Origins GinZing Product Review

This weekend I went on a bit of a shopping spree and stopped at Origins, my favorite skincare brand. I've lately been noticing some major puffiness under my eyes (see above photo, left eye), and decided to forgo my years of denial.  I needed to come to terms with the fact that I need eye cream.  Not only do I have puffy eyes, but I also have pretty dark circles as well.  At least I don't have wrinkles (yet!).

I told the sales associate about my issue, and immediately she pointed this out to me: Origins GinZing--Refreshing Eye Cream to Brighten and Depuff.  I also grabbed A Perfect World White Tea Skin Guardian, which is part of my daily regimen (moisturizer just isn't the same without it).

Now, I have been a long-term loyal customer of Origins, since I was about 11 or 12 years old.  I use Checks and Balances Face Wash, A Perfect World Skin Guardian, A Perfect World Moisturizer, Stay Tuned Foundation, Modern Friction Microdermabrasion, and much more where that came from.  Even though my trust for Origins is pretty hard to knock, I still get skeptical with eye creams.  My usual thought is "What difference could it possibly make?  It's only around your eyes?"  This is why I decided to write a review on GinZing.

I have to say I am extremely impressed with this product.  I put a very small amount under and around my eyelids, and I instantly felt a cooling sensation.  The next thing I noticed was that the cream has light-reflecting minerals which create an illusion of lighter "dark circles" and makes for an amazing primer for concealer.  However, the ultimate test was, does it depuff like I need it to?  The answer is absolutely yes.  I have already noticed that the puffiness has gone down quite a bit.  My rating for this product?

***** FIVE STARS! :)

Lean Cuisine Chicken Pot Stickers Review

I made a quick stop at HEB this evening and picked up a few new things to try out.  One of these was one of those new steam-in-the-bag Lean Cuisine Market Creations Chicken Pot Stickers.  First, I'm going to run down the nutrition facts so that you know what you're getting:

Calories               270
Fat                       6g
Fiber                    5g
Protein                11g
Sodium                750mg
Carbohydrates   42g

Weight Watchers PointsPlus 7   (for those of you on WW)

About the Market Creations
These meals are a bit different from the normal TV dinners we're all used to.  Instead of a plastic container, these come in a steaming bag.  It's single serve, for those of us who like to cook for one (me!!).  You have to use your own dish, but I actually prefer that as it improves the eating experience.

Maybe Add Something Extra?
Now, these are meant for dinner, and that's the meal that I ate them in.  I also ate a spring mix salad with shredded carrots, avocado, crab stick, and Annie's Goddess dressing.  I think that's totally fine, since neither part of the meal had too many calories.  With both this and the salad, I am definitely full.  I'm pretty sure I'd still be hungry with only the potstickers.  That's my only con to this frozen dinner.

So how does it taste?  
I have to say, this is definitely a new favorite of mine.  It's slightly more expensive than the other Lean Cuisine meals, but only by a few cents, and tastes a ton better.  The potstickers tasted like REAL potstickers.  It also had crunchy water chestnuts, edamame beans, green beans, red peppers, and carrots in a sweet chili ginger soy sauce.  The veggies tasted crunchy and fresh, not soggy and mushy like most frozen meal veggies do.

My Rating?  

HEB Almond Milk Review (Chocolate Edition)

I went to HEB yesterday (the best, cheapest grocery stores in Texas), and once again they had the deal for $1.00 off HEB brand Almond Milk.  I was running low on the Original flavor, and decided I needed more for my daily cereal breakfasts.  Then, I remembered that I wanted to try the Chocolate flavor too.  I figured, why not?  They would only be about $1.50 each, so $3.00 for it all.

When I got home, I was already excited to try it out (which is how I usually am about new groceries that I try).  I poured myself a little cup and was very pleased.  No, it does not taste exactly like Promised Land or Horizon chocolate milk (nor should it, since that probably has 250+ calories per cup).  However, it's still very delicious.  I ended up drinking a cup for dessert after dinner.  It's rich, thick, creamy, and sweet.  It's very different tasting from the original flavor, as the chocolate masks the "almondy" taste.

Once again, I recommend trying this if you don't have a fear of dairy substitutes.

