About

Meet Regina Blanton

Hello there I’m Regina Blanton, the voice (and hands-on reviewer) behind MonkeyShinesB.com. I’ve called the Lakeside district of Portland, Oregon home for the past eight years, where morning coffee walks by the Willamette help spark ideas for what I’ll test next. Between the rustle of leaves and distant city hum, I carve out dedicated review sessions, finding products I genuinely believe in or don’t and sharing the full story.

My background how I got here

Before turning to full-time reviewing in 2025, I spent nearly a decade working in boutique home-goods retail management. With a B.A. in Consumer Behavior from the University of Washington, I joined a small independent store where I learned to dissect the difference between feels-nice and performs-well. I watched firsthand how trends swept in, how buyers promised one thing and delivered another, and that’s when I decided I wanted to dig deeper.

Regina Blanton
Regina Blanton

As part of that world, I polished my ability to ask the tough questions: “Will this still hold up six months from now? Does it matter in everyday life?” By 2024, I’d grown curious about telling those answers in a broader way and so in early 2025, I launched MonkeyShinesB.com as a place to share honest product reviews, real-world usage insights, and practical advice for people who want their money to work harder.

Why this blog and what I stand for

Even though the domain name carries a playful hint of mischief (“monkey shenanigans”), what you’ll find here is earnest. My mission is to cut through the hype: I’m not here to chase shiny pages or endless trend cycles. My goal is to stay grounded. I test products under real-life conditions (kids crashing, pets messing, weather shifting) and answer the questions most folks hesitate to ask.

On this site you’ll find deep dives on gear, home essentials, and lifestyle tools everything from “did this survive my morning routine with chaos?” to “is this upgrade worth the price?” I always reveal what worked, what didn’t, and whether I’d repurchase it myself.

A little about life behind the reviews

When I’m not elbow-deep in testing something new, you’ll catch me out exploring Portland’s greenways by bike or whipping up a late-night snack inspired by whatever produce I found at the neighborhood co-op. My partner and I share a rescued greyhound named Wren, who provides no shortage of unfiltered feedback (she’s especially honest about outdoor gear). I believe good reviews come from living a real life, not fabricated setups so you’ll always see things tested amid real routine, real mess, and real expectations.

What’s next for Monkey Shinesb

I’m excited for the journey ahead. This blog is building into more than just “what’s new” I’m weaving in comparisons, long-term updates (six-month check-ins), and community-driven picks (if you want me to test something, I’ll try). Every post is about one thing: helping you decide confidently whether a product belongs in your daily rhythm.

Thank you for stopping by. Pull up a chair, explore, and let’s figure out what’s worth your space — and what’s not.

Author Profile

Regina Blanton
Regina Blanton
Regina Blanton is a product reviewer and everyday consumer advocate based in Portland, Oregon. With a background in home-goods retail management and a degree in Consumer Behavior from the University of Washington, she’s spent years understanding what makes a product truly worth its price. Her sharp eye for detail and curiosity about quality inspired her to launch MonkeyShinesB.com in 2025, where she shares honest, experience-based reviews that help readers make smarter buying decisions.

When she’s not testing the latest gear or gadgets, Regina enjoys exploring Portland’s bike trails, cooking seasonal meals, and spending time with her rescue greyhound, Wren. She believes in practical living, mindful spending, and using real-life testing—not marketing promises—to guide her opinions. Through her writing, she hopes to make product research a little clearer, a little friendlier, and a lot more trustworthy.
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