-Ready pizza for at Little Caesars for just $5 each! And it's YUMMY!

    I was a bit skeptical at first, because really, who wants pizza that has been sitting around? Yuck! Well, Hot-N-Ready pizzas do not taste like they have been sitting around. The cheese is melty and the pizza is indeed hot. It is nice and convenient too. You don't have to call ahead to order, so it is perfect for that last minute pick-up! Did I mention that it is yummy? It is! The kids love it, too! And while you're there, don't forget to pick up some Crazy Bread! Here's a coupon for a Crazy Combo for $1.99 to get you started!

Good pizza. Good value. Lives up to the Hot-N-Ready promise.
Overall Rating: ¢¢¢¢¢

Thursday Review: Straight Talk

   Do you like the convenience of a no contract cell phone, but you are unsure which carrier to go through? A few weeks ago, I made my opinion known about Metro PCS. (Click here and here to see why I look negatively on Metro PCS.) After sharing our experiences with them, I thought I would share a service that we ARE happy with- Straight Talk.

    Straight Talk is sold at Walmart stores. Here's what I like about it:

• Good coverage. Straight Talk uses the Verizon network, so coverage is really good!
• There is no contract. You are free to stop service any time you wish.
• There are no hidden costs. A basic plan is $30 a month. With this plan, you get 1,000 nationwide minutes and 1,000 nationwide texts and/or picture messages. You also get 30MB mobile web access. Plus 411 and voicemail at no extra charge. The unlimited plan is only $45 a month and you get just what it says- unlimited calling, texting and mobile web.
• Activation is easy. You can activate your phone online, or by calling the number on the back of the service card or by going online. It is simple and quick. You can even transfer your number.
• International calling available. Straight Talk offers international calling cards, starting at $5.
• Refilling is EASY. When it's time to refill your account, you can simply buy a card from Walmart, or purchase one online or over the phone with a credit/debit card. Or, you can sign up for their automatic refill service. When using a refill card, you can enter the pin right from your mobile phone, go online to enter the pin, or call the phone number on the back of the card to refill your account. Very convenient! And I have to say something about their automated voice thingy- normally I HATE those things. But with Straight Talk, it actually WORKS! It understands what I say and is easy to use. I have never had a problem with it.
• Reminders. Straight Talk sends you a text message to remind you when you need to refill your account. 

    OK, so there are a LOT of things I like about Straight Talk. To be fair, I have to tell you a couple of things that I'm not as excited about:

• Variety. ... or lack thereof. They don't offer a big variety of phones and many times it is hard to find the phone that you want in-store. You can order one online, and right now, they are offering free shipping, so that does help. I just like being able to get my phones in-store.
• Cost of Phones. You don't get great deals on phones like you do with contract providers. You can still get a good deal on a basic, no frills phone, but the nicer phones are expensive.
• Smart Phone Coverage. Looking at the service coverage area map here, you can see the great coverage area... unless you have an Android phone. I was going to break down and pay $150-$180 to get an Android phone until I saw the map. With that little service area, it's just not worth it to me.
• 411. If you are in a hurry to get a phone number, iy might be quicker to just google it with the mobile web feature, than to call 411. If you call 411, you have to listen to a commercial and it is voice automated.The 411 voice automation is typical (unlike the Straight Talk service voice automation), so you are taking your chances in getting it to "understand" you.

    There you have it. In my opinion, the benefits outweigh the negatives and I am happy with the service.

Do you have Straight Talk? What are your likes and dislikes?

Don't forget to enter my latest giveaway drawing featuring DMC Jewelry! Click here for details! 

Tuesday Review: Wendy's Apple Pecan Chicken Salad

    In an attempt to eat healthier, I ordered a salad during a recent trip to Wendy's. Sure, I WANTED a Frosty. And, of course, I WANTED fries to dip into my Frosty. Which, by the way, if you haven't tried that yet, you have to! It is pure awesomeness! But I digress. Like I said, I ordered a salad... a boring ol' salad... or not!

