Of course you don’t. Who cares.

But if you’re anything like me and have an extreme-to-average love for all things peanut butter, you’ll probably like this new [...]]]>

…want to know how many jars of nut butter I have in stock at a given time? Or how I may or may not go through about one jar each week?

Of course you don’t. Who cares.

But if you’re anything like me and have an extreme-to-average love for all things peanut butter, you’ll probably like this new way to enjoy breakfast.

{inspired by CCK’s baked oatmeal for one, adapted from my Nutella Baked Oatmeal}

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup regular oats
• 1 1/2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter (or any other nut butter)
• 1/4 cup milk
• sprinkle of cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• mix-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, etc. (optional)

directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place peanut butter in a bowl and microwave for 10-15 seconds. Add milk to bowl and whisk into the peanut butter until well-combined. Mix in the oats, cinnamon, and salt. Lightly grease an oven-safe bowl with cooking spray, and then pour the oatmeal into that bowl. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.

What’s your go-to breakfast lately?

Some of my other favorite peanut butter recipes:

• peanut butter chocolate chip cake batter blondies
• peanut butter chocolate chip cookie cake {for one}
• peanut butter oat bran muffins
• 2-ingredient peanut butter cookie {dough}
• lazy girls’ puppy chow
• chocolate peanut butter mousse pie

…in other words – less makeup.

My favorite au-naturale look is sticking to lip gloss, mascara, and some bronzer. This summer, though, I’m definitely going to be [...]]]> With summer around the corner, it’s time to re-think our normal beauty and makeup routines. The great thing about summertime is that it’s so much more minimalistic than the other seasons.

…in other words – less makeup.

My favorite au-naturale look is sticking to lip gloss, mascara, and some bronzer. This summer, though, I’m definitely going to be adding Manna Sheer Glow to that list, which I was given a free sample of.

At first I wasn’t sure what I’d think about this because I don’t usually wear face makeup/foundation, but Sheer Glow isn’t heavy like that at all. It goes on really light and smoothly.

You can mix Sheer Glow with foundation or wear it alone to add a great shimmer and glow to your skin. And the best part? It can be used on your face and body!

What’s your summer makeup routine? Favorite summer makeup product?

My first meal at The Meatball Shop: priceless.

One song on iTunes: 99 cents.

Being given a “leftover” $25 iTunes gift card: priceless.

A blouse and shorts from Necessary Clothing: about $50.

Already knowing exactly what I’ll be wearing this weekend: priceless.

Taking a walk. Listening to music. Breathing techniques. Journaling. Talking to a friend.

Those are definitely some of my favorite ways to relieve stress. That’s why at first I wasn’t sure what I’d think about C3* For Stress when I was offered to try [...]]]> It seems like everywhere you turn these days, people are looking for ways to manage and relieve stress.

Taking a walk.
Listening to music.
Breathing techniques.
Journaling.
Talking to a friend.

Those are definitely some of my favorite ways to relieve stress. That’s why at first I wasn’t sure what I’d think about C3* For Stress when I was offered to try a sample.

C3* For Stress is an all-natural drink mix of botanicals, vitamins and minerals that helps relieve the symptoms of stress and connects you to your natural energy. C3*’s proprietary formula combines centuries-old healing traditions with modern science. The result promotes a healthy response to stress.

The drink is all-natural, stimulant and sedative free, sugar free, and contains 100 percent of the RDA of Vitamins B6, B12, Zinc, and Niacin (learn more about C3* on their website and Facebook page).

Like I said – I wasn’t sure what I’d think about C3* because I don’t usually take supplements or even drink energy drinks for that matter. But after learning those things about C3*, I thought it was worth giving a try.

The verdict? Well first of all, it tastes pretty good! The lemon-lime flavor was a nice change from my regular (boring) ice water.

As far as whether or not it relieved stress, I can’t give an entirely conclusive answer. I can say that I drank it around 2pm during a rather busy day of work, and I did get through the remainder of the afternoon feeling pretty great. I can’t say for sure if that’s because of the stress-relieving effects of C3* – but considering I liked the taste, there were definitely no ill effects, and it’s a drink that contains healthy vitamins and minerals – I’m going to say that I am a fan of C3* and would drink it again!

What’s your go-to way to relieve stress? Tell me in the comments section for the chance to win a $75 Spa Finder gift certificate!

spa finder giveaway – how to enter:

1) Leave a comment telling me about your favorite way to relieve stress.

Two more optional ways to enter:

2) “Like” the GML Facebook page

3) Tweet about the giveaway: “I entered @alagracie’s Spa Finder giveaway! http://tinyurl.com/dyyvnnq”

***Be sure to leave a comment for each means of entry in order for them to be counted accordingly.***

The contest will end on Monday, May 21 at 4pm EST. Open to U.S. residents only.

Good luck!

UPDATE: Winner has been emailed!

Your wish is my command.

ingredients:

directions: Preheat [...]]]> A little while back I asked what new varieties of Cake Batter Blondies you’d like to see most, and one of the top responses was a Red Velvet version.

