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.
Did you know you can sign up at Tomoson and get free products too. You can also sign up at these sites and get products at a great discount. No Kidding Coupons, AMZ Review Trader, and Elite Deal Club.

This week I received a box from Influenster.

When you sign up with their site, they randomly send out Vox Boxes full of products for you to try at home. All you have to do is write reviews for the products, post pictures ect.

In my box from Influenster was...

Vaseline Continuous Spray Lotion
Infusium Leave In Conditioner
Dickinson's Witch Hazel Cleansing Cloths
Blue Diamond Sriracha flavored Almonds
A Coupon for BarkThins
Blue Nail Polish

Did you receive anything free this week?

Product Review: Tiny Toys Bath Toy Organizer

Product Description

 Arms length away for easy play and speedy clean up.

 Organizer made from 100% polyester in addition to drip dry from the net.

Netting will hold up to 5 lbs or 2.2 kg - carries light and heavy toys.

Washable mesh, strong suctions, no fuss bag for more play. Wrinkles come from smiling - not age.

My Review

When my daughter was little I always had things like this to keep her bath toys from ending up all over the bathroom floor. Now that my daughter is grown and has a two year old son, I love getting her things like this for my grandson. Bath toy organizers are a must, at least to me and this mesh bag is perfect for holding some light weight bath toys and letting them air dry up out of the way. I have flat walls in my bathroom around my tub and so does my daughter so I placed the suction cups on the wall to see if they would stick and they do. This works really well. I also think this would make a great gift for new mom's and for kids so they have somewhere to store their bath toys.

Disclaimer: I was given this product for free in exchange for my honest review.

I you'd like to purchase one of these, you can find it here. 

Non Surgical Treatment of a Proximal Humerus 3 Part Fracture

So as most of you know by now, on June 10th I fell into my kitchen wall with my arms outstretched and broke my right arm/shoulder. The exact bone that I broke was the upper humerus bone at the top where it fits into the shoulder socket. 

My actual X-Ray showed I had 3 small non displaced fractures in my humerus. I circled the fractures so you can see where they were.

I was on the floor and could not get up. I actually could not move at all because I was in so much pain. I couldn't move my arm or my shoulder at all and every little movement I made caused me excruciating pain. So Ken called 911 and the fire department and ambulance came. Because I couldn't move at all, they gently scooted me onto a large blanket that had handles on all the sides, picked me up and placed me onto the gurney. It was the easiest way to get me on the gurney but it hurt like hell. 

I was taken to the ER and had Xrays taken and told that I broken my arm but since it was up near the shoulder that they call that a broken shoulder. But since it was small fractures that weren't displaced that they treat it by putting you in a sling for 4 weeks and start you exercising your arm after 7 days. I'm extremely sensitive to pain medications, they make me sick so I refused any pain meds in the ambulance or at the hospital. The doctor told me that she would give me a strong anti nausea medicine to go with the pain pills and to take that when I got home. Thankfully the anti nausea medicine prevented me from getting sick because I really needed the pain medicine. 

The next day when I saw the orthopedic surgeon he told me the same thing and told me what arm exercises to do at home. I was told it could take 6-8 weeks before I would have full range of motion in my arm again. I broke my right arm and I'm right handed so as you can imagine I had a hard time doing a lot of things. Ken was there to help me the whole time. I even had to sleep sitting up on the couch for the first three weeks after the accident because it hurt too much to lay down. 

But after 4 weeks the pain medicine was no longer really needed and I wanted to stop taking it. So my doctor told me to slowly go from 4 a day to 3 and so on until I was taking none. I did this over a 4 day period and on the day that I stopped taking any of them I found myself feeling really bad. I called my doctor and he came to see me *I have a house call doctor* and he told me that I was experiencing withdrawals. I was sweating, had anxiety, increased heart rate, headache, nausea, cramping, insomnia, restless legs, irritability, mood swings, and depression. This lasted for 4 days. I've never felt so bad and because I've never had a broken bone before or been on pain meds for more than a few days, I'd never experienced anything like this. But it eventually went away.

