• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Early Retirement Rocks

Seeing life from a new perspective. The best job I ever had!

  • Home
  • Contact
  • About Me/Work With Me

Product Reviews

Product Review – Serious Readers Alex Light is it worth it?

September 3, 2020

Title caption product review

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post and we received this lamp for free to review. This does not prejudice or affect my review. All opinions are honest and our own. 

I was approached by Serious Readers to trial one of their products. You may have read some of my earlier posts including ways to keep healthy over 50 and that I am always looking at ways to combat changes in normal function as my body increase in years and find ways to minimise the impact.

I am updating the original post to confirm that I have been using this lamp continually for over a year now and still find it to be fabulous and I note it is getting promoted more on TV. In the current climate of staying home and people are concentrating on original hobbies or taking up new ones, I still highly recommend this to optimise your lighting.

One change that I have noticed is in my eyesight. I have always worn contact lenses for astigmatism but in recent years I have noticed changes in my ability to see in poor quality light. This has caused me to be unable to wear them in low light and have been wearing varifocal glasses, which provide a much sharper image. However, I still note there is a difference in subdued lighting, and I love to have table lamps on in the evening instead of the full room light. I love the cosy ambiance these provide.

When reading or trying to complete a crossword I already struggle and either have to put the large room ceiling light on (The big light as Peter Kay calls it!) or use supplementary light from the torch on my mobile phone.

People don’t always realise that as they age, less and less light gets through to
the retina making it harder to see detail and read in comfort. This is why the people at Serious Readers, created a range of high performance reading lights using bespoke Daylight Wavelength Technology™ to allow people to see with amazing clarity and true
colour. They claim “We bring the natural light close to the daylight our eyes are built to use”

In my career as a neonatal nurse I have used similar lights to enable me to perform intricate procedures, such as venous cannulation on neonates, and I found them to be invaluable.

When I was approached by Serious Readers to trial one of their Alex lights I was more than happy to do so. 

Serious Readers Alex Floor standing lamp

About Serious Readers

The company’s literature states that recent research shows that poor quality light not only  causes eyestrain but can also damage eyes and interfere with your sleep. Too much short wave-length blue light poses a risk to the highly sensitive retina.

The absence of a harmful blue light spike in their technology eradicates the risk of damage to the retina and minimises disturbance to our body clocks. The Serious design, with a stay put flexible arm and rotating swivel joints mean the light can be set up just in the right position for you, so it takes the strain not you. Our sight dominates our sensory perception and we can’t help ourselves but subconsciously adjust our posture and strain to try and see clearly.

Serious Readers Alex Light

The Alex light is suitable for:

  • Reading books
  • Reading larger publications, (magazines, newspapers)
  • Hobbies involving colour (artwork, needlework)

Our opinion on the Serious Reader Alex Light

I say ‘our’ opinion because although the product was sent to me to review, my husband uses it the most and absolutely loves it! He’s hogging it daily for reading his newspaper, he has been constantly complaining that news print is getting smaller! 

The Serious Reader Alex Light comes as either a floor lamp or a table lamp, their is also a choice of colours. We chose a floor standing model in white. It looks neat and sleek, taking up little floor space.

The lamp arrived in a very large cardboard box, almost as tall as me! Once the box was opened I was delighted to find that it did not require any assembly – always a huge bonus.

Serious Readers Floor Lamp in packaging

Serious Readers Floor Lamp arrived ready assembled and well packaged

A feature I liked was a cord holder – a rubber case where excess flex can be wrapped round and secured to reduce any trip hazard and unsightly wires.

The head of the lamp is very small but hugely powerful. Our living room has 2 sofa’s and myself and Mr Fitz sit on one each most of the time. The lamp is so powerful that we can change the angle to suit whichever one of us wishes to use it without moving the lamp. 

