STMT jewelry making kit review!

Making your own jewelry can be a lot of fun, because you can make exactly what you want & how you'd like it. It can also be a great craft for kids as it keeps their hands & minds busy and focused, so if you are looking for a inexpensive & fun craft kit for your kids for the summer Horizon Group USA has plenty of them. Under their STMT (Simple Trendy Modern Touch) line they have several jewelry kits under $20, along with a jewelry stamping kit for under $25. The particular jewelry kit we were gifted to review, I do not see on amazon however they have similar kits & their products can also be found at stores such as Walmart, Target & Craft stores. 

This kit has everything you need to make ten different pieces of jewelry. Included in the kit is an assortment of chain & string types, clasps, rings, small pliers and several different types of beads and charms. There are not only earring hooks, but if you pick some up then you can use this kit to make earrings as well. For the price it comes with an awesome amount of beads & supplies, I like the assortment of letter beads that are included. The kit can be for an individual or you can make a jewelry party out of it. 

My daughter enjoyed using this kit to make some jewelry with her favorite bands names on them as some of the bands are hard to find merchandise for. I enjoyed being able to show her a few ways of closing the clasps instead of just tying it off on the ends, and being able to come up with color combinations with her. In the future we may pick up some of their other kits as well as each one has different goodies.

What kind of jewelry would you make?

Disclaimer- Horizon Group USA provided the product above for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Tyrannostorus - Visit the dinosaur themed store in Mesa,AZ!

 

We recently had a dinosaur filled afternoon when we went to Jurassic Quest live, but that wasn't the only dinosaur themed stop we made that day. We have a dinosaur themed store in Mesa that I've been wanting to check out, so while we were in the area we stopped by on our way home. I also love the dinosaur pun name the store has, it is called Tyrannostorus and it is located at 1816 W Baseline Road Mesa,AZ 85202 it is located near where the loop 101 & US 60 meet. This store has a lot to offer, even if you just go to look you'll see a ton of awesome products & I could honestly spend a fortune here given the chance. Not only is Tyrannostorus a store, but it also feels like a mini museum. I do enjoy dinosaurs, but I originally wanted to stop here because I saw online that they have a selection of framed butterflies & insects, so being a collector I wanted to see what they had to offer & I was pretty happy with their selection.

This store is packed! Everything is well organized and has it's own section that it is sorted into. They have framed butterflies and critters as mentioned above, fossils, mine your own gem bags, replicas, stuffed plushies, purses, local treats, and more. There wasn't a section of the store where I didn't spot something I would want to buy. One of my favorite parts is for gem collectors & small children who like hands on activities, you can purchase a bag of sand which contains gems and use their mining station located in the middle of the store to see which gems you ended up with. While we were in the store there was a family who had purchased a bag & there was a friendly and knowledgeable staff member assisting them & telling them all about the gems in their bag. They also have a fossil dig inside of the store that kids can do. Depending on your budget they have small bags starting at $4.99 all the way up to a 25lb kit that cost $79.99. Price wise it depends on what you are shopping for, some products are average/normal and some products I found to be a big higher than other spots I visit for similar items. The store also offers birthday party packages & private party events that come with a number of take home products. 

When you check out you can also be added to a mailing list to receive future discounts/coupons to use in the store & the staff were great. The store has an open layout so it makes it easy to browse without running into other customers. We got lucky when we stopped by & there were only four other guests in the store, you can check them out on google to find when their slower times are if you don't want to deal with a larger crowd.  The giant dinosaur skulls they have on display in the middle of the store are also pretty cool to see. I did not work together with this store on a review, this is just a spot we visited & wanted to share with my readers as we all enjoyed our visit. If you live in Arizona or plan on visiting, feel free to check out my "Things to do in Arizona" section by clicking on the link in this post or the link on the right hand side of my blog to find more cool stores, restaurants, activities & more! 

STMT DIY Geode Canvas Review!

 

Summer is quickly approaching which means the kids will be out of school & looking for things to do, that is where Horizon Group USA comes in. They have several different product lines that offer engaging craft kits for kids of all ages, and best of all most of the kits cost under twenty dollars. I have a few kits I will be sharing with you soon, but today I will be focusing on the STMT D.I.Y Geode Canvas kit which can be bought from amazon for $19.99 it can also be bought at retail stores such as Target, Walmart, Craft stores, Etc. This kit is for ages 14+ which I recommend sticking close to the age range if they are doing it on their own, otherwise if you will be supervising children slightly younger can do this kit as well.

