Year: 2013

The Natural Beauty Box December/January Edition

Posted on by Cindy

I finally got the December The Natural Beauty Box. It was a late for numerous reasons so there will be no January box this month.

I think the bag is really cute. Don’t you?

Upon opening the bag there was tissue paper hiding the products inside but once I took out the tissue paper I have to say that the box smelled really good.

Also inside each box is this plain white envelope behind this cute sticker holds our invoice

 
and a product description sheet that contains product info, coupons if you choose to purchase items and the value of the sample and full sized. I actually really like this feature although I am a little confused to why it would be in US prices and not Canadian since its a Canadian company?
 
Anyways onto what I got shall we.

~Wine Delights Pina Colada All Natural Shower Gel. I found it to smell like a Pina Colada. The only thing I don’t like right away is that its very liquidity and when I think of a shower gel, I think of a gel. I will still try this out though.

The full size is $29.95 for 8oz and the sample is $7.00 for 1.7oz

~Kitty Kosmetics Natural Body Scrub. I think the one I got was in the scent Kandy Kane. Looking at it, it looks like a great mixture. I will be trying this out very soon.

The full size is $32.00 for 8oz and the sample is $5.00 for 1oz

~ I Love Coffee Butter Massage Bar. I really like the scent and not quite sure what it is. You are suppose to use this after a shower/bath. I have never used anything like this and looking forward to trying it out.

The full size is $25.00 for 4oz and the sample is $6.25 for 1oz

~Temptations bath N’ Body Wicked Little Gingerbread Soap. This is so cute and smells so good. Smells like fresh baked gingerbread which I love. I can’t wait to try this out tomorrow in the shower.

The Full size is $8.95 for 5oz and the sample is $2.95 for 0.5oz

For the inconvenience of being late they included a bonus item of this Delizioso Skincare Black Diamond Mascara. This is an all natural mascara and when I opened it, it didn’t smell like your typical mascara and it actually smelled better then an all natural one I bought last year.
 
Not sure if I will use this yet as I tend to be very careful what I put near my eyes but I will be looking into this one.

This is a full size item and sells for $19.00 for 5ml.

 
~Delizioso Skincare Cucumber Cooling Facial Moisturizer actually had a nice smell to it and when I put in on the back of my hand I found that it went on cool like it was in the fridge. It blended in really nicely.
 
The full size is $22.00 for 1oz and the sample is $11.00 for 0.5oz
 
~Original Purity Raw Seeds Facial Gelee. This is suppose to revive the tone of your skin. This also smelled fruity and I think it was due to the cherry kernel oil and the vanilla. I am actually curious about this and will probably try it out.

The full size is $18.00 for 2oz and the sample is $3.00 for 0.25oz

 
~Another item from the Delizioso Skincare line is Watermelon & CoQ10 Micro Sphere polish. Its a facial scrub. Not sure of the smell and I was surprised after putting it on the back of my hand and rinsing my hand felt super soft.

The full size is 44.00 for 1oz and the sample is $21.00 for 0.5oz

 
~Dr Emerald Golden Berries Super Anti-Aging Stick. (its the gold lip balm tube) This had a fruity smell and you are suppose to put it under your eyes and around any problem area. When I put it on my hand it felt kind of oily. It took a while for it to blend into my skin.
 
This is a full size item and sells for $39.95 for 0.25oz
 
~Temptations Bath N’ Body also included another item and its the Smell Me Soy Lotion Candle. I got the scent Cranberry Twister. Apparently was some of the candle is melted you can use it as a moisturizer. Not sure that is something I would do, would you?

The full size is $19.95 for 9oz and the sample is $3.95 for 1oz

 
~Finally the last item in the box is I Love Coffee Super Nourishing Hand Cream. When I used it it blended very well into my skin. Not greasy or oily. Not sure this would be something I would use often because it smelled like coffee but it did leave my hands feeling very soft.
 
The full size is $25.00 for 4oz and the sample is $4.00 for 0.5oz
 





So that is the December/January box. We got sent 11 items and they said its worth $123.10

Is there anything that interests you? I know I am excited to try the bath items the most.

I know there is alot of flack going on about the company and I won’t get into that on my blog because any negativity will reflect badly on me. So I ask that you refrain from leaving any negative comments as those won’t be published I am sorry. I worked hard on this blog and would like it to remain friendly.

I just wish they would have stepped up and offered a little more compensation to the subscribers instead of just a tube of mascara.

I still have one more box to come and that will be February’s.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Meme/ Sunday’s In Bed With…. #32

Posted on by Cindy

The awesome blogger behind this is Kate from Midnight Book Girl   not only is she an awesome blogger but she is was one of my roommates for BEA. YAY!!

