November Beauty & The Book Giveaway!

 

The weather has finally broken and started to cool, it is so nice not walking outside into blistering heat or burning myself on the steering wheel of my car anymore. I much prefer jacket season, the weather is fantastic and I get to pull out all of my favorite cardigans & fuzzy slipper socks. The first of my two favorite holidays has passed, which is sad seeing all of the Halloween décor being taken down, but it will soon be my second favorite holiday, Christmas! 

I have some great new reviews headed your way & I will be doing another review with one or two of the brands I worked with this year that my followers seemed to love the most plus I'll be hosting some fun giveaways. I will also be sharing more events & places close to home for all of my local readers so keep an eye out for that content as well. I know you are all here for the November Beauty & The Book giveaway though so lets jump into what is included in this month's bundle.

💜 Seafire book #1 of the series in hardcover.
💜 Nude Awakening Wet N Wild Eyeshadow Palette
💜 Jessies Girl Eyeshadow Palette with neutral colors
💜 Small travel eyeshadow palette
💜 Two face masks
💜 Mad Hippie Samples
💜 Altwell CBD Sample
💜 Essence Black Eyeliner
💜 Two Wet n Wild Lipsticks
💜 NYX Lipstick
💜 Perfect Brow Kit
💜 Ioni Eyelashes
💜 360 Lip Balm
💜 B-Pure Lip Oil
💜 Priti NYC Nail Polish
💜 Rusk Samples
💜 Amika Hair Mask
💜Makeupdrop silicone makeup applicator 
💜 Bath & Body Works full sized lotion

One lucky winner will win it all! When I notify the winner it will be via yahoo under my blogs previous name so it will come from Burningmoonproducts @ Yahoo.com so please make sure to add it to your approved list or be sure to check the spam filter on the email address you enter this giveaway with. I had to re-pick a few winners a few giveaways ago that didn't respond to emails or my IG message letting them know they won so new winners were selected for those giveaways. 

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 12/03/2022

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

What are you most looking forward to this month?
Which of the products in this months bundle are you most excited for?
What is your favorite holiday?
Have your started getting ready for the Holidays?

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.

My Father's Work - Board game Review!

We recently received a copy of the new game My Father's Work by Renegade Game Studios. This game is hands down the biggest game we own, when the package arrived containing My Father's Work it felt like there was more than one board game within it, I was surprised when I opened it to find this beast of a game. The game is heavy & packed full of all kinds of goodies to go along with your game, everything has its own place and sits just right in the box. It is very annoying when you buy a game & go to stick everything back in the box just to find it won't go back just right so the box bulges a little, that isn't the case with this game & if you forget how to put everything away they have a little map that shows you where to place everything. Looking at all of the game pieces we were pretty excited to get started playing this, we love games that have awesome components that are not only fun to play with but look at as well. This game can be purchased on the Renegade Game Studios website for $125.

My Father's Work is a Victorian mad scientist game where you'll create potions & experiments, it is for ages 14+ and designed for two to four players. The game is played over the course of "Three generations", where players will collect ingredients they need, do research and upgrade their estates. The downside? At the end of each generation players will lose all but two of their experiments and all resources/money. It is a bit of a win some lose some situation, you will lose out on those resources however if you have creeped out the town or have an angry mob coming after you then that is reset as well & you start off fresh. There are three scenarios in this box, each one has their own game pieces that will be used only during that scenario and there is an interactive app that goes with the game as well to be used during game play.  

While the game does have a lot of awesome components the rule book is quite extensive and can take a little bit of time to get through. As with most games, playing a slow first game so everyone can get used to the rules is the perfect way to help everyone understand how the game works. Each of the generations consist of three rounds "Early Years", "Middle Years" & "End Years" where each round you will complete a number of tasks to help you achieve your goals of completing experiments which then add points to your game total. The player mats they provide (seen below) are well organized with everything set up to help you know exactly where you are in the game and what you've collected along the way. The towns the stories take place in will also change with the scenario book so each game is unique.  

All of the mini figures for each player are the same set of characters, and they make it easier to tell which figure belongs to each player due to the different colored bases you'll attach to your set. If you couldn't tell by my excitement & several mentions of it already, my favorite part of this game set is hands down the game pieces. Everything is extremely well made, the coins & metal gears are actual metal with a little bit of weight to them, the potion bottles are glass with cork stoppers and the other materials are appealing to the eyes as well. 

