May 2013 Vegan Favorites

I finally made my first favorites video!

In this video, I talk about some of the food and cosmetics I loved in May.  I plan to do more videos like this, so be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel get new videos.

Products mentioned in the video:

Life-Flo Pure Almond Oil

Black Rice-I purchase mine in the bulk section at Wegmans

Lupicia Paradise Green Tea

Way Better Snacks

Wegmans' Pistachio Blend

Pampered Pits-I use Lavender Dream

Quote of the Month:

"Don't think about making art, just get it done.  Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." -Andy Warhol

Songs on Repeat:

Daft Punk "Get Lucky" & Kendrick Lamar "B*tch Don't Kill My Vibe"

Did you try any new products or food last month? Leave me a comment below. :-)

Disclaimer: All products were purchased with my own money...except the tea. Thanks again, Cobi!

What We Tried Today: Gimme Lean "Ground Beef" Style Burgers

Finished burger with ketchup and Vegenaise

My youngest son asked for a "regular burger" a few weeks ago, so I knew eating our favorite vegan burger was out of the question. He was looking for something with a bite and similar texture to ground beef. I picked up a pack of Gimme Lean ground beef style veggie protein and went home to experiment.

What I liked:

*I was able to prep and cook the burgers within 30 minutes

*Great source of protein and zero fat and cholesterol

*The flavor was pretty good and reminded me of char-broiled burgers

*It has a similar texture to regular ground beef and has a great bite

What we/I didn't like:

*Way too sticky to handle-one of my Youtube viewers mentioned it isn't as sticky when handling with wet hands

*Pricey-about $6 for 4 hamburger patties

Will I buy it again? Even though the kids liked it, I probably wouldn't buy it again because it caused my stomach to hurt. :-(  Fortunately, the boys didn't have any problems.

Watch my full review here. :-)

Have you tried this Gimme Lean product or any of their other products?

What We Tried Today: So Delicious Mocha Almond Fudge Minis

What was the first thing Theo asked for when we went to the grocery store yesterday? Ice cream!

We headed to the frozen section for our usual vanilla So Delicious but I reached for their Mocha Almond Fudge Minis instead. 

Since junk food rarely last more than 24 hours in our house, we opened the box as soon as we got home.

*Dairy Free

*Soy Free

Non-GMO certified

The dark chocolate coating is crunchy with almonds & coconut-delicious!

I can't say the same for the actual ice cream.  I'm not a fan of coffee and the "mocha almond fudge" tasted too much like it to me.  

My kids loved the bars though-so majority rules in this ice cream war. :-)

Would I buy it again? If the kids request it.  

I did see some other So Delicious Minis flavors at the store, so I plan to try those too.

Have you tried this ice cream or any of the other So Delicious products?

My Diva Cup Experience

Update: I talk more about my Diva Cup experience when I reviewed it in this video.

What the heck is a Diva Cup?

The Diva Cup is a silicone (non-latex & BPA-free) menstrual cup.

I came across a lady  on a blog discussing her experience with using the Diva Cup about a year ago.  I was nervous about using it and didn't until about five months ago  when I saw this video on Youtube.....

Why I was nervous?

The idea of putting a cup inside of me? Ummm, no.  It looked sooo uncomfortable and strange.  Even though tampons are a fairly new concept (introduced in the 1930s) I wasn't too excited about changing.

Advantages of using a Diva Cup:

*Convenient- I no longer have to worry about whether or not I have enough tampons or pads on hand.

*Eco-Friendly- The average woman uses 8,000-17,000 tampons in her lifetime. That sounds like a lot of landfill waste that can be prevented.

*Cost Effective- Before using this device, I spent about $10 per month on tampons and maxi-pads.  My Diva Cup was $25 with shipping and can be used for several years.

*Discreet-I appreciate the little pouch that came with my  cup. 

*Doesn't interrupt daily activities- Like a tampon, you can still swim, bike, etc. while using the cup.

Some tips:

*Practice inserting and removing your cup while not on your period to get used to it without the mess.

*As Angela mentions in the video above, there is a learning curve with  using the Diva Cup.  I didn't use it outside of my home until the  middle of my third menstrual cycle because I was paranoid about leakage.  There's plenty of room in the cup to collect fluid, but leakage is caused by not inserting the cup properly.  I had two spills while using the cup at home.

*Watch a few Youtube videos with additional instruction on inserting and maintaining your Diva Cup.  The cup does come with a guide but Youtube was a better source of information for me.

*You can purchase your Diva Cup at any natural store or Amazon (like I did).

In my experience, change is always good. :-)

Have you used non-traditional menstrual methods? Let's talk about it in the comments section.

Edit to add: I received some great feedback about the Diva Cup but since I changed my comments to Disqus all of them were deleted (as well of all previous comments throughout the blog).  I was able to able save these five though.

“I LOVE LOVE LOVE my DivaCup. I've been using it for about a year and I have NO plans of ever going back. Once I got the hang of insertion, I was a breeze. No fuss, no mess...it just felt so right.”

-Keisha

Hey Monique!

Glad you shared this topic!

I have never tried the Diva Cup, but I am aware that it exists.  I was always curious about it, but too chicken to give it try.  A few years ago, I went another route, with cloth pads, but that didn't last long.  I think I might give it a try.  It is eco-friendly and a lot cheaper in the long run. 

Take care,

-Evelyn

I'm a Diva Cup Girl and have been for a couple years.   It took me 3 months and a couple diva-tastrophies to figure the whole thing out, but now I'm grumpy if I don't have it.  :-)  Not sure I would swim with it and running is sometimes a challenge, but otherwise it is great!

-Vegmom

Love Love Love my Diva Cup, until I accidentally threw it away. Oops. Lol. But I just ordered a new one and can't wait for it to arrive. It took me about the same time to get it right as it did with tampons and I no longer fear having something in too long or checking for leaks in the middle of the night like with tampons either. I wish I would've tried it sooner but I had a bad experience with an Instead cup back in the day and thought they were one in the same.  Never again will I have to worry about keeping tampons with me, not keeping them in too long or having them stored in every possible place I might be when my period comes. But I gotta remember to keep the cup out of the trash can lol

-Livindreamz

Me and the diva cup don't have a great relationship. I've had it since I got my 1st period after the birth of baby girl. I've tried it a few times, but still have not gotten the hang of it.

I have not given up, but I did put it away for the past few periods. I got tired of dealing with it.

Maybe, it's time for me to try again.

BTW- I'm so glad you posted that video. I saw a video of hers awhile back, forgot her name and wasn’t able to find her again until now :)

-Crafty Earth Mama