Guess who finally got instagram? that's right.... me! You can follow me @MeetMissJackson. Let me know if you have Instagram too! I have kind of converted my Instagram into a catch all. People in my real life and people in my blog life are both welcome. Your welcome to my Facebook too but I doubt anything will really interest you there. I just have been posting my Instagram pictures there.
1. Pretty Flower Tree in my back yard. My landlord is a landscaper. He does a lot of stuff pertaining to land
2. Vases at Wal-Mart. I hear Pier One has some nice ones on clearance too.
3. Me
4. Philly and Stella at the park.
5. Phils first birthday party we had.
6. OOTD from Wel Seal
7. Same as 6
8. The sky
9. Stella Girl. She thought the phone playing music was her toy.
10. Healthy Meal. Rice Cake, Cinnamon Raisin PB, with a Banana and Coffee.
11. A line of Tanning Lotion inspired from Cereals. I can the Cinnamon Toast Crunch one. It's a tingle.
12. Me.
13. B+BW Candle. Poolside. Smells just like Coppertone or Tanning Lotion. Review coming on a few of those candles soon.
14. Kind Bars. OMG they are so chewy and yummy! The Coconut Almond one was just like a Coconut Macaroon.
15. Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Peanut Butter. Uhm have you had this?! Chunks of Raisin in the PB! So delicious. Mine is almost gone, after 2 weeks of having it.
16. Stell-anburg
17. Stella not wanting to get out of bed. She is in a pillow case covered up.
18. Me and my sunglasses from Tilly's. They don't fit though. I need to take those back.
If your familiar with #HowtobeHappyJanuary + My New's Resolutions, then you might now I am starting my healthy lifestyle again {sigh}. I did a blog post and a video about Keeping Organized, Saving Money, + Living the Dream including how I am going after a healthy lifestyle and staying on the right track once and for all! Don't hold me to it, but prayers would be awesome (:
So, me and Alex went to the health food store in my area.
They were amazing. They had a great selection of things that you could buy in travel sizes so to speak. That way, if you actually like that particular food you can go back and purchase the big size if you thought it was worth it. That's great because some stuff is really expensive! But what really made me love that place was how helpful the girls were who worked there. When it came time to check out, They gave us a bunch of free samples too!
Before I even start, I need to confess something to you guys something.
I usually do not like "health" food. I mean, quinoa is one of my favorite foods but as far as protein powders and things that are really, really, "healthy", I have a hard time getting into. I am just a normal girl who really enjoys unhealthy food. I am trying to find my way over to the healthy side and try new things. I have been making small changes for the past 2 years now and I have come a long way.
At the bottom, you will see a video! The video is more about each thing and more or less a haul I filmed a week or so ago. Now that I tried {almost} everything, I can give you my honest, humble opinion. Here we go :
Artisana Coconut Butter
$1.99
This
was something I was so exited about! I always wanna try out coconut
butter but at $20, it's too much money. Esp. if I don't even know if im
going to like it! I seen they had this trial size of coconut butter with
cacao and jumped on it. The directions say to "knead" the package. I
am assuming that is because it needs warmed a little bit because it has
coconut oil in it. Coconut oil will turn into a solid at 76 degrees and since I
live in Ohio, room temp is lower then that right now. When coconut oil is solid,
it is almost like it flocks together and it doesn't mesh well with other
ingredients, which is what it did in this package. When I warmed it up a
little bit by kneading it with my hands, it blended better and I
noticed it had a more of a smoother texture. Either way I tried it, it
tasted just like a Mounds Bar only a little less sweet (a Mounds bar is
pretty sweet!) I really liked it. I used it on top of an apple once
(yum).
I also made Almond Joy Oatmeal once with it! I used Almonds,
Shredded Coconut, Chocolate Chips, Coconut Oil and the sample of
ArtisanaRaw Cacao Bliss Raw Chocolate Coconut Butter.
By the way that girl has so many great, unique diet tips. If your looking to jump into a healthy lifestyle, Lean Secrets is a must! Anyways, about the crackers: they are actually really good! If you like sesame seeds, your going to love these. In my opinion, Sesame seeds are ok. I like the crackers better.
