Book Review: Bitter Brew - The Rise and Fall of Anheuser Busch and America's King of Beer

Yep, it's a book about beer, Bitter Brew: The Rise and Fall of Anheuser Busch and America's King of Beer. I don't have any sources to back me up on this, but I'm pretty sure the majority of adults worldwide drink alcohol. So whether you drink or not, it might be a good idea to educate yourself. The Busch Family is a great place to start. The money and philandering will disgust you. The nepotism and adultery will shock you. The scandal and litigation will make you sick.

Yet, somehow, after reading this book, you'll be even more proud to be an American. Grade: A

Creative art idea for your home

I found this art at The Farm at South Mountain in the little gift shop. I thought it was a unique, creative art idea and easy to make on your own! Although I may just purchase the original art because it's fabulous and done right. I love the message and look forward to having our own garden VERY soon!

They used a page from a dictionary, then put the phrase and illustration over the top. You could use a different phrase, or just a picture, and feed it through your printer. The possibilities are endless! The simplistic look is great and with a plain mat and a frame you have wall-ready art.

January Women's Birchbox Review

The +Birchbox redeemed itself in January! If you're interested in getting in on the Birchbox for $10/month, here's the link to signup!



1. Camille Beckman Glycerine Hand Therapy. Midnight Monarch Scent.
This was actually a delighful little surprise. I wasn't looking forward to another overrated lotion, but this stuff is quite nice. The scent is lovely and the texture is perfect! My advice: Try it.

2. Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser.
Meh. Nothing special here. It does have a nice calming scent but doesn't do anything extraordinary for my skin. And the cloth is a little lack-lustre. My advice: Skip it.

3. Nelson j Beverly Hills Argan Oil 7 Moisture Healing Mask.
For your hair. My ends have been pretty dry lately so I was excited for this sample. It was just OK for me. Again, nice scent but no ground breaking science to repair my hair. I'll try it a few more times before I make my final judgement. My advice: Can you find a sample to try?

4. Ruby Wing Kitten Heals Nail Color.
This nail polish changes colors in the sun. How fun is that?! Love the polish itself, applies smooth. And the color changes from a bright pink to a deeper magenta. My advice: If you're into polish, try it.

Lifestyle Extra: Under Armour Braided Mini Headbands.
MY FAVORITE BB ITEM! I have a thing for grippy headbands (I own a plethora), and I have a thing for Under Armour. This bad boy is colorful and stays in place. Bonus: Natural eyebrow lift with its hair-pulling power. :)

La Grande Orange Phoenix

La Grande Orange (LGO) is the place where dreams come true. I've eaten at a lot of places in the valley but this is at the top of my list. No contest. Best pizza and best chips and dips plate. During the day you order at the counter and pick a seat but at night it's a full service bar and restaurant. They've got gelato, a bakery, and a gift shop, too. And guess what else? LGO is in the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport (Terminal 4, Southwest Airlines D Gates)! You MUST try it.

Bake Shop and To Go ordering

Salsa, Pimento, and Guacamole Dips

The best damn margherita pizza and sourdough crust you've ever had

LGO at night

Men's Birchbox January Review

Gentlemen,

Here's your Men's Birchbox January Review, but first, a wee bit of advice, make sure you update your settings. If you're receiving things you don't use, it's time for an update. Enough jibber-jabber. Here are the January Box contents and my comments:

Bear Buddy Beard Oil: Full-size $24-40
Full disclosure, I can't grow a full beard. I gifted this little sample to a friend. While I'm sure it's great,
I'm in no position to review beard oil.

Mayron's Goods Chapstuff: Full-size $14
As a child, if I had an ailment, my mother would almost always tell me to put Bag Balm on it. Made from organic oils and cocoa butter, this balm is perfect for many uses.

MenScience Androceuticals Dialy Face Wash: Full-size $28
I don't really use face wash. Again, this is why it's important to update your personal +Birchbox settings. I have no one to blame buy myself.

Reviver Dry Deodorant Wipes: Full-size $16
Very interesting concept. These wipes purge odor from clothing or hair. Perfect when there's no time for a shower or after eating Mongolian-style.

