Review: Orblue Bag Heat Sealer

Product Description

Place edge of poly or mylar bag in your sealer and slowly pull the bag through. Magnetic bottom so it easily attaches to refrigerators. 

My Review

If you like chips then you know what a pain it is to roll up the bag and find a clip to seal it. The clips really don't keep air out and they don't stay fresh for long. But with this bag sealer you can squeeze the bag and seal it so that no air gets in. Just hold the bag closed and pull the sealer along the edge of the bag. 

I found it easier to start in the middle and pull it to one side and then back to the other and that seemed to seal it really good. I didn't find that this worked with sandwich bags or the like, it just cut those bags but it works really good on potato chip bags which is why I wanted it in the first place. 

I also really like that it has a magnet on the back so you can keep it right on the refrigerator where you can easily find it. It's nice and small and doesn't take up much room. 

I was able to use this heat sealer right out of the box because it comes with batteries already installed. 

If you'd like to buy one of these heat sealers, you can find it here. 

I tried this heal sealer out of a few different bags of stuff that I already had. This snack pack was a thicker plastic than a sandwich baggie and I had no problem sealing it.

I cut off the end and slid the heat sealer across the opening and it sealed it right up. 

All sealed up. 

I tried it on a bag of Bugles we had. I had to cut the top off because it was so wrinkled that the heat sealer wouldn't slide across real easily but it sealed this too. 

All sealed up. 

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

Freebie Friday!

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

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

  You can find links to samples like these at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.
Did you know you can sign up at Tomoson and get free products too.

This week I received:
Coupon for 2 free Bob's Red Mill product and 2 $1 off coupons.
Coupon for a free Seeds of Change product
Package of Colore Liquid Chalk Markers (not free but deeply discounted from Amazing Deals Group)

I also received a $5 Amazon gift card from Bing just by using their search engine. 

What did you get for free this week?

Our Day In Court

If we're FB friends then you probably already know that Ken and I had to appear as witnesses in court yesterday. We called the police on our neighbors a few weeks ago because the guy was beating on his pregnant girlfriend. We got subpoena's had to go to court and testify as to what we saw. 

So my dad drove us down to the Regional Justice Center and sat in the courtroom as we both testified. We were there for about 3 hours and it was quite the experience since I've never been in a courtroom before. We were a little worried about going because the guy's father came to our apartment last week, we get a knock at the door and there's a guy and a woman standing there asking for Ken by name. The weird thing was the guy was half dressed in a Metro police uniform..just the pants, shoes and belt with his badge, gun and handcuffs and wearing a regular civilian black and orange t shirt.

So Ken lets them in and they they tell us that they are the guys parents and they wanted to get our side of the story before court. So Ken told them what we saw and the dad who we thought was a metro police officer tells us that even though we got a subpoena, we don't have to show up...it's really voluntary and we won't get in any trouble if we don't go. That he is trying to get his son in the military and if he is convicted for battery domestic violence that all that is out the window. But if Ken doesn't show up in court that the case will get thrown out and he can get on with his life.

Essentially the father tried to intimidate us into not testifying...Not gonna happen. 

So yesterday when we went to court and the prosecutor asked us about this incident, they found out that he actually isn't a metro police officer...he's actually just school police. I got a call last night from the city attorneys office and they wanted us to go file a police report on the father for witness intimidation and impersonating a police officer. But we decided to just let this drop as long as he and his son let it drop. We don't want to pursue this any further.  

I took this picture out of the 5th floor lobby that I was waiting in after I testified and Ken was on the stand. That's some of the Las Vegas skyline right there. You can see the Stratosphere off in the distance. 

This is outside the Regional Justice Center where we went to court. I was surprised that when we went inside they made you take your shoes, belts, ect off and put everything in a basket to get scanned just like at the airport. Ken and I had no problems going through the metal detectors but they stopped my 83 year old dad and took a closer took at his cane and even took one of those hand held wands and swiped it over my dad. Obviously because my 83 year old father looks like a criminal. lol 

I'm just glad it's over. 

