I have always been an allergy sufferer. I am also a germaphobe. So when Raycop sent their latest and greatest hand-held vacuum, the Raycop RN, I was overjoyed and excited to try it. This new vacuum is meant for furniture and mattresses and will clean the particles out from deep within the fabrics.

This newest hand-held vacuum from Raycop has powerful suction. This new vacuum has a strong pulsating brush to get deep and clean even pet hair while at the same time sucking up dust, dirt, allergens, pollen, mites, and mite eggs.

Also part of this unit is a UV Light for super sanitation. UV Light can kill bacteria and viruses. Not every virus is killed immediately with this device, but it has been proven to kill many of our everyday viruses and influenza. The COVID 19 virus is too new to have been tested on the unit, however the flu virus as well as others have definitely been tested and killed with this unit.

So, there is the strong pulsating brush to suck up all the gunk, the UV Light to kill bacteria and viruses, and a HEPA filter that will not let the particles back into the air. What else can users expect from the new RN? There is a new ventilation technology that won’t let the unit suck up fabric while it is sucking up the pollens, dirt, dust, mites, and hair. This is a great feature. There is also a high capacity box that allows users to use the Raycop longer before having to clean it. And the dust box and filter are easily removed for cleaning.

The Raycop RN is easy to use. The handle is comfortable to hold. It is a bit heavier than other handheld units, however the strong power and the peace of mind at having the germs gone are worth it

As I mentioned in the beginning, I am a germaphobe and suffer from allergies. I regularly clean my linens in hot water. After all, I do not want to sleep with mites and their feces and eggs. Who does? After using this RN for the first time on my mattress, I was shocked to see all the junk it collected. And this junk contains not only dust, but also mites, their feces, and eggs as well as possible bacteria and maybe viruses.

Just see how much junk was sucked up from one supposedly clean mattress:

 

This Raycop RN is going to get a lot of use in my house. With allergy season in high swing, all of my couches, chairs, and other surfaces will be getting a regular and thorough cleaning with the Raycop RN.

The bottom line is that the Raycop RN kills the germs and mites deep within mattresses, couches, chairs, etc., and with the strong pulsating and rotating brushes with all that suction, it sucks them out of your furniture. So you will not be sharing your couch or mattress with mites, their eggs, their feces, viruses, bacteria, and other unwanted particles.

I get many products to test and some of them are keepers. This one is definitely a keeper and going to be used over and over again. Keeping my house and family clean and rid of dust, pollens, mites, bacteria, viruses, and all the junk courtesy of those disgusting mites, it a priority. Raycop delivers on its promise to “clean the unseen.”

Check out their website for more information and other models. I am using the Raycop RN and personally recommend this unit. With the pulsating brush it is the best unit for pet hair.

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, books, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

She’s here! Minnie Mouse in all her glory. Celebrating Minnie Mouse and Main Street USA is the new limited edition figure. Minnie Mouse: The Main Attraction Figure is limited to only 3500 units and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

This collectable figure doll stands 10 ½ inches high and includes a stand on which to display the fashion icon. She has moveable arms and legs so she can be posed however the most important part about her is her amazing dress.

 

Minnie’s dress depicts the shops along Main Street USA. It’s a Victorian style outfit in shades of blue. Her satin skirt and removable velveteen jacket with red belt are high fashion and she wears a little striped top hat which is her finishing touch. Minnie also wears a necklace depicting the lamps that line Main Street.

 

Complimenting Minnie is the stand that comes with the doll. It features red, white, and blue bunting to go along with the patriotic colors on her outfit. And this adorable little mouse has a big grin on her face. It’s as if she is saying, “Look at me. I’m fabulous!”

Fans of Minnie as well as fans of Disneyland will be delighted with this sweet collectible doll. She’s not for little kids. This collectible doll is for ages 3+.

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, books, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

Last year brought the Disney Wisdom collection to fans of the classic Disney films with various characters and classic quotes to uplift and inspire. This year it is Minnie Mouse who is the center of attention all year long. In the Minnie Visits Disney Parks collection, every third Saturday of each month Minnie will highlight a classic attraction from one of the Disney Parks. Each month will contain a special Minnie plush commemorating the attraction, a special Minnie Mouse headband, a mug, a pin set, a magic band, and either a backpack or waist pack, all designed to highlight with Minnie’s specially selected attraction.

