Urthbox is a fun way to discover some healthy snacks for you and your family

Disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample of the products for review purposes. The opinions are my own, based on my personal experience with the product.

Urthbox offers healthy snack options for almost everyone on your list including you!  2014 is a new year and you can make a fresh and healthy start every day.
Urthbox makes healthy options easy to choose.  Every single Urthbox product is carefully curated and checked for ingredient, source, calorie, nutrition and manufacturing reviews. You can feel confident you are choosing something good for you and fun!

Select from Classic, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Diet or Snacker Box Options. They offer one month, three month, or six month subscriptions. Think about how excited you will be each month when you open your carefully selected yummy and fresh new snacks, drinks, food & more tucked into your Urthbox.  Don't worry if you find a new favorite either....it is super easy to purchase it easily through the Urthbox online shop. It's January...start right now to make healthy foods a priority in your life. Let Urthbox help you do it every month.

Prices are reasonable as well. You can get one month subscriptions for $25, 3 months for $22 per month and a 6 month subscription for $19 per month.  Clearly the best value is the 6 month subscription and that makes your life easier.  Set it up and no worries. Shipping including in all the plans. Just wait for the mailman to enjoy your goods.  See what is inside and decide for yourself.

I just received the January Classic Urthbox.  I like that each box has a card with a summary of the products in the box and where you can buy them at stores near you.   I was interested to see that you can get credits for future purchases by sharing Urthbox with friends and colleagues through social networks...up to $12 per post! If you don't want to leave the comfort of your home you can log into the Urthbox site and just buy extras of what you like from each month's box.  Be friendly and share and you can get lots of extras too!

There was an interesting variety of healthy items in this box including NEO Organic Energy, Dangs Coconut Chips, Annie Chun's White Sticky Rice, Inka's Giant Corn, Wow Oregon Oatmeal Cookie, Annie's Organic Horseradish Mustar, Justin's Almond Butter, Next by Nature Chocolate Cashews and Tasty Bite Natural Indian Cuisine.  Keep going to get the details.

Have you ever tried toasted coconut chips?  So yummy. Good by themselves or sprinkle them on your granola or on Greek yogurt. Excellent. Love that they are non-GMO, gluten-free and tasty.

Dark chocolate, nuts, what in the world could NOT be perfect about this combination?  Add all natural, gluten free, no artificial colors or flavors and it is totally perfect. Seriously, these are super delicious.

I am funny with Indian....sometimes I am in the mood for it and other times it does not appeal to me so much. My husband was excited about this one.  I liked that it was a fast meal that has no MSG, is gluten free, vegetarian and non-GMO.  You can even microwave it so on those busy days if you enjoy Indian you can have a fast, healthy meal. The ingredient list was very clean looked too. You can't beat the convenience either.

This looked so amazing to me right out of the box!  I kind of remember something like this when I was a kid but I don't think it was all natural and GMO free.  If you have gluten issues there is no problem with this Inka Corn because it is gluten free. They are tasty and have some serious crunch. A good departure from the usual chips and they are available at Costco and Trader Joes.

Have you seen Jason's products before? These are so convenient. I have been buying them for a while now and I was happy to see this in the box. Easy to throw in a lunchbox or bag or keep in the car for when you are having a hunger crash. Squeezes right out and tastes great. All natural and gluten free, vegan too!

Oooh, I love Annie's Natural's but I had never come across their Horseradish Mustard.  We love horseradish and mustard and I had sometimes mixed them on sandwiches in the past to give them some zip. This is much easier. I enjoy Annie's products and like that they are all organic too. Get ready for some serious zip but this tastes so good you will come back for more.

Awww, they had to throw in one of my favorites.  We were duking it out over this Oregon Oatmeal wheat and gluten free cookie. Non-GMO and tasty. It was the perfect texture too just soft enough with a bit of chewiness. A good cookie.

