World Market

Let's just talk about World Market for a second (some parts of the country call it Cost Plus).  I recently joined their Explorer Program and I think you should too.  You basically use your account # every time you make purchas.  Once you purchase $100 worth of food products you get a $10 gift card.  There's no expiration either to get to your $100 purchase total, so you could take an entire year to do it if you want.  Also, for every 6 bags of coffee you buy you get one free one.  And if you buy a bag of coffee on a Wednesday it counts as if you had bought two.  Not to mention their coffee is YUM.  We currently have the Texas Turtle Blend (bought on a Wednesday, two points!).  So besides the $10 and the coffee deals you also get coupons and recently I had a random $10 off $30 which I put to good use.  


Food I enjoy from World Market includes: coffee, chocolate from around the world, British items for my husband (like HP Sauce, Heinz Beans, various chocolate), Maui Sweet Onion Chips, lemon pancake mix, fruit jams and preserves, baking items, pasta sauces, and chicken korma sauce.  I also enjoy their wine and beer (I don't think that counts towards the $100 food purchase though unfortunately!).  We recently tried Buffalo Bills Orange Blossom Cream Ale and it is delish.  


I wish I could take you all on a shopping trip there!  Besides the food section I also love their patio/outdoor items, kitchenware (particularly serving items and coffee mugs), home accessories, greeting cards, and fancy french soaps.  Last time I was there I got this pretty teapot for only $15:

I also want to mention that they are currently doing a $100 gift card a day giveaway on their Facebook page until May 27th.  The only bad thing is that my local World Market closed, but the nearest one is only about 12 miles away so it's not THAT horrible.  

*I am not affiliated in any way with World Market, I just really enjoy this store :)

Shower Products Review

Two recent purchases:
Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Fortifying Shampoo

The claim on this new shampoo is that it will not weight your hair down because it has no silicone, will leave no residue and will wash away clean.  It is also biodegradable.  It does still have sulfates in it, but I enjoy a good lather, and the fruity smell.  Anyway, my verdict is that it will be a good once a week shampoo for my baby fine hair to help get rid of residue and give my hair a break from the blonde salon shampoo I use.  Overall it's probably just as good a drugstore shampoo as any other one out there plus it's environmentally conscience.  Thumbs up.











Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash - Fragrance Free

This is a non-soap body wash for sensitive skin, dry, itchy skin.  I am really liking the moisturizing properties of this and can see it being great in the winter time but also during the summer after a day at the beach or in the sun.  Another thumbs up product.

Movie Review #5 - Water for Elephants

I read this book back in 2007 so it was hard for me to remember much about it.  I know I liked it and rated it four stars out of five.  I was very excited for the movie, for both Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon.  I thought their romantic connection was believable on screen.  Overall I loved the movie and I thought they did a good job.  I saw it with my friend who read the book more recently than I did, she said some things were different but it did live up to her expectations.  I think someone who hadn't read the book would also enjoy the movie.  It has suspense, adventure, romance, and some humor.  The film LOOKED beautiful, and the elephant, Rosie, was amazing.
Overall I give it a 8 out of 10.

Movie Review #4 - Insidious

I probably had too high of expectations for this movie.  I had seen one preview, and kind of forgot about it, but a few weeks later I saw the high rating on IMDB.com and my 13 year old and 15 year old cousins told me it was the scariest movie they had seen (no offense but every movie they see is the scariest they've seen).  Anyway, I went with my Mom, Aunt and Husband and my Mom tends to laugh all the way through scary movies.  So that kind of made it less scary for me, not to mention half-way through it got really hokie and circus/funhouse-like.  It had potential but it went downhill.  I guess it was still an enjoyable experience thanks to my Mom and also my Aunt for spilling a ton of popcorn on the floor at one part!  oh and also the two of them SCREAMED so loud towards the beginning of the movie, the entire theater was looking at them.  


It's from the makers of Saw and Paranormal Activity, I find both of those movies a lot scarier and better overall.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1591095/


Ps.  My husband really liked it a lot, but he believes this stuff can really happen!   I HOPE not.

