Columbia Hiking Boots Review for Women

Anyway, my favourite place to hike is our farm, which is nestled in the foothills of the Appalachians.  It's a nice 300 acres with around 200 of it being woods.  There's steep ravines, caves, some large rock outcroppings and lots of large fallen trees to walk along and climb over.  Jeff likes exploring their hollow insides.  It's great fun and lets me spend time with the little rascal and get my exercise in at the same time.


Unfortunately, my hiking boots bit the dust and I'm looking for a replacement pair that's not going to kill my budget, and yet be of good quality so I'm not wasting money.  Yeah, I’m sure some of you are thinking I should just wear a pair of cross-trainers or something.  Cross-trainers are fine for hiking through your local neighbourhood park, but I live in the foothills of the Appalachians - wearing cross-trainers would only get my ankle broke.

Today, I ran across this little baby.  It’s the Columbia Sportswear Women's Ashlane Mid Omni-Tech Hiking Boot.  It’s a beauty.  Columbia is an excellent name in outdoor products, so you can’t go wrong with buying Columbia hiking boots.  Here’s the low down on this pair of Columbia hiking boots for women:

• The waterproof suede and mesh upper is backed up by Columbia's Omni-Tech waterproof breathable membrane.
• The gusseted tongue blocks trail debris from sneaking inside during your hike,
• The AgION anti-odor treatment prevents your fellow hikers from giving you embarrassing nicknames once you take off your Ashlanes at camp.

Anyway, I like them and they're now sitting in my wish list at amazon.  They normally run between $75 - $95, but you can pick them up at amazon for anywhere from 39 - 41% off the regular price, depending on how big your foot is.  I’m a size 8, so my pair of Columbia hiking boots is going to cost me $56.47.  Pretty good, huh!  One more very important thing - they all come with FREE shipping.


So there ya have it!  If you’re like me and after that next pair of hiking boots - grab these up while they’re still available in your size at amazon.  

   Have a great weekend!    Yo and Jeff the hiking cat


PS: Jeff the cat has his own blog. He hasn’t posted in it since his brother died.  But here’s a link to one he wrote after we got back from a long hike: How Dare You Human!

Where's the beef? Oh! There it is! Me in my graduation picture!

Graduation is just around the corner and it got me thinking about my ol’ college days.  Those days when I put on a lovely 30 pounds.  Yip, I was one of the statistics.  I didn’t realise how much I weighed until I saw a picture of me in my gown, holding my “I-can’t-believe-I-made-it” college diploma, with my mom and dad on either side.  I looked like a big pumpkin in a black gown.  I sat staring at the picture in horror thinking, “Man! I look gross!”

I wasn’t sure how to get that much weight off. I’d never been that overweight in my life.  So, I did a bit of shopping around and found Denise Austin’s “21 Jump Start” book.  I liked that it had success stories in it, but more importantly there were daily readings of Denise sharing her own story.  And perhaps even better than that - there were loads of recipes, some of which I’ve used for the past 15 years!

I peeled off a little over 30 pounds using the “21 Jump Start” book.  So!  Thinking about May - graduation month or June if you’re on a weird schedule, I thought I’d give you the heads up on the Denise Austin work out book that really does produce the results you want.

Here’s the layout:

1.  Success story.
2.  Daily reading
3.  Positive thought for the day (very very helpful!)
4.  Days menu that also includes eating tips of the day & page numbers to the recipes.
5.  You’re activity plan for the day, along with fitness tips of the day.

Workouts are broken into days of the week.  You alternate between aerobics and strength training.  Each exercise for a particular strength training day is illustrated with pictures and the details on how each is to be performed.

At the end of 21 days, if you’ve honestly applied yourself - you’ve got your confidence back, are thinking more positive and accomplishing things you’ve been putting off or taken steps toward doing things you thought you could ever do.  It’s a brilliant book.

One last thing, keeping in mind that Denise is not only a wife, but a mother and career woman.  She basically burns the candle at both ends, so your workouts are 30 minutes at best.  She has an entire chapter called, “In-a-Hurry Exercises” - exercises you can do while getting ready in the bathroom, kitchen, at your desk at work, in the car, and in line at the grocery store, etc.  

