High Mountain Oolong Tea

I received this High Mountain Oolong Tea to review.

I have been a tea drinker most of my life. I actually didn't like tea when I first started drinking it, but I drank it anyway because my dad does and I was daddy's little girl so I always tried to do anything he was doing. We drank mostly sun tea back then. For those that don't know sun tea is when you make tea by putting a gallon jar with water and tea bags out in the sun until it steeps, it's a very slow process. Anyway, I eventually grew to love tea and as an adult started branching out to different kinds of tea including blends, flavored teas, and even herbal teas. I'm always on the lookout for new teas to try, so when I got the chance to sample this one I wasn't about to turn it down. The tea arrived fairly quickly at which point I realized I've lost my infuser so I scoured the house for it and as of this posting I still haven't found it. So instead I borrowed one from my mother in law. It took a while for me to find the right amount of tea leaves to make a cup of tea to my liking, but once I did the tea is pretty good. I had to fill the infuser to the bursting to achieve the strength of tea I prefer, but most people drink their tea a little weaker than I do. I do plan to buy more of this tea because it is good and the price is pretty good too. I recommend it to all tea drinkers.

Super Easy Baby Food Cookbook

I received a free copy of the ebook Super Easy Baby Food Cookbook to review.

With both my pregnancies I planned on making my own baby food, but it didn't work out quite as I planned. I did make some of their food but I also bought some, and that's completely okay. Nobody should ever be shamed for using pre-made baby foods nor should anyone be pressured into making baby food at home. That said if you want to make your own baby food this books does have some pretty good info in it. I think recipes are pretty pointless when making baby food, after all, it's basically just mushing fruits and veggies. However, this book is an okay book because it gives suggestions of food combos and other info and advice about feeding babies and toddlers. One thing that really annoyed me about this book is the author's ignorance on organic food. The author claims that organic foods are grown without pesticides or fertilizers, which is false, they simply use different kinds of fertilizer and pesticide. The author also claims that organic food is more nutritious which is completely false and proven false. It is a blatant lie used to try and pressure poor people into throwing all their money away on food because it has the word organic on it.

Amelleon Packing Cubes

I received a set of these Amelleon Packing Cubes to review.

I don't travel much so I don't have a lot of use for travel cubes, but my in laws like to travel so I thought I would get these for them. My mother in law says that these are really useful because they allow her to keep things in easily accessible and easily storable pouches instead of just haphazardly thrown in larger luggage. They also work great for keeping things organized in your home if you've got small items. The set includes one water resistant laundry bag, one solid zippered pouch, and four zippered pouches with mesh fronts that allow you to see what's inside. They make a noise similar to a windbreaker when they rub together, which drives me crazy but most people don't have that problem. The cubes have nice color saturation and are mostly pretty colors. The cubes also seem to be quite sturdy, they don't tear easily and the zippers haven't had any trouble so far. When the cubes are empty they are flat so they're easy to put away and don't take up much room. I would strongly recommend these cubes to anyone looking for a storage solution for home or travel.

Boys Faux Leather Jacket

I received this Boys Faux Leather Jacket to review.

I've been needing to get Zach a new jacket ever since he outgrew his last one, which was a while ago, so when the opportunity to test this one came along I jumped at the chance. I was a little concerned based on the Amazon reviews because many of them mentioned the jacket having a fishy smell. So the first thing I did when it arrived was to open it-outside-and smell it. As my readers have probably learned, I hate strong smells and I avoid products that have strong smells whenever possible. Anyway, when I opened this up I was wearily ready for it to stink and I was very pleasantly surprised to notice no unpleasant odor, in fact no strong odor at all. It has a very faint smell like a new car. It's a cute little jacket, and Zach was happy to put it on as soon as he saw it. He really likes it and even wears it inside. I ordered the largest size for him, and it's a little big so he should be able to wear it for a while. It seems really sturdy and well made, too. I will buy the baby one when he's big enough (they only come in sizes 3T-14.

Pure Pink Clay Mask With Rice Enzyme

I received this Pure Pink Clay Mask With Rice Enzyme to review.

At 30 years old I've only recently gotten into skincare and beauty products. Most of my teens and twenties was spent not caring about skincare beyond applying sunscreen daily and lotion when my skin was feeling dry. I never believed that you needed to use specialized products for different areas of the body. Hand cream? That's just lotion. Facial moisturizer? More lotion. And masks? A foolish waste of money. My rejection of beauty was partly brought on by necessity-I have incredibly sensitive skin and most products I found would burn me and cause extreme discomfort, ocassionally bad enough to require medical attention. But I have learned the error of my ways and found that choosing the right products is what really matters. So this mask being aimed at those with sensitive skin meant it might be a great fit for me, in theory. And in reality, well... It was a great fit! This mask did not cause any burning, irritaion, or discomfort even when left on long enough to completely dry! And it seems to work, too. My skin is so soft after using this mask. I can't speak for the long term impact as I have only been using it a couple weeks and I often forget to use it as directed. You're supposed to use the mask 2-3 times per week and I only remember it once a week if that.

Silicone Egg Poacher Cups

I recieved these Silicone Egg Poacher Cups to review.

These were marketed as egg poachers, but ar in fact egg boilers. They're pretty simple to use, crack an egg into the silicone cup, screw on lid, place in water, and cook as you normally would. They aren't very effective, though. The point of these cups is that they allow you to boil an egg without having to peel it so you can just get a perfect boiled egg for making deviled eggs and such. Well, that doesn't happen. The first batch I cooked in these cups came out pretty easy, but they still left a little bit of egg white stuck in the cups. All subsequent eggs cooked in these cups have left a significant amount of egg white inside the cups, sometimes nearly the entire white gets stuck. And even when you get one out, it looks like it has been chewed up and spit out. They would be okay for egg salads, potato salads, and chef salads. But it's honestly not that hard to peel an egg anyway, unless you're using farm fresh eggs, so I would recommend just buying store eggs and boiling them in the shell. They do come with a couple of free gifts, the first of which is an egg seperator. I don't seperate my eggs so I haven't used it, but it looks like it might work. The instructions it includes don't make sense, though. The other free gift is some little silicone bowls that I don't know what are. My husband says they are the egg poachers, which I guess is possible but I don't know. I feel like they would probably sink if you put them in water with an egg in them. I'm not sure, as I haven't tried them yet but I will and then I'll add an update.

