Another Trader Joe's Haul!

Before I share this little grocery "haul" with you, let me make a little disclaimer. I promise we eat more than just carbs. Ha! This was a spontaneous trip to Trader Joe's...after I had already done my regular grocery shopping for the week. Our closest Trader Joe's is about 40 minutes away, so we like to stock up on our favorites while we have the chance. And yes, you will see lots of frozen items. No shame here, folks. Here we go!

• Spizzico Di Pizza - $2.99
• Handsome Cut Potato Fries - $1.99
• Shredded Hash Browns - $1.69
• Cookie Butter Sandwich Cookies - $3.99
• Chicken Fried Rice - $2.99
• Mandarin Orange Chicken - $4.99
• Garlic Potatoes with Parmesan Sauce - $2.99
• Roasted Corn - $2.49
• Baconesque White Cheddar Popcorn - $1.99
• Blueberries and Cream Yogurt Cups - $2.99
• White Corn Tortilla Chips - $1.79
• Green Plant Juice - $3.99
• Pomegranate Limeade - $2.69
• Watermelon Cucumber Cooler - $3.49
• Speculoos Cookie Butter - $3.69

Total: $44.75

As you can see, some of these items we purchased on our last trip. They are some of our favorites! We tried a few new things, like the mini pizzas (a new favorite), the green juice (tastes like pineapple and mango), and the popcorn (new guilty pleasure).

Some of these items are cult favorites, like the Cookie Butter and the Mandarin Orange Chicken.

I definitely stocked up on juices this time, which I don't normally do.

The Pomegranate Limeade and the Watermelon Cooler seemed like the perfect summertime drinks, so I had to try them. The Pomegranate Limeade is pretty tangy, you definitely get a lot of lime in this one. I personally have to water it down a tad bit. The Watermelon Cooler is DELICIOUS. I am not a huge cucumber fan, but the cucumber is not overpowering in any way. It has a light, sweet flavor and it is really refreshing. I can see myself repurchasing this one. The Green Plant juice was mainly for my husband, who is the pickiest eater of all time. We have a Nutribullet, and we do make the occasional green drink with that, but I wanted to try this just to have easily available for him. It is actually really good! I know it looks a little scary, but I mainly taste the mango and pineapple in this one. We will probably repurchase.

Oh...and I saw this while I was there:

YOU'RE WELCOME.


What do you like to get at Trader Joe's?

Fortune Cookie Soap "Straight on Till Morning" 2015 Summer Soap Box

I have heard of Fortune Cookie Soap over the years, and I was aware of their quarterly soap boxes, but I had never tried any of their products. I've seen videos on YouTube, read reviews online, and finally I decided to give it a try. What really pulled the trigger for me was when I saw that the theme for this box was Peter Pan. If you know me, I am a HUGE Disney fan, and I especially love Peter Pan...so this was a no-brainer for me.

I'm not typically a "summery scents" kinda girl, I'm more of a fall/winter scents type of person. However, let me just say...this box smells SO GOOD. The minute I opened it up, the magical aroma hit me in the face. I love every single product in this box. I can already see myself going back and ordering full sizes of these products once I use them up! I love them that much.

Here's a shot of everything that came in the box!

If this doesn't look like a box full of happiness, I don't know what does. Heck, they even threw in Peter Pan's red feather. At this point I am already sold.

Here's a list and description of the items in the box:

• Second Star to the Right - Fortune Cookie Soap: Crushed berries and mint leaves with a splash of sparkling pomelo, served over iced sugarcane
• Tink - OCD Hand Sanitizer: Fresh cherries in cream, sprinkled with toasted coconut and a fairy dusting of powdered sugar
• Lost Boys - Whipped Cream: Golden apricot muddled with fresh white peaches
• Mermaid Lagoon - Two Phase Perfume Oil: (no scent description on the card, but it smells like sweet/fruity/amazing goodness)
• Kiss - Lip Balm: Exotic watermelon, juicy pineapple and coconut water, bursting with fresh juices
• The Boy Who Never Grew Up - Salt Scrub: Tropical margarita served with a salted rim
• Wendy Bird - Veggie Protein Deodorant: Bright, green apple with a balmy, tropical twist
• The Captain - Steam Me Up Scotty!: Dewy magnolias and wild berries drenched with fresh cream

As if the scent descriptions aren't tempting enough...wait until you actually SMELL them. 

