How I Use Hungryroot for Weekly Meal Prep

It took me a long time to warm up to meal prepping; generally, I don’t like microwaved food. I’ve always struggled to eat leftovers. If I can’t effectively warm them up in the oven or on the stove, I probably won’t be eating them. However, ever since I had Forrest, I realized that prepping parts of meals, as well as quick lunches, in advance can be a huge help.

Another huge helper has been Hungryroot. I’ve written a ton of posts about them. Here’s just a few:

• Getting Kids to Eat Hungryroot

• Roadtripping with Hungryroot

• My original reviews

Hungryroot continues to change how they work to make everything easier for us, the busy people who are using them to get delicious food delivered to their door. It’s not just about meal delivery anymore; it’s like a one-stop-shop grocery store. When it comes to customizing your box, you can choose meals to include, or you can pick groceries you need.

As an example, last week, I got two bags of salad, some roasting veggies, a box of Banza pasta, chicken sausage, and almond butter. Just the basics I needed for meal prep that week! It helps so much with grocery shopping. Plus, they’ve started partnering with some amazing brands, like Banza, Right Rice, and Beyond Meat to provide their products. Danny and I have a package of Beyond Meat brats to try and we are so excited!

Want to try Hungryroot? Use the code PAUSESBROWNIES to get FREE brownie batter for life when you sign up.

Ok, let’s jump in and talk about meal prep.

About Meal Prepping Safety

I worked in food service long enough to tell you that when it comes to certain foods, some are safer to meal prep than others. I’m not a huge fan of meal prepping with, say, fish, which goes bad both uncooked and cooked much faster. Things like chicken will be ok for 4-5 days, but I wouldn’t risk over 6 days. Ground beef and other meats are a little heartier, lasting maybe 6-7 days. But again, not over a week.

Anything with eggs needs to be used within 10 days, even if it’s cooked (like pancakes or waffles).

If you’re not sure, don’t risk it. Food waste is real, but there is no point giving yourself food poisoning!

Meal Prep Supplies

You definitely don’t need to invest in those fancy meal prep containers you see on Instagram. Danny and I own a set of these ones, which I find too large. (You’ll see them later in this post!) Otherwise, I use whatever tuperware I have available. We’ve been trying to move away from plastic containers, as we now know that even non-BPA plastics leech into your food, especially if it gets warmed up. We are currently still saving up for a set of nice glass food containers, so please, don’t just my plastic tuperware!

Use what works for you, is all I’m saying. You don’t really need any fancy gear.

Recipe 1: Make-Ahead Breakfast Pancakes

Forrest is a child of routine and in the morning, he wants one of two things: pancakes or waffles. Thankfully, both are really easy to make ahead. You don’t have to rely on freezer waffles (although I will say, there are some great brands of freezer waffle out there now, way better than Eggo) either. I love the Hungryroot Ancient Grain Pancake Mix. Here’s a few notes about it:

“This gluten-free mix comes from quinoa, amaranth, flax, and other nutrient-dense grains—and it makes some of the fluffiest, most satisfying pancakes you’ll ever eat. Top with fruit, yogurt, coconut cream, your favorite nut butter, and/or classic maple syrup.”

That’s right! It’s gluten free! If you have celiacs (or any other problem that makes gluten a no-no for you), this is the ideal pancake mix. I’ve tried a lot of ancient grain style pancake mixes and they often don’t taste great or don’t make very good pancakes. A huge bummer! But this pancake mix isn’t like that. It makes delicious, fluffy pancakes, just as promised. If you want to be adventurous with your toppings, the more savory flavor is ideal; you can add avocado, egg, & bacon, goat cheese & honey, cranberry sauce & bacon… the options are really endless.

As I wrote on Instagram, this mix doesn’t make the sweet-sweet-sweet pancakes we often think of (look at you, Bisquick!). They are definitely more savory, but still really good. To make them, they only require water and oil, but I added an egg and oat milk to make them a little heartier! In the future, I might add a little more oat milk to thin them out—and not scoop as much batter!

We topped ours with mini chocolate chips. Once they were cooked through, I removed them from the griddle and let them cool completely before storing in a reusable bag and putting in the fridge.

Recipe 2: Butternut Squash & Vegetable Soup

Danny loves squash soup—and thankfully, we visited a local farm that had some mini butternut squash and gorgeous acorn squash. I had gotten the Roasting Vegetables with Herbs from Hungryroot as well that I wanted to use to make a soup for Danny to take for lunch. I figured this was a match made in heaven and I was right!

Here’s everything I used for this soup:

• One acorn squash (average size)

• One mini butternut squash (or about 1/3 a regular size butternut squash)

• 1 package Roasting Vegetables with Herbs

• 1 cup of chicken stock

• 1 14-ounce can of fat free evaporated milk (you could also use almond milk or oat milk)

• 3 gloves of garlic

• Salt & pepper

• Red pepper flakes if desired

I started by roasting the squash. Then, I followed the package instructions from Hungryroot for the roasting vegetables, adding the herbs (& garlic) about halfway through until the veggies were soft. Then I put everything in my blender with the chicken stock & evaporated milk and blended it. I put it in a pot on the stove and warmed it through completely together, adding salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.

For storage, once the soup had cooled, I put it in a large, glass Pyrex with a lid and stored it in the fridge. It lasted for about 5 lunches; Danny ate it either with pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or croutons on top, whatever he had available that day. Tasty and easy!

Recipe #3: Chickpea Pasta with Chicken Sausage

I am a huge fan of Banza pasta, so I was excited to see that it was available from Hungryoot. One of our favorite things to get is the chicken sausage as well, so it was natural to combine both. This is a twist on a classic pasta dish. Here’s everything I used:

• Banza Cavatappi

• Hungryroot Seven Veggie Stir Fry

• Hungryroot Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage

• Hungryroot Kale Pesto

That’s it! It took me maybe 20 minutes to make in total.

