New Laptops and Security Certificate Errors

So my old laptop was freezing, was slow and I was just having problem after problem with it. So I bought a new Acer laptop and I got it yesterday. I was so happy...

Then I hooked it up, turned it on and tried getting on the internet and while I could connect to the internet, all these security certificate error pop up kept popping up at every page and with them I wasn't able to download anything. I tried downloading Google Chrome but the pop ups and certificate error messages kept me from being able to download anything. So I called my ISP- Centurylink.

I was on the phone with a Centurylink tech person for over an hour yesterday and she has me Ping this and NSlookup that and had me into little black boxes that I didn't even knew were on my computer. She told me it was a DNS server issue but after an hour she couldn't figure out what the problem was so she was going to have another tech person called me back in 24 hours.....

So today I Googled Security Certificate Error popups and found one tech guy that said to make sure that the date and time were correct on your new computer. I look down and see the date is set to 2013 and think to myself...it can't possibly be that easy, can it?

I change the date and time and restart the laptop and all the pop ups have disappeared. I was even able to download Google Chrome. Sheesh maybe I should be a tech person because the last few times I've had a computer problem, I figured it out myself by Googling the problem.

Zombie Bee's: The Zombie Apocalypse Has Begun

*Photo credit Sputniktilt via Wikimedia Commons*

A small parasitic fly could be to blame for the decline in honey bee's that we've been hearing so much about for the past few years. It has recently been discovered that a small parasitic fly is using honey bee's in much the same way as the Aliens used humans in the movie, "Alien".

How Are The Parasitic Flies Affecting The Honey Bee?
A small adult female lands on the back of a honeybee and injects eggs into the bee's abdomen. The eggs hatch into maggots and eat the insides of the bee's....killing them.

After consuming their host, the maggots pupate, forming a hard outer shell that looks like a fat, brown grain of rice. Adult flies emerge in three to four weeks. Bee's that have been infected by the parasitic fly will leave their hives at night, which is something most bee's don't do and will gather around lights. The infected bee's also fly erratically and move in ways bee's don't usually move, much like what we think a Zombie would move.

When a honey bee usually dies they drop to the ground, curl up and die. But bee's infected with this parasite, keep trying to move, move erratically and try to fly at night which is something most honey bee's don't do.

Honey Bee Colonies On The Decline
The news agencies have been reporting how the honey bee colonies are on the decline in recent years due to a mysterious ailment called colony collapse disorder, which causes all the adult honey bees in a colony to suddenly die.

I don't know if this new threat has anything to do with the decline of the honey bee colonies or the Zombie Apocalypse but the Federal Government must think it's something to be concerned about since according to The Daily Caller, "Most believe zombies are relegated to the movies and video games, but Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn has highlighted the Department of Homeland Security's participation in a staged "zombie apocalypse."

According to Coburn's most recent oversight report "Safety at Any Price: Assessing the Impact of Homeland Security Spending in U.S. Cities," first responders were approved grant funds for a $1,000 entry fee to a week-long HALO Counter-Terrorism Summit in San Diego where the "marquee" event was a demonstration of a "zombie apocalypse.""

Why Attachment Parenting Could Be Doing More Harm Than Good

On the surface Attachment Parenting sounds like a good idea with many parents opting to go along with all practices that come along with this way of parenting. But in reality, anything taken to an extreme can be a bad thing.

What is Attachment Parenting?

According to ChetDay, "The eight ideals of attachment parenting are:

1. Preparation for childbirth
2. Emotional responsiveness
3. Breastfeeding
4. Babywearing
5. Co-sleeping safely
6. Avoiding frequent and prolonged separations between parents and a baby
7. Positive discipline
8. Maintaining balance in family life

These values are interpreted in a variety of ways across the movement. Many attachment parents also choose to live a natural family living (NFL) lifestyle, such as natural childbirth, home birth, stay-at-home parenting, homeschooling, unschooling, the anti-circumcision movement, the anti-vaccination movement, natural health, cooperative movements, and support of organic food."