Alright, so let's go through the unboxing together:

When you get the box, it has a cute little spoiler on the outside.

Look at the card! And the smell....ahhhhh....

And the feather guys...the FEATHER. Look at this presentation. I'm sold.

It comes with a full description of all the products, which I love.

Look at this whipped perfection....(and the smell...oh my)

Perfection.

And this green bottle of sweet and juicy goodness....

Look at this scrubby green goodness.

I love the actual fortune cookie soap with the galaxy theme! The soap is what I think made the box smell so good. I want to take it with me everywhere and never use it...

So basically, this box turned me into a giddy 13 year old, and I have no shame. It is a quarterly box that comes out each season, and the cost is $19.99 per box. I cannot wait for the fall box. Oh! I forgot to mention...every box that you get comes with a $10 off coupon code to use in their online store! Go check out their website and look at all the products and themes! I love it.

Do you subscribe to Fortune Cookie Soap Box? Have you tried any of their products? I would love to hear what you think! 

Recipe: Meatballs Over Buttered Noodles

I love my slow cooker. You can make pretty impressive meals with very little effort. That's what I'm all about. Ha! Not really. Well, sometimes.

Let me just say that we LOVE this recipe in my house. My husband is a "meat and potatoes" kinda guy, so this is right up his alley. Comfort food at its best...and it literally could not be easier. Whenever we make this, we always have plenty of leftovers so I like to freeze some and keep some for lunches throughout the week.

I originally found this recipe here a few years ago, and it has been a favorite ever since.
Here we go!


Ingredients:

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
3 pounds frozen Italian-style meatballs
1 (16 ounce) package uncooked egg noodles
1/4 cup butter
Salt to taste (for noodles)

I will say that this brand of meatballs were not my favorite (they were BOGO at the time)...you can use any brand you like!

First you want to mix together the cream of celery soup, french onion soup and sour cream in your slow cooker.

Next, stir in the meatballs. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally.

When the meatballs have finished cooking, go ahead and boil your noodles according to the directions on the package. Add butter and salt to taste.

That's it! It is such an easy recipe prepare on days where you need something easy, but impressive.
Throw in a salad or a veggie or two, and you've got yourself a meal! Bam.

Let me know if you decide to try this recipe out! I would love to hear how you like it!

Review: SweeTARTS Soft & Chewy Ropes

I have always loved fruity/chewy/sour/tangy candy. This has been a long-time love of mine ever since I was in elementary school. So when Smiley360 gave me the opportunity to test and review this product from SweeTARTS, I was STOKED. They sent me these products for free to test out and give my honest review on, so here it is!

Here's what I received:

First of all...that smaller pack was gone in less than five minutes. Of course I couldn't wait to try these, so I opened them and had one....then two.....and then my husband walked in and had one...or two....next thing I knew, they were gone. Sooooo, when I go to buy more, I will DEFINITELY be purchasing the larger packs. 

The texture and flavor of these are extremely tasty. They have a very soft/non-sticky texture that I appreciate. They do not stick in your teeth at all (which is something I HATE), and you don't feel like you are going to jack up your jaw by chewing them, either. 

I received the flavor "Cherry Punch", which I was very happy about. Those flavors appeal to me very much. I am a huge cherry lover...even the fake/sour/gummy candy version of cherry. The center of the rope has a unique texture...almost like softer version of a SweeTART. It almost seems to melt in your mouth. As for the sour/tart aspect of things, I find it very enjoyable. It is not over-the-top sour, and there is just enough tart to make you crave more. 

Overall, these are extremely tasty and I am 100% going to buy more. I currently have ONE rope left in the larger pack and after writing this review, I need to eat it NOW.

I hope this review was helpful and enjoyable to read. Have you tried these? Let me know what you think!

Oh, and go like The Peppermint Heart on Facebook to make sure you don't miss out on more reviews like this one!

How I Get Freebies

Free stuff. Everyone likes free stuff. You know that saying, "If it's free, it's for me"? Well, that is my life motto. Getting free stuff is much easier than you think...once you get the hang of it.

That's what I'm here for.
After many requests over the years, I am here to tell you how to become an expert at getting free stuff in the mail.

