Christmas Ideas #1: Gear Ties!! OMG...the fun!!

Okay, the very first of many items that I bring to you for super Christmas gift ideas would be the Gear Tie. Have you heard of them? I'll admit, this was the very first time I heard of them and boy am I glad I did. I had such a fun time reviewing these.

So what are Gear Ties, you ask? 
Technically, they're reusable rubber twist ties built with a soft rubber outside for grip and a strong wire inside to hold the shape. They can be used for anything...literally! You can use them to tie and bundle small cords and cables. They come in a bunch of different sizes: 3", 6", 18", 24", and 32". So, choose your size and make the magic happen... If you dare, keep reading to see what innovative ways I tried to use the gear ties I was sent for. I was sent Gear Ties in 3", 6", and 18". A note of warning though, if you don't have a sense of humor, you may find one of my inventions distasteful. :P However, in the same sense, I think Gear Ties are great for people of all ages just because they can be used not just for functional purposes but also for fun play time for kids. They're even decently priced: 4 x 3" ties for $4.99, 4x 6" ties for $5.99, 2 x 18" ties for $5.49, 2 x 24" ties for 5.99, and 2 x 36" ties for 6.99.










What was my favorite feature?? Definitely the color! I love the colors and the brightness, it just made them that much more fun to play with!


Without further ado, here it comes! My attempts at creativeness!


Masterpiece #1: Highlighter holder -I made this with the 18" tie. To make the highlighters easier to grab, I had them propped up. This could be a great idea for kids to college students or really anyone who wants to play and make a cool stand for their highlighters. 

Masterpiece #2: A purse Hanger -Again with the 18" tie, I just twisted it easily to make something that would hang my purse up in the closet instead of leaving it lying on my desk. It'll help me clear up a lot of room on my desk and with it in the closet, I can easily grab it on my way out the door. My purse is heavy, trust me, and it held great!

Masterpiece #3: LOL...my artistic as well as immature and fun side comes out...you may want to skip this if you lack a sense of humor or are about to eat! I present to you --> The Supreme "Doo"

Masterpiece #4: Okay, fine, I'll make something nicer, here's a butterfly for the girly girls out there...I used an assortment of 3" ties.

Masterpiece #5: I used an assortment of 3" ties and the 18" tie to keep my cords together and organize them with my new funky organizer.

Masterpiece #6: An iphone stand! Woot! Its not as pretty as the one they showed on the Gear Tie site but it still works. 

Masterpiece #7: Accessories anyone? This could be a interesting way to make a jewellery holder for anyone from kids to adults. Twist and bend to make a holder you'd like. I made mine from a 6" Gear Tie and hung my ring on it.

So, as you can see, there are so many different ideas and functions that can be used for Gear Ties and they are suitable for people of all ages. I don't really have a cons side to discuss about them and that's rare because I like to have both a pros and a cons side when I talk about products. This one gets 10 stars out of 10 and would be perfect as a stocking stuffer.


Buy It: To purchase any of the items from Gear Ties, shop online now.Especially for my readers, Gear Tie is currently offering a promotional code too. Enter 'HOLIDAY1' to get 15% off your purchase. Expires 12/31.


Disclaimer: The product/s mentioned above have been provided free of charge from the manufacturer or PR firm for the purposes of this review. Opinions expressed belong to Whirlwind of Surprises and are NOT influenced in any way. Please view my full disclosure.

Until next time,

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Book Review: Blind Hope

I'm sure you as my readers know by now, I love animals and am a sucker for them...especially dogs so when I saw this title, the cover and the synopsis of Blind Hope, I knew I had to read it. I was very excited to receive it from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group and started reading it right away. 


The Synopsis:

An unwanted dog. An emotional rescue.

Two lives forever changed.

Laurie's dreams had been shattered before she came to work at Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch—the ranch of rescued dreams—where broken horses and broken children encounter healing every day. In an attempt to soothe her aching soul, Laurie reached out to save a dog in need. And she soon began to realize that the dog was rescuing her. 

An inspiring true story told through the engaging voice of Kim Meeder, Blind Hopereveals poignant life lessons Laurie experienced from her ailing, yet courageous canine friend. Despite the blindness of her dog—and her own heart—Laurie uncovered what she really needed most: authentic love, unconditional trust, and true acceptance, faults and all. 

As Laurie and her dog, Mia, both learned to follow the lead of a master they couldn’t see, Laurie discovered the transforming power of God’s grace even for imperfect and selfish people—and she experienced a greater love than she had ever known.

