May Bestowed Review and Coupon

Bestowed is a great food subscription service that I have reviewed before.  I'm always happy to review one of their boxes because they never disappoint!

May's box was created with the thought of spring renewal in mind.  Bestowed aims to send nutritious, delicious snacks and ingredients to help you stay on track with a healthy lifestyle.  I am not the healthiest eater, so this box is perfect for me because it always introduces me to new snacks that taste great and are good replacements for the junk I would normally reach for!

• Sneakz Organic Chocolate Milkshake - This product is the perfect example of a product that's right up my alley.  I hate vegetables.  Even though this drink is designed for children, I would purchase some for myself because it makes getting part of your daily serving of veggies a lot more enjoyable!  I haven't actually tried this yet, but I bet it will be delicious.
• Nature's Earthly Choice Farrotto with Zucchini and Peas - I'm really excited to try this!  It's a blend of farro, zucchini, and peas that is easy to make (just add water and olive oil).  It'll be a great side dish for dinner.
• Litehouse Instantly Fresh Basil - The herbs in Litehouse blends are freeze dried immediately after harvest in order to retain their natural flavors and aromas.  I am moving into my first apartment this weekend and will now have to do the cooking on my own, so this will come in handy for sure.
• Rootology Breathe Free - These capsules are made up of a blend of 13 concentrated herbal extracts that work immediately to relieve multiple season allergy symptoms.  I'm really curious to see how well these work.

• 479° Sea Salt Caramel Popcorn - I couldn't wait to tear into this bag of popcorn!  Actually, I didn't wait.  I quickly took some unboxing photos for this post and then I got right to eating this.  It tasted amazing and I will definitely be purchasing full-sized bags in the future!  It's non-GMO, gluten-free, and low in calories, and the brand name is derived from the temperature they found was the perfect one to pop their kernels at.
• Earnest Eats Chewy Granola Bar - I'm always looking for healthier granola options because I like to take bars like this one to work for an easy breakfast.  This one is vegan and wheat-free with no artificial ingredients or preservatives.
• Ziggy Marley's Organic Hemp Rules - I think these are going to be really yummy.  I haven't tried them yet, but I anticipate using them as a substitute for my 3 pm bag of chips at work.  They're flavored with a Caribbean spice blend, so I know they won't disappoint.
• Ziggy Marley's Coco'mon Coconut Oil - Now that I'll be cooking more I may cook with this, but prior to now I have been using coconut oil as a moisturizer for my hair.  This one is USDA certified organic, non-GMO, and gluten-free.
• Eat Cleaner Wipe - I've used these before and they're really handy.  They're used to clean off fruits and veggies and work to remove pesticides and other contaminants that may carry bacteria.  They're 100% natural and also biodegradable.
• MoveMeFit.com - The May box also came with a coupon (not pictured) for three months' access to this site, which hosts hundreds of premium workout videos.  I can't wait to give it a try!

Bottom Line: This may be one of my most favorite Bestowed boxes yet.  I really like the added value of the MoveMeFit.com coupon, and the 479° popcorn was definitely my favorite food item.  As always, they sent a great variety of foods that I can't wait to try!  If you're interested in giving them a try, use coupon code HELLOYUM34 to get your first box for only $10 (normally $19)!

*Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Bestowed.  Post contains affiliate links.

Midnight Velvet Spring Review and Giveaway

If you have been following my blog for a while, you may have seen some of my past Midnight Velvet reviews (if you haven't, click here to do so).  Founded in 1987, they bring a fresh perspective to fashion, beauty, and home decor.

One item from Midnight Velvet's spring catalog that really caught my eye was the Geneva Thong by Yellow Box.  I loved the sparkle along the thong and the slight wedge (1"), and thought that it was the perfect sandal for the upcoming summer months!  The shoes are incredibly comfortable and add a fun flair to any outfit.  You could easily wear them to the beach with a summer dress, or dress them up for the office if your workplace is more on the business casual side like mine.

Here's a picture of me wearing the sandals.  Since you obviously can't see them in as much detail in this shot, I made sure to take an up-close photo as well.  They also have a very light snake-print detail along the sides of the strap, which I really like.  I got them in a size 6 and they fit perfectly.  Normally I wear a 5 1/2, so I would recommend buying these a half-size up if you're interested in them as I think they would be a bit too snug in a 5 1/2 (if that size existed).  They are available from size 6 to 11, with some half sizes.

• Visit Midnight Velvet to browse their full catalog
• Connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest
• Check out the Midnight Velvet Beauty Blog

Midnight Velvet has generously offered a $50 gift certificate to one of my winners!  If you'd like to enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below.  This sweepstakes is open to U.S. residents aged 18+.  See bottom of Rafflecopter for full terms and conditions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclaimer: I received this item free of charge from Midnight Velvet.  No monetary compensation was received or offered, nor was I under any obligation to write about this products.  All opinions are my own.

Nature's Bounty Optimal Solutions Hair Skin & Nails Gummies Review #HairSkinNails

My experience with vitamin supplements is very limited.  I used to buy an adult gummy multivitamin supplement on a regular basis, but I kind of stopped taking them out of laziness (I know, it's pretty bad).  When I was contacted by Smiley360 to review the Nature's Bounty Optimal Solutions Hair, Skin & Nails Gummies, I figured it would be a good way for me to get back into the habit of taking a daily supplement.

