notes from a lover of boxed wine & bearded men
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This post is a review of Luv Michael’s Originola Granola. I was given a free sample of their granola in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own.
If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen me post about enjoying some Originola Granola from Luv Michael. I initially was just going to try a couple bites but I ended up eating nearly half the package because it was good – I write more about that below.
Luv Michael’s Mission
Luv Michael’s mission is to provide meaningful vocational training for the autistic population and to produce exceptional gluten-free and natural products.
Luv Michael educates, trains and employs individuals with autism. Every bag of Luv Michael Originola Granola is hand mixed in small batches and packed with LUV by individuals with autism.
Luv That!
Most of you know I am doing a double concentration in Psychology and Sociology and I am always excited about people and companies that are doing good for others. Especially when it comes to people that may be disabled, disadvantaged and so on. I love that Luv Michael gives opportunities to the Autistic Community. It really is a beautiful thing.
Back to the granola…
Let me just tell you that this granola was the most delicious granola that I have ever had in my life – and trust me – I have tried a lot of granola. I love granola. I eat it plain, I eat it mixed in yogurt, I eat it with milk and so on. This granola was goooooooooood.
I tried Luv Michael’s Originola Granola dry and straight out of the package. It was crunchy – but chewy, full of flavor and just sweet enough to make me feel like I was indulging on a sweet treat. I loved the cranberries and raisins mixed with the oats and the lovely hint of maple and vanilla. I almost forgot I was eating granola and thought I was eating a cookie.
I would buy this granola by the pounds and give it away as gifts to friends and family members as well. That is how much I enjoyed this granola. If you love granola like I love granola I promise you that you will not only enjoy it – you will come back for more again and again.
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Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.
Most adults spend a majority of their time at their job. Because our time spent there makes a huge impact on our lives, people should think about making well-being a priority at work. Often times we spend so much time there that we sometimes end up with a “work family” of sorts. Since we spend so much time with the people we work with it is important that we take care of and look out for each other when we can.
Even though the dynamic may be different because it is the work environment, people often take care of each other in some sort of way. If you have close relationships with the people that you work with you, may know at least the basic information about them. Others you may have more personal relationships with. Either way you know a little about them and can use that to build a positive work relationship.
When it comes to upper management, things often change because managers are supposed to manage, delegate and guide others. However, staying too removed from the people that they work with can often hurt not only work relationships but also the work environment in general.
By forming (healthy and appropriate) relationships with their employees; managers can help their employees to do better which will in turn make their jobs easier and more enjoyable as well. Did you know that in many large corporations when there seems to be a lot of problems the first person that gets in trouble is the manager if it looks like they are not working well with others? If that doesn’t encourage you to work better with others, I don’t know what will.
It is extremely important for people that are in charge to encourage and praise their employees when they are doing well. When someone is praised for their “good work” or “dedication” it often makes them not only feel better about themselves but can also inspire them to continue to do great work.
When someone feels like their hard work has paid off and they get complimented for it, it can positively effect their well-being as well. As a manager, the health and well-being of your employees should be just as important as them turning in that assignment by the deadline. Healthier employees often equates to happier and harder working employees. If they don’t feel balanced in all aspects of their life it can really effect their performance.
As the person in charge who mentors and guides their employees, making well-being a priority at work can do things like:
– increase morale
– boost employees self-esteem
– be a catalyst for positive change in the work place
Whether you are giving out compliments or holding health and wellness seminars – it is important to help your employees live better. If people feel good on the inside it reflects to the outside and in everything that they do – which includes their work.
Retail work is not for everyone. There are cranky and crazy customers. Often long hours and not enough pay. A lot of the time this equates to high turn-over. As a Retail Store Manager I always took it upon myself to praise and encourage my sales girls. Whether I ran a sales contest with prizes or made it a priority to always say a simple “thank you” at the end of their shift – I tried to treat all of the employees like they were just as important as my management team was.
There were several times where employees would later come to me and say “thank you” in return for encouraging them and treating them like human beings. I genuinely cared about how they were doing and where they were going – from their education to their career. You can form relationships with people and still hold your position when it comes to your job. Be one of the positive people in their experiences during the week.