Man reading newspaper from light of Serious Readers Alex Light

I have been able to complete crosswords easily without resorting to the torch from my mobile and Mr Fitz has been able to read comfortably without squinting and bringing the newspaper up to his face. I was going to relocate the lamp after this trial up to my home office but it is staying put in the living room as John is such a fan of it too. 

Evaluation

At around £299 the floor lamp appears expensive but if like us you are suffering with reduced vision in poor quality lighting, it is worth the price in our opinion. There was nothing we didn’t like about it. If you have an elderly relative who has given up hobbies due to the inability to see what they are doing, this would make an ideal gift, it could restore their enjoyment in leisure activities they once loved. In fact any family or friend over 60 who complains of “newsprint shrinking” or “lightbulbs not being what they were” please tell them about this fabulous product. 

If you wish to see the light in action please check out my video review on YouTube

 

Signature

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: House and Home, Lifestyle, Product Reviews, Retirement Tagged With: ageing, Alex light, hobbies, Reduced eyesight, Serious Reader, Serious Readers

Visiting Harrogate A stay at Artists Cottage

July 15, 2020

Harrogate A stay at Artists Cottage

Harrogate is in North Yorkshire and Artists Cottages are a selection of cottages, 5 in total, perfect for a self catering stay.

I was lucky enough to win a 2 nights stay for a winter break at the end of 2019 from a Facebook competition for myself and Mr Fitz. My stay was originally planned for February 2020 but due to family circumstances and then the worldwide Covid 19 Pandemic my stay didn’t take place until the accommodation had been allowed to reopen again after Government advice.

Our stay was a Monday and Tuesday at the beginning of July, 2 days after it was open again for business. Before I proceed further I must state that writing this review was not a requirement for our stay. As a lifestyle blogger I love to share the things I do in retirement.

We enjoyed a lovely scenic drive from our home along the A59 through the Ribble Valley to Harrogate.

Artists Cottage

As I stated earlier Artists Cottages are a collection of 5 different places to stay, Artists House, Artists Loft, Artists Cottage, Artists Corner and Artists Place. All owned by the same team.

Our stay was in Artists Cottage. A 2 bedroom terraced cottage a short walk away from the centre of Harrogate, approximately 10 minutes.

We were met by Marie-Therese, one of the team and given a warm welcome, all socially distanced, due to the challenging times we are in.

The cottage had been empty during lockdown and had been given a thorough clean by staff who had been specifically trained and provided with Corona Covid-19 Certification.

There was hand sanitiser in the utility room as you entered the property and of course we brought our own supply too.

Pin for Later

Accomodation

Downstairs it comprises of a kitchen, a lounge, a utility room and a bathroom. Leading from the kitchen is a steep staircase up to 2 double bedrooms.

The lounge is compact and cosy with a sofa and 2 armchairs all comfortable. There is a chest containing the garden seating cushions that doubles as a coffee table. Along with a TV and a vintage style record player. A small selection of vinyl records was provided.  On the walls in the lounge are a selection of paintings from local artists to promote their work and are available for purchase. Most of the images were of local Harrogate scenes or Yorkshire landmarks.

Harrogate Artists Cottage

Lounge Artists Cottage

The Kitchen is very well equipped with everything you would need for a boutique stay, including a coffee maker. As a welcome we were provided with milk, tea, coffee, local delicious Harrogate shortbread biscuits and a fabulous bottle of Rioja. Everything is high end from the kettle to the cooker.

Kitchen Artists Cottage

Kitchen

Artists Cottage

Kitchen

Outside of the kitchen is small yard with a table and chairs for outside dining.

The bedrooms were similar in size and both contained a double bed, a wardrobe and a dresser. A hairdryer, towels and fans were available.

Front Bedroom

Front bedroom

We chose to sleep in the rear bedroom and the bed was so comfortable.

Bedroom Artists Cottage

Rear Bedroom

As we were only on a short break we ate takeaways and didn’t choose to cook anything for ourselves – lazy I know but it was such a treat to be away from home after lockdown when we’d had ample opportunities to cook!