Review: Blood Moon by Lisa Kessler

Book Description

Nadya Dalca has been handed a death sentence. She's been bitten by the last living genetically enhanced werewolf―part of the Nero Organization's disastrous Moonlight project. With the poisonous blood now coursing through her system and pushing her to the limits, it is only a matter of time before Nadya's fate is sealed...

Gareth Takoda told himself he couldn't get involved. Caught up in a maelstrom of grief and bitterness, he has been isolating himself from his Pack. But when he is charged with watching over Nadya's first transformation―or bear witness should it go horribly wrong―Gareth is torn further by unwanted desire and the need to protect what is his.

One kiss changes everything. One shattering, all-consuming kiss. And with it, Nadya and Gareth face either salvation...or death.

My Review

This is the first book in The Moon Series that I've read and even though it's the 3rd book in the series, I had no problem reading it as a stand alone book.

Nadya is facing what could be a death sentence, but she's always so upbeat and has a hopeful attitude. She was bitten by one of Nero's genetically enhanced soldiers and is now infected with mutant werewolf DNA. She displays psychic abilities and that has something to do with why she has survived the bite. 

After finding more out about Gareth, I felt bad for him. Emotionally, he's broken and can't take another loss in his life right now.  But when you find your mate, you do what you have to in order to make them happy. 

The only story line that I didn't like was them trusting a doctor from Nero to try and find a treatment for Nadya. As much as I wanted it to make sense, it just didn't. Trusting someone from Nero,  knowing what they had done just made Jason look too gullible in my opinion. 

There were a few scenes that had me in tears. I felt bad for Gareth and Nadya several times and it shows how well Lisa Kessler draws the reader into her stories when one is reading and gets so emotionally involved that they actually tear up. 

If you like werewolves, bikers, shifters and a few twists that are sure to keep you guessing, then you'll like this book. 

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

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Disclaimer: I was given this book free of charge by the author after winning it in a contest, all opinions are my own. 

Review: Diatomaceous Earth by Abundant Living

Product Description: 

Tired of pests on your pets, in your bed & home? Natural, organic pest control that really works!

No chemicals to spray around your pets. No worries about kids getting into poison. 100% Nontoxic.

Good health is on its way! DE & CB used for 100+ years. Experience relief! Be parasite free.

Amazing natural remedy with tons of uses. Save money, time & mess! Applicator bottle is prefilled.

Purchase today & Abundant Living guarantees you experience success or they'll give you 100% refund!

My Review: 

I really hate ants and every summer my apartment courtyard gets ants so bad that we can't even stand in one place on the side walks because they will get on you there's so many of them. I've been using DE in my home for years as a preventative measure to keep the stray ants, spiders and beetles away. But this year I decided to get some more DE and sprinkle it outside. So when I saw this I knew this was what I was going to get. They send you a big bottle and it has an added ingredient that I've never used before and wanted to see if that killed the bugs faster. I sprinkled this stuff all over outside where I saw the ants and went back out the next day and there were half as many ants! Another day went by and I checked again and while there are still some stragglers coming from places I didn't put this product down, so many of the ants are now gone. I plan on sprinkling this stuff all over my courtyard, especially in front of my apartment and where I walk the dog.

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

Disclaimer: I was given this at a discount 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*

Could Thyroid Problems Be Caused by Perchlorate in Tap Water?

With Thyroid disease on the rise in the U.S. we have to wonder why so many people are being effected by it and if it's hereditary or caused by toxins in the things we eat and drink. Here in Las Vegas, Nevada, perchlorate is found in our tap water.

What is Perchlorate?
Perchlorate is a salt formed when oxygen molecules are added to chloride. It is sometimes used as an oxidizer in solid fuels and is a byproduct of rocket fuel production. Perchlorate can contaminate ground water and end up in tap water like it did here in Las Vegas when an industrial complex that made rocket fuel let perchlorate get into the ground water and then it traveled through the Las Vegas wash where it ended up in Lake Mead where most of our drinking water comes from.

How Does Perchlorate Effect The Thyroid?
Perchlorate inhibits the Thyroid from absorbing iodine which can cause the thyroid from making enough thyroid hormone. When the thyroid isn't able to make enough thyroid hormone that's when you see Hypothyroidism or under active thyroid. I know this because I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism more than ten years ago and my husband was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism just a couple of years ago. Most times Hypothyroidism runs in families but neither one of us have any family members with this disease so we thought it must be caused by other factors.

