Knife Snob

In either my late teens or early twenties, while visiting my dad I cooked for him. I love to cook; for me it is a creative outlet, and I had wanted to share it with him. When I moved away and went to college, I had gotten an el cheapo set of knives. I thought knives were knives and that they all cut equally. Oh, how wrong I was. Using my dad's fancy Wusthofs made with German steel and honed to perfection, I was brought into the light and I instantly became a knife snob.

I used to hate food prep. Cutting up potatoes with cheap knives is torture, much less trying to hack through raw chicken with tough tendons. Later than same year, my dad bought me a set of Henckels which is a sister brand to his Wustofs. They too, are made with premium German Steel and can hold an edge like no other. Food prep became a breeze as the knives glided through potatoes and even half frozen chicken as if they were butter. The knives are heavier than cheap knives and the weight is a part of their advantage. The weight of the knife is often enough to do most of the work of the cut and all I have to do is just guide the blade. Contrary to first instinct, a dull knife is much more dangerous than a sharp one. (For one you don't have to fight a sharp knife and risk things getting out of hand).

I recently found an 8in chef's knife that is made by a company called Happy Moon and after reading some of the research the company had made prior to designing the knife I just had to try it out and see how it stacked up to my Henckels.

The Happy Moon knife is very similar to the Henckel that I have, however the devil is in the details. The shape of the blade, particularly the way it tapers (quite a bit less than the Henckel) towards the tip. The shape of the handle is different too as it carries a little bit more of a curve allowing me a little bit more leverage on each pass of the blade.

I know the picture below doesn't do a good job of showing it, but the thickness of the blade on the Happy Moon knife is slightly more than that of the Henckel. This results in the Happy Moon blade being a little bit more hefty. As I mentioned before I don't mind the heft especially since the tang of the knife goes through the handle and the little metal cap at the end of the hand also provides a nice counter weight for a well balanced blade.

For the most part, the Happy Moon knife has me 'over the moon' so to speak. I am excited to see some nice quality knives designed here in the US rather than Europe, and at a much more affordable price than the German blades.











As always feedback, questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome. Please remember to follow the blog and register your email address at the top of the page to have new posts delivered right to your email inbox and never miss an update.
Disclaimer: please be aware that any item mentioned in this blog may have been received for free or at a discount in exchange for a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this blog are my own regardless of how the items were acquired.

Teething Babies

Minion Number 3 is 22 months. Just a few months away from the "terrible twos"; although with him it looks like "Tyrant twos" might be more accurate. I am sure we have all seen the Toddler's Rules of Possession meme that has been making rounds on social media. I recently saw it again on Facebook and thought to myself how accurately it described my tyrant of a little minion.

The other day, Minion Number 2 had decided to have a snack of peanut butter crackers. She made some for herself and after encouragement from me and daddy, she also made a small plate for Minion Number 3. She handed him the plate and he started shoving the little crackers in his mouth with much gusto. As soon as Minion Number 2 sat down with her plate and started eating her crackers, Minion 3 started screaming and having a full on melt-down. Apparently, in his eyes, her plate of crackers were also his, and she had just stolen his food. Never mind that there were more crackers there than he could eat in one setting.  Poor Minion 2, she didn't know what was going on, or why he was crying. Confusedly, she looked to me for answers. When I explained why he was crying, she tried  to explain to him that she was only eating her crackers. Of course the only thing that worked to get him to calm down was just a little bit of time.

Don't get me wrong. Minion Number 3 is a very sweet little boy, but like most toddler's he is still trying to work out the rules of social interaction. To make things worse for Minion Number 3, he has had a bad bout out teething. I know 22 months is a little late for this kind of issue. It caught me a little bit by surprise myself. Especially, since his first teething coming in only seemed to give him a little bit of discomfort.

