And I am a digital (camera) girl.

After months of deliberation, we finally bought my new camera. We had to squeeze it into our budget in between baby things, but still wanted to have time to play with it before kiddo made her big debut (Mr. will be flustered enough already).

I knew I wanted more than a point and click because I do convention photography, but I a) didn’t need all the bells and whistles of a professional quality D-SLR and b) we had a budget of about $400-500. I had been going back and forth between the Sony Cybershot DSC-HX1 and the Canon Rebel XS. Both choices are excellent cameras, but they have distinct strong and weak points.

The Sony Cybershot DSC-HX1 is an excellent point and shoot camera and probably the last step up before a D-SLR. It has fantastic zoom (20x!), a decent lens, 9 megapixels, a fantastic image stabalizer and great low light image process. However, it is just a point and click camera and you can’t buy specialty lenses for it. In addition, it is a Sony and thus takes their crappy proprietary memory cards.

The Canon Rebel XS is a compact starter D-SLR. It has all the advantages of being a D-SLR (interchangeable lenses/flashes, excellent internal software, manual focusing, etc) but is still affordable. It also takes standard and HD SD cards, meaning that its more compatible with a wider array of printers, card readers and other electronics than the Sony.

In the end I went with the Canon Rebel, even though I had been pining after the Cybershot for months. I preferred the ability to upgrade what I had (via lenses) and the compatibility and reliability of a Canon camera over the convenience of the Sony.

Are you looking for a new camera? Pining over a specific one or just want to crow about how awesome yours is?

* Yes, Virginia, those are Amazon referral links up there.

Popularity: unranked [?]

This is not a paid review, but I am in contact with this company.

I’m used very moderate summers, so the idea that I can run around outside with a tank top on is very new to me. Of course, half the time in Virginia I don’t want to go outside because it’s too damn hot and humid, but that’s not the point. Since I’ve been living in t-shirts I purchased at Joannes for $2 each, I decided it was high time I splurge a little and get myself some shirts I wouldn’t mind wearing out in public.Anyway, I needed some new hot weather appropriate gear that was both affordable and attractive.

I blogged about the 5 for $23 sale over at Americas Basics and then jumped on that. It took me awhile to pick out what I wanted because I wanted one of mostly everything, but eventually I ended up with 11 shirts and tank tops, including the shrug tee I was talking about. Guess how much I paid in the end. I’ll give you a hint. It starts with 5 and ends in 0. That’s right, $50 for 11 shirts.

I placed my order on July 1st. One of my items was out of stock and I got an e-mail from an actual person asking me what I wanted them to do. I asked for the same top in a different color and my package arrived on the 8th. When I opened it, I realized that the packing slip had actually been reviewed by another actual person (judging by the ball point pen marks).

I was impressed by the quality of the shirts, especially considering the price. Because I sew, I’m anal about making sure the seams and trim are done properly and I didn’t spot any problems. My only concern was that the white shrug was a little too thin to wear without layering it, but it was hardly a major issue.

I also discovered that I am massively in love with Nadine and I’m sad I only bought two. Not only is it comfortable, but the cut is extremely flattering on my less-than-spectacularly endowed shape (and it’s not too low cut!) and the polka dots gives it a little more oomph than your average camisole. I’ll probably throw a cardigan over these in the fall to extend their wear. I’m wearing one in red right now, and if they get them back in stock I will definitely be ordering the other colors.

I also think I’ll be getting tons of wear out of the shrug tees. They’re dressy enough to pair with a nice skirt, but I can see myself wearing them with a pair of jeans too. Actually, at the moment I’m picturing myself wearing my black one with a pair of white capris and a fun pair of colorful flats. Add a bold necklace, which that neckline is great for, and you’ve got a really cute outfit.

The rest of my haul were more basics, including the Unique Tank, the Polka Dot Tank and the Puff Sleeve Tee. I think the puff sleeve tee will go well with a nice spring/summer a-line skirt. Or my gigantic sushi skirt, but I’ll get into that later.

Now, if you’ve read this far, I’ve got a treat for you. Enter FRUGAL1 in the comments section of your order to get one of the tanks above for free.

And, if you sign up for the America’s Basics mailing list you can get a code for 30% off. In the past two weeks, I’ve only gotten on e-mail from them so don’t worry about a glut of e-mails in your inbox.

