Toyshoppe's Plubber Dog Toy for Petsmart

In my home I have two dogs with two very different opinions on squeaky toys.

My loving 5 year old Bichon, Baxter, is very careful with his toys. He still has the first toy we bought him as a puppy (a plush squeaky ball) that, other than regular wear, is in immaculate condition. My 12 year old Yokie, Rocky, on the other hand is a 12 lb squeaky toy destroying powerhouse! I can't even begin to tell you how many toys I have in my house that used to squeak but have now been silenced forever by the tiny terror. Rocky can literally de-squeak a Good Cuz/Bad Cuz toy in a matter of seconds and squeaky plush toys look like casualties of war once Rocky is through with them, stuffing and body parts everywhere! It has gotten so bad that Baxter will hide his favorite toys so that Rocky can't destroy them!

Needless to say, I am always on the lookout for a good durable squeaky toy that will last for more than 5 minutes with my little monster.

Last year I was at my local Petsmart and noticed a heavy squeaky toy called a Plubber, made by Toyshoppe exclusively for Petsmart. This toy is exactly what it sounds like, durable rubber covered in plush fabric (Plush + Rubber = Plubber!). I decided to give it a try and bought the duck for Rocky and the cow for Baxter. Despite Rocky's hardest efforts, a year later the Plubbers are still going strong! The duck's bill (which is material and stuffing) is still attached but deviod of stuffing, however the squeakers are still intact and working in both toys! I was worried about the fabric peeling off of the rubber (as Rocky also has the ability to skin tennis balls in a flash) but thus far the Plubbers have remained intact. I should also mention that these toys require more effort from your dog to be able to squeak them, but it also makes them a lot less annoying than conventional squeaky toys.

There are 8 animal designs to choose from: Fox, Rabbit, Bear, Duck, Raccoon, Cow, Chicken and Pig. The Plubber toys also come in a bone shape with 4 different colors: Leopard print, Red, Blue and Pink. They range in price from $8.99 - $10.99 but are worth every penny.

So if you have or know anyone with a squeaky toy murdering dog please stop by Petsmart and give the Plubber toys a chance. You'll be pleasantly surprised!

Pick up your own Plubber at Petsmart

Burger King's Bacon Poutine

Just the other day I was at Burger King and noticed that they have two new poutines, the Angry Poutine (which is topped similar to the Angry Whopper) and Poutine with Bacon.

For those that do not know what poutine is, it was developed in Quebec and consists of french fries topped with cheese curd and covered in brown gravy. Generally I love classic poutine and I also love bacon, so how could putting the two together not yield amazing results?

I ordered the Poutine with Bacon with my Angry Whopper combo (in place of the regular french fries). My poutine came loaded with cheese curd and tons of bacon. At first sight it looked delicious. The cheese curds were prefectly melted (still slightly chunky but warmed through) and the bacon was crispy. I took a fork full and prepared to delve into this wonderful looking concoction. The texture was good, but sadly my first bite was super salty. I thought that maybe I just dug into an area that had a lot of salt but every other bite that I took was sickeningly salty also. Now don't get me wrong, I like salty food but the salt in this was just overwhelming!

This is definately not something I would order again. I am planning to try the Angry Poutine on my next trip but I'm not holding out much hope.

Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eyeliner

This is a product I bought a few years ago. Normally I stick to pencil or liquid eyeliner, but when I saw this gel eyeliner I just had to try it. I bought this product in Midnight Black.

At first, I loved this liner. The formula was creamy (although a little on the drier side) and the product applied easily with Smashbox's Cream Eyeliner Brush #9. I could easily wear this for 8 hours without it smudging, flaking or transferring onto my top lid. I was also impressed when I got caught in a freak downpour and came out with my eyeliner still perfectly intact. I was also very please with the way this liner stayed on my waterline.

When I first bought this product I thought that it would only last a short time, considering the small container size, however it lasted much longer. The only downside I have with this product was that after about 5-6 months the remaining product began to dry out to the point where the brush would just be scraping off flakes of product. I could remedy this by adding a little bit of water to the pot before applying the eyeliner, but it was just never the same after that.

I would try this product again, but I just wish it came in a much smaller size so I could use it all before it dried out.

RoC Minesol SPF 20 High Protection Lipbalm

I very rarely get sick, but just before I get a cold or the flu I always experience horribly chapped lips. This normally starts a day or two before I get sick and can last up to 2 weeks. I have never been able to find a lip balm that will help with the dry, chapped feeling until I came across RoC Minesol SPF 20 High Protection Lipbalm.

