Pangea The Vegan Store Haul

My first purchase from Pangea, the Vegan Store online was a success!

Last week, I decided to buy some vegan foods and household products online. I have been meaning to try some of these products for a long time, but was unable to find them at stores in my area, so I decided to just get on with it and order some. As you can see, I got a lot of things for a pretty great price!

Starting off with this great license plate cover! The reason I went online in the first place was for this. I needed a new one since I switched my car registration from North Carolina to Louisiana and I didn't want to use my five year old, nasty, plastic cover that came from the dealership. All the writing had worn off and it looked pretty bad. I found this one and knew that it was perfect. I don't like spreading negative thoughts or feelings if I can help it, and so many vegan bumper stickers and decals are mean or sarcastic. I thought "Practice Compassion, Go Vegan!" sounded kind and loving, which is what I want to be. It's made out of recycled plastic and only cost $4.95, so this was a steal!

Another product I was really glad to find was this Bee Free Honee. I used to use honey everyday, and while I like agave nectar, it doesn't feel like honey. I haven't tried this yet, but I really hope it lives up to the hype I've read online!

This next one is soap. I know, I'm not supposed to be buying beauty products on my Project Ten Pan, but I bought it anyway. I am a soap collector and lover, so this will  be put to good use! I have never tried this brand before, so I'm pretty excited about it. I got it in peppermint because I'm trying to make it seem like Christmas when we get cool weather (it's been hot in Louisiana, not unbearable, but hot).

This is such a cool product! Re-useable toothbrush handle and less waste in the landfill? count me in. I like the color of the handle (it was random) with the sparkles inside the plastic. It looks pretty cool.

This is another product that I've been dying to try! As you have seen in my product empties posts, I use a lot of contact solution and none of the brands at the stores are cruelty free. I bought the travel size to try it out before I commit to a huge bottle. It cost $5.99, which is about $.50 more than my regular solution. I really hope this works well with my contacts and my eyes. If so, I will be ordering a few of these beauties to store under my counter!

Next we have four chocolates from Sjaak's. I have never heard of this brand before so I just got a few to try out. I got two mint chocolate bits, one larger mint chocolate, and an almond butter bite. It was $2.36 all together.

Mac and Cheese, people! Can we get a round of applause?! I am stoked to try this! Mac and cheese is a major comfort food and I have missed it. I will definitely tell you how this one goes!

Teese Nacho Cheese sauce is next. I haven't heard much about this product, but it looked interesting, and I have been wanting to make nachos.

I got six of the $.99 Primal Strips Vegan Jerky: Mesquite Lime, Thai Peanut, Hot & Spicy, Teriyaki, Texas BBQ, and Hickory Smoked. I made my dad promise he would try these with me. If he can try all the weird jerkies my brother made in the past (even the fish jerky that made the house smell for weeks), he can try this. I got the small sizes so I can find my favorite flavors before I buy the bigger ones. These would be really great for hiking trips.

The Viana Mild Jumbo Veggie Snack Sausage to go is basically the vegan version of those truck stop sausages I always loved as a kid. I got the traditional German smokehouse flavor.

Next is Stonewall's Jerquee in Original Mild. (You can see the theme here, can't you?) Another jerky to try.

And a fruit leather in strawberry flavor. I haven't had one of these in ages. I think they sell a different brand of fruit leathers at the health food store, but I don't think I've seen strawberry flavor.

And last, but not least, is the Ellanni Veggie Roll in the tomato flavor. I have no idea what this will taste like, but it sounded like an adventure, so I got it!

The shipping for all these wonderful products was only $7.95, which isn't bad at all. It was ordered on the third and made it to my door by the sixth, so I applaud the fast shipping. I will definitely be ordering from this site again because it was so fast!

That's it folks! I will do follow up reviews of these products in the future, so be on the lookout.

Food Pictures!

Another day and more pictures of food!

 

Here we have Gardein BBQ "ribs" on olive bread. I love the BBQ sauce on this product. It is slightly sweet, slightly spicy, and really thick.

 

  TATERTOTS! I love these things. I had been craving them... every time I eat these I think of the movie Napoleon Dynamite.