“Love is a bridge that stands firm through difficulties and connects one heart directly to another, not because of how it looks, but because of what it is.”    —Kim Meeder, Blind Hope

The authors

Kim Meeder is the author of Hope Rising and Bridge Called Hope. Along with her husband, Troy, she owns and operates Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in central Oregon. Crystal Peaks is a nonprofit organization that rescues abused and neglected horses and pairs them with disadvantaged children, offering the children a place of safety, peace, and hope. In 2004, Kim received the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award, one of the nation’s highest honors for public service. 

Laurie Sacher is a team leader at Crystal Peaks Youth. Laurie graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University in 2003 and taught English as Second Language in Spain before returning to her native California roots to pursue her passion for kids and animals. 

I have to say there are many feature I loved about this book, the fact that it was based on a true story and the real pictures included. You can visualize yourself there with them as they went through their own respective ordeals. I think Meeder is very commendable for what she did and as a result of that, her relationship with Sacher and Mia (the dog) led to the salvation of both a blind dog and a child. It was very touching and well worth the read. A word of caution though, some people may find this book a tad too preachy. I know, near the end, it was definitely getting that way for me and that took some of the enjoyment off the book. Although I thoroughly appreciate the goodness of God in my life, I do not feel the need to mention it constantly throughout the book and then it comes on especially strong in the last 10-20 pages. Overall though, it was a beautifully written book and I am happy for them the way things turned out.  It is a very quick read being only 178 pages so it only took me about an hour to read. I would recommend it for any animal lovers. Its very inspirational and I'd give it a 4.5 out of 5. 

Until next time,

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Waterbrook Multinomah Publishing Group for the purpose of this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are MY OWN.

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Book Review: Deep Chill

I recently received Deep Chill to review from Dorrance Publishing Co. I decided I needed to read more books filled with suspense and I can tell you, I figured this was exactly what I needed.


The synopsis:

Deep Chill 
by Li Westerlund

It’s a long way from Sweden to Sri Lanka, but Anna Edelhielm, a Special Narcotics Prosecutor in Sweden, needs to get away after her boyfriend is murdered in Stockholm. What better place to go on a “dream vacation” than Sri Lanka, where her sister, Marie, has settled and married? But something strange and perhaps dangerous is keeping Marie from leaving the island.

Kevin, an American conducting sensitive negotiations in Sri Lanka, starts to figure out what that something could be. And it’s not what Anna—or you—might expect.

About the Author

Born in Sweden, Li Westerlund holds European equivalents of the Ph.D., master’s, and J.D. in law, and the B.S. equivalent in electrical engineering; appointed professor of law in 2000. She is now the Vice President of Global IP for a biopharmaceutical company stationed in Washington, D.C. She has published six books dealing with patent and other law and dozens of articles in professional journals and anthologies, but Deep Chill is her first novel (released as Djup Kyla in Sweden in 2003 by Carlssons Publishers).

“I wanted,” says Li, “ to write something without footnotes.”

This books starts out a bit strange. Its a bit hard to grasp who the characters are or who the author is even talking about at the beginning. There were parts at the beginning that threw me off, however, it all came together to become a book full of unexpected twists and turns. Overall, a good read and a great start for a fictional piece of work for someone who mainly deals with patents and laws. If you're looking for a suspenseful read over the holiday season, this should last you a good several hours on the plane ride home. This book gets 4 stars out of 5.

Until next time,

I received a complimentary copy of Deep Chill as a member of the Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team.  Visit dorrancebookstore.com to learn how you can become a member of the Book Review Team. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are MY OWN.

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Giveaways Ending Soon: CSN Stores $35 GC Giveaway 11/29

Last couple days to enter the CSN Stores $35 GC giveaway. Make sure you get your entries in for a chance to win $35 towards anything in the CSN Store! Remember, its open to both US and Canada.


And look for for new reviews and/or giveaways coming up in these next couple of weeks...my Christmas features!

Until next time,

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to my US readers! 

I just wanted to let you all know that there will be a bunch of great reviews and/or giveaways coming up in the next several weeks. Just in time for Christmas! I'm going to be working with some really wonderful people and their innovative and creative products/ideas.  If you're looking for unique gifts, you won't want to miss out. All I can say is that they are all very cool and perfect for such a wide assortment of people that you just can't go wrong!


And if you haven't entered my CSN Stores $35 GC giveaway yet, you should! It ends 11/29 and its open to the US AND Canada. Spend it on whatever you'd like!

Until next time,

Like what you see? Follow me on GFC and twitter (@CinnyBBS) to get the latest updates. Like us on facebook or join us through Network Blogs. Leave me a comment if you'd like me to follow back on any of these.

CSN Stores and EGR Universal Sport Bag Plus Black Label Pet Carrier Review

"What? I'm comfy..."