What started out as just a mild grumpiness grew to nightmare proportions. It started a few weeks ago. Minion 3 went to bed as usual and right on time at 8pm. However, at 11pm, we hear him start to stir. We leave him be for a few minutes, to see if he would go back to sleep. Needless to say, he didn't and after just 10 minutes, the restless stirring escalated to full on wailing. I go into his room and check on him. He felt a little warm but nothing alarming. I pick him up and cuddle him a little while also checking his diaper. It checks out, but the cuddles are not working to calm him down. That is when I notice that he is acting a little 'weird'. He would push at me as though he wanted me to put him down and then he would throw himself forward on me. I put him down, thinking maybe he had a bad dream and just needed a moment to calm down, but he continues that weird behavior of sitting up and then throwing himself forward on the floor. I offered him some water to drink, frankly because watching him cry so much was making me thirsty. He would go through the motions of taking a sip, but would start crying again before actually drinking anything.

At this point it becomes apparent that he is in distress and obviously in discomfort. I feel around his ears and neck to see if I get a reaction out of him (checking of ear infections). Nothing. Finally, just completely stumped, I gave him a dose of baby Tylenol. The time it took for it to kick in felt like an eternity, but at last he calmed down and started drifting off to sleep. Breathing a sigh of relief, I lay him back down and I start winding down for bed. Shortly after drifting off to sleep (about 4 hours after I had giving Minion Number 3 his Tylenol), he wakes up crying again, and we repeat the session above.

And so this behavior continued over the next few days. Minion Number 3 and I were sleeping in 4 hour increments and it was not doing either of us any good. Finally, late at night on the 3rd or 4th night of this, I called my insurance's 24-hour nurse hotline. The fantastic nurse on the other line, compassionately asked me several questions, and finally had me look in Minion Number 3's mouth. Sure enough, his gums were swollen and I could see the white points where his new canines were trying to cut through and fill in the gaps between his incisors and his eye teeth that has already come in. In addition to those, he was also starting to get his two-year old molars on the bottom. (No wonder he didn't feel well.)

A friend of mine from high school told me about amber teething necklaces when I shared this story with her. She said that her daughter had a horrific time cutting teeth and that this was the only thing that worked for her. So I looked it up, and decided to give it a try, even though I know most of the time these things down work.



This Bambini & Me amber necklace offered a lot of the same things that other amber teething necklaces offer, but a few features made it stand out.


Features & Benefits:

• 100% certified high-quality Baltic amber
• Warm to the touch
• Safety knots between amber pieces
• Natural immune system booster
• Includes a silicone teething necklace mom can wear!

I really like that there are safety knots between the amber pieces. Minion 2 has had several bead necklaces and once those strings pop, beads go flying everywhere. Having those knots in place ensure that in the event the string does give out that there are not going to be a million of little amber pieces to try to clean up.


Another boon for me is that with this product from Bambini & Me, you are protected by our 30 day NO QUESTIONS asked money back guarantee.

After receiving it, I tried it on Minion Number 3. It fits perfectly. It fit him just slightly more loose than a choker style necklace. Normally, putting any necklace around his neck, he is irritated with it and is trying to pull it off within three minutes. To be perfectly honest, he doesn't seem to mind this necklace. And it looks absolutely adorable on him. Here I have just laid him down for a nap, and was just about to take the necklace off for him to sleep.

 So far we have noticed a great improvement. He is now sleeping through the nights again. He is eating and drinking normally. He does still run a little warm, but it is within a normal range and we have not had to give him Tylenol in several days. He seems happier, and to me that means the world.




Safety Suggestions:

• Infants should be supervised while wearing the necklace- no chewing.
• Remove the necklace if child is left unattended.
• Necklace is not to be worn while sleeping.
• Necklace is double-knotted for added protection, but if broken please discard.

Another side effect of teething is all the drooling. I have used regular bibs in the past but they usually just trap moisture next to the baby's skin which leads to chafing. With my first two children, I had reached out to family members who knew how to sew to have them create double layered bibs for my kids. I used to have them sew a cotton/polyester blend cloth over the top of terry cloth for extra absorbency. The bibs were functional if not the prettiest. I recently found bibs that I could purchase that had that same dual layer idea but were way cuter than anything my relatives and I could  have thought up.

