At-a-Glance Vienna Weekly/Monthly Appointment Book

I love the colors in this At-a-Glance Vienna Weekly/Monthly Appointment Book from Shoplet! Purple is one of my favorites. I can't believe 2017 will be here within a month! I've already started filling in our appointments, field trip outings, and other stuff in this planner.

It is 8 1/2" x 11" and has plenty of room to write down everything you need all in one book and stay organized. It's printed on high-quality, recycled paper containing post-consumer recycled material.

I really like that it lists so many holidays in it. Many calendars and planners these days omit a lot of them. This book also includes day light savings time, full moons, many Canadian and Mexican holidays, and also several religious holidays of all faiths.

At-a-Glance offers several types of calendars, planners, and appointment books. Be sure to take a look to find the right style for your home or office.

Shoplet is the #1 e-tailer of business and office supplies. They also carry cleaning supplies, medical supplies, and office furniture.

You can find Shoplet by visiting them on their social media sites I've listed below. Be sure to check them out!


Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/Shoplet

Twitter @Shoplet  https://twitter.com/shoplet

Pinterest  https://www.pinterest.com/shoplet/

Blog  http://blog.shoplet.com/

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* I received this planner for free to review. No other compensation was received. Opinions are my own.

Thinkfun Brick By Brick

We are huge fans of Thinkfun games. They are fun, educational, and great for the whole family. Brick By Brick is a creative building game. It comes with 5 puzzle pieces and 60 challenge cards. 

Challenge 7 

I figured it out! 

The solution is on the back in case you need help.

Brick By Brick is a single player game. The suggested age range is 8 to adult. It also comes with a Game-Go Bag so you can take it anywhere. 

Game-Go Bag

We're having fun working our way through the challenges. Games like this are great because you can just sit them out and when you have a moment just try a challenge or two. 

Thinkfun has lots of games so be sure to visit their site to learn more about them. You can find Brick By Brick on Amazon.

* I received this game for free for this review. No other compensation was received. Opinions are my own.

Nourishing Meals - Book Review

Nourishing Meals gives you 365 recipes that will have your whole family eating healthier in no time. They are all whole foods based and Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Soy-Free dishes. This book is huge with over 500 pages. It will take me some time to get through it all. I've skimmed through it a few times and am slowly working my way from the beginning. I've already marked a few recipes though.

I really like the fact that so many of the recipes are for a larger family. That makes me happy! I know it's not a big deal to double a recipe but it's nice when you don't have to. I do wish the pictures were right next to the recipes though. This book has them all together in a section in the middle of the book. Not really that big of a deal since this book is pretty awesome otherwise.

We don't have any food allergies in our family thank goodness but I am trying to get us more into whole foods eating most of the time. We're a work in progress.This book really has it all and I feel like it's doable. I definitely recommend this book if you are looking to eat healthier.

Nourishing Meals  facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/nourishingmeals

Nourishing Meals on Twitter - https://twitter.com/nourishingmeals



* I received this book from Blogging For Books for this review. No other compensation was received. Opinions are my own.

Bristle Dartboard

We've been having a great time with this GameRoomGo Bristle Dartboard Set. The dartboard is made with quality bristle and classic look. It is very sturdy and actually weighs a bit over 9 lbs.

6 darts included, 3 USA & 3 England

It's been really nice the last several days so the boys have actually been taking it outside to play. We don't leave it outside though. Once it gets too cold we will hang it up in the house or garage. The darts stick easily into the board. Nothing has split or cracked. It's really a fun game for the whole family.

You can find this Bristle Dartboard on Amazon. It'd make for a great Christmas gift for someone - even yourself. :)

* I received this item free for this review. No other compensation was received. Opinions are my own.

Shape Logic by ThinkFun

We love games from ThinkFun! They make so many fun games that really give your brain a good workout.

Shape Logic is a single player game for ages 8 to adult. It has 20 puzzle pieces, 10 blue & 10 green. They are made of a hard plastic material. It comes with 50 challenge cards with solutions. These are held together with a little ring so they stay in order. It also includes a Game-Go Bag so you can keep everything together and take it anywhere easily.

Puzzle pieces. The green looks a bit yellow in this photo.They do look green in real life.

The goal of the game is to combine the blue and green pieces to create two identical shapes. Each of the 50 challenge cards shows you which pieces to use. There are five levels in the challenge cards which range from beginner to genius. 