Lets talk about some of these ideals.

Co-sleeping vs crib sleeping.
Having everyone sleep in 'the family bed' rather than their own beds can be quite exhausting. I let my daughter sleep with me a few times when she was a toddler but I found it entirely too stressful to have a child in my bed that I was afraid I would roll over onto and suffocate in my sleep.

I for one like to sleep alone, I get better sleep and I suspect that most others do as well. Having the entire family in one bed has to make for a restless nights sleep. For one there's never enough room and you're always worried you are going to wake the other people up when you turn over.

Babies will stay awake for hours after being woken up unexpectedly. If they are in their own bed or crib and in their own room, parents won't have to worry about waking them up.

Baby Wearing.
Attachment parenting dictates that you never leave you baby alone. You should wear them all the time. I've been around my fair share of children including my own, my nieces and nephews and some children don't like to be held all the time. A parent should not be called a bad parent because they choose to use a stroller or a crib. Always holding or wearing your baby creates 'needy babies' that will cry and/or fuss whenever they are not being held or carried.

Do these children end up having separation anxiety when they are left with grandma or a baby sitter if an emergency arises.

Breast Feeding.
If a mother is able to breastfeed her baby for the first 6 months or so, I say Good for you. But for some mother's it's just not an option. Mother's who have had a mastectomy or are on anti-biotics or who can't breastfeed for others reason should not be thought of as bad mother's because they choose to bottle feed their children.

After my daughter was born I was very ill and was put on anti-boitics for 2 weeks. During that time I was told not to breastfeed my daughter and she got used to the bottle and would not take to breastfeeding after that, no matter how much I tried.

Some attachment parents will breastfeed their children well into and even after they are two years old. Once a child can eat solid foods, is there really any reason for them to still be breastfeeding?

With attachment parenting children are allowed to nurse until they decide to stop. If this means they are still breastfeeding when they are 3, 4 or even 5 years old then that's what they do. Mother's also breastfeed on demand, meaning whenever the child wants to feed the mother feeds the child. Instead of sticking to a schedule the child could be fed several times an hour if he or she wishes it.

Home schooling.
I see nothing wrong with home schooling kids, but the parent doing the schooling should be knowledgeable enough to teach their children what they will need to know to be a productive member of society.

Preparation for Childbirth.
Most parents will prepare for the birth of their child, but parents who are part of the attachment parenting group will have a lot more to learn because some if not all will be using home birthing and/or natural birthing.

Home birthing comes with its own set of dangers as a medical emergency can happen at any time and if you aren't prepared for it, you may end up with bad consequences.

Having an experienced midwife that isn't afraid to tell you when you need to go to the hospital if the need arises should be the first thing you find.

While this in no way covers all aspects of Attachment parenting and I am no authority or expert on the subject, this article should give you an idea of what attachment parenting is.

Review: Bound By The Summer Prince by Mistral Dawn

Book Description

The Summer Court is in an uproar. The king has just been executed for unpardonable crimes, and the queen is prostrate with grief over his loss. This leaves the Summer kingdom bereft of true leadership; a problem which is compounded by the fact that the laws of Fairie require balance to be maintained by having a male and a female ruler for both Season Courts at all times. Uaine, the Summer prince, is the only one who can put things right, but he is without a mate. Knowing that he must take a bride quickly, for the sake of his people, even though he is struggling with his own feelings of pain and anger over his father's treachery, he goes for a walk in a forest near the palace to try to clear his head and determine how best to choose a female to rule beside him. 

While walking Uaine discovers a human female running loose in Fairie, which is against the most basic tenets of Fae law. Furious at one more problem he must deal with, he takes her prisoner and locks her in the dungeon; only to discover later that she is his soul-mate. The magical bond between them means they are meant to be together forever, but humans can't feel the magic of Fairie. Will Uaine be able to win her heart and convince her that she can trust him to keep her safe from all the dangers of Fairie...including himself? 

