Thursday, February 27, 2014

Review of PicGif Mac App by Pearl Mountain

 

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

 

 

 

If you would love an app that is straight forward, easy to use, then PicGif is really something to look up. For Mac exclusive. Pearl Mountain has done it again. Their Apps are nothing to scoff at. If your using PicGif for your photos then you will surely be at the top of your game. Your family, friends, and clients will think you are a professional with minimal knowledge of photography.

 

 

 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

 

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Beltlock For Child Car seat-Review

 

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

 

Beltlock -Review

http://www.beltlock.ie/safety.php
Beltlock is perfect to keep little you little ones from removing straps.

Beltlock is perfect to keep little you little ones from removing straps.

Keeping children safe, when traveling in the car, is our priority. When children open the seatbelt securing the car seat it is dangerous for the child and distracting for the driver.

As a parent, you can protect your children by using Beltlock to secure their car seats in place. It fits easily over the seat belt receiver and can be removed without difficulty by an adult.

Beltlock has been designed and made, to very high standards. It is made of high-grade plastic which is highly visible and durable. Beltlock offers peace of mind as it is designed by parents, for parents.

BeltLock will form part of a larger collaboration: "Project 5". This is the first in a range of products to come, we hope you'll love it as much as we do...

The family that stays safe! Our 4 kiddos


 

 

 

Prevent your kiddos from escaping the safety of their car seat.

I don't know about you but, our three year old could be asleep in her car seat on the way to the store, then before you know it, she has become an escape artist and trying to grab her toy she dropped on the floorboard of the car.

 

Sound familiar?

Safe and all secure with her Beltlock in place.Nothing to see here Mom!

Beltlock is a Mommy ran company. Who else knows what catastrophes these little mini-Houdini's can get into? After having my Husband drive me I started to notice how our little bug was outsmarting us adults. I noticed bit by bit she was loosening her straps. The more we took her out of the car and back in the car, we weren't realizing that each time we should have tightened the straps back up. Then even after tightening the straps I began to notice the straps were not as tight and strong as they once were before. We started replacing the car seat about once every 6 Months. I was blaming faulty equipment.

Betlock completely changed my way of thinking. And impressed my Mommy friends.


As seen above Beltlock is a simple orange plastic device that holds the honor of keeping my kiddo safe. And keeps me from checking on my escape artist every 2 minutes in the back seat!

Beltlock will have you saying " Now, why didn't I think of that?".

(I know my Husband and I said it quite a few times!)

When I received the Beltlock to review. My first question after looking at it was:

"Okay, how do I open it?"

Then after simply reading the directions, it made a ton of sense! You carry your keys with you when to leave the car right? Well, just grab your keys use one, stick it between the small opening and press down on the release button on the car seat and TA-DA!

 

Buy your Beltlock below:

http://www.beltlock.ie/safety.php

Get more information about Beltlock below:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeltLock

Twitter: @Beltlock

YouTube: http://youtu.be/JWgTwEsiGIE

I highly recommend getting Beltlock for your child and a bit of piece of mind. With so many distactions on the road alone these days, phones, texting, traffic etc. Beltlock prevents you from being distracted and having to check and test the lock on your child's car seat while at stop lights or in traffic. When conditions are not favorable. You should be able to trust that your car seat is the safest place for your child. Beltlock gives you that boost of assurance that everything is in it's proper place and there is no need to be concerned that your child will unlock their seatbelt mid-highway.




I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

 

 

 

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Missy Mila DVD Review + Giveaway

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Review DVD+ Giveaway


MISSY MILA VOL.1


What little girl doesn't love a good fairy tale? How about if the "princess" was a tomboy? Who cares right? In this day and age a little boy or little girl can really grow up to literally be anything they want to be. There really is no limit to the dreams one child can dream. There is no ceiling too high. Check out Missy Mila Twisted Vol. 1 and you will see your child's eyes get bigger and brighter when they meet this wonderful 8 year old Missy. This is a very well done DVD and I would recommend it as a gift to a newly enrolled preschooler or kindergartner. The graphics and colors are bright and keeps the attention of the most figgety kid. Molly's imagination has no bounds. She tells her fairy tales with a great twist. I knew this DVD had to be something when our three year old was silent and paying close attention for the whole DVD. I really understood the impact when I was asked to play "Milly" over and over again. I waited to see if she would remember the DVD after a nights sleep and sure enough, I awoke at 7:00am to the bug pushing the DVD under my pillow and saying..." Mommy, Milly please?" I have a feeling this DVD will get great use!


