Part Two: Books Bookity

Hooray! More books! This is the second half (first half here) of some of the favorites I've read in the past few months but hadn't gotten around to talking about. Go pick up a book!

Virals by Kathy Reichs: Kathy Reichs is an anthropologist and author of the Bones book series that then turned into the well-know TV show Bones on Fox. The books are inspired by her own work. Virals is the first book of hers in a YA series that takes place in the same reality as Bones. Tory Brennan is the niece of Temprence Brennan (main character of Bones) and lives on a small island off the coast of South Carolina. The island is the home of several scientist and their families. When Tory and her friends rescue a dog caged in one of the medical facilities they become exposed to an experimental strain that changes them. Not only do they need to figure out what is happening to them but what is going on, on this island. I enjoyed the book- it has the make to become a great series although nothing else has been released yet. We will see..

 The Vacationers by Emma Straub: I'm pretty sure everyone and their mother read this book this past summer but if for some reason you did not, it is worth picking up. A pretty quick read with minor twists here and there its the kind of book that lets you know your family isn't the only crazy one out there. Jim and Franny Post take their daughter Sylvia, son Bobby and his girlfriend, and Franny's best friend and husband on a trip to Mallorca. And while on the outside it looks like a picturesque time on the inside they are all having their own issues.

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell: Last week I talked about another Rainbow Rowell book, Eleanor and Park which was very cute. Attachment, in my opinion, was so much better. And I loved Eleanor and Park. I'm not quite sure how to describe this book other than that it is about two best friends (they work in the same building), the emails they exchange at work, and the hired security who has to monitor those emails. I will say it again that I'm not typically a romance lovey-dovey book reader but this one was adorable, funny, and just overall a fantastic novel.

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight: A good friend of mine recommended this and I had no idea what it was about when I downloaded it. Kate Baron is a single-mother and high-profile lawyer who gets the phone call that changes her world- her daughter, Amelia, has been caught cheating at school. Kate can't believe her Amelia would ever do such a thing and when she arrives the school the news becomes devastating, Amelia is dead. A supposed suicide Kate knows that this was not her daughters own doing. She spends the book piecing Amelia's previous months back together learning more about her daughter than she ever could imagine and the truth. I think I stayed up way past my bedtime the day I started (and finished) this book because I couldn't put it down. Read it.

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken: I read the first two books of Alexandra's series The Darkest Minds and then found she had written this gem first. Brightly Woven is a story filled with magic, mystery and like most YA novels that too cute love story. Sydelle's life changes with one drop of rain, a drop that brings a wizard into town. Wayland North grants this gift of rain by choosing Sydelle as his reward. He takes her on an unforgettable journey that teaches her all about her true self. I wish this had a sequel because I loved it- magic has been done so many different ways and I enjoyed how this one presented itself. And you should definitely check out her other series, The Darkest Minds- so good!

If you need some more books to read go ahead and check out all my book reviews by pressing on that lovely button over there on my sidebar that says, you guessed it, Book Reviews (original, I know).

Go be happy! 

Stitchy Fixy: Box #8!

Stitch Fix- Box # 8.

You might realize it's been quite awhile since I've posted one of these... and that's mostly because my last two boxes I was pretty disappointed in. Things didn't fit, they sent items that looked identical to previous box items.. yada yada. Needless to say I was starting to get a bit fed up but decided, hey lets give them one more try. And thank goodness I did because this box really help perk me up and fall in love with this company, again. I still only kept 2 pieces but each piece fit well, was my style, and I was comfortable enough to show you all. Winner in my book!

I'm not sure where you've been but if for some mysterious reason you haven't heard of Stitch Fix yet you totally need to get on the bandwagon. It is this fantastic personal stylist service that sends FIVE handpicked items to your door pretty much as often as you want them. From what I've seen, once a month is average. Now you might say that sounds cool but why do I really need to sign up? Because after filling out a very extensive survey with your color, size, fabric and clothing preferences, a really awesome stylist picks out (a will say it again ) FIVE pieces to send you- accessories and clothing. Some fun facts:

• They charge a $20 stylist fee that can be used towards whatever you purchase
• You only pay for what you want! Send the rejects back for free.
• If you do decide to purchase all five items you receive an additional 25% off!! woah, nelly
• They really really love your input, your notes and reactions to the picks.

