Ringo Starr: Icon (CD)

Ringo Starr: Icon

I got this CD for Joe as a Christmas present, as he's always been a big fan of Ringo. 

I ended up liking the CD just as much as he does. ;-)

I've always been a huge Beatle fan, right from the time in the mid-60's when they first came over from England to the US and captured the hearts of fans everywhere, including me, as a (very) ;-) young child. 

My brothers (all older than me) REALLY got into the groove: wearing Beatle boots (remember those?), sporting the long, shaggy Beatle haircut and lapel-less sport jackets. 

The Twist and Shout (MONO LP and bought for $5 and change at the time!!) played almost endlessly, when we all got home from school. As we danced and sang our way around the house, 'til suppertime. Such happy, groovy memories! 

In those early days, Ringo always seemed like the "joker" of the group, "Mr. Cut-Up", in spite of being a very talented drummer. But he certainly proved in the years to follow that he is also a talented singer, producer and all-around musician. This ICON CD is proof of that, in a big way. 

I love the variety of songs on this CD. Every one is different and unique. 

My particular favs are: Only You, You're Sixteen and Walk With You, but I enjoy them all. 

And just like those Beatle tunes all those years ago, this CD gets me up and grooving around the living room too! ;-)

The sound quality is excellent on this CD. 

And what a great price: currently only $5. at Amazon.ca and $7. at Amazon.com. That is kind of weird, as online Canadian prices are almost always higher than US. But I'm not complaining. 

If you are a fan of the Beatles and in particular Ringo, this is a CD you will definitely want to add to your collection. 

ROCK ON RINGO! :-)

Overall rating for this product: Excellent. 5 out of 5.  

Dr. Woods Baby Mild Castile Soap (Bar)

Dr. Woods Baby Mild Castile Soap

I am really impressed by this bar soap! :-)

• Excellent ingredient list (almost all organic). And what we use on our skin IS absorbed into the body. It is so important to check those ingredient lists!
• Generous sized bar (5.25 oz).
• Triple milled so it doesn't melt down too quickly in the soap dish like so many other natural bar soaps. 
• Leaves skin clean but it's not drying. 
• Great price (less than $5 at most stores/sites) especially considering the quality of ingredients and the size of the bar.
• I use this soap for removing make-up, including mascara and it works fine. Really cleans in spite of it being mild enough for babies.
• Cruelty-free.
• Unscented ( I really appreciate that). Ideal for sensitive skin (and noses)! ;-)
• 100% vegan.
• Contains NO paraben, phthalates, SLS's, petroleum.
• Made with Fair Trade ingredients
• Packed in a simple paper box (no plastic) so it's easy to recycle.

Dr. Woods Baby Mild Castile Soap is my new "go to" soap for facial and body cleansing.

 I've been looking for a really good bar soap for a LONG time and I've finally found one I am happy with, for so many reasons.

Dr. Woods also makes a variety of other products including liquid soaps, skin- lightening soaps, scented bars...you can read more at the company's website.

Overall rating for this product: Excellent. 5 out of 5.

NeuTab® G7 7 inch GSM 4G Quad Core Tablet (Phablet)

I was not happy with this NeuTab phablet (phablet: a combination tablet with cell phone option) for a number of reasons. It is now on its way back to Amazon.ca for a refund.

I had bought this primarily to use as an ereader and replacement for my Kindle Fire (which I loved but the battery died).

What DON'T I like:

To begin with, the screen on this phablet is quite narrow for reading books on it, not ideal for this purpose.

The booklet that comes with it is basically useless. For eg: they say to insert sim card but no diagram is shown how the sim card compartment is even accessed, on the back of the unit. No photo of the parts of the unit either. I had assumed it was just a slot on the side of the tablet but it is actually enclosed and you need to snap off the plastic cover to get to it. I didn't want to break something trying to do this so I went to YouTube to see how to go about this. I shouldn't have had to do that!

Then, after charging the unit, I tried to adjust the volume for the keyboard, it was set with an annoying "tap, tap..." sound. couldn't find how to adjust that, the sound option only adjusted the volume on the tablet, not the keyboard.

I also tried to find the clear history option, again couldn't find it anywhere. Tried security tab, etc... not there.

I also noted smudges and marks on the back of the unit when it arrived. Not pristine as expected. Perhaps a refurbished unit, not sure about that but it was being sold as "new".

I then tried to get some answers from the NeuTab customer support. 
Now, over a week later still no reply and no option to phone them either.

Not a good start and I am not impressed by this company at all.

If I have to wait and wait... for an email for support, I know it's not a company I want to interact with, right from the get-go. That is where Amazon usually leads by a mile. If only they would get those Fire tablets back at Amazon.ca!

Overall rating for this product: Unsatisfactory. 1 out of 5

How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months by John Locke

As an indie author, I have read a LOT of kindle marketing books. 

Some good, some so-so and some, just plain bad. 

John Locke's: How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months falls into the GOOD category and for a number of reasons.

First of all, this is an author who really can show that his ideas DO work, not some "pie in the sky" suggestions from someone who has never achieved any success with their own books. 

Locke has definitely done well, going from selling only a few books each month, to thousands and then into the millions on Amazon! And he shares his own success story in a personable and entertaining way.

He also shares not only what worked for him but also what didn't, I appreciated that.

There is only so much time in a day and as a writer, I want to focus on writing and also on marketing strategies that have been proven as worthy of my time. Again, his own background as a very successful author of numerous kindle books gives credibility to his many tips and marketing strategies.

