Lately, I have been looking into the different subscription boxes out there. I, of course, want to subscribe to each and every one. There is no way Jacob is going for that. Not anytime soon anyways. After much convincing, however, he gave in and let us try NatureBox (I'll be working on a more girly box next time).

NatureBox is a mail order subscription that focuses on sending you healthy and delicious snacks right to your door! Every month, arriving at your door, are five full-sized snack bags. I like that all of their products are made from wholesome ingredients and are minimally processed, if at all. No HFCS. No artificial colors, sweeteners, or flavors. Love! NatureBox has two options - you can either have five surprise snack bags or choose exactly which five snacks you'd like by selecting them before your box is shipped. They also have various options to meet different dietary needs.

I felt like it took forever to receive my first box. It didn't really. I was just super excited for it to arrive. And excited I was when I finally got it in the mail!

We went ahead and let them surprise us with all five snack bags. All of the snacks were delicious. The only complaint I may have is that the snacks are rather on the small side. Some bags had servings of 4 to 5, while others had less. This could easily be controlled by hand picking your snacks each month. Here are the snacks we received:

• Banana Bread Granola - Let me just say that this granola must have been GOod. Jacob ate it so fast I didn't even get to try it. Thanks a lot babe.
• Lemon Meringue Waffles - These were a great little snack after a meal. When you want something sweet, but you're too full to eat a cupcake. They were light and crispy with a sugar coating on top.
• Whole Wheat Raspberry Figgy Bars - Not your average Fig Newton. Better. Much better. These bars came individually wrapped, making it an easy grab on your way out the door. I found that they have other flavor Figgy Bars. Maybe we'll switch it up and try the blueberry bars next time.
• Taj Mahal Snack Mix - I have never had a trail mix like this before. I'd like to have more, right now, but I already ate it all. It had just the right amount of curry flavor. Included in the box was also a recipe for Taj Mahal Chicken Salad. We didn't get a chance to try it, but I can only imagine how scrumptious it is.
• Italian Bistro Pretzels - These taste, well, like Italian pretzels. Thick, chunky, almost bread-stick, kind of pretzels. Jacob thinks they just taste like a crunchy breadstick. Fine by me. I love breadsticks!

We really liked NatureBox and the snacks we received. Although, I think I would like choosing which snacks we get versus them being a total surprise every month. Keeping this subscription would be a no brainer if we weren't living on school loans. But we are. So it is still up in the air as to whether or not we will keep it and for how long. I can definitely see us keeping up with this subscription as soon as Jacob graduates though. All in all, we would recommend you at least give NatureBox a try for yourself.

If you would like to give it a try for yourself, click here and enter the code "SHARE10" at checkout to receive $10 off your first box!

For those of you who are already a NatureBox subscriber, let us know what you think of it. Which snacks are you favorite? Let us know in the comments!

I can’t believe our little booger is already 4. It feels like we just brought him home yesterday. If he’s growing up this fast, I can’t even begin to imagine how fast kids grow up!

Baby Dexter at only 6 weeks old

Since this may be Dexter's last birthday as an only child puppy child (let's hope!), we wanted to make it special. We haven't done anything since he turned one, as we have moved the last two years on his birthday. You can believe we moved this year, we just moved earlier in the year this time.

Dexter's first birthday - he's so naked bald

We had plans to take Dexter hiking (& possibly swimming) for his b-day, but the rain squashed that real quickly. He probably could care less anyways; he was much too busy playing with his new stuffed animals. And by playing, I mean removing their eyes’ and noses.

It may seem like we went a little overboard for just the 3 of us – but I’ll take ANY excuse to be crafty. If I wasn’t making animal masks and lunch bags, I would have been making something else anyways. Our little celebration with the three of us was perfect. Fun was had by all.

Yesterday we got up much too early for a Saturday, jumped in the truck, and gorged ourselves with donuts. Jacob had to deliver inflatables for Astro Jump. I went along for the ride, as I usually do. He says the company is nice - I'm definitely no help! After a hard day 4 hours at work, we were due for a nap. A very long nap. I am no fan of sleeping the day away, So we were headed straight out the door as soon as we awoke. We took Dexter to the dog park and enjoyed a short walk with him. Then, off to date night!

