Socialpunk

Ima would give anything to escape The Dome and learn what’s beyond its barriers, but the Chicago government has kept all its citizens on lockdown ever since the Scorched Years left most of the world a desert wasteland. When a mysterious group of hooded figures enters the city unexpectedly, Ima uncovers a plot to destroy The Dome and is given the choice between escaping to a new, dangerous city or staying behind and fighting a battle she can never win.

I received a copy of Socialpunk from the author to read and review.  This is my honest review. I enjoyed reading Socialpunk. The characters are well developed.  Monica Leonelle paints the events and characters so vividly it's almost like you're watching a movie in your mind.  There is a nice balance between the good and bad characters.  In this story much like in real life you feel you know someone, but there are many layers to peel back before you discover who they really are.

Being from Chicago I really liked that she uses my hometown as the setting for the story. She mentions L train stops and landmarks that I'm very familiar with.  My heart raced and I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book. I barely had time to catch my breath before something else happened. At the end she left me wanting more!

Socialpunk is great for those looking for a unique, fast-paced, heart racing thrill ride. Socialpunk is the first book in a trilogy and I can't wait to read the others. The book is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Click the link below to enter the contest. You could win an iPad and more!

A RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY   Monica Leonelle is a well-known digital media strategist and the author of three novels. She blogs at Prose on Fire (http://proseonfire.com) and shares her writing and social media knowledge with other bloggers and authors through her Free Writer Toolkit (http://proseonfire.com/free-writer-toolkit). If you are a blogger and would like to participate in the Socialpunk Blog Tour here's the participant sign-up form.You can follow Monica on Twitter @monicaleonelle !

  

Unicoi Art Studio

Fish in the Ocean

It's that time of year when parents start looking for summer activities and camp for the kids.  I'm in the midst of doing this right now.  We plan to spend a lot of time in Chicago this year. One year I put my son in Chicago Park District camp, but it ended the first week of August so we still had 3-4 weeks of summer vacation left. I like to keep my kids busy and active when they aren't in school.

Chicago Skyline

 That year we found Unicoi Art Studio and they were able to take him a couple of days a week.  It's located in the Roscoe Village area of Chicago.  They have been providing art activities for kids since 1999. Unicoi has art classes daily, camps during the school year, winter and summer. I found the teachers there to be friendly, patient and caring.  I felt comfortable leaving my son with them.  My son loved going there.  Not only would I put him there during the summer, but he would go during the school year and take a class once a week.  The classes are affordable.  I couldn't believe how much my son grew as an artist.   I was amazed at what he was capable of doing.  So, if you are looking for activities for your kids this summer check out Unicoi Art Studio.  Unicoi's summer camp is from June 11-August 31st. You can Like Unicoi on Facebook.  They were also on WGN Morning News.  My son is the one with the curly hair standing next to Ana;-)  The art work you see in this post is his.  He has many more wonderful works of art he did at Unicoi too!

Cupcakes, Cookies & Pie, Oh My!

*raises hand* I confess I love sweets!  Cakes, cookies, candy, pies...love it all!  I was watching my favorite QVC host David Venable last night on his show 'In The Kitchen With David.' He is the ultimate foodie.  And of course on his show last night he had on some of the 'How did I go this long without this?' items. At the end of the show he had on a blogworthy cookbook.  It's called Cupcakes, Cookies, & Pie, Oh My!  by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. This cookbook has the cutest and most fun recipes I've seen in a while. You can make cameras out of brownies and shoes out of cupcakes.  Instead of going to a fancy bake shop and paying a lot of money for someone else to do it for you.  It's DIY!

The pictures in the book are so colorful.  David pick the right book to present for Spring.  This is the perfect cookbook to make Easter or Mother's Day treats.  You can have fun making treats with the kids during spring break or during one of those rainy April days.  And for the kids' birthday how cute would it be making frog cupcakes or little sheep for a birthday theme?!  Check out this cookbook and other cookbooks in David's cookbook corner.And you can watch 'In The Kitchen With David' on Sundays at 12pm ET and Wednesdays at 9pm ET on QVC.

Well.ca

 Moved to Vancouver from Chicago in January 2012.  I've only visited Vancouver once before and that was in August 2011 when we were looking for a place to live.  Since I had only been here once before I wasn't familiar with how to get around or where I could buy certain products.  Nervous about getting lost I decided to see if I could find a website to get the products I needed shipped to me.  I could have asked DH to get them for me, but I like to shop for my own things.  Plus sometimes he forgets or brings the wrong thing home.

