Spring is Coming!

Happy March 1st everyone!! 

Did you have a good extra day of February yesterday?! I am thrilled that it is finally March! I'm pretty certain that Spring is beginning! Flowers are beginning to rise and bloom!

St. Patrick's Day is coming up and I cannot wait! My bestie will be in town to celebrate with me! I have always enjoyed celebrating St. Patty's Day, but since I found out that my Great, Great Grandfather was born in Belfast, Ireland, it makes the holiday much more meaningful! I can actually say I have Irish blood (even if it's a tiny bit)!

With every holiday comes the holiday decorations! I found this adorable Shamrock Welcome wooden sign (at JoAnn Fabrics) to paint and hang on the door:

The Dollar Tree has some cute St. Patty's Day decorations too! Last year I got some necklaces, tiny hats, headband, scarf, shamrock trinket dish, and a bowtie! This year I ran in and bought some green flowers to put in our vases by the door. I found the most adorable St. Patrick's Day flag from Hallmark!

I am also a fan of the shamrock shake from McDonalds, although, I am not a fan of the amount of calories that are included! I have been doing some pinning, and soon I'll be trying to make a healthier version of the shamrock shake! I'll have that in another post, so keep an eye out! :)

Speaking of green, and healthy, I received a few free samples of Green Superfood by Amazing Grass!

So far, I have tried out the Goji & Acai berry flavor. It definitely was GREEN! I barely tasted the berry flavor though. It wasn't a bad taste at all, but it wasn't what I was expecting. I think it would be better in a smoothie with more fruit to enhance the flavor. The fact that it plant based and packed with alkaline is the whole point. It is meant to bring more nutrients to your body. 

"Our Amazing Grass Green Food Blend includes a proprietary combination of organic, non-GMO wheat grass, barley grass, alfalfa, spirulina, spinach, chlorella, and broccoli." (https://www.amazinggrass.com/store/green-superfood-berry.html).

I know that I don't get nearly enough nutrients throughout the day, so a bottle of this superfood is a good supplement! 

Check out their website for more information: Amazing Grass

I received this product for free/discounted however this in no way influenced my review. I only write honest reviews regardless of whether I purchased a product at full price, at a discount, or received it free.

Question Time:

* Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

* What are you looking forward to the most this Spring?

* Would you try the green superfood supplement by Amazing Grass?

Easy, Breezy, Beautiful Covergirl!

My awesome friends at BzzAgent have included me in some product reviewing opportunities! It's awesome to get free products in exchange for my honest review!

My first review from BzzAgent is of the Covergirl + Olay Simply Ageless Defy foundation! As I have gotten older, more age defying products have found their way into my home. I figure it is never too early to help try to prevent wrinkles, and other signs of aging.
What caught my attention about the Covergirl + Olay Simply Ageless Defy foundation is that doesn't accentuate wrinkles, but rather "floats" over them for coverage. Included in the formula is Vitamin B and peptides-rich to make your skin look brighter/younger.

 The bottom of the compact has a storage spot with a sponge inside:

The foundation almost looks to pretty to use!

I have been disappointed in the past with foundations that you can buy at the drugstore, so I was expecting this foundation to be the same as previous experiences. 

When I first saw the compact, I thought it was aesthetically pleasing. The compact is a good size, and great for carrying around in your purse. The foundation part was cute with the swirl combination of foundation and Olay.

The sponge really worked well in applying the foundation on my skin. After applying the creamy foundation, it was very easy to evenly blend it in. I like the way it covered my face and kept my skin feeling soft. My face didn't feel heavy with makeup at all. The foundation helped even out my skin tone, and helped brighten it up! 

I love this foundation for when I'm in a hurry to get ready. I can just swipe it on quickly rather than dealing with my liquid foundations, etc.

Talk about being an easy, breezy, beautiful covergirl!  ;)

QUESTION TIME:

* What foundation do you use (if any)?

* Where do you mostly buy your makeup?

* Have you used Covergirl makeup before?

Valentine's Day Recap

Happy Wednesday! I hope y'all have been having a good week so far! Who all is ready for the weekend?

So, as you know, this past Sunday was Valentine's Day! Nathan and I had the day off together, but since I haven't been feeling too well here lately, we took it easy and went for a cruise up toward Big South Fork/Pickett State Park! We both love going exploring, even if it is just driving around. Tennessee truly is such an incredible, beautiful state!

First, we stopped and grabbed some Starbucks!
They had some cute cut-outs to take pictures with! We couldn't resist!

For a late morning snack, I had an almond coconut cashew chai KIND bar. I will definitely buy this again, it was SO GOOD!!

On our way to Pickett State Park, we spotted a random train caboose in the middle of nowhere! We drove up to it, and it had a sign stating that coming soon there will be a unique way to stay overnight - how cool would it be to sleep in a renovated train caboose?
I know there is a train hotel in Chattanooga, called the "Chattanooga Choo Choo," where you can sleep in train cars as well! That would be so much fun!

