Product Review: o.b. tampons

I’ve been struggling with how to write a review for tampons for a while now. But I am just going to be as honest as possible while trying not to cross the “TMI” line.  Recently I had the chance to try out o.b. tampons for being a bzzagent.  I was sent several packages of the o.b. tampons which have no applicators.  I liked that because they are more environmentally friendly and you are also able to be more discrete with them.  They fit in your pocket and also came with a nice little case that holds 4 tampons that can easily fit in your purse or pocket without it being super obvious what you have.

I wasn’t sure how I’d like not using an applicator, but I didn’t find that to be a problem at all after a failed attempt at first.  My main problem was that they were not up to par with the absorbency of my usual tampons.

I do have the little case in my purse and would use them if it was all I had, but as far as replacing my usual brand, I don’t think that be happening any time soon.

I received free tampons from ob to try in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

Product Review: Filippo Berio Delicato Extra Virgin Olive Oil

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Filippo Berio’s Olive Oil Masters have decades of experience traveling the world seeking the finest olive oils and they have combined their scientific and artistic skills to create three, distinctly delicious, Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil Flavors.  Our new Delicato delivers a mild taste, our new Robusto a bold taste, and our longstanding “traditional” EV imparts a balanced taste already enjoyed by millions of consumers worldwide.

Two more reasons to love Filippo Berio Olive Oil.

Robusto – A bold, full-bodied Extra Virgin Olive oil that adds a lively burst of flavor to a variety of recipes.

An olive oil that contains a select, premium blend of blood-tasting olive oils which provide a strong, vibrant taste.  An intense, fruity flavor is accompanied by a pleasant yet bitter sensation on the tongue and a peppery sensation in the throat.  Robusto offers persistent notes of fresh olives, artichokes, leaves and ripe tomatoes, all of which linger on the plate after swallowing due to this olive oil’s long finish.

Delicato – A milder taste that compliments your favorite dishes, inviting other ingredients to shine through.

An olive oil that contains a select, premium blend of mild-tasting olive oils which provide a smooth, mellow taste.  Delicato delivers a slightly fruity flavor, without the bitterness and pungency often associated with Extra Virgin Olive Oils. A hint of apple and ripe olive notes are present, but disappear soon thereafter, due to this olive oil’s short finish.

We mainly use Olive Oil as our salad dressing and when we made the replacement at Sunday dinner everyone said they thought the salad tasted better, but couldn’t figure out why.

One of the things I learned in the pamphlet I got sent with my package from Influenster was that Olive Oil is also healthy for you in addition to tasting great.  A magnet with conversions for using olive oil instead of butter or margarine was included and while I have not tried any of the substitutions yet, I am looking forward to trying it.

 

I received this product for free in exchange for this review through Influenster. I was not otherwise compensated.

 

Book Review: Baseballs No Hit Wonders

nohitwondersBaseballs No-Hit Wonders: More than a century of pitching’s greatest feats is a book about both perfection and near perfection. This book contains the “strange but true history of the no-hitter in America’s greatest game”

Each chapter looks back on a historic no hitter and after each chapter is a ‘did you know’? box with some details about other no hitters.  This book is long, just under 500 pages, but it contains everything you could ever want to know about no hitters in baseball – and then some.  Truly packed full with great information, trivia, stories and tid bits.

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

About the Book

Baseball’s No-hit Wonders honors legendary pitchers Cy Young, Bob Feller, Nolan Ryan, and Sandy Koufax while introducing readers to the eccentrics and one-shot wonders. The book, the first of its kind in fifteen years, fleshes out the colorful characters, compelling narratives, and statistical oddities from baseball’s 290 no-hit efforts—as well as the many near-misses that are also part of the national pastime’s storied history.

There is detail and great research, but also a fun, breezy take on the game, from the no-hitter thrown by a pitcher on acid, the worst hitters most known for breaking up no-hitters, and guys with nicknames such as Bo, Bumpus, Bobo, Cannonball, and Nixey. Even the game’s greatest slugger is credited with a partial no-hitter, and all he did was throw a punch.

Chapters on the best no-hitters of all time are interspersed with Did You Know? lists of no-hitters by days of the week, by team, by city, and more, as well as lists of the best no-hitters of the Negro Leagues, catchers who caught the most no-hitters, and the best pitchers NOT to throw a no-hitter.