Another chapter focuses on balancing family, work and exercise.  There’s tips on eating out, how to build a fitness plan, tips on dealing with each body part from head to toe, and more.   
 If you're looking to drop some weight and have fun doing it, you definitely want to pick up this book. 

Carpet Cleaners Review: Woolite Carpet Cleaner

Ever have one of those mornings when you awake to a total disaster?  Well, this morning was one of those mornings.  It began with my cat sitting by my head and deciding to puke.  I managed to shove him off the bed before his breakfast ended up beside me.   So, he puked beside my bed. But! That wasn’t good enough! He went on to puke on the wood floor,  and 3 other places on my carpet.


It didn’t stop there. There was a dark patch on the carpet that wasn’t puke. I looked over at Dougie the Cat and he had blood all over the side of his head and it was dripping on the carpet.  His wound he got over the weekend had burst open and the infection was running everywhere - mainly on the carpet.


That’s when I decided it might be nice to share my dream machine with you just in case you have pets too, or accident prone kids.   As you can see by the pic - it’s the Woolite Rugstick. As many messes as my cats make from infections, chucking hairballs, peeing to annoy me, to upset tummies, this little baby has been a sanity saver!


Here’s amazon’s description of this wonderful little woolite cleaner:


Product Features


* Innovation for foam cleaning
* Convenient and easy system
* Perfect for area rugs
* Powerful cleaning action pushes foam deep into carpet, lifting and loosening embedded dirt from the bottom of the carpet fibers up


Adding my own on the Woolite rug cleaner, it’s also lightweight, easy to put together, and covers a lot more area at one shot than getting on your hands and knees doing it the old fashion way.   I’ve also found I can put quite a bit of pressure on the handle to dig deep into the carpet and the handle takes it really well.


HOW IT WORKS:





I have to say after reading some of the negative reviews on the product that the reviewers had obviously never used the Woolite cleaner,  because their claims were rubbish.   The other reviewers were bang on.  Obviously a stick carpet cleaner isn’t going to do the exact same job as a Rug Doctor or a home rug cleaner,  but it sure does come close.

The directions tell you straight up that you might have to clean some of the stains 2 or maybe even 3 times to remove a stain depending on the type of stain it is.  From my own experience,  how long the stain has been there also makes  difference.  For example, I have one stain that even mom’s big Bissell can’t get out, so I wasn't surprised when my little Woolite cleaner couldn't either.


Another reviewer also made a good point. The video shows the woman just gliding it along and cleaning. LOL No, you have to do a bit more scrubbing than that, but I’ll tell ya, it sure beats getting on your hands and knees to clean up frequent messes.  One helpful tip I might add here is make sure you scrub top to bottom, left to right and even diagonal.  It will give you a more effective clean than just going top to bottom of the stain.


I also found that like myself, it’s a hit among pet owners.   One more thing, the kit comes with a trial size so you’ll want to pick up the full-size carpet cleaner.   So, give it a shot!  You won’t be disappointed.

My top 12 reasons why I can't live without a Kindle

Image by goXunuReviews  It’s always been my philosophy that a house that’s not filled with books is a sad house and the occupants are in serious need of therapy.  Some people throughout my life have looked at my book collection and said I’m in serious need of therapy.  

Anyway, if you take a quick look at reason #2, you’ll see why a Kindle is a must for me and most likely, for you too!  So, here are my top 12 reasons why I can’t live without a Kindle:  

1. Cats can’t spray or chew on my books if they’re inside a Kindle.
2. My tiny cottage can’t hold anymore books. I have them in boxes in the closet, under the bed, upstairs in my mom’s house, and I refuse to stop reading just because I’m out of space.
3. I can highlight and share them on twitter.
4. I can carry my entire library with me every where I go.
5. It’s easy to find what I need with the “search”.  That comes in really handy when someone annoys me on facebook and I want to send them a scholarly sounding argument, because I know it will either bore them to death, annoy them or make them drop the subject all together.
6. I can play games on it if I want.
7. If my eyes start hurting, I can switch to “text to speech” and it will read to me.
8. I can find out what other people think of the book I’m reading and what parts they like best by clicking “popular highlights.”
9. I can get hundreds of books for free!
10.  I can do research for articles I’m writing for the different blogs I have, and the new improved Kindle has accurate page numbers now!
11.  I don’t have a dozen books stacked up around me for reference material!  
12. And did I mention that my cats can’t spray my books if they’re hidden in the Kindle?

