Taylor Farms Sweet Kale Chopped Kit

Wednesday’s turning out to be a good new blog day, despite the fact that I work out on Wednesday evenings, same as I do after work on Tuesdays. Here’s my theory: Wednesday is easier because I do my Wednesday workout “with” Jessica, my friend/workout partner, on the phone. The set time for our Monday/Wednesday workouts is 5pm, but even if we push it to 5:30pm some days, I’m still more than likely going to be finished with the workout by 6:30pm. Wednesdays are structured.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, however, I’m on my own. What happens when I don’t have anyone expecting me, waiting for me, counting on my being there? I get sucked into doing other things, and next thing I know, I’m starting my workout at 7pm or later. I don’t manage my time well here at home, evidently.

Wednesday and Saturday nights, then. After so many years of Tuesday/Thursday posts, that’s how it’s shaking out here in TALC in the wake of going back to work and switching all of my workouts to evenings. I’m fine with it. I like it. I hope that you do, too.

~~~~~

We’ve arrived at the end of September, and my next post will land on the 3rd of October. OCTOBER, guys, as in SHORT HORROR OCTOBER. (!!!) It’s finally here! I’ve got a lot in the way of short horror to share in the weeks to come.

For this list of little things that I enjoyed in September, I only have one shareworthy film, and there were no new streaming series (as I continued watching Shameless throughout the month).

As for food, now that I’m looking at the list, I see that many of these items were products I’ve included in past “favorites” lists. I’m posting them anyway, though, since it’s been a while, and I enjoyed them quite a bit this last month.

[Side-note: My friend Caroline has been texting in efforts to convince me to rest my hand and to NOT post tonight! She’s straight-up trying to sabotage this post by making me laugh, blowing up my phone to keep me from writing, and letting me know that I’m a terrible mother because Nenette is being neglected as I sit here writing this. I told her I’d try to keep it short.]

Let’s get into it, then!

1). Host (Shudder Original film)

You might remember that I was impressed by the effectiveness of this low-budget horror flick… I mean, it actually scared me. In case you missed it, you can click here to read what I had to say about it. Highly recommend!

2). Kashi Whole Wheat Biscuits, Autumn Wheat (cereal). (Vegan)

Kashi Autumn Wheat cereal

(Repeated item.) Since I enjoyed this cereal throughout September, it’s worth listing it again. I love this simple cereal… it’s organic, vegan, and just barely sweet.

3). Frozen mango chunks. (Vegan)

Frozen mango chunks

(Repeated item.) I still enjoy eating frozen mango chunks straight out of the bag for a healthy and refreshing dessert.

4). Taylor Farms Sweet Kale Chopped (salad) Kit. (Vegan – without the included dressing)

Taylor Farms Sweet Kale Chopped (salad) Kit

(Repeated item.) I’ve been eating a lot of this salad as of late. It’s still my favorite pre-prepared chopped salad! I use olive oil and balsamic vinegar instead of the dressing provided in the kit, so it’s vegan and I can really taste the fresh ingredients: broccoli, green cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, radicchio, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries. Delicious!

5). American Flatbread Vegan Harvest frozen pizza. (Vegan)

American Flatbread Vegan Harvest frozen pizza

This frozen pizza is hands-down my favorite vegan cheese pizza. My most-favorite vegan pizza is Amy’s No Cheese, but if I’m going to get a vegan cheese pizza? THIS ONE.

6). Siete Grain-Free Nacho Tortilla Chips. (Vegan and Paleo)

Siete Grain Free Nacho Tortilla Chips

I expected to see a list of chemicals when I picked up these chips to inspect the ingredients panel. Instead, I saw:

Cassava Flour, Avocado Oil, Coconut Flour, Nutritional Yeast, Tomato Powder, Chia Seed, Sea Salt, Citric Acid, Garlic Powder, Jalapeño Powder, Onion Powder, Serrano Powder

My friends, I will have you know that I bought these chips and ate the entire bag myself in one weekend. I’m not sure how I feel about that. They’re not terrible for you, but they’re not exactly nutrient-dense, either. They’re a not-terrible junk food, I guess I’d say… and they’re super tasty.

7). Urban Decay Stay Naked Correcting Concealer. (Vegan and cruelty-free)

Urban Decay Stay Naked Correcting Concealer

I was going to re-purchase my NARS concealer when I finally ran out, but in the time it took for me to use it up, NARS started selling their products in China. Consequently, NARS products are no longer cruelty-free. China requires that products are tested on animals!!

One of the things I appreciated about the concealer was how perfectly the shade matched my skin tone. I found a shade in this Urban Decay line of concealers that matches well, too, and I like the formula as much as I liked NARS’… plus, it’s vegan! If you’re looking for a good vegan and cruelty-free concealer with a wide shade range – and if you’re okay with a pricier concealer – I recommend this Urban Decay line.

