From the Whole Foods website:

Value priced plus high quality

Our 365 Everyday Value® products can fill your pantry without emptying your pocketbook. With value prices every day of the year, our products are formulated to meet all our quality standards, come in both natural and organic selections, and will change the way you shop at Whole Foods Market®. That’s because we have it all — from whole grain flours and shade-grown coffee to organic milk and frozen veggies. We make it easy to stock up on the best products for the best price.

They offer a variety of products — everything from herbal supplements, cleanses, essential oils, organic pizzas, ice cream, salmon, juice, crackers, soy milk, salad dressing, coffee, and SO MUCH MORE. Recently, the lovely folks at the Whole Foods Andover gave me an awesome basket of products to sample.

Here is a list of what was in the (fabulous) bag — keep in mind, the whole bag was less than $35:

1. Organic Blue Tortilla Chips — Non-GMO Project Verified (The Product Verification Program uses a process that combines on-site facility audits, document-based review and product testing to verify compliance with the standard at every level of the supply chain, from manufacturing facilities to ingredient suppliers. For a product to be verified and bear the seal, it must undergo a process through which any ingredient at high risk for GMO contamination—soy or corn, for example—has been proven to meet the standard through avoidance practices and testing.)

2. 365 Wild Albacore Tuna – 100% pole or troll-caught (Looking for some quick and simple meals to make with canned tuna? Find some here!):

3. Organic Fusilli Pasta

4. Canola Mayo

5. Organic Medium Salsa

6. Organic Green Tea (Colin and I are slightly obsessed with green tea. Are you too? Find some fun and creative ways to serve it here.)

7. Organic Italian Dressing

8. 365 Sparkling Water

9. 365 Water Crackers

10. Artichoke Hearts

11. 365 Citrus Dish Soap: No phosphates, no phthalates, no chlorine and no artificial fragrances. The scents of citrus, lavender and pine come from 100% natural essential oils and there are some unscented options too. Also, there is no animal testing on the products and the packaging is recyclable and made with post-consumer recycled materials.

All of these items adhere to Whole Foods strict quality standards; featuring foods that are free of artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners, and hydrogenated fats.

Check it out!

The afternoon I picked up my bag, I couldn’t help but use some of the products right away! I whipped up a quick pasta dish for dinner that Colin and I ended up loving. I used the organic fusilli pasta, added in the 365 artichoke hearts, and then some sauteed spinach, garlic, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan cheese that we had. Quick, and quite delicious (if I do say so myself).

If you’re in the area, save the date for Whole Foods Andover’s Spring Tea Party.

When: Saturday, March 23rd from 11am–3pm

What: Enjoy a taste of spring with Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value products!

Check out what’s on sale this week in Andover. And don’t forget to check out Whole Foods Andover on Facebook and Twitter to stay up-to-date on their sales and events.

I received these Whole Foods products free of charge, but my opinion (as always) is honest, and my own! Thank you to the Whole Foods team for providing me with some of the facts about their products, and for this opportunity.

Taste of the Nation is an amazing (and delicious) event that raises critical funds needed to support Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, which is dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America by 2015. Get ready for this: ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OF TICKETS SALES GOES TO THIS CAUSE.

What an admirable way to spend your money.

Taste of the Nation

No Kid Hungry

As an Early Childhood Education graduate student and someone who works in a public kindergarten classroom, I see students who come to school hungry; they haven’t been fed at home. Thankfully, they are able to enjoy breakfast first thing when they get to school in the cafeteria. But, I must say — it is heartbreaking to think about what happens at home for some of these children; what they eat for each meal, if they are eating healthy, etc.

A quote from the No Kid Hungry website:

According to Hunger in Our Schools: Share Our Strength’s Teachers Report, 62% of America’s teachers regularly see kids who come to school hungry because they aren’t getting enough to eat at home.

Let’s work together to put an end to this!