One of my friends who is originally from Taiwan always laughs at me because she thinks I am such a nut because I love sticky rice. I always order it in restaurants. I could eat gallons of it but I limit myself. I can only get to the gym 4 or 5 times a week so I leave it as a treat. I like that the Annie Chun's Rice Express White Sticky Rice can be steamed up fast in a minute. You can beat that fast anywhere so at least when I really want the sticky rice I can make it fast and it is in a reasonable portion. All natural, vegan and gluten free too.

I had never seen NEO organic energy plus electrolytes before and I was interested. No artificial ingredients or amplifiers. USDA organic, gluten free and vegan. I am going to try this one before the gym on Monday and I will let you know. Definitely looks like a reasonable option. *

 

The final little extra in the Urthbox was two Reed's Ginger Candies. I love Reed's Ginger Soda which I keep in the house in the event that someone is sick.  I love that these, like Reed's Ginger Ale are all natural, gluten free and vegan. Tasty and good to keep with you especially if you are flying or going on a cruise.  They can relieve some nausea at least it works for me!*

Urthbox has a nice blend of items and looks like a fun subscription box I am such a savvy shopper I was surprised that they even found a bunch of items that I had not seen before.  Urthbox does the work for you so you can enjoy interesting new healthy options every single month.

Flower Duet Team Teaches You the Art of Flower Arranging from A to Z via their DVD {Giveaway}

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample of the product for review purposes. The opinions are my own, based on my personal experience with the product.

Have you ever tried flower arranging?  I have and sometimes it has worked and sometimes it has flopped.  It is a challenge when you don't have all the inside tips and tricks that the pros have, right?  What about if you are trying to plan a wedding or another festive event and really want to make it beautiful but not spend thousands on a floral designer?  Is that even possible?  Even if you just want to create beautiful arrangements in your own home or for friends, you really can learn to do it with the inside secrets from the pros at Flower Duet. 

I was pretty impressed.  The DVD was the perfect length, not too long because I am one busy mama and my time is limited. On the other hand, I really need help with flower arranging because I always feel like I can do more but never really know what to do. So I used to just buy a bunch of flowers and stick them in a vase...at least my kitchen or dining room would look a little brighter. But it never really looked professional. I was excited because Casey and Kit showed me that I can take those simple flowers from ShopRite, Whole Foods or Trader Joes and take it to the next level. Easily too.  Trust me, I am no crafty wizard. These two ladies are good at what they do.  

Casey and Kit are two sisters who are the brains behind Flower Duet and they spill their secrets for you!  They even have an amazing monthly newsletter that has some crafty and elegant tricks you can incorporate into your own arrangements and bouquets. You can sign up right on their website.  Take a peek at their past newsletters too...so many amazing ideas these ladies have to share!

The Flower Duet ladies created an easy-to-follow instructional DVD series that is just perfect for beginners like me (and maybe you!) and will give you the confidence to be creative with flowers available daily at your local grocery or farmers' market. 

• Perfect as a gift anytime! 

• Life-saver for brides on a budget who want to create their own wedding flowers . 

• The solution for what to do with those flowers you buy every week at the grocery store - but don't know how to make them look "cool."

Format: DVD 

 

Running Time: 29 minutes 

 

The flower arranging How-to DVD includes: 

First, the sister team of Flower Duet, Casey and Kit, take you on location to their favorite wholesale flower vendor and show you how to choose only the freshest flowers – just like they do for all their clients in person! 

After, you head over  to their design studio where they show you how you can mimic how professional florists prepare flowers to optimize their vase life. They give you easy to follow tips on choosing great colors and long-lasting flowers.  They also teach you the easiest and most adaptable way to create a hand-tied European wrap bouquet using three different sets of flowers.  Sounds fun, right? 

You can follow these crafty floral designing sisters on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. Flower Duet is a full service event and wedding design studio based in Los Angeles, California.  They also teach workshops which you can take a peek at on their site. They created this easy to follow DVD for those who could not attend their workshops locally. If you live in the Torrance, CA area you should really check out their classes.  It sounds like so much fun I wish I lived closer!!