Patoshi has created these super cute bandana style bibs. As I mentioned above they are dual layered with the underside created from a layer of fleece. These bibs are incredibly soft and really absorbent.

Another bonus for me is that these bibs do not use Velcro for the closure. As many of you already know, Velcro on children's clothes don't always work. The Velcro has a very limited life span and quickly loses its ability to fasten as the little hooks and loops age. These bandana bibs use good old fashioned metal snap closures. It also has three different positions so that baby can feasibly wear these from 3 months to 2 years.

As always feedback, questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome. Please remember to follow the blog and register your email address at the top of the page to have new posts delivered right to your email inbox and never miss an update.

Disclaimer: please be aware that any item mentioned in this blog may have been received for free or at a discount in exchange for a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this blog are my own regardless of how the items were acquired.

Mommy's Day Off

So my day to myself included hanging out with my best friend, reading an awesome book, and making something called wine gummies.

Hanging out with the bestie, would not be complete without fermented grape juice, the drink of the gods in Greek mythology, or to my children "mommy juice". Usually hanging out with her is more like a festival celebrating the Greek god Dionysus.

Recently while browsing Pinterest, I came across an interesting idea. Using wine as a base for a gummy bear. So I packed up some of my wine is a plastic transportable wine bottle.





This travel bottle, made by Wine Anytime, is made of extra thick plastic. It absolutely does not leak. It can can hold a full 750ml bottle of wine to boot. I love it because it makes it easier to my wine places where glass bottles are not allowed or where the bottles might break (like in my trunk). At first I was afraid that it would be a pain to fill but it is surprisingly easy. I do inflate the bag first to make it just a little easier.






Wine Fruit Snacks – Wine Gummy Bears (or Hearts—whatever shape you want to make them!)
1 cup wine
4 Tbsp gelatin (I always use this kind)
1/2 tsp stevia (optional)
2 -4 Tbsp maple syrup (I always use Grade B, but any kind will work)


Click to see the original recipe.

I simplified this recipe a bit. Instead of using both stevia and maple syrup, I used honey. The main reason why I opted for honey is because it dissolves in liquids really well. Considering the trick to making really good gummies is to get the gelatin to dissolve not having to worry about the sweetener dissolving is a boon.

Once the wine had heated up, the grainy texture of the gelatin disappears and then you know it is ready to pour into whatever mold you choose.

I happened to have a silicone gummy bear mold.

My silicone mold is made by Status Kitchen, and thankfully came with a little dropper to cleanly fill each cavity.

I added all the ingredients into a zip top baggie, and then submerged the baggie in a pot of simmering water to help heat up the wine without breaking down any of the alcohol molecules in the wine. I, then used the dropper to fill each mold cavity and then set it in the fridge for 1-2 hours to set up.

The gummies that come out are absolutely adorable and well formed. The silicone releases the gummies easily without having to oil everything.

At the end of the day, back at home with my adorable little wine bear gummies, I curled up on the couch to finish reading the book I was working on; Wanderers: The Apprentice.

With this second installment in the Wanderer series, our journey with Rafe picks up shortly after where it left off in the first book. True to her word, Fate has found Rafe an apprentice to train. This is important now more than ever since Rafe has learned that he is one of the last of his kind. However, Fate has broken tradition. Rafe's new apprentice is female. Considering the side effects that working magic with a partner can cause is going to make training the new apprentice interesting for Rafe.

This book feels as though we take a short break from the over arching story of Rafe's pursuit of Rowle and the quest to stop Ragnarok. The story is full of action and there is rarely a lull. It is also fully of twists and turns that will surprise the reader and keep them guessing who Rafe can actually trust.

The story does tackle complex relationship themes like sexual tensions that often arise between mentor and trainee when consisting of opposite genders as well as the complex emotional state of obligation and responsibility that can cloud judgement when those you care for are in danger.

This plot is a great follow up to the storm that Bamberg started brewing in book 1.



