Life of a Vegaholic

Hey guys! Today, I’m going to be reviewing the Adonit Ink UVC. As you guys know, I was a huge fan of the Adonit Ink Pro when I reviewed it for my Surface Go. If you haven’t seen that review, click here to check it out after you’re done reading this one. With Back to School season being in full swing, having a stylus is pretty much a must-have for school in my opinion. Having a stylus makes writing and marking up documents so much easier for students. When Adonit asked me if I wanted to review their latest Microsoft Surface device stylus, Adonit Ink UVC, I was pretty pumped to say the least. Especially since the Adonit Ink UVC is not your typically stylus. 

If you’re not familiar with the company Adonit, they are known for offering stylus products for all devices such as iPad, iPhone, Surface devices and Android and On-The-Go mobile technology products that fit every lifestyle. 

About the Adonit Ink UVC

The Adonit Ink UVC is the world's first EPA approved stylus compatible with the following Surface devices: 

Microsoft Surface 3 

Microsoft Surface Pro 3/4/5/6/7/X 

Microsoft Surface Book/Surface Book 2/Surface Book 3

Microsoft Surface Laptop 1/2/3

Microsoft Surface Studio, Microsoft Surface Studio 2

Microsoft Surface Go, Microsoft Surface Go 2

Now I know you’re probably wondering how and why this stylus is EPA approved, right? Of course you are. The reason why is because the Adonit Ink UVC has a built-in UVC light. Isn’t this so cool?! This stylus honestly has perfect timing because of the times we are currently living in. Corona times as I like to call it. In addition, the stylus has pressure sensitivity, quick shortcut buttons, palm rejection, and more. To be honest, I don’t know of any stylus that has all of this plus a built-in UVC light. This is why this stylus is so unique and can be very useful as the built in UVC light can kill germs off of your Surface device or any other surface you use it on. 

What’s in the Box? 

When you get inside of the box, you’ll see the stylus, the quick start guide, and a Micro USB charging cable.

Look and Feel

The Adonit Ink UVC comes in black and weighs 13 grams. It has shortcut buttons, which is always nice to have. The shortcut buttons activate the eraser and other shortcut functions. This can come in handy when you need to have quick access to modifying a document or you need to switch tools because it can speed up your creative process and/or writing process. You can also see the light on the side of the stylus. Overall, I’d say the stylus felt really nice in my hand. It’s very slim and feels so much like a pen in my hand, which is good.

Battery Life 

The stylus takes 1 hour to charge and it has a battery life of 100 hours of continuous drawing, which is absolutely insane! The battery life for the UVC light is 30 minutes of UVC light (30 times, 1 minute each). The cool thing is that you can charge the Ink UVC while you write and use the UVC light. 

Overall Thoughts: 

Having a built-in UVC light on your stylus is super handy as we know that our smartphones and tablets aren’t exactly the cleanest things on the planet. Haha. They are susceptible to all sorts of germs, so the thought of bringing a built in UVC light to a stylus is pretty cool. You can use it to clean your Surface device or just things around you. You can use it to disinfect tools and even appliances Adonit said to help with keeping you and your family in an environment that is more clean and safe. 

Another feature on this stylus that I think is neat is that the stylus has flip eye protection. This means that when you rotate the UVC light 180 degrees upward the light will immediately sleep in order to protect your eyes. It’s important to protect your eyes at all times and avoid direct light of the UVC light. 

Just a FYI, it does take time for the UVC light to kill things like bacteria and viruses, but the two UV bulbs that are in the Adonit Ink UVC are actually powerful. 

The price of the Adonit Ink UVC is $69.99, which is less than the *cough cough* Surface Pen *cough cough* and you get more added features with the Adonit Ink UVC. Overall, I think the Adonit Ink UVC is a great value as you get an awesome stylus experience with the added sanitizing features. It’s perfect for high school students, college students, and children. It can be such a useful tool for those of us who are doing online learning this Fall due to COVID-19. It’s also great for those who are working professionals and even just for day to day tasks. 

This week’s episode of the Oh My Allergies! Podcast is all about my favorite allergy friendly restaurants in Atlanta, GA. 

 In this week’s episode, I discuss: 

My favorite things to get from the restaurants mentioned

The type of food each restaurant offers 

My personal experience with the restaurants when it comes to meal options for various diets

The level of care they have for customers with food allergies in terms of food preparation and cleaning processes to avoid as much cross contamination as possible, and much more! 

This podcast episode of Oh My Allergies! is great for people who want to get recommendations on restaurants you may not be familiar with for your quarantine eats rotation.

Items Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Foodie Likes - GimMe Organic Teriyaki Roasted Seaweed Snacks, Lacroix Razz-Cranberry, Simple Truth Organic Instant Oatmeal Cup

Allergy News - https://scienmag.com/therapy-helps-children-with-food-allergies-manage-severe-anxiety/

Where Can You Find Us? Here’s How to Keep Up With The Vegaholic!

Blog: http://www.lifeofavegaholic.com 

*Subscribe to Life of a Vegaholic here: http://hyperurl.co/LOVSubscribe 

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/LifeofaVegaholic 

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CallMeValBarnes 

Valencia’s Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/CallMeValBarnes 

Podcast Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ohmyallergies 

If you guys listen to my podcast, Oh My Allergies! (subscribe to the podcast if you haven’t done so already), then you know how I’ve been wanting to get more into graphic design, drawing, and digital illustrations. This led me to wanting an iPad and then actually going through with it and purchasing the iPad.

Here’s a little back story on why I purchased one: I had been wanting to get a new iPad for a while now. I’ve had my first and only iPad for 8+ years now and it was honestly time for an upgrade. My first iPad is the iPad Mini and at the time I had gotten it, I really loved the size of it. As the years passed, the little guy was getting slower. Once it stopped getting software updates and app updates, I knew it was time for a new one. Since I wanted to get more into all things creative with the digital illustrations, drawing, graphic design, etc., it made sense to get one with a much bigger screen. Therefore, I ended up not going with the iPad Mini size. PLUS, I got all A’s this past semester in college, so I wanted to treat myself for all of my hard work this past semester and school year overall. I’m actually really proud of myself since I rocked both semesters of college this past school year. With that being said, all of those things combined gave me that extra push to just get a new one. 

Once I got an iPad, I knew that I wanted to get a stylus to use not only for its creative and artistic abilities, but also for note taking. I use it to take notes for the podcast, to-do lists, and other business and personal things. I know there’s a stylus that a lot of people recommend to get for the iPad (cough cough *Apple Pencil* cough cough), however I wanted to try a more economical option that did what I wanted the stylus to do but at a more affordable price point. Here’s where the Adonit Note+ enters the chat. 

So for the past 4 or so weeks, I’ve been playing around with and testing the Adonit Note+ stylus and today, I’m going to be doing a product review on the Adonit Note+. 

If you’re not familiar with the company Adonit, they are known for offering stylus products for all devices such as iPad, iPhone, Surface devices and Android and On-The-Go mobile technology products that fit every lifestyle. I’ve become a fan of their products as I have the Adonit Ink Pro for my Surface device and I actually talked about my thoughts on this stylus on the blog, so you can click here to check out my review of it.

ABOUT THE NOTE+

The Adonit Note+ is an advanced, pressure sensitive stylus that is compatible with the following iPad models:

iPad Pro (11 inch or 3rd generation 12.9 inch)

iPad Air (3rd generation)

iPad (6th generation and 7th generation)

iPad Mini (5th generation)

I really like how the Note+ is compatible with a lot more devices than the native Apple stylus, the Apple Pencil. I know when it comes to the Apple Pencil you have to get a certain one depending on the iPad model you have, which can be confusing. I’ve heard so many stories of people purchasing the wrong pencil for their device, so I really like how Adonit wants to keep things as simple as possible and cut the confusion out by making the Note+ compatible with multiple devices. This can be helpful if you have an iPad Mini and a regular sized iPad because you can use this stylus on both devices. Neat right? 

WHAT’S IN THE BOX? 

When you get inside of the box, you’ll see the stylus, the quick start guide, and a USB-C charging cable. 

LOOK AND FEEL 

The Adonit Note+ only comes in black and weighs 15 grams, which is less than the *cough cough* Apple Pencil *cough cough*. 

