Tag: Lifestyle

Graze Snack Box Subscription Review

Published on by LeeLeave a comment

This week I thought I would talk about Graze, and I wanted to show you the snacks I received. Graze is a snack box subscription service that sends you healthy, nutritious snacks either weekly, bi-monthly, or once a month depending on your preference. They offer hundreds of snack options that are constantly being updated. Every month, subscribers receive eight various snack packs tailored to their dietary preferences.

Shipping + Packaging

My snack packs were organized neatly inside.

As expected, I received eight different types of snacks. A couple of the snacks I got this month were repeated from my first Graze box, but this is understandable because I was quite picky with my diet preferences. I was surprised they had as many options as they did! I chose snacks that were vegan, gluten-free, and have under 10g of sugar. If you’re less picky than I was, there will be hundreds of snack options.

Snack Reviews:

Jalapeno Cheese Taco

This was my favorite snack in the box, so I was excited to see it again! You might not think it would be vegan, but the cheese flavor is made with completely plant-based ingredients like onion powder, turmeric, paprika, and more. It’s delicious, and I love the spicy kick from the jalapenos. While having 140 total calories in a pack, this snack is also a good source of protein and fiber.

Fantastic Forest Fruits

This fruity snack is made up of soft apple pieces, cherry-flavored raisins, blueberries, and lingonberries. I was excited about this snack because I had never even heard of lingonberries and I love trying new fruits! These were pretty good – they tasted a bit tart and similar to cranberries. I really liked this snack combination. The pack had only 80 calories!

Sweet Rhubarb Jam

This snack is made of rhubarb pieces, soft apple pieces, and cranberries. It’s pretty yummy, but I prefer their snacks that have nuts as well. If I’m eating fruit, I’d rather have the real thing – like a delicious, juicy apple. Dried fruits aren’t as good as the real thing to me, and I like them better when they’re mixed with crunchy nuts. However, I did like the combined taste of these three fruits! There were 100 calories in the entire snack pack, plus it’s a great source of fiber.

Sweet & Spicy Beet Crunch

The sweet and spicy beet crunch snack is made of dried beet chips, sunflower seeds, and jalapeno chickpeas. A lot of people didn’t like the beet chips, but I didn’t mind them.

I do think they could’ve been more flavorful. I loved the sunflower seeds and the spiciness added from the jalapeno flavoring! This snack is a good source of fiber, protein, and has just 100 calories.

Veggie Protein Power

I got this snack in my last box as well. It’s made of edamame, spicy chickpeas, and cashews that are salted with sea salt and black pepper. It didn’t look like it’d be tasty, but it was pretty good. I’ve never enjoyed cooked edamame, but this snack made me discover that I like it better when dried! This snack pack has just 130 calories. It’s also a great source of protein and fiber!

Punchy Protein Nuts

One of the favorite snacks I got was these punchy protein nuts. This snack contains peanuts, almonds, and chili-lime cashews. The cashews were my favorite part because of the delicious chili-lime flavoring. This snack is also a great source of protein, vitamins, and minerals! It contains vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and manganese – all in one little snack pack.

Natural Energy Nuts

This was the only snack I was a bit disappointed with. They didn’t even seem to try with this one – it’s just plain almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts. I’m not into nuts except for peanuts, I didn’t subscribe to Graze to get plain nuts. I would just go to the grocery store and buy them for a much better price if I wanted this.

Anytime Energizer

The final snack I received was the Anytime Energizer, made of dried pears, dried sour cherries, and walnuts. I liked this one as well. It made a great salad topper! It provided my meal with extra sweetness as well as crunch because of the walnuts. The chewy and crunchy mixture is the perfect combination. Plus, it only has 150 calories (plus a few essential vitamins and minerals)!

Savings Opportunities

Graze offers the opportunity to get your first box for free! This is a sampler box that has four snacks rather than the regular eight – you’re only required to pay a small shipping fee. The deal is very simple to take advantage of because it’ll show up right when you go to the website.

Bottom Line: To sum up this Graze review, I was satisfied with my subscription box. I don’t mind that the snacks I got are fruit and nut-based (keep in mind this is not the case with all their snacks, only if you choose the picky diet preferences as I did). I love nuts and fruits together so this is more than fine with me. Overall, Graze is a fun and fairly inexpensive way to try out a few new snacks every month. It’s a great option for people with dietary restrictions since they have so many options! For me, this was perfect to try different snacks especially the vegan ones, I’m not the healthiest but this was super easy and eatable.
Their snacks are delicious and the packaging is very convenient to take on the go, which I love. Plus, the serving sizes are perfect. This subscription is fairly inexpensive and, in my opinion, is definitely worth it. This subscription would make a great gift as well—everyone loves snacks!

