XFasten GaffersTape: It's not just for Musicians and DJ's!

Part of my business as a West Coast Swing Dance event organizer and teacher involves DJ'ing at the local dances. And with DJ'ing comes all the associated equipment which includes a mass of wires: electric wires, speaker wires, computer wires, etc. Often those wires need to cross an area where

You can purchase this product here:
http://bit.ly/XFaxtenTape

people are likely to be walking and could thus trip over them. And this is where Gaffer's tape normally comes in. Anyone in the industry will be familiar with Gaffers Tape and it's uses. But of course not all Gaffers Tape is equal. The trick is to have it sticky enough to stick to most surfaces, but to also be able to pull it up quickly and without any residue or damage to the surfaces it's been on.

I actually used it first for a project at home. I have an electric car and have a wire that runs through a common hallway in my apartment complex to the outside. I've always been concerned about it getting loose and having someone trip on it so this was the perfect place and time to try out the Gaffers Tape.

This XFasten tape did the job well. It was easy to tear off the roll, and is doing a great job of keeping the wire secured. It has a matte cloth topside which will help it to blend in to many applications

better.

Whether you are a musician, DJ, Home DIYer, Crafter, or whatever, this tape will have many applications and would be useful to have in pretty much anyone's tool kit. I can see a multitude of uses for this both professionally and I will be keeping a roll in MY toolbox from now on!

I received this in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are mine alone.

Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder by Kiss Me Organics

One thing I am learning fast about Matcha ... not all Matcha is the same. I was spoiled by my first experience, where I did a review of what turned out to be a superior grade Ceremonial Matcha. I was sent a different brand awhile back that I have yet to review on here that came in individual packets so

You can purchase this here
http://bit.ly/MatchaKMO

I assumed it would be decent drinking Matcha, but it turned out to be pretty poor quality....very disappointing.

Well, my faith in Matcha has been restored. Kiss Me Organics has done a great job of turning a very respectable "Culinary Grade" Matcha that is still good enough for drinking.... not Ceremonial grade, but certainly good enough for day to day drinking as well as for cooking and smoothies.

While this tea is not as bright green as the Ceremonial Grade that I got elsewhere, it's a LOT greener and brighter/better tasting than a brand that I got
that came in individual packets (which inferred that it was a drinkable grade). I can see myself using this for my day-to-day beverage needs... and for those "special" times (company/personal ceremonial moments) I'll appreciate the higher grade tea all the more. The flavor of this "Culinary Grade" matcha is not as "bright" and perhaps it's mildly earthy but not in a way that takes away from the tea experience.

Matcha is great as a straight up hot or cold tea, in Lattes (think Starbucks Green Tea Crème Frappuccino!), Smoothies, and even for baking! Rather than being a "solution" where you remove the leaves, Matcha is actually a powder that becomes a "suspension" ... so you get ALL the goodness of the tea leaf ... up to 137x more antioxidants than you will find in regular Green Tea! 

And for those who are wondering about the source, it's from Japan: This comes from the company's Amazon page question section.

"The home of our Organic Matcha - both Culinary and Ceremonial - is now located in Shizuoka, Japan, within a tea region recognized by the United Nations as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. Harvested from a family-run tea farm in operation since 1915. Our farm has been certified organic since 2000, synthetic chemical free since 1994, and reduced chemical usage since 1975. Now you can enjoy great quality Matcha from the place it all began - Japan."

Given that the bag has the USDA seal, it's pretty certain that the product has been grown to a standard where there are no concerns about radiation, heavy metals, or chemicals because the company will be required to prove that they have tested for all these contaminants. This has been a big concern since the Fukushima Reactor meltdown ....In fact, you will see references to the source of the tea as being from China in earlier questions on Amazon. The company switched to Chinese Green Tea after the disaster, but recently have (like many companies) gone back to Japan because the tea is not only superior to the Chinese grade, but they are testing all their product for radiation (and other contaminants) on a very regular basis (a requirement for USDA certification) and have not found any signs of contamination from their sources.

So for me, it's a Two-Thumbs-Up option for general, every day drinking... but if you are a "Matcha Snob", you may want to pay the premium for a Ceremonial Grade tea.

You can purchase KMO's Matcha here: http://bit.ly/MatchaKMO

I received this in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

AZSPORT Kinesiology Tape

You can purchase this tape at
http://bit.ly/AZSporttape

I'll put it straight out here: anyone who is involved with sports, dance, or any other physical activity needs to have kinesiology tape in their possession. Kinesio-tape is an easy and cost effective way to
support tired or injured muscles and joints. With minimal training (and Youtube is a great resource if you can't get to a Physical Therapist) you can learn how to tape your injuries quickly and easily.

AZSport Kinesiology Tape is a great option for your dance or sport bag. It applies easily, adheres very well, yet removes easily and painlessly. The only very minor issue I had was when I went to cut it, the backing came off making it hard to cut through both layers (tape and backing) but it wouldn't be enough inconvenience to stop me from purchasing it.

Whether you have Patellar pain, Plantar Fasciitis, a strained Bicep, Hamstring pull, Tennis Elbow, or any other injury, odds are if it's a musculoskeletal issue, you can use this tape to help support your healing. Check it out!

