Quaker Instant Oatmeal – Good Idea / Bad Idea

Good Idea: Apple Cinnamon

If you like apples and cinnamon, you will love apple cinnamon flavored oatmeal. It tastes a little like apple pie. There are small chunks of apple that give the oatmeal texture. I also add pecans from time to time to enhance my breakfast experience. Of all the different oatmeal flavors, this is one my favorites. I think you will like it too.

Bad Idea (to me at least): Hazelnut Latte

I chose this because I like hazelnut flavored coffee. It did have the coffee, mocha, nutty flavor like I expected. I did not expect how sweet it was. It was like I was drinking the syrup from one of the gas station cappuccino machines before they mix it with the coffee. I double the amount of water in my oatmeal, but that did not help. I could not finish the bowl because it was so saccharin sweet. I ended up eating the few hazelnuts out of the cereal and throwing the rest away. On paper Hazelnut Latte seemed like a good idea, but the execution of that idea was not tasty at all. Unless you like drinking straight syrup, I would not advise buying this flavor.

SuckerPunch

Oct18

First of all, I have to say that SuckerPunch is a very interesting movie. It is a series of dream sequences within dreams because the real world is too unbearable to face. Through these dreams, one of the five girls finds the strength to cope with her situation and fight.

The main character Babydoll is placed in a mental institution by her stepfather. It is implied that he cause her mother’s death. After reading the will, the mother bequeaths everything to her daughters. In a drunken rage, he goes after Babydoll but decides to do evil things to her younger sister instead. Again, all of this is implied by his facial expressions. In a freak accident, she kills her sister while trying to save her. As a result, she ends up in a mental institution. Her stepfather has paid an orderly to schedule a lobotomy The rest of the story deals with her will to fight.

And this is where people might start to get confused. The scene changes from the mental institution and Babydoll is a dancer for shady club. Here is where you are introduced to the other girls. And while in that dream world, she is goes into another dream world that is more action packed. She, with her teammates, have to complete challenges that will result in their freedom.

I know guys will probably choose this movie because of the scantily dressed girls and all the action. More than that, it is ultimately a smart movie, meaning you need to listen to the dialogue to understand how everything ties together. Otherwise, it is a incongruous story line that jumps from scene to scene until an unsatisfying end.

If you want to buy the movie, click here. I recommend it.

Scotch paper cutter review

Sep12

I have scissors, but I bought into the hype when I saw the Scotch paper cutter on the scrap-booking aisle in Wal-mart. This would be great for all kinds of projects. The instructions said that all I have to do is insert the paper at the point that I wanted to cut and it slides through, cutting the paper.
I thought that this paper cutter would be very useful for cutting coupons. It was not as easy as anticipated. I soon found out that their ingenious design does not ensure straight cut. It can be awkward to try to cut the paper while trying to hold the edges steady. If you do not do that, you will not have a straight cut. My first few attempts at freehand cutting resulted in coupons missing their expiration dates. After I began my cut, I had to hold both edges of the paper steady. Then the cuts were straight and clean.
However, when I used the cutter to trim up some invitations, the cutter was quick and easy to use. I did not have to hold the paper steady. It says on the package that it is not for intricate cutting or heavy weight applications. I agree. It is best to only use this cutter for cutting that does not need to be precise. It is very easy to make a mistake and cut off what you did not want to cut. And when I tried to cut heavy cardstock paper and it did not work too well either. The cutter would catch on the paper and cut a jagged edge.
The best type of paper to cut with this cutter is a light cardstock. Something that is stiff enough that you do not have to hold it, but not too stiff that it jams the cutter, will have straight clean cuts using the Scotch paper cutter. If your paper is lightweight, like coupons or regular paper, you need to hold the paper to ensure a straight cut. If your paper is light like tissue paper, do not use the paper cutter. It will tear the paper to shreds.
If you do not have this tool when you are cutting paper for
scrapbooking, you will not miss it. But if you find in the store and it is on sale, you might as well buy it.

Pro: helps ensure a straight cut
Con: Only for straight cuts. You still need scissors for detailed cutting
Bottom line: nice to have but not worth a special purchase.