Furbliss dog brush review

I tried a Furbliss dematting brush for long haired dogs.

I have a long haired dog with a thick under coat that needs to be brushed regularly. I like this brush a lot better than the other dog brushes I have used, and so does Anubis, he loves to get brushed and this has become his favorite, because it doesn't get stuck and pull his hair like standard metal tooth comb and rake style brushes. He gets up and walks away when I catch a tangle in his hair with the rake but when I started using the furbliss he stoped wondering away because unlike other brushes it gently removes loos hair without getting stuck and pulling. It does just as good of a job at getting loose hair out as other brush styles. It won't work on badly matted hair, but it is a good maintenance bush, and if used regularly you won't have severe matts to deal with anyway. This is the go to brush for grooming time around here from now on.

When you're done brushing the dog you can just flip the brush and the other side works as a pet hair lint brush to get the stray hairs off your clothes.

Yogurt Starter Cultures

Buy your own Yogurt Starter Cultures to have homemade yogurt for way less than the cost of buying it at the store.

It was serendipitous when I saw this product. I had actually just been wondering if you could get yogurt starter similar to the sourdough starters you can buy. I don't like yogurt, but my husband does. So do my dad and sister, so I bought this and split the packets with them. So, for $6 you get three little satchets of yogurt cultures each of which makes up to 2 gallons of yogurt. That is a lot of yogurt, it's a really good deal, too. The outer envelope that holds doesn't have any instructions on it, but the satchets all have the instructions on the back of them, though you can get more thorough instructions on their website. Follow the instruction to the letter or your yogurt will not turn out! You will need a thermometer to monitor the temperature of your yogurt to make sure it stays hot enough to culture successfully. These cultures are for making just a plain yogurt, of course, but you can easily add fruit or vanilla to create flavored yogurts if you prefer. Our first attempt at making yogurt was unsuccessful because we didn't use a thermometer so we will try again with the right tools. I do recommend this product, because it's a great price for yogurt and I believe if you got the temperature right the yogurt would come out good, because ours was pretty close but just didn't have quite the right consistency.

Vegan Diet Box Set

I received a free copy of the ebook Vegan Diet Box Set to review.

This set contains the book 101 Quick Fire Vegan Recipes, which I've already reviewed here, and 101 Chocolate Vegan Recipes which is also included in the Dessert Vegan Boxset, which I've reviewed here. So, definitely don't buy both boxsets because they have some overlap. Like all the other books by this author, we start out with an intro that explains what it means to be vegan. And, like the other books by this author, there is a lot of sanctimony trying to pressure the reader into converting to vegan. Kind of funny, since these are vegan books so, most likely, the readers are already vegan or at least vegetarian. And, like the other books by this author, this one contains recipes that are not vegan. It really annoys me when you encounter a sancti-vegan especially a sancti-vegan who doesn't even know which foods are and aren't vegan. There are a few good recipes in this set, but I can't in good conscience recommend it because I don't believe in supporting fools and hypocrites. There are better vegan cookbook out there, so keep looking instead of buying this one.

Off Grid Solar

I recieved a free copy of the book Off Grid Solar to review.

I love the idea of my own, personal solar grid to lower my electric bill. If it was up to me, I would have solar panels set up already-I even know where I would put them and how many. So I figured that a book about building a solar grid would be useful in convincing my husband that I'm right. Well, this book is a nice, albeit very basic, introduction to setting up your own solar panel grid to power your home. It is definitely a beginner level book, as it's mostly just basic information about the benefits of adding solar to your home power grid. I don't think there's enough info in it to convince anyone to add solar panels, nor is there enough info to help someone set up a solar grid. What this book is, in my opinion, is a basic, entry-level book to explain the components of a solar grid. It's not bad, but if you've already decided solar is for you and are looking for help actually building your own grid, this is not the book for you. However, if you're just now looking into the idea of solar panels for your home, this book might be helpful to you. But only buy if it's on sale, the price is quite steep for such a short book.

#offgrid

We're Pregnant! The First-Time Dad's Pregnancy Handbook

I recieved a free copy of the ebook We're Pregnant! The First-Time Dad's Pregnancy Handbook to review.

Full disclosure here: I am not a first-time dad. In fact, I'm not a dad at all. I'm a mom. Although, not a first time mom. I'm a mom of two kids and I'm not pregnant at this time, though my youngest is still breastfeeding. All that aside, I think this book is awesome. Every dad-to-be and new dad should read. Actually, I think moms-to-be and new moms should read it, too! This book is concise and yet still manages to pack a lot of good information into its pages while still having room for humor. This book is everything I want in a pregnancy book. It has information on the different stages of pregnancy (including the so called "fourth trimester"), how baby's doing, how mom's doing, what mom may need, and more. It also has some nice, useful checklists to prepare for the impending arrival of baby. I recommend this book to every parent-to-be and people trying to become parents-to-be and even those recently promoted to full parent rank.

Marketing Automation

I received a free copy of this Marketing Automation to review.

This is an ebook for companies interested in automating certain parts of their business to lessen costs and increase profits. It seemed like an interesting book to read, though our business is not yet ready for any kind of automation it can't hurt to get a jump start, right? So this book is marketed as a guide to automation which, to me, implies that it will give you the steps you should follow and when you should begin them in order to maximize your business's potential. Well, after reading through it it seems to be more of a book describing what automation is and the different kinds of automation. It doesn't really give any insight into who would benefit from these different forms of automation nor does it give any real idea as to the benefits of these automations. So, it is an extremely basic guide to automation. I don't think it's worth buying because the only thing in it that's actually useful is the list of automation services at the end of the book, all of which can be found by simply Googling "marketing automation platforms." Also, like every other ebook I've read by this author, the grammar is terrible. I believe the name is a pen name because there is no information on an author named George Pain outside of Amazon, which I guess isn't a huge thing, but I would like to know more about the person writing all of these business books so that I can verify his qualifications for providing this information.

