Apartment Life #71

This is a new weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 20 years that we've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 20 years here in a weekly blog post.

I was sitting on my couch and heard these two talking about the marijuana strains they are growing. Yes, it's legal to grow a few pot plants for yourself but the guy with the cigarette hanging out his mouth went in his apartment, brought out a jar and gave the other guy something from it. They kept smelling the jar and talking about marijuana so I assume he wanted this guy to try the stuff he was growing. lol 

I can't even sit on my own couch without seeing some sort of drug deal go down. LOL

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more.

Review: Ipsy Glam Bag

Ipsy is a monthly subscription box that sends you 5 sample size makeup or beauty products. You can customize what they send you by filling out the personal surveys. I've been more into makeup products lately and decided to try another subscription box. I love the bright pink package they send it is. There's no mistaking who that's from when you see it in your mailbox. These bags are $10 each.

I have two extra products, the eyeshadow brush and the concealer because I took advantage of the $3 add-ons you can add to your bag each month. 

What was in my bag?

GlamGlow Mega Illuminating Moisturizer. 

Doucce Black Eyeliner Pen. 

Meech N Mia Taupe Eyeshadow. 

F.A.R.A.H. Powder brush. 

M A C Studio Fix Powder Foundation. 

As well as the two extra items I added on. 

I love my new eyeshadow brush. I didn't have a round brush like this before and now I know why I needed one. lol The powder brush works great, better than the one I had been using. I can always use a new eyeliner and eyeshadow. I like the powder foundation but only as a powder. I don't think it has enough coverage to work as a foundation. I haven't used the illuminating moisturizer yet but it looks like it might be a little glittery and I don't know how I feel about that. 

I liked everything I got in this bag. Have you ever subscribed to Ipsy?

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 great samples at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received:

It was a slow freebie week but I was able to cash out my points on Crowdtap for a $10 Amazon gift card.

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Review: Day of the Dragon by Katie MacAlister

Book Description

TWO FULL NOVELS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE! Fans of Lyndsay Sands and Gena Showalter will love this fiery paranormal romance from a New York Times bestselling author about a dragon shifter who finds his soul mate in the most unlikely place. Also includes WOLF'S MATE by Celia Kyle. 

With dragons like him, who needs enemies?

Real scholars know that supernatural beings don't exist. But the moment I meet Archer Andras of the Storm Dragons, all my academic training goes out the window. Thanks to Mr. Tall, Dark, And Infuriating, I'm learning that I really should worry about those things that go bump in the night. . . and that dragons like Archer are 100 percent pure trouble.

Now I'm caught in the middle of a war. On one side is Archer. On the other is his twin brother. And I am the key to translating an ancient text that could bring balance-or deadly ruin-to our world. But none of that is as dangerous as the seriously sexy sparks between Archer and me. He's too tempting to be real. Too gorgeous to trust. And when it comes to dragons, there's no smoke without deadly fire.

Includes the novel WOLF'S MATE by Celia Kyle: When Abby Carter is threatened by an anti-shifter organization, werewolf shifter Declan Reed will have to convince her that there's no safer place in the world than in the arms of a big bad werewolf.

My Review

Archer started the Storm dragons while his brother, Hunter had started the Shadow dragons. 

Archer and his cousin go after the Raisa Medallion, not knowing if it's real or not and not knowing if what they think about only a demon hunter or a demon being able to wield it is true. They break into the place and leave the money for their item only to get caught by Thaisa who works there. Thaisa and Archer have an intense first meeting and then he leaves with his item.

Thaisa works at a place that sells off antiques but her boss is a total ass. So when she sells off something and even gets a great price for it, her boss completely freaks out and threatens her with bodily harm if she doesn't get it back. Before Thaisa knows what's happening, she and her friend are kidnapped for only for a short period of time and Archer comes to her rescue. After that she and Archer get a lot closer. Watching Archer try and figure out what his brother is doing, going after the Medallion and get closer to Thaisa was a lot of fun. There's so much going on that I never got bored even for a few pages which was nice and kept the story going for me. 

When they finally do find the medallion, it wasn't anything like I thought it would be but it was good and surprising. I really liked all the secrets that came to life at the end of this book and there were quite a few of them but it all made sense. It was a fun ride waiting to see if Thaisa could decipher the text, find the medallion and fall for Archer. Archer's brother, Hunter is also a big part of this story and he turned out to be so much more than I thought he was in the beginning. This entire story was fun to read. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

But wait, there's more!

