I believe this was a very lucky find on my part. I don't remember which Dollar Tree store I found the hat in. One annoying thing about the Dollar Tree chain is the inventory can vary from store to store. I remember this being true with a waiter's cork screw I searched for. You couldn't find one in the Laurel or Jessup, Maryland stores but, they had them at their South Lyon, Michigan store (I was visiting my Dad at the time).
The hat as far as I know, it does have a Peruvian design. A label on the hat says it's made in China. Annoyingly, I can't find a label saying what it's made out of. A true Peruvian (as far as I know) would be made out of baby alpaca or alpaca wool with baby alpaca being softer. I know this from when I did an absolutely awesome tour of the country years ago. I very much doubt the hat is made of alpaca wool though I can't prove that.
The hat does a good job of keeping my head warm and, it has flaps that come over my ears covering them as well. It had cords on the side that if need be, you could tie though you should't have to. The hat looks nice in my opinion.
Overall, I consider this hat to be a great find at whatever Dollar Tree I found it at. Sadly, I've been to 8 or 9 different Dollar Tree stores and, I only found this hat at 1 forgotten store. I wish this hat was more widely available as I think it's a really good deal for folks who want a good hat to keep their head warm during the winter. For a $1, it's an absolute steal. I give this product 2 big thumbs up! Stay warm all!
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Review of Dollar Tree's Battery Powered Tooth Brush
I saw one of these at Dollar Tree's Laurel, Maryland store and decided to try it. After all, it only costs a $1 so, if it turned out to be junk, no big deal.
I found out the tooth brush vibrates vice having the brush head swivel. I don't think that'll do as good a job cleaning your teeth vice if the brush head swiveled. I ran into a problem with the battery compartment. It kept coming out while I tried to brush my teeth with the brush causing it stop working. The last straw with this item was when bristles came out of the brush head while I was brushing. To me, this says the item is very poorly made.
Overall, I was very unimpressed with this item and definitely wouldn't recommend it. I give it 2 thumbs DOWN! The only consolation I can take is it cost me just a $1 which is very cheap in my opinion. In this case, I suspect I got what I paid for. Cheers all!
I found out the tooth brush vibrates vice having the brush head swivel. I don't think that'll do as good a job cleaning your teeth vice if the brush head swiveled. I ran into a problem with the battery compartment. It kept coming out while I tried to brush my teeth with the brush causing it stop working. The last straw with this item was when bristles came out of the brush head while I was brushing. To me, this says the item is very poorly made.
Overall, I was very unimpressed with this item and definitely wouldn't recommend it. I give it 2 thumbs DOWN! The only consolation I can take is it cost me just a $1 which is very cheap in my opinion. In this case, I suspect I got what I paid for. Cheers all!
Monday, January 02, 2017
Baltimore Washington International Airport Global Entry Interview Report
My apologies to my readers out there. I've been meaning to write this review for a while and just haven't gotten around to it till today. Hopefully, some of the information I'm going to post is still valid. It was October 2016 when I did the Global Entry interview with a U.S. Customs officer at Baltimore Washington International Airport. The main reason I'm posting this report on the interview is because when I was researching this, I found most of the posts on the interviews covered the New York City airports interviews. I don't remember seeing any for the Baltimore area so, I thought this would cover something that isn't as well known.
For those in the Baltimore, Maryland area, there are 2 airports you can fairly easily reach to do your Global Entry interview. They're Baltimore Washington International Airport and Dulles International Airport outside Washington D.C. Dulles from what I saw has more interview slots but, you have to travel farther to get to it. Also, you will have to pay for parking for your vehicle while doing the interview. I don't know how the parking rates stack up between the 2 airports.
