Influenster Sugar n' Spice

Going on vacation threw me for a little loop at the end of March, but I don't want to forget to share my Influenster Box with you all because I was very pleased with its contents.  If you are unsure of what Influenster is, check it out.  It works a bit like Ipsy or Birchbox, but its free!  You just have to promise to share you feelings about it on various forms of social media.

Here is what came in my box and my thoughts/review of each product:

Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturizer: I loved this!  I was hesitant at first because it reminded me of sunscreen and I didn't want it to feel or smell like sunscreen.  However, it has a pleasant, neutral smell and goes on with little greasy feel.  I was pleased with how well is moisturized my skin.

Colgate Optic White Mouthwash: I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of mouthwash albeit I probably should be.  I thought this did a really good job leaving my teeth and breath feeling fresh and clean.  It had the "stinging" sensation that I like, but the flavor was very strong.

Colgate Optic White Toothbrush: I love this toothbrush!  It has these little bristles that massage your teeth and gums.  I will definitely buy this one when I need another new one.  The bristles aren't too hard and they do a great job getting your teeth clean.

Colgate Optic White Toothpaste: Unfortunately, I am allergic to Colgate toothpaste and am unable to use this product.  There is an ingredient in Colgate that I am allergic to.  I did have my husband try it and he really likes it.  He said his mouth feels fresh after using it.

Dickinson's Witch Hazel Face Wipes: This product was quite possibly, the most life changing one in my box.  I took these with me on vacation to Charleston.  I love that they are individually wrapped so I wasn't having to travel with a large package of wipes.  They take the makeup off my face easily, but what I loved even more was that they left my face feeling clean and refreshed.  Some makeup wipes will leave it feel sticky and stiff - these did not have that effect.  I will definitely purchase these in the future.

BelVita Breakfast Biscuit: I had seen these in the store and was very hesitant about them.  Mostly because they claimed to have a lot of fiber and to taste good.  From my experience, most products with a high fiber content and made primarily of wheat have a cardboard-y taste.  These things are delish!  I will most definitely buy them again once Whole 30 is over.  They had plenty of flavor, were appetizing, and kept me full through the morning.  Not to mention, their individual package makes it easy to throw in my backpack and eat at work.

Splenda Nectresse Sweetener: I was so excited to see Splenda coming out with an all natural sweetener.  I've been a Truvia user since it came out.  I try to avoid sugar, but even more so I try to avoid aspartme.  I was very pleased with this product.  I tried it on a grapefruit as well as in my morning coffee.  It definitely does the job without the negative side effects of "fake" sugars.

I really enjoyed trying out the new products.  I am looking forward to working with Influenster again in the future!

*This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.*

Whole 30: Week 1 Recap

I did it!  I completed my first whole week of Whole 30!  I'm going to recap each week a bit like a "bump date" sharing some of the highs and lows throughout the process as well as some of my favorite meals I've put together throughout the week.  If you have decided to go through this process with me, please share and comment below.  I would love to hear what day you are on and how you are faring so far.  If you can recommend any good recipes, I'm all ears!

Best Part of the Week: The best part of the week was definitely Day 4 when my headaches subsided.  Going without caffeine and sugar took a toll on my body, opening my eyes to just how reliant I have become on those two substances.  

Hardest Part of the Week: Going out to eat with old friends.  I got to meet up with my 2 best friends from high school Tuesday night and it was really difficult to figure out what I could eat on the menu.  I learned Monday that many salad dressings contain either dairy or sugar so I avoided salad.  I ended up getting a grilled/smoked pork chop, pickled okra, and sauteed vegetables.  It was delish!

Loving: Chai tea!  It has enough caffeine to give me a kickstart and to subdue my headaches.  It tastes so good I don't miss my flavored creamers or sweeteners.

Missing: Milk.  I love milk.  I would drink it with dinner each night.  

