Favorite Song of the Week

 

Celine Dion ft. Will I Am

I'm a big fan of Celine Dion and thought I had heard most of her songs but I came across this one recently that she did with Will I Am of the Black Eyed Peas. I love this song. Her voice is just so pretty. Like I've said before, I like all kinds of music. There's no music video to go with this version but that's ok. 

I hope you enjoy it. 

Product Review: Clinique moisture surge 100H Auto replenishing hydrator

 

Product Description

 Clinique Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator, a soothing, oil-free gel-cream that's loaded with a complex of aloe bioferment and hyaluronic acid to provide deep, long-lasting hydration.

My Review

I bought this with a few of the products from Macy's as a bundle of Clinique items but this moisture surge auto replenishing hydrator is by far the best thing that I got. As you might be able to see I've used almost the entire tube of this stuff because it was just that good a moisturizer. Because I have diabetes my skin gets really dry especially in the winter time and when I use this on my face, my face was so moisturized there wasn't a dry patch in sight. So I used it on my arms and this stuff lasted for at least 12 hours with just one application. Even if I washed my hands, my hands still felt moisturized without being oily. My skin was incredibly soft, wasn't dry and itchy at all but this never felt oily. It didn't dry my skin out, didn't irritate my skin. It was just an all-around really good moisturizer. 

It says on the bottle that you can use this under or over makeup or as a 5-minute mask, so you leave it on for 5 minutes and then wash it off. And I can see why because like I said even when I washed my hands after using this on my hands, my hands still felt incredibly soft and not dry at all. I've used this under my makeup and my makeup goes on just fine stays on fine all day and I'm less oily I don't have to put on powder as much especially in the summertime when my face starts to get a little oily. This will definitely be one of the products that I buy and use in my daily life.

I received no compensation for this review nor did I receive a free sample. I bought this myself. When I find great products, I like to share them with others so they know about them too. 

Price By itself is $15.00

It's cheaper to buy this as part of a bundle of items though because you get other products along with this.

Have you ever used this product?

Book Review: Moon Kissed by Donna Grant

 

Book Description

BROUGHT TOGETHER BY CHANCE

For years, Addison Moore worked herself ragged to achieve her goals. Close to earning her degree, the contents of a shocking letter rip her world to shreds. In an attempt to forget, she wanders into a bar, unknowingly changing her life forever. Suddenly she’s surrounded by the supernatural she thought only myth and stalked by an evil priestess intent on her death. Her only chance is with an enigmatic man who makes her want to forget everything just to be in his arms.

BOUND TOGETHER BY CIRCUMSTANCE

Myles LaRue was content owning a bar and hunting evil in the French Quarter. He wasn’t looking for love, especially after the tragedy his family already experienced. But when the exquisite Addison Moore walks into his life, he can’t help but be charmed. Despite the dangers surrounding them, Myles comes to one conclusion - against the odds they found each other, and now that they have, he will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

My Review

Because Myles family has been cursed by a voodoo priestess, he has no plans on finding a wife or bringing anyone into his life. But in walks Addison after having a bad day, she gets a job in a bar that she happened to walk into for lunch. They are attracted to one another but Myles is trying to keep her at arms length to keep her safe. 

When the voodoo priestess gets wind that Addison is there, that puts her in danger and Myles has to ask for help from people he's not sure he can trust. 

I loved the world that Donna Grant created and I will probably read more of this series and the previous series because of this book. I've read Donna Grant before and I love her books. I thought that Myles and Addison were so sweet together once they decided to give into their feelings. This was a short novella but it just wet my appetite for these characters. There were werewolves, witches and other paranormals in this book which I really liked. 

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. 

Amazon

Recipe: Air Fried Panco Crusted Eggplant

 

I've been trying out different foods in the air fryer and finally found something that came out good enough to share. lol

What you'll need:

1 Eggplant

1 Egg- beaten

1/2 Cup Panco bread crumbs

Salt and pepper

Whatever seasonings you like...I used Chili powder, chicken seasoning, garlic powder, and Italian  seasoning. 

What To Do: 

Cut 4 eggplant slices about an 1/2 inch thick. 

