Tuesday Tumblings

Happy Tu Tu Tuesday folks!!!!

We are going to do Tuesday Tumblings a little different this week because I have a bunch o' products I need to review for various campaigns I've done.   Hang tight with me and see what kind of free stuff I've been sampling lately and what I think about them!

First up Arm & Hammer Truly Radiant Toothpaste.  Folks when I started this campaign I was skeptical.  I mean I'm a Crest girl, always have been and thought I always would be.   I used the toothpaste (and Spinbrush) for a couple of weeks and I really didn't notice much of a difference UNTIL I went to the dentist and my hygienist was amazed, she thought I had done the teeth whitening in the office and also noted that my crowns no longer matched my teeth.  Hubster is a convert too and we are now Arm & Hammer Truly Radiant toothpaste fans!  Seriously you gotta try this stuff, like really right now add it to the shopping list!

Preparation H wipes for women.  They do what they say, 'nuff said.  

If you need this kind of thing, they're very nice wipes.  

Moving on......

Huluva Good dip.  I used my free coupon to try the Jalapeño Cheddar flavor.  What can I tell you other than I've probably bought 4 more containers since then.  I stinking love this stuff.  With Pretzel chips you can't go wrong, it's delicious!!!

CoverGirl + Olay FaceLift Effect Firming Makeup and De-Puffer Concealer.

Let's start with the concealer.  This is what the campaign material had to say:

"De-Puffer Concealer tackles eye puffiness and dark circles by combining Olay’s rejuvenating serum and cucumber extract to soothe and brighten your skin. The unique cooling metal tip ensures application perfection and massages concealer on as it glides over the under eye area."

This is what Samma has to say:

I think the metal tip is actually very cooling but did it de-puff my eyes? not really

Did it cover my dark circles? yes, as much as any other concealer

Would I buy it again? probably not, hard to beat Clinique's concealer in my opinion.

Onto the makeup and here's what the campaign materials had to say:

"With the concentrated vitamin complex of Olay FaceFirm technology, FaceLift Effect Firming Makeup provides luxurious, flawless coverage and the deep hydration of night cream, leaving you with firmer, healthier-looking skin after just two weeks."

Samma says:

Did it provide luxurious, flawless coverage? eh, a little.  I did like the feel of this makeup but I wished it were more buildable.  I wouldn't say I got flawless coverage but it was fine for wearing around the house AND it didn't break my face out so that is a definite win.

Did I have firmer, healthier skin in 2 weeks? not at all, same skin 

Would I buy it again? Probably as long as I found good coupons for it.  I mean it was in fact a great makeup to wear every day around the house so not to scare the UPS man when he rings the door bell but for going out in public, I'd like a little more coverage.

Tazo Chai tea complements of Smiley360

Oh I love me some Chai tea and I do love Tazo teas as well so this was an exciting pack for me to receive.   I received 3 flavors to sample along with coupons (which I shared).  The Classic Tazo chai was delicious and I enjoyed my cozy warm mug of yummy tea.   Vanilla Caramel.....OH MY GOSH, this is amazing yummy delicious!! Seriously this stuff is so good.  #SweetMeetsSpicy is the "official" hashtag for this campaign and it's perfect for this blend especially.   I'm so glad I saved one of the coupons to use myself on this blend. It's a new favorite of mine!   Chocolate chai, not my cup of tea at all (pun intended).   

Here's a link for you to pick up a coupon so you can try out Tazo Chai for yourself. You won't be sorry, I promise!  I hear there is a Pumpkin Spice chai blend, gotta try that one next. 

5 Hour Energy Go Pink! Experience

(another free product from Smiley360)

Here's what my campaign material had to say about the 5 Hour Energy:

The makers of 5-hour ENERGY® products team up with the Living Beyond Breast Cancer organization this breast cancer awareness month. LBBC helps to support and educate people about breast cancer.Now through December 31, 2014, Living Essentials will donate five cents from the sale of every specially marked bottle of Pink Lemonade flavored 5-hour ENERGY® to Living Beyond Breast Cancer. LBBC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting people with trusted breast cancer information and a community of support. 

My thoughts, I wasn't a huge fan of the Pink Lemonade flavor but then again, I'm not much of a fan of any energy drink but I'm always happy to spread the word about breast cancer.   

