Cheez-It (White Cheddar)

Product Review: Cheez-It (White Cheddar)

Company’s Description:You’ll find lots of satisfying real cheese taste packed in every Cheez-It® variety.

Review: We’re a family who snacks together. Frequently and often. Maybe a bit too frequently. And though we’re always mindful of getting more healthy foods in our diet, we’re often craving a little special something to indulge in. Now, of course, we have our favorite chocolate snacks and we might be a bit too addicted to Ben & Jerry’s, but sometimes we want a little something salty… and crunchy. We try to stay away from chips and go for things that have some semblance of healthiness, even though we know they’re probably just as bad as chips. Our latest family addiction has been Cheez-It White Cheddar. We want to point out that we really don’t care for any other flavor of Cheez-It brand crackers. But, for some reason, that White Cheddar Flavor has us going gaga for artificial “cheez” flavor. It’s like Cheez crack. We often go through 2 family-sized boxes a week. The kids take some for school lunches and after school snacks. And sometimes it’s like a gladiator match around here when someone absconds with the box into their room, preventing everyone else from getting their Cheez fix. Yeah, we’re Cheez-It White Cheddar junkies. But before you worry about our health habits, we actively use our membership to Planet Fitness and we do incorporate lots of fresh, healthy fruits and veggies in our diet!

Rating: 4 Stars (sure, they taste great, but they’re not very healthy— so we can’t give a full 5 stars!).

Battle of the Brands: Chili’s Vs Applebees

It’s time for another Ordinary Family Tested Battle of the Brands!!!

Service: Mid-priced chain restaurant

Brands: Chili’s and Applebee’s

    VS  

In the Ring: Being an Ordinary Family, we’re always on the go. Sometimes we have to take a break to eat. We’re always on the look out for affordable dining and good, quality food. Both chains offer similar menus that feature 2 for $20 and 2 for $25 entrees with appetizers, and both offer healthy fare options.Today, Chili’s and Applebee’s are duking it out for the best mediocre chain restaurant. Who will come out on top? Whose food and service was a flop? Continue below to find out!

The Match: We ate at a local Applebee’s one night and a local Chili’s the next (on a Friday and Saturday evening— their busiest nights!). We compared wait time for a table, wait time for service, service quality (staff attitude, attentiveness and  restaurant cleanliness), food quality (portion size, flavor and presentation).

Round 1: Applebee’s: We got to the restaurant at about 7 PM on a Friday night. We were told that our wait time would be 15-20 minutes. Happily, it was only 10, and the waiting area was comfy and out of the way. We were seated at a 4-top table in a packed section. We felt that the tables were a bit too close together and left very little room for getting in and out, especially when having to use the restroom. We would have preferred a booth, but we understood that you get what you get on a busy night. Our table was a bit sticky and we would have liked to have more napkins (one per person really doesn’t cut it). We were promptly greeted by our server Kyle. It was Kyle’s 4th day on the job, but he had the routine down pat! He took our drink orders and promptly delivered them. And of course, he knew to up-sell the appetizer (which we, of course, took the opportunity to get). Our appetizer arrived about 15 minutes later. We would say that it served about 2-3 people, and 3 was a stretch. We chose nachos as our appetizer, and felt that the toppings were a bit skimpy. The cheese sauce was on the bottom of the plate, and hardly touched any of the chips. There were a few meat chunks, but for a dish that is listed as Brisket Nachos, you’d think there’d be more brisket.  The brisket had a weird Campbell’s Tomato Soup kind of flavor that just didn’t mesh with the rest of the dish. On to the main course. We received our main course as we were hungrily devouring the garnish from our nachos. We noticed that our main courses also seemed a bit skimpy. Our steak was so tiny and cold. We asked for medium rare, but it was closer to medium. We chose not to send it back because the wait for a new one would have been too long.  The general portion size for all of our main courses was very small. The photo above is of one of the dishes we ordered, and was taken from the Applebee’s menu, but the actual food to plate ratio was much greater— lots more plate and not a lot of food.  We can honestly say that we did not leave feeling full. While the portions were a bit too small, the food itself tasted good. We would certainly order the items again, as long as we planned ahead and asked for a side salad or baked potatoes on the side. The manager did do a stop by to ask about our food and service. We had no real complaints to offer. We found the bill for our meal to be reasonable for a family of five— no surprise fees or mistakes. All in all, it was a decent meal at a decent price.

