Yeah, it's probably not a big surprise to anyone that follows this blog to find me reviewing a coffee related product as I'm a big coffee lover! I've tired many different coffee brands and I prefer beans over ground as I believe the beans have a fresher taste. I started out using just a Ninja chopper to grind the beans that is until I purchased an electric coffee grinder at a thrift store. It worked great for about a year and then it quit on me. Of course, I bought a new electric coffee grinder and it works great, but you can't grind very many beans at one time.

A few weeks ago, I was sent the Cozyna Ceramic Burr Coffee Grinder to review and as you can imagined, I was excited about trying a hand-held coffee grinder.

The Cozyna Ceramic Burr Coffee Grinder is made from stainless steel and features a Ceramic Conical Burr, so it will never rust. It will give you a wide range of grinding. You can grind the beans to the size that'll fit to whatever coffee brewer (espresso, French press, coffee maker, etc.) you are using.

I hope everyone had a good weekend. Here in the Missouri, the weather was pretty nice. The grass is now green once again, so if it doesn't unexpectedly snow again, I'll probably be mowing the yard sometime in April. Despite the warm weather, I'm going to wait a few weeks before I do any planting in the vegetable garden; just in case the temperatures does drop again.


If you follow my blog regularly, then you would know that I have anxiety issues. Well, I had to fight those issues to create my first video review last week for the ABX DVD. While I had no problems filming myself attempting to the do the workout for a highlight reel, it took me forever to record the actual review for it.


I've already started some spring cleaning this month by boxing up some Christian books that I no longer wanted to keep. My intention was to drop them off at Salvation Army, but I ended up giving them to an elderly lady who was thrilled to have the books. I already have another box full of books for her. I have two other boxes filled with non-Christian books that I plan on donating to Salvation Army, but it will have to wait until I finish going through all my books, which includes two closets.


Speaking of books, I'm taking a slight break from reviewing books, so I can do some personal reading. I squeezed in some time Saturday afternoon to read the first two chapters in Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I hope to finish reading the novel, which is around 850 pages, before the television series returns on April 4th!

An enthralling literary tale brought to life as a television drama, Outlander, based on the series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon, tells the story of an accidental time-traveler, World War II nurse Mrs. Claire Beauchamp Randall, Who finds herself hurled into the midst of an 18th century civil war in the Scottish Highlands. Socially branded as a “Sassenach,” or “Outlander” by the Scotts upon arrival, Outlander tells the story of how Claire earns her acceptance into Jacobite society; first as a healer and then as the wife of Highland warrior Jamie Fraser.

Now, after a very extended break between part one and part two of the first season, the series is set to return to Starz on April 4th. However, given the months that have passed since it was last on the air, we all need a refresher. Sparing yourself from binge watching the first half of the season (although that is an option for those with plenty of spare time and Starz Play or DTV) here’s what you’re going to need to know to be able to jump right back in on April 4th. Warning: Spoiler Alert!

Simultaneously depicting two timelines, the first eight episodes of Outlander not only reveal the progression of Claire’s life of romance and adventure with Jamie in 1743, but also tell the story of a grieving Frank Randall, Claire’s husband, who continues to look for his missing wife in 1945. While the creator, Ronald D. Moore, says that “there’s a lot of things we did in the first 30 to 40 minutes [of the pilot] that aren’t in the book or are compilations of things that happened in the book,” critics have concluded that the screen adaptation has only altered the plotline ever so slightly.

Bustle.com writer Jefferson Grubbs says that although the series’ remains faithful to the novel, the few places where the television drama departs add depth to the story. Grubbs points to the changes in the pilot that reveal Claire’s experiences as a WWII nurse; flashbacks to Frank and Claire’s marriage; depictions of Frank’s on-going grief despite the novel’s sole focus on events from Claire’s perspective, and the invented tussle between Claire and Father Bain over the healing of an injured boy. Grubbs argues that all of these changes, although minor, add depth to the story’s characters.

After introducing us first to Claire’s husband Frank Randall and then to the world of Jamie Fraser in the Scottish Highlands, intriguing events occur in the first eight episodes. From Claire’s first encounter with “Black Jack Randall” – her 20th century husband’s colder, crueler ancestor – she finds herself directly in harm’s way until she is brought under the wings of the MacKenzie Clan. The clan, involved in the ever growing Jacobite risings and suspicious of her origins, the Mackenzie men, specifically Dougal and Colum, keep Claire under a watchful eye but esteem her value as a healer – something she first demonstrated when aiding an injured Jamie.

