Freebie Friday!

 

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

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

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

This week I received: 

Isle of Paradise self tanning drops. 

You just add a few drops to your moisturizer and use the moisturizer as usual and it's supposed to self tan without the streaks or staining of cloths. 

I don't use a lot of self tanners but have used those lotions that turn your skin a little darker color. I haven't used this yet but I plan to just to see if it works well. 

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Favorite Picture of the Week

 

This week started out with pretty much clear skies and just a few bright white clouds. I like walking down this path next to the sound wall on the right because there's hardly any people around and it's quiet. Not a whole lot to see except for rocks though.

The next day though we started getting a few darker clouds. No rain but it was a bit cooler. 

It stayed cloudy for a few days which was nice as it got between me and the sun so it wasn't beating down on my head.

The cloud cover was nice this week as it kept things a bit overcast and not as hot.

Product Review: Walmart beauty Box

 

The Walmart Beauty box is a subscription box that comes out 4 times a year. You sign up for it and it comes automatically every 3 months. They did increase the price of the box a little bit. So instead of $5 it's just a couple of dollars more. These boxes are free and you just pay for tax for shipping, mine came to $7.48.

What was in the box?

No7 Face Serum

Vitamasques Cherry Lip Mask

Scunci Hairbands

Salon Perfect Mani To Go press on nails

I liked all of the items except for the lip mask. I don't think these kinds of cloth masks do much of anything and they are always soaked with liquid which just drips everywhere. They're messy, awkward and uncomfortable to wear.  Everything else I will use though. For the price, it's not a bad deal.

Did you get this months box?

Book Review: Wingman by Cara Bristol

 

Book Description

He has wings, but this alien is no angel…

Traumatized by the death of his family and the destruction of his planet, Wingman lands on Earth in search of a haven and the solitude to nurse his emotional wounds. When a chance decision foils a kidnapping, he’s drawn into the life of a young widow and her daughter. He’s shocked to discover the human woman is his genmate, the one he’s genetically bonded to.

To escape a stalker, Delia and her imaginative, impressionable daughter flee to a small town where nobody can find them. She’s concerned, but not overly so, when her daughter says she invited an angel to her birthday party.

Until the winged alien actually shows up and all heck breaks loose. After a rocky start, Delia begins to see Wingman for who he really is—a wounded hero, one of the most protective, sexiest men she’s ever met. As passion deepens their bond, past dangers resurface to threaten Delia and her child. Will Wingman be able to confront his demons to make the sacrifice necessary to protect them?

Wingman is the suspenseful, emotional second book of the Alien Castaways alien romance series.

My Review

Delia and her daughter flee to a small town to get away from a stalker but they aren't as safe as she thinks she might be. When Wingman stops a guy from taking Delia's daughter, the little girl invites him to her birthday party. She thinks he must be an angel since he has wings but he's not an angel, just an alien. So when he actually shows up at the little girls party, Delia is scared and surprised to find a strange man talking to her daughter and she asks him to leave. But when she finds out that Wingman stopped her daughter from probably being taken, she apologizes and realizes he might not be a bad guy. 

Once they start hanging out and getting to know one another better, Wingman tells her who and what he really is. He shows her his wings and even fly's her around when needed. Wingman is surprised to find out that Delia is his genmate and will do anything to keep her safe when danger starts stalking her again. 

Oh, this was a good one. I adored Wingman and Delia was exactly what he needed to start to heal from the tragedy that happened on his planet. I really liked the back story and their romance. I will definitely be reading more of this series. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Amazon

Happy Raturday!

 

"We're treating these bananas like jungle gyms." 

*All pictures this week courtesy of www.martymousehouse.com*

Apartment Life #272

 

This is a weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 25 years that we've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 25 years here in a weekly blog post. 

This week the police did show up once for a fight across the street. At least it wasn't for my complex this time. I think it was the same people that I saw fighting a few weeks ago but I'm not sure. 

So here's a bit of a weird mystery. I was walking the dog and spotted this rolled carpet in the middle of the street by this van. It looked brand new and there was quite a bit of it. I figured that maybe the guys in this van were installing carpet but the carpet stayed in the street for a while and the van left and it was still there. Later on the carpet was gone so someone got it.

