We all have them - little off-brands we have found that work great. If you know of something really good, save us the trouble of trying a lot of different stuff to find it... tell us about it! Please provide a link if possible.
JUICE: For 100% juice (the only thing I'll drink besides water, everything else just tastes like sugar) the beat-all best is Old Orchard dark grape juice. The label looks fairly generic but it tastes far sweeter and stronger than Welch's, Juicy Juice (which is grossly mislabeled according to my taste buds) or anything else I've tried. We found it at a chain department store called Fred's.
http://www.oldorchardjuice.com/juices/organics/64_org_grape.htm
BATTERIES: Advance Auto Parts has a house brand, red and white, that costs about half as much as Energizer or Duracel and lasts (as near as I can tell) longer.
MP3 PLAYER FOR AUDIOPHILES: I found the Cowon iAudio7, 8 or 16 gigabyte, that has great sound quality and plays a lot of formats, including ogg vorbis (think Linux version of mp3.) Playing ogg is key because you can get a much lower bit rate (meaning you can fit more songs in 8 gigabytes) and still sound good. I fit all my collection in my 8 gig player, with room to spare. But the major selling point for me was the battery: charge for 3.5 hours and it lasted 46 HOURS!!! This was playing ogg files (which do require a bit more from the processor) and playing at more than half volume. 46 HOURS!!! It also plays video, but on a screen that small you won't be watching many vids. This is a straight audio player for audio nuts. http://www.jetaudio.com/products/iaudio/7/
MP3 PLAYER FOR NORMAL PEOPLE: For folks who just want a small player to go jogging with, not something that will hold their whole library and play it forever, this is good: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6654734&CatId=4518
EARBUDS: JVC marshmallow earbuds. Finally, a pair of earbuds that fit my ears AND sound good! Believe it or else these $10 earbuds sound excellent (this is coming from me, an audiophile) and they block out outside noise like earplugs. I put one ear in, leave one ear out so I can still interface with the real world and I'm good to go. I was using a set just today at work, while putting the truck order up. :D
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=jvc+marshmallow&x=0&y=0
BOTTLED TEA: Black Diamond tea beats Lipton Brisk by three miles. It tastes like sweet iced tea we brew at home or church. Thanks Chel for cluing me in.
SKIN MOISTURIZER: (I can't believe I'm recommending a Wal-Mart house brand...) Equate skin moisturizer is (imo) better than current Vaseline Intensive Care formula. Actually Equate's is exactly like Vaseline's used to be.
I might be forgetting something. So... anyone else got a product you really like, that we probably would never try on our own?
Quote from: Psalm_97 on February 23, 2011, 03:15:18 AMEARBUDS: JVC marshmallow earbuds. Finally, a pair of earbuds that fit my ears AND sound good! Believe it or else these $10 earbuds sound excellent (this is coming from me, an audiophile) and they block out outside noise like earplugs. I put one ear in, leave one ear out so I can still interface with the real world and I'm good to go. I was using a set just today at work, while putting the truck order up. :D
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=jvc+marshmallow&x=0&y=0
BOTTLED TEA: Black Diamond tea beats Lipton Brisk by three miles. It tastes like sweet iced tea we brew at home or church. Thanks Chel for cluing me in.
Thanks! I don't like the earbuds I have now. They have a soft rubber piece but are still too big for my ears and sometimes the rubber piece comes off and stays in my ear cause I have to wedge it in there! LOL Do you buy yours from amazon?
I concur on the tea. I don't like the lemon in tea that lipton puts in even the reg. kind and it's WAY too sweet.
Quote from: MellowYellow on February 23, 2011, 04:38:29 PM
Quote from: Psalm_97 on February 23, 2011, 03:15:18 AM
BOTTLED TEA: Black Diamond tea beats Lipton Brisk by three miles. It tastes like sweet iced tea we brew at home or church. Thanks Chel for cluing me in.
I concur on the tea. I don't like the lemon in tea that lipton puts in even the reg. kind and it's WAY too sweet.
See I like either or. Black Diamond is good, and Lipton makes a black sweetened tea that doesn't have lemon, but it's hard to find! It's GOOD I like it!
If you like LITTLE DEBBIE SWISS CAKE ROLLS, the try the GREAT VALUE BRAND from WM. They cost .50 cheaper per box, and they taste SO much better!
But! Steer clear of the GV Fudge brownies, another LB knockoff...they are NASTY! Nothing like the real ones.