According to The Las Vegas Valley Water District, "Lake Mead, which is the source of approximately 90 percent of Southern Nevada's drinking water, contains low concentrations of perchlorate. During 2012, concentrations in the treated water averaged 1.2 parts per billion (ppb). One ppb is roughly equivalent to a half teaspoon of water in an Olympic-size swimming pool."

Even small amounts and low exposure to perchlorate can have harmful effects on the thyroid. According to About.com, "According to the Environmental Working Group, the CDC has found that perchlorate levels in water as low as 3 parts per billion - think of one teaspoon of water in an Olympic-sized swimming pool - can have an effect on women's health."

Symptoms of Hypothyroidism
I've had Hypothyroidism for more than ten years and some of the symptoms I had are, dry skin, memory loss, depression, thinning hair, brittle nails, weight gain, puffy face, muscle weakness, muscle cramps, fatigue and joint pain but there are more symptoms than those I had.

So I have to wonder if the perchlorate in my tap water had anything to do with my husband and I both developing thyroid disease.

Recipe: Home Made Ice Cream

*The homemade coffee ice cream I made*

I don't know if you guys have seen the video that's been going around for the 3 ingredient ice cream or not but I saw it on fb a week ago and decided to try it and it is so good. The video I saw with his directions are below. 

These directions are super easy.
Mix 3 tablespoons of instant coffee with 2 tablespoons of water and stir until mixed,  and add that to 1/2 can of Sweetened Condensed milk and stir again. Then add that mixture to 20 ounces of heavy whipping cream and use hand mixer until the mixture is thick. Pour into a plastic container with a lid and put into freezer for 2-3 hours.

I cannot believe how easy this was or how good it was. I might try making a different flavor next time.

While it was good, it did seem to leave a thick oily film in my mouth. Ken said the same thing. I think I need an ice cream maker instead. lol

Review: Seized & Seduced by Shelley Munro

Book Description

During a routine stop en route to Viros, Jannike Hondros is kidnapped and incarcerated, her destination a planet she’d hoped to never, ever visit again—Manx Two, the planet where she was accused of murder. 

Prince Lynx Leandros of Viros, second-in-line to the House of the Cat, and his bodyguard, Shiloh Tetsu, are caught in the same trap as Jannike. Destined for sale as a breeding pair and a spare, escape seems impossible, and now Jannike informs the feline shifters they’re showing mating signs. Impossible. Neither Lynx nor Shiloh believe her, yet they can’t deny their relationship has turned strangely touchy-feely. 

A lucky break sees them fleeing for their lives, but danger lurks over every sand hill in their race for safety. The two men are becoming even closer. Jealousy and yearning stalk Jannike. She can’t fall for either feline and certainly not for both, then nothing matters when she comes face-to-face with her past and death stalks her with its beady eye. 

Contains two headstrong alpha shifter males and their female match, enough kitty cats to make a leap and some hot lovin’ in the great outdoors, the indoors and places in between. 

My Review

This is the 3rd book in the House of Cat series and Shelley Munro has done it again with this one! I love a love triangle when it's done right and this one sure was. Lynx and Shiloh find themselves on the same ship as Jannike on their way to a planet where they are to be sold as slaves. After they escape and hope that friendlies find them and help them get off the planet, Lynx and Shiloh find that they want to be closer than their friendship has ever taken them. Jannike feels something for the feline shifter pair but keeps her distance as best she can...until she can't. 

I love a good shifter story and for the most part it doesn't matter to me what kind of shifter I'm reading, although I really like big cats. Maybe that's because my mother had an obsession with black panthers when I was growing up. So I love meeting new types of shifters. Kelvin is a Tremin and is a really interesting secondary character. He's also a shifter but he's a tree shifter. He shifted into a tree and gave them shade as well as water after they escaped. He was such an interesting character and not something I'd ever come across before, which makes him unique and I love unique characters like him. His story is a sad one but I hope we haven't seen the last of him. 

There was so much to love in this book, from the mention of the rat-pygmies, the imaginary mouse which was hilarious and the shocking twists that I found both sad and wonderful depending on which characters it was happening to. 

