Quaker Real Medleys Peach Almond Oatmeal+

11:00:00 AM mandy 11 Comments

Most of the people I know hate to eat oatmeal. I, for one, grew up eating it and still enjoy it. However, the oatmeal I grew up eating was made with a bit of milk (instead of water), sugar, and egg. Perhaps that's why I had a pleasant oatmeal experience? Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal is different from the oatmeal I know but that doesn't mean it was bad.


The calories in this cup of oatmeal are relatively low, that is I am assuming this would be the only thing you are consuming for breakfast. I should point out that the sugar content does seem high though. I never usually look at the sugar amount in foods, but after hearing from the besties that 20g+ are considered high...those who are sugar cautious should take note because this cup contains 19g of sugar.

Thumbs up to Quaker for keeping the ingredients list to a minimum!

The directions are very easy. I do like how it is already portioned and in a cup. It is great on the go breakfast item. You just need to add water and wait 3 minutes for the dried oats and fruit to absorb the water.


It is embarrassing to tell everyone this but I was actually afraid of trying this particular product. I didn't grow up eating fruits because I'm allergic to most fruits. So now I'm not the biggest fan of trying things with fruits in it. Maybe because of this reason I didn't like the bits of peach in there very much. Reconstituted dried peaches gave the oatmeal sweetness. When I bit into it the peaches were soft and chewy, something that I didn't really care for. But the part I really enjoyed though was definitely the crunchiness the almonds pieces gave the oatmeal. I think that was a very nice addition.

I think the drawback to these cups of oatmeal is that they're kind of pricey. According to Influenster, it costs $1.79 per cup. Surprisingly there was more than enough oatmeal to make me feel full after eating it. I think this is probably because of the added almonds and peach bits. It makes the oatmeal a lot heartier, especially when compared to plain o' regular oatmeal. It'd be great for those who are in a hurry. Pour some hot water in, put the lid back on, grab a spoon and head out the door with your breakfast. But for me, I think I will continue to buy the big jar of the company's Quick Oats. It seems a lot better for my wallet in the long run, but of course, it's definitely more time consuming to make. Whatever is best for your particular lifestyle!

Disclaimer: I received this product through the Influenster VoxBox program to try. I do not receive any extra compensation for posting about this product (other than getting to keep the product). I am not obligated at all to write positive reviews either. Any links provided do not give me any compensation.

Nutella Cookies

1:38:00 PM mandy 23 Comments

After buying a jar of Nutella to make the Nutella frosting I made for the cake, I still had a lot of the chocolate hazelnut spread leftover. I know my mom would scrutinize me forever if I devoured the jar by myself. So I took to Pinterest to find a quick recipe that involved using Nutella. In case anyone was wondering...I didn't eat these all myself, I made them for my besties when we were meeting up during the winter break.

I found a pin with some cookies and a jar of Nutella with the caption something along the lines of 1 cup Nutella, 1 cup flour, and 1 egg. However, it didn't have the instructions for what temperature to set the oven for or the time to bake the cookies for. Luckily, this is a pretty popular recipe that many food blogs try out so it wasn't hard to find the missing information.
I was very surprised to find that these weren't very sweet at all. But that could be because I am so accustomed to eating much sweeter cookies. I dusted some powdered sugar over top to compensate for the lack of sugar. My friend who isn't into sweets told me she loved it though. The cookie also isn't as chewy on the middle as I prefer in a great cookie. However, I did find another recipe that claims she has the right ingredients and recipe that'll make for a very good crunchy outside and chewy inside Nutella cookie. She also added sea salt into her cookies, which should give an interesting sweet and salty cookie. Click HERE for the recipe. It has a few more ingredients but the process is relatively the same (sans the flattening of the dough). I think I'm definitely going to have to give that a try the next time I buy a jar of Nutella.

Do you love Nutella? What do you like to eat Nutella with?

EBOOST - Pink Lemonade

3:21:00 PM mandy 6 Comments

EBOOST Natural

Energy wasn't something I was all too excited about trying when I saw it in my Holiday VoxBox. Maybe I'm just picky but I am not a fan of powder drinks. Of the ones that I have tried, it always taste way too artificial for me. But nonetheless I gave this a go. The powder itself is white. Once it mixes with the water it turns into a muted pink shade. After having it sit around for a couple of days, it becomes more of a yellowy pink color.



Even though I poured this into a bottle, let me tell everyone else to not do the same. The powder fizzes as it mixes with water so there will be an overflow. Even if you only pour a little at a time. In the end, I still had some powder in the package left over.


