Amazon Favorites List

Hello friends,

I posted on my Instagram story asking if you would be interested in an Amazon Favorite's List. I got some positive feedback, so let me share with you! I have used links to different products using my Amazon Affiliate links (which means I earn a small commission if you purchase items from my links).

I will break the sections into categories for you, I have personally tried or used all of these products...let's dive in!

Books:
Fiction
Salem Falls- Jodi Picoult
Leaving Time- Jodi Picoult
The Storyteller- Jodi Picoult
Nineteen Minutes- Jodi Picoult
Plain Truth- Jodi Picoult
Vanishing Acts- Jodi Picoult
The Pact- Jodi Picoult

Non-fiction
Clean My Space 
The Fifth Vital Sign
Taking Charge of Your Fertility
The 5 Love Languages
Body Weight Strength Training Anatomy
Strong Curves- Exercise Programming by Brett Contreas 

Supplements:
Garden of Life Protein Powder
Probiotic
Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides
Calcium/Vit. D
Primal Kitchen Protein Powder

Food:
Smart Sweets- Sweet Fish
Smart Sweets- Sour Blast Buddies
Perfect Bars
Smokehouse Almonds
Vital Proteins Mocha Collagen Creamer
Anthony's Goods Peanut Flour
Anthony's Goods Shredded Coconut
Anthony's Goods Coconut Sugar
Anthony's Goods Chia Seeds
Anthony's Goods Egg White Powder
Anthony's Goods Almond Flour
Anthony's Goods Mango Strips
Anthony's Goods Coconut Oil

Kitchen Goods:
Pressure Cooker Egg Rack
Instapot
Espresso Maker
Soda Streamer
Griddle 
Touchless Trashcan
Milk Frother
Ice Cream Maker
Gummy/Chocolate Molds
Lodge Cast Iron Skillet
Nutribullet
Pantry Containers
Salt & Pepper Grinders
KitchenAid Mixer
Food Processor

Beauty:
Gua Sha Stone
Tongue Cleaner
Healing Clay 
Aloe Vera Gel
Cocokind Facial Cleansing Oil
Cocokind Raspberry Vinegar Toner
Cocokind Chlorophyll Mask
Cocokind Turmeric Stick
Cocokind Sea Moss Exfoliator
Cocokind Golden Elixir 

Cleaning Supplies:
Amber Glass Bottles
Essential Oils
Shark Steam Mop

Exercise:
Hip Thrust Pad
Running/workout pouch 
Silicone Ring 
Weight Tracking Scale (hooks to an app)
Bluetooth Headphones
Resistance Bands
Fitbit Charge 2
Pull Up Bar
Foam Roller
Myofascial Release Balls

Office:
Brita Filter
Silicone Ice Cube Tray
Healthy Human Tumbler
Essential Oil Diffuser

I will continually update this page with more of my favorites!

Later Taters

DIY protein bar (taste/texture similar to Perfect Bar)

Hello friends,

Have you tried Perfect Bars? I am obsessed with these bars and I have been wanting to try to create my own version of them that way I can make them when I am craving one. Don't you worry Perfect Bar team, I will still support you! I absolutely love the convenience of purchasing these at the store & I will be the first to admit I love the flavor of them. They are on the pricer side, so having a mock version to make at home can save me some money.

Here is how you can make my DIY protein bar recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup raw honey

1/4 cup + 1 T egg white powder

1 T brown rice protein powder

2 T avocado oil

3 scoops Vital Proteins College Peptides

1 T nonfat milk powder

2 T peanut flour

Directions: 

Mix everything together in a bowl and shape the dough into bar size shapes. Place the bars into an airtight container in the fridge. Store there until you are ready to eat one. 

Review of Workout Leggings

Hello friends, 

I thought I would write a legging recap for you since I have personally struggled finding leggings that are high quality, affordable, & squat proof. Keep in mind this is my own personal opinion, so others may feel differently. I also am not paid to write this post and purchased each item myself. For reference on sizing, I am 5' 3'' and fluctuate between 125lbs-130lbs. If you want to skip to the bottom and not read the full review, I rank these in order of which I would buy again for a quick reference guide.  So let's dive in...