Roni is a human con woman and petty thief. Having run afoul of the local crime syndicate in the city where she is staying, she finds herself running for her life. Trouble is no stranger to her, but when she falls through a hole in a wall and finds herself in a world with carnivorous trees and rocks that eat people she realizes she may have found more of it than she can deal with. Rescued/arrested by the prince of the Summer Court, it doesn't take long for her to formulate a plan to use him to get herself home. Unfortunately for her, she soon finds that her heart, which she had thought long ago turned to stone, has begun to feel the love she has been playing at. Will she be able to overcome a lifetime of caution and allow herself to follow her heart? Can a criminal love a cop? 

Please be aware that this book contains explicit sexual scenes, depictions of BDSM, and anal play. If these things disturb you, then this may not be the book for you.

My Review

Roni is a small time thief who has had a bad childhood and is on the run from someone she shouldn't have stolen from. The story starts off really fast with her running away after stealing from the wrong guy and then falling through a portal to the land of the Fae. The men who had been chasing her follow her through the portal but the Fairie forest is quite deadly and they meet a painful death. The only thing that saves Roni is something from the human world that she carries with her. 

Uaine happens upon the human female when he decides to go for a walk to clear his mind. He's mad that the death of his father is hurting his mother so much and that he is next in line to be King. But in order to fulfill his role as King he must first find a mate and he's just not interested in the females that are vying for his attention since he thinks the attention they are giving him has more to do with his role as King than getting to know and love him as a mate. 

The Fae law states that once a human comes to Fairie they can never leave. The last thing they want are more humans coming to the land of Fae and making problems for them so they do everything they can to keep it a secret. But what is Uaine to do with this human female now? It's off to the dungeon at first but he can't stop thinking of her so he goes to make preparations to make her more comfortable and that's when things get complicated. He feels the mate bond and knows that she is his soul-mate and fated by the goddess to be his forever. 

The world building in this book really lets us see what life is like in Fairie. The laws are explained because Roni has to learn what will be expected of her when she is queen. We really learn why they have the laws they have and why they are carried out in the ways they are even if that means a criminal is found guilty of something horrible and sentenced to a torturous death. 

One of the things I really liked about Mistral Dawn's first book, Taken By The Huntsman is that it had a cat that was a big part of the story and was featured prominently on the cover. The same can be said for this book and I really love that. I love when an author adds animals or pets to the story of a book and not only is there a cat in this story but there's a bunny as well, but this bunny is from Fairie so expect some surprises. 

When these two start to get comfortable with each other and a little bondage and BDSM is added to the mix, it's done in a way that shows how a loving couple would add it for fun and pleasure. So if you're worried that this is a dark BDSM story, you needn't be. That aspect was added in a loving fun way that was easily enjoyed and fit with Uaine's personality.  

I read this book in one sitting, staying up until the wee hours of the morning to finish it. When a book can keep me engaged in such a way that I don't want to put it down, I know it's a good one. 

If you like the fae, creepy forests, interesting animals, a sweet romance with a little D/s thrown in for fun, then you'll like this book. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars

If you'd like to read this book, you can get it here. 

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*

Review: Hot Cocoa Single-Serve 40ct. Sampler from Two Rivers Coffee

Last week I received a surprise in the mail. This Hot Cocoa Single-Serve 40ct. Sampler from Two Rivers Coffee. Now even though I don't have a K cup machine, this is hot cocoa so I just had to open the K cup, pour it in my cup and add hot water. 

These are the flavors of hot cocoa that I received to review. 

Tootsie Roll

Sugar Babies

Charleston Chew Vanilla

Charleston Chew Strawberry

Junior Mints

Charleston Chew Chocolate

This sampler box has a lot of the flavors that we grew up with as kids and to have them in a hot cocoa, especially now in the winter time is really nice. 