So, there you have it.  12 great reasons to own a Kindle!  Well, if you’re me, anyway.  Before I forget, since the new improved Kindle’s have actual page numbers, the same numbers that are in the book, it’s the ultimate research tool for teachers, students and writers!

Now that I’ve convinced you, by reasons #1 and #12, that you can’t live without a Kindle, you can buy one here, click me, please click me, I beg of you, click me.

(Have you clicked me yet?  Well, geesh, click me then.)

The Clueless Salesman

I’ve mentioned before about salesmen not knowing what they’re talking about and a conversation I just had about a half hour ago with my former sister-in-law proves it.  I asked her if she had a Kindle.  She said the salesman talked them out of it and said they needed an ipad for what they wanted - which was a reading device that also played games, and then said you can’t play games on a Kindle.

That really ticked me off and I said he was lying.  He also told her that to be connected to the internet you had to pay a monthly fee.  Another lie.  I could tell she wasn’t quite believing me because after all, I’m an internet marketer and this guy works at Best Buy in the electronics section.  

I know that’s a bit unfair to say he was lying, maybe he just didn’t have a clue about the product.  Maybe all he knew about was ipads.  Maybe he was trying to persuade them to buy the ipad by making Kindle look like a reading only device.  Either way, there wasn’t a single thing he told her that was true.

So, anyway, we booted up her computer and I took her to amazon.com.  I showed her the Kindle page and the comparison chart between the 3 Kindles.  I showed her where it says FREE 3G access.  I took her to the Kindle Store and showed her the games you can play on your Kindle.  She was dumbstruck.  This guy, she thought would have had a clue, didn’t have a clue at all!  More, I feel sorry for Best Buy because they’re losing sales thanks to this guy.

It truly pays to do your homework before going to a store to buy something.  On the other hand, thanks to the clueless salesman - I’ve made a sale, because I sell Kindles through amazon.  : )  So, thank you clueless salesman for helping me make a sale that goes towards paying off my hot water tank!  

By the way, in an act of shameless self-promotion and the pursuit of paying that thing off, if you’re in the market for buying a Kindle, click here for easy access!  There’s a ton of information on the page, from a chart that lets you compare the Kindle models, to videos and more.  

Make it a great day!
Yochana

Harry Potter Monster Book

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeWhat a find!  I ran across this by accident today while web surfing and nearly jumped out of my chair in excitement.  This is the coolest Harry Potter product yet - at least in my opinion.  I fell in love with the monster book when I read the Prisoner of Azkaban and then saw it on the big screen.

For those of you mothers, dads, aunts or uncles who either voluntarily or through force went to see Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban, you'll remember seeing Harry standing on his bed trying to keep from being eaten alive by the monster book of monsters.  Later, Neville Longbottom is nearly eaten alive because he rubbed the spine the wrong way.  And now it's an official Harry Potter toy!  Check it out!

Here's a look at the product features:

• Electronic sensors to set up secret combination to keep your treasures safe - with sound & animation effects
• Use the book as a keep safe box to store your most precious possessions.
• Only you can open the book through knowing the special password
• Intruders will be kept at bay by the Monster Book's ghastly growls and snarling teeth to ensure they won't be back in a hurry! (As you saw in the video!)
• Ages 6+

 If you have a Harry Potter fan in the family or a Harry Potter nerd friend, this would be one gift they would absolutely love!  You can click here to order it from amazon.

Product Comparison: eT7 vs. Redi Check Cooking Thermometer

RediCheck Cooking Thermometer

eT7 Cooking Thermometer

Whether you barbecue meats or cook roasts in your oven, wouldn’t it be nice not to constantly check to determine whether they are done to your satisfaction?  Worry no more!  There are two brands of cooking thermometers on the market that take the worry out of overcooking or undercooking meat, fish, and poultry.

