Poppin' Off- The Walking Dead Mid-Season Finale

I don't usually write about specific teevee episodes. I'm more of a series-as-a-whole type of person. But last Sunday's season five mid season finale of The Walking Dead was so talked about that I thought I would throw my two cents in. And yes, there are spoilers if you *still* haven't watched it or read any of the articles or tweets or Facebook statuses about it yet :)

I am the type of person that actively seeks out spoilers. I didn't use to be like that. But lately, they almost seem unavoidable, so I figured I would just embrace the spoiling culture. But with this episode, I didn't want to know. I knew someone was going to die, and I just didn't want to deal with it yet. However, I had been reading articles that speculated who was going to die, and most of the comments had Tyreese, Judith and Sasha as the main picks. Carol was also a top contender after Norman Reedus said that he spent hours crying before shooting a particular scene. Only once did I see someone say that they thought it was Beth, because they had read somewhere that she had a new gig lined up already. Spoiler alert, that commenter was right. So that night, I tried so hard to stay away from the Internet dumping grounds. No Facebook. No Twitter. No Yahoo with its spoiler filled front page. But I went on Instagram. And damnit, I saw a spoiler. So I knew it was coming. But it still shocked me.

I don't know why her death got to me like it did. She wasn't a favorite of mine. I didn't hate her character, but I didn't love her either. I felt like I was finally getting to know her this past season, when she was off with Daryl. But then they took her away. And when they finally did bring her back, and with her own story arc no less, they killed her off. Weak. The whole episode was pretty tame too, until the end. Then it was like "Here's all the emotions! Feel them! NOW!!!" Seeing Rick and Daryl cry was tough. And then Maggie. Oh Maggie. That made me tear up. Twitter almost crashed with reaction. So many people were upset, I almost wonder if Robert Kirkman and the rest of TWD creative team regrets choosing Beth as the one to die. And then that awkward Talking Dead where he had to sit next to her while she cried about having to leave the show....

The fan reactions weren't all mourning her loss though. Some were mourning the wasted episodes. Why build up the hospital arc, only to kill off Beth and then leave the hospital without taking anything or anyone from it? Others tried to liken it to current events because of Dawn, which is so unnecessary I can't even fathom why they thought that was a good idea. Just because they were cops means....what? I believe that Dawn knew that story about how the other officer died was fake. She was already well aware of the fact that her cronies in the hospital were losing faith in her leadership abilities, as exhibited by her friend that met his demise in the elevator shaft. Her adding Noah to the negotiations was her way of grandstanding to the hospital folks, trying to show that she still wears the pants. I think Beth's pitiful attempt to stab Dawn in her bulletproof vest protected shoulder was an attempt to get her group to help the hospital people get away from Dawn. I don't think she expected Dawn to shoot her since they'd had the bonding moment in the elevator area. In any event, she shouldn't have gone out like that. It was pitiful, and she had developed into a much stronger girl then she was when they found her at the farm. She deserved a better send off, if not more time on the show.

all photos from tvline.com

What did you think of the finale? Was it what you were expecting, or were you disappointed by Beth's death? There's so much to cover on this one! Let me know what you thought of it in the comments :)

Five Fandom Friday- Songs to Spread Holiday Cheer

Happy Friday Everyone! Today's Five Fandom Friday is all about those Christmas songs that bring you joy, or you know, just don't annoy you. I feel really bad for anyone that's a Target employee, because I know that all four of my local Targets have been playing the Frozen soundtrack on repeat since the day after Halloween. I guess its beats the regular montage of Christmas songs, but its probably going to ruin that fabulous soundtrack for all those people. I could go nuts making Christmas playlists, I really enjoy Christmas music that much. There were a few years when Christmas music was ruined for me because I worked in a sandwich shop that played a work friendly radio station, and during the holiday season it played the worst renditions of Christmas songs ever, but I'm over it now!

1. Carol of the Bells- Pentatonix I've actually made playlists dedicated to this song. It is my all time favorite Christmas song. Ever. I even mentioned that last year lol. I guess I keep consistent :)

2. Don't Be A Jerk (Its Christmas)- Spongebob Squarepants Some words of wisdom from a sponge that wears pants. Don't be rude, its Christmas!

