Schick Hydro Silk - the BEST razor on the market!

• So I had the opportunity to sample the Schick Hydro Silk razor from BzzAgent.  This is by far my favorite razor on the market right now for more than one reason.  
•  1. No snags - you know how disposable razors can tug and snag when you're using them? I HATE this, and it drives me crazy. With the Schick Hydro Silk it's a silky smooth shave, no razor burn and no snags! I had previously bought some venus cheapies and threw them right out, they snagged and tugged and it hurt! No one wants an uncomfortable shave, right? 
• 2. Hydro Silk's 5 blades - the more, the better in my opinion. How many times have you bought a cheapie razor (it's OK.. we are all guilty..) and it only has 2 or 3 blades. It makes shaving twice as long and even harder to do! I am always stealing my husband's razors because they seem to have more blades, which equals a better and closer shave!
•  3. Water activating moisturizing serum - no dry shaves, no dragging when the "soap" on your razor runs out. This bad girl has enough moisture serum to keep your shave close, smooth, and comfortable. I LOVE it. This razor is really my favorite, honestly. I've tried the Schick Quatro, the Venus, the Intuition, the Bic cheapies - you name it, I've tried it. And this one takes the cake. So if you want a perfectly close, comfortable shave - this is the razor for you! Find out more here!

Happy Shaving, lovelies! 

Beat the cold with Zicam - a homeopathic option

I personally try to keep as many unnecessary chemicals out of my body as possible, including drugs to combat things like the cold & flu. I was lucky enough to be chosen for Zicam's Rapid Melts sample & share on Crowdtap and received a ton of free samples of Zicam's rapid melts.

The first word that impressed me on the packaging - homeopathic. What is homeopathic? It's an alternative, unconventional type of medicine, not your typical antibiotics and such. So I was sold right away.

 But beyond that, my husband works in a warehouse with around 20 or more other employees, so when one is sick, they all are. And my husband gets sick routinely and is miserable. So when Zicam came to the door, the only homeopathic remedy that's packaged that I know of, I was ready to spring them on dear husband!

I gave some out to my Kaplan co-workers too!

Some silly pics of my brother's immitating how they feel "before & after Zicam." They get sick frequently so they were happy to have these on hand. 

"After Zicam" gets a thumbs up!

Another before, sickly picture. 

And "after Zicam" he's stronger and back to his health. Funny kids, but really they did seem to feel better after being able to combat those "pre-cold" symptoms with Zicam. 

SO - why did I like Zicam?

First - the taste. I love cherry medicine, it just takes me back to being a kid. I personally love cherry coughdrops the most, and Zicam has that great cherry flavor in their rapid melts.

 Second - the texture. They dissolve in your mouth, which I personally like, because they soothe the throat right away. They're almost "cooling" as well, which I liked.

 Third- they work. My husband, mom, and brothers who all used it felt better soon after. It's designed to combat those first cold symptoms, but my husband was in the middle of a full blown cold and said he still could feel the effects.

His coworkers and mine also were really happy to have them, no one wants to get sick! In the end, I really like this product. I would buy it again for the cold & flu season, and the bottle was small enough to keep in my purse or glove compartment.

 Thank you Zicam for making a homeopathic option that isn't the same old cold medicine. We appreciate it!

Old Navy sweaters - top of my winter shopping list!

I was lucky enough to be chosen for the Old Navy sweater sample with Crowdtap, where a friend and myself could get a free sweater from Old Navy. This was great for me, because since I live in Texas, I am hesitant to buy sweaters and warm winter gear. It's just not cold very long here, and I opt for jackets and tights, things I can use to make my normal wardrobe winter like. But - Old Navy had so many adorable sweaters that I have rethought my shopping habits. (Seriously.) They had so many options, and it made the decision so difficult to pick just one. They have stripes, solids, animal print, polka dots.. you name it, Old Navy has it. What I loved most was the color variety with the solids. It's classic Old Navy to make one good product in an array of different colors. (The turquoise V-neck sweater was calling to me.) I took my best girl friend Amanda and here are a few shots of the outfits we created with Old Navy sweaters (and pop pants & jeans.)

We loved the sweaters with printed animals on them. Amanda tried on the Owl one here.

I love the versatility of the sweaters with pop pants. I especially love how many colors of sweaters go with the tan ones I was wearing here. This purple sweater was so soft and comfy!

I also tried on a soft pale pink, which I think would be so cute with black slacks for work. Here I tried it on with some Old Navy jeans. (Rockstar I believe.)

This yellow and coral sweater was so Amanda. She looks great in coral, and I love those green corduroy pants she has on!

This one was the one I ended up with. I couldn't help it, the fox sweater was too cute. I want to wear a colored shirt underneath it, with a big pony tail I think it will look so cute. I also got these jeans as well!

Their stripes are so cute as well. I am smitten with blue, so these striped sweaters were hard to pass up.