---

I haven't been seeing as many of the drug addicts around here since drug dealer left. I actually think he took some of them with him to his new neighborhood. There are still a few around here though but I hardly see them.

---

Things were quiet this past week with drug dealer evicted but now we're seeing more gang activity. One night my daughter saw some guys tagging the alley wall and the next morning I saw 4 guys tagging the alley wall. Metro patrols around here a lot but sh*t still happens. All the tagging sure keeps the maintenance guys around here busy painting over it though.

The high this week was 96F/35C

The low this week was 66F/18C

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

Favorite Song of the Week

 

Sevendust - Everything

I've been listening to this band for years. They have some really good songs. I hope you enjoy.

Freebie Friday!

 

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

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

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

This week I received: 

I cashed out my points on e-Rewards for a $25 Macy's gift card. 

I received a box of Indian Food pouches from SheSpeaks. 

I always like being able to cashout from the survey places for a giftcard.

In the Tasty Bite box from SheSpeaks there was a pouch of Basmati rice, a pouch of Chickpea Tikki Masala, and a pouch of Madras Lentils. 

I liked the lentils and rice but the chickpea tikki masala had a spice to it that didn't smell or taste good. I mixed it with the rice and it was better than eating it alone. My grandson liked it but my daughter did not. 

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Book Review: He's My Cowboy by Diana Palmer, Rebecca Zanetti and Delores Fossen

 

Book Description

Three celebrated New York Times bestselling authors combine their talents to celebrate Americana, the appeal of the iconic cowboy hero tinged with a hint of danger and romantic suspense. Filled with sizzling tension and well-drawn characters, this anthology is sure to resonate with readers looking to saddle up and find love!

Strong and steady, tough and tender—no wonder cowboys are so irresistible, especially in this trio of novellas from three bestselling authors . . .

THE HAWK’S SHADOW * Diana Palmer

Gil needs to prove himself in his new role as sheriff’s investigator. That means working alongside a hotshot expert from the state crime lab who’s come to Colorado to help untangle a long-ago mystery.  But if they stop butting heads, they might discover a surprising connection . . .

RESCUE: RANCHER STYLE * Rebecca Zanetti

Leaving the Marines and returning to Redemption as heir to the family ranch—and guardian to three wayward teenagers—Greg is in way over his head. But he’s learned some deadly lessons since leaving his first love behind. And when she’s in danger, nothing will stop him from saving her.

A COWBOY KIND OF ROMANCE * Delores Fossen

After eight years in the Air Force, Brenna’s hanging up her uniform and returning home to Loveland, Texas. News of her parents’ separation has shaken her faith in love, even if the whole town is eager to matchmake between Brenna and her high-school flame. But never underestimate a cowboy’s powers of persuasion . . .

My Review

Hawk's Shadow by Diana Palmer

Gil has a new job and is trying to prove he can do the job but when they find a buried body, they have to call in an expert to help them solve the mystery. The problem is Gil and Nemara don't get along right from the start. The problem is they both have some baggage that kept them from being as friendly as they should have been in the beginning. But as the mystery unfolds as to whom the body belongs to, they find they have things in common and are a lot more likable than the other one thought they were. Of course there has to be a small misunderstanding what causes some drama between then before they finally talk and clear things up. It was a fun story. 

RESCUE: RANCHER STYLE by Rebecca Zanetti

Greg now has custody of his three nephews and niece after a bit of a custody battle. But the judge only granted him custody after he heard that Greg was getting married to Tara, his first love. If they don't get married and fake their way through for a few months, Greg will lose custody of the kids and part of his ranch and Tara can't let that happen so she agrees to this fake marriage, for now. I love a second chance romance and that's what we get here. These two care about each other even though they don't think they other still has feelings. But sometimes faking your way in a relationship and being in close proximity to each other can rekindle the feelings. Dealing with three teenagers is another thing all together and he really needed Tara's help in that department. 

