The Best Things I've Bought on Amazon This Year

I hate how much I love Amazon, but its convenience, prime shipping, and low prices make it hard to beat. I’ve had some major Amazon wins this year and felt inclined to share with the class. I’ve rounded up 15 purchases from 2021, so far, that I couldn’t recommend more.

Milk Frother // It works as well as the Nespresso one and is less than half the price.

Teva Midfoam Fray Sandals // I wear mine with dresses, athleisure, to the lake etc, Tevas are back!

Sun Bum spf 30 sunscreen // I swear by this sunscreen and have yet to get burned while using it the past two summers.

EltaMD UV Clear spf 46 // I wear this on my face every day. FYI the clear is considered clean, the tinted is not.

Polarized Sunglasses // I’ve turned a handful of friends on to these glasses. They come in other colors, but I love the light brown/blonde color. My favorite part is they hold your hair back when you push up on your head - ha!

Gray Shoulder Pad Tank Top // Just a great go-to top. I often wear it with the gold chain necklace also linked.

Translucent Neon Pink PopSocket // I have the new iPhone max and it is so heavy I feel like I’m getting arthritis in my wrists. I’m bringing the PopSocket back to relieve some tension. #firstworldproblems

Clear iPhone12 pro max case // Sign me up for a $10 phone case.

Simple Modern 28oz Tumbler // The viral Amazon cup is worth the hype and an Oklahoma-based company!

Smiley Face Trucker Hat // If you are patient unlike me, I suggest you order from small business Hats by Madi! I was impatient and wanted a fun trucker hat for the lake this weekend and found this one on Amazon.

Gold Medallion Chain Necklace // I wear it every day and get so many inquiring minds about this piece. Best $17 necklace.

Black Ribbed Seamless Set // LOL at this distorted model, but I love this set, I’m in a medium.

Black Ribbed Crop Tank Top // Great with biker shorts for working out. Comes in a million colors, I’m in a large for a slightly looser fit and length that hits right above my belly button.

Neoprene Tote Bag // I’ve been looking for a new work bag and this knock-off of the popular $$ one may be it!

Every Single Moment // A devotional to help pray for your future marriage written by one of my favorites, Stephanie May Wilson.

I rec ‘em, I love ‘em, I use ‘em on the daily. A reminder that you can always shop my Amazon shop by clicking here, using the link in my Instagram bio, or clicking on the shop tab at the top of my site. Questions about an item featured? Ask away below or in my DMs. Bless you Amazon and your quick shipping speeds and snazzy affordable pricing. Now go shop local… ;)

Annie

How, when and why I started my blog

This post was originally published for Living24 Magazine, a new online platform that brings together young writers and professionals to share their own insight into life. I loved getting to sit down and write out my honest thoughts on blogging after all of these years. You can read my post, along with other lifestyle, wellness and culture themed articles on Living24’s site.

Let’s rewind to high school. I think it was my junior year (2010) when my middle sister Kathleen first got me hooked on reading blogs. Blogs? What is a blog I thought? On our parent’s giant Mac desktop computer, she showed me Jane Aldridge’s wacky vintage fashion on Sea of Shoes and Emily Schuman’s cali girl next door vibes on Cupcakes and Cashmere. From there I was hooked. I vividly remember sitting near the back of my 300+ person mass comm lecture course during first semester freshman year, skimming through my bookmarked list of blogs, reading each and every new blog post instead of learning about how to write a proper press release. I was enthralled with these digital platforms people were creating. They were merely just sharing creative aspects of their everyday life, but I was eating it up. I was making recipes I found on blogs, recreating outfits (you bet I was on that Hunter rainboot train because of this post - LOL), and DIYing my little heart out. I’ve had a creative bone since birth and reading these “lifestyle” blogs fueled me.

Being the blog junkies that we were, Kathleen actually started her own blog back in 2011. A Peony For Your Thoughts - because some things in life are too sweet not to be shared. While APFYT is no longer, we had a blast posting and coming up with content for her site. I say “we” because I was chomping at the bit every chance I could to guest post. Here is one of my favorites - ha! Around spring of my sophomore year of college I started to relish with the idea of starting my own blog. I sat on the idea for a while because I was honestly nervous my sister would be mad. I remember texting her, hey I’m going to start a blog. And she replied good you should!! You’ll be better at it than I am (blushes).

