Product Review ~ Even Glow Serum with 20% Vitamin C by Valentia Skin Care


When I first opened this product, I was skeptical. It has a vague orange tint and is pretty thick. It even smells fairly citrus-y. I was a little worried about how well it would soak into my skin and if I would have a reaction to the vitamin C. I dotted it lightly on the bags under my eyes and in a few places that might harbor a wrinkle or two, then I waited for it to dry. THE RESULTS WERE AMAZING. It was like nothing I’d ever seen. The skin under my eyes looked at least ten years younger. Places where normally there are hints of developing wrinkles were smooth and absolutely wrinkle free. I would never have believed that such a transformation could take place had I not seen it myself. My roommate would not believe my results until she tried for herself. She is ten years younger than I am and, of course, looks much younger; but, she also had amazing results with the Even Glow Serum!

A few things to know before using this product:

It is thick. Very thick. I may have overused it in my adoration of the stuff that first week, but it did cause a waxy build-up of some kind that easily scrubbed off.

In the places where I experienced waxy build-up, I broke out within days. I eased up on my usage, going down to once every few days, and had no further issue with it.

It may not mix well with other products. I used a facial scrub that I have used many times before with no problem, but had a severe reaction to it. The only new variable was that I had been using the Even Glow Serum for about a week. This could have been a complete coincidence, though.

I thought this was a great product. When I first saw the full list price, I felt it was a bit pricey; but, after seeing the results I can completely understand why one would pay it! This is a fantastic product that definitely delivers!

I received a promotional sample of this product in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Book Review ~ The Best Advice A Tubby Turtle Can Get

Book Review Time!
The Best Advice A Tubby Turtle Can Get
by Ayala Raz

This story is adorable and very relevant to those of us who struggle with getting our kids to eat healthier. (Read that as all of us!) Toby the turtle gets a little too large for his shell; it becomes tight and uncomfortable. He gets a lot of advice from well-meaning friends and family but in the end it is a wise old turtle that has the answer Toby needs: eating sensible portions and staying more active will help Toby be comfortable in his shell.

I loved this concept. Something like this is much needed, I think, in our classrooms and on our library shelves. Stories like this will help our children make healthier choices for themselves. This story is cute and the book has delicious snack ideas in the back. I did have a large hang-up with it, however. Every second line rhymes (or is intended to rhyme) with the previous line. A very good bit of the time, these lines do not rhyme, though it is clear the author intends them to. It is a distraction for adults and confusing for children, in my opinion. I read this book to a group of children, ages 5 through ten and had to explain several times that “no, those words don’t really rhyme, they just almost rhyme”. If my group here picked up on it and was distracted enough by it to bring it up more than once, I think the target audience is going to have the same issue.

All in all, a fantastic concept that might need some minor editorial work. Still a great read for any child with eating or exercising habits that are concerning. Just be prepared to explain the jump back and forth from rhyming to not rhyming.

I received a promotional copy of this e-book in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Storm Dancer ~ Book Review

Book Review

Storm Dancer
By Rayne Hall

In Storm Dancer, Rayne Hall has created a rich and vibrant world that rings with intensity. Set in a place that feels vaguely like the Middle East, there are elements of barbarism as well as civilization peppered throughout the different cultures we are presented with. Detailed societal structure and belief systems make each of these cultures come alive. Layered atop this intriguing environment are characters that take hold of your imagination and stay with you long after you have stopped reading.

The two main characters, Dahoud and Merida, are both at a crossroads in their lives as our story opens. They each feel they have things to prove to themselves, and to the world. While from vastly different backgrounds, the two are more alike than either would care to admit. Passionate and willing to go to great lengths to achieve their goals, these two clash with an almost Machiavellian style. Watching the two equals come to terms was wonderful. A moment that especially spoke to me was when Merida attempts to “escape” Dahoud, only to see a wildfire coming toward the town and return to give warning. With this and other acts that night, she saves his town; then, he saves her life.

Dahoud and Merida are not the only captivating personalities found in these pages. Tarkin and Teruma are two of my other favorites. Both show resourcefulness and a devious subtlety that is quite impressive. There are characters that I loved to hate, as well. Merida’s mother was not particularly endearing. Kirral was fascinatingly disgusting. Mansour was a powder keg of suspense for me.

I thought this was an amazing read; a great story, well told and set in a fascinating environment. While it got a bit dark in places and touched on very dark themes that could disturb some, all in all I’d say that this is a book that avid fantasy readers will want to dive right into.

Book Review Time!!
My Favorite Animal: Cobras
Victoria Marcos

This nonfiction book about cobras from Xist publishing would make a great addition to any primary school library. It shares interesting facts about these deadly creatures and pairs relevant, real-life pictures with them to engage the reader. The book has a great format for younger readers; every few pages the reader is asked to recall a fact previously read. This is fabulous for helping children learn to read for content, and to retain what has been read. The answers are shared in the back of the book, along with a glossary of terms that might be unfamiliar to younger children.

