favorite products

10 Things I Love About Trader Joe’s – NaBloPoMo

Posted on November 4, 2015 Written by Tonya

I like to complain about their produce, which goes bad way well before the expiration date and not just bad, but moldy, stinky, I-just-bought-this-two-days-ago-bad and how stupid busy it is no matter what time of the day or day of the week I go, but the price is always right and I very seldom buy a product I don’t enjoy.

Nevertheless, these are my Top 10 Things I Love About Trader Joe’s:

1. They have a beautiful and exotic flower selection ranging from orchids and succulents to sunflowers and start gazer lilies.

2. Potato medley. These are amazing… yellow, red and purple potatoes all in one bag!

3. Samples. The Trader Joe’s kitchen located way back in the far end of the store is always whipping up something new and delicious.

4. Inexpensive and really good wines perfect for on the way to the party hostess gifts or to enjoy with a bowl of popcorn by yourself while watching Scandal.

5. Mediterranean Humus Snack Pack. Seriously I eat one for lunch most days and they are a nice alternative to sandwiches for school lunches.

6. Yogurt pretzels. Delish!

7. Nourish All-In-One Facial Cleanser and Nourish Oil-Free Antioxidant Facial Moisturizer. Ever since my friend, Morgan of The Little Hen House (she doesn’t blog anymore and I can’t find her review) shared a review of these two products five years ago, I’ve been hooked. It’s light, gentle, nondrying and way less expensive than the stuff I used to use!

8. Jo-Jos. These are like Oreos, but better. Better because the ingredients don’t sound like a science experiment and because they come shaped like pumpkins in October and filled with peppermint and coated in chocolate and sprinkled with candy canes in December!

9. Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. These are bite sized pieces of heaven and never last very long in our house, as exhibited in this photo. There are only two left!

10. Cute stickers for the kids at checkout. These are free for the asking, change with the seasons and aren’t sticky stickers so they won’t leave residue all over your car.

Oh no! I just realized I didn’t cover all the convenient and yummy frozen foods this terrific store offers; polenta, chicken and veggie wonton soup, pizzas (three cheese, four cheese, minis) waffles, stirred fried veggie rolls, Mini Hold The Cone! Ice Cream Cones and the list goes on and on and on.

If you don’t have a TJ’s near you, I am truly sorry because you are missing out on some amazing products. But, I have good news! Did you know that Amazon sells 20 pages of Trader Joe’s products? How cool is that?

If you frequent Trader Joe’s as often as I do, what are your favorite products?

Six Must-Have Pregnancy Items

Posted on November 12, 2013 Written by Tonya

For me, along with a growing belly comes swollen feet and legs, an achy back and bizarre cravings for lemons and baked goods. I know, right? But, that’s about it. I’m lucky and don’t get the nausea, heartburn or hemorrhoids.

When it comes to pregnancy, I don’t know why I have been so blessed to have such an easy go at it, but I could not go through this experience without sharing a few of my favorite pregnancy items.

Sure, a great support system and caring team of doctors is important, as are prenatal vitamins, a healthy, well-balanced diet, equal parts exercise and rest and pretty much a whole new wardrobe are essential, but these are my six must-haves for a successful, more comfortable nine months.

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1. Belly cream. My favorite is Bella B Tummy Honey Stretchmark Prevention Butter. It smells delish, feels luxurious and helps prevent stretch marks and itching. LOVE LOVE LOVE!!

2. Proper fitting undergarments. I have grown a full cup size and then some and my go-to bras are Victoria’s Secret’s Body By Victoria, which offers super full coverage, lots of colors to choose from and are available in both under-wire and wireless. Totally worth the price tag.

3. Cheese. Better known as the Babies R Us Pregnancy Wedge Cushion Pillow. If you’re not ready or willing to spend $80+ on a full body pillow, this is the perfect alternative for that extra belly, legs, and hip support you need in order to get a better night’s sleep.

4. My iPhone. I use it to keep track of what my body and baby are doing with awesome apps like Baby Bump and What To Expect: Pregnancy and to pass the time while waiting and waiting and waiting in doctors offices.

5. Compression socks. One yucky side effect I have been experiencing is a lot of pressure in my legs and some minor blood clotting at the end of the day and although they are ugly as sin, Futuro Energizing Ultra Sheer Knee Highs do help.

6. Pampering. Once a month (sometimes more) I get mani/pedis and prenatal massages. Anything that makes me stop and forces me to relax is a very good thing.

