Friday, October 30, 2020

Freebie Friday!

 

Welcome to another edition of Freebie Friday, where I tell you what free samples and full sized products I received in the mail and how you can get them too. Someone asked me why I do a "Freebie Friday" each week, so I'll tell you.

A while back I listed all the free samples and wins that I had received that previous year and so many people didn't believe that I could have gotten so many free things. So I decided to prove it by taking a picture every week and sharing the sites that I found the links to the freebies at. So now you too can get great free samples coming to your mailbox each week.

  You can find links to great samples at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

Humana Insurance sent Ken a free face mask. 
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Cream. 
A sample of Luxury Beauty Serum. 

I thought it was cool that an insurance company would send out a free face mask. I liked the night cream and I gave my daughter the beauty serum. 

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Sunday, October 25, 2020

Apartment Life #225

 
This is a new weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 21 years that we've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 21 years here in a weekly blog post.

At 12am on Tuesday night our power went out. My daughter looked outside and saw that only a few apartments were without power so she walked over to the breaker boxes on the alley side of the buildings and sure enough, someone had turned the breakers off to a few apartments. So she flipped the breakers back up and some of the older residents asked her to flip their breakers on since they physically couldn't do it. Hopefully that doesn't happen again. 

On Monday morning I was walking Falcor and spotted the police across the street. No one was arrested and they left soon after they got there so I don't know what that was about. 

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more. 

Friday, October 23, 2020

Freebie Friday!

 




Welcome to another edition of Freebie Friday, where I tell you what free samples and full sized products I received in the mail and how you can get them too. Someone asked me why I do a "Freebie Friday" each week, so I'll tell you.

A while back I listed all the free samples and wins that I had received that previous year and so many people didn't believe that I could have gotten so many free things. So I decided to prove it by taking a picture every week and sharing the sites that I found the links to the freebies at. So now you too can get great free samples coming to your mailbox each week.

  You can find links to great samples at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received:

Kodiak Cakes- pancake in a cup. 

CBD softgels. 

$25 CVS giftcard from cashing out my points on e-Rewards.

I filled out a form to become a brand ambassador for Kodiak Cakes and they approved me for that and sent me a sample to try. It was good. It was smores flavored. 

I reviewed the CBD softgels the other day. And I spent my giftcard. 

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Review: Relief Relax CBD softgels



CBDistillery was having a promotion and gave away full size bottles of their CBD softgels so I got a bottle. 


So I don't take CBD so I gave it to my daughter and she took it for two weeks and here's what she had to say about it. 

It's supposed to be good for mood, pain, anxiety, sleep, or calming the mind. Frankly, I felt no difference at all after taking them for 2 weeks. They did nothing to help me sleep. Didn't calm my mind or help with anxiety and definitely did nothing for pain. For the amount of money this and most places charge for CBD, in my opinion it's just not worth it at all. I'm glad I got to try it for free. 

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Review: Viter Energy Breath Mints


 I haven't had a whole lot of time to read lately and I'm so tired all the time so when the ad for these Viter Energy mints popped up on FB, I decided to pay the shipping and handling and get them. I received all of these samples for $4.99 shipping and handling but the samples were free otherwise. I haven't had a lot of time to read and review book so I figured I would start reviewing some of the products I use again like I used to. 

These mints came in 4 flavors, Cinnamon, Peppermint, Spearmint, Chocolate Mint and Wintergreen. They have 40 mgs of caffeine per mint, vitamin B complex and there were 3 mints in each of the sample packs plus they sent me a whole tin of the Wintergreen flavor. 

The flavor is powerful and I do mean powerful. It might be a little too powerful for me. I ended up cutting these mints in half because the flavor is just too much for me but if you want some caffeine, they are pretty good for that. Personally I think I would drink a cup of coffee over popping one of these because the flavor is too much but if you like really strong breath mints and want the added caffeine, then you will like this. 

Monday, October 19, 2020

Happy Raturday!

 
*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

Sunday, October 18, 2020

Apartment Life #224


This is a new weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 21 years that we've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 21 years here in a weekly blog post.

This week there was a fight across the street early in the morning when I was taking the dog out. The police showed up while I was outside and one of the officers had to pull the guy to the side because he kept yelling at the female while the officers were standing there. They all ended up walking behind the building where I couldn't see what was happening but I could sure hear them. Especially the guy, he was loud and yelling about how she did him wrong. I don't know what she did but he sure was mad about it.  I'm not sure if anyone went to jail since I came back inside and didn't see them leave. 

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more. 

