Baby, It's Cold Outside ❄️

❄️

Brrr...It is a cold start to this Sunday morning! A chilly 24 degrees outside right now!

I LOVE this cold weather! Knoxville actually had some decent flurries on Friday!

Chilly days call for hot cocoa!

This past week has been a lot of fun. I've been able to do a little exploring around Knoxville and check out some places that I have been wanting to go to for a while now! Here's a recap of this past week!

First off, I'm super excited that I can finally make smoothies again! I got a Ninja blender for my Birthday last week, and I've been making a smoothie practically everyday!

To get my chocolate cravings in, I've been making more banana, chocolate smoothies. I add the ground flaxseed because of the health benefits, but mostly because it helps keep me fuller, longer. 

1 banana, chocolate almond milk (about 1/2 cup) , 1/2 tablespoon ground flaxseed, and ice!

Speaking of chocolate cravings...

Last Monday was NATIONAL COOKIE DAY!!

I picked up these gluten-free cookies from Aldi! The brand is Live G Free, and these cookies were double chocolate brownie. Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprising, the cookies tasted really good! I liked how soft and chewy these cookies were. The only downfall is how tiny they are! 2 cookies = 120 calories. Two cookies isn't bad though when you just need a little bit of dessert!

Cat cuddles!

Now, for the exploring Knoxville restaurants/shops bit:

I enjoy my days off with the hubby, especially since it doesn't happen often enough. I was ecstatic when we had Thursday off together.

Nathan and I have a nice long list of restaurants we want to try out. 

We decided to go to Tandur Indian Kitchen for lunch!

Tandur Indian Kitchen was sooooo yummy!! I certainly love Indian food, so when I heard about Tandur Indian Kitchen arriving in Knoxville, TN, I was extremely excited! When you enter the restaurant, I was greeted by the friendliest staff, offering to explain the menu. I already knew the majority of the menu, so I ordered right away! 

I love Saag (creamed spinach), so I ordered it with chicken. My meal came with either basmati rice or brown (I ordered brown rice), and regular Naan bread.

We ordered vegetable samosas to start out - the mint sauce is delicious! I have to learn the recipe!

Samosas!

Saag with chicken, brown rice, and plain naan!

After an incredible lunch, the hubs and I needed to walk it off. Just down the road is Bearden area, and there are so many local shops that I haven't been to yet!

Fig & Co. is one of the many places that I had been really wanting to check out. I can't believe it has taken me this long to go into Fig & Co.! They had the cutest home decor and very reasonable prices! This is the place to go to get your Christmas presents for everyone!

The staff was extremely friendly, as soon as Nathan and I walked in, we were offered to try some chocolates (we were too full from our lunch), and they also gladly answered any questions we had! I really appreciate genuine customer service; that's exactly what you receive at Fig & Co.!

I bought an adorable fox trinket box, a little "puzzle" reindeer! I plan on going back very soon to get some more Christmas gifts!

Right next door to Fig & Co., is another interesting boutique/shop - Ironic.  Ironic had really one of a kind pieces that I absolutely adored! This advent calendar was super cute (move the mouse to each day of the month)! At Ironic, there was home decor, clothing, some jewelry, chalk paint, and more!

Since we were still in Bearden area, we went into Nadeau (furniture with a soul).

 The staff was also extremely friendly and inviting! 

There were SO many pieces of furniture that I just wished I could take home with us! The prices were surprisingly reasonable for the majority of the pieces of furniture!

I will certainly go back after the holidays, and pick out the beautiful pieces of furniture I want/need for the home!

It's always exciting exploring new restaurants and shops. I have a list of more places so it won't be long till I check more places out! 

❄️

Oh, apparently, the Nutcrackers couldn't handle all the nuts...😂

QUESTIONS:

* Do you enjoy snow?

* Have you had snow/flurries yet?

* Have you finished your Christmas present shopping?

A Little Hiking and Enlightened!

Hey y'all!

Did you have a good Labor Day weekend? My parents were in town, and we had a really fun time. It's always sad to see them leave, and the weekends always fly by too quickly.

Before I talk about Labor Day weekend, I'll tell you a little about the previous weekend! 

Hiking has been my first victory of multiple goals I have in mind to accomplish since I've been really sick. I love being outdoors, and it was finally time to try out hiking again!

The weekend before last, Nathan and I ventured over to Lilly Bluff to go on a small hike.

Curious Cows

There was a little watering hole area, so we climbed down to check it out. It was extremely peaceful, so we relaxed at the watering hole for about 15 minutes before heading back up.

Pretty blue dragonfly

Red Mushroom

It was fantastic being back outside and taking pictures along the way. I had to go extremely slow, so we didn't take any long, difficult trails - we didn't even hike more than an hour around Lilly Bluff. The hike was a small step (of many) to get me back on track with my health since the rocky mountain spotted fever! Trust me, I was literally covered head to toe in my DIY essential oil bug spray! ;p

As you know, I love trying out new products!

I recently had the opportunity to try out Enlightened roasted broad beans!!! When it comes to food - I prefer salty over sweet, so I was especially excited to try out the crispy, flavored, roasted broad beans!

The flavors of crisps include: Mesquite Barbecue, Garlic & Onion, Sea Salt, Sriracha, and Wasabi!

I made sure to take a pack with me to work as a late afternoon snack!