While some studies suggest that multivitamins won't help boost a person's overall health, I happened to have a completely different opinion. Now I'm not a doctor, but I do believe that a multivitamin is an easy way to make sure you're getting the necessary daily vitamins and nutrients. If you are lifting weight, exercising or dieting regularly, then a multivitamin is a surefire way to boost your energy levels.

I've been taking a daily multivitamin for a few years now. Occasionally, I do switch brands as I like to try out new things. A few weeks ago, I was sent a bottle of Elite Man Multivitamins (90 tablets) to review. Just like other brands, the dietary supplement is meant to help you boost energy, increase stamina, improve your focus and promote proper digestion.

The ingredients include: Vitamin A, Vitmain C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Thiamine (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitmain B2), Niacin, Vitmain B6, Folic Acid, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Iodine, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Maganese, Chromium, Molydenum, Chloride, Potassiu, Choline, Citrus Bioflavonid Peel Powder Complex, RNA, Inositol, PABA, Hesperidin Complex, Elite Green and Whole Foods Blend (Oat Straw Herb Extract, Oat Herb Powder, Wheat Grass Powder, Spirulina Algae Extract, Apple Pectin Powder, Chlorella Cracked, Cell Wall Powder, Barley Grass Powder, Sodium Copper Chlorophyllin), Elite Omega Oils Blend (Flax Seed Powder, Sunflower Oil Poweder, Borage Oil Powder), Elite Energy and Focus Blend (Echinacea Purpurea Herb Powder, Ginger Root Powder, Milk Thistle Seed Poweder, Cayenne Pepper Powder, Asian Ginseng Root Extract, Ginkgo Leaf Extract, Goldenseal Root Powder), Elite Liver Cleanse Blend (Garlic Blub Powder, Wheat Grass Powder, Beet Root Powder, Carrot Root Powder, Parsley Leaf Powder, Asparagus Root Powder, Broccoli Plant Powder, Cabbage Leaf Powder, Brussels Sprout Powder, Cauliflower Blub Powder, Collards Leaf Powder), Elite Detox Blend (Grapefruit Seed Extract, Apple Fruit Powder, Papaya Fruit Powder, Peach Fruit Powder, Starwberry Fruit Powder, Cabbage Plam Fruit Powder, Cranberry Fruit Poweder, Blueberry Fruit Powder, Biberry Fruit Powder, Pomegranate Fruit Extract, Pineapple Fruit Powder, Orange Fruit Powder, Noril Fruit Extract), Elite Immunity Blend (Shiitake Mushroom Extract, Maitake Mushroom Powder, Reishi Mushroom Extract), Elite Digestive Enzyme Blend (Betaine HCI, Bromelain, Papain, Amylase, Lipase, Cellulase, Protease), Elite Colon Probiotic Blend (Bifidobacterium Bifidum, Lactobacillus Bulgaricus, Lactobacillus Acidophillus) Rutin, Quercetin, L-Glutathione, DNA, Boron and Lutein.

If you want schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

What to do:

1. Post on your blog answering this question:

  This week's question is submitted by Elizabeth!

Do you read more on a rainy day or on a gorgeous day so you can be outside?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

  

My Answer: 

 It doesn't matter what the weather is outside as I read every single day!

Don't Stay Up Late
A Fear Street Novel
by R.L. Stine
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pub. Date: April 7, 2015
ISBN: 9781250051622
Pages: 304
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:
 
It's almost hard to imagine that the Fear Street series by R.L. Stine first started in 1989! I was an eight-year-old back then and I didn't start reading the series until several years later. I believe the first book that I read in the series was Fear Street Cheerleaders: The First Evil.

The Fear Street series was extremely successful with teens throughout the 90s', but the fad disappeared quickly that is until R.L. Stine brought the series back last year with Party Games. The second novel in the new series is arriving in bookstores on April 7th and is titled Don't Stay Up Late! As you can see by the cover, the book has an 80s' horror vibe to it.

Don't Stay Up Late centers on Lisa Brooks, a teen that almost loses everything in one single car crash. After mending her wounds, she returns to Shadyside High and reunites with her boyfriend Nate and her friends Saralynn and Isaac. While the guys plan on helping Saralynn make a horror movie for her film project for school, Lisa searches for an after-school job to help her mother pay the bills.

