Powerful Flashlights For Everyday Use – #BYB – Pack of 4, BYBlight Cree LED Flashlight Torch

————This post contains affiliate links, see disclosure page for details.———

I was looking for small, versatile flash lights after a few short but annoying power outages in our neighborhood.
The Byblight cree LED Flashlight Torch was exactly what I needed. Available in a 4 pack (for the price of one decent
flash light), I have now have a flash light in every bathroom, the kitchen, one for the living room. They are compact, fitting
in the smaller drawers without taking away too much space. They are made out of metal, no cheap plastic, that breaks after one drop, but that also makes them a little heavier. I do not like that their loop at the end of each flash light is really
small, only a small child’s hand could fit through them, so the loop is pretty much more for deco than practicality.

These are the specs:

Available on Amazon Now

Uses cree LED with a lifespan of over 50000 hours
– Max outputs a blinding 150 lumens
– 3 Light modes: Lightly press the button to switch in high, low and strobe
– Adjustable focus: Simply controlled by pulling the head
– Compact design for everyday carry and all kind of outdoor activities
– Solid state and ergonomic designed durable aluminum alloy
– Powered by 3x 1.5v AAA battery, easy-to-get, Not Included
– Pack of 4

Specification
* Powered By: 3 x 1.5v AAA Not Included
* Runtime: 10,000 hours
* Max Brightness: 150 lumens
* Body Material: Aluminum
* Dimension: 4.1″ (length) * 1.18″ (diameter)
* Net Weight: 3oz
* Color: Black

Overall I am very pleased with these four flashlights. If you are looking for inexpensive, small flash lights that are
going to last you for a while, these set is the way to go,
(Disclaimer: I have received this product for free in return for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own)

The Most Detailed Book On The Subject, I Have Read: Elevator Speeches That Get Results

Disclaimer: I have received this book for free from the publisher in return for an honest review. The following post contains affiliate links, see Disclosure page for details. Don’t miss their special coupon and discount deals below!

Book Title: Elevator Speeches That Get Results

Author: Dorothy Tannahill-Moran

Publisher: Introvert Whisperer

Genre: Non-Fiction/Business/Self-help

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Written in a delightful conversational tone, Elevator Speeches That Get Results, is a very detailed an informative book on the art of creating effective elevator speeches. This is not a book for someone who is looking to master the short sales pitch, rather a book that allows the reader to learn how to introduce themselves and their brand effectively and quickly, making a great conversation starter, as well as getting people’s interest in your expertise/niche. It is longer than most books in this price range, which surprised me positively.
With the Author’s straightforward style, there is little fluff in the book, so you do not have to navigate through a ton of personal anecdotes that take away from the actual subject matter.
Overall a great book on elevator speeches.

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How We Fixed Our “Lack Of Outlets” Problem – At Least The Majority Of It

 

 

Disclaimer: The following post is a sponsored post and contains affiliate links. I received the product for free in return for an honest review. Opinions are that of my own – see Disclosure page for more info)

Ever since we moved into our temporary home here in Las Vegas, we had a “lack of outlets” problem. You see with two children who basically own every gaming machine out there and multiple laptops, as well as phones, cameras, and a very necessary Kindle Fire (mine), most of our plugs are occupied with tech, all with varying needs.

I am not a fan of the traditional power strips, even if they do the job, the tend to fall over, have too short cords, or take too much space away, and most importantly none of them have USB outlets  for those devices that do not have standard AC plugs.

iclever BoostCube

So, when I had the opportunity to receive the BoostCube Desktop Power Station by iclever, I jumped at that chance. This small yet powerful charging station fits perfectly into my den/office, allowing me to centrally charge 5 phones via the USB plugins, and two other devices via the standard AC plugs. Which brings me to the only complaint I have about this little item: It has only two AC power outlets, which means I still have to plug my printer into the wall, after plugging in my desktop computer and monitor. And there is no way I can charge my laptop in the same area like I would like to ideally. It is a small inconvenience, but three AC outlets would have made this compact item even more powerful.

A short summary of my thoughts on the iclever BoostCube Desktop Power Station:

Pro:

1. I love how compact it is, a sturdy little black box that is heavy enough not to fall over, tilt or move under most circumstances. It stays nicely put, up against the corner by my desk, out of the way, yet easily accessible.

2. It has five USB cord plugins. Even for our family, that is enough to keep our phones and devices charged to their max. No more looking for a plugin or a special converter that allows us to plug them into a standard outlet. Perfect.

3. The USP outlets fit for all devices – thanks to a SmartID Technology, the power station can adjust itself to the individual needs of the plugged in device. It charges that way our Androids, iPhones, iPad, camera and Kindle at the same time, in the fastest time I ever had them charged.