Book Review - A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff

From goodreads:
Do fairytale dresses bring fairytale endings? Every dress has a history, so does Phoebe! Phoebe always dreamt of opening her own vintage dress shop. She imagined every detail, from the Vivienne Westwood bustiers hanging next to satin gowns, to sequinned cupcake dresses adorning the walls. At the launch of Village Vintage, Phoebe feels the tingle of excitement as customers snap up the fairytale dresses. Her dream has come true, but a secret from her past is casting a shadow over her new venture. Then one day she meets Therese, an elderly Frenchwoman with a collection to sell, apart from one piece that she won't part with ! As Therese tells the story of the little blue coat, Phoebe feels a profound connection with her own life, one that will help her heal the pain of her past and allow her to love again.


This was VERY good, couldn't put it down. It's a little more substantial than the typical chic-lit because of the story line (not just romance).  Would make an adorable movie also!  As my friend said, it would be great to see the shop and all those beautiful the dresses on film.  

Book Review - Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

From goodreads:

Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time—and all the way to the end. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya’s life in war-torn Leningrad, more than five decades ago. Alternating between the past and present, Meredith and Nina will finally hear the singular, harrowing story of their mother’s life, and what they learn is a secret so terrible and terrifying that it will shake the very foundation of their family and change who they believe they are.

Wow. Best book I have read since The Help last year. The last 100 pages were heartbreaking and hard to get through (so devastating and sad). The story is so rich and just amazing. Sisters, friendship, family, love...very powerful.  I rarely post a book on here since most of us are on goodreads, but this one is really worth the read!!!

Movie Review #3 - Hanna

I saw this last night, not knowing really what to expect.  I saw the preview and it looked cool, dangerous, scary, and The Chemical Brothers did the music.  Oh and Cate Blanchett is in it, which helped me want to see it at the theater.  I think I maybe had higher expectations for it, it wasn't AMAZING, but it was good and entertaining.  The other two movies I just posted about (Adjustment Bureau and Lincoln Lawyer) were better.  This is totally different though, really adventurous and full of action and suspense.  I jumped a few times and was creeped out.  I really liked the beginning in the forest/wilds of Finland, and then when she escapes capture and realizes where she is.  The second half of the movie felt forced to me, but overall I think this would be a good one to get on DVD or see it at the theater if you love action/suspense/combat/girl kicks ass type movies.

*I liked the actress, I just noticed she will be playing Itaril in The Hobit 1 and 2!  I can definitely see her as an elf.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993842/

Movie Review #2 - The Adjustment Bureau

It's hard for me to describe this movie, I just know it made me feel good and I really liked it.  It's a different kind of love story, I thought Emily Blunt did great along side Matt Damon.  Before I went I had heard if you like Inception you would like this.  It's nothing like Inception though, not really.  My husband liked it a lot also, we recommend it! 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1385826/

Book Review - Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution

Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran

I finished Madame Tussaud the other day and was quite impressed by it.  It follows the life of Madame Tussaud before she got married, while she was living in Paris with her MOm and Uncle, creating wax figures and table's for their salon/museum.  It describes how she tutored Marie Antoinette's sister in wax modeling and became a friend to the Queen and her sister.  It also describes the rough/horrible/horrendous time during the French Revolution.  What Madame Tussaud had to endure can be quite gruesome, but it helped show what a strong person she is.  I really liked this book even though I don't normally like historical fiction novels.  I recommend it!  (4/5 stars)

Movie Review #1 - The Lincoln Laywer

We went to the movies on Sunday to see The Lincoln Laywer.  I really had no idea what it was about beforehand, I just knew it was getting a great rating on IMDB.com (anything over a 6.5 equals great rating to me), and it stars Matthew McConaughey and Ryan Phillippe (need I say more really?).  I have to say, I really enjoyed it!  I am not really a lawyer/court movie type of person but this movie was great.  Matthew's character was cool, smooth, and fun.  We are used to seeing him in the romantic comedies (How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days is one of my favorites!), so this isn't his usual movie.  The movie made you laugh, and it definitely was full of suspense and some surprise moments.  Nice twist at the end!  I give it an A-.

Picture Courtesy www.imdb.com