Details for the Taste of the Nation event:

Where: Cruiseport Boston at Black Falcon Pier (amazing views of the Harbor)

1 Black Falcon Avenue

Boston

When: Thursday, April 18th

Time: VIP admission, 6:00pm — 9:30pm

General admission, 7:00pm — 9:30pm

Cost: VIP, $150

General admission, $95

Discount Info: From 3/10 — 3/17 use LUCKYBOSTON for 17% off

From 3/21 — 3/29 use EATOUTBOSTON for 15% off

Buy: Purchase tickets here, ce.strength.org/boston or call 1-877-26-TASTE.

Who/What?:

More than 55 of the city’s finest chefs and restaurants will participate alongside the event’s five Honorary Chef Chairs: Gordon Hamersley of Hamersley’s Bistro; Andy Husbands of Tremont 647; Jody Adams of Rialto and Trade; Tony Maws of Craigie on Main; Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery and Myers + Chang. Attendees will also be able to sample more than 100 varietal wines, fine craft beer from the Boston’s most talented brewers and a variety of cocktails prepared by some of Boston’s premier mixologists.

Organizations that will benefit from this event include The Greater Boston Food Bank, Project Bread, and Cooking Matters. Please check out the event on Twitter @ShareStrengthMA (#TONBoston) and Facebook at Share Our Strength Boston.

I hope to see you there!

Anyway, back to the point!

Chocolate is wonderful. So is Whole Foods. And so is tasting LOTS of different types/forms of chocolate. “So, what does all of this mean?”, you ask. It means that Chocolate Fest is coming to the Whole Foods Andover this Friday, February 8th from 5:00 — 7:00 p.m. and you should absolutely add it to your calendar. You can find your favorite chocolate, and pick up a few items or ideas for that nice dinner you plan on making your lovah on Valentine’s Day (feel free to take that as an aggressive hint, Colin).

The lovely folks at Whole Foods gave me a bunch of chocolate to try out. It was tough (not!), but somehow I got through it. Thanks again y’all!

Here’s what I got to taste:

1.Taza Chocolate — I tried their Coco Besos Coconut Kisses bar which is 70% stone ground dark chocolate with coconut. I liked all of the chocolate I tried, but this was my favorite! I am such a sucker for dark chocolate AND coconut, so if you put the two together, fuggedaboutit.  It’s organic, Direct Trade certified, gluten-free, dairy free, soy free, and locally made in Somerville MA. (Facebook, Twitter)

2. Cissé Trading Co. — I tried their Signature Semisweet Hot Cocoa which was awesome. Definitely not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill hot cocoa. It’s made with Fair Trade cocoa powder, and a mix of milk and dark chocolate chips. So worth it. (Facebook, Twitter)

3. Raaka Chocolate –  I tried three of these quirky, delicious virgin chocolate bars; the Bourbon Cask Aged bar, the Vanilla Rooibos bar, and the Black Coffee bar. The Black Coffee bar was my favorite, because I am a coffee addict and cannot help myself. All three were bursting with flavors, and that’s what I really liked about these in particular. The bourbon had some caramel going on in there, the vanilla included a delightful hint of cherry and marshmallow, and then the coffee bar offered a toffee/cinnamon kick. Raaka chocolate is vegan, organic, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, and are also wrapped up like little gifts, which really works for me. (Facebook, Twitter)

4. Bixby and Co. — I tried their Heart’s Delight Chocolate Bar which consists of dark chocolate with almonds, strawberries, and Ceylon cinnamon, as well as their Mulligan Chocolate Bar which consists of organic milk chocolate with walnuts, dried currants, and Vietnamese cinnamon. They are different — I personally liked the addition of the nuts in these two. These bars are vegan, organic, gluten-free, and Rainforest Alliance Certified. (Facebook, Twitter)

5. Vosges Haut-Chocolat — Ok, hold on to your hats for these two. I tried Vosges’ Mo’s Milk Bar first. AMAZING. This one consists of 45% deep milk chocolate, hickory smoked uncured bacon, and Alderwood smoked salt. I meant, are you kidding? The salty, sweet combo does not (!) disappoint here. I also tried their Smoke and Stout Caramel Bar which consists of 70% dark chocolate, Rogue Ale’s Chocolate Stout beer, Alderwood smoked salt, and burnt sugar caramel. This was great. Katrina (Vosges founder) must have a really good idea about what makes men happy (you go girl). Chocolate + bacon = a happy man. Chocolate + beer = a very happy man. I could add another component into these equations that would = an elated man, but I will leave that to your imagination. Anyway, these might be a good choice for Valentine’s Day this year, ladies. (Facebook, Twitter)

