Alltrue Summer Box 2021 Review*

I’ll admit that I’m a total sucker for a subscription box.

I love surprise packages showing up at my door. I love tiny samples of things (my continued Ipsy subscription is proof of this). I love trying new stuff. I love that thrill without having to put mental energy into picking things. I’m never going to randomly buy 3 different face washes—but if Ipsy sends me 3 face washes? It’s on, baby!

Alltrue, formerly known as CAUSEBOX, is a seasonal subscription box that sends you a curated selection of sustainable and fair trade products. It’s an excellent mission and one I really admire! Quarterly Alltrue members pay $54.95 per season; however, if you sign up for Annual membership, you pay $199.80. That’s a savings of about $20.

What kind of products does Alltrue send you? Well, they were kind enough to send me their Summer 2021 box, so let’s look at what I got:

• Brand with a Heart OMG Smooth Leave-In Conditioners ($24 value)

• Hanalei Hawaiian SPF Lip Trio ($18 value)

• REDUCE To-Go Bowl ($20 value)

• SANCTUARY PROJECT Thick Gold Hoops ($28 value)

• Pepper + Vetiver Set of 3 Nesting Bowls ($30 value)

• Bala 1/2 LB Weighted Bangles ($45 value)

In total, the box I received is valued at about $165. (Some of the values, specifically for the set of nesting bowls and the weighted bangles, I had to estimate; I couldn’t find the 1/2 lb weights specifically on Bala’s website and the Pepper + Vetiver Bowls are based on resellers on eBay because that’s all I could find for them!)

Either way, for $54.95 (or slightly under $50 if you pay annually), that’s pretty good value!

The question, of course, is always: will you use everything you get? I obviously can’t speak for anyone else and I can’t tell you if you will personally find value in what you receive. Each season, you get the chance to pick a few options and customize your box. For example, in the summer, you could choose between the Hanalei Lip Trio and a nail care product; or the nesting bowls and a retinol serum. You pick one item from each category and create your box. It’s fun, it’s simple, and you end up with products that ultimately you do get to choose.

I personally like just about everything I got. I’m planning to gift the SANCTUARY PROJECT earrings to my sister (shhhh, don’t tell)—but everything else I have already used!

You might be thinking: this sounds really similar to Fab Fit Fun. And you’re right! But I think the big difference is Alltrue’s commitment to sustainable products. Yes, it’s still a subscription service; you are receiving products that ultimately aren’t needs. But I think having a sustainable mindset while finding joy in trying new things is totally possible. (Alltrue’s curation commitments and 2020 impact report can be found here.)

Alltrue is currently running an Intro Box promo where new members get their first box with $150 worth of products for only $25! You can sign up for your first box here. And if you sign up, let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I received the Alltrue Summer Box in exchange for review. You can learn more about my disclosure policy here.

Beauty Review: Color&Co At Home Hair Dye Kit*

As most people have in the last year, I’ve really leaned into coloring my own hair at home. I don’t do anything that wild with my hair—I just try to dye it my natural color to cover up my (fairly significant for my age, or at least that’s what people tell me) grays. For years, I’ve used eSalon; I’ve written 2 reviews about eSalon on this very blog. While eSalon always worked in a pinch, in the last year, I’ve gotten really bored with my hair color—it never felt quite right for what I was asking for and the process to have them change the color was really complicated and felt impersonal.

Enter Color&Co, a custom hair color delivery service by L’Oreal. They emailed me a few weeks ago about trying out a colorbox designed specifically for me. Who can turn that down? I jumped at the chance because, as a primarily at-home hair colorist, I am always willing to try something different to see if it really works. In this blog post, I’ll walk you through the entire process—from sign up to coloring my hair.

The Process

When you sign up for a Color&Co colorbox, you have the option to take a quiz about your hair or have a free consultation with one of their specialists. If you’re like me and think your hair color is pretty straight forward, I encourage you to do the consultation—primarily because in my consultation, my consultant, Deb, asked some questions I had never thought of before. Once you select consultation, you’ll schedule a time with one of the consultants. Then, you just wait for that appointment time!