I really liked how Lynx and Shiloh work together to woo and bring around Jannike. They know they have to go slow because of all she's been through and even though it's driving Shiloh nuts because his cat wants more from Jannike than they have gotten, he gives her time to come to them in her own time. 

While you can read this story as a stand alone book, there are characters from the first two books in this story and you would have a better understanding of them and how they relate to the others if you read those books first.

I should point out that there is a rape in this story for those who usually don't read stories that have that in it but it's done in such a way that we know it's about to happen and then we don't come back to it until it's over and she is being rescued. It's not graphic or done in such a way that should offend anyone. What it does show is how strong this character is and how with love, support and maybe even a little revenge you can get through even the darkest of times. 

This story is fast paced and I always felt like something else was going to happen because it did! The author did a great job of keeping this reader completely absorbed in the story.

If you like shifters, alpha men, threesomes, plot twists and paranormal romance then you will like this book. 

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

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge from the author in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Freebie Friday!

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

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

  You can find links to samples like these at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.
Did you know you can sign up at Tomoson and get free products too.

This week I received:
Friskies Cat Food Sample
Dove Shampoo and Conditioner Samples
Coupon for a free Tostitos Dip
Digital Meat/Candy Thermometer
A Book: Mate Bond by Jennifer Ashley (Free using my Amazon no rush shipping credits)

I also won $30 in Amazon gift cards from Crowdtap. 

Did you receive anything free this week?

Recipe: Roasted Asparagus

Believe it or not, I've never made fresh asparagus before. I've always had it out of the can but ever since finding out I have Diabetes I've been experimenting with new recipes, new vegetables and more fresh vegetables. 

I asked Ken to pick up some fresh asparagus because I told him I found a recipe for roasting it and he's been really good about trying all these new recipes that I've been finding and trying out. I made just a few stalks the first night because we weren't sure if we'd like them this way and I wanted to be able to try other ways of cooking them if this wasn't good but it was so we'll be doing this again. 

You will need: 

Fresh asparagus

Virgin olive oil

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste

What to do: 

To ensure that the woody, chewy parts of the stem are discarded just hold the asparagus spear by each end and bend. It will naturally break off the end that should be tossed away before cooking.

After breaking off the ends coat the spears in olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning ingredients. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 12 minutes or until tender. Larger spears might take a minute or two longer. 

These tasted so good, much better than any canned asparagus I've ever had.

Review: Leafholic Silicone Tea Infuser

I've never had a tea infuser before but this little monkey face tea infuser is so cute. I just love how cute it is hanging on the side of my cup. The face of the monkey changes color to let you know when your tea is at the right strength to drink. I think this would make a really cute gift for the tea lover's in your life. I didn't have any loose leaf tea so I cut open a tea bag I had and poured the tea leaves into the bottom container and added the silicone monkey to my cup of hot water. It works just like it says it does and the holes in the infuser are small enough to let water in while not letting the tea leaves out.

When you place the little silicone tea holder into your cup, the face of it is brown. As the tea steeps and gets to the right strength...

the face turns red. And as you can see, it really works and the color of the face really changes color as it sits in the hot water.

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

Alternatives to Animal Testing

*Brodie*

New drugs, products and chemicals are often tested on animals before making their way to the market for human consumption and use. No matter what side of the animal testing controversy you're on, finding a new way of testing that doesn't involve cruelty to a living being is a good thing.

What Products Get Tested On Animals
A lot of the products that we use everyday get tested on animals including medical procedures, medicines, shampoo, perfume, cleaning agents, cosmetics and medical devices. They are tested on animals before they ever make their way to us.

Human Skin Equivalent
Scientists have developed a skin equivalent called SkinEthic and EpiDerm that scientists can use instead of animal skin to measure the corrosiveness and irritation of a product. According to the New England Anti-Vivisection Society, "Some alternatives to the use of animals in testing include: in vitro (test tube) test methods and models based on human cell and tissue cultures, computerized patient-drug databases and virtual drug trials, computer models and simulations, stem cell and genetic testing methods, non-invasive imaging techniques such as MRIs and CT Scans microdosing (in which humans are given very low quantities of a drug to test the effects on the body on the cellular level, without affecting the whole body system)."

