Who in the world shares it?

Melt and Pour soap has been a life saver for soap crafters. It is very convenient to use — so fast and easy.  Even kids can do it!  Unlike with cold process and hot process soap, you will need utmost care and supervision because of the harmful chemicals that you are about to use. Most of all, it brings out the creativity in you.

Here’s the thing, once a soapmaker masters the recipe of such Melt and Pour, he never shares it to anyone. CRAP! Haha!

I’ve been wanting to master such recipe, and until now, I have been creating failed batches.Well, there are available books or tutorial out there that helps you create soaps that you cannot melt again – still misses the MP features.

Who has the recipe?

MP soap cut into cubes during my free time!

Last week we were busy shopping for our WhereInCabos’ customers and, as it’s usually the rule, we ran into a few tourists that were wondering aimlessly along the aisles at a major grocery store in Cabo San Lucas. We know that wondering in foreign stores can be both fun and overwhelming, especially if you happen to be wondering around right smack in the heart of a busy weekend that happens to coincide with a pay day in Cabos. The crowds and noise can be a bit too much…. add Spanish labels to the mix and sometimes even the simplest of shopping trips can become quite a handful.
So.. there we were last weekend shopping away, when we found a couple staring at the dish-soap options that were available and we overheard them wonder whether the medium size bag of dishwasher powder would last them for the week. When we heard this we had to intercede and explain that in Mexico powdered dish-soap doesn’t necessarily mean dishwasher soap and in this case the one they were about to choose would have ended up filling their kitchen with suds as it was not dishwasher soap but the old-fashioned powdered dish-soap that you dissolve in water to wash your dishes in the sink. We were glad to help avert a kitchen disaster and they were glad to’ve found an English speaking couple to help them clear their doubts. Alas, there was no dishwasher soap available there and we recommended they go to a different store, but they decided to just get some liquid dish-soap and get back to their vacation. A good choice if you ask us.

The moral of the story… remember that when in Mexico even if something looks like a duck and walks like a duck it might not always be a duck… but luckily we’re here to help.

!!!
The other day, I decided to use the restroom at Walgreens on Belmont and Broadway in Chicago. Walgreens is one chain that almost 100 percent of the time has a public restroom in Chicago. So that is definitely a good secret in case you have to take an urgent poop or pee. But you will also have to deal with the horrible maintenance of the bathrooms. In less than five minutes I could point out five disgusting things about the bathroom:

1. Soap on the floor and walls, DISGUSTING, crusty, and probably 3 month old handsoap.

2. Dried white “who knows what” on the mirror. Are people brushing there teeth in the bathroom and splashing on the mirror?

3. Spilled coffee, or something disgustingly brown on the floor.

4. Pee still sitting in toilet from person before.

5. Coffee cup ring on toilet paper dispenser…disgustING!

6. Foamy moldy stuff on bottom of toilet, accompanied by a piece of chewed gum.

7. Coffee stains on “unused” toilet seat covers.

Now, if Walgreens offers a public restroom, the appearance should state something about how clean the store is. This just convinced me that the store is a royal and moldy mess!

The Green Gift Fair was this past weekend in Minneapolis.  What a great time!  I did not get to look around, I would have loved to have taken an hour or so, but it was still great!  I was so happy to see so many people both producing and supporting green products.  Environmental issues have always been big with me growing up in the age of Woodsy, Smokey and the crying Indian.  I got to try out my new booth set up and learned even more than I did the last two shows.

I would like to share a couple green artists that I really liked.

The first KM STITCHERY is recycled, reused, and ethical!

Sylvia Plath

She used hand cut stencils and repurposed clothing to make great creations.  She works with famous women of history, another love of mine.  Woman’s studies in college opened my eyes to these great women and what they did not only for women but for mankind.  She will take custom orders and is in many shops across the country.  Stop by and check out her work.

Next is Mirasol Farms

Sweet Earth Soap

They do organic soap, creams and other great skin care items.  The sample soap I got has the most wonderful aroma and is one of the most incredible soaps I have ever used.  I will be stopping by their shop to purchase more!

My booth while closer to what I am looking for, I am only making a few minor changes before my next show.  Most of the changes are going to come with my product lines.  I am excited!

Slings

I love my new sling set up.  The addition of the hanging lady really helped.  People would come over to check out the bags.  The only change I will be doing with this set up is putting the slings on a waterfall hook, I hope that will free up some more room.