The geode canvas is a resin pouring kit, it can get a little messy so make sure you are using proper protection over your work space. I laid down a table cloth & we also used one of the plastic pieces the kit is packaged in to do the actual pouring over so no drips were on our workspace or table. The kit comes with three different colors of paint, a paint brush, glitter, glass crystals, a canvas, plastic gloves, resin parts A & B along with stirring sticks. You will still need some mixing bowls or cups, a pencil & something to protect your workspace. I recommend using disposable cups or bowls to get mix the resin.

Instead of going with a traditional geode look my daughter went with a design from one of her favorite anime, the project turned out a bit messy but she had a lot of fun doing the project. The steps are easy to follow & the colors included in the kit are nice. Even with the resin on the canvas, the canvas still remains light weight.

Disclaimer- Horizon Group USA provided the product above for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Feb/March Creepy Crate!

 

If you are a fan of True Crime, Cold Cases and horror movies, but haven't heard of Creepy Crate yet then you need to check it out. Creepy Crate is a true crime & horror themed bi-monthly subscription. Each crate has a guaranteed hard or soft cover box in it along with an Ebook plus 4-5 physical products that can range from clothing to houseware, you can purchase a single box for $39.99 or subscribe for 3 to 6 boxes at a time to receive a bit of a discount on the boxes. You'll find an assortment of products inside that include classic horror movies/shows and true crime case files along with new features you didn't know about. These crates are especially great for readers since it will help you bulk up your personal library. 

The crate this time around has theme based around romances gone wrong. You'll find the bi-monthly book & Ebook along with four physical products in this box. Lets see what was included in the crate this time around. You will find a copy of either "Black Widows" by Cait Quinn or "And there he kept her" by Joshua Moehling. I received a copy of "And there he kept her" reading the description of the book has me intrigued & when I finally get a chance to sit down and read, I look forward to diving into this one. The ebook included is "My husband's trying to kill me!" by Jim Schutze. They make it easy to download your ebook, you simply need to scan the QR code on the pamphlet in the box. 

Physical products include in the crate I received are a Devil's Kettle High School pennant which is the school from the movie Jennifer's Body. The pennant is neat, however I do wish it were made out of felt or a cloth like material simply because it got a little beat up and bent during transit being rolled up. A pin from the movie Audition (1999) which is fun for anyone who collects enamel pins. A Lonely widow's club wax sealer, I actually do have the set up needed for wax seals so this will be fun to use. If you want to use it, but do not already have wax and a melter there are some inexpensive kits on amazon. Lastly there is also a nice drinking glass with a design on it featuring the Le Domas family, which is from the movie "Ready or Not" (2019). I haven't seen this movie yet, but it looks like it would be an interesting watch so I will have to check it out when I get the chance. 

The two items I like the most from the Feb/March crate is the book because it sounds like an intriguing read that will keep my attention & also the glass cup because I really like the cup itself, it is a nice shape and seems sturdy. Over all not a bad crate & I was able to find a new movie to add to my to watch list.

☆ Non-Horror Fans! I know not everyone is a fan of horror movies or true crime, so if you'd still like to comment on this post but aren't into spooky things, tell me what your favorite non-spooky movie is!

Disclaimer- Creepy Crate provided a box for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase. 

Tiny Towns - A Board game review

 

Board games are such a great way to sit down & connect with friends and family while having fun, so I love being able to share some of the board games we've played & love with all of you. Today I wanted to share a great strategy game with you that I was recently gifted from Alderac Entertainment Group called Tiny Towns to check out & write a review on. The goal of this game is exactly what the title states, you will be the architect of your own town trying to out build your opponents while collecting points along the way. This game can be purchased on their website for $49.99, it can also be found on Amazon & at some board game stores. You can play with 1-6 players ages 14+ and games will range from forty to sixty minutes.

Our first game was interesting, we read the rules & understood the basic concept of the game but what I failed to do was actually read the cards we ended up with for our game. It wasn't until almost the middle of our first game that I realized each card had specific rules in order to gain points such as wells being free points, but banks need to be near a certain building, etc. After that we make sure to read all the cards out loud so everyone can pre-plan how they'd like to set up their town.

Seems simple enough to build your own town right? In order to build something you need to collect resources which will need to be laid out in a specific pattern on your board. You'll collect these resources as the game moves along, each time a new player goes they will name one resource. Each player must pick up that same resource & decide where to put it on their map. Free resources are nice, however you can only place one resource per square in your town. Once your board spaces fill up your town is done, any "floating" resources that have not been turned into buildings will become blank spaces and count as a negative point. The game will continue on until every player has a full board, so you see even if you plan ahead of where you'd like to place buildings and win the other players may throw you off based off of what resources they call out.

