It's scarily easy to get worryingly into vanilla making.

Hey doll hey!!! How’s your day/night going? Great I hope. I had a pretty good day … but it’s night now here in Florida and I am starting to hurt pretty badly…. I think I over did it today.

I noticed that I haven’t done any Monthly Beauty Favorites so I thought I’d start a new series for this blog… hope you like it.

Before we start I just wanted to shade with you what I made for dinner tonight! I am so proud of myself. I’ve never made Salmon on my own… I always just order it from a restaurant… but with the national quarantine and all the sit down restaurants being closed I’ve had to step out of my  comfort zone and teach myself to cook things I normally would order out! so …. here it is …

Honey lemon Salmon and garlic butter and corn white rice. This dish was so sublime that I don’t think I’ll ever order Salmon when we go out to eat again!

Not all categories will have a high end and drugstore entry. Please Note that I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any of the products or companies that I mention in this blog post. * Warning this will be a long post … just grab a snack, something to drink and settle in … I promise you wont be sorry for reading this post….. Well … Without further ado …let’s get into my April 2020 Beauty Favorites.

Favorite Beauty Store:

Beautylish has got to be my all time favorite place to shop for all things beauty!! 

I’ve been shopping at Beautylish for well over 5 years. Their customer service is of the highest quality. Their shipping rate is a flat rate of $5 on all orders (in the US it’s $5 on all orders under $35 anything above $35 is free shipping). The only downside is that they are unable to ship to P.O. boxes. They offer flex payments on orders of $100 or more where you pay a down payment and then they spread the rest of the bill over  3 to 4 payments depending how much the bill comes to. The down payment amount also depends on the amount spent… For example: I just placed an order for $102. I paid $37 as the down payment and the rest was split into 3 equal payments to be due on the 1st of each month. The due date depends on the date of purchase. I tend to pay my flex payments off faster than the allotted time, but it’s great to know I have the 3 months just in case I need them. Beautylish also ships international the the following countries: Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium,Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, UAE, U.K., and U.S. Beautylish carries the following brands:

A

Aethera Beauty

Allies of Skin

Alphabet Bags

Anastasia Beverly Hills

Anna Sui

Ardell

Artis

ARTISAN&ARTIST

B

beautyblender

Beautylish Presents

BeautySoClean

BECCA Cosmetics

belif

Benefit Cosmetics

Benjabelle

Billy B

Bioderma

bkr

boscia

Briogeo

Brush Works

Bumble and bumble.

BY TERRY

C

Caudalie

Charlotte Tilbury

Chemist Confessions

CHIKUHODO

Clean Apothecary

COOLA

COVER | FX

D

Danessa Myricks Beauty

Dominique Cosmetics

Dr. Barbara Sturm

DUO

E

Eau Thermale Avène

Embryolisse

EVE LOM

Evian

F

Farmacy

G

Glamcor

Good Molecules

H

Hampton Sun

Herbalore

HoliFrog

Hourglass

I

ILIA

Indie Lee

Inglot Cosmetics

IT Cosmetics

J

Jeffree Star Cosmetics

JILL STUART Beauty

Jo Malone London

Jouer Cosmetics

JUNO & Co.

K

Kevyn Aucoin

Kjaer Weis

Klorane

Koh Gen Do

KOYUDO

L

La Mer

LASHES IN A BOX

Lilly Lashes

LINA CHOO

Lit Cosmetics

Lixirskin

Lord Jones

Lucas’ Papaw Remedies

M

MAHALO Skin Care

Make-Up Atelier

Max & Me

May Lindstrom

Mila Moursi

Miss Fame Beauty

Moon Juice

MYKITCO.

N

Natasha Denona

Naturally Serious

Nomad Noé

Nudestix

O

Omorovicza

Oribe

P

Pai Skincare

Parian Spirit

Paw Palette

Peter Thomas Roth

Q

Quintessence Paris

R

R+Co

Rae Morris

Raincry

RCMA Makeup

ReFa

Rene Furterer

rms beauty

S

SACHAJUAN

Saint Jane Beauty

Seche

Sisley-Paris

Skin Inc Supplement Bar

Skindinavia

Slip

Smith & Cult

Smith Cosmetics

Sol de Janeiro

Sonia G.

St. Tropez

Stila

Sugarpill Cosmetics

Sulwhasoo

Sunday Riley

Surratt Beauty

Susanne Kaufmann

Suwada

T

T3

Takahashi Hiroko

Taos AER

TEMPTU

The Beauty Chef

The Brush Guard

The Ordinary.

The Sacred Ritual

TOM FORD

Too Faced

TRIA Beauty

Tweezerman

U

U Beauty

Uma

UNITS

V

VDL

Velour Lashes

Vintner’s Daughter

Viseart

Vital Proteins

Vueset

W

Wayne Goss

Z

ZIIP

Z•Palette

I truly love to shop with them because the take time to package my purchases with care, it never takes more than a week to get my packages (except for now, it’s taking about 2-3 weeks because of the Corona Virus), and they have a great return policy: Their website states that their return policy is: If you are less than completely satisfied with your purchase, you may return your order within 60 days (from the delivery date) for a refund. We regret that we are unable to cover return shipping costs or refund the original shipping and duties charges unless the return was due to our error. Products must be returned in new or gently used condition. If your product arrived either damaged or defective, please contact us right away. Sets/bundles are sold as-is and products cannot be substituted, customized, and/or returned individually.

I’ve never had any issues with their services, in fact there was 1 time around 3 years ago that I ordered something from the brand It Cosmetics and the wrong item was delivered to me, I contact them straight away and they sent me out the product I had originally ordered that same day and as a way to apologize for the mistake they even allowed me to keep the product that I had received in error.

  Favorite Amazon Beauty Finds:

Pixnor 5″3″ Stainless Steel Makeup Palette with Spatula Tool $6.99 on Amazon: I am so happy I purchased this!!  I use to apply foundation to the back of my hand and then bonce my sponge off my hand … what I found is that this would cause waste of product because some of the foundation would sink into my skin and I would have to use more foundation… now I just apply a few pumps onto the palette and there is zero waste. I also love the spatula because I can use it to scrape moisturizers out of the jar without having to use my fingers. I also use the spatula to mix dew drops into my foundation and now I don’t have a big mess on my hands. 

Segbeauty 5.4oz/160ml Continuous Spray Plastic Squirt Bottle With A Fine Mist $14.99 on Amazon: This bottle is a curly hair girls dream!! It provides just the right amount of moisture without over-wetting your hair. It has a 360 degree sprayer and it’s perfect for re-wetting hair in the morning to restyle and freshen up curls. This bottle has changed my hair game for the better.

Every Drop Beauty Spatula $5.89 on Amazon. I’ve always hated the thought that there was still product in the bottom and sides of my products after I’ve run out. I started cutting plastic tubes open to get every last drop on product out but with bottles you just can’t do that. I came across this little baby when I was just browsing the beauty tools section of Amazon one day and thought OH! PERFECT!!! This spatula gets all the way to the bottom, the sides, and even the shoulders of bottles! I now have zero waste with my beauty products. I love this item so much that I have ordered it’s baby sister product the Every Drop Lip Spatula for $5.49 I ordered 2 one for lipsticks and lip glosses and one for concealers and other small wand items. This has truly helped me not waste my money by allowing me to get every last drop of product out of their containers.

Favorite Makeup Tool:

Face Halo Makeup Remover Pads: $17.60 for a 3 pack on Amazon. This little puppy is the perfect accompaniment to my vastly growing Eco-friendly arsenal. I find that I do not use as much of my Bioderma now because I am not using it to take off my makeup before I use it as my first cleanse…. 1 round is enough to completely remove all of my makeup from my face, neck, and ear lobes! You just soak it with warm water and remove your makeup… and it does remove 100% of my makeup, including lash glue! I just simply wash it after every use and it dries quickly too. I highly recommend this if you are looking for a way to reduce your carbon foot print on the planet!

Favorite Makeover Product: 

Schwarzkopf Keratin Permanent Hair Color Cream in the shade 4.6 Intense Cocoa $9.97 on Amazon (but Amazon only allows you to purchase 1 so I ordered 3 more from Walgreens.com buy 2 get 1 free for the same price). This was the first time I used this product and I’ve gotta tell ya … This has got to be the BEST boxed hair color on the market. It has Anti-Breakage Technology called K·BOND-PLEX technology (that repairs inner hair structure) and a Pre-Color Serum (that leaves your hair looking healthy and strong, with less hair breakage). It also doesn’t have that harsh hair dye smell to it. In fact my hair smelled so good that it was like I had just simply washed my hair. The conditioner it comes with left my hair so smooth and soft and fluffy. I believe they use the same technology as Olaplex does because my hair felt as if I had just done an Olaplex treatment to it. This will definitely be a product I repurchase again and again. 

Favorite Candle:

Bath and Body Works Vanilla Bean Noel 3 Wick Candle: This sadly is my last Vanilla Bean Noel candle… I purchase this scent every year at Christmas time … I stock up when they have their holiday sale and typically purchase 20 of them… it’s just the best scent ever

Favorite Body Care Item:

Nivea Essentially Enriched Body Lotion with Almond Oil $5 at Walmart for 16.9 Fluid Ounces: I use to use Bath and Body Works body creams but with my Fibromyalgia I tend to get very sensitive itchy skin and have noticed that the Bath and Body Works creams would aggravate my already sensitive skin … So on a whim I picked this up a few months ago. Firstly a little of this goes a long way. It’s very creamy and very hydrating and has a soft Almond scent to it. It sinks in quickly and doesn’t leave me body feeling greasy. I’m pleasantly surprised at how wonderful this product is.

Favorite Hair Care Item:

Olaplex No 6 Bond Smoother $28 for 3.3 fluid ounces at Sephora and No 7 Bonding Oil $28 for 1 fluid ounces at Sephora: These two products work together you add a few drops of the oil into the smoother and mix it together. I use this once about ever few days to revive my curls… since I don’t wash my hair everyday I need something to help my curls revive. I typically only wash my hair 1 time a week since I don’t put any hair products into my hair. This not only smells amazing, it leaves my hair soft and replenished and defines my curls when they start to go a bit frizzy. A little bit goes along way I only use a quarter sized amount of the smoother and about 5 drops of the oil. This is another item that has seriously upped my curly girl hair game.

Favorite Movie : (I know this isn’t beauty related, but I take my movie time to do my spa treatments … so I included it as a favorite.)

Synopsis: When Cecilia’s abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her his fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see. This was a very well thought out movie with lots of twists and turns. Highly Recomend.

Favorite Spa Day Item:

Revolution Skincare x Jake-Jamie Avocado Face Mask $11 for 1.6 ounces at Ulta: This mask is amazingly moisturizing. I use it once a week and my skin feels heavenly afterwards.

Favorite Skincare Item: 

I tried a ton of skincare in the month of April and there were several things that I loved but I would have to say that my all time favorite item(s) are as follows:

My 2 whole face (including eyes) serum routine: #1. Good Molecules Super Peptide Serum $12 for 1 fluid ounce through Beautylish (it’s also sold on the Good Molecules website) and it’s function is to target fine lines, wrinkles, and dullness. #2. Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum $6 for 1 fluid ounce through Beautylish (it’s also sold on the Good Molecules website) and it’s function is to replenish your skin’s moisture by drawing moisture into the skin for deep hydration.  My skin has never looks this good since I was in my teens. Both these serums are light weight and sink into the skin quickly and you only need 1/2 a dropper for your full face and neck … I also use whatever is left on my hands to rub into my hands as sort of a treat for my hands.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Light Face Sunscreen Fluid Broad Spectrum SPF 60: $29.99 for 1.7 fluid ounces and I purchase mine through Amazon. Ever since I starting using this sunscreen I have decluttered all other facial sunscreens. This is the perfect consistency for me. It’s light weight and hydrating. It sinks into the skin amazingly fast. It doesn’t interfere with my makeup application and it doesn’t have that sunscreen scent. BONUS: It’s a 60+ sunscreen which is the ideal level of protection for the face. 

  Favorite Face Primer: 

Tarte Timeless Smoothing Primer $39 for .5 ounces at Ulta and Sephora: I typically switch up my face primers every day or two but the one that I use everyday is this one. It just fills in my pores so well that I reach for it time and time again over all of my pore primers.

Favorite High End Foundation:

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation $44 for 1 fluid ounce through Beautylish (but can also be purchased through Sephora and the Charlotte Tilbury website). As I said in my haul of this item this is such a beautiful foundation. I just can’t stop looking at my face anytime I’m wearing it. This full coverage foundation leaves my skin looking youthful and flawless. It plays well with dew drops mixed in and plays well with any primer. I will always have this foundation in my collections.

Favorite Drug Store Foundation: 

Believe Beauty Skin Finish Foundation: $5 for .85 fluid ounces only at Dollar General Stores. This foundation surprised me I truly didn’t believe that this was going to be a good foundation, however it is a FANTASTIC foundation and is  is a medium to full coverage. This is a semi-dewy foundation. What I mean is it’s just dewy enough to give you that youthful look without being to extreme. It lasts all day and doesn’t break down. I hope they never stop making this foundation!

Favorite High End BB/CC/Tinted Moisturizer: 

Tarte Maracuja Tinted Moisturizer $29 for 1 fluid ounce of product at Ulta. This is a super dewy product but not in a greasy sort of way. It’s light coverage and sets with powder nicely. This is such a beautiful product.. so much so that I purchased a back up just in case they pull it off the shelves. I find that it’s best to apply this one with your fingers since it’s such light coverage that using a sponge with soak it all up and using a brush will leave it looking streaky.

