Product Review - PB2

I have to say...this stuff wasn't bad.  I mixed it with some water, slapped it on toast and ate it all up.

I will say that the water ratio suggested on the package is not all that successful, I had to use rather a bit more water, which I suspect, washes out the flavor somewhat.

The texture was fine, on toast, as toast is inherently rough, but I think that if you were to smear it on fruit, you might find the texture a bit off from regular peanut butter.

I felt it was lacking on salt, but I like salt, maybe more than lots of other people, so there's that.

My next goal is to bake with it.  My biggest challenge with weight loss has been the lack of peanut butter.  I love it and I love it in my baked goods.  I see endless posts of people who swear that it's perfect to bake with, so I will report on that when I get a chance to find a recipe and give it a go.

Stuff I Bake

I have been a busy lady lately...with baking and cooking, that is.  I'm not sure what has come over me, but I just want to try new recipes, and I've been pretty lucky so far.  Only a few duds (which could be user error).  Unfortunately, now that I've been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, my baking will reduce greatly as I severely cut carbs and sugar from my diet (at least the less healthy versions).

Donuts - I made these with a simple chocolate glaze instead of the red velvet version, but the basic recipe is great.  Super tasty.  I advise, if you bake them in the oven, bake them at the lower end of the time....they should stay nice and moist that way.  This lady's site has some great recipes and there are some other donut recipes that I really want to try.

Chocolate Cupcakes w. Diet Soda - There are a bunch of recipes floating around the internet for this type of thing.  I used Pillsbury Sugar Free Double Chocolate Chip Quick Bread & Muffin Mix and added one 12oz can of Caffeine-free Coke Zero.  Baked according to directions on the box for muffins.  Even though I have made these about 4 times in the past month or so, I have not taken a single picture.
I don't frost them, when I want to eat one, I take Cool Whip Free (sugar and fat free), cut the muffin in half, dollop of whip on each side and enjoy.  It's about 3 points per muffin.  So good.

Cheesecake Bars - These were awesome.  So easy to make and worth every second of the little time I spent.  I used smart balance instead of butter, no difference in taste.  I also had to use a bit more fat to hold the cracker crumbs together (I used coconut oil).  I also baked them just a little bit longer than the recipe called for, but that's easy enough to judge yourself...once they are set, they are done.  Mr. LIH said that they had a slight bitter aftertaste, but some guests we had over didn't complain and ate more than one bar.  Although the size of the bars looks small, they are fairly rich, and the size winds up being plenty for a serving.  Check out her site as well, Mmmmm....

Nesting or hunger?

I've been baking....A LOT....not always successfully (as is my usual).  Please note that these photos are not mine, they are courtesy of other people much less lazy than myself.  I have all of these pinned, here.

I baked some of these:

Baked Oatmeal Muffins

These were ok, definitely lacking in sweetness, but that could be from the wintertime blueberries...frozen may have worked better (and more sugar...Mmmm...sugar)

And these:

Diet Soda Cupcakes

These had the potential to be good and there are some other versions of them out there that I want to try, but the Strawberry Cake mix is far too strong in artificial strawberry flavor, so I was not really a fan.


Also these:

Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies

These were good, but as usual, I made a mistake.  I baked them with regular rolled oats and not quick cooking, so they were toothsome.  Fine for me and my little family, but  probably not something that would appeal overall.  Also I left out the raisins...ick...raisins.


Some of these:

Low Fat Cranberry Scones

These were really good...and that is all....also they were easy to make...not really a traditional scone.


These:

87 Calorie Cheesecake

So easy to make, and I didn't mess them up...yay...really tasty, especially with some fresh fruit.  They would be just as good plain too.


A bunch of these:

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Delicious, but I added too many strawberries, so they didn't set up perfectly.  But they were so good.  The only thing is that they don't keep long because they are such a "wet" cookie.

I have to say, this is excessive baking, especially for me, but I just can't help it.  So far I've been fairly successful with baking stuff that is pretty healthy so that I don't need to worry too much about getting chubby, pregnant or not.

Darn Pretty....and they are

I bought them and then I waited, and then I waited some more.  I would get giddy over emails from Dyak Craft, hoping that one of them contained a tracking number.  I'm not sure if it's pathetic how excited I was and the little butterflies that I would get, just knowing that they were on their way.

They make this lovely case....

Wanna see what's in there???

Oooo....almost....