On to the good stuff...

Mak B Xavier V-Neck Knit Cardigan, size M, $48.00
I loved the color of this cardigan, and although it fit very well, was super comfy, and looks pretty nice, I returned it. The price was a bit too high for me to justify buying another cardigan. But... Stitch Fix captured my style well and sent me something that I did have to really think about before sending back. In my book that is a job well done.

Market and Spruce Corinna Striped Dolman Top, size M, $48.00
This shirt I really liked, I wish I had had a pair of leggings with me to wear it with because that is what it is going to be perfect for. I love how its long enough to cover my bum, is crazy soft, a really nice color and warm. Needless to say I kept it.

41Hawthorn Jace Abstract Chevron Print Dress, size M, $68.00
I don't think words can express how much I am in love with this dress. And it came at the most perfect time because I'm going to wear it to my sister's baby shower on Sunday. It is as if Stitch Fix read my mind. I didn't even tell them I needed a dress for this event and yet there it appeared at my door. I love the print, the color, the style and fit. I can wear it all year long- I can dress it up for a cocktail party, or throw on a pair of sandals for brunch this summer, I could wear it to the office (if I went to an office). See that smile up there, that is the smile of someone in love with what they are wearing.

Kut From the Cloth Jonathan Corduroy Skinny Pant, size 8, $48.00 and Papermoon Delphina Striped Knit Top, size M, $38.00
I asked for a pair of colored jeans/pants in this box and was sent this pair of corduroys. I liked them, but I didn't love them. Each winter I take a chance on cords and have yet to find a pair that I have really really liked. I also wasn't crazy about the color, I don't wear a lot of blacks/grays so I knew they wasn't going to be a ton of pieces in my closet that would match. They were comfy though and fit well, besides the length, I'm hoping to see something a little different in my next box. The shirt was okay- I thought it was very similar to the above Market and Spruce top which was really the only thing that annoyed me about this box. Putting it on it felt fine, fit well and was comfortable to wear but I didn't love the colors and I knew I was already keeping the green top and didn't want two of the same thing. I returned both of them.

Overall I was much much happier with this box compared to the previous two. All five items were my style and what I had asked for, comfortable and casual sweaters and a pair of colored pants. Everything fit well, looked nice. If you are interested in trying out your own month of Stitch Fix, go ahead and hit my referral link. So far it has been a great experience and who doesn't love getting a surprise box of clothes each month?!

Costa Rica

Over the holidays I went to Costa Rica with the family I work for- we went for about two weeks to a region called Guanacaste. Unfortunately I dropped and shattered my phone the day we left so I was unable to take but few pictures (my phone had a mind of it's own) but I can give you some details on where we stayed, my experience with the hotel and surrounding area.

We flew into the Liberia Airport in Costa Rica and drove about an hour and fifteen to the JW Marriott Resort on the Hacienda Pinilla, which is kind of a gated community. We stayed at a similar one last year when we stayed at the Four Seasons resort.

The Marriott was very nice, we had three rooms- one of which I shared with the kids. The beds were comfy and the curtains fully blacked out the windows at night, something I fully appreciated.

I thought on the best things about this hotel was the pool. The pool was a snake shape so that every chair was poolside. There were no rows of chairs layering back, no walk to put your feet into the water, every chair had access to the pool. The beach at the Marriott was also super nice. During low-tide the beach was very wide and with a large number of rocks at the bottom that created really cool tide pools. The kids and I spent hours everyday exploring these pools, searching for shells, fish, crabs and other goodies. Throughout our stay we saw a sting-ray, an octopus, a puffer-fish, an endless amount of hermit crabs, crabs, and multiple kinds of fish. The swim area of the beach was large enough that multiple families could enjoy it at once but wasn't too intense with the current. Overall a
great beach.

picture courtesy of the JW Marriott site

The thing is about this trip is that we stayed on the property almost the entire time. The hotel boasts six restaurants. An Asian-fushion dinner spot, a delicious steak house, an all day lounge with sushi and pizza, a buffet bar, and a pool-grill that turns into an Italian restaurant at night. All good, but a bit repetitive after 14 days. We did go into the nearby town one evening, the hotel offered a shuttle and it took about 30 minutes to reach the town. It was filled with restaurants and cheesy gift shops. And while it was nice to get out, it was very hard to make the trek with two children who were used to going to sleep at 8:30. If I had been there with my own family or friends I expect we would have gone more often.