On the end of the Adonit Note+, there is a USB-C port to recharge the pen. The stylus comes with a USB-C charging cable which is great but I rarely use it. This is because the majority of Apple’s latest products like their iPad Pro models and their MacBooks charge via USB-C, so I already have USB-C chargers laying around the house from my other devices. 

PERFORMANCE 

When I first turned on the stylus, there weren’t any issues with connecting it to my tablet and I was able to use it immediately. I didn’t have to hassle with connecting the Note+ via Bluetooth or anything like that. All I did was just push button A to turn it on and then once the LED light turned blue on the Note+, it was active and ready for all of my note taking and drawing needs. 

One of my favorite things about the Note+ is that it doesn’t feel like I have a stylus in my hand. It feels like I have an actual pen in my hand and it doesn’t lag when taking notes. When looking at my handwriting on paper versus my handwriting electronically, I feel like the Note+ does a pretty good job at matching my handwriting. The stylus did a pretty good job at the natural hand/palm rejection. 

If you’re not sure what natural hand/palm rejection is, it basically means you can rest your hand on the screen of your iPad without accidentally making a mark with your palm. This feature always saves me because I guarantee my notes and drawings would look a HOT MESS if this feature wasn’t on this stylus. Haha. 

I use the pen a lot to jot down ideas for future podcast episodes, talking points for the different segments of the podcast, journaling, church notes, notes for personal reasons, etc. When it comes to drawing and illustrations, I use the app Affinity Designer and so far I really love this app. I have been just drawing and creating away with that app and I’ve been using this quarantine time to do just that.

I’m still getting acquainted with the app, but so far so good. I also have used the Note+ with coloring book apps on the iPad, which have been quite the stress reliever when quarantining. Haha. 

When it comes to taking notes, I like to use OneNote because I can access my notes on multiple devices. I can access them on my phone, my laptop, etc. The Note+ works really well in this app. I also use the Notes app that comes on the iPad with the stylus and it works well in this app too. 

Here is a sample screenshot of what it looks like to take notes using the Note+ in my favorite app, OneNote:

I know that this stylus has it where you can program shortcuts into the buttons on the side of the pen. For an example, you can program one of the buttons to act as an eraser, but this only works with certain apps. This is a little annoying, I will say. Not only do the program shortcuts work with certain apps, but advanced features of the Adonit Note+ like tilt support (tilting the stylus to create a shading effect when sketching, drawing, etc.) and pressure sensitivity only work in certain applications as well. The Adonit website states that the following apps support the Adonit Note+: 

Concepts 

Zen Brush 2 

KDAN Noteledge 

ArtStudio Pro 

Procreate 

Adobe Draw 

Adobe Sketch

GoodNotes 5 

Notability 

...and much more! Click here to see what apps support the Adonit Note+. 

BATTERY LIFE 

I don’t find myself charging this stylus that often. Since I’ve had it, I’ve only had to charge it only once. The battery life on the Note+ is 10 hours of continuous use, which isn’t too bad. This will come in handy if you are going to be using this stylus a lot during the day for school, work, personal matters, etc. The battery can easily be charged using the USB-C charging cable that came in the box and it will take 1 hour for the Note+ to charge. I like how it doesn’t take too long to charge. You can charge it while you’re getting ready for bed, while watching a TV show, while cooking dinner, or something along those lines. Whenever you wake up, it’ll definitely be ready for use in the morning (*sings in Kylie voice* rise and shine). I just couldn’t help myself there. Haha. 

OVERALL THOUGHTS 

Overall, I really like the Note+ and I find myself using it a lot for day to day tasks such as making to-do lists and planning out podcast episodes to coloring in coloring book apps and doing digital illustrations. I highly recommend the Adonit Note+ if you are looking for a great stylus to draw, take notes, mark up PDF files, etc., on your iPad. It’s very easy to use, it’s comfortable in the hand, it’s light, sturdy, and most importantly it’s affordable. 

The price of the Adonit Note+ is $69.99, which is a lot less than the native Apple stylus. I am a big fan of how flexible the Adonit Note+ is in terms of how many devices it’s compatible with when compared to the Apple stylus. You can just get the Note+ and it can work with 7 models. It works the 11 inch iPad Pro models, the 3rd generation iPad Pro, the 6th generation and the 7th generation iPad, the 3rd generation iPad Air, and the 5th generation iPad Mini. However, the Note+ can be limiting in terms of what apps support it. 

Third party app developers have to add support for the Note+ to their apps in order to fully take advantage of the advanced features of the stylus. Therefore, this fact makes the Apple stylus more broadly supported when comparing it to the Note+. It’s just something to think about. For an example, I’ve been looking into maybe getting the apps GoodNotes 5 and Procreate, so I’m very excited these apps support the Adonit Note+. 

Honestly, it really just comes down to if you are looking for a stylus that is much more affordable than the native Apple stylus and if the apps you want to use support the Note+. This is so you can take advantage of its pressure sensitivity, natural tilt support, and the natural hand/palm rejection features. If you use any of these apps listed above or the apps that the Adonit website says support the Note+, the Adonit Note+ may be the perfect match for you. If you prefer using other apps that aren’t listed, you may want to look into other stylus options as they may be a safer choice. 

Overall, you get such a good stylus experience with the Note+ and it’s perfect for students, for work, and even just for day to day tasks. The Adonit Note+ has your back!

Hey guys! I know it’s been a minute since I’ve talked to you all through the blog. I’ve been working on a passion project for the past few months and I officially debuted it towards the end of December/early January 2020. AHHH! If you follow me on Twitter and Instagram, you probably know that I started my own podcast. 

However, I realized that I didn’t make the official announcement here on the blog. Haha! To be honest, I had been thinking about starting a podcast for a while. However, I kept going back and forth on whether I should do it and if I did what would it be about you know? I finally bit the bullet and I’m so happy I did it. My podcast is called, Oh My Allergies!

The Oh My Allergies podcast is all about allergies, hence the title. I talk about food allergies as well as seasonal allergies on the podcast as someone who deals with both food allergies and seasonal allergies. I love being able to hop onto the podcast each week and discuss different topics in the food allergy and seasonal allergy space while bringing awareness to those allergies as they aren’t talked about a lot. At least not as much as they should be. I also get to talk about fun stuff and rant on the podcast as well through some of the segments I have on the show, so you all can get to know me better as a person.

I’ve posted 10+ episodes for the podcast and it’s been so therapeutic to just talk and have fun while helping people as well. I’ve talked about different topics such as my vegetarian journey, how I found out I was allergic to certain nuts, how to navigate and survive the holiday season with food allergies, how to beat indoor allergies, and much more! 

If you aren’t subscribed to my podcast, Oh My Allergies, you definitely should. I upload a new episode on Tuesdays and we have great conversations. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, TuneIn Radio, iHeart Radio, and Anchor. 

Hey guys! I know it’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted a new blog post or recipe here, so I wanted to give you guys a life update about myself. I’m going to be answering questions like what I’ve been up to lately, why I haven’t been posting on the blog, and what’s going on with LOV (Life of a Vegaholic). 

I’ll start off with what I’ve been up to lately like as of this past school year:

I don’t know if I’ve ever said what my major is, but I’m a Communications major on the Public Relations track. Previously, my minor was Business Administration, but this past school year I actually changed it to Computer Science. Now, that has been.....an adjustment for me to say the least since Business and Computer Science use two totally different sides of my brain. Haha!

I’ve always had an interest in the technical side and specs world when it comes to computers from growing up around it. Computer Science took up a lot of my time last school year. I always had homework in those classes, whether it was programming exercises for homework, reading responses, labs (which are three hours long), etc. Plus, I would go to additional sessions that the professor held and go to tutoring if I had any questions. Sometimes I would have to remind myself what my actual major is and other people too. Haha!

I felt like I had more homework than I’ve ever had in college, plus I was dealing with a lot personally. One of my main priorities is my education and you guys know that, so my creative fire was not as lit as it normally is. 

I love being involved and being able to make a difference on and off campus, so I’ve been getting more involved in student organizations. I was the treasurer of an organization last year and now I’m the vice president of the same organization. I joined a national service fraternity and I want to join more organizations too. 

This past semester, I was very happy with my GPA. I had two classes that were really, really time consuming. I had group projects in both classes and then we had to present our final portfolio as a group for our class final. The finals for both classes were on the same day, back-to-back, so I wasn’t too thrilled about that. 

