Friday's Featured Etsy: Lauren Kusar

Welcome to my Friday's Featured post, in which I showcase Etsy stores and small businesses from folks like you and me. Recession, smession! ;)

Today's stop in Etsy land is a store called Lauren Kusar, where you will find jewelry and hair accessories perfect for your summer wardrobe. This Californian jewelry designer uses materials like Swarovski Crystals, freshwater pearls, dichroic glass, sea glass, lampwork glass beads and semi-precious stones to create her pieces.

Check out this Fascinator Headband, Vintage Look Black Silk Rose with Feathers and Beads


I love this Toe Ring, Pearls, Crystal, Sterling Silver:


And isn't this Ring, Antique Pink Swarovski Crystal Jewelry, Sterling Silverpretty?


Stop by Lauren Kusar today and have a look around! Support handmade!

Review: Palmolive® soft touch™ Aloe

I recently joined the Influencer program, and one of the first complimentary products I am getting to try in order to share my opinions is the new Palmolive Soft Touch dishwashing detergent.


I'll be honest: Palmolive never was on my list of products to try. I know my mother uses their products and loves them, but me - I usually purchase more environmentally friendly products to use in my home these days. It did pique my interest though, because lately my dishes have been coming out icky no matter how much I scrub them. I could see a film on my glass dishes. Yuck! (Usually I'd run all my glass dishes through the dishwasher a couple times of month and that would get rid of the buildup - but the dishwasher has been on the list of appliances that have currently bit the dust. Sigh!)

Palmolive Soft Touch dishwashing detergent is available in three different varieties: Aloe, Vitamin E, and Coconut Butter. They are specially formulated to be gentle on hands - something my hands appreciate! I received two varieties to try out and share: the Aloe, and the Vitamin E. I kept the Vitamin E for myself, because it's supposed to be great for those with dry skin. (Although the Aloe was very tempting! I'll have to try that one down the road, too!)

Upon popping the bottle of Palmolive Soft Touch, I was greeted with a pretty strong fragrance. If you use a lot of conventional cleaning products then maybe it's not quite as strong to you, but for me it was. It took me a few moments to get used to that! I had a lot of suds, something else I wasn't used to these days. But the great part? It attacked that greasy film on my glass dishes and everything came out so much cleaner! Finally my dishes were clear again! I was really starting to get disgusted with the way my dishes looked, but not any more. I'd say their slogan of "Palmolive is Tough on Grease, Soft on Hands" is a good one!

You can find Palmolive Soft Touch dishwashing detergent at your favorite big box or grocery stores, and the suggested retail price is $2.99. I found it at my local Walmart for $2.55 for a 25 oz bottle. You can find more Influencer reviews here.

I received the product mentioned above in order to try it out and share my thoughts on it. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: A Man Of Indeterminate Value By Ron Felber

I recently received an uncorrected proof copy of the new book A Man Of Indeterminate Value: A Jack Madson Novel by Ron Felber to review.


Jack Madson is trapped in a loveless marriage, stuck in a job he despises, and being buried by debt. He comes up with a plan: he'll fake his own death and run away to Mexico. This way he can ease his guilt knowing his family will get a large payout from the insurance company. Since he's been squirreling away funds from illegally selling intellectual property to criminal interests in China, he has 2.5 million dollars set aside for his escape. But plans never quite go according to plan for most of us, and upon crossing the border, Jack finds out his partner in crime has double crossed him and his bank account is empty. Now he must sneak back into the US and attempt to get his money back - but there's a hitch. He must break into the computer system at NuGen to retrieve extremely valuable bio-tech secrets, while staying one step ahead of an insurance claims specialist who wants to prove that he's still alive - and his former partner who wants him dead.

Full of corruption, this fast paced novel shows the dark underbelly side of the greedy corporate world. Plagued with (Catholic) guilt, the main character continues digging a hole deeper and deeper until really, there is no way out - hence, his confession (the book). At moments you can't help but be so disgusted with him that you hope he dies a slow, painful death. And at other moments, I found myself wondering why I kept reading about this awfulness - but it's a train wreck you can't put down. Apparently it is book one in a trilogy, so look for more in the future. The author writes using his own experiences as a CEO, as well as a former sheriff and former boxer, so he makes it a believable tale that has you wondering exactly where our business morals in this country went wrong.