• Boil water, add pasta, drain, then toss with pesto.

• Start veggies cooking in a pan with a tablespoon of oil; add chicken sausages and cook.

• Slice sausages and stir with veggies again. Add salt & pepper to taste.

• Dish into containers.

I divvied this up into 3 lunches, then let it cool. Pop on the lids and place in the fridge. Super easy and very tasty!

Recipe #4: Chicken Sausage with Salad & Rice

This is not that different from recipe #3, but different enough that I wanted to share. It’s a little more fresh. Here’s what I used:

• Hungryroot Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage

• Hungryroot Asian Salad Mix

• Hungryroot House Dressing

• Hungryroot Lentil, Quinoa & Rice Mix

• Right Rice

• 1/2 small onion

• About 2 tablespoons chipotle mustard

• 1/3 cup chicken stock

I started by mixing the Asian Salad mix (about half a bag) with 2 heaping tablespoons of House Dressing. Then, I started about 1/2 a small onion sauteeing in a pan with olive oil; I added the chicken sausage and let it start to brown. I microwaved the Lentil mix and mixed it with some leftover Right Rice we had from earlier in the week. Then, I added chicken stock to the sausage and let it simmer. I divvied up the salad and rice mix into my meal prep containers. Once the chicken stock had reduced in the pan, I added 1 scoops of chipotle mustard and stirred. Once it was ready, I split the sausages up. Voila! Done!

Once Danny was at work, he mixed it up all together to eat.

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Meal prep saves time and helps you use more of the groceries you buy—which means you save money in the long run! Hungryroot is a great way to get delicious groceries delivered for prepping meals ahead of time. Again, if you want to try Hungryroot, use my code PAUSEBROWNIES to get free brownie batter for life when you sign up. Click here!

Beauty Review: Maple Holistics Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo*

A few weeks ago, Maple Holistics approached me to review their Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo. I love Maple Holistics products and whenever they approach me with a product to review, I really can’t turn it down. The reason I love Maple Holistics is because their products are all-natural, paraben and sulfate free, and good for the environment. They are also cruelty free, which makes me feel better about the products I buy and use. (And I know many of my readers are also concerned about how their products effect the world around them!) In short: using Maple Holistics products make me feel better about my impact on the world.

I’ve previously reviewed their Tea Tree Shampoo and their Silk18 Shampoo. To sum up these reviews: the tea tree shampoo helped my scalp a lot. The Silk18 shampoo made my hair gorgeous and silky, but didn’t do much for my highly sensitive scalp. Both products are totally worth their cost—which isn’t even “high end,” but highly affordable—and can be beneficial to lots of different hair types.

To summarize all my hair issues (sorry if this is old hat for you!), I have a lot of straight, fine hair and a very, very sensitive, dry scalp. I’ve tried just about everything for it, but in the past 6 months I’ve fallen into a fairly good routine:

• Monday: A clarifying shampoo followed by a heavy hair mask mostly on my scalp

• Thursday: Wash with the Paul Mitchell Tea Tree & Peppermint Shampoo**, follow with half hair mask (I use BRITE’s Unicorn Hair) and half Paul Mitchell Tea Tree & Peppermint Conditioner**

• Daily: use Aveda’s Shampure Dry Conditioner Spray

My weekly clarifying shampoo is usually a revolving door of samples I get from Birchbox (I swear I get one a month, which has been handy if nothing else). However, I’ve been wanting to pick a more solid addition to my routine that I can use weekly and really get benefits from.

(**Note: Would you like a review on this shampoo & conditioner set? Let me know in the comments!)

So when Maple Holistics asked me to review the Apple Cider Vinegar shampoo, I knew I needed to go for it. I’ve done ACV rinses on my hair before and noticed it helped a lot with my scalp’s sensitivity. However, using apple cider vinegar so much made my hair kind of smell, so I was hesitant to do it too frequently.

Here’s what Maple Holisitics has to say about this shampoo:

“Remove buildup, restore volume and boost shine with our new, hotly anticipated apple cider vinegar shampoo. One of the most powerful ingredients in personal care, apple cider vinegar provides a variety of benefits for hair and scalp alike. We tap into its full potential in our apple cider vinegar shampoo, providing you with a shampoo that soothes the scalp, removes buildup, clarifies and adds or restores shine. Enriched with natural ingredients like sunflower, argan and jojoba oil, our apple cider vinegar shampoo is sulfate and paraben-free making it great for all hair types, color treated hair, and sensitive skin.”

The reason I use a clarifying shampoo once a week is because my scalp tends to suffer from any product build up during the days I don’t wash; this includes not just the products I use, but also my dry skin itself (flakes!), oil, and anything that’s in the air (pollen has been an especially big issue for me this year). A clarifying shampoo really helps me ensure that my scalp is at its optimal health. However, clarifying shampoos can be incredibly drying.

That’s the first thing I like about the Apple Cider Vinegar shampoo: I get the clarifying aspects of apple cider vinegar, without the extreme dryness caused by some shampoos. As well, it has all the benefits of an ACV rinse without making my hair smell like an (admittedly delicious) salad.

This shampoo also has jojoba and argan oil, which means that it is also moisturizing; again, this leaves my actual hair looking much nicer. I did use this shampoo combination with my usual hair mask and only once a week for about 3 weeks. However, I did notice an improvement in my scalp by the second week. My scalp tends to get really red and irritated if I use a shampoo I’m not supposed to (aka every time I go on vacation and use Head & Shoulders or a hotel shampoo that I know is going to murder me), and I didn’t experience that at all with this shampoo.

After I used it the first time, Danny asked me: “so what does it smell like?” Interesting enough, it has kind of a green apple scent to me—however, it’s not strong and it’s not strongly scented, period. It smells almost neutral—so don’t worry about that ACV smell, seriously.

