Revel Home’s Wyer Modern Industrial EcoFriendly Mini Pendant Lamp

I’ve needed to update a few of the fixtures in my home, and it’s hard shopping at big-box stores because they only want to carry contractor-grade cheap and make you special order anything nice. Shopping online for lamps and fixtures can be a dizzying, harrowing experience, what with the over-abundance of selection and and sometimes-questionable descriptions and pictures, you can end up with something you hate and live with or have to pay to return. Revel home comes to the rescue with products that not only look as good as the pictures online, I dare say the products exceed expectations and even look better!

This is my second go-round with products from Revel Home, and while the last one, a counter-height barstool, was awesome, this lamp, to me, is even better. Packed well, made well, and looks like a million bucks installed, it was a dream to work with. The drop pendant style is my favorite, but sometimes Hubby has to mickey-mouse what I like to fit into our somewhat shorter ceiling heights. This time adjusting the drop was a breeze, just by adjusting the plastic cord “lock” inside the mounting plate. Installation took Hubby about 30 minutes, because we’v done these types of lamps before, but one huge oversight (which is probably just an anomaly) was the lack of instructions for installing. Thankfully, we know our way around them and it wasn’t an issue. The glass “canister” is thick and sturdy, and the antique-bronze looking metal accents are gorgeous. It swings free when installed so even if your ceilings are slightly uneven, your lamp won’t be. It also accepts incandescent, LED, and CFL bulbs and can be used with a dimmer as well. Revel Home even included a vintage-Edison-style LED bulb, which in and of itself can sometimes run you $10 or more, but Revel Home gives it to you for free.

Therein lies the only minus I could find, and it’s not a shortcoming at all of the lamp, but all of these style of bulbs cast a harsh yellow pallor over everything. When turned off they look stunning, and I have no doubt in the right environment there’s no issues, but in my cream-and white color scheme in the room I installed it in, every thing was yellow. Very, very yellow, and I replaced the bulb with a cool white LED just fine.  At $55.99 on Amazon it’s a little on the steep side, which stops me just short of a 5 star rating, because similar lamps can be had elsewhere for as little as half that price, but I adore everything else about the lamp and the company and recommend them highly.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

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Island’s Miracle Premium Aromatherapy Gift Kit

 

A little while ago, I told you about an awesome Essential Oil Diffuser from Island’s Miracle, and this time I’m here to share with you Island’s Miracle’s Essential Oil Aromatherapy Gift Collection. It’s the perfect companion for Island’s Miracle Diffuser. And together these are potent aromatherapy powerhouse that, with today’s streses and strains should be in everyone’s home, like, yesterday!

There are 10 different essential oils in this fabulous gift set, Frankincense, Lavender, Eucalyptus, Lemon, Orange, Peppermint, Tea tree (Melaleuca), Patchouli, Rosemary, and Silver Fir. These are pure, undiluted oils, not loaded with fillers, additives, or “carrier oils” (cheaper oils that dilute the essence of the scented essential oils but themselves provide no scent). And the testing Island’s Miracle uses is bananas! Gas Chromatography, Mass Spectrometry, FTIR Scan (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), Microbial Testing, and Organoleptic Testing… Holy moley! If only our food supply was tested that well in this country! All of them are therapeutic grade and ultra-premium. The gift box they come in even includes information on what effect you can expect to derive from the oil, country of origin, and scent family to expect. And lest you think you’re getting some sample-size collection here, all ten bottles are a generous 10ml size.

And all this for a very reasonable $35.95 with free Prime 2-day shipping. Coupled with their fantastic diffuser, and with the holidays right around the corner, you’ve got a gift that will keep on giving the entire year! This is a good set from a real company that puts a great deal of thought and care into their products and I’m happy to help them spread the word about their goods. I love my set and I know a few people who can expect an Island’s Miracle gift set under their tree soon!

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Island’s Miracle. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Revel Home’s Monarch I 30” Swivel Bar Stool with Wood Accent

I’ve gotten to test and try a lot of things over the years, but a piece of furniture is a first, and it’s a pretty nifty first! Revel has a winner with their Monarch 30″ Swivel Bar Stool. With “Old Steel” and real wood accents, it’s got style and panache to spare.

