I cannot go to many places, but I can take my family to McDonalds and Cracker Barrell. So, I normally take my son and mother out to lunch at McDonalds, I have not had any issues overall, except for recently. They changed to adding kiosks in al of their stores. I guess every store will eventually get 2 kiosks. Now, I have informed the employees that because of my health issues, which affect my vision, that I cannot and will not be able to use the kiosks. I have a hard time focusing in to see the writing on the kiosks, and I do not want to, and cannot risk touching the kiosk screen, that a constant stream of hands touch daily. I could easily have an anaphylactic reaction this way. I cannot even imagine what will happen to people during flu season, yuck! They really need to add their wipe stations at every kiosk, as well as a trash can.

Anyhow, I have taken my group to McDonalds twice this week. It started Monday, with the crew ignoring me, and making me wait a long period before taking my order at the counter. The just ignored me. Today, it was blatant, very blatant. The same people, turned their backs, and completely ignored me. It took almost 10 minutes for someone to come and take my order. A person that had been cleaning, had to come from the other side of the lobby to help me. The people behind the counter and the person by the kiosks just turned their backs, and ignored me. No one would say a word to me, just made me feel like I was a horrible person. I may not look disabled, but I am. I am highly dependent, and this really has hurt me to the core. I almost had to leave, and not take my family out, because I couldn’t get any help. They were doing it on purpose, even if they try to deny it. The behavior is not acceptable. Being rude and denying service to anyone is really not acceptable. I know every establishment has the right to refuse service to anyone, but just say that. Do not treat people like they are nothing. Treating someone who is disabled like they are a joke, or nothing, or a nuisance is morally wrong. Before this week, they kept loudly trying to make me use the kiosks. They kept trying to make me feel guilty, saying I was  going to get an employee fired, and so on. I am sorry, but my ability to stay alive is more important. Little do they know, or care, that I have had a sting of severe, and mild reactions. Monday I woke up and had a sink full of blood from my mouth because of it. My skin on my face would break out and ooze from infection at the spur of the moment. I am battling an infection, and am in a lot of pain. I am just trying to function as a person, a mom, a wife. But, to these inconsiderate people, I am a person that is to be highly disrespected, ignored, a nothing. Little do they know that I had to fight back tears twice while there today, and then succumb to silent tears at home while writing this blog.

Being a strong mom for my son is a top priority for me. My family has, and has to give up a lot, to live with me. Taking my son and mom out to McDonalds is our way of getting out into the world frequently. It isn’t much, but it means a lot to us.

Maybe they secretly want to see me have an anaphylactic  reaction. Maybe they are just so wrapped up into themselves, they can be nothing but mean and selfish. Maybe they get off on treating people with disabilities like trash. Only they know for sure. This lady, however, will not stand for it. I have dealt with a lot of negligence from stores and restaurants over the years, causing me real physical harm. Today was the straw that broke the camels back. The McDonalds that is so rude, and will not tolerate people with needs, for me, anyhow, is store # 4570, according to my receipt.

These opinions and facts are mine personally. I cannot speak for how anyone else feels, or has been treated.

I have been lucky enough to be able to review Virginia Kitchen Boys’ ceramic cookware in their Lavender theme. This is the 4^th piece I’ve received. It’s their 1 ½ quart casserole dish. I absolutely love it. It is also such a useable piece. As like the other pieces, this product is handcrafted here in the USA. It is made out of “100% lead free, cadmium free, non-toxic, all natural sustainable clays and paints.” It is microwaveable, oven, and dishwasher safe as well. You can cook with this in the oven up to temperatures of 450 degrees Fahrenheit. It can be picky about drastic temperature changes. For example, do not take it out of the oven, and put it straight into the sink to wash. Also, don’t take it from being wet from washing it, and place it into the oven. Even though it is dishwasher safe, and has a hard finish on it, I like to hand wash my ceramic wear. I’m afraid of other items in the machine chipping my cookware. This casserole dish has the beautiful lavender decoration going all the way around the outside if it. It is really pretty to serve it. The slick ceramic coating goes around all of the dish, except for the underside, on this one. Since you can cook and serve in this same dish, do not forgot to place a trivet down on the table. Then, when you are done serving from it, when it cools of, you can wrap it and place the leftovers in the fridge, in the same casserole dish. I love convenience like this. You can do so much with this dish. You can just serve cadies, or snacks in it. You can make hot dips, casseroles, salads, baked omelets, and cook meat dishes in it as well. You can make your yummy fruit crisp dessert in this dish, and be proud to serve it to your guests. Hummus is the new craze, and you can definitely serve it proudly in this dish. I love baking brie with fruit preserves, and that can be done easily in this casserole dish. You really can’t go wrong. I love cooking in stoneware like this, because it heats up so evenly, this cooking your food dish so evenly. I am absolutely loving their line of lavender themed ceramic cookware. This casserole dish is going to get a ton of use.