Tommy John 360 Trunk: $31
It's like underwear were just invented. The +Birchbox subscription has just paid for itself many times over. These underwear have changed my life. The pee-flap opens up, not to the side! Yes, you read that correctly. The pee-flap opens up. Enough said.

The Bachelor Update 1

The Bachelor. So much bad drama you just can't pass it up. Can you say Juan-uary?! This season so far ... <3 Juany Pabs. He's possibly the least boring bachelor to date.What do we love about him? 1. His accent. 2. His dancing skillz. 3. You thought I was going to say his abs, didn't you? Psh. Whatever. His pecs. And he seems like a genuinely nice guy.

Juan Pablo

Episodes 1 and 2 so far you've missed a bunch of girls getting out of limos and one crazy drunk girl making a fool of herself. In other words, not much. My favorite girls as of week 2 are:

Renee

1. Renee, the 32 year old mom. Let's hear it for the oldER girls!
2. Andi, the Assistant District Attorney. I was glad she at least had *some* reservations about going nude in the photo shoot.
3. Sharleen, she got the first impression rose. Opera singer. She seems intelligent.

Least favorite:

Dog Lover

1. Kelly, the DOG LOVER. Yeah, that's what is listed as her occupation. What a FREAKING joke. Like, seriously.
2. Cassandra, the former NBA dancer/mom. She's a fakey-fake only trying to get more celebrity status because the father of her child is Rodney Stuckey.
3. Christy. I don't know why, she just bugs.

Who are your faves and least faves? Inquiring minds want to know!

Book Review: Crapalachia - A Biography of Place

Wow. After reading Crapalachia: A Biography of Place, I turned to the cover expecting to see the Coen brothers on the byline. Nope, it was Scott McClanahan. +Duck Dynasty ain't got nothin' on Crapalchia, which is a story about more than backwoods America. It's about connecting with humanity, regardless of how many teeth you have.

If want to experience West Virgina without actually visiting (because why would you?), read this book. Grade: A

The Gelato Spot

Enough with the overkill of FroYo places (frozen yogurt, for those of you not into abbreviations). If you're not Yogurtland, just go away. But let's branch out from standard ice cream and frozen yogurt and step into the magical land of gelato ... the stuff of the Italian gods. There's something about it that oozes delicious class.

While in Italy my favorite flavor was Nutella, but at the Gelato Spot in Phoenix I was introduced to the world of the Girl Scouts with Somoa and Thin Mint. Scratch tried Peanut Butter and Apple Cinnamon. Neither of us were disappointed with our choices. And how could we be? We sampled nearly every flavor before deciding on our individual scoops! If you're looking for a swankier desert option in the valley, this is the place. Tip: Get the Groupon and save a few bills. Click on the link for locations.

Book Review: The Bedwetter - Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee

Dear +Sarah Silverman,

Thank you. Your stories about courage, redemption, and pee are inspiring. I now know that an overactive digestive system or an enlarged prostate isn't the end of the world. In fact, it's a blessing to pee and other stuff more than normal people. That's why we're skinny. Normal is boring. Your book isn't the greatest piece of literature. It's not steeped in historical urine. It's not exactly traditional -- at all. Here's what it is. It's honest and natural. It's refreshing. It's funny (for about 180 pages).

The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee is different. Yes, it has things like words, a forward, prologue, epilogue, chapters, and something that almost resembles a plot; but, each of these is written in Sarah's unabashed, unfiltered voice.

WARNING: While entertaining, this book is not for everyone. Mom, Dad, don't read this book. Grade B+

Julep Maven Box Subscription

So ... I signed up for another monthly beauty subscription. I don't know how long this phase will last. Scratch is praying it doesn't. This time it's called Julep Maven and I discovered it while jamming to Christmas tunes on Pandora in December when their ad popped into the side bar. This is what caught my eye: FREE.

With the code FREEBOX (and signing up for a monthly subscription) you get to try it out. I paid about $3 for shipping on the first, free box. You fill out a survey to determine what type of box you'll get, and my style profile was "Classic with a Twist": in my box I had two nail colors, Myrtle (red) and Zora (shimmery pink), and a full-size product of Julep Luxe Repair Skin Serum. The nail polish retails for about $14 each, and the serum is $28. Quite the value for the $3 I paid! There was a small bonus tote as well.

