Sunday, February 22, 2015
Five Toe Shoes for that Barefoot Feeling!
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Let's Review the Dog Days of February
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Abbi, a family Boston Terrier (c) |
I know, you think of those hot, steamy days of August when you hear the term 'Dog Days', but you'll be surprised to learn how many February dates are related to the lovable pet known as DOG.
There are quite a few dog-related holidays in February alone. Perhaps this is because the Westminster Dog Show is held this month, putting the focus on dogs.
Although there are numerous days throughout the year dedicated to dogs in one form or another, we present here just a few celebrated in February.
“Walking the Dog Day” - February 22
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Abbi, a family pet Boston Terrier |
Abbi is a rescue pup who has found her 'forever home' with my brother & sister-in-law and she is a happy dog indeed.
"Love Your Pet Day" - February 20
February 20th is “Love Your Pet Day”. While not limited strictly to dogs, one of the most popular pets is a cute puppy and the grown up dog he becomes. No one knows who created this 'love' day for pets, but probably it was a pet lover (or the pet of one). It's definitely a day to lavish extra attention on your pet, be it a dog or other kind of animal you love.
Our own Dawn Rae wrote this delightful story about her Rat Terrier, Daisy and you can just feel all the love she had for Daisy the dog. Put February 20 on your calendar each year so you don't miss out on 'Love Your Pet Day'.
“International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day” - February 23
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Another 'dog day' to celebrate in February is “International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day” on February 23rd.
I can't think of a better way to let your dog know you appreciate him/her than with a favorite doggie treat. Dog biscuits are snapped up immediately by dogs and the best kind are homemade.
Try the recipe in this article filled with homemade dog food recipes and helpful tips for making your own homemade dog biscuits for your furry friend on a day we appreciate the dog biscuit. The shape is easy to make with this dog biscuit cookie cutter from Amazon.
Besides dog biscuits, your favorite puppy might enjoy a special cupcake made especially for a doggie palette with ingredients just right for a dog diet. The recipe by Susan Zatautas is found in another review by Sylvestermouse called “Cooking for Dogs”.
Celebrate all the Dog Days in February and Thoughout the Year.
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For more dog stories and reviews of products for dogs, check out the DOG section here on Review This Reviews.
Friday, February 20, 2015
Get Rid of Cable TV and Still Have Live Major Network TV with Sling TV
Sling Television Brings Live Major Network TV Back to Cable Cutters!
Several months ago, I had finally had enough! Cable TV just kept getting more expensive while quality continued to decline and customer service was basically nonexistent, so we pulled the cable plug. However, we still have TV.
My husband reconnected an old fashioned antenna. Remember the rabbit ears? Yes, we have those again, but they are hidden behind a plant on top of our TV cabinet. This allows us to watch local TV stations, local news and local weather.
We also purchased a Roku from Amazon.com and hooked it up. Through the Roku, we are able to view hundreds of movies and TV programs that are streamed programming, but not live TV. It is good, but not exactly perfect.
However, just this week I received an email introducing Sling Television and our major network TV viewing is live again!
Sling.com
With Sling Television we can now have live major network TV again! The basic Sling service cost only $20/month and we could not be happier. I now have CNN, A&E, AMC, TNT, TBS and Cartoon Network on live TV. The basic service also includes ESPN, ESPN2, Disney Channel, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, and more.
There are additional packages available as well for only $5/month. We won't need those, but it is definitely worth mentioning that Sling has upgrades to their basic service available.
Costs Cut by Cutting the Cable Cord
Here is a line up of the services we now have on TV. You can see for yourself how we have substantially cut our monthly costs.
- Sling.com ~ Live TV Basic Service includes ESPN, ESPN2, AMC, A&E, TNT, TBS, CNN, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, History Channel (Device Required: Amazon Fire, Roku, iOS, Android, Mac, or PC) ~ Cost: $20.00/month
- Amazon Prime ~ Prime Instant Video (thousands of movies & TV shows), Prime Music, Prime Photos, Kindle Library, plus Free 2 day shipping on Amazon orders all included with Amazon Prime. ~ Cost: $99.00/year
- Netflix ~ Movies & TV ~ Cost: $8.99/month
You, too, Can Cut Your Cable Cord and Save Money!
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Customized Jewelry on Zazzle
Necklaces
- Round
- Square
- Round Locket
Charm Bracelets
Rings
Watches
- Classic Stainless Steel
- Vintage Leather Strap
- Two-tone
- Sporty
- Rhinestone
- Kid's Glitter
- Kid's Stainless Steel
- Kid's Adjustable Bezel Stainless Steel
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Reviewing the Best Birthday Cards for Online Friends
Selecting birthday cards for friends you've never met in person is a challenge. Find the perfect greeting in this review of birthday cards for online friends.
