The Westin Hotel in Seattle

Hello readers.
This weekend was very busy for us, more than usual because the kids and I had to go to Seattle for an audition. I took my 4 year old Kalib for an audition and screen test for John Robert Powers modeling agency. You may be wondering what this has to do with the Westin, well calm down and I will tell you.

Anyone who knows me will know that I am no fan of driving long distances. To me, a long distance is more than 30 minutes. That is why planes were invented right, so we would no longer haveo to travel by car over long distances. Anyway, my definition may be a little extreme but it is what it is. So, my husband is deployed so I had to drive the kids by myself. I am a HUGE fan of the dry run so I decided we would drive to Seattle on Friday and stay in a hotel so that we would be fresh and well rested for the interview.

We arrived at the Westin and it is really what you would expect from a 4 star hotel in a big city. It is a very large building with 2 towers and 30 floors in each tower. The first thing I noticed is that all eyes were on me as I entered the lobby. No, I don't think I was looking that good in fact I was in workout gear because I like to travel in comfort. The reason that everyone was looking at me is because they are no accustomed to seeing young black families stay in this hotel. I have become numb to the stares from white people when I walk into a nice restaurant or hotel with my family.

So, I check in and get my keys and the young lady at the desk lets me know that the parking lot is full and I have to use valet but they will charge me the daily rate ($39). So we drive around the block to the valet center and go to the room. I enter into a 300 square foot room with 2 queen beds, 2 chairs a desk and 1 32in plasma t.v. All in all things are well put together and nice. The beds are well made everything looks very clean and the kids love it. By the way, my kids are real hotel buffs so if it were unsatisfactory we would have had to leave.

We all get comfy, remove shoes and watch a little tele. I ran the boys a bath and ordered room service. I know that I should expect high prices at a 4 star hotel but $20.o0 for a BLT is a little over the top. Our order total came to $84.00 with tax and gratuity added for 4 people. Mind you, we had sandwiches and fries not lobster and fillet mignon. That aside, the food arrived and we were hungry. I was upset because they did not send my extra tomatoes, the fries were cold and they did not send my kids anything to drink and we order 4 drinks.

Express service (not room service) was very nice and they did remedy the situation quickly. My thought is when you pay that much for a sandwich it should be done right the first time. Once we got everything sorted we ate, watched tele and went to bed. The next morning we got ready and we sure to check out before noon. The man at the desk was very concerned with our stay and when I told him that we had some issues with room service he took $50.00 off of the bill straight away. I thought this was a very nice gesture.

There were a few other things that could have been better at such a high end hotel. The bedding was subpar and there were not enough extra bottles of lotion and shampoo. Not that we use it but there should at least be 2 bottles of everything. There was not a great variety of channels for the kids to watch on the tele either. The ice machine in my hallway did not work and I had to go downstairs to get ice.

I have stayed at a great many hotels and most of them have been between 4 and 5 stars. Not that we are rich nor are we living outside of our means but we like to stay in a nice hotel where the kids can be comfortable. We like a lot of space and soundproof floors so that if the kids jump up and down a few times we will not disturb anyone below us. My impression of the Westin is not a good one for the reasons I have listed above. I would give it a 2 out of 5 stars because for the price they could have done a lot better.

To date, my absolute hands down favorite hotel is the Doubletree. They have family suites that offer all of the amenities you could ask for. The staff is amazing and the the cookies are fantastic. I feel the staff there will go out of its was to make your stay wonderful. The Doubletree gives you more than you need inthe way of shampoo, soaps and lotions. You get a great variety of coffee and tea in your room and the room service is outstanding. The Doubletree is nice clean and well priced. It is a 4 star hotel with a 3 star price and I would pay a lot more to stay there, though I am happy that we do not have to.

My next favorite hotel is the Hyatt Place hotel. This is also a great hotel with great amenities although a little more pricey than the Doubletree. They offer excellent rooms and excellent service. The decor in the rooms is not overstated and the aroma of flowers and perfume as you pass through the lobby is enchanting. The staff is comparable to the staff at the Doubletree but they could do better.

