GUM Soft picks with Storage Case

I recently have started having tooth sensitivity and need to floss a lot more to keep my tooth clean. I should floss more anyway, so I floss all of my teeth while I am cleaning the sensitive one. Some of my teeth are close together and really like to shred up floss so I decided to try these.

They are little disposable soft plastic tooth picks. There was another option at DealS when I bought these, a pack of four flossers with big grips. But I decided to get these because not only did they give you more, they also gave you a little case to carry them in which is great if you are, say, someone with braces who needs to floss on the go. I am going on vacation next week, and I am not sure I am going to bring these or regular floss, but I can think of several uses for the little flat case:
-It can hold 2 SD cards
-Pill case for (flat) pills
-You can put a few bills of emergency cash in it and tuck it into the tiny pocket in your jeans
-It can keep pressed pennies organized if you like to collect those as you travel
-Good for small keys like they use for file cabinets, you could glue a magnet on the back and have a hidden key case
The little case is great, but I do not know how many I could make use of. As for the picks, they work well. But don't be too rough with them- they do not need a lot of effort to do their job. Gently slide them between your teeth and out again and you will have some clean tooth crevices.

Smart iStand

Whenever I see something for the iPad at the Dollar Tree I have to check it out. So when I saw an iPad stand, I thought I'd give it a try. I can't find a picture of their Smart iStand, but it looks like a puddle of water (base) which is flowing from a faucet (part that goes against the back of the iPad or phone). It's somewhere between a gag gift and clever design. I put it together and tried it out, and it does hold up an iPad.

HOWEVER, there are some major discrepancies between what it does in real life and the pictures on the box. Like the purchasers of many yard water slide toys, I am wondering how they rearranged the laws of physics to make the pictures on the box work. First, the curved spout of the stand is shown supporting the iPad. If you attempt this, it will fall over. You must put the flat end (where the wall would be on a normal faucet) against your iPad to give it proper support.

Second, on the box the iPad is tilted. There is no way to achieve any kind of tilt with this stand. You can sit it horizontally or vertically but it is straight up. I do not see how any phone could be tilted either, because the space between the ridge that holds the device in place and the faucet is so narrow. This is not an ergonomic stand.

Lastly, this stand has two weaknesses: it wobbles and your iPad can slide from side to side. There is nothing grippy or too secure about this stand.

If you are looking for an everyday iPad stand, this is not a good first choice. It would be great to watch TV or Facetime on, but not too great if you want to do anything that requires a lot of poking. You can make do with it if you are desperate or short on cash. It could also make a funky stand for small to medium canvas board paintings, which can be hard to frame.

Donna Michelle Nail Polish Stickers

I picked up a big piece of cardboard to use in crafting tonight at Deals. I usually go down the beauty aisle whenever I visit there or the Dollar Tree (which are owned by the same company and sell many of the same items) to see if they have anything new in stock. Tonight I saw they had a few rows of nail polish stickers. I bought nail stickers at the Dollar Tree last year and they turned out to be pretty awful, like actual plastic stickers shaped like nails, but they had some cute designs and it was a different brand. I bought one pack with spiderwebs on it to try out (I love Halloween!).

The results are mixed. The big flaw in these are that they are very narrow. They only give you two of five sizes (ten total), and the widest size would not go across my thumb. I have relatively small-to-average sized hands and average sized nails. I easily find my size in Sally Hansen nail strips and false nails. But these leave a lot of empty space on the nail they are meant to cover. The middle finger size covers my pinky well and might cover my pointer finger, and the biggest size might cover my middle or ring finger, but I would say you should only count on one large non-thumb accent and one small accent decal per pack. You might get two of each if you are lucky, but no thumb accents unless you have narrow nails. The smallest size is pretty much useless. As for quality, if you cut them out with scissors all the way around the decal, they are a lot like Sally Hansen nail strips application- and feel-wise minus the plastic layer on top. It might look like there is a separate plastic layer but there is not. You can put them on either way, square or round side. They include an almost laughable excuse for a nail file, a 1 1/2'' oblong piece of sand paper, but it does work. They are thinner than Sally Hansen and will tear easier. I can't say what they wear like because I just put it on tonight, but they feel the same.

