Marvel Black Panther Gifts Reviewed

Ideas For The Fans Of Marvel's Black Panther

Black Panther image from Pixabay.com

Let's review some gift ideas for the fan on your gift list who loves the Marvel Black Panther movie and story line. My husband and I recently watched the movie and became new fans of this character from Marvel. 

Obviously, if the person you are looking to gift is a fan then I am sure they have seen the movie that was released in February of 2018. If you have not seen it yet; I recommend that you watch it. For one thing, seeing the movie will help you decide on items that your fan will love. Besides, it is really a good movie especially if you are one who enjoys the Marvel line of Superhero movies that are currently available. 

Before I suggest gifts, perhaps I should tell you a little about the movie. Most of the story takes place on the continent of Africa where we become aware of the legend of the Black Panther King. We learn about the advanced civilization of Wakanda that hides itself from the world to protect their source of vibranium from getting into the wrong hands. This metal is only found in the area where the Wakandans live and because it is the result of a meteor strike centuries ago, it has unusual elements. As with any substance that can give an advantage to power, the bad guys want the metal to do harm. The people of Wakanda know the potential danger to mankind and have protected it for centuries.

Royal Talon Fighter

So, the first gift that I suggest for the fan of Marvel's Black Panther is the Lego set that builds the Royal Talon Jet Fighter. The advanced technology that the people of Wakanda have developed from the vibranium has allowed them to have jets of this nature. It is a pretty darned cool machine!

Something that I really loved about the movie and story line was that we have a Superhero of color. There is quite a lot of violence as in any superhero plot so this is not for children under 12 or 13. That being said; I do love that kids can be introduced to a different culture. The people of Wakanda are split into five tribes which have totem or spirit animals that they identify with. Obviously, there is the Black Panter as one. We also see the Rhino who the Border tribe identifies with. The Jabari who have moved up into the mountains see the Gorilla as their spirit animal. Personally, I love that this is a part of the story. I also loved that the warriors for the Royal family are women.

Additional ideas for gifts are:

• Action figures
• T-shirts of several designs
• A really cool jigsaw puzzle
• bedding for a child's bed
• a vibranium power claw glove
• sleepwear for boys
• dvd of the movie

Currently the selection is a little limited. I have a feeling that as we approach the gift giving season that additional items will become available for you to consider for that fan on your list. 

I hope that we see more of this particular Marvel Superhero! He really grabbed my heart! I have been a fan of all of them but the ones that have been introduced or re-introduced in the past few years are so very interesting. As I said earlier, if you have not seen this movie yet; you really should. Perhaps you will also become a fan. 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Reviewing Younique Moodstruck Epic Mascara

Moodstruck Epic mascara review.

What is a mature woman who has never worn full make-up on a regular basis doing reviewing make-up? I have found a mascara that I'm super excited about, that's why. I splurged on Younique's Moodstruck Epic Mascara and like it so much that it will be my daily "eyes".  If you like to have good lashes, I think you'll like this mascara too.

Moodstruck Epic Mascara by Younique

I LOVE this stuff. I rarely wear make-up with the exception of mascara. Mascara is a necessity. I try really hard to never leave the house without mascara. I even wear mascara when camping at The Shack.

My eyelashes are puny and nearly invisible. But I hate spending money, so I nearly always buy the cheap stuff in the health and beauty aisle at Target or Walmart. Occasionally, I have purchased more expensive brands - but they flaked, smeared, or ran. So I stuck with the popular but cheap brand.

Last week I splurged and bought Moodstruck Epic Mascara and WOW!  My lashes suddenly looked like those ladies at work who have really good lashes. I thought they all went to the salon to have such great lashes but with Moodstruck Epic my lashes are now pretty great too. My lashes were suddenly long and thick; with individual lashes visible. My lashes were visible! 

