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Products I've Been Loving Lately

Hey there W+A readers! Monday is here and its a bit of a gloomy, chilly day out on the Island. Dinner is already made for tonight and will only take a few minutes of heating up, plating and serving. I love having meals prepared over the weekend for week night dinners—it makes life that much more easy. Breakfast was some steel cut oats with blueberries and lunch, a few turkey roll ups and a handful yucca chips. Mid-afternoon snack was watermelon and lots of water all day long!

I figured I'd share with my dear readers a roundup of some products and foods I've been obsessing over lately. Here it goes...

With the warmer weather approaching I've been really trying to ramp up my water intake. My mom found this perfectly sized water bottle from the Christmas Tree Shop, but if you can't find them there you can also order directly from their website: www.coolgearinc.com The water bottle holds 80 ounces of water and comes in four fun colors. The company has a ton of cute products ranging from mason jar bottles, travel mugs and smoothie and protein shakers. I love this Big Freeze bottle because it holds a ton of water and keeps my water chilled all day long. And for only $10.99 you can't beat it. Side note: (mine was only $4.99 at CTS, so if you have one near by check to see if they have them available!). 

This snuggly sweater candle is everything. Another Christmas Tree Shop find and I wish I had bought more. The scent is nice and clean and the candle burns slowly since it is soy based. This is definitely one of the cheaper brand candles I have bought and I have to say I am loving it. I figured we'd light this one for old time sakes since the past few days have been a bit chilly. Where you at spring?!

Watermelon anyone? Its that time of year again! We found watermelon on sale yesterday at our local market and I couldn't pass it up. It was only 99 cents a pound and I figured it would be a good mid-afternoon snack for the week. John sliced it up yesterday and threw it in a large tupperware into the fridge. Watermelon is my favorite fruit during the summer and is super filling. I like to have it for breakfast some mornings since its hydrating and satisfying. Can't wait to buy more this season.

Coconut water is another favorite of mine and I like to try and keep some in the house at all times. Its hydrating, refreshing and super healthy. Low in carbs, sugar and is fat free. It also does wonders for your skin and hair. Make sure when purchasing to buy the 100% pure coconut water and not the brands that have added preservatives. If your apprehensive take a look here for all of its benefits. And for summertime cocktails, coconut water is one of the most delicious mixers to add to your booze. More to come on that soon ;)

Guys, I haven't killed my orchid yet! Typically by now these poor flowers would have been nonexistent. I've been watering every Wednesday with a 1/2 cup of water and keeping it set on the window sill. I've heard so many different methods on how one should care for an orchid, (no sun, sun, ice cubes, lots of water, little water) but I think my technique isn't too shabby. Its been a few months with these gorgeous blooms and I hope they remain through the summer.

No this is not a lava lamp ;) We've had this Himalayan salt rock lamp for a few months now. A friend of ours had them all around her house and we loved the purpose behind them. The salt when heated, releases negative ions into the air creating an effect similar to an ionizer and purifies the surrounding air. We have this baby on all day everyday and I really believe it works wonders. And its pretty to look at too :) 

I received a sample of these in my Love With Food box that John had got me for my birthday. They send nutritious products for you to try monthly and basically see what you like or don't like. I had loved the small bag they sent over and was eager to find where I could purchase them. Well, leave it to good ol' Christmas Tree Shop again. I couldn't believe they had them and of course had to buy two bags. These chips are made from yucca and have 30% less fat than regular potato chips and their crunch is amazing. They are gluten, wheat/soy and preservative free. The chips come in a ton of delicious flavors, these two being my favorite. The company also sells a variety of other food and health products. Check them out here.

Steel cut oats are my one of my breakfast go-tos. They have a nice bite to them and keep you filled all morning. I love throwing in some fresh fruit or brown sugar for a healthy start to my day. I've bought them in bulk and even frozen, but this brand is definitely my favorite and cooks super quick. Two minutes and 30 seconds in the microwave is all it takes and each pouch is perfectly divided. This brand also throws in a little flax for some added crunch. 

If you are looking for a low carb treat this is the way to go. Say hello to Turkey Perky Jerky.  I love this brand the best because there isn't any artificial ingredients and doesn't have that processed jerky taste. I tried their sweet & spicy flavor and loved it. I found this specific brand in Target and they had a bunch of different flavors. Check out their website for all of their flavors in both beef and turkey: www.perkyjerky.com

One of my most favorite finds this week was at Harmons beauty discount store. I've heard the NYX brand was really good but was a little apprehensive to try it. I'm all about MAC makeup and swear by every single one of their products, but when I stumbled across NYX Cosmetics and saw how reasonably priced they were I figured I'd give it a whirl. Above is their natural eyeshadow palette ($7.50), HD Concealer in medium ($5) and their Butter Gloss in apple strudel ($5). I am loving every single one of these products! Their shadow palettes have great range of color to take your everyday look to something smoky and sexy for the evening. Their butter gloss is soft and silky and gives a much more natural lip for everyday wear. But their HD concealer is killer. It completely covers any imperfections and is super lightweight. The coverage for under the eyes is wonderful and doesn't leave a cakey overdone look. This is definitely a must buy, ladies!

Another sample I received in my Love With Food box were these hemp seeds. Another little treat that gives some bite and crunch to your food and are a extremely beneficial for your health. They are known to be the "most nutritious seed in the world" and have the most concentrated balance of proteins, essential fats and vitamins. You can sprinkle this super food onto almost anything from yogurt to salads and even add them to your cereal or oatmeal. A small pinch of hemp seeds have over 17 grams of omega fats and will give you sufficient energy all day long. You can find hemp seeds in your local grocery store or any health food store.


These were just a few of my favorites that I have gathered over the past few weeks and I hope they are helpful for you all. How about you, readers? Can you share some of your favorite products that get you through? Would love to hear from you all!


 

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