I am crazy about whitening my teeth. For a good portion of the year you’ll find me lisping my way through whitening strips. So when Influenster approached me with a Vox Box that included whitening products I did cartwheels all over my living room.

Influenster sends new products to trendsetters to try out. They encourage people to Tweet and Instagram their thoughts, generating a little buzz for these new products. I’m choosing to blog about it.

There wasn’t just teeth whitening stuff in my package. It was a whole bunch of goodies.

That’s a pretty awesome thing to get in the mail, right? So here’s my quick impressions of the contents.

• Colgate Optic White Toothpaste, Mouthwash and Toothbrush. I can definitely see the whitening effects. The taste of both the paste and mouthwash are fine, not overly strong. The toothbrush is of good quality and I imagine most people would love it. I’m an electric toothbrush user, so these old-fashioned manual brushes never leave me feeling quite as polished.
• Nectresse sweetener. Very pleasant. It’s made from monk fruit and has a light, pleasant taste. Not overly sweet. I normally use half a packet of stevia in my coffee, so this is not much different.
• Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturizer. I was unsure of this one. Lotion that you spray on? Turns out it was my favorite thing in the box. I will happily use up this can. I don’t know if I’ll buy it again, but it’s pretty convenient. That commercial where the girl sprays it on and gets dressed in ten seconds? Accurate.
• Dickinson’s Oil Controlling Towelettes. These are large sheets soaked in witch hazel. When I say large, I mean you could share one with three other people. They are HUGE. I think these will come in handy this summer. Like a mini-shower. Frankly, everyone in Texas should buy these because as soon as it gets hot out, y’all stink.
• BelVita Breakfast Biscuits. Somewhere between a cookie and a granola bar. Very tasty. Mr. Betty wants more!

Mad Betty quietly turned one without an acknowledgement. No cupcake, no birthday candle, no party. How sad for this blog! I am a bad, bad, neglectful blogger.

The truth is, the year passed and I hadn’t realized I missed the anniversary mark. One whole year of blogging (and then some) went by very quickly. It’s been a good year and I feel lucky to have documented so much of it here. I’ve done, seen, and eaten a lot of things. I bought a serious camera. I switched from a PC to a Mac. After much soul-searching (and tears) I left a job that made me absolutely miserable. I guess you can say I grew up a lot.

What was happening one year ago on Mad Betty? This post. I loved that Standard Process Cleanse. It changed the way I viewed the food-body connection. Ever since that cleanse, smoothies have become a regular part of my life and I eat tons more veggies than I used to. Now if I ever feel crappy, I know that a couple days of produce will fix anything. My body definitely prefers a vegan diet, although I don’t know that I could sustain it forever. But every vegan meal is a good one and I incorporate them more and more.

One year later I’m doing Tracy Anderson’s 30-Day Method and I’m digging it. Twelve days down so far. I love these timed challenges. I love how quickly you see results and feel stronger from working out. By this time next year, maybe I’ll be thinner, stronger, vegan and working a job I love. Or maybe I’ll still be figuring it all out. Either way, I’m grateful to have a chance at another year. Life is fragile and I’m not taking it for granted. Happy anniversary, readers. Thanks for being here.

I just finished three weeks of Mel’s Meals. I can’t believe it’s over already. Twenty one days can feel long, but then goes by in a flash. They say it takes that long to make something a habit, and I definitely feel that I’ve formed some new ones. I’m used to eating a real breakfast now, something I only did sporadically before. Most of my Mel’s breakfasts were egg-based, but I’ll probably eat Fage and fruit most days. Or smoothies. If I do eggs, I usually save them for the weekend.

So how did I do? I lost six pounds (and five inches), which is the recommended (and safe) two pounds a week. I worked out almost everyday, alternating between Jillian Michaels’ No More Trouble Zones and Banish Fat Boost Metabolism. I might post the occasional workout DVD review on my blog, too. I love to check out new ones.

I struggled to drink eight glasses of water a day, which is really the minimum a person should drink. I still struggle with that and need to just keep trying. I love the great suggestions from you guys! In addition to those, I’ll be drinking sparking water everyday because I’m fancy like that.

My experience with Mel’s was very positive. It forced me to eat regularly, not starve all day and then eat all night, as I am wont to do. And it simplified my life as far as shopping, planning and cooking. Someone did all the work for me. The calories and ingredients were listed, and everything stacked up nicely in my fridge.

