HDMI Cable Review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I love watching Youtube videos: DIY projects, clips from movies, and even the always loved cat videos. It's kind of a hassle though to watch on my phone or computer. Even full screen I just don't get the same effect as if I were watching something on a big screen TV. Recently, I found this great Sherlock Holmes series on Youtube from way back in the day and hated watching it on a tiny screen. I wanted it on my TV, but how to connect it. I don't have a smart TV so all that wireless stuff was out of my reach, but I could use an HDMI cord. Well, this is where Vimle comes in. They offered to send me a pack of 2 HDMI cables that could connect my computer to my TV. Of course, I jumped at the offer.

The HDMI cable can connect not only a computer to a TV, but will also create an interface between any audio/video source. DVD players, Blu-ray players, video game consoles-pretty much anything that has an HDMI port.

I found that it worked exceptionally well! I connected my computer and TV up and voila, I had perfect clarity, picture and sound. I was able to watch my Sherlock Holmes series (and cat videos) with perfect ease and convenience. And since it came in a 2 pack, I could leave one with the TV downstairs and have a spare for another job if needed. It worked out really well. Another thing you should know is that I'm not very technologically capable-my daughter is the techie in our house, but I was able to figure this out and get everything going with ease.

It's not just useful for watching videos on the internet. When I connected it to my computer it had my computer screen on the TV-so I could literally do anything from give a presentation on Powerpoint to play Minesweeper while watching on my TV screen.

I was curious whether it would work with my Roku box and tried that out as well-worked like a charm! So now I have one cable connected between my Roku and TV and the other on standby for when I want to connect my computer. This is definitely a purchase worth making; the HDMI cables are quite exceptional!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Dead Sea Mud Shampoo Review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Dry, frizzy hair that never seems tamable or acts up in humid weather-sound familiar? Yes? Me too! In fact, my hair is one of those things I have to spend most of my morning routine on just to avoid looking like a crazy loon in public. I hate that I have to spend so much time trying to simply tame my hair. This is why I jumped at the chance to try out Adovia's Dead Sea Mud Shampoo.

Now I'd heard about the benefits of Dead Sea Mud shampoo and how well it's supposed to work on hair. In fact, this is what Adovia says about their product:

Helps to Relieve Itching from Dry, Flaky Scalp & Dandruff
Helps to Relieve Symptoms of Scalp Psoriasis & Seborrhea Dermatitis
Made with Pure & Natural Dead Sea Mud for an Infusion of Essential Minerals into Scalp & Hair
Specially formulated for dry, itchy scalps & Dandruff
Also Contains Olive Oil, Shea Butter, Vitamin E & Chamomile for a Natural Formula that gets results.

The first time I used it, I didn't really notice a whole lot of difference between my regular shampoo and this shampoo. After about a week of using it is when I really started to notice a bit more of a difference; my scalp didn't seem as dry and while I don't have a problem with dandruff, I can see how it would help someone who did. In terms of my overall impression of the shampoo, I have to say I do like it, but I don't love it. Without question, it cleaned my hair well and I could only hope that the Dead Sea minerals were doing a good job on my hair. However, I didn't feel like it blew me out of the water in terms of how well it worked. I didn't look like I just came back from shooting a shampoo commercial or like I could drive a convertible and still have smooth waves of hair falling down my back. It just wasn't meant to be.

Basically the pros and cons were this:

Pros:
Cleans hair very well, Dead Sea Mud is very beneficial for the scalp and hair, Lathers very well, Has a clean fresh scent (not muddy smelling like I may have been expecting), relieves dry scalp and has 100% absolutely wonderful customer service (see note at bottom).

Cons:
Works like any other shampoo I've used, Smoothness and silkiness of my hair didn't really improve that much.

One thing I wanted to point out was that the Adovia customer service is incredible. I would bump up a star just for that! I was having trouble checking out on Amazon using the code they gave me to review the shampoo. When I emailed them about the trouble they immediately emailed me back and tried to fix the issue. Eventually it came to a point where I just couldn't get Amazon to accept the code and so Adovia sent me the shampoo without having to use Amazon. They simply got my info through email and a couple of days later I had it. Now they could have said, "if it doesn't work, maybe you can do a review next time" or "sorry there's nothing we can do", but they went above and beyond to make sure my experience with their company was a good one. For that reason alone, I know I will be buying more of their products, because I know they work just as well as other products out there, but I also have that additional security that if I'm not satisfied with something, Adovia will fix it.

I've also come to realize that Adovia sells Dead Sea Mud Conditioners as well so I think I'll be trying that next with the shampoo to see if I can try to duplicate that shampoo commercial hair ;)

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Vitamin C Serum + Organic Rose Hip Seed Oil + Organic Argan Oil Review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Moisturizers are a big part of my life-I don't quite know what I would do without them. In the winter seasons, my face tends to get dry and if ignored, would probably start itching and peeling. Doesn't sound pretty? Yeah, I don't think so either. So I use moisturizers like a life-line. I have them at home, in my purse, in my car-you get the idea. The one thing I don't love about moisturizers is the ingredients list. Now I'm not the kind of person who looks at a list and says, "Oh, I can't pronounce that word, it must be bad for me!" I take everything with a grain of salt. I like to do my research (from reputable sources) and figure out for myself if something is good or not. Of course, the ingredients list on moisturizers can be somewhat daunting and I'd like to spend my time not having to worry about this list. Well, that's where InstaNatural LLC comes in. They offered to let me try their products in exchange for a review-no doubt, I jumped on the opportunity.