We all have them. Virtual friends that we hang out with online. We've never met them in person, but we feel we've known them all our lives. And, when our online friends celebrate a special birthday, we want to share it with them.
What do you send the friend you've never met for their birthday? Let's review birthday cards for online friends.
Create a Customized Birthday Card
When an online friend has shared their mailing address, take a suggestion from Review This! contributor, Mary Beth. Mary Beth loves to create special greeting cards for her special friends. And she loves to share her pictures of butterflies in her Zazzle print-on-demand gift shop.
The cool thing about shopping at Zazzle is that you can customize the gifts you buy. Mary Beth's Paper Kite Butterfly greeting card, and all greeting cards on Zazzle's site, can be personalized. You can add a birthday greeting to the front of the card and add a personal wish to the inside.
Send an Electronic Greeting Card
Do a web search and you'll find a long list of websites where you can create an electronic birthday card. These sites usually have a selection of free and fee cards. After you select and customize a card, the site sends an email to the card recipient with a link to the card. The only information you need to provide about your birthday pal is an email address.
My favorite web-based greeting card service is E-Cards.com. I found E-Cards about 15 years ago and have always had a good experience with their service. E-Cards has a nice selection of free cards or you can join the site for access to members-only cards.
If you care about wildlife and the environment, E-Cards donates a portion of their earnings to organizations such as World Wildlife Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense, Grist Magazine, The New American Dream, and The Green Schools Initiative.
Send a Gift Card
Gift cards are the universal gift. Gift cards are easy to purchase and easy to spend. The great thing about gift cards is that you don't have to second guess about what your online friend would enjoy.
Amazon.com has made gift card giving a group activity. With the Amazon Birthday Gift, you and your online friends can contribute any amount to a birthday gift card for another online friend. All you have to do is tell your friends where they can make their contribution.
It's easy to remember your online friends on their birthdays. Especially when sending a birthday card is just a few mouse clicks away.
Posted by Coletta Teske

About This Contributor
Coletta Teske writes reviews on books, business management, writing, crafting, cooking, and gardening. She is also an avid recycler and shares her tips on recycling. She delights in upcycling an old object, recycling or transforming discarded items into a new treasure.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Stress-free Stress Relief
Bath & Body Works Eucalyptus Spearmint Review
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Eucalyptus Spearmint Stress Relief |
The Eucalyptus Spearmint scent combination is aromatic. It is not a subdued scent. For stress relief, the website instructs to smooth the lotion on generously and breathe deeply. This is how I apply the lotion, before bed or after a bath. I am not sure how much stress is alleviated from the use of this lotion, but the moisturizing and the scent are pleasing. I do feel more relaxed after applying it.
The reasons I like this particular lotion:
- essential oils provide a genuine, natural scent
- lightly moisturizing
- lotion absorbs well and doesn't feel greasy
- packaged in a nice glass bottle with a pump dispenser
- some reviewers report that it opens the sinuses (I agree)
- some reviewers report that it soothes sore muscle or joint pain (I agree)
- is a great lotion for massage
Easy Bath & Body Works Online Ordering
We have a wonderful, local, brick and mortar Bath & Body Works store. It's a great little store. However, I don't always enjoy fighting the crowds for a bottle of lotion. I began using the Bath & Body Works Website to buy my lotions and to order gifts. I love saving my time and money by shopping online and having my purchases delivered to my door. I explain how I saved 50% on my current order on Treasures, Travel, and Tales.
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Orange Ginger Energy |
Bath & Body Works Orange Ginger Energy Body Lotion
Bits of Relaxation
Any bit of relaxation and self-care that we can bring into our lives is pretty important to our health and well-being. Pampering ourselves is one way to do that. These are just two of my favorite items.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
How to Successfully Clean Grout
How to Clean Grout - A Review of the Products & Methods We Used
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by Barbara Tremblay Cipak
Funkthishouse.com
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Valentine's Day: A Review of the Fun Side
Historical Valentine's Day
Ever wonder how this tradition of Valentine's Day got started? Turns out to be a religious feast day, originally. There really was a man named Valentinus who was later cannonized in the Christian faith. Seems St. Valentine was known for performing illegal marriages. Of course, there is more to the history of Valentine's Day. But, it's fun to see how it's origins really happened.
Offbeat Holiday Traditions
Mind-floss.com pulled together a fun collection of offbeat Valentine's Day traditions (www.mentalfloss.com/article/61624/offbeat-valentines-day-traditions-around-world). Some are interesting, some are funny, while others are just plain strange.