What helped you get through your pregnancy?

None of the companies mentioned above endorsed this blog post in any way, I received no free swag for writing this and all opinions expressed are 100% my own, but if Victoria’s Secret picks up on this, I would not turn down a gift card!

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Day 12: Today I am grateful for a good night’s rest. I spent half of last night coughing my lungs out and with a newborn baby on the way, severe sleep deprivation is too and it helps me appreciate the value and luxury of a full eight hours of sleep, glorious sleep. Are you getting enough Zzzzz’s? #30daysofgratitude

A Month Long Celebration

Posted on July 16, 2013 Written by Tonya

It really pays to have a birthday IF you are signed up with as many loyalty programs as I am.

I’ve always been a sucker for loyalty programs at both restaurants and my favorite places to shop and one way companies that offer incentives and discounts in exchange for your repeat patronage is by acknowledging your birthday. This year I was hell bent on not letting any free stuff expire, like I’ve always done in the past. As a result, my family and I been celebrating my special day all month long!

SIDE NOTE: If you’re a fan of loyalty programs too, but don’t want to carry a bunch of cards in your wallet or have them annoyingly dangling from your key chain, I highly recommend getting the app, Key Ring. It’s free and super easy to use and will keep all of your loyalty cards in one convenient place, right on your smart phone. Plus, it alerts you of current offers, discounts and sales!

If you have a iPhone 4s or higher, there is also a pre-installed app called Passbook with similar features… or so I’m told.

Anyway, here is a short list of all the cool stuff I’ve enjoyed for my birthday month:

Free burger at Red Robin
Free bagel and cream cheese at Bruegger’s Bagels
Free beverage at Starbucks
Free small frozen yogurt at Pinkberry
2x the bonus points on all purchases all month at Ulta
30% off at Cost Plus World Market
Complimentary cookie at Boudin
Free birthday sundae at Ruby’s
15% off entire purchase at Anthropologie
$5.00 off entire purchase at DSW
20% off entire purchase at Muttropolis
Free dessert at True Food
Free dessert at Island’s
Buy One Get One at Soup Plantation

Who doesn’t love free stuff?

Click on image for source.

The makers of Key Ring did not endorse this post, nor did they acknowledge my birthday in any way.

Can’t Live Without

Posted on February 6, 2012 Written by Tonya

After I filmed this, I realized I CLEARLY left off a few very important items that I can’t live without: (in no particular order) caffeine, chap stick and exercise, but I enjoyed my guest star so much, I stayed with this version. Can you blame me?

This post is for Vlog Talk. The prompt I chose was from December 15, 2011, #3). I couldn’t make it through the day without these 3 items. What are they? Show us what they are and tell us why.

My Heart

Posted on September 19, 2011 Written by Tonya

We only have one bathtub in our house and it’s in the master bathroom.

After Lucas has a bath, his favorite thing to do is rush out of the bathroom completely naked and dripping wet and jump and “wrestle in bed”, as he calls it with his dad.

The roughhousing turns into a game of struggling to get Lucas’ pajamas on.

It’s good physical fun for Lucas and great bonding time for both of them, so I usually stay away.

They twist and turn and roll all over the big king-sized bed, pillows are tossed on the floor and laughter can be heard throughout the house. It’s one of my favorite times of the day.

Having no fear or concept of how much his propelling onto his dad’s back may hurt, Todd recently tried to explain to Lucas that he is just a person; a body, made up of water, blood, tissue and bones. Overhearing this from the bathroom, I popped out and asked Lucas what he thought was in his body.

His reply without skipping a beat: “my heart”.

I may have cried a little.

Lucas and his friend, Jackson on Saturday night. Isn't the turquoise water so fun? Thanks to Jackson's mommy, we've discovered Sesame Street Fizzy Tub Color Tablets!

My Latest Obsession

Posted on July 19, 2011 Written by Tonya

Thanks to my friend, Lisa, whom I had the pleasure of lunching with last week, I have been introduced to one of the most delicious (non alcoholic) drinks I have ever tasted.

And I’m not just being dramatic.

Since the juice cleanse my husband and I did in February (you can read all about it here), I have grown to love tea. I despise coffee, so I’m not one to frequent Starbucks, Coffee Bean, Peet’s or any other coffee chain, but I’ve been six times since last Tuesday. At $3.75 a pop, this could get expensive.