Many people see a hotel as just a place to lay your head while on vacation. Just some place to close your eyes until the next day of adventure but my family view it as a sanctuary. After a long day of visiting relatives we like to come back to the hotel and be as comfortable as if we were at home. This is why I take such care in selecting hotels, unfortunately this is one time when I missed the mark.

2010 BUICK ENCLAVE

This week I am having the pleasure of driving the brand new 2010 Buick Enclave. The reason that I am driving this vehicle is because my Sequoia is in the shop. A little boy in the neighborhood became angry with me when I told him that he could no longer play with children or come to my house because he was using foul language. In return this 6 year old little boy decided to key my truck. So now it is in the shop being repainted from bumper to bumper. Thank God we have GREAT insurance.

Now, back to the review. Enterprise car rental gave me a Buick Enclave because it was the only vehicle they had that was comparable to my SUV. At first glance this cross-over vehicle is eye-catching and sporty. The shape of it is appealing if you like the "bubble" shape in the rear. The interior is nice but the leather does not appeal to me. The leather in this vehicle is a little "cheap" looking. There is wood grain inside and power everything.

The features are what you will fall in love with in this vehicle if you are a "gadget junky". The model that I have has remote ignition starting, automatic rear cargo door opening, power driver and passenger seats with heating, individual climate control and so much more. The leather wrapped steering wheel has controls for the stereo system and wood grain. The are so many buttons on the console that you could get confused if you do not read the manual. can you imagine having to read the manual for a rental car????? You can program the seat position, you can check your tire pressure, the outdoor temperature, and your gas and oil level while sitting in the driveway. It's all digital and all you have to do is push a button.

I really have enjoyed the past 3 days that I have been driving the Enclave, it has a smooth ride, it turns on a dime and you "Take Off" when you hit the gas. Keep in mind that this is a brand new vehicle and I am the first person to rent it from this particular Enterprise location. Buick is living up to its reputation of being a mid priced luxury vehicle with this cross-over.

There are some cons that I have found with the vehicle. The biggest problem that I have is that there is a blind spot when you are turning created by the side view mirrors. I am accustomed to driving an SUV that sits up high and it has a shorter windshield. The Enclave is more car like in that the wind shield is long and low so even though you can move the driver seat up and down yo still have an area that is "blind"to you when driving because of the length of the windscreen and the position of the mirror. Maybe I have been driving an SUV too long but this is a problem for me because I am not sure how wide I have to make my turns. Another thing that is troublesome is that it took me 2 days to get the seat adjusted properly. Because of the windscreen and side view mirror placement the seat is hard for me to adjust because I keep trying to get situated to where I can see above the side view mirror like I can in my SUV.

I am not sure what the price is on this vehicle with all the amenities that it has but this is not something that I would but for myself. I think that there are some improvements that can be made to it to make it a lot better. Aesthetically this car is very appealing but once you have driven it you may wish that you had rented it before you bought it.

BOUNCE DRYER BAR

Once again I have been away too long, my apologies. A dear friend of mine asked me to review the Bounce dryer bar. I have been waiting to write the review because I wanted to make sure it was thorough. I purchased the dryer bar about 6 weeks ago when it first came out here in Washington. The first week that I used it the results were the same as if I were using the actual dryer sheets. The clothes smelled great and they were soft and fluffy, no static cling and best of all no dryer sheets hidden in pants legs or anywhere else.

The next week the results were almost the same. the only difference I noticed is that the bar was not giving off as strong a smell as it was the week before. The clothes were still fluffy and the there was no cling but they did not have that "dryer sheet fresh" smell. Over the course of the next 3 weeks the smell became weaker and weaker and now there is a very faint smell but nothing like the smell from a dryer sheet.

All in all I would give the dryer bar a 3 out of 5 stars because I really missed the fresh smell that the dryer sheets leave on the clothes. The dryer bar does its job as far as softening the clothes and removing static but if you are a sucker for the smell that dryer sheets leave behind this may not be the product for you. I think that this dryer bar is eco friendly, cost effective and for the most part, it is a fair replacement for the dryer sheets but it is not an even trade.

