Williams Sonoma Harvest Fruit Granola Cookie Bar Mix

Who buys Williams Sonoma baking mixes? Rich, lazy people that’s who. I mean who else would spend $14.99 on a box of cookie bar mix when I’m sure you could assemble all of the ingredients for less than $5. BTW that is $14.99 NOT including an egg and 6T of butter. Fear not, I didn’t spend $15 on this box but rather less than $3. I bought this at the WS outlet in Primm, NV (aka casino at the border) for $3.99 less 30%. This is the most awesome store ! They have so much great stuff at amazing prices. I think this is the only store in the west, so be sure to stop by when you’re driving to Vegas.

Here’s the finished product. Looks pretty good huh. It tasted surprisingly good too, maybe a wee bit too sweet for my taste. There were little chunks of chewy dried fruit and the oatmeal gave the bars a nice crumbly texture. My dog Finn also really loved it and he would routinely try to sneak the rest out of my hand. Since it has no raisins, I guess it’s okay for him to have a little!

I’m the worst junkie of them all

Because I’m a junkie for everything! You name it, I love it… skincare, hair care, cosmetics, shoes, bags, clothes, stationary, food. Yes, even food. I must have been a squirrel in a past life because I can hoard food like it’s nobodys business.

Anyway, I’ve been seeing this thing called a 10 Pan Challenge on some beauty blogs recently and I’ve decided to try it for myself. Basically, you don’t buy any new beauty products until you’ve used up 10. Makes sense for me because I have a ton of inventory and really should stop buying stuff. It would take me years to use up 10 cosmetic items, so I’m going to take this challenge to include hair, skin and body care. I’ve already used up 3, well I used up 2 and trashed 1, plus I’m almost done with my shampoo and conditioner so that’s 5! Halfway there, woohoo!

Well, if I could buy products this is what I would be buying…

Clarisonic Body Brush Handle ($25) - This thing is pretty nifty for using the Clarisonic on your body. I received a body brush head when I purchased my Clarisonic, but admittedly have not ever used it in 2 year. So maybe that’s a sign that I really don’t need this. OR maybe I need to get another Clarisonic so I don’t have to keep changing the brush head out. That reminds me, I saw this body buffer thing at Bloomingdale’s that looked like one you use on a car. I wonder if it works…

Oscar Blandi Olio de Jasmine Hair Serum ($35) - This is pretty pricey for a hair product, but you really only need a teeny tiny bit so I’m sure it will last forever. Just a few drops will leave your hair smooth, shiny and smelling yummy. It also makes my hair feel stronger and thicker too, which I’m sure is just an illusion but whatever.

Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution ($49.50) - Does this thing even work? Who knows. I don’t really have any dark spots, but I can only imagine that they are coming. The lady at the counter said it doesn’t really prevent dark spots, but it still brightens the skin. Oh well, I want it anyway!

Benefit Watts Up ($30) - Oh how I want you so so bad. I’m so tempted to buy you because I have a $25 Macy’s gift card that needs using. The thing is, I sort of have a lot of highlighters and I don’t even know how to use them properly. I just bought Sun Beam and it is so amazing, I love love love it! Oh well, maybe I’ll reach my 10 pans sooner than expected if I include toothpaste, deodorant and sample sizes

Bull Dog Mentaiko Spaghetti

Today I want to share with you one of my very favorite foods, Mentaiko Spaghetti.

What is mentaiko you ask? Wikipedia describes it as “marinated roe of pollock.” I always thought it was cod roe, but whatever. It is also generally (mildly) spicy compared to the non-spicy Tarako. Anyway, they both look kind of gross… like a liver or a tongue, but trust me they are super delicious.

I’m sure you could very easily make mentaiko spaghetti from scratch, but even easier and just as delicious is Bull Dog’s instant version.