This eBook came with a second novel, Wolf's Mate by Celia Kyle. So here's that review as well. 

My Review

Abby is an accountant and a cougar shifter, she enjoys her quiet life until she uncovers something shady going on in an anti-shifter organization. She planned to bring proof about Unified Humanitarian to the shifter council but then all hell breaks loose and she finds herself in danger. 

Declan works for Shifter Operations Command and is going to help keep Abby safe with the help of the other members of his team. 

Abby and Declan are really great together and I liked getting to know the other members of Declan's team but they seem to put Abby in dangerous situations all the time which I found strange since they are supposed to be keeping her safe and she's a mate to one of their own. 

Abby isn't used to all the action and drama like Declan and the others are and so compared to them she seems weak and fragile and because of her childhood being so rough I understood why she was a bit more introverted than the others. 

There's a lot of action, a lot mystery and a couple of really good twists. It was a lot of fun and I'm really looking forward to some of these other team members getting their books. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Disclosure: I received this book for free via NetGalley but all opinions are my own. 

Review: Love Conquers Demons by Trinity Blacio

Book Description

Normal people have nightmares and wake up from them to go about their daily routine, but not Claire Marlow. Her life had been a living hell until that one summer she had spent with her grandparents in New Orleans. That’s when she met three of the most handsome men she’d ever seen who not only took her breath away, but made her wolf do a jig inside her. For that one week, running in the sand with the moonlight upon them, Claire had found her escape from the nightmares, or so she thought. 

Bryce Marlow was an alpha and always knew he’d be the dominant one in his family unit. Claiming Ivan and Felix had been challenging to say the least, but when the three of them had seen Claire on the beach that night they all knew they were looking at their heart and soul. However, one look into those haunting eyes and the three of them realized that whatever time it took, they would erase those nightmares to replace them with hope and their love.

My Review

Claire had a horrible teenage life when she found out what her step father was up to. He made her life a complete nightmare until she met her mates and moved away. It wasn't until recently that she told her mates what her mother and step father had done to her and how scared she was that they would find her again. 

Then all at once, she finds her biological father who never knew about her and some monster straight out of a nightmare comes for her. Plus her mother is up to her old tricks, making trouble for her once again. 

Her brothers, mates and her bio father and his family all rally around her in an attempt to keep the monster from getting to her. I really liked the interaction between her and her mates. They are very protective of her and I really liked how they all got along. 

Her father is really interesting and I liked finding out more about him. There are a lot of characters in this book and at times it felt like there were too many people to keep track of. The story did seem to slow down in some parts but then would speed back up and keep my attention for a while. 

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. 

Disclosure: I received this book for free via NetGalley but all opinions are my own. 

Review: Alien Intention by Cara Bristol

Book Description

Our attraction unleashes a perfect storm…

I’m Stormy Weathers. My love life on Earth is one natural disaster after the other. I’m attracted to bad boys, rebels, commitment-phobes. In a crowd of choirboys, I’ll manage to find the jerk. All I want is a man who’ll love me and my young son, so I’m going to an icy planet to become an alien’s mail-order bride. This time will be different! The chemistry I feel with Romando is electric. It doesn’t matter what my sister or her mate or their tribe says, mutual attraction this strong can’t be wrong, so I’ll do anything to get him…

I’m Romando, an outcast in my own tribe. One rash, angry act turned me into a pariah and almost got me banished. But what everyone resents the most is that I’m one of the lucky few who’ll be getting a mate. The instant Stormy Weathers blows into Dakon with the other Earth females, my horns tingle. She is meant for me, but I resist the instinct to claim her. You see, she’s related to my nemesis responsible for my outcast state. Honor and pride dictate that I reject her as a suitable mate before she undermines my good intentions. If only I could get her out of my mind…

Alien Intention is a steamy, humorous alien mail-order bride romance set on an ice planet. It's a standalone read in the Alien Mate series.

My Review

Earth traded human women for rocks in the Terra-Dakon Goodwill Exchange Program. Illuvian ore could power anything and the people of Earth wanted as much of it as they could get. After an asteroid hit Dakon and sent it into an ice age and also killing off many of its inhabitants, they were in search of females to keep their species going. Many of the single females of Earth were eager to leave and meet their new alien mates. Stormy has a young son and is hoping to meet a male on Dakon who will treat her and her son right and maybe even be happy. 