To be honest, I kind of prefer having a presentation as a final rather than having an exam, I don’t know. What do you guys prefer to have as a class final? A final presentation or a final exam? Tell me in the comments below!

I was really happy to know that I got As in both of those classes. YAY!

My summer plans: 

This summer, I did an internship in the financial services sector and I had to wake up SUPER early for it. I would wake up at like 5:30 am-6:00 am, and wouldn’t get home until 6:00-6:30 pm. I haven’t had to wake up that early since playing soccer. Haha!

Then, I would have to tend to my dog such as playing with her, taking her outside, feeding her, etc. It would feel like I would just blink and then it would be 9:00 pm and I’m like “where did the time go.” Since I was waking up so early, I would want to be in bed by like 10:00-10:30 pm at the absolute latest, but we know that didn’t always happen because stuff always comes up. 

All in all, I was able to learn a lot during the internship, met a lot of great people, and I am so grateful that I was able to do it.

Upcoming school year:

To be honest, I feel really great about this upcoming semester and just the upcoming school year too. Usually when I make my class schedule, I’m more fixated on the times of the classes fitting into my schedule and not the actual professors. Professors can really make or break your classes. With that being said, I made sure that my schedule was flexible enough to be able to get the professors I wanted while making sure the classes fit in with my regular schedule since I do work. 

Thankfully, I was able to get all the classes I wanted on the first try. I wasn’t put on any waitlists for my classes, which is awesome! I’m optimistic about this school year and as long as I have God on my side, I know I can accomplish everything that I want to do. 

Now that I’ve told you guys a little about what’s been going on with me personally, you guys are probably wondering about Life of a Vegaholic: 

Life of a Vegaholic isn’t going ANYWHERE. I created Life of a Vegaholic back in 2014 to bring together vegs and non-vegs alike that have one thing in common: a love for veggies. I also made Life of a Vegaholic for people who are vegs and are dealing with food allergies or have any sensitivities so that they would not feel like they are alone and to bring a sense of encouragement and guidance to people. 

I didn’t want people who have food allergies or sensitivities like me to feel like their food has to be boring because it doesn’t have to be boring. I’ve done a lot of thinking and there are so many more things I want to do with this blog. 

Hey guys! Today, I’m announcing that I was asked to be an Atlanta blogger for the Nourished Festival! I’M SO EXCITED AHHH! Did I already say that I’m really excited?! Now you’re probably thinking, “Oh Valencia, what is the Nourished Festival? I’m not familiar with it.” Well, the Gluten Free Allergen Friendly Expos are now called Nourished Festivals. It’s going to take some getting used to, I know!

If you’re not familiar with either of the two names I just said and you’re still lost in the sauce, let me tell ya some more information! Haha! The Nourished Festivals - The Gluten Free, Allergy, and Special Diet Festival, previously known as the Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Expos, are the largest and fastest growing special diet consumer events in the US. These events started in 2007 (as the Gluten Free and Allergen Free Expo). They are professionally managed and have expanded to eight ten different cities throughout the US of A.

The Nourished Festivals welcomes needs of not only the Celiac and gluten-free community, but also those with gluten sensitivities, auto-immune/inflammatory diseases, and autism. There will be a number of exhibitors at the event such as Hello Fresh, Enjoy Life, Maggiano’s Little Italy, Bob’s Red Mill, Blue Diamond Nut Thins, one of my favorite brands, Path of Life (I’ve talked about them and have worked with them a few times on the blog), and many more to be able to sample products from! There will also be classes taught by chefs, doctors, public figures, etc., ranging from topics such as The Keto Metabolic Makeover class taught by Dr. David Jockers, Roadmap to Healing Autoimmune taught by Dr. Peter Kan, New Flavors! New Ideas! for Plant-Based Gluten Free, Vegan Baking taught by Chef Einat Mazor, and more!

With the transition from the Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Expos to the Nourished Festivals, there has been a rebrandation (yes that’s gonna be a word today) and they added some new zones to the event. In addition to their Gluten-Free and Nut-free sections, they are adding Paleo, Keto, and Plant-Based zones! YAY! My heart is SO full and SO happy that there will be even MORE options available for those with dietary restrictions as you all know that I’m a pescatarian with dairy allergies and I’m allergic to specific nuts!

Now let’s get to the event details! The Nourished Festival taking place in Atlanta, GA is happening on March 30 and March 31st, which is a Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 3:00 pm on both days. The venue for the Festival is the famous Cobb Galleria Centre. It’s going to be in Exhibit Hall D. The venue address is Two Galleria Parkway Atlanta, Georgia 30339. 

The Nourished Festival is a great atmosphere to not only get a reusable tote filled with a bunch of goodies upon entrance (which is amazeballs), attend classes, and try new products, but it’s such a great event to meet other people and bloggers like myself who understand where you are coming from and live a life filled with dietary restrictions! They’ll understand your need to carry emergency Bendadryl and an EpiPen. They’ll understand why you can’t just pick off the cheese off your pizza if you have dairy allergies. They’ll just GET IT! This event is filled with such a community of accepting and welcoming people. I highly encourage you going! 

If you’re interested in purchasing tickets, click here and....drum roll please....I have promo codes for my Life of a Vegaholic readers! GOOD NEWS RIGHT?! You guys are SO awesome and I wanted to help you guys out a bit because I REALLY want you guys to be able to come out to the Nourished Festival (I gotta get used to saying that lol). If you use promo code EARLYBIRD through 2/28 for 30% off.

After 2/28 up until 3/29, you can use promo code ADVANCE  for 20% off.

This event is definitely the place to be at if you have any sort of dietary restrictions especially with the new zones they’ve introduced to the event! 

I’m so excited about going to the Nourished Festival in Atlanta as an Atlanta blogger! Thank you to the Nourished Festival and the Gluten Free Mag for inviting me! I’ve been a blogger for the Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Expo since 2014 and every year I’ve had so much fun and have gotten the chance to come across some new brands and reconnect with some of my favorite brands! I’m looking forward to seeing how the rebranding of these events works out and I’ll definitely post my usual roundup posts of my favorites and my experience at the event, so make sure you’re subscribed to the blog if you haven’t done that already.

Disclaimer: Adonit provided product for this review. However, all opinions are my own and are straight from my own noggin’. Find out more about Life of a Vegaholic’s blog policies here.

I don’t think I told you guys this, but right before I went back to school this school year in August I purchased the Microsoft Surface Go. I purchased the Surface Go to be able to lighten the my backpack load because I would carry my laptop everywhere with me and my laptop in conjunction with other things in my backpack made it heavy to the point where it was bothering my back which really concerned me. Usually my typical day at school requires me to have to pack everything I need for the entire day as I have classes back to back, go straight to work and then I go to club and student organization meetings right after. I wanted the Surface Go not to completely replace my laptop but to be able to have it as a companion to my laptop. I wanted something portable to be able to use in my computer science classes (where it is better to use Windows anyway) and for the times I want to go to the library and study with my friends, but don’t want to bring my laptop and notebooks.

After I purchased the Surface Go, I saw some people I know use their Surfaces or tablets in general as a digital notebook. Seeing how much of a game changer it was, I wanted to transition from writing traditional notes to writing my notes digitally. When I started to do research on finding a stylus/pen to write digital notes, I realized that I wanted a stylus that first worked with my Surface, which didn’t give me that many options. Haha! But on a serious note, I wanted a wireless stylus with hand/palm rejection and can also be used as a tool to help me with my presentations as well because well presentations can be a little tricky at times. Haha! I’m literally having flash backs to a presentation I did last semester where I dealt with all the technical issues you could think of. It was horrible. Anyway, I ended up coming across the Adonit Ink Pro stylus and really took a liking to it.

First off, it’s not as expensive as other options in the market, and secondly it offers a lot of the same features as the stylus that the manufacturer sells plus more! The Adonit Ink Pro can not only fulfill your writing needs, but it also has this feature called Presentation Mode. Presentation Mode allows you to be able to click through slides with the shortcut buttons and the Ink Pro connects to the Windows Ink app, enabling remote access to your presentations. A few other features include having a laser point tip to be able to use during your presentation to direct attention to the important elements of your presentation and the stylus is Cortana enabled meaning that you can use voice commands with your stylus. VOICE COMMANDS!!!! 