   Have you tried Wendy's salads? During the summer, I tried their... um... I forgot what it was called. oops!. Anyway, it had the strawberries and blueberries and chicken in it and it was really yummy! I got a coupon on Facebook and thought I'd give it a try. So, this time, I was excited to try a new salad from Wendy's. I chose the Apple Pecan Salad. I ordered the half salad, mostly because they are a bit pricey. It had chunks of red and green apples, dried cranberries, yummy grilled chicken and blue cheese crumbles. It had a packet of seasoned pecans to add over the top. The dressing was a pomegranate dressing and it was delicious!

   The half-sized salad has 340 calories, 18g of fat (which seems a little high, but you have to remember that some of the fat is good fat from the pecans... at least that's what I'm telling myself!), 31g of carbs., and 18g of protein.
    The full sized salad has 560 calories, 27g of fat, 50g of carbs., and a whopping 36g of protein!

    Which fast food salads are your favorites? I would love some ideas!

Thursday Review: Wacom Bamboo Pen Graphics Tablet

    Hi everyone! I have a very special guest today! She is an amazing, talented artist, writer, musician and all around awesome person. Sure, I may be a bit biased... she is my daughter, after all. But seriously, check out her new blog for a small sample of her work.

  The Merry Lurker's Workshop 

    Today, she is going to tell us about the graphics tablet that she uses for some of her art. Enjoy!

Wacom Bamboo Pen Graphics Tablet

 Hello. I'm the Merry Lurker, and I'm here to talk about the Wacom Bamboo Pen graphics tablet.

   When I decided to cross over to digital art, I wanted something that was affordable, user friendly, and reliable. Wacom is the leading brand in the graphics tablet world, and they've been making them for years, so naturally I turned to their affordable Bamboo line. I picked up my Bamboo Pen for $69.99. So far it's been a nice, functional little tablet; and worth every penny.

Drawn in Corel Painter Essentials 4 with the Wacom Bamboo Pen tablet.

    The tablet requires no software to install, and plugs directly into the USB port like a mouse. To operate it, you hover the pen above the tablet to move the cursor. To left-click, you touch the pen to the drawing surface, and to drag you drag it along the drawing surface. The upper part of the button on the pen lets you right-click, and the lower part lets you middle click. The basic operation of it takes minutes to master.    The Wacom Bamboo Pen comes bundled with a trial of Corel Painter Essentials 4. It's basically a drawing program with a big toolbox of simulated art tools like paint-brushes, pens, and pencils. Be warned- it's easy to spend hours on end just playing with all the different effects!

   Of course, you don't need Corel to draw with your tablet. The Wacom Bamboo Pen works in any program, and will work anywhere a mouse works. That includes web browsing, video games, other drawing programs, and anything else you use a mouse for. I even used it to get a wicked high score at Mahjong Dimensions. (Shh. That's a secret.) Long story short, it's a mouse...  in epic pen form. ^_^

      So far, the Bamboo Pen has worked out just how I hoped it would. I've had it for almost a year now, and it still looks practically new, and works as well as the day I bought it. I use it all the time, and would recommend it to anyone looking to go digital.

Overall Rating: ¢¢¢¢¢

Tuesday Review: Claim Jumper Coconut Cream Pie

    One evening, we were sitting there watching TV. Or maybe I should say my husband was flipping through channels watching snip-its of this and that until he found something interesting. Either way, we ended up on the food channel when something caught our eye- a beautiful Coconut Cream Pie! It looked so yummy! Well, a couple of evenings later, my husband picked up a frozen Claim Jumper Coconut Cream Pie on his way home.  It says "thaw and serve" on the front, so I let it sit on the counter while I made dinner.

    When it was time for pie, I opened the package and found that it was nicely wrapped . After tearing off carefully removing the plastic, I cut into the pie. It was still a bit frozen, but that was ok with us! I served it up, anyway! It had a nice coconut flavor to it, and I really liked the toasted coconut on the top. My 4 year old; however, complained that I didn't tell her that there was chopped up coconuts in the pie. I asked her what she thought was in COCONUT CREAM pie. She just looked at me, shook her head, mumbled something about coconuts and walked off. OK, that's fine. I wanted to eat my pie, anyway.