  This is Mediterranean Pearl Couscous. I love this stuff. I used to eat it a lot more, but forgot about it when I went to college since it is hard to cook in a microwave. However, I was craving Mediterranean food and this I what was in the pantry. 

  Tabouleh and fresh red bell pepper. This is a mix from a box where you just add water and oil and let it sit for an hour. I added tomatoes to make it extra tasty.

  Leftover tabouleh on the right and angel hair with tomatoes and nutritional yeast on the left.

  Leftover angel hair with tomatoes, basil, and oregano.

  Brown rice cakes with Tofutti cream cheese, garlic powder, oregano, basil, and salt.

  These lentil chips are a new thing I've found at the grocery. There are several different kinds of chips by this brand. the Bruschetta lentil chips are spicy, salty, crunchy, and really good when you really are craving a snack.

  Bold Organics Vegan Cheese pizza with Vegan pepperoni. This pizza is rather addictive. It is so cheesy and so yummy! I really have missed pizza. It isn't something I eat a lot of, but trying to find a vegan pizza is really hard when most places you go put cheese and meat in everything! This stuff is great. It costs about $7.99 and is totally worth it.

  Breakfast potatoes! with onions, bell peppers, and Cajun seasoning.

  ... and last but not least, Cajun style red beans and rice. The best of Louisiana cuisine, in my opinion, red beans and rice is one of my staple vegan comfort foods.

 

That's all for now! I'll blog again later! 

August Empties 2014

Welcome back to my empties posts! I hope you have been enjoying these as much as I am. I have been learning more and more about the cosmetic industry as I do more research, and I find that other people's reviews and thoughts are helpful when looking at products before I purchase them.

* denotes cruelty free
** denotes a cruelty free company owned by a non-cruelty free company
V denotes vegan product and/or brand
Bold denotes product I will be repurchasing or have repurchased already

103. Snowbird Mountain Lodge Soap Sample
I don't usually put bar soap on this list because I usually make my own. But, I do love trying out new soaps, especially when I am at hotels. This is one of the most amazing soaps I've ever used. It smells great, it cleans great, it makes me smile, and it lasts a while. I'm not sure what this is made out of but it smells very herbal and fresh. I love it and I will buy more of these if I can find out if they are vegan or not. They had these for sale in the gift store at the hotel and I should have checked them out while I was there.

104. Diamond Wipes Gentle Cleansing Makeup Remover Wipes with Vitamin E
I wasn't too big a fan of these wipes, although they did their job. I felt like the formula was drying on my face and that I needed to apply lots of moisturizer after using these. They had that greasy formula that leaves a residue on the skin, so I had to wash my face more after using them than I would have had to if I hadn't used them. These were also complimentary bath items at the Snowbird Mountain Lodge, so I tried them. I can't find anywhere on their website that they are cruelty free, but they are big into sustainability and saving the rainforests. I won't be purchasing these.

105. CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30 5 grams*
A sample I received from the dermatologist several years ago that I finally finished. I didn't like this one as much as the PM formula, mostly because the SPF caused my face to become oily throughout the day and it made my makeup melt off. I won't be purchasing this in the future.

106. Diamond Wipes Gentle Cleansing Makeup Remover Wipes with Vitamin E
See number 104 above

107. Catharine Malandrino Eau de Parfum
A Birchbox sample I received in June. This is a gorgeous powdery scent that I wore when I would go out to dinner or to the opera this summer. I loved the elegance of this parfum and the richness it had on my skin. It's a citrus scent that combines orange, jasmine, and gardenia, with a hint of musk. My one problem with this perfume? It doesn't last more than two or three hours. For that reason, I don't think it is worth the price tag (1.7 oz is $80).

108. Ardell Fashion Lashes 105 Black*
These have been my go-to performance lashes for years. I have used them in ballet recitals, operas, plays, singing recitals, and Halloween costumes. I love how thick they make my lashes look and how natural. I have used these kind of eyelashes more than once, but I normally don't wear them for more than a few performances before they get all mangled from putting them on and taking them off for days. They work best with DUO lash adhesive (another brand owned by Ardell International) and stay on for a long time. I have a small stash of these in my performance train case. Ardell is a cruelty free company!