A COWBOY KIND OF ROMANCE by Delores Fossen

Brenna and Theo broke up a long time ago but those feelings never really went away. So when Brenna comes home to a whole lot of new news including the fact that her parents are getting divorced, Theo isn't the first person she's wanting to be seeing but Her mom and his mom seem to want to throw them together every chance they get. Not to mention that Brenna's sister keeps throwing them together for one reason or another. There's so much match making going on from both sides of the family. But it was obvious that they still had feelings for each other even if it took them a little while to admit it to themselves and start to let those feelings show once again. This was such a sweet second chance romance. 

I really liked these novellas but Hawk's Shadow wasn't as good as they other two for me and I read this because I love Diana Palmer most of the time. It was still good but it was slow to start. 

I give this collection 4 out of 5 stars.

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

Amazon

Book Review: Ancient Guardian by Katie Reus

 

Book Description

He lost everyone he ever loved before…

Alpha dragon shifter Orion woke from his millennia-long hibernation into a different world—and found a band of humans struggling to survive. He’s been living among them, secretly keeping the predators away, but he’s hidden his true identity from everyone. Until an enemy threatens everything he’s come to love, including the human female he’s obsessed with. The female he can never have but will sacrifice everything for.

Now he has to step up and be the Alpha they all need…

Violet fell hard and fast for the stranger who joined their small farming community after The Fall. He lives with them, works alongside them, but there’s something different about him that she can’t quite put her finger on. When a group of visiting supernaturals upends everything in her community, she discovers he’s been hiding a huge secret. But that’s the least of their issues. If they don’t claim their territory and eliminate the growing threat outside their borders, there won’t be anything left to fight for.

Author note: Each book in the series can be read as a stand-alone, complete with HEA and no cliffhanger.

My Review

After The Fall when supernaturals pretty much went crazy and destroyed almost everything, humans, shifters and some vampires are now trying to live together in peace and rebuild what was lost. But each city is now run by an alpha who is in charge of the people and supernaturals in their city, keeping everyone in line. 

In the small farming community Violet and Orion have been living among the others who live there but they don't have a lot of communication with other communities. Orion has been keeping a secret from the others in his community, he's a dragon shifter and he's been scared to tell anyone that because of what the other dragons shifters did during The Fall. But he was hibernating when all of that took place so he had nothing to do with it. 

Orion has been keeping another secret as well, he's been secretly getting rid of any vampires that have come looking to cause havoc in the community he now lives in. He feels something for Violet but doesn't think he can ever be with her because of who and what he is but she's not letting him get away that easily. 

So when some supernaturals from a neighboring city come to ask for them to join them and pick an alpha for their own community so they stay safe from another supernatural trying to take over, Violet and Orion have to work together for the sake of their community and figure out if they should join forces with this new group. And all through that they are fighting their attraction for each other until they can't any longer. Their romance was so much fun to watch unfold.

I've been reading this series since the beginning and have loved all the books so far and this was another great addition. I liked that there are so many new characters to get to know and hopefully get their own books now. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

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

Amazon

Book Review: Anax by Kate Stevens

 

Book Description

Torn between an alien prince and his brother? That sounds just like Lexi’s luck.

Lexi Seymour thinks she’s seen it all when she finds herself in an arranged marriage. And she hasn’t even met the groom yet...

When she first sets eyes on him at the engagement ball, only one thought pops into her mind: Is it even legal to marry a teenage alien?

And then, another one: Why does his brother seem like a way better option?

Sure, she wants to help Earth keep the peace, but what about her peace of mind?

That arrogant, blue-scaled alien prince and his wicked grin sure are messing with it…

Crown Prince Anax Yio'hyra has his choice of women. His brother’s fiancée is not one of them.

Too bad his attraction to Lexi is too strong to resist.

He has no clue how this happened, but convincing her that she's his fated mate seems harder and more urgent than ending an impending intergalactic war.

How could he surrender without a fight?

Anax is the first book in the Bride to an Alien Prince series. This full-length story has on-the-page heat, a guaranteed happily-ever-after, and no cheating. While each book has a standalone romance, the series includes an overarching action plot and should be read in order for maximum enjoyment.

