1. Carmel Apple Spice from Starbucks
(Click HERE for the recipe.)
Recently, I was introduced to the Carmel Apple Spice from Starbucks. It is amazing! Can you say "addicted?" Thank you, Savannah! If you have a spare $3.40, try this drink! It is a mix of everything wonderful. If you’re longing for the toasty warmth of a woolly blanket and crackling fire but don’t have the luxury of escaping to a cabin, this drink will suffice. It is steamed apple juice, sweetened with cinnamon syrup, cinnamon dolce, whipped cream (if desired) and caramel sauce. It is a striking, yet soothing balance between sweet and tart that never fails to hit the spot.
I was never a huge Starbucks person before this semester. However, UAB requires that every student put $250 on their Blazer card for meal purposes. This fee is added in with all the other fees when you pay tuition at the beginning of the semester. If the $250 is not used during the semester it rolls over to the next semester, but we still have to pay the $250 again.Unfortunately, there is no way around paying the fee. (Welcome to the world of college life.) If there was a way around the fee, I certainly would not be drinking Starbucks every Monday-Wednesday-Friday between classes.
The croissant on the left is from deli ZeBi. Definitely try ZeBi! ZeBi is a quick, healthy deli with multiple food options. The food is fresh and the menu offers sustenance for any eater. There are whole grain options, vegetarian food, fruit, and proteins. With two kinds of sandwiches available (baguettes and flat bread), salads, soups, baked goods, and snacks on the counter, everything just asks to be purchased. To top it off, ZeBi also sells caffeine, as in multiple coffee options!
2. Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes
Who does not loves a Little Debbie cake? I wish I could meet Little Debbie because I would give her the biggest hug ever. I would absolutely love to ask her why in the world there are not two Christmas tree cakes in a pack, when there are clearly two zebra cakes in a pack. Then, I would tell her to look at my expanding hips ha! I have an unhealthy relationship with Little Debbie cakes, especially around the holidays. I am a huge fan of the zebra cakes, but the Christmas tree vanilla cakes are my all time favorite. The Christmas tree cakes are only available seasonally, so of course I over eat my fair share.
While we are grocery shopping I normally do not allow Tony or myself to put anything into the buggie that is not on the list. It makes things simple for me when it comes time to pull out the coupons at the register. It also makes things simple for him when he pulls out the wallet to pay. However, while we were doing our grocery shopping last Sunday we might have bought two boxes of Little Debbie Christmas trees, one chocolate and one vanilla.
We finished off the two boxes of tree cakes last night, which is pretty impressive. I was almost positive that the two boxes would not have made it this long into the week. More than likely, Little Debbie Christmas trees will grace my grocery list for the next month or so. We may even stockpile! I do not understand why, but eating Little Debbie Christmas trees is seemingly more delicious than the zebra cakes (even if there is only one in a pack). :)
3. Leopard Print Slippers
My precious husband bought me an early Christmas present this past weekend- leopard print slippers!The hardwood and tile floors in our little home are so cold during this time of year. I typically wear two pair of socks while cooking because the kitchen tile kills my feet. The hardwood is not as bad, but it is still nice to have a pair of socks on while walking around. The other day he mentioned slippers and I figured a pair would be perfect to try out! We actually found these at our local Walmart. So far, I am in love with the print and the fuzzy feel. As soon as I walk in the door my flats come off and the slippers come on. (PS- They were only $11. Steal!)
Tony has spoiled me with these slippers. Three mornings this week I have fallen asleep after 1:30 because I was studying for the AECTP. The last late night I was up I did not even attempt to tidy up my books or to put away my shoes and clothes when I was done. I was honestly too tired to care about what our place looked like. I know he could care less about things being tidy, as I have learned I typically am cleaning or tiding things only for my benefit. Anyway, one morning before he left for work he brought my new slippers into the bedroom for me to have when I woke up and made my foggy trek to the coffee pot. I was so thankful I did not have to touch the freezing floors! My husband has a precious heart for me.
4. Glade Holiday Candle- Nutmeg, Vanilla, Cinnamon
Ah! There are not enough good things I can say about this Glade candle and its amazing smell! Thank you, Lord, for the holiday season and all the greatness that is sold! Not only am I in love with the seasonal Little Debbie Christmas tree cakes, but I am also obsessed with the Glade holiday candle collection. As I type this, there are four candles burning in our little home- two Nutmeg (my favorite) and two Apple Cinnamon.
