Reviews

Sparkly NYE Mani - OPI

2012-01-01T15:35:00.000-08:00

I wanted something silver and sparkly for New Years Eve. I used two coats of OPI "Your Royal Shine-ness" and one coat of OPI "Crown Me Already."

Your Royal Shine-ness is a shimmery silver and the Crown Me Already is just all sparkle. It has big pieces of silver glitter and it gave the Your Royal Shine-ness added sparkle!

Christmas Mani with Nicole by OPI

2011-12-27T06:34:00.000-08:00

I wanted to do something fun and sparkly for Christmas this year. It took me a few attempts to find exactly what I was looking for but I made it work!!

This is two coats of "He's A Keeper" with one coat of "Orna-ment For Each Other" on top. The glitter coat is from Nicole by OPI's recent Holiday collection, Holiday Glitters. You can see the other colors here. I'm not a gold person but this glitter with gold looked great and made them so sparkly!! "He's A Keeper" is from the Walmart Collection; you can see the other colors here.

In person this reminded me of the ruby red slippers from the Wizard of Oz.

Kiss Me At Midnight - Nicole By OPI

2011-12-16T05:23:00.000-08:00

A little bit older shade but one of my favorites! I think it's a cranberry-ish color with a tint of brown and sparkle. Perfect for the Holidays!! The brush is super thin in this polish and if I wasn't short on time I would have done another coat. Picture below is 2 coats.

Pepe's Purple Passion - OPI Muppets Collection

2011-11-29T12:54:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to try out some of the fun colors in the OPI Muppets Collection. Shown here is Pepe's Purple Passion. It's not as purple as the name implies, but more of a burgundy wine color. In the bottle it looked like a lot of shimmer or sparkle but that didn't show up as much on the nails. It's not a super shiny finish but I liked it a lot...and it lasted so long without chipping!! The picture below is two coats of polish, which I think is plenty because it went on really thick. If you want to see all the colors in the Muppet Collection, check out this post here.

Khloé Had a Little Lam-Lam - Kardashian Kolors

2011-11-07T12:58:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of "Khloe Had a Little Lam-Lam" from the Nicole by OPI Kardashian Kolor collection. You can read about the entire collection here. I have to say, I really like the Nicole By OPI shades that have the angled brush, which this collection does not have. I had a hard time for some reason with the brush in this bottle and kept getting it on my skin. This is 2 coats and the color reminds me a little of "Ski Teal We Drop", which is one of my favorites. I really like the color but I have to say, it was messy taking it off. I ended up chipping it really quickly so it was only on for 2 days and I still had faint greenish color stains on my nails.

OPI - Holland Collection

2011-11-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

OPI is launching their Holland Collection for Spring/Summer 2012. The collection consists of 12 shades offering a mixture of sophisticated neutrals and highly-pigmented brights. The collection is inspired by the Holland's range of stunning shades - vivid tulips, windmill-dotted hillsides and bustling canals.

I'm not sure I've been this excited about a collection since the Touring America collection!! Check out the blues and purples!! Can't wait for Spring!

The collection consists of the following shades and will be available Feb. 8, 2012.

A Roll in The Hague

Take advantage of this frisky little orange.

Red Lights Ahead…Where?

This coral-packed red is the hottest in the district.

Kiss Me on My Tulips

A smooch-worthy shade of hot pink.

Pedal Faster Suzi!

This pink lavender shimmer will have you “wheeling.”

Dutch ’Ya Just Love OPI?

All of Holland hollers for this crowd-pleasing plum.

Vampsterdam

A deep purple for a divine diva.

Did You ’ear About Van Gogh?

Rumor has it…this sandy bisque is a work of art.

Thanks a WindMillion

You totally deserve this breezy sea green.

Wooden Shoe Like to Know?

It’s no secret…everybody loves this shimmery chocolate-brown.

I Have Herring Problem

What’s that you say? I need to “sea” this shimmery green-blue?

I Don’t Give a Rotterdam!

This sassy steal-blue shimmer means business!

Gouda Gouda Two Shoes

Take a walk on the wild side with this robust rose.

Get In The Expresso Lane - OPI Touring America

2011-10-31T09:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of "Get In the Expresso Lane" from the OPI Touring America Collection. It's such a dark brown that in doors it's hard to tell that it's brown. But in natural light, it's a really pretty chocolate color. This is actually three coats of polish as I saw some white/lighter spots still peeking through after two coats. The Touring America collection is one of my favorites, you can read about all the other shades in this collection here.

Nicki Minaj by OPI

2011-10-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

OPI is partnering with recording artist Nicki Minaj to launch a limited edition collection. The collection consists of 6 limited edition shades including a purple Shatter. Inspired by Minaj's unique style, love of bright colors and her debut album Pink Friday, the Nicki Minaj by OPI collection will feature an array of bold hues from neon lime green to pink.

Super Bass Shatter (purple)

Inspired by graffiti art and works when painted over any dry OPI hue

Pink Friday
Kick off the weekend with this pop! of bubblegum pink.

Metallic 4 Life
This charcoal sparkle flies with the stars in the skies.

Save Me
I drove for miles just to find this silver-rainbow glitter.

Fly
I came to win, to fight…and to wear this aqua.

Did It On ‘Em
A lusty little lacquer that loves the “lime”-light.

The collection will be available January 2012.

Nicole by OPI - Kardashian Kolors

2011-10-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

Let me start off by saying I'm not a follower of the Kardashian's and I really know nothing about them. But with that being said, I'm still all for their Nicole by OPI collection! The Kardashian Kolors collection includes 14 shades which you know I can't wait to get my hands on!!

Kardashian Kolors includes:

It's All About the Glam

Shimmering-white glitz for the glamorous gal!

Kim-pletely in Love

Finally! The pink of her dreams has arrived.

All Kendall-ed Up

Powder your nose and get some pink on those toes!

Wear Something Spar-Kylie

Glitter-ly the prettiest pink ever!

Sealed with a Kris

Handle with care: This klassy red is top-of-the-line!

Rainbow in the S-Kylie

Girls just wanna have…glitter in every color!

Disco Dolls

Glittery gold glam gone wild!

Kendall on the Katwalk

A head-turning blue-green with a “sparkling” personality!

Listen to your Momager!

If you don’t, you’ll never see this fabulous blue again!

Follow Me on Glitter

A glittery deep gray that always has something to say!

My Empire...My Rules

This take-charge taupe is always on-trend.

Khloé Had a Little Lam-Lam

A deep dark emerald worth falling for.

Hard Kourt Fashionista

This delicious deep brown is the chicest hue in town!

Kourt is Red-y for a Pedi

And this captivating coral looks “fab” on everyone!

These will be available for the 2011 Holiday season and will retail for $7.99.

Nana Smith Designs

2011-10-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

I recently stumbled upon Nana Smith Designs while I was googling for random triathlon stuff. Right away I found myself looking over all the jewelry pieces she has created and wanted them all!! I'm not a big jewelry person, I don't do the big necklaces that are popular right now and I've been wearing the same pair of diamond earrings for 10 years now. But I do like really simple necklaces and love ones with motivational sayings/numbers on them.

Nana, who happens to be an incredible athlete and tennis player, creates adorable pieces of handmade jewelry. Knowing each piece is handmade means you know it's made with care when you receive it and you can tell that right away from the care she takes to package each piece up! Nana goes to the extra step and packages it up in the most adorable way!! When she sent me my necklace the packaging alone made me smile. This is how it arrived:

Inside this adorable little package was a necklace with a pendant that says "believe" on it and on either side, two peridot stones.

(ok, ignore the leathery looking skin!! I used tanning lotion this morning and had a long run so I was a little chaffed up!)

If you haven't already, please check out Nana's site. There is definitely something for everyone and she can create unique pieces based on your preferences. She also hosts contests where she gives away a piece of jewelry; there's a Halloween contest going on right now so check it out!

Huge fan of Nana Smith Designs!!

A-taupe The Space Needle - OPI

2011-10-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of "A-taupe The Space Needle" from the OPI Touring America collection. This line has a bunch of colors I love and am wearing a ton lately. You can see the whole collection here. We had an event last night and I was wearing a camel color sweater dress so I wanted brown nails. After I put one coat of this on, I wasn't sure I liked it and almost took it off instead of finishing. I'm glad I didn't!! I put on 3 coats and love how it looks...and it went perfectly with my dress. :-)

OPI - Pink Shatter for Breast Cancer Awareness

2011-10-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

I've been seeing a lot of pink lately, which is always a good thing!! It's amazing that a single color can raise such awareness for such an important cause. Which is why I think it's so great that OPI is raising awareness once again with a limited edition Pink Shatter; see press release below.

"OPI launches the limited edition Pink Shatter: Pink of Hearts Nail Lacquer to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure^® in its promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever. The 2011 Pink of Hearts edition will follow in the footsteps of its namesake 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 Nail Lacquers in raising awareness of breast cancer for the fifth year in a row, during the months of September and October (National Breast Cancer Awareness Month). Unlike previous shade incarnations, this year’s Pink of Hearts Nail Lacquer marks the debut of fan-favorite Shatter coat in OPI’s first pink shade."

Each bottle has a special pink ribbon tag and pink cap wrap to call attention to breast cancer awareness and will be available September through October. Additionally, OPI will also be making it's annual donation of $25,000 to Komen for the Cure^®

Designer Series by OPI

2011-10-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

Two new shades will be added to the Designer Series by OPI collection this Fall. The Designer Series shades include vivid hues and sparkling, glitter packed textures which feature OPI's diamond-dust formula. These new shade became available September 2011 and join the other 9 shades and top coats already a part of the collection. Below are the 2 new shades...of course I'm excited about the purple!! Can't have too many purples!

NEW! DS Temptation

A provocative sparkle of deep purple

NEW! DS Bold

A brilliant sparkle of rich, shimmering red

Nicole by OPI - Holiday Glitters

2011-10-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's that time of year but once again, the summer flew by. Getting us in the mood for the holiday season, Nicole by OPI is launching their new, limited edition Holiday Glitters collection. The collection consists of 4 shades packed with intense glitter. From traditional holly red and a warm fuchsia hue to metallic gold and inky blue, these shades will make the perfect gift or stocking stuffer!! The names alone are making me excited for the holidays! These will be available November 2011.

Glitter In My Stocking

Give the gift of gold-glittery goodness!

My Sleigh’s in the Shop

In the meantime I rely on this mesmerizing magenta.

Orna-ment for Each Other

I can’t stay away from this tomato-red twinkle!

Snow-man of My Dreams

The “spark” was instant with this rainbow-packed blue.

OPI - Uh-oh Roll Down The Window

2011-10-12T05:59:00.000-07:00

I wasn't quite sure of this color in the bottle but with a name like "Uh-oh Roll Down The Window", I had to try it out! This is from the OPI Touring America collection which has some of my all time favorite colors in it. You can read all about the other colors here.

In day light this was VERY mossy looking and I'm not sure it went with my pale skin. However, in doors I liked it much better. I think it would look good on the toes with some white shatter on it to break up the green a bit.

OPI - Miss Congeniality Is My Middle Name

2011-10-12T05:55:00.000-07:00

Here's "Miss Congeniality Is My Middle Name" from the OPI Miss Universe Collection. Bright purply-pink, very vibrant in day light. This is two coats and when I look real close, it probably could have used another.

I know I don't have nice feet; my toe nails are destroyed from running. But I love my ugly feet, they've carried me many, many miles.

You can read about the entire line of OPI Miss Universe here.