Pickett State Park was actually the first area in the southeast to be listed as a certified dark sky area. Naturally, we wanted to check it out because Nathan is big into astronomy/astrophotography. He will be going back to the park later on this year for a star party!


When we finally arrived at Pickett State Park, there were a couple of pull offs that lured us in, especially since they were close by and easy walks.
We stopped to take a look at one of the two natural bridges in the park, then we explored the Hazard Cave!

I slipped and fell shortly after that last picture....ouch! I was actually pretty sore not too long after falling down, so we ended up cancelling our reservations for dinner.  :(
Luckily, I have been using my Panaway essential oil to rub on my back, etc. to help keep the pain and soreness away! Again, I love these oils!!

However, we still had a nice, intimate, relaxing Valentine's Day! I just love when we are able to spend quality time together!

You can't have Valentine's Day without chocolate!  <3


Since we were basically stuck at home the rest of the day, the decision to make guacamole was made!

Who doesn't love guacamole?! I buy it all the time, but have never tried making my own before.

Ingredients:

3 avocados

2 cloves garlic

1 tomato

1 lime

1/4 red onion

salt

First, I split open the avocados in half and spooned them into a bowl. The next step was spritzing the avocados with lime juice and mashing them up. Separately, the tomatoes, garlic, and red onion were cut into small pieces. Lastly those ingredients were added to the mashed avocado and all mixed together!

My advice would be to mix up the avocado into a food processor or blender. Mashing them by hand left the guacamole a little too chunky. Next time, I would add some Cilantro essential oil to the guacamole for a little bit of extra flavor.

It still tasted awesome! Nathan and I devoured it quickly! 

The past couple of mornings have literally been icy! Yikes! The bad weather makes it even more perfect to be inside and have a cup of hot coffee from my lovely friends at Real Good Coffee Co.! 

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!    :)

Question Time!

* What did you do for Valentine's Day?

* Do you like to go exploring and/or hiking?

* Do you like guacamole? Which ingredients do you prefer in your guacamole?

Calling All Coffee Lovers!

COFFEE. COFFEE. COFFEE. 

<3

Coffee is the one beverage I could never, ever live without.  There is no better feeling than sipping on a cup of hot, smooth coffee first thing in the morning. There is something extremely soothing about a quiet morning and the aroma of hot coffee in the air. 

The coffee professionals at Real Good Coffee Co., based in Seattle WA, obviously know their coffee. Trust me, the company's name does not lie! 

A good cup of coffee can sometimes be too expensive, but not the coffee from Real Good Coffee Co.! I love how affordable their prices are, and how delicious their coffee is. How amazing is it that you can subscribe to have their coffee delivered monthly AND with FREE shipping?! Now that's the kind of subscription box I truly want!

Real Good Coffee Co. has three flavors of k-cups to choose from:

* Breakfast Blend - Light Roast

* Donut Shop - Medium Roast - Extra Bold

* French Roast - Dark Roast - Extra Bold

It is a huge relief that the coffee blends don't have fancy names that make it difficult to distinguish which type of coffee flavor each of them are. These k-cups are straight to the point, so if you want light, medium, or dark, you know which one to choose! I hate going to a coffee shop and seeing a ton of different extravagant names for their coffees and taking forever trying to figure out which flavor each of them are!

Plus, sometimes you can order a drink at a coffee shop and it turns out awful because the barista made it differently. At least with these k-cups, you know exactly how it is going to taste and you won't be disappointed. Plus, you can tweak it anyway you like in the comfort of your own home!

The first k-cup I tried out was the Donut Shop - medium roast. It was so good that I actually drank it without adding anything extra - which I haven't been able to do in a while. Sometimes, even the medium blended coffees can hurt my stomach, but not this brand. It is such a smooth flavor, I am so glad I can drink it black so I can really savor the coffee flavor, rather than mask it with cream or milk!

Next, I tried the Breakfast Blend - light roast k-cup. It is another fabulous flavor that I truly enjoy! Again, this is a coffee blend that does not need any cream, milk, or sugar added to it. Even though this flavor is titled the "breakfast blend," it is the perfect coffee to brew up and drink anytime of the day! I can see myself bringing this blend with me to work and drinking in the afternoon as a treat!

Last, but not least, I tried the French Roast - dark roast. Wow! Now if you have a hard time waking up in the morning, this is the cup of coffee you want to have first thing to help you wake up. This blend is the best for a pick me up! The dark roast would be amazing to use for making iced coffee drinks at home! As much as I love the flavor of the dark roast, sometimes it can hurt my stomach, so I add some milk or cream to it. I know adding some ice and almond milk to the french roast will make the best iced coffee latte! Yum!

Even when traveling, these k-cups come in handy because I can pack them up and take them with me! Most of the time nowadays, hotels have a Keurig or Keurig like coffee maker, so all I need with me is my favorite k-cup!   :)

The k-cups are also made from 100% recyclable materials! Real Good Coffee Co. makes a point in telling you how to recycle their k-cups. I like when a company actually cares about our planet, environment, and explains how you can recycle their products!

MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!!!

