Product Review for CSN stores/ New Lamp

As many of you online have done, I accepted a gift certificate to CSN stores in exchange for a product review.

And just look at the gorgeous thing that was delivered last week!


I am so in love with this Fangio Country Table Lamp in red.


The gift certificate I was sent was for $40. Now, I had really been wanting a lamp for my black end table as it sits between two chairs, and I didn't have a good reading light. Well, I won't even get into my recent financial situation, but it was just not in the cards for me to be able to buy a lamp.

So when I spied this in their clearance section, my heart did a little flip-flop! This lamp was PERFECT! I was beyond excited to rip open the box and pull out my new treasure.

My kids were more excited about the bubble wrap.

Got to admit, its one of my favorite stress releasers too.

I am so pleased at how pretty this lamp looks in my home. It matches so well with all the other red that I have in my living room.

I am thrilled beyond words with this product.

It came in the mail VERY quickly after I ordered it, and shipping was free! You'll never guess what the cost for this lamp was....$34! The reason for this was because it was on clearance due to having been returned. I cannot imagine any reason that this was returned, because it was just fine. There was not a single thing wrong with it. For anyone else to buy it though, it's going to cost you $84.99, but even that is a markdown from the original price of $164.97. What an amazing bargain I got!

The only negative I could find was the packaging, but this is because someone else returned it to CSN stores, and they did not repackage it before they sent it to me. Also, the original owner's invoice was in the box, as was her address, but the invoice part, that would have been her fault, not the company's. However, the lamp was still securely packed and arrived safely, and the lamp was absolutely just like new. I wonder if the first person had even put it together and turned it on! Didn't look like it. I am very, very pleased, and will be happy to spend my own money someday to purchase from CSN stores.

Disclaimer: Though I did receive a product for free in exchange for this product review, the opinions stated here are my own. I was not influenced in any way by CSN stores as to what I should say about the product. This product review is my own honest evaluation of the product I received.

If you are one of the lucky bloggers who are emailed an offer from CSN stores, I highly encourage you to go for it. I am so happy that I did!

Bits and Pieces

I have several various things to post about today, so am including them all in one post, kind of like Fragmented Fridays...except it's Tuesday and I'm not doing this as part of a weekly event.

First of all, I have a prayer request. This young woman is missing in Toledo, Ohio. She was last known to be riding her bike at a local park, but never came home. She is 21 years old, but with the mentality of a 12 year old. Her family is frantic as she has been missing since August 6. There have been reports of sightings, but they have been unfounded. Here is a picture of Cindy Sumner. She has muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis and developmental disabilities.

Though I do not know this young lady, she is a personal friend of my teen client. They met at MDA camp and she calls him on the phone often. He has not heard from her since she went missing. A link to some news stories on Cindy's disappearance can be found here.I know that there is a mighty prayer network out there. Please join me in praying for her safe return.

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Work continues to go well. Four nights per week I work with my teen client who has muscular dystrophy. I enjoy working with him so much. He is a great kid. In addition to this client, I also help out on weekends at a home where three younger men live. Two have Down's Syndrome and are non-verbal, and the third client is blind and autistic. They are fun to work with and are so much smarter than people would ever imagine. We caretakers make it possible for them to live an independent lifestyle, and they all work during the week, and get to participate in a lot of fun activities including weekly horseback riding. When I spend the night there, I actually get paid for sleeping! I am also training to work in the home of a woman who has some developmental disabilities. This job is so satisfying to me because I love working with people and I am very nurturing, so it is about so much more than just the pay I receive. I feel very blessed in so many ways to be able to work with my clients, and the agency is run by the best people. All my co-workers have only good things to say about the agency.

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I am very excited because I have been selected to do a product review on my blog! I was contacted by someone from CSN Stores. CSN Office Furniture sells everything from home office furniture to office accessories. You can check out them out here. I have selected this four shelf bookcase for my review.

Part of the reason I am so excited is that I have been wanting a bookshelf like this for several months, but was unable to buy one. When I receive it, I will review the product and show you how I used it to help organize my books and other items in my home. I had heard about other bloggers being selected to do product reviews, but was surprised that someone would choose me to do the same! I consider it an honor.

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I have learned that I was denied a loan modification for my house on Bonnie Lane. While it is sad that I won't be able to go back to the house I loved so much, I am happy that I have found an apartment that I love so much. There are some things about this apartment that I like even better than the house on Bonnie Lane. I love the road I live on and I have wonderful neighbors, though I also had great neighbors on Bonnie Lane. It's more quiet here though, and I actually feel more safe here. I like that everything I need in the house is just steps away. It's small, but so cozy here. The funny thing is that the entire time I lived on Bonnie Lane, I was in fear of losing the house, so never felt really settled there. I don't get that feeling here, and I know that in a couple years, if I want to move out of this area, I have the freedom to do so. It's something I am considering as I am growing tired of the winters here in Ohio. I always wanted to travel and live in other areas, and in a couple years after my son graduates, I will have the freedom to do just that.

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While driving home today, I saw the cutest thing! Three fawns were crossing a city road on their way to a bean patch. This picture is from Google Images, and are not the fawns I saw, but they are just as precious. There are a LOT of deer in this area! I see them on a regular basis down my road as I live across from the woods.


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Keep watching my blog because my 200th post is fast approaching, and I am finally going to have a long overdue giveaway! I was unable to do one for my 100th post or for my one year blogging anniversary, but the time is ripe now!


That's all for now!