Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things

In the book Mr. Max: The Book of Lost Things Cynthia Voigt does a wonderful job making a fantastically like-able character in Mr. Max.  Mr. Max (aka Max Starling) is a twelve year old boy just trying to fit in to his family of overly dramatic actor parents.  When a curious situation arises with his parents he is forced to find himself and what he is good at.  As the job of problem solver falls into his lap he quickly discovers that it is something that he is good at and thoroughly enjoys.  Through his problem solving he meets many friends that also play a role in his solutions and quickly begins to make a name for himself.

This book was terrifically and wonderfully written!  I would definitely recommend this to anyone that enjoys mysteries.  As it is a children’s book I would highly recommend it for upper elementary and junior high students but also think that any teacher, librarian, or general lover of children’s books would find that this book makes them smile.  I wanted to keep reading this book and look forward to any sequels that come about: I want to know more about Mr. Max.

This title will be coming out on September 10, 2013.

I received this book free through NetGalley for my honest opinion and review of this book.

Pennington Smart Feed Sprayer System

I tried out the Pennington Smart Feed Sprayer System on my garden plants in our front yard.  I thought that the sprayer system was very creative and was excited to begin using it.  Unfortunately it left A LOT to be desired.  First of all the nossle leaked all over the place and left me soaked.  Luckily it was a nice warm day and I dried out quickly…although I would prefer not to get wet.  Secondly the fertilizing discs were used up incredibly quickly which was very surprising to me.  I was so worried that it would ruin my plants with using so much fertilizer so quickly but fortunately the plants all have seemed to be doing alright.  I did receive the 4 pack of refills also and decided not to use them until after I was certain that the plants that I originally used them on would survive.  I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone because to me it isn’t worth the money.  I do still LOVE the concept and hope that Pennington will improve the discs to dissolve more slowly and then it will be a force to be reckoned with.

I will have to disclaim first of all that I have never, ever used a fertilizing system before for my plants.  So maybe it is user error instead of the product itself.  I also received this product through BzzAgent for free in exchange for my honest opinion of this product.

Green Giant Veggie Chips

Green Giant is no longer just a brand that makes frozen veggies.  They now make chips too!!  I received the chance to try these new veggie chips.  The two flavors that I tried were Roasted Veggie Torilla Chips with Zesty Cheddar (these are like a healthier Doritos chip) and the Multigrain Sweet Potato Chip with Sea Salt (think of this like Sun Chips).  I really wanted to like since they are “healthier” than the other chip equivalents and I did at first, but then there was kind of a weird filmy after taste that I just couldn't get over.

Multigrain Sweet Potato Chip with Sea Salt:

I love that it is made with sea salt, that it has 40% less fat than regular potato chips, and 14 g of whole grains.  I thought that it was strange though that you couldn't taste sweet potato at all; it just tasted like a regular corn tortilla chip or closer to a Sun Chip.  This one left a filmy taste on the roof of my mouth after I had eaten about 3-4 chips.  The taste is good but I unfortunately couldn't get over the filminess.

Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips with Zesty Cheddar:

I love that this chip is made with vegetables and has 17g of whole grain.  However, it really didn't taste as good as I had hoped and in comparison to the very unhealthy Doritos chip it just doesn't compare.  Although, if I was to choose between the sweet potato and the roasted veggie from Green Giant, I would choose the roasted veggie.

Since I do not regularly eat chips and do so only on occasion, I think that unfortunately, I I am going to stick with my other brands.  So sad:-(

Garnier Skin Renew Clinical Dark Spot Overnight Peel

After I turned thirty and after having my second child, I noticed a dark spot appear just below the right temple on my face.  I had never had a dark spot before so I was a bit disappointed.  I thought maybe I just somehow managed to get more sun in one place, but after several months of it not “going away” on its own I resigned myself the fact that it was here to stay.  So saying, when I saw that BzzAgent was allowing people to try out Garnier’s Skin Renew Clinical Dark Spot Overnight Peel I was overjoyed!!  With my skin being so sensitive I decided to just use the peel directly on my dark spot and not on my entire face.  I had no allergic reaction to it and I have very sensitive skin.  I began applying it just when I remembered and I didn’t really see any results at all.  But, when I began using it consistently every night, as it is intended, I began seeing some results of my dark spot getting less noticeable.  I have only been using it consistently for about 3-weeks now so I can tell you that it does seem to be lightening my dark spot although I can still see it.  On the directions though it says that you can see a dramatic difference in dark spots in 4-weeks, so I have one more week to go.  I am so excited to see what happens and will keep you informed of my results after my one month of consistent use.  So far, after 3-weeks of nightly use, I would say that it is a good product and would recommend it to others.