I've made one of each to taste them and they taste just like the candies they are made after. Even Ken who rarely drinks hot chocolate has been drinking these and has really liked them. If you like the candies named here and you like hot chocolate, then I would suggest trying this product because they were really good. 

I love being a blogger and getting to review products for free or at a discount. But what makes blogging even more fun is receiving surprises like this one in the mail. I'd like to thank Two Rivers Coffee for sending me this great sampler box to try out.

If you'd like to order a sampler like this one, you can find it here. 

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

Review: The Darkest Touch by Gena Showalter

Book Description taken from Amazon:

From New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter comes the long-awaited story of Torin, the most dangerous Lord of the Underworld yet… 

Fierce immortal warrior. Host to the demon of Disease. Torin's every touch causes sickness and death—and a worldwide plague. Carnal pleasure is utterly forbidden, and though he has always overcome temptation with an iron will, his control is about to shatter.  

She is Keeleycael. The Red Queen. When the powerful beauty with shocking vulnerabilities escapes from a centuries-long imprisonment, the desire that simmers between her and Torin is scorching. His touch could mean her end, but resisting her is the hardest battle he's ever fought—and the only battle he fears he can't win.

My Review:

I've been waiting for Torin to get his own book but wasn't sure how he was going to get a love life when he can't touch anyone's skin without either killing them or making them really sick and then a carrier for whatever disease he gave to them. But I knew whatever woman that came into his life would have to be strong and willful and Keeley (The Red Queen) is all that and more. 

Keeley and Torin meet while trapped in a prison neither of them can escape from and things go from bad to worse when Torin accidentally kills Keeley's only friend, making her mad enough to want to rip his entrails out and feast on them. But first she has to escape from the prison she's in and that's when sparks really start flying. 

The Red Queen is probably my favorite heroine in any of the books in this series by far. She is sarcastic, strong, willful, stubborn and did I mention sarcastic? Her comebacks are laugh out loud funny. She is exactly what Torin needed. 

Torin has always been a bit of a mystery to me, we really didn't get to know him all that well as the series has gone on, but we sure did in this book, finally! 

I loved that Keeley is so powerful, old and wise and still has a vulnerability about her. I also loved that Torin figures out exactly what her vulnerabilities are and takes steps to make her feel safe and secure. 

My only problem with this book was I found it a little wordy and lacking any real involvement in some parts. I like a book to keep me engaged throughout the entire book and while this one did keep my interest, I found myself bored in some parts. 

If you've been reading this series, you'll love this next installment and if you are new to this series I suggest starting with the first book so it makes more sense. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

I MUSTACHE YOU SOME QUESTIONS

So my friend Anna over at Herding Cats & Burning Soup decided to tag everyone in this meme and I figured, why not. I'll play along too. So here are some answered questions about me. 

Four Names People Call Me Other Than My Real Name

1. Mom

2. Grandma

3. Mare

4. ScaryMary

Four Jobs I’ve Had

1. Self Serve Laundromat Attendant

2. Bakery/Deli Manager

3. Jewelry Store Manager

4. Apartment Leasing Assistant

Four Movies I’ve Watched More Than Once

1. Fright Night *original*

2. Queen of the Damned

3. Jaws

4. Poltergeist

Four Books I’d Recommend

1. Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon

2. Once in Paris by Diana Palmer

3. Dark Prince by Christine Feehan

4. Favored By Felix by Shelley Munro

Four Places I Have Lived

1. Redondo Beach, Ca- where I was born.

2. Van Nuys, Ca- When I was a teenager.

3. Guyandotte, West Virginia for a year when I was a teenager. 

4. Las Vegas where I live now. 

Four Places I Have Been

1. California

2. West Virginia

3. Las Vegas

4. Utah

Four Places I’d Rather Be Right Now

1. Scotland- being wooed by a sexy Scottish lad. 

2.

3.

