Identity Discovery

#MovieNight: Rogue One #starwars #disney

2016-12-16T10:28:00.001-05:00

Rogue One review

Last night Santa Claus came early and I was able to attend a private screening of Rogue One: A Star Wars story with my wife and oldest child. Since I am totally addicted to Star Wars, this was basically a dream come true, right under getting a well fitted, custom made, real-life Darth Vader suit!

And what an awesome Christmas present Rogue One was! Overall the film was great, hitting all the things that make Star Wars fantastic while still containing its own individuality, clutching tightly to the mythos while telling a tail it's story of war, redemption, and most importantly (and blatantly, at times) Hope.

Rogue One displays a wide range of characters, both well done and a little bland at points. K-2SO (voiced by Alan Tudyk) is the star of the movie, with a unique outlook on most of the key plot points, and a charm all of its own. The playful interactions between Chirrut Imwe (played by Donne Yen) and Baze Malbus (played by Jiang Wen) conveyed the deep history between the two characters without taking away from the movie itself. However, I found that Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) was pretty flat throughout the whole movie, with a couple of failed attempts at getting the audience to care about him. Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) character was entertaining throughout the film, but I felt she was a little lack luster at points in the film. None of the characters were so poorly done that I despised them or anything, some of the just felt a little dull.

What some of the characters of Rogue One lack, the visual candy of the movie makes up for. The landscapes of the movie are breath taking, carrying with them as much feel and emotion as any of the characters. I found every seen to fit the story atmosphere incredibly, framing the movie with epic details and bright vivid emotion. With the small exception of the fact that there are a lot of desert planets in the Star Wars universe. Lots and lots of sand, everywhere. Rogue One also does a pretty admirable attempt at bridging the gap between the end of the prequel trilogy and the beginning of the original one, without feeling like that was the underlying goal of the film. Excluding the obvious reference that is Saw Gerrera, there are a couple other subtle references throughout the film which I particularly liked.

Overall I found Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to be a thoroughly enjoyable film filled with vibrant landscapes, awesome battle scenes, and great references to the existing movie franchise. As mentioned above, I did feel like some of the characters were a little flatter than others, but there is only so much character building that can be done in two hours. Rogue One was an awesome movie that, without a doubt, enriches the universe in a unique way.

I just hope I can get to see it three more times in the theater. Or four!

~Review written by my husband~

#ProductReview: Kidecals Personalized Labels @kidecals

2016-11-22T22:24:00.000-05:00

If you have kids, you will find that there are times when you just want to write your kid's name across the front of their stuff so they know it is there's and so other people don't take it. Heck, you may feel this way about your own things whether you have kids or not. Most of the time using a permanent marker really isn't the best choice even though I know I do it. Permanent marker on some items will eventually rub or wash off, so it isn't even that permanent of an option. I remember using one of those label guns back in the '80's that made small strip labels that weren't very flexible and nearly impossible to remove later on. I love it. I labeled all my things. I haven't seen one of those guns in ages though, so I have looked for other labeling options. You can print your own in your own printer, but they will eventually be no good. So the labels need to be made of something that doesn't easily rip or fade.

Kidecals has a solution to this dilemma. Their labels are flexible/malleable without tearing easily or disintegrating in the wash. They are dishwasher safe, washer safe, dryer safe, and microwave safe. With all those options, it is pretty safe to say that they are fridge and freezer safe, but don't hold me to that. You might be thinking, "How can they be washer and dryer safe?" They recommend that you put them on the tags of clothing because they will hold better there, but you can actually put them say on the inside of a jacket and wash the jacket. Your label should stay put. I can't tell you what they are made out of, but they are BPA free. They feel like vinyl, but I don't think that is what they are.

I have been sticking my labels on all kinds of things. We have a lot of gadgets in our house, so I immediately thought to put them on those. I put them on our sippy cups so we don't lose them when we go out. They are inside of my kids jackets since we are in that awkward season where you need a jacket in the morning, but not always in the afternoon. I labeled various school items for my kindergartner. If your kids go to daycare, you can put these labels on literally everything you are required to take to daycare.

On the kidecals.com website, you can completely customize labels to fit any need. Simply pick out the type of label you want and select customize. They have labels specifically for keyboards, canning jars, walls, school, by gender, by activity, etc. There are tons of options. You can write anything on them, change the size of the font, and even change the color scheme. Use them to advertise food allergies, personal issues like autism, home addresses, and anything else you can think. Those are some of the options that I think would be extremely helpful. You can put an allergy sticker on you child's shirt every time they go somewhere if it is something severe enough that everyone should know. It could be something that saves your child's life.

Overall I love these labels. I didn't know what all to demonstrate in my video for you, so I showed you what happened when it went through the dishwasher. I wanted to demonstrate how waterproof they are and how well they stay in place.

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#ProductReview: Halloween Haunters Standing Strobe Reaper Prop #HalloweenHaunters

2016-10-19T23:13:00.001-04:00

I love Halloween! It is a tie between Halloween and Christmas for my favorite holidays. I just LOVE to decorate and collect things to decorate with. Christmas is all about homemade crafts, but Halloween is all about the crazy things I can put on my porch and lawn. My kids absolutely love the things that make a lot of noise and if I can set them up to turn on automatically, even better. That's why the Halloween Haunters decorations by TCP Global are perfect for us. In exchange for my honest opinion, I received their Standing Strobe Reaper Prop. There are a lot of different things available, but I liked this one the best.

The reaper comes with everything you need to use it immediately in my video, you will see me take it out of the box, set it up, and immediately use him. Actually, you'll also get to see me fumble around trying to figure out what activates him which takes a little time. You will want to see the whole video though because I turned him on to surprise my son and his friends when they got off the bus. So you get to see three six year olds see it working for the first time in daylight. Anyway, he stands five feet tall. I have him on my porch so he is actually taller than most kids and the same height as the adults that will be walking by for trick or treating. He comes with the poles and stand to stand him upright. His head and arms are repositionable. We ended up eventually putting a hand on the porch railing to help keep him standing up when it is really windy. Otherwise, he stands perfectly. He is mostly made of a really long cloth that covers the stand, but inside of the cloth is his rib cage. I was a little surprised by the rib cage until I turned him on. There is a light inside the rib cage so when he turns on, the ribs are visible through his robe. There are holes cut in the robe that make almost a face. My son had to point that out to me. The head and hands are plastic, but he has lights in his eyes so they turn on as well. He makes scary laughing noises too. The sounds last about a minute.

Now, how he is activated...I thought it was a motion sensor at first, but the sensor is in the back of him which didn't make sense to me. You cannot move the sensor at all. It is sewn into the robes, which is great because you won't pull the cords out of it when you move it around or store it at the end of Halloween. Instead of being motion sensor, it is a sound sensor. If you clap loudly near him, he will go off. I haven't hand him go off from someone talking near him though, so the noise does need to be reasonably loud. I am putting a skull near him that does have a motion sensor so when the skull goes off, it will activate the reaper. We will have a chain of effects going off, but I think it is pretty cool.

He's really sturdy and made of really nice quality materials. My kids play with him every time they go outside and he is still working two weeks later. He came with batteries, which I believe were two double A's. So it doesn't take a lot to keep him powered. I really love him. I wish I could get more items and I really wish I had a tree in the yard because they make a ton of things that hang. We are going to plant a tree this spring, so in the future I will slowly be collecting more items from the Halloween Haunters collection for my tree.

You can purchase the Halloween Haunters Standing Strobe Reaper Prop from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JBD42C8

#ProductReview: Best 60 colored gel pens ink rainbow art set #promotion

2016-10-15T21:57:00.001-04:00

Having a wide range of colors for pens is something that I am very happy to have. Fly Pen has supplied me with a set of 60 different colored gel pens in exchange for my honest opinion. This set comes with its own carrying case that rolls up and ties in order to allow you to carry them with you.

There are several types of pens in the set. You have pretty much every color you could need. There are metallics, glitters, neons, and standard colors. I will say that the pens are not labeled so it is kind of hard to figure out which are which. The caps help a little, but I do wish that there was something a little more obvious. The glitter pens have little white dots on the pen casing, so those are easy to identify. The neon colors and standard colors are subject to your opinion on what is actually neon. I decided to organize them in the carrying case so that the neon colors and standard colors are grouped by the color itself, i.e. reds, pinks, blues, etc.