So for the past 3 or so weeks, I’ve been playing around with and testing the Adonit Ink Pro stylus and Today, I’m going to be doing a product review on the Adonit Ink Pro stylus. If you’re not familiar with the company Adonit, they are known for offering stylus products for all devices such as iPad, iPhone, Surface devices and Android and On-The-Go mobile technology products that fit every lifestyle.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX?

When you first open the box, you’ll see the Adonit Ink Pro stylus of course, a quick start guide, and the stylus charger. I really think the stylus charger is so cool as it looks so sleek. I know I sound crazy fangirling over a stylus charger, but AHH, I love it! Haha!

LOOK AND FEEL

The Adonit Ink Pro comes in black and white. I have the white one and this stylus is relatively light coming in at 18 grams, which is lighter than the Surface Pen and the Apple Pencil. It doesn’t feel like it was cheaply made, however I do feel like the stylus is a bit on the bulkier side, but I don’t mind it as it helps with having a better grip on the stylus. The stylus feels sturdy and like it will last long, which is great!

PERFORMANCE

I did a lot of writing tests with the Adonit Ink Pro stylus in OneNote. When I first turned on the stylus, there weren’t any issues with connection and I was able to use it immediately with my device. The stylus behaved well with OneNote. There weren’t any lags and my handwriting using the stylus pretty much matched my handwriting using regular paper and pen. The stylus did a great job at the hand/palm rejection. 

In addition to being used as a writing pen, I mentioned earlier in this post that the Ink Pro has features such as being Cortana enabled and having a laser pointer. For the laser pointer, I wasn’t able to figure out how to turn it on. I looked in the Quick Start guide, but still had trouble with turning it on so I would say that Adonit should do a better job at showing users how to turn this feature on. 

There is actually a built-in microphone in the Adonit Ink Pro stylus that allows you to be able to ask your stylus questions. I freaked out when I first saw that as a feature, but this feature could come in handy a lot if you want to create a note, see how your schedule is looking for the day, open apps, etc. The possibilities are endless it seems. It’s so handy and it’s something that I didn’t think I needed in my life, but it makes my life a little easier so I’m not mad about it. Not gonna lie, haha!

BATTERY LIFE

The Adonit Ink Pro came pre-charged, so it’s ready to be used straight out of the box. One of my favorite features of the Adonit Ink Pro is the fact that the battery life is 24 hours of continuous use. 24 HOURS!!! This will come in handy if you need the stylus when you are at school, work, have meetings all day and even when you get home. The battery is easily recharged using the USB cable that came in the box and It will take around 45 minutes for the Adonit Ink Pro stylus to charge. I usually charge all of my electronics when I’m getting ready for bed, so when you wake up it’ll be ready for ya in the morning! One thing that really confused me and I don’t know whether I like this or not, but it’s the fact that there isn’t an off button. If you don’t use the stylus for 15 minutes, it will automatically turns itself off. I kind of wish there was an off button, so that I don’t feel like I’m draining the battery of the stylus but I guess it’s nice for times you may forget to turn off the stylus since you don’t need to. 

MY OVERALL THOUGHTS

This post is sponsored by Path of Life. As always, all opinions are straight from my own noggin’. I only work with brands I 100% believe in & use regularly. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Life of a Vegaholic going.

Fun fact, Miso Soup is one of my favorite soups. My mother would make it all the time when I was younger. What I love about miso soup is that it is not only good for you, but it’s delicious, easy to customize and easy to make. If you’re not familiar with miso soup, miso soup is a mild broth-based soup. The broth of miso soup is made from water and miso paste. Traditionally miso soup has cubed tofu, green onions, and nori in it, but today’s recipe for miso soup has a little twist to it. Today, I’m going to be sharing how to make this Asian Style Quinoa Miso Soup. 

This Asian Style Quinoa Miso Soup is perfect for soup season, which is just around the corner. This miso soup is packed with some traditional ingredients such as tofu and green onions, but it is also filled with some yummy surprises like Path of Life’s Asian Style Quinoa, mushrooms, bok choy, and rainbow chard. Incorporating Path of Life’s Asian Style Quinoa adds not only more flavor and color to the dish but it also adds more veggies and protein to it thanks to the red and white quinoa and brown rice that’s in it. There’s a blend of green peas, yellow squash, red bell pepper, gluten-free soy sauce, green onions, garlic, ginger, extra virgin olive oil and toasted sesame oil in the Path of Life’s Asian Style Quinoa steamable bag. Yes, I said steamable bag because you have the option of either preparing the quinoa on a stovetop (like I opted to do for this recipe) or you can prepare the quinoa by putting it in the microwave for 5 minutes or less. This soup tastes so smooth and clean. It’s really great for taking care of yourself inside and out when you catch yourself sniffing or when you’re just in need of some good ‘ole nourishing, healing, comfort food. 

What You’ll Need: 

(Serves 2)

4 cups of water 

1 10 oz package of Path of Life’s Asian Style Quinoa 

3 Tbsp of miso paste (I used a chickpea-based miso)

1/4 cup of bok choy 

1/4 cup of rainbow chard 

1/2 cup of chopped green onions 

1/4 cup of sliced mushrooms (I used a combination of shiitake and white mushrooms)

1/4 cup of tofu, cubed 

Directions: 

1. Prepare Path of Life’s Asian Style Quinoa as instructed on the packaging. 

2. Place water in a medium saucepan and bring to a low simmer. 

3. Place 3 Tbsp of miso paste into a small bowl, add a little hot water and whisk until smooth. This will prevent it from not clumping. Set aside. 

4. Add rainbow chard, green onions, mushrooms, bok choy, and tofu to the pot and cook for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

5. Add Path of Life’s Asian Style Quinoa to the pot, stir, and cook for 2 minutes. 

5. Remove from heat, add miso mixture, and stir to combine. 

6. Taste and add more miso or a pinch of sea salt and black pepper if desired. Serve warm and it’s best to serve when fresh. 

Hey guys! Today, I’m going to be sharing my July Favorites 2018 aka July Faves for 2018 with you guys! I cannot believe that we are now in August. AUGUST, this year is basically over guys. That’s so crazy! It just seems like this year got started yesterday. Anyway, these are the products I’ve been loving not just this past month but also just within these past few months. I’m excited to talk about these products. Some may even shock you guys, so without ado let’s get into my July Favorites!

I’ve been trying so many different foods lately because of my whole internship and all. I’ve been coming up with breakfast ideas to change lunch ideas and trying to find fulfilling snacks to make and bring to work!

Favorite Food of the Month 

Cedar Foods Original Hommus 

Yes, you guys read that right! I have officially been converted to a hummus lover. I like big bowls of...hummus and I cannot lie (get it? Hehe!). Well not really, but you get my point haha! I picked this up during a Whole Foods trip because I was caving into my mom badgering to get on the hummus train all these years. Love you mom, but you know you did it haha! What’s funny is that I loved chickpeas but used to strongly dislike hummus. Now that I look back, I genuinely don’t know why I didn’t like it before. Maybe I tried some garlicky hummus *insert shoulder shrug* who knows?

Anyway, I tried it and honestly, it was love at first spoonful? Is that even a phrase, well it is today. Haha! Now, it’s my go-to snack. I take some with me to work and pair it with either sweet potato tortilla chips when I’m in a “chips and dip” mood. When I want something healthy, I’ll pair the hummus with either cucumber and/or carrots. I honestly prefer to have hummus with cucumber and carrots. It’s SO good and I highly recommend it! You’re probably already doing that since I’m late to the hummus party, but whatever haha! 

Freedom Foods Pro-Teen Crunch Cereal 

I haven’t had cereal well besides hot cereal in like YEEAARRSS! I went back to eating cereal this summer because it’s such a quick and easy breakfast option. The first cereal I tried didn’t really fill me up and I was hungry an hour later, which sucked. I was then on the look for a cereal that filled me up and wasn’t just all carbs you know? I wanted a cereal that had protein in it that wasn’t nuts. I came across Freedom Foods’ Pro-Teen Crunch Cereal and was so happy I found it because it was everything that I wanted in a cereal because it has a source of protein and fiber in it thanks to the rice, psyllium husk, corn, and the chickpea flour. This cereal is dairy-free, nut-free, gluten-free, soy-free, no artificial colors or flavors, egg-free, and has no GM ingredients in it. It tastes so good and has this natural banana-y flavor to it because of the psyllium. I’m not a fan of bananas however I really like this cereal! I highly recommend it. I have bought so many boxes of this cereal since it was on sale to stock for now and for when I go back to college because this will definitely become one of my go-to breakfasts at school. Like seriously I have never had this many boxes of cereal within my possession all at once, hahaha!