Take A Bite was established in 2013. My little creative outlet to share “bites of my life.” I remember spending a full day at the corner table in the dining room of my sorority house, piecing together free font downloads and creating header images for my site on PicMonkey (scroll down in this post for a look at what TAB looked like on day one). This was back when blogging was still really just gaining its stride. This was the Blogspot registered domain days where my posts looked like articles on fall fashion, nail DIYs, or how to style costume jewelry with horrible low-res and over-filtered images. If you dig back in the archives of Take A Bite you can find some true gems like this DIY t-shirt turban headband, homemade tassel garland, and mint is the new black. I was devoted to putting up 4-5 posts a week on the best pumpkin quinoa recipe (what?), how to washi tape your laptop, and the best fall bag from Old Navy... These old posts give me the biggest chuckle when I revisit them, but will always be some of my all-time favorites.

Blogging back then was worlds different than what it is in now. There are a few true bloggers still hanging on, but we have pretty much all retired our Blogspot web address for a sleek Squarespace site that really just acts as a concrete place to link an Instagram post to. #guilty. However, from day one of creating Take A Bite I was serious about two things. 1. Not making this a short term thing. I wanted to commit to longevity with my blog. I’ve seen so many people go through all the work of starting a blog and after being hyper committed for a month, just slowly stop posting. This included friends of mind. I didn’t want that. I saw TAB as an extension of me and I wanted it to run a long course. 2. To keep blogging my hobby. Strictly my hobby. 

I’m proud to say seven years later I’ve held on to those two truths I first promised myself. Take A Bite has shifted to be much more food heavy than fashion and DIY. I’ve also shifted to rely much more on Instagram as a way to share quick content, leaving new posts fewer and farther between. However, I think that is really just an expression of the times and how the digital space has turned. All this to be said, Take A Bite is still very much a part of my life it’s just expressed differently. 

Take A Bite is also not my full-time job, nor do I think it ever will be. I work full time as the Marketing Director for a fabulous restaurant group and I truly love what I do and who I get to work with. Being apart of a team, having a boss, being told what to do, yet also having my own responsibility and freedom is something I personally love. Blogging/content creating/influencing whatever you want to call it has always sounded isolating to me. This goes against the cultural dream to be your own boss and building your own platform, but I don’t want that. I’m already working from home due to the pandemic, but working for myself on top of that sounds lonely. This is nothing against all of the wonderful people who have been able to create a beautiful life from their blogs, that’s just not want I have ever wanted for myself. 

Now I’ll be honest, Take A Bite has cultivated a decent little community for me. I do get paid here and there from content I produce and I’ve had far more opportunities than I could have ever imagined because of my blog, and for that I’m so thankful. I’ve met incredible people through blogging, including one of my dear friends who I’ve traveled with, talk to regularly, and got to go to her wedding two years ago. It’s not lost on me just how cool blogging has positively impacted my life. What an awesome hobby if I do say so myself!

All this to be said, there is so much pressure out there to be a hustler striving for more Instagram followers or to become the next Defined Dish. Oh you don’t have 10k and a swipe up, then why bother sharing? I feel those pressures. I feel them hard. But I do my very best to remember the voice in my head that told me back in 2013 that this is a hobby, this is for fun, this is my creative outlet. I’ve never wanted my blog to overshadow me, I’ve just wanted it to be a bonus add-on. Sometimes I want to scream “Hey look at me, I’ve been doing this for 7 years!!! Follow me! I’ve been around forever.” But honestly, that’s just me being jealous of seeing people grow quicker around me. If I put my head down I’m sure I could get those numbers up and create more opportunities. But for the 5th time, I really and truly love this as my hobby. I have never personally put pressure on myself to post something at a certain time, to stick to a content calendar, or to reply to every DM. Because I’m really just a normal ol’ 27-year-old girl who has this blog and can use it as my excuse to post yet another picture of my chocolate chip cookie recipe and show you what I bought on Amazon and pretend as you care. 

If you want to start a blog, or maybe more relevant today, and Instagram account. Go for it! This outlet continues to be so incredibly fun. Just own it and own your intentions on where you want it to go, and I promise it will be worth it.