4. It is surge protected, keeping all of our devices safe from surges, and voltage spikes. I like that peace of mind.

5. It is small enough, that I am considering taking it with me the next time we are taking an overnight trip – makes hunting for outlets in a hotel room, a thing of the past.

Con:

1. Like I mentioned earlier, it only has two AC outlets. Three would have been the ideal number to fit my personal needs.

You can get the iclever BoostCube Power Station right now at Amazon! 

 

Colds, Binge Watching And Tea

 

Disclaimer: The following post contains links to my own art, and affiliate links, which pay for my art supplies and design programs – opinions are my own. 
Glad you called first before coming over for coffee, because I really do not want to give you the cold. I can send you some cookies if you like, maybe some thumbprint cookies? Those are my current obsession.

I am truly not used to colder weather anymore, after spending years in Florida, and while I hate taking time off, I know that sometimes it is better to step back, instead of producing mediocre designs. Okay, some of the stuff I made today was pretty awful, so I decided to binge watch stuff instead. The designs you  see here today were made last week, so they are actually ready for public consumption.

Escape By Claudia H. Blanton

No, I do not simply watched Netflix or Amazon, and ingest a few seasons of the newest thriller, or mystery (I cannot stomach most comedies out there), even though I was tempted, I thought I could, at least, watch something worthwhile. Hey, who says having a cold is an excuse to not learn something. As long as it does not require physical movement, and I have a hot cup of tea next to me, it is the next best thing to working.

Water Rose by Claudia H. Blanton

 

Creative Live: 

If you have not checked out Creative Live and their live stream that features anything an artist’s heart can desire, then you have been missing out. You can watch the above-mentioned life stream, but also pick out some of the online lessons you have missed – may it be about photography or content marketing – by purchasing one of the episodes. I try to catch as many shows live as I can – but because of my schedule that is not always possible, so I am happy that they have that purchase option. Check out this wonderful creation by Chase Charvis

 

Inside Quest 

You might know about Quest – those bars that taste yummy but are really, truly good for you – but did you know that one of the owners of Quest has this amazing show that features the most successful and creative people on the planet? He interviews everyone from whom we can learn from – starting at Tim Ferriss, and Ryan Holiday. You should really check out this motivational tips and tricks. And eat one of his bars while you are at it. They truly are yummy!

 

Show Me Everything By Claudia H. Blanton

Vyrt 

Yup, that is one strange name for a streaming service, but they are truly unique and worth checking out, especially if you are into music. The creation of Jared Leto – yes, that Oscar-winning creative genius, Joker Madman Method Actor and Rockstar – with which he has managed to create a platform for interesting content from vegan cooking tips by Brendan Brazier (Thrive), to their shows, and behind the scene material to other artists and musicians like Linkin Park, Boy Epic and more. Totally binge-worthy.

 

What are your favorite streaming platforms, or youtube channels that you find completely binge-worthy? Which ones do you think I should check out?

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Claudia

 

The above post is a part of the following blog hops:

Weekend Coffee Share

Be Inspired # 190

 

 

Words – Typography On My Mind

 

You Make Me Fearless by Claudia H. Blanton

I decided to try something new this week, venture outside of my artistic comfort zone and embrace the creation of some typographic posters. I do this every once in a while, move my focus upon a subject matter or a creative technique I have never tried before, and dive in. Sometimes, I find myself completely lost and drop it like a hot potato, but other times, like this week, I find a new creative outlet I actually enjoy. I enjoyed it enough to open a printable only Etsy store “No Plain Paper”.

Coffee By Claudia H. Blanton

These designs, like all of my other art work, are still available in my RedBubble and Zazzle stores, so you can purchase them on the many applications available there, like mugs, or as gratitude journals.

What do you do to push yourself outside of your comfort zone?

Spread Kindness Like Nutella – by Claudia H. Blanton

This week is the first time I am participating in the To-Know-Me Tuesday, where we are asked to post 10 things about ourselves.

So here they are:

1. I was born in Germany
2. My Dad was an organic gardener, in charge of our local gardening club, teaching green gardening techniques. I learned a lot from him on that subject.
3. I speed read – not as fast as I would like, yet – but I can get through a full-size novel in about 2 hours.
4. I am a fan of Chase Charvis, Gary Vaynerchuk and Tim Ferris
5. I can not dance – at all. Neither can my husband, so that works well.
6. I wrote, directed and performed in my first play when I was 10
7. I want to write the script to a featured film
8. I am a published Author. One of my books is available on Amazon
9. I can lip-read in two languages  – German and English
10. I wish there were 36 hours in the day – then I would probably find a way to fill them all, and wish there were 48 hours, lol.

Your turn!

