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Showing posts from 2020

My Favorite Brand Organic Italian Tomatoes and Garbanzo Beans (And Giveaway!)

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As the fall draws near, I am so excited about trying new recipes. Some of my favorite recipes have a tomato-base to them, whether it's beans, salsa, pasta sauce, or soup. I was so excited to try out garbanzo beans and Italian crushed (and peeled) tomatoes by Carmelina Brands . Plus, I also had the chance to try out their garbanzo beans!  Now, one of the biggest reasons I recommend this brand is that they are Non-GMO verified. This is incredibly important to me when choosing products, especially anything that I eat. If you aren't sure what Non-GMO means, check out the information about what the Non-GMO Project does here .   Not to mention what I also love is on their website they go into incredible detail about their tomato process and their bean process . They are obviously such a trust-worthy company and that means so much to me as a consumer. So, now onto those tomatoes! I loved their Italian crushed and peeled tomatoes. They went so well in the black beans I made and added

Enhancing Your Amazon Streaming Experience

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When you think of streaming, you probably think of Netflix, Hulu, Twitch—the titans of streaming and live streaming. However, Amazon lies somewhere between those titans.  Most, if not all of you reading this probably use Amazon streaming in some way, whether you’re using Prime Video, Amazon’s Fire TV Stick, or the Fire TV Cube. And if you’re reading this, you’re probably interested in how you can improve your experience. Well, look no further!  5 Tips to Enhance Your Streaming Experience 1. Customize Subtitles You might not be aware of how you can customize the subtitles of any movie or show you watch. Simply go to the settings of your Fire Stick or the Prime Video settings, and you’ll be bombarded with tons of options to improve the subtitles. Add backgrounds, change the color of the words, decide where they show up: you have complete control over the subtitles. 2. Use USB Storage A big selling point for the Fire TV product line is that you’re able to take your shows and movies anywh

My 5 Skin Must Dos for the Summer

Ah, the summer. It's been one unique year if I do say so myself. Yet, I'm trying to do my best to keep up with some essential skincare habits. While all of these tips may sound absolutely simple, with as mentally as exhausted as I am lately, it can be incredibly difficult. You see, I have sensitive skin and it can react from anything like dryness to food sensitivities, and so I want to take care this year, especially with how stressful things are. So, here are my summer must-dos: 1) Moisturize . There are a ton of ways to keep your skin supple and smooth and moisturizing should be on the top of everyone's list. Lately, I use a rose lotion that's really nice. I also alternate to an aloe lotion that makes my skin feel really nice. 2) Exfoliating. I've started doing this at least once a week. Technically you shouldn't do this too often because it can damage your skin, so once a week or less is best of all. I use a coffee scrub by Shea Moisture  - and it is

Giveaway Round Up for the Week

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It's been a while since I did a giveaway round up for you guys! So, here we have some of my giveaway finds for the week. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what giveaways you spot. It's pretty safe to assume most of these giveaways are US only.  Earrings and a 5-Pack Latte Set Enter on Instagram. Giveway ends on Monday 7/13 https://www.instagram.com/p/CCeMQBjhfwo/ Summer Thrillers Book Giveaway Ends August 3rd https://sweeps.penguinrandomhouse.com/enter/dutton-summer-thrillers-2020-sweeps?fbclid=IwAR1unuPiJymCf9vkDwywLVXfygKAmzgo9beOtpCc1PylGSsLfrpjcjfmNjc Murder in Waiting Book Giveaway Giveaway ends July 18th https://www.krlnews.com/2020/07/murder-in-waiting-by-lynn-cahoon.html Digital copy of a book with a Christmas mystery theme Ends in 5 days https://christyscozycorners.com/2020/07/dash-away-all-mystery-book-review/ Win a BBQ Pit  Enter on Facebook Ends July 20th https://www.facebook.com/TaskandPurpose/photos/a.660044760710168/3058858690828751/?type=3 Hope to hav

3 Fun Birthday Gift Ideas to Send Someone Far Apart

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This is a pretty awkward time of year to have a birthday. COVID-19 continues to be on the rise, and while many places are opening up, it's hard to determine when that will change. Not to mention, many of us aren't that comfortable venturing out into society again, at least not like we used to. So if you know someone with a birthday coming up, and especially if you are far apart, I have a few ideas for you that you will want to consider.  1) Go the electronics route. If you have some money to spend this year, how about giving the latest and greatest in tech? Consider getting a Nintendo Switch , which so many people are really into these days. (Animal Crossing anyone?).  2) A Subscription Box Yup, subscription boxes still exist and are still amazing. What does the person in your life like? Beer? Wine? Letter writing? Books? You name it! Pick a unique love of this person and seek out a subscription box that fits that need. You'd be surprised about the variety out there. (Check

A Taste of Childhood Has Returned

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What was your favorite chocolate milk mix when you were a kid? I'll be honest. I was more of an Ovaltine kid, but I do remember the commercials for Nesquik and it is a part of my childhood in some way. That's why I think it's so awesome that NESTLE is bringing back the NESQUIK we all grew up on! Apparently, this is all based on their consumer feedback. According to Haig Basmadjian, Marketing Director of Nestle USA, "Based on consumer feedback, our goal was to provide fans with the classic NESQUIK taste while continuing to offer other convenient and nutritious options for families." They will be returning with the chocolate and strawberry flavors. Although they recommend you put it in milk, I'm imagining that I'll attempt the tricks in the past and putting this chocolate mix along with spoonfuls of peanut butter. Am I the only one who tried this? You can find out where to get your taste of memories by at the NESQUIK website. What foods from childhood would

