May BookCase.Club Review and Coupon

If you've been reading my blog for a while then you know that BookCase.Club is one of my favorite boxes to get. I'm always so excited to open it up every month to see what books are inside. They always send great books for a really affordable price.

*Disclaimer: This box was sent to See, Shop, Love! in exchange for an honest review.

BookCase.Club is a monthly book box with lots of genres to choose from. For only $9.99 per month you'll receive two books from your selected genre, four if you choose the children's book box. Boxes are also cheaper per month if you sign up for 3-, 6-, or 12-month prepay. Shipping is $5.

These are the different boxes you can choose from:

• Thrill Seeker - mystery/thriller
• Strange Worlds - sci-fi/fantasy
• Teenage Dreams - young adult novels
• Read To Me - four children's picture books
• Blind Date - paranormal romance
• Booking for Love - romance
• Quarterly Cook Books - two cook books every three months
• Quarterly Military History - two military history books every three months

This review is for the Thrill Seekers and Strange Worlds cases for May. I have been thoroughly impressed by both options; the books are always interesting to me and often ones I hadn't heard of before.

I want to point out that the books are safely packaged with tissue paper, but I removed the paper for this photo because it had gotten torn up and wasn't looking very photogenic. But it works well to protect the books during shipping.

The Thrill Seekers case featured two paperback titles: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins and The Promise by Robert Crais. I know The Girl on the Train was turned into a movie recently and I'm glad I didn't go see it because I do prefer to read the book version before seeing a movie adaptation. Here are the blurbs for both titles from Amazon:

The Girl on the Train:

EVERY DAY THE SAME Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

UNTIL TODAY And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

The Promise:

Elvis Cole is hired to find a woman who’s disappeared, a seemingly ordinary case, until he learns the missing woman is an explosives expert and worked for a Defense Department contractor. Meanwhile, LAPD K-9 Officer Scott James and his patrol dog, Maggie, track a fugitive to a house filled with explosives—and a dead body. As the two cases intertwine, they all find themselves up against shadowy arms dealers and corrupt officials, and the very woman they promised to save may be the cause of their own deaths.

The Strange Worlds case featured two hardcover novels: Armada by Ernest Cline and The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher. I immediately decided to read Armada first because I'm a sucker for interesting cover art, plus I just liked the way the blurb sounded. The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut's Windlass sounds great too and is a big book -- 768 pages -- and I've found that the longer the fantasy novel, the better the story. Plus there's a promising review from Patrick Rothfuss on the cover, too, and I'm a big fan of his writing.

Armada:

Zack Lightman has spent his life dreaming. Dreaming that the real world could be a little more like the countless science-fiction books, movies, and videogames he’s spent his life consuming. Dreaming that one day, some fantastic, world-altering event will shatter the monotony of his humdrum existence and whisk him off on some grand space-faring adventure.

At once gleefully embracing and brilliantly subverting science-fiction conventions as only Ernest Cline could, Armada is a rollicking, surprising thriller, a classic coming of age adventure, and an alien invasion tale like nothing you’ve ever read before—one whose every page is infused with the pop-culture savvy that has helped make Ready Player One a phenomenon.

The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut's Windlass:

Since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity. Within their halls, the ruling aristocratic houses develop scientific marvels, foster trade alliances, and maintain fleets of airships to keep the peace.

Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship Predator. Loyal to Spire Albion, he has taken their side in the cold war with Spire Aurora, disrupting the enemy’s shipping lines by attacking their cargo vessels. But when the Predator is damaged in combat, Grimm joins a team of Albion agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring his ship.

And as Grimm undertakes this task, he learns that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come. Humanity’s ancient enemy, silent for more than ten thousand years, has begun to stir once more. And death will follow in its wake...

Bottom Line: I think all four books in both cases sound great and I'm already enjoying Armada quite a bit! BookCase.Club sent another great set of Thrill Seekers and Strange Worlds cases. This box is a must-have for bookworms like me!

• Visit BookCase.Club to subscribe
• Use coupon code SEESHOP15 for 15% off your first box!
• Connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram

May Degustabox Review and 50% Off Coupon

May's Degustabox has a decidedly Italian flair, and I'm very happy with that because Italian is one of my favorite cuisines!

