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Friday 30 September 2016

Loot Wear September 2016 review

 I received my latest LootWear Subscription in the mail today, and I already knew what was going to be in the package before I opened it (spoilers came early this month; what can I say?)  That said, this may be my last month with this subscription...keep reading if you want to find out why.



LootWear is a subscription that sends you some geeky apparel to you on a monthly basis.  I'll cover the different options for this subscription:

First, there's Loot Socks at 9.99$ (shipping included) where you get two pairs of geeky, comfy stylish socks every month.

Then, there's Loot Tees at 8.99$ (shipping included) which earns you a geeky t-shirt every month.

There's Loot for Her at 14.99 (shipping included) where you can get anything like scarves, jewelry, tote bags, leggins, etc.

And last but not least, there's Loot Wearables at 14.99$ (shipping included) which can include anything from hoodies, lounge pants, polos and long sleeve shirts.

You can also decide to bundle up some of these options for a better price : Loot Wearables + Loot Socks (20.99$),  or Loot for Her+ Loot Tees (19.99$).

They've just recently launched Loot Undies (14.99$).

This month's theme was Speed - hence the Gotta Go Fast saying on the "envelope".

First item is the Loot Wearables -an AutoBots Transformer Soccer T-Shirt.  I like the material of the shirt but, just like baseball t-shirts that were given in previous months, this is really not my style.  Also, the shirt came with a slight stain on it... I was really hoping for a variety of Wearable items... I mean, including a sports shirt once in awhile, that sounds reasonable, but having a sports shirt 3 out of the 4 short months I've been subscribed is quite annoying.  It seems like this category should be categorized Loot SportsWear...I'll be giving this shirt to Alex.

These are Sonic the Hedgehog socks; I love these!  If only they fit my larger calves comfortably.  These are also going to Alex. 

And, last but not least, these are Deadpool socks; not exactly sure how he fits the "speed" theme but whatever.  I love Deadpool.  These, again, are not the most comfortable on larger calves (albeit more so than the Sonic socks).  I'll give these to Alex also.

Verdict: Although I usually love all the socks received, they don't seem to love me and the LootWearables could use a bit of diversity.  Since only one of the items I've received so far was to my complete liking (size and style), I've decided I did not want to keep this subscription going.  So, this will be my last LootWear review...at least for now.

Wednesday 28 September 2016

Limited Edition Boxes from TopBox Reviews

Being a reviewer/blogger, I try my best to keep on top of trends and new subscription boxes to try out.  Not that TopBox is a new subscription, it isn't. But, once in a while, TopBox offers Limited Edition Boxes as one time purchases and it happens that right now is one of those times.

While I'm not subscribed to TopBox (a Canadian beauty product sampler subscription for 12$ per month), I was still able to grab two limited edition boxes on their website.  I'll be linking from Walmart today, not because I am partnered with Walmart but because it is much easier for me to link from one website only.

First box I have for you is the Trends Box. You can still get this box right now and it's only 10$ and yes, it is jammed packed!

First three items are Dove Advanced Series Regenerative Nourishment Shampoo, Conditionner and Serum.
The shampoo retails around 6.68$ for 250ml at Walmart (I received 30ml, so retail value is 0.80$) and same goes for the conditioner.  The serum is 7.66$ for 50ml at Walmart (I received 9ml, so retail value is 1.38$).
This trio is apparently amazing for damaged, over-processed hair, helping them become smoother and stronger against breakage.  Since I regularly color my hair, this is a great match for my needs.  Plus, it smells fantastic!!

More Dove products!  No complaints here.

First, we have Dove Soothing Chamomile Dry Spray Antiperspirant (107g).  This is a full-sized product and retails at 5.97$ at Walmart .  Bonus: the smell is not too strong and quite pleasant.  Also, it promises a 48h odor protections and goes on dry when applying.

Second product is Dove Dry Oil Moisture Nourishing Body Wash (53ml).  It is retailed at 3.97$ for 354ml (so this sample is valued at 0.59$).  This body wash is infused with Moroccan argan oil beads and the smell is quite soothing.


Next two items are from TRESemmé, both items promise gorgeous beach waves.  I'll give it a try but have been finding my hair creates strange wave patterns.  I guess we'll see.

On the left is TRESemme Perfectly Undone Sea Salt Spray (50ml). A 200ml container of this is 4.47$ at Walmart, so this sample is valued at 1.12$.

