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Showing posts from 2017

Add KnitBest To Your Wardrobe [Review]

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I love sweaters this time of year. While most of the time, I'm wearing heavier sweaters, I like the kind you can layer with other things. I had the chance to try out a couple of KnitBest sweaters that I really liked. Knit Best sells a ton of sweaters and you can find a lot of the sweaters on Amazon (my favorite place to shop!) I'm actually fairly new to shopping online and it is such a beast of burden for me to shop for clothes online. I get so picky and it's so tough to find the right type of thing. So for me, I was excited to see how I felt about these sweaters. Here's the first one I got - It's a "Womens Long Sleeve Open Front Cotton Cardigan." I wore this to work and I loved the feel of it! First it's made of 100% soft cotton and WOW do I love the feel of this. It isn't scratchy one bit. It's easy to layer with too. I wore a long sleeved shirt underneath it comfortably. There were only two points I noticed. First, I'm tall

5 Ways to Watch Movies for Free Online

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Via Flickr, CC License by Demmer S Over the summer, I cancelled cable. The thing is I wasn't entirely eager to just sign up for a ton of streaming services (although I do have Amazon prime, just not for streaming purposes only!). You see, there are way more ways to enjoy movies and even TV than just streaming services. And I'm not talking about the sketchy sites where you download things you shouldn't, but real ways to enjoy some awesome movies online without putting yourself at risk. Here's my top favorites - 1) Youtube.com - for TV Movies, especially. Alright, depending on the types of movies you enjoy, you can find a lot on YouTube. Forewarning though, if you find something, watch it soon, as sometimes they can be taken down pretty fast simply due to copyright issues. But if you are wanting a way to watch movies (or even TV shows, especially ones from the past), YouTube is a fantastic start. Plus if you are a sucker for Lifetime movies, like me, they have

Another Way to Save Money on Your Groceries

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Looking to save money on groceries? I am very much into apps such as Ibotta, but have you heard of Checkout51? That's another one you may not have heard of but lately I'm really able to rack in the savings. First, you can really save money on things like beauty products (I have saved money on my Simple brand Face Wipes and you can also save money on brands like Nubian Heritage. I talk about them a lot and currently had the chance to try out their incredible new kind called "Indian Hemp & Haitian Vetiver." A mouthful right? Well, it smells great and actually a perfect lotion scent choice for people who aren't too into the more flowery and fruity scents. Works for both men and women. It has a green grassy scent that smells very clean. Anyways, right now you can save $2.00 on Nubian Heritage brands and that is an incredible savings on a quality product. When you go into stores, make sure you are looking for this: So, anyways, right now I have about

Cat Reunites with Family After Four Months Missing

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Want an uplifting story for your weekend? Well, here's one for you. This couple Scott and Emily Faulkner were at a campground in Missoula for a music festival. Their cat, Tiger Jr. (or TJ), went missing at this very campground. This sure isn't this cat's first rodeo. This cat has been sailing and camping with his family of four years. So this wasn't like TJ at all. For months in search of their beloved pet, they searched through Craigslist and contacted animal shelters for TJ, but to no avail. Until the Butte Animal Shelter gave them a call. Owner of the shelter Colin Jennings had been approached by TJ who acted very wild and aggressive initially. But TJ was all cleaned up and once when Jennings was feeding other cats at the shelter, TJ approached the cat shelter owner with friendliness. That's when Jennings scanned him for a chip and found one. Scott Faulkner, the cat man of the family, was brought to tears when he reunited with TJ. He described TJ as ac

Manini's Gluten-Free Pasta [Review]

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It's been quite some time since I shared a new gluten-free review with you! I had the chance to review some pastas as well as some rolls and a couple of brownies by Manini's.  Manini's is a new brand to me and I've only just started noticing it in stores. It's been a long journey for me going gluten-free and paying attention to what ingredients agree with me and which ones don't. What makes Manini's a stand out company to me is that they are actually Non-GMO and Gluten-Free and regularly test their foods to make sure they meet certification requirements. I appreciat that so much! I had a few different pastas to review, including the one picture above, along with a few other items - And the following rolls and even a little brownie or two (which I devoured pretty instantly).  The rolls were pretty amazing. I just had them as a snack with olive oil and some oregano. Yum! They warmed up nicely and had amazing texture.  As f