During your consultation, you’ll talk about your hair, of course: your goals for it, if you’ve dyed it in the past or recently, what you usually choose for hair dye. You’ll also talk about the specific tone of your hair you want, how much gray you have, and more. One of the best parts of this process for me was talking about my gray hair; I guess it didn’t occur to me previously, but I have “stubborn gray hair” that resists coloring. With previous hair dyes, my gray has started to show within 2-3 weeks. Deb gave me some extra steps to do why coloring my hair to help color those grays.

Once your consultation is done, you’ll go to an order screen where you purchase your colorbox; once it is formulated by your consultant, it’s shipped out to you. Super easy and highly personalized!

Receiving Your Box

Get exciting—your colorbox has arrived! In my consultation, we talked about how the ends of my hair have been bleached. In February 2020, I got probably the most ill-timed balayage done, which meant I’ve been coloring over blonde ends that aren’t particularly happy about the situation. So my kit was a little more complicated than the standard: I received a permanent color for my roots to cover my stubborn grays and then a semi-permanent color for my ends.

The kit comes with your color, the developer that you’ll mix with it, 2 sets of gloves, a packet of stain guard, a packet of stain remover, and a packet of conditioner.

In my case, I had 2 colors and 2 different developers. You’ll also receive a packet of personalized instructions; mine had instructions for doing my roots first and setting a time for 35-45 minutes to really cover my grays. Then, 10 minutes in, I would apply the second color to my ends.

When it comes to actually coloring your hair, if you’ve done it a lot, you probably have a process that works for you. I know I do! However, if you’re new to coloring your hair at home, I highly recommend chatting with your consultant about how to do it. If it helps, there are lots of YouTube videos out there to help you. The back of your hair is always the most daunting part, at least to me. But you can do it, I promise.

What I Liked Most

When it comes to hair dye, there are a few things I always specifically look for. The main one is that a lot of at home hair dyes drip really badly—they tend to be on the thinner side and it can get messy fast. What I liked about the color I received from Color&Co was that the dye itself, once it is mixed, is fairly thick; I still needed to be careful, of course, but it wasn’t drippy and messy like a lot of at home kits.

Another thing I look for: smell. A lot of at home hair dyes smell really strong—so strong that I usually turned on a fan and opened a window to keep from getting overwhelmed. The Color&Co dye did not smell nearly as strong—it definitely still smells like hair dye, don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t super strong.

I also loved how easy it was to wash out of my hair. I have a lot of very fine, straight hair, which can be hard to wash; I miss shampoo on my crown at least twice a month. However, when I sectioned my hair to wash, it was just so much easier and didn’t get as tangled. I didn’t feel like I had to spend 20 minutes in the shower rinsing! The packet of conditioner that comes with the kit is also lovely—it smells so good and made my hair so shiny and soft immediately.

Ok, now, let’s talk about the thing you’re probably most interested in: the results.

I love my color! I feel like it did such a good job of blending my bleached ends with my gray and grown in roots. It’s the tone I was looking for—I wanted a chocolate brown with a more coppery undertone, which is exactly what I got. I’ve already gotten a ton of compliments on my hair! It’s super shiny after coloring and doesn’t feel damaged, especially on those more empty ends.

All in all, my final verdict is that I would absolutely use Color&Co again—the entire process was so easy and yet, made me feel like it was personalized to me. (Because it was!) A ColorBox is $29.99 and that includes the free consultation; if you sign up for autoship, it drops to $21.90.

If you’d like to try ColorBox, visit them here!

Disclaimer: As denoted by the asterisk (*) in the title of this post, I received the Color&Co Colorbox for free in exchange for review. However, all opinions remain my own. If you’d like to learn more about my disclosure policy, click here.

Everything You Need to Know About Hungryroot

New Year, New Me—except just like in January and February of years past, I’m writing about Hungryroot. Some things really never change. For me, one of those things is how much I love getting groceries delivered to my front door. (The pandemic has also definitely increased this love for me!)

If you know me, then you know I love Hungryroot. I’ve gotten at least 2 Hungryroot deliveries every month for the past… 2 years? If you want to read a bunch of my old posts about Hungryroot, here’s a round up!

