Showing posts with label birthday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birthday. Show all posts

12.23.2013

The 2013 Gift Guide For....[THE BOOK NERD]


It's here... the FINAL gift guide! Woohoo!

Have you been reading all our gift ideas?! Here are the others we've done!


Phew! There are a lot of gift guides, but I think we've discovered some pretty great gifts over the past few weeks! 

And guess what?! Our third birthday is in THREE DAYS, and there will be a HUGE birthday celebration with tons of recipes and a multi-blog birthday link up featuring sweet treats and DIY crafts from other bloggers! You don't wanna miss it!

So make sure you visit us on December 26th! 

Okay, this gift guide is for all those friends of yours who love to stick their noses in a book...and keep it there. Aside from school or work, this friend reads. Constantly. And for Christmas, you want to buy them something that is not a book. 

So here we go!



I love this brand, because they take classic book covers and turn them into jewelry, sweatshirts, t-shirts, coasters, and more. Check them out - you'll love their stuff!



Chances are your friend has a Kindle or a Nook. If so, why not buy them a nifty case?



I love this! You can find lots of scarves on Etsy that have book quotes on them. Cute yet nerdy and stylish at the same time!



I have long loved The Great Gatsby (yes, even before it was a movie). Show your love with this necklace. Not a fan of this book? You can find others!



Harry Potter is a classic for Millennials. Wear your love on your shirt! 



These are pretty cool - you can tell them what kind of book you want to be reconstructed, and they will make it into a planter for flowers!



This cool calendar features different short stories from famous authors each month. Each month you get to read something new when you change the month!



Rum named after Ernest Hemingway's boat. I mean, it's rum. You can't go wrong.



Now you can bind your own book! Everything is included to assemble your very own book.



You never knew you needed this until now. Four teas named after four characters in Pride & Prejudice. Now you can drink your favorite Jane Austin novel!

I hope those gifts gave you some good ideas for your book loving friend!

11.14.2013

It's (almost) our birthday... how do YOU want to celebrate?!

Guess what?!

PassingDaisies.net turns THREE YEARS OLD on December 26, 2013. That means our birthday is only a little over a month away... and I want to CELEBRATE!

The question is, what kind of celebration would YOU want to see? Giveaways for certain items? Recipes? Guest blog posts from well known food and fitness bloggers? Something COMPLETELY different?! It's so much more fun because our birthday is the day after Christmas, so we get to have a Christmas AND birthday celebration all in one!

The fact is, I simply cannot believe I've been blogging for three years already. When I started Passing Daisies back in 2010 (originally called The Vegan Collegian), I didn't think it would last much longer than a year. It was definitely slow getting started, but the payoff has been crazy. I've discovered some really great food blogs (and bloggers), tried a lot of new products, learned a lot of new web design and graphic design skills, and just generally had a lot of fun.

I haven't always been consistent about blogging, but I've always come back. This little place on the internet is like my child, and I know a lot of bloggers feel that way! We pour our hearts and souls (and stomachs) into our food blogs. And that is definitely what I've done with PD. I hope you are able to tell that. 

So, the question remains - what kind of celebration would YOU want to see? And how long would you like it to last? A month? A week? A year? (Ok, I'm kidding about a year long celebration. But a month is completely acceptable.)

Give me your feedback! :)

8.08.2012

UPDATES & KLUTCHClub Review!

Hey guys! 

It's been a week since my last post. A while, right? I've been swamped recently with stuff for school - I go back in two weeks, but the Newswire (our student paper) publishes its first issue next week for the freshmen who move in early. Crazy, right? So I have been really busy trying to get everything organized for that issue, like making sure we have a publisher, advertisements, stories, etc. Nuts! 


That being said, I haven't had much time to blog. Even now, I'm feeling a little pressed! I'm nervous about my Cincy Magazine internship, starting in September - and I feel like I will be turning down the opportunity because of the lack of time I will have in the school year. I really don't want to turn down this opportunity, but I feel like Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays will be the only time I have to do homework (all of my classes are on Tues/Thurs, which means a lot of homework on those days). With the internship, I wouldn't be able to actually do much on those days until around 4:30pm, and on Wednesdays, I have a night class. Which means less time. What should I do?

