Christmas Special! Drink Review: Starbucks Peppermint Mocha

Hiya!

It's Christmas time! and this means that Starbucks is bringing out the popular Peppermint Mocha! This is a wonderful drink for the holiday season! I went into Starbucks last week and everybody in line seemed to be getting the Peppermint Mocha. Let's see what the buzz is all about! Let's get this review started shall we? 

Where to purchase this drink: Starbucks Locations

First Impression: I tasted a darker chocolate flavor first then tasted the peppermint after. I am not a real dark chocolate fan but the peppermint really helps it flow. I liked all the whipped cream on top! 

DID YOU KNOW?
The Peppermint Mocha is Starbucks most popular Holiday drink and has been for years!

Size:
Starbucks has varieties of sizes for their drinks.


-Short 8oz
-Tall: 12oz
-Grande: 16oz
-Venti: 20oz

-I get a tall size in all of my drinks now! It helps with calorie control. 

Price: $3.00-$6.00

Taste: Starbucks combines espresso, milk, mocha sauce and peppermint flavored syrup with whipped cream and curls of dark chocolate! YUMMY! 

DID YOU KNOW?
Peppermint is a hybrid- a cross between spearmint and watermint!

Calories: If you are watching your calories, then order a skinny peppermint mocha. It's only 130 calories!  If you are not concerned with calories then a regular tall Peppermint Mocha is 490 calories. 

Skinny Peppermint Mocha: Espresso, steamed nonfat milk, sugar-free mocha sauce and sugar free peppermint syrup. 

Do I recommend this to a friend? Yes! It's a wonderful Holiday Drink!

Stop into Starbucks today and taste the joy of Christmas! Yes it's possible but only with the Starbucks Peppermint Mocha! Happy Holidays!

-Karissa

The Paleo Diet!

Hiya!

About one year ago I decided that I was going to try the Paleo diet!  The Paelo diet is a modern nutritional plan based on the presumed ancient diet of wild plants and animals that various hominid species habitually consumed during the Paleolithic era—a period of about 2.5 million years which ended around 10,000 years ago with the development of agriculture and grain-based diets. 

www.wikipedia.com

I did this diet for about 2-3 months and it was a challenge! The reason I got out of it was because I went on a ski trip with my youth group and it was cereal, sandwiches, and spaghetti every night!  It's hard to find foods that aren't processed anymore. Many of the foods that we eat come out of a box or a bag and the ingredients that these foods are made of is nasty. I liked the pale diet because it's the mother of all clean eating diets. I used this cheat sheet that is on my Pinterest. 

This is the perfect guide for the Paleo! You will eat so clean and will feel amazing! The body need rewards too! but not ice cream and donuts! If this is too much for you at first then thats no problem! Start with taking out bagged chips and boxed foods. When you are shopping, try sticking to the food that lines the store. Never shop in the isles! 

-Karissa

My New Burton Snowboard and Salomon Boots!

Hiya!

My parents me ordered a snowboard on ebay and it arrived 3 days ago! My awesome parents got me a 2013 Burton Deja Vu Flying V Women's snowboard. They went above and beyond and also got me Salomon Pearl Women's snowboard boots! Christmas came early for me this year! I already put stickers on my board lol!

The Burton Deja Vu Flying V

It has a camber on the bottom of the two bindings and has a rocker at the tips and in the middle. It's an extra forgiving board that gives lots of pop! I ordered this in a 149 cm instead of a 150 cm because a shorter board is better for park riding which is what I do! The binding system is Burton's new Channel System which offers on-the-fly adjustability and enhances board feel and control. The Channel System offers the most advance custom binding stance available. The board has a wood core which makes it very light and responsive. The top sheet is made of out fiberglass which means this board can be used on almost any terrain. 

Salomon Pearl Boots

This boot offers enhanced board feel so you feel connected to your board at all times. Thermal foot beds are made within the boot. This boot will keep your feet warm but also will increase your boarding quality. Your feet won't be cramping up when you wear these boots. Salomon makes some of the most comfortable and affordable boots out there! 