Meanwhile, don't forget to enter my Rafflecopter giveaway to win your own copy of the Flower Duet DVD.a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Naturally Flavored Eggnog Matcha Review + Holiday Giveaway

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. Disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample of the product for review purposes. The opinions are my own, based on my personal experience with the product.

Are you familiar with Matcha? It’s a special green tea powder and the healthiest green tea on earth. Think about it. Normally you steep green tea only to drink the water and throw away the leaves that carry the most nutrients.  Matcha powder lets you drink the water AND the powdered green tea leaves.

Christmas time makes you think of eggnog...at least it makes ME think of eggnog. Yummy and decadent! Eggnog (as you probably know) is a sweet and super delicious drink.  What you may not know is that it easily blends with other beverages too.  Eggnog Matcha can easily become a holiday favorite since it has that delicious flavor of eggnog.   It is right in the middle of the season of holiday parties and open houses.  Now is the perfect time to set a new trend and show everyone how cosmopolitan you are when you are hosting.  Eggnog Matcha has a light and sweet vanilla flavor that definitely will appeal to your younger and older friends and colleagues.  It is a fun drink to serve for brunch or as part of an evening party.  Luscious and indulgent...I pretty much guarantee will be a huge hit.  We had friends over this weekend and everyone wanted my recipe for the Eggnog Matcha!  When I showed them how easy it was they couldn't believe it.

Eggnog Matcha contains no eggs and tastes more like vanilla or even vanilla custard. The taste is refined by the balancing effect of Matcha to create a truly mellow treat. It tastes thick and creamy and very indulgent. Think about how yummy it will be with a small treat like a cookie or other sweet snack. Eggnog Matcha is a heavenly beverage for any occasion at all.

Enter my Rafflecopter giveaway below to win your own Naturally Flavored Eggnog Matcha and see for yourself!a Rafflecopter giveaway
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Revolution Foods Meal Kits for Kids are Healthy AND Yummy and a Giveaway!

Disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received  coupons to sample the product for review purposes. The opinions are my own, based on my personal experience with the product.

A revolution is here... a Real one...a Revolution Meal Kit to change the way you think about prepared kids lunches.  Traditionally, school lunch---ugh. Making a creative, fresh lunch for my child every day--um, I like the end result and I feel good about it but sometimes it is just so hard to come up with something exciting. Forget about what they serve in that cafeteria! I go food shopping and look and look, hoping for some relief. I go past the refrigerator case and see those L*8ch@ble$ Kids Meals and then I look at the labels in sadness and put them back. I just can't do it. But I really needed some help and I am happy to say my healthy solution has finally arrived. Happy Days for this healthy mama!

Kristen and Kirsten, two moms very similar to me got together and created Revolution Foods, a healthy line of fun meals for kids.  Revolution Foods Meal Kits are 100% kid-tested for yumminess and they are grab & go.  All the benefits of a speedy fast meal without the yucky ingredients that make you groan. All Revolution Foods Meal Kits a made with natural, high-quality ingredients, no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.  Guest who has them now?  Target.  Yup, my favorite store has them in stock all over the country.  We picked up a few varieties this week. We just tried the Cheese Pizza Meal kit and you know who gave it a thumbs up.  Whole grain pizza crust, shredded rBST free mozzarella cheese, squeezable all natural pizza sauce and  wild berry peel apart 100% fruit snack.  What is not to like?  They can eat it hot or cold.  Other varieties include Ham and Cheese, Turkey and Cheese and PB&J.  At Target they were a reasonable $3.99 each. Not much different in price than the yucky ones loaded with junk but a huge improvement in the healthy contents.

