I was given these products free in exchange for my honest review.

Back in December 2015 I was introduced to Simply Earth Essential Oils. 

Honestly, I love them and everything they are becoming. Their essential oils are very reasonably priced and their donations support groups that help those affected by human trafficking. 

So when I was contacted at the start of the year about doing a review...I got excited. 

I did tell him I'd reviewed for them before and was assured this fact did not disqualify me. I requested a random assortment of oils (because I can never choose from a list). 

They arrived promptly with only one bottle having a slight leak. (This is something they're aware of and have probably fixed by now) 

I immediately began researching what awesome concoctions I could come up with....

Grapefruit Peppermint Coffee Body Scrub
I kind of made this on the fly so I'm guessing at the amounts (I didn't write them down! I'm sorry!)
- 1/2 cup coffee grounds (I saved mine from my reusable coffee thing)
- 1/2 cup Epsom Salt
- 10 drops Grapefruit EO
- 5 drops Peppermint EO
- Enough grapeseed oil to make it scrub consistency

Supposedly, coffee grounds and grapefruit in a scrub is good for cellulite. I just know it smells neat and exfoliates wonderfully! 

Sore Muscle Body Butter
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 Tablespoon Shea Butter (can be left out if you don't have it...it's dry here)
- 1 tsp Argan Oil (just because I had it on hand)
- About 1 Tablespoon of Epsom Salt LOTION (usually with the ace bandages)
- 10 drops Frankincense
- 10 drops Lavender
- 8 drops Copaiba
- 3 drops Lemongrass

Whip (I used a stand mixer) until it fluffs up! I store mine in a glass jar with a lid.

I applied this before bed after day 2 or 3 of the week I actually worked out. When I woke up, I noticed the areas I'd applied it were, in fact, less sore than the areas I'd missed. Now I use it as a full body lotion just to feel good. 

I cannot stress enough how much I like this company!

I feel like I've been in a bit of a slump lately. The last couple of weeks, my anxiety has been easier to trip than normal so it's been difficult to focus on much of anything. 

I picked up "Diary of a Single Wedding Planner" expecting it to be fun...I came away a bit disappointed. I didn't realize it would be in DIARY FORMAT the entire time. I felt like the main character spun in circles most of the time and I wanted to shake some sense into her...or at least shake her enough so she'd spin a different direction. 

I received a copy of "The Sorcery Code" by Dima Zales to review. I felt bad because I couldn't finish it. I had high hopes because this is the same author that wrote "Oasis" and I quite enjoyed that one. I had trouble really getting into the plot or caring much about the characters. I wanted to like this book. The premise sounds like something I'd enjoy but it fell short. 

Right now I'm reading "Fairy Tale Confessions" and having more fun. Sometimes a collection of short stories is just what you need to cleanse the reading palate. 

I confessed on my Facebook recently that I didn't know how to properly pronounce Samhain until a few years ago. 

In my defense, I didn't use it in every day life. 

I also didn't learn to pronounce some names like Joaquin and Siobhan until I was in my 20s. My little corner of the world never had use for these names. If I came across it in a book I would muddle through and make something up in my head. (Like most of us did with Hermione) 

But I do have one slightly embarrassing story...about roadrunners. 

First of all....they're real. Yes, I wasn't 100% sure on that until my late teens. 

Let me use this moment to remind you I lived in suburbia. 

The only exposure I'd had to roadrunners was when it was being chased by the coyote on my television. 

So when I was riding in the car with my husband, around age 20, and he stopped to point at the side of the road while exclaiming "Look! A roadrunner!" I got excited. 

And immediately pouted because I couldn't see it. 

It was standing RIGHT on the side of the road. Literally right in front of me. 

But I'd never seen one before...not even in pictures. 

In the cartoon, the roadrunner and coyote are the same, fairly large, size. 

Yes...I was looking for an emu sized bird on the side of the road.

My husband still laughs at me when this story gets mentioned.

I use it as an opportunity to point out the "classic" movies he's never seen. (Who hasn't seen The Fugitive? Seriously?) 

We received these in exchange for an honest review.

My kids thought this was the coolest thing. They're currently obsessed with surprise cube/egg unboxing videos on Youtube so I jumped at the chance to give them their own. 

It being Minions Qubes was a bonus.

The cubes themselves stack so that was fun. They require a little finesse to open and break very easily. We didn't eat the candy inside so I can't speak as to how that tastes. The "toys" were fun for about 15 seconds. I ended up putting all of the figures together. They can't really be played with once they're put in a "scene." The stickers were pretty cute but, again, just stickers. (Although I do have the "bee-doh" minion on the back of my phone now.)

I'm giving these 4/5 stars. 

The kids DID enjoy opening them and seeing what they got (even though 3 out of the 4 were identical) and did play with them...for a few minutes. 

Would I purchase these again at full price? Probably not. Maybe if they were older but even then...I'm still finding stickers on the bottom of shoes and bits of minion everywhere. 

I confess...I don't have Kindle Unlimited. 

Hold your gasps of shock. 

It's not that expensive, I know. But having to pay for books forces me to slow down on my reading and only choose books I KNOW I want to try. 

But I do notice when "Read on Kindle Unlimited" pops up. So if YOU have a subscription, here are 5 books I enjoyed that you can go read right now! 

I tried to cover a handful of genres. If you like this post please let me know by showing some love on social media and I'll be sure to have a Part 2 in the future! 

1) The Darc Murders Collection
This one came up on my 10 Most Recommended Books/Series post. It's awesome and it's always nice to show some Indie Author love! 

2) Gods of Anthem
I did a spotlight post on this book once. It's fun and not your typical "zombie book." 

3) The Bitches of Everafter
​I definitely read this during my surgery recovery so don't take my word as gospel...but it was a fun twist on the classic "fairy tale retelling" trope. 

4) The Allure of Julian Lefray
This author (RS Grey) writes some awesome comedic romance. It's witty and amusing with just the right amount of spice. Most of her books are Unlimited or free through the Lending Library. 

5) Read No Evil
This was one of the first "I can get free books on Kindle???" books I read. It's weird and creepy but definitely awesome and chilling.