Freedom Foods TropicO’s Cereal 

Even though I’ve never had Fruit Loops in my life, this cereal reminds me of Fruit Loops because it’s colorful like it. I was kind of iffy about this cereal because I thought that it was going to be sugary like Fruit Loops are, but it surprisingly didn’t taste all that sugary. There are only 6 or so grams of sugar per serving and a serving is 1 cup. That’s not that bad in my opinion for cereal you know? I’m happy that the cereal is naturally colored like they use natural colors and flavors such as sweet potato extract, turmeric, red rice extracts, and carrot extract to add color and fun to this cereal. This cereal also has psyllium husk and chickpea for some fiber, protein, and a banana-y taste. Again, I really like this cereal and have stocked up on this cereal as well. So far I’ve had great experiences with Freedom Foods’ cereals and I highly recommend trying them out especially if you have food allergies like myself. 

Cucumbers + Carrots 

I like pairing these with hummus. I usually go with either mini cukes or regular cucumbers and baby carrots. It’s such a healthy combo with the hummus. I don’t feel bad about eating it and it’s yummy. The other day when I was watching the Bachelorette, I was chomping on some carrots and hummus. It’s fulfilling and I genuinely enjoy! Two thumbs up for me! 

Teas’ Tea Organic Unsweetened Iced Green Tea 

You guys know that I LOVE green tea. I have a good amount of green tea in my possession haha! I came across this green tea during a grocery shopping trip. It’s unsweetened green tea, which is just the way I like my green tea and it was delicious. I believe that it was Jasmine Green Tea and it tasted so smooth and amazing! When I went to go get more, the store was all out and I was so incredibly sad. Hopefully, I can find this tea again because it was honestly thebomb.com guys. 10/10 recommend. 

Pop Chips Barbecue Chips 

Barbecue chips were my all time favorite kind of chips. I used to eat Lays Barbecue chips all the time when I was younger, but they really aren’t all that good for you so I turned to the barbecue chips from Pop Chips for a healthier alternative. Haha. These barbecue chips from Pop Chips are really good. They do the barbecue chip justice and I don’t have any complaints with them. Highly recommend. 

Apple Cider Vinegar

I’ve been drinking a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar before my meals. Growing up, Apple Cider Vinegar has always been in our pantry. It’s honestly a pantry necessity because it has so many health benefits. It is great for doing not only detoxes and cleanses but also you can use it as a salad dressing. I know ACV is usually a hit or miss for its....uh....strong interesting taste and smell. Haha! But once you get over that, it’s really not that bad. I know that they now make Apple Cider Vinegar tablets (I don’t get why but whateva lol), so if the liquid version is not for you try the tablets. When you get Apple Cider Vinegar though, make sure you get it with “The Mother” aka unfiltered and raw to get Apple Cider Vinegar’s full health benefits.

Favorite TV Shows of the Month 

The Bachelorette 

Now you guys know that I’m typically not a fan of the whole “Bachelor/Bachelorette series thingy”. However, the recent season of the Bachelorette has been interesting, to say the least. Let’s just talk about how this season had good men on it. Some of my favorites were Jason, Wills, and Colton. Someone who became one of my favorites during the Men Tell All episode was Jordan. He is so funny for like all the wrong reasons and he’s not that bad. I also liked Venmo John and how he shut Jordan up with his Silicone Valley smarts and wits in the Men Tell All episode. I laughed SO hard. If you haven’t seen the Men Tell All episode yet, you like have to. It made me not like Colton as much though I will say. I like his face still (LOL), but he seemed like he was mad at Jordan for no apparent reason and I felt like his tears weren’t as genuine as he wanted them to look. I’ll say that and the whole Tia “drama” is so trifling, it’s crazy!

Cloak and Dagger on Freeform

Cloak and Dagger is a good show. It comes on Thursdays on Freeform. They just wrapped up season one, so if you have the Freeform app go binge watch it on there, which is what I did because some weeks I would watch it live and some weeks I would forget that Cloak and Dagger even existed because...LIFE haha! However, the show is really eery but interesting. Reminds me a little bit of the show on Fox called “The Gifted” because the lead people have paranormal powers. 

This post is sponsored by Path of Life. As always, all opinions are straight from my own noggin’. I only work with brands I 100% believe in & use regularly. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Life of a Vegaholic going.

Hey guys! Can’t believe that it’s already July already, like what the heck?! When I think of July, I have mixed emotions. A part of me is like “wait, no I have to go back to school in like a month” and then another part of me feels like summer is just getting started and that I need to savor summer. I’m trying to focus on the later and what’s helping me stay in my summery mood are these Southwest Quinoa Burgers because when I think of summer, I think of burgers. I don’t know why maybe because of the whole “summer cookout theme” that summer has. Maybe. Possibly. *insert shoulder shrug*

Gone are the days of your traditional burgers and now we are in the age of veggie quinoa burgers. I remember when I used to strongly dislike quinoa, let alone quinoa burgers, so the fact that I’m making quinoa burgers is just so funny and fascinating to me. If you told Valencia from like 5 years ago that she would like quinoa and would be making and actually enjoying quinoa burgers, her face would look like this: 

But honestly, Path of Life has contributed to me liking quinoa. Their products bring so much personality and excitement to grains and vegetables. It also helps that the flavor styles are some of my favorite cuisines. Haha! I used Path of Life’s Southwest Quinoa to make these burgers and it makes making these burgers such a breeze because the quinoa comes in a microwavable bag. Yep, you read that right, which means that the prep time is pretty minimal. 

Now I know you’re probably thinking that it must have some weird ingredients in it since it’s an item that can be found in the freezer food section. Howwwwever, it doesn’t. The ingredients are: 

Cooked White Quinoa (White Quinoa, Water), Cooked Red Quinoa (Red Quinoa, Water), Mango, Fire Roasted Corn, Cooked Black Beans (Beans, Water)), Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Fire Roasted Tomatoes, Poblano Peppers, Cilantro, Lime Juice, Sea Salt, Black Pepper. 

That’s it. 

It’s filled with nourishing and clean ingredients plus the prep time is 5 minutes or less? Now, that’s MY KIND of food. All you have to do is stick the Southwest Quinoa in the microwave for like 4 or 5 minutes. Looks yum right?! I feel it calling my name through my screen, haha!

Okay, let’s get into the deets of these delicious Southwest Quinoa Burgers! All you have to do is microwave the quinoa, mix all the ingredients together, form your patties and cook them. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. These burgers are perfect for meatless taco nights to change things up a bit in your kitchen! These burgers are packed with all the goods like quinoa, corn, black beans, and bell peppers. They are vegetarian, dairy-free, and vegan-friendly (if you sub in the flax egg for the regular egg). They are good to your tummy and are satisfying thanks to the quinoa and black beans! If you’re a sauce person, drizzle some of the Smoked Salsa Sauce (recipe for this is below) and you’ll be good to go :)

What You’ll Need: 

2 bags of Path of Life Southwest Quinoa 

1 egg or 1 flax egg (sub in to make this dish vegan)

1 cup of rolled oats

1 tsp of cumin 

1 tsp of chili powder 

1/2 tsp of salt 

1 tsp of garlic powder 

extra virgin olive oil cooking spray as needed

Directions:

1. Prepare Path of Life Southwest Quinoa as instructed on packaging.

2. Let quinoa cool completely. Then combine Path of Life Southwest Quinoa, egg, chili powder, oats, cumin, salt, and garlic powder.

3. Divide mixture into 8 patties. Spray cooking oil as needed in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Carefully place patties into the pan. Cook until golden brown on each side. Transfer patties to a paper towel to drain.

4. Serve on your choice of burger bun (I chose Brioche buns, which I highly recommend because they are so unbelievably soft) and top with smoked salsa sauce (see above), lettuce, avocado slices, and/or your favorite toppings.