So what are the cons? Well, cost, for one thing. Convenience comes at a cost, after all. I wouldn’t be able to pay that for very long, but that might not be an issue for some people. Another drawback is freshness. Pre-made food is never as fresh as when you make it yourself. It wasn’t always an issue, but I found the raw veggies and especially the fruit didn’t always hold up so well. And the last drawback, for me, was the packaging waste. Each meal was packaged in plastic. Of course I recycled everything, but it’s just something to think about when you eat this way long term.

I am happy to recommend Mel’s to anyone looking for a healthy lifestyle change, or to anyone simply looking for fast, convenient healthy meals. Whether you embark on a weekly program or just stop in to a Mel’s location and pick up lunch, you won’t be sorry.

*Full disclosure, Mel’s Meals picked up 60% of the cost of my meals in exchange for my honest blogging about my experience.

Were you wondering who “Mel” of Mel’s Meals is? She’s a real person!

After many years in food service, an industry widely contributing to America’s obesity problem, Mel decided to help Austinites make better choices by providing better options. What started with Mel cooking every meal herself quickly grew. The demand was so much that they opened multiple locations, hired dietitians, and a huge staff to cook, deliver, and maintain the stores. It shows just how much people care about their diets in Austin. In a city with plenty of healthy options, we always want need more.

Turkey Egg Scramble and Blueberry Almond Muffin

Sloppy Daddy

Tea-Rubbed Pork

Stuffed Dates

Cottage Cheese and Tomatoes

A bona fide foodie, Mel is constantly coming up with new recipes and working with her dietitians to make her offers healthy, tasty, and well-balanced. I’ve really enjoyed the variety of the meals and the inclusion of vegetables into so much everything.

Oy! Another late post. Thanks for hanging in there, everybody!

Breakfast Burrito

Chicken Enchiladas

Tofu Stir Fry

Stuffed Dates

Banana Pancakes

Ah, I attempted a three-week challenge and a holiday fell within that time period. Luckily it was Fourth of July, not Thanksgiving. I wouldn’t have minded a little something something from the grill, but it was not to be. I did, however, find that flourless chocolate cake on the menu and that made me happy.

I had:

Huevos Rancheros

Stuffed Poblano

Kung Pao Chicken

Flourless Chocolate Cake

I also had an almond blueberry muffin for a snack and forgot to photograph it. They are that good! I hope you all had a great Independence Day, filled with chocolate cake and sparklers!

Starting my final week of Mel’s Meals. I’m going to spend this week thinking about what I’m going to make next week when I’m back to cooking again. My goal is to always have a plan and to snack better. And to eat a real breakfast.

I only have one more meal pickup, later in the week. My closest location is downtown Austin. Conveniently located right by Whole Foods, it’s a nice place to run errands. But there are two other great locations, too. Northies can check out the Round Rock store, and the most recent location is in Lakeway. Lakeway holds the massive kitchen where all the food is made, as well.

My food for the day:

Egg Melmuffin

Eggplant Parmesan

Chicken Curry Cups

Celery and Peanut Butter

Melaffel

How much space do Mel’s Meals take up in your fridge? Well, this is what one day’s package looks like:

On Thursday’s pick-up, you get four days worth, plus what you are still eating that day. So yes, it makes for a full fridge. I open each bag and take out the few things that may not need to be refrigerated like energy bars or Ak Mak. Then I shuffle things around so that my bags are easy to grab in chronological order. I keep a tidy fridge anyway, regularly pulling everything out and scrubbing the whole thing down. So fitting in the meals has been no struggle.

What did I eat on the 13th day?

Tomatillo Egg Whites and Banana Nut Muffin

Chicken and Quinoa

Apricot Pork Loin

Apple Walnut Salad

That chicken and quinoa were delicious. I made my first trade, choosing the apple walnut salad instead of a kale and roasted beet salad. (I just can’t do beets, no matter how hard I try.) You’ll notice there’s one less meal in the photos. That’s because my fruit cup completely went bad. It was probably lovely when it was first made, but it did not last past the first day of pickup so I had to toss it. Some of the meals definitely hold up better than others, so I’ll make some additional trades next time around if need be.