Friday, December 6, 2013

POPSUGAR Must Have Box December 2013 SPOILERS!!!!!

Boxes have finally arrived at someone's doorstep...thanks to MUT blog!

Here they are:

Lulufrost Charm Bracelet for POPSUGAR

MIXT Studio Wrapping Paper

Modelco Fiber LashExtend Black Mascara

Govino Go Anywhere Flutes - 4 Pack

CC Made Caramel Corn

NCLA Peppermint Latte Nail Wraps

Ghiradelli chocolate

Yay!! I can't wait to get mine.

~Stay beautiful, BBB

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

POPSUGAR MustHave Fall Style Box | Special Edition *SPOILERS*

Every once and a while POPSUGAR releases a special edition box for a one-time fee of $100 with the promise of value at over $300.  Some spoilers have leaked and I wanted to share...I am so excited to receive this box.  I believe since they are releasing a special edition box, the monthly September MustHave is sent a little bit later...anyone have any thoughts on this? 

September is SOLD OUT and October will be soon...sign up here and use code REFER5 if you want to sign up from month-to-month OR use code MUSTHAVE10 to save $10 off of a 3-month subscription ($28.34 a box with automatic renew).

Okay, drum roll please...

 
 

 
 
 


 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Grand total is $329 - what do you guys think?  Don't forget to sign up for the October box...fall is definitely my favorite time of year and happened to be POPSUGAR's best boxes last season!
 
I've included my referral link...that is one of the best factors of this subscription service...2 referrals = 1 month free, 5 referrals = 3 months free, 10 referrals = 6 months free !!!!!!!
 
Happy shopping! ~ BBB
 
 

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Zucchini Noodle Tuna Casserole | Living the Gluten-Free Life

I am always trying to conjure up new and exciting spins on old classic recipes.  I was craving comfort food last night while grocery shopping and remembered that I had a HUGE zucchini squash ready to expire.  I knew that I wanted to create some type of noodle dish...I was picking up my protein for the week: ground turkey, chicken breast and TUNA.

Obvs, I wanted to create my take on the old-time favorite dish.  I'm not a fan of wheat noodles and I could have certainly used a rice-flour based noodle, but I was really leaning on the paleo-side last night.  I will be giving the most stripped down version of this dish, but you can always add whatever you like!

I started with 98% fat free Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup and added 3/4 can of water (remember, you can add milk or cream to this instead).

I tossed in 2 cups of frozen sweet peas (I love peas, so I went overboard).

Finished with 2 cans of albacore canned tuna in water.



Be sure to mix this up in the dish and preheat your oven to 385-400 degrees.

I then started prepping my zucchini.  Since the zucchini was replacing egg noodles, I wanted to the same texural quality.

Just chop off the ends and peel one strip of the skin off.  This give you a surface to peel a sliver of the skin off at a time.  You will end up with a mix of white fleshy "noodles" and ones with a touch of green (the skin was damaged so I peeled the majority of mine off).


Give the noodles a couple of quick chops to shorten them and toss them in with the soup mixture.

I then sprinkled a few crushed glutino crackers on the top for a crumble.  To ensure this was a proper casserole, I could not leave out the best part!  


Then it's off to the oven for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly and the crumble is golden brown.  

I let the casserole cool off and set up for 10 minutes...it was AMAZING!

The zucchini noodles were soft and held their structure quite well.


Let me know what you think...remember, you can always add a couple tablespoons of butter, milk instead of water, cheese and/or parmesan to the crumble topping. 

Stay healthy and beautiful ~ BBB   

Thursday, August 22, 2013

It's a Cookie...It's a Chip...It's a Cookie Chip!

So I have been a HUGE advocate for Hannah Max Baking Cookie Chips ever since they debuted the Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie Chips in the #Popsugar #MustHave Box!  (Do you have an official spokeperson yet?!)

After using the store locator, I was pleasantly surprised that #Safeway carried these bad boys! (I'm waiting for the day #costco carries these...I cannot even imagine <3) 

I believe I bought 5 bags in one shopping trip (only $2.99 per bag!!), brought a couple bags into the office and created Cookie Chip junkies out of all my co-workers.  Our gift-giving has turned into cookie chip giving...it's awesome.

I love the cookie chips so much, I have even been tweeting about them (Follow me! @BBB_Blogs)



Hannah Max prides themselves on using top-notch ingredients which are evident in the texture and taste from each bite you take.  (I'm drooling just thinking about it...)

NO preservatives, NO artificial colors, NO trans fat..period! #healthy

These are the available flavors so far (new flavors are going to be launched soon!):

Original
Chocolate Chip
Cinnamon Sugar
Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip
Sea Salted Peanut Butter



I cannot wait to see what they have developed for the new flavors...I suggested Toasted Coconut and Chocolate Chip Mint...what do you want to see from the Cookie Chip line?

Stay happy with these indulgent cookies...and of course, beautiful ~BBB

Back to School in Style

Everyone knows that first impressions are very important....but what about when someone is making the transition from high school (those awkward "find yourself" years) to college.

I think of college as a fresh start.  It's a great way to reinvent yourself and meet an entirely new group of people.  Freshman year is still an impressionable one as everything is new and exciting. 

TAKE ADVANTAGE of having those easy intro/101 classes...you'll be living in the dorms for at least your first year, so it's a good time to concentrate on a great living space. A great space equals a great place to study.  

The first thing I focused on was a new beauty regime.  My class schedule had me waking up early in the morning and I was not fortunate to have an attached bathroom.