What I like about this mascara is:

• The brush actually brushes my lashes. I can feel it "combing" them. Not just passing across them.
• It coats the lashes separately. 
• The mascara hasn't smudged or ran all over my face yet. 
• It takes no more time or work to apply than my cheap mascara
• The difference in quality was noticeable immediately
• It is very thick, but not clumpy.
• It is more expensive (I don't like spending extra money) but I realized that I was spending money on mascara that really wasn't doing much at all - in the long run, this brand may not be much more expensive after all.

Here is my attempt to show you the vast difference in my lashes with no mascara, my box store mascara, and my amazing lashes with the Moodstruck Epic mascara.

Before: my puny, almost invisible eyelashes

side by side comparison: LEFT -popular box store mascara - RIGHT - Moodstruck Epic

If you are only looking for information about the mascara, you can skip straight to shop for the mascara here. 

note: I hate photo comparisons that are "staged" or use different lighting to make the product look better.  I did my best to use the same angle, distance, and lighting to give a real comparison. But as a person who doesn't take selfies, this was the closest I could get. And yes, I really did apply the mascara on the left. The way I normally do. And the way that I had mistakenly thought helped my eyes look better. 

More About Younique

I want to tell you a bit about the company. I am a supporter of women and their home businesses. I'm on a tight budget so I can't always support these businesses as much as I would like. But in this instance, the company, my presenter, and the product make it worth the extra couple of bucks.

Younique is a direct sales beauty product company. Their statement on their About Us page is:

Younique's mission is to uplift, empower, validate, and ultimately build self-esteem in women around the world through high-quality products that encourage both inner and outer beauty and spiritual enlightenment while also providing opportunities for personal growth and financial reward 

Women become presenters and show the items they use and love. If  you are my age, you can think Tupperware parties - except with Younique the home parties happen only if you want it to. Most of the sales are "virtual parties" or individual orders (like mine).

Also, unlike home parties from days gone by, customers are able to order online just like they order any other product that is offered online. No commitment to having a party, no high-pressure sales, no having to clean up and plan to have guests (unless you want to - but I don't have the desire to "entertain").  

Currently Liz, my presenter, is taking a break from active sales because family life has become so busy. But you can place orders directly from Younique. Or an internet search will help you find a presenter and Younique make-up tutorials that meet your individual needs. 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Landscaping Solution for Areas Where the Grass Won't Grow

Our Front Yard Fix - My DIY Stepping Stone Solution

When You Want to Keep Your Trees but Can't Keep the Lawn

If you don't have to, don't cut down the trees.

Let me start by saying that I'm not a gardening expert. 

However, I did manage to pull off this DIY. Review the photos featured here to get a good look at the results.

Over 20 years ago we moved into our home in a new tree-less development. Other than the one tree the city provided, the yard was simply grass and a builder's walkway.

Landscaping was a must for us so we got busy planting trees and had a lovely interlocking walkway put in around the home.

My husband picked a tree he liked, a Birch Tree, and I picked a tree I liked, a Blue Spruce. We had both planted in the front yard with the birch tree surrounded by a small island featuring easy to care for Juniper. 

We put Boxwoods along the walkway, cedar trees on each side of the garage doors and a Bristol

A Close Up of Part of the

Front Yard

Ruby Weigela by the porch. On the other side of the driveway we had an English Oak Tree planted, which today, is magnificent.

For the back yard we planted about 50 cedar trees around the fence. You can see pictures of the backyard here with some gardening tips here.

In those early years, the trees were essentially our height or lower so keeping the lawn green and healthy was never an issue, until the trees became very large and as you can well imagine the little bit of exposed lawn in the front yard turned into a disaster.

One Day, I Decided that Was IT! No More

LOL I'm not exaggerating. One day about ten years ago I arrived home from work and solicited the help of my sons to do some Diy landscaping. Off we went to the local Home Depot to purchase the stepping stones you see in the photos. 

I chose bigger irregular stepping stones for most of the what was left of the lawn area, and smaller ones to go in front of the island. 

Not wanting the dirt to show between the stepping stones and not wanting to wait for planted ground cover to grow, I choose small red gardening rocks to fill in the cracks.

The only thing I forgot to do was to line the area with a protection barrier fabric to prevent the weeds from growing through the stones. But that's ok, I just dig out the weeds between the stones from time to time. It's good exercise, in fact I just did it again the other day.