There they are...so beautiful

Signed by the man himself....

I chose the charcoal color....and asked them to swap out the smaller cables for larger ones, b/c I rarely use small cables...I just go with dpns if it's in the round.

They knit like a dream.  I really really love them.  I cast on, immediately just so I could work with them.  They are so smooth and the join is really nice.

I highly recommend them, but they are pricey and take a while...so save up and order.....

Vacation & Wedding

My very best-est friend got married on June 1st and as you know I was in St. Kitts and Nevis to celebrate with her.  I had the obligation privilege to be her Maid (in my case Matron, I suppose) of Honor.  Needless to say, but the island was BEAUTIFUL and her wedding was FABULOUS.

She made so much effort to organize meals and tours for us.  There aren't so many sights on the island, but there is a ton of stuff to just do and experience, so we did...

We went to see Brimstone Hill, which is a World Heritage Site and a feat in architectural design and management.  That doesn't sound exciting but, when you consider that it's on the top of this enormous mountain "hill", took 100 years to construct on the backs of African slaves, and has been standing since the 1600s, it is amazing.  The road to get in is rather treacherous and I'm glad that I was sitting on a small tour bus instead of navigating the terrain.

By far that was the most interesting thing we saw, but we did go visit:

Ottley's Plantation Inn : this was for the wedding reception dinner, but you can wander around the place and see the ocean view or rain forest

Romney Manor : this place just has really beautiful picture opportunities as well as seeing the way that Batik clothe is made and catching a glimpse of a 400-year old saman tree.

Cathy's Ocean View Bar & Grill : this place was a more "local" thing to do.  It's along a strip of bars that back up to the ocean.  Here you can get all kinds of more local foods versus the touristy-American type of fare.  The link I gave isn't really directly for Cathy's but the food was awesome and if you're in St. Kitts you should check out that area.

Island Tour : I highly suggest this, as there are many many smaller sites to see and a good tour guide can give you a nice description of the history of the island.  I'm not sure if the link is the exact one we used, but I can say that our tour guide/bus driver was Michael and he was awesome!

I have so many pictures...close to 700 I think, but I promise I will only post a very small percentage of them. I think that many will be reserved for Photo Friday posts.

Also, the coffee....phenomenal....

Product Review - The Fast Metabolism Diet - Done

The Fast Metabolism Diet - Final Review

The journey is over...I'm a bit relieved because it was somewhat difficult to constantly plan every bite that I would eat during the day and how much.  Also, I had some challenges with eating as much as was suggested during meal times.

The hardest part, for me, was all the meat.  I'm a definite meat eater, but at 6 oz of meat for every serving that you have, it's a lot.  It's a hard switch to cut back so much on the carbohydrate portions of my meals.  I really enjoy eating rice and pasta, and I always feel a bit lost without the carb/veg/meat combo on my plate.

I will say that I'm feeling a little unsure of how to proceed.  I know that in the book she discusses how to maintain, but I'm not sure that her guidelines are clear enough for me.  I think that what I will try to do is keep eating about the same portion sizes and times, but cutting back some on the meat.  I will also try to stay away from wheat flour products and substitute healthier carbs.  One thing that I won't give up, even though she suggests it, is dairy.  I very much like to eat yogurt and cheese, so I won't be giving up those things.

So, what does all this mean?  Well, the diet was, in a way, a success.  I did lose quite a bit of weight in a relatively short time, but I did not lose 20 lbs or even close to that much.  Mr. Hollybroke however did lose about 20 lbs, so it was very successful for him.  The reasons for my lack of weight loss are: I did not always eat as much as she suggested, nor drink about 70 oz of water a day, and I did not exercise as much as I wanted to and as much as she recommends.  I will defend myself about the exercise...we are still in the middle of unpacking our house, my little monthly friend came along (I do not exercise during those few days), and I caught a really bad case of poison ivy dermatitis (which I'm still, literally, battling - 14 days).

I really think that this is a great diet and I highly suggest it.  You never really feel deprived, just maybe a bit overwhelmed with planning.

I think I will continue to weigh in here on the blog and talk about my weight loss.  I plan to exercise 3 days a week for 30 minutes and for the most part, I was successful and I think it will get easier as it becomes a habit.  I will somewhat continue with the rules of this diet and see how that goes as well.

