Product review: Cord Connect Water-Tight Cord Lock - Green

I purchased this cord lock to protect an extension cord which I need to power my heated outdoor mat. I used it all last winter and it stayed dry inside through rain and snow.   I took inside for the summer and just put it out again.

This lock is adjustable in size, I can adjust its size to fit a variety of plugs and make it larger or smaller as needed. It is made out of heavy duty plastic and looks as good as it did before spending the winter outdoors.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Maverick ET-733 Long Range Wireless Dual Probe Meat Thermometer

I have been using Maverick thermometer for a week, including cooking the Thanksgivings feast.  The highlights for me were its accuracy and the fact that the receiver worked well at a long distance. I could would how my turkey was progressing in a room 40 feet away from the oven.



Despite key great features it is not perfect.  In this review I will highlight its strengths and weaknesses.



The first thing I did is to measure the accuracy of the thermometer.  My video shows this test.  Checking accuracy of the thermometer is very easy because we know the temperature at which the water boils at sea level is 212°F degrees.  The video shows the reading of both the transmitter and the receiver.  The thermometer final reading is 214, which is 2 degrees higher than boiling water.  This test shows that the thermometer is accurate within 2 degrees, which is acceptable. It shows this measurement consistently during several tests.

I like that the thermometer comes with two units: the transmitter which has the probes attached, and the receiver a unit which you can place where it is convenient so you can see and hear what is going with the temperature of the probe.  It will communicate with the transmitter up to 300 feet away.



The package includes a clip stand which attaches to the back of the unit, so it is easy to see.



The sensors are heat resistant for up to 716°F and come with wires that are 3 feet long. Enough to put the transmitted on top of the oven when the probes piece the meat. 



The transmitter unit is water tight, to open the battery compartment you need a small screw driver.  The receiver unit is not water tight, so the battery compartment has just a sliding cover.  The unit comes with batteries, but they were carbon batteries that we decided not to use and used our own alkaline batteries.



On the negative side, the initial sync function did not work smoothly.  The documentation says it should have happened automatically, but it did not. It took multiple manual attempts until it finally worked.  This is the steps:

1) Turn off both units. Then turn on the receiver by holding the on button for 2 seconds.

2) The turn on the transmitter by holding the on button for 2 seconds.

3) Then hit the sync button on the back of the transmitter for 2 seconds until the receiver shows the same temperature.  This function did not work when I had only one probe inserted. When I inserted both probes it worked.  Initially I was only planning to use one probe, but with two probes I was able to get the temperature from two different parts of the turkey.



"Taste" button controls the wellness of the meat.  For turkey there are no options, the only available temperature is 170°F.  I expected the thermometer to beep when it reached 170°F, but it did not.  The temperature just went past 170°F. I would have preferred an alarm to let me know that it is time to stop cooking.



I also wanted to use the temperature probe to measure the temperature of scallops which was I was defrosting.  The probe was not able to measure the temperature when it was below freezing. It displayed "LLL". It did work properly when it reached the 32°F.



Overall, pretty good, I wish it would beep when the goal temperature was reached and this is why I rate it good (4 stars) rather than great (5 stars).





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Home-X Salt and Seed Spreader

This salt shaker was a disappointment. I imagined that it was similar to a spice shaker where I can cover the holes of the shaker by twisting the cap in some way, and open the holes when I need to use the shaker. Turns out that this salt shaker cannot be closed. The cap has permanent openings. This means if the shaker tips over the salt spills out of the shaker. In addition the salt cannot be stored in this container as it will turn into a brick by absorbing moisture. Finally, I hoped that the shaker would be made out of heavy duty plastic, but the plastic is pretty thin.



My plan for the shaker was to keep it in my car so I can have it ready in case the steps to my house ice up when I arrive home after a day at work. So I needed to come up with solution that would keep the salt from spilling out in the car. I found a thin piece of plastic that I could insert under the cap and still be able to twist the cap. Before using the shaker I need to remove the cap and remove the plastic. The plastic needs to be replaced every few uses as it gets torn by the threads of the cap.



The shaker is 10.5" tall, and 3.5" wide. In attached video I have it next to a half gallon jug of water for comparison. The holes are 1/4 in diameter and work well with Calcium Chloride Pellets but are too small for rock salt. Pellets came out in a nice amount (not too much not too little), but rock salt is a bit too large so I got only a few smaller rocks with each shake.



