Posts Tagged ‘snacks’

365great Day 180: care packages

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365great challenge day 180: care packagesOn my first day of work, Panda prepared a little care package baggie for me. I knew he had put in some snacks and tube of lotion in there, but I had no idea of the surprises ahead. So yesterday I got up and headed out first to Chick-fil-a to redeem a free breakfast offer. I got those little bite-size sandwiches (so cute) and sat back in the car. The next stop was Dunkin’ Donuts, where I was going to get my free iced tea. That one required a coupon ad thing so I went to pull it out to make sure I had it. That’s when I discovered that the pen holding together the ad and the insurance info had more items clipped in! Turns out he’d written me a sweet note about starting my new job and he put a $20 bill there for good measure (lunch money, you see). I was really happy and enjoyed the wonderful surprise. Hours later, as I was reaching in the baggie to pull something out, I discovered that there was more! This time I found an adorable little picture frame with a picture of us soon after getting engaged. 🙂 I made sure to put that on my desk. By the end of the day, I was ready to head out and go home. As I was cleaning up my bag and putting things away, I wondered what that paper was at the bottom of the bag. What I pulled out was two band-aids! Hehe, apparently Panda really wanted me to be prepared. I loved discovering more and more little thoughtful gestures each time; it certainly brightened my day. Care packages are such a great way to share meaningful, practical gifts.

365great Day 178: cuties

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365great challenge day 178: cutiesYou may call them clementines or mandarins (maybe even tangerines or satsumas) – I know these easy-to-peel “baby oranges” as cuties. It’s one of those things where the brand name becomes the commonly used term (like kleenex and band-aids). Whatever you choose to refer to them as, what I have in mind are the small citrus fruits that are so fun to eat. There are a variety of them and I’ve probably had all the aforementioned kinds before, but it’s so hard to keep track of which exactly I’m eating. What I enjoy ara e the ones that have the skin that practically falls off and no seeds to deal with. They’re nice and juicy with a sweeter taste than oranges and most other citruses. One of the easiest to consume fruits that makes a great travel companion. What a great way to get more fruit in my diet without all the chopping or washing or storing needs of most fruits.

Goodies Co. August Taster’s Box review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , ,
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So ever since I first heard of Goodies, Panda and I have been signed up simultaneously. Many months we’ve gotten the exact same box so we’ve decided to cut out his subscription and just keep mine. At first we thought it’d be hard to share and we’d want to try everything out for ourselves, but we’re buried in snacks so I think sharing will be nice. 🙂

goodies co box august 2013 contents

For August, I got Taster’s Box #7, which came with Ojo Mango & Blackcurrant fortified eye care nectar, Snyder’s eatsmart naturals Garden Veggie Crisps, Poplets sea salt & butter toasted corn centers, Tangy Zangy Twisties sour candy, Orion One and Only Cookie-Cracker, and Barnie’s Coffee Kitchen Hawaiian Hazelnut liquid coffee brewstick. Check out my unboxing video to hear my initial reactions.

I was curious about the mango and blackcurrant taste of the Ojo eye care nectar since I’ve never seen that flavor combination before and I have no clue what an “eye care nectar” is. It actually reminded me of a very strong undiluted orange squash* and I’m not sure how I feel about the taste. It’s not bad, but it is different from what I’m used to. But hey, if it actually makes my eyes better I should definitely drink more of it! My first thought when I saw the Snyder’s Garden Veggie Crisps was that the flavors are the same as the Veggie Straws I was once addicted to. Once I tried them, I found them to be nothing like those snacks, which are more airy and salty. These crisps are very crunchy and somewhat tasteless. Great if you’re sick of normal greasy oversalted chips and want to still chomp on something crisp. I like my snacks super salty though. Next up was the Poplets toasted corn centers, which is kind of like eating the taste of popcorn but just the kernels. They’re a bit too hard for me and I can feel them grinding through my stomach. Very nice taste that is flavorful without being overwhelming though! Moving on to sweet treats with the Tangy Zangy Twisties, which are chewy sour candies in short segments of rainbow-colored cylinders. Yum! I love sour candies and this is a wonderful balance of sweet and sour. I love the chewiness of the twists as well. The Orion One and Only Cookie-Crackers are addicting!! There were a ton of thin cracker cookies inside and Panda and I managed to gobble through nearly all of them. I had to exercise restraint so I could enjoy some more later. They’re crisp but not too hard and what a fabulous combination of sweet and salty! I’m pretty sure I’ve had something similar from an Asian market before and I’m surprised I haven’t been addicted this whole. Definitely need more of this. Finally, there’s the Barnie’s Coffee Kitchen liquid coffee stick that I shall have to pass on to Panda since I don’t drink coffee. I like the idea of its convenience, though we’ll have to see about the flavor quality.

