Liquid Sculpey Metallics Make Fabulous Fashionable Fun

Thank you Sculpey for allowing me to have a Covid-safe outdoor jewelry party. I was astonished at the gorgeous results and my friends all want to use the variety of colors in the Liquid Sculpey Metallics Multipack. The Liquid Sculpey Metallic colors are glorious. They are sparkly, glittery, and even have a natural mica shift. They are so pretty on their own that they really don't need a glaze or extra finishing. The Liquid Sculpey and the Molds can be used with a wide variety of mica powders, glitter, and interference powders. The Molds are easy to fill and produce a perfect bead every time. The only thing I needed to do is clean up my edges. The post in the mold makes it quick to form a drop and only needs a jump ring to have a pair of earrings or necklace. The beads are so lightweight that even using multiples, hanging on a necklace, they don't feel heavy. This kit is a fun, fast and easy way to make beautiful beads for jewelry. Hopeful, Helpful Hints: 1. Watch the video, learn the basics and tailor them to your setup and colors. 2. The more often you fill and bake the molds the easier it is and the more perfect your results. I burned my first fill and realized I had to get the temperature and time just right. I added ceramic tiles to my toaster oven and an aluminum foil “tent” over the mold, checked the temperature with an instant read cooking thermometer and have not burned any since. Make sure you use an oven mitt when using the oven and when holding the hot mold. It stays hot for a long time after it comes out of the oven and I just leave my beads in it until cooled. 3. Make sure you check carefully for bubbles, especially around the post area. Dropping the molds a few times brings bubbles to the surface. They are then easy to pop with a toothpick. I often just poke the post area with the toothpick even if I can't see a bubble there. 4. You can dust the molds with mica powders, interference powders, or glitter for effects. You can also mix in a bit of mica powder before you fill the molds. Make sure to wash the mold after use of any powder or effects. 5. You can mix colors, layer colors, blend colors, or add effects when you fill the mold. Use a wire or toothpick to mix, or carefully drop small dots of color, then fill with another color or two. 6. On the earring findings you can turn the loop at the bottom of the earring with pliers so the bead will face front when you put on just a large jump ring. When you add the jump ring to the bead, turn the joining inside the hole to hide the join and it will hold it better. 7. You can use acrylic paint on the beads to add color or pattern. Use a fine, small paint brush to dot, make lines or swirls. 8. The bottom line is that the more you fill the molds and bake them, the better your beads will turn out. It is a learning process, but easy and quick to start producing giftable earrings and necklaces with Liquid Sculpey and the Sculpey Molds. Just in time for the Holidays! I received this product for free from Sculpey to use and review.

Back to Roots Mini Mushroom Grow Kit Actually Produces Mushrooms

I was skeptical, but within 8 days, I had real, organic mushrooms growing on my kitchen counter. The Back to Roots Mini Mushroom Grow Kit was easy to use, just remove growing block, cut back a bit of the plastic, soak overnight, spray daily, and Boom! the mushrooms appear. They are organic and once they are bigg enough look like they will be delicious. This is a perfect kit for kids and adults who have seen way too much of inside their house. It is easy for kids to use with minimal adult supervision and actually produces food. This is a great learning opportunity for kids to see that they can grow their own food. Thanks to Social Nature and Back to Roots for allowing me to test and review this fine product. I definitely recommend! @backtotheroots_official and @socialnature @walmart #trynatural

NaturesCraft Lidocaine - Convenient and effective numbing

NaturesCraft Lidocaine is a very portable spray of Lidocaine HCL. While it is marketed as a male genital desensitizer (and works effectively for that), it is also perfect for numbing pain around muscles or joints. It works rapidly to numb the skin, which helps decrease the tense muscles that can trigger pain. The numbness lasts for 15 to 30 minutes, with no after effects. Because it has removed the trigger cycle of pain (pain, tense muscle, more pain, more tension) the pain reduction lasts longer even after the numbness has worn off. Additionally, it would be very useful to reduce pain with tattooing and injections. It is very portable as the bottle is approximately 4" by 1". It fits in a pocket or purse. It can be used discreetly in privacy or restroom. With just a few quick sprays the numbness begins. The product is GMP certified and made in the USA. I definitely recommend this product as an easy and effective solution whenever numbness to skin is desired. This item can be purchased on Amazon.