If you’re looking for a good clarifying shampoo that will revitalize your hair, without breaking the bank, this is a great option. It costs $12.95 for 10 oz, which is incredibly affordable. A 10 oz bottle of Maple Holistics usually lasts me about 3-4 months, depending on how often I use it. To purchase, click here.

Disclaimer: As noted by the asterisk (*) in the title of this post, I received products in exchange for review. However, all opinions remain my own! To learn more about my disclosure policy, click here.

Beauty Review: Birchbox, May 2019*

Last month, I shared my first Birchbox to show you what the new, redesigned Birchbox offers. If you didn’t catch that post, you can read it here. However, as a summary, here’s the jist: Birchbox is now $13 a month (depending on the plan, but that’s the average) and doesn’t just come with 5 samples, but at least 5 with a few bonus samples. Last month, I got 7 samples, including a Sunday Riley Luna Oil sample which I am still using a month later. (Such a good deal!)

This month, I’m going to share a more traditional review of Birchbox. If you’d like to sign up with Birchbox, you can do so by clicking here*.

Here’s What I Got:

Davines OI All in One Milk (50ml/1.69oz) : “This nourishing leave-in treatment detangles while adding volume, shine, and heat protection.” A full size of this hair milk retails for $34 and contains 4.56 oz/135 ml, making this sample roughly $12.50 in value. It is a fairly large sample. I really like this one, as I can spray it on my hair when it is dry or wet and it helps tame frizziness (especially as it has been humid and rainy here in Oregon). It also smells amazing.

Dr. Lipp Moisturizing Colour Tint in Sweet Potato (3ml): “This high-shine tinted lip balm uses just four natural ingredients… Organic edible sweet potato pigments give it its flattering pink shade.” I actually received a full size of this product from my Ipsy bag several months ago. The full size is only 5ml, making this deluxe sample worth about $5 (the full size is $8.95). I am almost done with my tube from Ipsy, so I guess it’s good I got a second one!

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream (0.25oz/7ml): “This ultrahydrating moisturizer is rich without being greasy and sinks in without leaving behind any residue.” This was my sample pick this month; the samples were pretty lackluster, but I’ve never tried any of Kiehl’s facial products. I quite like this moisturizer, as I’ve been breaking out a lot lately and my skin has been dry, dry, dry (I think it’s from the recent changes in weather here). A full size sample retails for $30 and contains 1.7 oz, which makes this sample worth about $5.60. This cream didn’t make me feel greasy either, which is always a plus!

Marcelle Xtension Plus Skyline Mascara (0.14oz/4.2ml): “This clump-free mascara’s ultraskinny brush helps curl and lift every last lash while adding length and definition for a wide-eyed appearance.” This sample is about a half-size, which is pretty good! A full-size retails for $15, making this about $7.50 in value. Mascara is always a hard one for me, as mascaras often don’t do what I need; I have very long, full eyelashes, but they are quite thin. I’ve yet to find a mascara that adds volume without being clumpy af, and, unfortunately, this one only seems to lengthen. Nice, but not what I need!

Number 4 Jour d’automne Smoothing Balm (1oz/30 ml): “Prep damp hair with this styling cream, which contains tiny molecules that penetrade each strand to minimize frizz, add touchable texture, and protect against heat damage.” This is about 1/5 the size of a full size bottle, which retails for $30, valuing this sample at about $6. This is one of 3 leave-in hair products I received (I’ll touch on this in my final thoughts), but I quite like it still. My hair, as everyone probably knows by now, is very long, very thick (I have a lot of hair), but very fine and straight that tends to get frizzy with fly-aways. This seemed to make a huge difference.

SCAPES Apothehair Signature Sleeping Hair Mask (0.67oz/20ml): “Apply a dime-size amount of this herb- and oil-rich leave-in conditioner to damp hair before bed to wake up to smoother, hydrated hair. No need to rinse out, just style as usual.” A full size of this product retails for $25 and has 125 ml; that values this sample at about $4. Honestly, this is probably my favorite product of everything I got; it smells amazing and made my hair feel absolutely lovely. And $25 for how much you receive is pretty amazing, considering you only need a teeny tiny dollop.

Davines OI Shampoo (0.4oz): Nice, a shampoo packet. This shampoo promises to be ultrahydrating, which is fine. It says it protects hair from UV rays, which I quite appreciate. I did get tons of compliments on my hair after using this, but since I only received a packet (it was just a bonus item), it’s hard for me to know if that’s because of the leave-in conditioner or this shampoo.

Davines OI Conditioner (0.4oz): Another packet! I did quite like this conditioner even if I only received a packet of it. It reminded me a lot of the Shea Moisture Manuka Honey mask that I like to use: a little lighter than that, but very hydrating and rich. It made me hair feel lovely and I almost wish I had saved it to use alongside my preferred shampoo, just to see what it really did for my hair.

Final Thoughts

The total retail value of this box is about $44.60. That includes a very generous $2 each for the shampoo and conditioner packets. While $45 would be quite the shocking price for a bunch of sample (and deluxe sample) size products, for $13, I definitely don’t baulk at it.

My one issue, if you couldn’t tell, is that 8 things I received, 5 of them are hair products. And of those 5 hair products, 3 are leave-in products! Thats honestly just a bit too hair-heavy for me, when I tend to be quite picky about my haircare products. While I did like all of them, I found myself frustrated at having to space how when I tried everything; if I used it all at once, how would I know what did what!? It also doesn’t give me a well-rounded amount of things to try, especially as one of the non-hair products I’ve received from another subscription service.

Are you a Birchbox subscriber? What did you receive this month? I actually had wanted one of the curated boxes, but it had sold out by the time I was able to get in to select my item or box for the month!

