Chocolate Chip Ice Box Cake!

*Please note that this blog post was posted before my journey into Intuitive Eating. Please enjoy all foods guilt free*

I still follow a mainly vegetarian, plant based "diet", but every so often I step out to try old favorites and for my son to experience them as well. This recipe is not like any of the ones I have posted in the past. This has a ton of sugar and dairy, and not a norm in our home. The last time I made this recipe, was at least six years ago. Well, the summer heat got to me (yes it's still hot hot hot here), and I wanted a cold slice of cake to satisfy my palate. Well, like I always do, I wait for the craving to pass. This time, it didn't, so I decided to go ahead and make it!

Again, this is not a normal for this blog, so it may not be for all my readers. But if you have a sweet tooth and want to make something different this upcoming Holiday season, this is definitely a party favorite!

Chocolate Chip Ice Box Cake.

Ingredients
About 30 Cookies (I bought two containers of Publix Chocolate chip cookies from the bakery)
1 Heavy Whipping Cream
2 Tablespoons of sugar (or more depending to your taste)

Directions
1. Place the whipping cream and the mixing bowl into the freezer. You can also add the whisk from your mixing machine. Leave in the freezer for half an hour.
2. Pour half of the whipping cream into the bowl, and add the sugar. Start your mixer on slow and bring it to high. Mix for about 5 - 10 minutes. The cream should reach hard peaks. Stop every ouple minutes to fold the bottom and sides into the middle to make sure you get all of the whipping cream to the same consistency.
3. Place a small amount of the whipped cream you just whipped up onto a plate, or cake stand. Layer the top with the cookies. Repeat with most of the cookies and whipped cream. Make sure to leave a couple out for decoration.
4. If you need more whipped cream, use the rest of the heavy whipping container to make more whipped cream. At the end I usually make some more to cover the entire cake. I crumble two cookies into the whipped cream and fold it in before adorning the cake with it.
5. Top the cake with 1 or two crumbled cookies. (Optional.)
6. Place the cake in the fridge overnight. Make sure it sits for at least 12 hours!

Tips : 
Some like the cookies a bit softer. It's been suggested to dunk the cookies in milk for a few seconds before layering them.
Try using different cookies. Oreos, wafers, you name it.
Experiment : Add fruit! How about vanilla wafers and banana? Yum!


***Please excuse my pictures this time. I was not planning on making this recipe into a blog post. Usually I try to take pictures throughout the process of making the recipe and nice pictures afterwards. These were just for my personal Facebook!***

New Curtains!

So, I have been a little MIA lately. I apologize. I have had family visiting from outside the country and a few new projects up my sleeve. While we have hit up the beach and visited a few new places, we have also been redecorating. I got these awesome new blackout curtains to review.

About HLC.ME Essentials 2-Piece Thermal Insulated Wide-Width Blackout Grommet Panels

Cost : $24.99 on Amazon

Reduce outside noise and enjoy a quiet and peaceful environment - Save on home heating and cooling costs

Blocks out 99% of Sunlight to any room anytime of the day

Package contains two (2) Wide Width Thermal Insulated Grommet Top Blackout Panel.

Each Panel measures 50" inch x 84" inch (Pair measures 100" inch x 84" inch)

Care Instructions: Machine Wash Cold, delicate cycle with mild detergent. Do not bleach. Tumble dry low. Cool iron if needed.

They are really good! Just look at the difference between the black ones on the left and the new red ones on the right! 

Now look at the difference in light coming from the same window with half of it open.

And the color is beautiful! I was a little worried when I ordered the red ones, but it is a deep red instead of a bright red.

I love the texture of these curtains as well, but my favorite thing about them is that they are thermal insulated. That means that it is not as hot in my home as it has been this entire summer. We did not use a curtain rod here because my bed is right next to it and I want complete darkness. If I put a curtain rod, then light would come in from the sides a bit. Yes, I'm a little OCD about my night time routine! I ordered the Red curtains because I have a painting I won on a cruise a few years ago that we have wanted to put up but did not have anything to match it with. Now There will be a theme! If you need total darkness in a room, or want to keep your house cool, I highly recommend these curtains!