What I have been loving doing with these is: adding a Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge, then adding a piece of Chicken (or some turkey) on top of that, then finishing it off with a squirt of hot sauce.
I need to buy another box of these soon just for that little recipe. It's so good. I can see why these are the only crackers your supposed to eat. Check out the 4 ingredients.
Spiru-Tein High Protein Energy Meal
$2 each
I needed non whey protein to do some baking with. I wanna make this chocolate cake so I bought a Chocolate one. The chocolate chip cookie dough was just too hard to pass up! I found a recipe using protein powder and egg whites alone to make cookies so I will be using the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough one in that. I will be posting both of these here so be on the look out for them. Otherwise, I am not a fan of protein powder. I hate the gritty texture so I figure using them with baking may be a better way to go! I will let you know!
Green Superfood: $1.47 Ok. I lied! Maybe I haven't tried everything yet. But, it seemed like something I could drink and I would be good until the next meal. There is nothing but good stuff in this baby. However, the lady at the Health Food Store said that this does have that gritty texture almost like protein powder but I am still willing to give this a go. I took a picture of the nutrition facts so you can see everything in it. This might be the healthiest thing ever.
Free Samples:
Stella Puppy Girl Health Food!
I am not a total snob about the things that Stella eats, honest. I just like to treat her if I can afford it + she has alopechia and needs more nutrients. Wanna now how much I paid for all 3 of these things? 88 cents!
Dog Food:
Free
Just a sample, but Stella seemed to like it. She loves the Rachel Ray food better though!
Sam's Yam's Treats:
35 cents
They are shaped like french fries! It came with 1 Veggie "Rawhide" and 2 Bichon "Fries". She seemed to like these too. They are all natural and are supposed to keep her teeth healthy and were a great price.
Breath-Less Fizzy:
45 cents
When I put it in her water, she examined it and sat with nose close to the bowl for like 2 minutes. Anytime she hears a fizzy drink, she gets weirded out, so to hear something fizz in her water was strange to her. After a couple of minutes, the fizz subsided and she actually really liked the water. She was drinking it constantly which leads me to believe that it may have a taste to it but I wasn't going to taste it to find out!
Stella's Healthy Regimen
Stella has been eating a dog food made by Rachel Ray called Just 6. It has Just 6 Ingredients: Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, Ground Rice, Dried Beet Pulp, Poultry Fat, + Natural Chicken Flavor. Stella loves it. The first time I gave it to her, she ate her food instead of begging off of me. Rare occurrence around here (haha!) It's around $10 for a regular sized bag.
I also give Stella some cottage cheese along with ground flax and ground skin + coat vitamin.She has alopecia and needs the nutrient's. If you have a dog and want to treat him/her, cottage cheese and flax is perfectly healthy!
Another Healthy Tip:
I really wanted to mention this little tip I got from ABAB Coach on Youtube. I have been making these little "healthy baggies" for the week. Here, I add my days worth of vitamins in them. That way, I dont have to guess if I took my vitamins for the day. Such an easy little fun thing!
I also like to add different things to each bag: green tea a piece of chocolate E-Boost drink
I like this idea because now I will know where I am at in terms of getting my days worth of health benefits + it's fun to add a little treat too! The vitamins I have in there are the ones that I really need. Do some research and see which one's you need to the most, then make your own baggies. It's fun (: In my bag, I have: Physillium Husk: It is just straight up fiber. Fiber is what keeps you full. You need to drink at least 8oz of water before you take this because it expands in your tummy and that is how you get full Milk Thistle: If you drink alcohol or take any kind of pills (advil, whatever) this is good. It promotes healthy liver function B12: It gives you energy. Biotin: Good for your skin, nails, + hair.
What's your favorite food to get at the health food store?
What's your favorite website/blog/channel for healthy tips?
It has been a very crazy start to the fall. Lots of ups and downs. October is one of my favorite months because of my birthday (the 8th!).
I also love it for 2 more reasons: 1) because I know this will be the last of the nicer weather to takes walks and be outside and 2) it is closer to Christmas!