Visiting Harrogate

As I said it was short walk into Harrogate and that’s what we did both days of our stay. It was quiet when we were there pubs and restaurants had only been reopened 2 days.

We took the opportunity to walk around the town looking at the buildings and sites. It was a our first visit for many years and we wanted to familiarise ourselves plus we love admiring buildings and architecture. Amazed at how they were built and decorated without modern day techniques and equipment. There are many fabulous buildings to admire. Particularly the houses and properties around Swan Road close to the magnificent Swan Hotel. The Swan Hotel is famous as being the hotel the famous novelist, Agatha Christie fled to during her mysterious 11 day disappearance in 1926.

The Montpellier area is very picturesque and I loved the tree sculpture to commemorate the visit of the Tour De France in 2014.

Tree Sculpture Harrogate

Tree Sculpture

We also walked around the shopping area. I visited the Rigby and Peller store – I have always promised myself one of their bra’s, however when I was inside browsing I wasn’t blown away by what was on offer. The products did not look any different from other brands but at extortionate prices. I was offered a fitting but declined. I didn’t see anything that I thought was worth the £100-£200 price tag. I also visited the Slingsby gin shop, a local Gin, after a recommendation from a friend. As you may have read I have been a gin drinker before it was fashionable.  There were many fabulous Slingsby gins on offer and I was able to try 2 free samples. Oh yes please!

Betty’s Tea Room is one of the iconic places to visit in Harrogate, it was open with restrictions and under normal circumstances we would have enjoyed a visit or visited the shop to purchase a takeaway treat. As there was a need to queue we decided to give it a miss but it will be a must for our next visit.

We love pubs so we had a couple of drinks on both days in the Montpellier, the landlord was so friendly and welcoming with great social distancing measures in place. Also we visited All Bar One, where again social distancing measures were in place. I enjoyed a lovely Aperol Spritz as part of their 5 0’clock cocktail offer.

Aperol Spritz All Bar One

Aperol Spritz All Bar One

No visit to anywhere is complete for us unless we’ve visited the local Wetherspoons. Mr Fitz and myself are big fans of the pub chain. Harrogate has a large pub based in the site of the historic Royal baths.  We love how Wetherspoons convert old historic buildings into pubs and hotels retaining the character and original features.

Wetherspoons Harrogate

Wetherspoons

Harrogate is close to many beauty spots and sights but due to the times many events had been cancelled for the year due to Covid 19.

Summary

In summary we enjoyed a pleasant 2 night stay after staying home for 3 and a half months. Harrogate is a lovely town and somewhere we will revisit again as it is not too far from home.

The accomodation was lovely, the biggest plus was the decor. Each room was painted the same colour, which I understand from the owner was custom mixed to match the Laura Ashley fabric on the bedroom headboards. It was a subtle shade of greeny blue, taking on different hues in different times of the day. I would best describe it as a pale peppermint green. It was a very calming, peaceful colour.

The things that caused us problems was the heat – the heating was on and Mr Fitz and myself do not like to feel too warm. Our first nights sleep was broken by being too hot. The windows were original sash window and could only be open a small amount. We are used to having 2 windows open in our bedroom regardless of the time of year or outside temperature. The second night we had found the fan and cooled the room down before retiring for the night.  Also the radiators had individual thermostats so we were able to bring the temperature of the house cooler to how we prefer it.

The bathroom and toilet being downstairs was a bit of a problem too – the stairs a re very steep with narrow treads. I had to leave the bathroom and utility room light on at night to enable us to see our way to the bathroom during the night. I have arthritic knees and Mr Fitz has size 10 feet too which added to the challenge.

But overall it was a lovely accommodation with luxury touches.

