MacBid review. Buying store returns at auction

Today I want to talk about a company called M@cBid. What this is, is a Pittsburgh based resale company for return products from big retailers Like Amazon, Lowe's, Home Depot etc. MacBid gets all the returns whether they are simply the wrong size or if an item arrives broken. They then put everything on their website and have auctions that the public is allowed to bid on and win.

Now as you can imagine a vast assortment of products get returned to all those major retailers on the daily. I've seen everything on this site from clothing to food products, health & beauty, doors & lighting, vehicle accessories, toys, pet accessories and pretty much anything else except perishable items.

Now the first thing I'm going to tell you here is buyer beware! The main image used in each listing is a stock image from the sale page of where the item retails, but the other pictures are of the actual item in the MacBid warehouse. 

You are allowed to stop in and look at an item and inspect it before you bid on it, and I suggest you do! Unfortunately, as I live over a half hour from the closest location I did not do that. 

In the interest of this post I bought 11 different items off the M@cBid website to pick up at three different locations.

Review: Tieks shoes

If you've been around Pinterest at all, I'm sure you've seen the ballet flats with the blue bottoms. Their called Tieks and while they are pretty expensive, they're touted as being worth every penny. So many Tieks reviews have been written talking about how amazing these shoes are. So of course I had to try them and find out!

One of the first things I did was check out the Tieks by Gavrieli website and see if they have an affiliate program. They do not. Which means that all these bloggers were buying these shoes on their own! No discount, no kickback for sales from their posts. Now that is interesting! Especially considering that many bloggers do get stuff for free, so why would they spend almost $200 for a pair of shoes they couldn't make their money back on?

Comfort!

As I mentioned earlier these are rumored to be THE most comfortable ballet flat out there. So now I gotta know just how comfortable these shoes are. I ordered a pair.

Solar flame torch led dock lights

I spend a lot of time on a little lake in Michigan called Lake Orion. This year one of the neighbors had new lights on his boathouse. They were solar powered and looked like flickering flames. Probably the coolest thing I've seen in awhile so I needed to find out what they were and where I could get some! They are solar powered LED lights called Flame Torches, and they are awesome!

I bought a pack of 6 of these torches from Amazon and we put them down beside the dock. I am really impressed with the quality and the realistic flame effect they have which is why I decided to write this review. I am not being compensated for this review nor were these sent to me, in fact I paid almost $100 for them! There are cheaper ones available though!) 

I decided to write this review because these torch lights far exceeded my expectations...so if you've seen these online and you're wondering "are they really going to look that good in person?" here's your answer. YES!

What is REALLY in a subscription box?

By now we're all familiar with the concept behind subscription boxes. You chose a theme, find a company to order from, pay a fee and a shipment of goodies arrives at your door. You try out all the items and decide which ones you want to keep buying. Subscription boxes come in all types, sizes and prices. Some are monthly while others are quarterly. The best part of subscription boxes is the surprise aspect. But how do you know if you're actually going to like what's in the subscription box?

Month to month, you really don't know, but you can make an educated guess. The contents of some subscription boxes are tailored to your choices, others are completely random and still others are identical for everyone. Most companies offer 1 option but many have created a small/medium/large size (and price) choice. They key is knowing what type you're ordering and looking it up!

We get several subscription boxes here. My son is dying for a gamer box, but so far only gets a snack box from Japan. The dog gets her own treat & toy box and I get a few makeup subscription boxes including Sephora Play! 

Every one of these companies puts out beautiful advertisements and glossy pictures and makes the boxes look amazing.....but how do you know what's really in there? After all, some of these pictures show you all the options possible. So while the promotional image shows 3 lipsticks, or 6 crystals, or 4 bath bombs, each box only contains one. Or the promotional image is the deluxe box, but you're thinking or ordering the regular. So, what's really in the box you're ordering?

Grillinator Firewood Carrier review

I was pretty happy to be able to review this Firewood carrier from Grillinator. I live in the woods and use fireplace heat in my family room and bedroom every winter so I'm no stranger to the problems of carrying firewood to the house. The mess, the awkwardness, the juggling, the mess....yeah, it's that messy! I wanted to try this tote bag as it looked much more sturdy than the previous bags I had used. 

I was hoping I would be thrilled with it and was so happy when it arrived! It's sturdy, lightweight (when empty) and easy to use. I'll definitely be using this firewood tote all winter long....