109. DDF (Doctor's Dermatologic Formula) Ultra-Lite Oil Free Moisturizing Dew 1 Fl oz
A Birchbox sample from March or May, this moisturizer was incredibly nice. I loved the way it made my face feel. I loved the pump that gave the perfect amount of product for one use. I loved it. It is not vegan because it includes beeswax in the formula and it is owned by Proctor and Gamble (one of the largest companies that tests on animals), so I will not be purchasing this in the future.

110. Secret Scent Expressions Ooh-La-La Lavender Clear Gel Deodorant 2.7 oz
See May Empties Post Number 50

111. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel 4.2 oz (125 ml)
This is one of those products that I have used for years. I started using Clinique when I was in middle school and started getting acne. I went from having clear skin to looking like a pizza face overnight. I started using their three step cleansing program and used it on and off for years. The Gel is the moisturizing step for people with oily or combination oily skin. I always used this in the summer and loved how it kept my skin moisturized, but clean feeling, instead of oily gross. I have probably used over 20 full sized containers of this in the past. It has a very clean scent and sinks into the skin quickly. I will not be purchasing this in the future because Clinique is not a cruelty free company.

112. Burt's Bees Hand Salve .3 oz**
I've had this little mini hand salve tin for years... My mom used to send birthday presents to everyone in my cabin when I would have my birthday at camp, so she would send little gifts with the burt's bees minis and fun games we could play at camp. I don't actually use this on my hands. I use this on my feet. I have very dry feet and I use this product when I have exfoliated them and I'm about to go to bed. I literally take a blob of this, warm it up in my hands, and rub it all over my feet. I then stick my feet in a pair of socks and go to sleep. In the morning, the salve has soaked into my skin and my feet feel much more smooth and moisturized. I have several more mini and full sizes of this product, but I will not be buying this in the future because it is not vegan.

113. Biotrue Contact Solution 10 Fl oz
Again... I used up one of these. I will not repurchase this if the solution I just ordered from the Vegan Store works with my eyes (I will talk about that when the package comes in the mail).

114. Aqua Fresh Extreme Clean Whitening Action Mint Blast Toothpaste .8 oz
I got this at the Hyatt in San Francisco. It was a rather thin paste, but very minty. I am not sure it made my teeth any whiter, but it did make them clean. This is not a cruelty free company, so I will not purchase this in the future.

115. Chapstick Flava- Craze Straberry Twist .15 oz
Who doesn't have Chapstick hanging around their makeup collection. I seem to have picked up tons of them somehow. This one dates back to the camp era (yup middle school) and expired in May of 2003... yeah... it was ready to die. Surprisingly, it never went bad or rancid or melted. From the time I started using it to the time it died a sad death in front of my vanity, this lip balm was like a strawberry candy on my lips. It was sweet and chapstick-y. I don't particularly like Chapstick. I didn't like the scent because it was too strong and too fake for my tastes. I will never buy this again. (They don't even make this flavor anymore). I am so glad I don't have to look at this thing ever again. It is not cruelty free.

116. VO5 Herbal Escapes Moisturizing Shampoo in Free Me Freesia 18 Fl oz
This was a disappointment that I knew was coming but it still shocked me. I like the smell of Freesia and I like shampoo, therefore I should like Freesia scented shampoo, right? Wrong! I hated the scent, I didn't like the way this shampoo made my hair feel. It made it dry and straw-like. It made my hair knot. It was just bad all over. I bought it for $1 at the Dollar Tree about three years ago, so I guess I got what I paid for. VO5 is made by Alberto-Culver, which is owned by Unilever and is not cruelty-free. I will not purchase this ever again even if it is the last shampoo on the planet.

So that is it for the month of August. I will not be re-purchasing any of the products I used this month because I either didn't like them, or they were not cruelty free and vegan.

What I Ate Wednesday

Another food post!

 

 I have been stuck in a food making rut. For whatever reason, I've been making the same foods over and over. This next week I plan to try new foods and recipes!  Here are the foods I ate for the past few days (that I remembered to take pictures of).