The Marriott has a nice spa on their property- something I took full-advantage of, although I did find it be be a bit over priced. I had an amazing massage but could have received the same service at a different hotel or here at home for half of the cost. It was worth it at the time but I wouldn't go back there to do the same thing.

One thing I found very interesting is the wildlife we saw, or didn't see... last year we stayed at the Four Seasons resort, about an hour and half north of where we were this year. There (at the Four Seasons) we saw monkeys, iguanas, white-nose Coatis, all sorts of birds, bugs and crabs almost everyday. At the Marriott we saw almost nothing. Besides the things we saw in the water I think I viewed a handful of lizards and some birds. Well we did see a lot of cows and horses on the drive to and from the airport but I'm not sure if that counts.

Overall it was a nice hotel, and with the families government discount they received a fantastic deal ($147/night). There are direct flights to Liberia which can also be helpful and I would recommend it as a place to stay but not for as long as we did. Maybe a 5-6 day trip, and not a two week one.

And that's that!

Part One: Bookity Books!

First off, this is my 200th post. 200. 200 times in the past year I've pressed publish. 200 times people have read what I have written. At least one person. I'm actually drawing closer to my blogiversary and all I can think is wow. Here is to 200 more!

On to the good stuff- I haven't written a book review post in a quite a while, partially because I was re-reading the Outlander series for several weeks. Which was super fun because it's a great series and I hadn't read the 8th book yet and also really annoying because the author totally left a cliff-hanger on book 8 and book 9 is probably a year away from release. I shake my fist at you Diana Gabaldon!

Besides that I've been slowly working my way through another Blogging for Books book, which has actually be great because it's all about goals and accomplishments and doing out of the box things (like hiking across the US or visiting every country) and is kind of needed for my trip next year. I will attempt to finish it soon and share the insights with you...

So on to a few of my favorites in the past months- part one:

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart: This was a great YA novel that built a lot on intrigue and suspense. Cadence spends her summers on her family's private island with The Liars- but this particular summer is different. Cadence is recovering from an accident and there is something going on that she just can't put her finger on. Now I have to say- the writing isn't necessarily the best, and a few things were predictably, but the story is excellent. Even with the negatives you will want to know what happens. And it's a pretty quick read. Go for it!

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell: My first Rainbow Rowell book, and it didn't disappoint. I'm not usually one for romance/lovey-dovey books but somehow Rainbow makes them seem so normal, cutesy- but not over the top and something you can genuinely enjoy. Eleanor and Park are high-school students from completely different worlds- and they bond over music. Very cute, a sweet read and now a favorite writer.

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken: A younger cousin of mine recommended this book to me over the summer, and it is the first in a great YA series- along the lines of The Hunger Games, Divergent, and so on. In a society where children start to die of a mysterious disease, the children who survive develop powers and abilities. Think mind-reading, supernatural, telekinesis powers. Instead of trying to figure out what is actually happening to them the government and the world shut all these children and teens up into camps, similar to concentration camps. Bad conditions, barely living. Ruby is one of these kids, locked up at age 10- she has now escaped as a teen and is struggling to make sense of everything going on around her, while fighting back to the powers that be. Sticking true with current trends, it is a trilogy with a few novellas in between. Worth the read and much better than Divergent!!

I am the Messenger  by Markus Zusak: Markus Zusak stole my heart away with The Book Thief, and while this is another excellent book of his, it is not to the same caliber. Great writing, but lacking a bit with the heart strings. Ed Kennedy is a 19-year old cab driver, going nowhere in his life, desperately in love with his best friend and has the worlds smelliest dog. After aiding to stop a robbery Ed receives a mysterious card with what seems like random names. And with it becomes the messenger- learning to care for and help others around his town.

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King: If you haven't yet read The Shining, then you need to go out and do so now. I know, I know- The Shining is scary! And it is- but not at all to the same level as the movie is, the book (as usual) is much better. After you read it, come back and read Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shining. A story just as excellent if not better. For those  you have read or watched- Doctor Sleep is about Danny, 25 odd years later, dealing with his crazy childhood and the powers he has. Danny meets Abra, a little girl who shines even harder than he does and desperately needs his help.

Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1- how you annoy me, let me count the ways

So, like most the population I went and saw the first part of the third Hunger Games movie, Mockingjay Part 1, this past weekend. And don't get me wrong- it was a great movie, well done, good acting, suspenseful, exciting and dramatic,but not very funny...

That might sound weird, but compared to the books (which I will very much do because they are favorites of mine) it was completely lacking in the humor department. LIKE ALL OF MY FAVORITE SCENES WERE GONE!

I was discussing this with my friends when I walked out of the theater- that they had left out on of my favorite scenes of dialogue from the storyline. Not the scene itself, because that's still in the movie but the funny part that happened in the book. Several in fact- to the point that they basically left every funny scene in the book out. Why? Is there any legitimate reason for this? I can only reflect that it is meant for the subject matter of the story- uprising, rebellions, a society that is falling apart. Even so, isn't humor what helps make us human? That we can laugh, find the silly things in life and still carry on even in the worst times. The comedic relief here was few and far between, and completely unnecessary because it is present in the book. Is there a message to to this madness or am I just reading way too much into it. Who knows.

Either way the movie was good and I was very impressed with Josh Hutcherson. When he was first cast in the role of Peeta this is the book that scared me the most for him, would Josh be able to be third book Peeta? Could his acting push himself into that role? So far- yes, he had some excellent scenes and I'm intrigued to see how he does in the second half.

And that's my rant about the hunger games. bah-humbug.

My Favorite Children's Books (right now)

Hello friends- long time, no see. I swear I'm still alive. Blogtober took a lot out of me and then one of my cats had to have surgery and I now have the lovely task of medicating her with 6 different things up to three times a day. The joy. Needless to say I've been a little stressed and this space has been pushed aside for a day or two. I'm coming back, like right now.

I originally wrote this post for Ashley over at That Southern Mama, but thought I'd bring it back because November is here which means SHOPPING!! These are some great picks for all those little ones in your life- and some wonderful stories.

As a reminder for my day job I am a house manager for a family- this means I take care of their two children, do all the errands, cooking, scheduling and just about anything else they can think of.

Thankfully both children adore reading just as much as I do- here are some of my favorite to read with them (for now, at least!)

All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon and Marla Frazee: This is such a sweet book with beautiful illustrations- almost like a day in the life of a family vacation or weekend, it describes the wonderful world we live in and how at the end of the day it's about you and your family.

Birdy's Smile Book by Laurie Keller: I'm not sure exactly when I discover this book but it is adorable as books get. Birdy loves her smile- and wants you to love yours too! Written as if a 4-year old is truly talking to you, full of fun tidbits and a happy message. Smile more!

The Snail and The Whale by Julia Donaldson: A little snail wants to go on an adventure! After being picked up by a whale and sailed around the world- the whale becomes beached! Although tiny, the snail uses his might and mind to help bring the whale back to safety. A great message for all ages and a fun ride around the world!

Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers: This book is great for infants and toddlers- a fun board book about babies, what they eat, play, how they learn to move. The youngest I look after started talking about animals from this book. Same illustrator as All the World- beautiful pictures.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown: An absolute classic and should be in every home! Goodnight Moon is the ultimate bedtime story. The pictures, words, and colors urge you to speak slowly, softly and tuck your little one in, in the most comfortable way. And as a perk the author is an alumnae of the same university I attended, Hollins University in Virgina!

Feel free to check out some of my previous book reviews: 

Look Look, It's a Book/Travel to Your Imagination/you should all read more/ 

I love me some books/big B, little B, what begins with b?/

pulled pork w/ homemade bbq sauce and coleslaw

This might be one of the longer dishes that I make, but it is definitely one of the best. Now I make it with pork, because that is what the recipe calls for, but I'm not really sure why it couldn't be adapted to chicken or beef. Talk to your butcher about it though, I know nothing when it comes to meats.Either way you could just make the sauce and dip life into it.