There can be a huge difference between one game to the next so you never know who might win. For example when we played the other night we played two rounds, I won the first ringing in a glorious thirty-one points which was more than double everyone else. Yet the very next round I only managed to score twelve points. Some resource calls will work out in your favor, while others will leave you scrambling a bit trying to re-plan your next moves, but that is all part of the fun. 

We all seem to enjoy this game, it is easy to set up & not overly complicated to understand. It will help keep your brain & wits sharp trying to plan out your town. We haven't played with more than four players at a time, so I can imagine boards getting a little crazier. Putting everything away is a breeze as well & everything fits back into the box nicely which is a plus. If you want to expand your game, they have several expansions for sale that will add extra elements to the game that are brand new.

Does this sound like a game you would enjoy playing?

Disclaimer- Alderac Entertainment Group provided the products mentioned above for the review  free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchasing the product.

Arizona Renaissance Festival see it before it's gone!

 

There are only three weekends left to visit the Arizona Renaissance Festival before it is over for this year. If you live in Arizona or plan on being in the area of Gold Canyon, Arizona during one of the next three weekends & are looking for something to do, you should go enjoy a day of fun at the festival. If you don't know what the Arizona Renaissance Festival is, it is a chance to "step back in time" and visit a renaissance themed town where you'll find street performers, vendors, food, jousting knights, royalty and more. It has something to offer for everyone. 

The festival has so much to offer that you may not get everything done in one day, so it is nice to pre-determine what you'd like to do on the day that you visit. Last year we got caught up at looking at all of the shops that we weren't able to see many shows, so this year we mainly focused on seeing shows and looked at the stores when we had a bit of down time between the performances we wanted to see & we feel like it balanced out a lot better this time around. The shops & vendors are all small business who set up shop at the festival, there are a lot of them that are there every year but sometimes you will find new shops to browse.

Know Before You Go;

★ Get there early! Doors open at 10:00am with shows starting shortly after the gates opening. Lines for parking & to get in can get a bit long so the earlier you get there the less you will miss from waiting in line. Normal parking is free, VIP parking is available but passes sell out quickly at the start of the season.

★ Tickets are $34 per adult & $22 per child, you can purchase tickets online, at the gates or at Bashes/Food City. 

★ Bring cash! While many of the vendors do accept credit cards the food lines, rides and games are cash only & there are very few ATM's on the property. 

★You are allowed to bring a water bottle into the festival, their website states it needs to be a 16-24oz factory sealed bottle. However I saw plenty of people with their own re-usable water bottles on the grounds. 

★ Some of the performance areas are dirt/grass seating only, if you do not wish to stand or sit on the ground you can bring a blanket along with you to sit on. I have a round sitting blanket I like to bring for us to sit on & rest our belongings on. 

★ Bring sunscreen, hand wipes or hand sanitizer. Even on a cloudy day sunscreen is a great idea to bring so you don't get a sunburn. I also suggest bringing hand sanitizer or hand wipes so you can clean your hands before eating. There are bathrooms however lines can get pretty long so having wipes is a fast & easier alternative. Umbrellas can also be nice to bring to help protect you from the sun as some areas such as the jousting arena have no shade.

★ You can get your hand stamped for same day re-entry. This is great because if you are looking for ways to save $$$ or have been a previous year and don't like their food options you can always bring a cooler with a lunch to leave in your car. It also allows you to run out if you forgot anything in your car, or need to put something into your car that you are tired of carrying around. 

Each weekend of the festival has a different theme which range from Pirate weekend to Time Travelers, they have a full calendar on their website you can check if you want to visit on a specific weekend. You are allowed to dress up, so certain themed weekends may be more appealing to you than others. Some weekends will be more packed than others due to the themes, last year we went on pirate weekend and it was extremely packed so this year we made sure to avoid pirate weekend. Instead we went for "Wizards and Wonder", it still became a little crowded in the afternoon though it was significantly less people than the weekend we went on last year. 

There are plenty of fun carnival style games such as dart throwing, tomato throwing, and more to play along with some fun rides that kids, teens and even some adults might enjoy. How are there rides at a spot that is supposed to be set in the renaissance times? None of the rides are controlled by electricity they are all man powered, each ride is set up to allow it to be worked and controlled by the staff members working the ride. Such as the ride seen two photos above, a set number of staff will hold onto the boats & run/push the swings along then let go once it picks up speed. 

We enjoyed our visit, it is always fun getting to dress up, browse small artists stalls, grab a bite to eat and watch some entertaining shows. It is a great way to spend a day with friends or loved ones while creating memories that will last for years to come. This is something we try to do as a yearly tradition together as a family, I also went several times when I was a child and loved it so I am very happy I can continue enjoying the experience along with getting to take my own children.

