21 Days of Giveaways: Zevia

First thing's first - congratulations to the winner of a Healthy Surprise "Starter" box - #12, KAT. You rock! Email me you address so I can get that box mailed out to you! (Rebecca @ Blueberry Smiles, please don't forget to email me your address for your FREE Larabars...or I will pick another winner!)

Before we get started with the Zevia giveaway, I have a few updates for you! 

1. I am leaving at 5:30AM TOMORROW to head to the airport! I will be flying to Washington DC around 8AM to work the Fancy Food Show with my internship, Daelia's Biscuits for Cheese. I'm actually pretty excited about it, even though I'm new to flying. Learning the rules for flying is like speaking a new language.

2. Because I am leaving tomorrow,  all of the upcoming giveaways (through Wednesday) will last until Tuesday at MIDNIGHT EST. All winners will be announced either Wednesday for WIAW or Thursday (6/21). I return Tuesday around 11pm, so it just depends how exhausted I am.

3. I will try my best to get all those giveaways typed tonight so you can still enter each day. Otherwise, I might make one post with all the giveaways that you can comment on for the next few days. Let me know your thoughts.

Alrighty, then. Giveaway time :)

I love Zevia.

For a variety of reasons. First, it is the best, sugar-free pop ever! Why? Because it is sweetened with Stevia, a natural, no calorie sweetener, instead of sugar. Which makes me happy, because no calories is a great thing. Especially when it comes to pop! I'm sure you've all heard the disgusting saying that there is something like 9-11 teaspoons of sugar in each can of pop you drink. 

So disgusting. 

Well, Zevia fixes that problem by using Stevia. Perfect. And they fix that problem deliciously. Personally, I hate drinking my calories when I could be eating brownies instead of drinking coke, so Zevia makes me feel guilt-free.

They have a huge variety of flavors - my favorites (so far) are cream soda & orange. I really want to try their new lime, strawberry, and cherry colas. Yum! Maybe they will have it at the airport tomorrow morning?

One lucky reader will win an entire case of orange Zevia! 

Here's how to enter for your chance to win...just a leave a separate comment below for each entry. Thanks!

MANDATORY: Follow Passing Daisies and Zevia on Twitter and tweet the following: "Enter to win a case of soda from @Zevia on PassingDaisies.net! http://bit.ly/nQkq1N #21daysofgiveaways @cityxlights13 "

Want more chances to win? Who doesn't? Here are more ways to enter: 

1. Subscribe to Passing Daisies. If you subscribe, you get three extra entries!

2. Tell me something you would like to see more of on Passing Daisies. Recipes? Reviews? Workouts? Anything?

3. Tell me anything you want. Anything at all.

4. Follow me on Blogger.

5. Pin this post on Pinterest and mention PassingDaisies.net in the description.

THE WINNER OF THIS GIVEAWAY WILL BE POSTED WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20.

THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS TUESDAY, JUNE 19 AT 11:59PM EST.


Sorry, this is open to US residents only.

That's it! Side note - don't forget to like us on our newly updated Facebook, if you don't already. Thanks kiddos and good luck! The winner will be posted tomorrow morning, along with the next giveaway!

Much love,

The Great Debate

Hey friends!

First things first - the winner of the Zevia giveaway (according to random.org) is #28 - G! Congrats! Please email me so I can get your free Zevia shipped out to you!

How has everyone been? It's been another busy week for me. Only 1.5 weeks of school left! How great is that? As usual, I haven't been running because I've been writing papers... and my 5k is quickly approaching. My first 5k is this Saturday. I'm so nervous - especially since I haven't been training! Does anyone have any tips for me about preparing for a 5k? I'd really appreciate all your help!

I also think I may take up walking instead of running, since I'm a terrible runner (at least, I think so). Here's an info graphic I found on Pinterest about walking:

My only problem is I'm an intense cardio kind of girl, and I feel like walking won't do much for me - although it obviously does. What do you think? Do you walk? Do you enjoy walking? 

I'm also about to start a little bit of a debate here. I recently began eating fish. Why? Well, no real reason, really. I ate it once on Sunday when Stuart and I went out to dinner at Outback Steakhouse, and the only vegetarian option they had was some sort of pasta alfredo - and I really did not want a heavy cream sauce. So I decided to get the rare tuna - which was one of my favorites before I went vegetarian - and loved it. I also know I will be eating salmon for dinner this Sunday because Residence Life is taking us all to Montgomery Inn, and, again, there are no vegetarian options.

Which brings up another point - why do so many vegetarians think it's okay to eat fish? Fish is not a vegetable, people. I fully realize that. If you eat only fish, you are a pescatarian - not a vegetarian. Too often I hear "Oh, I'm a vegetarian who eats fish," and I'm thinking to myself then you're not a vegetarian! Uhg. It kills me! Sorry if that offended anyone - not trying to be offensive, but I just don't understand how fish is considered a vegetarian option. There are other ways to get omega-3s and protein.