This blog post is a part of the following blog hops:

Be Inspired Link Party

Amaze Me Monday

Inspire Me Wednesday

Tuesdays With A Twist

Manic Monday

Selling Art Online – My Thoughts On Handmade At Amazon

By now you might wonder what is Handmade At Amazon. Well it is in its core, the Amazon version of Etsy – the online market place that is supposed to be for handmade items, services and vintage things – just with a little twist.

First of all, stuff listed on Handmade At Amazon is actually handmade. Before becoming a seller, an artist has to fill out an application, and prove that their production process is that what can be considered artisan – small businesses with only one or a very few people working on projects,and items that are truly crafted, not mass produced. I had a beef with that on Etsy, one of the reasons why I never became an affiliate for them, and promoted the crafters items, was because there were so many mass produced things in there, posing as handmade.

Sarah Hood Jewelry
Sterling Silver Tree Pendant Necklace with 24k Gold Leaves

But Amazon sells a lot of mass produced stuff too, what’s the difference?
Well, they don’t lie about the items they list as mass produced, and claim that they are handmade or artisan. You can buy both, but they are in different sections, and do not compete with each other. A win for the crafts people, I think.

There are quite a few really nice products already listed, on Handmade but I have a feeling too many people are still waiting to see if it is really worth diving into. I highly suggest not to wait. As with Etsy, those who set up shop early make the most profit and have the best chance of continued success. If you are an Etsy seller, I would suggest that you get into the action now. Especially before the shopping frenzy starts.

Touch Formed Studio
Minimalist Rectangle Vase with Austere Blue-White Glaze

Visually, I find the set up appealing but unremarkable. It is not too different from the rest of Amazon, actually blends in so much, that if it was not for the not so very big logo “Handmade” on the right side of the screen, I would have thought I am just serving the old-fashioned Amazon. What I do like is, that if I share a pin directly from the listing’s page, it automatically adds the light blue Handmade At Amazon logo, so it is easy to distinguish the pins from others. A great way to promote individual artists, I think.

But with the launch just having been a few days ago, it is still early to see if Amazon continues to support Handmade as much as it promised. After all it is only a small section within this huge company, and unlike the niche appeal Etsy had, I have a feeling the products could get lost in there.

The opportunity here lies for the individual artists to work together with marketers and affiliates (like me), to get more exposure to gain traction. That is, if these sellers are not too busy to keep running their Etsy stores, with their already established clients.

 

Have you checked out Handmade At Amazon yet? What are your first thoughts? Let me know what you think about this opportunity, or if you are already have a store set up. If you do, I would love to interview you, and here what you think, and what you think this new venture can add to your sales and success.

Have a wonderful day!

Claudia

Author Devon Henry – The Interview

I am very exited to present to you today an interview with a dear and wonderful fellow Author, Devon Henry. I recently read her book “Kaijin”, – about which I will post an review later this week  – as well as her work on Medium, so I really wanted to share this interesting writer with you. You should really check out her work, but I am going to let her tell you more about herself and her creative endevours.

Devon Henry

 

Thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little bit about yourself, and your current project:

Well thank you very much for this opportunity! I’m from Los Angeles, I have three dogs. I love avocado and Jurassic Park and I hate kale. I have watched all seven seasons of 30 Rock more than anyone probably should.

Currently I am working on my first full-length novel which I hope to have out later this year. It’s science fiction geared towards younger readers and I’ve been working on it since late 2011. I’m very, very excited for people to finally read it.

I am looking forward to it (and I hear you about kale). What brought you to writing? Did you always wanted to be a writer?

I’ve wanted to be a lot of things in my life. As a child I wanted to be a paleontologist and make movies and study different cultures and religions, but there’s always been this caveat that I would write about it too. My profession has always been up in the air but there was never a question about writing.

I really have my parents to thank for that as well. They never questioned it or pushed me into anything else and dutifully marched me to the dollar store two blocks from our house to stock up on Lisa Frank notebooks every Saturday. I’m very grateful for that.

Sounds like a wonderful way to grow up. What are your greatest obstacles to creating your art/finishing a project?

I’m sure most writers will know what I mean when I say there’s that hypercritical part of your brain that gets louder and louder the longer you stare at your work. Then suddenly it’s 3 AM and you’ve spent the better part of the night revising one sentence and you’re over-caffeinated and just thinking, “This is it. This is insanity. Someone take my laptop away.”

How did you or do you overcome these challenges?

I know that a lot of writers work better in seclusion, but I have to say that having a good support system of nosy friends keeps me motivated. It’s very easy, for me at least, to procrastinate and leave a project for ages if I don’t have anyone checking in on me. So to have friends constantly texting and asking to see revisions or making sure I’m sticking to my deadlines really helps.

You are blessed to have such a support system, good for you! What are your future aspirations?