The case, that you can see in the first picture, appears to be made out of a nylon or burlap material. The pens fit rather snugly in most of the case and perfectly in about a fifth of the spots. The pens come already in the case and they are in the slots alternating directions. For instance, the cap will be at the top for the first pen and the second will have the cap at the bottom inside of the little pocket flap. That flap is there to help keep the pens from sliding out when you have it rolled up. This method of storing the pens is so that the caps don't all line up causing the pens not to fit.

Writing with them is a breeze. They appear to have a small roller ball in the tip. They write very smoothly. They also will write on pretty much anything. I want them because the number one thing I want to write on is Aida cloth. If you don't know what that is, it is for cross stitching. I have been cross stitching Christmas stockings for my family and it is way easier if I draw the pattern on the cloth ahead of time. Using different colored pens helps me to identify what color floss I need to use while cross stitching. They work wonderfully for my crafts.

Overall, the pens are great, but I wish they had a color or type written on them to help identify them easier. Also, the carrying case, while extremely handy, needs to be a little longer so that the pens can be put in it a little easier.

You can purchase the Best 60 colored gel pens ink rainbow art set by Fly Pen from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FPSCNLU

#ProductReview: Onairmall Moon Love Heart Luminous Necklace #GlowInTheDarkNecklace

2016-10-03T21:07:00.000-04:00

Halloween is just around the corner. It's time to stock up on things that can be used for decorations or costumes. Every year that I was of trick-or-treating age, my mom would dress up as a witch. She had a hat, black robe, and witch's nose that she would use gum glue to hold onto her face. She even painted her face green. I figure that there will come a day when I do the same thing and reuse the same costume over and over to take my kids out trick-or-treating. Onairmll has supplied me with the perfect necklace for my future witch costume in exchange for my honest opinion. It is a silver looking moon with a dangling heart that has a stone that glows in the dark. I have received no other compensation for this review.

This necklace is made of copper with white gold plating. It comes with the chain which is approximately 16 inches with an inch and a half extension. It has a crab claw clasp. The pendant itself is fairly sturdy, but I wouldn't wear it all the time. Being that it is made from a soft metal, it can be bent and possibly broken. A great piece to wear with a costume though. The little dangling heart is made like a locket. If the ring that holds it on the moon ever breaks, it can come open causing you to lose the glow in the dark stone. I would be careful with that portion. On the other hand, you can use this knowledge to change out the colored stone as well.

I found that when I left it under the lights in my kitchen, it glowed at night, but it was very subtle. Instead, it works better if you let it soak up sunlight. I hung it on my canopy outside and let it soak up sun for a whole day and it glowed bright enough to capture in my video. It's not super bright. Someone standing ten feet away probably would not be able to see it. However, it has a very nice glow. You will have to look at the video carefully. I could not get my camera to focus on is while I was wearing it in the dark, so no good glowing pictures of me wearing it.

You can purchase Onairmall Moon Love Heart Luminous Necklace from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I1FAC94

#ProductReview: Christmas Santa Toilet Seat Cover #seatcover

2016-09-26T21:23:00.002-04:00

It may seem a little early to be considering purchasing things for Christmas, but for me, I shop all year round. I look at the Christmas decorations when I go to yard sales. I am currently cross-stitching a Christmas stocking for my youngest because I want it finished in time to use for this Christmas. I love Christmas and that's why I wanted to do this review. I have a half bathroom on the first floor of my house which is the bathroom pretty much every visitor uses. I have always wanted to completely overhaul it for my Christmas Eve Party, but I really didn't know what I wanted to do with it. Well I have been supplied with one Christmas Santa Toilet Seat Cover set that will now be my solution to this dilemma.

This is a four piece set. It includes the actual toilet seat cover, a rug for around the bottom of the toilet, a cover for the top of the toilet and a Kleenex box cover. It is made out of 100% polyester according to the tags. It feels a lot like felt though for most of it. The beard for Santa is a different material, but I couldn't tell you exactly what that is. Important to note is that it says dry clean only. You cannot wash any of the pieces in you home washing machine. I think that is because some of the embellishments re hot glued on instead of sewn. For me, that restricts me to using the decoration for only my Christmas Eve party until my little kids get bigger. I'm potty training my middle child, so I'm afraid accidents will ruin it if I leave it out for the entire holiday season. It's a really cute design.

I love Santa's face and the top part of the set, when you actually have a kleenex box in use will look like Santa's hat. You need the kleenex to show the white tuft on the hat. I don't keep kleenex in my bathroom because it is game for my kids to pull all the pieces out of it.

My biggest complaint, other than my kids not letting me use it for the entire month of December, is that the piece that goes on top of the toilet is really big. It has elastic to hold it on the toilet top, but it just appears stretched out when it is hanging over it. I realize that this design it to make sure it will fit on nearly every style of toilet, but Santa's face is a bit tight to get on and I know that there are different sized toilet lids. It seems like the toilet top part should be a tight fit too. It's really a minor complaint. It still looks good all together in the bathroom.

A note about the rug, it does have some kind of padding inside of it. Just a little bit of foam to cushion your feet. The underneath is a piece of cloth that feels a little thin to me. It has those little rubber non-slip dots on it to help hold it in place. It's super cute. Just try not to get anything on it since you have to dry clean it.

I really love the design. I wish it were machine washable so I could use it more.

You can purchase this Christmas Santa Toilet Seat cover from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P66DBS6

#ProductReview: Jar, Bottle & Can Opener By PumpkinStore #jaropenerpumpkinstore

2016-09-01T21:33:00.001-04:00

My dad used to say that if you gave him a lever long enough, he could move the world. Of course you need more than just the lever, but you get the idea. Well I know lots of people that have trouble opening bottles and jars because they just can't get a good grip on the lids. You need some way to give yourself more leverage in order to twist those lids off. Here's the solution for most household jars, bottles, and cans: PumpkinStore's Jar, Bottle, & Can Opener.

The idea behind this device is that you put fit the lid into the opener into the hole where it fits tightly. You don't go with the hole that is too big because you need the opener to be able to squeeze tightly on the lid. There are four different sized holes. If your container looks like it could just barely fit in a hole, you can spread the handles in order to make it fit which will actually help with opener in. Once the lid is fit in the device, you squeeze the handles together where it is it most comfortable for your hand, twist, and open the container. There are grooves in the handle to make it more comfortable for your hand and fingers. It is also coated in food grade polypropylene and rubber to make it non-slip.

I got this with my mom in mind. For people who have arthritis, doing something as simple as opening a jar can be nearly impossible. She has arthritis really bad in her hands and can barely open jars and bottles. This will give her the leverage she needs and a wide enough grip that she will actually be able to open things again. I will be giving her something that most of us take for granted. She hasn't had a chance to try it out, but I tried it out on four different containers. I really don't understand what cans you would use it on because the different between a can and a jar to me is that a jar has a lid and cans do not. Somehow it can be used on cans though.

You can purchase Jar, Bottle, & Can Opener by PumpkinStore from Amazon at

#ProductReview: IHome | 5 Ft Purple - Nylon Shielded 2-in-1 Android Micro USB 2.0 & iPhone Lightning Cable #ihome

2016-08-27T21:58:00.002-04:00

I recently took a chest of seven drawers and turned it into my charging station for all of our electronic devices. They had been plugged in all around the house, but mostly in my kitchen where I constantly worried about them getting ruined when I was cooking. There are five of us in the house, so we each have our own drawer and then there's a drawer for extra cords and a drawer for the plugs. I am currently trying to find USB surge protectors to review to use instead of the power strips I currently have because that would just make life so much easier. Until that happens I have been replacing the shorter charging cords with longer ones so that it isn't too difficult to plug in each of our devices. Honestly, if I had really thought it through, I would have put all the plugs in the drawer in the middle instead of the bottom one and this would be mush less of a problem. Anyway, the longest cord that I have seen is the five foot IHome Nylon Shielded 2-in-1 Android Micro USB 2.0 and iPhone Lightning Cable. They have supplied me with the purple version in exchange for my honest opinion. I have received no other compensation for this review.