Salt each piece a little bit and lay on a paper towel to drain off some of the moisture for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, pat dry. You can leave the salt on. 

Add whatever seasonings you like to your bread crumbs. Dip each piece of eggplant in the egg mixture first and then each side into the bread crumbs. Place into the air fryer basket and cook for 18 minutes at 375 degrees. Flip each piece one time about half way through cooking time so each side gets brown and crispy. 

If you like eggplant, you'll probably like this. They came out so good. 

For two pieces it's only 70 calories and 15 carbs, so it's still good for my low carb diet.

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.

My Stepmom

My parents divorced when I was 12 and my dad met my stepmom, Catherine when I was 14 years old. They married when I was 15. Catherine looked down on my mom because at the time my mom was in jail for 6 months for child abuse, child endangerment, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of drugs (PCP and cocaine) We were living in California at the time.

Before my dad married Catherine my brother and I took her aside and told her how my dad used to hit our mom and us. She didn't believe us and even told our dad what we had said to her. He was so mad at us. But hey, we tried to warn her. My half sister, Kathleen even tried telling her that dad hit her mother too but she didn't believe that either. 

After my brother and I got out of foster care we had to go live with my dad and Catherine which she was not happy about because she didn't like us. I didn't know before we moved in with them that Catherine and my dad were doing drugs (speed) at this time. My brother and I slept in the living room on the couches. My brother is 2 1/2 years younger than me. Catherine would stay up all night, come down stairs to the living room and kitchen, turn on the lights, make a bunch of noise and keep us awake all night. So we were always tired during the day at school. 

We weren't allowed to bring anything but 1 bag of clothes and one personal item with us. I brought my grandma's statues. Catherine didn't want our stuff cluttering up her apartment.

While we were living with them my dad hit her a few times so she knew we were telling the truth but she stayed with him. She started doing things to my brother and I though. I had two statues that my grandmother had given me before she got sick. I wanted to keep them in a box so they didn't get broken but Catherine said I should keep them out so they didn't get broken in the box. While I was at school Catherine decided to clean my statues by soaking them in water in the sink and she broke them into several pieces. She said it was an accident but they were broken into several pieces? That was deliberate. 

There was no food in the house except for potatoes and we had no electricity to cook them. So my brother and I would cook a couple of potatoes for ourselves for dinner each night on the apartment complexes propane bbq outside. Any food she did buy she would hide in their room for her and my dad. 

After my mom got out of prison and she moved to West Virginia, we decided to move with her. She was living with my grandma and step grandfather in West Virginia. So we didn't see Catherine or my dad again for a about a year. I wrote to my dad every month though. Catherine would always write something negative about my living situation on the card my dad would send me. 

Catherine never tried to get along with me. But I always tried for my dad. She never liked that I always talked with my dad or called him at work so she couldn't interrupt our phone calls. She would intercept the letters I sent to him and not give them to him at times. 

When I got older she called me crazy, soft, mentally ill, not alright ect. because I had spent time in a mental hospital after I tried to unalive myself. When her mother passed away she inherited some money and my dad won a court case against the place he worked at, they decided to buy a house in Oregon. She told me that when my dad died, I would not be getting the house, that it was hers. I didn't care. Then after me, my brother and our mom moved to Las Vegas, dad and Cathy sold their house and moved here to be closer to us. They bought another place and right away Cathy was saying the house was hers when my dad died. But if she died first my dad said he was leaving the house to me and my brother. She always made a big deal of their house. My brother and I didn't care. As my dad got older, Cathy wanted us around less and less. 

She didn't like that my brother was a CNA , worked in a hospital then a doctor's office and then was a paramedic/firefighter. So he would ask about my dad's doctor visits, health ect. One time she started yelling at my brother when he asked about dad's health too much. She didn't want us around asking questions and she over time drove a wedge between my dad and brother. She made my dad believe that everything my brother did was wrong and no good. 

