December 2014 – Concert Katie

Product Review: Liberty Belle Nightgown

Katie December 31, 2014 0 Comments

Since I was in middle school, I’ve had an American Girl doll. For a while I was convinced it was possessed and it’s therefore been in the attic for a while. With a lot of my friends having little girls I figured it might be time to take her back out and perhaps go to a tea party or two. Now that I have the Liberty Belle Nightgown, it might also be time for a slumber party. The nightgown is adorable, blue with bunnys on it. And a hair ribbon as well. (Although since I couldn’t find my doll’s brush I opted to leave her hair “as is” and used the ribbon to tie around her waist.)

Liberty Belle doll clothes are made from child safe material, while their high quality stitching and construction is guaranteed to keep up with hours of playtime as your little girl romps around with her favorite companion. We can provide the perfect American doll clothes solution for your little one!

• High Quality: Our doll clothes provide years of wear and play, without having to worry!
• Stain Proof: Our doll clothes are stain resistant and machine washable in an emergency!
• Child Safe Fabric: No worry about harsh chemicals or allergens!
• Beautiful Pattern: We guarantee your doll will look her best!

The nightgown is super soft (I kind of want my own in my size!) and very easy to get on and off the doll. And if I haven’t mentioned it already, it’s super cute!

I received a free product in return for this honest review. I was not otherwise compensated.

Random

Year In Review 2014

Katie December 31, 2014 0 Comments

Another year has come and gone… here is the break down of my year (concert wise) I did not go to nearly as many shows as I usually do, which can probably be blamed on the fact that Hanson did not tour (though I still saw them several times)

Most expensive show:

Every year this is a trick question. Overall – the trip to see Hanson in Jamaica was the most expensive, but it’s hard to break down how much of it is paid for the shows vs the resort, etc.
Most expensive was Justin Timberlake VIP.
And most expensive non-VIP was Justin Timberlake’s regular concert ticket in July that was $217.

Least (not free) expensive show:
For the second year in a row, Action Item at $22.50
Free shows:
The Sing Off, Hanson (x8), Summer Kick Off Concert, Jennifer Lopez, KC101 Summer Fling, O-Town

# artists seen: 62
# unique artists seen: 29
# shows seen in CT: 15
# of shows out of state: 16

Show farthest away: Hanson in Jamaica
Closest show: Kris Allen or Tyler Hilton at Fairfield Stage One
$$ spent on tickets: $3,224.61
Miles traveled: 13,894.3

Top 6 shows of the year?
Hanson’s B-Sides show in Jamaica
The Wanted’s final NYC show
Summer Kick Off Concert
Justin Timberlake (July)
My 100th Hanson show in Canada
O-Town

Total number of shows in 2014? 31

First show of the year?
Hanson

First show with actual tickets:
Kris Allen

Last show of the year?
Justin Timberlake

Most surprising show?
O-Town

Most disappointing?
Little Mix because they canceled!

Farthest traveled?
Jamaica

States attended shows in?
Jamaica, CT, NY, MA, OK, Canada, FL

Venue most visited?
Mohegan Sun or Oakdale

Worst injury?
none

Most expensive ticket?
Justin Timberlake

Band seen the most?
Hanson 12 times (considering they didn’t even tour that’s pretty impressive)

Best new discovery?
O-TOWN IS BACK! and it would have been Little Mix but then they canceled on me so…

Bands seen this year that also broke up this year?
…sigh… growing to hate this question. The Wanted 🙁

Friends made at shows?
Made friends with the girls in line at O-Town, they were a lot of fun!

Band members met?
Hanson (x2), Kris Allen (x2), The Wanted (x2), Action Item, Joey Fatone (NSYNC), O-Town

Best souvenir from a show?
My “Share a Coke with Hanson” can we got in Canada!

Longest time in line?
About 8 hours for O-Town from the time I got in line until they took the stage

Shows seen from the barricade [front row]–
Hanson, The Wanted, O-Town

Most shows in one month?
January – 5
February – 1 (and 1 cancellation)
March – 2
April 4
May – 3
June – 2
July – 1
August – 3
September – 5
October – 1 canceled
November – 1
December – 3

So it is a tie between January and September!

Most shows in one week?
Either the week in Jamaica in January or the weekend in Disney – 5 shows each!

Biggest crowd?
Justin Timberlake at the arena. All the other shows were smaller and even the other show at the arena did not belong there

Any drunk encounters?
Probably but theyve been blocked from memory

Random

Anti-Bucket List 2014

Katie December 31, 2014 0 Comments

Last year I debuted my Anti Bucket List after being introduced to the concept by Holly at TravelingFan She once again did her list for 2014 and I will too! I used to make these long, extravagant lists of “This is what I hope to do in the next year!” in the beginning of January. Then the end of December would come and I’d either scramble to get a few things more crossed off the list or I’d sit there and look at the list and how I only did 2 of the things on it and be disappointed. With the Anti-Bucket list there’s no disappointment because you just have to reminisce about all the cool things that you DID do that year. The only thing I may consider making a resolution for 2015 is to start writing down the cool things as they happen so I don’t have to go back and try and remember the past 12 months at the end of December.

