Las Vegas Weather and My Flooded Courtyard

So 5 days ago it was 89 degrees. But it started cooling down, so this past Saturday it started sprinkling rain just a little mid morning. I saw these three pigeons had been out in the rain but soon took shelter under this bush to dry off. 

I thought it was cute and so I took a picture of them. The ground was barely wet, I had no idea what was coming. 

About 30 minutes later it started raining. Regular rain not like a down pour or anything. You can see the rain as it poured off the roof and onto the sidewalk next to my apartment. 

Then Boom! It started coming down really hard all of the sudden and as I was standing there taking pictures, it started hailing pea size hail. We hardly ever get hail. We get flash flooding usually starting in June but we don't get a lot of hail. 

Then it started raining even harder and even more hail came down. Ken was at our bedroom window because it was getting pounded and he thought it was going to break. Thankfully it didn't. 

Usually when it does hail, it's so small that it melts as soon as it hits the ground. Not this time. 

Within 30 minutes my entire courtyard was flooded. And the water was up over the sidewalk on the other side of the courtyard, right up to the doors. 

All of the rocks from that first picture that I took of the pigeons are all under water now. And the water started to come up over the sidewalk in parts of it. The pigeons took up residence in one of the Pine tree's until the rain stopped.

One of my neighbors saw her friend standing over by my door and walked across the flooded rocks to help him get his bags and bring them inside. She had gone to the store and locked the door and he didn't have a key so he was waiting outside where it was driest over by my door. 

Thankfully by the next day most of the water covering the ground had soaked in and it was flooded as much even though it was still raining off and on that day too. 

I've lived here for 19 years and this courtyard has never gotten that flooded before. Oh and people are crazy. As all that rain is coming down and it was hailing, every body and their uncle was coming out of their apartments to 'feel the pain' of hail hitting their body. While others just took a seat on the soaked sidewalk to watch the rain. 

One person sits on the wet sidewalk while another stands. They stayed there for about an hour. lol I just don't understand people at times. 

Happy Raturday!

*Photo courtesy of Storms Rat Pack*

"Human momma said I couldn't go out looking like this and grounded me. That's so not fair."

*Photo courtesy of Rat Logic*

"Easter Rat wants a chocolate egg."

*Photo courtesy of Storms Rat Pack*

Product Review: Black Stainless Steel Marquise Cut AAA Cubic Zirconia CZ 3 Stones Women Wedding Engagement Ring Set

Product Description

Artisan handcrafted fashion jewelry

Stainless Steel ring is hypo-allergenic, will never turn your finger green

Perfect engagement and wedding rings for women

Highest quality of cubic zirconia which gives super sharp clarity

30 Days Money Back Guarantee

My Review

As you can see from the picture, this ring is really pretty. This set is actually three rings that can all be worn at once or you can just wear the center ring with the three stones in it by itself. I really like that this is made from stainless steel and will never turn my finger green. The price at the time that I got the ring was $49.00 and for a ring that looks a lot more expensive than it is, that's a great price if you want a ring like this for special occasions or everyday. 

The cubic zirconia stones are very beautiful and sparkle so much when the light hits them. The rings are very comfortable to wear all together, I couldn't even tell that I was wearing three rings. I ordered the size that I usually wear and it fit perfectly. The black bands also have small black stones on them that sparkle when the light hits them. 

The rings come in a cute box which makes this suitable as a gift. If you'd like to buy this ring set, you can find it here. 

I'm completely in love with my new ring. 

I give this product 5 out of 5 stars. 

Disclosure: I was given this ring set for free in exchange for an honest review. 

Favorite Video of the Week

I've had some of the songs on my youtube playlist on there for years. I don't add a lot of new songs to it, maybe one a month. But this one went on as soon as I saw it because not only did I love the song but the music video is done so incredibly well. Watch it and tell me if you like it as much as I do.

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. You can also sign up at these sites and get products at a great discount. No Kidding Coupons, AMZ Review Trader, and Elite Deal Club.

This week I received:

A PimchMe box containing Zzzquil sleep aid and a Pedigree dog chew.