You can put nail polish under nail polish strips to cover the blank spaces, but I do not know how it would look under these patterned and ombre designs. I would view these more as an accent to a manicure and not a full polish job in and of itself. Sally Hansen strips are much more expensive, but they are wider, give you more in a pack and offer better designs. I do not know how they would work on children's nails, but they might work.

I might buy another pack of these to do accent nails if they wear well. I like the accent look and these were easy to apply. I will let you know how they hold up!

UPDATE: They hold up quite well! The first one I applied peeled off while I was sleeping, but I didn't clean my nail before I put it on. Before I applied the next one I went over my nail with an alcohol pad and it stayed on with minimal chipping (the chipping could probably have been avoided by sealing it with a top coat). I kept it on for three days before I decided to peel it off. Lotion helped it to come off with little damage to the nail.

These function the same as Sally Hansen nail strips, which makes me even more disappointed they are so narrow. But it gives me hope that other companies will start producing their own brand of nail polish stickers and the price will come down. These are a fun way to add accent nails in the meantime.

Look Who's Back

What irony. I post a comment on a blog post about what to buy and not buy at the Dollar Tree, and I find my old Dollar Tree blog!

See it here: http://www.holy-craft.com/2012/02/things-to-buy-at-dollar-storeand-few.html

Ladies LOVE the pregnancy tests! (Thankfully I have no use for them as of now.)

I had just been thinking about starting this up again the other day and was worried I had lost the link. Well, here I am and here is my come back post: my gargantuan comment from the blog that led me here:

Wow. This has gotten a little TL:DR, but I will add my bit to make it even longer. Microfiber cloths are a good deal here, two to a pack. I love Reynolds Wraps pre-cut foil. They make great toaster oven "pans" oven/cookie sheet liners and foil packets. They also have floppy water bottles in now that are dish-washer safe and nice to carry to work. Other things I buy that are cheaper than at the grocery store: Nail polish remover, cotton balls, shaving cream, toothbrushes, Listerine-like mouthwash, generic Benydryl/cold medication/Zyrtec, dog bones, Goop hand cleaner (great for getting nail polish remover off), generic Woolite, gauze wrap, Goo Gone, ace bandages, antibiotic cream, salycidic acid astringent, salicydic acid face wash, acne cream, scar gel(which I think is wishful thinking, but if you're going to buy it you might as well pay less), they sometimes have generic Tide pens, hair brushes, nail glue, they have come out with some very nice body wash lately, and sometimes you can find some nice picture frames. Don't buy their staplers or regular scissors- they stop working fast. But I use their hair scissors on my dog and they have stayed sharp. Travel sizes are slightly cheaper at Wal-Mart, but this is a great place to buy travel stuff you wouldn't mind losing like bath poufs and cheap sunglasses. Suduko books! Most stores sell Sally Hansen discontinued or overstock products, like InstaDry polish, but they sell out fast. They also have Betty Crocker branded kitchen utensils. I got a very nice silicone baster. The fake nails only come 12 to a pack, all different sizes. The designs sand off easily with a nail buffer (also sold here) if you want to customize them but get 2 packs. And I love the AsSeenOnTV knock offs you can usually find near the registers like grocery bag carriers and long-reach-grabbers. Don't buy the lens cleaning wipes- they just make your glasses streaky! And forget the batteries. I have bought some that work, but then some that didn't, I say buy them at Wal-Mart so you don't pay for duds. And they have something called "Hot Patches." Those are just icy hot strips that fall off easily, not generic Thermacares. The shower curtain liners seem like a good idea, but they last 3 months tops. The little holes are not re-enforced. The softener is also a no-go. Lysol is OK, my boyfriend thinks it stinks.  They sometimes have Cliff bars which I like to eat on the go, but I have found they are always cheaper at my grocery store, and are available in more flavors. Same for Renuzit air fresheners, I think the ones at the grocery store are fresher because there is a higher turn over. Chair back supports are great! Their bath fizzies, bath salts and bubble bath make nice gifts to others or for yourself. Another thing to avoid are the CD/DVD books- the last one I bought fell apart as I was putting the CD's in! Headphones are also not a good idea in any form, bud, padded or speaker. I bought some dog treats there by Sargent's, which is a brand name, and they made my dog's poop weird- bright orange (color of treat) with, like, mucus in it. I threw them away and it never happened again. Wall Decals are super cheap and available in some really cute designs. I recently bought some paper lanterns and decals and spruced up my kitchen bar area for $6. Mrs. Freshley's snacks are pretty good, but I'd avoid the cookies made in other countries. They taste terrible! I bought knock-off Mexican Nutter Butters and they tasted like nothing. Molasses cookies? Make your own pun. I will close this extremely long comment by saying: DON'T BUY THE TWEEZERS. They all suck.

