As with any gluten free snack, it's important to take into account the limitations of creating a healthy, yet satisfying product. Urban Foods' Superfood Bites in Tart Cherry/Apple contains quinoa, chia, flax, oats, etc. 

Pros: Attractive, compact packaging. Gluten free. Heart-healthy. Low sugar. Low GI (glycemic index) I'm sure. Sodium free (a pro only if you are watching your sodium intake). Guilt free. Contains 4g of protein per serving, which is excellent for the serving size.

Cons: Deleting the sodium means this product is missing a vital component: taste. (Did no focus groups give feedback before this went to market?) Urban Foods Superfood Bites are excruciatingly bland. The smallish, bite-sized pieces are fine if you have no jaw or dental issues. Can be expensive, depending on your retailer, just like all the other GF foods out there.

Only a few "bites" were in the bag; the rest were smashed down to the consistency of loose oats. This isn't the fault of the manufacturer, I imagine that pouches like these go through some punishment before and after they get to the grocery store, then endure more jostling on the way home.

Even though the product has almost zero taste, does the flavor that remains actually taste good, you ask? Yes, it does, although as stated, the intensity is dialed waaay down. Does the product taste like "tart cherry," as stated on the label? Not at all. Calling it standard "cherry" would have been more accurate. The apple flavor is also pretty undetectable.

Would I buy it again? Yes, in a pinch, if the other GF products were all gone or I wanted something different: no gluten, no sodium, low sugar, low flavor. What did I end up doing with the Superfood Bites? I poured some of the "dust" into my morning oatmeal, to which I also added lots of other flavorful things. It worked out. 3 stars.

Triscuit Wheat Berry Clusters are curious and interesting snacks. I tried a 5 oz. pouch, and at least at my local grocery store, these are located with other crackers, including Triscuit crackers.

Pros: Pleasant taste, great sweet/salty balance, nice crunch, a little fruity, healthy, satisfies sugar craving without going overboard. Plant-based, non-GMO, a great idea, convenient, portable, attractive on-trend packaging.

Cons: Depending on your dental situation, for some people the snack might be somewhat difficult to chew, because some of the wheat berries are harder than others. Also these remind me of "people dog biscuits." In addition, they can be addicting and it's easy to eat most of the 5-serving bag. So watch out.

Overall, Mondelez Global, Inc., I like your product. Please figure out a way to make it a bit easier to chew, for more of the people, more of the time – and soon you'll have a larger, more loyal client base. 4 stars.​

When frozen pizza is required, usually Freschetta or DiGiorno fill the bill. I saw Oprah's O, That's Good! pizza and was instantly intrigued. After all, it boasts crusts that are one-third cauliflower, "baked to a delicious, golden brown ... so good, you'd never know the difference!" Flavors: five cheese, uncured pepperoni, supreme and fire-roasted veggie. I bought 3 (everything except pepperoni). 

Pros: Price was within average range for frozen pizza. Celebrity ownership/endorsement. Attempts to be healthy.

Cons: Like the cheap-level supermarket pizzas, this one unfortunately comes with a dry, cardboardy crust and skimpy ingredients. I was NOT impressed and will not buy it again. Huge waste of money.

I figured, if Oprah – a celebrity who has wrestled with weight issues for years and has plenty of money to eat out (and must be a foodie) – approved the recipes, the product HAS to be good, right? (Well, that line of thinking works with most Newman's Own products.)

Evidently, no rigorous taste-testing or focus groups were used. Maybe there was a tight deadline, perhaps the test kitchen cooked these on pizza stones and added fresh parsley, possibly there was special lighting, or it could be that Oprah was on a tight schedule, so only had time to take a bite of each flavor before signing off.  

People will buy anything once, and you can fool some of the people some of the time, but I won't be fooled again – unless a "new and improved" version comes out and online reviews rave about the update. The pizza is not inedible. It's not horrible. I didn't throw it away. However, it was a major disappointment. Back to take-n-bake and Freschetta!