Disclaimer: As noted by the asterisk (*) in the title of this post, this is a sponsored post with Birchbox. I am a Birchbox affiliate and any links to the Birchbox site are affiliate links and also marked with an asterisk. I received a 6-month Birchbox subscription in exchange for blog posts. Posts like these help me keep Writing Between Pauses going! However, all opinions remain my own. If you’d like to learn more about my disclosure policy, click here.

I Tried Birchbox (So You Don't Have To) | April 2019

I love a beauty subscription. As you probably know, I’ve been an Ipsy subscriber for months (although we’ve been on a break recently) and have been looking for other beauty boxes to review and use each month. There is something to a beauty box, isn’t there? It’s like a special little treat.

I told Danny that the reason I love them is because it gives me the option of trying new things every single month… without spending a ton of money. To try a new moisturizer might cost $15+, depending on the brand—but I can get a deluxe sample of a moisturizer in a subscription box that I can use throughout the month, as well as other things to try, all for around $10-15 depending on the subscription.

That’s incredibly valuable to me! I love trying new things, but I hate spending money.

A few weeks ago, I was approached by Birchbox to review their beauty box subscription and to share with my readers. Of course, I said yes immediately!

Birchbox is the first beauty subscription box I ever remember hearing about: they really changed the game when they came on the scene! They are a tried-and-true brand with a ton of fans, so I was honored to be able to work with them.

I received my first beauty box this month and wanted to share everything I received, what I loved about Birchbox, and what I didn’t.

What I Got

Here’s everything I received:

• Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray

• Number 4 Lumiere d’Hiver Clarifying Shampoo

• Marcell City Tinted Cream

• Sunday Riley Luna Night Sleeping Oil

• 100% Pure Green Tea Concentrate Cream

• Number 4 Lumiere d’Hiver Reconstructing Masque

• Love of Color Liquid Shimmer Eyeshadow (not pictured)

That’s $10 for 7 samples. Unlike Ipsy, there is no set number of samples every month. However, some of the samples in Birchbox are quite small; the clarifying shampoo and hair masque are both from the brand Number 4 Lumiere d’Hiver, but the shampoo is 1 fluid ounce in a travel size tube, while the mask is simply a packet (and much less than 1 fluid ounce). For that reason, it’s a lot more difficult to put a value on these products because you do receive a significantly smaller amount!

A prime example is that a full-size tube of the Oribe Texturizing Spray has 8.5 ounces and costs $46; the sample tube I received has 1 ounce. So, it would be valued at about 1/8 of $46: $5.75. However, not everything splits up quite that easily.

That’s ok though! I think even without strict numbers, we can talk about how valuable something feels: even though the tube of Sunday Riley’s Luna oil is quite small, a full-size bottle is only a little over an ounce and costs $105.

You read that correctly: full size is 1 ounce for $105. So receiving a sample tube, no matter the size, is going to be pretty valuable in terms of testing it out!

Birchbox costs between $10-15 a month to receive, depending on the status if your subscription. (You can learn more about Birchbox’s updated payment system here.) You can buy subscriptions in 6- and 12-month packages as well, which can help reduce your cost (and you can often get full-size gifts when you sign up. Score!)

What I Liked

One of the great things about Birchbox, compared to Ipsy, is that you don’t just receive 5 samples: you get a variety and often 5+ things. In my first box alone, I got 7 samples, some of them bigger than others. I’d say everything except the hair mask, I can use for at least 3 weeks, potentially more. That gives me a ton of product to experience with.

I also like that Birchbox gave me options when it came to selecting my samples. As with Ipsy, the more you review the things you receive, the better the products will be suited to you. However, with Birchbox, you can receive a sneak peek of samples starting the month before; at the end of March, I was able to choose either one sample I definitely wanted in my box, or I could have chosen two curated boxes to receive. That meant that no matter what, I got to choose something to try—which is really, really fun!

I liked all of the products I received, except perhaps the clarifying shampoo (it made my scalp itch, which is 100% a “my scalp” problem!) and the CC cream (it didn’t match my skintone, but I did like the texture).

My favorite product is probably the 100% Pure Green Tea Concentrate Cream; I thought for sure I would love the Sunday Riley Luna oil, which I do, but it doesn’t wow me as much as I thought. What did wow me was the Green Tea Concentrate Cream! It smells amazing and feels beautiful on my skin; I love wearing it under my makeup. It’s one of those things that I would have never looked for, but thanks to Birchbox, I’ll probably be buying a fullsize tube!

Things You Need to Know

What are a few things I would want to know about signing up for Birchbox?

Firstly, I think you need to remember that these are samples: not necessarily even deluxe size samples, in some cases. I don’t think that’s necessarily a draw back, but I do think it is important to have realistic expectations of what you’re going to receive.

Secondly, you can earn points on Birchbox by reviewing items; these points can then be used to purchase full size items. That’s pretty amazing!

Lastly, Birchbox is not like ipsy. They are both beauty-focused subscriptions and while I’ve compared and contrasted them here, ultimately they serve two different purposes. Birchbox focuses a little more on tried-and-true skincare products; Ipsy is much more trendy and makeup focused. What you choose depends entirely on what you want to receive! Looking to find a skincare routine that changes your life? Birchbox would be the best choice. Want to experiment with makeup? Ipsy is your best bet.

If you’d like to sign up for Birchbox, you can do so by clicking here**.

Have you received Birchbox? What did you think?

Beauty Review: Peter Thomas Roth Peptide 21 Collection*

I love trying new skincare products. In fact, it’s one of my favorite parts about having my blog; getting the opportunity to try new things and see what works for my skin is just one of the many perks of blogging.

As an example: a few weeks ago, I received the Peter Thomas Roth Peptide 21 Collection to review. (I received this product from Influenster, not Peter Thomas Roth directly.*) Peter Thomas Roth is a brand I would never actually buy myself—even though I’ve heard great things about them—because it’s just a little out of my price range.