Round 2: Chili’s: We went to Chili’s on Saturday at 7 PM. There was no wait, though the restaurant was full. We were seated at a roomy booth. The hostess cleaned and dried off the table before seating us. We were greeted by a peppy waitress (whose name we forgot, sorry!) who got our drink orders to us quickly. We ordered two appetizers: tortillas with guacamole and fried cheddar cheese curds. The tortillas and guacamole was substantial for 4 to 5 people. The cheese curds were best for 2 to 3 people at most. We also found them to be a bit too salty. Our main course arrived just as we were finishing our appetizers. The portions were abundant. We were not able to finish our meals, and left with a large doggie bag. The photo above is of one of the dishes we ordered. It is not our own photo, but an accurate photo of the portion we received. The overall taste of our meals was good– well seasoned, great balance of flavors. We did have a manager stop by, but there were no complaints to offer. We did find the waitress to be a bit too peppy, but maybe we just weren’t in the mood for such boisterous socialization (sweetie, tone it down, you’ll still get your tip, we promise). Again, no surprises with the bill. We felt it was fair for 5 people and for the quality of food that we ordered.

The Winner: Though both restaurants featured good service, fair and close prices and a similar menu, only one can be declared the winner of this Battle of the Brands. So who will it be? Applebee’s or Chili’s? We choose Chili’s. Chili’s portion sizes were better for the price and their restaurant seating was more open and comfortable, so we didn’t feel like we were squashed up against other patrons. All in all, both restaurants provided us with a nice evening out where we didn’t have to cook (Yeah!!!) but we found that Chili’s offered a better value for our money (bigger portions are essential when you have growing teens!) and a more comfortable dining environment.

What do you think? Do you agree with our Battle of the Brands verdict?

---

We were not compensated for this post, nor did we receive free products or services in exchange for our reviews. All opinions are our own and are intended to share our experience with readers.

---

---

eShakti

Service Review: eShakti

Company’s Description: eShakti is the #1 in women’s fashion clothing in the USA for custom-clothes – made to your size and style. For those who just want standard sizes, everything is also available in sizes 0-36W.

The Review: When it comes to close, we are not fashionistas. We don’t even enjoy clothes shopping. And that’s likely because it’s hard to find something that fits great and looks great. We often feel that, whenever we go into clothing shops or Target or Walmart, they seem to have not-quite-what-we’re-looking-for clothes.  Recently, we stumbled upon eShakti.com. Wow! the clothes on this site are gorgeous! And, the very best part? They’re CUSTOMIZABLE! Yes! You can have dress lengths altered, sleeves shortened or lengthened, you can have necklines changed, you can even have embroidery removed. Each piece is custom made to fit you. You select the item you want, pick your clothing size (they’re pretty true to size), add in your height, and select your customizations (for $7 more— that’s a steal!). Oh, if you’re worried about the prices of the clothes, they offer coupons galore. We got $40 off of our first order! And, there’s plenty of deals in clearance.

We were a tad skeptical (okay, a lot skeptical) about ordering clothes online without getting to try them on first, but our fears where put aside when we received our first order (and it arrived early!).  Delivery does take about 14 days, but the wait is worth it. The clothes fit perfectly, as if they were custom tailored exactly for us! And the compliments we receive on the clothes are incredible. If you’re looking for that one of a kind outfit for a special occasion or even just for every day, you’ll find a knock-out at eShakti.com.

Rating: 5 Stars! We love eShakti!

---

We were not compensated for our review, nor were we provided with free product.We have purchased products on our own from this vendor. Our reviews are our own honest opinions.

Love is all around Gift Guide!