So, anyways, back to my original question - to eat fish or not? I'm okay with it, I don't eat fish much anyways - as in, basically never - so I think it'd be alright. I can't tell you how many times I've almost gone back to eating meat recently, but I manage to pull myself together and stop myself every time, because I know I would rather have that animal live than be on my plate. Which is the same reason I wouldn't be eating a whole lot of fish.

What's your opinion?

Alright - I'm off to write another paper (yikes), go to class, mail a package, order some things for Newswire, and then go to BW3's and bowling with the Newswire staff. I'm also busy filling out job applications to the Disney store, First Watch, Whole Foods, Sur La Table, Charming Charlies, and much more! Hopefully I'll be able to find a job this summer so I won't be broke!

Adios!
Much love,

Reviews & Giveaways!

Hey guys!

Life, as usual, has been crazy busy. I have a feeling I won't be posting much until summer hits, when hopefully I will be able to post more! I am a bit behind on some product reviews I have, so this post will be putting three reviews into one. But first, a brief update on what's be going on with me!

Running still has not been happening, and my first 5k is on April 28. I'm pretty sure I'm just going to end up winging it and hoping for the best, alternating between running and walking. I tried to to run over Easter break and just ended up with a painful shin, so that didn't work. At least I ran a mile before getting the shin pain and painful stomach cramps.

My role as Editor-in-Chief has been going well and has been keeping me busy. I absolutely love it! It's a tradition that each year the old Editor-in-Chief buys their replacement a Louisville Slugger baseball bat - and I got mine on Thursday. It was bright pink! And it had my name engraved on it. Check it out:

Isn't it awesome?! I have to give a huge amount of thanks to Jake (who I'm replacing) - he has done a great job training me and I really, really appreciate everything he is done. 

I'm also currently looking for a part-time summer job. Seasonal jobs are so hard to find anymore. My mom doesn't believe me when I tell her that no one is hiring only seasonal and they want people who can work through the school year. Hopefully I'll be able to find something! 

I was recently sent a few pretty awesome new products to try out. First up, Rush Bowls. 

I gotta tell ya, I'm a huge fan of these. They are so neat. They come frozen, and each bowl is filled with pureed fruit and some sort of liquid (could be green tea, soymilk, etc), as well as a package of granola topping. You can thaw them overnight in the fridge and grab one for breakfast in the morning! They are so easy. And they taste like sorbet - who doesn't want to eat sorbet for breakfast? 

They are vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free, nut free, wheat free, dairy free, no artificial sweeteners, no artificial anything! And not too high in calories. Overall, I loved these. I thought all of the flavors were delicious: Acai Beach Bowl. Gluten-Free Beach Bowl, Power Bowl, Yoga Bowl, and Oasis Bowl. I tend to have a thing for the tropical flavors. You can learn more about the specific bowls here! 

The Daisy Rating

4/5 daisies

Next: Bee-Free Honee! 

When I first discovered this product, I was a little surprised; I mean, vegan honey? How do you make that? It turns out this delicious stuff is made from apples! 

Although it does taste kind of like condensed apple juice, this is really delicious and definitely feels like honey. I put it on a banana, and I thought it was great. I absolutely love it! If you're a vegan who misses traditional honey, this is a great alternative. I highly recommend this. It pours like honey, looks like honey, but smells like apples. It is tart and delicious. Yum.

The Daisy Rating

4.5/5 daisies

Finally: Zevia! 

I love this company because they make it possible for me to drink pop that is healthy and calorie free. How much better can it get? 

Zevia is a Stevia-sweetened soda that tastes like all of your favorite mainstream sodas: Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, Fanta, etc. I was lucky enough to be sent six of their flavors to try: Grapefruit Citrus, Mountain Zevia, Dr. Zevia, Cream Soda, Black Cherry, and Grape. They also have 3 new flavors available: Strawberry, Lime, and Cherry Cola. 

Although all we tasty, my favorites were Mountain Zevia and Cream Soda. They definitely tasted like the originals! My least favorite my Grape, but that is simply because I do not like grape flavored things. Definitely a personal preference. 

All of the sodas were yummy. They were very fizzy and had strong flavors that were easy to enjoy. These are the perfect substitute for high calorie, sugary sodas!

The Daisy Rating

4/5 daisies

GIVEAWAY

What to try some Zevia for yourself? One lucky PD reader will win a coupon for a 6 pack of their own Zevia to try! Here's how to enter! Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry!

MANDATORY  - tell me which Zevia flavor you most want to try and why.

Extra entries:

-Like Zevia on Facebook and follow them on Twitter
-Like Passing Daisies on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
-Tweet about this giveaway and tag @cityxlights13
-Subscribe to PD by email (3 entries)
-Post about this giveaway on your own blog and provide the link

-Follow PD on GFC (Google Friend Connect)

Giveaway ends on April 21st at midnight.
OPEN TO USA RESIDENTS ONLY.


Happy entering!
Much love,