I know I made a plug earlier this week in this post for the Yankee candles that are currently on sale at Bed Bath and Beyond. However, I must admit that the Glade candles from Walmart smell so much better. You wanna know what is even better? ....They cost half of the sale price of the Yankee candles! Plus, there are coupons galore in the Sunday papers for Glade candles right now. Yay! Another seasonal item to stockpile!
5. Sally Hansen Brilliant Bordeaux Nail Polish
I am really weird when it comes to my nails. I do not like getting my nails done by someone and I am not a fan of acrylics. I have had acrylics put on for big occasions, but once the event is over the nails come off. For some reason I am a huge nail polish person. If I do not have nail polish on my nails I feel naked. I am not really sure where I obtained this odd habit. I think it may be from watching my mom paint her nails often when I was younger. On the contrary, my mom used to say that my hands and feet looked like my dad's. So, maybe I have man hands and it is an underlying pet peeve on mine. Nevertheless, nail polish always seems to complete my outfit/look for the day similar to the way lip stick works for other ladies. It is very seldom that I will do something in public without my nail polish looking perfect.
Since early October I have been wearing the same color from Sally Hansen, Brilliant Bordeaux. It is a mix of crimson and purple. It is not too dark and it goes well with just about every outfit. It is a color that is very fall, but it also mixes well with the transition to winter. Also, I only have to put on two coats. I normally add a coat of clear for shine. I found this bottle at Walmart, but I am sure it can be found at any drugstore, grocery store, or beauty department.
P.S.- Tips and Tricks
For those of you who follow me on Instagram, I am sorry for being redundant. However, I thought these pictures below are little tips and tricks many people would love to know if they do not already.
Last Sunday I spent a lot of time in the kitchen preparing meals for this past week. I knew that I would be busy studying for the AECTP and working on study guides for my finals so I planned a few meals ahead. Also, living with a picker eating makes things a bit frustrating at times. I have decided to try "presenting" some foods and snacks that are different from what he is accustom to eating in hopes that he may want to try new things. We shall see if my idea unfolds as planned.
Trick #1- The photo in the upper right corner is a trick I saw on Pinterest. A fellow pinner said if a pot is boiling, you can place a wooden spoon over the pot and the water/pot contents will not boil over. This trick works! I have tried it on many occasions!
Tip #2- The bottom right photo is a cake dome that I have turned into a snack bowl. If you own a footed cake plate it is designed to be displayed or used in six different ways. We received this cake dome as a wedding gift and I have used it since day one! I love it! I try to keep only one sweet in the kitchen at a time so this week's sweet was the Little Debbie cakes. Instead of having an empty cake plate on the counter (taking up space that we do not have) I flipped it upside down and put a few snacks inside. I think it turned out really neat! Eventually I will want to bake again and the snacks will have to go back into their appropriate containers if not eaten. (Try not to judge the contents of our snack bowl!)
Tip #3- The photo on the left is a pewter serving stand that we received as a wedding gift that I am currently using as a fruit stand. We received a TON of pewter for our wedding. (To everyone who sent us pewter- Please do not take offense. I love each piece! Thank you for your gift! I am certainly not complaining!) We really do not have the kitchen space for storing pewter. Also, pewter is not really appropriate for the events we attend at this stage in our marriage. Instead of having my in-laws store the gifts I came up with a creative way to display the pieces similar to something I saw in a magazine. We have a large amount of space between our cabinets and ceiling, which allowd me to display each piece above our cabinets. I added burlap and a few kissing balls pew markers from our wedding, too. I am sure at some stage in my life I will get a lot of use out of each piece. For now, they are an eye catcher in our kitchen!
If you have extra pewter dishes and no where to store them, find some creative way to display them. I think this piece is classy, gorgeous, and finally useful. It works really well for all of our apples. (We eat an insane amount of apples!)
If you enjoyed "Friday Favorites" let me know! I will be using this post to determine if I should create a series and continue posting. I feel like this post is full of rambling. It may just be me writing a lot more than usual since I have ample time. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
Until next time- Happy Blogging!
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