Updated continuously at NoNoHitters.com

Book Review: Save Me, Kurt Cobain

savemeSave Me, Kurt Cobain is about a girl named Nico.  Nico’s Mom left when she was 4 years old and promised she would be back for her, but never came.  Nico listens to Nirvana and plays with a Ouija board with her best friend Obe (rhymes with robe).  Somewhere along the way Nico thinks that maybe her father is not her father and perhaps her real father is Kurt Cobain.  When she finds pictures that her Mom took at a Nirvana concert about 9 months before she was born, she seems to become even more convinced.  While on the ferry by herself heading home after visiting her Aunt in Seattle, Nico sees a man that looks like he could be Cobain, despite the fact that he has been dead for years.  She wonders if maybe it is him and he faked his death and decides rather than going home, she will follow him and try to get answers.  A winter storm hits and Nico can’t get in touch with anyone so her father panics and it is now all over the news that Nico is missing.  Nico is able to find her mother’s best friend and tries to get some answers as to where her mother went.  Nico thinks that she has an idea of where her mother may have been heading and as she and “Cobain” head there, they get caught by the police and Nico has to go home.  All of the news outlets want to talk to Nico so she uses this to her advantage and asks if anyone has information on where her mother might be, to please say something.

Throughout the book there is also a lot of biographical information about Kurt Cobain.  Nico has read all of his biographies and talks about his life, the background on Nirvana tracks, etc throughout.  In addition to being a fiction book, you will end up finishing it knowing more about Nirvana. (Unless of could you’re already a Nirvana fan, you may already know all the facts Nico mentions.)  Each of the chapters is named after different Nirvana songs and somehow works its way into the chapter.

I really enjoyed this book, Nico was a fun character to follow.  I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

What if you discovered that Kurt Cobain was not only alive, but might be your real father? This nuanced and bittersweet YA debut will keep you guessing until the end.

Nico Cavan has been adrift since her mother vanished when she was four—maternal abandonment isn’t exactly something you can just get over. Staying invisible at school is how she copes—that and listening to alt music and summoning spirits on the Ouija board with her best friend and coconspirator in sarcasm, Obe. But when a chance discovery opens a window onto her mom’s wild past, it sparks an idea in her brain that takes hold and won’t let go.

On a ferry departing Seattle, Nico encounters a slight blond guy with piercing blue eyes wearing a hooded jacket. Something in her heart tells her that this feeling she has might actually be the truth, so she follows him to a remote cabin in the Pacific Northwest. When she is stranded there by a winter storm, fear and darkness collide, and the only one who can save Nico might just be herself.

Throwback Thursday: Hanson 9/21/07

Headliner: Hanson
Opener(s): Locksley
Venue: North Fork Theater Westbury, NY
Cost: $60

Setlist:

Great Divide
Hey
Cant Stop
Been There Before
Every Word I Say
Crazy Beautiful
Hole In My Life
On The Rocks
Georgia
Go
MMMBop
Strong Enough To Break
Blue Sky
If Only
Minute Without You
Penny and Me
Deeper
Running Man
Let Love Rule
Lost Without Each Other

Encore:
Something Going Round

Recap:

This show was at a venue that is typically “in the round” but Hanson sold only half house so they wouldn’t have to spin.  I remember we showed up late because it was seated and one of the Locksley guys came by and said hello to me in the lobby and my friends were all “who was that!?” and I was like “oh just the guy from the opening act”, I guess since it was my 3rd show and I was front row the previous 2 he recognized me! (And it ended up becoming a bit of teasing when we heard rumors that this particular opening act member was hooking up with Hanson fans after each show!)  After the show we waited by the bus, I got a photo with Isaac. Marisa managed to get all 3 guys to write out a bit of lyrics because she was considering a tattoo.  I think Isaac ended up saying he couldn’t because of copyright infringement or some nonsense – which was “funny” because Zac and Taylor had already written it out for her without any issue.

Nick Carter The All American Tour 2016 New York City

Saturday we made the trek to New York City to see Nick Carter on his solo tour. I had never seen him solo before so I was very excited to finally see him on his own.  Times Square was an absolute nightmare – so many people! I couldn’t figure out if something was going on or if it was just typical Saturday tourist insanity.