So, we’ve come to the downside of being sent products to review: sometimes you find stuff you really, really love that is way more money than you would ever spend on a product.

Here is what’s special about the Peptide 21 Collection:

“Peptide 21™ proves there is strength in numbers—and diversity! An unprecedented amount and array of 21 Peptides and Neuropeptides allows the multi-action serum and moisturizer to effectively treat every area of the face and neck. Enhanced by cutting-edge Gamma Proteins, these formulas help improve the look of fine lines, wrinkles, elasticity, radiance, uneven skin tone and texture. Peptide-building Amino Acid peel pads complete the collection, providing powerful exfoliation while optimizing results.”

I received all three products from the collection to review: the Peptide 21 Wrinkle Resist Serum; the Peptide 21 Lift & Firm Moisturizer; and the Peptide 21 Amino Acid Exfoliating Peel Pads. All three products focus on the main task of anti-aging using peptides. Funny enough, I think they are using “peptides” as a clever stand-in for “collagen.” As most of us know, topically applying collagen isn’t super effective when it comes to skincare; our skin can’t absorb it in a way it can be used for anti-aging. They claim these peptides “support” collagen proteins that already exist in our skin, but I’m not too sure on all that. (Science is not my strong suit!)

However, I will say this to start this review: I like every single one of these products. However, there is something a little gimmicky about the peptides stuff—I don’t know enough about it to know for sure, but I know enough about marketing to know when a gimmick is a gimmick.

That being said, again, I really like all these products. Do I think the peptides do anything? Not really.

What I Like

My favorite part of the collection are the Exfoliating Peel Pads; they are a quick, easy swipe part of a routine and I’ve noticed the biggest difference in my skin just from them. (When trying new products, I usually add just one at a time.) They really are the stand out product from the collection, as they contain more than “peptides”. Here’s what they promise: “Packed with peptide-building Amino Acids, these exfoliating peel pads help reduce the look of pores, uneven skin tone, texture, fine lines and wrinkles while prepping skin for peptide treatment products.” It goes without saying, they don’t only contain peptides, but also Phytic Acid, Salicylic Acid and Sodium Lactate, as well as vitamins A and E.

I noticed a huge difference in my skin’s texture just from these pads alone. Usually, I try not to use anything that makes garbage pile up, however, and using a peel pad every single day (or twice a day) creates a lot of garbage at the end of the day. If this was a toner in a bottle, I’d absolutely be head-over-heels in love with it.

I did like the serum and the moisturizer as well. The moisturizer was probably my second favorite item, as I use moisturizer more than anything else (if I’m too tired to do my entire routine, a makeup wipe and moisturizer is as good as it gets). I am not big on serums generally; sometimes, I feel like they just add steps to a routine when that same thing could be added to a moisturizer. (I know there are many great serums out there. I’m just lazy, let’s be honest.)

What I Don’t Like

It took so much self control not to say this in the above section, but: the serum feels gross. It makes my skin feel so sticky and slimy, no matter how long I let it sink it. I’m still using it, but I cannot wait to get to the moisturizer step of my routine purely to rid myself of the feeling. However, even after moisturizer, my skin still always feels a little gross, so I find myself skipping the serum more-and-more. And to be honest, I don’t notice a huge difference without the serum.

Here’s another thing about the serum: it’s $110!!!!!! I would say it’s the worst product of the collection, and the most useless, and it costs nearly DOUBLE the price of the peel pads! That’s outrageous and I absolutely do not love that. The peel pads cost $52, which isn’t a great price, but also isn’t bad as I really do like them. The moisturizer is $78, which is another yikes; I like it, but it’s not any better than a Pacifica moisturizer, which you can get for less than $15 at Target.

As always, for most skincare products, what it comes down to is price for me. You can find lots of things that give you the same or similar results to these products. Is this a nice collection? Sure. Is it way out of my price range? Yes. Will I be repurchasing anything from it? I may repurchase the peel pads if I can’t find a good dupe, but it’s definitely a long shot.

Final Thoughts

I’m glad I got to try this new collection; the peel pads, honestly, are the best part of it. But as I said, the price point is just a little high for products that I don’t feel deliver (at least on my skin). A lot of that price is clearly the name, which is all well and good—but who wants to spend $200+ for products that don’t make a $200 difference to your skin?

Disclaimer: As noted by the asterisk (*) in the title of this post, I received these products free in exchange for review. However, all opinions remain my own! Click here to read more about my disclosure policy.

My Favorite Accessory For Looking Put Together (Even When I Don’t Have Time)*

Before I had Forrest, I spent a lot of time on my wardrobe. I shopped frequently and spent a lot of time picking out outfits. However, once the chaos of motherhood descended, a lot of that got pushed aside.

As Forrest has gotten older, I’ve only gotten busier. I blog, of course; I freelance; and I work for a digital marketing agency. Between parenting, working, cleaning my house, and taking time for myself (I have to cross stitch sometime!), I find myself with less and less time every single day it feels like!

That means that usually, I have to pick one area to focus on. If you know me, you know that that’s often my makeup; I feel most put together when I get my lipstick and mascara on… even if I’m wearing my comfy joggers and a hoodie!

Recently, however, I’ve been working on creating simple “uniforms” for myself to wear to work everyday. These outfits consist of:

• A few dresses that I just feel good in

• Jeans, flowy tops, and nice cardigans

• Trousers, blouses, and jackets

A lot of this has been my attempt to stop wearing leggings every single day! It’s hard to dress up leggings, that’s for sure, but I knew for my work, I needed to start focusing more on how I present myself, even when I don’t feel 100% great or I’m running on less than 3 hours of sleep.

