Confessions of a Journaling Fountain Pen Newbie : Review of Piero Lorenzo Journal on Amazon

Hello Lovelies!                                 *purchased at a discounted price*

    I am back after an unexpected delay. I have to say that when things break in my house they tend to break in threes. Patient zero started with our Playstation 3 finally giving up the ghost and refusing to read any sort of disks. Not even a day later (cause when things die they do it ONE RIGHT AFTER the other), my computer blew up. I was on it and the next second there were pixel blocks over the screen and it was locked up. So when I rebooted it, it was the black screen of despair. My husband attempted to do a previous install of Windows and the next morning it looked like I was part of the Matrix. Literally

Houston we have a problem

I was expecting Neo to show up

                         

  Then the following day the router died. In a house that streams everything having no internet is like a death sentence especially with three kids who couldn't comprehend that Netflix doesn't work when the internet is not working. But thankfully my husband managed to get everything working with the exception of the PS3 may it rest in peace. But I am now back and there was much rejoicing. So I am doing a new review of something that I haven't reviewed before however you will be seeing more of these reviews in the future.

      I recently discovered a love a bullet journaling and fountain pens. Since this addiction happened, I am now on the hunt for the perfect journal and fountain pen combination. So when I was approached to do a review for a Piero Lorenzo journal I was extremely excited. I hadn't tried a traveler's notebook yet to use as a bullet journal but it was on my list to do. I placed the order on Amazon and the item arrived quickly and without any issues.

     The notebook itself came in an extremely attractive box wrapped in plastic with a nice new ball point pen to use with it. The pen was nice and extremely classy with a nice feel and weight to it. It wrote immediately with no issues when opened.

The leather on the journal was soft yet sturdy which will be able to hold its shape well however due to the cover being leather I wouldn't suggest throwing it into a bag with keys or sharp edges since they would possibly scuff or mar the leather.

The notebook itself has the classic to bands to easily insert the notebooks that come with it and they also included an extra notebook for future use which is definitely a bonus. The paper for the notebooks is unlined and white and thicker than moleskin paper.

 I did a pen test of the pens and inks that I have in my collection and while the paper shows the shift some of the inks I have I wouldn't suggest using a wetter nib on the paper since there is some ghosting. However I had no issues with my fine and extra fine nibbed fountain pens.

      Needless to say, I was extremely pleased with this journal. The quality is simply excellent and it the packaging makes it a wonderful gift to give anyone who is an avid journaler or someone who is just getting started. You can pick the Piero Lorenzo Journal up at Amazon for $24.99 which is an excellent price for the quality and the items that you are receiving. Have you fallen into victim to the bullet journal addiction? What are some of your favorite combinations of pens and journals? Until next time lovelies....

Item were purchased at a discounted price in return for an honest review. 

What's the Deal Dreadful? Review of Bella Organic Vanilla Mint Deodorant

**Press**
   
    Hello Lovelies,
               I am back again and this time I am reviewing Bella Organic's Vanilla Mint Deodorant.  Now I will admit that I was a little concerned with trying an organic chemical free deodorant since I wasn't sure that it was going to hold up to the test. I have been using the regular deodorants for years however I wanted to get away from all the chemicals since the aluminum in it isn't good for you. When I received my package I was a bit taken back by the size of the jar.  I was sure that since I live in the hot and humid South that this jar would instantly be used up in a week. However I followed the directions and started with the detox. I essentially followed the Deodorant Detox on this page.  I applied a pea size amount from the jar and applied it with my fingers. While I would have preferred a stick delivery system I was surprised and pleased how well it worked. The formula smelled wonderful and the consistency wasn't too dry or too wet. It works wonderfully! While I was sweating I wasn't stinking so I was thrilled. The true test will be when the summer arrives.

    If you would like to purchase your own jar of Bella Organic's Vanilla Mint Deodorant you can do so on their website and it is $10.25. I hope that you enjoyed this installment of What's the Deal Dreadful, until next time lovelies!

What's the Deal Dreadful? Review of Sumo Ice Cream Scoop

**Press**

   Hello Lovelies,
     I am back with another review. Today I am reviewing Sumo Ice Cream Scoop. I have been looking for a decent ice cream scoop since my Kitchenaid one has started to oxide. When the item first arrived the first thing I noticed was the weight. It is extremely solid and is quite a bit heavier than my other ice scoop. I immediately placed it in my dishwasher . It came out with a problem. The handle is very comfortable and easy to grip and maneuver. My wrists are not as strong as they used to be and this scoop was easy to use. I found that it does glide through brick hard ice cream when you do follow the directions of placing the tip in hot water. If you don't it won't handle as it should. I wasn't worried that the scoop would break or chip when handling the hard ice cream since it is such a solid piece. I think that it is a wonderful addition to anyone's kitchen.

   If you would like to pick up your own Sumo Ice Cream Scoop you can do so on Amazon. It is $24.95 however it is currently on sale for $14.95. I hope that you enjoyed this installment of What's the Deal Dreadful, until next time lovelies!

What's the Deal Dreadful? Review of Erin Buchanan's Air Bar Exercises DVD

**Press**
   
     Hello Lovelies!
          I am back again with another healthy living review. Today I am reviewing Erin Buchanan's Air Bar Exercises DVD. As most of you know that follow my blog Mr Dreadful and I are focusing on being healthier this year and working out. I was interested in finding out what an Air Bar Exercise was. Now I did receive an "Air Bar" with my dvd for the review purpose which is a 40" dowel  that had ABX written in marker on the side. While I know that the DVD on Amazon doesn't include the air bar I was a little taken back when I opened the box and there was a dowel with marker writing on the side. While this isn't the official product release, I would suggest that if the company is going to send out the bars as part of the package to possibly burn the ends with then ABX logo to give it a more professional look. I did not include a photo of the bar since it isn't included in the package.