What I loved about their products is that most of them are USDA certified organic. They're products are pure and contain what they are supposed to contain.

The first product I tried was the Organic Rose Hip Seed Oil:

It comes in a blue glass bottle (which I've heard is the best color and kind to put anything) and is a good size. I know this will last a long time, because as the directions say you don't need more than about 4 drops for your entire face. They ask you to store it in the fridge to keep it cool so there is now a spot in my fridge just for the Rose Hip Seed Oil. InstaNatural also mentions that it can be used as a moisturizer, hair oil for shinier, healthier hair, and cuticle oil for healthier nails.

What do I think of it? I really love it! I've only used it as a moisturizer so far, but I have no doubts that it would be great as a hair oil or cuticle oil. I've had these awful age spots on my skin and after using the Rose Hip Seed Oil they seem to have gotten lighter. My skin is so much softer than it was before and I've a noticed a lot of blemishes disappear. My skin has also brightened in tone and is smoother in texture. I cannot sing the praises of this oil enough! The only con to the oil is the slight smell it has. The smell can be described as a little fishy-not overly bad and it disappears completely after a few minutes, but there is just a hint at the beginning. To be honest, I didn't really notice it at all and wouldn't have, but InstaNatural mentioned it on their page. So if your very sensitive to certain smells, it might be more noticeable for you. Besides that I can only rave about how much I love this oil and I know once I finish it (which might take a while), I'll be back for more!

InstaNatural also gave me the opportunity to try their Vitamin C Serum.

Now since I was already using the Rose Hip Seed Oil, I gave this to my daughter to try so I could have an unbiased review. Unlike the picture, the vitamin C serum came in a brown bottle and was a little smaller than the Rose Hip Seed Oil. InstaNatural says that the serum works to brighten, moisturize and hydrate the skin. I found all of these to be true! A few days after my daughter started wearing it, I noticed her skin was brighter, more radiant and looked fresh and healthy. My daughter has naturally tanned skin and a few days after using the vitamin C serum I found that her skin had a healthy glow to it and any small blemishes had disappeared. I am absolutely in love with this product-my next step will be to try this myself to see how well it works on fine lines and age spots. This is definitely a product I would recommend to everyone! It works just as advertised and I don't have to worry about harsh chemicals on my face.

Finally, InstaNatural sent me a bottle of Pure Organic Argan Oil.

I've had nothing but good to say about InstaNatural's products and this one is going to be no different. The Argan oil can be used on your face, hands, cuticles and hair. I personally used it on my hair. In the 2 weeks I used it, I noticed a huge difference in the texture and volume of my hair. My hair gets really frizzy on humid days and is still pretty frizzy on non-humid days. After using the Argan oil I noticed that my hair felt and looked smoother on both humid and non-humid days. This is a huge plus for me because I hate when my hair is frizzy and dry. I've used other oils before, but I hate how they feel sticky and greasy in my hair. InstaNatural's Argan oil does not do that; I wouldn't have been able to tell that I was wearing it if not for the fact that my hair looked so much nicer than usual. I would recommend this to everyone-seriously this is amazing and works like a charm.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

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Splenderosa is giving it's readers a chance to win a gorgeous Italian Leather Alligator embossed cross body bag.



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Sky1 - Foundation by William Amerman Review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Wow! Where do I even start with this book? The one thing I can say with absolute certainty is that this book will grip you in it's talons and won't let you go until you finish it. From the first page where we meet Nick Burke and learn of his situation to the last pages where...well you'll have to read and find out...the action keeps you immersed in Nick's story.

This is the synopsis provided for the book:

In a post-apocalyptic world, Nick Burke has been allotted 389 square feet of living space by the government. Disease spreads quickly when people are packed together so tightly. Quarantines have been imposed in an effort to contain the spread of infection. 

When a quarantine is imposed on Nick's Ground, he and his family are trapped. The only way out is to break laws that carry a penalty of death. 

Fearing for his life and the safety of his family, Nick joins forces with a local group to move to another Ground. But can he trust his new friends?

Right off the bat you can see that this is going to be a dystopian setting so if you enjoy reading dystopians, then I would definitely recommend this book for you. What I loved about it was the action sequences-you follow Nick and his family through their journey to get to higher ground and each scene is so meticulously described that you're on the edge of your seat. I also really enjoyed that this was a more gritty dystopian-many of the books I've read in that genre have been targeted to a teenage audience so you tend to miss out on the more gritty descriptions. This was perfect for an older audience (although I think it would be completely suitable for a teenage audience). I also really liked that this book was so believable. Many times when I read a book, I end up rolling my eyes every few pages because the scenes are just so over the top or absolutely unrealistic. That definitely wasn't the case here-I could very well see this happening in a post-apocalyptic world and that's what sets this book apart from many other dystopians.