Thanks to her shrink, Dr. Shein, Lisa gets a job babysitting Brenda Hart's eight-year-old son, Harry. There's only one rule to follow, Harry is not allowed to stay up late. Of course, Lisa thinks absolutely nothing about this rule, that is until she sees a strange green creature in the Hart's house. Of course everyone, including her shrink thinks she's crazy, but when a few murders occur, Lisa is convinced that there's a creature on the loose on Fear Street.

If you're a regular follower on my blog, then you know I've been trying to lose weight this year, which hasn't been easy thing for me as I have strained my lower-back and my knees. Plus, I had to slow down from exercising for last month because I had a nasty cold/flu virus.

After making a full recovery from my ailments, I decided to jump back into exercising. For the past two weeks, I have been trying out the new workout program called Air Bar Exercises (ABX), which created by Erin Buchanan. The program requires a 40" dowel rod, which can be purchased at almost any hardware store.

ABX was created for both men and women at any fitness level. The program focus on core strengthening, a healthy postural alignment, muscular endurance, flexibility and cardiovascular training. The DVD runs for about 60 minutes, but you can get a great workout by doing only 30 minutes. The creator Erin Buchanan challenges everyone to do the workout for at least 30 minutes for 30 days.

Most faith-based films typically get ignored by Hollywood, where they are produced by smaller production companies and either premiere as a television movie or direct-to-video. However, there has been a new interest in films with biblical themes in recent years, which such big-budget titles as Noah and Exodus: Gods and Kings. Even a few low-budget films (God's Not Dead, Heaven Is for Real, Fireproof) made an impact at the box-office.

Arriving on DVD on Tuesday March 24, 2014 from Cinedigm is the Christian film Confessions Of A Prodigal Son (Retail: $14.93; ASIN: B00R8ILF06). Directed by Allan Spiers, the film stars Kevin Sorbo, Nathan Clarkson (whom also wrote the screenplay) and Rachel Lee.

The low-budget movie didn't exactly go the traditional filming route as it was funded on Kickstarter in the spring of 2013, raising nearly $14,000 over the course of 58 days.

Confessions Of QA Prodigal Son centers on a young man named Sean Matthews (played by Nathan Clarkson), whom is struggling to find who he is suppose to be. His father (played by Kevin Sorbo) is a pastor, so he grew up with religion all around him, but somewhere he has become lost. After begging his parents to give him his college tuition early, in which they only give him half of the money, he leaves his small town and heads for the city to start a new beginning, but this life isn't exactly what he wanted it to be.

For two years, he ignored his parents phone calls as he would rather party hard with his friend Cameron (played by Azel James). As his life spirals out of control, so do his college grades. If doesn't keep get his grades up, his parents won't give him the second half of the tuition. Eventually, he starts questioning the way he has been living after he meets a lovely dancer Ali (played by Rachel Lee), whom helps him finally find his way home.

While I do have a new electric razor, I still have to use a few disposable razors if I go without shaving for a few days. Razors can be a bit pricey anymore, so I typically buy the cheapest off brand I can find.

A few weeks ago I was sent a Schick Hydro® 5 Disposables (3-Pack) to review, which I have seen in stores for around $10! The razor has five blades and it is extremely flexible, so it can curve around your face and neck, giving a closer shave.

Pros: Like I already mentioned, it has five blades and it shaves pretty close to the skin;  longer lasting than other disposable razors, so you it will last for several shaves.

You don't have to be a seamstress or a quilter to be interested in owning a sewing kit as you never know when you need a needle and thread to reattach a button to a shirt or jacket.

I received the Quick Stitch Sewing Kit a few days ago, which features a measuring tape, a thimble, 12 spools of thread (white, black, light pink, pink, tan, blue, yellow, red, green, dark blue, light blue, brown), a seam ripper, a safety pin, stainless steel scissors, three buttons, two quilting pins, two thread cutters, 16 needles in a round dispenser and a black zipper storage bag.

I'm sure many people who sew already own everything in the kit, but keeping one of these in your car or in your suitcase/bag can be a lifesaver with traveling. It also can be a great little starter kit for a new quilter or seamstress.

While I'm neither a seamstress or quilter, I do know how to cross stitch, so I was interested in the kit for the seam ripper, the needles and the scissors. I already own a seam ripper, but having an extra one can come in handy as they ends of them tend to break easily.