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

2012 New York State Festival of Balloons NYSFOB

This past Summer we went to a hot air balloon festival for the first time.  The New York State Festival of Balloons was held in Dansville, NY.  We all had a great time, even my 10 year old son who was sure it was going to be boring!

There were a lot of booths and vendors and we had a fun time exploring while we waited for the balloon launch.  One cool spot was the Pan for Gold booth.  The kids were given a bucket of sand with little treasures in it, which they then wash out in a sieve.  The shark's tooth necklace they each found was a hit with both of them!

Another unique spot was the Game trailer.  They had TV screens and game consoles set up and you could rent screen time for different lengths of time.  For a boy with Asperger's on a very hot, sunny, dusty day... it was an awesome break to help him get through the day.  I was thrilled (as was he)!

When the time came, we set up our lawn chairs to watch the balloons launch. It was an awe inspiring sight!

Why Rent a Timeshare? Review and Giveaway

I'm very excited!  This is the first year I will be renting a timeshare for my vacation.  In the past I've always stayed at hotels.  My sister was talking about a vacation that she has coming up where she will be sharing a place with some other couples and I was intrigued.  When the time came to plan our vacation, I decided to look in to the possibility.

I found that, while prices vary, there are many affordable options for a family on a budget (like us).  Some of the ways that I found to save money with a timeshare rental are:

• Making meals - Most timeshares have a full sized fully equipped kitchen where we can prepare many of our own meals.  For our family of five it is a HUGE money saver to not have to eat 3 meals a day at restaurants!
• Sharing - Most timeshares have multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, and living spaces which makes convenient and economical (and fun) to share the home with good friends or family.
• Activities - Many timeshares are resorts or condos with amenities like pools, free wi-fi, game rooms, exercise rooms, private beaches, and more included for no extra fee.
• Affordability - Many timeshares are available for less than the price of a hotel room

So, because this was going on I was intrigued when I was offered the opportunity to receive a free subscription to RedWeek for a year and an additional two year subscription to give away to one of my readers!

One of the first things I noticed on their website is that in the middle of the page they list the Top Destinations for Timeshare Rentals.  There are some great deals in some amazing locations!

Then I used the green Find a Timeshare tab in the upper left corner.  You can choose by location using the map or by feature (such as kid-friendly, beaches, theme parks) along the right sidebar.  One of the locations that I immediately checked out was Virginia Beach.  I found a bunch of great places right away with reviews so that I can see if it sounds like a good fit for my family.

My favorite find is a timeshare in a Costa Rican resort for just $107 a night. I've been to Costa Rica a couple of times on business and I would love to take my husband there to experience what a beautiful country it is.

You can learn a lot about RedWeek and how it works by clicking on the green Resource tab at the top of the site.

On to the giveaway! a Rafflecopter giveaway 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.

Wordless Wednesday - Horses are Good for Girls!

My daughter is so cool!  One of her best friends is a horse named Bell.  I love seeing how she has matured, gained confidence, and become a good caretaker thanks to her love of this horse. 

It's Spring and horses shed

There's more hair on the girl then on the horse

Just a couple of beautiful gals

Pick up your hoof Bell!

Filthy hoof prior to being picked

A game she plays with Bell.  She takes off the lead rope and Bell follows her around like a puppy.

George the friendliest barn cat stopped by for a petting

Ok, so it wasn't wordless.  : )  Thank you for visiting!!