Stockings

The rack a friend made me worked great for my stockings at this show.  We painted it green despite the outrage of my friend.  And found out at this show that I can make it look how ever we need.  This show it worked best with just the two rails.

Time to get back to work.  I am working on some big changes for my shops and product line.  I hope to have the shops back open late tonight early tomorrow with a big sale!

So as I mentioned before, I recently found out I’m allergic to synthetic fragrances on my hands.

Since I was young I would break out in a rash on my hands every so often. We thought maybe it was the cat, or nerves or whatever. It was only recently I discovered (by accident) the real cause of my horribly cracked, bumpy and very irritated hand condition!

Synthetic Fragrance & other chemicals.

As you may or may not know -I always test the products I sell in the store. So, of course, by only using chemical free products I allowed my hands to clear up completely since there was no synthetic fragrance of harmful chemicals in there. I still hadn’t put it all together though, until the day I tried a hand lotion that was supposed to be “natural” and my hands broke out within a day.

I finally got a hint of what was going on and called the manufacturer about the lotion – sure enough the one I was testing did have synthetic fragrance added!

So I’ve been avoiding synthetic fragrance at all cost but let me show you how hard it is!

I’m @ Wal mart yesterday and go in to wash my hands: hmmmm….the soap has harmful chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate and of course synthetic fragrance…but what else can I do? So, wash my hands and guess what? BAM! I started getting  a rash by 5pm the evening. It’s all gone now the next day thanks to moisturizing with natural ingredients only but interesting to say the least.

How to avoid?

So how do you avoid what is so common out there? Any public washroom will have harsh soaps, hotels, restaurants, your business office – so do you carry your own soaps?

The same example applies when we went to visit my father in another province this summer. I had to bring my own soap, lotion and hair care since I knew I couldn’t just pick those up @ the local store. But even something as simple as helping wash the dishes – I had to stick to drying them because I can’t even put my hands in regular detergent water!

Just now I am beginning to understand the dilemma people with serious allergies face. Walking a mile in their shoes I now see how hard it can be to avoid these products -whether you have very sensitive skin or allergy to fragrance.

So, for now, whenever I travel I will just have to make up a travel bag of shampoos, lotions and soaps and just bring my own. As for public washrooms – I’ll just have to keep my hand salves with me and apply them right after exposing my hands to any unwanted chemicals.

Ok, é meio não ter o que fazer:

Mas é divertido, vai!

Boa ideia!

This is a soap recipe that I really love it. This batch I made for monk. I had a post about “Soap for Monk” 2-3 months ago. I donated this batch to monk but I kept one of them to try. 

My recipe is: (700 grams)                                                                                         

Coconut Oil               140 grams

Palm Kernel Oil        140 grams

Palm Oil                      175 grams

Rice Bran Oil              175 grams

Castor Oil                       70 grams

    Lye                                   101 grams

   Water                              266 grams

Sodium Lactate              14 grams

Bubbly, Creamy and hard enough after using a while eventhough the cleansing number is over the average but I don’t see my skin gets too dry from using this recipe. I don’t like using  Olive Oil because the soap is too soft when you have been using for a while.  I know that Olive Oil is good for your skin but that is just my thought. (Olive Oil is very expensive in Thailand,too) I used my soap and my handmade lotion. wow! what a wonderful life!

I just bought a white Thai silkworm cocoon yesterday. I found them accidentally at weekend market. This is just for your information. I will call them ” Silkworm cocoon cleansing ball”

This kind of silkworm cocoon can be used to scrub your nose to  eliminate those black pore, acne, dark spot and deeply clean the leftover oil in the pore. It contains lots of protein and won’t irritae your skin. It also can help you to completely clean the facial cosmetics after discharging makeup, which makes the skin clean and refresh.  I will use this silkworm cocoon with my soap next time,too.

How to use : 
        1. Put the Silkworm cocoons into 40℃ warm water for 3-4 minutes until softened. 
        2. Fit the softened cocoons onto your fingertip, and massage face gently,especially, in nose area.
        3. using 2-3 times per week for better result. 

 FYI,   using each Silkworm Cocoon for one-time, for multiple-use may reduces the quality of sericin.

Thank you for reading.

Do Joon-suh and Eun-suh know they are not brother and sister? How will Shin-ae feel, happening on the truth while tussling over a teddy bear? What goes through Eun-Suh’s mind as she enters a life of abject poverty?

