wonderwhatif
Member Since: January 26, 2015Reviews
Catit Flower Fountain
As with any cat product, there are so many different things to consider, a big one of which is what you're cat actually likes. Well, the proof is in the pudding (so to speak) with this flower fountain from Catit, as two out of my three cats have... +
As with any cat product, there are so many different things to consider, a big one of which is what you're cat actually likes. Well, the proof is in the pudding (so to speak) with this flower fountain from Catit, as two out of my three cats have been choosing this over my Drinkwell Platinum. The third seems to prefer the stronger stream of the Drinkwell.
I actually find there are many negatives to this cat fountain as well as many positive and really, it just comes down to targetting whether it's right for you cat, so let's get started.
Ease of drinking/Design
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This fountain is essentially a bucket, with some plastic attachments to redirect the streams. In my opinion it works best, with the most even flow, with all three attachements on to make the whole 'flower' visible. This creates give steady, but small streams of water that trickle downwards. I have to admit, the floral design is pretty cute and definitely has visual appeal!
My first concern (and the reason my 3rd cat doesn't like it) with this water fountain is that there isn't as whole lot of space between the stream of the water and the bucket, so if you're cat is particularly big or doesn't like getting his face wet, he might struggle to drink from this. I noticed it was easiest for my petite female cat to drink from this without issues.
The bucket is also very tall, so while this is good for cats who can't or shouldn't bend, it would make it difficult for kittens to drink. It also lacks a 'bowl' style area to drink from, meaning if your cat prefers to drink from the bowl of water (included in most cat fountains) they will be disappointed with this fountain.
Cleaning and refilling
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This cat fountain is a dream to clean. It's really easy to take the plastic bits out, wash everything and put it back together. There's nothing complex about it compared to other cat fountains I've used (around four different models) and they really have made the cleaning easy. I love that the pump and cord can be detached completely, so you don't have to worry about getting the plug wet while washing it, which makes everything easier.
One negative is that it's totally covered, so you really can't tell when you need to refill it and it'll take you a bit of learning curve to recognise the 'burbling' sound that means it needs to be filled. I wish they had some external way to tell, as I have a bad back and can't easily bend to check it often. Refilling is very easy though, no mechanisms or confusing parts required.
Noise
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This has to be one of the quietest cat fountains I've ever used. My current fountain (The Drinkwell Platinum) is a noisy thing, as the streams are quite strong. The streams on the Catit flower fountain are more of a trickle and as a result there really isn't much noise to speak it. No buzzing, humming or loud water, it gets an A+ for noise.
Overall this would make a great fountain for anyone looking to try a cat fountain for the first time. It's very easy to use, not noisy and is also cute! The price point makes it a great option to try out these devices (It's one of the cheapest I've seen), after all, you always have the option to upgrade later. Cat fountains like this are a must for male indoor cats on a dry food diet to prevent urinary crystals and they're also a great option to prevent cats who like to 'splash' in the bowl as they usually want moving water. I'd recommend this for a first-time cat fountain owner, but if you've experienced a more advanced fountain, this doesn't offer anything special.
SUMMARY
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Pros
+ Cute design.
+ Three different water flow options.
+ Easy to fill.
+ Easy to clean.
+ Very quiet.
+ High off the ground for cats who shouldn't bend.
+ Pump and cord can be separated for safer cleaning.
Cons
- Difficult for bigger cats or cats with wide faces to drink easily from the streams.
- Streams are pretty weak.
- No 'bowl' style option for cats who prefer not to drink directly from stream.
- Bowl is too high for small kittens.
- No way to see the water level.
Update for AFTER A YEAR OF USE - Still working great. I've noticed my cats use this one over the Drinkwell Platinum now. So while they didn't prefer it at first, it's now their main fountain. The fountain doesn't get that hard crust over time that some of the metal ones get.