I received this product at a discount, in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed are 100% solely my own.”– Virginia Boys’ Kitchens’ Large 1 1/2 Quart Ceramic Casserole Oven-to-table Deep Baker and Serving Dish with Decorative Hand Painted Lavender Design.

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016V9SWTO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Wow, this is my third stunning piece from the Lavender line of ceramic cookware, from Virginia Boys Kitchen on Amazon. I absolutely love it. This is a 2 quart serving/cooking bowl. You can do so much with it too. The quality lives up to my high expectations. My piece arrived with no imperfections. I am always so relieved when pottery arrives in perfect condition, lol.  I also love the fact that this piece was handcrafted here in the good ole USA. That is something I love to get behind and support. Especially when the product is so wonderful. Cooking in ceramic wear like this is so wonderful. It heats up evenly and cooks evenly. The cooking quality is worth the little extra care you need to maintain it. Now, that said, this bowl is highly user friendly. It is dishwasher safe, microwave safe, and oven safe up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s so great that you can cook in it, then bring it to the table to serve in it. Just remember to use a trivet. I love how the Lavender design wraps around the entire bowl. The entire bowl is ceramic coated, even the underside. Always avoid extreme temperature changes with this ceramic wear. Do not take it from stove to sink, or from sink to oven. The drastic change will make it crack, or split in half. You can do so much with this bowl. You can cook casseroles, vegetables, desserts, and more in in. It’s a great pasta serving bowl of course. You can serve soups, salads, fruit salads, and snacks as well in this bowl, too. A large bowl is one of the most versatile pieces you can own in a kitchen. You can even cook a cake in this bowl. I would grease it down with butter, before cooking the cake in it, so it’s easier to get it out when you flip it over. Overall, this is a wonderful piece. I have absolutely no complaints with it, except that I only have one, lol.

I received this product at a discount, in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed are 100% solely my own. – Virginia Boys kitchens’ Large Ceramic 2 Quart Pasta Serving Bowl with Decorative Hand Painted Lavender Design.

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BCCJR4E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Wine anyone? I wish, right. We do drink wine on occasion in our household. I normally just use my “everyday” corkscrew bottle opener too. This wine bottle opener from Ozeri, takes it to the next level; the fancy level. This is a fun item to pull out with company. In your package you will get 1 electric wine bottle opener, 1 AC power cord, 1 charging base/stand, 1 foil cutter, 1 pourer/aerator, and 1 instruction booklet. Yes, a charging base. No batteries required. This is a rechargeable unit, and the plug that attaches to the base/stand is a US 2 prong plug. Even though the wine opener looks really large, it is actually pretty lightweight and easy to hold. It is made out of a mixture of materials, and the main body is coated in a rubber like material, like some phone cases are. It really helps for a sturdy grip. To operate it, there is only one long button. It has both up and down directional abilities. Press the top of the button to remove the cork from the wine bottle, and press the down button, to remove the cork from the opener.  It’s really easy to operate with your thumb too. This is their 2^nd generation addition. The state they improved the battery size on this unit, and it can open 80 bottles on one charge. I am not buying 80 bottles, lol, so that will not be tested. I however, keep pressing the button to make it go, and it does last a long while. The base it sits on is pretty neat. It is coated in the same material, and has a cut out on the back of it. The foil cutter, slips into, and fits into this slot perfectly. It really makes for great and convenient storage. The base is very stable, and actually looks very nice as well. Having a foil cutter can really come in handy. We just opened a bottle of wine that had the toughest foil I’ve had to deal with in a long time. I had to use a knife, to make a break into it. I am so happy I have the foil cutter now. There is no slipping and cutting yourself with this one. Just wrap it around the top of the bottle, squeeze it, and turn it around the bottle. It will cut right through the foil, and let you remove the foil blocking you from the yummy goodness that’s inside. It is not super quiet. It sounds like an electric can opener. I feel that is a good comparison to the noise level. That is not an issue for me at all. The wine pourer/aerator will fit into most bottles. Just pour through it and it mildly aerates, as it pours. I do fully find that aerating your wines increases and brings out the favors in it. This is mild aeration, but it’s better than none. Especially when you buy cheaper wines, like we do, lol. The battery in it is not replaceable, like with a lot of electronics, so when it goes, it goes. The key is to not overcharge it. This will prolong the battery life. Since the power cord is separate from the base, just remove the plug with using it just as a stand. Just wait for the battery to drain down before recharging. Overall, this is a great working unit. It removes the cork within seconds, and with ease. It’s definitely a show piece for company too.