Think about how these easy, healthy lunch kits can simplify your life. Dance practice, piano lessons, theatre, soccor, baseball, swim team...we all run from one activity to another, right?  Here is a fun way to get the kids a healthy meal without the headache or guilt. Revolution Foods Meal Kits are the perfect solution whether at home, school or on-the-go! These kid-approved Meal Kits can be found in the refrigerated section of select retailers like Whole Foods and Target.  

Don't forget to enter the great giveaway and you could win a month's worth of free lunches!

Beauty Box 5 is an Adorable Mini Winner: Glamamamas Review

Disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample of the product for review purposes. The opinions are my own, based on my personal experience with the product.

Beauty Box 5 is a subscription beauty box sampler that is delivered to your doorstep (or mailbox) filled with a combination of 5 brand new cosmetic samples/full size products monthly, quarterly or annually. It is a great new way for anyone from teens to moms to sample new cosmetic products and see what works for you. They include tips and tricks on the back of this little card below to help you get the most out of your beauty samples. 

Beauty Box 5 shared with me that they are always looking for the inside scoop on hot new items to make the best matches for your own personal taste and lifestyle.  The prices are reasonable too. You can get a Beauty Box 5 monthly for $12, quarterly for $30 or annually for just $99.  Shipping is always free. They are also currently offering a little bonus...each box gets a corresponding gift card to Soap with purchase of one of the above plans.  A fun way to check out lots of the new beauty stuff out there without a whole lot of $$ investment. The great part is that if you like something, you can just get on line and buy the full size item, right?  Much better than buying a full size you-know-what-beauty-item and paying a fortune and then it sits in the makeup bag gathering dust because it doesn't work for you.

Beauty Box 5 mixes it up with their brands and keeps things adventurous. They source from a mix of niche, luxe, regular drugstore, vegan and eco-conscious brands.  You might get hair care, nail care, makeup, skin care, fragrances or even beauty accessories.  I love the suspense!  You will get a carefully curated blend of travel, full-size and deluxe samples from their most current collection.

I received the December 2013 Naughty and Nice Box.  Here is the scoop on the goodies that were in this cute little box:

NYX is a brand that I turn to often in my local Ulta store so I am familiar with them.    This was an eye shadow trio called Live in Rio.  A pretty blend of mauve, taupe and a grayish blue all with a bit of a shimmer. I like that it is manufactured cruelty free.  

The second item was a travel size Clean and Clear Morning Burst Hydrating Gel Moisturizer.  This is small but perfect for a weekend getaway.  

I was not familiar with Body Drench moisturizers before I received this. Body Drench Hemp Moisturizing Daily Lotion has a nice, light scent.  Not too overpowering and natural.  Again, a travel size at 2oz which would be good for a weekend. 

Winter brings dry feet.  I was excited to see the coarse/fine foot smoother from Every Beauty. It has a coarse texture on one side...fine on the other. You can use it on the feet, elbows or knees....wet or dry.  I love that this is flexible and reusable.  It felt nice on my feet and that were super smooth after I used it. 

The last item was OFRA Lipgloss Plumper in Sultry.  A pretty rose bronze shade that works nicely for the cool weather. It was thicker than traditional lip glosses but felt smooth on my lips.  I detecting some tingly lip plumping action but it took a few minutes.  Be patient. The color suited me well. This was a full size item and I liked the petite 10ml size. Good for an evening bag or pocket. 

This was a nice little box if goodies...not a complete bargain but reasonable in light of the fact every item and brand was new to me with the exception of the Clean and Clear.  Pure convenience and a nice treat which we all deserve!  I knew the brand NYX from shopping at Ulta but had not tried this particular color palette. All the other items and brands were fun surprises to check out and learn more about. I like finding out about new beauty innovations but with work and life...ahh, my time is so limited to troll the beauty stores and malls. Beauty Box 5 is a nice way to discover new brands and products without a huge commitment. 

Love With Food Subscription Box : Winter Wonderland Review

Disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample of the product for review purposes. The opinions are my own, based on my personal experience with the product.