I used these gummies for 30 days as part of the Nature's Bounty 30-day Hair, Skin and Nails Challenge.  You can sign up to take the challenge here, where they also have weekly contests to win spa treatments and other fun prizes.  The bottle contained 80 gummies total, with no milk/lactose, artificial flavors, soy, gluten, wheat, yeast, fish, or sodium.  The three main ingredients are Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Biotin, which all work to strengthen hair and nails and keep skin looking great.

The gummies are about the size of a dime and gumdrop-shaped.  I took two once a day, but you could also take them twice a day if you wanted to.  I loved the flavor--they tasted like strawberry and were really yummy.  The instructions say to take them with a meal, which goes for all vitamin supplements (your body better absorbs the nutrients that way).  The nutrients help support natural beauty from within: Vitamin E contributes to skin health, Vitamin C is involved with collagen production, and biotin acts at the base of the nail and also promotes healthy hair.

Watch my quick video review below to see how these gummies worked for me.

• Visit the Nature's Bounty website for more information
• Like Nature's Bounty on Facebook
• Click here for a $1.00 off coupon for the Hair, Skin & Nails Gummies

Bottom Line: I would recommend the Nature's Bounty Optimal Solutions Hair, Skin & Nails Gummies to anyone who is looking to boost their beauty routine.  They're easy to take and taste great, and certainly won't hurt the appearance of your hair, skin, and nails!

*Disclaimer: I received a product to review as part of the Smiley360 Blogger Program.

Survive Monthly 3-Month Subscription Giveaway!

Survive Monthly is a brand-new subscription service that will be launching soon.  I'm excited to announce that they have offered a 3-month subscription to one of my readers to win!

Survive Monthly is so new that they haven't launched yet, but they promise to deliver "a curated collection of the most essential survival tools, guides, and supplies delivered to your door each month!"  Boxes will contain 7 to 10 items and cost $39.99 per month.

Sound good?  To enter to win a 3-month subscription, use the Rafflecopter form below!  This sweepstakes is open to U.S. residents aged 18+ only.  It begins on 24 May 2014 and ends at 12am EST on 31 May 2014.  Survive Monthly is responsible for shipping the winner their prize.  For full terms and conditions, please see the bottom of the Rafllecopter.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
*This post is sponsored by Survive Monthly.

Plated Review - Week of May 12th

I love food but I hate cooking, so I need any potential meals to be as easy to make as possible.  I'm going to be moving into my first apartment soon (yes, still living with the parents up until now, but it was because I was waiting for my boyfriend to finish grad school!), so I figure I should probably get used to making my own meals.  Plated is the perfect subscription for people like me: it's really fun and super easy!

So if you're unfamiliar, Plated is a weekly subscription service that sends you all the ingredients you need to make delicious dinners.  The menu changes weekly, and you only have to order when there's something on there that tickles your fancy.  They deliver to over 80% of the continental U.S. (according to their website), so there is a slight chance they might not be available in your area yet.  But if they do deliver to your city, I think it's definitely worth trying.  They send all of the ingredients to you, and there are minimal things you need to supply yourself (e.g. salt, pepper, olive oil).

The meals I chose are from the menu that ran the week of May 12th, and I purchased two plates of two different meals.  You can also choose to receive four plates of the same meal.  A monthly membership costs $10 a month and $12 a plate, or you can opt for the annual membership of $8 a month and $12 a plate.  You can also do a one-time purchase without subscribing, which will cost you $15 a plate.

My biggest concern with this box was whether or not the ingredients would be able to stay cool enough, since that week the temperatures were in the 80s (Fahrenheit) here.  I didn't need to worry, since the box was lined with a thick insulator and had two big ice packs inside that were still frozen when the box got to me.

All of the ingredients were neatly packed and labeled.  Most of the items were separated into two larger bags that had their respective meal labels on them, but the few that were outside of those bags had stickers on them that stated which recipe they were for.  The only thing I felt guilty about was throwing out the insulated packaging.  I wasn't sure if it was recyclable or not, and if it truly isn't then it is a little bit wasteful (especially if you're getting a box every week).

The two meals I selected were the Capellini with Spring Vegetables and the Fontina Stuffed Chicken.  The above photo is of the spring vegetables portion of the pasta dish.  I enjoyed both meals, but the Fontina Stuffed Chicken was definitely my favorite.

The Capellini with Spring Vegetables was incredibly easy to make, and looked so pretty once it was plated.  It did taste a bit bland to me--I would have preferred a stronger flavor in the sauce (it consisted of a little bit of oil, the vegetables, and some of the pasta water all simmered together), but the grated romano cheese added some more flavor.  When it comes to pasta I'm usually all about the cheese cheese cheese, so that's probably why this light dish seemed a little bit boring to me.

My boyfriend was house-sitting for my brother when I made the Fontina Stuffed Chicken, so I only have a photo from Instagram of the finished product because I made it with him over at my brother's house and I didn't take my camera.  Remember what I said about loving cheese?  This recipe certainly didn't disappoint in that regard.  I had never had fontina cheese prior to this, and I'm so glad I tried it because it was fantastic.  My food vocabulary is not the most eloquent, but it was a bit sharp but still seemed smooth at the same time.  The chicken crisped up so well with the cheese and it was very juicy because it still had the skin on.  The fingerling potatoes and spinach were a great-tasting side, too.

• Visit Plated (using that link) to receive up to $30 off of your first box!

Bottom Line: I really like Plated and would definitely order more boxes in the future.  I don't think I'll order every week, but I do check the menu regularly and will order again when I see a meal I just can't pass up!

Be sure to check out the Share your Subscription Linky Party for more great May unboxings!

Hosted by Unpack the Box and MommySplurge

*Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.  Post contains referral links.