Okay, this has been a fairly bad couple of weeks for me as the surgery my baby was supposed to have done was kinda botched to my utter surprise, dismay, and disappointment, which resulted in my shelling out an extra grand to deal with the complications of her surgery so I was appreciating and loving CSN Stores all the more. My original plan was to do a review of some of the wide assortment of cookware available for my choosing because I really do need cookware but unfortunately, due to my recent circumstances, I had to go with something that was more practical and definitely needed around. So, my baby's needs came before mine and I decided to go with something from the Clearance section of CSN Stores. This decision actually made my week!


First of all, I had some doubts about ordering from the clearance center. After all, the items in the clearance center were returns and I didn't know why people have returned them. Was there something wrong with it? If its such a good product, why wouldn't they keep it? This is a final sale, should I risk it to save some money? All these thoughts were running through my head. To be fair though, CSN stores did give a warning blurp about there possibly being some wear but each return is inspected thoroughly before being sold at a discounted price. Amazingly though, when my product arrived 48 hours after I placed my order, I was glad to see that all my worries were completely unfounded! In my box was basically a brand new item with no signs of wear and tear. I couldn't believe my luck, I basically bought a brand new item for close to half off. I was a little upset that although the advertising price was $42.48 vs the original price of $84.95, when I went to check out and add it to my basket, the price I was actually charged was $44.00 but at any rate, it was still a deal and I didn't have to pay as much out of my own pocket as I normally would have so I guess it worked out in the end. Moral of the story? CSN Stores Clearance Center is a great place for sweet deals! In my case, I basically picked up a brand new item for close to 50% off! Who needs to wait for Boxing Day? Or Black Friday? So, if you're looking to save a buck, grabbing a good deal for good quality items, check out the clearance center. There's so much in there and if everything is as good quality as the item I chose, I'm one happy camper.

Alright, onwards to the actual item I chose...I ended up purchasing an EGR Sport Bag Plus Black Label Pet Carrier. Phew...that was a mouthful! Well, I need to go home for the holidays and with the new baby, I need a way to bring her home and I really can't afford too much right now because of her surgery, my tuition, rent, living expenses, etc and bills in general. Her other bag is starting to fall apart and is basically screaming for the need of a new carrier bag! My baby..by the way, people usually misunderstand my baby as actually being a baby, if you haven't been with me up to this point, is my pup. No, I would not shove a real baby into a pet carrier... Yes, I love my pup to bits and call her my baby. :) So yes, baby needed a new carrier, something that would fit as a carry-on for my flight home.

Look at baby peeking out... :)

When I was browsing through the clearance section for something affordable, this one just caught my eye. The design was so sleek, stylish and sexy if I might say. I fell in love at first sight, this was the one even if I had to pay some extra out of my own pocket! Now, the description says it should fit airline requirements and I'm hoping so myself too but I haven't actually been on my flight yet so I can't really tell you how that will work yet. But OMG, when it arrived, I was like a little kid Christmas morning! All the parts were just so fun, so amazing and it was such a high quality bag that I was shocked I was able to get such a good deal! Okay, I know I'm rambling but these are the features I found ever so cool. 

Sniffing out the new surroundings...

1) It's a padded bag for the comfort of your pets.

The convenience!! I love it!

2) It's a top loader and there's a leash on the inside to attach to your baby's collar so they can't try to jump out! This works great!
3) There are 4 windows, basically 2 at the sides that have detachable windows attached by velcro and another 2 at the ends that zipper on and off to give your pet somewhere to stick their head out. 
4) There's a little area for the poo bags so that you can have easy access to them.
5) It came with 2 sets of 2 straps of different lengths which you can adjust with the buckles so that you can carry it different ways. For example, there's a short set where you can use it has handles, a shoulder strap or make it into a back pack. The longer straps are used to anchor the bag in the car, essentially making the bag into a pet car seat. Its unbelievable how functional this bag is.


The only thing I really didn't like about this bag was that it had a tiny zipper compartment for storage and  I was hoping for a bit more for storage since I need to be carrying her food and treats with me. That and it may be a bit bulky to store but if I'm using it anyways, it won't need to be stored away!


Bottomline:
CSN Stores Clearance Center: Sweet deals for returned products that are basically like new!
EGR Universal Sport Bag Plus Black Label Pet Carrier: Incredibly functional pet carrier. Absolutely love it. I only hate the fact that it has a tiny storage compartment. Its definitely above a 4.5 but not quite a 5 just because of the storage problem. Would I recommend it to others? Oh yeah, without a doubt in my mind! 


