EATS :: On-The-Go Organic Snack Ideas

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, INC. and The Coca-Cola Company, all opinions are mine alone. #RefreshinglyHonestSnacks #CollectiveBias

Hello FALL!

I love this time of year as it is my fave season but let's be honest, it also brings about a lot of busy living. Do you find yourself juggling some days in an effort to get everything accomplished? Or is it pretty much every day, like me? ;)

Now that my daughter is well into her first year of high school, I find that our schedule is a little more full than it used to be. I still somehow manage to get it all done, on most days, but I think the way to stay focused on what is important is being prepared. What is important for me and my family is making sure we are fitting in quality time together every day, making sure we are eating right, and finding time (even if it's only for 5 minutes) to just relax with no distractions and recharge our minds.

For me, I look forward to sitting down to create something in my sketchbook every day, even if it's simply sketching out some ideas for my next project. Taking the time to focus on my lettering and practice is so important to me as it enables me to do what I love, perfect my craft, and know I am offering my clients the best version of me. Having a snack I enjoy is an important part of that process. I admit it, it really helps. Just being honest.

I learned several years ago when I took the time to educate myself on what food choices were better for me, that being prepared was the key. Making a list before going to the grocery store keeps me focused. Choosing organic products, as much as I can, to put in my body makes me feel better. Preparing snacks ahead of time prevents me from eating something I shouldn't. That is why I wanted to share this with you today. I make a couple of tasty snacks that I really enjoy and are super easy to incorporate into my already busy schedule plus keeps me on track to eating food that is better for me. These are the perfect solution when you are on-the-go as I am and can easily be prepackaged ahead of time so you can just grab them and go on with your day!

 

On my latest trip to Kroger, I picked up all of these products I am sharing here with you today. I love the Simple Truth® product line they sell as everything I have ever purchased I've really enjoyed. It's amazing how much flavor a good organic snack food can have! And my other fave, that pairs so well with my snack ideas is Honest Tea® because it's just a tad sweet and comes in some really good flavors that I keep stocked in our fridge - even my family loves them all.

So let's talk snacks! 

I have a few ideas here but feel free to check out what they carry at Kroger and mix up your own combo because that's half the fun. 

1. My first Simple Truth organic snack idea is mixing up a combo of this Sea Salt & Black Pepper Popcorn and sprinkling in some of the flavored nuts. This combo has Roasted Cashews, Roasted Peanuts, and Roasted Almonds. I am telling you, this is so tasty and the peppercorn and nut combo is just so good! Promise! ;)

There is no set amount to mixing this up but for this bowl that I made here, it's about two cups of the popcorn to 1/3 bag each of the nuts, mixed together.

2. Perhaps on occasion, you enjoy something with a little fruit in it or perhaps a good chocolate option, then this one is for you! I simply mixed together some of the Simple Truth Freeze-Dried Strawberries and the Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds. And YES, I love almonds, can you tell? lol

Simple Truth®

I believe the key is being prepared with a quality snack and these are my go-to snack options and pairing them with my fave Honest Tea drink is the perfect snack combo. I personally love the Peach tea as well as the Half Tea & Half Lemonade but they are all good and I am pretty sure I've tried them all.

Like I said, I always grab these items during my weekly trip to Kroger and noticed for the month of September, they celebrated National Organic Month. It reminded me why I already support brands that are authentic, organic, believe in fair trade and are transparent about what goes into their products in an effort to make the world a better place for us all. Honest Tea is real brewed with real ingredients and is a great way to ensure we make better choices for our families.

The next time you are shopping at Kroger, pick up some Honest Tea and give it a try - the truth is in the bottle and I bet you will find it as refreshing as I do. It is a convenient quality solution for your family that they will love.

I would love to hear which is your favorite flavor of Honest Tea and what is your on-the-go snack idea? Want more recipe and project inspiration? Check out the ideas here!

Thank you so much for letting me share this product with you and for supporting the brands and companies that help support my blog!

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Looking forward to seeing you again! :)

 

LIFE :: Taking a Moment for YOU

Today’s post is sponsored by ZonePerfect, but my love for their products is all my own!

Hello there everyone! Do you ever feel like you are being pulled in a bazillion different directions and there is NO time left for YOU!? Well today I am hear to tell you that it needs to stop. And stop now. I used to be one of those people that ran at hundred miles an hour non-stop, thinking IF I could just keep going without taking a break for a moment, I'd get more done! Wrong! 

The only thing that got me was a lot of anxiety and worn out! That is . . . until I changed my ways! That's right, I finally realized that I am only as good as I treat MYself. I needed to treat myself better. I needed to recharge every once and awhile. I needed to give myself a break. I needed to take a moment.