Midnight Book Girl

Sundays In Bed With….is a meme I’ve started to share the book we’re spending the morning in bed with, or the one we’d like to stay curled up in bed with all Sunday if only our busy lives would allow! For fun, take a picture of the book in your bed, or simply write up a post or comment below sharing your Sundays in Bed With book. Quoted from Kate’s blog.

Good Morning everyone. Its hard to believe its that time of the week again for another Sunday’s In Bed With…. It just feels as though the weeks are going faster and faster.

This is another week I am not curled up in bed reading because we have a hockey game this morning and then a curling practice in the afternoon.

Although if I was able to, I would be curled up in bed reading this:

I received this book last year at BEA from Scholastic and I am determined to try and read the 50+ books I got from BEA before going to BEA again this year. I know I probably won’t get to read them all but hopefully I can get through a good chunk of them.

What are you reading today?

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Meme/ Know Me Better #2

Posted on by Cindy

I was just recently introduced to this new blog I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and I was instantly hooked when I saw her pretty blog design. You should check it out if you haven’t already.

Kathy has created this wonderful meme and each week she will pick 5 questions off her author interview list for us to answer.

Kathy invites you to share your answers to these questions as well. You can either leave your answers in this weeks post which if you click here it will take you to it or you can create a post on your blog and then go back and link to this weeks post by clicking here and it will take you there.

Where is your favorite spot to read?
Are you a fast or slow reader? (you can test your reading speed here)
Fanfition – Love it or Hate it? Have your ever read/written it?
Summer or Winter?
Truth or Dare?

Here is my answers this week:

What is your favorite spot to read?

  • My favorite spot to read lately has been curled up on the love seat under my new fleecy owl blanket.

Are you a fast or slow reader?

  • According to the Staples test it said I read 429 w/minute and that I am 72% faster then the national average. I don’t think I am that fast of a reader but then again I think it would depend on the book I am reading and how good it is.

Fanfiction -Love it or Hate it? Have you ever read/written it?

  • I have never read it so I can’t really said if I would love it or hate it.

Summer or Winter?

  • I have to say summer. I don’t like winter and if you live in Canada you would agree. Although its been very mild this past week I am dreading what is around the corner.

Truth or Dare?

  • I am so Truth. I can’t handle dares.

So these are my answers this week. Check back next week to find out more about me and be sure to check out I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. Hope you will take part.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Top Box January Edition/Guest Post

Posted on by Cindy

I just want to thank Cindy for allowing me to share with her and her readers what I get in my monthly Top Box. Please check back monthly to see what I got and let me know what you think.

This month, Top Box has started something new that I am really excited about. Starting in February the monthly subscribers will get to choose if they want to receive the regular Top Box or a limited edition box called the Prive Box.

There will be a limited amount of Prive Boxes available and its done in a draw like format where you would say that yes I would like to receive the Prive box. You will have no idea what you get until you receive your Top Box.

This month I believe all the subscribers got this Clinique Beauty Box. There was a few different boxes being sent out and I got the Repair Wear Laser Focus.

As you can see the tube is different this month as well and you can’t really tell in the picture but its a very light purple.

Inside the box was filled with a few Clinique products such as:

  • Clarifying Lotion #2 for Dry Combination Skin. When I saw the bottle I was thinking a lotion since it says that but it wasn’t. It was a liquid. I got a sample size of 60ml. The full size is 200ml for $16 and 400ml for $27.
  • Rinse Off Eye Makeup Solvent.  Is it just me or does anyone else freak when they see the word solvent on a label? I will try it just the same. I got a sample size of 60ml and the full size is 125ml for $25
  • Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle & UV Damage Corrector. This is a new to me item and I am curious about it although I am hoping not to like it because its so expensive. I got a sample size of 7ml and the full size is 30ml for $57 and 50ml for $80
  • Colour Surge Eye Shadow Duo. I was super excited about this and more so with the colour I got, Strawberry Fudge. When I saw some unboxings of this months box and the colours that were sent I was like I want that Strawberry Fudge one. So I am thrilled that I got it. The sample I got was 1.6g and the full size is 2.5g for $25 so its about half the size of the full size item.

When I swatched the colors I was impressed. The pink is more of a sheer color and the brown is really nice color as well. These will look great together. I love the packaging of the box which will be perfect to use as a mirror.

Overall I thought this was an okay box nothing special in my mind since its items I haven’t used before but will try. The one item I am thrilled about is the eye shadow duo.

What do you think of this month’s box?