The bottom of my board was supposed to come in the greenish color but arrived in the black and purple color. I actually like the black and purple color a lot better than the green so I guess the mess up worked out in my favor!

My boyfriend purchased me a K-State University decal that he put on my board for me! He is getting me Burton bindings for Christmas! SO EXCITED! 

I'm super excited to try my new board out!

-Karissa

My Bucket List!

Hiya! 

Recently I have been really thinking about my life and what I want to do with it. There is so much that I want to do and the only way I could organize it all was in a bucket list! This is currently my bucket list from this point on! These are in no particular order they are just what comes to my mind!

- Shoot a bow and arrow
- Graduate college
- Buy my own car
- Get Married
- Have little to no college debt
- Pay off a house
- Drive on the highway in Germany with no speed limit
- Do a DIY project on my Pinterest board
- Get accepted to Kansas State University
- Get an apartment 
- Buy a dog
- Have a coffee bar in my house
- Visit all the major cities in the USA (LA, NY, Etc)
- Have 2-3 children. BOYS!
- Take a senior picture in front of the Eiffel Tower
- Go snowboarding in the Swiss Alps
- Become a really good snowboarder
- Own a puppy
- Drive on a race track
- Take engagement pictures
- Travel the World
- Go on a double date
- Grow my hair below my lower back
- Workout consistently in College and beyond
- Develop good study habits
- Move to Denver, Colorado
- Never get drunk
- Put a lock on the bridge in Paris
- Stand under the Hollywood sign
- See a show on Broadway
- See the Northern Lights
- Be proposed to!
- Live to see cancer cured
- See the Grand Canyon
- Visit Egypt 
- Visit the Redwood Forest
- See the Hobbit houses in New Zealand
- Visit New Zealand
- Be confident
- Get a tattoo
- Visit a Rainforest
- Find my passion in life
- Swim with Dolphins

OMG I have so much more to write but there is my bucket list! What are the things you want to do in life?

-Karissa

Blonde Moment

Hiya!

This weekend I had the family on my moms side come over for lunch to celebrate my great grandmothers 91st birthday! We combined this day to be a birthday/early thanksgiving and the food was amazing! Yesterday I was making dessert for the lunch and I decided to make Rice Krispies! This was the first time I have ever made them but I was willing to give it a shot! 

I read the box and I put all of the materials I needed in the big bowl starting with butter, marshmallows, then rice krispies. I didn't read the rest of the instructions and I realized that I needed to melt the butter and marshmallows first. Whoops! I was fishing out marshmallows for an hour! The prep time on the box said 15 mins but the entire thing didn't get done for another hour and a half. 

Well, That's my funny blonde moment! I have a few every once in a while but Matthew is the one that witnesses them all! 

The lunch was amazing! I saw my cousin Jenny who is just recently married to a very cool guy (I approve lol). Jenny and Cody brought their new puppy Atlas who is a black Great Dane, I was super jealous. I have wanted a Great Dane for awhile now since I worked with one all summer long. Great Danes are truly amazing dogs and gentle giants.  My cousin Sarah came and brought her son Sawyer who just turned 3. Sawyer is the cutest little boy and Sarah looks amazing. My aunt Kristi came and brought her 2 kids Elena and Cale. Elena and Cale are pretty much my brother and sister so I have frequent contact with them. My great aunt and uncle Rod and Illah came and helped make the food. I had a nice conversation with Illah and she has always been very open with me and is a great listener. My boyfriend Matthew came and he met Illah, Sarah, Sawyer, Jenny, and Cody for the first time. He is so close to meeting my whole family on both sides! I hope they like him just as much as I do! He is my best friend and the best listener and advice giver. He keeps me sane lol! My great grandmother turned 91and I know she was very happy to have her family here with her today. The only thing that would have made it better was if Grandpa Bill was still here. 

Happy Early Thanksgiving Everybody! 

-Karissa 

Whoops my finger made the pic! sorry!

What's in my Lunch?

Hiya!

I don't eat the nasty school lunches anymore so I bring mine everyday! I love to find healthy food that tastes good and makes me feel good. I love all of the funny stares that people give me when they see what I bring. This is what I bring to eat!