Let me know in the comments, what you think about Graze?! Have You Tried Graze Before? If so, what kind of snacks did you get and liked?

10 Ways to Relieve Stress

Published on by LeeLeave a comment

I haven’t touched too much on stress and anxiety on my blog, but I deal with it every single day. I have spine issues so stress really takes a toll on my body and back. It’s so easy to let stress get the best of me, so as soon as I feel stressed, I take a minute to become self-aware and begin de-stressing. Here are my 10 ways to relieve stress and I hope this helps you too!

  1. Breathe
    • When we get stressed or anxious, listen to your breathing – is it fast and shallow? As soon as you feel tense, try breathing slow and deep. The increased intake of oxygen will help calm your nervous system.
  2. Pamper
    • As a beauty blogger, this is probably my favorite thing to do.  Create a mini spa oasis at home – light some candles and pamper yourself with your favorite mask or give yourself a manicure. You deserve it!
  3. Drink tea
    • I love tea, like really love tea and recently I learned that there’s an art to drinking tea. Instead of just pouring yourself a cup, pay attention to the boiling of the water, the steeping of the tea, and then take a moment to savor each sip. Focusing on the experience can be calming, just make sure to drink decaffeinated tea like this one.
  4. Music
    • You know how you listen to music before heading into the shower? The same thing applies to your night in. Music can be a powerful tool to quickly change your mood and I love using apps like Spotify and Tidal that have ready-made playlists to match your mood.
  5. Journal
    • Sometimes when I have so much on my mind, I write down what I’m feeling and why I’m feeling that way. Once I have everything down on paper, it’s like having a weight lifted off my shoulders and then I can start tackling whatever is stressing me out.
  6. Read
    • If there’s one thing that’ll put me to sleep, it’s reading. Get lost in a story and it’ll take your mind off of your stressful day and chances are, it’ll put you to sleep like me.
  7. Exercise
    • Now I’m not the most active person but walking helps to put my mind at ease. This is something I recently picked up and I’ve been really feeling the endorphins! I love that feeling of knowing that I took time out of my day to get myself healthier.
  8. Meditation
    • I have been able to master this technique, and I know many people who love meditation. In fact, my therapist is a strong believer in meditation and recommends it for everyone, not just for people who suffer from anxiety, depression, stress and etc.    You can use meditation apps or find a guided meditation on YouTube.
  9. Stay offline
    • If work and emails are sources of your stress, turn off your phone and computer to reduce the temptation of checking and responding to emails.  As much as work is important to me,  I try to remember that my health is much more important. Social media can be strainful so try to separate yourself. I know that is hard especially for those who earn money through Instagram like myself but it is not impossible.
  10. Cry/Smile
    • Relieves Stress. A good cry can provide a feeling of relief, even if our circumstances still remain the same. Crying is known to release stress hormones or toxins from the body, and as a result, reduces tension. It provides an emotional release of pent up negative feelings, stresses, and frustrations.
      • When all else fails, smile. Smiling releases a hormone called serotonin (the happy hormone) and can boost your immune system. By having a positive attitude, you’ll have a sunnier outlook on life. Try it!

Don’t get me wrong I love makeup and using makeup to feel good, but working on my inner beauty is a priority for me too! Stress can be detrimental to your overall health, so remember to take at least five minutes out of your day to relax. Happy de-stressing!

HOW DO YOU DE-STRESS?

6 Reasons Why Sparkling Wine Is Healthier Than You Think

Published on by Lee1 Comment

We can’t deny it – during the holiday season, we love a festive cocktail, a good glass of wine, or a glass of bubbly.  We are all for making healthier choices, we do believe there is room for a little indulgence even if you live the healthiest lifestyle. It’s all about having that balance and following the rules of moderation!

There are certain alcoholic drinks that are deemed “healthier” than the rest (i.e. the lowest in calories), but we have to admit, we have a soft spot for a glass of sparkling wine. So kick up your feet and enjoy a glass of sparkling wine after work and with friends; it may be surprising to learn that sparkling wine has more health benefits than you think!