Hungryroot has added a ton of new items in the last 6 months—pretty much since I last wrote about them! Every week when I customize what’s coming in my shipment, I get super excited to see what new items I can add and try. With winter setting in, the pandemic not letting up, and things feeling darker than usual, one way you can take care of yourself and reduce your stress is to get the things you need delivered. This is a huge privilege, obviously, but it’s one that I encourage you to use if you need it.

Here are my top 5 favorites right now (and how I use them!).

Roasting Vegetables with Herbs - these aren’t necessarily a new item, but they are seasonal and I had been looking forward to them all summer. They make the besssst soup. I usually just roast or steam them, blend them up with veggie stock, add the herbs, and simmer on the stove for a few minutes. So quick and easy.

Microwave Ready Potatoes with Herbs from the Little Potato Company - these are an every single order item, easily. We love them in our house! I’ve used them for potato salad, for quick evening dinners, everything. I usually microwave them (5 minutes is perfect); let them sit for another 5; then slice all the potatoes in half and put them sliced side down in a hot pan with butter. Top with the included herbs and ugh! They’re so, so good.

Vegetable and Beef Blended Patties - another absolute winner, these patties are a combination of ground beef and vegetables, primarily mushrooms and kale. They are so good as burger patties. However, you can also break them up and use them as taco meat—a great option for kids who need a little extra veggie!

White Flour Tortillas from Maria & Ricardo’s - these are my absolute favorite tortillas. They’re just so good, they taste fresh, and they crisp up so deliciously for quesadillas. We always have a pack in our fridge.

Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds from Skinny Dipped - I know everyone has had these almonds, but it is such a treat to get them delivered every month with my groceries! I usually add a small handful of these to my oatmeal in the morning—that just add such a nice crunch and it’s like eating a dessert, to be honest. They’re the perfect sweet snack for the afternoon.

You may have noticed: Hungryroot has expanded the brands they offer! You can get Beyond Meat, Skinny Dipped items, oatmilk, cold brew coffee, bread, lunchmeat, salmon and shrimp, veggies, packaged breakfasts and lunches… brands you recognize, foods that look delicious.

If you want to try Hungryroot, they are having a really, really great January deal right now: 40% off your first order with the code PAUSES40 at Hungryroot. If you get the small box, that would make your first delivery around $42—which is a great deal. Visit Hungryroot, check out all the new options, and let me know what you think!

I Tried Banish Acne so You Don't Have To*

A few weeks ago, Banish approached me about reviewing their line of acne fighting products. I, of course, said yes. I love trying new skincare products, even if it’s not what I write about everyday. And I don’t know about you, but ever since March, my skin has been absolutely out of control. Stress, masks, the fires in September… it felt like my skin was being attacked every day!

Banish kindly sent me the Banish Starter Kit, plus the All Clear Mint Cleanser. As you might know, I’ve struggled with my skin for most of my life. A few years ago, a combination of going dairy free and using jojoba oil religiously gave me the best skin of my life. However, times change, our bodies changed, and what used to work doesn’t work anymore. Story of my life, am I right?!

Here’s a quick and easy review of the products I received and how I liked them!

The Banish Starter Kit

The Banish Starter kit is one of the best, all-inclusive sets Banish offers. If you’re looking to really rejuvenate your skincare routine, this is the one for you.

Banish focuses primarily on Vitamin C and all natural ingredients to help fight acne, plus reduce the appearance of scars and hyper pigmentation caused by acne.

Here’s what comes in the Starter Kit and what I thought of it:

Banish Oil: this is a vitamin C serum that is intended to help reduce the look of acne scars. I liked this oil, but found that as far as a serum goes, it wasn’t my favorite. It made my skin feel really sticky and grimy. But that being said, I did notice an improvement in my scarring on my chin!

Vitamin C Beauty Elixir: this is a facial mist that gives a boost of Vitamin C and moisture. It’s great for applying throughout the day. I kept this on my desk for days when I felt rundown and in need of a little extra TLC.

