Product Placement Wednesday - Oscar Mayer Sandwich Combos

Personally I am not a big fan of the "Lunchables" type of pre-packaged meals. To be fair, I am not a big fan in general of any pre-packaged "fresh" food. On a recent vacation, the only place to grab lunch was a general store type place as we were out a bit from any towns. Their selection of lunch items were all prepared in a factory (and looked like they had been on the shelf for awhile) so I opted for something a little healthier - root beer float flavored ice cream and a Power Bar (my traveling companion did a little better with a Power Bar, baby carrots and an apple though I think preferred my lunch...).

So I was heading out of town again earlier this month and took a quick spin through Target to see if I could find something for my airplane dinner. I used to get the Whole Kids meal from Whole Foods ($4.99 for a sandwich, chips, graham crackers, fruit leather and a juice box) but unfortunately that has been discontinued. Then I found it - this week's product....

Oscar Mayer Sandwich Combos

I tried the Turkey and Cheddar variety and found it to be surprisingly delightful! Besides the turkey and cheddar, a sandwich thin and deli mustard are included to complete the sandwich. My combo also included Wheat Thins and a chocolate Jello Pudding Mousse Temptation. Other options include the Honey Ham & Swiss and Southwestern Style Chicken. Each comes with a savory and a sweet treat and are all less than 400 calories!

While I am not planning on making these sandwich combos a part of my daily routine, they are the perfect item for low calorie meals on the go. Way healthier AND cheaper than buying food at the airport! I find the packaging to be a little wasteful but hopefully they will work on this as the product catches on.

Have any of you tried this product? What are your favorite food items to take with you on the airplane?

Weddings, Marriage & $$$

In the past I have blogged about the fun side of weddings - the planning, gift guides, being a good bride, being a good guest, and what to do with old bridesmaid dresses. One thing that no one likes to think about is the cost of weddings. Films fill brides-to-be with grandiose ideas of what a proper wedding should look like. Have you stopped to think what those weddings actually cost? You know it is a lot but how much? This article exposes the high cost of having a movie wedding and I found it fascinating!

4 Movie Weddings and Their Real Life Costs

If I should ever find a guy worthy of marrying, I have no intention of taking his last name. I know some guys say this is a "dealbreaker" however if they read the next article they might agree that the financial benefits of their wife keeping her last name will keep their "manly pride" in check.

Are Maiden Names Really Worth $500,000?

This article's title is a little misleading but there is a book out there encouraging women to be golddiggers. On the flip side, smart women don't marry deadbeats with gambling problems and mountains of debt. After reading this article it reinforced in my mind that some of my past love interests were just too much of a hot mess to ever marry. I used to joke that I would have my future husband sign a reverse pre-nup - one that absolved me from any of his debt. Maybe not just a funny idea after all...

Do Smart Women Marry Money?

Product Placement Wednesday - Trader Joe's Strawberry Pops

Back in June, I shared my love for Trader Joe's Peach Pops. Clearly they must have been a popular item as many of you have found my blog in your quest to learn more! Well our friends at Trader Joe's have done it again and this time they are strawberry! Let me introduce - Strawberry Pops!

As with the Peach Pops, these Strawberry Pops look like Otter Pops but made with fresh fruit not artificial colors and flavors. I find that they do not freeze as solid as the peach variety but are delicious nevertheless. Again, this is a low calorie treat with each pop containing a mere 50 calories! It is a hot day in LA and I may have already eaten two to help keep cool. No guilt though!

I suggested using the Peach Pops on top of ice cream or yogurt and I think the Strawberry Pops would be equally as good served those ways too.

While Trader Joe's does not necessarily specialize in "health food" (see Powerberries), this is a treat that you can feel good about enjoying and is perfect for kids too.

Product Placement Wednesday - Airwaves Gum

If you are like me, I love to pick up new food items when traveling. When in Europe, I found myself especially fascinated by the candy selection. While I try not to eat a lot of candy, I adore it. Maybe that's why I still love Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory so much? I would kill to be allowed in that room made of candy! Mmmm candy....