Challenge card

Solution card

We've really enjoyed single play and also working together figuring these challenges out. Some in the family can quickly figure certain ones out while others take a bit longer. That is what is so great about this style of game though. You can do it at your own pace or if you have two working together they see things differently so it works out. We are still working our way through the challenges so will enjoy getting the cobwebs out of our brains. Well, mostly my brain.   :)

Shape Logic comes with a Game-Go Bag so you can take it anywhere.

You can find Shape Logic on Amazon. Be sure to check out the ThinkFun website too for all their other fun games.

* I received this game for free for this review. No other compensation was received. Opinions are my own.

Cuba! - Book Review

Cuba! Recipes and Stories From the Cuban Kitchen is a vibrant book full of beautiful pictures. It has more than 75 recipes and interesting stories from the past 5 years the authors have been visiting Cuba and working on this book.

The layout of the book is great. The recipes are easy to follow. I love the stories mixed in with the recipes. I also like that they used pictures of the Cuban people and not themselves. Captions to go along with some of the photos would have been nice though. The food pictures are excellent.

Overall this is a very enjoyable book. It has a nice variety of recipes from basic to high end restaurant offerings. A few favorite sections of mine: Basic Training- includes all the basics like rice & beans, yuca fries, fried plantains, chicken & fish stocks. The dessert section is wonderful! I mean the Coconut Tres Leches Cake sounds so good. I know my boys will be happy they've included a recipe for churros. I also thought the two page spread about Earnest Hemingway was a nice addition.



* I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. No other compensation was received. Opinions are my own.

Valentia Night Revive Retinol Serum

Valentia Night Revive Retinol Serum fights wrinkles and provides hydration for visibly smoother, rejuvenated skin. Benefits of using this serum: diminishes wrinkles, stimulates collagen, improves skin tone, manages breakouts, and conditions skin.

A few of the main ingredients that work together to get these results include: Retinol (Vitamin A), Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Squalane.

Directions for using this serum are pretty basic. You do want to shake the bottle lightly before each use then apply to cleansed face. You can apply moisturizer afterwards. I found that it hydrates my skin enough so I don't need to apply anything else.

I found this to be very light on my skin. It has a milky white texture. It made my skin instantly soft and hydrated. I have only used it a couple times since receiving it so I've not noticed any other changes. I do think it takes consistent use for best results. This did not irritate my skin at all. The scent is also very light.

You can find Valentia Night Revive Retinol Serum on Amazon. They offer several other skin care items also.

For more info about their products you can visit the Valentia website. They can also be found on their social media sites listed below.


facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/valentiabeauty/

instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/valentianatural/

* I received this product free for review. No other compensation was received. Opinions are my own. Sponsored Post. Powered by BrandBacker 

Shoplet for Schools Giveaway

Shoplet wants to give back in a big way. They are hosting a giveaway where one school will win a massive bundle of school supplies worth an estimated $5,000! The winner gets to pick the school of their choice to donate the supplies.

You can enter by visiting the Shoplet Blog. Be sure to scroll down and comment on their blog post and enter via the Rafflecopter. It ends Oct. 3rd so be sure to enter right away!

Some of the products included are pens, pencils, folders, maps, cleaning supplies, teacher's planners, and more. The wonderful companies donating products include Avery, Lysol, 3M, Pilot, Schneider, Georgia Pacific, Ticonderoga, Neenah, C-Line, Lion, Roaring Springs, House of Doolittle, and Iceberg.

Get your friends, teachers, other parents and have them all enter so your school can be the lucky one to win this amazing giveaway.

Shoplet has also been kind enough to offer my readers a 20% discount when using code: SHOPLETFORSCHOOLS20


Here's the press release about the giveaway if you'd like to read more about it also.

Shoplet is the #1 e-tailer of business and office supplies. They also carry cleaning supplies, medical supplies, and office furniture.

You can find Shoplet by visiting them on their social media sites I've listed below. Be sure to check them out!


Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/Shoplet

Twitter @Shoplet  https://twitter.com/shoplet

Pinterest  https://www.pinterest.com/shoplet/

Blog  http://blog.shoplet.com/

Youtube  https://www.youtube.com/user/Shoplet

Instagram  https://instagram.com/shoplet/

Broken Leaves of Autumn - Book Review

Broken Leaves of Autumn tells a story about a young Christian man named Jeff who leaves his abusive home in Arizona and arrives in New York looking for a better life for himself. He becomes friends with Aaron who is an ultra orthodox Jew and helps him find a job and a place to live. He then meets Eva, a successful business woman who works at the World Trade Center, and then Aaron's sister falls in love with Jeff. Lots of things going on!

