Teva® Mush Flip Flop Review by Phoebe

Back in September of 2009, my fiance and I attended the wedding of a friend of his from his days as an airline pilot. I had met his friend on several occasions, but never got to meet his bride until we made the trip to West Virginia for the wedding. We were invited to stay in a chalet with the families of the bride and groom. It wasn’t until we were directed to our room when it was brought to my attention that the bride owned a couple of shoe stores. I love her already.

When we opened the door to our room at the chalet, there were two gift bags on the bed. One for him and one for me. Inside the gift bags were some snacks and a few gifts including a pair of flip flops. Say WHAT?! I love flip flops! The kind of love I would feel for a long, rough, oily back rub from a male underwear model on a beach in the French Riviera. True love.

I put the flip flops on my feet to ensure that they fit and I haven’t taken them off since. The flip flops were women’s size 8 Teva Mush sandals. The sandal from Teva gets its name from its “Durapontex® EVA midsole and three-point nylon thong upper, which offers a springy, luxurious fit” (according to their own product description). There was no breaking them in. They were immediately my new favorite footwear. Well … at least I THOUGHT there was no breaking them in.

I took the sandals home and wore them non-stop (as I said before). It wasn’t until a couple weeks after the wedding when I realized what made these flip flops even more better. Yes, I said, “even more better.” Because that’s how awesome what I’m about to tell you is: The sandals began to take the shape of my feet. Sure this happens sometimes with flip flops, but this was different. Is was almost like slipping my foot into a mold that was made specifically and uniquely for my own feet. Arch support in a flip flop?! What!?

The support that I began to experience from the Teva Mush was incredible. I would go to amusement parks and instead of wearing sneakers, I would wear my Tevas. I would take a walk with my family and instead of wearing sneakers, I would wear my Tevas. I would go to a sporting event (as a spectator) and instead of wearing sneakers, I would wear my Tevas. It’s ridiculous how comfortable they are!

*Before reading further, please be aware that “over-wearing” flip flops or wearing them for physical activity is frowned upon by most medical professionals and I do NOT recommend that you do this. It just so happens, I can be a little stubborn and tend not to listen to medical professionals.

I have owned them for two years now and they have not torn. They have not ripped. They have not crumbled. They have not given me blisters. They have not let me down … ever. If I could have intimate relations with these shoes, I would. *I’m sure this last suggestion would also be frowned upon by medical professionals.

Anytime I feel like making love to a shoe, it automatically gets 5 Cups of Joe.

 

 

 

Ouidad Climate Control Review by Phoebe

I have a confession to make: I am a former hair straightening addict. It didn’t matter where I was going or what I was doing: I would not leave the house with so much as a teeny wave in my hair.  I was born with stick straight hair. Then, when puberty hit, it brought with it some evil little troll who invaded my head and magically transformed my maintenance free straight hair into a curly, wavy, frizzy disaster. I immediately began straightening my hair and didn’t stop for 20 years. I started “getting my hair did” after I divorced back in 2003. This combined with chronic straightening and my hair became dry, damaged, overworked, overtreated and ultimately turned on me. I lost chunks of hair and my stylist put her foot down. I believe her exact words were, “I’m not highlighting your hair anymore and you need to stop straightening before you go bald.” Okay…maybe that’s not what she said, but that’s what I heard.

So I began wearing my hair curly and went through about 50 different products including mousses, gels, sprays, balms and even some kind of paste that took about one full week of shampooing to get completely out. I was at the end of my rope. Nothing would give me the curl I wanted without the frizz and stiffness. All I wanted were nice, gentle SOFT curls that could be touched without making them go limp or get frizzy.

I was up late one night and saw an infomercial for a product that claimed to instill “curl confidence” in it’s customers with a line of climate control gels and sprays that were guaranteed to give you the EXACT curl you want without frizz. Naturally, they showed before and after pictures to show the IMMEDIATE results. I was hesitant, but then I looked in the mirror at my out-of-control locks and decided that I had nothing to lose. It was reasonably priced and the before/after photos were hard to ignore.