Signature

 

 

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Product Reviews, Travel and Things to Do, Uncategorized Tagged With: Agatha Christie, All Bar One, Artists Cottage, Harrogate, Places to visit, Self catering, Stay in UK. Staycation, Wetherspoons, Yorkshire

Ring Tyre Inflator – Car Gadgets Product Review

May 15, 2020

 

Image of a blue car with a blog post title

Disclaimer – The car gadget I am reviewing was gifted to me  – the Ring Tyre Inflator. However this has not influenced my review and opinion of the product. My review is completely impartial

Ring Tyre Inflator packaging

This product, The Ring Tyre Inflator,  was gifted to me for review prior to my brothers illness last year and this review has been delayed. The plus side to this though is that I have had quite a few opportunities to use it.

Owning a car is a great thing enabling travel in your own space, for convenience and  making shopping easier. However I don’t know if you are like me but there are 2 maintenance tasks that I try and avoid – they are

  1. Filling up with petrol
  2. Putting air in the tyres.

I ma educated to Masters Level but putting air in tyres is a skill that has passed me by, I leave it to Mr Fitz. I’m a little ashamed of this as I like to be fully independent. And secretly I did worry that in an emergency I would be a little lost.

Therefore when I was offered the kind opportunity to try the Ring Tyre Inflator, I jumped at the chance.

The company provided me with excellent supporting information about the product

You may or may not be aware that under or over-inflated tyres can reduce the maneuverability of a vehicle, causing your tyres to wear more quickly. This will reduce the fuel efficiency of the vehicle, increasing both fuel costs and CO 2 emissions.

Not great.

But with a tyre inflator you can drive more safely on the roads and reduce costs, as better tyre care means fewer trips to the garage!

As you will see, the team here at Ring have worked hard on the new design of the RTC1000 to provide a large digital screen for easy reading; an LED light to make it simpler to inflate at night; a flat bottom to keep the product stable; dust cap valve holder to stop them rolling around while inflating and integrated storage for the cable and airline, to keep the product neat and tidy when not in use.

But, the inflator is about so much more than its appearance, it has top inflation speeds (0-35PSI in just 2 mins) to make tyre care easier and quicker; has a set auto stop to guarantee accurate inflation and the ability to store
the set pressure ready for next time you use it.

Powered from the in-car 12V socket, it has a long 3.5m cable to help reach tyres all around the vehicle, comes with storage case and three-piece adaptor kit, and includes spare valve caps and latex gloves.

So, with all that to take in, what do our experts say?

Lizzy Sebine, Tyre Care Product Manager at Ring, says: “As tyre care is a car maintenance essential for drivers, we want to make it as easy and quick as possible. Excellent inflation speeds are essential for a tyre inflator, but so is ease of use for the motorist. We’ve taken a fresh look at our design to make sure that it’s easy to see
results, illuminate the tyre and even to make sure dust caps don’t get lost during use.”
Carney continues: “Around 40% of traffic accidents in the UK that are caused by vehicle defects are tyre related. This shows that poor tyre maintenance is clearly leading to increased risk for drivers and their passengers. Plus, new MOT rules implemented in May 2018 state that a car can fail its MOT if the tyres are obviously underinflated. There has never been a better time for motorists to invest in tyre maintenance.”

Ring Tyre Inflator

So with this information to hand I went ahead and used the Ring Tyre Inflator at home on my car. It was so simple to use! Instructions were clear – you read the tyre pressure printed on your tyre and enter it into the machine and it then automatically inflates to the correct pressure. So, so easy.

The Ring Tyre Inflator is small, light and compact and now sits in the boot of my car.

back of box for ring tyre inflator

This was a godsend when a couple of months ago I had gone to visit a family member and when getting in my car I noticed I had what looked like a flat tyre. I was able to get the Ring Tyre Inflator out of the boot and reinflate it. I was then able to safely get to a garage and have the tyre checked – there was in fact a screw embedded in the tyre and I was able to get a replacement fitted. This helped keep me safe on the road.

