Rina's Reviews

Move Postponed

2013-01-14T10:28:00.001-08:00

Looks like its going to take a bit more time and such before I'm able to make the blog move, so until then, life and reviews will continue on as normal here.

Stay tuned as I've got some great reviews for you all later in the week.

Moving Day!

2013-01-10T13:38:00.003-08:00

Hello my Readers! A new year brings changes (or at least the good ones do) and changes have come for me...I've decided to take the plunge and move my blog to my own hosting. This will be an adventure and I hope you all will join me at my new space.

I will not be updating during the move but will be sure to let you all know where I can be found once I'm there and I hope you all join me.

No mess, no fuss, just beautiful nails.

2013-01-04T14:05:00.000-08:00

Good day dear readers; today we'll be digging into my Holiday VoxBox from Influenster. It was chocked full of fun stuff but one of the things I was most excited to receive was a package of Nail Dress from Kiss.

I'm not much of a nail polish kind of gal, I can never seem to keep the polish from getting messed up as I put it on, and I don't really have the time to sit and wait for it to dry. Not only that, but when I do take the time to polish my nails the polish never seems to last more than 1 or 2 days before it starts to chip. So its a rare occasion to find me with even a single color polish on, never mind that fancy nail art that is all the rage right now. So needless to say I was very excited to try these.

There are 28 stickers in each pack of Nail Dress, more than enough for both fingers and toes (and yes you can use them on your toes). The application is a breeze, simply place the sticker on your nail, trim off the majority of the excess, fold under the nail, file, and voilà you're done. Plus since there is no dry time you can easily stop in the middle and attend to something else if needed.

The application time is less than that of painting and waiting for traditional polish and there is almost no mess just whatever you trim off, and that can be easily stuck to a piece of paper for disposal not only that but since you can easily peel the stickers off of your nails there is no need for chemical removers.

I really wasn't expecting my nails to turn out as well as they did, I was positive I'd somehow mess up the application but they turned out fantastic

And I've gotten so many complements on my nails over the past few days that they've been "dressed" everyone who has noticed them has been amazed that its not a professional manicure.
I'm on day 3 now and there is only a little bit of peeling but that could easily be fixed with some black nail polish. I've got 18 stickers left, and I plan to get really creative with the rest of them and can't wait to try out more designs.

Kiss Nail Dress retails for around $8.99 much much less than a "professional" manicure, and you still get the professional look. That's what I call a great deal!

Disclaimer: The above reviewed product was supplied to me for free in exchange for an honest review, the above opinions are my own and may not reflect your own experience with the product.

Into the Great Unknown.

2013-01-02T12:26:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year dearest readers, I have to apologize for my unannounced hiatus, but the holiday times are hectic, with everything going on I had difficulties even finding time to check my email, let alone blogging.

But just because I haven't been here doesn't mean I'd completely taken a break. Oh no, my holidays were filled with lots of stuff for reviews.

I'm really excited to be able to share my reviews of the great products I got in my Holiday VoxBox from Influenster, it was just packed full of fun and awesome products.

I also have a bunch of reviews coming up of products I've been able to try thanks to being a bzzagent.

It will be a busy January my friends. February marks the birthday of my blog and I may just do something special to celebrate; so make sure you keep an eye out for that.

Hope the holidays were good to you and yours. You'll be seeing more of me soon.

Give Your Thirsty Hair A Drink.

2012-12-07T14:47:00.000-08:00

I've always been a fan of Pantene® products, so I was very excited when I was invited to try a product from Pantene's^® New Moisture Renewal line.

I received a free sample of the Pantene® Pro-V Silky Moisture Whip which claims to erase the damage of 100 blow-drys. Now I don't really ever blow dry my hair, but it is dry, and really prone to frizzing around this time of year so I figured it couldn't hurt and it might just help with the frizz.

The first time I used the whip I wasn't sure what to expect, it came out of the can looking a bit like whipped cream, and was much lighter than other mousse type products. I applied it to my hair and was very impressed with not only how quickly it was absorbed (I apparently had very thirsty hair) but with the way it smoothed the frizz and brought out my natural waves.

