Jun 30, 2013

The Snarky Stylist Steps In: Studded Shorts

Possibly due, at least in part, to the punk-rock fashion leanings of celebrities like Rihanna and Miley Cyrus, studs are appearing on everything. Studded shoes, bracelets, and so on have been popular for a while, but designers aren't stopping there.

Studs + summer = studded shorts!

It's really not as intimidating a fashion trend as it might appear to be and it's not as hard to pull off, either!

Here's an example of a cute way to wear studded shorts.
Studded Shorts


Chiffon blouse
$15 - fashionunion.com


Mink pink
$20 - spoiledbrat.co.uk


White flat
modcloth.com


Forever New charm bracelet
$19 - forevernew.com.au


Carolina Bucci rose gold earrings
$375 - avenue32.com


Cat eye makeup
etsy.com


Lip gloss
eyeslipsface.com



Anyone can wear them, you don't have to be a punk rocker or look like the kid you cross the street to avoid! 

Can you tell that I love stacked bracelets? They're in most of my outfit combos! 

Also, those shoes? So adorable.

Do you have studded shorts?

Would you wear studded shorts?

What trend do you hope will happen next?

Jun 29, 2013

Snarky Stylist: Sweet Summer Look!

It's approximately mid-summer (at least for those of us who count seasons by academic breaks) and the perfect time to asses whether you're getting everything out of your summer that you want.

But it's also Saturday - so use at least part of the day to relax and enjoy a DIY pedicure and fun summer fashion!

summer


Desigual
$140 - zalando.co.uk


Wedge shoes
$750 - thenandnowshop.com


Forever 21 cross body
forever21.com


Aldo
aldoshoes.com


Brooch
topshop.com


Necklace
modcloth.com






I think that should be on everyone's summer to-do list, anyway.

What are you doing this summer?

How do you determine seasons?

What is your favorite Saturday tradition?

Jun 28, 2013

Just Pure Foods Kale-Nola Review + GIVEAWAY!

I love granola and have recently discovered that kalenolas are a fun way to mix things up.

Just Pure Foods sent me both of their Kale-Nola to try! They have a Maple Cranberry Kale-Nola and a Chocolate Kale-Nola.


I was happy to see that, while there was a good handful or so of crumbly stuff in the bottom of the bag, the kale-nola actually came in mostly big pieces - really big ones!

I love when there are big chunks of kale-nola or granola, because then it's great for eating out of the bag when you want a handy snack.


And they're a very healthy snack, too! Plenty of healthy fats from the seeds, whole grains from the sprouted buckwheat, and natural sugars from agave and coconut palm sugar.



Since they're low-temperature dried, I think they probably work for most raw foodists, too.

The Maple Cranberry Kale-Nola was delicious.



There were plenty of dried cranberries and the granola was sweet enough without having an overwhelming maple flavor.


But my favorite was the Chocolate Kale-Nola - of course!


It was like Kalenola with chocolate melted over and solidified - so good. A super chocolatey trail mix-reminiscent treat!

You can eat the Kale-Nola by itself, with yogurt, on ice cream (especially the Chocolate Kale-Nola, it really is dessert-worthy), or with any type of milk.

Do you want to try the Kale-Nolas yourself (or any of Just Pure Foods other healthy snacks, like Onion Rings, Kale Chips, and Zucchini Chips)? Just Pure Foods will send one lucky Living, Learning, Eating reader 5 free products of their choice!

The giveaway stays open for two weeks, US readers enter below!

Jun 27, 2013

Vegan Cuts Subscription Box Review!

I love subscription boxes.

Trying new things is always really fun and subscription boxes take some of the financial risk out of trying new things. For a set price ($19.95 per month, in the case of Vegan Cuts)  you get to try a variety of new products without having to pay as much as it would cost to buy full size boxes of each snack.

Vegan Cuts is specially developed for vegans, but is great for anyone - the snacks are wholesome and healthy, but not at the cost of taste!

This is what the June box consisted of:


Vegan Cuts had a great mix of snacks - there's something for everyone! That's one of the things that makes a well-chosen subscription box a great gift option (hint hint, haha).


For the salty snack lovers, these Beanfields chips are a real treat! With lots of fiber and protein, they're a healthy snack that satisfies much better than the standard potato chip alternative.

Though the Sweet Cinnamon Good Bean roasted chickpeas aren't exactly a 'salty' treat, they're crunchy in a way that'll help satisfy that craving.


I love apple chips and the Snapz - made of just apples, cinnamon, and a squeeze of lemon juice - didn't disappoint!


 They were crisp and sweet and delightful.


I also love baked goods, so these vegan treats were great! The Earnest Eats baked whole food bar isn't quite a brownie - it's more like a super chocolatey oat cake. Yum! 

The Michy's Vegan Cran Rustica cookie also was very flavorful and moist, you wouldn't guess that it was vegan, and hearty from the whole oats.


I haven't tried this vegan parmesan style-topping from Go Veggie yet, but it's intriguing. It's made with coconut oil and soy and is shelf-stable until opened (then you should store it in the fridge). It's also a great example of what I like about these boxes. I don't think I would have tried something like the on my own, since I hadn't heard of it before!


I was pleased to see a packet of MacroGreens drink mix, as I've tried mixes from the company before and really enjoyed them.

