Jaclyn and the Beanstalk by Mary Ting

What fate awaits a girl who hears monsters at night…

Sixteen-year-old Jaclyn looks up to her father. An honest man who once fought for the king, he now teaches Jaclyn how to use her wits—and her sword.

But he has a secret. And his secret may have a connection to the one thing Jaclyn is hiding from him.

Upon hearing “monsters” are terrorizing the small villages around Black Mountain, Jaclyn’s father and his friends head out to hunt them … but they don’t return.

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Author Mary Ting

International Bestselling/Award Winning Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. She also toured with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children’s chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.

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It’s that time of year again. I can start expecting calls from my mother. They usually go something like this:

“Have you been checking the weather?”

“Yes, Ma, I’ve been checking the weather.”

“What are you doing then? Are you planning to evacuate?”

“I’m making muffins right now. No, we’re not evacuating. It’s not a high-scale hurricane.”

Mom’s disapproving tone, “You need to be taking this seriously. The weatherman said it’s serious.”

“We are taking it seriously, but the worst to expect is a power outage, and we have a generator. You do realize that you’ve had to evacuate about three times in the past two years, don’t you?”

“Yeah, but now you moved to New Orleans. You also live closer to the beach than I do.”

“Ma, we don’t live in New Orleans. We’re an hour and a half away and don’t get as many storms as they do.” She’s easily distracted by food, I remember. “I’m cooking muffins right now, and I pulled a spiral ham from the freezer and plan to make some homemade bread and potato salad. The fridge is loaded with fresh fruits, veggies, and salads. We’ll have plenty of food if I can’t cook.”

“You have a spiral ham?” she asks. Her tone curious.

“I have a ham. We can eat off that for days if I can’t cook anything. I may even make some cookies. Oh, and I have the ingredients for a couple of pumpkin pies, and I got some boiled peanuts in the freezer . . .”

That’s pretty much how it usually goes. My mother is not happy I moved seven hours away instead of the five I lived while in Atlanta. She highly disapproves, but I can usually reign her in with talk of cooking. And, true to my word, I spent the day cooking and doing laundry. I also made sure my hair got a fresh wash and my legs got a clean shave. You know, things that need to get done before chaos sets in.

I even made a container of matcha latte so that I can pour it over ice, in case I can’t use my kettle–because tea is a must! It’s now 7:00 in the evening, and the storm is on its way. The worst of it will hit tonight, which helps when it comes to taking the dog out. Laundry is done, and I have enough food that I don’t have to cook for a while. Life is good at the moment.

Hopefully, our sailboat won’t get too much damage. We’ll see how that goes. I think I’ll go get ready for bed early. I seem to be on a roll of getting things done today!

If you’ve been following my blog lately, you know I’m trying out subscription boxes. Well, this one is my favorite of them all. At only a dollar (plus $3.99 for shipping), it’s also the cheapest. And it’s food. Who doesn’t need food? Male, female, single, married with a house full of children–this box is for everyone! They have different subscriptions, but I signed up for the Dollar Snack Club Box, which comes with six healthy snacks. To get the box for a dollar, I have to fill out a quick survey after I receive the box each month. Otherwise, they’ll charge me $9.99, which is the usual price for the box.

The name of the company is SnackNation, and each month they send out a mix of bars, chips, healthy indulgences, and classic snacks. The healthy indulgences are sweets, and the classic snacks consist of dried fruits and nuts. They seem to be full-sized, and a lot of them are unique.

I’m always searching for new, healthy food for my family, and I’ve spent quite a bit of money on some fails. I’ll see something that looks great, but when I get it home, no one in the house likes it. One of the main things I like about this company is that I’ll get a box of new snack items each month–much cheaper than what I would pay at the store. If my family likes it, I’ll start buying it. If we don’t, then at least I didn’t waste much money on it. And with four people in the house, there are a variety of tastes to appease.

Here are the six items I got in my first box:

Definitely worth more than a few dollars! And my family tried some new foods. The Pipcorn bag was big, and it only had 81 calories total. I’m so glad I tried it. My son took the sunflower kernals to school for his snack, and my daughter took the meat stick. (She didn’t like it, though.) The chocolate wafer bites were yummy, but since I usually eat dark chocolate for my sweet snack, it’s not something I’ll buy in the future. The children liked the SHEFFA bar, but my husband I didn’t care for it. The Pure Protein bar hasn’t been eaten, but we’ve bought those in the past. It’s not a new item for our family.

Along with the subscription box, I bought a large box at checkout. For $39.99 I received a separate box with fifty snacks in it. It took longer to come in, and I just got it today. The box had (my son already got into it) ten different snacks–five of each item. 

No regrets on buying the large box. I already know some of the items, while the others are completely new to me and my family. I plan to hide the Pipcorn in my office (next to my dark chocolate stash), and I’ll share the rest of the items. It will help with school snacking.

I just looked on SnackNation’s website and can’t find the big box for sale. I believe it’s something you can only get at checkout or your first purchase. If you decide to sign up for the monthly dollar box, I highly recommend getting the large box as well. It’s a one time purchase. If you like any of the items in the box, you can buy more of them at a discount price on their website–for a limited time. It’s like a discount snack store. They also have some office snack boxes for your company’s employees.

Oh, and did I mention SnackNation has partnered with Feeding America? They donate one meal for every order shipped. I’m loving this company!

I love tea, but I never really liked chai until last year–when my tea addiction led me to the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas. While there, I tasted hundreds of teas from around the world. It was amazing! And although I tried various chais, only one stood out. No powder or skimpy ingredients–only all natural, handmade and blended fresh ones. The display was quite impressive, with a large container of chai on a podium, for all to see and smell. Covered in Australian Bushland honey, the blend was dark and shiny. And the taste? My friend and I were hooked immediately. When I got home, it was on my list of top teas, and I now sell it locally. No worries, though. It recently popped up on Amazon, so you can get it easily.