4. Yeah sorry, I got nothing for this. lol 

Four Things I Don’t Eat

1. Liver

2. Snails

3. Butternut Squash

4. Honey

Four of My Favorite Foods

1. Chocolate Truffles

2. Pizza

3. Buffalo Style Chicken Wings

4. Donuts

Four TV Shows That I Watch

1. Supernatural

2. Vampire Diaries

3. The Originals

4. Grimm

Four Things I Am Looking Forward To This Year

1. A new laptop

2. Seeing Family

3. Thunderstorms

4. When summer is over/next winter. lol 

Four Things I’m Always Saying

1. Oh dang- I say that all the time. 

2. Whatever- When I'm starting to get mad.

3. What are you doing- I seem to say that to the rats every day. lol 

4. Don't start with me- If I say this it's better for you to just leave. 

Four People I Tag

Everyone and anyone who wants to participate. Just let me know in the comments if you made a blog post and I'll come take a look or tell me in the comments a few of your answers. 

Rats 101: Water Bottle Vs Water Dish

Most people who have rats and hamsters as pets use water bottles but you can use a water dish as well. The differences in using the two different water dispensers is quite big though so if you are thinking of using a water dish, you might want to read this first.

Water Bottles
Using a water bottle that you can hang from inside or outside a cage is probably the easiest way to make sure your rat has a continual fresh source of water. If you use a large water bottle you only have to fill it once a week or when it's almost empty. They are easy to clean, won't leak unless your rat finds a way to chew on it and aren't messy. If you have a rat that likes to chew the bottom on the water bottle through the bars of the cage, you can buy something called a water bottle guard, which is a metal cup that the water bottle sits in and it covers the bottom of the bottle so the rats cannot get their teeth on it.

Water Dish
Using a water dish much like a smaller version of a dog dish and might seem like a good idea but as I can tell you from first hand experience, it's not. When I first got rats I thought letting them drink from a dish like a dog would be better for them and easier. They did almost everything but drink from the dish and it was incredibly hard to keep it clean of debris because they were constantly putting things in the water. I had 4 rats in the cage at the time and put a ceramic dish of water in their cage. They decided it was a bath and jumped in it, rolled and ran through it. Making water spill all over the inside of the cage.

So I tried again and this time with less water. They didn't like that either. Instead of drinking from it they used their mouths to throw food in the water and even picked up their poo and threw that in the water as well. I did find that they liked to lay and play in the water on warmer days to keep cool and they also liked it if I put frozen vegetables in their dish of water so they could 'fish' them out and eat them. So now I only use a water dish as a play toy, to keep them cool if it gets too warm or to let them have fun fishing frozen peas out of the water.

While some rats may like to use a ceramic water dish as their water source, mine did not.

Review: Candy Jar

I first saw Candy Jar on fb and decided to click on the ad to see what it was all about. After reading that the site lets you pick the candy that you want and you can get scoops *about a handful* of a lot of different candy, I knew I was going to order a Candy Jar. You can order three different sizes with a different number of scoops for each jar. I decided on the 16 scoops. There are 8, 16 and 32 scoops that you can choose from. The 16 scoops that I decided on is $29.99. When my Candy Jar arrived most of the candy was already in the jar but not all of it fit because some candies are larger than others. Each scoop of candy is packaged and you can choose how to display it or which ones to put into your jar. 

I decided on trying 16 different types of candy and opened all the packages that had the wrapped candy and put that in the jar first. Of course I sampled some of the candy as I added it to the jar, you know just to make sure it was fresh and tasted good. My husband was sampling the goods as well and all I heard from him was, "MMMmm good, this is good, yeah I like this one too." LOL

They have page after page after page of candy to choose from, so you're sure to find candies that you'll love. It took me a while to pick just 16 of the candies that I wanted to try because some of them I'd never heard of. If you'd like to visit them and check out what they offer, you can find them on Facebook as well as at their Website. 

