Tag Archives: #review

CT Things To Do- Family

There is a lot to do in Connecticut as a family. Here is a list of some of my favorites.

Family:

Maritime Aquarium

https://www.maritimeaquarium.org/

We are actually members here because we go so often, and we live close by. This is located right in South Norwalk (SONO). You can easily spend a couple hours here and there’s an IMAX that I would recommend checking out too. The movies are interesting. My daughter, who is 7, loves the seals, otters and turtles. I love the porcupine. My son loves the parrot. They have a jellyfish touch tank and a sting ray/shark touch tank. Check the times for the seal feedings, those are pretty cool to watch too. There is a parking garage across the street, and a smaller lot attached to the IMAX. They’ll be moving the IMAX at some point and expanding the aquarium a bit. There are a lot of places to eat around here (and in SONO in general).

Image result for maritime aquarium, norwalk free pictures

 

 

Stamford Museum and Nature center-

https://www.stamfordmuseum.org/

This place is great to explore. There are trails to hike, a farm with lots of animals to walk through and a pretty cool playground. It has multi-story slides, multiple levels for the kids to run around on, and it’s got areas for different age ranges. Seriously, we spent some afternoons here. Check the website to see what’s going on.

Image result for stamford museum and nature center free pictures

 

Mill River Park –

https://millriverpark.org/

 

Located in Downtown Stamford, CT. They are redoing it and just added a carousel and have started having different events. Normally there’s a large pair of playgrounds, a walking track, tennis courts, handball courts, a basketball court, and some volleyball pits.  On the weekend during the summer they have free fit club with different work outs in the mornings. I have a friend that has gone, and she really enjoys them. If you are in Stamford, it’s worth checking out the park to see what’s going on.

Related image

 

Chelsea Piers-

https://www.chelseapiersct.com/

Located off I95 Exit 9 in Stamford, CT. This place is huge. It has a pool, basketball, squash, batting cages… There is splash zone, Ice skating, tennis. If you want to be active and indoors, check this place out.

Related image

Mystic, CT

Mystic, CT is really charming. If you are coming to CT for a couple days, spend a night here. We’ve stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites. I’d probably book the Hilton next time because it is directly across the street from the Aquarium, which is really cool. We had a blast here. I can’t find the link now, I don’t think the 2019 tickets are on sale yet, but there’s a special called the Mystic pass that we bought when we went. You get admission for the Aquarium one day and the Seaport the other at a discount.

Mystic Seaport Aquarium

http://www.mysticaquarium.org/

Image result for mystic seaport aquarium free pictures

Mystic Seaport

https://www.mysticseaport.org/

The seaport is cool. Mostly outside although there are buildings to walk into with people reenacting the jobs. There is a blacksmith, printing press, a bank and a whaling ship you can walk on and explore. They have a build-your-own boat hut that the kids thought was pretty cool.

Honestly, we had a blast here and we all want to go back again for another visit.

Image result for mystic seaport free pictures

 

 

Lake Compounce –

https://www.lakecompounce.com/

This place is a fun trip during the summer. You should plan on spending the entire day here. The water park portion is huge. Usually we’ll rent a cabana and a locker, so we have a base. We’ll go out and play in the water park all day while it’s 100 million degrees out. (We usually go in August). The water park section closes at 6 pm. We change and then go ride the rides in the other half of the park. Last time we went, we rented a cabin at the campground attached:

Image result for lake compounce free pictures

Bear Creek

https://www.lakecompounce.com/bearcreek

We have cabin camped here and we really enjoyed it. The cabins are pretty cool. It is a newer camp ground, there’s a lot of open space (but not a lot of full-grown trees yet). There’s a store on the grounds, firepits next to the cabins, and a shuttle to Lake Compounce itself. Instead of parking at the park, we were able to park outside of our cabin and unload everything. There was a terrible thunder storm when we stayed and I was really thankful for the roof and air conditioner. It was fun. Next time I want to stay another night just so we can stay on the campgrounds and see what activities are like there.