As soon as Romando sees Stormy, he knows she is his but there are those on his planet that don't want them together. One other Earth female makes things a lot harder than they should have been and for some reason has it out for Stormy. So while Stormy and Romando don't end up together right away, they all see the error of their ways soon enough and they do end up together as mates. 

While they are getting to know one another, other are plotting to make sure they are exiled or worst. Things shouldn't have been as bad and complicated as they were but it was all because a few people couldn't be happy for themselves and mind their own business. But I loved Stormy and Romando and was so glad that they ended up together. I'm really enjoying this series and plan to read more from this author soon. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Happy Raturday!

*Picture courtesy of Anisah Grace Hanna*

"We has a teddy bear."

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

Apartment Life #70

This is a new weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 20 years that we've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 20 years here in a weekly blog post.

Last week the apartment right next to me got a 3 day eviction notice after having a 30 day notice and not fighting it in court. The Constable came and locked them out on Friday. They came back with a U-Haul that weekend and got all their stuff. These people are meth users. I know this because they told anyone who would listen about their problem. The male half was the old apartment manager's son and the female was his girlfriend. She also had 4 kids living with her part time. The male left after his mom left (she had medical issues and couldn't do the job any longer) and then the female's brother moved in with her and they didn't pay the rent. So they got evicted. #buhbye 

This week a neighbor across from me who sells drugs from his apartment got a 30 day eviction notice on his door and has been loudly complaining to everyone that he's done nothing to get kicked out. The manager told him that he'd been warned about his loud music, people coming to his apartment all hours of the day and night and having up to 10 homeless and/or drug users staying in his apartment all the time and having fights all the time. He was demanding to know who complained about him and the manager said she couldn't give him that information. 

The manager is actually doing what she said she would do and is getting rid of all the trouble makers that all seem to be in my courtyard. He was warned several times so he only has himself to blame for being evicted. I don't feel bad for him at all. #Goodriddance 

Besides that drama, there's nothing else to report this week. It was pretty quiet around here for once. If all the drama causers get evicted, I'll have nothing to report here each week! lol I think I can live with that though. 

Cross your fingers that the new people that move in are not crazy. 

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more.

Early Review: Salvatore by Cecy Robson

Book Description

Desperate men do desperate things . . .

Salvatore Romero is a dangerous man. If you’ve lived the life Sal has, rage is to be expected and maybe so is heart. After his father killed his mother in a jealous rage, Sal was left to raise his two younger brothers, becoming a parent long before he was ready.

Desperate for money to support his family, Sal sought help from his old friend, Vincent Maggiano, the son of New Jersey’s top crime boss being groomed to take over his ailing father’s empire.

Sal never planned to join the mob. He also never planned to fall for his brother's sweet and ultra conservative counselor, Adrianna Daniels.  

Aedry isn’t the type of girl Sal is usually drawn to. Her skirts are longer, her hair is tamer, and her heels aren’t clear. But he can’t deny the attraction he feels. And Salvatore’s dark, sexy, and dangerous persona is the exact opposite of the clean-cut business men who usually catch Aedry’s attention.

Neither planned on a life of crime nor did they plan on love. But now, both are in too far.

My Review

I don't read a lot of genre's other than PNR most of the time but there are some authors that I just love their writing style and this happens to be one of those authors, so I knew I was going to request this book as soon as I saw it on NetGalley. 

Sal's story broke my heart. When he and his younger brothers were kids, their father killed their mother. And I thought, Oh hell, this story is gonna make me cry. I felt so bad for the kids, especially Sal since he was the oldest and he wanted to take care of his brothers. The entire child welfare system is messed up and would rather break up a family than help them stay together. So when Sal's friend, Vincent helps him keep his family together, he's now indebted to him. It wouldn't be so bad if Vincent wasn't the son of a major mob boss and was slotted to take over the family business at some point. 

Sal ends up working for the mob and it's a bad world, a bad time and a bad life but he's keeping his brother's safe so that's all that matters to him. Sal has done a lot of things but he's never killed anyone...yet. But if Vincent gets his way and Sal takes the new position as his bodyguard, he will probably have to kill someone since the other mob bosses are coming after Vincent when he takes over the family business. Things seem to be going on as normal as ever but Sal and his brothers have gotten really close to the boys guidance counselor, Adrianna Daniels. Watching Sal and Aedry get to know one another was almost sad at first. He's really not used to someone normal like her and he messes up a bit before they finally start getting along.

