My First Birchbox

Have you heard about Birchbox?  It's a monthly kit that comes to you filled with all kinds of beauty and lifestyle samples - for only $10 shipped!

I'm definitely a person that gets all excited over grab bags and I always have been.  Yes I know they aren't always all that and a bag of chips, but the thrill of not knowing what you're getting is just so much fun to me.

I finally talked myself in to signing up and just received my first box.  Right off the bat I'm smiling because it's PINK!

Here's the box inside - very understated and classy, not giving even a hint of the goodies that await....

And this is what I got!  (Sorry for the bad lighting, but it was a cloudy day.)

• Hail Merry .88 oz Gluten-free, Vegan Choco Macaroons
• Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skincare samples
• Juice Beauty .17 oz Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream
• Ojon 1 oz Rare Blend Deep Conditioner
• Super Goop! 2 ml Advanced Anti-aging Eye Cream
• Caudalie 1 oz Divine Oil - a unique formula of exceptional oils (grape, hibiscus, sesame and argan)

Worth the $10 to me?  A resounding yes!  There are several things I will really enjoy trying and if they work I might end up ordering more.  And nothing matches the thrill of a grab bag to me.  :)

Deep Thoughts - Nothing makes a woman more beautiful than her belief that she is beautiful.

** This is not a paid/sponsored post - Birchbox has no idea who I am other than a happy subscriber to their monthly box.

Cake Batter Rice Krispie Treats

I have loved eating and making Rice Krispie Treats for just about as long as I can remember.  Even as an adult you'll find me reaching for this treat above many more 'sophisticated' things at any sort of potluck.

Then I found out that you can add to them and make them EVEN BETTER!  While I still think the original recipe is the best, it's fun to change it up once in a while.

I first saw the Cake Batter Rice Krispie treat come through my Pinterest feed and it linked back to the recipe at Gimme Some Oven.  One thing about me, I am thorough, which in this case meant I read through all the hundreds of comments.

I ended up using the original recipe on the Rice Krispie box and added 1/3 cup of Pillsbury strawberry cake mix to the melted butter and marshmallows.  There really was just a nice hint of strawberry cake flavor!  And it made a beautiful, pastel pink color, but for my purposes I wanted Power Pink and added 3 drops of red food color.  Once I pressed the treats in my 13x9 pan I added a light mist of sprinkles on top just for fun.

If you're interested in more Rice Krispie Treat recipes I have a Rockin' the Rice Krispie Treat board on Pinterest.

Deep Thoughts:   Leave a little sparkle wherever you go

It's a Girl!

It's a GIRL!  Grandbaby #2 will be a Little Sister for Brooklyn.  When they told her it was a girl she clapped her hands and jumped up and down.  Happy, happy Big Sister!!!

This is the picture that was posted to Facebook to let the world know that a baby girl is on the way.  Cute!!!

"One daughter was so much fun
Now James and Loni are having another one!!"

Medic Bear Fun Card

The daughter of one of our friends has recently started boot camp and is training to be an EMT.  She's a very compassionate young lady and I can imagine she'd be a huge asset to any team.

But we all know (or know about) how boot camp can be a trying time so I've sent a few things to try and brighten her days.  This card was in a recent box and I thought it was quite cute.  Looking at it now I'm not so sure a young lady at boot camp would want a cutesy teddy bear, but really it's the thought that counts - right?  ;)

This kind of card is so fast to put together and I'm doing more and more cards this way instead of stamping.  I bought the Medic Bear graphics at Scrappin Doodles and printed the bear in the ambulance on card stock.  I then printed it again, cut out the cross and popped it up using dimensional tape.  And of course Stickles glitter glue on the light, cross and headlight.  Love the little fun pop it brings.

Looking forward to the weekend!   :)

Deep Thoughts - "Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle."  Christian D. Larson


** Linking to:  Weekend Wrap Up Party

'Egg'cellent Friend Gift

I love finding small gifts to give out for any occasion and was particularly pleased when I found these through Pinterest.  What better little something to give to a friend than letting them know how 'Egg'cellent they are?  The original post was on Eighteen25 and she was even kind enough to provide the printout for us to download.  Her version was for teacher, but fortunately she also has one for friends.

This was what I made and filled the treat bags (found at the craft store using my 40% off coupon) with 3 kinds of 'egg' candy: malted milk eggs, Reese's peanut butter eggs... and of course a Cadbury Creme Egg.

I decided the tag needed a little more something, so added a strip of yellow washi tape - loved it!  (And the Cadbury Creme Egg got the opportunity for a close-up in this shot!)

All in all - very pleased with these simple little gifts!

Bountiful Baskets - My First One

Several of my friends on FB just rave about Bountiful Baskets Food Co-Op, a group of people that work together to distribute healthy food like produce and fruit.  Until this last week I never remembered to order in time and now that I've experienced it I see what all the buzz is about.  It's a short order window, then they take the money and go out and buy fruit and veggies that are as local as possible.  You have the option of upgrading to organic, plus great extra baskets like artisan bread, stir-fry veggie mix, etc.  Pick-up time for most places is 7:00 in the morning and you only have 20 minutes to get your order picked up or it is donated.

Here we are all lined up while the volunteer checks our receipt against his list.  See how dark that sky is?  The line moved fast though and it was fun to chat with everybody.

Lots of baskets lined up ready to be taken home.

After my order was verified a volunteer pulled a veggie basket and fruit basket for me.  The blue laundry basket is what I brought from home to transport my goods.

Look at all that fresh produce goodness!  Oh I didn't mention before - this basket cost $15 plus a "first timer" fee of $3.

And here it is once I got home.  It turned out to be far more than what the two of us could eat, especially because I had just stocked up on lettuce and salad extras two days before.  Fortunately Lynne' and Alicia, her maid of honor and BFF, came over a bit later to head off for some fun with me and some friends.  After we enjoyed time together I sent both girls home with a bag of produce.

Would you believe that Keith and I have never cooked fresh asparagus at home?  I headed to Pinterest and found a great recipe for grilled asparagus and we had it that night.  Now I see what all the talk is about and asparagus will now be part of our normal rotatation.  :)

I'm extremely pleased with the amount of food I got for the money and the quality was phenomenal.  If this is something you're interested in check the site to see if your city has one - they are all over the nation!