The pictures show you my chest of drawers. The cords are all plugged into the surge protectors (power strips) in the bottom drawer and then run up behind the drawers and into the drawer it needs to be in. I have velcro strips behind each drawer to hold the cordsalong the back because some were getting caught on the corners of the drawers. This also makes it easier to locate each cord when then accidentally fall behind the drawer. I have at least two cords per drawer and believe it or not, my laptop even fits in it. However, I obviously used the longest Android Micro cords to stretch to the top drawers and left the shorter ones for the bottom drawers. My Daughter's drawer has been a constant problem. The longest cord I had barely reached into her drawer. With the IHome cable, I seriously considered rearranging all of the cords and using it with the topmost drawer because it not only reaches into my daughter's drawer, but also sticks out about three feet from it. Since it is purple though, her favorite color, the cord remains in her drawer for her kindle fire. The excess cords just makes it so she can sit at the dining room table and have the tablet plugged in while she plays it.

The cord is coated in nylon which makes it sturdier than most cords. I would highly recommend using one of these in your vehicle. It is so easy to have your phone plugged in while driving and then tug a little too hard on it thus causing the rubber coating to break. I have exposed the underlying wires of at least three cords while using them in my truck. Some of that is because they get too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter which damages the integrity of the rubber. Mostly though it is from the cords being tugged on. The nylon coating *should* prevent that from happening. I know that I love having it be used for my daughter's tablet because she never actually unplugs it. She just pulls on the tablet until it comes free. That has also damaged a cord or two. The IHome cord has yet to be damaged. Every device that I have plugged into has charged just fine, but I can honestly tell you that I have no idea how long it takes to charge anything. I couldn't tell you those numbers even with their original cords so it doesn't really matter to me how long it takes as long as the device it charged in the morning when I unplug it. So far, everything that has been plugged in has gone from completely dead to fully charged over night.

Now, I don't have any iDevices that use a lightning cable. So I honestly cannot tell you how well the lightning cable portion of it works. I do really love how they have both the Android Micro USB 2.0 plug and the lightning cable plug connected in one single string. They are connected using a piece of elastic. The Android plug fits inside of the Lightning cable portion without stretching the elastic. That will hopefully keep the elastic lasting longer.

I absolutely love this cable. I need at least three more...maybe more than that. With the five foot length, I will have no problems with any thing in the charging drawers being able to reach their cords. We could even open the drawers completely without worrying about them coming unplugged from the power strips below (which has happened with other cords). It comes in Navy, Black, Purple, and Pink so we can identify whose cord is whose easier. I hope they come out with even more colors though. A red and orange would be great so each family member can have their favorite color. I need them for my vehicles as well. I absolutely love this cord!

You can purchase the IHome | 5 Ft Purple - Nylon Shielded 2-in-1 Android Micro USB 2.0 & iPhone Lightning Cable (also available in other colors) From Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/iHome-Ft-Purple-Shielded-Lightning/dp/B00XI4VIHO?ie=UTF8&Version=1&entries=0

#ProductReview: 16 inch Collapsible Mesh Food Cover Tent Umbrella Set #FoodTent

2016-08-25T15:06:00.000-04:00

I realize that summer is starting to wind down and the outdoor activities are probably going to stop soon (unless you live in a warmer climate than I do), but I have a product worth looking into for the remaining outdoor activities you may have planned. Perhaps you have a Labor Day party coming. Oaklyn's 16 inch Collapsible Mesh Food Tents are perfect for such an occasion. I have received a set of four food tents in exchange for my honest opinion. I have received no other compensation for this review.

Each tent stands about 9 inches tall in the center. They say they have 16 inche square base, but I measured mine to be closer to 17 inches. Each one is white mesh which makes it easy to see inside of the tent to see what food you are protecting and so you can still smell the food as well. The mesh keeps bugs from getting to your food and may even help deter your pets from going after it as well. I have to warn you about two things though. If you put your food on a surface with holes and cover it with the tent, bugs can still get to it through the holes in the table. Seems like "Duh", but I didn't even think about the decorative holes in the middles of our picnic table and the tent didn't help completely protect the food because of it. The other thing is that they are extremely lightweight. If there's a good enough breeze, the tents can be blown off of the food. On windy days, you will want to put something on the excess mesh at the bottom to help hold the tents in place. You could even get some heavy duty magnets and just put two magnets in each corner of the tent to help weight it down.

The mesh is removable. They are an umbrella like structure so you can very carefully remove the mesh in order to wash it if ever needed. I would recommend putting the mesh in a garment bag if you ever do need to wash them just because in my experience, mesh is very easy to catch on things like buttons, zippers, or embellishments from other clothes. Getting a hole in the mesh would render the tent useless. Overall, an excellent product. I need to get magnets to weight them down for the coming windy weather, but I'm sure they will get a ton of use during our billions of fall birthdays coming up.

You can purchase Oaklyn's 16 inch Collapsible Mesh Food Cover Tents Umbrella Set from Amazon at http://amzn.to/2bZwKHY

#ProductReview: Garden Dragonfly Butterfly Stakes #Carry360

2016-08-15T22:10:00.000-04:00

I have four rose bushes in front of my house. Only one bush has been there for a while and I planted three more at the beginning of summer. Being that they are still so small, I have been wanting to fill in the flower bed with something else to take away from all the empty space. Since I didn't want other flowers to take away from my roses, I went looking for some kind of neat decoration that would not be permanent. Carry 360 has some unique ways to spice up your garden. I received a pack of twelve butterfly stakes and eight dragonfly stakes in exchange for my honest opinion. I have received no other compensation for this review.

The butterflies and dragonflies are made from plastic. They are thick enough to be sturdy against the wind and rain, but flexible enough to to look like their wings flap. The stakes and how they are held together is metal. Each one is attached to the stake using a spring so they will wiggle. Each is brightly colored and very detailed. They are very beautiful. My kids immediately thought I had real butterflies and dragonflies flying around when they saw them outside. I had every intention of removing some of the butterflies to use for decorations in my daughter's bedroom because they are completely usable for other things than just garden decorations. I didn't get that far because the kids kept trying to play with them. The ones in my rose garden have held up fantastic with torrential downpours and very high winds. They don't hold up as well when the kids are flapping their wings and running through the house. They were able to pull the wings out of a couple butterflies before their hardiness. Overall they are very well made and put together. They are perfect for decorations. If you let the kids play with them, I would keep a close eye on all the pieces. I took one off of the stake just to make sure the little metal spring didn't end up in my infant's mouth. Otherwise, they love them.

They look great in my garden. They are super easy to put into place. They hold up really well for their primary purpose.

You can purchase the Garden Dragonfly Butterfly Stakes from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Carry360-Dragonfly-Butterfly-Decorations-Multicolor/dp/B01IT81SBO?ie=UTF8&Version=1&entries=0

#ProductReview: Portable Big Bubbles Kit by BUBBLES #promotion

2016-08-13T17:42:00.000-04:00

I'm sure you've seen those giant bubbles on infomercials that look so easy to make that even your kids can do it. We have tried to make giant bubbles before and failed every time. I didn't purchase them, so I don't know if the people who had just didn't mix things properly or if there's some other error that can be made. All that mattered was that until I received my Portable Big Bubbles Kit by BUBBLES, I had never seen a giant bubble in person. I have received no compensation for this review.

This kit includes the bubble wands which are connected together with two pieces of rope similar to the "strings" you have inside of the hood of a hoodie. It also has the bubble powder which I cannot tell you what it is because they don't share that information. To use this kit you will have to also have on hand water, a big bowl, and Dawn dish soap. The box specifically says Dawn, so this may be where other giant bubbles kits have failed in the past. This is the dish soap I always use, so we had everything needed to try out this kit immediately.

To make the big bubbles, you mix 1.5 liters of water with one teaspoon of bubble powder until the powder is completely dissolved. Then you add 100mL of dawn dish soap. They also call this "1/2 disposable cup" so I just used a half cup measuring cup. It may have been more dish soap than it called for, but the bubbles worked any way. I mixed all of this with my hands in a big bowl. I wanted something big enough to dip the bubble wands into without it being too difficult for my five year old to do. You completely soak the ropes in the bubble solution, remove and pull the wands apart to start creating bubbles. We walked quickly to force air into it or spun around. It worked great. You cannot blow a bubble this big, so don't waste your breath. My kids loved making "bubble dragons" and "bubble snakes" as they called them. The bubble solution is supposed to last up to two weeks, so if you don't think you will use it all up right away, use a bowl that has a lid. Ours lasted two days because the kids couldn't get enough of making giant bubbles. They were a ton of fun and would make for a great addition to ANY party.