WHAT TO DO WITHOUT A BATHROOM...my dorm space was small so my desk had to play double duty.  My huge recommendation is to request a loft bed and have the desk underneath it.  Huge space saver and allows for more furniture.  Hang a mirror from the loft rafters and your desk becomes a vanity space.

Since my classes were always back to back, I literally had no time to regroup.  I always had a mini-arsenal of beauty go-to's in my backpack or purse.  A quick trip to the bathroom turned into a mini-makeover session.

Here are the essentials for a student on the go:

Chapstick...no explanation necessary!





Light shimmer palette...quick application on the lids and doubles as a highlighter.


Cheek stain...I always go for a chubby stick so it's quicker to apply and doesn't require precision.


BB/CC Cream...this was NOT a thing when I went to school so I was using tinted moisturizer.
My books always crushed my brush sets, so I made sure that any makeup that I brought could be applied with my fingers. 


Luckily, my finishing powder had brush included inside...how convenient!

What are your beauty go-to's for the college gal on the go?

Stay beautiful ~BBB


Tuesday, August 20, 2013

PoshMark Shopping App

Okay...just so it's clear I have a shopping addiction.  It's a subconscious movement that I do on a daily basis whether on #facebook #ebay or my new favorite app #PoshMark.  It really gives my thumbs a good workout since I am paging through thousands upon thousands of closets for sale.

Just a note:  PoshMark will take a commission of all sales - 20%...ouch.  It's a bit steep but most women are paying for the convenience.  Your entire business can be empired through the touch of your iPhone.  I just have a few rules for myself to follow to keep out of trouble:

No Trades
No PayPal

If a person doesn't respond to your comments or other comments within 2 weeks, do not buy their product!  Although, Posh is great about waiting for you to approve your purchase once you have received your items in the mail.

Here are just a couple of things that I got a steal on!


J.Crew Necklace Bundle
HOBO International Lauren Clutch

Most of these girls are trying to make room in their closet, so I find better deals on Posh than other shopping sites.

How has your shopping experience been with Poshmark?  Good, bad, ugly?

As always, stay beautiful ~BBB 

Monday, August 19, 2013

SEPHORA New VIB Launch | Trip of a Lifetime | Savvy Shopper

Is anyone else as loyal to SEPHORA as I am?  I made it a goal this year to supplement any and all beauty supplies that I needed to be bought through sephora.com or their store. 

Perks of online: Research all other reviews of potential product + take advantage of any promotion at the time.  I never buy anything without getting a promotional deluxe sample of some sort.  I always take the time to get the biggest freebie.  I recommend www.retailmenot.com 

It's my go-to site for all things promo code related.  In addition to the promo code site, I ALWAYS link my shopping to www.ebates.com For the longest stretch, www.sephora.com was 8.0% cash back!!!!! I believe it is now down to 4.0% but that money adds up quickly.  Remember, shop SMART!

BUT that was a really long-winded intro into the reason for this post - SEPHORA's new and improved Very Important Beauty Insider Program.  Sephora took it a step further by adding VIB Rouge as elite point level system available.  To qualify for VIB Rouge, an existing Beauty Insider or VIB needs to spend $1000 in a calendar year.  VIB Rouge status remains valid through the next year...almost 2 years worth of perks! Are any of you VIB Rouge?  It will be exciting to see what special gifts through out the year are received!! Let me know! 

Moving on...Sephora ALSO announced an entirely new entourage of rewards to trade in for those points VIBs have been saving.  There is even a trip for #Paris up for grabs.  Now, I know most VIBs wouldn't have nearly anything close to 10K saved in their beauty bank, but Sephora does allow you to transfer any amount of your points to another member.  All you need is the email address associated with the account and....voila!...a trip to Paris for your friend and you! Not a bad deal, right?   



Remember to stay beautiful and shop smart ~ BBB

POPSUGAR Must Have Fall Style Edition Box + Sneak Peek

No season has me drooling more over chunky pastoral sweaters, legging and knee-high boots than FALL.  What better way to "ring" in the beginning on the most-luxe season than with the POPSUGAR Must Have Fall Style Edition Box.  I am fairly new to the subscription box scene, so you will all get to take the journey with me! 

The POPSUGAR Must Have Fall Style Edition Box is in addition to your normal $35/month POPSUGAR subscription.  I must add that the July and August boxes were great!  I have used almost every single item in each box.  Back to the Fall Style box - this box is a $100 commitment but I imagine much dismay and disappointment when the items are revealed (wait for my REVEAL post in September!) POPSUGAR has already sent out a spoiler alert revealing one of the items promised inside the Fall Style Box....



Who else thought it was a good preview of the box?  Does it persuade you enough to commit?  I always justify my larger purchases with the fact that I waste my money on other things (bar drinks, eating out, dresses I never wear, etc)...I am an impulsive shopper, but I have learned to curb my obsession a bit to trade out for my new subscription fix!  I know that this box will SELL OUT so be sure to sign up!

This box does not count toward your subscription and you will only be charged a one-time fee of $100.  To sign up for the reoccuring subscription, you will be charged $35/month automatically until you cancel.  Sign up here: http://popsu.gr/iFCa and be sure to use REFER5 to receive $5 off your first box! 

I am always interested to see the variations in each box as some colors, styles and flavors (yes, food is included!) are different.

Future boxes will hopefully see more personalization.  When you sign up for the Fall Style Edition, a series of preferences will pop up.  I am routing for handbags, clutches, and shoes...but I can dream, right?!

Cheers & Stay Beautiful, Smart, and Healthy ~BBB