Sunday, January 24, 2016

Fitness & Coffee Sundays: RAW Protein & Greens


I once thought protein shakes & drinks were just something that we're tricked into buying just because it was advertised on a workout DVD. However, protein is the #1 key factor in growing muscles, so adding a bit more into your diet is a must for anyone that is exercising, especially if you are lifting weights. 

You have to watch out on what kind of drinks/shakes that you buy as many of them have way too much sugar and fat, as well as other unwanted ingredients. 

Garden of Life has recently released a brand-new line of protein mixes, titled RAW Protein & Greens, which features an organic plant formula featuring organic spinach, kale, broccoli and alfalfa grass juice. There are currently three different flavors: Lightly Sweet (No Stevia), Chocolate Cacao, and Vanilla.

Did I say these were organic?

Yep! Each RAW Protein & Greens is USDA Organic, NON GMO Verified, Certified Vegan, Certified B and Certified NSF. It's free from gluten, dairy, soy, tree nuts, added sugars (except for the Lightly Sweet flavor), filler ingredients, artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives. One serving has 1.5 Billion Live Probiotics and 13 Enzymes. 

RAW Protein & Greens: Chocolate Cacao

All three flavors have an unique Organic RAW Protein & Greens Blend, featuring Organic Sprouted Brown Rice Protein, Organic Pea Protein, Organic Spinach (leaf), Organic Chia Protein, Organic Alfalfa Grass Juice, Organic Broccoli (stalk & flower), Organic Navy Bean (sprout), Organic Lentil Bean (sprout), Organic Garbanzo Bean (sprout), Organic Carrot (root), Organic Beet (root) and Organic Kale (leaf).

RAW Protein & Greens: Vanilla
Additionally, each flavor has also contains a RAW Probiotic & Enzyme Blend of Lipase, Protease, Aspergillopepsin, beta-Glucanase, Cellulase, Bromelain, Phytase, Lactase, Papain, Peptidase, Pectinase, Xylanase and Hemicellulase (Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus bulgaricus) (1.5 Billion CFU).

Friday, January 22, 2016

Book Blogger Hop: January 22nd - 28th

Book Blogger Hop

Welcome to the new Book Blogger Hop!

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 @ Silver's Reviews!

Can you recall a time in your life when you were not reading?

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: 


  Nope!

Linky List:

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Review - Rotten School: The Good, the Bad and the Very Slimy


ISBN: B0140D9F94; Pages: 110
Don't you like it when a title of a book puts a spin on a movie title?

Well, usually I don't care for this as I think it is basically a ripoff. However, I do like the title of the third Rotten School book, titled Rotten School: The Good, the Bad and the Very Slimy, which is a spoof of the Clint Eastwood film, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. I'm an Eastwood fan, so the title doesn't bother me at all.

Published back in 2005 by Parachute Press, the third installment in the R.L. Stine series once again centers on the fourth-grader Bernie Bridges, who is the #1 troublemaker at the private school, Rotten School. All the students are excited about the upcoming dance, well, all except for Bernie, who is being stalked by Jennifer Ecch. She's the tallest, biggest student and she has a huge crush of Bernie, but he wants nothing to do with her.

Actually, Bernie has his own crush, April-May-June - the prettiest girl in the school. As soon as he heard about the dance, he made plans to ask her as his date. Unfortunately, she only agrees to go out with him if he changes his ways and becomes the best student in school. This means no more tricks or cons; and he must improve his grades.

Bernie accepts the bet. Studying is easy, right?

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Review - Mary Higgins Clark: Bestselling Mysteries: 5 Movie Collection


Rated: PG-13, R; 473 minutes
When it comes to mystery authors, one of the first names that comes to mind is Mary Higgins Clark, who has over fifty novels in publication. Her first mystery novel, Where Are The Children?, was published in 1975 and is now in its seventy-fifth printing! The novel was adapted into the a feature film in 1986. Mill Creek Entertainment has recently released the 2-disc DVD set Mary Higgins Clark: Bestselling Mysteries: 5 Movie Collection, which features Where Are The Children?; The Cradle Will Fall; Lucky Day; Loves Music, Loves To Dance; and All Around The Town.

Where Are The Children? happens to be the first novel that I ever read by Mary Higgins Clark, back when I was a teenager. Though I enjoyed reading the book, I wasn't even aware that there was a movie until I heard about the DVD release. Directed by Bruce Malmuth, the film stars Jill Clayburgh, Max Gail, Harley Cross, Elizabeth Wilson and Barnard Hughes.