Sal has been so careful not to get involved with anyone who could be hurt by what he does but Vincent finds out about her and uses her to try and get Sal to do what he wants. As soon as Adrianna meets Vincent, she knows that there's more to the man than just a regular boss and Sal knows that she might be in danger if he steps out of line with Vincent.

I was a little mad at Sal for ever getting involved with her in the first place knowing who he associates himself with and what he does. He put her in danger. I was wondering how this was going to end. How they were going to get their HEA or if they were. Then in the span of a few pages everything changes. That twist happened so fast, it left my jaw on the floor for a few seconds. I actually had to go back and re-read what just happened. I never saw that ending coming but it was great! 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

This book will be available on March 13th, 2019. 

Disclosure: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and 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 great samples at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received:

A full size pack of Seeds of Change Quinoa & Brown Rice.
A sample of Pawtree Paw Pairings Superfood Seasoning for dogs and cats- chicken live medley flavor.

The quinoa and brown rice was already cooked, all you had to do was heat it up and serve. I have to say that it was good. I like quinoa and brown rice but not garlic and this had some garlic in it but it wasn't over powering. It wasn't bad at all.

The Paw Pairings was a food seasoning that you sprinkle on top of your dog or cat food. I put it on Falcor's food and he ate it. He liked it just fine.

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Review: Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews

Book Description

Nevada Frida Baylor and Connor Ander Rogan cordially invite you to join their wedding celebration. Summoning, weather manipulation, and other magical activities strictly forbidden.

Catalina Baylor is looking forward to wearing her maid of honor dress and watching her older sister walk down the aisle.  Then the wedding planner gets escorted off the premises, the bride’s priceless tiara disappears, and Rogan's extensive family overruns his mother’s home.  Someone is cheating, someone is lying, and someone is plotting murder.

To make this wedding happen, Catalina will have to do the thing she fears most: use her magic.  But she’s a Baylor and there’s nothing she wouldn't do for her sister's happiness.  Nevada will have her fairy tale wedding, even if Catalina has to tear the mansion apart brick by brick to get it done.

My Review

I've never read this author before but a blogger buddy sent this book to me and I thought, why the heck not. I read series out of order all the time and this is a quick read, it should be fine. 

First of all let me tell you that I did feel a little lost because I haven't read this series so I really didn't know who these characters were but I still read it. 

Nevada is getting married and her sister, Catalina has to step in to make sure things go as planned and see if she can fix things that might make this a bad day. The groom's mother wants Catalina to locate a tiara she wants Nevada to wear at her wedding. But in order to find the missing tiara, Catalina will have to use her magic which she doesn't use because she's scared to. 

There's quite a few interesting characters in this novella and I thought the story moved quite well for such a quick read. Now I'm gonna have to start this series and find out more about these characters. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Favorite Picture of the Week

We had snow in Las Vegas this week...twice!

The snow actually stuck to the roofs and cars and some on the ground.

We hardly ever get snow in Vegas. Last time was 8 years ago. I thought it was funny to see snow on the pine cones so I took a picture of it.

Falcor was not amused and tried to hide under the bushes.

He didn't like walking in the snow and kept sniffing it.

And here's a picture of my new makeup brush holder I bought for my birthday this month. I absolutely love it. 

Review: The Wayward bride by Anna Bradley

Book Description

In only six weeks, Isla Ramsey is due to marry Henry Northrup, the sixth Earl of Sydney. But she remains haunted by memories of the dashing Hugh Courtney, the Marquess Pierce. The handsome aristocrat had hinted at forever and then tossed her aside, leaving Isla with few viable options. Now, as she awaits her new fiancé’s arrival from London, she rides her horse past Hugh’s estate at Hazelwood every day, pining for a man who was never truly hers. 

Hugh Courtney may have left Isla’s life, but he can’t erase her from his thoughts. When he rescues her from a sudden snowstorm, they are forced to take shelter together at his private estate. In such close quarters there is no escaping each other. Yet no man wants a reckless wife—or a woman promised to another. As fate draws Isla further into his world, Hugh vows to keep her out of his bedchamber. However, some vows are meant to be broken . . .

My Review

Isla set out on her own for a ride even though the sky looked like it would open up and drench her at any moment. She had hoped to spot her betrothed in his carriage coming for her but there wasn't any sign of him. She had snuck out even though she had told her sister in law that she wouldn't because it didn't seem safe to ride in bad weather.