The monthly subscription fee is $19.99 with free shipping. There are pros and cons to the Maven box vs. the Birchbox, the first being the price. More on that later!

Selling tips for Craigslist

Craigslist is my homeboy. I've sold cars (two of them), Stampin' Up! stamps, fake trees, Ikea tables, microwaves, couches, beds, home decor, and the list keeps growing! The only thing I haven't tried: clothes. We use eBay for that one. The greatest part: list your stuff for free! Here are some selling tips for Craigslist.

1. Price the items slightly high, but fair.
Peeps on CL are looking for a deal, and everyone swindles. By setting the price a little higher, you'll probably end up making what you expected initially. Compare what you're selling to similar items already listed. That will give you a good idea of an acceptable price.

2. Photos are a must. Minimum of 3.
I won't even look at a posting without pictures. It's worth the extra time. Freshen them up in Photoshop if you need to. Don't post bad photos.

3. Include links to your items selling other places.

We just listed my old TV for $300, but found it on Overstock.com for $850 -- yes, I am going to put the link on there to show the buyer what a great deal mine is!

4. Double and triple list.

Let's say I'm selling a couch. This can fit under multiple categories: furniture, general for sale, household, and maybe a few others. List items in all categories that are applicable.

5. Package deals.
Do you have a whole bedroom set? Put it in one post, and do another for each item in the set you are trying to sell. Have a toaster, microwave, and blender? Group them together! Sometimes this will help move the items a little quicker. And maybe the buyer didn't realize they wanted that blender, too.

6. Renew your postings.
Each ad appears in the order it was submitted. If it's a popular category, that chair you posted 30 minutes ago is already 20-30 ads down the page. People will scroll, but not too far. After 48 hours you can renew your post so it appears at the top of the page again. This is a MUST.

7. Use keywords.
The search function on CL can be a lifesaver, especially if you know what you're looking for. Use popular words that describe what you're trying to sell. For instance, Anthropologie sells some expensive shiz and I wanted to see if I could score something for a deal. WOW. There's a lot of stuff that is Anthro styled but not necessarily from that store that will show up with that keyword because the seller took the time to put that specific word in their post.

8. Be patient.
If what you're selling doesn't get interest right away it's OKAY. Be patient. Usually the right buyer will come along. If you're tired of waiting, drop the price. If it's still not moving, consider what you're selling. Should you really just donate it?

9. Have low expectations.
You'll get at least 5 emails from people who aren't really interested in your stuff before you find the right buyer. Don't waste your time with people if they're not responsive to your emails or texts.

10. Be safe.
When you do have a potential sale meet the buyer/seller in a public area and bring a friend with you. 99% of the time you'll be fine, but there could be a wack-o out there who you don't want knowing your address. Use the buddy system. :)

BONUS TIP: The best days to post on CL are Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Those days typically have the highest traffic. And post in the morning!

Men's December Birchbox Review

+Birchbox is for women and real (metro) men. Stef, the wonderful person that she is, gifted it to me for my thirtieth birthday. Bless her heart. Here are the contents of the men's December Birchbox, thoughts and review included, of course:

American Crew Alternator: $15

Men, if you use or know what an alternator is (not the one in a car), chances are your boyfriend bought it for you. I hate hairspray, but this one surprised me. The hold wasn't too stiff (pun intended). It lasts all day, and the tiny sample bottle is cute.

English Laundry Notting Hill: $70-85

This is not a perfume. It's cologne. And it's a damn good one, but it's not worth $70-85. I'm cheap and already married.

GO247 Face Scrub: $16

Full disclosure, I don't use face scrub. This product is plant-based. Kudos for that. However, the instructions use the word, "dollop." It smells nice, though. 

Proraso Shave Cream: $10

The winner of the Men's December Birchbox. Italian-imported shaving cream with eucalyptus and menthol. It leaves your face tingling. I generally go three or four days between shaves but found myself shaving daily.

Roosevelt Supply Apron: $34

This is a nice, stylish apron with useful pockets, but seriously, who's gonna pay $34 for an apron? Not me.

Votivo Speakeasy Candle: $26

This little guy was quite the bonus. With a hint of rum and bourbon, this candle had us feeling like we were having dinner in a 50s jazz club. Enter Sammy Davis Jr.