I saw this happening and knew she was going to do the same thing to me and she did. My dad was 88 years old in 2020 when my late husband, Ken got sick with lung cancer. She chose that time when I was vulnerable, tired and emotionally drained to come at me. She called me one day to ask me about what my brother and I had told her before she married my dad. So I told her the truth that he hit our mom and hit both of us kids. He used to beat us with belts, extension cords, switch from the tree, ect. I missed almost a week of school because I was so bruised one time when I was 9 years old. She thanked me for telling her the truth and then she went and told my dad what I had said. I thought he would call me and tell me he was sorry for what happened when I was a kid, but no he stopped talking to me and I have no idea what Catherine said to him to make him stop talking to me. Then a few days later Catherine called me and told me off, told me I was a liar and that those things never happened that my dad said those things never happened. So she was successful in driving a wedge between me and my dad as well as one between my brother and our dad. So we have stopped talking for a few years. I should have known.

Then in 2023 my brother decided to call my dad and see how he was doing but Catherine had disconnected their phone so we couldn't call him. So my brother called non-emergency and had the police go to their address and do a welfare check on my dad. He was fine and told them to tell my brother he was fine. So my brother wrote a letter to my dad. My dad was happy to get a letter from my brother and Cathy wrote back to my brother. Told him what has been going on, that my dad was in bad health and had some dementia and was nice for the most part and my dad wrote a little something. Everything was fine. 

And then Cathy started writing to my brother without my dad knowing and said a whole bunch of nasty things to him and in each letter she wrote, "And tell your sister to go f*ck herself" 

She wrote to my brother, Billy and said things like, "I don't know why you're writing us now, we don't have any money for you. We can't help you." Just crazy stuff when my brother never asked them for a thing. He just wanted to check on our dad. 

So my brother wrote her and tried to be the little brother defending his big sister. So this was one of the letters she wrote back to my brother last year. 

It says, "Ps, thank you for the Christmas card, it came late but it was special for your dad. PS when did Mary and Ken get married? Bill, your dad and I are very glad you have stopped drinking. I am grateful to Sheila for helping and supporting. But most of all I am proud of you, bill for your own strength to stop. I do believe you. Don't be so quick to say that I was disrespectful to your sister. Your dad and I have always given Mary money. A bicycle for Ken, countless gifts, rides to the courthouse, when she needed new pots and pans for Elizabeth, countless gifts!

I always treated your sister with love, generosity and understanding and sympathy for a difficult childhood. I always tried to make her feel better!!! So clear out of the blue, Kathleen says you and dad hate Ken because he has AIDS...

Well I was shocked and very very angry! I told Kathleen we love Ken very much and would never dislike Ken for having aids. and it doesn't matter when Mary said this to Kathleen."

In the left hand margin she wrote, "You can say to Mary you have a cold heart. Things can come back to you at the worst time. Why did you do this? Was it for your own sick pleasure? PS you can tell Mary I will not put up with her anymore. There are consequences for your actions. Don't play the poor little victim. Sorry Ken died But you caused all of this yourself. Liar."

So let me explain a few things...

My half sister, Kathleen is 10 years older than me and we don't talk much. 23 years ago when my dad and I had a fight and my dad was trying to goad Ken into hitting him so he could call the police on him, I told my half sister Kathleen that I thought my dad didn't like Ken because he was HIV positive. I said it one time 23 years ago after a big fight. So my trouble making sister calls my dad 23 years after I said this to talk to him and tells him that she thought dad didn't like him because he was hiv positive. So Catherine used what I said 23 years ago to widen the wedge between my dad and I. That's why she said she didn't care when I said it, because she knew it was a long time ago. I didn't even know that Kathleen had called and said that until my brother read me this letter. Cathy wrote when did Mary and Ken get married because we weren't legally married and she looked down upon that. But we were together for 30 years so I considered us married and referred to him as my husband and she really hated that.

Also I have no idea what "gifts and money" she's talking about since the only gifts she gave me were for birthdays and Christmas. My dad brought over posts and pans when he found out that my daughter moved into a new apartment. I never asked or said anything about her needing anything. They did that themselves so I don't know why she brought that up.

On the top it says, "PS maybe you don't think what Mary said is a big deal but it is to your dad and me. Mary had no right to say those things."

