Amanda's Adventures and New Product Reviews

*I received this product for free to evaluate, but these opinions are my own. No one is totally excited to talk about problem hair. But it happens...and it happened to me. I long have wanted to try laser treatments, but my budget didn't allow for thousands of dollars of treatments. As the home treatments have come on the market, I was interested in trying one, but I wasn't sure if it would work. Enter the  Silk'n Flash&Go Express . This little device is amazing. It's not much bigger than a deck of cards, and weighs very little. I read through the instructions and decided to give it a try. It did not take much to get going. The instructions were easy to understand, and the pulses are noticeable, but not painful. There's a cool little app that tells you when to do the next treatments, based on the growth cycle of your hair. The app also tells you what level to get your treatments so everything will work well. I'm happy to say that it is working. The hair ju...

Baseball ghost stories Spirits still run the bases and roam the outfield: a blog about the spooky side of America’s pastime By Amanda Black By now, all but three Major League Baseball teams have closed the book on the 2012 season. Most fans have closed out the year disappointed, but Detroit Tigers fans are looking forward to meeting whoever wins game 7 between the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals. Even though I’m new to the Tigers bandwagon, I hopped on long before the post-season. In fact, I wrote my “Goodbye Cubs, Hello Tigers”  blog  on May 29. My hatred towards the Cubs has softened a bit (cause, hey, there’s always next year!), but it’s been nice to be a Tigers fan. The end of October also is the time to think about all things spooky. It’s rather fitting since baseball is a game full of ghosts and ghost stories. It has a long history and a tradition of curses, so it’s no surprise that baseball takes a turn for the spooky at times. I heard more ...

When you have two cats and a small apartment, it can be a challenge to keep things smelling great. Even the most vigilant cleaning can lead to a home that is, well, cat like. I need help, and for that, I've turned my attention to Glade. I love their scents, and I know that everything works well. With the new line of Glade Expressions, it's great to see some sophisticated combinations come along. I was really excited when BzzAgent sent me the kit with free coupons for Glade Expressions spray and the oil diffuser. It was fun to take those coupons with me to Meijer and choose my scents. For the spray, I chose the Apple Cardamon. It was Lavender Juniper Berry for the oil diffuser. The scents are really distinctive, in a good way. The apple spray smells just like the gift shop at the apple farm. It's warm and comforting, like fall in a bottle. The lavender juniper berry doesn't bring to mind any particular place, but I do like it. These products are really great...and ...

Let’s go to the mall | Group Tour Magazine Blog Let’s go to the mall This blog dishes on what malls are doing to attract grown-up shoppers and group tours By Amanda Black I had the chance to visit a new store this weekend. It’s designed for teens, but I thought it would be fun to shop the iPhone accessories, brightly colored decor and other swag. Boy was I wrong. The loud music, pods of teenagers and the narrow aisles made me feel a mix of old and annoyed. And plus, I don’t want to spend my hard-earned money on stuff I don’t really need or want. It was a lot different than the days of cruising the mall with some cash handed off from my parents. My  favorite store  was next door, and it was an oasis of grown-up calm. Michael Bublé was playing on the radio, and I was able to shop for tablecloths, sea salted chocolate bars and couscous in peace. If you think the mall is only the domain of teenagers shopping for gewgaws and skinny jeans, you should take a closer loo...

The power of crowds | Group Tour Magazine Blog TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012 Nikola Tesla's lab, Wardenclyffe, as it looked in 1904; more than a century later, the lab will be saved and preserved. The power of crowds This blog examines the true story of how a cartoonist raised $1 in a week to fund a Tesla museum By Amanda Black Did you hear the one about the cartoonist that raised a million dollars for a new museum? It’s not a joke; it’s something that’s really happened — and it only took a week. Matthew Inman, the cartoonist from t heoatmeal.com , has long admired Nikola Tesla, the inventor and one-time rival of Thomas Edison. (Warning: his website is very funny, but it’s not exactly family-friendly.) Like Edison, Tesla worked in a workshop, did amazing things with energy, and earned the title of genius. He was a character in one of my favorite movies:  The Prestige , a dark, twisty Christopher Nolan movie, and he was the namesake of Tesla Motors, the innovative ele...

Originally submitted at Avenue.com This plus size chemise is laced with style. The contrasting lace addes a pop of color to a soft and solid body. Knit jersey v-neck chemise. Lace trim at the bust and hemline. Empire waist with darting at the bust. Thin, adjustable straps... Contrast Color Lace Chemise Cute and short By Amanda from MI from Holland, MI on 8/20/2012   3 out of 5 Waist: Feels too small Length: Feels too short Pros: Soft, Comfortable, Cute Cons: Short, Clingy, Thin Material Best Uses: Sleeping Describe Yourself: Trendy/Stylish Dresser Was this a gift?: No This sure is cute, but it sure is short. I have purchased lots of Avenue body before, and it doesn't have that well-made silky feel. It's more like a slip, and it has a nice stretch. But It's not that greatly made. I am worried that the lace will come apart. But for the price, it's a nice little nightgown. It's just not a great one. And it's so short! ( legalese )

One bird, two bird, red bird, blue bird | Group Tour Magazine Blog One bird, two bird, red bird, blue bird Rovio Entertaiment, the company behind Angry Birds, made $100 million dollars last year.  This blog ponders what Angry Birds has to teach tour planners about the importance of creativity By Amanda Black Something old and forgotten came back into my life this weekend: something involving red birds, egg-dropping white birds and disgruntled green piggies. If you play Angry Birds, you knew exactly what I meant. If you don’t, it’s the game for phones and tablets that has taken over pop culture. I hadn’t played the game for months, mostly because I lost my iPod and lost interest. On Saturday morning, I was straightening up when I found my lost toy. It was exactly where I thought it should be, so it was beyond me why it took months to find it. So I charged it up and the first thing I did was play a new round of Angry Birds — the first of many. Later that day, ...