Product Review: Filtrete 16x25x1 Air Filter, MPR 300, MERV 5 Basic Dust 3-Month Pleated 1-Inch Air Filters

 

I had an older furnace (about 20 years old, give or take) that could not handle one of the heavy-duty filters. These are perfect as basic filters that I can replace every 1-3 months and are not prohibitively expensive. Even though I now have a newer furnace, these do keep it from getting too dusty and dirty (that and regular yearly maintenance), which is really the point of the air filters. 

Product Review: RIYCUOWT Damaged Screw Extractor

 

I got this because I had three braces for large floating shelves that had screws with stripped heads in them. I was able to use these to get some, but not all, of them out. If the head is damaged too much, these will not get them out. But, if they are not, these work as advertised. It is important that you have the drill in reverse at all times when you are using these otherwise it will not work to get the screws out.

Product Review: Ropeless Jump Rope

 

I got this because I do a lot of the Beachbody workouts (as anyone who reads this blog knows), including ones like Insanity: Asylum which uses a jump rope in some of the workouts. But, my basement has low ceilings, so it is difficult to jump rope exercises down there. Plus, I was never super coordinated with a jump rope even when I was a kid, and that has not gotten better as an adult. This allows me to do the moves without having to worry about tripping over the rope, or the rope hitting the ceiling. The ends are weighted enough that it mimics the feel of swinging a jump rope, but not so much that it gets your arms or shoulders too tired. I definitely recommend this.

Product Review: FLEXISPOT EN1 Height Adjustable Standing Desk

 

I got this to use in an office corner of my renovated basement since I am stuck working from home due to COVID-19. A couple of things to note about putting it together. First, as it says on the product page, this will come in two boxes. One with the pieces for the frame, and one with the desktop. I got the frame first (on a Tuesday), then got the desktop the following Monday. So, you will not be able to assemble the entire thing right away. Second, you will need two people to assemble the frame because the legs are too heavy to hold up with one hand while screwing on the part that holds the crossbar. Third, you will need a drill and/or electric screwdriver to put this together. An electric screwdriver makes it easier to screw the base to the tabletop (and the power box and lift controller to the tabletop). The former you need because there are not pre-drilled holes for all the spots that need screws. For me, the hardest thing about putting it together was aligning the base with the holes on the tabletop that you need to screw the legs to the table. Unless you are very lucky you will have to adjust the crossbar after you put the base together when you are screwing it to the tabletop. You also need to be very careful when connecting the piece that turns when the motor engages not to turn the motor winch too much when you are tightening the bar (it will make sense in the instructions).

Overall, the instructions are written better than most for these types of put it together yourself furniture pieces. You do have to look at the pictures to see exactly how things should be aligned, but it is not too hard, even if you are not very handy or much of a DIYer. The desk is very heavy and sturdy once put together and does not feel flimsy like a lot of things you have to assemble. You can move it up and down using the arrows on the control box, or you can program up to three heights using programmable buttons. So far, I am very satisfied with it and would absolutely recommend it.

Product Review: FROGTAPE 280222 Delicate Surface Painter's Tape with PaintBlock

 

I used this to tape around door frames so I could paint the walls around the doors (which had also been painted along with the frames). I specifically used the tape for delicate surfaces because the door frames had been newly painted. When taking this off, some of the paint did come off the doors. The tape would remove fine, then pull a bunch of the paint from the door off, then be fine again. so, needless to say, the door frames needed touching up again. And, the tape did allow some amount of bleed-through in some spots. So, it does not work as advertised, at least in some situations.

Product Review: Shur-Line 06100 Gallon Can Paint Pourer

 

This is a pour spout that fits a one-gallon paint can perfectly, makes pouring the paint into a tray a whole lot easier, and avoids causing a huge mess with paint dripping down the side of the can. When the paint on the pourer dries you can just peel it off and reuse it. I definitely recommend it.

Product Review: Mr. Longarm 4.9 in. W x 4.4 in. L White Foam Applicator

 

I have a townhouse with a lot of vaulted ceilings and painted most of the rooms a couple of years ago. This definitely helps with edging at the top of the vaulted walls. It would work even better if I did not have popcorn ceilings in some of the rooms, so right at the very top, I had to have a professional go up there with a brush to finish. But for the edges that were not against the popcorn ceilings, this gave awesome coverage, much better than a roller, and allows you to do a lot of painting before it wears out (which you will know has happened when it starts peeling away from the backing). I definitely recommend it.

