Product Review: These Shoes Were Made for Walking
19 Feb 2010 Leave a Comment
I recently visited a nearby outlet mall with my brother and sister-in-law. While I could write several posts on the good deals we found, the best deal of all for me was the Clarks shoe store. I discovered Clarks a few years ago at the same outlet, but I hadn’t had a chance to go back. My first two pairs were showing some wear, so I decided to stop in and see what was new in footwear fashion. I was not disappointed. Clarks has a new (to me) Unstructured line of women’s shoes. While they are cute and come in a variety of styles and colors, I was most impressed about how awesome my feet felt as I made laps around the store aisles, pausing to check out my feet in the mirrors. The Unstructured line offers a soft, cushy footbed. After walking around that day in the outlet mall, I decided I’d always shop for shoes after a full day on my feet–it’s the best time to decide how well a shoe feels. While I don’t often buy expensive shoes, I do recommend splurging for the Clarks brand. You’re feet will be so glad you did. And they’ll be ready for even more walking at your favorite outlet.
An Ode To Organization
03 Feb 2010 Leave a Comment
Dear Rubbermaid,
Oh, how I love thee. Let me count the ways.
- I’ve got a Texas-sized crush on your Roughneck Storage Boxes.
- I am especially partial to the navy blue boxes, but I’m not opposed to gray, purple, or other colors you might have in stock.
- I’ve used these storage boxes to move across Texas, store keepsakes, and sort through my clutter.
- I’m proud to say your boxes live up to your marketing campaign: they are shatter proof, the lids close tightly, and they are 100% stackable.
Now that I’ve found your blog, I’m confident we’re on our way to a serious relationship. Just don’t tell the storage boxes I’m considering a new purchase: this space save drainer.
Your #1 customer,
Whitney
Product Review: Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine
24 Jan 2010 2 Comments
Photo by Amanda
Prince and Madonna might think they are special because they are known by one name. Just one word, and everyone knows who they are. I beg to differ. I think the longer your name, the more prestigious. Take the Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine ink pen. It’s the best pen on the planet. Hands down. And, it’s got a long name.
I have made some amazing memories with these pens. Let’s go all the way back to the early 90s when I was in sixth grade. I first learned about the Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine pens. I sat between two guys in English class. Eric and Phillip. They were michievous to say the least. They learned that if you shook the Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine pen FIERCELY, the ink would spray out. So, they shook the pens FIERCELY in my direction, spraying me with red ink on both sides.
I spent 5.5 years working a day job as a technical writer and went through approximately 316 Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine pens during that stint. How I enjoyed marking up engineerspeak with a red Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine pen. But my two favorite Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine pen memories as a tech writer? Getting a pack of pens as a goodbye gift from my best friend on my last day of work and recording the voiceover for a mock commercial for Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine pens for the internal technical communication conference months after my last day.
Since 2002, I’ve worked on and off as a writing instructor. I get really whiney and aggravated when I have to assess student work with anything less than a Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine pen. My favorite teaching moment involving a Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine pen? Seeing how many different colors I can use on one batch of essays to keep me from getting too bored with the grading.
Speaking of colors, the Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine pen comes in a variety of colors: black, blue, red, green, purple, pink, and turquoise. I haven’t decided on a favorite color of pen. I bounce back and forth between the blue, the pink, the purple, the turquoise, the black, the red, and the green, depending on what I’m doing.
Ok, so enough of the walks down memory lane, let’s get to the nuts and bolts:
The Pros
The Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine pen is a smooth-flowing, never-skipping instrument of supreme writing power.
The Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine pen has an ink window that allows the user to know at any moment how much ink is in the tank.
The Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine pen comes in a variety of colors, seven to be exact.
The Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine pen is reasonably priced (about $12 on Amazon for a pack of 7) and available at mass retailers like Target, Staples, and Walmart.
The Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine pen has a “write-out distance of 8,202 feet” and doesn’t skip once on that 1.5 mile jaunt.
The Cons
I can’t think of anything that would make me leave this pen for another. I am completely infatuated with pens, and I occasionally will get another out only to abandon it for a Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine pen. But, if I have to say something negative:
The Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine pen smears when you use it on metallic surfaces, including my HUGE stash of metallic stationery, but really what rolling ball pen doesn’t smear on metallic surfaces? (By the way, if, like me, you have a HUGE stash of metallic stationery and need a pen for the job, the Zebra F-301 ballpoint pen is a great tool for the job.)
The Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine pen is so completely awesome that I get a little greedy with my stash. Those who trod near my Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine pens are smart to do so carefully.
Product Review: Total Eclipse of My Heart
19 Jan 2010 1 Comment
I’m in the process of redecorating and reorganizing my apartment. One of my main goals is to redecorate my bedroom. In other words, out with the beanie babies, in with the modern, black and white comforter and matching photo wall collage. While I have enjoyed scouting out good deals on bedding; rearranging furniture to ensure I had a dedicated writing space in the room; and, with my dad’s help, reviving an old set of brown bedroom furniture into a sleek black and white chest of drawers, I have dreaded one thing: finding new curtains. My bedroom was formerly red, white, and blue, and I loved my curtains–tabbed at the top, simple, and denim. These curtains were no fuss and offered the privacy I wanted. After a failed attempt at panel curtains for my new room, I called in the ultimate reinforcement, my mom. Together, we found a set of curtains I like just as well, if not better, than my beloved denim set. I recommend the Eclipse curtains for many reasons:
- They are simple, and they don’t overshadow the other elements in my room.
- They are lightweight enough to hang easily.
- They are machine washable, and it didn’t take long to get the wrinkles out of them. No ironing needed.
- They reduce noise.
- They are blackout curtains for extra privacy.
- They are reasonably priced.
While I will never be a curtain connoisseur, I must say, if you are in the market for new curtains, give the Eclipse a try. They just might steal your heart.
–Whitney
Product Review: It’s a 10! Miracle Leave-In Product and Aquage Curl Defining Creme
09 Jan 2010 4 Comments
Raise your hand if you have thick hair.
Raise your hand if you have curly hair.
Raise your hand if you have a demented cowlick in the lower left corner of your scalp.
Good, good. Just as I imagined. I’m not alone.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I appreciate my thick hair. On a good hair day, my mane allows for a multitude of different ‘dos. If all else fails, I can always use the extra thickness to cover my ears–they stick out a little too far for my taste. And, if you’re on Team Thick Hair, you know a little secret of the hair styling world–if you can convince your stylist to “thin out” your hair, a process whereby he or she uses thinning shears to shed the extra bulk of your hair, you’ll not only leave the salon with a healthy cut, but you’ll have lost weight. I assume I’m not the only girl out there who makes a hair appointment when she needs to drop 5 lbs. stat.
As for my demented cowlick, we’ve reconciled our differences. I’ve grown my hair out past my short, high school boy cut, and it pretty much stays hidden. Outta sight, outta mind, I say.
But the naturally curly hair. Wow. I’ve spent years battling the curls. I’ve seen multiple stylists in different cities, searched high and low for styling products, and spent hours straightening my hair. Hours of my life. So last year when I found a stylist, courtesy of one of my best friends, Rebekah, who knew what to do with curly hair, I thought I might have gone on to heaven. This stylist guarantees you’ll leave her salon knowing how to style your own hair the same way she does, or she won’t let you leave. (She’s so amazing, she warrants her own future post.) My stylist introduced me to two life-changing hair styling products, and today I’m extending that introduction to you, too.
Readers, meet It’s a 10! Miracle Leave-In Product
The It’s a 10! product label says this: “Does 10 Things Instantly:
- Repairs dry, damaged hair
- Adds shine
- Detangles
- Controls frizz
- Seals and protects hair color
- Prevents split ends
- Stops hair breakage
- Creates silkiness
- Enhances natural body
- Flat iron spray and thermal protector”
Readers, meet Aquage Curl Defining Creme
The Aquage Curl Defining Creme product label says this: “Lightweight styling creme enhances curl definition without increasing hold or volume. Ideal for coarse or curly hair to provide moist, emollient curl control without a crisp feel. Leaves hair soft, supple and natural feeling.”
Basically, I step out of the shower, towel dry my hair lightly, brush it, and spritz the It’s a 10! and Aquage on my hair. Five minutes of blow drying with a diffuser, and I’m literally done with my ‘do. These products aren’t cheap, but the It’s A 10! is a leave-in conditioner, so I have stopped buying conditioner. I’ve found buying them in bulk online is the way to go–I don’t need much, so the larger bottles last me forever. In the end, I decided the cost was worth it since I no longer spend hours trying to style my hair. Check with your local salon; it’s possible a stylist in your area has free samples. If you or someone you know has curly hair, I recommend these styling products!
–Whitney
