Vitamix And Other Fun Things

My dreams of owning a juicer are now on hold for a couple of months. As I have been researching the best juicers on the market I came across a lot of positive reviews about the Vitamix blender. I have always wanted a really awesome blender to make smoothies, but little did I know you could juice and make soups, sauces, dips, and a ton of other concoctions in one of these amazing machines. Sold! I found a local Costco that was having a Vitamix roadshow and ran down to ask questions and see how it worked. The Vitamix representative made us smoothies, italian ice, and hot soup (yes, it makes HOT soup) in less than 10 minutes. I also met a Utah food blogger (My Good Clean Food) while I was there and if I wasn't already sold on buying a $500 blender, she sold me. She said she used hers up to four times a day to make everything from baby food, smoothies, mayonnaise, nut butters, ice cream, and so much more. It was a lot of fun to talk to her and the Vitamix rep about all the things you could make. 

Since buying it just yesterday, I have already made a couple of smoothies, my husband made a milkshake, and I made homemade hot macaroni and cheese sauce for my daughter. I am so in love! So, for now you can find me in kitchen whipping up green smoothies and juices, salsa, hot soup, ice cream, and more. 

I love Spring! The temperature is almost perfect for walking and playing outside. The spring flowers are starting to bloom. I always look forward to going to the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point. Also, this year I registered to do the Race For the Cure 5K in May. So many fun things to look forward to. 

Last, I thought I would share a couple of my favorite things that I am loving right now: 

Suja Juice

They are organic cold-pressed juices that come in many flavors. They are pure heaven full of vitamins and nutrients. You can find them at Whole Foods. 

Tarte BB Cream

BB Creams are so popular right now. BB stands for beauty balm and they got their name for being an all-in-one product. I love Tarte because it is natural, eco-friendly make-up. The Tarte BB Cream has a primer, moisturizer, light foundation, anti-aging treatment, and sunscreen all in one. It is perfect for quick, easy cover-up that you wear everyday. 

Trader Joe's Popcorn with Herbs and Spices

Hands down this is my favorite popcorn in the world. Be careful with this stuff - it is super addicting! I can finish a bag without thinking much about it. It is so savory and delicious (and low-cal if you don't eat the whole bag at once)!

Product Review: Yonanas "Ice Cream" Maker

 I love banana "ice cream"- it's one of my favorite go-to treats. You make a delicious frozen treat out of frozen bananas and you can add other fruit like strawberries or berries or you can add peanut butter for a WAY yummy treat. Click here for my Peanut Butter Banana "Ice Cream" recipe. So delish!

I was really excited when I received a Yonanas Banana Ice Cream Maker for Christmas. I thought this would be such a fun and easy way to make my delicious frozen concoction. It did a really good job making the bananas into what looked just like ice cream. After you put in the first frozen banana, you then put in your mix-in's, and then another banana. When finished you have to mix it all together really well. I like it a little more creamy and add a splash of vanilla almond milk.

Personally I thought it was a little easier to make it in my small blender and it always came out perfect. But since I have the Yonanas maker I will use it even though it takes more time and it is a little harder to clean than my blender.

Top Five: Favorite Drinks On-The-Go

When I'm heading out for a day on the town or even a trip to the grocery store I usually make sure that I have my reusable cup filled with ice and water. But when my water is gone or I feel like something else then I usually grab one of the following delicious, healthy, and quenching drinks: 

Evolution Fresh Juice

Evolution Fresh juices are delicious fruit and/or veggie blends that can be found at Starbucks. They are made up of only fresh cold-pressed fruits and vegetables with no other added ingredients. I love all of the different flavors.