#marketing

Vegan: 101 Quick-Fire, Dairy Free and Low Carb Vegan Diet Recipes

I received a free copy of the ebook Vegan: 101 Quick-Fire, Dairy Free and Low Carb Vegan Diet Recipes to review.

I love trying new recipes, especially vegan recipes. I was a vegan for 15 years and while I still stick to a meatless diet I no longer consider myself truly vegan. So I got this book hoping to get some more good meatless recipes. Well, I wasn't too pleased with this book. It started with an introduction that seemed pretty sanctimonious to me. The author seemed to be using the introduction to try and pressure people into going vegan. That kind of thing is annoying enough on its own, but then as I was reading the recipes I found that quite a few of them aren't even vegan! There are recipes calling for granulated sugar, which is made using bone char (literally burned animal bones): NOT VEGAN! Some recipes call for chocolate chips which are not vegan unless they're specialty chocolate. And the real kicker was one of the recipes calling for raw honey! HONEY!? That comes from bees and it is NOT VEGAN! How can you go from crowing about the benefits of veganism and not even know which foods are vegan and which aren't? Anyway, besides those issues that irritated me there are a few good recipes in here that I do look forward to making.

Profivex 8.5 oz Clinical Strength Probiotic Supplement

I received this Profivex 8.5 oz Clinical Strength Probiotic Supplement to review. Profivex is a probiotic for cats and dogs to help with digestion. Use code KYIUV8RZ for 15% off!

My cat is a picky eater but even she will eat this, although she only eats it sometimes. My dog absolutely loves it, to him it's like a treat. He's getting old and, like many elderly dogs (and humans), he has some digestive problems and the Profivex supplement really seems to be helping him. He doesn't have stomach trouble nearly as often since he's started taking the Profivex. I recomend trying Profivex if you have a dog or cat with stomach or other digestive problems. Always remember to first consult with tour vet if your pet is having digestive issues to rule out something more serious and make sure the Profivex is safe for your pet.

Passive Income Airbnb

I received a free copy of the ebook Passive Income Airbnb to review.

Honestly, Airbnb makes me nervous. Sleeping in a strangers home or having a stranger sleep in my home is not something I'm comfortable with. It does intrigue me though, and I have thought about using a service such as this to rent out a home if I were to ever buy a spare house. So I decided I might as well read a book about Airbnb. This book has a lot of grammatical errors in it, but the information provided is good information. A lot of it is pretty basic infromation that most people would figure out on their own- ie; cleanliness, politeness, property maintenance, etc. But there are also lists of many different services that assist hosts with different aspects of the rental process. I wouldn't recommend buying this book when it's at full price, but when it goes on sale it might be a worthy investment for those interested in getting into Airbnb rentals or those who are just starting out.

Emotional Intelligence

I received a free copy of the ebook Emotional Intelligence to review.

This book is a really basic read about emotional intelligence, most often referred to as EQ. The book seems to mostly just state how EQ is far more important in life than IQ and that only people with a high EQ, reguardless of IQ, are capable of being truly successful in live. In other words, the author is very short sighted and narrow minded. There are different kinds of intelligence, that is certain, and they all matter in how well you will do in life. But to say that one is more important than the others is foolish. It is not one single factor that determines one's success in life, not one single trait. It is a combination of all of these types of intelligence, all of the individual traits, that come together to determine whether or not one is able to acheive success in life. The book not only expresses a very narrow-minded view, it is also full of grammatical errors. I would not recommend it, instead those interested in EQ should invest in a book by someone who does research in the field of neuroscience.

Machine Learning for Beginners

I received a free copy of the ebook Machine Learning for Beginners to review.

This book is supposed to be a machine learning book for beginners, I'm not sure what they mean by beginner in this context, but considering the book references programming languages you need to already know some basic coding to ustilitze this book. And then, it's not really useful. It's far to basic in it's scope and it makes me question if the author actually understands what machine learning is. Sure, he lists a simple definition of machine learning at the beginning of the book, but anyone can define something without understanding it. This book seems like it was written because the author wanted to add a new area of expertise to his resume so her wrote a book about it without bothering to actually learn and understand the subject matter.

Amazon Echo Dot for Beginners

I received a free copy of the ebook Amazon Echo Dot for Beginners to review.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book based on the title. It is, in fact, exactly what it seems to be: a user guide for the Amazon Echo Dot. First the author lists the differences between the Echo Dot generation one and two, then it lists the differences between the Echo Dot and the Echo. Aferwards it gives instruction on how to set it up and how to stream music. Also it gives a very basic (incomplete) guide to setting up a smart home. The book really isn't worth paying for, all of the information available in the book is readily available online for free. Most of it is also found in the user guide included with the Echo Dot when you purchase it. There is no valid reason for buying this book.

Singapore Under Attack

I received a free ebook copy of Singapore Under Attack to review.

Full disclosure: I don't read a lot of novels, I prefer my books to be of the non-fiction variety, but I do enjoy the ocassional thriller. But to call this book a thriller is a stretch. It seemed to me more like the author was trying to show off how many different technology concepts he knew about. Most of the book is just pointless, plotless filler. The first chapter is okay, but it fails at the most important task of a first chapter: draw in the reader. After the first chapter I was bored of this book, but you can't review what you haven't read, so I kept reading. The second chapter was nothing but filler. It served no purpose and the plot of the book wouldn't have been impacted in any way by simply deleting the entire thing. I also feel the need to point out that the author frequently mentioned the drink being served in "china cups" which I found weird and honestly quite annoying. Why do we care what type of glass they were using? It's just more meaningless filler. There's no point in the book that I felt drawn in, conected to the characters, or compelled in anyway to continue reading. I barely managed to finish this book, and the end didn't change my opinion of the book at all. It was boring and anti-climactic.

Kaddish to My Parents and Other Poems ebook

I recieved a free copy of the ebook Kaddish to My Parents and Other Poems to review.

This is a book of poems written by Ruth Netzer that have been translated to English. Translating poetry can be a difficult task because some words don't translate well and/or don't hold their meaning when translated, but the translators of these poems did a nice job. The book isn't perfect, but for the most part, the poems do have a nice flow and rhythm to them even after translation. These aren't the elementary school style of poetry many people are used to (ie; rhyming every other line and haikus) so some people may not like them because they aren't used to this style of poetry. I like the poems in this book and the style of poetry the author used. I would like to read the untranslated poems to see if they maintained the original flow and meaning, but based on having only read the translations I do like the poems. I would like to see more poetry from this author in the future and am very interested in reading her other book

Dessert Vegan Box

I recieved a free copy of this ebook Dessert Vegan Box to review.