At 4 weeks I was able to lift my arm just enough to get it on the table to type with both hands. Later that week after exercising my arm more, I was able to lift my arm half way up. By the 6th week, the pain had almost completely gone and I was able to lift my arm almost all the way over my head. Its now been almost 7 weeks and I'm almost 100% back to normal. I found out that they have you start arm exercises right away as soon as you can so that you don't get what is called frozen shoulder. 

When you have your arm in a sling for a long period of time, your muscles weaken, shrink and if you don't start using them a little they will tighten to the point where you can't use them because they are so tight and a doctor might have to surgically repair the tight muscles by cutting them. I didn't want that so even though it hurt like hell, I did the arm exercises and it worked because I can use my arm almost 100% now. 

Could Fluoride Be Making Your Pet Sick

*Dusty and Oreo*

In some places fluoride is added to drinking water to help prevent cavities in children. Fluoride is added to toothpaste but there is a warning not to swallow it. Fluoride is also added to some pet foods.

How Fluoride could be making pets sick.

Many dogs and cats that have or have had arthritis, spinal and skeletal deformities may actually have skeletal fluorosis. But because fluoride isn't seen as something that can cause harm in animals most Veterinarians don't even consider this.

Most Veterinarians are not aware that a lot of dog and cat foods contain fluoride and high fluoride levels in pets can cause them health problems. While some scientists who have done research on feed animals know that high levels of fluoride in animals can cause osteoarthritis, kidney disease and even cancer. No one has done research to find out if the fluoride in their water and food is what is causing some of these problems.

Where is my pet getting the fluoride from?

According to the NHF "A low-fluoride commercial dog food contains 40 - 60 parts per million of fluoride. A high-fluoride dog food can contain to 460 parts per million of fluoride. up"

Fluoride is an active ingredient in many pesticides and rodenticides. According to Scorecard.org fluoride is found in pesticides such as Tie-Guard, Cobra Salts, Ritter's Roach Powder, Triple-X ant, Roach and Waterbug Powder, Scramo, Robinson Roach Destroyer as well as many, many more.

What you should know.

Pet food manufacturers are not required to list the fluoride levels in pet food. The primary source of fluoride in pet foods is from mineral supplements that are added to the pet food. Some of the words to look for in pet foods are: Defluorinated Phosphate rock. While it says 'defluorinated' it still retains some of the fluoride and is mainly found in the more pricey pet foods.

Raw Soft Phosphate Rock, Mono and Tricalcium Phosphate. The less expensive pet foods are more likely to use these types of fluoride additives. These are made from a mixture of Phosphate Acid and Calcium Carbonate.

If you see these additives on the ingredients list, it might be time to take a look into another form of pet food. Pet food manufacturers might be able to help keep pets healthier just by switching to a different mineral supplement that doesn't contain fluoride.

An easy way to make sure your pet isn't getting fluoride from their drinking water is to fill their bowls, water bottles ect...not from tap water but from bottled spring water instead.

Cover Reveal! Intrigue In The Summer Court by Mistral Dawn

I'm very happy to introduce you all to my friend Mistral Dawn. I've read her first two books and am really looking forward to this one as well. Just look at that beautiful cover! How cute is that bunny, right?

Hey Everyone!!! :-)

I revealed the title at my Facebook party last Saturday, but have you been wondering what the cover of Intrigue In The Summer Court would look like?  Well, here it is!!!! :-)  Julie Nichols is the talented artist who created it, and I, for one, think she did a totally awesome job!!!! :-)  If you're interested in seeing more of her work, you can find her here:

www.juliemirishkanicholls.wordpress.com

https://www.facebook.com/WallpapersArtworkAndFanArt?ref=bookmarks

Her prices are very reasonable.  For ebook covers that the author provides the stock photos for and just need her to manipulate the photos and paint over small parts, she only charges $20!  To include a wrap-around cover that can be used for a paperback, she charges $30.  And for custom-painted covers (like the one above) she charges $100, and as you can see they are well worth the price!! :-)