Roxberry Green Smoothie 

The green smoothies offered at Roxberry were created by the Green Smoothie Girl, Robyn Openshaw. She is a nutrition coach, public speaker, and bestselling author. You can find her website, here. Green Smoothie Girl recommends drinking green smoothies to detoxify the body, lose weight, increase energy, prevent heart disease, lower cholesterol, and boost the immune system. My favorite green smoothie at Roxberry is the 32 oz. Green Smoothie Girl Original which has 200 calories and 15 servings of raw fruits and veggies (15!!) and 12 grams of fiber. It has spinach, kale, mixed berries, peaches, bananas, and agave. 

Smart Water 

My favorite bottled water is Smart Water. It tastes clean and fresh and I drink a lot of it. 

Mamma Chia

Mamma Chia, the original chia seed drink, provides a complete nutritional profile of omega-3, balanced dietary fiber, complete protein, antioxidants, and minerals. They are all-natural and fairly low in calories. I have tried most of the flavors and have loved all of them. Read more about why I love chia seeds, here. Find my homemade smoothie recipe made with chia seeds, here. (I now add chia seeds to every smoothie I make.)

Silk Pure Almond Dark Chocolate

Silk Pure Almond Milk in Dark Chocolate is one of my guilty pleasures. I drink almond milk on a daily basis, but the chocolate almond milk is a treat. It's rich and creamy and perfect for on the go since it doesn't need to be refrigerated. Although I do recommend drinking it chilled. 

Cook Yourself Sexy

Cook Yourself Sexy by Candice Kumai (one of my favorite chefs, formerly known as Stiletto Chef) is my new favorite cookbook. It is absolutely gorgeous and the recipes are mouth-watering. All of the recipes call for ingredients that are clean, wholesome, and nutritious. Inside you will also find a "7 days to sexy" plan, sample menus, a "foods with benefits" list, and more. I love this book and highly recommend it.

You can find Candice's fabulous blog, here.

Top Five: Natural Beauty Products I Can't Live Without

The five natural beauty products I am about to tell you about have literally changed my life. They are products that I recently added to my daily beauty routine and I really couldn't live without them.

Dry Body Brush

Dry Body Brush

Dry brushing daily is a great way to keep skin clear of debris and loosen dead skin cells. It can also reduce cellulite. Our body rids a lot of toxins through the skin everyday - so if we have dry skin the toxins can't always be released and our body just reabsorbs them. Dry brushing your skin is one of the best ways to get circulation going, helping to oxygenate cells and carry impurities away through the lymph system. It's important to find a natural-bristle brush at a health food store or online (I found mine at Whole Foods for under $10). To use a dry body brush: just make long, smooth strokes in the direction of your heart. After just one use, I noticed a huge difference in the appearance of my skin.

Buffy Body Butter

Lush Handmade Cosmetics

This product goes hand-in-hand with the dry brush. After I use my dry brush then I get in the shower. I first cleanse my skin and then I use Buffy. It is made with ground rice, almonds, and beans to act as exfoliants; the rough textures eliminate lumps and bumps and sloughs away dry skin cells to reveal brighter, fresher looking skin. The cocoa and shea butters leave the skin beautiful, smooth, and moisturized. You can find Buffy Body Butter at Lush Handmade Cosmetics. 

Neti Pot

Waterpik

As strange as it may sound, a neti pot is used to clean out your nose. It washes away environmental chemicals, pollen, mucus, dust, viruses, and bacteria - all the stuff your nose encounters every single day. I usually suffer from mild allergies in the spring and this has almost eliminated all of my symptoms. All you do is fill it with luke warm distilled water and a salt solution, tilt your head to one side and start rinsing (water goes in one nostril and out the other). It's actually quite refreshing. Neti pots can be found at drugstores and health food stores.

Tarte Cosmetics Mascara

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara

Tarte Cosmetics are a new discovery of mine that I am totally excited about. They are natural cosmetics that don't use parabens, phthalates, or synthetic fragrances to name a few. This company cares about their customers health as well as the environment. Plus, Tarte's products are animal cruelty-free and vegan. I am already in love with their mascara and can't wait to try more of their products. They are available at Sephora. 

