The Random Reviewer Blog

A few weeks ago I received the Dr. Scholl’s For Her High Heel Insoles in the mail as a free product to try as part of my membership over at www.bzzagent.com. While I totally love all the high heels that I own, I do not love the painful blisters that result from a night out in my favorite pair. This is why I jumped at the chance to try the Dr. Scholl’s For Her High Heel Insoles when BzzAgent offered them as the most recent Campaign.

While they have been sitting on the counter for a few weeks, last night was the first chance to try what I had hoped would be the solution to all my high heeled woes. Installation in your shoe of choice is quite simple, or so I thought. Just remove the plastic backing and place in shoe but for some reason installation did not seem to be that simple.

While the insoles were marked accordingly for left and right foot, getting the proper placement for the ball of the foot proved to be somewhat tricky. In an effort to keep all parts of the insole firmly attached to the shoe, I aligned the insole the best I could. I put my shoes on and hubby and I left the house for dinner.

Initially the insoles appeared to be the solution to all my prayers. After a lengthy walk I felt none of the symptoms that commonly come along with wearing heels. This left me thinking that the Dr. Scholl’s For Her High Heel Insoles were the greatest invention on the planet and that I needed to purchase a few more pairs as soon as I could. But as we got up from dinner, something had changed. I started feeling a burning pain on the edge of my big toe.

At first I thought that maybe it was just a friction burn, but I had a feeling something had changed. When we got back to the car, I took off my shoes and too my dismay saw that I had blisters on both feet. They had formed on the part the toe that apparently was not protected by the insole. Apparently my installation had been incorrect as I did not place them far enough over so they would protect the most vulnerable of toes, the big one.

Since this is only the first time I have worn these insoles, this Dr. Scholl’s For Her High Heel Insoles Review should not deter you from purchasing this great invention. After some minor adjustments I plan to try these Dr. Scholl’s For Her High Heel Insoles once again and have a feeling that with proper placement they will make my favorite pair of heals a dream instead of the nightmare that they have been for so long.

© 2011, Jennifer Bedell. All rights reserved.

For those of you that read my previous post, I know it has taken me awhile to get around to posting an update. The weekend after I had posted my first review, I finally had a chance to make it back to Target to exchange the Miracle-Gro LiquaFeed that didn’t work as I had hoped.

That same weekend, I tested it again and the product worked exactly as I had expected it to, confirming my theory that the first LiquaFeed that my husband and I purchased was defective. The nozzle attached easily to the hose, and the bottle attached to the nozzle without a problem and the contents of the bottle was more than enough to cover all our newly planted perennials.

The only complaint I may have is the spray selections. For this test I used the shower setting and I felt that it may have been a little overkill. I almost feel like I wasted more of the fertilizer on the ground around the plant than getting it right on the plant. Maybe next time I will have to try a different setting and see if that works better.

Overall, after my second test, I would definitely recommend the Miracle-Gro LiquaFeed Starter Kit. It takes the guesswork out of mixing and allows you to have the robust plants that have become a standard of the Miracle-Gro products. Its affordable, and delivers on its promises. Just keep in mind that if you experience the same problems that I stated in my previous post, most likely the nozzle is defective and a quick exchange at the store will solve all your problems. With something this affordable, you have nothing to lose, and only a healthy garden to gain.

© 2011, Jennifer Bedell. All rights reserved.

With the arrival of summer weather in most areas of the county comes the chance for many to spend more time in the great outdoors. While some may spend their time lounging by the pool, or at the beach, others take this time to improve their homes curb appeal by improving the landscaping that surrounds their home.  While some may have been blessed with the “green thumb” that allows them to make their plants flourish regardless of its location, the rest of us need a little help in the form of one of the many fertilizer products currently available on the market.

A new product available on the market is the Miracle-Gro LiquaFeed. More commonly known for their original boxed plant food that required measuring and mixing, Miracle-Gro has taken the guesswork out of fertilizing your plants with a pre-mixed fertilizer kit that quickly and easily attaches to your hose.

