Finish up Your Summer Reading with a BANG! #Review and #Giveaway

This post contains affiliate links.

As summer is winding down, I am lamenting that I didn't get to read as many books as I would have liked. The time for lounging around the pool with a cold drink and a good book just never seems to come around. Life in general always seems to get in the way! No matter, though, I did get to read a few good ones, and I'm excited to bring you a whole list of other choices that you may or may not have heard about yet. Stay tuned for the whole post for a chance at a great giveaway too!

Nora Roberts has long been one of my favorite authors. When I see that I'm going to have a chance to do some reading, her name is always one of the first that I search for. I was pleasantly surprised to see that she has recently added a new title to the over 200 she has already penned, The Liar.

Shelby Pomeroy is thrown for a real loop. First her husband dies in a tragic boating accident, leaving her a single mother to a three-year old girl. Soon after she discovers that her husband was not the man she thought him to be. Not only was he a liar and a thief, but he has left her in debt up to her eyeballs and homeless to boot!

Shelby swallows her pride and heads home to the family she cast off when her husband swept her off her feet. She prepares to reclaim her former life while trying to dig out from the debt and lies left behind by her husband. Unfortunately, he still has a few more surprises up his sleeve! This is just the right mix of romance and suspense; perfect for a summer read!

Keep reading for some more book ideas and an amazing giveaway!

Eye Can Clearly See it's Back-to-School Time #Giveaway

This post may contain affiliate links.

You've seen it in the stores. You've heard it on the radio. The evidence is overwhelming: It's Back-to-School time! Whether you've just sighed a huge sigh of relief or are now cowering in a corner sobbing, you don't have much more time to get ready.

In my town school starts in less than three weeks. I've gotten the physicals, updated the immunizations, and ordered new lunchboxes. The one thing I haven't done yet, is ordered new glasses. So far, so good for my kids. Their eyes seem to be in good working order. It's a coin toss whether they will end up with my vision or my husband's. If things go as they have previously, it's looking like we'll have two that may need corrective eye-wear in the future. When that time comes, I'm glad I know about Firmoo.

You may remember that I reviewed some new glasses from their site back in February. Since then, I've ordered a pair of sunglasses as well, and I've been just as pleased. Recently they contacted me again with another opportunity, and instead of selecting more glasses for myself, I chose to offer a pair to one of my lucky readers.

You can check out my previous review here. And then you can enter to win a pair for yourself below. Good luck!

Firmoo Glasses #giveaway

“Giveaway ends August 17, 2015 at 11:59:59 PM EST. Winner will be notified by email. Winner have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment. I have previously received free glasses from Firmoo. No other compensation was received. My opinions are my own and were not influenced by any form of compensation.  Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are in no way associated with this giveaway.  By providing your information in this form, you are providing your information to me and me alone.  I do not share or sell information and will use any information only for the purpose of contacting the winner.”

Soap Club: Natural Organic Soaps

This is a sponsored post that may contain affiliate links. 

My husband is a hard man to shop for. Partly because he doesn't like people buying him things, and partly because if there's something he wants he just buys it himself. I don't typically buy him much for holidays because I know it bothers him, but every once in a while I cave and feel like surprising him with something special.

This year for Father's Day, because I knew Benjamin was making something at his day care and I didn't want the older two to feel left out. I decided that we'd make up a gift basket from all of us. Please note that when I say "gift basket" I don't mean an actual basket. What would he do with that?!

There are two ways that I trick my husband into accepting gifts from me. One of those ways is to gift him something that benefits the whole family. The other way is to say it's from the kids. For Father's Day this year, I combined those two with a third (and not frequently used) method of acquiring items for review that are geared toward men.

I received a bar of soap from Soap Club at a deep discount in exchange for this review. I decided to add it to some other items and make a funny collection out of it for Ken. Please note that I said funny. He really did laugh when he read this! I added in a few other things I knew he'd enjoy (OK, twist my arm...the gummy soda bottles were more for me!)

Sure enough, the gift was a big hit. He and Henry LOVE grits and eat them on a regular basis. The beef jerky and cheese crackers are great for snacks at work. The gummy soda bottles were quite delicious, if I do say so myself! And the soap? This soap is wonderful

Ken has been using it for the past month. It lathers well, smells good, and leaves him feeling clean. The bar is a good size to fit in your hand and the square shape makes it easy to hold on to. I like that it's made from natural and organic ingredients. It has held up well over this month with daily use, and I can see it lasting another couple of months at least.

There are lots of scent options available for men and women. Visit Soap.Club for more information or to sign up.

I received compensation (free items and/or cash) in exchange for writing this review.
Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own.This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission should you choose to click through and purchase something. Your purchase price is not affected.
Please see my disclosure policy for more information. 

