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Michael Crichton – The Andromeda Evolution

I received the new sci-fi novel The Andromeda Evolution, perfect for Michael Crichton fans everywhere, to review and share my thoughts with you guys. This post contains affiliate links.

Father’s Day is almost here. How many of you guys kinda… forgot? With all the craziness in the world right now, and with life off of it’s regular schedule – I barely realized it was June, let alone that Father’s Day was almost here! I have a really rad gift idea for you though – keep reading to check it out…

Who remembers the novel, The Andromeda Strain? Here’s a quick reminder: First published fifty years ago, The Andromeda Strain redefined the science fiction genre, and immediately established Michael Crichton as one of the brightest voices in contemporary literature worldwide. 

“A military space probe, sent to collect extraterrestrial organisms from the upper atmosphere, is knocked out of orbit and falls to Earth. Twelve miles from the crash site, an inexplicable and deadly phenomenon terrorizes the residents of a sleepy desert town in Arizona, leaving only two survivors: an elderly addict and a newborn infant.

The United States government is forced to mobilize Project Wildfire, a top-secret emergency response protocol. Four of the nation’s most elite biophysicists are summoned to a clandestine underground laboratory located five stories beneath the desert and fitted with an automated atomic self-destruction mechanism for cases of irremediable contamination. Under conditions of total news blackout and the utmost urgency, the scientists race to understand and contain the crisis. But the Andromeda Strain proves different from anything they’ve ever seen—and what they don’t know could not only hurt them, but lead to unprecedented worldwide catastrophe.”

I’m SUCH a junkie for science fiction, disasters, aliens, saving the world. So, The Andromeda Strain is a book that I have read many, many times. So good, you guys. And now, there’s a new chapter to the story…. The Andromeda Revolution. Here’s a bit about this new novel:

The Andromeda Evolution picks up the original story decades after The Andromeda Strain almost ended the human race. In the ensuing decades, research on the microparticle continued. And the world thought it was safe…

Deep inside Fairchild Air Force Base, Project Eternal Vigilance has continued to watch and wait for the Andromeda Strain to reappear. On the verge of being shut down, the project has registered no activity—until now. A Brazilian terrain-mapping drone has detected a bizarre anomaly of otherworldly matter in the middle of the jungle, and, worse yet, the tell-tale chemical signature of the deadly microparticle.

With this shocking discovery, the next-generation Project Wildfire is activated, and a diverse team of experts hailing from all over the world is dispatched to investigate the potentially apocalyptic threat.

But the microbe is growing—evolving. And if the Wildfire team can’t reach the quarantine zone, enter the anomaly, and figure out how to stop it, this new Andromeda Evolution will annihilate all life as we know it.

I’m only halfway through this book – stay tuned, I’ll update this with a full review shortly. This book feels super relevant to the state of affairs in this country today, as it seems like every day the news is filled with chaos, and major threats to life as we know it. There are some really great lines and quotes that you might have seen already, if you follow me on Instagram?

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Meagan Paullin (@sunandsipcups) on

I’ve shared a few peeks at the book as I read it, in my Instagram Stories. If you’re not following me – do so here, and follow along as I finish the book. Or, pin this post to Pinterest, or bookmark it, to come back in a few days to see my full review. But I can tell you – so far, this is almost impossible to put down. It’s one of the best books I’ve read this year – and I have a read a LOT of books, you guys, lol. #quarantinelife ;)

“The Andromeda Evolution” is a great gift for any dads in your life – or grandads, or even yourself. Available in paperback as of May 19th via HarperCollins, “the New York Times’ bestseller uncovers the next exciting chapter of Michael Crichton’s game-changing novel.” The book can be easily purchased on Amazon.com or through a local bookstore as many are open for customer orders. And, you can follow Michael Crichton’s Facebook fan page too, for more cool stuff.

I’m here in Yakima, Washington, where we are still in Phase 1 of lockdown, because we are the fastest-growing coronavirus outbreak on the west coast. Big yikes, and super scary for an immune compromised, chronically ill girl like me. So, no stores to shop in, or local bookstores to browse – but these books are both available on Amazon, which is where I do the majority of my shopping anyway. 

And – right now, both are part of the Amazon sale, Get 3 for the price of 2, meaning, pick three books, movies, or games in this section, and you’ll get the lowest priced one for free! You can find The Andromeda Strain, The Andromeda Evolution, and tons more cool stuff in the promo.

You can order this set as a Father’s Day gift – if you order today it will be here by Friday – and then you still get to choose another book for yourself too if you use this promo. Sweet, right?