You can purchase Portable Big Bubbles Kit by BUBBLES from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GEZ1CYW

#ProductReview: 2 Dog Bowls Stainless Steel&Travel Dog bowl #LallyPet

2016-08-12T23:04:00.000-04:00

My dogs have been eating out of large white plastic bowls for a very long time. I have often thought that I needed to spend the money on real dog bowls for them just simply because they would be easier to eat from, but the expenditure hasn't seemed like a necessity. I have recently learned that it just might be a better option for them if I did. Well the solution came when LallyPet offered me two stainless steel dog bowls to review. I have received them in exchange for my honest opinion. I have received no other compensation for this review.

LallyPet has a set of two stainless steel dog bowls for a very reasonable price. Since you need at least two bowls, it is great. You need one for food and one for water. If you have more than one dog, you will probably need more than two. I have two dogs. I am using both bowls for their food and still using a plastic bowl for their water. Anyway, each bowl holds approximately 32 ounces. That is around two overfull cups of dog food. If you feed your dogs once or twice a day, the amount of food the bowls hold is possibly more than enough to keep them well fed and healthy. They are dishwasher safe, but since they are stainless steel, they are extremely easy to clean by hand. They also have a ring around them that is made of possible silicone that makes them non-slip. This will help those voracious eaters to not push the bowls around while eating a drinking. I know our dogs used to push bowls around everywhere, but we put the bowls on top of a box to help prevent that.

The bowls come with a 30 day money back guarantee and a three year warranty. Dogs cannot chew them up like plastic bowls. We went through several plastic bowls in the process of them growing up. Younger dogs tend to chew things a lot more and plastic bowls can cause fragments that they can swallow. It is extremely dangerous for dogs to eat plastic, not just for their digestion but also for their teeth and gums. I have had to use pliers to pull fragments out of one of my dog's gums a few times. We had to find something thick enough for them to not break into a million pieces, but even the thickest plastic bowls can have chips chewed off of them. With metal bowls, you have eliminated the fragments and created a healthier environment for all dogs.

Along with the two stainless steel bowls, you will also receive a silicone foldable travel bowl. It only holds a small amount in it, but it is enough for traveling. You probably aren't going to carry a bunch of dog food or water with you a ta time, so it only needs to hold enough to tide your dog over until you get back home. I haven't used it, to be honest. I am planning to let a friend of mine have it. She takes her dogs to a dog park all the time, but we have such a large yard and enough good sidewalks that I really don't need it. It has a spacial loop that fits over the top of a standard water bottle (like the kind you buy in the store already filled with water, so the bowl and water bottle can be carried at the same time. There is a carabiner hook on it so you can clasp it to a belt loop and not have to worry about carrying the water bottle or bowl in your hands. It is convenient and super easy to use. This is also dishwasher safe.

My dogs seem to really love the bowls. I will have to get a new water bowl for them because they have always struggled to see the water in the bowl and with stainless steel bowls, they seem to have less trouble. I am very happy with the bowls.

You can purchase these 2 Stainless Steel Dog Bowls with complimentary Travel Dog Bowl from Amazon at http://amzn.to/2awj8BR

#ProductReview: IceWabanga Ice Pop Molds #IcePop

2016-08-10T21:45:00.001-04:00

Every summer, people enjoy the wonders of popsicles. Even on the hottest day, a popsicle can cool you down enough to make the short time you are eating seem bearable. My kids love our Kroger brand ones. They don't like the name brand for some reason. I decided that maybe I should look into making some homemade popsicles so I can cut down on the amount of sugar they are getting. IceWabanga has supplied me with their Ice Pop Molds in exchange for my honest opinion. I have received no other compensation for this review.

This is a set of six plastic molds with the tray to stand them up in the freezer. They have plastic sticks with a cup shaped handle to help catch the liquid as the popsicle starts to melt. The molds are thick enough that you don't have to worry about breaking them when you go to pull out the popsicle, but I will say that depending on how cold your freezer gets, it is difficult to remove them from the molds. I was more concerned with breaking the popsicle stick than the mold itself. I could not get the popsicle out of the mold with just my hands, I had to run lukewarm water over the outside of it for a few seconds.

You will also want to make sure that you get the lid/stick on securely and don't overfill the molds. The box says to leave about half an inch of space at the top of the mold. That is so the liquid has some place to go as it expands into ice. If the lid/stick isn't securely on though, you will have the possibility to have the liquid spill out and the stick to be crooked as shown in my picture.

The box also came with two silicone push pop molds as well. I was nervous about them at first because it seemed like laying them on their sides would cause liquid to leak out. However, the cap that you put in them is a tight enough fit that nothing leaked. You definitely do not want to overfill these because you might cause the cap to pop off and then you will have a mess on your hands. I left about half an inch at the top just like with the other molds and then worked out just fine. When they are frozen solid, you have to squeeze the tube from the very bottom to push the ice pop to the top. You can bend it a little to help loosen it if needed, but you really shouldn't need to run water over it.

Perhaps the best part is that these are all dishwasher safe. I put them all in the dishwasher and they came out just fine. Be careful how you put the sticks in though because you don't want to get them stuck any where or prevent the dishwasher from running properly.

The only real issue I had with these molds lies with me. My popsicles were very hard and the flavor separated from the water in them. The was more ice on the outside and flavor in the inside. I need to learn some mixture that will keep them from separating and allow my popsicles not to be so hard. My kids liked them for a short period of time and then they would put them in a bowl to melt and drink. You can use other things to make the popsicles though. I did put yogurt in one to make frozen yogurt. That one came out wonderfully. You can use juice or even ice cream in them as well. Your imagination is your only limit.

You can purchase IceWabanga Ice Pop Molds from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/IceWabanga-Ice-Pop-Molds-Built-/dp/B01HEKZ724/

#ProductReview: #Maxam™ 31pc Drinking Game

2016-08-07T21:56:00.000-04:00

Every year since my husband and I were married, we have had a New Year's Eve party. Well every year except the one where I gave birth to my daughter. Our parties used to be the type where our friends would walk in the door and I would immediately take their car keys and hide them where only I knew where they were. Better safe than sorry I always believed. Ever since having kids, our parties have been becoming more tame. Some of it is that our friends are worried about waking the kids, or other people have brought their kids with them making it more of a family party than friends letting loose. I really want to bring back the spirit to our party though! In more ways than one! Maxam Has provided me with this opportunity with their 31pc Drinking Game. I have received no other compensation for this review.

The Maxam 31pc Drinking Game is a pretty simple one. It comes with six shot glasses, each with a different colored dot on it. Then you have four chips (game pieces) that match the colors on the shot glasses. These are your pieces for when it is your turn in the game. The colors are: black, white, green, yellow, red, and blue. It also comes with a really small six-sided die (which I will call a D6) and a little case to hold the pieces in that doubles for the platform you use during the game.

To play the game, you line up the short glasses on the back section of the game board. Fill each with whatever you want to drink. There's no rules saying that it has to be alcohol or that every glass must be filled with the same thing. Anyone can play the game whether they plan to be come inebriated or not and everyone can drink their favorite drink. I know that if our friends decided that they want to shoot vodka, my husband would have to pick a different drink because he blacks out after a small amount of vodka.