 

Mila is an 8-year-old quirky, energetic tomboy who loves to tell you traditional story-tales but with her own twist. Kids will be inspired to use their imagination and to become storytellers themselves. Audience participation is triggered by Mila's direct-to-camera asides all along the episode; her questions and games bring kids right into the story. Join Mila, laugh at the zany dialogs and fresh art in this innovative series which explores the world of classic tales.

Traditional tales are timeless stories that everyone loves to delve back into, generation after generation. Far from old-fashioned clichés, the series “Missy Mila: Twisted Tales” revamps this cultural heritage through the imagination and spontaneity of a present-day little girl. Mila’s stories are peppered with spicy anachronisms and offbeat re-interpretations. So, don’t act surprised if you see a prince applying hair gel before setting out to rescue a princess, unless the latter is a kung-fu champion, that is! As for the dreadful Minotaur, Mila prefers to picture him as the Toupouloupou, a sweetie pie with a sweet tooth. And why do the wolves always have to be depicted as the bad guys? And, in her very personal adaptation of the Three Little Pigs, Mila swaps the awfully shy big bad wolf for an affable bull that… rocks!

Missy Mila Volume 1 includes the episodes: The Hidden Princess, The Toupouloupou, Baba Yaga the Witch, Djoha’s Last Lie, Piboule and the Bear, Strabiwolf the Telltale, the Donkey and the King, The Houses of the Pig Brothers, Elvis, Captain Bloody-Nose the Pirate, The Leprechaun’s Treasure, Aurel the Mocker, Pancho Pimento’s Riddle. Volume 2 includes Toadette the Frog, Prince Gabo, Miss Lazy, Bigmess the Ogress, The Mermaid’s Secret, The Ghost Who Couldn’t Scare, Quentin and his Dragon, Tounde the Ginormous Elephant, Rodolphe and Carlo, Chantal and Noemie, Greedy Liza, Tinytiny, The Two Tinanooks.

 

 

 

Find out more about Missy Mila Twisted Vol. 1 here:

http://www.organa.com/kids/animated-stories/missy-mila.html

https://www.facebook.com/organakids

http://www.organa.com/



I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

 

 

Book Review "Knowing Vera"

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Book Review

Knowing Vera

By: Rachelle Ayala

Books for me are an escape. Whether they are fantasy, romance, mystery or even horror. It's most likely after the kids go to bed and a time for my brain to focus on something different. It's my time to step into whatever story I want. Not to escape but, just time for me to not get all caught up and being the usual worrier I can be.
Cover of

After reading Rachelle Ayalas' mystery/thriller Knowing Vera I was well on my way to becoming a true fan of her writing. Within the first couple chapters I fell deep into her character Vera. It was almost as if I could personally tell you anything you wanted to know about Vera, her current position and some of her past. This book really hit home with me. Without giving too much away, I'd just like to mention that Vera is a very complex character with true feelings and like I said before right away you feel like you have been along side Vera in her journey. I usually tend to put mystery novels in a category with sci-fi fiction and typically not a book I would choose while scanning the pages upon pages of Amazon or Goodreads.

 

I am so glad I had the opportunity to take the time to really dive into Knowing Vera. I would highly recommend Rachelle Ayala as an author. There is no mistaking that her writing is A-class top of the line. You almost get a feeling that your diving into someone's personal life. I kept wanting to check and double check to make sure that this was a fiction novel and not a non-fiction biography.

Excerpt from Knowing Vera:

Vera Custodio has never fallen in love, though she has strong feelings for her friend and sometimes lover, Zach Spencer. Long-forgotten memories resurface when Vera discovers Zach’s mother was the woman her father supposedly murdered many years ago.

After losing his leg, former triathlete Zach Spencer reevaluates his life—and realizes he’s falling in love with Vera. When she ends their relationship, Zach is determined to prove his love and follows her to Australia in search of the killer.

Caught between a web of family secrets and a deranged adversary, Vera and Zach must depend on each other for survival. Love blossoms, but the truth explodes everything Vera knows about herself. Will she close her heart forever or risk it all for a shot at happily-ever-after?

Find out more from the Author Rachelle Ayala below:

Facebook-

https://www.facebook.com/RachelleAyalaWriter

Twitter-

https://mobile.twitter.com/AyalaRachelle

Good Reads-https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5753921.Rachelle_Ayala

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

 

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Review of NEW Book Vampire/Urban Fantasy- Exsanguinate Book 1-World of Blood by Killion Slade

Review
 

 

 Exsanguinate
Book 1-
World of Blood
 
Have you ever come across a book that you never want to finish? Maybe for fear it will be over all too soon?. You realize that this book just may be the next best seller. It is going to take off and become a huge household name and blowup and there is no way this freight train is going to stop.
 