For people just looking for decorations for their home or desk, she is working on a new Amazon store (she says it will be like etsy) where she will be listing her work for sale soon.  In the meantime, you can find her books here: Julie Nichols' Amazon Author Page

Did I mention she's also an amazing novelist?  A woman of many talents!! :-)  The easiest way to contact her for custom artwork is through Facebook. :-)  And besides being wildly talented, she really is a gem! :-) 

So...would you like to see the synopsis for Intrigue In The Summer Court???? ;-)  Here it is:

Jillian just knows something bad is going to happen!  She's been a loyal adviser to the throne and friend of the queen, Briallen, for thousands of years, and now Roni and Uaine's wedding and coronation are to take place in just a couple days.  The Summer Court will have a new king and queen, who can hopefully repair the damage and heal the schism the late king created.  

But Jillian just can't shake the feeling that trouble is brewing.  Many of the Summer nobles aren't happy about the changes that are taking place in the Summer Court, and many of the other Fae just aren't too sure about having a human on the throne...even if she has been blessed by the goddess.  When Angelica, the leader of the Pixies, comes to her with news of a plot to murder the prince and princess, Jillian's suspicions are confirmed.  Will the two of them be able to unravel this conspiracy in time to save the royal couple?  Or will prejudice prevail, and the hope for peace in Fairie be lost forever?

Huh, sounds pretty dire, what do you think? ;-)  Would you like to read some excerpts?  Check these out! :-)

First Chapter Of Intrigue In The Summer Court

Guess Who's On The Guest List

Uh Oh! What Trouble Are These Two Up To?

Sinful Sundays Excerpt From Intrigue In The Summer Court

Intrigue In The Summer Court Update and Excerpt

And don't forget to stay tuned for the release announcement!!!! :-)  Coming Soon! ;-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Mistral

Destined For Genius by Amelia James and a Giveaway

Tired of the shade? Want some fun with your heat? From the dorky, dirty mind of Amelia James, author of Tell Me You Want Me and Home Is Where the Heat Is…
Destined for Genius – a trashy romantic comedy coming July 27, 2015!

Blurb:

Kurt Langston spent one night of hot, decadent sex with the love of his life. But she chose someone else. He's sworn off relationships for good, preferring the company of online friends he's never met, his only connections made through the internet. So when Destiny falls into his arms—literally—he lets her go. Love has no place in his life plan.

Destiny D'argo has no plans. No goal, no future aspirations. Just wing it. Her graphic design business pays the bills—barely—and her part-time waitress job fulfills her minimal need for personal interaction. She has no use for schedules or commitments, especially to a guy who happened to make a lucky catch. So why can't she stop thinking about Kurt?

Their paths intersect again and again, and they can't keep their hands off each other. Neither one of them wants this, but fate doesn't seem to care. Can a free-spirited artist make a real connection with a structured computer genius? Or are they doomed from the start?

Coming July 27, 2015!

About the Author:
I got hooked on trashy romance novels in junior high, but my mom took them away from me. But she couldn’t stop me from daydreaming. After I got married, I wrote some of my naughtier daydreams down and sent them to Playgirl magazine. Two of them got published. I kept daydreaming and writing stories until my dirty stories turned into trashy books.

I live in Colorado, but I’ll always be a loyal Wisconsin Cheesehead. When I’m not lusting after my next bad boy hero, I’m looking for inspiration in sci-fi and action movies, football players, morally ambiguous lawyers, muscle cars, and kick-butt chicks.

Website: http://ameliajamesromance.com/
Books: http://evolvedpub.com/ameliajamesbooks/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TrashyWriter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmeliaJamesAuthor
Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/106317629275663311597/posts
Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/trashywriter

Giveaway: this is the Rafflecopter code. The giveaway begins on 7/13 and ends on 7/28. The prize package is: a $25 Amazon gift card, a Trashy keychain, and two Amelia James chocolate bars.
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Excerpt

“You’ve never fucked a stranger just for fun?”

“Fucking is always fun.” The small smile blossomed under his declaration, so he pulled her arms free and draped them around his waist. “There was this one girl in college, at a frat party—”

“They have fraternities for geeks?” She clamped her mouth shut as soon as the words spilled out.