2 stars.

Post-it has done it again! 3M has created a very versatile paper tape roll that works incredibly well for many applications. Post-it Full Adhesive Roll filled a need I had: now I don't have to create certain types of labels using "back-rolled" pieces of tape!

Pros: The paper feels thicker than standard Post-its. With care, you can write on this tape with a Sharpie and it might not bleed through (be sure to test, if this matters to you; also, read disclaimer on packaging). Full adhesive backing – probably considered somewhere between regular and extra-sticky. Dispenser cuts easily, and labels can be further cut down using scissors. Tape seems to stay in place well and removes easily. How long does it stick? Since it's new to me, I have not given this product the test of time. I would imagine there is an "expiration date" on the number of years or months labels will stay in place. And if the label ended up in your freezer, was left in the sun, placed in a hot garage, etc., I'm sure extreme temperatures, humidity, etc., make a huge difference.
Cons: Others say it cuts pieces cleanly. The edge is relatively clean, but not perfect and beautiful. If I need "perfect and beautiful," I cut the edge with scissors. The product was tough to find in an office supply store. I called first, gave the worker the item number, and they said they had 5 in stock. A couple of days later when I got to the store, the employee I talked with had not heard of it. We had a bit of trouble tracking down the item number again. Where was the product? Was it merchandised next to various types of tape? No. Post-its? No. Eventually we found it with file folder tabs!

A rare 5 stars.

After trying Neutrogena Body Oil Light Sesame Formula and not finding it to moisturize worth beans, I discovered Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E and gave it a shot. 

Pros: The first thing I noticed is, it smells like chocolate! Chocolate is such a pleasant confection, evoking fond memories ... but I digress. Having a product that is reminiscent of that same chocolate joy is quite "therapeutic!" The cocoa scent is subtle and does not overpower. Thankfully, the product actually does moisturize, without the need to apply lotion first. The formula conveys warmth to the skin, so it's recommended for cold-weather use. (I'm sure you could use it in the summer, too, but in summer, you could use a cooling product like Neutrogena Sheer Oil-Lotion Light Sesame Formula.) Back to Palmer's: it's somewhat thicker than either Neutrogena product and contains soybean, sesame and safflower oils as well as cocoa butter. Maybe that is why it smells so yummy!

Cons: Dispensed through a traditional bottle, rather than a convenient pump.

First impression: it's a great product with virtually no downsides. 5 stars.

Hot Shot MaxAttrax Ant Bait stations come in handy when ants appear in your home or office. I am surprised how well they work, because usually I use the ant baits provided by a pest control service. I recommend putting 2 per small room or problem area. The ants don't die immediately, but most die after about 2-4 days. You can see them start to get stomach aches and slow down, then they start to disappear. A few little scout ants might stick around, so leave the bait in place for a while. Try to leave all or most of the ants alone; don't kill a bunch of them or wipe away their "invisible" ant tracks, because they leave messages for each other. It also takes a while for them to walk into the bait and enjoy the "party." Once they discover the "feast," they invite their little friends. Once you've used the baits for a few days, if ants appear in another spot, you can move the baits as needed. The product is supposed to last 6 months, according to the packaging. If desired, you could put the stations in a zipper bag until needed again. 

Pros: Effective – eradicates within 2-4 days (at least in my experience), but for sure by a week they should be gone. Easy to use. No mess, gel or sprays to deal with. Most of the ants leave on their own so there's not much "cleanup." There is no odor. Inexpensive for a non-professional product that actually works.

Cons: Doesn't kill immediately, just like other baits. However, it's worth the short wait, as this (according to the packaging) kills the queen (at some point). The only way to kill immediately is to spray ants directly. 

A rare 5 stars.

Rustik Bakery sourdough bread (from Bimbo Bakeries USA) was just introduced in my local grocery store. I was not able to find an image of the two flavors available where I shop. But the variety I have tried so far is Nuts & Seeds.