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Vitafusion MultiVites Gummy Vitamins
I initially bought these in the store (for way more than listed here incidentally) and can say I'm super happy with them! Gummy vitamins have come a long way. I suffer deficiencies and have always struggled to swallow large pills. I've tried so many... +
I initially bought these in the store (for way more than listed here incidentally) and can say I'm super happy with them! Gummy vitamins have come a long way. I suffer deficiencies and have always struggled to swallow large pills. I've tried so many 'chewable' vitamins on the market, but have always stayed away from gummies due to their famous lack of vitamins, but with these I'm really pleased. The amounts are reasonable, taking only two a day (many gummy vitamins want you to take huge amounts) they offer this much of your RDA (recommend daily allowance) of each:
2 multivitamins give you:
Vitamin A - 756 mcg - RDA for woman - 700 mcg
Vitamin C - 30 mg - RDA for woman - 60 mcg
Vitamin D - 800 IU - RDA for woman - 600 IU
Vitamin E - 6.76 mg - RDA for woman - 15 mg
Niacin - 10 mg - RDA for woman - 14 mg
Vitamin B6 - 4 mg - RDA for woman - 1.3 mg
Folic Acid - 400mcg - RDA for woman - 400 mcg
Vitamin B-12 - 12 mcg - RDA for woman - 2.4 mcg
There are many other vitamins, but to keep the list short, you can find the full nutrition details online!
Even though some are a little short of RDA (some are also more), it's steps ahead of gummy vitamins just a few years ago. Keep in mind you'll get some of these from food too, so it's not all on the multivitamin. They taste fine too. I'm a supertaster and can only taste a slight sourness at times, but mostly it's just a peach/berry flavour. I find berry is one of the best flavours at disguising medicinal tastes. My only big complaint would be that they have a tendency to clump up and this makes them hard to get out. I'd recommend emptying them into a tupperware or something when you initially get them.
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Go Pet Club F2084 72-Inch Cat Tree
The unfortunate truth of cat trees is they're overpriced. This one isn't going to change your mind on that, but it is priced at market rate and for the cost, you do get a really, REALLY big cat tree. This thing is taller than my husband's 6-foot... +
The unfortunate truth of cat trees is they're overpriced. This one isn't going to change your mind on that, but it is priced at market rate and for the cost, you do get a really, REALLY big cat tree. This thing is taller than my husband's 6-foot frame. I can't even reach the top perch without stretching really far.
Quality-wise, it's definitely the same cheap feeling cat posts that you see in physical stores, but the only way to get a good quality cat tree is to build it yourself or pay upwards of $400 dollars, so I'm not too put off by this. They could improve it by making the staples covered as I do worry about cats nails snagging on those, but so far I haven't had any problems. This would be a five-star item if they hid the staples correctly and lined the inside of the 'houses'. For the price, I'd expect that the inside of the houses would be lined, but you can clearly see the board inside. Would look much nicer lined with the same faux-fur and be comfier too.
One thing I really like about it, though, is the design. My cats absolutely love the top perch. I have two cats who struggle with weight issues and one skinny kitty and they all love this cat tree. Having the three perches means I've found them sleeping on each perch on more than one occasion. I managed to snap a pic when it was two, but always seem to be without my phone when it's three! Furthermore, because this is spread out and the design is intelligent, it's going to last longer than many of the smaller cat furniture I've owned. The ramps are also great for my kitty who has health problems as he doesn't have to jump as high when he's ill.
Two of my cats are particularly large (even by boy cat standards) and cannot fit entirely inside the higher of the two houses, but they can still fit, which to my mind is pretty impressive. The lower house can fit even the biggest cat without an issue, so it's perfect if you have larger cats. The design of the lower house, in particular, is super cute and they love to play with the mouse too!
The only thing I would caution is to make sure you have a CORNER room available for this. Without a corner to support it this tree would be a lot less sturdy. I thought I had plenty of room in my one available corner, but ended up having to rearrange a section of my living room, thanks to it being Air conditioner weather right now. So absolutely measure it if you're not 100 percent sure or feel like you have a limited space.
I'd definitely recommend this cat tree, especially if you can catch a sale. I feel it's going to last a good long while, but will update this review as time passes (usually 6 months to a year and I will update).
