Product Review: Eastman Washing Machine Connector, Y Mixer Hose

 

I had a hot and cold water spigot put in my garage, mainly for giving the dog a bath, and occasionally washing my car by hand. It is a lot less expensive to do two separate spigots than a single spigot, but then you need a way to have water from both spigots to go through a hose, which is where this comes in. As long as the spigots are relatively close to each other (within a couple of feet), this will work. It is basically two small lengths of hose connected at a Y, that has a connection for a longer garden hose. It is not fancy but it gets the job done.

Product Review: Crescent Creative Products Perfect Pro Picture Frame Wall Hanging Tool with Level

 

This is a picture-hanging tool that is mainly for hanging larger pictures or even posters where you may have hooks on each side of the frame. This allows you to hang your picture level by getting the width needed, setting the arms of the hanging tool in place, taking it to the wall, and marking where the nail holes go. The tool has a built-in level so you do not have to guess where the nail holes need to line up with each other. It is definitely worth the purchase.

Product Review: Hoover Oxy Spot Chaser Refill for Smartwash Pet

 

This is a cleaning solution that goes into, and sprays from, the handle of the Hoover Smartwash carpet cleaner. It does a great job breaking up pet stains before passing over the area with the base. You would not use it on the whole area, just on spot stains to pre-treat them and make them easier to get up. You could, if you do not want the actual carpet cleaner, put it in a spray bottle and use whatever other carpet cleaning method you desire. It definitely gets the job done.

Product Review: Hoover SmartWash Automatic Carpet Cleaner with Spot Chaser Stain Remover Wand

 

I had to use this a lot sooner than expected to clean up a pet mess. So, I essentially had to put it together (very easy), figure out how to use it (also easy), and clean the carpet at the same time. It did a great job cleaning up the leftover mess/stains on the floor after the dog got left alone for too long. The spot chaser in the handle did a great job pre-treating the stains, and then "vacuuming" over the area got everything up, dried the carpet pretty well, and left the carpet smelling great. The one quirk to it is that you need to make sure the tank that collects the dirty water is on correctly. If it is not the water will go into the carpet but will not be sucked back up. I definitely recommend this both for monthly or every few months of carpet cleaning to keep your carpets fresh, and any pet emergencies that may come up.

Product Review: Joseph Joseph Kitchen Drawer Organizer DrawerStore Set

 

This is a set of two silverware trays that fit easily in a drawer and are much better at keeping silverware organized than the trays that require you to stack pieces on top of each other. They also take up a lot less space than those, trays so you can get items that would not fit in a regular tray in the drawer as well. I definitely recommend these.

Product Review: Purdy 140786104 White Dove High Density Woven Covers 3/8" Nap Mini Roller

 

This is a very durable small roller brush, which is very good for doing smaller spaces and edges (although not cutting). You will want to edge with something smaller, like a brush, then use this to do a larger space around the edge. You can easily do a whole small room without the roller starting to shed or lose effectiveness.

Product Review: Trimaco SuperTuff 10 oz thick Heavyweight Canvas Drop Cloth

 

This is a canvas dropcloth to use when painting to protect your floors. It is not a huge canvas, but definitely does what it is supposed to. It will definitely protect your floors from paint drips. But, if you are doing a large room, you may want to get a larger one so you do not have to move it along with you as you go around the room.

Product Review: Chamberlain B2405 Quiet Wi-Fi Garage Door Opener

 

I upgraded to this belt drive from a very old (at least 20-year-old) chain drive, and the difference is amazing. While it is not whisper-quiet, compared to my old opener, it is almost whisper-quiet. My bedroom is directly over my garage and when the door would open before it sounded like a freight train going through the room and this barely makes any noise. Here are the pros and cons:

Pros:

1. The noise level. As I said it is much quieter than chain drives, especially older chain drives.

2. It has a motion sensor on it, so when you open the door to the garage going into your house, the lights will turn on and stay on for a couple of minutes, so you do not need to fumble with a light switch if you are just bringing something to or from the car and/or the garage.

3. The ability to use an app to see if the door is open or closed is great. I know I get that feeling in the middle of the night of wondering if the door is closed, or after I have driven off, wondering if the door closed if I did not watch it the entire time. Now I can just check the app and do not have to run downstairs in the middle of the night or turn around and go back to the house.