When you lightly toast this bread and add butter, the effect is slightly crispy on the edges and soft on the inside. The very first bite tasted slightly rye, but soon the other flavors took over. Cut a slice in half to toast. It's not a full loaf, so in theory, it stays fresher longer. (I wonder what they're doing with the rest of the slices, because this isn't a half-loaf, it's about 2/3rds. Who knows? They could be making croutons with the other slices, or they bake these loaves in special pans and only cut off one slice on one end to get this look.) 

Pros: Delicious flavor! Pre-sliced for convenience. Not tough on your jaw, like some artisan breads or commercial sourdoughs. Just the right number/amount of seeds, so there is less mess. Packaging is nice because you can see what the slices look like. The bread is slightly more moist than typical commercial sourdough, which is great. Store-bought sourdough can be really dry and leave a lot of crumbs. This one isn't as messy. 
Cons: Not very filling because it has a light texture. (Some people like a light texture.) Not very chewy. (Again, which might be a plus for some people. I like heavier, chewier sourdough.) 

​Everyone in the family likes it, which is a plus. 4.5 stars. (If it had been slightly more moist and slightly more chewy, it would have received 5 stars, but we're close!)

Today I tried Campbell's Well Yes! Roasted Chicken with Wild Rice Soup. All I can say is, if you see this soup, step away from the shelf and RUN! Run away, quickly!!! Don't look back. I admit, the ingredients, roast chicken and wild rice, enticed me, and the corn, carrots and sweet potatoes drew me in. I spent $2.75 at a bargain store for this item. I'm not going to do a Pro and Con chart for this one, because it's so horrific that a chart isn't necessary. Putting it mildly, when I opened the can, it's scent was blatantly reminiscent of dog food or something very ancient from the back of the fridge. When I poured it into the pan, it appeared that someone had lost their lunch, if you know what I mean. The pallid color was unsightly – something you can't "unsee." You'd think they'd have put some artificial (or at least natural color) in there to make it appetizing looking. But no, they want to keep it "healthy," probably. Rather than heating it, my first instinct was to just throw it out, but I didn't want to be wasteful. I could stomach this, right? Well, after about half the bowl I was convinced. I had been duped yet again by attractive packaging and an interesting looking product. I will give Campbell's half a star for effort. Ugh!

Best-selling Maybelline Great Lash Mascara has been around for decades. The reason it's so popular is a great basic formula that does the job without a bunch of bells and whistles. 

Pros: Goes on well, very few clumps, cleans off easily with eye makeup remover or water and washcloth. 
Cons: Because it's not waterproof, it runs a bit  when you cry. If you rub your eyes or swim, it's much worse. Stings a little if it gets in your eye while applying.

Unlike most companies that need to keep their people busy, Maybelline hasn't messed with a good thing (which I really appreciate!). Although the logo and colors have changed, the product and applicator have remained the same shape for many years. The wand is just the right size. (Exactly like Cover Girl Professional Mascara before the company changed its packaging.) 

Preferred shade is dark brown, which can be difficult to find. For a while, Maybelline offered a curved brush version, which was excellent. I guess they didn't sell enough, so it's no longer available. You can bend the straight brush, but the final result is pretty small. 4.5 stars.

Kleenex Slim Packs are wallet style, portable, multi-use packets for anyone to use. They fit in purse, pocket, car, backpack, gym bag, office desk, etc. 

Pros: Perfect size tissues. Sheets are larger, softer and overall preferable to little Kleenex Go Packs. Easier to remove due to wallet-style design. Nicer packaging utilizes thicker, higher quality plastic. Available in groups of 3 or 6 packets.
Cons: Kleenex Slim Packs can be hard to find at local large chain stores, such as Target and Walmart. Often stores stock Kleenex Go Packs, but not always these. If the store does carry these, they are often not placed in the expected location, so there could be a need to ask store personnel.

These are just great! If there wasn't the hassle factor of obtaining them locally, they would receive 5 stars. I know they're available online. But I'd rather pick them up from a local retailer. 4.5 stars.