Does Joon-suh, now an artist, know that Tae-sok has fallen in love with Eun-suh, who works as a telephone receptionist? How will Eun-suh cope with meeting Joon-suh on the beach, where he walks with his fiancée Yumi?

Why does Eun-suh not tell anyone she has leukemia? How stricken must Joon-Suh feel, as he carries her corpse along the shore where they played as teenagers? Why does he not follow Eun-suh’s advice to live on, but instead gets run over by a truck?

Just soap and water is all it takes.

With the holiday season coming up, it’s a good time to remind everyone in the family how important it is to wash your hands after using a public restroom.

A recent study conducted on several fleets of cruise ships showed that, on average, only 30% of frequently touched public restroom surfaces were disinfected daily. It was also noted that it’s safer to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water rather than using alcohol-based hand rubs.

So – go get your favorite soap – and wash! Health is Wealth!

I was originally looking for a video I had found the other week that a YouTuber made about a male version of Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty, when I came upon this:

It’s a video (not quite sure if it’s an ad) of men being asked what comfort means to them.

I had no idea Unilever, the company Dove belongs to, launched products for men in Italy in September 2009. It’s called Dove Men + Care.

Although I think this is a student project, could Dove Men + Care create a self-confidence campaign (similar to what my last Dove post was about) geared just toward men? Could DM + C really become the male equivalent of the “standard” Dove?

Unilever wanted to broaden its demographic for soap products. According to CosmeticsDesign.com:

A brand spokesperson for Unilever Italy told Cosmetics Design that the main aim in this decision was to ‘tap into Italy’s growing male grooming market, starting in the two segments that the Dove brand is already known for: deodorants and body wash.’

 According to MarketingWeek.co.uk, the brand’s target audience is “over 35-year-olds.” The shower gels and deoderants come in two types: Extra Fresh and Clean Comfort.

Daryl Fielding, the woman who’s credited with creating Dove’s campaign strategy for Real Beauty, said, “The essence of the brand is about honesty and not conforming to stereotypes of beauty. That essence is eminently usable for a men’s brand.”

In addition to Italy, Dove Men + Care is also in Belgium and the Netherlands. The Marketing Week article says Unilever has ”no imminent plans for a UK launch.”

Would this product be better suited for European countries? Would it work in the United States, or will the machismo mentality make it difficult for consumers to dissociate Dove as a women-only brand?

With Thanksgiving coming in a few days, this post is to give you some ideas get those preparations in order. It’s a bit longer than others as there were too many different things to consider, and believe me I didn’t hit them all or include all the nifty things I found. But here we go.
First, You might as well be sure to dress functional and cute as you cook. So you’ll need an apron. Check these out

The class, the festive, the reversible, the his and hers

reversible chocolate brown and thanksgiving turkey apron by daffofillies on etsy

Or if you want something super chic cute and classy try something by bambinoamore like this

The elegant eloise vintage inspired enchanted apron by bambinoamore on etsy

(I want a bambinoamore apron in my kitchen)

or for those of you who want something more rugged, durable, and multipurpose or if you’ll be cooking your turkey over open flame of in a bucket of oil you best look into getting one of these

Leather Work Apron by CyclonaDesigns on Etsy

Takes me back to welding class…

Then you will need to get cooking. I bake bread so I’d be looking for a bread pan like this

Bread Pan by TheVillageIdiot on etsy

And if you don’t cook you can cheat by bringing some of these

Chocolate Winter Spice Crinkle Cookies 2 Baker's Dozen by FancyThatCookies on etsy

And if you’ve got some of ‘man’s best friends’ try these

MiniPumpkin Muffins by Organic Doggy on Etsy

(for dogs of course…)

Or perhaps some acorns

100 lovely natural acorn bottoms by MonkeysOnTheRoof on etsy

Or if you want to go a simpler route how about some berries and serve them in this elegant berry bowl (didn’t know there was such a thing).

