Book Review Monday #1 Cold Case by Julia Platt Leonard

I will be starting a new series on my blog. Every Monday, I’m going to review a book. For this first BRM, I’m reviewing a book that my friend let me borrow. Cold Case is written by Julia Platt Leonard.

This story revolves around a murder. The main character discovers a body in the refridgerator of his family resteraunt. All signs point to his older brother, who is swiftly arrested.  The protagonist is determined to find the real murderer and clear his family name.

I would say that this story does seem to move along quite fast (the body is found within the first 10 pages), so you won’t feel any connection with the characters. And, while it revolves around the murder, the author tries to have an underlying “family secret.” However, she neglects this plot and tries to revive it in the last 20 pages. Still it is a book that really surprises you. It’s a great page turner, and thrills, in a non- graphic way. It’s great for someone who focuses on the thrills of a book, rather than emotional connection. The age group recomended for this is 12-14.

All in all on a scale of 1 to 10, I give this book a 7.

http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Case-Julia-Platt-Leonard/dp/1442420103

Ignorance

A few weeks ago, I saw something that annoyed me to no end. I met a family from India. They were so ignorant, it made me sick. They were convinced that African American people were bad. They spent a huge amount of tim telling us that “those black people” hated Indians. They assumed that they were hateful, rude, and scary, without caring to inform themselves. As an American, even as a human, I was angry. I interupted them and explained that the few Africans that they had met may have been rude, but that had nothing to do with their race. Their personality says nothing about their skin color and Vise Versa. This family laughed at me, with a look that screamed “What does a 12 year old know?”. I was furious.

This was not to blame or call anyone out, but I wanted to show that people, even in this day and age, can be ignorant. I am not against Indians, but I am against people who stereotype based on race. I would hope that others would inform themselves before saying hateful things like that.

DIY Spray-in Conditioner

We’ve all had those days. Your hair is as dry as a twig. It needs some shine, some oomph. That’s were this DIY comes in. All you need to to is spray some into your hand, and work it through your hair. Or, it can double as a detangler. Tell me how yours works out!

DIY Spray-in Conditioner:

Squeeze 3 Tabalespoons of Conditioner into a large spray bottle. Fill the bottle up with hot water. Shake the bottle, and add a few drops of your favorite essential oil (optional).

Crochet

Hey guys! I was wondering if I should do a series on crocheting (How to start, basic stitches, paterns, etc). I enjoy it a lot, and I love sharing my knowledge on it, so please tell me if you would like that. Be completely honest!

A cure for dandruff

Alright, dandruf might be the worst thing that ever happened to my hair. Ladies can I get an AMEN!!!!

Two weeks ago, I was deep in thought. I scratched my head, and, lo and behold, my fingernails had flakes on them. Oh, it’s just some dirt, I told myself. I shook my head, suddenly, it was snowing. Well, you know what they say, you can’t trust New England weather!

I was in serious denial.

Realizing I had to get rid of this (New England can’t deal wih anymore snow), I scoured the interwebs, looking for a cure.

Eventually, I lost hope. I came up with my own DIY, and after only one treatment, my blizzard has became flurries.

I put measurements in to give you guys a rough idea, but it’s really up to you. If you want to, omit one of the oils, or add your favorites.

Diy Dandruff treatment:

Mix 1 Teaspoon tea tree oil, 2 teaspoons Almond oil, 1 tablesppon coconut oil.

Massage into scalp for `3-5 minutes. Use once a week. Thoroughly wash out.

Writing

One of my biggest hobbies is writing. I absolutely love it. I’m addicted to the feeling of acomplishment when you finish a piece. It’s this passion that made me start my blog in the first place. I wanted to know if you guys had any writing tips for me. I am someone who loves to grow through my writing. Thank you.

The magic of Coconut oil

If there’s one thing I like better than chocolate, it’s coconut oil. Yes, it’s possible to like something more than chocolate. Anyways, as an Indian, even though I live in America, I knew that this oil was an immense part of my culture. Most Indians swear by it. My mom always made me put coconut oil and almond oil in my hair. Even though I disliked it then, I now realize that it was AMAZING for my hair. Coconut oil can also be used as a cooking oil. It is one of the best cooking oils, because it has no trans fat. There are a TON of other uses for coconut oil. If you want more, comment below!

P.s I use the Indian brand of coconut oil (it’s called “Parachute”), which you can get online, or in Indian grocery stores. Coconut oil is also available in most grocery sand convenience stores.

Questions for YOU:

Would you like a post about almond oil?

Want some Coconut Oil DIYs?

Any tips that I should know?

Single serve edible cookie dough

Hey guys! It’s Abi here. So I’m mildly obsessed with cookie dough. The best part of making cookies is scraping the bowl. I can’t count the number of times I’ve set out to make a small batch of cookies and ended up eating most of the cookie dough. But then, it leads to guilt because the cookie dough has eggs and I potenially just gave myself food poisening. And then I found this. You could cook the cookie dough in the microwave, but the lazy girl in me won’t allow it (*sigh*).

So, here’s the recipe.

Mix 1 tablespoon melted butter with 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Wisk in 1-2 tablespoons of milk. Fold in 3 tablespoons of all-pourpose flour.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips, if desired.

All right who needed this, like, yesterday? What’s great about this is it has no eggs, and can be mad in one bowl. I should also add, that if you’re using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt after you’ve mixed in the vanilla.

Questions? Any other recipes you’re looking for? Comment down below!