I would highly recommend this – it is so easy and convenient and could avoid having to call out your car rescue service, which can often mean a wait to be seen.

I would really like to thank Lucy for giving me this opportunity.

What are your hates about driving or any other maintenance job? I’d love to read your comments

Signature

 

 

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Gift Guide, House and Home, Lifestyle, Product Reviews Tagged With: car tyres, emergency tyre inflator, motoring, puncture repair, Ring Tyre Inflator

5 podcasts to listen to during daily exercise

April 23, 2020

Headphones and a mobile phone for 5 podcasts to listen to sounds

The pick of my 5 Podcasts to listen to

I have recently become a huge fan of listening to podcast whilst out on my daily exercise. Here are 5 podcasts to listen to during exercise.

If you will have read my post about how life got in the way of my blogging career you will have read that I read a lot of books whilst caring for my late brother. In addition to reading I started to listen to Podcasts. My usual fitness routine had been lost in the event but I tried to take regular walks and whilst walking I listened to Podcasts.

What is a Podcast?

Simply put: a podcast is an audio programme, just like a talking radio broadcast or radio chat show, but you subscribe to it on your smartphone and listen to it whenever you like.

In a little more detail, a podcast is a series of spoken word, audio episodes, all focused on a particular topic or theme, like TV, sport or crime as examples. You can subscribe to the show with an app on your phone and listen to episodes whenever you like on your headphones, in the car or through speakers. I always listen through my smart phone.

A lot of podcasts are really simple, just a few friends chatting about something that they’re all really passionate about, like movies, sport or running a business. But some are really polished and super professional, including theme music, sound effects, professional editing and more.

The more professional podcasts are great to listen to, but they take a lot more time and money to produce. The amateur shows, on the other hand, might have a few rough edges, but it means they can get it out, every single week, and grow a loyal following.

3 of my favourites are chosen because I love the presenters approach. But here are 5 Podcasts to listen to that I love.

5 Podcasts to listen to

My 5 Podcasts to Listen to:

Crime Junkies Podcast

Crime Junkie Podcast is the first Podcast I started to listen to and to be honest I am slightly obsessed with is. It is my go to listen when out walking. It is an American production. Hosted by Ashley Flowers and her assistant Brit.

This is how they describe themselves and their site- a direct quote from their web page

About Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie is a weekly podcast dedicated to giving you a true crime fix. Every Monday, Ashley Flowers will tell you about whatever crime she’s been obsessing over that week in a way that sounds like you’re sitting around talking crime with your best friends. The storytelling is straightforward and free of rabbit holes so the cases stay suspenseful and are easy to follow. If you can never get enough true crime… Congratulations, you’re a Crime Junkie!

As I said it’s American and they are based in Indianapolis. Obviously there is a lot of American vocabulary and use of the adjective Super! the cases are not generally known to us, although they do cover some of the more well known infamous murders such as Lizzie Borden and The Hillside Strangler.

I get totally absorbed in their stories and makes my walk fly by.

I love that they have their own motto for staying safe Be Weird Be Rude Stay Alive

I’m totally addicted to these 2 as well as their website they are active on Social Media and there is even a UK Fan page on Facebook -so its not just me then!

That Peter Crouch Podcast

As you may know I am a huge female football fan and a passionate supporter of Manchester City FC. In this period of no football I can’t say I’m missing it as much as I thought I would, but I do love a bit of footie banter – I know its not something many females can profess to enjoy! I do describe myself as a tomboy with a feminine edge! One of the greatest things about being in a football crowd is the humour.

I like Peter Crouch and I think he’s such a likeable bloke so I saw his podcast advertised on the BBC and decided to give it a listen.

It’s very lighthearted and full of football banter and humour. Nothing too deep being discussed and if you are a football fan missing your fix this could be for you. It had me laughing out loud several times during each podcast.

Table Manners

This is another BBC Podcast. It is led by Jessie Ware and her mother Lennie.