Aroma Ridge Coffee & Rum Cake

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Recently, I had the chance to try out a very tasty coffee by Aroma Ridge and a couple of their rum cakes. If you are looking for some tasty coffee and a fantastic treat then you must check out this company. What I love about Aroma Ridge is that it's a family company, started over 30 years ago. They partner with coffee farmers, focus on customer service, and roast beans to perfection. Find out a little bit more about the company. And so I had the chance to try out some of their coffee. What I tried was particularly flavorful and was a perfect afternoon blend, I thought (I'm an all-day drinker of coffee). I love how Aroma Ridge provides a unique collection of coffees and at reasonable prices. So if you want to check out what they have to offer, make sure you stop by their website: https://aromaridge.com/roasted-coffee/?sort=featured&page=1 And so, if you want a particularly amazing treat (and I think we all need one in this time period), their rum cakes make for d

5 New Year's Resolutions You Can Commit To (In Case You Need One)

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Yes, folks, it's resolution season! So, in case you are drawing a blank this year, or you have failed far too many times at sticking with your resolution in previous years, I have for you a few resolution ideas that you may want to consider tackling for the year 2020. 1) Do a monthly digital detox . Every month for the year 2020, commit to doing some type of digital detox. That means you 100% unplug yourself digitally for a period of time. No smartphones. No Fit Bits. No internet. Try 24 hours without your smartphone and see how it feels. Then next month, try an entire weekend without your smartphone. It may start out feeling really strange, but taking a break from the online world can be extremely beneficial. 2) Say "no" more often. When was the last time you declined a project or an assignment or a commitment because you knew you would be overwhelmed? Yup, that's what we thought. If it's been a while since you set boundaries around your personal limi

Kumanday Coffee Review & Giveaway

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January is the perfect time of year to add a new kind of coffee in your life. Recently, I had the chance to try Kumanday Coffee and I am so excited to tell you about it. The Kumanday Coffee is 100% Colombian Arabica Supremo Coffee. The Colombian Arabica coffee is grown by small coffee growers on Coffee Growers Cooperatives, which means it is guaranteed to have responsible trade and fair compensation. That is extremely important to me and wonderful to read on their website. Now for the coffee! This is such good coffee and I was so happy to try it. Their coffee has such a bold flavor to it. It has chocolate notes to it which I love finding in coffee. I can tell the roasting is fresh! The coffee is more of a medium roast too. So while I prefer a dark roast, I did love this coffee a lot. It had tons of flavor to it and I would absolutely recommend this to any coffee flavor! You can purchase your own Kumanday Coffee by visiting this link.  Be sure to also follow the

5 Gift Ideas for Women on Valentine's Day

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Can you believe Valentine's Day is around the corner? I felt like just last week we were celebrating Christmas and ringing in the New Year! Well, whether you are ready or not, Valentine's Day is coming. Need any gift ideas? I have a few ideas that I wanted to share my with you. 1) Necklace. A site that I have recently found that is an excellent gift for someone is  Get Name Necklace.  They may beautiful personalized necklaces that would make an excellent Valentine's Day gift. Getting  necklaces for girlfriend  or whoever is in your life will absolutely put a smile on their face. 2) A Watch Watches are still a great fashion statement and you don't need to spend tons on a smartwatch either. Make sure you research which brands last the longest before you purchase. A couple of brands that I know are Michael Kors and MVMT. Ideally, stick with colors that are fairly neutral like gold or silver. Rose gold is also very beautiful. 3) Perfume  Perfume is

3 Ways to Make Moving Day Easier

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Are you planning on moving out of your home this year? I don't know about you, but moving is one of those tasks that feel like a lot of work and neverending. So, if you are looking at a looming moving date, I have put together a few quick tips to keep in mind that will make the moving process easier. This applies to you whether you use a mover or you are moving by yourself. 1) Pack a "first night box."  As you start packing your stuff, remember that first night (and even morning) inside your new home. Make sure every family member has must-have items for that first night. If you know you are going back to school and work the next day, make sure those things stay within plain view of the packing and moving process. For that first night, a few things you'll probably need: Pajamas. (Also, to make it more fun, consider buying new pajamas for that first night. Getting matching PJs for the whole family will make it a night to remember and a fun way to make eve

The Best Way to Get Groceries in 2020: Why You Should Try Instacart

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This post contains affiliate links for which I will receive a small compensation if you purchase through my link. As many of you may know, I am a huge fan of online grocery delivery services and I think I've tried them all - almost all of them anyways. My personal favorite is Instacart and I'd like to break down why exactly I love it: How it Works With Instacart, you sign up for the service and select from a list of grocery stores available near you for grocery delivery. You can usually get groceries within a couple of hours or less. You can also schedule your delivery for several hours and days out if you'd like. When you finish adding things to your cart, you can also select specific replacements. You can also add to your order, even after it's completed, as long as the shopper hasn't started. When you've finished your order, you get a text or app notification when the shopper starts and you can chat with them as they shop as well as make requests.