Saturday, October 17, 2020

Review: Cirem Skincare




So this was one of those things where the sample products are free you just have to pay a couple of dollars for shipping and handling. I kept seeing the ad on FB and wanted to try these products anyway so they did their job and sucked me in. lol 

HCR 3-IN-1 Serum Mini

Hyaluronic Acid plumps and softens while improving the look of elasticity. Skin glows as a surge of antioxidant-rich Vitamin C (THD Ascorbate) reduces the appearance of imperfections, and Retinol revitalizes and renews to both improve and prevent the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

 I thought the serum was nice and it smells really good just like the face oil does. 


Mending Moon Moonglow Face Oil Mini

This face oil helps promote a smoother, more conditioned complexion by morning. 

You use it at night and leave it on your face. I will say that the face oil really does absorb into the skin really fast. I thought it smelled really good too. Reminds me of Fall for some reason.


Youthboost Diamond Moisturizing Cream Mini

This is enriched with luxurious Diamond Dust and nourishing Caviar Extract that deliver opulent nutrients and rich moisture into the skin. Hyaluronic Acid works to combat dehydrated skin to reveal intense, 24-hour hydration. Vitamins A & E dramatically enhance luminosity, while Panthenol soothes and corrects the appearance of any redness or irritation. 

It's supposed to correct redness but this moisturizing cream actually made my face red in places like right above my eyebrows. 

I'm pretty happy with my samples though. I got to try these products for just a couple of dollars and found that I actually really like the face oil. I probably won't buy a full size bottle of this though because it's a little expensive and this little sample bottle will last me quite a while. But it was was to be able to try it out. 

The other products were just ok for me. I have some other products that work better for me in the serum and moisturizer departments and aren't as expensive as these are. 

Friday, October 16, 2020

Freebie Friday!

 

Welcome to another edition of Freebie Friday, where I tell you what free samples and full sized products I received in the mail and how you can get them too. Someone asked me why I do a "Freebie Friday" each week, so I'll tell you.

A while back I listed all the free samples and wins that I had received that previous year and so many people didn't believe that I could have gotten so many free things. So I decided to prove it by taking a picture every week and sharing the sites that I found the links to the freebies at. So now you too can get great free samples coming to your mailbox each week.

  You can find links to great samples at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received: 

A few samples of perfume from Macy's. I saw the promotion on FB and signed up for it and they sent me some good scents.

A box of 4 Healright Insulin Resistance Bars. I reviewed them yesterday..

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Thursday, October 15, 2020

Review: Healright Insulin Resistance Bars

 

This is the second time that I've received a box of these Healright Insulin Resistance Bars. I had originally signed up for a free sample and they sent me 4 bars which was a nice free sample and I recently received 4 more bars. They have different flavor like lemon/blueberry, banana/peanut butter and others. 

I have type 2 diabetes so I'm willing to try things like this but like with most 'nutritious' things, this does not taste great. It's not awful just not something that I would pay for. It's edible but it's not great. But if you have type 2 diabetes and want to try a bar that won't raise your blood sugar real high then I can say that these didn't make my blood sugar skyrocket after eating one. 

Have you ever tried these? 

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Review: Daily Goodie Box - October

 

The Daily Goodie Box has been around since about July of 2016. I signed up for an account right after I heard about them. They are 100% free, you don't even have to pay for shipping. And for a free box it's a nice sampler box of products.

What was in the box?

Electrolit - Electrolyte Beverage-  Ken drank this and he liked it. It didn't have an over powering grape flavor which was nice. 

Heat Holders - Crew Socks- I actually have another pair of these and they are so comfortable. They are so warm in the Winter time and so soft.

Crunchsters - Sprouted Protein Snack- The fact that I don't like balsamic at all and these were flavored smokey balsamic was probably the reason that I didn't care for them. 

Spatty - Cosmetic Spatula - This is such a cool beauty item. You know that last little bit of foundation down at the bottom of the bottle that you can't get at? Well, this beauty tool let's you get at it and get it out so you can use it. It works so well!

ADORAtherapy - Serene Room Boost Spray-  This room spray retails for $20 for the size that I was sent so that's a nice freebie in this box and it smells really good. Mine was Lavender and Chamomile scented which was nice. 

ICE CHIPS® - Mint Pouch-  This was my favorite thing in this box this month. These are so good and they look really cool. I like hard candy and these are very flavorful. 

Patterbar - Clean Energy Bar-  The one I got was coconut and cashew and I thought it was really good tasting but I happen to really like cashews. I don't usually like energy bars so the fact that I said this one was good really says something.



All they ask you to do is try the products and leave reviews for the products you got in order to be eligible for more Free Goodie Boxes. As you guys already know, I'm a fan of all these types of boxes. I love all the different subscription boxes and it's really nice to be able to try new to me products for free. This is a great box to try for.

