Monthly Favorites {Trader Joe's Edition}

Hi, all! 
I wanted to start a new series on here that's not really new at all but for my little space it is. I'd like to do a Monthly Favorites post at the beginning (or near the beginning…) of each month varying in topic from food, beauty, fashion, pop culture, etc,. I watch a lot of beauty gurus on YouTube and love when they do monthly favorite videos that include products or items that aren't entirely beauty specific since it breaks up some of the sameness (even though I love me some beauty products, obviously). 
This month I'd love to start with one of my favorite things in life: food. From one of my favorite places in life: Trader Joe's. I can't begin to explain my obsession with Trader Joe's. I just started going within this past year and have no idea what took me so long to get on the bandwagon. 
I love reading what everyone's favorite food items are because I'm nosy and also love recommendations  especially from T-Joe's. I really try to stay away from meat as much as possible for moral reasons so I love how many alternative options they have there so all of my picks for this month (some I discovered this month and some were repeat purchases this month because they're.just.so.good) are meat less. Sorry you carnivores. I feel you though, I miss my corn dogs real bad. 
Some of my favorites below if you'd like to see:

Sweet Corn Tamales

//

Holy shit, yes. Yes. These are so good I can't stand it. Finally I have an alternative option for when my family has Mexican food I can pull out and heat up really quickly. I'm always afraid when things seem to be primarily only cheese that they're going to be too cheesy, because they're overcompensating for a lack of meat, but these are not like that at all. The flavors are perfect and you don't feel like you're eating something "veggie" or something is missing. I would recommend these to anyone. 

Fat Free Cottage Cheese

//
I realize this is like a stupid one perhaps, but this is the first fat free cottage cheese I've ever really liked. I bought this once, loved it, and now buy several at a time and am going to buy one to keep in the fridge at work to add to my lunch easily. The taste is there without the fat and since fat is one of my favorite things I appreciate having at least one food in my life I don't have to worry about. 

Chickenless Crispy Tenders

//
This could be my favorite product at T-Joe's which is a pretty big statement for me. I've tried a lot of meat alternative products, and I mean a lot, and I will admit there are some that are just bad. Most are good, or really good even, but some are bad. These are on the really, really good list. To me, they taste just like chicken tenders which is a food I really missed when I gave up meat (for the most part…). I actually made them last night and have them packed up in my thermos for dinner during my graduate class tonight! Love, love, love. 

Quinoa Cowboy Veggie Burgers

//

Probably the most tried meatless product I've purchased have been alternative burgers. Personally, I am an avid fan of almost all Morning Star products so I don't ever really feel the need to find new burgers but I picked these up during one of my last trips to T-Joe's and recently repurchased them. They're filling and I never feel like I'm unaware of the ingredients in them. I eat them plain with other sides and have found that they're so flavorful on their own they don't often need many condiments or other add-ons. Definitely give them a try if you're into alternative burgers. Also, they come individually packaged which makes them really easy to pack in my lunch bag.

Baked Cheese Curls 

These are my kryptonite. I finish the entire bag in one sitting and don't feel guilty about it even though I definitely should because although it says 35% less fat… that means shit when you're eating the entire thing during an episode of Parks & Rec. One. Episode. They're that good. 

I will admit, I kind of remember feeling like they were an acquired taste during my first bag but clearly I acquired that taste real quick. And the price tag being under $2 doesn't help when I have to put three of the five bags I've furiously grabbed back on the shelf. Okay, two bags go back… 

*

Please, please, please let me know if you have any favorites from Trader Joe's! I'm always looking to blow more money in that place if that's even possible.

Have a great Thursday, all. We're almost to the weekend!

five on friday {confessions}

I thought after this exhausting week I would do a confessional type Five on Friday because I'm in the mood to confess things I don't feel guilty about at all ;)

// ONE

I confess... that the Christmas music listening has commenced. Last week. If myself from last year met me today she wouldn't know me. I used to be so obnoxiously anti-Christmas music before Thanksgiving (because I wanted to savor everything Christmas until its rightful time frame..hello control freak) but for some reason this year something clicked and I just gave in to everything festive and beautiful and wonderful and I feel happier. So, I get all you people who hold off, because I was you, but now I'm a convert so I get all you impatient Christmas lovers too. I just can't stand how much I love Christmas! I will admit that I'm trying to wait on almost all other Christmas-y things so I have things to do during the actual season haha but I need to make a Target run this weekend and I can't promise I won't wander toward the Christmas section. Actually, I'm not promising at all because that's where I'm going first... after the dollar section.

