Category: Vlog

Oreck XL Gold VS Food Ground Into The Carpet And A Giveaway Update

We are loving the Oreck XL Gold. We knew the vacuum did a great job on regular vacuuming but wondered how it would be on something a little more challenging. Check it out.

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For those of you that want to win one you’ll be glad to know you’ve got a little more time to enter because I’ve decided to keep the giveaway open for another two days.

WANT EXTRA ENTRIES INTO THE GIVEAWAY?

Leave a comment on the Oreck XL Gold giveaway post naming

one song you heard in the video
how much weight I’d lost when I shot the video
one food that we crushed into the carpet

Feel free to leave a comment for each answer you’ve got.

Sep 12, 2009 | 5 comments | View Post

Video Tour And Review Of The Oreck XL Gold Vacuum With Giveaway

I put together a little video tour of our new Oreck XL Gold Vacuum. The video also contains some of the reasons we love it.

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The outer bag of the vacuum has 5 layers. Underneath that there is a 4 layer hypo-allergenic inner bag. Between the two bags 99.9% of dust particles are eliminated. Inside the bag there’s a compartment where you can place a Fresh Air Tab, which helps neutralize odors. Since you’ve never been in my house just trust me that this is a much needed feature.

The vacuum has 2 speeds and the speeds are controlled up in the handle. On all of my other vacuums the speed was controlled on the vacuum itself so you had to stop the vacuum and bend over to switch it when you wanted to change speeds.

That handle I mentioned? It’s a “helping hand” handle. That means it requires no squeezing to use it so even people with arthritis can use it without problems.

The vacuum weighs only 9 pounds. I could easily move it from room to room or carry it up and downstairs if I had to. Fortunately for me I don’t - the Oreck XL Gold Vacuum is part of a Power Team which also includes a portable canister (which I’ll be reviewing in another video).

The vacuum has a direct suction system. That means the motor and hoses are aligned for maximum efficiency, causing 102 MPH suction and 6,500 RPM revolutions. These two things are what made my carpet stand back up after laying flat for a couple of years. This is what we love about it. To be blunt, this vacuum really sucks - and I do mean that in a good way. It picked up dirt in the carpet that our other vacuum left behind. It picked up the fibers in the carpet too, making it look much nicer! We’ve had a number of vacuums and none of them had enough suction to do this.

The Oreck XL Gold Vacuum comes with a 5 year warranty and 5 free annual tune-ups.

The Oreck XL Gold is part of a Power Team. I’ll be going over the high points of that portable canister in another post. Another secret way to enter the giveaway will be in that post as well so check back tomorrow.

There’s still time to enter to win an Oreck XL Gold Vacuum for yourself. CLICK HERE TO ENTER TO WIN AN ORECK XL GOLD VACUUM.

Sep 02, 2009 | 1 comment | View Post

My Dirty Little Disney Habit

Here’s my dirty little Disney habit.

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I bought just about every Disney mini beanbag plus that came out over the period of a couple of years. If I couldn’t get them locally I’d have them shipped. I stopped buying them after CJ was born to save money. I’m still going through them. I’m keeping all of the Pooh characters and all of the Mickey characters. Do you think I had a bit of a problem?

Anyway. They’re all dusty because they’ve been sitting on shelves for years. I know I can’t run them through the washing machine. Does anyone know how to clean these things?

Aug 25, 2009 | 5 comments | View Post

My Video Entry For The Verizon My FIOS Home Ultimate Upgrade Contest

I submitted my video entry into the Verizon My FIOS Home: Ultimate Upgrade Contest yesterday.

To view the video just go to http://myfioshome.com/videos.aspx?ucid=b651e3e3-dcfc-48a7-b678-9c1c3dc14f31 .

Now all I need is votes.

Pretty please?