Oh and one more thing, if you visit their FB Page, they give away Goodie Boxes to people who interact with their posts. So if you've tried before and weren't able to get a Goodie Box, there's even more ways to get one now.


Have you signed up? Have you received one of these boxes?


I'm a fan of subscription boxes and love trying new products for free so this was a huge hit with me. New products+free box = Fabulous!


This was my favorite thing in the box so I wanted to show you want it looked like. The candy itself looks like little shards of ice and they are so smooth and icy. I really liked the flavor. 

Disclosure: I was given and free box in exchange for a review but all opinions are my own.

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Review: Guardian's Grace by Rebecca Zanetti



Book Description

Duty—or desire?
 
Vampire soldier Adare O’Cearbhaill’s default setting is cranky.  Or irritated.  Or down-right hostile.  Still, as a Highlander of honor and duty, he stepped up to save an enhanced and special human female by mating her—with merely a bite and a brand. The last person he wants in his life is a fragile human, yet he can’t get her out of his mind as she regains her strength before taking off for parts unknown. And when he discovers she is in danger, nothing can stop him from hunting her down—whether she likes it or not.
 
There’s only one way to find out . . .
 
Photographer Grace Cooper has had it with vampires, demons, and the rest of an immortal world she was happier not knowing about. She also doesn’t believe she’s destined for some great battle because of an old birthmark. Forget the fact that her mate is the sexiest thing on two stubborn feet, or that her brand is fading along with her health. She’ll handle things on her own—until an old enemy reappears and she learns the only way to stay alive is to actually mate, wild sex and all, with that ripped and dangerous Adare—a powerful, captivating Highlander who demands nothing less than everything . . .


My Review

Grace was in a coma after an attack but since she is a key, Adare mated her by placing his mark on her and biting her. There are three keys and they want to keep them safe even though they don't know exactly how they fit into saving the world and taking down the evil big bad. Adare feels like he pushed the mating on her so he leaves for years but keeps an eye on Grace. But when her health begins to deteriorate and her brand starts to disappear, she comes face to face with Adare once again. 

Adare is hard to describe. He's a super soldier that along with his brothers took an oath to keep Earth safe and keep their real powers a secret. He's a lot more than a vampire or a soldier but he goes on secret missions that are dangerous. He might be cranky but he's also reliable and loyal. 

Grace doesn't remember her life before the coma and puts herself in danger trying to remember her past. She also puts herself in danger when she seeks out vampire blood to try and save a child. While Adare and Grace fight their feelings for each other for a while, I knew it was only a matter of time before they gave into their desire. These two are great together and ignite the pages of this book. 

Along with the action, the missions and betrayal, there's also a medical mystery and a new path for Pax. I love the kids in this series so it was really nice to see them, especially Hope and Pax.

This story starts out with Grace and Adare not really liking each other all that much because they never took the time to get to know one another. It was so much fun watching them get to know each other, see how the other has been living and what they've been doing while apart and really seeing each other through new eyes. 

I love the world that this author has created even though at times it can be confusing when you first read about it. The characters have been great and I love getting glimpses into their lives while reading the series. I'm really looking forward to reading more of this series. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Disclosure: I was given an ARC of this book via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Monday, October 12, 2020

Happy Raturday!

 
*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

"Happy Halloween month"


*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*


*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

"Blowing raspberries in your general direction"

Sunday, October 11, 2020

Apartment Life #223

 

This is a new weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 21 years that we've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 21 years here in a weekly blog post.


On Monday an ambulance showed up across the street. They stayed for a while but no one came out on a stretcher. 

Then they turned their lights off and drove off without taking anyone. So hopefully whoever called was alright. 

Tuesday we saw a bunch of police in my courtyard going down to #7 where the guy was arrested for 2 counts of attempted murder a few weeks ago. The girlfriend still lives there and there's still a lot of traffic to and from her apartment so I'm assuming she's still dealing drugs. 

The police came and went from her apartment for a while and then left. I guess they are still investigating? I'm not sure what's going on. Then on Friday night guess who I saw? My neighbor in the drug dealers apartment who went to jail a couple of weeks ago for 2 counts of attempted murder! He must have gotten out on bond I guess. I can't imagine the charges were dropped after the police showing up after we heard gunshots. But he's back and the traffic to that apartment has picked up considerably. One of my Twitter friends said they probably didn't hold him because of Covid. Maybe they are letting people out more often because of that?