KEURIG SINGLE CUP COFFEE MAKER

First things first. I know that you all are wondering where I have been since this is the most popular blog online you have all been waiting with bated breath for my return. I must apologize to my loyal readers for my unexplained absence. School started here in Washington on 2 September and we have been adjusting to our new schedule so please forgive me for not posting for a while. Also, I had to go out and make some new purchases to blog about.

Today I want to tell you about my newest toy. It is a coffee maker. What makes this coffee maker so special you may ask. Well that is what this blog is for, I tell you exactly why I think some things are great and why some are not. The Keurig coffee maker can go in the "just shy of fantastic category". Let me first tell you that I purchased this because I am not really a coffee drinker but wanted to be able to have a single cup every now and again and did not want the mess associated with regular coffee makers.

The Keurig is a really neat machine and it will make you a single serving of coffee in less than 3 minutes. You can choose from a large variety of coffee, tea and hot cocoa. Set up time from box to counter top is less than 3 minutes as well. There are 4 easy steps to follow in order to make your coffee and the machine guides you every step of the way. What do I mean by that, well I'll tell you. Once you plug the coffee maker in you press the button on top and insert your choice of beverage. Next the water compartment will open on its own. that's right you read correctly, it opens on its own. After you have added the water (8oz) and close the lid a yellow light will appear. This light is telling you to place your coffee cup in the staging area. Once you have put your cup in place then a blue light comes on that reads "BREW". Hit the brew button and you are ready to go. In less than 3 minutes you have a hot beverage with no mess.

I know that you are wondering why there is no mess. Well, this system is designed with single
canisters that allow you to pop them in a small contained compartment while the machine does the rest. When your beverage is done brewing you just remove the canister and discard it. There are no coffee grounds to dump out and no filter remove and replace. You so have to deal with residual coffee drippings or the old coffee smell that lingers if you for get to toss it out the same day. You came make as many beverages as you want all you have to do is follow the 4 steps each time and you can't get it wrong.

Now, some of you may be wondering why I rated it just shy of fantastic. Well being the perfectionist that I am I found 1 issue with this machine. When making hot cocoa all of the cocoa powder does not get used. The water does not pass through all of the cocoa mix and it clumps up inside the canister so your cocoa is very weak. This is not a big issue for me but it is for my kids. With that one exception the machine is worth every penny. Which brings me to my last point, the price. There are 3 different Keurig single cup coffee makers that I have seen and they are priced from $79.00 to $129.00 at Target. I purchased the $79.00 once for its size. It is very compact and you can travel with it. You can take it to your office or on vacation with you if you like. If you are sort on counter space, this is the one for you. The $99.00 model is a larger but it is said to make your coffee in less than 1 minute. The largest one they offer costs $129.00 but it allows you to use many different cup sizes in the staging area and also makes your coffee in less than 1 minute. I have not personally tested the larger machines so I cannot attest to these claims but I am happy with the model that I have.

This coffee maker is convenient and easy to clean. It does not leave an odor of old coffee in the air and can be used in any room or office space. One of my favorite things about this machine is that they use fair trade products and you have a very large variety to choose from. You can buy what you want at many different retailers (Target, bed bath and beyond, Lowes, JC Penny, Wal Mart etc.) or you can order them online from the company and set up auto shipping. I highly recommend this coffee maker for everyone from the occassional drinker to the everyday coffee addict.

SAMSUNG INSTINCT VERSION 1

I am going to get right to it since I have been away for a while. The Samsung Instinct mobile phone is AWFUL. I purchased this phone in January because we just moved back to the states and we needed a phone. I had a Sprint phone in the past and never had a problem, also both of my younger sisters recommend this phone to me so I looked a the features and my husband and I agreed that we would get this phone.

For the first few weeks the phone was fine, I loved it and then it happened. I was on the phone with my sister and I could hear her but she could not hear me. So there I am in the car with the family yelling into my phone "Felicia, can you hear me, I can hear you can you hear me, can you hear me now? I will call you when I get home since you cannot hear me." This was when I knew that this phone was going to give me trouble. The next week the screen began freezing up on me and I was not able to access the Internet. I would have to remove the battery in order to get back to the main menu, it was a mess.