Meet Prana Chai–one hundred percent Black Ceylon Tea, Australian Bushland Honey, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, peppercorns, cloves, fresh ginger, and salt. Although it tastes like a guilty pleasure, it’s loaded with health benefits. Just look at the pictures below. You can actually see the spices.

I traveled the entire summer and picked up many chai and matcha lattes from various coffee and tea shops, yet none of them tasted as good as the Prana Chai I make at home. And I won’t even go into the amount of money I spent on them! My advice–make your own chai latte at home, for less than five minutes. It’s simple, healthy, and tastes amazing. A chai latte shouldn’t be a sugar-laden, pricey splurge. You can easily add it to your daily lifestyle.

The only ingredients you need are a bag of Prana Chai, milk, a small pot, a small strainer, and a mug. Although you can buy special chai pots, any small pot will do. You’re not going to boil the milk, so you don’t have to worry about scorching it. Except for the Prana Chai, most people have the other ingredients on hand.

First, add two heaping teaspoons of Prana Chai into the pot. (I use tablespoons, because I usually supersize mine.)

Then add the milk. I usually pour it into my mug first so I get the right amount.

Cook on medium high while stirring. The color will soon start to look like chocolate milk. Your goal is to get it nice and hot–not boiling or simmering! The whole process takes only a couple of minutes.

Then you pour it over a strainer into your mug.

Notice how yummy the blend looks, even after heating.

And here’s the finished latte:

The end result is a creamy and tasty chai latte–in less than five minutes! And although it’s premixed, did you see any powder or fake ingredients? Nope!

Now, everyone has their own milk preference, and the recommendation is to use almond milk. I did that at first, but I soon found something better. I tried it with Fairlife milk, and it tastes even better than before. I’m not saying you should go out and buy the more expensive brand of milk. I’m just saying you should try different types until you find the one that works for you. I personally use Fairlife so that it’s a healthy splurge. It’s lactose free and has less sugar. Although this chai tastes like a guilty pleasure, it’s not. I can have my cake and eat it too–or rather, have my chai and dark chocolate and eat them both too.

Many people add extra honey to the pot before they heat it, but I find it tastes fine without it. I’m more of a purest and don’t add sugar to my teas. I advise people to try to go without the extra sweeteners. Your taste will adjust, and you’ll soon not want the sugar. That’s my advice for the day. Try it first without extra honey. In fact, try it a few times without extra honey. You’ll start craving it without.

If you know someone who loves chai lattes, Prana offeres a variety of gift sets, and I highly recommend them. If buying for yourself, you really don’t need the extras. You can just use what you already have at home. I’m telling you. This is the good stuff, and you should definitely try it.

I’m still trying out new subscription boxes. So far I’ve reviewed Ipsy and Simply Earth, and today I’m adding Walmart’s quarterly sample box. It’s only $5 four times a year, but I’m not sure it’s worth it for me. They actually sent two boxes by mistake but only charged for one. They have different items in them, so I really got to see what this season’s samples are all about. However, I’m not really impressed and am considering canceling my subscription. After looking at other reviews, it seems this season’s box is lamer than usual. Last spring’s box held travel size samples I’d use, but this season’s box consists mostly of tiny Garnier sample packs. I’m not a fan of Garnier, and I don’t think either of the boxes is worth $5.

Rembrandt 3 Day Whitening Boost Kit and $2 coupon

4 Nair Wax Ready-Strips

Palmer’s Natural Fusions Shampoo and Conditioner

Garnier Fructis Damage Repairing Hair Mask

Garnier SkinActive Moisturizer

8 Kleenex Wet Wipes

I like this box better than the second one. I plan to try the teeth whitening strips, and I’ll share the Nair strips with one of my teenage daughters. Both of those will be new experiences. My oldest teen colors her hair a lot, so I’ll give her the hair mask. My other teen has oily hair and can try the Palmer’s shampoo. She usually only uses Nature’s Gate Tea Tree (which is amazing for her oily hair), but since this Palmer’s sample is a clarifying shampoo, she’s willing to try it. (The card said it’s ethically and sustainably sourced, along with no animal testing. I’m all for that!) I’m not sure about the Garnier SkinActive. I have sensitive skin and am cautious about everything that goes on my face. Don’t think I’m going to try it. Oh, and my son got the Kleenex wipes to help with his school snacks. White cheddar popcorn leaves a mess on his fingers, so this sample works great for that.

Now the second box:

Garnier Whole Blends Gentle Shampoo and Conditioner

Acai Berry Revitalizing Sleeping Mask

Village Naturals Therapy Aches & Pains Muscle Relief Bath Oil/Body Wash and Lotion

8 Kleenex Wet Wipes

Garnier SkinActive

Garnier Fructis Damage Repairing Hair Mask

Except for the sleeping mask, most of these samples are what you occasionally find in magazines, and in my opinion, they aren’t worth $5. The sleeping mask may cost $2.50 at Walmart, but it’s not for my skin type and isn’t worth anything to me. If I had to choose between this $5 Walmart box and the $10 Ipsy box, I’d definitely spend the extra $5 to get the Ipsy box. You get a LOT more for your money with it.

I don’t know if I’m going to give Walmart one more try. With this subscription, they’ll automatically send out my box when the time comes and charge my account $5. I don’t have to do anything, and if I don’t like the next box, I can easily unsubscribe. It’s that easy. This box is highly rated with a lot of people. Maybe they just had a bad season.

What do you think? Let me know if you want to try it. I’d love to hear your opinion in the comment section below.