Image result for lake compounce bear creek free pictures

 

Essex Steam Train

http://essexsteamtrain.com/

This I’ve never done. I do want to try the dinner train at some point though. My coworker brought her Thomas the train engine obsessed son to the Thomas day. That runs end of April, early May, Check it out here:

http://essexsteamtrain.com/seasonal-excursions/day-out-with-thomas/

 

Related image

Connecticut Beardsley Zoo:

https://www.beardsleyzoo.org/

This is in Bridgeport and honestly, I would rather go to the Bronx Zoo, which is 25 extra minutes each way from us (without traffic), and totally worth it. But, if you are looking for something to walk through in an hour or so, then check this place out. There aren’t a ton of animals or habitats here, but I am honestly comparing it to the Bronx Zoo and that really can’t be beat in this area.

Image result for beardsley zoo free pictures

Quassy Amusement and Water Park:

http://www.quassy.com/

if you’re looking for an amusement park in CT, I prefer Lake Compounce. Quassy used to have a nice picnic area, lots of shade, an arcade, boat rentals and rides. The last time I went I wasn’t impressed. There is a lake to swim in, some waterslides and a splash zone. I didn’t think that there were a ton of rides. It was hot and everyone was kind of fighting over picnic benches that were all squished together. I know some friends who go on day trips here and have a blast.

Image result for quassy amusement park free pictures

Stepping Stones Museum-

http://www.steppingstonesmuseum.org/

To me this museum is more for preschool-aged kids. It also depends on what the current exhibit they have going on might be. The first time we went my kids had a blast. The second time we went, they were kind of bored. Check out the website for what the exhibit is and make sure you can spend a few hours here because it’s not exactly cheap. There is a playground across the parking lot that is pretty cool too. They have areas that are appropriate for different ages. Usually an ice cream truck sits nearby and there is a splash pad.

https://www.norwalkct.org/1337/Mathews-Park

 

Bruce Museum-

https://brucemuseum.org/

Located in Greenwich, CT right at the bottom of Greenwich Avenue. This Museum is small but interesting. There is a playground directly across the street too that is really fun. They host a lot of art installations, and sometimes have seasonal events, both indoors and out.

 

Image result for bruce museum free pictures

Sheffield Island Lighthouse

https://seaport.org/Ferry-Schedule

The Ferry leaves from the port at the Maritime Aquarium. It’s a half-hour ride out to the island. They drop you off and you get to explore for a little bit. You can bring a picnic, buy some snacks there, or just check out the light house and walk around. We brought a ball with us and played kickball and bought a couple hot dogs and explored the lighthouse and the shores. It was about a 3-hour trip. I thought it was a fun thing to do.

Related image

Beaches, Lakes, Hiking trails. –

There are too many to list and they are nice. I would take a day, pick one and make a picnic out of it. Seriously, check out the trails. I can’t tell you which one to pick.

https://www.alltrails.com/us/connecticut

I have always wanted to try to hike some of the Appalachian trail. That’s still on my list of things to do:

http://appalachiantrail.org/home/explore-the-trail/explore-by-state/connecticut

 

Image result for appalachian trail CT free pictures

 

My favorite beach is Tod’s point in Greenwich, CT.

https://www.greenwichct.gov/facilities/facility/details/Greenwich-Point-Park-69

I grew up there. There are trails, old buildings to explore, a beach, a concession stand. Tod’s Point is dog-friendly in the off season (October through March where entry and parking is free). Low tide is awesome for finding crabs in the tide pools. During the summer it can be pricey. There is a parking fee and a per-person fee. I usually go with my friend who has a parking sticker and I just pay for a day pass for us. I think that’s like $7.00 a day and you can get them on the town website. Or pay at the gate.

Image result for greenwich point free pictures

Farms: For Berry, pumpkin picking:

Lyman Orchards-

https://www.lymanorchards.com/

 

Silverman Farm-

https://www.silverminefarmct.com/

 

Calf Pasture Beach is in Norwalk, CT. Pretty much any town on the coast will have a beach. Westport has a nice beach. Check the websites to see about fees and hours.