Jessie Ware is a singer/musician in her episodes she is accompanied by her mother and they invite a guest round each episode for food, drink and conversation or chit chat. Her mother does the cooking and there is very pleasant chat. It is like being a silent guest at their dinner table.  There is some slightly annoying repetitive parts to the introduction of each episode but that is counter balanced by the really catchy theme music. Sounds vintagey to me – if there’s such a word! This one is quite new to me but I really like it  and you learn interesting Trivia – e.g in the episode with Sandy Toksvig I discovered that the baking left after each episode is packed up into huge Tupperware boxes and fed to Prue Leith’s pigs! Now that fact will get you far in life but sadly it’s the kind of trivia my head is full of.

Headphones and a microphone my choice of 5 Podcasts to listen to

The Law and Order SVU Podcast

One of our favourite go to programmes to watch is Law and Order Special Victims Unit.  We love the stories and have become invested in the characters lives and story lines over the years. I found out that they now have a Podcast – a lot of it is discussing behind the scenes action with the actors plus some radio episodes.  The show is in its 21st year and for a big fan like me I find this really interesting.

If you are a fan of NBC Productions they have many other Podcasts related to their shows to download and listen to.

You Must Remember This

I am a huge fan of Vintage Hollywood films and the stories of the Studio era. My mum was a huge film fan and watched hours of movies from this era and even had a collection of postcards of the stars. She loved  Janette McDonald, Nelson Eddy, George Raft and John Wayne. My favourites are Bette Davies and James Cagney.

I naturally developed a love for this era too and read many biographies. I will always choose a vintage film to watch over a recently made one. Black and White Vintage movies are my love and I’m a self confessed anorak about them.

Because of this I love finding programmes on Sky Arts where stars and their films are discussed  by critics and people who knew them. This Podcast is in a similar vein. It is created by a Journalist, Karina Longworth, who is well known in Hollywood and has the inside stories. You Must Remember This is the podcast exploring the secret and/or forgotten histories of Hollywood’s first century.  There are many episodes featuring topics such as Hollywoods first weight loss guru and tales of first weight loss surgery. Topics that are talked about ta length today but have been around for over 100 years.

Episodes also talk about the rise and fall of big names such as Maureen O’Hara, the female star of my husbands favourite film The Quiet Man.

This could be a great Podcast for anyone who has an elderly relative self isolating and shielding at home. Or could be played over speakers in care homes. Or simply to be enjoyed if you are a vintage Hollywood film buff like me.

In fact as its a sunny afternoon in Manchester I think I’m going to take myself off into the garden to listen to one of my recommended 5 podcasts to listen to

As I’m a new listener I welcome suggestions for any that you think I may like. If you haven’t yet subscribed to any or started to listen to them I highly recommend you give them a try, they make a change from listening to music.

Some can be downloaded onto your device to listen to when there is no Internet or Network coverage – thinking of the future when we can travel and holiday again

So maybe start with one of my favourite 5 Podcasts to listen to.

Take care stay safe and keep washing those hands

Signature

 

 

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Health and Wellbeing, Lifestyle, Product Reviews, Vintage Hollywood, Vintage Hollywood movies

Update on Joint pain and use of GOPO® supplements in the menopause

January 6, 2019

use of GoPo supplements for joint pain

Taking the pain out of the menopause: are menopausal women overlooking their joint health?

These are the words from the providers of GoPo supplements. You may have read my earlier post about my injury earlier this year and how it exacerbated my already present joint pain 

I accepted a trial of GOPO® supplements derived from natural rosehip.

The menopause has a lot to answer for, especially in my experience. Hot flushes, night sweats, loss of libido and low mood are all commonly recognised menopausal symptoms. Yet, joint pain affects as many as 40% of all menopausal women[i]  and joint stiffness is the most common contributor to impairment of quality of life and work in women of a menopausal age.