Is this something you think you would enjoy visiting? Have you ever been to a Renaissance festival, or anything similar?

Disclaimer- The Arizona Renaissance Festival provided me with four tickets + VIP parking for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase. 

Wireless Motion sensor cat fountain by Uah Pet!

 

As a pet owner I am always on the lookout for new products my pets may enjoy, one of the things I have been thinking about getting for my cat lately is a cat fountain. A lot of cats like drinking from a running water source such as a sink faucet or shower & my cat is no expectation to that. At the moment we just have a normal bowl for water near their food dish, but I thought if we had a water dish that offered filtered running water it might encourage my cat to drink more water. So when I was given the chance to work with Uah Pet to review their wireless automatic cat water fountain, I knew I had to say yes. This cat fountain can be purchased directly on their website or through Amazon, & you can get a discount on it by using code "LUNAUAH15" during checkout to get 15% off  your Amazon purchase or "LUNAUAH20" to get 20% through their website. The fountain is currently at $39.99 on Amazon (at the time of writing this review 3/9/23). 

The instructions for the initial set up & charge were simple and easy to follow. We let it charge for the required amount of time & gave the filter a pre-soak prior to setting everything up. All of the pieces clicked together easily and quickly, so set up was a breeze. Some of the bonuses I noticed right away when placing this down is; It isn't easy to tip over, even if your cat put their front paws onto this to drink it won't tip over so there is no worry about spills. It is battery operated & according to the website it will run for up to 120 days on a single charge, We've only had it set up for a few days so I can not 100% confirm this however I haven't noticed any drops in the battery charge yet and have had no issues with it. Being able to charge this separately from the fountains means there are no wires leading to the fountain so there is no risk of your pet chewing on the wire, tripping over a wire or other wire related hazards. 

I also like that it is taller so pets won't have to lean down as far to get a drink of water, my cat seems to enjoy that it is at chest level. There are also two different modes you can set this to, the first is a motion sensor which will detect your cat from 5-8 inches away, it could be due to how open our kitchen is but I have found it to be a little more sensitive than  that & it can detect me from further than eight inches away. The second setting will release water every fifteen minutes which can further help keeping the water circulating & filtered allowing for cleaner water. It does make a very soft noise when on, but most people won't notice it, the only reason I did was I happened to be in the kitchen when it was extremely quiet in the house and could make out the slight noise it made. It holds quite a bit of water as well, so if you go on vacation for a few days you can be sure your furry friend will have plenty of water.

It may take your furry friend a few days to get used to the new fountain, but once they get the hang of it and realize what it is they will start to use it more. My big guy took a little bit to get used to the new fountain in his food area, but seems to be getting used to it now and I've seen him use it a few times. Over all this fountain feels like it will be a great fit in our home! If you feel like your cat could benefit from a fountain like this, or you have a cat that doesn't like drinking from bowls this is a great option to look into. If you aren't in the market for a cat fountain, but want to see what else Uah Pet has to offer they also sell grooming tools, toys, and more for both cats & dogs so check out their website or look them up on amazon.

Disclaimer- Uah Pet provided me with the product mentioned above for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase. 

Harlem Globetrotters Live!

 

I am not really a fan of any sport, however one show I am more than happy to see is the Harlem Globetrotters. They are not just basketball, but a whole spectacular that is enjoyable for the whole family. I've known about the Globetrotters since I was young as my great grandmother loved watching them every time they were on TV, so getting to see them live is extra exciting because it reminds me of her. They are currently on their 2023 tour & recently stopped in Arizona for a few days, we were lucky to catch one of their shows while they were here. 

We had a lot of fun the last time we seen them so the kids were excited to see them again this year. There are always fans of all ages from small babies to seniors, and everyone always looks like they are having a fantastic time. Best of all the shows are always different, our experience this time was completely different from the last along with a change up in the roster so we were able to see players we haven't seen yet. The entire event is fast paced & will keep you on your toes waiting to see what happens next. It is crazy how quickly the show goes by, you'll be having so much fun you won't even be watching the time. As I mentioned, they aren't playing just basketball but they are also putting on a show so it breaks up the game a bit, gets the crowed laughing & happy.

I like that they have two different show times during the day, one at 2pm and another at 7pm. This time around we decided to go with the 2pm show. We had a lot of fun at the show, there are so pretty cool tricks to see & they always involve the crowd which adds an intimate setting to it. Looking for ways to save some money while at an event like this with the family? The footprint center where this event was held recently started a program where you can get a free ride on the metro to the event (and back) with your ticket to the event. So if you don't mind a slightly longer commute you can park at a park & ride then ride for free to the event saving $30+ on parking. I would also suggest eating ahead of time as the food/drinks can be a bit pricey at the venue. 

