Things to Consider Before Adopting a Pet Rat

*Lucky*

After having over a dozen rats as pets over the past 20 years, I know there are expenses that I never thought would pop up for them, things I never thought of before bringing my first rat home. For such a small, relatively inexpensive pet to adopt, they can be a healthy expense once you get them home. Are you willing to pay the money to take care of them and keep them healthy?

Cages
Did you know that rats need a lot of space to run, play, sleep, eat and even need a bathroom corner? A small $20 hamster cage is not suitable for rats because they grow to be much bigger than hamsters and will not fit into the tubes, bubbles, wheels and houses. There are cages made specifically for rats and they will run you about $140 each. The cage I bought is a Ferret Nation cage which is close to a Critter Nation cage, the only real differences between the two is the Critter Nation cage has smaller bar spacing so baby rats can't fit through the bars. But I didn't have babies so this was fine with me. The Dimensions of the Critter Nation cage are: 36L x 24W x 39H inches. So you can see this is a large cage and I easily had 4 rats in this cage together. Even if you only have two rats, you need a cage this big so they have enough room to play, hide, sleep and have places to climb.

Cage Accessories
Rats needs toys, beds, houses, ladders, ropes, food bowls, water bottles, hammocks, bedding, and sometimes wheels. The thing is, you aren't going to be buying these things once, you are going to be buying these things many times over because rats like to chew and just about everything you put in their cage gets chewed up and destroyed. So it has to be replaced.

Food
Rats not only need a good bagged rat food like Oxbow rat food, but they also need treats, and fresh fruits and vegetables. I have 2 rats right now and I spend about $60 a month on the bagged dry Oxbow rat food, yogie treats, other rat treats like Gerber Graduates banana cookies as well as fresh fruits and vegetables that I give to my rats every day. It all adds up to a lot of food and money each month.

Laundry
You wouldn't think that laundry would be a big part of having a pet rat, but it is for me because I found out that using fleece blankets and cotton baby blankets as liners for the bottom and the shelves of my rat cages is the best thing I could use for them. They are not dusty like some of the bagged bedding and dust can cause allergic reactions as well as upper respiratory infections. So when I clean out the cages each week, I have to take all of the fleece blankets, baby blankets and hammocks out of the cage and throw them into the washer and dryer. This is also cheaper than buying the bagged bedding at the pet store and it's reusable.

Medicine
Rats can get sick and need medicine for different things just like we do. Are you willing to pay for things like antibiotics if they get an upper respiratory infection, medicine to get rid of mites or other parasites, antibiotic ointment and bandages for cuts, scrapes and illnesses like bumblefoot?

Veterinary Visits
If your rat gets sick are you willing to take them to the vets office and have them looked at and treated? If they get old or sick and need to be humanely put to sleep, are you willing to take them to the vet and pay for that? If you bring home a pet, you have a responsibility to make sure that they don't suffer if they get sick. If you cannot or will not take your rat to the veterinarian then you should not adopt a pet rat.

Who Are You Buying The Rat For?
Are you bringing home the rat for yourself or your kids? Children should always be supervised around animals and can quickly become bored with pets where they don't want to take care of them and if this happens are you willing to take responsibility for the animal and care for it? If you are thinking of buying a rat as a gift for a birthday or Christmas present for a niece, nephew or neighbor...don't. Did you ask the parents if they want a rat? Are the parents willing to care for the animal if their child doesn't?

Caring for An Older Rat
Are you willing to take the time to care for an older rat if they can't walk, won't drink from the water bottle and need special soft human foods? I had an elderly rat who was 4 years old and I had to syringe feed him water and food every 2-4 hours *for almost 4 months*, feed him soft foods like pudding, eggs, rice, noodles and other soft foods several times a day because he only ate a little at a time and fresh foods go bad so I had to clean out the old and put new food in all the time. He had hind leg degeneration so I had to buy another smaller one level cage so that he stayed on the ground floor and didn't fall off any high platforms or shelves. He didn't clean himself too much so I had to change his blanket which is in his bed, because he urinated on it since he couldn't walk around so well anymore. I sometimes had to bathe him in the sink if he had diarrhea or if he got wet from urine. When he stopped eating and drinking and slows down to where I know it's time to help him rest, I was going to take him to the vet and have him humanely put to sleep *he passed away in his sleep* , are you willing to do that? It's not right to let them suffer.

So before you adopt a pet think about what you are willing to do if that pet gets sick or needs to see a vet. If the answer is nothing, then reconsider getting any pet.

Review: Home Is Where The Heat Is by Amelia James

Book Description taken from Author's Blog:

The Twisted Mosaic’s reader favorite, Claire, has some twisted fun of her own.