The only instructions for the game can be found on the back of the box. It's pretty simple, but I guess that it needs to be if you are playing with drunk people. Step 1: Choose your color. Step 2: Put your chip on the arrow platform and flick it with your finger so that it lands on a section of the game board. When I tried this the first time in my video, I hit it too hard and the piece went flying. Step 3: Do what the board says where your chip landed. Step 4: Have fun. It's that simple. Now, I have no idea what the D6 is really meant to be used for. I posted that question to their amazon link listed below and didn't get an answer. My assumption is that since there are six shot glasses and six players, the D6 is used to determine who is flicking their chip onto the board. Also, each person gets only four chips, so when they run out of chips, they can no longer flick their chips to determine who is drinking. Just because it is a certain person's turn does not actually mean that they will be drinking every time they go. The locations on the board say who will be drinking. The chip can land on the following options: You +1 Drink, Do 1 shot, Assign a shot, Do 2 shots, All Drink, Pass, Go Again, Do 3 Shots, Guys Drink, Shots for All, and Girls Drink. There's no explanation as to exactly what each section means so in some case, it is open to interpretation. I feel like there should be a difference between "All Drink" and "Shots for All", but we ended up playing them both as everyone had to do the shot in their colored glass.

It is a very simple game. We played until we ran out of chips to flick, but you could obviously play longer than that. We used the D6 to determine who was flicking their piece. We counted the colored shots glasses from left to right until we reached the number rolled on the D6. Whoever had that color was the one that had to flick their chip. We didn't all use alcohol to play, but for those that did, they have requested that I do not share the video. To respect their privacy and not risk endangering jobs, I have left it out of my video. So all I have for you is me talking about the game before we played and a very brief demonstration of how you flick to play. I will say that it was a bit of a slow go to get into the game. Since the only real objectives are to either get drunk or get someone else drunk, we struggled to be excited at first. As some of our friends became inebriated, it got a lot more interesting. When we play for New Year's Eve, I am going to use it in combination with another fun drinking game. I'm sure most people have heard of those movies where they repeat a certain word or phrase a crazy amount of ties and people are supposed to drink every time the word or phrase comes up. Well, I plan for us to put on one of those movies and when the word comes up, we will have someone flick to determine who has to drink. So it will become a challenge to be the firs to hear the word/phrase so they can roll the D6. Then we will see who ends up having to drink. I think it will spice up our party a ton! It's a very good game even for how simple it is. It will be a great addition to any party where the goal is to drink. If you tire of playing Quarters, this is an alternative for your festivities.

You can purchase Maxam™ 31pc Drinking Game from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Maxam-31pc-Drinking-Game-SPDG31/dp/B00I3J5IMA/ref=sr_1_1?m=A2D4DW0NZBLRX4&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1469132464&sr=1-1&keywords=B00I3J5IMA

#ProductReview: Velvety Double Brushed Microfiber Bedding (Q,Gray) #IdealLinens

2016-08-07T14:45:00.001-04:00

We recently got a new mattress for our bed and I was sad to discover that most of our sheets do not fit on the new mattress. Our old mattress was pillow top so everything we had was "deep pocket" or the likes. I was very ver y happy to discover Ideal Linens looking for reviewers of their velvety double brushed microfiber bedding sets. They have supplied me with one queen set in exchange for my honest opinion. I have received no other compensation for this review.

This set is gray in color and made for a standard queen size mattress. It is made of 100% polyester and double brushed microfiber. It is considered more durable and stronger than most standard cotton sheet sets. They are extremely soft to the touch. Honestly I misunderstood the whole double brushed microfiber thing and had originally thought that the sheet were made from microfiber...Or maybe they are...I really don't know. I was expecting them to be a lot thicker like the hand towels my mom has or the microfiber feather duster I have. They are not thick at all. They are about as thick as any cotton sheets, but so soft to the touch. They remind me of silk sheets only without being cold.

Now I haven't washed mine yet. I know I probably should have done that first thing, but I was too excited to get them on my bed. They say that they are machine wash cold and dry quickly on the tumble dry setting. I will probably just throw them in with a load of darks and see how it goes, but I'm not worried about it at all. They feel very strong.

Some other facts about these sheets...They are hypoallergenic. They are resistant to mites. They aren't supposed to wrinkle and since they are considered to be the same quality as hotel sheets, that makes sense. I don't mind if my sheets wrinkle because my husband tends to either take the sheet and give me the blanket or the other way around. They never stay straight so I don't notice wrinkles. They come with a lifetime satisfaction guarantee. If you decide you don't like them or have a problem with them at any time, they will give you a complete refund. Now the set that I got were gray, but you can also get them in Black, White, Burgundy, Baby Blue, Beige, Royal Blue, and Light Gray. They come in the standard sizes of Twin, Full, 2 standard pillowcases, Queen, King, 2 king pillowcases, and California King. Lots of options for you to consider.

I am in love with my set. They are just so soft and comfortable. I think they are heavenly. The flat sheet is a little long though. I don't know if I just make my bed wrong or what, but it was on the floor when I finished making my bed. The fitted sheet fits perfectly.

You can purchase Ideal Linens Velvety Double Brushed Microfiber Bedding from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Ideal-Linens-Bed-Sheet-Set/dp/B01E8BMPYK?ie=UTF8&keywords=bed+sheet+set

#ProductReview: Jewelry Music Box #LoveParkProducts

2016-08-06T21:19:00.000-04:00

Now that my daughter is getting bigger, I am so looking forward to buying her jewelry. She has had a couple toy necklaces, one of which she wore daily until it broke. However, some of the toy jewelry she has had has disappeared because I didn't have a good place to put it for her. With the possibility of getting real jewelry now, I really needed some place for her to keep her things. TolsToys has given me one Jewelry Music Box in exchange for my honest opinion. I have received no other compensation for this review.

The music box is like the one fashioned ones that I had as a child. It has a lid that opens and a little ballerina stands up. There's a key in the back that you twist to wind up the music box that makes the ballerina spin like she's doing a pirouette. Inside of the top is a very good sized compartment that would fit approximately 5-6 earring boxes. It is long enough that you could maybe put three bracelet boxes stacked on top of one another.

Other than the one big compartment, there are two little drawers as well. They are the same size and can both be removed completely if needed. these little drawers are pretty small, but they could hold necklaces, bracelets, or tiny trinkets.

The only issue I have with the jewelry box is that it is made from cardboard. The moment I took it out of the shipping box, I noticed that the front was a little bowed. It latches shut, but it will come open fairly easily because of the front bending in ever so slightly. Cardboard warps with time and if my kids get anything liquid on it, it is likely to come apart. I had to put it in my daughter's room fairly quickly after giving it to her because it isn't as sturdy as I would like it to be. It is very pretty and nostalgic for me. We really like the amount of space it offers, but I'm not sure how long it will last.

You can purchase this Jewelry Music box from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/TolsToys-Jewelry-Music-Box-Ballerina/dp/B01HEK5ZSU

#ProductReview: #Meagoes Dual USB Car Charger with 1 Lighting Cable

2016-08-06T16:24:00.000-04:00

Every week I take all three of my kids to visit their grandparents 40 minutes away. I load up enough baby food for a whole day, extra changes of clothes, stuffed toys they won't nap without and most importantly, their electronics so they don't drive me crazy during two 40 minutes drives in one day. While at my parent's house, they normally don't touch them because we are playing outside or swimming the whole time, but in the truck they will suddenly rediscover their love of torturing each other in a tight space. The problem though is that some apps on their tablets will continue to run even while they aren't playing on them. I mean that they don't even turn the screen off. If the kids forget to turn them off before we get out of the truck at grandma's, the batteries are drained when it is time to go home. Also, my phone tends to completely drain while there because cell phone signal is really bad out in the middle of nowhere. I only have one lighter so only one device can be charged at a time. Well not any more! Meagoes has supplied me with one Dual USB Car Charger with 1 Lighting Cable in exchange for my honest opinion. I have received no other compensation for this review.

The car charger fits in the lighter port/plug of you vehicle and has two USB ports that have a maximum output of 4.8A. You will know that it plugged in all the way from the light blue circular LED light around the outside of it. This feature is so that when you are driving, you can not only see that it is correctly plugged in, but you can locate the USB port in it to plug the charging cord in without having to look really hard. You will be able to find your charging cord easier as well because you can reach to the plug to find the cord and simply pull it to you until you find the end to plug into your device. I say device because it doesn't have to only be for your phone. any device that has a USB Charging cord can be charged with this car charger. I actually tried it out with my phone, an android tablet, a kindle fire, and my back up charging battery that I keep in my purse. Every showed that it was charging when it was plugged in.