But that's not all folks! Things I forgot to add:

Good To Buy:
Thermometers
Chlortrimeton
Tooth brush covers
Round cotton pads
Colormates Lipstick- super moisturizing
Mini sewing kit
Potpourri spray
Reading glasses
Glasses cases
Hammer
Screwdriver
Mini screwdriver kit
Wisps (single serving toothbrushes)
Dog bones
Dog squeaky toys
Travel dog bowl- can be put through the washer!
Extra dog bowls -I like mine heavy, but plastic ones are good for when the ceramic ones are being cleaned or for travelling
Birthday cards
Calculators
Velcro cable bundlers/markers
Dog brushes/combs
Hand lotion- this may not be the greatest lotion, but it is nice to put next to your soap so you can re-moisturize your hands after you wash them. I wash mine a lot and they get dry easily.
Notecards
Baked potato microwave trays -I thought I did not need them, but then I cooked a potato in the microwave and it was super messy.
Dog poo-poo bag holder
Dog poo-poo bags
LA Colors Nail Art nailpolish
Glitter
Super glue

Not Good To Buy:
Sandpaper- the sand seemed to not be stuck to the paper very well
Big multi-packs of toothbrushes and covers -flimsy
Aim toothpaste -Does not contain anti-tartar ingredients. It does taste good though!
Dog collars- It broke the same day I opened it. I was on a walk and my dog went running around the neighborhood. It's so cheaply made, I don't know what dog could wear one and not break it! Really dangerous. DO NOT BUY.
Band-aids- do not stay on
Packing tape
Duct tape -no stick to either of these
Jordache perfume- I gave these a shot. I went to a Dollar Store in a different area and smelled them all. I found one that didn't make me gag (Stella McCartney) and bought it. When I got home, it made me gag. It was so horrible I couldn't even use it as an air freshener. When it comes to knock off perfumes, you generally should look to pay $3-10 for a semi-decent one. Great gag gift though. Literally!
Generic Chapstick- I bought the blue kind on the go and it was almost like Vicks. Maybe good for when you have a cold.
Wax melts -do not have much smell
Donna Michelle foundation- it is like tinted lotion, which is not enough coverage for me
Flea control -I really wouldn't trust what I saw there. Can't remember the brand name, but it said "All Natural," and that really isn't a substitute for proven flea prevention methods. Trust me, fleas are the pits.
Lotion -I haven't found a good one yet, but I'm spoiled by B&BW.
Trash bags -super thin
Garlic salt -there's SUGAR in it!! Augh, it was the sickest thing ever. I used a few times and it just tasted wrong. I eventually looked at the label and threw it in the trash.
Paper towels -bad value

Also, I have to rescind one of my earlier reviews and say do not buy the USB iPod/iPad/iPhone cords- they will work for a couple months, and that's it. It's worth buying a higher quality cord to not have to wiggle it around and to have the cord last for years.

Alright, well that's all I can think of for now! I am sure I will be visiting my local Dollar Tree soon and dig up some more dirt to review. That reminds me: the hand trowel I bought there was nice! That was a good buy. The little bags of soil, however? Not a good deal. I got a giant bag at Giant Eagle for less. And the plastic pots have no drainage holes, pass on them. And so it goes...

