Catherine's Intrigue Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

Catherine Pressley-Coombes travels to England to fulfill her mother's dying request and to discover an elusive family line. With an illegible diary, Catherine tries to make headway into her family history. Mysterious events keep happening to Catherine and she discovers that her life maybe in jeopardy. As she navigates family history and avoiding danger, Catherine finds her heart also in danger of finding love with Nick Davidson, England's most eligible aristocrat.

The author, Paige Edwards, weaves a tale of intrigue, danger and interesting characters. All of the characters were interesting even the villains. I liked that the author even showed the characters' flaws to make them seem more realistic. The plot moves quickly throughout the book and the author easily captures the reader's attention. I enjoyed the action, twists and romance in this story. The only changes I would have suggested is for the author to have introduced Catherine's religion a little earlier in the novel and explain it so that someone not familiar with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would better understand the character. The cover design also doesn't fit the story. When I first saw it, it looked like a cover for a horror story instead of a suspense and action story. Overall, I would suggest reading this story and I look forward to reading more from this author. To learn more about Catherine's Intrigue, click here.

Blog Tour Schedule:

March 18: Brightly Street, The Keele Deal, My Book a Day, Wishful Endings, Rock in Book Reviews

March 19: Getting Your Read on Aimee Brown, Bloggin Bout Books, Fire and Ice Reads, Mels Shelves

March 20: Rachelle Christensen, LDS Writer Mom, Life is What Its Called, Bonnie Harris 
March 21: Lisa is a Bookworm, Singing Librarian Books, LDS and Lovin It, Empower Moms

March 22: Why Not Because I Said So, Min Reads and Reviews, Literary Timeout, Books are Sanity

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Please note that I received a free copy to facilitate this review, however, my opinions are my own. The giveaway is facilitated by the publisher. There are affiliate links in this post.

Tips to Saving Money on Groceries

Groceries can be expensive. It's important to utilize different tools to help you save money and not overspend on everyday groceries. Saving money on groceries is not a waste of time. If you save money on groceries that extra money can be used to build up your rainy day fund, retirement, college funds and save you from living month to month. Here are some of my tips on how to save money on your groceries:

1. Create a Meal Plan: If you have a meal plan for the week or month, it will help you know what to buy and what not to. It will also save you from going back and forth to store to buy ingredients or items to create a meal. We have 30 recipes that we rotate in the fall/winter and summer/spring. I buy the same things over and over, which helps me to look out for sales on those items, become familiar with price points at different stores and not overspend by buying things we won't use.

2. Make Your Meals from Recipes/Scratch: Making your meals from recipes will help you save money (not time). Frozen meals and going out for meals are typically more expensive than if you were to make it yourself. Some recipes are quicker than others. It's important to find recipes that fit your budget, lifestyle, and time constraints.

3. Couponing: We save several dollars each month from couponing. Coupons can be found online, in circulars and in the Sunday newspaper.

4. Grocery Store Apps: I have apps on my phone from grocery stores (Target, Fred Meyer, Albertsons) and can clip coupons for in-store purchases and deals. This saves me a lot of money. These coupons can dramatically reduce costs and can sometimes reduce prices lower than the everyday low prices from Winco and Walmart.

5. Savings Apps: I use the apps Checkout51 and Ibotta. I browse through the items I can earn rebates on through the app and upload my receipts right after I am done shopping. If I can save an additional .25 on apples instead of pears and they're cheaper, I will buy apples that week. I never get a huge amount back, but even little amounts back add up over time. If you sign-up for Ibotta using my referral link you can earn a welcome bonus, click here to learn more. I started using Ibotta last fall and earned over $40 back.

6. Buy Bulk: I also have bought items in bulk/large quantities and broken it down into smaller sizing for meals using quart or gallon size bags. This helps me to save money and build-up my food storage supply.

What are some of your tips?

Please note that this post contains referral links.

A Guarded Heart Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

Three years ago, a shocking scandal tore Eleanor Hayward's life apart. With help from her cousins, she decides to reenter society, but it's no easy task when she encounters a man from her past who broke her heart.

Edmund Fletcher thought the past was in the past until he encounters Eleanor at a ball. When he learns more about the truth of their last parting, will the past continue to be in the past or will he find a different future?

