Best Caipirinha Recipe...Ever!

What is a Caipirinha?
  A Caipirinha is Brazil's national cocktail!

Surprisingly I heard of this drink when I was in Cancun last winter. I had asked for a mojito but the bartender ran out of mint and suggested this instead! From the first sip I drank nothing but Caipirinha's while I was there! They were amazing! They are the perfect cocktail to drink while you are laying on the beach or sitting poolside. They are so light and refreshing that I was drinking them like water ;) 

How do you pronounce it?
  It's pronounced like kye-per-een-ya, next time you go to a restaurant or bar you'll know the correct pronunciation!! 

But why go to a bar and spend $10-12 on one glass when you can make them at home for much less!

The main alcholic ingredient is cachaça. Again this is a Brazilian drink so the correct pronunciation of this is: Ka-sha-sa. It's basically a rum type liquor made from fermented sugar cane, it's so good! My favorite  cachaça is from the company, Leblon. It's fairly inexpensive. I found it at my local liquor store in NYC for $24, it's probably a lot cheaper elsewhere. 

Ok so on to the most important part...the recipe!!!

Ingredients! minus club soda, oops! 

What you will need:

1/2 lime
1 tablespoon of sugar
Club soda
1 shot of Leblon Cachaça, or any other brand
optional...Mint leaves


 I know the typical Caipirinha does not have mint in it, but it's so amazing with it!! 


1. Cut the lime in half and then into 4 wedges
2. Add 4 lime wedges, 1 tablespoon of sugar and muddle together (here is where you add the mint too if you want)
3. Once you have the lime juices extracted, pour in the shot of Cachaça and mix together again.
4. Fill glass up the rest of the way with club soda and ice and stir!
5. Garnish with a wedge of lime and ENJOY!

Lime juice, sugar, mint all muddled together!

Add the shot of cachaca

Add ice, and garnish with lime..so pretty!! 

Radiant With Aveeno! AVEENO® POSITIVELY RADIANT® Intensive Night Cream Review!

Hi everyone! Thanks to Influenster I qualified to receive an exclusive voxbox! It was for Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream!!

I received the box about two weeks ago and like always, was super impressed. Influenster goes all out when sending you products. I love how they include little extras like this cute little eye mask, which I've used quite a bit since receiving it!

This little jar of cream is amazing! First off, the smell of the cream is perfect. It's a nice subtle, light scent that is perfect for your face. It's actually kind of soothing to smell while falling asleep :) 

So what's it for and what's it do?

Well it's actually in the name of the product. It gives you a nice, natural glow! I've been using it for about two weeks now and have definitely seen an improvement in my skin. I don't have dark circles under my eyes when I wake up and the tone of my skin is really nice and glow-y. I was hesitant to try at first because I don't like putting products on my face as I tend to break out more when I do. I woke up the first morning that I used it expected to find tiny pimples or blackheads on my face, but there was nothing! That's Aveeno for you! There products are just the best! 

Another good thing about Positively Radiant is that it contains the vitamin B3! B3 helps visible diminish the appearance of dullness, blotchiness, and brown spots! It's like a super vitamin lol. It is oil free so that's probably why I didn't experience any breakouts. Thank goodness! 

I'm really loving this product so far and have been using it nightly for the past 2 weeks. My skin looks refreshed and it does have an awesome glow to it! I highly recommend it! 

It's available where all other Aveeno products are sold! (Walmart, Target, CVS) for between $15-$17. Or find it on Amazon here. 

For more information head on over to their Facebook page! 

I received this product complimentary from Influenster! 

Allergy Season is Upon Us! Get Relief with Zicam Plus Giveaway!!!

So I don't know about you all, but for the past two years I have developed some horrible seasonal allergies! I get it all, the itchy watery eyes, the sneezing, the runny nose (where I go through a box of tissues a week).

To combat these horrible allergies, I've tried it all! The over the counter stuff, behind the counter medications, prescriptions, everything! I was so lucky to be contacted by Zicam and asked if I would like to try one of their products, um..yes please! I'll try anything new to help!