But, the best part of the book is it's part of a series! Yes, that's right-more action, more conflict, more everything! What's also great is that the author managed to solve the basic conflicts in this book, but still sets up the overall themes for the next book so your not left with a frustrating cliffhanger. Instead, your left with a sense of completeness, with just a hint of anticipation for the next book and I know I'll be looking for the next book in the series to read soon.

Anyways, I would definitely give this book a try if your into Dystopians because it's definitely one of the better ones out there!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Haven: A Stranger Magic by D.C. Akers Review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I'm sure you've all had that evening when you pick up a book and think I'll just read this for an hour then get some work done; before you know it, the book is over, you're sitting there with a smile on your face and it's 2 AM with the errands still incomplete. Well, that was this book- Haven: A Stranger Magic.

As a woman with a college year old daughter I thought this book might have been too young for me. When I started reading it, I found that the protagonist, Sam, was a 13 year old boy and his sister was only a couple of years older. I didn't think that I would be able to really connect with those characters and therefore wouldn't like the book that much. However, I'm not one to quit reading for a reason like that so I continued on. I found that it was actually quite entertaining. A lot of the struggles Sam goes through are very real and I found myself sympathizing with him a lot. I loved that the author was able to make me feel these emotions, because it drew me into the story even more. Another thing I loved and was happy the author did was Sarah's point of view. In the beginning when I saw the way she acted, I was a little angry with her, but getting to see her emotions and her motivations, not only redeemed her, but had me rooting for her.

What's it about?
This book was more or less a prologue that set up the setting, characters and background for the rest of the series, so if you're hoping for mind-blowing action scenes and earth-shaking revelations you won't find them here, but you will find the understanding you need to get there.
Essentially, the book is about Sam, a 13 year old boy, who sees a man standing outside his house at night. Somehow, magically, the man always disappears either then or by the next morning. While Sam works to discover who this stranger is, his sister is also starting to uncover her own secrets. The synopsis for the book reads:

Sam Dalcome thinks he is so completely average that no one ever notices him. Until he discovers a mysterious stranger outside his home. Bewildered, he tries to uncover the stranger’s intentions. But Sam is sidetracked when he and his friend Travis discover a secret passageway deep in the town’s quarry that leads to a hidden cavern. What they uncover next will not only change their lives forever, but will uncover the first clue to a deadly Dalcome family secret. Sam finds himself drawn into a world of mystery and magic he never knew existed, which brings him closer to a destiny he never knew was possible.

Definitely an interesting premise. I will definitely be checking out the next book in the series just to find out what happens. I've always been a fan of fantasy and I think this book fits the bill. If you've ever read the Fablehaven series, I find that this book has some of the same style of writing and setup as that one (I loved that series too).

If you get a chance give the book a try-you may really enjoy it. It's free on Amazon Kindle right now, so you can try it for free!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Cottonelle Clean Slate Review

Crowdtap recently gave me the chance to try out Cottonelle's line of toilet paper and fresh care wipes. I was able to invite a few of my friends for a "Clean Slate, Clean Bum" party so we could all take some time to discuss what we liked and didn't like about Cottonelle. Of course, simply talking about toilet paper and clean bums isn't exactly scintillating conversation, nor is it the best party discussion. I'm sure all of us have been to party and met "that guy". You know, the one who brings up the most awkward and "get me out of here" topics? Well, it would be worse if that was the host. However, Crowdtap was able to solve that problem for me. Along with their amazing Cottonelle product package:

They also sent me plates and glitter glue to decorate them. A sort of fun party idea all while discussing Cottonelle. It took the party from being a somewhat awkward affair of bathroom talk to a somewhat awkwardly fun affair of bathroom talk. Seriously though, since it was held with a great group of friends who have known each other for years, it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable at all. We all a lot of fun talking about what we liked and disliked about the brand Cottonelle and their products.

Our likes:
They have high quality products. The toilet paper is soft and doesn't just crumble apart. Their fresh wipes work remarkably well and are flushable!
Great value: I find that the quality of products is quite affordable. I'm not paying large amounts of money for high quality. I find their prices to be reasonable.

Dislikes:
One of the things we all agreed on was that Cottonelle needs to make their products in bulk. I'd like to go to the store and buy a large pack of it, so I'll have it in storage. Yes, I realize I can just get more than 1 pack at a time, but I would like to see bulk packs.

Midst all the bathroom talk we also got a chance to decorate some plates. This is one of them (and yes I know it's no work of art-in fact I'm well aware it looks more like a kindergartner got his/her hands on it):

We were all quite proud of our creations. I'd also like to add that our art skills aren't quite up to par.

*Disclosure: I received this party pack from Crowdtap in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own (and my friends in this case).