Winding Branch - Berry Bowl by mepottery on etsy

Now I know they exist I see a gap in my serving ware…

And if you’re looking for other fascinating serving ware how about these spoons with a twist, literally

Basic Kitchen Set - wooden utensils salad spoon fork and spatula by SlightlyTwistedWood on etsy

And perhaps some cherry

Hardcarved cherrywood spoon by heroncovewoodcarving on etsy

and keeping on the wood theme perhaps you’d find a spreader useful

Mini Wooden Spreader by firewoodfurniture on etsy

But if you’re like me you appreciate the fascinating as much as the practical and will be interested in these

Puzzle Two Spoons Set by GoodWoodDogs on etsy

And if you just want something a little different at your place settings consider these (not for vegans)

DeNatura Three Small Serving Spoons Cowhorn Flatware by DeNatura on etsy

Now perhaps you’ll be traveling for Thanksgiving. Maybe to a home you haven’t been to or maybe to one you’ve been a thousand times. Whether it’s for decor in your own home or a hostess gift you may want to check these out.

Keep the harvest going throughout the home with this natural organic soap

Calendula Sage Organic 4 oz Soap BarVegan by JenSanCandles on Etsy

For the craft types perhaps pick up this pattern and make a turkey boy to enjoy the festivities with you

Chrochet Pattern- Chester the turkey boy by Owlishly on etsy

And you’ll want these with all the stray glasses around the house

Autumn leaves coaster set by Vijako on etsy

And for some serious Autumn decor or a glowing hostess gift try this

Woodland Splendor- Woodsy Autumn Leaf Candle Holder by LaBellaCandela on etsy

And what will you wear?

It needs to be comfy, versatile layerable and warm so try out these tops and cowls

I adore this first pairing

soft short sleeve top by larimeloon on etsy

fringe has got to make some of my favorite everything. I always have to be careful not to include multiple items from that shop.

I also adore the wrap? sweater?

The Year Round Wrap in Chocolate by hipknotz on etsy

And perhaps you might consider these other unique neck pieces as well

rusty orange scarflette by knme on etsy

I like the closures on these

oversized chunky urban cowl knitted in a shade of coffee mocha brown by VitalTemptation on etsy

(the title on that one is much longer with more details…)

And of course accesories…

Here are some harvest hearty, warm autumn accessories to go with the above pieces or whatever you might have

leaf cuff by paintedmetal on etsy

Love this cuff, so simple and strong

Fall Harvest Bracelet by BellaBeachJewelry on Etsy

yellow and red spot Boro Pendant Necklace by SerendipityByErin on etsy

And if you’ve been admiring those fancy serving spoons year after year how about a bracelet made from one…

Vintage Patina Serving Spoon Bracelet by erinschock on etsy

And if your bringing acorns, why not wear one…

Sweet Acorn Necklace Copper Leaf on Brass Chain by RhondasTreasures on Etsy

These handmade gemstone earrings are stunning

handmade gemstone earrings large faceted citrine briolette amethyst tanzanite goldfilled sterling by goreous on etsy

and keeping with the amber/citrine…

Thanksgiving Falls Fiest Vintage Key Leaf Vintage Jewel Swarovski Pearl Necklace by SSSJ on etsy

Indian Summer Earrings by TinyMishaps on etsy

And of course you’ll need a way to carry things so try one of these bags

Citrine Tote New by bayanhippo on etsy

or

The Mini Bag Orange with Black and White Bird by Expressive Stitches on Etsy

And because you look so lovely you may want to protect that outfit with a practical, if not supremely stylish, bib like these

Florence Damask Adult Bib by bibbitybibs on etsy

and for him…

Adult tuxedo Bib by sewwoman1 on etsy

And after the feasting is done you’ll need to clean up. So how about keeping some of these on hand

Pumpkin Pie Dishcloths by RebeccaJay on etsy

(love the photography!)

And in the end, isn’t it all about being thankful? Why not tell someone your thankful for them with these

Autumn Leaf Thank You Note Flat Card Pack of 5 by HeatherJaneDesign on Etsy

First off, what could be better than I nice, hot shower?  Whether waking up in the warming or relaxing before going to bed, it has to be up there with my highlights of the day. 

My favourite part is pouring soap on to my loofah and getting it all soapy.  The combination of the hot water and the scent of the bath soap just tops it all.

Now, when it comes to choosing a favourite scent I cannot. My bathroom shelf is filled with so many different scents from fruit to floral to spices. I am very much used to getting some sort of bath product every birthday or Christmas and I never get tired of it. It gives me the chance to try so many scents without having to pay for all of the ones that I would love to buy!

I do have a pattern to what scents come out at what time. During the summer time I tend to lather up with invigorating scents like pomegranate, mango, and tropical combinations. Currently I am winding down with cucumber and peach scents. Eventually when the winter season is here I will suds up with the scents of the season, vanilla and green tea.