I've Noticed: I'm sleeping so much more soundly at night.  I wake up in the morning feeling well rested.  Not to mention, my energy levels are much higher than normal.  Typically I start to get tired around 7:00 at night (after school, workouts, dinner) and this week I have been able to do many household chores throughout the week that I would normally take care of on Sunday because I'm not as sluggish.

Looking Forward: I'm excited to see how I feel the rest of the week.  I feel "lighter" (not talking weight-wise) in general and I'm excited to see how good that makes me feel.  Overall, I'm excited to not feel controlled or bogged down by food.

Eating: I've been sticking to my salads for lunch and topping them with grilled chicken.  I have found that my favorite salad dressing (Goddess) is allowed and most vinegariettes are as well.  However, I was surprised to see that some vinegar based dressings add sugar to the mix.  I've been a little more creative on the dinner front:

Sausage, sauteed green peppers and onions, steamed broccoli, a fried egg, and a baked sweet potato left me very satisfied.  My main concern was whether or not I would feel full and I ended up not being able to eat it all.  It's important to note: on Whole 30 you are not allowed potatoes, but you are allowed sweet potatoes.  Honestly, I have enjoyed them!

I was craving tacos.  I just made my tacos without shells.  Honestly, I was afraid I would miss the crunch and I didn't...not even a little bit.  I had plenty of romaine lettuce, red peppers, and green onions on there to make up for it.  I didn't even think twice about the cheese - try it - you won't even notice its missing.  Salsa made for a great dressing as well.

For breakfast, I've been sticking to juicing and fruit.  I eat lunch at 10:30 at school so fruit/juice keeps me nourished until then.  I usually bring another piece of fruit to have on my 2:00 planning since there is a large gap in time between lunch and dinner at home.

In the evenings, I snack on more fruit or I have some sunflower seeds or pistachios.  I've noticed that I'm not craving a snack as often as I used to.

How are you doing?

Whole 30: Grocery Shopping

The nice thing about the Whole 30 program is that they set you up for success from the get-go.  They even provide a printable grocery list to take with you to the store.  If you missed it, you can see why I've decided to do Whole 30 in this post.

My first trip to the grocery store was a little nerve racking.  I've always made an effort to purchase from the perimeter, but making sure to look at all the labels and check for added sugar took time and I really wanted to grab my hummus and pretzels, but I'm sticking with it!  By golly.

Here is what I got at the store (minus the things I got hubby since he isn't partaking):

• sausage
• ham
• asparagus
• fruit galore (strawberries, pears, tangelos, grapefruit, apples, bananas, and pineapple)
• mushrooms
• cucumber
• romaine
• shrimp
• sweet potatoes
• red&green peppers
• eggs

I have to admit, purchasing the groceries made this a lot less scary than I had originally thought it would be.  My biggest concern is that I typically crave something sweet in the evenings after dinner.  I purchased some LARA bars that have, so far, curbed that craving for me.  LARA bars taste phenomenal and all the flavors I've tried have been three ingredients or less.  

Now, I know that the first few days I'm going to have willpower out the wahzoo and then I'm going to hit day 5 or so and I'm going to start second guessing myself.  So, in an effort to avoid failure, I've gotten a few things to replace my typical daily snacks.  I am a huuuuuge lover of cheese and unfortunately, no dairy.  So, I'm going to try to keep cheese totally out of the house.  I also love me some flavored creamer for my coffee.  I purchased a few different flavors of hot tea so that I'm not tempted to add sweetener/cream to my coffee.  I'm not too worried about the fact that I can't eat grains other than quinoa and oatmeal.  

I can do it!  Have any of you done this?  Can't wait to share more!

As part of our Fitness Friday link-up, we are also participating in a 50 miles in April challenge.  Kelly (whom I got to meet - can't wait to tell you about that) and I are challenging ourselves and all of you to complete 50 miles in April.  Your miles can be calculated by biking, walking, running, swimming, etc.  Just get them in!  Can't wait to cheer each other on.

Use either or both buttons below in your post and link up with us!

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