Category Archives: Original Content

A Homemade Scratch Pad for the Muggles

A Homemade Scratch Pad for 2 Muggles

The one benefit of being a review blogger is that we have a nice flow of boxes arriving which makes for a lot of cardboard. I hate the idea of just throwing the cardboard away and I have long talked about making a scratch pad for Maggee and Murfee. I see these grand cat scratch posts that people make and while I dream of creating one, realistically I know that it is best to start easy and build up.

These two animals love their scratch pad and I can honestly say they rarely use our couch or items they should not use. To thank them for their pad loyalty, I figured it was time to make them their own scratch pad.

I gathered my materials:

A box with sturdy sides – I used a box from a recent Costco trip that worked great!
A ton of cardboard to slice and dice
A ruler, hot glue gun, extra glue sticks, a pencil and a sharp utility knife.
Space to stack and space to spread your arms
About 3-4 hours of time including prep to completion

Once I gathered all my materials I sat down, I came up with my plan which basically consisted of measuring the inside of the box. I measured the length and height of the inside of the box and then took those measurements and put them on a piece of cardboard to be used as my template.

Continue reading →

Smart Art Monthly Subscription Review – April Box

Let me start by saying that the products featured in this post were provided to me free of charge courtesy of Smart Art. This in no way will influence the review to follow and all opinions are my own.

Smart Art Monthly Subscription Review – April Box

I am a crafty person and I enjoy DIY’s and creating something out of a bunch of materials. The concept that a piece of clay can become a sculpture, paint and canvas can become a priceless work of art and a simple block can become a 3 dimensional figurine inspires me to create each day.

When I began my eventual love of crafts I had little to no direction of what craft I wanted to become proficient in. Back then I had no choice but to take $50.00 to the local craft store and walk the isles in hopes that something new and different would jump out at me. This happen a couple of times but not nearly enough to make me feel like I was always learning something new. Flash forward 25 years later and the introduction of monthly subscription boxes and Smart Art.

Smart Art is a monthly subscription box that each month introduces the artist to a new art medium. Each month Smart Art send the artist between 8-11 trial/full size products as well as including tips and project ideas. Smart Art was kind enough to send us the April box to review.

Continue reading →

Celebrate Celiac Awareness Month with a Glutino Giveaway

Let me start by saying that the products featured in this post were provided to me free of charge in consideration of a review from Glutino. This in no way will influence the review to follow & all opinions are my own.

Celebrate Celiac Awareness Month with 8 Tips and a Giveaway

There are many reason’s a person goes gluten-free and they can range from dietary reasons to personal belief reasons. Sadly there is another segment of the gluten-free population that has to avoid gluten or face potentially fatal repercussions. These unfortunate people are suffers of Celiac Disease, which is genetic autoimmune disorder triggered by the ingestion of gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat’s, barley, rye and is the elastic protein that binds pastas and breads together (think of gluten as the glue that holds everything together).

The adjustment to a gluten-free lifestyle can be initially difficult, challenging and sometimes frustrating. I have compiled some tips to make the transition a little easier:

Learning the foods that you can and can not eat can be daunting to say the least, so try to focus on the whole foods you can eat such as vegetables, nuts, seeds, meat and eggs. Try to focus on the items you are able to eat.
Did you know that gluten can be found in some shampoos, body lotions and even some lip balms? Always check the products ingredients for unknown gluten surprises.
If you love to bake try an all purpose gluten-free flour – same as regular all-purpose flour, no gluten included. Also, when storing various types of flour try to store them in color coded Tupperware so you can tell the gluten vs non gluten varieties by sight.
Speaking of color coding, if possible run down to your local office supply store (or Amazon) and pick up some colored labels for a quick differentiation of packages in pantry’s and cupboard, such as these labels (click here).
Join support groups either online such as the Celiac Support Association (click here for more information about CSA) or contact your local hospital system to see what programs they offer in support of your new diagnosis.
Learn to read nutritional labels and ingredient lists. If the item does not say gluten-free or if you have questions call the customer service department of the company. Frequently companies will have their 1-800/1-866 numbers on the outside of the box.
Look online for gluten-free companies. There are many smaller companies that offer gluten-free products that are better than many of the store-bought alternatives.
When adapting a recipe for gluten-free increase the amount of baking powder and baking soda by 25% (take the required amount per the recipe and multiply it by 1.25). Also, due to many gluten free item’s tendency to crumble, think of small portions such as mini muffins and bite size cookies.