By the way, that's LL and SuePoo and I just before we left for a VERY early morning deep sea fishing excursion.  We loved toasting our friend and breast cancer survivor SuePoo!!!  

You can click this link for more info!

5 hour Energy

So that's all I have to review today folks. I've got a couple more Smiley360 missions to work on click that link if you'd like to join Smiley360 and try out new products in exchange for your honest opinions.   If you are interested in joining BzzAgent, then shoot me a quick private message with your email address and I'll send you an invite.  It's another program where I get to try out free products in exchange for sharing my honest opinions.   

I still have a vegetarian chili recipe to share with you too so hopefully with this cold weather snap we're experiencing I'll be inside and blog a bit more often.   

Peace, Love & Free Stuff 

Southwestern Turkey Chili

Hi Dee Ho there my peeps!!!

Yes it's true, I actually have a recipe for you today!!   Even more surprising, I have a couple more for you this week too!

Before we start cooking let's play catch up on the 'state of the nation' around here.   Hubster started a new job in August and he was supposed to be working out of town Monday thru Friday until early October then he would be working from home pretty much every day after that.  Things change and he's enjoying the new challenges of the job and now he'll be out of town Sunday evening thru Thursday evening every week until February.   Reason I'm telling you this.....I'm the only one here besides the dog and I'm not cooking very much.  Apparently I'm existing on various dips and snacks but after a couple months of that well even I'm tired of chips and salsa.  Shock and Awe I know!!!
Anywho I've decided to eat an actual meal now and then and then also have some decent food cooked for when Hubster is home.  He has to eat out Sunday evening thru Thursday evening so I finally figured out if I took some time to cook a few things during the week then I would have something decent to eat occasionally and he wouldn't have to eat out while home.

Last week I saw a recipe for Turkey Chili on the interwebs someplace and thought "hey, that might be pretty good".  I've also been craving chili and it's been 90 degrees here so it's definitely not fall weather in North Texas.  My internal appetite must think we are actually experiencing fall and be demanding chili.

Before we start I made you a printable too.  Yay!! Go Me!!!

Cast of Characters

1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey

1 large onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 (1.25-oz.) envelope chili seasoning mix

1 (12-oz.) can beer

1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce

3/4 teaspoon salt

Heat some olive oil in a pan and add the onion, garlic, red pepper and green pepper. Sauté' until tender or about 5 minutes.  

Add the ground turkey and packet of chili seasoning mix.  Stir well to combine.

Cook until turkey meat is browned.

Looking yummoooooo!!!

Pour in can of beer and let simmer about 5 minutes.

Add corn, black beans and tomatoes to slow cooker then add in meat mixture. 

Cover and set on LOW then cook for 6 hours. 

Serve it up with your favorite toppings.

Enjoy!

In case you wondered, this also freezes quite well.

And here's the handy dandy printable one more time for ya!

So there you go, the burning question has been answered, I still know how to cook!!

Hope you enjoy this lightened up version of chili and take a few minutes to prep then pop it in the slow cooker before you head out the door and have dinner ready for the family when you get home.

And hopefully you are actually experiencing fall weather where you are and maybe just maybe one day, we'll have fall here too!!!

Now if you'll excuse me I have to go see what the heck is going on with my Cowboys!!!

Peace, Love & Chili!!

Tuesday Tumblings

Hi dee ho my peeps!!!

It's been a crazy few weeks so I thought I would do a post for you guys and update you on the craziness around this place.

First of all, I don't even watch Dancing with the Stars but apparently this happened last night and that alone makes my day!!!   You go Carlton!

I can only apologize for the lack of cooking around here and tell you that it's Hubsters fault.  :-)

Actually Hubster is still working out of town all week long and is only home on the weekends and we just haven't been cooking because we've just been so busy.  Busy doing fun things but busy none the less.   While he's gone during the week I've mostly been eating popcorn, salsa & chips, cereal or ice cream for dinner.  Yeah, I'm up for healthy wife of the year award.  ugggh   

Last week weekend we decided that we were going to work a trip into the State Fair this year and somewhere along the line I got the brilliant idea to have a yard sale.   I thought hey, lets have a yard sale, get rid of some of the stuff we never should have moved and raise the money to cover every ones admission ticket to the Fair.  At 17 bucks a person that's no small feat but I thought surely I can raise $102 at a yard sale.  Well honestly by about noon we were only about $20 in profit and I began to really think my goal wasn't realistic at all.  However business plodded along all day and by the end of the day around 5 pm we had managed to raise about $225 plus the tamales the guy sold us!  