French Quarter For Your Thoughts

2011-10-04T07:10:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I didn't try this color sooner!! I'm very light skin and didn't think I could pull off a grey but I was wrong. This is two coats and the picture below was taken after 4 days of wear...not a single chip!Some colors hold up so much better than others and this is definitely one of them. For the full review of the Touring America Collection, click here.

Good Life Granola

2011-10-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge fan of granola but tend to steer clear of it because I have very little self control around it. Case in point, a bag of Good Life Granola barely made it a weekend in my house (but I did have a little help from the hubs in finishing it off!). Good Life Granola is an all natural Artisan blend of granola which uses ingredients like Michigan maple syrup, almonds and pecans.

I tried out the "original blend" which contained oats, maple syrup, brown sugar, canola oil, almonds, pecans, vanilla, sea salt and cinnamon. While it does contain added sugar, I do appreciate that the ingredient list is short and I can pronounce everything on there. A half cup serving has 250 calories, 11g of fat, 4g fiber, 12g sugar, and 6g protein. Like all granola, it's a little high calorically but at least it's not filled with junk.

As for how it tastes...really, really good!! The granola was actually a lot softer than typical granolas and the pecans really made the difference. We ate it right out of the bag and even as a small bowl of cereal with milk, which was delicous! You can find Good Life Granola at health food stores, speciality stores and on line. It comes in Original Blend, Apple Crisp and there's even a nut free variety. A 4oz bag is ~$3 and a 12oz bag is ~$6.50.

I think it's a good thing that this isn't dirt cheap, if it were, I'd eat way too much of it!!

Road House Blues - OPI Touring America

2011-09-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

"Road House Blues," my new favorite color!! Like it so much that when it came time to change it, I put it right back on! This is from the OPI Touring America collection which you can read about here.

Not the best photo, but you can at least see how dark it is and in natural light you can really see the blue. Toes are done w/ OPI white shatter on top.

OPI - The Muppets Collection

2011-08-24T06:29:00.000-07:00

OPI is celebrating Disney's "The Muppets" with a new holiday collection!! Inspired by the film's namesake lively and colorful characters, OPI is launching 12 limited edition colors for the 2011 Holiday season. This is what Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director, had to say about the collection:

"Not only do The Muppets characters inspire fun, bright and joyful colors, the fashionable Miss Piggy lends her name to three high-shine pink-based hues, ranging from bold red flecked with silver to a multi-dimensional strawberry shade."

"Colors packed with micas and sparkle give a 3-dimensional textured look that makes nails look like jewerly. With shades ranging from textured glitters in rainbow, red, green and blue to softer shimmers in copper and bronze metallic hues, these 12 colors provide the perfect accessory for the holiday season." Here are the descriptions and images of the collection:

Animal-istic
This wild bright red cannot be tamed!

Meep-Meep-Meep
Missing out on this fuchsia would make you weep, weep, weep!

Wocka Wocka!
The popular deep berry makes everything fun and merry!

Pepe’s Purple Passion
This deep, decadent shade is the best purple ever, okay!

Designer, de Better!
And this light metallic bronze is ready for the runway.

Warm & Fozzie
A feel-good shade of metallic copper.

Rainbow Connection
The rainbow glitter of your dreams.

Excuse Moi!
Ahem! This pink glitter has something to say!

Gone Gonzo!
The aqua-blue glitter is taking over the world!

Fresh Frog of Bel Air
A glitter that prefers the greener things in life.

Divine Swine
The finest, most fabulous magenta glitter ever.

Gettin’ Miss Piggy With It!
Red glittery fun for everyone!

The Muppets Collection will be available beginning November 2011!! I love the names and colors and can't wait to get my hands on these!!

OPI - Glam Slam!

2011-08-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

The 2 final shades of the 2001 Glam Slam! collection by OPI have been released...."Pros and Bronze" and "Love Is A Racket." The new shades were introduced to coincide with each of the four major tournaments, including the New York tournament in August 2011. The shades are featured as a duo pack and can be worn alone or as Serena stated in the press release,

“Whether worn alone or with Pros & Bronze layered over Love is a Racket for a golden glow, these two shades have rich hues that are perfect for transitioning from summer to fall”

("Love Is A Racket" and "Pros and Bronze")

As always, the polishes in this collection contain no DBP, Toluene or Formaldehyde and each includes OPI's exclusive ProWide brush! This collection is available now!

OPI - Miss Universe Collection

2011-08-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

OPI has partnered with the Miss Universe pageant to release the limited edition Miss Universe Collection. The collection consists of 4 shades that are full of sparkle and shimmer and are available now.

Here's a little description of each color:

Congeniality is My Middle Name
And berry-wine shimmer is what I do best!

It’s MY Year

It’s about time for this champagne-rose to shine!

Swimsuit…Nailed It!

An itsy bitsy teenie weenie vibrant shiny-blue bikini.

Crown Me Already!

A sassy silver sparkle that knows what it’s worth.

("Swimsuit...Nailed It!," "Crown Me Already!," "Congeniality Is My Middle Name," "It's My Year")

The Miss Universe polishes contain no DBP, Toluene or Formaldehyde, have the OPI exclusive ProWide brush. And remember, these are a limited edition!!

Honk If You Love OPI

2011-08-21T14:14:00.000-07:00

I couldn't wait until the Fall to start wearing the dark colors again. Here's "Honk If You Love OPI" from the OPI Touring America collection. You can read about the other colors in this collection here. It's a very, very dark purple. My favorite!!

It's Not Me, It's Blue - Nicole By OPI

2011-08-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

From Nicole by OPI Something About Color line, here is "It's Not Me, It's Blue." More silver than blue, but it lightens up in natural light. I'm wearing two coats but think it probably needed one more. This line is available at Target this month, check out full review here.

Nicole by OPI - Something About Color

2011-08-08T13:29:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard or seen, Nicole by OPI has an exclusive line of polishes available only at Target. Nicole by OPI took the "Something About Spring" collection and added 4 more shades to take the line from Spring to Fall. I personally love that Target now sells higher end nail polish as it's my go to store for everything! And as the OPI Executive VP and Artistic Director says,

"Target has become a hub for fashionable consumers, which is why the new colors feature some of the season's hottest hues like red (I love You Cherry Much), which will appear this winter as an accent shade to add a bright pop of richly-pigmented color. The neutral trend will also continue adding elements of taupe, khaki and olive green (Green Up Your Act!) to the current favorites of nude, tan and grey."

Nicole by OPI polishes contain no DBP, Toluene or Formaldehyde and are long lasting, fast drying, and salon quality with a Perfect Stroke brush for even coverage. The new additions to the line will be available in Target this month!!

All four colors are really pretty, with "I Love You Cherry Much" being the perfect little black dress color. And of course my love of all things purple has me sold on "It's Not Me It's Blue." I have a feeling I'm going to be changing my polish ever other day this Fall with all the new colors out! Here's a little description of the new shades:

Green Up Your Act!

This powerful olive-green has its eyes on you!

Sounds Grape to Me

A shimmering burgundy that’s up for anything!

It’s Not Me, It’s Blue

Pretty periwinkle, you had me at “shimmer.”

I Love You Cherry Much

Hold onto this romantic red – it’s a keeper.

OPI Touring America Collection

2011-08-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

I love Fall. Not only because of the crisp mornings that are perfect for my long runs but because it means I can finally switch back to my dark nail polish colors. Seriously, I love nothing more than a dark polish during the Fall/Winter months! So when OPI announced their new Fall/Winter line, Touring America, I was beyond excited. I really think this line is going to produce some of my all time favorite shades.

As described by OPI Executive VP and Artistic Director, "Autumn is a time for reinvention and these shades revive classic, iconic colors for Fall. From cool heather, khaki and chocolate to warm rose, peach and red."

The first color I immediately dove into was "I Eat Mainely Lobster" because I was heading to the beach and thought it was the best choice. But I'm more than ready to switch gears and throw on some of the darker shades like "Honk If You Like OPI," "Get In The Expresso Lane," "I Break For Manicures," and "Road House Blues." Here's a little description of each color:

Are We There Yet?

Don’t make me reach back there and take that perfect melon shade!

I Eat Mainely Lobster

We “clawed” through crowds to catch this coral for you.

My Address is "Hollywood"

We put this pretty rose-pink on the map.

Color to Diner For

I’ll take the rosy-red with a side of “awesome.”

Honk if You Love OPI

Don’t let this gorgeous dark grape pass you by.

Road House Blues

In this case…R&B stands for “Really Blue.”

Suzi Takes the Wheel

Buckle up—she’s not stopping until she gets to gray!

French Quarter for Your Thoughts

Want beads? Then show us your sexy gray nails!

Uh-oh Roll Down the Window

You’re gonna wanna pull over for this “unexpected” olive green.

A-taupe the Space Needle

You’ll climb to new heights with this creamy-rich taupe.

Get in the
Expresso Lane

An amped-up dark brown that’ll never letcha down!

I Brake for Manicures

This gorgeous eggplant-plum has our full attention.

The Touring America polishes contain no DBP, Toluene or Formaldehyde, have the OPI exclusive ProWide brush and are available now!

OPI Glam Slam! England

2011-07-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

Serena Williams definitely likes her sparkle!! OPI's Glam Slam! England collection is bold and full of glitz! Since I think of my nails as dressing up any outfit, like jewerly, I thought this part of the press release was interesting.

"The next big trend in nails is making lacquer look 3-dimensional by adding different micas and glitters, turning fingertips into jewelry. With two bold metallics and a sparkling glitter, these colors are fit for royalty.”

"Grape...Set...Match," "Servin' Up Sparkle," "Your Royal Shine-ness"

My favorite by far of this collection is "Grape...Set...Match" because I'm obsessed with purple polish. I've been wearing OPI Rumples Wiggins for two weeks straight now. Love purples!! Anyway, "Grape...Set...Match" might be a little dark for the summer months but I don't care. I really, really liked it!! It has a little shimmer to it which is ok with me because the polish is dark. Definitely a fun color!

"Servin' Up Sparkle" is basically a clear polish loaded with silver sparkle and would best be used over another color. And then there's "Your Royal Shine-ness" which is a glimmery silver. Perfect for a black dress and silver jewerly!!

Fun colors in this collection! The only thing I want to add is that the sparkle polishes, which is true with any collection, is that they are a little bit harder to get off than regular polishes. Not necessarily bad, but it takes me a lot longer to remove the polish than normal.

OPI Nice Stems!

2011-07-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

I never was a huge fan of pink growing up but over the last few years I find myself in more and more pink! Guess I'm more of a girly girl than I thought. Even though I'm wearing more pink clothes, I typically leave pink nail polish to my toes, unless it's race day when I use Nicole by OPI "Never Give Up." :-)

Well, OPI Nice Stems! collection is all about pinks!! The Nice Stems! lacquers contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde and feature OPI's exclusive ProWide brush. I'm all about less harmful chemicals!

"I Lily Love You," "Play The Peonies," "Come To Poppy," "Be A Dahlia Won't You?"

At first I was worried that they were a little too flashy for my hands, but I was really happy with how "Come To Poppy" looked. I painted them before heading to the beach for vacation and it was a perfect beach color!

"Come To Poppy"

My favorite shade by name in this collection is "I Lily Love you." The color in the polish is really light, almost translucent, with sparkles. It doesn't apply as pink as it looks in the bottle. Although I didn't try it this way, I think it would look cute on top of another color.

"Play The Peonies" is a really subdued color which I like for work and more conservative days. It has a little shimmer to it, which dresses it up a bit, too.

Overall, I thought the Nice Stems! collection contained fun summer colors. Definitely look good with a tan and since they are limited edition, better hurry and get some!