I also received a 3 package samples of Nissin Raoh Ramen noodles.

and

David's Chocolate Florentine Lace Cookies- free from Dollar Deal Reviews

And

3 books I won in a blog contest.

and a $5 Amazon gift card from Crowdtap.

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Product Review: Stainless Steel Kitchen Tool Sets - Lemon Grater, Melon Baller, Fruit Corer by Atalanta

Product Description

The lemon zester & peeler with channel knife is a multipurpose garnishing tool to zest lemons, cucumbers, carrots, cheese, grapefruits and other citrus fruits and vegetables. The raw skin of fruits and vegetables is the most nutritious part and this zester tool is a perfect kitchen tool for adding healthy flavors to your dishes. With this lemon zester and channel knife it is easy to make any of your dishes healthy! It is unique 2-in-1 tool with ergonomic handle. The sharp zester holes zest lemons, cucumbers, carrots, grapefruits, and other fruits and vegetables, with minimum effort, and a built-in channel knife peels citrus type fruits for beautiful garnishing. 

The stainless steel head of the tool is angled at specific angle to make testing smoother. Made with heavy-duty stainless steel and plastic for durability and great looks for your kitchen and bar! This citrus zester grater is much easier to clean compared to traditional micro blades zesters. 

The melon baller is perfect for fruit salads, garnishes, and desserts. Made of sturdy stainless steel, with soft, slim handle and comfortable grip. It is great to make balls out of any food, including melons, fruit, cookie dough & ice cream. Perfect for fruit salads, garnishes, desserts and more! 

The stylish-looking fruit corer lets you quickly and easily core apples & other vegetables. See images above. The tip has a serrated edge that makes it easy to quickly bore through zucchini, bell & jalapeno pepper, pear, apple, tomato and pineapple cores. It's great for quickly preparing healthy snacks for the whole family. The corer is made from stainless steel so it won't rust & it's dishwasher-safe so it's always easy to clean. The handle features an ergonomic design that provides optimal comfort.

My Review

I've always wanted a melon baller and now I have one. I don't have any of those tiny scoops for melons or for scooping cookie dough out into equal parts. I've also never had an apple corer because I usually just slice the apples and slice off the core but I used this on one of the apples that I had and was surprised just how well it worked. 

I already had a zester and I love it so it's always nice to have another one and this one worked just fine when I made a lime, cilanto marinate for the shrimp I had for dinner last night.

My only complaint is that the metal does bend a little if you apply too much pressure when zesting or coring an apple. I don't find that these utensils are very durable or will last for a long time but they are a nice starter kit if you want to learn how to use utensils like these. This set would be perfect for light use or for someone who is only going to use a utensil once in a while. I don't think they would stand up to every day use. 

If you'd like to purchase this set, you can find it here. 

I give this set a 3 out of 5 stars

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

Favorite Picture of the Week

This picture was taken about 16 years ago when my daughter was really young. Hubby's mother and sister came into town for a visit and we all went to one of the Las Vegas Hotels. I don't remember which one it was but there was an Elvis impersonator there and he took a picture with my daughter and mother in law. 

Product Review: Intelligent Stix Puzzle Game for Children by Little Treasures

Product Description

Children love to play this easy to use snap together puzzle play set from Little Treasures encourages creative play time and develops mathematical and visual design skills at the same time. Bringing basic shapes like squares, circles and triangles together with straight connecting pieces can allow children to build endless designs from toys to tools. Kids ages 3 and up will find themselves tinkering away with this play set for days on end building anything that comes to their imagination. They can put together toy cars and tanks or build their own carnival complete with working Farris wheel. 

Description: This 100 piece play set will offer children triangles, 2 sizes of squares, 2 sizes of circles and 3 lengths of connecter rods. With that many play pieces at their disposal childrens possibilities virtually are endless. They can have anything they ever wanted from the toy store if they put their minds to it. Help them out or even test their skills if they get crafty with the play set and challenge them to rebuild specific objects. Boys and girls alike can enjoy this puzzle play set from Little Treasures for years to come as it will grow with them as their imaginations develop.