3. Troy and Abed's Christmas Rap I loved Community when it was this Community. *Troy and Abed in the Morning.* And its no secret that I love Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino.

4. Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer- Elmo and Patsy Probably not the best to listen to if you have children that still believe in Santa, but this song is kind of a stress reliever during the holidays. Its silly and fun. And if you're pissed off at someone, you can substitute their name in for Grandma's :)

5. Hark the Herald Angel Sings- A Charlie Brown Christmas This soundtrack was one of the first CDs I ever owned. And this song never fails to conjure images of Charlie Brown and the Peanuts Gang with their heads pointed to the sky, so all you see are mouths and noses, singing. Reminds me of being a kid, which is nice sometimes.

Bonus songs-

Carol of the Bells- Destiny's Child I told you this was my favorite Christmas song!! And I am a musical product of the late 90's early 2000's in some ways. I have the N'Sync Christmas album too. Shh, don't tell anyone.....

Mary Did You Know?- Pentatonix I really like Pentatonix. And super sad story about this song. My father-in-law's mom passed away last November, and this was her favorite church song, as they called it. The congregation sang it at her funeral, and my father-in-law's dad sang along the loudest, and it was just heartbreaking. I can't really hear the song anymore without thinking of that day, but Pentatonix sings it really well. 

What are your favorite Christmas songs? As always, special thanks to Megan and Kristen for thinking up these great Fandom Friday topics! 

Con*Quest Journal Review and Giveaway

Today I am beyond excited to share with you this Con*Quest Journal! I started talking about it yesterday in the Convention Goer Gift Guide, but I had to stop myself because it would've given away the surprise! Yes, this is the item you get a chance to win!

Photo from conquestjournal.com

I have a deep love for journals, notebooks, scrapbooks....anything that I can turn into keepsake. I've always been like that. I find that as I get older though, I don't have the time to spend to sit down and create the elaborate layouts for scrapbooks like I used to. When Smashbooks came onto the scene a few years back, I really embraced those because the pages already came patterned, and all you had to do was jot down your thoughts, stick in your ticket stubs or what have you, and you were done. Instant memory book. So when I saw that the Con*Quest journal had the sustainability of a scrapbook, but with the ease of a Smashbook, I was sold. I reached out to Shelley, the creator of this fabulous journal, to do this giveaway, and I was floored when she said she'd love to. And then I just about fainted when she said I could have one to review!! 

I had to take my journal outside to photograph, because my house was not built with lighting in mind. But this is how it comes, right out of the box. Theres a Sharpie included, so you can just pick it up and go out onto the convention floor. There's a band on the journal that will keep it nice and closed.

Once you open the journal, there is an introduction page that explains how things work. Then you flip to the next page and you see this guy, Questly. Super fun side note, Shelley recently held a contest to name this little guy, and I suggested Questly. I was so surprised when I found out that she chose that name as the winner! Anyway, each area of the journal is broken up into "quests". First up is autographs, then artists, vendors, cosplay, panel, peeps and city.

There are a few pages for each "quest" and you can buy refill pages on the Con*Quest journal website for just $5.00. I think the Panel Quest pages are especially neat because sometimes celebrities say really memorable things, and later when you want to blog about it, you'll have it written down. I know when I went to a few Nerd HQ panels this year, there were quotes I thought for sure I could remember, and then when I came home I just could not think of them. Luckily they put those panels on YouTube, but that isn't the case for everything, so this definitely comes in handy for those moments.

The City Quest is another one I really like. If you're attending conventions that aren't in your hometown, then this is a good way to remember places to eat, stay, visit, etc that are good. There are also spaces to write down what places are not so good. That way, you don't have to worry about making the same mistake next time you're in town.

In the back on the journal there are four protectors that are perfect for putting 8x10 photos in, plus one sheet for storing business cards. Theres also a huge zip up envelope for ticket stubs, stickers, or any other loose item you want to keep that doesn't have a space on the pages. 

