Month: January 2015

January Book Un-Hauling #1

Posted on by Cindy

Good morning everyone. Today I thought I would start a new monthly feature on my blog and its going to be all the books I un-haul for that month and it will be posted at the end of each month.

I know I have shown in the past the books I have released but you never really got to see what books they were and why I was releasing them so I thought I would start 2015 with that.

If you know me IRL you know that I don’t tend to keep the books I have read unless I really like it or I love the covers, but once the fall came around and I was cleaning up for Christmas and preparing my background for my YouTube show, I realized that I have way to many books as you can see from this photo below and everything just looked cluttered and overwhelming. (This has already been purged in the fall and alot of books were given away then)

IMG_0305

 

That is just what is on the book cases image having boxes and boxes and more boxes fulled with books in your basement just sitting there and that will be tackled this summer.

So, for now I thought I would just tackle what I can physically see around me. This week I ended up tidying up the book cases behind me just because it didn’t look right on camera so these are the books from the book case and that huge stack beside it. I will post a photo at the end of this post showing the new look.

Books Read:

  1. Budapest Romance by Rozsa Gaston (Read and Review will be up in February)
  2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
  3. Can’t Look Away by Donna Cooner
  4. Captivated by You by Sylvia Day
  5. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
  6. We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist
  7. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
  8. Defriended by Ruth Baron
  9. Cure For The Common Break Up by Beth Kendrick
  10. Good Riddance by Cythina Copeland
  11. Beginning Pearls by Stephan T Pastis
  12. Blaze by Laurie Boyle Crompton
  13. In Real Life (Love, Lies & Identity in the Digital Age) by Nev Schulman
  14. The Silversix by AJ Lieberman & Darren Rawlings
  15. Smile by Raina Telgemeier
  16. Letting Ana Go
  17. Fakebook (A true story based on actual lies) by Dave Cicirelli
  18. Reflected in You by Sylvia Day
  19. Big Girl Panties by Stephanie Evanovich
  20. Prodigy by Marie Lu
  21. Fever by Megan Abbott
  22. Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans
  23. Mia’s Dairy Home Sweet Rome by Marissa Moss
  24. Teen Boat by Dave roman and John Green
  25. Send by Patty Blount

Those were all the books I have read and enjoyed and with the amount of books on my TBR I know I will never re-read them so why not pass them along to others who will enjoy the books just as much as I did, right?

The following books are books that I didn’t like/enjoy or didn’t finish. The have been sitting on my shelf for the longest time in hopes that I would re pick it up to try again but honestly I think that if I couldn’t get into them the first time I probably won’t get into them again. So its time to take them off the shelf and share them with people who will actually read and enjoy them. Sorry if this list upsets anyone but its only my personal taste and not everyone likes what everyone is reading or has read.

  1. Dog On It by Spencer Quinn
  2. To Fetch a Thief by Spencer Quinn
  3. Return To Sender by Julia Alvarez
  4. Hedge Fund Wives by Tatianna Boncompagni
  5. Feminista by Erica Kennedy
  6. The Beef Princess of Practical County by Michelle Houts
  7. The Tear Collector by Patrick Jones
  8. Just One Kiss by Susan Mallery
  9. Forever an Eaton by Rochelle Alers
  10. The Night is Watching by Heather Graham
  11. Rescue My Heart by Jill Shalvis
  12. Deas is a Killer Tune by Marlene Perez
  13. The Book of Mormon Girl by Joanna Brooks
  14. Between You and Me by Emma McLaughlin & Nicole Kraus
  15. Shelter by Frances Greenslade
  16. Some Kind of Peace by Camilla Grebec & Asa Traff
  17. The Broken Lands by Kate Milford
  18. Farewell to Freedom by Sara Blaedel
  19. Only One Life by Sara Blaedel
  20. What Came From The Stars by Gary D Schmidt
  21. Beach Season by Lisa Jackson

 

A photo posted by @cindysloveofbooks on

This is what it currently looks like. As you can see I still have alot of books and I am trying to avoid having them double or triple stacking apart from the bottom shelves and I am going to make it a point to read those one firsts.

The total of un-hauled books for January is 46.