    Like I said, the flavor was nice. I liked it slightly frozen and I liked the slice I had later that was completely thawed. Yes. I did eat another slice. I mean, someone had to take one for the team. I couldn't very well review it if I didn't taste it in its intended form, right? (I know, but just agree with me. It's easier). The thawed slice was nice and creamy and I liked it better than I thought I would. The only downside to the pie was the crust. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't anything to write home about. Kind of bland and just there to serve as a vessel to hold the creamy, coconut-y, yumminess. Perhaps a little salt and a little butter would have made it better. But, it was convenient and I wasn't in the kitchen for hours baking away, so I can't complain much.

If you are ever in the mood for coconut cream pie, and you don't feel like making it yourself, consider Claim Jumper. Find it in the freezer section.

Overall Rating: ¢¢¢¢

Thursday Review: New Ricola Dual Action Cough Drops

    When I am sick, everyone knows it. Not necessarily because I spend a little more time in bed, or because I ask my older kids to help take care of my younger kids. I guess it might mostly be because I complain. A lot. Yup. I'm a big baby. I don't try to be. It just... happens. I suppose I'd be less likely to whine about not feeling well if I'd just take some medicine, but I don't like taking medicine even more than I don't like being sick. I just can't stand how it fogs my mind. I can't even imagine taking some of that "Nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing..." you know the stuff... and trying to take care of the kids at the same time. In my haze, I'd probably let them eat candy and play video games all day long! So, I am doomed to just ride it out and try to make myself feel better in more natural ways. This usually means garlic! And lots of it! Which is okay, because I love garlic. It also means cough drops. My favorite cough drops/throat lozenges are Ricola. I like that they are all natural and I like that they are YUMMY! Oh, and they work well too... yes. That is important.

    I recently got a couple of coupons for the New Ricola Dual Action Cough Suppressant/Oral Anesthetic. It was buy one, get one free. As I was walking through the isles of our local Safeway store, I noticed that they were selling the New Ricola Dual Action at a special introductory price of only $1.79 a bag. I HAD to buy them! I picked up four bags. Later that night, even though I wasn't sick, I decided to try one. I can see how these Ricola Dual Action cough drops will be my go-to cough drop when I am sick!

    I chose the cherry flavor- easy choice, since that was the only flavor the store had. But come on... CHERRY!  Yum! The hard outer cough drop has a nice flavor, and it has a slightly numbing effect to soothe an irritated throat. The center is liquidy and it is pretty strong. It will definitely clear your sinuses! I recommend you pick some up now, to have on hand when that sore throat and sniffles sneak up on you!

Overall Rating: ¢¢¢¢¢

Tuesday Review: Barilla Toscana Tuscan Herb Pasta Sauce

 
    I don't normally buy jarred pasta sauces simply because my family likes the sauce I make better. What I DO like about jarred pasta sauce is the convenience. I had a coupon for Barilla Pasta Sauce and my local grocery store had a sale, so I picked up a couple of jars for under a dollar each. I figured that I could doctor it up beyond recognition and maybe my family would like it.

    I chose Barilla's new recipe- Tuscan Herb. It just sounded yummy. We like a meat sauce, so I also bought some mild Italian sausage to add to it. I bought a couple of cans of Italian diced tomatoes just in case I needed them (You know how some jarred pasta sauces have that... I don't know... Chef Boyardee-tomato flavor? I wanted to try to tone that down, if necessary.) I bought some cheese, because we love cheese on our pasta, and I already have a nice variety of herbs & spices to fix up a jar of sauce.

    I have to admit, when I opened the jar ant tasted the sauce to see what I had to work with, I was a bit disappointed. It was GOOD! Here I was, with my arsenal of extra ingredients, and I wasn't going to need to use most of them! Honestly, I could have used just the sauce in the jar, and that's it.  But, like I said, we like a meat sauce. I cooked up the Italian sausage and added 2 jars of the Barilla Toscana Tuscan Herb Pasta Sauce to it. I did add one small can of Italian diced tomatoes to it, but I could have done without. It tasted GREAT! Best of all, my family liked it too! It really didn't taste like a jarred sauce at all.