They sent me a bottle of Zicam Extreme Congestion Relief no drip nasal gel. I've used nasal gels before so I wasn't scared to use them like some people are. Side note, they aren't that bad. It's weird at first spraying something up your nose, but if you put the tip far enough, you don't feel anything. Plus, this formula is non-drip so it's not going to be leaking out.

I like nasal gels because they seem to work much faster than swallowing a pill. The stuffiness is usually gone in minutes, making it so much easier to breathe!

Here's some facts about Zicam's Extreme Congestion Relief:

Lasts up to 12 hours!

Anti-histamine and steroid free!

Non-drowsy

Temporarily relieves nasal congestion and sinus pressure due to upper respiratory allergies

Available in mass market retailers (Wal-mart, Target) pharmacies, and grocery stores nationwide for an average price of $11

Check out their facebook page here to get some great tips on how to cope with Spring allergies! 

   

               

Enter for your chance to win a bottle!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


*disclaimer: I received this product from the manufacturer. All opinions are my own

Garnier Fructis Hyrda Recharge Products!

Thanks to BzzAgent, once again I was selected to join a new campaign! The products they were sending out this time were hair care products! Yay! More specifically, Garnier Fructis' new line called "Hydra Recharge." In this BzzKit was 3 different full size products; the shampoo, conditioner, and the 1 minute moisture-plenish treatment!

When it comes to  Garnier Fructis products, I usually don't buy them. I'm not really into the scent. It's too fruity for me, I like a more flowery, subtle scent. But anyway, what really matters is how well the products work, right? Right! So let's talk about them!

Actually, wait just a minute. Let me rewind a little and share some facts about the products. The new Hydra Recharge line works best for dry to normal hair. I have slightly dry hair so I was anxious to see if this would help (more on that in a bit). It keeps hair weightless and silky for up to two days, which is good because I don't wash my hair everyday. Sometimes I go three days without washing it (not to be confused with showering, I shower every day, just don't wash my hair LOL). The availability of the products is amazing! They are available everywhere from grocery stores to drugstores! Another great thing is the price, it varies from $3.99 to $6.99 plus there are usually always coupons available for extra savings!

The shampoo is really cool! It has these micro beads in it that burst once massaged into your hair giving it some extra moisturizer! Cool right? Following the shampoo, is the conditioner. It gives your hair the moisture and smoothness we all love without weighing your hair down. The 1-minute treatment is my favorite part! It's an extra conditioning treatment that provides a deeper level of moisture and hydration.

So what do I think of it?
Honestly, I think it's a pretty good hair care system. It's not a game changer or something completely innovative but I did see a slight change in my hair. It did feel smooth and silky. It was also very shiny which I love! My ends which tend to dry out within a day, were still pretty hydrated and healthy looking after the second day. I mentioned that I didn't like the scent of the Garnier Fructis line but for me, the scent didn't really last anyway. It smelled more like my perfume than the Goji Berry, Passion Fruit & Kiwi that it's supposed to smell like. What's a Goji Berry anyway? Ok I googled it, they kind of look like tomatoes right?

Goji Berry 

I'm going to stick with this hair care system until it runs out and see if I notice a big improvement after several weeks.

Super glossy and shiny! 

*I received this product for free to test, all opinions are my own

Schick Hydro Silk Razor Review!

Well it is still winter here in NYC! We were reminded of this by that "little" storm, Nemo last weekend.     For some, the best part of winter is that your legs are covered which means less time shaving! I personally, love having smooth, silky legs so I was thankful for this BzzAgent campaign invite I received.

In my BzzKit was my Schick Hydro Silk starter kit, with a razor handle, shower hanger and two cartridges. There was also a huge stack of $5 off coupons!

Here's the facts about this razor and why you NEED it!
-The cartridges have a moisturizing serum strip that leaves your skin hydrated longer than any other razor!
-There are 5, yes FIVE curve sensing blades that move independently giving you the closest shave you'll ever get! Fewer strokes give less irritation and with these 5 blades, you will definitely need less strokes!
-The contoured cartridges make hard to reach places like knees and ankles a breeze to shave!
-The rubber grip handle makes holder the razor much easier! No more slipping out of your hands!
-The availability! These bad boys are available at almost every drugstore, pharmacy, and grocery store!