HEB Almond Milk Product Review

I'm an avid drinker of regular normal moo cow milk.  My usual choice is 2%, or 1% if I'm feeling extra healthy.  Today, I ran across a great deal for H-E-B brand Almond Milk Original which was originally $2.48, and had a $1.00 off coupon.  I also remember my friend Ashley from Go Get Smashed saying something about how good almond milk tastes.  I'm a little hesitant about dairy/meat substitutes, but I wanted to give it a shot since it was so cheap.

Let me begin by saying that almond milk has a lot less calories than regular milk.  It's also better if you have any sort of lactose intolerance (I think most people have it to some degree).  It's also a great way to segue into veganism.

Here are the nutrition facts:

Serving Size 1 Cup
Calories:  60
Total Fat: 2.5g

Compare to a cup of 2% milk
Calories: 120
Total Fat: 5g

It's literally HALF the calories and fat of milk.  But does it taste good?  My answer: yes.  I don't drink milk much outside of cereal, and when mixed with my Quaker Oatmeal squares, it tastes very similar, actually thicker, than my 2% milk.

I'm going to try the chocolate almond milk next!

****UPDATE:  Just tried the Original with my Special K Red Berries and it was great!  Loved it!****

My BigFunny Valentine

Last Friday, I got something very fun and silly sitting on my doorstep.  I was very excited about receiving this special package, since it's my very first review product!  If you read about a week ago, I ordered a giant Valentine from BigFunnyCards.com.  Now, Valentines aren't the only cards you can get from BigFunnyCards.com.  You can get Anniversary cards, Bar Mitzvah, Birthday, Boxer, Christmas, Father's Day, Graduation, Get Well, and many more.

Here is what the "envelope" looks like.  I wrote "To Andrew; Love Melissa":

Here is the other side of the envelope...how cute!

Open it up, and here's the big Valentine, shaped like a chocolate heart candy box:

Look closer, and you'll see a bunch of adjectives (in mirror image form) that say Sweet, Funny, Sexy, Hero, Smart, Hot, Handsome, etc. At the bottom it says Hmm..So Many Choices...

Inside the card, I chose for it to say: Good thing you are all of these!  I Love You, Melissa; Happy Valentine's Baby! Just thought I'd get you a ridiculously big card to show how ridiculously much I love you.  Cheesy? Yes.  Cute? Totally.

 I am so excited to give A this Valentine.  He's going to think it's so silly that it's adorable.  I hope he doesn't read my blog before February 14!

I have to say I definitely recommend trying out BigFunnyCards.com.  It's a lot fun, you get to customize your card (including images, text, etc.) and there are tons of designs to choose from.

Coming Soon: BigFunnyCards Review

I'm so excited about this!  I get to review a RIDICULOUSLY big Valentine's Day card!  I picked out the 18"x24" card that looks like the one above...a giant box of chocolates!  You can customize these cards any way you'd like.  I added a bunch of cute adjectives (Sexy, Funny, Sweet, Handsome, Smart, etc.) on the chocolates.  Then, it says "Hmmm, so many choices..." on the front.  When you open it up, I made it say "Good thing you're all of these!".  

I can't wait to get it in the mail!  As soon as I do, I'll update on how awesome it is.  I also can't wait to give it to A!

Product Review: Smart Ones Thai Style Chicken & Rice Noodles

Calories: 260

Total Fat: 4g

Sat Fat: .5g

Sodium: 620mg

Total Carb: 42g

Dietary Fiber: 2g

Sugars: 10g

Protein: 15g

There are days when you don't have much cookable food in your pantry, or the energy to cook said food, or the money to go out to eat.  For these days, we have frozen dinners!  I have to say, the Thai Style Chicken & Rice Noodles has recently become one of my favorite frozen dinners.  It is low-cal, low-fat, high protein, and actually pretty delicious.  If you like Pad Thai (and understand that frozen dinners, especially Smart Ones, never taste exactly like the original), you will most likely like this.  It is flat rice noodles, chicken, and carrots, in a peanut sauce.  I like it because it's quick, easy, low-cal, and tastes pretty good for a frozen dinner.

Alpine Weight Loss Secrets Review and GIVEAWAY!

It's a couple weeks into 2011, and if you're anything like me, you made quite a few New Year's Resolutions.  

Thanks to Business2Blogger, I was asked to review a weight loss book called "Alpine Weight Loss Secrets".  They also are awesome enough to provide one of my readers with a book in my first ever GIVEAWAY!! I am so excited!  Read on to submit some entries to win your own copy of AWLS.