On our last trip to Target this past weekend, I decided to give the Miracle-Gro LiquaFeed Starter Kit a try since the countless commercials I had seen marketed this product as easy to use. After adding six new plants to our property over the Memorial Day weekend, I decided that it would be a good time to give this product a try. After opening the package, and a quick scan of the instructions lead me to believe that this product was simple enough for anyone to use.

I attached the nozzle to the hose, inserted the bottle and turned the nozzle to feed as the instructions directed me to. After about 10 minutes I realized that the bottle was not emptying. I looked at the instructions on the bottle and even went back to the info on the package and neither provided me with any form of troubleshooting advice regarding what to do if the product failed to function as designed.

Since I had become quite frustrated figuring that maybe the bottle wasn’t seated correctly, or not in the feeder tightly enough, I turned the feeder over to my husband to see if he could maybe get the Miracle-Gro LiquaFeeder to work.  After about 20 minutes and with the help of a pair of small pliers, the LiquaFeeder still did not work. My husband surmised that the plunger inside the feeder was not making contact with the release within the bottle.

While there is a good chance that we may have purchased a defective unit, I honestly cannot recommend the Miracle-Gro LiquaFeed Starter Kit at this time. My husband and I are both quite savvy when it comes to fixing malfunctioning devices but this product had us both at a loss of how to fix it. The unit has been placed back in its packaging and will be exchanged for a new one on our next trip to Target. I will post an updated review once I have a chance to try the replacement. Hopefully the new one will perform as described.

© 2011, Jennifer Bedell. All rights reserved.

As a dog owner, you probably know all too well how daunting it can be to walk down the dog toy aisle at your local pet store. When faced with racks and racks of dog toys which range from the soft and squishy, to the hard and nearly indestructible, choosing the best dog toy for your beloved pets needs can be a nearly impossible task.

If you’re like me and you own a dog who prefers to destroy his toys, you probably prefer to choose toys that will last your dog months as opposed to a few hours. Since the majority of the toys that enter our home don’t last more than a day, hubby and I commonly have to put a lot of thought and research into our next dog toy purchase so as to avoid carelessly throwing money in the trash.

On Cyber Monday, Petco was offering great deals so I figured I’d take a chance and see what they had to offer. While most of the items were of the soft, squishy type that I knew our dog would destroy in a matter of minutes, I came across the Chuckit! Erratic Rubber Ball Dog Toy.

Unlike other rubber ball dog toys, the Chuckit balls are shaped in a way that causes them to bounce in random directions keeping your pooch on their toes because they don’t know which way the ball will bounce next. As the owner of a Mini Schnauzer, I was unsure as to which size chuckit balls I should buy. Petco was only offering the small size, so I figured I’d give those a try. Worst case I could return them if it didn’t work out.

When the package arrived home, I was intrigued by the size and shape that the chuckit balls provided, but hubby was a little concerned that the chuckit balls would be too small for our dog to play with. I compared it to another rubber dog ball toy we had and found that they were actually the same size, just made up of a different type of rubber. Hubby was undecided about the product so I took one of the chuckit balls out of the package and decided to give it a try.

In no time our dog was having tons of fun chasing after the Chuckit Erratic Rubber Ball Dog Toy. While the chuckit balls are commonly marketed for use with the Chuckit Launcher in an outdoor setting, I have found that the Chuckit Erratic Rubber Ball Dog Toy works great in an indoor setting as well. Provided you have enough space, like a long hallway, for your dog to chase the rubber ball dog toy down.

I was also quite surprised when I learned how durable these balls really are. As an experiment, we let our dog chew on one of the chuckit balls for an extended period of time. While his teeth made an odd noise when scraped against the rubber dog toy, he has yet to destroy it making this one of the best interactive, yet affordable rubber ball dog toys that I have found on the market today.

© 2010 – 2011, Jennifer Bedell. All rights reserved.