Favorite Concealer:

NYX Born to Glow Radiant Concealer $9 for .14 fluid ounces at Ulta. This is such a beautiful concealer! It doesn’t settle into my fine lines as long as I set it straight away upon application. It doesn’t crack throughout the day. A little tiny bit is all you need. It’s full coverage without being super thick. It gives an amazing glow to the under eye that can still be seen even after you set it with powder. I’d probably go out on a limb and say this may be my favorite concealer all year.

Favorite Cream Bronzer/Contour: I wont be having 2 categories for this one… mainly because I don’t have a drug store option for this category as of yet, I have since purchased a drug store option today.

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Contour Wand in the shade 2 Medium/Dark $38 for .41 fluid ounces purchased through Beautylish (but can be purchased at Sephora and the Charlotte Tilbury website). I can’t believe I am saying that this is my favorite!! I have loved the Chanel Soleil De Chanel cream bronzer for so long that I didn’t think anything would ever replace it! Sad to say the Chanel bronzer was discontinued and a new cream bronzer replaced it … it looks more hydrating than the one I have so I’m keen to try it however … let’s talk Hollywood Contour Wand shall we!? This is the first cream contour product I’ve ever tried (bronze to me didn’t seem as scary as cream contour did). It is easy to use, easy to blend in, and gives the skin a natural looking contour. This is a light weight very pigmented product. You don’t get much product for the price tag, however a very little goes a very long way. I use 1 squeeze ever 2 days (it’s a sponge tipped applicator so the product stays in the sponge… I just squeeze 1 time and have enough product left over on the sponge that the next day I just have to dot what remains over the perimeter of my face. Unlike the Chanel bronzer this product doesn’t disrupt my foundation underneath. I love this product so much that I place an order today for a back up. 

Favorite Matte Bronzer/Contour:

Mac Bronzing Powder in the shade matte bronze: $30 for .35 ounces of product. I’ve had this compact for probably way too long because it’s starting to get hard pan, so I scraped the hard pan off … the powder works fine. The picture of the hand on the left is without flash and the one on the right is with flash. It’s just the perfect everyday natural looking bronzer. You can’t over do it with this bronzer since it’s so light of coverage. I always love my look when I’m wearing this one.

Favorite Glowy Bronzer :

Tarte Limited Edition Park Ave Princess Waterproof Face & Body Bronzer $34 for .55 ounces of product at Ulta. I do love a good glowy bronzer and this one does not disappoint! It’s the perfect shade, has just the right amount of glow without having shimmer to it … it’s just this glow from within! I just love how my skin looks with this bronzer on.

Favorite Dewy Primer: 

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter in the shade #3 Light/Medium $44 for 1.01 fluid ounces on the Beautylish website (can also be purchased from Sephora or the Charlotte Tilbury website). Ever since getting this product in I have not been able to put it down! It’s freaking amazing!!! AMAZING! It has just enough of a tint that this could be worn alone for “No Makeup” makeup days and has the perfect amount of glow without having any shimmer to it. 1 swipe per zone is all you need of this primer. It’s not sticky or greasy and it does hold foundation nicely.

Favorite Cream Highlighter: 

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Beauty Light Wand $39 for .41 fluid ounces on the Beautylish website (can also be purchased from Sephora or the Charlotte Tilbury website). I have tried many cream highlighters and hate every single one, until this one came into my life! This highlighter is just magical! It doesn’t disrupt the foundation under neither, it melts into the skin seamlessly, and it has no glitter to it… just a natrual looking glow. The glow can still be seen even after setting it with powder! I haven’t been able to stop using it because I’m so in love with it.

Favorite High End Face Powder:

Too Faced Born This Way Ethereal Setting Powder in the shade Translucent $33 for .53 ounces of product at Ulta and Sephora. This powder has the most beautiful finish ever! It give a slight glow to the skin without looking like glitter or shimmer. This one has taken the place of my beloved Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder in my heart. I just never want to be without it!!! It doesn’t take much of this powder to set the full face either. I tap 3 shakes into the cap and that sets my full face! It even looks amazing under the eyes.

Favorite Drug Store Face Powder:

Believe Beauty Matte Blur Loose Powder in the shade Translucent $5 for .14 ounces of product sold only at Dollar General. This is such a light weight powder that sets the face flawlessly. It is matte but doesn’t leave the face looking cakey or dry. It even looks good under the eyes. I have repurchased this 2 time since discovering it and I have 2 back ups.

Favorite High End Finishing and Touch Up Setting Powder:

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder $45 for .28 ounces of product on the Beautylish website (can also be purchased at Sephora and on the Charlotte Tilbury website). This gives the prettiest soft focus to the face and doesn’t change the look of your makeup when you touch up with it. I find on days that I wear this one as a finishing powder I don’t have to touch up at all. I don’t quiet like this one as a setting powder, just as a finishing powder and touch up powder and sad to say I have hit pan … this is the most expensive pressed powder I own but it’s so worth it and I will definitely be repurchasing it when I’ve finished it.

Favorite Drug Store Finishing and Touch Up Setting Powder:

JCat Beauty AquaSurance Compact Foundation $13.99 for .31 ounces of product at Ulta. This is a spot on dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder. It’s basically a fuller coverage version and I can use it to set my set as well and I never have to touch up at all when I use this powder.

Favorite Powder Highlighter: 

Benefit Boxed Highlighter in the shade Cookie $30 for .28 ounces of product at Ulta and Sephora. OH BABY! This highlighter is so pretty and little is all you need. This is a beaming highlighter so definitely not for low maintenance makeup day but add this to your full glam look and watch out…. it’s the perfect highlighter to be noticed in.

Favorite Blush:

Tarte 12-HR Amazonian Clay Blush in the shade Captivating $29 for .2 ounce of product at Ulta and Sephora. This is the best just pinched shade I’ve ever owned. I wore it a ton in April and for good reason. It goes with everything from “No Makeup” makeup looks to full on glam looks. It lasts all day and is probably my all time favorite blush shade.

Favorite Lip Combo:

L’Oreal Rouge Signature Lightweight Matte Lip Stain ($5.99 at Ulta) in the shade 448 I-Tease (a soft taupey pink matte) a few dots of Makeup Geek Creme Stain ($11.99 on their website) in the shade Jitterbug (an intense coral matte) a touch of NARS Lip Gloss ($24 on the NARS website) in the shade Stripe Tease  (Sheer champagne nude). This makes the perfect shade for every look. I’ve worn this only for the past few days of April but I can already tell it will be worn a ton in the month of May.

Favorite Powder to Set My Under Eyes:

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder $28 for .14 ounces of product at Ulta and Sephora. This just leaves the under eyes looking flawless and it sets every concealer I own except the Dermablend concealer (that concealer is just too heavy and took emollient that nothing really sets it and I would return it but I lost the uni-carton it came in so Ulta wont take it back). I wish this came in a larger jar because I just know I will be repurchasing this over and over. It gives this soft focus glow to the under eye area that isn’t shimmery or glittery … just a sort of glow from within look.

Favorite Brow Pencil:

Benefit Precisely My Brow Pencil $24 at Ulta and Sephora for .27 ounces of product. I have purchased this pencil 2 time since discovering it and I have 1 back up. This is just the most effortless brow product ever. I almost never have a bad brow day when I use this pencil. It’s a definite recommend in my book.

Favorite Brow Gel: 

Believe Beauty Eyebrow Styling Gel $4 for .2 ounces of product sold only at Dollar General. Even though it’s only got .2 ounces of product this brow gel lasts a long time. You only need 1 pass of the wand to fully set your brow. It is never crunchy and never goes flaky. The picture is of my back ups … this sucker goes fast at the store so I pick up 2 or 3 every time I go to Dollar General so I never run out. I adore this one so much that I never reach for my other brow gels.

Favorite High End Eye Shadow Palette: 

Too Faced Born This Way The Natural Nudes Eyeshadow Palette $45. It has 8 matte shades and 8 shimmer shades and you get .48 total ounces of product and is sold at Ulta and Sephora. Some of my all time favorite looks this past month have come from this palette! I just adore it so much. Too Faced really hit it out of the park with this one.

Favorite Drug Store Eye Shadow Palette: (I have 3, 1 is a bit more pricier, 1 is mid-ranged and the other is super inexpensive)

ColourPop Bare Necessities 30 Pan Eyeshadow Palette $34 on the ColourPop website. I have created so many beautiful neutral eye looks with this palette! With 30 shades I never get bored of this one.

  Believe Beauty Eyeshadow Palette  in the color story: Nearly Nude $5 only sold at Dollar General. It’s just simple an amazing palette. I was highly impressed with this one. I got a few looks out of it and it’s the perfect size for travel.

  Catrice Basic Bae Eyeshadow Palette $14.99 at Ulta. This was the first thing I ever tried from Catrice and I was super impressed! The shadows are super pigmented and blend like a dream.

Favorite Eye Liner:

Charlotte Tilbury The Classic Powder Eye Pencil in the shade Audrey $22 on the Beautylish website (but can also be purchased at Sephora and on the Charlotte Tilbury website). Now this one was a surprise to me. I hated this pencil when I first tried it…. I could never get it to work… Well I finally figured it out and I am in love. It gives such a effortless look to the eyes when I use it. This will be a repurchase when I run out.

Favorite Mascara: 

Milani Dangerous Lengths 3D Mascara regularly $9.99 nut currently on sale for $7.49 at Ulta. This is another item that surprised me but ever since I’ve been conditioning my lashes with the Jamaican Black Castor Oil my lashes have been looking so nice and combined with the mascara I just fell in love…. I can’t believe I have a favorite mascara and it’s, for the first time in years, not the L’Oreal voluminous Carbon Black!!! This just gives a nice fluffy airy look to the lashes.

Favorite Inner Corner Highlight:

Hikari Creme Pigment in the shade Honey Dew $15 on their website. I have been using this for a few years now but I just can’t seem to stay away. It just give the prettiest lilt to the inner corners.

Favorite Setting Spray: (I have 2 this month)

ColourPop Hyaluronic Acid Setting Mist $12 for 3.72 fluid ounces of product at Ulta and on the ColourPop website. This setting spray smells like the beach and leaves the skin looking dewy and healthy. It holds your makeup fairly well … I don’t really need a setting spray that will hold my makeup on until the wee hours of the morning, I just need a spray that will take down the powderiness of freshly applied makeup.  I’ve been using this bottle for 2 months and I’m almost out of it. This makes me sad because it’s sold out everywhere. I think this may just be my favorite setting spray of the year.

Belif Aqua Bomb Mist $34 for 2 2.02 fluid ounces of product on the Beautylish website (but can also be purchased at Ulta and Sephora). This one adds tons of hydration to the skin and I love it as a touch up spray too. Lately I have been using it in combination with the other setting spray just to add a bit more hydration to my under eye area. 

Favorite Find of the Year So Far: 

HonHey Portable Hand Held Rechargeable Fan. $13 on Amazon. I purchased this back in the beginning of March but it has quickly become my favorite beauty extra! It helps me dry my setting spray and lash glue. It also helps keep me cooler when the hot lights of my makeup table start to make me over heat. It has a great charge life as well. 

Well … We have reached the end dolls. Thank you ever so much for hanging in there with this post …. I know it was a long one … but this is the flagship post of this series and I thought I should be as thorough as possible with at least the first in the series… Now that’s not to say I wont have heaps of favorites in any given month, but I may just have a few favorites in other months too.

Well that’s all for now dolls. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day/night and that your spirits are high and your health is good! Remember dolls, Save a spoon for a bit of lipstick.

XOXO

April 2020 Beauty Favorites Hey doll hey!!! How's your day/night going? Great I hope. I had a pretty good day ...

Top 20 Best Soy Candles in 2019 Reviews

Soy candles, unlike the paraffin wax candles, are the safe ways to brighten your event. These candles are safe since the wax used is extracted from soybeans. Therefore, they don’t cause health concerns as well as environmental degradation. Considering every home lights a candle maybe occasionally, the paraffin candles can emit dangerous soot that delivers breathing problems. It’s this reason that people are finding soy candles essential and a perfect substitution paraffin ones.

In most cases, the soy wax candles are handcrafted. This makes them quality and guarantees high performance. This means that it’s possible to make your candles at home. But, if you already love buying readymade candles, going for the best should be the priority. A good candle should burn without soot and leave your glass clean. But for low-quality soy wax candles, they tend to leave your glass looking messy. Besides, the burning is consistent without developing a mushroomed head.

Avoid the candles that have added components since they will only leave you disappointed. Getting a pure soy wax candle, not only will burn smoothly but, also will facilitate clean burn. Perfumed candle, on the other hand, delights your room making it have a soothing scent for everyone in the house to enjoy. Other features that a quality candle made of soy wax possesses are long time burn, high craftsmanship among others. With an extensive collection of candles online, it’s simple to order high-quality and genuine ones. Here are the top 10 best soy candles in 2019 reviews to keep your house looking amazing.