I was a vegan for 15 years and one of the most common misconceptions I had to deal with was people thinking that vegans only eat healthy food. I've had to explain to many people that veganism is a philosophy not a diet. It's not about eating healthy, it's not about losing weight, it's about minimizing your impact on animals and the environment. It's about ethics. This book is awesome, because it showcases one of the best parts of being vegan: all the desserts! There are a lot of recipes in this book set, and most of them look pretty good. A few of them I've actually made before. Sure, you could find any of these recipes online if you wanted to, but this book set is nice because it compiles a variety of yummy desserts into a single book. The only complaint I have about this book is that it has a recipe for vegan Oreos, which is redundant since regular Nabisco brand Oreos are vegan already.

Callus Shaver Foot File

I received this Callus Shaver Foot File to review.

I have scaly feet. Very scaly feet. So I decided I would give this product a try. When it arrived and I opened the package I was a little confused at first. I couldn't remember ordering any cheese grater, so why was I getting one in the mail? Then I read the label on the packaging of the item and that's when it became clear: this is the callus remover. Yikes, I was a little nervous about running this scary looking cheese grater thing across my feet. Sure, they're scaly feet, but there's tender skin hidden under those scales! And this thing looked like it would just peel all the skin off. But, I can't review a product until I've actually tried it, can I? So I braced myself for pain and started scraping my heel and there was no pain! None! It didn't hurt at all. And not only is it painless to use, it also actually works. I've tried other items that claim to remove scaly dry skin, but none ever worked well. This one, on the other hand, works great. It easily removed the outer scales without damaging the tender flesh underneath. I even used it on the dry and sore elbow scales I have, to see if it would hurt. And while there was a little pain when using it on my elbow scales, it was not any worse than the pain of simply rubbing those elbow scales. So, all in all, this product is AWESOME! If you have scaly, dry feet (or elbows) that you need to shave, buy this product.

Bra Bridge

I received this Bra Bridge free to review.

I wanted to try these out because I was really curious about how they worked, if they worked. Well, the how is pretty simple. You clip one side to each bra cup and it, in theory, pulls your breasts together to create the illusion of cleavage. THe problem is that they don't work. Now, I'm not someone who has difficulty achieving cleavage because I have some substantial boobage to work with, but even for me these did nothing. I tried them out with various bras and the result was pathetic. No matter how far down the cup, or in the case of my lace bra inward on the cup, I put them they didn't create cleavage. All they did was make my bra sit awkwardly and look weird. I also had my sister try them out since I figure they're built more for those with less natural boobage like her. Well, they could create a minor smoosh effect for her, but only with the clip up so high it's clearly visible. I can't think of a single neckline that these would actually work with. Just buy a push=up bra or some of those "chicken cutlet" inserts if you want to look more endowed.

50 Things to Do Before You Deliver

I received a free copy of this 50 Things to Do Before You Deliver ebook to review.

I honestly didn't expect much out of this book, I thought it would just be a simple list of things to do during pregnancy. The kind of list that one finds on parenting websites and mommy blogs. Which, in a way, it is which makes sense considering the author is a mommy blogger. But there is a lot of good info and good advice in the pages. The author did a good job making a concise list of tasks for pregnant women. Some of them are less important, more fun tasks that you may or may not wish to do. There are also humorous anecdotes included, some of which got me literally laughing out loud. The tasks are seperated into trimesters and some are time sensitive, but most are do them when or if you want. Some of the tasks may not be necessary for everyone-ie name lists, for example, my hubby and I didn't have any name lists for naming our little boy. But if you and your partner are struggling to settle on the right name for your little bump it is good advice.

Yoga for Kids and Their Grown-Ups

I received a free copy of the ebook Yoga for Kids and Their Grown-Ups free to review.

Both of my kids do a little bit of limited yoga of their own volition so I like to try and encourage them to do more complex yoga poses and practices. Usually, I use youtube videos because it's easier to explain when it's visual. But since I was offered this free yoga book I thought I'd give it a try. It seems to be a pretty well put together book, I didn't notice any typos. There is minimal art, mostly just simple drawings of the poses. The art is cute and suitable for a kids book. The book divides poses by "position" ie standing, sitting, lying, moving. There are some yoga games included. The games are mostly just simple, common children's games slightly modified (ie, Simon says becomes Yogi says, Musical chairs becomes Musical yoga). The book also suggests that yoga can be beneficial to autistic kids and those with ADHD. It doesn't claim that yoga will be a magic cure for these conditions, but that it may benefit the kiddos, which is true.

Glandex Soft Chews

Buy them here: https://www.chewy.com/glandex-soft-chews-anal-gland-support/dp/118577

Having worked for a dog groomer, I learned more than I wanted to about anal glands. It was a messy job, but I learned a valuable lesson about nipping the scoot in the bud. So, while my pooch doesn't scoot often he has recently been scooting so I knew I needed to try something. Then I was presented with the opportunity to sample this product, perfect timing! Well, I can definitely say it worked for my dog and he seems to enjoy the taste, though he's never been a picky eater so that shouldn't be surprising. The chews are peanut butter flavored so I think most dogs would like it, because what dog doesn't eat peanut butter whenever presented with the opportunity? It's also important to note that Tippy only has minor issues with scooting/anal gland impaction so I can't vouch for how this product would work for a more severe case. If your dog has severe impaction you should consult your vet. You should also consult your vet prior to giving this or any other supplement to your dog.

INNX Ergonomic camping chair

I got this INNX Ergonomic camping chair at a discount to review.

My husband had quite a few of these style camping chairs, though none of this brand, before we married. Some of them have been lost or damaged since then so when I was presented a chance to get a new one at a discount I figure I might as well. We're going to need a lot of extra seating this summer anyway since MIL is having a family reunion here. My husband was the first to test the chair but he wasn't fond of it. I, on the other hand, really like the chair. I think it's really comfortable and the kids seem to like it too. I like that the chair has a mesh seat to allow breathability. Nothing worse than a sweaty but, am I right? My hubby's big complaint about the chair is how low it sits, but I don't mind sitting low though I do think a footrest is a good addition. I will probably buy more of these in the future.



