My Take On A Strawberry Shortcake

So I really like Strawberry shortcake but I didn't have those little round cakes to make them, but I did have a box of yellow cake mix. So here's what I did. 

Follow the directions on the box of Yellow Cake Mix, bake, cool and cut into serving sizes. 

Top cake portions with a thin layer of Hersheys Chocolate Spread.

Add a spoonful of diced Strawberries and top with whip cream. 

Ken loved it and so did my daughter. 

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 pinchme box with a Kashi bar and a cup of Kashi GoLean cereal
A sample pack of Playtex Tampons and pads
Sample pack of Always Pads

And a $5 gift card from Crowdtap

And I turned in points on MyPoints for a $10 Amazon gift card. 

Did you get anything free this week?

Product Review: Joyoldelf 6 Piece Premium Silicone Kitchen Baking Set

Product Description

WHAT'S IN THE BOX? 

-1 x Turner: 11.4" x 2.8" 

-1 x Spoonula: 10.6" x 2.4" 

-1 x Mixing Spoon: 10.6" x 2.4" 

-1 x Slotted Spoon: 10.6" x 2.4" 

-1 x Ladle: 11" x 3.6" (holds 1/3 cup) 

-1 x Spatula: 11.5" x 2.2" 

OTHER BENEFITS / FEATURES 

-NON-STICK 

-STAIN / ODOR RESISTANT 

-ERGONOMIC DESIGN 

-HYGIENIC One-Piece Spatulas- no place for bacteria to hide 

-HEAT RESISTANT (UP TO 480°F) 

My Review

I've had this set for a while and have used all of the utensils and so far they are exactly what I was looking for. 

I had a set of black plastic spoons and slotted spoons that I'd had to about 5 years. But one by one, they all broke. Either melted and cracked or just got old, brittle and cracked. So I needed a new set of cooking utensils. I've bought a few other silicone cooking utensils but I'm always looking for more spoons. Because when I'm cooking dinner, I want a different spoon or slotted spoon for each dish. So this set really help round what I was needing. Now all of my metal cooking utensils have been boxed up and I only use the silicone ones because they work good and don't scratch my nonstick pans. 

They silicone cooking utensils are not flimsy at all. They have a hard nylon core that makes them very sturdy and easy to use even while stirring thick rice and meat dishes and being able to use a heavy hand on things like friend rice where you have to scrape the bottom of the pan to keep the rice from sticking, these work well for that too. 

And because it's a one piece design, there are no cracks or seams for dirt or small food particles to get into and cause bacteria. If you'd like you buy this set, you can find it here. 

I give this set 5 out of 5 stars

I received this set at a discount in exchange for my honest review. 

Favorite Picture of the Week

About 10 years ago Ken was standing in the alley behind our apartment complex and this black bunny hopped right up to him. He brought the bunny home and we had planned on keeping him but it turned out that our daughter (holding the bunny) was really allergic to him. So we found him a good home with people who had a couple of other bunnies. She really liked him and he loved being held. He was a really friendly bunny. 

Review: Target Beauty Box

This was last months Target Beauty Box and in it was...

Hair Food Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner 

Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray 

SinfulColors Professional Nail Color

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask 

Banana Boat Sun Comfort SPF 30 Lotion 

nügg Face Mask 

 Juicy Grapefruit Body Lotion 

Caress Adore Forever Body Wash 

I've tried everything and really liked it all with the exception of the Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray. I gave that to Ken because he uses hair spray and other sprays in his curly hair. I just put my hair band in and Bam! I'm done. lol 

I had a bottle of Sunscreen in my medicine cabinet and last month when I was doing a cleaning of the medicine cabinet, I opened the bottle and smelled it. It smelled...off. You know that smell when a bottle of lotion is like 10 years old and it just doesn't smell right anymore? Yeah, it had that smell. I think it was about 6 years old and there was just a tiny bit left in it so I threw it away. So I was glad to get a tube of Banana Boat because it smells good and we need a little sunscreen here in Las Vegas if we go out during the summer.

But for just $7.00 for this box, I'm pretty happy with it. 

Happy Raturday!

*Photo courtesy of Poppy's Mischief* 

"I have no idea what happened to the pillow stuffing. I think it exploded all over our cage." 

*Photo courtesy of Poppy's Mischief* 

"Insert Yogies here." 

*Photo courtesy of Poppy's Mischief* 

"Rattie massage. That's good stuff." 

*Photo courtesy of Poppy's Mischief* 

How am I supposed to eat if I don't sit in the bowl?"