One Box. One Meal. YOU donated a meal. YOU made a difference. We Love You.

Wow.  This was the first thing I saw when I opened the bright red box from Love With Food.  That really piqued my interest.  Every subscription box from Love With Food triggers a meal donation.  What a fantastic idea...very easy way to help others and find joy in your own life at the same time. 

Pair it with a box filled to the brim with lots of natural, organic and decadent delights and you can feel good about subscribing to this box every month....or gifting it to a friend. 

The nice sized box box was literally filled to the brim with a variety of yummy, organic snacks.  The back of the Winter Wonderland card had a brief explanation of each item too along with links to the product's Twitter page to get more information.  An easy way to get more of your faves is to go to their website and find it fast.  Very convenient. It actually made it easy to get a little more familiar with each delicious snack before devouring it...just joking...I really shared. A good variety and a fun box to get (or give) every month!  Here is what was in the box I received : 

I love this marshmallow cookie-shaped beverage topper.  How much more fun and sophisticated can hot chocolate get?  

Have you tried these yet?  I found them a few years ago when they first came out and they were a big hit in my house.  Snack size is great for lunches. 

34 degrees. Yummy little snacks that are tasy and crispy.  Purse sized....

Donsuemor Dipped Madeleines are a delicious treat...this little packet went right into the lunchbox.  Eaten in a flash.  Time for more. 

Perfect for the season.  Who doesn't enjoy a fresh Molasses Spice Cookie from Grey Ghost Bakery.  These were soft and had a natural deep cinnamon spice flavor. 

I had never seen this before...I loved the adorable little packet of chocolate and the antique design.  It made a yummy hot chocolate treat on a cold day this past week. 

The timing couldn't have been more perfect for our recent holiday party.  I made this Deser Gardens Spinach dip but I subbed in fat free Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise or sour cream as suggested.  It came out yummy and was a big hit.  I would buy this again. 

I was excited to see this Snow Angell organic candy bar.  This was a full size bar that was perfect for me to share with my hubby.  He tried to grab for more but I ate mine quick! This was yummy and I likes the clean list of ingredients. Treat....yes but definitely less guilt. 

My mom tried for this one but I wasn't having any of it.  I know...I am awful.  I love this...a perfect little Lindt Excellence 70% chocolate square.  My mom says she always has these in the house because one square after dinner is just enough of a little fix for her. Maybe I need to buy more...just have to hide from you-know-who.

St. Claire's Organics Peppermints tasted fresh and clean.  I loved that they were totally organic as well. I put them in my purse but kept sneaking them out because they were so tasty.  I wished the packet had been larger.  Another one to add to my to-buy list. 

You can follow LoveWithFood on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. I always like to follow companies I enjoy to keep updated on new products, sales and announcements.

Claritin New Year New You Giveaway plus Claritin tips and coupons

Disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a a booklet and a pedometer complimentary. The opinions are my own, based on my personal experience with the product.

 

In honor of 2014, I am hosting a Claritin giveaway to help get my readers to start moving and establishing a healthy eating and exercise regimen.  As a member of the Claritin's Mom Crew I am sharing with you one of my little treats plus allergy coupons from Claritin.  

In your gift pack you will receive:

• Fit for Winter Holiday Season brochure.  This brochure provides you with some quick health tips to not only ease winter allergies, but ease the winter blues! Lordy knows we all need some of these too.

• Children’s Claritin branded pedometer! It will keep you on track during your winter workouts!

We all know that Children’s Claritin is a huge supporter of outdoor play. I hope you will learn a new tip (and share) from the quick reference brochure and be encouraged to enjoy the great outdoors. With Children’s Claritin, you can be sure that your children won’t be held back either. Thanks to the #1 pediatrician recommended, 24-hour, non-drowsy allergy medication, they’ll be ready to go! 

Take a peek at some of the great Claritin coupons and save today!  We all need to save a little so why not use a coupon?  I always do. a Rafflecopter giveaway