-Pita Chips
-Carrots
-Grapes
-Almonds
-Hummus

It doesn't look like much does it? Trust me it fills you up fast! It's better than being full of fries and hamburgers.

I try to fit all of the food groups into my lunch or at least the big ones. Grapes are my fruit and they kick my sugar cravings out of the way. Pita chips are healthier alternatives to potato chips, but still give you at salt taste. Its only 130 calories! The carrots are my vegetables and of course they are great for your eyes! I try to bring any of the vegetables like broccoli and sugar snap peas. Almonds are just FANTASTIC all around and a serving of them a day keeps the weight away! Hummus is what I use for my pita chips and vegetables. Hummus is a better option than Ranch, which in my personal opinion is empty calories. I pack these in my bag and I'm good to go!

I'm really excited to try to bring grilled chicken and rice to school. I hope I can find a recipe that works for me.

Try making your lunch and love how you feel after!

-Karissa

Family Pictures!

Hiya!

Today's post will be a short post but we took family pics awhile back. This is my favorite one!

Ill be back soon with more posts!

-Karissa

The Workout of Kings, Queens and Jokers.

Hiya!

By the title of this post you are probably wondering what I must be thinking about in this crazy head of mine! This week I decided to take a break from my lifting and I focused on body weight workouts for more of a cardio twist. I have a workout for you that only requires yourself and a deck of cards!

Here is your workout!

What you will be doing is using a deck of cards and assigning an exercise for each different card.

Here is what I used:

Black: Squats
Red: Push- Ups
Ace: Mountain Climbers
Kings: Toe Touches
Queens: Walking Lunge
Jacks: Jumping Jacks
Jokers: Bear Crawls

The number on each card is how many times you do that exercise. 
With Ace, Kings, Queens, Jacks and Jokers I made reps. With Mountain Climbers I did 24 reps and the same with Jumping Jacks. With Bear Crawls and Walking Lunge I just went down and back. 

This is a killer workout and you will be feeling it the next day! Your legs will feel like jello and your shoulders will be on fire! But no worries, that just means its working!

You don't have to use my exercises, you can be creative and make your own and assign them to a card!

Try it out and see what you think and GET SWEATY!

-Karissa

How to naturally kill a headache!

Hiya!

This weekend I had THE WORST headache and stomach ache. I started looking around for things to get rid of it and I found this! It really works!

Put a frozen bag of vegetables or an ice pack at the base of your skull.
Submerge you feet and hands in warm to hot water.
The heat of your extremities pulls the blood from your head relieving some if not all of your headache!

GENIUS! 

Next time you have a headache try this and see if it works for you

-Karissa

My top 5 favorite places to shop!

Hiya!

I love shopping there is no doubt about that! I use to go to the mall every weekend. HaHa but there is a ton of places that I shop at and here is where I get a majority of my things and some places to get good deals at. 

Buckle:

This is where I get all of my jeans! They have the cutest bling jeans that I can find! 

Beware! This place can get expensive! Save up your money before you come here!

The store is easily on my top 5

Victoria's Secret:

I buy their PINK line and they sell the most comfortable sweats on this Earth!

Victoria's Secret has a lot of great deals and sales going year round. 

The semi-annual sale is their biggest one and you don't want to miss it!

Nike Factory Store:

Yes! I said it! FACTORY STORE! 

This where you can get all of your discount NIKE merchandise! Why is the whole store discounted?

The term "factory store" means that it came straight from the NIKE factory.

When the factory ships the merchandise to a retail brand store the price will go up!

That's why you can find that two stores have the same thing but one is priced higher than the other. 

I LOVE NIKE AND I LOVE DISCOUNTS!

Bath & Body Works:

As you all know I LOVE FALL SCENTED THINGS! Anything that smells like Colorado or Vanilla or Pumpkin I will buy. Bath & Body Work has a new Fall line out right now and I can't get enough of it! I really like their wall flowers and their scented oils to make your house smell great!

My house currently smells like an Apple Orchard and I am perfectly okay with that!

Online Shopping:

Of course I have my Online Shopping! There is some stores that only have their discounts online. 

I usually buy my snowboarding gear on online stores like North Face and DogFunk. 

