Michaela Elizabeth: 2016

Saturday, October 29, 2016

"If You Were Me and Lived..."

I received If You Were Me and Lived in... the Middle Ages free for this review, but everything below is my own, honest thoughts and opinions.

I contacted Carole P. Roman, the author, a couple of months ago because I was interested in reviewing If You Were Me and Lived in... the Middle Ages; she not only sent it to me, but also sent me If You Were Me and Lived in... Viking Europe. Both are part of her "If You Were Me and Lived in... Ancient History" series, which is a sequel to her "If You Were Me and Lived in... Countries Around the World" series.

This was a couple months ago. A couple months! I can't believe it has taken me so long to get this written! I have absolutely LOVED reading If You Were Me and Lived in... Viking Europe and If You Were Me and Lived in... the Middle Ages to my girls! The girls're a little bit young for the books, since I would estimate them geared for ages 7-10, but that just meant we took longer to finish the books. We read probably 2-3 pages at a time before one or both girls were ready to do something else.

Both books are written directly to the reader, in a "you are" form, and while educational, the narrative is easy to follow. Carole P. Roman did a good job at keeping me interested through the story, and I was surprised that I even learnt something while reading her books. I liked that she included a glossary and pronunciation guide at the end of each book, as well as defining the words in context; however, her pronunciation guides don't follow any standard guide I've used in the past, so I was a bit thrown off by some of the words. But it is geared towards elementary school students, so perhaps the phonetics are ones I've forgotten or are more intuitive for the target reading level.

If You Were Me and Lived in... the Middle Ages and If You Were Me and Lived in... Viking Europe are the most recent books in the "If You Were Me and Lived in... Ancient History" series, and I'm excited for when my girls are a little bit older to get the whole series! I'll post a list of all the books in the series, as well as a few of the "If You Were Me and Lived in... Countries Around the World" series, after the sample images, below. Honestly, the biggest demerit I've run into about this is that Carole P. Roman published directly through Amazon, and her website doesn't organize anything other than linking directly to her Amazon author page, so it's been kind of difficult to find the rest of the series.

If You Were Me and Lived in the... Middle Ages cover artwork
[Image description: nearly square paperback book cover with series, author and illustrator names (Carole P. Roman and Mateya Arkova, respectively) in white, and installment name in red; pastel artwork shows a girl in a simple but traditional red dress, with yellow trim on the square collar and wide sleeves, from the Middle Ages. She is wearing a garland headband and her hair in a long braid that appears to be blowing in the wind. She is standing on a grassy hill and her arm is outstretched towards a brown bird and tree that is barely visible. In the distance there is a second hill with castle and a winding dirt path. All is backed by a nearly clear blue sky, with a single white cloud behind the castle and tree. There is a vertical red stripe just to the left of the title.]

If You Were Me and Lived in the... Middle Age sample page
[Image description: two-page book spread with the same traditionally dressed girl from the cover, her braid laying gracefully over her right shoulder and her hands clasped in front of her. She appears to be standing on a grassy field just a bit off of a traditional town. Between her and the town is a a bridge and a waterway. Near the bottom right corner is a single, small cottage, isolated by by trees. On the left-hand page, backed in white, are 4 paragraphs of text describing possible girls' and boys' names, family name and race. All text is addressed to "you" as the reader., for example, "You were called Norman because your family came from Normandy..." The lower outside corners display page numbers 12 and 13, and the book is held open by a ringed hand.]

If You Were Me and Lived in the... Viking Europe cover artwork
[Image description: nearly square paperback book cover with series, author and illustrator names (Carole P. Roman and Mateya Arkova, respectively) in white, and installment name in yellow. Pastel artwork shows a Viking or Scandinavian boy wearing dark blue, long-sleeves with a long, lighter blue tunic on top, that is cinched with a brown belt; all over green leggings and mid-calf brown boots. He is holding a bow, with a quiver and a few arrows slung over his shoulder. He is standing on a rocky outcropping, with waves of the sea crashing on the rocks. He is looking away, over the water towards a Viking sailboat and another landmass, which has a dock, a path and 3 cottages. The sky is cloudy, starting white near the land blended to a light teal. There is a vertical yellow stripe just to the left of the title.]

