Healthy Snacks From Influenster’s Vox Box

If you read my blog post about my personal New Year’s Resolutions a few posts back, then you know how important my health is to me this year! Over the last year, I’ve felt horrible about my body and my self-esteem has just taken a turn for the worst. At that start of January, I decided I had to change my lifestyle, so I did. Apparently Influenster read my mind because they sent me their 2017 Resolutions Vox Box with a few fun products for me to test and share with you!

So one of the first things I found in my box was this neat Febreeze bottle with a replaceable bottle. I am such a fan of Febreeze that I buy the seasonal scents too! Febreeze just came out with a cool new way to sell their popular products. It’s an interchangeable bottle that you can unscrew from the spray nozzle and change out when it’s time for a new scent. Really clever and isn’t as wasteful!

I totally didn’t see this next product coming. Burt’s Bees is known for their skin and lip healing products but who knew they also sold protein shakes? I’ve tried to cut back on fatty foods for lunch lately because they make me feel so sluggish for the rest of the day. Instead, I’ve turned to meal shakes and salads to keep me going. I haven’t tried this protein shake yet, so I’ll let you know how it tastes when I have!

A few other things in the box included a Sabra guacamole voucher for a free one to try at any grocery store (I love Sabra!), Pop Chips, Dentek tongue brush, Crispy Green banana chips, and a Orgain protein bar in peanut butter chocolate chip! I dug into those Pop Chips real fast and for 100 calories, they’re quite tasty! It’s always nice trying new snack foods that you wouldn’t normally pick out and won’t ruin your diet plan! Share with me your favorite low-calorie snack foods! I always appreciate recommendations!

*This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own!

Best Cupcakes in Dallas!

I came from a small town in Maryland where there was only one bakery (besides those that you might find in a grocery store) to choose from. Here in Dallas, I find myself popping in and out of at least two or three on the same street! Talk about a sugar lover’s paradise! Finding a good bakery can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. They are hard to come by! Near my apartment is the Original Cupcakery, which I found to be a tad bland and not the cute, bright atmosphere that I associate with a bakery. Going further into northern Dallas, I happened upon a lovely little shop called Susie Cakes! 

Susie Cakes stole my heart from the beginning! The bright blue interior and pleasant staff members drew me in, but the cupcakes keep me coming back! My favorites are the mint chocolate chip cupcake and the strawberry cupcake. The fillings they use are decadent and compliment the cakes so nicely. I love things that are just bursting with flavor and these cupcakes certainly didn’t disappoint. The best part is, if you download their app, you get two free cupcakes! You can also use the app to earn rewards points towards one of their beautiful cakes!

In my humble opinion, bakeries (or cupcakeries) should have good coffee. I ordered a vanilla iced coffee and much like everything else, it was quite tasty! I’m not a coffee snob by any means, but I know what tastes good and what tastes terrible. Susie Cakes is just all around yummy! How can you not love their cute logo too? If you’re in the Dallas area, swing by and give one of their treats a try!
–Liz

Chelles Macarons In Dallas

Hey girls! Is this week dragging or is it just me? Weekends go by so quickly and then the weekdays just take forever. Since I’m new to Dallas, my boyfriend and I spend every Saturday and Sunday exploring a new part of Dallas. I never realized how big this city was until my Apple maps completely malfunctioned and ended up trying to direct me down a one way!

We spent Sunday at the local farmer’s market and I was thrilled to find so many little restaurants there. David took me to a macaron bakery and let me pick out a few flavors to try! Who knew how expensive those delicate little treats were? 6 macarons cost $12, but my goodness it was worth it!

The bakery is called Chelles Macarons and they have the cutest little shop at the farmer’s market. Even better, they deliver via Grub Hub and Amazon Prime! How cool is that? After browsing the display case for a few minutes, we decided to try Fruity Pebbles, Vanilla Bean, Coffee, Candied Watermelon, Strawberry Cheesecake, and Lemon Berry! My mouth was watering by the time we got home to eat them!

I’ve tried many macarons in my lifetime, and these were some of the best I’ve had! I plan on having some delivered in the next few weeks just because they’re so yummy, and let’s face it, they make for great Instagram posts. If you’re in Dallas, go try some for yourself!