First, let me share a picture of a few things I've gotten in the past few weeks:

I know this looks like a lot! But once you start getting the hang of it, this is something that might become the norm for you! Alright, lets begin.

• Vonbeau.com - I want to start by mentioning my FAVORITE freebie website. They are my source for many, many freebies. They are a family-run company who tracks freebies all...day...long. Freebies are always on their radar, and they do most of the work for you so that you are not spending every second of the day searching for free offers. They are 100% trustworthy, and I've been following them for a few years now. Go follow them on Facebook! They also have a Facebook group if you really want to stay on top of every single freebie. I have also signed up for their text alerts, which have gotten me those freebies that tend to go really quick!
• Smiley360 - Smiley360 is a website that sends you free products in return for your review. You take surveys that will put you on "missions" that match your profile. I have completed TONS of missions with Smiley360 and discovered products that I cannot live without! Go sign up now...it's totally free and you get free stuff. Win.
• BzzAgent - Just like Smiley360, BzzAgent sends out free products for you to review. Go set up a profile and make sure you stay on top of all your surveys. If you don't complete your surveys (and stay on top of them because they add more all the time) then it will be hard to get in on any campaigns. I have gotten SOOO much great stuff through BzzAgent. I think my favorite campaign was for the Starbucks Blonde Roast K-Cups. (full size products, people!) Oh, that's where the Silk Cashew Milk and the Quaker Steel Cut Oats came from in the picture above.
• Influenster - Influenster is AWESOME. Just like the sites above, you create a profile and stay on top of surveys and such. They send out what they call "Voxboxes" to those who qualify, based on their profile and surveys. (The Dessange hair products pictured above are from Influenster) Here are just a couple of Voxboxes I have received from them in the past:

• Loreal Consumer Testing - If you think that testing out new makeup, skincare and misc. beauty products is something you would be interested in, go sign up to be a Loreal Consumer Tester. As always, you fill out a profile and they will post pre-qualification tests OFTEN to send out new products to test out. In return for your review on the products, you receive compensation in the mail in the form of BEAUTY PRODUCTS. Yes, you heard that right. The compensation varies depending on the products you test, the amount of time you spend on surveys, etc. The Kiehl's face wash and Lancome eyeliner in the picture above were in a previous compensation package from this program. Make sure you check your account OFTEN (I'm talking several times a day) for any pre-qualifications available for you. Here is another box of goodies they once sent me as compensation:
  
  
  
• PinchMe - Now, let me first start with a little disclaimer about PinchMe. Most people have a love/hate relationship with this company, including me. The biggest peeve I have with them are their "partners". They will send out e-mails for you to go get more freebies from their "partners", to enter some kind of giveaway, etc. I say, as long as you NEVER really open or read their e-mails, you are good. Go fill out your profile, stay on top of surveys, and they will send you a box of free products to test out. (That's where most of the deluxe samples, coffee samples, lotion samples, body wash samples, etc. are from in the above picture) The other thing with them though...you have to be QUICK. They release them once every month or so, and they go out of stock within a couple of minutes. If PinchMe is something you are interested in trying, create your profile, follow them on Facebook and ignore their e-mails. Haha. Harsh, but true. Sometimes they will add links to your profile for other websites, ignore those too. They can be spammy. Just pay attention to their Facebook page (or Vonbeau) and be ready when the free samples go live.
• Brand Facebook Pages: Most of the other freebies that you see online are from giveaways on Facebook pages for different brands. Vonbeau usually stays on top of all of the giveaways that happen, so once again I HIGHLY suggest following them on Facebook and joining their Facebook group so you don't miss anything. I enter giveaways constantly, and I have won a few myself, as you can see above! (Those Bumble and Bumble products pictured above are from a giveaway they had on their Facebook page!) It is the easiest and most rewarding way to get free stuff. Sometimes it takes patience, but I have gotten many freebies this way!

So, there are a few sources that I use for getting freebies. I also want to mention a few tips:

• Create a separate e-mail account for freebies. (To avoid spam and newsletter overload!)
• Once you start signing up for freebies, give it a few weeks. Don't get discouraged if you don't start seeing mail right away. Some freebies take 6-8 weeks to get to your house, some come sooner. But once they start coming in, you will start seeing things on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis! Just be patient. :)
• Avoid spammy links and "freebies". Once again, Vonbeau usually filters these out and also posts warnings on fake freebies that may be floating around.
• Follow a freebie website/tracker. I know I sound like a broken record, but Vonbeau.com is my favorite.
• Have fun! Sometimes you miss out on a freebie, and it can be disappointing. Just remember that you are not losing anything since it's free, and there are always more freebies out there for you! 