I am sure there are people out there who love there scented soaps just as much, if not more, than myself. With my love for scents, I also tend to notice what scents other people are using, or lack of. So on that thought, do not forget to go lather up with a different scent than you have tried before and smile.  : )

Let it snow!

Our super-lathering snowflake soaps are scented with peppermint essential oil.

These bright white bars are topped with festive holiday glitter.

Fun and fragrant. Perfect as a hostess gift or to dazzle your guests by your sink.

Available in my Etsy shop.

Rubies and emeralds. So pretty and sparkly.

Our jewel-tone soaps come as round, rectangular or pear-shaped gems.

Ruby red is scented with cherry almond fragrance. Emerald green has a fresh rain scent.

Handmade of kosher glycerin soap and accented with iridescent glitter.

You can find these soaps in my Etsy shop.

Wow, it’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is this thursday! That means only four weeks until Christmas ~ have you started your shopping yet? Even if you’re one of those super organized people who shops all year for your Christmas gifts, you may want to pick up another gift or two in the next couple of weeks. After all, shopping is part of the fun of the holidays. The last couple of years my fun holiday shopping has been all online and I love it that way. I can take my time in the comfort of my own home and peruse the many, many beautiful things to choose from while sipping whatever my beverage of the moment might be. Shopping online doesn’t mean forsaking local merchants either and I’ve compiled a few of my personal favorites here for y’all.

NOLA sacred heart scarf

Sweet Olive's Fleur de Lis soap

Sucré ~ New Orleans Collection

Happy Shopping!

In Gindako, Togoshi Ginza

Desert Soaps are some of my favorite soaps. I love their fragrances and I also like the fact that they have moisturizing and exfoliating options. Now we are finally going to offer them for our clients at WhereInCabos.com. If you want o feel pampered by the desert, you absolutely need to order some of these, plus they make a wonderful souvenir.

Desert Soaps offer handmade soaps and lotions created from natural ingredients including bark, herbs and flowers found in the surrounding desert. Kind to the body and good for the environment, these soaps and other body care products are excellent for anyone seeking organic natural soaps. 

You can’t buy soap, but you should always have one bar, it’s given to you when you join and upgrades occasionally as you advance through the levels.

To find your soap simply open your chest, you should see a grayed out icon of your soap, drag this icon into the room (as if your soap was there), and it will appear!

Benipal Technologies
Location: Bangalore
Experience: 4-6 Years
Education: Graduates, MCA, M.Sc
Skills: JAVA J2EE, XML, STRUTS, HIBERNATE, SOAP,
WALK IN INTERVIEWS ON SATURDAY, NOV 21 from 12pm – 5 pm and SUNDAY, NOV 22 from 12 pm – 5 pm.

DESIRED CANDIDATE PROFILE:

Must have a Bachelors degree with any specialization. Preference will be given to M.Sc and MCA degrees. Excellent spoken engish is an absolute must with good presentation skills.

Ability to perform under pressure will be a critical factor.

Contact Details:

Benipal Technologies

28 5th Block 4th B Cross Koramangala Industrial Layout Bangalore, India 560095

Tel: 080-3026-8000

Oracle Weblogic Simple Producer (Version 10.3)

Oracle Weblogic Simple producer is a light version of Oracle Weblogic Portal + Oracle Weblogic Federated resources. From here onwards simple producer will be used to indicate Oracle Weblogic Simple Producer. Remote portlets deployed on producer can be consumed by the consumer portal using WSRP protocol.

A simple producer can be created using the following steps:

Step 1: Create the simple producer domain

Step 2: Create the simple producer project

Step 3: Move the existing application to simple producer project or create new application as required.

Step 4: Generate simple producer portlets, books, pages etc.

Step 5: Deploy the simple producer application on simple producer domain

Step 6: Consume the simple producer portlets and you are done.