 
The ET-7 Cooking Thermometer features:

* Monitor two different foods at one time.
* Works wirelessly up to 100 feet.
* Probe and wire are rated for over 500 degrees.
* Elapsed cooking timer
* Batteries included

The ET-7 is perfect for holiday cooking and/or barbecue fare.  The device has two probes that can be utilized at the same time to ensure that no matter what is on the barbecue or in the oven will be cooked to your satisfaction.  

For example, let’s say you are cooking a roast and a turkey.  Insert the probes into each and close the oven.  The probes are attached to a wireless LCD display that will give you the exact temperature of the roast and turkey.  You can watch TV or tend to other tasks as long as you are within 100 feet of the oven.  When the meat is at the desired temp, an alarm sounds to let you know it’s done.  

Priced at $37.67 + free shipping through amazon, this little gadget is perfect for any occasion.  

The Redi-Check Cooking Thermometer features:

* Remote cooking thermometer with LCD probe and receiver
* Monitors temperature and doneness of food and signals when ready
* 24-hour timer programs for six different categories of meat
* 100-foot range; elapsed cooking timer; LCD screens on both probe monitor and receiver
* Stainless-steel probe; integrated stand; belt clip; batteries included

Priced at $32.29 + free shipping through amazon, the Redi-Check is also a remote cooking thermometer with one probe.  Great for outdoor barbecues or indoor ovens, this particular device offers a 24-hour timer for six different kinds of meat that can be gauged from rare to well done.  You can also carry the transmitter as you tend to other tasks.  Great for holiday cooking or any occasion, the Red-Check is another great cooking gadget.  

Consumers who have used both cooking thermometers and raved about the convenience they afford, not having to open and close oven doors, can barbeque meats on cold days while monitoring the temp of the meats indoors, and boast that both offer precise temperatures when cooking lamb, veal, beef, poultry, and fish.

Sometimes, it’s the little things in life that offer the most pleasure.  Having either of these devices can make cooking in the oven or on the barbecue an enjoyable experience.  These devices are especially effective if you have an older indoor oven.  It allows you to keep the oven door closed without having to check every 30 minutes or so.  Check out the ET-7 and Redi Check Cooking Thermometers – they are a great asset and fun to use as well, not too mention make excellents gifts for your favourite cook or bbq genius.

The Pressure Cooker: Presto vs Fagor

Presto 6 Quart Pressure Cooker

Fagor 6 Quart Pressure Cooker

As one reviewer put it, "pressure cookers are like crock pots on steroids!"  Pressure cookers cook meals up to 70% faster than conventional methods.  That seriously makes it not only a must-have for women who work all day and work-at-home moms, but for students as well.  So, let’s take a look at two popular brands.

The Presto 6-Quart Pressure Cooker features:

* Heavy-duty 6-quart stainless steel pressure cooker
* Comfortably ergonomic, stay-cool black plastic handles
* Strong-lock lid with steam vent, pressure indicator and overpressure plug
* Comes with rack for steaming food or for canning
* 17 by 8-1/2 inches; 12-year warranty

The price is easy on the wallet or purse at $44.50, and comes with free shipping through amazon.   If you need to prepare a meal in a hurry, this stainless steel pressure cooker is heaven-sent. In fact, it's considered faster than a microwave!  The Presto comes with a cooking rack and recipe book that has over 65 recipes.

Customers who have purchased the Presto Pressure Cooker have commented that it is sturdy, safe, and can either be washed by hand or put into the dish washer.  Overall, this is one great product to have on hand.

The Fagor 6-Quart Pressure Cooker has the following features:

* 6-quart pressure cooker preserves vitamins and minerals during cooking
* Reduces cooking time by up to 70 percent
* 18/10 stainless steel with impact-bonded aluminum base for even heating
* Advanced safety features prevent excessive pressure build-up
* Includes instruction manual and recipe book

The price is $66.05, and like the Presto, you get free shipping through amazon.  Something you might be interested to know about the Fagor company.  Fagor is a participant in the Energy Star program and prides itself on being energy efficient.  This pressure cooker, as are all Fagor’s products, is designed to reduce energy and water consumption.  In particular, the food processor is made of stainless steel and all it requires is placing all of the ingredients into the cooker, lock the lid, and cook.  The aluminum base allows for heat to be distributed evenly and is fuel efficient.  In addition, the Fagor can be used on gas stoves, electric, ceramic top and induction surfaces.

