The Frugal Guy: Telescopic Lens for Smart Phones

Hey again everybody,

This week I'm reviewing a telescopic lens I received from Wolf Tamir.  I received the product from them through Tomoson.com.  I've received a few items from Tomoson so check out the site if you're looking to get your own free products to try. This is my first product from Wolf Tamir, but you can check them out on Amazon by click here. They're a new company (relatively speaking) so if you buy anything from them that you like, be sure to give them good reviews!  Right now it looks like this is the only product they sell, but keep an eye out for more from them.

First of all, I'm not a photographer but I love taking pictures.  Can't say I'm particularly good, but I will say that I find it quite annoying when I want to zoom in on something and my camera can't capture what I want clearly.  This product solves that issue successfully, so there's no need to miss a mortgage payment to purchase a high-quality camera.

This came in a nice little package and includes simple instructions for how to use.  It also comes with a lens cloth and carry bag for the telescope.

I have a Samsung Galaxy J7, and this fits just fine on my phone.  The description on Amazon says that it fits most phones (2 to 3.5 inches) and the second picture above is the clip that goes onto your phone.  I tried with my case and it goes on but the telescope doesn't connect right so this product works best if you take your phone case off. Since this comes with instructions I won't go into details about how to use it, but there's a brief video below on how to adjust the phone clip.

I was able to fully assemble it the first time in about 5 minutes (faster the second time after I took off the case) so it's not difficult to put together. This is great if you're going some place and had to assemble it quickly. However, since there is more than one part, this probably works best if you're going someplace that you know you will need it, as opposed to just taking it out everywhere you go.

It also comes with a tripod that stood up fine for me under the weight of my phone and the telescope. The tripod is pretty essential in my opinion because when you have a long distance shot/zoom activated, movement can make the whole thing come out a blur.  This may also hinder use if you're on the go, but if you're taking pictures from a stationary position this will be perfect. Taking pictures of a flock of chimera will work great, but riding a chimera while trying to take a picture will likely result in failure. Note:  this might also be affected by the type of phone you have, so keep that in mind (Galaxy J7 isn't the best phone).

As far as how the pictures actually turn out, the lens did not seem to detract any of the quality of the photo (it also didn't add any). This is just pure zoom. This is key because usually zooming in causes the quality to degrade.

This is my camera with no zoom, taking a picture of the far wall in our house (ignore the mess)

This is my camera with the zoom as far as it will go (I'm standing in the same position)

Picture with the telescope attached, and my phone camera at zero zoom (same standing position)

Picture with the telescope attached and my phone camera at full zoom (same standing position)

As you can see it's a pretty close zoom and keeps good quality (as good as a J7 can get at least).  The black ring on the first telescope picture is because I didn't have the lens as snug as it could be.

So if you're looking for a great way to take long distance photos without buying an expensive camera, this is definitely a good pick for you.  Check out this product on amazon by clicking here.  Let me know of any questions.  As always, thanks for reading! Stay safe out there.

The Frugal Guy: Nursing Support (Boppy) Pillow

Hey Everybody. Today I'm discussing a wonderful invention that I once though was a waste of money. It's technically called a Nursing Support Pillow, but most people refer to them as boppy pillows (can't tell you why). I received this particular product for free (to test and review) from Asani (and MLC Distribution). Asani is the same company that was gracious enough to allow me to test their segmented glass containers for food.  A link to that blog is here.

As some of you may know, I recently welcomed my first child (I'll be putting up pictures soon!) into the world. My wife Kay mentioned she wanted to get one of these boppy pillows, but I was hesitant because I didn't see the benefit. Looking at the pillow, it just looks like a horseshoe and I didn't quite understand how it would be used or why it should be used (especially for the hefty price most companies charge for them).

Boy have my eyes been opened.

Though it's technically made for nursing, and Kay has used it a few times for that reason, we've both discovered that it works far better as a nap time pillow for our son. If he's fussy or wide awake, laying him on this pillow works like a charm to soothe him.

This particular pillow is the right amount of fluffy and gives to the touch just enough to keep little Paul as comfortable as he wants to be. The cover is extremely soft. In fact, when we first received the product we thought the cover was a part of the pillow. We soon realized the cover had a zipper and easily comes off for washing, but if someone told us it had no cover we would have believed them.  The cover is made from bamboo, which I'm all about as it's one of the better fabrics to use (in regards to human health and the health of the planet).  Because it's bamboo, it's also naturally antibacterial, so for me it's a miracle material and I will likely soon look into buying bamboo clothing as well.

