Pretzel M&Ms

Pretzel M&Ms

Pretzel M&Ms

The Mars company that makes the M&M candies have come up with something new. Introducing, the new Pretzel M&Ms. This little bits of chocolate contain a center of pretzel. 

If you are a fan of salt and chocolate this one is for you. I was surprised at how much of the salt I could taste in the candy. Although, it was not a lot, I was expecting a lot less. I was worried that when they compressed the pretzel to fit inside the shell that the you would lose the salt flavor. The feeling of the pretzel is lost, but you can still experience the taste of salt and chocolate. I would not buy these again unless my favorite type of M&Ms were out of stock. They are just not for everyone, but they may be for you. I think these little candies may have their own following. Just as the other types of M&Ms have certain people that prefer them, these will be the same. I believe it was a good idea, and did not completely fail. I will give the new Pretzel M&Ms a nickel rating (see consumer product rating page).

She's Out Of My League

She's Out of My League

She's out of my League stars Jay Baruchel and Alice Eve. Kirk (Baruchel) is an ordinary guy working for airport security and still pining for his ex-girlfriend when a series of events lands him face-to-face with a good looking girl. Molly (Eve) is a busy entrepreneur business woman who is tired of getting hurt by the 'same' type of guys. As Kirk and Molly develop a romantic relationship, it is plagued by funny situations, lack of self esteem, and interfering friends. It is a romantic comedy based on the back story of a beautiful woman falling in love with the 'average joe'. 

However, League is in it's own league of romantic comedies. It is very funny with many one liner jokes. This story takes a seemingly overdone genre and creates something new with it. She's out of my League puts a very good twist on romance and self esteem issues. This movie is brilliantly written with a great cast. The actor's play their roles really well, and there is a mixture of different personalities to make the story complete. This movie is on my top pick list, and my only regret is that I need not know what kind of gem it was when it was originally released. While most romantic comedies are great for a rainy day, League has something for everyone. Even macho action type of male audience will  appreciate the facts in this story. It teaches a great lesson in love, self-worth, and when your friends may not know what is best for you. I am giving She's out of my League a gold ticket. (see movie scale)      

Letters to Juliet

                                                        

 Letters to Juliet

Letters to Juliet stars Amanda Seyfiend as a wanna-be writer named Sophie.  Gael Garcia Bernal stars as the grandson of an elderly woman that begins an adventure to find a long lost love. Sophie answers a letter the Claire wrote to Juliet fifty years prior. Thanks to Sophie's response a journey throughout Italy. Sophie tags along to find her 'story' in the journey. 

This movie is very much a romantic movie, and not just for personal relationship, but also for passions. Seyfiend's character has a passion or 'love' for writing but has yet to get her stories in print. Many people in this story find loves of different types. I think this is the point of the movie that really stood out. The love story was nice to see, but was a bit predictable. However, it did have elements in the movie that were 'off the path' of the tradition lost love story. In the movie Amanda Seyfiend's character is the one that learns the most about passions and loves. The story bought me to tears not only for the love stories (there are several), but also for the desire to do better for yourself and live each day to the fullest. I am giving Letters to Juliet a rating of a Silver Ticket (see movie rating scale).

                                             

The Switch

The Switch

The Switch stars Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman. Aniston plays a single woman that feels her biological clock ticking as she gets older. Being single and aging she decides to have a baby by artificial means. She asks her best friend to help her find a suitable donor. As the story progresses, Aniston's character finds a young man to donate his 'seed'. In a drunken act of stupidity somehow her best friend ends up switching his own 'seed' for the donor's. About seven years go by before the two met back up again, and then very sweet and comedic moments occur as Bateman's character realizes the child is his. 

The story line is a bit predictable- think "The Back Up Plan"-but there are a few turns that will make you smile. The kid that plays in the movie is very touching and his eyes can just captivate you. I think he has a bright future. I think the 'funny' parts were missing something. However, the sweet moments really had me smiling. There are a few scenes that just make you smile. As you see the relationship develop between the little boy and his 'uncle wally', you see more of the father and son relationship develop. Aniston seems to have a lot of fun in this role. She is very spunky and can switch from fun-loving best friend to single mom very well. This is more the type of movie to watch on a rainy day, or maybe when you just like watching a movie. It is because of this that I give The Switch a bronze ticket rating. (see movie rating scale)

Gain Laundry Detergent (original scent)

Gain Laundry Detergent (original scent)

I recently changed laundry detergent from the cheap-on-sale store brand to Gain. I choose Gain because I found some really good reviews for it. I did not see one bad thing about Gain in my research. However, I am not the pleased. 

The major reason for switching to a different detergent was the need to have my clothes smell fresher for longer. I have a personal problem of sweating more then normal, and I have a house full of pets. Any pet owner-especially cats-will tell you that it is hard to get pet odor out of clothing. Many people believe it is impossible and end up throwing a lot of things away. Like many households in America we do not have the money to be throwing things away. Many of the reviews I read on Gain said that the scent stayed with the clothes. I found this was not the case. Using the Gain made the house smell better while I was running the washing machine. The smell was very pleasant and filled the house. I was surprised when I pulled the clothes out of the dryer that the clothes did not smell the same. They did not smell bad-no pet odor-, but they did not smell like the lingering odor that filled the house. I wonder if I would have gotten the other scents if it would have stayed with the clothes longer. I will be using this bottle and then maybe switching to another scent. I would have to say that it was worth spending the money on the detergent, but it would have been nice to have the scent ( you have seen the commercials ).  This is why I am giving Gain Laundry Detergent the rating of Quarters. (see product rating page).