Future posts: I will be posting about some cruelty free, natural make up!


I received this product in return for an honest review. Affiliate links are included in post.

Sunsella Buddy Boxes Review

I think by now you can tell I am obsessed with food containers. I have reviewed so many over the past year and each one has their own personality. While the Sunsella Buddy Box is geared mostly to kids, I find myself using them on a regular basis. Why? Because of the different compartments. It reminds me to add different foods to whatever the main "dish" is. For example, my son one mid morning asked me for an egg sandwich, to which I happily obliged. I placed it in the buddy box after cutting it up, and noticed the two extra compartments empty. This prompted me to go to the fridge and grab some blueberries and raspberries. I thought, "How else can I make this a great brunch?" So I got a silicone cupcake liner and added some homemade hummus, with some baby carrots sliced up, and I also cut up a cheese stick and put it on the side. I was so jealous of his brunch, I made myself a duplicate.

There is one problem with these trays, and that is that they are not leak proof. So what I do is If I want a salad or something that I know will leak, I place the dressing in a separate container. For example, Aiden had a playdate at the park one day and we brought a cucumber salad along with watermelon, hummus, and pretzels. I brought the dressing in the container from the Salad Cups, and the watermelon in a leak proof bowl. We then had a picnic at the park with some yummy healthy food.

About the Sunsella Buddy Boxes

Cost :  14.99 on Amazon (4 trays) 

Child-friendly, easy-open lids (WARNING: NOT leakproof).

Premium quality, BPA, phthalate and lead free, highly durable, meets FDA standards.

Microwave, dishwasher and freezer safe. Conveniently stack together for space saving storage.

Save money on sandwich bags & plastic wrap. Great for color-coding lunches for the whole family.

Dimensions: Length 9.5 x width 6.2 x height 2.2 inches - 1st compartment: 3 1/2 cups, 2nd compartment: 1 1/3 cups, 3rd compartment: 1 cup.

I received this product in return for an honest review. I am not required to give a positive review. All opinions stated are my own. Affiliate links may be included.

Fixing My Pinterest Fail

Oh yea, remember my Pinterest Fail from a couple weeks back? Now I got an easy fix! I got these awesome salad cups to review. It comes with a case of two salad containers, and each comes with a fork and a salad dressing cup. So now if I want to take a salad to the park, it won't be soggy when I am ready to eat it! You can use this for fruit or veggies, or a combination if that is what you like. They are NOT leak proof, but it comes with the little salad dressing container to store separately.

About The Fresh Salad Containers

Cost :  $11.99 on Amazon

Keep Your Salads & fruits fresh, cool and crispy!

The Best Salad Container on the market

No More Soggy Salads

Features

- Eco-Friendly 100% Recyclable 

- Made With Highest Quality Plastic BPA Free 

- Convenient 2 ounce container for dressing 

- Hand wash to retain The plastic's beauty

Benefits

- No More Soggy Salads 

- Elegant design is perfect for serving salads without making a mess 

- Easy To Clean 

- Keep Your Salads & fruits fresh, cool and crispy

Best Price On Amazon

Highest Quality at Best Price on AMAZON.

The Salad Container Backed By a Lifetime No-Hassle Free Replacement Guarantee

THIS PRODUCT IS SIMPLY THE BEST FOR SALADS TO GO.

Not satisfied?

Return the Salad Containers for a full refund! 100% Money Back Guarantee!

Package:

- Set of 2 Salad Container 

- 2 dressing cups  

- 2 Forks 

- Small: 8" x 6" Highest Quality at Best Price on AMAZON.

I received this product in return for an honest review. I am not required to give a positive review. This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions stated are my own.

Genius Charger

Are you like me and have a what seems like a billion chargers and wires laying around? Yea! I always have charger cables laying around but I always seem to break them or lose them.  I ordered this charging cable for Samsung Note 3 and S5. I'll tell you right now, I did not like it. It charged my phone very slowly. What is the point of a fast charging cable if it does the opposite of what it is intended? I use it only when I can't find any of my other charging cords. 