Unfortunately, the restaurant I was working at closed down at the start of October and I am at a loss *again* looking for a job. I have been praying I can get one in enough time to celebrate Christmas! It is my favorite holiday. This will be an extension of my beauty favorites. Check those out here.
♡Fall Favorites♡
Arm Candy:
Maybe this would qualify as a beauty favorite but whatever, I already uploaded the picture here. A trend I never really got into until recently. I have been buying cheap arm candy at every chance I get! If your loving this trend too, you will love my Forever 21 jewelry purchases!
Purple Jeweled Bracelet: Walmart $1.99
Pink Gummy Watch: JC Penney $10
Black Shamballa Bracelet: 5 and Below $2.99
My Birthday:
It was my birthday on the 8th!! Thanks to my mom for making dinner, my b/f's mom, Barb, for making me this delicious cake, my b/f Phil for the presents and taking me out to dinner (Red Lobster all you can eat shrimp! Holla!), & my bfff Alex for the pumpkins, & candle! I love you guys so much! We had a fun relaxing night, talking, drinking wine and hanging out. Alex brought the other puppies Lexi, Precious (Stella's mom), & Chloe (Stella's twin sister). It was 1 of the best birthday's yet! I was so lucky to have all of my favorite living beings there! 4 dogs & 3 other people besides myself. The dog to human ratio is sometimes at least 50/50. Most of the time, we are out numbered by dogs at 2/4. We love our puppies!
Pumpkins:
Alex
again, thank you girl! Have yet to carve these babies! I actually kinda
like them plain. They look rustic sitting on the janky back porch! LOL!
Jack-O-Lantern These are at the Boardman Park. I guess all the school's had a competition. Some of the best 1's were done by pre-schoolers! Wow! They look awesome! One good thing about Youngstown Ohio is the parks this time of year!
Seasonal Beer:
I love trying seasonal beers. There's something about fall beers that
gets me exited. I am usually a wine drinker any other time of the year.
At my old work, they would rim the beer mug with cinnamon and sugar, then add pumpkin flavored beer. Perfect drink if your having a Halloween party! I bought a 6 pack of Sam Adams version of Octoberfest. I think that is my favorite Octoberfest beer.
Walks In The Park:
1 of our favorite things to do is go for walks in the park. There are so many good parks around here and lately we have been going to a park called Boardman Park. For the past couple of week's, the park has been really active. On top of the Jack-O-Lantern display, all of the decorations for the witch walk are up in the trail. They had Octoberfest + they are doing pancakes with homemade maple syrup which comes from the barks of trees. Here's some cute fall pictures from 1 of our walk a couple weeks ago. The other night, there were so many leaves on the ground that you couldn't even see the path!
♡Favorite Fall Candle(s)♡
Cinnamon Sugared Donut Candle!
I took back my Frosted Cupcake, which
didnt smell like anything when I lit it. I
exchanged it to get my favorite fall scent from B+BW. I love this! It's a
spicy, sweet, sweet scent! If your not into the super spicy scents, but
want to stay true to the season, give this 1 a smell! And I promise
this has a high scent throw!
♡Favorite Candle #2:♡
Air Wick Candle:
The candle Alex got me for my birthday! She knows me too well! It is from Air Wick. This candle doesn't have much of a smell, but I have been lighting it every single night because it changes colors! A perfect present, I believe, is something so gimmicky and cool that you probably would not buy it for yourself. This was right on the nose! LOL! I think this will be in some peoples Christmas boxes this year!
♡Favorite Nail Combo♡
Essie's A Cut Above:
That's the rose gold glitter you see. I love it so much. Not a great mani on my part but I had to share that gorgeous glitter again! And the light pink is from Wet n Wild from one of the older, cheaper nail polish lines. I don't know the name because it wore off and I dont recommend the polish. It got gloopy real quick. I just really love the color. Any baby pink will do for me!