I honestly don't know how long it takes to charge things using it because we only have had anything plugged in for at most an hour. Some devices take longer than an hour to charge even with their device specific cords. They do recommend that you use the exact cord that came with your device because that cord will have been designed to charge your device the fastest. The car charger itself is considered to be "smart" by only allowing the amount of power to be put out based on the amount your device can take via the cord you use. So it is important to keep cords with their appropriate devices. This is something that I only learned recently so our cords are all mixed up and I don't know which ones go to each individual item other than two. That's ok for me though because once I get home I can plug my device in to finish the charge if the car ride didn't charge it completely. As long as it gets things started or my cord is long enough to reach to the back seat to keep my kids from driving me, I'm good.

It comes with a lightning cable, so if you use the newest iPhones, you will get a free charging cable with this. I don't have any iDevices so I'm holding on to the cable in my truck in case I have my mom or dad with me since they do have iPhones. Unfortunately I was not able to test out the cord for my demonstration. I do want to say that it is a good length of cord and the little rubber tie that they put around it is awesome. The tie is easy to use and made of silicone. It could break, but it's not likely that your will need to pull on it that hard. I'm keeping it on this cord so I don't have the cord getting in my way.

I'm very happy with it. I can play Pokemon Go on my phone and my husband's phone when we are in the car together with both phones plugged in. It has helped to keep my kids from screaming the entire car ride. Peace of mind is a big thing for me and it helps.

You can purchase the Meagoes Fast USB Car Charger from Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01G3YA38A

#ProductReview: Elegant Dangling Silver Plated Teardrop Earrings #RenaissanceJewellery

2016-08-03T14:48:00.001-04:00

My brother-in-law just got engaged, which means we have a wedding coming up. No matter when the date is set for, I just know that the day will be here way faster than I can anticipate. Time flies when you have kids. Normally I try to review jewelry that has something extra sparkly, but the earrings I am about to show you are ones that will go with absolutely anything. Renaissance Jewellery has supplied me with one pair of their Elegant Dangling Silver Plated Teardrop Earrings in exchange for my honest opinion. I have received no other compensation for this review.

To start, anything you get from Renaissance Jewellery comes in a very well made gift box. You won't feel the need for gift wrapping with this box, unless you really want to put it in a gift bag or something like that. This particular box has a seashell pattern on it and their gold logo in the top.

Inside of the box are the pair of earrings in ziploc baggies and a little pamphlet telling you how to take care of your new jewelry. I thought the ziploc bags were strange until I read through the care instructions. One earring is inside of a bag and that bag is inside a second bag with the other earring inside of the second bag as well. This is how they recommend that you store them. The reason is because the earrings are silver (or rather silver plated). Silver when exposed to the air tarnishes over time. To eliminate tarnishing, you put them in the ziploc bags to minimize exposure to the air. If you want them to shine brightly, simply use a non-abrasive cloth and rub them clean. Silver is a soft metal, so try to avoid having them come in contact with harsh chemicals, cleaning products, perfumes, and lotions. They also recommend not showering or swimming with them on.

There are no stones and the hook also appears to be silver. The hook is extremely thick. I had a little trouble getting them into my ears because the hooks are thicker than a standard post earring. As you can see, they are definitely elegant. They are shiny simply because they are a reflective surface. I feel confident that I can wear them with anything. More importantly, I can wear them to my brother-in-law's wedding no mater what outfit I choose to wear. It's one less thing for me to worry about when the date is a week away and I realize I have nothing to wear. ;-)

You can purchase these Elegant Dangling Silver Plated Teardrop Earrings from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Elegant-Dangling-Teardrop-Earrings-Occasions/dp/B01HRLD77C?ie=UTF8&Version=1&entries=0

#ProductReview: TECHEF - Frittata and Omelette Pan #techef

2016-07-30T22:17:00.000-04:00

I happen to be pretty good in the kitchen. I'm not a chef, but I a really good cook. My husband and I talk all the time about the difference between a chef and a cook. I can follow instructions really well, and I am learning to make changes to recipes for the better. However, I'm not so good at making things up. One of the things that has eluded me for years is making omelettes. My husband laughs at me because I can make really awesome cakes, but I can't make an omelette to save my life. It always ends up turning into scrambled eggs. I have been told that it is because I try to put too much in the omelette, but I have had omelettes at restaurants that are packed full of stuff, so I don't really believe that. TeChef has the PERFECT solution for someone like me. They have given me a Frittata and Omelette Pan in exchange for my honest opinion. I have received no other compensation for this review.

This pan is coated in a Teflon nonstick coating that is made without PFOA. I honestly don't know what PFOA is, but I am sure that is extremely important to people who do know. The pan itself is made from aluminum. It is considered to be dishwasher safe. Personally, I find that if you let it cool completely and then soak in room temperature water, the egg comes off very easily. It is actually very easy to clean by hand. If you do put it in the dishwasher, be sure to make sure nothing will bang against it because you could scratch the Teflon coating. Also, it is oven safe, but only up to 350°F. Along with the temperatures it can withstand, they say never to preheat the pan on high heat. You can damage the coating this way. Also it is best used over low to medium heat. While it might take a little longer to cook your omelette, it will keep you pan cooking well longer.

What I absolutely love and what makes it so someone like me can actually make an omelette is the folding design. The pan folds in half. I don't know if I did it right or not, but I put everything for my omelette in one side of the pan, closed it, and flipped the pan to cook the other side of the omelette. The only issue I have with it is that flipping it is a little difficult. On side of the pan has a long handle like you have on most skillets, but the other side has a small loop handle. It is a little difficult to grab a hold of the small handle. I would recommend moving the pan slightly off the burner when you grab the handles to flip. I almost burned a knuckle getting too close to the burner. The design makes it easier to store with your other pans, but it would be easier to flip if it had two long handles.

When I made my first omelette in the pan, I was a little worried that I did something wrong. Remember that I am terrible at making omelettes. I put my three eggs in one side of the pan. Then I added green peppers, ham, and cheese. I closed the pan and let it cook on one side for a while. Then I flipped the pan. When I opened the pan, I expected to see my omelette sitting on the part of the pan closest to the burner. I actually saw half of it in both sides though. I don't know if that is supposed to happen or not, but I closed it and let it cook longer. When I checked on it again, the eggs in the top of the pan had come down to the bottom of the pan. I flipped it again just to make sure I had cooked everything all the way through and then removed it from the heat to put on the plate. It came out looking like an omelette! I was amazed. My husband was even more amazed. I made my first real omelette! Here are some pictures to show you how it went.

Now, I did notice one thing when I was finished cooking. Some of the eggs had gotten out through the hinge in the pan. They cooked on the pan and were just fine cleaning off of it, but if you let too much come out, it could get on the burner. So be aware of this in case you smell something burning! Overall, I have used the pan five times. I messed up one omelette because I put too much cheese in it, but otherwise I am making omelettes for the first time in my life. Thank you TeChef!

You can purchase the TeChef Frittata and Omelette Pan from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/TECHEF-Frittata-Omelette-Non-stick-Coating/dp/B01C4TGHRY/

About TeChef

Korean-based TECHEF® has provided chefs and home cooks around the world, including Canada, Germany, Japan and throughout Asia, with high quality non-stick cookware since 1984. TECHEF® cookware incorporates new DuPont Teflon™-nonstick coatings and Design Print technology, in addition to advanced technology based on over 30 of the company’s own patents.

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#ProductReview: Complete Pet Care Set #amazon

2016-07-30T21:22:00.000-04:00

It's been a while, but I reviewed a wooden car set from MMP Living and have found those little cars to be excellent toys for my kids. They were for three and up, but they are made so well that my nine month old is able to play with them (i.e. slobber on them) without me worrying too much. Well recently my kids have become obsessed with wanting to help take care of their baby brother and any animal/critter they can find. I decided that reviewing MMP Living's Complete Pet Care Set would help my kids to learn a little bit more about pet care, grooming, and playing doctor/vet. They have provided me with one set in exchange for my honest opinion. I have received no other compensation for this review.

