Review: Chuao Firecracker Bar

Last Saturday I told you about three of the bars my friends at my favorite chocolate company, Chuao Chocolatier (pronounced chew-WOW), recently sent me. Although we (I) wolfed those down, I smartly set aside one of the bars for later- the Firecracker bar.

Firecracker bar

Sultry sea salt, smoky chipotle, and popping candy exploding in dark chocolate.

Another bar with popping candy! This is quite a sophisticated chocolate bar- the chipotle flavor adds such a great dimension.... and the POPPING CANDY element is so COOL! Definitely a fave.

Chuao is launching a their Endless Summer Sweepstakes to give you the chance to win a $500 Cost Plus World Market gift card.

With two ways to enter – it’s simple and sweet! Snap a picture of your sweet summer moment….then:

1. Click HERE (http://chuaochocolatier.com/chuaoendlesssummer-html) to enter the sweepstakes. Use Chuao’s Facebook entry form and submit your photo using the hashtag #ChuaoEndlessSummer.
2. Follow Chuao’s Twitter (@ChuaoChocoholic)or Instagram (@ChuaoChocolatier). Submit your photo using the hashtag #ChuaoEndlessSummer.

Then start voting on Facebook – and get your friends to vote too! Photos from Twitter and Instagram will populate on Facebook, so let the voting begin. The photo with the most likes at the end of the sweepstakes period will be the grand prize winner.

The #ChuaoEndlessSummer sweepstakes begins on Aug. 22, 2013 and ends on Sept. 21, 2013. Additional winners will be chosen each week at random to receive a set of three delectable Chuao chocolate bars, and the grand prize winner will receive a $500 Cost Plus World Market gift card for the ultimate summer adventure! 

Rules and regulations can be found on Chuao’s website at http://chuaochocolatier.com/chuaoendlesssummer-html.

Disclosure: I received the bar featured above for review purposes.

LOTD #73 and Planning a Planner

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Rose ($22.50 at Sephora)

 

Rose was the first tinted Sugar balm that Fresh released, and it's definitely the least pigmented off all the ones I have. There's enough color that I wouldn't pass this one to my husband to use, but not enough for me to wear out and about.

 

Speaking of pigmentation, I thought I'd show some swatches of the other four I have. Berry and Cherry are definitely the most pigmented.

 



Left to Right......Plum, Berry, Passion, Cherry

 

Planner?

 

2 years ago  I joined in with the rest of the blogging world and ordered an Erin Condren planner. I loved it!

 

 

For 2013 I wanted something different, so I ordered a shimmering pink folio cover and spiral planner from Mom Agenda during a fabulous sale. (Loved that too!)

 

So now I'm deciding what to get for 2014..... the Erin Condren is $50, and a refill for the Mom Agenda folio cover is $24.....

 

Thoughts?

LOTD #72 and #StickWithIt

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Passion ($22.50 at Sephora)

I really like Cherry better than Passion. Much like how Berry was what I wanted Plum to be, Cherry is what I wanted Passion to be. Still, all these have a place in the stash because I love the scent and feel.



#StickWithIt

I am currently in Week 4 of an online bible study with Melissa Taylor on Lysa TerKeurst's What Happens When Women Say Yes to God: Experiencing Life in Extraordinary Ways. It is AMAZING.

 

Melissa has provided us with some great hashtags to concentrate on and use each week, and this week's is #StickWithIt. Melissa talked about how sometimes in the middle of something, the excitement wears off and you start to lose focus.

 

But I've got to tell you, I am having no trouble sticking with this study! This study has been pretty much life-changing for me and I absolutely love all the features they have built in for us- daily emails, a study blog, videos to watch, and conference calls. I subscribed to the conference call package, and those calls have really kept me going. My favorites are the Prayer & Encouragement calls- they are usually just what I need to hear to get through the week.

 

I am looking forward to doing more Online Bible Studies with Proverbs 31.

LOTD #71 and American Girl Paper Shaper

 Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Plum ($22.50 at Sephora)

Fresh Plum reminds me so much of Clinique Black Honey! However, I do love the smell and texture of Fresh Plum so much better. When this came out, I did want this to be a little darker, but then Berry was released and fit that bill, so there's still a place in my stash for this one.

 

American Girl Paper Shaper

 

Following a chorus of "I'm Bored!" the other night, I went hunting in our playroom for something fun to do that didn't involve electronics. You know, old-fashioned fun!

I found this American Girl Paper Shaper Chic Boutique book that WC received for either Christmas or her birthday (with them only being a week or so apart, it's hard to recall!).

 

Get ready to create specialty shops of your very own! Inside this book, you'll find mini-clothing, accessories, and furniture waiting to be folded and displayed in two 3-D pullout boutique scenes. Each shop and boutique piece is fun to assemble and set up, and they make darling desk displays or great little gifts for friends and family. All you need is a glue stick--everything else is included!

We have had the best time the last two evenings working on this. At 7.5, she can do most of it herself, but I step in from time to time when she's confused. It's just darling and I'm sure well work on it again tonight.