The Banisher 2.0: This is a microneedler. I’m not here to tell anyone what to do necessarily, but this is the one product I disliked the most. I don’t believe in microneedling, but mostly just believe that you should leave this to the professionals. I was personally too scared to use this, so I didn’t. However, I know some do love using it! It’s just not for me.

The Pumpkin Enzyme Masque: This was my favorite product. It smells like pumpkin; it makes your skin feel amazing; and it contains AHAs and BHAs that act as natural exfoliators. On the days after I used this mask, my skin definitely felt 100% better and I noticed my redness that I get at the beginning of my cycle was diminished a lot.

Fighter Gel: This gel is a water-based, aloe vera gel that helps calm redness and inflammation, as well as other skin complaints. It smells incredibly mentholated, however, so be careful of that. I did really like this gel! It makes your skin feel very soft and soothed!

Vitamin C Creme: I’m on record as saying Vitamin C all over my face tends to make me break out bad. However, this cream was an exception! It’s 20% vitamin C and is heavy enough for a winter moisturizer. I used it at night and loved how soft it made my skin!

All Clear Mint Cleanser

I love a good cleanser! This cleanser is a gel-based one with chamomile leaf, mint, and vitamin B5—all intended to get your face clean while reducing inflammation. This was really the perfect morning cleanser; really light, but with a smell and feel that is perfect for a wake up call!

Who is Banish best for?

If you’ve had acne most of your life, or cystic acne at any point, you probably have some scarring. I know I do. My chin is a wreck these days thanks to several years of pretty bad cystic acne break outs. Banish is designed to soothe existing break outs and skin conditions, while also fading those scars and areas of hyper pigmentation. If you struggle with any of those issues, Banish is definitely worth a try.

Even better, it’s just nice to be able to get everything in one go: moisturizer, cleanser, etc. It’s nice to have one line up to turn out! Some items are definitely better than others, but overall, I think there is potential for every product to work for somebody who needs it.

Final Thoughts

If you are struggling with your skin’s texture or appearance due to scars, I think this is a line that will work perfect for you. To try Banish, visit their website here. Thank you again to Banish for sending me these products to try!

Disclaimer: As denoted by the asterisk (*) in the title of this post, I received products for free in exchange for a review. However, all opinions remain my own! If you’d like to learn more about my disclosure policy, click here.

Boost Your Immunity with Easy Salmon with Summer Salad Featuring Hungryroot x Hilma*

If you’re like me, the last few months have been eye-opening when it comes to groceries. I feel like I’ve never saved so much money (spending less on takeout, not going to restaurants, not going to TJ Maxx every weekend) and, at the same time, like I’ve never spent more on groceries. 

We get weekly grocery pick up orders from my local Fred Meyer (my favorite grocery store, hands down!)—but even though I love Freddy’s, it’s hard for me not to be able to pick up my own produce. Just this past week, I got a completely moldy pack of strawberries and out of the 4 sweet potatoes I ordered, 3 were completely rotten and mushy. The day of my pick up! 

That’s I’ve started using Hungryroot more than ever. If you don’t know what Hungryroot is, let me help you: it’s an online, grocery delivery service that helps you stock your fridge with your favorite groceries. They partner with Beyond Meat, Elizabeth, Joolies, and tons more, plus have their own range of groceries. I’ve written about them a ton before; you can read more here. 

With Hungryroot, I can get some of my favorite staples (like my preferred oat milk, vegetables, and more) delivered to my door. 

Hungryroot recently paired up with Hilma. When they reached out to me for this post, I was so excited. More than ever, I’ve been working to boost and take care of my immune system. While there is a lot of misinformation out there, I truly believe that doing all you can to eat healthy and take care of your body is beneficial. 

What is Hilma?

Hilma is a new brand on a mission to upgrade your medicine cabinet: they focus on natural remedies that are also backed by science. With Hungryroot, they’ve curated a selection of immune-supporting groceries. 

Hilma sent me their Immune Support to try. It has six essential nutrients in one little packet that you mix into hot or cold water. (It’s delicious both ways, but on these hot summer days, I’ve been mixing it with cold water and adding it to my morning smoothie!) It contains Vitamin C, Echinacea, Zinc, Ginger, and Turmeric with no fillers. 