Maxam Motar & Pestle review

This month I got to try a marble mortar and Pestle from Maxam and was super excited to try it! I grow and use herbs for many things from teas to body lotions and had been using a wooden set which was sadly inadequate. This was really frustrating so I jumped at the chance to review this item!

 Mortar and Pestle from Maxam (now HealthSmart) 

I am extremely happy with this marble mortar and pestle! It's definitely real marble and well made. The inside is slightly rough but the outside is polished and smooth. The rough inside helps to grind things better and the pestle is polished which makes a smooth surface grinding your herbs against a rough surface = more even grinding! This works much better then the wooden set I had previously been using as it had 2 smooth surfaces which means it would take longer to grind. 

Using this set, it doesn't take very long to grind the herb from a full leaf to just about a powder. I had often just hand crushed herbs because it was quicker then my old set. Hand crushing makes a mess and causes a lot of waste as some of the herbs stick to my hands and then I end up washing it off. 

With this mortar and pestle, grinding herbs is a fast and easy process and there is no waste since it all falls out of the bowl cleanly when I dump it out. It washes out easily and dries quickly leaving no residue to mix with your next herb.

You can order this product on Amazon.

I would definitely recommend this product for anybody working with dried or even fresh herbs.

~L

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I received this item for free in exchange for an honest review. Opinions, experiences and images are all mine.

This post contains affiliate links. If you chose to purchase something through the link, I will get a small payment from Amazon. It will not affect your purchase price. Click for full disclosure.

Nubee Infrared Thermometer: Review

I was pretty excited to try this next item out. It's an infrared thermometer by Nubee. If you follow my farming blogs you know I used a different one of these a whole lot in the past and found it really useful around the homestead. The one I had was much more expensive so I was curious if this lower priced model would be as accurate. I'm thrilled to say: it is!

This Nubee product sells for about $15 and comes with a 9v battery. It has been working over a month (through my extensive testing) without going dead yet so very good battery life. I use it on the Fahrenheit setting but it also has a Celsius setting. It gives a quick and accurate reading. Turns off when set down. Lightweight. Easy to use. Durable.

I have also been using it to test storage temperatures of foods and cooking temperatures of soaps and have had great results. Plus the cat likes to chase the red light! (go ahead laugh...I do! See the things I find out when thoroughly testing a product? lol) You can purchase this product on Amazon.

This definitely comes in handy when accurate temperature readings are important and at this price, it's affordable enough to buy just to keep on hand for when you need it! 

~L

I received this item for free in exchange for an honest review. Opinions, experiences and images are all mine.

This post contains affiliate links. If you chose to purchase something through the link, I will get a small payment from Amazon. It will not affect your purchase price. Click for full disclosure.

Friendly's coffee: Ice Cream flavors

I have coffee issues! I drink coffee every single morning and again most evenings. My Keurig has been my best friend since I received it as a wedding gift....was it really 8 years ago? Wow! I'm quite the connoisseur by now so when I saw these Ice Cream flavored coffees by Friendly's, I couldn't wait to try them! 

Thanks to Two Rivers Coffee Co I got to try them and now have a new addiction! lol

This 40 pack has 4 different flavors of Keurig compatible (including 2.0 brewers) single serve coffee cups:

• Butterscotch Swirl
• Chocolate Marshmallow
• Mint Chocolate Chip
• Vienna Mocha Chunk

My favorite flavor is definitely the Butterscotch Swirl but the Mint Chocolate Chip is hands down the most flavorful! These add a nice dessert flavor to your coffee without added sugar or calories. Made with 100% premium Arabica coffee beans which are small batch roasted and, perfectly blended with creamy friendly's ice cream flavors. I have seen this multipack in stores, but if you can't find it locally then you can order them on Amazon.

I think you'll love these delicious ice cream flavored coffees as much as I do! 

~L

Want to be 'in the know' the moment a new post is published? Sign up for my newsletter right here and you'll also get my free Self-Care Sunday guide!

I received this item for free in exchange for an honest review. Opinions, experiences and images are all mine.

This post contains affiliate links. If you chose to purchase something through the link, I will get a small payment from Amazon. It will not affect your purchase price. Click for full disclosure.

Xchef Herb scissors: Review

I'm an avid gardener, in fact I have a gardening blog! I grow so many different things seasonally but the one thing I grow and use year round are herbs. 

