Magic Spoon

**This review is my opinion only - I am not being reimbursed for providing my opinion on this cereal*

I stumbled across this brand a couple of months ago - an influencer on the 'gram. It looked good. She made it sound good. But I think it was a sponsored ad. So I couldn't be sure.

But then I saw an old friend of mine (from elementary school, college, etc.) who also posted on her stories that this cereal was good.

Ok then. Personal review from someone I know? I'll take it.

I bought the 4-pack for like $40. 

I KNOW.

But dude, listen.

This shit is really good. 

Well, I've only tried the Fruity flavor and it does legit taste like Fruit Loops.

However. 

The after taste takes some getting used to.

I've only tried one flavor so far; I don't want to open all the boxes and risk any of it going stale. <side note: I should invest in those plastic cereal containers...>

11 grams of protein! And I'm not allergic, hallelujah. 

Very crunchy. 

However, even with the after taste - it's still very good. I eat it with skim milk and it's a fantastic snack or breakfast for me. Paired with a piece of fruit or something and I'm good to go. 

It's definitely on the pricey side and I definitely don't see myself getting this regularly. I mean, 4 boxes should last me a while....but maybe this is a once every quarter type thing. $10 per box (even with shipping) is just plain nuts. 

New Headphones

I got new headphones! 

Well, Steve got me new headphones!

We were laying in bed one night watching TV and I casually mentioned wanting new headphones. I wanted some for when I work out. 

He immediately mentioned these ones and I said "Great! Maybe for Christmas or something..." and that was that.

The next day folks, he went to go "run some errands."

He surprised me! 

Love the case it comes in

Storage for the charger and cords (although they are wireless). I put my ear buds in there too, just for safe keeping.

Super comfortable.

The UA logo is a button and once pressed it allows for the user to hear what's going on (if someone is speaking to them, etc.)

Controls are on the buttons on the right ear piece. Super convenient. Volume control, power and the ability to FF songs is all right here. 

These ear coverings are removable and washable - which is perfect for working out. It's ok to sweat with these on! 

So here's my unofficial review of these headphones, after using them for 3 days in a row while working out.

Comfortable to wear - they don't move around much and I haven't had any irritations in my 45 minute workouts. I don't do cardio, but they stayed in place when I did my jumping jack warm ups. 

Easy to use - I didn't have any issues whatsoever connecting via Bluetooth to my phone, laptop, etc. with these. Super simple set up by following the instructions. 

Great price point - for $129.99 these are very affordable for what they do. I've seen headphones that are double, triple this price. Steve's BEATS from 10 years ago were almost $400 (TEN YEARS AGO). They lasted a while (I think 8-ish years?) but fuck. $129 doesn't break the bank. 

Accessories - as I mention above, I also got the carrying case, charging cord, and another cord to connect to a computer/laptop, whatever. Or if the Bluetooth fails? 

So far no complaints after 3 days of use. I haven't washed the ear coverings yet, so I can't say how they hold up. I'll report back when I do! 

Resistance Bands

I ordered resistance bands because I couldn't find any free weights anywhere. 

ANYWHERE.

I mean, I found some. 

But they were legit $200. 

For a pair of 8lb free weights.

WTF.

So I found some resistance bands and was totally excited to try them out.

Then I got a cancellation email.

So I had to find another set. 

I'm glad I did.

What I found was this.

For $35!

Comes with this nifty little carrying bag

Comes with ALL OF THIS. 3 different resistance bands (20lb, 30lb, 40lb). Handles. Extra loop thingies. Haven't figured out what those are for. Door anchor (so excited to try this!)

And holy shit after my first workout. Super sweaty! 

I have to say it takes a bit of getting used to. But once I found my groove, it got easier. I plan on rotating between these and my regular weights and kettlebell. 

So far I enjoy them. I like having different methods and options to go with. 

Review: Speedo Swim Vest

In a previous post I mentioned getting the kids' life vests for our upcoming vacation.

Came across this Speedo swim vest for Ava. We. got ours on Amazon so it was actually a couple bucks cheaper. (And it's even cheaper now than when we bought ours!)

When it came, it was rainy and shitty out for several days so we weren't able to really try it out.

Well, the day finally came and she was so pumped to use it.

This is a fantastic vest, people! If you have a kiddo who is almost there with swimming but isn't quite there yet 100%, get this!

Yes, we have to of course have our eyes on her all the time, but we would have to REGARDLESS. 

I like to have my eyes on the kids when they are in the pool. I also try really hard not to get too distracted.

Because I know how water is. It's so easy for a kid to slip under water and honestly, it's not that noticeable.

This vest allowed her full use of her arms and kept her above water just enough.

We got her the Medium size, for the weight range of 33lbs - 45lbs. She's only 36lbs so we're good to go.

