The Chronic Consumer

My last post about the popcorn popper reminded me of another recent purchase I made: Kernel Season’s Popcorn Seasoning. I grabbed a couple containers of this seasoning when I bought the machine and kernels, and though I didn’t get the popper working, I still was able to try out Kernel Season’s. The verdict? This stuff is awesome!

Kernel Season’s is a powder-like substance that comes in a variety of flavors like Ranch (which I bought), Parmesan & Garlic (also bought), Cheddar, White Cheddar, Nacho, Butter, Caramel, Cajun, and more. You just sprinkle it over popcorn to add some delicious extra flavoring. It really does do the trick, as my popcorn has never tasted better.

Kernel Season’s can also be used on soup, potatoes, salads, pasta, pizza, and whatever else you can think of. I love seasoning my fries with this stuff too.

It costs $3.99 for a 2.7oz shaker, which initially seems like a lot. But the product lasts a long time, even when used liberally.

I’m hooked and I can’t wait to try out all the other flavors just as soon as I can!

A couple weeks ago I bought this Presto Poplite Popcorn Popper while visiting my mom’s house. I’d been thinking about getting one of these things for a long time, and out of boredom (all I did during the visit was go shopping every single day), I ended up making the purchase. Why I decided to buy this thing out of state and then NOT KEEP THE RECEIPT boggles the mind now.

So wouldn’t you know it — as soon as I got home and tried this Presto Poplite Popcorn Popper out, I learned that it didn’t work. And without a receipt, I’m kind of stuck with it. I don’t know what the problem is. It’s a simple machine in that there aren’t any switches or anything. All you do is plug it in and it’s supposed to work.

But when I plug mine it, it turns on for a little bit (I can feel the machine warming up), but never gets hot enough to actually pop any corn. So I’m assuming it’s an electrical problem somewhere on the inside. Sigh.

The machine only cost around $20, so it’s not like I’m out a bunch of money that could have been used for a car payment or a vacation stay at some Outer Banks rentals. But still… I just hate the fact that I didn’t even get to use this machine at all. I really wanted a way to have a healthy, delicious snack, and air popped popcorn would have been totally perfect. Guess I’ll never know now, though.

I’ve been doing pretty well sticking to my exercise schedule and want to continue my outdoor workouts even during winter. That’s why I recently spent a lot of money on Under Armour gear, including these Frosty Tights.

Frosty Tights are a “compression” product that utilize Under Armour’s “ColdGear Fabric” technology to keep you warm in bad weather. These tights are meant to be used as a base layer, so I wear them under sweats or wind pants when I walk/jog outdoors. Thank goodness for that, because they’re so tight that my thighs and butt look huge in these things. I feel like I need to take weight loss supplements just to fit into my exercise gear!

Anyway, I’ve tried out the Frosty Tights on a few occasions already, and have to say that they really do keep me warm. I haven’t worn them on really cold days yet, as the temps haven’t dipped below freezing in my area. But once that happens, that’ll be the real test for these tights. So far so good though.

Admittedly, this is a product that sounds totally stupid and ridiculous, but actually could be really useful. I’m talking about the GoGirl “Feminine Urination Device”, which allows women to urinate while standing. This is supposed to be for those times where you can’t make it to a toilet, like when you’re camping, hiking, or driving in the middle of nowhere.

The device is made of silicone and is washable or disposable — your choice. In addition to the above-listed uses, you can also use a GoGirl over a public toilet so you don’t have to sit on the gross seat.

Anyway, it’s just $6.99 for one of these things, and they’re compact enough to be stored in the glove compartment, purse, backpack, etc. I might end up buying a few of these…!

Finding a comfortable sports bra is a challenge that most active women face. It’s hard to find one that is both comfortable and provides the amount of support need for fitness activities such as aerobics or jogging. I was in need of a new one recently, so I decided to try out something called the Modern Fitness Sports Bra from Champion.

This sports bra is available with a couple of good featues, such as “double dry” fabric technology that helps wick moisture away, a mesh back panel for breathability, and flat seems for added comfort. Moreover, the bras come with a support rating system that is designed to let you know how tight the bra will be.

These sound like good features, but unfortunately, the result isn’t as comfortable as I had hoped. Perhaps it’s just me, since I’m right in the middle of two sizes. If I go up a size, there’s simply not enough support. If I go down a size, the bra is tight and uncomfortable. But since it’s a sports bra, I figured tight is better than not, so I went down a size.

The sports bra is wearable for me, but it’s very tight around my shoulders, so I’m always aware that I’m wearing the bra, know what I mean? If I were able to find one of these in a good size, it would probably be comfortable. But as it is, I hate wearing this thing!

Sigh. I think I need a new laptop soon. Mine is nearly four years old at this point, and isn’t able to keep up with some of the video service subscriptions that I’m paying for. Now everything is available in HD, but my machine is so old that it can’t accommodate the better technology. Maybe if I knew anything about swapping out video cards, I’d be able to salvage my current laptop and save some money, but I don’t. So getting a brand-new laptop is just the easiest solution for me at this point.

Any recommendations?

For as much as I shop online, you’d think that I’d be extra vigilant about scanning my computer for spyware, adware, viruses, and other malware. After all, if some malicious bit of code made its way to my PC, my credit card number, bank account number, and important passwords could be compromised. But I actually got rid of my antivirus program because it made my machine so slow and laggy that I couldn’t stand it.

Dumb move, I know. Just because my old program was a resource hog, doesn’t mean every product on the market is. In fact, I was looking for some new antivirus software and came across something called Vipre from Sunbelt Software. Vipre has been hailed as the “next generation” in antivirus software, and is much better than what I was using before. Vipre will not slow my computer down, and its all-new technology will help uncover any vicious malware that happens to make it to my machine.

I’ve read some reviews about Vipre, and it has gotten raves from sources like PC Magazine, ZDNet, Download.com, and CNET. These are the biggies when it comes to tech product reviews, so if they like Vipre Antivirus, then I’m sure it’s awesome!

Anyway, I’m putting Vipre Antivirus Software on my Wish List for now, and I’m going to buy it as soon as I can. I think I’ve been computing without protection for too long already!

Winter is on its way, which means I need to start thinking about gearing up for the cold weather. I recently discovered how awesome Under Armour products are, and I think in addition to having a set of base layer shirts and pants for exercising outside, I’m also going to buy a set to wear under my clothes in the house just to stay warm.

For outdoors, I still have this jacket that I bought last year. It’s nice and warm, plus it’s obviously still in good condition since it’s only been through one season so far. I’m also thinking about buying a pair of UGG Bailey boots since I don’t have anything to protect my feet from the cold, snow, and rain.

I’m set with gloves and ear warmers, so it looks like I just have to save up for my Under Armour and Ugg Boots. Shouldn’t be too difficult!