Hello family members! (You’re all family to us, at Ordinary Family Tested). Since today is Mom & Dad’s 16th Wedding Anniversary, we’d like to celebrate by hosting our very first gift guide. Read below for our suggestions for great wedding and anniversary gifts that you can give to your friends, family and special someone!

---

THE LOVE IS ALL AROUND GIFT GUIDE:

1. Personalized 12 x 12 maple cutting board

Retailer’s Description: It’s versatile, beautiful and all theirs-when you have it laser etched on the front and back of the cutting surface. It works beautifully as a serving or decorative piece. Made of premium hard wood maple, it’s sealed with butcher-block oil for durability. They’ll also love the rubber feet that provide a sure grip and the channel and finger groove features.

Why We Love It: We always recommend giving high quality kitchen tools as a wedding gift. Professional grade equipment survives years of wear and tear. Of course, the professional stuff isn’t always display worthy. This solid cutting board is both sturdy enough for long term, every day use, but also looks pretty cool. Personalize with the new couple’s last name initial, and you’ve got a sweet, sentimental gift that they can display for years to come!

Where To Buy: You can find this item at ThingsRemembered.com. This cutting board retails for $85

2. Wamsutta Perfect Soft Micro Cotton Bath Towels

Retailer’s Description:Bring a touch of spa-like luxury to your every day with the Wamsutta Perfect Soft MicroCotton Towel Collection. Crafted of high-quality, ring spun cotton, these durable and ultra-absorbent towels feature an extra-soft, plush feel.

Why We Love Them: Okay, okay, towels aren’t necessarily romantic. But, a snuggly soft towel to wrap yourself in after a hot shower that washes away the stress of the day is as close to a fluffy heavenly cloud that you’re gonna get. New couples and married-for-decades couples alike can all use new towels. Want to wow your sweetie on your anniversary? Buy a few of these super soft towels, grab some favorite scented candles and aromatherapy bubble bath,  some wine, and create a relaxing spa night with a romantic soak in the tub for two.

Where To Buy: At Bed, Bath, and Beyond, of course! And if you’re like us, you’ve already go one of their coupons in easy reach! These towels retail for $14.99 each.

3. Corelle Livingware Dinnerware Set

Retailer’s Description: Corelle’s Livingware line is the ultimate easy-care dinnerware for everyday dining. This Corelle Livingware 16 Pc Dinnerware Set is modern, fresh and perfect for all occasions, this dinnerware is lightweight, durable and scratch resistant. This Corelle Livingware Dinnerware Set has enough service for four and includes four dinner plate, four bread and butter plates, four 18 ounce soup bowls and four 12 ounce stoneware mugs. This lightweight dinnerware is both microwave and dishwasher safe. This lightweight dinnerware set features tempered glass for break and chip resistance as well.

Why We Love Corelle: Whether you’re a newlywed or married for a while, you’re going to need dinner plates. There’s no getting around that. Now, you might be fortunate to have inherited your grandmother’s 60 year old wedding china, like we did, but you’ll learn quickly that every day use means more opportunity to break the good stuff. Corelle dinnerware sets are both stylish and durable. Planning to have kids? Then you need Corelle. These bad boys can take a beating. Once, when moving from a 3 story-walk-up to, we accidentally dropped a box of Corelle from the top of the third floor stairwell to the bottom floor. Nothing broke! Not even a scratch! Why are they a great gift? Because you’re providing simple elegance in a durable, easy to clean, long lasting product. Corelle sets are the go-to everyday dinner set. They may be thin, but they’re quick to wash, take up less space in the dishwasher, and it takes amazing feats of strength to break them.

Where To Buy: Check out Walmart for a variety of styles and colors of Corelle Dinnerware. Available in 32-piece sets and  16-piece sets, ranging in price from $99- $25 (something for every budget!)