My Review

I like trying to find mew toys for my 3 year old grandson to play with. My daughter told me that he loves to play with things that stack and with legos so when I saw this I figured he might like this as well. 

This is for children 3 and up and helps them learn motor and coordination skills as they snap the pieces together to build something. It's an interesting toy that helps kids learn how to put the right pieces together to build a toy or structure that they want to build. It's educational and fun. 

Kids will love playing with these and as long as the kids are happy that's what matters. The pieces easily stick together and pull apart so that young kids can make things themselves. This seems like a great toy for kids and makes for a great gift as well. 

This is one of those types of toys that adults like playing with as well and trying to make things to impress their kids and have the kids try to remake what mom or dad made for them. With 100 pieces, there's enough pieces to make many different things with this set. 

If you'd like to purchase this for yourself, you can find it here. 

I give this toy 5 out of 5 stars. 

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

Happy Raturday!

*Photo courtesy of Ratlogic*

*Photo courtesy of Ratlogic*

*Photo courtesy of Ratlogic*

*Photo courtesy of Ratlogic*

Product Review: First Aid Kit by Survival Hax

Product Description

The First Aid Kit by Survival Hax is the ONE item you do not want to be without in any situation. 

The small 105 piece emergency survival bag fits nicely into the glove box of your car, the medicine cabinet at work, or the nurses station at school. We made sure to add only lightweight items so that your bug out bag wouldn't be bogged down by heavy items. 

This compact emergency first aid kit is only 5 x 7 inches, weighs less than a pound, and we still managed to fit a fire starter and Mylar thermal blanket inside. 

Why? Because when our customers ask for extra items, we deliver. 

Here's a list of quality contents you'll find inside this little beast. 

(1) Triangular Bandage 

(1) PBT Bandage (Small) 

(1) PBT Bandage (Large) 

(1) Roll of Nonwoven Tape 

(2) Nonwoven Swab 

(10) Wipes 

(20) Band Aid (Regular) 

(10) Band Aid (Small) 

(4) Butterfly Band Aid 

(4) H Style Band Aid 

(4) Cleaning Wipes 

(30) Cotton (Q-Tips) 

(1) First Aid Blanket 

(1) Scissors 

(10) Safety Pins 

(1) CPR Mask 

(1) PVC Gloves - Large 

(1) Tweezers 

(1) Flint Starter 

(1) First Aid Bag 

The only mini Emergency First Aid Kit on Amazon with a Fire Starter and thermal blanket. 

My Review

This is a pretty good started first aid kit for those looking to have a few bandages, band aids, and other first aid supplies to take with them on hiking and camping trips. 

This kit has a little bit of everything so it's a nice kit to have around. The one thing that this kit has that most other kits I've seen don't have is a flint fire starter. If you are going hiking or camping you want to have some sort of fire starter with you in case you get lost or hurt and need to start a fire to keep warm, so I really liked seeing that addition to this kit. Everyone should have a first aid kit around and this is a good starter kit to have around. 

While this kit is nice, I would add Benadryl and Tylenol to this kit. Whenever my husband and brother go hiking or fishing they always take a small zip lock baggie with some bandages, tape, Benadryl and Tylenol. Now they can just take this kit with them. It's small enough to add to any pack you are taking with you. 

It was $29.99 at the time of my review and for the supplies in this bag that price seems a little high to me. 

If you'd like to purchase this product, you can find it here. 

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

I give this First Aid Kit a 4 out of 5 stars.

I like that it has a zippered mesh to keep everything in its place.

This is what comes with the kit.

Favorite Video of the Week

I don't know if you've seen these shampoo pranks but this one had me laughing so hard that I couldn't breathe. O M G I would laugh so much seeing this in person. These poor guys think they are going nuts but that last guy is the funniest.

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. You can also sign up at these sites and get products at a great discount. No Kidding Coupons, AMZ Review Trader, and Elite Deal Club.

This week I received:

Notebook Tabbed Pages
3 samples of baby oil, baby cream and baby diaper cream.

And a $5 Amazon gift card from Crowdtap. 

Did you receive anything free this week?

