Subscription Box Review : Snack Crate - America

Subscription boxes are a new obsession of mine.  I have done a few in the past, such as Graze.  Graze is a natural and healthy snack box.  I also subscribe to BlueApron, Gobble and HelloFresh.  I love those meal boxes.  But I just recently started subscribing to some new kinds of boxes.  International Snacks and makeup.

Today I am going to tell you about my first SnackCrate Box.  This box was from, guess where.. America.  LOL  Now, even though I am from America and thought I knew what was pretty normal for this county, I found out I was very very wrong ad even those of us living in and from the box location of choice can learn a few new things.

First thing out of the box...  Route 11 Potato Chips.  These are kettle chips in Chesapeake Crab flavor. I have to say, I have never heard of these before.  I wasn't very impressed with these.  Although they had great flavor and had a nice amount of kick to them they were REALLY salty.  I LOVE salt and all but these were too much even for me.

Next were Prickly Pear Cactus Candy.  I really liked these.  They were a soft melt in your mouth type of gummy that was coated is sugar.  Not too sweet at all and very tasty. 

Cranberry Bog Frogs.  These were soooo good.  Chocolate covered caramely cranberry goodness. The tart cranberry flavor was the perfect compliment to the sweet caramel.  I think I may need to find these online and order more. 

Aunt Sally's Creamy Pralines.  Exactly what they say.  Weird Carmel texture creamy pralines.  I wasn't sure what to think of these.  They were very rich and sweet.  I would probably have liked them if I were at all a caramel person or a praline person but I'm not a huge fan of either.

The Famous Black and White Cookie!  I have seen these on TV and never tried one.  I didn't even think to hunt one down when I was in New York City.  I have to admit, they aren't at all what I was expecting.  I was expecting more of a harder cookie texture with frosting.  These are a soft spongy cookie with a fondant topping.  I Really liked them a lot.  Another one I will be getting more of.

Ok,  so HalfPops... Where have yo9u been my whole life.  You are AMAZING!!!!  They are literally half popped popcorn kernels and they are AWESOME!!  They remind me a but of Corn Nuts, which I also happen to love.  So if you aren't a Corn Nuts fan you may want to skip past these.  I WILL be ordering more of these.  In fact I Wasted no time getting online to find them already. ;)

Salmon Jerky.  Now this is one that is definitely an acquired taste but I HAVE had before when I was in Seattle.  I like it but only in small doses.  You have to like Salmon to appreciate this.  It's also VERY potent so small amounts at a time is better. 

Key Lime Hard Candy.  These were really tasty.  I liked these a lot.  A creamy and subtle key lime flavor. 

Here is one that I am very familiar with and have in the stores where I live here on the West Coast.  These are a chewy taffy with a peanut butter filling.  They will remove your fillings if not careful but the creamy peanut butter filling you discover when you bit into it may make that worth it.  Also very sweet though.

Ok,  It occurred to me that if there are "American" items in there that I have never heard of on the West coast then perhaps there are people out there who don't know what Red Vines are too????  The thought of that seems so alien to me.  I couldn't imagine.  These are a staple at any store and any movie theater her eon the West Coast and I guess I just assumed everywhere else too.  These red licorice sticks are amazing.  If you really haven't had these before, I highly suggest you go seek them out.

So over all, my first experience with the SNACK CRATE was a fun experience.  I am looking forward to what country is picked next.  I LOVE trying new foods from around the world. 

A Bittersweet Goodbye to the Village at Donner Creek

So (almost) 18 years ago, it was September of 1999, I was a 21 year old young woman wanting to move out of my mom's house and being raised by a Real Estate Broker there would only be one option when moving out.  Buying a home. There was no renting.  Renting was not an option in my family.  So it looked like I was gonna start home shopping,  The problem of course was...  I was only 21. I didn't make a lot of money, in fact I made very very little money.  I also didn't shave any money in the bank, so how on earth was I going to make this happen.  Doing it with help was also not an option.  In my family, what we do we do on our own.  Pride is a big thing and several times almost caused the death of me.  So my mom started looking up condos that I could afford and I started talking to my job about taking a loan out on my 401k.