♡Favorite Book♡
Helter Skelter: Maybe you didn't know, but I love anything having to do with criminal law. Example, some of my favorite shows are Lock Up, Forensic Files, First 48, Snapped, & The Investigators. For a short time, I wanted to become a psychiatrist for people on death row. I want to get into their minds. I also had a slight obsession years ago to know everything there was to know about the whole Manson era. If I could go back in time, I would go back to 1969 and go the Haight Ashbury District, I would attend Woodstock (I would bring food for myself! Im 1 step ahead!) & make it back in time to be at the Manson trial. You may already know I have always had a huge obsession with Hollywood + how movies are made. I love when a set looks "fake". And when it comes to Hollywood, the older the better! I just love it! I would probably have to take my time traveling device to Hollywood circa 1940's too. Im getting off subject...
Even though I watch Forensic Files and can even get into court t.v. as long as its a high profile, juicy case, court t.v. will not capture my attention for too long. I was afraid Helter Skelter was going to be reminiscent of court t.v., reciting a bunch of legal documents from the trial and I wasn't going to be able to follow- considering it was written by the prosecutor himself. There is some legal jargon, but it's really easy to read. The last book I have read this fast was My Friend Leonard. If your into criminal law, the late 60's, or your into the whole Manson trial + more: give it a read!
♡Favorite Puppy♡
Stella: Cant leave her out! She's a big girl now and her birthday is coming soon!1 (or 7) year(s) old! I love her. I know, I am a weird dog lady. My idea of a great birthday was having my 3 closest ppl at my house along with the 4 best dogs I know! Alex has Precious, Lexi, & Chloe. Lexi and Chloe are twinsies as they were born in the same litter. Said litter came out of Precious. Lexi's the only 1 not blood related. Lexi is also the goodest dog. The min pins are little brats! LOL! She loves other animals (kitties and puppies) but doesn't like strange people too much.
Phil holding her ears down- haha! She looks so cute and silly!
She has on a coat and a sweater: "I cant put my arms down!"lol!
♡Favorite Song♡
Long December
Old school, right?! How many remember this song? I used to love this song and completely forgot about it. I love when I all of the sudden remember songs I forgotten. I love any 90's rock. It is some of my favorite type of music. This song hits the spot if your craving a 90's rock song. Next song will be by Matchbox20....anyone?
♡Favorite T.V. Show♡
The Challenge. this is my favorite show on. I have been watching it since Real World Road Rules Challenge 2000. I watch it every season & lately, have liked it more than Real World. When it is time for a new season, I always kick myself for not following the last season of the Real World a little more closely. MTV has the best reality shows in my opinion. Teen Mom. Jersey Shore. Second best would be TLC. How can I forget about Sister Wives, 19 Kids and Counting, Toddlers and Tiara's, Little People Big World, or Breaking Amish. I love t.v. This is my absolute fave show, though. This video is for the trailer.
Thats it! If you want to know my beauty favorites, then click.
What are favorite things about fall?
and by the way, Happy Halloween! thank you for stopping by! xoxo Erica
I have been doing some shopping here and there for the past couple weeks! I seriously love shopping! Shopping for clothes, makeup, books, & pointless things I probably don't need. I love shopping online. I love fake shopping online. Putting stuff in my cart and not buying it...yah no, just in case! I even love grocery shopping! I am the 1 that does the grocery shopping. Looking at different ads, calculating it all out, & finding inspiration from foodie blogs is my specialty! (: I think it would be fun to do a grocery shopping haul & maybe I will one day, but for now let me show you what I got at Wal-Mart!
1. Suave Mousse I cannot tell you how many times I have re-purchased this. I have been using it on my hair since the 8th grade!
First off, it smells amazing and you + other people could smell it
throughout the day. It creates volume when added to the roots. I have
wavy hair and what I have always used it for was for the days I wanted
my hair to hold my natural curls and waves and didn't feel like straightening
it or using a curling iron. I scrunch this into my hair, while my damp head of hair is flipped upside down
(this and a couple other great curling products) and blow dry. The wetter the hair, the better to control frizz and give you natural curls. It's not
going to make your hair look wet, or crunchy if you know what I mean. It
is such a staple, I don't think I have ever even mentioned it here!