Following features are supported by Simple Producer:

• Page flow & struts portlets can be created and published as remote portlets
• URL Rewriting is supported

Following features are not supported by Simple Producer:

• Java, JSP, HTML, Clipper or Iframe portlets are not supported
• Registration of remote portlets are not supported
• No portal administration is available for simple producer
• No Backing file support is available for simple producer
• No event support is available for simple producer and thus inter portlet communication is also not available.
• Render dependency file is not supported by simple producer
• Portal APIs are not supported by simple producer

Wow. Four members of a gang that specializes in the sale of human fat collected from dead humans and used for commercial purposes [WTF?!] were arrested in Peru. Don’t even wanna know where they got the fat from, but doesn’t seem like they got it from a biohazardous waste facility… via

In other news, this vegan parody is pretty dope. via

Well the sleep study results are in.  I don’t have sleep apnea!  YAY that part!  I do however, have something called Alpha Intrusion Disorder.  I have chronic pain and this condition is caused when someone has chronic pain and it changes their brain waves.  This causes them not to go into a deep REM sleep, which is what I have been experiencing for a few years now.  It’s not fun.  Some nights I wake up 12- 14 times.  I’m always hurting and I always need to move or turn to sleep better.  In my case, I finally get so exhuasted that I will need a night or a weekend day to just sleep for like 12 hours.  I’m beginning to explore some homeopathic paths to pain relief.  I’ve also stopped drinking caffeine after 3:00 in the afternoon.  This seems to be helping a bit.  I’m in love with blueberry herbal tea so that’s what I’ve been drinking at night.   If any of you want to leave comments about your sleeping disorders, please feel free to do so.  Just find all the tiny writing at the bottom of the posts and click on leave a comment.  We are all in this together. 

Okay!  On to more fun topics.  I cut two logs of soap yesterday.  The first one is a cucumber scent and it is so clean smelling.  I also played around a bit with the coloring.  It was fun!   So here are the cut bars. 

Handmade Cucumber Luxury Soap. Yummmm!

The second log I cut was the grapefruit/orange soap.  OMG y’all I am in LOVE with this soap.  I used a grapefruit/orange essential oil blend on this one.  It smells just like juicy ripe grapefruits and oranges.  It’s also a vegan bar.  I was kind of surprised at how long the recipe took to trace, but it was worth the effort.  I colored half the batch a light pink grapefruit color and added just a touch of yellow to the other half then mixed them.  I love the soft understated way the colors came out!  I hope y’all like these too. 

Grapefruit/Orange Handmade Vegan Luxury Soap w/ essential oils.

Tonight I’m going to work on completing a couple of birds.  I’ve got some cute ideas for bird hats and such so I’m going to try and get that done.   I’m working on getting myself organized.  Sometimes I feel like I’m running as fast as I can on the wheel and getting nowhere.  LOL   I hope you all have a day filled with peace, happiness, tons of smiles and more love than you can hold!

Well, hello there! We’ve been away for a while, but the Try Guys are back from hiatus! Since our last post, we’ve Tried a pile of new products, so we’re going to do something different for this entry. Rather than list the scores for each category (Product Name, Packaging & Appearance, etc.), we’re just going to give you some highlights for each product and the final score. We have SEVEN (!) products for you to consider, so let’s get right to it!

Twizzlers Sweet & Sour Filled Twists

With a ‘Citrus PUNCH!’ and a ‘Cherry KICK!”, this is a very violent snack treat. Rather than being hollow like a regular Twizzler, these overly-tart monstrosities are filled with a tangy gooey substance. When you squeeze it, the filling oozes out. It’s a little like milking a Twizzler. Weird. Guest Try Guy and self-proclaimed candy connoisseur  Shawnlamented that you can’t drink your soda through these like a straw as you can with a regular Twizzler. But Guest Try Gal Robinpointed out that they don’t stick to your teeth like an original Twizzler. And we all wondered if you were expected to finish the entire giant bag in one sitting, since the bag is not resealable. If not, what are you supposed to do with the leftovers?SCORE: 72.5

New York Olde World Ciabatta Rolls

Well, I’ll buy anything with the word ‘Olde’ in the name! Santio and I both enjoyed these. Not too much cheese, just enough. And they tasted just as good hot out of the oven as they did cooled down later, after we had finished our meal and thought we were done but then decided to go back for more.

SCORE: 90

Inspector Hector Dirt Detector Color Changing Soap (Secret Bubble Gum Scent)

This product really sucks. First of all, who the hell is Inspector Hector?!? I’ve never heard of him. The label proclaims “Gets Kids To Wash Hands Longer = Healthy & Stronger”, which–besides being a dubious mathematical equation–seems to me like a good way to teach your children to waste water. And you know what else? IT DOESN’T CHANGE COLOR WHEN YOU’RE WASHING YOUR HANDS!!! The little beads DO manage to get all over your sink and leave red spots that you have to clean up later, however. Nice going, Inspector.