As always feedback, questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome. Please remember to follow the blog and register your email address at the top of the page to have new posts delivered right to your email inbox and never miss an update.

Disclaimer: please be aware that any item mentioned in this blog may have been received for free or at a discount in exchange for a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this blog are my own regardless of how the items were acquired.

New Year and Resolutions

 And so on December 31, we said goodbye to another year, and welcomed in a New Year. None was more happy to do so than I. 2015 was one of the roughest I have encountered yet. However, I am not one to dwell on the past. I constantly look and move forward.

With a New Year traditionally comes New Year Resolutions. I learned growing up that trying to hold myself to something is difficult and in my early teens started picking out easy resolutions, the kind that are impossible to fail so that I would not disappoint myself. (Yes, I realize that, that is kind of cheating in itself.)

Last year, one of my co-workers introduced me to a new New Year's Resolution plan. Instead of picking out just one resolution to stick to for the entire year, you pick 12, one resolution for each month. Let's face it, sticking to a resolution for at most 30-31 days is a lot more manageable that trying to stick to it for the entire year, so one is more likely to keep that resolution because of the more reasonable time scale.

So, with emulation of my co-worker last year, I have decided to do the same.

For January, my resolution is to take better care of my skin. 2016 is the beginning of my third decade of life and so far my skin has been pretty good to me. I have had a few issues with hormonal acne and pore size but as far as wrinkles and skin texture goes it is pretty awesome. Probably the two biggest things I have done for my skin so far in my life is not over exposing it to the sun and not smoking. Both of which I have seen take a very serious toll on women's skin, making ones who are much younger than me look a great deal older. I have even seen former classmates look up to 10-20 years older because of their habit and the toll it takes on their skin.

And so as part of a new way to take care of my skin I have added an exfoliating scrum and face mask to my weekly face washing routine. My favorite for the moment is Valentia Skin Detoxifying Clay Mask AND Eternal Youth Exfoliating Scrub. 




Both products from Valentia boast to be All Natural and Cruelty Free.


This Exfoliating Scrub:

- Brightens & revives skin
- Improves skin tone & texture
- Removes dead skin cells
- Softens the skin
- Prevents future breakouts


The scrub is made of the ingredients listed below.

- Green and White Tea:Packed with polyphenols and potent antioxidants that provide anti-inflammatory, anti-irritant, and anti-aging effects.
- Aloe Vera:This nutrient rich botanical moisturizes the skin and fights aging by improving skin firmness.
- Jojoba Beads:Gentle beads that work to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells without scratching the skin.
- Olive, Avocado & Kukui Butter:This nutrient dense trio is rich in Vitamin A, B, D, and E helps nourish, hydrate, and repair the skin while combating pro-aging free radicals.

The smell of the scrub is nice, light and almost fruity. The texture of it at first leave quite a bit to be desired.








The gelatinous texture of it is very off-putting for me. I have to win an internal battle just to stick my fingers into the container to swoop out some goop. Once I do, though, and start massaging it into my skin everything is fine. The scrub works well to cut through dirt and oil and even makeup that is on my face. After washing, my face feels soft smooth and like it can breath again.


This Antioxidant Rich Clay Mask:
- Draws out skin impurites
- Improves skin tone
- Reduces pore size
- Firms & strengthens the skin
- Leaves skin feeling smoother



The Clay Mask's ingredients include:


- Kaolin Clay:Clay minerals draw impurities, improve skin tone, and tighten pores for smoother firmer skin.
- Plant Stem Cells:Naturally decreases the level of pro-aging toxins and works to soother the skin, reduce redness, and improve evenness.
- Spirulina:A botanical stimulant full of vitamins that hydrates the skins surface and contributes to tissue regeneration of the skin.
- CoQ10:Lessens the appearance of wrinkles by reducing free radical damage and stimulating health collagen production.
- Hibiscus & Cranberry Fibers:Both lend their anti-aging properties to firm and reinforce the skin, helping to reduce the creation of new wrinkles.