In the body of the letter she wrote, "The fact remains that Mary lied to Kathleen and made Kathleen think that your dad and me were two ignorant people who hated Ken because of him having aids. Your sister saying these things to Kathleen that are totally untrue, made me furiously angry especially after everything we did for her. Oh what would you do??? That is slander. I told your sister exactly what she deserved!! And I told her what she is. It was June 2, 2020 I exactly word for word said: (Way before Ken died) "You are a two faced liar bitch" And Mary owes your dad and me and huge apology. Don't tell me I was disrespectful to your sister!! She lied, I didn't start any of this!! Your sister committed slander and tried to defame our character. Also the last time I talked to Mary, Ken was sick and at home. And he just wanted to relax. No one told us that Ken died!! We didn't find out for more than 6 months later from Kathleen. You can tell Mary we're sad you lost Ken but that has nothing to do with her lying behind our backs. That was a dirty low down way for her to talk about us. So don't be mad at me, don't try to put a guilt trip on us. "

Let me explain some things

It's not slander if it's true. My dad didn't like Ken 23 years ago and told me I should leave him and me and our daughter could come live with him and Cathy, but Ken couldn't come. This was right after he found out Ken was HIV positive. What else could I believe? Of course I thought it was because of that. 

This page says, "Mary Needs to apologize to her dad. I don't care what she says. PS did you get our Christmas card, we sent you one. So now you know some more details. We (your dad and I) thought Ken was home resting. All of this mess is your sister spreading lies!! So don't blame me, blame your sister! I do not tolerate liars!! Mary deserved every word I said to her! And more! Remember this happened June 2, 2020. Ken was sick but we were always asking him how he felt. We loved Ken very much. But the fact that Ken died has nothing to do with Mary's lying. If your dad and I had known Ken died we would have sent our sympathies for Mary's loss. The last time I spoke to Mary was June 2. 2020. I'm glad Elizabeth is doing so well. Sheila must be a very very good person. You are lucky to have her in your life. Again I admire your strength and resolve to stop drinking. You are intelligent and sensitive. I know you are being a good brother to your sister and that is a good thing. But stop telling me I disrespected Mary! Your dad and I just got over having Covid, we did not have to go to the hospital, it took and month but we got better. Your dad loves you. I also send you and BJ and kids love. Cathy"

*Let me explain* First she nor my dad ever told me what my half sister, Kathleen said to them. I didn't know she brought up something from 23 years ago until I read this letter. Why would I tell them Ken had died when they didn't want to talk to me? I saw no reason to. But it also showed that my sister was keeping in touch with them at this time and letting them know what I was saying about Ken. When I read this letter I confronted Kathleen (My half sister) about what she had said to them and she actually told me she didn't say this. But I know she did and she finally said she had once I told her about the letter. I have since stopped talking to her permanently. There was no reason for her to bring up something from 23 years ago unless she was trying to start drama.

I realize this was a long post but I wanted to share what led up to the letters and what I've had to deal with from Catherine all these years. Now that my dad is elderly and has some dementia she's made it impossible for my brother and I to see him.  

She was an awful person when I met her and 40 years later, she still is. 

My dad and step mother the last time I saw them. 

Links to past stories

2023

January 2023

February 2023

March 2023

April 2023

May 2023

June 2023

July 2023

August 2023

September 2023

October 2023

November 2023

December

2024

January 2024

February 2024

March 2024

April 2024

May 2024

Happy Raturday!

 

"When you've just started your new office job and you're not quite sure what you're meant to be doing."

"You like my shoes?"

"Rat cop will pull you over for not sharing your donuts."

*All pictures this week are courtesy of Anisah Grace Hanna on facebook. 

You can also find her on Instagram at @raztfurever

Apartment Life: #320

 

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 have gone on in and around my apartment complex and in my neighborhood in the past 25 years that I'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. 

On Wednesday I heard what sounded like a fire truck drive past my window, it was but it went by too fast for me to get a picture. Then these two police cars showed up.

A few minutes later an ambulance also showed up and then another ambulance showed up but it went by too fast for me to get a picture. They were all at that corner apartment complex across the street. I found out a couple of days later that it was for a domestic disturbance (a couple fighting) in one of the upstairs apartments. One person was taken away in that ambulance. One guy was arrested. 

----

How did I not know that these 2 inches of horror also known as Palmetto Bugs ...can fly!!! Did you know they can fly? Did you? I found out Wednesday night when one flew and landed on me while I was outside. To say I was not happy is an understatement. The amount of screaming that took place....