A Closer Look - DIY Stepping Stone Fix

Also, to finish the look I put red cedar wood chips around the bushes and along the walkway. 

Was This a Hard DIY?

No. Since the lawn was mostly gone, there wasn't much digging to do to get the yard ready to receive the stepping stones. We poured the small red colored rock between the stones. Oh, and my sons did the heavy lifting.

Had I Ever Done This Type of Work Before?

No. I was totally inexperienced. The only advantage I may have had was that in my real estate years I had seen a great deal of property, and thus had a lot of visual assistance stored in the back of my mind.

What Tips Would You Give?

The most important aspect, at least for me, was to look carefully at the yard to roughly determine the

A Section of the Backyard Along the Fence where

the Grass doesn't Grow - These stepping stones are NOT
positioned close together on purpose!

size of the stepping stones needed and then do a bit of math to establish how many stones to buy.

It's easier to be as exact as you can than to continuously go back to the store to get additional stepping stones. However, I didn't get it right the first time either; I ended up at the store twice.

Also, install enough stepping stones. In other words, don't try to save money by spacing them too far apart so you won't need as many.

The closer together they are, the better the finished product will look. Plus, having them closer together means fewer red colored rocks.

What Did this Project Cost You?

Ok.... Remember this was done around 2008. My estimated price for the work I personally did was about $1000(ish) Canadian. Of course that doesn't include the trees or the professionally installed walkways. That money includes the stepping stones, cedar red chips, and red colored rocks. No labour costs, as of course, it was a DIY.

Don't be afraid to try this, it's a lot easier than it looks. I am not an expert and managed, so I'm sure you could as well. The photos really don't do this DIY justice :)

This is a recent photo (2018) - Stepping Stones still Holding Up Nicely, 10 Years Later

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Reviewing Ways to Earn Money That Aren't Your Average 9 to 5 Job

Image by Lou16

The internet has made the world seem smaller, it has also opened up opportunities for many people to embrace the idea of a side hustle or to even take the place of a more conventional day job.

Let's review a few ways that you can earn money that aren't talked about by your careers adviser in school. The wonderful contributors on this website have embraced several different ways of earning money and if you have similar talents then you may wish to embrace some of their methods.

So what ideas shall we discuss? Writing, photography, craft, recommendations, graphic design and even singing to cats!

You have probably heard the saying that if you do something you love you'll never work a day in your life. My late (offline) boss used to love this saying and he lived it too as he was at the office every day until his final two weeks (a month shy of his 90th birthday), he was even still studying a few months earlier! A few people who's articles you may have enjoyed on this site also seem to have taken these words to heart such as Mbg Photo & Wednesday Elf ...

Photography, Graphic Designs & Art

Mbg photo loves both photography and lighthouses so how to combine two loves and earn money at the same time? You sell your photographs of lighthouses on different products that people can purchase online. This is done with the aid of a number of print on demand sites, a popular one of these sites is Zazzle and you can see some wonderful lighthouses at Mgb Photo's Zazzle store - Lighthouse Gifts and Photos.

Zazzle is a great site to upload your own photography on, but you don't have to stop there.  Other popular ways to earn with Zazzle include typographical designs, in fact I had two very popular t-shirt designs that were just word based!  If you have a graphic design background or are an artist you could do well on this site.

Crocheting and Other Crafts

Wednesday Elf enjoys crocheting and she can utilize her talents by selling some of her amazing crocheted plush animals (and other goodies) in her very own Etsy store - Coastal Crochet Crafts.  There are a number of different crafts that you can make and put for sale on Etsy.  So if you enjoy crochet, knitting, jewelry making or even creating butterfly wings for costumes then you can sell your goods on Etsy.

Writing

When it comes to writing there are several different ways to earn money - writing a blog about things you love, reviewing products or even writing a book!   Sylvestermouse loves Christmas and plans for it throughout the year which is why she runs a couple of different sites around the holidays including Christmas Time Treasures.