If You Were Me and Lived in the... Viking Europe sample page
[Image description: two-page book spread with the same traditionally dressed boy from the cover, with one hand on his hips/waist, and the other holding his belt. He is standing next to a traditionally dressed girl with a red dress, white sash around her waist, and yellow or gold chain accents around her neck. She has long, curly reddish-brown hair that comes to her waist, and she stands about as tall as the boy's elbow. They are standing on a grassy plain, with cream sheep, the teal ocean, and blue sky behind them. Off to the right side, there is a green hill, a small cottage with a green roof, a path and a fence in the background. On the left-hand page, backed in white, are 3 paragraphs of text describing possible girls' and boys' names, and family name designation. The lower outside corners display page numbers 10 and 11, and the book is held open by a ringed hand.]

As promised, the "If You Were Me and Lived in... Ancient History" series (numbered by publication date, from oldest to most recent, since her volume numbers don't match the publication order):

The complete (to my knowledge) list of the "If You Were Me and Lived in... Countries of the World" series (also numbered by publication date, from oldest to most recent, since her volume numbers don't match the publication order):

Disclosure: I was compensated for this review, and this post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commission on purchases. For more information, see my Disclosures page.

Sunday, October 9, 2016

#Lebice Popsicle Molds

I received the Lebice Popsicle Molds for free in exchange for my review, but the thoughts here are my own honest opinions.

I've had this ready to write for almost 2 weeks now, but I just haven't been able to bring myself to sit down and WRITE. I'm not really sure why, either, so far, these Lebice Popsicle Molds are my favorite product I've had the chance to review! Call it writer's block, if you want, but it's not that I haven't had ideas, it's that I haven't been able to bring myself to get those thoughts into written text.

But, I'm here now, and as I said above, this has been my favorite product to use and review to date! It's been a lot of fun to mix together juices, smoothies and fresh and frozen fruit to make our own "Popsicles." The best part: since I know EXACTLY what goes into these popsicles, I don't mind letting the girls have (nearly, since they'd eat all 6 in one sitting, if I let them) as many as then want. (It probably also helped, that popsicle stick molds were another product that was already on my shopping list, that I was able to review for free. 🤗)

4 sides of the Lebice box (bottom right cut off the leak resistant, FDA approved, BPA free and dishwasher safe circles)

Right off the bat, the Lebice Popsicle Molds sport a bright, festive, summery box featuring fruity colors of oranges, strawberry/raspberry pinks and a kiwi green. I totally didn't realize the fruity-ness of the colors until sitting here trying to describe them. Talk about subtle/sub-conscious marketing! 😉😊 My first impression was how bright and summery the box is. Definitely indicative of a great summer treat--or really anytime in our local, Florida heat.

Also important to note: the molds are leak resistant, FDA approved, BPA free and dishwasher safe. I can't believe I didn't realize until now that I cut these points off when I took the picture. Of course it's just AFTER I decide I don't need the box anymore and recycle it. [Facepalm]

Opened Lebice box with all contents individually wrapped

My first disappointment came when I opened the box. Part of the reason I wanted reusable popsicle molds is because I was tired of buying and throwing away the popsicle sticks and wrappers--though we usually bought Outshine bars or Chloe's Soft-Serve fruit bars rather than Popsicle brand. While I know 9 little plastic baggies are insignificant compared to what we were doing, the individual wrappers still seemed unnecessary.

Closed Lebice box, individual wrapping removed, and popsicle molds assembled

Once the plastic was removed and disposed of, the Lebice Popsicle Molds looked a lot higher quality than they did in the baggies, which look tacky to me. (Probably because I think it's a completely unnecessary waste.)