By recognizing employees for their accomplishments you can make often make them feel better overall. If you know that they are into competitions you can set a production or sales goal and reward the top performers – you can even reward everyone else just for their effort.
Some of the ways that you can recognize employees for their accomplishments:
1. Create a spreadsheet, poster or board that tracks your top performers: Based on my experience, this can create some healthy competition between employees and often makes everyone feel great about what they are able to accomplish while they are in the zone. You can change what the goal is every week, month, quarter and so on and even the activity because in general some people are better at certain things overall so you want to make it fair as well.
2. Recognize them during team meetings or events: If you have a small team you can have a prize, reward or certificate for everyone and point out what their best assets are. If you have a larger team you can give out bigger rewards but still give out maybe a treat bag or something small to the other members of your team.
3. Tell them to their face: When someone is going above and beyond for a long time they may be discouraged if it goes unnoticed. Give them a boost of confidence by pulling them to the side and saying “thank you.”
4. Encourage them while on the job: If you have a few employees around you do a pow-wow and point out each persons strengths. You can say something like “Jenna is really great at analyzing our XYZ reports; feel free to ask her if you want some tips.” This works well because you are pointing out the strengths of someone and encouraging others to look to them if they want some tips (which often boosts peoples self-esteem because they feel like they are the person to talk to.) Also, colleagues that are at about the same level in regards to job duties and responsibilities are more likely to ask each other questions and when they do you want them to go to the right person for certain questions.
Those are just some of the ways that I have recognized employees for their accomplishments – what are some of the ways that you have recognized your employees in the past? How have you made others feel better in the work place? How have you made well-being a priority at work? Let me know in the comments or give me a holler on Twitter.
You may also like: Job Hunting Like A Boss
This post was sponsored by Havas Public Relations. For more information about what that means please see our disclosure page.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.
I received a bottle of Valentia True Glow Eye Cream at a discounted price in exchange for an honest product review. All opinions are my own. This post includes affiliate links and I may receive a small commission if you decide to purchase this product.
My friends and family have teased me since I was in my late teens because I am off and on obsessed about skin care [and in my late teens/early 20’s scared to death of getting wrinkles]. I have since calmed down with the obsession but I do feel having a skin care routine is important. If you take care of your skin, you will be so happy with the results for years (and even decades if we are being honest) to come.
I have to be honest, I haven’t been taking great care of my skin lately and for 2016 I plan on really stepping up my game. I want to have smooth, soft skin for as long as I can – great skin care will help with that.
For me, one issue I have had is dark circles and tiny wrinkles under my eyes from late nights (in the past it was insomnia, now it is blogging and working on business ideas.) [Side note: I am trying to do better on the sleeping thing as well.]
Well I recently came across Valentia True Glow Eye Cream and I think that this may be one of my favorite products at the moment. I really noticed a different in the firmness of the skin under my eyes and I do see a slight change in the pigment under them as well.
Valentia True Glow Eye Cream is specially formulated for your the skin under your eyes, however you can also use it on other parts of your face. I have not used it on other parts of my face, however, I think if it may work on your neck as far as skin tightening goes.
I really liked that just one pump gave enough product for both eyes. I always use my pinky finger to apply anything under my eyes. Just put a little product on the tip of your finger, make a few dots and dab until it is absorbed in.
My first time using it I could instantly feel it working on firming up they under eye area. Even though it comes out as almost a mustard color it absorbed into my skin and didn’t leave any strange color.
As I mentioned above – I noticed a slight lightening of the dark circles under my eyes and I think if I am consistent it will be even better in a month or so. This really makes me happy because it is one of the reasons I don’t like to take pictures – you can see the shadows!
So far I am really enjoying Valentia True Glow Eye Cream and I would recommend it to anyone that has issues with the skin under their eyes. I will make sure to let y’all know the final results once I finish up this bottle.
Do you have any issues or concerns about the skin under your eyes? Have you tried Valentia True Glow Eye Cream? What are your thoughts on this product?
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.