-Liz

City Market Date in Kansas City

Happy Monday beauties! I hope your weekend was lovely and you got to do something you enjoyed! Right now, I’m sitting by a fire (the last one until the fall) and watching some reruns of Friends. The sound of a fire crackling is so relaxing and a little bit of bloggin’ is a nice addition!

Yesterday, my boyfriend and I took a little trip to Kansas City’s City Market! I realize I’m fulfilling the basic white girl stereotype when I say this but I just love being able to buy fresh produce from farmers. They had some great strawberries for $1 a carton and 4 small limes for $1 also! I just love a good deal, don’t you? On the Middle Eastern/Mediterranean side of the market, they had a spice shop with open containers of delicious spices for $2 a bag. A sweet Italian man and I both agreed we had trouble being around the spices because it made us sniffle. David and I bought some cayenne and a few other spices to add to the expanding spice cabinet!

Spending an hour grocery shopping or going to markets like these is one of my favorite dates the my boyfriend takes me on. It’s simple but kind of fun to do together because we usually get a bite to eat after. Plus, I just love walking around holding his hand (girly squeal!) The little things in life are always the best!

Tell me about your weekend in a comment below!

Homeschool Halloween: A How-To

 

I figured that title might get your attention. After all, homeschooling and Halloween don’t seem to go hand-in-hand, but sometimes they do! I asked my boyfriend what he thought of when I said ‘homeschool Halloween’ and he said “a bunch of kids dressed up as the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz.” I’m glad that’s all he could come up with!

Aside from a few stints in public and private schools, I was homeschooled most of my growing up years. My younger sister, Rebecca, is a sophomore in high school and also homeschooled. We’ve both been asked many times if we have friends or have trouble adjusting to a social setting. People are surprised to learn that yes, we have friends, and no, we don’t have problems in social settings. Rebecca in particular thrives in them, whence the reason for this blog post!

My sister is a part of a homeschool co-op in our community. Every week she gets together with her peers whom are also homeschooled and they attend classes taught by professional teachers. As a result of this activity, she has quite a few friends! Rebecca asked my mom if she could invite a few buddies over for a Halloween party this year. Not knowing what the heck to do with a bunch of hungry, energized teenagers, my mom turned to Pinterest for ideas. Here’s what she came up with:

1. Glow Stick Cooler– Put green glow sticks under the ice in a cooler before adding drinks
2. Milk Jug Lanters– Use old milk jugs with battery operated lights in them to line a side walk or drive way
3. Magic Potion Punch– Mix lemon-lime soda, grape-juice, lemonade, and grape jello for a fizzy drink
4. Harvest Hash– Trail mix combining candy corn, pretzels, M&Ms, Bugles, and assorted nuts to snack on
5. Dancing Ghosts– Shape chicken wire into ghostly figures then spray paint with glow in the dark paint (not sure how well this one will go)
6. Head in a Jar– Using a photo editor, blend two images together to make a flat image of a head. Print and place inside jar on a table near hungry snackers
7. Caramel Apple Pops– Use a mellon scooper to dig out round-shaped apple pieces to dip in caramel sauce. Sprinkle with Halloween-themed sprinkles and then cool
8. Blacklight Glow– Replace normal light bulbs in the house with black light bulbs for an eerie glow

My mom also bought orange lights to string along the fence and spider webs to hang in the doorways. The plan is to let the kids, I mean teens, hang outside around the fire pit in our backyard. Aside from decorating and a few yummies to eat, my parents are taking a step back and letting my sister and her guests do as they please. They’re at the perfect age where they don’t need silly games to keep them busy, all they do is talk and engage in shenanigans anyway.

In essence, this is ‘homeschool Halloween’. No helicopter parenting, just good food, friends, and decorations. The only difference between this party and that of a kid who may not be homeschooled, is the lack of alcohol involved. Most of the parents are very involved in their teens’ lives and choose to homeschool to keep them out of environments where they may be pressured to drink. Believe it or not, this was actually a good way to grow up.

Rebecca’s party is the night before Halloween and unfortunately, I won’t get to be there. I’ll be in Texas going to a masquerade ball with my boyfriend! Post to come on that later!