Mexican Sweet Breads

Have you ever had Mexican sweet breads? They are really good. They are dense breads that are good for dunking into milk or tea much like a cookie but it's bread. I've found that if I pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds they soften right up and I like them that way much better. 

The brown ones are called Conchas. That's the only one that I'm sure of their name. They come in different colors, white, brown and pink. There might be other colors but those are the ones I've seen. 

We can usually find these in most of the grocery stores but they only have a limited selection of them. If you want to see a larger selection of them you have to go to a Mexican market. We like doing part of our grocery shopping there anyway because the prices on the meat and the fresh produce is almost half of that in the big chain grocery stores. Plus we find marinated meats for Fajitas and other dishes that we just can't find any other places. 

Have you ever shopped at a Mexican market or tried Mexican sweetbreads?

And yes, I know the sweetbreads aren't good for me but you have to have a little treat now and then. lol 

Favorite Video of the Week

So as you all know, I live in Las Vegas. I went looking for a video on Youtube of what the Vegas Strip looks like at night so I could show you all. I found this really great video of this guy who took video as he walked down the Strip and into some of the Hotels. So if you've never been to Vegas and wondered what it's like...here ya go.

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 was able to get...

A baby pacifier
Baby Bite A Brush
A card with a Natural Citrus Odor Eliminator sample on it
Larabar (came free in my last box I ordered from Amazon and says free sample on the back)

I also received a $5 Amazon Gift Card from Crowdtap. 

I also received a box of cereal from Smiley360

And I got one more freebie this week. Hmm I wonder what it could be? The box was so big and heavy that the UPS guy actually brought it inside for me. 

It's an office Chair!

I received this Commodore II Big & Tall Leather Executive Chair free from BzzAgent. This might be one of the best freebies I've ever received. 

Did you get anything free this week?

3 Pound Snack Pail Gift Package Tin with Beef Jerky, Beefsteak sticks, Cashews and more

Product Description

A Great value and convenience with a suggested retail value over $57.00. Each 3 Pound Snack Pail includes: • Bigs Sea Salt & Black Pepper Sunflower Seeds (5.35 ounces) • 2 packages of Jack Link's Original Beef Jerky (3.3 ounces each) • 4 packages of Jack Link's Beef Steak (1 ounce each) • 4 packages of Wonderful Roasted & Salted Almonds (1.5 ounces each) • 4 Packages of Wonderful Roasted & Salted Pistachios (1.5 ounces each) • 2 Packages of Planters Deluxe Whole Cashews (2.25 ounces each) • 1 Stainless Steel 7 inch by 1.5-inch professional Bartender's Key (bottle opener) • 1 1-gallon Platinum Tin Pail.

My Review

If you like to have a few different types of snacks around or know someone who likes these types of snack, then this is a great gift for yourself or someone else. 

This snack pail is great for anyone who likes to snack on jerky, pistachios and cashews. This snack pail came with jerky, beef sticks, cashews, pistachios, sunflower seeds, a bottle opener and almonds. It has a little of everything I like to snack on. Everything was fresh, tasted great and I can reuse the pail it all came in for something else. 

Since all of the goodies come in the nice size pail with a lid, it is a great gift idea also. Everything was name brand so you aren't getting snacks that are going to taste bad. When my husband saw what I got, remarked that guys would love this! Well let me tell you, girls would love this too. I know this girl did.  If you'd like to purchase this, you can find it here. 

I give this 5 out of 5 stars. 

Disclosure: I was given this product at a discount in exchange for an honest review.

Here's everything that came in the pail. It was quite a bit of snacks. 

Favorite Picture of the Week

This was taken a couple of year's ago on Ken's birthday. Our daughter gave him a Machete and this is what he did when I went to take a picture. He's such a goofball. 

Recipe: Homemade Fruit Popsicles

To make Fruit Popsicles, you'll need:

A blender

fruit

Popsicle molds

I found my Popsicle molds on Amazon but I've also seen them in the dollar stores and places like Walmart and Kmart. 

I started off with strawberries. I cut the cores out and washed them and then added them a little at a time to my blender and pulsed it until smooth. 

As you can see in this picture, I didn't strain out the seeds because really, why bother? These were so good and they were done in about 3 hours. So I decided to try another fruit. 

I blended up some blackberries and filled the two empty molds and put it back in the freezer. These were also really good. It's getting hotter here and these are going to be really nice on those hot days. 

After experimenting with blackberries I realized there are just too many seeds in them for me so I strained the seeds out by pressing the blended blackberry juice through a mesh strainer. The liquid is really thick so you kinda have to press it through with a large spoon and it does take a little bit of time but it's well worth it. 

