This post includes sponsored content
It’s been a long time since my last “new finds” post, and I have a lot of things to share! Both self-bought and loving and new products passed to me to review. Let’s get started!
Bobalu Nuts
This new-to-me brand of nuts called Bobalu are actually almonds in the shell. I didn’t realize almonds were ever sold this way! Think of them as almond pistachios. Bobalu sent me this bag to taste test, and they are roasted, salted and totally delish. They are my favorite snack lately!
Blue Hill Yogurt
Have you seen this brand of savory yogurt? I found it at our Whole Foods and it looked too interesting to not take home to try. Grass fed, all-natural and low in sugar (6g for the carton – only a little added from maple sugar).
I have only had the b-nut squash, but I want to try more. They even make a parsnip flavor! Not sure I’m brave enough to try the beet…
Snowville Creamery
Continuing the yogurt love, I am LOVING this brand – Snowville Creamery. I also bought it at Whole Foods. It’s on the pricey side, but worth it for grass-fed milk and the thick, not-too-sour flavor. It’s kind of like the European yogurt I used to buy combined with Greek yogurt. They have some really cool flavors too, but we are a plain-lovin’ house.
Tastymakes
Tastymakes sent me some of their snacks to try out….
They are raw // sprouted // vegan // organic // gluten-free granola clusters, mini bar bites and crackers. I tried the Vanilla Nut Granola, the Vanilla Nut Bar Bites and the Fig Onion Crackers.
The Vanilla Nut Granola is packed with nutrition, texture and flavor in the form of Sprouted Buckwheat, Sprouted Millet, Flax Seed Meal, Dates, Sprouted Spanish Almonds, Sprouted Walnuts, Cashews, Agave, Vanilla Bean Extract, and Sea Salt.
The vanilla flavor is both fragrant and flavorful. They have an earthy flavor (from the buckwheat, likely) that was balanced out with subtle sweetness – and all that vanilla!
They have proved to be a great snack out of hand and a yummy yogurt topper!
The Vanilla Nut Bar Bites are made from Dates, Sprouted Walnuts, Cashews, Sprouted Spanish Almonds, Vanilla Extract, Flax Seed Meal, and Sea Salt. No added sugar or oils! They taste a lot like a Larabar and are conveniently in bite-size pieces so you can have just a taste for a tide-me-over snack or a few to spread out over a whole afternoon. I imagine they would make great distance running snacks or pre-workout fuel.
Lastly I tried the Fig Onion Crackers. They are made from Flax Seed Meal, Dried Figs, Sprouted Sunflower Seeds, Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds, Red Onion, and Sea Salt. The onion was subtle and reminded me of French Onion dip with a sweet kick from the figs. Since I’m not the biggest onion girl, I served these to some onion-lovin’ friends and they raved about them. They’d make a great addition to a cheese plate!
Mazen liked all three!
Dawn Escapes Mediterranean Lavender
Just a fun find at Target I picked up, but this stuff smells SO GOOD! I look forward to dish washing every time.
Lilypad Candles
Blog reader Kristina sent me one of her Lilypad candles to try out and it’s divine!! Lilypad candles are 21 ounces, burn for 90 hours and are made from 100% all natural soy wax, which burns clean without dyes. I love that there is not black soot around the edge, and the Clean Cotton scent has made my house smell wonderfully springy.
Dr. Tate!
I paid a visit to friends Faith + Tate lately as I went into Core Chiropractic for a routine visit. I like going a few times a year to make sure everything is aligned. Pregnancy and motherhood baby lifting put my back through the ringer, but I’m feeling much better these days. And it’s always good to see these guys! We’re having them to dinner soon.
Still with me? There’s more to share!
Ernie’s Salsas
Made just up the road from us in Virginia Beach, Ernie sent me some of his famous salsas to try out. These were not invented overnight; rather, Ernie has been perfecting and tweaking the recipes for 25 years. After friends and family encouraged him to start selling them, Ernie retired from his job as an investment banker at the age of 49 to start Ernie’s Epic Foods and bring his salsas to your home.
We had a salsa party over Easter and enjoyed all 5 flavors! Ernie is right when he describes these as having a garden-fresh flavor. They absolutely tasted fresher and were packed with more flavor than a classic commercial salsa. Rather than a punch of watery tomato and a flare of spice, these had layer upon layer of complexity.
Black Bean + Corn // Perfect Peach // Gourmet Red // Chesapeake Shrimp // Hawaiian Pineapple Heat
My favorite was the Hawaiian (can’t beat sweet n spicy!) but the Chesapeake was unlike any other salsa I’ve tried. If you like Old Bay, give it a taste! Definitely some of the best salsa I’ve had! Here’s the Where To Buy link to check if your local grocery store is included {Whole Foods is!}
GAP Shorts
Just throwin’ this out there, but these shorts are SO cute!
Let’s see..what else…
Paula’s Choice
After my skincare post with the Complexion Concierge, I ramped up my skincare routine and want to share how it’s going. Based on Anna Lise’s recommendations, I went for the RESIST line by Paula’s Choice. I have been head-over-heels impressed with both the company and the products! I bought the Toner, Daily Smoothing Treatment (5% AHA), Super Antioxidant Serum, Barrier Repair Moisturizer and Weekly Resurfacing Treatment (10% AHA). I have the SPF day moisturizer coming in the mail!
As someone who claims to love super simple routines, I’m actually really enjoying the continuity of the line – it seems more simple to me to put on 5 layers from one brand than a complicated mix of products over different brands. These are working together instead of competing. And I love that each bottle specifically says what the product is designed to do:
As a newbie to all of this anti-aging stuff, I love how clear the step-by-step guide is. The products came with a detailed chart answering why do I need this? // how do I use it? // what results will I see?
I also bought the Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant serum for daytime use and it’s much thinner than the original – great for under make up!
Paula gave me a referral link that gives YOU $10 off your first order. It was too good not to share – use it if you wish!
Lock Laces
Do you have Lock Laces on your shoes? LIFE CHANGING! I bought some after seeing them on Healthy Tipping Point and haven’t tied a shoe since.
The Oh She Glows Cookbook + Giveaway
I’ve been a fan of Oh She Glows since our blogs were babies together. When I was asked to review and giveaway Angela’s new cookbook, I was super excited to get a digital copy of the book.
The cookbook is packed full of vegan recipes, many of which are also gluten-free/raw/sugar-free, etc. They labels don’t mean much to me, but I do love that I know every recipe in the book is made with real food! I’ll also add that just like vegans can sub in almond milk for traditional recipes, it’s easy to sub in regular milk into these if you don’t want to buy alternative ingredients you don’t already have in your fridge. Angela details many of the less-familiar ingredients in the opening pages of her book, but lots of the recipes are made with foods that most of you would already recognize. It’s an incredibly user-friendly book, and I can’t wait to dig in! There are personal stories dotted throughout the book, and of course Angela’s photography is top notch. I bought a donut pan back in the fall and really {really} need to break it in on the chia donuts! (Also I need to scout out some of Ashley’s donut recipes!}
Enter below to win a copy. USA only, please.
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