I am off to get some Napoleon ice cream since this reminds me of that. Until next month have a great month and stay pretty.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Review/ Cooking Italian with the Cake Boss

Posted on by Cindy

Title: Cooking Italian with the Cake Boss
Author: Buddy Valastro
Publisher: Atria Books
Pub Date: November 2012
Pages: 384

Source: I received this cookbook for Christmas this past year.

About the book:

TLC’s beloved Buddy Valastro is not only a master baker, he’s also a great cook—the boss of his home kitchen as well as of his famous bakery, Carlo’s Bake Shop. Home cooking is even more vital for the Valastro family than the work they do at the bakery. Every Sunday, the whole clan gathers to cook and eat Sunday Gravy—their family recipe for hearty tomato sauce. These nourishing meals are the glue of their family. Cooking Italian with the Cake Boss shares 100 delicious Italian- American recipes beloved by Buddy’s family, from his grandmother’s secret dishes to Buddy’s personal favorites, with Buddy’s own signature touches that make dinner a family event.

Buddy Valastro is renowned worldwide as the Cake Boss, but Buddy knows far more than just desserts. He makes classic dishes like Pasta Carbonara, Shrimp Scampi, and Eggplant Parmesan even more irresistible with his singular flair and with old-school tips passed down through generations. With his friendly charm, he guides even novice cooks from appetizers through more complicated dishes, and all 100 easy-to-follow recipes use ingredients that are obtainable and affordable. Your family will love sitting down at the table to eat Steak alla Buddy, Auntie Anna’s Manicotti, Mozzarella-and- Sausage-Stuffed Chicken, Veal Saltimbocca, Buddy’s Swiss Chard, and mouthwatering desserts like Lemon Granita, Apple Snacking Cake, Cocoa-Hazelnut Cream with Berries, and Rockin’ Rice Pudding.

Buddy’s recipes allow home cooks to become the bosses of their own kitchens, and anyone will be able to whip up a tasty and nutritious Italian dinner. Filled with luscious full-color photography and with stories from the irrepressible Valastro clan, Cooking Italian with the Cake Boss shows how to create new takes on traditional dishes that will make your famiglia happy.

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This past Christmas I didn’t ask for alot in books because I am really trying to get through what I have. As a book lover you know what I mean. Plus honestly I have been told on more then one occassion that I really have to much and could I honestly read them all? Probably not but it got me to thinking about what books I really wanted to get and when I first saw Cooking Italian with the Cake Boss I knew I really wanted this one.

I am a huge fan of Buddy’s TLC shows as is Michael so we had a kick going through this cook book trying to figure out what mommy could make for supper.

The cookbook is divided into nine sections and that is Appetizers, Finger Food and Snacks, Salads, Breads, Pizzas and Sandwiches, Soups, Pasta and Risotto, Main Courses, Sides, Buddy Basics and finally Desserts. With quite a few recipes in each section.

Each recipe is very well laid out with easy to find ingredients and how to do it. Nothing big and complicated or nothing that will take you hours to prepare which I hate.

With each recipe there is a little story told about the recipe and included is a serving count and a prep and cook time which I find alot of the recipes no longer include. For me I love knowing this little aspect. Will the recipe be something I can just whip up or is it a day preparing it.

Another thing I hate is when there isn’t enough photographs to accompany a recipe but this book has just the right amount at just the right places which I love because honestly you don’t need to have a photograph for each and everyone.

So over the Christmas holiday I was able to make a few things from the book and sadly I didn’t get any pics because I made them when we were having company over.

The first item I made was Brushetta with Tomatoes. Olives and Capers. Although I had to alter the recipe a little because Michael doesn’t like Olives and we don’t like capers. It was still very delicious. I honestly don’t think I could go back to buy store bought brushetta after this. It was fantastic and everyone was raving about it.

Then for the main course I made the Perfect Pot roast and I just have to say that was the best pot roast I every made. I think this had to be my favorite recipe. It was so good. Our mouths were litterly drooling from it.

Since I told no one to bring dessert I made Orange Angel Food Cake with Orange and Cinnamon Glaze. This was the first time I made and angel food cake and was a little nervous but it all worked out and it was delicous. It was eaten up fairly quickly with no left overs to be had.

Something we have been having alot of lately is Green Salad with Italian-American Vinaigrette. The home made dressing is delicious and I am making it almost on a daily bases. Michael really loved the dressing and I have actually mixed up the greens to give it a different taste and we have been loving this.

Did you know that should wake up your herbs before using them? I didn’t know that and to do it all you have to do is rub it between your fingers. Interesting. This is one of several tips through out the book that I enjoyed discovering.

I am so thankfully Michael loves salads and one of his all time favorites is Ceasar Salad and Buddy had included his own with home made croutons and Michael loved it although this was another one I had to modify since we don’t eat anchovy’s.