Before looking at the top 20 best soy candles in 2017 reviews, let’s check at the soy candles versus beeswax candles

Soy candles

More Affordable (about 5 times) than pure bee wax

Derived from soy hence ideal for vegetarians

Safe in houses with small kids and easy to clean

Less sooty thus environmentally friendly

Beeswax candles

Long lasting and more fragrance

Possess medicinal qualities thereby useful for allergenic people

Ideal for boosting body immune system

Burns for a slightly longer time

List of Top 20 Best Soy Candles in 2019 Reviews

PreviewProductPrice

Coconut Mango | Luxury Scented Soy Candles | Hand Poured in The USA | Highly Scented & Long Lasting…

$13.95

Buy on Amazon

Nika’s Home Vanilla Bean 12oz Mason Soy Candle

$11.99

Buy on Amazon

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Scented Soy Candle, Large Glass, Lavender, 7.2 oz, (Pack of 2)

$16.92

$19.98 (15% off)

Buy on Amazon

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1. AIRA Soy Candles, 100% Soy Candle Wax, Paraffin Free

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Aira soy candles are designed to offers outstanding experience interns of durability and therapeutic ability. They are manufactured from natural soy oil extract thus keeping them safe and usable by all people without allergenic reactions. Moreover, wicks are made from pure cotton thereby making these candles full organic. No added chemical like with other commercial candles thus ideal for vegetarian. The candles are scented with vanilla-lavender to keep your house with a sweet smell. In addition, AIRA soy candles are durable with the capacity to burn for 110 hours and are easy to clean spillage.

2. Mrs. Meyer’s Soy Candle Large, 2 Pack

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When you are planning to get candles for your home soy based candles are ideal to make your house more appealing. With Mrs. Meyer’s soy candle it’s going to bring joy and sweet smell. Enhanced with natural fragrance these candles are perfect in delivering safe and healthy scents. In fact, this candle comes enhanced with a rose geranium scent to keep you delighted when going on with your house chores. On the other hand, jars used in these candles are reusable hence environmentally friendly. All ingredients used in the manufacturing of these candles are plant derived thus making them safe for everyone.

3. Lorenzen Candle Co Hazelnut Coffee Soy Candle

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Hazelnut soy candles from Lorenzen Candle company are high-quality products designed to give customer full experience. This coffee scented candle is manufactured from natural extracts to keep your house with a coffee smell whole day. Made from chemical free plant extracts, the candle doesn’t emit harmful particles and soot like commercial ones. In addition, all wicks used in manufactured by this company are lead and zinc free while they are self-trimming. Quality is a guarantee since this candle is hand poured thereby delivers expected performance.

4. La Jolie Muse Scented Candles, 3 Wicks

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This triple wicked La Jolie Musa candle brings elegance and a subtle feeling in your home. Unlike other soy-based candles, this one enjoys French Riviera essential oils which besides improving scent they boost your mood. Further, the scent combines with jasmine and peonies to give a luxury feeling and feeling like a French spa. No more pollution as this candle is manufactured by 100 perfect soy waxes thereby eco-friendly and highly biodegradable. This candle has a long duration of 55-65 hours. Sleek jar further boosts your room appearance.

5. Nika’s Home Verbena Soy Candle, Coconut Lime

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Are you looking way to make your home to get a beautiful natural touch? The first step is by equipping yourself with soy based candles. With Nika’s home verbena soy candle enhanced with coconut lime is a right choice. The candle manufactured from natural waxes and is free from artificial dyes. That is why it has pure white color and burns with without emitting soot like with other types of candles. Further, it burns evenly up to edges without a lot of dripping thus reducing candle wastage. To keep air smelling sweet, this candle is enhanced with natural fragrance while enjoys a burn time of 50-60 hours each candle.

6. La Jolie Muse Sandalwood Scented Candles, Glass Jar

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Enjoy full health benefits by acquiring this sandalwood scented soy wax candle. Manufactured by La Jolie Muse, you can trust the quality of these candles without any doubt. With a mixture of sandalwood and blackcurrant they ensure that you gain healthy benefits together with a pleasant scent. For the safety of environment and peoples, these candles are manufactured from natural soy wax which is fully biodegradable. Also, it doesn’t emit dangerous sooty smoke. Moreover, they come in glass jars hence can be reused and wrapped with sleek boxes. Burning time is between 40 and 55 hours for each candle.

7. Cottages of England Soy 3-wick Scented Candle

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For the safety of your family, soy candles are the substitution to artificial wax candles which are loaded with dangerous chemicals. It’s possible to get one which will bring a sense of relaxation and sweet scent. Cottage of England soy candle comes with a unique crafting of triple cotton wicks which fills your house with delicate scents. To complement home décor, the jar is sleek and large containing 20 oz. candle with the ability to last up to 40 hours. The natural lilac and musk fragrance bring English countryside direct into your home.

8. Soy Moments Lavender Chamomile Scented Soy Candles

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Hand manufactured soy wax candles are ideal regarding quality. These from Soy Moment are great candles to incorporate into your house. A pack comes with 6 handmade 100 percent soy wax candle which is safe and ideal to keep your house smelling excellent. To enable sweet smell, they are enhanced with chamomile lavender oils fragrance hence perfect for meditation as well as aromatherapy. Cotton wicks used in their construction allow efficient self-trimming. Each candle has a burning duration of 6-8 hours.

9. Fabulous Frannie Patchouli Natural Soy Candle

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Making room to have an earthly and natural scent is not a hard thing these days. The only requirement is to get these pure patchouli soy candles. Designed by Fabulous Frannie, they incorporate safe soy wax which burns without polluting the environment. It boasts essential oils which give it an aromatherapy capability. Moreover, this candle is ideal for adding a spicy scent to house helping you to have maximum relaxation and mood booting. With a balanced fragrance, it is suitable for all people.

10. Candlove Scented 16oz Mason Jar Soy Candle

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Candlove scented soy candle is a new product which is generated to bring incredible experience in your house. The candle is manufactured from pure natural soy waxes hence ideal for whole family health as well as safe to the environment. Each candle from Candlove is made from highest standard wax free from nitro musk and vanillin. Instead, it incorporates pineapple, coconut and pina colada. Weighing 16 oz. the candle can burn up to 70 hours while delivering outstanding scent.

11. La Jolie Muse Plumeria Scented Candles, Glass Jar

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Nowadays, it’s possible to keep your house smelling exceptional without compromising your health or causing environmental pollution. The best way to do it is by getting this elegantly packed soy wax candle from La Jolie Muse. It comes in a reusable glass jar with a beautiful finish and lid. Additionally, the candle lasts for 50-65 hours while burning without harmful soot. Plumeria essential oil used in the manufacturing of this candle delivers a balanced and long lasting scent keeping house smelling fresh for an extended period. Everything is natural including cotton wick and non-GMO soy wax while packaging materials are recyclable.

12. Hawaiian Candle & Bath Company Vanilla Scented Soy Candle

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Give you home new experience with these vanilla scented soy candles. Unlike others which come in glass jars, these are packed in beautiful acacia wood bowl that complements your décor. The vanilla bean candles produce sweet sugary scent which keeps you inspired. Featuring careful manufacturing, the candles are free from animal oils, palm oil and are manufactured from organically grown soybean oil. Once used, bowls are reusable for storing small items like jewelry and coins.

13. Wax and Oils Soy Wax Aromatherapy Scented Candles

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When you get this pack of 3 soy wax candles, it brings a variety of scents to ensure your relaxation is fantastic. The pack comes with lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus scented meaning that they are ideal for any season. Therefore, it’s possible to lift your mood by lighting any of these candles and is excellent for aromatherapy. Forget these commercial wax candles as well as beeswax which are hard to clean. These are water soluble thus easy to clean when they spill. Moreover, when burning, they have self-trimming mechanism thus once lit they burns smoothly without sooty flame.

14. Mrs. Meyer’s Merge Clean Day Geranium Scented Soy Candle

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For a full relaxation, a nice candle is a right option to create a well-fragranced surrounding. Also, as you continue with your daily activities at home a scented candle keeps you running smooth. Mrs. Meyer’s geranium soy candle is designed to turn your home into a new experience. The jelly jar comes filled with pure soy wax with a cotton wick which self-trimming for efficient burning with less wax wastage. The candle has a burning duration of 25 hours.

15. Wax and Oils Cucumber Melon Scented Aromatherapy Soy Wax Candles

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Soy candles are among the safest and ideal for the whole family use. They are manufactured from soybeans thereby nontoxic like commercial waxes. Wax and Oils candles like this cucumber melon scented is a candle to buy. It burns for a longer time due to low melting point hence giving your room an amazing smell. No more toxic fumes and hard to clean spillage as soy wax is easy to clean and highly biodegradable. As a result, it gives clean a scented air free from irritations and headache.

16. Jackpot Soy Candles Birthday Cake Candle

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Jackpot candles bring you a premium manufactured soy candle that adds a vanilla and sweet scent to your surroundings. The large jar filled with 21 ounces of natural soy wax which ensure an extended burning period of bout 80-100 hours. Moreover, the jar is beautifully decorated to make this candle a perfect gift for the loved ones. As surprise jewel accompanies. Once the wax is used up, the jar is reusable and can be used to keep other personal items like jewels.

17. Old Factory Soy Candle Man Cave Scented Candles

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If you love wood scented fragrances, man cave scented soy candles are the excellent selection to keep your house lively. They come in a pack of 3 candles designed with various scents. This enables you to choose one to light depending on your mood. Man cave candles are handmade and free from toxic substances such as lead and phthalate. Packed in glass jars, they are ideally decorated to complement you house décor. To ensure they provide a constant scent, their construction features premium fragranced soy wax and self-trimming cotton wick. They are ideal for kitchen, bedroom and living rooms.

18. Our Own Candle Company Nuts Scented Mason Jar Candle

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Are you looking for a perfect natural soy candle which can keep you your home smelling like a flower garden? All you need is this soy based candle and say goodbye to air fresheners with synthetic fragrance. With a combination of banana nut bread, hazelnut and toasted coconut, it means no other candle can offer such great scent like this one. Boasting a blend of soy and paraffin wax, it guarantees a burning duration of over 100 hours hence keeping house smelling sweet for a long time. Jars are sleek with attractive decorations and closing lid.

19. Aroma Paws Odor Soy Wax Candle, Citrus

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Citrus scent a home offers a refreshing feeling while keeping away other unwanted smells. Aroma Paws soy candle is premium manufactured from natural waxes to keep chemicals away which can cause health concerns. Blended featuring peppermint, lemongrass, and orange oils the candle is effective in neutralizing bad odors. It further improve efficiency in kicking out odors, it is manufactured from a combination of soy wax and smell removing enzyme. It can keep house smelling sweet and free from sooty flame for a duration of 90 hours.

20. Soyworx Soy Tealight Unscented Candles

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Light up your home with these natural soy waxes manufactured candles and help to protect the environment. They are neutral candles without any fragrance hence ideal for use by everyone. Produced featuring pure wax derived from soybeans, it means they are highly biodegradable and easy to clean when they spill. Additionally, these candles come in recyclable polycarbonate containers to help in minimizing pollution as well as less soot production. Each burn in 6.5-10 hours and enjoys Kosher Soy Wax and lead-free cotton wicks.

Finally, it may be concluded

Soy candles are manufactured from oils extracted from soy beans. Compared to other types of candles, they are safe and clean to the people and environment. In addition, these candles are economical since they burn slowly due to the low melting point. Therefore, when in need to get candles to freshen the air in your house, soy based candles are the perfect selection. Grab yours today and kick out unpleasant smell while making your home like a flower garden.

DAYS 15-21

DAY FIFTEEN [JAN 15]

8:40 AM - Wake up feeling sore AF. I should’ve stretched after playing, but I obviously didn’t. I also feel like my stomach didn’t eat itself from the inside out while I was sleeping so that’s nice too. Make a chemex and get to work.

10:00 AM - eat plant yogurt.

11:00 AM - eat a few carrots and a clementine.

12:30 PM - make a greek salad for lunch with a La Croix - this is the last of the salad ingredients until Thursday essentially. Shed a singular tear.

3:00 PM - I am a tiny bit hungry. Eat a piece of rye toast.

4:14 PM - I wanted to start working out 45 minutes ago ugh. OK here we go. The hour goes by a lot faster than I expected which is nice. Rinse off and cook an early dinner – Reubens and potatoes.

8:00 PM - I wanted to drink alcohol but I’m too full from dinner to even enjoy it. Heat up chamomile tea instead. I want to work on my blog but K wants to hang instead and I’m in no position to deny the closeness. We play some Mario Kart, watch 30 for 30 about BC and the mob, and turn in early.

DAY FIFTEEN TOTAL: $0

DAY SIXTEEN

8:30 AM - Make chemex and eat a clementine. My sister (S) asked me and my brother (B) to listen to a 20 minute session on the app Mined about codependency. I take a stab at it and get some good notes. 

10:00 AM - Landscaper is going to show up any second so I move my car and pick up dog poop. Text with S more about my cousin’s virtual baby shower tomorrow and go in on some cute stuff from PBKids. Total is $64.05 and she venmos me $32. $32.05

11:15 AM - I actually have a lot of stuff I need to do this weekend though right now I’m too annoyed at my neighbor to focus. Long story short – he has been wanting our dead grapefruit tree for like 6 months and keeps asking if he can cut it down. I said sure. But then he asked our landscaper to do it for him? It’s weird. I mostly don’t care because it’s gone, but the nerve he had to insert himself is wild. $120

12:00 PM - Make Tofu tacos for breakfast and make a to-do list of stuff I want to accomplish today. (post cauliflower leek soup, put away records, barre throw away things my mom has forced me to take out of her house over the years, wipe doors)

6:00 PM - Eat 2 rice cakes. I only manage to get the cauliflower leek soup up, put away the records, and throw away the stuff mom gave me. I think today ended up being a little bit overwhelming emotionally with the landscaper plus the codependency session so I’m kind of burnt. 