Dependable paralegal Claire O’Connor knows the man of her dreams is out there waiting for her, and she’s ready for him. Imagine her surprise—and delight—when she discovers not one but two men who lust for her. One adores her; the other challenges her. One makes sense; the other is a gamble.

Despite the family tragedy that shaped his past, JT Luck has only known professional success. His personal life, however, is a failure. He doesn’t want a relationship, and while his ‘let it ride’ attitude keeps most women at a distance, Claire is eager to roll with him.

But when she finds out Kurt Langston, the office’s resident computer geek, harbors a secret crush for her, she wonders if he’s the safer bet. Kurt doesn’t get close to people, and his feelings for Claire make no sense in his carefully ordered life. His unexpected bond with JT pushes him to take chances he never imagined.

Go all-in or go home? Either way, the heat could be more than they can handle.

My Review: 

Claire isn't sure she wants to get involved with someone just yet after ending a relationship with someone who really didn't know her as well as she had hoped he did. But you just never know when the perfect guy for you is going to walk right into your life. But when she finds out that two guys want her, she faces a dilemma. Go for the exciting one or the dependable one?

JT might have some trust issues but he's got that bad boy swagger and sexy air about him that women love. He obviously likes to take chances and that's ok if he's only taking chances with his own life, career ect. But when he's pushing Claire into doing something that could potentially get her into trouble or even fired, I liked him a lot less. 

Kurt the IT guy has a secret crush on Claire and even makes it a point to be the one who fixes her computer, printer or whatever when she has a problem just so he can be close to her. I found it so cute that he would go to such lengths just to be around her. 

There's a mystery as to who is setting fires and while JT is trying to figure that out, things heat up in the bedroom. I loved how JT didn't get jealous when he found out that Kurt had the hots for Claire and instead does something I wasn't expecting but loved and found the whole idea quite exciting. 

Want to know what happens? You'll just have to read the book! I am very happy to have jumped on this book when it was free on Amazon. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Review: Naturalico Vitamin C Serum

Description taken from Amazon:

REVIVES DULL SKIN & REDUCES DISCOLORATION

SOFTENS LINES AND WRINKLES

PROTECTS AND FIRMS

THE BEST VITAMIN C SERUM ON THE MARKET 

THE PURE, GENTLE WAY TO FIGHT WRINKLES

Ingredients:

KEY INGREDIENTS - 1 OZ -MADE IN USA // 20% VITAMIN C, ORGANIC ROSEHIP OIL, ORGANIC SEA BUCKTHORN OIL, RESISTEM (PLANT STEM CELLS), HYALURONIC ACID(BOTANICAL), GREEN TEA EXTRACT All of our products including our Vitamin C serum are totally natural and organic. We do not use alcohol or parabens. Our Hyaluronic Acid Serum is 98% natural and 72% organic (whole foods). All of our products are created in a state of the art, FDA certified facility here in the US.

My review: 

A few of my online friends use Vitamin C Serums and have been raving about the products like this one. So I was excited to be able to try this one out when given the opportunity. Upon getting the bottle, I was a little surprised that the bottle was smaller than I had initially expected it to be but a little goes a long way so there's really nothing to worry about there. 

It has a nice pleasant scent and isn't greasy. It absorbs really fast into my skin and after using for almost a week I've noticed that my skin is softer and the scar on the left side of my face has faded just a little bit. Now I wasn't expecting to really see any noticeable changes this early if at all so I am really amazed to see any changes at all. I've had a 3 inch scar on the left side of my face since I was 5 years old and had a cyst removed three times by the time I was 10 years old. It bothers me that it's so pronounced on my face and everyone looks at it when they see me. While I doubt that this or any serum will get rid of this scar, it is definitely making it less pronounced, less noticeable.

The Vitamin C Serum is clear and has a very light scent, hardly noticeable at all. 

I received this product for free in exchange for my honest review.

Happy Raturday!

Welcome to a new weekly blog post I'm calling, Raturday! I've seen Caturday and while that's really cute, I think the rats needs some photo time so everyone can see how cute these little animals are. I've gotten permission from Rat Logic's fb page to share their pictures on my blog. So get ready to smile because these are cute. 

*click pictures to enlarge*

Review: Hunting The Moon by Becca Boucher

Blurb Taken from Amazon: 

A year after the murder of her husband, Lilly Lawson is still plagued by nightmares that have pushed her back into her adolescent habit of cutting. Even worse, she starts to see and communicate with her husband’s ghost. When she goes to the sentencing for the man convicted of the crime, she finds herself captivated by the killer's brother.  