I should have taken a picture of the actual mix, but I was hungry and forgot. Each envelope contains enough seasoning for 2 portions, divided in little foil packets. I’ve never read the ingredients, but it looks like it contains dried mentaiko, seaweed and some other stuff. You just dump that onto cooked pasta and stir up. I like to add a squirt of mayonnaise (preferably Kewpie brand) to give it a little more moisture, but you can add a little of the pasta cooking water or olive oil or butter I suppose. You can also add some veggies like spinach or broccoli or something if you feel like you need more greenery.

I really need to work on taking more appetizing food photos because this does not look that awesome at all. I was a little out of sorts because I lost one of the packets and couldn’t find it anywhere! It was so weird, I checked the trash, recycling everywhere and I just could not find the darn thing so I had to go get the other one. Then I took out some granola bars I was baking in the oven and the packet was stuck to the bottom of the pan. Grr. Oh well, look for a review on those bars coming up soon!

May My Glam Bag

So overall, May has been a very disappointing month for my beauty/sample subscriptions. So far I’ve received the worst Beauty Bar box to date and I was suuuuper bummed about my Gossip Girl Birchbox – I’m pretty sure I got the worst one out of the bunch!

Unfortunately, My Glam didn’t turn the trend around and I have decided to cancel the service. Here’s what I got…

Philosophy Love Sweet Love Spray Fragrance - UGH I’m so over perfume samples. I can get these for free just walking around Macy’s. While this particular fragrance doesn’t smell offensive, it smells kind of sweet and cheap in a Bath & Body Works sort of way.

Miss Beauty Nail Bling – I can’t find any information on this online, so I don’t know what the retail is. They’re nail stickers, but in an awful rhinestone looking design with a pink heart. I don’t think I would wear this unless I was in elementary school…

Studio Gear Complete Color Lipstick - Ok so here is my first swatch! The first thing I thought was “this looks appropriate for fall, but not spring/summer!” Then I looked at the shade name and it is AUTUMN RED!! These lipsticks retail for $15 on the Studio Gear site, but this shade is on sale for $7.50. That is super disappointing. I was looking at what other people got in their bags and it looks like all of the shades they received were on sale too. Obviously the company is just trying to get rid of them. As far as the lipstick, it feels moisturizing and comfortable enough, but this really isn’t a color I would pick for myself. Too brick red and again, too AUTUMN. There is also a slight lipstick-y taste that I’m not particularly fond of.

myglam Concealer and Defining Eyeliner Brush - The final 2 things in the bag were these makeup brushes. Honestly, the only reason I didn’t cancel last month is because I was hoping to complete this makeup brush collection. It’s not like I love the brushes or anything, but I just wanted the full set because I am OCD like that.

Well, that’s the end of My Glam for me. What’s your favorite subscription service?

Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel

Just to show you that I will review pretty much ANYTHING, today’s like is one that was introduced to me by my Grandma, Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel. My Grandma can be quite OCD about bathroom smells – I have never seen anyone with a larger collection of air fresheners, sprays and other toilet paraphernalia. She swears by the Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel and I’m pretty sure she will have a meltdown if this product is ever discontinued.

It’s really easy to use and quite effective. You just take that blue wand and stamp a gel onto your toilet bowl. One stamp usually lasts about 2 weeks and it really keeps the bowl clean and smells fresh. It can be a little tricky to find, but I know that Target carries it. I can’t remember how much it costs, but I think it was around $3 and there are 6 “stamps” inside. The only thing I don’t like is that it’s not refillable and you end up buying a new stamper each time, which seems a little wasteful.

So there ya go! For your sake, I hope my next review is something more fun like lipgloss or tequila.

That’s Crisp

Hi and welcome to Pretty Crisp!

This blog is about all the things that I like and sometimes even the things that I dislike. Just to give you an idea, I like things such as shoes, lipgloss, puppies and carbs. I dislike car registration fees, people who don’t pick up dog poo, and olives. See, we have so much in common, right?

I hope you will follow along and maybe even discover some new things to add to your “like” list!