Below is a photo of the client I used the review box on... the client has multiple issues including arthritis, patellar tendonitis, and general weakness from compensatory habits. She was barely able to walk in when that afternoon ... after some massage/lymphatic drainage to reduce the swelling, I taped up both knees including devising a patellar support. She was able to walk without a limp

when she left my office and had about 48 hrs of relief (the arthritis eventually kicked back in). This treatment used most of the box of tape that was sent to me.

You can purchase this item at :

http://www.amazon.com/AZSPORT-Kinesiology-recommended-stability-Professional/dp/B00VHE07VU

I received this product in exchange for a fair and honest review. All comments are my own.

OZ Naturals SPF 30 Sunscreen

First let me say that I go against convention when it comes to the sun. I believe that we are meant to get *some* sun (everything in MODERATION) because that is the way the body is *meant* to get Vitamin D (otherwise we would have developed livers like a horse has that converts stuff in our greens to Vitamin D ... they don't get D from the sun at all). I also believe that most sunscreens are more harmful than the manufacturers let us know... it goes against *my* common sense to bake a

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http://bit.ly/OZSunscreen

bunch of chemicals into my skin ;)

I am a BIG fan of Zinc/Titanium Oxide based sunscreens ... because there WILL be those times when you have to be out in the sun for extended periods and need to protect your skin from overexposure and burning. So I was delighted to get the chance to review this product, and let me say I LOVE it.

Yes, it goes on white ... like any other product with the NATURAL minerals that make up the protective portion of the lotion. However, I found that it soaked in VERY quickly for a mineral-based sunscreen. I've bought many in the past that just plain are too thick and don't absorb well. So that is Plus #1.

Plus#2 is the truly natural ingredients. I'm an avid (maybe rabid!) ingredient checker and I look up anything I don't know or that has a name that I can't pronounce. The lotion has one ingredient that comes in that category: Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate. But a quick check found that this is a naturally derived , sugar-based surfactant that is very gentle and readily biodegradable and is used in products for babies and individuals with sensitive skin. One other person on here claimed that the Xanthum Gum was natural but causes "digestive upset" ... however, that is only if you EAT something with Xanthum gum in it... and I personally have no intention of sipping on this bottle any time soon...LOL . Add to that that they have Aloe and Green Tea and a dash of Cocoa Butter in there and you have a really great product that will take great care of your skin!

Plus #3 is how it feels on the skin afterwards. I really dislike anything that leaves a greasy or oily feel, and this product totally doesn't do that. It not only soaked in immediately, I didn't feel the need to wash my hands before touching anything that might be affected by anything oily (ie, phones screens/computers/etc), which is a testament to how well it soaks in.

Plus #4 is that it's scent-free... or at least *I* don't smell anything when I put it on and I did a pretty good sniff test. I know that some people are really sensitive to perfumes and such and I couldn't detect anything that might trigger a reaction in those with this issue.

All in all I can say this is something I have reviewed that I honestly would love to purchase in the future.

Purchase info here: http://bit.ly/OZSunscreen

I received this product in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and experiences are mine alone.

Denotek Magnetic Car Phone Mount

This Denotek phone mount is the 3rd mount that I have reviewed in the last few months, and the second that I have tried that uses magnets for mounting the

You can purchase this product at
http://bit.ly/denotek

phone. I was really skeptical when I first saw the concept of magnets... after all, how could they hold a phone securely? Well, I have to say, I'm pretty impressed with this style of phone mount after working with 2 different options (the other was a vent mount).

Magnetic phone mounts are really cool. Put the magnet inside the phone case, put the mount on your windshield, and BOOM! Your phone quickly attaches to the mount. The magnet was strong enough for my Note 3 (one of the larger phones today) and yet I can

easily remove the phone when I get to my destination.

The suction cup  is also very strong and mounts quickly wherever you want it on the windshield. It's small enough to take wherever you go, which is useful for travelers like myself. All in all, I'd say this is a great option for many applications. 

I received this product in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are mine alone.

You can purchase this mount at http://bit.ly/denotek

Black Derby Hat

Test post ... never received item

Children's Book: Let's Change That! If Animals Can, We Can, Too!.

This is a cute little book that helps kids to realise that just because you maybe expected to behave in a certain way doesn't mean you have to. Written by Dr Bashar Salame and illustrated by Ranier M Osinger, it's easy to see why this book has received the Mom's Choice Award for Excellence.

The story starts when Felix the House Cat escapes to the outside world. He finds a baby bird on the ground,but rather than eating or playing with it, he sets out to find help so that he can get it back in the nest with it's mother. Along the way he gets Omar the Alley Cat and Bonnie, a tough looking dog, to help him, and Bonnie helps Felix get the baby bird back in the tree. Each learns that just because they would normally do one thing, they had the choice to change, and it start's with saying "Let's Change That!

Perhaps we should be sending this book to some of our Politicians, eh???

You can purchase this book at 
http://www.amazon.com/lets-change-that-animals-can/dp/1938326342

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are mine alone.