2. Hard Candy Matte Polish (Matte-ly in love):
I have wanted this for weeks! I have seen a nail blog or 2 put it over shimmery polishes, glitter polishes, & duo-chromes and have really wanted to give it a go. Right now I am wearing it over Blue It! from Sally Hansen. It's so pretty! If your on my main page & have a chance to scroll down, then you already know there will be at NOTW or 2 feat. Matte-ly in Love! As you can see I have been a little obsessive with nail polishes and nail art! 3. Hard Candy "Glow Away" Bronzer and Highlighting Duo: It doesn't look like you get very much of either colors, but I have been looking for a nice bronze highlight. We will see if it works out. The bronze color has an orange undertone which I happen to like because I am pretty light. Orange undertones make me look more natural for the most part. Some other bronzers make me look muddy if it's too deep or leaning too much toward a brown undertone. For reference, I have cool undertones in my skin so that could be why too. 4. Dog Harness I can't say this is really exiting (unless you are a
proud new owner of your baby puppy!) but Stella needed another one
badly. She chewed hers up and now the buckle will come off when she
pulls hard enough on her old one. We were at the park and she was
barking and pulling away to go see some other doggie's, and she got off of
her leash because her old harness was busted. I was afraid she was gunna run over and either bark/bite/be
mean/jump and play. You never know with her! She's wound up! When she
got to the other doggie's, she stopped dead in her tracks, not barking or
anything. She just wanted to sniff & sniff them! Good dog! She
usually loves other doggies & kitties! It's people she is weary of! Smart puppy! LOL
I am positive I will mention these things even more in depth (besides the dog harness!) after I have used them to give you a proper review! I heart Wal-Mart. Have you bought anything good from Wal-Mart or Hand Candy Lately? Thank you for reading!
Hey! If you guys didn't know, me & my b/f went to Pittsburgh a couple a weeks ago to see a comedian & go shopping. We did some serious damage the night before. We got drunk at the Improv then went downtown. We spent wayy to much but better safe than sorry, so we took a cab everywhere that night.
So, I am just going to split my Pittsburgh Trip up in 4 blog posts:
Part 2: H&M & JC Penney Haul (clothing haul)
Part 3: Yankee Candle Haul &
Part 4: will just be our trip overall.
I only bought one thing at The Gap. my Boyfriend, Philly bought a pair of jeans and while I was waiting for him, I seen this puppy. I have 1 other duo chrome "oil spill" nail polish from Wet n Wild but it doesn't compare to this. I really do not like the WnW one too much. Then it came to me. It's a Chanel Dupe! I do not have the Chanel polish but I clearly remember wanting it: Chanel Peridot. Now, I cant say for sure if it is a really true dupe but I will let you be the judge. If you think it is, Try Gap's Gold Rush. It was only $6. I have never tried the Gap's nail polish and the lady helping me said she loves them. Of course she does, but I am sure it will be a better line of polish, considering it's the Gap. You will be seeing a NOTW soon enough, if I like it on. I think I probably will :)
Then we went to Victoria Secret's. I only bought panties because I needed them. Don't worry none of these panties were used! lol! I did wanna show you guys them because they are adorable. I love the "scrunchie butt" where they cinch the fabric that separates each booty cheek. My house mom use to do that to all of our outfits & even my bath suit. The way they are made makes your butt look fab (:
I also bought 2 other pair that were not scrunchie butt. I shabby chic thong & another pair.
Next up, The Dog Store.Just Dogs Gourmet (: I had to buy something for my puppy, Stella. All of these gourmet dog treats were to die. I paid around $5 for all of them. And I tasted the white frosting on the bone. It is actually good. I want to make a frosting like that. You probably think I am crazy. Your the crazy one. Your missing out on these delicious dog treats. if anybody has ever tried to make their own gourmet doggie treats, I would love to know!
The first one is made out of cacao & peanut butter. It's your Reese's Cup for doggies!
Next one is a cupcake of sorts.
Then I bought a carrot one. It was half off because they had them left over from Easter. I wish I lived close so I can fill up my Stella's stocking and Easter basket! But I don't. Maybe I can order online. The carrot is actually made out of vegetables which I thought was pretty cool.
Then we have the frosted milk bone. This was the one I tasted. That frosting is freaking delicious! haha! but i am not joking, lol.
That is that for now! I will make this ending short & sweet