---

Monday night my daughter was walking to her job where she works the graveyard shift. She was on a side street and saw a car swerving towards her so she stood behind one of the tall and wide light poles so it would hit the pole instead of her if it happened to. They raced past, turned around and came towards her again, this time they were shooting a gun at her as they drove by. She heard one bullet hit the light pole she was hiding behind and heard another bullet zoom past real close to her head. They were wearing masks and when they left she called me crying hysterically. She stayed on the phone with me on the way to work and she called the police and made a report when she got to work. The police looked around where she said it happened but didn't find anything. They called her back and let her know that. I don't think they looked too hard. She's fine thankfully. 

----

Last night around 8PM I heard squealing tires and then a loud bang. My whole apartment building shook! Looked outside to this car overturned and two men running away from the scene. People started running outside and calling 911 on their phones. No one was hurt. 

People were outside taking pictures of the truck before the police got here. But they showed up within 5 minutes of it happening.

The first police car showed up real fast.

And then several more police cars showed up soon after.  My daughter went out there and heard the police saying it's a stolen license plate so the car might be stolen too. That's probably why I saw two guys running away from the accident. 

Then the tow truck came and took the vehicle away.

The high this week was 104F/40C

The low this week was 71F/21C

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

 

Scott Stapp- Purpose For Pain

If his voice sounds familiar to you and you have listened to Creed, you might recognize him. He used to be the lead singer for Creed. Dude still sounds good. I hope you enjoy. 

19 Years Blogging! Happy Blogoversary To Me!

 

It's my blogoversary!

It's hard to believe that 19 years ago I started this blog. I had no idea what to write about at first, sometimes I still don't. I'm just glad that my readers seem to still enjoy reading my posts. 

A lot of things have changed in the last 19 years. My daughter is all grown up and now I have an 11 year old grandson. I used to have hamsters, rats and gerbils and now have a very energetic Jack Russell Terrier/Chihuahua named Falcor who turned 10 years old this month.

My blog has changed as I've changed over the years. I've met a lot of really wonderful people and made quite a few friends along the way.  I've ranted, reviewed, shared my thoughts and advice. I don't think I ever really thought that I would still be blogging 19 years later or that anyone would read what I had to say, but many of you do and I thank you for sticking with me through so many years.

My husband of 30 years passed away in 2020 and I miss him dearly. I turned 54 years old this year and have seen quite a few gray hairs popping out. lol 

Back when I started my blog, several other friends started blogs too but I'm the only one still blogging. 

So for all of you followers that have been here a long time and for those of you that are fairly new I just want to say thank you for visiting, commenting and enjoying what I've been posting over the years. I hope we'll all be around and blogging for many years to come.

Book Review: Mating of Convenience by Lori Whyte

 

Book Description

TWO DRAGONS, ONE MISCALCULATING MATE

Calla has to protect herself. She doesn't have a choice. And the only way to survive a forced trip into dragon country is to go in with the scents of two powerful dragons on her already.

Her plan? Seduce Xander and Kolz, the hottest dragons she's ever met.

Easy peasy, right? What could possibly go wrong?

Ha!

The answer – EVERYTHING! Starting with the fact that the dragons don't want a woman for just one night… They want to take a mate. And they want that mate to be her.

About the Mannix Dragon Shifters Series

Over two decades ago, humans discovered dragons are real. They can take the shape of a man, but they are still beasts in their hearts. To survive and keep them sane, every dragon pair needs a mate… Two males for every woman. But what woman would willing join with two dragons?

My Review

When Calla thinks she found proof that women are being kidnapped and given to other dragon shifter clans to be mates, she goes to the dragons that she knows to get help. What they find proof of is even worse than she thought though. So the dragon shifters go about investigating things which puts Calla in danger. The council she's on votes for her to travel to another dragon clan where she could be kidnapped and forced to mate dragons if she isn't protected. But the two dragon shifters that she went to for help with the missing women want her for their own mate and aren't going to let her go anywhere near other dragons without their protection. 