I know what you are thinking, why didn't you take the phone back if you were within your 30 day return window? I am glad that you asked. The Instinct has some features that we needed at the time. As I stated earlier we just moved to Washington State from England and we were not familiar with the area and the phone has GPS. It also has a "live search" feature that allows you to speak into the phone, tell it what you are looking for and it will locate it for you and give you driving directions to it. This is a great feature as we were looking for a church home.

So, we kept the phone and with every passing day things got worse. The battery lasts for 4 hours if you do not use the phone. Should you be inclined to use the phone for whatever reason you will only have 2 hours of battery life. The Samsung people knew that the battery was garbage so they give you an extra one with the phone. As the weeks went by calls were dropped all the time, no one could hear me when they called and some calls were not getting through. Oh, did i mention that the phone only charges when it feels like it?

I decided that I was going to contact Sprint and see if they would help me with this issue. I went to the store where I purchased the phone and told them of my troubles. The sales rep was very nice and told me to go to one of the retail stores and let them know what the problem was because her store was a satellite and they were unable to assist me. I did as she told me and got nothing. The sales rep at this Sprint store could care less, he said "if you want to upgrade it will cost you $200." I said "I don't want to upgrade I want a phone that works. I will even down grade, I don't need a smart phone." His response was to call Sprint customer service and have me sit on hold for 6 minutes and wait for a representative to tell me that she could send me a refurbished Instinct. I declined to accept this offer and asked what the consequences would be to terminate my contract since they would not give me different phone and was told that I would have to pay $200.00.

This experience has been frustrating to say the least. I have since sent a letter to the CEO of Sprint detailing my awful experience. I figured it couldn't hurt to vent to someone that might be able to help me. I will be sure to keep you posted as the saga unfolds. I will say this, I do not recommend this phone because my sisters have since told me that they are experiencing the same problems that I am having so it is not a single incident.

MEANINGFUL BEAUTY By Cindy Crawford

Today I would like to talk about the "Meaningful Beauty" skin care line. Before I get started please remember that the information in this blog is my opinion. I am giving my opinion in order to help other consumers make an informed decision before purchasing something they may have questions about. Now, having said that, lets talk about the the product..

I ordered the meaningful beauty system because I wanted to decrease the size of my pores and make my skin look a little more vibrant (two of the many claims given in the infomercial). First let me me tell you that when you watch the infomercial be sure to read the fine next to the price and at the bottom of the screen. The reason I suggest this is because this product does not cost what it is advertised to cost. You will pay the price listed ($29.99) in 3 installments and your first payment will be more because of shipping and taxes. In total you are going to pay about $125.00 for a 90 supply of the product.

Does this product work? Well, it did not work for me. After two weeks there was no change in the size of my pores and I noticed that there was some discoloration on the lower part of my face. I continued to use the product for 10 more days hoping that my skin would even out and I would awake to the skin that was advertised on television. Sadly this was not the case. The discoloration of my skin got worse and could not be concealed by makeup. I had very noticeable white blotches on my face that remain today.

Once I realized that this problem was not going to get better I stopped using the product and called the customer service line to ask to be removed from the auto-shipping club. The customer service rep was very nice and she not only cancelled my auto-shipment but she took the lot numbers from the products that I received for documetation and she gave me arefund for $89.00 that I had already paid for the product. The discoloration on my face is getting better and I am only washing my face with water twice a day. For me this product was a flop and I specifically asked if this was a product that black women could use when I ordered it because I did not see any black women in the infomercial. The representative that took my order assured me that this was a product for all skin types and colors. In my case, she was mistaken. My advice is to use caution when ordering skin care products from infomercials no matter who your are. Your skin is too important to take chances with even if a super model indorses the product.

SPANX!!!!!!!