The Complete Pare Care Set comes with a dog carrier made from plastic just like the ones you would use for a real dog. Everything fits inside of the carrier, but you may want to look into getting something to hold all the toys. My kids didn't like having the toys in the carrier, because the poor puppy stuffed animal that came with it didn't have any room. They wanted him to have room to "move around" inside of the carrier. We have been keeping the toys in a bin on their toy shelves, or rather that's where I put them when I clean up after they are in bed. My daughter absolutely loves all of the toys and keep most of them either in her room, in her child-sized backpack, or on the kitchen table. The other toys included in the set are a set of veterinarian tools and grooming tools. The doctor tools include a stethoscope, thermometer, blood pressure cup, scissors, tweezers, reflex hammer, otoscope, syringe, and magnifying glass. The grooming tools include a hair dryer, two pairs of scissors, "electric" razor, shampoo, conditioner, comb, and mirror. Many of these items really aren't items that I have seen a vet use, but rather we have a full doctor kit and a full hairdresser kit. All of them are great to pretend with for the stuffed puppy or if your kids want to pretend they are a doctor or working in a salon. Three different way that they can play giving them more for their imagination and fun.

Every piece is made of plastic except for the puppy stuffed animal. They do say that it is for 3 years old and up. My two and half year old daughter is really good with not breaking things, though not so good at remembering to keep them away from her baby brother. I got this for her and her older brother, but inevitably my youngest have gotten a hold of the items as well. If you have kids younger than three that could end up playing with it, watch them carefully. My youngest is teething and he put the little reflex hammer in his mouth, bit down on it, and popped one of the little yellow half sphere ends off of it. That piece got stuck in his mouth. He wasn't able to swallow it, but we have a little trouble getting it out of his mouth because of the round shape. If pieces break, they are choking hazards. I have to watch them carefully when they are playing with this and their baby brother is awake. Also, the little hair dryer made noise when you pulled the "trigger" on it, but after 24 hours it stopped making noise. The kids had it broke that fast.

This kit isn't something that can take a lot of really hard play, but with kids that aren't fighting over it or that don't play rough with their toys, it would be a great thing to have. My kids absolutely love it. They have played with some piece of it every day since we got it. It just isn't as durable as I would like it to be.

You can purchase the Complete Pet Care Set by MMP Living from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Runfendda-Complete-Pet-Care-Set/dp/B01DAY4EB8?ie=UTF8&me=&ref_=olp_product_details

#ProductReview: Silver and Gold Egyptian Earrings #EgyptianEarrings

2016-07-28T19:48:00.000-04:00

I'm always on the lookout for jewelry makers that make different jewelry than what you can buy in some chain store. I like things that are different and Spunky Soul jewelry is definitely in that category. They have provided e with one pair of the Silver and Gold Egyptian Earrings in exchange for my honest opinion. I have received no other compensation for this review.

Even though the earrings are called Egyptian, the design actually has Greek, Roman, and Egyptian concepts. I'm honestly not sure what parts are from each culture, but the triangle shape at the bottom is Egyptian. The Egyptian triangle (probably meant to be a pyramid) is the silver portion of the earring and the hook is the gold part. The middle section looks like it might be gold too where re the beads are strung together. They are very light and fit nicely in my ears. I wore them for several hours and hardly noticed I was wearing them. The only clue I had was when I would turn my head and the earrings would touch the side of my neck. They are indeed that long measuring 2.25" long.

If you are hard on jewelry, then rest easy knowing that these have a warranty that you can register at their website spunkysoul.com. Upon registering, you will receive a code for 15% off your next purchase through their website. With a logo like "Dare. Dream. Do." I think they will have even more unique pieces of jewelry coming. Right now they have eyeglass cases, 10 necklaces, three earrings, and one bracelet. All very different from anything I have seen before. I think that these earrings are very well made which bodes well for their other items, but I took them out when my nine month old son woke from his nap. Even if the earrings can withstand him pulling on them, I don't think my ears could. My husband thought they looked really good and I enjoyed wearing them.

You can purchase these earrings from their website at spunkysoul.com or from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/earrings-Egyptian-Designs-SPUNKYsoul-Collection/dp/B01HHHACVU

About Spunky Soul
Spunky Soul offers a new variety of fresh hip products for its fashion-savvy customer.

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#ProductReview: L-email wig Women's High Waist Pleated School Plaid Skirts

2016-07-25T23:50:00.000-04:00

We go to gaming conventions. Well, really my husband and I go because we are n't willing to deal with having our kids ask us to buy everything they see if they were to go. We have decided that when each one is around age seven, we will ask if they want to go with us and take them if they say they are interested. We only have one more year to enjoy being on vacation alone so I'm collecting things to dress up in. I don't actually COSplay currently, but I have always wanted to. My costumes are normally just for Halloween and at home. One of the easiest costumes to gather stuff for is the standard School Girl. The most iconic piece of the costume is the school girl plaid skirt. L-Email Wig has supplied me with one Women's High Waist Pleated School Plaid Skirt for my honest opinion. I have received no other compensation for this review.

This skirt comes in 15 color variations: red & black, black & green, red & white & black, red & blue & yellow, black, black with two white pinstripes, gray, white, white with two black pinstripes, navy blue with two white pinstripes, two versions of black & white, blue & white, red & yellow & black, and blue & black & white. We are partial to red and black in my household (my favorite colors) which is why I picked this one. I had to get a size XL. They include a sizing chart on the Amazon page to help you figure out what size is best, but if you are unsure, you can email the company. I spent a good amount of emails talking to them to determine the best size for me. The sizing is quite important because there are two layers of material. The outside layer has extra material because it is pleated which has a lot more give to it than the inside layer. The inside layer is a satin material that I found to be a little tight. I am guessing the satin layer is designed to help "hold in" your extra weight so that the skirt fits better. I had to pull it up a little bit because if I had sat down with it completely over my hips, it probably would have ripped. So the XL was pretty much an exact fit for me. My waist measured 101 cm which is almost exactly in the middle of the XL size range.

It is very much a high waist skirt. I was actually surprised because other "high waist" skirts that I have worn did not go above my belly button. This one does. Now, maybe that is because I measured wrong and got the wrong size. I don't know. I have trouble determining where my waist is really supposed to be. However, since it is only a couple inches above my knee when it is above my belly button, I feel like I was wearing the skirt as it should be worn. I like the length on it a lot. Most pleated/school girl skirts are way too short on me. I have a good sized butt (i.e. junk in the trunk) so skirts tend to be a good length in the front and too short in the back. I dislike always worrying about bending over unless that is the point of wearing the skirt.

The only issue that I have had with the skirt is that the zipper sticks. I have a tough time grabbing a hold of the zipper. I had my husband try to help zip it up and he struggled to grip it as well. I think that with multiple uses the zipper will loosen up and be easier. Of course you don't want a zipper to be too easy to go up and down unless there's another way to keep the skirt on so the difficult zipper is a good thing. Otherwise it would need a button as well. A button isn't unreasonable on the skirt if you feel like you need it though. It has an elastic waist so it is unlikely that it will fall off of you, but if you want a button on it, the company will probably comply. They make custom COSplay outfits and are willing to help you create your exact costume. If you want this skirt if different colors than the ones they already offer, just contact them directly and tell them what you are looking for. Since they make professional COSplay clothing, you can contact them about other items too to see if they are able to help you out with all aspects of your costume.

The skirt is a great skirt. I do wish I had a better shirt to wear with it. I planned to wear a corset that I purchased a few years ago from a convention, but unfortunately my last child has cause me to be just a little too big for my corset. I pulled out the only shirt that I had that looked ok with the skirt. Eventually I will have the other necessary pieces for the outfit to go together.

You can purchase the L-email Wig Women's High waist Pleasted School Plaid Skirt from Amazon at http://amzn.to/2apAcuv

About L-Email Wig
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#ProductReview: Aulker Portable Bluetooth Speaker DY22 - Black #Aulker

2016-07-25T22:26:00.000-04:00

Everyone has seen those little speakers that fit in the palm of your hand that you can connect to your phone via bluetooth. I even reviewed one not that long ago. However, I don't think those can be a normal radio without being connected to anything and sometimes it isn't convenient to connect your phone or tablet to a speaker. I personally don't listen to the radio much any more because the only place I have a radio is in my truck and listening to the radio with three young kids is nearly impossible. I began looking into getting something that could connect to a phone and still get the radio stations so I can move out of the 90's for my concept of music. Aulker has provided me with one Musky Portable Bluetooth Speaker in exchange for my honest opinion. I have received no other compensation for this review.