The time I have for looking put together is often minimal. In the morning, I am usually getting Forrest dressed while I make my coffee, then putting on makeup while I assure him that we will, in fact, get to my mom’s on time. I am often super behind on laundry, which means sometimes I’m running around looking for my favorite black H&M jeans in the middle of letting my setting powder bake.

That’s why having a few set uniforms for myself makes every morning go just a little bit easier. What I decide to wear is basically already picked out--I just have to remember what’s on my roster for the day! If I have a meeting, I might go for a dress or a jacket with my jeans instead of a top and cardigan. If I’m just going to be working in my office, I’ll wear jeans and a t-shirt which I can throw a cardigan on top of if I need to run out.

One thing that makes every outfit pop and look just slightly more put together is a great accessory. And lately, that great accessory has been my new JORD Watch. When JORD reached out to me about writing a post, I was so excited; I’ve been drooling over some gorgeous timepieces recently. I wear a Fitbit Versa most days, which isn’t really the most high end of looks, so I wanted something I could wear to a meeting or a night out that was more functional than jewelry, but prettier than a Fitbit!

The JORD watch I chose is the Cora Polaris in Koa and Rose Gold. Like most people, I’ve been obsessed with rose gold the last few months, so this was a no brainer when it came to choosing! I love how subtle the rose gold is and the Koa wood is so absolutely stunning. Here’s a little bit about Koa:

““Koa is a species native to Hawaii and is widely considered to be the most beautiful of the native hardwoods. Though softer than several of our used wood species, Koa machines exceptionally well and finishes smooth with a beautiful natural sheen. Depending on the harvest season, Koa wood will produce tones that range from medium gold to reddish brown, similar to Mahogany.””

The color of the watch is gorgeous; the Koa wood is a warm-toned, which goes beautifully with the rose gold pieces of this timepiece, but goes with everything I own. It doesn’t look out of place. I’ve gotten so many compliments on this watch the last few times I’ve worn it to meetings or to work.

The thing I love most about JORD is their focus on sustainable practices when it comes to creating beautiful timepieces. That means you can feel good about your purchase, because you know it’s going to a company that absolutely loves what they do and does everything with sustainability in mind.

Because these watches are made with wood, it does require a little bit more care. Thankfully, every JORD order comes with instructions for care--which boil down to using Tung Oil or Lemon Oil on your watch, as well as ensuring that you store it properly between wears.  

Nothing makes me feel better these days than being complimented on my outfit--and I’ve definitely had more of those moments since I started wearing my Cora Polaris watch from JORD. I’m so excited to have the opportunity to receive this watch from JORD-- and I’m even more excited that I have the opportunity to offer this same feeling to one of my followers.

Click here to enter my giveaway to receive $100 OFF a watch from JORD. As well, when you enter, you’ll still receive a 10% off code for any order from JORD as well--which means, even if you don’t win, you still can order a JORD watch!

Disclaimer: As usual, an asterisk (*) in the title of this post denotes that I received this item in exchange for review and promotion. However, all opinions remain my own. Posts like this help Writing Between Pauses keep going! For more information about my disclosure policy, click here.

Revisiting Hungryroot: Is It Worth It?*

About a year ago, I wrote a blog post about Hungryroot that has quickly become one of my most popular posts ever. And it goes without saying, it’s for good reason. Food delivery is a super popular option (I’ve tried several myself), and having one that is plant-based and able to take into account various allergies and diet requirements is pretty exciting. I’ll talk about this a bit more in a minute, but Hungryroot has really moved beyond meal delivery. Hungryroot is unique in that they send healthy, clean-ingredient, nutrient-dense foods that can be enjoyed with other Hungryroot products or combined with foods you have in your fridge.

When I first tried Hungryroot, something that something that stuck in my craw was their note that all their meals are under 500 calories; why 500 calories!? Well, the truth is most of these meals are intended to be altered or have additional elements. For example, their Veggie Chili is 200 calories for the entire container—but you should eat it alongside a salad and maybe some crackers. They’re not telling anyone to eat just 500 calories for an entire meal. This isn’t a main point of the Hungryroot brand anymore and I’m loving their encouragement to modify and add to the items they offer. As well, they’ve recently added proteins available—their smoked salmon is so good!

Here’s what Hungryroot has to say about their new rebrand:

“Hungryroot is a brand of nutrient-dense, clean-ingredient grocery staples that make it easy to eat healthy. We send you a variety of foods, from fresh-cut vegetables and versatile sauces to delicious proteins and wholesome desserts all tailored to you. We deliver on auto-pilot to your home, and since everything we send is based on your preferences, Hungryroot gets better as we get to know you. ”

I was excited to revisit Hungryroot and even more excited to find out they have an advocate program. Danny and I have been trying to eat primarily plant-based in 2019; not for any reason other than we know it is better for our bodies in terms of nutrition and we know it is better for the planet. We decided to try Hungryroot again because we were curious about the new items they offered—as well as any new recipes to give us ideas for the future!

Instead of providing just meals, they allow you to choose piecemeal what you want. One week, you might choose some of the suggested meals and a few treats; and the next week, you might choose all pre-cut veggies and a few oatmeal cups! It just depends on what you want to do. I love the idea of this, as grocery delivery isn’t available in my area, and being so busy (working 3 jobs, taking care of a toddler!), it is a huge help to get groceries delivered to my house.

What I Liked

My first box arrived in the middle of January—the perfect time, really, because Danny and I were feeling really tired of everything I usually cook that’s more plant-based and healthy. The first dish I made was the kohlrabi noodles with pesto and salmon. It was so good—even Forrest ate some of it, and getting him to try new things is always a challenge. The salmon in particular was really delicious.