Good day to you all. I wanted to talk about a subject that is near and dear to my heart, Spanx.
I LOVE SPANX!!!!! I have been looking for a great undergarment that would hold in all of my lumps, bumps, rolls and humps for a long time. I am pleased and excited to say that I have found it in Spanx. I have tried girdles, corsets and other shape wear to no avail, then I found Spanx. I heard about them in passing but since I had such a bad experience with other products I never purchased them.

So, what made me change my mind? Well, I was watching Access Hollywood one day and they did a report on "How the Stars look so good on the red carpet." When I saw that Eva Longoria and Taraji P Henderson both wore Spanx under their gowns I thought "I have to give these a try." I went online (to the official Spanx website) and made my order on a Monday and had my Spanx in hand on Thursday. I immediately went upstairs and tried them on. Since this was my first purchase I ordered the lower body shaper that covers below the breast line and goes down to the thighs.

Once I got it on I thought it was not working because I did not feel any different. What I mean is I could breath! I did not feel restricted or sucked in at all. I did not feel hot or uncomfortable so in my mind it wasn't working. I was used to feeling uncomfortable and squeezed in when I put on shape wear in the past. Although I did not feel different I went to my closet and put on a pair of jeans that were a little tight, to say the least. To my surprise the jeans slid on like silk. I did not have to jump, shimmy and shake to get them on they just slid right on up. I was FLOORED!!!! So then I put on a shirt and looked in the mirror and everything was smooth. No lumps, bumps, rolls or humps. It was amazing.

I could not wait to go somewhere just so I could put on my Spanx. I looked smaller and my clothes fit better but there was no discomfort at all. I wear my Spanx everywhere under everything and you cannot tell. There are no lines or ridges like you get with a girdle. There is no lump under your breast like you can get from other shape wear. The very best part for me is that the Spanx did not make me sweat. Spanx are made from a very breathable flowing fabric that holds in your rolls and does not create extra heat. i don't know how I lived with them.

I was so happy with the body shapers that I purchased 2 cami's and they did not disappoint. Spanx has every kind of shape wear that you can imagine and they even make pants, shirts and skirts that have shape wear inside. To me the cost is well worth it. The prices range from $32.00 up to the  $100's, it just depends on what you want. In this moms opinion, every woman should own at least one pair of Spanx.

EMERSON LCD TV 32"

Good day to you all and please forgive my absence. I wanted to write about this television because I don't think that people consider everything that they should when making a large purchase like this. We made this purchase on the fly because we were in transition at the time. Our family had just moved from England to Washington and we had NOTHING! Our household goods were in storage until we found and house and we were living in an apartment for a while. Initially we went to the BX and purchased my favorite a 32" Sony LCD television (Sony is our favorite brand of electronics). After 2 weeks there was an accident with the television so we returned it to the BX and guess what? They did not have anymore 32" Sony LCD's in stock so we went to Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart had a large selection of televisions to choose from and we had a great time looking around and selecting a television. My husband and I decided that we would just get an inexpensive television to watch until we moved (this was really odd for us because we had never made a purchase based on price before we have always gone right to Sony because we know that quality and love it). We took the television home and set it up. The picture quality was satisfactory and for a few weeks we were pleased.

Three weeks passed since the purchase and I began to notice that there is a 10 second delay from the time that you turn on the television until you actually see a picture. That may not be a big deal for many people but it is a challenge if you are in a dark room. The biggest problem with this television is the remote. Yes, the remote. The remote control works great as long as you have it at the correct angle. If you are not pointing the remote directly at the infrared light on the lower panel of the television it will not power on, adjust volume or change the channel. This is a big problem. I am accustomed to Sony televisions which will power on if you are pointing the remote at the wall.

Once we moved into our new house I put the large Sony LCD in the family room and put the Emerson in the master bedroom. I do not like having this television in my room. It is so hard to get it to power on with the remote and adjusting the volume is outrageous. Granted we only spent $430.00 on this television from Wal-Mart, but we should have just purchased the television that we really wanted to begin with. We have really learned a lesson, you really do get what you pay for. Once I spoke to my husband he agreed that we can purchase the large Sony LCD that we originally wanted so I am very happy about that. Now I have to have a yard sale and try to get rid of this Emerson television so that we can make the purchase that we should have made in the beginning. The next time you are out making a large purchase like a television make sure you look at and play with the remote. You may not think it is a big deal but I promise you that a good remote makes enjoying television a lot easier.

