#NIVEAIndulgence {Health & Beauty}

I was sent a pretty awesome kit from Nivea as part of the #NIVEAIndulgence challenge. What is that? Basically, for 10 consecutive days, I replaced my usual body wash/soap products with the NIVEA products I was sent to see if my skin felt any different, etc. The kit also included a scented candle, plush bathrobe, and a $50 gift card to Bed, Bath & Beyond to help create my own little bathroom oasis. I was like, “Count me in!” I usually try to just hurry up and get in and out of the shower, so I tried really hard to just unwind and enjoy a spa like experience for 10 days.

Boy was it worth it! As you can see above, I was sent NIVEA Touch of Smoothness (moisturizing body wash) and NIVEA Touch of Renewal (lathering body scrub). I used both during the challenge, and a dollop’s worth on my blue loofah proved to be plenty. I’ll review them both individually:

NIVEA Touch of Smoothness:

• The scent is AWESOME! It’s clean, fresh, and a welcome deviation from my usual floral-esque body wash choices.
• Left me feeling very soft and moisturized in really rough spots like my elbows/knees.
• No oily feeling afterward.
• Suds up really nicely.

NIVEA Touch of Renewal:

• Smells clean and refreshing.
• Has little microbeads that help exfoliate. I wish there were more of them! :( I really think more microbeads would take this to another level.
• I’ve found when using scrubs I tend to have to use more product—not the case here. Lathers up really well and I felt smooth and clean afterwards.
• Of the 2 products, this one probably felt a bit more “spa” like, but I still think I prefer the other body wash just a tad. Both are great though!

Overall, using the 2 products left me feeling clean, soft, moisturized and pampered. And taking this time for myself also helped a lot after stressful days. If I forgot to put on lotion, I was still not ashy/dry on my elbows like usual, so I do think these products helped my skin soak up the NIVEA goodness. My favorite thing other than the cosmetic perks of nicer/smoother skin is the scent. It’s clean and simple. Love it!

To complete my bathroom oasis, I used the $50 gift card to Bed, Bath & Beyond to purchase a Bluetooth iHome speaker so I could blast my tunes while I am in the shower.

My husband uses it a lot too, and we love how sleek the white speaker looks on our marble countertops. I feel like I am in a fancy hotel bathroom every time I take a shower. My other favorite part of my bathroom oasis is my shower itself. It’s a semi-circle and the door slides on a track.

I’ve had this shower for almost a year, and I cannot get enough of it. It’s so modern!

Thanks to the #NIVEAIndulgence challenge, I have pampered myself into softer, smoother skin that feels great to the touch. Although every time I get into my bathrobe, I fall asleep. It’s so plush and luxe. I’ve never had a bathrobe before and now I look for excuses to put it on. All the time. Also, I’ve created a #NIVEAIndulgence Pinterest board about things that I think of when I think of indulgence. I dream of indulgent things like spa days, facial treatments, expensive shoes, luxurious naps, tasty food, and exotic destinations. What do you dream of when you think about indulgence?

Well, I want you to indulge and pamper yourself like I got to, so I’m giving away a #NIVEAIndulgence kit like I received!

You’ll get:

• 2 NIVEA products
• Scented candle
• Plush bathrobe
• $50 Bed, Bath & Beyond gift card
• Total value: $150

You can enter below using Rafflecopter. The contest is open from June 29 until July 10. Must be in the US and 18+ to enter/win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The content and opinions on this blog are purely those of the author and do not reflect the views of Beiersdorf Inc., or any of its affiliates. The author has been compensated with free products as part of the author’s participation in this promotion. Even though the author of this blog receives compensation for the posts or advertisements, the author will always provide his or her honest opinion, finding, belief, or experience on those products. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question. In addition, the author is professionally and/or personally acquainted with the manufacturer of the products being reviewed. Any results described by the author may not be typical of what consumers should generally expect. Lastly, the author of the blog is not responsible for any comments made in comment section of this blog.

Low Calorie Butter Cake Bars {Recipe}

At Walgreens, my husband and I are usually there for only one of 3 reasons.

1.) There’s a make-up sale. (Ok, that’s more me than my hubby.)

2.) We have a Redbox movie to return.

3.) Butter cake.

You see, Walgreens makes this delicious, pre-packaged butter cake that is irresistible. It’s flaky, sweet, buttery and about $1.29 each or you can buy 2 for $2.

Let’s face it…we buy 4.

Did I also mention my weight loss has sucked the past few months? Yeah. Wonder why.

Then I saw a recipe in Better Homes & Gardens’ May 2013 issue for gooey butter bars. They look JUST LIKE the morsels of awesomeness we love from Walgreens. Then I read the nutritional information- one 9x13 pan makes 24 bars for 209 calories each. Now, I’m no math whiz, but those would be some tiny squares. Even the cakes from Walgreens are like a 3x3” square for 220 calories.

So, I did what Monica does best. I found a way to lighten it up while still retaining that gooey, buttery, melt in your mouth flavor.

My recipe makes 15 decently sized squares for about 220 calories a piece (with strawberry topping), and you likely have all the ingredients at home already. To make it a bit more dessert-esque without a ton of calories, I made a strawberry topping for it. The end result is a buttery, flaky, shortbread like bar that is simple, sweet, tasty and perfect with a glass of iced tea. A southern treat for sure.

Here’s what you need (recipe adapted from Better Homes & Gardens’ May 2013 issue):

Crust:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1.5 cups of flour
• 1/2 cup of butter

Bars:

• 2/3 cup softened butter
• 1.25 cups of Splenda for baking
• 1/4 light corn syrup
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 2/3 cup half and half

Strawberry Topping:

• 8 oz of sliced strawberries
• 1/4 cup of Splenda

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. To make the crust, you combine the flour and sugar together. Then, using a pastry blender or your clean, dry hands, incorporate the butter until it’s all nice and finely crumbled together. Get a 9x13 pan lined with parchment paper, and pat your crust down.

Now for the bars, beat the softened butter with a hand mixer for about 30 seconds. Gradually add in the Splenda. Once that’s all mixed well, add in the corn syrup, egg, and vanilla extract. Alternately add in the flour and half and half and continue beating it all together. Your mixture may look a bit thick and curdled, which is ok. Carefully spoon the mixture over the crust and pop in the oven for about 30 minutes.

While that’s baking, put your sliced strawberries in a sauce pan with the Splenda. Simmer on medium until the strawberries and Splenda reduce to a nice topping consistency. If you like your sauce a little more saucey, add in about a tbsp of water. I chilled my topping in the freezer for about 15 minutes while my bars cooled.

Once your bars are cool, cut into 15 squares, top with some strawberries and enjoy!

My favorite part about this is definitely the crust, but even more so, the topping! The sauce seeps into the butter bar and it’s heaven on a plate.

The flavor profiles are amazing. Butter, strawberries, and a flaky crust. Delish! Plus, by swapping some of the sugar for Splenda, we get to eat a bit more and save calories. I’m all for that.

Sigh. I can’t wait to whip up another batch of these. Who needs Walgreens, right?

This is a simple treat that is sure to please anyone. Maybe you’ll try it out this summer at a BBQ or something.

And while we’re cutting calories and trying to be healthy this summer, I thought I’d mention Diet To Go’s Summer Shape-Up sweepstakes on Facebook. You can enter to win one month of meals. You can read official rules right here. Good luck!

What’s your favorite summer treat?