Ab out Genius Charging Cable

Cost :  $7.99 on Amazon

• FULLY CHARGE IN HALF THE TIME Why be without your phone for longer than necessary? The Samsung Micro USB 3.0 cable is twice as fast as a standard 2.0 USB Samsung Note 3 or Samsung Galaxy S5 cable. Get your phone fully charged in 2 or 3 hours!
• GET DATA TRANSFERRED IN SECONDS With other Samsung Note 3 cable & Samsung Galaxy S5 cable models, it can take minutes to load songs & videos to your phone. Our Genius Tech Fast Sync Technology gets the job done in a fraction of the time
• INCREDIBLY VERSATILE SOLUTION Use as a Samsung Note 3 charger, a Samsung Galaxy S5 charger or a charging cable for any other device with a Micro USB 3.0 connector
• SAVE POWER, SAVE YOUR DEVICE Genius USB 3.0 technology improves charging efficiency to reduce power consumption whenever you use you Samsung Note 3 or Samsung Galaxy S5 charger cable. Plus, the cable helps to protect against overheating, which can shorten the life of your device
• GUARANTEED SATISFACTION With full Samsung OEM certification and a full 18-month warranty, our Samsung Note 3 USB cable & Samsung Galaxy S5 USB cable is guaranteed to provide the absolute best experience

I received this product in return for an honest review. I am not required to give a positive review. All opinions stated are my own. 

Intel-A-Temp Bottle Warmer & Sterilizer Review

I rarely review baby products anymore because I have a toddler, but this bottle warmer caught my attention because I hated the one I had. So I decided to review it for those of you who have babies or are expecting. I made a video of it working with the different settings below if you would like to watch it. 

My favorite features of the Intel-A-Temp warmer was that it turns of automatically. If the water gets too hot, it will turn off. This is an important feature that most bottle warmers don't come with. You can also set the temperature to what you find appropriate. It comes with the temperatures recommended, but you can adjust it as your baby gets older. You can also sterilize the baby bottles and nipples as you need it. It only takes about 10-15 minutes. Another cool feature is you can warm baby food in the little compartment it brings. If you want to warm up store bought baby food, or frozen homemade baby food. Since I have a toddler, I decided to give this as a gift to a friend who is having a baby soon. 

About the Intel - A- Temp Bottle Warmer & Sterilizer

Cost:  $54.99 on Amazon 

INTRODUCING THE MOST ADVANCED BOTTLE WARMER & STERILIZER OFFERED ON AMAZON -- Your Baby Deserves the BEST!!! With Maxx Elite "Intel-A-Temp" you have Features not seen on any other bottle warmer. This is the Bottle Warmer that every mom needs to make life easier as a new mom. LOADED WITH FEATURES:

UNIQUE FEATURES Only Offered by"Intel-A-Temp": ADVANCED SMART DIGITAL LED DISPLAY -- Set independent temperatures (AWESOME for Breastmilk) know exactly what temp works best for your baby. With the ability to individually set temperature from 25°C to 99°C-- QUICK AUTO TEMPERATURE Settings: With just a click of the on button go from 40°C, 65°C, 80°C and 99°C, for fast and easy operation

PERFECT For NEWBORNS and NIGHT-TIME Feedings, Perfect for Breastmilk as breastmilk is thinner and requires more gentle heating, warms bottles, jar food, massage oil, essential oils. Sterilization to keep your baby healthy by killing germs and bacteria. Heavy-Duty commercial grade materials and power cord to withstand daily use. Full 1 year warranty. Tons of Amazing features makes "Intel-A-Temp" Simply a "MUST HAVE"

ADVANCED TIMER FEATURE, (Mom's Best Friend) No other bottle warmer on the market feature the ability to set your baby's bottle in "Intel-A-Temp" then set a temperature and time ranging from 30 minutes to 9.5 hours. When that time arrives, "Intel-A-Temp" will turn on Automatically and heat your bottle to desired temperature. Don't worry if your baby sleeps extra time, built in smart sensors will keep bottle warmed to your set temperature. HIGH HEAT SENOR (HH), "Intel-A-Temp" helps preserves nutrients by not allowing Breastmilk or Formula to overheat, unit can lower it's water temperature if its higher than your desired temperature, then it will alert you when desired temperature has been reached.