For the Pork:
1 1/2 tsp of ground coriander seed
1 1/2 tsp of ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp of pepper
2 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
3 tbsp of dark brown sugar
3.5 pds of boneless pork shoulder (sometimes called pork butt)
Hamburger or brioche buns, for serving






For the bbq sauce:
1 1/2 cups of ketchup
1/4 cup of packed dark brown sugar
2 tbsp of molasses
2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp of worcestershire sauce
2 tsps of sweet or hot paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp of dry mustard powder
pinch of cayenne pepper
dash of hot sauce, more to taste

left mayo out of the picture- whoops!

For the coleslaw:
1 small head green cabbage, outer leaves removed, shredded (about 1.5 pds)
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 large jalepeno, seeded if desire, thinly sliced (I left this out bc my peeps don't like hot things- jeez)
3/4 cup of mayonnaise
2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar.
2 tsp of EVOO
1 tsp of kosher salt
black pepper to taste






 whew- okay, let's get this party started. 

Preparation!
1. Mix all your spices for your pork in a bowl. Mix it real good. Now if your roast is tied up, untie it- we don't need no strings. Then you take that spice mix and you massage your roast generously- get the spice mix all over it, push it in and let it absorb the goodness. Let your roast then sit for at least an hour or two at room temperature, but for best results wrap it up and stick in the fridge overnight.

2. Now that 24 hours have passed you may take your meat out of the fridge. Pre-heat the over to 300 degrees. Place your pork in a baking pan and roast it for 3-4 hours, or until the meat is pull-apart tender and the internal temp reads 200 degrees on a meat thermometer. Be prepared for delicious scents all over your place- yes your mouth will water. Once the meat is done, let is cool for at least 30 minutes before pulling it apart and shredding it with your hands or two forks.

3. While your meat is cooling, let's get started on this yummy bbq sauce. Add all of the ingredients into a medium pot. Stir well. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has deepened in color. Season with more hot-sauce if you would like.

4. Once your meat has cooled and been pulled apart add about two-thirds of the sauce to the meat and toss to coat, adding more if you need it. Any extra sauce will keep in your fridge for about two weeks.

 5.  And last but not least make your coleslaw. Add the cabbage, onion and jalapeno to a large bow. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add dressing to the cabbage mixture and toss well.

6. Then slam all of these amazing concoctions together on a bun and prepare to go to food heaven. It's real I tell you.

Enjoy!!

Linking up with Kate and Emily for :

  And Mary for :

And don't forget to check out my survey! All the responses have been super helpful- can't wait to see some more!!

Look! Look! It's a book!

It's that time again- a book review time. You may wonder sometimes how I am able to read all these wonderful books and I usually ask myself the same question... miraculously in the the time I have on this planet I am able to squeeze in precious minutes of reading time, usually when I'm on some form of public transportation. It is definitely a perk of living in NYC. Anyways.. on to the good stuff!

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: I can't remember if I've talked about this book before- and if I have, ignore me- but at the same time, don't. This is one of the best books I've read in the the past few years. I was actually upset and super excited all at the same time when I found out it was the author's first. This lady is going places- or maybe it will be her one hit wonder and I might also be okay with that. As the title says- it's about a Night Circus- basically the circus of your wildest dreams, one filled with exotic tents, incredible food and that literally appears overnight. The book is about magic, and a competition so incredible you only wish it could be real. The descriptions are spectacular, the plot keeps you wanting more, and like Harry Potter all you want is for it to be real. Go and read it- knock yourself out and start it on a weekend because once you stop you won't want to finish. You're welcome.

The Lorien Legacies- Books 1-4 by Pittacus Lore: While in Florida I read the first four books in the Lorien Legacies series. The first being I am Number Four, The Power of Six, The Rise of Nine and The Fall of Five. The first story falls a boy named John Smith who is part of an alien race that escaped to Earth. Himself, along with 8 other children left their home planet after being attacked by another alien race called the Mogadorians. The Mogs (as they call them) are hunting down the kids, except they can only kill the children in numerical order. John is number four (surprise, I know) and at this point in his life the previous three have been killed, meaning he is next. They get cool powers from their home place called legacies (i.e flying, turning invisible, shape-shifting) and the existing aliens must find each and work together to save their race! Ah the drama! It's actually a fun series, with a somewhat predictable plot, but easy to read and enjoyable.