5 Tips for Mastering Holiday Party Socializing

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by JLS Photography - Alaska - CC via Flickr I'm pretty shamelessly anti-social and I usually avoid most holiday parties (despite how festive I am this time of year!). Do any of you know how to manage holiday parties even though you aren't a fan? Well, I came across this list of socializing tips sent out by ToastMasters that you may appreciate. 1) Look for a friendly face. I think this is a great tip. Go into the room with a smile and look for the first person that smiles back. Ideally, you will be walking in with someone you know so you can cling onto them for as long as you can. Or find the one person you know and follow them throughout the party. That's what I do! 2) Watch your body language. Toastmasters says to be aware of your body language. I think this is an excellent tip. I know when I get uncomfortable in these situations I slouch and cross my arms over my chest. Not exactly the most open stance to have in a party. But they suggest to make eye contact

Activity: Christmas Countdown Calendar

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Anyone else absolutely shocked that it's already the holiday season? I feel like this year just zipped by! Make a Christmas countdown calendar to get your child excited about the coming holiday! Count backwards to give your child something to look forward to each day of the Christmas season. Creating a Christmas countdown calendar can easily become one of your family's favorite yearly traditions. This simple Christmas countdown calendar activity also helps your child build reading and counting skills . What You Need: 9" x 12" poster board Red & green construction paper, cut into 1 ¾" x 2" squares Scissors Glue Glitter (optional) Pen Index cards, cut into strips What You Do: Draw a table with 4 rows and 5 columns onto a piece of 9" x 12" poster board. Divide the table into 2-inch squares. Measure a table onto a piece of green and red construction paper using the same dimensions. Cut out the squares from each shee

Save Money Blu-Rays and DVDs with This Exclusive Christmas Sale

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by Carbon Arc Looking for the right gifts this holiday season? Well, if you are planning on giving DVDs and Blu-Rays to family and friends this time of year, I have an excellent sale for you. It's a sale happening with Entertainment Aids Alliance and you can purchase DVDs and Blu-Rays at deep deep discounts. The big Hollywood Studios donates some movies to the sale and they EAA ends up selling these to raise funds for the organization. The Entertainment Aids Alliance dedicates itself to funding research, treatment programs and prevention programs for HIV and AIDs. You can view the sale here: http://www.entertainmentaidsalliance.net/ Click “LOG IN” at the top of the page, select JFM from the drop down menu and use the password: eaamoms. If you make a purchase, I'd love to know to what you bought! 

Santa Rosa Family Finds Their Missing Cat Following Wildfire

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The wildfires happening in California have been so devastating and sad that hearing good news like this just warms the heart so much. So this Santa Rosa family thought they had lost their cat to the fire after having to escape their home one night. According to the local news station KPIX , Dani Stockham had to tell her daughters to get dressed and that they were leaving. 15 year old Lea had to let her cat, Thomas, go simply because he kept scratching at her and trying to get out of her arms. When the family returned home, they thought they saw the remains of their beloved pet. They even held a funeral for Thomas. The story didn't end there, though. A family found Thomas a quarter mile from the family home wandering around. Thanks to the microchip in Thomas, they were able to reconnect the cat with his family. Lea told KPIX that it was "the best day I've had since the fire." Check out the video below - And read the original story here . 

5 Things to Consider When Purchasing a New (or Used) Car

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by Thomas Hawk via Flickr CC License Sponsored post. I don't own a car right now but I'm hoping one day soon in my future I will be able to afford to buy one. I'm so unfamiliar with the process though that for someone like me who doesn't know what they're supposed to look for that it can feel like a game of eenie-meenie-minee-moe. So instead of using that approach with buying a car, you may want to go about it the smart way. Cars.com is a fantastic place to start because they not only connect you with dealers in the area that have the car you want, they also have research tools, consumer reviews, and so much more. But if you are new to the buying car game, and want to make a smart decision, what should you be on the lookout for when it's time to buy a car? 1) If you are buying a used car, get the vehicle history report. Places like CARFAX can help you with the vehicle history and the nice thing is when you go to Cars.com, they take you directly to

Abe & Phil's Last Poker Game (An Uplifting Movie You Ought to See)