(P.S. I’m thinking about buying one of the Summer Casual Dresses as a beach cover up, so if you order one, please tell me what you think.)

Popularity: 15% [?]

Product Page – This is NOT a paid review.

There was a BOGO free coupon for these in my coupon train, so I figured I would try the Color Quick Pens out. I like Sally Hansen polish and the pen design looked like it would be easier to use, so I figured there wasn’t much that could go wrong. I was mistaken.

First off, these things were $6 a pop at Walmart, and that was at the special ‘Rollback’ price (It’s selling at Ulta for $7.79)*. Not being a nail salon, I’m not willing to fork out mucho dinero for the privilege of having pink toenails.

Secondly, I picked one of the pens up and it felt like a cheap toy from a quarter vending machine. You know how you pick up some cheap party favor and you can hear the parts rattling around and you just know it’s going to fall apart in approximately 30 seconds? It felt exactly like that. I was honestly surprised that it worked at all.

Third, when I read the word ‘pen’, I was expecting something with a fairly fine tip. Instead, the brush was way too wide (about 2 times as wide as the other wands), really short, and the bristles felt cheap. It reminded me of the cheapo craft brushes you get when you’re going to use glue or let your pre-schooler use. It was actually so big I couldn’t paint my (admittedly deformed) pinky toenail.

To give credit where it’s due, I rather like the actual nailpolish itself. I only needed one coat to get a nice bright color and, true to form, it set in less than 2 minutes and fully dried in less than 5 minutes. Kinda makes me wish that I could get the stupid pen open so I could pour it into a better bottle. The pen itself was also easier to hold and control than one of the little ‘bottle top’ wands.

In conclusion: This product is NOT worth the money. Where would you have time to give yourself a manicure that you couldn’t have an actual bottle of nailpolish. Save yourself $3 and get yourself a bottle of Cover Girl 3-in-1 Step Nail Color

* Speaking of Ulta, nailpolishes are Buy Two Get One Free at Ulta.com.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Product Page

*This is a review for personal purposes. I am not receiving any compensation.

I was in the market for a new lip color because convention season is starting and I need to look pretty for photos. I normally hate wearing lipstick because I don’t like having to run into the ladies room to reapply it all the time, and I certainly don’t want to risk getting it on one of the costumes I spent hours and hours making.

On our trip to Target I noticed that the Outlast Lip Color was 10% off of the retail price of $5.99 and I coincidentally had a $2 off coupon that was expiring soon. I figured ‘why not’ and picked out what I thought was fairly subtle shade of pink.

Turns out that I should have paid more attention to the name of the color because ‘pink pearl’ turned out to be way too opalescent and the unpleasant purple undertones that showed on me made me look like someone’s granny all dressed up for a day-trip to Wal-mart. Unfortunately, I should have realized that putting it on just to test the color was not a good idea because this stuff just does not come off short of make-up remover and 5 minutes of scrubbing.

So yes, Covergirl isn’t kidding when they say ‘all day’. I tried the lip color on again for shits and giggles and put it through the kiss and dinner test. It passed with flying colors and didn’t even budge when I went after my lips with a moistened washcloth.

The application process is a little annoying, but not too bad.  You’ll notice that there are two applicators in the picture. You apply the color (which goes on with a wand like a lip gloss) and stand around for a minute with your mouth open looking like an idiot. Once it’s dry (and sticky as hell), you use the clear ‘top coat’ that comes with it. The box says to ‘use it like a lip balm to refresh your look and feel.’ Most of my lip balm ends up melting into my clothes in the dryer because I never remember I have it, so I have no idea how often they expect you to apply this stuff. I ended up needing it about every 2 hours or so, but you don’t need a mirror to apply it.

Overall: Although I hate the color I bought, I’d be willing to give the product another try if it goes on sale again. The color did last for over 10 hours on me, and the price isn’t unreasonable for a product you can put on once and forget about.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Giant recently had Almay products on sale at 30% off and I had a $1 coupon, so I had a little splurge and bought some eye-make up remover. They seem to retail at abut $5.99 for 80 pads but I’ve seen them as low as $4 online.