After shopping around and making a couple of offers that didn't go through I found this tiny little perfect place.  1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, wood burning fireplace,  washer and dryer in the unit, built in microwave and 568 square feet.  Ok,  I know that sounds about the size of a cardboard box, but I will tell you that at 21 years old and moving out for the first time into a place that was going to be ALL MINE it was heavenly!!!  Escrow closed in October of 1999 and I was now officially a home owner and leaving the nest.  10/29/99 = most exciting and freeing day ever! Not gonna lie.  also a little bit scary.

The plan was to live here for 2 years or so and then sell and upgrade.  The PLAN I say.  Well that didn't exactly work out.  Life began to steam roll over everything and I was never in a position to move up.  I stayed here for 12 years.  Almost to the day as a matter of fact. I spent a large portion of my life in this condo and made many many memories here.  It was still my first great accomplishment.

When I did finally decide to upgrade and buy a house (and when I say house I mean a real grown up house lol)  it was 12 years later in October 2011.  I was so excited and didn't even look back much because I was planning to keep the condo and rent it out.  So I wasn't really saying goodbye and didn't have that walking away feeling.

Well here it is.  18 years later and I decide it's time to close the chapter.  I listed my condo on April 4th and by 10 the following morning I had a cash offer.  A low ball offer albeit, but an offer none the less.  after a few counter offers back and forth and my eventual rejection to the low ball offers (Yes I can be stubborn and did I mention that I have a pride issue???) They finally came back with what I said i was willing to accept and we had an accepted offer by mid afternoon.  Cash offer with a requested 14 day escrow.  We closed escrow and my first home was no longer mine by April 19th. Talk about moving fast.  I didn't really have the opportunity to process that this huge part of my life just came to an end. My first home away from home.  My first major adult milestone which was conquered far before I was truly an adult if you ask me.  18 YEARS!!!!  Now I am feeling the moment of saying goodbye.

Now I am feeling the chapter on that moment of my life actually closing. It's a bittersweet reality but an exciting one all the same. It was hard to say goodbye but I also knew I had to say goodbye to really move on from that time of my life and everything that came along with it and I can now excel and and enjoy my life in my current wonderful home.

Goodbye loving little condo,  You kept me warm, and dry, and safe.  We had been through a lot with the potential wildfire dangers up to our parking lot, the coyotes at our front door step,  the flooding caused by my neighbors that separated us for several months but gave you a beautiful face lift with a completely rebuilt inside.   You offered me some of the most BEAUTIFUL views with your greenbelt in the back and the lake in the center of the complex that I loved to take many many walks around while feeding the ducks and watching the fish swim by.

You were a wonderful first home and I say goodbye.

Sparky and Cody are reunited again. RIP Sparky

When my sweet baby boy Cody passed away in April of 2015, I never thought Sparky's poor little body would every survive the grieving and to be honest, I wasn't quite sure I would survive either.  She had gone from the strongest Queen who was tough as nails and took no crap from anyone,  "Off with their heads!!!", to this frail, timid and sad sweet girl.  She had stopped eating and was starving herself, losing over half of her weight and scaring her mommy to death on a daily and night basis.  We had a constant game of chase the Sparky around the house with baby food and try to force feed her every night and medications she fought tooth and nail to avoid taking.   She had even begun to be able to walk right through the baby gate without making any sound.  



She had become so weak she was no longer able to jump up onto my bead without help.  One of my concerns was her developing a fatty liver which there would be no coming back from and I was determined to keep that from happening.  I couldn't lose her too and I tried explaining that to her each night.



Finally, it was when I rescued my sweet love, Reagan, and brought her home, when I really started to see some improvement with Sparky.  Not because she was happy about her new sister, because she was NOT thrilled that she was a dog at all! But because she was now distracted from her grieving and had to focus on how much she hated her poor new sister.  She slowly began eating again and gained a couple of pounds.  Still underweight but we were taking it.  Reagan, my love, you saved two lives when you joined out families.  You were definitely an angel sent from heaven to us.  I love you! 

For the next two years, Sparky was still very tiny and weak and never really fully recovered.  She was never the same.  She missed her brother so much, which was heartbreaking because they had really never been apart.  Sparky didn't know a life without him and he loved his sister so much that he would pamper her and spoil her and love on her every minute he could.  Sparky was missing a very large part of her heart and soul. As was I.