Continue reading →

The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly Review

Let me start by saying that the products featured in this post were provided to me free of charge courtesy of BloggingforBooks. This in no way will influence the review to follow and all opinions are my own.

The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly Review

Another day, another confession: In my early 30’s I had some non-cancerous lumps removed from my breasts (Go and get your mammograms ladies!!) and due to a couple of complications I spent some time not only in the emergency room but the hospital itself. When I saw a book that covered a physicians first year I was intrigued since I thought I had seen it all and would love to see the “other” side. The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly by Matt McCarthy was a fun read, especially when you relate it to your own local hospital and the characters therein.

The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly covers the authors first year as an intern at a New York area hospital. This book brings up such issues as accidental pin pricks and how does a doctor really get to know their patients when schedules do not permit such close-up care. The book is at times suspenseful, sometimes sad but always uplifting. I guarantee that you will view your physician with softer eyes after reading this account of a first year.

There are many aspects of medicine and primary care that we do not consider. For example: how one medication can cause a ripple effect of health problems that may or may not exist if that medication was not used in the first place. The book gets the reader thinking of the ethical, emotional and physical toll that is taken on doctors and I would recommend it to anyone who has ever seen a doctor or knows a doctor.

To learn more about The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly, click here,

To learn more about Dr. Matt McCarthy, click here and for you Reddit fans, here is a AMA Dr. Matt McCarthy hosted.

To purchase click to own your own copy on Amazon or Barnes and Noble

Geek Fuel Monthly Subscription – April Box Review

Let me start by saying that the products featured in this post were provided to me free of charge courtesy of GeekFuel.com. This post may have affiliate links but this in no way will influence the review to follow and all opinions are my own.

Geek Fuel Monthly Subscription – April Box Review

The geek world is a special place to live. The geeks of the world live in a world of super heroes, bionic organs and where there are no limitations on what is possible. The biggest and most anticipated event in Geekdom is the release of “The Avengers”, and with this in mind Geek Fuel curated a Marvel themed box for April.

This is not my first Geek Box review (see previous review, click here) so I had a general idea of what to expect. I had also received an email half way through the month from Geek Fuel announcing that this months box would contain a licensed item from DC Comics.

Let me break down the contents of this months box under the cute sticker and silver wrapping paper:

Continue reading →

Purina One Smart Blend Cat Food Review

Let me start by saying that the products featured in this post were provided to me free of charge courtesy of Influenster. This post does have an affiliate link but this in no way will influence the review to follow and all opinions are my own.

Purina One: Smart Blend Cat Food Review!

We are very lucky cat owners in that our cats really adapt very easily to new goods, new toys and new treats much like ducks to water. They are the most adaptable and flexible creatures, because of their humans choice of jobs, they get to constantly sample something new. Maggee and Murfee (herein refered to as “The Muggles”) are healthy, happy and strictly indoor cats. Due to them being indoor cats, we realize what they are missing in their diet and try hard to supplement their lives and food as much as possible.

The Muggles recently had the opportunity to sample Purina One’s Smart Blend dry cat food from Influenster. The first thing that we noticed was the first ingredient listed was real fish or poultry (depending on flavor purchased). The benefits are numerous and good for your pet and include:

Antioxidants that help support a strong immune system
Omega-6 that helps support healthy skin & coat
Protein that helps support strong muscles
100% nutrition – all the nutrition your cat needs for each life stage
0% fillers – all of their high-quality ingredients have a purpose

Continue reading →

BuddhiBox Monthly Subscription Review – April Box

BuddhiBox Monthly Subscription Review and Giveaway – April Box

Calm, Peaceful and Serene, these are all words I would use to describe yoga but not myself. I love that I get this monthly box of calm and peacefulness in my mailbox.

A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to review the February BuddhiBox (click here to see that review) and was lucky enough to have a chance to review the new April box.