// TWO

I confess... that I would drink the new Hazelnut Praline Latte from Starbucks every single day if I could afford it. It's that good. I also confess that because I can't afford it I'm making my girlfriend who works at Starbucks buy me the hazelnut praline syrup so I can make them from home on the cheap.

// THREE

I confess... that this conversation actually took place. I confess to asking that question. & I confess to loving his response more than I want to admit.

// FOUR

I confess... I was so embarrassingly excited about both of these things this week.

ALMOST THERE. $49... kid stuff. I'll have that VIB status in no time. 

&

When Emily Schuman from Cupcakes & Cashmere answered me during her live chat on Twitter. She's basically the most perfect female there is so I was geeking out. 

// FIVE 

I confess... that I'm getting more and more excited about some potential Black Friday plans and by potential I mean I must convince my sister to want to go with me. I confess to being as excited, if not more so, to wear pajamas while shopping which I heard is a thing. Even if it's not a thing I'm now making it a thing. Lastly, I confess to believing I need to purchase a new pair of pajamas specifically for Black Friday shopping. & only from Target because Gilligan & O'Malley is the absolute shit.

//here//

Because who doesn't love a good plaid?

//here//

& the gray Christmas trees and the red trim on these are giving me life.

//here//

Or I could just really embarrass my sister ;)

*

Linking up this Friday with April , Christina, Darci, and Natasha! Happy Friday everyone! Have a great weekend. 

birthday wishlist

With my birthday coming up on Saturday I thought it might be fun to put together a little wishlist of some of the things I've been coveting for my birthday. I always like reading other peoples' lists and thought it might be a fun thing to look back on years from now to see what I was "in to" upon turning the big twenty-three ;)

1 // The Most of Nora Ephron  & Not That Kind of Girl 
      These are books I've been wanting to read ever since I heard they were coming out. I can't wait to add these to my collection (if not as a birthday gift then by my own purchase at some point).

2 // Clarisonic Mia
      I've heard such amazing things about this product. I really think this will do wonders for my skin.

3 // Disney DVDs
      Never too old, am I right? I decided last Christmas, as I was running out of ideas when people asked what I wanted, that I would ask for dvd copies of my favorite Disney movies so I could have a collection one day for my kids (and myself, obv).

4 // NARS Ita brush
      The most exorbitantly priced brush ever but one that I must have in my collection. I've heard it doesn't compare to any other contouring brush or dupe so what better time to ask for something you don't want to spend your own money on than on your birthday? ;)

5 // John Frieda Hot Air Brush
      I read this blog post on Cup of Jo (one of my absolute favorite blogs) several months ago and vowed to purchase a hot air brush asap. After realizing they sell the John Freida one she recommends at Ulta I decided to wait and let my boyfriend, who has worked there on and off since high school and gets a discount (hellooo), use said discount to get it for me for my birthday. Aren't I so nice? Haha, so I do happen to know I'll be getting this on Saturday (!!!) especially since he called me last night from the store to ask which size barrel I wanted. We're full of all kinds of mystery over here ;)

6 // Smashbox Master Class Palette 2
      Please, please, please birthday gods... send this my way. Just look at it.. how beautiful is that palette?!

7 // Lorac Pro Palette 2
      Another cheat. This is the other thing I asked from my boyfriend that I'm pretty sure I'm getting. I rationalize that he has a discount so it's okay I asked for both things. I'm kind of an asshole.

8 // Acrylic storage drawers
      I'm in desperate need of some storage drawers for my makeup area. Everything is laying all over the place and it's driving my organizing-is-fun-I-hate-chaotic-clutter (because I don't mind organized clutter ;) ) heart nuts.


So, there it is guys! My birthday wish list. Hopefully it doesn't sound super bratty. Minus the two things from my boyfriend I have to give a list of seven things to other people who keep hounding me for ideas. I'm seriously so blessed in all areas of my life that these material items are icing on the cake. But a beautiful cake :)