There is a chain store in parts of TX called HEB. They have the BEST butter pecan ice cream. It is their store brand. I wish we had one closer to us.
The great value chocolate cupcakes at Wal Mart are as good as Hostess, too.
CHOCOLATE!!! HOW could I forget chocolate?! I must be more dragged down by this cold than I thought, it has clouded my brain.
The best chocolate I have ever tried... not that I've tried every kind in the world, but I've tried a lot :D... is from Lake Champlain Chocolates. Specifically their five star candy bar.
http://www.lakechamplainchocolates.com/Chocolate/Five-Star-Chocolate-Bar.aspx
The original is very good, the caramel is the absolute best. The peanut butter and fruit & nut are okay, but not exceptional. Get the variety pack one time just so you won't wonder what you're missing out on, then stick with caramel and original. :)
:lurk:
as far as chocolate milk goes... there is only one good one, and it's Borden's Dutch Chocolate Milk. the closest generic I have found is Foremost chocolate, almost as good, but not quite.
there is nothing as good as Braums chocolate milk. :)
I will have to try it! :grin:
Quote from: MelodyB on February 23, 2011, 05:12:00 PM
If you like LITTLE DEBBIE SWISS CAKE ROLLS, the try the GREAT VALUE BRAND from WM. They cost .50 cheaper per box, and they taste SO much better!
I Have ALWAYS said that!!!!!! lol
I love the smell of the new swiffer dust and shine with febreeze in it!! It smells sooooo good --- ohh and the Fabreeze air effects with GAIN
omg.. i love gain.. lol (I used to have a thread about it!)
oh that reminds me!
There is a knock off brand called Fabuloso. It's an all purpose cleaner and the purple smells awesome! When I cleaned the church, we used it on the floors and also put a bit in the toilets after they were cleaned. Everybody loves that.
(http://recessionisto.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/fabuloso.jpg)
Quote from: MellowYellow on March 04, 2011, 06:58:30 PM
oh that reminds me!
There is a knock off brand called Fabuloso. It's an all purpose cleaner and the purple smells awesome! When I cleaned the church, we used it on the floors and also put a bit in the toilets after they were cleaned. Everybody loves that.
(http://recessionisto.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/fabuloso.jpg)
I like the other Fabuluso -the teal colored one... we used to use it to clean the floors when I used to work in a store.
Shaney - I am a GAIN only girl! If they had body spray in the Gain scent, I'd buy it ha ha
Quote from: EricShane on March 04, 2011, 03:27:14 PM
Quote from: MelodyB on February 23, 2011, 05:12:00 PM
If you like LITTLE DEBBIE SWISS CAKE ROLLS, the try the GREAT VALUE BRAND from WM. They cost .50 cheaper per box, and they taste SO much better!
I Have ALWAYS said that!!!!!! lol
I've heard that from someone else so I tried them. Not bad, not bad. Then I put them in the microwave for 7 seconds... enough to soften the chocolate without melting it or dissolving the cream. VERY good!
And for the record Febreeze beats skunk odor, even if the skunk sprayed the carport because my stupid dogs cornered it under the car. It took four bottles, and the floor was a bit sticky from spray residue, but it took out the skunk smell!
Quote from: MellowYellow on March 04, 2011, 06:58:30 PM
oh that reminds me!
There is a knock off brand called Fabuloso. It's an all purpose cleaner and the purple smells awesome! When I cleaned the church, we used it on the floors and also put a bit in the toilets after they were cleaned. Everybody loves that.
(http://recessionisto.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/fabuloso.jpg)
I almost said Fabuloso!!! Its my favorite!!! Especially the purple! We use it at work too (I clean offices) and we dillute it in spray bottles and clean desks and stuff with it, its AWESOME!
WIRELESS AUDIO: This will only be of interest to maybe one or two here, but... if you ever need a good wireless microphone, handheld, lapel or headset, get Nady. Trust me. They cost as little as the cheap-sounding junk but they sound great. I've about beat my brains out trying to keep a much-vaunted Audio Technica mic from giving static, but Nady has never given me any trouble. Crystal clear sound and a good long range for the transmitter. In fact just tonight I placed an order for a set of two Nady wireless handhelds to replace the last AT mic we had in the Children's Church/puppet team audio setup. FINALLY!