On the right is TRESemme Perfectly Undone Sea Foam (45ml). A 150ml container of this is 4.47$ at Walmart, so this sample is valued at 1.34$.

And the last three items in this box are as follows:

Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes (7ct).  These are 8.27 for 25ct making this sample worth 2.32$.  I've tried these before and really enjoy them.  They are soft the the skin and remove make-up like it's nobody's business.

Vaseline Lip Therapy in Cocoa Butter (17g) is a lip balm that helps heal dry, chapped lips.  This is another full-sized product and retails at 3.47$ at Walmart.  This smells amazing!

And last product is Vaseline Intensive Care Healthy Hands Stronger Nail Lotion (100ml) and perhaps this was the items I was looking forward to the most since my cuticles are starting to need some TLC.  Although this is apparently a sample size, it pretty much looks like a full-sized product to me.  You can get 320ml of this lotion at Walmart for 7.77$, so this "sample" is worth 2.43$.

That concludes the Trends Box, which the total value is worth 20.22$.  That's more than double the price I paid.  If you want to grab one, you need to hurry before it becomes sold out.

While purchasing the Trends Box, I found out they also had a Limited Edition Classic Box, and since it was only 10.00$, I couldn't resist to get this one too.

First three items are Nexxus products.  We have Nexxus Therappe Replenishing System Shampoo(89ml) and Humectress Conditioner (89ml) as well as Nexxus Comb Thru Finishing Mist (42.4g).

The shampoo is 9.99$ for 250ml, which brings this sample at a value of 3.56$.  The conditioner is 11.99$ for 250ml which brings this sample's value at 4.27$.  The Comb-Thru Finishing Mist retails at 15.26$ for 283g which makes this sample's worth at 2.29$.

I've never tried Nexxus products but from these price ranges it seems like this brand is high end and I'm very much looking forward to trying it out.  These products have a sweet smells I really enjoy.

We've seen that Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes (7ct) are 8.27 for 25ct making this sample worth 2.32$.

St-Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub (30ml) is a product I've used before and am happy to have on hand as it is great for my sensitive skin.  You can get this same sized product at Walmart for 1.50$.

And then there's TRESemmé Tres Two Extra Hold Hairspray (43g).  You can get this same sized product for 2.50$ at Walmart.  I personally don't use hairspray as it tends to add unwanted volume to my hair but I know a few people that do, so I'll likely give it to one of them.  This makes a perfect travel sized hairspray.

I know these products are almost duplicates from the Trends Box but I will definitely bring these two at work, so these products won't be lost on me.

First, there's Vaseline Lip Therapy in Original (17g) - unscented which is worth 3.47$ at Walmart.  I do prefer flavored lip balm but I will still use this.

And second product is Vaseline Intensive Care Dry Skin Repair (100ml) and you can get this same sized product for 3.00$ at Walmart.  As mentioned before, my hands are in rough shape at the moment so this will be put to good use.

I also received a full-sized Degree Motionsense Dryspray antiperspirant (107g) which retails at 4.97$ at Walmart.  It has a nice clean scent I know I won't get tired of.

And last product is a Dove deep moisture nourishing body wash (53ml).  This sells at 3.97$ for 354ml so this sample is worth 0.59$.  I've tried this before and I absolutely love how soft my skin feels after each use.

That concludes the Classic Box and its total value is 32.03$ - amazing!  This box is worth three times what you pay for it, so this is definitely worth the buy.  If you want your own, you'll need to hurry before they run out.

Friday 16 September 2016

MunchPak Mini September 2016 Unboxing.

Got back home to see my MunchPak Mini peeking out of my mailbox today.  That made me happy and was looking forward to breaking open the box.

Before I proceed to this month's unboxing, let me tell you about MunchPak's options; there is

  • MunchPak Mini, which offers 5-6 snacks at 9.95$
  • Original MunchPak wich offers 10+ snacks at 19.95$
  • MunchPak Family Pack which offers 20+ snacks at 39.95$
Shipping was 5.00$ for me (being in Canada) but I am uncertain if  the price changes based on the box size or option selected.  I am currently subscribed to MunchPak Mini.

 First item is these Jagung Bakar Cheetos (2.00$) from Indonesia which is apparently roasted corn flavor.  I love roasted corn so I am sure these will be a hit for me.

Next item is Santé Cardamom Cashews (3.00$) which is a snack from USA that is properly described...cashews roasted in cardamom spices.  I love cashews, so this will also be enjoyed.

Next is Drobogea Eugenia Chocolate (1.00$) which, apparently is chocolate biscuits filled with chocolate cream.  Sounds delicious!

I know a little guy that would absolutely go crazy for these (loves Thomas the Train!!).  These are Lotte Thomas the Train Chewing Candy in Grape flavor (2.00$)  Grape has got to be my favorite candy flavor, so this makes me happy.

And, final product is Kabaya Jyu-C Cider Flavor (2.00$) which is a wafer type of candy in soda flavors.  I've had Jyu-C before and I foud that had a sweet tart texture.  I like these nonetheless.

When I add up the value for this box it comes out to 10.00$.  While it does meet the value for US subscribers, when I take in calculation that I pay 5.00$ extra for shipping, it seems like this box lacked a bit of value.  I decided to unsubscribe and go on the hunt for a different box...wish me luck!

September 2016 iPenbox Unboxing

 Ever since my first iPenbox unboxing, I've been looking forward to receiving my next box.  The hint was cubes of metal and I was really intrigued by what they would include in the box to match the theme.  Also, let's not forget, it is iPenbox's 1st anniversary (happy birthday!) so I knew this box was bound to be extra special...and I was not mistaking!  But before we explore the box, let me tell you about the subscription details.


 iPenbox is a monthly subscription box for pen, paper and ink lovers.  The subscription costs 30$ for US subscribers and 40$ for Canadians and International; shipping is included.  They promise 5-10 items geared to spark your intrigue on new, unusual, creative, innovative writing tools.  Every box will include a fountain pen, some paper, 1-2 ink samples, and other tools like rollerball pens, pencils, gel pens, etc. all based on a chosen monthly theme.  As hinted above, the theme for the month of September is Metal.

I will present the items in order as presented on their information card.  The paper they printed the information on is silver and of great quality.  I might end up using the other side of it for a special project.  The silver paper is a great added touch to this month's theme.

IRON & STEEL
 First item is Cross Stratford Fountain Pen, valued at 70.00$ (presently on sale for 34.99$ on ipenstore website).  This came with a black cartridge which I, obviously, inserted as soon as I opened the package.  There will be a writing sample at the end of this review to demonstrate how it writes.

We can see here that the nib is of medium size and that this pen has chrome trims which definitely makes it look quite rich.  The pen also has a nice weight and feel in hand.

 GOLD, SILVER & COPPER
First item in this category is a Word Notebook with Blue Mountains on the cover, these retail at 9.99$ for a pack of 3 ( 3.33$ for one).  This notebook is 3.5" X 5.5" and has about 48 lined sheets of paper.  

I really like that each line includes a bullet to encourage point form note taking.  I can see myself using this for meetings at work.  iPenbox mentions that this notebook was selected from this month because mountains often are associated with metal (nice logic!).

 Next item is Caran d'Ache Colorblock Metallic Pencil in Gold.  This retails at 3.65$ (presently on sale for 2,97$).  This pencil is extra large and has an hexagonal shape for easy holding.  It also has a bit of a shimmer when reflected in light.  A writing sample for this pencil will be provided at the end of the review.

And we also received a Rose Gold Skeleton Binder Clip.  I unfortunately can't find it on the ipenstore website.  I did, however, find it on Cloth & Paper and one single paperclip sells for 2.85$.  I really like this clip and I think I will use it as a bookmark for my agenda. 

NICKEL

 First item in this category is Caran d'Ache Magnetic Blue ink.  This retails at 41.50$ for 50 ml (presently on sale for 36.97$).  My 2.5ml sample is worth 2.08$.  I personally have been wanting a blue/black ink because it looks very professional while also distinguishing photocopies from originals (this is essential in my field of work).  And, guess what?  I will be showing you a writing sample of this ink at the end of this review since I ended up getting myself a J. Herbin Hand Blown Glass Dip-Pen with my 10% discount last month.

Final item on the card is Zebra Super Marble Pen which is, unfortunately, not on ipenstore website.  I did, however, find them on Zebra Pen's website and these retail at 1.99$ each.  This gel pen basically changes colors as it flows from pink to blue, to yellow.  A writing simple of this pen is featured at the end of the review.

This microfiber screen cleaning cloth was included but not noted on the card.  I'm uncertain of details for this cloth so I can't really give you a retail value but you can never go wrong with these.  I've used these for a variety of things.

And I received two soft mints (they were yummy!) and a postcard for Copper Harbor (nice play on words for a Metal Themed box).  This postcard is stunning; I want to go there!

And finally, here is my writing samples for these above mentioned products:
The Cross Stratford Fountain Pen writes very smoothly (even more than my previous Lamy ABC fountain pen) and I think I have found myself a new favorite with this one.
The Caran d'Ache Colorblock Gold Pencil  writes very well.  I know this is going to sound strange but I feel like the led in this is very creamy when put to paper so it makes color transfer less difficult (not sure if that made sense?)
The Caran d'Ache Magnetic Blue ink is quite lovely and exactly what I was looking for in a blue-black ink and very little feathering.
 And, lastly, the Zebra Super Marble Pen also flows easily but unfortunately, I wasn't able to show you the changing colors with this writing sample since it seems there's mostly pink ink at the bottom of the tube at the moment. 

This concludes this month's iPenbox.  Total value for this month (without counting the screen cloth, mints and postcard) is of 83.09$ which is more than double what I paid for this box.  That is fantastic!  Here is a clue as the next month's box's theme:


Monday 12 September 2016

Hackerbox #0010 review



Hackerbox #0010 review


Hello again,
I have been putting off writing this review, I have been having so much fun with last month’s Hackerbox that I have been waiting to get finished with that before opeing this one. Time is not slowing down any time soon, so I guess this is as good a time as any to get this complete.

The first thing I noticed is that the shipping box is much smaller this month. Let’s open it up to see what we got.

It was nicely packed when it arrived, but I have been re-packing it a few times.


Things



Hackerboxes ref card, this one has pin for HD44780

A good ref card for the Orange Pi Lite GPIO interface. As you can see, each pin has a different set of capabilities. Of course, you could just Google the info, but these cards are a handy physical component for your physical computing device.

The first item is the Orange Pi Lite. This comes with a safety information, static bag, and packaging from Shenzhen China.

I have a few other Raspberry Pi boards, none have built in WiFi. This is very compact for the capabilities on board. 2 vertical USB ports, Micro USB-B, HDMI, Micro SD storage, and GPIO pins. Power is supplied by a barrel plug connector.

Here is a picture of the back of the board, and some links for the Orange Pi Lite.
Homepage
http://orangepi.com/orange-pi-lite


I liked the packaging for this one. The plastic clamshell slides out, so I don’t have to destroy the packaging to open the gift.


A bag of bits, including some resistors, a pin header, and a good 16GB micro SD card for the Orange Pi.


HD44780 is a 2x16 character back lit display. These modules are always handy.



Decent quality Super Nintendo clone controller, with USB connector. Buttons have some wiggle, but the plastic is a good quality, and no L+R shoulder buttons. Nice to see a familiar face though. 



Keypad was perfect when I got it, but after re-packing the box a few times, it easily became damaged. It still works fine, but there is an indentation in the “5” and the ribbon. This is a very cheap part, easy to replace at C$0.77


Cables






Here is the ribbon cable that works with the GPIO pins on the Orange Pi Lite and the GPIO expansion board. The colors are nice to help differentiate the individual conductors, in case you want to tap into one without disconnecting the other side.


This GPIO Expansion board, also known as a Pi Cobbler is perfect for adding an extension cable from the Raspberry Pi to a breadboard for rapid experimentation.

The back side of the GPIO expansion shows a bent pin. To bend back, put a credit card between the bent pin and the straight pin, on the bent side. Push the card against the pin until it is straight.


A 30 row bread board. This should be plenty of room for a few devices to connect to the GPIO.


Standard HDMI cable. The Dollaramas around where I am all seem to have lots of these short HDMI cables.


These are decent jumper cables. There is a good plastic tip to grab onto and push into the breadboard socket. Lots of short ones, and a few long ones, some medium length, all different colors.

I am glad they included one of these for the Orange Pi, because sometimes finding a match for that plug can be difficult. Power up your board using a backup battery phone charger or any other USB power device.


Conclusion





I really like what this box gives, the theme is great. If this helps someone learn programming, it is worth much more than the physical value. However, the price drop on the Orange Pi Lite, the value is a little low for this month’s box.

I rate this box 3.5/5 SNES clone controllers