He dragged the pad of his thumb over her lips, and they immediately softened. Kurt made a note to thank JT for teaching him that trick. “I had to maintain a three point seven five GPA to be a member.”

She slid her hands into his back pockets again. “And you had...?”

Access granted. “Three point nine seven.” He rested his hands on her shoulders and slipped his fingers under her short sleeves, caressing her warm skin.

“Ooo... Genius.” She squeezed his butt.

Kurt winced. “Don’t call me that.” Hearing her say the nickname his friend had given him conjured images he’d rather not face at the moment.

She raised an eyebrow, but didn’t argue. “Okay. What about the girl?”

“Huh?” The only girl he wanted was currently tugging his zipper and creating havoc with his memory. “Oh her.” The previous data came back to him. “We got a little drunk and had sex in the hot tub, right in the middle of the party. No one knew.”

“I’m sure everyone knew.” She finally managed to slide his zipper down, dragging her fingers along his erection as she did it.

Fireworks exploded in his pants, but Kurt couldn’t let her do all the touching. He dragged his hand down her back and snuck it under her shirt. She’d put it on without caging those cute bare tits in a bra. Maybe he could steal another squeeze. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I never got her name. Never saw her again.”

“Why can’t I be like her?” She rested her butt against the wall, effectively pulling away from him.

His hand froze, but when she arched her back, he realized she was giving him more room to move, not trying to stop him. “Well, for one thing, you’re much prettier.” He reached up and cupped her bare breast.

She pressed into his palm. “Really?”

“Oh yeah, all these wild curls,” he slid his other hand into her hair, “so soft. Your deep brown eyes, soft brown skin. Wow, you’re cozier than my favorite pillow.”

She looked at him like he’d said Han Solo shot Greedo in self-defense, but then the skepticism faded and she smiled.

“And your smile could power the Death Star’s shield generator.” Rein it in, dork. He dragged his thumb over her nipple.

“That’s a compliment, right?”

“Big one.”

She reached down between his legs. “So is this.”

Victoza Review- Living With Type 2 Diabetes

About 6 months ago I was told I had type 2 diabetes and my doc started me on Metformin to bring my blood glucose numbers down but it didn't work my A1C actually went up from 8.1 to 10.1 so he decided to try something else and gave me this. It's called Victoza and it's an injectable pen prefilled with the medicine. 

All I have to do is turn the dial on the end there to the number that my doctor wants me to have and then give myself a shot. If you've never used an injectable pen they are really easy to use. You have to load the pen when you first use it but you only have to do that once for each new pen. You dial in the mark they tell you too and press the plunger and then it's ready to be used. You just take the cap off the pen, take the paper off the pen needle and place the plastic end over the pen so that your needle is now attached to the pen. 

Then you screw on the plastic needle cap to the pen and pull off the plastic safety cap. 

After you pull off the plastic safety cap there's a small plastic tube that you have to pull off after you have dialed in the amount of medicine that you are supposed to inject. 

After pulling that plastic tube off you just put the needle into your upper leg, stomach or arm and press the plunger and hold it for 7 seconds and then pull the needle out. As you can see, the needle is tiny. I could barely get a good picture of it. I don't even feel the needle going in. 

I've now been on this medicine for about a month and I take my blood sugar levels 3 times a day and they have steadily been coming down which is awesome. When I first started this medicine my fasting blood sugar numbers were around 250 and now they are around 130 which is so much better. One of the other advantages of this medicine is that it's a powerful appetite suppressant and I noticed about a week after I started taking this that my appetite and the amount of food that I could eat at meals was diminishing. 

I'm going to be frank and also tell you that there are some cons to this medicine also. One of the biggest and I've read in the forums of people talking about taking this medicine that constipation is a problem. But if you change your diet to include foods high in fiber this will help relieve the problem. 

All in all, I am happy with the results I am seeing from this medicine and happy that my blood sugar numbers are steadily going down. 