No I did not get paid by Nady to say this. It's just the only low price wireless stuff I've ever found that actually worked, and worked consistently.
do you get the nady at most music stores or is it something you have to order
Music store? What's that? :P
I just amazon it. Computers - Tiger Direct. Chocolate - Lake Champlain Chocolates. Almost everything else - amazon.com
Look for Nady wireless and you'll find what I got at the top of the list, channels P and R model.
i wish i could find a wireless headphone/mic for my computer. i have wireless headphones and love them, but have about worn them out, after about 5 years lol, now the batteries die on it very quick, but would cost too much to buy new ones.
Quote from: Psalm_97 on March 08, 2011, 05:00:19 AM
Music store? What's that? :P
I just amazon it. Computers - Tiger Direct. Chocolate - Lake Champlain Chocolates. Almost everything else - amazon.com
Look for Nady wireless and you'll find what I got at the top of the list, channels P and R model.
uhh i hate that newfangled internet stuff...
I dont believe in the internet..
lol
Hmm, that's three channels of audio: stereo headphones and at least mono mic, and they're going in different directions so both the set by the computer and your headphones would have to be receiver AND transmitter. Yeah, that won't be $50. Unless you're very lucky.
Might get a bluetooth headset if your computer has bluetooth...
Quote from: EricShane on March 08, 2011, 05:01:47 AM
I dont believe in the internet..
lol
LOLOL
that reminds me of a preaching i was listening to the other day. it was on a churches WEBSITE, but their pastor was all over preaching against the internet for any reason except at your job. i was just about dying laughing. wonder if he knew he was being broadcast on the net lolol
Quote from: Psalm_97 on March 08, 2011, 05:03:23 AM
Might get a bluetooth headset if your computer has bluetooth...
my laptop has bluetooth but not my desktop and thats where i need the wireless. oh well. sigh
Quote from: EricShane on March 08, 2011, 05:01:47 AM
uhh i hate that newfangled internet stuff...
I dont believe in the internet..
lol
Get with the times man, local specialty electronics stores are fast becoming a thing of the past. Even Best Buy is dying these days... everyone gets better stuff cheaper at Tiger Direct or Newegg (if they know anything) or amazon (if they don't know enough to go to Tiger Direct.) Music supplies are best purchased from Musician's Friend or Zzounds, or maybe Sweetwater.
yeah.. i have ordered from Musicians Friend before, I like them!
Only thing is, if you once, ONCE buy something from anyone, they send you catalogs forever after. I wonder where exactly the point is when they spend more on catalogs and shipping for said catalogs than they made off my one purchase. :P
i pretty much only use tigerdirect. not that i buy much online these days.
HEADPHONES:
The Koss KSC75 is an engineering marvel. They have amazing sound quality and are cheap ($14.00). The design looks a little strange but they are very comfortable for all day wear. Plus all Koss headphones come with a lifetime warranty. Google them, there are websites devoted to modifying them and tweaking them... they sound that good.
http://www.amazon.com/Koss-KSC75-Portable-Stereophone-Headphones/dp/B0006B486K (http://www.amazon.com/Koss-KSC75-Portable-Stereophone-Headphones/dp/B0006B486K)
ICED TEA:
Stay away from the bottled or instant stuff. It is made from the lowest quality tea leaves. Loose leaf tea is the best; the inferior stuff gets ground up and put in tea bags or used for instant. Flouride is a big concern with tea, since the tea plant absorbs flouride from the atmosphere. Flouride in small amounts is good for your teeth. But in the kind of concentrations we see in tea plants today it is unhealthy and causes a range of illnesses. A very good and reasonably price brand is P.G. Tips. It is made from the tips (the tops) of the tea tree and has the lowest concentrations of flouride.
http://www.amazon.com/PG-Tips-Black-Loose-8-8-Ounce/dp/B001EQ5JJQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304009108&sr=1-1-catcorr (http://www.amazon.com/PG-Tips-Black-Loose-8-8-Ounce/dp/B001EQ5JJQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304009108&sr=1-1-catcorr)
SOAP:
I like to use Kiss My Face olive oil soap because it is all natural and it is not expensive. I have dandruff, but instead of using chemical laden dandruff shampoos I use Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap (I also use it for shaving). One thing with these natural soaps, you have to keep them out of the water when not in use or they will melt. Leave them in a puddle of water overnight and you will have a mess the next day.