Final Diet Stats:

SW: 153.6 lbs

GW: 135 lbs

CW: 145.2 lbs

WL: 8.4 lbs

Product Review - Fast Metabolism Diet - Week 4

The Fast Metabolism Diet - Week 4

So, we're at the beginning of week 4...and I have to say, I'm ready to go back to a more normal diet.  The biggest challenge for this was making sure that all the four earlier meals were ready to go and packed in my lunch bag for work....Also, it's easy to eat when you're hungry, but generally I'm not hungry as often as this diet has had me eating.  Drinking enough water was my second biggest challenge and I will not lie, I absolutely do NOT drink enough water even to be healthy.  I'm always struggling with drinking enough during the day...I'm just never really thirsty

I'm recycling my menu from week 1, so you check that out, here : Week 1.

I will give a wrap up and my final weight loss at the beginning of next week.  In reality I'd like my goal weight to be closer to about 130 lbs, but that might be a little bit unrealistic and unreachable, but I think I will continue this weight loss journey here because it helps to hold me accountable.  As you can see, below, I've changed my goal weight (yet again) and will strive to get there.  I might even post what I eat and how often I exercise to give you an idea of how I've lost weight.

After I had the baby, I was determined, at least, to lose the weight I had gained.  Luckily, for me, it came off very quickly.  But, before I had gotten pregnant, I had been somewhat unhappy with my size and I also wanted to work out and be healthier.  So my promise to myself was, after we got into our new home and got our "gym" set up, that I would work out.  Well, that worked pretty well and before I started this diet I had lost about 4 lbs just exercising 3 times/week for about 30 minutes.  I figure if I can't spare 1.5 hours a week to making myself healthier then something is really wrong with me.

Also, Mr. Hollybroke and I plan to start trying to have a baby in the next 6 months or so, and I want to be healthier than I was for my first one.  I had so many complications with the labor and delivery and although it may not be because I wasn't exercising during my pregnancy, I think that being healthier would have benefited me.

Here are my stats for beginning of week 4:

SW : 153.6 lbs

GW : 135 lbs

CW : 146.4 lbs

WL : 7.2 lbs

Product Review - Fast Metabolism Diet - Week 3

The Fast Metabolism Diet - Week 3

I have now gotten about half way through the diet (maybe) and I'm moderately satisfied with the results.  I have not exercised very much, so I know that this is somewhat holding back some of the weight loss, but the exercise suggested is rather mild, so it can't contribute too much to the overall effect.  This is not to say that I haven't exercised at all, just not as much as I would like to and as much as she suggests in the book.

My other issue is that I'm rather hungry more often than I thought I would be.  For example, on Day 1 and Day 2 we eat a lot of carbs, which is fine, as I love carbs, even "healthy" ones, but they leave me feeling hungry, if not immediately after I eat, within one or two hours.  It's better with the other phases of the diet, but those first two days are an exercise in self control as I wait the 3 hours to eat again.  I have emailed the contact on the website to ask for advice or suggestions, but I haven't heard anything; that was just over a week ago.  So, I'm a bit annoyed at feeling hungry for two days straight and a bit more annoyed at not receiving any kind of response from the site (I know the author does not directly get the emails).

I'm still missing dairy, but I can make it for two more weeks.  We did cheat this weekend, but we did it intentionally, and tried to follow her advice in the book about "cheating".  All week we sort of planned for it and we knew that on Saturday, we would be having a few mini donuts at the Rutgers' Day event and a few home-baked cookies for dessert in the evening.

My Week 3 Menu:

Click for bigger picture

Here are my stats for beginning of Week 3:

SW: 153.6 lbs

GW: 140 lbs (modified for my reality)

CW: 148.6 lbs

WL: 5.0 lbs

Notes:  I plan to exercise more and really focus on better menu planning for the next week.  I'm not sure if I will try to extend this out another week...depends on if I feel like I want to lose more weight...we shall see.

Product Review - Fast Metabolism Diet - Week 2

The Fast Metabolism Diet - Week 2

My first week is completed.

Here are my thoughts so far:

The first two days were difficult because I felt hungry, even though I don't think I really was hungry (I'm thinking it was thirst).  Because of all the fruits and veggies, I found myself running to the restroom fairly often for tinkle time....it was like being pregnant.  The second two days (Phase II) were the hardest of all because I'm not a big meat eater, but since I LOVE eggs (and egg whites), it worked out just fine.  The last three days were, by far, my favorite...I enjoy eating nuts and adding coconut oil to my food...Mmmmm.....