Normally I use a smoothing serum along with a styling spray, but since the Moisture Whip contains a styler, I was able to use less spray, and cut the serum out entirely. The whip is light and creamy, it soaks quickly and easily into your hair and on top of its slight hold, there is none of that wet/greasy look like serums can leave and using less of my other product meant that my hair didn't get crunchy from too much spray. This was huge, because, and I'm telling you a little secret here; I don't like to wash my hair everyday. But if its crunchy or greasy from the products I've used in it; well I kind of have to wash it everyday.

But not with the Pantene® Pro-V Silky Moisture Whip! After just a week of using the whip, my hair is soft and silky, the frizz is decidedly less, and the bounce is decidedly more!

I'm very impressed by Pantene's Moisture Whip and will be purchasing a full size product as soon as my sample runs out.

Disclaimer:
I received a sample of the afore mentioned product from VocalPoint.com in exchange for an honest review. The opinions contained in this post are my own based on my experience with said product.

More Music From The Flowerpot

2012-11-14T14:25:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I was contacted by the folks at Flowerpot Records to listen and review some of the albums under their label. Back in September I reviewed an album by The Suburbanites. Today I'll tell you my impressions of Leaving Today by All Over The Place. I downloaded this album and gave it a good long listen. Unfortunately this is not the type of music I normally enjoy, not that its bad by any means, its just not my thing.

That being said, I continued to listen to the album objectively, and repeatedly, and though I still didn't like it much, after a few times through the album I could see that a lot of effort went into the arrangement and the production. The musical arrangement has a big band feel; lots of horns and percussion, a fast tempo, is present in most songs; though a few songs did slow down considerably, I preferred the faster ones. While I'm not sure you could dance to any of these songs, there are quite a few you could definitely jump around to.

The lyrics are interesting, both poignant and funny; there is a sense of ironic dissatisfaction throughout the album. I'm not sure exactly how to describe it more than to say that a sense of apathetic longing for some something seems to run throughout each song.

I liked the fact that both the album art and the lyric sheet is included in the digital download and that you can name your own price at Flowerpot.

Though I didn't care particularly for the album there were a few songs that I enjoyed. This one particularly gives a good sense and feel of the band. First Time/Last Time by All Over The Place Though I didn't care for this album, I would like to check out more of All Over The Place's music just to make sure they aren't really my flavor. If you'd like to check them or other bands on the label, head on over to Flowerpot Records and see if anything catches your ear.

(I was given the opportunity to download and give my honest review of this album but in no way was I compensated. The preceding was my own opinion.)

No Reviews this week.

2012-11-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

Halloween may be over but I'm still doing my best impression of the Wicked Witch of the East.
Not that I actually had a house fall on me. But at the same time, I sort of did.
After living the past two and a half years in a house that was a bit too large and a bit too expensive my family and I made the (rather hurried) decision to downsize our living space. We were able to find an apartment that more than suited our needs.

Once we made it through the approval process we were two weeks away from our move in date, we then began the long process of packing and paring down possessions; its funny, but when you are living in a house that is too large for your family you end up acquiring a lot of junk and things you don't need.

Those two weeks went by very quick, before we knew it we were trading a check for a set of keys; then the real fun started.

Find me someone that actually enjoys, moving, seriously if there is really someone out there that likes packing and moving let me know, I've got a stack of boxes to introduce them to.

We managed to accomplish the bulk of the moving in 2 days, thanks in part to my Inlaws, and of course a trailer from Uhaul. We are all still exhausted from what I've termed "manic moving" and there is still plenty of cleaning up to do in the old place. But its nicer to be in a smaller place, and I know in a few months we're really going to appreciate the reduction in rent.

Needless to say, the last month has been very hectic for me and mine, this month could be almost on par, and I don't even want to consider December yet. Between moving and just life in general I've found myself with less and less time to devote to blogging, or any of my other hobbies. Though I don't want to say that I am taking a hiatus, I really don't expect to be updating all that often. I just wanted to assure my readers that this blog isn't dead, its just sleeping.

I do plan on a post here and there, but I don't expect to have an abundance of review time until January.
I also have a few pots on the back burners, those are simmering along and I am really excited about what's in them.

Thanks for sticking around as I try to figure out my blogging rhythm, I know you won't be disappointed that you did.

Ooh That Smell.