7:00 PM - Make pad thai for dinner. Can’t stop snacking on Swedish fish. Drink an old fashioned while K and I watch Night Stalker. Realize part way through that the reason I keep eating Swedish Fish is because something feels off. I fall asleep around 11:30 knowing it’s my blood pressure and that if it doesn’t fix over night I’ll get right to it in the morning.

DAY SIXTEEN TOTAL: $152.35

DAY SEVENTEEN

8:00 AM - Wake up feeling like I’ve been hit by a bus. Ugh. I’ve been struggling with an iron deficiency for a while and have it mostly fixed but I still have occasional days where my blood pressure really gives me issues. 

9:00 AM - Peel myself out of bed and drink some soy sauce. Sounds disgusting but sodium is the only thing that truly helps AND it works fast. Drink a chemex and a boat load of water. Work on posting the cauliflower leek soup

10:00 AM - S calls and I take a walk to chat. I’m still feeling really down from the blood pressure but I know walking will help. It’s actually really nice to get outside. I should do this again later tonight.

11:00 AM - More soy sauce, more water, more coffee. Have a good direction for where I want to go today. Just taking it one task at a time based on how I feel and granting myself the grace.

12:30 PM - Feel good enough to start moving which is great because once I can get over the initial fog with this blood pressure stuff, moving is what keeps me feeling better. Wipe down the doors and then attend a virtual baby shower for my cousin E. 

3:00 PM - Make broccoli fried rice for lunch. I prefer the cauliflower but the store was out of it. I feel like this broccoli stuff would taste great with some kind of cilantro hummus situation but that’ll be for another day I suppose.

3:30 PM - Back to cleaning! The bathrooms are always terrible and today is no exception. It’s always hard to tell if I even make progress because everything is white and the grout is stained orange. Give up after an hour and a half.

6:30 PM - Tag team folding a couple loads of laundry with K while we watch NBA. This week ends bittersweet for my fantasy team. He beat me in one but I’m in first place in the other. Officially 3-1 and 4-0.

8:00 PM - Eat leftover pad thai for dinner.

DAY SEVENTEEN TOTAL: $0

DAY EIGHTEEN

8:30 AM - Wake up feeling like I was hit by a smartcar, so a little better! Today is MLK day and I’m grateful for the extra day off. Make a Chemex, drink some soy sauce, and watch an episode of The Challenge. Pure barre charge comes thru. $15

9:30 AM - Get started on dusting the entire house. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done this due to lack of Swiffer 360 dusters. It takes forever but honestly our house hasn’t looked this good in years. Swap out the lightbulbs in the bathrooms and the bedroom, shower, and eat a plant yogurt.

11:30 AM - Have a sibling zoom call with S&B I walk while we chat and it’s honestly really nice to get outside. 

1:30 PM - Start shooting my recipe for lasagna rollups. Eat a cup of cauliflower leek soup and a few pretzel rods while I cook. It takes a while but I think they turn out great.

4:00 PM - Eat a lasagna roll and watch an episode of The Challenge. I haven’t worked out in 400 years (read: yesterday and the day before.) and it’s low key killing me, so I suit up and do the thing.

6:00 PM - That was mildly painful. Low cal burn, couldn’t focus to save my life - new moves so lots of pausing during transitions. Oh well. At least I did it.

7:00 PM - Eat two more lasagna rolls for dinner. K and I watch Terrorism Close Calls and I drink a vodka + vanilla seltzer + orange peel.

DAY EIGHTEEN TOTAL: $15

DAY NINETEEN

8:30 AM - It’s appraisal day. Ugh. So excited to get this over with. Make a chemex and open my work stuff. I have a lot to do but have a feeling I won’t be able to concentrate very well until after the appraisal is over. On a nice note - I am feeling leaps and bounds better from yesterday and the day before. 

10:00 AM - Eat a plant yogurt and finish out the rest of my coffee. Meet with my teammates about an outstanding task and then do the random stuff around the house to prep for my appointment.

12:00 PM - Here goes nothing! K and I leave the house with KP and walk her around the block a few times until the appraisal is done. As much as I feel like my anxiety should be gone, it’s not. I think particularly because today is really busy with work. K and I hang out outside on our laptops for a bit to let the house air out before going back inside.

1:00 PM - Eat broccoli fried rice for lunch with a Polar seltzer. Snack on a pretzel rod and some Swedish Fish while it heats.

3:00 PM - Eat the last of the cauliflower leek soup and a few carrots.

5:30 PM - Make a nuun and do a barre live stream. My focus today is so much better but my cal burn is abysmal again. Rinse off and heat up lasagna rolls for dinner. Snack on Swedish Fish while they heat. I really wish I had wine right now because I can feel my body could use the extra help blood pressure-wise but I won’t get my alcohol delivery until Thursday. Sigh.

8:00 PM - Idk whats up but my body is asking for more food so I eat tortilla crumbs and salsa and some dark chocolate. Make vegan ham brine for seitan. Realize I’m out of liquid smoke and buy a 6 pack from Amazon. $15.37

9:30 PM - It’s official, this iron thing is killing me. Ugh. Now I know. I’ll be more conscientious of my supplements, I promise! Finish editing photos of Thousand Island Dressing, watch The Challenge and call it a day.

DAY NINETEEN TOTAL: $15.37

DAY TWENTY

8:30 AM - Still feeling off from iron. This is seriously the worst it’s been in MONTHS. Worst part - it takes 4 weeks for you to produce new blood cells so I can only assume this will happen again since there was a substantial gap in my supplementing.

9:00 AM - Make a chemex, prep the seitan ham dough and bake. I chat with Google support for an account I’m having problems with. The person’s name is Swastika. Feels like a bad omen for inauguration day. Eat 2 clementines and pretzel rod.

12:20 PM - Starving. Decide on Lasagna roll ups for lunch with a Polar. 

2:00 PM - Finish my work for the day. I have on my list of things to do that I want to test this orange spice bread for the blog.

3:00 PM - Spice bread in the oven. Do a round of dishes to prep for tonight’s grocery run. It doesn’t come out great and I eat two slices.

5:15 PM - Do a barre live stream and it goes really well. Super focused, super strong, super sweaty. One more class to go for the challenge this month! Rinse off and continue prepping the kitchen and do the final bake on the ham. 

7:05 PM - Ensue grocery madness. Incoming of onions, bananas, lemons, limes, bell peppers, cucumbers, cheese, cheeze, tortilla chips, tomatoes, dark chocolate, green beans, broccoli, jalapeños, low carb tortillas, bread, oranges, potatoes, cilantro, chickpeas, romaine, celery, clementines, spring mix, frozen burritos, apples, oat milk, tofu, soyrizo, brussels sprouts, eggs, grapes, frozen peas, vegan sour cream, taco seasoning, tomato paste, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, corn, black beans, avocados, mushrooms, snap peas, pineapple, vegan mayo, carrots, rice noodles, seltzer, beets, cauliflower, parsley, pumpkin seeds, thyme, plant yogurt, garlic, riced broccoli, white rice, gf pretzels, micro arugula, & black olives. $327.69

8:15 PM It takes over an hour, but everything is washed and put away! Make air fried broccoli with miso butter and veggie sandwiches for dinner. 

9:00 PM - Make a crappy drink with flavored vodka. The only thing I have in my house is shooters left over from my sister’s bachelorette party. She’s now divorced if that gives you any idea of how long this stuff has been sitting around. More alcohol comes tomorrow at least! Eat a few Swedish fish.

9:30 PM - Play Mario Kart, watch The Challenge, and call it a night.

DAY TWENTY TOTAL: $327.69

DAY TWENTY-ONE

8:30 AM - Chemex and work. Alcohol is coming sometime this AM from my friend J who has a wholesale hookup. Much like everything else in the pandemic, I just buy in bulk. It’s easier that way!

10:30 AM - Eat a slice of orange spice bread for breakfast. It’s definitely growing on me but I think I need to adjust a few things before shooting/posting. J drops off my booze order. I got 2 crates of wine (24 bottles total), a bottle of bourbon, rye, mezcal, rum, and st. germaine. She says it was $400 but I pay her more. $450

11:00 AM - Start prepping chile de arbol salsa & stuff for this week’s salad - spring mix, roasted tofu with taco seasoning, avo, chipotle ranch dressing, cilantro, green onion, black beans, tomatoes and corn. YUM. Eat salad with a La Croix. 

3:00 PM - I get the appraisal back! My house came in at $390k. (I bought it for $245k) OMG! Eat a celebratory slice of orange bread.

6:45 PM - Finish class 15/15 for the barre challenge. 11 more months to go. hah! Rinse off, roast potatoes for veggie sandwiches. Pour a celebratory glass of wine. 

8:30 PM - Pour another half glass. What a week! End up going on a walk with K & KP which was really nice. I need to get out more. This weekend I will. Stay tuned. ~*~*~

DAY TWENTY-ONE TOTAL: $450

Chocolate Espresso Cake

Hiya! Welcome back! Hope your holiday weekend was fun and delish! Don’t want to stress you out any more than necessary, but do you have any idea what you’re going to do for New Year’s? It’s always an issue, right? And this year, more than ever, as we can’t/shouldn’t party or eat in restaurants or go to the movies or...arghh!!!!! Stay with me and take a deep breath cause I think I’ve found a solution. And boy, is it a delicious one! Let’s make cake. Not just any old cake though, no sir! It’s got to be something stand out, amazing tasting and time-consuming enough to fill up the hours until we ring in the new year. So taking into account all that criteria, let me present this show stopping, knock-your-socks-off, worth every sinful bite, Chocolate Espresso Cake.

Three tender, deeply chocolate, not-too-sweet layers of cake, covered with a velvety coffee buttercream which itself gets topped with a rich, smooth chocolate ganache, plus chocolate covered espresso beans and chocolate sprinkles—Take that 2020!!!

To tell the truth, my daughter and I first made this amazing treat back in August for her birthday and it was a huge hit! Honestly, it might be my most favorite celebration cake ever and that’s saying a lot cause I am not a coffee drinker. But somehow the whole combo just works amazingly well here and the actual chocolate cake is quite possibly the best I’ve ever tasted!! I held off posting because with all the smaller gatherings, big fancy cakes didn’t exactly seem appropriate, but now having too much cake around is the least of our worries!!

Before I get to showing you how to put this masterpiece together, I just want to mention that the recipe calls for coffee extract, which can be tricky to find. You can definitely get it on Amazon and maybe even in some specialty shops, but if you can’t, no worries. An easy sub is to get mix instant espresso with hot water and let it cool to room temperature. Easy-peasy and done!

And now, onto the cake: there are three layers which you could easily make the day before and have all ready to frost and build with on new years eve or you can totally make them the same day—in any case you want them to be entirely cool before you start to frost them with the silky coffee buttercream:

Once all three layers have been assembled, you cover the outsides of the cake with a thin coating of the frosting, aka the crumb coat. This helps to make sure that any loose crumbs adhere to the the cake, creating a base that will allow you to spread the frosting smoothly and evenly. It also helps to seal in the cake’s moisture.

After a short stint in the fridge to firm everything up, we’re ready to slather on the rest of the frosting and pour on the luscious chocolate ganache—

Which we’re gonna help to drip down the sides—

So we get that drizzle effect—

It’s a bit messy but hang tight because the end result is pretty spectacular!

Once all that gorgeous chocolate has dripped down the sides and set, it’s time to decorate with crunchy chocolate expresso beans and sprinkles. Tada!! Cake perfection!!

Look at all those gorgeous layers! It would be almost impossible not to have a happy new years with a slice of this at your beck and call!

There’s happiness in every chocolate-y-coffee-ish bite!

Happy birthday 2021, boy do we need you more than ever!!!

Chocolate Espresso Cake

Serves 12-16 people

Prep Time for cake: 20 minutes: Bake Time for cake: 35-40 minutes; Prep Time for Coffee Buttercream: 25-30 minutes; Prep Time for glaze: 10 minutes; Assembly Time: About 1 hour (much of this is hands-free—the frosted cake has to chill twice and then again for glazing

Ingredients

For the cake

¾ cup good quality dark unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Valrhona)

⅔ cup sour cream

1 ¼ cups hot water

2 ⅔ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (¾ cup), softened to room temp and cut into cubes

1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I used Crisco sticks)

1 ½ cups sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the coffee buttercream

1 ½ cups sugar

1/3 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups whole milk

⅓ cup heavy cream

1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into small pieces

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons coffee extract (if you can’t find this, use 3 tablespoons of instant espresso mixed with 6 teaspoons of hot water and let cool to room temperature)

For the chocolate glaze

8 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Lindt 70%)

12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Chocolate-covered espresso beans and chocolate sprinkles for decorating (optional)

The Recipe

1. To make the cake: Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter three 8 or 9 inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with a round of parchment paper and butter the parchment. Dust the pans with flour and knock out the excess. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the cocoa, sour cream and hot water and set aside to cool.

3. Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside.

4. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and shortening together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. When you lift the beaters, the mixture should sort of ribbon. If you’re using a handheld mixer, you may need to tack on a few more minutes. Add both sugars and beat on medium speed again for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is light and fluffy. One at a time, add the eggs, beating for 10-15 seconds after each addition, until the egg is incorporated. Then add the vanilla and mix in on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for another 30 seconds.

5. On low speed, alternate the dry ingredients with the cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, scraping down the bowl between the additions as needed.