If you’d like to try Hilma, you can take 20% off using my code MICHELLE20! I love Hilma’s Immune Support and I can’t wait to see what you think. 

Easy Salmon with Summer Salad

When it comes to dinners during the summer, I have a few requests: 

• Contains my favorite things about the season (corn!)

• Easy clean up

• Tastes good

• Doesn’t make my kitchen 400 degrees

This summer salad checks every single box! 

Plus, it contains a few of my favorite Hungryroot ingredients—and even better, they are all immune boosting! Here are the ingredients: 

Ingredients:

• 2 packages of Hungryroot’s Hot Smoked Roasted Salmon (or 2 salmon fillets)

• 1 package of Hungryroot’s Superblend Salad

• About 1/4 cup of Hungryroot’s House Dressing

• Garlic Salt

• 1 package of Sweet Baby Broccoli from Hungryroot

• 1 cob of corn

Salmon is so good for you and your immune system because it contains vitamin D, which helps keep your immune system working. Not getting enough vitamin D can actually increase your risk of infection. It also has protein and omega-3s, two nutrients that are vital for a strong immune system. Alongside baby broccoli (so much vitamin C!) and Hungryroot’s Superblend Salad (kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and more), this dish packs a one-two punch of immune boosting nutrition. 

Here’s how I made it: 

1. Start heating up your barbecue or grill. 

2. Cut the kernels off your cob of corn. Cook them in a pan over medium heat with a little bit of garlic salt and nonstick cooking spray until they are done and slightly charred. 

3. While your corn cooks, add 1/4 wish cup of Hungryroot’s House Dressing (so good!) to your salad bowl; I added a pinch of garlic salt and some pepper, but this is totally optional. Add your bag of Superblend Salad and toss. 

4. Once the corn is done cooking, toss with your salad and set aside. 

5. Create 2 separate foil packets. In one, add your baby broccoli, a drizzle of olive oil, and some garlic salt. Wrap it up. 

6. in the second foil packet, place your roasted salmon with a little more garlic salt. (Since this salmon is already cooked, you are just warming it up and creating a crust!) 

7. Cook on the barbecue for about 10-15 minutes for the broccoli, and under 10 minutes for the salmon. 

8. Serve! 

So easy and delicious, light for the summer and the clean up can’t be easier. 

Want to try Hungryroot? 

I’m so excited to be able to offer you FREE Black Bean Brownie Batter for life from Hungryroot. Their brownie batter is one of my favorite things—I always have a tub in my fridge for emergencies!. Just use the code PAUSES40 to get 40% off your first order of Hungryroot.

Don’t forget to use code MICHELLE20 at Hilma to receive 20% off your order as well. With both Hilma and Hungryroot, you can have delicious, immune boosting supplies for your pantry and medicine cabinet. 

Disclaimer: Per my disclosure policy, the asterisk (*) in the title of this post denotes that I was provided product for free to review and post on my blog and Instagram channel. However, all opinions remain my own—I created this simple recipe on my own! Posts like these help me keep the lights on here at Writing Between Pauses. I do receive a small commission from use of my Hungryroot and Hilma code. To learn more about my disclosure policy, click here.

Starting My Morning with Cacao Tea Instead of Coffee*

Nothing starts my morning like a cup of coffee.

But I’ll be the first to tell you that I know I need to break my coffee habit. (Just typing that sentence hurt a little bit!) Migraines are a huge issue for me and while I’ve gotten way less migraines in recent months, I know that my coffee habit plays a huge role.

I also know that caffeine doesn’t do a lot for my stress level: it can leave me aggravated and on edge.

But… I love coffee. And starting my morning with coffee is a huge part of my routine. And you all know I love routines! Breaking the habit is a hard one.

When Cacao Tea Co. reached out to me to review their product, I was instantly interested. I love chocolate; I love tea; and I love starting my morning with something slightly sweet and delicious. Was this the answer to my prayers?

What is Cacao Tea?