Now I've started on week 2 and I feel as though I have a handle on everything and hopefully the meal packing and planning will be easier.  I find it slightly challenging when we're sharing meals with others, only because we have to plan a meal that will work for all of us and not cost a small fortune.

I didn't really touch on that point too much, but keep in mind that the food for this diet is expensive as there are foods that I would normally not eat.  An example is the deli meat, the kind that is ideal for the diet has many restrictions and therefore is quite pricey, but as it's the most convenient protein source for two working parents, it's what we decided to eat for lunch and/or snacks as a protein.  Normally, we don't have any deli meats around at all.

One thing I'm missing, is dairy.  Specifically, I mean cheese.  I love cheese.  We have an on-going love affair that has now cooled for the next few weeks.  So I'm suffering a bit over that, but in reality, the foods are really delicious and the recipes in the book are super helpful because I don't have to work too hard to plan things.

Here is my menu for week 2 (Mr. Hollybroke has some slight variations based on preference):

Click to make it larger

Now, copying from Tammy of Skinny Mom's Kitchen, here are my stats for Week 2:

Starting Weight (SW) : 153.6 lbs

Goal Weight (GW) : 133.6 lbs (I just did 20 lbs, I don't have a goal, really)

Current Weight (CW) : 151.0 lbs

Weight Loss (WL) : 2.60 lbs

Notes:  I've discovered that I've gained two whole pounds of water weight as my little visitor is arriving this week to torture me for a few days.  Hopefully, next week you will be able to see that I've lost a decent amount of weight.  

Product Review - Fast Metabolism Diet - Week 1

Okay, so Mr. Hollybroke and I have made a pact to go on this diet "journey" together.  I've been inspired by some other bloggers to possibly share my experience on the World Wide Web (::shudders::).  As I already have a sort of product review piece on my blog, I figured I could combine the two.  So this will be done weekly, for four weeks.

I belong to this box-a-month type of club, although this one is structured a bit differently, but you get the idea and in my most recent box (Bikini Ready Cravebox), I received a pre-release of a book.  Please note that I pay for the box and do not receive anything for free and have not been endorsed either way for this review.

Photo from here

The book is called "The Fast Metabolism Diet" by Haylie Pomroy.  I won't go into too much detail about the diet itself, because, she would probably like for you to buy her book, but I will say that it's pretty intensive and I think I can survive it for four weeks.  I will share a little about the diet, since the info is available on her site and I will share my menu, but not the portion sizes or recipes (as they are in her book also).

The Fast Metabolism Diet (site link)

Details 
The diet is 4 weeks long and is purported to have you lose 20 lbs; according to Ms. Pomroy you can lose as much or as little weight as you desire based on portion size.
It has 3 phases that span over a week and you cycle through each phase once per week for 4 weeks (or more).
This diet is not meant to be a lifestyle diet change, it's just to speed up your metabolism and lose weight over the 4 weeks (or more) and then you go back to your regular diet (hopefully, with some healthy modifications).
The exercise routine that she recommends is quite strict, but again, only for the duration of the diet, so once the diet is over, you can go back to 7 days/week of cardio or not (in my case, NOT).

Quick Book Review : I think that the book is worth it for the guidance and recipes, but as for her weird analogies between your body and other various things (only word that encompasses her menagerie of examples), they are slightly extraneous and aren't really accurate.  I would not use her analogies to shape your knowledge of your body and precisely how it works, but it does work in a sort of loose way.

Now, here is my diet for Week 1:

Click to make it larger

Now, copying from Tammy of Skinny Mom's Kitchen, here are my stats for Week 1:

Starting Weight (SW) : 153.6 lbs

Goal Weight (GW) : 133.6 lbs (I just did 20 lbs, I don't have a goal, really)

Current Weight (CW) : 153.6 lbs

Weight Loss (WL) : 0 lbs

Just for some info, I'm about 5'6" to 5'7" and I'm also working to "recover" from having a baby.  It's been 10 months and I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight, but there are all kinds of changes and jiggly bits that I'd like to work on and we'll see where this diet takes me.  Also, once the diet is over, I will go back to my 3 days/week for 30 minutes, exercise routine.