4. Frigidaire Cleveland 23″ Floor Standing Electric Fireplace with 2 Heat Settings

Retailer’s Description: Get all the charm and romance of what looks like an old fashioned wood fireplace with all the modern safety and convenience of the Frigidaire Cleveland 23″ Floor Standing Electric Fireplace with 2 Heat Settings. This attractive electric fireplace is one your family will want to gather around on those chilly days to shake off the frigid frost. And while the visual appeal is high, you’ll love that it’s got a cool touch exterior so even if someone accidentally bumps into it you don’t have to worry about burns. There are two heat settings so you can pick your heat level and it’s portable, so you can move it around as often as you want.

Why We Love It: Finally, a little romance on the list! Nothing says “romantic evening” like a warm fireplace to sit in front of. Don’t have a fireplace in your tiny micro-studio apartment? Or, maybe you have a fireplace but  your teens and their friends take over the house so much that the only place you and your spouse can go to be alone is your fireplace-less bedroom. This space-saving space heater will travel with you! No need to worry about raking coals, hiring a chimney sweeper, forgetting to open the flue and accidentally filling the house with smoke, or running out into the cold to gather more firewood. Just plug this baby in and head on down to cuddle town!

Where To Buy: Target.com has this electric fireplace available for $232.99, and, they’re offering a free shipping option with purchases of $25 or more!

5. Divine Calm Relaxing Massage Oil

Retailer’s Description: Drift away as you experience total relaxation with an unbeatable, stress-busting, tension-taming massage using this blend of calming oils.

Why We Love It: Okay, so this isn’t the kind of gift that Gramma should give you for your wedding (and unless you want to conger up images of Gramma using this with Gramps, we wouldn’t suggest giving them massage oil for their anniversary). This is for you and your lovebug. We all need to relax, there’s no doubt about it. But who has time to run out for a couple’s massage (especially with busy kids who need to be shuttled all over the planet for after school activities). Trade off massages with the spouse instead. The scents of lavender, chamomile, sesame and sweet almond will soothe and relax you. Add this little gem to your romantic spa night and you’ll have it made.

Where To Buy: The Body Shop has you covered for this massage oil (and several other pleasing scents).  Available at $16 for 3.3 ounces.

6. Salt & Ayre chocolates from Harbor Sweets

Retailer’s Description: Salt & Ayre 16 piece assortment offers a 6 piece sea salt collection in 70% cacao bittersweet chocolate and 10 distinctive dark chocolate truffles. The salted chocolates include: 2 pieces Caramel garnished with Himalayan Pink Sea Salt, 2 pieces Almond Buttercrunch Toffee enhanced with Chipotle Sea Salt, and 2 pieces Crystallized Ginger topped with a Thai Ginger Sea Salt. The 10 distinctive truffles include: 2 Cafe au Lait sprinkled with coffee crisps, 3 Espresso decorated with a chocolate coffee bean, 2 Hazelnut with chopped hazelnuts and 3 Chai dusted with cinnamon.
Each piece is handcrafted using only the finest ingredients with flavor notes gathered from the world’s four corners. Truly a culinary adventure!

Why We Love Them: Because they’re chocolate… ’nuff said. Just kidding! While being made of chocolate is the biggest perk, these melt-in-your mouth delectables are a flavor celebration! These distinct gourmet, hand-dipped chocolates make an elegant gift for a spouse or to give to a couple celebrating their anniversary. You really can’t go wrong with chocolate, and these are among the very best.

Where To Buy: Visit Harbor Sweets to see a full array of delicious chocolate, including this 16-piece assortment, for $24.

7. The Personalized Anniversary Journal

Retailer’s Description: Whether your wedding was a black tie affair or a barefoot beach celebration, it was one of the most memorable days of your life that will stay with you for decades to come. So commemorate the date in timeless style with our gorgeously designed and crafted anniversary journal. Custom pages record memories of your 1st to 60th anniversaries through prompts to guide romantic reflection and mutual aspirations (how you celebrated, favorite things, memorable moments), while a photo page illustrates each section and elegant envelopes interspersed every decade provide a place for additional mementos of your time together. Each section also includes the traditional and modern symbols for that year–from paper to diamond.  The classic design, fine quality paper, and sumptuous black silk moire binding with shimmering, foil stamped cover and matching storage box make this a fitting package for the precious record of the days you celebrate your union. The personalized journal also includes your names imprinted on the cover, creating an instant heirloom. Write your anniversary date on the title page, or choose to add it below your names on the cover for an even more distinctive book. Printed and bound in Tennessee; box made in New Jersey.