My Review

Lexi is to be married off to an alien prince in order to form an alliance with an alien race, and she's ready to do so until she finds out her betrothed is a teenager and she won't be marrying him until he's older. Until then she'll learn their customs and be treated like the alien princess she will be. But her betrothed brother, Anax makes her feel alive and she's more than a little attracted to him. Anax flirts with her and she likes it but his step mother warns her that he's a womanizer and will leave her after he gets what he wants. So now Lexi is torn, should she have a little fun with Anax and risk angering the King and Queen or ignore Anax and marry the other prince when it's time. 

But it turns out that the King has big plans and when Lexi gets in the way of those plans, she is kidnapped and held on another planet until she can be "taught" to do what she's told and do what the King wants. But when Anax finds out what's going on, he'll stop at nothing to make sure the woman he loves is safe and his once and for all. 

I had such a good time with this book. Not only did it have the romance and hunky aliens but it also had action, intrigue and danger. What more could you want? 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Amazon

Happy Raturday!

 

"I tell all my secrets to teddy."

"I'm not sure which of us is cuter."

"It's ok to smile while looking at me, I know I'm adorable."

*All pictures today are courtesy of www.martymousehouse.com*

Apartment Life #371

 

This is a weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 25 years that we've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 25 years here in a weekly blog post. 

Unbelievably it's been all quiet this week. Nothing to report. 

The high this week was 101F/38C

The low this week was 73F/22C

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

Favorite Song of the Week

 

Sleep Token - Alkaline

I first heard this band on Tiktok this week and really like his voice. So I looked into some of his other songs and found this one which has a creepy video to it but the song is really good. I hope you enjoy.

Freebie Friday!

 

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

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

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

This week I received: 

Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer. 

Studio Fix Foundation Samples. 

I like both of these samples although the foundation sample was tiny and only one of them was my color. It's a nice foundation though. 

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Low Carb Recipe: Steak, Shrimp and Roasted Mushrooms with a Cilantro Lime Sauce

 

This recipe makes enough for two people. 

You will need: 

2 Steaks of your choice

24 Peeled and Deveined Shrimp

24 White Mushrooms

1 Bunch of cilantro

1 Bunch of Parsley- put aside a little parsley for garnish.

1 Clove of garlic

Juice from 2 limes

2 Green Onions

Salt and Pepper

1/2 Cup Olive Oil + 3 TBSP

3 TBSP Butter

Juice from 1 Lemon

1/2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning

1/2 tsp. McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning

What to do: 

Preheat oven to 450 F

Season mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste and 2 TBSP olive oil. Mix well, add to roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes, turning once so they don't burn on one side.

In a large frying pan, heat 1 TBSP oil and 1 TBSP butter. When pan is hot, add steaks. Season each side of steaks with salt, pepper, Montreal Steak Seasoning or whatever seasonings you like. Fry the steaks to the cooked level that you like. 

In a sauté large pan, add 2 TBSP butter, salt and pepper and heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Add shrimp and Old Bay Seasoning to them and cook on each side until pink. Add lemon juice to shrimp and cook for 1 minute more. 

For the Cilantro Lime Sauce: 

Make the cilantro lime sauce: Add the cilantro, parsley, green onions, and garlic to a blender and pulse until the herbs are coarsely chopped. Add ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, olive oil, and lime juice and puree on high speed for 20–30 seconds, until the herbs are evenly chopped. Transfer the sauce to bowl. Season with more salt to taste if needed.

This will be thick. You can add more olive oil if you want it thinner and you can add some red wine vinegar as well, I just don't like that.

Put everything on your plate, add a little Cilantro Lime Sauce to your steaks, garnish with a little parsley. 

Would you eat this?

*Thank you to my daughter who look the picture.

Favorite Picture of the Week

 

You guys know how much I complain about how my phone takes crappy pictures and I had to start using my tablet to take some. Well, I figured out the problem with my camera. I had to stop using it because my laptop didn't recognize it and I couldn't download the pictures any long. I bought an SD card reader and am now able to use that to plug the SD card into and plug that into my laptop and down pictures from my camera again. So here are the first new pictures I took. Midday with lots of clouds.

