What is your resting face? Do you wear a worried frown or a mild smile or a cheeky grin or–dare I say it–the classic resting bitch face? (No offense meant–some people just have it! And if you’re one of them, it’s totally okay. Seriously.)
I ask because I like to play something called the Resting Face Game when I’m walking around the town, traveling, en route, etc. It’s the sort of zany social/mind game only somebody like me would play, but the goal is simple: break as many “resting faces” as possible. Is someone frowning? Make them smile! Is that passerby already smiling? Make them grin! Usually this involves making eye contact and doing something silly….like acknowledging the existence of a fellow human being. Sigh. I really am hopeless, aren’t I?
I was walking back home today and counted 4 cases of eye contact + smiles–but I also walked past 3 people who actively stared me down and glared at me, which seems a bit intense, even if it IS finals week (jeepers!). My friend and I compared notes a few weeks ago and we have an average success rate of about 1 in 35 people. What do you do when people pass you by?
As you might easily guess, my resting face is pretty chipper, though as the school year wears on and a bunch of random emotional stuff has come up, I find myself making an increasing effort to keep it up. So that’s the second game I play when I’m too tired to break resting faces (that sounds kind of violent, doesn’t it? Sorry). It’s called the Let’s Smile Because I’m Alive game, and you’d be surprised how many people need to be playing it right at this very moment. Do you?
If that’s the case, let me help give you a reason to smile! I didn’t have to fake a grin when I received this amazing November box from My Bakers Box, an online service started by three lovely girlfriends who share their love for baking by shipping out monthly boxes of unique baking supplies. You can sign up for as many month’s worth of boxes as you’d like, or even gift it to a baker friend for the holiday season! (Cough ME cough!)
I’ve been in touch with Angela for a while now and she’s such a lovely contact! Even when we had a shipping mishap and my box was redirected to another office, she kept at it until I finally had the box safely in my two hands. I’m such a sucker for good service and cute kitchen supplies.
Each month’s box contains a different set of seasonal supplies. Here’s a sneak peek at what I received in my November package:
I gravitated quite naturally to the mini dessert jars–let’s face it, anything mini screams ADORABLE–and that’s when I thought of sharing one of my all-time favorite, simple dessert recipes. I make Peanut Butter Jelly Parfait Cups basically 7 or 8 times a week: for breakfast, lunch, snack, noonsies, teatime, supper, second supper…
In other words, if it’s a Hobbit meal, I’ve eaten this parfait. And now I can serve it (to myself) in cute Hobbit-sized mini jars, too!
And cute jars means I get to do this. I love layyyyyyers!
Seriously. If you’re a PB&J fanatic like I am, this brekkie idea is about to blow your mind, change your outlook on breakfast, and generally improve the quality of your life. So you can finally put that boring resting face to, well, rest!
I was also going to make a really bad metaphor here about how people are like parfaits and have layers and all this deep stuff, buuuut I figure I’ll just let you cut to the chase and enter the giveaway below (ends Friday, 12/19 at midnight PST–open to US residents only, sorry!). You could win your very own month’s worth of baking supplies from My Bakers Box–just leave a comment, follow my social media, and check out all the easy-as-parfait options below!
Honesty time! How do you like to interact with passerby strangers? Does your resting face look different for the holidays?
Mini Peanut Butter Jelly Parfaits {+ My Bakers Box Giveaway!}
A simple but absolutely delicious breakfast or dessert! Perfect for anyone who wishes they could eat PB&J's every day for the rest of their lives in the most delightfully healthy way possible!.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons strawberry jelly, divided
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 1 tablespoon jelly, and Greek yogurt. Set aside.
- Place remaining 1 tablespoon peanut butter in a small bowl and microwave until melted, about 15 seconds.
- Place remaining 1 tablespoon jelly in a third small bowl and microwave until melty, about 7-8 seconds.
- In a small jar or cup, layer half of the yogurt mixture, followed by melty jam, followed by remaining half of the yogurt mixture, and then melted peanut butter. Sit back and enjoy life with a smile and a spoon!