This mask is a little on the thin side for what I like clay masks to be. I am used to heavy clay from the Dead Sea masks. This one is more like a cream. It has a very light and botanical smell and it dries usually within 20-25 minutes.

After using both the scrub and the mask, my face feels soft and smooth and even clear of oil. They do not feel like they dried out my skin, and my skin actually feels like it has been moisturized without any residue. So far, I have not had any new significant break outs, but I haven't really noticed any significant change in my pore size.


As always feedback, questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome. Please remember to follow the blog and register your email address at the top of the page to have new posts delivered right to your email inbox and never miss an update.

Disclaimer: please be aware that any item mentioned in this blog may have been received for free or at a discount in exchange for a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this blog are my own regardless of how the items were acquired.

Post Christmas Giveaway Winner Announcement

Congratulations to Kimberly Barker, winner of the new ear buds.

May they serve you well and bring several audiobooks to your ears.

Happy listening!


As always feedback, questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome. Please remember to follow the blog and register your email address at the top of the page to have new posts delivered right to your email inbox and never miss an update.

Disclaimer: please be aware that any item mentioned in this blog may have been received for free or at a discount in exchange for a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this blog are my own regardless of how the items were acquired.

Dori, the Four-Legged Child

I normally keep my pets out of the blog, mainly because I was wanting to one day start up a sister blog to Reviewing Whirlwind that would focus on them. I will probably still do that. However, my Beagle/Boxer mix has had a pretty awesome month.

But first let me tell you a little bit more about her. Shortly after my husband and I bought our house (with a yard I might add) I convinced him that it was time for me to get my English Bulldog or one of several other breeds I wanted. We searched online and the local papers but nothing was really striking our fancy. Finally our search took us to the Lexington Humane Society. There we found several beautiful PitBulls, but where we have children under the age of 13 we were not eligible to adopt any of them.

Just as we were about ready to call it a day, we happened across Dori's pen. She looked pitiful just laying in her little bed. After a few minutes of coaxing she finally came up to the door to check us out. We arranged for a "meeting" and we were walked to a back room where they brought her in. She was so chill and calm and just what we were looking for in a pet.

My husband, completely enamored with the dog insisted she was the one. We filled out the paperwork and brought Dori home. There have been a lot of growing pains with adding her to our family. From what I can tell, she has not really had much in the way of training and she has a tendency to be really excitable as well as anxious.

When we brought her home, we found that she had not been housebroken, and frequently had accidents in the house. From there she and I have worked hard together and she has made some great strides. She has been crate trained and calms down quickly when she is sent to her bed. She does still have accidents from time to time, but that has greatly decreased since the implementation of the crate.

Last month, I decided that we should work towards other behaviors now that some of the basics were addressed.





I found this training kit from Pet's Mum. It comes with just about everything you need to get started including a dogwhistle and a clicker. While she has been really slow to respond to the whistle (read as she completely ignores it) the clicker has worked really well. We have quickly made strides to conquer "Sit" and "Down". Next up will be "Come" and "Stay". 






As far as incentives go, I do give her treats. Lately we have been trying Purina's new Beyond dog treats (free samples courtesy of Smiley360). These treats are amazing. They actually smell like their ingredients.

Previously, we had been using Milkbone treats (those are ok) but the generic dog treats I had found were awful. While the dogs liked them, they smelled bad. I could smell the dogs eating them from across the room. I feel much better with Dori eating these treats especially knowing that they are made with animal protein first and foremost and lack grain fillers.

Dori seems to approve of them too!! :)


To learn more about Purina Beyond Dog Snacks or how to get free samples to try from Smiley360 click the link below.

http://h5.sml360.com/-/1l7g2



As always feedback, questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome. Please remember to follow the blog and register your email address at the top of the page to have new posts delivered right to your email inbox and never miss an update. Disclaimer: please be aware that any item mentioned in this blog may have been received for free or at a discount in exchange for a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this blog are my own regardless of how the items were acquired.