BarbRad (like many of us) is a self-confessed bookworm and amongst her many book related blogs she reviews books at Bookworm Buffet (an awesome name for a book review site in my opinion!).

Anyone can set up their own website these days whether it's on the blogger platform, wordpress or even a site like weebly.   If that idea is too daunting for you then you could start writing on content sites such as hubpages or wizzley - earning money on these sites takes a while, but it's a good place to ease into the world of online writing.

Writing a book has become a lot easier with the internet because you can publish ebooks yourself.  It takes a lot more discipline to write a book in my opinion though.  One of our wonderful contributors has done this, however, with not just one, but two books - Bev Owen's cozy mysteries can be brought through Amazon.

Uber, Airbnb & Airtasker

Other ways of making money include the ride sharing economy such as Uber - simply use your car (provided it meets the requirements), download the app and you can choose your own hours for making money as a driver.  I know people who do this as a full time income as well as people who do it around other jobs.

Airbnb is a very popular way to cash in on extra room at home that can also lead you to meeting a variety of people.  Friends of ours do very well with this source of income which enables one of them to stay home and look after the children full time.

Airtasker is one way to earn money that I haven't used and nor do I know anyone who has.  I have heard interesting things about it though and it certainly seems like an interesting way to offer up any skills you have to earn money.  I was watching a segment on our local news program where they interviewed the head of airtasker in Australia and he said that the most unusual way someone had made money in the past year was by singing to a pet cat for an hour a day!

Recommendations

Recommending things is a great way to earn money and this can be done in a number of different ways.   One way is to write reviews (as we mentioned under writing) and in this way we can earn advertising income on a blog or we can earn via affiliate marketing.

With affiliate marketing we get a commission on any sales we make when we recommend things so you could look at one of Treasures by Brenda's sites which is called Movie Treasures by Brenda.  This site reviews movies and if you click on the movie and purchase it Brenda can receive a commision.  

Recommendations are very powerful you've only got to see how many Facebook recommendations you see in a day.  People just can't seem to resist giving recommendations (usually for free).  You don't have to write an article or blog post to earn money with recommendations you could try social marketing (previously called network marketing).

I actually belong to a social marketing company called Arbonne and basically I love the products so recommend them to people and then they buy them through me and I make a commission.  If they start recommending them to other people then I let them know that they could become a consultant themselves and make the commission for themselves instead of sending me clients!

The company I work for provide us with a website so the business can be wholly conducted online, but face to face recommendations works really well and I would recommend a combination of the two to be really successful.

There are a number of social marketing companies around, but my (albeit biased) opinion is that Arbonne is the best so if you are interested in finding out more please send me a message via my Facebook business page or via instagram.

Even More Ways to Make Money

Other ideas for making money is by offering to be a social media manager for small local businesses, setting up and/or looking after websites for local businesses.

Then of course there's always going back to basics and offering handyman services, shopping services, dog walking services.

The list really is endless, whether it's a local task or a global task there really seems as though there's nothing you can't make money from if you think outside of the office cubicle!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Ant-Man and The Wasp Movie Review

Ant-man and The Wasp - The Official Movie Special Hardcover Book

Background for the Plot of Ant-Man and The Wasp 

Once again, Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Michael Douglas (Dr. Hank Pym),  and Evangeline Lilly (The Wasp / Dr. Pym's daughter), join together in battle.  However, this time it is against a very unexpected, mysterious foe, while also having to elude the FBI.

Ant-Man and The Wasp picks up the story two years after the Marvel movie, Ant-Man, with Scott Lang under house arrest.  He was found guilty of violations of the world peace treaty for his actions in the movie Captain America, Civil War.  Dr Pym and his daughter, Hope, have been in hiding for 2 years thanks to Scott.  Because he used the Ant-Man suit when he helped Captain America, they were now wanted by the FBI.  

Dr. Pym and Hope are pretty angry with Scott.  They had realized that since Ant-Man had survived and returned from the Quantum Realm (in the Ant-Man movie), that Hope's mother, who was believed to have died there, could possibly have survived too, and they wanted to rescue her.  Because they lost their home, their lab, and had to go into hiding, their rescue mission was on hold until they could recreate their lab.

