My new favorite yogurt

I really really like Greek yogurt. I used it for the first time when I made Mango Ginger Frozen Yogurt. I've since eaten it plain, used it to make homemade tzatziki sauce and most recently tried their fruit/honey pairings (the bottom 3 containers in the photo above).

The pairings are kind of like Dannon's "Fruit in the Bottom" yogurts, but it is more like "Fruit on the Side." Plus, with it on the side you can decide how much (or little) you want. Remove the foil lid, tip the side compartment and dump the contents on top of the yogurt. My favorite so far: Honey. It has more calories than the rest (180 vs. 130 for the fruit version), but if you don't use all of the honey, you are probably fine. Plus, it is so good!!

I haven't tried any other Greek yogurt brands outside of Fage yet, but plan to.
*At my usual grocery store I found this in the refrigerated health food section, but Whole Foods stocks it by the other yogurts in dairy.

Splendid Splenda

Prior to today, I had never in my life knowingly had Splenda.
My girlfriend Krystle really likes it and has mentioned that she sprinkles some on strawberries or puts it in her coffee.

Two weeks ago we were at Target and came across flavored Splenda packets. Krystle bought the French Vanilla version to try. [It is also available in four other flavors – Mocha, Hazelnut, Caramel, and Cinnamon Spice]

This afternoon I went to Krystle and Pierce's house for a few hours and Pierce made some coffee. Long story short - Krystle and I also had a cup and it was then that I had my first Splenda experience. I had one French Vanilla packet in my coffee and it was delicious! The packet smells like cupcakes w/ vanilla frosting and it added just the right amount of sweetness for me. What a yummy treat! So yummy in fact, that I had a second cup of coffee.

I'm going grocery shopping soon and might have to buy some...
*If I do buy one -- what kind should I get?

A wrinkle in time

I've noticed I am starting to get defined lines around the corners of my eyes. It's not a huge deal, but I'd like to try to slow my wrinkling if possible. The other week my friend Laura and I were talking about our respective wrinkles and the products we use.

Strangely enough, I've turned to Costco for help. (Love that place!!) They sell face creams in two packs; kinds that I am too cheap to buy on their own. The paired packaging works terrific as I've been able to split the cost with my mom and aunt.

We've bought both the Roc Deep Wrinkle Day (+SPF) and Night treatments and the Oil of Olay Regenerist Micro-sculpting Cream. [I really can't imagine I will need more than those...]

The Roc creams are supposed to diminish "expression lines" and deep wrinkles. Of course it also acts as a moisturizer, SPF (the daytime version) leaving the skin smoother and younger-looking. And who am I kidding - that is the goal!

The Oil of Olay stuff is supposed to regenerate volume and shape, restore elasticity and firm sagging skin. I may be delusional, but as far as I know I don't have any of the problems above and things will stay that way. [Okay… maybe I am delusional… ]

I mentioned my expression lines to my friend Mary, too. She's an esthetician and knows preventative (and reactive) measures to reduce the signs of aging. Her first suggestion: wear sunglasses. So I bought a fresh pair of sunglasses (from Target this time) and will make an effort to wear them!

Here's what I don't have (and kind of want): Oil of Olay Microdermabrasion & Peel System. Laura has it and uses it twice a week. It sounds interesting. It's two products: derma crystals and an activator serum. Apparently the serum reacts with the crystals creating a conditioning foam and warming sensation. It resurfaces the skin's texture, activates cell renewal and diminishes fine lines and wrinkles. I'll wait a while on this one. Maybe Costco will start stocking it…

Loose Tea Time

My brother has been a tea enthusiast since the semester he spent in England. He recently found a great deal on tea mugs with an infuser. He, being the thoughtful brother he is, picked up two more than he needed so that Rich and I could each have one too.

Now that we have these awesome cups that accommodate loose tea, we needed loose tea. Of course I could have just bought a tin of loose tea, but I didn't want to commit to one flavor. Bulk tea was the solution.

I mentioned my search to mom and aunt and they recommended Teavana. What a great suggestion!!

I walked into Teavana and quickly tried all of the four tea samples they had out. Then I headed to the counter. They have these huge tins of tea in all sorts of varieties, types, caffeine levels and flavors. You pick one that sounds interesting and the employee takes off the lid and fans the aroma your way. I probably had the poor woman take out 10+ varietals - each one smelled terrific!!

I ended up finding three different teas to buy. The first one is Blueberry Bliss. This is a caffeine-free tea and made with dried blueberries. It smells fruity and is super light and tasty.

The second type I bought is Zingiber Ginger Coconut tea another caffeine-free tea. This one for sure smells like coconuts and the tropics, but the taste is much spicier. I read the description and apparently this has black pepper... so that explains the spice.

The final version I purchased was Almond Biscotti Black tea, 20% caffeine. This smells like a baked good, so the name is very fitting. It tastes like one too! What a nice start to the day!!

When you find something you like...

For Christmas my mom bought me the camisole above, but in blue from Banana Republic. I just love it!! I like to wear tank tops or camisoles under shirts and sweaters year-round and have casually mentioned on numerous occasions how much I love this particular design.

So, last weekend on a visit to Albertville Outlet Mall she bought me another one. This time in coral. I was so pumped! Then I learned there was an aqua one and was bummed I didn't have that one too.

Naturally I hopped in my car after work on Wednesday and drove there myself (to put distance in perspective, Albertville is 33 miles from my work and another 40 miles from my house). Thankfully my travels were not without reward. They had just received a new shipment in a range of colors: orange, purple, royal blue, brown, cream and black [cream and black were only available in XS]. I bought one of each color (minus cream and black) and even tracked down the aqua version. When you find something you like, buy one in each color. Hopefully I'll be set for a while. Though having a cream and/or black version would be nice...

*BTW - they are giving terrific discounts right now!! Each camisole was 40% off the marked price. The aqua was already clearance, but still was an additional 30% off. I also bought a sweater (30% off), pants (50% off) and a necklace (30% off) and because I am a loyal card-holder I received an additional 25% off my entire purchase. My amount saved was $40 more than what I spent! Amazing!!

Must Haves

At book club on Sunday one of the girls introduced to me a product she carries in her purse. After she so nicely let me try it out, it was decided. I needed it. Had it not been 8p on a Sunday, I would have gone to the mall right then and there and bought one. Instead I had to wait all day Monday until after work before I could go buy one of my very own. The must-have? Brush on cuticle oil in a tube from Sephora. (It comes with a cap, but I took it off for the photo.)

After I sampled it on my own fingers my eyes were opened. This was exactly what my hands needed!! I wish I was kidding, but apparently my cuticles were in dire need of attention and cuticle oil was the cure. Plus, maybe now I should paint my own nails and use this oil to keep my hands looking fresh. (Apply cuticle oil. Your hands will thank you!) HUGE benefit of this vs. cuticle cream: no messy fingers.

Soon after the same girl pulled out and applied Stila lip glaze. Now this I have had before and LOVED! The visual reminder made me realize I should have this too! And so this was my second must-have.

And by the way, you should know that I went to two Sephora locations because the first place I went to didn't carry the cuticle oil. Clearly I could not possibly live another moment without these precious items by my side and in my purse!

Oh yeah, and Rich is out of town this week.