PopSugar Must Have - January 2013

PopSugar's box for January was meant to be a mix of fitness & health and indulgence, which I suppose it was.  But there wasn't much included and for me, there wasn't much to love.

Must Have Fitness: Merrithew Stability Ball

If I didn't already have one of these stability balls collecting dust in our basement, I would maybe be a little excited.  I know a lot of people use this not only for working out but also just to sit on to improve posture.  Also included was a card with 6 different exercises and supposedly there is a discount code for a workout DVD but haven't found (looked for) that yet.  The stability ball is actually still in the box where it might just stay until I don't know when.

Must Have Fashion: The Remix Timebomb watch

Anyone who knows me probably cannot imagine me wearing this monstrosity.  It's ginormous and a color I never, ever wear, not to mention I can't stand silicone straps on my skin.  I think I own maybe 2 pieces of blue clothing - blue jeans not included and I'd be open to adding a pop of color to my ensembles but this is just not my style  Not in the least.  One of the gimicks of this watch is that the face can be removed and put into different color bands.  Didn't we wear that fad out in the 1980's?  And what is even better about this watch is that it doesn't work.  There are supposed to be rainbow LED lights in the face that glow when a "secret" button is pushed, but my lights didn't glow at all.  I've emailed PopSugar and they said that they will send me a replacement.  Ok. Wonder if my sister needs a big ol' watch?

Must Have Beauty: Epicuren Discovery Lip Balm.

I have something nice to say about this!  I actually got a pimple or two in the corner of my mouth and on my lip line (my acne in the best).  The Retin-A dried this area up so there has been lots of cracking and flaking and pain.  This lip balm, with aloe and tea tree oil, has actually been really soothing.  And tea tree oil has been recommended for acne treatment so I've been applying it several times a day.  Not sure how much use it will get once this skin problem is solved because I'm not a fan of the smell, and I'm not a fan of potted products (gunk gets up my nails!).  Epicuren says they have never tested their products on animals, nor do they condone it.

Must Have Foods: Popbar Hot Chocolate on a Stick, Jet-Puffed Vanilla Mallow Bits

If you're thinking to yourself that you would grab the hunka hunka chocolate and gnaw on it followed by opening the container of mallow bits and pouring them into your mouth, then you and I think alike, my friend. I actually think the hot chocolate on a stick is a great idea, though I was a bit skeptical.  I wasn't sure that the block of choco-goodness would dissolve completely but I heated 8oz of milk (in one of the mugs I received last month from PopSugar, of course) and stirred up the dark chocolate.  In a few minutes, it was a cup of chocolaty deliciousness.  I did sprinkle - ok, dump - in some mallow bits, too.  Those taste like the marshmallows in Lucky Charms cereal.  These, I really liked.

Special Extras: Think Thin Bars, Casetagram $15 gift certificate

Hey, more stuff to eat.  That's fine by me.  The Think Thin Crunch bar was caramel chocolate with nuts. It was actually really tasty, not too crunchy or chewy.  The creamy peanut butter protein bar was really no different from other protein bars I've eaten.  The chocolate coating was good, the rest was a bit dense and chalky with that artificial peanut butter tang. I didn't find it to be gross or yummy, just fine.  I have yet to try the Think Thin Divine dark chocolate coconut.  I believe it's worth noting that Think Thin bars are high in protein but not so high in fiber, so if you are on a plan like Weight Watchers, these will be more like meals than snacks.  The crunch and divine bars are 5 WW points and the protein bar is 6.  Often my breakfast & lunch points combine to 6 points total, so not very WW friendly.

Casetagram is a pretty cool site that lets you make a case for your phone or tablet using pictures from Facebook or Instagram.  You can use 1 picture, or make a collage, and prices start around $35.  My first instinct was to create a Tom Hiddleston collage but they don't offer cases for my phone. Oh, and the hubby probably wouldn't like it.  Maybe I'll put something together for our iPad or Galaxy tab; something pretty like Tom Hiddleston's face.

PopSugar, you're losing me.  Last month was ok but this month was super sad.  February is the end of my 3-month subscription and will determine if I re-sub.  I paid $90 for 3mo and I don't think I've gotten my money's worth.  As much as I love to eat, I've already got 2 food subs (NatureBox & Graze) but the only stuff I loved from this box was the food. Try again, PopSugar.

LuLu sniffed around but wasn't too excited either.