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Jaybird Freedom Wireless Bluetooth Headset
As someone who loves listening to music and podcasts anywhere I go, I was really excited to try these Jaybird headphones. I've never had the chance to try a pair from Jaybird before, but I'd heard good things. I've tested a lot of no name brands or... +
As someone who loves listening to music and podcasts anywhere I go, I was really excited to try these Jaybird headphones. I've never had the chance to try a pair from Jaybird before, but I'd heard good things. I've tested a lot of no name brands or cheaper end bluetooth headphones and many mid-range and most of the bluetooth headphones I own are good, but not amazing, usually due to sub-par audio or dull design. These Jaybird Freedom headphones were a welcome change from that, but I did find myself struggling with some other issues, and even now I'm conflicted about how I feel.
Let's start with one of the Jaybird Freedom bluetooth headphone's strongest categories: the overall aesthetic design. These headphones really do have a killer look. The white and gold colours were a great choice, and with the wings attached these headphones really do look stylish. Based on looks alone, they blow all my other headphones out of the water.
When it comes to the actual design choices that affect how you use the product, things aren't quite as good. These headphones look great, but in trying them on I quickly found them to be very frustrating to actually wear. Part of that is finding the right fit: they come with three sizes of earbud, in foam and in plastic, plus three sizes of the wings. So right away, trying to figure out which sizes of earbuds and wings, and which style of earbuds I found most comfortable, took several tries. The wing-design, which has small plastic 'wings' fitting into your ear to help hold the headphones in place, takes a lot of getting used to. The instructions for how to put them on are vague and it took multiple tries before I finally got them to sit in my ears the way they're meant to. Trying to use the headphones without the wings led to them falling out every single time, so even though they're apparently optional, I didn't find that to be the case.
Once I understood the design, they were comfortable to wear, but probably the poorest design decision in this entire product really ruined any chance I had of just putting them on and forgetting they were there. The controller, which lets you adjust the volume and pause your music, is located just below the right-side headphone. This means it's constantly dragging that side down, to the point where several times the right-side headphone fell right out. Why this controller was not centered is beyond me, but this decision really did hurt my enjoyment of the product. The left-side headphone fit great, and was extremely comfortable, but the right side never failed to annoy me.
Poor design choices aside, almost everything else about these headphones impressed me. The sound quality was absolutely superb, crystal clear. To add on to that, these headphones also pair with an app that allows you to further adjust your sound quality to better match the kind of experience you're looking for. It's extremely detailed, but I found that the default settings it suggested were just right for my music.
These headphones have multiple connectivity options, including connecting to a smartwatch, connecting to two devices at once, or being able to have two Jaybird headphones attach to one device. The quality of the bluetooth connection was always strong, and it connected extremely quickly every time with no disruptions.
Perhaps the only other negative with these headphones would be the battery life. I was able to get about 6 hours out of the battery, and a small charging clip that is included can be attached to double that. But the charging clip is small and very easy to lose, and to make matters worse you can't charge the headphones without it! Losing it would be way too easy, and if you do lose it, you have no choice but to buy another one.
Overall, I really do enjoy these headphones. The audio is fantastic, they're easy to use, and I love how they look. But at the same time, I enjoy them despite some glaring problems. They're not as comfortable as I'd like them to be, the battery life isn't enough for a long trip, and I cannot forgive the decision to slap a heavy controller onto one side of the headphones and not realise how that could ruin the listening experience. The positive aspects of these headphones outweigh the negatives for me, but at this price point, I really would expect better. When it comes to headphones, the two most important points are comfort and audio. The Jaybird delivers on audio, but falls flat on comfort, leaving it smack dab in the middle considering the 'luxury' price point.
SUMMARY
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Pros
+ Very stylish aesthetic
+ Superb audio quality and an app that allows further fine-tuning
+ Bluetooth syncs quickly, never skipped or caused any issues for me
+ Little touches make these headphones feel like a top-of-the-line product
+ Can be synced to multiple devices at once
+ Can connect to a smartwatch instead of your phone
+ Two pairs of these headphones can sync to once device
+ Comes with three different sizes of earbuds in foam and in plastic, as well as three sizes of the wings
Cons
- Battery life is 4-6 hours, double that if using the charging clip
- Charging clip is easy to lose and without it headphones cannot be charged
- Controller placed on the right ear is uncomfortable and weighs down that side of the headphones
- Finding the right fit with the earbuds and the wings is not easy, and even then the wings are sometimes frustrating to wear and fit properly
- Between the heavy controller and the wing-design, the right-side headphone fell out of my ear often, and was generally uncomfortable
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Amope Gel Activ Women's Shoe/Foot Insoles For Everyday Heels
As with the other Amope insoles, the biggest issue with these is fit. They're supposed to fit up to a size 10 (which I am) but leave about 3-4 inches of the shoe uncovered by insole. Worse, since it doesn't specifically tell you to put the heel of... +
As with the other Amope insoles, the biggest issue with these is fit. They're supposed to fit up to a size 10 (which I am) but leave about 3-4 inches of the shoe uncovered by insole. Worse, since it doesn't specifically tell you to put the heel of the insole at the heel, someone could think the toe is supposed to go all the way in and damage their feet since the heel of the insole is slightly raised.
Probably fine for those with smaller feet, but just not good enough for bigger feet. I tried these out on a pair of boots that had basically no padding, hoping it would make them bearable to wear. It did cushion them a little, but not nearly enough, so I wouldn't recommend these for particular hard, uncomfortable shoes.
SUMMARY
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Pros
+ Cushions shoe slightly.
Cons
- Not big or wide enough for feet on the larger end of the advertised spectrum.
- Doesn't make a huge difference in terms of comfort.
- Instructions unclear, leaving you unsure if you should put it heel to heel, or toe to toe, since on bigger feet it doesn't stretch over the whole shoe.
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Oster Optimal Brew Blooming Technology 12-Cup Coffee Maker
I'm no coffee expert, but I was really impressed with this coffee maker. Not only does it have a really stylish design that looked great in my kitchen, but I found it easy to use and very effective in producing good coffee on a daily basis. The... +
I'm no coffee expert, but I was really impressed with this coffee maker. Not only does it have a really stylish design that looked great in my kitchen, but I found it easy to use and very effective in producing good coffee on a daily basis. The carafe is insulated and will keep your coffee hot for ages too, so it's ideal for those with many coffee drinkers in the same house, or who will drink a lot of coffee throughout the day.
First off, setting up this coffee maker is simple. All you need to do is run some water through it and it's ready to go. The coffee maker itself is black and stainless steel, and has a really simple design that I enjoyed. The carafe slides in and out very easily, and because it's insulated the carafe keeps coffee warm for as long as 4 hours. The downside to that is that there's no smell of warm coffee, so if you're into that you will miss it.
The coffee maker has a few other features that I really liked. The water reservoir is easy to remove and refill, and the delay brew timer lets you schedule the coffee to start brewing in advance. I particularly liked this option for waking up in the morning to a pot of coffee that JUST finished brewing. There's also a timer that will tell you when the last pot of coffee was brewed, and an indicator on the carafe that shows you how much coffee is remaining.
Design wise, I really love how the Oster logo is part of the metal, just slightly raised lettering, as opposed to a stuck on logo that tends to get grimy and doesn't look as good.
All of these little features make this coffee maker simple to use and very user-friendly. It looks good, it's not complicated, and it's easy to set up.
SUMMARY
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Pros
+ Delay timer allows you to set up coffee to be ready when you wake up or get home
+ Insulated carafe keeps coffee hot for three-four hours
+ Timer display tells you how long ago the coffee was made
+ Removable water resevoir
+ Easy to clean
+ Sleek design looks good on the kitchen counter
+ Easy to slide pot in and out
Cons
- Insulated pot means no smell of coffee
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L'Oreal Paris Pure-Clay Purifying and Mattifying Mask
I have combination skin and found this mask to be ok, but nothing miraculous. It's recommended to use it three times a week, which I think is a little nuts considering the tub is not that big, so you'll use it up very quickly that way. However, for... +
I have combination skin and found this mask to be ok, but nothing miraculous. It's recommended to use it three times a week, which I think is a little nuts considering the tub is not that big, so you'll use it up very quickly that way. However, for testing purposes, I dutifully used it thrice weekly, but my results were the same. Immediately after using the mask my skin looked improved, soft and with a nice glow, but the oiliness of my skin would return pretty quickly and long term I didn't really see much of a difference.
That being said, it's still a pretty nice mask. It has a fresh, zingy scent and doesn't burn or hurt the skin, just feels a bit tingly. Keep in mind this is a proper clay mask, which means it dries pretty rock hard. If that's not for you, avoid this mask. I personally like a super hard clay mask, so for me it was fine.
I'll continue to use this on occasion as a fun, pampering treat, but I don't think I'd use it regularly as I didn't see the difference I was hoping for.
Protip: To avoid roughing up your skin by washing this off with a cloth, apply the mask 15 minutes before a shower and then rinse it off easily under the shower, that way you don't have to scrub at your skin.
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L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Hydra-Nutrition Day Cream
I have combination skin and having turned thirty early this year, my skin is starting to show some signs of aging, including fine lines under the eyes and general dullness. There are a lot of things I really, really like about this moisturising... +
I have combination skin and having turned thirty early this year, my skin is starting to show some signs of aging, including fine lines under the eyes and general dullness. There are a lot of things I really, really like about this moisturising cream from Loreal, so let's start with those.
It smells divine. Kind of like a sweet, nutty, body butter cream smell that I really like. It's not overpowering, and not unpleasant at all, it actually smells amazing. Texture wise, I'm a big fan. I prefer a very thick cream and this delivers on that. It spreads easily and you only need a surprisingly little amount to cover your whole face, but it's very thick and luxurious feeling.
I like that it comes in a jar, but that could be a deal breaker for some who don't like dipping their fingers. My real problem with this cream is not that it doesn't moisturise, it does, but it moisturises on par with cheaper brands I've used in the past, so I don't know that I would be comfortable switching to this for the long term.
It did leave my skin softer, but it wasn't the dramatic result I expected from the price point and brand name. The scent is very pleasant though and it's nice and thick!
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Kadori Professional Travel Blow Dryer
I have short naturally wavy-curly hair and this is the first time I've ever had a hair dryer come with a diffuser, so that was absolutely perfect for me and a lovely surprise. I can't really say anything bad about this hair dryer because, frankly... +
I have short naturally wavy-curly hair and this is the first time I've ever had a hair dryer come with a diffuser, so that was absolutely perfect for me and a lovely surprise. I can't really say anything bad about this hair dryer because, frankly, it did a great job for me.
It's lightweight, easy to use and I found it gave gorgeous curls with the diffuser head. It's also easy to detach and switch heads. It has all the settings you'll ever need, warm, cool and hot and adjustable speeds.
If I had to pick a negative it would be that the design of the little plastic circles on the handle of the dryer, just below the switches, looks confusingly like buttons and don't seem to add anything to the dryer.
SUMMARY
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Pros
+ Works great.
+ Comes with a diffuser, perfect for curly or wavy hair.
+ Different speed settings.
+ Different heat settings.
+ Lightweight and comfortable to use.
Cons
- Plastic circle design on handle looks confusingly like buttons.
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Dove Purely Pampering Shea Butter with Warm Vanilla Body Wash
I love Dove, but unfortunately this just falls short in every way. I've come to expect a lot from Dove shower washes as I use them regularly, but this doesn't deliver on any of the points I actually like about Dove. In comparison, I'm a frequent... +
I love Dove, but unfortunately this just falls short in every way. I've come to expect a lot from Dove shower washes as I use them regularly, but this doesn't deliver on any of the points I actually like about Dove. In comparison, I'm a frequent user of the 'Deep Moisture' shower creme in this same line, which is an amazing shower cream, leaves the skin super soft and has a lovely scent. I would 100% recommend buying that one instead.
I'm not a fan of this smell at all. I have an extremely strong sense of smell. When compared to the 'Deep Moisture' scent in this range, it is barely smellable and what I can smell, I didn't like. It's a very fake, perfumey vanilla.
Where this really failed in the scent department is that it isn't long lasting at all. Normally after showering with Dove I can smell that lovely clean, fresh scent through to the next day, but with this even directly after my shower I had very little smell to my skin.
It also lacks that 'soapy' smell that I associate with Dove. Normally Dove shower gels and soaps have a lovely clean soap smell and then whatever added scent on top, this did not.
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