Gymshark

• Flex Leggings
• Price: $50 plus tax & shipping
• Comfort: 5/10 , I had the first make of these and they did not sit right on my hips. Now they have a new flex that is high waisted
• Material: 6/10, Does not hold up as well (I kept getting holes in the inseam areas even though they were not too tight on me
• Squat proof: 8/10, Yes, but overtime the fabric starts to wear out 
• True to size: Yes, I ordered a size small
• Other comments: The detail on the pants really highlight the booty, if you are looking for a legging to do that for you then these might be a good purchase. At first, I was so into Gymshark but now I am finding other companies do a better job of making quality leggings and have better customer service, free shipping, etc. 
• Overall rating: 6/10

• Joggers
• I had a old version, but they are similar to the Solace Bottoms
• Price: $45 ish plus tax & shipping 
• Comfort: 5/10, the joggers that I purchased were a little too tight for my liking
• Material: 6/10, the material was light and a slight stretch
• Squat proof: more of a casual wear pant and less of a lifting pant
• True to size: I would say to order a size bigger than normal if you like your joggers a little looser like me. I ordered a size small. 
• Other comments: I probably would not buy their joggers again 
• Overall rating: 5/10

BuffBunny

• Luna Leggings (mint color)
• Price: $58 plus tax & shipping
• Comfort: 6/10, the material was thicker and more compressing
• Material: 7/10, I would have given this a higher rating but I did not like the color I had to purchase (other colors were sold out). I always tend to go with darker colors so you do not see sweat marks. The material color also faded in spots. 
• Squat proof: 10/10,Yes
• True to size: I think I would size up if I order these again, I ordered a size small. This was one of their first launch items, so they may have changed the sizing/material since I bought them. 
• Other comments: These leggings are definitely on the pricey end. They have side pockets which is super convenient for your phone and other things you may need to bring to the gym. I may try these out again in the future, but not for awhile. 
• Overall rating: 7.5/10

Lululemon

•  Potentially the In the Flow Crop II Legging (my husband bought me them for Valentine's Day from Amazon, so I am not completely sure) They look like this:

• Price: crop leggings are $88-$118 online/ also sold in stores
• Comfort: 8/10, these leggings are compression material and are high waisted. 
• Material: 9/10, I have had mine for 2 years and they still feel just as good as when I got them
• Squat proof: 10/10, yes
• True to size: Yes, I believe my husband ordered size 4. 
• Other comments: I absolutely love these leggings, although they are quite the investment and they no longer make this style. I may eventually buy more of these, but they are not an every year buy for me due to how expensive they are
• Overall rating: 9/10

Fabletics

• High- waisted solid Powerhold Leggings- Black
• Price: $44.95 plus tax & shipping (please note they have sales often & I got this pair for $13 with free shipping when I first signed up for the VIP, 2 for $24 sale. They also have free shipping if you are a VIP and spend over $49)
• Comfort: 10/10, they are sweat wicking & more compression than other styles. They are comfortable on your skin & I really never want to take them off. 
• Material: 10/10, I recently purchased these so I will update this once I have worn them for a few months, but overall the quality of the fabric seems very high and able to withstand time & activity. 
• Squat proof: 10/10, yes I have been squatting in these and absolutely love that my butt does not show & the leggings cover everything... another reason I get high waisted. 
• True to size: yes, I got my normal size (small) and they fit perfectly. You could size up a size if you don't like things super tight.
• Other comments: This company is my absolute new favorite place to buy leggings because they are affordable, comfortable, and look good! 
• Overall rating: 10/10

• Seamless high waisted solid capri- Burgundy
• Price: $39.95 as a VIP plus shipping & tax (unless you spend over $49 then you get free shipping, I also got this pair of leggings as my 2 for $24 sale when I first signed up as a VIP which is free of charge and no membership fee which I will explain more below)
• Comfort: 10/10, I absolutely love how these fit. I really like that there are no seams to rub or hit in weird places. It almost feels as though you aren't wearing pants. They are buttery soft. 
• Material: 10/10, The material feels high quality and stretches well when lifting weights. I also wear these as lifestyle leggings because they are so dang comfortable. As above, I will update this overtime since these are newer leggings for me. These are also moisture wicking & chafe resistant. 
• Squat proof: 10/10, Yes. These are definitely squat proof.  
• True to size: Yes, I ordered a small. The nice thing about these leggings compared to the powerhold is there is they are more giving because there is less compression. 
• Other comments: I am going to buy more of these for myself so that I can wear them for both lifestyle & the gym. I am shorter in height so these hit lower on me than a capri. 
• Overall rating: 10/10