Starting Off on the Right Foot

This is a sponsored post that contains affiliate links. 

Have you ever woken up on the wrong side of the bed? I physically can't because my side of the bed is flush against the wall.  So are the kids', now that I think of it. Technically none of us can wake up on the wrong side of the bed because that would mean slamming your head into the wall first thing in the morning. Or maybe that's the whole idea behind the saying...

I digress. Whatever your feelings about mornings, we all have to wake up at some point. And we make a lot of choices immediately afterwards. We choose what to wear, what to eat for breakfast, what to pack for lunch, etc. In my house, we're also working at choosing our attitude for the day.

As a teen and young adult, one thing I remember hearing from my mom was to always dress nicely, especially when you don't feel well. You can trick yourself into feeling better if you choose to look better. There's actually lots of research into the science of happiness and it tells us that we really can "fake it til we make it."

Besides dressing nicely, another good way to trick your brain into happiness is with some positive thoughts first thing in the morning. Some people use prayer or meditation in this way. We also use the bathroom mirror!

I initially bought it so the kids could see their faces better when washing up or brushing teeth. It's actually the only full length mirror in the house, but we still don't use the top half that often. Instead of thinking of it as wasted space, I turned it into our positive thought for the day.

I was recently offered some liquid chalk markers to test out and they were perfect for updating my morning message! Stardom Craft's Liquid Chalk Markers come in a box of 18 assorted colors. They are perfect for writing on most non-porous surfaces: windows, mirrors, white board, metal, etc. They don't drip and they clean up easily (which I know for sure because it took me three tries to write the word "awesome"). They are non-toxic and safe for kids older than three to use. These markers have a chisel tip which is great for making thick, broad strokes as well as thin, detailed lines.

I try to update this mirror message at least once a month to keep it fresh and not let it become monotonous or something they ignore. I've used bible verses, seasonal song lyrics, or other quotes. My goal is to put positive thoughts into their heads as early as possible in the morning to remind them to choose a good attitude for the day. The bright colors and happy stripes and polka dots help too.

Stardom Crafts Liquid Chalk Markers are available for purchase on Amazon. You can also find them at StardomCrafts.com.

How do you start your day?

I received compensation (free items and/or cash) in exchange for writing this review.
Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own.This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission should you choose to click through and purchase something. Your purchase price is not affected.
Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

http://www.thelieberfamily.com/p/contest-terms-and-conditions.html

I Mustache You Some Important Questions Today

This is a sponsored post that may contain affiliate links.

I mustache you some questions...Is your beard itchy? Your mustache wildly out of control? No, of course it isn't!! Most of my readers are women!! If my readers have beard and mustache issues, there's a (different) wax for that! Let me start again!

(I shaved these questions for the second paragraph...) Is your husband's constantly scratching his chin? Does your boyfriend's mustache become unruly by the end of the day? Do you have both a husband and a boyfriend?!?! I sincerely hope not! Geez! Maybe I haven't been getting enough sleep to actually write this post!

Third time's the charm, right?? Because this is a hairy important topic!

{OK, I'm done}

I was offered some beard and mustache products to review for my blog. After getting over the initial offense and realizing they meant for my husband to try them, I ran it past him. Thinking he would get some smoochies out of the deal, he went along with it. I've noticed him complaining that his beard itches, so I really did think this would be worth a try. His solution when the beard itches?? Shave it off! My solution? MOISTURIZE IT!

Beardsmen Spirit Beard Oil and Conditioner softens and moisturizes your your husband's beard. No more itchy chin! No more scratchy kisses! And it smells great too. Ken has been using this for almost a month now and he does like the improvement in both his skin and hair. He's also tried out their mustache wax. Initially he wasn't sure if this would be a product he would need, since he doesn't "style" his mustache, but he likes it because it helps keeps the hair in place instead of sticking up at weird angles (as they are apparently wont to do at some points during the day).

These products are both made with 100% natural ingredients like jojoba, grapeseed, and almond oils as well as essential oils. They are also made in the USA. They work well and smell great. OK, they smell manly and I'll admit to liking that! And to answer the question you are all asking right now, yes. Yes, this does lead to more smoochies. Beardsmen Spirit beard oil and mustache wax are a total win-win in our house! You can find them both at Amazon.

I was provided both of these products in exchange for an honest review. I promise to only review items that I feel are useful or beneficial for our family. I have provided affiliate links for these products. Should you choose to purchase anything based on my recommendations, I will receive a small commission. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

Angelhood {Book Review}

I received an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This blog uses affiliate links on occasion. Should you click through and purchase anything, I may receive a small commission. Your purchase price is not affected. I promise to only review items that I have found beneficial for my family.