6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, smoothing the tops. Bake the cakes for about 35 minutes all on the same rack, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a tester inserted into the center of the cakes, comes out clean. (If you can’t fit all three pans in the oven on the same rack at once, bake two at a time and then bake the third one separately. You don’t want to bake these cakes in the bottom of the oven—they might get too dark). Transfer the cakes to wire racks to cool for at least 45 minutes, then invert onto the racks, remove and discard the parchment and let cakes cool completely. You can definitely make these a day ahead and wrap well in plastic wrap at room temperature.

7. To make the coffee buttercream: Add the sugar and flour to a medium, heavyweight saucepan and whisk together. Add the milk and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking every now and then until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, about 10-15 minutes.

8. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or just use a large bowl and a handheld mixer) and beat at high speed for about 7-9 minutes until the mixture is cool. On low speed, add the butter and mix in well. Then increase speed to medium-high and beat for another minute or two, until frosting is light and fluffy.

9. Add in the vanilla and coffee extracts and mix until well combined. If you feel the frosting is too soft, place the bowl in the fridge for a few minutes and then beat again until the right consistency. Alternately, if the frosting seems too thick to spread, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and beat with a wooden spoon until it’s the right consistency.

10. To assemble the cake: cut 4 strips of parchment or wax paper and place them on top of a cake plate in a square. Place one of the cake layers centered on the square. This will help you keep the plate neat. If you need to, trim the cake so that it has a flat surface (I didn’t need to). Evenly spread about 1 ¼ cups frosting on top of the layer. Add the next cake layer and trim and frost it. Top with the final layer and spread a very thin layer of frosting all over the top and sides of the cake (a crumb coat that will help keep any loose crumbs from making the final frosting messy). Place the cake uncovered in the fridge for 15 minutes to allow it to set. Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake and return cake to fridge for another 15 minutes.

11. To make the chocolate glaze: place the chocolate, butter and corn syrup in the top of a double boiler set over an inch or two of simmering water and use a heatproof spoon or rubber spatula to stir the mixture until it’s completely melted and smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and stir the glaze for a few minutes to release some of the heat.

12. Starting in the center of the cake, slowly pour about ¾ cup of the glaze over the cake, using a small offset spatula or butter knife to smooth it out to the edges. Place the cake back in the fridge for another 5-10 minutes to allow it to set. Now, pour the remaining glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides any which way. Return to the fridge for about 5 minutes to set—it’ll be easier to clean up any drips on the plate. Remove the paper strips and discard. Use a damp paper towel to clean up any smudges on the cake plate. If using, press the chocolate sprinkles into the cake along the bottom and decorate the top with the espresso beans. Return the cake to the fridge for another 20-30 minutes and serve or carefully cover and store at room temp for up to 1 day. Chill any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Note: Recipe adapted from Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. I stuck pretty close to the recipe buy changed a few of the techniques.

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Today: an advice and annal artisan and Etsy agent alive in absolute acreage and retail, respectively, who makes $44,225 per year and spends some of her money this anniversary on Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Chef ice cream.

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Monthly ExpensesRent: $1,431.65 (I alive abandoned in a one-bedroom, and this includes calm parking.)Hydro: $65 (more in summer, beneath in winter)Internet: $45Phone: $55Car & Tenant Insurance: $160Pet Insurance: $80Dog Walker: $472 (The ambler comes at lunchtime aback I’m at work.)Netflix: $10Gym Membership: $264Tax-Free Savings Account: $25 (It’s not much, but it’s bigger than $0, right?)RRSP: $32.56 (2% is taken off anniversary paycheque.)

Day One

6:50 a.m. — My anxiety goes off, and I don’t appetite to get out of bed. Neither does my dog. I eventually cull on yoga pants and booty him outside. We airing about the aforementioned few blocks every morning, with me braless in a PJ shirt. I attending advanced to aback it’s colder, and I can adumbrate beneath a jacket.

7:20 a.m. — I augment the dog and hop in the battery while he snarfs bottomward his breakfast. My morning skincare accepted is “rub my wet face in my easily in the shower.” I’m so athirst in the mornings, but I’m usually in barely-awake-robot approach until I get to work, so breakfast needs to be easy. I accomplish a smoothie with amber protein powder, arctic bananas, peanut butter, and almond milk. I alcohol it and watch aftermost night’s Stephen Colbert address on YouTube. Afresh I grab my gym clothes (don’t balloon socks!), lunch, and cloistral mug, and arch for the streetcar. (I use my pre-paid Presto card.)

9 a.m. — I access at assignment on time and accomplish Earl Grey tea from my board stash.

12 p.m. — Cafeteria time! I reheat amber rice, blooming beans, and ginger-soy arena turkey. I fabricated four helpings of this on Sunday for lunches this week. I accomplish addition cup of Earl Grey and apprehend a library book, The Mazovia Legacy by Michael E. Rose, on my Kobo while I eat.

1 p.m. — Aback to work. I adore what I do, and I apperceive I’m acceptable at it, but I additionally apperceive I’m not actuality paid enough, and there’s no way to accommodate for more. I anticipate about the job postings I looked at on Indeed aftermost night.

5 p.m. — Assignment is over, and I arch to the gym. This is a new affair for me. I started action bristles weeks ago, and it’s the aboriginal time I’ve diaphoresis aback aerial school. This gym is expensive, but if you accede the actuality that I consistently booty a chic and go at atomic four times a week, it’s added reasonable. The classes aren’t accepting any easier, but I’m appliance hardly added weights, and I’m starting to ENJOY action absolutely beat out afterwards, instead of aloof absent to canyon out.

6:30 p.m. — I get home to my top-floor walkup and crepitate my way up the stairs. I booty the dog out and bead off my laundry in the basement on our way out. We adhere out in the esplanade with our dog-owner accompany until the washer is done. I put the laundry in the dryer on our way aback inside. (My building’s laundry machines were afresh replaced and now assignment on a refillable agenda instead of coins. The acceptable news: I don’t accept to aggregate abode any more. The bad news: a ablution and dry acclimated to amount $4, but now it’s $2.80 for a ablution and $3 for a dry.) $5.80

7:10 p.m. — Banquet is added meatballs and amazon booze while sitting on the couch watching Scandal. I fabricated four helpings of this on Sunday as well.

8 p.m. — I was action to ample in a job appliance tonight, for a position advantageous $15,000 added than my accepted job, but I get absent by the aboriginal three episodes of Diagnosis on Netflix. This adult was a adviser on House! I adulation House. The job aperture doesn’t abutting for addition anniversary though, so I accept time.

11 p.m. — I booty a bedtime dog walk, and it’s still so bathed out. I accomplish my final cruise up the stairs for the day. My Fitbit says I did 24 floors today!

11:30 p.m. — The dog and I beddy-bye on the couch, beneath the air conditioner. My hydro bills are added in the summer because of admirers and the AC. Luckily, calefaction is included in my rent, so I save in the winter.

Daily Total: $5.80

Day Two

6:50 a.m. — My morning accepted is absolutely the same.

8 a.m. — Packing my lunch, I apprehend I’m out of adapted blooming beans and bandy arctic cauliflower in the alembic with my rice and turkey.

12 p.m. — The cauliflower has aqueous aloof accomplished in the fridge, so I reheat my cafeteria and achieve in to read. The Mazovia Legacy isn’t the best. I’m not abiding why I adopted a noir-type thriller. I’m NOT a abstruseness person. But I accomplishment it aloof in time to go aback to work. Spoiler: The sweet, naïve woman dies, and the above journalist-turned-spy has animosity about that.

3 p.m. — I anticipate about cancelling my chic catch at the gym tonight, but afresh bethink that all my clothes are too tight, and my gym associates is expensive.

5:15 p.m. — At backbone class, the chin-ups are a little beneath alarming than the aftermost time. I’m not adage I can DO a button up (hahahahahahaha), but I’m beneath afraid about falling off the box I angle on to ability the bar.

6 p.m. — Chic over, I hop on the streetcar. I feel bad about actuality this bathed on transit, but I’ve smelled worse from added people. Why battery at the gym, though, aback I can battery at home?

6:30 p.m. — I stop by the Loblaws at my streetcar stop. It’s expensive, but it’s appropriate there. Earlier this week, I told myself I’d alone eat what’s in my fridge and abdomen until the end of the month, but I accept annihilation able and don’t appetite to baker tonight. I buy Olivieri bucket gnocchi ($1 off!), broiled garlic hummus, and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Chef ice cream. NOW I will alone eat abdomen items until the end of the month. $16.97

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7 p.m. — We’re out for a dog airing and don’t see any of our active accompany tonight.

7:30 p.m. — I watch an adventure of Scandal on Netflix and accept gnocchi, cheese, and two absurd eggs for dinner, followed by a third of the Ben & Jerry’s, beeline out of the container. After it gets melty enough, I cherry-pick the cookie chef lumps.

9 p.m. — I assignment on my awning letter for the abundant job. I additionally acquisition a announcement on Indeed for a position at the aftermost abode I worked. I’m missing one big qualification, but I anticipate I could apprentice on the job fast enough. I agitation emailing my above bang-up there, the one who is hiring for this position. This one pays $20,000 added than my accepted job.

10:30 p.m. — I airing the dog in a catchbasin top and feel algid for the aboriginal time in months. I’m sleeping in the bed tonight, not on the couch!

Daily Total: $16.97

Day Three

8:32 a.m. — As I footfall on the streetcar, I apprehend I’ve larboard my cloistral mug at home! Aback I get to work, I use one of their cardboard cups and feel sad because of the ecology waste, and additionally because it’s so abundant abate than my mug.

12 p.m. — Cafeteria is broiled garlic hummus with pita bread. I got the pitas for chargeless aftermost weekend, aback I was active for a grocery commitment app, and a chump wasn’t there aback alone off their groceries.

12:45 p.m. — I bead two cheques at lunch: $25 for accommodating in a focus accumulation about yogurt, and $79 from federal and bigoted apprentice loans. I afresh paid off $43,000 in loans and accidentally overpaid a few days’ account of interest. I accumulate badinage about the government defective to pay ME absorption now. I racked up my debt aback I went aback to academy to do a Masters amount in 2016. I able for the Repayment Assistance Program based on my income, so that bargain my payments. Afresh my grandmother died and larboard abundant to pay off about 40% of it, and my dad gave me money from his allotment of the bequest to bright it completely. I cried aback he told me he was accomplishing that.

1:15 p.m. — After the bank, I go to Starbucks for a venti Earl Grey tea, because I appetite a bigger cup. I impulse-buy a cookie, too. I use up a allowance agenda and pay $1.98 of my own money. $1.98

5:15 p.m. — Cardio class! Today marks my fifth anniversary of going, and the aboriginal time I’ve done bristles classes in one week.

6:05 p.m. — No one wants to sit beside me on the subway. Weird.

6:30 p.m. — I airing the dog walk, by which I beggarly I cantankerous the artery to the esplanade and angle there with the added dog owners while the dogs detect and pee. I’m too annoyed for a walk-walk.

7:30 p.m. — I accomplish added bucket gnocchi, cheese, and two eggs, but this time I accomplish arctic peas, so there’s article blooming in there. Some jerk has best all the cookie chef chastening out of my ice cream, so I aloof end up finishing off the Ben & Jerry’s vanilla. I was alone action to watch one adventure of Scandal, afresh assignment on my job applications. (Do I charge to accomplish a LinkedIn profile? Is it ethical to email my above administrator to ask if I’d alike get to the account stage?) But instead I watch three episodes while arena brainless amateur on my phone.

11 p.m. — I airing el doggo cutting a SWEATSHIRT. Sweet, candied air-conditioned air. We comedy tug for a bit aback we get home.

12 a.m. — I like acknowledgment nights because my dog comes to cuddle. I accept grocery commitment hours appointed for tomorrow morning, but I abolish them. I’ve alone been accomplishing this for a brace months, but the flash has beat off. They accord newbies the accessible shifts, and you anticipate you’ve begin the abstruse to accessible money. Afresh all those acceptable batches dry up, and you’re ashore with crap, or bodies who appetite you to bear 20 flats of baptize in your bunched car (um, no). This ages is additionally a three-payday month, which agency I feel beneath beggared than antecedent months, so I don’t feel accusable about cancelling.

Daily Total: $1.98

Day Four

7:40 a.m. — I’m alive because the dog is whining and stomping all over me. It’s the weekend, and I accept boilerplate to be, so we go for a longer, added absorbing airing than we do on weekday mornings. He is the goodest boy.

8:15 a.m. — The dog is bistro his breakfast, and I accomplish myself a basin of oatmeal. I add a dosage of almond adulate and arctic raspberries to applesauce it up. I analysis my emails while bistro and acquisition that I awash the 100th account from my Etsy shop! My boutique has been accessible aloof beneath a year, so it’s not fast-paced selling, but it’s fun. Plus, I’ve done basically annihilation to it for the accomplished month, and I still had a few sales.

8:45 a.m. — I ample in a brace of screener surveys for added focus groups, banknote out a $12 acclaim that I’ve accumulated accomplishing little surveys on addition site, and adjustment a $25 Amazon.ca allowance agenda with credibility I’ve becoming on Swagbucks. My ambition is to accomplish an added $200 a ages with tasks like this, grocery delivery, and my Etsy shop. I apperceive a part-time job would be added reliable, but I appetite to be home on the weekends to absorb time with my pup. Appropriate now, he’s comatose like a chainsaw in his bed by my desk.

10:30 a.m. — I get absent by the internet, but now it’s time to battery and booty the bus to a assignment abundance with two accoutrements of clothes that are too babyish for me.

