Helloooo! This past week, my brother and sister in law came up to visit from Atlanta, Georgia. During this exciting reunion, Peter, Megan, and I decided to make DRANKS and settled upon Moscow Mules. We used Megan’s recipe and it was delicious so, now, I will share it with all of you! POUR UP.
One shot vodka
1/2 bottle of ginger beer
Juice from 1/2 lime
Ice
** And if you don’t have copper mugs, coffee mugs will do just fine! đ
Moscow Mules are one of my favorite drinks. They are so crisp and refreshing and always seem to go down just right. And, who knew that they would be so easy to make?! These drinks are a wonderful option when entertaining guests or when you feel like day drinking on your day off! It’s up to you to be as classy or, for lack of a better words, trashy with it as you like. I don’t have room to talk, though, because I created this post at 11:30 in the morning on my day off and enjoyed two drinks before lunch! #YOLO đ
What is your favorite drink? What is one of your tried and true drink recipes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
So you like having an instant coffee at home or at your office because itâs easy to make? Just open the jar of grounds, put a tablespoon or two of coffee into a mug, add some sugar, and pour in hot water. Stir and youâre all set for a quick cup of coffee. You can try adding some cream or leave it black depending on your taste. You donât have to grind beans or wait for the coffee to brew. Nothing gets easier than this right?
But, do you know youâre missing out on great tasting coffee because you don’t brew it? You’ll never know that brewed coffee could taste so much better and smoother than instant coffee until you buy your first coffee maker! Youâre going to love your coffee maker once you experience the difference of taste between freshly brewed coffee and an instant coffee.
If you enjoy the taste of brewed coffee from your favorite coffee shop, you can do so from the comfort of your own home with the help of a coffee brewer.
Two of the most popular types of coffee makers are drip coffee makers and cold brew coffee makers. The former brews smooth and delicious cups of hot coffee and the latter is, of course, for a cold cup of joe. BUNN makes great drip coffee makers. You can read the reviews for the BUNN coffee maker and cold brew coffee maker found on Amazon.
Now, let’s find out the benefits that a coffee maker can provide you:
1 – They help save money:
Youâre going to have to spend some cash to buy your coffee maker, but in the long run itâs such a wise investment. Youâre going to save a lot of money by having a coffee brewer at home compared to buying cups of coffee at your local cafe.
Espresso can be hard to make and it would seem to be a better option to grab a cup of espresso at a coffee shop, but an espresso machine can help you with that too. Espresso machines are a lot better these days at making great cups of coffee as well as saving your hard earned money.
Note: I would advise you to learn how to make espresso coffee at home before you choose to do so!
2 – A coffee maker brews fresher and smoother cups of coffee:
Preparing instant coffee is more convenient than brewing coffee, but a brewed coffee is far more tasty and the flavor is concentrated better. Freshly brewed coffee has a distinct aroma compared to instant coffee, because it is made directly from the coffee beans. Once you taste a cup of freshly roasted coffee you will never be able to go back to instant!
3 – Brewed coffee is better for your health than instant coffee:
Freshly brewed coffee from the coffee beans release healthy oils that contain antioxidants and nutrients that are very good for your body. The caffeine concentration is better in a brewed coffee than in an instant coffee, as well. Brewed coffee can help prevent heart diseases and cancer of different types because of the antioxidants. Just be sure not to drink too many cups of coffee in a day since the caffeine concentration is much higher in freshly brewed coffee.
4 – It is fun to brew coffee:
You can surprise your family and friends by playing barista in house. You can find tons of coffee recipe videos on YouTube. Check them out if youâre thinking about brewing Starbucks-level Cappuccinos, ice-cold Frappuccinoâs, or Mochas/Lattes. Then, host an afternoon get together to show off your coffee concocting skills.
Hereâs a YouTube video on cold brewing coffee to get you started:
Hi! To those of you who love coffee, free things, and free coffee – I have a Freebie Alert for you! If you sign up for the rewards program through Dunkin’ Donuts, I believe it’s called Dunkin’ At Home, they will send you some free samples of their make at home Cold Brew Coffee Packs. They will be shipping the samples out while supplies last until May 17th. This is the email address that sent me the notification: updates@e.dunkinathome.com
I have received coffee samples in the mail from Dunkin’ before, and they are definitely not stingy with what they send you! I am so excited to get my Cold Brew Coffee Packs samples in the mail, because I am a huge iced coffee fan. đ Can’t wait!