So I started to take little moments every day to recharge and fuel my soul to ensure I do not get so burnt out and it is making so much difference. Sometimes I only take ten minutes and other days I take an hour but the point is, to TAKE the time! I set aside this time to do something for ME and that I enjoy doing and now I feel like it's my 'daily reward' for working so hard and I love it! I hope you are taking a moment for YOU too. If not, I hope you can use one of my TOP 5 ideas of what I do to take a moment for myself:


1. SHOP. I LOVE to shop so when I do, I tell myself that I have to be able to use it for business so I can justify spending the money! ;) Like these fresh flowers I picked up yesterday, aren't they gorgeous!? I love the rich plum color for fall so much and they will work out perfectly for a few shoots I have to do! 

I also picked up some new fun items for my home and the holidays that I am sure will make an appearance on the blog eventually. ;)

2. SNACK. So I have not really shared this with anyone yet as I wanted to make sure it would work, but lately, like say for the last month, I have been 'clean' eating and I am in LOVE! I feel so much better and losing a few pounds is pretty sweet too! ;) I am being VERY intentional about what I eat now and it is making all of the difference. I needed to do this for ME. I had put off taking care of myself for too long and I promised myself I would focus on being as healthy as I can and I am proud to say, I am (finally). Having said that, the key to MY success has been food prep and making sure I eat about six little meals and/or healthy snacks a day to keep my metabolism going. I am always looking for great on the go snack ideas to have when I am out running around shopping or doing errands and these work out great. So when I found these Perfectly Simple bars I was hooked as they are high in protein and low in calories, so it keeps me fuller longer and is an amazing snack idea!

 


3. DRAW. If you follow me here on my blog, you could say I love to draw . . . whether it be doodling, hand lettering, an illustration, I love to DRAW. Period. So much in fact, that this is the FIRST thing I will do when I need to take a moment for myself as it relaxes me to no avail and does my soul good. Sometimes we just need to do what we love doing in order to relax and make sure we do something to 'fuel the soul' on a daily basis. I feel blessed every day that I actually get to do what I LOVE for my job. My soul is happy! ;)

 
4. READ. I love to read and do not have nearly enough time ever to read like I used to. So when I get a chance, I love to catch up on my fave magazines because there is nothing worse than having a subscription to your fave magazines, they come in the mail and then you have to see them sit, staring at you, because you have no time to read them. That is the worst. So I try to check them out when I am taking a moment for ME. Having these around the house is also great for clearing my head as it can get so focused on ONE work project and stepping away and getting lost in a magazine full of ideas is so relaxing to me plus it usually spawns new creative ideas!

I have this ritual . . .  to appeal to some of my senses . . . I light my fave candle to to make my nose happy, I listen to my favorite songs on my I-phone to make my ears happy, I grab my fave magazines to make my eyes happy and of course a healthy snack, like my new fave Perfectly Simple bars to make my belly happy. 

5. NAP. Ahhhh man, when I have like an hour to spare, this is THE one I do to recharge, especially if I didn't sleep well or if I am having a bad day . . . a little cat nap with a warm fuzzy blanket and a nice fluffy pillow out on the couch is the way to go! ;) 

 


I am loving this every day now . . .taking a moment for ME! I have enjoyed relaxing and just being less stressed. I feel like I am more productive and I know a lot of it has to do with eating better too. Having a great snack to grab has been key for me and I am so glad I have discovered these as they are my new fave. I love that these Perfectly Simple bars are high in protein, 200 calories or less, gluten-free, amazing wholesome ingredients that I can recognize and taste so good. I am loving the almond toffee crunch and the roasted cashew & dark chocolate as they make me #FeelGooder about what I put in my body!

Do you have a fave snack that makes you #FeelGooder? Have you ever tried these protein bars from Perfectly Simple? I would love for you to see how you like them by offering a coupon you can get for a $1.00 OFF ZonePerfect Perfectly Simple Bars and let me know what you think! 

Once you try them for yourself, I encourage you to share your #FeelGooder moment by tagging @ZonePerfect and using the hashtag #FeelGooder so we can see what you do for yourself!

So tell me . . . do YOU take a moment for yourself, to fuel your soul? What do YOU do to make yourself #FeelGooder? Let me know below . . .


     

Thank you so much for letting me share this product with you and for supporting the brands and companies that help support my blog!  

  

Are you loving the "eye candy" here?

Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram so you never miss out on an exclusive deal or any behind the scenes photos!

Check out my designs, artwork & decor in my Etsy shop!