STEADY WARM FEATURE, Having a new-born has many unpredictable moments, "Intel-A-Temp" Smart Technology will patiently wait and keep your baby's bottle warm even after the desired temperature has been reached and for safety unit will shut off if water runs out. No more cold bottles!! -- PRESET STERILIZATION TIMING, Leaving home and want a clean bottle when you return is no problem with "Intel-A-Temp" just set it to 99°C, then set advance time and when you return home your baby's bottle is clean and ready to use.

I received this product in return for an honest review. All opinions stated are my own. I am not required to give a positive review. All cost stated are correct as of posted date and time. This post contains affiliate links.

Fé Fit Fé Fuel Coconut Pecan Bars

As you can tell, I have been reviewing quite a few bars, and a lot of gluten free items. So far everything I have tasted has been loved by my family aside from a few flavors. I'll admit, I am more favorable to these healthy snacks than my Husband is, but he has loved many of them and we buy some on a regular basis. So of course I try to review as many to know what works best for our family. I was given the chance to try Fé Fit Fé Fuel bars and was given the option of picking the flavor. I chose coconut pecan because the other flavors did not appeal to me.

The coconut pecan flavor is pretty good. There are no complaints from the flavor or ingredients, in my department. Where I have a problem with these is the texture. It is just too hard! If it is too hard for me to chew, it is definitely too hard for my son to chew. What I eat, my son eats; all snacks in my household have to be toddler friendly. So this snack did not pass the test. Which is sad because it does really taste good and is whole natural. I am not sure if the other flavors are like this, as I only got these to try. They are small enough to fit into your purse or workout gear for an easy snack or pick me up! They arrived in a cute pink box with great presentation. They are not bad snacks, just not right for us. We prefer softer bars.

FSL Zn30 in Ear Headphones Review

Hubby is one of those people that go through headphones like candy. He always ends up taking mine! I have officially declared the FSL Zn30 headphones as mine! When I first fot the package in the mail, I said I wondered why the box was so heavy! Turns out it comes with a little case to hold your headphones and all it's accessories. It came with accesories I have never even seen before! There were silicone tips, double flange tips, expanding foam tips, ear fins, and ear hooks. You can experiment and see what works best for your ears. For me, the small double flange tips along with the medium ear fins work amazing for me.

 

These headphones fit my ears and don't fall down as I clean the house. Music is the way I get the most I can get done in a small amount of time, so I need a pair of headphones that wont budge as I run back and forth throughout the house. I only had one problem with these headphones. I did not find them loud enough. I think I may have been spoiled with the wooden headphones I reviewed a while back with amazing sound quality. Aside from that aspect, these headphones are pretty cool. One cool feature is that the headphone wire is flat. This decreases that tangle mess and keeps them alive longer. Hubby prefers the thick round cords instead, but he doesn't take care of them as much as I do.

About the FSL Zn30 in Ear Headphones

Cost : 19.99 on Amazon 

Studio Sound

The FSL Zinc in-ear monitors feature a natural and perfectly balanced sound so users can listen to music the was it was intended. The audio scientists at FSL have tuned the Zinc with the perfect level of bass that can suit anyone's taste, whilst allowing enough space for the mid and top end to shine through the mix. The result is an uncompromising, world-class sound that beats any high-end set of in ear monitors.

Redefining Value

The FSL Zinc truly redefines the meaning of the word value, using only the best materials, designed with expertise by some of today's leading audio engineers and professionals. The FSL Zinc in-ear monitors defy the budget price point and easily stand up to any earphones at several times the price.

Zinc Construction

The FSL Zinc in ear monitors not only look and sound great, but they are durable enough to withstand all the rigours of every day use. The premium grade electroplated zinc alloy resists corrosion, dampness and extreme temperatures.