Annie

What I Eat In A Day

Ahh! The old “what I eat in a day” post. I personally love and I’m proud of the shift I’ve seen in the influencer world lately when it comes to these type of posts. I keep seeing more and more disclosures like “this is just what works for me” or some people who won’t even post what they eat in a day because they don’t want anyone thinking that if they eat what that person eats, they will suddenly turn into them. Because you know what, I’ve been there.

I love Melissa Wood. She radiates positivity and and is a gem in the wellness world. I became completely inspired by her back in January and really leaned into her lifestyle. If you follow Melissa you’ll understand what I mean when I say I was doing hot lemon water and green juice in the morning, then I’d practice one of her workouts, avocado toast with tomato after that, a green salad with tomatoes and sauerkraut for lunch, sip on more green juice while I made dinner, and some kind of vegan pasta for dinner. I should look like Melissa now, right? Wrong.

Quarantine hit after a couple of months of this and my cute plant-based inspired diet got thrown out the window when I spent seven weeks living with my parents in a household that runs on meat at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In an effort to not be too difficult (I still snuck in coconut aminos and cauliflower rice when they weren’t looking), I naturally started eating more meat. And you know what, I felt amazing. I had so much more energy, and wasn’t hitting the 3pm slump so hard like I was earlier in the year. When I was trying to stick to more plant-based meals, I was taking a nap every day. Now I know plant-based eating does amazing things for a lot of people and the environmental side of it all is really important but, the natural vitamins and energy that animal protein can give you is something I was really missing. Something that my body needed.

This is a long-winded introduction to finally share what I eat in a day. But before we proceed, take my daily “bites” with a grain of salt. What I like to eat may sound gross to you, and what works for me may not work for you. However, since I genuinely love reading people’s morning routines (should I do a post on this?), knowing what someone “typically” eats in a day is also weirdly fascinating. So without further ado.

MORNING:
I try to drink at least 20-30 ounces of water before I have any coffee or anything to eat. After I work out and get my water in, I switch off between making tea (green or earl gray), decaf coffee or a homemade matcha latte. All with Nutpods dairy-free creamer mixed in. I’m pretty sensitive to caffeine and it really ramps up my anxiety, so I try to avoid it. I love a warm beverage in the morning, so I still get my fix in a less anxious way.

I have tried my hand at intermittent fasting and I still do it here and there, but the more I read is (again just what works for me!!) it’s really not great for women with hormonal issues and those who haven’t been though menopause yet. Also I literally go to bed excited to wake up for breakfast, so why am I trying to skip it? My blood sugar and cortisol need to chill in the morning and eating a good and healthy breakfast is a great help with both. My go-to’s are either avocado toast made from Ezekiel bread, smashed avocado, a sprinkle of turmeric, cayenne, salt, and pepper with some fruit on the side, a green smoothie, or some kind of yogurt (love this one right now) with berries, cinnamon and chia seeds.

AFTERNOON:
I’ve really been trying to amp up my lunches. I used to often eat a salad or a small portion of leftovers that would leave me hungry the second I finished. I’m working on eating a more balanced lunch that is healthy but satisfying. I’ve been loving these wraps full of turkey, salami and the works, either wrapped in lettuce or in a low carb tortilla. I’ve also been making little quesadillas with dairy-free cheese, any deli meat or protein I have, avocado, red onion etc. The best lunch is honestly dinner leftovers. This week I’ve been eating these grain-free enchiladas. I look so forward to lunch. I’ll eat 1.5 and plate them over greens, with extra veggies or an apple on the side to make it more balanced.

Snacktime is something I used to feel guilty about eating. I hate that I’m even saying that, but yes for a long time I used to feel bad if I couldn’t make it from lunch to dinner, without needing a snack. And this is coming from the girl who used to eat a pint of Häagen-Dazs coffee ice cream for an after school snack in high-school...maybe that triggered my snack problem. Two ends of the spectrum! Snacks can be hard. I’m like oh I’ll just have a few crackers then I’ve suddenly downed the box. I think this is why I tried to forgo them all together. The truth is, it’s absurd to ignore your hunger cues. A snack is a great way to put off immense hunger at dinner time, helps you focus to get through the end of the workday, and keeps your energy up. Since quarantine, I’ve really leaned into the afternoon snack. I look forward to it every day. It literally brings me a boost of joy in the middle of the day. I’ve been loving a handful of cashews and dried prunes, an apple and almond butter or a bowl (or 2) of Skinny Pop.