Since the cover slips right off it's easy for washing.  We let it dry by air, but I don't think the product page on Amazon says if it should be air or machine dried. A few of the cover's threads are starting to come out, so hopefully that doesn't become a problem.

As mentioned above, the interior pillow is also very soft, but the stuffing has already started coming out of ours.  It hasn't affected the softness or integrity of the pillow or anything yet, so I still like this product, but if it continues to tear it may present a larger problem. We should be able to fix with a needle and thread, though I'm not sure why it started ripping since we haven't washed or roughly handled the pillow yet.

Overall I'd give this 5 stars for comfort. If there was a rating for environmental/hygiene, I would give it a 4 or 5 for that as well.  If you're in the market for a heavenly soft pillow for nursing, click here to buy this from Amazon now!

NOTE:  if you're also new to the whole parenting thing, DO NOT use this pillow as a substitute for crib sleeping. It is not safe for the infant to sleep on this unattended, and all naps our son takes on this are beside an awake parent to ensure his safety.  I believe they can be dangerous because the infant can slide down into the hole and suffocate.

The Frugal Guy: High Quality Segmented Glass Containers

Hey everybody. Today's post is about Asani's glass containers. I received these for free through Tomoson (website geared toward trying things for free or discounted). They are sold by MLC Distribution and fullfilled by Amazon.  You can check out any of the companies by clicking on the  names in the previous sentences.

Overall, these are some of the highest quality glass containers I've ever owned. The glass is thick and feels sturdy in your hands.  It really seems like both the lid and the glass container will last a long time.  In the past, glass containers I've used have almost always gotten chipped, and the lids always start to crack from the constant opening.  The design of these eliminates that problem, and I can see myself using them for many years to come.

The listing on Amazon mentions that these containers can be microwaved and put in the oven, and I believe them (though the lids might not hold up to that type of heat so I don't recommend putting these containers in the oven with the lids on.  The lids are exactly what I've been looking for, and snap into place on the four sides of the container.

Since they snap into place they create a far better seal than the press on lids (the type I've used in the past, mainly from pyrex or anchor). Because of the better seal, liquids can be transported in these as well.

Utensils also come with this (spoon, fork, and knife), and they are conveniently tucked away inside the top of the lid. They come with their own secure compartment that keeps them clean and away from any dirt/germs that may be sitting in your lunch bag or counter. The plastic is reported as being BPA-/toxin-free, so even though they're plastic they should be safe. Like with the lids, I still recommend against microwaving or putting them in the oven.

Overall I'd give these a perfect score if you're looking for a good, quality segmented container. The lid snaps on for a snug seal, it has it's own utensils, it's segmented to keep your food separate, and it's sturdy to last you years to come. Short of spawning a robot to feed me food from the container, I can't think of anything more to ask for from food storage.  Get your own container by clicking here or copying and pasting the URL below.

Product URL:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077F279X8

That's it for this post.  I hope this helps if you're in the market for some good, quality food storage.  Check out the container and feel free to ask any questions in the comments section.  Thanks for reading!

The Frugal Guy: Never Accept Beverage Items From TV Companies

It has been far too long since I've blogged, and it's high time I started again.  Life certainly took a less-interesting turn, but I suppose that's to be expected for a married man in urban West Virginia. Moving forward, this new chapter (I turn 30 in two weeks 😨😨😨) brings with it a slew of new challenges and potential joys that both excite and scare me witless. My wife and I bought our first house a little under a year ago, and our first child is making his debut in about a month. Both come with too much responsibility for me, but with God's help we'll get through it.

As many of you already know, I'm super frugal. Whether it's saving money with coupons, getting products for free, or using rewards websites to feed my growing addiction to paper cutouts of pocket monsters, I'm always looking for ways to save money.  Usually, this just benefits me, but with this blog I'm going to try and review some of these products/spread the news on products I've tried so everyone (reading this) can benefit. This first one won't benefit anyone, as access to it is all but impossible, but at least you'll know the truth about TV companies that also make beverage containers.

First up on the frugal blog agenda is something I received for free through Vizio's Fandemonium program.  The program was created to produce brand loyalty for Vizio, but it probably didn't yield much of a benefit because they're shutting it down in about a month.  I'd been a member for a few years, and managed to get a free picnic blanket, a free cooler, a free sweat towel (cause I'm so sweaty, gross), a free tote bag, some free song downloads, and most recently a free coffee tumbler. I don't even drink coffee, but I have started drinking tea so figured it would come in handy for that.