Mr. Locke also mentions (repeatedly) how important his readers and fans are to him and says that he answers all emails personally. He also seemed to sincerely mean that. So I wrote to him after completing the book. I'm still waiting on a reply, but hopefully he will deliver on that promise. :-)

As for the reviews he is suppose to have paid for (as some Amazon reviewers have mentioned) obviously this is not something I agree with or condone. But would that actually account for the kind of phenomenal success that he has achieved as an author? To some small extent perhaps, but it is definitely not the whole story. Whether he is a completely ethical person or not, the fact remains, he does know what works and what doesn't when it comes to book marketing. And he provides a lot more in this book than what most other successful authors/marketers have to share.

One small negative, the formatting of this eBook is not the best. The paragraphs on many pages run together with not even a little space between them. Doesn't add to the presentation and yes, I do think that is important too. A small point though in comparison to the quality content of this eBook.

Overall rating for this eBook: Very Good. 4 out of 5

Holiday Greetings from Me and Mr. Cheddar! :-)

We are busy promoting Cheddie's new eBook right now so will be taking a break from blogging until the New Year.

We Wish You a Very Merry Christmas and a Furrbulous New Year ;-)

Mr. Cheddar's Meowsings! Kibbles of Wisdom from a Wise and Witty Feline

Mr. Cheddar is now a published feline!!! ;-)

You can read all about his new ebook here. 

Happy Reading and Week from me and (feline author): Mr. C!!!

Andalou Naturals Sunflower & Citrus Styling Gel

This is the best hair gel I've tried to date! :-)

A superior ingredient list, reasonably priced and it really works with thick unruly hair, like I have. 

You can read my full review here.

Overall rating for this product: Very Good. 4 out of 5

A Holiday Poem AND My Gift Suggestion List For 2015 (10 Under $20) :-)

The

first of

December

brought thoughts

of Christmas magic.

The Day, so soon to arrive.

Our expectations ran high.

Through snow days and blizzards.

Making a list and checking it twice.

Santa’s letter printed and ready to mail.

Christmas baking: heady, wonderful aromas.

Pageants at school, with costumes of many colors.

The tall lush evergreen, centerpiece of the season.

We decorated so carefully; each bough lovingly adorned.

With some old, some new, every one used and none forgotten.

The long days of dark December. Finally, homework complete.

Sitting in the darkened living room; time alone to drift away.

Marvelling at the masterpiece of lights and shining ornaments.

Gazing far beyond to the bliss to follow. Hurry, hurry, hurry!

Christmas eve: midnight mass and carolling.Treats aplenty!

Then the long awaited, special treasures.

The secrets of shining boxes and ribbons.

Finally revealed and always worth the wait.

Off to sleep, to dream of a perfect snowy Christmas Day.

Now content, to still remember these childhood memories.

On

this

November day.

**CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE POST HERE**

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND SHOPPING!

Badger Sleep Balm

This stuff really works! :-)

BADGER SLEEP BALM

If you have trouble getting (or staying) asleep (like I often do) you can read my full review here.

Sweet Dreams! 

Overall rating for this product: Excellent. 5 out of 5.

TCM: Hitchcock Thrillers

This truly is: "Hitch" at his finest! :-)

I LOVED 3 of these movies, :-) the 4th one, not much :-(. 

You can read my full review here.

Overall rating for this product: Very Good. 4 out of 5

A Body at Bunco (Myrtle Clover cozy mystery series, book 8 )

A BODY AT BUNCO 

When I noted this cozy mystery by Elizabeth Spann Craig (click to visit her site/blog) at Amazon recently, it was the word "bunco" in the title that caught my attention first.  

Many years ago, my mom hosted bunco parties. 
At that time, I was a little girl, sneaking out of bed to see what was going on with all these ladies moving around our living room and porch, the tables, the treats...what a nice memory it brought to mind. :-)

And In case you haven't heard of BUNCO, it's a dice party game that is apparently still quite popular now.

A Body at Bunco was a real treat and Myrtle Clover is my kind of main character.

 Myrtle is spunky, sassy, opinionated (in a good way) and lives life on her own terms. 

And In spite of being in her 80s, she is not portrayed as some achy, whining older woman (which has all too often been the case in other books I've read), who is past doing anything constructive or exciting, Myrtle is still living life full-tilt and making the most of every day! ;-)

The story has LOTS of twists and turns and red herrings left along the way. Had me guessing who the real killer(s) was too, I like that. I don't like stories with obvious finales almost right from the start, that are too obvious.

Another plus with this series, the stories can be read in any order. Too often books in a series don't make sense, unless they are read in order from book 1...I appreciate that. 

I will definitely be reading more from the Myrtle Clover series! :-) Just delightful.  

Overall rating for this book: Very Good. 4 out of 5

Splendor Garden ORGANIC Herbs and Spices

I've been looking for an organic alternative to Mrs. Dash Original Seasoning Blend for a LONG time.

Happily, I recently found out about the Splendor Garden organic herb and spice company. 

And yes, they do have a perfect ORGANIC blend to substitute for Mrs. Dash. 

Check out my full review here.

HAPPY HEALTHY AND ORGANIC COOKING! :-)


Overall rating for these herb/spice products: Very Good. 4 out of 5

Taming the Hour of the Wolf by H. R. Warren

A unique, helpful and interesting book. 

If you suffer with many or even just occasional sleepless nights, check out my full review of this book:

TAMING THE HOUR OF THE WOLF

Have a great day and sweet dreams! :-)

Overall rating for this book: Excellent. 5 out of 5

Weleda Age-Revitalizing Evening Primrose Collection

I am LOVING this new facial and body care collection from Weleda!

You can read my full review here.

Have a wonderful day!!

Overall rating for this product line: Excellent. 5 out of 5.