Cacao tea (which is also known as chocolate tea or cocoa tea) is a 100% natural tea which is brewed from cacao husks (also known as cacao shells). The tea is a loose-leaf style tea which, when steeped in boiling water, results in a delicious tea which tastes like chocolate.

It’s a great alternative to coffee because it wakes you up without containing caffeine. It’s also super gentle and not super stimulating like coffee can be. If you’re in need of something a little more gentle to wake up with in the morning (but don’t like tea!), this is a really great alternative.

Here are a few more benefits to cacao tea:

• Natural sweetness

• Heavenly chocolate taste and aroma

• Delicate stimulating effect, making it the perfect healthy alternative to coffee

• High in antioxidants

• Completely sugar-free, caffeine-free, gluten-free and dairy-free.

• No artificial flavouring, additives or preservatives

How to Brew Cacao Tea

The first time I made cacao tea, I used my tea strainer (a standard metal ball for loose leaf tea) and while I liked that first cup, I knew I needed something better. I checked out Cacao Tea Co’s instructions and they recommend using something covered (like a French press or simply covering your cup). I use my French press to make some for both Danny and I and the difference was huge.

It was so. darn. good. Slightly sweet, chocolatey, and delicious. I was hooked, immediately.

For more information on brewing cacao tea, check out their blog post here.

My Final Thoughts on Cacao Tea

I’m so glad I got to try cacao tea! It’s definitely provided me with an alternative on days where I know coffee is just going to aggravate a migraine or increase my stress. Plus, it just plain tastes good—so if you, like me, often need that afternoon pick-me-up (but you know coffee is going to keep you awake all night), this makes a great afternoon beverage.

I’m excited to try it iced as well! I think it would be delicious as a cold tea on a hot, summer afternoon.

If you’d like to try cacao tea yourself, check out Cacao Tea Co!

Disclaimer: As indicated by the asterisk (*) in the title of this post, I received product in exchange for this review. However, all opinions remain my own! If you’d like to learn more about my disclosure policy, click here.

Why You Don't Have to Give Up Treats After the New Year, Featuring Hungryroot Cookie Dough*

Deprivation is, as they say, bullshit. I know this. You know this. Ok, maybe you don’t know this—or maybe you just don’t quite believe it yet. Not everyone is aware of the dangers of diet culture and what it does to us psychologically. If you, like me, grew up in the 90s, you were bombarded with messages about dieting and thinness versus fatness. And if you, like me, absorbed all these messages, you’ve been mildly obsessed with what you eat, with working out, with controlling your body in small ways for at least a few years, if not longer.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve definitely finding myself fighting these messages internally even more. Especially after becoming a mother, there is so much pressure to look and behave a certain way, to try and take “control” of your body again. Working in offices over the years, diet and weight is always a topic of conversation among women in the office. It’s hard to combat these messages internally when so many people still aren’t aware of how negative and harmful this kind of talk can be.

If you would like to learn more about diet culture, and what it is, here are a few resources that do a better job explaining than I ever will:

• What is Diet Culture?

• What is Diet Culture from Christy Harrison

• Recognizing Diet Culture from NEDA

You might wonder what on earth this has to do with cookies and the New Year.

One of the messages about thinness, food, and weight I experienced most growing up was the idea that after Christmas, you should give up any and all treats. I heard it from my mother, my friends, my other female family members, teachers, random cashiers. Then, I’ve heard it from other moms, coworkers, my son’s teachers… it goes on and on. If you’re concerned with your body, it seems like the New Year is a great time to give up everything you love and start fresh. For many, that means cutting out foods that they love and enjoy. It means austerity.

But, as I said, that’s bullshit. Depriving yourself of things that bring you joy in order to feed into a system that won’t make you healthy or happy is bullshit. Diet culture is bullshit. Giving up cookies for any length of time is bullshit.

As I’ve written about goals before, if you set up your goal to make yourself miserable, you’re not going to succeed.

Sometimes, people think that rejecting diet culture and accepting body positivity means you “give up” on health. Other people have written about this much more eloquently, but… diet culture, and dieting in general, has never been about health. Someone eating less calories than a 7-year-old is not healthy—but I would not begrudge them for it, because they’ve learned that behavior through negative messaging. Body positivity is not about rejoicing for health that is good or bad; it accepts that using health as a moral barometer, or a measure of goodness in a person, is not a good idea.

