Summer Essentials

It is soooooooo hot. I am melllllltttiiinnnggg. Here is how I am trying to keep the temps at bay and not loose my cool.

Honest 3 in 1 Facial Towelettes not only remove makeup but are good to wipe down your face post gym or post house cleaning marathon. They are gentle and do not irritate my sensitive skin.

I am a huge fan of Sanuk's yoga flip flop series. When I saw the Slinged Up Flat Sandal on the DSW site for under $30, I had to have them. The wrap around strap is cute and the soles - while flatter than I am used too are comfy for extended wear. If you are not a fan of flip flops because of flat feet issues - get a pair of Sanuk yoga flip flops and you will not need to worry.

I love cute food but I am also not about to spend five hours making something look cute and have it eaten in five minutes. So when I spotted these ice pop molds I had to have 'em.  koji Ring Popsicle Molds are easy to use - just fill up with juice/drink of choice, insert the ring pop base and chill in the freezer for a few hours. I did not think they would turn out - but they did! The icey mix did not get stuck to the molds and were easy to get out.

The Pink drink from Starbucks made with coconut milk is sweet heaven.For those not in the know it is strawberry acai refresher moxed with coconut milk. Wow - this is refreshing and it feels so tropical! The bits of strawberry and creamy coconut milk makes it perfect for a hot summer day.  It is like a melted paleta in a cup! Pair it with a cookie for an awesome mid day snack!

Summertime means glowing skin. Medusa's Makeup has a to die for highlighter called Moonlight - that I keep on reaching for. It is my fave highlighter right now. It is only $12 and out performs some of the high end highlighters  I have in my collection. It gives the skin a nice glow without chunky glitter, streaky color or an off putting shade. The company is very vegan friendly and offers up vegan products in many categories all you have to do is look for the vegan symbol.

Cotton candy is such a summer time treat! No need to go to the fair and surround yourself with screaming children and drunken idiots with Pina Colada cotton candy from Lolli & Pops.  It is a bit pricey at about $8 a container but the boyfriend gifted me with some for my birthday and wow is it good! If you find yourself in a Lolli & Pops store know there are some vegan options like single sourced chocolate bars and a small natural candy selection.

How are you beating the heat this summer?

[Vegan Mofo Day 22] Tea Time: Starbucks

I have been ordering tea at Starbucks lately because my decaf usually ends up being caffeinated...I can handle the caffeine in tea more so than coffee. If it is cold I get a chai tea bag (not a chai latte - the mix contains honey) with steamed soy milk and either a pump of caramel syrup or vanilla syrup. The soy milk tastes so much better steamed - do not miss this step!  I also really dig on the vanilla rooibos tea. If it is hot outside a black tea with lemonade hits the spot! Another warm weather fave is a passion tea apple juice with a pump of classic and pump of raspberry! Matt likes the passion tea lemonade sweetened!

I go to a coffee place and order tea - so what!?!

[Vegan MOFO Day 9] Good Enough To Eat: Satrbucks Freebies

Next time you are at Starbucks picking up your coffee with a splash of soy milk - hit up the bar area for free beauty booty.

Sugar in the raw packets: there is enough sugar in one lil packet to get your lips or elbows smooth. Take it home, add a bit of olive oil or coconut oil in a bowl with the sugar and massage onto you lips or a dry spot (avoid your face - the sugar is to course for the face area). Brush off of your lips or wash it off your dry spot. Sugary and soft!

Napkins: Recently I read that the napkins from Starbucks make great face blotters...I have oily skin and a few hours after putting on my makeup and running errands I can be pretty shiny. So I tried using the napkin to remove oil...It worked! It worked just as well as my pricey lil blotting sheets!

Now if only the chain would reverse their new gold card ruling and give us gold card users free soy milk again...