Overall Rating:  ¢¢¢¢¢

Thursday Review: Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers

    Have you seen those Healthy Choice Cafe Steamer bowls in the freezer section of the grocery store? I usually pass by them, but one day I decided to give it a try. They are actually pretty tasty! Yeah, I know... making my own meals and freezing them in individual portions would be the ideal thing to do, but sometimes things get in the way of that. Things like... being busy... or failing to plan that far ahead... or just being lazy... you know, important things like that!

    I tried the Roasted Beef Merlot steamer. The veggies were tender/crisp and the beef was tender. The sauce was tasty, too. I don't think they are quite filling enough for dinner, but I would recommend Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers for a quick, healthy lunch. At around $2.50 each, it is more economical and much healthier than grabbing a burger from the drive through at lunchtime.

Just out of the package

Just out of the microwave

Mixed and ready to eat.

Overall Rating: ¢¢¢¢


Click here to visit their site for a $1.00 off coupon.

Tuesday Review: John's Incredible Pizza Co.

    We recently went to John's Incredible Pizza Co. to celebrate out October birthdays.  We've been there before and it's a lot of fun for all ages. They have an expanded pizza buffet, games, rides, and even a toddler play area. We usually eat first, then move on to the fun and games. I will outline a typical visit for us. (I really wish I had taken more pictures to share with you!)


When You First Get There:
When you first get to John's Incredible Pizza Co., you have to go through the line. You must pay for an all-you-can-eat buffet to get in. Drinks are not included in the buffet price, but for just under $2 extra, you can have unlimited fountain drinks, icees, tea, and coffee drinks.

Once You Are In:
Once you have paid, and you are in, you can choose a table in one of the theme rooms. Some of the themes include: A Loony Toons room, where they have a large screen and several smaller screens playing cartoons; A Sports room, where they have various sports games playing on screens; and a Timber Lodge room, that has a fireplace and a nice cabin feel to it.

The All-You-Can-Eat Buffet:
When you are ready to eat, just go to the buffet, grab a plate, and serve yourself. They have a really good salad bar, a baked potato bar, various pastas, a couple of soups, and lots of varieties of pizza. They also have desserts- soft serve ice cream, cookies, mini doughnuts, cinnamon buns, chocolate cake, and cheesecake bars. I put some soft serve ice cream in a cup, then headed over to the fountain drinks... Mmmmm... root beer float!

Fun and Games:

They have various arcade games for all ages, and even some rides. There are bumper cars, a big spinning ride that I can't recall the name of, a kiddie roller coaster that my 4 year old was too small to go on without an adult (guess who got suckered into that one!), and more. My youngest girls loved the mini merry-go-round and some of the kiddie games, while my older kids went off on their own to enjoy the arcade games.
    You have to buy a game card and credits for the games and rides. The sign says that the card is 50 cents, but I have never been charged for one. Credits are 25cents each and everything is 2 or more credits. The kiddie coaster, for example, is 8 credits... that's $2 each! Kind of steep, if you ask me. You can win tickets with some of the games, then redeem them at the prize counter.
    After going on the kiddie coaster, playing a few games, and getting some prizes, I headed to the toddler play area with my youngest children, where they played until it was time to go. We grabbed a cookie on the way out, and had a fun day!

Toddler Play Area

My Ratings:
    John's Incredible Pizza Co. is a fun place for the whole family.The food is good and there are things for all ages to enjoy. It can get a little crowded and a little noisy, so you might want to keep that in mind. It is also a bit pricey- especially hen it comes to the games and rides.
    I would go there again, but because of the price, reserve it for special occasions.

Atmosphere/Rooms: ¢¢¢¢
I like the selection of rooms and they do try to keep the clean and neat. It does get loud and crowded at times.

Food: ¢¢¢
I really like the salad bar and the pizza selection. The food is good. Not spectacular, but still good.

Fun and Games: ¢¢¢¢
There are a good variety of games and rides for all ages. I really like that they included a toddler area.

Cost: ¢¢
The price is kind of steep. Normally, I would not pay the price of the buffet for the food that is served. Maybe I'm spoiled, but I know a few really great buffets that serve a bigger variety of better tasting foods from prime rib to an awesome dessert bar, for about what it costs to get in here.
...Then there is the price of the games and rides... at a minimum of 50 cents for the kiddie games and rides that start at $2... well, it really adds up fast.