 

Places to eat in Fairfield county: It depends what you like but here are a few of my local favorites in Norwalk, CT:

 

Mecha – is a Japanese noodle bar. House specialties include ramen and Vietnamese pho. They have really good specials, so I usually get those. My kids love the regular ramen bowl; just noodles and broth.

Kazu – Is really good for sushi. I go here for a lunch date with my husband sometimes. Their lunch specials are pretty good and reasonably priced.

Cafe Social – Has sandwiches. I have had a few pressed sandwiches and a burger. Really good with a laid-back atmosphere.

Makondo- Columbian food. This is a new spot for my husband and me. The chicharron is amazing and the soup is really good.

 

If you are planning on visiting shoot me an email at jess@SIRJstudio.com and I can give you some recommendations.

CBD REVIEW

****Disclaimer**** This product was given to me for free to test out and provide my honest review. I would never promote products that I do not believe in 100%. You can count on my honest opinions on all products listed in any of my pieces. Thank you.

CTFO 1500 10x Pure Full Spectrum CBD Oil Drops.

10xPure Full Spectrum CBD Oil Drops – 1500mg

I have been taking CBD, in oil or capsule form, for a while. Eventually, I ran out and just haven’t bought any. When I saw a free trial and all I had to do was provide a review after, I jumped on it! I picked the highest dose possible since we are familiar with CBD and I anxiously waited for it.

My husband and I had just started lifting again for a week and we were sore! When it came, we were super excited to try this new company out.

Packaging: I liked the packaging, especially since it comes with a list of where the batch was tested.  It made me feel more confident taking this product. There was also a brochure with all the CTFO Products.

Dosage: 10-20 drops 2 times a day. I chose to take one dose in the morning once a day. I am getting older and I wake up sometimes with some aches and pains. I figured that this would help kind of take the morning edge off and prepare me for my day.

My husband started with 20 drops, sometimes twice a day. He’s bigger and taller than me, so we figured he’d need more. He also suffers from aches and pains when he wakes up in the morning and was rear-ended on the highway years ago.Pain Relief Product Package - $20 Savings!

First Taste: It was… interesting. It’s not something that I would want to taste all the time. It’s like a light minty oil. You’re supposed to put the drops under your tongue and let them adsorb for a little bit. I like oil on bread but not under my tongue by itself. It wasn’t bad or anything, but my husband and I agreed it was a new sensation.MemoryWorks® <br> Leadership Pack <br> Preferred <br> 16 Box Order

How we felt: Initially I think I just wanted to feel so much better, so I believed that I did. I was calmer when dealing with my kids, my back pain didn’t seem to bother me as much, I generally felt better overall. I continued to use this product for 3 weeks. I took a dose in the morning to help with my morning stiffness. I feel like it does help. I sometimes take a dose around dinner if I am having a long, rough day. I sit at a computer all day and I tend to hunch over by the end of the day, so my upper back and neck sometimes bother me, especially if it’s been a stressful day at work. On these days I will take another dose in the evening and stretch my back a little bit. It seems to help take the edge off.

My husband felt alright, but maybe he just had too much going on at the same time. It didn’t hurt anything, but it didn’t help as much as he wanted. He also didn’t stay on the oil as long as I did because he got sick (completely unrelated).Beauty Product Package - $25 Savings!

Would I recommend this product? If you like oils, then yes. I think I prefer the capsules to the oil. I just don’t seem to be a fan of the oil taste and the way it makes my mouth feel. If you are looking for a CBD oil to try, I’d recommend this. It’s a really high-quality product, and you can tell a lot of care was put into it.

I will try the capsules next time and maybe something from their skin care line.