The pads big claims are that they’re oil-free, 100% fragrance free (true), hypoallergenic (no problems here), and that it contains aloe, cucumber and green tea (in case you are having  tea party while removing your make-up).

My big concern was the hypoallergenic and fragrance free part because I’ve got spectacularly sensitive skin. around my eyes After several days of use, I haven’t had a reaction to them.

The container also claims that the ‘oil-free formula leaves no greasy-marks’. This is true, but it does leave an almost sticky residue that I have to wash off with water. The residue is not visible, so you could use these pads on-the-go if necessary.

The ‘pads’ themseves are both quite small and thin. I have to use two pads on each eye, but that could be because I have a tendency to wear enough mascara to put Tammy Faye to shame. The pads also had trouble removing mascara close to the lash line, but that’s a problem I’ve found with all make-up removers.

I do prefer the pads because they allow greater control over the placement of the pruduct. My old method was to use the remover on a cotton bud, and that usually ends with me getting it in my eye and swearing. I have no idea if the Almay pads burn if you get any in your eye, but I have no intention of finding out.

Overall, I found the pads to be very conveninent (I’m amzingly lazy about taking off my make-up) and they did a satisfactory job for a decent price. They currently reside in my travel bad for my costume conventions so I can scrape off days worth of theatrical make-up. I’m not sure that I would by the product at full price, but I know they’ll go on sale again eventually.

Popularity: unranked [?]

This product cracks me up simply because half of the reviews seem to be either “OMG this is crap” to “Best product ever!”.

We bought this because I’m trying to reduce my house cleaning and exposure to chemicals/fumes because of the pregnancy.

Personally, we love the thing. I don’t have to be anywhere near the thing when it sprays and it stops me from having to scrub every week.

That said, this product should really only be used in a stall type shower. If you have a bath/shower combo or one of those fancy pants double showers, the spray won’t reach high enough on the opposite wall.

There’s also the problem of the last few inches of tile above where the gadget can spray. You can see a HUGE difference in our shower because where the spray is there’s white tile and white grout, but above that it’s itcky and grey/yellow. You may need to wipe down that top few inches every couple of days anyway.

The product also works best if there’s water on the walls, so if you’re used to squeegeeing down your walls, stop. If the walls aren’t wet, it will only clean where the cleaner hits and you’ll have a few spots of perfectly clean walls and trails of dried cleaner.

The refills are fairly expensive ($3.99 on sale) and lasts about 2-3 weeks. If you’re cheap or just want to use an eco-friendly cleaner, it is possible to jury-rig the refills to use a different cleaner (Directions)

Overall, we think the Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner was a good investment for our stall shower.

Popularity: unranked [?]

I’ve been trying to cram as much nutrition into my food as possibly lately, so I thought I’d take a shot at the ‘new’ Campbel”s V8 soup.

The box claims:

• A full serving of vegetables
• No artificial flavors
• No preservatives

I tried out the Butternut Squash and Garden Broccoli flavors.

The Butternut Squash wasn’t too bad, but the Garden Broccoli tasted like cream of cardboard soup. In order to make it taste like anything, I had to add a healthy does of Frank’s RedHot Sauce and a pinch of salt.

Worse, I didn’t read the nutritional label before eating. One of these little boxes is actually two 8oz servings. While this meant I got 80% of my Vitamin A and 24% of my fiber by eating the whole carton of Butternut Squash, I also got 62% of my daily sodium. Even if you ate the proper serving, 31% or 750mg of sodium is ridiculous for the teeny amount of supposedly healthy food you’re eating.

These things were selling for~ $3 in the local Safeway, which is fairly over-priced, but at least it’s technically 2 servings of food. ~$1.50 for lunch isn’t unreasonable and a fair bit cheaper than buying a deli sandwich, but nutritionally speaking it’s not worth the money. You’d be better off packing some carrots or broccoli florets with vinagrette in your lunch box.

Popularity: unranked [?]

*Disclosure: If you click on my referral link and buy something, I will get a commission.*

MSI Wind U100-279US 10-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home, 6 Cell Battery) White

This is my new toy. I purchased it two weeks ago for the purpose of NOT lugging my husband’s ancient 8lb brick around to conventions.