Sunset in Las Vegas,

My new SD Card reader.

Book Review: Alien Most Wanted by Honey Phillips

 

Book Description

One minute Amanda is crying over a Hallmark movie and binging chocolate. The next she is being offered as a prize to the winner of a brutal contest in an alien prison. And the biggest, scariest alien of them all just won her…

A cheating boyfriend is the least of Amanda's worries when an alien appears in her living room. Discovering she has been sold to an alien prison is terrifying. Seeing two males fight to the death for her is horrifying.

But the massive red male who looks at her with such hunger? He could destroy her.

Left to rot with the other Undesirables, Riker’s only focus is on escape. He has no intention of fighting for anyone’s entertainment. Until he sees the soft, beautiful female being offered to the victor.

A female is the last thing he needs, especially one who arouses his mating instincts, but neither can he resist her. Can he protect her from the vicious guards, the evil warden - and from himself?

Please note that Alien Most Wanted: Caged Beast is the extended version of the short story originally published as part of the Alien Embrace anthology. Intended for mature audiences!

My Review

Amanda was minding her own business in her living room when an alien shows up out of nowhere and abducts her. Next thing she knows, she's in an alien prison on an alien world and two immense aliens are fighting to win her as the prize. She fears what either of them will do to her once they win her but she doesn't have a choice in the matter, there's no escape. 

Riker has been in the prison for a while but doesn't take part in the fights that only serve to entertain the guards. But once when he spots Amanda, he knows what will happen to her if some of the other inmates get to her so he decides to fight to win her and he does win. 

Once they are alone he has to make it seem like he's brutal to her and she goes along with the ruse but he really just wants to keep her safe. The worst possible thing that could happen is that Riker would feel protective of her and have his mating instincts kick in which is exactly what happens. But Riker is set to escape this prison and now he can't leave Amanda behind because he knows she's his mate. Once out and on the run, they hide and find shelter but an alien animal happens upon Amanda and she tries to communicate with it. The animal seems intelligent and when Riker comes back from hunting for food, the animal is protective of Amanda. They make friends and this new alien even helps them. 

I really liked this story. It was sweet, scary, action packed and I loved the description of the aliens. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Amazon

Happy Raturday!

 

"Hi, from me and teddy."

"Just hanging out wiff dad."

"Teddy is guarding the entrance from Monday."

*All pictures today are courtesy of www.martymousehouse.com*

Apartment Life #370

 

This is a weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 25 years that we've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 25 years here in a weekly blog post. 

Drug dealer and his wife moved out for good about 2 weeks ago but they kept coming back and dealing in the apartment. They left the apartment to the druggies to keep dealing and drugging and it was business as usual for most of the month even though they had moved all their stuff out. Several residents complained to management but were told they couldn't do anything until the end of the month when the 30 eviction would be at the end. But the police showed up on the 3rd which was a Saturday because there was a bunch of people in the apartment and they were making a bunch of noise. There were more drug addicts there than I have seen in months, it was a free for all in there. I'm pretty sure it was my elderly neighbor that called the police because there were guys that she said looked like gang members going to and from the apartment and she didn't feel safe. The police kicked everyone out but an hour later Teresa (drug Dealers wife) showed up with a car full of crackheads and she let them all back into the apartment with her key.

The constable came 2 days later on Monday morning and officially evicted everyone from drug dealers apartment. Drug dealer moved out 2 weeks ago but left it open to all the druggies around here. They all got kicked out that morning though, 2 people went out the bedroom window. Lol They changed the locks, and boarded up the door and windows. They are officially gone! Maintenance has been around almost everyday making sure no one is going back inside the apartment even though the board over the door has been removed a couple of times overnight by the druggies. But I haven't seen hardly any of the druggies around here for the last couple of days. I am really hoping they have moved on somewhere else. 

On Thursday there was a big fight between two guys across the street. I saw one hit the other before they took it back inside and a few minutes later I saw the ambulance showed up. They were inside the apartment for over 30 minutes before they brought a guy out on the stretcher and took him to the ER. The police never showed up though which I was really surprised about. 