Meme/Waiting on Wednesday,,,#4

Posted on by Cindy

waitingonwednesday

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine and its spotlights upcoming books that we are eagerly waiting for. I plan on including upcoming releases and books that are already released.

This week I am featuring:

dorothymustdie

Pub Date: April 2014

The New York Times bestselling first book in a dark new series that reimagines the Oz saga, from debut author Danielle Paige.

I didn’t ask for any of this. I didn’t ask to be some kind of hero. But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I’ve read the books. I’ve seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can’t be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There’s still a road of yellow brick—but even that’s crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy. They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I’m the other girl from Kansas. I’ve been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked. I’ve been trained to fight. And I have a mission: Remove the Tin Woodman’s heart. Steal the Scarecrow’s brain. Take the Lion’s courage. And—Dorothy must die.

Review/ Owl Diaries "Eva's Treetop Festival"

Review/ Owl Diaries “Eva’s Treetop Festival”

Posted on by Cindy
Review/ Owl Diaries “Eva’s Treetop Festival”Owl Diaries #1: Eva's Treetop Festival (A Branches Book) Series: Owl Diaries #1

by Rebecca Elliott
Format: Paperback
Published by Scholastic Inc. on January 6th 2015
Pages: 80
Goodreads
Genres: Animals, Birds, Chapter Books, Girls & Women, Readers, Young Adult

This adorable early chapter book series is perfect for young girls who love friendship stories starring animal characters! This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow! Eva Wingdale gets in over her head when she offers to organize a spring festival at school. Even with her best friend Lucy's help, there is NO way she will get everything done in time. Will Eva have to ask Sue (a.k.a. Meanie McMeanerson) for help? Or will the festival have to be cancelled? This book is written as Eva's diary -- with Rebecca Elliott's owl-dorable full-color illustrations throughout!

This is the first book of the Owl Diary series and one that I am excited to continue. Rebecca is a children’s book author/illustrator and has several picture books under her name. I will need to check them out because they seem like cute books.

I first discovered this book from Becky from her blog Becky’s Book Reviews. You can click on her blog name to read her review of the book.

Seeing anything with Owl in the title got me. I just have to start off by saying that the cover is the cutest.

This book is clearly aimed at children and the younger kids who can read chapter books. I breezed through the book quickly. The book is in a diary format that will make reading for the younger kids easier.

Eva is a busy little owl who sleeps during the day and keeps herself busy at night with school, crafting, handing out with her best friend, Lucy, walking her pet bat and so much more.

I fell in love with Eva right away and how could you not when you share the same likes such as pumpkin, crafting, clothes etc. If I was an owl Eva would so be my bestie.

The idea for a Treetop Festival came via her friend Lucy who was helping her mother plant flowers. Eva thought long and hard about it and came up with a plan and presented it to her teacher Mrs. Featherbottom who loved the idea but only gave Eva a week to pull it together. Can she do it?

I loved how at Eva took everything upon herself and quickly realized that its okay to ask for help. We all do that and try to do it all and its okay to realize that even though we bite of more then we can chew we can ask for help.

Eva’s Treetop Festival is filled with a ton of cute illustrations and each one accompanies the story that is being told. They are all so cute,

Book 2 Eva Sees a Ghost is coming out in a few months. Will I go out and buy it? Of course I will just because its a cute book that I would love to see grow. This would make the perfect book for girls and girls who love owls. I think they would get a kick out of this series.

 

Beauty Box 5 January Edition

Posted on by Cindy

beautybox5

Beauty Box 5 is a subscription-based, beauty sampling program that delivers a box filled with 5 cosmetic samples to your door every month. Aimed at introducing women to new cosmetic products and educating them on best practices, Beauty Box 5 scours the market to find the best products for your lifestyle.

There is three subscription options: $12/monthly, $30 quarterly and $99 yearly.

I opted to pay monthly just in case there is any issues.

I believe I have been with Beauty Box 5 for over a year now and I am always on the fence about this one. Its like all beauty boxes there will always be hits and misses with them.

Good Morning everyone. This week I got my Beauty Box 5 in the mail. I am going to admit again that I am not quite sure on how I feel about this month’s box. It has its good items and some blah items. What do you think?