EVENING:
I like to eat early, I always have. I blame living in the sorority house when they would serve us dinner at 5. Since then I’ve fully adopted that schedule and could eat at 5 every night if I chose. Once I eat dinner I’m pretty good, I don’t get too hungry before bed. However, 5 is pretty early so I try to push it to around 6. I typically do a big loaded salad with whatever is in season, I love spaghetti squash with pesto and red sauce, or my favorite go-to/freezer meal is always cauliflower fried rice or some kind of stir fry situation. I try to keep the carbs lower in the evening.

If I need dessert, which I usually always do, I go for a handful of chocolate chips, a spoonful of almond butter or a couple of graham crackers. Sometimes all combined :)

Now this was just an example of a good day. At least a couple times a week there is a massive amount of tortilla chips scarfed down while at drinks with friends, or those nights when I just can’t keep my hand out of the bag of chocolate chips and one handful turns into 4 or 5. You do you and go take a bite of what works for you!

Annie

*This post is not sponsored by Nutpods, but I’d be remise not to mention that you can get 15% off your order by using the coupon code _ANNIETUCKER at checkout.

27 Lessons Learned in 27 Years

I was never afraid of growing up per se. I’m the baby of the family and had a late birthday growing up in school. I count myself mature for my age and have always had a smidge of old soul in me. Well that fear of growing up subsided until last year when I was approaching 26. I was not having it. Twenty five, cool cool, I can handle that, I sounded legitimate, more likely to be taken seriously professionally compared to 24, but 26 that’s practically 30, and 27 for-get-about-it.

Last year I hit 26 and then shortly moved to Dallas two weeks later. That particular birthday seemed daunting, but was quickly forgotten once I had a pep in my step due to a new city to explore and thrive in. Twenty six quickly felt like the perfect age.

Now back to 27 because today is my 27th birthday - yikes! After random pangs of fear of turning 27 over the past year, feeling like I haven’t done enough in my 27 years, or that my life isn’t exactly how I pictured it (I used to always think I’d go to college, meet my husband, get married around 24 and have a kid by 26 - hilarious!!), I woke up one morning back in January realizing that my birthday this year would actually be my golden birthday. I’m a sucker for signs like this, so I took it as a knock to embrace 27. My first niece was born on 7/27/17, this is my 7th year of blogging, I’m turning 27 on the 27th…these might be a stretch, but I’m going with good juju for year 27.

I’ve swallowed the pill that 27 is way closer to 30 than I would like it to be, but the fact that I feel like an infant in the grand scheme of life means I’m going to roll with that feeling instead of the my life is over feeling. That same night I woke up realizing this would be my golden birthday, I quickly started rattling off things I’ve learned in my 27 years in a note on my phone, and today I’m sharing them with you.

1. Hold your best friends tight, but don’t be shy about making new ones.

2. Don’t get stagnant. In your job, in your friendships, in your home. 

3. Don’t be afraid of change, embrace it.

4. Don’t be afraid to make new traditions. As the youngest child you especially have to learn to accept this.

5. Have dance parties in your house by yourself, often. 

6. Belt songs alone in your car loudly, like really loud.

7. Develop an interest in music. It helps feed any emotion you are feeling or want to feel. It also comes in handy to know the words to songs for impromptu karaoke and pop culture references.

8. Take interest in food. I’m not just saying this because I write a food blog, but food brings us together and creates memories in ways other things don’t. But please don’t be a picky eater, too much deliciousness out there to be picky.

9. A walk a day, keeps the doctor away (except during spring allergies).

10. Move your body. It keeps you sane. And I don’t just mean cardio, lift a weight here and there.

11. Have a go-to dish. Something you can whip up at for a last-minute party, bring to friend just because, share with new neighbors, etc. Maybe it’s easy guacamole or a killer cookie recipe, hi Perfect CCC’s 😉.

12. Early morning baking is the best kind of therapy. I prefer Saturday’s at 6AM before anyone is up and I can be with me, myself, and cookies. Try it.

13. It’s okay to feel a certain kind of way, and it’s okay to talk about it. It’s also okay to be nervous to talk about it. 

14. Jealousy is the devil. Recognize that and move on.

15. Kiss FOMO goodbye.

16. Take hold of your finances. Save, invest, repeat.

17. Renting a home or an apartment isn’t throwing away money and don’t let someone make you feel bad for not owning a house.