I was really excited to sign-up for this book tour. I really enjoyed Heidi Kimball's novella, Second-Chance Christmas, in the novella collection A Christmas Courting and I was interested in reading her debut novel, A Guarded Heart. I enjoyed the characters in A Guarded Heart and the different dynamics between the characters. The regency story was different and unique. The story showed how one person's actions can make a difference for many different people whether for good or bad. The story was enjoyable and kept my interest. It was a fast read and I can't wait to read more from this author. Click here to learn more.


Blog Tour Schedule
3.4.19: Brightly Street, The Keele Deal, My Book a Day, Mels Shelves

3.5.19: Lisa is a Bookworm, Wishful Endings, Bonnie Harris, Empower Moms, Joy in the Moments

3.6.19: LDS Writer Mom, Fire and Ice Reads, Life is What Its Called

3.7.19: Getting Your Read on Aimee Brown, Singing Librarian Books, Katies Clean Book Collection, LDS and Lovin It

3.8.19: Min Reads and Reviews, Literary Timeout, Heidi Reads, Books are Sanity


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book, however, this does not influence my opinion. This post contains affiliate links. The giveaway is run by the publisher. 

Silk18 Shampoo Review

Maple Holistics provided me with a sample of their Silk18 Shampoo to review. Silk18 nourishes hair and cleans it without stripping it. Silk18 contains 18 silk amino acids to help strengthen and fortify hair. It also gentle cleans away dandruff, excess sebum, and impurities to leave your scalp feeling healthy and fresh. The shampoo is sulfate and paraben-free.

I love the natural vanilla fragrance of this product. It smells great. My hair felt healthier after using it. I would recommend following the directions by lathering the product in your hair and letting it sit on your scalp for a few minutes. The product takes a few minutes to penetrate and clean your scalp. It also foams and lathers nicely. The product can be used for everyday usage. I would recommend this product to my friends. I enjoyed trying and using this product.

To learn more about Silk18, clean here.

Please note that I received a copy of this product for free in exchange for this review, however, my opinion remains the same.

March Giveaway Listing (low to moderate entry)

I like entering low to moderate entry giveaways and I share each month some of the blog or social media giveaways I've entered, thought someone else might be interested in entering or that have been submitted to me through bloggers. Check back often throughout the month to see if I have posted more giveaways. If you are hosting a family-friendly giveaway on your blog and would like to see it listed here, please contact me (via email). If you have a won a giveaway that I posted, please leave a comment and share that you won.

Best Babysitters Ever and $100 Visa Card (ends 3.2.19)
Ralph Breaks the Internet (ends 3.3.19)
Ralph Breaks the Internet (ends 3.6.19)
Ralph Breaks the Internet (ends 3.8.19)
Krusteaz Protein Pancakes (ends 3.9.19) 
Physician's Formula Make-up (ends 3.9.19)
The Little Mermaid Blu-Ray (ends 3.10.19)
$25 Starbucks e-gift card (ends 3.10.19)
The Little Mermaid (ends 3.10.19) 
Ralph Breaks the Internet and The Little Mermaid Digital Codes (ends 3.11.19)
Miso Soup Mix (ends 3.14.19) 
The Little Mermaid (ends 3.14.19)
Marc New York Scallop Leggings and Top (ends 3.14.19)
Birthday Prize Pack (ends 3.16.19) 
Tomato Seeds (ends 3.17.19)
Mary Poppins Returns (ends 3.18.19)
Mary Poppins Returns (ends 3.18.19)
Mary Poppins Returns (ends 3.18.19)
Mary Poppins Returns (ends 3.19.19) 
Mercy Watson Books (ends 3.19.19)
Kodiak Flapjacks and Waffles (ends 3.20.19)
Undercover Quinoa Chocolate Snack (ends 3.20.19)
Good News! It's Easter Board Book (ends 3.22.19) 
Pilgrim's Progress Digital Interactive Storybook (ends 3.23.19)
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase Swag Pack (ends 3.24.19)
Mary Poppins Returns (ends 3.25.19)
$100 Visa Gift Card (ends 3.26.19) 
Mary Poppins Returns (ends 3.26.19)
$50 Giant Eagle Gift Card (ends 3.27.19)
The Governess of Penwthe Hall (ends 3.27.19)
Kim Possible (ends 3.27.19)
Dig It Up Excavating Eggs (ends 3.29.19)
$50 Marley Lilly Gift Card (ends 3.29.19)