All of the stores I can't get at home I just get them online!

Well there ya go!

Happy Shopping!

-Karissa

What's in my Shopping Cart?

Hiya!

Recently I have been starting to take my own lunch to school. I like being able to know what I am feeding my body and what exactly is in it. I have also been making smarter choices about what I buy at the store! I went to Dillion's last night and here is some of the things in my shopping cart!

                                                                       Kashi: 
                                            This is a very good source of protein 
                                                    to have in the morning! 
                                             Eat this as cereal or take a bag of this 
                                            and snack on it throughout the day! 

Greek Yogurt:

Less Sugar, Fewer Carbs and tons of Protein!

This is a wonderful snack to have during the day!

It's one of the healthiest things out there!

Kraft Mac and Cheese:

Okay this really has no health benefits! 

This is just my favorite food ever!

Almond Milk:

Almonds are rich in nutrients including fiber, vitamin E, magnesium, 

selenium, manganese, zinc, potassium, iron, phosphorus, 

tryptophan, copper and calcium. 

Mix it together and you have healthy milk!

Organic Coconut Oil:

This stuff is amazing! It is a natural makeup remover

You can brush your teeth with it!

You can use it to fry food!

You can use it to erase cellulite!

Coconut Oil can be used for everything!

Well there you have it! these are a few things that you can find in my shopping cart!

-Karissa

How Much Water Does Your Body Need?

Hiya!

Recently I have been feeling really tired and I get these awful headaches that keep me up late at night. Before I turned to the medicine cabinet I looked into how much water I consume a day. I realized that I really don't know how much water my body needs. Here is an easy way to find out!

How Much Water Do You Need?

Take your weight in pounds
Then divide it by 2
= Number of ounces you need to consume

Here is an example! 

I weigh 150 pounds 
I divided 150 by 2
My result was 75 ounces

8 ounces = 1 glass of water

I need to consume roughly 9-10 glasses a day!


It's easy! Do this simple math trick in your head to see how much water you need to consume in a day!

-Karissa

Drink Review: Starbucks Light Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino.

Hiya!

HAPPY TENTH ANNIVERSARY PUMPKIN SPICE! I went to Starbucks today and of course I had to try the Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino! I have heard this drink is a Pumpkin Pie in a cup! (My Favorite!) I had to find out for myself! Here is my review!

-Where to Purchase this drink: Starbucks Locations

-What is a Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino?: pumpkin-flavored syrup and milk. Topped with sweetened whipped cream and pumpkin pie spices. I added espresso in mine. 

DID YOU KNOW

There have been over 29,000 tweets that have featured the hash tag: #pumpkinspice since August of 2012?

-Calorie Count: This drink was 200 calories. 
www.nutritiondata.self.com

- What sizes does it come in?: 
Tall-12oz
Grande- 16oz
Venti- 20oz

-Cost?
$2.00-$5.00

-First Impression: I first noticed that the color was a burnt orange which is exactly what the color of pumpkin pie is! Also I noticed that the barista sprinkled cinnamon on my beverage and I felt that was a nice touch. When drinking this drink I felt like it was Thanksgiving! It was a perfect transition into Fall.

-Taste: WHOO! This stuff has FLAVOR! It really actually tastes like a pumpkin pie in a cup! I really liked how smooth it was even for having a lot of flavor. The tall was plenty for me! I don't think I could have finished a grande. I really enjoyed this drink and I was really impressed. A+!

-Would I recommend this drink to a friend?: YES! I think this drink is perfect for Fall! I can't wait till drink this on a rainy day when I'm in sweats and sitting by the window watching the rain. BLISS!

WOW I wish I had the energy to drive over to Starbucks and purchase this again. This drink has become one of my seasonal favorites and I hope it stays even through the winter. I can't deny that I really enjoy Starbucks Winter drinks as well! Go head over to your local Starbucks and try the famous Pumpkin Spice Drinks!

-Karissa

Recipe: Healthy Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken (Karissa Style!)

Hiya!

Tonight for dinner I made this amazing new chicken recipe that I kinda just threw together! I really liked how it came out and so did my family. It's super easy to make and healthy! (BONUS!) Here is how I did it!