The Bounty Hunter

The Bounty Hunter

The Bounty Hunter is a recent movie starring Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler. Butler plays a bounty hunter that is assigned to go after his ex-wife (Aniston) for skipping on bail. The joy expressed in his face at this turn of events is quite comical. Aniston plays a fun loving newspaper reporter that is just desperate to "get the story". 

There are some funny scenes, but most of the movie falls flat. I enjoyed the interaction as ex-husband and wife, and there were some light jokes. However, somewhere-and it is hard to explain how- the story seems to lose it's direction. One minute we are focused on the fact that they are divorced and 'gunning' for each other, but the next moment we are more focused on the 'story' Aniston's character is trying to pursue. It tries to come back to the original point but by then you have kind of gotten lost in the movie. I give this move a Bronze Ticket for the laughter but the complete lost in story. (See the movie rating page for an explanation on the rating) 

Color Wonder markers and paper

Color Wonder 

Color Wonder is a series of products made by Crayola. The Color Wonder series is popular because they are easy to clean and mess free. The special markers are designed only to work on the Color Wonder paper. They have been different products to choose from; Explosion, 3-D Art, and coloring books. 

I bought my children the Color Wonder coloring book with markers include. It took a little bit of time for the color to show through onto the paper. However, when my four year old daughter tried to draw herself-which she does often- there were no visible traces of ink on her skin. This was very impressive. I found it an even better idea then the so-called washable markers. With the variety in the series there really is something for everyone. Their books tend to lean toward popular fads. My children received the Tinker-Bell book. There were also books for Cars, Toy Story 3, and other popular children's movies. 

Cost

This would be the problem. The books and pads to not come with very much paper so in order for the markers to be useful you must buy replacement paper. This can get a bit costly. I found 50 pages at Wal-Mart for $4. This can really add up if you have to buy a bunch at one time just to keep your children entertained. When speaking to other parents this was the most common problem. 

This product overall is a wonderful idea. I just wish it was a bit more cost effective. It is because of the cost that I give the Crayola Color Wonder series receives a score of a Quarter. (For an explanation of the scoring check out the page about consumer product rating)

Incredible Pizza Company

Incredible Pizza Company
2130 East Kimberly Rd.
Davenport, IA 52803

There is only one word to describe the Incredible Pizza Company; Incredible! I know that sounds a bit unoriginal but it is true. This great restaurant has something for everyone and prices that make sense. It is really a place you could spend all day at.

Inside the buliding you will find four 'themed' dining spots. The Diner is themed to look like a 50's dinner. It has the red stools and booths. It is complete with a red Cadillac for you to look at. The Cafeteria is decorated to look like a high school gym/cafeteria. It has two basketball hoops at either side with ad for the Sock Hop. This dining area is also complete with three big screen TV. At the time of my visit the middle screen was playing Blue's Clues and The Wiggles. This made it great for my kids because they could watch TV if they got bored or it made for a much better distraction then the typical trying to run off or flicking ketchup packets at each other. The Drive-in has dim lighting and dark sights. It is meant to resemble a drive-in theatre complete with a black-and-white big screen playing old movies. At the time of my visit they were playing The Absent Minded Professor (the original) and next week was an Elivis flick. Since I was there with the kids I did not get to enjoy it, but my husband and I will be going by ourselves. Can you imagine an all you can eat buffet at a drive-in theatre? The idea is great. I could definitly sit there for two hours and eat and have a good time with another adult. The Dining Room is the typical restaurant setting with nothing fancy inside. There is just plain tables in what is suppose to look like a family dining room. This is not bad if you want to sit around the table like you would at home, but for the price you will pay I would rather have all of the 'extras'.

Playing Room

Another incredible thing about the Incredible Pizza Company is the playing room. Divided into the back of the buliding there is a room full of arcade games. These games are operated by an electronic card that you swipe into a slot (like a credit card). These cards are purchased at front of the store when you pay for your meal. It is a great idea to keep it electronic so that you don't run the risk of losing coins. The tickets are also electronic and go automatically on your card after you finish a game. It took us a bit to understand that when we were waiting for our tickets to come out of the slot. Many of the games still have the 'old fashion' ticket slots, and we just stood there wondering where our tickets were. The fact that they go on the card is great because there you don't lose them or have to run around with a big handful of tickets in your hand. It seems as if the Incredible Pizza Company took all of the annoying and dangerous elements of the classica aracade and made them better.

The Food

The only compliant I have about the Incredible Pizza Company is the food. It really was nothing special. It tasted like every other food at every other restaurant. They do have a all you can eat buffet and have a lot of selections but the taste of the food is not the impressive. I was happy that that had more then pizza including a salad bar, potato bar, and hot dogs. This gave something for everyone to enjoy.

All in all the Incredible pizza company is a place you should check out. It may seem a bit pricy but after you add in the TV shows, movies, and games it is well worth the money.  That is why I am giving the Incredible Pizza Company a Gold Fork. (for an explanation on the rating systems check out the other pages)