The Natural Dentist Mouthwash and Toothpaste 

The Natural Dentist Mouthwash and Toothpaste

I absolutely love The Natural Dentist's toothpaste and mouthwash and have noticed a difference with my gums and teeth. The mouthwash does not have alcohol or artificial flavors or colors in it. It reduces and prevents bleeding gums and protects against gingivitis. I use the whitening toothpaste which is an anti-cavity toothpaste as well. It contains no peroxide or other harsh chemicals (like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate). I found them at Whole Foods. 

Crazy Sexy Diet

A couple of weeks ago Kris Carr, author of Crazy Sexy Diet, was on one of my new favorite shows, The Revolution. She was talking to the "hero of the week" about cancer. The hero, Jennifer Cahalan, was a survivor. Kris talked about how she was diagnosed with a rare, untreatable cancer back in 2003 and what she has done to fight it. She went home from the Doctor's office the day she was diagnosed and started researching longevity diets, she took nutrition classes, and pretty much tried to find any information on completely changing her diet and lifestyle. This young, thin actress from New York went from partying, dieting, and not sleeping to healthy, vibrant, and thriving with cancer.

The reason I picked up this book is not because I am looking to start a new diet. This book suggests a vegetarian/vegan diet that is gluten free. That is a little extreme for me right now. But, I was interested on what things she did to rid the toxins from her body and her life. She talks about everything from eating clean, to spirituality, to sleeping, to supplements, to eating organic and supporting local farms, to getting rid of all the toxic cleaners and chemicals in your home. As I read it, I will share some fun facts along the way.

You can find out more about Kris Carr, here.

Fabulous Food Find: Laughing Cow Cream Cheese

I love bagels and cream cheese but they are so high in calories. So, when I find an healthy low-calorie alternative I get really excited! May I introduce you to The Laughing Cow Cream Cheese Spread. It comes in Classic Cream, Strawberries & Cream, Garden Vegetable, and Cinnamon Cream. 

Just like The Laughing Cow's Wedges (spreadable cheeses), they come in a convenient, pre-measured little wedge. The Laughing Cow is genius! And the best part is, they are only 45 calories and they taste delicious.

Paired with a Thomas' Bagel Thins at 110 calories, it makes a really low-calorie breakfast or snack.

Top Five: Things I Am Loving Right Now

I can't believe it's already February. Since it's the month of love and I am loving so many things right now, I thought I would share my top five list (above and beyond my family and friends, of course). Ready to hear see the word "love" a lot? Here we go...

I Love My Job

I just finished my first week of training and all I can say is I LOVE MY JOB! I love being a Barista and being part of the Starbucks team. My co-workers are so amazing. I love that Starbucks offers their part-time employees such great benefits. I have never had a job like this and I have discovered that I love working with the public and learning all about being a Barista. I don't really love waking up at 4:00 am (Ugh!), but it's only three days a week and that's why naps were invented. I also love that this job has filled a really tiny void I was feeling. Don't get me wrong, I love being a full-time stay-at-home mom, but I also love working as long as I enjoy what I'm doing. Plus, Ella wakes up between 8:00 and 9:00 am, so I only miss a few hours of her week. 

I Love Our Best Bites

Since stumbling upon a few of Our Best Bites recipes on Pinterest, I have fallen in love with their website and cookbook. We have made lots of recipes so far and we have loved every one of them. They are healthy, flavorful, and easy meals to make. So far we have made Apple Butter Pork Chops, Guiltless Alfredo, Tomato Artichoke Pasta, Roasted Broccoli, and Orange Chicken (from the cookbook) just to name a few. Our goal is to make every recipe in the book. They all look THAT good. 

I Love Blue Lemon

I have mentioned Blue Lemon before, but it's because it's one of my favorite restaurants. Blue Lemon's motto is "Pure Clean Food with a Twist." It's all-natural food (mostly local) and really delicious. The reason it made this list is not only because I love them but because they are opening a new location in Cottonwood Heights and I am so excited. I am always in that area at Target, Snider Bros Meats, The Store, or Whole Foods and now I can stop at Blue Lemon for lunch. I love that. 

