I’ve been through a few phones in the past few years. Between going from BlackBerry to iPhone at work a couple of years ago, to testing out several of the latest devices with TELUS, I’ve even been exposed to all of the available platforms (including a Windows Phone!). And I must say, I was pretty…
Nioxin: hair care for thinning hair (mini-review)
THE PRODUCT Nioxin Thinning Hair System Kit 2, $50 to $70 depending where you buy it. THE GOOD The packaging is lovely, and I do appreciate good packaging even if Big B (the guinea pig for this product) doesn’t care one bit. It’s nice that there’s an all-in-one “kit” available for six different types of…
Aruba: one of the best island getaways you’ll ever take
I first went to Aruba four years ago when The K Man was a week shy of two years old and Miss Q was growing in my belly. We got a killer deal from TravelZOO and stayed at the Occidental Grande Aruba. Loved it. Loved Aruba. It’s one of those places that feels like home to…
Essentia natural latex memory foam mattress
After two years of lying down with, and often falling asleep beside, The K Man in his toxin-free latex mattress, I knew we could never go back to “big box” mattresses when selecting one for Miss Q. There’s just too much real evidence that the VOCs and other gross stuff that off-gasses from mattresses (for…
Earth’s Berries soap nuts (mini-review)
THE PRODUCT Earth’s Berries natural soap nuts (laundry detergent alternative), $10.79 for 250-gram bag. THE GOOD Earth’s Berries actually work. I won’t lie: I was skeptical. I thought they would work well for clothes that needed only minimal cleaning but I really wasn’t expecting them to work on the skid marks that have become part…
ECOsmarte copper system: clean your swimming pool without chemicals
Part of the reason we chose the lot where our house now sits is because the yard backs on to protected green space and gets sun from the east fence to the west from about noon onwards. And we wanted a swimming pool. After living in the city where it’s nearly impossible to find a…
Mother’s Day gift guide
I grew up with a Mom who never expected gifts on Mother’s Day (or any other occasion, really). She never wanted us to spend our money on her. She’s that kind of selfless, amazing person. I remember her actually giving me playful smacks when I defied orders and gave her something anyway. So it’s followed…
Ronald McDonald House: the reason I’m OK being a McMom
Put your hand up if you call yourself a McMom without any shame. Mmm-hm. That’s what I thought. There aren’t too many of you. I didn’t let The K Man step foot into a McDonald’s until he was two years old. I was proud of that. I was proud that I’d fended off the marketing…
EPSON Expression Home XP-410 Series: the Small-in-One Printer (mini review)
THE PRODUCT The EPSON Expression Home XP-410 Small-in-One All-in-One Printer, $69.99. THE GOOD I really, really like the footprint of this EPSON printer. They aren’t just dishing out marketing speak by calling it “small-in-one”; it really is the tiniest all-in-one printer I’ve ever had on my desk. The set-up was, by far, the easiest of the…
Delivery Man: now available on DVD
The movie: Delivery Man (DreamWorks) When it’s available: March 25, 2014 What it’s about: Picture the most aimless 20-something you know, devoid of ambition and direction. Now, have Vince Vaughn play that person in a movie. This 20-something, looking for easy money, is a sperm donor with remarkably strong and desirable sperm (to the tune of $24,000 in…