  

Daemon Kelly has returned to their small town after a long absence to care for his elderly mother. He also has to face the whispers regarding his brother's crime and his own alcoholism. When he comes face to face with the widow of the man his brother killed, he feels an intense need to protect her, but from what, he doesn't know.     

  

When the two fall in love it is anything but easy. Aaron Lawson is intent on coming back and claiming what is his. And the closer Lilly and Daemon get to Aaron's ghost, the more they unravel the truth about why he died in the first place. Piecing together bits of ancient Celtic lore, can they find a way to help Aaron's soul find rest? 

My Review:

Lilly has been having nightmares ever since her husband was killed, but that hasn't stopped Aaron from coming back from the dead to visit his distraught wife. 

At the sentencing hearing Lilly finds out that one of the guys she's inadvertently been around is the brother of the man who killed her husband. The fact that Daemon is the brother of the man who killed her husband doesn't stop her from finding him fascinating or having feelings for the man. 

I wasn't sure what to think when I first started reading this book. Is Lilly just grieving and distraught over the murder of her husband or is she just mentally unstable and that's why her husband  keeps showing up to her. But I soon realized that it's not just Lilly that can see Aaron, so he must be a ghost. Frankly this guys ghost was freaking me out. Some of the things he was saying to her made me think he'd rather have her dead and be with him than with anyone else, which is just freaky. 

There are a couple of secondary characters but the one that stands out the most is Lilly's best friend, Kat. There's just something about this woman that I disliked right from the very beginning. You know how you can just tell when a person is being fake? The fake compliments, fake empathy and backwards sarcasm. I really disliked her from the very beginning and just had a bad feeling about her. 

I really like a book that has plot twists in such a way that the story flows well but I can't tell where the story is leading so I'm left guessing as to where this story will end up. This one kept me guessing until the end and I loved it. I didn't realize that this was the authors first book until I read the author's bio. You can't tell it from this book at all. This book reads like it was written by a decades old, well established writer. The story flowed, the story line kept me intrigued and the mystery kept me guessing. 

If you like paranormal romance, ghost stories or just a great mystery then this book is for you. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Disclaimer: I was given a free ecopy by the author in exchange for an honest review. 

Review: Three For All By Kitt Crescendo

Novelette, Published December 25, 2013

Blurb Taken From Amazon:

What would you do if you had a chance to make one of your wildest fantasies come true? If you’re anything like me, you go for it.

I love my boyfriend, Michael. James is one of my best friends. Who could blame me for having a racy dream or three? Add a little sun and fun vacation and suddenly that dream doesn't seem so impossible. Do I dare? You only live once.

My Review: 

Dani, her boyfriend Michael and their friend James decide to go on a mini vacation and the beach seems like the perfect place to go. After the splashing and fun in the water it's time to have a little sexy fun. 

When Dani decides she wants to have a threesome with the two guys she's hanging out with, they can't wait until they get back to their room before things heat up...in the car!

I'm surprised that they didn't swerve off the side of the road with all the hot, sexy action that was taking place in the back seat while one of the guys drives them all back to their destination. 

I enjoyed Dani's quick wit and sense of humor not to mention her sense of adventure when she decides she wants a threesome. The sexual tension between these three was awesome and I enjoyed the playful nature of their relationship. Kitt Crescendo knows how to write fun, sexy stories that will keep you coming back for more. 

This was my first book by Kitt Crescendo and she didn't disappoint at all. If you're looking for a short, hot, threesome this will definitely keep you warm tonight. 

And I have a special surprise for you. 

It's Kitt's 1 year anniversary and right now you can get Three For All ...Free! Until the 29th. You can also get Four One Night for just .99 until January 1st. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

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 samples like these at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received:

A box of goodies from Influenster. The #FrostyVox from #Influenster came with Rimmel Eyeliner and Eye Make up remover

Expert Last Lip Color

Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane Decaf Green Tea

No7 Protect and Perfect Advanced Serum

McCormick Gourmet All Natural Thyme

Fruit Vines Bites Strawberry

EcoTools Full Volume Styler Brush

The only thing I've tried so far out of this box is the Thyme. I made a whole chicken in the oven and love Thyme on chicken.

My Sweet n Low Sampling Kit from Crowdtap arrived today. In it was Sweet N Low packets, Purse hook, Tote Bag and a recipe card. ‪#‎TeamSweetNLow‬ ‪#‎Sponsored‬ ‪#‎Gotitfree‬

I also received A Box of Vidal Sassoon Hair Color and Coupons from BzzAgent.

And I received a box of silicone cooking utensils from No Kidding Coupons.