I TOUCHLESS TRASH CAN

Good day to you all. So, I was wondering what to write about today and then I remembered the amazing trash can that I bought from Wal-Mart. The i-touchless trash can is GREAT. First let me tell you that this trash can comes in many sizes but this is the largest indoor trash can that I have come across. The company makes 4 or 5 different sizes but the one we bought is 32 gallons. Yes, a 32 gallon indoor trash can in stainless steel.

Some of you are wondering what makes this trash can so wonderful, well I am happy to tell you. The main reason I purchased this trash can is for the size. Most indoor trash cans that are meant to be used in the kitchen are 10 gallons at the most. With a large family you may find yourself emptying the trash every other day. The size of this trash can is amazing and it allows us, a famiy of 5, (4 with my husband deployed right now) to empty the trash once a week. That is really helpful for my 5 year old who is in charge of taking out the trash. There is also an inner ring that holds your trash bag in place so it is not hanging over the sides of the can and it does not fall inside the trash can either.

The best feature about this trash can for me is the fact that it is touchless. This trash can has an infared light on the lid and when you wave your hand over it, viola it opens. Once you have finished putting your waste in the can 5 seconds later it closes on its own. You have the option of using batteries to power it or you can purchase the power adaptor with it and plug it in. There are also buttons on the face of the trash can that can be used for opening and closing the lid, so it gives you a few options. The touchless aspect of this trash can allows you throw things away without contaminating your hands while cooking. Also, children love this feature. My kids love throwing things away because the lid opens on its own. Antoher thing that some might find useful (I do) is that the trash can is on casters so you can move it very easily. We have had this trash can for 8 weeks and I have no complaints.

This last piece of information may prove to be the most important for some of my readers because it deals with the price of this trash can. It is expensive as far as trash cans go. You can only order this particular trash can online from Wal-Mart. The price, after shipping and taxes, is $164.00. I know that sounds like a lot of money for a trash can but it is worth it for us. We produce alot of trash and to have a large trash can is important to us. The i-touchless trash can also keeps odors out of the kitchen and it looks great. The stainless steel frame with black lid and handles is very pleasing to the eye and will compiment any decor. The stainless steel frame also makes cleaning easy, although I must say that I have not had to clean this trash can as much as I have cleaned some of the plastic ones we have owned in the past. This is one of my favorite things and I highly recommend it. If the price of the large one is not appealing to you they have more size and price options at Walmart.com.

OSTER DIGITAL TOASTER OVEN

The Oster Digital toaster oven was a purchase made for my husband. Though he is deployed right now, before he left he told me that he really wanted this item. A few days after we moved into our new house I went to my favorite store (Target) and got him the last one on the shelf. This is a really great toaster oven. First off it is digital so anyone who likes gadgets will love this one becasue the digital functions are really great. The oven boasts many diffrent pre-set settings that are very useful (toast,pizza,defrost). This toaster oven allows you to program your own settings as well, so you can cook food to your liking if you are not happy with the results of the pre-set settings. The keypad is easy to use and understand which is good if you have tweens at home that will be using it often.

The oven heats up very quickly which is a good thing in the morning when the little ones want waffles. It is also very hard to burn food in this oven because it rings when when the cook time is complete. The inner shelf holds up to 6 slices of bread for making toast and they all turn out toasted to the same degree (instead of the ones on the indise being too lite). Waffles turn out golden brown and slightly crispy on the on the outside and very soft and warm on the insde. Pizza comes out with perfect crust and cheese melted througout not just on the outer edges. This oven actually cooks food instead of just heating it. You can actually cook chicken in this oven. You are given a roasting pan to use for cooking meat if you choose. I am very pleased with this purchase. Paying $70.00 for this toaster oven was not a problem since we use it everyday. One other thing that I think is great is that you get the option of stainless or black in terms of color so it will match any decor. I do feel bad that we have used it before my husband had a chance to use it since he was the one that chose it but I am sure that he will not mind. All in all this was a great purchase for our family. The oven is affordable, easy to use and a necessity in our home.

