Affordable Car Organization Tips! $30 or Less

January 9, 2019 By Chanelle 11 Comments

In 2016, my car broke down. It was the car I’d been driving since age 16, and it had made it to 14 years old. It was time. So I bought my dream car, a Kia Soul. I loved that car. It had Bluetooth! It had power windows, power locks, and a key fob that unlocked the doors remotely! Such simple luxuries, but I was tickled.

When I moved to the mountains this year, I realized I might need something a little more hardy. An all-wheel drive for the hills and snow, preferably with a backup camera. (Did you know that by May 2018, all new cars are required to come standard with backup cameras?)

So in a bittersweet yet practical move, I traded in my Soul for a low-mileage Buick Encore from Carvana. Psst! If you’re in the market for a new car, let me know. I have ten codes for $500 off your Carvana purchase. Not sponsored, I just had a good experience with Carvana.

Car Organization Tips: Keeping It Clean and Well-Stocked!

After stocking my new wheels with a few of my usual car essentials—lip balm, hand sanitizer, and extra napkins secreted away from various restaurants and coffee shops—inspiration struck. “I should fully organize this car! With cheap items from the dollar store!” So that’s just what I did.

I visited Dollar Tree, Ross, Aldi, and Dollar General to organize my whole car & outfit it with emergency supplies for less than $30!

Let’s start with the driver’s side door.

In my driver door pockets, I keep a microfiber cloth for dusting and drying (2 for $1, Dollar Tree), packs of Clorox wipes and baby wipes ($1 each, Dollar Tree), and a backup pair of sunglasses for my sensitive baby eyes.

Now moving along to the center console.

The console storage space in this car is quite small, so I don’t have room for much. Inside I have extra napkins, a pack of tissues (8 packs for $1, Dollar Tree), a protein bar, and a bottle of ibuprofen…or is it?

Inside this bottle of ibuprofen, I actually keep change! Totally thief-proof. 🙂

On the passenger’s side, there are two glove compartments. In the main compartment, I keep the car owner’s manual, my registration and insurance information, a toiletries kit, and a first aid kit.

I got this compact first aid kit at Ross for $4.99. It has regular bandages, blister bandages, gauze, alcohol pads, antiseptic pads, and medical tape and is attached to a carabiner. Handy!

In the striped pouch, which is from Target years ago, I keep the following (not everything is pictured below):

Lotion
Tampons
One reusable pad (from this set of 5)
Toothpaste & toothbrush
Floss
Deodorant
Lint remover
Tide To-Go stick
Nail file
Hand sanitizer
Lip balm

In the smaller glove box, I keep just a few things: scissors, scotch tape, a tape measure, and this multi-tool that includes a hammer, screwdriver, and more.

It’s good to keep a hammer and something to cut with, in case you need to break a window or cut a seatbelt to escape the car in an emergency. The tool I have was $6.99 at Ross, but on Amazon you can find specialized tools made for escaping cars.

In the back seat is my favorite organization tip: a mini trashcan ($1, Dollar Tree) that sits perfectly on the hump between the two footwells and doesn’t budge because…

I put velcro strips on the bottom to attach it to the carpet and prevent sliding! I keep the package of trash bags at the bottom of the can so I’ll always have a fresh one handy.

And finally, the trunk. I like to keep the trunk mostly empty so I have room for groceries or whatever I need to tote.

The small storage space on the left holds my extra tissues and the extra microfiber cloth from the 2-pack. I picked up a fabric bin from Aldi’s Special Buys section for $6.99 to corral the few other items I keep handy in the trunk.

The bin holds my reusable bags, my picnic/stadium blanket, and a bottle of bug spray I got from Dollar General for $4.50. I always forget bug spray when I do outdoor activities, so keeping it in my car is insurance that I won’t get bitten for once.

So let’s recap everything that went into my car organization haul!

Baby wipes: $1
Disinfecting wipes: $1
Microfiber cloths: $1
Tissues: $1
Pill container for loose change: already had it = FREE
Toiletries kit: already had it = FREE
First aid kit: $4.99
Scissors: already had them = FREE
Scotch tape: already had it = FREE
Measuring tape: already had it = FREE
Multi-tool with hammer: $6.99
Trashcan: $1
Trashbags: $1
Velcro: $1
Trunk bin: $6.99
Bug spray: $4.50
Aldi quarter: $0.25 😉

GRAND TOTAL: $30.72. I think $30 to outfit a whole car with convenience and emergency items is pretty great. Patting myself on the back.