I received this for free, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. – Moderna Housewares’ Ozeri OW05A Prestige Electric Wine Bottle Opener with Aerating Pourer and Foil Cutter

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ozeri-OW05A-Prestige-Electric-Aerating/dp/B007Z5PW8S/ref=sr_1_42?m=A3FUY11FKEN472&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1468965256&sr=1-42

I remember when my husband bought me my first ceramic knife. It had that white blade that they all came out with. I wasn’t sure what to expect by a ceramic blade, and was quickly awed by how sharp they were. I am still in awe. They really are sharp, and they really do maintain their sharp edge for a long, long time. I absolutely love this set from Ozeri. It is not only gorgeous, but it functions just as great as it looks. The three knives are done with gorgeous black ceramic blades. They look like regular knives. They are really eye catching! In this set you will get one 3” Paring Knife, one 5” Slicing knife, and one 6” Chef’s Knife. Basically a knife to meet all your cooking needs. One thing that I cannot reiterate enough, is that these knives are beyond sharp. Be careful using them. I have sliced myself so many times with ceramic knives. Much, much more so than regular knives. The handles on these knives are great to hold onto. They have what I call, a finger guard on them. This keeps your hand from sliding down the handle on to the blade, if the blade slips. The handles are firm, but coated, so they feel soft and comfortable in hand. I’m actually very happy with the handles. They title these handles, Ergonomic Handles. I would have to agree with that. The ceramic blades are thick. They do not bend side to side from the handle, even if you push on them, to test them. These are not metal, and will not rust, or break down any metal into your food. Ceramic blades are stated to keep their edge about 10 times longer than regular metal blades. The finish on these blades look like metal. It’s pretty amazing. My older son, who loves knives, still looks at these in awe, since the blades are sleek and shiny like metal blades. He always says they are lying about them not being metal, lol. These really are great for slicing, chopping, mincing, and cutting. I can’t say enough positive, and I really have no cons about them. The only con I have is that these highly sharp knives should come with plastic sheaths, or blade guards, as some people call them. Be very careful if you just throw them into your utensil drawer. Also, if you chip these blades, they are not easy to sharpen like regular knife blades. You could use a knife block, or the storage box they come in to store them. The foam they arrive in is really, really thick, and reusable for storage purposes. They also recommend only hand washing these knives, to ensure the blades fine edge. Since I hand wash everything, that is not an issue for me. This set of Ozeri ceramic knives are a great addition to my kitchen.

I received these for free, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. – Moderna Housewares’ Ozeri OZK1 Elite Chef Ceramic 3-Piece Knife Set, Black

If you would like to purchase this set, they can be found here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ozeri-OZK1-Elite-Ceramic-3-Piece/dp/B016BLNQIY/ref=sr_1_42?m=A3FUY11FKEN472&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1468804839&sr=1-42

We like to drink our occasional glass of wine in our home. So, we are not new to wine aerators. I like this set. It definitely makes a nice gift, along with a bottle of wine. This product arrives in a bright red box, which is nice because wine products tend to arrive with the black color scheme. The red adds a fun twist. The metal label on the product itself, was also done in red. The first time we received a wine aerator, we kind of laughed, and figured it wouldn’t do anything noticeable to the wine. My husband and I couldn’t wait to disprove it. Fortunately, we were wrong. Wine aerators do actually benefit the wine. We only buy cheaper wine from the local grocery store, lol. That’s what fits into our budget. We normally purchase Moscato, too. We notice that wine aerators bring out the fruity flavor in the wine. It really does bring out the flavors in your wine. We were totally shocked the first time we used one, and this one is no different. Wine aerators are easy to use. I like the little mesh strainer that comes with this one. If any bits of your cork fell into the wine when you were opening it, the strainer will catch it. All you do to use this is hold it over your wine glass, and then pour the wine through the aerator, into your cup. That’s it. It’s so easy to use. It makes a silly little sound when the wine is working it’s way through the aerator. Just rinse clean the aerator when you are done, and let it dry. They include in the set, the gift box, 1 drawstring storage bag, 1 aerator with strainer, and 1 stand. This aerator comes with a nice stand, so you can set it up in your kitchen or bar area. It holds it really well, and is a very stable base. The storage bag is small and is just for the aerator. The stand isn’t fitting. But, if you want to take it on a picnic, or to a friend’s house, that will definitely work. It’s great to add some life back to your previously opened wine too. We will get the bigger bottle, so there’s some for another day. You can pep the flavor up just by pouring it through the aerator. I’m a real believer in the product. My Edgie aerator is working very well. It’s well made, and I have no flaws in mine. The strainer basket is removable, so if you know you have no cork bits, you don’t have to use it. I am very happy with this product.