Customers have touted this pressure cooker as the finest product available today, but have honed in on one unique feature.  While other brands of pressure cookers have that top that jiggles incessantly when the cooking process is done, the Fagor has a yellow indicator that pops out.

For the student,  working woman or work-at-home mom, the general consensus is that the Fagor is perhaps the best product offered but, more than that, the company is keeping within the guidelines of energy conservation and efficiency which is one of the top 3 things women look for these days in kitchen appliances..

To set goals: Reaching for your goals when you've got nothing.

No product review today, instead let's have a "motivational" Monday!  I absolutely love underdogs!  Especially when those underdogs are little kids.  This morning, I found this remarkably touching story on google news about  a group of students on a little island in Alaska, population 40, who are determined to go to Disneyland, Santa Barbara Zoo, and the science and history museums in California.  

 

For the past 3 years they've been trying to raise $10,000 to go.  In the process, these little guys are learning steps in goal setting, what it takes to reach those goals and that giving up is not an option.  Don't be a quitter.  Be a winner and hang in there.  They're learning that sometimes you have to adjust your goals, but you still keeping working at it.  

For instance, they originally wanted to go to Cape Canaveral and Disney World, but then realised time was running out on meeting their goal, so now they’re shooting for Disneyland.  It’s an incredibly touching and inspiring story.  Take some time out and read about these awesome little kids!  Click here to read.

Make it a great day!
Yochana

5 Common Sense Steps to Weedeater Safety

Today, we're going to look at weed eater safety. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, nearly 5,000 weed eater injuries happened in 1989.  About 1/3 of those were because people didn't bother to wear safety glasses/goggles. 

The best thing you can do is simply read the owners manual.  All the tips you could ask for are in there.  But for those of you who don't like owners manuals, here is a very brief summary of common sense safety tips.

1.  Never wear sandals, flip flops or go barefoot, as flying debris and the spinning trimmer line are definite safety hazards.  I know you've probably seen others do it, but they're nutts, and you don't want to be like them.  

2.  Make sure you wear long pants, sturdy shoes, gloves, ear plugs or other hearing protection and safety glasses.  Safety glasses or goggles will protect your eyes from flying debris resulting in eye injury or loss of vision from objects flung at your face.  

3.  Keep the cover guard on.  The guard prevents any line from breaking free and shooting straight up in your face and other debris from hitting you.  

4.  This is a super big one, and one that really annoys the crap out of me when I see the neighbours doing this.  PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS!  Know where your kids and pets are at all times.  Don't allow children or pets to hang around where you're weed eating.  They can easily end up with serious eye injuries from the flying debris.

5.  Know where your phone lines are or any other line that comes into the house.  Both me and my youngest nephew have managed to sever my phone line because we didn't notice the line.  : )

Remember, weed eating is dangerous, so make sure you use your head, and especially know where your kids and pets are.

That's it!  This is the last in my series on weed eaters.  I hope you've found it helpful, and that it will help you save both time and money on choosing your next or first weed eater.

Make it a great day!

Yochana

Find the right weed eater: Top 3 Gas Weed Eater Review

Welcome to the 4th article in the series to help you find the right weed eater that will make your yard look fantastic!  Today, I want to show you 3 of the top gas powered weed eaters .  I was going to post it here, but since I already have a page I did earlier reviewing the Poulan and Hitachi weedeaters, I decided that rather than repeat myself I'd give you the link to check them out.  The review covers Poulan, Hitachi and Troy Bilt.  I've also updated the spreadsheet for the gas powered weed eaters.  You'll find a review of all 3, plus a video, along with links to the spreadsheets.

Click here to check out today's article that will help you make the right choice if you're considering buying a gas powered weed eater.

Check back Sunday for my guide on weed eater safety!  Meanwhile, have a great weekend!

--Yochana