The Plot of Ant-Man and The Wasp
(Spoiler Alert - Ghost Identity Revealed - Another Surprise Break from the original Marvel comics)

 Ant-Man and the Wasp - Pre-order DVD
(Plus Bonus Content)Check PriceI don't really like spoilers, but this one is imperative in order to explain the plot of Ant-Man and The Wasp.  However, I will not go further than needed to give you a basic plot outline.

When Scott experienced a mind-meld with Janet van Dyne, Hope's mother, he immediately called Dr. Pym, even though that was a violation of his house arrest terms.   Scott had no way of knowing that Dr. Pym had just opened access to the Quantum Realm again, but Dr. Pym knew as soon as he heard from Scott, that they unfortunately needed him.  Apparently, Janet was able to communicate with them through Scott.

Unbeknownst to Dr. Pym, a previous colleague, Elihas Starr, continued working on a tunnel to the Quantum Realm on his own after he was fired by Dr. Pym for stealing.  When his tunnel blew up, Starr and his wife were both killed, but their child was alive, yet changed forever.  Now an adult, she needed access to the Quantum Realm or she would die.  As the Ghost, she was determined to steal Pym's lab and tunnel to the Quantum Realm.

Ant-Man and The Wasp are required to fight Ghost in order to save Janet van Dyne.

You may think you know what will happen by what I have written, but once again, you are in for a shock.  Remember, all of the Marvel movies have tie-ins with each others plot. 

By the way, gotta love those ants!!!

---

Check Out More Movie Reviews at
ReviewThisMovies.com

MORE MARVEL MOVIE REVIEWS

Ant-Man Movie Review

Dr. Pym (Ant-Man suit inventor) & his daughter, Hope, train Scott Lang to work with ants and to become Ant-Man in preparation to "defeat" Darren Cross and his Yellowjacket invention.

Avengers: Infinity War Movie Review

Marvel fans love Avengers: Infinity War!  All of our favorite Avengers, plus the Guardians of the Galaxy join the battle to save the world from evil domination and genocide by Thanos. Expect some very shocking and even upsetting deaths in this movie. Real Mavel fans will need Kleenex!

Doctor Strange Movie Review

The movie Doctor Strange is based on the Marvel comics character. A fabulous fantasy fiction movie that is quite accurate with the depiction.

Guardians of the Galaxy I & II Movies Reviewed

Guardians of the Galaxy is a truly fabulous Marvel movie that I would recommend for anyone! The movie is a mix of sci-fi, great animation, engaging stories, & witty dialog.

 Ant-Man and The Wasp Movie Review Written by:

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Review of Small Town Fun in Conneaut Ohio

Conneaut West Breakwater Lighthouse

On our latest roadtrip we were traveling up highway 90 on our way from St. Louis, Missouri to Manchester, New Hampshire.  We have traveled that way several times as our son lives in NH.  I have noticed signs for the town of Conneaut, Ohio but never have stopped in the past.  This time I was needing a respite from the drive so we decided to stop for the afternoon.  I knew it was a small town so I was pleasantly surprised with all there was to see.  Here is a review of the sights we saw in Conneaut.

Lighthouse in Bay

In the photo at the top of this post you will see the unique lighthouse I photographed in Conneaut.  The walk out to the lighthouse was quite a hike, so instead I got out my tripod and long lens to photograph the lighthouse.

History

Conneaut is located on Lake Erie in the Northeast corner of Ohio.  As the town grew in the 19th century it became a point for shipping grain, whiskey and forest products.  In 1835 a lighthouse was built to facilitate ships coming into and out of the harbor.  Various improvements and changes were made to the lighthouse over the years.  In 1920 the old lighthouse was removed and the modern cement light we see today was built.  This light called the Conneaut West Breakwater Lighthouse, can be seen for 17 miles into Lake Erie.