What other essentials do you keep in your car? I’ve been watching car organization videos on YouTube and can’t get enough of everyone’s clever ideas!

Spending Winter on the Couch with Amazon Devices

December 21, 2018 By Chanelle 6 Comments

This post was sponsored by Amazon as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

I used to be the kind of person who didn’t care much about TV. I had a tiny little TV that I’d actually bought to use as an external computer monitor and that’s all I needed. Who cares about HD? Who cares about cable?

But then…

My mom gave me her old TV when she upgraded to a larger one at her house. And my tube-watching habits did a complete 180. I found it easier to stay engrossed in a show now that I was watching a bigger screen, and I broadened my streaming horizons to include Hulu, Prime Video, and Twitch along with the Netflix and YouTube I was watching before. I was a goner.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and Amazon Fire TV Recast

My Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, Amazon Fire TV Recast, and beloved Amazon Echo!

And now that I’ve had the opportunity to add the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Recast to my arsenal, the likelihood of me leaving the couch in the evenings is pretty much nil.

With the Fire TV Stick remote, you can summon Alexa by holding down the microphone button and saying Alexa’s name plus your command. You can ask Alexa to search for titles, play music, use skills like “weather” and “Flash Briefing”—basically anything you might ask your other Alexa devices. And of course, Amazon Fire TV devices pair perfectly with any other Amazon devices you already have.

If you’re like me and hate having to use multiple remotes, you’ll like that this remote has power, volume, and mute buttons to control your TV, sound bar, and receiver.

Fire TV gives you access to all the streaming channels you’re used to, like Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu (including live TV and sports packages if you so choose), Sling, and more. And when you add the Fire TV Recast to the mix, you can also watch and record over-the-air programming with no monthly fees!

The Amazon Fire TV Recast is an unassuming little black box that will look at home with the devices you already have.

With the Fire TV Recast, your antenna picks up nearby channels and the device integrates them with Fire TV so that you can use your Alexa-enabled remote or other devices to find live shows and schedule recordings.

You can say things like “Alexa, open Channel Guide” or “Alexa, record ‘Riverdale.’” Fire TV Recast delivers the most reliable video streams over Wi-Fi of any over-the-air DVR so you won’t be constantly frustrated by buffering or fuzzy picture.

Ready to finally cut cable and dive into the streaming life? Shop for your Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Recast on Amazon! (They make great gifts, too.)

What Happened When I Did Yoga Every Day for a Month

December 11, 2018 By Chanelle 11 Comments

This post is sponsored by adidas. All opinions my own!

I took a different approach to fitness this year.

When I first arrived in Asheville, I joined a gym. I went to the gym and lifted weights 4-5 times a week just like I’d been doing for years. But one day about 5 months later, my body said, “Don’t go to the gym. Do yoga.” So I did. And then it said the same thing the next day. And the next day. I ended up letting my gym contract lapse and doing yoga every day for over a month.

Yoga every day?

To my surprise, the world didn’t end when I swapped weightlifting for yoga. In fact, here’s what happened:

I didn’t lose as much muscle as I expected. In fact, I still look pretty fit if I do say so myself. I’d say the reasons for that are 1/3 genetics, 1/3 yoga, and 1/3 the pullup bar I purchased to make sure I could still do pulling movements. (Yoga is mostly pushing movements.) I even noticed my abs becoming more defined! All those planks must have boosted my core strength.

I magically became more of a morning person and looked forward to my morning yoga sessions. I’m a Taurus. I’m naturally lazy. Getting up in the morning and springing out of bed is not typical for me. But knowing that I was about to get on my mat, get my blood flowing, and feel amazing afterward did the trick.

Yoga helped me cope with the change of seasons. I have a terrible time with seasonal depression each year, and yoga was part of the regimen I used to make the transition easier on myself. Some other things I do to cope with seasonal depression are: use a light therapy lamp, be intentional about getting enough sleep, and eat plenty of fruits and veggies.