Lebice mold picture instructions

I just thought it was too funny that there were instructions at all, seems pretty simple: add juice/fruit/whatever to mold, freeze, eat. but it was nice to have the picture that suggest warming the edges to removed the frozen popsicle easier.

Juice and fresh and frozen fruit ready to blend in Vitamix blender

The next several photos are the process of making the smoothie I used as the first sample of popsicles. The instructions came with a couple of recipes and a QR code to more recipes and video instructions, but I just sorta made my own thing. For the first try, I used fresh and frozen strawberries and frozen pineapple, mango and papaya with orange juice and a touch of honey, blended in our Vitamix 5300. (If you want my review of the blender, check out my 30 Day Vitamix Challenge.)

Vitamix on and contents blended into a smoothie

Vitamix pitcher removed from base next to prepared lebice molds

First Lebice mold filled using collapsible funnel

When filling, the funnel filled 1/2 to 3/4 of the way left just about a half inch from the top of the popsicle mold. In future popsicles, I filled them just below the top ridge, but in this first sample, I used 1/2 to 3/4 of the funnel as a measurement.

Filled Lebice molds with 3 yellow and 3 green sticks/lids in place; lebice logo visible

Filled Lebice molds in the freezer

Frozen, ready-to-eat popsicle with mold removed and in background

With the gap left in the popsicle mold, there was a subsequent gap from the lid to the edible portion of the popsicles. When I filled the molds to just under the ridge, there was virtually no gap between the lid and fruity/edible portion, but, of course, I forgot to photograph any future popsicles we made.

Overall, I would totally recommend the Lebice Popsicle Molds to anyone who wants control over the ingredients in their popsicles and/or anyone who wants to limit their waste from traditional popsicles--even though they did come wrapped in the unnecessary individual wrappings, just keep that in mind. They are easy to fill, easy to wash, easy to remove, and my girls LOVED getting to eat popsicles that they helped make.

Disclosure: I was compensated for this review, and this post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commission on purchases. For more information, see my Disclosures page.

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

#Belmint Foot Spa and Massager

I received the Belmint Foot Spa and Massager at a discount in exchange for my review, but the thoughts here are my own honest opinions.

Above is my unboxing video of the Belmint Foot Spa and Massager. My first impression was the simple, compact design. Bonus points for the fun flowers. I was, however, surprised that the cover came completely off, as proven at timestamp 2:14 in the video.

I was a little less than impressed during my first attempt to run the massager, though. The instructions were very limited, and clearly translated into English from another language. (Hubby confirmed that it was Chinese.) Most of the mistakes were subtle, but there were a couple of gems:

"People ,who with serious disorders, should use the product with the accompany and help of others."(Yes, that is the original comma placement, "People ,who...")

"Do not use the water higher than 45ÿ directly into the basin, so to avoid foot scald or make products deformation."

"Children,the disabled,the mentally handicapped slow to respond to the old man and hot and cold sensitive response should use this product with help of others." (Again, typos are the company's.)

Hubby's favorite mistake:

"Products shall not be stored in bathrooms and other damp environment, it must be stored in a dry place, to avoid damage to the products." (Emphasis added by hubby.)

Here're my favorite mistakes/oddities:

"Serious heart disease patients,pregnant women, serious thrombotic cerebral congestion,late diabetic patients are not suitable for the use of this product, or after a doctor's consult...Do not use this product when the people's foot has inflammation, trama,feet, Xian skin scald, and the women in the menstrual period." (The translator and editor missed the spaces again.)

I don't know about you, but I have feet, so does that mean I shouldn't use it at all? 😉😂

All jokes aside, though the mistakes did make initial use a bit confusing, the biggest hurdle wasn't the language barrier. It was the lack of helpful information. The instructions were quite detailed on what each button is, and what the display means. However, the unit says, "Do not use without water," and the instructions never say how much water to use. We ended up using about 1-1.5 gallons of water, but we probably could/should have used more.

