Author: cvegnad

September 23, 2015

Declutter Your Home and Earn Money with VarageSale

Have you made purchases that you almost immediately regret? Like the twentieth sleeper for your child that they will never wear? Maybe that deep fryer that seemed like a good purchase at the time but you never actually deep fry anything (I still don’t know why we bought it!)?

I know as a family we have done this too many times. These purchases always seem like a must have in the moment but then they sit in a closet, garage or basement for months and years. Garage sales and classified ads make me nervous (nor do I have the time to commit myself to this), and I am too uncomfortable to post or sell in the Mom groups on Facebook.

VarageSale is an online community where you can safely buy or sell items and connect with locals in your community. VarageSale was founded in 2012 and currently has communities in 42 states in the US, Canada and world-wide. They are continuing to expand in Canada and have just recently included a community in Hamilton. VarageSale is completely free to use (win-win!) as well as having a mobile app for iOS, Android and Kindle. This is perfect for so many of us who do the majority of our work on our smart phones – I live and work on my phone so for me, an app like this saves time and increases efficiency. VarageSale offers:

local community groups, with a new group in Hamilton
easy labelling that lets users know if an item is for sale, pending or sold
recommend sellers and follow their feeds to see what they are currently selling
easy search options with multiple categories to explore
a safe environment to sell items within your own community

Setting up an account is simple and free, you can set up your account on VarageSale. Once you have a live account, you can start uploading photos and items to sell, search other users and browse through your notifications.

This is the perfect way for busy families to safely sell unused items in their community while earning extra money that can go back into their family budget or for extra curricular activities (for us – soccer!). Which I know so many of us would appreciate the extra boost in their bank account.

Still on the fence? Watch this quick video:

How do you declutter your home? Have you set up a VarageSale account?

Make sure you follow VarageSale online on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Disclosure: I received compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 23, 2015

Inspector Dewey

Get ready to meet Dewey, Inspector Dewey.

About Inspector Dewey

My name is Dewey–Inspector Dewey.

I live in the big green house on Hampshire Avenue with my family: Thumper, Lily, and Anna. I am the Big Cat—responsible for keeping everyone safe and in order. I do this quite well, in spite of the fact that managing my family is like, well, herding cats!

Mostly our life is peaceful. But one night it wasn’t. That was the night the bad guy showed up on our block. Of course, I knew exactly how to outsmart the outlaw, but miserable mullet would Anna and the police understand my instructions?

To find out how the adventure ended, you’ll have to read my book. But I’ll give you a hint: there’s a reason I’m called Inspector Dewey.

My Thoughts

I love children’s books, I love the images, the flow and story. Inspector Dewey is no exception. From the cover alone, you can tell that this will be a book to treasure.

Our favourite reading time is just before bed time, snuggled up on the couch or under the covers in bed. Inspector Dewey has illustrations that are warm and inviting and perfect for bedtime reading. The illustrations were adorable and melt your heart. Those faces on them – too cute!

The story itself flows very nicely and is a heart warming story of how three little cats and their human, Anna, save the day and town. The cats are full of love, daring and adventure. which completes this wonderful story. This reminds every little reader, that regardless of size we can do and accomplish anything we put our minds to.

**Fifty percent of the profits from the sale of this book will fund veterinary care for pets whose families are in financial need, so that the animals can remain in their homes and out of the shelter system.**

Isn’t that incredible?

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Marketing Officer, Strategy Expert, Innovator and Brand Builder, Kristen’s business career spans 20+ years serving the biggest brands in industry and the biggest hearts of start-ups and entrepreneurs. Kristen revels in bringing compelling products and services to life and helping leaders and individuals with big dreams realize their big goals.

Kristen’s life joys include her 2+ year obsession creating the most beautiful self-published picture book possible, the breathtaking forests and lakes of her Minnesota birthplace, the family that really does love her no matter what, and her three magnificent Norwegian Forest Cats who together, with Kristen, helped catch the bad guy on their block that inspired her upcoming book (stake out and high-speed chase included!)

She holds a master of science in eCommerce from Carnegie Mellon University, an MBA from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management, and a BA from the University of St. Thomas. As the great transformer in her life, Kristen supports others’ education and literacy as an adjunct professor of business and strategy and, more recently, through her children’s book, Inspector Dewey (Available September 2015).

Kristen’s site for her work “Inspector Dewey” will be premiering on May 31st, 2015. In addition, you can read more about Kristen’s work at threenorwegians.com, also live on May 31st.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 22, 2015

Healthy Southwest Macaroni and Cheese #GetNudged

Fall is the perfect time of year to enjoy a nice, warm bowl of macaroni and cheese. I know my two boys are HUGE fans of all that cheesy goodness. As a family we like to add a little bit of variety to our bowl of macaroni and cheese (keeps meal time exciting!).

The Nudge macaroni and cheese product line has quickly become a favourite in our home. The four different types of macaroni and cheese are all:

made with organic ingredients
made with grass-fed dairy
peanut free
non GMO ingredients
no artificial colours, preservatives or flavours
a source of Omega 3 fatty acids (from the grass-fed dairy and flax pasta)

Awesome right?

To spice it up a little, try a spin on one of my favourite recipes, Southwest macaroni and cheese.

