Happy Raturday!

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

*click pictures to enlarge*

New Dog Bed

This is how Falcor sleeps in his bed now....

But when we first got the bed and put it down for him to sleep on he thought it was a huge stuffed toy to play with. lol 

Please excuse my hubby's language, he's a bit odd at times. 

Falcor stepped on the lock to the doggie door on his way out and that's why it wouldn't open when he tried to get back in.

Hotel in France Lets Guests Live Life as a Hamster

*Bubbles*

For those people who have taken every type of vacation imaginable and want to experience something new, there is a place for you; The Hamster Hotel in Nantes, France.

According to Telegraph.co.uk "For 99 euros (£88) a night, visitors to the hotel in Nantes can feast on hamster grain, get a workout by running in a giant wheel and sleep in hay stacks in the suite called the "Hamster Villa". The price might go up as they plan to add free WiFi and big screen TV to the Hotel.

The architects and Owners of this hotel, Frederic Tabary and Yann Falquerho, designed the hotel, which is inside a building dating back to the 1700's to look like the inside of a giant hamster cage. Complete with wheel, water tube, hay stacks for sleeping and a hamster mask you can wear to really get into your hamster fantasy.

Although when most people hear Hamster Hotel, they might think a Hotel for hamsters. But that is not the situation for this hotel. Hamster lovers as well as people who just want to see what it's like to live life as a hamster for a night come to this Hotel in France.

Visitors to the hotel receive a hamster mask, can take spin in a huge hamster wheel, drink water from a water tube and eat hamster food such as grain and seeds. They can climb a ladder to sleep in hay stacks in the suite called the "Hamster Villa" or decide to skip the hamster bed and get a bed more like what they are used to.

Children who have hamsters as pets, adults who wanted to have or had a hamster as a child and even this writer might be tempted to stay a night in this hotel. So the next time you go to book a hotel after you make plans to visit France on your next vacation think about this hotel. Make your vacation even more adventurous by spending the night as a hamster instead of booking a room at one of those more expensive hotels.

Is it possible to see what it's like to live like your hamster? It is now.

Freebie Friday!

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

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

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

This week I received:

Old Factory Candle Gift Set
Prilosec sample
Systane Lubricating eye drops sample
Drip Drop Hydration Powder- For testing purposes from SheSpeaks
Pumpkin Carving stencils
Cesar Savory Delights dog food

Did you get any freebies this week?

What is Media Mail?

The US Postal Service Offers a wide variety of shipping methods but one you may not be aware of is Media Mail.

What Is Media Mail
Media Mail is only for the use of shipping books, CD's, VHS Tapes, DVD's or printed music. The US Postal Service restricts items that can be sent using Media Mail.

When I've used Media Mail to mail books, I've been told by the people at the post office that if they think there is something other than what is supposed to be in the Media Mail package, they have the right to open it and inspect it and if it is found to have other materials, the recipient can be charged the difference in shipping costs. Media Mail used to be referred to as "Book Rate" according to my mother.

Media Mail Is Very Slow
Media Mail packages can take up to 4 weeks to be delivered to their destination. I've had books shipped to me Media Mail take 4 1/2 weeks to get to me and during the holidays it takes longer because of all the other mail being delivered.

Media Mail is Not For Fragile Items
I was told at the Post Office that anything sent Media Mail is put into bins with much larger boxes and packages and because of this, if its not packaged securely it can get squished, smashed, torn open or broken.

I've had several packages sent to me using Media Mail where the large manila envelopes were torn open and the books inside were torn because the person sending it didn't package it securely. Putting a small book in a large envelope and hoping for the best, is not the best way to use Media Mail.

Using Media Mail for CD's and DVD's and only using a bubble padded envelope could cause the jeweled cases to be broken, shattered or smashed. Using a more secure envelope with some cardboard or some other stiff box-like material is a better way to package something fragile using Media Mail.

Why Media Mail Might Not Be The Best Way To Ship
While shipping a large box of books will be quite a bit cheaper by sending them Media Mail, it will also take twice as long to get to its destination. The box of 50 books I bought using Ebay , was sent to me using Media Mail. It took 4 ½ weeks to get to me and when I received the box it looked as if it had been kicked, rolled in some kind of black dirt and it had a rip in the bottom right hand side of the box.

The box looked like it had survived a car accident before it had been delivered to me. Media Mail is a great service if you are shipping a large box of books and don't want to pay an outrageous price, as long as the person getting it doesn't mind waiting up to 4 weeks to get their box and all the books are properly secured inside the box. But I don't use Media Mail for shipping any longer because I don't like to wait so long for my books and CD's, and I'm sure others don't either.