Belmint Foot Spa and Massager basin with 1-1.5 gal water and display: unit is off ( "OF")

Belmint Foot Spa and Massager filled 1-1.5 gal water to bottom of output nozzles without feet

Belmint Foot Spa and Massager filled 1-1.5 gal water to just the top of output nozzles with feet

I was having a little bit of a hard time figuring out what the temperature was, since there isn't an option to switch to Fahrenheit, but a quick Google Search said that 40°C=104°F. The recommended temperature is 35°C (95°F) to 45°C (113°F). When I told hubby, he laughed and said that his "optimal bath temperature is 42°," and that I should have just asked him.

Belmint Foot Spa and Massager display: unit is set to 40°C ("40") with light and massage on

I requested this review, because hubby has bad feet, and I was hoping the foot massager would help him, but the rollers went the wrong direction for him. He wanted the rollers to roll from his heel towards his toes, but they roll from toes to heel. He said he probably would prefer a shiatsu foot massager, but that the warm foot soak in the spa and massager was really relaxing.

While I didn't use it for the full massage time--only about 5 minutes before my "little helpers" needed me--I thought it was really nice. The rollers were firm enough to relieve tension in my arches, but not so deep that it was painful. The warm/hot water was definitely relaxing, and it was like an at-home pedicure.

I used it again, and this time I filled it up to just above the nozzles when empty, which just covered the vent when I put my feet in. It was nice to cover my feet more, and it was a lot quieter, too. I still only used the rollers for about 5 minutes before they started rubbing funny. Hubby let it run too long, and ended up with a couple of blisters, so be warned, and pay attention to how your feet are feeling.

Belmint Foot Spa and Massager filled to above output nozzles without feet

Belmint Foot Spa and Massager filled to just above the vent with feet

Overall, I would rate the Belmint Foot Spa and Massager 3.5-4 of 5 stars. The instructions and short tolerable massage time prevents me from rating it a 5. If you're looking for a high quality, deep foot massage, this isn't the unit for you. But I would recommend it to someone who wants a spa feel at home. I liked that it was a relaxing foot soak, and I liked the option to turn on and off the massage rollers as needed. Add a little Epsom salt, or other foot soak, and it's a portable, at-home pedicure system.

Disclosure: I was compensated for this review, and this post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commission on purchases. For more information, see my Disclosures page.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

#AmazrockMuslinSwaddle Blanket Review

I received the Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle Blanket free in exchange for my review, but the thoughts here are my own honest opinions.

We absolutely LOVE Muslin swaddle blankets. Ever since we were given an Aden and Anais for our Baby Shower for Big Sister--I can't believe it's been over 3 years already!!--we've been collecting all the muslin swaddlers we can get our hands on, so I was thrilled when I saw the offer to review the Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle Blanket!

Amazrock Muslin Swaddle Blanket in box and Amazon packaging

If you've read my past reviews, you know I'm a fan of simplicity when it comes to packaging, and I am reminded of this again with the Amazrock packaging. Very cute, simple and gender non-specific.

Amazrock Swaddle Blanket box back with swaddle instructions

I remembered to get a photo of the back of the box without the Amazon packaging, which shows the swaddling and care instructions (again, nice and simple), but not the front of the box without the extra plastic.

Side-by-side of open Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle blankets

Right out of the box, the Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle Blanket feels thinner than our Aden and Anais, It's also much stiffer than our Aden and Anais, but that is likely because the Aden and Anais has been washed, used and "broken in" (as my babywearing side likes to say) for the past 3 years. The Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle Blanket feels about the same thickness as a couple small muslin swaddle blankets we got from Ross.

Big Sister and Baby Sister claimed the blankets right away

Even though the blankets were unwashed, Big Sister and Baby Sister had a blast playing with them. They even insisted I took pictures of them right then and there. (So don't mind the mess behind them; this is real life.)

Swaddled Big Sister (age 3)

Since they are SWADDLE blankets, I had to see how they handled swaddling. Since I worked at a early childhood education center (essentially an educational daycare) in the infant/toddler classroom for 4 or 5 years, I would have to say I'm pretty experienced with swaddling, and I'm comfortable swaddling with many different fabrics.