I think that’s one of the most exciting things about Hungryroot now, is the option to add protein sources. They offer salmon and chicken sausage right now. Both are delicious! (I actually went and bought some local chicken sausage after seeing some of the available recipes!) If you struggle with buying proteins, this is a great option. Danny and I don’t like to purchase meat products that come from most stores, instead choosing to buy locally; this can be more expensive for sure. The salmon and chicken sausage, however, are really delicious and perfect for using in tons of dishes.

Other items that we’ve loved have been the veggie chili (Danny in particular loves this) and the Spicy Black Bean Butternut Noodles. I also really love their dessert options too! The Black Bean Brownie Batter remains my absolute favorite thing they offer—it’s the perfect sweet treat. In our most recent box, we got the Vanilla Bean Snickerdoodle dough and, oh my goodness! I decided to bake it into cookie form with Forrest—I let him put some chocolate chips on top—and they are so good. And it’s nice to have a sweet snack that is also giving me some nutrients.

We also really loved their grab-and-go breakfast options—the Maple Raisin Pumpkin Pie oatmeal was so good. Even Forrest liked that one. I ordered two of those in our first box and it was worth it. If I could buy a whole palette of it, I would. They have other oatmeal options as well, alongside a variety of granolas and other meal replacement options. If you’re like me and grabbing breakfast often means hitting up a Starbucks (let’s be real, that Bacon & Gouda sandwich is delicious, but not very good for me!), then these grab-and-go options are really great to have around.

I’m really excited to try some of the other foods—such as their new wraps and flatbread options, because they look really delicious.

So, Is It Worth It?

Originally, in my first blog post, I concluded that Hungryroot wasn’t worth it—because I felt like the recipes weren’t totally worth it.

However, this time, I think my conclusion is different: I think if you’re looking for Hungryroot to send you everything you need to make big meals, that’s just not realistic... because it’s not really what they’re about anymore. Think of Hungryroot as a brand of fresh, healthy food products that can be used to supplement your groceries. 

But it is a great way to explore some things you’ve never tried before, try out some side dishes, have groceries available when you’re too busy, and learn how to cook things that are plant-based and delicious. In that sense, it is absolutely worth it.

I think if you’re a really practiced cook, and just need some new ideas, this is also a great way to give you some options. As well, if you’re just learning to cook and aren’t sure how to cook, say, brussel sprouts… this is a great way to learn, see what you like, and gain some experience cooking! And lastly, if you’re super busy and feel like you’re hitting the drive thru more often than you’re turning on your stove, Hungryroot gives you the option to have something healthy waiting for you in the fridge, even if you only have energy to cook some butternut squash noodles and add some jarred marinara sauce. (Honestly, it’s delicious though! Highly recommend.)

The best thing about having Hungryroot really is being able to make something on the fly. As an example, Danny and I both love their salad blend (it has kale, cabbage, and a bunch of other stuff); so I used that to make a Mexican salad with our own dressing. I would never buy all the pieces for that salad to make on my own—with only two of us, it would just be too much waste! But having Hungryroot gave me the option and it was delicious. It is so convenient to have a box of veggies and grab-and-go options dropped on my doorstep when I need it!

I’m really excited to be able to offer my readers a discount for their first two boxes. Use the code PAUSES40 for 40% off your first order when you sign up at Hungryroot.

*Disclaimer: While this post is not sponsored by Hungryroot, I am a part of the Hungryroot advocate program. That means, I receive a small referral for each person who uses my code. However, all opinions remain my own! Posts like this, and programs like this, help me keep Writing Between Pauses running. To learn more about my disclosure policy, click here.

I Tried Personalized Shampoo from Formulate & It Changed My Life*

When I first received an email from Formulate several weeks ago, I was immediately excited. I had been looking into the myriad of personalized shampoos available—I knew that my scalp issues meant I needed something personalized, but I was put off initially by the cost of other brands I found, as well as their often wishy-washy stance about being cruelty-free.

But from the moment Caroline from Formulate emailed me, Formulate felt different. Firstly, they’re very upfront about their cruelty-free and vegan stance, as well as being paraben free, sulfate free, dye free, and preservative free. I was really excited to try Formulate and I especially couldn’t wait to start washing my hair with the shampoo they sent me.

The process of creating my shampoo (and conditioner, of course) was really easy. I actually filmed it on Instagram (you can watch it in the Formulate highlight!). I love a good quiz, so walking through picking what I wanted from shampoo, telling them about my hair and scalp, and more was not only fun, but helped me think about what I want from a shampoo.

I don’t know about you guys, but sometimes I get so caught up in wanting my hair to look a certain way that I forget other things—like nourishing my scalp, preventing split ends, and preventing breakage. It was nice to be able to pick 5 things for my shampoo and conditioner to really target. The quiz and sign up process took me maybe 15-20 minutes.

The most interesting part of the quiz was when it asked for my zip code. This was so they could pinpoint where I live and adjust my formulation to the humidity, average temperature, and climate of where I live.

You know what else was nice? Being able to pick from a bunch of beautiful scents—as well as the strength of the scent. How a shampoo smells is really important to me, but I always find myself disappointed when I use a shampoo that smells great, but it doesn’t make my hair smell like that later.

I picked the Verdant scent for my shampoo from Formulate; Verdant is a combination of lilies, grass, and Eucalyptus. It’s flowery and herby at the same time. I also picked Strong scent—hoping that it would make my hair smell 24/7 like lilies. (Spoiler alert: it totally does!)

It took about two weeks for my shampoo and conditioner to arrive from Formulate. In the age of Amazon 2-day shipping, that feels like a long time. However, it gives the scientists at Formulate time to look over your quiz, analyze where you live, and make the best possible shampoo and conditioner for you.

The box my shampoo arrived in was beautiful. The shampoo bottles themselves look really cute. There is something so shallow about aesthetic packaging, but I think we all prefer things that look good, right? They also came with two pumps to use, which is good, because I am not good at pouring shampoo! Another cool thing about the bottle design is that both shampoo and conditioner have Braille on the side. You so rarely see this in beauty products, so it is nice to see packaging being adjusted for those who require Braille in their daily lives.