Dogs Dying After Eating Medical Marijuana

Medical Marijuana has been legalized in several states and while that might be good for the people suffering with debilitating illnesses who need it, it's come with a bad side effect- dogs are ingesting the marijuana, getting sick and sometimes dying.

Marijuana poisoning is getting to be a real danger to the pets of medical marijuana patients, it can can cause the shakes, loss of motor control, lethargy and vomiting. Sometimes the dog can be treated and is fine, other times though the dog is not so lucky and dies.

Signs of Marijuana Toxicity
Approximately an hour after a dog ingests marijuana, symptoms of toxicity will appear. Symptoms include: drowsiness, glazed or red bloodshot eyes, slowed heart rate, drooling, shakes, loss of motor control, falling down, drop in body temperature, vomiting, agitation, whining or crying, urinary incontinence, seizures, rapid heart rate and coma. In some cases, although uncommon, death can occur.

If your dog is exhibiting any of these signs or symptoms you should get your pet to the veterinarian right away. If you know that marijuana ingestion may be the cause, it's very important to let the vet know this right away so they can give your pet the right treatment.

How Many Cases of Marijuana Poisoning in Dogs Are There?
According to CBS Denver, "Vets say they used to see dogs high on marijuana just a few times a year. Now pet owners bring in doped-up dogs as many as five times a week."

That's quite the increase. Pet owners should know when they bring marijuana or the marijuana edibles into their home when they have a pet, that these substances can be life threatening to their pets. It should never be left out in the open where a pet can easily eat them.

Think of your dog as a small toddler because that's the mental equivalent of a dog. Just like a human toddler, dogs will get into most anything left out where they can get into it.

Marijuana, just like any other drug needs to be kept up and out of reach of kids and animals for their safety.

According to CBS In Denver, "Meola is a veterinarian at a Wheat Ridge clinic. She coordinated a five-year study that shows the number of dogs sickened by marijuana has quadrupled in Colorado since medical marijuana was legalized. Most dogs survive, but not all. "Two dogs, however, got into baked goods with medical grade marijuana butter in it, which presumably seems to be more toxic to the dogs, so we did have two deaths,"

Some people who use medical marijuana think it's funny to get their dogs, "high" but the fact is dogs don't experience the same 'high' that humans do. Marijuana ingested by dogs, causes neurological toxicity and is not fun for them.

Doctors say the real issue is with the edibles items. Dogs are eating things like cakes, cookies, brownies and suckers that are all laced with marijuana.

A responsible pet own would not give their pet a substance they they know could cause harm or even death and in most cases this is not done purposely but leaving a toxic substance out where an animal can get it and eat it is as bad as leaving it out if you have a toddler in the house. Both can be harmed by it, so it's up to you as the pet owner to make sure any marijuana or marijuana edibles are not left out where your pets can get them and eat them.

Those people purposely attempting to get pets high as a joke are under the mistaken belief that marijuana is not dangerous to dogs. I think it's now been proven that they are very much mistaken.

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*

Recipe: Sauteed Brussel Sprouts

For this recipe you will need:

Fresh Brussel Sprouts. I made 9 of them but you can make as many as you want. Cut part of the stem off so it looks clean and cut in half length wise. 

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 diced green onions

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup water

Add olive oil to a pan and then add the halved brussel sprouts. Saute over med low heat for 4 minutes and add the diced green onion. Keep cooking until the brussel sprouts have a nice browning on both sides. Add the lemon juice and water and cover. Cook an additional 2 minutes or until tender. You can add other flavors to this as well. Ken wants me to try some garlic butter on them next time. 

How to Kill Roaches With Fresh Step Crystals Kitty Litter or Diatomaceous Earth

When you live in an apartment there's always the chance that some bug will infest your neighbor's apartment and slowly work their way through the walls into your apartment. That's why when I found out that my next door neighbor had a newly discovered outbreak of roaches, I knew I had to act fast to keep them away.