Ready for winter in my adidas Terrex Choleah Padded Climaproof Boots (they are outrageously comfy!)

adidas Terrex Choleah Padded Climaproof Boots

I felt more peaceful and positive overall. Generally, I felt more comfortable in my own skin. I felt more confident and like I was prepared for anything life could throw at me.

Confident in my adidas SST Track Jacket and Tiro Training Pants

It felt easier to stay consistent with my fitness routine than it was when I was mostly lifting. Yoga is gentler on me and it doesn’t feel stressful to try to fit it in. The opposite, in fact. I think my body was in need of a big dose of loving kindness.

My schedule felt more spacious. Because yoga addresses my fitness and mental health needs all at once, I felt like I had more time for other things. I joined a Monday night trivia group and have been having fun making new friends!

Overall, 30 days of yoga was exactly what I needed this fall. I’m still doing yoga most days, but to my surprise, I recently felt ready to brave the gym again. This week I went to my apartment complex gym, did a basic leg workout, and loved it.

Have you done any kind of 30 day challenge? What was it?

How to Maintain Healthy Holiday Habits

December 3, 2018 By Chanelle 13 Comments

This post was sponsored by Optimum Nutrition as part of an Influencer Activation and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Do you ever wish Thanksgiving leftovers could last you until Christmas? And you could just skate through the entire month of December without having to grocery shop or cook? Or maybe that’s just me. In any case, since that’s just a pipe dream we have to find other ways to cope. And that’s where protein snacks come in!

It’s really easy to let healthy habits fall by the wayside during the holidays. I’ve done it before and I’m sure I’ll do it again. But if there’s anything I can do to help ensure I stick to my usual routine even during the most indulgent time of year, I want to do it.

Healthy Holiday Habits

So with healthy habits in mind, during the winter I make sure to do the following things:

Maintain my mental health by practicing yoga and meditation, using my light therapy lamp to prevent seasonal affective disorder from kicking my butt, and getting plenty of sleep.

Stick to my fitness routine. I already mentioned yoga above, but it’s part of my mental health routine AND my fitness routine. When I travel, I bring my yoga mat along so I can squeeze in a session here or there. I often search on YouTube for a video that suits me that day. Yoga With Adriene is a favorite! Sometimes I use the Down Dog app for a customized practice.

I’ve also recently started re-incorporating weightlifting workouts after a month of only yoga. Stay tuned for a whole post about that…

Keep fresh foods and protein-packed snacks around. Although it’s really tempting (and easy) to rely on takeout, delivery, and convenience foods when it’s cold outside, it’s really important to resist the urge to do that.

I’ve made sure to stick to a regular grocery-buying schedule so I always have healthy options around, and have been keeping protein snacks by Optimum Nutrition in my pantry and in my bag for when I’m on the go. I like that I can use them stave off hangriness while still reaching my fitness goals!

Optimum Nutrition ready-to-eat protein snacks are super easy to find at Walmart—in the Walmart locations I’ve been to I usually see them near the pharmacy section. There are TONS of flavors to choose from, and a good number of them are gluten-free if that’s something you look for in protein snacks. And since you’re shopping at Walmart, you’ll get the everyday low prices you’re used to.

Optimum Nutrition Ready-to-Eat Protein Snack Options

As you can see above, there are lots of ON protein snacks to choose from:

Protein Cake Bites. Each snack pack contains 20g protein and comes with 3 mini cakes. They come in Birthday Cake, Red Velvet, Chocolate Frosted Donut, and Peanut Butter Chocolate (gf). My personal favorite is Birthday Cake, and if you know me IRL you won’t be surprised by that. 🙂
Protein Almonds. These are such a cool idea! They are whole almonds with protein-packed flavored coating. They contain 10g protein per serving and come in two flavors: Cinnamon Roll and Dark Chocolate Truffle.
Protein Crisps. These are crispy bars with 20g protein each. They come in Salted Toffee Pretzel and Peanut Butter Crunch and are gluten-free.

If you’re traveling for the holidays and need snacks to keep you on track or are just looking for something sweet to munch on to help you avoid all those holiday cookies, give Optimum Nutrition’s on the go protein snacks a try. Get your hands on some—look for them at Walmart next time you’re there!

Happy snacking!