My favorite is the tradition from Finland. They don't celebrate with romance but with friendship. Then there is the humorous, while traditionally romantic Valentine's Day custom in Taiwan. The meaning of the number of roses a guy gives a gal can change their lives significantly.
Valentine's Day Food Under Review

Certainly, modern day traditions include plenty of food for this celebration. Chocolate, of course. But, there are other fun options. Cooking for the Holidays author Cynthia gives us a fun collection of easy ways to decorate cupcakes for Valentine's Day.
Here on Review This, you can find a great review of other Valentine's Day food treats. Do we ever have enough heart-shaped goodies? Not in my view.
As long as we are celebrating Valentine's Day, why not celebrate with all kinds of love, whether the romantic kind or the friendship kind.
Posted by: BuckHawk

About This Contributor
BuckHawk decribes herself as "Basically a lazy person who prefers the easy things in life." So that's what she writes about. Easy home decorating, easy recipes, easy entertaining. But, she is also a lover of animals, gardening and crafting. You'll find her writing all over the Web, but with Review This Reviews! she has the opportunity to write about all of her loves.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Review of Kitchen Items on Zazzle
Kitchen Items on Zazzle
- Towels
- Clocks
- Cutting Boards
- Serving Trays
- Pitchers
- Candy Jars
- Teapots
- Napkins
- Placemats
- Aprons
- Plates
- Mugs
Plates on Zazzle
Peggy's Cove Lighthouse Party Plate by lighthouseenthusiast
Placemats
Sunrise in Paradise Placemats by mbgphoto
Browse more Sunrise over ocean Placemats
Kitchen Towels
Golden Sunflower Kitchen Towels by mbgphoto
Check out Golden sunflower Kitchen Towels online at zazzle
Special Teapots
Review This Authors Zazzle Too
Butterfly by the River Decorative Cutting Board by Sylvestermouse
Find other Butterfly Cutting Board at zazzle.com
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Craft Review: Easy Handmade Valentine's Decorations
Show your love on Valentine's Day with the gift of your own handiwork. Inside this craft review, you'll find ideas for easy handmade Valentine's decorations.
The simplest expressions of love can leave the biggest impact on your loved one's heart. Especially when those tokens of affection are made from the heart and made by hand.
With Valentine's Day just around the corner, review this list of easy handmade Valentine's decorations and find a craft that will melt your loved one's heart.
Pour Your Porcelain Heart Out
These white porcelain hearts are a kitchen crafter's delight. With a few simple ingredients from your local grocery store and pharmacy, you can cook up a batch of cold porcelain and mold it into any shape.
Cold porcelain is a homemade air-drying modeling clay made from white glue, cornstarch, cold cream, and glycerin. The ingredients are mixed together in an old saucepan, cooked over medium heat until it looks like clay, and kneaded until the mixture is smooth.
You'll find a detailed tutorial on how to make cold porcelain at CraftStylish. There are pictures to guide you through the porcelain making process step-by-step. And, there are ideas for molding the porcelain clay into different shapes.
Hang Your Heart on Your Hearth
Garlands are the perfect decoration for any occasion. On Valentine's Day, create a garland of hearts and hang those hearts all over a room.
Cut hearts out of any material you have in the closet and attach those hearts to a string. You can use fabric, paper, or plastic. Whatever material your heart desires.
Felt is a popular crafting material this year and Marie Williams Johnstone has an easy tutorial for a Valentine felt heart garland. To cut the felt, you'll need a good pair of scissors. To put the garland together, you'll need basic hand sewing skills.
More Valentine's Decorations and Crafts
Pinterest is blushing with Valentine's Day craft and decoration ideas. Here are a few Pinterest boards that you may find inspiring:
- Valentine's Romance by lakeerieartists has pins for heart-themed garlands, giant paper roses, wreaths, greeting cards, and date night ideas.
- Valentine Crafts and Gift Ideas by annmackiemiller has pins for heart-shaped yarn and string projects. If you love to crochet, you'll find several Valentine-themed projects.
- Heart Shapes I love! Crafty by haydnsgrammie has every heart design imaginable. This is the place to go when you need inspiration for a one-of-a-kind heart.
- Valentine Crafts and Ideas by planetpals has Valentine crafts and activities for kids with an earth-friendly approach.
Creating a handmade token of your love is a gift that creates lasting memories. In the time you spend watching a TV show, you can also make a craft or decoration to celebrate your Valentine.
Posted by Coletta Teske

About This Contributor
Coletta Teske writes reviews on books, business management, writing, crafting, cooking, and gardening. She is also an avid recycler and shares her tips on recycling. She delights in upcycling an old object, recycling or transforming discarded items into a new treasure.
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