Panic by Lauren Oliver: I'm not sure how I stumbled upon this book but it was really great. The story takes place in a super small town where every summer the graduating seniors have an opportunity to play a legendary but dangerous game. The pay out is huge but the stakes are high. You follow two different teens playing the game, each for their own reason and experience why they are there, how their game goes, and the pressure they feel with every move.

Hollow City (second novel to Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children) by Ransom Riggs: This is the second book to the Peculiar Children series. Not going to get crazy with details bc spoilers- duh, but I thought they did an excellent job with it and I'm looking forward to the third in the series. Picks up right where the first drops off, we get to meet some new interesting peculiars (the children with awesome powers) and get a bit more insight into what they are fighting for. If you haven't read the first one yet check out my review here!

The Selection by Kiera Cass: I mentioned this book last week and I'm giving you more details. Future world- America (main character) lives in society broken into castes ruled by a royal family. When a prince is of age, a "selection" is made of all the eligible women in the society to become the future king. They live in the castle and compete in a the bachelorette show way to win over the current prince. America is of a lower caste and although doesn't want to enter is convinced by her mother and secret boyfriend. Alas she makes it to the competition and the book goes on. I loved it- fun to read, a different view on a future society, definitely up there with the other popular YA novels going around right now.

The Alchemyst (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel) by Michael Scott: I've seen this one floating around for a while and finally got a chance to actually sit down and read it. As the title says it's about Nicholas Flamel- yep the same one from Harry Potter who created the sorcerer's stone. The book takes place in modern day where the Flamels are living in San Francisco with their magical book of life. John Dee (also a historical figure who dappled in alchemy with Queen Elizabeth - the original 007) tries to steal the book and with the aid of twins, Sophie and Josh, they must fight the evil beings from taking over the world. Sha-bam. Pretty good story, I will read the next one. Also like the tie-ins from other recent books I've read (like HP with the Flamels, and Discovery of Witches, which talks about John Dee).

The Third Gate by Lincoln Child: I happened upon this book when trying to find some things to read for my vacation. It's a suspense-ish novel about a mysterious Egyptian tomb found by a famous archeologist. Along with some other specialists Jeremy Logan is brought out to help solve the curse on the tomb. Along with being in a very unappealing part of Egypt (the nasty Sudd) and the mysterious happenings that keep occurring they must discover what is inside! The book was okay- it's been a long time since I've read anything similar so it was a nice change of pace but I wouldn't tell you to run out and read it.
Please fill out my awesome survey! I would love to get a better understanding of what you want as readers! Thanks!!

The Go VoxBox - Hit or Miss?

I love receiving VoxBoxes from Influenster! Recently I received the Go VoxBox filled with all sorts of active goodies and treats.

In the box...

Muller Yogurt:  We received a coupon for a free container of our choice! I picked up the Muller Greek Corner in Pineapple Passion-fruit. It was delicious- creamy, fruity, a good solid snack. I have even picked up a few more containers since.

Verdict: HIT!

Aqua Spa Relax Body Creme in Lavender + Chamomile: Now I'm not a huge fan of lotions anyways, but for the box purposes I did try this out a few times and was pleasantly surprised. It's a creme so it is thicker but it rubbed in quickly, definitely moisturized my legs well and smelled amazing. I won't be using it on a regular basis now that summer has arrived, but for sure come fall/winter I will be using this out of the shower.

Verdict: HIT! (even surprised myself with this!)

Playtex Sport Tampons in Regular: I was not a fan of these. If you are get grossed out (I mean I'm not getting that crazy) skip to the next one but I'm going to be honest about how I felt about this tampon. For a "regular" size tampon this was small. I had to change it way more frequently than I would my normal tampons (tampax pearl) for what I consider a normal flow day. They didn't "stay" that well either, especially not as you would expect a sports tampon (one designed for active lifestyles- i.e running, swimming, playing sports! ) to stay. Overall not a fan, obviously to each her own. I gave the rest to a friend.

Verdict: MISS!

Profoot Pedi- Rock: This callous removing rock has been wonderful. It can be used wet or dry, which is super nice because most "dry-skin" removers cannot be. I keep it in the shower and scrub my feet when I'm in there. It makes for soft feet every day, which I love! The shape is nice to hold on to, doesn't slip, and it cleans off very easily.