Product Review: ALLWAY GPS5 Paint Pouring Spout for 5-Gallon Containers

 

I renovated my townhouse back in 2020, which included painting most of the rooms. Thus, I purchased a couple of 5-gallon buckets of paint. Of course, those are very heavy and hard to pour paint from. This makes it much easier to pour from the buckets, regardless of whether they have the tab you pull out or the cap you unscrew. If your bucket has the former, you can separate the "inner portion" which is the pour spout itself, from the base, and just push that into the hole after you pull the tab out. If it is the latter, you simply unscrew the cap on the bucket, and screw the base with the spout in it, on the same threads. It definitely helps keep paint from getting everywhere or pouring out too fast from the bucket. I definitely recommend this.

Product Review: Mr. LongArm Trim Smart Paint Edger

 

When I was renovating my townhome back in 2020, I was doing a lot of painting, including painting vaulted ceilings. This definitely came in very handy to do the edge work. And, it gets a nice coating of paint, much better than a lot of brushes and rollers. The contractors that I used who helped with some of the painting also really love these. The only drawback is that it is hard to keep paint off the wheels, so it is almost impossible to keep all the paint from getting on the connecting wall to the one you are edging, but that is really only an issue if you are going to do an accent wall. Otherwise, these are wonderful.

Product Review: Fitbit Alta HR Charging Cable

 

The charger for the Alta and Alta HR will likely break down eventually and they are not like other charging cables that use a mico-USB connection. This charger has prongs that have to connect to the back of the Alta HR, that do break off or lose a good connection over time. This is the official Fitbit cable and is a bit more expensive than the knockoff cables, but I have seen reviews of some of the cheaper cables that cause the units to go haywire. And, Fitbit is very particular about what they will not warranty and what will void the warranty on the Fitbit, so it is best to use their cable.

Food Review: Marie Callender's Tender Ginger Beef and Broccoli Bowl

 

While it is not as good (in my opinion anyway) as an order of Beef with Broccoli from a restaurant (especially a good Vietnamese restaurant), you get a good amount of food in the bowl, it is filling, and it is not just all rice. Most of the meat is tender, although I have, from time to time, had one with a piece or two of the beef which is quite tough. But, I have probably had around 10 of these, and that is a rarity. You get a decent amount of protein per serving but it does, like pretty much all frozen dinners, have quite a bit of sodium.  It is definitely one that I would recommend.

Product Review: mDesign Plastic Tea Bag Divided Storage Organizer

 

I have a large box of green tea that I purchased at one of the warehouse clubs. The box from the store was huge and took up a lot of room, this is a much better option for storing the tea bags. It is large enough to store all the tea bags, and can easily be placed at the front of a cupboard or pantry for easy access. If the tea bags are larger, you may have to put them into the separations at an angle as there is no way to adjust the size of the inner portions that form the separate boxes. You could also use these for craft supplies, however the lid is not locking, so if you accidentally dropped it, or it fell from a shelf, whatever you put in it would go everywhere. But, this is a great option to hold individual tea bags.

Product Review: Treehouse by Natureclean Nature Clean Liquid Hand Soap

 

It is a good size and is available as a subscribe and save item on Amazon, which is nice (when it is available). The only complaint I have is that it has a very strong, almost overpowering, citrus smell. It does not linger on your hands after you rinse them off, so it is not a huge drawback, but it could be toned down a lot.

Product Review: Decor Grates ST410 Classic Collection Décor Design Painted, 4x10 Inches, Floor Register

 

A couple of years ago I replaced the white carpet in my master bedroom with dark engineered hardwood. While renovating the rest of my townhouse, I was looking for new vent covers to match new flooring that was going in other areas of the house, and I came across this which is a perfect match to the flooring in the master bedroom. There is no fancy installation (just make sure you confirm the size of the duct before you purchase), just take the old vent out and put this in. The outside is metal, but the inner part, including the vent flaps, is plastic. The benefit is that they are much easier to open and close than the flaps on the old metal vents, but some people on Amazon have issues with the plastic part partially melting and warping when they turn on the heat. I installed these in the summer, but have used them for a couple of winters. They still open and close just fine and the plastic parts have not melted or warped at all. And, I live in a part of the country where it gets very cold in the winter, so the furnace runs a lot. They look great with the flooring in the room and are a great value for the price.

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 61

Day 61 was the lower back routine in XB and the first total body tempo workout of Phase 3 in 645.

The 645 workout was another tough one, with a few new moves mixed in with exercises we had done in prior weeks. The pace of the workout is very accelerated with much less transition time between the moves. You do, however, get at least 45 seconds between sets. The workout ends almost at the 45-minute mark with the cooldown just being a few seconds in child's pose. 