What is your favorite coffee chain? How do you drink your coffee? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello everyone and welcome to a post on my latest obsession – Bubly sparkling water! A fact about me is that I am a huge fan of drinking pop, specifically Diet Coke. But, we all know that that isn’t the healthiest of drinks so I am definitely trying to cut back on it. I have always enjoyed drinking sparkling water and the cute as can be commercials for Bubly and Ellen DeGeneres’s Bubly Skybox on her show enticed me enough to want to give it a whirl. I’m glad I did!
First of all, I LOVE Bubly’s packaging. Something as simple as putting “hi” on the tab makes me smile every time I see it and the color palette is bright and fun. Second of all, it tastes AWESOME. Sparkling water has such a distinctive taste and Bubly brings a splash of apple flavor to it that tastes like it belongs in the drink as opposed to a flavor added as an afterthought.
I have enjoyed all eight cans in the pack of Apple Bubly that I got and my only complaint is that there isn’t enough per package! I’m looking forward to trying all of the Bubly flavors and can’t wait to give the Strawberry one a go next.
Which flavors of Bubly have you tried? What is your favorite pop? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hi everyone and happy Monday! Cereal has always been the perfect anytime food, to me. It’s great in the morning, but I find that it’s even better for dinner or a late night snack. My grocery store recently was giving away a box of Special K cereal as their weekly freebie, which was pretty sweet in itself. But, oh my goodness, the sweet deliciousness definitely lies in the cereal, for sure.
The Special K cereal with berries and peaches is the freaking bomb.com. The cereal flakes have the perfect amount of crisp crunch to it, even after you pour your soy or almond milk over top of it. And, as soon as the milk hits the dried berries, they instantly plump up, making them taste freshly picked. The peaches and blueberries are as sweet as can be, and the raspberries add just the right amount of tartness to it to tone down your sweet tooth a smidgen!
But, the best part? The yogurt pieces!! These amazing little guys are jam packed with probiotics and taste EXACTLY like white chocolate. So delicious! So much so, that I think I am going to go pour myself a bowl right now. đ
What is your favorite kind of cereal? When is the best time to eat a bowl of cereal? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
We all need a treat from time to time. The opportunity to indulge. For most people, that opportunity is all about sitting down with something delicious. However, if youâre dieting, it might feel like youâre forever cut off from those treats. But that might not be the case. In fact, there are some treats that might not be as bad for you as you think, and even have their own benefits, like the following:
Chocolate:
This one might have alarm bells ringing for some as, indeed, it can be one of the most tempting treats of them all. But chocolate isnât something that you have to avoid entirely. In fact, dark chocolate, in particular, can be quite good for you. Not only does it have some benefits when it comes to fighting aging and cancer, but the flavanols in dark chocolate have been proven to improve heart health, improving circulation and helping you control your cholesterol levels. This doesnât mean that you should have a huge bar every day, but when youâre craving a sweet treat, itâs not as bad for you as you may have been led to believe.
It gets a bad rap, often considered to be one of the worst fats you can put in your body. But the truth is, that butter isnât as bad for you as previously thought. Butter is a saturated fat, but now studies from places like the World Health Organization are saying that saturated fats can make up to 10% of your calorie intake without too much danger. Whatâs more, livingthenourishedlife.com shows that butter has plenty of benefits of its own, improving your gut health and boosting your metabolic system. That means that a little helping of butter on your baked potato can actually help you burn calories better. Who would have thought?!
When you think of butter, your thoughts might immediately go to what itâs best served with. Thereâs no competition there, of course: it has to be popcorn. Popcorn is fast becoming one of the favorite treats of those trying to control their weight, especially those with stronger cravings. As healthline.com shows, popcorn is a high-volume, low-calorie food, meaning that you can eat more of it without increasing your calorie intake too much. Toffee popcorn doesnât quite have the same benefit, unfortunately, so you have to be selective.
Too much alcohol consumption can drastically increase weight gain, thereâs no doubt about that. However, a glass of wine with dinner can do you a world of good. Moderate consumption, i.e. a small glass, can boost your bodyâs calorie burning processes for up to 90 minutes after you drink it. Wine has also been shown to have some benefits in cognitive health, improving long-term memory, as well as preventing the clots associated with heart disease. How awesome is that?!
Set aside a treat for yourself every now and then but, as with everything, do it in moderation. Schedule it in as part of your regular routine, keeping it under control so that you donât end up slipping into the deep end with your diet.
Hi! I like to think of myself as a fairly frugal gal. Yes, I like to shop – but I always try to score the best deals and get the most bang for my buck. One way that I try to optimize my savings is by being cautious about getting fast food when I am by myself. I have no problem with going out for drinks or dinner with friends one or two times a month. And I do love to snag a Starbucks drink every now and again. But, I try to keep my “I really could go for Taco Bell after work” trips to a minimum.