Written by Daniel H. Wilson, “The Andromeda Evolution” is the perfect gift for any Sci-Fi thriller fans! It’s the first book sequel ever authorized on behalf of Crichton’s estate, which is a big deal – and coincides with the anniversary of the bestselling novel he first introduced to the world in 1969, “The Andromeda Strain.” It’s a wonderful continuation of the Crichton legacy as mastermind behind some of the world’s greatest pop culture masterpieces such as “Jurassic Park,” “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” WestworldERComa and Twister, among others. Check out a few more Crichton faves here on Amazon too:


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How to Save $10 on Pet Food and Supplies on Amazon with Coupon!

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links, and any purchase you make through one of my links earns me $$.

Hey guys…. So, a couple of months ago I shared a post on how to get amazing deals on snacks, baking supplies, household goods, etc – by using the Amazon Prime Pantry stock-up deals, sales and coupons, and the extra bonus coupon they had at the time. It was, by far, one of my most popular posts in a long time! So, when I came across this rocking deal on using Amazon to save a ton of money on food, treats, and supplies for your pets, too – I knew I should share with ya. ;)

how to save on pet food at amazon

So I did a pretty sloppy job of covering up my personal address, I know. And I don’t really care… if y’all want to send me stuff in the mail, or show up for tea, I’m cool with that, lol. Anyway – this shows you the coupon deal, which is super great! If you spend $40 or more on selected pet items, they’ll take a big ol’ $10 right off of your purchase. Amazon prices are already really good – I shop around quite a bit in town for pet food, and everything I wanted on Amazon was slightly lower than what I pay in town. I also found a few really sweet sales. And then when you take the $10 off? Serious savings.

How to get Amazon Pet Food Deals!

This is my first shipment, that I got last week. The deal is STILL going on, so I stocked up again and bought another big box that’ll be here soon. To give you an idea of savings… In town, buying cat food cans, Friskies is their fave, I average about .55 cents per can, whether I buy it per can at the grocery store, or in bulk. Here’s what I bought at Amazon:

So, this isn’t the order shown in the screenshot above, that’s the order I just put in today. I’ll share that too, in a sec. So, on this order the total for the cat food comes out to .51 cents per can, cheaper than even the best deals I find in town – but then once you add the big container of treats so that it’s over $40, and gets the $10 off – they’re way cheaper! Score, right? And here’s what I ordered today:

So – all really great deals on brands and varieties that I already use, and then take another $10 off the total again! Whoo. 

Now, a few tips on saving money on pet food at Amazon:

Here’s the selection to choose from: Save $10 When You Spend $40. This is a limited time deal, I have no idea how much longer it will last. I chose a few items I knew I needed – then, to get right close to that $40 mark, I used the search function at the top to “Sort By” price low-to-high. There are small treats, toys, etc. in the under $5 range. 

Next, on each item’s page, some of them automatically go to the “subscribe and save” option. If you do that, you sometimes can save a couple bucks, but it won’t work with the coupon. So be sure to click the one time purchase button, before adding to cart. 

Do you use the Honey app? I kept hearing about it forever, especially those promoted posts on Facebook. I never signed up, I just didn’t “get it” I guess? But it is SO cool. There are a million uses – I’m sure I’m missing loads, so feel free to give me tips in the comments. But what I did so far is add it to my Chrome toolbar. So the little icon is there, and every time I shop online, I will click it at checkout to see if it can find a better coupon code than what I have. And often, it does! You can use it with Ebates {now called Rakuten} sometimes, but not always. It’ll tell you if you can’t use both. Anyway – it works awesome with Amazon. Everything that’s in my cart, Honey will keep an eye on it, and every day I get email updates if prices dropped on stuff I want. So.freaking.cool. It also shows a little icon when you’re shopping on Amazon, to tell you if there’s a better deal on that same item from another seller. Sign up here to check it out totally free: Join Honey.

And, speaking of Ebates/Rakuten – did you know that it lets you earn cash back on some of your Amazon purchases?? HOW DID I NOT KNOW THAT?? Lol. I’ve used them for yeeaaaaars. But only recently realized this. Because I have that in my toolbar too, so it automatically reminds me anytime I’m checking out somewhere, and asks if I want to activate cash back. It doesn’t do that on Amazon. You have to go to Ebates first, then click through. You don’t earn cash back on pet food – but there are a ton of categories that you DO earn with – I’ve been buying clothing on Amazon more often, and you earn on almost all of that. Def worth signing up. Join Ebates here.

