Have Some Milspouses Been Holding Out on the Rest of Us?

I could be wrong. Indeed, I could.

And I want to believe. Indeed, I do.

But I'm not buying it. I am....head down....a cynic.

I don't believe that a piece of putty can fix a broken link in a chain, and then render that chain capable of holding up a concrete block. You know why? Because it that were true I would know about it firsthand. How, you ask? Because every military spouse I know would have a stash in his/her garage. I know Homefront Six would. Forget hammers and nails and drills and screws. Forget handymen. No, we'd need only to cut a piece of putty, knead it with our fingers and then stick it on a wall or a car part or a leaking pipe or a chain link.

Guess what else I don't believe? I don't believe that those bags keep your fruits and vegetables fresh for up to 30 days. You know why I don't believe this? Because, once again, military spouses would be buying them in bulk. I mean, really....

Who wants to go to the commissary more often than they absolutely have to?

And speaking of fruits and vegetables, I love tomatoes. Love them. I've always grown them from the ground up, but apparently there is a product that will allow you to hang a planter and grow them upside down. Now that's something I could get behind. Or under, as it were.

Now, why hasn't the active milspouse scrap booking contingent been all over that fancy-looking cutting machine that has a back light and all those fancy-schmancy blades? Why, Guard Wife. Why?   

I'll bet milspouses would love a product that makes urine spots disappear, wouldn't they? Especially during those nail-biting home inspections. But again, I've never heard another pet-owning milspouse say, "Hey, I bought this spray that made Fido's accidents disappear and I passed inspection with flying colors."

Oh, and no more lugging around all that Tupperware and those mish-mashed lids from duty station to duty station. I bet I have two full boxes of them. No worries, there's such a thing as smart lids now. They are compact, too. There's something to be said for space-saving items given the not-so-spacious places we sometimes find ourselves occupying. Reportedly, these lids do all kinds of amazing things. Again, I'm sure this is something military spouses could appreciate, for a variety of reasons.

You see, my husband once bought me one of those hand choppers that were supposed to be the latest and greatest in the chopping world. It was an awful product. Very ineffective. Since then, I've developed a hostility towards these things. But I could be wrong. Perhaps these products are as amazing as they appear to be on television. Perhaps the makers of these products are just so darn generous that they will double or triple the offer if I call right now. Perhaps there's a good explanation for why I haven't seen most of these products on store shelves. Maybe it's because once they arrive, they just fly off the shelves so fast that by the time I finally get there, they are already out of stock. Every single time.   

Perhaps milspouses have secretly been using this stuff and holding out on the rest of us. But the way the grapevine works, I rather doubt that's the case. But again, I'm willing to concede I could be wrong here and that I've been missing out on the wonder products of my generation.

I've been threatening to buy some of these products just to confirm that my skepticism is well-placed. Each time a commercial comes on, I say as much to Mr. Andi. I think he's tired of hearing it. A couple of nights ago, he said to me, "Please, Andi. Please just order anything you want." So I think I will. And maybe I'll video blog my findings. It's a win-win proposition, really. Either my suspicions will be confirmed, or I'll discover new ways to make life easier and produce last longer - even the produce I grow myself. Upside down.

At the top, I said, "I'm not buying it." But maybe I will. What do you think I should test first?  I just ask that you tell me quickly because if I call right now, I'll get a triple order...

Comments

[Love My Tanker]

Let me know how the 'green bags' work b/c my youngest child is always talking about how he saw them on TV, so they must work! :)

[Soggy@Lewis]

I actually bought the "pedegg"? thing for feet...I love it. Much better than a pumice stone or any of those other things. My feet are smooth and its really easy to use.

[Andi]

Thanks for weighing in, Soggy@Lewis. Good to know. My feet could use somthing like that right now. They're a mess after this horrible winter (which has yet to go away).

[Kasey]

My mom is the 'As Seen on TV' queen. And I have learned from her mistakes.

The only gadget I swear by is my Scooba. Expensive, but worth the money and my floors are so so clean.

[mrssandsman]

My dad swears by those Hercules hooks - and he's Mr. Handyman!

[Samuel Windle]

The Marines are awsome!

[Samuel Windle]

I want to join the Marines and go to Iraq.