6. Divine Chocolate — I tried their White Chocolate and Strawberry Hearts. They were, quite literally, divine. Not only were these pretty little hearts really tasty, they are also made with cocoa beans from Kuapa Kokoo — a co-operative of farmers in Ghana. When you buy this chocolate, these farmers get both a fair deal as well as a chance for a better future. A cause that’s definitely worth those chocolate calories, if you ask me. (Facebook, Twitter)

Don’t forget to check out the Andover Whole Foods on Facebook and Twitter as well!

Happy Chocolate Fest, and happy early Valentine’s Day!

The winner of the thinkThin® Weight Wellness Variety Pack is…

Jordan D!

Congrats, Jordan! And enjoy! Please email me at dailycraic@gmail.com with your information including your full name and mailing address. Thanks.

Happy Friday everyone!

http://weheartit.com/entry/48134434/via/heartit_

{*Giveaway below!*}

One of my goals during these first few months of the New Year, is to get my butt back into shape. You see, I did so well and was so proud of myself over the summer working really hard to get into shape for our wedding in September, but then…I just stopped. I was so sick of working out and sick of watching everything I ate, that by the time the wedding was over I gave up. I’ve been eating whatever I want, and definitely not exercising much at all. I’ve been feeling very sluggish, and not so great about myself lately. There’s no doubt about the fact that working out and eating well gives you more energy and makes you feel better overall — about yourself, and just healthier/happier in general. Anyway, I’ve discovered a new product that really excites me in reference to eating better — thinkThin® bars. Once I read part of their belief system (quoted below) I knew I found something that was worth my time; it’s exactly how I feel about exercising and eating.

This is what I mean…

“At thinkThin®, we believe strongly in the premise of weight wellness. This is the optimal weight range at which our bodies feel happy and healthy. This is not defined or dictated by aesthetic, shape, weight or tape measure — it is the physical and emotional outcome of feeling good, energized, funny, confident and living a life filled with joy and laughter. Once we focus on being healthy and happy, our bodies will follow and align.” (from thinkThin’s® website)

thinkThin® is a company that seems (to me) to not only promote maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but also a fun and exciting one as well. Check out their ten amazing tips for the New Year.

My personal favorites from their list? “Compare yourself only to you”, and “Book a flight for this weekend. Even if it’s only $59 dollars away.” Two things I should really keep in mind — that I am unique, and I should be more spontaneous (and sometimes less attached to my schedule/planner/routine). These are great:

http://www.thinkthin10.com/

thinkThin® bars are gluten-free (check out their helpful gluten-free tips), they are easy to grab on the go, and light enough to carry around (hence their “thinkThin®” name), but are packed with lots of protein. Not only are these bars easy to pack and whatnot — they are also delicious! When you mention flavors like creamy peanut butter, white chocolate, chocolate fudge, dark chocolate, chocolate espresso, cookies and cream, caramel fudge, etc. it’s hard to say no. What else is awesome about these bars? They are sold in Target! (Find them at a Target near you).

thinkThin® would like to give one daily craic reader a thinkThin® Weight Wellness Variety Pack! These are amazing; they include 10 Creamy Peanut Butter bars, 10 CRUNCH Mixed Nuts bars, 3 boxes of Bites (5 bars each) + a thinkThin® water bottle! ($76.00 value)

http://shop.thinkproducts.com/Weight-Wellness-Variety-Pack

To enter, please comment below. I would love to know your best tips for staying on track with eating healthy and working out? I could use some inspiration and motivation for 2013! {Winner will be announced this Friday, 1/4/13}

Please also like thinkThin® on Facebook – not only to stay up to date with their news and events, but because when you share thinkThin’s® photos on Facebook, they then makes a donation to the Dream Foundation. Easy way to help those in need — and that’s an excellent vow to make for 2013.