http://www.amazon.com/Kiss-My-Face-Olive-8-Ounce/dp/B001E6O8WU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304009259&sr=1-1-catcorr (http://www.amazon.com/Kiss-My-Face-Olive-8-Ounce/dp/B001E6O8WU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304009259&sr=1-1-catcorr)
http://www.amazon.com/Grandpas-Wonder-Pine-Soap-3-25/dp/B0001TO3NA/ref=sr_1_3?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1304009295&sr=1-3 (http://www.amazon.com/Grandpas-Wonder-Pine-Soap-3-25/dp/B0001TO3NA/ref=sr_1_3?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1304009295&sr=1-3)
MOUTHWASH:
We have really been sold a bill of goods when it comes to mouthwash. We are led to believe that the alcohol in mouthwash kills germs, but it does not. For mouthwash to kill germs in your mouth it would need to be about 80 proof (40%) alcohol, but instead it is about 15%. Instead, the alcohol in mouthwash serves as a dispersant for the other chemical (it keeps them dissolved). And alcohol has been linked to mouth and throat cancers, so swishing it around in your mouth for 30 seconds every morning might not be a good idea. There are not any great options for mouthwash, but I like Crest Pro Health; it is alcohol free and has an ingredient that actually kills bacteria. Hydrogen peroxide is good too, but you should really order food grade H2O2 since store brands have small amounts of impurities, which are often times heavy metals.
http://www.amazon.com/Crest-Pro-Health-Night-Clean-Mouthwash/dp/B001GBGVW8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=beauty&qid=1304009786&sr=1-1 (http://www.amazon.com/Crest-Pro-Health-Night-Clean-Mouthwash/dp/B001GBGVW8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=beauty&qid=1304009786&sr=1-1)
POMADE:
This will be hard for many to believe, but plain old Vaseline makes an excellent pomade at a fraction of the cost. Vaseline is a brand name for petrolatum, and petrolatum is the main ingredient in most pomades, so if you use pomade you are already putting Vaseline in your hair, you just do not know it. People assume it would be hard to wash out, but Vaseline (petrolatum) melts at around 100 degrees; a warm shower will melt it and make it easy to wash out with shampoo. I like to melt my Vaseline and add other ingredients, like jojoba oil or shea butter, to make my own healthy blend.
TOOTHPASTE:
I do not use toothpaste, but instead I use toothpowder, and Uncle Henry makes the best one on the market. It is all natural and leaves your mouth feeling squeaky clean. It does not taste very good, but you get used to it.
http://www.amazon.com/Uncle-Harrys-Tooth-Powder-Ounces/dp/B000E3DX5M (http://www.amazon.com/Uncle-Harrys-Tooth-Powder-Ounces/dp/B000E3DX5M)
MILK:
I do not know how it is everywhere else, but Dollar General in my city has the best deal in town on milk. You can buy Foremost milk for around $3.35 per gallon; Foremost milk at Wal-Mart costs almost $5.00! Foremost is a premium brand milk, kind of like Borden's, so it might be of higher quality than generic brands but I am not sure. I know the skim milk tastes great.
HONEY:
Like most anything you buy at the grocery store, grocery store honey has been pasteurized. The pasteurization process destroys the beneficial enzymes found in raw, natural honey. Raw, unprocessed honey is the way to go, and it is not overly expensive if you shop around and use it sparingly.
http://www.amazon.com/YS-Royal-Jelly-Honey-Bee/dp/B000Z93FQC/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1304010694&sr=1-2 (http://www.amazon.com/YS-Royal-Jelly-Honey-Bee/dp/B000Z93FQC/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1304010694&sr=1-2)
There is probably some other stuff I have obsessed over in recent years, lol. I will add to this list if I think of anything else.
ooooh, I want to find that soap. Seems like it'd be something I'd like.
You lost me at recommending Koss headphones. I've tried many brands and Koss has the single most unnatural, flat, distorted frequency response I've ever found.
+3 points for the honey though. Most people who buy honey don't know what real, un-messed-with honey tastes like. Always buy honey from local producers (local honey - local flowers - great for combating local allergies from local pollens) and make sure it's raw.
Psalm-97, the Koss KSC75 is in a class by itself. It is one of those rare situations were everything worked out better than expected and a mediocre product turned out to be an outstanding one; google it, you'll see what I am talking about.
My dad had bees a few years ago and we had the best honey right from literally our own backyard! It was awesome!
man! THAT would be cool to have that connection. True about the store bought junk, you might as well just use white sugar. Raw honey is chalk full of awesome stuff for inside and out.