Cons:

1. There are no written instructions. There are virtual instructions that you have to access through an app that you download, and you have to dig a bit in the documents that do come with the unit to figure that out. The virtual instructions are handy at times, but it would be nice to use them in conjunction with printed instructions.

2. Once you have it wired you have to calibrate it through the app in order to get the door to go up or down, and at first it may seem like you wired something wrong or the unit is defective. Basically, the app walks you through what buttons on the side of the unit you have to push to calibrate where the door should stop both in the open and closed positions and make sure the safety sensors are working correctly. 

3. The learn button, which you need to push to program the keypad, is not labeled. It is the yellow button on the side of the unit, but that is not clear in the instructions.  

Overall, it is a very good, reasonably-priced Wi-Fi-enabled opener. It does not have all of the bells and whistles that the more expensive openers have, like built-in webcams, but if you are not interested in those extra features this is a good one. It definitely takes a couple of able-bodied people to get it installed, and it may require you to move existing brackets around (if you are replacing an old unit). It took two people about 3 hours to get it installed. I absolutely recommend this if you are in the market for a new garage door opener.

Product Review: Bags on Board Dog Poop Bags

 

These are durable dog poop bags. You get a lot for the amount you are paying (and you get a lot more of them than you can get in a grocery store). They are also available on Amazon as a subscribe and save item, so you can have them sent on whatever schedule fits your needs.

Product Review: Accord ABSWWH2126 Sidewall/Ceiling Register with 2-Way Design, 12-Inch x 6-Inch(Duct Opening Measurements)

 

When I had my townhouse renovated I painted most of the walls. All of the vent covers and registers were original to when the place was built in the 1970s, so I decided to replace as many of them as possible and I got these for a couple of sidewall vents. They are easy to install and fit well as long as you measure your ducts correctly. Depending on the size of your existing vent covers, the holes may line up easily, otherwise, you may have to drill new holes. I personally like the slider to open and close the vents.

Product Review: Clorox Ultra Clean Toilet Tablets Bleach & Blue

 

These are tabs that drop into the top of the toilet tank. They last around a month, give or take before you need to replace them. Initially, your toilet water will be dark blue and then it gets lighter over time. Personally, I use these in conjunction with the toilet wand that uses the heads with cleaner on it, and the combination of the two makes cleaning the interior of the toilet much easier.

Product Review: Purdy 14B863400 Dove Cover, 9" X 3/8" Paint Roller Brushes

 

These are good, inexpensive roller brushes that can hold up well before they start shedding. They are not as long-lasting as some of the more expensive brushes out there, so, if you are painting a lot of space/rooms then you will have to use more than one or maybe even two, but they will definitely hold up well when doing a small room.

Product Review: Scotch Original Multi-Surface Painter's Tape

 

This is painter's tape that works well to keep paint off surfaces you do not want it on.  It is especially handy if you are not good at cutting edges by hand. You can also use it in place of masking tape in a pinch.

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 64

For Day 64 I did the lower body stretch in XB and the week 11 lower body strength workout in 645.

I felt like I could definitely get deeper into the hamstring stretches on my right leg during the XB workout, but my left leg was pretty much the same.

The 645 workout was challenging. Again it felt faster-paced than the Phase 1 and Phase 2 workouts, and mixed in some new moves, including some plyometric moves. It was a challenge, but a very good workout and I was gassed at the end. 

Product Review: Jabra Evolve 75 UC Wireless Headset

 

I have to participate in many calls and web meetings in my job. Working from home made it harder to do so just trying to use computer audio and my cell phone. This works very well as a solution. The headset has excellent noise reduction, it seems like people can hear me well on the other end. It has 14 hours of battery life on a full charge, which, depending on how often you are on the phone, can last several days.. The only issue I have found is that if you are on a web meeting on your computer, then later, after the meeting is over, want to use this with your phone, you will need to turn it off and back on so it can re-pair with your phone. Aside from that, this works great, and although a bit pricey, is worth it.

