Something Bubbly to Ring in 2022?

Sparkling Cranberry Apple Cider - Aldi

Hello, my name is Maria, and I am thirty...four? years old? Yup, I'm 34. I constantly forget how old I actually am. (Probably because I'm not big on Birthdays and don't like to celebrate mine.)  Anyway, long story short, I am 34 years old and I still don't like the taste of alcohol.

I'll go out with friends and get a drink to be social, or grab a signature cocktail at a wedding, but I have never had an adult beverage I truly enjoyed. Drinking it feels like a chore, or like medicine, and half the time I wish I could pinch my nose and just knock it back to get it over with. Which is probably why I have only ever been drunk once in my entire life. 

So, now you know. I rather sip on sodas and seltzers than anything boozy to ring in the new year. So when I spotted these at Aldi I thought, I really like cranberry, so why not give this a shot?  

Limited Edition Stars and Stripes Cranberry Ginger Ale -

Cranberry Ginger Ale - Dollar Tree

I was at Dollar Tree grabbing holiday giftbags, (because if you're paying more than a dollar for a giftbag, you're insane,), and I spotted giant bottles of soda. They're like 2.5 Liters and only a dollar, so you know it's not the best quality, but they'll do in a pinch when you're having cheap at-home birthday party in the 90's. Anyway, I was going to walk right by them, when I noticed a limited edition flavor.

Since when has that been a thing? I was intrigued, and it was only a dollar, so let's see if it's any good! (At the very least it should make for a fun season-appropriate post.)

Sippin' on Some Snow Pear, Banging on a Street Light! - Quickie Review

Tropicana Snow Pear Juice - Asian Food Markets

After going to the doctor for the first time in five years....I've been trying to get a little healthier. Don't worry, if I ever do get back to regular blogging (which I really really want to do), I won't be getting all health-foodie on you guys. I just need to start taking better care of myself. Ah, the joys of adulthood. 

I lost 14 lbs. of body weight...and gained 14 lbs. of Pomeranian. Meet Pepper! Jack-Jack's new little brother who we adopted a few weeks ago! 

So, all of my pants don't fit, I have a new pup, my day job has been crazy busy, my tomato plants are sprouting, our Chinchilla is getting more and more snuggly, and I bought a butt-load of cool drinks from the Asian Food Market. That pretty much catches you up on my life, so let's crack open some of these bottles and do some quickie reviews!

Foreign-Food-Friday? Pokka Sapporo Yuzu Lemon

Pokka Sapporo Yuzu Lemon - Asian Food Market

It's not limited edition, holiday-themed, or "on-trend," but this yuzu and lemon drink sounded so light and refreshing! I had to have it. Into my cart it went, along with some other bottled beverages, way too much candy, and some Pop'n Cookin' kits that have been done-to-death on YouTube. (That won't stop me from trying them for myself!) 

I'm really excited to drink this, so let's (very briefly) cover the packaging and get right into the review! 

Fueling My End of Summer Denial with Watermelon Juices

Tsamma Watermelon Juice & Tsamma Watermelon Juice with Coconut Water - Aldi

Pumpkin spicers will have to pry summer out of my cold, dead, hands. (Says the girl who reviews 20+ pumpkin spice items each fall. #hypocrite)

Don't get me wrong, I am hype for all the Halloween goodies lining the shelves, but August is (almost) over and the only tan I have is on my left arm, courtesy of my long rides to and from work each day. This cannot be! I refuse to let summer disappear without having some fun and adventure. Or, at the very least, evening out my trucker tan.

Sadly, I don't think I'll find the time to even out my tan, but I did find some watermelon juices to prolong my summertime sadness.

Ecto Cooler & Ghostbusters 2016 REVIEW

Ecto Cooler - Shop Rite ($1.99)

I finally saw the new Ghostbusters! I know, I know, I'm so far behind that all the controversy is over and no one cares, but as a Ghostbusters fan I really wanted to form an opinion for myself. I grabbed a few juiceboxes of Ecto Cooler, and my sister, and headed to the theater for an early morning showing. (I'm frugal a cheapskate and I like to wait for $6.00 showings.)  

First, I'll write up the Ecto Cooler review, then I'll share my thoughts on the movie. (Also, check out this slime background! It's awesome and I'm pretty proud of myself.)

Phyzix Tropical Energy Drink - Phyzix

Phyzix Tropical Energy Drink - Phyzix (Gift)

Print Consultant and Graphic designer during the day, etsy shop runner, food blogger, amateur podcaster, novice YouTuber, needy-pomeranian-mommy, and freelance artist by night. My typical state of being is a zen-like zombie-mode where I get shit done and take names all while wearing industrial under-eye concealer and tricking everyone around me into thinking I'm still a human being.

All of this zombie-ness is fueled by nothing more than copious amounts of candy and water from my giant moonshine-sized mason jar. (It's huge so I don't have to refill it very often. It's all about function, not hipster aesthetic.) A lot of my friends and family rely on coffee and caffeine to get them through the day, and back in college I was right there with them with my daily iced espresso that was the size of a wiener dog, but I gave that up when my stomach issues began.

Now I'm a caffeine light weight.

I rarely drink energy drinks and coffee because the taurine and other energy packed chemical goodies tear my stomach apart and aren't worth the temporary boost they give me, but the people over at Phyzix contacted me with this healthier juice-based alternative and I thought I might give it a try to see if I can get all the pep without needing Pepto.

Bolthouse Farms Orange + Carrot Juice - Aldi

Bolthouse Farms Orange + Carrot Juice - Aldi

I don't have the best eating habits. (Shocking, I know.) I eat frozen pizza 3-4 times a week and lately the only way I've been getting fruit into my diet is when I add it to waffle batter on the weekends. My typical routine is crazy and there's no signs of it letting up any time soon, so squeezing vitamins, fruits and veggies into my diet any way I can is probably a good idea. The only catch is, it's gotta taste good.