Quote from: The Cold Water Kid on April 28, 2011, 05:13:51 PM
TOOTHPASTE:
I do not use toothpaste, but instead I use toothpowder, and Uncle Henry makes the best one on the market. It is all natural and leaves your mouth feeling squeaky clean. It does not taste very good, but you get used to it.
http://www.amazon.com/Uncle-Harrys-Tooth-Powder-Ounces/dp/B000E3DX5M (http://www.amazon.com/Uncle-Harrys-Tooth-Powder-Ounces/dp/B000E3DX5M)
I think Uncle Henry is the ONLY tooth powder there is....lol gross!~
Peelu?
Quote from: MsJennJenn on April 28, 2011, 06:11:29 PM
I think Uncle Henry is the ONLY tooth powder there is....lol gross!~
I actually had to throw away all of my regular toothpaste to force myself to use the toothpowder everyday, lol. It does not taste good, but it works really well. Calcium carbonate is the surfactant (the ingredient that cleans your teeth) in Uncle Henry's; it is also used as an anti-acid in Tums. The opposite of acid is alkaline, so calcium carbonate creates an alkaline environment in your mouth. And an alkaline environment is deadly for bacteria. This might gross some of you out but it is fairly common - before using toothpowder my gums would bleed a little when I brushed my teeth; maybe not every time but often enough. Since I started using this stuff they don't bleed anymore.
*ahem* Peelu?
Quote from: Psalm_97 on April 28, 2011, 07:49:12 PM
*ahem* Peelu?
Oh, lol, I thought you were making a private joke with someone else on the forum or something, lol. Peelu looks promising! Thanks! I might give it a whirl, especially the gum.
I didn't get it either way LOL - I don't know what Peelu is....
Quote from: MellowYellow on April 28, 2011, 05:25:24 PM
ooooh, I want to find that soap. Seems like it'd be something I'd like.
If you like simple, all natural products
that work then you probably will. If the price per bar makes you baulk keep in mind they are 8 ounce bars, compared to 3.5 to 4 ounces for a normal sized bar. I get the unscented one, which some say they do not like the smell of, so you might want to try one of the scented varieties (but of course, that adds more chemicals).
I thought of another one of my favorite finds:
COLOGNE & BODY SPRAY FOR MEN:
Bath & Body Works has a collection of mens personal hygeine products made by C. O. Bigelow that smell great. I do not like Tag or Axe, they smell a little like big spray to me, but these smell very good IMO. And if you look for a coupon code the price is reasonable. Elixer White is my personal favorite.
http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4004123&cp=4090261.4090358.4342146 (http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4004123&cp=4090261.4090358.4342146)
Okay the Vibram (tm) five-finger shoes just came in and I really like them. It's supposed to be like walking barefoot, but with a thick skin on the bottom of your foot. What it really is like, is a glove for your foot. I always did prefer to walk without shoes because they are always built up more at the heel than at the toe. I feel more balanced and agile without shoes, or with flat moccasins or something. These shoes I will probably not want to take off as soon as I get home.
And it's a good conversation starter. ;) Yes, I'll be wearing them in public - they're not house shoes, they're real shoes.
I'll report back after a few miles.
:lurk:
This is the first pair of shoes I have NOT wanted to take off. :o
As soon as I get home the first thing I do is take off my shoes. Part of it is my toes being bunched up in there, but most of it is the heel being thicker than the toe in most shoes. These shoes I did not want to take off right away. I took a nap with them on - granted I don't take naps often, but when I do I always have to have my shoes off. For some reason I can't sleep with them on.
This is also I believe the first time I have ever forgotten I was wearing shoes. And though it was a hot day, my feet didn't get sweaty. You're not supposed to wear socks with these, and I didn't, but my feet never got slippery in them.
One caveat: The sizing chart at amazon.com is off. Measure your foot while you're standing on it, not while you're sitting, go to the vibram site and use their chart, and you'll get a good fit. Then go to amazon, ignore their sizing chart and place the order. Mine were a bit too large, which is how I know about the discrepancy. But even too large they still fit and wear better than any other shoe I've had.
Of course I got the KSO Trek, which is leather, and the only leather version they have. I don't know about any of the others. I have a pair of regular KSO ordered and on the way (a bit smaller this time) so we'll see how they do for wearability and sweat control.
Will report back when I've managed to wear something out.
Oh yeah, forgot the logic part:
With normal shoes with thicker heels, the "natural" stride is with the heel striking first. This is not natural for the way the human foot was made, it is less efficient and the impact is probably the root cause of so many people's knees and hips wearing out and needing to be replaced. The truly natural way the human foot is supposed to meet the ground is forefoot first, then heel, with the forefoot just barely ahead of the heel in striking the surface. The foot/ankle is supposed to use the forefoot to cushion, then spring back to propel the person forward.