The publisher has identified the target audience of this book as children from age 4 to 8. While I am sure this age group is appropriate, I felt that even younger children would be able to enjoy having this book read to them. There are very few sentences per page and the language is kept fairly simple. Children as young as 2 ½ could find this book entertaining, with the right individual reading it. The close-up pictures alone are fantastic for engaging pre-school children. Older children will still love learning how cobras hear and how their hiss sounds. The author did a great job of ensuring that this appeals to a wide range of young readers.

The book does repeat itself a bit, but it is done in such a way as to reinforce and provide detail about information previously introduced, as teachers do in the classroom. The information shared in this book was all relevant and factual, though I did feel there were places where more information should have been shared. For instance, the book tells us that cobras are deaf and “hear” through vibrations in the ground. This is certainly true; however, it is also true of all snakes, not just cobras.

All in all, I felt this was a great, informative book that would be enjoyed by children of a wide range of ages. A great introduction to non-fiction for younger children and a fantastic example of how interesting non-fiction can be!

Product Review Time!
Vitamin C Lotion by Foxbrim

I received this product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This review can also be found on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/R18GV65REXMKRC/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00NXZK0A4

When I first used my pump bottle of Foxbrim’s Vitamin C Lotion, I was immediately thrilled by how little fragrance it had. Perhaps some would rather a product like this smell sweet and fragrant, but I’ve had too many issues in the past with finding moisturizers that I could use due to added scents. I can’t use anything with too much fragrance on my skin, so finding a skin care product that was light in fragrance was a treat. I also appreciated the fact that the amount dispensed by pressing the pump once was exactly the dime size amount suggested for use, as I tend to slather stuff on my skin like I would butter on toast.

I decided to try it solely on my hands first. I use diluted bleach all day at work (without gloves) and the skin on my hands has really taken a beating; so, I figured the skin there could benefit the most from this product. I began by carrying the lotion around in my purse and massaging it into my hands three or four times a day. After just the first use, I could see a difference. My skin was immediately less dry and healthier looking. After three days of using it solely for my hands with no adverse reactions and plenty of positive ones, I began moisturizing my face with it as well. The impact was not as immediate and dramatic with my face as with my hands, but I imagine that is because the skin there was not as damaged. I have been using it for three weeks now and could not be happier with it! Not only is it gentle on my sensitive skin, but it works as advertised. My skin feels softer, looks healthier and is more even in tone. Since using Foxbrim’s Vitamin C Lotion, I haven’t had to worry about my face getting wind chapped or looking blotchy from the cold. We’ve had freezing temperatures with strong winds around here for weeks and usually under these conditions my face would be a patchwork of multi-colored raw messes. Not this year and not ever again! (Well, not as long as Foxbrim keeps creating magic skin moisturizers, anyway!)

I think it is clear that I am happy with this product and would recommend it to others. The list price is a little steep at $45.99, but I was able to find it advertised for less than twenty. The results I experienced are definitely worth a $20 investment, in my opinion, and it is an investment I will be making! Foxbrim has some other products that I am itching to try as well, but I can’t imagine that I will be regularly using anything other than my new Vitamin C Lotion to moisturize from now on.

You can get your own from Amazon by visiting here: http://goo.gl/xrjF3Z

Review of "Tea With The Queen"
Written by Crissi Hart
Illustrated by Stephen Macquignon

I received a free copy of this e-book in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This story concept is quite cute and the illustrations are just as adorable. A mouse named Charlie, in the company of his grandparents Arthur and Harriet, gets to fly on the back of a goose named Percy to Buckingham Palace so that his grandmother may have tea with the mouse Queen. This is an honor given to mice who have reached their 100th birthday, as Harriet has. The book opens with the family already in the air, on their way to the Palace. The story details their exciting ride atop Percy the goose, during which Charlie loses his hat and feels threatened by seagulls. The flight ends with a water crash landing in a rose garden right outside of Buckingham Palace, where the family has to escape the Queen’s guard dogs so they can scurry inside the Palace just in time for tea with the Queen!

I would say that this story would be most enjoyed by preschool aged children, from around age 2 ½ to around age 6. The story has several subtle “teaching moments” embedded within it that are great for that age group as well. I have listed a few below:

Harriet, Charlie’s grandmother, is unable to recall where they are going and why, so her family must remind her, which is certainly understandable at 100! This is a brief moment in the story dialogue and is very nonthreatening, perfect for preschoolers.

Percy the goose is a bit of a show off, and flies in a rather unsafe manner, which delights young Charlie but causes his grandparents some distress. What a great way to bring up a discussion on being safe and making sure that we think about the feelings and well-being of others! Again, this is a brief moment in the story, perfect for a non-confrontational introduction to behaving nicely and being safe.

Charlie experiences many emotions on the trip, from delight to fear. He feels nervous with seagulls flying around them, even though the seagulls offer no threat. He is also not entirely happy about flying, preferring to stay on the ground. There are a few, very brief displays of emotion by characters in the story. Reading this could be a wonderful way to initiate a discussion about feelings with younger children.

Assorted characters also hear the screeching of seagulls, feel cold air, smell salt from the sea, see distant objects on the ground, and remember eating their favorite cheese. A fabulous way to briefly introduce the five senses.