With a “knotted” steel back topped with real solid wood, a comfortable, plush “distressed” leather seat, a full 360 degree swivel and a footrest, it’s got all the features you could want. Revel Home even included a set of soft felt feet in case you have delicate flooring that requires a soft touch. The swivel is smooth and doesn’t bind at all. The steel construction is good, even if the brown, almost antique bronze-colored powder coating has nicks and damage that the factory thought covering with flat black paint was sufficient, and it looks awful. Thankfully it’s not too prevalent and mostly in places one wouldn’t think to look, but it’s there. Assembly was a breeze and took about 20 minutes, and Hubby did it by himself too.  I would recommend a thread locker like blue Loctite when assembling, because there were no lock washers and sometimes the bolts will work themselves loose over time. The style goes with almost any decor, and it’s rock-solid when fully assembled.

The one drawback I see here is the price. At $124.99, it’s markedly more expensive than similar items on places like Amazon, Target, Lowes and Home Depot, and that’s not even shopping the big furniture retailers like Wayfair and others. I still recommend it for the quality and ease of assembly, and the build quality is top notch, but be aware you’re paying a premium price for the product.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Revel. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Island’s Miracle Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser

I was a huge fan of using oils and incense to add scented ambiance to a room for decades now, and it seems technology has caught up with me and I’ve learned that scented candles can be bad (fire hazards, soot and particulate matter), and the old method of oils on a tea light diffuser (oil and fire…what could go wrong?) has plenty of inherent risks, so what’s a gal to do?

Go with something fabulous like Island’s Miracle Essential Oil diffuser. It’s flame free, portable, electric, lightweight and works amazing. It has seven rotating LED colors, which can also be turned off to not have a disco effect to ruin a room’s ambiance. It’s virtually silent for an ultrasonic unit, and the scents fill a room quickly and completely. It has a built in six-hour timer, and an auto shutoff so one doesn’t use up the liquids and burn out the unit. I would like to be able to have a timer to set for less hours or for regular times on and off. But those are minor quibbles over what I consider a solid diffuser. It’s made well, and can blend into the background of any decor easily with the lights off. The room it’s in get’s filled with the scents of whatever oil you’ve chosen to use, and last for the entire day.

There’s quite a few diffusers on Amazon right now from various makers, most a slight variation of a single design. This unit from Island’s Miracle is unique looking, quite large (170ml), should easily fill up to a 500 sq. ft. room with scent, and it’s easy to clean. It’s competitively priced at $35.95 too. And with a “Risk-Free Money-Back Guarantee” attached, wherein if you’re unsatisfied with the product you just need to e-mail Island’s Miracle for a full refund, I don;t see a reason why you wouldn’t want to see if this Essential Oil Diffuser is for you, t00!

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Island’s Miracle. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

US Art Supply 82 Piece Deluxe Artist Studio Box Set

Every emerging artist needs a decent set of tools to foster their growth creatively, and US Art Supply’s 82 piece studio box set is just what the doctor ordered! From paints, to oil pastels, to the always needed colored pencils and erasers, rulers and graphite pencils, brushes… you’ve got everything you need to start makin’ some art!

I like that the pencils are easy to sharpen, hold a point well without crumbling, and go down smooth and even. The watercolors are bright and vivid, and the oil pastels apply evenly. The erasers aren’t the best, but truly I’ve never found one in a set that was everything I needed it to be. This one, like most of those, tends to smear and smudge stuff a bit, and doesn’t fully clean the desired “mistake”. Also, the brushes are fine for starter brushes but you’ll want to upgrade those almost immediately.