This might have been my best freebie week ever.

I received one or more of these products complimentary for testing purposes.

Did you get anything free this week?

Merry Christmas!

From my family to yours, I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. 

(Flower is doing her impression of Ratty Claus) 

Understanding HIV: Drug Resistance

Drug resistance is a huge problem for HIV/AIDS patients because there are only so many antiretroviral drugs available for them to try. So why does the HIV virus become resistant to some drugs in some people?

What Causes Drug Resistance?
Resistance is caused by mutations in the genetic structure of the virus that can lead to the virus being able to keep replicating. HIV is one of those viruses that replicates really fast and some mutations in the virus can block the medications they are taking for HIV from working, thus causing resistance. If the medication doesn't stop the HIV virus from replicating itself then the person with HIV will see an increase in their viral load and a decrease in their CD4 count.

I know this first hand because my husband was diagnosed as being HIV positive 22 years ago this June. He has since been diagnosed as having AIDS when his CD4 count went down in the 40's and his viral load was up over 17,000.

Understanding The Lab Tests
If you've never had to deal with lab test such as these it can be daunting to understand what it all means. Here's a simple breakdown of what the three major tests are.

CD4- Also known as a T-Cell count is a test to tell how well your immune system is functioning. A normal healthy persons CD4 count would be anywhere from 600-1500. Anything below 200 in an HIV patient and they are considered to have AIDS. With a lower CD4 count also comes the risk of easily getting sick from germs and viruses that a healthy person with a strong immune system would be able to fight off.

Viral Load- is a test to see how much of the HIV virus is in your system. When the antiretrovirals are working and stopping the HIV virus from replicating, the viral load can become undetectable. A high viral load means the virus is still active and replicating.

Resistance Test- This test will determine whether the strain of HIV virus in your body is resistant to antiretroviral drugs.

This is why it's so important to take the medications everyday as prescribed. Missing doses can let the virus replicate and become resistant to the drugs.

I learned all this over the past 22 years listening to my husband's doctors, nurses and reading and researching the lab tests for myself. I'm not a doctor or a nurse so you should talk with your doctor about any questions you have. It's my opinion that everyone should be tested, even if you don't think you've ever been exposed to HIV. The sooner you start treating it the better off you are.

Understanding HIV: Having a Mixed Status Relationship

A mixed status relationship means that the two people in a sexual relationship have different HIV statuses. One person is HIV positive and one person is HIV Negative and while a little more care has to be taken to stay safe, it's like any other relationship.

Is It Safe To Have A Sexual Relationship?
Speaking as a person who has been in a mixed status relationship for more than 23 years, I am proof that it is indeed safe to have a long term relationship, even a sexual relationship with an HIV positive partner. Ever since my husband was diagnosed with HIV almost 22 years ago, we've been very careful and all my HIV tests have come back negative. It is very important to use condoms for every single sexual encounter you have, this is how you stay safe and prevent the transmission of the virus from one partner to another.

First Aid
I've been asked if I would bandage my husband's wounds if he got hurt and my answer is always yes, but I would be safe about it. When you're in a mixed status relationship you have to do things like first aid in a safe way. I always have latex gloves in my purse along with band-aids, gauze and medical tape. As long as you are wearing latex gloves to bandage a wound, cut or clean up blood of an HIV positive person, you are protected and safe.

My husband also keeps large band-aids in his wallet in case he gets cuts or scrapes so he can cover it immediately.

Myths
Years ago people were afraid that they could get HIV from sharing a toilet seat, cup or utensil with an HIV positive person but we now know that not to be true. It is not possible to get HIV from casual contact and thankfully most people know and understand that.

Medication Adherence
If you're in a mixed status relationship it's important to have a really good line of communication and talk about what medications the HIV positive partner is taking and how often so you can help them keep track and take them everyday. Antiretroviral's can lower the viral load which can reduce the risk of transmission.

I'm not a doctor or nurse so if you have questions you should ask your doctor. These are my own experiences as I've lived with an HIV positive partner for almost 22 years and found these things to be true for us.

Product Review: Kleenex Tissues

I'm still getting over this cold I've had for two weeks so these came just in time for me. With the cold air on top of the sniffles, I can really use this Kleenex. I opened the Kleenex with lotion first because I've always wanted to try a tissue with lotion even though my hubby thinks that it really wouldn't make any difference. Well, I can tell you one thing, these Kleenex with lotion tissues are a far sight softer than the paper towels I've been using for my runny nose. 

I'll never use paper towels again for a runny nose. lol Good grief, no wonder my nose always gets red and sore. The difference is amazing. It's like comparing sand paper and a silk scarf...you aren't going to want to rub sand paper on your nose and now neither do I. 