Concerning how soon you can get in for your interview, from what I saw there is a considerable backlog of appointments. Back in October, Baltimore Washington International Airport was already scheduling interviews for February! You can check on the website for unexpected openings which happen sometimes or you can do a walk in like at other airports BUT, they warn you outside the interview office that walk ins are done on a case by case basis i.e. there's no guarantee they'll see you. In my case as well as another lady I met during this experience, we figured trying to do a walk in was worth the gamble. I had a November transatlantic cruise with Royal Caribbean and, I'd read I could use Global Entry at the cruise ship terminal in Fort Lauderdale, Florida so, I wanted to get my application approved before I went on my cruise (see my blog post about the cruise itself). The lady I met had the bad luck of having her tour changed to where the day she was scheduled for her interview was the day she was going to return from her tour.
Office time for the interviews state Sundays 1 to 4 p.m. and Monday to Saturday 1 to 6 p.m. The sign on the door of the interview room said interviews started at 1:15 on all days and, the officers that did the interviews did arrive at 1:15 the day I did mine. To reach the office where the interviews are held, you go to the "E" terminal (International Arrivals), look for the door marked E1716 (I believe it had a Department of Homeland Security seal on it), go down to the first hallway on the right, go down that hallway and, it's the first door on the left. The door number is E1709 and, there's a sign by it stating the hours interviews are given.
The interview itself is very short - no more than 10 minutes. They ask you questions like where do you live, why are you applying for the program, do you have a criminal record - all things you would've informed them of in your application. The officers were very no nonsense. The lady I mentioned and I chatted a little bit in the room and, one of the officers didn't hesitate to tell us to shut up or take it outside the room. We promptly shut up as we wanted to do the interview and get approved. The officer will tell you if your application is approved on the spot. If it is, they take your finger prints and a picture. They let you know when you can expect to receive an email saying you were approved with your trusted traveler number and when you'll get your Global Entry card (I got mine within a week of the interview) and to not lose it.
Overall, I found the interview process pretty painless barring the fact there is a long backlog as far as appointments. If you won't need the Global Entry for a while, you can wait for your scheduled appointment otherwise, you might want to take a gamble on being a walk in like I did. I was delighted I was approved and, I did use it sort of during my cruise. When I went through TSA security for my Baltimore flight, the TSA pre-check section was closed. I mentioned I had Global Entry and, it showed on my airplane ticket (make sure you give the airline your trusted traveler number so they'll automatically give you TSA pre-check) so, I got to do a semi TSA pre-check i.e. I didn't have to take off my shoes or belt BUT, I did have to pull my laptop out and, they told me to take my mobile printer out next time. At the Fort Lauderdale cruise ship terminal I arrived at, they didn't have the kiosks for you to enter your Global Entry information however, the Customs line was so short, it didn't matter. Flying back from Miami, the TSA pre-check line was open which made security an absolute breeze. While I may not have gotten to use my Global Entry much so far, it is good for 5 years and, I'm certain I'll get to use it in the future (India November 2018). I do feel this program is worth it and would absolutely recommend it to any person in the United States of America who travels a good bit (at least 2 or 3 times a year). Happy travels all!
For those in the Baltimore, Maryland area, there are 2 airports you can fairly easily reach to do your Global Entry interview. They're Baltimore Washington International Airport and Dulles International Airport outside Washington D.C. Dulles from what I saw has more interview slots but, you have to travel farther to get to it. Also, you will have to pay for parking for your vehicle while doing the interview. I don't know how the parking rates stack up between the 2 airports.
Concerning how soon you can get in for your interview, from what I saw there is a considerable backlog of appointments. Back in October, Baltimore Washington International Airport was already scheduling interviews for February! You can check on the website for unexpected openings which happen sometimes or you can do a walk in like at other airports BUT, they warn you outside the interview office that walk ins are done on a case by case basis i.e. there's no guarantee they'll see you. In my case as well as another lady I met during this experience, we figured trying to do a walk in was worth the gamble. I had a November transatlantic cruise with Royal Caribbean and, I'd read I could use Global Entry at the cruise ship terminal in Fort Lauderdale, Florida so, I wanted to get my application approved before I went on my cruise (see my blog post about the cruise itself). The lady I met had the bad luck of having her tour changed to where the day she was scheduled for her interview was the day she was going to return from her tour.
