My beautiful new fake Cedar Bonsai tree from Silk Plants Direct

Isn't this fake cedar bonsai adorable? I've always had a deep fascination with Japan. I thought to bring in elements of Japan into my home so that I could feel the beauty of it without being there. Silk plants are popular today because they don't require much maintenance other than a cleaning every once in a while due to dust. It's amazing how real plants can look today. Sure, live plants are gorgeous and have a nice scent to them but they also come with drawbacks. I hate plant gnats/bugs that come with them plus I have somewhat of a brown thumb if you will. I could never keep something so delicate like a bonsai alive without failing. This is my fail-proof way to enjoy a bonsai plant.

I currently have my Cedar Bonsai sitting on my shelf mantle to enjoy when guests enter my home. I think it looks great against wood grain. This particular bonsai plant cost $60.99.

There's a ton more faux silk plants to choose from if you fancy it. They also have fake palm trees as well.

http://www.commercialpalmtrees.com/services

You can buy your own Cedar Bonsai silk plant from this site here: http://www.silkplantsdirect.com/cedar-bonsai-green-pack-of-1-c6694s.html


Feel free to use my special code “ BLOGGER10 “ and get 10% Off your order except for custom made orders.

Please enjoy more photos of my bonsai below

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I did get a pair of spider web votive candle holders as well from the same site. They have a ton of unique looking decor that's fun and hard to find anywhere else. They kind of remind me of Hobby Lobby, Michael's or TJMaxx. The way the products come packaged is perfect. There would never ever be a problem of anything coming broken.

These particular votive holders are hardy but fragile. They have a very high quality to them.

I need to come back and update the page here to show the link of this product. For some reason I can't find it, sorry! These would be great to have out for Halloween or some sort of fancy goth decor. I will be putting these back out in October for sure.

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Shatter Your Senses! 2017

I'm a total fan of Ripley's Believe It or Not so this was a fun one for me to review. Like always the books never disappoint me. This is great to look at and read with your children if you have any. I think this is also a good book for gift giving or to even keep in your living room. This is also a great book to flip through in the bathroom lol. There's so many interesting things to learn about. Open your mind and explore the world of Ripley's Believe It or Not! Shatter Your Senses!

Filled with remarkable photos and shocking stories, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Shatter Your Senses! is the newest book in the
bestselling series from Ripley Publishing—so incredible you won’t believe your eyes…or ears or nose!

With over 1,500 all new—and all true—stories to immerse yourself in, Shatter Your Senses! is not just an acquired taste. With sections like Animals, Pop Culture, People, and Beyond Belief, there is something interesting for every reader—guaranteed to inform, entertain, and inspire.

Experience some of the stories that are sure to Shatter Your Senses!

• SEE the world’s most expensive dress ever sold at auction, worn by starlet Marilyn Monroe and covered in over 6,000 rhinestones!

• TASTE the freaky foods featured—from starfish skewers on the streets of Beijing to Australia’s witchetty grub!

• FEEL the heat as you read about Taiwan’s traditional fire fishing!

• SMELL the fresh air—which is sold to tourists in Guangdong Province, China, by the bag!

• HEAR the crowds roar as performers like AcroBritt, Short E. Dangerously, Captain and Maybelle, and Hammer Head take the stage in Ripley’s Exclusive interviews, showcasing their unbelievable talents!

You can purchase this book here on Amazon conveniently :  https://www.amazon.com/Ripleys-Believe-Shatter-Senses-ANNUAL/dp/1609911784/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513966123&sr=8-1&keywords=ripleys+believe+it+or+not+2017

Elf Star 12 Layer Cotton Muslin Washcloths for my rescue kittens

There's always a use for many things in the cat/kitten rescue world. I foster kittens all the time. It's never a dull moment. I do have few washcloths in my arsenal but these were different. I got a 10 pack of washcloths as a donation from this wonderful company called Elf star on Amazon. ( Thank you so much!!)

I usually use warm wet washcloths to clean up kitty eyes when they have an upper respiratory infection. These are a little different looking than what I am used to. These are long and can be draped over a shoulder if you wanted to use it with a human baby. You can use it for burping the baby. It still works for my purposes but I figured they could be like mini towels when I get the really tiny baby kittens to work with.

These washcloths are so thick and plush. They are also very soft. I think I would rather use this than towel fiber for my kitties.

My current kittens are a little too big for it to be wrapped around their whole body but they are 9 weeks old now. This will fit around a 4-5 week old easily.

Here's little Alfred my 4 month old Siamese foster draped over one of the washcloths like a baby would be. Handsome right?


You can BUY these washcloths on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0772PL3VZ

Gourmia Pressure cooker & easy Salsa chicken

(Want to skip my whole blog post? Scroll all the way down to the bottom to watch my youtube video showing it off)

This is my first pressure cooker and I was definitely a little scared but interested to try a new cooking device in my kitchen. I think this is kind of like the popular instapot. I'm used to using a crockpot in my kitchen for slow cooked meals such as beef stews and chili. The big difference in my opinion is that a pressure cooker and make super quick meals while a slow cooker you pretty much dump everything in and turn it on to leave it to cook for 4-6 hours.