Ultimately I’d really like to carve out a role for myself as a successful comedy writer. It’s my one true passion in life- avocado-based recipes notwithstanding. To be at a point where I could focus solely on that as a career would be amazing.

I think you are on the right track to accomplish this goal. In Kaijin, you chose to use a first person, present tense narrative to express the stories, which I think worked out very well. What made you choose to express the stories in such way?

First of all, thank you! Writing it that way was definitely a risk in terms of storytelling and I’m glad it came across that way.

When I began writing Kaijin, I had a vision of this private slice of Los Angeles full of monsters and demons and banshees and it was important to me to present that vision in a way that would be believable and not read immediately as a run-of-the-mill horror story. So I wrote it all- with the exception of “The Siren and the Immigrant”, in present tense and made a point of never naming the women in my stories. I wanted to make it seem as though the subjects of these stories could be literally anyone.

And you succeeded in that as well. What do you want your readers to know about you, that they might not be aware off?

Let’s see, I am also a trained Improv Performer, Sketch Comedy Writer, Set Designer and I can pick stuff up with my toes. I’m afraid of spiders and elevators. My resume is very impressive, clearly.

That is quite a resume! How can a reader find out more about you? 

Well my first book, “Kaijin”, is available in paperback or for Kindle on Amazon as well as the Createspace Marketplace. I also have a Medium profile that I try to update with new short comedic fiction every week for practice (This is also where you can find my ongoing Jurassic Park/Parks and Rec crossover series “Burt Macklin: Raptor Wrangler”). And, of course, readers can get in touch with me via my twitter- which I also keep updated with any new projects or multi-media works that I do. Come say hi, I’d love to hear from you!

Thank you so much, for spending time with us Devon! I am looking forward to hearing more from you!

—————-

I will post a review of Devon Henry’s book “Kaijin” later during the week, so please stop by again, and most importantly check out Devon’s work via the links below!

Devon’s Amazon Page

Devon’s Twitter

Devon’s Medium Profile

 

 

A Writer’s Guide To Harry Potter (Book Review)

Title: A Writer’s Guide to Harry Potter
Author: S.P. Sipal
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Rating: 5/5 Stars

 

“..millions of people on various continents and across time zones do not plunk down their hard earned cash solely because of hype. SOMETHING must ring true, emotionally true, to a wide band of readers in order to create this hype in the first place. And I believe that this something can, to some extend, be learned.”

As a fan of fantasy, and of course Harry Potter (my kids grew up with its magic, both books and movies), I was intrigued when I saw this title. I am usually not interested in books written from a fan perspective, but the writer in me, always wanted to dive deeper into the aspects of what made Harry Potter such a phenomenon. And this book delivers just that.
Originally bought for last years NaNoWriMo, putting it to use this year, this volume is filled an immense treasure of insights and knowledge, that can help any writer, no matter where they are at their development. Not only is this book informative, but it is written in an entertaining way – self-published, therefore it has the small errors, that come with the lack of access to a professional editor, but they are small indeed.
That does not take away from the value of this book, one of the more entertaining and lesson filled books for writers I have read in a long time.

Where (or are) you a fan of Harry Potter? What lessons as a Writer did you take from J.K. Rowling’s books?

Book Review – The Broken by Shelley Coriell

 

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book by the publisher. This post contains affiliate links, see Disclosure page for details

The Broken Available on Amazon Now

 

Title: The Broken

Author: Shelley Coriell

Genre: Romance, Suspense

Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)

Release Date: April 29th 2014

Rating: 5/5 stars

As a fan of romantic suspense the likes of Kay Hooper, I was looking forward to reading this  book “The Broken” by award winning Author Shelley Coriell. After researching her background, I discovered that this is her first novel outside of the young adult world and only her third novel. What I found left me pleasantly surprised.

“The Broken” has an emotional rawness that does not hide behind pretty words when some horrors or disturbed actions call for blunt harshness. I really appreciated that, because it allowed a deeper connection to the feeling of the character, rather than trying to find a round-about way of describing loss and despair. While that bluntness made me at times flinch, it was perfectly placed and appropriate.
Vivid, lively and multi-layered characters, combined with a fast-paced story that pulls the reader into its web, without letting go, “The Broken” is an intense read. The connection between the two main characters does not come across as forced, but rather than logical, danger seems to bond – this aspect making this book particularly a great one for me, as the physical relationship in many romance genre novels are without any real depth or reason. You can believe and root for this relationship, and ache with them. There are no moments that drag, the action feels neither rushed nor slow. A suspense romance, just the way I prefer it.

This is the first book in a series called “The Apostles”, second book to be released in October and the third in the series in January 2015. You can find out more about the upcoming books, which I will absolutely purchase, at her website, here.

Now also available:

 

 

The Buried – Available on Amazon now!

 

 

 

The Blind – Available on Amazon Now!