The Girl With The Spider Tattoo

How did I ever live without my awesome  # hive  products? I'm serious!  So, I've had the Hive active thermostat, the door/window sensors, the plug, and the smart b ulbs for a few months now and I love everything about them.  I've mentioned them before, but here's a recap in case you missed it. This is the hub. It's small, easy to connect and it fits right next to my router, modem, and cable box. It's what keeps all of my smart devices communicating with one another.  This is my futuristic looking thermostat. I've never had such a cool looking one. It is touch screen, which is beyond awesome, and you turn the knob to change the temperature and to cycle through certain functions in the menu. It can be set on a schedule so that you have it on and off, hot or cold, at certain times throughout the week. How has it helped me in my life lately? Let me tell you a quick little story.  A few weeks ago I was away from home with my h

I have been homeschooling my son since he was very young. I taught him how to read by the age of three , but even so I always try and find new activities, workbooks, online programs, and other projects to add onto his curriculum. I want to make sure he is always learning in new ways so that it doesn't all get too boring.  The Reading Kingdom is a really good program (It's won quite a few awards, in fact!) and is geared toward kids ages 4-10, and it helps teach them to read and write and comprehend at a 3rd grade level. Although my son can read well past a fifth grade level and then some, I found this program to be good practice, it was entertaining, and kept him busy. I do recommend it especially for children struggling to read and even for children who can read well. It's great stimulation for their ever developing brains. They benefit most from the program by working on it at least four times a week. My two and a half year old was actually repeating the word

I use my phone a lot during the day, for doing reviews, surfing the internet, reading recipes, watching tutorials, and even video chatting.  I was recently sent a small phone holder with a metal ring that can be stuck onto the back of my phone.  You can stand your phone vertically by turning the ring one way.   It can stand horizontally by turning the ring slightly more. You can also slip the ring onto your finger while holding the phone to give you a better grip on it. It also came with a little base piece so that I can attach that part to the dashboard of my car for GPS, seeing who's calling, etc. That little plastic piece can also be attached to a desk, table, fridge, wall, side of a computer tower, or wherever I want to hang my phone. The adhesive works so well and will not budge. My phone actually stays in place.   If you really have to remove the base piece, then you can always buy more 3M adhesive stickers at a craft store or Walmart, stick

Let's talk eyelashes, okay? I know I posted up a few videos on my YouTube channel, but not sure if I've really talked about them on here. I am in love with the concept of magnetic lashes. WHY? Well, first off, when compared to glue-on lashes, they are entirely mess free. I don't have to worry about getting lash glue into my eyes or in my contact lenses, on my face, or clothes. No irritation or frustration.  I mean, come on, it really shouldn't take all day to get those on right. Right? Although, I'm sure there are some glue lash pros out there. I've seen videos.  I am not one of those people.  I do love the way falsies look on several people, so I also wouldn't mind wearing them from time to time. I want them to be as easy as possible though.  Magnetic lashes like these that are full length do  take a bit of practice to learn how to put on, but once you get the hang of it, it's not a pain.  They look really dramatic too and I lov

I'm a total vegan foodie, as most people close to me know. I am definitely all for trying new spices to make sure my food is never boring. I started using these two spice blends from @urbanaccentsspices and they are seriously so good. This gift set comes with a pair---Chicago Steak and Chop and Fisherman's Wharf.  Don't let the name fool you! Although it says steak on the label, you can easily use this seasoning to flavor other types of food as well. I really like the way that tastes on a variety of vegetables and even vegan faux meats.  I used it the other day on some vegan chicken fajitas with veggies. It was delicious. The one thing I was surprised about was the fact that you don't have to use much seasoning. It seems like when I used some other brands I have to keep on sprinkling it onto my food. With this one, all you truly need is a couple shakes.  I used this Fisherma n's Wharf one mixed into my vegan crab cakes and yes!!

Oh, I'm getting old!!!! I'm kidding. I'm only 32. Either way, I both want and need to find the best ways to get better looking skin. I am usually on the hunt to find products that are more natural, and hopefully completely paraben free. Seriously, how can I expect to have healthier skin and better health in general if I'm applying layer after layer of awful chemicals on myself? Those chemicals get absorbed into the body, right? Well, look at this line of facial masks that I have been given the opportunity to test out. They are, as you can see, Activated Charcoal, Green Tea Matcha, and Bentonite Clay. I'm not new to these types of masks. I have used several other similar ones in the past.  This is my favorite. I love activated charcoal products. After removing my makeup, and applying a warm towel to open my pores, I smooth this onto my face, while it is still wet. Leave it on for about 5-10 mins, and remove. It goes on slick and somewhat shiny, and