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11:15 a.m. — Aback I bead the clothes off, the woman at the assignment abundance says it’ll booty about two hours to go through them, so I aberrate city and try not to buy anything. Although I may get a balloon tea…

12:30 p.m. — Yes, I buy a balloon tea, from a adorned new place. It’s good, actual Instagram-worthy (I did not booty a photo) but is it account $8? Not really. $8.09

1:30 p.m. — The boutique calls to say they’re done and, as I’m branch back, I get sucked in by Cobs Bakery. I can’t abide a pizza bun ($3.10). The boutique takes bisected my items and pays me $37.50 in cash! I could’ve had $75 in abundance credit, but this is added about downsizing my closet, so I don’t charge credit. $3.10

2:10 p.m. — On my way home, I analysis my Presto agenda antithesis and add $60. Why do I alone add money to the agenda in $60 instalments? I accept no idea. $60

3:15 p.m. — Aback we get back, I set up to acrylic my nails. I never abrasion makeup, but I like accomplishing my nails. I’m assuredly aperture the box of Holo Taco I pre-ordered a ages or so ago. The cast is from a Canadian YouTuber, Simply Nailogical, and she’s one of those bodies I could absolutely be accompany with in absolute life. I do two coats of Royal-Tea Blue topped with Flakie Holo Taco, all while watching Mindhunter.

4 p.m. — I should do job appliance stuff, but maybe I’ll aloof accept a 20-minute catnap first.

5 p.m. — Well, that wasn’t a catnap. I’m so asleep I feel drunk, but I charge to airing and augment the dog, because I accept about to be tonight.

5:40 p.m. — I arch out on the alms to accommodated a acquaintance at a cider festival. I bought my admission for this added than a ages ago, but I buy added tokens to try all the ciders. $20

9 p.m. — I haven’t been this bashed in a continued time. I acquaint my acquaintance this loudly. We echo it to anniversary added sporadically for the blow of the night. MORE TOKENS. Banquet is from a tater tot aliment truck, and I use six tokens on Loaded Baked Po-Taters. This is for the best, so I don’t alcohol all my tokens away. $10

10 p.m. — I drunk-text a guy.

11 p.m. — Everyone is shooed out of the cider festival.

12 a.m. — I get home via transit. I anticipate my dog is anticipation me. I drunk-text the guy a photo of my dog anticipation me. I booty doggo for a walk, alcohol two glasses of water, and collapse into bed.

Daily Total: $139.59

Day Bristles

7:30 a.m. — Dog wants to go out. I crank through our abbreviate morning route. Aback we get home, he gets kibble, and I get a Tylenol and a baptize afore falling aback into bed.

9:30 a.m. — This is a abundant bigger time to be awake. I accomplish a peanut adulate and assistant smoothie.

12 p.m. — Time for a best walk. As we’re walking through the park, I accept a abrupt anamnesis to aftermost night at midnight aback he pooped, and I didn’t aces it up. Sorry, esplanade friends. I apperceive actuality bashed isn’t an excuse, but I apparently wasn’t accommodating abundant at that point to attack it. Aback we get in, I bake two arctic cornmeal muffins I fabricated a few months ago.

1 p.m. — I drive to a DoorDash acclimatization affair and pay for parking ($6). I don’t appetite to be a Dasher, but I active up through Swagbucks, and if I do my aboriginal “dash” in the abutting 30 days, I get $150 from Swagbucks, which I can put appear an Amazon allowance agenda to buy things like dog account accoutrements and books. $6

2 p.m. — Acclimatization done (basically, don’t be a jerk), I go for groceries. I apperceive I’m aggravating to eat from my abdomen for the abutting week, but I’m out of almond milk, and I fabricated this morning’s smoothie with water, which was was NOT tasty. I go to NoFrills and buy Silk Unsweetened Original Almond milk, babyish spinach, naan bread, Maltesers, cardboard towels, toothpaste, anatomy wash, and a bar of soap. $42.18

3 p.m. — Job applications or nap? Nap.

5 p.m. — On our pre-dinner dog walk, we run into dog accompany and sit alfresco for a bit.

5:30 p.m. — Banquet menu: bisected a cup of abrade for him; bucket gnocchi, eggs, and cheese, with an adventure of Scandal for me.

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7:30 p.m. — I assuredly catch bottomward and ample in the job application. It’s one of those abundant forms with actual specific questions, so I try to hit all the keywords I can with my experience. Aback I’m done, I’m on a cycle so I administer for addition job. This anatomy has a dropdown card to acknowledgment the catechism “What gets you out of bed in the morning?” I feel that I should aces “Ability to accomplish an impact” but absolutely I beggarly “Money.” I end up allotment “Work-life balance.”

10 p.m. — Dog walk, besom teeth, bed time.

Daily Total: $48.18

Day Six

6:50 a.m. — My anxiety goes off. I columnist catnap and analysis email and Instagram until the anxiety goes off again. Afresh it’s active airing time. He will account aback he wants to poop, and there’s annihilation I can do about it, so I airing him aboriginal affair for as continued as it takes and amount out my morning accepted based on that. Basically, his poops behest how comfortable my battery and breakfast will be.

7:45 a.m. — Peanut adulate and assistant smoothie! I additionally accomplish protein bites out of protein powder, almond flour, almond butter, vanilla, and coconut. I should accept fabricated those yesterday, but I administer to get them done in time. I leave for assignment with my lunch, my mug (I won’t balloon you again, buddy!), and my gym clothes.

12 p.m. — I’m so athirst for lunch, which is hummus and pita, followed by a protein ball. I eat at my board and apprehend The Farm by Joanne Ramos, which is abundant bigger than the aftermost book.

5:15 p.m. — Addition cardio class. I’m alive as adamantine as I can, but I feel like I can’t move my limbs at the aforementioned clip added people. Is it coordination? Fast-twitch muscles?

6:30 p.m. — I get home, go up the stairs to get doggo, and we go walkies.

7 p.m. — Time for the accurate analysis of bistro from the pantry/fridge. I accept added rice and accidental veggies, so I do absurd rice-ish: accolade eggs with ricotta cheese, onion and garlic, a cup of added rice, grated carrot, the alone two non-squishy tomatoes, and the aftermost of the pesto. Absurd rice, but accomplish it Italian. It looks like three servings, so I’m acceptable till Wednesday. End of the ages is Saturday, but I’ve still got things in the freezer. I watch an adventure of Mindhunter while I eat.

8:30 p.m. — I email my old administrator about the job I’m not absolutely able for. After, I browse The Bay’s website for cute, work-appropriate dresses. They charge to accept sleeves, because no amount how advanced the straps are on sleeveless dress, my bra straps consistently escape. I don’t buy annihilation and eventually end up analytic for dog Halloween apparel on Amazon.

10 p.m. — I airing the dog about the neighbourhood, besom my teeth, and go to bed.

Daily Total: $0

Day Seven

6:50 a.m. — My anxiety is beeping, and the dog is snoring. Why is he asleep on weekdays, and alive on weekends?

7 a.m. — Dog walk, dog breakfast, shower, clothes, animal breakfast (smoothie), mug, lunch, gym clothes, go.

12 p.m. — Cafeteria at my desk: Added hummus, naan instead of pita, bootleg protein ball. I’ve consistently admired account while eating. Sometimes, aback I was a kid, the accomplished ancestors would eat banquet together… but reading.

1 p.m. — Etsy money hits my account: $35.81!

5:15 p.m. — Backbone chic at the gym. I’m so blessed I’m still action to these and haven’t ghosted.

6:30 p.m. — The neighbourhood dog assemblage is in the park, so we adhere out with them.

7:30 p.m. — I calefaction up my everything-in-the-fridge absurd rice. It’s not bad, but I should’ve awkward the damp out of the grated carrot. Things are accepting mushy. I eat, watch an adventure of Scandal, and try not to anticipate about the actuality there’s no ambrosia in the house.

9 p.m. — I buy 50 bedlam envelopes from Amazon for aircraft my Etsy parcels. $34.41

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Daily Total: $34.41

Money Affidavit are meant to reflect alone women’s adventures and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29’s point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages actionable action or adverse behaviour.

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Date Weekday Holiday name January 01-Jan Friday Polar Bear Plunge Day 02-Jan Saturday Buffet Day 02-Jan Saturday Run It up the Flagpole and See If Anyone Salutes It Day 02-Jan Saturday Science Fiction Day 03-Jan Sunday Fruitcake Toss Day 03-Jan Sunday Festival of Sleep Day 04-Jan Monday Trivia Day 05-Jan Tuesday Bird Day 06-Jan Wednesday Bean Day 07-Jan Thursday Old Rock Day 08-Jan Friday Earth’s Rotation Day 09-Jan Saturday Static Electricity Day 09-Jan Saturday Word Nerd Day 10-Jan Sunday Cut Your Energy Costs Day 11-Jan Monday Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day 11-Jan Monday Clean Off Your Desk Day 12-Jan Tuesday Marzipan Day 13-Jan Wednesday Make Your Dreams Come True Day 14-Jan Thursday Organize Your Home Day 15-Jan Friday Strawberry Ice Cream Day 16-Jan Saturday Nothing Day 16-Jan Saturday Soup Swap Day 17-Jan Sunday Benjamin Franklin Day 17-Jan Sunday Kid Inventors’ Day 17-Jan Sunday Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day 18-Jan Monday Thesaurus Day 19-Jan Tuesday Tin Can Day 19-Jan 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The minute November hits, we all know it’s full on Thanksgiving mode here in the USA. We all sit and dream about mashed potatoes and gravy, apple pie, cornbread stuffing until the third Thursday of the month hits and we shamelessly eat until we pass out. Oh America! In this 11th month of the year, while food is first and foremost on most people’s minds, it seems the food industry is churning out a ton of fun new concepts, creations and trends. Let’s explore them, shall we?

SIAL Paris:

An exciting five-day international trade exhibition in Paris that welcomed over 7,000 exhibitors and more than 150,000 visitors to Paris. Some of the trends seen at the show included:

              Sustainability: easily one of the biggest trends in the industry right now, many companies are looking at different approaches to reducing plastic in their packaging, utilizing biodegradable packaging, and buying ‘pesticide free’ vegetables from farms utilizing agricultural techniques that have a low environmental impact.

Transparency: long gone are the days where consumers couldn’t name or pronounce half of the ingredients in their breakfast cereal. These days consumers are increasingly looking for products who have nothing to hide. Millesime, a vintage chocolate company emphasizes the fact that each bar is made from beans from a precise origin, harvest and geography.

              Animal welfare: for many heartless years, cows, pigs, and chickens were put up in horrendous, overcrowded feeding pens in the USA and abroad before their ultimate demise. Thankfully many prominent people started to take note of these deplorable conditions and chose to take a stand against it. Nowadays approximately 80% of consumers say they are seeking to buy animal products that are more respectful of the animal and the way they are treated. Meat companies are taking note of this and boasting organically fed and free-range poultry.

Sophisticated and trendy new flavor boosts: companies are responding to consumers adventurous palates by using new techniques such as fermenting foods or infusing foods to create new and unusual foods.

              Meat and fish alternatives: as more consumers are adopting a ‘vegetarian or vegan’ lifestyle, companies are getting on board by creating products that look and taste like meat but are far from it! Some of these companies include: Beyond Meat, Solmon, a vegan smoked substitute made from seaweed extracts, and Ocean Hugger Foods – a vegan sushi company.

              Plant based dairy: everything from yogurts to ice cream and cheese is seeing a transformation to a vegan alternative product. Companies are substituting regular milk with coconut milk, almond and cashew milk, vegetable oils and soy proteins.

              Ancient wheat: ancient varieties of wheat including semolina, bulgar, spelt, and einkorn are being used for paste, crackers and salad, offering a unique flavor and a more artisan feel for consumers.

Cooking oils: ever since coconut oil made its debut onto the scene, a variety of alternatives for olive oil have made their way onto shelves. Some of these include: sunflower oils, ghee, and nut-based oils including pistachio and cashew oils. 

              Meat snacks: things like crispy meat chips are all the rage as consumers continue to try to add more protein in their diets in the most convenient way possible.

Other notable trends include:

              Cannabis-infused products: the rise in cannabis related products has grown so much that the food recruiting website, forcebrands.com, which has expanded from its original food and beverage base to include beauty, has also included a section on their website for Cannabis related products. Some of the most popular cannabis related products include, cannabis oil, cannabis chocolates, and cannabis beauty and skin care products. KIVA Confections, for example created cannabis infused chocolates and is one of the most recognized cannabis companies in California.

No staff required supermarkets and convenience stores:

Japan: A convenience chain in Japan, Lawson, has opened their first fully self-serve store in Tokyo. To shop here all, you need to do is download and install the official Lawson app on your smartphone. When you enter the store, you boot up the Smartphone Pay feature of the app, scan the items you want on your phone, then click the checkout button when ready to pay.

Singapore: Spanning over 60,000 square feet, Habitat by Honestbee is a full supermarket, specialty fresh grocery, online fulfillment center, retail innovation hub and experiential dining destination. The store stocks 20,000 products including global ingredients and daily essentials. The unique thing about Habitat is that it is the world’s first cashless checkout experience and robotic collection point. Orders can be processed from beginning to end in under five minutes.  For customers looking to purchase a variety of things, shoppers can drop off their carts at the AutoCheckout point and Habitat will take care of scanning, packaging, payments and delivery. Now the serious question…when is this coming to the USA? Interesting article on it here.