Overall a good box, with items I really liked and others that were interesting to try (and now I know what they’re like). Did you get a Goodies box too? What do you think of these snacks?

 

*In the UK they have squash drinks that are concentrated juices that you dilute with water to drink. To my American eyes though, that word makes me think of a vegetable. So just to clarify, I meant it in the drink sense!

365great Day 174: malt balls

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365great challenge day 174: malt ballsOne of my favorite treats is malt balls. Their crispy, honeycomb-like texture is so much fun to chew on and the way they crumble and melt in your mouth is like none other. They generally come with a nice coat of chocolate that makes the deal even sweeter. The taste is sweet but not overwhelming and they make a great addition to ice cream! I was delighted to find this Maltesers slice offered at a bakery in Edinburgh, so of course that’s what I ordered. Combined with the white chocolate, it was fabulously chewy in both a soft and crispy way. I loved the contrast of the sweet chocolate with the more cracker-like quality of the malt balls and I’m pretty sure that bottom part of chocolate was fudge. What a fantastic little treat! It was very filling and I was able to split it into two snacks. Nom! I enjoy malt balls of all kinds and I’ve had at least three brands of them. All great!

 

Blissmobox: Splendid Spa

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This was a special offer box for Valentine’s (yeah, yeah it was ages ago… I’m getting close to caught up!) and I chose the Splendid Spa one because I wanted to treat myself. I’d seen this offered before and I didn’t get it, so this was perfect. At the $20 price point, I felt like it was a decent deal.

blissmobox valentine's day sale box choices splendid spa & relaxation and night lovin' blissmobox valentine's day sale box choices naturally his and fair trade favoritesThere were four boxes on sale for the Valentine’s blissmobox special.

I got an even better deal when they accidentally sent out a different box (Skin’n’Hair Care) and then had some customer services issues that ultimately led to me getting refunded. I can’t remember the details, but there was quite a bit of confusion and ultimately I still got what I wanted though I almost didn’t receive this box.opened blissmobox valentine's 2013 special deal with contents displayed

collage of choice organic teas box of twenty included in valentine's 2013 blissmoboxChoice Organic Teas, Jasmine Green Tea – I’ve got a major backlog in tea, so these are still neatly packaged waiting for me to break them in. I do enjoy the fragrance of jasmine tea and these will be great to bring along when I’m traveling. I love that they’re organic since the flavor probably tastes better that way. I’m also considering keeping these as a gift or to use as part of a giveaway basket eventually.

collage of hellomellow energy shifting spray in relax included in valentine's 2013 blissmoboxhellomellow, energy shifting spray in relax – Misting myself is so much fun! A little spray of this on my face is perfect to help soothe me. I tried to use it to help me sleep but that didn’t work out so well, so I think this is best suited for a refresher in the daytime when I want a little bit of calming scent. This is a brand I’ve long been interested in and I definitely want to try out more of their line.

collage of level naturals shower bombs box of four included in valentine's 2013 blissmoboxLevel Naturals, Shower Bomb – Wow, so minty! These will definitely wake you right up and help unclog any stuffed noses. Sometimes I like to get a whiff of them just to clear up my sinuses. I’ve been saving them to use when I start work and need to wake up early in the morning! I really feel like half would be plenty for a shower, so I’m going to get a good 8 showers out of this.