Menopausal joint pain, is commonly mistaken as an inevitable part of the ‘aging’ process and whilst women may seek help for other symptoms, they struggle on with aching and painful joints. For many this results in a downward spiral of taking less exercise, weight gain and further joint pain.

Dr Kathy Abernethy Chair of the British Menopause Society and Menopause Expert comments;

“Whilst more women are now seeking help for the menopause, joint health is often ignored resulting in a significant impact on quality of life. It is important that women consider treating all symptoms to maintain their overall wellbeing. Simple lifestyle changes such as low impact exercise, changes to diet and taking supplements may help, particularly in the early stages” 

The symptoms of the menopause usually start to appear between 45-55 years of age.  However, according to consultant rheumatologist Dr. Rod Hughes;

“Menopausal joint pain, can start several years before other menopausal symptoms. This is due to oestrogen levels starting to decline several years before the menopause, causing a reduction in collagen, loss of cartilage and an increase in inflammation leading to joint pain and stiffness.”

Reading this information provided by the suppliers I was really surprised to read this. I have endured quite severe joint pain for several years and it was one of the contributory factors to make my decision to retire early. I always thought my pain was wear and tear after years of being on my feet for very long shifts as a nurse. Even up until receiving these supplements I did not think the pain was menopause related at all.

With this new found realisation I was happy to trial this natural supplement. My first post explained that since I commenced the supplements I had experienced less of the burning pain that began after my fall in January of last year.

GoPo Joint Supplements for menopausal women

I am now nearly 3 months into taking the supplement and still my knee feels much more comfortable, the burning pain which was present daily prior to starting these supplements, is still gone. Initially there was no change in my chronic back pain, however again I seem to feel less back pain symptoms. I have to be honest and admit to have forgotten to take the supplements on occasions but am happy with the results.

As I stated in my earlier post, If you are interested in this supplement GOPO® Joint Health is available from Boots, supermarkets and independent chemists nationwide £18.99 for 120 capsules and £28.49 for 200 capsules. www.GoPo.co.uk 

Please share this post if you think it could help you or someone you know, maybe one of your older female friends or family members have the same joint pain struggles and this could help them.

Keep healthy and happy

Signature

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Health and Wellbeing, Lifestyle, Menopause woes, Product Reviews

Mulled wine – the perfect drinking glasses

November 8, 2018

If you enjoy a mulled wine these drinking glasses could be perfect for you

 

As someone who enjoys a glass of mulled wine or a hot toddy during the festive season I was kindly provided with glasses from Jeanine at Blessed Bee Group. They were the Ozeri Serafino Double Wall Thermo Glasses, a set of two 12 fl.oz. 0.35ml.

  • Set of 2 heat and shatter resistant borosilicate glasses that each hold 12 oz.
  • Stronger and more durable than common glass, each glass features a wraparound contour that provides a natural aesthetic grip.
  • Patent-pending double wall design that suspends drinks within an inner wall, creating an engaging optical effect.
  • Designed to keep your hands cool with hot drinks, and free of condensation with chilled beverages.
  • Completely dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe. Ships in an elegant 4 color printed box with a 1 Year Warranty. Satisfaction Guaranteed.

Easy to see packaging

Good packaging

The box is eye catching – simple shiny black with a clear picture on the front of the contents.

The glasses look attractive and are nice to hold due to the wraparound contour, even for someone like me who has small hands.

Looks good with hot drinks

Great for cold drinks no condensation or cold fingers

I have used them for hot and cold drinks and can confirm that the temperature of the contents is not transferred to the outer wall. In fact that is the only downside, when I took my first sip of the hot chocolate drink I nearly burnt my tongue as there was no indication of how hot the drink was inside!

In my opinion these are perfect for a hot toddy and mulled wine as well as enjoying a chilled cocktail in the garden in summer, as they are shatter resistant.

Disclaimer: If you purchase via my link I will receive a small commission.