 

I know this looks really gross, but it was super yummy! Spicy Guacamole, Pinto Beans, and Tofutti Cream Cheese. I ate it on no salt added corn chips.

Gardein Teriyaki Chicken (I love this stuff! It is vegan and actually tastes like and has the texture of chicken) with soy sauce on Brown Rice Seaweed noodles. These noodles have a softer texture than regular rice noodles.  

Firm Silken Tofu with Brown Rice and Seaweed noodles. Topped with Soy sauce and Sesame Oil.

And leftovers of the above meal... you can see the noodles better in this picture!

I tried a new frozen dinner I found at the Fresh Market. I have been finding more and more Asian and Indian frozen foods that are vegan. They used to only carry Chicken Curry and Palak Paneer. Now they have tofu curries, pad thais, and thus lovely Kofta Curry with Channa Masala and Basmati Pilaf. And it says VEGAN right on the box!

As you can see, it wasn't as pretty as the box showed, but oh so tasty! I loved it all except the rice... I found it to be really oily for my tastes, but I will definitely get this again for nights when I really want Indian food and don't want to make my own curry. Such a great find!

This goo is Arrabiatta Sauce mixed with Tofutti Cream Cheese on top of angel hair made with Jerusalem Artichoke flour. Very yummy, and very filling! 

Gardein Chicken Tenders on Olive Bread with Vegenaise, Mustard, and Ketchup. Think of these as the vegan version of open faced chicken sliders. I tried cooking them in the microwave instead of the oven, and I found that the outside breading stayed on better than in the oven (even though the microwave is not recommended).

This mess is tofu and leftover rice noodles of different varieties with vegan red curry sauce. I did not like this brand at all and won't be buying it in the future.

And last but not least, Vegan burgers on olive bread with Vegenaise, mustard, ketchup, and garlic dill pickles... the pickles really make it special.

That's all for now... stay tuned for more food pictures later this week!

August Birchbox Overview

Hi all! It has been a while!

My August Birchbox

My brother has been home from school, so I've been spending more time away from home recently. Now that he's gone back to school, I am back with many posts! First up is an overview of my August Birchbox. This is just my first opinions of these products, not full reviews. I've been using them for a few weeks now, so I feel like I know what I'm talking about.

Our theme for August? Keeping cool in the heat... not sure how these product fit in that category.

I got five products in this box: a cream eyeshadow, a body cream, a shampoo, a conditioner, and a face mask.

 

1. Harvey Prince Ageless Body Crème (full size $22)
This is my favorite birchbox product I've received all year. I have been thinking about cancelling my subscription, but this product is making me reconsider. The crème is lush, smells divine (like grapefruit, sandalwood, and a bit of sweetness), and it moisturizes very well. I am actually thinking about getting this scent as a perfume because I loved it so much, and I usually only put lotion on before bed (and while I love smelling great in bed, I also love smelling great when I'm out and about). Another great thing about this product is that it is cruelty free!

 

2. Laura Geller Cool Lids Cream Eyeshadow in Silver Sands (full size $19)
I love this eyeshadow! I am usually not a fan of cream products on the eyes, but this one works. I have worn it both with and without a powder on top and it lasts pretty much all day. The color I received is a lovely cool sandy taupe that works well with my skin tone. Another wonderful find! I believe Laura Geller is cruelty free as well, so yay for great makeup finds!

3-4. Neil George Shampoo and Conditioner (full size $9 each)

I will always say "yes!" to trying out new shampoo and conditioner (mostly conditioner because I use so much of it). I haven't tried these yet (I'm trying to use up some shampoos that I absolutely hate and want to be rid of as soon as possible), but I am hoping these will be kind to my hair. They are really large samples for shampoo and conditioner, so I will be able to get more than one use out of them. I'm exited to try these out!

5. nügg Beauty Revitalizing Mask (pack of 5 for $14.99)
I am not really a mask person, so I probably won't be using this for a while. I will make a spa day out of it and try it out. This was the only product in the box I wasn't excited about at all.

All in all, this was a great box! Can't wait to see what I get in September!