Halloween is just around the corner! Our dog, Happy Gilmore, has been known to dress in costume and get into the Halloween spirit, but he has one complaint about the holiday. Why does it have to be Trick OR Treat? Shouldn't it be Trick AND Treat?

When I was young, I used to wear all the high heels and platform shoes. It was nice to feel tall every now and then. However, since Rheumatoid Disease struck, I've been relegated to flat, "comfortable shoes" -- and the struggle to find such shoes that are also stylish. When I had the opportunity to review Hotter Originals shoes, I jumped at the chance. Hotter is a British brand with a focus on comfort (yes!) -- and their Originals line features classic styles that go well with a variety of outfits. I chose the Jewel style in Navy since I don't have any navy colored shoes, and I thought these would be both cute and comfortable for work -- or any occasion! They are a ballet style with a subtle snakeskin sort of pattern and a bow across the front.

Shopping for glasses can be hard. And expensive. I have a very weak prescription and glasses that I mostly just use for driving.  Oh, and stargazing -- it's amazing how different the sky looks when you can see clearly! So many more stars and so much sharper! Anyways, I've also had a couple of pairs of prescription sunglasses, which are great for driving and really do make a difference on a sunny day. Unfortunately, my absolute favorite pair of Rx sunglasses were accidentally left in a restroom at a local beach -- when I realized it 15 minutes later and went back for them, someone had already taken them! Drat! That was my only pair of prescription sunglasses and my driving glasses were getting old, so I decided to try ordering some new glasses online. I had bought the others from a physical eyeglass, but even with the buy one, get one free sale, they were expensive! My first online shopping experience for glasses was so-so. The glasses were okay, a decent deal, they fit alright, but not great. The driving glasses literally fell apart after a year, and the sunglasses don't stay on my face well enough to wear for much outside of driving.

Lots to choose from!

I love snacks!! Yum yum!

**Note: I received this product for free in exchange for a review with my honest opinion.

I just tried out this Tip n Toss Pizza Cutter (and beyond!) for the first time tonight, and it works like a charm! For those who know me, you know I make homemade pizza all the time. For years, I had this old jenky pizza cutter I had gotten from a garage sale for about $.50 just prior to getting my first apartment. Needless to say, it never worked great. Years later, I decided to "upgrade" to a newer pizza wheel, only to discover that it really didn't work that great, either. It was sharper and cut better, but not great. Plus, with my Rheumatoid Disease and LAWs (little arthritic wrists), I always had a hard time cutting through the pizza crust. Not to mention that the toppings would slide everywhere and I'd be left with a mess of cheese and whatnot that I had to try to place back on the proper piece. None of those things are problems with the TipNToss Pizza Cutter! I am happy to report that this pizza cutter actually works - just a few times rocking it back and forth (making sure to press down on the edge of the crust -- my thin crust tends to get pretty crispy) and it cuts all the way through without messing up the toppings. And, it was easy on my wrists! Bonus! It's nice to find a rheum-friendly kitchen utensil. The handle is easy to grasp, and being a two-handed device makes it that much simpler for the fragile-jointed. This thing will definitely be getting a lot of use, and I'll be trying it out to chop veggies and herbs, as well.

*Note: I received this product for free in exchange for an honest review with my own personal opinions.



I jumped at the chance to review this product because it's something I've been wanting to try for a long time. The PhatMat is a food-grade silicone baking mat made to replace parchment paper or to use in place of oils and sprays on baking sheets. It retails for $39.99 on Amazon (currently on sale for $24.99) and comes in a nice storage tube with two silicone baking mats and one grill mat -- perfect for grilling smaller items that you don't want falling through the crack or just as a barrier between your food and the grill grate. It cleans up easily with water and soap. It says that you can put it in the dishwasher, but you have to be careful about it. Probably best to quickly hand wash.

I tried out the baking mats tonight while I made these (amazing) Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies from Sally's Baking Addiction.  I must say, I am truly impressed with these baking mats. They are about the size of a half sheet pan, but worked okay on my slightly smaller cookie sheet, too. It truly is a no-mess way to bake.



When I took the cookies out of the oven, I tried lifting up one of the cookies right away, and it just slid off the bottom with zero stick. And, yes, the cookies are delicious! Thanks, PhatMat, for encouraging me to bake!
I'm really excited to give these mats a try with some other baked goods and to get the grill mat going. If only it weren't the middle of winter... oh well, there's always pulling the grill right against the slider door!

The other thing I like about the PhatMat is that it  helps keep your cooking sheets from getting gross. You know what I mean? Eventually, mine always tarnish or get something baked on that just will not come off -- to the point that they look nasty and I have to kind of wonder about baking on them.

Plus, stuff does still stick to a plain baking sheet sometimes, even when greased. Parchment paper I tend to use most for bread or pizza, but this could even replace that, I think -- it's at least big enough for my thin crust pizzas when I make two smaller ones. And, the grill mat would work for grilled pizza and might not require the oil I normally use (which tends to flare up the fire below...).

I may have more PhatMat adventures soon and more feedback to share, but from my first experience, I am giving this product two thumbs up! Who knows, perhaps I'll start baking more now!

*Note: I was provided with this product for free in exchange for an honest, unbiased review with my own personal opinions.



The "Butterfly Dream" necklace from Brilla Jewelry is a beautiful teardrop shaped pendant made with Swarovski crystal and featuring a butterfly design over the top.  It has an adjustable length chain -- which I actually really appreciate! Being smaller in stature, I find that many of the standard length chains are too long and end up hitting right at the neckline of my shirt. Not a problem with this necklace, although I did adjust it to the shortest setting.

I was really excited about this review, because the necklace is really beautiful with some bling and sparkle -- and it will complement a variety of clothes from casual to dressy. The butterfly design is simple and adds a little character to the piece.  It's large enough to make a statement and add some pizzazz to an otherwise simple outfit. I don't have a lot of larger/chunky jewelry, so I was happy to add this to my collection.  It's not overly large and so still works well with my small frame (some of the larger chunkier jewelry, I just can't pull off!).


The pendant arrived in a nice jewelry box and had a protective backing on it. When I opened the box, it was just as sparkly and lovely as the pictures! I tried it on with a more casual outfit first -- it actually went really well with the the spangly jeans I have.