   The DVD itself arrived quickly and was well packaged. I really enjoyed the DVD . I liked the fact that it was created for anyone of any fitness level and it is a LOW impact workout for those of us with bad knees that sound like crispy treats when we get out of bed in the morning.  The instructor was pleasant and likable (and not annoying) and the moves are not complicated. The key to making the most of this workout is keeping your muscles engaged. Which sounds super easy at first when you start however it will kick your butt . I am starting to notice small changes and I am looking more toned and feeling a lot better. I would recommend this DVD since it is doing a wonderful job.

  If you would like to pick up your own copy of Erin Buchanan's Air Bar Exercise DVD you can do so on Amazon. It is $39.97 however it is currently on sale for $34.97. I hope that you have enjoyed this installment of What's the Deal Dreadful, until next time lovelies!

What's the Deal Dreadful? Review of Antares Press Fast and Easy Gluten Free (e)Cookbook

**Press**

   Hello Lovelies,
      Happy Pi Day! Today I am doing another healthy living review since most of you know that the Dreadful family is trying to eat healthier and cleaner this year. So today I am reviewing Anteres Press' Fast and Easy Gluten Free (e) Cookbook. While no one in my family as a gluten allergy we are attempting to eat fresh and clean and wanting to cut down on gluten. When we decided to cut down on gluten we never realized how many products contained hidden gluten that we were all ready eating. This cookbook helped us navigate the often intimidating waters of gluten free cooking since we had never attempted it before. There were a large selection of recipes to pick from and we were REALLY impressed that there were vegetarian options since we are vegetarians and a lot of cookbooks fail to cater to that option. So that was a big plus for us. We also liked that each recipe has a break down of how many servings it makes and even breaks it down even further with how many calories, fat, carbs, protein and sodium is per serving which is nice. There were great suggestions for recipes that we were all ready doing such as some of their smoothie recipes incorporate spices which we hadn't even thought of doing before but they were incredible. The only draw back to this cookbook is the fact that there are no pictures of the dishes. I love seeing what my dishes are supposed to look like and if my creations match up to what was created. Overall this is an excellent cookbook for people who are going gluten free or are looking to try to do gluten free days during the week like us.

   If you would like to purchase your own Antares Press' Fast and Easy Gluten Free (e)Cookbook you can do so on Amazon.  It is $7.99 however it is currently on sale for $2.99 which can be downloaded to your Kindle or even your phone that has a Kindle app. I hope that you enjoyed this installment of What's the Deal Dreadful, until next time lovelies!

What' s the Deal Dreadul? Review of Hango Lunch Bag (Two Sizes)

*Press*

   Hello Lovelies,
       Today I am back with another review, this time I am reviewing the Hango Lunch Bags which comes in a pack of two different sizes. I am really impressed with the quality of these lunch bags. They arrived in a really nice dust bag which is also used for storing them and keeping them clean when you are not using them. The color is a nice medium shade of pink, not to bright and over the top and not a pastel shade either. It is a nice in between. These bags are nice and sturdy. The handles are thick enough to provide a comfortable grip and are sewn in well so you don't have to worry about the handles tearing or breaking.  The larger bag will easily fit both the small and medium press and seal ziplock containers that I normally use to store left overs for lunch. The smaller bag is perfect for snacks such as fruit or yogurt on the go. I use the smaller bag a lot transporting my kids around back and forth it is perfect to store a quick snack in. I even sent my husband to work with the larger bag since his he forgot his regular lunch bag.It kept his food cold and ready for him when it was lunch time. He said he really liked it and would use it on a regular basis if I had gotten a different color. When these bags arrive they will come with a HEAVY plastic smell. I followed the suggestions of some of the other reviewers and left mine in outside for 2 days in order to get the smell out. I haven't had a scent issue since.

Small lunch bag

Large Lunch bag

Inside of the lunch bag

  If you would like to pick up your own set of Hango Lunch Bags you can do so on Amazon. They are $39.99 however they are on sale for $24.99. I hope that you enjoyed this installment of What's the Deal Dreadful until next time lovelies!

What's the Deal Dreadful? Review of 100 Premium Long Lasting Glow Sticks

*Press*

    Hello lovelies,
        I am back with my final review of the day a review of 100 Premium Long Lasting Glow Sticks.
 I have three kids and they LOVE glow sticks (seriously I don't think that I have ever run across a kid who didn't like glow sticks)  however we could never find them in a large enough package where everyone could enjoy the fun and everyone wanted to have the same color as everyone else. This package contains 100 8" long bracelets and 100 clips. There are more than enough for each one of my three to have one of every color and then have some to play another day. They are extremely easy to use. Just take one of the bracelets out of the package and snap in several places to activate the glow and attach each end in one of the connector clips. They are large enough to make bracelets or you can eve clip two or three together to make a headband/necklace. We also attempted to make the "fairies in a jar" project where you dump the contents of a glow stick into a jar with some glitter. While we did get a glowing jar , we had to cut the glow sticks up into little pieces and and then shake the jar up and learn that this is probably a project for the larger glow sticks but it did work. The kids love to dance around with the lights off with the glow sticks and even used theme for a night time ring toss. These glow sticks last a long time and are great fun for the whole family.

They are made in the USA (obviously)

The bag of connectors

They come in assorted colors

Our failed Fairies in a Jar Pinterest experiment

My daughter holding the Fairies in a jar

    If you would like to pick up your own bundle of 100 Premium Long Lasting Glow Sticks for your kids or yourself, cause hey you may want to have a light switch rave you can do so on Amazon. They are $12.95 which comes out to a little less than 13 cents a glow stick which you really can't beat. I hope that you enjoyed this installment of What's the Deal Dreadful and until next time lovelies!