But anyway… here’s the 2014 Anti-Bucket List.

Book Review

Book Review: Neil Patrick Harris Choose Your Own Autobiography

Katie December 30, 2014 0 Comments

When I was a kid I LOVED to read the “Choose Your Own Adventure” series. I think I took out all the books that were available at the school library and read them a couple of times each to see what kind of outcomes I could get. When I heard that Neil Patrick Harris wrote his book in this style, I knew I just had to check it out!

First, I read the book 3 times through taking different paths to get different adventures. Then I decided to go through and pick up on all the parts that I had missed out on to make sure I read it all. Each “adventure” was pretty quick – only took me about half an hour to get through to the end.

If you want to read it through from front to back you can – but just know that it won’t flow, it will jump all over the place.

I found the book to be a ton of fun to read – even ignoring the choose your own adventure aspect – the way Neil writes and retells stories was just a lot of fun!

I received a free copy of this book from BloggingForBooks in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Tired of memoirs that only tell you what really happened?
Sick of deeply personal accounts written in the first person? Seeking an exciting, interactive read that puts the “u” back in “aUtobiography”? Then look no further than Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography! In this revolutionary, Joycean experiment in light celebrity narrative, actor/personality/carbon-based-life-form Neil Patrick Harris lets you, the reader, live his life. You will be born to New Mexico. You will get your big break at an acting camp. You will get into a bizarre confrontation outside a nightclub with actor Scott Caan. Even better, at each critical juncture of your life you will choose how to proceed. You will decide whether to try out for Doogie Howser, M.D. You will decide whether to spend years struggling with your sexuality. You will decide what kind of caviar you want to eat on board Elton John’s yacht.

Choose correctly and you’ll find fame, fortune, and true love. Choose incorrectly and you’ll find misery, heartbreak, and a hideous death by piranhas. All this, plus magic tricks, cocktail recipes, embarrassing pictures from your time as a child actor, and even a closing song. Yes, if you buy one book this year, congratulations on being above the American average, and make that book Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography!

Goodies Box

Love With Food Box November

Katie December 30, 2014 0 Comments

November’s Love with Food box theme is “Baby It’s Cold Outside”. Winter has arrived – it’s time to cue up the holiday music, pull on your thickest socks, and curl up by the fireplace with Love With Food for snacks that are sure to warm your heart and home. And you’ve helped to warm someone else’s month too – we’ve donated one meal on your behalf to help a hungry child in the US.

Dried Mini Figs by Fruit Bliss
Wine, Cheese and these delightful Turkish Figs are bound to be the perfect way to warm up on any cold evening.

Mom tried these – and enjoyed.

Milk Choclate Peanut Cluster by Jers Chocolates
For those moments when we need just a little something sweet, we love that these peanut clusters are just as sweet as they are protein rich.

For some reason I read “cluster” as “butter” and got excited and then was a bit disappointed with them being peanut clusters instead. They also had salt on them which I am not a fan of with my chocolates.

All Purpose Seasoning Salt by Whole Spice
With hints of Chili, Garlic, Tumeric and Black Pepper this All Purpose seasoning will warm up any meal.

As of writing have yet to try this one out.

Midnight Soft Baked Biscotti by Marlo’s
The rich and luminouse cocoa, espresso and chocolate chips in this tender biscotti pair perfectly with a warm cappucino or cup of coffee.

This was really, really good!

Truffles by Guylian
Our hearts melt over the love story of Guy and Lian whom we owe many thanks for their delectable Belgium seahorse chocolate truffles.

Can’t go wrong with a seahorse! Very good.

States and Capitals Educational Snacks by Dick & Jane Baking Company
Learning the US States and Capitals is as easy as learning your “ABCs” with these educational snacks. Hand them out on Thanksgiving and see who can find the original 13 colonies!

These were as tasty as they were educational! Loved them and am considering buying more for snacks for trips!

Laiki Red Rice Chips by Grains of Health
With only 3 ingredients these crackers are simple yet delicious.

These were very good.

Cinnful Sweet Heat Tortilla Chips by Chipz Happen
A sprinkle of sweet, spice and heat these chips are great straight out of the bag or crumbled on to ice cream.

I didn’t read that these had a kick to them at first and was not so pleasantly surprised. A little too spicy for me so I wasn’t able to eat all that many of them.

Product Review

Product Review: GoggleX Swimming Goggles

Katie December 30, 2014 0 Comments

Another item on my travel list for the upcoming Cancun trip was Goggles! I have an underwater camera and an underwater case for my phone – but how am I going to use it if I’m unable to open my eyes underwater? Well, now I’ll be good to go because I have a pair of GogglX to take with me! I haven’t had a chance to try these out beyond just using them in the shower (since our pool is closed for the season) but from what I’ve tried out so far I think I will really like them when I finally get to use them in an actual pool!

