Hansen and Stix May 29, 2008

No, I’m not talking about the music groups (Hanson and Styx). I’m talking about two of my new favorite snacks.

This weekend while at Whole Foods I picked up a four pack of Hansen’s Sparkling Sleek Natural Soda. I opted for the dragonfruit flavor which is quite tasty, but further tasting has proved valencia orange to be my favorite. The great thing about these sodas is that each can only has 90 calories. While the sugar content is high, it is natural cane sugar not hfcs. So chug-a-lug!

My second find is something I came across when I was in Warner Robins a couple months back. I picked up a box of vanilla Pringles Stix. Another healthy snack at only 90 calories, Stix are made using wheat flour. If I really want to indulge, I dip them into a little Nutella…yum! I was crushed to return home and not be able to find them in any of our grocery stores. Since my parents were paying a visit over the Memorial Day weekend, I asked them to try and score a few boxes from Greenville. After some searching, they came up with two boxes of vanilla and one box of honey butter. I thought vanilla was kickin’ until I tried the honey butter. WoW! If you can find them, I suggest giving them your own personal taste test. They also come in two other flavors: wheat and pizza.

Southern Dictionary: Buggy May 28, 2008

Contrary to 90% of the population who call this a shopping cart, I know that this is in fact a buggy.

Gas Guzzlin’ May 27, 2008

My Honda is fairly fuel efficient.  I get rougly 28 mpg, so I only have to fill up once a week.  Lately, every time I put gas in my car, I feel like I’ve been robbed.  $53?!?!  That’s just nuts.  Especially when you consider that this time last year, a full tank of gas only ran me around $40.

What if there were a tool out there that showed me the minimum, maximum, and average price of gas for my zip code and then showed me all the gas stations closest to my home with the lowest gas prices? I would say that that is freakin’ fantabulous. Well, the wait is over. I received this link from a friend over the weekend. MSN Autos is just one of a few available options for finding the cheapest gas in your area. You can also pay a visit to GasBuddy which allows you to search by state, city, or zip code and you can even narrow it down to a specific station if you use a particular gas card, etc.

100 May 23, 2008

That’s the number of calories in a Slim-A-Bear ice cream sandwich. Let me tell you that 100 calories never tasted so good. While I should give that bear a swift kick to the rear for adding things like high fructose corn syrup and propylene glycol monoesters to his little sandwiches, I just don’t think I could because they taste so yummy. Yeah, if I saw that Klondike bear, I’d hug him and probably kiss him for being a genius and creating a wonderfully addictive and delightfully tasteful dessert!

Save the Bees May 22, 2008

Honey bees are disappearing at an alarming rate. Much of this is due to CCD (colony collapse disorder). What is CCD? The simple definition is where a group of seemingly healthy worker bees up-and-leave their hive abruptly and permanently. Beekeepers first noticed this movement in late 2006. Researchers estimate that nearly one-third of all honey bee colonies in the country have vanished. (source: NRDC.org)

“Why are the bees leaving? Scientists studying the disorder believe a combination of factors could be making bees sick, including pesticide exposure, an inadequate food supply, and a new virus that targets bees’ immune systems.” (source: NRDC.org)

Think you won’t miss the bees?  Think again.  One out of every three bites of food we eat depends on bees for pollination. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that about one-third of the human diet is derived from insect-pollinated plants and that the honey bee is responsible for 80 percent of this pollination. As a matter of fact, bee pollination is key in producing many fruit, vegetable, and nut crops (strawberries, cucumbers, almonds, etc).

How can you help?
1. Plant bee-friendly plants in your yard like lavendar, rosemary, or sunflowers.
2. Stop the use of harmful pesticides.
3. Help support beekeepers by purchasing local honey or honey products like beeswax candles.
4. Here’s my favorite: Eat ice cream, but not just any ice cream. Haagen-Dazs is donating funds to Penn State and UC Davis for every container of “vanilla honey bee” ice cream or “vanilla, honey & granola” frozen yogurt sold. The funds will go to support honey bee and sustainable pollination research programs at each of these universities.