I've also been down and out with something called Parotitis - basically, swollen spit glands. It sucked because I couldn't chew anything and it was really painful. How did this happen? From this stuff:


Don't use it!!!! Seriously. If you read the reviews on Amazon, other people have become sick from using this mouthwash. It's terrible. I don't understand why they don't take it off the market - it's from one of the ingredients in it, called CPC. Gross. Avoid at all costs. I had to take Amoxicillin for 10 days because of it. Thankfully, as soon as I stopped using it, I felt better. 

I've also been trying to get back into my faith. I tend to get fired up about it, and then let that fire die down - now it's time to re-kindle my love for God. Stuart and I are both working on it together - even since he went on a Catholic family retreat and heard a speaker named Justin Fatica, he has been more enthusiastic about what he believes. He's Catholic, and I'm Protestant - so we have differing beliefs, but I'm trying to be more open to learning about his. We are both starting a read through the Bible in one year program, plus I bought some Bible studies for me. I'm hoping Stuart and I can find a study to do together as a couple.


This weekend was also a little crazy. I went with Stuart to Columbus for the weekend for his little sister's 4th birthday, which was a lot of fun! I took them some pretty little sugar cookies (I used this recipe). Aren't they pretty? Princess crowns, glass slippers, diamond rings and Tiffany tea pots! I had a lot of fun making them! Lydia (his sister) loved the cookies - she also got cute little bike for her birthday. Her brother (Simon - 2 years old) loved the cookies too! 


I will say this - I wasn't watching what I ate this weekend. Bad me. But now I'm back on track, counting calories and trying to eat healthier. Working out is escaping me, mostly because I don't have the time right now to dedicate to anything except my massive Newswire and back-to-school to do list. 

This lack of time means I'm quite a bit behind on product reviews. Whoops! That means I'll have quite a few coming your way this week. Let's start with another review of KLUTCHClub! You may have read my earlier review of this company. Well, they loved it so much that they sent me another box to review! How great is that?! Love this company!


What is KLUTCHclub? Well, its a monthly subscription service that provides subscribers with a box each month. That box contains over $50 worth of fitness, health, and wellness products like DVDs, workouts, snacks, makeup, and more. And you only pay $18 a month (or less)! You can subscribe for one month of one year, you choose. This is geared especially towards women. 

The above box is what I was sent this time - June's KLUTCHClub box. 


This box had quite a few things in it. One of my favorite discoveries was the Journey Bar (which I will also be reviewing shortly!). Journey Bars are basically savory nutrition bars, which are so cool since everything currently on the market is sweet. I absolutely love these. They use amaranth inside, which little round superfood seeds. Yum. The flavor sent in the box was coconut curry - and let me tell you - it was DIVINE. It tasted kinda like curry corn bread. I absolutely loved it. Try to find these sold in a store around you!


There was also a small bar of soap from Savy Boheme. It was an African Black Soap - fair trade and organic, like everything else this company sells. It was okay - I don't like bar soaps because they always make me feel really squeaky. However, if you like bar soap, you'll like this. 

There was also Japanese moisturizer from Yu-Be.  This is apparently the #1 selling medicated moisturizer in Japan. Who knew? I tried it on my hands, and I thought it was a little greasy. However, the packaging says it is also good to use on your lips and face for dry, cracked skin. It is a glycerin based lotion with added vitamins E, C, B2 and camphor. This kinda reminds me of Aquaphor or Vaseline. I think I'll try it on my heels, since they are so dry!

Next, Crum Creek Mills (I am also working with them on a review) sent one of their most popular items - Soy Nut Mix. If you like soy nuts, go for it. It's a decent snack mix - it has raisin, chocolate chips, soy nuts, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. However, it baffles me as to why it was featured on Dr. Oz and Oprah magazine. Hm. I think I just don't have a thing for soy nuts. I didn't really like this, but like I said, if you like soy nuts....give it a try! 

Finally, there were coupons - a free month subscription to My Barre3, $25 to Body Language Sportsware, and $30 off an OG Sack. I tried to My Barre3 workout, and I thought it was a challenging toning workout, but not for cardio. I'm more of a cardio person. My Barre 3 combines pilates and the ballet barre to get in a nice workout that will tone you and make you lean. Sadie, the creator, is a very fun person and I liked her personality a lot. If you are looking for a new workout, this is a good one to try! I haven't used the Body Language Sportsware gift certificate yet, because I really need to stop spending money, but all of their products look great. The coupon doesn't expire until September 15, so I'll definitely use it before then! And the OG Sack - well, I don't do enough yoga to utilize this, so I probably will not be using this coupon. The bags look cool though, and they have a special strap for carrying your yoga mat - check it out! 

Whew. There was your June KLUTCHClub! Are you inspired to buy your first box yet? If so, just click here to get started! 

Thanks again to the people at KLUTCHClub for being so patient with me. Look what I made from their box: 


Isn't it cute? I'm using it to hold books on my dresser in my room! And it's a great way to recycle instead of throwing the box away! Do you think I could win KLUTCHClub's Reduce, Reuse, ReKLUTCH contest? VOTE FOR ME PLEASE!!!

That's all for now, guys. Thanks for reading all of this, and enjoy your summers! 

Much love, 

5.25.2012

Columbus for the Weekend!

Hey everyone! I about to go to bed, I wanted to leave a little post before I leave for Columbus tomorrow afternoon. I'm going up to spend the weekend with Stuart's family and celebrate his 21st birthday.


Speaking of 21st birthdays, mine is in 10 days! I still don't know what I'll be doing - do you have any suggestions? 

Look forward to my Daring Baker's post for this month while I'm gone - it will post on Saturday. 

I love you all!

5.16.2012

WIAW #26: It's Not Too Late!





It's still Wednesday! I can still make the party on time!!

I seriously always forget about WIAW until its too late (or nearly too late, in this case) Isn't it awful? This is why I so often miss the party...

But not tonight!

{What I Ate}



Froyo with Stuart


Quinoa fried rice with brussel sprouts, tofu, carrots & edamame


Fresh blueberries with whipped cream


So Delicious Passionate Mango coconut milk ice cream with chocolate chips


Pineapple coconut water. I think I need to stop trying to convince myself that I enjoy coconut water, because I really don't. Most of this went down the drain. What's wrong with me? Everyone else raves about this stuff.....the exception to this is the chocolate Zico coconut "water" that my foodie pen pal sent me last month. That also had coconut cream and tasted like yummy chocolate milk.

{What I Will Eat Soon}


My Perfect Fit Protein came in the mail today! Yay! I'm so excited to try it!!

{What I Want For My 21st Birthday} 

Which, by the way, is in 19 days (June 4, for those who don't want to count). What is everyone sending me in the mail?! :)


I actually don't have to wish for this. I already know I'm getting one. I can't wait! I can finally buy all of the Hunger Games books and re-read them... and buy my textbooks on here! This will be so much easier to carry around than a million books I don't use! YAY!


This was also part of my birthday present - a new desk for my room. Isn't it pretty? Especially with the roses from Stuart, my Marilyn picture, and my cupcakes picture?


I printed this picture off and framed it. I love it. 

Now, here is what I would want if I was rich and could buy a million more things:


Running Biblical tank


Anchor hoodie


Laptop skin

Mockingjay pin


The Cookie Dough Lovers Cookbook

Yellow Sperrys



Micky Mouse sweatshirt


NUDE HIGH HEELS!!!!


Wagon wheel tank


Brown boots


Super cute swimsuit

....and about a billion other things. Have I bored you out of your mind with pictures yet? One last thing; I am turning 21, after all...


These all sound delicious to me.

{What I'm Currently Doing}


Watching Pride & Prejudice on TV. I somehow managed to pull a B in my Jane Austen class this semester, which shocks me, considering I read 3/4 of Sense & Sensibility and nothing of all the other books. Regardless...I love all the movie adaptations I've seen so far. The BBC adaptation of Sense & Sensibility with Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Dominic Cooper, & Kate Winslet is my favorite so far, I think. 

"I will have to tell you: you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on." - Mr. Darcy

Okay, I think I've bored you all for long enough now... enjoy the rest of your WIAW reads and see you soon! <3

Much love,