Why Fresh Step Crystals?
Fresh Step Crystals kitty litter is made up of silica which microscopically cuts the roaches inside and out and when the powder gets inside the cuts, it dries them out, sucking the moisture right out of their disgusting little bug bodies. You might have heard of Diatomaceous Earth and how it works to kill roaches and other bugs. That's because it's made of silica, the same stuff found in Fresh Step crystals kitty litter. The only real difference is when you buy a bag of Diatomaceous Earth, it's already ground down into a powder and it costs a bit more than buying the kitty litter. I've used this for other bugs like water bugs, ants and crickets and so I know that it works to kill the bugs.

Before You Get Started
The very first thing you can do to keep roaches out of your apartment or home is to use a tube of caulking and caulk up all the small cracks, crevices and holes that are along the walls, floor boards, behind the appliances and under the sink. Stopping their entry points will go a long ways into stopping them from infesting your home or apartment. Also buy a tube of Combat Gel and use it in the small crevices behind your stove, refrigerator and around the pipes under your sink. Use small thin beads of it anywhere you might have seen roaches. In my case I put some under my sink and in the small crevices around the back of my stove. Roaches are attracted to this, will eat it and die. So whatever the kitty litter doesn't kill, this stuff will.

What To Do
First thing to is buy a coffee or spice grinder so you can grind the kitty litter into a fine powder. You'll also need at least one plastic squeeze bottle that you can use to squeeze the powder into tight cracks and crevices and using the squeeze bottle is a lot easier than any other method I've used. Fill the plastic squeeze bottle almost all the way up and replace the cap. Squeeze the bottle slightly as you go along the walls and cabinets, laying down a fine film of the powder. You should put this powder everywhere and in all rooms of your home. Along all the walls, under all of the cabinets and appliances, inside and around all the shelves. I put it along the 4 walls inside each cabinet in my kitchen and took out all of my dresser drawers and put it under the drawers as well.

Next you will want to take off all of the electrical plates and outlet covers and squeeze some of the powder down into the walls in there. Replace all the covers and install those plastic baby proofing safety covers in every electrical outlet you don't have something plugged into. This way the roaches can't get in through those little openings.

The great thing about the Fresh Step Crystals powder is once you put it down, it keeps working for several months. So after 4-6 months all you have to do is vacuum it up and apply another dusting of it everywhere. I use it as a preventative measure to keep any stray bugs away.

Review: 11 in 1 Credit Card Multitool

This little multitool has 11 different tools built right into it. It's nice and small and comes with a little black carry case that would fit into a pocket, wallet or purse with no problem. It's very thin so it won't take up too much room but has so many uses you'll want to carry it with you everywhere just in case. 

This multitool includes a knife, saw, can opener, bottle opener and a few other things. This is great to take with you on a hike, camping or just to have with you while you are out in the car. It's really easy to use and would come in handy for anyone. I gave this multitool to my husband and he is very happy with it. Men love little gadgets like this one so this would make a great gift. 

If you'd like to buy one of these multitools for yourself, you can do so here. 

Disclaimer: I received this product in exchange for an honest review, however my opinions are my own.

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 stacking mug set
Twinnings tea sampler
A Wind Chime
A sample of Friskies cat food  *The stray cats got this*

Did you get any freebies this week?

How to Care for a Hairless Rat

Hairless rats, also known as naked rats in the rat community have no hair on them so they need some special care taken with their exposed skin. Their skin may appear wrinkled or a little bumpy but will feel much like human skin. If you've decided to adopt a hairless rat there are some things to consider before getting one since they do require special care in the areas of skin treatment, temperature and housing.

Skin Care
Because hairless rats don't have fur to protect their skin from the everyday scratches and cuts they might get by being walked on or playing with other rats, you may have to keep all the rats nails clipped to prevent more scratches.