Normally I would include more information on how the game is played, however due to the amount of tasks and information there is to this game I don't want you to feel overwhelmed by reading my babble. This is a great game for those who want an interactive game that is entertaining to play, takes up some time and has a well put together theme. If you need to pause your game the app will allow you to pause as needed, the game book recommends waiting until you start a new round before pausing to make it easier to pick back up when you are ready. 

Renegade game studio has a wide range of games including a large selection of games that cost $25 or less, so if you are looking for a new board game to play or have a board game lover on your holiday shopping list, I highly suggest checking out what they have to offer. 

What is your favorite feature of this game? 

Disclaimer- The products mentioned above were provided by Renegade Game Studios 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

Check out what is new at Birdcall!

Back in June I shared a review of a restaurant that is new to Arizona called Birdcall. If you want to read the review, you can do so by clicking here. Birdcall instantly became one of our favorite spots with their mouthwatering chicken sandwiches. I am back with a review to share some of the new things going on at the restaurant this month. But first, let me tell you a little bit about this location. They are located at 7204 East Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 & are working on opening two new Arizona restaurants within the next year. Birdcall has an employee greet you when you first come in & they will offer assistance if you need it, however ordering your food is all done on one of their instore tablets making ordering a breeze. The tablets make it easy to completely customize your meal to how you like it, you can add ingredients, remove ingredients and more which is perfect for picky eaters.

Along with their chicken sandwiches & sides they also serve milkshakes and have a bar where you can buy a beer or mixed drink. The newest milkshake only available until the end of the month is the Pumpkin Spice milkshake. I enjoy quite a few pumpkin space flavored items so of course I had to try this. 

Also new this month is the Birdcall Passport. This passport is a fun game that allows you to win prizes for completing different tasks at the restaurant, some of the tasks will require you to purchase certain food items while others ask you to follow their social media channels, eat out on the patio and more. Once you've completed a certain amount of stamps you will win different prizes, they have gift cards in various amounts & there is an opportunity to win a two-night VIP experience for the opening of one of their newest stores. The passports are free, you can find them upfront near the ordering kiosks, you will have them stamped before you leave. This promotion runs from now until November 30th which is when all passports will need to be turned in by. 

The last time we visited we didn't get milkshakes so the kids were excited to try them out this time, my kids aren't really pumpkin spice fans so my kids stuck with normal chocolate milkshakes & my husband opted for a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough milkshake. I enjoyed the pumpkin spice milkshake, it tasted like someone took a slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream & put it in a blender. The milkshakes come in a "one size fits all" so there is no option if you'd like a small, medium or large which would be nice to have if you don't want a lot of milkshake. The pumpkin spice milkshake is $6.50, I would say it is a large. It is how milkshakes should be, Thick but not to the point where it is a pain to suck up through the straw, it was also topped with whipped cream. Between my sandwich, sharing some sides and the shake I was pretty full and satisfied with my meal.

Foodwise I wanted to try out a different sandwich this time, there are a few sandwiches I wanted to try which make it a little tough to decide which to pick. I went with the Rancher that has a onion and bacon jam along with white cheddar cheese & bird-b-q sauce. I also used their customizer to add a tomato to my sandwich and mmm mmm mmm did I enjoy this chicken sandwich, the red onion bacon jam was fantastic. I can be a bit picky with my chicken, I have been very satisfied with my meal when we've gone here and the tater tots they have are amazing, I could visit and get just the tater tots! I also like the fries, last time the fries weren't as good as this time but were still good. This time around the fries were a little more crispy which made them even better. My kids love being able to customize their sandwiches with no issues, my daughter doesn't like a lot of ingredients, so this allows her to remove anything she doesn't like. 

Affordability wise I would give them a $$, for our family of four we purchased four chicken sandwiches, two orders of tater tots, a order of fries, 2 normal adult milkshakes & 2 kids milkshakes which came out to just under $70. One thing I would love to see on the kids menu is a kids meal that has a mini chicken sandwich instead of just nuggets, I know my kids would love that and I would probably get a kids meal every once in a while too. Random note to leave the review off on, my daughter loves the lotion they have available in their bathrooms, it smells good & leaves your hands soft so when we are done eating she always has to make sure to wash her hands and use the lotion. 

If you are a milkshake fan, leave a comment letting me know what your favorite flavor of milkshake is. Would you try out this restaurant? 

Disclaimer-  Birdcall provided me with a $50 gift card 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. 

Creepy Crate October/November Review!

All of the horror/spooky/Halloween fans out there might be a little sad that Halloween is over, but that doesn't mean you can't have some surprise scares through out the year. Creepy Crate is a Horror & True Crime themed subscription box that ships out bi-monthly, in each crate you'll receive a horror or true crime themed book along with several other goodies ranging from clothing to household goods. 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. 