So then I opened the Anti Viral Kleenex box and while they are softer than what I used to use, they aren't as soft as the Kleenex with lotion. But they are a darn sight better than using a paper towel, let me tell you.

And I have an exclusive $1.50 off coupon just for my readers that you can find and print here.

Disclaimer: I was given a free product in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Happy Raturday!

Welcome to a new weekly blog post I'm calling, Raturday! I've seen Caturday and while that's really cute, I think the rats needs some photo time so everyone can see how cute these little animals are. I've gotten permission from Rat Logic's fb page to share their pictures on my blog. So get ready to smile because these are cute. 

*click pictures to enlarge*

Review: Tell Me You Want Forever by Amelia James

Book Description

Bestselling romance Tell Me You Want Me gets a steamy sequel….

Notorious heartbreaker Austin Sinclair vowed he’d never fall in love, but all that changed when he met his Janie. They’re living their happily ever after… until an unexpected threat tears them apart.

Austin is desperate to get Janie back, but fails miserably. He’s said ‘I love you’ so often Janie doesn’t care anymore, and getting her in his bed to prove it seems impossible. His old life beckons. Could he be that guy again?

Jane scored big when she landed Austin, but now she faces a temptation she never expected—one that makes her question what she really wants from love. Staying in a relationship with him requires all the strength she has. She’s tired, and giving in to someone else would be so easy.

Each hopes that something will change, that the other will give in, but it’s going to take both of them—together—to overcome this obstacle. Can they make their love last forever? Or has their fight been for nothing?

My Review

I really loved Jane and Austin from Tell Me You Want Me, which is the first book in this series. So I was more than happy to get my hands on this book as well. Then I read the blurb and thought, "Oh no, they're going to have relationship problems?" 

But I have to say that the guy in Jane's cooking class that turns her head is so swoon worthy. He's Scottish, has a Scottish accent and uses words like Lass and Lassies. Can you tell I love it when a character has a Scottish accent? Yeah, well I do. Finn is a fun character and I almost wanted things to work out between him and Jane, almost. 

Austin's father made me do a double take too. His personality changed a bit, maybe all he needed was to grow up a bit and finally settle down with the right woman. 

While I love Austin, I really do. I also struggled to get past his constant whining about his parents and how they are the reason he wouldn't ever consider marriage. His insecurities about marriage and relationships made it hard to want Jane to get back together with him. I think if she had been a friend in real life, I would have told her that she could do better. 

But then every couple has some rough spots so it was interesting to watch how they handled theirs. So yeah, I loved this book. The hero and heroine aren't perfect and really, who is? So that made everything all the more believable. 

I would suggest reading the first book in this series so that this couples relationship makes more sense to you. If you'd like to buy this book for yourself, you can do so here. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Disclaimer: I was give a free digital copy by the author in exchange for an honest review. 

Review: Tell Me You Want Me by Amelia James

Description

...“I can give you exactly what you’re asking for, Janie, and I can give it to you all night long.”...

Their first kiss is impulsive, fun, a little wicked—everything Jane Elliot isn’t looking for in a man, but desperately needs.

Their second kiss is slow, deliberate, an instant connection—everything Austin Sinclair never had with a woman, and doesn’t want.

Jane is no easy conquest, not the type of woman Austin’s used to. Stubborn as hell, and a bookworm more interested in studying than dating, she needs a little—no, a lot—of fun in her life. Well,Austin’s just the guy who can give it to her.

Too bad she thinks love should be easy. Too bad Austin knows it isn’t.

Everybody told her to stay away from the heartbreaker, but Jane knows there’s more to Austin than full-body contact kisses and bad boy charm. He promised her a good time—nothing more—and wow… does he ever deliver!

My Review: 

Charles Austin Sinclair III (Austin) grew up in a house with parents who argued all the time because his dad was a ladies man and cheated on his mother time and time again, which ultimately led to their divorce. So he saw nothing wrong with sleeping with a different woman every week. 

Jane Elliot had plans, goals and being another notch on a guys bed post wasn't one of them, but when Austin sets his sights on her she finds it hard to keep saying no to him. 

This is the first book I've read from this author and I'm kinda new to the sports themed romances but I've read a few of them and have really liked the ones I've read. I really loved the combination of college life, sports and a steamy romance with this one. 

Jane needs...no she wants to have a little fun and figures Austin is just the guy to have some no strings fun with. But things don't always turn out the way you plan them to. Austin doesn't believe in love and can't see himself being with one woman for the rest of his life. He's got some serious emotional issues because his dad is a jerk and he saw what his mother went through when he was a kid. 