If you would like to purchase please use this link:

https://myctfo.me/fibromom/

Detective Pikachu Movie- Family Review with A LOT of the Spoilers

If you want to see this movie DO NOT Read this right now, come back after. This is our conversations after we saw the movie on what we thought. Image result for detective pikachu free images
Me: I liked it. I didn’t get that the dad was actually Pikachu. When he came back to life, I was confused.  I was wrapped up in understanding that they took his mind and I missed the whole repairing the body. Even though they do explain it, I didn’t hear that. I did eventually get it. It was interesting though. And good. It kept me interested and I love Pikachu. The Pokémon were cute. I liked how they explained the different attacks for certain Pokemon. I do not play a lot of Pokémon and I never did. I see the cards because my son was into them but I don’t know the games well.  I do know some of the characters so that was fun to see them. Mew 2 was awesome. Related image
Husband: How did Pikachu get back to the town so fast? I liked it. It was a good movie. It was fun. I played the games. I like how they gave you 20+ years of history without taking forever. If you’re a fan, there is stuff for you. If you are not a fan, there is stuff for you too. It was well written. The ditto was nightmare material.
Image result for detective pikachu free images
Son: I loved it. My favorite part was the plot twist at the end. My question is how did Tim get down the stairs so fast? Overall I liked it. I would see it in theaters and at home cause there is there are snacks. My favorite Pokémon was the Tortoise, I liked when they popped up. I expected a big battle, But I liked the plot twist. Why did Pikachu almost die from a rock, that was a little much. Where’s the hypo spray, Tim? This is what happens when you go to battle with one Pokémon. Charzard was super wrinkly
Image result for detective pikachu free images
Daughter: fell asleep 3/4 of the way through! I liked it till i fell asleep. The Pikachu is cute. I wish I had a pet like that.
Related image
Sister: I liked it. I liked the twist at the end that Pikachu was his father and that’s how they could communicate. I didn’t see that coming although looking back, I see that now.
Niece: it was good. I liked it.
Image result for detective pikachu free images
Over all we would recommend seeing the movie in the movie theaters and we will definitely be watching it again at home.
What are your thoughts?

Captain Marvel. A Family review

I know this is a little late. We had some things come up, like a trip to Boston, before we could make it to see the movie.  So here it goes:Related image
I thought: Cats are evil monsters. It was a long movie. It was Interesting though. I really liked it. I liked the female power. It’s nice to identify with a super, super hero. Besides being human it doesn’t seem like she doesn’t have any big flaws but I could be wrong because I don’t read the comics, I just see the movies and then ask my husband a million questions afterwards. It makes sense that Fury calls her at the end of the Avengers. I liked the fighting. I knew that Yon-Rog was evil. He was a weirdo and I didn’t trust him. I did like it though. I would watch it again.
7 thought: Sleep. Half way in.
9 thought: It was good. I liked the humor.
Husband thought: It was a bit long. It dragged in some spots and it could have been written a little tighter. I like the humor. The ending was good but it felt rushed. She just started kicking ass and then it was over. The skrulls were really good. The characters felt organic. Her friend Maria and daughter Monica were really good characters. I appreciate the changes from the comic books. I liked the story over all. The movie version of her is so much better than the comic book version. It’s easier to identify with her. Her character flaws in the movie make more sense than they did in the comic books. The fight scenes were good. I liked all the parts but it was like 4 or 5 different movies.
Sister thought: loved woman power and throwback songs. She’s like unstoppable.
Niece thought: I liked it. That’s it.Related image
We all can’t wait to see Shazam next!