If you haven’t tasted it, run, don’t walk to your favorite local barista and get yourself an Iced Chai Tea Latte (with Vanilla) on the double! You can thank me later.

This post is for Wordful Wednesdays and if you want to link up and see some really beautiful photographs, please visit Project Alicia.

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Mom Snacks

Posted on March 28, 2011 Written by Tonya

You probably won’t believe this but I have never tried any of Lucas’ food.

I never taste tested the formula we gave him, rice cereal, homemade baby food we so painstakingly made when he was an infant, teething biscuits, puffs or other snacks.

I try to give him a lot of things I don’t particularly care for like; bananas, beans of all sorts, peas, blueberry waffles and yogurt and have never sampled any of them.

He may have fed me a Cheerio or two from his snack trap, but other than that, I don’t partake.

For one, his food never appeals to me and I’m not very adventurous when it comes to cuisine 2.) I’m not a snacker and 3.) I don’t need the extra calories.

All that has changed now that I’ve discovered Annie’s Bunny Grahams. Have you tried these delightful little itty bitty bite-sized nuggets of scrumptiousness? Holy cow, they’re good and they should be banned from my house because now I don’t buy them for Lucas, I buy them for me!

Hmmm, come to think of it, we have a lot of Annie’s Homegrown products in our home. I might just have to broaden my taste buds.

Do you eat off your child’s plate? What’s your favorite mom, er… I mean, kid food?

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It’s All In The Application

Posted on February 1, 2011 Written by Tonya

My mother wore very little make-up and everything I learned about it, I learned from her. In other words, I never learned much more than; a little blush, a little mascara, a little lipstick. Done. She made it look effortless, flawless and easy. It really is anything but.

I didn’t have an older sister or friends with older sisters that were willing to use my face as a guinea pig.

I got my first Maybelline* eye shadow and blush kit when I was in the 7th grade and while I loved the idea of wearing make-up and I coveted my make-up bag, I think I only used it once or twice. I had no clue what I was doing. I would looking like a circus clown, so I gave up.

I don’t know what my friends and I were doing that we didn’t sit around practicing the fine art of make-up application. I suppose we were too busy lip-synching to Wham and Duran Duran.

I really wish I knew how to apply make-up.

I love the way in can transform a face, especially one that has become a mother and is tired, worried and growing older by the minute.

I love it when my friend Nancy offers to do my make-up for a special occasion. She was kind enough to do my make-up for my wedding and has dolled me up for Vegas many times over the years.

I don’t even own any eyeliners or eye shadows.

I wear the absolute bare minimal. Because that’s all I can handle.

My entire make-up routine takes a total of 6 minutes, if that. And trust me when I tell you that without these items, I look dead:Still loyal to Maybelline Great Lash mascara, I have expanded my make-up collection to include a lot of Bare Escentuals* products. If you haven’t jumped on the mineral make-up band wagon yet, I highly suggest it. Talk about transforming your face; it’s fantastic stuff. Plus, the starter kit and DVD with explicit step-by-by instructions was perfect for a make-up novice like me. 🙂

How did you learn to apply make-up? What are your favorite products?

*This post was no way endorsed by Maybelline or Bare Escentuals. Sadly.

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Spreading Good Cheer

Posted on November 20, 2010 Written by Tonya

I recently discovered boxed signs made by Primitives by Kathy* and I’m loving them!

They range from $4.00 – $56.00 and come in a variety of sizes.

The sayings are short, sweet, to the point and would adorn any wall in your home or office perfectly with words of inspiration, good cheer and Happy Thoughts.

These are definitely on my Christmas give list this year, but really would make great gifts all year long.

Here are some of my favorites:

Be sure to peruse the Web site, as there are lots of other gift ideas.

*This post was no way endorsed by Primitives by Kathy, I just like their products and wanted to share!

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Sunday Fun Day

Posted on July 4, 2010 Written by Tonya

How great is this? A scale without numbers!!
Now, instead of being greeted by those five (or so) pesky pounds you can’t seem to shake, you’ll see “Hot”, “Ravishing” or my personal favorite: “Perfect” instead. How’s that esteem building?

The Yay! You Yay! Scale is available at Voluptuart

I love it!!

The best is yet to be.

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10 Things I Love About Trader Joe’s – NaBloPoMo

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A Month Long Celebration

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Can’t Live Without

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My Heart

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My Latest Obsession

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