I ordered it and 3 weeks later it appeared at my doorstep. Naturally, with most infomercial products they set you up on an auto-delivery, auto-pay system with the option to cancel within the first 30 days. However, you can order as little or as often as you need to on their website without the auto-delivery option. The package I ordered came with the Climate Control Heat and Humidity Gel, Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner, the Botanical  Boost Spray, a comb and 5 hair clips. I was a little overwhelmed. Why in the hell did I need all of this? I removed the instructional booklet from the box and saw that it also came with a DVD.  Oh…okay. Let’s watch.

I felt like I had all the information I needed to get started. I washed my hair and went to work. I started with the Leave-In Conditioner. My hair is a just little longer than shoulder length, so I used just a tad (maybe a quarter-size) of the conditioner. I worked into my hair as evenly as I could and moved onto the Climate Control Gel. The instructions say to let your hair air dry. So, I put it into the curling position I wanted using just the comb and my fingers. The clips are handy if you like a little “bounce” around the face. You secure the clips while your hair dries for a “lift.” I scrunched it just a little and left the hair at the top of my head and around my face a little straighter. Two hours later I was left with some crusty, heavy hair. I began “squeezing” the crustiness out of my hair by just scrunching it with my hands. This worked to soften up the curls and give it a softer look. However, the leave-in conditioner left my hair feeling REALLY weighed down and kinda sticky. Not cool. I believe that if you have very thick, dry or frizzy hair, then the leave-in conditioner may help you more than it helped me. I have average thickness to my hair, not thin, not thick…but my hair is FINE which may have led to the heaviness feeling.

So the next day, I tried it again without the leave-in conditioner. MUCH BETTER! While it still dried “crusty,” I was able to squeeze it soft and it kept its shape without the frizz. I might be in love. It took me about two weeks to figure out the right amount and styling secrets. But I stuck with it and now I use it almost every day. There are many different products to choose from on their website, www.ouidad.com. So many that it can be a little overwhelming. They make it easier by allowing you to shop by category, curl type or concern.

I use only the Climate Control Gel and it really gives me the look I spent nearly a year trying to perfect. I now have soft manageable curls that are easy to maintain and it doesn’t look “white-trashy” (I mean no offense to anyone by using that term, but couldn’t think of a better description). Not to mention, my hair is healthier than it’s been in nearly 8 years. My stylist was pleased with my progress and she happily began highlighting me again without threats of making me go bald. Always a plus.

There is ONE drawback to using the Ouidad Climate Control Gel. It doesn’t wash out well with regular shampoo (I have not tried the Ouidad Clear and Gentle Clarifying shampoo). There are still times when I like to straighten my hair. When I do, it tends to be sticky and frizzy and does NOT cooperate. I found that if I want to straighten, I need to use an over the counter clarifying shampoo to really get all the Ouidad product out of there. That would be my only drawback and is the only reason I’m giving Ouidad 4 Cups of Joe.

*I was not provided free/discounted products from Ouidad, nor did they ask me to review this product for them.

Green B.E.A.N. Delivery Review By Ramona

To me, summer means more than warm weather and water skiing; it means fresh organic produce, farmers markets and gardening (of which I am a habitual failure at). There are few things in life that make me happier than perusing the isles of brightly colored seasonal fruits and veggies. The scent of a juicy cantaloupe as it is being cut is enough to send me into instant euphoria.

When I first heard about Green B.E.A.N. Delivery from a good friend, I was cautiously optimistic. Upon first mention it seemed too good to be true. Fresh, organic produce of my choice delivered right to my door every week? Hmmm … how fresh would it actually be? Can I trust someone else to select only the most perfect grapes? Would every grain of sweet corn be perfectly aligned? If I have anxiety when I send my husband to the store alone, how could I trust a complete stranger!!!!

This company is based out of Indianapolis and has a delivery area that includes the greater Indianapolis and Fort Wayne areas in Indiana, Dayton and Cincinatti, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky. Green B.E.A.N. promises to deliver your customized bin of seasonal fruit and veggie goodness (approx. 40 to choose from) as well as other natural grocery items either weekly or bi-weekly. There are 5 different bins to choose from, each varying in price and size. You can customize your order each week according to your needs. You are also able to see exactly which farm your produce comes from. The website also offers great education sources, food storage tips, and recipes. The company truly prides themselves on customer satisfaction and clearly states if you receive a product you feel to be of poor quality, they will happily offer you a prompt credit.