Aug 13, 2009 | 3 comments | View Post

Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs

As a member of the Mom Bloggers Club I was given the opportunity to share my thoughts on Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs. I was happy to take part in this because I like Oscar Mayer Hot dogs. They have a wide variety of hot dogs - my favorite are the beef and the beef & cheddar. I took the $15 gift card they sent me and spent it on Oscar Mayer hot dogs, buns, chili and corn. I invited my parents over last night and we had an indoor cookout (it was looking pretty dark outside by then). We had a lot of fun just spending the evening together. Here’s a video RB took of me sharing my opinion. (I look a bit of a wreck, sorry.)

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My Mom made her first video as well last night. We were having so much fun she couldn’t talk because everyone was laughing. Her video is up on her blog, Here And There. You can also see some other great videos on the Oscar Mayer YouTube channel.

May 25, 2009 | 1 comment | View Post

Jay Robb Whey Protein Powder Yogurt review

This is a brief video review (3 minutes) on Jay Robb Whey Protein Powder being mixed with yogurt.

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Just like when you’re mixing with a liquid, make sure your yogurt is very cold. I actually put mine back in the freezer for five minutes after stirring it to make it a little colder.

Once mixed thoroughly, I found the protein powder/yogurt mix very smooth and creamy, almost like some frostings. Definitely thicker than regular yogurt and almost the texture and thickness of some puddings. The cocoa-y taste was not overpowering.

This first ingredient in this shake is cold-processed cross-flow microfiltered whey protein isolate. One serving has 25 grams of protein and 110 calories. The available flavors are Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Pina Colada and Tropical Dreamsicle. An unflavored variety is also available. Jay Robb Whey Protein Powder is available in single serving packets as well as 12 ounce, 24 ounce and 80 ounce containers. These Whey Protein Powders are available for purchase from the Jay Robb website, where they’re currently offering free shipping for orders over $25.

If you want to see what it’s like mixed with liquid, or if you want to see the blender bottle and blender ball in action watch my first Jay Robb video review.

Apr 28, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post

Jay Robb Whey Protein Powder Shake review

This is a brief video review (3 minutes 8 seconds) on Jay Robb Whey Protein Powder being used to make a shake. The video shows me making the shake using the Jay Robb blender bottle and the patented blender ball.

UPDATE: WARNING! THERE’S MORE SHAKING IN THIS VIDEO THAN THE SHAKE. I WASN’T FULLY DRESSED. SORRY ABOUT THAT.

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I recommend that whatever liquid you mix it with be very cold for the best taste. The blender bottle was very helpful. The blender ball does a great job of mixing up the beverage and leaves no chunks whatsoever.

I thought the texture was very smooth and very similar to something we used to get from a store in the mall called Orange Julius. The taste was orangey and fruity but not overpowering. I tried making this with both water and skim milk. It’s interesting how different it tastes depending on what you mix it with. When mixed with water it’s more of a thick foamy juice flavor and when mixed with milk it’s more of a creamy ice pop flavor.

My nutritionist wants me getting my protein using products with whey protein isolate on the pre and post surgical diet. This first ingredient in this shake is cold-processed cross-flow microfiltered whey protein isolate. One serving has 25 grams of protein and 110 calories. The available flavors are Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Pina Colada and Tropical Dreamsicle. An unflavored variety is also available. Jay Robb Whey Protein Powder is available in single serving packets as well as 12 ounce, 24 ounce and 80 ounce containers. These Whey Protein Powders are available for purchase from the Jay Robb website, where they’re currently offering free shipping for orders over $25.

Apr 27, 2009 | 1 comment | View Post

iMetabolic Vanilla Bean Meal Replacement Shake review

This is a brief video review (2 minutes 39 seconds) on the Vanilla Bean Meal Replacement Shake from iMetabolic. The video shows me making the shake by shaking it in a container with a lid.

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I thought the flavor was similar to vanilla pudding or pie filling. Once again it tasted best when made with very cold water. I find that making it by shaking it leaves no lumps in it, making it taste better. Once again, “shaken, not stirred”. It’s on the thick side - thicker than milk but not quite as thick as a McDonald’s or Wendy’s shake.