Visiting Asheville During the Holidays | Gingerbread & Mountains

November 28, 2018 By Chanelle 14 Comments

As you may know, I relocated to Asheville, NC about eight months ago. But before I landed here for good, I had to scope out the situation—see where I might want to live, check out the restaurant scene, and of course, take a spin on the infamous Blue Ridge Parkway. And since I had the opportunity to enjoy a complimentary stay at the Omni Grove Park Inn last December, I decided to turn my exploratory mission into a holiday-themed one.

The view from the rear of the Omni Grove Park Inn lobby in December

If you have the opportunity to visit Asheville during the holidays, do it. And if you can, stay at the Omni Grove Park Inn—or at the very least, plan an evening visit to see the National Gingerbread House Competition.

When you visit the Grove Park Inn, you’re sure to enjoy an absolutely unforgettable holiday experience. Just be sure to book your stay early—their beautiful decorations are a huge draw during this time of year!

Omni Grove Park Inn Rooms

I loved my room at the Grove Park Inn. It was both luxurious and cozy, with warm wood tones and a fun art deco-style bathroom design.

My room overlooked the Grove Park Inn’s own golf course

National Gingerbread House Competition at the Omni Grove Park Inn

You don’t need to stay at the Grove Park Inn to enjoy the artistry of the National Gingerbread House Competition. For just the price of parking ($20 per car), you can stroll around the resort’s hallways and see all the creative and ginger-y entries. Get more information about parking and visiting hours here.

Check out some of my favorites from last year’s competition!

Enjoying the Omni Grove Park Inn Holiday Decor

During my stay at the Grove Park Inn, my favorite thing to do was head to the lobby, order a glass of wine from the lobby bar, and claim a rocking chair right in front of one of their two grand fireplaces. The best part? Even the bar was decked out in its holiday finest:

Omni Grove Park Inn gingerbread bar in lobby

One of the lobby bars in all its gingerbread-y glory

On your way to your room you’ll see even more holiday cheer. There are fully-lit Christmas trees, snow, and garlands everywhere you look, and every tree I saw had its own unique theme.

Remember that you can take in all the beautiful decor while you’re visiting to see the Gingerbread House Competition or have dinner at one of the resort’s fine restaurants. Don’t forget to walk around a bit!

A November or December visit to the Grove Park Inn is ideal for:

Families looking for a festive and affordable evening activity. Just one $20 parking fee for the whole family!
Couples looking for a unique date idea. Take your date to dinner at one of the resort restaurants, then grab a drink from one of the bars to sip while you stroll around and enjoy the Gingerbread House Competition, holiday decor, and luxurious lobby fireplaces.
Out-of-town visitors looking for a special way to celebrate Christmas or New Year’s. Book a holiday package and all the details are taken care of for you.

Thanks so much to the Omni Grove Park Inn for hosting me during my stay! And I hope my future dates don’t read this blog, because taking them to dinner and to see the Gingerbread House Competition might be on the agenda…

Pin the post for future travel inspiration!

Sustainable Holiday Gift Guide with Amazon Handmade

November 21, 2018 By Chanelle 14 Comments

This post is sponsored by Amazon Handmade, but all gift picks and thoughts are my own!

Have you gotten all your holiday shopping done yet? I haven’t—last minute is my usual style—but I got a head start by picking out some things on Amazon Handmade for some special people in my life. As you’ve heard me mention a million times, this year I’m focused on shopping sustainably. While that rule doesn’t necessarily have to extend to my gift shopping, if I can manage to incorporate some sustainable gifts why not do so?

I regularly shop for things like pet supplies on Amazon because of the convenience of Prime two-day shipping. But I had no idea Amazon Handmade would give me the same fast shipping while letting me shopping sustainably!

It’s easy to browse by category and filter by price just like you’re used to, but you can also choose to filter your results and shop specifically with local artisans. I decided to try that and found exactly what I was looking for from a North Carolina-based artisan:

Handmade Napkins

Aren’t these cloth napkins beautiful? I love the idea of giving handmade kitchen linens as gifts because not only are you supporting a small business (in my case, a local one to boot!), but you’re also giving something unique and practical that can be used again and again.

I think cloth napkins might be seen as formal or old-fashioned, but I like the idea of choosing a modern print, using them all the time, and making them the new normal!