Overall Rating: ¢¢¢ Like I said, I will go there again, but I will reserve it for special occasions.

Thursday Review: Eucerin Aquaphor Gentle Wash & Shampoo

    I mentioned in a previous post that I received a number of free sample products from my children's pediatrician's office. One of the products I received was Eucerin Aquaphor Gentle Wash & Shampoo. In fact, they had so much of it that that they gave me a whole box of the sample sized bottles! Sweet!

    Eucerin Aquaphor Gentle Wash & Shampoo is a gentle cleanser- perfect for Baby's sensitive skin. It is fragrance free... yes, truly fragrance free, not anything like the shower oil that I posted about earlier. It leaves Baby's skin and hair clean and soft, just as it should be. It doesn't irritate Baby's eyes either. I know this because I accidentally got a few suds in my daughter's eyes. I felt bad for about a second, but stopped because she didn't think any more of it than if it had been just plain water. Whew! I dodged that Mommy guilt!

   I really like the convenience of the Eucerin Aquaphor Gentle Wash & Shampoo being a 2 in 1 cleanser. It sure beats fumbling around with multiple bottles while wrestling with a squirmy baby! I would definitely buy this product and I recommend it to others!

Overall Rating: ¢¢¢¢¢

Tuesday Review: Shasta- New California Dreamin' Orange Creme Soda

    So there I am. In the grocery store. Staring at the mega-wall-o-soda. Suddenly, something catches my eye. New Shasta California Dreamin' Orange Creme Soda! Yeah. I've Gotta try this!

    We get home from the store and I get the sodas into the fridge right away, then I start dinner. About halfway through cooking dinner, my husband checks the sodas. Hmmm.... not cold yet. He took a couple of them and put them in the freezer. Now, normally, this could be dangerous. We may or may not (mostly may) have in the past forgotten a soda or two in the freezer, only to discover the massive frozen explosion later, but I digress.

    Flash forward, dinner is finished and I break out the soda. I take one sip and I am immediately taken back to my first summer after moving to California, when I was a child. My Grandmother had bought a box of Orange Cremecicle ice cream bars. Now, I'd had popcicles before, but never an orange cremecicle, and boy was I in for a treat! I thought that it was genius to wrap vanilla ice cream in an orange popcicle shell. It immediately became one of my favorite frozen desserts.

    Shasta captured that flavor perfectly in their new California Dreamin' Orange Creme Soda! It is delicious, refreshing, and a really nice treat! An added bonus- the grocery store where I shop sells them for only $2.50 for a 12-pack! I will DEFINITELY be buying more!

Overall Rating: ¢¢¢¢¢

Thursday Review: Eucerin Calming Body Wash Daily Shower Oil

    I was given a couple of  .5 oz bottles of Eucerin Calming Body Wash, along with about 4 other different trial-sized products from my kids' pediatrician's office. I was happy to get the samples, I mean, who doesn't like free stuff? Am I right? Plus, I really like the Eucerin brand. We have been buying their facial moisturizer for years.

    When I poured the calming body wash in my hand, I noticed that it had a texture different from other body washes. I expected something that would suds up, but this barely did. It had more of a baby oil feel to it. Okay. That's fair. After all, it does say "Daily Shower Oil" on the bottle. I kept a positive attitude and an open mind, even though I was worried that it might go on a bit thick and be difficult to wash off, but it really wasn't. I actually kind of liked the texture of it.

    ...and then things took a turn for the worse...

    When I read "Calming Body Wash", I thought maybe it would have a nice lavender scent or something. Then I noticed the words "Fragrance Free" near the bottom.  Fine. I cam deal with fragrance free. In fact, it's probably better. WRONG! This stuff may not have artificial fragrances added to it, but it certainly isn't "fragrance free".  The scent is one that sort of sneaks up on you bit by bit... then it see,s overwhelming. It smells like fish. Not a nicely seasoned grilled salmon steak. Fish. Yucky, smelly, fish. Seriously, I almost gagged. It was that bad.