2012-10-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

I'm back with another review brought to you (and me) by Bzzagent.com, today I'll be telling you about the Glade Expressions collection. I received coupons for a starter kit for both the Fragrance Mist, and the Oil Diffuser from Glade, first off let me just say that these products were very difficult to find, I still have not been able to locate the Oil Diffuser, but I did get my hands on the Fragrance Mist. I'm no stranger to air fresheners, I use them both at work and at home, and I've used a number of different brands, but they all look the same, and they are all clearly air fresheners, but Glade's fragrance mist is different, first off we have the sleek cover, its all white with a small window where the color of the can is visible, you can use this bit of color to coordinate the mister into your decor, the scent I selected was Cotton & Italian Mandarin, in a blue can, so the little strip of color visible on my mister is blue, I've a lot of blue in my bathroom so though the mister has been traveling the house, when I manage to get it back in its "spot" it matches up very well to the rest of the room.

On to the fragrance, ever tried one of those misters that you have to spray a few times before the smell you were trying to get rid of disappears? Or even worse the ones that smell WORSE than the original offending odor? I'm sure we've all been there, Glade Fragrance Mist is neither of these things, just one squeeze and the offending odor is gone, and the fragrance left behind is light and fresh, it really does smell of citrus and cotton, it reminds me of clothes hanging on the line and a fresh glass of orange juice, dare I say, Summer in a can? Just about, I've even sprayed it a few times just because. It is that nice of a scent.

Between the sleek put anywhere style of the reusable container and the fragrance of the mister itself, I am hooked, even my four year old has commented on the "yummy smell" and my cat box has never been so unobtrusive as its been since I've been using this spray.

I plan to get another mister for my office (never again will fish smell assault me from the break room) and I'm looking forward to trying other fragrances. We used to be a Fabreez Family, but after this campaign we have definitely become Glade Groupies.

Lend me your ear, you'll be glad you did.

2012-09-13T11:37:00.001-07:00

My oh my, over a month has gone by since my last review, I've been very busy though the last month so we'll have to let that be my excuse.

But enough with excuses let's get back to what we're here for: Reviews!

I was contacted last week by Wes Meadows of Flowerpot Records, asking if I would be interested in listening to and reviewing an album by one of their bands. Flowerpot Records is record label based out of Berea, Ohio, they produce CDs and tapes from indie artists throughout the state of Ohio. I was a bit surprised at first since I'm about as far away from Ohio as you can get and still be in the Continental US, but if you know me at all you know that my first love is music (followed closely by books of course), so of course I agreed, not only was it an opportunity for a little something to put in my blog, but it was also an opportunity to find new music and I never pass that up.

I was given a list of the albums that Wes preferred I review, and I chose the one I liked the best based on band name, album name and cover art. Which is pretty much how I used to shop for new bands back before Internet radio and such.

This is the album I decided on, The cover caught my eye before I even noticed the name of the album or the band, Lady Liberty on the phone, I don't know why it struck me the way that it did but I downloaded "I Liked Them Before They Went Political" by The Suburbanites, and listened to it repeatedly over the next few days.

From the very first track I was impressed, their vocal range is fantastic, and reminiscent of Brian Molko in some songs, in still others I was reminded of Cherry Poppin' Daddies, or Cake.

The instrumental arrangements are fresh and clever, yet still remaining true to the ska/rock genre; wicked guitar riffs and awesome percussion blend with the vocals to give the listener the impression that not only have the Suburbanites have been playing together for a long time but they know what they are doing. The lyrics are funny and poignant by turns, some of the songs tell a story, some of them convey a feeling, but all of them are good. That said, its seldom that I find an album that has only good songs, no matter how much I like a band or an artist I can generally find a song that isn't that great, or that I just dislike, but that is not the case with "I Liked Them Before They Went Political", each song has its own flavor, and its own story to tell, and I found myself very interested in what that story had to say.

This is a fairly new album less than a month old, and sadly it seems that the Surbanites have taken an extended hiatus, I do hope they record another album at some point because I would love to hear more from them, but until that happens, do your ears a treat and check out the first track on the album Last Night by The Suburbanites

Now you're ready to head over to Flowerpot Records where you can check out and get the rest of the tracks. While you're there, check out some of the other bands they have to offer, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

bookends and beginnings:Review: Imperative By P.A. Wilson

2012-08-10T16:09:00.001-07:00

bookends and beginnings: Review: Imperative By P.A. Wilson: ★★★☆☆ Imperative: Book One of the Quinn Larson Quests. By P.A. Wilson Urban Fantasy is another of my favorite genres to read, I love th...