Using alternative methods are also more cost effective because there are no animals to house, feed, care for, look after or dispose of after they are tested on and the tests are over. Being cruelty free is something more and more companies are looking to be since more and more people are in the market for cruelty free products. Animal testing is not something that most people want to see still happening when there are alternatives to it. Some companies have gone the way of no longer testing on animals so we know it can be done elsewhere.

What are your thoughts on this?

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*

Happy Birthday Flower and Scribbles! They are Two Years Old!

When I rescued Flower and Scribbles from a lady 18 months ago, she told me they were 6 months old. So while I don't know the exact day they were born, I know the month. I decided to celebrate their birthday's today. Flower was very unsure of the cake and stretched out in order to grab a piece and run over in the corner with it.

She decided to take a little piece of cake over to the back and eat it there. Don't worry they only got a few bites of the cake. lol Flower might be 2 years old but she still has the energy of a baby. She still runs, jumps and plays all over and with us while she's out on the couch with us. When she wants attention she will hang upside down from the top of the cage. She is too funny.

She got a little frosting on her nose and was wiping her nose on the blanket. After a couple of bites, she let me know she was done and ran up on my shoulder wanting to go home. 

Scribbles sniffed the cake a few times before finally taking a little bite.

Then he dug right in. Scribbles is starting to show his age. He's slower, sleeps more and really isn't wanting to be picked up and held much these days. But he doesn't mind if I stick my hand in the cage while he lays there getting petted. When he's had enough, he'll run back inside his cube and push me away if I try to pet him. He's a goofy little rat. 

But he sure enjoyed his birthday cake. 

Happy Birthday Flower and Scribbles!

Recipe: Black Bean Zucchini Bake

You will need:

2 chopped zucchini

1 can of black beans

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

4 chopped green onions

1 chopped tomato

1/2 cup chopped cheddar cheese

1 Tsp. Ground Cumin

1 Tsp. Chili powder

2 Tablespoons Olive oil

What to do: 

Saute chopped zucchini in olive oil until tender. Add in black beans, tomato, cilantro, green onions and spices. Cook until heated through. Place all ingredients into baking pan and stir in cheese. Bake in 350 over for 30 minutes. 

I wasn't sure I was going to like this because I've never put these ingredients together in the same dish before. But it was actually really tasty. Even Ken liked it. Definitely a keeper.

Freebie Friday!

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

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

  You can find links to samples like these at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.
Did you know you can sign up at Tomoson and get free products too.

This week I received:
A Book- Immortality Ever After by Angie Fox (Blog contest)
TeaMong Tea Infuser (No Kidding Coupons)
Portable Cell Phone Charger (Tomoson)
Zep Microwave Miracle Foam Cleaner (Crowdtap)
A Sample of Advil PM

Did you get any freebies or full size products in the mail this week?

Having A Dog Is Good For Me

Having had Falcor now for about 3 months has been good for me. He's always so energetic and wanting to play and who wouldn't get in a good mood when they have a puppy who always wants to play and cuddle with them. 

But he's also been good for me because after we got him house broken and he learned to potty outside, I now step outside with him. For those that don't know, I have Agoraphobia and spent most of the last 4 years inside my apartment without leaving it but 2-3 times. So I bought him one of those retractable leashes that have a long line on them so he can run to all the tree's when I step outside. 

The leash is long enough for him to 'visit' the three tree's in our courtyard and all the bushes by my door. 

He lets us know when he has to go out and I don't have a problem stepping outside with him as long as it's right outside my door. As you can see there are apartments right across from my side and we all face each other so I sometimes get a little uncomfortable if a lot of people are coming and going but it's usually quiet here during the day.

There are the two tree's on the right side of my apartment and one right in front of my apartment plus there are bushes in front of almost everyone's apartment. Ken takes Falcor for the longer walks a couple of times a day. But I am going outside, even if it's just outside my door.

Silly dog.

Of course there are some days I just want to pull my hair out. LOL Little brat that he is, tore up one of the couch pillows.

And he just sat there looking so pleased with himself.

But he's too goofy to stay mad at for long. lol