Every page has vibrant coloring, and the paper quality is very good. And since its a binder, there is lots of room for expansion. There are also two buying options, which I didn't mention at the beginning. You can buy the journal with a really neat canvas tote bag or you can buy the journal by itself. The tote bag has an extra long strap (or maybe I'm just short), so you can use it cross body and it will fit over any bulky costume pieces. I don't know about you guys, but I'm a sucker for a bag just as much as I am a notebook, so the fact that you can get both together was a major plus for me :) 

Now here's the super exciting part for you guys. You get a chance to win one of these bad boys!! This contest is open internationally. It starts today, November 29th, 2014 and will end on December 7th, 2014. A winner will be chosen on or around that date. The winner will be notified by email that they've won, and will then have 48 hours to respond to that email. If no response is received within that time period, a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway or promo only accounts are not eligible for winning, and if you use one, you will be disqualified. I cannot stress that enough. If you're like me and just love this journal so much that you want it now, use code TURKEY on the Con*Quest website  today until Monday, December 1, 2014 for free shipping on your order. Thanks so much for stopping by and good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Con*Quest Journal around the web:

*Website

*Facebook

*Instagram

*Twitter

*YouTube

Gift Guide- Convention Goer

Happy Friday! I hope you've all recovered from your turkey comas! Today's gift guide is all about the convention goers in your life. This person could value SDCC more than Christmas! So its even more important to get them something that, come July in San Diego (or whatever their convention of choice is), they'll look at it and think that you're almost as amazing as that photo they just took with Nathan Fillion.

1. Con*Quest Journal. I found out about these bad boys right before SDCC this year and was crushed that I couldn't buy one because I was broke (you know, from saving for SDCC). They are comparable to Smashbooks, so you can just shove your con junk in there and have a pretty decent memory book of the convention with very little effort.

2. Handbag of Holding. Its no secret that I want this bag. I even put it on a Monday Mix Up earlier this year. It has a lot of pockets, to hold all the essential convention items (pens, electronics, cords, snacks, etc), and it has the option of making it a cross body bag, which is really nice when those convention days turn into convention nights, and you just don't feel like your predominate purse carrying shoulder can carry anymore. Plus, its a nice brown that can go with several cosplays if thats a concern for you.

3. Comfy pants. I like these Firefly leggings and R2D2 yoga pants for the ladies and these Star Wars lounge pants and Jinx lounge pants for the guys, but you know what your con goer prefers :) Once you're done walking the convention floor or hitting the amazing after parties, you still want to rock your geekdom in your hotel room! 

4. Nerdist Convention Hoodie. This hoodie has all the bells and whistles. Lots of pockets to carry your stuff in, even posters!

5. A backup power source.  The battery life struggle is real at conventions. Sometimes you just can't get one of those outlets on the convention wall, and you know your phone or your camera just isn't going to make it through the day. That's when a portable charger comes in handy, though they can sometimes be bulky. If your con goer doesn't have one of these already, they will love you for this! My husband recently bought a battery charger that similar to this Anker® 2nd Gen Astro E4 13000mAh External Battery Portable Dual USB Charger Power Bank. Its very portable and pretty lightweight. It can charge two electronic devices at once. Just be sure to buy a power source thats compatible with their devices. Not all USB plugs are created equally.

6. Gift cards! If you just aren't sure what the convention goer in your life might need, get them a gift card. Good places are Think Geek and Jinx for apparel and accessories, any craft store if they're cosplayers, Starbucks (because conventions and making cosplays require caffeine), and Netflix, so they can keep up on their fandoms or discover some new ones.  

So these are  my suggestions for gifts to give the avid convention goer. Did I miss anything? Also, you may have noticed that this gift guide was not done in the same way that my other gift guides have been. The reason for that is because I am reviewing one of these items tomorrow, and you get a chance to win it!! Yay!!! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I loled when I Googled cornucopia and this was the first image that popped up. Figured I might as well use it. Google knows me too well.