#RORAIMA #CAMPINGCHAIR #OUTDOORCHAIR

Productivity Hacks EBook

I got this Productivity Hacks EBook free to review.

As a professional procrastinator, this book seemed like a godsend to me. I really need to be more productive sometimes, but it's a struggle. So I figured a book of productivity hacks would be a great help to me. But then I started reading it. There is first a section of the book about productivity killing habits. Seems like a good place to start a book about improving productivity, right? There are some noticeable grammatical errors early and often through out this book. Now, don't get me wrong, I know that everyone makes grammar errors. Hell, I do all the time right here in this very blog, but when you are publishing a book and expecting people to pay you money for it there is a reasonable assumption that the book will be edited for grammar and spelling prior to publishing.

But right now we're going to focus on the content of the book, specifically the bad habits section. First of all, the book lists watching morning news as a bad habit. Really? How is being informed a bad habit? That's just stupid and wrong. The author also considers "big picture thinking" to be a bad habit. I understand that sometimes you should focus on the details, but sometimes the big picture is more important. The author lists porn as a bad leisure habit. Okay, I get it, porn is a shameful subject we aren't supposed to talk about in civilized society, but let's be honest here: everyone watches porn on occasion. That's not a bad thing. It's okay to watch porn, as long as you aren't watching anything illegal or allowing your viewing habits to supersede your obligations. Under poor hygeine habits it lists not bathing every morning. Well personally I bathe at night, so I don't bring filth into my clean bed. It also lists "wearing clothes more than once a week" as a bad hygeine habit. I assume the author meant wearing the same clothes more than once without washing them. Otherwise we all need to become nudists to be productive.

Once you get through the bad habits section there is some good advice and info, though the book is still riddled with grammatical errors. I think the useful info in the later sections of the book outweigh the grammatical errors. I wouldn't buy this book at full price, but when it's on sale I think it is a worthy investment.

Janusz Korczak: The Man who Knew how to Love Children

I received a copy of the ebook Janusz Korczak: The Man who Knew how to Love Children to review.

This is a childrens book, and it's basically just a short biography of Janusz Korczak. I'd heard of Janusz Korczak before, but I didn't know much about him beyond his belief in treating children with respect, which I wholeheartedly agree with. This book was written and illustrated by a man who grew up in his care. It's a sweet little story with some good lessons, such as being accountable for your own behavior, tucked inside. It's a sweet story, but it's also sad. The book begins with the author being left at an orphanage by his mother, which is just a kind of soul crushing prospect to me, as a parent. I understand that the author had a good life and his mother was acting in his best interest in sending him to live somewhere that he could have more than she was able to give him, but still it is very sad to think about. The story also ends on a sad note, due to the fate of the real life Dr Korczak. The artwork in the book is nicec and just feels perfectly suited to the story, the book is well written and well edited. I think this book is a great addition to every child's library and is a great introduction to a troubling part of world history that we must always remember.

Lightning Charger Cable Savers

Buy your own Lightning Charger Cable Savers to protect abd identify your chargers.

I wasn't entirely sure what the point of these was from looking at the listing, they info on the Amazon listing is vague and doesn't really clearly indicate the usage of the product. When I got them the packaging confirmed what I thought, they are cord "protectors" for charging cables. They're soft, flexible plastic (maybe rubber?) springs that you wrap around the end of a phone charger cord right where it meets the plug. The point of the product is that, in theory, it prevents the coating of the cord and wires within from cracking thereby avoiding dangerous exposed wires. I don't know how well they would do that, because they are just a soft, pliable spring which doesn't seem like a avery sturdy protection to me. I think their real strength is as a quick, easy way to identify which cord you're grabbing. I actually oredered the gray pack but they send me the color pack instead, which is one blue, one pink, one green (yellow, maybe?), and one gray. For me they are a nice addition to each cord because they allow me to quickly spot the cord I need without having to look at the ends of all of them. So they're a great item for helping to quickly identify the cord you need. I don't know how well they really protect a cord, but they are cheap enough that they would be worth the investment if you're one of those people who often breaks cords.

Terrafreeze Pain Relief Cream

I received this Terrafreeze Pain Relief Cream free to review.

I got this product after my husband hurt his shoulder in an accident at work. He's pretty badly injured, been off work over a month now, but he really hates taking pain meds so I thought this would be a great alternative for him. He hasn't used it much because he prefers to just suffer through the pain. But when he does use it he said it doesn't help much. I haven't used it yet myself, though I do have knee pain and I know from the ingredients in this that it would help because I have used similar products in the past. The problem is that it contains menthol so it smells horrible. I hate menthol, it is the worst smelling product on earth. It works great, I know, but the smell is horrible so I avoid it like the plague. If my pain gets bad enough I will use it myself, but until that I'll just suffer the pain to avoid the smell.

#terrafreeze #painreliefcream #jointpain #arthritispain

Innx Waterproof cargo liner

I got this Innx Waterproof cargo liner to review.

I have a new car and an often muddy dog that sometimes needs to ride in said new car. Well, I obviously don't want my nice, new car getting all muddy or getting scratched up by those pooch paws so this product seemed like a great investment. I know that I could just wash my car after transporting the dog anywhere but I hate washing my car. I could also just wash the dog before transporting him, which I usually do, but he yelps and fights whenever I try to wash him even though he has no qualms with rolling in mud or jumping in the creek, apparently shower water is evil and terrible stuff. He sounds almost like a human baby when he yelps, it's a little unnerving honestly. But anyway, this product seemed like a boon for me. I could transsport the pooch in a hurry without needing to scrub him, great in the event of an emergency-and given his propensity to harrass large animals emergency trips are sometimes required. Well, it was a little tough to install this because the instructions suck, but I just layed it all out and looked at it to figure out what goes where. It has some velcro to attach it to the side of the vehicle but I opted not to use that since I will likely be moving this between vehicle from time to time. Instead I used the suction cup attachments which are a little wonky to operate but once you get them on they stay pretty solidly. The product is also really sturdy, it's very thick and I don't think my dog could damage it even if he tried, and that's saying something. zthe only problem I have with this product is the smell. It smells really strong and really bad, kind of like tires. I'm sure the smell will fade with time, but for now my car smells like the inside of Les Schwab.