So taking out the pressure cooker I noticed it's a little bigger than my crock pot but lighter in weight. This cooker comes with a recipe booklet but you can find many more recipes very easily online. While the recipes looked easy I didn't want to start with anything too complicated. I just wanted to test it out and see what would happen if I did something really simple. I wanted to do something someone could come home from work to and just dump a few things in and be done with it.

I decided to make Salsa chicken. I was just making a quick dinner for my boyfriend and myself. In went two chicken breasts and a cup of salsa with about a cup and some of beef broth. I do regret putting the amount of broth I did because it was too much moisture in my opinion. I added a few extra spices like chili powder and cumin. If I had fresh cilantro I probably would have added that as well.

I just closed the top basically and pressed the poultry button. Here's how it looked in the pot after it was done. It took about 15-20 minutes. You have to let it build pressure after you press the button. Think about an oven pre-heating. Then the timer will start to go. When it's done you have to turn the exhausted valve so the steam comes out. Don't open the top after something is done or the top might cause some sort of catastrophic accident.

Here's the plated meal. I just threw some microwave mashed potatoes on the plate. It was good but I think I would have liked it to be a little more tender if possible. I think I would have to manually set the timer for more time maybe. So for me, you are sacrificing tenderness for a super quick meal. Do I love my crock pot ? Yes. Do I love my pressure cooker? Yes. They both have their time and place in my kitchen. I loved how I didn't need to spend a lot of time making a quick dinner and that is awesome especially when you hear ,"I'm hungry" so many times during the day.

You can buy your own Gourmia Pressure Cooker here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0747S9XL2

So here's a video I made to show off the pressure cooker.

Bear on the Chair - The perfect gift for anyone

I have seen the Bear on the Chair around and I thought I would check it out for review. This stuffed bear is adorable. I don't have young kids but that would certainly be the target for this product. We have a bear with interchangeable happy and sad face patches that go on his shirt. This will let anyone know if someone is happy or sad with something they don't want to directly convey. I think this would be perfect for parents to use. I made a whole video explaining my thoughts on it which you can view down below from my YouTube channel

Right now Bear on the Chair is available to purchase for only $20 directly on their site.

https://www.bearonthechair.com

Snippet from their site:

Created by child inventor, Symonne, Bear On The Chair® is quickly becoming a must have for positive parenting. Whether you are trying to motivate your child to brush their teeth, go to bed on time, clean up their toys, or eat their veggies--Bear On The Chair® is the solution!


Here's a few more photos of this bear. I think its fantastic and I recommend it as a Christmas gift this year for everyone. Positive reinforcement is always the way to go.  #bearonthechair

Our experience with a Fiber Gummy - BeLive Prebiotic Fiber Gummies for Digestive Health

What an easy way to take fiber. Who wants to take metamucil for extra fiber? Not I! Gummies are the way to go for vitamins nowadays so I'm happy to see Prebiotic fiber available in gummy form as well. They're pretty tasty especially for being sugar-free. Only $11.99 for a bottle of 40 gummies and you only have to take 1 a day. Not bad for a little more than a months worth of supplements. We love it and can see a difference in our daily digestive health with only a few days use.

You can find the link to buy this tasty fiber gummy here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075STV918

Benefits of a high-fiber diet

A high-fiber diet has many benefits, which include:

Normalizes bowel movements. Dietary fiber increases the weight and size of your stool and softens it. A bulky stool is easier to pass, decreasing your chance of constipation. If you have loose, watery stools, fiber may help to solidify the stool because it absorbs water and adds bulk to stool.

Helps maintain bowel health. A high-fiber diet may lower your risk of developing hemorrhoids and small pouches in your colon (diverticular disease). Some fiber is fermented in the colon. Researchers are looking at how this may play a role in preventing diseases of the colon.

Lowers cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber found in beans, oats, flaxseed and oat bran may help lower total blood cholesterol levels by lowering low-density lipoprotein, or "bad," cholesterol levels. Studies also have shown that high-fiber foods may have other heart-health benefits, such as reducing blood pressure and inflammation.

Helps control blood sugar levels. In people with diabetes, fiber — particularly soluble fiber — can slow the absorption of sugar and help improve blood sugar levels. A healthy diet that includes insoluble fiber may also reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Aids in achieving healthy weight. High-fiber foods tend to be more filling than low-fiber foods, so you're likely to eat less and stay satisfied longer. And high-fiber foods tend to take longer to eat and to be less "energy dense," which means they have fewer calories for the same volume of food.
Another benefit attributed to dietary fiber is prevention of colorectal cancer. However, the evidence that fiber reduces colorectal cancer is mixed.