April Vegan Cuts Box and a 22 Days Bar Review
Last month’s Vegan Cuts box arrived towards the end of April, which is just one of the reasons this post is kinda late! I actually didn’t get around to opening it until last week– for some reason, I let the box sit on my table untouched for a good week or two. I finally busted into it, and I have to say, it was a really great box full of vegan goodies.
Nothing wrong with a little Christmas in April. . .
The first item I pulled out was this bag of Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato chips. I already know I love these, as I have purchased these a few times before.
I am excited to try this all-natural bag of Skinny Pop, which is really nothing more than just plain old popcorn.
The most interesting food in the box is this Teese cheddar cheese (vegan of course). It’s full sized, and basically, you just slice and eat!
This 22 Days vegan protein bar peaked my interest immediately (in fact, I ate it right away!).
How cute is this little jar of vegan bruschetta topping?
Just as cute is this little bag of Oloves olives! Olives on the go is a great snack idea.
I’m definitely excited to try this Tee-cino herbal coffee bag. I’ve always been interested in trying natural coffee alternatives.
A 22 days protein powder pack also was included.
And a little lip balm for a non-edible treat. . .
You all know I love my vegan parm, so this cutie little sample of Parmela vegan parm definitely appealed to me.
The box also included a coupon for Beyond Meat products, which I have seen at my local Whole Foods.
The full round-up:
The 22 Days protein bar was my first victim. I obviously loved how it was vegan and gluten-free, but what I really liked about it was the fact the 20 grams of protein in the bar came from brown rice.
The ingredients were pretty good, although it was fairly high in sugar.
As far as texture, it was like a soft larabar. I tried the peanut butter chocolate chip flavor, and overall it was pretty good! I thought it was a little too soft and would have liked a firmer texture, but otherwise, the bar tasted great. Also, it was a nice size and served as a perfect lunch replacement on a day when my stomach was acting up and “real food” wasn’t appealing to me.
I would definitely buy the bar again, although I probably wouldn’t eat them too often since I usually like to eat bars for snacks (not meals) and a nearly 300 calorie bar is a little too much for me to have as a snack. Still, a 20 gram of protein vegan bar is much appreciated, especially because it’s not full of junky ingredients.
What’s your favorite protein bar?
My (Past) Week In Fitness: Why Bother?
Lately, I have been wondering why I even bother to even give you all fitness updates. I’m gonna be honest here– I feel like I barely exercise and really have nothing to report. However, I guess the value of continuing to do this weekly post is to fill you all in on how injury recovery is going and to give you the raw and honest truth about how this injury is impacting me, both on a fitness level and on a mental health level.
So, this past week, I got to the gym twice. On Monday, I did 30 minutes on the bike and 30 minutes on an elliptical that simulates running, yet is very low impact. I also lifted weights for back and chest that day.
I also went to the gym on Saturday, where I biked for sixty minutes. I also walked six miles on Saturday outside with my husband.
On Sunday, I skipped the gym but went on a walk with the husband covering 5.85 miles.
I went to physical therapy twice this past week, on Tuesday and Thursday, and am pretty happy with my progress. The nerve pain in my legs and stiffness/pain in my back is definitely letting up a bit. If I had to guess, I’d say I have another month or so before I probably can attempt running again.
As far as my mental state, I am still pretty down about how my running has come to a halt. I feel lazy, out of shape, and just not myself. On the one hand, I realize how important it is to treat my body right– my physical therapist insists I don’t walk too much or lift weights, in fear or aggravating my nerve issues. His recommendation is doing the bike. I have been listening to him for the most part, and know I should trust him. I want nothing more than to get better and slowly get back into running, so I plan on heeding his advice. Still, I am wildly envious of all those runners I see outside or posting their race recaps. I am also envious of those who can do things like circuit workouts or plyometrics since I can’t do that right now! The thought of bouncing around in my current state makes me cringe, as I can imagine how much it would hurt if I come down on my left leg with too much force.
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In other words, I feel stuck. I am glad in a sense to have about a month left of school (weekends included) to distract me from my injury, and like I said, I would love if my full recovery coincides with my final days of school. I guess all I can do is wait and see.
How’s your fitness going? Indulge me since mine doesn’t seem to be going anywhere!
Random Thoughts: TV, Spinoffs, and Graduations
This post, admittedly, is a bunch of random mumbo jumbo, but please, indulge me, since it’s what I’m thinking about right this second! Spoiler alert though, this has nothing to do with health, food, or fitness, but it is an example of the thoughts that occupy an injured runner’s mind when they can no longer think about running all the time!
