Category Archives: Reviews

Monthly Mystery Box of Awesome – July 2016 Review

Monthly Mystery Box of Awesome – July 2016 Review

I am a lucky girl, overall Jason and I get along and agree on most issues other than one – the outdoors.

When Jason was a young boy his parents would take him on 3 week camping trip each year in Mammoth California. Each year this trip would be attended by friends and family. Cookouts each night, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch and cereal for breakfast. There were even fresh pancakes with fresh picks berries.

I however, despite being a California girl, have never been camping. Well, that is not entirely true but my one and only camping experience included MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat) and sleeping on hard rocks. To say that this was not a positive impression of camping that is a drastic understatement.

There have been conversation that have begun heading in the direction of my going camping and when I received this months Monthly Mystery Box of Awesome by That Daily Deal.com I felt like it was a sign that I should give camping a try! Each month no theme is chosen, but rather a selection of random gender neutral items that will undoubtedly meet a need in your life that you never knew was missing.

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Open Road Snacks: Rocky Mountain Popcorn Review

Open Road Snacks: Rocky Mountain Popcorn Review and Giveaway

When I say what is the most popular snack food, what comes to mind? I know for me I began thinking items like crackers, cookies or jerky. I was surprised to learn that it was popcorn.

When I began giving this some serious thought I realized that there are many reasons why this simple snack is the most popular. The first is that it is naturally gluten-free which makes for a safe snack for those gluten intolerant. There are many ways that it can be flavored from sweet to savory.

Rocky Mountain Popcorn is a product from Open Road Snacks takes the most popular snack of popcorn and making a sweet and savory snack that will satisfy any taste.

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Daydreams And Doodles Coloring Book Review

Daydreams and Doodles: Flowers, Birds and Insects Coloring Book Review and Giveaway

Some days when I am having writers block I will take a walk to the beach, grab a towel sit and daydream.

A daydream is typically defined as a series of pleasant thoughts that distract one’s attention from the present. When struck with writer’s block there is no better way to let my brain run free and let inspiration hit me. I love seeing where my brain takes me when I let it take my on an adventure.

When I received a copy of Daydreams and Doodles: Flowers, Birds and Insects by Kat Ford I saw an easy way to daydream and not leave my house. Continue reading →

Cat Lady Box Monthly Subscription Review: July 2016

Cat Lady Box Monthly Subscription – “Another Day in Purradise” – July 2016 – Review and Giveaway

Many people are under the belief that I live in paradise, or at least what could be considered paradise – San Diego, California.

I feel differently, I think that the real paradise is in a world with cats and all they can teach us. Cats teach us the art of relaxation and not caring about the world outside their worlds. Cats teach us that kindness is rewarded and anger is met with swats and growls. Cats are able to brush off grudges, and live in peace with most other cats. Cats do not care about fur colors, or if a cat came from a shelter or not, they care about the here and now.

When you take in the cat perspective it is easy to see their idea of paradise is a little more basic than ours. When I discovered that this months Cat Lady Box theme celebrates your own idea of paradise or as the cats call it “Another Day in Purradise”. Each month is “purrfectly” curated and each month is better than the last. Click here to see previous reviews.

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Smith & Vandiver Review

Smith & Vandiver: Aromatherapaes and Spa…ah Review and Giveaway

I have never been the kind of girl who feels the need to pamper themselves. I have never had a true spa day, and have only had a handful of manicures in my lifetime.

Honestly one of the reasons for this lack of pampering is that I feel as though I can do just as good of a job in the comfort of my own home. The way I have always seen it is if you can find a relaxing aromatherapy, a pampering body wash and the right candles you can recreate the spa experience.

While I was attending the Natural Products Expo, about 8 hours into walking I began dreaming of a relaxing experience to ease my tired bones. When I reached the Smith & Vandiver booth I was dreaming of the relaxing possibilities with their products.

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Cave Tools: Digital Cooking Thermometer Review

Cave Tools: Digital Cooking Thermometer Review

Cave Tools Thermomenter

As I have mentioned in the past, I am embarking on the adventure and challenge of home cooking.

The biggest problem that I have encountered since I began cooking is the application of heat and heat distribution. It was discovered that since I did not have a way of measuring internal temperature on roasts and meats, I was loosing a lot of juice and internal moisture, which altered the taste on the meats I was making.

A couple of months ago I had the change to review a meat tenderizer, so when I was re-approached by Cave Tools with an opportunity to review another item a Digital Cooking Thermometer seemed the logical choice. Continue reading →

Paper Pumpkin July 2016 Kit Review

Paper Pumpkin – What A Gem – July 2016 Kit Review and Giveaway

I live in a neighborhood that is full of friendly people, and we all watch out for one another. This is fortunate for us since this is where we decided to invest our money and purchase our home. Since we have such a friendly grouping of neighbors I like to reward them with niceness and kindness. Due to this the necessity arises for packaging that is similar and easy to put together.

As luck will have it, the July 2016 Paper Pumpkin kit “What A Gem” is a simple easy way to put together cute packaging that allows for a uniform gift for each of my neighbors.

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Garlic Gold Nugget’s Gift Box Review

Garlic Gold: Garlic Gold Nuggets Gift Box Review and Giveaway

Garlic Gold Gift Set

I am not the same chef I once was, and that is a good thing.When Jason and I began our cooking adventure together, I could do little more than fry a simple chicken. As I learn more about cooking the more I realize it is a combination of the right seasoning and the right application of heat.

There are a couple of things I enjoy using in almost all my dishes is some form including olive oil and spices/salts. Back in October of 2015 I had the opportunity to review Garlic Gold’s olive oils. Since I have moved onto the the seasoning of my food I felt a good time to review their Garlic Gold Nuggets Gift Box.

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Stress Relieving Dolphin Patterns: Adult Coloring Book Review

Adult Coloring Book: Stress Relieving Dolphin Patterns Review and Giveaway

Living so close to the ocean there are days that I literally hear the waves crash and smell the ocean air. As the ocean air wafts over the hill, it makes me wonder about the world on the other side of that hill.

As I sit and wonder of all the sea animals, I find the dolphins and whales most interesting. Dolphins are wide-ranging in size from 5 feet to 31 feet and can weigh from the pounds to the tons. While male dolphins are called “bulls”, and the females are called “calves” each are equally smart. These creatures are equal parts amazing and wonderful!

When I received a copy of Adult Coloring Book: Stress Relieving Dolphin Patterns by Blue Star Coloring I thought of those playful, and smart sea creatures. Continue reading →

Pet Treater Monthly Subscription Box Review – July 2016

Pet Treater Monthly Subscription Box Review – July 2016

As we embark on Meadow’s first summer, it has not been without a couple little bumps along the way. Luckily she has been cleared of any serious illness at this time, but the path to discover this has been paved with stress, worry and nothing less than utter concern.

It started when she was about 4 months old, and it was because she was not eating. As it turns out she was just being moody. The next visit was due to inappropriate chewing (yes the same as in the previous Pet Treater review) and the swallowing of the chewed item. Luckily she passed the items she needed to and rebounded. This last visit was more stressful than the others and the outcome more important. As regular readers know, Meadow’s best furry friend -bff is Noodles, and she stopped caring when Noodles came to visit. This was coupled with lack of eating and a sense of lethargy. Despite the potential negative result, she was tested for the serious of canine illnesses.

After a stressful couple days all tests turned out negative, and it turns out Meadow is just a moody dog. When I heard that this months Pet Treater theme was “Dog Days of Summer”, it seemed appropriate because I think this is going to be a long summer with our dear moody Meadow.

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