How to get a great hair cut

Hey Hey Hey! It’s Friday!!! Let’s get the party started! Okay,not really, I have to get through work first, and then go grocery shopping. Then home to put everything away and laundry. Then we can party! Hey, hey!
What are your plans this weekend? I am finally, FINALLY going to get my hair done. It’s been a year since I went. I have highlights but they now start at my ears… It’s really been entirely to long. This is an actual picture my daughter drew of me last weekend. I said “Honey, my hair isn’t that short!” She said “I am not done yet!” And proceeded to draw my highlights on the bottom… How sweet.
Do you have a favorite salon that you go to always? It took me forever to finally decide that it wasn’t worth salon hopping. I went to this place on a whim 8 years ago and it was the first time I ever fell in love with my hair. It was exactly what I wanted. I could just wash my hair and leave the house and it would look great or I could style it and look phenomenal.  But it was almost $300.00 for the cut, highlights and everything.
I felt amazing but that price seemed a little steep for me and my young family. I felt bad about spending that much money. That was 2 weeks of groceries and gas back then… Yes, I am old enough to say that now.
I spent years salon hopping trying to get that cut and color that I fell in love with and I could never get it. One place did chunky highlights when I asked for thin, she said they looked better. One place refused to give me a straight cut. My hair was to thin she said so she went ahead an layered it. The next place gave me thick highlights, I have to admit they were better than the chunky ones. The only place that actually gave me the cut I wanted was the training salon. That girl did exactly what I asked her to do but I was to nervous to ask for color. No place gave me the cut and color that I fell in love with.
Related image
Last year I was done with Salon hopping and I booked my appointment back at the $300.00 place. And I paid $300.00. and I loved it again.  I will never go anywhere ever again. Also, I plan on going more than once a year so it shouldn’t be $300.00 every time. Last year just totally got away from me and before I even had a chance to look up, it was December. And now all of a sudden it’s March…Wait, really? Almost April!! Can time slow down a little bit? My hair needs taming.
**Not me or my hair but something like what I get when I go. ***
Related image
So my advice for how to get a great haircut… Find someone you love and stay with them forever.
I go Saturday. I am so excited I could pop. What’s you’re experience with hair? Do you salon hop? Are you strictly with one person for everything? Do you have a colorist and a stylist?
Sunday I have book club with my homies. So overall it should be a great feel good weekend. Which is exactly what I need right now.
Happy Weekend loves! I hope you all have a good one.

 

Our Trip to Boston. Reviews!

