Drink, Smell, And Be Well

Every once in a while a random thought triggers a blog post and then hours/days pass by and it goes unwritten. Gone are those days of wonderfully inspired, thoughtful posts. I guess it's just the season of streamed (un)consciousness I am in these days.

I'll just roll along with the few free minutes I have and go with it. We're wrapped up in this beautiful, wonderfully good season of Advent (my favorite) and I'm trying my best to take in what I can.

Let's just call these my current top 5 things that have rocked my December. Ready?

Sure, call me living-under-a-rock. Or call me a Minnesotan who hasn't a Dunkin' Donuts near her. My trip out east in October brought about a great enlightenment to the wonder that is Dunkin' Donuts. It may not be Starbucks, but to this hometown gal it's a step up from my el-cheapo coffee and my tastebuds are in heaven. It has become my 'splurge' item of which I delight in a cup both morning and afternoon. Add in my flavored creamer of the week and it brightens my day. What can I say? I'm easy to please.

Another enticing drink that found its way to my home last weekend was the Apple-Ahhh-Rita. Have you tried these little treats yet? I had found the Straw-Ber-Rita late summer and not being a beer drinker, but a fan of margaritas, I gave it a try. Oddly, I liked it. I see that the apple variety is a fall limited edition, but it's still in my local store. I also see they have a Mango and Raz (among other flavors) that I may need to taste test in order to choose my favorite. (Patty, I highly suggest heading to your nearest wet county and trying these)

Let's talk winter, shall we? With the onset of dry winter air and being indoors most of the time with the furnace running, we've entered dry skin season. Being that I have sensitive skin, I am especially prone to notice these changes. Literally, in the span of a day my facial skin suddenly dried out like crazy dry. I searched online for something that would quench my parched skin, but being that I also have oily skin I had to be picky on what to try. I found several recommendations for Nivea Creme on your face at nighttime. I found it at our local Walmart and decided to try it out. I'm happy I did! I slather it on after my nighttime face washing and it makes my face ready for the morning without making it overly greasy. I was fearful at first since it appears oily on the skin after application, but after working all night it's completely fine.

I even tried it on the cracked heels of my feet (I am almost always barefoot) and saw great improvement just over a few days.

What would winter be without cold and flu germs swirling about? I was convinced this fall that we were not going to fall stricken with any of those nasty germs this year. 2014 started out with nearly a month of colds/hacking coughs that wouldn't go away and I wasn't about to revisit that. I decided to stock my natural arsenal survival kit with essential oils to use topically as well as in our Fan Fuser diffusers. While we did just suffer through two weeks of that same early 2014 crud (might as well finish the year the way we started), the oils did help us to some degree. I think that being more on top of these things with consistent use will help build up our immunity. I found a bunch of the oils online at Amazon for a good price. I have been looking up their uses when symptoms pop up and the diffusers are mainly used at night in the bedrooms. Eight hours of natural oils should help build up that immunity and push aside at least some of those germs. I also found that I must be going through sinus issues and eucalyptus has become my new friend. A drop of it on rubbed around the edges of my nostrils a couple times a day and at bedtime has worked wonders for me.

Lastly, a wonderful smelly feel good scent in my kitchen, aside from the Christmas baking. Last Christmas I received a wax melt plug in and it has been one of my favorite gifts. Ever. I enjoy changing the scents and trying warm, homey smells all year 'round. I generally get the inexpensive ones that fill shelves at Walmart. Last week in the holiday section I had a hard time choosing just the right blends of holiday scents. I threw the Sparkling Berry Garland one in the cart and hoped it was a goody. It's definitely a keeper. With the right mix of evergreen and berry, it is my new seasonal favorite. I also see that it's a Limited Edition for 2014 so it seems I will need to stock up for future use. 

I hope that your Advent has been a peaceful one and you are enjoying this season of preparing our King.  May you find many ways to Rejoice this week.

Five Favorites

 Five Favorite snacks. Easy pleasers to throw in your freezer or your pantry. I'm finding that accessibility are key to snack time, so I am trying harder to have good choices at the ready.

 

1.

 

Frozen Grapes

 

I recently rediscovered the idea of frozen grapes when they were served at a meeting. How did I forget about these? I cannot tell you how refreshing a handful of frozen grapes were last week when it was so hot outside. De-stem, wash, throw 'em in a Ziploc freezer bag and you've got a snack.

2.

 

Frozen Yogurt Bites

Again, could snacking get any easier?  And how on earth didn't I ever think of this before I saw it on Pinterest? Duh. I really need to broaden my horizons.

I tried it with both vanilla and strawberry yogurt and they were an instant hit with the family. 

I bought big containers of yogurt, lined my cookie sheet with wax paper and then drop the yogurt by dollops on the wax paper. Pop it in the freezer for a couple hours and then easily pull them off the wax paper and put in Ziploc to store in freezer. 