Since I knew Friday was going to involve a yard sale, picking up Hubster at DFW airport, picking up Abogg at Love Field, the arrival of Abogg's girlfriend and then cleaning up after the yard sale I decided to pop a roast in the crock pot so we'd have Italian Beef sandwiches for dinner.  You can find the recipe right here.  It's a good thing I had something ready because Merebear had to go get her dad at the airport because I was still yard sale-ing it and then Abogg's flight got delayed but we got the yard sale stuff cleaned up and some dinner stuffed into our bellies in time to all pile in the truck and surprise Abogg at the airport.

Saturday morning we were off to the fair.  This was also the first trip ever to the State Fair for Miss AprilMayJune and I think she's a fan for sure!

Here's a few clips from the weekend!

AprilMayJune and I at the Cupcake wines booth.  We're the smart ones of the bunch!!

We tried to get a pic with Big Tex when we arrived but the sun wasn't being very cooperative.

Then a nice guy offered to get a picture of all of us....um, he kind of cut Big Tex out of the photo

It's really worth going to the Fair just for these and I had two.

Oh yes I did!!!   I'm not even sorry.

I WANTED to sit in the new 2015 Mustang but nooooo they had it all roped off. 

However I need to figure out how to make this my next car.

Of course I'd really really really rather have the new Corvette but there's a wee bit of a price difference.  That car was soooooo comfortable and I fell in love. See you in my dreams little car.

Husband found some dancing ladies that he decided to join in with since he was dressed like them!

Time for the pig races!

Next to the corny dogs the pig races are the best!

We took a ride on the Texas Star just at sunset.

Here's the Texas Star at night behind the midway.

And here's Big Tex waving good night to us.

Thanks Big Tex, we had a great day at the fair!

And this time next week I'll have finished up a trip on this boat in Destin.  

I can't wait, I just can't wait!

Now if you will excuse me I think I will actually go get out of my PJ's now and see what kind of mischief the dog and I can get into.  

Speaking of the dog,  this is what he looks like when he's not sleeping.

This is his "feed me" face. 

Ohhh Winston, you're a mess!!!

Don't forget that it's time for this tonight!!

Peace, Love & Corny Dogs!

Tuesday Tumblings

Hey there Peeps!!!

Long time no tumble

(lordy...if you don't know who this is just click here to find out)

1)  Any-who  let's get back to important things.  Most important THIS is tonight!

Last week's season premier was brutal I tell ya, just brutal but I loved it.

I'm terrified of the casualties coming on this last season of the show.  How about you, are you a SOA fan?  Who do you think isn't going to make it?  

2)  Hubster is still working out of town and rubbing in all the good food he's eating, I am still eating my weight in this deliciousness.  Don't judge, it's full of vegetables.

                           

3)  After a not so successful experience with a local CSA we've gone back to getting our Bountiful Baskets.   Peeps I'm here to tell you all that goodness you see was $30!!!!  Yeah, you read that right, $30.   I know it's crazy, now does anyone want to come help me with all that corn?  That's one normal fruit/veggie basket and one tailgate package.  I've had an avocado every single day and it's been awesome!!!!

(that's Gertrude the cow in the picture and yes, half the wall is painted grey, I'm trying out paint samples)

4)  I thought the Abogg was coming to visit on Monday so I made a big pot of Cowboy Stew. He ended up getting called back to work so I ate the bowl  of stew you see then the rest I split into freezer containers, one for us and one to take to the Merebear later this week.   I'm sure I'll be happy to have a big container of Cowboy Stew in the freezer this winter and I know the Merebear will be happy for a meal she doesn't have to prepare herself.

5) Sir Winston got his first ever Bark Box and I'd say he loves it.   I signed up for the 3 month subscription and they were running a promotion to get an additional month free so we'll see how it goes.  The packaging was adorable and I really loved the fact that all the treats were grain free. 