January 18 kicks of 2020 with Minnie celebrating Space Mountain, an attraction not for the faint of heart. However, if you have always admired the beauty of the exterior but cannot get your nerves up to take the journey through Space Mountain, don’t worry. Minnie will help you celebrate the fan favorite ride in style. And we all know she is a style icon. Minnie has a spacy dress with lots of sparkle on the sleeves and her hears Her head is adorned with a bow and a space-age design, as is the headband.

The pin set includes a replica of Minnie, her headband, and the attraction itself. The spacey-shaped mug also has an image of Space Mountain, as does the backpack.

Here are the attractions Minnie will be stylizing this year:

If you want all of them, make sure you put your order in quickly when they arrive. Last year’s collection went quickly and it looks as though Minnie’s fans will undoubtedly want to pick up her entire collection. If you only want to commemorate your favorite attractions, check the calendar for the release of that. I’m personally looking forward to March when Minnie will be styled to highlight the iconic Tea Cups, and April when she pays tribute to It’s a Small World. I can only imagine what she will be wearing in October when she takes on the Haunted Mansion!

Whether you want them all or simply a few, this new series will only be around for 2020.

 

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, books, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

If you’re looking for a last minute gift for the holidays, the newest Animators’ Collection Mega Figurine Set just might be the answer. It combines 20 characters and the presentation box is almost as adorable as the figurines.

 

Each plastic figurine is about 3 3/4” high. The size varies on their poses. Moana and Lilo are sitting so they are not as tall as the rest of the group. This collection includes some of the characters that were in past collections, with some new ones added.

The group this year includes:

• Aurora
• Ariel
• Eric
• Moana
• Wendy
• Lilo
• Alice
• Cinderella
• Mulan
• Aladdin
• Rapunzel
• Pocahontas
• Boo
• Snow White
• Merida
• Tiana
• Belle
• Mulan
• Elena
• Tinker Bell

Each character sits or stands on a round platform making them easy to place on shelves, however they are also easy to hold. The outfits are beautifully done to represent the characters and their poses are adorable.

While they come attractively packaged in a box with a carrying handle, the individual characters pop out of their molded plastic holder. Taking them out does require an adult as they need to be snipped from their tether and gently pulled out of the plastic molded holder. But once they are out of the box and free they provide endless hours of fun and creativity as the characters interact with each other. The only limitation is the child’s imagination.

Wendy and Tink can play together or with the others. Hopefully the folks at Disney will come up with Peter Pan next time around.

 

And now Ariel has Prince Eric to interact with. Will the sea witch be coming next time?

The detailing in the figurines makes this set attractive for both collectors as well as children. Due to the size of the dolls this is for ages 3+. I wish they had this set when I was a child!

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, books, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

If you’re like me you have a shelf full of photo albums. They take up space you can use for other things, like more sweaters perhaps? I had a stack of personal photo albums at least five feet high. And when my family moved and as the oldest generation passed away, those albums and boxes of photos from several generations added to my own. Who wants all of those photos taking up useful space in a closet or garage? Not me.

How do you do this safely, easily, and quickly?

Part One

The FastFoto scanner from Epson was my saving grace. It is compact and took hardly any time to connect to my computer. That in itself isn’t unusual because many scanners are the same way. But this one is very different. With the Epson FastFoto 680W, scanning the photos was a breeze. The unit connects to your computer via a USB cable or wirelessly.

This is the world’s fastest photo scanner under $1000. And who wants to spend a lot of money for a photo scanner? Not me. This one lists for just under $500. And take it from me, it’s worth it if you have a lot of photos and don’t want to spend countless hours scanning each photo, one at a time.

The scanner is capable of scanning photos, newspaper articles, postcards, greeting cards, and papers up to 8 ½ inches wide. And it also scans Polaroid photos. So it was easy for me to take all the photos from four generations and scan them into my computer.The FF-680W also scans backs of photos, which was a plus because many photos from the past had dates and names written on the backs. And, let’s face it, old photos are not the best quality so utilizing the enhancement option in the software also made the images look like new. Actually, they look better than new. The software gave me the option of keeping both the original scan as well as the enhanced scan. I chose to keep only the enhanced scans. With this software personalizing every scan is easy.

The software also allowed me to create a separate folder for each album or person. Simply place a stack of up to 36 photos in the feeder, select what to name them (person, date, place, etc.) and press the button. The scanner can scan a photo a second. Think about that! In all honesty, it took me longer to remove the photos from the pages of the albums than it did to scan them. And now sharing the photos is easy too. I emailed several photos to various members of the family so they could also have their copies of memories we have shared.