Review: Target Beauty Box

Target has a beauty box that you can sign up for each month but supplies are limited and they run out really fast. The boxes are just $5 each and they have at least $20 worth of products in them. I've been trying for 3 months to be able to get one of these boxes but they are usually out by the time I hear about them. But not this month (July). 

It comes in a really nice box which I kept because I'm sure I can find something to store in this box. But I was really happy with all the different products that came in this box this month. For just $5, you really can't beat this offer. Have you signed up and received one of these Target Beauty boxes yet?

In my box I received: 

Fashion Tape

Cucumber cleansing cloths

Herbal Essence's Dry Oil Spray for shiny hair

Pumice stone

Goody Ouchless hair ties

Max Volume Mascara

Cover Girl Lip Gloss

I was also able to get the second beauty box Target offered at the same time. Supplies are limited and they go fast so I was happy to get both of them and at just $5 a piece, that's a pretty good deal. Here's what was in this box...

1. Bathery Delicate Bath Pouf

2. John Frieda Luxurious Volume 7-Day Treatment

3. Olay White Strawberry Body Wash

4. NYX Butter Gloss Strawberry Parfait

5. Goody Ouchless Hair Elastics

6. CoverGirl Outlast All-Day Primer

7. Burt’s Bees White Tea Facial Wipes

And yes, my dog Falcor was keeping an eagle eye on that bath pouf. I think he thought it was a dog toy. lol 

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.
Did you know you can sign up at Tomoson and get free products too. You can also sign up at these sites and get products at a great discount. No Kidding Coupons, AMZ Review Trader, and Elite Deal Club.

This week I received a box of freebies from PinchMe.
A sample bottle of Secret Deodorant
2 different lotions
Zzzquil sleep aid

I also received this mini Snuggle Bear from The Snuggle Bear Den. For my mission with the bear I'm supposed to take fun summer pictures with the bear and send them to the site. After I'm done with that I'll be giving the bear to my grandson. 

Host A Healthy Baby Home Party

What is a Healthy Baby Home Party? Seventh Generation's Healthy Baby Home Parties are fun and informative for you and your guests, and together you will create a healthy environment for your families! And of course, the most fun of all is the opportunity to get together and talk about your kids and the things that matter to you most.

The Healthy Baby Home Party kit contains educational information from non-profit partner Healthy Child Healthy World, a fun party game to help you share tips, and products and coupons from Seventh Generation, bobble, Zarbee's Naturals, and other brands.

Hosts and guests will also be invited to join us in asking our U.S. Senators to reform chemical policy. For more information on our perspective, visit  www.seventhgeneration.com/responsibility. 

 What is the Application Process?

All applicants must be members of Generation Good first.  Sign up at generationgood.net.

Accept the Healthy Baby Home Party Application offer on your Generation Good dashboard and complete the application.

Applicants will be notified in mid August on whether or not they have been selected to host a party via an email to the email address assigned to their Generation Good member profile.

All selected applicants will then be asked to confirm their participation by accepting the Healthy Baby Home Party Mission and confirming their shipping address before they are sent the Healthy Baby Home Party Kit.

Each selected host will then receive a free party kit in the mail. We ask that all parties are held in August/September. For full Terms and Conditions:

 http://www.seventhgeneration.com/content/healthy-baby-home-party-terms-conditions

I hosted a Healthy Baby Home Party a few months ago and this is what was sent to me.

My Healthy Baby House Party kit contained

A bag of diapers size 3

Full Size Pouch of baby wipes

Filter water bottle

Full size bottle of Dish Detergent

12 samples of baby vitamins

Coupons for many baby products

Bingo Games

Flash cards for games at the party

Goodie Bags

Samples of Laundry detergent, baby wipes and dish detergent

This is a picture of the Healthy Baby Home Party kit they are sending this time. Do you want to sign up? All applicants must be members of Generation Good first.  Sign up at generationgood.net

Review: Gimmee Jimmy's Brownies

Product Description

Spoil your loved ones or treat colleagues, friends and business associates to a mouth-watering gift of brownies from Gimmee Jimmy's. Marvelously moist, deliciously dense and charmingly chewy, brownies are the ultimate cake of choice for any chocolate lover. As with all our baked goods, we use only the very finest all-natural ingredients to bring you luxury nut-free brownies suitable for any occasion. Children and adults alike will love our gourmet flavors, and our brownies make the ideal unique gift for cake fans who love the authentic taste of home baking. We bake fresh every day in our spotless kitchen and ship scrumptious cakes, cookies and brownies all over the world.