Similar to many book-to-film adaptions, this is more of a watered-down version or the original story. The plot involves Nancy Harmon's son and daughter going missing on the seventh anniversary (which happens to also be on her birthday) of other children's, from a previous marriage, disappearance. Of course the police believes she is the prime suspect.

Despite the R-Rating, the film is pretty tame and could have been rated PG-13. I watched the film early this morning, and it wasn't that bad of a movie. Yes, the directing was a little choppy and the music was campy, but it kept my interests for 97-minutes running time.

Cradle Will Fall was published in 1980 and was adapted into a made-for-television movie in 2004, starring Angie Everhart and Ralston. The plot involves Prosecutor Katie De Maio investigating the suicide of a pregnant woman. She quickly realizes that the woman was murdered. As she gets closer to unraveling the murder mystery, she fears that she'll be the next victim.

Monday, January 18, 2016

Review - Vampire Hunter by Victoria Danann


ASIN: B01APIXTJ0; Pages: 279
My taste for vampire tales have slowly deteriorated over the years, mostly thanks to the overrated and over-hyped Twilight Saga. Nevertheless, since I am a horror fan, I'm always open to reading a new spin on the vampire lore.

Now available to read from 7th House Publishing, Imprint of Andromeda LLC is the newest novel by author Victoria Danann, titled Vampire Hunter (Rammel Hawkings 1). It's a prequel story to the Order of the Black Swan series, featuring the fan favorite character, Rammel Hawking.

I'm not the biggest fan of prequels (books or movies) as to me they always seem unneeded and feel a little forced upon the reader/viewer. I wasn't aware that Vampire Hunter was a prequel to the author's other works (which I have read a few of her other titles), well, until I started reading it this week and, then, I quickly realized that I read about the elf, Rammel Hawking in My Familiar Stranger and The Witch's Dream.

Yes, I said an elf. Victoria Danann has created an unique world with fairies (faes), elves, vampires and other mythical creatures, all of which sometimes tangle with the lives of humans. There are no glittering vampires here, which is a good thing.

Vampire Hunter picks up when Rammel is just a royal kid who likes to run wild in the forest until he runs into Liam O'Torvall, the mayor of Black-On-Terry. Like any gentleman, Liam feeds the boy and escorts him back to his home. Little did he know that Rammel's father, the king, would later let the boy live by himself, somewhat as a hermit; leaving Liam and his wife to occasionally look after the boy.

Interesting Device Statistics: Times, They Are a Changin'


 


The world has changed dramatically over the past few decades. One of the biggest reasons for the change has been technological innovations. Technology such as the modern Internet, WiFi, broadband, wired networks, cell phones, smart phones, tablets, laptops, e-commerce, GPS, and numerous other innovations have changed the world into a digital world.






The Digital World

The evolution into a digital world now allows people do almost any daily task online. People can go online to shop, pay bills, communicate with friends, socialize, look for a mate, listen to music, look at a movie, watch the news, watch a sporting event, download media, and a variety of other things. Twenty years ago it would have been hard to imagine the things people are doing now with the use of modern technology.

Interesting Device Statistics

With the popularity of mobile tech, here are some statistics that are simply astonishing:

1. Roughly 6.8 billion people use mobile phones. Amazingly that is almost 90% of the World’s population.
2. 56% of Americans own a smartphone.
3. 34% of adults own a tablet device.

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Review - Mermaid Moon



ISBN: 978-1401690281; Pages: 352
I've been of fan of Colleen Coble's writings for a few years now, and I was excited about her newest novel Mermaid Moon when I signed up to review it. However, after receiving the book, I left it on the coffee table and a few other books got piled on top of it, so I almost completely forgot that I had to post a review for it for today. I can speed read when I want to and that is exactly what I had to do tonight.

Mermaid Moon is book two of "A Sunset Cove" series, but you don't have to read the first book as this is a standalone story. It centers on Mallory Davis, a woman that hasn't been to back to her hometown in Maine for the past fifteen years. Well, that all changes when she gets a mysterious call from her father that sends her home to Mermaid Point to confront her past.

Unfortunately, Mallory comes to the revelation that her father was murdered. She begins her own investigation on what events lead to her father's death and she enlists the help of an old friend, game warden Kevin O'Connor. Actually, Kevin was more than just a friend, she was in relationship with him years ago and ended up breaking his heart.

As the two try to put aside their differences to solve the case, danger lurks around every corner, resulting in Mallory, as well as her teenager daughter, Haylie, receiving death threats. To unravel the identity of her father's killer, Mallory must heal her own personal wounds and learn to forgive her past.