This is not the reason I got them, but it's the reason that will probably matter to normal people. I of course am not normal so it's all gravy. :thumbsup2:
Oh, and with "normal" shoes with thick heels, a natural stride is impossible without overpointing the toe.
My, aren't I sounding like an elitist all of a sudden... well it's all true.
LAPTOP: Okay it's official - ThinkPads rock. You'll never find one at Wal-Mart (and for good reason - they only carry junk laptops. Never, ever, ever get an Acer or HP.) but they outlast everything else almost all the time. My little T43 is still chugging along, it's what I'm on now. My little T43 also picks up wifi signals that other people swear don't exist. And despite many, many CDs burnt, the CD burner is still burning.
And one of the most important things - My new Thinkpad Edge 15 had XP drivers! If you get a new laptop these days it comes with Windows 7 and they would never dream of making drivers for XP. Who would want to go back to the operating system that is still the most stable and trusted one in existence? :P But if you get a ThinkPad you can probably install XP and get drivers straight from the manufacturer's site.
And yes, I actually did go and install good old XP. I had to, my new audio interface had 64-bit drivers that were junk. I can only use it with 32-bit XP.
About those shoes: After buying six pairs I can now say that for comfort and a luxurious feel KSO Trek (the leather ones) are about the best shoes to get. They're also the most expensive of the lot, but worth it. I have a black pair that are now my dress shoes. Barely anybody at church has noticed yet.
For all-around wearing without having to worry about protecting that leather, Komodo Sport is good. They are now my work shoes. A bit more padding at the bottom and more of a "quilt" feel in the toes. Also, where the KSO have one strap that goes around the heel and over the instep, Komodo Sport has a strap around the heel and a separate strap over the instep. Much appreciated.
For something cheaper but still as functional, KSO TrekSport are good. Some kind of polymer instead of KSO Trek's leather, but they seem as durable and the heel/instep strap is in exactly the same place.
If amazon.com doesn't have the kind you want in the color and size you want, try Vibram's own website. Or try Trailblazer at http://www.shoptrailblazer.com/ Between the three I've found all I need in my size and my preferred color.
And so far nothing has worn out. Of course I've only been wearing them for four weeks, but nothing looks about to give way any time soon.
One caveat: Do not get the Bikila or Bikila LS. They do not have a strap around the heel, where you want to take up slack if you are wearing toe shoes. They have a strap across the instep (speed laces for the LS) which functions like a normal shoe... but a normal shoe leaves free space at the toe, so with these TOE SHOES your toes keep sliding out of where they are supposed to be. Nice thought, speed laces, but they should have tested it a bit more for function than for form. There's one other style that has speed laces but I can't remember which it is... avoid them too if you see them.
oops!
wrong post in wrong thread! :smirk:
I like shopping at Aldis for some things. We got three cloth bags of groceries for less than 20 dollars AND if you do some price checking there are some things they are cheaper than walmart. I like their rice packets. I think they are better than the ones at walmart and target.
NO TOES
By the way, if you want a more natural stride without funny looking toes there are zero-drop shoes that don't have toes. Zero-drop means a shoe that doesn't have a built-up heel like most "normal" shoes these days, and many professional runners swear by them.
Of course you should still take it easy if you want to switch from "normal" shoes to a zero-drop shoe. Those tendons and calf muscles are underdeveloped from walking in a built-up heel all your life and they will need time to stretch out to where they should be.
PLEASE NOTE: I have not tried any of these brands. Yet.
Some brands of zero-drop shoes are Altra, Vivo, Soft Star RunAmocs, New Balance Minimus (actually not zero-drop, but a very small heel-toe drop,) Merrell, Inov-8, Stem... the market is getting crowded lately.