Handmade Toys

Another awesome sustainable gift I found on Amazon Handmade was a set of handpainted nesting dolls. I got them for my “niece”—my best friend’s daughter. She might not be old enough to pull them apart yet (she’s almost 2) but she can definitely have fun stacking them with mom’s help, and they’ll be cute as decorations for her room.

Aren’t these nesting dolls adorable? I absolutely love them. I hope the little chickadee likes them and thinks of me when she sees them as she grows up.

Other Fun Sustainable Gift Ideas

There are so many gifts to choose from on Amazon Handmade that you’re sure to find something for everyone on your list. More than 50% of the selection is customizable and made-to-order so you can ensure all of your favorite peeps are getting something extra special.

Bonus: If you’re a Prime member, get 20% off a selection of Amazon Handmade items when you shop between November 15th and December 31st!

Personalized Cutting Board

Is there anyone who couldn’t use another cutting board? This two-toned one is particularly beautiful and can be personalized with the text of your choice.

Personalized Nameplate Necklace

Got a Carrie Bradshaw fan in your life? Get them a gold nameplate necklace like Carrie’s—hopefully they won’t lose it in their purse lining. 🙂

Ceramic Plant Markers
This beautiful set of nine plant markers is perfect for the green thumb who grows their own herbs. These can be used indoors or outdoors and will last forever.

Personalized Whiskey Stones

I think whiskey stones are the coolest idea, but I don’t really know any whiskey people to give them to! You chill them in the freezer, then use them keep drinks cool without diluting them. These ones are particularly neat (get it, neat?) because they can be engraved with an initial.

I hope this little gift guide has given you some great ideas to complete your holiday shopping this year. Remember, visit amazon.com/handmadegifts to shop, and don’t forget that between November 15th and December 31st there are lots of items 20% off exclusively for Prime members. Happy shopping!

Starting the Day Sustainably with Arbor Day Coffee

November 11, 2018 By Chanelle 17 Comments

This post was sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation. All opinions my own.

It’s almost the end of the year, so I’ve been reflecting a lot on whether I’ve met my two 2018 New Year’s Resolutions: to shop sustainably all year, and to read 12 books—one per month. Regarding my reading goal: on paper, it looks like I failed, clocking only 8.5 books so far. But two of them were over 1,000 pages, so I’m pretty sure it all adds up to 12.

On the other hand, my sustainable shopping goal? Knocked it out of the park. I’ve successfully shopped sustainably for clothes, shoes, and housewares all year long. I’ve even had the opportunity to work with several likeminded brands throughout the year, trying an array of Earth-friendly products from toilet paper to clothing. Most recently, I tried out sustainable coffee from the Arbor Day Foundation. (Enter the giveaway down below to win some!)

The mission of the Arbor Day Foundation is to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees, and their line of coffees does just that. Arbor Day coffee beans are grown slowly and in harmony with the rainforest, benefiting from natural shade protection and nutritious soil. Not only do rainforests provide the perfect environment for coffee to grow, but planting coffee there actually preserves forests, unlike the traditional clear-cutting method that eventually renders the land infertile.

In addition, the Arbor Day Foundation helps farmers implement more responsible coffee production practices and earn a better wage. And of course, their coffee tastes delicious.

A great way to get familiar with Arbor Day Coffee is to join their Coffee Club. After you sign up, you’ll receive a 12 oz. bag of ground coffee and a ceramic travel mug like the one I have above. In your next shipment, you’ll get two 12 oz. bags of coffee. You can choose to receive your Coffee Club shipments every four, six, or eight weeks, so no worries if it takes you a while to go through your coffee. And if you’re caffeine-sensitive, you can request that your coffees be decaf for only 50 cents extra.

A Coffee Club membership would make the perfect gift for the coffee-lover or Earth-lover in your life! There’s still plenty of time to sign up before the gift-giving holidays begin…

As you can see, drinking Arbor Day Coffee in the morning is just another small way to contribute to my 2018 sustainability goal. Wanna join me? Click here to shop Arbor Day coffees or subscribe yourself or someone you love for the Coffee Club box. Don’t forget to use our code EATMOVEMAKE or 10% off your purchase!