     I have had the opportunity and honor to read such a book. "Exsanguinate" by Killion Slade. Let me tell you why I believe this is the best book I have had the pleasure to read since (cough) another now well known "vampire fantasy" novel. By the way I read that book prior to it's huge success and multi-film empire as well.
 
   Being a gamer and loving horror and vampires and all things that go "bump" in the night. This book was right up my so called "alley". I mean come on. My favorite movie of all time and space will always be "The Lost Boys". Who's kidding who here? I am in love with vampires. So I am very selective about my folklore and I cannot stand when authors do not do their research. Mr. and Mrs. Killion Slade work as a husband and wife team and trust me when I say, they know their vampires.
 
   I went into this book with a really open mind. It's been the first novel of it's kind that I have read with an ability to "scan" barcodes to get an enhanced feeling for the book. I cannot begin to say how happy I was with this little extra bit. I used to get so upset when a book was over. I craved more, wanting to read about the characters lives inside and out. I find myself wanting the same things as I finish "Exsanguinate". Killion Slade has taken this seed of their main heroine Cheyenne and grown her character with every ounce of internal thought process, picture, memory and depth a character needs to grow and possess your heart.
 
   "Exsanguinate" is a tale that almost has the feel that it could be happening in the world around us as I write. It's a huge place we live in and in this time and age where technology is increasing almost with humans trying to catch up at every turn. "Exsanguinate" also gives you the tech with the human aspect of joy, fear, love and humor. Something a computer will never be able to render, but something we are able to attract and experience. You will find this a story of past, present and future for Cheyenne.
 
Here is an excerpt as an example of "Exsanguinates" ability to make you want more:
 
Normally, I loved Friday nights. This Friday however, was a different story. My presence was mandatory at one of the scariest places on the planet Halloween Scream Nights. Scheduled to arrive at Global Studios for their annual fright fest with both my sisters, I had a backstage pass to watch, record, and study fear, and analyze the types of things that cause grown men and women to run out of buildings while screaming and pissing their pants. This fear data would help us develop the next rollout of ExsanguiNation, our online simulation game. According to my boss, my older sister Sheridan, it was my professional responsibility to research what frightens people, regardless of whether or not it frightened me.
I thought about how three sisters should have had better means of entertaining and employing themselves than finding new and improved ways to scare the beegeezus out of one another. No wonder we were the weird ones. The Irish, redheaded, horror-obsessed O’Cuinn sisters. We knew horror movie trivia better than other people knew baseball. I wouldn’t trade my sisters for anything in the world. I never knew why the three of us couldn’t be all up into guys, shopping, or something else mundane like that.
Lying in bed before starting the day, I often questioned my sanity and choice of profession. Why did I become a software programming engineer for online game simulators powered to scare the hell out of people, when I personally was the biggest chicken-shit on the planet? The alarm clock beamed seven-thirty a.m. onto the ceiling as Celebration by Kool and the Gang blared out the speakers. I stared at the numbers as if they were an omen. Not wanting to wake up, I held the pillow over my face. The day I had been dreading since last Halloween had finally arrived.

 
 
Now try to explain to me why you wouldn't try to get a copy of "Exsanguinate" before this review is over? But, seriously before I conclude my review I really wanted to take this opportunity to thank Killion Slade for sending me my very own copy of "Exsanguinate" and even taking the time to sign it! I will treasure it always.

  I also wanted to mention that as I read this book I could not stop playing and listening to the group Bastille for some reason. Their song "Pompeii" really stuck a cord with me as I read "Exsanguinate"
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
     Interview with:
Exsanguinate Book 1- World of Blood Author:
 Killion Slade
 
Questions by Traci aka Dvldoll
 
 
What draws you to this genre?
 
Urban Fantasy engages the fun possibilities of melding two or more realities in order to create new and exciting ‘what if’ societies. It’s fun to imagine those ‘what if’ questions and then add a host of characters to play out a scenario and see what happens. I truly enjoy horror, but in watching how I personally handle fear and then studying how others do, I quickly learned how true terror and ecstasy aren’t far from one another. Think about it for a moment. When is the last time you were truly frightened? How relieved were you when the fear passed? Did you have an adrenaline rush? Did you laugh at yourself and feel a little silly after you figured out the fear was nothing? This subject of fear and laughter fascinates me, and when my son kept taking me to Halloween Horror Nights while we lived in Florida, I knew I wanted to write in that style. What scares people and how they handle it.
 
 
 
How much research do you do?
 
JK Rowling inspired me in how she based many of her characters on real British folklore. In researching our characters for this novel series, we hunted down vampiric folklore all over the world. Research is a very important part of creating a new mythos, especially one set in a contemporary setting. You have to learn many mythos, their origins, and then create a unique spin on something familiar. In order to maintain writing on the cutting edge of technology, I constantly have to research what is conceivable, but it still out of reach to the consumer at this time to keep it fun and engaging.
 
