A Mouse Review for Race your Mouse Day

August 28 was chosen by Thomas & Ruth Roy of Wellcat.com to be Race Your Mouse (Around the Icons) Day.  They created the day just for fun as a way to entertain yourself while you are waiting for a page to come up on your computer.  This wacky holiday is aimed at your 'computer mouse', but there are a few other fun 'mouse' things we shall review here. 

The House of Sylvestermouse

Most people say “Eek!” if they see a 'mouse'. But the resident Mouse-in-the-House of Review This! is a special and much loved lady known as SylvesterMOUSE. 

Polar Bear & Penguins Felt Centerpiece Kit

Sylvestermouse created the blog you are enjoying reading ~ Review This!  Our MOUSE is a multi-talented writer who shares  stories, recipes, craft tutorials, and fun facts about fascinating animals.  She's a photographer and a crafter and a wonderful friend to many.  Check out her About Me page for a list of her fantastic and fascinating sites online.  My favorite is the HOUSE OF SYLVESTERMOUSE which includes links and stories about terrific items found in her Zazzle and eBay stores. The charming polar bear and penguins centerpiece kit above is an example of the cute crafts she carries in her eBay Store.

If you are curious how Sylvestermouse got her name, read her delightful story here. Yes, it involves a real-life mouse! 

Plush Toy Mouse

Little Crochet Toy Mouse - Etsy

Little mouse, cute gift for kids, nursery decor toy.

This charming mouse will bring good mood, joy, and love to his new home!

Plush mouse can be found in the Etsy Shop of CozyToysByOreshek

 

A Mouse on the Table

 

Mouse Hot Pad in Colorful Crochet

For a useful and unusual hot pad for your table, how about a hot pad in the shape of a Mouse.  It's sure to invite interesting dinner table conversation. 

Cute Kitchen Combo Set

Crochet Mouse Hot Pad & Matching Potholder

The mouse hot pad is hand-crocheted in royal blue and red with yellow ears. It measures 10 inches long and 8 inches wide with a 6 inch tail. The hot pad is made double-thick of washable acrylic yarn. The body is blue, the face is red and the ears are yellow. Crocheted dark blue eyes and nose in yarn complete the features. A whimsical, happy-looking mouse for hot dishes on your table will be a novelty conversation piece.

The mouse hot pad comes with a matching blue and red potholder for your cooking chores. Crocheted of ombre yarn, the color pattern changes throughout. The back and the front have different designs. Potholder measures 6 x 7 inches.

How Did the Computer Mouse Get It's Name?

Douglas Engelbart created this special tool in 1968 to help people navigate graphics-filled computer screens.  The first 'mouse' was a small wooden block on wheels with a long cable sticking out of the back, making it look like a tail.  One of Mr. Engelbart's researchers called the tool a mouse ~ and the name stuck!  There are scientific and technical explanations for how this all works, but us ordinary computer-users are just happy that we can roam around our computer screens with a simple motion of the hand.  We'll leave understanding the technology to the experts! 

Logitech Computer Mouse

Today's computer mouse is so sophisticated that you don't even need a 'cord' (tail) anymore as the cordless mouse does the work for us through Wi-Fi. They come in a multitude of shapes, styles and colors for your enjoyment while you work and play online. 

Check out this review of a Wireless Computer Mouse here on Review This!

Have a fun 'Mouse' Day

So, put August 28 on your calendar to celebrate the many mice in our Mouseland Review and acknowledge Race Your Mouse Day!



Author: Wednesday Elf

Wednesday Elf can also be found at:
Crochet-Crafts-Critters Blog 
Coastal Crochet Crafts Etsy Shop
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Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation Movie Review

I had the opportunity to see Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation a few days ago and I did find it to be mildly entertaining, yet somewhat unbelievable.

My husband had previously seen the movie and loved it.  He thought I would enjoy the movie as well.  He knows that I appreciate movies that have leading women who are treated as intellectual beings and not sexual objects.  The relationship between the two main characters, Tom Cruise and Rebecca Ferguson, maintained the professionalism of respect and admiration of two co-workers who rely on each other to accomplish a "mission".  That particular aspect of this movie was definitely appreciated by this reviewer.

It is to be expected with any of the Mission Impossible movies that the characters would have "impossible" physical abilities.  However, this particular movie exceeded my ability to suspend reality enough to avoid being distracted by the inconceivable.

Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation Movie Review

 Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation [Blu-ray]If you can ignore the plot and over the top action scenes, you will find that there are a some redeeming qualities, namely a few of the actors who you just can't help but like.

Simon Pegg, who played Benji, was by far my favorite actor in this movie.  As the loyal friend and agent partner to Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), his character was more realistic.  He is intelligent, but not perfect.  He provided what light fun and entertainment I derived from the movie.  He actually made me laugh a few times.

Jeremy Renner and Alec Baldwin both played believable characters who each faced moments of personal decision and crisis with loyalty, strength and character.

The two main characters in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation were actually simply stated, impossible.  They both had superhuman physical abilities that reminded me of a combination of Spiderman and Superman, both fictional cartoon characters who we love, but we also know they are not even remotely "real".


Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is categorized as an action thriller, but personally I would have to say I found it to be more of a fantasy filled with wishful thinking.

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SLS-Free Toothpaste and Why I Brush With Tooth Soap

"I'm Going to Wash Your Mouth Out With Soap!"

Did your mom ever say that to you? I hope not, but if she did, she was actually onto something. In fact, after extensive research, I no longer use toothpaste. Instead, I brush my teeth with tooth soap!

Most of my life, I had a major problem with mouth ulcers. If you've ever had those white, painful sores on the inside of your cheek or lips that make it difficult to eat, then you know what I'm talking about. Several years ago, I started searching for a cause for mouth ulcers and I came across several articles about SLS in toothpaste. A good number of people like me were reporting that using an SLS-free toothpaste put an end to their mouth sores.

I was interested, in fact I was thrilled. But what toothpaste should I use? And where could I find toothpaste without SLS, one that was safe to use? My research continued.

SLS stands for sodium lauryl sulfate which is used in many products from toothpaste to industrial cleaners. Why? Because SLS causes a reaction in those products that makes them foamy or sudsy when they're used. But get this. It's also used as a skin irritant in testing of products made to heal skin conditions.

What about other potentially harmful ingredients in toothpaste? Did you ever wonder about the “Do Not Swallow” warning on the label or why many toothpastes say they are not to be used by children under six-years of age?

Many of the ingredients in toothpaste can be dangerous. For instance, there's silica. Medicinenet.com defines silica this way: “The chief component of sand and a substance responsible for lung disease and cancer.” Read the label on your own toothpaste and I’m guessing you’re going to think twice before you squeeze that tube tonight on your way to bed!

But back to SLS-free toothpaste and why I brush with tooth soap.

My research eventually led me to tooth soap which at that time was expensive and somewhat hard to find. Since then, I make an effort to put fewer ingredients that I can't pronounce into my body. A few of the "natural" alternatives for brushing that I've tried are these (prices are subject to change):

* The Tooth Soap brand is what originally sold me on tooth soap. Get a 4-ounce jar of peppermint shreds for $23.86 with Amazon Prime.

 * Squigle Tooth Builder, Sensitive, 4.4 oz Toothpaste, $9.50 with Prime. Ingredients: 36% Natural Xylitol, water, calcite, glycerin, poloxamer, cellulose gum, Methocel, calcium propionate, lactoferrin. I like this, but it doesn't make my teeth feel as smooth as they get with tooth soap. And it's expensive.

* Xyli-White Toothpaste 6.4 oz $3.99 add-on item. Ingredients: Water, xylitol, hydrated silica, glycerin, sorbitol, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium coco-sulfate, carrageenan, tea tree leaf oil, peppermint oil, spearmint oil, papain, potassium sorbate. I've tried this and it's actually pretty good (discounting the silica on the ingredient list) and it's cheaper than most on this list but, again, it doesn't clean as well as tooth soap.

* Tom's Toothpaste. Tom's has a reputation for using natural ingredients in its products. Unfortunately for me, they use sodium lauryl sulfate as a dispersing agent, so I have to eliminate this product from my "recommended" list. Apparently there is a low-sudsing variety without SLS, so look for that and give it a try.

* Coconut Oil Toothpaste. I have tried brushing my teeth with coconut oil, fresh from the kitchen, and that wasn't a very satisfying experience, though your results may vary. Additionally, I tried a coconut oil toothpaste in a tube and had mixed results. Why mixed? Because since coconut oil is responsive to temperature, during cold weather it became partially solid and was nearly impossible to squeeze out of the tube, so I became very frustrated and quit using it until summer.

* Today's winner and my overall recommendation: Uncle Harry's Tooth Soap (peppermint) $8.99 for a 2-ounce jar, free shipping. This is something I found recently, started using it a few weeks ago, and I really like it! The price is right (those 2 ounces will last a long time), I love that it's a whipped formula and not a shred like the original Tooth Soap brand, and my teeth are getting much cleaner than they did with the xylitol toothpaste I previously used. Recommended!

You might be asking yourself, does tooth soap taste like soap? Well yes, it actually does. The Uncle Harry's tooth soap that I've been using contains organic peppermint essential oil so when I open the jar, it's the minty fresh smell that I notice. It doesn't take much soap to brush, just a dab on the tip of my toothbrush, so my mouth doesn't fill with suds and spread the soap taste to my taste buds. Plus, by now I've gotten used to brushing with soap and it doesn't bother me a bit. You'll get used to it, too.

Bottom line, I brush my teeth with tooth soap, always SLS-free, and my mouth ulcer problem has disappeared. I no longer wake up with an icky mouth and a coating on my teeth. Instead, my teeth feel smooth and clean after I brush. And, (did I mention?) no more mouth ulcers with SLS-free tooth soap! It worked for me and I hope it will work for you.

(To learn more about SLS, visit this page at Mercola.com.  It's a very interesting topic to research.)

