Taste Guru

Who here is trying to eat better? Probably a lot of us. With a ton of "fad diets" and the Whole 30 challenge and things like that floating around, how is one supposed to know what is right for them? Do you want to cut out sugar? What if you want to cut out carbs? It's a nightmare just trying to do the right thing for your body! Not anymore!

Say hello to Taste Guru! It's a monthly subscription where you get tasty gluten free items right to your door. Taste Guru gives you 7 to 10 items each month; all are 100% gluten free and all have a huge variety.

Now. I know what you're thinking, "gluten free? come on! I want my food to taste good still!" I worry about this too. My dad's side of the family eats only gluten free foods, and I will be 100% honest that not everything that is gluten free tastes the best. If I was asked to try this box 8 or 9 years ago I would have passed so quickly!
Such is not the case, y'all. This food is actually good. My kids my not have agreed with that on all of the items, but I enjoyed most everything.

Yes, I am being honest here. I didn't enjoy all of the items included in the box! But hey, this is life. Not everything is going to be perfect and we're not supposed to enjoy everything presented to us. Also, everyones' taste buds are different and there may be things in here that you like and I don't! So there's that.

So, what did I get in my box?

The contents:
1. Better Batter fudge brownie mix. Who doesn't love brownies? This was a great inclusion in my box this time because Josh actually prefers brownie to cake. They came out fudgy and delicious. A bonus for someone who doesn't bake that well (me). On the back of the product information sheet, there was a recipe for (extra) fudgy brownies!
2. Tea's Tea green tea. This was kind of flavorless. It really tasted only like water to me. Which is fine, but I was expecting more of a "tea" taste. If that makes sense.
3. Ipps egg white chips. Holy yum, y'all! I was all about these chips! The kids didn't like them because of the pepper flavor (I got sea salt & black pepper in the box). I loved them though. They were so light and crisp but not overly filling. I even tagged my aunt in Twitter because they eat gluten free, and I knew they'd love these!

hi I'm Melissa and I really love these chips. @AnnasueH I have a feeling they'd be a hit with y'all pic.twitter.com/3MYB4zIZIL
— Melissa Louise (@RamblingLlama) March 9, 2015

4. Dang coconut chips. These were basically dried coconut shavings. I'm a huge coconut fan, so for me these were a grand slam out of the park win!
5. Nocciolata organic hazelnut spread. This reminded me of a lighter version of Nutella. I love Nutella, so this was a nice surprise. Very tasty on toast in the morning.
6. Swoffle Dutch treat. I didn't try this one. My oldest, Zander actually ate it. However he loved it and didn't even let me get a bite.
7. Yum Earth Natural's sour beans. These to me were like a more natural version of sour patch kids. They really looked like beans, but they were sour and tasted like a really good candy. It was a good thing I got a few when I opened the bag because the kids devoured these within 3.5 seconds!
8. (This was supposed to be) Ass Kickin'. honey roasted peanut. However, I got two things of sour beans. This was good because the kids LOVED the sour beans, and so they both were able to get their own package. My husband was very disappointed that the peanuts did not show up because when he read the description on the product information sheet included in the box, he wanted the peanuts. Bummer!
9. Mamma Chia squeeze - Mango Coconut flavor. This was not a hit in our house. Everyone got a taste of the one squeeze package. No one wanted to finish it. I'm not sure if it was the Chia seeds in the squeeze or what, but it was kind of a big statement that my kids didn't want to eat a squeeze.
10. Level Life protein snack bar. YUM! A chocolate coated protein bar with caramel inside! YES PLEASE! this was so good. I'd run the risk of eating way too much if I had a whole box!

So there y'all have it! Taste Guru! It's really easy to sign up. For $24 ($19 + $5 S&H) you can have amazing (tasty) variety in your mailbox. Happy mail day! A yearly plan is only $240 ($15 + S&H + 3 bonus items = 17% saving!) What's there to lose?

Have you ever tried a subscription food box? Are you interested in trying this one? If you use my special link to sign up, the lovely people at Taste Guru will include a free grocery tote ($10 value!) So what are you waiting for? You know you want some yummy food sent right to your door!

* I was given these products in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own
(& my kids!)

Everyday Makeup with The Lilac Linnet

Y'all are in for a real treat today. One of my wonderful Mama Llamas, Llinos is taking over the blog for today! She blogs at The Lilac Linnet. Take it away, Llinos!
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Hi everyone, instead of a llama you have a linnet today, and I hope you'll like this post. I've been trying out new hair and makeup looks recently, as an experiment and as a confidence boost, but I am all about an easy and quick routine for a work day or lunch date with friends. Here is my go to look that takes minutes.

I have never been a big user of foundation; I just don't like the feel of it on my face. I like to let my skin breathe. So I will sweep some Natural Collection pressed powder in Cool over my face. I have quite clear skin, and this just adds a bit of natural colour. I love my Benefit foundation brush too, which feels so soft on my cheeks. Then, a sweep of Bare Minerals rose pink blusher on my cheekbones and my skin is done.

   

 My current favourite mascara is the elf volume plumping mascara, which simply glides onto my lashes and has instant impact. I usually prefer a lengthening mascara but I'm enjoying this one so much that I will definitely be sticking with volume mascaras from now on.

  To finish off my eyes, I simply add a sweep of Barry M Super Soft Eye Crayon as eyeliner. I just love the vibrant colour and the ease of using these pencils, plus the blurry line effect keeps it looking daytime appropriate.

Then finally, my favourite, the lips! I love this Bare Minerals Moxie lipstick. It's a caramel pink shade with a gorgeous smooth texture, it makes me feel ready to rock the world whenever I slick it on! So there you have it, my quick and simple makeup routine. 

What products do you use and do you enjoy trying different makeup looks like I do?

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Thanks so much for sharing, Llinos! 

Want more Lilac? You can follow along:

Blog || Twitter || Pinterest 

Golden Vlog : Vol. 7!

Happy Thursday, Y'all! I'm not sure if anyone else feels this way, but I feel like this week is flying  by. Maybe it's because I had a chance to get everything scheduled for this week early on! High fives for scheduling. Also, the weather here in Georgia has been aaahhh-Mazing so we've been outside a lot! Loving it!

Anyhoo... It's time for another round of the Golden Vlog with Faith!! I really love this time of the month. I really enjoy getting to hear my favorite bloggers and learn more things about them! Nosy? Yes. At least I'm honest.

So let's get right to it! The theme this month was books, movies, and T.V. I felt like I kind of froze while answering the questions. Hi, I'm Melissa and I don't prepare at all. No judgement please. Thanks!

Here are the prompts:

Quote your favorite line from book/movie/show.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose?
What was the last movie/show/book that made you cry or tear up?
Favorite movie/show/book?
Worst movie/show/book?
Which book/movie/tv character do you most relate to?
Favorite actor/actress?
What film/book most influenced your childhood?
What are you currently read/watching?
Do you prefer books/movies/theater/tv shows? If you could only pick one, which would it be?

And there you have it. Thanks again to YouTube for the super cute screen shot! Props as always. If the video doesn't load here, you can watch it on YouTube.