Why We Love It: Life can get pretty busy. When you’re newlywed life becomes a family life with one, two, three or more kids, taking time to slow down and enjoy some memories can be tough. You don’t want to forget what makes your marriage (and the family you created) special. Having a beautiful place to record memories, and even the way you’ve celebrated this sweet milestone of your love for each other can give you something to enjoy for years to come. Whether you’re writing about how you and your spouse celebrated your anniversary with rented movies and chinese take out during your lean, early years, or you’re recording the list of guests at the wonderful surprise 25th anniversary your thoughtful kiddos planned for you, you’ll have fun remembering the lifetime of love that you share with your beloved.

Where To Buy: The Personalized Anniversary Journal is available exclusively at Uncommon Goods for $115. A non-personalized edition is available for $78

We hope you’ve found our Love Is All Around Gift Guide helpful! With wedding (and anniversary) season in full swing, we’re sure that some of these great gift ideas will inspire you. The Mom of our Ordinary Family would like to wish the Dad a very happy 16th anniversary!

---

We were not compensated for product mentions nor provided with free products by any of the above retailers.

---

---

Ninja Professional Blender

Kitchen Product: Ninja Professional Blender, Complete System

Manufacturer’s Description: The Ninja® Professional Blender gives you a professional, hassle-free blender with outstanding performance and a sleek design.

The Review: We have a confession to make— we’re just a little too addicted to homemade smoothies. They’re so easy to make and can be really healthy (if you use the right ingredients). To make a great smoothie, you need a great blender. We heard lots of great things about the Ninja Professional Blender, so we decided to take it for a spin. Get it? Spin??? (okay, blender humor is not our forte).

Can we just say that when we opened our new blender, it was love at first sight? Yes, love! We had the complete professional set (blender, food processor, 2 single serve smoothie cups an dough mixer. OMG, this is the blender one dreams of, if one dreams of blenders (and in our household, where we do a lot of homemade cooking and smoothie making, we definitely dream of blenders). The Ninja is super easy to use (we admit that we didn’t read the instruction booklet, we just went ahead and dumped every piece of fruit in the house into the blender and started a smoothie frenzy right away— but do read the instruction booklet, you’ll appreciate the tips). We had smoothies in seconds. This thing obliterates even the most hard-as-a-rock frozen fruits and ice cubes, and turns god-awful tasting-kale into a liquified healthy smoothie ingredient that even the most finicky palate wouldn’t detect. We made fresh mint and organic chocolate chip smoothies for the kids, and even added in a little fresh spinach, and they were none the wiser (that is, until now, when they read this post). A few quick pulses, and those annoying blackberry seeds are pulverized (no more crunchy smoothies!). We’ve used it for smoothies, shakes, dips and even mixing chocolate chip cookie batter. It is a versatile product.

We love the color, design and durability. It’s sleek and modern without looking futuristically out of place in our 20th century kitchen. All of the components are easy to store and fit into their mixing containers.

We purchased our Ninja Professional Blender set at Target for under $300. We’ve used it on a nearly daily basis for 6 months, and still, the blades are powerfully sharp. The motor functions like a dream— super quiet and super quick. We could not be more pleased with a kitchen appliance!

Rating: 5 stars! (heck, we’re giving it 6 stars out of 5 because this blender is a-maze-ing).

Samsung Galaxy S 5

Tech Review: Samsung Galaxy S 5

Manufacturer’s Description: Stunning. Innovative. Simply inspired. The Samsung Galaxy S5 is technology that truly impacts your life. Make split-second moments yours. Watch HD movies and games roar to life. Or track your life right down to your heartbeat. Powered with innovation, the Galaxy S5 is like no other mobile device before it.