You can also enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a prize pack of 12 bags of Arbor Day Coffee worth close to $100! Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pumpkin Pasta with Crispy Fried Sage and Pine Nuts

November 4, 2018 By Chanelle 16 Comments

This post was sponsored by Better Than Bouillon as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

I really got into the fall spirit this year! I carved pumpkins with my little “niece” (my best friend’s daughter), decorated my apartment for both Halloween AND fall even though no one came over to see it, and used pumpkin puree quite liberally in the kitchen. This recipe for Pumpkin Pasta with Crispy Fried Sage and Pine Nuts is a result of my pumpkin-y experimentation.

Along with pumpkin, I played around with several different kinds of Better Than Bouillon and ended up using two of them in my pasta recipe. If you haven’t used Better Than Bouillon before, it’s a flavorful paste concentrate equivalent to a bouillon cube or broth. You can use it to make a tasty stock, to create a marinade, or just to add a punch of flavor to any dish.

Better Than Bouillon is extremely easy to dissolve, unlike bouillon cubes which can be gritty. I personally love to mix some of the Roasted Chicken flavor with hot water in a mug when I want a quick soup. I just slice some green onions to top it with and I’m all set!

Pumpkin Pasta with Crispy Fried Sage and Pine Nuts

A small selection of Better Than Bouillon Flavors

Better Than Bouillon has four categories: Premium, Vegetarian, Organic, and Reduced Sodium

Premium Flavors: Chicken, Beef, Vegetable, Roasted Garlic, Chili, Clam, Fish, Ham, Lobster, Mushroom, Turkey
Organic: Roasted Chicken, Mushroom, Turkey, Beef, Vegetable
Vegetarian: Vegetable, Roasted Garlic, Organic Vegetable, Vegetarian No Beef Base, Vegetarian No Chicken Base
Reduced Sodium: Reduced Sodium Beef, Reduced Sodium Chicken, Reduced Sodium Vegetable

For this Pumpkin Pasta with Crispy Fried Sage and Pine Nuts recipe, you’ll need two Better Than Bouillon flavors: Roasted Chicken and Roasted Garlic. We’ll use one to add some extra flavor to our pasta water and one to pump up the garlic flavor in the sauce.

Don’t forget: enter the giveaway at the very bottom of this post for a chance to win a $50 Visa gift card or Better Than Bouillon prize pack like the one in the picture above!

The most complicated part of this recipe is frying up the sage—and even that’s not terribly tricky! If you can master that, everything else is a piece of cake.

This pumpkin sauce is buttery, garlicky, decadent, and perfectly coats the pasta for a velvety mouthfeel.

Once you toss the cooked pasta in the pumpkin sauce, garnish with toasted pine nuts, crispy fried sage, and some grated salty cheese (I used mimolette but you could use parmesan), and anyone you serve this to will be completely impressed!

Don’t forget to pick up Better Than Bouillon before you make this recipe! You can find Better Than Bouillon at most grocery stores—use the store locator on the Better Than Bouillon website to find a store near you.

Pumpkin Pasta with Crispy Fried Sage and Pine Nuts

Author Chanelle

Ingredients

6 oz. fettuccine
1 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base
1/8 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Roasted Garlic Base
1 medium shallot minced
1/4 c. fresh sage pulled from stem
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. pumpkin puree
4 c. water
1 squeeze fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes optional
Parmesan, Mimolette, or other salty hard cheese of your choice

Instructions

Toast pine nuts in saucepan or skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and fragrant. Set aside.
Add butter to the warm pan you used to toast the pine nuts. Melt over medium heat until bubbly and beginning to brown.
Add fresh sage leaves to the brown butter and fry until golden brown along edges. Remove HALF of the leaves to paper towel lined plate.
While sage is frying, add water and Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base to separate pot (for pasta). Bring to boil, then add fettuccine and cook to al dente. Reserve the pasta water.
Add minced shallot to the remaining half of the sage leaves and brown butter. Sautee until translucent.
To the shallot, sage, and butter, add 1/2 c. pasta water, Better Than Bouillon Roasted Garlic Base, pumpkin puree, and optional red pepper flakes. Let simmer and add more pasta water to thin as needed. Once the sauce is hot and at your desired consistency, add a generous squeeze of lemon juice.
Add cooked fettucine to the sauce and toss to combine. Garnish with toasted pine nuts, fried sage, and freshly grated Parmesan or Mimolette.

For a chance to win one of nine $50 Visa gift cards or a Better Than Bouillon prize pack including the Chicken, Vegetable, Chili, Beef, and Garlic flavors, enter below!