Bzzagent Book Review: The Dark Monk

2012-07-23T12:15:00.002-07:00

The Dark Monk: A Hangman's Daughter Tale, By Oliver Pötzsch ★ ★ ★ ★☆

Blurb from Amazon:

1660: Winter has settled thick over a sleepy village in the Bavarian Alps, ensuring every farmer and servant is indoors on the night a parish priest discovers he's been poisoned. As numbness creeps up his body, he summons the last of his strength to scratch a cryptic sign in the frost.

Following a trail of riddles, hangman Jakob Kuisl; his headstrong daughter, Magdalena; and the town physician’s son team up with the priest’s aristocratic sister to investigate. What they uncover will lead them back to the Crusades, unlocking a troubled history of internal church politics and sending them on a chase for a treasure of the Knights Templar.

But they’re not the only ones after the legendary fortune. A team of dangerous and mysterious monks is always close behind, tracking their every move, speaking Latin in the shadows, giving off a strange, intoxicating scent. And to throw the hangman off their trail, they have ensured he is tasked with capturing a band of thieves roving the countryside attacking solitary travelers and spreading panic.

I received "The Dark Monk" and its prequel, "The Hangman's Daughter" as part of a Bzzagent Campaign, though I'm not a big fan of historical novels, I was excited to read these books as I love mystery and suspense and both of these books were purported to have a large helping of both.

They take place in 17th century Bavaria, a time and an area thick with fear and ignorance, where the town physician could as likely kill you as cure you, and women can be killed for the slightest whisper of witchcraft.

Both stories are well told and well crafted, the characters are three dimensional and human. If you do read these I suggest you start with "The Hangman's Daughter" as that book introduces us to most of the characters that we meet in "The Dark Monk".

I enjoyed the Dark Monk a good deal more than the first book, the characters were already known to me by then and I had my favorite ones. The Dark Monk is faster paced than The Hangman's Daughter, and the suspense begins to build from the very first page, I felt that I was actually there in Bavaria, traveling from town to town in search of the Templar treasure and the monks that will murder to keep it out of the hands of "heretics". Though "The Dark Monk" doesn't really give "clues" like other mysteries, there is still much for the reader to deduce, and make theories on. In fact I was pleasantly surprised to find some of mine to be correct I may have even exclaimed "I knew it!" as one element of the mystery was reveled.

The storytelling was colorful, the descriptions were vivid, the suspense and intrigue were tangible, on many occasions I caught myself holding my breath or chewing my lips as I read.

There were a few things that I didn't like about these books but thankfully they can be attributed to formatting and the fact that these books were originally written and published in German.

The kindle/ebook format is poorly done, the font size and style changes through out the book, page breaks and paragraph separation is random, and at times very confusing. However I have noticed that this is sadly a somewhat common occurrence in ebooks.

My second issue with the stories would best be summed up as "loosing something in the translation" there is a lot of slang and colloquialisms used in the book that I just don't see being used in the 17th century. "We're screwed" for instance, I can't help but think there could have been a less modern phrase that would have expressed the same feeling. Sadly the books were rife with language like that, and I do have to say that it lessened my enjoyment of the story a bit. I don't want to blame the author or the translator though, language is odd and it would not surprise me to find that there was simply no adequate English translation other than "We're screwed".

Those two pet peeve points aside, "The Dark Monk" was truly a fascinating tale, one which I am glad I had the opportunity to read. If you have any inclinations toward historical fiction, suspense, and religious stories you should give these books a try. I enjoyed both of them and after the teaser at the end of The Dark Monk I am looking forward to the final book in the series as well.

Book Tour: Free Kindle Book Particle Horizon @ three sisters book reviews

2012-07-05T11:20:00.001-07:00

three sisters book reviews: Book Tour: Free Kindle Book Particle Horizon: From the blood and dust of New Jerusalem, the Legion of the LightBringer wages a galactic war against those who would replace their god. N...