I love these coffee k-cups so much that I want to share them with you with my first giveaway!! The winner gets one of each of the three coffee k-cups by Real Good Coffee Co.! 

To enter the contest, all you have to do is:

* Post a comment stating that you want to try these delicious k-cups!

The contest will end February 20th, and I will announce and contact the winner!  :)

Good luck!

Question Time!

* Do you drink any specific brand of k-cup coffees?

* Which blend of coffee is your favorite? Light, medium, or dark roasts?

Go check out Real Good Coffee Co., and their amazing coffee:

http://realgoodcoffeeco.com/

I received this product for free/discounted however this in no way influenced my review. I only write honest reviews regardless of whether I purchased a product at full price, at a discount, or received it free.

Sunday Funday!

Hey everyone! Happy Sunday! It has been a few days since my last post, so here is a little bit of what has been going on!

I've been attempting to prepare healthy meals ahead of time to last throughout the week. 

 Preparing healthy meals this past week has given me the opportunity to use my air fryer! Seriously though, who doesn't love fried foods? Everyone loves the taste of fried food but hates the calories and fat that goes along with it. I bet when you hear "air fryer," you don't automatically think it will be healthy.  I received my Farberware air fryer this past Christmas. I cannot believe I haven't used it until now! 

The top knob on the fryer is for heat, and the bottom knob is the timer. 

I added my marinated chicken and slid the basket into the air fryer with ZERO oil! Yep, you read that right. I fried chicken with no oil whatsoever!

Since it was my first time using the air fryer, I kept checking the chicken to make sure it was cooked all the way through. I love how crispy the chicken was on the outside, and it was juicy and tender on the inside. The flavor was delicious! I'm really impressed with the air fryer. I don't think I'll be using my grill or oven anytime soon.... ;)

Now that I know how to use my air fryer, I can start planning on what awesome snacks to prepare for the Superbowl!! I already know that I HAVE to try making fried pickles!! YUM!!

Who else is excited for the Superbowl?? Broncos vs. Panthers! It certainly will be interesting! Who will you be rooting for? I'm having a hard time deciding between the two teams, but I think I'm going to have to go with the Broncos! If you live in Tennessee, you are more likely to be a Peyton Manning fan!  :)

A few other healthy meals this past week:

It had been forever since I had oatmeal but it sounded really good. I boiled the water, stirred in the oats, and let it cool a little before I mixed in two tablespoons of chocolate PB2. I put the oatmeal in a bowl and covered it with a sliced banana! 

It was SOOOO good! This is definitely a new favorite breakfast go-to for me. 

You cannot go wrong with smoothies. When I start craving ice-cream, which is often, I make smoothies! This past week, I made a peach & banana smoothie. I used a little less than 1/4 cup of Almond Breeze almond/cashew milk, 1/4 cup of Dannon Light & Fit vanilla yogurt, 1 banana, and about 6 frozen sliced peaches. 

I added the yogurt to give the smoothie more of a milkshake texture. Next time, I want to try it with Coconut yogurt instead of dairy yogurt.

When I am out and about, my absolute #1 restaurant of choice is Panera Bread! I'm addicted to their chicken greek salad. I probably could eat that salad twice a day, everyday! It can be hard to resist since it is right across the street from work!

I still have been looking for items around the house to re-use for organizing purposes. I saved all the Hickory Farms sweet hot mustard jars, cleaned them out and painted the lids! These will be perfect for holding salad dressings, other condiments, and taking them to work for lunch and/or picnics! 

These jars would also be cute filled with some Valentine's Day candy and a ribbon around it for a little gift for friends, co-workers, etc.!

Command Hooks are one of my favorite items at the moment for organizing. I have been hanging them everywhere. Command hooks are amazing because they don't ruin walls or furniture! I've ended up saving a lot more space in my kitchen just with a few hooks!

There are multiple different types of command hooks, and I cannot wait to try some of their other items for organizing the house!

Overall, I have had a low key week and weekend, but I did dog-sit my friend's pups last night! Chloe and Chipper are the sweetest doggies, so when I was asked if they could spend the night, it was a no brainer! Riley wasn't thrilled but he had the upstairs and master bedroom all to himself! 

I am a huge animal lover, and for me, the more the merrier! I just felt bad for Chipper because he would go to the door anytime he heard a noise. We cuddled a lot, but he still was quite anxious. Since they were in a new unfamiliar place, I slept downstairs on the sofa to keep them from feeling so alone. We took some cute pictures at least! 

Meet Chloe:

Meet Chipper:

Aren't they adorable?!

While I was dog-sitting, I spent some time marathoning the current season of Younger (on TV Land). Now that I know it is on Wednesday nights at 10pm, I'm going to have to keep up on it! Younger is a hilarious show. Check it out! 

<3 Don't forget tomorrow is the first day of February! <3

I can't wait to post some ideas for Valentine's Day!

Here are some questions for y'all:

* Do you have any pets?

* What are some of your favorite snacks and beverages to have during the Superbowl? 

* Do you stick with only healthy snacks, unhealthy foods, or a mixture of both?