tin of scentsbyeilena nail rescue cuticle creamScentsbyEilena, Nail Rescue – At first I thought the card was for this product since it was stuck to it, but it turns out that it was an info card for hellomellow, so ignore the background in the picture! This is sealed so I didn’t want to open it until I’ve used up some of my cuticle oil. It’s a very small brand that I think might no longer be in business unfortunately. I’ve never understood what healthy vs. unhealthy cuticles look like so I can never tell if these things work.

collage of olive remedy cuticle cream included in valentine's 2013 blissmoboxOlive Remedy, cuticle cream – Hmm, interesting that they chose to include two cuticle creams in one box! I mean, how much could one person possibly use? I think the concept of this one is really cool, using olive oil for their main ingredient. That’s new to me since I generally think of it as something you eat or perhaps rub into your hair. Apparently it’s great for sensitive skin though, so even babies could use it! Not that their cuticles need any conditioning…

collage of dream water sleep aid in snoozeberry included in valentine's 2013 blissmoboxDream Water, Snoozeberry – I think this might have been the very first Dream Water I received. Since then I’ve gotten many from various boxes and I think I still have 4 more to drink. They’ll come in useful as I try to recover from jetlag and get into work mode. I’ve found that one bottle feels like a lot and I only drank 3/4 when I tried it. I’ll force myself to guzzle the whole thing this weekend and see if it knocks me out or what.

Normally there’d be more info on these brands, but this time there was just a welcome message.

blissmobox splendid spa & relaxation info sheet

365great Day 170: Treatsie

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365great challenge day 170: treatsieI’ve been subscribed to Treatsie for a few months now and I’ve been enjoying the sweets they send. I love how you get to dabble in a bunch of delicious treats to find what most appeals to you. I’ve tried some really tasty stuff that I definitely plan on repurchasing and their site makes it super easy! After all, part of the point of these subscription services is to introduce you to new products and brands that you’ll fall in love with and become a loyal customer of, right? I enjoy how Treatsie consolidated the shopping experience for the products featured in their boxes, so you don’t have to hunt down each company’s website or locate them in a nearby store (if available). I can just order directly from their site without all that hassle. So kudos to them for first making it easier to discover artisan confections and then making it so simple to purchase any of them! Making things easier is always a great idea.

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Escape Monthly August: Napa Valley Box Review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Woo hoo! I got the very first Escape Monthly box last week and it turned out great. When I heard the destination for this box would be Napa, I was a bit concerned it might be too focused on wine. Since I don’t drink, that wouldn’t make a very fun box for me. Luckily, it had a great mix of food, skincare, relaxation products, and travel info. I had to rush off before I could get proper pictures of all the products, but here’s an idea of what it all looked like:

blue escape monthly box with white lettering

Escape Monthly is just under $40 per box (with code for 20% off your subscription – see end of post) and comes with a variety of food, home, skincare items themed around a city. Each box comes with a Moon Handbooks guide for that region. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a lovely recurring referral commission program.

first look at inside of escape monthly box with blue and white chevron pattern and welcome sheet

look at inside of escape monthly august napa valley box with info card and products showing

escape monthly august napa valley info card listing products with prices(click to enlarge and read full messaging)

I love that they really took the time to write out messaging that fits with their theme and explain how each product can contribute to your experience of this destination. The variety is great, though I think another snack item might have been nice since the products were rather spa-heavy. Still, I liked that there were bath items, skincare items, household items, a food item, a drink item, and of course a tour book of the region. I definitely feel a lot more prepared for what Napa Valley has to offer and I am definitely set for creating a relaxing experience in the comfort of my own home!

