Author Archives: The Jewish Lady

When Good Product Reviews Go Bad

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One of the biggest perks of blogging—for me, anyway—is getting to do product reviews. Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to receive more goodies than I ever thought possible: food, games, beauty, supplements, clothes, books, kid’s stuff, Judaica, decor, etc. (Honestly, the list is wild!)

Because I’m often stuck at home due to chronic pain and other health problems, finding a package waiting on the door step is quite often the high point of my day. In fact, there are days when I feel so crummy, it may be the only good thing!

I know that some bloggers become very apathetic over time, so used to the freebies that they start to feel entitled. I’ve always been the exact opposite. Every single time I open a surprise, I feel such excitement! Sure, it’s nothing earth shattering, but I enjoy it and I feel blessed by it.

Not every item I receive, of course, is wonderful. Most are decent, and when they’re not, I have made it a rule not to write negative reviews and trash companies for no reason. Just because the product isn’t to my liking doesn’t mean it’s bad for everyone, after all. 

This week, I had two reviews, which I expected to be 5-star, end up being a complete disaster. 

The first involved a meal delivery service that focuses on weight loss. They send out a month’s worth of frozen food that is supposed to produce great results. Obviously, free food is hugely popular and gaggles of bloggers applied. I felt so honored to be included and had already started outlining my blog posts and some recipes that would work. When the box actually showed up, it was not what I expected. I always communicate carefully with food companies about my dietary restrictions. Most will immediately let me know if it’s a problem. I hadn’t heard anything, so it was pretty surprising when an assortment of pork ribs, pork sausage, bacon, cheesy chicken, and shrimp arrived! 

Aside from the frozen veggies, plain eggs, and some plain fish fillets, I didn’t find any of it appealing. Mind you, this box was the size of a small coffin and retailed for over $300.00. I felt so horribly guilty for not wanting it and also for not being able to review it. The company, to their credit, was extremely gracious and took the blame. I’m not sure where the error was along the line, but it’s not cheap for them to send out food boxes that don’t generate good publicity. 

So, that made me feel terrible….

Then, there was the scarf incident. How can a scarf review possibly go wrong, you might ask? When the company presumes you will wear it as a head covering rather than as a fashion accessory! I have no problem with ladies who want to cover their hair, but that is something I will not do, nor is it something I advocate. I come from a Reform Jewish background and nobody in my community wears scarfs, or wigs, or hats for religious reasons. Evidently, the sender mistakenly thought I was Orthodox, maybe because she is Orthodox. I am not. After 5 very contentious emails with the scarf’s creator, she not only criticized me for showing my hair, she also was upset that I wouldn’t wear it just for a promotional picture. 

Could I have taken the picture to please her? Sure, but it wouldn’t be authentic and my readers know that. I have spent years discussing my beliefs and habits and building up trust with my audience. I talk about coloring my hair, what I’ll pay for a hair cut, and constantly feature hair care items I buy with coupons. None of that would make sense if I head covered!

I don’t like to disappoint anyone. I don’t feel happy when a company regrets sending me a sample. I truly want every product review to be good. But if I’m being honest, I can’t make wild claims about stuff I don’t like, won’t use, or find inferior. That’s not helpful for me, for my readers, or the makers. 

Better communication might’ve prevented such misunderstandings. I will try to do better in the future. I don’t claim to be perfect, but I do try to be authentic. 

 

If you’re a blogger who’s been in a similar situation, how did you handle it?

$150.00 Basic Invite Stationary Giveaway

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Buying stationary online can be extremely confusing. Every company claims to offer the biggest and best selection. Unfortunately, most fall short. For me, the most important factor is choice. I want tons of designs, tons of colors, tons of fonts, and a variety of paper. I want to be able to combine them in my own way, to reflect my unique preferences. 

What I want is a high-quality, customized product from a reputable company that won’t make me wait for months. That’s why I love Basic Invite. With a motto like “Your colors, Your style, Instantly,” it’s obvious that they not only understand my needs, they’re happy to accommodate them. 