I wanted to dislike Austin and I started out with a pre-conceived idea of what this guy was really like but people can change and they can surprise you and he did just that for me. He just needed to unlearn everything his father ever said or taught him about relationships. 

I love Jane. When I find a heroine that makes me smile because of her sarcastic attitude and turns out to be a strong woman who knows exactly what she wants and won't let anyone or anything stand in her way, I always find myself rooting for her. She's a fighter and one smart cookie and exactly what Austin needs. 

It was fun watching these characters grow and learn from their mistakes. Neither one of them have had easy lives and even though they are in college and are now adults, it was interesting to see how much pressure a parent could put on them and make them struggle with the decisions they had made. 

I really liked this book and plan to read more from this author. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

If you'd like to purchase this book you can do so on Amazon.

Disclaimer: I was given a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

Review: The Dead Survive by Lori Whitwam

Description: 

**Mature Content Warning** Recommended for ages 17+ due to language and sexual content.

It should be easy to tell who the monsters are in the middle of a global zombie pandemic…

The blank-eyed swarms of animated corpses who want to gnaw on your flesh. Well those are the obvious choice, of course.

In reality, though, it’s not always that simple.

In the early days of the global zombie pandemic, Ellen Hale learned a brutal lesson.  While trying to survive the hordes of zombies, Ellen was abducted by a band of marauders and subjected to abuse almost beyond her ability to endure.

She is broken both mentally, and physically, and fears she is on the verge of becoming a monster herself…

Until she is rescued by a growing band of survivors and given a second chance.

Ellen is taken to “The Compound”. Where she meets ex-convict, Quinn.

He’s everything she’d ever been taught to fear, but his presence is the only thing that makes her feel safe.

Will she be able to look past his rough exterior and learn to trust him? Or will the memory of the men who subjected her to such sadistic horrors ruin her chance at a new life?

My Review: 

When Ellen has found herself in the middle of a zombie outbreak, she thought she would be safe with her brother Matt until she is taken by force and made to endure sheer torture at the hands of several men. 

Ellen's whole world is turned upside down and she doesn't think she's ever getting out of the predicament she's in until she's saved by survivor's of the zombie apocalypse. She's not sure she'll ever be able to trust another human being, especially a man but Quinn might just change her mind. 

Quinn is a big, rugged looking guy and when Ellen first spots him she is completely intimidated by him. I don't know if it was his tattoos, his looks or the fact that he was killing zombies but he was the last person she wanted to get to know. 

The very first time Quinn see's her, he does something that should have proven he wasn't a bad guy or even won her over just a little but she still thinks of him as Mr. Evil and when she learns he's an ex con, it pretty much cements her opinion of him. 

Quinn proves he's more of a teddy bear than the big bad wolf when Ellen watches how he acts with one of the girls who was held captive with her. 

Quinn is a totally swoon worthy hero and his character proves that you should never judge a book by its cover. A person is more than what they look like on the outside. The true spirit of a person resides on the inside and how the express themselves to others. 

Ellen has lost just about everything of her old life but when Quinn finds something that she's been hoping to find and brings it back to her, well let's just say you're gonna need a box of kleenex to get through that scene. 

I was so happy with this book, right up until I got to the ending and I had a moment of "Oh No You Didn't!" 

It was one of those rare moments when reading a book where you want to scream at the author and ask them why they did that. I've read other reviewers say that this moment in time has happened to them but this is a first for me. I'm still a little stunned by the twist in this book. A twist that you will just have to read the book in order to find out what I'm talking about. 

If you'd like to read this book you can pre-order it on Amazon, It will be released on December 30th. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received an advanced digital copy for free from the author in exchange for my honest review. 

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 samples like these at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received:

Silicone Oven Mitts from Shop With Reviews
Silicone Cupcake Molds from No Kidding Coupons 
Silicone Baking Sheet from No Kidding Coupons

Both of the sites No Kidding Coupons and Shop With Reviews allow you to get free or deeply discounted products in exchange for an honest review.

So did you get anything for free this week?

Using An Electric Tart Warmer

I had several online friends telling me that it was a huge waste of money to keep buying those stupid plug ins that plug into the electrical outlets and are supposed to last for a month. They never do. They last for maybe a week if your lucky and then you can't smell them anymore. So I bought an electric tart warmer and some wax melts. It's just a ceramic bowl that sits on a hot plate and keeps the wax tarts melted and that puts out the scent.

Here is one of the wax melts inside the ceramic tart warmer. it only took about 2 minutes before this was completely melted and started putting out a scent. I've had it plugged in all day and the smell has lasted all day. I turned it off when I went to bed and plugged it back in the next morning and the scent heated right back up. Each of these wax melts lasted about 50 hours and then I had to add another wax melt to the warmer. 