5. Enjoy!

Smoked Salsa Sauce 

What You’ll Need: 

3 tablespoons of your choice of salsa (add more or less based on preference)

1/2 tsp smoked paprika (add to taste)

1 tbsp of mayo (add more or less based on preference)

Directions: 

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Add or more less of the ingredients based on preference. Serve.

As you guys know, I recently went to the GFAF Expo that took place in Atlanta, GA. This was my fifth year going which is super weird to say...err...type I should say. Haha! Every year I’ve gone I’ve genuinely had an awesome time and this year didn’t disappoint. I came across a lot more new faces than I did old faces, but that’s okay because I was open to finding out about some new companies I’ve never heard of before and that’s what this expo is all about. This expo is about connecting people with new and old faces to try new things and learn new things! I had a great time going to the classes last year for the first time that I went to two classes this year, which were filled with a lot of great information. If you go to the GFAF Expo, I highly recommend checking out the classes because they are usually filled with good stuff, like good information that people need to know. I show a glimpse of the classes in my GFAF Expo 2018 vlog so definitely check that out. Today, I’m going to be talking about my favorite products from the GFAF Expo in Atlanta, GA. These are products that I had at the expo and they left me wanting more honestly, haha! 

1. Bob’s Red Mill Vanilla Protein Powder 

As you guys know, I’m a big fan of Bob’s Red Mill. I’ve raved about the brand before on the blog because I genuinely love their stuff. I’ve been using their products for YEARS like back to the time where I went gluten-free for a while and Bob’s Red Mill was one of the few good brands back when gluten-free was only know for crumbly, no taste bread aka the era of the early to mid-2000s haha. I surprisingly came across their booth and I say surprisingly because they usually aren’t at the expo, so it was a pleasant surprise. At their booth, they were advertising their new protein powders. Now, I’ve never had protein powders for obvious reasons (because of the whey and dairy and how I would drink them and I would burp and it would come back up. I know TMI), but I think Bob’s Red Mill may have me jumping onto the whole “protein powder train”. I tried the vanilla protein powder one at the booth and they used it to make a chai smoothie and I liked it a lot! It had a little bit of that protein powder taste but not too overpowering. It had a hint of sweetness to it and it didn’t make me burp and it didn’t try to come back up, so those are all good signs for me. I know TMI again, haha. This protein powder has 20 grams of plant-based protein per serving thanks to the pea protein, the chia, and probiotics in it. Also, the powder is rich in iron and there aren’t any artificial colors or flavors in it. I definitely want to get some to take back with me for when I go back to college in the fall because it would be great to have for breakfast or before a workout. Highly recommend this protein powder! 

2. Mozaics Salsa Chips 

What made me go to the Mozaics booth, I saw that they make popped veggie and potato chips and I love me a good popped chip. Haha. I really love the fact that their first ingredient in their products is vegetables, real vegetables. One of the flavors I gravitated towards was the salsa chip. They had a little spice to it and they were really good! They’re organic, vegan, gluten-free, and kosher.

3. Mozaics BBQ Chips 

The Mozaics BBQ flavor was the other flavor I really liked. Fun fact: BBQ flavor used to be my favorite chip flavor growing up. Nobody couldn’t get in between me and my BBQ chips. Again, these chips are organic, vegan, gluten-free, and kosher. I also like that the Mozaics chips don’t have that many ingredients in them and they have a great flavor to them. I recommend checking out Mozaics’ products.  

4. BFree Brown Seeded Bread 

BFree Foods was the Blogger Sponsor again this year and the exciting thing about this year’s expo is the fact that there was a lounge that was just for bloggers, which was really cool! If you check out my GFAF Expo 2018 vlog, you can see a little glimpse inside of the lounge area. In the lounge, I tried their brown seeded bread and let me just tell you guys that I really liked it. Let’s just say that I was so happy that a loaf of it was in the blogger bag and that the loaf is now gone (sorry not sorry). I really like the overall texture of it and the bread is high in fiber. This bread is wheat free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, soy free, non-gmo, no sugar added, certified gluten-free, and suitable for vegans. I mainly used this bread for toast, but it’s great for sandwiches as well. I’m usually a big bread person, but you guys gotta try this bread out! 

5. Lundberg Pink Himalayan Salt Red Rice & Quinoa Tortilla Chips

I liked these chips. I thought that they had an interesting nutty taste and texture, but overall it was a good chip. Howwwwever in my opinion, I feel like Himalayan salt is saltier than regular salt. They were lightly salted but the salt taste really stuck out to my personal tastebuds if that makes any sense. Maybe because I don’t put too much salt on my food. I don’t know, haha! It was just a little too salty for my personal liking,

6. Ronzoni Gluten-Free Penne Pasta

My mom and I came across Ronzoni’s booth and we each got a box of pasta. She got penne and I got rotini, which is my preferred pasta if I have pasta and having pasta isn’t all that often for me. Yeah, I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a pasta gal. I used the penne pasta to make my Chili Macaroni recipe for dinner the other night and words can’t describe how good that chili macaroni. The penne pasta didn’t even taste like it’s gluten-free, which is great and had a great texture to it.

Hey guys! It’s been a minute since I’ve done a favorites post. Actually, I think this will mark my first one of 2018, which is crazy because I’m usually better at keeping up with my favorites posts. Lately, I’ve just been so...college. Haha! There’s no other word to describe it. *insert life update* This spring semester has kind of had me all over the place in a way. When the spring semester first started, I was waking up at 5:15 a.m. every other day for practice in addition to having my days be busy from morning to night with classes and work. Then, this semester I joined a few organizations/clubs, so going to those meetings and going to events that I was required to be at because I’m an officer. For me it was wake up, school stuff, homework, sleep. On constant repeat. Plus during this time, I was feeling a little under the weather, allergies severely kicked me in the butt a couple of times, and I got hurt. I twisted my ankle and my ankle is still not at 100%. 

My load has lightened up a little with the school year ending, but the school year is ending. Haha! I have about 3 finals and a paper due next week, so ya girl’s in crunch time (Update: I’m 100% done with school for the summer so yippeeee lol). I just wanted to give you guys a little life update because I’ve been posting on my blog, but not as frequently as I want to, you know? But summer is around the corner and I can’t wait to bring you guys some delicious content. Anyway, Today’s post is all about my April Favorites. To be honest, this post is a compilation of things I’ve liked starting from the beginning of the year up until now. Haha! So today’s post will be packed with some good stuff! Without further ado, let’s get right into the post! 

Favorite Food of the Month 

Simple Truth Pineapple Seltzer Water

You guys know I’m a sucker for sparkling water/seltzer water. That’s what I like, that’s what I like *Bruno Mars voice*. I’ve tried the Simple Truth Seltzer Waters before, but this was my first time trying their pineapple one and I surprisingly liked it. I say surprisingly because we all know pineapples are SUUUPPPEERR sweet so I thought that taste would convey itself in this seltzer water. I can taste just enough pineapple to the point where it doesn’t put me in a sugar shock. Haha! I like that the taste isn’t too overpowering and it’s just enough. Highly recommend trying this seltzer water.

Simply Gum Mints - Ginger

Fun fact, when I was younger I used to love gum. I used to chew it all the time until the ingredients list for gum became even harder to pronounce and filled with ingredients I’ve never heard of. I started to look for healthier alternatives to gum and came across the Simply Gum brand. I’ve liked the Simply Gum brand for a while now and came across their mints when I was vitamin shopping. I really like Simply Gum because their products have no artificial flavors, synthetics, and it’s just lightly sweetened. I really like the ginger mints because they have a little spice to them. They taste really good and they are better for your body, so I highly recommend trying these out!

Tea Biscuits 

My friend has gotten me hooked on tea biscuits. It’s really bad guys. During the fall semester, I wasn’t that much of a snacker. I did pretty well when it comes to my eating habits. Then, my friend introduced me to tea biscuits and let’s just say I became a little bit of a snacker, which I absolutely hate, but they just taste so good. Haha! They aren’t too sweet, which is good. You haven’t lived until you’ve had tea biscuits, so go try them.