Wrong 😒

I'm a sold out supporter of glass products, and this is obviously not glass. Being stainless steel made me think it would be somewhat safe, and perhaps it is, but I'm paranoid so it's going to no use after my first use.

Here are pictures of the tumbler.

As far as tumblers go, it appeared to be a good enough quality. Has the standard twist top to open and close. Even came with a nifty second hole to allow air to enter so that pouring/drinking is smoother (or maybe the second hole is for something else entirely, and all the real coffee drinkers know the truth).  Seemed to insulate well enough, but it keeps the liquid inside about as good as clouds in the rainforest. I tried shaking soapy water inside during the cleaning process, and it went everywhere. After washing it a couple of times with a sponge and scrub brush, I gave it a few sniffs but it retained a metallic smell. I figured that was normal for metal cups (probably not true), and decided to fill it about halfway with apple juice (juice was to add to my chai tea at work to make it drinkable). I knew the tumbler leaked so I transported carefully. At work I poured it into my tea like usual.

Bad decision 😠😠

It ruined my tea and made me think I was licking a dirty quarter.  I may just be hyper sensitive and paranoid, but I gave it a sniff after dumping out the tea and the darn thing smelled like ranch salad dressing. You read right. Ranch. Salad. Dressing. The stuff that dresses salads. I have zero clues why it mysteriously took on this unusual aroma, but that aint normal so I'm done with blindly trusting this coffee tumbler as a safe beverage container.  If anyone wants this Vizio coffee tumbler to transport their ranch dressing, holler at me. Otherwise, Vizio, you need to stick to making television sets. Having a container that first smells like metal, makes the drink taste like metal, and then changes to smell like ranch dress seems dangerous.  Maybe it poisoned me so badly my sense of smell was mutated?!?

With whatever happened to my nose after the first sip, and with the way it made my tea taste, this turned out to be a bust, though I must say all the other free products I received from them were of good quality and I still use them all. Guess beverages just aren't a good fit for Vizio.

That's it for this post, but I'll be making posts periodically when I receive free products.  The next thing I have on deck is a set of glass containers so stay tuned.  I might also be receiving a Marshall speaker, but I feel like that one is just a dream and won't come true.  As always, thanks for reading!

PS---
To all the fans of the Third of Seven: stay tuned!  I'm done my final edit and have contacted the publisher.  Hopefully they respond with an acceptance of the sequel and their editor will begin work on it soon.  I'll post in the book blog when I hear back from them.

Rocky Mountain Oysters Don’t Come From Water

Rocky Mountain oysters may not be a delicacy, but there are unhealthier parts of the bull to eat. In fact, they have a number of health benefits, though the health benefits may not outweigh the psychological pain that comes from preparing these things. If you haven’t already scrolled down to see the pictures, and you have a queasy stomach, you may want to leave now because the pics are slightly graphic/disgusting.

Rocky Mountain oysters are bull testicles. The first person to try them must have been hungry because it’s not a very appetizing part of any animal, so I’m not sure how eating them was started. Still, they are more common than I would have imagined.

Raw, uncooked bull testicles

I looked up a few recipes on how to prepare the bull parts, but nothing could prepare me for the ordeal that is the preparation. I daresay this was the most psychologically scarring food I’ve ever prepared, and I hereby officially warn any and all males from preparing it. It hurt my own oysters somehow because there’s a lot of cutting and pulling (and it’s not exactly easy to pull off the parts you have to pull off) and it just didn’t sit right with my manhood. Basically, you cut and then rip the sheath off of the actual testicle. Then you soak it in saltwater, par boil, and you're ready to go with the below picture. 

After the mind-damaging preparation, I decided to cook these breaded and un-breaded, just to see a few differences in taste. For the breaded batch I used eggs, flour, pepper and a sprinkle of cayenne. For the un-breaded I didn’t season them. I fried them up in a pan with some oil (breaded and not) and was nervous to sit down and try them.

I told the bull I was sorry for taking and eating something so valued to the male species, but after that I dug in. I was surprised to discover that the taste was pretty good. I wouldn’t say it was excellent, and I wouldn’t try it again unless there weren’t many other options (mainly due to the psychological scarring that came from the preparation of the raw meat), but I ate it all and had zero complaints. It’s a little tangier and tougher than other cuts of beef, and honestly the beef flavor is very faint. The breaded version was a lot milder, as are most breaded foods, but I did enjoy them both.

For men: I recommend eating this at a restaurant. It’s worth trying and there are some male specific benefits that trump the male-specific disgust that might be associated with eating the dish. However, spare your mind and don’t make the same mistake I did. Don’t prepare this yourself!