*Disclaimer: This box was sent to See, Shop, Love! in exchange for an honest review. Post contains affiliate links.

Degustabox is a snack/food subscription that sends at least 10 full-sized products each monthly for only $19.99!This box has always been a favorite of mine because of the affordable price. Shipping is also free to the U.S., and they have a version of the box for U.K. residents as well.

You can also earn points by reviewing the items on your account page and referring friends to subscribe. Once you have 100 points you can trade them in for a free box!

There were two box variations this month. Subscribers who have a Keurig machine received the Skinnygirl tea K cups and those who do not received marshmallows from Chicago Vegan Co. and Village Harvest rice. I received all three products as a reviewer so that people can see both options.

• Skinnygirl Mojito Mint K-Cups ($4.99) - I love mint tea but I'm not a huge fan of mojitos, but I'm willing to give these a try. They have all-natural lime and mint flavors with a green tea base.
• Soy Vay Asian Honey BBQ Sauce ($4.99) - Sweet barbecue is my favorite so I think this will taste really good. I'm going to use it for a chicken marinade.
• Pure Growth Organic Oatmeal ($2.98) - There were three possible flavors sent out and I received apples and cinnamon, which is my favorite of the three (the others were Maple and Brown Sugar and Original). This is made with 100% organic ingredients.

• Village Harvest Brown Basmati and Lentils ($3.29) - Subscribers who receive this (instead of the K-Cups) will receive one of two flavors. Village Harvest is a line of ethically-sourced rice and grains. The Brown Basmati and Lentils is made with Mediterranean spices and sounds delicious!
• Goya Lentil and Vegetable Soup ($1.99) - I love a good lentil soup. This one is rich in flavor for an easy to make homestyle meal.
• La Tortilla Factory White Corn and Wheat Tortillas ($2.99) - I have chicken going in the crock pot right now and I'm going to use these tortillas to make tacos for dinner tonight. They have 14 g of whole grain and no hydrogenated oils. They are also non-GMO.

• Mulino Bianco Sfilati ($3.99) - These little breadsticks are flavored with tomato and oregano and are a nice light snack. I would eat these on their own, but they'd be great to dip in soups or crushed on a salad, too.
• Mulino Bianco Galletti ($2.99) - These are an airy and crispy shortbread that means "little rooster" in Italian. They're topped with sugar crystals and have a light flavor, not dense like the Scottish type of shortbread.
• Barilla Farfalle ($1.68) - Barilla pasta is made with high-quality semolina and durum wheat flour for a perfect al dente texture. It's also made with non-GMO ingredients.
• Mutti Polpa ($2.29) - I have a soup recipe that calls for tomatoes so these finely chopped ones will be perfect for it. These tomatoes are made with juice of the tomato and thinly diced flesh.
• Barilla Traditional Basil Pesto ($2.99) - Barilla's pesto has a rich, nutty flavor made possible by freshly grated, premium Italian cheeses of Grana Padano and Pecorino Romano. Pesto is a great addition to pasta so I'm excited to try this.

• Chicago Vegan Co. All Natural Vanilla Marshmallows - These are listed as a gift on the info card and you'll receive them if you get the box with the Village Harvest rice (non-Keurig owners). There's no retail value listed. They have no gelatin and are Non-GMO Project verified, kosher, and 100% vegan.

Bottom Line: I'm excited to cook up the pasta with pesto sauce and I really enjoy the extra Italian items in this month's box. The lentil soup and honey barbecue sauce will be put to good use, too. I think May's box had a great variety of items and both box variations are great!

• Visit Degustabox to subscribe
• Use this link and coupon code CJMOTHERS for 50% off your first box -- only $9.99 with free shipping! Code good through May 31st.

New Hard Candy Color Correcting Review

Hard Candy has launched a new line of limited edition color correcting products! If you're new to color correcting, it's an even more targeted way to balance out your skin tone than say, regular concealers. I tried three of their Color Correct Expert Sticks and had great results.

*Disclaimer: These products were sent to See, Shop, Love! in exchange for an honest review.