Gorgeous Stationary:

Having stationary with your very own name on it may seem like a luxury, but it’s actually quite affordable. With almost unlimited color options (160 choices, including gold and silver foil!) and instant previews online, you can make sure it’s exactly how you want it, down to the littlest detail.

In the modern world, most of us receive very few paper letters and cards. That is something I’d like to change! Taking a few minutes out of the day to send a personalized greeting is fun for me and the recipient is sure to be impressed.

Truly Custom Samples:

Basic Invite is one of the few websites that will allow customers to order a printed sample of their invitation before ordering the whole bunch. By having an actual printed sample, it’s much easier—and more cost effective—to select the right font and paper quality. I know that I’d rather goof with just 1 instead of 500!

Truly Custom™ samples are available for wedding invitations, Save the Date, bridal showers, baby showers, birth announcements, Thank You cards, and more.

Jewish Events:

Their assortment of Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah invitations is truly enormous! One of the biggest trends I’m seeing right now are photo cards. It seems like every member of the “Selfie Generation” prefers to have an image, front and center, like these adorable cards. Other cool design options are watercolor ombre, confetti, stripes, and swirls. Those who prefer something classic have multiple Star of David and Tallis designs to choose from.

Basic Invite is so confident of their products, they offer a Love It Guarantee. In short, either you love it or they’ll make it right—guaranteed. Orders will either be reprinted or can returned for free. This is very rare for customized products and shows how much they care about customer satisfaction! 

 

One lucky winner will receive a $150.00 credit to buy the stationary of their choosing from Basic Invite! This giveaway will be open thru 8/31/17. Good luck to all. 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

What kind of stationary do you prefer? I love block letters written in purple!

Top 5 Pantry Ingredients to Always Have Available

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Keeping a well-stocked pantry makes cooking not only less hectic, but also more exciting. (Bland food may fill you up, but it sure doesn’t taste good.) While individual preferences do vary, there are certain items I have found to universally friendly. All of these are easy to find, inexpensive, and will be used almost daily. Here are my top 5 pantry items to always have available:

1. Olive Oil – Use it to cook, to make salad dressing, to make sauces, and for homemade beauty treatments. (One interesting thing I learned: Check the country of origin. If there are multiple countries listed, it may be a blend of many oils and should be avoided.

2. Garlic – Available in whole cloves, commercially cut, and dried, there’s a form that will work for everyone, even if you barely cook. I love to add fresh garlic to almost anything savory like soup, salad, meats, sides, bread dipper, etc.

3. Lemon – I greatly prefer whole fruit to bottled juice, but both work. Try a dash in water or tea, add it to fish or chicken, squeeze over cooked or raw veggies, or use as a pretty garnish.

4. Salt & Pepper – Unless it’s a dessert, nearly every recipe I feature will advise “Salt/Pepper to taste.” Normally, I use regular non-iodized table salt, but there is a wide variety of coarse, kosher, colored, and flavored ones to choose from. For pepper, my top pick is the Black Peppercorn McCormick grinder, which are much fresher tasting than the pre-ground.

5. Cinnamon – This one might surprise people, but I use it daily in my coffee. (Add a tsp. while brewing for the best taste!) It’s also great in oatmeal, baked goods, with chicken, and on whole or mashed sweet potatoes.

 

What is your #1 pantry ingredient?

What Kind of Posts Do You Want Featured on TJL?

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Recently, a reader commented about a Panda Express giveaway that had expired. I replied that such feedback was very helpful for me because if there’s a specific request, I can try to fulfill it. Knowing folks may want another chance to win a Panda Express gift card is awesome!

TJL is not just about me, my life, and my views. It is also a forum, where readers are encouraged to share whatever matters to them. So, I’m opening up the floor and inviting everyone to chime in.

What kind of posts would you enjoy reading? Giveaways are obviously the most popular, but we cover a wide range of topics around here. Pick a category, an issue, or ask a question. I will do my best to answer everyone.