I'll never go back to those plug ins and I highly recommend these now. it took me long enough. I had a bunch of friends telling me to get one of these and I finally just had to do it. So glad that I did. 

Have You Heard of tsū?

It's a new social media site that is much like FB but where you can potentially make a little money while you post, share and like things. As you can see from my profile pic, I have made a whopping .67 so far. From what I understand you can cash out when you reach $100. 

I don't really think anyone is thinking about all the money they will be making but more of the fact that unlike FB things aren't based on weird algorithms as to who's posts you see, you see them all. So if you are like me and wanting to get in on the next big thing...you can sign up here.  

If you've already signed up, send me a friend request. :) 

Review: Ramini Brands Tea Cup Silicone Cup Cake Molds

After getting my silicone cup cake molds I made coffee cake cupcakes. I think these tea cup silicone molds are really cute. 

I filled the silicone molds with the coffee cake batter and topped them with a cinnamon crumb topping and placed them on a baking sheet to bake. 

They came out so good! They kept their shape, didn't burn, didn't tip over and worked really well. This is the first time I've tried any sort of silicone baking products so I wasn't sure what to expect. 

My first attempt at getting the cupcake out of the silicone mold didn't go well and I broke my cupcake in half but I know it's only because this is a new to me product and it took me a minute to get the hang of getting the cupcake out but my second attempt went really well.

I would probably just serve the cupcakes in the silicone molds if I had company over since they come with the little saucers to serve them with but I wanted to see how easy it was to get them out and after just two tries, I can honestly say that I was able to get it out in one piece fairly easily. 

The only thing I want to know is why only 4 of them in the set? I would love to see these silicone molds come in sets of 8 or 12. But I definitely love the 4 that I have. 

** Disclaimer, I was given this product for free or at a discounted price in exchange for my honest review. 

Poise Microliners Review

I was recently given these Poise Microliners for free in exchange for a review. If you watch tv you've probably seen those commercials for Poise and the reference to SAM. SAM stands for Super Absorbent Material and all Poise pads and liners now come with SAM for those occasional light bladder leaks- LBL. 

The liners are thin, absorbent and very discreet. Very good for anyone who experiences LBL or the occasional leak. It's very common for small leaks to happen as we get older and menstrual pads are not meant for this type of leakage. These Poise Microliners are specifically made for LBL. 

Disclaimer: I was given free samples of this product to share and test in exchange for an honest review. 

Rats 101: What is Buck Grease

*Lucky*

Buck Grease also called Sebum is an oily secretion from the sebaceous gland which helps to preserve the flexibility of the hair. Male rats (Bucks) will get an orange colored oily film on their skin which can become thick if they are sick and cannot groom themselves.

What Causes Buck Grease?
Many things can cause buck grease or sebum and not all male rats will get it. Just like with human teens, some get bad acne while other don't, the same analogy can be applied to the buck grease on rats. Most rats groom themselves many times a day which can lessen the amount of buck grease on their skin and fur, but if a rat is in pain, has hind leg degeneration or is just old, they will not groom as much and the buck grease can thicken on their skin. Some teenage rats get more buck grease when their hormones kick in but most times the amount of buck grease will diminish over time as their hormones even out.

How To Reduce The Amount of Buck Grease
While bathing might seem like the first thing to do, unless your rat is really dirty or smelly, bathing them can actually make their skin produce more buck grease or dry out their skin. If your rat is sick or has hind leg degeneration then you may have to bathe or wipe him down with a wet wash cloth if he cannot clean himself.

Two of my older male rats had a greasy back due to buck grease but they also had hind leg degeneration which made it harder for them to clean their back. I ended up taking a warm, wet cloth and wiping them down once a week which seemed to help keep the amount of buck grease down.

Sometimes the only sign of buck grease a ratty parent will notice is the skin on the back of their rat has taken on a slightly orange color, this is perfectly normal.

Happy Raturday!

Welcome to a new weekly blog post I'm calling, Raturday! I've seen Caturday and while that's really cute, I think the rats needs some photo time so everyone can see how cute these little animals are. I've gotten permission from Rat Logic's fb page to share their pictures on my blog. So get ready to smile because these are cute. 

*click pictures to enlarge*

Review: Vampires Never Cry Wolf by Sara Humphreys

Blurb from Amazon:

Vampires are nothing but trouble...

As far as beautiful vampire Sadie Pemberton is concerned, werewolves shouldn't be sticking their noses into New York's supernatural politics. They don't know jack about running a city-not even that hot-as-sin new vampire-werewolf liaison who's just arrived in town.