Did you know you can save on Amazon Prime? If you’re a regular Amazon shopper, you pretty much MUST HAVE PRIME. {Plus there’s all the perks like Prime-only pricing, free movies and audiobooks, etc.} If you have an EBT card, you get a discount on Prime. If you don’t have an EBT card, and don’t have Prime yet, you can get a free trial of Amazon Prime here. There’s also a free trial of Amazon Family {formerly Amazon Mom} – which gives you big discounts on diapers, and exclusive deals on baby items. All cool stuff. I have a pile of chronic illnesses these days, so I do the majority of my shopping using Amazon. Can’t recommend Prime enough, if you don’t already have it.

I hope you find these helpful and stock up on deals too! 

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Birchbox – Get a New Box of Beauty Products Monthly!

This beauty subscription box post is sponsored, includes referral and affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Hey lovely ladies. Who loves the following things:

  • Beauty products?
  • Getting to try samples of products before buying – to make sure you like a color, or to make sure something works well with your skin?
  • Finding surprises in the mail? Like, FUN surprises, not unexpected bills?

If you’re like me, you love all of these. So you’ll also love this great beauty subscription box from Birchbox! This pretty package is only $10 a month, shipped right to your door, and filled with lovely luxe beauty products customized just for you. Awesome, right? Check out my first box:

Birchbox - Subscription Beauty Box [Read more…]

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10 Ideas for Giving Experiences Instead of Stuff

This post with 10 Experience gift ideas is sponsored by Groupon. All opinions are mine.

It’s about time to start decking the halls, jingle the bells, and decorate the tree. Christmas is just a little over a month away! And after the heck of a year that I have been through, I’m definitely ready for a bit of holly jolly and magic and joy. But, I’m also on the tightest budget imaginable. *Sigh*

10 Ideas for Giving Experiences Instead of Stuff

I always put a lot of thought into my gifts – I do a lot of personalized and handmade creations for friends and family. I clip coupons, use my creativity, and remember that the little things can be the big things. {If I thought about buying you a bright shiny new car, that’s good right? Thought that counts and all? :)} One thing we’re focusing on more lately when it comes to any type of spending, is the idea that experiences are more valuable than things. I mean think about it – give me a list of gifts you got for your birthday 4 years ago? Drawing a blank I bet. But give me three great memories from a summer vacation that same year – much easier, right? Because the joy from doing things together lasts a lot longer than the newest so-called must-have thingymajig, just about every time. And, wanna know a secret to giving “experience” style gifts while still staying under budget? Groupon!

Groupon Experience Gift Ideas

Ok, so it’s not exactly a secret, lol. Groupon has been around for quite awhile, and is a super legit, totally trusted site filled with great deals, and really cool ideas. I’m always finding really cool events, restaurants, festivals, concerts, and other fun stuff – many times at places I didn’t even know existed. Here is a list of 10 different Experience style gift ideas, all available on Groupon Things to Do, just to get you started: [Read more…]

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Best Buy Special Holiday Shopping Event – #GiftingMadeEasy

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Woo hoo! Are you ready to get a head start on your holiday shopping list, get some cool new gear for holiday entertaining, and just have some fun? Then you don’t want to miss this you guys, for reals. It’s the Best Buy Holiday Shopping Event, Holiday Gifting Made Easy. You know that Best Buy has a crazy-good selection of stuff, something for everyone from the foodie to the gamer to the photographer. Tablets for kids, mixer for mom, movies for the family, even clever gadgets like a doorbell that records video. Everything you need, in one place. And this event is the best time to shop – keep reading to find out why.

Best Buy Deals - in-store one-day shopping event [Read more…]

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Give Surprise Love Notes All Year with This Fun Kit!

This post contains a referral link.

I am SO over-the-top in love with Erin Condren products. Her site is my favorite designed site ever. Her products are so bright and cheerful and fun – and so functional and high-quality. Seriously, once you make a purchase, you’ll be hooked. {If you don’t have a planner yet, Erin Condren Life Planners are the bomb.}

Erin Condren Love Notes Deal [Read more…]

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Huge Cricut Mystery Box Deal!

This post contains affiliate links – but I only share stuff I think is awesome!

Cricut Mystery Box Deal

The December Mystery Box is Here!

The Cricut December Mystery Box only $29.99 is now available! The contents are a mystery, but this winter mystery box includes at least 3 cartridges! This month’s mystery box is over a $100 value. Supplies are limited, so get it before it’s gone! All mystery box purchases are final, but if you read reviews of past boxes, you can tell that everyone loves them.

Also, don’t forget about Free Shipping in December with code FREESHIPDEC – No minimum order required. If you’re a Cricut fan, or have any crafty types on your list – don’t miss out on this deal!!

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