I walked into my classroom today with a nervous pit in my stomach. All I could think about was the shooting last week. All I could picture in my head were the poor victim’s faces; those big smiles in the pictures we’ve all seen on the news, the photos of family members weeping and yellow tape around the school.

I am in graduate school this year getting my masters in early childhood education, so I am a student teacher in a kindergarten classroom. I received the warmest of welcomes today; hugs upon hugs upon hugs from my little ones. I heard, “I’m so happy you’re back!”, and “We missed you so much!” throughout the day. My heart broke every time.

I am a very, very sensitive person – maybe overly sensitive even. I’m totally okay with that at this point in my life. Anyway, I almost cried in school today multiple times. I could.not.stop.picturing.those.children, and comparing them to the ones sitting right in front of me, in our classroom. I wanted to scoop each one of them up and tell them that they will always be safe from harm’s way. That school is a safe place for them to come. I wanted to promise that nothing like what happened last Friday will ever happen again.

But can I say that? Can we consider schools a safe place anymore? In today’s world, where do we consider safe?

To be honest, I’m not sure. What I do know is that schools are supposed to be a safe, loving, nurturing, protected environment for children. Children should love coming to school – especially the little ones. They should NEVER have to worry about being in danger at school. But then something like this happens.

Our country needs to be honest with one another. We need to have open, intelligent conversations about what is wrong with America, what needs to change. Do we want to live in a country where teachers have to be trained like soldiers and keep guns in their classroom in case of an attack? Do we want to live in a world where police officers ride on buses to school with children? Where hospitals have people with big guns patrolling the halls? Where a priest has to be armed during a church service in case of someone coming in with a gun? Do we want to become so desensitized to guns and violence where seeing guns on a regular basis is the norm?

Is that the only way we will feel safe again – is to all carry guns?

I know, personally – with all my heart – that I do not want to live in a world like that. I’m not a mother, but I hope to be one one day. That’s not the world I want my future children to grow up in. That’s not the world I want my twenty precious five and six year old students to grow up in. Something must be done, and it’s obviously a combination of things among the topics of gun control, mental illness, and so forth.

I know the topic of gun control is a controversial one. But I also know that twenty young children have been killed, along with six adults. I know that these people were probably looking forward to the holidays; spending time with family and friends, waking up on Christmas morning to open presents under the tree. If the children of Sandy Hook Elementary were anything like my twenty students, they have probably been excited for Santa to come since Halloween. These children won’t get to open their presents this year, and the teachers and staff members who were killed won’t be able to cook for their families this holiday season, or sit and laugh with loved ones. My heart aches for them, and their families. I wish I could do something. I pray for them. I know this probably sounds bad, but I guess I wish I could do something more than just pray. I wish I could fix this horrible, terrifying situation. But I can’t.

As someone within the field of education, as someone who will hopefully continue to work with young children, and someone who hopes to have children one day, I will make a promise to the Sandy Hook victims and their families. I promise to teach children kindness. And what it takes to be a good person. I will show them compassion. I will teach them about honest and admirable people. I will encourage them to dream the biggest dreams possible. To hold on to their innocence, and enjoy being a carefree child. I will show them how to be a leader. I think being a nice, kind person, with a big heart has gotten me to a great place in my life. I will try to be the best role model I can be for my current and future students.

Social media has become an outlet for many things – fun and social interactions, news stories, personal updates, job networking, buying and selling things, finding a good restaurant, sharing your opinion, etc. Today being my first day back in school since the Sandy Hook shooting overwhelmed me with emotion. I enjoy writing as a source of dealing with, and processing my emotions. Feel free to comment here to do the same.

To the victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy, and their family members and friends they left behind – I am so, terribly sorry for all of this. Sincere thoughts and prayers are with you in the Temple household.