High Quality DMSO From Heiltropfen

I have used DMSO (Dimethyl sulfoxide) for many years to self-treat my painful knees and lower back. I was immediately impressed with the DMSO from Heiltropfen Labs as it is 99.9% purity and pharmaceutical grade. It is made in Germany. It comes with both an eye-dropper and a sprayer. The DMSO is a clear liquid, but starts solidifying below 65 degrees F. Generally, I put the DMSO on a cotton pad and rub it over my knees or lower back. It starts working right away and I get relief from my pain within a few hours. Usually, the pain relief lasts a week with only one application. While DMSO is not prescribed specifically for pain, it has been helpful to me, allowing me to make it through the week without taking pain pills or other prescription medication. I definitely recommend the Heiltropfen DMSO as it has worked for me.

You can purchase this product via this link: Heiltropfen Lab LLP

I ordered this product through a special promotion and this is my honest and unbiased review and only my opinion. This is based on my personally using and experiencing the product. I was in no way compensated for this review. I only recommend products that worked for me and that I think will work for my readers.

Adventures in Veggieland is a Great Book for You and All Your Picky Eaters

While reading this excellent book, my thoughts kept going to adults that I know that are so picky about eating their vegetables. Apparently, they came from a home that didn't energize them to eat vegetables. As a social worker, I've found that kids often start being picky about vegetables and then expand their pickiness as adults to a variety of other foods and preparation types. This book is multi-purpose: cookbook, educational book, parenting book, arts and crafts book. It is well written with clear and careful directions, excellent pictures, and fun facts. I tried a number of these recipes and they were all great. While I could not get all of my adult picky eaters to eat everything, I did convince a few to give the veggies a try. I, of course, ate them all. This is a timely format for parents, and other adults, as we live in a time where food is more expensive and sometimes of lower quality, genetically modified, or poorly ripened. There should be no food waste in our nation when there are people going hungry. An engaging, encouraging, and tasty method to prepare good food, such as this book, can help to reduce vegetable waste and improve health. I definitely recommend this book for a wide range of readers. Beyond it's educational application, it is also fun, unique, and makes some really terrific, yum yum, can't wait to eat veggies. It's for you and all your picky eaters. I was fortunate to receive this as an advance reading copy from the publishers and NetGalley and I thank them for this enjoyable book.


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
View all my reviews

Litter Genie Makes Cats and Their Owners Purr

I recently was given the chance to try out the Litter Genie. With 3 cats, there is a lot of "scooping" going on around my house. A few years ago I switched from clay litter to scoopable litter. It reduces the dust, odor, and weight of the litter and doesn't require fully changing out the box every week. My husband and I "scoop" the box about 3 times per day. Boston and Kit'N are not fussy about their litter, but Pixel is very fussy. If the box is not up to her standards she finds another location. We have 2 cat boxes that we scoop. We had been using a small black flip-top wastebasket and plastic grocery sacks, however it didn't really seal away the odors and often the litter would slip out thru any tiny holes in the bag. So, 2 cat boxes, 1 flip top wastebasket, 1 small garbage pail to hold the 1 large scooper, a brush and tiny tray, and often, a bag of litter, all this had to fit in one small corner of my laundry room. Here are some of the before shots:

I needed a solution. I was excited to give the Litter Genie a try. Here are some shots of the unboxing (under supervision from Kit'N):

Litter Genie truly simplifies our thrice daily "scooping". It is a larger container than we had, it has an attached scoop holder, and it comes with a scoop. Even though the container was larger, it added the size to the height of the container, so it still fit between the boxes and the dryer. The entire area just looked better, even though no one was coming to view it. ;) It was amazing what a difference this change made:

The scoop works very well for actually getting to the bottom of the litterbox. It is so convenient to have the scoop holder as it keeps it off the floor or needing to have a container just for the scoop. It is very easy to use, just lift the top of the Litter Genie, scoop and drop the waste into the hole. Once it is half full or a bit more, pull out the slide to drop the waste into the multiple layered plastic waste holding bag. I have really noticed a difference. There is less mess, and much less odor. It really locks the odor into the holding bag. To remove the bag once it is full, just lift the top half of the Litter Genie, cut the bag, tie it off, pull the new bag-to-be down and tie a knot and you are ready to go again. I will say it is important to keep an eye on how full the bag gets. If it is too full the litter put into the top will not go down.