Fewer Calories

A glass of sparkling wine can contain as little as 80 calories, while a glass of wine, beer, or hard alcohol can contain over 100!

Here’s a little cheat I learned, mix sparkling wine and sparkling water over ice. With this low-calorie drink, you won’t feel deprived when you’re craving a glass of bubbly!

More Filling

Like other effervescent drinks, when you drink sparkling wine, you’ll be able to feel fuller quickly without having the temptation to indulge. I am especially a fan of Prosecco, like Riondo Prosecco, since it’s super affordable and light-bodied with notes of apple and pear. For an antioxidant kick, mix in some fresh pressed juice. Find more Riondo Prosecco Cocktails here.

High in Antioxidants

Just like red and white wine, sparkling wine is loaded with antioxidants that can help fight free radicals, improve heart health (more on that below), protect nerve cells from damage, and reduce the risk of cancer. The antioxidants can also help prevent you from getting sick as well!

Detoxifies and Evens Out Skin

If you have any leftover sparkling wine, you can incorporate it into your beauty routine.

For those who have oily skin, soak a cotton pad with sparkling wine and use as a toner all over your face. The antioxidants will detoxify your skin while the tartaric acid will even out any discolorations on your skin.

Heart Healthy

Thanks to the antioxidants in sparkling wine (i.e., polyphenols), you’ll reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and heart attacks.

Improves Memory

After a night of heavy drinking, we usually blame alcohol for memory loss, but research shows that drinking one or two glasses of sparkling wine a week can help with memory loss, even dementia.

What Is Your Favorite Sparkling Wine🍷 ?

Odds & Ends: What It Means When ‘Mercury Is In Retrograde’?

Published on by LeeLeave a comment

I don’t know about you, but recently I’ve heard more and more people blaming Mercury for things. At first, I didn’t understand why this poor planet was being accused of breaking cell phones, causing communication issues, and just generally making every aspect of life just a little bit messed up. So, I decided to do some research and find out what it really means when someone lists “Mercury in retrograde” as the culprit in whatever issue they’re dealing with. Here’s what I found out…

Three or four times a year, the planet Mercury looks like it’s going backwards for three weeks, give or take a couple days. It’s not actually moving backwards, but it slows down a lot, which gives the optical illusion of receding, which is where the retrograde part comes in. And according to astrology, Mercury is the planet responsible for communication (including listening, talking, reading, negotiating), contracts, and transportation. Mercury is also in charge of computer code (I’m not sure how it works, but that’s what I hear…), which is why phones, computers, tablets, printers, and any other technology devices can go haywire during this time period. So because of this, all of those aspects of life can go awry during the time period of Mercury in retrograde.

Essentially, miscommunication thrives, mistakes happen, technology goes on the fritz, and travel plans can turn nightmarish. So to avoid these issues, there are a bunch of things that the experts recommend not to do when Mercury is in retrograde. And because I want to make sure none of you suffer from this planetary problem, I’ve put together a little cheat sheet for you:

What Not To Do While Mercury Is In Retrograde

  1. Don’t Sign Contracts, Talk About Contracts, Shake Hands or Swear (FYI: Email and text can be a form of contract also)
  2. Don’t Buy A New Car
  3. Don’t Start A New Job or Project
  4. Don’t Travel Too Much
  5. Don’t Buy Computers, Cell Phones or Tablets
  6. Don’t Have Plastic or Elective Surgery
  7. Don’t Repair Auto
  8. Don’t Move in Anywhere or Select a Roommate
  9. Don’t Make Any Life Changing Decisions
  10. Have “That Big Talk”
  11. Don’t take any chances on anything or anyone
  12. Don’t agree on anything and read carefully, even in text messages.

Now, it kind of seems like you can’t do anything during these time periods… However, take this with a grain of salt. Advice from the experts? Wait until Mercury goes direct to make any important decisions.

Mercury Retrograde will also affect people differently based on one’s zodiac sign.

Lucky for us, Mercury in retrograde ended December 06, 2018, and we don’t have another one until March 2019.

Now that you know what Mercury in retrograde means and what it’s blamed with causing, I want to hear from you guys…

Do you agree with this? Have you found that Mercury in retrograde actually causes some of these issues? Or do you think it’s just superstition?

Share your thoughts in the comments!

XO LEE