Opening the show was Riley Biederer who I guess was on the most recent season of The Voice. I stopped watching the show so I didn’t know anything about her, but I enjoyed her set.

Nick took the stage at about 9pm and played until almost 11.   His set was made up of a mix of his solo songs, new and old and some Backstreet Boys songs thrown in for good measure.  I wasn’t all that familiar with all of his solo stuff (I have most of his CDs but don’t listen to them frequently) but really enjoyed the performance.  We were looking forward to the “acoustic set” of the show which seemed to have the most Backstreet Boys songs in the set (I cheated and had a couple of setlists on my phone to help me keep track incase no one posted anything for the show) and when he said “Tonight is a special night” my friend Shea that I went with turned to me and said “Because Brian is here?” and sure enough Nick started I Want It That Way and Brian came out on stage and the place erupted in screams.  Brian also stuck around to sing Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely as well.  His son is in Disaster! the Musical on Broadway so we kind of figured he’d at least be in the city.  Also at the show was Erik from O-Town who I spied near the end of the show on the side of the stage.

While I would say I didn’t know the words to most of Nick’s set, I still had a TON of fun and he puts on a great show and has a ton of energy. I am glad that we made the trip! Super bummed that they took our tickets at the door though and the guy said he’d come bring them back and never did… and I didn’t see him after the show to ask.

 

Nick Carter Setlist PlayStation Theater, New York, NY, USA 2016

Idol Top 6

IdolThoughts

I have obviously been slacking with paying attention to how many are going home each week because I was surprised again to find out it was another double elimination.  Last week I predicted that Lee would go home.  When the episode started I scrambled to pick a second and decided that while I wanted it to be Tristan, somehow she is still making it through and it would be more likely that Avalon would go again.  If she is in the bottom 3 again, I can’t see the judges “saving” her again and I’m not sure why she was even in the bottom last week but I guess America didn’t love her like I love her.

The show opened with duets, this time between two of the current contestants. I was pretty excited for all the pairings but 3/4 performances fell flat for me.  I liked that Trent was back to making his faces when he sang and I thought that the pairing of Trent and LaPorsha would have been amazing but I don’t think the song choice (See You Again) was a good one.  Sonika and Avalon did Rise Up which I was not familiar with but I thought they did a pretty good performance, though nothing amazing. MacKenzie and Dalton doing I Want It That Way was obviously my favorite and it was fun to see the two of them together since they are so different style wise.  (PS Harry – pretty much no boyband lyrics make sense and they;re also rarely even grammatically correct so don’t go trying to figure out what the song means)  The performance of Lee and Tristan made me think and hope they might end up the two to go home… I love I Dont Wanna Miss A Thing but I don’t know, their rendition did nothing for me.

 

Then it was time for the solo performances which seemed to be Beatles Night! Ok maybe not, but 3 performances out of 8 was kind of a bit much.

LaPorsha – Come Together – I liked the change of song style and I think she did awesome!

MacKenzie – You Are So Beautiful – nice to see him w/o a guitar for a change. and just focus on his singing.

Trent – Stand By Me – its hard to critique him. It was good.

Tristan – A Broken Wing – welp. there goes one of my picks. I think I just don’t like country.

Dalton – Eleanor Rigby – still my fave.

Bottom 3: Sonika, Lee, Avalon

Avalon – PYT – I liked her performance and do hope she sticks around again

Lee – Let It Be – didn’t like this at all.

Sonika – I Have Nothing – This was good and I worry my girl Avalon may be going home…

Well, there goes one of my top 4. Such a bummer because I loved Avalon and her voice and her not wanting to change who she was for the show.  Hopefully she will be able to have a career after the show!

As far as next week.. I am sticking with Tristan as going home. Maybe if I say it enough, it will someday come true.

Music Monday: Simple Plan Taking One For The Team

 

simpleplan

Opinion Overload
Boom!
Kiss Me Like Nobody’s Watching
Farewell
Singing in the Rain
Everything Sucks
I Refuse
I Don’t Want To Go To Bed
Nostalgic
Perfectly Perfect
I Don’t Wanna Be Sad
P.S. I Hate You
Problem Child
I Dream About You

Taking One For The Team is the fifth studio album by Simple Plan and it came out last month.  It has been about 5 years since their last release and Simple Plan is one of my favorite bands so I was excited to hear that they had a new album coming out!

