Product Reviews – Page 3 – Not Content to Crawl

OhSnap Grip

Posted onFebruary 17, 2022

In May 2020 I backed the OhSnap Phone Grip on Kickstarter and received it in October of the same year. I loved it! It’s comfortable to wrap around my finger, it can be used as a stand, and it’s magnetized so the phone can stick to metal items.

Unfortunately, less than a year later, in April 2021, cracks started forming in the corners of the plastic piece in the middle. I went to their site and saw they have a lifetime guarantee, so I filled out the form to request a replacement.

Imagine my surprise when I received an email from them stating they couldn’t afford to replace it for free and offered me a 20% off coupon instead. That really pissed me off, and I wrote back to them that if they aren’t going to honor a lifetime guarantee then they should at least take that verbiage off their site. They wrote back with another sob story and completely missed my point. I had to explain to them once more I’m more angry that they won’t remove the guarantee from their site than I am about them unwilling to replace their inferior product.

Anyway, I happened to look at their site recently and there’s still a guarantee on there, but only for their new and improved version which they now are asking $30 for (I paid $15 for mine).

About a month ago the corner cracked off mine and makes it a bit harder to use. The problem is I’ve yet to find a better alternative, but I really don’t like the idea of giving my money to a company that doesn’t appreciate their customers. If not for people like me they wouldn’t have had the funds to create their product in the first place, and I’m salty about how I was treated in response.

Bath & Body Works Shenanigans

Posted onJuly 16, 2020

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Bath & Body Works, as in I love some of their products, but I hate their prices and their practices leave something to be desired.

It’s gotten to the point where I am not interested in their lotions, body wash, or hand soaps, but I do still like the wallflowers and candles. I’m picky about scents, however. For the most part I like vanilla, marshmallow fireside, and a newer one my cousin turned me onto two years ago, heirloom apple. I was too sick last year to care about any of that stuff but now that I’m feeling better, and I’m down to my last wallflower, I went looking for heirloom apple only to be unable to find it. So I contacted B&BW via Facebook Messenger:

I took to the internet to find out whether anyone could point me toward a dupe scent, whether that be from Bath & Body Works or another company. In the meantime, I got this Yankee Candle macintosh votive at Meijer to try out.

It’s ok, but not what I was looking for.

Someone online told me to look for B&BW’s honeycrisp apple scent, but when I checked online it was only available in a one wick candle for $10. No thanks. I don’t mind the occasional candle but I prefer how a wallflower tends to fill the house with scent.

We went out yesterday and I decided to stop in a Bath & Body Works store. I asked about the heirloom apple, or any apple scents, and they only had one and it didn’t smell at all what I was looking for so I quickly left.

I just so happened to be on their website today when I searched for apple again and this time a honeycrisp apple wallflower showed up in the search results.

I looked at the fragrance description and then googled to find out how heirloom apple used to be described. They were identical. Hoorah!

But then it got weirder when I noticed a scent called farmstand apple.

That too has the same description. Interesting…

So basically they retired heirloom apple and replaced it with two different scents that are actually the same as heirloom apple but never bothered to tell any of their employees so they could help someone looking for heirloom apple. Got it.

They annoy the hell out of me as it is by making certain scents only available during particular times of the year. I know it’s a ploy to drive interest and get people in their doors more than once a year, but it’s seriously annoying.

Right now the two scents I want (marshmallow fireside and honeycrisp apple) are only available online and I’m not buying $75+ of product or paying $6 in shipping. They will appear in stores at some point and then I will wait for another sale. Wallflowers are currently 5/$24 but it turns out they can get as low as $3 each so a better sale is due to come around soon.