After the show the team sticks around to sign shirts, basketballs, etc. so if you are a big fan & want an autograph be sure not to miss it. If you don't have something for them to sign, there is merchandise for sale around the venue. Check out their tour schedule to see if they are headed to a city near you, you won't regret going to one of their shows. I will be sharing some highlights from the show over on my instagram page.

Disclaimer- The Harlem Globetrotters provided four tickets to the show for the review  free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase. 

Vapur water bottles Reivew & Giveaway!

 

When hiking or spending time outdoors it is so important to make sure you are hydrating & bring plenty of water with you. But, it can be an annoyance to carry around the empty water bottles with you on the way back. I recently came across a brand called Vapur who sells a unique collection of water bottles that can be laid flat then rolled up to store in your pocket or bag taking up very little space. Each one also has a clip so you are able to clip it into a backpack or your pants. The clip also doubles as a tie to hold the water bottle in the rolled-up position so it doesn't unravel. 

They offer several different sizes the smallest is the kids size which holds 0.4L & the largest holds 1.5L. I love the color selection they offer, you can select something bright & colorful to color coordinate with or you can simply pic out an all black water bottle. The adult water bottles have twenty two different colors to choose from and the kids comes in four different designs. They also sell a bottle for wine that comes with a easy to pour spout. The bottles are able to be put in the freezer & are dishwasher safe. 

I like that these bottles are really easy to clean & I have no issue filling them up. Aside from the weight of the water, the bottle itself is very lightweight so when it is empty you won't even notice it in your pocket or bag. It is also kind of fun to drink out of, so you'll find yourself drinking water more often if you are someone who is trying to increase their water in-take. I like carrying mine around by the clip, it is comfortable to hold. I also like the spout the bottles have, if I ever run into a situation where I need a little water to wash my hands or my kids hands I can use this to pour a bit onto our hands without making a mess. My kids also enjoy using these bottles which is a plus. 

What do you think about these bottles? Is this something you can see yourself using? 

Prize Alert:

One lucky winner is going to receive a 1L bottle & a 0.7L bottle. 

This is open US Residents only! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the notification email! 

This giveaway ends on 03/16/23

Giveaway entry question: Leave me a blog comment letting me know which color water bottle you'd like from Vapur. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer- The products mentioned above were provided by Vapur for the review & giveaway free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

March Beauty & The Book Giveaway!

 

I hope that everyone had a good February! Mine was alright, a bit stressful as quite a few things were all piled into my lap at once, however I am working on getting everything sorted out one thing at a time. So things were slightly slower here on the blog than what I wanted to hit for my monthly goal, but I will be working even harder towards sharing more awesome content with you this month. A new month means it is time for a new Beauty & The Book Giveaway! Last month's winner will be announced alongside the announcement for this month's giveaway over on my Facebook page, so if you haven't hit that "Like/Follow" button on my Facebook page, head over to do so and keep updated on giveaway winners + new content. 

This month I will have some great new reviews headed your way, some travel spots & some new giveaways of course. Now let's move onto the giveaway you came to this page for. The book for this month also fits with the St. Patrick's day theme, the cover matches with the green theme & the book is about two Irish siblings who work in a creepy manor with mystery afoot. 

Included in this month's Giveaway Bundle is: 

💚 A Hardcover copy of "The Night Gardener" 
💚 Two Sheet Face Masks
💚 A Duo sample of CBD shampoo/Conditioner
💚 Covergirl Black Eyeliner
💚 Covergirl Mascara
💚 Rimmel London Lipstick
💚 Loose eyeshadow in the shade "Clover"
💚 Wet N Wild mini palette in Emerald
💚 Essence mini palette in Emerald/Green Shades
💚 Two nail files
💚 Green Nail Polish
💚 Yarn Man keychain in Green
💚 Mini jade turtle charm
💚 Pink/Green Bath Salts
💚 Aveeno Lotion
💚 Hair tie
💚 Dragon Essence Glitter Jar

This is open World Wide! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the notification email! This giveaway is hosted by ME.

This giveaway ends on 03/31/2023

Giveaway entry question: Leave a comment answering at least one of these questions.

What is something you are looking forward to this month?

What are you most looking forward to winning from this bundle?

What is your favorite movie or show you've watched recently?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can complete as many entries as you want, there are several one-time activities and daily activities that can earn you more entries into the giveaway. Be sure to keep an eye on my site & social media pages for more giveaways headed your way.