OPI Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Collection

2011-04-30T15:53:00.000-07:00

Perfect, perfect, perfect shades for the Spring!! Maybe because this collection contains a purple and I'm a sucker for purple polish but I love the shades in this OPI collection!! As per the press release, these colors "were inspired by a world filled with mythical mermaids, gleaming treasure, and high-seas adventure. With shades ranging from sage and lavender to khaki gray and pastel pink..."

"Skull & Glossbones, "Sparrow Me the Drama," "Stranger Tides," Steady As She Rose," "Mermaid's Tears," "Planks Alot"

Of course the first one I had to try was "Planks Alot" and I love it.

I also painted my sisters toes with this color and then applied the "navy shatter." (sorry, no picture) It didn't turn out as good as my blue on blue shatter but it that was my fault with the poor color combination. But regardless, her purples toes looked good!

I love the fall and winter with dark painted nails and have never been a big fan of summer colors on my hands. Toes, I'm fine with whatever. I just don't think the lighter colors look good on me with my fair skin. Maybe that's why I was so excited for this collection. There are fun summer colors which I can pull off with my milk white skin. :-) And I'm not stuck with just normal pale pinks, which I like even more.

Next up to try, "Mermaid's Tears." Love this sage color, very different and very pretty but not too green so I think it would be a color you could pull off any day of the week!

OPI Blue Shatter

2011-04-30T15:33:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure what this "shatter" nail polish was like and had only seen the black shatter until I recently received these 3 blue shatter shades. As soon as I got them I had to test them out!

There are 3 blue shatters:

"Turquoise Shatter," "Navy Shatter," "Blue Shatter"

I opted for the light blue from the Nicole by OPI Justin Bieber collection as my base coat then used the "Navy Shatter." I let the first 2 light blue coats dry completely before I applied the shatter. The shatter goes on a little funny. I found you need to make sure you have enough on the brush when you apply it the first time so you don't need to dip the brush back in the bottle to get more polish. It seemed the shatter would dry that quickly and adding more made it look a little messy and took away the good effect. The shatter should go on as an even coat and within seconds you can see it start to separate and "shatter." It was really neat and I have no idea how this works!

Check out these tootsies...a little funky but cute!!

Once again, OPI didn't disappoint me! I really didn't think the shatter look was for me but I think this is a very fun look for the toes!! I'm looking for a good maize color polish so I can do that and blue shatter in the Fall for Michigan football games. GO BLUE!!

Halo Headbands

2011-03-05T11:54:00.000-08:00

I just can't run without a headband on. There's nothing worse than having sweat get in your eyes and since I sweat pretty badly (I like to think my body is every efficient at cooling itself), I never, ever workout without a headband. I've become pretty partial to one in particular one am always interested in trying out new ones. Recently I was given the opportunity to try out a Halo Headband. I was sent the Halo I and Halo II version and here's a little info about these headbands.

Halo headbands have a patented sweat block technology in which the water-tight seal directs sweat away from the eyes. There's also a non-slip grip surface to keep the headband in place. They are made from a Dryline fabric which aides in rapid evaporation and the band will not lose it's shape or form. My favorite thing about these headbands, since I'm a pretty bad germophobe, they have "antimicrobial odor-fighting technology." In short, there is control over the growth of odor-causing bacteria generated when you sweat so you don't have to worry about your headband stanking up the joint. The headbands are also machine washable, but I've been hand washing mine in the shower after I work out.

As for how they work...like a champ. This was probably the sturdiest (for lack of better term) headband I've ever worn. The fit was really comfortable, too and I think it's going to be perfect for under my bike helmet this summer. Both of these styles go for a measly $12.95 which is definitely a fair and reasonable price for the product. Halo has a ton of different products from hair bands to anti-freeze headbands which cover your ears. They also have bandanas, skull caps, visors and a lot more. I definitely suggest you check out their site. I'm going to have to go ahead and give Halo 10 biscuits.

OPI Texas Collection and Beiber Fever

2011-02-27T13:48:00.000-08:00

Dreams do come true!!! Check out this stash from OPI and Nicole by OPI!!

*the 6 OPI bottles in the far back right are the ones with the sorbet-like finish

First up, the OPI Texas Collection. Wow, some fun colors in this bunch. As soon as I saw them all I could think about was summer and having the cutest colored toenails out there! I've tested out "It's Totally Fort Worth It" and "Suzi Loves Cowboys" and once again, I love the new colors. I'm not even sure it's possible for OPI to make a color I wouldn't like. There was something about these colors that went on so smoothly; much smoothier than normal. Another cool thing about the Texas collection is that 6* of the 12 colors have a "sorbet-like" finish. Specificially, "Guy Meets Gal-veston", "Ya'll Come Back Ya Hear?", "Too Hot Pink to Hold 'Em", "Big Hair...Big Nails", "Do You Think I'm Tex-y?" and "Houston We Have a Purple". If you want to learn more, you can watch a detailed video from OPI here.

Next up, Nicole by OPI Justin Bieber collection. Let me first start off by saying that I am NOT a Justin Beiber fan but I AM a fan of his nail polish line. I immediately tried out the "I Have Bieber Fever" and loved the dark purple for this time of year. A lot of the colors are a little wild for me to wear on a daily basis to work, but they are fun colors nonetheless and would look really cute on my toes. These bottles also have the new perfect stroke brush which I really like.

I thought these two collections had a lot of wild colors, which could be a lot fun as the warmer weather rolls around. I also liked that there weren't any metallic shades as I definitely don't wear those often. I'm looking forward to having some fun colors to play with this spring/summer and I'm giving the OPI Texas collection 10 Biscuits and Nicole by OPI Justin Bieber collection 9 Biscuits.

Power Balance

2011-02-02T13:23:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to try out a Power Balance bracelet recently. You know, those things that are all the rage, being worn by celebrities and athletes and almost everyone else you see. I admit, I wanted to try it. I wanted to see what all the hype was about and if this little bracelet would make me run further, jump higher, feel better, etc, etc. I went into it with a VERY open mind curious to see if I would reap any benefits.

According to the letter I received, "Power Balance is designed to resonate with, respond to and optimize the body's natural energy flow, similar to concepts behind many Eastern philosophies." After reading that I wasn't really sure how this worked so I went to the website for more info. Under the heading "What is Power Balance" I thought for sure I'd find out more. Unfortunately, all it said was "Made by athletes for athletes, Power Balance is a favorite among elite competitors, weekend warriors, and everyday fitness enthusiasts." Sort of vague but I still wanted to see what this little bracelet would do for me.

Well, after wearing it for several weeks, the verdict...nothing. The bracelet did squat for me or my performance but it did look cute. I actually like the look of them and that's about all I got out of it.

After I wore this, I found out about some negative press so I just read the company's response to this (which can be found on their website). One part of their response is, "The mission of Power Balance has always been to develop and deliver quality products that enhance people's lives," said Kato. "Our products are based on the idea of optimizing the body's natural energy flow, similar to concepts behind many holistic and Eastern philosophies. Frankly, we know there will always be critics of new technologies, but our products are used by those with open minds who experience real results. Our company is absolutely committed to further evaluating the technology behind its products' performance so that we can continue to offer products that enhance people's lifestyle."

Take it for what it's worth. If it works for you, that's great. If you like it because it's cute, then I'm in the same boat as you. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to give Power Balance 2 biscuits...it would have been lower if I didn't think that a pink one would be cute to wear.

Nicole by OPI - Walmart Collection

2011-02-02T13:01:00.000-08:00

Nicole by OPI recently launched a line exclusively for Walmart. I think this is a fabulous idea because everyone should have access to the best (in my opinion) nail polish out there. There are 14 different shades right now which means there's surely a color for everyone.

I was really excited when these 4 showed up for me try...

"He's a Keeper," "Never Give Up," "Got Style?," and "Count On Me."

As soon as I saw the sparkly pink, I knew I had to have that on my toes. It wasn't until I was painting them that I realized it was called "Never Give Up." I think this is going to be my designated polish for all my races. It's perfect!!

If you can't tell by the picture, all of the bottles are labeled "new perfect stroke brush." One thing I really like about Nicole by OPI is the thin brush. So I was a little shocked when this brush was bigger and thicker. At first I thought I wasn't going to like it but it did a killer job! Check out these toes...nothing on the skin around the nails. :-) A little bright and sparkly for my fingers but perfect toenail polish. And I only needed one coat of polish.

Once again I had fun testing out the new colors and am excited to use "Count On Me" as a top coat for those colors that need a little something when I'm getting dressed up. "He's a Keeper" is a flat color, best described as a brick color and "Got Style" is shimmery and almost like a dark mauve (not so much my style). However, if you're near a Walmart, I definitely suggest checking these out. Walmart collection is getting 9 biscuits!

Zone Perfect

2011-02-02T12:40:00.000-08:00

A while back (sorry for the late review) I received some Cookie Dough Zone Perfect bars to try out. When I was contacted all I heard was "cookie dough" and I was sold!! Zone Perfect strives to take a creative approach to nutrition and to discover unique flavor combinations that are rich in nutrients and taste good. To date, they have "introduced over 20 delicious, nutritious varieties." A really interesting thing about this company is that they have partnered with VH1 Save the Music Foundation and have donated over $300,000 that'll be used to help keep music programs alive in public schools across the nation.

Zone Perfect has 4 types of bars: Classic, Fruitified, Dark and Cookie Dough. The cookie dough variety comes in chocolate chip, peanut butter and oatmeal raisin. I was excited to try the oatmeal raisin one since these are my favorite kind of cookie. I won't lie, the bar was awesome!! It tasted fabulous and I'm surprised I still have one of them left. It was more of a treat to me than a nutrition bar. To give you an idea of how they stack up nutritionally, the chocolate chip bar has 180 calories, 5g fat, <1g fiber, 18g sugar (not crazy about that) and 10g protein. Not too bad but I personally like to get some fiber in most things I eat and 18g of sugar is sort of high. But, for the taste, I let this slide.

But...yes, there's a but. When I looked at the list of ingredients I was a little turned off. First off, there are a lot of them and second, there's some stuff in there that I don't care to have a regular part of my diet. Brown rice syrup, corn syrup and chocolate drops (which is made with sugar among other things) were the first 3 ingredients. I've seen bars with way more ingredients and some with way less but the bottom line was I felt these were a little too processed for me, even if I just ate them as a treat.

So they taste great (and even come with a "great taste guarantee") but they aren't something that will become a staple in my diet. Especially since there are less ingredients, and ones which I know, in actual cookie dough. Sorry Zone Perfect but I'm going to have to give you 2 biscuits.

Granola Gourmet Bars

2011-01-15T12:39:00.000-08:00

I reviewed Granola Gourmet before and the full review can be read here. But here's a recap about the company...

Granola Gourmet was founded when one of the owners was diagnosed with Diabetes and was looking for a tasty snack that didn't cause a spike in blood sugar. The ingredients in Granola Gourmet bars are chosen based off their glycemic index and choosing ingredients with a low glycemic impact. They are designed to satisfy one’s sweet tooth, without the use of refined sugar or the fat and sodium content of other popular protein and energy bars.

The last time I tried these they came in little plastic containers but now they are individually wrapped bars. Much easier for an on-the-go snack. I tried the Ultimate Mocha Fudge and thought the bar was pretty good. I wish I would have seen the note on the website before I ate it that you can warm them up in the microwave...I think that would have added to the bar. Anyway, for 150 calories, there is a lot of healthy omega 3 fats packed into it. This bar had 6g fat, 3g fiber and 5g protein. The ingredient list is also pretty short when compared to other energy bars and you can pronounce all the ingredients!! Gotta love that. For those of you who have a wheat or dairy allergry, these bars contain no wheat or dairy and are vegan.