The Exhibits Are At It Again May 21, 2008

My husband typically runs on the National Mall. Yesterday on his run he passed by a bunch of props laying out.  He asked one of the “hands” standing there what was going on at which time he was informed that they were filming Night at the Museum 2: Escape from the Smithsonian.  Pretty cool, huh?! From what I’ve seen and been told, it appears that filming took place at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. Some of our old friends are back like Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, and Dick Van Dyke. New additions include Amy Adams as Amelia Earhart and Hank Azaria as Kah Mun Rah. I’m not sure about Robin Williams’ return. Sounds like it should be an entertaining sequel which is scheduled to open next May. If you haven’t spotted these celebrities around town, then it’s probably too late as filming here in DC wrapped up today. Who knows, maybe they’ll have to come back for the premiere.  Wishful thinking?  Probably so.

Nite Nite May 21, 2008

I am currently in love with this pineapple nite lite from Reborn Glass. This company collects recycled glass bottles and upcycles them into unique gifts and jewelry.

discovered via Funky Finds

Feeling Bzz’d: Tropicana Pure May 20, 2008

One of my best friends introduced me to BzzAgent several months ago. She knows how I like to try new things and thought that it would be a perfect opportunity to do something I do anyway and to talk about it. BzzAgent is a company that gets everyday consumers to try new products and then provide their honest opinion about what they like or dislike about the products via word of mouth. You then encourage friends and family to also try the products and get them to share their opinions as well. You are invited to participate in certain campaigns based on surveys that you complete.

The campaign that I am currently participating in is for Tropicana Pure. Tropicana Pure is the “crème de la crème” of Tropicana’s juices made with 100% pure fruit juice using only the top fruits. I have tried two of the five flavors available: Pomegranate Blueberry and Valencia Mango. Each of them is equally tasty and it’s hard to believe that I didn’t squeeze the juice myself. Of the two, the Pomegranate Blueberry is my favorite. You can drink it straight up or jazz it up. I mixed mine with sparkling water for a fizzy treat (check out their website for a variety of cocktail and mocktail receipes). Pour some in a slush mug for an instant cool treat! Want yet another variation? Try it over a salad.

Pomegranate Blueberry Vinaigrette
1/4 c. olive oil
1/8 c. balsamic vinegar
1/8 c. p.b. juice
1 tbs. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
salt to taste

Mix the above ingredients together and serve over a mixed green salad. I received a lot of “oohs and aahs” over the dressing the night that I served it.

My only complaint about this product is that the sugar count is somewhat high (~28 grams per serving) which is true of most juices. However, Tropicana Pure has no added sugar and the sugar that it does contain is natural sugar from the fruit not the yucky high fructose corn syrup. Oh, and let me not forget to mention that it packs a vitamin and antioxidant punch!

I’m With the In Crowd May 19, 2008

My cuticles have been looking a little rough, so on a recent trip to Ulta I purchased some of this. It smells really good and is a great moisturizer for your nails and cuticles. It comes packaged in a cute little gold tin. As I rub it on my nails, I feel like Brittany from that movie The In Crowd. You know, the way she psychotically put on that lip gloss.

Flashback May 16, 2008

Woke up this morning and took my shower.  Slid into my two-tone Umbro shorts and topped it with a hypercolor t-shirt.  Laced up my LA Gear Brats. Threw my slap bracelet around my wrist. My bangs looked great with the spray of some Aqua Net. Added the final touch of a scrunchie in my hair and some Wet ‘n Wild glitter gloss on my lips. I wanted to make sure that I had all The Right Stuff. I was ready to get Hangin’ Tough with my gal pals. Casey looked at me as I was walking out the door and said, “Please Don’t Go Girl.” I said, “You know how I roll…Step By Step.” I gave myself one more look in the mirror, practiced my dance, and out the door I went. It was gonna be a great day, May 16, 1988. WHAT!?!?!?!?

Oh, thank goodness, it was all just a dream. I flip on the Today Show and there they are…NKOTB. Holy Cow, what year is it?! I check a calendar. It’s 2008! What are the New Kids doing on the Today Show? Oh, promoting their new album, Summertime. Can you say deja vu?!

Next thing you know Kelly Taylor will be on a 90210 spin off. What? Not that too! My world is spiraling out of control!!