Fun Watching Eagles

While I was photographing the lighthouse my husband got into a conversation with a local resident who was out on the harbor enjoying the beautiful day.  She saw my camera with my long lens (600mm) and told him about a place on the other end of the harbor where there was an eagles nest in an old tree.  We went over to that area and had a wonderful afternoon watching the eagles.  There were several juvenile eagles along with the adults.  In the third photo below, I captured an adult eagle pulling a fish from the water.

Covered Bridge

The map of Conneaut that I picked up showed a trail of covered bridges.  There were four in the area and we took a drive and found one that I stopped to photograph. The covered bridge that I photographed is called State Road bridge and it spans the Conneaut creek.  This bridge is 157 feet long and is a single span Town Truss bridge according to the sign on the bridge.  It was built in 1983.

Zazzle Products from my Photos

Fun in Conneaut Ohio Poster
by lighthouseenthusiast

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

It's National Blueberry Month All Around the World

Today is National Blueberry Muffin Day!  Just as these plump little berries are coming onto the market, it is time to get some great recipes, so you can fully enjoy these delicious little treats!  

Let's Review some of the best recipes that are out there on the World Wide Web, for all of us who love to consume this delightful bit of heaven on earth!

Blueberries are one of the best fruits for you!  Full of lots of vitamins and minerals, it has also had a lot of reported health benefits as well!.Blueberries are pretty to look at and taste even greater than they look.  Naturally native to North America, blueberries have been attributed to longevity and strength.  They are low in calories and high in taste!  A great combination for sure. If you want to learn more about the health benefits of blueberries you can check out a link right here!

Let me just give you the highlights!  100 grams of blueberries contains about 57 calories. for those who are not in the metric system that equals about a half cup.  Blueberries are full of anti-oxidants and dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. These dark blue berries even  help lower blood sugar levels and control blood-glucose levels. They pack a big bang for your grocery dollar. Many people feel that blueberries add years to your life and life to your years.  Added to other berries like strawberries and raspberries, the colors alone will make your mouth water.

What's even better is that you can use blueberries in so many different ways.  You can eat them just as they are, like grapes, or add them to a dish of ice cream for a real treat!  Blueberries can even be used in savoury dishes too! They are great in gravies, soups and stews or to add some flavor to venison dishes.   Just make sure you wash them well, just like any other fruit.

Blueberries can be cooked into a jam or jelly, baked into a cake or tart, or frozen for later use.  If you have a farm near you, I would highly suggest that this fruit is one you should go out and pick.  The time for that is right now!  Berry season this year looks like a great one.  We've had the right amount of rain and sunshine so that these fruits should be available without any problems. The height of the season is June through August.

Now let's look at a few ways that you can make the most out of this incredible berry season. Eating blueberries just as they are is wonderful.  Add other berries to make a lovely colorful flan, fruit cups, and mixed berry jams and jellies is a great idea too!  But don't stop there.  Blueberries can also be used in smoothies and making wine!  My personal favorite is Blueberry Muffins.  I like the flavor, texture and look of these muffins!  Yummy for breakfast or as a dessert for the family.  You will find so many recipes that use blueberries in this cookbook! 

Blueberry muffins are so good and easy to make, I just know you will enjoy this recipe!  Sam Monaco, a friend and great cook shared this recipe on his blog "Sam's Place"  I've made them lots of times and I never get tired of the ease and the great taste of these delightful muffins.  Enjoy!  Sam's Blueberry Muffins

By the Way,  just for some added fun, the next time you play a game like Trivial Pursuit, you can awe your family with the knowledge that Canada is the largest exporter of blueberries in the world.  Bet you didn't know that!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Gifts For Writers Reviewed

Ideas For The Writer On Your Gift List

Writing Gift suggestions image from Pixabay.com

With Christmas coming closer by the day, I thought I would review some ideas for gifts for writers today. You probably don't have many on your list but if you have just one you might not be sure what would be useful to give to them. 