The storage box is a nice completer to the set and makes storing everything simple and easy. It protected the mediums inside well enough that not a single watercolor disks was damaged or cracked or crumbled, and with Amazon you know that’s a true rarity. I’m truly loving this big, comprehensive set, and I think it would make an awesome bift for the budding or experienced artist in your home.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from US Art Supply. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Royal Imports: Decorative Rocks, 5 lbs Polished River Rocks #Review #RoyalImports

I am always hunting for polished rocks for projects in the garden but because I work on small projects at a time, I don’t require a huge bag from the local hardware store. Most of those rocks as it is, are not as polished and glossy, as the ones I received from Royal Imports. I usually would purchase the smaller bags for orchids and such but they always cost a bundle and I was never happy with the colors, tones and sizes. They were too mini and the hues the rocks carried were usually one tone, like gray/black or light tans. The Royal Imports polished rocks, they come in a double mesh bag, which helps in keeping all the rocks no matter the size from falling out. Much better than dealing with a plastic bag that when it spills, you are picking rocks out of the dirt. The mesh bag has elastic so as the stock lowers with use, the bag always accommodates the amount in it and will shrink down enough so none spill.

I used the rocks in my pots, which have succulents and then the rest along a stone path I created where my larger variety of succulents are along with my ceramic mushrooms. The colors and sizes made the area pop and added just that extra texture that my garden very much needed. For the price and quantity given, plus the ease with Amazon Prime shipping, well you just can’t beat the value. None so far have lost color, so they do not seem dyed or enhanced where you would lose luster with time. I also have a bird that loves to pick at my pots and many times uproots a succulent. These rocks keeps the bird from reaching the root system and the variety in sizes makes it harder for the bird to get a good amount of damage going. I no longer find hanging plants off of pots or worse, when the bird picked enough that the plant fell out of it’s pot.

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Royal Imports. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Sparkleberry Industries: Premium Wood Burning tips, Soldering tips and Stencil Kit Review

 

Crafting is something I have been slowly trying to get back into and it has not been easy. Not having the energy or time can be a big obstacle, as can be having the wrong tools. I had to research long and hard to even find a dependable wood burning pen because many would not work correctly, to just give out after just a few uses. Finding tips I thought was the easy part, but later I found that it was not the type, size, or style that would become the problem, it was the tip actually lasting. I had one tip from another manufacture just bend out of shape from the medium heat setting on the pen. I literally watched it just warp slowly as the pen heated up. Not a great start!

When Sparkleberry Industries offered to have me try a kit, well I have the pen and even the nice plastic box to carry all my essentials in, so why not. The kit includes:

• 15 Pyrography Tool Tips (Brass colored tips, plus silver colored “stamps”)
• 10 Soldering Tips (Silver colored tips)
• 2 hot knife tips
• 2 Plastic Stencils and
• 3 Metal Stencils

I know, that is a pretty comprehensive list and the perfect starter set or even one you can compliment your collection with!

 

Retail Price Point: $13.97 via Amazon and if you are a Prime member, shipping is free.

 

 

Verdict:
From the get-go, Sparkleberry Industries lists what each tip is used for and does not leave the consumer just guessing. Any of the silver toned pieces are softer, so less pressure is advised when using. I heated up the first tip, which was a heart shape and the tip warmed evenly and allowed me to stamp a perfect heart on the scrap of wood I was using. I then went down the list and tested both the Pyrography and some of the soldering tips. Again, none took a different shape or did I have issues when using them. I did not test the hot knife ones and it was mostly because I have no current need for them, but come Halloween, these knives are great at shaping tombstones for the holiday, which we make out of Styrofoam that is used for insulation/noise dampening. I tried pricing the kit and you add the stencils and I have a need for them not just for outlining but just for simple labeling, plus all the other accessories and it really is a great deal. Not complicated, as all tips twisted on and off with ease and they are true to their shape and remain that way during use. My wood burning box is now filled with so many tips that I just need to score a wood crate on sale and get crafting!

 

 

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Sparkleberry Industries. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Proxy Lighting 48 FT Weatherproof Outdoor String Lights

In Southern California, we spend an inordinate amount of time outdoors. One of the things that can turn a normal night into a magical one is the right outdoor lighting. Proxy lighting gets it, and made a super-cool set of string lights that look amazing.

The thick, heavy-duty 14-gauge cord has 15 drop light sockets sporting an 11-watt bulb in each, enough to give that “just right” amount of light. Perfect for a patio, gazebo, or pergola, and made well enough to give you years and years of use. The medium base (E26) will hold and power a bulb up to 40 watts, but I feel that would be just too much light. At 48 feet long and only 15 lights, you have about 3 feet between sockets, so whil eit looks superb it’s markedly different than the previous set I owned, but not so much that it stands out too much. I would have preferred there being closer to 2-2 1/2 feet between bulbs, but these Proxy Lighting lights still get the job done. And the built-in hanging loops make putting them up a cinch.