    I picked up the bottle to look at the ingredients. Since it was a sample size, there were no ingredients listed. I did; however, read this on the back: "Mild cleanser with the skin soothing benefits of natural omega oils to relieve and calm dry, itchy skin." Hmmm... Omega oils... THAT'S the fishy smell!

    Would I use this product again? Not likely.
    Would I recommend it? Normally, no. But, if someone had really dry, itchy skin, and was willing to try ANYTHING to relieve it, I would tell them about it and leave the decision to them. After all, the product is good. It is just ruined by the fishy smell.

Overall Rating: ¢¢

Tuesday Review: Metro PCS: Part 2

    Okay, so, I wasn't planning on doing a second review post on Metro PCS... but I was doing a little reading, and I HAD to share what I found out. I want to say first, that I make it a point to not read other reviews on a product that I am reviewing BEFORE I actually review it. I think it keeps me more honest. I mean, if I read something bad about a product I probably wouldn't want to try it. If I went ahead and tried it anyway, then I might, subconsciously, sabotage the whole experience. I wouldn't want that to happen.

    Over the weekend, I noticed that I was getting a few hits on my blog just from people searching "Metro PCS" from a couple of different search engines. My first reaction was, "Cool! My blog actually made it into search engine results!" ... not Google, but Okay, I'll take what I can get! I went to one of the search engines and entered my query. I scrolled down the list of results, and sure enough, there I was! Then  another result caught my eye... and another... and another... they were all sites with complaints about Metro PCS. I clicked on one and read a review from a neighboring city. No doubt that this poor lady shopped at one of the very same stores that my husband or I have been to. You can read about her experience HERE. She is Andrea from Citrus Heights, her post dated 9/6/11. Be sure to read some of the other complaints while you are there. 

   As I was reading from that site, and others, I found myself nodding in agreement. I can identify with what almost all of those customers went through. I am amazed that Metro PCS is still in business with the way they treat their customers. See for yourself HERE and HERE and HERE. I know there are more, but you will get a good idea of why you should not do business with Metro PCS just by reading these.

    Please feel free to share your experiences here in a comment. Also, if there is another carrier that you would recommend or not recommend, please feel free to share those, as well. 

(Click HERE to see my original post about Metro PCS)

 

    

Thursday Review: Metro PCS

   

Are you considering Metro PCS as your cell phone carrier? Do you think that the $29 Android phone that Metro PCS been advertising is a great deal? Well, you may want to read this first.

    Sure, Metro PCS cell phone service is inexpensive. That's nice. You get unlimited talk, text and web on a smart phone for around $50 a month. Plus you get other neat little things like unlimited 411, conference calling, and voicemail. Sounds like a really great deal, right?

    ... Then the other shoe drops... THUD! Let's see... where should I start? How about coverage area? While coverage area has improved quite a bit in recent years, it still isn't as good as other carriers. I mean, even Walmart's Straight Talk has a better coverage area than Metro PCS. (They  have a lot of better features than Metro PCS, but that's another blog post. lol) While I admit, I have never tried calling out of the country with a Metro PCS phone, I do know that you cannot call out to places like Alaska. And are you heading out into the mountains... say... going over the hill from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe or to Reno? Forget about being able to call someone if you break down along the way. With Metro PCS, you will get a bit of spotty coverage here and there, but nothing reliable for most of the trip.

   Now for the next issue- Customer Service. Customer service is a big deal, in my book. If we are going to fork over hard earned money, and you don't have the decency to give us good customer service, then why on Earth should we help to line your pockets? We'll go somewhere else, thank you very much. First I'll talk about when you call them. If you are activating a new phone, the customer service isn't that bad. See how they lure you in? But if you call for ANYTHING else, forget about it. After jumping through hoops and yelling at the automated voice thingy that never understands what you said, you have to wait on hold for a long time to get a live person... if you can even get that far in the first place. The last two times I called, I wasn't able to get to a real person at all. Most of the customer service reps that I WAS able to get ahold of in the past few years, have been very unprofessional and sometimes outright rude. I recall one time, after holding for about 20 minutes,  being told that the computers were down, and I'd have to call back later. No apologies or anything. When I was about to ask when a good time to call back would be, I was hung up on. Nice.