The pre-portioned 1 oz snack bags are perfect for on-the-go! These tasty crisps are low fat, have 3 grams of fiber, 7 grams of protein, and ONLY 100 calories!

I don't care for snacks that leave you with a heavy feeling or just feeling gross. These crisps are perfect for leaving you satisfied without that sickening "full" feeling.

These crisps would be terrific as a topper on a salad! I would replace these crisps (especially the sea salt flavored crips) with croutons in a heartbeat! The crisps would give that same crunch as croutons, but with less calories! Or, think about having the crisps on top of hot, creamy soup (with Fall season upon us)! 

Enlightened also has ice cream bars, and pints of ice cream! As an ice cream fanatic, I cannot wait to try out those next!!

For more information about the Enlightened broad bean crisps, and their other products, check out their website: 

Eat Enlightened

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.

QUESTIONS:

* What did you do for Labor Day weekend?

* Do you put toppings on your soup?

* Are you ready for everything pumpkin spice?

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?

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.

February!

Hey y'all! Happy February!

Yesterday was Groundhog day! Apparently, Punxsutawney Phil did NOT see his shadow, which may mean we will have an early Spring!
We haven't had much of a winter anyway (in Knoxville, at least), so we will see if we will indeed have an early Spring or not!


Nathan and I had some time together, so we took advantage of the day and ran some errands. Adulting is awesome, isn't it?

First we stopped at McKay's. McKay's is a used bookstore that also sells used dvd's, games, electronics, and much more. We had a ton of books, movies, and games to drop off and trade in for credit. I love getting credit to the store just for bringing in old books, etc.! With our credit, we ended up buying some blu-ray movies that we haven't seen yet!
I love that McKay's had an adorable tree made out of books! They should keep it up all year round!

I convinced Nathan to stop at The Southern Market! The Southern Market is amazing! It is full of cute and unique interior items/decor. Every single time I go, there is something new I fall in love with. The store is massive, and they have items by local artists/vendors.
Whenever stopping by, it is mandatory to grab up some goodies made by Sugar Mama's Bakery!

Sugar Mama's Bakery 

New Eve Jewelry

I cannot believe I parted with the coffee tumbler that says "Ain't Nobody Got Time For That!" I think that will be a must have the next time I stop in the store! :) OR, if you go first, grab it up for me! Hehe!

Ashley Brooke Designs

Ahhh...the honey cookies by Sugar Mama's Bakery are SOOOOO scrumptious!

Sometimes you gotta treat yo' self!
    

;p

Lately, I've been slightly obsessed with New Eve Jewelry! The artist is Megan Craig, a local jewelry designer.  Some of her gorgeous pieces are sold at Southern Market, and I found a necklace that I could not part with. Actually, I wanted to buy them all, but unfortunately I could only purchase one.
You can find more beautiful handcrafted jewelry on her etsy shop or on the main website!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/newevejewelry
http://www.newevejewelry.com/

Below is a beautiful turquoise wired ring which pairs well with any outfit! This ring is by jewelry designer, Danielle Kimberly Robinson - DKR Jewelry. You can find more info on her etsy shop as well!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/DKRJewelry?ref=pr_shop_more
or on www.southernmarketshops.com

Isn't it gorgeous?!

I can't think of anything better than Starbucks coffee and shopping on a rainy day! :)

Recently, I finished reading Mindy Kaling's newest book - "Why Not Me."
Her first book, "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?" was hilarious. "Why Not Me" was quite funny, but overall enjoyed her first book much more!

Questions for y'all:

Do you think Punxsutawney Phil is right? Will we have an early Spring?

Do you have any favorite local artists?

What books are you currently reading?

Around Town - The French Market Creperie

I was introduced to The French Market Creperie a few years ago. I went to their first/original location downtown Knoxville. As soon as I entered the building, I fell in love. The decor, the smell, the great customer service...basically everything about it swept me off my feet. It took me plenty of time to overlook their massive menu and decide on what to order. Savory crepes, sweet crepes, pastries, omelettes, croissants, sandwiches, and much more options are available at The French Market. Of course, I knew I had to try a crepe. With much indecisiveness, I went with the Nutella crepe and added strawberries. You can even watch the chef make your crepes! 

Nutella on its own is good, but this Nutella and strawberry crepe was FABULOUS! 

Just as the food is delicious, their coffee (LavAzza) is perfect. I usually just order a regular coffee, but their lattes and cappuccinos are always a lovely treat. I have seen that they also offer beer, cider, and wine as well! I have yet to try any, but I look forward to trying some wine next time I go!

I took Nathan right after I tried it for the first time, and he fell in love just like I did (how could he not?)! We've been multiple times, and I would say it's my favorite restaurant in Knoxville. They recently opened a second location in Farragut, so we have been there lately since it is closer to where we live. Both locations have the same cozy, fun atmosphere. The trinkets around the store that are for sale always catch my eye. I absolutely love the parisian decor. I'll have to stock up on some cute gifts while I'm there next time. 

All the times I have been, I have never had a bad experience. Obviously, I can't rave about The French Market Creperie enough. I highly recommend going to The French Market Creperie if you are in Knoxville. It is a must! 

:)

Sunday brunch - Benedict crepe with ham, cheese, and asparagus:

The classic Nutella (just Nutella) crepe:

You can check out their website here to learn more:

http://www.thefrenchmarketknoxville.com/