On Thursday I saw out my bedroom window that the Marshal was back with the white van that picks up the homeless people and drives them to the shelter. Even though there were 4 homeless people there that they were talking to, none of them got in the van but they were there for over an hour talking to them. I'm assuming they were trying to talk them into going to a shelter but they refused. They Marshal and the white van drove off and no one was arrested to taken away in the van.

----- 

On Sunday I actually had to call the fire department to come help me when Ken's left leg gave out and he fell down. I'm not strong enough to lift him back up so they came out, picked him up and got him back on the bed. He's getting a lot weaker and it's a lot harder for him to stand now. His doctor ordered a wheel chair for him and he has a walker but falls still happen.

It sure was a busy week. 

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more. 

Saturday, October 10, 2020

Halloween Decorations

   
Our daughter decided to decorate our apartment for Halloween. Here is Ken and our daughter Elizabeth posing with one of the pumpkins she bought. 

She decorated the living room window. There's a picture below after she added lights.

There are things hanging from the ceiling with spiders hanging down. There are grim reapers all over my walls right now. 

I actually made the pumpkin tree on top a few years ago and gave it to my daughter. 

I bought her that Living Dead Doll in the coffin for her 16th birthday. lol 

This is what the doll looks like up close. lol 

There are spider webs all over my apartment. 

Lots of skulls and scary statues.

Here's what the window looks like at night with the lights turned on.

I hope you're having a nice Halloween month.

Friday, October 09, 2020

Freebie Friday!

 



Welcome to another edition of Freebie Friday, where I tell you what free samples and full sized products I received in the mail and how you can get them too. Someone asked me why I do a "Freebie Friday" each week, so I'll tell you.

A while back I listed all the free samples and wins that I had received that previous year and so many people didn't believe that I could have gotten so many free things. So I decided to prove it by taking a picture every week and sharing the sites that I found the links to the freebies at. So now you too can get great free samples coming to your mailbox each week.

  You can find links to great samples at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received: 

$10 Amazon gift card when I cashed out my points on MyPoints. 

I received samples of Xyzal, CeraVe, and Aquaphor. 

 I received an 18" Pikachu plush stuffed animal from the Spark Reviewer Program. 

I plan on giving the Pikachu to my grandson. I've tried the Aquaphor and CeraVe before and both are good products. The Xyzal is a new allergy medicine and it seems to work pretty good. My nose isn't running constantly and I'm not sneezing incessantly. 

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Thursday, October 08, 2020

Review: The Dragon Tale by Jaydn Chase

 

Book Description

As a reporter, Sandra thought she just turned in the most important story of her life.

Now relishing in her latest triumph, she has just caught wind of a huge story she’s being told to stay away from.

She should have listened.

Malick is an enforcer with a dark secret that he shares with the rest in his clan.

Between work, and trying to live with the beast within, he’s sure that he’ll never be able to fall in love and lead a normal life.

When they are finally thrust together, they quickly come to realize that the world wants to tear them apart.

Will everything come crashing down?

Or can their love conquer all?

The Dragon Tale is a stand-alone short story with a guaranteed HEA, no cheating and steamy scenes intended for a mature audience.


My Review

Hearing tidbits about dragon sightings has Sandra looking deeper into the story even though she knows that it can't be dragons. But being a reporter, she can't let it go. 

Malick works as an enforcer for his father and they're dragon shifters. His father might have a real estate business but he's no straight laced businessman. 

Sandra drives to where people have spotted dragons and right away she spots one flying off. Instead of driving off and staying safe, she goes into the building and gets caught. Malick's father and the others there want to kill her so he gets her out of there. Later he finds her at her apartment and the lust takes over and they fall into bed together. They fall for each other really fast. 

Since this was a really short novella I wasn't expecting there to be a lot of story but I expected there to be more than there was. It ended fine but I really think the story needed just a few more pages so we could see how Malick smoothed things over with his father or if he did. I just would have liked a little more story. 

I give this book 2 out of 5 stars. 

Wednesday, October 07, 2020

Review: Xavier by D.B. Reynolds

 

Book Description

Vampires in America, Book 14

Barcelona--exquisite architecture, masterful artists, and just down the coast, an ancient fortress where an old and powerful vampire lives. . .and rules all of Spain.

Tall, dark, and deadly, vampire Xavier Prospero Flores waded through blood to destroy his enemies and reach the pinnacle of vampire society--Vampire Lord. He has only one regret in his long life, and that’s the day he rejected the advances of Layla Casales. She’d been too innocent, too naïve, and far too young. But she’d also been his.