There are so many fantastic recipes in this book that I can’t wait to try. Thanks Buddy for creating such a great cookbook.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Review #3/ Send Me a Sign

Posted on by Cindy

Title: Send Me A Sign
Author: Tiffany Schmidt
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Pub Date: September 2012
Pages: 304

Source: I borrowed this from my local library.

About The Book:
Mia is always looking for signs.

A sign that she should get serious with her on-again, off-again soccer-captain boyfriend. A sign that she’ll get the grades to make it into an Ivy-league school. One sign she “didn’t “expect to look for was: “Will I survive cancer?” It’s an answer her friends would never understand, prompting Mia to keep her illness a secret. The only one who knows is her lifelong best friend, Gyver, who is poised to be so much more. Mia is determined to survive, but when you have so much going your way, there is so much more to lose.

From debut author Tiffany Schmidt comes a heart-wrenching and ultimately uplifting story of one girl’s search for signs of life in the face of death.

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I first heard about this book last year just before BEA and it was one of those books that I really wanted to get but sadly was unable to get. It has been on the top of my wish list since then and I was so thrilled when I saw this sitting on the new release shelf at my library. I knew I had to bring it home to read.

I have to say I am exactly like Mia. I always look for a sign and know that there is a hidden message in things. I have always been like that.

I have to start off by saying that the book is really good and once I read what it was about and that Mia had cancer I figured it wouldn’t end well and that there would be a ton a tears shed so I made it a point to sit with Kleenex near by.

Mia is your typical popular high school girl. She is a cheerleader and is sort of dating the captain of the soccer team (Ryan) and he is like your typical guy and he never fully wants to commit to a relationship. He would rather play the field so to speak.

When Mia begins to develop unexplained bruising her parents become concerned and take her to the Dr. Mia thinks its nothing seriously until the doctor informs them that she has leukemia. Mia’s world turns upside down and she is trying her best to cope. Her mother is in denial and her father is in information overload.

Mia and her mother decide to keep it to themselves and not tell anyone. The only one who knows is Gyver (yes short for Macgyver, oh how I loved that show) and he is a friend whom she has known all her life, from next door. Mia thinks that once she does her round of chemo that things will go back to normal and no one will know what has gone on with her.

Well you know that won’t happen because if it did then that would be the end of the story right?

When school starts again Mia and her friends make a pack to remain single in their last year of school. Well when Ryan hears about this pack its almost like he wants what he can no longer have. He almost makes it his mission to date Mia and I think as much as Mia would like it she just can’t do.

Now in every young adult book you have to have the love triangle. You wonder who will get the girl in the end. Will it be that super sweet guy next door or the jock. This is exactly what Mia must decide will it be Gyver, her childhood friend who was there through thick and thin and stayed by Mia’s side throughout the whole chemo or will it be Ryan, the jock who likes to play the field?

I liked Ryan and loved that he wasn’t really portrayed as a bad guy that you just wanted to hate although at times I wondered if he really wanted Mia or just the idea of having what he couldn’t have. Now I have to say for me I was personally rooting for Gyver. He just came off to me as the sweet guy next door.

Who will Mia choose to be with? What will happen when her world comes crashing down and she has to try and mend fences with her friends? What will her friends say when they finally find out?

I really enjoyed this book and I think Tiffany has a promising career as an author and I look forward to reading her future books.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Meme/ Top Ten Tuesday

Posted on by Cindy

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that is hosted by the lovely bloggers over at The Broke and The Bookish .

I know I don’t take part in this as much as I would like to, although I am hoping to change that this year.

Today’s topic is:  Top Ten Bookish Goals For 2013

One of the nice things about a new year is starting fresh all over again. Its like wiping the slate clean. With every new year brings a whole bunch of new goals or things you want to accomplish this upcoming year. Some you actually do accomplish and some you don’t and thats fine I think everyone goal you do accomplish is fantastic.

I thought I would share with you some of my blogging/reading goals that I am hoping to accomplish this year.

  1. I am hoping to read at least 100 books this year. I failed big time last year and I think once the fall hit I lost interest in reading.
  2. Read and then write review right away. I started out good last year but then for some reason I slipped. I read more then I reviewed.
  3. Commenting. That means on other blogs and my own.
  4. I am cutting back on book buying once again this year. This applies to me and not Michael.
  5. Try to have posts going up on the blog daily.
  6. To go through boxes of books and donate what you don’t need anymore
  7. Go to BEA (which is happening)
  8. Promote my blog more
  9. Reorganize my books and purge if need be (I always tend to do this before BEA)
  10. Finally to have FUN!!!!

What are some of your bookish goals this year?

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.