My Review

I love brownies or pretty much anything chocolate so I was excited to get to try these at a deep discount. The first thing I noticed was the really nice tin they came in. This would definitely make for a great gift. It was packaged nice and securely and the tin is really nice and reusable as well.

I opened the tin and the smell of 2lbs of chocolate brownies hit my nose. Is there anything nicer than freshly backed chocolate whatever? I think not. I will say that these brownies have a unique chewy/gooeyness to them. But they taste like decadent rich chocolate brownies and for anyone who can't eats nuts, these are nut free and kosher. 

I shared them with my husband, daughter and grandson and they all liked them. They are really rich so a little goes a long way. I can only eat a small piece at a time before it gets to be too much for me and my family felt the same way. But when you want a little chocolate pick me up, these sure do the trick in a hurry. 

It's a fact that I share my treats with the rats and they really loved these chocolate brownies as well. 

Flower very happily licked all over my hands after she got a bite of chocolate brownie. That's one happy rat right there. Scribbles got a bite too but he ran into his cube and hid under the blanket with his piece so no pictures of him. lol 

Disclaimer: I received a coupon code to get these brownies at a deep discount in exchange for an honest review. 

If you'd like to purchase this product, you can do so here. 

Review: Eltronica Super Bright LED Collapsible Camping Light

Product Description

BEAUTIFUL DESIGN LANTERN WITH SUPER BRIGHT 120 LUMEN OUTPUT 

Lanterns don't need to look dull and boring. This beautiful lantern has a unique design that will be the envy of all your friends. 

The majority of telescopic lanterns on the market use conventional LED technology and produce around 60 Lumen of light. The Camo Lantern uses modern SMD LED technology to produce a stronger and more efficient 120 Lumen. That is twice the output of similar lanterns. 

The telescopic switch on/off design allows the lantern to be extremely portable. Just extend it to turn on and retract to turn off. Made from a super tough water resistant ABS plastic the Slick lantern will work equally well both outdoors and indoors. 

A compass is build right into the top of the lantern. It's great to have a backup compass should you ever need it. Perfect for camping, fishing hiking and outdoors. 

My Review

I love this pop up lantern. I was surprised just how bright this was. It's 120 lumens and it really does light up a good amount of area. I'm keeping this for emergencies like power outages so I don't have to light candles in my apartment which could be a fire hazard. It pops up and turns on and when you push it down it turns off. It packs away nicely and seems very sturdy. This would make a great gift.

In the heat of the summer the power often goes out for a few minutes up to 2 hours. It happened 4 times last summer and this summer it's already happened twice for just a few minutes but we keep this pop up lantern within easy access so when the power goes out at night we can find this easily. It's so bright that it lights up the entire living room and I don't have to light a bunch of candles. Oh and hubby loves this. He's asking me to try and get more stuff like this to test out and write reviews for. lol 

If you'd like to buy one of these lanterns for yourself, you can find it here. 

Disclaimer: I was given this product for free in exchange for an 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*

Product Review: 2 piece Utopia Kitchen Professional Oven Safe Nonstick 9.5-Inch and 11-Inch Fry Pan Set

Product Description

Get the most value for your money with Top-Rated Professional Grade Cooking Equipment! Utopia Kitchen Professional Total Oven Safe Nonstick 9.5-Inch and 11-Inch Frying Pan 2-Piece Cookware Set is the ultimate luxury value. These Nonstick Frying Pans are made using top-rated 3003 Aluminum Alloy, used for professional grade Frying Pans. 2-Layer Nonstick interior is exceptionally durable, double quoted, and scratch resistant. This luxury cookware pan is safe for use with metal utensils. Its luxury Bakelite handle, ear, and knob create a comfort grip that resists heat and scratching. 