I Love The Revolution

The Revolution is a new daytime TV show that focuses on women. It provides the tools to help you start your own revolution and make transformations in all areas of your life. The team of experts include;  Dr. Tiffanie Davis Henry (emotional well-being expert), Dr. Jennifer Aston (OB-GYN, health expert), Harley Pasternak (Celebrity Trainer and Nutritionist), Tim Gunn (Fashion Guru), and Ty Pennington (Design Expert). Each expert shares tips and advice on how you can become your best self. Also, each week they feature one woman going through her own transformation (her 5-month journey unfolds over the 5 days of the week). I just love this show and get so many tips from it. It's a daytime show worth watching. 

I Love Pink Pistachio 

I am pretty sure everyone has someone that inspires them, even if they don't know them. They are talented, beautiful, funny, and just downright amazing. One of those people to me is the girl (her name is Missy) that writes the blog Pink Pistachio. I follow her blog daily and pin (on Pinterest) almost everything she posts. I love all of her fashion advice, favorite things, recipes, beauty tips, etc., etc., etc. I also love that she is a mom of a toddler just like me and loves her dog like a child... just like me. She is also into organic and earth-friendly which I love. You can check out her fabulous blog, here. 

Pink Pistachio's DIY Infinity Scarf

Lip Therapy

It's that time of year when lips turn from pouty and pretty to dry and cracked. I don't know about you but winter wrecks havoc on my skin, hair, and lips. This is the first winter I can remember that I have not had to slather on some kind of lip moisturizer hourly to keep my lips from becoming chapped. I have discovered some great products and home remedies that have kept my lips looking their best during these dry, cold winter months. Here are my healthy lip remedies: 

I stopped wearing lipstick in the winter which would always dry out my lips. I use lipgloss instead and it's made a big difference. 

MAC Cosmetics Dazzleglass Like Venus - My new favorite

I finally discovered a perfect lip balm - Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm. It's all natural and it works so much better than the petroleum-based lip balms I used to use.  It also has peppermint oil in it that gives it that cooling and refreshing feeling.

A natural home remedy that I love is a lip scrub which will help exfoliate the dead skin on your lips, leaving them soft and moisturized. One of my favorite blogs, Pink Pistachio, has a delicious lip scrub that uses raw honey, raw sugar, lemon juice, and coconut oil. Click here for the recipe.

Picture from Pink Pistachio 

Speaking of coconut oil, it is another natural home remedy I use for soothing and healing dry lips. You can find it near the other cooking oils at your local grocery store (I use Trader Joe's Organic Virgin Coconut Oil - it smells heavenly). Coconut oil is rich in vitamin E & K, polyphenols, and fatty acids that moisturize your skin without causing breakouts. Just put a small amount on your lips as needed to help heal and protect. 

This is a little off subject, but coconut oil is also great for your skin and hair. It helps heal damaged skin and restore your body's natural oils. It is a solid oil, so place it in a jar of warm water to liquify it and then massage it into your skin.

When Coconut oil is applied to your hair will make it shiner, stronger, and may even promote growth. It is also a natural dandruff treatment. Apply a quarter size amount throughout damp hair then wrap with a towel or cover hair with a shower cap for about 30-60 minutes and then rinse thoroughly.

Cleaning and Organizing Tips

I don't know what it is about taking down Christmas decorations that makes me want to clean and organize everything. January is my time to spring clean. I am a very clean person anyway (you say OCD, I say neat and organized), but during the first week of January I like everything to sparkle. I used to be a huge neat freak, but since my little tornado (aka 18 month old) started walking I have been so much more relaxed about "everything needs to be in it's place" - I just couldn't clean up as fast as she was destroying. So, now I just sit back and enjoy watching her play and make huge messes. 