The exposed skin of hairless rats may dry out just as mine or yours does and in their case you can rub a tiny amount of extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil on them to keep their skin moisturized. You should apply the oil with your own hands as this is the most effective way of making sure it gets in all the right places and it also acts as a bonding time for you and your rat since they love to be petted. The oil can be applied once a week even if your hairless rat isn't having a dry skin problem, it's a good preventative measure to keep them from getting dry skin and it keeps their skin soft. Soft healthy skin is less likely to suffer scratches so easily. Extra virgin olive oil is natural and won't harm your rat if they lick it off.

Housing
Since a hairless rat doesn't have that extra layer of fur to keep them warm, they will need bedding, houses and cozy places to hide out and sleep especially in the winter time or in rooms where air conditioners are running. Because they can get scratches very easily, bedding such a wood shavings, hard pellets and newspaper are not suitable bedding. Newspaper has dye that can rub on onto them and it's not absorbent enough to keep urine from staying wet which can cause rashes and infections for hairless rats.

The best thing to line the rat cages with is fleece blankets or material. The soft fleece will not irritate their skin and is nice and soft for them to lay on. It's also good to cut pieces of fleece big enough to put inside their houses for them to cuddle under and rearrange the way they want to. Some people will use CareFresh bedding and while this is a really good bedding for rats that have fur it's not ideal for Hairless rats because small particles of the bedding can end up in their eyes, under their eye lids which will lead to a veterinarian visit to flush the eyes out. Hairless rats don't have eyelashes to keep small particles of bedding material out so it's up to you to make sure you use the proper bedding for them. It's a good idea to wipe your rats face and eyes with a damp baby washcloth each day. This will remove any dust, sleep gunk or anything else that may have accumulated on their face or around their eyes.

Diet
Hairless rats have a higher metabolism and need a little extra protein in their diets. So things like boiled eggs, chicken, turkey, beef and dog kibble high in protein are all good sources of protein. They only need a little extra since they are small animals but it's good to keep this in mind. A hairless rat will eat more in order to keep their body temperatures up. They will also drink more water and therefore urinate more so their cage may need to be cleaned more often.

Hairless rats make great pets, I have one myself. They may take a little extra care but they repay you with love, cuddles and rattie kisses.

Review: Francois et Mimi Stacking Mug Set with Rack

Can you ever really have enough mugs? Not in my house because I seem to break all the glass and ceramic mugs that we get. Glass is so easy to chip, drop and break and some ceramic mugs aren't thick enough to handle being dropped, even a couple of inches into a sink full of soapy water without breaking. 

These mugs are heavy duty, thick stonewear ceramic that didn't break even when I dropped it into a sink full of soapy water when I was washing it. The mugs come with a nice rack that holds the mugs all together. The mugs are dishwasher and microwave safe and come in nice bright colors. 

The mugs are 12oz each which is bigger than the smaller restaurant style mugs I had at home right now. I really like that with the rack these mugs are saving space in my cabinet because I can sit them right on the counter next to the coffee or tea pot.

I think this mug and rack set would make a wonderful gift for someone and I know of several people who might like a set of their own. If you'd like to buy a set, you can find them here. 

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

Crab Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

You will need: 

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes

1 stalk green onion, diced

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1/2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning

1 can crab meat

Cut the core out of the cherry tomatoes, scoop out the insides and set aside. 

Drain crab meat and flake to break up. Add all the ingredients and mix. Add the mixture to a ziplock baggie or pastry bag and cut off one corner tip. Gently squeeze mixture into cherry tomatoes and place them in a shallow dish. Cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to serve.

You can double this recipe if you are making this for more than 2 people but I made it as an add on to our dinner and I used 1/2 a pint of cherry tomatoes each time. 

Happy Raturday!

*lucky*

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 week I've decided to do something different. All the meme's posted this week are of my own rats. Either meme's I've made or that have been made for me by others. 

*Jasper*

*Lucky*

*Hades*

*Lucky*

*Scribbles*

*Lucky*

*Flower*

*Scribbles*

*Scribbles*

*Flower*

*Flower*

*Flower*