Cushion Care Computer Accessories

As a lover of computer games, I do end up with some bad wrist problems. The last time I hung out at my friend's house I played Magicka for hours with a lame mouse pad and I paid for it the next day.

This CushionCare Keyboard Wrist Pad actually came with a free mouse pad, so I am now able to bring my old mouse pad to my buddy's to help alleviate any pain that Heroes of the Storm would cause. Score! 

I set up the wrist rest and mouse pad at my laptop, and so far, it is fabulous. The pads are lightweight, yet they have both stayed put on my desk. The foam is durable, and comfortable. I have started playing Windward, and they have proved very useful for the many hours I have put into that game.


The bottoms of the pads have a nice grip on them, but they are not sticky like some of the other pads I have had in the past. I have a extra large gaming mouse pad underneath my laptop, and these two sit on top of that without moving as well. 

Overall, I'm really digging this wrist rest and mouse pad. I'd give them 4 out of 5 stars. I do prefer the gel ones, but I do think these will be more durable, so it's nice to have them. Who knows, I may convert.


Grab one on Amazon.

Now, please excuse me while I go play The Sims for a million hours because I have a lovely foam cushion below my keyboard. 

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own.

~Crystal Vicious

Trying Out New Teas

The Ghograjan Tea Estate was kind enough to give me an awesome deal on some of their teas, so I just had to dive in and order a ton of it. Let's face it, I have a bit of an addiction to tea.

Each tea comes in a simple envelope. Nothing fancy, but it keeps everything fresh, so no complaints there. The labels are nice with descriptions of the tea, ingredients lists, facts about the plantation it's from, and also brewing instructions. 

I've linked each variety to their corresponding Amazon page.

Vintage Earl Grey

I am no stranger to Earl Grey, it is a tea I could drink all day long. This one is delicious.The quality of the leaves is lovely, and the aroma coming from the bag is wonderful.

There is no bitterness and steeping for 120 seconds makes a great cup for me. The Bergamot flavor is perfect. Not overpowering, but just a bit of citrus flavor. It is so much better than bagged teas. Not only is the flavor better in loose leaf, I love the process of actually making it.

I would give the Vintage Earl Grey Tea 4 out of 5 stars and I would recommend. It could be a tad bit stronger, but I usually like a more moderate flavor. It's perfect for me personally, but I know others who would like a little bit more kick from an Earl Grey.

Royal Masala Chai

I am also I huge fan of any and all types of Chai tea. It's such a fun, spicy beverage. Opening the bag is an amazing experience. The smell of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves fills the air. Yummy! 

Again, just steep for 120 seconds and you have a perfect cup. You can add milk and sugar, but I usually have my chai black. It's a perfect blend of tea and spices. I could drink it every day. 

I give the Masala Chai 5 out of 5 stars, I absolutely love it! The aroma is so delicious as it the taste! 

Lavender Delight

I was definitely excited about trying the Lavender Delight tea. Lavender is my favorite plant, scent, etc., yet I have never consumed it. I really didn't know what to expect, so I just jumped right into it. Oh my goodness! When I opened the bag, it smelled like the lavender sachets I keep around. Beautiful!

I didn't really know what to expect for taste. The lavender bits were mixed with black tea which was lovely. There was just the faintest taste of lavender. It tasted the way is smells, just a tiny hint of floral. It was amazing. I had a cup before bed with some fruit and it was a lovely experience. 

Lavender Delight gets a 5 out of 5 from me! It was so good. I will be adding a cup of this to my nightly routine. Amazing! I would totally recommend. The floral taste was brilliant.

I loved everything about these teas! They are sourced straight from India from a 5th Generation Tea Plantation where the leaves are withered, rolled, oxidized and dried to perfection. The teas are made with beautiful, fresh ingredients! I will be ordering some of their other flavors once I have room to store more tea.

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own.

~Crystal Vicious

Making Your Own Bath Products is Fun!

Castile soap is a product I have been wanting to try out for quite some time. Cove has a great Lavender scented one. It is made with all-natural, vegan, and biodegradable ingredients including Argan, Jojoba and Hemp oils. 

Castile Soap is awesome because it is meant to be diluted and you can make a million things with it. Cove was nice enough to put a list of recipes on the back of the bottle, but you can search the internet for even more. 

The easiest things to make are obviously the body wash and hand soap. It's also a great way to reuse old bottles! For body wash I used an old body wash bottle. I filled it half way with soap, then topped it off with water. I even made a cute label, but I can't get it all in a photo. It smells so good! It is the perfect cleanser with only a bit of lather, and it leaves my skin so soft and smooth.

The hand soap is the same mixture. Half water and half soap. I'm sure everyone ends up with an empty hand soap bottle at some point, so grab one of those babies and fill her up.  The hand soap leaves my hands clean, with a fresh lavender scent. I love it!

I have also tried the shave soap, because that doesn't even need a receptacle. It works pretty well. My skin is super sensitive to most shaving creams lately, so this has been a great alternative.

There are still so many things to try! Once I get around to them, I will update this blog. So far, so good. Just for the few purposes I have used this for. I love Cove Castile Soap. 5 out of 5 stars, and I would definitely recommend it. Especially if you're like me and you like mixing your own products, because having your own little apothecary in your bathroom is the coolest! 

Grab some on Amazon.

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own.

 ~Crystal Vicious

I Got A New Tea Kettle!

By now you must realize I am a tea enthusiast. There is almost always a cup of tea in my hand, all day, every day!

Sadly in NH, the water is full of minerals that quickly ruin tea kettles. My kettle was looking pretty sad. It was time to find a new one. 
Enter this beautiful kettle from Chefs Limited. 

It's stainless stain with a black enamel coating on the outside only. It is a much larger kettle than the last few I have used at 2.75 quarts! That's plenty of hot water for everyone!

The handle is made with silicone. It does get very warm. It's fine if I heat my water up on low and remove it quickly. If it's on there a long while, I would recommend an oven mitt, because it can be uncomfortable. The lid is stainless steel as well. The knob is not stainless steel, but something coated in plastic and held on with a screw. It seems pretty cheap and gets extremely hot! I would not recommend removing the lid until the kettle cools. With that being said, the company does recommend that you leave it open to air dry when not in use to prevent rust. Every time I boil water, I dump the excess, and leave the lid open. I haven't had any rust formation yet.

The spout cover/whistle is removable. The ring is cool to the touch for easy removal. I JUST turned the burner off and was able to hold onto the ring. The whistle doesn't work if you are heating the kettle on low, but if you turn up the heat it has a nice, chill whistle. I dig it.

There is one thing I should point out. The handle is held on by nuts and bolts that are attached on the INSIDE of the pot. You WILL cut your hand on them when you hand wash this unless you are CAREFUL! I was not expecting sharp things inside and I jacked up my hand pretty good. 

For the most part I love this kettle. It looks cute in my kitchen. It's easy enough to rinse it out and air dry it. I doubt I will need to clean it heavily that often, so the exposed bolts thing is more of a general warning than a con. The whistle is perfect! Removing it is easier then holding it open like other kettles. The handle is better than some I have owned, and I don't mind whipping out an oven mitt. Waiting for the lid to cool before removing it is a bit of an inconvenience but not awful. I give this tea kettle 4 out of 5 stars.

 Grab one on Amazon.

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own.

 ~Crystal Vicious