JOHN AND KATE PLUS EIGHT

I have held my tongue long enough about John and Kate. I am sick of people bad mouthing Kate. She is the mother of 8 children, 6 of whom are 5 years old right now. Kate can be very sharp and to the point but when you are running alarge household there is no time to mince words. John knew what he was getting into when they got married so all the reports about how demanding Kate was is only helping to solidify the fact that John knew what he was getting when he married Kate. John is the one that cheated and he admitted tot he fact that he leaked the RUMOR about Kate cheating with her body guard to get the HEAT off of him. John is in the wronng here and Kateis trying to keep things together without him. He is trying to be forget he has 8 children while she is working hard everyday.

Now, I would also like to address the people who speak of exploitation of the children. How are they being exploited? Do you know that definition of the word? If the children on this show are being exploited then the same people that are screaming "SCANDAL" at Kate should also be screaming at the Duggar family sho now have 19 children all of whom are on a reality show. What about the new show, raising sextuplets? Those parents should also be villified. LEAVE KATE ALONE. She is a single mother holding it down. I really believe that if any of the people that are complaining had watched the show you would see that John was the ninth child. He was no help. When he did play with the children he would forget about some of them and if Kate were not around then the children would have been unattended inthe street at times. Anyone who thinks that John is the good guy in this is supporting adultery and that is not cool. Who leaves their wife and 8 kids and dates a 22 year girl, goes to France with her and buys a $180,000 ring? A jerk, thats who. John is AWFUL and someone should tell him that to his face. If Hailey were my daughter there is no way I would not give her the business for dating a married man with 8 children. She and her parents ought to be ashamed of her behavior. Does John really think that she wants to be the stepmother to 8 children. Please, she is still a child herself.

The point I want to make is this, people who live in glass houses should not throw stones. No one has the right to judge a situation from the outside looking in. One might even say I am wrong for calling John a jerk but as a mother of 3 and a wife I know that I never want to be in Kates shoes right now. I will say this, Kate is wearing the shoes well. This is a terrible situation and the entire family should be left alone so that they can work through it. That's my 2 cents.

FIT FLOPS

So, I have been away for a few days but things get hectic with 3 kids and a deployed husband. so now lets talk about these flops. OMG, I love my fit flops. They actually work. I received them on a Wednesday and put them on that very afternoon. I wore them all over the house, up an down the stairs for about 4 hours. I awoke the next morning to sore legs and buttocks. Understand this, I exercise 6 days a week, really exercise and these flops made me sore after a few hours of walking in them. I am impressed with them to say the least. The fitflops are very comfy and the color I selected {Bronze} go with ecerything. This was a very good purchase for me since it is summer here in Washington and very hot all we wear are flops so the fit flops are number one in my book. For anyone interested in them Victorias Secret has them on sale for as little as $40.00. There are many different styles and colors to choose from, I may get another pair (for fashions sake). That is all the info that I have for today but look for me tomorrow where I will discuss and review another wonderful product that I have purchased.

H2O MOP

So today I wanted to talk about the H2O mop. I saw the infomercial and of course I has to have it. I ordered but did not actually use it for about 6 months. We were in the process of a PCS and I wanted to wait to use it in our new home. Once we bought our house here in Washington I used the H2O mop for the first time and was not impressed. Once the mop heats up to the proper temperature and you begin to use it the mop does move very fluidly. You have to use a little force to move the mop across the floor. the mop does clean very well and I am happy with the results but there is a down side. The carpet cleaning feature does not work well. Once you attach the cleaning attachment for the carpet you get no results. You see alot of steam but not a lot of clean. So my final report on the H2O mop is that it does half the job that it reports to do. i think I will try the shark next and see if I get better results.