Getting reviews for Amazon FBA Ebook

I received a free copy of Getting reviews for Amazon FBA Ebook to review.

This book is great for anyone who is new to selling products on Amazon or anyone who is interested in getting into selling on Amazon. The primary focus of the book is getting reviews for your products but it also has information in it about getting set up as an Amazon seller, the different "levels" of Amazon sellers, and the tools made available to Amazon sellers. The author does a pretty good job of breaking down the pros and cons of each level of seller on Amazon to help you decide which one is for you. He also provides a lot of resources and ideas for how to get more sales and by extension more reviews, which helps with getting even more sales. It's a very useful book for anyone interested in selling on Amazon. It does, however, have quite a few grammatical errors, but that shouldn't be a deal breaker considering the amount of valuable information in these pages.

Marigold Thermal Laminator, Rotary Paper Cutter, & Ring Binding Machine

This is a review of three items in one post, because those three items kind of go together. The first is a Marigold Thermal Laminator, the second a Rotary Paper Cutter, and the third a Ring Binding Machine. You can checkout out Marigold's website for more info on these product here, here, and here, respectively. I'm going to break this post down into three sections, one for each product. I will review them in the order they're listed above. So, without further adieu...

First we'll talk about the laminator. I like laminating important papers and my kids' artwork to keep it from getting destroyed quite so easily. Currently I'm working on laminating Zach's art because Scotty hasn't yet produced any art being that he's a baby. You're supposed to flatten out any papers before laminating to get the best seal, but I didn't do that for my video because I wanted to see how well it worked in real world conditions, and who in the real world is going to press paper before laminating it? I know I'm not. So, anyway, I laminated some of Zach's art that was curled up at the corners and it sealed just fine. The laminator isn't fast by any means, but what laminator is? It operates at a reasonable speed and does a great job. It's also priced reasonably, which is always a boon. It can accept 3mm or 5mm pouches but does not use rolls, and it is 9 inches wide so you can laminate anything smaller than nine inches wide. I would recommend this product to anyone who needs or wants to laminate for personal or business uses. I'm planning to buy another one for my dad to use at his shop.

Now, on with the show! I mean, on to the rotary paper cutter. I use paper cutters a LOT at work, but not as much at home. I'm currently off work, still on maternity leave, but when/if I return I plan to take this paper cutter with me because it is a way better product. You see, the model I use at work is a guillotine style paper cutter and I hate the guillotine style so much. The papers don't get cut evenly or in a straight line, especaially if you're cutting more than one paper at a time and with most guillotine cutters the cut edge of the paper gets rough and has little paper shards on it. Rotary cutter are much better in my opinion because they provide a cleaner, smoother cut. I really like this particular paper cutter because it has a nice, sharp blade that is, for the most part, safely tucked away where it won't cut you. Now, small hands could get to where the edges of the blade are and get nicked, but that's why this product is for uuse by adults or older children who have adult supervision. Of all the paper cutters I have used, this one is by far the highest quality. I strongly recommend it.

Alright, now for the pièce de résistance, my favorite part of this whole trio, an item I love with all my heart for the nostaligia it carries: the Ring Binding Machine! As a kid in school we used these a lot to make little books, but the teachers rarely allowed we the students to actually operatae the machines so when we got to what a treat it was! Anyway, as for this product, well it workds great. It's easy to use and doesn't require any instructions though it did come with them. The punch portion of the machine is limitted to only 10 sheets of paper at a time, so if you have a lot to punch through it may take a while to finish. The binding part is limited only by the size of bindings you use. The machine did come with a lot of small binding but no larger ones, which is kind of unfortunate. I think it would have been wiser for them to include bindings in a variety of sizes so people could more easily use it straight out of the box. A sort of plug and play functionality, if you will. Anyway, that said, it is a good machine at a reasonable price and I would recommend it. Especially if you're a parent, kids love making their own books and this machine helps to facilitate that.

SD Card Reader

I received this SD card reader at a discount in exchange for a review.

I thought this product would be really helpful since I use multiple cameras as well as my phone for taking photos and videos. Well, it turns out I was wrong. This SD card reader doesn't work, or at least the one I got doesn't. It also isn't compatible with the memory card from my Sony camera, which is my current preferred camera because it has the best image quality, but I could deal with that if it would at least work with regular SD and micro SD cards. I tried using a regular SD card and couldn't get it to work. I didn't try it with a micro SD because I don't have one. I tried plugging it into my PC which runs Windows 10, which the reader is supposed to be compatible with, and on my Galaxy S8 but it wouldn't work on either of them. I don't have any Apple products to try it with, so I don't know if it works with Apple products. I would not buy this product. I recommend staying away from this product.

Growth Hacking EBook

I received a free copy of this Growth Hacking EBook to review.

This book is a great resource for anyone looking to grow their business or brand. It is filled with a lot of information divided into easily digestible bites for maximum usability. It has quite a lot of information in it and it also lists some useful-and mostly free-resources to help you grow your own brand. It is geared more at selling a product, but you could easily tweak the advice to apply to other growth tasks, like growing your social media following. The book isn't very long, but it doesn't need to be. The author does a pretty good job of getting the point across in short and concise sound bites. There are a few typos in the book, but nothing major. It seems like a pretty well researched and edited book, only one typo really jumped out at me and that's because it was in one of the headers. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to grow their business, brand, product, or following.

I tried not to drone on in my review, because I wanted to keep it short, concise, and to the point just like the book is.

#growthhacking

12-Week Food Journal and Fitness Tracker

I got a free 12-Week Food Journal and Fitness Tracker from the publisher to review.