Hunan Cuisine (regional Chinese cuisine) causing quite the stir in NYC:

Hunan cuisine is considered one of China’s eight traditional regional cuisines. Hunan cuisine is characterized by dishes jam packed with chili and vinegar. Instead of using dried pepper favored by Sichuan, Hunan’s heat comes from fresh red and green chilies. The East Village of NYC has seen its fair share of Hunan restaurant openings. Back in July, Eater.com called the rise of stylish Chinese restaurants in the East Village one of the greatest trends in NYC dining right now. Check out Silky Kitchen to give this unique Chinese cuisine a try. The good news…everything here is under $14! Craving noodles? Head to Huan Slurp. These delicious and unique rice noodles have a distinguished, well rounded flavor. The signature rice noodle dish is the ‘Fish Fish Fillet Mifen’ which includes slow simmered pork bone and wok-fried fish boiled until the soup turns milky white. Customers are then encouraged to plunge raw fish fillets into the soup with greens on the side.

    The 13th annual StarChefs 2018 event in NYC:

The annual Starchefs.com International Chefs Congress took place on Oct 21-23 at the Brooklyn Expo this year. The conferences covered demonstrations, hands-on savory, pastry and bartender workshops, wine tasting seminars and business panels, hands-on workshops, beverage tastings, business seminars and much more. The theme for this year’s congress was ‘cooking with respect: better people, better food’. Here are some key food trends from this year’s conference:

Unique ways to use caviar, unique ways to prepare onions, veggies being treated like meat, unique ways of cooking and using eggs, and sustainability and respect for the environment. Find out more here.

A very interesting restaurant concept…Zauo, NYC

Ever wonder exactly where your seafood came from? Wonder no more! Zauo, this Japanese chain in Chelsea lets you catch your own dinner. Say what? When you enter the establishment, you grab your fishing license and rod to fetch your very own fish. The selection of tanks contains species such as rainbow trout, stone bass, and flounder, along with abalone and lobster. Once caught the restaurant staff takes the fish away and serves it as you like. Leave your vegan friends behind for this one!

New products to look out for!

My/Mo Mochi ice cream: triple flavored ice cream – same great product but now they’ve added a central layer to give it more flavor. The four new flavors will include: chocolate sundae, chocolate peanut butter, vanilla blueberry and dulce de leche.  

Trader Joe’s carrot cake spread: oh my. The spread is made with minced carrots, orange peel, crushed pineapples, golden raisins, and autumnal spices.

Hershey’s new chocolate bar: the new bar is half milk chocolate bar and half chocolate bar with Reese’s Pieces.

Worldwide trends that need to make their way to the USA:

Ruby chocolate: using specially selected South American cocoa beans, this chocolate has a unique taste, it’s slightly sour and very fruity. Some describe it as a less-sweet, raspberry white chocolate. KitKat brought their ruby version to the UK in April after launching it in Japan and Korea. Luckily for us Americans, it’s also available on Amazon!

Beats and brunch: although I am sure we can find this in the USA, Australia is really topping the cake with the “Beats n’ Brunch” concept! Since I Left You, a bar in Sydney, hosts a Beats ‘n’ Brunch complete with a hip-cop DJ, an hour or bottomless cocktails and delicious waffles. Sounds like the perfect Sunday to me!

Vending machines filled with insect snacks: I wish I made that one up, but no you read it correctly. Japan has installed an insect vending machine at Kokai Shopping District in Kumamoto. Read more about it here. I thought that would be a first, but apparently Houston, Texas already had one in the Houston Museum of Natural Science!

Mast chewing gum: I think we’ve all been waiting for this for a long time. The world’s first easily digestible chewing gum has been launched in Australia. Its plant based and sugar free and made from the ancient Mediterranean Pistacia (cashew) resin. The gum is made from natural ingredients and is biodegradable.

November 2018 Food Trends The minute November hits, we all know it’s full on Thanksgiving mode here in the USA. We all sit and dream about mashed potatoes and gravy, apple pie, cornbread stuffing until the third Thursday of the month hits and we shamelessly eat until we pass out.

In my early years as a dentist and a father, I used to feel bad around Halloween. But it’s funny how 30 years of fatherhood and the joys of trick-or-treating with my daughters will change your perspective! I’ve come to realize that we can find a happy middle ground and have a fun and healthy halloween.

In fact, it’s during Halloween that I find our children are watching us—how do we react around all this candy? Do they see adults engaging in moderation? Or adults who act powerless in front of candy? This is why you won’t see me participating in dentist buy back programs; I think this just confuses kids, not to mention, gives the candy value that it doesn’t deserve. If I were a kid, I’d be thinking, “hey, if the dentist is willing to pay for this stuff, maybe I should keep it.”

The idea isn’t to be the Halloween grinch, but there are plenty of ways to celebrate Halloween that are healthier, and more ethical, than the mainstream.

Step 1: Dump the Junk and Make These Healthier Halloween Candy Swaps

While searching Amazon for healthy Halloween candy options on Amazon, I was disappointed. It was so hard to find options without artificial colors, corn syrup, and hydrogenated oils!

Not to mention, when I searched Google for “healthy candy swaps” the focus was always on calorie count or grams of fat. When it comes to dental health, don’t let these things be a guide. There are plenty of low-cal, low-fat candies out there that can wreak havoc on teeth.

Whether you’re looking for candy to pass out to trick-or-treaters in the neighborhood to indulge in yourself, this is my roundup of the best candy options for teeth on Amazon. A disclaimer: these are all still candy in every sense of the word, but they’re definitely the lesser evil. Read on to learn why these candies made the cut and others did not.

Roundup: 8 Best Choices for Teeth

UNREAL Dark Chocolate Crispy Peanut Butter Cups

Butterfinger fan? You’ll love the crispy crunch in these peanut butter cups, without the hydrogenated oil and corn syrup.

Tcho Assorted Dark Chocolate Mini Squares

I send each of my patients home with these Tcho minis in their bag of floss and toothbrush. They’re smooth and delicious.

OCHO The Organic Candy Bar Peanut Butter Minis

These are a great option for Snickers bar lovers who don’t want artificial flavors, hydrogenated oils, or corn syrup in their candy.

  Alter Eco Salted Individually Wrapped Caramel Truffles

When it comes to the teeth, I usually like to recommend you stay away from gooey candy. But if you’re a caramel fan, these are a fantastic option. The only ingredients are sugar, cacao beans, cocoa butter, coconut oil, whole milk, natural flavors, sea salt, and vanilla beans. And there’s no soy lecithin, which is rare! Plus, they’re organic and individually wrapped for trick-or-treaters.

  Justin’s Dark Chocolate Mini Peanut Butter Cups

Reese’s peanut butter cup lovers, this is your new go-to. The real peanut butter and dark chocolate make these a far more satisfying snack, too—you and your kids will feel satiated sooner.

  Endangered Species Bug Bites, Smooth Dark Chocolate

Gourmet dark chocolate squares, individually wrapped for trick-or-treaters. The larger bars have facts about endangered animals that our daughters used to love to collect.

  Equal Exchange Organic Dark Chocolate Minis

All organic ingredients, small farmer grown, non-GMO, vegan chocolate minis.

  PUR Xylitol Gum

Whether you pass these out to trick-or-treaters or keep them on hand while trick-or-treating yourself, chewing gum protects the teeth by getting saliva flowing. Saliva is our body’s best protection against cavities—bathe the teeth in saliva and you mitigate the acid hit from all that candy. Xylitol is a sweetener I like for its low glycemic index and cavity protection properties. You can also chew this gum after your candy fix to buffer the pH of the candy and lessen the potential for tooth enamel destruction.

So, why didn’t organic lollipops and fruit-flavored gummies make the list? There’s a very good reason for that…read on!

Step 2: Know the Worst Offenders

By knowing how candy actually affects the teeth, you can help steer your family toward better candy choices.

Worst Halloween Candies for Teeth

Gummy worms: because they’re the most acidic. Acid is bad for your teeth because it wears down the tooth enamel, which protects your teeth. This makes it easier for teeth to become chipped or broken. Enamel also insulates the tooth. Damaged enamel can expose the nerves in your teeth, which are extremely sensitive to changes in temperature of the things you eat and drink.

Chewy or sticky: The stickier the candy, the worse it is. The effects of these sticky candies will linger because they stick around, increasing the chance for a cavity. The same goes for dried fruit, which is just as bad for your teeth because of the stickiness and concentration of sugar. Stick to real fruit, which is far less concentrated in sugar and is packed with fiber and water that keep you full.

Hard candy: That’s because when it comes to how bad a candy is for your teeth, frequency of exposure is more harmful than quantity. If you eat the candy quickly and brush your teeth and it’s over very quickly — as far as your teeth go (not talking about blood glucose systems and the effect on the rest of the body) it’s much better than sucking on a candy all day long, like in the case of a lollipop. Frequency of exposure increases chance of harm to teeth – but if you throw it down the hatch and brush and floss right after, damage to (teeth only) can be minimal. There are lots of organic lollipops without artificial colors that you won’t see me recommending for this reason. Better to be down the hatch quickly!

Best Halloween Candies for Teeth

Anything with nuts: Think Payday bars or Peanut M&M’s. Nuts and nut butters like peanut and almond butter help to break up the stickiness and the fiber and fat in nuts can help satiate. Chocolate and nuts are always better than the fake fruity junk! My favorite “candy bar” which I’ve found to be tastier than my old favorite Payday and extremely low in sugar — around 5 to 6 grams depending on the flavor — are the KIND bars. My favorite flavor is Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt.

Dark chocolate: Lower in sugar, Raise your kids to appreciate the taste of real dark chocolate, instead of junky milk chocolate! Plus, dark chocolate is a superfood and has properties that may help remineralize teeth.

Step 3: Always Read the Ingredients

While shopping for candy (or any food for that matter), make sure your kids see you read ingredient labels. If they see you do this, I promise they’ll start doing it in adulthood. As parents, I believe one of the most meaningful gifts we give our children is the habits they carry with them into adulthood—and reading the ingredients label is a habit that will add years to their life and life to their years.

Here are some of the most common “must-know” ingredients you’ll see in Halloween candy.

Not Ideal Ingredients

You’ll see these in a lot of organic and natural brands of candy, including ones that made the list above. These ingredients are not ideal, but they’re pretty hard to avoid even in the organic, “healthier” brands of Halloween candy. I recommend avoiding these, but okay to make an exception on Halloween:

Soy lecithin

Industrial seed oils (sunflower oil, canola oil, palm oil)

Sugar, cane sugar

“Always Avoid” Ingredients

These are always bad, in any quantity. Add these to your “never” list and make sure your kids know why.

Corn syrup, which even in moderation is a major cause of heart disease, obesity, cancer, dementia, liver failure, tooth decay and more.

Artificial coloring (including Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 6, Yellow 5) which are banned in many countries in Europe and may mutate healthy DNA, contain carcinogens, cause brain cancer, and inhibit nerve-cell development, among other concerns. (Read 6 Artificial Food Colors You Need to Know About here.)

TBHQ, an additive to preserve processed foods, which is linked to ADHD in children and has caused liver enlargement and neurotoxic effects in laboratory animals.

Partially hydrogenated oils, a trans fat that increases risk of heart disease with the double whammy of both raising bad cholesterol and lowering good cholesterol. The American Heart Association suggests limiting trans fats to less than one percent of your total calories.

Step 4: Adopt These 6 Halloween Traditions That Healthy Families Follow

Fill them up with their favorite meal before trick or treating starts. A fatty, filling meal with protein and a slow-burning carbohydrate. If you want to be extra sneaky, make something that’s your child’s favorite so they start off trick-or-treating already feeling satisfied. Also, after a meal, there’s more saliva in the mouth, which will help protect your child’s teeth against the acid attack from the candy.

Bring lots of water with you! Your kids’ teeth are going to be bathed in acid from all that candy, and water helps buffer the acid attack. The best part? Your kids will be thirsty from eating all that candy, and will be relieved you thought to bring water. Here’s a tip if you get trick-or-treaters: Keep mini water bottles on ice in a cooler and pass them out chilled. Try it and I promise you’ll be a favorite house on the block—the chilled water will re energize both kids and parents and keeps everyone going!

Don’t forget the magic of the Great Pumpkin! This is a fabulous tradition that my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed with all three of our daughters. The Great Pumpkin works just like Santa Claus or The Tooth Fairy—let your kids indulge Halloween night, and have them put their leftover candy at the front door. The Great Pumpkin flies through the skies Halloween night and replaces bags of candy with a gift—a new game, clothing, or colored pencil set perhaps. I’ve also heard of this same concept being called “The Switch Witch.” Choose something that works for your family and your kids, and make the tradition your own.

Demonstrate moderation yourself. As a father, this has always been my hardest lesson. My girls were never as likely to do what I would say, as they were to follow my example—especially as they got older. Indulge in some candy, practice good habits, and above all, don’t give candy value it doesn’t deserve—don’t participate in dentist buyback programs or make candy a reward for good behavior. Kids pick up on this and psychologically we don’t want them to see candy as something of value.

Use leftover candy for science experiments: Did you know you can use leftover candy for science? We never did this with our girls, but if we’d known about it, we would have! If you search Google for “leftover Halloween candy science experiments” there are tons of great ideas.

Don’t brush right after: It may be counterintuitive, but you want your kids to drink plenty of water and wait at least 30 to 45 minutes after a candy binge before brushing. The acids in candy temporarily weaken enamel, and brushing right after will irreparably damage that enamel.