While trying to price up the individually priced bars, there was a little confusion as to what is sold on line from Granola Gourmet. Turns out the individually wrapped bars can not be purchased through their site but can be found at Amazon and some other retailers around the country. A 10 pack of bars from Amazon will cost you $14.46. While these bars are a good healthy choice for anyone, I based my last review on the fact that they are a great choice for diabetics. As to whether or not I would purchase, I'm not sure I would. I sometimes get creative in the kitchen making my own bars and there are others out there which I prefer a little more. So I'm giving Granola Gourmet 6 biscuits.

Nicole by OPI Holiday Collection

2010-12-21T04:45:00.000-08:00

I've never worn Nicole by OPI, because I always stick to my trust worthy standard OPI. Well, that's all changing!! I recently tried out the Nicole by OPI Holiday Collection and think it's fabulous! Check out these fun colors...

"Stuck In The Chimney," "Kiss Me At Midnight," "Spark My Mistletoe," "Bring On The Tinsel"

I just took off "Stuck In The Chimney" after a FULL WEEK and even then, there wasn't a single chip. Not one! I still typed away on the computer, did dishes, wrapped presents, Christmas shopped, etc and it never chipped! The only reason I took it off is because I'm so excited to use "Spark My Mistletoe" for Christmas. I'm wearing a black dress on Christmas eve and think this will look great and let's be honest...how fun is this color! I also wore "Kiss Me At Midnight" and like this one for every day winter wear. It has a brick tone to it, which I really like this time of year. I'm saving "Bring On The Tinsel" for New Year's Eve...

As for the polish, one thing I really liked is that the brush is thinner than that in standard OPI polish. I felt like I had a lot more control painting near the edges of my nails and the polish went on really nice. I've seen Nicole by OPI for about $8 at Ulta, which I think is very reasonable. Like I said before, you can get a whole bottle of polish for the price of one manicure. These have definitely been the most fun colors I've tried out and I'm happy to give Nicole by OPI 10 Biscuits!

Appalachian Outdoors

2010-12-19T05:26:00.000-08:00

I'm all about one stop shopping and Appalachian Outdoors is exactly that! Appalachian Outdoors is "the adventuresource for quality outdoor clothing and equipment since 1974" and has everything you need from sleeping bags, to watches, to snowsport equipment. But not only do they carry a ton of outdoor stuff, they also carry clothing not only for sports, but for every day wear. For those of you who enjoy CamelBak products, they have a big selection of CamelBak Hydration packs. One thing that caught my eye on this site was the Timex Ironman Sleek 50 watch.

This watch does it all and it's cute! Not as bulky as the other training watches out there and much more fashionable. Some highlights about the watch:

50-lap memory recall
99-lap counter
Chrono training log stores workouts by date, with best lap, average lap and the total segment time
2 interval timers settable up to 24 hours: countdown/stop (CS), countdown/repeat (CR)
Water-resistant 100m

I haven't used the watch for all the functions it can perform, yet, but I'm already 100% happy with it! I love that I can wear it in the pool and think it's going to be a great tool for my pool workouts. The watch is super comfortable and coming from someone who can't stand to wear jewerly, I sleep with this on and can't even tell I'm wearing it. The watch is also very reasonably priced at only $64.95. I'm loving the watch and giving it 10 biscuits.

Another 10 go to Appalachian Outdoors for a site that has it all with reasonable prices. Since they also have a retail store, if there's something you can't find on the site, they suggest you call the store to see if they carry the product. I'm all for sites that have a "real" person for you to contact!

Active Wrap

2010-11-10T16:10:00.000-08:00

As a person who does not like to take it easy, I admit that I get my fair share of aches and pains. One of the most bothersome is my sciatica which really flairs up during intense training cycles. With always being on the go, it's not always easy to lay down with ice or a heating pad. Well, ActiveWrap made the perfect thing for me.

ActiveWrap makes hot and cold therapy wraps for foot/ankle, back, knee, wrist, shoulder and elbows. What's so great about these wraps is that they contour to the part of the body and you can wear them without having to stop going about your daily activities. It has a dual purpose pad which can be microwaved or placed in the freezer depending on the type of therapy you need. I've been using the back ActiveWrap for a few weeks now and it makes icing my back so easy. The wrap fits snugly and is really comfortable and flexible. I even packed it for a recent marathon and wore it on the drive home. I've even been known to do some cleaning with it on!

Here's how ActiveWrap describes the back wrap: "The ActiveWrap heat and ice back wrap features extreme comfort, fit and adjustability. Complete with our specially formulated non-migrating 7 x10" hot/cold pad and a durable compression wrap made of eco-friendly material. This new pain modality features Active Medical Plush™ fabrication to lock in the body's natural warmth when used for soothing heat while insulating keeping the cold in during cold therapy applications. Silky smooth ventilated side panels ensure breath-ability during long duration use demonstate superior quality to typical neoprene or foam fabric wraps."

This back wrap costs $41.95. I have nothing to compare the price to since I don't know what typical heating pads cost. I will say though, the ease of using the ActiveWrap makes it worth the cost. To be able to ice my back on the go is so nice. I also think the fit of the wrap is nice and if you have other injuries, having something contoured to a specific body part would make ice/heating more efficient. Since it is possible to ice/heat without the wrap (although I think the wrap makes it easier), I'm giving ActiveWrap 7 Biscuits.

Beauty Fix

2010-11-10T15:52:00.000-08:00

I'm not one to spend a lot of money on makeup. A big splurge for me would be buying something from the Clinique counter at the mall. Not that I don't wear makeup, I just don't believe in spending a ton of money on it. So when I stumbled upon Beauty Fix, I thought this might be something that would work for me. Sounded easy enough..."Beautyfix.com is an exclusive beauty club dedicated to matching you with the perfect products. Each season, you'll pick 8 of the hottest beauty products recommended just for you by Beautyfix's panel of beauty experts. Selections are based on your profile, but you'll choose what goes in your bag."

You start by completing your profile describing your skin tone, eye color, hair color, etc. Then you choose what applies for your skin tone and your facial concerns and finally your hair type (straight, curly, long, short, dry, etc). Then a screen of products is shown and you get to select 8 products to add to your kit which will ship free of charge along with a little free gift.

Here's a picture of my kit which included body wash and a matching lotion, eye shadow, lip gloss, an exfoliating mask, make up brush, and a mineral glow and active veil.

The body wash and lotion were so disappointing. First off, the bottle is only 2oz so you're not getting many uses out of it. Then when I went to use it, the body wash was so dried out I could barely get it out of the container. It appeared to be really old or something. Then I tried the lip gloss which is labeled "butter toffee" but it tasted like mint. I even had Andy give me a kiss to confirm and he agreed there was no butter toffee to be found. The eye shadows were just ok. Honestly, I like my Loreal eye shadows better. The powder seemed really heavy even though I used such a small amount and I didn't like the way they blended together. The exfoliating mask wasn't bad but I've only used it once since I have sensitive skin and can't over do it with the scrubs. I have yet to try the veil but the mineral glow didn't match my skin tone at all and I looked discolored. I was very light with the application, too.

Beauty Fix is a club with limited membership and you will receive a shipment each season. If you try it and don't like it, you are able to cancel at any time. Honestly, this is not something I would join. It's hard to match make up when you're filling out a profile and not trying on the product to make sure it works ok for you. I would rather see a product in person before I buy it and maybe open a sample to make sure a butter toffee lip gloss smells like butter toffee. But hey, that's just me. I was really disappointed with this program and am giving Beauty Fix 2 biscuits.

OPI

2010-11-10T15:16:00.000-08:00

I am obsessed with painting my nails. Obsessed! While I'm not a girly girl, I absolutely love having my nails painted. If I'm not in the best of moods, I'll paint my nails and it will cheer me up. I think it makes such a huge difference to have something pretty on your nails. While it's rare to see me without nail polish on, you will never see me with chipping nail polish. That's a huge pet peeve of mine and I think it looks completely trashy. At the first sign of wear, take it off people! Geesh. Anyway, I've been painting my own nails as far back as I can remember and I've been a huge fan of OPI for years now. To me, there is nothing better. I apply a base coat, two coats of polish, a top coat and I'm good for days without any chipping paint. The polish stands up to me typing all day at work, working out, doing dishes, etc. I've tried other brands and nothing stands up to the durability of OPI. Oh, and nothing stands up to their color choices either. Not only do they carry a huge selection of colors, but they come up with the most creative names. Some of my favorites are "Funky Dunky", "Oh...To Be 25 Again", "Rumples Wiggin'" and "Kiss on the Chic."
I've been testing out recent OPI line and am loving some of the colors!! My favorite of this collection so far is the "Ski Teal We Drop" which is a dark blue/grey. Really pretty. The new line also has some fun looking metallic shades which I think would be great for around the Holidays. There's a sparkly silver called, "Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous" which would look great with a little black dress!!

I've seen OPI go for anywhere from $6.50 to $9.00 a bottle. When you think of all the manicures you can get out of a bottle of polish, this is completely reasonable. You can get a ton of paintings for the price of one salon manicure. And no tipping is required. ;-)

I think there's no suprise where I'm going with this one...I'm giving OPI 10 BIG biscuits. Hands down, best nail polish out there.

Sof Sole

2010-11-09T12:45:00.000-08:00

I was recently contacted by Sof Sole regarding some insoles. Unfortunately, I was worried about tempting fate with an insole since I'm getting past an injury but it turns out Sof Sole has a lot more to offer! Insoles, socks and shoe care are available and I have to say, I never really thought about shoe care before. I just usually wear mine until the miles are maxed out and then replace them. I wonder what would happen if I actually took care of them...

Anyway, back to Sof Sole and running socks. Yup, more running socks. I love trying socks out and through all the different ones I've tried, I've become a little bit picky. Sof Sole has a few different kinds of socks ranging from Performance, to All Sport to Sport Fashion. Several of their socks have a "cool max" feature which wicks away moisture keeping your feet drier and more comfortable. I tested out the Cool max trainer socks which have the following features:

Seamless toe and moisture management for comfort
Deep heel pocket minimizes movement and friction
Banded instep for secure fit and arch comfort
Nonbinding top provides comfort
Half cushion sole for protection

Now, just by looking at the socks, I thought they looked just like an ordinary sock. They seemed pretty no frills but they felt soft and cushy to the touch. When I put them on, they felt really good but not very tight. I thought I might have some movement when I ran, but I'm happy to say I didn't. In fact, the socks felt pretty good. They might be a little too thick for some of you who like a thin sock, but I prefer a sock with a little more thickness to it. I will say, I was shocked to learn that a 3 pack of these socks is only $9.99. I pay that, if not more, for ONE pair of socks! This is definitely an added bonus.

Another added bonus is the warranty that Sof Sole stands behind. Yes, a warranty for socks. Check this out, "We warrant that Sof Sole® socks will be free of manufacturing defects for up to one full year after purchase date. Implus Footcare, LLC. will replace such defective socks at no charge." Considering I've had a few pairs of running socks fall apart without being put through the ringer, I think this is pretty cool.

Overall, I was impressed with the socks. And am left wondering if I've been paying too much for running socks all these years. I'm not sure these will be my marathon race day socks yet, I need to give them a few more tries. But I will definitely keep these in the rotation and am giving Sof Sole 7 biscuits.