I hope you don’t mind that I am using my instagram photos in my posts. Its just that if I leave the box sitting any longer I honestly will end up forgetting to blog post it.

So lets get into the box shall we. The theme this month is: Hello!

-The first item on the card is Coastal Scents Eye Shadow. I got a mini quad 4 piece sample. Its in the eye shadow sample set 39. The colors are Solar Flare, Vibrant Green, Vibrant Plum and Capri Blue. They look very pretty. I believe these could be build able. I know with one swipe over the shadows they are pale and the purple and blue stood out for me as I thought the yellow and green seemed a little too bright for me but I will try them out and see what they are like and let you know.

SRV is $1.95 (single pots) to $24.95 (palette) The shadows are in a 1 inch pan and the sample I got was about half on inch.

-Sally Hansen Salon Effects real nail polish stripes. I got Stripe-Tease. Inside the box you get two packages of the stripes, a cuticle stick, mini file and buffer. I have never used the stripes before so I am curious to try them out. The shade is okay and its something I would wear. The only complaint I have is that there is only 16 stripes in the box so that means you can only do one full set and then you have 6 left over. I will try them out and let you know. This is suppose to last 10 days so I am curious if it will.

SRV is $9.99 for the box and this was a full sized item.

-Ultraflesh The Gold Standard Mascara in the shade Blackout. I have never heard of this brand before but I am curious to try it out. I only got a sample size but the packaging is cute its a gold color tube. This is a lash thickening mascara so it will be fun to try this out. I will be sure to let you know how it works out.

SRV is $21.00 for 0.27oz and the sample size is 0.08oz

-Softsoap Nutri Serums Vitamin E Body Wash. I love trying body washes especially when they are new to me scents. I have used Softsoap in the past and really liked them. This one has a nice scent and I noticed that I didn’t feel dry like I do with other soaps and washes. There is little beads in the wash that burst with vitamin e, omega 3 and 6. This would be something I would repurchase if I see it in the store especially during the cold, dry winter months.

SRV $8.00 for 15fl oz and the sample size is 1.7fl oz.

-Finally the last item is the Garnier Fructis Daily Care Fortifying Shampoo. Not going to lie but I like getting shampoo samples in the mail because they are perfect for when you travel. The only complaint I have is when subscription services only include a shampoo or conditioner and not the other product to go with it. I personally love getting both so that I know how the product will work and it will make my decision to buy full size alot more easier. The shampoo has a nice smell to it and its a scent that I do like. I will try it out and see how it goes.

SRV $3.99 for 13oz and the sample is 1.7 oz

So that is what I got in my Janaury Beauty Box 5, what do you think? Anything that peaked your interest? Should I continue or stop it?

 

Birch Box January Edition #1

Posted on by Cindy

birchbox

Birch Box will send you the current month’s Birchbox which will always include five personalized beauty samples from across categories (hair, makeup, skincare, body—you get the idea).

You’ll be charged for your subscription the day you sign up—it’s $10 a month (plus $4.95 shipping & handling) or $159.40 a year (that’s two months free!).

Monthly subscribers will be charged on the first of each month, and your box will be shipped out by the 10th. Annual subscriptions are charged in one fell swoop when you sign up.

If you would like to sign up I would invite you to CLICK ON THIS as its my personal referral link. For each referral I get bonus points.

 

Good Morning everyone.

You are probably sitting there wondering why I am showing you a Birch Box unboxing after my rant in November (you can click on this to go there) and honestly I ended up caving when I saw that it was available here. I have lusted over the Birch Boxes since seeing blog posts and vlogs about the US boxes for all those years.

I am going by on the monthly plan so that I can cancel at anytime.

I am still confused as to why they never started to ship to Quebec from the get go because the product card is in English as is most of the products in this month’s box.

Speaking of this months box lets jump right into the box shall we. Firstly I have to say I like the box and its something that I will end up reusing. The theme this month is “2015 Let’s Do This.” and I agree lets do this.

This isn’t a favorite box but I am excited to try out the products.

~The first one is Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo. I love dry shampoos because there are times when I try not to wash my hair every day so having this on hand is perfect. The packaging is super cute and the smell is really nice.