Smith's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had to share these with you all because if you've never had them and you have a Smith's grocery store near you, you have to get some. They are soooo good. These are my all time favorite cookie and they are fresh baked at Smith's Grocery store.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip deliciousness. 

And look how big these cookies are. They are huge! And they are packed with chocolate chips.

They are thick and are more like cake than a hard cookie. But omg they are probably the best thing you will ever find in a grocery store. If you like pumpkin *and who doesn't?* and you like chocolate chips and cakey cookies, then you need these!

Be jealous..it's okay, I know you are. LOL 

Zep Cleanster Review

Recently I was sent 5 sample bottles of Zep Quick Clean Disinfectant and Zep All Around Oxy Cleaner and Degreaser via Crowdtap to try at home and share sample bottles with friends.

I tried both of the products out before sharing them with anyone because before I recommend something, I like to see how it works. My apartment is set up in such a way that the knick knack shelf is in a whole cut in the wall between the living room and kitchen and with the shelf being so close to the stove it gets greasy from all the cooking I do. 

I need a good degreaser to clean off the shelf because the cooking grease gets on it and makes the shelves greasy. I tried it out and it works great! It took the grease off the shelf really easily and I also used it on my stove and it worked there as well. 

I just got a new puppy who is 5 months old and isn't house broken so the Zep Quick Clean Disinfectant came in really handy when we moved the dog pen into the kitchen and the puppy has an accident on the floor or misses the puppy training pads. 

This dog pen is now on the kitchen floor and I used the disinfectant spray when I cleaned the floor when the puppy had an accident on the floor and I thought it worked great. It not only cleans really well but it left behind a pleasant scent, which is needed with a new puppy. 

I liked both of the products I got from Zep and do recommend them. #‎ZepCleansters‬  ‪#‎Sponsored ‬‪#‎TryZep‬

Disclaimer** I was sent these products for free in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Foxbrim's Untra Lift Treatment (Advanced Anti Aging Treatment)

 Recently I was sent this product for free in exchange for an honest review. 

I do like trying new lotions, serums and treatments that say they will keep my skin looking great as I age. My mom always used to tell me, you have to take care of your skin if you want it to keep looking nice and she was right.

Product Description

Foxbrim's Ultra Lift Treatment Gives Your Skin More. Effectively Address All The Visible Signs of Aging In A Single Step. Transform Your Skin Routine. Don't Settle When You Can Enjoy The Full Benefits Of A Revolutionary Advanced Formula. 

Key Ingredients include:

- CoQ10

- Hyaluronic Acid

- Panthenol (Vitamin B5)

- Retinol (0.5%)

- Peptides

My Review: 

I've tried many lotions, facial masks, cleansers, toners ect..on my face and for the most part they all do what they say they will do. I'm 44 years old so I don't have a lot of wrinkles on my face, yet. I do have combination oily/dry skin in different parts of my face so I like to try different things to see if they will even out my skin tone, make some of the redness go away that I have in small areas and tighten the skin on my face. 

I have to say that after using this product for a week, my face felt smoother and softer and the fine lines I had on my forehead have even smoothed out a little bit. This Ultra Lift Treatment is silky as it goes on, has a very light scent and doesn't leave my skin feeling sticky, tacky or oily. It was very gentle on my skin and didn't make me break out or irritate my skin. I would definitely recommend this product. 

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

Happy Raturday!

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

*click pictures to enlarge*

*This is one of the last pictures I took of Lucky and so I made it into a meme*

RIP Lucky -January 2013- October 2014

Lucky came to us when he was just a tiny baby. He was born with only 3 legs and the pet shop he was in was going to euthanize him because they wouldn't sell a rat that was "defective" so a girl that worked there called my daughter and asked if I would be willing to take him, which I did. 

This is how he celebrated last Christmas with us. He never minded me posing him, taking pictures or even putting a hat on him as long as he had a little treat he would happily sit there and let the crazy human snap pictures. 

He was the happiest rat, most loving rat I've ever had. Every time we went to pet him he would start kissing our hands and he did this all the time. He was always happy to see us.

Lucky even shared a bite of pizza with me one time. I thought this was cute because he looked like he was closing his eyes and giving thanks for the pizza he was about to nom. 

We even had a birthday party to celebrate his first birthday in January of 2014. He would have been 2 years old this coming January. *He only got a couple bites of cake*

Last month I took a few pictures of him for Halloween. He really wanted to destroy that orange spider. 

*The whip cream made him look like he had fangs*

Everything was fine until last week. Lucky had a stroke, lost his vision and partial use of his front paw. At first he was eating and drinking and then he started having seizures and he stopped eating or drinking anything. He was having an even harder time getting around and refused to eat anything. 

We didn't want him to suffer so we made the hard choice and had him euthanized when he showed no progress and kept getting worse. We didn't want him to suffer.