Werewolves are too sexy for their own good...

The last thing Killian Bane wanted was to end up in New York City playing nice with vampires. Unfortunately, he's on a mission, and when he encounters the sexiest, most stubborn female vamp he's ever met, he's going to have to turn on a little of that wolfish charm...and Sadie's going to learn a thing or two about what it means to have a wild side...

My Review: 

Sadie is a two hundred year old vampire and the new owner of the club called Coven. The only club in town where paranormal creatures as well as unsuspecting humans go to hang out. 

Killian Bane is a werewolf but not just any werewolf he is a werewolf prince and he knows Maya's secret that she could turn a werewolf into a human. He's kept her secret because the other werewolves aren't hunting her down to kill her but when he comes to the bar where she works, she gets nervous and do does Sadie. 

Killian would assume the throne on his 30th birthday as long as he had a mate and he had his eyes set on the sexy vampire who ran Club Coven, Sadie. 

But of course just when things seem to be going in the right direction for a couple just getting to know each other, there's a big stumbling block that gets thrown in their way. This stumbling block just happens to be a she-wolf who has her eyes set on being Killian's mate and the next queen. 

This story had some really funny moments in it but I think one of the funniest things I read was when Trixie said, "Holy crab cakes" when she was very surprised by something that had happened. That might just be my new favorite expression. 

There are  a few twists and turns along this story and I really liked not knowing what might happen next. But when a werewolf and a vampire get together, you know there's going to be some fireworks.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

This book will be released on March 3rd of 2015 but you can pre-order it now on Amazon. 

I was given a free digital copy by the author in exchange for an honest review. 

Review: Jason by Laurell K Hamilton

Blurb From The Back Of The Book...

"Enjoying pain with your pleasure is something you either get, or you don't. If you get it, then you don't really need it explained, because you know how good it feels, and if you don't get it then no amount of talking is going to convince you it makes sense."

But sometimes you have to explain the unexplainable, especially if the love of your life needs to understand, or she'll leave you. Jason Schuyler is one of Anita Blake's best friends and favorite werewolves, with benefits. J.J. is his lady love, an old flame from childhood who dances at one of the top ballet companies in New York. She's accomplished, beautiful, and she's crazy about him, too. Neither of them wants to be monogamous, so what could go wrong?

J.J. is enthusiastically bisexual, with an emphasis on the female side of things. She plans to keep sleeping with women, because Jason can't meet that need, just like she can't meet Jason's need for rough sex and bondage. J.J. doesn't understand why Jason isn't content to go elsewhere for a need she can’t fulfill, so Jason asks Anita to help him explain.

Anita is having her own relationship growing pains with her only female lover ever, Jade. Jason suggests that J.J. might be able to help Anita with her girl problem, while she helps him with his kinky explanations. With some encouragement from a few other lovers in Anita's life she reluctantly agrees, and J. J. makes plans to fly into town for an experience that none of them will ever forget.

My Review: 

It seems like I've been reading this series for many years, because I have and I still love it! If you haven't read the books in the series before this one you might be a little lost as to who is who and what's going on so I would highly recommend starting with the first book and going from there. 

Jason has always been one of my favorite characters, he's sweet, naughty and just the right amount of fun. He loves to make funny remarks that don't always go over well because he says them at the wrong times but I think he does that to get a rise out of people. 

In this book, Hamilton reminds us why we love this series and why we keep reading her books. This novella doesn't bring in all of the characters that most of the longer books in this series do because this novella focused on Anita, Jason, J.J, Jade and Nathaniel. So we get to focus on them with a little bit of the other characters in the background. Now if you're a fan of Richard's *I'm not* then this novella might get you riled up because there's a fair amount of Richard bashing but c'mon, he's totally earned it. I wanted to like Richard but I just don't and I think all the bashing that is done on him is totally deserved. 

I like sex in a story, I like BDSM in a story and I don't mind a poly relationship in a story at all. When the story has all of those things with characters that I like, a story line or side story that helps the series along, then I like it even more. I think it's nice to find a book that focused on BDSM sex play that was safe, consensual and fun. Too many times authors want to throw a BDSM scene in a book and make it all about punishment and pain and thankfully this was not one of those books. 

This novella is all about relationship building, a little look into the relationship between Anita and a couple her friends *with benefits*. There's a lot of sex in this book, so if that's something that bothers you this might not be the book for you to read but if you love the LKH books and have been reading this series then you already know that there's usually quite a bit of sex in them so if you're still reading them, you probably don't mind that. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for sure.