There was also a flavored water mix, Ultima, that tasted great and was sweetened with stevia and enriched with vitamins and electrolytes. I enjoyed it and would pick up more if I saw it in a store!


The Salba Chia Seeds have more nutrients than regular chia seeds (I don't know how, but I'm sure you could check out their website). A one serving packet to try it is great and it came with a coupon for more, in case you enjoy it!

There was multiple coupons, including one for a free jug of almond milk! Coupons are great and completely free ones are the best.

I really enjoyed the mix of treats in the June Vegan Cuts Snackbox and the best part is that you can cancel at any time, so there's no risk!

Do you use a subscription snack service?

Which of the snacks looks best to you?

Have you tried any of the products above?

Jun 25, 2013

5 Fun Facts About Germany

I love travel and learning unique things about fun places. Here are five fun facts about Germany!

1) The most popular German last name iMüller. 



2) There's a Chancellor Angela Merkel Barbie Doll.



3) Beer is officially considered a food in Bavaria.

Neuschwastein Castle, Bavaria, Germany in Winter Time Wallpaper
Bavaria is also home to the famous Neuschwastein Castle, on which the Disney World Cinerella castle is based



4) The first printed book was in German.


5) German is the official language of five countries: Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Austria, and Liechtenstein.

It's also spoken a lot in Belgium and parts of northern France and Italy.

Share a fun travel or geography fact of your own!

Jun 24, 2013

From the Aussies: Body Sciences Bars & Bites!

The Australians have a lot of healthy behaviors - with their lovely weather, there's a lot of emphasis on fresh fruits and being outside, whether it's lying on the beach or being active (just don't forget your sunscreen)! They also have some great healthy snacks.

Body Science is an Australian company that makes some great high protein snacks - like low carb bars and bites formulated just for women!

They sent me some of their Lo-Carb Bites and Lo-Carb Bars to women to try.


The bars come in two flavors, Swiss Chocolate (now if that doesn't indicate a winner, I don't know what does) and Lemon Meringue.


The bars are pretty small, so they're definitely just intended for a snack. Then again, a snack is generally thought to be something small to tide you over until the next meal - it doesn't necessarily need to be big enough to almost be a meal of its own.


For such small bars, they were pretty satisfying.  Since they're smaller they were also lighter than bigger bars, with just under 150 calories each. Paired with a yogurt cup, I thought a bar made an excellent mid-afternoon snack and did its job of keeping my stomach quiet until dinner time.


The Swiss Chocolate bars were tasty (though you won't confuse them with Lindt) but the Lemon Meringue bars were the real pleasant surprise. I really wasn't expecting much of these, because I tend not to like fruity flavored bars as much, but these were great!



The bars were sweet, but not too sweet, and the nice chewy nougat-y texture of the bar paired with the  sweet-tart lemon flavor really reminded me more of a lemon meringue bar. 

The bites also come in two flavors, albeit different ones : Swiss Chocolate (okay, not that different) and Strawberry and Cream.


Again, I enjoyed the Swiss Chocolate flavor.

But the bites, unlike the bars, weren't solid chocolate!
But the Strawberry and Cream bites were the surprise delight!



If you like creamy vanilla/sugar cookie dough with a strawberry surprise center, you'll love these.



I'm not sure if there's a US version of the protein bites, because I hadn't had a similar kind of snack before. They're like cookie dough balls and, similarly, taste best cooled. Out of the fridge is tasty and out of the freezer is even better!


There are a generous handful of bites in a bag and one packet has 231 calories. It's the right amount for a nice protein-packed snack (20g of protein in one serving!) and, like the bars, the snack is enriched with vitamins and minerals.


There are also only 2g of sugar per serving (1 packet = 1 serving) which definitely beats cookie dough!



Not that normal cookie dough isn't an essential part of a healthy diet (it totally is) but this is a great option when you're looking for something nutritious that you can rely on as a daily snack.

Have you tried protein bites before?

Do you tend to prefer chocolaty or fruity flavors?

Have you ever been to Australia?

Jun 23, 2013

Hot Topic: Pricing Out Vacations

There's no doubt that travel is a luxury, specially in our society. Different cultures value travel differently (ex: many Germans consider it almost essential to good quality of life to go on vacation at least once a year), but travel is always an indulgence.

But is it becoming unattainably decadent?

Like airlines, Disney has recently increased its prices.


A one-day Magic Your Way with Park Hopper & Water Park Fun & More ticket will now cost you $174 per adult (anyone 10+ years old) and $169 for kids under 10. The cheapest option, a one day Magic Kingdom ticket, is $95 for 10+ and $89 for under 10.

That's $380 for just one day's park tickets for the average American family of two parents and two pre-teens. All before you even factor in food, drinks, souvenirs, hotel, travel, etc.!

Disney isn't alone in this, travel prices everywhere are increasing. But does this mean vacations are being priced out of the reach of middle class American families? Are you going to have to have two doctors in the family just to kick back and relax for a few days a year?

Not my mom. And, unfortunately, that doesn't mean money trees are real.

I'm obviously obsessed with travel, so the ever-increasing costs of travel are dismaying to me. Travel is wonderful, it shouldn't be so exclusive!

Thoughts?

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