Mailbox Monday - Mar 27

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Happy Monday! Hope you're having a great day. It's raining cats and dogs out here, but it's spring and hopefully no more snow will be coming.

Last week an unexpected gift arrived.

A daring, compelling, and impeccably researched historical novel that offers dramatic new insight into the life of the greatest composer the world has ever known. Its fresh perspective and deeply felt understanding of Beethoven's motivations, passions, and challenges speak eloquently to us today, connecting us to our own successes, failures, and dreams, and ultimately to the true consequence of our lives.

At the moment of his death on a snowy afternoon in March, 1827, Ludwig van Beethoven pleads with Providence to grant him a final wish one day, just a single day of pure joy. But first he must confront the many failings in his life, so the great composer and exceedingly complex man begins an odyssey into the netherworld of his past life. As he struggles to confront its ugliness, we encounter the women who loved and inspired him. In their own voices, we discover their Beethoven a lover with whom they savor the profound beauty and passion of his creations. And it's in the arms of his beloveds that he comes to terms with the meaning of his life and experiences the moment of true joy he has always sought.

I also downloaded a Kindle freebie.

After a brutal mugging in Manhattan leaves him with a broken arm and fractured skull, insurance investigator Jeff Resnick reluctantly agrees to recover at the home of his estranged half brother, Richard. At first, Jeff believes his graphic nightmares of a slaughtered buck are just the workings of his traumatized mind. But when a local banker is found in the same condition, Jeff believes the attack has left him with a psychic sixth sense--an ability to witness murder before it happens.Piecing together clues he saw in his visions, Jeff attempts to solve the crime. His brother Richard is skeptical, but unsettling developments begin to forge a tentative bond. Soon, things that couldn't be explained by premonition come to light, and Jeff finds himself probing into dangerous secrets that touch his own traumatic past in wintry Buffalo--and the killer is ready to eliminate Jeff's visions permanently.

What was in your mailbox?

Product Review: Home Basics Two-tier Dish Drainer

Zulily.com is another one of my favorite websites to shop from. I like to find great bargains there. At the beginning of February I was working on getting my kitchen organized and trying to increase counter space, so I picked up this attractive two-tier dish drainer from Home Basics.

It was easy to assemble: had it together in less than five minutes. This dish drainer definitely takes up less room on the counter than our previous one and doesn't require a separate tray. The trays slide in under the chrome-finished wiring on each tier. You can dry cups on the outside and the silverware holder clips on the outside so it doesn't take up inside space.

My one fear is that when it comes to holiday dinners it won't be very helpful. Even now, I need to put a towel down on the counter if we have several pots and pans to air dry. So while it makes more room for prep time, once the dishes are washed you lose that counter space to clean dishes.

I'm still glad I bought it. The old one needed replacing, and since I bought it for only $18.99 it was worth trying.


This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Why I Love Boxed.com

Have any of you tried boxed.com? From the moment I heard about it, I've been hooked. Why?

I Save Time

I know buying staple items like paper towels, toilet paper, garbage bags, and even non-perishable food items like pasta are more expensive when you buy in small quantities at the grocery store. I've considered a membership to BJ's or Costco, but that means I have to make time in my already jam-packed schedule to shop at another store, deal with the hassle of finding what I want, and then drive back home--which is 25 minutes away.

With Boxed.com I sit down in the comfort of my own home and order the bulk items I need. A couple days later everything arrives on my doorstep.

I Save Money

Not only do I save money on everyday items I buy all the time, Boxed.com offers: free shipping on orders over $49 and cash rewards that can be applied to future orders. If a friend signs up through this link, my friend receives $15 off their first order of $60 or more and I also receive $15 in Boxed.com credit. There is no membership fee and they don't limit what type of credit card I can use.

Free Samples

When you place an order with Boxed.com you are eligible to receive two free samples. This month I chose some Easter candy and Dove deodorant.

Boxed.com is going to give Amazon's subscription service some good competition. There are a few items I've already found cheaper on Boxed.com. Online bulk shopping services like Boxed.com are also going to make things challenging for big bulk warehouse type stores.

Why would I do this?

When I can do this....