8). VEBE shock-absorbing fingerless gloves. (Ordered on Amazon)

VEBE shock-absorbing fingerless gloves

I ordered these gloves in the interest of protecting my troubled left hand at work, and I liked them so much, I bought two more pairs. One, I use for lifting weights, and the other, I keep as a clean pair for doing things in the house should I need hand protection. That extra pair also serves as a back-up. The great thing about these gloves is their shock-absorbing gel pads. They do help! They’re easy to clean, too… I throw them in the washing machine once a week, and they come out like new. I don’t know about cycling/mountain-biking (for which the gloves are marketed), but they make for great everyday work gloves and weight-lifting gloves.

That’s all I’ve got for the month, my friends. Happy OCTOBER Eve!

I’m back with a “monthly favorites” post, and this time it’s an actual 10-item list and also on the first blog day of the new month – just like old times! I’ve got more food on the list than anything else, along with a couple of products, one random item, and only one entertainment mention. We didn’t get to the theater at all (not to worry – Us is at the top of our list for when we do), and we watched less T.V. than usual. We caught the March Grand Sumo Highlights, but you already know how much I love Sumo. We watched a fluffy streaming series that kept us entertained, but I didn’t feel compelled to include it here.

Without further ado, here’s what I’ve been watching, eating, and using:

1). Hanna (Amazon Prime Original)

I hesitated to include this series because it just dropped, and we’ve only seen the first two episodes. It might’ve been better to put it on my April list, but I’m already so impressed that I wanted to share it now as a recommendation. Hanna is based on the 2011 film, and it brings together one of my favorite T.V. duos: Linden (Mireille Enos) and Holder (Joel Kinnaman) from The Killing.

2). Shea Moisture 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Daily Hydration Facial Wipes.

Shea Moisture 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Daily Hydration Facial Wipes

I ran out of facial wipes for makeup-removal, and I saw these and almost didn’t get them… they’re not the cheapest. I was looking for my usual Yes to Coconut facial wipes when my eye caught on the word “coconut” on this package. Of course, I got them. Of course, I love them. They’re refreshing and wonderful with my makeup removing products, and they don’t feel oily at all.

3). W3LLPEOPLE Bio Extreme Lip Gloss (Berry).

W3LLPEOPLE Bio Extreme Lip Gloss in Berry

Target’s added more vegan/cruelty-free cosmetic lines to their stock! They’re killing it. I picked up this W3LLPEOPLE lip gloss in Berry, and now it’s my new favorite lip product. I love the feel of its formula, its herbal scent, the staying power of the color, and the color, itself.

4). Taylor Farms Sweet Kale Chopped Kit.

Taylor Farms Sweet Kale Chopped Kit

There’s not much to say about this salad mix except I’M HOOKED. It is chopped salad perfection. I’ve been eating this for lunch every day, removing the cranberries from the seed packet and using my own dressing (olive oil and balsamic vinegar for this one) rather than the one included.

5). Dried apples.

Dried apples

Dried apples: a new favorite snack that’s easy to eat while writing. No mess! They’re tart and light and lightly sweet, and the chew is satisfying and not clingy to the teeth.

6). Japanese sweet potatoes.

steamed Japanese sweet potatoes

Here’s another new favorite snack: these tiny sweet potatoes. I steam a whole bag all at once and keep them in the refrigerator. They’re easy to grab and eat, and they’re also mess-free since they’re cooked in water with no oil. So good!

7). Vega Sport Protein Bar (Crunchy Peanut Butter).

Vega Sport Protein Bar in Crunchy Peanut Butter

Vega Sport’s peanut butter crunch bar is my new favorite way to get in some post-workout protein if I can’t get home right away to make a protein shake.

8). Munk Pack Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Cookie.

Munk Pack Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Cookie

Clearly, I’m eating more sugar these days; I was impressed with the nutrition panel on these protein cookies, so I thought I’d try them. Lenny and Larry’s, move over. Munk Pack’s protein cookies’ nutrition panel looks better, and from what I recall of L & L’s, I like these better, too. I cut them in half and store them in the freezer in individual snack bags, so I only eat half at a time (half = one serving). They’re awesome frozen! I also love the double chocolate ones. I currently have both in the freezer.

9). C-Weed Snack Seaweed Crunch with Almonds.

C-Weed Snack Seaweed Crunch with Almonds

MORE SNACKS. Mom sent two bags of these seaweed snacks from Hawaii. I love seaweed in all forms. I also love almonds. This one was going to make my list without question… I mean, it was going to have to try really hard to not make the list. It’s not just not-horrible, it’s really good. If you like seaweed, you’ll want to try these!

10). Bat birthday card.

You guys, this was a totally random and anti-minimalism purchase. I was looking for a card for a specific person/occasion – not a birthday – and my eye snagged on this one. Bats! I read the outside, read the inside, and felt an uplifting of mirth such that there was no way my depression-challenged ass wasn’t going to bring it home. I love the art, as I said, but the card had me at the incorrect comma, weird/wrong syntax, and the awesome WTF-ness of the punchline. This card with its goofy message and birthday-hat-wearing-bats sits on my dresser and makes me giggle every day. Best four bucks spent in the month of March.