Part Two

So now that you have all your photos scanned into your computer, what do you do? First of all, I threw away the old albums and took all the photos to the shredder, except for a few I wanted to hold onto as hard copies. I have plenty of additional space in my closet now! But now all the photos are on my computer. What if something happened to the computer? I always like having backups, so I turned to Western Digital for that solution. I got the My Passport Ultra for Mac (they make them for PC as well). This compact hard drive easily connected to my computer for additional storage. The My Passport Ultra is thin, about 3” X 4 ¼”, and lightweight. It is easy to transport from one place to another and plugs into a USB port.

Locating the scanned photos on my computer was easy. I then copied them onto the external WD hard drive. Voila. That was fast and now I have a backup of my photos. So the five feet tall stack of photo albums and the many boxes of single photos from three different houses are stored on my computer as well as an additional hard drive.

For some of the folders I added additional backups by copying them onto flash drives. This gives me the option of deleting them from my main computer and still having them on the My Passport Ultra hard drive as well as a backup flash drives. Copying them onto the My Passport Ultra was almost instantaneous. Copying them onto flash drives was more time consuming. The My Passport Ultra adds a second hard drive to your computer, and is detachable. You don’t have to keep it connected to the computer either. Once you have your photos on it, you can unplug the drive and store it in a safe place.

The My Passport Ultra (for Mac) comes in three sizes: 2 TB, 4 TB, and 5 TB. A terabyte is over a thousand gigabytes, over a million megabytes and one trillion bytes. The drive can be password protected if you desire.

Part three

There is no part three because the job is done! With the Epson FF-680W and the Western Digital My Passport, all the photos are digitized, stored, and backed up for safety on portable drives. Many people also like the idea of backing up their photos and music to the cloud, which makes a great third backup.

This is the fastest and easiest way to preserve photos, newspaper clippings, and all your personal memories. I owe a great big “thank you” to the folks at Epson and Western Digital.

For more information about the Epson FF-680W click here.

For more information about the Western Digital My Passport Ultra click here.

To see the speed of the scanner, click below:

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, books, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

The newest addition to the Disney Animators’ Collection is the Rapunzel Baby Doll and Crib Gift Set. This is just in time for the holidays and makes an amazing gift with everything included in the set and the beautiful presentation of the box.

The set includes baby Rapunzel, her crib, a blanket, a mattress, bedskirts, and the mobile that swings above the crib. The box is stunning and any little child would be delighted unwrapping this on Christmas or Chanukah. The only downside is removing everything from the box, so there is the option of parents removing every item (which takes several minutes because the set is very well packaged) and putting the set together so the child can see it all set up. Either way, it is a fabulous addition to the collection and something that will be treasured by little ones for years.

The bed is a sturdy plastic that looks like wood. It is adorned with designs from her kingdom and the sides include bedskirts that are attached to the bed. And of course there is a soft mattress for the baby. Above the headboard is a rod that holds a mobile. The mobile has five little toys that are free swinging so Rapunzel can play with them. There is, of course, Pascal, a duck, a horse, a bird, and an angel.

Rapunzel herself is similar in size and composition to the Animators’ Origins Collection. She is 13” from head to toe. Like the other dolls in the Origins collection, she is meant to lie down or sit up, however with the right stand she can be positioned to stand on a shelf. But baby Rapunzel is happiest sitting on lying on her bed.

Even as a baby, Rapunzel has a headful of soft hair. Her blonde locks are rooted and fall in soft curls. She has big green eyes and an open mouth with a little tongue. Her nightgown is lilac with deeper purple accents. She also has lilac underpants.

The crib is 15” high and 16” long. It is a substantial bed that is sturdy enough to take a few knocks by some overly attentive child. The colors of the materials for the bed are purple and pink.

The assembly for the set requires an adult. The entire set is designed for ages 3+ because of the small pieces in the mobile, however the doll itself is suitable for ages 2+. She has a soft but her head, arms, and legs are soft plastic.

If you have a Rapunzel fan in your family, don’t wait to order this. It is bound to sell out well before the holidays. Just one look at this little baby will put a smile on anyone’s face.

Due to the presentation, the sturdy construction of the bed, and the doll herself, I think this is one of the best selections this holiday season!

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, books, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

There are some great shakes from IdealShape that not only help with hunger control, but also add protein to your diet.They utilize Slendesta, a protein that controls hunger for up to three hours, which is great when you feel like grabbing a candy bar but want something healthier. With vitamins and minerals, these products help with weight loss as well as simply providing a healthy alternative to sugary and high-caloric snacks. The shakes can be used as meal substitutes or as healthy snacks.