Product Review: Reversible Memory Foam Stay Cool Pillow With Gel

Product description

★ COOLING GEL- Keeps you cool while you sleep. The Cool Gel side disperses body heat and creates a cooler sleeping surface while working with the core of pressure-relieving memory foam. Its cooling properties dissipate heat for a comfortable night's sleep. The Memory Foam side responds to temperature and pressure to mold to your shape by creating the perfect support for your head, neck and shoulders. Cool Gel and Memory Foam pillow is 5 Inch thick.

★ FIRMNESS: Medium Soft on the Memory Foam Side and Medium Firm on the Cool Gel Side.

★ LUXURIOUS COMFORT: Your head is cradled in comfort and luxury allowing you to get the rest that you deserve. Less tossing and turning means better sleep.

★ DIRECTIONS: With your new pillow please remember the following: 1) Open it and allow it to start to take shape. 2) You may experience a "Fresh Foam" odor which is not harmful. The odor should dissipate within 72 hours. In some rare cases it may take up to 1 - 2 weeks. To assist with the odor we recommend spraying the pillow lightly with Febreze or a few drops of your favorite essential oil.

My Review

This pillow like my other memory foam pillow came rolled up and as soon a you tear the packaging off it, it expands to its full size. Memory foam is really comfortable to sleep on and I love my memory foam pillows. So I was kinda hoping that I could find one with a cooling pad or some kind of cooling gel to keep me cooler in the summer months here when it can reach 117F. I was really hoping this would be that pillow and for the first 30 minutes I did feel some cooling from it but it only lasted about 30 minutes each night I tried it.

They do have an odor like they state they will for the first few days because of the memory foam. I did what they suggested about using febreze and it did get rid of it. 

It comes with a zip off cover that can be put in the washing machine and you can wipe the cooling gel mat off with a damp cloth if you need to. 

I love the memory foam in this pillow though, it's incredibly comfortable to sleep on and forms to the shape of my head and neck when I lay on it. After I get up it takes its shape back within a few seconds. I really like this because I used to buy a new pillow every few months because after laying on it they go flat or if you fold it over they start to take on a weird shape that you can't fluff out. 

This is not a light pillow it has some weight to it but I don't mind that. 

If you'd like to buy one of these for yourself, you an find it here. 

I give this Cooling Pillow a 3 out of 5 stars. 

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

Favorite Picture of the Week

I found this picture of Ken and Lucky. Ken would stand by the door and talk to Lucky and show him outside. Lucky was such a laid back rat that he would just sit there and look around while Ken was talking to him. 

Review: Toxic by Eve Langlais

Book Description

Don’t play with your food, the first rule of etiquette vampires are taught, and yet I am so tempted to nibble on the mortal doctor I’m forced to work with. My weakness for Raphael is a problem—for him. My touch is deadly to humans, although they do tend to die with a smile on their face. 

Vampires are real. The world now knows, and in a gesture of good will, we’ve allowed them to send a human to study us that the populace might understand they’ve nothing to fear. We’re not savage, mindless killers. We’re cold, calculating survivors, and we know how to keep a secret. 

It’s up to me to make sure this human doctor doesn’t see too much. So no eating him, as I’m sure his demise will end the precarious truce vampire kind has with the world. It saddens me to admit we will need their armies and weapons in the coming war. A war they refuse to believe is coming. 

Fools. I haven’t lived this long to suffer them, and I didn’t become the general of the vampire queen’s army by being diplomatic. Everyone will fight in the upcoming battle, or they’ll feed my troops. All things living will do their part, or die. 

Just like Raphael will die if he keeps tempting me with those lips. Because everyone knows a vampire’s kiss is toxic. 

My Review

Vampires are facing a war and they need to come out of hiding and let the world know they are real because in the upcoming war, everyone from human to shifter is going to need to fight. 

When the world finds out that vampires are real the vampire queen tells Ellie, aka Countess Elizabeth Bathory that she is to submit to the human doctor for tests. This is to make the humans feel better and let them get to know the vampires a little better and for some to prove that vampires are really real. 