While we all love our dogs dearly, their destructive behavior can leave us wishing that they could just learn from their mistakes and become the well behaved dog of our dreams. With overly packed schedules the training of our beloved canine commonly ends up falling on the back burner. This usually causes our beloved friend to learn bad behaviors that we have no chance of breaking without the right tools. Instant Dog Training Videos is different than most programs on the market today because it will actually show you the right steps to get your dog to listen to you.

If you are like me, odds are you have caught yourself yelling at your dog, telling it no, or possibly using other expletives, when you find that your beloved canine has done something wrong, most commonly hours after the destructive behavior occurred. At that point the dog has no clue as to why you are yelling at them or even disciplining them. This puts more stress on you and your dog ends up feeling like an outcast in the pack because you are mad at him and he has no clue as to what he did wrong to deserve your disapproval.

Although we love our dog dearly, their bad behavior and antics can make us feel like there is nothing we can do. Instant Dog Training Videos is turning the dog obedience training world on its head by showing you that you can really break your dog of its bad habits. Unlike other programs on the market today, Instant Dog Training Videos utilizes online access to video training guides that can help you break your dog of some of the most common bad habits. This gives you the chance to learn the skills you need quickly and easily, while eliminating the hours that need to be spent reading one of the many ebooks that other programs tend to offer.

Unlike other training guides available on the market, Instant Dog Training Videos gets right to the point and provides you with access to the most frustrating bad dog behavior that nearly every new dog owner faces. While we all know that we need to be the Alpha of your pack, there are times when our dogs give us that pathetic look that makes you give in to all his wants and desires. As soon as that happens he knows he is boss over you and learns that you are no longer the pack leader. This guide can tell you all you need to know about curing your dogs bad behaviors so you can have the well behaved canine you have always dreamed of.

Ready to learn more about how Instant Dog Training Videos can turn Fido into the pet of your dreams? Click here to learn how this dog training program can meet your needs for years to come.

© 2010 – 2011, Jennifer Bedell. All rights reserved.

For the longest time I have religiously used the Olay makeup remover towlettes, until I recently realized that they were not removing all the makeup from my face, causing me to breakout more than normal. In an effort to find something better, I first tried the Mark Make it Go Away wipes. Having tried other over the counter most makeup remover wipes, I was needless to say a little concerned that they wouldn’t work as promised. Boy was I wrong. These wipes did a great job of removing all my makeup, leaving my skin feeling clean and fresh, not sticky like with some of the other makeup remover towels. The best part is these towels don’t irritate the delicate eye area, making them great for removing stubborn eye makeup.

After having such great success with the Mark wipes, I decided to try Avon’s Makeup Remover Wipes with Mineral Complex. While these wipes work well, I must admit they do not perform as well as the Mark ones do. I have found the need to go over my eyes multiple times in order to get every last bit of Mascara off. This then results in a burning sensation around the delicate eye area. While the burning fades not soon after, this discomfort prevents you from using the product as it was intended.

Overall if I had to choose between the two, I would go with the Mark Make it Go Away wipes over the Avon version any day. While this is just my opinion I invite you to try the product for yourself. I’m sure that you will love it, but if you don’t, Avon offers a hassle free return policy so you can feel comfortable in the fact that you have nothing to lose and potentially a new found makeup tool to gain.

© 2010 – 2011, Jennifer Bedell. All rights reserved.

With so many different makeup brands available on the market today, it can be difficult to weed out the high quality products from the ones that are not woth your time. While you can spend your time reading the hundreds of Mark Flip for It reviews that exist on the web, it can be hard to tell the difference between honest reviews, and those that are nothing but a sales pitch. As a new Avon representative, one of the first products I tried was the Mark Flip for It Sydney Eye Shadow/Lip gloss compact. While many Avon representatives may tell you that every product is great, I actually try each of these products myself so I can give you an honest Mark Flip for It review so you can determine if the product in question is really the one for you.