I eagerly started my membership process and selected a produce bin for my standing order (which you can also change at any time) and waited with baited breath for my first delivery, which was the following week. On my very first “Green B.E.A.N. Day” I could not have been more excited if Santa himself was coming for dinner. I opened the door to a big green bin (looking exactly like a recycling bin, only green … Duh) full of my weeks choices. The contents truly lived up to my high expectations. What I was most impressed with was the size of everything! Often when I chose to buy organic in my local supermarkets, the selections are somewhat lacking in luster. Each item was carefully selected with hardly any imperfections, neatly wrapped in brown paper bags and encased in Styrofoam with a freezer pack on top to keep it cool for delivery! The taste was amazing! While the prices do tend to be a bit above what I would pay my local grocer, I would say the service and quality of the products and the company far exceed the price difference.

Green B.E.A.N. offers more than just front door produce, they are truly dedicated to promoting health and wellness through non-profit organizations and aim to help hunger relief. Their website details their contributions and partnership with each of these organizations. Could this get any better?

You should totally check out their website, even if you have no interest in purchasing,  just to see how much these people rock! Go on now … greenbeandelivery.com

My rating for Green B.E.A.N. is an easy 5 cups of joe!

**Please note that I am in no way contracted with Green B.E.A.N. and they did not ask me to write this review. I did not profit from this and will not benefit in any way if you choose to sign yourself up.**

Easy Feet Review by Phoebe

So, I figured for the first review on ToBePerfectlyHonest.com I would review a product that I already own and have used several times. I received Easy Feet (As Seen on TV) as a gift last Christmas. Let me begin by saying that as a working mom, I’m on my feet ALOT! I often get the hard dry skin around my heels and small calluses on the outside of my pinky toes from wearing high heels almost every day. I also LOVE LOVE LOVE getting foot rubs. And I’m not talking the light, gentle, ticklish kind of foot rubs … I’m talking about the “you better use all your muscles and try to hurt me” kind of foot rubs! This mama don’t mess around.

Needless to say, when I got the Easy Feet, I was very anxious and excited to use it. The packaging was very nice with bright colors, clear pictures and inset images of close-up product features. The product was wrapped nicely in plastic inside the box and came with very easy to understand instructions. The product itself is strong and durable. Nothing chintzy about it.

As soon as I placed my Easy Feet in my bathtub, I found the first flaw. The floor of my bathtub is textured to avoid slips and falls. The suction cups on the bottom of the Easy Feet that are advertised to “grip to any floor,” did not grip to my bathtub floor. Not cool. I didn’t give up. I did exactly what the instructions told me NOT to do. I placed it on the side of the bathtub which had a smooth surface. The instructions advise against this for safety purposes (losing balance, slipping, tripping, etc…). Whatever.

Once I was able to get it suctioned to a surface in my bathtub, I rubbed the bristles down with bar soap. The instructions say to use liquid soap, but I don’t own liquid soap. I placed my foot inside the unit and began moving it back and forth to build suds. The bristles at the back are nice and hard. It felt very good on my heels. The bristles at the front are soft…too soft, in my opinion. I would prefer that all the bristles be hard and rough, but again, that’s just my preference. If you like nice soft foot rubs, then this would be great for you.

When I applied pressure with my heel to get some of the built-in-pumice-stone action, I found the second flaw. Too much pressure makes it slip and it won’t’ stay in place. Pumice stones are meant to be rough! You can’t just rub your foot gently against a pumice stone and think it’s going to help!  The instructions DO state that the unit will slip a bit here and there. But I found the amount of slippage made the pumice stone almost worthless.

All in all, the Easy Feet is good for everyday use. However for heavy duty cleaning and exfoliating, I have found it necessary to continue using other foot care products to really get the results I’m looking for. It’s for this reason that I’m giving Easy Feet 3 out of 5 cups of coffee.