I had seen a pair of herb scissors a year or so ago and really wanted them, but never could find them in stores. Well, when an opportunity to review them came my way, I jumped at the chance! These scissors came with a plastic guard to keep them protected when not in use. There are 5 stainless steel blades on each side and they work like a dream!

This is definitely the easiest way to chop herbs ever! There is nothing simpler than holding the herb in one hand and cutting with the scissors with the other hand. No cutting board or knife needed....just super easy and easy clean up! I just rinse the scissors under hot water then swish is a little soapy water and rinse again. Air dry. When dry put the guard back on to protect them and you're set. 



I use fresh basil in darn near everything and this makes it so easy to chop. I can't believe I messed with the whole cutting board knife thing before! These are especially helpful when chopping chives or green onion and other herbs that mash when you hold them flat to cut with a knife. These herb scissors cut several uniform sized pieces with each snip. I really love these and would highly recommend them. Also, I want to add that this is the best price I've seen for this type of item anywhere! You can order them on Amazon.

If you like to cook with fresh herbs then you need a pair of these herb scissors to make chopping easier!

~L


I received this item for free in exchange for an honest review. Opinions, experiences and photos are all mine.

This post contains affiliate links. If you chose to purchase something through the link, I will get a small payment from Amazon. It will not affect your purchase price. Click for full disclosure.

Ozeri Kitchen Scale: Review

As you all know, I am pretty serious about my fitness and health in general. I wanted to start weighing my portions because I think I often over or underestimate what I'm eating. I've been looking into kitchen scales for awhile and was thrilled to be offered this one to review from Ozeri.

I love the look of this scale. It's sleek and thin plus stainless steel which matches the rest of my kitchen. Bonus! It looks nice, not cheap like the ones I was looking at in BB&B. It definitely wins in the looks category! I am also happy that it weighs in grams and ounces. I'm using it to weigh food right now (ounces) but often use recipes from outside the states and they are metric so I need the grams setting occasionally. It's very easy to switch between settings. The tare function is easy to use also...which is super important when weighing wet items or small snacks. Just turn the scale on, put the bowl or plate on the scale and click 'tare' then wait for it to go back to 0 before adding your item.

I tested it a bit against known weights and portion sizes and find it to be very accurate. I trust it to give me a correct reading. I also love the fact that it cleans off easily and is very lightweight. It comes with a Calorie Guide booklet which also has U.S. postal letter information. Very informative!

If you want to buy this Stainless Steel Kitchen Scale from Ozeri you can find it on Amazon.

I would definitely recommend this scale as I found it very useful, accurate and easy to use. 


~L

I received this item in exchange for my honest review. These opinions, experiences and photos are all my own.

This post contains affiliate links. If you chose to purchase something through the link, I will get a small payment from Amazon. It will not affect your purchase price. Click for full disclosure.

Adult Minnie Mouse costume: review

My daughter loves all things Disney, and she's full grown! When I was offered the chance to try an Adult Minnie Mouse costume, I jumped on the chance...I just knew she'd love it. The costume arrived quickly and it is just too darn cute! It's cute and grown up without being overly sexy like so many costumes are lately. She can't wait to wear it for Halloween this year.

The one piece dress is made of a satiny fabric and it comes with ears and a matching thong. There is a crinoline skirt underneath to give the skirt some 'poof'. While this does make the skirt look cute and give it shape, it's a little scratchy on the legs. Wearing tights or shorts keep it from being an issue though. 

This outfit is grownup without being slutty. It's comfortable. It fit both my daughter and I....she's a small and I'm a medium. There are no zippers or buttons, just a simple pull on dress. Stitching is secure and the fabrics are a nice quality. 

I would definitely recommend buying this costume for your next Halloween party! You can order this costume here on Amazon:
Unfortunately that costume is no longer available...BUT, I will update this post with links as soon as I find it somewhere else! My apologies!

Caity and I both agree that this dress is absolutely perfect for Halloween (and she'll probably try to wear it to Disney when we go next year!) Yes, she's a little obsessed!

~L

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I received this item in exchange for my honest review. These opinions, experiences and photos are all my own. (this post contains affiliate links. If you chose to purchase something through the link, I will get a small amount from Amazon to thank me for sending you their way and help support this blog. It will not affect your purchase price)