Kale Blazer Naked Juice - Aldi

Kale Blazer Naked Juice - Aldi

Before I start today's review I have to make my first ever foodie-decree. (Imagine the text below being read in a town-crier voice, complete with a ringing bell.)

Oyez! Oyez! On this day, the second of January of 2016, I declare that all trendy, health-based, hipster-y foods shall henceforth be referred to as buzz-foods. God save the foodie!

Even though kale isn't as "hip" as it was a year ago, I still consider it to be one of the biggest buzz-food offenders. Everyone tosses kale into their recipes to make themselves seem hip and relevant, while also making their dish seem fancier and healthier than it really is. Plus, it was just last year that NY and NJ had this news-worthy kale-shortage. For those of you who don't know, winter storms were coming and all the foodie hipsters ran to the grocery stores to stock up on kale for their green juices before the blizzard hit. Really? A giant storm is coming and kale was the grocery staple you went for? If green juice and kale are hibernation-hoarding-worthy, I figured, why not check it out for myself?

Cucumber Watermelon Lemonade - Aldi: Cherry Hill, NJ

Cucumber Watermelon Lemonade - Aldi: Cherry Hill, NJ

I posted a photo of this on instagram the second I saw it. Watermelon cucumber lemonade? It sounds so fancy and refreshing, especially for Aldi. I popped it right into my cart, but then it hit me. Cucumber Melon? Where had I heard of that combination before...my high school Bath & Body Works obsession! 

Like a lot of people in the late 90's and early 2000's, I was obsessed with the cucumber melon fragrance from Bath & Body Works. I once had a bottle of lotion explode in my gym bag and from that point on, no matter how many times I washed it, everything that ever entered that bag became infected with cucumber-melon-itis. I wore it so much I made myself sick, so I've avoided this fragrance ever since. Will this taste like I'm drinking a bottle of body spray?

Bolthouse Farms Stone Fruit Smoothie - Aldi

Bolthouse Farms Stone Fruit Smoothie - Aldi

Everything in my life has been non-stop for the last two weeks, I worked, drove to Baltimore, worked almost 30 hours that weekend selling my art, drove back from Baltimore, unpacked, went right back to day job...etc. So yesterday, I was finally able to come home from my day job and get some much needed rest. How did I celebrate? I cooked an entire package of bacon, and ate 75% of it all by myself.

Not my proudest moment (who am I kidding, I'm totally proud of it), but when I woke up this morning I needed to ingest something that wasn't bacon. I figured, what's better to de-bacon-ify myself with than a healthy fruit smoothie?

Mamma Chia, Chia Squeeze (Strawberry Banana) - Summer Fancy Food Show Samples

Mamma Chia, Chia Squeeze (Strawberry Banana) - Summer Fancy Food Show Samples

Must resist the urge to make an ABBA or Chia Pet reference...

I'm getting ready to head to Baltimore on Thursday, so things are really crazy right now. I'm barely sleeping, I'm making a ton of art, and I'm trying to hurry up and review any and all of the perishable products I picked up in NY before they expire.

When I was leaving the convention center there were a few trucks lined up outside handing out food products. I'm guessing they either couldn't get a booth at the event, or maybe they did have a booth and just wanted extra publicity, but either way, it was more free stuff and this time it was available to the general public as well as show attendees. Since Chia is super popular right now, I thought it'd be fun to give this a try.

Tsamma Watermelon Juice - Aldi

Tsamma Watermelon Juice - Aldi

Watermelon is pretty much THE summer fruit. We serve it sliced up in fruit salads, we freeze it and eat it as if it were a popsicle, and we even puree it with vodka and a coat hanger for summer drinks.

I love watermelon, so watermelon juice? That should be great, right?

Limited Edition Apple Pie Juice Drink - Walmart: Berlin,NJ

Limited Edition Apple Pie Juice Drink - Walmart: Berlin,NJ

I love watching different YouTubers, in fact, I watch YouTube videos way more than I watch TV. One person that I've been following for years is beauty blogger, xSparkage. She might be considered a beauty guru, but she loves food and kitchen gadgets, and a long time ago she was raving about a drink that tasted just like apple pie. It was over a year ago, so I can't remember what video it was, and I don't know if this is the same brand she was drinking, but when I saw this, I remembered her video, and I knew I had to try this stuff out.

Welch's Caramel Apple Sparkling Cocktail - BJ's: Marlton, NJ

Welch's Caramel Apple Sparkling Cocktail  - BJ's: Marlton, NJ

It's a new year, and there's no better time to review something sparkling and bubbly! This has actually been in my stash for quite a while. Back in October, I reviewed this bottle of Sparkling Pumpkin Cocktail, and that came in a three-pack with two bottles of this. I wasn't able to find any of these items sold on their own in the grocery store, only in a large 3-pack of two caramel bottles and one pumpkin at BJ's, so I bit-the-bullet and bought the whole pack. I put one bottle out for my friends to drink at my cookie party a few weeks ago, and then I save this bottle to review. Let's see if this stuff is as enjoyable as it's pumpkin-counterpart.

Welch's Sparkling Pumpkin Spice- BJ's: Voorhees, NJ

Limited Edition Welch's Sparkling Pumpkin Spice- BJ's: Voorhees, NJ

It's officially October! Time to watch Hocus Pocus on loop and buy copious amount of Halloween candy. (Although I'll be waiting for it all to go on clearance and swoop in like the cheapskate bargain shopper I am.) Pumpkin reviews are in full swing, and tonight I have some sparkling Pumpkin Spice apple/grape juice to review!