    Going into a Metro PCS Store is not much different. If you are buying a new phone or accessories, the clerks are ready to help you. But if you have a question about your service or you want to pay your monthly bill, you're not so lucky. They just direct you to the automated bill pay machine for paying your bill, or hand you a brochure for the questions on your coverage. And don't even think about trying to return a car charger that, just the day before, the clerk insisted would work with your phone, but it didn't. When my husband tried to return his, they told him that they would not take the return. He had the receipt and everything. We have been to many different Metro PCS store locations... I don't mean the authorized dealers... the METRO PCS Stores themselves. I kid you not, EVERY store is the same! Last week, my husband went into a Metro PCS Store (in a nice neighborhood, as if that should even matter) to check out the $29 Android phone deal that they had been advertising on the radio and on TV. Well, the clerk told him that it was only for those who wanted to add a line to their existing service. When my husband told him that they didn't say that in either of their ads, and asked the clerk to check to be sure, the clerk got really rude and unprofessional. At this point my husband pointed out that they are just doing a "bait and switch", just to get people into the store. My husband asked to speak to the manager, and the clerk went over and whispered with her. The manager went to my husband and asked him to leave the store. When he asked her for her name and for the phone number for their corporate manager, she refused to give him both. This is how Metro PCS treats a customer that has been doing business with them for over 7 years.

    I have talked with quite a few other Metro PCS customers and they all have similar stories. Many of them left the service due to poor customer service.

    So, to sum it up, Metro PCS provides inexpensive cell phone service, mediocre coverage area, and very poor customer service.

Overall Rating: ¢

    Are you a Metro PCS customer? I would love to hear what you think about them.

Click here to go to Metro PCS part 2 for more information and links to other Metro PCS horros stories.

Tuesday Review: Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt

    Let me start this review honestly. I do not like yogurt. I will not eat it in the house. I will not eat it with a mouse. I will not eat it here or there... you get the idea. The strange thing is, I very much want to like yogurt. I figure, if I liked yogurt, it would be very easy to snack on a nice low-fat yogurt instead of a doughnut, or a candy bar, or cookies. Mmmmm.... cookies....
... wait, what was I talking about? Oh yeah... yogurt. Yogurt would be the perfect substitute for the junk food that my sweet tooth craves. But... I don't like yogurt.

   Wanting to find a yogurt that I might actually like, I asked around. I kept getting the same answer- try Greek yogurt. Okay. Okay. I will try it, you will see.
If I am going to try it, it may as well be a flavor with one of my favorite fruits- BLUEBERRIES! Yum! I bought the blueberry Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt with the fruit on the bottom. I opened it up and looked at it... um... maybe fruit on the bottom wasn't such a good choice for me. I gave it a good stir. A really good stir. Then I tasted it...

 
You know what? I still don't like yogurt. But I have to admit, it was much more tolerable than other yogurts I've tasted. I liked the blueberries. I liked that it was very creamy. I just don't like yogurt. I ended up eating half of it, then giving the rest to my 11 month old. She loved it! My other yogurt loving kids ate the other containers of the yogurt that I bought. They liked it, too.

    It would be unfair to give something a lower rating based on personal taste, and if I had to eat a yogurt, I would eat Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt. Besides, my kids liked it.

Overall Rating: ¢¢¢¢¢

Thursday Review: Revlon Revisited

Revlon Nail Enamel... Take Two.

    You may recall a couple of weeks ago when I reviewed Revlon Nail Enamel. I was unhappy with the one I tried, but thought that the bottle may have just been left on the drugstore shelf too long. Ok, and perhaps my incessantly shaking of the bottle MAY have had a tiny bit to do with it. (Thank you Linda. LOL)
I felt that it was only fair that I try another bottle and review it again.

    This time, I took my $1 off coupon to one of the busiest Walmart stores in the area. I figured that buying the nail enamel from there would ensure that the bottle hadn't been sitting around beyond its prime.

    I chose color 912 Posh Pink. Again, I love the color! I really have to give that to Revlon. Their color selection is awesome! The nail enamel went on much smoother than last time. I did have to apply a second coat because the first was slightly streaky, but it didn't go on thick, goopy, or bubbly at all. I really like the sheen and it didn't take terribly long to dry.
 