Henry is her betrothed but it's Hugh that tends to keep her mind occupied at times, especially when she rides by his estate. So while she's out on her ride, the horse gets spooked and runs off further into the woods, getting them lost. Hugh and her brother go out looking for her and Hugh finds her and brings her back to his estate. 

While Isla is recuperating at Hugh's estate, Henry is having some problems of his own which is why he never showed up for her when she expected him to. But He's found himself admiring and attracted to someone else, which is a problem for him. 

I really liked the double story lines that were going on in this book. It was really two different romances going on at the same time which was fun to read. Hugh and Isla were fun to watch and it was fun to see them find each other again after they thought they were going to have to spend their lives apart with other people. Henry's story was a surprise but I liked the addition of it and how his story played out. 

I don't usually read historical romance much these days but I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and it sounded pretty good so I figured I'd give it a go. It was a good read and I had a good time with it. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Happy Raturday!

"It's not fair that you get to wear a shirt and I don't, so I'm borrowing yours."

"Resting bitch face, I has it."

"This is my cookie, you move along now."

All of these pictures were of my rats, Flower and Marbles.

Apartment Life #69

This is a new weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 20 years that we've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 20 years here in a weekly blog post.

A couple of months ago the police parked their cars at the end of the street, and they stood in the middle of the street stopping every single car that tried to drive down our street. They made that car across the street pull over to the side of the road and she was there a while answering questions and showing her paperwork. 

Everyone that came out of their apartments and got in their car was also stopped before they could get off our street. I took these pictures out of my bedroom window because the police at the end of the street were also trying to talk to people that came outside. So Ken went out to walk the dog and he talked to them. They said they have had so many calls to this street and the apartment complexes in the past year that they decided to have a heavier presence here for a while. They're found a few stolen cars on this street too so there's that. They were checking to make sure people had up to date car insurance, drivers licenses and car papers. They also drove by and it looked like they were running all of the license plates. 

I didn't see anyone get arrested and no one seemed to have a problem talking to them. Maybe most of the people around here are sick of the gun shots late at night being fired into the air, the drug dealers and domestic disputes or the idiots speeding down our street.

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more.

Review: DegustaBox Monthly Subscription Box- February

DegustaBox is a monthly subscription box filled with food and drink products. The price for the box is $19.99 a month.  

You do not get to pick any of the products you get, it's a surprise each month. But they say each box contains 10-15 items and each box is worth at least $30. I like trying boxes like this because they usually contain products that I've never tried or haven't seen before.

What was in this months box?

Manitou Trading Company- Truffle, Parmesan and Black Garlic seasoning. 

Manitou Trading Company- Piri Piri Sauce. 

Just Add- Guacamole mix-3

Raindrops Candy Taco- Gummi Candy. 

PB- Powdered Peanut Butter-4

Sourdough Craft Pretzel Rings. 

Bean Smash-Bean Dip-2

Popcorners- Spicy Queso Chips-2

Emmy's Organics- Coconut Vanilla Bean Cookies. 

I didn't care for the truffle seasoning. It has garlic and parmesan in it and I don't like either of those things but Ken liked it so it's still a win. I didn't care for the guacamole mix either. I like my own guacamole that I make. This wasn't bad, it just wasn't to my liking. 

The coconut cookies and sourdough pretzels were my favorite things in this box. The bean dips were good and that surprised me. The gummi candy I shared with my grandson and we both liked it. I haven't tried the Piri Piri sauce yet. The queso chips were spicy but good. I'm not sure what I'll use that peanut butter powder for yet.

So for the most part this was a really good box.

I just want to point out this candy taco. I thought this was kinda cute.

When I took the wrapper off, it looked like a taco filled with candy.

When I opened it, the 'shell' was cardboard and the gummi candy inside was all different kinds.

Here's the different shapes of gummies that were in this. I ate a couple and they were good gummies and then saved the rest of them for my grandson who I knew was coming over the next day. How cute was this?

So it looks like this will be the last DegustaBox that I'll be getting. I received an email from them saying that they were pausing shipments and this will be the last box. If they start up again I'll probably get this box again since I really liked it. 

Have you tried any of these products?

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 great samples at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received:

Full size bottles of Dove shampoo, conditioner and hairspray from Crowdtap.

I love this brand of shampoo and conditioner so I'm happy to review it on the Crowdtap site.

And I won an Oreo Creamer in an instant win game.

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Review: Walmart Beauty Box- *February 2019*

The Walmart Beauty box is a subscription box that comes out 4 times a year. You sign up for it and it comes automatically every 3 months. These boxes are just $5 each and shipping is free.