6)  I've been working on refinishing our kitchen table and chairs.  They looked really really bad and since getting a new table and chairs wasn't an option I've been gel staining away.  People this stuff is crazy amazing!!!   The picture below is the first coat of the stain and you normally do three.  Don't worry, there will be a whole post coming up about this amazing stuff.   I have the kitchen table finished completely and I have the wood bases of the chairs done except 1 last coat of Poly and I should finish that up tomorrow.   I am using a metallic soft iron color spray paint on the metal part of the chairs and as soon as I go get more spray paint I'll get the last three chairs finished.  It already looks SOOOOOO much better.  I'm ready to get it finished and so is Hubster, he wondered how much longer it would be before we could eat at the table again.  

7) It's been 10 years since Hurricane Ivan, hard to believe that 10 years ago we were watching from Texas a horrible storm hit our hometown and like so many others just sit wondering whether or not we would have a home to go back to.  It's also been 1 year since my hysterectomy which I  happily celebrated at Grapefest this past weekend.   If you remember last year I might have pushed my physical limits at the festival but I was more than ready this year!!!   And since we didn't get out of the 70's temperature wise on Saturday I'd say that the weather gods were smiling too!!! 

BONUS)   My sweet friend Kelleigh has the new fall designs on her  Die Hard Nails site.

There are sooooo many cute new designs.   I've got a post I've been working on forever and I just keep forgetting to finish it up ( I know I'm horrible) but if you go check out the new fall catalog on her site you can order yourself some Jamberry fun and get in the fall spirit or if you are super prepared go ahead and get those cute Christmas designs ordered so you'll be ready come December.  Here's her Facebook page, so go and like it and keep up with her specials and the fun things she's showcasing.  

That's all for me today Peeps......I have to go get mentally prepared for SOA!

Peace, Love & Jax Teller

My week at the beach

Hey Peeps!!!

I'm just back from a week at the beach and I thought I'd give you guys a recap of how the week went and just how crazy life can get.   I'm just going to go day by day to try and keep me on track.


Friday Aug. 29th

I spent the morning cleaning up the house ( am I the only one whose house has to be cleaned before I leave for vacation??) and packing up the car.   Hardest part of this was the fact that the dog was going with me so the back seat was reserved for him and knowing that he would be confined to my tiny backseat for 12 hours.   We finally got on the road about 2 which was only about an hour after I planned but not too bad.  I did manage to miss rush hour traffic all around and we stopped in Baton Rouge for the night.   I'm not used to traveling with the dog so I didn't some research and find a great site called Bring Fido and found a pet friendly hotel close to the interstate.  Not a bad day but not much sleep, poor Winston was very restless in the hotel.   If you travel with your pets then I highly recommend checking out the site for pet friendly hotels in your travel area.

He hardly rested on the drive instead nervously looking over my shoulder, like I'm a bad driver or something.   pssshhhhttt

Saturday Aug. 30th.
Up for a quick breakfast at the hotel and maybe I snuck some scrambled eggs and gravy off the breakfast bar to take back to Winston in the room.  shhhhhh.......

More driving and we finally make it to the beach around 1 or so and after getting Winston secured in the condo I'm off to the beach.  Hubster and his friend had arrived much earlier that morning so I had some beach catching up to do!

Later that night we headed out to one of my favorite Destin/FWB restaurants, AJ's.   We tried a new appetizer Oysterss AJ's and boy were they yummoo!! Jalapeño peppers, monterey jack cheese and bacon, baked on the half shell.

These are a new favorite and you can bet I'll have them again!!  We headed back to the condo and were all so tired that we were asleep before half time of the LSU football game.  

Sunday Aug. 31

The guys got up early and ran across the street to a new breakfast place on Okaloosa Island called Asiago's Skillet.  It's only open from Midnight to Noon but man, you can bet this is another must have food stop when we are at the condo.  CRAZY good breakfast, they've only been open 2 months and word on the street is they are adding a Bloody Mary bar.  Oh yeah!!!!

More beach time and then we took our friend Kenny over to our fave stop:  HelenBack pizza.  Yeah, no trip to the beach is complete without pizza.  