Oatmeal

Last semester, I would have an omelet every day for breakfast. Now, I’ve switched from getting that to getting a bowl of oatmeal. I kind of got sick of eggs, so I thought oatmeal would be a good change for me and I’m happy I did do that. Most of the time I will get just oatmeal and I will sprinkle some of my own coconut sugar since my school doesn’t have coconut sugar only brown sugar. Sometimes I will pair my oatmeal with veggie sausage because my school serves veggie sausage from Morningstar Farms, but I try not to have it too much. Even though they are good, they are still processed at the end of the day and I know that too, too much soy isn’t exactly the healthiest. If you guys want to see another What I Eat In A Day post, let me know by telling me in the comments and also liking/sharing this post. 

Simple Truth Lemon Lime Seltzer Water

Lemon-lime sparkling/seltzer water is one of my favorite flavors, so when I saw that Simple Truth had this as a flavor you guys know I had to get it! This water didn’t disappoint and I keep going back to Kroger for more, so that’s probably a good sign. You’re welcome, Kroger ;)  

Eight O’Clock French Roast Coffee K-Cups

I had an 8 am this semester and last semester, so having coffee with me to help me survive my class was basically essential. Sometimes I’d get breakfast before class and sometimes I’d get it after, so the coffee holds me over till I get some food in my tum tum. My coffee of choice lately has been French Roast from Eight O’Clock. I really enjoy the smoothness and the boldness of the coffee. I just drink it black because I like my coffee bitter, but not cigarette smelling bitter you know what I mean?

Simple Truth Vapor Distilled Water with Electrolytes

Lately, I’ve become more active and I need to constantly replenish the electrolytes I’m losing when I sweat. I came across this water when Kroger was having a crazy Simple Truth sale and got this water for a great price! I really like the taste of this water (not all water tastes the same) and it makes me feel replenished and refreshed. I recommend giving this water a try! 

Stash Lemon Ginger Tea

Everyone who knows me knows my love for lemon and ginger is REAL. Especially Lemon Ginger tea. Not all lemon ginger tea is created equal though, but I like when you can taste the ginger and its spiciness. AHHH, I love it! My suitemate gave me this tea as a gift to me and I like it. It has a splash of the spiciness that I love and crave for in a lemon ginger tea. 

Starbucks Tumbler

I got this Starbucks tumbler at my school’s Starbucks and I really like it. It has the Starbucks logo on it and the base of it is black with pink polka dots. It’s pretty cute if I do say so myself hehe! I use it for my cold drinks because the instructions say I can’t put hot drinks in it soo...hahahah! I carry this tumbler with me to class sometimes and to the dining hall to get some H20 in my system. 

Starbucks Sprouted Grain Bagel

I don’t go to my Starbucks often, but when I remember that it exists sometimes I’ll get their Sprouted Grain Bagel to either accompany my coffee or I’ll just get the bagel itself. It really just depends on my mood honestly! It makes me feel better about eating a bagel even though I know I probably shouldn’t be but I try to have them in moderation. Guuuyysss, this bagel is so soft and so good! Highly recommend trying it if you have sprouted grain bagels at your local or nearest Starbucks. 

Favorite Music of the Month 

Let You Down by NF 

Rockstar by Post Malone ft. 21 Savage

All the Stars by Kendrick Lamar and SZA

Lemon by N.E.R.D and Rihanna 

A Different Way by DJ Snake ft. Lauv

Hand of God by Jon Bellion 

Hey guys, it’s that time of the year again! It’s Gluten Free Allergen Friendly Expo Time! YAAAAYYYY!!!! I’m so excited to be attending the Gluten Free Allergen Friendly Expo for the fourth year in a row. Wow, time flies by when you’re having fun. Haha! If you are wanting to live a healthier lifestyle and/or you have any food allergies/sensitivities, then this expo is the place to be! As you guys know I have food allergies myself and I always feel so much at home and somewhat “normal” because I’m surrounded by people who are in the same boat as me. We all have food allergies, food sensitivities, or are wanting to live a healthier lifestyle and we just want to find out about new brands & products. This year the expo is taking place on May 19 & 20th from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Exhibit Hall A. Find out more information about the location, parking, etc by clicking here.

You’re probably thinking (well if you’ve never gone before or are a new reader), what’s the sitch with this expo? Like is it worth it or should I go and the answers to both of those reasonably asked questions is YES, YES, HECK YES! Here’s why: 

1) You get to sample gluten-free and allergen-friendly products from the best of the best all in one room. From pizza to food from local restaurants to baked goods, the list honestly goes on and on. 

2) You get an awesome reusable tote bag filled with goodies upon entrance of the expo. 

3) You can attend classes that are lead by gluten-free and/or allergen-friendly experts

4) You get to talk to your favorite brands and bloggers, like myself, who understand where you are coming from and live a gluten-free lifestyle or has food allergies (also like me hehe). 

This is a family-friendly event so bring your whole posse, you know your whole clique because you all will have a blast. Check out my 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 recaps. I also vlogged at the 2017 GFAF Expo and did a testing video, so click here to check out my YouTube channel. The expo has evolved so much since I started attending and it’s been fun seeing it grow! Because I got my Vegaholic’s back, if you’re interested in attending this fun event click here and use the code ADVANCE (thru 5/18) for 20% off of your tickets. Awesomesauce right? 

Hey guys! Today, I’m going to be talking about what I eat in a day/how I eat healthy while I’m in college. Compared to the average college student, I eat pretty clean. I don’t eat any desserts, don’t drink soda, don’t drink any sugary types of drinks, etc. Like one time I was out with my friends and they were like let’s get some dessert and I was like first off I’m dairy-free and I don’t eat sweets like that. They were so shocked. Honestly, the only time I eat sweets is if I make them myself because I know what is in them. Growing up, I’ve always been one to want to know what exactly am I eating. That probably comes from the selective eater in me (call it picky if you want to), but it has paid off. Sometimes my friends joke and say that I basically don’t eat anything but that’s definitely not true. I thought it would be fun to show you guys what I typically eat in a day when I’m off at school. I usually eat the same day every day but I try to switch it up so I don’t get suuupper bored, ya know? 

Breakfast 

What I have for breakfast kind of varies depending on the day. On this particular day, I had an egg white omelet from the omelet bar. I don’t really get too much in my omelet because I'm not a fan of the options they have. I usually just get mushrooms and onions in mine. Sometimes I might get vegetarian sausage to go with it or I’ll just eat the omelet with a glass of infused water. My school has different infused waters every day like one day they will have lemon water, another day will be cucumber water, another day will be orange water and so forth and so forth. 

Lunch 

I usually have the same thing for lunch and dinner, but I might change up my vegetable selection. We have a Mongolian bar at my school, so I’ll get veggie stir fry with usually just the vegetables. Once in a blue moon, I might ask for just a little rice, but most of the time I just get the vegetables. On this particular day, I got kale, broccoli, carrots, edamame, mushrooms, onions, and garlic. 

Dinner

Like I mentioned earlier, I would usually have veggie stir-fry for dinner but change up the veggie selection. However, when I got into the dining hall I was happily surprised to see they had black bean soup in their soup section since they usually only have soups with either meat or cheese or both haha! Let me just tell you guys that this soup was absolutely slamming! It was just what I needed on a cold day. 

Snacks 

I try my hardest not to be that college snacker, but nobody is perfect. If I do snack, I’ll have a rice cake with Justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter or low sodium popcorn (which is something new that I started having). They are the absolute bomb.com. I highly recommend both as healthy snack options! Sometimes I might make some oatmeal with a little bit of coconut sugar and some unsweetened almond milk. 

Hey guys! Usually, I talk about all things food and kitchen related, but today I stop the usual programming with a post all about my dog, Brownie. If you guys didn’t know, I have a dog and she’s a Border Collie Mix. I’ve talked about her on the blog before and she actually has her own Instagram account (which you need to go and follow her). Hehe! Anyway, on her Instagram and in person she always gets comments/questions about her nice coat, her teeth, her diet, etc. Today, I thought I would answer some of them on the blog. If you guys want me to do more pet content, let me know in the comments below, sharing this post with everyone you know, and subscribing to the blog. 

1. What do you feed her for her main meal or meals?

The majority of the time she eats Freshpet. My mom and I love Freshpet because their dog food is made in the USA. It’s not like it’s made in some foreign country. Also, their food has an ingredients list that is clean and isn’t super long. It doesn’t have hard to pronounce ingredients in it. It has known ingredients in it like carrots, rice, eggs, chicken, etc. She eats their wet food and dry food. For special occasions, I may prepare some boiled chicken for her with some of her favorite vegetables. 