While searching the internet I came across Well.ca.  Well.ca is Canada's largest online health, beauty and baby products store. It has anything you would need to find in your local drugstore, but it's online. Another great thing is that shipping is free in Canada. Prices are very reasonable. They have weekly specials and daily deals.  I have ordered from Well.ca two times and my order arrived within 5-6 business days.  Thinking about placing another order soon.  Check out their website Well.ca.  You can also find them on Twitter @Welldotca

Update: 4/20/12- Just got another delivery from Well.ca.  That's the 2nd this week.  I think I'm addicted.  Love the free shipping in Canada on any order.  Also prices are reasonable and I can find basically anything I need. You can also get free samples with your order.  With one of my orders I received a free sample of Cavena Naked Oats.  It took 40 minutes to cook, but it was worth it.  I ate it in the morning a couple of days ago.  It's full of protein 17g.  Kept me full for hours.  It had a nice flavor.  I added some coconut milk to it.  You can  use it as a substitute for rice in recipes. Check out Well.ca.  They now have a virtual store. April 20-22 they are offering 15% off of Green and Natural brands.  Just enter the coupon code EARTHDAY15 at checkout.

Sunwarrior Protein Powder

Received a sample of Sunwarrior Protein Raw Vegan Vanilla from the good people at The Raw Elements. Couldn't wait to try it.  Here's the facts on Sunwarrior Protein Raw Vegan.

*100% raw vegan
*83% protein
*Hypo-allergenic
*Non-GMO
*gluten-free
*Has complete amino acid profile

They were also nice enough to send me a sample of the Warrior Blend Raw Protein Vanilla.. The Warrior Blend facts:

*100% raw vegan
*83% protein
*Hypo-allergenic
*Non-GMO
*gluten-free
*Has complete amino acid profile
*Soy Free
*Dairy Free

Both protein powders are very low in calories.  I mixed both of them with coconut milk and flax seeds for a post-workout drink.  These protein powders are great for a post-workout drink because they have 16 g of protein.  Protein is needed post-workout because your body needs amino acids to repair and build it.  Especially after resistance or strength training.







Really liked the creaminess and strong vanilla flavor.  These protein powders are full of vitamins and minerals.  Completely natural and after I finished them I felt happy and confident about putting such a fantastic product in my body.  It also kept the munchies away.  I wasn't hungry for hours.  If you want to learn more about Sunwarrior check out their websites :Sunwarrior.com  Sunwarrior Canada
Facebook  Sunwarrior,  Sunwarrior Canada or The Raw Elements on Facebook  The Raw Elements Inc. 
Twitter: Sunwarrior

Sibu Beauty: Sea Buckthorn Balancing Facial Cleanser

I received a free sample of this product from Sibu Beauty.  I have not been compensated for this review.  I love trying new skin care products.  I have to say the Sea Buckthorn Balancing Facial Cleanser is a great product. I use this cleanser everyday and my skin feels great after every use.  My face feels clean, soft and fresh.  There are micro-particles for gentle exfoliation of the skin everyday. The cleanser rinses off my skin very easily.  It has a very light citrus scent to it.  I haven't had any breakouts and I have been using this cleanser for a couple of weeks.

I had never heard of sea buckthorn until I received this cleanser.  From the package: The sea buckthorn berry thrives in the harsh conditions and high altitude of the Himalayas in Tibet by fortifying itself with protective nutrients including Omegas, 3, 6, 7, 9, carotenoids, flavonoids, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.

The Sea Buckthorn Facial Balancing Cleanser is Paraben-FREE, Cruelty-FREE and Sulfate-FREE.  Sibu Beauty has other products too including eye, body and facial creams.  Serums,oils and Omega 7 chocolates too! Check out their website! Sibu Beauty Products

X-Train Fit: Legs

This workout works all the muscles in the legs. Stephanie even makes sure to focus on the inner thighs. That is my problem area. You can use weights or resistance bands with this workout. Again I used 5-8 pound dumbbells. According to the package XTF Legs "strengthens and tones the lower body while building lean muscle." The workout is 53 minutes including warm-up and cool down. This workout is tough, but doable. It goes by quickly and doesn't drag. The exercises included are lunges, calf raises, squats and deadlifts. Stephanie states in the DVD that you may not feel sore immediately after the workout, but will feel sore the next day. She's exactly right! No pain. No gain. X-Train Fit