From the first use, the thing I noticed the most was the smell! I’m so glad I went with Verdant; I absolutely love the smell of it. And the smell sticks around for a very long time. (I did, of course, pick Strong for a reason!)

The second thing I noticed was that this isn’t a shampoo that foams up. Like most sulfate free shampoos, it feels more like a thin conditioner. I’ll be sharing some tips next week about washing your hair with sulfate free shampoo, because, trust me, there is a small learning curve! If you’re used to standard shampoos, there is a period of time with sulfate free shampoos where your hair has to adjust to a new formula. I’ll talk about that in my blog post next week, so stay tuned!

(Don’t forget to sign up to win your own formulation! Click here to enter.)

The Benefits to My (Poor, Sensitive, Abused) Scalp

If you’ve read my blog for a long time, you know that I’ve really struggled with my scalp for the last year or so. It’s been a hell of a journey: I’ve tried just about every shampoo and conditioner under the sun. I spend more money on oils for my scalp than skincare. I’ve tried hyaluronic acid serums on my scalp (helped!), I’ve spent a small fortune on medicated shampoos, and my dermatologist is honestly really sick of looking at my scalp and saying, “I think it’s just dry.”

When I tell you that my shampoo from Formulate has fixed my scalp, it feels a little bit like an exaggeration, but it’s not. One of the big factors I selected for my shampoo was scalp health; I have a very sensitive, dry scalp that has gone through some trauma the last year and it needs healed. So Formulate chose vitamin E oil, along with other soothing ingredients, to help heal my scalp. And it did! From the very first wash, my scalp felt less tight and itchy. After about two weeks, my scalp wasn’t flaky anymore. I’ve had a few flairs, probably from dry weather and me deciding to use a hair mask that I knew would probably make my scalp itch, but nothing like the past. I can honestly say that that is life changing. Not having an itchy, flaky scalp all the time is a huge deal.

Aside from my beautiful scalp (prettiest scalp on the block, if you will!), I’ve also noticed a huge change in my hair texture. I’ve always had very silky, fine straight hair. It has a little bit of a wave to it in some spots; my hairdressers have always described this as “straight-relaxed” hair, meaning it basically conforms to the shape of my head. (A nice description, I think.)

Since I started using my shampoo from Formulate, I’ve noticed a major change in my hair texture. I’ve always had a lot of hair—like an absurd amount, despite how fine it is—but it was pretty lank and took a lot of effort for it to have volume. I’ve had a ton of volume since I started using Formulate and my hair feels a little more wavier—less pin straight and more relaxed, and it doesn’t conform to my head so much. (I know that’s a weird way to phrase that, but how else do I describe that!?) I can only speak for people who have straight hair, but this is a huge improvement for me.

Wash Less, With Better Hair

Over the past few years, I’ve been trying to reduce the number of times I wash my hair per week. I know it’s drilled into us that maximum cleanliness means showering (and washing your hair) every single day. However, that can often cause, or make worse, scalp problems, as well as dry out our hair. (And it goes without saying: this all totally depends on your hair type!) I have managed to get down to 3 washes a week, but I’d like to reduce to about 2 washes a week because I find that’s when my scalp and hair feels best.

The great thing about Formulate is I feel like it helps me stretch the time between washes. My hair stays shiny and clean feeling for a lot longer, because I don’t have that residue build up caused by sulfates in shampoo. My hair is generally less oily, but still moisturized and pretty for several days in a row. No oily hair days!

As I mentioned, there are definitely some growing pains associated with going sulfate-free. I read a lot of articles as I started using Formulate and I will share more about this in a follow up blog post, but the number one thing I learned is that it will take several washes (about 3-4 weeks worth) for your hair to feel “normal” again. Using sulfate-free shampoo isn’t like using regular shampoo, but it does leave your hair just as clean (promise).

I can honestly say that the improvement to my scalp has made me want to never switch from Formulate! That alone is enough, but the scent, the way my hair looks and feels, the vegan and cruelty-free stance… it all makes me want to support a great company like Formulate.

The Second Formulation

I loved my Formulate shampoo and conditioner from that first use (honestly, the scalp benefits alone! I know I keep mentioning it, but it really is so huge for me). However, there were a few things I wanted tweaked.

That’s what is so great about Formulate. They work with you really closely in the first few weeks to help ensure that the shampoo and conditioner you use is perfect for you. The more you pay for a shampoo, the better your results often are; as someone who loves saving money, I’ve realized over time that… you pay for what you get, especially if you have a sensitive scalp or difficult hair! Formulate really makes your money go far though.

My initial feedback for Formulate was that I felt like my conditioner weighed my hair down a little bit and left a residue, specifically on the back of my head, that was hard to rinse. I also felt like my shampoo was just a little too drying on my hair. I sent my feedback in and a few days later, a second set of shampoo and conditioner was on its way to me. And the changes were HUGE! No more residue from my conditioner and the shampoo left my hair feeling silky and hydrated again. I’m so happy with my results from Formulate. And I know that if i start noticing any other issues, I can send them a note and get my shampoo and conditioner tweaked to improve.

This all leads me to the most exciting part of this collaboration with Formulate: I have a giveaway going!

You can enter to win your own formulation by clicking the button below. You’ll be able to personalize your own shampoo and conditioner and get the hair you’ve always dreamed of!

Have you ever tried customized shampoo and conditioner? What did you think?

Disclaimer: As indicated by the asterisk (*) in the title of this post, this post is a collaboration between Formulate and myself. I received product free in exchange for an honest review and promotion on social media. However, all opinions remain my own! Posts like these help me keep the lights on here at Writing Between Pauses. To learn more about my disclosure policy, click here.