Sarah Jane Designs

2010-10-13T16:24:00.000-07:00

I'm anything but fancy and don't get too excited about jewelry. But, I am a sucker for running jewelry!! While surfing the web one day I stumbled upon Sarah Jane Design. I love reading about how people start up their companies and what drives them and inspires them. There was something about her "about page" that really made me feel like she cared so much about each piece she makes.

Most of her pieces are unique and only a few are produced more than once. Her design components include "sterling silver, gold-fill and vermeil, Italian Murano glass, Swarovski crystals, semi-precious stones with vivid color, unusually shaped pearls, fossils, rare woods or botanical inspirations." Her pieces tend to use asymmetry, irregular use of chain, front closures and gem clusters. And most importantly, she strives to be as green as possible (extra bonus biscuit points for that!!).

Sarah Jane will also customize pieces for you and in fact, she did just that for me!! I saw a piece I really liked but wanted different color beads. Well, it wasn't a problem and it turned out so cute! Check out the necklace, and matching earrings....

The flat charm says "persistance" and I personally find that very fitting for me. There's also a little runner charm on it. I love the multiple pieces on the same chain and I love the chain that was used. It's hard to see in the picture but it's not super shiny. I personally do not like flimsy or fragile looking jewelry and this doesn't feel like that at all to me. The piece feels sturdy and well put together.

Sarah Jane Design have so many different options; her designs aren't limited to running. And with the ability to customize a piece, the opportunities are endless. Prices vary depending on the piece but I found them all to be more than reasonable. I'm giving Sarah Jane Design 9 Biscuits!

Go Headbands

2010-10-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

If you never noticed, I never, EVER run without a headband. For one I can't stand little pieces of hair tickling my face. And secondly, I sweat like a pig and need something to keep it from running down my face. I have always been partial to a particular style but was excited to try one from Go Headband.

Go Headbands are made from tech fabric which keeps the sweat away and they have a plastic band sewn in the front to keep them from slipping. Each headband is handmade by Kat, who is an athlete herself. She thought up these cute little headbands after having issues with her hair products mixing with sweat and then damaging her skin. The headbands come in two sizes and there are a variety of colors with fun little sayings on them. They will even customize a size for you if you have a "mutant size head" as Kat states on her site. :-)

I tested out the burgundy "Runner Girl" headband and thought it looked really cute! When I first put it on, I thought the width of it would cause the headband to slip off the back of my head, but that wasn't the case. I guess I have the plastic band to thank for that! Speaking of which, the plastic band is very minimal, meaning you can't feel it while you're wearing it. The headband is also wide enough that you can pull it over your ears on cooler days, which is something I tend to need. I typically like a more narrow style headband and just saw that Kat now offers these, too. So there's something for everyone!

The headbands run $7 - $8 and shipping is only a buck in the US or $2 internationally. Can't beat that! One thing I will mention is that these are also machine washable. However, I always hand wash mine in the shower after my run. While washing this headband the color bled a lot. Not a knock on the product, just a fair warning if you throw it in the laundry. Headbands are a must for any workout I do and Go Headband stood up to the test. I'm giving Go Headband 9 Biscuits!

i declare!

2010-08-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge fan of jewelry. I'm definitely not into the big flashy pieces that seem to be all the rage these days. Give me a plain silver necklace, bracelet, ring and I'm good to go. Now pair this with running, and I found myself a piece I'll never take off!!

i declare gives you just that! i declare was started by Annette Allen as a way for her to represent her loves, inspirations, accomplishments, etc. Each charm is sterling silver and is hand made by Annette so you are guaranteed your piece is unique. There are 5 different charm sizes to choose from and a handful of different fonts. Once you pick your charm size and font, you can pick from different styles of chains and order yourself a bracelet or necklace which is unique to you! In addition to the stamped charm, you can add adorable 3D charms, spacers or birth stone crystals to accent your piece of jewelry. There are really a lot of different options and prices vary accordingly.

The necklace I was sent had two charms, one stamped "ultra", the other "running." It is so perfect and simple and I love it! I don't have a picture of mine right now but here is a close example.

I love the idea of simple jewelry. I love that it's personalized and good quality. I've been wearing mine almost every day and it looks great. I take a sterling silver cleaning cloth to it when it starts to look dull and it cleans it right up. I've gotten tons of compliments on it and definitely see myself ordering i declare charms in the future. I'm giving i declare 10 biscuits!!! woo hoo!

Orthaheel

2010-08-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

I've had my share of foot problems this year when Achilles issues landed me in a boot. Trying to find blame, other than running too much, I swore up and down it was from wearing my cheapo flip flops all day and not having the proper support. So when Orthaheel sent me a pair of their natural pain relief flip flops, I was excited to see if these allowed me to dress for summer but not risk any further injury.

Here's some info about Orthaheel:

Orthaheel's biomechanically designed and clinically tested technology helps reduce pronation to relieve associated foot, ankle and knee pain.
Clinical research supports Orthaheel's success in restoring the foot's natural alignment, enabling the feet, ankles and legs to dynamically function as there were intended.
The sandals feature a shock absorbing midsole which provides support and stability and the build in orthotic helps prevent pronation. There's also a rubber sole with patterned tread for traction.

Orthaheel's sandals come in a wide variety of styles and colors and they even have mules and sneakers. I've been knocking around in the Women's Tide (pic below) and have been really pleased. I find that my feet don't slip and slid in these like they do regular flip flops and even though they don't have an ankle strap, my foot feels very supported in the sandal. There is a lot of cushioning and the toe strap is barely noticeable because the material is so comfty. And if this isn't enough, Orthaheel guarantees you'll walk pain free in 30 days or your money back (conditions apply, of course).

While these might not be the stylish of sandals, I've learned that when it comes to my feet, I'd rather have something supportive than the current hottest trend if it means staying injury free. A pair of the Women's Tide will run you $54.99, which is a little pricey for a pair of sandals. But I honestly, I think they are worth it. what do you have to lose with a money back guarantee? With that being said, I'm giving Orthaheel 7 biscuits.

Teko Socks

2010-06-09T15:04:00.000-07:00

Yup, another sock review. Seriously, how are there this many different brands of running socks out there. It's like cereal! Anyway, I was fortunate to recently try out Teko socks. I was really interested in this company because of how they run their business. Their socks came about because they wanted a premium performance outdoor sock with the least possible environmental impact. Teko runs their operations on 4 promises they made, which are:

We will always strive to make our products and company operations as environmentally sound as possible.
Product performance will never be compromised in pursuit of lower environmental impact.
Teko will never use a material or production method that doesn't truly reduce our environmental impact.
We will never stop researching new and improved materials, sources and production methods

Their packaging is printed on 100% recycled paper with soy based inks and they even put a little tekoTIP on each package with an idea of how you can help the environment. The premise of Teko makes me want to buy their socks, but first, what I thought of them…

TekoMERINO minicrew – ($15) as per packaging, "certified organic wool farming, chlorine-free wool treatments and made in the USA with wind power." The socks have seamless toes, cushioning in the footbed and contain tekoPOLY recycled polyester in the heel and toe for durability. Not only were these socks cute, they were comfortable, too. Don't think the wool makes them warm because that wasn’t the case at all. We've had terrible heat out here and the socks are really breathable. However, I will say that after wearing them the first time, I noticed "beads" on the socks and I swear it looked like it wore funny on the side of my big toe. I'm going to wash them and give them another try to see how they hold up.

TekoPOLY low – (~$12) as per packaging, "100% certified recycled poleyester, chlorine-free treatments and made in the USA with wind power." Again, these have seamless toes and cushioning in the footbed. 100% of the material comes from post consumer waste like water bottles. Pretty cool if you ask me!! These socks definitely felt different than the MERINO. When I put them on, it felt like the material was stretching. Hard to explain but it felt like when you have fabric or something that is really old and it's breaking down. I'm guessing that has something to do with the recycled material used. I wasn't sure what to expect after that but it turns out they didn't feel funny on my feet at all. They also stayed completely dry and didn't bunch up at all.

I think Teko has some great beliefs and I love what they are striving for as a company. Their socks are really good but they lacked the softness and slight cushioning that I look for in a sock. I don't like to feel my feet moving in my shoes while I run and I felt that slight movement between the shoe and the sock. Don't get me wrong, I'll still wear these and they didn't give me blisters or anything like that, but I have to be honest and say they aren't my favorite. I'm giving Teko 6 biscuits.

Experia - Thorlos

2010-05-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before how much I love running socks and how I am amazed at the different technologies out there. Well, I recently tried a pair of Experia - Powered by Thorlos Pads. I know, the name even sounds fancy! Thorlos makes different socks for different feet and different activity demands. Experia is intended for those who wouldn't normally wear Thorlos because of the thick cushioning. Experia leaves the light weight cushioning where it is needed in the ball and heel and coolmax is used for moisture management. There is special attention given to the Achilles pad of the sock as this is the area that tends to wear quickly. The remainder of the sock is a blend of polyester, nylon and Lycra.

Thorlos makes socks with a lot of cushioning to protect the bottom of feet. They claim that "wearing Thorlos will help you have less foot pain as you get older" because it helps replace and protect the "fat pads" on the bottom of our feet which degenerate as we age.

I have not tried any other Thorlos products except for Experia. The Experia socks were really nice and they felt great on my feet. When I first slipped into my sneakers, I thought the socks might move around a bit because they felt "slippery." That's the best way for me to describe it. The sock itself was not moving though and in fact, it was a nice, comfty fit. When I first set out running, I thought they might be too thin for my shoe or that they may slide around but that feeling passed once I got going. Maybe my foot got warm, I got used to it, I don't know. I will say they held up through a 17 mile test though and I had no blisters, no rubbing, etc.

A pair of Experia will run you $13.99 but if you buy 3 pairs you can get free shipping. They also have a wide variety of colors to choose from. I don't know about you, but I get bored of plain old white socks!! I'm giving Experia socks 8 Biscuits.

iFitness MiniSport Belt

2010-05-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to be really good about carrying my cell phone with me lately and have tried a few different belts. But once I get the phone in the pocket, there's not much room for anything else. The one I've been using holds my phone perfectly, but since it flops around a little bit I was looking to try something different. I had seen iFitness belts at Expos but it's hard for me to buy stuff at Expos...there's always too much going on and I'm in sensory overload. So I was really excited when iFitness sent me the MiniSport Belt to try out.

Here are some facts about the belt:

Water resistant pouch, stretchy and sturdy, made of neoprene will keep your cell phone or iPod (any size) dry.
Six elastic slots will hold your gels on your belt, for easy access.
Special inner pocket will keep your ID/credit cards or room key securely.
Comes with two reflector strips in the front and one in the back, for night time safety.
Also featured are two toggles to hold your race number, under the pouch.

But the most important tid bit of information about this belt...it didn't move around AT ALL. No flopping, no turning, no rubbing, no chaffing! In fact, I barely knew it was there. It fit snuggly right around my hip bones and didn't bother me the least during my run. And not only did it hold my cell phone, but I was able to carry along some fuel for the run. Unfortunately, the loops are a little big and can't hold my Clif bloks but I was able to squeeze in some Sport Beans. The loops are clearly meant to carry gels.

This particular belt sells for $27.95 from iFitness and I think it's worth every penny. If you don't need the fuel holders or bib clips, check out their other products. They have a lot of different varieties of waist belts as well as arm gel holders.

I really, really liked this belt and thought it was super comfortable. The ONLY thing that would make this better is if the loops were small enough to hold my Clif bloks since that's what I use during long runs and marathons. But since I can still wear the belt even without using it to carry my fuel, I'm giving iFitness 9 Biscuits. (Dear iFitness, make the loops smaller and I'll give you the coveted 10 biscuit rating!)