SCORE: 36

Healthy Choice Pumpkin Squash Ravioli

I was lured into buying this after watching the delightful commercials starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and finding a money-saving coupon in a miniature box that showed up in the break room at work. I’ve never had a Healthy Choice product before (I usually prefer to make unhealthy choices), so I was skeptical, but I found this to be surprisingly filling. There was a VERY STRONG cinnamon and nutmeg scent, which pleasantly lingered in the microwave. The flavors on the outside of the ravioli didn’t jive with the flavors on the inside of the ravioli. I don’t think I’ll buy this again, but I WILL continue to watch ‘The New Adventures of Old Christine’, Wednesdays on CBS, 8:00 Eastern, 7:00 Central.

SCORE: 72

[The next three products were reviewed by myself, Santio, Marc, and Dave during our bus trip to New York to see Kylie Minogue in concert. Any good road trip deserves good snacks!]

L to R: Dave, Marc, Gary, Santio

WONKA KAZOOZLES Delickoricious Chewy Candy (Pink Lemonade flavor)

Like a punk rock version of the Twizzlers reviewed above, these freaky yellow-and-pink candies did not win favor from our group. “Delickoricious is not a real word!” Marc griped. “And Kazoozles reminds me of Zoobilee Zoo.” (It wasn’t clear whether this was a good or a bad thing.)

“It tastes like the fluoride at the dentist,” Dave said.

Santio hated these. As for me, I felt that the name and appearance of the product was in keeping with the spirit of Wonka. As in, “Is this a candy, or am I on an acid trip?!?” They were way too hard, though–you almost need a knife to cut it.

SCORE:  62

Whoppers Reese’s Peanut Butter Flavored Malted Milk Balls

A true dilemma for me: I love everything Reese’s has to offer the candy universe, but I HATE Whoppers. My opinion is that malt only belongs in a milkshake. Marc, a malted milk ball fan (a ‘Milkballer’?) disagreed with me, and was delighted to find two of his favorite candies had joined forces. As he popped ball after ball into his mouth, he remarked that he was thinking of other people he would recommend this product to. I was not swayed by his opinion…the Whoppers hurt my teeth and had a yucky aftertaste. As a group, we all agreed that the packagingwas problematic. They need to provide clearer opening instructions (there wasn’t any) and they need to modify the box so that all the Whoppers don’t spill out all over the place, like they did to us when the box got jostled during our bus ride, and the Whoppers rolled around all over the place. Perhaps they should utilize the Flip-and-Take Dispenser technology developed by the Wonka company, which revolutionized candy dispensation when it was introduced in Gobstoppers packaging in the 80’s.

Oh, and in case you were wondering (like we were) which came first, Whoppers candy or the Whopper by Burger King–it was the candy, which was introduced in 1949. BK’s gigundo hamburger didn’t come ’til 1957. I got this information from Wikipedia, which never lies.

SCORE: 55

Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters (Honey Roasted Peanut flavor)

From the name to the packaging to the taste, everyone loved these. Or maybe they just seemed exceptional after the unpleasantness of the Kazoozles and Whoppers. Basically, what Nature Valley did was take their granola bars and make them into bite-size pieces. Since they increased the nut content significantly, they decided to call them ‘Nut Clusters’. (“An honest name,” as Marc put it. “If they had called them ‘Wacky Wapoos’, or something like that, nobody would buy them.” A good point, I suppose.)

The packaging was nice, too–the bag sits up, at attention, ready for the next hand to grab inside. Santio liked the crunchiness and just-right amount of sweetness, and felt that it was a great snack for a movie, after a workout, or even as a quick on-the-go breakfast. I agreed with all that, but I have to point out that this is a VERY LOUD snack. Very audible crunching sounds. So don’t bring it to church.

Dave seemed to think that women in their 40’s and 50’s would enjoy this snack. Ummm….OK.

I was so happy with the Nut Clusters, I wrote a little song about it, to the tune of “Ghostbusters”:

When you’re on the bus

And you need a snack

Whatchoo gonna eat?

NUT CLUSTERS!!!

…I had more verses, but the guys told me to shut up.

SCORE: 92

I hope you enjoyed this entry, and I’ll try not to keep you waiting too long for the next one. Any thoughts/comments? Please leave ‘em below and I’ll get back at ya!