August Conscious Box

I received my second Conscious Box and I really liked it again.  I can't decide if I liked last month's better or this one but they were both fun to receive.  They are unleashing a vegan only version as well next month for September as a separate subscription so maybe I'll consider that one.

Here's what I received:

My favorite product received that I've tried already is called Chicken Poop lip junk.  It's chapstick that is all natural and no, there is no poop in it.  I also received a full sized product from Weleda called Pomegranate Firming Serum that retails for $45.  It's certified natural and organic and I've very excited to try it.  I also received two loads worth of 100% plant based laundry soap, some organic/allergen-free/vegan candy, a live (raw) apricot bar, some multigrain crackers (even M liked these), liquid vitamins, a postcard, a granola-type bar, a nut bar, freeze-dried mangoes (which didn't taste like mangoes at all.  My friend described them to taste like seaweed and I said buttery) a container of Honest Kids organic lemonade (looks so good), some lunch bags and lots of coupons including a free box of Einkorn Pasta.  Einkorn is an ancient wheat that I've never heard of but sounds interesting to try.  Fortunately, there are retailers that carry this product nearby so I can redeem the coupon.  

Out With the Old...

I sold my kitchen table on Craiglist.  

What do you think of the new one?

Definitely more contemporary and smaller but not as high quality as the solid country/farm table I had for over 10 years.  It was time for a change.

Random Schmandom

We found a new local breakfast place in Little Canada where we live.  It's the cutest little place inside and they even give you complimentary baby donuts before your meal.

My latest iphone case in Paisley Meets Plaid.  Love!  I've loved paisley ever since I was a kid. 

We stopped at giant yellow barn on the way back from Mankato a few weeks ago.  I loved their new display of movie theater candy as well as I didn't love some of the flavors of pop they offered!  

Michael's beer cellar is coming along nicely...

I went to People's Organic for lunch two times recently with very yummy reviews.

Veggie Burger

Veggie Hash

One of the best things about summer?  Tomatoes!  Thanks for my coworker for about 20 tomatoes recently!

This is my kind of humor and yes, our cat lays on our table.  He thinks he owns the place.

My nephew has a new pair of glasses that fit him perfectly.

Some water, cashews and some seasonings in the blender makes a wonderful vegan, raw alfredo sauce!

My lovely neighbor Julie gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers and some veggies from the WBL farmer's market.  The veggies were yummy and the flowers brightened my days!

I love taking pictures of pretty colored food.  My massive salad!    

8-6-08

Monday, August 6th marked the four year anniversary of M's sister, Cherrie passing away.  As always, we went to the cemetery with as many family members that were invited and could make it.  We then went for dinner at Jethro's.  It's sad to know she's been gone that long but I don't feel sad when I'm at the cemetery because it's truly a celebration of her and her life and how great of a person she really was but also that's she's missed by so many. We love you, Cherrie and think of you often.

Florida Visits Minnesota

My friend Becky was up visiting from Florida for just a few days but we managed to go and have dinner together Sunday, August 5th.  

We went to Manitou Station in White Bear Lake and sat on the patio.  The weather had just turned cooler the day before so it was perfect sunny but not too warm patio weather.  It had been three years since we'd seen each other here in MN and almost four years since I'd seen her in Florida. 

We had yummy food....scallops for Becky and risotto for me.  The only bad thing that happened on the patio was the annoying bees and flies.  I'm not afraid of bees so I just let one buzz around me but then it landed on my eyelashes/eyelid! Weird.

It was great seeing you, Becky!  Until next time...

We're Back On

We had a one month hiatus from going out to dinner/breakfast with my grandpa as he had cataract surgery so we needed to wait until he felt up to going again.  My grandpa is always in search of a good burger so we took him to Brine's in Stillwater on Wednesday, August 1st.  M and my grandpa ordered burgers and I had a fish sandwich.  I've always thought Brine's food is good so I'm glad we had a chance to take him here before the summer ended.  They have the best bloody's too!

Someone looks craaaazzzyyy!

Life is Like a Box of Chocolates...

You may know that my dad is sick.  I hate even typing that.  He has cancer and it's terminal.  I hate typing that even more.  I said I wasn't going to talk about my dad on my blog and instead save it for his Caring Bridge site but this is my blog and I've decided I'll talk about him when I want to and today is one of those days...sort of.

I came across some quotes last month that help bring life and the situation into perspective.  So while I am not really going to talk about my dad per se, all of these quotes have to do with what he is going through, what we are going through, what I am going through and maybe what you have gone through or will go through as well as just simple perspectives on life, nothing more.

Every moment of suffering brings an opportunity to build resilience.