One thing I need to mention is that wile these are outdoor rated, the plugs are polarized but not a three prong grounded plug, which my older set was, but I’m still a fan. I also love that these are UL listed, which means Underwriter’s Laboratory have tested these and certified them safe, which is a step so many fly-by-night companies tend to skip. I appreciate that Proxy Lighting went that extra mile.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Proxy Lighting. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Euphoria/CaliTime: Cotton Throw Pillow/Cushion Covers with an Embroidered Dahlia Flower in Burgundy Review

I have always loved inexpensive items that can update my decor. Throw pillows are one of those items that can easily change how a room looks from seasonal, to even changing how a room feels by the colors you choose. White tends to make any color pop and when you combine something like a burgundy colored detail, you can really even make the most boring couch seem new again. I love that nowadays throw pillow covers are coming back because they are easier to store. Why keep trying to shove pillows with permanent covers into trunks or even closets, when you can just change the outside and reuse the same pillow? It saves you money because the cover comes unfilled, space and you can even take that savings and buy more decorative or elaborate cushion covers. CaliTime has an enormous array of designs, colors, fabric, and they really make anything to fit anyone’s decor, style, to even mood! Yes, they have pillow covers with phrases, animals, prints, to the embroidered style I picked. The nice part is they have their own site but they also sell via Amazon, so if you are a Prime member, shipping is also free.

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Verdict:
The Dahlia flower pattern, which is embroidered onto a cotton cloth comes in several colors. You have stitching in gold, grey, teal, navy blue and burgundy. The fabric is thick and not like many white fabrics that tend to be see through. You have a tight weave here and the nicer part, it’s not stiff. The cotton used is actually soft to the tough even though it will be durable because of the quality. Now, the stitching is more than I expected. Pictures can only say so much and in person, the stitching on these covers is phenomenal. At the store, so many pillows get damaged by mishandling and there is never a time that I have not had to fix loose to missing threads on covers of this kind. These arrived pristine! The burgundy thread is a deep wine color that is perfect for anytime from the Autumn colors that are nearing with Fall approaching to everyday use if you have tones that match, or you want a statement piece. This cover works either way! I was very happy and a 2-pack is just $19.95 via Amazon. yes, just a little under $10 a cover. You can’t find that and these are for pillows that measure 18 x 18 inches, so no small size here. The covers are also machine washable in the gentle cycle, again making it a practical purchase. Take a moment and I am sure you will find the perfect covers for your pillow because the selection is amazing!

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from . I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

B&C Home Goods Foldable Fabric Cube Containers

This week we looked at a set of 6 fabric storage cubes from Safari Foldables. I liked them, a lot. They were solid, strong, and made to last. And I thought I’d hit the jackpot when B&C Home Goods approved me to try their versions. I’m sad to report that while they’re decent, they just don’t fly as high as the Safari Foldables versions. They’re still very decent, but they didn’t blow my skirt up the way the last set did, and I’ll explain why.

On the surface, everything is practically the same. Same size, dimensions, similar construction, similar materials. But the little details are where the wheels come off the little red wagon.The sides aren’t as strong. The handles aren’t as strong. The bottom isn’t as strong. The fabric isn’t as thick. The sewing is not as neat. They almost feel, I don’t know…flimsy. If I hadn’t already tried the Safari Foldables, I’d think these were decent but I’d use them as supplements to something more solid-feeling, and not have fallen in love with them like I did with the Safari Foldables versions. Even the gray coloring is not as pleasing, more industrial looking. They do the job adeqhately, but they also lack the label window from the Safari Foldables versions. Taken together I think the B&C Home Goods 6 pack of foldable fabric storage cubes would warrant 3 & 1/2 stars, but since Amazon only likes whole stars, I’ll be generous and round it up to 4, but at $21.97 for the B&C Home Goods storage cubes, for my money I’ll spend the couple of extra dollars for the far superior Safari Foldable cubes instead.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from B&C Home Goods. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.