I took a break from reading over Lent and I really missed it. Then life got really busy and I didn't have much time to read anything at all. I read Lose the Cape and reviewed it two weeks ago, but that was non-fiction and I could pick it up and put it down whenever I wanted.

I've had a book review for another book scheduled and I knew it was coming up. I was really looking forward to reading the book because I have heard really good things about it. My problem was finding the time for a binge-reading session and that chance came up for me a few evenings this week.


I like to read after I put the kids to bed. While I still love a good paper book, I've found that eBooks work really well in a dark room at night. And that's where I read A.J. Cattapan's Angelhood. Once I started it, I had real trouble putting it down.

Angelhood is the story of Nanette, a seventeen year old girl dealing with the trials of high school, family, and life in general. Like many high school students, she thinks she's alone in all of her despair. After the ultimate one-two punch of horrible life events, she decides to end her own life; but it's not really as simple as that.

Instead of her decision being the end of everything, it turns out to be just the beginning. Nanette finds herself as a guardian angel. She is supposed to be helping Vera, a freshman girl she's never met before. For the trifecta of odd occurrences, Vera attends the same high school Nanette did...and has her locker just down the hall from Nanette's younger sister Cecille.

Nanette's primary job is to help Vera avoid the same fate that Nanette succumbed to. However, Nanette also has to deal with learning how to be a guardian angel, wanting to comfort her sister, and dealing with the pain in her own life that led to her choice of suicide. She also has moments of darkness when she blacks out from the despair in Vera's life or memories of her own.

I really wanted to see Nanette help Vera. I was cheering for her as she came to understand the value her life had and the people she had impacted by choosing to leave this world. Her goal was to graduate from being a guardian angel to full-fledged sainthood and I really thought she was going to make it. But in the end, that wasn't meant to be and I'm completely fine with that. I think you will be too!

The book is now available for purchase on Amazon. You can also visit the author's website here and come to the Facebook launch party TONIGHT!! There will be book discussion as well as games, prizes, and behind-the-scenes tidbits. Check it out here!

Woolzies Dryer Balls: {Review & Giveaway}

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.*

I did try to make sure there was no underwear peeking out in this load!

I've posted on laundry before: specifically how much I love it!! (NOT!) However, it is a necessity in our house and I am usually the one doing it.  My goal is to do one load a day.  I try to start one in the mornings before I go to work, fold it on my lunch break and put it away in the evening.  It doesn't actually happen that way, but that's the goal!

A few weeks ago I was contacted by the people at Woolzies to do a giveaway.  I've passed on a few other giveaways because they didn't seem to fit in here, but laundry is definitely something I know about!  They sent me a box of their dryer balls to try out and blog about.

Woolzies dryer balls are handmade from New Zealand wool.  They claim to help reduce static and drying time for 1,000 loads of laundry.  They are also good for the environment and do not introduce harsh chemicals into your laundry.  They are unscented and hypoallergenic.

When I got them in the mail, I was actually a little bit excited to do some laundry so I could try them out.  I had a few questions I wanted to answer for myself:

• Do they work?
• Will my clothes be static-y?
• Will my laundry get dry faster?
• Are they loud, clunking around in the dryer?

So I've been keeping up with my laundry since last week and feel like I've had a chance to decide for myself what I think.

Firstly, my clothes are not static-y.  Nothing has been sticking together and I haven't been getting shocked.  I heard a few crackles when I shook out a shirt; but when I tried to shock myself while holding it, nothing happened.   So I will say that these do work to reduce static.

Do they help with dry time?  I don't have a good way to assess this because I am not typically home to see how long the dryer runs.  I have a setting on my dryer that says "more dry."  The theory is that the dryer senses the humidity inside the machine and stops when the clothing is dry.  I will say that my clothes have been dry and fluffy each time I have gone to get them. Sometimes, previously, when I would retrieve a load it would be not quite dry.

As for the sound? They are actually quieter than the other, plastic dryer balls I have used before.  Plus, these are a bit heavier and tend not to get lost inside the laundry.  With the plastic kind, I was constantly missing them as I put the laundry in a basket, so I couldn't use them for the next load. Then, when they got upstairs the kids found them and used them as toys.  The Woolzies dryer balls, however, don't cause that problem.

I left the box on top of the dryer and as I put laundry into the basket, I can easily fish out the dryer balls and put them in the box.  Then they are easily put back in the dryer for the next load.  I haven't lost one yet!

If you'd like to know more about Woolzies dryer balls, I'd be happy to answer your questions about my experience.  You can also see the FAQ at their website or buy them on their website.

 
*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.*