Clear Hair, Shiny Hair, Once Again I Love My Hair

2012-07-02T15:45:00.001-07:00

I wasn't looking for a new shampoo when I received my Bzzagent invite to the Clear Hair campaign, I was basically satisfied with what I'd been using, and to be honest I've never really noticed a huge difference in my hair when I switch types of shampoo, but I'm not one to turn down sample of a product, and I figured it wouldn't hurt to try a different shampoo for a month or so.

I received a full size bottle of shampoo and conditioner as well as sample bottles to hand out to friends. I started using Clear as soon as I got my bzzkit, I was pleased with the light odor and the fact that it was a cream based shampoo, and I was slightly amused that the shampoo sparkled, curious, I checked the ingredients and sure enough mica is one of them. I don't think I've ever used a shampoo that sparkled.
I honestly didn't expect to see much of a change in my hair, and if I did I figured I wouldn't see it til at least a few weeks.

I was wrong though, within just a few uses, my hair was remarkably shiny and much softer than it had been. After a week of use I'd begun to notice that I was "shedding" less, and that my hair seemed to have a bit more wave than normal.

A month later and I am so happy with my hair, its significantly less frizzy, more wavy, softer and shinier.
There is even a bonus perk, it seems to be very beneficial to the psoriasis that I have on my scalp, I've noticed a decrease in itchiness, as well as large reduction in flaking, in fact Clear has worked better to treat my scalp issues than the leading medicated brand ever did.

I'm hooked, I love Clear Total Care, I plan to try some of the other formulas as well, but Clear is my new brand of shampoo and conditioner.

They've got a great price too, you might expect to pay $8 or more for a shampoo that does all this, but Clear has a price tag of less than $5 at many retailers, and it is available at most major retailers and drugstores both online and off.

I've been recommending it to everyone I know, If you have a love/hate relationship with your hair, or if you are tired of your lackluster shampoo, and are looking for something new you can't go wrong with Clear.

three sisters book reviews: Blog Tour: Particle Horizon: Tour of Angelhaven

2012-06-22T11:19:00.001-07:00

Come Join us for a tour of the Asteroid planet of Angelhaven

three sisters book reviews: Blog Tour: Particle Horizon: Tour of Angelhaven: Welcome to Angelhaven. As your ship emerges from the particle displacement portal, the first thing you will undoubtedly notice is the overwh...

three sisters book reviews: Blog Tour: Particle Horizon

2012-06-22T09:22:00.001-07:00

Join the Blog Tour over at Three Sisters!

three sisters book reviews: Blog Tour: Particle Horizon: From the blood and dust of New Jerusalem, the Legion of the LightBringer wages a galactic war against those who would replace their go...

Take Me To The Ballgame

2012-06-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

Baseball fans! If you’re after tickets this summer allow me to suggest Ticketamerica! You can get Atlanta Braves tickets for any game. They have Baltimore Orioles Tickets, Boston Red Sox Tickets. You can even get tickets for the Red Sox vs. The Orioles! Not to mention tickets for many other games and teams, as well as other events. This summer Ticketamerica has all your ticket needs.

[Disclaimer: This was a paid post request via payperpost.com I have not actually used ticketamerica though I have perused the site both in the past and at the time of receiving this request]

three sisters book reviews: Dreamless (Starcrossed, #2)by Josephine Angelini ...

2012-06-05T15:49:00.001-07:00

three sisters book reviews: Dreamless (Starcrossed, #2)by Josephine Angelini ...: Dreamless (Starcrossed, #2) by Josephine Angelini

Contest Alert!

2012-06-04T14:29:00.000-07:00

I love contests, I don't win often but I have won before, but I love to enter contests, and because I do I often get email announcements about contests, I don't always enter them but if a contest is happening....

There's a good chance I know.

This one came today, and it is definitely one that I will enter, and I thought I'd share it with you too.