Happy Thanksgiving! Today is the day when we get to eat way too much turkey and pie! I really am not big on turkey, to be honest. I'm more of a sides and pie girl. I like mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, olives (yes, they were presented to me as a side as a child, so I still consider them one), cranberry sauce (only the jellied one that looks like the can it came in) and pumpkin pie buried in whipped cream. Today is also a day to give a few moments to allow yourself to reflect on what you're thankful for. It doesn't have to be anything deep or meaningful. I am thankful for my family and the fact that I'm alive. But I'm also thankful that my cat tolerates me enough now that she'll jump on the couch with me sometimes, and that the Real Housewives of Atlanta and Beverly Hills are back on teevee. See, I have varying degrees of thankfulness, but it doesn't make any of them any less important to  me. And whatever you're thankful for this year is equally as important - no matter what it is.

I know that some of you may be planning to head out to Black Friday sales, or Thanksgiving Day sales (since so many stores are opening up right after dinner time tonight) to start on your Christmas shopping, and that's cool. I have never been one to brave those crowds, I am just not a people person like that. But before you go, I'd like to leave you with these links, and maybe you might like to donate to one of them today (or some time this holiday season). My grandfather believed that if you had even just a little extra to give to someone else, you should. He grew up during the Depression, so sharing with and helping out your neighbors was something that he experienced firsthand. Volunteering and donating has always been a big part of my life, and I try to pass that spirit on to others when I'm able.

*WoW Mom- This Kickstarter is for a documentary about a lady named Terry who has a very serious form of cancer, and uses World of Warcraft to cope with it. Cancer is a subject near and dear to me, and Terry using WoW to deal with what is going on with her health is interesting to me. Backer perks range from online screenings of the documentary to a Skype call with cast members of The Guild. Chris Hardwick is a supporter of Terry and her daughter Andie, and there are Nerdist perks available too. This Kickstarter ends on December 11, 2014. They are hoping to raise $45,000 and as of press time they have raised $23,387.

*Game and Gab for Good- Created by Mariko McDonald of Gamerwife, this event is aiming to raise $2000 to give to Love146, which is an organization that's helping to stop child trafficking and exploitation. The event is December 9th, 2014. Mariko and others will be discussing the evolution of female protagonists in the game industry while playing Contrast in a live stream. You also have a chance of winning some really neat prizes depending on your donation amount, so thats pretty awesome.

*Extra Life and Play Live- I haven't been able to stream much lately, as my laptop is hanging on to dear life, but I am still raising money for these charities. Play Live is ongoing, Extra Life will go until December 30, 2014. Both are great causes that help children dealing with life changing events. Play Live specifically goes to helping St Jude hospitals- for supplies, research, and to make sure that any child there for cancer treatment never receives a bill for their care. Extra Life supports Children's Miracle Network hospitals. The money raised is given to those hospitals and they can use it as they need it. Meaning they can use it to pay for more training, equipment, whatever the hospital is lacking at that time. And there is a giveaway going on here for an in-game pet if you donate to these.......

*Operation Supply Drop- This organization donates games and gaming consoles to the US military. They also hold a gaming marathon once a year, similar to Extra Life. My brother is currently serving in the Army, and while we have been so lucky that he hasn't been sent overseas, we have known so many other servicemen that have. These "supply drops" help the men and women serving our country get a little fun and relaxation in an otherwise harsh environment. If you click on the link, it will take you to my donor page. I would like to announce here that I am also looking to form a team for this cause! Click on the Team KMT part of my profile and you should be able to register if you'd like :)

*Samaritan's Purse- This organization has been in the spotlight recently because they had some of their volunteers in Africa contracted Ebola. I know Samaritan's Purse because of their Christmas Shoeboxes though. My stepmom's church does them every year, and they're a lot of fun to make. You get to choose the gender and age of the child you'd like to make a box for, then fill it will some fun things (small, yet age appropriate toys) and some practical things (soap, toothpaste,etc). The boxes get sent to Samaritan's Purse, who then sends them to countries where the boxes are needed. Their website shows the many ways in which you can donate, including building a Christmas Shoebox online!

And here is a list of sites that the IGGPPC compiled during our camp this year. Its all about donating books. The list is mighty, and doesn't just cover the US.

So these are just a few things that I think are great causes to donate to. But even if none of these causes tickle your fancy, I do hope that you'll find something that does this holiday season, and give a little to it. Whether its time, money, or supplies- anything helps, truly.

Have a safe and happy day!