Anyway, on Pinterest I created a pinboard dedicated to cleaning and organizing and I will share a couple of my favorite pins with you:

Store Sheets In Their Own Pillowcase

This idea comes from Martha Stewart, go figure. She is seriously the queenbee of domestic diva's. To make your sheets look this nice you must learn how to correctly fold a fitted sheet which Martha will teach you, here. 

 Picture from MarthaStewart.com

DIY Non-Toxic Cleaners

DIY Window/Mirror Cleaner - Another tip from Martha Stewart is making your own window/mirror cleaner with equal parts vinegar and water. 

DIY Non-Toxic Tub Scrub - And another tip from Martha on making a tub cleaner from dish soap, essential oil, and baking soda. Click here for the exact amounts. 

DIY Drain Cleaner - I have used baking soda and vinegar for years to unclog drains - but this tidy Mom has it down to a science. You can get the how-to on unclogging your drain, here. 

Other tips on cleaning without chemicals from Martha can be found here.

Picture from MarthaStewart.com  

Spring Cleaning Tips

If you are getting ready for spring cleaning, you can find a spring cleaning checklist, here. You can also find a really fun organizing checklist, here.

Since we are on the topic I just had to share my favorite cleaning products - Method. They are non-toxic, they work great, and smell fabulous. I also love that Method is helping in the effort to retrieve some of the ocean plastic to recycle into Method bottles. They are a green product and healthy for my family and that's why I love them.

To read a little more on ocean plastic and Method's latest clean-up efforts in Hawaii, click here.

You can find and follow my cleaning and organizing pinboard, here. (You can find and follow all of my pinboards, here.)

Top Five: Cookies

Today I made a batch of some of my favorite cookies, peanut butter no-bake cookies (which were made with mostly organic ingredients). I know, it's only the 4th day of January and most people are well on their way to healthier eating, but I was craving something sweet. And sweets are okay in moderation. One cookie with a glass of skim-milk totally hit the spot. Before I share the no-bake cookie recipe with you, I thought I would share my top five favorite bakery cookies. I personally think they are the best cookies you will find in Salt Lake City. So, here they are in no particular order:

RubySnap Vivianna Cookie: It has mangos and dark chocolate in a citrus dough and it is truly mouthwatering. I actually love all the cookies at RubySnap. They are all made with fresh, high-quality ingredients. I also love that you can buy the dough frozen and bake them at home. 

Nordstrom Coffee Bar Sugar Cookie: This cookie can be found at the Fashion Place Mall location. It is a delicious sugar cookie with an absolutely fabulous buttercream frosting. I heart them! 

Schmidt's Pastry Cottage Mint Sandwich Cookie: Two chocolate cookies dipped in chocolate with mint frosting sandwiched in between. They are minty deliciousness.

Mrs. Fields Milk Chocolate Chip Cookie: Who hasn't had one of these cookies? Right up there with the best chocolate chip cookies ever. 

The Sweet Tooth Fairy Small Sugar Cookie: I love this cookie because it's baked to perfection. It's a tiny bit doughy which I love and it has an amazingly tasty buttercream frosting that tastes like it has a hint of coconut in it.

Now, as promised, here is my favorite no-bake cookie recipe:

Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar

1 stick butter

2 T cocoa powder

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla 

2 cups old fashioned oatmeal (I like to use quick oats)

Mix the sugar, butter, cocoa, and milk in a medium saucepan. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from stove and add the peanut butter and vanilla. Mix quickly until peanut butter melts, then add the oatmeal and mix until well blended. Drop spoonfuls onto wax or parchment paper. Allow time to set and cool completely. (Note: Cookies may not set up on a humid day.)

Makes 2 dozen 3-inch cookies

And next week I am making these cookies found on Pinterest: New York Times Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. Don't they look amazing? I think so.