We went to Boston Last weekend. We stayed at  Homewood Suites Boston Logan Airport Chelsea . I chose this hotel because we were bringing my Mom, sister and niece with us so we needed 2 cars and 2 rooms. There is a pool and the breakfast and parking is free. Originally, I wanted to stay more in Boston and I look for Hilton because we are in the Hilton Honors program. I looked at hotels in Boston and the rates weren’t so bad, but the parking added almost $100.00 per night and then we would have to find breakfast because it’s not included.  So we went with the Homewood Suites. We stayed for 2 nights and my total bill was a little over $900.00. I got us both the 2 queen studio suites. The rooms were really nice. The pool was really small. With my husband, me, our 2 kids and my sister and niece in the pool, it was tight. The pools capacity is 11 people. It was warm though and my kids loved it and got to swim and jump and they had a blast. That’s what matters to me.
Image result for homewood suites boston logan airport pictures
The rooms were really cool.  I thought they were well thought out. I loved the little kitchen area because I was able to make dinner Friday and Saturday night and save us a little money for the other fun things that we were doing. I also brought lots of snacks that I loaded in the full size fridge because a 7,9 and 13 year old can eat all day and still be hungry.
Image result for homewood suites boston logan airport pictures
I bought a 2 day pass of the Boston Go cards. You get access into a lot of places. It was $430.00 through the plumb benefits site through my job. My niece is considered an adult because she is over 12, weird, right?
Image result for boston go card
We got there on a Friday afternoon around 1:00. Luckily there were rooms available so we were able to check in and bring our things in. Then we all hopped in my pilot and drove into town. It was about a 7-10 minute drive. I have driven in New York and Boston highways are something else! We were up, down, underneath, driving in a circle to get on other highways…. Make sure you have your GPS. After the first day though, we got the hang of it and it wasn’t bad at all. Our first stop was Quincy Market. It’s pretty cool. We parked around the corner at a garage. Monday through Friday the garage is $42.00 and Saturday and Sunday the garage is $20.00.  The first day we walked around and went to Union Oyster House for lunch. Lunch was great.
Image result for Union Oyster house boston
I highly recommend this place. The kids liked their food and my mom loved her clams and fish and chips.  Afterwards we walked around and watched some of the street performers. We headed over to the Aquarium and walked though. We all enjoyed the Aquarium. Then we walked back to Quincy Market and got some Ice cream at Sprinkles and headed back to the car. At that point it was a long day already with all the driving so we took the kids to the pool for an hour and my mom went back to her room to rest. I made the kids Spaghetti and we played Uno and then crashed. The beds were very comfortable.
Image result for quincy market boston
Saturday, we met for breakfast in the lobby… It was regular coffee, breads, eggs, sausage, yogurt, waffles, fruit and juice. So everyone found something. Then I took the kids for a quick swim and we got ready to head out for  a day of exploring. Again we drove in to where Quincy market is and parked where we parked the day before. We hopped the trolley ( on the Boston go pass) and took it around Boston. It’s really cool to see everything. The architecture. Everything is so old and squished together but pretty. It was just cool to see to me. The trolley driver will tell you the history of certain buildings and it’s interesting. We hopped off at the 9th stop which is the last one before they bring you back to the beginning and we walked over to the children’s museum (included in the pass) . The kids loved that. We didn’t spend a ton of time here, but they did get to do a few things.
Image result for children's museum boston
We stopped at Hopsters Brewing Company for lunch. Everyone enjoyed their meals. Then we headed over to the museum of contemporary Art. This is where I found out that my mom does not care for Contemporary art. Not even a little bit. The rest of us did enjoy it and they had a little kids area set up so the kids could make their own art. That was pretty cool. After the Art museum we walked back to the trolley and went to the USS Constitution.
Image result for uss constitution boston
To get on the ship is free and we ran out of time to go into the museum that would have been included on the Boston go pass. We would have been able to go but then we would have missed the last trolley and I had no idea how to get back to where we were parked. So we skipped the museum and hopped the trolley back to Quincy market, stopped at Sprinkles for some more ice cream and then headed back to the hotel for swimming, dinner, uno and Wine for me and my mother!
Image result for boston hop on hop off trolley
The Boston Go card wasn’t worth it for what we did, in my opinion. We did get our monies worth, I think, but I am not sure we actually saved anything. Then again, if we had gone to the Fine arts museum and the science museum, it totally would have been worth it. So maybe if we stayed an extra day and bought an extra day pass.
The hotel was nice, I think next time I would spend an extra day and maybe get a room in Boston so we could just walk everywhere or take the T.
Boston is amazing. You should definitely go and spend at least a few days here. There is so much to do and it’s all fairly close together.  We went in March and maybe next time I would go more in the spring so more outdoor things would be open and it would be nicer weather to be outside. We did have pretty good weather when we went but as it got dark, it got a little chilly. We will be back!
Family Reviews:
Husband: I know it’s an old city but it didn’t seem like it was an old city and there is so much history there. It’s very well wrapped up and preserved. Taking the Trolley was a favorite part and being able to see the sights and learn about everything was fun. I will definitely go back there is a million more things to see and do. I wouldn’t mind staying were we stayed because you liked the amount of space and options and it’s only 10 minutes away but I wouldn’t mind being in the city and being able to walk everywhere.
Daughter Review: I liked Boston. My favorite part was the USS Constitution and the penguins are the aquarium. I definitely want to go back and explore more. I liked the hotel I wish the pool was bigger.
Son Review: I liked Boston. My favorite part was eating the oysters and clams at Union House restaurant. I liked the Children’s museum and wish we could have stayed longer. I liked the pool when it was just us in it.
Image result for visit boston
Have you been to Boston? What are some of your favorite things to do, eat, see?

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Our Family Review

Sam: It was a good movie. He liked it
Isabel: it was a great movie and I loved all of the dragons. It was pretty cool. My favorite dragon is Toothless. I liked that they saved the day. And they got married. It was funny.  It was sad when they let the dragons go. Toothless got a wife. I liked the battle. When they ate, it made me hungry.
Ramon: I liked it. I liked how they developed the characters, the world, actually went somewhere with the story. Not sure about the warlords. They were kind of there but the story wasn’t about them. I liked the flashbacks with his father.
Me: I liked it. It was very  entertaining even if you don’t follow the story to closely. Which I don’t. I liked the animation. It was really pretty to watch and then story kept me entertained.
The lady that worked there said that her 16 year old son loved it and thought it was a good conclusion to the movies. My niece who’s 13 thought the same thing. She has been watching and reading the Dragon books forever.
We all recommend going to see it. It’s worth going to the movies to see!
Image result for how to train your dragon 3