The Review: It was time for Mom to finally get a new phone. Her beloved Nokia Lumia 920 Windows Phone went on to electronics heaven. (Yes, Mom is well aware that she may be the only person who LOVES the Windows Phone). Since the Windows Phone did have a few known hardware and software issues, Mom researched some other options. With a brain not wired for Apple products, Mom chose the Samsung Galaxy S 5. This phone is larger than her Windows Phone— a feature she loved (though it is a bit big for phone pockets in her jacket and purse). The design is sleek and looked really cool (Mom chose the white phone). It was easy to get the hang of the user interface, and Mom’s contacts and photos imported easily.

Excited to try out the much-hyped camera on the phone, Mom snapped some photos. The camera is difficult to use, especially for someone who does not have professional photography skills. The picture quality is grainy and poor. No matter how she changed the settings, the camera took lousy shots. When borrowing her family members’ phones, she was able to get better photos of the same shots. The Samsung S 5 camera relies on the user to have a very steady hand (and patience for the slow burst speed). A busy mom who needs to snap shots of the kids during an orchestra recital or the used dresser she’s selling on Craigslist will find this camera to be more annoying than worthwhile. The photo editing tools are lots of fun, though. You can create an Instagram quality image without having to get sucked into Instagram.

Mom also decided to try out the fingerprint recognition security feature. It seemed like a good way to keep a phone-snagging, game-obsessed tween boy from using up all of her data playing MineCraft. Mom found the fingerprint recognition program to be a bit defunct. Sometimes it would take 5 tries for the scanner to recognize Mom’s finger, and it would often tell Mom that it did not recognize the print. After several months of fighting with the fingerprint scanner, Mom opted to turn this security feature off and keep a close eye on her phone instead.

Mom’s Samsung did not have as strong a cell reception as Dad’s and Daughter’s iPhones, and it struggled to connect with the 4G network when the family’s iPhones had no problems. Our service is provided by AT&T in an area where AT&T is the dominant provider. The Samsung S 5 is mediocre phone. It’s great in a pinch, but you may want to wait for the Samsung Galaxy S 6 to see if any of these issues have been worked out. Or, if your brain is wired for it, go with an iPhone.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Time Warner Cable

Service Review: Time Warner Cable, phone and internet The Review: For the better part of 3 years, our family lived in the Stone Age. We live in a rural community where certain areas are still not yet serviced by high speed internet and cable TV. Yes, we’re totally serious. When we recently moved to a new home, we learned that our new place fell in an area serviced by Time Warner Cable. Finally, we’d get to be part of the 1990’s!!! Our teens and tween began drooling over the idea of having access to NetFlix and watching YouTube videos without having to worry about draining our family’s shared cell data plan from AT&T (the only way we’ve been able to access the internet for the past few years). The father and mother were looking forward to saving some $$$ by getting a Cable/Internet/Phone bundle plan. It was like Christmas morning, the day that the installation tech arrived to bring us the much anticipated gift of modern entertainment. And then, it went downhill from there. Our service worked for all of 2 hours before all 3 services stopped for no reason. A tech came in to make some repairs. Yay, services were back up and running again! Nah, not for long. Internet stopped working and we learned that the phone number provided to us was not the one that was set up with our account. Three days of wrangling with customer service brought us another tech visit. We were assured all was fixed and ready for use.