The great folks at Matcha Organics offered me this product for a discounted price in exchange for a review. All opinions stated here are my own. For more information please visit my disclosure page.
If you don’t know, I really, really, REALLY love green tea. For awhile I have been wanting to try Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder because I heard so many great things about it. I have read articles about how it helps with energy, metabolism and memory/focus. Since I am starting 2016 trying to live a healthier lifestyle, this was the perfect time to try it out.
You can use Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder 
The package suggests using 1/2 to 1 tsp per day. I would suggest starting with 1/2 tsp and working your way up. If you are not used to a strong or bitter tea flavor start at the lower end and/or add a sweetener.
Here are two recipes that I have used so far:
Hot Matcha Green Tea
– 1 cup hot water
– 1/2 tsp Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder
– honey or agave syrup (optional)
Iced Matcha Green Tea Lemonade
– 1/4 cup hot water
– 1/2 Tsp Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder
– 3 tablespoons lemon juice
– honey, agave syrup or your favorite sweetener (optional)
Directions: Mix hot water and Organic Matcha Green Tea Extract Powder until powder is dissolved. Mix cold water and lemon juice. Take both mixtures and pour over ice. You can always add more lemon juice and a sweetener.
My first time making a beverage, I noticed a boost in energy nearly right away. I felt a little peppy but without the jittery feeling. It was the perfect energy boost for the busy day that I had. After I use up this packet of powder I may just have to order more of it.
Since we are on break from school, I can’t give a full opinion about the memory and focus aspect, however, I did notice I felt a bit more clear-headed. Green tea often does that to me, so I sort of expected that from my experience with this product.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.
This post is sponsored by Scentbird perfume subscription and I received a commission in exchange for collaborating with them. All opinions expressed are my own. If you would like more information please refer to my disclosure policy.
If you are like me – you have a collection of perfumes and scented body sprays. I tend to always purchase the same scents over and over, however, I also want to be able to try other fragrances as well. Sometimes I want to step out of my comfort zone and try a new fragrance but do not want to commit to purchasing a full bottle of it. When I heard about Scentbird, I just had to try it out.
Scentbird is a monthly subscription for perfume lovers. Scentbird perfume subscription gives you access to 400 designer brands that you can try every month for just $14.95. For the monthly subscription price you receive a 30-day supply of the perfume you choose.
If you’re not sure about picking a perfume, Scentbird makes that easy for you. They use a Truscent™ perfume algorithm that will reveal the scents that are perfect for you. When you first sign up it asks about scents you currently enjoy and goes through a huge database of what they call “scent profiles” to find suggestions for you. From the suggestions, you can pick the one that you would like to receive for the month and they will ship it to you.
These are the fragrance suggestions that Scentbird gave me based on my preferences. I decided to try the first one listed Givenchy Very Irresistible Sensual which is described as “A seductive blend of a bouquet of various roses, star anise, patchouli, and vanilla. The creamy scent is housed in a beautiful purple bottle.”
You can choose one of the suggestions or you can also pick something else that you think you would enjoy. If you know for sure which ones you are interested in you can build your queue (which can also be re-arranged if you change your mind about which fragrance you want to receive.) They also offer gift sets and subscriptions for men as well.
If you’re worried about not liking a particular fragrance – don’t you worry your pretty little self – Scentbirds allows you to try new fragrances every month without committing to a full bottle. Or if you’re like me, sometimes you are in a certain “scent mood” for awhile and it changes – with a different scent every month you get to try out different scents without having to splurge on a full size bottle. A girl has got to have options!
Thousands of women love Scentbird because it gives access to the best fragrances without breaking the bank. $14.95 a month is such a great deal for the opportunity to try out a new fragrance. They also offer you the opportunity to get a month for free by purchasing a month for a friend. Isn’t that great?
I hope that you found the Scentbird perfume subscription as exciting as I did. I am so excited to go and fill up my queue of new fragrances. I know some friends and family members that are going to love hearing about this as well.
Added bonus: They are currently running a great offer. If you give a free month to your friend, you get a free month when they subscribe. Click here for more information.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.