Jamaican cooking and Me

I have a friend I worked with for over 10 years when I worked at a Pizza Hut. They ended up closing our location because the 20 year lease was up and they wanted to triple the rent or something and it made no sense to keep us open because we were a restaurant that wasn’t in the red, but made little to no money. Everyone was there for so long that we were all at the top of the pay rates for our positions so we would often work a skeleton crew so we could stay in budget for the employee costs.  I learned a lot from this place and from the people I met there. I will forever miss it.
I developed some pretty great relationships while working there and one was with a Jamaican woman named Odette. Her nickname is Vivi and that’s actually where my daughters middle name came from. When I had my son I was out of work and Odette had just opened her very own Jamaican place about 40 minutes away from where I lived. Right past the palisades mall in New York. https://www.yelp.com/biz/tropical-delicacy-spring-valley  I highly recommend this place if you are in the area. The food is amazing! The people are amazing! Just go and eat!
Photo of Tropical Delicacy - Spring Valley, NY, United States. A classic oxtail and beer
 I use to bring my son with me and we would hang out all morning while she cooked. I would feed my son, put him down to nap and dive right in to whatever she needed. Wash dishes? Sure! Cut cabbage? Absolutely. She taught me a lot about how to cook Jamaican. When my son was 10 months old I ended up getting a job as an office manager so our time was cut down.
Then life happen and we just weren’t able to make it over there for a while. I needed Jamaican food though and even though I had helped in the kitchen I didn’t actually write down any recipes. Then I found this website https://cooklikeajamaican.com/new-recipe-brown-stew-chicken/. I have found lots of delicious recipes on this website and I really recommend trying a couple!
Now, since it’s the weekend, I think I need to make a trip to visit and old friend.
Photo of Tropical Delicacy - Spring Valley, NY, United States. Steamed fish wow!!!!

Meatloaf Tuesday

Is that a thing? It was a snowy day here yesterday for the first time this year. The last snow we really had was in November! This winter has been really weird in the northeast. A lot of rain and not a lot of snow at all. Anyway, the kids had no school yesterday, my husband stayed home with them and then my job closed at 11:30 so I went home and made meatloaf.
Image result for snow day
I don’t know why I have been craving meatloaf lately and then I got this email for a meatloaf muffin recipe and beef was on sale last week so there you go! This is the recipe I used: https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/meatloaf-muffins-58434
I liked it. My husband really liked it and my kids didn’t care for it at all. I thought it was a little to sweet between the ketchup and BBQ sauce.  I think I will keep looking for another meatloaf recipe. Anyone have one they love?

Last night

I went to bed pretty early last night, about 9:00. I was just shot. It was a long day and I needed sleep. I was thinking about this conversation on Twitter I had read about how you shouldn’t get upset with someone for giving you a not great review. As a writer, you should be happy for the critique.  It got me thinking about how I reacted to my first review and how others saw me. I went back and read my blog about it and I think honestly, I was upset but I also realized that this review came from someone who would not normally read books like mine. It made me realize that I really need to find my audience.
Related image
I couldn’t shake the feeling of being annoyed at myself for my reaction though. I think the feeling caused me to wake up on the middle of the night. I thought that I really should change something in my book. Then I was thinking that maybe I should take my book down all together. Maybe it’s to much about me and I shouldn’t put it out there. Like the one guy that reviewed my book had said. And I should change some stuff… Maybe I should change some stuff. I thought I would take the book down in the morning and then change some things and put it back up. It wouldn’t matter to wait because no one is buying it anyway. At this point I was wide awake and I was thinking to much. My neck started to hurt and I was getting anxious. So I ended up getting out of bed, correcting a part I couldn’t get out of my head and then re uploading the book again. I finally went back to bed at 4:30 AM.
Image result for tired eyes cartoon
Happy Tuesday. I am now exhausted with a giant headache but at least I was able to go back to sleep for a little bit.
Is it okay to be upset though? Is that really frowned upon? I wasn’t ungrateful. I said thank you and I would consider all the suggestions. I am feeling better now but I don’t think I will ever comment on a review again.