Something that is relatively easy and won't hurt your wallet very much is to get a few notebooks; you know like the ones the kids use in school. Add some pens and pencils and wrap them up as a gift. Now, you might be thinking that this seems a little old school because they most likely use a keyboard to write their stories. Well, yes but those notebooks come in pretty darned handy. I can never have enough of them! I used them to jot down ideas but I also use them to start to define my characters. I will use a page to jot down the physical characteristics, personality traits and the name of the character. It makes it much easier to refer back to while I am writing. Jotting this all down in a notebook helps me to visualize the character and breaths life into their existence into my crowded and addled brain. Trust me, a writer will appreciate getting them.

Last Christmas one of my daughters gave me this book and I really loved it!

On Writing by Stephen King

I admire Stephen King a great deal and my daughter knows that. Now, I don't read his horror books because quite frankly I am sure he would scare the daylights out of me. What I admire is his absolute genius with words. I digress. The reason I think this is a good gift for a writer is that Mr. King talks about his process and his history as a writer. He doesn't go into the real mechanics of writing in the book. It is like he says, there aren't really any classes or books that can teach you to write. You either have it in you or you don't. What he does share are the struggles of a writer, especially in the early years. He talks about the number of rejections he received in the beginning and how he didn't give up. Sure, in his early years of writing, he hoped to make money but as any writer will tell you, there is more to it than that. There are stories in you that you just have to get out and you just keep at it. Anyway, I truly think that any writer would both enjoy and benefit from reading this book.

Another gift idea for the writer is a whimsical mug that has some sort of saying about writing. I particularly like the one below for the authors of fiction:

Writer's Friends

I am quite sure that your writer will get a chuckle out of this one every time they pick it up to drink their coffee or tea while writing. Our characters are really no different than those imaginary friends that we had as children. You may not be able to hear them or see them but they are very real to us. It may sound strange to people who don't write fiction but to an author it makes total sense. In order for us to be able to make them come alive with our words; they have to exist in our psyche.

Another option for a mug for that writer on your list is this one:

Mug for Writer

This one really made me laugh! Authors have to do a lot of research when writing a book. Well, let's  say that they should do research. When I was writing my first book and wanted to use poison to kill someone; I did a lot of browsing on types of poisons. As I was talking my ideas over with my husband he made the comment, "Babe, you better hope that nothing suspicious ever happens to me and the cops start looking at your browsing history!" We both laughed, but he had a point. Seriously!

Something else that every writer should have is a Thesaurus. The writer on your gift list may already have one but a second one would be appreciated; I am sure. You can find one in a local book store or even in the school supply section of your favorite store. It might be something that you could add to those notebooks and writing utensils as a gift.

Of course, you could get books that have to do with the mechanics of writing. My guess is; they probably already know the mechanics, though. It is like Stephen King intimates; the ability to tell a story is inside you or it is not. A person can know all of the ins and outs of grammar and punctuation but if they don't have a story to tell; what good is it?

There are all sorts of little writing aides in the form of books and game like activities that are supposed to help with story ideas. I have a few that have been given to me as gifts. They are kind of fun to use. I find them helpful in just practicing writing. I guess I look at them as sort of an improv type of activity like a comedian might do on stage. They don't really help me come up with an idea for a book but they do help me use my imagination to just write something. I do keep them because you never know when you might read through what you have done and come up with a plot in the future.

Well, I hope I have sparked some ideas for you if you have a writer on your gift list this year. Let me know in the comments if you have some other ideas. 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Reviewing Handmade Rag Rugs

Handmade denim rag rugs by StudioAtRedTopRanch

I love rag rugs and have always loved rag rugs. Occasionally, I have made my own using strips of recycled cloth (bed sheets) and a super large crochet hook. Recently, I have learned about the hand-woven rag rugs made by StudioAtRedTopRanch. They are such beautiful rugs that I wanted to share with you.

StudioAtRedTopRanch on Etsy

This Etsy shop offers hand-woven placements, table runners, and rugs. The rugs are my personal favorite. 

Tracy is the owner/artist at StudioAtRedTopRanch.  About the rugs, she writes:

"I began making handmade rag rugs as a way to use up leftover and unloved fabric. As I studied rugmaking, it became a way to learn and preserve an art developed by women who made-do by repurposing clothes and curtains because they had no other materials available..."