Attune Foods

2010-04-29T16:27:00.000-07:00

There are bars out there that supply your protein, there are ones that are raw, ones that taste like dirt, yadda yadda...well, when I heard about Attune, I was excited to try them out. Attune is a probiotic granola bar. For those of you who don't know, probiotics help support healthy digestion and protect the body against harmful bacteria, keeping your immune system healthy. A common source of probiotic is yogurt so I thought it was interesting to see a granola bar promoting the benefits of probiotics. According to the packaging, since the granola bars have a lower water content, the probiotic cultures live longer.

I found these bars at my local Whole Foods in the refrigerated section. In the strawberry bliss bar there are 170 calories, 6g fat, 3g fiber and 5g protein. The bar packs a lot of punch for only 170 calories. The granola bar itself is really good; very chewy with whole grains and nuts. Then there's a yogurt-flavored coating which I wasn't really a fan of. The coating tasted a little artificial. A single bar costs around $2.00, which seems to be the norm these days, but I still think it's sort of pricey.

If you're interested, their site is advertising a 14 day challenge right now to prove you'll feel the difference probiotics make in your diet. Here is the info directly from the site:
Feel the Attune Daily Difference - if, after trying one Attune probiotic chocolate bar daily for 14 days, you don't experience a difference, we'll refund your purchase price (up to $18).

I also wanted to mention that these bars should be refrigerated until your ready to take them on the go and eat them. That's a big pain in the butt to me. If I'm going to eat a bar, it's usually stashed in my bag for an emergency when I need something unexpectedly. While I wouldn't purchase these again, I'd by lying if I said I wasn't interested in the 14 day challenge...

I'm giving Attune 3 biscuits.

Pacific Natural Foods

2010-04-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

All I read about these days is almond milk! I had never tried it until recently when Pacific Natural Foods was generous enough to send me some samples. I can't even begin to tell you all that there is to know about this company, I learned so much just looking over their site! One of the coolest things I learned is that they started a program in 1997 called Certified to the Source. It's a standard they follow to ensure they know the source of every single ingredient that goes into their products. Another thing that I really liked is that their cows are fed an organic, vegetarian diet and are free to roam the open pasture. I really encourage you to check out this company...I know I'm definitely interested in trying more of their products.

Now as for the nut beverages...who knew there were so many kinds!! In addition to almond, they also sell rice, hemp, hazelnut and oat. Oat!?! I haven't tried that one yet but I can't wait to! My first taste was the chocolate almond flavor and I was shocked by how good it was! Why haven't I tried this stuff before? I knew instantly what all the talk is about! The beverages also have vitamin A and D and riboflavin for added nutritional value. Another added bonus...they are dairy free for those who are lactose intolerant.

In a 1C serving of original unsweetened almond beverage, there's only 35 calories (that's less than a cup of milk and you're getting a lot of healthy nutrients in this drink!), 2.5g of fat and 1g protein. I have so much experimenting to do with these...the possibilities are endless. First up, oatmeal with the hazelnut! I definitely see myself making these drinks a staple in my diet so I'm giving Pacific Foods 10 biscuits.

Words to Sweat By

2010-04-29T15:44:00.000-07:00

Work out towels seem to be all the rage these days. No more just grabbing a hand towel from your linen closet, now there are cute ones with fun sayings on them to keep you motivated. I was given the opportunity to tell you about a new line of work out towels by Words to Sweat By. The towels are designed and manufactured by Whimsical Walney and each towel has a cute, original mantra to motivate you while you stay fit!

Each towel is made of terry cloth with a fabric applique and measures 16x24. It's the perfect size for carrying to the gym or yoga studio. The towel isn't super soft, but it is very absorbent, which I desperately need since I sweat like a pig. You have to check out the site...they have some really cute sayings like "there will be no jiggle in my wiggle." :-) But my favorite saying...

One other thing I really like is the packaging they use. No waste here!! Woo hoo!! Each towel is packaged in a drawstring organza bag which can be reused. It looks so cute all packaged up and would make a great gift...for only $8. Yup, only $8!! What a cute idea for your workout buddy!

I'm giving Words to Sweat By 8 biscuits...love the creativity and the no waste packaging!

Feed Granola

2010-04-27T05:10:00.000-07:00

I love trying different kinds of granola. Recently, I tried several varieties of Feed Whole Grain Granola, which I loved. Feed Granola was started by two guys (former models acutally, who refer to themselves as "the granola guys"), who were making granola in their apartment in NYC. They soon learned that other people liked their granola and Feed Foods came to be in a very short amount of time. Their mission is to provide the best foods they can make, using the best ingredients they can find. The packaging has this statement on it which I really like: "we believe what you feed your body determines how you live." Very true and I forget that from time to time as I eat too much crunch n munch while sipping on wine. The granola is 100% natural and has 230mg omega 3's!

The granola comes in a lot of different flavors from sweet mango to blueberry almond. In a 1/4C of the blueberry almond, you're looking at 140 calories, 3g fiber and 3g protein. One thing I really liked is that there's only 3g of sugar. I hate when granolas are full of added sugar. The base of the granola is a whole grain blend consisting of oats, barley, rye, oat flour, and brown rice crisps. I've mentioned before that I'm not a fan of freeze dried fruit so I was happy to see they had actual dried fruit in the granolas and it was delicious. I found myself picking out all the pieces of dried fruit first!

A lot of times I think granolas taste pretty much the same but this was not the case with Feed. Each flavor really had it's own unique taste. While the blueberry had a lot of spice in it, the mango had mint in it! Oh, and I forgot to mention....BIG chunks!! I love the big chunks you can pick out and eat with your hands.

I never really comment on packaging but there as also something about their packaging that I like. It's simple but cute and I like the little descriptions for each flavor and the see through window on the back of the bag letting you know it's time to get more! Speaking of getting more...I can't list prices because their site is down right now and I forgot to check at the grocery store this week. But I'm not too concerned about price. I really liked this and definitely see myself buying it again. I just hope I can show some self control next time and not eat the whole bag. I'm giving Feed Granola 10 biscuits.

Granola Gourmet

2010-04-04T08:15:00.000-07:00

I am fortunate enough to not have to worry about the glycemic index of my foods, but many other people aren't so lucky, especially those with Diabetes. Granola Gourmet was founded when one of the owners was diagnosed with Diabetes and was looking for a tasty snack that didn't cause a spike in blood sugar. The ingredients in Granola Gourmet bars are chosen based off their glycemic index and choosing ingredients with a low glycemic impact.

There are 4 flavors: brownie, chocolate espresso, spiced orange cranberry and very berry. The bars contain no wheat, no dairy, no sodium and no refined sugar (LOVE that last one!!). Before tasting, I thought these would taste "different" because they are energy bars designed for diabetics. I have no idea why I thought that, but I did. Well, to my surprise, the bars were really good!! I sampled the chocolate espresso and loved it. There was a chocolate chunk in it that made the bar. The bars are packed with good for us ingredients including organic oats, organic agave, honey, organic sunflower seeds, organic flaxseeds, almonds, etc. In one very berry bar (which is sort of small), there's 140 calories, 5g fat, 3g fiber and 4 g protein. Definitely not a huge, dense bar but very moist, satisfying and tasty. A 10 bar package costs $13.95 and a portion of your purchase helps the American Diabetes Association fight diabetes. Nice touch!!

Now, these bars aren't only for diabetics, they are great for athletes and anyone looking for a healthy snack. I thought they were a nice alternative to the processed, dense, chalky energy bars that are out there. For those out there who need to monitor their blood sugar, definitely check these out. So I'm basing the biscuits on the fact that these are a great choice for diabetics and I'm giving Granola Gourmet 8 biscuits.

Stark Sisters Granola

2010-03-30T12:39:00.000-07:00

There are so many different kinds of granola out there today. I'm floored by all the different companies who make it and have a unique twist to it. I recently stumbled upon Stark Sisters Granola and was given some samples to try out. Debra Stark is the chef behind this granola, where she uses premium ingredients and a homebaked process. There are 3 flavors of granola to choose from: original maple almond, lo-fat raspberry blueberry and nutty maple. Just to give you an idea of the short and healthy ingredient list, here are the ingredients in the nutty maple molasses: organic whole rolled oats, pure maple syrup, pumpkin seeds, molasses, walnuts, coconut, pecans, expeller pressed canola oil and cinnamon. As with any granola, the calorie and fat content is a little high (250 calories, 11g fat per 1/2 cup), but these are good calories and fat so eaten in moderation there's no need to worry. The granola also has a healthy dose of fiber and protein, too.

Of the 3 flavors, I definitely liked the nutty maple molasses the best. The other flavors contained some freeze dried fruit which I'm not a huge fan of. But that's just a personal preference. Another personal preference is that I like my granola in big clumps, so I can pick at it and eat it dry. I'm not sure if it was just because I received samples, but there were no big clumps to be found. They even claim on their site, "Roasted until crunchy and stirred so you’re left with great big clumps." But I had no big clumps, just little pieces. I also found that it had a little bit of a burnt taste to it. Even going back to it another day, I still found myself thinking it tasted burnt and didn't care for that taste.

You can buy Stark Sister Granola directly from their website or as stated on their site it's available at some Whole Foods. Buying from the site you're looking at shelling out $20 (3 tubs) to $40 (6 tubs) and that doesn't include shipping. Shipping for up to $49.99 is $8.95 which I think it expensive!!!

I've tried a lot of granolas and this one doesn't rank up there among my favorites. I think it takes a lot to make a granola stand out and be worth the pricey cost. Most granolas aren't cheap so I think it has to be really good in order to keep me coming back for more. Unfortunately, I don't think I'm at that point with Stark Sisters. Maybe I did get a slightly burnt batch, I don't know, or maybe that's just how it tastes. But that, along with the prices and the fact that I just didn't think it stood out, really swayed the biscuit rating. I'm giving Stark Sisters 3 biscuits.

Drymax Socks

2010-03-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

Of all the running gear, I think socks are the most important. Our feet carry us such a far way and if they aren't happy, we aren't happy. I'm always on the look out for great running socks. I remember when I bought my first pair I could not believe how incredible they felt. Up until that point, I never would have believed there was a difference between this sock or that sock.

Well, I recently tested out Drymax socks and I was soooo pleased with them!! Drymax is advertised as being the #1 sock to keep your feet dry. As we all know, having dry feet is so important for a runner so we don't get blisters let alone a nasty fungus! Drymax socks "utilize two different fiber technologies interwoven to form inner and outer layers." With this technology, moisture doesn't stick to the inner layer of fibers because they are hydrophobic (doesn't like moisture). This dual layer sock acts as a moisture removal system which keeps feet nice and dry!! In addition to all this greatness, the socks have a flat toe seam, vented arch band and a "Y" heel which improves fit.

Drymax socks are not only doctor recommended as an aid in the cure and prevention of athlete's foot and fungal infections, they are guaranteed!! If you don't agree that they keep your feet drier and more comfortable, you can return your socks with a sales receipt for a full refund!!

I tested out the light mini crew and thought they were uber (I like that word) comfortable!! By the looks, I thought they might be too short and ride down below the heel of my shoe but they didn't budge during the run. These particular pair was not as cushy as some of my other pairs, but the fit still felt great.

A pair of socks goes for around $10.00, which is pretty standard for a good running sock. I know I'd definitely pay it. So with that being said, I'm giving Drymax 9 biscuits (the only reason they didn't get 10 is because they didn't beat my current favorite).