What Ellie doesn't count on is the fact that doctor Raphael makes her undead heart go pitter patter and she can't seem to get him out of her mind or get into his. Even though Ellie is smitten with Raphael, she knows that it can go nowhere as having sex with er would kill him and she doesn't want that. 

Raphael comes off as very disinterested in Ellie as a woman at first. He seems every bit the nerdy doctor that he seems to be. But we get glimpses of something more, that maybe he isn't exactly what he's trying so hard to make her believe he is. He is a mystery and it was fun reading her reactions to him and the big twist that reveals itself. 

This is a different kind of vampire story. Vampires and humans can't have sex because vampires are toxic to humans and they die. And Ellie is a blood thirsty vampire. We find out that Ellie, aka Countess Elizabeth Bathory got her blood thirsty reputation only after she had been turned into a vampire and newly turned vampires are blood thirsty creatures if left unchecked. Since her sire was killed before he could really explain how to be a vampire, she had to find a way to go on herself and she went a bit over board. 

Since most of this story is told from Ellie's point of view, we really get to see what she's thinking and while she might not be bathing in the blood of virgin's any longer, she still see's humans as food and she has a temper. But she's a good soldier and does what she's told for the most part. 

This was a good vampire story filled with blood thirsty vampires, a nerdy doctor, an interesting love story and a great twist. 

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

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Happy Raturday!

*Photo courtesy of Rat Logic*

*Photo courtesy of Rat Logic*

*Photo courtesy of MrRat395*

"I is praying for more yogies."

*Photo courtesy of RamblingRatz*

"I wanted a baby brother not a toy robot dog." 

*Photo courtesy of St Francis Rat Sanctuary*

"Easter rat wishes you a Happy Easter"

Product Review: Large Backpack with Lunch Kit and Binder by Fast Forward

Product Description

Back to school shopping can be a nightmare, but not anymore! Now you can buy all of your child's essentials in one affordable purchase. This set from Fast Forward includes a full sized backpack, binder, and lunch bag. This purchase is perfect for the last minute shoppers, or just people who generally like to get lots of quality at a little price! You child will love their matching school set with their favorite characters on it. Make learning fun this year for them with adorable designs and bright colors. Best of all, each of the pieces fit together for one easy to carry bundle, perfect for little ones! This set has plenty of storage and organization. The lunch bag is thoroughly insulated, and the binder holds all of those A+ papers. All for one low price that will keep you and your child happy!

My Review

My grandson is 3 years old and I've been buying things for when he starts school and while I know that's a couple of years away, I also know it's never too early to start getting these things. So I decided to buy the Avengers backpack/lunchbox duo. I really liked that it came with a folder and everything fits together nicely. It has a sparkle to it that is in the fabric not added as glitter so it's not going to come off. I really like that the lunch box is a good size and fits with velcro right onto the backpack. The material this is made from looks and feels very sturdy so it's not going to fall apart the first week of school.

I really like how colorful and vibrant the colors and pictures are on the backpack, folder and lunchbox. I think my grandson will like this and I'm going to fill it with school supplies before I give it to my daughter as a surprise for both of them.

Favorite Video of the Week

I thought this week I would share one of my all time favorite live performances. I've loved Adam Lambert since he as on American Idol and I've been listening to his music since then. Which is strange for me since I usually listen to bands like Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, Slipknot and Atreyu. I do listen to all kinds of music but not usually pop type stuff. But damn this guy is like sex on a stick. lol I just love him and his performances.

Product Review: Dapple Dish Soap/ Dapple Laundry Soap

Dapple was nice enough to send me 2 samples. One sample of Dish soap and one sample of Laundry soap. I know that if you have a baby or if you have sensitive skin, you're always on the look out for baby friendly or sensitive skin friendly soap and detergents. Well these products are baby-safe and eco-friendly cleaning products, 

The first sample I used was the Dapple Dish Soap. 

The sample was enough for me to do a whole sink full of dishes and it was great on greasy glasses and plates. It works as well as the dish soap I usually use and it didn't dry out my hands. I made lot of suds and left behind no residue or sticky feeling. 

Then we used the sample of Dapple Laundry Soap. It got an entire load of towels clean, soft and fluffy. 

Dapple FB Page

Dapple Website