Everything seemed to happen so fast and I am still trying to come to terms with the fact that my beautiful, sweet rat is no longer with us. 

RIP Lucky, you will be missed.

Blog Ahead Challenge

So I'm participating in the Blog Ahead challenge. The goal is to have at least 30 prescheduled posts by the end of the month. 

Right now I have 33 prescheduled posts and I hope to have at least 30 more written up by the end of the month but with a sick rat, a new puppy and Thanksgiving coming up..yeah, good luck with that! lol 

This Blog Ahead Challenge is hosted by Herding Cats & Burning Soup and I will let you all know if I made my goal at the end of the month.

Falcor: Our New Puppy

So a couple of days ago our apartment manager moved out and she couldn't take her puppy with her and since Ken has always wanted a dog since I've known him...we took the little guy and as you can see he is pretty happy....and so is the puppy. lol 

His name is Falcor and he's a Chihuahua/ Jack Russell Terrier mix. He's 5 months old and really friendly. 

And he loves Ken. Anytime Ken is sitting on the couch, Falcor will lay right beside him or have his head on his leg. 

Falcor was looking at one of my rats and the rats all seem to not mind him at all. We had Falcor and Scribbles nose to nose and they sniffed each other and neither of them minded. This is the first time I've had a dog since I was a little kid. 

And yes, he was named after the big white dog in The NeverEnding Story. 

Cover Reveal: Angel Bait by Tricia Skinner

Today is the big day! The prequel installment in Tricia Skinner's ANGEL ASSASSINS series is being re-released into the wild, and will be available on Kindle at the discounted price of $0.99 for a limited time (exclusive to Amazon for 90 days). Please note that if you own the old ebook, you can upgrade for free!

And now, without further ado, feast your eyes on ANGEL BAIT:

Author's Website | Amazon | GoodReads

He's not that kind of angel.

Jarrid is a “Bound One”: half angel, half human, trained from childhood to enforce Heaven’s laws on earth. An assassin with no remorse. And no choice. When he discovers an ancient ritual called Ascension, which might give him a shot at freedom, he can’t resist his lifelong dream. He only needs to find one last Renegade angel and take him down…using a certain woman to flush the angel out of hiding. 

She's not what he's expecting.

News reporter Ionie Gifford has no clue an outlaw angel wants her dead, much less why, but she does know one thing: the enigmatic Jarrid, with his penetrating silver eyes and his worship-worthy body, is her ticket to the city's supernatural underworld, where she might finally be able to locate her mother's killer. For that kind of information, she's willing to risk everything... 

They can't be together -- but can't keep apart...

Blindsided by Ionie's beauty and tenacity, Jarrid finds the millennia-old glacier around his heart melting. But when he's faced with a choice, will he sacrifice Ionie for freedom from his brutal servitude—or agree to be bound for eternity, to protect the life of the woman he's falling in love with? 

From novelist Tricia Skinner comes a story that will have fans of action-packed love stories applauding. Seamlessly combining elements of paranormal romance and gritty urban fantasy, the Angel Assassins series is a heart-pounding spin on angel mythology.

Angel Assassins Series
		Fall 2014

Author Bio I’m Tricia Skinner and I write Romantic Urban Fantasy. I’m a former journalist who discovered my inspiration to write fiction as an escape from “real life.” My reading tastes are all over the place, but I’m mainly drawn to fantasy (and its subgenres), paranormal, sci-fi, and history. When I’m not writing, I’m a newbie “green” practitioner, strength training fan, and a technology geek. I’m a mother and a wife. My family includes two Great Danes. I’m also a gamer. I enjoy interacting with my fellow geeks and helping other writers. I’m represented by Laurie McLean of Fuse Literary. *Photo by Kauwuane Burton. TriciaSkinner.com | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Amazon | Google+ | Pinterest | Blog

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Freebie Friday!

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

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

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

This week I received a box from Influenster. It's the Mary Kay Clear proof Acne System and they sent it to me for testing purposes for free. A review will be coming soon.

I also received a Dot & Dot Travel Organizer Bag for free in exchange for a review.

A sample of Tums Chewables.

And Two Samples of Dove Body Wash.

I also received this party pack for free from Vocal Point RSVP. It contains...

2 Fisher Price Toys, 5 toddler T-shirts, coupons, napkins and bags for goodie bags and a $10 gift card. 

So did you receive any freebies this week?

Review: Old Factory Candle Gift Set

I was recently sent this great Old Factory Candle Set to test at home for free and I have to say that I love it. These candles have such a great scent. I could smell them as soon as I opened the lid on them and as you know if you like scented candles, some don't always put out enough scent after they are lit. There's no worry about that with this set because a little while after lighting one, I could smell the scent of it all the way in the other room. 