It took me a while to actually get around to listening to the CD because I typically listen to them at work to help pass the time and block out obnoxious coworkers, but I got a new computer and the disc drive DOESNT WORK!  So I had to find some other time to listen to it… in the car mostly.. and I LOVE THIS ALBUM.  I definitely need to make more time to listen to it over and over again because there is not a song on here that I didn’t like after the first couple of listens. Simple Plan is actually one of my favorite bands even though I’ve only seen them live a couple of times. I’m hoping I can see them again someday, preferably when they are touring for this album because it is just so good.

Book Review: If At Birth You Don’t Succeed

birthI first found out about Zach Anner when he was in the voting to be on a competition show that Oprah was having for her network to win your “OWN” show.  I remember telling my parents that there was a kid who was trying to get votes and he had cerebral palsy too. (Yes, I also have the sexiest of the palsies.) We rooted for him week after week and were so excited when he won (spoiler?) and watched all the episodes of Rollin’ With Zach when they were on OWN as well.  I hadn’t really kept up too much with what he did after that, although now that the book has mentioned a bunch of things I’ll have to go catch up on his YouTube channel soon.

I guess I have a bit of a different perspective reading this book as someone who also has CP.  I always was amazed by the stuff that I’d see Zach do (like surf!?) when his CP is more severe than mine. He has definitely opened up my eyes about how much more I could be doing and that it is probably more fear holding me back than the actual inability to do something.

There was one quote that I had to write down because I say something similar all the time… I wear a leg brace and always get “What did you do to your leg?” My Mom tells me it is rude to reply “Nothing” or “brain damage” so I usually just say “I have cerebral palsy”…

“At this time of night, I don’t have the heart or energy to tell them that there’s actually nothing wrong with my legs; it’s just a symptom of the brain damage I have.”

Zach also has a great sense of humor so reading this book was a lot of fun and you can totally picture what is going on as he is retelling the stories – although there are probably some things that you really don’t want to picture… but you will anyway.

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

About the Book

“Zach Anner is way more than an inspirational figure for anyone who has ever felt impossibly different: he’s also a great f**king writer. Wise and funny, with unfailing insight into the booby trap known as the human mind, you will hang on every word as you watch him turn his considerable intellectual gifts into a life worth envying. I like that this book has no genre, and neither does this special man.”—Lena Dunham

Comedian Zach Anner opens his frank and devilishly funny book, If at Birth You Don’t Succeed, with an admission: he botched his own birth. Two months early, underweight and under-prepared for life, he entered the world with cerebral palsy and an uncertain future. So how did this hairless mole-rat of a boy blossom into a viral internet sensation who’s hosted two travel shows, impressed Oprah, driven the Mars Rover, and inspired a John Mayer song? (It wasn’t “Your Body is a Wonderland.”)

Zach lives by the mantra: when life gives you wheelchair, make lemonade. Whether recounting a valiant childhood attempt to woo Cindy Crawford, encounters with zealous faith healers, or the time he crapped his pants mere feet from Dr. Phil, Zach shares his fumbles with unflinching honesty and characteristic charm. By his thirtieth birthday, Zach had grown into an adult with a career in entertainment, millions of fans, a loving family, and friends who would literally carry him up mountains.

If at Birth You Don’t Succeed is a hilariously irreverent and heartfelt memoir about finding your passion and your path even when it’s paved with epic misadventure. This is the unlikely but not unlucky story of a man who couldn’t safely open a bag of Skittles, but still became a fitness guru with fans around the world. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll fall in love with the Olive Garden all over again, and learn why cerebral palsy is, definitively, “the sexiest of the palsies.”