A Man Of Indeterminate Value: A Jack Madson Novel by Ron Felber is a trade paperback published by Barricade Books and will be available in June 2013. It is 288 pages long. The suggested cover price is $16.95, but Amazon has it available on pre-order for $10.75 as of this posting. It will also be available as an e-book for the Kindle and other e-readers.

I received an uncorrected proof copy of this book in order to read it and share my thoughts on it. All opinions are my own, and not that of the author(s) or publisher.

Review: Dirty Paws Washcloths

One of the best part about attending Auburn's yearly Petpalooza festival (see my post here) is I get introduced to lots of handmade vendors selling goodies for my pets. This year my had to have item came from the folks over at Dirty Paws Washcloths.

Dirty Paws Washcloths is a local Washington business created by a lady named Kimberly that sells handmade bathtime towels and washcloths for your dirty doggie. Whether you're cringing at using your personal washcloths on your pets, or your like me and want cute designs for the on-the-go dog(s), you'll find some cute ideas here. I could not resist purchasing a stack of these for Captain and the Grumpy Princess! Look at some of these designs we picked out:


Skulls and pink zebras - does it get any better? ;) One side is a cute patchwork design, the other side is an absorbent terry cloth. I've got these now stashed in our truck, emergency bags, and by the couch so I can stop wet doggy paws before they get on it. ;) They are great for doggy drool too, which is a major problem around with Captain. I can just toss these into the washer, so they are a lot more environmentally friendly than grabbing a paper towel or baby wipe.

If you're interested in purchasing from Dirty Paws Washcloths, don't worry, you don't have to be local - you can also order online via their website.

I hate that I even have to say this, but to make the FTC happy, I purchased the product mentioned above using my own money. All opinions are my own. I'm just giving a shout out to a mom based business!

Petpalooza 2013

It's May, and that means Petpalooza was being held over in Auburn again this year! It's becoming a tradition for our family to load up the dogs and head on over for the day. This is a free festival where you can bring along well behaved pets to see pet related entertainment, meet adoptable pets, and shop to your heart's content for your favorite pet family member. Unfortunately for us, the weather was not being very cooperative, so we didn't end up staying long since the sky opened up with cold rain. :( But there was still lots of fun to be had, like the petting zoo:


And there was lots of vendors once again, along with several rescue groups for different breeds:


The best part was the Farmyard Follies, with lots of crazy animal antics and barnyard races. Yep, we took lots of pictures of the goats. ;)



Hopefully next year the weather will be nicer!

Book Review: Oscar Wilde And The Murders At Reading Gaol By Gyles Brandreth

I recently received a copy of the new book Oscar Wilde And The Murders At Reading Gaol: A Mystery by Gyles Brandreth to review.


The sixth installment in the historical mystery series, Oscar Wilde is a detective who has been sent to Reading Gaol, a prison, where he was tortured, left in solitary confinement with no writing materials. The letters he did receive were censored. Even throughout his deprivation and misery, his detective powers are working full throttle: first when a brutal warder is murdered and then when the prison chaplain is found dead as well. It is only fitting that the Governor should turn to Oscar - Reading Gaol's most celebrated inmate - for help to find the murderer. When he flees to France after being released, he is offered payment for his story about his time there, and he shares the sordid details, as well as reveals the murderer.

I was a little worried when I heard the storyline that this would end up being the final book in the series (insert panic here), but I am hoping the author has plenty more hidden up his sleeve to share with us. Unlike the rest of the series, this book does have a much darker tone - fitting for a book whose tale is set in Reading Gaol, a notorious prison known best for it's executions - as well as Oscar Wilde being sent there. (Yes, if you are new to this series and have never heard Oscar Wilde's name before, the man really did exist. See here.) I love this series from a historical standpoint just as much as I love it from a fiction standpoint. I couldn't put this book down once I started it thanks to the intriguing plot and characters who reeled me in. Well done, Mr. Brandreth, well done!

The book also includes a reading group guide at the end of the book, with discussions questions, as well as a look at Reading Gaol back in the 1890's, and some biography details. It also has an interview with the author.

Oscar Wilde And The Murders At Reading Gaol: A Mystery by Gyles Brandreth is a paperback mystery book published by Touchstone. It is 352 pages long. The suggested cover price is $16.00, and Amazon has it available for $12.65 as of this posting. It is also available as a hardcover large print book, as well as an e-book for the Kindle and other e-readers.

I received a copy of this book in order to read it and share my thoughts on it. All opinions are my own, and not that of the author(s) or publisher.