If you like these please read my review of the Ozeri Bathroom scales also kindly provided by Jeanine.

Thank you for reading, please comment or email me if you like these and think they would be perfect for you or you would like me to review a product for you.

Signature

 

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Food and Eating Out, House and Home, Lifestyle, Product Reviews

Ozeri Precision Pro II Digital Bathroom Scale – Product Review

November 5, 2018

Looking for new bathroom scales read my review

To enable this product review I was kindly given the Ozeri digital bathroom scales by Jeanine at Blessed Bee Group.

Scales original packaging

I was very happy to review them as my current scales were becoming unreliable and needed replacing. If you have read some of my previous posts you can see that weight gain in the menopause is one of my struggles so these will be a useful tool in my weight loss journey.

The features that the Ozeri Precision Pro II Digital Bathroom Scale have are:

  • New Weight Change detection Technology displays your net change in weight in GREEN for weight loss and in RED for weight gain.
  • StepOn Activation captures the precise weight measurements upon contact (no tapping required).
  • Uses 4 high precision G sensors to weigh up to 200 kilograms or 440 pounds in 0.1 kg or 0.2 lbs increments.
  • Award-winning design features an oversized weighing platform with impact-resistant tempered glass.
  • Automatically turns off to conserve battery life, and runs on 2 AAA batteries with battery indicator (batteries included).

They retail for £24.99 on Amazon. The Ozeri Precision Pro II Digital Bathroom Scale arrived promptlyfor me to review and the first thing I noticed was the weight – they seemed much heavier and larger than the bathroom scales I already owned.

Once unboxed I instantly liked the sleek black and chrome appearance. There was an easy to follow instruction leaflet and batteries are included.

Sleek black and chrome appearance

Clear instruction leaflet

The footplate area is large making them easy to stand on. The digital display is exceptionally clear. The great added facility is that they remember and store your weight. Next time you step on and are weighed again you then get a second display that informs you whether you have gained or lost. If you have gained the amount flashes up in red and if you have lost the figures are green. It took me a couple of attempts to see this display to complete my review, I erroneously remained stood on the foot plate. The gain/loss display only appears once you have stepped off again.

Easy to read digital display

Green display indicating weight loss

Red display indicating weight gain

I really liked these Ozeri scales but in as part of my review in my opinion they have one disadvantage in that they only store one persons weight. Therefore the weight gain/loss function does not work when there are 2 people sharing the use. To reset this the batteries can be removed and reinserted but it is a bit of a faff and it still does not solve this issue.

These cost of these Ozeri Precision Pro II Digital Bathroom Scale was reimbursed in payment for this review. This did not influence my opinion.

Disclaimer – If you purchase these via my link I may receive a small fee.

Signature

 

 

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Health and Wellbeing, House and Home, Lifestyle, Product Reviews

Primary Sidebar

 

 

I’m Elaine a Neonatal Nurse who retired from the NHS at age 55. I’m loving the 3rd age of my life – Retirement is the best job I ever had. Being married for 35 years I am lucky to have someone to share life with.

I’m a foodie who enjoys travel, football and my home.

I love to share over 50’s lifestyle tips including age appropriate beauty reviews, coping with the trials and tribulations of the Menopause, weight gain around the middle, fashion, travel and food including recipes and restaurant reviews.

I want to challenge the myth that life ends at retirement.

Feel free to get in touch earlyretirementrocks@gmail.com

Seeing life from a new perspective and loving it

  • Email
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Recent Posts

  • Moving House – My 14 Tips for survival and sanity
  • UK Staycation inspiration
  • Product Review – Serious Readers Alex Light is it worth it?
  • Growing Tomatos – tips to ripen green tomato’s
  • Hotel Gotham Manchester a stylish venue

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

Footer

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

My Favorites

Tips for moving house
UK Staycation wishlist blog post
Title caption product review
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright© 2021 · Brunch Pro Theme by Feast Design Co.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.