10/10/09

First ever product review!!


Welcome to my first ever product review! Actually I just really needed a break from ...well...everything else I should be doing right now.
While I was browsing through Costco a couple weeks ago I came across this box. My neck and shoulders were holding weeks worth of stress and tension and since personal massage therapists are hard to find in my house I couldn't resist doling out money for one of these. I have also discovered that too much time on the computer wreaks havoc on my neck. The thought of a thermotherapeutic bag nestled comfortingly around my tense shoulders sounded heavenly. I ripped open the box and tried it that very evening.
My first thought upon opening the box and pulling out my magic bag was that the term "natural" actually meant "bag of horse food". I think it would have been more accurately called"sack of oats" instead of "magic bag". I suppose it wouldn't have the same appeal though. I also realized that the only thing "magic" about this bag was that it somehow lured me into paying $20 for it.
As the instructions instructed I put the bag into the microwave for 4 - 30second intervals. It would be much more convenient to pop it in and set it for 2 minutes but I guess burnt oats don't have much relaxation value...aroma therapeutically speaking. The warm sack of oats smelled not completely unpleasant but somewhat familiar. It reminded me of porridge with a hint of barn and the musky after tone of the bottom of a grain bin.
As I nestled its welcoming warmth onto my aching neck I could feel my muscles starting to relax. The wonderfully relaxing feeling was slightly more pleasurable than the mild itching that ensued. Nothing an allergy pill didn't fix...then I was back to relaxation heaven.
As I contemplated the price I paid for my sack of oats and my mind drifted to the smells of harvest and bins full of grain I realized that I could have saved myself $20. All I would have needed to do was grab a pillow case and fill it with one of the many types of grains available to me. Considering oats are the cheapest grain on the market I also wondered at the price of the bag. For $20 they really should have filled it with wheat...or maybe flax. Someday maybe they will make a gourmet magic bag filled with lentils. Although I think I would feel a little guilty wearing a sack of lentils that could feed a few hungry families in India.
I do like the idea of a flexible bag that wraps muscle soothing heat around my neck and shoulders. Although, it would be easier to relax and imagine I was in a spa in some exotic location if it didn't remind me of feeding time on the farm. For some people feeding time on a farm is an exotic novelty though....so for you city types I totally recommend wrapping yourself in the Magic bags "natural" aroma. You could picture yourself feeding chickens, spreading straw and feeding horses. ahhhh.

5 comments:

Jobina said...

I've had one of these for years. I just throw in in the mic for anywhere from 2-3 minutes, I don't have time for intervals. My favorite is in winter when Mark does this for me and slips it into my side of the bed so that my feet have something warm to touch at night instead of freezing his leg. It's also great for those monthly cramps and sore hips. I'd pay the $20 again anyday!

Valen and Carol said...

I made those for Christmas gifts while I lived in Saskatchewan. I made tubes of fabric, filled them with wheat berries and made handles at each end. I made sleeves of flannel so you could wash the outside. You can also make them into squares to keep your feet warm.
Good use of extra grain! The man at the grain elevator gave me a bucket for free. =)

Rebecca M said...

Mine, which my sister made for me, is filled with either wheat berries of barley. I use it every night of the winter season to warm my bed up before bedtime.

Bob doesn't liket the smell and occaisionally calls it the "cow bag".

I think I've heard of some people putting dried lavendar in it... that would smell a lot better!

Rebecca M said...

Sorry, I mean "wheat berries OR barley"!

Wanda said...

Thanks for stopping in to say over at my blog.
Being the featured blogger was just great!

My family and I love rice bags. We've made them for years...and they make the best gifts.

Cost? Cheap....not $20