Update:
So, after using the dark spot remover for 4-weeks I did not notice a difference:-(  I continued using it for another two weeks and after 6-weeks of use still nothing.   I was still only using it on the one specific dark spot and not on my entire face, so maybe that had something to do with it too.  So, I am still searching for a dark spot remover that will fade my spot completely.

Schick Hydro Silk Razor

I had the opportunity to try out Schick’s Hydro Silk razor.  I must admit first off that I am not used to a non-disposable razor as I usually use the cheapest 2-4 blade disposable razor that I can find.  So, with that said this was a special treat to use a fancy razor for a change and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it!! 

The Pros:

The Hydro Silk razor has 5 blades so it easily cuts the hair in one quick swipe without having to go over the same spot more than once.

It has water-activated moisturizing serum so you don’t have to add extra soap before you shave.  This actually gives you a nice amount of moisture too, which is not so with many of the other brands that claim that you don’t have to use any soap.  I didn't use soap and I didn't get razor burn:-)

The cartridges are easy to discard and put on a new one.

It is around the same price as other similar brands.

The handle is shaped nicely and easily fits in my hand and glides easily.

I didn't feel like I was going to cut myself when I was shaving.

The blades seem to last a long time.

The Cons:

Since there is an area above and below the razor blades for the moisturizing serum it is a bit bulky and doesn't easily get around my ankle or underarms.

The shave is not as close so I have to shave more often.

All-in-all I would recommend this razor to others as it does what it claims and is a good razor.

Thank you to Schick and BzzAgent for providing me with the opportunity to try this product for free in exchange for my honest review.

MorningStar Farms Garden Veggie Patties

My family had the opportunity to weigh in on the MorningStar Farms brand and try one of their meatless products for free.  We were a little hesitant going about trying them because we don’t like mushrooms at all; but we decided that now was the best time to try.  We tried out their “Garden Veggie Patties”.  The way in which we used them was for breakfast on some buttered toast.  They come four in a box at a price around $3-4 a box (depending on the sale at the time); so it is relatively expensive to buy regularly.  Although, our normal breakfast food is cereal, toast and yogurt, bagels, and oatmeal so we don’t regularly purchase meat products for breakfast which are typically more expensive than what we are used to.  We surprisingly enjoyed the flavor of the patties, even with the mushrooms, and especially enjoyed that they are made with vegetables.  Because of this they only have 15g of fat which is 74% less than ground beef.  They are still a good source of protein and only 110 calories per serving making it a healthier alternative to many other breakfast foods.  These can be eaten any time of day making a good breakfast with toast, lunch in a sandwich, or dinner on a bun.  Check out their website’s recipe page (https://www.morningstarfarms.com/recipes) for other more creative ways to use these patties.  The only downside was the consistency of the patty.  Frequently there were large pieces of mushrooms and water chestnuts instead of the even consistency of all similar size pieces throughout.  After trying the first box we have continued to periodically buy these because we enjoy the flavor and health benefits of this over the ground beef alternative.  We would recommend these to a friend.  Thank you to MorningStar Farms and BzzAgent for allowing my family to try out a box for free in exchange for an honest product review.

Post Alpha-Bits Cereal

Having never tried the Post Alpha-Bits cereal before, my daughter and I really did enjoy it.  My three year old daughter first of all LOVES the Super Why cartoon and is also beginning to learn her alphabet letters.  With that said, she naturally liked the cereal too:-)  I would say that the flavor of the cereal has the consistency of a cheerio that is lightly sweetened with a marshmallow flavor (that is my best description).  The health factor of it was good and therefore I didn't mind her and I enjoying the cereal.  She asked for it almost every morning for breakfast so I know that she liked the flavor of it and not just the characters on the box; although it was the characters on the box that made her the most excited to eat it of course.  Now that the box of cereal is gone she has frequently asked me to buy it in the store again.  I would recommend this Post Alpha-Bits cereal to anyone that has a young child and wants them to eat well.  We will continue buying this cereal in the future.  A huge thank you to BzzAgent for giving me the opportunity to try this product for free in exchange for an honest product review.