Tectonic Fit Kit

With the included Tectonic Fit Kit, users can choose from a range of tips and accessories to find the right fit for ears of any size and shape. The kit includes: four pairs of silicone tips (XS, S, M ,L), a pair of double flanged tips, a pair of expanding foam tips, 3 sizes of ear fins for extra grip in the ear, and ear hooks for those that prefer to wear over the ear.

Tangle Free Cable and Hard Case

The Zinc feature a flat, tangle free cable for ease of use. Although virtually indestructible, The FSL Zinc also comes with a hard case for added protection plus a place to store all the added accessories so users can stay organized.

I received this product in return for an honest review. All opinions stated are my own. Post includes Affiliate links. This means I get a small percentage if you purchase the product through my link. You do not pay extra for this.

Q & A With The Eclectic Hippie Mama

It has been 8 months since I have started this blog and have struggled in getting a little personal. I have a tendency to be shy about certain things and refrain from controversial topics. I decided to open up to my readers and ask you personally what you would like to know about me, my blog, or my family. I have gotten a lot of great questions! If I keep receiving more questions, I might do a part 2, so if you have any questions comment on this blog post or the one I asked you to post on before.

1. I was wondering if you garden?  I have been wanting to start a garden for a while now, I am just not sure how to begin or what to plant. I am concerned that animals and things will eat all I grow before I have a chance to harvest them or that I will not even be able to grow anything because I don't have a "green thumb" like my big sister does. - Lori

Yes! I love to garden. We moved into a home with a yard after living in an apartment so I finally can start gardening! I have some green beans, everglades tomatoes, a lemon tree, pomegranate tree, and a berry bush outside. The beans and the tomatoes have grown beautifully and quickly. Inside, I have a large basil plant along with other herbs, jalapenos, and recently started some strawberry seedlings. I suggest finding what grows in your region best and start with those and some indoor herbs. As far as animals, you can make a border of chicken wire to keep animals away, or use more animal friendly products like peppermint or neem oil. I don't use anything in my garden and let the lizards and birds play, but other places will have more animal problems than I do. Check out this post, and this one.

2. I was really excited to come across your blog by fluke, I think we have a lot of interests in common and I'm enjoying your posts. I love healthy eating, and living green, what are some ways you keep toxins away from your family? - Cassidy

Welcome to my blog Cassidy! My first step to clear out toxins was to shop organic as much as possible. Of course it is expensive, so we started where we could. Now a majority of our food is organic and non GMO. We also got water filters, and started our garden. My next step was clearing out shampoos and cleaning supplies. We use essential oils for many cleaning purposes, including air purifying, majority of the time. Ideally, I would like to move forward on organic clothing and expanding my garden.

3. What are your favorite cruelty free beauty products? I am trying to rid our home from toxins in every possible way to keep us healthy for life. - L.S G.

There are a few make up brands that are cruelty free, but I have not tried most of them. I rarely ever buy make up. As far as getting rid of toxins in your make up drawer, I suggest looking at Revescent as they label their make up by EWG (toxins ranking). The lower the EWG number, the less toxins it contains. I did a review of some of their make up back in February and still use all the products. I also dye my hair with Madison Reed kits. They are cruelty free and do not damage your hair. It actually made my hair feel smoother afterwards. I have a ton of hair and one box covers my entire head.  You can read my review here when I colored and cut my hair back in January. I have dyed it the same color again in April.

4. I would like to know if you are interested in dietary supplements and if you might review some in the future. Thanks.  

It really depends on the supplement. Right now I take thyroid medicine, along with an anti inflammatory, and vitamin D for my Thyroid and inflammatory problems. I also use a Vitamin B12 patch, and started a thyroid support supplement. My husband on the other hand loves pre workouts like Naturo Nitro Pre Workout Octane.

5. What recipe are you known for? Like what is your most-requested or secret recipe? - Judith

The most pinned recipes I have are the Homemade Bread, and Pesto Hemp Pasta. There are also a few new favorites. You can check out my Pinterest board for my favorite recipes that I have created or have used on a regular basis at home. 