I was pretty happy to see some interesting things in this box when I opened it. 

What as in this box:

Fructis hair mask

Makeup bag

Garnier night mask

Black charcoal bubble mask

Olay Daily Facials

Curel Wet Skin Moisturizer

Collagen Kiss Lip mask

I've tried the black charcoal bubble mask before and while it leaves my skin soft, those sheet masks are strange. I love the Fructis hair masks. It's like a deep conditioner for your hair. The Garnier night mask is a face cream that does smell good and it works great as a moisturizer. I'm sure that Collagen Kiss lip mask is another pair of jelly lips that my husband will laugh at me for wearing. lol 

I've never tried the Olay Daily Facials but I love Olay products so I'm looking forward to that. The Curel Wet Skin Moisturizer is something I've tried before and liked. And I can always use another makeup bag. It's cute so I'm sure I'll find something to put inside it.

I was really happy with all the samples. I've tried the Fructis, sheet mask and Garnier before but everything else is either a new scent or a brand that I haven't used before. I think for $5 this is a really good deal.

Do you have a subscription to this box? Are you thinking of signing up for one now?

Review: Unforsaken by Cassie Laelyn

Book Description

Hidden deep in the Snowy Mountains, lives a brotherhood of immortal Guardians, banished from the Heavens. 

After centuries of exile, Head Guardian Raven can taste Hell. One wrong move could destroy his soul. When Fate assigns him a female mortal to protect, his forbidden desire becomes a distraction he can't afford. Giving in to temptation risks plummeting into the fiery pits of Hell, dragging her along with him. 

Tayla Eason is on the run, escaping a horrific attack on her life. When she lands in the arms of the sexy, alluring man who saved her, the shadows of her past swiftly close in. But when Fate throws a twist, Tayla's forced to choose between saving Raven's soul or fleeing before the creatures strike again. 

In an ultimate test of love, the two must battle against the almighty Fate. But will it be enough to save them both?

My Review

Tayla is a chosen, a rare mortal created by fate to fulfill an extraordinary destiny, in the end tipping the scales back in fate's favor. She has no idea that she's a chosen or that she's on the path that fate wants her on but the fallen keep coming after her and she's a bit jumpy because of it.

Fallen were angels who chose to fall and live in hell and all they did was find souls like the chosen and lure them to the dark side. Souls that were lured to the dark side tore apart fate's plans. 

Raven is the guardian that fate had chosen to keep Tayla alive so she could fulfill her destiny. But because he's been around her so much, he slowly begun to have feelings for her even though he knows he can never act on them. 

Raven has been good about keeping his distance even when he has to save her from the fallen that are after her. But when she almost dies again, he makes the decision to bring her to their home and that one decision changes everything for them. She sees him for the first time that she can remember and finds herself very much attracted to him. Which makes it really hard for him to keep a safe distance from her and not get involved with her. 

When Tayla's destiny is finally laid out for us, I had no idea that's what it would be but it made sense. I really liked getting to know Raven and the others who lived with him. Getting some back story into some of their lives and how the fallen are created was interesting. I'm not sure how I feel about fate yet, she seems very devious and under handed in the way she handles things and in the deals she makes. Some of their suffering seems very callous on her part and I didn't care for that. But it made for an interesting story and I'm sure that when each of these characters get their own books, well have a better understand as to why fate acts the way she does. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Disclosure: I received this book for free via NetGalley but all opinions are my own. 

Recipe: Roasted Chicken Breast and Vegies

I've been trying to eat a little more low carb since that seems to be bringing my A1C down. I'm diabetic and this time last year my A1C was 11.1 and right now I have it down to 7.1 but my doctor would like to have it down a little bit more. So 4-5 nights a week I've been eating more vegetables, salad and cutting the rice, potatoes and pasta out of my dinners. 

Ken liked what I was making for myself so he's been eating what I've been making too. 1-2 nights a week I still eat a little pasta, some rice or a small potato but it seems like what I've been doing is working along with the medicine I'm on. 

For this all I did was sprinkle a little olive oil on some bell pepper, onion, carrots, a chicken breast and broccoli and sprinkle some salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and mesquite seasoning on everything and bake in a 400F oven for 30 minutes. That chicken breast was pretty big so Ken and I halved it between us with the vegetables.

It's pretty easy to eat low carb, especially if you like vegetables.