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I'm a movie buff and although the uplifting type of movie usually aren't my jam (I like mysteries and thrillers!), this movie seems like such a great movie to see in the upcoming year. It's coming out January of 2018 and just watch the trailer below: Here's what the movie is about (courtesy of the Gravitas Ventures press release): When Dr. Abe Mandelbaum (Martin Landau) moves into the nursing home, Cliffside Manor, with his deteriorating wife Molly, he forms an improbable relationship with gambler and womanizer, Phil Nicoletti (Paul Sorvino). Even though at first Abe feels that moving into the home is the end of the road, he soon realizes that his life is finding a whole new beginning. Abe and Phil’s friendship is challenged when a mysterious nurse claims that her biological father resides in the home. Without children of their own, both Abe and Phil jump at the chance to convince Angela, and themselves, that they are her father. Abe and Phil’s Last Po

PantryPerks.com - A New Way to Shop & Save Money [Review]

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Photo by Keith Williamson via Flickr CC license You guys know how much I like the convenience of shopping for groceries online, whether it's Amazon Prime or Instacart . So, when it comes to shopping for groceries that don't just come in an hour or two (like those previous delivery sites I mentioned), I'm kind of particular. I am not a fan of high shipping charges for one and I like making sure I'm getting products I actually purchase (and at a discount). So I had the chance to try out a new site - PantryPerks.com. It's a natural and organic online shopping site with a unique standout feature - the more you shop, the more you earn. In addition to that, when people sign up, you earn a bonus too. Kind of a cool deal! That aside though, the big question is - is it worth the trouble? Well read and find out. Shopping Experience I've gotten pretty good about sniffing out a deal and when I was shopping with PantryPerks I wanted to be sure I was choosing t

3 Ways to Use Essential Oils

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by simononly, Creative Commons license via Flickr Are you into essential oils ? Essential oils are a surprisingly natural way to boost your mood and have been to known to be an effective way of improving your overall wellness. Of course, the research is a bit fuzzy but if you are new into embracing the idea of using essential oils, here are a few ways that you can use essential oils in your everyday life 1) Essential oil diffuser. This is the best way I've used essential oils. This is the diffuser that I have and have used for quite some time. It basically diffuses the scent in the air for you. You add a few drops of the oils into the water and the diffuser goes to work. 2) Add to steaming water. IF you are not feeling well, you can add some essential oils to the steaming water. Make sure you place a towel over your head to hold in the steam as you lean over the watrer and breathe deeply. Be sure to only use one or two drops because the scent can be pretty potent.

10 Best Tweets from #Catsgiving

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by Jill Clardy copyright creative commons via Flickr If you are on Twitter, than you may or may not have noticed the trending "Catsgiving" hashtag. Well, if you don't have Twitter or don't want to bother looking around for the good stuff, here are the best tweets inspired by the hashtag (at least, in my opinion). 1) I'd say this cat is feeling like how all of us will feel by Thursday night. Is your cat celebrating #catsgiving ? Post a pic and tag us!🐱💕 pic.twitter.com/ssFayoNVfS — ASPCA (@ASPCA) November 21, 2017 2) Better keep an eye on those leftovers on #Catsgiving. #Catsgiving pregame pic.twitter.com/pLnOeqVuRE — Asscat (@theasscat) November 21, 2017 3) Ah family. #Catsgiving should be every day. (Photo: Tammi Elbert) pic.twitter.com/lBZ2QW418b — Your Take (@yourtake) November 21, 2017 4) Chairs and overeating can get so complicated. #Catsgiving Remember to celebrate responsibly. pic.twitter.com/iWpc3m

Why I Love Using Tea Tree Oil Shampoo

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A few weeks ago I came across a wonderful experience with this tea tree oil shampoo sample I had. It was a fantastic find because I couldn't find any shampoo in my house so this little sample saved the day. And wow did it make my hair look shiny and smooth! I loved it! So, I recently had the chance to try out this tea tree oil shampoo by Maple Holitics and I love it so far. One of the biggest reasons I love Tea Tree Oil Shampoo? It helps with my scalp issues. Confession time. Whenever I have something gluten or wheat related, my skin will break out. Sometimes, my scalp does too. I always associated with dandruff (did I really just say that) but after I started managing my diet better I realized how much healthier my scalp was after avoiding that particular food item. So the beautiful thing about tea tree oil is that it's been known to help with scalp issues like this. If my scalp feels tormented, I have noticed how soothing tea tree oil shampoo feels. S

Do You Floss in Public?

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So here's a weird one for you folks. So Nielsen found out that millennials are becoming very comfortable with flossing in public.Why is this? Well all those fancy on the go flossing tools has made us all more aware and concerned about the health of our teeth. Like these things . So far in my wanderings throughout the day, I don't see a whole lot of people flossing in public like it's a casual thing. Do you see people flossing? And how do you feel about it if you do? If I saw it, I would mostly be afraid I'd see a huge piece of food flying out of their mouth or something. At home is one thing, but browsing through the grocery store and flossing is an entirely different situation. Oh well, here's to the health of gums!