As they travel together and spend more time together, she finds herself falling for both Kolz and Xander. There are some mistakes made by all and some miscommunication that leads to some hurt feelings but things are starting to look up for all three of them when tragedy strikes and it might be the end for all of them if Kolz and Xander can't find a way to help Calla. 

I liked Xander and Kolz a lot. They let Calla make up her mind if she wanted to be their mate and they weren't too pushy even though they were feeling things that made them crazy because of the mating bond beginning. This was a fun book. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Amazon

Favorite Picture of the Week

 

The sun behind the clouds on this day made for a nice picture. 

Book Review: Mortal Curse by Tia Didmon

 

Book Description

A shadow. A shifter. A curse.

When a reaper attack thrusts Dannika into the shadow shifter world and her transition results in her imprisonment, she turns to Raine, the sexy shadow who saved her.

As her attraction to Raine mounts, and dissension in the shadow shifter clan increases, she learns that being the only woman to survive the transition isn’t her only secret. Her new abilities come with a price, and if she doesn’t curb her killer instincts, she will end up as loathsome as the creature who attacked her.

My Review

When a reaper attacks Dannika, her whole world is about to change. Raine should have killed her and put her out of her misery because females who are bitten by reapers usually do not make it through the transition. But Raine took a chance and she did make it through the transition and is now a shadow shifter. But Maddock the alpha doesn't want her there, wants her gone and it causes a lot of trouble for everyone. Raine refuses to kill her and instead starts the trials she'll have to complete in order to become one of the shadow shifters. But that causes it's own problems since the other clans now know about her and want her to join them as well. It's been a long time since they've seen a female shadow shifter and all they can think about is how she'll be a good breeder for their kind, which made me sick. 

While Raine is trying to teach her their ways and make her see that she can never go back to her human life, there's a dangerous man trying to get to her and kidnap her which ramps the action and danger up. But this story ends before we really get to know why Killian is after her or why he thinks she is so special. There were a lot of unanswered questions left open at the end of this book. 

The premise was good and the action was great but this book was very wordy without being descriptive enough for me to be able to really imagine what was going on in their world. Plus some parts got very boring and didn't keep me engaged enough to want to keep reading. 

I give this book 2 out of 5 stars. 

Amazon

Happy Raturday!

 

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

Apartment Life: #319

 

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 have gone on in and around my apartment complex and in my neighborhood in the past 25 years that I'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.  

I used my security cameras to get all of the pictures this week. This officer was going to an apartment 3 doors away. The new lady who just moved in has 2 little girls and this officer has come by twice to give the kids a soccer ball, school supplies and other stuff. I have no idea if they're part of an outreach program or are just friends. It's nice seeing police in my neighborhood for something nice for a change. 

The officers police car is towards the left of the picture. She brought the kids and the mother out to her car and gave them boxes of stuff. The kids were so excited. 

--- 

There was a crane in the alley behind the apartment complex across the street this week delivering a new air conditioning unit on the roof of the building.

I've seen that a few times. They have central air and get those monster units on the roof while we have smaller wall air conditioners in our units.  

It was pretty quiet this week.

The high this week was 94F/34C

The low this week was 62F/16C

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

 

Stone Broken- The Devil You Know

I just found this band when I was scrolling Youtube and I really like some of their songs but I've been playing this one the most. 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.

What Did I Receive This Week?

Several perfume samples from Macy's. 

Davines OI All In One Milk- Leave in conditioner. 

I won a phone ring from Hidden Valley Ranch Ranchology. 

And another perfume sample. 

The perfume samples are all so nice. Gucci Flora is really nice. I like flowery type scents. 

The leave in conditioner is nice. The phone ring is in the shape of a ranch bottle which made me laugh but it works great so I'm using it. lol 

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Book Review: The Night They Stole My Baby by Darren O'Sullivan

 

Book Description

My baby is due in two weeks. Hand on my bump, I swear to my little girl, I won’t be anything like my mother.

I’m walking home after the perfect baby shower, enjoying the cool summer evening breeze. I can’t wait to rest my aching feet. 

I’m almost at my door when the world goes black. 

I wake with a blinding pain in my head. Beeping of machines in background. I open my eyes to a white room. 