I received this product for free, in exchange for a unbiased and honest review. – KCP Products’ EDGY Wine Aerator Gift Set with Stunning Red Box, No-Drip Stand, Travel Pouch, and Cork Filter.

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AWV6Q8G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I do a lot of cooking. Most everything from scratch due to severe food allergies, too. I am very picky about my cooking utensils because of this. I really can’t tolerate inferior utensils, and either donate them or throw them away. This set from Secutta Direct is absolutely fantastic. It is a heavy duty set, and I love them. You get 6 utensils in this set and they are: one spatula, one soup ladle, one skimmer, one meat fork, one slotted turner, and one egg beater/whisk. These are made out of a thick stainless steel and have hard wooden handles on them. The stainless goes into the handle, and the wood is riveted to it. Then, each handle has a stainless steel piece riveted into the top of the handles, with a whole, so they can be hung up. They are all also far from small in stature. For example, the soup ladle is 13 ½” long, and it is one of the shorter ones. Men will not feel like they are holding tiny utensils when cooking with these. My husband loves them, especially the whisk. He has been wanting a more durable whisk, and that is what he has with this one. The slotted spatula has a serrated side to it. It is a smooth serration though, but you can cut into a sausage, or the like with it, while cooking. I love the solid spatula. It is large and in charge. The sides are raised a little, so if you are trying to reach into the oven to turn something over, your item won’t just slide off. I hate when that happens. I also really love the very large skimmer, which I call the slotted spoon, lol. It’s great for veggies, potatoes, frying food. It’s the best utensil for all of these. I have never had one this size or shape, and it’s perfect. Stainless is such a perfect material for the kitchen environment as well. It doesn’t naturally harbor bacteria, mold, or fungus. It’s so, so easy to clean. I hand wash everything, but these can go in the dishwasher. Always make sure the area where the wood and stainless meet, has been cleaned thoroughly, though. All of my rivets were done nice and tight except for my spatula. It has a tiny bit of play in it, and I mean tiny. It does not affect the usage at all, thank goodness. I really like the shape of it. I would have to say, that that is the only negative I could find in my set of utensils. They are definitely a welcomed addition to my family, and will get a lot of use.

I was afforded the opportunity to review this product, at a discount, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review: Secutta Direct’s Cooking Utensils Set-Stainless Steel Kitchen Tools Set Of 6 With Wooden Handle For Home Professionals.

If you would like to purchase this awesome product, it can be found here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Utensils-Set-Stainless-Professionals-Serve-Suitable-Resistant/dp/B01E0OKCOA?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

My husband and I do enjoy a glass of wine now and then. We happen to be on vacation currently, and brought our Jokel Foldable wine bottle set with us. This set consists of two 750ml flasks, 1 bartenders tool and a collapsible funnel. It is the neatest set. The two flasks are made out of food grade plastics with no BPA in it. The tops twist off and on, so they are easy to operate. The center is clear so you can see exactly what you have left. The funnel that comes with it has to be the coolest funnel I have ever seen and used. It cracks me up, that it’s collapsible. How handy is that. It is s portable and easy to store this way. I am not sure what the funnel is made out of. It feels like silicone to me. I love that the wine flasks are non-breakable. They seal very well too. We are able to lie them in the smaller fridge in our room with no concern. You can carry them to the beach, RV’s, camping, friends home, etc.., and you don’t have to worry about breaking a bottle. If you have parties’ poolside, these are perfect for that. No worries about broken glass with these. The bartenders tool is pretty great. The corkscrew works perfectly, and makes opening a wine bottle quite easy. There is a bottle opener for beer bottles on the handle. There is even a small knife blade to cut the foil with, and more. You could slice your limes with it if needed. I have used wine flasks in the past, but I love this complete set. I will use that funnel a lot, and not just for wine, lol. As far as using these for vacation, they are perfect and we couldn’t be happier.

I was afforded the opportunity to review Jokel Product’s Foldable wine bottle – 2 Pack plastic reusable collapsible 750ml wine flasks includes easy-pour funnel & bartender’s corkscrew bottle opener, for free, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Foldable-wine-bottle-collapsible-bartenders/dp/B01AHWYBAK?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage