: need help choosing healthy snacks!? : have them delivered to your door!

happy tuesday!

please, please, please go vote today! [i know ; politics two days in a row!]

lets talk about food!

this summer, i received my first healthy surprise box. [go see my full review here]

what is it?

its a monthly snack box. 

dairy free. soy free. gluten free. vegan. awesome. 

its a HUGE box ; FULL of goodies.

one of the things i love the most is that there is always a great balance between brands i know & brands that are new to me.

there are different sizes of boxes ; depending on your snack needs. if you work in an office ; this would be a great thing to order. sign up with a friend or two & keep the snacks at your desk for the month.

healthy surprise boxes are also great for people like blake & i ; people on the go. people that load up their backpacks // camp packs // bike bags with snacks to give them the energy they need.

so, what came in my box?

[ill show you]

 

garlic nuts [gone nuts is one of my favorite brands!!], kale chips, sunflower seeds, apple rings, apple pie coco-roons [by far the best thing in the box!!], granola bars, sesame seed bars, granola, cheesy almonds,  almonds, fruit leather, oat bars, biscotti, three oat cookies and coconut kettle corn! 

that is a lot of food! everything is full-sized, too ; which i like.

its hard to know if you love something when you get a bite-sized sample!

the one thing i would change?!

i would add more chocolate // snack-y sweet dessert-type foods.

i have a sweet tooth & would pick chocolate-dusted almonds over cheesy-almonds everyday!

connect with healthy surprise : 

blog [their blog is great!] // facebook // website

disclaimer : the company gave me a steep discount on this box. i did use my own money, but paid a small amount. all opinions are my own.

: smoothie monday! : lets talk about protein powder + a super delish recipe! :

happy monday! 

i havent done a 'smoothie monday' post for a few weeks ; but today, we are back in business.
i love smoothies. ive had one for breakfast everyday for a few months now!
actually, on friday, daphne broke out of her crate [second time in a week] & she actually ate the blender.
but no fear ; i bought a new blender & had a smoothie on saturday ;)

no matter the flavor of my smoothie ; i always add a scoop of flax seed & a scoop of chia seeds.
i cant taste either one & they are both huge nutritional powerhouses.
i also like to add protein powder.
for a long time [even after i went vegan] ; i used muscle milk. it was the only powder that i really loved & it tasted so great. [it does contain whey protein, though ; so its NOT vegan]

a couple months ago, i finally decided to search for vegan protein powder ; its important to me & since my body has a really hard time processing dairy ; i knew a new powder was in order.

i found vega.
they have a HUGE product line [think powders, bars, snacks and other supplements] that is 100% dairy & soy-free.
vega sent me two packets of their french vanilla flavor & it was delish. [my recipe below]
after tasting the vanilla, blake went out & bought two packets of the chocolate. again, delish.
so, we did it. we purchased a tub of vanilla & a tub of chocolate.
each scoop of vega is packed with greens, antioxidants, protein, omega 3s, fiber & tons of probiotics for healthy digestion. read more about that here.

every morning, this face asks for a frozen banana chunk.

[look at those eyes ; how could you say no?!]

so far, i have made 5 different smoothies with both powders & they really are delish.
if you are looking for a healthy boost & a great addition in your morning smoothies ; i say buy vega!
[we are def customers for life!]

connect with vega 
site // facebook // twitter

disclaimer : vega provided me with two packets of french vanilla in exchange for an honest review. i bought the tubs + chocolate packets with my own money*

and now for the recipe : 

vega vanilla fruit smoothie

what you need : 
*1 1/2 cups almond milk
*1 packet of vega one french vanilla protein powder
*1 cup of frozen fruit [i use the organic berry blend from trader joes]
*3/4-1 banana [we use fair trade organic bananas from whole foods]
*1 scoop of ground flaxseed meal [i use bob's red mill]

how to do it : 
1) throw everything into a blender and *boom* you are done.

**smoothie tip : buy a HUGE amount of bananas [i buy about 30+ at a time] ; cut them into chunks and freeze them. so when its 'smoothie time' ; you reach in and grab a few chunks! no frozen fingers!!**

see you tomorrow!

why i love charity water : + how you can make the planet even better :

friday!
if you have been reading for a while now, you know that blake & i love donating money to charities // causes we really care about.
even when money is tight, we always try to donate each & every month.
so many people live with way less than we do ; the least we can do is create a bit of positive change.

one of my favorite organizations is charity : water. they drill wells all over the world so people can have clean water. water is something we easily take for granted here in the us. water in other parts of the world can be filled with scary, deadly disease.
we have given money quite a few times to charity : water & i just love them.
the other cool thing? each & every penny that you donate goes directly to building wells // supplying clean water.

so, how do they cover their operating costs?
through their store. they offer some pretty rad items.
i have had my eye on a sweet shirt for quite a long time.

i went to purchase it & noticed that the shipping is outragous! [$7+]
now, i run a business. i totally get that shipping can be expensive.
but, this is a tiny, lightweight t-shirt coming from new york & landing in minnesota.
so, instead of ordering, i tweeted charity : water about the sky-high shipping cost.
almost immediately, i got a response. after a couple of email exchanges, kaitlyn offered to send BOTH blake & i our t-shirts FREE as a thank you for supporting their organization.

when the shirts came, we also got a great dvd, a hand-written note, two rubber charity : water bracelets + a bunch of temporary tattoos.

i was SO impressed with their great customer service and their gratitude to us for supporting them.
there are SO many businesses & organizations out there. blake & i work really hard for our money. we also want to know that they little things we do will make a difference.
supporting charity : water makes us feel really great!

if you are looking for an organization to donate to ; check them out.
[and remember, $5 can change the world!]

disclaimer : my story is true. charity : water sent us these shirts because they are awesome & have big hearts. i am writing this post because i want to. and i think you should support them because they are awesome!

have a great weekend & three cheers for changing the planet!

doggy style [for your pooch] : bathing with daphne :

hold on. hold on.
we are talking about dogs.
[seriously]

wednesdays =  crafting bathing with daphne.
[this is such a fun product]

in the beginning of september, blake and i went to the state fair [see some photos of what we ate here].
along with a crazy amount of food, the state fair also has buildings and buildings [and buildings!] of vendors, products & companies.
most of them are pretty gimmick-y ; but they are always fun to look at.
so, we are walking & see a booth. the front display has a bar of soap with a cute pup on it & the label says 'doggy style.'
we stop. chat. ask questions.

what is it?
its a 6oz shampoo // bath bar for your pup. its FREE of gluten, chemicals, parabens, dyes & other crappy stuff that you [and your dog!] dont need. [the bar is also vegan!]
[side note : if you use chemicals // dyes // ect on your dog & they lick themselves clean ; there is a HUGE chance that they are ingesting all of that yucky stuff. [yes, yucky!]]

we decided to purchase a bar & try it out.
the 6oz bar should last 6-10 baths. we have used it twice & it hasnt gone down in size at all.
*daphne also has very short hair ; so a super-furry dog will use up the bar faster*

i really love it. it lathers well. does the job. smells great. and i love that the soap is good for daph + the planet. annnnnd the wrapper is biodegradable and made with 100% renewable wind-power. [woot!]

i also get super soaked from doggy bath-time!

the only *possible* downside for your household may be the price.
this 6oz bar is $17. we got it for half-price at the fair & will stock up next summer ;)
buuuut, if it lasts 8 washes ; you are paying about $2 a bath. and if you only wash your pup a couple times a month, this bar should last you 3-5 months.

overall, i give this soap a huge thumbs-up.
daphne still hates baths [and us for giving them to her!] ; but supporting local + handmade is something we really love!

she HATES bath time!  

and sidenote : look at how stinkin' strong her legs are!

stay connected with 3 way beauty!
shop // twitter // facebook

disclaimer : we bought this soap with our own money. 
this review is meant for dog-lovers that are looking for an eco-alternative for doggie-bathtime

share with us : 

what do you use to bathe your dog?

and how often does your pup get a bath?

your dog loves beer?!?! [a post about beer-flavored dog treats]

so, we have had daphne for almost 2 months now.

we totally love her.

we have learned that she is afraid of plastic bags & the vacuum. she loves chasing the albino squirrel in our neighborhood. and she is in love with frozen bananas, vegan butter, orontas bike grease [its plant-based, but she LOVES sucking on our bike chains ; if you leave her alone in the living room!!] and trying to drink my morning smoothies.

silly dog.

last weekend, our neighborhood held 'woofstock.' its an annual event that brings a couple thousand dogs & their humans out for the afternoon. there were treats, a photo booth, samples, dog companies and rescue groups.

daph had so much fun & we found some really great products [and stocked up on things we already love!]

while we were there, we found brew bones. 

have you ever heard of these?

they are dog treats that TASTE like beer ; they dont contain alcohol, but are flavored from hops! they smell like beer & are made with organic & locally-sourced ingredients.

and they are called 'pale tail!'

[so stinkin' cute!]

so fun! and she loves them.

i know a lot of dog owners keep their dogs diet pretty strict. not us. we use this brand of dog food ; which was created to mix and match different flavors.

we also have 4-6 different brands of dog treats that we give daph quite often.

her stomach and digestion system adapt pretty well & i really think that giving her a variety of food is fun and exciting for her.

read more about brew bones here. 

and order a box here.

disclaimer : i purchased this box with my own money. the company doesnt know me or my blog. i love their commitment to healthy dogs & their product are great ; i appreciate that.

: oh, yes you candy! :

lets talk about chocolate!

but first, did you see my tasty smoothie recipe, yesterday?

annnnd, each & every pair of babypantz is only $6 in the shop right now [and the shipping is reduced, too!]

ok.

[vegan] chocolate ; which is usually called carob. 

[you can buy carob chips in the bulk bins at whole foods & your local co-op // health food store]

it tastes just like chocolate & its delish.

annnd dogs can have carob!

oh, yes you candy [cutest business name ever, right?!] sent me three of their heavenly bites carob truffle bars to try out. [you only see two in the photo because i ate first, took a photo second...]

i tried the mint, sea salt & lime, s'mores & banana monkey crunch.

[anything sea salt & lime is my fave!]

these are so fun! they are totally vegan [no dairy, no gmo ingredients, no wheat & no refined sugars!] blake & i ask for a lot from our food & the companies we support & these truffles tasted great!

these bars [and they make flavor-infused coconut oil & popcorn crunch!] would make a great stocking stuffer, pen pal gift or a treat for yourself. [because hellllo, you know you love the taste of chocolate AND supporting the dreams of small businesses!]

connect with oh, yes you candy!

shop // website // facebook

disclaimer : i was gifted three truffle bars of my choice. my opinions are my own.

check out all their flavors! do you have a favorite?!

your bike needs love, too! : an orontas review

hey, everybody!

you know i love biking, right?

i have shared stories on a few of my favorite bikers, given you a 'how-to' for a bike first-aid kit, and shared my top 5 'biking 101' tips.

one thing i havent talked about yet is WHAT you need to take care of your bike.

simple bike maintenance is super important for the life & 'wellness' of your bike. a low tire, an un-greased chain or a low brake pad can really run down your bike [and can also be potentially dangerous]

along with loving bikes, you know i love the planet. blake & i try our very best to ONLY support local, smart, and/or responsible companies. 

a while back, i saw a 'blip' in whole living magazine [which i LOVE] about orontas bike products. 

each & every one of their bike products [cleaner, chain oil, waterproof grease] is non-toxic, biodegradable & made from sustainable materials [plant-based!!] 

love it. i always think of biking as such a 'smart' thing to do & then so many companies have products that are not great for the planet.

for us, using a product that takes care of the planet is a no-brainer.

so, i reached out to george at orontas. i told him we were so impressed with his products & would love to try them out.

he was *SO* kind & sent me full-size bottles of everything in their product line. the package came two days before we left for RAGBRAI, so it was perfect timing.

along with the full-size products, he also sent these mini-packets of grease, which we kept in our bike packs to apply during the ride. no doubt that their products got us through the rain, wind & nasty hills on our bike ride!!

orontas offers TWO types of chain grease ; one is ideal for summer [dry] conditions & the other is meant for winter [wet] conditions.

blake & i will both bike commute in the winter, so a strong chain lube that 'wicks' away the ice & snow is perfect.

if you bike often or just every once in a while, i really do think its SO important that you take care of your bike. grease your chain. check your tire pressure. also, learning to do these things yourself will save you a bunch of money.

and if their manifesto doesnt convince you to support them ...

it says : 

orontas is not a brand. 

orontas is a reckless commitment to do better.

orontas isnt green.

orontas isnt even 'going green'

we have standards.

standards that mean using sustainable & 

biodegradable materials that dont come

with skulls and crossbones.

we believe having values is better than 

marketing them and the last time we checked

green was just a perfectly nice color.

connect with orontas : 

facebook // twitter // website // store locator // blog 

disclaimer : i was given all of these products free of charge, but everything i said is my own personal [and super positive!] opinion!