Yarn Review - Vintage - Berroco

Berroco Vintage is a nice wool blend yarn that is not itchy and provides quite a bit more stretch than I would have expected.  Vintage comes in several weights, and the one that I have used in the past and can review is the worsted weight (not to say that I do not own the DK and Bulky version...ahem).  Although I don't hear much about this yarn in the blogosphere it's a workhorse and I really like it.

I have made a project with this yarn, and it was quite a large project, by my estimation.  I knit a sweater that just did not come out the way that I would have liked.  It had nothing to do with the yarn and everything to do with the user....

The project was the February Lady Sweater, and here is my Rav project page.

I had a really hard time to get the color right on the computer and this is as close as I can get.  It's a dark gold base color with some faint flecks of a reddish color.  The saturation and hue are lovely and all the various colorways of the Vintage line are very visually appealing.

Details
Weight: 100g
Yardage: 217yds
Fiber: 50% Acrylic, 40% Wool, 10% Nylon

Ravelry Page

Notes
This yarn has a soft hand and great stretch.  The nylon really gives the yarn a well balanced stretch quality and then add to this, the acrylic and you're able to achieve a good "memory" for blocking.  With this yarn, it's a must to remember that it stretches and to probably go down a needle size for any project that was not designed with this yarn (or similar) in mind.  I made the mistake of going up a needle size, as I usually knit tightly and this was a massive mistake.  Even with my tight knitting gauge, I could have gone down a needle size.
In summary, I really like this yarn, it was great to knit with, offers up a lot of depth and eye appeal, has a soft hand, and is just as soft in the final product.  I can't complain too much about the price either.  You get a decent amount of yardage out of it and it goes a long way, again because of the stretch.  Also, it does not pill, which is always a plus in my book!

Knit Edge Issue 2 Is Up

I have a received a copy of the Knit Edge magazine, Issue 2.  I've been slowly perusing its articles.  For the other two issues, I didn't love the patterns, but again with the articles.  They certainly seem to be selected with care and I really appreciate this.

Although I love craft magazines for their patterns, I absolutely enjoy reading good, well written articles about the craft world that I wouldn't otherwise learn.

For example, there is an article all about Guernseys (sweaters).  Never would I have thought this would even be interesting, but the article is really well written and the history of those sweaters is pretty cool.

There is one pattern in there that I really really like, and it's worth buying the issue just for it.  It's called Watershed (rav link) and I'm definitely adding it to my queue.  I like how it's substantial and and the pattern really appeals to my love of geometric design.

Here is a link to their website, where you can become a subscriber or if you click the Ravelry link above you can also purchase through them.

Top Ten - Online Yarn Shops

My Top Ten Favorite Online Yarn Stores - this is not to say that I do not have others, but these are my usual haunts when I'm in the market for yarn.  I did not rank them; they are listed below as randomly as I could muster.

1.  Little Knits - they have both common name brand yarns and some others that are more obscure; but their quality is always great; please note that they have a $25 minimum purchase to place an order

2.  Twisted - this website has great yarns and even better clubs; if you join their monthly clubs, they give you a discount on the yarn that you need to complete the project (this is fabulous)

3.  Loopy Ewe - keep an eye on their blog because they have some really great sales on really great brands

4.  Colourmart - this store is based in the UK and updates their deals every week.  They have fast shipping at a reasonable cost

5.  The Dizzy Sheep - this site is a "deal a day".  I really like checking in with them daily to see what goodies they have on sale, and shipping is always $1

6.  Webs - great sale prices of brand name yarns (also good shipping prices)

7. Elann - I haven't ordered from them too many times, but every time I do, I'm always so happy with the quality of their yarns

8.  Knit Picks - although they don't really have sales, the quality and breath of their yarns (including color, weight, and fiber) is awesome; if you do catch some of their colorways on sale....you know that you're getting good value

9.  NuMei Yarns - this website has both the coolest and weirdest yarns, they also have some great wholesale discounts and sales

10.  Loop Yarn - I love this store for a few reasons, firstly they have a LYS in Philly, which is where I was living (and this means FAST shipping), but also they have great yarns...oh and I forgot to mention, they have a loyalty club that is always helpful (or detrimental, depending on your feelings about yarn addiction)

Yarn Review - Mini Mochi - Crystal Palace Yarns

 

 Normally, I avoid yarns that do not necessarily have a "ply" per se.  My reasoning for this is, when I weave in my ends, I like to separate the plies and knot them together.  But, for this yarn, I can make the exception.  I would always read about bloggers using this yarn in their various projects, and I did not get the hype.  Well, that was until I saw this particular colorway at the store and decided to splurge a little.