Krampus Mattress

Posted onDecember 11, 2015

Last weekend Joe had to work Saturday but got home shortly after E’s mom dropped him off at the house. Joe wanted to see a movie so we took our chances and braved the mall on a Saturday afternoon (the movie was at 2:15 pm). At first it wasn’t crowded at all but slowly the theater filled up. We didn’t have anyone right next to or in front of us, though, which was nice. However, there were a group of teenager girls all the way down our row to my left who would not sit still for a second. They were changing seats, talking, and looking at their phones the entire hour and a half. Is this what the world has come to – people lacking anything resembling an attention span? Seriously, why pay to see a movie if you’re not even going to watch it? Not to mention how rude it is to look at your bright phone screen in a dark theater. Ugh! It’s getting harder and harder to enjoy time out in public when it seems as if at least 50% of the people we come across are rude as all hell. I almost wish I were just as rude because then maybe it wouldn’t bother me. But I’m cursed with this sense of consideration for others. Damn me!

Anyway, the movie itself, Krampus, was ok. Not nearly as scary as they tried to make it look in the previews. It also started off slow. I think it was half over before anything even happened. E and I enjoyed joking about the movie title, though. I have a krampus just thinking about it. ;)

Sunday we bought one of those egg crate looking mattress toppers to add to the memory foam topper already on our brand new mattress. My worst fear has come true – I hate the new mattress and feel we overpaid for what we got. It’s too firm and uncomfortable. Lesson learned – we need a pillowtop. Everything I’ve read says a firm mattress offers more support but all I have is a backache and wake up at least once every night, although that hasn’t happened since adding the second mattress topper. So ridiculous, though, to spend $1500 on a mattress and another $17 for a shitty Walmart topper for it to be comfortable (the memory foam topper we purchased from Amazon last year cost approx $120). Hopefully the inflated price tag of the new mattress will at least ensure a stable frame for the next decade or so. Otherwise I’m buying a $200 mattress every two years and calling it a day. I’d return our mattress if we could but that ship has sailed. We had 30 days and would have had to exchange it for something the same price or higher AND pay a $140 fee for the “privilege”. Ugh! I should have went with my gut and ordered a Casper mattress online. At least they offer a 90 day trial and 100% money back guarantee. Expensive lesson learned. And this, folks, is why I HATE shopping for a mattress.

Wednesday Joe’s car battery died and he was temporarily stranded at the gas station near his work until one of his coworkers came to rescue him. The battery was so dead that even a jump couldn’t get it started. He bought a new battery at Walmart and that solved the issue. His car is eight years old and the battery had never been replaced so we really can’t complain. It was just crappy timing. I’m just glad it was only the battery and not the starter. We were also still able to make it to E’s concert later that evening. It was a combined one with the various school bands and chorus, choir, whatever they call it where they played a lot of holiday songs. One of the songs, performed by an all-male group, included “serenading” a female teacher including getting on their knees in front of her with flowers in their mouths. Personally, I found it appalling. Half the place is laughing and cheering and I’m just sitting there thinking this is wildly inappropriate. I’m not a prude by any means but the whole thing made me extremely uncomfortable.

Samsung 4K UHD TV

Posted onJune 27, 2015

We finally decided to replace our ten and half year old 42″ Panasonic 480p plasma with a 55″ Samsung 4k Ultra High Definition TV we purchased from Costco for $1097 (before tax). We weren’t 100% sure we were ready to upgrade since the plasma’s picture is still quite good, but with Costco’s awesome return policy (90 days to try it and return it for a full refund), there was no risk in giving it a try.

What’s amazing is that we paid nearly twice that for the plasma. Honestly, though, I’m pretty bummed that plasma lost the HDTV wars even though they are a superior technology. Too bad Panasonic did nothing to promote it and allowed the inferior LCDs to win.

And while the new TV is impressive, it has its drawbacks, such as dark corners (which all LCDs/LEDs suffer from) as well as only being 60hz. But the only technology that is superior to plasma, OLED, is way too expensive right now, and will probably be out of our price range for several years. So our choice was to make due with the plasma for even longer, or make the new TV work.

The first few days with the new TV were rough and we were considering returning it. The picture was actually too crisp and life-like. I don’t want to feel like the actors are in the room with me – that’s creepy! Plus everyone’s movements were strange. We read some articles and played with the settings and now things are much better because we got rid of what is known as the soap opera effect. I could not see trying to watch anything larger than 55″, though. The room is just not big enough. As it is, it took some getting used to the screen. I felt like when you’re at the movie theater and get stuck in the first few rows and everything is overwhelming your senses.

I’m happy we were able to adjust to the new TV because it’s nice having four HDMI ports – all our devices can remain plugged in at once unlike before. Plus streaming from Amazon, Netflix and YouTube is so quick and easy. No more need for the Chromecast downstairs either. In fact, E and Joe moved the plasma into our master bedroom and we moved the LCD into E’s room and plugged the spare Chromecast in there. He loves being able to watch YouTube videos in there at night. And we love our new TV – in just nine days we watched all three seasons of Orphan Black. What a great show!

4-Day Weekend & Game Night

Posted onApril 13, 2015

Another fantastic weekend is over. So sad! Joe took Friday and Monday off work so we got to spend four days together which was nice.

Friday we did some shopping, including a trip to Costco. Joe got ice cream at their cafe.

I got some much-needed beauty accessories at Target.

The elf brush on the left was only $3, the set in the middle was $7 and included a case, and the latex blending tool on the right was $5. The Caboodles organizer at the top was $8.99 and there was an offer in iBotta or one of those rebate apps so I got $1 back (which was a pleasant surprise as I check the apps after I buy stuff, not before).

Here’s what it looked like after adding my most-used makeup (which is almost all of it since I don’t own that much).

I also grabbed some Maybelline foundation from Walmart that came highly recommended by the girls whose YouTube makeup videos I watch.

I’m not so sure I like it, though. I feel like my years-old Covergirl foundation looks better. Confession – I’ve been using it even though it’s super old. Other than a couple of little dried up pieces that fell in, it seems fine. I think it changed color as it’s pinker than most foundations in the store, but I like that because my face looks less washed out. Soooo… I guess buy foundation and let it sit for a few years for the perfect skin tone? Ha!

We also hit Savers since I had a 40% off coupon burning a hole in my pocket. Joe got a t-shirt and I got this cute Clinic makeup bag for $1.80. You could tell it had never been used because the inside is white and had no marks on it. It’s the perfect size to hold a bunch of stuff in my purse. I ended up combining three smaller makeup bags into this larger one.

I also bought this dress. I’m not even sure what occasion I’ll wear it but I wanted to get a dress and it was only $7.80 with my coupon.

Saturday we had some people over for game night. This is the same group of friends we hang out with around 4th of July every year when one of them has a party. We met at a restaurant first and then came back to our place around 7 pm and played Uno Attack and Cards Against Humanity. One couple had to leave before we started playing games because they weren’t feeling well but our other friends stayed until 2 am. We had a blast, and had way more food than anyone could eat. Our friends all brought stuff and refused to take any home with them so we have a bunch of veggies, fresh fruit, and cookies. Joe had also made his signature italian stuffed jalapenos which came out sooooo good. Here’s a shot of the leftover ones we snacked on today.

Joe also made strawberry martguerita jello shots. OMG, they were amazing! You couldn’t even taste the alcohol. There wasn’t much in them either since I felt no effects from consuming so many. Sorry there’s no picture of them – we gobbled them up way too fast. We will definitely be making those again!

It was a great time and everyone agreed we need to get together more often which is funny because other than the annual party, the only time we get together is if I organize it. I guess I just need to accept the fact that I’m the outing organizer and come up with some ideas. I’m thinking maybe a BBQ at our place in May so I can set up the Bears bags and badminton set.

On Sunday we slept in and just did nothing. We didn’t have much to clean up after the party and the rest of the house is still clean after spending Friday and Saturday prepping it for our company.

Today we decided to go out for an early lunch and run some errands, including buying a bunch of food for the backyard birds.

Bonus – the rats will enjoy the mealworms too.