Searching amazon.com is a great way to get some honest reviews on different brands. Two Rivers Treads has a good all-in-one site where you can find all the popular zero-drop brands. http://www.tworiverstreads.com/category_s/36.htm
And without toes in the shoes, nobody will ever notice... :smug:
Quote from: The Cold Water Kid on April 28, 2011, 05:13:51 PM
HEADPHONES:
The Koss KSC75 is an engineering marvel. They have amazing sound quality and are cheap ($14.00). The design looks a little strange but they are very comfortable for all day wear. Plus all Koss headphones come with a lifetime warranty. Google them, there are websites devoted to modifying them and tweaking them... they sound that good.
http://www.amazon.com/Koss-KSC75-Portable-Stereophone-Headphones/dp/B0006B486K (http://www.amazon.com/Koss-KSC75-Portable-Stereophone-Headphones/dp/B0006B486K)
ICED TEA:
Stay away from the bottled or instant stuff. It is made from the lowest quality tea leaves. Loose leaf tea is the best; the inferior stuff gets ground up and put in tea bags or used for instant. Flouride is a big concern with tea, since the tea plant absorbs flouride from the atmosphere. Flouride in small amounts is good for your teeth. But in the kind of concentrations we see in tea plants today it is unhealthy and causes a range of illnesses. A very good and reasonably price brand is P.G. Tips. It is made from the tips (the tops) of the tea tree and has the lowest concentrations of flouride.
http://www.amazon.com/PG-Tips-Black-Loose-8-8-Ounce/dp/B001EQ5JJQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304009108&sr=1-1-catcorr (http://www.amazon.com/PG-Tips-Black-Loose-8-8-Ounce/dp/B001EQ5JJQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304009108&sr=1-1-catcorr)
SOAP:
I like to use Kiss My Face olive oil soap because it is all natural and it is not expensive. I have dandruff, but instead of using chemical laden dandruff shampoos I use Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap (I also use it for shaving). One thing with these natural soaps, you have to keep them out of the water when not in use or they will melt. Leave them in a puddle of water overnight and you will have a mess the next day.
http://www.amazon.com/Kiss-My-Face-Olive-8-Ounce/dp/B001E6O8WU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304009259&sr=1-1-catcorr (http://www.amazon.com/Kiss-My-Face-Olive-8-Ounce/dp/B001E6O8WU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304009259&sr=1-1-catcorr)
http://www.amazon.com/Grandpas-Wonder-Pine-Soap-3-25/dp/B0001TO3NA/ref=sr_1_3?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1304009295&sr=1-3 (http://www.amazon.com/Grandpas-Wonder-Pine-Soap-3-25/dp/B0001TO3NA/ref=sr_1_3?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1304009295&sr=1-3)
MOUTHWASH:
We have really been sold a bill of goods when it comes to mouthwash. We are led to believe that the alcohol in mouthwash kills germs, but it does not. For mouthwash to kill germs in your mouth it would need to be about 80 proof (40%) alcohol, but instead it is about 15%. Instead, the alcohol in mouthwash serves as a dispersant for the other chemical (it keeps them dissolved). And alcohol has been linked to mouth and throat cancers, so swishing it around in your mouth for 30 seconds every morning might not be a good idea. There are not any great options for mouthwash, but I like Crest Pro Health; it is alcohol free and has an ingredient that actually kills bacteria. Hydrogen peroxide is good too, but you should really order food grade H2O2 since store brands have small amounts of impurities, which are often times heavy metals.
http://www.amazon.com/Crest-Pro-Health-Night-Clean-Mouthwash/dp/B001GBGVW8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=beauty&qid=1304009786&sr=1-1 (http://www.amazon.com/Crest-Pro-Health-Night-Clean-Mouthwash/dp/B001GBGVW8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=beauty&qid=1304009786&sr=1-1)
POMADE:
This will be hard for many to believe, but plain old Vaseline makes an excellent pomade at a fraction of the cost. Vaseline is a brand name for petrolatum, and petrolatum is the main ingredient in most pomades, so if you use pomade you are already putting Vaseline in your hair, you just do not know it. People assume it would be hard to wash out, but Vaseline (petrolatum) melts at around 100 degrees; a warm shower will melt it and make it easy to wash out with shampoo. I like to melt my Vaseline and add other ingredients, like jojoba oil or shea butter, to make my own healthy blend.
TOOTHPASTE:
I do not use toothpaste, but instead I use toothpowder, and Uncle Henry makes the best one on the market. It is all natural and leaves your mouth feeling squeaky clean. It does not taste very good, but you get used to it.
http://www.amazon.com/Uncle-Harrys-Tooth-Powder-Ounces/dp/B000E3DX5M (http://www.amazon.com/Uncle-Harrys-Tooth-Powder-Ounces/dp/B000E3DX5M)
MILK:
I do not know how it is everywhere else, but Dollar General in my city has the best deal in town on milk. You can buy Foremost milk for around $3.35 per gallon; Foremost milk at Wal-Mart costs almost $5.00! Foremost is a premium brand milk, kind of like Borden's, so it might be of higher quality than generic brands but I am not sure. I know the skim milk tastes great.