My mother has used RoC products for years and I always saw them in her bathroom but never tried them. One day I had run out of my normal lip balm (the free stuff that my dentist gives out, which is actually quite good!) and my lips we feeling chapped like I had a cold coming on. On my way out the door to go to work I grabbed this product off of her counter and put it in my bag for the day. Although it did not ward off my cold, my lips did not get chapped like they normally do.

This lip balm goes on quite smooth and is not sticky or waxy in the slightest. I also love that it has an SPF in it for sun protection. The only major problem I have with this lip balm is that I tend to want to slather it on my lips which causes it to finish faster than it should.

So, if you're looking for a good lip balm, please give this one a try. It is a little pricey at around CAD$10, but is worth every penny.

St. Ives Apricot Scrub: Blemish and Blackhead Control

This is my all time favorite scrub! I have used this for years and can honestly say that if I were stuck on a deserted island this would be the one thing I would want to have with me (well besides an unlimited supply of food and perhaps my iPod).

Originally, I purchased this because I *really* enjoy exfoliating, but was finding that a lot of the products I tried were doing a less than stellar job. I stumbled across this at my local drugstore one day (literally tripped over the opened box that was in the middle of the store) and decided to try it because of the ground walnut shell. My first experience with this product was absolute heaven! Dead skin and blackheads were whisked away in seconds. My skin had never felt so clean and fresh. You can definitely feel the ground walnut shell doing it's job, it's not extremely harsh (at least to me - but if you have very sensitive skin you may want to avoid this product as it may be a little too much) and gets into every little nook and cranny. Aside from your face, this product is also great if you use it on your feet and hands!

Since my first experience with this scrub, it has been a staple in my bathroom. There are very few times when you will actually catch me without this in my morning routine. This is one product that I would recommend to everyone that loves to exfoliate. I never thought that I would find a great exfoliating scrub at the drug store and even more so not one from a common brand name.

I have found that a lot of people that complained about this scrub being way too harsh were also applying it to their face with a very heavy hand. The walnut shell has enough exfoliating power that there is no need to scrub heavily, treat it like you're putting lotion on a baby not wrestling an alligator!

*I  have also tried this product with the L'Oréal Paris' new Go 360° Clean Scrublet and have to say if you ever have the chance to try the two together then go for it!*

Revlon ColorStay Liquid Liner

My aunt and uncle from New Jersey came up for a visit a few months ago and just before their trip my aunt kept gushing about this great eye liner that she had found and how it had replaced all of her other liners. She told me that she would be bringing me one to try and imagine my surprise when she pulled out this baby!

I had tried this eyeliner years ago and found that, although I love the darkness of the black, the tiniest amour of moisture would make this liner run horribly. I ended up with black splotches on my eyelids and forget about using this near your waterline!

I decided that I would give this one more go, since I didn't want to hurt my aunt's feelings and I was also secretly hoping that they had improved on the formula. No such luck! I tried this multiple times and had the same result, it also seems like they had changed something (either the formula or applicator) because every time I tried to go over an area more than once the second coat seemed to wipe off the first and I would end up with a watered down, almost see through, grey line instead of a black line.

This is definitely not one eyeliner that I would recommend. The price is ok, but the quality is definitely not there.

iSkin Solo/Solo FX SE for iPhone 4/4S

After a few failed attemps at getting a decent durable iPhone 4 case from ebay, I wasn't really holding out much hope of finding something I really liked, until I came across this baby! The iSkin Solo FX SE for iPhone 4 is both stylish and durable.

I went through a few lesser quality iPhone cases and decided that I needed one of those heavy duty cases, but everything I found didn't appeal to me. Then I stumbled across the iSkin website and found this pretty little case. The Solo FX SE (and the Solo - same construction minus the pretty pattern) is described as "the ideal ways to keep your beloved iPhone 4/4S safe and looking good. Designed to be form-fitting, durable and functional, both bring bold looks and sassy personality to the already amazing iPhone 4."

After much deliberation, I decided to order the color "Cosmo" - a transluscent hot pink. For starters, my order was handled quickly, the case shipped the following day (I ordered late in the evening) and I received the package the day after that in perfect condition. Communication was great; I received a comfirmation email when my order was placed and another when my product shipped with the tracking number.

The case itself is pretty thick and sturdy, but not bulky in the slightest. I also like how it wraps around the front of the phone just enough to add a little punch of color (most of the cases I tried stopped almost flush with the screen). I have had other gel cases that lost their shape pretty quickly but months after receiving it my Solo case is still in perfect shape.

I've dropped my phone a few times since I have had the case and the case now has a few itty-bitty battle scars but nothing particularly noticable. The phone is still in perfect condition.

I would say that if you are looking for a case that is both stylish and durable, then you may want to look into the iSkin Solo or the Solo FX SE. I would definately recommend this case!

Visit iSkin.com to get your own!