6. What are your thoughts on homeschool? -  Lori

I highly support homeschooling. In fact, we plan on unschooling. It is not the same as homeschooling, but it is a type of "schooling" that takes place at home. We live an unschooling lifestyle that is implemented in my son as well. Our family believes that learning should be student based. If my child is interested in one thing, we continue to expand on that subject while bringing other subjects into it. For example, my son loves cooking with me in the kitchen. We count the ingredients and measure. As he gets older, he will want to read the recipe and I'll teach him how to read. We explore different cultures this way too. We also bring unschooling into our parenting along with attachment parenting. We have simple rules, like respecting each other. Aside from that, there are no bed times and do not set limits on things. It is very child led.

7. Would u put on a giveaway for some fiction christian books?? - William

The simplest answer for this question would be .... No. I stay as far away from religion as possible. I do not consider my self part of any religion or call myself atheist. The closest religious book I will/have read is Are You There God, It's Me Margaret. 

8. I'd like to know your dream vacation! Where would you go if money were no object. - Heather 

I love this question because I love to think about things like this! There are many places I would love to go to. Ideally I would love to take a cruise to Alaska. Something about it just screams freedom to me. I would also love to visit Greece. That has been my dream since a little girl. But I would also love to visit a lovely waterfall. There is something so serene about waterfalls. So I guess, a world cruise would be in order. 

9. What is the first thing you remember cooking? - Steph 

The first thing I remember making was bread with my dear Grandmother when I was a small child. I think I was 4 years old. Every time I make bread, I think of my Grandmother and how much I miss her.

10. What is your favorite treat for the summer other when it comes to snacks you can buy from the store? I need good healthier ideas for snacks. - Jerrie

I have been thinking for days what I can make without turning on the stove because it has been 85 degrees inside my home the past week. During the day, my favorite thing has been watermelon. Even when we go out, I pack some sliced up watermelon to snack on. Frozen grapes is great too. My son's favorite has been hummus. No need to cook anything for that and it goes great with pretzels, celery, or baby carrots.  Quick Homemade recipe here. Some of the healthy snacks I have loved are Big Sliced Apples, Boom Chicka Pop popcorn, and SnapPeas. All are available at different grocery stores.

11. How do you shop? Do you use coupons? Do you buy used? Do you go to consignment shops? - Lori

I used to use many coupons. Mobile, newspaper, store coupons are all great for saving money. But this took too much energy for unhealthy food. I found that when I switched our diet, it was difficult to find coupons for those items on a regular basis. So we shop at a farmers market and at a grocery store. At the grocery store we take advantage of the Buy 1 Get 1  that Publix offers. We stock up on pasta, sauce, beans, and rice this way. We are below poverty line since Hubby lost his job last year, so we get WIC for eggs, bread, cheese, and cereal. As far as merchandise, I am a thrift shopaholic. I recently bought a new purse for 2 dollars along with shoes for my son. I rarely buy clothes, but when I do, I check out GoodWill first and see if they have any plus size clothes. A lot of my decorations and baby items for Aiden were second hand.

12. Are you enjoying working on your blog? - Maryann

I have been one to pick up a hobby and dump it within 2 or 3 months. I find that I have many interest but never really stick to one thing. With blogging, I can take all those hobbies and put them together in one place. While I treat it like a job, it is a hobby. I do not get paid for 99% of the things I write about. Yet, I do love it. I pour everything I have into it and try to make it as helpful as possible. I do hope to build it into a career.

13.  Would love to hear what your favorite review item was so far. Also how did you get started doing a blog and reviews? - Lori 

I sort of fell into blogging. It is funny to me actually. I joined Influenster one day out of a recommendation of a friend. When I got my first box, it asked me for a blog review for extra points. So I made a free blog and started reviewing all the sample products that I received. I then started researching other venues for free full sized samples and blogging outlets. My favorite has been BzzAgent. I do not have a favorite item, but more like a cluster of favorite ones. I loved my Francois et Mimi water bottles and use them everyday (unfortunately I lost one on my honey moon). I have absolutely loved most of the snacks I have had to try. Boom Chicka Pop and Cookie Chips come to mind. I also use a sleep mask I reviewed on Amazon on a nightly basis. A lot of essential oils are used on a regular basis, along with my Revesent make up. Most of the stuff I agree to review are things I know will improve our lifestyle or satisfy my tastebuds. I have received a few things I have not loved as well.