It's made out of UV50 SPF polyester but is soft to the touch. Not at all scratchy or restrictive. 

This is considered a "Level 2 swim aid" meaning it's for kids who are already familiar with water.  

Ava feels confident when wearing it and loves that she doesn't need a parent on her at all times. 

We are excited to bring it on vacation and use it there as well.

So happy with this purchase! 

Instant Pot Review and Some Recipes

As I mentioned in my Air Fryer post, my mom insisted last year on getting us an Instant Pot.

Again, I wasn't exactly ALL for it or anything. I had heard the buzz, but wasn't sure I wanted to spend the $129 or whatever it was to have one.

I had a rice cooker.

I have a crockpot.

I didn't see the need to get something else, as much as I love appliances, this one wasn't at the top of my list.

I have to admit - it's pretty great.

We were able to get rid of my cheap rice cooker. The Instant Pot cooks rice beautifully.

My crockpot is in my drawer at work for any potential upcoming gatherings that might require us to heat up food.

The Instant Pot cooks things so much faster than a crockpot anyway.

I will add to this post with recipes as I make them.

Let's start with Classic Chicken Noodle Soup. (I made this on a very cool, fall day in October. A beautifully sunny, crisp day. It was maybe 55 degrees outside, so this was the perfect dinner). 

Ingredients:
2lbs chicken (I used 3 good-sized breasts)
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1-2 medium onions, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
1 clove garlic (even though Ava is allergic to garlic, I knew she wouldn't want any soup, so I kept it in), minced
4 cups chicken broth (I used low sodium - always easier to add salt later)
4 cups water
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (I was supposed to use Thyme, but didn't have any...so...)
Salt and pepper for seasoning.

Get all your shit together

Chop chop!

Put the IP on "Sauté" mode and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat and add veggies.

Sauté for like 8 or so minutes

Add garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes. Already smelling delish

I forgot to take pics of this step, which was adding 3 decent-sized (about 2lbs) of chicken breasts (whole) right on top of the sautéed veggies. Make sure to add plenty of salt and pepper at this stage. 

Put it on "Soup" mode and the time set automatically for 7 minutes

Got my egg noodles ready

And some frozen peas

After the 7 minutes were up, I released the pressure manually and let that go (it took maybe 10 minutes - which seemed long to me! But whatever).

Shredded the chicken

It turned out to be a LOT of chicken. 

Dumped in the chicken and the peas

And about 6oz of egg noodles. One package is 12oz, and I used the first half when I made this recipe for the first time. 

Let it simmer for a while on sauté mode

10 minutes on saute 

Add more salt and pepper to taste

Ta Da! It was delicious. Steve said he really appreciated the ratio of chicken to everything else. This is a hearty dish. 

Not only that, we have plenty for leftovers this week for our lunches. 

Air Fryer Review and Recipes

So I got an air fryer.

Well, my mom got us an air fryer.

Another appliance.

Have I mentioned Steve's hatred of appliances?

He thinks many of them are useless.

He fought me on my Ronco Rotisserie for years before I actually got one.

And let me tell you, the prime rib I've made in that thing? So worth the fact I only bust it out basically once a year at Christmas to make said Prime Rib (I will do a separate, holiday cooking post).

In the beginning though, I did roast a chicken about once a week. It was great having cooked chicken ready to include with any weeknight meal.

ANYWAY.

My mom insisted on getting this air fryer for us.

Last year she insisted on getting us the Instant Pot.

She's always "with" the fads. LOL.

I was kinda like "eh" with the air fryer.

Steve's sister has one and last Christmas told us that we'd use it, how much she does etc. etc. I still didn't run out and buy it.

So it arrived and I have used that thing every. single. day. 

First of all.

Mom's egg rolls are LEGIT in that thing. Once you fry them and freeze them, you can't microwave them (no matter what Steve might tell you). You HAVE to reheat in the oven to get the outside crispy. And we know how I am with crispy.

Well, turn that bitch on to 400 degrees, put whatever into the bin and put the timer to like 7 minutes.

Ding!

Perfectly, crispy, hot in the middle delicious fucking egg rolls/French fries/hashbrowns/vegetables/etc.

So good!

I made crispy baby potatoes in the air fryer the other day. Super simple and easy to use and the end product was so good.

I got a super simple version. You can get fancy with digital controls, etc. but we just went with simplicity (and reasonably priced). 

Salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, olive oil. Tossed around and then placed into the air fryer. I turned it on to 400 degrees and set the timer for about 15 minutes. I think it took about 10-12 before they were done! Sorry I don't have an after pic. They were amazingly delicious, crisp and tender inside. 

I am going to try some zucchini. Will report back.