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First, I mentioned earlier this week that one of my favorite tv series came to an end this week– 90210. I watched a special about the show that came on before the final episode, and it discussed how it was obviously a spinoff of the original 90210 series. The funny thing is, while I always knew that, watching the show, I kind of forgot that some of the characters were modeled after the original cast! Only after I watched the special did I realize Annie Wilson was supposed to be Brenda of the original, or that Liam was the Dylan character. In other words, am I just that oblivious, or was the show supposed to make watchers forget the fact it was indeed a spinoff? Yes, I do think of these things, sadly.
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Speaking of spinoffs, apparently, two of the shows I watch are coming out with spinoffs while the original show is still on tv! Ravenwood is a spinoff of Pretty Little Liars and the Originals is a spinoff of Vampire Diaries. So, basically, I have just added two shows to my tv lineup. That would be fine if those shows were to replace the original shows, but now, I have to watch the original show plus the spinoffs? How stressful!
I love graduation season– as a high school teacher who has seniors, I am in the thick of the excitement students feel as their impending day of freedom from high school approaches. I get so excited for students, since I remember how it feels to want to be out of school so badly. I also live practically on the Brown University campus, so I get to participate, if only as an observer, in all the graduation excitement of those seniors. It’s a great time to be a teacher and to live on a college campus for sure, since May and June take on such a festive tone.
Now, speaking of graduations, in the season finale of Vampire Diaries, the characters graduate high school. I just don’t get it– in the show, the students are never in school, never doing homework, and half the time, they’re not alive! So how in the world did they earn the grades and credits to graduate? Since so many teens do watch the show, are they getting the impression that in order to graduate high school, they just have to be enrolled and not actually go to school? In my opinion, shows like this really should make an effort to show characters at work earning their high school degrees so that the teens who watch don’t get the wrong idea. Believe me, I know a lot of students who do think in order to graduate high school, all they have to do is show up!
Sorry that the above post has nothing to do with health, food or fitness. But at least you get a sense of the random thoughts that occupy my brain!
The Best Feeling Is When. . .
you come home on a Friday afternoon with nothing to do and luxuriate in a two-hour nap.
you wake up only to have your husband bring you your favorite take-out meal for dinner, complete with a smushed birthday cake cupcake.
you promptly fall asleep again an hour after dinner and wake up two hours later than usual in the morning! Holy sleep!
you find out all the hard work you put into earning another teaching certificate pays off and are told you officially have a job next year!
job security allows you to go forward with house hunting and vacation planning.
you actually feel the nerve pain in your legs and back decreasing, to the point where you have a few days of walking almost normally!
twice a week physical therapy sessions end with back massages.
the first 80 degree day of the season officially happens!
you realize you have to wake up at 4:50 only 26 more times until next September!
April Sample Society Box
The first beauty subscription box to arrive last month (yes, I know– I’m late with this review!) was BeautyBar’s Sample Society box. I think this is the one I am always most excited about due to the historically generous size of their samples!
This black box really brings me such joy! I love getting mystery presents (granted, I paid for this present!) at my doorstep.
Seriously, when I opened this box, I quickly realized it was bursting at the seams! The cover practically popped off because it was so full! Notice how the card on top is at least an inch above the box itself!
The brands. . .
The first thing I picked up looked huge! It’s this Eve Lom’s sample facial cleanser plus, within this little box, there’s a muslin reusable cloth tucked away!
The second sample I saw was also pretty big! It’s an oil treatment from Phyto for your hair that you apply before you shower! How great is that?
Within this card is a small sample of a facial moisturizer with SPF from Cotz. That’s always something that will come in handy.
Now the coolest-slash-weirdist thing I got in the box was this large packet from Hanskin. I couldn’t really figure out what it was at first since all of the ingredients and directions were written in another language!
Fortunately, the Sample Society folks are on top of their game because they included this little booklet, which explained the product in English. Basically, it’s a facial mask but it is infused in a sheet which you place on your face. The good stuff seeps into your skin from the sheet!
Lastly, I got this full-sized lip gloss from Borghese. I am not a gloss or lipstick kind of girl, but I am going to try this out for a change!
You’d think that would be it, right? But no, the bonus in this box was these cute little hair clips!
This was an incredible box in terms of variety, suitability to my preferences, and value. I definitely think I got way above my money’s worth!
Do you use facial masks? If so, what kind (clay, mud, etc. . . )?