Unfortunately, Baby Sister would have nothing to do with being swaddled; fortunately, Big Sister was SUPER excited to be "mermaid swaddle!" One of the reasons I love muslin blankets so much, is for swaddling: it just molds to the child's body with very little effort. Big Sister, above, is swaddle a bit tighter than I would normally swaddle, but she wanted it super tight. The 48"x48" size made it ideal for swaddling a 3yo, and it would make the perfect infant swaddler--even with wigglers.

Having used the Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle Blanket as a shoulder and lap blanket, I can attest to it's leightweight warmth. Even though it's still averaging in the high 80's, low 90's, I have been getting chills from our air conditioning, and the Amazrocks swaddlers have been great at keeping the breeze and chill off, without making me sweat. Such a reassurance when knowing that the blankets are designed for infants, who aren't really able to regulate their own temperature, yet.

I would recommend these to anyone who wants an easy-swaddle alternative to the traditional hospital receiving blanket, that's big enough to be used for several ages. I'd also recommend it to someone like me, who's sensitive to changes in temperature, but also likes small, lightweight blankets.

Interesting side note: apparently Amazrock has their own site, and doesn't just sell on Amazon. It looks to be mostly an aStore (a website that has Amazon Affiliates and Amazon Shopping embedded and integrated directly into the site), but their brand makes the Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle Blanket as well as Amazrock Woodless Colored Pencils (which, unfortunately appears to be out of stock.)

Disclosure: I was compensated for this review, and this post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commision on purchases. For more information, see my Disclosures page

Monday, September 19, 2016

#EZHome_EMT_026 Digital Thermometer Review

I received the Easy@Home Digital Thermometer free in exchange for my review, but the thoughts here are my own honest opinions.

Our thermometer got dropped and broke the last time one of the girls were sick, and it's been on our shopping list since then. The theremometer's been one of those items that I always think, "oh, I'll get that next time," every shopping trip, and next time never really comes, so I was really grateful when I saw this review offer, it meant I never had to force myself to just buckle down and buy the new thermometer. (It came at a pretty good time, too, since there's an outbreak of Hand Foot Mouth disease at FSU, nearby, and it will be nice to have a working thermometer if the virus reaches us.)

Easy@Home Digital Thermometer box, front

My first thought when I saw the package is that is was a no-brand knock-off that didn't seem worth the $13 the company is asking.

Easy@Home Digital Thermometer box, back

The back of the box is still pretty simple, and I'm glad it listed the features, since the <10 second read time and fever alarm started to reassure me of the price.

Easy@Home Digital Thermometer in storage case

I was surprised at how accurate and full-size the photo on the box was, and ultimately the size of the display in hand. Our last thermometer got no taller (oriented as pictured above, top being top of photo) than this display screen total, making this screen about twice as tall. The digital display on the Easy@Home Digital Thermometer screen was also a little wider (left to right) than our past thermometer, but not nearly as noticeable of a difference than the thermometer height.

Easy@Home Digital Thermometer under arm test, with results

The instructions say, "from a medical viewpoint this [the under arm] method will always provide inaccurate readings. and should not be used if precise measurements are required.". For this test, a precise measurement wasn't really needed, and it was the only measurement Big Sister would tolerate so I could take a photo. The digital display was very clear, and large, filling most of the display area. You can't see it in the photo, but there was a small triangle under the green area, indicating it wasn't a fever. (Green for no fever, yellow for mild fever, red for high/severe fever.)

The large display and flexible tip surprised me by being very easy to take a measurement on my 3yo, who is normally fights having her temperature taken, even as an under arm measurement.

Easy@Home Digital Thermometer, no battery

I went to test myself for an oral test example, but I was disappointed to discover the low battery warning, after only one test. I pulled out the battery, put it back in, and then tried turning on the Easy@Home Digital Thermometer, again.