The goggles have log lasting anti fog technology and are for Women and Men! They have the 100% highest grade UV protection cut lenses for maximum eye protection. They have a soft and durable head strap – which is adjustable. These are professional goggles for indoor and open water swimming. Comes with a premium goggles case.

There is also a 12 month money back guarantee on these goggles – that’s how confident that they are that you will love these.

I got a pink pair to try out and they make everything a bit “rose colored” to look through. They are a great fit, they didn’t hurt or dig into my like other goggles I’ve had!

Product Review

Product Review: Kobert Waterproof Case

Katie December 30, 2014 0 Comments

With my trip to Cancun coming up ever-so-quickly, it has been time to plan out what sort of accessories I will be bringing with me on the adventure. One of my recent product reviews that has made the packing list is the Kobert Waterproof Case. It is great to keep your phone dry while you swim, ski, hike, surf, canoe, snowboard, jetski, fish, snorkel, etc. While I’ll probably only do ONE thing on that list with mine (you decide which) – I’m happy to have it along to keep my phone safe from waves, pool water and sand!

The inner bag size is 3.34″ x 6.49″ so it will fit most iPhones, Samsung Galaxy phones, Galaxy Notes, Nokia Lumia, Windows Phone 8x, Nexus, HTC One, etc. I have the Galaxy 5s and it fits perfectly as long as I take it out of the case that I have for it. It’s super easy to use, with a really nifty lock/unlock mechanism on the top. There’s even a neck strap so I can keep the phone attached to me while I swim! (Did you guess right?)

It is recommended that when your case arrives, you first test it out by putting a tissue inside of it. Close it up and submerge it in water for 5 minutes. If the tissue comes out dry – you’re good to go. If it is wet, then you may have received a product that is leaking and you should contact the manufacturer for a replacement! This was an excellent tip because you won’t want to find out when it is too late in the rare case that your case has a leak in it! I submerged mine for 5 minutes and everything came out nice and dry!

The easiest way to open the case is to hold the bag with 2 hands with the front of it facing you. Use 1 finger on each hand and push the opening clips at the back towards the center. This is a bit tricky at first – but once you figure out how it works you’ll have no problem with it 🙂

CD Review

Music Monday: Jon McLaughlin The Christmas EP

Katie December 29, 2014 0 Comments

Jingle Bells
Merry Merry Christmas Everyone
Away In A Manger
Christmas Saved Us All
The Christmas Song

I have what could be considered “too many Christmas songs” in my collection. But that doesn’t stop me from each year adding another CD or EP or two to the collection. This years newest addition is John McLaughlin’s “The Christmas EP” which has 5 songs some classics, some new. It has Jon’s signature piano playing on the tracks and his lovely voice as well. I can listen to this EP over and over without getting bored. In fact, I did listen to it about 4 times in a row while working on some other blog posts 🙂

If you are looking for a few new songs to add to your Christmas collection – let this be them!

I purchased this EP in order to write this review. I was not compensated nor asked to write this review.

postcards

Sunday Post

Katie December 28, 2014 0 Comments

Book Review

Book Review: Diary of a Pissed Off Flight Attendant

Katie December 26, 2014 0 Comments

I had high hopes for this book. I was hoping that it would be a funny, quick read. It was not. In fact, it is one of the worst books I have ever had the privilege of reading. The flight attendant is a big ol’ bitch and thinks quite highly of herself and her looks. If she can’t deal with a job where she is working with the public, maybe she should have become a bearded accountant.

She brags about how her and her coworkers will steal items that are left by passengers (some losing their jobs over stolen electronic devices when they are tracked back to them.) How she will send bags meant to go to LA to Seattle if the passenger gets a little bit of an attitude with her (which I’m pretty sure she probably deserves). I don’t know if she thought that she was trying to be funny by adding “hehehe” here and there, but she was not funny in the slightest.

Overall? AWFUL BOOK. Do not waste your time on it!

I was given a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

A brash, funny, and downright ballsy ode to the ups and downs of life in the air. Diary of a Pissed-Off Flight Attendant is an eye opening, behind the scenes, indiscreet account based on almost two decades of aviation industry experience. Combining a unique blend of hilarious customer antics with the secrets behind the enviable lives of flight attendants and pilots, Diary of a Pissed-Off Flight Attendant provides an all-access pass for frequent flyers and novice travelers alike. Growing up, author Sydney Pearl admired her Aunt Claire’s seemingly glamorous career. Then, Sydney became a flight attendant and found out it was a lot less glamorous and a lot more stressful than she’d thought it would be. Whether admitting to intentionally spilling drinks on passengers, or telling the story of how she unknowingly became “the help”, Sydney Pearl takes you on a gut-busting journey into what really happens above 10,000 feet.