We haven't been downtown in quite some time - probably since it was warm last. Well, with the perfect weather, we thought we would venture downtown, sight-see, and try some new things. Our downtown runs along the Tennessee river and has beautiful views. It won't be long before we are paddle boarding in the river!

We have a very family friendly downtown with lots of things to do. There is the U-Ni-Lo-Hi S-Di Passage. The what? Exactly! Who knows what it means (or how to say it). We just know it's a popular place on warm days.

The next spot we stopped to play has no fancy name. Not that we could find anyways. It may appear that we were the only adults in the water. We weren't. One lady was pushed in by her loving daring significant other. Jacob wouldn't dare - he knows better.

We saw some other interesting things along our walk. It really was a perfect evening out. The only way it could have been better is if Dexter were with us.  Unfortunately, we don't live in the most dog friendly city. I promise you we'd have Dexter with us if he was allowed. This is probably the reason we don't come downtown too often; we'd rather be with our pup.

 

We finished our date with two new places we've yet to try. We ate at Totto Sushi & Grill. We were immediately drawn in by the wonderful aroma, and they didn't let down. We will definitely be going back. Soon. And of course, if you know the Amersons, a night is not complete without something sweet. We have been dying to try the new gelato hot spot, Milk & Honey, and gave in tonight. The line was outrageous, but the gelato was well worth the wait. Please, if you're in the area, go. It's fantastic. 

We are welcoming spring with open arms – thanks to the wonderful, warm weather we had this weekend! We spent as much time outdoors as time would allow us. First thing Saturday morning Dexter and I had a date at Starbucks, while Jacob stayed home and studied. Dexter and I sat outside (obviously), basked in the sun, and people watched. Later, the three of us went hiking at Greenway Farm. Jacob had us climbing up this ridiculously steep hill. I barely made it to the top – I have two huge  tiny scratches to prove it! Jacob, on the other hand, has a lot more scratches than I do. After running up the rocky slope for the third time, he slipped and fell half way down the hill! I almost caught it on tape!! But, I only managed to get this:

Sunday is not usually our Funday. However, we managed to squeeze some fun into our Sunday this time. We refused to run errands and complete chores all day! We had a little family picnic, which was short lived because Dexter was running amuck. He crashed some families picnic without hesitation! He ran straight to them, snatched a banana right off their blanket, and took off as fast as he could! He can’t be controlled sometimes. Luckily, he’s too cute to be mad at. We did manage to sneak some photos in before he misbehaved.

I’m not sure what this week holds for us. I have somehow managed to buy a Mother's Day gift already and will be working on that. I have lots to do before it is ready to be shipped off! It'll be a miracle if I get it in the mail before Mother's Day - my family is infamous for getting nothing in the mail on time. As for Jacob, he has a big neuroscience exam that he will be studying for this week. I suppose he'll just be doing a lot of studying over the next few weeks because finals are approaching fast; there are only 3 weeks left in the semester. Come on April 26th! Jacob needs a break!

Happy Easter! We spent the first half of the day celebrating this glorious holiday with an Easter egg ball hunt at the dog park, Easter baskets, Church, and a lunch date. Dexter could not have been more excited about all of his new toys. I found the perfect stuffed bunny at Goodwill for $0.59 (yes, I was at the thrift store).

Dexter’s Easter ball hunt at Greenway Farms’ dog park

The rest of the afternoon was spent running through our typical Sunday routine. We decided to forgo the whole Easter dinner since it is still just the two of us. Instead, Jacob asked for Pioneer Woman’s Sour Cream Enchiladas. It’s a staple in our household! I did have big plans to make Jacob some homemade  cupcakes with fancy frosting; however, Wal-mart was the only store open within a reasonable distance and didn’t have the cake flour I was in need of. We ate the fancy chocolate that was in his Easter basket instead.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Easter Sunday. We wish we could have spent it with family, but are happy we had each other (& Dexter).