The high this week was 97F/36C

The low this week was 69F/20C

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

Favorite Song of the Week

 

Dead by April — Dreamlike

I had liked some of their other songs so I gave a new one a listen and really liked this one too so I'm sharing it this week. I hope you enjoy. 

Product Review: Daily Goodie Box

 

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

What was in the box?

Clif Bar- Crunchy Peanut Butter- This energy bar wasn't bad but I love peanut butter and it really tasted like crunchy peanut butter. So if you like peanut butter you'll probably like this. It did give me some energy to help me in the middle of the day when I needed it as well. 

Black Forest Fruit Strips- I really liked this, it tasted like fruit. I received grape flavor and I thought it was good. 

Whisps- Cheddar Crisps- I've received these before and it's just not something that I care for. My daughter thought they were good though. They are very crunchy and they taste like cheddar. 

Michel et Augustin Hazelnut Shortbread cookies- Oh my goodness, these were good. I have to say though that the little square sample that I received was not enough to satisfy my chocolate craving. lol They are really good. 

Larabar Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough bar- This flavor was really good. I've tried other flavors and didn't care for it but the chocolate chip cookie dough flavor is really good. 

Larry and Lenny breakfast bar- I received the banana chocolate chip flavored breakfast bar and it was so good. The texture is a little gummy but the flavor was so good that it more than made up for the texture thing. 

Popcorners Spicy Queso chips- I really don't care for spicy chips but these had such a good flavor that I could over look the spiciness of these. I really like the crunch factor as well. 

Harvest Snaps Green Pea- I've tried the red lentil chips from this brand and really liked them. So I figured I would like these as well and I was right. It's a fun way to eat your vegetables and they are so good. I love how crunchy they are. 

Annies Peel Aparts fruit snacks- This is the first Annies product that I've actually liked. How crazy is that? Maybe I should try some of their other fruit type snacks because these were so good and my grandson loved it too. 

All they ask you to do is try the products and leave reviews for the products you got in order to be eligible for more Free Goodie Boxes. Daily Goodie Box will send you a box of free samples and full size products and all you do is let them know what you think. Shipping is Free. No credit card required EVER! As you guys already know, I'm a fan of all these types of boxes. I love all the different subscription boxes and it's really nice to be able to try new to me products for free. This is a great box to try for.

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

Daily Goodie Box. It's more than just Free Samples!

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

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

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

Low Carb Recipe: Mediterranean Style Salmon

 

What you will need: 

2 Salmon Fillets

1 bunch of Cilantro- diced small

1 Lemon

Small Jar of Green Olives- cut in half

1/2 Cup of Cacique Queso Fresco cheese- crumbled

15 Cherry Tomatoes- halved

1 Cucumber- Diced

2 Garlic Cloves- diced very small

2 TBSP Butter

1 tsp. Fish Seasoning

1 tsp. Paprika 

Salt and Pepper to taste

What To Do:

Season your salmon with lemon juice, paprika, salt, pepper and fish seasoning. Add diced garlic, half of the diced cilantro and butter to top of salmon and add to a 350 F preheated oven uncovered. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until done all the way through. 

To Make The Salad Topping: 

Mix together diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, green olives and half of the cilantro and cheese to a large bowl and toss together. Let sit in the refrigerator while the salmon cooks. 

You can use feta cheese instead of the queso fresco if you like feta but I don't so I used a different crumbly cheese. 

Remove salmon from oven and let sit for 5 minutes to cool down slightly and finish cooking. Top with the salad mixture and a squeeze of lemon and enjoy. 

This made 2 servings. My daughter and I enjoyed this a lot. We served this on top of a couple of lettuce leaves but you can omit that if you like. 

Would you eat this?

Everyone Has A Story, Here's One Of Mine

 

I've been thinking of writing an autobiography or memoir but it just never comes together for me but I figured if I write one story at a time and post it on my blog maybe once a month, I can do that. Maybe one day I'll pull all the stories together and put them in a book but for now I'll just share some stories with you about my childhood. Some of the stories will be happy, some sad and some horrific because that was my childhood. But they will all be real, things that actually happened. If it seems like something that people enjoy reading maybe I'll keep it going. These stories will not be in any kind of order, I'll just write them as they come to me.