I have already made one small project with this yarn and since I have a whole ball left (took a lot less yarn than I thought), I will probably just make the same thing again.

I made a Honey cowl (featured here on my blog).

So here it is, Mini Mochi by Crystal Palace Yarns.  I picked it up at Knit-a-Bit, here in NJ.  I paid about $10.95/skein (which for me is a splurge and includes tax).  I'm sure you can get a better deal online, but sometimes it's worth it to spend the extra money to support a local business, besides you get to see all the yarns in person and squish them to your heart's content.

Details

Weight: 50g

Yardage: 195 yds

Fiber: 80% Merino, 20% Nylon

Ravelry Page

Notes

I really enjoyed working with this yarn.  The colorway was vibrant and kept me guessing throughout the project   I loved waiting to see how the next color that I could see in the ball would work into the cowl.  It has a soft and springy hand and opens up very well.

The colorway that I used is "Jungle (110)" and although it wasn't overly junglified to me, they were beautiful, and looked so beautiful worked up.  I know that I already used the word vibrant to describe the colors, but they really really were so bright and deep; very lovely indeed.

TOMS Shoes Review - Fashionable AND Comfortable

Disclaimer: I did not recieve any type of incentive to write this review.

There are many good things that I can say about this company, but I suppose, the most important concern that you have when purchasing shoes, is comfort.  I know many people may say look, style, etc....but in reality, if your feet hurt you're probably going to be grouchy (some people would say that MY shoes, never are comfy).

TOMS shoes are very comfy.  I can speak for a few of their styles, as I have purchased many pairs of TOMS shoes.  Currently, I'm wearing the desert wedges (at work) and they are so comfortable, that I don't even feel like I'm wearing a heel.  Also, my feet are quite snug and relatively warm in there, even with just thin trouser socks.  I have also purchased their wedges (peep toe variety) and their "classics" style shoe (which is my absolute favorite).

Now, let me talk a little about why they are so great.  When you buy a pair of their shoes, they donate a pair to a child in need.  So, you get a great pair of shoes, that are relatively stylish, and really comfortable, AND you're donating to a good cause.  Who doesn't love that with just simple shopping, you can do something good (other than for your closet)?

Here is where you can read a little bit about their cause.

Ok, onto the best part of all this.  They are offering free shipping.  Yes, that's right.  I love me some free shipping.  I wait for this, just to order their shoes (yeah I'm cheap thrifty, like that).

So, head on over and just check them out.  Even if you don't like anything now, they are always innovating and updating, so keep an eye on them.  Also, they do make other products, but as I've only bought shoes, I can't speak on the quality or style of them.

I'm off to buy a pair of shoes.

iPad2 Review

I disappeared from here again.  Life can be hectic and brain numbing as a new mom.

Here is my reward for being a mom.

I'm still working on a pattern to release, but I haven't yet decided whether to sell it or offer it for free.  I will say that it's a scarflette and that it will be perfect for the holiday and winter times.  Here's a sneak peek (sorry for the not so great cell phone pic).

Now it's product review time.  I will include links below.

I recently (and buy recent, I mean about 8 weeks ago), purchased an iPad2.  I very much debated purchasing one.  They are expensive and, in my  mind, not overly practical.  My objective was to try and decide between a laptop or a tablet, then once I decided on the tablet, I wanted one I knew that people use and love.  Everyone that I asked about the iPad, loves it.  I read a few more reviews, because I still had to decide which iPad to buy.  For my purposes, I did not need a better screen resolution or any of the other minor upgrades for the "new iPad", and I decided on the iPad2.

So far, it is extremely useful.  I use it ALL THE TIME.  My only caveat to the otherwise utter bliss that I feel with this device, is, that it's not useful for blogging.  Here is where I made a mistake. 

I belabored over a case to purchase.  I had only one requirement; it had to be a 360 rotation case, so that I could prop my iPad vertical or horizontal without removing it from the case.  I discarded the idea of a keyboard as they are quite expensive and they can scratch the screen, unless you buy protectors, which would be even more money.  So, I purchased the best case in the world (I really do love it), but I really wish I had gone with one that includes a keyboard.  Now I'm scouring Amazon, trying to find one that is affordable, but also good.  Any suggestions are welcome !!!

Be back soon.