Product Review: Accord AMFRBLV410 Floor Register with Victorian Design

 

I recently replaced the flooring in my living room and kitchen with LVP flooring and replaced the two, very old, existing floor vents on that level with these. There is no fancy installation (just make sure you confirm the size of the duct before you purchase), just take the old vent out and put this in. The outside is metal, but the inner part, including the vent flaps, is plastic. The benefit is that they are much easier to open and close than the flaps on the old metal vents, but some people on Amazon have issues with the plastic part partially melting and warping when they turn on the heat. I installed these in the summer, and have used them through a couple of winters now. I live in a part of the USA where the winters can be very cold and the furnace runs a lot. I have not had a problem with the plastic melting or warping at all, and the vents still open and close just fine. They look great with the new floor and are a great value for the price.

Product Review: Ryobi 4-Volt QuickTurn Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/4 in. Hex Screwdriver Kit

 

This is a Ryobi cordless screwdriver. It does not have the power of a drill or impact driver, so it is definitely intended for smaller uses like installing hardware on cabinets or doors, or things akin to that. One great thing is that it can either be configured as a long, straight piece, or you can turn the base so that it is configured more like a drill, so if you need to use it at a more awkward angle, you can. While I would not say that you can use it in place of a regular screwdriver in every situation, you can do so in many. One thing to note, much like an impact driver, you have to use the screwdriver heads that have the hex ends. Double-sided screwdriver bits will not work on this. Overall, it is definitely a good value for the money.

Product Review: Igloo Polar 120 Qt. Cooler

 

It is a large cooler. It is perfect for taking camping, or to have around if your refrigerator stops working (or you lose power or are renovating your kitchen). Even though it is large, it can still fit in the trunk of a "regular" sized sedan, or anything larger< It is perfect for keeping cold items cold when doing a run to the grocery store or warehouse club.

Product Review: Settings Plastic Clear Soup Spoons

 

These are a bit smaller and less sturdy than some other plastic spoons out there. That said, they are perfect for things like soup or cereal. They are not as good for something like non-soft-serve ice cream. When eating regular ice cream they can (and probably will) easily break. But, if you need them for a cookout or something along those lines, they are a fine value for the amount you get.

Product Review: Grip Tight Tools Heavy Duty Plastic Paint Tray

 

These are very small paint trays. They are definitely too small for a full-sized roller. But, perfect to use for a brush, edger, or a small roller, in smaller spaces. They are very sturdy and are not flimsy when holding paint. A great value for the price.

Product Review: Value Combo: Bubble Cushioning Wrap Rolls(30ft/Easy-to-Tear) & 12"X 12" Foam Wrap Sheets 30-Pack

 

This is a combination pack that includes 30 foam sheets and a roll of bubble wrap. The foam sheets are not the kind with the pockets, which are good for dishes. These are best for putting between picture frames with glass fronts or wrapping around smaller items. You can, however, use them to separate glass plates as you stack them. The bubble wrap is pretty standard, has small bubbles, and is perforated so you can separate it into smaller sheets without cutting it. Definitely a good value for the money.

Product Review: 3M Multi-Use Duct Tape

 

This is 3M duct tape that holds strong but is not too "sticky". And, it is easy to tear without the tape splitting as you tear it. 3M is definitely the brand to get and is superior over at least some of the "generic" or off-brand versions.

Product Review: Warner 3" ProGrip Full Flex Putty Knife

 

This is a pretty standard putty knife. The edge is sharp enough that it can remove bumps from old paint drips, or uneven spackle, but not so sharp that you can easily cut yourself with it. And, it can be used to easily spread putty. I definitely recommend it.

Product Review: Red Devil 0542 ONETIME Lightweight Spackling

 

This is a spackle that has a soft, almost cotton-candy-like texture (as opposed to some spackles that are like a paste), but it spreads on and fills in holes easily and dries quickly and solidly so you can paint over it. It is definitely worth the money.

Product Review: DOTSOG Moving Straps 2-Person Lifting and Moving System Adjustable Shoulder Lifting Carrying and Moving Straps

 

These are two-person moving straps that can be used to lift large and/or heavy items such as appliances, that would be difficult to carry, especially up or down a flight of stairs. It takes a bit of trial-and-error to get them to work given the lack of instructions, but once you do, they work as advertised to move heavy objects with a lot less effort than just trying to pick them up and hoist them around especially when going up and down stairs.