Contest ends June 15, 2012 at 9 a.m. so click the picture to be taken to the entry page. While you're there, check out the Julep blog and Julep.com, There are a lot of ideas and products for awesome looking nails at Julep.

three sisters book reviews: Review: Hubris by P. A. Wilson

2012-05-31T16:05:00.001-07:00

three sisters book reviews: Review: Hubris by P. A. Wilson: Hubris (A Charity Deacon Investigation) By P.A. Wilson ★★★★★ I love mysteries, thrillers, suspense; give me anything with a dead body an...

three sisters book reviews: Book Review: Particle Horizon by Selso Xisto

2012-05-25T14:27:00.001-07:00

three sisters book reviews: Book Review: Particle Horizon by Selso Xisto: Particle Horizon by Selso Xisto ★★★★★ Let me start out by saying right off the bat that I don’t read a lot of Sci-fi, and when I do ...

I've rhythm, I've got (in)sole.

2012-05-23T11:19:00.001-07:00

I signed up for the Dr. Scholl's For Her™ BzzCampaign via BzzAgent a few weeks ago, and got my BzzKit over the weekend. It contained a pair of High Heel insoles and some coupons for that product. Excited to try the insoles, I debated at first which pair of shoes to put them in but in the end I decided on my daily heels, the ones I wear 9 hours a day at work. These aren't uncomfortable shoes, but I figured the insoles would make them really comfy.

I was wrong.

Excitedly I put the insoles in on Monday morning, I struggled with them a bit, my shoes are strappy and the insole kept sticking to the straps, but I eventually got them in and straight.

I slipped my feet in and noticed the straps were a bit tight, but they loosened up quickly. I didn't notice any added cushioning in the heel or toe, in fact my shoes didn't feel any different aside from one thing.

The arch support.

It was uncomfortable, wasn't so much a cushion as a bump, a bump that pressed into the arch of my foot.

Maybe I just have weird arches, I thought, or maybe I just need to get used them. I decided I would give myself a few days to get used to them.

I never got used to them.

Sadly these insoles made my heels worse than they'd been without the insoles. After 2 days of wearing them I couldn't take the discomfort of the arch support anymore and removed the insoles, but prior to giving up on these I switched heels just to see if maybe it was the shoe itself, no such luck, it looks like no matter the heel height or shape these insoles just dig into the arch of my foot.

So its not the shoes.

It might be my feet. I'm not going to describe my feet to you, but I have had odd issues with shoes before, so it might be my feet. In fact I am leaning toward that theory because I've talked to women who LOVE these insoles, so I think its just me.

This is one of those products that is impossible to give a catch all review for, everyone's feet are different, for me it is far more uncomfortable for me to have a something in the arch of my foot than it is for me to walk on the ball of my foot. However you could be the opposite.

Dr. Scholl's is a well known and respected company for foot care products, and sure, even great companies can have a bad product, but I really think its just my feet and the way I walk, not the insoles themselves.

2012-05-21T00:03:00.000-07:00

Three of my favorite things, contests, books, and amazon gift cards. Check out The Bookish Nerd for all of them!

It may not be a smartphone, but it's not dumb

2012-05-18T12:02:00.002-07:00

Samsung Brightside For Verizon 4 of 5 Stars.

Simultaneous QWERTY and Touch Screen Input
Integrated Social Networking
One-touch Shortcut Keys
3.2 Megapixel Rear-facing Camera and Camcorder

Today I'm going to introduce you to my new phone, the Samsung Brightside for Verizon, I've had it for about 3 weeks now, and I was well over due for an upgrade, it wasn't exactly that there was anything wrong with the LG Env3 that I'd had for the last few years, (sure it has issues with randomly shutting off, but it wasn't bad) I just wanted a new phone.

Really I wanted a smartphone.

But that data plan, whew, I simply cannot afford to upgrade my entire household (an extra $100 a month all told) nor could I really upgrade my own and no one else's, you see the quandry? It became apparent as I shopped around that:

"Basic" phones are really basic
Some of them are rather expensive for the lack of features they have
There aren't a lot of "basic" or "feature" phones available
The ones that are available are often missing a key feature I want
A noticeable lack of QWERTY keyboards

I went first to Verizon, thinking that they'd sent me enough emails to upgrade that there should be some options, and there were, if I was getting a smartphone. Their basic and feature phones were not only mostly out of stock but, well, see the list above.