Usable for maybe about 10 minutes…

Time for another tech visit! Five total tech visits, 9 and a half hours of phone calls to customer service reps in the US and the Philippines, and our services FINALLY sort of work. We still have some glitches, but, heck, we’re tired of sacrificing all of our free time by making phone calls to Time Warner. We will say that some of the US customer service reps were absolutely wonderful— hey, it’s not their fault that their company does not care about quality service. We absolutely did not enjoy working with the customer service reps in the Philippines, whom we felt were not properly trained to handle tech issues. We should have known that we were in for an omen of disaster when we couldn’t get the folks at Time Warner to send us a confirmation for the set up of our services. Ladies and gentlemen— if you’re looking for quality customer service, you won’t find it at Time Warner. And if you’re like most folks in our area, there aren’t many options for affordable competitor services so you’re stuck with Time Warner. When it comes to internet service, the more expensive AT&T WIFI hotspot was very reliable (even in awful rain and snow) and of better quality compared to Time Warner. When it comes to cable TV service, the more expensive Direct TV was more consistent (again, even in bad weather). When it comes to a land line telephone, Time Warner does work well enough (when set up properly!). If you can afford other services, pass on Time Warner. If not, be sure to be diligent about going after them when they make a mess of your service and your billing (another nightmare!), and get everything in writing if you can.

Rating: 3 stars for product service, 0 stars for customer service

Eeeek!!! We’ve been away far too long!

As you might have noticed, our family took a little break from testing. It’s time to get back in the saddle again and provide you with the reviews your family can use. Stay tuned for more great products, brands and services!

Muppets Most Wanted

Film Review: Muppets Most Wanted

Description: While on a grand world tour, The Muppets find themselves wrapped into an European jewel-heist caper headed by a Kermit the Frog look-alike and his dastardly sidekick.

Review: Ah Spring! Here in the frigid North, we’re still “enjoying” more Winter, so our family needed a fun, warm, indoor weekend activity. Off to the movies we went! We chose Muppets Most Wanted because it appealed to the whole family. We settled into our theaters seats, ready to laugh and play spot-the-celeb-cameo. (And being big fans of Ricky Gervais, we were certain this would be the best Muppet movie yet!). But, we weren’t bowled over with laughter this time around. Actually, we were kind of disappointed. With a few exceptions, the celebrity cameos were a bit lacking— our kids couldn’t identify most of them (Ray Liotta? Really?) and we had some trouble recognizing a few ourselves. The plot line of an under-appreciated Kermit is played out. Ricky Gervais’s musical number with the Kermit imposter was sad (Ricky, please stick to poking at Karl Pilkington, the world needs more of that). This film felt more like a Disney attempt to franchise something to death. It was entertaining, and there were a few laughs— the Muppets are always a hoot, but this was definitely not their best film. Would we pay to see this again? Definitely not. Would we watch it when it runs on freebie movie channels? Meh, Maybe.

Rating: 3 stars

Isotonic® Sublime Comfort 3-Inch King Memory Foam Mattress Topper

Product: Isotonic® Sublime Comfort 3-Inch King Memory Foam Mattress Topper

Description: Featuring three inches of 100% visco-elastic memory foam, the Isotonic Sublime Comfort mattress topper adjusts to the body’s contours with thousands of comfort tips. This pressure relieving support helps you achieve a more restful, regenerative sleep.

Review: We’re an ordinary family, and like any other ordinary family, we’re always looking for ways to save money and make the most of the things we have. What Mom and Dad have is an old, worn mattress. And this mattress has been through quite a few moves— across state lines, shoved in the back of a moving truck and used to keep furniture from sliding around a rented U-Haul. It has been tenderized by 3 bouncy children (when they thought Mom and Dad weren’t looking). And it has been slept on for years by a couple of tosser-turners (and a nighttime puncher-kicker who can’t wake up enough to complain about Dad’s snoring, so she just kicks him). Let’s face it, this old mattress has seen better days, and so have Mom’s and Dad’s backs. In desperate search of a good night’s sleep and a chance to wake up in the morning without pain, Dad surprised Mom with the Isotonic® Sublime Comfort 3-Inch King Memory Foam Mattress Topper from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Oh sweet heavenly cloud! This mattress topper does it’s job well! It cradles every part of you as you sleep. It is so soft, but strong enough to be supportive. Those little nubbin thingies on top— we don’t know the technical name for them, are like a million little angel fingers that massage your weary legs and back as you sleep! Mom is happy to report that she doesn’t wake up achy in the morning. Do we love it? Oh yes we do!

Rating: 5 stars