Here’s what came in the box:

Moon Handbooks guide to Napa & Sonoma – A very handy thing to have when preparing a trip to the region!
Napa Valley Wine Soap – How cool is this? Made with grapeseed oil and local products – perfectly incorporating relaxation with the wineries.
all natural loofah bath sponge – I’ve wanted to have one of these for ages and kept telling myself I’d grow them, but now I don’t have to!
deluxe floating bath candles (set of 2) – Pretty little flower candles in my favorite color… you know I’ll be making good use of them. I feel so motivated to take a bath.
100% Pure Juicy Sugar Body Scrub – Yes, yes yes! I love trying out this brand and I can’t get enough of scrubs.
Cookie Zen Cookie & Cork Pairing – Well, I’ll skip the wine part and jump straight to the munching on cookies part!
7th Heaven natural face masks – Another brand I’ve been interested in so I can’t wait to use this mask. I’ve been meaning to use masks more!
Mixture Luscious lip balm – I’m looking forward to smelling what scent this is. Lip balms are always useful and I’ll probably throw this in a purse or car so I can have it handy.
mystery soap – So when I get back to my box, I will check on the brand, but there was actually another soap in this box. It was a smaller bar of soap and might be the bonus item mentioned in the info card.
Suki lotion sample – This is a brand I learned about through Yuzen and I’m always happy to try their products. Adding this to my samples baggie that I’m working through!
$50 NakedWines.com gift card – Here’s the wine portion of the theme! I won’t be using it but for those looking to create that Napa experience this would certainly help. If you’d like the code let me know and I can share it with you. Terms do apply so I’ll let you know about those if you’re interested.

My favorite product is the 100% Pure Juicy Sugar Body Scrub, which combines my love of scrubs with my fascination with 100% Pure, which I’ve received sample lotions of before. I can’t wait to try it out when I get a chance! I’m also really happy that there was a loofah included since that’s just the type of bonus accessory item I was hoping for. I’ve gotten tons of food and beauty products from subscriptions and I always appreciate when I get an item that works well with them but is more of a tool. It allows me to enjoy my products that much more!

Did you get an Escape Monthly box? What do you think of their introductory Napa Valley destination box? If you’re interested in signing up, they’re still offering 20% off for the lifetime of your subscription with code ESCAPENOW. Oh! And each month some lucky subscriber wins a trip to the destination!! How amazing is that?? 🙂

 

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Graze snacks (two more boxes)

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It’s been awhile since I last wrote about the Graze boxes I’ve been getting! I’m knee-deep in them now and have slowed down my deliveries to anywhere from 2-4 weeks. I’m starting to get bored of them so I think I might discontinue my subscription (or keep pushing back deliveries).

Graze is $5 per delivery (you choose the frequency of deliveries) and comes with four pre-proportioned, nutritionally-balanced snacks. Choose from the regular nibblebox or the low calorie caloriecounterbox with a default frequency of every 2 or 4 weeks. You can always increase or decrease the weeks between deliveries to fit your needs, thereby effectively “skipping” weeks as you please. They offer a referral code and link program that gives your referral their 1st and 5th boxes free and earns you $1 off your next box (or you can choose to donate it).

Here are boxes 5 and 6 that I received:

my fifth graze box with fruit & seed flapjack, eton mess, herby bread basket, and eleanor's apple crumble

My fifth Graze box with nutritional info.

graze fruit & seed flapjackThe Fruit & Seed Flapjack came before I realized I just don’t like flapjacks that much. I’ve since chosen trash for all the variations so I don’t get them. These are still sitting around waiting to be eaten. I might end up putting them out for the birds and squirrels to nibble on. Or, if I can convince Panda to take them to work as a snack that would work too! Verdict: TRASH.

graze eton messEton Mess has these super fun little meringue bites. I love how crisp and fluffy they are. The almond slices are a nice way to offset the sweetness of the rest of this snack. I wouldn’t go crazy over these but I’d definitely munch on it every once and awhile. Verdict: TRY.