Trigger Warning: The following story contains a true story of gun violence and suicide. If this is something that will bother you, please do not read this. 

Larry's Suicide and How I Thought He was Going To Kill Me

If you didn't read last month's story you should go back and read that so you get a picture of Larry's personality and how we didn't get a long because he hit my mom and disliked me. 

After moving back in with my grandpa from the ending of the last story, things were going alright for a while. Larry didn't like me but he seemed to love my little brother so I just ignored him as much as possible which was hard when he hit my mom. Even my grandpa said something to Larry about him hitting my mom but it never stopped and he didn't care who he did it in front of. My grandpa couldn't do anything because he wasn't a big man and he was older and had slowed down quite a bit. We would find out months later that he actually had lung cancer that he spread everywhere and that's why he was slowing down so much. 

One day at the end of August after everyone was leaving my grandpa's welding shop, I got into a heated argument with Larry about him hitting my mom. He, my mom and brother got in my mom's van and left. I went home with my grandpa in his work truck. My mom and Larry got home before we did and when I got out of my grandpa's truck, I got the door keys from him and ran upstairs. He followed behind me because he had a real hard time getting up the stairs at that time. My mom and brother were in the driveway in her van. So I walked past them and went upstairs. 

The first thing I noticed when I opened the door was that the TV and radio were on and turned to their full volume which was weird. Larry was sitting at the kitchen table and he had my mom's gun in his hand. There was a bottle of Peppermint Schnapps on the table in front of him and he was drinking. He pointed the gun at me and I thought he was going to kill me. All he said was, "This is all your fault." He downed the rest of the Schnapps, put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. I was 13 years old. 

There was so much blood, everywhere, coming from every orifice he had in his head. It pooled on the floor under him so fast and all I could do was stand there in shock until my grandpa grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me outside and locked the door. I just stood there for a minute not fully understanding what had just happened. I remember running down the stairs and going to the van in the driveway and telling my mom that Larry had hurt himself. She ran up the stairs and started banging on the door but my grandpa wouldn't open the door. When she started screaming he opened the living room window and yelled at me to get my mom away from the door. I went back upstairs and tried to get my mom to go downstairs but instead she pushed me and I fell halfway down the stairs. She didn't care that I got hurt so I just walked out to the front and stood there. The police got there first and forced my mom to come downstairs. She and my brother held each other but my mom pushed me away when I went to her. She wanted nothing to do with me. So I stood by the fence and just watched things happen. 

My grandma and aunt Cecilia pulled up and my grandma went over to my grandpa and they talked for a moment and then they took me to the side of the house and told me I shouldn't tell anyone what I saw. That if anyone asks I should say I didn't see anything and that my grandpa went in first and never let me go inside the house. They never asked me what I saw, if Larry said anything to me or how I was. And they never talked about it with me again. I know my grandpa heard the shot because he was on the stairs when it happened and the door was open. So when the police took my grandpa, mom, me and my brother down to the police station to fingerprint my mom and question all of us, I just said I didn't see anything and my grandpa went in and I never did. The police officer asked me if I was cold because I couldn't stop shaking and I just said yes. I think I was actually in shock. I kept it all to myself and didn't tell anyone for the next 4 years when I told my psychiatrist. My mom was absolutely shocked to find out what really happened. I was diagnosed with PTSD and a personality disorder called Schizotypal Personality Disorder when I was 17. The PTSD was a direct result of what happened but my psychiatrist wasn't sure if the personality disorder was or not. I could have already had it when that happened. I found out years later that Larry had lost his wallet with around $2000 dollars and that's the real reason he was upset. It had nothing to do with me.

I hope that if anyone has gone through something similar that this will help them. You are not alone. Feel free to email me if you need someone to talk to. I know how hard going through something like this is. miztik_rose@yahoo.com

Links to past stories. 

January 2023

February 2023

March 2023

April 2023

May 2023