There are plenty of flavors from which to choose. They can be blended with water although they taste better when blended with milk (any kind) and if you want to throw in a banana or strawberries, or whatever, that is fine. With the hunger suppression, these are a great way to make a healthy, vegetarian (some are vegan), and fast meal. It’s perfect for busy parents on the go.

And for these cold days and nights, there is Ideal Boost hot chocolate. It’s the perfect 10-calorie drink for cold evenings when you’re watching TV. If you mix it with warm milk, it will add to the calorie count, but it’s still better than sugary hot chocolate mixes. And it contains vitamins and minerals! B vitamins are important for a healthy body and the hot chocolate IdealBoost contains B3, B6, and B12.

The company IdealShape offers meal replacement shakes (vegetarian and vegan), bars, and refreshing drink mixes.

Select from chocolate, chocolate peanut butter, pumpkin spice, vanilla, salted caramel, cookies ‘n cream, strawberry, mint chocolate chip, mocha, chocolate coconut, key lime pie, or snickerdoodle. These shakes sound like ice cream flavors and deliver great taste as well as nutrition. Mix them up, put them in your to-go tumbler, and you have a delicious meal on the go while you’re off to a soccer game or taking your kids to a play date. These meals-on-the-go are alternatives to fast food when you’re in a hurry.

If you want to lose weight, the company has bundles for their weight loss plans. Check them out at their website.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

True Disney fans will be delighted with the new subscription available from shopDisney. The Backstage Collection is filled with fun items all contained within a special canister.

Each canister contains a mystery gift with insight into the history of the studio. There are some pieces of forgotten artwork and untold stories from people who have worked at the studio through the years.

The current welcome canister contains a T-shirt with Disney artwork on it. There is also a collectible pin corresponding to the shirt, and a story card detailing some behind-the-scenes information about the studio. This all comes in a beautiful canister collectors will want to display on a shelf. Put it on a bookshelf for an added touch of Disney magic and history.

A new welcome canister will be released every 6 months. Once one of them sells out, it will be retired and not made again, making it highly collectible.

Simply go to shopDisney.com to subscribe to the Backstage Collection. You can select what shirt size you want to receive and this can be changed at any time. You then select if you want a 3-month plan (which includes 3 consecutive months in which you will receive your collectible canister with all the goodies inside), a 6-month plan, or a 12-month plan. Once the editions are sold out, they are gone for good.

If you select the 3-month plan, each delivery will be $39.99.  For the 6-month plan, each monthly canister will be $37.99. And for the year plan, each month will cost $34.99.

These products are only available through shopDisney. They are definitely collectible and make great gifts for Disney fans who want something special.

Act now to get in on the first collectibles and future products.

Some upcoming selections pay tribute to iconic Disney films. They include:

1. 3 Caballeros 75^th Anniversary
2. Emperor’s New Groove 20^th
3. Fantasia 80^th Anniversary
4. The Haunted Mansion 50^th Anniversary
5. Toy Story 25^th Anniversary

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

Anyone who has a young child knows about Baby Shark. Baby Shark has captured the hearts and ears of kids and families everywhere. ZURU has the entire family of Baby Shark, Mommy Shark, and Daddy Shark for bath time and pool time play. And yes, the song does play while the sharks swim in the water.

This is one fun bath toy that little kids will enjoy. It not only entertains them by swimming around the tub, but the song is one almost every child knows. And parents know this is a song and a character that can put a smile on a kid’s face even when they are grumpy.

The three sharks are sold separately: yellow baby shark, pink mommy shark, and blue daddy shark. The plastic animals are ready to go with their batteries included.

One word of warning for adults… once the shark begins you won’t be able to get that theme song out of your head for days! Nevertheless, the show and Baby Shark have been entertaining kids for several years with the characters and the theme song.

Baby Shark is beloved and now able to share bath time (and swim time in the summer) with young kids. It is recommended for ages 1-6 however I have tested it on a 9 month old who really enjoyed the little fellow. Just be careful when using it around very small kids.

Baby Shark is part of the ROBO ALIVE collection from the company. “ROBO ALIVE is one of our most popular and best-performing properties,” said Renee Lee, Global Marketing Director, ZURU. “The addition of Pinkfong’s Baby Shark provides the perfect on trend item for younger children to engage in the brand. We expect this to be an absolute hit for bath time play and are thrilled with the phenomenal support from all our retail partners.”

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, books, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.