But, last month – I was bad! I got Chipotle and Taco Bell at least twice each. I also went to Moe’s, but I got that meal for free thanks to their handy app. Although I freaking LOVE T-Bell, Chipotle, and any food that is burrito related, I do sometimes feel guilty about eating out when there’s plenty of food that I could be eating at home. But, for some reason, I really didn’t seem to care last month.
I’m not going to lie, January was a real shit hole of a month. But, there was just something about answering my cravings and eating a food that I really enjoyed that was soothing. It was like, the world was shitting all over me, but I still took care of myself enough to treat for dinner at Chipotle or grabbing a coffee from Starbucks.
Now, is eating a fast food meal the most healthy way to take good care of yourself? No, of course not. But, damnit, a girl has gotta eat so I figured that I could be a little “bad” in my frugality regime. Treating yourself can be buying a new nail polish color, staying in and reading a good book, or taking a warm bath. In my case, treating myself was eating a massive burrito.
My burrito binge taught me that I can splurge for myself and it’s not going to destroy my bank account. But, it also taught me that, at the end of the day, I am the one in charge of making me feel good, first and foremost. And if making myself feel good means eating a burrito every once in a while, then I guess that that’s just my cross to bare!!
How do you treat yoself? What do you do to self soothe during trying times? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hey hey everyone and happy Hump Day! Did you know that if you download the app for Moe’s that you get a FREE CUP OF QUESO and a FREE BIRTHDAY BURRITO?!?! Yeah, that’s right. Moe’s, Taco Bell, and Chipotle are all my jam, but the rewards for Moe’s through their app are pretty cool.
AND GUESS WHAT?!
If you use yours truly AKA me, Sarah Mushenheim, as a reference when downloading the app, I get extra points. These points will help me, a constantly hungry girl, get free food. Consider referencing me like a gift to your favorite redheaded blogger. And once you download the app, your friends can reference you, so you can get closer to free food too! Talk about a win/win. đ #thanksinadvance #WELCOMETOMOES
Which food places/stores offer the best apps? Which places offer birthday freebies? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Bonjour! Back in the day, I can’t say that I was a huge Bath & Body Works fan, but as the years go on, I find myself eating my words. I stopped into a B&BW the other day, because I noticed that their semi annual sale was on, which is when they bring back their old school favorites – which happen to be some of my favorites! It was actually pretty fun to go into the store and rummage through the huge bins of product that were all marked fifty to seventy-five percent off. And it was even more fun to score three fragrance mists for the price of one. Take a look:
It should be no surprise that there’s two Champagne Apple & Honey sprays in my mini haul since all apple everything is my favorite. I really like this scent, because it still has the tart bite of a crisp apple but there is definitely some dry, fizzy sweetness added to it thanks to the champagne and a dollop of honey. Can we pop some bubbly now, or?
And, after all of these years, WHO NEVER TOLD ME THAT PEARBERRY SMELLS AMAZING?!?! I lucked out and snagged the last body spray of it and I am so happy, because I freaking love it. It seriously smells like biting into a fresh, juicy pear and all the while there is a huge bowl of strawberries and blackberries to snack on, too. I am always more partial to the fruity fragrances and Pearberry is the perfect summery scent to brighten up a snowy winter day.
I am super happy that I stopped into Bath & Body Works to shop their semi annual sale and I am looking forward to their SA sale in the summer time to hopefully stock up on more Pearberry spray! What is your favorite old school B&BW scent? Who else shopped the SA sale? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
The big day is nearly upon us, a day that many of us have been counting down to for the last three months. Some of us have even been counting down for the past 12 months, such is our joy of Christmas and the festive fun and celebrations that it brings. Christmas is inherently unifying, and despite celebrating in many different ways, we can all find ourselves thinking surprisingly similar thoughts on Christmas Day itself. Which of these do you recognize?
âCan I sleep more?â
Christmas Day, without exception, makes everyone feel exhausted — even if you hadnât done much. A quick pre-dinner nap is an essential⌠and an after-dinner one, too, if you can sneak it. Itâs undeniable; for most of us, Christmas is about two things: sleeping and celebrating.
âI canât possibly eat anything more.â
This is then usually followed by: âoh yes, turns out I canâ. Christmas Day is a day of gluttony, the one day of the year where itâs possible to just kick back and relax. The word âcalorieâ doesnât even enter our vocabulary. So weâre merry as can be, our stomachs are full, and then someone offers us a slice of chocolate orange and suddenly we find our appetite again.
âWhen are we watching a movie?â
What would Christmas Day be without a festive movie or two? Itâs the perfect way to unwind after a big meal, so make sure you plan what youâre sitting down to. Do you prefer to stick to an old favorite or would you opt for this fantasy movie idea?
lifewithlilred 