For women: definitely tasty enough to try. 

Welp, that’s all for this addition. I think I’ll write up the iguana experience next. As always, thanks for listening with your eyes. 

More Like a Beaver Than a Rat

Most people cringe at the idea of eating something with the word rodent attached to it, and I must admit that I’m the same way. While I would try any type of food once (assuming trying it won’t kill me), there’s something about the cultural connotations of eating things like rats and mice that made me think twice about eating them. Still, thinking twice never stopped me from trying something and it sure didn’t stop me from trying this beast of a vermin.

I’m yet to see muskrat in a store somewhere, but it’s something that people hunt/trap. There seems to also be a negative connotation attached to the people that hunt/trap or eat muskrats, but I think the connotation is undeserved. While the word rat is in the name, muskrats are much more like beavers than rats. I hear people eat Beavers in some  parts of Maine, but until I have the privilege of traveling there, the muskrat will have to be as close as I get for now.

I got this particular muskrat from a friend at my mother’s church, so, sadly, I wasn’t the one who risked life and limb to catch this monstrosity of a rodent. Because it was caught fresh, it was delivered to me whole, and all but the skin, fur and guts came along.  As a particularly bloody meat, it had to soak overnight to help get some of the fluid out. Some sources say this also helps lower the “gamey” taste, but I had no interest in that (as I always want to taste the true flavor of the meat).

After the meat was soaked I opted to bake this thing whole. The feet were still attached, as shown in the pictures, and I wanted to cut them off but opted against it when it proved to be more work than it was worth. I threw a little bit of water and oil in the pan (lined with aluminum foil), along with some garlic and onion powder. Also put a tad bit of parsley on top for appeal (isn’t it so much more appealing with it on?).

It took about an hour to cook (can’t remember the exact time but I took the time from a recipe). When I pulled the sizzly goodness out of the oven the rodent looked just as grotesque, though a bit browner. I cut off some pieces for my mother, who was also bold enough to try it. When I sank my teeth into this meat I had no clue what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. The meat was tender and delicious. In my mind it was somehow reminiscent of turkey, though my mother thought it was more like beef. It tasted much better than it looked and I’m glad I got to sample it.

So next time you hear someone talking about eating a muskrat, judge them not. Send a shock through your brain and your tongue and try this rodent if you dare. If it’s prepared right you won’t be disappointed.

Welp, that’s all for this addition. I’m thinking of doing a post for the rocky mountain oysters next. So stay tuned. As always, thanks for listening with your eyes. 

Brought New Meaning to Hump Day

They say that water is the most valuable thing found in the desert, but if you ask people that live in the desert, they may disagree. Camels are worth more than gold in some parts of the world, and they can certainly save your life if you’re stranded in a sand-filled wasteland.

Thankfully, I wasn’t stranded in a desert when I came across some camel meat, but if I was stranded in such a place, this would have certainly brightened my mood!

I have no clue what part of the camel I had purchased when I brought home the pound of ground camel from Strip District Meats in Pittsburgh, but I couldn’t stop smiling. I checked the nutritional facts label and was even happier to see that camel is a fantastically lean meat. With only 4 grams of fat in the entire pound, I wouldn’t feel guilty about eating two or three pounds of the stuff if I had it. Lucky for my colon I only had the one pound. Like most meats, Camel also comes standard with loads of protein.

I looked up a few recipes on how to cook the meat, but none of them really said much so I decided to do things my own way. It looked like ground beef, so I cooked it like ground beef, browning it nicely in a skillet. I didn’t throw any oil in, but I sprayed the pan. It created its own grease and browned nicely, so I threw a sprinkle of cumin on top and made a side of broccoli as an accompanying dish.

Camel was the first exotic meat I’d tried in a long time that defied my expectations in a good way. It wasn’t as sweet as the llama, but it was equal on the tenderness scale. It had a slight tangy twinge to it, but aside from this it was very similar to beef. If someone served me camel and told me it was cow I wouldn’t suspect a thing.

While some of the foods I eat are exotic, camel sounds a lot more exotic than it is and I recommend it to anyone looking to try something new. So far the Strip District has been the only place that I’ve seen this lovely meat, but I’m sure you can find it if you look.

That’s all for this addition. I’ll try to put up a post about muskrat soon, so if you hated the picture I threw up on Facebook (that was a shot at my coworker who vomited from looking at said picture) then don’t read the next post. Stay safe out there in this winter weather and as always, thanks for listening with your eyes!