• High Waisted Solid Heathered 7/8 leggings- Burgundy
• Price: $49.95 as a VIP (free shipping when you spend $49, I purchased these when they were on sale for launch at $29 and I paid a total of $38 after tax & shipping. Let me also say that shipping is decently fast to Indianapolis). 
• Comfort: 9.5/10, I really do like the material of these leggings and the heathered look is super cool. They are comfortable to workout in and lift weights or do cardio (personally test these things out before reviewing). 
• Material: 9.5/10, They are super soft material, all way stretch, chafe resistant, & moisture resistant (I sweat a lot when doing cardio so I did have some visible sweat marks in the crotch area with this color as other people do after cardio, this does not personally bother me but if you are someone who doesn't like that then I would go with a black or darker color legging).
• Squat proof: 10/10, yes
• True to size: yes, I ordered a size small and they were true to size but a little on the tighter side so you could always size up on these. 
• Other comments: Fabletics does have a 30 day perfect fit guarantee which is nice because it can be scary to order things online if you do not get to try it on first. These 7/8 leggings are better for me than the full length leggings due to my height. If you are on the shorter side, I would recommend the same for you!
• Overall rating: 9.5/10

*Update, I liked the Fabletics leggings so much that I just bought a seamless black legging & another heathered gray pair

Underarmour

• Most similar to the current Fly fast leggings- capri
• Price: $40 ish, I got mine on the clearance rack for $10 plus tax
• Comfort: 6/10
• Material: 5/10
• Squat proof: 9/10,  yes if you choose the right size for you
• True to size: Yes, I purchased these a size smaller than my normal size because they were on sale and they were a little too tight for my comfort. I could wear them and workout in them but they squeezed my stomach too much. 
• Other comments: I have not really been a huge fan of under armour leggings and will probably not buy any more of their leggings in the future. 
• Overall rating: 6.5/10

Victoria's Secret 

• Joggers- most similar to classic jogger (I have both a black pair and burgundy pair)
• Price: $46.95 plus tax (can buy in store or online, online you will pay shipping)
• Comfort: 10/10
• Material: 10/10, material is super comfortable, I do not dry mine because I don't want them to shrink
• True to size: I sized up on my joggers and got a size medium because I like mine baggy. 
• Squat proof: didn't wear them to the gym, I use them more as a lounge pant
• Other comments: The inside of my jogger shed so much at the beginning mostly because they are like a cotton material. They have been super warm this winter for Indiana weather.  
• Overall rating: 10/10

Overall Rankings of Leggings (not including Joggers):

1. Fabletics High Waisted Seamless Capri Leggings

2. Fabletics High Waisted Powerhold Leggings

3. Fabletics High Waisted Heathered Leggings

4. Lululemon in the flow crop (high waisted) Leggings

5. Buffbunny Luna Leggings

6. Gymshark Flex Leggings

7. Underarmour Leggings

Later Taters

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away."

DIY Food Photo Backdrop

Hello friends!

My blog game has been slacking lately, but I wanted to show you something new I did this weekend: Making a new photo background for my food photos. I previously used a board I bought from Hobby Lobby as the base of my food photos and a cheap white flimsy board I bought from Home Depot. I knew it was time for an upgrade & I also wanted to make the boards bigger. I find myself taking photos at times and wishing I had more space to work with. So here is how you can make one for yourself (or how to make a distressed board for crafting and other DIY projects)

DIY Food Photo Back Drop

Things you will need:

2 Boards from Lowes that are the size you want

white paint

water

paint brush

stain

stain cloth or sponge

paint can opener

paint stir stick

sand paper 

Here are the boards I bought & I bought two of the same size

Prop the boards up on something like saw horses & give the boards a light sanding all over

Next, add some water to white paint (this is what I call a white wash). You want the texture of the paint to be thin. You can try to start with a 50/50 mixture of white paint and water. Stir the mixture together

Brush the white wash onto the boards in a thin-ish coat. Since it is a white wash, it will soak into the wood pretty easy. 

Here is what the finished white washed wood looks like

Let the white wash dry for a couple hours & then sand the wood lightly again 

Next, you are going to use a stain on top of the white wash coat. This is the brand and color I used

Using a sponge or cloth, apply the stain in an even layer and lightly just to cover the entire board

Here is what the stain looks like once it is applied 

Allow the stain to dry for a couple hours. Here is what the board looks like as it is drying 

Here is the final piece! I am so happy with how it turned out. I am still debating if I want to put any sort of sealer or top coat on this as I don't want the color to change. So for right now, I am keeping it as is!

Here are some food photo examples using my new boards:

Other examples of things I have made using this technique:

DIY Floating Desk

We put polyurethane over top of this wood once I did the sanding, white wash, sanding, staining, drying. We did 3-4 coats of polyurethane to help seal the wood.

DIY Kitchen Island

This counter top is a butcher block that we cut to fit stock clearance cabinets we got from Lowes. The butcher block used the exact same steps as the desk (i.e added polyurethane).

Painted Wood Sign

The sign above also uses the same technique and I sprayed a clear matte polyurethane coat over top.

That's it! This is a super easy and affordable way to DIY your own food photo back drop. 

Later Taters

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away."