There are lots of people who are unhealthy for reasons that are completely out of their control. You do not deserve to be treated badly just because you are unhealthy or because you are perceived as unhealthy.

We associate good health (or being thin, because they two are often conflated for us socially) with being strict, with being regimented, with being disciplined. But that’s just not true. Those with a good relationship with food

I am of the belief that you can want to make better food choices for your health without having to worry about having the “perfect” diet. You can have room in your daily food for everything you love—with a mind on nutrition. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. That kind of thinking only hurts us.

That’s why I am such a huge fan of Hungryroot. Not only can you get groceries delivered to your home (honestly, who doesn’t want that!?), you can get healthy, nutritious options that are also super delicious and satisfying. One of my favorite things about Hungryroot is, and probably always will be, the cookie dough options.

I’ve written a few posts about Hungryroot before. Here is a brief round up:

• I Tried Hungryroot So You Don’t Have To

• Revisting Hungryroot

• How I Use Hungryroot for Weekly Meal Prep

• My Favorite Hungryroot Foods & How I Get My Kids to Eat Them

• A Busy Mom’s Guide to Road Trips

It goes without saying that I really love Hungryroot. I get at least two deliveries every single month. When it comes to Hungryroot, I find it’s really easy to use their website; they have a new system where the box size you choose has a certain number of credits and you can use those credits to add meals and grocery items to your box. That means, if you know you have a busy week coming up, you can add a bunch of meal options to your box and have everything you need for a week where you simply won’t have the mental energy to cook. Or, if you just need a few pantry staples, you can get grocery items; I always stock up on the ancient grains pancake mix, superfood almond butter, and a variety of rice pouches to make day-to-day meals easy.

One thing I always make sure to have in my Hungryroot delivery is cookie dough. They have a few different options, but my favorites are the Black Bean Brownie Batter and the Almond Chickpea Cookie Dough. Both are exceptionally good right out of the fridge—and it’s perfectly safe to eat it raw! But they also make great baked cookies for kids snacks, an after dinner treat, or a cookie exchange. Plus, with extra protein and healthy ingredients, they make a great option if you’re trying to cut back on stuff that might make you feel sluggish, like white sugar, flour and gluten.

For Christmas, Forrest and I baked up some of the Almond Chickpea Cookie Dough to take to a Christmas cookie exchange. I wanted something that people would love and that would be a healthy alternative to cookies for anyone who needed it. I love cookies—you know I do—but sometimes, I want a cookie without all the extra, you know? Here are two super simple Hungryroot recipes using their cookie dough!

I used a tub of the Almond Chickpea Cookie Dough from Hungryroot and about 4 tablespoons of flour. You don’t need to add flour, but I wanted to make sure these cookies held their shape well. I then scooped 1 tablespoon scoops and rolled them into balls. I flattened them slightly with the lid of the cookie dough tub before baking for about 10 minutes. When they came out, I dunked them in melted chocolate with coconut oil and sprinkled on some sprinkles. They were delicious. A tub of cookie dough makes exactly 9 cookies using my measurements; you could make them smaller.

Here’s another healthy option: use a tub of the Black Bean Brownie Batter and portion into 1 tablespoon scoops. Place into a mini muffin tin and press down, leaving an indent in the middle. Bake according to package instructions. When they come out, press a Hershey’s kiss, either plain chocolate or one of the Candy Cane kisses, into the center. Let cool. Black Bean Brownie Blossom Cookies! Quick, easy, healthy, and delicious!

If you want to reject the idea that you have to give up treats after New Years and want to eat some delicious, nutritious cookies, you should give Hungryroot a try.

You can use my code PAUSES2021 to get 40% off your first order!

I hope the New Year brings you as much success and happiness as you can wish for! Set your goals high and attainable, dream big, and eat cookies!

Disclaimer: as noted by the asterisk in the title of this post, this post is sponsored by Hungryroot. For each time my code is used, I do receive a small compensation from Hungryroot. However, all opinions remain my own. If you’d like to learn more about my disclosure policy, click here.