4 Reasons to Start Using Essential Oils

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by Jan R. Ubels It's that time of year folks. Stress gets way off the charts. Maybe it's the anticipation of the holidays and upcoming plans. Maybe it's the pressure of making this year a good one. Or maybe life is just stressful in general. But I've been learning a lot lately about the benefits of using essential oils and their many 1) Rosemary essential oil can help improve memory. In a recent study on essential oils, it was discovered amongst participants that their memory was improved when exposed to the essential oil scent of rosemary. BBC news actually talked about a study like this. 2) Peppermint can help you digestive system. I have actually sipped peppermint tea for this very reason but according to a recent study, the aroma of peppermint can help with gastrointestinal system, for example. I also love the taste of peppermint tea as it's mild and can help make my breath smell better. 3) Lavender can do wonders for relieving stress. Accor

My Newest, Most Favorite Thing for This Holiday Season

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I've lately been dealing with something I find extremely annoying - lower back pain. I think it's a mix of not great furniture combined with not great bus seats and poorly designed office chairs. As a result, I was incredibly pleased to receive the Naipo Shiatsu massager too review. My mom was happy about this too! She loved using it to massage muscles in her leg actually. The Naipo Shiatsu Back and Neck Massager offers a deep massage that is also heated. The incredible thing is it comes with a car charger, which means you can drive and get a massage on the go. Isn't that incredible? It is also designed with straps you can wrap around yourself to keep the massager in place. Also, it lasts about 15 minutes per turn which I appreciate because I wouldn't need really long sessions of massaging.  When using this, the deep massage has a "hurt so good" type of feeling. I love how the more you lean into the massager, the deeper the massag

Reasons I Use Ibotta (And You Should Too)

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Ibotta is one of those grocery store apps that you redeem cash back through purchases. I've used it for a couple of years now and while I'm at a somewhat modest balance, it's something I appreciate having. As you get into the holiday season, you are probably looking for ways to save money and Ibotta is one of those ways to save through earning cash back on purchases. But why use it? It's easy to accumulate cash back. When I make it a regular habit to use the app, I can redeem at least once a month. I tend to accumulate $20 a month and that's a great savings to me. It has offers that I won't have to work hard to use either, like Uber rides ($1 cash back per ride) or through grocery stores I go to a lot like Whole Foods or Safeway. Online shopping means you get rewarded. Of course, it depends on the deal you are going for and where you are shopping, but if you shop online a lot, you need to use Ibotta. It helps you redeem rewards through places like

Stinker the Cat and How He Found Home After a Year Away

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by jeffmikels \ The incredible reunion of an Altadena cat and his family that moved away https://t.co/ui4YFfWuEg pic.twitter.com/lz68vOJKkN — Pasadena Star News (@PasStarNews) October 31, 2017 I feel like this is something that reads like an adorable children's book or something, but I came across this news alert I wanted to share with you. It's about this adorable black cat named Stinker and how he was separated from his family for more than a year. You can read the full story on the Pasadena Star Newspaper website , but in short, it goes like this.... Stinker's family was living in Altadena at the time. Their home was offered to be part of a movie that was being filmed and they agreed and moved out for a while. They left food and provisions for their two kittens, one of which was Stinker. When they came back, Stinker was gone. Despite their efforts to find the cat, Stinker was nowhere to be found. A year later the family moved to Connecticut and started

Boston Market Can Take Care of Your Thanksgiving Dinner

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How do you feel about cooking on Thanksgiving? For some, I think they love it and love the process of cooking up this meal. For others, not so much. I'm kind of in between and in general, don't love cooking turkey. My mom and I tend to go for an alternative. But if you want a home cooked Thanksgiving meal without the effort and without the hassle of going to a restaurant, Boston Market has an option for you! Here's what they have to offer: - Complete Thanksgiving Meal for 12: A complete meal option with all of the holiday trimmings, including a whole roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, home style stuffing, cranberry walnut relish, spinach artichoke dip and crackers, dinner rolls, an apple pie and a pumpkin pie for $119.99. - Combo Boneless Roasted Turkey Breast & Boneless Ham Meal for 12: A combo meal option including a boneless roasted turkey breast and boneless ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, home style stuffing, cranberry walnut relish, spinach artic