My Favorite Organic and All-Natural Foods

In an effort to cut preservatives, pesticides, antibiotics, and growth hormones out of my diet, I have been a little more careful with the foods I select at the grocery store. I have always bought some all-natural foods, but since having a baby I have become so much more aware of what I am feeding my family. I have been trying to prove to my husband over the ten years we have been married that healthy less-processed food doesn't mean it has to taste like cardboard. All of these foods, organic and all-natural, I am about to share with all of you are amazingly tasty and they aren't full of pesticides, preservatives, or growth hormones (which my husband jokes is what makes food taste good). 

Organic 

Organic foods are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives. 

The day Ella was able to have cows milk I was in search of a milk that was rBST free (rBST is a growth hormone) and found this milk at Sunflower Farmer's Market. It's Shamrock Farms Organic Milk and my family loves it. It is seriously the most delicious milk we have ever had. Quick note: milk doesn't have to be organic to be rBST free, just check the bottle to make sure it doesn't have this hormone (it will say "rBST free"). Some farmer's give their cows this hormone to make them produce more milk which is then passed through the milk onto us. I don't know about you, but I don't need any extra growth hormones.

One of the main reasons I wanted to post about my favorite organic foods is because of this bread - Dave's Killer Bread. It ROCKS! It's organic, it's delicious, and it has 21 whole grains. Dave's motto is "Just say no to bread on drugs!" It has no preservatives, no animal byproducts, and no GMO's (genetically modified organisms). I found this amazingly delicious bread at Costco.

Some of my other favorite organic staples are organic eggs from Costco (I make sure the are free range chicken eggs), Organic Girl Good Clean Greens (click here for one of my recipes), organic whole wheat pasta, and organic steel cut oats. I try and buy organic produce as much as possible too.

All-Natural

"Natural Foods" are often foods that are minimally processed and do not contain any hormones, antibiotics, sweeteners, food colors, or flavorings that were not originally in the food.

A lot of foods I buy are all-natural. I like the fact that they don't have yucky additives. Don't get me wrong, not all of my family's favorite things come all-natural, but everything is okay in moderation (i.e. cupcakes and other delicious items). 

One of my favorite all-natural food makers is Alexia All Natural Gourmet Foods. They make yummy appetizers, artisan breads, fries, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and vegetable sides. I have had almost everything they make (except I am dying to try the new Waffle Cut Parmesan Lemon fries) and I love it all. All of their products are so flavorful and delicious. Alexia products can be found at most grocery stores. Here are two of my family's favorites: 

Olive Oil, Rosemary, and Garlic Oven Fries

Sweet Potato Puffs (think Sweet Potato Tater Tots - Ella especially loves these)

I LOVE anything Kashi and when I need a sweet treat I go for these - Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Soft-Baked Cookies. All-natural, whole grain, dark chocolate, and they are so delish! These can be found at most grocery stores.

Kettle Baked Potato Chips. All I have to say besides they are all-natural and baked - they are my favorite chips EVER!

Other all-natural foods I love are Seapoint Farms Edamame, Gardenburgers, and three others that I blogged about in the past, Diana's Banana Babies, Dave's Gourmet Pasta Sauces, and Dorot Frozen Fresh Herbs.

AND last, but not least I have to mention my three favorite all-natural restaurants that even have organic ingredients in their kitchens; Blue Lemon, Chipotle, and Jamba Juice. I love Blue Lemon and die for their Black Bean Ravioli. I eat at Chipotle at least once a week and even my baby is addicted to their brown rice and black beans. And Jamba Juice has amazingly delicious organic steel cut oatmeal and a new hot cider drink (the Chillbuster) with organic mulling spices. So good!