    I am much happier with the Revlon Nail Enamel this time. I wish that I could get away with just applying one coat; nevertheless, I will buy it again. Did I mention that Revlon has a spectacular color selection?


Overall Rating: ¢¢¢¢

Thursday Review: Johnson's Body Care 24-Hour Body Lotion

    Have you ever been hanging out with friends or family listening to some music, when suddenly a song comes on that you can't help but to sing along with? You turn the volume up a bit, then start belting out the lyrics along with the tune. Suddenly everyone starts laughing. What is it? Why are they laughing? Once they compose themselves, they clue you in... It's "There's a bad moon on the rise" NOT "There's a bathroom on the right".
If so, you might like my little story that goes along with Johnson's Body Care 24 -Hour Body Lotion.

    It started 11 months ago when our youngest daughter was born. While I was at the hospital, my husband and kids put together a gift bag for our newborn daughter and me. One of the items in the gift bag was a tube of the Johnson's lotion. Now, maybe it was my lack of sleep, or maybe it was just that I was too preoccupied marveling over our sweet little girl to notice, but whatever the reason, I read it as Johnson's  Baby Care 24-Hour Baby Lotion. I mean, it came in a pink tube and it smells a little bit like the baby lotion, after all.

    The lotion was great. I would use it occasionally on my daughter's delicate skin. It kept her skin so soft and always made my hands feel soft and smooth. I like it so much that I would even "sneak" it for my own use from time to time (it is great for the elbows!). It only takes a tiny bit of this lotion, so one tube has lasted us a long time.

   A couple of weeks ago, I was brainstorming ideas of products to review for my blog. I remembered how much I like this "baby" lotion, so I put it on my list. Well, a few nights ago, there I sat, pencil in hand, getting ready to write the rough draft of my review in my notebook. Wanting to get the name of the lotion exactly right and not remembering if it was Johnson's or Johnson & Johnson (yes, now I know that they are one in the same), I looked at the tube of lotion only to realize for the very first time that this is not Baby Lotion at all. It is Body Lotion. Nowhere on the entire tube is the word "baby". Believe me, I looked. Everywhere. It's not there.

   I suppose I should be a little embarrassed that this one little detail has escaped my attention for nearly a year. Maybe I am... Just a little... But I choose to look at the bright side of things. Now I don't have to feel bad for "sneaking" it from time to time and using it for myself!

Johnson's Body Care 24-Hour Body Lotion
Overall Rating: ¢¢¢¢¢

Thursday Review: Mega Bloks- Maxi Blocks

    I am sure that everyone is familiar with Mega Bloks. My kids have just been having so much fun with them lately, that I thought I would write about them.

    The kids have collected a few of the classic bags of the Maxi size Mega Bloks. I like the Maxi size for a few reasons. First, it allows the kids to build something BIG. And building something big is FUN! Second, we don't have to worry about our baby getting a hold of them. In fact, she loves playing with them too. OK, so she mostly just bangs them together or throws them, but if you saw the huge smile on her face when she does it, you'd understand just how fun it is. Now, the main reason I like the Maxi sized blocks is that they are easy to clean up. Have you ever gotten up in the middle of the night, half asleep, stumbling into the kitchen for a drink of water, only to suddenly "find" the one tiny block that was missed at cleanup time? Yup, just stepping on one of those little suckers is enough to make you want to throw all of them in the trash! OUCH!
   
    Back to the fun part. My kids are awesome! They have promising futures in architecture and engineering, and we owe it all to Mega Bloks. OK, maybe that statement is a little extreme. But playing with the Mega Bloks sure brings out their creativity. Here are a few of their "masterpieces".

    See what I mean? Fun, right? Do you know what else is fun? Using the blocks as teaching tools for preschoolers and young children!

They are GREAT for:

Copying. Can you build what I build?

Sorting. Sort by color, shape, or size.

Patterns. Which color comes next?

Math. 3+2=5

  

  Mega Bloks Maxi Blocks are tons of fun and educational too! They are definitely a family favorite toy!

Overall Rating: ¢¢¢¢¢