graze herby bread basketOh yes, now this is what I’m talking about. The Herby Bread Basket has crunchy bits of bread and it’s a savory selection. I love a good salty snack (that does not involve nuts) and I love bread, so this is a good combo of those two things. This is not my favorite of the salty snacks but it’s one I’m always happy to eat. Verdict: LIKE.

graze eleanor's apple crumbleIt’s funny, I don’t generally like dried apple but I find the super soft texture of these to be fun to chew versus those crisp bags of dried apple slices. Eleanor’s Apple Crumble pairs the soft apple with crunchy almonds and chewy raisins for a wide range of textures. This one can get a bit sweet for me, but I can see myself eating it infrequently. Verdict: TRY.

my fifth graze box with mississippi bbq pistachios, tropical daiquiri, my thai, and poached pear

My sixth Graze box with nutritional info.

You know, I can’t quite remembering eating the Mississippi BBQ Pistachios. I’ve never been super into pistachios but I will eat them so this was one of those that’s enjoyable enough. I do like the unique flavor since I usually just have plain pistachios. Verdict: TRY.

I actually liked the Tropical Daiquiri more than I expected. It seems that I can really get into this whole dried fruit thing. Still, I don’t want to get it too often. Verdict: TRY.

I got the My Thai in my first box and I still enjoy it. I’m a sucker for the crunchy soy and the sauce! Verdict: LOVE.

The Poached Pear is a nice mix of soft and crunchy bits. It’s a nice sweet/fragrant snack but I’m just not that into nuts. I’ll give it a chance though! Pumpkin seeds are supposed to be good for you right? Verdict: TRY.

365great Day 163: jujubes

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365great challenge day 163: jujubesOk, so there is some confusion about dates vs. jujubes. I always thought them to be one and the same, but apparently dates grow on palm trees. What I’m thinking of are jujubes, aka Chinese dates. Those are the red wrinkled fruits that we commonly put in soups or eat as a super sweet snack. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I learned what fresh jujubes look and taste like. My mom planted one of those trees in our yard and when it started to bear fruit, I had no clue that those fresh green fruits were the very deep red dried fruits I was used to. As soon as I bit into my first one, I was hooked. They are sweet and crunchy but not juicy like apples would be, so it’s easy to eat them and they don’t make a mess! They’re fun to eat fresh and they’re delicious dried too – now that’s a great fruit.

Yuzen Spring 2013 edition (February – April) review

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The fall box is on its way and many people have received them, but I happen to be leaving before it gets delivered to me so I can’t open it until after my vacation. Sad times! Let’s cheer me up by reviewing the spring box!

Yuzen is $26 per quarter (with boxes sent Feb, May, Aug, and Nov) and comes with around 7 or 8 eco-friendly beauty, skincare, food/snacks, and home products. Boxes are sent quarterly with no option to skip, but you can get one-time gift boxes too. Sometimes there’s a waitlist to get the subscription. They do not offer a referral program.

*Disclosure: As a super fan, I was invited to be the Yuzen Ambassador to help them spread the word about their brand. Starting with the October box, I began to receive them for free. I was not compensated otherwise and all opinions are my own, irregardless of my relation to Yuzen. I just happen to think they’re awesome (as does everyone else I’ve heard from). :)

collage of unboxed spring 2013 yuzen boxes

Two of the variations you could have received.

Click on the pictures for the full sizes so you can enjoy all the details of each product!  You can even zoom in to read all the messaging.

collage of red flower italian blood orange little flower candle included in the february-april spring 2013 yuzen boxred floweritalian blood orange little flower candle: Back in the October box, we were first introduced to red flower with their cream and wash. Then in December we got a super cute ocean candle. This time around I got the blood orange once, which is a scent I really enjoy. I lost track of how many hours it lasted me, but it definitely meets the 15 hour burn time that is advertised. That’s pretty awesome for such a small little candle. I really enjoyed using this and it was a nice little size to even bring on a trip.

