Happy Mothers Day

If you have a Mother still on this Earth - Treasure her.

If you have a Mother who has passed - remember her with love.

If you have children on this Earth - rejoice in their love

If you have children that have passed - remember that you will always be their Mother.

Happy Mothers Day.

Rewarder.com review

Rewarder is a site which brings together people who need answers with people who have the knowledge to give them.

Members can post a question (Known as a reward) and offer a cash incentive to answer it, which is usually $2 - $5. Each question is open for around 3 to 5 days, after which the asker chooses his/her favourite answer and the answerer gets paid.

Most of us have an area in which we have good knowledge, and with Rewarder there are always hundreds of questions to choose from, so there will always be a something that you can answer.

Signing up is quick and easy, you just enter your e-mail address and away you go.

Minimum payout is $5, which you can request either via Amazon.com or Paypal. If you are based outside of the U.S, then I would recommend Paypal.

When I first joined, I thought that maybe the site was too good to be true, so I answered a few questions and sat back to see what would happen. For 4 days, nothing did. And then...........I had an e-mail saying congratulations, you won a Reward!!! I clicked to payout to my Paypal account and the money was credited 2 days later.

So, what are the pros and cons of Rewarder?

The pros:

You can make money relatively quickly and easily.

Each 'friend' that you refer gives you a bonus for each reward that they win

It's fun to answer the questions.

The con:

If your answers aren't up to scratch or are not what the asker wants, you won't get paid

Overall, I love this site. It's an entertaining way of spending some spare time, and I get paid for doing it.

If you would like to join, could I be cheeky and ask you to do it through my link, that way, we both win. Happy answering.

Rewarder.com 

Easiyo Yoghurt review

Easiyo was invented by a New Zealand school teacher about 20 years ago. He was looking for an easy way to make fresh yoghurt which was free from additives and other nasties.

So down to his shed he went and set about making a foolproof method of easily and cheaply making fresh yoghurt. And from these small beginnings, Easiyo was born.

The system comprises of an insulated flask, with a removable baffle which ensures that the screw top container holding the yoghurt is held at just the right level in order to incubate properly.

It's really easy to make. The culture comes in a sachet, which can be stored at room temperature, so that you can make your yoghurt whenever you please. Snip the corner off of the sachet, pour the powder into the culture jar, half fill with cold drinking water, pop the top on and shake (this was always the children's job, which they did with gusto) Once mixed, top up the jar with more water to the top and replace the lid.

Boil the kettle and pour the water into the outer insulated container up to the marked level. Pop in the yoghurt jar, screw the top onto the container and leave for 6-8 hours or until the yoghurt is set.

The result is perfect yoghurt, full of natural, healthy bacteria. You can't get any fresher than that!

There's an Easiyo favourite for everyone, with many different flavours available and new ones added to the range regularly. There's low fat, versions especially for digestive health, sumptuous gourmet varieties and smoothies.

Our favourite is plain Greek yoghurt, to which we add honey, fruit or one of Easiyo's own fruit squirts.

A starter kit, which includes the insulated maker and yoghurt jar has a r.r.p of around £16 and the individual yoghurt sachets retail for between £2.50 to around £2.99, depending on the variety. That may sound expensive, but you are getting 1 litre of the freshest yoghurt that you have probably eaten for that. The yoghurt, once made can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks (although it probably won't last that long)

Overall, at Serendipity Towers, we love Easiyo and love trying out new flavours as they are added to the range. If you get a chance to try it, give it a go, you won't be disappointed.

Ender's Game review

I'd seen the previews of this film and thought that it looked like the sort of thing that myself and my family would enjoy. So when it temped me from the shelf whilst I was doing my weekly grocery shop, I succumbed.

So what is the film about? This is the brief description from the back of the case:

'After an alien race attack, Earth prepares for a future war by recruiting the most intelligent children and training them to lead the inevitable battle. When Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) recruits him to the International Fleet, Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) quickly establishes himself as the best recruit of his generation with abilities even greater than those of the legendary war hero Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley). As his abilities are tested and honed, he soon becomes Earth’s only hope against total annihilation.'

The film is based on a book of the same name by Orson Scott Card. 

We sat and watched this as a family and all of us thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a 12 certificate, so isn't suitable for young children, as it does contain moderate violence. For some reason, parts of it reminded me of the film Sky High. My youngest daughter also commented that the main character, Ender, reminded her of a younger version of Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory. Yes, I could see where she was coming from there!

The overall storyline is good and holds your attention well, and visually, the special effects are excellent. There is a bit of a twist in the tail, but I won't spoil things by sharing it here.

I think that this is a film that we will watch again. Definitely one to be recommended.

Compressed Deodorants

I always like to do my bit for the environment where possible, but at the same time, I don't want to compromise on performance.
So when BzzAgent sent me some Dove compressed deodorants to try, it was a win win situation.
Compressed deodorants are said to deliver the same protection, but due to a new system they need less gas in each spray. Because less gas is needed, the can is smaller but still contains the same amount of deodorant. That means it will last just as long as your normal can, even though it is smaller in size.
Well, I wasn't convinced on this, how can something in a smaller package last as long? I would have to check this out. I had a rough idea of how long a standard can of deodorant of the same brand lasts, so with that in mind, I sprayed away. And my results? Yes the smaller can did indeed last as long as it's larger cousin. That's great news if you want to save space in the bathroom or want to have a lighter gym bag.
I could tell no difference, performance wise, between the compressed deodorant and the standard sized can.
They both kept me cool, fresh and confident all day.
But not only are these cans small and beautiful, they also use 50% less gas and around 25% less aluminum than their bigger brothers and sisters. So not only are they space saving, but they're better for the environment too.
The new deodorants are easy to spot. Not only are they smaller, but they also sport a nice green stripe around the top with the word 'Compressed' clearly written.
They are available in many popular brands, such as Sure for women, Dove and Vaseline. And, so that our masculine friends don't feel left out they are also available in Sure for Men, Dove Men+Care, Vaseline and Lynx.

Sampleyes app review

Like most people, I like a chance to try out new products before I commit to buy. So when I came across an app called Sampleyes, I was very eager to try it out.
According to their Facebook page 'Sampleyes is the revolutionary new slick app that gets you free products from the world's leading brands and delivers them directly to your door or inbox.'
The app is available to download for free for iPhone, iPad and Android Phones & Tablets.
So I downloaded the app to my tablet and following the instructions, filled in my personal details and perused the samples on offer. There is a wide range to choose from including perfumes, recipe booklets, skin care products, pet food samples, tea, sim cards and many other goodies.
Once you've picked the item of your desire from the app, you simply tap on it, which takes you to a page with a button which says 'Send me this sample'. Tap it, and hey presto, your sample is winging it's way to your door.
Sampleyes also run draws regularly. This months is for a make up hamper. Again it is simply a matter of tapping the prize draw icon, clicking the 'Send me the sample' button and you are entered.
There is also a scan mode within the app, which allows you to claim samples wherever you see the Sampleyes logo. For example on advertising posters, online or in magazines.
I've often sent for free samples before, but have found it very hit and miss. Often the products never turn up, which is very disappointing.
So I tapped on some items and crossed my fingers. A few weeks later my samples began to arrive, as you can see.

Overall I recommend this app. It's easy to use and the samples arrive within a reasonable time frame.

Happy beginnings

So here I am, with my very first blog and post. It will be a steep learning curve for me, as I really don't know what I'm doing. So bear with me whilst I find my feet. Things can only get better.