Like you, I have tried my fare share of eye shadow brands in the past, ranging from the high priced name brands to the budget friendly ones that you can be found at your local grocery or drug store. Since I have been burned by products in the past I was a little pessimistic about the results I would get in my Mark Flip for It review. Working as a IT professional I do not always have the luxury of running to the bathroom every few hours to re-apply my makeup so I need something that will last so I put my pessimism aside and gave teh Mark Flip for It a try.

Since this was the first Mark/Avon product that I had tried in years, I was quite surprised with the results. Unlike its smaller, more expensive counterparts, a little goes a long way with the Mark Flip for It eye shadow. The Sydney compact includes a shimmery brown and cream color. I use a combination of the two and the results from my Mark Flip for It Review were actually quite suprising. Since I prefer a more natural makeup look I find that the color in this set is not overpowering and not much is needed in order for the product to be noticeable.

It has been a little over a month since I first started my Mark Flip for It review and suprisingly enough I have yet to put a major dent in the color swatches making this product a great deal for the money. While the Sydney color is no longer available, Mark has recently released its spring line of colors at an affordable price. If you are looking for a quality product that will last you a long time then give the Mark Flip for It a try. With Avon’s hassle free return policy, you have nothing to lose and only a new found makeup favorite to gain.

© 2010, Jennifer Bedell. All rights reserved.

If you have grown tired of the daily task of cleaning the litter box, odds are this has sent you on a quest for the Littermaid Elite Mega reviews that exist on the web. While this is just one of the many models available on the web, it can be quite difficult to choose the one that best suits your needs. While a variety of positive Littermaid customer reviews exist, many provide nothing but complaints about this machine stating that it broke after only a few months time, wouldn’t scoop, etc.

I was in the same boat you are now when I purchased my LitterMaid Elite Mega about a year ago. I was on a quest to find the perfect automatic litter box because I had grown tired of the daily task of cleaning the box, and at the time I only had one cat. With the addition of three more kitties to our home, the task of cleaning the litter box became much more tedious. I spent hours searching for Littermaid Elite Mega reviews online, and with my technical background, I had hopes of finding the perfect automatic litter box that could meet my needs. Instead of finding the answer to my prayers, the only Littermaid Elite Mega reviews that I could find stated that the product was junk and broke not soon after it was purchased. I then compared these Littermaid Elite Mega reviews to those of automatic litter boxes that cost two to three times and found that they too had their fare share of negative reviews.

After spending months reading Littermaid Elite Mega reviews I came to the conclusion that the only truly worry free litter box was a standard litter box, so I decided to give the LitterMaid Elite Mega a try. At the time Petco was offering a good sale on this model, so I figured I had nothing to lose and only more time to myself to gain. With four cats and a dog in the house, there had to be a better solution to my litter box woes.

When I first took the Littermaid Elite Mega out of the box it worked perfectly. I read the manufacturers recommendations regarding the best litter for optimal performance, and dismissed it without a second thought. I figured this information was just another form of a marketing ploy to get you to purchase the pricey litter they “recommended” and I figured I be fine with a hard clumping litter. I had even read a variety of other Littermaid Elite Mega reviews that suggested other brands but I dismissed that information without a second thought. At the time I purchased this machine we were using Scoop Away and I thought that would be more than adequate for my needs. I soon found that the standard clumping litter did not clump fast enough, so I upgraded to the extra strength multi-cat version and that’s when my Littermiad Elite Mega review problems started.

We heeded the manufactures recommendation, as well as recommendations made in other Littermaid Elite Mega reviews and sprayed the bottom of the pan with cooking spray. This process is supposedly supposed to prevent the clumps fro sticking, and while it worked when the box was freshly cleaned, the non-stick performance didn’t last for long. We even went as far as waxing the pan with car polish in order to create a smoother, slipperier pan and even that didn’t help. It was barely a day before the cement clumps were sticking to the bottom of the pan, causing the machine to make horrible grinding noises as it came to a halt. This constantly occurred simply because the rakes motor was just not strong enough to scoop the immovable lumps. At this point I thought I was just another unwilling member of the negative Littermaid Elite Mega review crowd, but instead of returning to my standard litterbox I started a quest to find a Littermaid Elite Mega review that contained a recommended type of litter that would work well with the LitterMaid Elite Mega.