Being a wee bit tech savvy, the first thing I did was open up the case and pop in an extra 1gig stick of RAM (bought at the same time for $12 , effectively doubling the speed. This voids the warranty, so if you’re a little tech shy it’s best to talk to MSI and let them deal with any upgrades.

Pros:

• At 2.6 lbs I can carry this little guy around all day.
• Bright screen, even in energy-saver mode.
• Battery lasted almost 6 hours when just word processing.
• Fast boot and very speedy.
• Built in Bluetooth. No fighting with mouse cords.
• Speedy SD reader.
• Nice big hard drive. Great for processing photos on the go.

Cons

• Trackpad and button absolutely suck. Buy a Bluetooth mouse.
• Compact keyboard awkward for long fingers. I had no problem but Mr. kept hitting the row above.
• No optical drive, but given recovery Cds. Real helpful.
• Had to reinstall a lot of drivers upon purchase just to get things to work.

Overall, I’m extremely pleased with the purchase. Even with the extra memory, I came in under $400. With the newer 120 available, the price might even drop more in the near future.

This is also an example of why you should always comparison shop. After crunching the numbers, I realized that even with eBates 2% back off at Newegg, Amazons Super Saver shipping still made buying at Amazon cheaper. Go figure.

Popularity: unranked [?]

(On a totally unrelated note, FB just pointed out that OB is giving a way Free Purse Packs of their tampons)

If you’ve been perusing the frugal blogs, you’ve probably heard about the Grocery Game. For the uninitiated, the Grocery Game does all the work of a price book, giving you a list of items that are at their lowest prices that week along with telling you which coupons to use. You could track the prices yourself, but for me at least the opportunity cost for my time is much higher than the $10 for 8 weeks (plus $5 for every additional store) the Grocery Game charges.

We’ve had fairly good results thus far, but nothing near the 60% they claim.* If you’re a savvy shopper already, you’ll probably be saving more like an extra 10-20% off your bill, but every little bit counts. For example, we’ve saved an extra $20 the last time we went shopping. I already had perused the local circular and cherry picked the items I wanted, but then I looked at the Grocery Game list and realized I had totally missed that frozen vegetables on sale ($10 saved), the yogurt sale ($3 saved) and a few other misc. unadvertised sales.

That said, the Grocery Game isn’t for everyone. The Game is optimized for people who:

• Live near several major grocery chains
• Have flexible shopping days
• Shop at multiple stores
• Clip coupons
• Have room to stockpile 12 weeks of items

That’s not to say you won’t save any money if you don’t fit those criteria, just that you won’t be saving as much. The only real deal breaker is not living near national chains. If you live in the inner city and shop at the corner market, this is not for you.

In addition to the actual list, there’s also a coupon center (in partnership with coupons.com, I believe) where you can print coupons or find links to buy or trade coupons, a message board where you can talk to other Gamers and get help and some sort of weird pop culture/women’s magazine type center called Teri Today they’re trying out (not worth it). The message board was actually quite helpful, but I found the Coupon Center (it’s not worth the effort for me) and Teri Today to be an utter waste of time.

Right now they’re having a $1 for 4 week trial, which I think is well worth the ‘investment’. Just remember to cancel before the trial is up. (And tell them kaligoddess@gmail.com sent you)

* I think this claim comes from the idea that you can save over 60% on individual items.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Ronzoni has always been my pasta brand of choice, so when I spotted the new Smart Taste line in a “buy 2″ deal, I took the plunge.

I know that whole wheat pasta is better for you, but I’ve found the texture of every kind we’ve tried to be utterly repulsive. Ronzoni Smart Taste is a white wheat pasta, but it’s been altered to have 25% of your daily fiber and 30% of your calcium (along with a bunch of B vitamins), making it a good choice for people wishing for the benefits of whole wheat without the whole wheat taste or texture.

I honestly couldn’t tell the difference between Smart Taste elbows and the standard Ronzoni. It had the same flavor, texture and cooking time. It baked up the same in Macaroni and Cheese and also tasted fine with just a little butter as a side dish. There were no complaints at all when I served it to company.

Assuming I can keep finding good deals on it (or some sweet coupons come out) I’ll happily keep using it. It’s a little bit more expensive than the standard blue box, but the price is worth the extra nutrients.

Popularity: unranked [?]