 
 
When did you decide to become a writer?
 
I have been writing since I was a child, but honestly didn’t become serious about crafting genre fiction until 2009. I knew I wanted to write a love story that wasn’t a heaving bosom romance story, but one that fits a contemporary relationship which embodies modern day technology, gaming, and social media. That’s when the World of Blood series came to me. I haven’t looked back since. I threw myself into grammar study, creative writing, character development, plot structure, editing, and many more classes. What is the hardest thing about writing for you personally? The hardest thing for my writing is time. I work a full-time day job to help support my family and I wish I had more daytime hours to write. As it is, I have to structure each chapter and completely outline all the prep before I can see down and write out a chapter. Oh how I wish I had more time to write full time, but I am very thankful for what I have.
 
 
What is your favourite book (or quote) and why?
 
  I have way too many books to ever choose a favorite. It just simply isn’t a possibility. One of my favorite quotes however comes from Bill Cosby - “In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure”
 
  I wanted to sincerely thank you for your time today and this interview. These were great questions and a lot of fun!
 
Exsanguinate
 
A Halloween scream night theme park adventure for software gaming developer Cheyenne O'Cuinn reveals a hidden supernatural reality she never dreamed existed. Recovering from a vicious attack and her sisters’ abductions, Cheyenne must rescue her sisters from vampiric kidnappers before they’re used to breed warmongering dhampirs.
Betrayal lurks in every corner. Cheyenne must evade attackers by unconventional means through her online role-play game. She must navigate through virtual, tortuous clues and mailed body parts, which cross over from her virtuality into reality. Can a team of dragons, vampires, and werewolves come together to help her? Who can she trust? Will the help from her virtual lover become compromised when he learns of her new immortal existence and crush the fragile love they share?
Amidst an impending vampire apocalypse, Cheyenne finds herself both in conflict for survival and for her heart. Will her immortal self derail any hope of solving the multiplying puzzles before time runs out to save her sisters, herself and her humanity?

Official Book - Interactive Second Screen Website: http://www.worldofblood.com/

Official Author Website: http://www.killionslade.com/

Publisher: Draconian Publishing Spirit Imprint


 

Editorial Reviews:
Exsanguinate flawlessly blends horror, fantasy, romance, action and humor into one entertaining read. This book has it all and fans of all genres will enjoy it. ~David Watson, HorrorAddicts.net
A must-read for vampire lovers. An interactive novel with virtual content that will keep horror gamers entertained for hours. A bloody, suspenseful read. ~Emerian Rich, author of Night's Knights Vampire Series
If Killion Slade's book concept was a hybrid horror clone - the style would take the snarky humor from Shaun of the Dead, combine it with the variety of avatars found in World of Warcraft, and give it the agility of movement from Second Life. Then cross that with a 'virtual' romance come to life and lay it at the feet of three 21st century sisters who are in big trouble - and you would simply be touching the edges of this story. ~Rhonda Carpenter, author of The Mark of a Druid
 

 
 
(Thank you Killion Slade for the opportunity to read  and review Exsanguinate)

Monday, February 10, 2014

Hand-tied Bouquet How-to DVD Review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.
 
 
 
https://www.facebook.com/FlowerDuet

We are floral designing sisters who have a full service event and wedding design studio and teach workshops on the side. We created this dvd for those who could not attend our workshops in Los Angeles. We also put out a monthly e-newsletter which is full of great tips and access to more how-to's.

http://www.flowerduet.com/newsletters/newsletter-december-2013.html
 
Our easy-to-follow instructional series is perfect for beginners and will give you the confidence to be creative with flowers available daily at your local grocery or farmers' market. 
  • Perfect as a gift anytime!
    Life-saver for brides on a budget who want to create their own wedding flowers .
    The solution for what to do with those flowers you buy every week at the grocery store - but don't know how to make them look "cool."
Format: DVD 
 
Running Time: 29 minutes 
 
What this flower arranging how-to DVD includes: 
First, the sister team of Flower Duet, Casey and Kit, take you on location to their favorite wholesale flower vendor and show you how to choose only the freshest flowers – just like they do for all their clients in person! 
 
 
 
Then, it’s back to the design studio where we show you how professional florists prepare flowers to optimize their vase life. In addition to tips on color and flower choice, we teach you the easiest and most adaptable way to create a hand-tied European wrap bouquet using three different sets of flowers.
 
 I have not had extensive practice with this DVD I really plan on using the most of the skills I learned from the DVD over the weekend for the Valentine Holiday.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.