14. How much time in a week do you put into your blog? - Polly 

I put quite a few hours a day on my bog. Some days I do not put any, while others I put in my entire day aside from cooking and tending to my son. If I am not feeling well, I will not force myself to sit in front of a computer screen to finish a post. That is why I love blogging. It is free of time frames, rules*, and custom fitted to individual needs. Blogging is what you put into it. One month I may not put into it as much as another and it will show in my stats. There is also time spent on social media, connecting with companies, and spending time with products or recipes. One thing I would like to say, writer's block does happen to bloggers as well. Sometimes I may love a product but cannot write a 10 page essay about it while other products write themselves. 

15. Do you have any ideas of what products you will be reviewing in the future? - Maryann

Spoilers! (Whovian reference) Yes! I have a hemp seed product that I am waiting for (giveaway ;)). I also have a children's washing product that you will love! Another one I have for you is a stevia product, but I have been trying to perfect the recipe for over a month! Protein bars and a bottle warmer are in the very near future. 

There you have it folks! I loved everyone's questions as they do help build a stronger connection with you, my readers. My number one goal is to have a bond with my readers and hope that I make connections with you. If you have any more questions, comment below and ask away! Also, if you have any suggestions of what you would like to see here, let me know! I am thinking of making a grocery post where I show you what I bought, how much we spent as a family of three, and meals created with them. Tell me if you would like to see that. 

This is not a sponsored post, but affiliate links may be included. All opinions stated are my own.

HannahMax Cookie Chips + Giveaway!

have another great company for you guys to look out for on your way to WholeFoods! My family fell in love with these snacks as soon as we opened the first bag. Honestly, this has been my Husband's favorite snack since I won that huge box of Boom Chicka Pop last year. Hannah Max sent us 6 different types of their cookie chips, and all 6 bags were gone within a few days. And I tried to make my family stretch them! They were seriously good and loaded with flavor for being tiny cookies. Hannah Max Cookie Chips are made with whole ingredients with no artificial ingredients like preservatives, colors, or GMO. It is a snack you do not have to feel guilty about, specially because one serving is around 120 calories.

The six Cookie Chips Flavors

Original  -  4  Stars

These were fantastic. Almost like a crunchy thin sugar cookie!

Chocolate Chip  -  5 Stars

These were one of my favorite, so much that we bought another bag of these at WholeFoods!

Dark Chocolate Chip  -  4 1/2 Stars

My Husband loved these! You know I don't like chocolate, but I honesty loved these!

Oatmeal Raisin  -  4 1/2 Stars

These were also one of my favorites, and my son too! Normally I can't stand oatmeal cookies, but these were great. Big Hit!

Cinnamon Sugar  -  5 Stars

These were by far my favorite! Was it the cinnamon or the sugar? I'm not sure but you will be licking that off your fingers after every cookie!

Sea Salted Peanut Butter  -  3 1/2 Stars

My husband was a bit disappointed in this flavor. We ended up giving this bag to my mom's boyfriend who loved them. Not enough sea salt for my taste?

As you can see, each cookie has an individual style. I was quite impressed with all of them and each individual flavor. We took my husband's scores and mine to give you a better ranking on each flavor.

Of course you have a chance to try these yourselves! You can buy Cookie Chips at WholeFoods or other stores listed on the Hannah Max website. You can also buy them directly from their website! Or, you can win your own multipack! Click below to enter to win! And you can enter to win even more goodies from fellow bloggers below!

Hannah Max Cookie Chips

What Would You Like To Know?

