Love with Food curated by Andrew Zimmern, April 2013

This was my first box for my three month subscription with this company. My first box I was abit disappointed. I am more of a snacker and less of a person who cooks [mostly because I keep cutting my fingers and getting burned by hot oil]. Anyways, I am not sure if I will be continuing this subscription.

Original Cocomel from JJ’s Sweet - This a  sweet mixture of coconut and caramel. They were absolutely delicious.

Sea Salt Cocomel from JJ’s Sweet -These were my favorite. I wish there was more than 1 piece of this. It was like the original but had a hint of sea salt.

Organic Fennel Pollen from Pollen Ranch - The little pouch this came in ended up smelling the whole box like it. It was actually quite pleasant. I never used it something like this before and I am not sure if I would. So, I just left in the spice cabinet in case one day I feel like experimenting.

Creamy Buffalo Rand Dip from Buff Lo Dip  - We don’t really use dip in my house, but this did smell delicious. I think I might just leave it around but it will probably end up in the trash. 

Smoky Chili & Lime from The Good Bean - I had really high hopes for this. When I was younger, there was this restaurant that would make a chickpea snack [similar to this] mixed with pepper, salt, garlic or anything else you wanted. It was  crunchy and super tasty. I love eating this and eat them by the truckload. My mom tried teaching me how to make it, so I would stop spending all my money on it. But it just wasn’t the same. When I first opened the packet, the smoky chili scented wafted through the air. The chickpeas were crunchy and had strong lime taste with a little kick of spice at the end. They are okay, not my favorite as I am not much of a lime fan.

Salty Pepper Nuggets from Somersault Snacks - These were quite tasty and crunchy. They reminded me a bit of an everything bagel but had quite a spicy kick.  Overall, this was my favorite and I will definately keep an eye out for these in the store. 

Air Popped Sorghum Grain - Itty Bitty Butter from Mini Pops - Baby popcorn! This the popcorn you give to little babies! Just kidding, I think its a choking hazard. They taste exactly like popcorn except didn’t have a heavy artificial butter taste. I didn’t actually taste any butter on the popcorn. I guess they were not lying when they called it “itty bitty”. I was surprised when I opened the bag that it was a full bag for only 100 calories. My favorite part about this it doesn’t have those pieces of kernel or whatever it is called doesn’t get stuck in my teeth and gums. If you are a huge popcorn fan, you should definitely give this a try.

Lemony Lover Olives - Oloves - I am not a fan of olives so I gave my mom these as she loves olives. I did ate one of them, they had a mild lemon and garlic taste. The olives was not as chewy and rubbery like most of the olives. They were not as bad as I thought they would be. I also liked how they packaged the olives ready to eat, with no liquid and  pits.

Lysol Touch of Foam Antibacterial Hand Wash - Creamy Vanilla Orchid

Lysol has been well known for the cleaning prowess of their cleaning products. It was only a matter of time before they started creating a hand wash. The creamy foam promises to kill 99.9% of germs on contact while imparting a soft sophisticated vanilla scent and leaving skin feeling soft. I like how the scent was soft and not overly feminine. I also, like this soap doesn’t contain triclosan, which isn’t very good for your health. 

 

Up close of the bubbles

 

 

*Disclaimer - I received a sample of this product and a media kit to give my honest feedback. This had no impact on my review. Any squeals  of joy or pains of agony that I had gotten from using this product are my own. Receiving this sample had no impact on my review of this product and these views are my own.*

Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Lotion SPF 55

 

Photo Credit - Target

When my favorite sunscreen finished before I had a chance to buy another one, I just went into the drugstore and picked any random sunscreen. I am really excited I came across this sunscreen. It is absolutely amazing! Most sunscreen leaves my face with a whitey residue, shiny and sticky. The sunscreen left my face feeling smooth, soft and matte unlike what I usually expect from other sunscreens. I would definitely buy this again.

Latina April 2013

Since Spring is coming close, it’s a good time to freshen up your locks. Here are some nifty tips on choosing a color to dye your hair.

“If your eyes have black or blue flecks, you’re cool. You want a  cafe con leche shade to complement the blue-green undertones in your skin. Look  for wheat-colored dyes, which fall into the “ash” category. If your eyes have a golden tint, you’re warm. Your hair already has the colors of the sun, says Rodriguez, so go for a blond that’s golden with honey highlights.”

After you dye it, you  want to make sure the color last. To prolong your color, wash your hair with a sulfate free shampoo and extra moisturizers along with using stylers with UV protection and dry shampoo. Latina recommends -

Photo Credit - Yes to Carrots, Yes to Cucumbers Color protection shampoo type

 

Photo Credit - Aquage,

Aquage seaextend silkening power infusion

Photo Credit - Kenra, Kenra platinum dry shampoo

One of the new Spring trend is patterned pants. Here how to wear it with your body type -

“If you’re curvy, stay away from cropped skinnies and go for a fit in between fitted and flowy. If you’re petite, ultra skinny pants paired with a nude pump make you taller. To play your curves, wear a large scale print with a boldly colored top. If you’re tall, show off your long legs with pants have a long tapered them. Thin women look super sleek in billowy pants. For a streamline look, choose a top that matches one of the colors in your printed pants. “

April bring showers. Here are some cool accessories -

Photo Credit - Splendid Avenue

Photo Credit -May 28th

 

Photo Credit - Build Your Own Umbrella

Here are some cool tips about olive oil -

“Exposure to light, heat and air cause olive oil to lose its flavor. Maintain freshness by storing olive oil in a cool, dark place. Most of olive oil’s fat is monounsaturated, which may lessen risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes by lowering LDL [bad] cholesterol and improving blood sugar control, according to the American Heart Association.”

Pick up an issue to find career tips, read an interview with Jessica Alba and other articles.

Country Living April 2013

Everyone is carrying totes these days and shops are giving them out reduced their plastic and paper footprint. Why not get ahead of the crowd and use “Totes Inspired by Tools Bags”. Here are some CL’s picks -

Photo Credit - Apolis

Photo Credit - Deryck Todd

Spring is here! Here are some potters to spruce up your garden -

Photo Credit - West Elm

Photo Credit - Detroit Garden Works

Photo Credit -Terrain

I am sure no one probably has a use for magnifying glasses unless you are me and you like pretending you are a gumshoe on a rainy [it’s really every Sunday] day. Here are some cool picks by CL -
 

Photo Credit -L'Objet

Photo Credit - Jasyon Homes

Pick up the issue for beauty, decorating, vintage and gardening tips.

Sephora Lip Gloss - Rosy Glow

 

Photo Credit - Sephora

This non sticky gloss imparts a soft rosy glimmer gloss on my lips. I didn’t notice a strong scent or a taste. The gloss doesn’t last really long and my lips are a bit hydrated afterwards [not like a lip balm]. The formula is packed with hydrogrape complex and antioxidants which offers gloss and a bit hydration. I mostly use this gloss for a bit of color on my lips.