Here was what I thought:

The author wrote this book keeping in mind his heritage from the Alps.  This is where people eat fresh meat, cheese, and plants.  This is also where people do a lot of physical labor, something most Americans no longer do, since we spend 40+ hours a week at a desk, and the other on a couch.  The overall message I got from Alpine was the importance of an active lifestyle and eating foods close to the earth.  I also loved their focus on the importance of good posture.  I completely agree with this lifestyle, and wish more people understood that not all calories are created equal.  A 100 calorie banana is far better for you than a 100 calorie mini twix bar.  It sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people make excuses just because something is "low fat" or "low calorie".  

Here are some quotes from the book:

"Instant anti-ager – your posture: Faulty posture does not look good on a teenager and definitely not on an adult of any age in revealing clothes.. these are the basic foundation of any scientific exercise program."

"One of the first strategies to staying active is to find the activity that you love. "

"Change your mind, change your body: Changing your body starts with your mental muscle."

 Pros:

• Very inspirational, incorporates a lot of exercise and diet philosophy that I believe in
• Mostly fits into my life easily (except the fast)
• Inspires you beyond weight loss, and helps you channel your own personal happiness

Cons:

• It includes a flat belly "schnell" or fast, which is great for some people, but I'm not a huge fan of fasts in general, and probably would never do one
• It seems aimed more at an older demographic, and I'm 22.  However, I can still relate to most of the things explained in the book.

Buy It:  Go to http://alpineweightlosssecrets.com/ to learn more about it.  It's $14.95 plus tax which you can purchase on Amazon.

Win it: Through my super fun giveaway!  Make sure you leave your email address so that I know how to contact you if you win!  Ends January 31st! Winner will be selected at random, I will email you, and you have 2 days to claim your prize (US and Canada only).  

MANDATORY ENTRY: Tell me what your biggest New Year's Resolution is!

Extra Entries: 

• 2 Entries: Follow Frugal But Not Cheap on GFC
• 3 Entries: Blog about my giveaway, and send me a link to your blog
• 1 Entry: Follow FBNC (@butnotcheap) on Twitter
• 1 Entry: Follow FBNC on Facebook

Steak Tips Portobello Review

Calories	160
Fat	7g
Fiber	3g
Protein	15g
Sodium	450mg
Carbohydrates	10g

Recently, I bought 10 Lean Cuisines for only $1.50 each.  I've tried most of them, but decided to branch out and try a few new meals.  Today, I tested out Steak Tips Portobello for the first time.  Here's my opinion on this meal:


When I opened the package, I noticed the broccoli side was larger than the steak tips/portobello side.  The meal took 4 minutes to cook in the microwave, and then 1-2 minutes to sit in the microwave.  
I first tried the broccoli which tasted like I expected from a Lean Cuisine meal: bland and usual.  However, I expected this, so it's okay.  Then, I tried the steak tips and portobello part.  First of all, there was very little steak or mushrooms to speak of.  This was probably the part that I liked the least.  
The flavor of the sauce was pretty good.  The steak itself, however, tasted very low quality.  The mushrooms were probably the best part, but were the smallest in quantity.


Overall, I'd give this 2 stars out of 5.  I guess I shouldn't expect much out of 160 calories, but I can promise you I'll be eating more tonight after that tiny meal.

Arte y Chocolate

This is a product review for Arte y Chocolate.  I was not paid or given anything to write this review.

For Christmas, of the 3 things A (my amazing boyfriend) decided to give me, one of them was a delicious box of chocolate (the other two were New Moon and a wine saver...he knows me too well).  I believe he got it from the Armadillo Bazaar in Austin, Texas.  The chocolates can be found on www.aychocolate.com.  At first glance, the box is very simple.  A light Tiffany blue, with a sticker on the box saying "Arte Y Chocolate" with their ingredients and website.

Inside, you find a beautiful assortment of dark chocolate truffles.  The box includes a PB & Honey, Raspberry, Amaretto Walnut, Candied Orange Peel & Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, and a Chocolate Dipped Graham Cracker.  They are all so beautiful, with designs or toppings.  They are all unique shapes like a teardrop or swirly.  So far, I have tried the PB & Honey, Raspberry, Orange Peel, and the Graham Cracker.  The raspberry was my favorite so far, with a delicious melty raspberry center.

I'm very excited to dip into the rest, but I'd feel a little guilty about eating the whole box.

All in all, I would say that I give Arte Y Chocolate an A+.  Try them out if you ever are in Austin, TX and have a craving for chocolate!