Let's dig into what is included in the October/November Creepy Crate. The book included in this crate is "Book of Knives" by Lise Haines which is a chilling summer camp tale or "The Angel Maker" by Alex North which is a tale of a serial killer. The digital book included is "Angel of Mercy" by Andrew Neiderman a story about a killer nurse and her twin sister. 

The other items included are a set of Serial Killer gift tags to adorn your presents this holiday season, each one features a different serial killer. Three paper masks which pay homage to the 1980 movie Terror Train plus three stretchy strings to add to the masks so you can wear them. Also included is a coffee mug that says "Worlds Greatest Stepfather" which is from The Stepfather. A light bulb shaped notepad featuring Parasite, a Orphan bumper sticker - which is a movie I haven't seen yet, but have heard it is amazing. As an added bonus I received a CastleRock keychain which is a double for me as I received it in my last Creepy Crate box, so they must of had extras and added them to this crate. I also love getting items that are not only themed but useful such as the keychain and notepad (I write lots of notes). This crate is a great way to discover products from your favorite movies & true crimes and also a great way to discover new films, stories and books you've never heard of.

🎃 If you are a fan of horror films - Which film would you like to receive a fun collectable item from?

Not everyone is a fan of horror films, or creepy things. So if you aren't a fan, let me know what theme you'd love to get a Subscription box of. 

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. 

Imagine 3D mini golf in Gilbert,AZ!

We love spending time together as a family & are always looking for fun activities to do together. One of our favorite past times to do together is mini golf! A while back I posted a review of a spot we like to visit called Imagine 3D mini golf in Scottsdale. If you'd like to see that post you can do so by clicking here. They have a secondary location in Gilbert (785 W. Warner Road #A-107 Gilbert,AZ 85233) that we decided to check out when we were in the area. 

Both locations have completely different themes which are all hand painted & built by the family who owns the facilities, along with help from their staff. This location starts off with a fun pirate & ocean theme with sharks on the floor, a skeleton pirate crew & more. Through out the facility you'll also find beautiful space & nature paintings, dragons, unicorns and more. The decorations are a mixture of paintings and physical decorations to immerse you into the experience. 

As you move along the eighteen holes each one is set up differently, some will be relatively easy while others will need a little thought but into them to get the ball into the hole in the least strokes possible. The amount of other players on the course will vary depending on the time & day of the week that you visit, when we've visited the other location in the past it was usually during a busy time which means there were several groups in front of us & a few behind us. We generally get stuck behind large groups which obviously take a bit longer than the four of us, the staff will tell you at the front that you are free to play the same hole as another group. However we don't want to come off as rude or trying to rush anyone in front of us, after all they paid to play as well. Typically we find that most groups will either play the same hole they are on a second time, or stand off to the side to wait for the next hole to open up so no one feels rushed. 

This time around when we went there were only a few people in front of us that were already almost at the end so we pretty much had the course to ourselves. As we were in the back half of the course closing in on the last six or so holes the power shut off, thankfully there was a back up generator that kept a few lights on so that the building wasn't completely pitch black. It was due to some work being done on the shopping complex so the entire complex had the electricity turned off. The staff member & owner let us know that since we only had a few holes left in the better lit area we could continue playing our game. They also gave us two passes for a free game for two people on a future visit & offered to give us our money back for that days visit which we declined as it wasn't their fault the power went out and we were still able to finish our game. 

We really enjoy playing mini gold at the Imagine 3D locations & if you are close to either one you should go check them out as well. It is a great date night or outing for a family to enjoy any time of the week and it is a great way to escape crappy weather conditions like hot summer days or days when it is raining. At the end of the course is a small gaming area where they have a few arcade games & an air hockey table you can play.

- This isn't a sponsored post, It is just me sharing a fun local activity we did as a family.

Sprout & Blossom Kids Gardening Subscription Box!

Sprout & Blossom is a company based out of Redlands, California that offers a monthly gardening activity class for anyone who lives in the area & even if you aren't in the area, you can still participate by signing up for their monthly subscription box that allows you to complete the activities in the comfort of your own home. Each box comes with five to seven activities & is geared towards children ages three to ten years old. You can purchase a onetime box for $48.90 or get a small discount for buying a longer subscription. Every box includes a craft, a book, a gardening or science activity, links to educational videos, & a free gift from a small business/etsy shop. 