Be kind to one another. XO

When the opportunity presented itself to go to see the Boston Ballet’s Fall Program, I jumped at it! My lovely sister-in-law Elizabeth was my date, and we had a great time. First of all, the Boston Opera House is gorgeous. Second of all, the talent that we saw on stage was literally amazing. I don’t know how they do it. Well, I’m assuming it is a lot of training, a lot of watching what you eat, and a s*it ton of dedication and focus. I truly admire the dancers.

http://www.bostonballet.org/

Liz and I started the night off with a quick dinner at Stoddards (always enjoyable!), and then headed over to the Opera House to grab our seats. The performance consisted of three parts; Rooster, Awake Only, and The Second Detail. I must admit that at first it was hard for me to get used to the just dancing / no talking part of the ballet. I am a huge Broadway fan, and am used to watching people sing, dance, and talk while on stage, so the just dancing and no talking was different for me. But once the beautiful ballerinas came on stage I was hooked — their outfits were gorgeous! The only depressing part of all of this was the fact that I realized I will never be a ballerina in this lifetime. So sad.

Anyway…

Rooster was my favorite part of the evening because the music was that of the Rolling Stones. Ballet + the Stones = pretty awesome. My favorite part was watching the pretty ballerina in her lovely red dress dance to “Ruby Tuesday”. Other songs included “Little Red Rooster”, “Lady Jane”, “Not Fade Away”, “As Tears Go By”, “Paint It Black”, “Play With Fire”, “Sympathy For The Devil”. Awake Only was about different experiences one has in their life, and all of the emotions that match up with these experiences. It was a very nice! The last performance of the night was The Second Detail was a very modern ballet — very bold. It was very different from anything I’ve ever seen. Overall, the ballet was an amazing experience, and I’m so happy I got the chance to go!

Showtime!

Rooster (via http://www.bostonballet.org/)

I really want to get back to see The Nutcracker this winter. Performances start on November 23rd, and run through December 30th. I truly have always wanted to see The Nutcracker. I’m thinking this is the year… Check out the performance dates and times here. Also, Sleeping Beauty will run from March 22nd through April 7th, and the Spring Program will run from May 2nd through May 12th.

Just a side note here…tickets to the ballet are relatively inexpensive. Tickets start at $29 for season ballets (like the Fall or Spring Program) and $35 for The Nutcracker. I mean, for a fancy night out $35 sounds good to me, I must say.

If you’re interested in visiting the ballet multiple times, the Curtain Pass is a nice deal. For $156 you get 7 tickets to use however you want (this is subject to availability, valid on all performances of season ballets and select performances of The Nutcracker FYI).  This works out to be less than $23 per ticket! Also keep in mind the Senior Rush (65+) option — this is based upon availability, but typically the Boston Ballet offers this during all weekend matinees. The Senior Rush ticket is $20 cash up to two hours before the performance. Student Rush tickets are also based upon availability (full-time students with ID only), but the Ballet typically offers them for all performances, as long as there are seats left (also $20 cash up to two hours before the performance). Lastly, Student Subscriptions are $20 per ticket, and you can get really great seats with this option.

I received these tickets courtesy of the generosity of the Boston Brunchers and the Boston Ballet. But, as always my opinions here are honest and my own!

Anyway…

I recently learned about a lovely jewelry website called John Wind Maximal Art. Have you ever heard of them? When I first visited their site I was sad, happy, and nervous. Sad because I hadn’t heard of the company, happy because I finally had, and nervous that I was going to spend too much money on it (those charm necklaces, those cuff bracelets!). They so kindly sent me a necklace to see how I liked their product in person — the equestrian necklace ($38) — and I truly love it. It is simple enough to throw on with almost anything, but then again different enough (how often do you see a necklace with a horse head on it?) to jazz up something plain that you’re wearing. Plus, I love gold so I was definitely down with that.

And did you know? Equestrian is all the rage this fall. Who knew I would be on point with any fashion trend?….And how do I know this? Glamour magazine of course! They know everything, and I always believe them. Always.

Glamour.com

Check out the necklace for yourself:

Love it

Closer look

My idea of jazzing up a casual outfit:

Flannel and gold

Like what you see?

Find John Wind Maximal Art on:

Facebook

Pinterest

John Wind Maximal Art so kindly sent me my equestrian necklace for free, but as always my opinions are truthful, and of course — my own!

Gotta go, off to the chapel soon…

To be continued…