I love journals, journals of any kind. I love them. I love writing down my thoughts, keeping my schedule, and tracking my dailies. I love blank journals that leave me free to write whatever comes to mind. I love journals/workbooks that give me blanks to fill in and questions to answer. I love writing things down. It's one of my favorite things to do. So, of course, I jumped at the opportunity to try this fitness and food journal because it combines my love of writing, filling in the blanks, and tracking dailies with my desire to get back in shape. It is perfect for me! I've been trying to lose the extra weight I've put on but it's difficult for me because I like to eat and I don't like to sweat. Well, having a journal to keep track of everything helps to make me more accountable, I can't lie to myself if it's written down for the whole world to see, now can I? I haven't written anything in it yet, but I have looked through it and planned my attack. I've decided on April 30th as my official journal starting date. Why April 30th, you ask? Well, quite simply because I believe that weekly planners should be started at the beginning of the week. As I haven't used the journal yet it is still pristine and unwritten, with nary a crease on it. I love the freshness of a new journal and making the first markings in it.

The pages are nice, sturdy paper of a clean, crisp white. The colors and ink quality are nice and rich, the lines clean and well defined. This is a quality print job and as a book lover, I really appreciate that. It has a nice guide to using the journal at the front as well as check-ins at the end of each four week period (roughly one month). At the beginning of the journal is an area to write your goals and current stats (weight and measurements) as well as your plan of attack. At each check-in, you can write notes about your progress, update your stats, rate how you're doing at achieving your goal (10%-100%), and write a renewed plan of attack. At the beginning of each week, you write down your meal plan and notes. Each day includes areas for recording three meals and three snacks with time, item consumed, calories and macronutrients. There are also boxes to tick for water and produce consumption as well as hours of sleep as well as writing down your exercise and rating how you're doing toward your goal. I look forward to using this journal during my fitness journey.

Compressor Filter

Buy your own compressor filter on Amazon.

I honestly wasn't sure what the point of a filter for an air compressor was when I first saw this. My dad used air tools all the time doing bodywork when I was a kid and he never mentioned an air compressor filter so I didn't even know such a thing existed. When I saw this I had to ask my husband if such an item would be of any use to him, it anyone for that matter, and he said it would. So I went ahead and ordered it for him. I honestly thought this thing was going to be way bigger than it is, so I was really surprised to open the package and see this little thing. I don't know why but I thought it would be really big and bulky and it isn't, it is small and compact. I thought this would only be useful because my husband paints, but it turns out compressor filters are actually useful for anyone who uses any air tools because they keep contaminants out of the line which extends the life of tools. I would definately say this product is a good investment for anyone who uses air tools, because extending the life of your tools is always a good thing.

Soccer Offense EBook

You can buy a copy of the ebook Soccer Offense on Amazon.

I used to love playing soccer as a kid but full disclaimer, I never knew how to play. I never learned the rules because nobody in my home town knew how to play. So as kids, we just kicked a ball around on a field and followed the rudimentary rule we knew: no hands on the ball unless you're the goalie. This book would have been of great use to me as a child and as an adult, it was an enjoyable and informative read. As evident from the title, this book focuses on the offensive side of the game, which means it's not a complete guide to playing soccer properly but it's a great start. The book is short, concise and laid out in an easy to read format. This book is a good choice for people who have an interest in soccer or parents of children who have an interest in soccer. The ebook is reasonable priced, though the physical book is more expensive. I think that this book is a good investment to improve ones soccer skills.

#soccer

Terry Treetop Collection ebook

I received this Terry Treetop Collection ebook for free in exchange for my review.

These stories are pretty cute, they seem like good stories for the kindergarten age set. They don't have a clear "moral" or learning lesson like some kids books do, but that's okay. Sometimes books should just be entertaining. The art isn't my taste, but it's cute and suitable to the subject matter. One major issue I have with the art is that some of the character art is clearly derivative. The cow in the first book is Cow from Cow and Chicken. The little kitten is Marie from The Aristocats. The fawn is Bambi. The chipmunks are Chip and Dale. There are probably more that I've missed, but it did bug me a bit to see such clearly derivative art. I worry that the author may face potential lawsuits over this art, because Disney seems to have a bit of a hair trigger about use of its intellectual properties. That said, it is a cute book series that's a good choice for young kids. I would recommend buying physical books rather than the ebooks, but that's just because I prefer physical books.

Interactive Panda Toy

You can buy your own Interactive Panda Toy on amazon.

When I saw this cute little toy panda my first thought was how much my 91 year old grandmother loves pandas. They're her favorite animal and the last item she needs to check off her bucket list is seeing a live panda in person. While I can't help her with that, I can buy her a cute toy panda. So that's what I did. When it arrived I checked it out and played with it for a few days first to see if it actually works, and it really doesn't to be honest. It's supposed to respond to blowing kisses but it didn't. It's supposed to make a different noise when cradled, but it didn't. It's supposed to make a silly sound when turned upside down, but it only made the silly sound when shaken aggressively. Mostly it just makes a munching noise all the time. Seriously, if it's on it's munching. So, no, it doesn't do what it's supposed to do. But it is kind of cute and, more importantly, gramma likes it so it's not a total loss. That said, I wouldn't recommend buying it as a toy. As a decorative item for a panda fan, sure, but not as a toy.

UProtective Adjustable Knee Support

I got this UProtective Knee Support at a discount in exchange for my review.

I injured both of my knees when I was in the army, one worse than the other, so being presented the opportunity to get a new knee support option to try at a discount was something I couldn't pass up. When I received the item in the mail and opened it up I was pleasantly surprised to find that it didn't have any weird odors and was soft to the touch. I wore it a few times for short periods and it was okay but when I wore it yesterday to go to town I had terrible knee pain. I can't say for sure if the brace made the pain worse or not, but while wearing it I had worse knee pain than usual. I do know that the pain was eased considerably when I took the brace off. I tried wearing it a little again today and it was too uncomfortable. I find that any knee brace/sleeve U try that has a patella support hole does more harm than good for me, though it is the kind the doctor says I should use.

I do really like that it is adjustable, because most knee braces aren't so it may not fit properly in one area even if it does fit in another. This one is fully adjustable with three separate Velcro straps for each area. I doubt I'll be using this product ever again, though I may give it to my dad to use as he also has knee troubles. I think for people who prefer the patella support style knee braces this one would be a great choice.

Dual USB Port Wall Charger

I got this Dual USB Port Wall Charger in exchange for my review.