: who wants a healthy surprise!? : and a discount code! :

so, i am a pretty simple person.

i like good manners, good food, folks that are rad, being on my bicycle & some other things.

and luckily, this post has most of those things combined.

a while back, i found out about healthy surprise.

they are a monthly snack delivery service. each month you get new goodies [ALL snacks are vegan & dairy-free!] i love that. and even if you aren't vegan, a no-commitment service like this is a great way to test out products that are new to you.

so, i reached out to the folks at healthy surprise & look at this [massive] box they sent my way.

one of the way cool things about healthy surprise is that YOU get to choose which plan works for you.

the one i am sharing with you is the 'healthy' box. [there is one box smaller than this one & two boxes that are larger]

so, what did i get? 

[glad you asked!]

4 [!] bags of gone nuts! ; my favorite flavor was the white chocolate.

the cilantro are delish, as well.

four different fruit // energy bars.

two moms in the raw // fruit leather // covered bar cherry // home free cookies

pizza flax snax [i didnt love these, but blake did] // kale krunch chips // cinnamon skinny crisps

these nuts were my favorite snack in the box.

i will def be buying more!

we have been adding happy hemp into our smoothies & pancake batter.

i think that hemp seeds can really improve your wellness.

dried pears ; they were okay. i didnt love these.

but i dont really love dried pears, apples or bananas.

cool, right?
if you are looking for something new, ready-to-grab snacks, or to transition to a healthier lifestyle, i highly recommend healthy surprise!
and : COUPON CODE! 
type in FLYTOTHEWALL to save $5 off of ANY healthy surprise box ; no restrictions.

disclaimer : i received this box for free in exchange for my opinion. my opinion is just that ... mine & honest.

enjoy, everybody!

how vegan makeup can change the world : and my new favorite eyeshadow

happy 4th of july, everybody!

today for us will equal a long bike ride, fireworks from the 15th floor, maybe some vegan cupcakes & lots of photos [and sunscreen!]

lets talk about make-up!!

one of my biggest 'vegan hurdles' has been finding quality products to use on my hair // skin // body // home. i did this [helpful] post awhile back about great vegan beauty companies.

i have found that not eating meat // dairy // animal products has been the really easy part [seriously!]. 

the super hard part has been finding new bath // beauty products [shave gel, mascara & eyeshadow have been my most recent 'replacement' products]

i discovered au natural one night on an simple internet search. i reached out to them & they were happy to let me try out some of their products. and super fun part? they give 1% of ALL profits to charity. [you know i love that]

i was just expecting a lip gloss or two, but was way excited when i discovered three powder eyeshadows, two lip gloss, one lip tint, and one creme eyeshadow!

i tried out the nude & deep coral lip glosses. i use chap stick all time time [especially on the bike in the summer], so i appreciate an extra pop of color! also, they feel really great on. 

the eyeshadows were my favorite. i had never used power shadow before [i have been using cover girl since 6th grade ; which is owned by p&g and DOES test on animals!]. i suggest non-animal hair brushes to apply your makeup. 

here, i mixed the gardenia [my fave!] & honeysuckle.

arent these fun?

if you are looking for some new makeup [or replacing your old stuff], i highly recommend au natural. 

a lot of folks argue that 'vegan' 'organic' 'cruelty-free' is super expensive, but honestly, think of what you are using! you are using a product that was created by humans, tested on humans, and does not contain toxic ingredients! you are helping the planet, your body AND the animals. plus, SO many vegan companies donate to charity ; so you are also helping to improve even more lives!

keep in touch with au natural!

blog // website // facebook 

disclaimer : i was given all of these products free of charge. everything i said was true [and my own opinion]