Horse Show - June 2013 (pic heavy)

Photos of our 4-H Fun Show in June 2013

This was our first time using our new awning at a horse show.  We loved being able to have a shady place to sit during the long, hot, sunny day.  We were also amused to discover  that our horse, Bell, loved the awning and would get under it with us while resting between classes.  It was nice that she was also able to enjoy the shade with us.

Bell was such a good girl all day.  Win or lose (there was some of both) we had a great day!

Look Twice by M. Garzon - Book Review

Look Twice by M. Garzon is the sequel to the book Blaze of Glory.  While I haven't read the first book, I found that Look Twice can stand on its own as a novel.

One aspect of the book revolves around the main character, Tea, and her romance with Jaden.  It's intriguing because their relationship has caused an issue with their families.  I don't think that I've read about a romance with this angle before and it made me think about how I viewed the issue.  I don't want to give any spoilers though.

There is also discussion of blended families and the hope and anticipation as Tea and Seth, her twin brother, try to find their birth father.

I really enjoyed that the book was set in the horse world, since we love horses (especially our Bell).  Much of the action took place with backgrounds of barns, polo fields, competitions, and training.  It was very realistic and showed a love of horses.

I found the book to be well written and well edited.  It's incredibly distracting to read a book with editing and grammar errors.  I'm happy to report that I didn't notice any problems.

The book is intended for older teens and women.  I agree with that assessment.  There  weren't any graphic  scenes in the book but it is clear that there is a sexual relationship between characters.  I wouldn't allow my 12 year old to read it, but I would be comfortable with my 19 year old reading it.

Overall, I enjoyed Look Twice very much and I'd like to go back and read the original book as well.

Here is what the back cover says:

Blood is thicker than water. I didn't understand that expression when I was a kid. I only knew that I was closer to my brother Seth than to anyone else in the world. He was the calm to my storm, the light to my dark. We were tied to the rest of our complicated family by bonds beyond blood—love, loyalty, convenience—but as it turns out, the pull of blood is strong. Maybe even strong enough to tear me away from the person with whom I shared my very first breath.

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.

Pics of Our Stay at the Caboose Motel

Here are some pictures from our stay at the Caboose Motel in Avoca, NY.  

It was fun to stay in such a unique place and the manager was very friendly and helpful.  The caboose wasn't luxurious but it was clean and an adventure to stay in.

Disclosure: No compensation or consideration was received for this post.

Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-on Manicure Review

I received the imPRESS Press-On Manicure in my Spring VoxBox from Influenster.  I decided to try them on my daughter who has very short nails.  Wow, they look so cute on her!  She was so pleased with how pretty her fingers looked and with the fun pattern of the nails.

Application was very easy.  We used the included prep pad to wipe down her nails.  Then after picking the correct sizes, we simply peeled the backing off and stuck each one on.

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Here's the official description of the product:

Introducing imPRESS Press-On Manicure by Broadway Nails, the revolutionary way to apply polish! Featuring advanced nail technology, you can get a salon-perfect manicure in seconds – simply peel off, press on, and you're done. There's no drying, a killer shine and a manicure that lasts up to a week! And, imPRESS is so easy to remove, you can change it up to match your mood as often as you want. Check out all colors and patterns, including trendy brights, classic darks and animal prints. With imPRESS, your nails will always be your best accessory.

imPress Manicure retails for $5.99 for colors and $7.99 for patterns, and is available at CVS, Rite Aid, Duane Reade, KMart, Walgreens, Walmart and more. For a full list of online and in-store retailers, visit imPressManicure.com, where you can download an exclusive coupon and virtually try on all the colors and patterns!

Disclosure: I received this product complimentary for testing and review purposes from Influenster

Schwarzkopf Professional OSiS+ Dust It - Review

My daughter was the perfect candidate to try out OSiS+ Dust It Mattifying Powder from Schwarzkopf.  She has short hair and likes to try new products like waxes, creams, hair sprays, etc.  She had never used a powder like this and she didn't think that it would be effective.

She was delighted to find out she was wrong!  She absolutely loved the volume and styleability (new word!) of her hair using Dust It.  She said that it would normally take three or four products to get the same effect that she got with only this one.  Her hair looks great in the picture but was even better in person.

Dust It has a very fine powder consistency and I did not notice any scent at all. 

We can happily recommend this product.

Before: Air-dried hair with no product

After: Styled using only Dust It

Disclosure: I  received this product complimentary for testing and review purposes from Influenster