Now that you've read how sweet CSN Stores and their Clearance Center is, why don't you head on over and enter in my $35 CSN Stores GC giveaway that ends 11/29. Open to US/CAN. $35 can go a long ways, especially in the clearance center!

Disclaimer: The product/s mentioned above have been provided free of charge from the manufacturer or PR firm for the purposes of this review. Opinions expressed belong to Whirlwind of Surprises and are NOT influenced in any way. Please view my full disclosure.

Until next time,

Like what you see? Follow me on GFC and twitter (@CinnyBBS) to get the latest updates. Like us on facebook or join us through Network Blogs. Leave me a comment if you'd like me to follow back on any of these.

Tom's of Maine Wicked Fresh Toothpaste Review

Alright, I admit it...I may not have great breath all the time, especially with the coffee and tea I love drinking on an hourly basis or at least that's the way it seems lately. And it really doesn't help that I can't resist the garlicky taste of foods but you know people tend to shy away from you when you have garlic breath, so unfortunately, dental hygiene is a must! So, when I got the chance to review Tom's of Maine Wicked Fresh Toothpaste in cool peppermint (one of my favorite flavors of gum by the way), I was ecstatic!


You know, many toothpaste brands advertise themselves to be long lasting in the fresh breath department and I'm talking about the big brands...not the no name brands and so I do get sucked in and buy those for  the long lasting breath feature as well as the whitening features.  I often get disappointed though because by the time I walk through those hospital doors about 30 min after brushing my teeth, I'm popping in a piece of gum so that people will come near me for the day! :P In all seriousness though, my breath isn't really that bad but the fresh breath doesn't really last as long as it should.

In comes Tom's of Maine Wicked Fresh Toothpaste... it felt a bit funny to begin with because the first taste feels a bit strange but you do get used to it fairly quickly. I'd like to think that its due to the natural flavors and ingredients that they use. Get this, they use botanical extracts and natural mint oils, absolutely NO artificial ingredients!  What I loved about it was that it left your mouth feeling incredibly refreshed and clean after the brush...truly sensational! Now, about the keeping your breath fresh part...I felt it lasted longer than the other brand name toothpaste I was using but possibly only a couple hours longer. However, although my breath didn't stay amazing forever...it seemed to get worse on a lower level than if I had used my normal toothpaste. In short, I don't think my breath got bad as fast as usual. 


It made me think back on the time when I had chronic sinusitis and my breath was apparently awful! The worst thing was, I really didn't realize how bad my breath was... I brushed my teeth regularly but it wasn't my fault but when people can smell your breath half a car away and actually try to casually bring up their hand to cover their nose... well frankly, its a bit embarrassing! I almost wish I could have had this toothpaste then to see if it could have helped!


This next thing is actually pretty cool. On their site, they actually have a list of the ingredients and what it does for you so you can check it out there or below as I've already taken the effort to share it with you here.

Active Ingredients

Name	Purpose	Source
Sodium monofluorophosphate	Decay prevention	Fluorspar (calcium fluoride), an ore

Other Ingredients

Name	Purpose	Source
Glycerin	Moistener	Vegetable oils
Water	Consistency	Maine aquifer
Hydrated silica	Stain removal	Purified silica from the earth
Calcium carbonate	Mild abrasive	Purified calcium from the earth
Xylitol	Flavor	Birch trees or corn
Natural flavors	Flavor	Natural oils derived from the leaves of mint and other aromatic plants
Sodium lauryl sulfate	Dispersant	Derived from coconut and/or palm kernel oil
Carrageenan	Thickener	Seaweed (Chondrus crispus)
Licorice Root Extract	Breath Freshening	Licorice Root Extract

Tom's of Maine Wicked Fresh Toothpaste is set to sell in two flavors: Cool peppermint and Spearmint Ice and will be available in grogery stores, natural food stores, pharmacies and big box stores for ~4.19 per 5.2oz tube. 





To sum it up:
The good: longer lasting breath versus other brand name toothpaste, refreshing feeling afterwards, fights cavities, great company ethics
The bad: Its got that funny taste but I got used to it within a couple days and then I was more hoping for the refreshing taste and feel afterwards so it could be that I didn't care anymore.
This awesomeness makes it 4.5 stars out of 5. Tom's of Maine Toothpaste is definitely wicked fresh!

Until next time,

Disclaimer: I am a BzzAgent. The product/s mentioned above have been provided free of charge from the manufacturer or PR firm for the purposes of this review. Opinions expressed belong to Whirlwind of Surprises and are NOT influenced in any way.


Like what you see? Follow me on GFC and twitter (@CinnyBBS) to get the latest updates. Like us on facebook or join us through Network Blogs. Leave me a comment if you'd like me to follow back on any of these