[jenny]

I love my Magic Eraser, it even takes scuff marks off of my husband's Bates Lites. My dad bought one of those ziplock air sucky out vacuum sealer things and it works great, we even tried reusing the bag lol(just to see if you could even though it says not to) and it works like a charm even now... We mailed my husband Krispy Kreme in his carepackage and it got there fresh still soft. The dark blue lysol brand toilet cleaner in the black bottle will clean surface: toilet, sink, tub, tile, anything. With very minimal effort, but it smells like peppermint and will bleach anything that isn't solid and burn if it touches your skin so wear gloves. LOL.

Where are you people at? LOL Because every time I've lived in housing, the spouses on my blocks' idea of fresh veggies was a new can of Veg-all? And cleaning, lets just suffice to say one house could smell the other houses cat urine through the firebreak wall and I slipped on a BURRITTO in another woman's LIVINGROOM and fell into a half eatten pizza and had a bruise so big I could barely walk for a week. I have not had the pleasure of living around other spouse who rank cleaning or proper nutrition among their priorities. lol

[Laura, a Military Mom]

If all that stuff worked I'm sure we would all be hearing of it....somewhere! The only product that I have found that I KNOW works because it was used on my "US Army" sweatshirt in my home after I spilled chocolate down the front of it...is...The TIDE TO GO pen. It really works and I have given them away and have them everywhere..at work, in the cars, in the kitchen for the ER spills at meals. If you find some other wonder product please pass it on...because if it works for you I'm willing to try it!:)

[Andi]

Never heard of the Hercules Hooks, but I have used the Magic Erasers, you can find those in stores. They have worked okay for me (I know AFW loves them), but I hate that they are white because they get grubby looking right away...

[Ann M.]

This was a great post, Andi! The one thing that I have that I bought off the TV was the vidalia chop wizard. I have to say that it takes waaay more effort to chop than they make it look like in the commercial. However, even slicing an onion into three or four pieces before I stick it in there, I'm still getting it done faster than me chopping it myself. I am SLOW.

[jenny]

as far as chopping goes, I bought a mini food processor, it's about the size of an electric pencil sharpener at a Waccamaw going out of business sale for $5. It iwll hold about one large onion in the canister and it works like a charm!! I have a hand chopper (old fashioned kind with the piece of wood in the bottom) that I use for nuts that I got at the goodwill 75 cents and a stainless one I use when I just need a little bit of stuff chopped that I got at Ikea for like $4.

[Linda]

I am a GREEN BAG LOVER...absolutely and honestly. They DO work! I have only been using them for about a month now...got them when my hubby was gone on tour. Figured I would use them before he got home and then SHOW him that they work. And now? My husband actually got upset the other day because I didn't put the bananas back in the bag and they went ripe in a day or two...as opposed to the week they stayed in without turning brown. I posted about these on my blog because I loved them so much. They positively do work. Don't know how, or why, and honestly don't CARE, but I love the fact that my strawberries will stay perfectly edible for more than 1 1/2 days. Grapes? I just finished my last bag which lasted for...gasp....18 days! REALLY! I used to have to buy smaller bags of grapes, fewer bananas, because even though we are BIG fruit eaters, they just did NOT last (and don't get me STARTED on fruit from WalMart). But the green bags, oh, the GREENY GREEN BAGS....my life is different. Tomatoes, cucumbers...last and last.

BUT...there is "maintenance" required. You need to get the fruit/veggies fairly dry to begin with. And you need to wipe any condensation out as you use the fruit.

And I'm with Soggy...I just got the Pedegg two days ago. For the first time (since my one and only paid-for pedicure) my heels don't have cracked, crusty edges. I don't feel like the "hook" side of velcro walking on rugs (really, I would get STUCK sometimes!).

I also own the Vidalia Chop Wizard and love that to pieces. Used to take me about 2 hours to chop fruit for a fruit salad (I make a BIG and MEAN fruit salad)...now, it's done in 1/2 hour or less.

I own the Swivel Sweeper, too...and I don't have a broom in my house now.

I have the "liner" for the oven...the easiest thing to clean up!!!

There are a few losers out there, so it's buy at your own risk.

But I HIGHLY recommend the GREEN BAGS. Totally. Get with a girlfriend and share an order to start with....you won't be sorry!

oh...and that scrapbook cutter? I have one...though not the exact one they advertise...and not lighted, because I KNOW that light has nothing to do with it. It's just a simple rotary cutter. Carl makes one...with a bazillion blades. You get the ones you WANT, not the ones the ad will send you. That one would be a total loser for me.