I think the hardest part about testing this candle set was choosing one of the sets because there are several to choose from and each set has three different scents in it. I like these so much and since I already burn candles all the time. I decided on the Happy Holidays Scents which include: Candy Cane, Christmas Tree and Ginger Bread. 

I like lighting candles as opposed to incense, sprays, or plug ins because those things really don't last. I used to use incense but the smoke gets to me now and I have a hard time breathing but candles are great because you just light one and let it burn all day, snuff it out at night and light it again the next morning. 

Not all candles are the same or will put out the same amount of scent and I've found that soy candles like this set are cleaner burning, meaning they won't get your walls all blackened where you burn a lot of candles and soy candles seem to distribute the scent a lot better than other types of candles. These candles burn clean for over 20 hours each and they smell so good.

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

Update on Lucky

Lucky has been acting strange, not like himself at all for the past 6 days. The vet thinks Lucky had a stroke and is now completely blind and has lost most of the use of the only front paw he has. He can still use the front leg but he isn't grasping anything with his paw. 

I knew something was wrong but this...I just want to cry. All his 3 legs are working thankfully but he no longer uses his front paw to grasp his food and his head turns just a little to the side when he eats. We're hoping that with some exercise and physical therapy at home that he will be able to use his front paw a little more.

The good news is he's still eating and drinking with some help and his legs are still working. His personality changed because he can't see and is probably scared, confused and he's irritable and doesn't like to be held as much as he used to. But I'm just going to keep giving him loving, keep trying to hold him and get him to eat more on his own. I had been spoon feeding him food a few times a day but things started looking up yesterday when he stuck his head out of his igloo and ate some of the food I left in front of the house on his own. But he doesn't want to come out of his igloo, it's like he's scared to walk around. I take him out hold him and when I put him I back I sit him down outside his igloo and coax him to the opening and let him find his way so he'll get used to sniffing and feeling his way around and memorize his cage.

The prognosis is good but there's really nothing else the vet can do. I'm still frazzled by this news. His personality has changed a bit. He doesn't give kisses like he used to. He used to lick our hands every time he was near enough to do so. He doesn't run to the front of the cage when he sees us and he's bit me twice because he doesn't want to be petted or handled as much anymore but we are still trying because the more we hold him, pet him and get him to walk around the more he will adjust to his new circumstance. 

He's already better than he was the first two days after the stroke but it's going to take time.

What to Expect During a Thyroid Biopsy

I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis as well as Hypothroidism. I also have a very large nodule on the right side of my neck where my thyroid has grown very large. Because of this large nodule, I've undergone 3 thyroid biopsies. Here's what you can expect.

There are two different types of Thyroid biopsies that your doctor may order. The most common is called a Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA), the second is called a Core Needle Biopsy (CNB).

Both are done as an outpatient and only takes a few minutes. Your doctor may order one or the other depending on what they are looking for. Thyroid biopsies are used to determine cancer as well as other problems. If you have any nodules in or around your Thyroid, your doctor may order a biopsy to check for cancer in the nodules.

Before a Thyroid Biopsy your doctor may order an ultrasound of your neck, this will help the radiologist find the nodule or part of the thyroid your doctor wants the biopsy done on. Ultrasounds are painless and are usually completed in just a few minutes.

On the day of your biopsy you will not need to do anything differently than usual. The procedure usually takes less than thirty minutes, but you will need someone to go with you and drive you home. This procedure is usually done at a Radiologists office with a local anesthetic. You will be asked to change into a hospital gown and brought into a room with an ultrasound machine. You be asked to lie on the bed with a small pillow under the back of your neck. You will have to raise your chin so that your neck is more exposed. The Radiologist will have an assistant in the room to help get supplies while doing the biopsy.

You will be given an injection of Lidocaine into the area that's going to be biopsied, which does burn when injected but numbs the area relatively fast. An ultrasound is often used during the biopsy as a guide to help the radiologist find where to insert the needle and take the sample. During a FNA a small needle is inserted into the Thyroid or nodule and a small amount is extracted and put on glass slides so they can be examined. The needle may be inserted several times to get a large enough sample.

During a Core Needle Biopsy (CNB) a small incision about an inch long, will be made and a biopsy needle will be inserted through the incision to get a sample of the thyroid. Several samples in different areas of the thyroid may be taken through the incision. Stitches are not usually needed to close the incision as it is so small.

After the procedure, the radiologists assistant will have you lie there with a small bag of ice on your neck for a few minutes. If you are feeling good after a few minutes, and there is no excess bleeding they will apply a small bandage to the area, give you another bag of ice and you are sent home.

You can expect the area to be sore for a few days, an over the counter pain medicine like Tylenol will help. Your doctor should have the results ready for you in about a week. A small amount of bruising, swelling and tenderness are the most common side effects.