Monday Sept. 1 - Friday Sept. 5th 

These days all look pretty much the same, only difference being that Monday our friend Kenny had to head home bright and early and Hubster got to spend the entire day on the beach with me.   The rest of the days I spent on the beach while poor Hubster had to work up in the condo.   He turned his back to the doors so he didn't have to see the ocean, poor guy!    If you follow on Instagram you saw most of these but each morning I took the obligatory beach photo from the balcony

Actually, it never rained this day but this was a beautiful sight.

Morning over the pier

Beach time!!!

Late afternoon is my favorite time on the beach.

A walk down the beach and we saw the cutest little sandcastle.

The pineapple leaves on top of the sand bucket were such a cute touch!

The birds crack me up like they are all just sitting around watching the water.

Afternoon drinks at the The Crab Trap

ahhh, late afternoon when the beach quiets down and the beach service guys are kind enough to take my chair last.  

We tried a new place to eat and WOWZA we hit a restaurant home run!

We actually went back to eat a second time!

Prop's Craft Brewery

Crazy good Fish Taco's.  I mean like nothing left on my plate when I finished kind of good.

Hubster had a burger craving so he had the Props burger.  Once again, nothing left on the plate!

Hubsters first trip to the The Candymaker.  I think it's safe to say he's a fan!

Also his first trip to The Back Porch restaurant and now he's a fan of this place too.

Started off the meal with a good old fashioned dozen of oysters on the half shell, never disappoints.

The dog kept getting up super early and while it was slightly annoying, I did get to see more than a few of these beautiful sunrises over the pier.

Early morning is another great time at the beach.

Poor Winston, he really wanted to go to the beach but no doggies allowed.

He looks so HUGE in this photo, not a flattering angle for the buddy at all.

(you can also see why Hubster turns his back to the patio when he's working)

Second trip to the Props Brewery and I just had to have the fabulous Mac & Cheese.  We saw so many tables with this on them when we ate there the first night I had to try it.  Next time, I'm getting the Buffalo Mac & Cheese.    mercy me

So many beautiful beach days and I soaked up the sun.

Look at that water!

Met some new friends from Louisiana and they had these awesome little beach tables and as luck would have it we found some at Target.   They fold up and they are perfect for keeping my water, beer and kindle out of the sand!

Second item to note on that table.....the Yeti cooler cup.  HOLY COW, worth every penny my friends.  I'd fill that cup with water and ice when I went down to the beach each morning and then pack extra water in my cooler and I'd still have ice when I got back to the condo after 6 that night.   I'm a fan and honestly I'm trying to justify buying another one so I can have one for hot coffee/tea and one for cold water.   

Our last morning and we were sad to go but we'll be back in October.

Saturday Sept. 6th.

Time to pack up and head home this time it's me, the dog and the Hubster in the car.   To say we were a wee bit crowded is an understatement but all was good until somewhere near Grosse Tete, La and WHAM.    The guy in the left hand lane decided to move into the right hand land and smacked right into us.  We spent the better part of the next hour or so on the side of the interstate waiting on the State Trooper to arrive and file the report.    Fortunately we were all ok but my poor little car doesn't look to great.

Thankfully everyone involved was ok (including Sir Winston) and the guy who hit us had insurance.

I tell ya, going 70 mph down the interstate and having someone slam into the side of you doing 70+ is a scary event people.   This one shook me up pretty bad for awhile after it happened.  We finally arrived home a little after midnight making our normal 12 hour drive around 14+ hours.   Not a great way to end the week but everyone is ok and that's really all that matters. 

I'm ever so grateful for my last minute trip to the beach and I can't tell you how much better my soul feels after some needed rest and relaxation.  I sunned, I read, I met some wonderful new people and I might have napped a little on the beach and I spent an entire week with Hubster and sometimes that's just what you need.   We're looking forward to October when we make the trip down again with a bunch of friends where we will laugh and relax and carry on like crazy people and sometimes that's just what you need too!!!

Hubster only has a few more weeks of travel for work (hopefully) and I should be cooking again.  For now though I'm still living on chips & salsa, cereal and popcorn and Starbucks Iced Coffee that you get in the grocery.  

Peace, Love & Beaches