Panic jolts through me. I reach down to my bump, to where my baby should be. But she’s not there.  

Then my fingers find a rough line of stitches.  

Someone has taken my baby.  

Out of me. 

My Review

Emily has a big secret about her childhood that she's keeping from her friends. She's scared and excited to be about to give birth to her baby daughter even thought the father of the baby and she aren't going to be together, they should be able to raise the child without many problems if they co-parent well. But as Emily is about home from her baby shower someone runs up behind her, injects her with something and she loses consciousness. Waking up in the hospital in pain is bad enough but when she realizes that she's no longer pregnant, she's out of her mind. All of her friends tell her the baby is fine but is she? 

When her baby and the father of the baby go missing, Emily can only wait for the police to do their jobs and find her child. But things don't go as fast as they should and one disaster after another happens. Where is the baby? Who has her and why? Could this kidnapping have something to do with the big secret she's been keeping from everyone?

This story is told in alternate times lines, the present where the search for Emily's baby is ongoing and the story of what happened in her childhood when her sister was murdered. As the story unfolds about her childhood, it was absolutely heartbreaking reading what those kids went though. It was also sad to see Emily blame herself about what happened to her sister. 

I had so many thoughts about who could have taken her baby and why but the truth and the twist was one I didn't see coming. I thought I had this one figured out and I was so wrong. 

Waiting to see if the baby would be found alive or ever found at all had me on the edge of my seat. I think the story stalled a little because nothing was happening with the search, no new clues to keep us engaged enough to keep reading at times. But things do pick up towards the end of the book where we finally get to see what was actually going on and that was a good ending.

I give this book 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. 

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Favorite Picture of the Week

 

Tiny yellow wild flowers. More popped up after maintenance weed whacked them all away.

I spotted a brown pigeon sitting on a dripping faucet getting a drink of water. 

And these pretty purple flowers are from some micro radishes that my daughter has growing in her garden.

Book Review: Heal Me: Club Surrender book 1 by A.C. Nixon

 

Book Description

Ryann All I wanted to do was get out of Chicago and away from my abusive ex, but one Versace clad assassin (and inspiration for my battery powered fantasies) had other ideas. One glance at Dorian Zuba, and I knew he was dangerous in a way that left a trail of mangled hearts and sated women, but it was too late. I was hooked, and there was no turning back. Had I known falling for this man could lead to my kidnapping and my inevitable undoing, I might not’ve let myself get so close to Dorian. But even I knew that was a lie. Dorian My job was simple: Find the person responsible for drugging women at Club Surrender and get rid of them. What I wasn’t counting on was her. Ryann wasn’t just sexy as hell, she challenged me in ways I didn’t believe were still possible. But caring for her meant she was a target. The people I was hunting would do anything to stop me, even if that meant hurting Ryann. How could I put the woman I cared for in danger? But more importantly, how could I let her go?

My Review

Ryann got away from her ex because the man was abusive, she's got a job as a waitress and Dorian comes in each week. Ryann isn't sure if he's coming there for her or because he likes the food but she's pretty sure he can afford better food so she's happy to see him each week even though she's pretty sure he's a mobster. Just got out of an abusive relationship but flirt with a mobster. Sure, why not.

When Dorian gets shot and Ryann saves him, they are now both in danger from whoever is trying to get rid of Dorian and Ryann spends some time with him at his place but it's against her will. He's trying to spend time with her but he's also trying to find out who's killing women from his club.

I didn't like Dorian at all, the way he thinks of her as nothing more than a piece of meat throughout the book was gross. Thinking about all the things he wants to do to her even though they don't know each other very well. He pretty much takes what he wants even though she's into him but it wasn't endearing at all. He's not a nice guy and it shows. After a couple of days she's starting to fall for him (falling for another jerk like her ex) and when he shows her a little more of the real him and tells her that she gets to choose whether or not he does something illegal, but is it really her choice when she decides not to tell him to do the illegal thing and he calls it quits with her because of it? Like I said, he's a jerk. 

She forgives him too easily. She should have taken her things and disappeared because this guy is controlling and bad news. This story was kinda all over the place and it ends with some questions not answered. Like, where is her ex now, what happened to him?

I give this book 1 out of 5 stars.

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