 

Verdict: HIT!

Profoot Triad Orthotic Insoles for Women: I put these insole in my rain boots- which made them super comfortable and helped me enjoy wearing them for all those rainy days we have been having. I liked that they stuck on with just a small amount of provided gel- and they haven't slipped out once. They are also short- meaning the insole only covers your heel and arch. This makes it possible to put in almost any shoe you want, no cutting them down - something I really liked.

Verdict: HIT!

Blue Diamond Almonds- Blueberry Flavor: This was one of my favorite things in the box. It was a perfect snack size and the flavor was oh so delicious. I actually carried them around in my purse for  a few weeks and the packaging held up very nicely considering. They were great to eat on the go and very filling. A perfect way to boost your energy during the day! They come in other flavors, raspberry and strawberry, which I would be very interested in trying.

Verdict: HIT!

Next Step Fit N Full Protein Shake + Next Step Shaker Cup: We were given 3 different flavors or protein shakes to try (chocolate, vanilla, and berry) plus a shaker cup to try them in. The flavors of the drinks were good- I liked the chocolate and vanilla best. And the shaker cup was very easy to use- add water, the powder, and shake what your mama gave ya.  They worked well as meal replacements, I had mine for breakfast and they did keep me full as a normal breakfast of mine would. I'm not sure I would actually purchase more of them, in reality they are just not my thing. But I did like them and if someone else gave me more I would use them.

Verdict: HIT! (because I did enjoy them)

Overall a pretty good box- and it introduced me to some fun new products and treats! And if you are interested let me know if you want to join Influenster- comment your email below and I will invite you! It is a really great site, and a fun way to try some new products! 


And don't forget to check out the giveaway I've got going on right now!! Read my review and the business story here.

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Peachy Keen + Giveaway!

Hello beautiful readers! How do you smell today? Odd question, I'm sure, but my good friend Jeanette, over at Peach Keen Perfume, is here today to help you smell fantastic.

I've known Jeanette for many years- we went to university together, and she recently started her own perfume making business.

Jeanette has always been interested in scent. As a child she would reach up to the thick glass bottles of her grandmother’s vanity just to sneak a whiff of her collection.

The art of perfumery came to life for the first time for Jeanette when she studied abroad in Paris and took a trip to Grasse in Provence, the fragrance capital of the world. She noticed how perfumery was deliberately shrouded in mystery, and that bottles of perfume were always available for purchase but never for creation. 

She began to start uncovering this mystery when Jeanette lived and worked in Morocco for two years. Hidden in the crooked alleyways of souks in Tangier, Rabat, and Casablanca, Jeanette would find stalls where raw materials for perfumes were available for mixing. Through befriending Moroccan perfumers who worked with some of the finest oils in the world, she began to learn the art of perfumery. With continued practice she unraveled the mystery of making perfume.

Jeanette is a military spouse and makes politically and environmentally conscious purchases for her business. And as a teacher turned social entrepreneur, she donates a portion of her profits to educational programs. She plans to always donate a portion of her profits, and the charity will rotate based on current events. For the month of May, she donated to the Hollins University gift fund- her alma mater, and in honor of our five year reunion. For the month of June she will be working with a non-profit that focuses on fighting child hunger especially during the summer for children who are normally dependent on school lunches. Since June's topic is a current event that could possibly endure through the summer, it will be the recipient until September. 

Today Jeanette is kindly giving away the first scent she created for her business,Ocean Boulevard. Ocean Boulevard is delicately handmade by Jeanette, herself, in sunny San Diego, California. Top notes open up with an inviting citrus that fades to heart notes of windswept pink jasmine and the airy smell of the ocean waves. As the perfume settles you will discover notes of vetiver and white musk. This perfume is a balanced olfactory experience for the beach lover. The scent has a tenacity of 6 hours.

I'm a huge fan of Ocean Boulevard, I picked up my own bottle at reunion earlier this month and have been wearing it every day since. The scent is light, fresh, and perfect for daily wear. She currently sells it online, and at Make Good, a boutique in San Diego. I encourage you all to check out her site and enter this fantastic giveaway!

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All photos were taken by Elizabeth Zaranka at http://www.elizabethzaranka.com