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Thursday, March 28, 2013

One of those nights.



Last night was one of those that's so incredibly good for the soul. You know the type, right? 

The nights that include good friends, good food, a few drinks and a ton of laughs.

The nights where you linger long after your empty plates have been cleared from the table. 

The nights where you don't say "Goodbye" after dinner, but "What's next?".

The nights that result in a ton of picture retakes because there isn't a single one deemed decent enough by all parties involved to go on Facebook or Instagram. 

The nights where you stay up well past the point of exhaustion because neither of you wants to end the conversation. 

Those nights. They're my favorite.


Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Oh, Goodies!

Have you heard of Goodies.co?

Goodies Co. is a monthly subscription box service that delivers delicious new snack samples right to your door! If you love the samples, you can head back to the Goodies Co. website and order more of your favorites. 

This is my first box from the Goodies Co., but I can say with 100% certainty that it won't be my last. I was so impressed with everything!

Here's a picture of the box I received (minus a few things I just had to try before snapping a pic):


(Take a look at the packaging! I'm a total sucker for packaging and this box couldn't be any cuter.)

The theme of this month's box was Rise and Shine featuring many different samples perfect for breakfast (or any time of the day, really!). 

What I received:

Alo Water Watermelon & Peach: I loved receiving a full-sized sample of this product. I was a little skeptical about drinking something with aloe vera in it (my only experience with aloe is in regards to sunburns and cuts), but I was pleasantly surprised. This drink is very light and refreshing and I really love the peach flavor.  My daughter enjoyed it too, but did not like the pulp. . 

Ola! Handbaked Granola: I typically shy away from eating or purchasing granola since most brands are high in fat, sugar, and calories. In my head, it's one of those 'healthy' foods that often isn't always so healthy. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this product. The ingredient list has nothing weird on it and it contains non-GMO ingredients. My favorite part was the almonds-- whole, crunchy, and perfectly satisfying.



Rickland Orchards Greek Yogurt Coated Granola Bar: This was, by far, my favorite product in the box which is surprising to me because I am normally not a fan of bars. Most bars I've tried in the past either taste like cardboard or are overly sweet, but this one is delicious. I tried the toasted coconut variety (I'm a coconut freak) and loved the little bits of dried pineapple in it, too. It was like a pina colada granola bar--- yum! 

Erin Baker's Breakfast Cookie: This was just okay. It was pretty small and quite dry. I tried the peanut butter flavor and wasn't really impressed. 

Nabisco Newtons Triple Berry: These were dry and tasted almost like a Nutri-grain bar. The berry flavor is okay. I would not purchase these for various reasons, the most important being the ingredient list. The first ingredient is whole grain wheat flour, but from there it goes downhill fast: sugar, high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup. These cookies also contain hydrogenated oils, which we as family try to steer clear of.

Jovan's All Natural Instant Breakfast: I wasn't sure what to expect from this product. I loved Carnation Instant Breakfast as a kid, but I do not buy it now. Frankly, I'd rather have coffee in the mornings and my daughter doesn't drink milk. This product is all-natural and all you do is mix the packet contents into a glass of cold milk and enjoy. I tried it this morning and it is quite tasty-- I love the beautiful specks of vanilla bean seeds floating throughout. My only criticism is that the ingredients are not listed on the back of the packet.

Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves: First off, this sample is absolutely adorable. Will you get a load of that mini-jar?! Swoon. These preserves are perfectly sweet and bursting with fresh strawberry flavor. I would absolutely purchase this product-- strawberry is my daughter's favorite flavor of jelly/jam/preserves.

BelVita Cinnamon Brown Sugar Breakfast Biscuits: Wow! These are really tasty. They are thin, crisp and taste like part graham cracker, part ginger snap. Subtle hints of cinnamon and just the right amount of sweetness. I wouldn't eat these for breakfast, but I think they'd make a great dessert!

All in all, I felt like this was a really great box. It was filled with tasty samples of products I'd likely never buy if I hadn't tried a sample.

I got all of this for only $7 including taxes and shipping.

What are you waiting for? Check out Goodies.co!



Monday, March 25, 2013

Welcome!

My name is Hilary and I’ve been blogging for quite awhile. It all started with a family blog back in 2008, then a not-very-funny blog about the randomness of my life, and I still maintain a blog for my daughter that is for her only. These blogs satisfied me for a while and then they just fizzled out, but through it all, I’ve still felt the need to put my thoughts and words somewhere. This is that place for me. A place without obligation where I can come and put all of it down. Feel free to sit a spell because I’m glad you’re here.