[Andi]

Aha - so I don't have to try the green bags out now. Linda says they work....

One down, several more to go.

Two testimonials for the pedicure thingy. I might have to order one....

[plc]

There are these amazing things out there that you can buy at any grocery store...the ziplock bag! They are great for absoulutely everything. I can't imagine how the world functioned before ziplock bags. Travel, food storage, scrapbook storage, keep all the panty hose sorted, mix an omelet, cut a corner off for frosting decorating.

But seriously; there are stores now that are actually called "As Seen On TV", and they carry all that stuff you see on TV. One of the first things that the main guy that does the TV commercials made was this thing that is supposed to blend/mix your egg while it is still in the shell. I want to see this thing! I don't know if they still offer it, but that I would have to try!

[jenny]

I know the Macarthur Mall in Norfolk had an As Seen on TV store in it next to the sharper Image I think it was on the second floor.

[Shanna]

I'm thinking Linda watches a lot of late night T.V. with a credit card in hand...LOL!

[Penny]

Hmm.. This is a great post Andi! There's actually one product I've been curious about ( I can't remember the name of it) but it's like a sheet of clear paper and you can put it over an type of lid, push it down and it stays & locks itself in (somehow??) and voila! No more spills, no more worrying about finding lids.. well, at least according to As Seen On TV.. has anyone else seen this?

[wendy]

I was loving my Swiffer Wet Jet, until my friend told me it reminded her of mopping with a maxi pad. ew!

Jenny - you really slipped on a burrito? now that's bad. Makes me feel a little less guilty about not mopping as often as I should...

[mark]

Penny, I don't know about an as-seen-on-TV version but glad's press and seal wrap does exactly the job you've described, we use it on everything in our house.

[liberal army wife]

I've been wondering about the Pedegg... may have to look for that. as for the hercules hooks... wonderful! less and smaller holes in the walls. all our pictures are up using those.

As for the green bags... hm. I dunno. I hated the swiffer wet jet, only because the solution just smelled so strong! and sweet. We mop with white vinegar and HOT water.. works on tile and lino and laminate.. cheap as chips and deodorizes without that cloying smell. but now that wendy stuck that vision in my head... very very ewwwww. Jenny, I'm so sorry. that's just.... nasty.

LAW

[Linda]

Shanna,

I'm an insomniac...what can I say. One of these days, there will be a delivery at my door for 100 carats of mixed gemstones...I am FASCINATED by jewelry television, lol!

I don't need my credit card in hand...I know the number by heart, lol! Can't take a credit card away from me unless you cancel the account!

[Shanna]

Linda,
You're too funny! Forget the sponsor's social, ladies, memorize the credit card number!!!!! Confession: I, too, am fascinated by the jewelery channel.

[Soggy@Lewis]

The PedEgg is now available at Linens and Things and Target...you don't have to order it off the TV!! Whoo hoo. I may try those Green Bags now. I can't keep fresh fruit and veggies around and I hate going to the Commissary so much.
(Confession: I bought a ring and earrings from QVC- I love Diamonique stuff, cheap but pretty and no one can tell the difference if you buy the smaller more realistic pieces. Of course if you buy the 6 carat ring, someone will put 2 and 2 together that it's phony)

[jenny]

Wendy.. YES! lol... I stopped to drop off something the woman wanted to borrow from one of my (at the time) step sons for her daughter, my dog pulled out of his collar and ran her house, she wouldn't get him because company was comingover and she didn't want to mess up her nighty (a whole OTHER )sotory so she made me go get him and the living room was such a maze of piles of sh*t, my dogs was going nuts over the feast before him and I reached down to grab him, took a step forward, hit the burrito (tile floors in Norfolk housing) and went down, hot a baby rocking chair and landed in an upside down half eatten pizza. LOL... oddly enough this sort of mess didn't seem uncommon from the insides of housing I've seen. LOL... I was starting to think I was the only one that didn't like 3 inches of scum on everything! LOL.

[jenny]

hehe sorry there for the typos, got to typing too fast!

[dizzylizzie]

space bags are great. ive used them for lots of things. you can reuse them so long as you are GENTLE about it. ive ripped quite a few. make sure you fill the bag with it laying on its side and the stuff you put in them you FOLD. at first i was holding the bag upright and jamming clothes in there. the bag was all bulgy and the clothes came out wrinkled a month later.
recap: space bags are great. lay bag flat and fold clothes. be gentle when reusing.