I have had this blog for 8 months now. I feel like it is time for a Q&A! Some of you may know I am not in love with chocolate like most of society, or that we eat a mainly vegetarian diet, but there might be other things I have not mentioned that you would like to know. So I'm opening up questions, anything and everything you have ever wanted to know about me or the blog. Would you like to know if I have anything special coming up for you guys, or what my favorite review item has been so far feel free to ask here or on my Facebook profile. In a week I'll post the questions and answers in a blog post to answer all of your questions!

P.S - Be as creative as you'd like

Banana Bombs!

So I was scrolling through Pinterest again looking for vegetarian recipes for the week. I found this easy recipe from Flickr. I changed it up a bit to fit our taste buds, but it is super easy and pretty quick to prepare. It can get messy, but I think that is the fun in it! I let my son lick up the spoon afterwards of course.  After a few hours in the fridge, you have some deliciousness waiting for you to bite into! Trust me, you will love this. You can even make it vegan if you have vegan chocolate chips.

Banana Bombs

Ingredients 

3 Bananas

1/2 Cup chocolate chips

1/2 Cups peanut butter

Coconut Flakes and/or Hemp Seeds for Garnish

Directions

1. Measure out the chocolate chips and place into a microwave safe bowl.

2. Measure out peanut butter into the same bowl and microwave for 1 minute.

3. Cut up the bananas into 6-7 pieces and stir the chocolate mixture.

4. Dip each banana into the mixture and set on parchment paper or a silicone mat.

5.Top off all the bananas with remaining chocolate and sprinkle with the hemp seeds and coconut flakes. Place in the fridge for a few hours. 

6. Ready to eat!

Tip: Store in the freezer in a closed Tupperware, if there are any left ;)

It is that simple! They look gorgeous and the banana feels like real ice cream once its frozen.   I mean, just look at the middle!

Remember to leave some love and comment below! And remember... DO try this at home <3

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My Crafting #Fail And A Few Wins

You look on Pinterest and see all these cute ideas on how to decorate your home and organize every aspect of your life. You might try a few and get great results, I sure have. Yet sometimes, you might try those amazing looking cupcakes only to fail miserably. They probably still taste good but are not Instagram friendly. I've had a few of those lately as well. Just because I am a blogger, it does not exclude me from human failure. My home still get's disorganized and is not picture friendly at all times. While meal planning, I always look on Pinterest for some budget friendly vegetarian recipes to try out. I have found a few favorites and some dishes I will never make again. One neat idea I found was mason jar salads. While I have not ventured into the mason jar world, I loved the idea. I bought a few containers from the dollar store, adorned them with some chalk labels, filled them with an amazing salad for me to eat for the next three days. Simple enough right? It was a complete fail! I'll go into more detail as to how I failed miserably at something that seemed so straightforward.

I found this pin that shows a few different mason jar salads. After getting a rough idea of how it works and getting different salad ideas, I headed to the dollar store and bought three salad containers and a separate round container for the Hubby to take to work. When I got home, I placed some Chalkboard Labels on each one and dated each one for the next three days. I then began making my chickpea salad and dividing it between the three containers. Then I placed the rice, beans, lettuce, ext topping it off till one inch below the rim. I did this so when I shake the dressing around the inside, it leaves enough wiggle room for everything to move. Then when I went to place the cap on top.... they wouldn't close. They wouldn't "clip" on or anything. Why make containers with caps if the caps won't close?? That just doesn't make any sense to me! So we had to eat all three salads that day since I had no way of closing the damn things.

So that was my big fail within the past few weeks. I did do a few good things with the labels though. The first thing I did was label my plants in the kitchen. That was one of the first things I wanted to do. Just look at how big these things have gotten! I need to transplant that tomato plant outside because it is too large to keep inside. The basil is growing fantastically, and the Jalapeno has started growing fruit already. I decided to start growing more jalapenos and some strawberries as well.

Another project I did with the chalkboard labels was use them on these containers. We had these containers on the counter, but they take so much space, so we bought a shelf to put them on. Much better. But I couldn't see which was which since I am short, so the labels are really helpful when I am busy in the kitchen.