I-C will randomly select winners from all program entries and will facilitate fulfillment of the winning prizes 9 winners.

Better Than Bouillon Sweepstakes

Visiting NOW Foods: Way More Than Just Food!

October 22, 2018 By Chanelle 15 Comments

This post was sponsored by NOW as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

A couple of weeks ago, I got the opportunity of a lifetime (for a health nut): to travel to the headquarters of NOW Foods for a tour, meet other healthy influencers, and try a bunch of NOW products I didn’t even know existed.

Some of the NOW Foods products I got in my swag bag (plus a few old favorites). Also notice the Halloween crow in the background.

This year, NOW is celebrating 50 years in business as a trusted natural products manufacturer! After meeting several NOW employees—including the CEO, Jim Emme—on my trip, I can tell the company is sincerely dedicated to providing customers with a comprehensive approach to wellness through their huge line of high-quality, natural and affordable products. For more about their story and products, visit NOW’s 50th Anniversary Page here.

Some of the fresh foods we combined with NOW ingredients during the challenge

The night before our tour of the NOW Foods manufacturing facility, we participated in a very heated influencer cooking challenge! We learned about the NOW range of foods and then split into teams to see who could create the best entree and mocktail with them. My team won—naturally. 🙂

After the cooking challenge, we were treated to a healthy dinner, again made with NOW ingredients.

In the morning, we woke up bright and early for a group kickboxing workout fueled by NOW BCAA Big 6. I’ve written about BCAAs many times before, as they’re my #1 favorite sport supplement.

One of my favorite parts of this trip happened after our workout. We DIYed our own post-workout smoothies and got to hear about NOW’s sports supplement line while we drank them. (If you’re curious, I put bananas, berries, spinach, Vanilla Plant Protein Complex, French Vanilla BetterStevia, and almond milk in my smoothie.)

You might have heard before that the supplements industry is not regulated, but in fact, it is. NOW goes above and beyond, using rigorous internal testing AND third-party testing to ensure what’s on the label of its sports and nutritional supplements is what’s in the bottle. For serious athletes, this is very important as it ensures they don’t ingest any banned substances that could get them disqualified from competition.

We got to peek into many of NOW’s testing labs during our tour of their facilities. Here’s what one of them looks like:

One of many labs where NOW Foods products are quality tested

Supplements being packaged!

After our tour, but before heading back to the airport, we enjoyed a DIY beauty product tutorial. We used NOW essential oils to create a bath soak and a refreshing lavender facial spray. How cool is that? I saved the recipes and brought home the extra ingredients so I can easily whip up a new batch whenever I want.

As I mentioned, this year is NOW’s 50th anniversary. To celebrate, they’re hosting the “Celebrate NOW” Instant-Win Game, where you could win one of 50 prizes of $10,000. If you find a golden ticket inside a special gold-cap NOW bottle, you instantly win $10,000 upon meeting eligibility requirements and prize verification. For more details, official rules, a list of eligible products, and alternate means of entry, check here.

I hope you enjoyed coming along with me on my trip to Illinois to visit NOW Foods! I’ve been incorporating their products into my life since then (my fave being my new essential oil diffuser) and will continue to do so, knowing they’re safe, healthy, and high-quality.

Decorating for Fall with Nearly Natural + Discount Code!

October 10, 2018 By Chanelle 18 Comments

Decor items for this post were provided by Nearly Natural.

You might already know that I’m a huge fan of Halloween and everything that comes with it. I love decorating for it, coming up with costume ideas, getting spooked at haunted houses, watching horror movies, making Halloween playlists, throwing parties—I love it all! But for as much as I love Halloween, I feel like I’m neglecting one of the main reasons I love it so much: the fact that it’s part of fall.

Fall is without a doubt my favorite season. With the cool weather sweeping in, it always feels like a fresh start and reminds me of starting a brand new school year at college. (Go Bucks!) So this year I thought I’d give fall the welcome it deserves by decking out my house in Nearly Natural fall decor items!

I’m not very good at keeping real plants and flowers alive. Even if I manage to keep them alive for any length of time, my cat takes care of them, if you know what I mean. Nearly Natural silk arrangements are a great alternative to live plants because they always look great, can’t die, and can be reused year after year!