• Oven safe to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, with spiral bottom for even cooking. 

• Safe for all cooking methods. 

• The 2-Piece Frying Pan Cookware Set includes one 9.5" Inch and one 11" Inch Frying Pan. 

• Dishwasher Safe.

My Review

I love non stick cookware and am always looking to buy new pans because non stick pans seem to be easily scratched which wears out the non stick functionality of the pans. These work really well and I love that I don't have to use butter or oil to prevent sticking. Butter is only used as a flavor additive now. I love that the pans match and work so great. My food cooks evenly and no added oils. These seem very durable and don't scratch easily which I really like.

This 2 piece pan set comes in either red or gray and I chose the gray set. It says it's safe for use with metal utensils but it's only scratch resistant so it's still possible to scratch the surface of the pans so I use silicone utensils when cooking to make the non stick surface last longer. I also like that I can put these into the oven up to 350 degree's and don't have to worry about the handle melting. 

If you'd like to buy a set of these pans, you can find them here. 

Disclaimer: I received this item at a discount in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost

Book Blurb

Dating the Prince of Darkness has its challenges . . . 

Leila's psychic abilities have been failing her, and now she isn't sure what the future holds. If that weren't enough, her lover Vlad has been acting distant. Though Leila is a mere mortal, she's also a modern woman who refuses to accept the cold shoulder treatment forever--especially from the darkly handsome vampire who still won't admit that he loves her . . . 

Like choosing between eternal love and a loveless eternity . . .

Soon circumstances send Leila back to the carnival circuit, where tragedy strikes. And when she finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer who may be closer than she realizes, Leila must decide who to trust-- the fiery vampire who arouses her passions like no other or the tortured knight who longs to be more than a friend? With danger stalking her every step of the way, all it takes is one wrong move to damn her for eternity . . .

My Review

Leila is a human with a special power and she's in love with a vampire named Vlad, yes that Vlad. He shows her in his own way that he cares for her but she wants him to love her and say the words but he can't. There are two vampires that care for Leila but her heart belongs to Vlad, but when an explosion happens, she's not sure who she can trust.

I started out not liking Vlad at all but I could understand why he was emotionally cutting himself off from the woman who loved him with all her heart. Even vampires can be hurt by love and he's determined not to let that happen again. So he and Leila part ways but he comes back as fast as he can when he finds out she's in danger...I guess he really does love her. 

Vlad may be an alpha uber vamp with serious control issues but underneath it all Leila might actually be able to find the caring vampire that she's longing for. 

I loved that in the beginning of the book where there was a vampire named Hannibal. How fitting is that? Crazy, blood sucking man named Hannibal. I'm just surprised that someone hadn't thought of that before now. 

The bad guy turns out to be someone who's into witchcraft and just when we think they'll be caught, they use a spell to make the rats who are around where they are attack the good guys. Now you know this was one of my favorite parts. It's like they took a page right out of Willard *one of my favorite movies* and took control of the rats. 

Oh and there were ghouls and ghouls eat vampires as well as people!

I loved this book. All the action, the mystery, the romance and getting to know Vlad, who is a blood thirsty psycho but at the same time can love the woman who loves him for who he is. I loved everything about this book...until I got to the end and there was a cliffhanger. What? Why would you do that to me? C'mon! If you're going to go through the entire book trying to figure out who is trying to kill you and you finally find out who it is...you end the book finding him and making him pay for his transgressions. What you don't do is leave the end of the story on a cliffhanger where you have to read the next book to find out what happens next. And because of that ending I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars instead of the 5 stars I intended to give it while I was reading it. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

If you'd like to buy this book, you can do so here. 

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.
Did you know you can sign up at Tomoson and get free products too. You can also sign up at these sites and get products at a great discount. No Kidding Coupons, AMZ Review Trader, and Elite Deal Club.

This week I received a $10 Extra Bucks Rewards for completing a survey- you use it just like a gift card.