My suspicions were right. It is sad to say but I didn't enjoy this very much. It did taste like the bottled pink lemonade you can buy at the supermarket right when I drank it. The part I didn't appreciate was the metallic after taste. For me, there was an irony taste (like blood or when I had metallic braces). The ingredients doesn't list iron in the nutritional information. I did see a few metallic/mineral ingredients like Zinc and Copper though. Just to be sure it wasn't just me, I had my little brother taste it as well. He said he thought it was alright but there was something a little different about it. He didn't tell me what that something "different" was though (but I don't think he would have been able to tell me anyways since he isn't very good at describing tastes yet).

I think for those who are used to or doesn't mind powder drinks, this would be a nice supplement alternative. It is supposedly made of all natural ingredients, which is always a plus nowadays. It comes in a few other flavors (Orange, Pink Lemonade, Acai Pomegranate, and Super Berry) and forms (powder, tablet, and energy shot) as well. I just personally did not appreciate it very much. Since I couldn't get past the after taste, I didn't finish my water and therefore couldn't feel the full affect of the energy boosting abilities.

According to the EBOOST website, a box of 20 packets would cost $28, making each packet $1.40. I don't remember seeing these at any supermarkets around me but the store locator on their website say certain drugstores and Health/Fitness stores may carry it.

How do you feel about powder drinks? What do you take to give yourself a boost of energy?

Disclaimer: I received this product through the Influenster VoxBox program to try. I do not receive any extra compensation for posting about this product (other than getting to keep the product). I am not obligated at all to write positive reviews either. Any links provided do not give me any compensation.

Giveaway Package from Beauty Blog

9:07:00 PM mandy 25 Comments

Mail all the way from HK/Macau! I haven't won a giveaway in a long time so I couldn't believe I had actually won. Thank you Beauty Blog for holding such a great giveaway! :] It came much faster than I anticipated, especially since it's international mail. Check out her blog for tons of reviews on Asian beauty products.

Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner, Kate Cream Cheek PK-4, Lavshuca Gradation Color Eyes BR-1

The Face Shop Freshian Volumizing Mascara, Maybelline Watershine Collagen Gloss P11

Maybelline Angelfit Pore Zero Base SPF25 PA++, Dr.Jart+ Premium Blemish Base BB Gold Label SPF45/PA+++

Big Bang Alive Galaxy Tour Concert NJ 110912

10:40:00 PM mandy 9 Comments

This post has been delayed for long enough. But as the saying goes...Better late than never! All these photos are showed in order of when I took them. Maybe it'll help make it seem like you were there too. I'll try my best to find the name of songs they performed and add it in as well. Sorry for the blurry photos. Most were taken with my iPhone. (Prudential Center made a big announcement saying there were no cameras allowed. But once we got inside, the rule wasn't even enforced that heavily.) I've already cropped most of them to show the most important subjects a.k.a. the members :D Hope everyone enjoys!

My mani for the concert! ^__^ Yellow base: Revlon -  Buttercup Blue glittery layer: Sephora by OPI - Underwater Fantasy

Can you tell? I was VERY excited! ^__^

My friend and I reached Prudential Center around 12PM and we were at the corner of the block. If only I didn't go to my one class that day, we could have had MUCH better spots. The people in front of us during the concert had been lining up since 9AM!

Once the VIPs got these bands, everything was a bit more organized. They actually had everyone go inside for the concert more or less according to these numbers. We weren't shooed back outside like the 2NE1 concert attendees were. All the VIPs with wristbands filed into the lobby/waiting area and lined up sequentially. I was #585. But there were 700+ numbers too! I dare say I think there were maybe even up to 1000 "VIPs". Whoever planned the concert really wanted to get all the profit that they could get >__>;; I don't think there was any empty space in the General Admission/VIP area.

The goodies that came with being a VIP ticket holder. Besides being able to attend the soundcheck, these made the VIP package worthwhile. The light sticks and shirts were pretty expensive at the merchandise stand!

There were fans who brought along tons of these kind of banners to pass out. I didn't even hold mine up because I was annoyed by others who held up their posters. I definitely didn't want anyone else to be in my position.

He did not look happy/impressed :P

My spots on the floor for the soundcheck and the concert were alright but still much closer than I thought I originally thought I would be in. If you can imagine this...there were the rails to separate fans from the stage. Then one row of fans, another row of fans, and I was in the third and last row in the particular area my friend and I chose to stand. After that we had to leave a space between us and another rail for people further up and closer to the center of the stage/catwalk to go in and out of the crowded mosh pit. And believe me when I say there were TONS of times when people (or more specifically this one particular person) who kept going in and out, in and out of the mosh pit. Us 3rd rowers were constantly jostled against each other throughout the entire concert. Huge bummer!