Gift Guide- World of Warcraft and Hearthstone (plus a little loot)

Happy Thanksgiving eve to my American readers! And Happy Just-Another-Day to my non-American readers! Today's gift guide is all about WoW and Hearthstone. I haven't done a WoW Wednesday in forever, so its about time right? Keep reading until the end, because there's a little giveaway for those of you who are feeling the Thanksgiving vibes today :)

WoW Gift Guide by krystellemt 

Alliance T shirt / Robes / World of Warcraft Journals / J!NX Alliance Hoodie / J!NX : World of Warcraft Murloc Zip-Up Hoodie / J!NX World of Warcraft Horde Track Jacket / J!NX : World of Warcraft Pandaren Express Premium Tee / J!NX : World of Warcraft Horde Wrapping Paper / J!NX : World of Warcraft Alliance Wrapping Paper / WORLD OF WARCRAFT MONOPOLY COLLECTORS EDITION / FUNKO POP! VINYL MURLOC / CUTE BUT DEADLY SYLVANAS KEYCHAIN

These items were found at Think Geek, Jinx, and the Blizzard Store.

Hearthstone by krystellemt 

J!NX : Hearthstone Vintage Logo Premium Tee / New Golden Heroes edition Hearthstone coffee mug by castastone / HEARTHSTONE THROW PILLOW / HEARTHSTONE ICE CUBE TRAY / HEARTHSTONE LIGHT-UP KEYCHAIN

Sadly, there isn't much for the Heartstone fan just yet. Everything here came from the Blizzard store, except the tee shirt (Jinx) and the mug (etsy,com).

So here's the fun part for you, if you're in the giving mood. I am giving away an in-game pet of your choice to two lucky readers! Yay! This is an international giveaway that opens right now and stays that way until midnight California time on December 29, 2014! There is no tweeting, no account following, none of that. All you have to do is donate to Play Live or Extra Life. The donation has to be a minimum of $5. You can donate more than that, but it will not increase your chances of winning. You can donate to both charities, and that will increase your chances of winning. The winners will be chosen on or around December 29, 2014. Winners will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond to that email. If no response is received, a new winner will be chosen. Good luck!!

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Gift Guide- Minecraft

I can't believe the time has come to start thinking about Christmas! I feel like just the other day I was bemoaning my way through summer, wishing for fall. I thought I'd start making some gift guides to share with you guys, mostly because I like making things like this, and also because it helps me keep track of things that I might like to buy for someone (or  might like to have someone buy for me!!). Today's gift guide is all about Minecraft. My eight year old son is in love with this game. He plays on the PS3 with some of his friends from school. And when he can't find one of them to play with, he enlists his four year old sister. She is actually pretty good at it too. I have tried to play it, and I suck. I also don't have the patience for it. Constantly breaking all those dirt blocks.....


A lot of Minecraft stuff can be found at Jinx.com. You can find some of Jinx's stuff at Target though, and sometimes its cheaper than actually buying from Jinx. At least when it comes to the shirts- toys are the same price (unless Target is having a sale or has a Cartwheel for them). Etsy is also very good if you're looking for something with a homemade touch. Think Geek and Barnes and Noble are very good places to find Minecraft items that may be sold out on other sites. Today's gift guides are kind of a mishmash for any age/any gender that likes to play the game.

Minecraft Guide 1 by krystellemt 

3 Pack Pink Minecraft Socks / 2013 Minecon Pins / Creeper Mug / Minecraft Cookie Cutters / Pickaxe Bottle Opener / Minecraft Sheep Hair Bow for Girls / Minecraft Creeper Creeper | ThinkGeek / World of Minecraft Tee Shirt / Minecraft Perler Bead Bow Tie

Minecraft Guide 2 by krystellemt 

Chest Wallet / Creeper necklace / LEGO Minecraft / J!NX : Minecraft Line Time Premium Tee / Minecraft: The Complete Handbook Collection / Minecraft: The Unlikely Tale of Markus "Notch" Persson / Minecraft Core Survival Pack : Target / J!NX Minecraft Diamond Wrapping Paper / J!NX : Minecraft Steve Pets Sticker Pack / Minecraft Boys' Graphic Tee - Blue : Target