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken

What you need:

-Honey Dijon Mustard 1/3 Cup
-Honey (In the cute bear bottle!) 1/4 Cup
-Reduced Fat Mayo 2 Tbs
-Steak Sauce 1 Tbs
- 4 Skinless Organic Chicken Breasts
- Garlic
-Parsley
-Seasoned Salt
-Pepper
-Meat Tenderizer
-Spray Butter

How to Cook:

-Preheat the grill to medium heat. (NOT TOO HOT!)
-In a bowl mix... 

• Honey Dijon Mustard
• Reduced Fat Mayo
• Steak Sauce
• Honey

-Take your chicken breasts and a fork and stab the chicken to create small holes in the breast. It helps with the cooking process and also the flavor.

-Take your punctured chicken breasts and dip into the bowl mix

-When all 4 chicken breasts are covered in sauce then sprinkle...

• Garlic
• Seasoned Salt
• Pepper
• Meat Tenderizer

-Slap those breasts on the grill! 20 mins!

-In the process of flipping the chicken; continue to baste the breasts with leftover sauce.

-Aim to get grill marks! They capture the flavor!

-Look for a mahogany color! You want that! 

-When fully cooked (Cut open to see or wait till the fluid is running clear) take the breasts off the grill.

- I paired this dish with my Roasted Red Potatoes! (Recipe Previously Posted in my Archive)

- Enjoy your wonderful delicious Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken!

Super easy and mouth watering! You will love this recipe! Enjoy! :)

-Karissa

Things I'm currently obsessed with!

Hiya!

I just finished my first week of junior year! yay! I hope you all had a great week. I'm so excited to be writing about the things I am finding myself really obsessed with right now. Everything below is products that I currently use and I recommend to all of you! 

                                                                Redken Color Extend:

This is the new shampoo I have been using lately and I am loving this stuff! Every hair dresser I have talked to has told me that this stuff is liquid gold! It does a really good job on protecting your color and making your hair really soft :) major bonus for me! 

 

Kraft Mac and Cheese:

Mac and Cheese is my favorite food of all time! I literally could eat one box a day! 

This product is pretty self explanatory!

Almay Clear Complexion Blemish Heal Technology Concealer. 

This is the new concealer that I have been using and wow this stuff is the real deal!

I always had a hard time finding a concealer that matched my skin color and this was spot on!

I use it on all of my problem spots and it hides your blemishes while also making them go away!

Sometimes I will wear this overnight :p

Mason Jars:

You can use mason jars for anything! I'm not joking! I have a ton of these things all over my room!

I use them to store my coin collection and also hold my life savers mints! 

They are so decorative and you can purchase them at grocery stores!

Check out my Pinterest for some fun crafts to do with mason jars!

Razor Back Tank Tops:

I have an under armour tank that I love to wear! They are so comfortable and easy to workout in!

I like to pair them with yoga pants or just plain sweats!

It's an Easy and comfortable look!

Nike and Under Armour is where I get mine!

Tiffany Blue Nike Free 3.0 V4:

I WANT THESE SO BAD! I will actually be purchasing them very soon and I can't wait!

The color is so pretty and based off Tiffany and Co.

These are really rare to find so I hope I can snag a pair in my size!

Word Swag App:

I use this app to add awesome typography to my pictures that I post on instagram! 

It gets really addicting so be careful!

Water: 

I drink easily 10 glasses of water a day! The only other drink I will consume is milk and gatorade. 

I feel so much better and more energized when I have drank a whole lot of water.

It's a necessity to drink a lot of water for me.

Pinterest:

I literally spend all of my time on this website if I'm not at school, doing homework or spending time with my boyfriend. I get so so many ideas for everything on this website!

I can't wait to try some of the crafts I have found on this site!

Body Pillow:

I purchased a body pillow a few days ago and I do not regret it! Its perfect propping yourself up on your bed to read a book or surf the internet. It's also good for back support and hip support!

Starbucks:

DUH! I don't even have to explain this one! 

I'll stop here! Thanks for reading! 

-Karissa