Well about 2 weeks ago I saw a pretty drastic and severe decline in her physically and spiritually.  It broke my heart to with her.  She was no longer eating and sleeping all the time.  She stopped waking me up between 5am and 5:30am every single morning by standing on my chest and screaming till I woke up to feed her.  She had stopped greeting me at the door when I got home from work each night and shows no interest to even follow me to the kitchen.  On the morning of Friday February 24, 2017 when I woke up and went looking for her, I could see the drive and desire and the spirit was no longer in her eyes.  She blankly stared at me and I knew.  I knew.


I refused to prolong her pain and discomfort for longer than needed a I know I had done with Reagan and Murray because I selfishly couldn't accept the need to say goodbye yet.  I wanted to do better by Sparky and pay attention to the signs.  I called her vet and asked that they come to examine her that evening and when they did my fears and suspicions were confirmed. 


Luckily, this was the first time I was able to be proactive and plan for this goodbye.  In the past, all of my babies have passed very suddenly with very little to no time to prepare and process it first.  This time I was able to plan an entire evening and day with Sparky to spoil her and love on her and say goodbye.  ad like every single one of my babies who passed before her, she too passed in my arms while I held her tight.


Before her vet came back on Saturday, Sparky had many visitors come to say their goodbyes and give her kisses. Our friend Doreen came by Friday night and brought her some ice cream, since it has always been Sparky's most favorite thing in the whole world and she was able to find the energy to eat about half a spoon full which I know she loved.  On Saturday,  Auntie Ang came and brought her a beautiful rose.   Her and Reagan's BFF/Sitter/Walker came to visit and hold her and love her and her grandma even came by for a minute to say her goodbyes. 

Then we had some time alone, just the two of us.  It tore me up inside having to say goodbye and I cried a lot, but I knew that this was the right time and I knew that she and her brother would be together again and that somehow made the whole thing much easier to accept.  I know Cody has been waiting patiently for her to come play at the rainbow bridge with him and now they can chase those butterflies together.

I love you Sparky!  My Feisty Queen! RIP.

Sunday Confessions - Yes to Sweats, No to Naps

Well happy Sunday that is followed by a holiday.  These are my favorite Sundays.  Nothing like not having to spend my evening prepping for work lunches and getting laundry done while worrying about washing my hair early enough so I can straighten it, because honestly it's an all day event. 

No worrying about making sure I am in bed by 8pm for an early alarm tomorrow. Ok, Ok... Who am I kidding.  I will still be in bed early and awake early in the morning because my body is just programmed that way.  Also because, well. I'm old.  LOL.  

None of this changes the fact that there is NO WORK TOMORROW!  Woo Hoo! 

On to my confession...  Are you ready?  I love spending my Sunday's being lazy and not wearing real clothes.  It's typically sweats or leggings all day long.  They are my favorite. I do usually spend the day working around the house or getting some bookkeeping work done for my side job but at least I am doing it in comfort.  That's what matters most.  

I wish I could say that I spend my day napping, but unfortunately I am not one of those people who can nap.  I wish I could.  I am always jealous of my friends who do nap all day long but if I nap I end up waking up in a fog, with a headache and grumpy as hell.  This is me after a nap.

Plus when I nap I NAP!  I am our for 3 hour minimum and just seem to be incapable of taking short cat naps.  even when I set an alarm.  Which is seldom because if I nap it's not exactly planned. 

So I wake up early and am consciously aware of how much i am enjoying my day.  I drink a lot of coffee in the morning and will usually spend a couple of hours cleaning my house then it's all about my book, Netflix or painting.  The best part about that is that I am super tired and am easily able to fall asleep early at night.  I'm so old.  I enjoy going to bed early.  

I have heard friends and colleagues in the past talk about how guilty they feel about going the entire weekend without doing anything and how unproductive they felt....  Really?  What is wrong with doing nothing on your weekends?  We work hard all week and as for myself I schedule all of my errands and appointments for after work during the week so there is usually very little rest for me during the week so if I want to do nothing over the weekend I think it's glorious.  If I feel like going out and running errands or visiting with friends then I do but I don't let my self feel obligated to be busy.  That's how I keep it relaxing. I love it! 

So if you read this and you also find yourself doing as little as possible while lounging around the house in your sweats with your coffee, give yourself a big pat on the back!  Know that you are not alone!