How a Shanti Bowl Can Help with Meditation

You might be wondering: Michelle, what is a Shanti bowl?

Well, let’s start at the beginning.

Ever since July when I got laid off, I’ve been struggling a lot with anger. Sometimes, I will get so angry, I just want to scream at somebody. I’ve never really had a temper before and while I think I can be a bit of a whiner (I just took a DNA test, I have a Taurus rising, yo I got whining problems, it’s the Taurus in me), I never would have called myself angry. I don’t like arguing or fighting; I’ve never raised my voice at someone in my life unless it was to stop them from stepping out into the street or something.

But after being laid off, I was angry. I was mad at everyone and damn if they didn’t know it.

My therapist recommended a lot of techniques to help me get this under control. I don’t like being angry; I don’t like feeling like I can’t control an emotion. I especially didn’t like that my anger was irrational and illogical; big things would leave me feeling blank (like finding out I would probably never receive payment for my 265 hours of PTO) and little things would send me careening over the edge (like finding a bug on the wall). I started doing breathing exercises and journaling and slowly, my anger started to get better.

But it was still there, like a tagalong friend that I didn’t want around.

So when Shanti Bowl reached out to me recently, I was excited. Shanti Bowl is a company that makes Tibetan singing bowls. It’s also a company owned by the same person who owns Prana Brush, which I reviewed here. I love being able to support small businesses, especially when I’ve had great results in the past. I’ve been using my Prana dry brush religiously since I received it, so of course I wanted to try a singing bowl!

Funny enough, Danny was perhaps a little bit more excited about the singing bowl than I was: he has used it in his classroom before to help his students practice mindfulness. It was him who taught me how to use it and who primarily plays it for me in the evening.

Here’s a full description of a singing bowl in case you’re still confused:

“According to ancient Tibetan teachings, the existence of singing bowls dates back to the time of Buddha. Singing bowls produce beautiful music which invokes deep meditative and peaceful states. Singing bowls are often used in yoga, reiki, music therapy, and sound healing. The rich harmonies produced by singing bowls help balance the body’s chakras, eliminate stress, and promote holistic healing.”

Basically: it makes a nice noise that helps in meditation, can help relieve stress, and help you feel better.

Sold.

One of the techniques my therapist recommended for both anger and anxiety was to take a big breath in and imagine a pitcher filling with water; then when you exhale, imagine pouring the pitcher out. Over and over, this is very soothing: imagining the feel, the sound of the water, everything. I have found that the singing bowl works especially well when I’m doing this exercise; the sound helps me focus on what I’m doing (breathing, imagining) and nothing else.

In the evening, Danny will often play it while I lie in bed or on the couch and we just have a nice, quiet time together. It sounds boring, but for two people with a young child, who both work jobs that are stressful in different ways… it helps so much.

The best part about this singing bowl from Shanti is that it’s gorgeous! I keep it on a shelf in my living room and I have gotten so many questions about it from people when they visit or watch my Instagram stories. Here’s another quote from Shanti Bowl:

“Our handmade singing bowls are unparalleled in beauty and quality. Each bowl is carefully hand-crafted by skilled Tibetan artisans using traditional techniques. In accordance with an ancient Tibetan formula, our singing bowls are made of “panchaloga”, which is a Sanskrit word meaning a five-metal alloy that includes copper, zinc, iron, and traces of gold and silver. Our bowls create an incredible sound with rich, warm and vibrant overtones. Each bowl also comes with a gorgeous hand-carved wooden mallet. The result is a beautiful piece of functional art with incredible healing properties.”

Whether you are more interested in how pretty they are or how they can help you meditate (or you just want to make fun music), a Tibetan singing bowl would make a great, unique Christmas gift for someone in your life (or yourself, let’s be honest).

If you’re struggling with anxiety, anger, or depression, they can help so much with meditation and focusing in on your breathing, how you feel, and releasing the negative feelings you’re holding onto. I highly recommend it!

To learn more about Shanti Tibetan singing bowls, click here. You can also learn how to play a singing bowl (super helpful as a novice!).