This first ingredient in this shake is pure whey protein isolate, which is what my nutritionist wants me taking on the pre and post surgical diet. One snack size serving has 26 grams of protein and 186 calories. The serving is a snack size serving, made with a half of a cup of cold water. The available flavors are Chocolate Decadence, Strawberry Passion, Orange Sunrise, Vanilla Bean and Banana Delight. These shakes are available for purchase online from the iMetabolic store. One 3.45 lb. tub contains 28, 2-scoop single serving shakes and sells for $49.95

Apr 18, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post

iMetabolic Chocolate Decadence Meal Replacement Shake review

This is a brief video review (2 minutes 30 seconds) on the Chocolate Decadence Meal Replacement Shake from iMetabolic. The video shows me making the shake by stirring.

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I thought the flavor was similar to the powdered Quik or Hershey’s Cocoa that you can make chocolate milk with. I found the colder I had it the better it tasted. I also found that I had to many chunks when mixing with a fork or spoon. It blended much more nicely when I shook it. I liked this the same way James Bond would ask for it - “shaken, not stirred”.

Apr 17, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post

iRobot Roomba Pet Series Vacuum Cleaning Robot Review series - Robby On Pet Hair

This video is under 2 minutes (1:17) and gives an up close look at Robby (the iRobot Roomba Pet Series Vacuum Cleaning Robot I’m reviewing) and how he handles weeks of cat hair on the dining room rug.

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Next up we let tackle lots of dirt and cat hair in CJ’s room.

Remember to to check out the new iRobot iTube channel!

Apr 13, 2009 | 3 comments | View Post

iRobot Roomba Pet Series Vacuum Cleaning Robot Review series - A Closer Look At Robby and What’s In The Box

This video is under 3 minutes (2:45) and gives an up close look at Robby (the iRobot Roomba Pet Series Vacuum Cleaning Robot I’m reviewing) and what comes in the box.

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Next up we let Robby tackle lots of cat hair in the dining room.

Remember to to check out the new iRobot iTube channel!

Apr 12, 2009 | 1 comment | View Post

An ode to oysters

I was surfing and wound up on the Be Oyster Aware website learning about Gulf oysters. The site promotes oyster safety awareness and educates visitors about vibrio vulnificus, a dangerous bacterial infection it is possible to get if certain oysters are eaten, and it’s symptoms and treatment. informs visitors. There’s a section on how oysters can be processed after harvesting and another containing recipes.

Hubby’s band had practice tonight so it was just me and the kids in the house. My son was in the living room messing around with his guitar and we came up with a funny little music video about them.

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If I had a Packet in my pocket

“If I had a packet in my pocket and a pocket in my pants
I’d have saved enough money to buy a Macbook and not left it up to chance…”

Packet 8 now offers Mobile Talk, a voice over ip solution used from your mobile phone that provides low cost digital voice service and international calling. Because you use your own mobile phone (no worries, over 400 models work with the service), there is no learning curve - you just keep using your phone as usual. You won’t need to be standing in a certain place at a certain time on a certain day. You won’t need to memorize any pin numbers or special access phone numbers. You just need to sign up for the service and install it on your phone. There is a nominal monthly fee for the service, but you’ll make it up with the money you save on your calls because you’ll be saving up to 90%.

I’ve made many new friends since I started blogging, and a number of them are not in the United States. With a service like this I could call and talk on the phone with them instead of typing and not worry about the expensive phone bills. And if my brother, who is in the Navy, was out of the country I could talk to him without going bankrupt.

I’ve made a little ad for Packet8 and entered a contest going on at http://bix.yahoo.com/contest/33995. It’s got a couple of really cool prizes, any of which I would love to win. Cough. MACBOOK. Cough. Please vote for me!

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