Your wish is my command.

ingredients:

• 1 box red velvet cake mix
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 batch of cream cheese frosting (optional)
• sprinkles for topping (optional)

directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put cake mix in a large bowl and mix in the oil and egg. Then add the milk slowly just until the batter is combined – you want it to remain as dense as possible. Place batter in a greased 8×8 pan or 8-inch cake pan and bake for 24-26 minutes. Let cool for at least 60 minutes before cutting/frosting because the gooey center needs to set. The result will be a decadent, brownie-batter texture.

These are the perfect combination of the richness of Red Velvet Cake and the ooey-gooeyness of a fudgy brownie. The addition of cream cheese frosting is almost too much to handle.

Almost.

You can find the rest of my cake batter creations on the recipe page.

You know – I’m getting back into that Monday grind – so I might as well take advantage of the trendy “wordless” blog post, right? Right.

I kicked things off with ice cream, naturally.

Flowy dress = check (from Necessary Clothing).

Latte pit stop at Saturdays.

Baby showering in Brooklyn.

This is just awkward… ..and yes I am “Jolie-ing.”

Dinner at [...]]]> …nearly wordless, that is.

You know – I’m getting back into that Monday grind – so I might as well take advantage of the trendy “wordless” blog post, right? Right.

I kicked things off with ice cream, naturally.

Flowy dress = check (from Necessary Clothing).

Latte pit stop at Saturdays.

Baby showering in Brooklyn.

This is just awkward…
..and yes I am “Jolie-ing.”

Dinner at Delicatessen.

Lesson (still very much being) learned.

…among other things.

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Growing up, my summers were spent with my family at the Jersey Shore. Long days at the beach ended with a visit to our condo pool. They were quite the enjoyable, worry-free summers, to say the least.

Yeah, we were pretty hip kids.

These days, though, life doesn’t let me escape to the beach or pool in the [...]]]>

Growing up, my summers were spent with my family at the Jersey Shore. Long days at the beach ended with a visit to our condo pool. They were quite the enjoyable, worry-free summers, to say the least.

Yeah, we were pretty hip kids.

These days, though, life doesn’t let me escape to the beach or pool in the summertime as much as I’d like. As a twenty-something working and living in New York City, my friends and I have to find ways to bring our fun summer activities to us.

Sometimes it’s going somewhere for brunch where we can enjoy our meal outdoors.

Other times it’s a trip to the park to soak in some sun and greenery.

And then, sometimes we prefer to stay in the comfort of our own apartment building and enjoy a favorite summer snack on the sundeck. For Jessi, Erica and I, our favorite treat as of late is Nestlé® Drumsticks®.

We love how Nestlé Drumstick cones are the perfect way for us to enjoy ice cream without having to bring bowls and spoons down to the sundeck with us. They also act as instant portion control, which definitely can’t hurt for when the time comes that we do eventually hop into our bikinis and head to the beach for a weekend!

The other day we broke into a box of the new Pretzel Dipped Drumstick cones (…which I may or may not have had two of, shh). We’ve recently tried the other flavors too – Lil’ Drums Caramel Delights in Vanilla Caramel Crunch and Caramel Graham – and they’re equally out-of-this-world delicious.

You can check out all of the new flavors on the Nestlé Drumstick Facebook page.

With our crazy and oftentimes stressful lives in New York City, simply being able to relax, hang out with friends, and enjoy the mild summer weather is nothing short of priceless. And, let’s be real, there’s still something so darn fun about eating ice cream cones on a hot summer day…even when it’s in the middle of a concrete jungle.

What is your favorite summer activity with your friends and family? Tell me in the comments section for the chance to win a $100 Walmart gift card!

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

• Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
• Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
• Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 5/14/2012 to 6/15/2012.

Be sure to visit the Nestlé Drumstick page on BlogHer.com, where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

As someone with long but relatively thin hair, finding an easy yet cute up-do other than a ponytail isn’t always easy…until now.

I first learned about the sock bun via Brittany. Check out the original sock bun [...]]]> Apparently I’m one of the last girls on the planet to have learned about the genius-ness that is the sock bun.

As someone with long but relatively thin hair, finding an easy yet cute up-do other than a ponytail isn’t always easy…until now.

I first learned about the sock bun via Brittany. Check out the original sock bun video tutorial here!

I’ve never owned a white swimsuit. Truth be told – it seems like it’s a very high maintenance choice; making sure it doesn’t get dirty, I’m “tan enough” for it, and of course…the see-through factor. Ahem.

Regardless, I’ve still got [...]]]> It’s been a few months now that I’ve been on a mission to find the perfect white bikini.

I’ve never owned a white swimsuit. Truth be told – it seems like it’s a very high maintenance choice; making sure it doesn’t get dirty, I’m “tan enough” for it, and of course…the see-through factor. Ahem.

Regardless, I’ve still got my mind set on finding thee white bikini. White just seems like it’s so darn classy…or whatever. Right?

The thing is, though, I want a classic, almost old-fashioned looking one. But with summer right around the corner, the only luck I’ve had so far is on good old Pinterest.

So with just a few weeks left, my bikini mission is still a go. Wish me luck!
(…you know, since there is clearly nothing more important going on in the world than finding the perfect bikini.)

What’s on your summer wish list? Favorite style of swimsuit?

It happens.

[...]]]>

It happens.