When I opened the box I was again greeted by wonderfully folded green tissue paper and 3 cardboard information cards sealed with a sticker. One card had the “Goddess Pose” pose that shows the pose as well as the benefits and cautions when using that pose. There was a recipe for a “Blueberrry Bliss Goddess Bars” that is made using only 4 ingredients (coconut, blueberries, maple syrup and vanilla beans). The final information card included was a box content listing and the following quote:

I bow to all woman. To our strength, to our softness, to our wisdom, to our beauty. – Elena Brower

Continue reading →

Reggie Box Monthly Subscription Review – April Box

Let me start by saying that the products featured in this post were provided to me free of charge courtesy of ReggieBox.com. This in no way will influence the review to follow and all opinions are my own.

Reggie Box Monthly Subscription Review – April Box

There is nothing that can bring happiness to an otherwise overcast day then seeing dogs play. It does not matter if they play with other dogs, their own toys, their humans or a combination of all three! During a recent birthday party for our human best friend, we decided to gift his best friends with a box courtesy of ReggieBox.com.

The Reggie Box is a monthly box that generally has 4-6 full size items. The April Reggie Box had 5 full size items. The box arrived and there is no doubt what company sent this box, due to the stamp with the blue dog on the top of the box. The box comes nicely packaged with white tissue paper. When opened and the tissue paper parts that is when the fun for you and your dog begins. The following was included in this months box:

Continue reading →

Udderly Naked Goat Milk Soap Review and Giveaway

Let me start by saying that the products featured in this post were provided to me free of charge courtesy of Udderly Naked Goat Milk Soap. This in no way will influence the review to follow and all opinions are my own.

Udderly Naked Goat Milk Soap Review and Giveaway!

I was raised by a single father and as seemingly awesome as that sounds to some, there are some drawbacks to this arrangement. The one drawback that affects me to this day is that I am not much of a girlie girl. I learned that 10 minute waits were much preferred over the hour-long waits to get ready. Along with lessons came the absence of spa days, manicures and frilly dress shopping. Sometimes I think that they missed giving me the girly girl gene when they were passing out traits. Despite this missing link of mine I still love some things girly and lucky for me I have discovered one such item: Udderly Naked Goat Milk Soap.

There is something about having an artisan bar using ingredients that are not usually found in soap but have healthful benefits. I have found that many soaps are excessively drying and some actually create more dermatological issues then they solve. I have read more and more recently about soap made from goat’s milk, so when the chance became available to review Udderly Naked Goat Milk Soap I was excited.

Goat’s milk soap has so many benefits and when you combine that with essential oils and vitamins you have a 100% natural soap that is healthful. Goat Milk Soap is touted to relieve and even heal eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis. The reason for this is due to the alpha hydroxy acids in the goat milk combined with the oils moisture. For my review I had the opportunity to review 3 soaps including Sunshine Soap, Nut and Honey Soap, Barista Bar, Cocoamint Lip Balm, Orangesicle Lip Balm and Lavender Hard Lotion.

Continue reading →

Namaste Brownie and Coating Mixes Review and Giveaway

Let me start by saying that the products featured in this post were provided to me free of charge courtesy of Namaste Foods. This post contains affiliate links but this in no way will influence the review to follow and all opinions are my own.

Namaste Brownie and Coating Mixes Review and Giveaway!

Alright, I will admit it: I might be on a healthy eating quest. This previous sentence could be debated by those that love me, but I figure with small changes you can effect big change. If I adjust my diet a little then maybe I will see big results. There is no medical reason for this new-found awareness, just the looming July date that makes me rethink the previous 4 decades of choices.

Despite my desire for calm at times our house is in a state of debate and discussion. The reason for the discussion’s are not medical, financial or emotional, but are about the proper consistency of brownie mix. I was a watery mix girl and Jason was a lumpy mix boy – how we have lasted this long is mystery.

I recently had the opportunity to review a couple of Namaste Foods products. I had the opportunity to review the Gluten-Free Brownie Mix and the Gluten-Free Italian Herb Coating Mix. I am always open to trying new brownies and new coating mixes to add flavor to my foods.

Continue reading →