On one of my Littermaid Elite Mega review searches I found a list of five different brands of litter that supposedly worked well with the LitterMaid Elite Mega. Upon doing more Littermaid Elite Mega review research, I decided that the Ever Clean Extra Strength Premium Clumping cat litter sounded like the best option. While this litter did quite well with clumping, it made the LitterMaid Elite Mega review problems I was experiencing even worse. Its strong clumping ability created even harder cement lumps on the bottom of the pan and with four cats that like to use the box in parade like succession, the LitterMaid Elite Mega just could not dispose of the piles that my beloved felines created. The grinding got so bad that in my Littermaid Elite Mega review that I found that it would try three times before giving up. It got to the point that I could never get a good night’s sleep because I was always being woken up in the early AM to what soon became classified in our home as the Littermaid “death squeal.” I would then get up and clean the box so as to avoid a horrible mess in the morning. In my Littermaid Elite Mega review I found that the amount of human intervention that was required was not what this machine was meant for. This went on for months before I finally had enough and, thinking that all the previous Littermaid Elite Mega reviews I had read were right, I made a last ditch effort and decided to give the World’s Best Cat Litter a try. This is also the litter that just happened to be recommended by the manufacturer.

As I scoured the internet for the best deal, I was shocked to find out how much this natural litter cost. How could something made of corn cost so much more than the standard clay litter? I bit the bullet, so to speak, and order the Extra Strength version figuring it would perform better than the original. After being burned by so many other products, I thought I was destined to be just another lifetime member of the negative Littermaid Elite Mega review club. When I first put it in the box I had my doubts that this litter would really do anything, but I was shocked to find that it actually performed as described. This is not to say that I do not have to perform a manual cleaning of the box on occasion. The occasional pee lump does still get stuck to the rake or the pan, but the amount that is left is nowhere near as bad as what I had to contend with earlier in this Littermaid Elite Mega review. I have been using this litter for months now and the machine no longer makes the sickening grinding noises that it once did and it’s now free to work as it was designed. My only recommendation in this Littermaid Elite Mega review is to not use the regular strength litter. I tried it once because my local store ran out of the Extra Strength and found it did not work as well. The regular strength does not clump well and does a bad job when it comes to holding in odor, especially in a multi-cat home.

Another thing I found out about in my Littermaid Elite Mega review is the fact that there is a cost effective way to stretch the lifespan of the receptacles. I found that if you line them with 4 gallon waste paper bags from your local grocery store, you can get at least a few months out of one receptacle. While other Littermaid Elite Mega reviews may point you to sites offering bags that claim to be designed specifically for this task they are nothing more than an overpriced trash bag that can easily be found at your local grocery or discount store.

As you can tell from my Littermaid Elite Mega review, I am very happy with my LitterMaid Elite Mega automatic litter box. While I did run into some issues getting it to work correctly, the problems were caused by the use of an improper litter and not the performance of the machine. As soon as I switched to a different litter the machine performed as it should and it is still working fine to this day. I just want to give a word of caution. While this Littermaid Elite Mega review goes to prove that the Littermaid Elite Mega can help decrease the amount of cleaning you need to do, it should not be considered a completely “hands off” device. I suggest checking it once a day to remove any lumps the machine could not get and to check the status of the waste receptacle. Other than that, consider this one of the few positive Littermaid Elite Mega reviews that can be found on the web. I would most definitely recommend giving the LitterMaid Elite Mega a try as it truly can help solve your litter box woes while giving you back the time in your day you so desperately need.

Interested in purchasing a LitterMaid Elite Mega Automatic Litter Boxfor your multi-cat family? Click here for the best price on this time saving litter box device.

© 2009 – 2011, Jennifer Bedell. All rights reserved.