I also won a coupon for some chocolate!

I also cashed out my survey points on a survey site for an Amazon gift card. 

Fun Pictures

It's been a while since I shared pictures of the pets so I thought I would do that today. Poor Falcor still wants to play with Scribbles and whines every time I bring him out to play. Falcor has to go into his doggie pen when the rats are out playing because I don't want the rats to bite his nose and I have a feeling they would. 

Falcor likes his new bigger bed. He's been sleeping on his back with his legs in the air, it's pretty funny. 

I put this little rattie sofa in Scribbles cage yesterday and he jumped right in and went to sleep. 

Flower sitting still eating a piece of a cookie. The only time she sits still long enough for me to get a picture of her is when I give her a treat. 

Review: Morningpep Cocoa Powder

Product Description

100% USDA certified Organic raw Unsweetened cocoa powder

Kosher, non-gmo, gluten free USDA certified Organic and suitable for vegans

Alkalized for quick and easy dissolving in cold and hot water

Rich in antioxidants, dietary fiber, iron, manganese, magnesium, zinc, and essential vitamins and minerals

Morning Pep DARK COCOA POWDER is Packaged in a convenient resealable stand up pouches to preserve freshness and purity

My Review

I'm always up for trying something new so when I saw this Morningpep Cocoa Powder, I figured why not? I love all things chocolate but I found out a few months go that I am diabetic so I have to be a little careful now. 

I decided to make a diabetic friendly hot cocoa for my first recipe using this cocoa powder. I heated up some water, added a teaspoon of the cocoa power and a packet of Splenda and stirred. I love this cocoa powder because it dissolves really fast and easily into the liquid. I tried it again the next day same recipe only this time I used milk and it was so good. I plan on using this cocoa powder to make myself some chocolate cookies while also using a sugar substitute like Splenda so they are a little more diabetic friendly. 

If you'd like to buy this, you can find it here. 

Disclaimer: I got this product at a discount in exchange for an honest review. 

Review: One Gold Heart by Sadie Haller

Book Description

Mac Wallis agrees to join the wind quintet, Dominant Cord, for the Christmas concert season as a favour to an old friend. It's her first step towards recovery after a vicious attack more than a decade before. However, sparks fly when Dominant Cord's unofficial leader, flutist, Finn Taylor takes issue with Mac's reliance on medication in order to perform.

Mac can't understand why the asshole who so completely humiliated her at their first rehearsal keeps showing up in her late-night fantasies as the Dom of her dreams. It's not even like he's the good kind of bad boy.

After his marriage ended in disaster, Finn tries to steer clear of damaged women, but as a Dom, he feels compelled to put aside his own hang-up to help Mac reclaim her independence and her former life.

All titles in the Dominant Cord series can be read as standalone, but are best read in order.

My Review

This book was mentioned in a book club I belong to and it sounded really good so I bought to to read later. I was getting ready to go to bed and thought I would just read the first few pages to see how I felt about it...an hour later and I had stayed up until 1am to finish the entire book! Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. It turned out to be the best book I've read all week.

Mac agrees to step in for an old friend and play in a wind quintet after her friend breaks a couple of ribs and can't play. Mac has high performance anxiety and takes Beta Blockers in order to perform in public. That wouldn't be much of a problem if Finn didn't blow up at the mention of anyone taking medication. He seems to view all medication as drugs and if you take them, that makes you a drug addict. 

Finn starts out really unlikable and I didn't think he could turn it around but he did and after finding out why he feels the way he does, it makes much more sense. 

Mac is a little hellion, she was quick with a come back when she first met Finn and he was being Mr. Grumpy Pants. And even though she has some serious hang ups, she trusts her best friend and Finn to help her get past them. 

I really enjoyed this realistic look into a BDSM relationship that required a Dom to show compassion, patience and empathy with a sub that has serious emotional baggage. 

While this book does have some graphic sex scenes and a recounting of the rape that happened to Mac, it's done in the right way and made for a emotional, sexy read. 

If you'd like to read this book, you can buy it here. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

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*