For this review my nine-year-old son was the one who used the box & completed the activities inside. One of the crafts had you make a worm "mud" pile by using the brown paint included to paint a paper plate, then use glue & nature items you've found in your yard to create a home or playground for the fake worms included in the kit. My son opted out of gluing the worms down so he could still play with them after. His only negative comment on that craft was that the paint being in a zip block bag made it a little difficult to get the paint out properly using the paint brush, we ended up cutting the bag in half & doing a smash paint type of motion with the baggie itself. 

Our gardening craft was to plant some peas! I love that everything needed for this is included we were given a baggie of soil, a planter, lava rocks to help irrigate the bottom of the planter, three pea seeds and a popsicle stick that says "peas" to use as a marker. My kids enjoy gardening so this was an activity he enjoyed & was excited to watch the peas grow to see how big we can get them to grow. As you can see above, it is already growing quite well. However, you may need to remind them to water it, my kids might like gardening, but they often forget to water the plants & I end up doing it to keep everything alive. 

The science-based project was to create some colorful wiggling worms/caterpillars using markers, water & paper towels. You'll need some markers, some water & a bowl or plate to place your critters. This is a fun little activity I have seen online before but haven't done with the kids yet, so we had fun with this. You'll wrap the paper towels around a straw, then scrunch it up & slide it off which will leave you with a small caterpillar looking critter. Once you add a few drops of water to it, the critter will start to expand and wiggle. This is particularly fun for small kids to watch & participate in. 

It also came with a number of paper activities to get your kids brains active & engaged while they learn and have fun. The book is a nice addition, I am always encouraging my kids to read more so I love that the owner includes a book that has to do with the theme of the month. Also included is one or more free gifts, our box game with some stickers that smell like cherries (it smells so good), a magnet that looks like corn & a stuffed veggie toy. 

This is a cute subscription that I think would be good for any kids interesting in gardening or for parents who do home schooling as this could help fill in some extra activities & hands on learning for the month. You can do everything in the box in one day or you can spread them out to get the most out of your box.

Disclaimer- The products mentioned above were provided by Sprouts & Blossom 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.

Destinies a fantastic table top game!

 

I have had the pleasure of testing out a few games sold by Lucky Duck Games & while I have enjoyed all of them, I have to say that my favorite by far is Destinies. If you enjoy a D&D style game with dice rolling, a choose your own destiny design & extremely well done figures this game is for you. Along with having a mixture of physical game parts such as map pieces, coins, treasure cards and more it also has an interactive app that really brings your adventure to life. 

You can pick up a copy of Destinies for $54.99 on their website or anywhere Lucky Duck Games are sold. To some this might seem like a high price for a board game but trust me it is worth it. My favorite part of the game is all of the figures it comes with, each one is a unique character that can be found throughout the game. For how small most of the figures are they are extremely detailed & well done, none of the feature's meld together so you can easily pick out who is who. You can't quite tell by looking at the photos, but some of the figures are actually smaller than the dice! 

The game is set up to have one to three players, since there are four of us, we swap out who would be on a team together to discuss what to do for the story. There are five different stories to play in this box, each one features three distinct characters with their own goals they must complete to win the game. Each player will get their own player board which allows you to track your abilities/strengths, how many dice you can roll, etc. each story will typically last 120-150 minutes. 

Using the app it will tell you how to set up the playable map for each story you'll play. It will show you exactly which map pieces need to be laid down to start off, then as you explore each section of the map it will tell you which figures, game pieces & map pieces to add to the map as you progress through the story. Each time you visit a new destination on the app's map you will move your real life figure to the same location on the map tiles to keep track of where you are, each player can only move a certain amount of map spaces/tiles so knowing where your character currently is will help you decide where to go next.

I really enjoy playing this game, everything is set up to make it easy to understand. It is always fun trying to race to see who is able to figure out how to connect the in game world places, people & clues together in order to get what you need before the other players do. There can only be one winner! Sometimes depending on where you go & what you do, you might inadvertently end up giving the other players something that they need for their quest and vice versa so be sure to pay attention when the other players are going as well. My only issue with this game? I wish it had more stories to play, with so many amazing figures and game pieces it would be wonderful to have a few more stories out of it. I think after a set amount of time of not playing this that we might forget what the characters quests were & be able to play again without remembering the last role we had & what they needed/where to go. 

Lucky Duck Games has a few other games similar to this & they also have a nice variety of other game types so there is something for everyone to enjoy. If you want to check out some other board game reviews type "board games" into the search bar or look on the right hand side of my blog for a link which will take you to all my board game reviews. 

Disclaimer- The products mentioned above were provided by Lucky Duck Games 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.