Supplement Review: Hydroxycut Hardcore Next Gen

 

I used these more as a pre-workout jump start than I did with any expectation of fat burning. In that vein, they were good, but at a full dose gave me too much of a caffeine jolt, and made it seem like I had a harder time getting to sleep when I was taking 2 in the morning and 2 in the late afternoon. So, you will definitely have to adjust the dose based on your response. I found I did better with taking 2 in the morning and one after lunch.

Product Review: Dial Complete Foaming Antibacterial Hand Wash, Soothing White Tea

 

This is an antibacterial soap that smells nice, does not leave your hands dried out, and will last anywhere from a couple of weeks to a month, depending on how many people are using it, and how often. I used it in my master bathroom, and it was just me using it, and it lasted the better part of a month (3+ weeks). If you can get your hands on some, it is worth the pickup.

Product Review: Wooster Brush, 4-Inch Roller Frame

 

This is a good, sturdy, small roller that allows you to roll paint in smaller spaces. You can attach it to a paint pole, if necessary, and it stays tight without coming loose. Definitely a good deal.

Product Review: Mounting Dream TV Wall Mount Swivel and Tilt for 26-55 Inch TVs

 

I got this to mount a 55" TV over my fireplace. I cannot say how easy it is to install, because I had the contractor who was renovating my townhouse install it, but he did not seem to have any trouble doing so and it is very sturdy on the wall. I should note that it was mounted entirely into wood supports. We added extra wood between the studs before the drywall was installed on the fireplace for the express purpose of mounting this. 

The instructions do say that it should not be installed just into drywall alone and warn against overtightening the bolts. The placement of the holes would make it hard to get all the screws/bolts into studs (unless you actually have an open wall like I did where you can add wood supports between the studs). If you can get all of the bolts into the studs it is extremely sturdy. Even if you cannot get them all into studs, you should easily be able to get about half the screws/bolts into a stud and if so it will still be very secure. I am very satisfied with it.

Product Review: Paint Roller Cover, Paint Roller Kit 9 Inch 3/8 Inch Nap

 

You can get a couple of coats in a decent-sized room or front entryway with these before they start shedding. They also do rinse off fairly well with water so if you have not used them up at the end of your paint job, they can be cleaned and reused. They are not as durable as some of the more expensive roller pads, but they give you good coverage and are good for smaller jobs. If you are painting multiple rooms in the same color, however, you may want to get ones that last a bit longer.

Product Review: Wooster 48493 Deluxe Metal Paint Tray

 

This is an affordable and very sturdy paint tray. It is reusable, especially if you use paint tray liners while you are painting. And, it is large enough that you can get a good amount of paint in it and do not have to constantly refill it. It is definitely worth the price.

Product Review: Scotch Heavy Duty Packaging Tape

 

Strapping tape is, at least for me, one of those things that I either have too much of or that I always need more than I have on hand. The former is not really a problem, but the latter is because it is always a pain to stop what you are doing to go to a store to get more. This gets you six "regular" sized rolls, of 3M strapping tape. Each of the rolls has a dispenser on them so you do not have to mangle the end of a new piece of tape every time you need one to separate it from the roll. I definitely recommend this.

Product Review: Shur-Line 2007053 Premium Corner Painter

 

I like the concept of this, but the execution is a bit off. The idea is that you can edge two walls at the same time by putting paint on each side of the edger. However, I found that to get good enough coverage that you do not leave bare spots you have to coat both sides with so much paint it is prone to dripping on the floor, so you definitely need to keep any floors you do not want paint dripped on covered with a drop cloth. And, while you can put it on a paint pole, it is very hard to control the paint coverage when doing so.

Product Review: Scotch Painter's Tape Delicate Surface Painter's Tape

 

As a part of renovating my townhouse, I painted many of the walls and the existing doors and door frames. I used this around the door frames to get an edge where the wall and the frame meet. While the edge did look good, it did pull up some of the paint from portions of the door frames requiring touch-ups after removing the tape.

Product Review: Three-Way Plastic Side Wall/Ceiling Register in White 10" w X 6" h for Duct Opening (Outside Dimension is 11.75" w X 8" h)

 

I repainted rooms in my townhouse from a tan/almond color to a very light blue and wanted new sidewall vents to replace what was likely the original vent cover from the 1970s. As long as you correctly measure your ducts, this is very easy to install and looks great against a newly painted, light-colored wall.