The Litter Genie is a great solution for small areas and for a house to be free of "catbox odor". I definitely recommend it for one cat households. If you have multiple cats, like we do, and scoop several times a day, like we do, the cost of the refills for the bags can really add up. As I have mentioned, you must make sure that you do not overfill the bag or you are left with a messy and awkward fix. The only other negative is that you need to be aware when you open the top half to cut and remove the bag the top half is somewhat heavy, so it can start to move backwards when cutting & removing and pulling and tying the next bag. Overall, the Litter Genie is a great solution to the age-old litterbox dilemma and Pixel recommends it (and I do too).

You can find the Litter Genie at big box stores, pet stores, and online. To find a location near you just go to their website: LitterGenie.com

I received this product through a special promotion sponsored by Litter Genie and this is my honest and unbiased review and only my opinion. This is based on my personally using and experiencing the product. I was in no way compensated for this review. I only recommend products that worked for me and that I think will work for my readers.

Creamy, Dreamy, Chocolaty, Chocolate from Bouchard Is the Best I've Had

This chocolate is super creamy, loaded with great chocolate flavor. Being made of 72% dark chocolate, the Neapolitains are smooth and not bitter. Even though I usually do not like dark chocolates, these taste great to me. They are of high quality and would make a lovely present to give to others. They are imported directly from Belgium and do not contain any by-products or artificial ingredients. It is truly the best dark chocolate I've ever tasted. A single minitablet satisfied my chocolate craving. They can even personalize the flavor of the chocolates for individuals and businesses. This is a true chocolatier. It is exciting that this chocolate is now available in the US, at local Costco stores. I definitely recommend this chocolate for the chocolate lover and it's available in time for the upcoming holidays. Give it as a gift or serve it as a compliment to dessert or coffee. It's time for some flavor and richness. It does come in several flavors for a variety of appetites.

You can visit their US site to learn more at: Bouchard Chocolates and pick some up at Costco today! #BouchardChocolate

I received this product through a special promotion and this is my honest and unbiased review and only my opinion. This is based on my personally using and experiencing the product. I was in no way compensated for this review. I only recommend products that worked for me and that I think will work for my readers.

Perfect for at-home star-gazing or camping in the woods - The Yuedge Double/Single Camping Hammock

I was a bit nervous about getting this item without seeing it. I got it for my husband as he loves the outdoors and occasionally goes camping. He was so excited about this hammock and we put it up between 2 trees in our backyard. The hammock itself is very lightweight, suitable for attaching to a backpack to carry in the woods. It is well made with extra stitching at stress points. The fabric is a thin, but strong, nylon, making it lightweight and quick drying. It easily mounts to small trees using the included ropes or, as in the case with our backyard, it can be clipped to longer ropes tied around large trees. It is very long and my 6' tall husband fits in it with room to spare. Once mounted, the little pocket that stores the hammock can be used for small items, such as a flashlight, or to hold your personal items. The hammock is comfortable and supportive. Of course, a person needs to get used to the difference between sleeping in a bed and sleeping in a hammock. For one person, the extra fabric can be lightly flipped over the camper to provide protection against insects or dew. The ropes and the clamps are very sturdy and durable and easy to use. Overall, I definitely recommend this hammock and look forward to many years of use. #XLLightweightPortableDurableNylonHammock

You can order this hammock from Amazon.com Until September, 30th, 2016 you can receive a 40% discount by putting the code LT2MYYN2 when you check out. Happy camping!!!

I ordered this product through a special promotion and this is my honest and unbiased review and only my opinion. This is based on my personally using and experiencing the product. I was in no way compensated for this review. I only recommend products that worked for me and that I think will work for my readers.