Jack Lalane Juicer Pro edition

Today I wanted to give some feedback on this juicer. I am a self proclaimed infomercial junky. I will buy something from T.V or Walgreens if I really think it will work. Well, I saw this juicer months ago and wanted it but we were moving and then my husband got deployed and we moved again so I waited.
I went into one of my favorite places,  Target, and they had this juicer so i bought it. The first one I got had a broken collection basin so I returned it and got another one in GREAT condition. This juicer boasts, more juice, ease of use and ease of clean up. You are also supposed to be able to put whole fruit into so that saves on time. Lets examine these major points.
More juice: by far this juicer gives the most juice of any juicer I have ever used. I have only owned 2 other juicers but this one really gives you every bit of juice from your fruit. Last night I got 30 ounces of juice from 8 small red delicious apples. You know that you are getting all the nutrients as well because the juice has a red tint to it like the color of the skin. My kids said "mom this juice tastes like eating an apple" the juice was good and there was a lot of it.
Ease of Use: This juicer is easy to use. you put the juice in the chute place the plunger on top top and off you go. As for the whole fruit claim it is true to a degree. You can get a whole red delicious apple in there are long as it is small. I made pear juice on Sunday and I had to cut the pear in half. That really is not a problem to me because with my other juicers I had to chop the fruit into tiny pieces and then place them in the juicer. So really, in the past I was making a fruit salad and then juicing. This juicer is very easy to use.
Ease of Cleaning: This aspect has to be judged on an individual level I believe. In order to clean this machine you must disassemble it after each use. You cannot let it sit from breakfast to lunch and continuously make juice. You must break it down and clean it in between uses. You must remove the plunger and clean it, the lid must be removed and cleaned and the lid captures a GOOD portion of the pulp from the juicing process so be careful when taking it apart so that you do not drop pulp everywhere. The blade must be removed with a special tool that they include and then the cylinder must come and be washed. The cylinder also contains pulp a round that edges so be careful with this piece as well. Washing the pieces is fairly easy but in my opinion you should make your juice, drink it and then clean the machine. It seems that if you wait more than 10 minutes to wash this machine the pulp will begin to dry making you job harder. the more fruits and veggies you use the more work you will have. Having written all of that, the cleaning is not hard just tedious. If tedium is not a passion of yours this may not be the machine for you. I think that the trade off is fair, but that is my opinion.
So, in summary I think this is a good quality machine. I have a little bit of OCD so cleaning is not an issue for me because I clean everything by taking it completely apart. The cost is also reasonable, as far as I am concerned,  $150.00 is not bad for a machine that I will use daily and keep in good condition.  I keep it on the island next to a full bowl of fruit so it will not be forgotten. I have always been a juicer because it is healthier and even though we took a short break from it during the move, I am glad that I invested in the Jack Lalane Power juicer Pro. I hope this was helpful. Join me tomorrow and I will discuss the H2O mop.

Launch

Hello world,
This is day one of my new blog and I am really excited. I wanted a venue where real stay at home moms could ask questions and have them answered. Practical questions like, does the woolite rigstick really work before I go out and buy it I want to know. I have the answer for you. The rug stick works but you have to put your back into it. This is not a device to be used by anyone with back problems (Like me). It is not very well made either, you are not getting a very sturdy product and please do not think that the cleaner comes out as seen on the commercial. I had to use the bottle of cleaner that I bought in addition to the rugstick and spray that on the floor. Once that was done then the work began. I had to scrub like I was cleaning up blood after a crime and all I was trying to get clean was a runner in my entry way. Once the scrubbing was over and the back pain went away then the carpet was dry. I vacuumed the carpet and was pleased with the result. How long it took for them to get the carpet from  the commercial as clean as they got it, I don't know, but for one runner it took about an hour for cleaning, drying and vacuuming.

Do I recommend this product? Well if you have the strength to scrub and scrub and scrub some more and if you can afford to buy 3 bottles of cleaner for each room that you want to clean, then go for it. There are better ways to clean your carpet that are less exhausting. I will say this, the rug stick is a good option if you have a lot of area rugs in your home because it cleans without saturating so there is no risk of mold or mildew setting into the carpet or the rug itself.
Thanks for reading hope to hear from you soon