HONEY:
Like most anything you buy at the grocery store, grocery store honey has been pasteurized. The pasteurization process destroys the beneficial enzymes found in raw, natural honey. Raw, unprocessed honey is the way to go, and it is not overly expensive if you shop around and use it sparingly.
http://www.amazon.com/YS-Royal-Jelly-Honey-Bee/dp/B000Z93FQC/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1304010694&sr=1-2 (http://www.amazon.com/YS-Royal-Jelly-Honey-Bee/dp/B000Z93FQC/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1304010694&sr=1-2)
There is probably some other stuff I have obsessed over in recent years, lol. I will add to this list if I think of anything else.
wow great post, i thought i knew everything.. But had never heard about tea containing flouride
Okay so someone help me out here. I need an Android smartphone with a really good battery life.
What, ME? Wanting a smartphone?! Well... yeah. See, with a normal music player you have to deal with the onboard user interface, and I haven't been able to find a good mp3 player that will play my whole music collection from start to end ever since my beloved Cowon iAudio 7 went down. With a smartphone you can download your choice of music player app. The catch is, most smartphones will not play through a whole work day. Unfortunately battery life is one aspect most manufacturers aren't too eager to talk about. I can't find any product information about how long a smartphone's battery will last with no 4G, no wifi, no talking on a cell phone signal, etc.
PORTABLE SPEAKER
Altec Lansing's Orbit speaker runs on three AAA batteries, fits in my t-shirt pocket, is loud enough to hear at work )with earplugs, over the noise of the vacuum pump leak-checker,) and will run for three work days on one set of batteries.
Impressive.
Go to amazon.com and look for "altec lansing portable speaker." Yes it's more expensive than some of the other portable speakers. It's worth it.
Quote from: Psalm_97 on January 15, 2012, 06:15:34 AM
Okay so someone help me out here. I need an Android smartphone with a really good battery life.
What, ME? Wanting a smartphone?! Well... yeah. See, with a normal music player you have to deal with the onboard user interface, and I haven't been able to find a good mp3 player that will play my whole music collection from start to end ever since my beloved Cowon iAudio 7 went down. With a smartphone you can download your choice of music player app. The catch is, most smartphones will not play through a whole work day. Unfortunately battery life is one aspect most manufacturers aren't too eager to talk about. I can't find any product information about how long a smartphone's battery will last with no 4G, no wifi, no talking on a cell phone signal, etc.
Look for the Android phones offered on your carrier, then for "extended batteries" for that phone. Plus, with a quick root and custom rom, you can do much more with your phone. The problem is by the time you do that, you may be better off getting a iPod. :smirk2:
Quote from: minnesota68 on May 11, 2012, 09:08:07 PM
The problem is by the time you do that, you may be better off getting a iPod. :smirk2:
:o :o An
ipod?!? Ain't that an "Apple" product?!? DON'T EAT OF THE APPLE!! Mini, get away from your wife's phone. It's corrupting you! :pound:
Actually, I loved my iPod. Would stay charged forever, I could use it for hours at a time. I had a old 20 gig one. Unfortunately, I brought it home at Christmas to listen to a story, and it has disappeared.
But will it play .ogg? And will it play for 44+ hours on a 3.5 hour charge? And is it smaller than the smallest cell phones? Cowon's iAudio 7 set the bar pretty high.
Quote from: Psalm_97 on May 12, 2012, 01:12:50 AM
But will it play .ogg? And will it play for 44+ hours on a 3.5 hour charge? And is it smaller than the smallest cell phones? Cowon's iAudio 7 set the bar pretty high.
I have no idea what an .ogg is...but the best iPod will play for 40 hours on a 4+ hour charge...weighing 3.56 ounces. So pretty sure that's not the way you want to go....why are you doing comparisons when you seem to want the Cowon iAudio 7? lol It seems to be a fraction of the price of an iPod....if that's what you're going for.
Because they no longer sell the iAudio 7, I can't find them anywhere, and its successors were nowhere near as good. Cowon should return to its first works.
Occasionally the iAudio 7 is available somewhere, on ebay or a similar place you can buy stuff used, but someone else always beats me to it. Too many people know about it, and it's too rare. :frustrated:
My battery on my phone lasts okay.. but I don't listen to music constantly. I have a Droid Razr.