LA Colors Nail Hardener-Strengthener

I have weak nails. No matter how much calcium I put into my body, they bend and snag and break all over the place. Thus, it is really hard to grow them out. But I found a secret weapon: and it's not what you think! It's wearing glue on nails. Over two weeks (and two sets of nails) I grew my nails almost as long as the fake nails! I haven't had nails this long in years. I love it. And I want to keep them this way. So I remembered they sold the hardner/strengthener at The Dollar Tree. I have been skeptical of these products in the past- I think I tried a colored Sally Hansen "Hard as Nails" polish once and was very disappointed. But so far this is working great! I've only snagged two nails in four days of using my hands extensively and had minimal breakage associated with those snags. If I do the "bend test" (gently bending my nail tip down to see if it will break easily) I notice definite toughness where the hardener has not chipped off. The only drawback is that after about 7 coats my nails are acquiring a weird looking transparent, light blue sheen. But that is easily fixed by putting a colored polish over it.

Double Coupons- It Pays to Ask

I am very tired and did not have a good day today, so I'm going to take a break from reviewing Dollar Tree products and tell you a story. A story that happened today. A story about doubling coupons. As I mentioned in the introduction I am trying to master the art of couponing (while also trying to figure out how to get rid of my dogs fleas [I've LITERALLY tried EVERYTHING, poor guy], pack for my move in a month, get ready to take a college class, figure out which medicine I'm on is making me dehydrated, find a job, and stay sane), which I have found is like bingo crossed with a hidden object game crossed with...well, it's a really complicated game. I clipped all the coupons I have, but they're not for anything I need. I scanned the ads, and I couldn't get anything for free. Most of my coupons didn't even apply to the sales

Couponing tip #1: Stores seem to have the same brands on sale at the same time. Everyone from Dollar General to CVS to Giant Eagle had Maxwell coffee, Gilette razors and Dove deodorant on sale, for example.

So I found a resource online (which is hard to trust because coupon policies differ from one store to the other) that said Meijer doubles coupons. Their website said they only double coupons during certain special times. I saw they had Bic products for .89-2.49. I had two coupons. I went thinking they probably wouldn't double. In fact, I was so sure I didn't buy all .89 products- I thought "I'll be practical and get the more expensive pencils for back to school." I don't even really think I needed them. My coupons were for $1 dollar off any Bic product so I bought two packs of pens, the pencils and a pencil refill pack. I took my coupons to the register and as I was checking out, I asked if that Meijer doubled coupons.

Couponing tip #2: Always ask if the store doubles coupons at the register. Read on.

The girl wasn't sure. Were the coupons supposed to be doubled? She didn't know. So much to my surprise, she doubles them! If I had went with my original plan to get the cheapest products, I could have walked out of there with .40 and given the two extra bags of pens to charity helping kids go back to school. But because I was "practical" and did not, I ended up spending $1.63. The moral of this story is:

Couponing tip #3: Always go with the cheapest option for the coupon you have if you think there is a chance of doubling. If you do not need all the cheap items, put a few expensive items in your cart along with them so if you change your mind later you can be smooth at the register.

So that was my first attempt at couponing. I got about seven dollars worth of school supplies for $1.63. At the end of the day, I succeeded, but I still wish I had that forty cents. Every cent counts! :)

Reading glasses

I have mild near sightedness, and mild eye strain when I read for long periods of time. So I thought it would be a good idea to get reading glasses. And where else to get them but The Dollar Tree? Every Dollar Tree has at least on spinning rack of reading glasses ranging from 1.00+ to 3.25+. If there are higher magnitudes I do not know, I wear a 1.25+. These reading glasses are, well, let's call them "delicate" instead of cheap. You can't be throwing these around. I bought three pairs and three hard cases to go along with them (review later) because I thought it was worth the investment to have them not break. One time in college I got reading glasses for finals and they were $20.00 at CVS with no case. I believe they are just a bit less at Wal-Mart. So even if you get multiple pairs and a case for each one, you are still saving money.

A note about cleaning the glasses: As I state in my reviews of Dollar Tree's spectacle lenses and microfiber glasses cloths, there really is no good way to clean glasses available at The Dollar Tree. They have them hanging right by the glasses for you to impulse buy, but just say no! They both get my seal of disapproval.