2. What snacks/treats do you feed her?

I feed her snacks like fresh apple slices, fresh cantaloupe, fresh strawberry slices, fresh blueberries, and sliced baby carrots. For all her food in general, I try to make sure she’s eating stuff that’s going to help better her on the inside and out. My mom and I don’t just let her eat just anything. We triple check to make sure she can have it and research health benefits of the foods she is eating.

3. How do you keep her coat so shiny and soft? 

I get this question so much in comments on her Instagram and in person. Haha! She always gets compliments on her coat and how soft it is. Her coat literally feels like a blanket you don’t want to take off like I would take a nap on her if I wasn’t low key allergic to her. Haha. I would say she gets her shiny and soft coat from her diet and the shampoo she uses, but I’ll talk about more about the shampoo she uses when I talk about her grooming/wash routine. 

4. How do you keep her teeth looking white? 

Her teeth look white to the point where people legit ask me if I brush her teeth. Like seriously, ain’t nobody got time for that. Like I love Brownie and all, she’s a nice pup, but nope. Haha. I used to sprinkle this dental mix from Freshpet over food. I say used to because we can’t find the mix in stores anymore and apparently the product was discontinued and it honestly broke our hearts like I’m not even joking. We also just feed her old fashion carrots and apple slices because those foods will scrape food off of dog’s teeth. Plus, carrots serve as an antioxidant to help prevent disease and any infections. 

5. Is your dog a pescatarian as well?

No, she’s not a pescatarian. I thought about making her a pescatarian/Pesco-Ovo vegetarian like myself. After I did an insane amount of research, I found out that getting protein from a source like chicken is vital to a dog’s diet. Chicken and turkey are the only meats that she eats. She also eats fish. She doesn’t do the whole beef, duck, lamb situation and I don’t plan on ever having her eat that stuff. Red meat isn’t good for humans so why would I feed my dog that? In the words of Michael Kyle, ahhh nah. 

5. What do you use to wash her? What’s her cleaning routine? 

I usually am the one that washes her, but I also take her to the groomers too because ain’t nobody got time to cut their dog’s nails too short or try to be Ms. Fix It. I’ve realized in life that for some things, you just don’t mess with. You just got to step back and let the professionals do it. When I wash her, I use both regular shampoo or waterless shampoo. Waterless shampoo is a great alternative for dogs that may be afraid of water. Even though she’s not afraid of water and actually loves water, I still like using it because it makes my life 1000x easier. I’m just being honest. Gotta keep it real! All I have to say is that the invention of waterless shampoo is amazing like I don’t know who to thank but I want to thank them in person. Haha! Even when it comes to shampoo, I check the ingredients because I don’t want her fur to get dried out or for her to get a skin condition or something. Like you guys might think I’m a tad bit crazy, but like Brownie’s over here chilling because she’s Brownie with the good hair soooo….haha! 

Anyway, for waterless shampoo my favorite brand is Wahl. Our experience with their waterless shampoo has been great and I definitely recommend checking them out. You can get their products at like Walmart or Target. There are probably other places, but I know for sure you can get it from those places. For regular shampoo, she uses Oster’s Oatmeal Naturals products. Can we just digest the fact that Oster has an animal care line, like what? We actually have an Oster toaster oven at home and now there are over here making dog shampoo? Not mad at them, just really really really confused to be honest. Haha! I specifically love their Oatmeal Naturals shampoos because they are pH balanced and are enriched with oatmeal and other wholesome ingredients. Plus, the ingredients are 100% free of dyes, parabens, phthalates, and alcohol.

6. How do you get her to stay still during wash time? 

Like I mentioned earlier, my dog loves water and actually enjoys the process of getting washed. It may have to do with her breed, I have no idea. But I will say say that washing her is one of the most hilarious things I have ever seen. Like she will start sitting up, but as time goes on she will start to slide down on her stomach and just let me wash her. My mother says that Brownie likes when I wash her because I kind of give her a massage, but who knows the secret? Not me, you’ll have to ask Brownie. Haha!   

Hey guys! When the new year starts, a new semester of college is just around the corner. If you guys are wondering why I’m talking about college student life all of a sudden, it’s because I’m currently one. Haha! With all the stuff that may have happened last semester, a lot of college students just want to use the new semester as another chance to be a better student than they were in the fall. Let’s be honest, we all want to be like, “hey, let’s get down to business and knock out this semester with a positive bang!” However, some of us may be lucky to just keep up with these resolutions for maybe a week or two and before you know it, you’ll be telling yourself that you’re going to keep up with them starting in the fall. Today’s post is all about the expectations versus the reality of college students’ new year resolutions. 

1. Studying 

Expectations: I’m going to go the library every day after class to review the material I just learned in lecture that same day so I can finally understand what the heck the professor said. I’m going to study for my tests, quizzes, finals, and midterms way ahead of time by making color-coded notecards/notes. 

Reality: It’s the second week of the term and you’re not even sure what classes you’re enrolled in. Let alone when your assignments are due and when your tests, quizzes, finals, and midterms are. 

2. Office Hours

If you’re a college student, you know exactly what I’m talking about. A lot of people encourage students to go to them if they need help or to get to know their professor. 

Expectations: I’m gonna go to the office hours of the professor and let the professor know how excited I am to learn. I’m gonna go to office hours every week to the point where my professor and I end up discussing lectures and our favorite TV shows.

Reality: You and your professor just make weird eye contact during the lecture so you don’t bother to introduce myself and every time you get the courage to go to their office for office hours you have a class that interferes with it.

3. Getting Your Sleep Schedule Back On Track

Expectations: I’ve completed all of my homework early and I’m in bed by 10:00 pm. 

Reality: It’s 10:00 p.m. and you’ve been scrolling through my phone for the past few hours. Then, you remember that I have an assignment due at midnight and you rush to get it done. You finally submit your work at 11:59 p.m. Then, you decide to get ready for bed and once you’re in bed, you check your social media. You scroll through your phone for a few three hours, then you finally go to sleep. When you wake up, you see that it’s 7:56 and your class is at 8:00 a.m. (This has seriously happened to me before and I almost missed an important test). 

4. Listening to the Lectures

Expectations: I’m gonna sit in the front row of every lecture, write good informative notes and become that friend that everyone asks for notes and help. 

Reality: The first week of school, you go to every lecture. You decide that the class is pretty easy and that you don’t need to go anymore, but you ask your friends to send you the notes. Flash forward to finals week and you have two days to read and memorize a whole semester worth of lectures. YAY!

5. Eating Healthier 

Expectations: I’m going to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner at normal times. I might snack a little when I’m hungry, but I’m not gonna snack just because I’m bored and have nothing to do.

Reality: You end up missing breakfast because you overslept and you are late to class. You’re busy trying to complete your assignments that are due the next morning, so you end up missing dinner and having to go to a fast food restaurant because the dining hall isn’t open anymore. 

Hey guys! Today’s post is all about Annoying Grocery Shopping Moments that happen during the holidays. If you all find this post super relatable, give this post a like. Also, subscribe and share this post with your family and friends since it’s the season for sharing and giving :) 

1. Lines At The Stores 

Lines during the holidays are so long that you start to think, “I didn’t even know that this many people lived in my town”.

2. Barely No Food On Shelves

When the grocery stores are packed and there’s barely left on the shelves because the weather said it’s supposed to snow. *Quick little side note, let’s just bring up the fact that GA FINALLY had snow grace our presence. I WAS SO HAPPY! *Insert picture* 

3. That “I Forgot One More Thing” Person 

When someone ahead of you in line leaves mid-transaction because they “forgot one more thing”. I know that we’ve all been that person at least at one point in time, but come on we all know that in our heads when it is not us we think that person is super annoying and is wasting our time haha.

4. Fighting Over The Last Item

There’s only one item left and you and someone else are fighting over who’s gonna get it. If my eyes lay on it first, it’s mine. You betcha bottom dollar if I touch it fist, it’s for dang sure mine. Haha, but seriously.

5. That “I Bought The Entire Store” Person 

When the person in front of you basically bought the whole store and you are stuck waiting in line for what seems like an hour. Thankfully I haven’t been that person, well not yet at least. I might be when I grow up and get my own family, but until that day comes I will continue to be slightly annoyed by these people. Lol.