collage of nova monda heart-shaped truffles included in the february-april spring 2013 yuzen boxNova Mondatruffles: Nom! Truffles always feel like such a luxurious treat and the texture of these was divine. The heart-shaped one was cacao nib and the other one was sea salt flavored. Both were delicious in their own way and the cacao nibs and sea salt grains offered a nice little bit of crunch to the otherwise smooth and creamy treats. These were super cute and tasty!

collage of juara avocado banana moisture mask included in the february-april spring 2013 yuzen boxJuaraAvocado Banana Moisture Mask: Avocado and banana in a face mask? Yes please! I mean if I wasn’t so lazy I’d try to make this myself, but hey since it’s already here… I enjoy using this mask – it gives me a warming sensation on my face that is really soothing and I feel great after rinsing it off. My skin is always soft and super hydrated afterwards. For some with more sensitive skin, you might not like the slight tingling but otherwise I think anyone would enjoy this mask.

collage of kneipp deep sleep mineral bath salts included in the february-april spring 2013 yuzen boxKneippDeep Sleep Mineral Bath Salt: I really enjoy the smell of these, which is quite relaxing. I don’t understand why they’re so blue though – is there a reason for that? I barely need a tablespoon of these salts to dye my bath water blue. I haven’t tried to see how well it helps me fall asleep, but I like it just because it’s a fun bath product. It’s interesting how I rarely take baths (maybe once every other year at best) but I love bath products. I mean, I almost never use them so what’s the fuss right? I guess I’m just weird like that. But hey, once we’re in the new condo I definitely want to take more baths.

collage of spa technologies marine repair cream included in the february-april spring 2013 yuzen boxSpa TechnologiesMarine Repair Cream: This facial cream is lovely! It feels great, smells great, and makes my skin supple. It’s not greasy and absorbs well, which makes me feel refreshed and protected all in one. I really enjoy using this, though the price point is scary. I don’t know if I could ever spring for something so pricey, but maybe as a treat to myself one day… the good news is my current samples will last me awhile!

collage of jane iredale mini lippies included in the february-april spring 2013 yuzen boxJane Iredale – Lippies including Just Kissed Lip Plumper in Tokyo, Just Kissed Lip & Cheek Stain, and LipDrink: These are adorable!! They are an excellent size, perfect for traveling with and there’s plenty to see if you like them or not. I don’t wear lipstick so I only tried it once for a special occasion and it was nice. Can’t tell if my lips were plumped or not, but I wasn’t paying attention. I don’t really stain my lips or cheeks so I haven’t used the stain much either. Maybe I’ll start trying it since I want to look good at work. As for the LipDrink… I didn’t feel like it was very moisturizing. Granted, I only tried it once so maybe I just caught my lips on a bad day.

NaturopathicaEspresso Mud Body Scrub OR Oat Facial Polish: [don’t have closeup pictures, oops] I really enjoy Naturopathica! I won a set of facial products from them because I was introduced to their brand by Yuzen. That’s pretty awesome because I never would have known to enter otherwise. You would have gotten one of these items in your box, depending on how early or late you subscribed and got your box. The scrub is kind of hilarious to use because of the mess I make in the shower. As I scrub myself (particularly my back), bits and pieces of it go flying every which way. Next thing I know it looks like I am rinsing off the evidence of a mud wrestling competition! The oat polish is suuuper moisturizing and feels great on my face. The beads are large and I enjoy knowing they’re scrubbing away at my skin. My face is always soft after using that.

EOVEau de Parfum: [another product I forgot to get closeups for] I’m not a perfume person, so I haven’t tried this sample, but it’s a typical trial size vial. It’s a warm scent for those of you who like a bit more floral and citrus scent. This one will be added to my trade list for anyone who might be interested in trying it. I get plenty of scents from all the skincare products I use and I see no need to throw on even more smells. I don’t want to walk around oozing fragrance so I just skip perfumes altogether.

As always, an excellent box introducing me to so many new brands and amazing products. I can’t wait to see what the fall box has in store! This will have to tide me over until I am able to open up my boxes next week. Yuzen always puts a smile on my face. 🙂

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