Top Five: New Favorite Finds

I love getting recommendations from friends about their favorite products and I love telling friends about mine. I get way excited about new fun products and want to share them with everyone. I thought it would be fun to share a "top five" list once in a while of all of my favorite things. So to start it off, I am giving you a list of my Top Five New Favorite Finds: 

Dave's Gourmet Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

I love this sauce! It is actually not really new to me, I found it last year. But just recently Costco started carrying it again and I bought five 2-packs. I really can't get enough. It is so good with whole wheat spaghetti. It has only 100 calories per 1/2 cup. You can find it at Harmons ($8.99 each) along with their other amazing pasta sauces (I also love the Organic Red Heirloom) or at Costco ($7.99 for a 2-pack). 

AmLactin Moisturizing Body Lotion

This was recently on Shauna Lake's Favorite Things (evening anchor on Channel 2 News). She said that her skin has never looked better. My skin is always so dry in the winter so I thought I would give it a try. I have never loved a moisturizer so much in my life. It is such a light lotion and yet in just a few days my skin looks better and the dryness is gone. AmLactin Moisturizing Body Lotion contains an alpha-hydroxy acid that gently exfoliates and intensely hydrates dry skin. I found it at Walgreens ($25.99, pricey but worth every penny). 

OneVessel Drinkware

Meet my new favorite water cup by OneVessel drinkware. It is completely BPA free plastic (which means it doesn't have cancer causing crap in it) and it has a lid and straw. Every single morning I fill Ella's sippy cup with a straw and my oneVessel cup with ice water. We both love ice water and we both love straws. I found mine at Nordstrom Cafe ($10.99).

 Starbucks App for iPhone

I love this app! You can find locations and directions to a Starbucks near you, pay for your order, manage and reload your Starbucks Card, and look up nutrition information. Yesterday I had a Caramel Apple Spice and a Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop and I really shouldn't have looked at the nutrition information. Who knew Cider had so many calories? Could it have been the caramel and whipped cream? Perhaps. I got this iPhone app at the App Store (Free). 

Diana's Bananas Banana Babies

Chocolate covered frozen bananas remind me of being a kid in Disneyland. I loved the frozen bananas  (even if I did have to pick off every single nut). Diana's Bananas Banana Babies are so amazingly delicious. They are a half of banana dipped in creamy milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or milk chocolate and spanish peanuts. They are all-natural, healthy, and only 130 calories each. Personally, I think they are so much better than ice cream on a stick. I found them at Target ($4.99 for 5 banana babies).

Latisse

A few months ago I went to my dermatologist for a yearly skin check. Since I spent my teens and most of my 20's worshipping the sun I make sure to never miss an appointment. On this trip I did have one mole surgically removed because of "changing cells." Now I have a lovely one-inch scar on my leg. Use sunscreen! It's the best advice I could give other than eating your vegetables. Anyway, back to the topic. On the way out of my dermatologist's office I asked for a prescription for Latisse.  Latisse (by prescription only) is for eyelash growth. My eyelashes are really blonde and I liked the idea that not only does it make them grow but it makes them thicker and darker.

I went to my local pharmacy and picked up my prescription. It came to $116 for a one-month supply (not covered by most health insurances). I read the directions and started using it every night until it was gone. According to the directions, full eyelash growth happens after 16 weeks of use... that's four bottles of Latisse and a lot more money than I was planning to spend. I did use it for one month and was happy with the results. My lashes were thicker and longer. Unfortunately, according to the directions, once I stop using Latisse my eyelashes would return to the way they were before I started using the product. Months later, my eyelashes are back to normal and seem like they could be a little shorter. Maybe it's because I got use to my longer, fuller lashes. So, I will go back to using my MAC Zoom Lash and tinting my eyelashes every couple of months. I must say, it did look like I had lash extensions after using Latisse for a month along with my MAC Zoom Lash.

Pros

• Makes eyelashes longer and fuller
• It's fun to talk about

Cons

• Costs $100 plus per month
• Have to remember to do it every night before bed
• Can cause eyelid discoloration (this did happen to me, but it did go away)
• Once you stop using Latisse your eyelashes will go back to the way they were before you started using the product

Final Review: I loved the results but won't continue using it because of the cost.