Amanda ended up going with this soft cream colored sweater. She's a teacher so these are perfect for her work wardrobe and so versatile. She also picked up some long sleeve soft jersey knit shirts as well. Ladies, I can tell you that these sweaters are the way to go. I'm also very picky about my sweaters needing to be comfortable. Often times wool or knits are itchy, and these sweaters were so soft, I was really impressed. I was also so impressed with the selection. I tried on at least 6 different ones and would have bought them all. They aren't extremely tight fitting either, I like my sweaters to have a little slack in the stomach. These are so very perfect. These sweaters are going to be great for our 50 degree weather coming in this week, I can't wait! I'm already planning to return to pick up some solid basic sweaters to wear with colored or black jeans. Happy shopping! :)

Glade Expressions - bring fall into your home!

I was one of the lucky #Bzzagent that was picked to try the Glade Expressions Collection, & I'm so glad I was able to! As a part of the campaign we got to try the oil diffuser and the mister scents, and they are both wonderful! Next time you're at Target or Walmart pick up the Fuji Apple, it brings the scents of fall into your home & looks great, too! The oil diffusers are pretty and stylish, and the misters are great because you can take off the label for a more neutral and discreet scent. Not only that, the scent actually lingers. I've bought countless sprays & diffusers only to have the smell disappear in minutes. Not the case with Glade Expressions, especially the diffusers!

My Vegetarian Obsessions..

So whilst becoming Vegetarian has proven difficult sometimes, for the most part I am having so much fun.

I pick up vegetables that often times I would have never purchased, just to see what I can do with them. (like a Daikon, I googled the heck out of that.. turns out it's a fancy and delicious radish)..

But there are a few staples that I rely on as a new vegetarian, and I've come to be obsessed with them actually. Here there are:

1.) Spinach! I have never been a fan of cooked spinach (or canned. yuck.) But fresh spinach.. I now crave it. I put it in everything I make for dinner, eat it as a side with a little dressing.. I love the stuff. You need to get in on that green spinachy goodness friends. Vegan, what? posted this nifty photo about how great Spinach is for you. 

2.) Black beans and lentils. I will try to buy anything with black beans in them. There are some great lentil soups and black bean soups out there. They are great fillers in traditional meals as well, too. (Lentil pot pie, black beans in place of ground meat in Mexican food dishes. The options are endless.) Beth has a great recipe for lentil taco's that I love and make frequently.. I throw in a potato as well for more filling. Find it here: Beth's Lentil Taco's. She's also got a yummy looking Mexican Lentil Stew I'm eyeing!

lentils photo courtesy of google search

3.) Yellow squash and Italian squash. I put these babies in everything. Pasta, rice dishes, I made a mushroom stroganoff with these in it. Last night we made veggie fajita's with both types of squash, red pepper, onion and mushrooms. Yum! Not to mention they are super cheap at most stores and good for your health!

photo courtesy of Wiki

4. Lightlife Brand Veggie Burgers & Backyard grillin' burgers. These babies are so good, and Lightlife is a great brand that uses non GMO soy and ingredients. Love them! Lightlife

Other things I am experimenting with that I'm certain I'll be obessesed with:

1. Polenta (there are sooo many delicious looking recipes out there. It seems so versatile!)

2. Quinoa (I know I'm so late. But I'm going to try it!)

3. Tempeh. It's a soy based product that I first tried when going vegetarian, and had no clue what I was doing. I think with a little help and a cookbook I can master it. 

Happy eating!

-Ash 

A nifty moving tip - liquor store win bottle boxes

So we are currently in the process of packing up our current apartment and moving into a house (woohoo!! We are thrilled to have a yard..)

So as you can see the place is a mess. But I had a lightbulb moment when I was at Spec's wine and finer foods recently (a liquor/beer store here in Texas that has fancy food as well..)

They have tons of boxes by the entrance, and a few that housed bottles as well as normal boxes. And then it hit me.. grab the ones that are used for boxes and put my glass cups in there.. instead of dealing with "newspapering" them all. GENIUS! (we are moving maybe a mile away so this works well for short distances..)

Well I picked up a few and then realized I could put all my shampoo and body washes in there as well, and they won't tip over and spill like in a normal box..

And then, even further, I was trying to figure out how to move my tall seasonings and sauces (i.e. marinades, vegetable oil, hot sauces, vinegar, etc.) and used a box for that, too!

So here is a moving tip for you folks that aren't moving a long distance, pick up some of these boxes at your local liquor store, and some regular boxes as well.

Happy Moving!

 The pooch is less than pleased about the mess that moving has created. ;) 

-Ash

A great graph on Vegan/Vegetarian protien

So PETA (people for the ethical treatment of animals) created this fantastic picture chart of a Vegan diet and where you get your protein. Hard to see? You can find it here in bigger scale: Vegan diet chart

This photo is property of PETA, I'm just relinking it :)

Now I'm not Vegan, but am working my way towards it slowly. I just bring this chart to your attention because I love the comparison on protein, calcium, iron, omega 3, and more. When you give up meat, and animal products for that matter, people always ask two things. 1.) what do you eat? and 2.) Are you getting enough protein?

I love that this graph shows you that a cup of lentils has (almost) the equivalent amount of protein to a 4oz steak. But let's get real, American's eat TOO MUCH protein, which is why we have an obesity epidemic. Have you ever had the chance to order a 4oz steak? I know I've only ever seen 6oz and above. 

I think it's a great chart to use to see what you should be eating as a veg/vegetarian, and how much protein you need. Enjoy!

Xoxo-Ash