We've been buying strawberry Popsicles for a long time and they are about $5 for a box of 6 of them. I just bought two packs of strawberries at the store at .99 a piece and they made 8 Popsicles. That's quite a savings. I searched out some Popsicle recipes online and there are a ton of them. Adding vanilla yogurt and fresh fruit to make a creamsicle. Or Sprite and pieces of fruit to make something interesting. I have a feeling, I'll be doing a lot of experimenting. 

Optional:

Some of the berries were a little tart so I either added 1/2 tsp of sugar or 2 TBSP of Sprite or 7Up to the blended berries and it fixed that right up. 

Review: Rainbow Dreams (Petri Dish Chronicles Book 1) by Mistral Dawn

Book Blurb

Have you ever had a terrible secret you didn't want anyone to know? Petri does and it may get her killed. Life is hard on Upworld, especially for the residents of Under City, and it's even harder for those who don't fit in. Petri has always been different and now those differences may cost her life. Her one hope is to leave the only home she's ever known while evading the mob that's calling for her blood. But Petri has never been outside of her sector of Under City, never mind off the planet. And the laws of Upworld forbid people like her from leaving. Will Petri overcome the odds and make good her escape? Maybe...with a little help from her friends. 

**Trigger Warning: please note that this story contains depictions of violence and sexual assault. If these types of situations cause you distress, this may not be the story for you. 

**Please note that this story contains explicit sexual scenes including BDSM. If this type of material offends you, this is probably not the story for you.

My Review

Petri is a freelance Dolly who works in a hedonistic club called Abracadabra. Dolly's are pretty much prostitutes but since Petri is a freelance Dolly that means she doesn't belong to anyone and only pays for the protection. Petri has a secret that she feeds off the energy of her clients and because she hasn't fed in a while, she makes a mistake that could cost her life. 

She goes on the run and runs into some trouble but she meets up with her best friend after she helps a little girl that she feels sorry for and reminds her too much of herself at a young age. They meet up with an alien who is trying to get his ship released from the government and so they decide to help each other. 

Petri's best friend is good with their form of computers, it's actually virtual reality and you have to plug your self in to the Rainbow (think internet) which is dangerous. They call it diddling the rainbow, which I found pretty darn funny. We really get a lot of insight into this world and how things work for the different types of people. 

My favorite part was Vlad who is an entity or an AI that resides in the Rainbow and try as they might, the government can't get rid of him. He can see everything that's going on and even take control of some things. So when I finished the book I read the Glossary...and I got to (Vlad) The Impaler- well now I know what happened to him! It always pays to read over the Glossary because the author might put in a little bit of info there that just makes things more clear for you, like this did. Now I don't know for sure that Mistral Dawn meant that this is THAT Vlad but I hope we find out in one of the upcoming books. 

Bottom Line: When I read a book like this, I can read it in one sitting and hope it doesn't end. I was totally engrossed in this story because I wanted to know more about the characters, the world and the aliens. I'm really looking forward to the next book now and to find out what happens next. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

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

You can find Mistral Dawn on her Blog. 

Disclosure: I was given this book free in exchange for an honest review. 

Happy Raturday!

*Photo courtesy of Storms Rat Pack* 

*Photo courtesy of Poppy's Mischief* 

Nepetal- "Can you please tell Blossom to stop smashing my head."

Blossom- "You're new nick name is Nepetal squishy face." 

*Photo courtesy of Poppy's Mischief* 

"Digging for corn. Mom isn't getting any because we're eating it all." 

*Photo courtesy of Poppy's Mischief* 

"I'm a fierce rat warrior in the jungle seeking out the elusive yogis."

*Photo courtesy of Poppy's Mischief* 

"I'm playing hide and seek yogis."

*Photo courtesy of Poppy's Mischief* 

"Oh no, I think mom uploaded us to the cloud again."

*Photo courtesy of Mary Kirkland *me* lol 

Lucky greeted me every morning like this. 

Review: Amazon Baby Registry Welcome Box

If you're pregnant or just had a baby, you can get a free Baby Welcome Box from Amazon when you make a Baby Registry on the site and you have Amazon Prime. 

How to Get a Free Baby Registry Welcome Box:

Sign up for Amazon Prime or Amazon Mom.

Make a baby registry on Amazon.

Next, add 15 items to your registry by following the Jumpstart list. The list should be at the top of your registry page. Each section has to have a green check mark next to it in order to continue on to the next step. When you're done it should look like this. 