When my Nearly Natural order arrived, the first area I decorated was my tv stand. As much as I hate to admit it, this area is the focal point of my living room, so it’s a natural place to add some seasonal cheer. I placed the Dahlia & Mum with Vase arrangement next to my vintage pineapple lamp, draped the Maple Leaf Garland along the bottom of the tv, and hung the Feather and Berry Wreath up above.

Feather and Berry Wreath

Next, I decided to hang two matching Autumn Hydrangea Peony wreaths on my laundry closet doors. I love how they look with my buffalo check bedspread in the background! Above my bed is my upcycled YOLO art—click here for instructions!

To bring the fall colors through the entire apartment, I placed the Hydrangea Artificial Arrangement in Black Vase on the corner of my kitchen island. I see it right when I walk in the front door and since my apartment has an open concept kitchen and living room, it helps carry the eye around the whole place.

I could not be more pleased about how my fall decorating turned out and can confidently say that if you’re on the hunt for beautiful, high quality fall decor, I highly recommend Nearly Natural. Shop their entire fall collection here and use Nearly Natural coupon code FallCS for 20% off your order!

Fancy a Spot of Tea? Dirty Chai Latte Recipe

October 1, 2018 By Chanelle 16 Comments

Sponsored post by Mirum. All opinions are my own.

You might have already read about how I prepared myself for fall: I switched over my closet for fall and started implementing some good mental health habits in anticipation of winter’s gray days.

Well, now it’s officially fall and that means it’s time to get my kitchen ready for the season too. It’s time to unabashedly embrace the wonderful fall ingredients and spices we’ve been missing for months! (I’m lookin’ at you, pumpkin spice and chai.)

The other day I took a little shopping trip to Publix (thanks to Tazo Tea!) and stocked up on chai in all its forms—Tazo Chai Black Tea Concentrate and Chai Classic Black Tea bags…and maybe like four other kinds of Tazo Tea too. Now ya girl is fully ready for blanket & tea weather.

Soooo many Tazo Teas to choose from at Publix

There are plenty of Tazo Teas to choose from besides chai:

Awake English Breakfast Tea: A breakfast-style black tea of malty boldness & bright flavor,
invigorating any time of day.
Zen Green Tea: A harmonious blend of green tea with lemongrass & spearmint
Passion Herbal Tea: An exuberant herbal infusion of hibiscus, orange peel, rose hips &
passion fruit flavors.
Green Ginger: This bright green tea blend has a kick from ginger & a sweet note of pear.

My personal favorite is the Zen Green Tea. It has a gentle kick of caffeine from the green tea and a refreshing tingle from the lemongrass and spearmint. I find it really pleasant to start my day with a cup.

Dirty Chai Latte Recipe

If you haven’t had Tazo Chai before, I like to think of it as Christmas in a cup. It’s a robust blend of black tea, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper and spices that is warming and comforting to drink. You can get it in tea bag form to drink black or with a little sweetener and milk, or you can grab the Chai Black Tea Concentrate in a carton for a shortcut. It’s pre-sweetened and ready to go!

For a real kick, try our recipe for a Dirty Chai Latte below! It’s a chai latte with an extra boost thanks to a shot of espresso.

Dirty Chai Latte

Servings 1

Author Chanelle

Ingredients

3 oz. Tazo Chai Black Tea Concentrate
3 oz. milk (dairy or non-dairy)
1 shot espresso
Ice cubes

Instructions

Add 3 oz. Tazo Chai Black Tea Concentrate and 3 oz. milk of your choice to a glass.
Add a shot of espresso and stir.
Top off with plenty of ice cubes and enjoy!

Pin the dirty chai latte recipe!

Save Money with Tazo Tea Coupons

If you’re going to be picking up some Tazo Tea at Publix, don’t go without a coupon! There are several ways to save money:

Locate and choose the Publix nearest you with the Store Locator
Visit the Digital Coupons section and clip: $1.50 off any One (1) Tazo Tea product (clip between 10/13 and 11/16; expires 11/30)

Check out the Publix weekly ad for this coupon: $1.00 off any Two (2) Tazo Tea 15-20 ct. bags or Latte Concentrate or Iced Herbal Tea 32 oz (includes organic). Valid 9/29 through 10/12.

Happy tea drinking, friends!