Musselman's Apple Sauce

2010-03-07T06:13:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite snacks is sugar free apple sauce with almonds. So I was excited to try out the Healthy Picks apple sauce from Musselman's. There is quite a bit of history behind Musselman's and the company has really grown over the years. "Today, the grower owned cooperative provides a livelihood for nearly 600 farming families. Carefully tending to almost 70,000 acres of fruit orchards, our growers produce a variety of fruits, including apples, tart cherries, peaches, and blueberries."

The Healthy Picks come in really fun flavors (key lime cupuacu, blueberry pomegrante, raspberry acai) and have no added sugar. They are made with antioxidant-rich fruits and are fortified with fiber, calcium and vitamin C. There's also no artifical colors or flavors. Each single serving cup has 70 calories and 3g of fiber. It was really interesting to read the health benefits of the antioxidant rich fruits in these applesauces. It's so important to incorporate these fruits in our diet and these little snacks make it easy to do just that!

I tried out the blueberry pomegrante the other day and really liked it. It's a little chunkier than the plain sugar free applesauce I'm used to but I still enjoyed it. I tend to not like chunkier applesauce but that's just a personal preference. The applesauce had a lot of flavor and wasn't super sweet. I always have applesauce in the house for a quick snack and I think I would purchase these in the future. The only thing is that I would prefer if they made these in bigger containers so I could portion it out into Tupperware and eliminate some of the waste. I'm giving Musselman's Healthy Picks 8 biscuits.

Snack Taxi

2010-03-07T05:38:00.000-08:00

I try to do what I can to help the environment. I take my lunch in Tupperware every day, I use silverware to eat at work so I'm not wasting plastic utensils, I take my own coffee mug, I won't drink bottled water, I re-use paper towels, etc. I think you get the picture. So when I stumbled upon SnackTaxi I was in recycle heaven!! Snacktaxi was established back in 2003 as a way to eliminate the ziploc bags that were being used to pack school lunches. What a GREAT idea!! I hate, HATE, baggies and if I use them, I will wash them and re-use whenever I can. Anyway, snacktaxis are made by local sewers and they are committed to not outsourcing their labor.

Look at this cute reusable napkin!!

You can find the dimensions of the different products on the FAQ page. I use the larger snacktaxi to carry my slice of Ezekiel every day, and the smaller one for my Mary's crackers. They are lined with a water proof material which makes cleaning easy and they can even be machine washed!! Seriously, why didn't I think of this idea?? These things are just too cute and they fabric options are endless.

I WILL be using my Snacktaxis every day and I WILL be purchasing these in the future. I'm giving Snacktaxi 10 biscuits (10 biscuits with bells and whistles!!).

Mom's Best Naturals

2010-03-07T05:12:00.000-08:00

I'm a sucker for cereal. I love it so much that I don't bring it into the house because I could blow through a box in no time. I eat it plain, straight from the box as a snack. The only cereal you'll find in our household is shredded wheat. We try to eat as healthy as possible and when buying cereal, it's hard to find one that's actually healthy. So, I was really interested in trying Mom's Best Naturals cereals. Mom's Best is a family owned business which makes only cereal. They don't use artificial preservatives, colors or flavors, no saturated fat or hygrogenated oils and no high fructose corn syrup. In addition to making cereal, Mom's Best also works to help the environment by looking for ways to reduce their use of natural resources. I thought it was really cool to see that they listed 10 ways we can all help the environment on the boxes of cereal. Just simple, easy to do things which if we all did, could really add up and make a difference.

Now, as for the cereal. It was delicious, I won't lie. The toasted cinnamon squares were awesome. And the Honey-ful Wheat, very tasty. But, I have to say, when I opened the honey-ful wheat, and saw the word "wheat" on the box, I was shocked to see the first ingredient listed was evaporated milled sugar. Wheat was the second ingredient. This really shocked me. The cereal is honey-ful wheat, I would expect wheat to be the main ingredient. Anyway, in addition to the sugar and wheat, this particular cereal has corn syrup, honey, salt, caramel color, soybean oil and a few other ingredients. While the ingredient list was shorter than most other cereals you see on the shelf, I wasn't sold that I was eating something that was necessarily good for me. Sugar is sugar and there was a lot in these cereals...which explains why they tasted so good.

I liked the taste of these cereals but unfortunately they won't be making it into my cabinet next to the shredded wheat box. If you have kids who get to indulge in the sweeter cereals, then I think Mom's Best is a good choice. I also really like that they promote helping the environment...big plus! But since I don't see myself purchasing this cereal in the future, I'm giving Mom's Best 3 biscuits.

Sequel Naturals - VEGA

2010-02-16T16:17:00.000-08:00

This review is long overdue but better late than never, right?? Sequel Naturals sent me some Vega Vibrancy bars and Sport Performance Optimizer drink mix to try out. Vega believes you shouldn't have to compromise between whole food goodness and fast food convenience and was created with the following principles in mind:

Plant based whole foods are the true future of optimal health.
Raw foods are the best defense against illness and disease.
Nutrient density is more important than calories.
Food should energize through nourishment, not stimulation.
Avoid common allergens to reduce food sensitivities.
It is possible to grow a younger body.

I have to say, I agree with every one of those principles and was excited to try out the samples.
First up, the bars...raw, sprouted, gluten free and filled with a whole bunch of goodness, I was hesitant that the bar would be gritty and dirt-like tasting. I've tried some plant based bars, etc and they actually taste like you are eating dirt. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted the chocolate decadence bar. This bar packed in 210 calories, 10g fat, 5g fiber and 9g protein. The consistency was soft and chewy with a little bit of crunch. Not a ton of flavor, though. A single bar from their website costs $2.95 and a box of 12 bars will run you $33.95.

Next, the sport performance optimizer! Directly from their website, "Formulated by Brendan Brazier, professional Ironman triathlete and bestselling author on performance nutrition, Vega Sport Performance Optimizer provides a complete array of key performance enhancing benefits improving energy, stamina, mental focus, and recovery." I've only tried this once so I can't say that I experienced any of the benefits they claim (and I must note that I am very skeptical when it comes to companies making claims that are not evaluated by a Regulatory agency...hence why I don't take vitamins, supplements, etc). The drink is interesting. It's a strange color, a little thick and there was sediment on the bottom of the glass, but the taste (lemon line) is tolerable. I've actually been looking for something to drink/eat before my early morning workouts and I'm going to try this as part of my pre workout routine this week to see how it works. A single pouch costs $2.25 and a box of 24 pouches costs $49.99. While it sounds expensive, I think you need to consider the ingredients. Would you rather drink something which contains organic sprouted whole grain brown rice syrup, organic palm nectar, acai, pomegrante, blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, organic red beet, citric and malic acid over Red Bull or Gatorade?

I like Vega. I like what they are promoting and their principles. Do I believe everything they state, of course not. But I do believe in being as healthy as we can and that's what they are trying to do. Would I spend the money on the bars? I'm not sure. The drink, I'm also not sure. So I'm giving Vega 5 biscuits.

Newman's Own Organics

2010-02-10T11:15:00.000-08:00

It was like Christmas here the other day when this huge box of goodies arrived from Newman's Own Organics! Check out this loot! Thankfully I have Andy here to help me try everything, although this stuff was so good, I did pretty well packing it away myself.

One thing I really liked to see on all the packaging was that Paul Newman has given over $200 million to charities worldwide since 1982. Knowing companies who have money give back really does mean a lot to me. All of the products are certified organic and the ingredients have been grown on farms that have no used artificial fertilizers or pesticides for three years or more. They not only make food, but they even have a pet food line out for those of us who want nothing but the best for our furry friends.

I'm all about eating healthy and making the right choices but I never gave much thought to buying organic snacks. A snack is a snack, right? Well, actually, after reading the ingredient list, which was very short, on these products, I'm convinced otherwise. They weren't filled with junk and stuff you couldn't pronounce and honestly, no taste was sacrificed. If anything, everything tasted better. While Andy really enjoyed the chocolate bars, I loved the soy crisps. SOOO good!! They are low in fat and calories and loaded with protein. Even the pretzels were awesome. A pretzel?? Yes, the pretzels were great!! I never had a "hermit" before but I'm glad I tried one because I've been missing out. But by far, the best of the goodies were the double chocolate mint chip cookies. Wow! Seriously, I could go on and on about how good everything was. We didn't find one thing we didn't like and Andy even said to me, "Damn, Paul makes a mean cookie!"

Now, there's always the price factor that comes when you buy organic. I'm not one to spend a lot of money on a snack, to be honest. But since I'm not eating artifical crap anymore, I do see myself purchasing these products again. They may not be a weekly staple in my house, but for a once in a while treat, I will splurge and spend some money on a treat that tastes good and isn't filled with junk. Like the website says, organic really was the last thing I was thinking of when I tried this stuff out.

I'm giving Newman's Own Organics 9 biscuits!

Mary's Gone Crackers

2010-02-01T16:33:00.000-08:00

To continue with my quest of trying new things while eating clean, I was lucky enough to be able to try out some Mary's Gone Crackers. I found these in the organic/health aisle of my local running store and could tell they would be something right up my alley. The company was started when Mary discovered that both her and her son had an intolerance to gluten. All of their products are organic, wheat and gluten free.

There are several different varieties of crackers: black pepper (my favorite so far...has a nice bite to it!), herb, original seed, caraway, and onion. The base recipe for the crackers is brown rice, quinoa, flax seed and sesame seeds. There are no hydrogenated oils or trans fats. And a few crackers pack a punch in the nutrition department. 13 of the black pepper crackers have 5g fat, 3g fiber and 3g protein. It's really a cracker you can feel good about eating since you're getting your protein and essential fatty acids.

The crackers are small and very, very crisp. Needless to say, if you couldn't guess by the ingredients, they have a rich, nutty flavor. Not only have I snacked on them plain, but I put a small piece of chicken on it and a touch of salsa and it was delicious! I also like the black pepper ones with hard boiled egg whites.

A box contains about 6 servings and goes for around $3.50 at my local grocery store. The boxes have been lasting me more than 6 servings, though as a small handful does the trick. I know I've been generous with the biscuits lately, but once again I'm giving Mary's Gone Crackers 10 biscuits. I absolutely, positively will be purchasing these over and over again.

Food For Life

2010-01-31T06:24:00.000-08:00

Since I started eating clean I've been trying all sorts of new stuff. I had heard of Ezekiel bread but never tried it until recently. Food For Life sent me some coupons for their products and I immediately ran out to get some of these Ezekiel products I have been hearing so much about. I picked up a loaf of Ezekiel 4:9 bread and was sooooo excited when I read the ingredients...org sprouted wheat, filtered water, org sprouted barley, org sprouted millet, org malted barley, org sprouted lentils, org sprouted soybeans, org sprouted spelt, fresh yeast, org wheat gluten, sea salt. Bread made from fresh sprouted grains and no flour! Sign me up! This bread is actually good for you! According to the packaging, "...the protein quality is so high, that it is 84.3% as efficient as the highest recognized source of protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids. There are 18 amino acids present in this unique bread - from all vegetable sources - naturally balanced in nature."

One slice of bread has 80 calories, 0.5g fat, 3g fiber and 4g protein. The bread is dense and very flavorful, maybe best described as a nutty taste and texture. It's been a big hit here and even Andy is eating it now every day. I've incorporated it into my lunches and it's now my pre long run meal, toasted with some almond butter.