It’s Not As Simple as Cavities and Sugar

I want to be very careful not to oversimplify cavities and sugar. The mouth is a complex ecosystem of microorganisms. Eat the wrong foods, and you throw this delicate ecosystem out of whack, making you more prone to bad breath, gut, heart, and brain health disturbances, and yes, more cavities. This is why I like to say, what happens in the mouth, happens in the body; your oral health impacts virtually every other system in the body! There are many more implications to all this sugar than just a hole in the tooth.

Your tooth is a live organ, constantly losing and regaining minerals, like dollars flowing in and out of your bank account. Losing minerals is natural, but when the tooth can’t regain minerals faster than it loses them, you get a cavity, or, to use the bank account analogy, a “deficit” in funds.

Teeth are constantly in a process of either losing minerals or gaining back those minerals, and what you eat determines all of this. Refer to How to Never Get a Cavity: Remineralization 101 to learn more.

Sugar also doesn’t just impact oral health; it impacts overall health too. New research is starting to find that our levels of sugar consumption are making sugar a toxin that could be a driving force behind many diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and breast, endometrial, and colon cancers.

All of that said, I do expect my readers to indulge a little on the holidays. Take this information and make better choices for yourself and your family. And make sure to discuss it with your kids, too!

I hope I’ve shown you that it is possible to enjoy Halloween while at the same time sticking to your values (and without being “that” person in the neighborhood who passes out toothbrushes and apples…I know my daughters are grateful I’m no longer doing that.)

Wishing you and your families a happy and safe Halloween!

Dr. Mark Burhenne

The post 4 Ways to Have a Halloween You Can Feel Good About (Without the Kids Calling You Lame) appeared first on Ask the Dentist.

from Ask the Dentist https://askthedentist.com/healthy-halloween/

Days 1-7

DAY ONE [JAN 1 2021]

8:00 AM - I’m back! It’s been a few years since I’ve done this and I thought it would be cool to try again. There are a lot of differences with COVID in my life – I mostly don’t leave the house and we [K and I - same boyfriend] are waiting for the vaccine before integrating back. 

10:00 AM - Grab a handful of chex mix, make a chemex, and zone out on the couch for a bit. It’s been a really slow week all around, but good. I’ve gotten a lot of cleaning stuff done and I’m hoping to wrap up my to-do list this weekend.

11:45 AM - Clean the kitchen and shoot black bean burgers for my recipe blog. I started this sometime in 2018 but really picked things up in 2019 and even more so with being home in 2020. I have a goal to turn this into a lucrative side gig by the time I have kids which won’t be for a few more years. 

2:30 PM - Burgs turn out great and photograph well too. K and I eat them with a side of chips and salsa and a seltzer.

4:30 PM - K, KP (dog), and I take a 1-mile walk. I do a Pure Barre livestream after. I’m doing the platinum challenge this year (15 classes x 12 months), so my first class of 180 is done! Hah. Decide I want to buy some stickers for the chart I made to track my classes so I buy a pack on Amazon. $7.44

6:30 PM - Make cauliflower rice for dinner with tofu. Put Mamafuku crunchy chili sauce on it that friends gifted us for Christamas. 

10:30 - Get a nasty text from my mom about refinancing my house. I want to put K on the title, but it turns out I will get taxed a gift since we are not married (yet!). Kind of annoying, but K and I decide to just wait until that happens. Also my parents suck with anything non-traditional and it is becoming a huge problem in our relationship.

DAY ONE TOTAL: $7.44

DAY TWO

9:30 AM - Make a chemex. Feeling a little off from last night and the way my mom seems to think she can step all over me. Watch Youtube [Dessert Person] and start to edit photos from yesterday.

12:00 PM - Make soyrizo tofu (for me) / egg (for K) scramble tacos for brunch. 

1:00 PM - Can’t decide on which color background is better for these burgers and after polling my friends one of them suggests and A/B test. The nerd in me is so down and I build the campaign in Facebook. Open a seltzer. $10

3:30 PM - Ride the Peloton for 10 minutes (Trying to integrate this more into my workouts - I love it, but I love barre more!) and then do a barre stream. I email the studio about the new warmup since I seem to have hurt my lower back from yesterday’s workout. 

5:00 PM - K is tired of finding my hair literally everywhere so we decide it’s time to cut it - I haven’t had a cut since December 2019. He chops off a good 6-8 inches. It looks ok! 

6:30 PM - Heat up leftover lasagna rolls and air fry some green beans for dinner. Eat a piece of peppermint bark while everything heats.

9:30 AM - Make a chemex. Feeling a little off from last night and the way my mom seems to think she can step all over me. Watch Youtube [Dessert Person] and start to edit photos from yesterday.

12:00 PM - Make soyrizo tofu (for me) / egg (for K) scramble tacos for brunch. 

1:00 PM - Can’t decide on which color background is better for these burgers and after polling my friends one of them suggests and A/B test. The nerd in me is so down and I build the campaign in Facebook. Open a seltzer. $10

3:30 PM - Ride the Peloton for 10 minutes (Trying to integrate this more into my workouts - I love it, but I love barre more!) and then do a barre stream. I email the studio about the new warmup since I seem to have hurt my lower back from yesterday’s workout. 

5:00 PM - K is tired of finding my hair literally everywhere so we decide it’s time to cut it - I haven’t had a cut since December 2019. He chops off a good 6-8 inches. It looks ok! 

6:30 PM - Heat up leftover lasagna rolls and air fry some green beans for dinner. Eat a piece of peppermint bark while everything heats.

8:00 PM - Pour myself a glass of rosé and rummage for snacks - eat a small handful of chex mix and some gf pretzel sticks. 

9:00 PM - Looks like yellow is winning the A/B test by about 2%! I build out the rest of the assets for the post so it’s ready to go first thing tomorrow.

DAY TWO TOTAL: $10

DAY THREE

9:30 AM - Chemex and a handful of chex mix. Turn on Raptors / Pelicans game from yesterday. Wrap up my black bean burger post and get it up into the interspace.

1:00 PM - Wow that took 100 years. I’m really trying to amp up my posting signal, and what normally takes 30 minutes took an hour. Blah. Need to get away from screens.

2:00 PM - Eat leftover black bean burgs for lunch with chips & salsa with a Polar seltzer. Set chairs up in the backyard. NY Friend is in town and he and Q are stopping by. Q paid me back the last of the ~$2k he owed me sometime last summer. We’ve remained very close and I don’t feel like our friendship has been affected by this transaction in a negative way!

5:15 PM - NYF & Q head out. Jump on a zoom with K’s family for a bit and then hop over to another one with some of my girlfriends. Pour a glass of rosé. 

8:00 PM - Watch the last two minutes of the Suns game (they lost). Need to eat. Heat up a Big Sur Breakfast Burrito for dinner with tortilla chips and truffle hot sauce. Check analytics on black bean burg it’s doing REALLY well. Yay!

9:30 PM - Make brine for ham seitan and check my fantasy teams (I’m in two NBA leagues). Both are on track to win this week!

DAY THREE TOTAL: $0

DAY FOUR

7:00 AM - Pure Barre weekly charge. $15

8:30 AM - Cue that They Might Be Giants Song, I Don’t Want to Go to Work. Pull on a pair of fitted sweats with an Everlane tee. Make a chemex and seitan ham dough. Open my computer and discover that Slack is down. Do some misc reddit things before returning to emails.

9:30 AM - KP barfs on the carpet. Gross. K helps me clean it up. Wash hands and toss seitan ham in the oven.

10:00 AM - Eat siggi’s plant-based yogurt for breakfast. This is by far the best vegan yogurt out there. 10/10 - vanilla is the best.

11:45 AM - My seitan exploded. Damn. It’ll still taste good but I hate when that happens! Eat a piece of rye toast.

12:45 PM - Eat a leftover lasagna rollup for lunch along with the last of the chex mix. Open a Polar seltzer.

4:30 PM - Here’s the part where you stop reading already because of generational wealth - Dad calls and says there was enough money in the family trust this year for every grandchild to get $5k and that he transferred the money into my account. This was a total surprise - we thought last year was supposed to be it. Always eternally grateful for all of the gifts my grandparents have given me over the years and 2021 is no exception. Check my account and see my stimulus also hit today. What a day to be alive. 

5:30 PM - Do a Pure Barre live stream, take a birdbath, and get ready for the grocery order. We order Instacart every 2.5 weeks and it’s always a production to wash and put everything away. In this order, we get frozen burritos, tofu, tortilla chips, riced broccoli, real cheese, vegan cheese, frozen corn, plant-based yogurt, cloves, low carb tortillas, bread, onions, scallions, bell peppers sauerkraut, pickles, relish, vegan butter, sprouts, bananas, basil, green beans, vegetable bouillon, chickpeas, oranges, romaine, grapes, clementines, black beans, vegan mayo, broccoli, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, cauliflower, garlic, lemon, celery, cucumbers, limes, jalapenos, apples, horseradish, leeks, cilantro, marinara sauce, dark chocolate, frozen peas, olives, BBQ sauce, salsa, pepperoncinis, mustard, lasagna noodles, & lemon juice. $324.11

8:15 PM - Finish up seitan ham and roast potatoes to go with veggie sandwiches. We eat these at the start of every grocery run and they have Dave’s Killer Bread, Vegenaise, vegan cheese, seitan ham, cucumber, onions, red bell pepper, sprouts, romaine, and red wine vinegar. So delicious. Pour a rosé after dinner.

DAY FOUR TOTAL: $339.11

DAY FIVE

8:15 AM - Lay in bed thinking about the generosity of my grandparents. Decide to put $3k of the money into my investment account, $1k into HYSA, and put the last $1k off to the side for wardrobe improvements – I lost some weight last year and NONE of my clothes fit. I have 4 dresses that are work-appropriate and the rest - I gifted to friends and others in need. For the most part, I’m waiting until COVID winds down and I have to be in public again before buying much just in case my size changes again. 

9:00 AM - Chemex, banana and a clementine for breakfast. KP seems to be feeling better today. 

12:30 PM - Make K and I salads for lunch with romaine, cucumber, bell pepper, tomato, chickpeas, red onion, and cashew ranch. Open a Polar seltzer.

2:00 PM - Yard guy texts me and says he never got December’s payment. He says it’s totally chill but it’s absolutely not because he did a crap ton of work on our side yard. Pay him plus an extra $20 immediately and schedule something for the weekend so he can get the rest of the leaves out front. $180

3:00 PM - Last night I found the DDR subreddit and honestly couldn’t be more happy. I LOVED the game and still have my gear from middle school. I drop in the shed to find my mat and dust it off to use for later. Also eat a handful of gf pretzels. Venmo my old coworker for a joint bday present for another old coworker. $25.30

4:00 PM - Work is finally slow so I change into my exercise clothes early and do pure barre livestream. I make it through the entire workout uninterrupted and try DDR for the first time in a hot minute.

5:45 PM - That was SO fun. I played for 30 minutes. Did mostly songs on standard but had way better stamina than other times I’ve tried to pick it back up again when I’ve been extremely out of shape and couldn’t really keep up + light songs are boring so this was just a treat.

7:30 PM - Make leftover bean, rice and cheeze burritos for dinner with chips and homemade chile de arbol salsa. Drink a glass of wine after.

DAY FIVE TOTAL: $205.30

DAY SIX

8:50 AM - I slept through my alarm? Or turned it off. Weird. My butt is so sore today from yesterday’s workout. Make a chemex. Eat a banana.

10:00 AM - Have a call with a mortgage loan officer and give him the official green light to proceed with refinancing my house. Interest rates are so good right now. Shortening my loan by 4 years and mortgage will only go up by $20! Give the guy my card number to pay for the appraisal and credit check. Goodbye stimulus. $658.66

12:30 PM - K turns on the news to watch the Trumpers protest. I make a salad for myself for lunch and toss one for him in the fridge. Attend virtual therapy. Got some good things to think about and am energized after. Therapist doesn’t take insurance so this is OOP. $90

2:15 PM - Tune into the news. What a giant cluster. I don’t have much to add to the conversation. I’m disgusted but not surprised. Eat 2 clementines and a handful of gf pretzels.

5:30 PM - Do a barre livestream. Start to catch myself feeling a little wonky halfway through and make a nuun. Perk up after 5 minutes and finish strong.

7:00 PM - Make veggie sandwiches for dinner with miso butter broccoli. Watch the news for a while, finish a book about abusive partners (I grew up with a lot of abuse and still deal with it from family members who suck), pour a glass of rosé and eat a couple chocolate squares and a few sweedish fish.

12:30 AM - Fall asleep on the couch. At some point I wake up and sleepily eat a few mini pretzels on my way to the bedroom.

DAY SIX TOTAL - $748.66

DAY SEVEN 

8:50 AM - Sleep in again but this time on purpose. Make a chemex and eat a banana and two clementines for breakfast. Make an effort to drink water too.

10:00 AM - My back has been feeling really bumpy lately and I think I need to get that layer of bacteria off since my regular cleanser isn’t cutting it. Buy a bar of zinc soap from Amazon. $14.04

1:30 PM - Eat K’s salad from yesterday so it doesn’t go bad with a Polar seltzer. 

4:00 PM - Work has been wild today. Lots of calls. Good progress, but not so much for a major report I have due soon. Hopefully I’ll be able to finalize it tomorrow so it’s off my desk. Eat some grapes. 

5:30 PM - Ride the Peloton for 10 minutes and do a barre live stream. 

7:00 PM - Rinse off, do the dishes, roast potatoes in the oven, make the last of the black bean burgers for dinner. Spend the rest of the evening working on the header and footer templates for this project, reading Remain in Love, and watching NBA.

DAY SEVEN TOTAL: $14.04