I next went to Amazon, its my favorite shopping site, and I figured that even if I didn't buy from there I'd at least get a more extensive list, I ran into the same five problems on Amazon that I had at Verizon, however two of the phones that had fallen under problem #2 at Verizon were decidedly more affordable at Amazon.
After a few more days of research on these two phones, (really, I research electronics to death before I purchase them), I decided to go ahead and get the Samsung Brightside.

The reviews I'd read prior to the purchase had been mixed, mostly though the biggest gripe seemed to be a lack of ability to customize the main menu which personally isn't a big deal. I did also notice a few reviews that griped about the speed and Internet accessibility of the Brightside but that was in comparison to a smartphone, and really comparing a feature phone to a smartphone is almost apples and oranges, it goes without saying that they're different and you shouldn't expect your feature phone to act like a smartphone.

That being said. I mostly love this phone, it has a few drawbacks but is there really a "perfect" phone?

First off there is the lack of inability customization to the main menu that I mentioned, again this is not a huge problem for me, but I like the color green, if you don't like green or orange I'd stay away from this phone because what you see in the picture is pretty much what you get.

The touchscreen is very responsive, (almost too responsive as I've called my voice-mail a few times by accident), I expect that some of the sensitivity will diminish once I get a screen protector for it, but normally a light and quick tap is all I need to access features. Occasionally I do have to double tap a key but these incidents are few, and I tend to attribute them to either not making a good enough contact with the key or, cold thumbs.

The keyboard is great for the most part, I love that the keys are slightly upraised, and that the touch screen is still active when the keyboard is in use, the keyboard is a full featured keyboard, there are 36 alpha-numeric-symbol keys, normal right? eeeh, kind of, but the Brightside adds some extras, press the Fn key and G and you get .com, A and S get you ¡ and ¿ respectively, as well as a few more symbols that you don't normally find on a keyboard, this is mostly cool, but as its a different set up than my old phone, and I'm still not used to it, well, I've had some odd typos.

Speaking of typos, there is one big issue with this phone, which doesn't bother me, but it is something to take into consideration. There is a glitch that causes the phone to freeze when you try to activate predictive text. Again, not a deal killer for me, I don't care for predictive text, I know I'd eventually end up on damnyouautocorrect if I had it, but for some people it is a must have. If it is for you I'm going to say right now you shouldn't get this phone.

The Brightside runs Opera mini, which is much fast than the browser on my previous phone, and it renders web pages a lot better than the Env3 did.

The camera is great, the quality is a lot better than my old phone and the shape and feel of the Brightside along with the placement of the camera key makes taking pictures a snap. There is also a camcorder feature that I haven't used yet, but if the sound quality of my ringtones and the image quality of the pictures are any indication then I'd assume the camcorder to be perfect for short videos of kids or pets.

This phone really can't be beat if you want more features than basic calling and texting but don't want to fork out the money for a data plan, I am very satisfied with it, I can surf, update my social sites, and even chat with friends and family via a IM app. I can't imagine a better feature phone.

I give it four stars over all, the only thing keeping it from that fifth star is the fact that its customizations are limited, and that predictive text glitch. Even though these issues don't bother me, they are still issues, and I have to take them into consideration.

But all in all I would and do recommend this phone to anyone who doesn't want all the bells and whistles (and price) of a smartphone, but still wants to be able to access email and social networks.

three sisters book reviews: Review: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

2012-05-14T15:48:00.001-07:00

three sisters book reviews: Review: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini: I don’t often read Young Adult novels, in fact, I think that prior to Starcrossed, the last YA series I read was Harry Potter and that wa...

Switching things up.

2012-05-14T11:23:00.001-07:00

I've got two of the greatest friends in the world, we've been through a lot of drama together, and a lot of ups and downs but out of everyone I know, these two women are not only my dearest friends, but they are the closest thing I have to sisters.

Obviously we must have a lot of things in common, but the biggest thing we have is our love of books, (in fact it was the mutual love of a book series that brought us together to begin with.) Though all three of us have various blogs, both of the personal and the review genres, we've decided to collaborate together on a book review blog.

So as of today, my book reviews, and literature related posts will be located at Three Sisters Book Reviews Now of course, I will be linking those posts here just to let you all know when one is up, but there shall be no more book reviews here, but there will be plenty of other things to keep you informed and hopefully entertained.

I hope you'll join me over there.