I really wanted to like Broken Leaves of Autumn but I couldn't get caught up in the story. It didn't flow smoothly for me. I felt like it jumped around a bit and the characters were just not believable to me. At the beginning there was one small bit about the businesswoman Jeff meets and it seemed like she was kind of just thrown in there and you don't go back to finding out about her for awhile. I think the book needed to lose some parts of the story. It felt too wordy. This book was just not for me.

You can find Broken Leaves of Autumn on Amazon.

* I received an ebook version for free for this review. No other compensation was received. Opinions are my own.

Mango Green Tea Loose Leaf Tea Blend

This Mango Green Tea Loose Leaf Tea Blend from Coastal Tea Company comes in a 3.5 oz resealable bag.

Ingredients include: Premium blend of sencha green tea, dried mango pieces, peach flavoring oils, and a hint of mint. It's naturally flavored with no artificial ingredients or flavors.

I do have to say this isn't my favorite blend. While I can smell the mango and peach when opening the bag of leaves and also just slightly once it's brewed it's very light. The mint is much stronger in this one. It's more than just a hint of mint. I would have liked more of the mango and peach flavor.

You can find Mango Green Tea Loose Leaf Tea Blend on Amazon.

* I received this product for free for this review. No other compensation was received. Opinions are my own.

Ginger Mint Loose Leaf Tea Blend

The Ginger Mint Loose Leaf Tea Blend from Coastal Tea Company is another great tasting tea. I love the combination of this one. So many great health benefits from this blend. It's a very soothing cup of tea. The ginger is what I notice at first. The lovely scent of lemon and ginger is wonderful. The mint was light and not overpowering.

Ingredients in this blend include: Premium blend of sencha green tea, dried ginger, lemongrass, lemon peel, and dried spearmint leaves. It is naturally flavored with no artificial flavors or ingredients.

Soothing cup of tea.

It still smelled wonderful after steeping my tea.

This is a 3.5 oz bag of loose leaf tea. Instructions are 1-2 tsp of leaves per 8 oz cup and to steep for 2-3 minutes. 

You can find this Ginger Mint Loose Leaf Tea Blend from Coastal Tea Company on Amazon.

* I received this product free for this review. No other compensation was received. Opinions are my own.

The DRIVE Bin XL - Large Capacity Car Trash Can

We accumulate so much trash in our suburban. Normally we just have a plastic bag that floats around and tends to end up with everything falling out since it doesn't stay in place. The Drive Bin XL has changed that. It keeps all our trash in one spot and doesn't tip over.

10 bags included.

Net pockets on both sides. I store napkins in one.

It also has side clasps to keep plastic bags in place.

It does come with 10 custom sized bags but once they run out you can just use any regular grocery bags. I also like that the bin can be easily wiped clean if something leaks. So far it's keeping all our trash in one spot and the suburban is clean. :)

The DRIVE Bin XL can be found on Amazon.

* I received this product at a discount for this review. No other compensation was received. Opinions are my own. 

XL Round Rope Tree Swing by Trailblaze

We finally had a day without rain yesterday! The boys had been waiting for a nice day to try out this awesome XL Round Rope Tree Swing from Trailblaze. It was so much bigger than we expected and it's so much fun! I tried it out too and I didn't want to get off. :)

It comes in a big box and includes everything you need to hang it up. It has a 36" hanging strap and a carabiner. The swing seat part has a round steel pole that folds into four pieces so you can take it anywhere with you. My 13 and 16 year old put the swing together themselves. They only needed help at the very end putting the last pole in place. My husband helped with that and then he hung it from the tree for them.

It's a fun swing for kids and adults! It is well made and very sturdy. We hung it from our favorite tree spot in our backyard and also tried it on our swing set. The swing set worked fine but it's way more fun under a tree! You do want to make sure it's not too close to the ground so you may need to adjust the height once you find the perfect tree.

If you want to add a little swinging fun in your life you can find this XL Round Rope Tree Swing on Amazon.

* I received this item at a discount for this review. No other compensation was received. Opinions are my own.