18. Your parents and Google have the answer to pretty much everything.

19. Read. A book, a magazine, this blog, anything. Audible doesn’t count.

20. Go to college to find your bridesmaids, not your husband.

21. When all of your girlfriends are in relationships, don’t resent them if your life looks different. Love them, support their relationship, and then go invest in good guy friends.

22. Suck up your pride and get on a dating app if you’re looking for a relationship.

23. Wear confidence like your favorite sweater. Life’s too short to be shy.

24. Develop a routine that works for you. If that’s going to bed at 9PM and drinking decaf coffee, own it.

25. Take vitamins, wash your face, wear sunscreen (because everyone tells you to anyway).

26. 27 is old, be mature.

27. 27 is young, there’s still time.

Annie

How to Stock Your Kitchen

I had someone message me last week on Instagram asking for a quick list of pantry baking essentials they could pick up to easily bake a majority of my recipes. I haven’t felt the need to post a list like that on the blog, for it felt a little redundant for what you could find on Google (fun fact: I Google everything). However, after opening up the idea to y’all for writing this style of post, I got an overwhelming, YES, do it, please!! (thank you). So, here we are.

I expanded from just the pantry to my top kitchen essentials. I broke it up into three categories, listing out 10 staples when it comes to baking, cooking, and kitchen gadgets. Writing this post was actually really fun, so I hope you enjoy!

photo by KGC photography

Baking:

1. All-Purpose Flour. However, if you are Gluten-Free, this is my favorite brand!

2. Granulated Sugar

3. Brown Sugar. Please do not buy at Trader Joe’s. While I love TJ’s, their organic brown sugar isn’t great for my recipes. I prefer C&H. This goes for granulated sugar as well.

4. Vanilla Extract

5. Baking Powder

6. Baking Soda

7. Cinnamon

8. Chocolate Chips

9. Morton Salt

10. Maldon Salt. A must for Perfect CCC’s and how I finish almost every dish I bake. You can buy on Amazon, but I’ve also found it at Whole Foods, Sprouts and Central Market.

Cooking:

1. Olive Oil. I don’t worry about anything too fancy, I love Trader Joe’s selection of well-priced oils.

2. Coconut Oil

3. Liquid or Coconut Aminos

4. Peppercorns with a grinder. Please grind your own pepper, it makes all the difference.

5. Red Pepper Flakes

6. Ground Turmeric

7. Quinoa or Brown Rice

8. Dried Pasta. I like red lentil or chickpea pasta.

9. Chickpeas

10. Marinara Sauce

BONUS!! Gadgets and appliances:
(shop the items below)

1. Kitchen-Aid Stand Mixer. The holy grail. And NO, you don’t have to wait to get engaged and put this on your register to buy one :) I bought mine in honor of my grandmother after she passed back in 2013. And no, you don’t have to get a gender-neutral color. Think pink folks!

2. Cookie Scoop. I like 1.5-2 tablespoon size, and prefer one with a rubber grip.

3. 10-Set Glass Mixing Bowls. If someone has this on their wedding registry, it is my go-to gift to buy. I use these bowls on the daily and they are so well priced.

4. Wooden Spoon. Mine are so old, but I’m thinking I need to get this one while it’s on sale for $2!

5. Spoonula. Scrape and spoon! This set allows you to buy a whole spatula set or the spoonula on its own.

6. Mini Spatula. These are used on a daily basis in my kitchen. Perfect for scraping smoothies out of the blender, making eggs or stirring around fried rice!

7. Saute pans. I use this 8” and 10” non-toxic set. A 12” size is good to have if serving more than 1-2 people.

8. Nonstick Cookie Sheet. What I bake all cookies on. This 3-piece set that includes a cooling rack is on sale right now!

9. Nonstick Sheet Pan. Also known as a rating pan or jelly roll pan. This style is used for my Banana Sheet Cake and all roasted veggies. quick tip: never use this style of pan for cookies, the raised sides will alter the baking.

10. Parchment Paper. Love this for lining baking sheets compared to using cooking spray.

I could go on and on with this list of pantry staples and favorite gadgets! We didn’t even get to the fridge or freezer. Although, these were the first 10 that came to mind in each section, which means they must be my go-tos. Of course, if you have any questions or want to know my extended list feel free to DM me on Instagram or email me at annie@takeabiteblog.com!

Annie