Noto Agender Oil Hair + Body Multi Use All Natural

No matter what season it is, my skin is always desperately in need of moisture. I have used creams, lotions, and balms but, I never really used body oil. I am not a fan of the greasy slick feeling and sometimes, it stains my sheets. After a particularly harsh winter week, I noticed my skin was cracking and becoming more painful. I decided to try a body oil since it seems to be loved by a lot of people.

The oil is suitable for usage on both hair and body and has a gender-neutral scent so, it can be used by anyone. The oil is composed of organic hemp seed oil, lavender, and vetiver. I am not a fan of the scent but, it did grow on me. The scent is strong but does dissipate after an hour or so. I used the oil mostly on my skin and it did go on a bit heavy and stayed slick on the surface. My skin was softer the next day but, not hydrated enough that I can skip an application. A word of warning, this did stain my bedsheets with oil stains. I might have to look into dark sheets since I am jumping on the body oil bandwagon.

Finding Ferdinand Nob Hill Red Lipstick

Guess how many red lipsticks I own? More than any normal sane person should have. I love red lipsticks. Nothing makes me feel like I can take on the world more than a beautiful bold red.

I never heard of the brand before but, I am always up to try something new. I rarely buy the same thing twice unless it's truly something I can't live without and it's on sale. Let's be honest, makeup is expensive and  sometimes I do really question if it's wrong to sell my organs to support my habit.

While I never heard of the brand, I felt that a $30 price tag is kind of steep. I felt like for a few more dollars, I could get a well known prestige brand lipstick or a few beloved drugstore favorites. But, my dear readers, I bite the bullet and got one. The packaging was sleek but, it didn't have heavy weight like Colourpop or Urban Decay's lipsticks. I did like that you did have to push the tube up before the lipstick popped down.

The warm-hued lipstick went on smoothly. One swipe provided full coverage but, I like applying two coats for even application. It felt nice against the skin and lasted maybe two hours before fading away. I like the color on me but, I can't say it's my favorite shade nor do I find myself reaching for this often. I am opened to trying new colors by the brand but, definitely not paying full price.

Book Review - On a Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Photo credit - Amazon

Camden Grayson loves a challenge. Her professional career has never been better but, the rest of her life needs improvement.  Her sisters believe that her motto of "moving on" isn't helping her. Cam's life gets all topsy turvy when her father sells their childhood home to buy a remote island off the coast of Maine.

Paul Grayson and his deceased wife shared a dream of returning to the camp where they first met and fell in love. However, while Paul was busy chasing his career, his wife passed away during an unfortunate accident. He decided that he spent too much of his time waiting to achieve their dreams and decides to buy the island. He believes that he already wasted time he could have spent with this wife but, now he can use this time to bond with his daughters. Will the island provide solace to the family? Will they be able to find their path of happiness?

I grew up and spent most of my time in the city but, I have visited a few islands. Living on an island or even a small community has a different pace of time. A person can breathe and reconnect with each other and Mother Nature. The novel showed how people sometimes get caught up with the daily demands of life that they forgot to take time and reconnect with themselves and each other. The novel was a nice cozy read about three sisters finding their path to happiness along with a few twists.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Book Review - The Refuge by Ann H. Gabhart

Photo Credit - Amazon

Darcie and Walter Goodwin decide to join the local Shaker village when a new cholera epidemic hits their area. The Shaker village seems to be immune to the disease and once, the threat passes, the Goodwins will leave the community. During a routine trip into town, Walter is killed in a riverboat accident.

Darcie is devastated by the news and but, she has nowhere else to go. She has no family and money along with being pregnant with a child. The Shaker community is celibate people who believe in marital relationships to be sinful.  Darcie feels isolated and alone because of her pregnancy. However, when Darcie crosses path with Flynn Keller and his daughter, will Darcie be able to find her path to happiness?

This was the first novel I ever read about the Shaker community. I thought some of their ideas were a bit "strange" especially, the procreation portion and referring to our parents as "sister" or "brother". However, I also like many of their ideas, such as, providing a haven for everyone, being an inclusive community, and ensuring everyone having a role to play. I liked all the characters except for one of the characters, who tried to murder someone and nothing happened to her. I liked that each of the characters was flawed but, found someone else or a community to help bring out the best of themselves.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Primark Home Paradise Palm and Coconut Candle

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I love Primark! The store is filled with affordable finds for every occasion and person. A few items have questionable quality though. The clothing can be worn out quicker than other brands and the fit varies per item. I love their candles as they are small and fragrant and usually under $5. This one had a soft tropical scent that wasn't very overpowering. I usually lit this candle after I finished cooking or when I am in the tub soaking. The scent is quite soft and fades quite quickly. But, when I am trying to cut down on expenses, the candle is a nice treat.