This speaker has the capability to get FM radio, connect via bluetooth to your devices, connect to your devices using AUX, play music through USB, and through Micro TF SD Card. It comes with a USB charging cable and takes approximately 5 hours to fully charge. After fully charged it will play for about eight hours. We didn't run it constantly to see how long it was going to run, but we played it for a good part of two Saturdays without charging it. When it is charging, there's a little red light next to the port that turns off when it has finished charging.

To connect a device via bluetooth to the speaker, you turn on the speaker. It will tell you that the bluetooth is on as well as have a little blue light under the mode button. Turn bluetooth on on the device. The speaker will tell you that it is connecting and when it is connected. From there, you do everything via your device. If you want to use a USB device, you plug it into the USB port and the speaker will automatically start playing whatever you are playing. It is the same for the AUX. Now I have one issue with the AUX. The cord didn't plug all the way into my phone because of the case on it. So if it doesn't connect right away, that could be the reason why. Also when I was plugged in via AUX, jiggling the cord or twisting it in my phone would produce some static through the speaker.

If you decide you want to use the radio, it is really simple. You jut push the mode button and the blue light will move to FM. Then you press the skip forward or skip backward once to move one tick forward on the radio channels. If you want to search for the next radio station, press and hold the buttons go forward or backward to the next station. It works wonderfully. I located two good stations when I was using it. Now, I didn't move the speaker around when I was listening to the radio, so it is possible that the clarity would change if I moved it, much like old radios with those long antennas.

Another function with the speaker, that I do demonstrate on the video is the hands free calling. If you have your phone connected to the speaker and someone calls you, it is kind of difficult to disconnect your phone to answer the call. You can instead answer the call using the speaker. You use the "Play/Pause/Answer Call" button to answer an incoming call. The call will be played over the speaker, so anyone nearby will be able to hear the entire conversation. When you talk the speaker will pick up what you say to play back for the person calling. If they are nearby, like in my demonstration, there can be some feedback. I didn't get it on the speaker, but my husband did on his phone.

About the only thing left for me to tell you about this speaker is about its construction. The speaker it made of plastic, but the front part is not made of mesh like a lot of speakers are (or perhaps used to be). It is instead a mesh made of hard silicone. It won't get torn or damaged, but still allows great sound to come through it. It isn't super tiny, so you aren't going to put it somewhere and lose it, but it isn't huge either. It fits nicely on any shelf and is lightweight enough to carry around with you. I'm keeping the box in case I intend to travel with it, but it doesn't need to be kept in the box to keep it safe. It's a great little speaker. My husband has claimed it for when the guys come over every Saturday, but I love that I can actually listen to the radio again when the kids actually let me.

You can purchase the Aulker Portable Bluetooth Speaker DY22 - Black from Amazon at http://www.amztk.com/dy22-black

#ProductReview: Russian Piping Tips #RussiaPipinTip

2016-07-20T21:27:00.000-04:00

A hobby of mine is making cakes and other desserts for my loved ones's birthdays. I like to figure out their favorite dish and put my spin on it to turn it into something extremely special for them. Over the last three years, I have amassed at least 40 cake pans, various fondant rolling instruments, and a small selection of icing piping tools. My collection of icing piping tips has been in need of increasing for a while so I can make ever more decorative designs. This is why I signed up to review Comenzar's Russian Piping Tips. I have received a set of 23 Russian Piping Tips, one coupler, and ten piping bags at a deeply discounted price in exchange for my honest opinion. I have received no other compensation for this review.

There are 23 piping tips that come in this set. Each one is supposed to be a flower. The idea is that normally you have switch out multiple piping tips in order to make a single flower, but with these tips, you only need one tip to make the same flower. That is why each tip is considerably large and needs to use a special coupler. The coupler comes in four pieces. The only explanation I have for the multiple pieces is that it makes it stronger. You can't squeeze this coupler and have it break in half with this design. Since you will be pushing a rather large amount of icing through the coupler and piping tip, it needs to be very sturdy.

These tips are stainless steel which makes them dishwasher safe. They are al heat and cold resistant. When my icing started to melt inside the bag, I stuck the entire thing in the freezer with the tip still on it. The tip was perfectly fine, though I will tell you that the icing hardened inside of the tip making it a little more difficult to get it out which really means that you probably shouldn't leave the tip on when you get the icing cold again. The tips won't be damaged if you do though. When you go to put them in the dishwasher after using them. I suggest you rinse as much of the icing out of the tips before putting them in the dishwasher. There's almost a tablespoon of icing that gets left in the tip when you remove it from the coupler. Which leads me to my next suggestion, you should probably have double the amount of icing you think you need when you are using them just because of how much gets left in the tips. If you need multiple colors, you'll have lots of icing not getting used and will need extra to make sure you don't run out. Better safe than sorry I say. Also, you will want to make your icing thick. If you make it from scratch or buy it, you want thick icing in order for the flower shapes to be clear. I honestly did not make mine thick enough, but you can still identify some of the flowers on my cupcakes. All you have to do to make it thicker is add more powdered sugar. My recipe calls for four cups of powdered sugar, but I probably should have added at least another cup, maybe more.

These tips work great. I love the flower shapes that I was able to get to show up clearly. My only complaint about them is that I have no idea what each tip's flower is supposed to be. I think that they should engrave the name of the flower on the tips. There's a ton of surface area where they could have the names of the flower on them and that would help just about anyone in figuring out which tips to use. I can identify the roses, but I am unsure what the other ones are. Otherwise, I love them. I have to keep them separated from all of my other ones because they are so much larger. They come in a really nice box so that won't be a problem.

You can purchase Russian Piping Tips from Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Piece-Russian-Piping-Pastry-Tips/dp/B01HPWQCM0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&keywords=Russian+Piping+Tips

#ProductReview: HouseVines Wine Shirt, SuperPower Women's shirt #wineshirt

2016-07-19T22:03:00.000-04:00

I love wine. I really do. I am trying not to drink too much of it these days, but I have a glass every night when I have it in the house. My whole extended family loves their alcohol, so when I saw HouseVines Wine Shirt, I thought it would be a great shirt to wear to the next family get together. They supplied me with one size large SuperPower Women's Shirt in exchange for my honest opinion. I have received no other compensation for this review.

This shirt is a simple black t-shirt, though looking at it up close it looks more like a dark gray color, with the "I make wine disappear. What's your superpower?" screen printed on it. It is designed for women. The pink in the screen print is super bright. I love neon pink and this satisfies that love. Also of note, the screen print is not super thick so it doesn't feel awkward when being worn. It is thin enough to actually fold the shirt without forcing a crease int he image. The shirt itself is a thin, lightweight material. It is stretchy and super soft. I found it to be very comfortable. It is made from 50% polyester, 25% cotton, and 25% rayon. Based on a previous review of a different shirt I did, this is considered a tri-blend which is why it is super soft and has the little bit of stretch to it.

I ordered a large. Depending on the brand, I can wear sizes medium to extra large, which is why I picked the one in the middle. You order it through Amazon and there is a link for a sizing chart available. I assume that this link is accurate for these shirts since it is included next to the drop down box for the sizes, but the title of the size chart is "Amazon Women's Shirts size chart". Being that the shirt isn't made by Amazon, it is possible it isn't completely accurate. My bust is closer to 36 inches which really makes me a size XL according to the chart, but the shirt, as you can see in the picture, fits me perfectly as a large. Take that into consideration when making your purchase.

I haven't had a chance to wear to any get togethers yet, but I wore it during a simple visit with my mom. She absolutely loved it. My dad did too honestly. If it wasn't printed in pink, I think he would have wanted one as well. I love the feel of the shirt. It washes wonderfully. The screen printing is very durable and cleanly done. It's a fantastic shirt. It would be so much fun to wear on a wine tasting tour. I have gone on one near Watkins Glen, NY and I just know everyone would love it there.

About HouseVines
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You can purchase the HouseVines Wine Shirt, SuperPower Women's Shirt from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/HouseVines-SuperPower-Womens-Friendly-Screening/dp/B01F6IERJ0/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1467585926&sr=8-13&keywords=wine+shirt