Praise for Zach Anner

“Zach makes you want to be a better person, with his humor and his heart and everything he’s had to deal with from the time he was born. I’ve never met anyone like him, and I’ve met a lot of people.” —Oprah Winfrey

“Zach Anner is a truly inspiring and hysterical human being with a warped sense of humor (and body). He’s also an exceptional writer and his memoir is an absolute joy.”—Rainn Wilson

“Zach Anner is the living definition of ‘giving better than he’s gotten.’ Life dealt him a difficult hand but he managed to beat the house with humor, heart, and a fearless punk attitude. Required reading.”—Patton Oswalt

“I love Zach Anner and I love his memoir. If everyone were a little more like Zach, the world may not be a better place, but it would be funnier place, which is a great step forward.”—Alexis Ohanian

“He’s a unique, creative kid with a smart, edgy sense of humor.”—Arsenio Hall

“I think I speak for everybody when I say…I want to see more of Zach.” —John Mayer

“Wonderful. . . Anner’s comedy is the peppy, uplifting sort you’d expect from someone who Oprah says ‘makes [her] want to be a better person,’ such as his elaborate Olive Garden metaphors for the nature of life. . . . Anner remarks wryly that being expected to act as an ambassador for the disabled ‘is a tightrope walk, which is hard on four wheels.’ Maybe so, but with this book, he makes it look easy.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Funny, empowering…An inspirational memoir with a seasoned, infectious sense of humor…[Anner’s book chronicles] his three decades of life (so far) with cerebral palsy, a permanent condition that hasn’t prevented him from living his dream as a comic, a media sensation, and a motivational speaker.”—Kirkus Reviews

Book Review: Playing Hard

playinghardPlaying Hard is a baseball romance, which I usually love.  For some reason I couldn’t get started on this one right away, it took several tries.  I think it as more trying to fit it into my schedule than anything else.  When the galley expired, I had to be quick to finish it before the version on my app expired and I’d lost it forever.

I was glad that I stuck it out and did end up finishing it, as I really enjoyed it! I even was yelling at one or two of the main characters near the end, that’s how you know I was really into it.

The book is about Amelia, an economist living in New York City working on Wall St.  Her “brother”, Finn, has been sent to the New York Saints a major league ball club. He invites Amelia, or Milly, to a party that is being thrown by the team.  When there, Amelia meets Oliver, the Saints first baseman.  Finn thinks that Oliver is a player, but he seems to be interested in Amelia.  Finn ends up pissing Amelia off so she leaves the party and a few people ask Oliver to bring Finn home since he has had too much to drink and they worry if they put him in a cab he will tell the driver to take him to another club.  While heading home they get in a car accident that leaves Ollie pretty beat up.

Amelia feels bad for Oliver and goes to see him in the hospital and brings him some gummy bears. The two end up starting a relationship that Amelia wants to try and keep secret from Finn and his family (her second family).  Finn ends up taking Oliver’s first baseman position for the play offs so there is a bit of tension between the two.

Amelia ends up getting an opportunity at work to go to Hong Kong for 6 months, which is her dream.  She always wanted to work at a different office and then take some time to travel.  Having only been with Oliver for about three weeks she doesn’t want to stay behind just for him but she isn’t sure how to tell him or what she for sure wants to do.  Of course, Finn’s sister and Amelia’s best friend Em, decides to get pissed off at Amelia and spill the beans to Oliver.

Oliver and Amelia break up – and of course I am yelling at them to just try and work things out! And hopefully, in the end, they will.  Or will they? You’ll have to read the book to find out 😉

My biggest pet peeve about this book is when baseball books have partially real teams and partially fake teams. I prefer it to either be all one or all of the other.  The New York (or Staten Island?) Saints are playing against the Red Sox in the playoffs and the winners will play the Yankees.  So now there are 3 N teams, since my Mets are mentioned as well.  Doesn’t make sense. I’m sure there’s a reason for it, but as a baseball fan reading these books it always makes me a bit nuts.

Ignoring that though, I really did love this book!

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

About the Book

HIS GAME NEVER FAILS…
Baseball star Oliver Shields has always lived for the game-and now the New York Saints have finally made the play offs. The season isn’t over yet, but meeting gorgeous Amelia Graham seems like a bonus grand slam-until one night of partying threatens to take Oliver out of the game for good…

UNTIL SHE puts his heart in play
All work and no play has always been Amelia’s motto, earning her a coveted job on Wall Street and the freedom she’s always longed for. Oliver is a real player-in more ways than one-and a distraction she doesn’t need, especially when she’s trying to win a chance at her dream assignment at work . When flirtation turns to attraction so fierce neither one of them can say good-bye, will Oliver and Amelia step up to the plate-and give love a chance?

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