Although this bread isn't cheap, it's $4.99 at our local grocery store and I think a little cheaper at TJ's, it's totally worth it. A complete protein filled with sprouted grains...ditch the white bread people and get some Ezekiel. There is a whole line of products including wraps, pasta, bagels, cereals, etc and I can honestly say, they will all be a part of my diet here on out. I'm giving Food For Life 10 biscuits. They actually deserve more biscuits than that!

Eden Organic

2010-01-24T16:10:00.000-08:00

There are so many different kinds of pasta out there these days! Whole wheat, Ezekiel, Kamut...yup, Kamut!! I had never even heard of Kamut until Eden Organic sent me some Kamut pasta to try out. Eden Organic started as a co-op and is now the oldest natural food company in North America and the largest independent manufacturer of 'dry grocery' organic foods. They are also GEO free which means they will not purchase or sell any food or food ingredient known to be genetically engineered. The company is based in Michigan and I'm bummed I didn't know about them while I lived out there. I really like what they stand for and their principles.

If you check out their product page, you'll see they carry a great variety. From beans to condiments, snacks, pasta and fruit juices...there's a lot to choose from! I'm glad they sent me this pasta to try because it fits in great with eating clean. The only ingredient is organic whole grain kamut wheat and check out the nutritional information. Packed full of protein and fiber!!

As for the taste, I was expecting it to taste different. Different from what I'm not sure. But it tasted great and might have been a little lighter than a plain whole wheat pasta. On their site, a box of this pasta goes for $3.14, which I think is reasonable. I did see it in my local grocery store but I forget to check the price. Doesn't really matter, though. We both agreed that we will definitely be buying this in the future. So with that being said, I'm giving Eden Organic 10 biscuits.

Smart Wool

2010-01-16T11:06:00.000-08:00

Oooooh, yea!! Smart Wool sent me a pair of running socks to try out and I have to say, your feet are missing out if you haven't run in these. I received the PhD Running Light Mini's which are specifically designed for the woman's foot. They have a 4-degree fit system that has supportive braces across the arch, in-step and ankle with wool on wool (WOW) technology to reduce shock and abrasion. When I put these on they were so comfty! Running socks may be a little pricey but they are oh so worth it! This particular pair is considered light for mild weather and when I first put them on, my only concern was that they may be a little thick. I probably wouldn't wear them with my Nikes since those have a tighter fit, but they worked just fine with my Asics.

You really need to check out this site. They sell so much more than socks, with an every day use lifestyle line. They have some really cute stuff! I also appreciate that the company was founded by athletes and they have a philosophy that makes me want to work for them. A percentage of every sale goes towards a fund so they can give back to "organizations that promote environmental stewardship, healthy lifestyle choices for youth, and encourage responsible outdoor activity participation."

These socks are $13.95 a pair and I think they are well worth it. I will definitely be adding these to my running gear. I'm giving Smart Wool 10 Biscuits.

Rejuvenative Foods

2010-01-10T15:39:00.000-08:00

I was sent some samples from Rejuvenative Foods to try out. I wanted to give you some background about the company but I have to say, the website is very busy!! I did find their mission statement, which is: "The main purpose and goal of Rejuvenative Foods is to support the dissemination of information about Raw Cultured Vegetables & Raw Nut and Seed Butters and to provide the highest quality products of this type available for everyone's health benefit." They sent me some almond butter, spicy kim-chi and raw sauerkraut. Of course I dove into the almond butter right away, as you can tell by the empty jar in the picture below. They make their almond butter by slowly grinding organic almonds 4 or more times. As per their packaging, "...repetitive grinding and cooling keeps the temperature low enough to retain enzymes and life energy." Seriously, the concept behind "raw" food really fascinates me. Anyway, the almond butter was good...it was almond butter, nothing out of the ordinary.

Next up I tried the kim-chi. Hmmm. Interesting. I love eating ginger when I eat sushi and I thought this would go great with some fish. I have yet to try that combo but plan to do it this week, actually. The kim-chi consisted of cabbage, carrots, onions, ginger, high-mineral health salt, and ground dried red pepper. It definitely had a kick to it, which is right up my ally.

When I opened the sauerkraut to try it, I almost didn't get past the smell. But I braved it out and took a taste. The sauerkraut was very fine, not shredded like I've seen on hotdogs. To my surprise, I actually liked it. Not sure what I would do with it, but the Rejuvenative website has some recipes suggestions I'll have to check out.

As for what I thought overall, I'll be honest...I would not purchase any of these 3 products. The 8oz jar of almond butter goes for $15, which I think is extremely high. The kim-chi cost $12 and the sauerkraut $10. I personally didn't like these products enough to purchase them again. But, there's always a but, Rejuvenative Foods has a huge selection of other products. From tahini and nut butters, to salsa to raw cured vegetables! I have my eye on the Pecan Pie Butter. It sounds delicious!

I'm giving Rejuvenative Foods 4 biscuits.

Raw Crunch Bars

2010-01-10T14:20:00.000-08:00

I got some good bars to tell you guys about!! Have you heard of Raw Crunch bars? I was sent some to try out and I'm glad I had the opportunity. First, a little about the bars. The core ingredients in each bar are organic, raw nuts and seeds. There's a little bit of raw honey but nothing artificial in these babies. Each bar is hand-made, uncooked and unprocessed. There are 4 different flavors: cranberry, blueberry, goji berry and dark chocolate. I was really pleased with the nutritional information in these bars. The only ingredients are organic sesame seeds, organic sunflower seeds, organic pumpkin seeds, organic cashews, organic blueberries, organic flaxseeds, organic pecans, raw honey, organic macadamia nuts and celtic sea salt. A single bar has a measly 150 calories (which I think is great for a bar packed with so much goodness), 10g of fat (but this is healthy fat, which we need), 3g fiber and 5g protein.

As you know, I've been doing the eat clean thing and these bars have been perfect. For one of my snacks I have a half bar with a piece of fruit. They go perfect together!! The picture below is of a whole bar, not a half. A full bar is about 4 inches long. I tried to get a close up shot so you could see all the different nuts and seeds.

Now, I do have a little bit of bad news. The bars are a little pricey. If you buy in bulk, 48 bars, you'll pay $110 or around $2.25 a bar. I know these are handmade, with organic ingredients, but with a little effort on my part, I could mix up a bag of organic mixed nuts and seeds and probably save a heck of a lot. I really did enjoy these though and recommend you try them out. They are a perfect snack for some energy on the go. I'm giving Raw Crunch Bars 8 biscuits...I think they would have gotten a 10 if I thought I'd actually pay that for a case of bars.

French Meadow Bakery

2009-12-27T15:39:00.000-08:00

Let me just start off by saying that I LOVE bagels but I NEVER let myself eat them. Well, that might be changing, my friends. I recently tried some bakery products from French Meadow Bakery and I think I found a bagel that I can actually feel good about eating. But first, a little about the company and my favorite part...they use sustainable ingredients and "avoid using ingredients that contain genetically-modified organisms, which impact biodiversity in the plant world and have an unknown effect on human health." They have a good selection of products from breads, bagels, tortillas and even desserts. For those of you with gluten allergies, they also make gluten free products.

I recently tried the sprouted 16 grain and seed bagels and bread. Both products had flax seed and sunflower seeds with gave them a really nice crunch. While the bread was very dense, I thought it was really tasty. I had one slice with some PB2 before a run and it held me over for hours!! The bagels I've enjoyed as a treat and let me say, with 10g of fiber, 14g of protein and only 250 calories, I didn't feel bad about eating what usually is no-no for me.

I haven't tried the wraps yet but they are considered a complete protein and are organic sprouted 100% flourless. Getting ready to start the Eat Clean Diet, I think these will be perfect.

I've checked out the prices and they are spot on with what I see in the grocery store for high end breads and bagels. The package also came frozen so everything was nice and fresh when I tried it. But I did burn myself on the dry ice...that sort of sucked. Check out their website cause there's also some on line coupons.

I'm really trying to eat some more healthy carbs and I liked what I tried from French Meadow. However, after comparing it to the Ezekiel bread I bought today, I like the fewer ingredients in the Ezekiel bread. But if French Meadow was sold in a store near me, I would buy their products and I'm giving them 6.5 Biscuits.

Tierra Farm

2009-12-27T14:56:00.000-08:00

I recently received a box of goodies from Tierra Farms. A little bit about them..."Tierra Farm is a small, privately-owned, certified organic producer and roasting company in upstate New York. We maintain a diversified organic vegetable farm in the Finger Lakes region of New York state, but specialize in nut and seed roasting and dried fruits. At Tierra Farm, we strive for A+ quality in all of our products." All of their products are 100% organic and they roast all of their nuts (heh, that sounded funny) in-house in small batches. Oh, and they are a peanut free facility for those of you with allergies. They sent me so many things to try out but I have to say, hands down my favorite was their dried mango and the Maple Cashew butter. The cashew butter tasted so fresh...and as you see, I barely had it around long enough to take a picture!

They have a good variety of nut butters and I think the chocolate honey cashew butter sounds awesome! They also have a lot of different flavored nuts like curry cashews and agave ginger cashews. While I haven't had the chance to taste all the nuts they sent, the ones I have tried are delicious and everything is really fresh. As for pricing, the nut butters are really reasonable...$10 a jar. The nuts, a pound of their almonds is $8.00. For comparison, I just paid around $10 for 3lbs at Costco. But then again, I didn't buy Organic.

Reading up about the company, I saw this and thought it was really interesting: "The nut, seed and dried fruit portion of the business was originally an attempt to create a source of income for the winter. That winter job has become a thriving year-around business, thanks to our tasty product selection and a reliable and energetic staff with an eye for quality." I'm all about supporting companies like this, who make things in-house in small batches. I like knowing what I'm getting is fresh and hasn't been sitting around in preservatives for years. So, I'm giving Tierra Farms 8 Biscuits.

Whooha Gear

2009-12-13T12:58:00.001-08:00

Have you heard of Whooha?? It stands for Women Having Optimistic Objectives & Healthy Attitudes. When I stumbled upon this company I was impressed and inspired. I love supporting companies who promote active, healthy lifestyles and I loved that this one was founded by two women. When they offered to send me a shirt to review, I had the hardest time choosing one. They have some adorable shirts!! I went with a Dri-Balance technology t-shirt and I am really happy with the fit and feel of this shirt. While I could wear it working out, and I'm sure I will in the summer when I'm back in short sleeves, this shirt is cute enough to wear out and about.

They have all sort of shirts and a really cute bag that I have my eye on that says "play hard, take chances, keep smilin'." Again, if you're looking for a gift idea, I highly recommend this product and would not be disappointed if a few more of their items found there way under my Christmas tree this year. I'm giving Whooha 10 biscuits!! That's 2 reviews in a row with 10 biscuits!! I'm a roll....

SPIbelt

2009-12-13T12:47:00.000-08:00

I found a new running must have!! The awesome people at SPIbelt sent me a belt to try out. I've seen them at Expos and considered getting one but didn't think I'd really use it since I have a pouch on my hand held and water bottle waist belt. Well, I was very wrong! I tried this out the other day and I'm sold! This will be around my waist from here on out. It fits so well and doesn't move or bounce around at all. In fact, I could hardly tell I had it on. Don't let the size of the pouch fool you, either. This thing holds a lot. I have an LG Dare (comparable in size to the iPhone, but thicker) and it fits in there perfectly with room to spare. They come in all different colors and patterns and you can even get them with multiple pockets.

Here is a picture of the belt and you can see my phone in the pocket, along with a chapstick, in the second picture.

I know it might shock you, but I'm giving the SPIbelt 10 biscuits!! If you need a gift idea for a runner in your life, this would be perfect.