The seats ALL around us pretty much looked like this until a little while AFTER the concert began. I was worried it would stay empty because the concert was literally a few of days after Hurricane Sandy hit. But the fans pulled through :]

Songs Played: Still Alive Intro, Tonight, Hands Up, Fantastic Baby, How Gee, Stupid Liar

I wish I was closer to the main stage. Since I'm short (despite wearing heels), whenever they performed over there, I was only able to watch them through the big screens :[ My phone had a better view than I did xD

Song Played: GD & TOP ... Knock Out (뻑이가요) 

I wish I was able to see more of TOP. Of the few times he came over, my view was usually blocked by the girl's sign who was standing in the first row (she was a uber big TOP fan and brought a LED sign just for him). Those signs look better when you're not the person standing behind them :|

Songs Played: Crayon, One of a Kind, short English rendition of Crayon


Song Played: GD & TOP ... High High

Clearly the security personnels were not very impressed! Everyone in my area couldn't believe the people at Prudential Center decided to place such a tall guy right by the stage. We were all so short compared to him! See those raise arms in comparison to where his head is? :X

Songs Played: Seungri ... Strong Baby and 어쩌라고 (don't have photos for that) Songs Played: 가라 가라 고, Number 1, Cafe, Bad Boy Songs Played: Blue (Fans were suppose to wave their blue light sticks during this song but since the Samsung booth gave out blue bangles, the outcome of the 'event' wasn't as dramatic), Love Song, Monster, Feeling

Probably the only 'good' photo I have with all five members in it.

Songs Played: Taeyang ... Only Look At Me and Wedding Dress (no photos) Song Played: Daesung ... Wings

As corny as it sounds, he really did look like an angel :P & Let me tell you...he sounds just as amazing, if not better, LIVE! :D

Song Played: Haru Haru (I have to admit did get teary eyed when the whole audience was able to sing the chorus of this song!), Lies, Last Farewell

Encore: Heaven, Bad Boy, Fantastic Baby, Feeling

One of the few clear photos I have of Taeyang. He didn't really come to the part of the stage that I was in as often.

Something I thought was interesting. I didn't know that those Big Bang towels that were sold were actually meant for this.  A fan really close to the stage threw (I'm assuming) her's up and Daesung actually caught it! He wiped himself a bit and threw it back down.

I read about Daesung and his water flinging from the day before's concert goers. I was so surprised I'd be in the section that he chose to do this in though :P Yes things like this made me giddy. What can I say? I'm a fangirl too! :X

This fan behind us was SOO lucky! During the concert she asked my friend to throw a giant panda up to the stage for Seungri. Soon after when Big Bang came out to throw things for the audience, Seungri got in his stance and swung this jacket out to her direction. If I remember correctly she and another girl both caught it. But obviously she won the tug-of-war :P It wasn't until after I got home and did some 'researching' that I realized the LED sign she held up during the concert (that said VI) was actually Seungri's other stage name. Everything clicked! I think he really was trying to aim for her. Congrats to her! She must have been over the moon happy :D Those jackets, new and not worn by Big Bang, already were selling on YG Ent.'s ebay site for $100+!

Big Bang definitely did not disappoint! I was so amazed that they were performing with a LIVE band. I have no idea what it's like to be at a club. But I assume the atmosphere with the loud heart throbbing music that filled the venue would be kind of similar? Of course sans the screaming and singing fans xD

Everything went very smoothly and the concert started on time. No mishaps at all on their part. (I, on the other hand, lost a camera pouch toward the end of the show & my feet were dying from standing all day in heels.) Besides the great concert, I learned the importance lesson behind the reality of being a seatless VIP.
1 ~ Hardcore fans really do not care if other fans' views are blocked because of signs. They really will hold up those up HIGH for the entire concert!
2 ~ Being short is very disadvantageous.
3 ~ Having good spots where it is possible to actually see the members comfortably requires lining up VERY early, especially if it was a sold out show. Lots of people were not from New Jersey or New York!
But the amazingness of Big Bang really did make those problems bearable. Even after 2 months, the songs on my phone are still exclusive all the songs Big Bang performed that day. The more upbeat songs are actually really motivating exercise music! :P

*****You can ignore the next part of you're not interested in me babbling on any longer. Just a lot of fangirling going on here. More so for my terrible memory's sake than anything else :]*****