Easy@Home Digital Thermometer oral test results

It worked. I waited about a week, to try again, and I haven't had a problem with the battery, since. (And you can even see the triangle temperature indicator under the green area.)

Overall, I'm still a little shocked at the price, since our last one was a $5 thermometer, but a quick search on Amazon shows that $13 isn't too far off for the quick read, large screen, flexible tip, fever alarm, and temperature color indicator. I would recommend this especially for someone who needs the large display and multiple alerts, or someone (like me) who wants the super quick read and flexible tip to take the temperature of someone wriggly, like a toddler. The $5 version is probably sufficient for a single college student, or anyone who just needs a simple, accurate, thermometer with a 60 second read time. (It's amazing how 60 seconds feels like an eternity when trying to take a sick toddler's temperature.)

Disclosure: I was compensated for this review, and this post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commision on purchases. For more information, see my

Disclosures page

Monday, September 12, 2016

Review: Honsen' Men's Slim #Wallet

I received the Honsen Men's Slim Wallet free in exchange for my review, but the thoughts here are my and my husband's own honest opinions.

Mario, my husband, has a rather large phone--a Samsung Galaxy Note 4, to be exact--that he stores in one pocket, and a fist-full of keys that he stores in his other pocket. Needless to say, his full-size billfold wallet was quite bulky in either pocket, and he prefers to carry his phone and wallet in the same pocket. I accepted the review offer for the Honsen Slim Wallet to see if this style of wallet would limit or resolve his frustration at the bulk in the wallet.

First Unboxing of Honsen Slim Wallet, to find a drawstring bag

I was impressed with the packaging. It came in a small brown/shipping box, and within that box, there was another, simple black and white box and lid. Inside, was a simple black drawstring bag, which contained the Honsen Slim Wallet.

First view of the Wallet, next to drawstring bag

My first impression of the wallet was that it felt pretty high quality. On Amazon, the seller says the "wallet is made from genuine cowhide leather," and with little to no experience with leather, I can only say that it looks nice. I do recall it smelling like leather, though.

Honsen Slim Wallet: card slots

I like that the company didn't use a lot of pomp and circumstance to signify the brand, but simply stamped the name, "Honsen," into the bottom of the card slots.

Honsen Slim Wallet: money clip

Having never used a money clip-styled wallet before, I can't conclusively say, but it felt like the magnet would weaken over time. Needless to say, it wasn't a neodymium magnet (a very strong, nearly permanent magnet) like the tiny (think 1/8" cube) ones that Mario periodically brings home from his labs. No, I don't think you need or even want a neodymium magnet in a money clip, but since those are our fridge magnets, that's the strength I am used to. The money clip was no contest, but that may explain my impression that the magnet was weak.

Honsen Slim Wallet: open money clip on side

Honsen Slim Wallet: money clip with 2 bills folded inside

Below are some of his thought and experiences after using the wallet for a little over a week, but I personally don't think we would have bought this wallet, if we didn't get it for free to review. I just don't think it's my his style, so I don't think it would have even crossed our radar.

The Honsen Men's Slim Wallet is a great wallet for someone that needs to minimize pocket space. The leather is fairly rigid and is able to keep its form very well. This is a major point for me as many wallets I have had relied on the cards for structure. The seams on the wallet are a fairly tight stitch and will hold for a few years without issue.

Cons:

The moneyclip is a magnetic clip. While this in and of itself is not a terrible thing, it has impacted my wallet placement as the wallet (although thin enough) cannot go in the same pocket as my phone as it tends to accidentally turn on my phones' stylus feature. (Galaxy Note 4) In the same pocket as my keys, the keyring tends to get stuck to the magnetic clip making the retrieval a little difficult.

Overall 4 stars for excellent leatherwork and space saving but I have to take one start off for the magnetic clip, though some people may like it.

So, there you have it: 4 of 5 stars, primarily due to the magnetic clip.

Disclosure: I was compensated for this review, and this post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commision on purchases. For more information, see my Disclosures page

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