Ingredients

one box of Nudge macaroni and cheese
2 tbsp margarine or butter
5 tbsp of milk
1 tbsp of coconut oil
one green pepper
one cup of black beans (drained and washed)
one cup of diced tomatoes (I like to use fresh but you can also used canned)
three garlic cloves

Directions

Prepare the box of Nudge macaroni and cheese as directed and set aside.

In a frying pan, warm up the coconut oil and add in the green peppers and garlic gloves. Allow them to cook until softened and golden.

Add in the black beans and cook for one to two minutes.

Add in the cup of diced tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are softened. On a medium setting on our stove this took just under five minutes. You can use salt or pepper if desired to taste.

Mix in the tomatoes, black beans and green peppers with the macaroni and cheese.

Enjoy your southwest macaroni and cheese! Do you have a favourite macaroni and cheese recipe?

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product free of charge. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 22, 2015

A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn

In A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn, a wedding brings two widows together to find love that they thought would never be theirs again.

About A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn

Emma Keim was heartbroken when her husband, Sanford, passed away, leaving her to raise three young daughters alone. Though several years have passed, her relatives have made it no secret that they expect Emma to remain a widow, mourning Sanford indefinitely. But when she meets Jay Hilty, a handsome widower with three young sons of his own. Emma is delighted to have a new friend who understands her struggles. Still, she is dismayed that her family is so opposed to their friendship and the idea of it ever becoming anything more. She honors her husband’s memory every day but is she destined to be alone forever?

Emma’s gentleness with Jay’s boys stirs something in his heart that’s been quiet for far too long. But when his oldest son becomes engaged to a local woman, suddenly Jay, Emma, and their children are swept up in wedding preparations. Witnessing his son’s joy, Jay wonders if it’s time for him to move forward, too, and find happiness again.

Once again, love has come to Pinecraft. But can these two parties of four become a happy, healthy family of eight?

My Thoughts

I love this series of books from Shelley Shepard Gray where we are introduced to new characters but our old favourite characters are intertwined in the new series and evolution of this beautiful town. In A Wedding at Orange Blossom Inn, we meet Emma who is a very young widow who at the time does not feel lonely until she meets a young man, also a widow, with young children.

This is a man who can understand her struggles, her fears and her need for friendship. He understands the way she thinks and how to talk with her. But they both fear moving forward. They fear what others will say and think. That maybe the other person may not love or be interested in them. It is a lovely story of honouring the past but moving into the future, to trust in God and the path that he has set before us.

You can purchase a copy of the book here. You can find more reviews of A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn on the Litfuse Blog tour page.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 22, 2015

The Snail’s Castle by Mark Gordon

The Snail’s Castle by Mark Gordon follows the story of Jake who will do whatever it takes to win a prestigious scholarship to study at Oxford.

The Snail’s Castle by Mark Gordon

Jake Milson wants one thing and one thing only, to win the coveted and prestigious
Hollingshead Scholarship to do postgraduate work at Oxford. He intends to travel to England
with his girlfriend, Rebecca. But a problem arises. Professor Gregory Percival keeps getting in
his way. During Jake’s struggle with Percival, the lives of Jake, Rebecca, Percival and Percival’s
wife, Margaret, intertwine. The novel, with its unexpected twists, draws you into the inner lives
of its many captivating characters. It is a story of ambition, love, lust and revenge set against the
backdrop of romantic Montreal in the early 1960’s.

My Thoughts

The Snail’s Castle is an interesting, suspenseful book that I had to give my full attention to. Mark Gordon creates an interesting world of characters whose lives intersect with what started as a goal to achieve a scholarship but led to lust and revenge.

Jake is consumed by the thought of achieving the Hollingshead scholarship. So much so that he puts it above friendship, love, creativity and integrity. His goal is put above all else and it can be even frustrating to watch him put this selfish need in front of emotional needs, friendship and family. It is almost as though he lives in his own world of greed and this is the only thing that matters in the end.

The novel took an interesting twist when Jake is given a book from Percival, a book that he just can’t wrap his mind around. I found when this book is introduced I had to pay closer attention as we are given excerpts of this book and I did not want to miss anything. The Snail’s Castle is an intriguing tale of what ambition, lust and revenge can do to a person.

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author:

Mark Gordon is a novelist and poet, born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
His published novels are The Snail’s Castle, The Kanner Aliyah and Head of the Harbour. He is
presently living in Toronto, Ontario, and teaches English to newcomers to Canada. He updates
his information regularly at www.markgordonauthor.com

His poetry has been published in numerous literary journals in the United States and Canada,
including Quiddity, Illuminations, Poet Lore, RiverSedge, The Fiddlehead, White Wall Review,
Roanoke Review, and in the anthologies Arrivals: Canadian Poetry In The Eighties, The
Northern Red Oak, and Bright Stars 5, an Organic Tanka Anthology. Online, his poetry has
appeared in Linden Avenue Literary Journal and Versewrights.

Follow the Tour!

http://www.legitlitbooks.com/search/label/Current%20Tours

September 21 – Little Dutch Bookshop
September 22 – Working Mommy Journal
September 23 – The Life of K
September 24 – Kristian Wilson, Writing
September 25 – A Read-aholic
September 28 – The Overflowing Shelf
September 29 – Seraphina’s world
September 30 – TBA
October 1 – Cupcakes and Vodka Book Blog
October 2 – All Things Character It Is

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.