Office time for the interviews state Sundays 1 to 4 p.m. and Monday to Saturday 1 to 6 p.m. The sign on the door of the interview room said interviews started at 1:15 on all days and, the officers that did the interviews did arrive at 1:15 the day I did mine. To reach the office where the interviews are held, you go to the "E" terminal (International Arrivals), look for the door marked E1716 (I believe it had a Department of Homeland Security seal on it), go down to the first hallway on the right, go down that hallway and, it's the first door on the left. The door number is E1709 and, there's a sign by it stating the hours interviews are given.
The interview itself is very short - no more than 10 minutes. They ask you questions like where do you live, why are you applying for the program, do you have a criminal record - all things you would've informed them of in your application. The officers were very no nonsense. The lady I mentioned and I chatted a little bit in the room and, one of the officers didn't hesitate to tell us to shut up or take it outside the room. We promptly shut up as we wanted to do the interview and get approved. The officer will tell you if your application is approved on the spot. If it is, they take your finger prints and a picture. They let you know when you can expect to receive an email saying you were approved with your trusted traveler number and when you'll get your Global Entry card (I got mine within a week of the interview) and to not lose it.
Overall, I found the interview process pretty painless barring the fact there is a long backlog as far as appointments. If you won't need the Global Entry for a while, you can wait for your scheduled appointment otherwise, you might want to take a gamble on being a walk in like I did. I was delighted I was approved and, I did use it sort of during my cruise. When I went through TSA security for my Baltimore flight, the TSA pre-check section was closed. I mentioned I had Global Entry and, it showed on my airplane ticket (make sure you give the airline your trusted traveler number so they'll automatically give you TSA pre-check) so, I got to do a semi TSA pre-check i.e. I didn't have to take off my shoes or belt BUT, I did have to pull my laptop out and, they told me to take my mobile printer out next time. At the Fort Lauderdale cruise ship terminal I arrived at, they didn't have the kiosks for you to enter your Global Entry information however, the Customs line was so short, it didn't matter. Flying back from Miami, the TSA pre-check line was open which made security an absolute breeze. While I may not have gotten to use my Global Entry much so far, it is good for 5 years and, I'm certain I'll get to use it in the future (India November 2018). I do feel this program is worth it and would absolutely recommend it to any person in the United States of America who travels a good bit (at least 2 or 3 times a year). Happy travels all!
Dollar Tree Four Pack Paring Knife Set Review
One product that Dollar Tree sells that I've been very pleased with is their Four Pack Color Paring Knife Set which they sell for $1. The stainless steel 5.9 inch knives are made by Royal Norfolk Cutlery in China. The blade part of the knives is approximately 2 inches long with the rest being a plastic handle that you may find in black or blue (like the set I bought). Royal Norfolk puts a really good edge on these knives so, they do a fine job of cutting. Being stainless steel, I don't know if you'd be able to sharpen these knives if they get dull. The only thing I can knock about this product is the fact they come in sets of 4. How many paring knives do you think you're going to need? More so since from using the knives, these knives seem to hold up. I've been using one for over a year and, it's still going strong so, the other 3 sit in storage.
Overall, I give this product a thumbs up. These are good knives at a great price. The only problem any of my readers may encounter is that not all Dollar Tree stores may carry them. Each stores inventory can vary as I've seen from personal experience. Still, if you seen them, you might want to pick up a pack of them. For a $1, they're a great deal. Happy shopping all!
Overall, I give this product a thumbs up. These are good knives at a great price. The only problem any of my readers may encounter is that not all Dollar Tree stores may carry them. Each stores inventory can vary as I've seen from personal experience. Still, if you seen them, you might want to pick up a pack of them. For a $1, they're a great deal. Happy shopping all!
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