Alright...I feel like this was extremely long. Haha. I really hope this helps you all get lots of great freebies! Let me know what you get! 

Birchbox: April 2015

I have been a Birchbox subscriber off and on for the past few years. I've tried out several other subscription services, and I've decided that the Birchbox points system is just too good to pass up.

If you don't know what Birchbox is, it is a beauty subscription service that sends you a box of at least 5 deluxe beauty samples a month. Sometimes they throw in extras, and sometimes they include a full size product! For $10 a month, it is a really great deal. When you enroll, you fill out a beauty profile, and your boxes are personalized to you.

I especially love it because I am on a tight budget, and it is affordable enough for me to get a little treat each month. It's a lot of fun getting a box every month in the mail! Another reason I love it is because I live in a small town, and there are not many places to go out and shop for many of the brands they include in the boxes. 

As I mentioned earlier, the points system is what sets Birchbox apart from other beauty subscription services. For every sample they include in your box, you have the opportunity to review it on their site. For every review you complete, they reward you with 10 points. 100 points = $10 in the Birchbox shop! They carry TONS of products and you can end up getting many of your wish list items for free! This is another great perk for someone like me, who is on a tight budget.

Here's what I got in this month's box:

As you can see, they include a product card with every box. It gives you a full description of each item in your box, as well as a price for the full size item. I also save these boxes to use for organizers in drawers around the house!

Like what you see? Well, I have some good news! I am having a GIVEAWAY so you can win this exact box! Go check out The Peppermint Heart here on Facebook to enter! Good luck! 

Also, if you want to subscribe to Birchbox, you can do it here.

Here's a peek at what I got last month:

The Cargo blush and the Fekkai hair mask made me jump for joy. Haha.

Have a great Tuesday!

Too Faced Cocoa Contour Palette: Review

Too Faced is one of my favorite makeup brands. Want to know why? Well, for one, I am a sucker for their packaging. Another reason: COCOA INFUSED MAKEUP. You heard me right. Smells. Like. Chocolate.

The quality of their products are on point, and they have created several favorites of mine that I use on a daily basis and I cannot live without.

Right now I am loving one of their newer eyeshadow palettes - the Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar. I received this as a Christmas gift, and I have been using it every day since. I love it that much.

When I saw that they were releasing a contour palette...ahem...a COCOA contour palette, I was sold.
I have become a big fan of contouring in the past couple years, and it seems like everyone is coming out with their own contouring kits and palettes. However, I HAD to try this one because I am such of big fan of their cocoa infused products. I purchased mine at Sephora for $40.

Here are my thoughts:

• Packaging: A+

Like I said before, I love their packaging. It is well-made and fun to look at.

• Brush: B

They include a small angled kabuki brush made with their famous "Teddy Bear Hair" bristles. It is really soft and easy to use. The handle is a bit short, but it does a great job once you get the hang of it.

• Light Cocoa (upper left): B+

This is a great highlight shade. I was hoping that it would be matte, but there is a slight sheen to it. It swatches a bit powdery, but it works great on the face.

• Medium Cocoa (upper right): A+

This is the PERFECT cool toned, matte contour shade. It creates a flawless, natural looking shadow where you need it. It blends out really well and does not come off patchy at all.

• Dark Cocoa (lower left): A

This is a warm, matte bronzer that can be used all over the face. It works well with Medium Cocoa, just use a light hand because it is very warm! It has the same flawless consistency as Medium Cocoa.

• Pop of Light (lower right): C-

As you can can see on the swatch (you can barely see it), this shade is pretty much just glitter. I used it once as a highlight, and it accentuated my pores and made me sparkly...as opposed to giving me that highlight effect. However, this can be used on the eyes, chest, etc. for some added sparkle and it looks great. I think if you are a fan of sparkle, you will like to use this...for purposes other than highlighting. 

Overall, I like this palette. There are a couple of changes that I would have made, but I am happy with it. The powders blend well, they smell great, and they leave a nice finish.