My 3 Favorite Beauty Time Savers

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It's not like I have this hussle and bussle lifestyle but I really don't like spending too much time on grooming. I like short cuts and so I wanted to put together a list of my few favorite ones that hopefully can save you time while still implementing some important beauty routines. 1) Leave in conditioner. I've not really been a huge fan of actually using conditioner up until recently. I have really long hair and it's a hassle to wash it as it is. Using conditioner always adds in extra time and I almost always end up cutting it out when I'm in a rush. Recently I had the chance to review this Angelo David conditioner. You can check it out here. I love this a lot because it doesn't leave my hair really oily. Plus this conditioner isn't too heavy either. so if your hair is kind of prone to oil, I would recommend this. It gives my hair a shiny look without overdoing it! 2) Make Up Wipe Removers. Oh this is such an incredibl

Check Out These Creepy Doll Photos

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Photo by Funky Tee, Creative Commons Photo License It's Halloween and that always gets people into a festive mood. So as I was wandering around on Twitter I stumbled across a challenge for creepy doll photos. And I wanted to share these with you guys since some of these made me laugh at loud. It all started thanks to podcaster Dear Prudence who asked listeners to share their creepy dolls they've owned - My sister is always wary at incoming texts from me. pic.twitter.com/l6fxazZAgY — A. T. (@ATweetsville) October 25, 2017 I think this thing will only end up giving me nightmares in the middle of the night - My brother *requested* I buy this for him. pic.twitter.com/NR7Z14Io8F — Sarah (@signedsjd) October 25, 2017 The doll on the left here looks like it's alive - I found these at an estate sale last year and my soul still hasn't recovered. pic.twitter.com/KNbGDuoobS — Daydrink Believer (@DammitJacqui) October 25, 2017 I feel like there'

Manual Coffee Grinder - A Surprising Find for My Coffee [A Review]

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I have the worst luck with coffee grinders. The electric ones always fail me in some way! So in my fit of trying to find a better coffee grinder, I came across a few manual ones. Suspicious, I wanted to give this a try. So I was able to get one by Cartos  and I was so surprised! It's a pretty handy device which is wonderful in a power outage. All I need is one of those pour over things to go with it and I'll be set. It comes to you pretty much all put together. The only thing I needed to do was add the turning device that grinds it and that was very easy. I love that I could do this without batteries or anything at all. I was mostly surprised about how well these beans ground with this device. The only hiccup I would say is that this is best suited for a single serving amount of coffee. Any more than that, you are likely to develop some pretty decent arm muscles as a result. It takes a lot of work to get the amount you need. I do appreciate it comes with it's o

The Hilarious Debate Behind the Ariana Grande Album Photo

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Any fans of Ariana Grande in the room? Well, if you are than you know of her album cover: Well it started out with Jesse McLaren tweeting a photo of himself attempting to do the same thing himself on a stool - I've done the research and there's no way her ass is sitting on that stool. pic.twitter.com/AIGNpcJn6G — Jesse McLaren (@McJesse) October 15, 2017 Obviously, the outcome was quite different for him than it was for Ariana. Some fans jumped in of course trying to point out the obvious flaws in the science of the balance, such as the lack of heels: Well you weren’t wearing the heels — Rufus T Firefly (@rez512) October 15, 2017 Or maybe it was the lack of ponytail as another one posted - U dont have the ponytail, that’s what balances everything out — WHO wants lasagna (@highlighthunnie) October 15, 2017 And then some further attempts happened and some people were actually fair successful - pretty hurts. I remade it because I strive for

Ozeri High Velocity Desk Fan - Review

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Some of the best quality fans I've received came from Ozeri. They are one of my favorite brands and I was so excited to review this desk fan of theirs. This summer was an awful one and I made sure to keep myself stocked with fans. Even old ones. And this was one that was a prime feature near wherever I was sitting almost all summer long. Ozeri Brezza Oscillating 10" High Velocity Desk Fan has a variety of perks and maybe only one slight downside that I noticed. First of all, it's oscillating feature - it worked pretty well. I kept this on a side table between couches and it went 90 degrees. So I immensely appreciated that. It's only a touch awkward to stop it from oscillating and making sure you've stopped it at the right point. The fan gusts are pretty strong considering it's small size as well. One of the things that I noticed is that it is a tad boxy. So it kind of takes up more space than I would have liked but not by much at all. It's truly a