Common Sense Reviews

Let me paint you a scene that up until very recently was very common in my home.  It’s the start of a family event and I pull out the digital camera to snap some pictures of the family.  Only to have the camera die after 2 minutes because the batteries are dead.  Unfortunately, by the time the batteries are recharged the party will be over and I have no pictures to show for it.

Well, thanks to my friend Colleen, this is not the case anymore.  Thanks to Colleen, or Classy Mommy as you may now her, and Energizer I was able to check out Energizer’s 15 Minute battery charger.  Words cannot describe my appreciation.  This 15 minute charger WILL charge your rechargeable batteries in 15 minutes.  And when you have little ones and are ready to capture their silly moments, 15 minutes is about all the time you can spare waiting for batteries to recharge.

The best part perhaps is that this charger comes with a car plug in adapter.  This has been so helpful as well because there have been times that we are headed out the door, grab the camera and find out that the batteries are dead.  An average car trip (15-20 mins) and by the time we get to our destination the batteries are ready to be used.  If you have little children like I do and take car trips often you know how much of a godsend it is to be able to recharge batteries in the car quickly.  No more whines about the electronic toy dying and no replacement batteries available.

Just a word of caution that due to the speed at which this charger works, your batteries will be hot at the time the charge is complete.  Follow the manufacturer instructions and allow for cooling time before handling them.  Thanks Colleen and Energizer for the opportunity to review this lifesaver!

I first had a chance to try Flat Earth chips last year when the product was initially coming out and there were free item coupons available.  The Farmland Cheddar was actually an instant hit with my husband.  What I really like about the chips is that they are baked BUT they don’t taste like they are baked.  If you have ever tried baked chips you probably know that they lack the crunchiness that fried chips have.  Not Flat Earth chips, they are crunchy, they are crisp and they are oh so tasty.

Recently Frito Lay the maker of Earth Chips has come out with a very hilarious cartoon webseries called “A Woman’s World.”  I hate to compare but this series is like a G rated, but so much funnier and realistic version of  “Sex in the City.”  You have to check it out.  There are actually four episodes already available, in addition to the premiere.  Enjoy!

Have you ever listened to music from Yanni?  I have but it had been a very long time since the last time I heard any of his CDs, at least 8 years.  While I enjoyed his instrumental music from the 90s, it always ended up making me very sleepy after a while.  The music is great and relaxing but sometimes it was just too relaxing.

Thanks to One2One network I had the opportunity to give Yanni music a second chance.  The title of this CD made me curious enough, Yanni Voices? certainly something I was not expecting.  I popped the CD into my car’s CD player without even looking at the CD box.  I just wanted to be surprised and I was.

The CD has songs in English, Spanish and Italian.  The music is also more upbeat and you are likely to find more than one song you will fall in love with.  Personally, I really enjoyed “Before the Night Ends” by Leslie Mills.  But my favorite were “Mi Todo Eres Tu, “Ritual de amor” and “Mas All.”

I think this CD has the potential to satisfy old and new Yanni fans.  It still contains the essence of previous Yanni work, while being updated with youthful beats and tones.

Buying batteries can become a real budget drain for families.  Using a lot of batteries is also not good for the environment.  My husband and have saved a lot of money and avoided creating a lot of waste by using rechargeable batteries.  In the past I have enjoyed using rechargeable batteries but have also experienced some frustration.  This frustration was caused by not completely charged batteries that died soon after I started using them.

All of that has changed thanks to the new Energizer Easy Charger Rechargeable that was sent to me thanks to Energizer and my fellow Elevenmom Colleen, from Classy Mommy.  Colleen has been invited by Energizer to become an online brand advocate.  This new Easy Charger by Energizer charges your batteries in about 3 hours.  Not only that, but it also has a “charging” light and a “done” light to let you know your batteries are done charging.  No more guessing!

In addition to that the charger has an auto shut-off, so you don’t have to worry about leaving it plugged for a while. The charger comes with four AA batteries but you can also use the same charger to charge four AAA batteries.  I also really liked that it comes with three different “skins” so you can choose the way you want it to look: white, black or silver.

Using rechargeable batteries is not only good for your budget but also good for the the planet.  If you are looking for a reliable and convenient rechargeable battery system I highly recommend the Energizer Easy Charger System.  As it not only charges your batteries quickly but it also protects your batteries from damage with the auto shut-off feature thus extending their life.

I mentioned before that New Years is one of my favorite days of the year.  I love that it gives people the perception of a new start and with that the resolution to make changes.  Sadly, it is a fact that new years resolutions seldom stick. So why do we give up in our goals and dreams?  Most of the time because we don’t believe we deserve to achieve them.  Learning to get out of the way of our dreams is something that Pat Pearson teaches in her book “Stop Self-Sabotage.”

Did you know that because we fear success and the change that comes with it we abandon projects? Here are some common example of self sabotage situations: The person who resigns themselves to their dead end job because there’s no way they can pay for their way through college on the salary you make.  How about the guy who wins the lottery and in less that two years has squandered it all away? The person who decides to pay down their debt but decides to charge more items because there is no way s/he will ever be able to pay it all off anyway.

This book is a simple an easy tool to help ourselves achieve personal growth.  I feel that nowadays the message in this book is very appropriate.  Many people are feeling defeated by their financial situation, maybe they have lost a job or they just can’t make ends meet.  Resigning yourself to that state and giving up helps perpetuate that economic reality.  Realizing that you do deserve better and that getting what you want is within YOUR reach is something this book can help you achieve. Read Stop Self Sabotage by Pat Pearson if you want to break free from the patterns of behaviours that keep you away from success.

Thanks to Kmart and their double coupons promotions I was able to score quite a few Scotch-Brite Nailsaver sponges for free.  For years my family has been Scotch-Brite brand loyal and have been very satisfied with their Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge (green and yellow).  I looked forward to using these newly designed sponges.

When I first tried them I noticed that the sponge material was different than that of the Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge.  I liked the curved shape and even the thicker sponge.  The scrubbing part did it’s work very well and although I seldom wear nail polish I felt the curve and thickness helped keep my nails safe.

However, I noticed that after only a couple of weeks the scrub part was coming unglued from the sponge part.  This was a problem we never had with the Heavy Duty Scrub Sponges.  So I found myself having to replace the sponge sooner than what I usually do.

All taken into account Scotch Brite Nailsaver sponges are good at scrubbing and the shape and thickness of the sponge do help keep your nails intact. The only drawback is that the sponge seems to become unglued faster than other Scotch Brite sponges.  At this time unless I find this sponge very cheap after coupons I will keep buying the Scotch Brite Sponge Scrub that does a good job at scrubbing as well and seems to have a longer life that the Nailsaver sponges.