3.

 

Quaker Popped Rice Snacks

A little bit of an indulgent splurge, but I figure it's worth it in order to avoid the potato chips.  These are even a hit with the kids, so sometimes I have been known to hide them a little in the pantry. 

Hey, don't judge, you do it too. My favorite flavors are the Ranch, Sweet Chili and Chocolate. 

4.

 

PB & J Muffins

I made a batch of these and practically had to snatch them out of everyone's hands to save a few to freeze. Easy to make, then I froze them on a cookie sheet (I was afraid the jelly would run too much if I just stuck them in a Ziploc bag) and then bagged them a little later.

5.

Perfect Banana Muffins

I don't have a photo for some reason, but I'm guessing it's because we are too busy consuming them that I forgot. I've made these several times and every time they turn out well, PERFECT. I double the recipe so we have a bunch to eat over a few days and still have more to put in the freezer. 

 

Find all the other great Favorites at Hallie's ~ they are always a fun read.

**Note: Did anyone notice how many times I mentioned Ziploc bags in this post? Hello, Ziploc, I'll take some free bags please.

Five Favorites

1.

About a month ago I purchased a Food Network silicone spoon at Kohls. I was up for a new kitchen tool and thought I'd see if I liked the silicone. And I do! I bought the yellow colored one on sale and with my $10 Kohls cash I had that day it was FREE. It makes me enjoy this spoon even more.

2.

How about some more nail polish, shall we? My new color for my piggies is Pure Ice in Jack Pot. It's the perfect compliment to those flip-flop tan line feet. (not pictured)

(Also not my fingernails)

3. 

The girls got a Step 2 water table for Christmas and they've been thoroughly enjoying it this summer. It is a great distraction on those hot summer days when I don't want to pull out the pool. 

I highly recommend them for the toddlers.

4.

My chocolate of choice has become Twix. Preferably, peanut butter Twix, but I'm finding they are a rare commodity. Instead of grabbing a checkout aisle Twix when I get the urge, instead I've been getting 10 pks of fun size for $1.00. They are just enough candy for me to be satisfied with just one (with a little self control) and I only eat them a few times a week at most. Good for my caloric intake and my budget.

5.

This spring I bought a couple of Target's Mossimo short sleeve cardigans. 

I consider them more like a bollero jacket, but lightweight enough to still wear when it's cool in the summer. I like to pair mine with a tank top underneath and they work for casual or even throw them on over a summery dress.

Find all the latest Favorites over at Hallie's!

Five Favorites

Hopping in with Hallie for Five Favorites. It's my first time! I always enjoy a link up and reading everyone post their favorites each week, I finally couldn't resist.

1.

I've been trying to increase my water consumption over the past several months. Sometimes just plain water is tough for me to chug, so water enhancers are my new alternative. I've tried the MIO ones, but found that the Walmart Great Value brand are just as good and cheaper too.

My new favorite is the Lemonade and also the Southern Sweet Tea.

No calories and no sugar. 

2.

After a recent trip to the dermatologist, I was given the diagnosis of rosacea (*sigh*). Upon going to the local store to pick up my prescription he recommended, they told me it was going to cost $250!! Say what now??! I still haven't gotten around to consulting a different pharmacy or checking back with the dermatologist. 

Instead, I found Eucerin Redness Relief cleanser and night time moisturizer that are already helping improve the areas that were a concern. 

What a relief!

3.

I like to keep my toenails polished, especially in the warmer months when flip flops are a must. While I normally go for magenta/pinks, I gave the PURE ICE polish in an orange a try. 

Love it- perfect for spring!

It's called 'Twinkle'.

4. 

In search of a new favorite body spray, I stopped in at Bath & Body Works the other day. When my sniffer was all sniffed out, I landed Venice Dolce Berry. 

It's described as a collection of plumberry, magnolia, sandalwood sugar and a hint of vanilla biscotti.

I call it YUM-berry-biscotti. Love it!

 How weird is it to spray yourself with biscotti?

Hubby finds it yum-licious too. Never mind that pre-teen girl says it smells like old lady. 

5.

Almost two weeks ago we bought a new (to us) 2012 van. Another Dodge Caravan, but an upgrade and lower miles than our 2005. It has many of the same features as our old one, but also has some interior changes that I like as well. Lots more cubbies for my junk stuff up front, the seat upholstery is a bit more durable and with this design it sure seems like the inside is more spacious. It handles the same driving for the most part, but I do notice a difference a little with it feeling 'bigger'. My kids say it's SO MUCH bigger on the outside than our other one, but I think it's the new design that gives that illusion.

Doesn't matter, it's one of my new favorite things that makes me want to just go sit in it to take a nap. Or maybe just listen to the radio.