Looking at how this shaker is built one can create their own shaker from an old coffee jug (or any similar container) by drilling 1/4 inch holes in the jug cover. And if you have multiple jugs covers for that container you can switch between them: use one to store the salt and one to dispense the salt when needed.



With my "fix" it is usable, but overall I am disappointed. A local home improvement store has a shaker full of salt with a closing lid for $10. I hoped I was getting a better shaker but I did not. When time comes to replace this shaker I will be looking for a different model.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Product review: Cushion made from memory foam for wheelchair or rolator

I have a bad back and had two back surgeries. I am very sensitive to the shape of cushions and how they compress as my back "complaints". The issue I have with this pillow is how it compresses when I sit on it. It does not compress evenly so I feel pitched forward. This could be entire based on a person's geometry, weight and height but I am not finding this cushion comfortable.



On the positive side it appears to be very well made. It is heavy, and its underside has texture that keeps it from sliding. It is generously sized at 18" x 16". This size fits the seat of wheelchair and rolator well. As I mentioned earlier it is heavy - 3 pounds and 14 oz. This is both good and bad. It is heavy to carry when it is not in place, but the weight makes it stay in place when it is in wheelchair or rolator that are moving while the person is not sitting on the cushion. The pillow is made out of memory foam, so the 3" thickness compresses significantly when someone sits on it. The bottom of the pillow and the cover have silicone dots so the pillow is non-slip.



This cushion was provided to me for evaluation with a request for a review as part of a new product introduction. If you are skeptical about my review because of that I invite you to examine my reviews to see that I leave critical reviews when the product deserves it. The issue for me is that it compresses at a different rate in the front and in the back and I feel tilted forward.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Food review: SunRype Apple Strawberry Fruit to Go 100% Fruit Strips

I got the strawberry flavor and I love the taste. It is sweet but not too sweet, a little bit tart, and has the recognizable strawberry flavor. No funny artificial flavor at all.  Each strip is 4" x 1" (the strip itself, not the packaging).



These strips are individually wrapped and come in a box that works as a dispenser.  The Amazon description states that the strawberry apple strips are 120 calories per strip, but each of strawberry apple strips state that it is 50 calories. I like that better than 120 calories!





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Fantastic Deals Black Fleece Hooded Balaclava Face Mask

This balaclava is a great fit for me. I am a female with a relatively average size head. I wear hats sized small. It is made out acrylic fleece. This is a super warm balaclava.  The shape of the opening and the overall fit can be adjusted using elastic with locks.  The hood is 9" deep which is just right for me.  It fits me better than balaclavas that are deeper because if they are too deep they tend to slide forward and minimize side vision.



The balaclava is 12"from the top to the bottom edge (at the shoulder) and 9" from the front edge to the center seam in the back.



As any balaclava it can be worn many ways - with the face cover, the face cover pushed under the chin, with the hood pushed backed to wear it as  scarf, or totally rolled up to make it fit like a cap.



The construction quality is good, the finish is neat. My photos show it inside out as well as the right side out.  When the balaclava first arrived it had a bit of scent  from the manufacturing process.  The scent was gone after I washed it.  This balaclava is colorfast.  I washed it by hand to test for colorfastness.  The first time the water was slightly muddy, the second time it was totally clear. 



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Safelake Premium Leather Bags For Women

This is a very classy looking bag.  Its design is simple, the leather is soft, and it is roomy.





♦ The purse is 9" wide x 9" long.  Its bottom panel is 5" wide.

♦ It has one large compartment. It has one zipped pocked and 3 open pockets on the inside. It also has 1 zipper pocket and 2 open pockets on the outside.

♦ The handle clearance is 4", it is not long enough for me to put it over my shoulder. It comes with a separate should strap which matches in color.

♦ The purse closes with a single zipper 



This is a very practical bag, roomy and nice looking. It is made out of real leather.  My overall experience was not  perfect because the seller took a very long time to deliver the product (October 4 to December 6).  If speed of delivery is important this may not be a good match for you.  The bag is a 5 star product, the delivery speed is not.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★