This razor has won the 2012 Cosmo Beauty Award for Best Razor and also the 2012 Beauty Award for Fitness Magazine, Prevention Magazine, and Ladies' Home Journal for Best Hair Remover!


I definitely got a real close shave when I used my razor. I've been using it for about a week now, with probably 3 shaves in between. My legs and underarms are incredibly smooth. I tend to have dry skin so I do need extra moisturizer. I wait a bit after shaving as there is a slight itchiness if I don't wait a bit after shaving. Overall, I really like this razor! It's about time a good razor with 5 blades has been made for women!    
                            


Check out Schick Hydro Silk's Facebook page here to learn more and score some big savings!


I received this product for free to test from BzzAgent

Cafe Escapes K-Cup Review!

As a BzzAgent, I was invited into the Cafe Escapes Campaign! I was so happy to get into this one as I am obsessed with my Keurig and obsessed with coffee!! There's nothing better than starting my day off with a good cup of coffee. This campaign offered me 2 boxes of different samples.

Here's what my BzzKit looked like 

In the boxes were the following flavors: Chai Latte, Milk Chocolate Hot Chocolate, Dark Chocolate Hot Chocolate, and Cafe Mocha, Cafe Vanilla, and my personal favorite, Cafe Caramel! So many to choose from right!? Also there were a bunch of $2 off coupons which I will use and share with friends and family! My personal favorites were Cafe Vanilla and Cafe Caramel!

Here's more of the samples and coupons!

Brewing in action!

I added some whipped cream and chocolate syrup! 

Who needs to
spend so much on that coffee house coffee? Not me!

I didn't like the hot chocolate so much, I brewed it using the recommended water amount but yet it still tasted watered down. Maybe next time I will go with even less water.

The coffees were all very rich and tasty! I liked the Chai Latte very much too! I've never had it before and didn't know what to expect. It had just the right amount of spice and flavor! I prefer coffee over tea, so I could see myself having the Chai Latte every once in a while. The Cafe Mocha was way to chocolate-y for me! I didn't really feel like I was drinking coffee.


What I like about Cafe Escapes coffees are that they are really low in calories! At 70 calories or less per flavor, you can indulge in a tasty treat and not have to worry about your caloric intake! They are also Gluten free!

I was highly impressed with these coffee flavors. The only thing I'm having trouble with is actually locating them in stores. I went out this weekend to purchase some more and couldn't find them anywhere! As soon as I do find them, watch out because I will most likely be clearing the shelves!!
                       

I highly recommend trying these! You won't regret it! 

I received these products for free for my opinion. 

Hello Again!

I haven't blogged at all last week. I started school again and my schedule is pretty crazy. On top of that, I'm also taking adult Confirmation classes at my church in the evening since I was never confirmed and apparently thats a MAJOR requirement to get married (in a Catholic church). My current major is Human Resource Management. I say "current" because I've changed it a few times which causes me to always be one of the oldest students in my classes. I'm taking a few management courses and the basic core requirements I guess you could say. Why music is one of these classes, I have no clue but it seems interesting so far. 

To be honest, I was also feeling a bit discouraged because Google disabled my AdSense account. I'm not sure why, they say it was due to invalid clicks, weird. I had a good amount in there too! Oh well, I didn't start this blog to strictly make a profit so I'm not going to stop just because of that. I'm tempted to switch to WordPress and take all of my readers with me :) 

I'm trying to get as much reading and studying done as I can this semester. I really want this one to be my best yet. My professors are all really awesome, the major plus of living and going to school in NYC is all the connections you get. I have some really interesting professors who all have some great advice to give and have had prominent careers in all fields. I hope I can use this to my advantage somehow! I'm also looking into joining some more clubs around the campus, preferably some that have to do with writing ;) 

I guess that's all for now! I'm currently drinking an amazing cup of coffee that didn't cost me a dime and I will try and tell you all about it soon! Enjoy the Super Bowl! Not sure who I will be rooting for but I definitely enjoy the commercials !