One of the reasons I love her rugs is because they look a little more "finished" than my crocheted rag rugs do. I guess because hers are woven they lay flatter and looked more finished than my lumpy, thick rugs.

Another reason I really like these rugs is because they are handmade - but didn't take me weeks to make!  I enjoy making my own crafts but I just don't make much time for crafts and I have the attention span of a flea. 

One more reason I like these handmade items is because I like to support women who have small, home businesses. Besides, when someone is making something they love, and something that is meaningful to them, the quality is so much better. 

These rugs, runners, and placements are perfect gifts for people who have a country farmhouse or rustic cabin living style. Or a perfect gift for yourself - adding a touch of "home" in your favorite room. My favorite "color" (and style) is the denim rug but she offers many colors to choose from.

some of the color options at StudioAtRedTopRanch

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

How to Bring English Ivy Back to Life - A Review of What Worked

How to Repair English Ivy

Let me start by saying, I'm not a gardening expert.

What you'll find here is something I tried from an online search on how to bring English Ivy back to life … and it sounded too simple, but it freaking worked!

I can't guarantee you'll have as much luck as I did, but considering how easy it was, perhaps you'll be able to restore your Ivy as well? It's worth a try.

I've included a couple of videos, both taken just recently in 2018: One shows the disaster that our Ivy became this year, along with patchy, blotchy lawn.

The other video shows the results of new lawn growth and Ivy growth after using the two products indicated below.

BEFORE: Take a Look at the Disaster of our Ivy this Year. You'll also see the Lawn before the Repairs. What a Mess!

What Killed the Ivy You Ask?

The Ivy that surrounds our back patio has been there, without ever dying, since we had the patio installed in the early 1990s. I've NEVER had to repair it. The Ivy has always been a reliable patio ground-cover support.

We chose Ivy because it's maintenance free and has been so until this year, 2018.

So what took the life out of our Ivy? It could have been the harsh winter we just had, but I doubt that as we've had many harsh winters over the past twenty plus years. Or it could have been dog urine. We recently had a lovely dog visitor over the winter and he enjoyed choosing the Ivy to do his business on. Quite frankly, we suspect it was the doggie urine.

What Did We Do to Repair the Ivy?

The big secret was Miracle Grow. Honestly our Ivy was so bad that I really didn't expect it to work. After searching online for what to use to revive the Ivy, the most consistent response Google kept kicking back was 'Miracle Grow'. So I gave in, and tried it.

AFTER: Take a Look at the Ivy and Lawn After the Repair was Done this Year!

There's a Few HOWEVERS Though

1. However, as mentioned above, each year I repair our lawn with Scotts EZseed Patch and Repair. Scotts EZ is a combination of Mulch, Seed and Fertilizer.

Here's the Ivy fully Repaired - The Lawn Growing Nicely

I highly recommend Scotts EZSeed!

Every year I buy several large bags and spread it along the perimeter of our cedar trees and on the dry dead patches of our lawn.

The cedar trees suck the life out of our lawn, so after replacing our lawn three times over the past several decades, I decided to consistently repair it year after year instead. Best decision.

Also, I  did try another brand of Lawn Repair and Scotts was far superior.

The reason I mention the Lawn repair is because who knows whether the fertilizer in it somehow enhanced the Miracle Grow on the Ivy. Not being a gardener, I have no idea, but thought you should know.

2. That's not the only fertilizer in our yard. Each year I also put 36 Tree Fertilizer Spikes in the ground around the cedars. You can read about how awesome that works for the trees here.

So in summary, our annual routine is normally tree fertilizer spikes and Scotts EZSeed Repair for the lawn, but this year's disaster with the Ivy called for Miracle Grow to repair it, and it worked!

Here's What the Ivy Looked Liked Last Year and Every Year Before that - Before the 'Dead Ivy' Crisis of 2018.

We've restored the Ivy again and it's Well on it's Way to Looking Like it has for over 20 Years

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON: