Megan's Minute Rad Reviews

We Have A Tassimo Giveaway Winner!

2010-01-04T23:40:25-05:00

Coffee lovers, we have a winner in the Tassimo Coffee Brewer Giveaway!

The winner is Deborah!

In her entry she said her favorite coffee moment was her "first moment of consciousness."

Thanks to all of you who entered and a big Congratulations to Deborah!

We Have A Viliv S5 PC Winner!

2010-01-04T11:00:00-05:00

All right you technophiles, we have a winner in Megan's Intel Viliv S5 PC Giveaway.

Drumroll please......it's Kittenish!

She told us in her entry that her favorite modern gadget was her laptop. Hopefully she'll enjoy the Intel Viliv S5 PC as well.

Thanks to everyone for playing and a special Congratulations to Kittenish!

We Have an Arbor Mist $100 Visa Gift Card Winner!

2010-01-04T08:00:00-05:00

Game lovers, we have a winner in the Arbor Mist $100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway!

Our winner is Pixie13.

She told us in her entry how on her game nights, she loves Monopoly, Yahztee and Uno.

Thanks to all of you who entered and a big Congratulations to Pixie13!

Love My Coffee! Tassimo Coffee Maker Review and Giveaway

2009-12-10T12:00:00-05:00

This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Tassimo.

I'm a big coffee drinker and I like my coffee strong, dark, rich and hot--just like my men.

So when I got the chance to review the Tassimo home coffee brewing system, I was excited.

Setting up the system took a bit of time because you have to use a cleaning disc for the coffee maker and then set up the water filters as well.

Once that was done however I had a whole host of coffee drinks to try out. The system works with small coffee or tea discs that are inserted into the top of the machine. You fill the tank in the back with water and then turn the machine on.

Each coffee or tea disc has a bar code that tells the coffee maker how long to brew it and how much water should be used. So for example an espresso disc will use less water than a regular house blend disc.

Being a big Starbucks fan, I first tried the Starbucks Verona and I wasn't disappointed. It was strong and rich, just the way I like it. It seems Starbucks doesn't make a decaffeinated Tassimo version and because I often drink decaf I'll be looking forward to that coming out soon.

I did try the Gevalia brand house blend decaf but it was too weak for my taste. I then mixed one Gevalia decaf with a Starbucks Verona and that gave me a nice cup of halfcaf. I see that Maxwell House makes a Tassimo decaf also, so I'll try that one when I get the chance.

The Twinings Chai Tea Latte came with milk creamer and Chai tea discs. So first you make the tea and then you swap discs and add the milk to the same cup.

You do the same thing for cappuccino. The coffee discs come with matching milk discs, so first you brew the espresso disc and then you use the milk disc in the same cup to get cappuccino. I didn't really love the milky taste with the cappuccino, but it was fine with the Chai tea latte.

The Milka hot chocolate was just okay. It had a decent chocolate flavor but it wasn't sweet enough.

Ultimately the machine is easy to use, and there's nothing like just popping in a disc, slapping the cup on the tray and pushing a button for a fresh cup of coffee to be brewed. No changing filters and no rinsing out pots make for a nice change.

I agree with the company when they say Tassimo is "a unique home brewing system that quickly makes a wide variety of hot beverages from signature brands with the push of a button."

I look forward to using my Tassimo during the holidays because even though I love my percolator it'll be nice to be able to offer a variety of coffee blends depending on the tastes of my guests.

Now that you've heard all about my Tassimo, here's your chance to win one of your own. All you need to do is tell me in the comments below about your favorite "coffee moment." Is it curling up with a good book or chatting with a friend?

You have until 12/31/09 at 5PM PST to enter and here are the rules:

No duplicate comments however you can submit two additional entries by doing the following:

*Link to this post on Twitter and leave your Twitter link in the comments here.
*Blog about this post and contest and leave a link to your post in the comments here.

Winners will be selected via random drawing and will notified by e-mail.
This contest is open to US residents age 18 and over.
Remember, you only have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

You can read all the official rules here:

See what the rest of the BlogHer reviewers had to say about the Tassimo and if you leave a comment on each of their posts, you'll have 8 chances to win a Tassimo coffee brewer.

You can also check out Tassmio at their official website, on Twitter and on Facebook.

Be sure the e-mail address you leave is correct because that's the only way I'll have to contact you if you win.

Good luck!

Megan of Megan's Minute

Intel Viliv S5 PC Review and Giveaway

2009-12-08T15:35:06-05:00

This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Intel.

I don't go crazy over every tech toy that comes on the market but when I find something I love, I love it for life! I had heard about the Intel Viliv S5 so it was a kick to get a chance to try it out.

First some background. The Viliv S5 is a 4.8" touchscreen media-on-the go device using an Intel® Atom™ processor. With it you can take your music, HD movies, office documents, digital photos and more with you while you're around town, on vacation, at home or on campus. It's got 3G or WiFi connectivity options and a humongous 6 hour long battery life.

It's available at Amazon.com for $499+.

The Intel® Atom™ processor has been designed to be smaller and more power efficient, enabling you to
get devices with full PC functionality that can fit into your purse or pocket. The Viliv S5 is about the size of a paperback book and because of the battery, weighs about 3 pounds.

Because I'm used to a netbook, a Blackberry and a laptop, I had a mixed experiences with the Viliv S5. I loved the size and its portability. It's run with Windows XP so it had no trouble hooking up to my wireless network at home or to free WiFi on the go.

The device feels great in you hand, though the battery does start to get warm after a while.

Let's start with the video functionality. I watched a "House" episode with it on Hulu.com, I watched a "Daily Show" clip with it on YouTube, and I watched a pre-installed video with Windows Media Player.

The picture is gorgeous and the sound out of the two speakers is great. The "House" episode was a little jittery, but nothing that would keep me from watching something with it. The "Daily Show" was perfect as was the video I saw with the Windows Media Player.

The touch screen keyboard on the device takes some getting used to if your used to using a keyboard on your other devices, like I am. It came pre-installed with a trial of Windows Office, but this really is not the device to create documents on. It's simply too cumbersome for that because you have to use the keyboard with the touchscreen or use a guitar pick-like device that attaches to the wrist strap.

I tried hooking it up to my laptop and transferring files, but my laptop wouldn't recognize the Viliv S5 as a separate device so I gave up on that. Instead, I used a thumb drive to transfer photos from my laptop to the Viliv S5.

I played music on the pre-installed iTunes software and that worked great. And though there seemed to be a lot of unnecessary software and media players on the device, what I tried out worked well.

The device also has a pre-installed GPS and an optional car package that can turn the Viliv S5 into a fully functional GPS system like a Garmin. That, I didn't have a chance to try.

Finally, if you want something that checks email, has a keyboard, and makes phone calls, a more economical device than the Viliv S5 would be a Blackberry or a smartphone. If you want to create documents on the go, check email and have a keyboard in a lightweight package, once again, when it comes to economics, a netbook would be a better choice.

However, if you're a video and media junkie and want to download videos from a NetFlix account or from iTunes and watch them on the go, or if you want a GPS system for car, this is the device for you.

Now that you've heard all about my experiences with the Intel Viliv S5, here's your chance to win one of your own. All you need to do is tell me in the comments below what your favorite modern electronic gadget is.

You have until 12/30 5 PM PST to enter and here are the rules:

No duplicate comments, however you can submit two additional entries by doing the following:

*Link to this post on Twitter and leave your Twitter link in the comments here.
*Blog about this post and contest and leave a link to your post in the comments here.

Winners will be selected via random drawing and will notified by e-mail.
This contest is open to US residents age 18 and over.
Remember, you only have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

You can read all the official rules here:

See what the rest of the BlogHer reviewers had to say about the Intel Viliv S5 and if you leave a comment on each of their posts, you'll have 8 chances to win.

You can find out more about the Intel Atom at their official website.

Be sure the e-mail address you leave is correct because that's the only way I'll have to contact you if you win.

Good luck!

Megan of Megan's Minute

Megan's Game Night: Win A $100 Visa Gift Card from BlogHer and Arbor Mist

2009-12-04T21:13:06-05:00

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Arbor Mist

My friends and I love game nights, especially in the winter. Just picture it: it's a Saturday night, it's cold outside, the fireplace is going and there's nothing nicer than having some friends over to shake off the work week, relax and engage in some friendly competition.

That's why when I got this assignment to put together a party theme basket including Arbor Mist's sparkling wines, Raspberry Sparkle and Peach Sparkle, and using a $200 Visa gift card, I knew my theme would be a game night.

When my friends and I do a game night, we don't generally have dinner but we have lots of appetizers and snacks, and for later in the evening, desserts and coffee. And when it comes to the games we play, we're pretty old school. Scrabble, Sorry, Trouble, Taboo, Risk--you name it.

Once in a while we'll even play cards and our favorite is an old one that my friend Lucy's mother taught
her in Ecuador called Quaranta. We sometimes try to keep her mother from playing though because when she does, she's merciless. You think she's this sweet little older lady, but when she's playing Quaranta, we call her Shifty Madonna.

When I was putting my Arbor Mist party basket together first I started with some bottles of Raspberry Sparkle and Peach Sparkle from my local liquor store. Then I went over to Trader Joe's because they have great hot snacks you can just pop in the oven. They also have fabulous crackers, salsas and dips so I stocked up on those as well.

Since I'm a big Starbucks fan, I got a Starbucks gift basket that was on sale at Staples and voila: I had a basket, coffee and plenty of cookies to snack on later in the evening. (photo above and right)

Because Legal Eagle and her husband The Architect came over last weekend for a visit, I decided to do a little Arbor Mist taste test before our upcoming game night. Since this was the first time I was tasting Raspberry Sparkle and Peach Sparkle also I thought it would be fun to see what we all thought.

I had the bottles all chilled when my friends got there and they were eager to join in. I poured the Peach first and we all took sips. I expected something that was either too tart or too sweet but I was pleased to find that the peach flavor was very light, fruity and went well with crackers and cheese.

Legal Eagle and The Architect agreed. Then we cleansed our palettes with some more munchies and sampled the Raspberry Sparkle. For me that had a bit more of a kick. Not better or worse than the peach but stronger.

Legal Eagle agreed with me and said she preferred the raspberry. Her husband and I both preferred the peach. When I asked them if they thought the Arbor Mist sparkling wines would make a great addition to our upcoming game night, they both thought it would.

Now you too can plan your own game night by winning a $100 Visa gift card from Arbor Mist. All you have to do is tell me in the comments below what your favorite games are for a game night with friends or what your favorite games were as a kid.

Very Important: this giveaway is open to US residents, aged 21 and over so you must also include your date of birth (day/month/year) in your comment to be eligible for this contest.

You have until 12/31/09 at 5PM PST to enter and here are the rules:

No duplicate comments however you can submit two additional entries by doing the following:

*Link to this post on Twitter and leave your Twitter link in the comments here.
*Blog about this post and contest and leave a link to your post in the comments here.

Winners will be selected via random drawing and will notified by e-mail.
Remember, you only have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

You can read all the official rules here:

See what the rest of the BlogHer reviewers said about Arbor Mist, and if you leave a comment on each of their posts, you'll have 8 chances to win a $100 Visa gift card.

Be sure to check out Arbor Mist at their official site, become an Arbor Mist fan on Facebook, take a break at the Refresh Your Fun blog, and follow Arbor Mist on Twitter.

Be sure the the e-mail address you leave is correct because that's the only way I'll have to contact you if you win.

Good luck!

Megan of Megan's Minute

"Dollhouse" Season One DVD Giveaway Winner!

2009-12-01T11:15:11-05:00

This is way late, but congratulations to Cheryl W for winning the "Dollhouse" Season One DVD Giveaway.

One entrant meant an easy choice for a winner and that was Cheryl W.

Chery has already received the DVDs and is hopefully enjoying them.

Congrats Cheryl W!

"Fawlty Towers" DVD Review and Giveaway

2009-11-23T12:00:00-05:00

I'm kind of picky when it comes to comedy, but I'm a real sucker for classic British comedies.

One of my favorites is "Fawlty Towers" starring John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs and Connie Booth.

Basil Fawlty is the wacky owner of a modest seaside hotel in Torquay, England. Also in residence are his wife Sybil, his crazy Spanish bellman Manuel and Polly, the hotel's maid.

In honor of the show's 30th anniversary, BBC Video has put together a 3-disc remastered set of the series, complete with commentary by John Cleese and interviews with John Cleese, Prunella Scales and Andrew Sachs.

I was kind of suspicious of how the show would hold up since I haven't seen it in years, but I was happy to see that the show generates just as many laughs over Basil's nuttiness and the goings on in Torquay, as they did when I saw them originally as a kid.

The show's a farce that has Basil and the gang dealing with wacky guests, surprise inspections and Basil's own ability to get himself into trouble. It can be bawdy and politically incorrect, but that's all part of the fun.

If you're a fan of the show and seen the episodes over and over, you'll especially enjoy the commentary by John Cleese and the interviews with the cast.

With the holidays around the corner, if you're looking for the perfect gift for someone who's a Britcom fan, or someone who's a John Cleese fan, you can't go wrong with this DVD set.

The folks at BBC Video were nice enough to send along a DVD for me to review and I'm now going to pass that DVD along to you. Leave a comment about your favorite TV comedies--they don't have to be British--in the comments below and you'll be entered into a drawing to win my review copy of the 3-disc DVD.

You have until December 8th, 5 PM EST to comment.

On December 9th, I'll do a random drawing and then announce the winner.

By the way, John Cleese will be on Conan O'Brien tonight at 11:35 p.m. on NBC.

"Dollhouse" Season One Blu-ray DVD Giveaway

2009-11-08T13:02:48-05:00

All you "Dollhouse" fans might be going through withdrawal since Fox has pulled the low rated Joss Whedon show from the Friday night schedule.

Well, I'm here to help you with that. I've got a Blu-ray DVD of the first season of "Dollhouse," starring Eliza Dushku, and I'm in the mood for a giveaway.

The DVD is a 3-Disc set and it includes the original unaired Pilot, "Echo" and five featurettes about the show.

As you guys know, I've been a little ambiguous about "Dollhouse" but I love Joss Whedon so I still think the show's first season is worth a good look.

Just a reminder, this is a Blu-ray DVD so if you don't have a Blu-ray player, you won't be able to play it.

How do you win this DVD?

Well, in the comments below, tell me your favorite moment from any Joss Whedon show and you'll be entered into the drawing for the giveaway. The deadline for commenting is 11 PM on November 15th and I'll conduct the drawing and announce the winner on November 16th.

Ready, set...comment!

We Have A "Bundle of Trouble" Mystery Novel Winner!

2009-10-20T13:11:11-04:00

I'm happy to announce that we have a winner in my "Bundle Of Trouble" Mystery Novel Giveaway!

DBaker was the winning Megan's Minute reader who answered all the Elizabeth George questions correctly and her autographed copy of "Bundle of Trouble" by Diana Orgain is winging its way to her as I write.

Congratulations DBaker!