Birch Box January Edition #1

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

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!!!!

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?

/Meme/Waiting on Wednesday…#2

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:

liesitold

Pub Date: April 7th,2015

Grace Fontaine has everything: beauty, money, confidence, and the perfect family. But it’s all a lie.

Grace has been adopted into a family of thieves who con affluent people out of money, jewelry, art, and anything else of value. Grace has never had any difficulty pulling off a job, but when things start to go wrong on the Fontaines’ biggest heist yet, Grace finds herself breaking more and more of the rules designed to keep her from getting caught . . . including the most important one of all: never fall for your mark.

Perfect for fans of Ally Carter and Robin Benway, this thrilling, high-stakes novel deftly explores the roles of identity and loyalty while offering a window into the world of the rich and fabulous.

Gone But Never Forgotten

Today marks the 7th year anniversary to a tragic accident that took the lives of seven talent young men and a teacher. These young men and teacher were from my old high school, Bathurst High School (BHS). There was one survivor in this accident, Bradd and I think we should also take a moment and think of him on this day.
I remember this day just like it was yesterday, waking up to hear the tragic news that Javier, Justin, Daniel, Nikki, Nicholas, Nathan, Codey and Beth all had died in a car accident on their way home from a basketball game in Moncton. The most shocking was that they were literally just moments away from the Bathurst exit.
To this day my heart literally just breaks for these families and my home town. They may be gone but they will never be forgotten.

Guest Post/ Broken Trust by Thomas Maurin

brokentrustBroken Trust Post:  Strong Women in a Man’s World

Bonnie and Mike Hartley

(Pen name: Thomas Maurin)

 

 

From the beginning we imagined that Broken Trust would be a movie.  One of our goals for the thriller and the movie was to create a female protagonist in her 50s who would work successfully “in a man’s world.”  We envisioned Julianne Moore playing Fitz.

 

Fitz is that woman for many reasons.  First, she has always excelled at math and did her doctorate at Wharton in forensic accounting.  She does high level financial analysis to support the SEC’s investigation into fraud, market manipulation and other illegal activities.  While she is not the only woman to work in that area, her fifteen-year track record at the SEC speaks to her strength, commitment and ability to analyze complex financial situations.  She is in her 50s and is in some ways just coming into her own power.

 

As we see in Broken Trust, she consistently takes the lead with Charles and Jamie, both of whom are strong, successful men used to being in charge.  While they both want to protect their friend, they respect Fitz’s willingness to take risks and to put herself in the line of fire, as she does in Cayman when she goes to Kenmore’s office to get the final piece of data about when Hans, Valentina and Ramón are meeting with the attorney.  She confronts Hans repeatedly at increasing risk to herself, highlighting her ability to act on her strong convictions.

 

Fitz is not a super hero.  She is a flawed individual whose emotional scars interfere at times with her usual rational decision-making.  When her personal and professional lives converge, both internal and external conflicts explode. We see that especially in her relationship with her father and with Charles.  She finally recognizes that the mistakes she made regarding Chloe were based on false assumptions.  That recognition is a major turning point in Broken Trust.  Once she knows that Charles didn’t want the annulment, she finally confronts herself and her father, and takes responsibility for her decision to hide her pregnancy from everyone except her brother.  It is her willingness to own her mistakes come what may that finally unlocks the personal power she has repressed for decades.

Book Spotlight/Broken Trust

brokentrust

Book Details:

Book Title: Broken Trust by Thomas Maurin
Category: Adult fiction,  285 pages
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Cultivating Change LLC
Published: November 2014
Available in: Print and E-book format: mobi (for Kindle)
Will send books: USA and Canada
Tour dates: Jan 7 to 28, 2015
Content Rating: PG-13 (There is only one sex scene and it isn’t explicit.)

Book Description:

This is a story about three smart, successful people who were once fast friends in college and have now been thrust together again in an unlikely, multi-layered investigation with far-reaching international implications and billions of dollars at stake. One is a forensic accountant for the SEC, one beta tests hardware and software for the US Department of Defense and the UK Ministry of Defense, and the third is a wildly successful entrepreneur, software developer and venture capitalist in Silicon Valley.

They get caught up in the hunt for a corrupt Swiss banker intent on finally unloading the last of the gold stolen by his father in World War II; a violent, narcissist leader of a Mexican drug cartel making his move to take over as the head of all cartels in Central America; and the daughter of a murdered Bulgarian arms dealer making the deal that will give her mother financial stability and get them both out of the increasingly unstable arms business.

The plot unfolds as financial crimes committed by insiders put common criminal activities to shame in a world where technology has increasingly insinuated itself into our lives to good and bad effects.

 

brokentrustauthors
Meet the Authors

Thomas Maurin is the pen name of husband and wife writing team Bonnie B. Hartley, Ph.D., and Michael T. Hartley, CFP®. They both write non-fiction books and articles regarding financial and family business topics and have delivered talks on those subjects internationally over the last thirty years.

Connect with them: Website ~ Twitter

 

Be sure to go and check out I Read Book Tours to see the tour schedule for Broken Trust.