What I love the most about each of these small “teaching opportunities” is that they all begin and end on the same page, which keeps it simple for the children, as well as for whoever is reading and turning pages!

As I said above, the story concept is cute and there are moments written into the story that parents and teachers can definitely use and appreciate. That being said, I have to admit that the story content could flow and transition a little smoother. There are times when it seems the only transition from one situation to the next is the turning of the page, rather than content that outlines or explains the transition. For example, Percy flies upside down and scares Charlie’s grandparents so much that Arthur yells at him not to do it again… we turn the page… and find there is no further mention of it. Percy does not acknowledge Arthur’s request in any way. Arthur is the last one to speak on that page but on the next page, the “he” that the first paragraph refers to is Charlie, who is in an entirely different situation. I had to go back and read it again just to be sure I hadn’t missed something. This is not a lone example of choppiness with the story content. There are several places where the story seems too choppy for some children within the target audience range to follow without explanation. The choppiness could be an editing issue. There were pages where sentences had been grouped into paragraphs in a confusing manner. With very little thought it was easy to see where it made more sense for the break in text to be, but for the target audience of this book, it probably would not be so easy. Also, while I saw no other grammar issues, on the first page there is a sentence with proper tense disagreement. Nothing that most people will notice, only former teachers and grammar police like myself.

I read this to a small group of children, ranging in ages from five to ten. They all seemed engaged and focused on the book. No one got confused, so maybe I am letting my years as a teacher focus me a little too much on grammar. Overall, this was a cute book that I think young children will enjoy.

What a way to start a blog, huh?

At just shy of forty years old, with four grown children, the last thing that my significant other and I expected was to be expecting again. I literally argued with the young lady when she told me my pregnancy test had come back positive. The child laughed at me and told me I'd adjust. She looked twelve. It was a very disconcerting experience, sitting in a paper gown and having a twelve year old look at you in such a knowing way. Okay, more angering than disconcerting, but you get the idea. I'll be honest, at my stage in life, I was not happy about the pregnancy. Shocked, absolutely. Happy? Well, that did come later. Much later. 
   After leaving the office that employs children, I drove home in a daze. Another child, really? Was I ready for this again? I'd outgrown dirty diapers and breastfeeding nearly two decades ago. Why in the world would this happen now? I wondered how this could happen, which is madder than a hatter, as I clearly know how babies are made. I am ashamed to say that I even had the thought (with some sense of relief) that I was a bit old to be having babies and I was more likely to miscarry than if I were younger. I don't have words to say how much this thought shames me now. 
My other half was no less shocked than I, though I have to admit he handled it better than I did. It was actually his acceptance that made me change how I saw the situation. We started discussing baby names and visiting consignment shops. He even went online and bought the most adorable onesie ever:



After that, how could I NOT be excited? He was exactly the anchor that I needed to put this all in the right perspective. He did and said all of the right things, without even trying. Or knowing that he was doing it! That's priceless stuff right there.
   Then something not so priceless happened. I started spotting. I tried not to worry; I knew it could happen and things could still be fine. It wasn't much at all, barely any. At first. Then it was a lot. I saw the doctor and found that I'd had a complete miscarriage. They call it complete when you don't require a procedure to remove any remaining tissue. I found that ironic, to call it complete when it meant that I wasn't. I found it hateful and horrible that the medical community would attach the word "complete" to such a thing. I was furious. This little life that I'd fought against even the idea of had become so important to me, so quickly. I'd almost forgotten what that part of motherhood felt like. I began to remember other parts of motherhood that I hadn't recalled in over a decade. I missed them. I felt cheated out of having them again. Then, the fury left and I began to feel like I'd done this to myself. Of course I had, right? I'd thought of a possible miscarriage with relief when I first learned of my pregnancy. I remembered how I felt that day and wanted to die of shame. I almost couldn't live with the guilt I felt. Again, it was my other half that saved me. He was amazing. He didn't pretend to understand my pain fully, but he shared with me the pain he felt. That was more than enough. We talked about nothing else for days. We grieved. We also discussed the new hope that this little life had brought to us. We'd both grown complacent in our lives, secure in the knowledge that we'd done all the things we were intended to. A baby on the horizon had made us see new possibilities, new futures that we'd never imagined. After this experience, we weren't sure we could go back to the way things were before. So we made the decision not to.
   I'd always had a bit of judgement in my heart for women or couples that try to have another baby right after losing a child. I'd secretly felt that it was kind of ridiculous. I mean, you can't replace your child, right? I now understand just how awful I was for ever harboring such a thought. Of course no one really imagines that they can replace what has been lost. Sometimes you just have to find a way to move on, and that is the way some people find. For us, going back to what we were before was not an option. For us, the way forward was to try again for another little life. Not to replace what we'd lost, but to start a new chapter together, one full of hope and unexpected happiness.
   These days life is not about searching out cute onesies, but determining which method of predicting ovulation is the best. None of our other children were planned, so this is a new arena for us. An arena that I expect we will do just fine in.