SRV is $26.50 for 5.3 oz and I got a sample size of 0.75 oz.

~Derm e Hydrating Night Creme with Hyaluronic Acid. Try saying that 10x fast. I have never heard of this before. I am always a little worried when I go to try new skin care items so I will be trying this out slowly. Its got a nice smell to it.

SRV $31.00 for 2 oz and the sample I got was 1/2 oz.

~Harvey Price Hello Body Creme. This is another item I have never heard about until now. It has a nice citrus/floral smell that isn’t over powering and it blends into the skin amazingly not leaving you with a sticky mess. I noticed a difference in my hands and elbows from using it. Very Hydrating.

~SRV $26 for 12oz and I got a sample size of 0.50 oz.

~Model Co Party proof Lipstick in the shade Dusk Until Dawn. The packaging is really cute  and the shade is actually quite nice its like a nude dusty rose.

“There are two trio options to choose from: the Neutrals trio features Get Naked, a classic nude; Kitty, a soft baby pink; and Dusk Till Dawn, a deep nude with beige undertones; while the Classics collection has Peony, a hot pink; Red Velvet, a snappy red with hits of pink; and Disco Fever, a flirty coral.”

I really like this and I would consider purchasing the sets. I liked the color I got and I found it to be hydrating and non sticky on the lips. Its a semi-matte.

SRV $23 for 3 lipsticks at 0.13 oz and I got one of those lipsticks.

~Finally the last item in the box is Whish Shave Cream Acai Grapfruit. You can use this where ever you shave and I find that I tend to use a shave cream in the winter months when my skin is dry and itchy. I really like this and after shaving I was surprised that there was no redness or irritation to the sky. I always have problems in the winter time when I shave my legs. Not sure if this is something I would repurchase but I will give it a try.

“A moisturizing base of omega-rich squalene, organic shea butter, jojoba oil, and coconut oil protects against the redness and irritation associated with shaving, while organic green tea extracts infuse skin with antioxidants.”

SRV $22 for 150ml and I got a sample of 22 ml

So that was my very first Birch Box, what did you think? I am okay with what I got and the items will be used. Was I blown away? No but I am curious enough to go for another month.

 

Meme/Waiting on Wednesday…#3

Posted on by Cindy

waitingonwednesday

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine and its spotlights upcoming books that we are eagerly waiting for. I plan on including upcoming releases and books that are already released.

This week I am featuring:

empireofsixth

Pub Date: April 2015

In this heart-stopping sequel to the New York Times bestselling Sea of Shadows, which Kirkus Reviews called “a standout,” Ashyn and Moria must overcome deadly enemies—not all of them human—as they attempt to help avert a war for the empire. Blending fantasy, romance, danger, and action, Kelley Armstrong sends readers on a thrilling journey through an unforgettable world, perfect for fans of Graceling and Game of Thrones.

Sisters Moria and Ashyn are the Keeper and Seeker of Edgewood. Or at least they were. Their village is gone. Their friends have betrayed them. And now, the emperor has sent them on a mission to rescue the captured children of Edgewood—accompanied by Prince Tyrus and a small band of imperial warriors. But the journey proves more perilous than any of them could have imagined. And with treachery and unrest mounting in the empire, the girls are running out of places to turn.

With all the pulse-pounding action and romance that have made her a #1 New York Times bestselling author, this second book in the Age of Legends trilogy will appeal to Kelley Armstrong’s legions of fans around the world and win her many new ones.

Super Exciting News!!!!

Posted on by Cindy

For the past month or so I have been working on an exciting project with my good friend Michael (although after our conversation yesterday I might have to rethink that LOL) and after all our hard work,  its finally done and I am able to share it with you my readers and friends.

Michael and I have created a youtube show called “What’s On Your’s?”. Its a weekly show where we share what we are reading, what we are listening to, what we are watching and so much more.

This is our first episode:

What do you think?

Now I have something fun and exciting to ask you, you would like to be a part of our show? We are looking for bloggers, authors, publishing reps, book tour companies to be a part of the show. If you are interested please leave a comment in this post with a way for me to contact you or you can go through the Contact Me form on my blog  (if you click on Contact Me it will take you to the form).

I hope you enjoy the show and please let me know what you think of it?