So this week's product - Airwaves (made by Wrigley) is actually considered a "wellness" gum (which I consider candy even though you don't eat it) so it is really more of a health food. I discovered it on a trip to the UK and have become a little obsessed. The gum has a menthol core which is extremely powerful. I love it because it knocks out bad breath and then the flavor shifts to become a delightful chewing gum. I will be honest though that some people find the menthol portion of the gum too intense and liken it to medicine. The Menthol & Eucalyptus is the most common and popular flavor though there are a variety of flavors that vary throughout Europe and Asia. My personal favorite - Spicy Cocktail - has unfortunately long been discontinued. Black Current and Honey & Lemon are other great ones and are currently available in Asia. There are a variety of other flavors I have not had the pleasure to try yet but would welcome feedback from anyone that has tried them!

How do you get this delicious gum? Personally I have anyone going to a country that carries Airwaves to pick me up a few packs. You can also order from Amazon.com or British Delights. I tried writing to Wrigley to see if they would start carrying it in the US and was told "This is a product specially formulated for our overseas consumers." or something like that. Stupid Wrigley.

Product Placement Wednesday - Keyboard Organizer

I hate clutter. The place I live is small so it is a constant battle. While I don't have a separate office, if I did I would want it to look perfectly organized. Something straight out of Martha Stewart. Something like this:

See? No clutter.

That brings me to this week's product - the Keyboard Organizer. While this little gem looks a little like a toy, it is an actual keyboard but with built in storage. This keyboard has 10+ separate storage compartments, multimedia quick keys and has a wireless option. Personally I prefer a "classic" styled keyboard (cleaner, less cluttered look) but if you prefer something more "you" they offer custom colors and graphics. This keyboard is the perfect way to keep important supplies close at hand but also out of sight.

10 Things That Make A Woman Undateable

In hopes of engaging a few of my male readers, I found this gem from Cosmo. They searched Twitter for #undateable posted by the best and the brightest in the male gene pool. And when I say best and brightest, I mean the same guys that likely are unable to get dates in the first place.

10 Things That Make A Woman Undateable

Of course I have to share a couple of my favorites....

"If you want to find 'your own Edward Cullen.'" —@Lord_Voldemort7

Hello pot? This is the kettle - you're black. Are vampires "not real" unlike wizards which are obviously very real?

"A girl that farts in her sleep." —@Zay_InkdUp

So I dated a guy a few years ago that actually farted so loud he woke himself up. I did the only appropriate thing - I laughed so hard I almost fell out of bed. Farts are funny. Chill out.

What are some of the things that make a girl/guy undateable? Personally, it's a guy that wears Ed Hardy, has bad teeth, or bigger boobs than me. Let me know some of your dealbreakers!

Product Placement Wednesday - Giant Silicone Ice Cube Tray

Sorry for the radio silence for the past week - travels do not allow much time for blogging! However I have found some interesting products to share with you and this week is a personal favorite!

At first glance, Giant Silicone Ice Cube Trays may seem like a summer only item but they are useful year round! The principle behind them is simple - the larger the ice cube the more slowly it will melt in your glass. Rather than fill your glass with a ton of small cubes, you just need one larger cube. I love using these giant cubes in cocktails as it eliminates the watered down drink issue. Also, because the cube is larger it allows additional space if you wish to make more festive ice cubes and freeze fruit or herbs inside the cubes. They are also great to freeze other items like stock or juice to have available to help save time in the kitchen. Though if you freeze leftover wine, keep it in the tray - trust me I have made this mistake before and had to clean a mess of wine up in my freezer!

There are a number of companies that make this type of ice cube tray but my personal favorites are from Crate & Barrel & Williams-Sonoma. I have tried other silicone ice cube trays and have had problems getting the cubes to release. Both of these particular trays are very simple to use.

Crate & Barrel - Jumbo Silicone Ice Cube Tray

Williams-Sonoma - King Cube Silicone Ice Cube Tray