This charger comes with a lightning cord for iPhones, but since I don't have an iPhone I used the cords that I have for my other devices. It's a nice, compact little charger with a plastic cover for holding cords. It's a good charger for travel because you can stuff a cord in the box that attaaches to the front and you don't have to worry about losing the cord or damaging it. I also like that I can plug two smart phones in to it and it will still fast charge-something all the other multi port USB chargers I've tried can't do. It's not too wide, but it is long which makes it impossible to fit in some plug in locations. I like that it's only two prong instead of three, because many of the outlets in my home are only two prong. I do wish it had a couple more USB ports, because I have a lot more than two devices that are USB charge, but it is a nice quality item. I would recommend it to anyone who needs a multi port USB charger.

Urban Organic Gardener April Box

Just got my april box from UOG and every thing in this one is for the garden.

This month I got borlotti bush beans (appx 10 seeds), brandywine pink tomato (appx 5 seeds), jalapeno pepper (appx 5 seeds), blackbeauty eggplant (appx 20 seeds), and black beauty squash (appx 5 seeds). This will be my first year growing eggplant or squash, I can't wait to get them started and watch them grow. There such beautiful plants.

My tomato and cucumber sprouts from the feb box did good untill we got a freezing spell and I didn't have them covered properly in my make shift greenhouse but one cucumber and 3 tomatos survived. The peas and beans from last month are doing amazing.

Marble Run fun!

I got this MagicJourney Marble Run in the mail the other day and it is awesome! I got my first marble run for my ninth birthday. I can't remember the brand, but I do remember it was so much fun to play with and I've always wanted to get another one for my kids (and myself. Okay, mostly myself), so I finally did. This marble run form MagicJourney though is way more fun. It's got a lot of cool little parts to try and there are just a lot of pieces in general so you can build some huge towers if you want too. We have played with this every single day since it arrived. The first thing I built was the "very hard" run shown in the accompanying booklet. It was easy enough, once you get into the habit of making sure you align the pieces the right way so the marbles don't get stuck. Nothing ruins the fun like having to disassemble and reassemble your marble run because you did something wrong and a marble got stuck. I also decided to build a tower as tall as I could just to see how tall of a tower I could make with the parts in the box (answer: about 8 feet, though it lacked a solid foundation for structural support and also I'm too short to m=put marbles in it at that height so I had to shorten it a bit). Zach really enjoyed building different tower set ups, but he wasn't as interested in watching the marbles go through it. He really likes building. Scotty is still to young to play with the marble run, but he did enjoy watching the marbles run through the maze from the safety of his baby octagon.

This thing is fun for all ages, and you can even use it as a game if you divide the pieces among a few groups and let them build their own towers and then have a race. Marble run races are good fun. I plan on buying more of these to create an epic awesome mega marble run.

#marblerun #toys #toyz #stem #marblemaze #magicjourneytoys

Healthy Finds $10 gift card giveaway!

Guess what, lucky readers!? We have a special surprise for you all! Today we're hosting a giveaway of $10 Healthy Finds gift cards which can be used at a variety of websites.

From there website: "Healthy Finds connects you with innovative health brands that are carefully reviewed by their Wellness Team. The gift cards are good at dozens of these cutting edge bra." You can check out the brands at http://healthy-finds.com/wgcn10. To get your free $10 gift card follow me on Instagram and subscribe to my Youtube channel at http://youtube.com/c/spartanpilot01flappyhands

HSI PROFESSIONAL Argan Oil Heat Protector

I received this HSI PROFESSIONAL Argan Oil Heat Protector free in exchange for my review.

I thought this product would be nice to try out and see if it would help smooth the frizz and flyaways in my hair. Usually I don't care about my hair frizz, but sometimes I do like to have it smoothed out and looking good. For example, when attending events and/or being photographed it is sometimes nice to have nice, smooth hair. This product, especially when used with a straightening iron, works pretty good at smoothing out the frizz and flyaways. It is reasonably priced when compared to similar items available online.

The product doesn't leave any kind of sticky or oily feeling or residue behind on hair, which is great-nobody wants oily or sticky hair! It does, however, have a pretty bad smell to it, at least in my opinion. It smells a lot like Bounce dryer sheets. Or that cheap air freshener that I have at work. Either way, I do not like the smell at all. And of course, the smell lingers so when you use this product you'll be stuck smelling it all day. Which is fin if you like the smell or dryer sheets.

HSI Professional GliderPlus Pink Hair Straightener

I received this HSI Professional GliderPlus Pink Hair Straightener free in exchange for my review.

I already have straight hair so one might assume that a hair straightener would be useless to me, but that's not quite correct. A straightener can help smooth flyaways and other weird hair anomalies, like those moments when some part of my hair decided it wants to be wavy or curly. But for this review I had my sister use the straightener because she has curly hair and that is much better for assessing the abilities of the straightener.

So my sister has very stubbornly curly hair, so I thought using this straightener on her hair would be a good test of its ability to effectively straighten hair. So we plugged it in and warmed it up and then my sister worked on straightening her hair, starting with the most stubborn curly cue at the front. She kept the heat fairly low, so it took a long time to successfully straighten her hair, but it was a success. It lasted for the rest of the day before her hair sprung back in to full curl. It's a pretty easy straightener to use, the button are on the inside of the straightener which is a bit annoying but they are still fairly easy to access. It's isn't the most user friendly device around, but it is easy to operate though it may require a little practice to get it right.

Crazy straws!

I received these Crazy Straws for free in exchange for an honest review.

I remember as a kid getting crazy straws at parties at school and they were always so awesome. I mean, it was so great to have your drink doing loops on the way to your mouth. As an adult, they aren't quite as much fun as they used to be though. They're still great to buy for kids or for fun retro or nostalgia parties for the grown ups. We've used a few of the straws at home, but I plan to use most of them as party favors at the kids' birthdays because that seems like the best use for them. All kids love crazy straws, right?

The straws are definitely of a nice, high quality. They withstand biting and bending quite well and they appear to be dishwasher safe, at least when placed on the top rack. They have nice vibrant colors that don't seem to fade with exposure to light or dishwashers. I may buy more of them for the kids' parties or events in the future. The color varieties are okay, but it would be nice if there was more variation in the shapes of the straws.