Book Review - The Monster Hypothesis by Romily Bernard + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

The town of Bohring is home to more alligators than people. It is also the hometown of a monster curse where kids turn into monsters. Kick Winter is living in the Hollows swamp with her fake psychic grandmother Missouri. Kick is having a hard time making new friends and finding the space to do her scientific experiments.

Kick recently discovered that the town's curse of turning kids into monsters is happening. The townspeople are worried but,  Kick knows there has to be a scientific explanation for everything. She doesn't believe in curses or monsters. As the new kid, she's determined to prove there is no curse, even if it means becoming a fake psychic.

The novel was a fun read with outlandish characters such as a chicken loving gator. I liked that the main character tries to use logic and science to solve the monster mystery. I enjoyed the messages of friendship, being true to yourself, believing in yourself and doing the right thing.  The book is an enjoyable read for middle schoolers who loves mystery novels.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

 

Title: THE MONSTER HYPOTHESIS

Author: Romily Bernard

Pub. Date: December 10, 2019

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Pages: 304

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

Welcome to Bohring-home to 453 people, 2,053 alligators, and one monster curse.

Correction: home to 454 people, now that Kick Winter is living in the swamp Hollows with her Grandma Missouri, the town (fake) psychic. Bohring is anything but boring for Kick who has already blown a hole through the kitchen floor, befriended a chicken-eating gator, and discovered that the town's hundred-year curse is upon them.

It's the Bohring curse and all the kids are about to become monsters-or so the legend goes. People are worried-except for Kick. She knows there's a scientific explanation for everything, especially curses and monsters. But Kick is the new kid in school and she's determined to make a name for herself . . . by pretending to be psychic.

According to her calculations: one teeny-tiny life + (fake) psychic skills = popularity. But when kids start disappearing and glowing creatures start showing up, Kick's theory quickly evaporates in a puff of foul-smelling swamp gas. Can Kick use her (real) science smarts to prove the curse is a hoax? Or is it just-maybe-sort of-somehow possible the curse is here?

Author Romily Bernard weaves a fast-paced middle-grade mystery filled with humor and scientific intrigue, set in a perfectly eerie Southern town.

About Romily:

Romily Bernard graduated from Georgia State University with a literature degree. Since then, she's worked as a riding instructor, cell-phone salesperson, personal assistant, horse groomer and exercise rider, accounting assistant, and, during a very dark time, customer service representative. . . . She's also, of course, now a YA novelist.

So don't let anyone tell you a BA degree will keep you unemployed.

Romily currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, and Find Me is her debut novel. It placed first in the 2011 YA Unpublished Maggie Awards (given by Georgia Romance Writers) and won the Golden Heart Award for YA Romance from the Romance Writers of America in 2012.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Pinterest | YouTube

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a hardcover of THE MONSTER HYPOTHESIS, US only.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba21027/?

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

12/2/2019	Popthebutterfly Reads	Review
12/3/2019	Mythical Books	Excerpt
12/4/2019	Sometimes Leelynn Reads	Review
12/5/2019	Lifestyle of Me	Review
12/6/2019	BookHounds	Excerpt

Week Two:

12/9/2019	Ogitchida Kwe's Book Blog	Review
12/10/2019	For the Love of KidLit	Excerpt
12/11/2019	Little Red Reads	Review
12/12/2019	Life Within The Pages	Review
12/13/2019	Book Briefs	Review

Week Three:

12/16/2019	Adventures Thru Wonderland	Review
12/17/2019	BookishRealmReviews	Review
12/18/2019	fictitious.fox	Review
12/19/2019	Paper safari	Review
12/20/2019	Nay's Pink Bookshelf	Review

Week Four:

12/23/2019	She Just Loves Books	Review
12/24/2019	Hurn Publications	Review
12/25/2019	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt
12/26/2019	Character Madness	Excerpt
12/27/2019	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Excerpt

Week Five:

12/30/2019	Two Points of Interest	Review
12/31/2019	Fyrekatz Blog	Review

 

Book Review - Processed Cheese by Stephen Wright

Photo Credit - Amazon

Graveyard is on his way to look for a job when a bag of money drops from the sky and falls into his path. Graveyard hurries home to his wife, Ambience to share in the good news. Together they go on a spending journey to have everything they always wanted. The owner of the money bag begins to search for his money and is willing to do whatever is necessary to get it back.

At first, I thought the character's names were a bit weird but, I thought I can just ignore it. But, when everything started having wack-a-doo naming, even the days of the week. I started losing interest in the novel very quickly. It took more effort to remember the weird names and what they meant. I spent more time trying to decipher the names than I was focusing on the novel. I couldn't even make it past a few chapters before I realized this book isn't for me.

 **Disclosure -  This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**