Ore-Ida Totchos - Just in time for Game Day! #jinglevoxbox

It's been a long time since I've written a blog post. I definitely fall off course with this, but I'm here today to share with you a fabulous recipe I just created in time for Sunday's big game! This is a healthier way to have a classic dish (nachos). Nom, noms!

Ore-Ida Totchos!

Ingredients:

• 1lb lean ground turkey
• 1 package of low sodium taco mix
• 2 tablespoons of 0% plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup mild salsa (medium or hot - choose to your taste)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 bag of Ore-Ida tater tots
• 1 cup grated cheese blend (of your choice)

Ore-Ida Totchos - finished product

Cooking Instructions

• Brown 1lb lean ground turkey in a pan
• mix/stir occasionally

• While the ground turkey is cooking, mix 1 package of low sodium taco mix, 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt, 1 cup salsa, 1/2 cup water in a bowl and mix well.

• Once the ground turkey is browned, drain and add to the seasoning mix.
• mix well

• Empty the bag of Ore-Ida tots into a baking dish

• Coat the tater tots with the ground turkey and seasoning mix

• Cook following Ore-Ida tots directions (preheat 450, cook for up to 28mins)
• Once finished, top with cheese blend
• Serve
• Optional: top with a dollop of greek yogurt

Enjoy!

You can view more recipes for Ore-Ida tots here!

DISCLAIMER: I received a coupon for Ore-Ida tater tots courtesy of Influenster for review/testing purposes and all views are my own.

Sometimes I go off course (Influenster)

I haven't written in quite some time and it's not because I don't have anything to say it's because I can't formulate all my thoughts into concise posts. However, today I am diverging off course slightly. I don't do this often but it happens from time to time. Instead of speaking about anything mental health or higher education related; I'm going to discuss Influenster once again.

I've been a member of the, once exclusive, product review site for just under two years. First, I can't believe it's been that long. Second it's been a fun two years!

So what is Influenster? It's a community of people who are interested in new products or products from companies we love that need to be sampled/tested in a controlled group. Not everyone who is a member gets the opportunity for every VoxBox (product sample) and it can definitely be competitive. I have enjoyed being a member though.

My first VoxBox! #RoseVoxBox

Since joining I have received 5 VoxBoxes and 4 Virtual VoxBoxes. I feel very lucky to be able to have been chosen to participate in all the VoxBoxes that I was given. It's hard for me to choose a favorite box. I would say that so far the ones I have enjoyed the most were my Celestial Tea VoxBox where I was given the opportunity to try some new tea flavors. I love tea and I had always been a fan of Celestial Teas. I also used the coupon I received to purchase a whole box of the green tea with white tea. Let's be honest, you can't go wrong with giving people free food! I also completed the badge challenges and was active on other social media sites announcing their products so Celestial sent me some items to make my tea drinking more pleasurable - tea bag holder and a tea bag plate. Both have been used regularly.

The second VoxBox I enjoyed a lot was the one from Herbal Essence. I was able to preview their new Naked line and it's amazing! I know some people didn't care for the smell, but I actually liked it a lot. I haven't had a chance - due to having too much other hair care products right now - to buy Naked, but I can't wait! I do believe that I will be switching over once my previous stock is gone. It gave life back to my hair and didn't weight it down.

I know that there are some really great VoxBoxes and can be a little envious of the others who get them, but I've been happy with being a participant overall. So here is just a small reminder that if you are not familiar with Influenster, it's worth a shot to check it out! Especially if you like to review products and give feedback to companies about their products. Influenster has recently updated their website to create a Hub and added an app for iPhones. The Hub took some getting used to, but I actually like the new design. I don't have an iPhone so I have no experience with the app.

How big is your influence? [Non-SA post]

Well I qualified again! Sometimes it's the little things that make the biggest of differences. I had a friend join Influenster a while back and I kept seeing all the fun she was having with her Vox Boxes. She was kind enough to invite me to join and I've been very pleased. [If you would like more information on Influenster, please visit their website (linked above).]

Long story short, this is the second Vox Box I have qualified for. I received the Mary Kay box earlier this year, but I didn't blog about it. I just posted on all of my other Social Media outlets. I decided to blog about this one because I think the items included in this box work well in my professional life.

A break down of the items:
(If you want to follow other's views on these items feel free to search the companies on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, etc.)

Product	Brand Facebook	Handle / Hashtag
belVita crunch Breakfast Biscuits	belVita	@belVita / #BreakfastBiscuits
Dr. Scholl's For Her Cozy Cushions	Dr. Scholl's For Her	#DrScholls
Kiss Gradation Polishes	Kiss Nails	@KissProducts / #KissNailArt
Rimmel London Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara	Rimmel London US	@RimmelLondonUS / #retromania
Vitabath Hydrating Lotion	Vitabath	@Vitabath / #FallingforVitabath
Lindt LINDOR Milk Chocolate Truffles	Lindt Chocolate	@Lindt_Chocolate / TBA

Here are my reviews:

• belVita crunch Breakfast Biscuits - I received the blueberry biscuits. I had been skeptical on them before and of course didn't want to buy them in the event that I wouldn't like them. I was happy to test them out though. They were good. They're crunchy, so it felt like I was eating a cookie. The blueberries are a bit chewy though and can get caught in your teeth. Overall I'd recommend them and am actually interested in seeing what other flavors they have.

Maybe Wheaties is no longer the breakfast of champions?

• Dr. School's For Her Cozy Cushions - Perfect! These cozy cushions add warm and comfort to tough shoes. Have a favorite pair of winter boots that you just can't get rid of yet? Pick up a pair of these and they'll feel like new! I tried them in a pair of flats that used to be lined, but after wearing them the lining is no longer fluffy. I would recommend that these are better for boots, but what better way to add year round functionality to some of your favorite spring shoes?

• Kiss Gradation Polishes - I was skeptical of this at first. I had to wait a little for my nails to grow out, because I didn't think I'd be able to do it with short nails. It was easier than I had thought it would be. I've read reviews and there were a lot of complaints about the dry time. I don't know, but I had no issues with my nails drying quickly. I put on the base coat, let it dry, added the second coat (which I could've done better with the amount of nail I covered here), and then added the third coat. I thought my nails didn't come out too bad. I don't know if it's something that I would want to do often, but once in awhile it's nice to have something different.

• Rimmel London Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara - I'm not one for make-up. I actually tried mascara for the first time this past spring. I didn't particularly like it. My eye lashes would stick together when I blinked. It was annoying. This made me very hesitant about trying this product. However, I am glad that I had the opportunity to do so. I found that this mascara was not sticky and/or dried quickly. I also didn't have to apply many coats for it to show. I actually had fun trying out different ways to wear this - thick, not so thick, by itself, with full eye make-up. It's a great product and I am actually looking forward to seeing what else I can do with it. 

"Are you wearing fake lashes?"

• Lindt LINDOR Milk Chocolate Truffles - I'm born and raised Pennsylvania girl. Chocolate to me is Hershey's and nothing but! However, I did enjoy this treat. I don't think I would buy a bunch of the milk chocolate ones, but I could see myself going after the other varieties, such as caramel.

Cheesy grins for everyone!

• Vitabath Hydrating Lotion - I wasn't one of the luck Influencers to receive this product. 

I hope I continue to have the privilege of testing products. If you have any questions about Influenster or the products above, please don't hesitate to ask! I don't mind talking about my experience. :)

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.