LOTD #70 and Magic Jinn

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Cherry ($22.50 at Sephora) 

Every time Fresh comes out with a new shade, I'm sure to buy it. They must know this! I have all of them except the Honey and love them all. The most pigmented are Berry and this newest shade, Cherry. Although they aren't long-wearing, the way they feel on the lips is just divine.

When we took our vacay to CO a few weeks ago, all of our lips got terribly chapped while hiking and I was so glad to have the original formula in my purse- the citrus scent is so nice and the whole family used it to give some relief to our lips.

Magic Jinn!

BzzAgent sent us a Magic Jinn to try and we opened it this weekend and it is so cute!

Whether your child’s favorite animal is the family puppy or they’re fascinated by exotic cheetahs, it won’t be long until they’re amazed to realize Magic Jinn can figure out what animal is on their mind. All your little one has to do is pick an animal, any animal, and answer a series of questions with either YES, NO, I DON’T KNOW or IT DEPENDS, and before they know it Magic Jinn will guess what they’re thinking of!

The funniest part is Jinn has a British accent and a pretty good sense of humor. One of my favorite phrases he says when you answer yes to his question is "That's what *I* thought!". WC has been playing him non-stop, but I think he's on to her because she keeps picking a giraffe for her animal of choice. I'm pretty sure he's going to tell her to pick a new animal soon! Ha!

Chuao Review and Endless Summer Sweepstakes

My friends at my favorite chocolate company, Chuao Chocolatier (pronounced chew-WOW), sent me some goodies and I was excited when they were delivered the day we were leaving on our End-of-Summer-Vacay to CO.

 

Potato Chip bar

Creamy milk chocolate, a sprinkle of sea salt and that irresistible potato chip crunch. The Potato Chip bar combines two of the most crave-able creations on the planet for total taste bud domination.

Mr. Sasha and I split the Potato Chip bar on the plane. We are big fans of the salty-sweet combo and this was perfect! The bits of potato chip are tiny and give just the right amount of salty crunch to this delicious chocolate bar. And it's just right for sharing.

Honeycomb bar 

Crunchy bits of golden, caramelized honey embrace deep dark chocolate, like secret lovers meeting on a warm summer night. Sweet and decadent, the Honeycomb bar will charm you… one nibble at a time.

The Honeycomb bar I have to admit I pretty much ate on my own in CO.... over the course of a few days. This one was all sweet, but that was fine with me. So so good!

 Pop Corn Pop bar

 

A nod to our favorite movie theater treat, we’ve mixed puffed whole grains, toasted corn chips, popping candy and a sprinkle of sea salt in creamy milk chocolate. Take a bite, close your eyes, and experience “popcorn” popping in your mouth! Surround sound not included.

And the Pop Corn Pop bar... well, no one in my house even knew about this one. I quickly hid it and saved it for myself! Ha! I was intruiged by the popping candy. It was so cool! It actually popped in my mouth as I was eating it. Love it!

 

Chuao is launching a their Endless Summer Sweepstakes to give you the chance to win a $500 Cost Plus World Market gift card.

 

With two ways to enter – it’s simple and sweet! Snap a picture of your sweet summer moment….then:

1. Click HERE (http://chuaochocolatier.com/chuaoendlesssummer-html) to enter the sweepstakes. Use Chuao’s Facebook entry form and submit your photo using the hashtag #ChuaoEndlessSummer.
2. Follow Chuao’s Twitter (@ChuaoChocoholic)or Instagram (@ChuaoChocolatier). Submit your photo using the hashtag #ChuaoEndlessSummer.

Then start voting on Facebook – and get your friends to vote too! Photos from Twitter and Instagram will populate on Facebook, so let the voting begin. The photo with the most likes at the end of the sweepstakes period will be the grand prize winner.

 

The #ChuaoEndlessSummer sweepstakes begins on Aug. 22, 2013 and ends on Sept. 21, 2013. Additional winners will be chosen each week at random to receive a set of three delectable Chuao chocolate bars, and the grand prize winner will receive a $500 Cost Plus World Market gift card for the ultimate summer adventure! 

Rules and regulations can be found on Chuao’s website at http://chuaochocolatier.com/chuaoendlesssummer-html.

 

Disclosure: I received the three bars featured above for review purposes.

First Day of School

I cannot believe how fast they are growing up! 2nd and 4th grade! We had a great morning and both kids were so excited to get their school year started.

LOTD #69 and OBS

Avon Extra Lasting Lipstick in Mauve Ice

Last week Avon had a free shipping code and I was dying to try their new Mega Effects Mascara, so of course I placed an order. I ran across this lipstick on sale for $6, so I thought I'd give it a try, and I LOVE it! It's so creamy and lasts all morning. It's also got a faint fruity smell that I really like. (I can't smell it once I apply it, just in the tube.)

Proverbs 31 Online Bible Studies

This week I started doing an online bible study for Lysa TerKeurst's What Happens When Women Say Yes to God and I can already tell it's going to be amazing! If you are looking for a study, we are only a few days in and it's not too late to join in! You can even read Chapter 1 online to see if it's a good fit for you. But let me tell you, Lysa's story in the first chapter will totally GRAB you and I think you'll feel like you NEED to read the rest of the book!

Click on the picture above to check it out! Let me know if you join in!