How do I rate the items I bought?
Every product that I buy starts at 3 Stars and gets subtractions or additions as we go depending on how well it performs according to my expectation and whether the item performs as advertised. In very unusual cases where I have tried or tested an item and can’t prove that it did or didn’t work, I will likely default to 3 stars just to be neutral. Most important of all, I don’t owe a good or bad review to any product or seller; I am here to provide a constructive feedback on the items I buy in order to help you, the reader, to make an informed decision on which product to purchase to satisfy your needs.

Be aware that when I tested a product and it worked well for me, but it failed for you, it does not reflect that my review is inaccurate, it's most likely you have received a defective product, your expectations were too high or it did not perform in a way that you felt was described in the product description. In any of these cases you should get in touch with the seller to rectify the problem as soon as possible. In the case where I received item at a discount for an honest/unbiased review it does not change my opinion on a product.

I Max Wrinkle Reducing & Lifting Cream fortified by Stem Cell, EGF & Peptides to Boost Collagen

Rich, creamy, soothing and smooth, soft souffle skin cream
This cream is thick and rich and, well, creamy. It has virtually no scent. It glides on my skin and absorbs quicker than I expected for a thick cream. I usually use this at night over my MaxLifeUSA' Albumin and Hyaluronic Acid Serum, but it absorbs so well that during the cooler months I will be using it during the daytime under my makeup. (It's 400% humidity right now in Louisiana, so nothing stays on the face long during the day). The Stem Cell and EGF are newer ingredients in high-end skinceuticals. They are know for rejuvenating skin and it really does work. Even after a shower my skin is still soft and smooth. The cream really spreads well too, I only need to use a small amount for my trouble spots, a dime sized amount covers my face with an additional small amount for my neck, making this jar very economical for me. It also comes with a tiny jar that I can carry with me for those times when my skin looks and feels dry, like it gets with constant air conditioning or heating. This cream also contains Hyaluronic Acid which grabs and holds moisture in the skin and reduces the visible signs of dry skin and aging. Overall, I definitely recommend this hydrating cream, alone or with other serums.

I ordered this product through a special promotion and this is my honest and unbiased review and only my opinion. This is based on my personally using and experiencing the product. I was in no way compensated for this review. I only recommend products that worked for me and that I think will work for my readers.

MaxLife USA's Skin Peel is as good as going to a spa!

First, this is VERY STRONG. It is a medical grade product, which means it does much more of a peel than most over the counter, generic peels. This is the type of peel you would actually go to a dermatologist to get. Second, it is really mandatory to do a patch test. I should know, because I didn't do a patch test and found that it is so much stronger than I expected that I almost over-did it. The directions on the box say to use this daily. I would recommend that if you are not used to peels that you use it at most once a week. Also, start off slowly. I put it on and despite the stinging feeling I left it on for 20 minutes. That was too much. My face was slightly red where I had applied it. So I would say leave it on for 5 minutes to start, unless you use strong peels on a regular basis. I just can't imagine that anyone would use a peel daily. It did sting the whole time it was one, not unbearably, but I definitely noticed it. That was the main reason I only left it on for 20 minutes instead of the 30 that it says on the box. When I use it again I will only leave it on for 5 minutes. Then I will be able to set up a maintenance schedule of weekly use.

With all that being said, it definitely produces a soft, smooth skin. It actually felt like new skin once I rinsed it off and even after a week it feels soft and smooth. I give this product 5 stars because it really is a strong peel, medical grade and the type of product that will actually save me money by not having to go to a dermatologist or other provider to get a "real" peel. It is very easy to apply, I just shook about 10-15 drops onto a piece of cotton and applied it to my "rough" area around the sides of my mouth, on lines from my nose to my mouth and on my chin. I have never used a product that continues to provide the benefit like this one does. I recommend this product as long as whoever uses it does the patch test and adjusts their timing and frequency, Most people are not used to actually having a strong product available to use. I am glad to have a do-it at home product I can count on.  #50%Glycolic(AHA-AlphaHydroxy)AcidSerumforChemicalP

You can purchase this product at Amazon.com

I ordered this product through a special promotion and this is my honest and unbiased review and only my opinion. This is based on my personally using and experiencing the product. I was in no way compensated for this review. I only recommend products that worked for me and that I think will work for my readers.