Opt for quality over quantity.  Value is revealed over the long term.

Any moment can bring awakening to what really matters.

Optimism isn't just a shift in perspective.  It's an act of bravery. 

Brazilian Peel Review

I had the opportunity to try a product called Brazilian Peel.  It's an at-home, professional strength peel.  The one I tried was the acne peel kit. 

Here are the claims:

THE SCIENCE OF CLEAR SKIN


Clear + Prevent + Protect
The Antidote to Acne, Brazilian Peel Clear is an innovative two-step treatment program that clears and prevents acne blemishes, and protects skin from irritation, redness and aging.

Instantly unclogs pores & helps prevent acne

Reduces acne & visibly improves acne scars

Clinically proven to brighten, smooth & tone skin

Dermatologist tested to be safe & non-irritating

Scientifically formulated to hydrate & prevent over-drying skin

Easy to use, takes less than 1 minute daily, 10 minutes weekly

In independent clinical testing:

91% of users reported less oily skin

90% of users reported experienced a reduction in acne blemishes

89% of users reported clearer skin

83% of users reported smooth and soft skin
The Science of Clear Skin

Together, the dermatologic benefits of 25% glycolic, the antioxidant properties of natural açaì berry, the innovation of Q-Mag Neutralizer, and the acne-fighting properties of salicylic acid define the science of Brazilian Peel Clear, the Antidote to Acne.

Brazilian Peel Clear is formulated WITHOUT:

Sulfates

Synthetic Dyes

Petrochemicals

Phthalates

GMOs

Triclosan

 

The kit is a 4 week system and you start of doing a peel first.  It was kind of fun to do the peel because it gets warm on your face.  It tingled a bit but I left it on for the 10 minutes as directed and then washed it off with cool water.  My face still tingled for about 5 minutes after washing it off.  The kit comes with four peels and you do that weekly.

Every day in the time between peels, I used the Boost Pads.  The Boost Pads tingled and burned just a bit and had a similar feel of an over-the-counter toner.   

I repeated this process until the peels and pads were gone. What were the results?  I didn't notice that much of a difference in my skin after the process.  I do think my pores were cleaner though. I still had a couple of pimples throughout the process and didn't get any less than I normally would.  Overall, I think my skin isn't that bad to begin with so results may be better with someone who has problem skin. 

When I received this box, it retailed at Sephora for $79 but I see they no longer carry this exact product, however it's had rave reviews.  I do see that you can purchase just the peels now.  I've found this exact kit on other sites for $45. 

Vikings Training Camp

Before I talk about the Vikings, this post is my 900th post on this blog!  If I stay motivated and active enough, I may hit that 1,000 post mark yet this year.

We went to Vikings training camp on Saturday, July 28th.  It was my 8th year going to training camp.  Training camp just opened the day before so there wasn't much to see in terms of real practice.  They didn't wear any pads, just helmets and it was mostly drills.

It wasn't one of the hottest days this summer but it was hot enough to not be able to tolerate the direct heat and sunlight for very long.  We watched almost 2 hours of practice and then we were on our way.  We didn't stay to get any pictures up close and personal with the players.  Just a quick trip to enjoy the purple.

Previous Training Camp Visits:

2011

2010- Day One    2010- Day Two

2009

2008 

Mankato Brewery Tour

We toured Steel Toe Brewing on Friday the 27th and at noon the next day, we were touring Mankato Brewery, 75 miles away from each other. 

We headed down to Mankato for training camp for a certain football team which I'll discuss in a later post but before heading to practice, we went for beer.

Before the tour, we could have 3 samples, but they only have 2 beers right now, which are Mankato Original and Stickum.  

They've only been distributing beer for about 6 months so they are very new.  The tour was given by the co-owner of the brewery and the people in the tour consisted of roughly15 people including some volunteers were helping there for the day.  The tour was one of the more in-depth tours I've been on about beer.  

Steel Toe Brewing Tour

Our monthly brewery tour for July was Steel Toe Brewing located in St. Louis Park.  They have tours on Friday nights, no reservations required, 6 and 7 pm.  Our tour was on the 27th at 7 pm and there was a handful of people in the lobby from the 6 pm tour sampling beer when we arrived.  After they cleared out, there were only 5 people, including ourselves for the 7 pm tour.  We sampled our beers before the tour and then we went on what you could call a tour.  

The place is very small so there isn't much to see and the people on the tour were very knowledgeable about beer and the beer making process that it didn't leave much to talk about other than in depth conversations based on questions we had but the owner was very nice to talk to.

My favorite beer from them is called Rainmaker, a double red ale.  Have you heard of Steel Toe before?  Have you tried any of their beers?