Vizio E Series LED 32" TV Review

This is my first video review for the Vizio E Series LED 32" tv. Video reviews may be more sporadic for now but will become more consistent in upcoming months. I hope this is helpful for you guys!

Kimmy B.

Book Review: Lord of the Flies

 

 

Here's to the strangest and most shocking book I have ever read in my life. Lord of the Flies is traditionally a middle school read but I never got around to it and wanted to finally check it out. Every suggestion I have ever had of this book has been good. No one has ever said they did not enjoy reading Lord of the Flies. I was wondering what all the hype was about at first. It took me about 80 pages to finally see the light. This book is short at only 182 pages. I was a little nervous and contemplating putting it down because it was so slow for me at first, but I figured so many people couldn't be wrong about this book and kept picking it up.

 

It may take some time get in to but it's worth it. I don't want to give too much of it away but I will tell you the gist of the story. A group of boys are trapped on an island with no adult supervision. They are left to fend for themselves for a period of time and chaos ensues. This book has a message about human nature that is very interesting to discover as you turn the pages. Somehow it reminds me to be patient with my fellow humans. We all have strengths and weaknesses. We all have some evolving to do. Do I suggest Lord of the Flies by William Golding? Absolutely.

 

Until Next Time!

Kimmy B.

Smarty Pants Vitamin Review

Smarty Pants Vitamins

My dear sweet brother gave me two sample packs of Smarty Pants Vitamins. They are a gummy vitamin for grownups. I'd never heard of this brand or tried a gummy vitamin before this. I absolutely love these! They taste so good. Smarty Pants also makes them for kids. Here are the benefits of Smarty Pants: 

• Only Multivitamin + Omega 3s + Vitamin D gummy on the market!
• Excellent Source of Omega 3 DHA+EPA* from eco friendly small fish oil
• 225% of the US RDI for Vitamin D + includes 9 other nutrients
• No High Fructose Corn Syrup, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives
• Gluten & casein free. Made in California in a GMP-certified facility

The one thing that concerns me about them is the sugar. They are like sugar covered gummies. The sugar is all natural but still, if you're going to enjoy these make sure you brush your teeth afterwards. Parents should totally trick their kids and get these for them if they have a child with a sweet tooth. If they're going to eat something sweet then it might as well be good for them! Try Smarty Pants Vitamins here .

-Kimmy B.

I Am Addicted to Baby Pandas!

Baby pandas are the cutest things in the world to me. Between the twin baby pandas in Atlanta and China I have become obsessed. I wanted to share this video with anyone who cares about the baby pandas. They are so adorable!

Book Review: Dragon's Oath: A House of Night Novella

Dragon's Oath: A House of Night Novella

Supernatural books are what made me addicted to reading as a child and I have been hooked ever since. I will always be hooked to supernatural books, movies, and television shows. When I saw Dragon's Oath at the library I knew I was going to read it. 

Okay, first impressions...I was a little bored at first. I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy the book. Things picked up during the second chapter. It's a really quick read at only 145 pages. You could read it in a day if you have that kind of time. I enjoyed it but I'd say, save this for teenagers unless you're really into supernatural themes like I am. Dragon's Oath is not for kids, it's definitely a PG-13 book. 

What I liked about the story were the gifts and roles that each vampire has in the story. It makes them more three dimensional. Sometimes vampires are portrayed as very independent (I liked that these vampires weren't like that). They often have families or clans they belong to but this story is a little different. People who are bitten in the story also don't know  whether or not they will be vampires for a few weeks, during that time they go through training and development. They belong to a school. It's fun to watch the vampires learn more about who they are as they discover their strengths and weaknesses in the story. It's a  fun read for a teenage girl. I'll review the other two books in the series next month.

-Kimmy B.

Lessons Learned From: Ship It Holla Ballas!

Ship It Holla Ballas: How a Bunch of 19-Year Old College Dropouts Used the Internet to Become Poker’s Loudest, Craziest, and Richest Crew.

 The subtitle of Ship It Holla Ballas is what drew me in to the book. I was like “what?” when I saw it. I’m a blogger who has also been fortunate enough to make a little money online over the years and I’m looking forward to the day when I can work at home completely online. I’m a firm believer in the power of the internet and its capacity to change people’s financial lives. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to make it online whether you’re a gambler or a shop owner, you have to put in the work. When I first saw this book I instantly thought about online business success and knew that I would get inspiration from the success stories in this book. Little did I know that I would be affected more so by the real-life lessons that make up the stories of the professional poker players in Ship It Holla Ballas.

I’m still in my twenties and learning a lot of the lessons they learn in this book. You see it with more famous celebrities like Lindsey Lohan, when you’re young and blessed with a lot of money, often times that can spell disaster. I am dealing with the repercussions of being the manager of a lot of money in my early twenties. One of the lessons the characters in the book learn is that they are making a mess while having the time of their lives and even though it’s a high chance the good times won’t last, they’re young and they have time to clean up their messes. I’m not going to tell you how everyone turns out, I will say that most of the people are okay by the end (even it’s by a regular person’s standards).  Cleaning up the mess you make as a young twenty-something can be a scary realization. No one wants to admit that perhaps they’ve made a mistake and now have to pick up the pieces; however, this is how you learn some of the greatest lessons of your life.

The other lesson that really stayed with me after reading this book was the sentiment that you should trust your gut no matter what. If you know you’re meant to do something, stick with it even if it looks really bleak at the moment. I overcame homelessness in New York City because I firmly believed this is where I am supposed to be. I’m doing better now but I will never forget the lessons that I’m currently learning and have learned over the past six months. As many of you know the government came in and swooped down on a lot of online gambling sites which ultimately changed the lives of a lot of professional poker players. It’s interesting to see the different paths that everyone decided to take once the online gambling landscape changed. It’s also great to see the people who continued their careers as professional gamblers in spite of the changes because they knew that this was their calling. Most people don’t grow up saying I want to be a professional gambler when I get older. I of all people know what it’s like to firmly believe in or do something that is so outside of the norm or frightening to people who aren’t a part of the community you are a part of. One thing I learned a long time ago is that if you firmly believe you can achieve something, keep going until you do. Most people live their lives afraid and that’s why they don’t succeed. Go against the grain (do it in secret if you must) and see what happens.

Ship It Holla Ballas is a very interesting read. The shenanigans they talk about and all of the adventures they have are very entertaining. I was surprised by the lessons I learned and the introspective nature of the stories. It’s definitely worth picking up.

Movie Review: Drive





Drive with Ryan Gosling

 

 

Drive with Ryan Gosling is a movie I’ve wanted to see since it was in theaters in 2011. I knew the movie was going to be entertaining but it was actually much better than I expected and I plan on watching it again. Ryan Gosling plays the part of a loner who is a driver. He works as a mechanic, a stunt man, and he’s a getaway driver for criminals on occasion as well. The movie is set in present time but it also has this kind of retro vibe to it as well. I felt like I was watching a video game. It was exciting and suspenseful.

Drive has a beginning, middle, and an end. The one thing I found myself wanting to know more about is Ryan Gosling’s character. He’s not exactly a drifter but he’s definitely not a loner. How did get that way? What happened to him as a kid? These would be questions with interesting answers. I watched Drive on Netflix and recommend if for a home movie night. If you like mob movies, I think you’ll like this flick as well.

Kimmy B.