I've reviewed quite a few Kisspat products over the past year---we're talking hair chalk, hair extensions, and now jewelry.  Their products are always so bold and pretty. They definitely stand out! Check out my new necklace! It's a black flannel choker necklace, embellished with double cords, two metal beads, a metal ring, and a beautiful polished clear quartz pendant. It has a pretty simple design that I like a lot. It also comes with a little storage bag to put it in when you're not wearing it. This will help keep it in tact and looking great for years to come.  It's 12 inches, plus a 3 inch extension chain, so you can loosen it up quite a bit.  I have a thing for crystals. Always have. I can definitely feel some good vibrations coming from it.  I think it looks really new age style and can be worn with casual clothing or when you're all prettied up in fancy clothes.  Hey guys, the holidays are coming up, and I'm sure this wou

I spend hours in front of a computer screen most days...It can get a bit uncomfortable, so I'm thankful for my new Big Hippo chair pad.  This is what I'm talking about: It's so pretty and cushiony! It feels like you're squeezing a teddy bear. The stuffing is nice and fluffy. It's a pretty grey color and very well stitched. The bottom part is black and thick. It is a kind of grippy material that keeps it from slipping.  This pad fits my desk chair just right, but when I use my laptop sometimes I use it on my recliner, my glider, a kitchen chair, and it can also be used on the floor. You can also use it as a knee pad while gardening.  It really makes things a lot more comfortable. It's the perfect thickness and you can fold it over and put it behind your neck or even use it as a pillow. It can be rolled up and taken with you when you travel. I'm thinking I'll probably take it with me when I get on a plane in a few mo

My family just opened up their very first store. So exciting. It's a second hand furniture and clothing store. My husband, friend, and father-in-law have been working very hard on it for several months now, so it's so great to have finally reached this point. I wanted to give them something for the grand opening and I think I found the perfect sign. They absolutely love it and so do I. Here it is:  It's multi-colored and the size is 18.9x9.84 in.  There is an on/off switch on the cord and then a small red button on the side that changes it from steady to flashing lights. I like that you can switch it because some store owners might prefer to just have a lit up sign that doesn't move around. Others might want something more flashy and dramatic.   The lights get pretty bright so I'm sure that it will definitely attraction lots of attention. It does come with a detachable chain to hang it up, or you can just stand it up on a table, she

I have always been more of a tea drinker than coffee. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy coffee from time to time, but I prefer tea.  I love it hot or cold. I am always willing to try new flavors too. I only recently heard about Zhena Tea and was shocked at how many amazing flavors that they have available.  They sent me this very nice assortment to try out Incredible box, right?? I was so ecstatic. I've only tried a few, but I will definitely be trying  them all very soon! Here are some of their seasonal flavors: These are both tins filled with tea bags. Pumpkin Spice one made my kitchen smell so good while it was brewing yesterday morning. I decided to add in some plain soy milk, no sugar. It is caffeine-free Rooibos tea blend of ginger, vanilla, and cinnamon.  On the right is one their stackable tins. Each tin comes with 4 tea sachets inside.  The flavors are Peppermint Mocha: Rooibos tea, peppermint,cinnamon, cocoa, and nutmeg

Over the past few months I have fallen in love with things covered with mandalas. I just can't seem to get enough. I want each of my room to have a few. I received a gorgeous tapestry the other day from Home Fairy. This is what it looks like up close: That design is so hypnotizing, isn't it? The red and purple are so vivid too. I LOVE that! And it's huge! 80 x 60 in. The name of it is Peacock Red I could just stare at this all day. I actually do catch myself staring at for long periods of time when I'm laying in my room. It definitely made my bedroom look more interesting. I put it on the opposite wall from a different mandala tapestry, which I have over my bed. This particular one is over my daughter's toddler bed. What's nice is that since it's thin, it doesn't take much more than a few tacks to hold it up. Also, if not for decorating your wall, you could also use it on a bed, as a table cloth, to cover a window, on a sofa, on

Alright, so we added a new member to our family a few months ago. She is a beautiful little tuxedo cat named Harley Quinn.  She has such a personality. OMG. Having her in the house is like having three kids now. My son, daughter, and her are always running wild together. She loves to spend a lot of time with us, so much, that when it's bedtime for us, she will follow right along with us upstairs and go lay on the bed to sleep as well. She also likes to be fed as soon as we get up in the morning. I'll be honest. Sometimes I'm not moving as fast as she would like so she will get upset and start acting a little wild. Yes, some animals do get that way. She will knock my stuff over and walk all over me if I don't get up right away. So, I thought that this automatic pet feeder might be worth a shot.  This is the cute picture on one side of the box. Here is everything that comes inside of the box: --bowl --base with programmable LCD screen --the blu