--Susan Deppner

About the Author

Posted by Susan Deppner

About the Author

Susan Deppner is a baby boomer, a cancer survivor, and a Southerner who believes in the Golden Rule. She enjoys writing about food, faith, and fitness; health, home, and holidays; people, places, pets, and patriotism, and more. Follow Susan on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

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Site Review: Heart of the Home Kitchen

Looking for Kitchen Ideas?

In most homes the kitchen is apt to be the one room in the house that family and friends gather to share both food and time together. The website Heart of the Home Kitchen honors this long standing tradition with ideas for items to use in our kitchens, ways to decorate our kitchens and even gifts for the kitchen.

Old fashioned kitchen

If we look up the word kitchen in the dictionary we find that it simply means a room or area where food is prepared and cooked. Kitchens in a home are so much more than that simplistic definition, though. At least that is the case for me in my life's journey and I would imagine it is more than just the room where food is prepared for most people. It truly is the "heart of the home", the one room where most activity takes place during any given day.

We could most probably trace this tradition all the way back to prehistoric peoples. The community fire would have been where the women were cooking the food for the clan, the children would have been close by to play and be looked after, the men would have been gathered around to stay warm and to discuss the next hunt or the new peoples who had entered their territory. It was the gathering place, the heart of the community.

What can you find at Heart of the Home Kitchen?

I love this website dedicated to the concept of the kitchen being the heart of the home for all sorts of reasons. You can find categories like: 

• Bakeware
• Holiday Kitchen Decor
• Aprons
• Teapots
• Gifts
• And more!

My kitchen has always been the hub of activity in our home as it was in my Grandmother's and my Mother's kitchens. As I was working on a meal, my children gathered around the table to do their homework and tell me about their day. It is where my friends have always gathered to share their joys, divide their grief and laugh together. Because I spend so much time in my own kitchen, I love to find sites like Heart of the Home Kitchen that have ideas for products that I can use or decorate with.

I love to bake so when I found this idea for heart shaped bakeware, I was delighted! There are ideas for cake pans, pie pans, muffin tins and even casserole dishes all shaped like hearts. Now, those would come in handy for holidays like Valentines Day but I will use them for other occasions , too. When I know the grandchildren are coming, I'll bake up some goodies and it is fun to have them shaped like a heart. The kids love it and it is just another way for me to show my love for them. 

There is even a video in the article that shows how to make cream cheese filled cupcakes that of course would be fun if they were baked in a heart shape! Yummy and fun!

My kitchen is the first room I go to in the morning and the last one to have the lights turned out before I go to bed. It is the soul of our home, the place where I feel that I can nurture family and friends with my food and my company. That is why I appreciate sites like Heart of the Home Kitchen where I can find new ideas for my kitchen and gift ideas for others who feel the same way about their special area where not just food is prepared but where family gathers. I think you will love this site, too.

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Back Packs or Rolling Totes!

For many of my friends and family, the time is drawing quickly to a close when summer holidays are a done item and the back to school craziness is again upon us.

Along with all the clothes shopping that needs to be done, there is also that list of items needed for the start of the new school year, and that list seems to grow every time you head out to the store.
There is just that one other new thing you just know will be perfect for your scholar. Whether it's a new backpack, lunch bag, pencils and pens or notebooks, you are sure that you will need them all.

So Will it be a Back Pack or a Wheeled Tote?

The answer will depend on the child....read on! When kids come home from school, their back packs or rolling totes, seem to be the most important item they will have. After all you need something strong and sturdy to carry home all the books and journals/notebooks that are the sign of a new school year.  Their backpack will need to be large enough to contain all their "things" and at the same time, be manageable for youngsters to either have on their backs or roll home.

Now, I know that many parents seem to be divided when it comes to the "type" of school bag, their kids are going to be using.

Young kids in grades 1 through 3 seem to like back packs that go over their shoulders and hang down their backs. These types of bags do tend to make the children stand up straighter, but sometimes the weight is a little too much for their growing bones to handle.   So,  instead of them standing up taller, they slouch in a way to make the weight lie across their backs a little more evenly. Either that or you have children that have sore backs from carrying the weight of all those books, or the bottoms of their bags are falling out, because they are dragging their backpacks home.  You will have to keep an eye out on your child's behaviors when dealing with their back packs and moving them back and forth.
Having a carrier that has good straps and functional pockets is half the job, the other half is being ergonomically designed so that filled with books, it is still easy to have on your back and not make you tired or sore.  If you are finding that your child is dragging their backpacks along the ground, it just maybe too heavy for them to handle.  In that case a rolling tote is a much better answer.  You don't want your child to arrive at school already tired from the load they are carrying.

If your child is wanting a rolling pack for school, there are also lots of choices.This is just one of the styles available and suitable for school aged children. The only down side to the wheeled packs would be, winter where lots of snow, would make pulling this, just a little cumbersome.

Which ever way you choose to for your youngsters to get their books and gear back and forth to school, I'm sure that there is a fashionable and fun way to do just that.

For every child there is a Back Pack or Rolling Pack to suit their tastes and needs.

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