Next, add one item to your baby registry that you would buy right away that costs at least $10. It can be anything! I added a box of Earl Grey tea to my registry and bought it. You or someone has to purchase at least $10 in merchandise from your baby registry in order to qualify for the free Baby Welcome Box. 

Next, you have to wait until what you purchased from your baby registry is marked 'shipped', then go back to your baby registry and right next to the jumpstart on the left hand side you should see, "Claim Your Welcome Box" Click on that and the Free Baby Welcome Box will be added to your cart with a $35 promotional credit, so you pay nothing and get the box for FREE!

In my box I received

Baby Bottle

1 Newborn diaper

Nursing pads

Prenatal vitamins

Sample pack of baby wipes

Pacifier

Johnson's Bubble Bath

Baby Lotion

Baby Shampoo

Burt's Bees lotion sample

Kind Nut Bar

My neighbor just had a baby so I put most of this stuff in a gift bag with a few other baby related things I had and I gave it to her.

Even if you aren't pregnant or have a baby, the stuff in this box would make a nice gift to someone who can use it. 

Favorite Video of the Week

I've watched a few of these "Kids React" videos and this was the one that made me laugh the most. Some of the kids really liked what they tasted and it was only after they found out what it was that they made a face.

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: 

NeilMed Sinus Rinse

Coupon for a free box of Tampons or Pads

Sample of Curamin Pain Relief Pills

1 Jammin and 1 Up Energy Bars

3 samples of Twinings Tea

And a $5 Amazon gift card from Crowdtap. 

Did you get anything free this week?

Product Review: David's Cookies Chocolate Florentine Lace

Product Description

This is an exquisite candy cookie made with honey and cashews that sandwich an all chocolate center. They've got a sweet, crunchy texture. Bring it to school or bring it to the office. They're a popular snack on the go.

My Review

I've never had Florentine Lace cookies before so this was a treat for me. They have such a great taste to them and they go great with milk, coffee or tea. They are sweet and crunchy and I really love the flavor. It's sort of a mix between a caramel flavor and a toffee flavor and since I love both of those, these have become a new favorite of mine. The chocolate on them has a really nice smooth rich flavor and 

I just wish there were more cookies in the box because because even if I wanted to share them with someone, which I don't... there really aren't a lot of cookies per package. 

If you'd like to purchase a box of cookies for yourself, you can find them here.

I give these cookies a 4 out of 5 stars. 

Disclosure: I was given this product for free in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite Picture of the Week

My dad came for a visit the other day and I was sitting next to him on a chair, he grabbed me and told Ken to take a picture. lol Then he told me to make him a copy. 

Las Vegas Weather and My Flooded Courtyard

So 5 days ago it was 89 degrees. But it started cooling down, so this past Saturday it started sprinkling rain just a little mid morning. I saw these three pigeons had been out in the rain but soon took shelter under this bush to dry off. 

I thought it was cute and so I took a picture of them. The ground was barely wet, I had no idea what was coming. 

About 30 minutes later it started raining. Regular rain not like a down pour or anything. You can see the rain as it poured off the roof and onto the sidewalk next to my apartment. 

Then Boom! It started coming down really hard all of the sudden and as I was standing there taking pictures, it started hailing pea size hail. We hardly ever get hail. We get flash flooding usually starting in June but we don't get a lot of hail. 

Then it started raining even harder and even more hail came down. Ken was at our bedroom window because it was getting pounded and he thought it was going to break. Thankfully it didn't. 

Usually when it does hail, it's so small that it melts as soon as it hits the ground. Not this time. 

Within 30 minutes my entire courtyard was flooded. And the water was up over the sidewalk on the other side of the courtyard, right up to the doors. 

All of the rocks from that first picture that I took of the pigeons are all under water now. And the water started to come up over the sidewalk in parts of it. The pigeons took up residence in one of the Pine tree's until the rain stopped.

One of my neighbors saw her friend standing over by my door and walked across the flooded rocks to help him get his bags and bring them inside. She had gone to the store and locked the door and he didn't have a key so he was waiting outside where it was driest over by my door. 

Thankfully by the next day most of the water covering the ground had soaked in and it was flooded as much even though it was still raining off and on that day too. 

I've lived here for 19 years and this courtyard has never gotten that flooded before. Oh and people are crazy. As all that rain is coming down and it was hailing, every body and their uncle was coming out of their apartments to 'feel the pain' of hail hitting their body. While others just took a seat on the soaked sidewalk to watch the rain. 

One person sits on the wet sidewalk while another stands. They stayed there for about an hour. lol I just don't understand people at times.