Layla Casales was only nineteen when she left Spain, brokenhearted and humiliated by Xavier’s rejection. But now, ten years later, the ties of family are pulling her back, not only to Spain, but to Xavier’s fortress. Her father, the vampire lord’s military commander, is critically ill. Layla has spent years fighting on battlefields around the world, so when her father asks her to come home, she can’t say no.

Though Xavier’s rule began on the ashes of his enemies, it’s not vampires trying to kill him now--it’s humans. He needs to eliminate his enemy before more of his people die. Layla arrives just in time to help, but while she came for her father, the minute she and Xavier see each other, desire burns as hotly as if they’d never been apart. Xavier isn’t going to let her go this time. But before they can rediscover the love they walked away from, they must first keep each other alive.


My Review

Layla's heart was broken by Xavier years before but now she's come home because of her father and wants to keep things all business with Xavier. 

Xavier had thought Layla was too young and innocent for him when he broke her heart and turned her away years ago. Things have changed now and he wants her but she isn't willing to let him hurt her again. 

I didn't like Xavier at all at first because of the way he treated Layla but I thought he would become a little better as the book went on. Frankly, I was wrong, he's not a likable person at all and makes no excuses for the way he initially treated her which I really thought was wrong of him. 

Xavier finds himself the new lord of Spain when his sire is killed by an old enemy they had thought was no danger to them. Layla comes back because her father, Xavier's military commander is really sick and she feels like she needs to be there for him. While she's been gone she has made a name for herself and trained to be a fighter and has an elite mercenary unit that Xavier needs to help keep his enemies away. The enemies are human led by the same person that killed his sire so he might well be in some real danger. The fact that Xavier is in real danger is the only reason that Layla agree's to help find and kill his enemies. 

There was a betrayal that happened while Xavier and Layla were trying to bring down the bad guys and while I understood why Xavier was mad, I thought that his punishment of the person who betrayed him was extreme. I mean the person had a good reason and he tried to make it right in the end. It was just one more reason that I couldn't like Xavier throughout this book. I tried to like Layla and Xavier as a couple but for me they just never clicked at all. Sure they ended up getting close and she forgave the way he treated her when she was younger and the sex was hot, but I couldn't see them as a couple. I really didn't think that they belonged together. Maybe it's because I didn't like Xavier at all and thought she could do better, I'm not sure. It's hard to enjoy a book when you don't like all of the characters. 

I give this book 2 out of 5 stars. 

Disclosure: I was given an eARC of this book via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Tuesday, October 06, 2020

Helpful Blogging Hints for the New Blogger Interface

 
I know so many of you are learning the new Blogger Interface. I've been seeing a few helpful hints around some other blogs that I thought I would share with you. 

On the new blogger, the word 'normal' comes up at the top when you first open the post-draft page. When you click in the body of the draft page it switches to 'paragraph'. You have to switch it back to 'normal' in the drop down menu to get single space at the top of the page instead of the double space I had been getting when adding pictures at the top of the page.

For things like Youtube videos. Switch to HTML, I have to use the HTML format to change the size of the Youtube videos that I sometimes put on my blog. It's the pencil icon on the far left top area when you are on the draft page. This the size that I like my videos. I'll show you how I did this. 


On the Youtube page, click share and then embed. Copy the embed code and come back to the Blogger page. Click on the pencil icon and switch to HTML and paste the embed code on the page. 


The code circled in the big red circle is the embed code. The small red arrow is pointing at the width number that you can change to make the video narrower. It's automatically starts with 560 but I erased that number and added 350 instead. That makes the video the right size for me but you can change it to whatever number works for you. 


Now you can see that I changed the number. When you are done, you just go back to where the pencil icon was, it now shows this symbol ( < > ) instead of the pencil. Just click on the drop down menu and click on "Compose view" to get back to the regular draft page. 


Pictures seem to be giving a lot of people problems and I can see why. They keep changing things. Now when you click on a picture on the draft page it turns blue and has dots around it. This is so you can resize it. But you can also click on that middle button that comes up on the picture with the drop down menu and pick from small, medium, large and extra large. I usually pick large for my pictures. But I don't click on that until I have added any words I want to under the picture on the page because it sometimes messes up what I'm writing. It's turned my paragraphs blue and the whole thing was underlined. So now I wait until I've added all the commentary about the pictures and then click on them to resize them or to right align or left align a picture. To get rid of the blue on the picture, just click away from the picture anywhere else on the draft page and it will disappear.

If you want to delete a picture, just click below the picture, not on it and backspace until it's gone. I used to be able to click on the picture and delete it but I can't do that anymore. 

So those are a couple of things that I have seen on blogs that have been problems for people and I found fixes for them either from other blogs or just from clicking around and figuring it out.  I hope this helps.