All of the new Color Correcting products are being sold exclusively at Walmart. The line includes an Expert Creme Wand, Radiant Primer, Baked Powder, Baked Finishing Powder, and a Custom Blend Expert Palette. This review is for three of the Expert Sticks.

The Color Correct Expert Sticks come in six pastel shades and retail for $5 each. They are a creamy, blendable concealer stick with a retractable pencil shape that's easy to apply. You won't even need to sharpen it!

I received three shades to try: Yellow, Purple, and Pink. I like that they're large with big pencil tips so they're easy to use.

The Yellow Expert Stick corrects mild redness for all skin tones and was the one best suited for my needs. I have red patches on my cheeks and nose and get pimples here and there on occasion, so something to blur out the redness is perfect for me. The shade matched my natural skin tone almost perfectly, I have yellow undertones, so once it was blended in it did a great job of masking redness. It glided onto my skin smoothly and felt very light and pretty much weightless once I blended it in.

Now, the Pink and Purple Expert Sticks are for correcting dullness and neutralizing sallowness in fair to light (Pink) and medium to dark (Purple) skin tones. As I said before, I have natural yellow undertones so I don't have to worry about correcting sallowness, or a yellow tone to the skin. I still gave these a try considering dullness can occur in anyone and I applied it under my eyes for some extra brightness. I actually found that the Pink one worked best, even though it's for fair to light skin and I have medium skin, since you should apply a shade lighter to the undereye area to really make it pop. Both sticks had the same smooth texture as the Yellow one.

Here are the swatches of the Expert Sticks, from top to bottom: Pink, Yellow, and Purple.

• Visit Hard Candy to browse the full line
• Connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Bottom Line: I think the Hard Candy Color Correct Expert Sticks worked really well, especially the Yellow one. They felt light on my skin and the Yellow one covered my redness incredibly well. I also like that they are affordable, as is the entire Color Correct line as a whole. Pick them up at Walmart and give 'em a try!

Maple Holistics Witch Hazel Toner Review

I started using toner in my skin care routine a few years ago. Prior to that I didn't really understand what it was or what it did, but now it's an essential step in my morning and nightly routines. The Witch Hazel Toner from Maple Holistics is my new favorite, read on to find out why!

*Disclaimer: This product was sent to See, Shop, Love! in exchange for an honest review.

Maple Holistics creates all-natural, cruelty-free skincare and body products that are made in the U.S.A. Their Holistic Promise ensure that you'll receive your money back 100% if you're not satisfied with your purchase.

I wanted to try their Witch Hazel Toner because it seemed great for my oily yet sensitive skin. It's made with lavender and aloe vera and is alcohol free, so it's more soothing than alcohol-based toners. I like using toners after washing my face because they help lift away any extra residue and oil from my skin.

The Maple Holistics Witch Hazel Toner is made with therapeutic-grade witch hazel to tighten and nourish skin. I add a few drops onto a cotton ball and swipe it all over my face after cleansing. Witch hazel is an astringent compound that helps to soothe inflammation and minor skin irritations. It's also great as an aftershave and for treating psoriasis and eczema. I even used this to help soothe a bug bite recently and it really helped quell the itching and redness!

What I like best about this toner is that it's effective with minimal ingredients. It's made with natural ingredients, including aloe leaf juice and lavender essential oil, and minimal surfactants and preservatives. I love the lavender scent, it's very light. The best part is that there's no alcohol in it, which is a common ingredient in most toners, so it's not going to overly dry out your skin. I think this is appropriate for all skin types but especially effective on oily skin like mine.

• Visit Maple Holistics to browse their full line of products
• Check out their DIY Purple Shampoo Recipe!
• Connect with them on Facebook and Twitter

Bottom Line: The Maple Holistics Witch Hazel Toner is my new favorite toner and will be a staple in my skin care routine for sure! I think toner is an overlooked product but it's really great for soothing and toning your skin. This one is affordable, cruelty-free, and effective!

Love With Food Mother's Day Deal

Love With Food has a great deal for Mother's Day! Now through June 1, 2017 you can save $10 on any 6 month or longer subscription plan and you'll get a FREE bonus box worth $20!

*Disclaimer: Post contains affiliate links.

To claim this deal, head to Love With Food and use code SUPERMOM.