Disclosure: I received a month’s box of supplies from My Bakers Box to test and review. All opinions expressed in this post are, as always, 100% my own!
I try to smile at strangers to brighten their days
Lisa, that’s an awesome philosophy. Keep it on up!
I would definitely smile back if I saw you walking across campus…phooey on those who don’t even look up! Love your parfaits…I’d want one for breakfast, then another for dessert!
haha, of course you would! You probably wouldn’t even have time to smile–I’d have tackle-hugged you before you got a chance. 🙂
You’re too funny, Ala. Normally I tend to smile or at least give a friendly look, but that’s a tough job when you’re starving!
oh nooo, let me hand you a parfait so you’ll grin like a Cheshire Cat, Linda!! I bet you’re lovely in person!
what an interesting game! My “resting face” is, or definitely used to be, a smile… I remember volunteering at a low-income community centre/daycare type place years ago, and one of the little kids seemed upset that I was always smiling. Until then, I had no idea that I was even smiling… it was just the way my face was shaped. (Of course, it also made me sad to think that the kid must’ve been around adults who *didn’t* smile, to find a smile unusual/bothersome.)
Myriam, that is SO true. I had a similar experience working in low-income districts–it seems oddly out of place to smile when there’s so much strife happening right around you, so you’re right, I usually keep my head down and try to be sensitive to my environment. But it’s so good to hear that your resting face is curved into a smile–it really does make all the difference on outlook!
Hhahah now that is a funny game. And you have me thinking what my resting face is?? I might be a resident bitch face lol!
LOL for some reason, Zainab, I have a really really really difficult time believing you! At least I know you’d be grinning if we bumped into each other on the street, right? 😀
Lotta people get distracted — I sure do! — while walking. It’s that interior monologue thing going, and I think a lot of people are just inwardly focused, and their exterior face reflects that. But these days I see more people with eyes glued to their phones — no real faces their, alas. Anyway, fun post, lovely recipe. Thanks.
You know, that’s true! Lots of phone-eyes these days. Back in college, a friend told me I was walking by and looked so angry hahaha and that was just a time when I was deep in thought. So I guess we all have different resting faces at different times!
These sound and look amazing, Ala! Love this flavour combo, very delicious!
Always glad to have another PB&J lover on board, Jess! 😉
I don’t have any trouble talking to anyone!
That’s because you’re so darn and crazy lovely friendly, Jan! 🙂
I put my head down and keep walking because I have social anxiety. X^D
love these mini-peanut-butter-jelly-parfaits and the concept behind the bakers box!! I think my resting face does not look friendly . . but it depends on what I’m doing, what I’m thinking about and what kind of mood I’m in. . but I do try to smile at people when passing by. . but if I’m at the grocery store with my kids (which I dislike doing for obvious reasons) and don’t look happy, don’t talk to me. This means one of them is either tired or hungry and on the verge of having a meltdown so I need to get outta there fast. 🙂 happy holidays, Ala! 🙂
I usually give a hello or a head nod. It’s always funny when I’m with my kids because they always ask if I knew the person.
I’m afraid I’m usually in my own little world and don’t always acknowledge strangers. Sometimes I will smile or nod hello or say “good morning.”
I have the bitchiest resting face in the world. I’m like this parfait with many layers – I usually glare at people when I’m walking around but I’m also the first to say hi and chat with strangers in line-ups and elevators. Weird, right?! For some reason, when I’m in motion be it via leg power or car, everyone is my enemy. But I also love chatting with people. I can’t make up my mind! But I do know that I love this PBJ parfait. Delicious, girl!
hahaha oh Nancy! I remember you telling me this when we first met, actually. At least with the resting face part (which I don’t think is true, by the way–I remember seeing you at the bus station and you looked so approachable!) But I do love that you love starting conversations with people. I think it just goes to show that you’re really invested in interpersonal relationships 🙂
These look awesome.
Thanks and cheers, Megan!
Depends. Smile and nod mostly.
Haha that’s pretty good as it is, Melanie!
I would totally smile at you if I saw you on campus. It would kind of depend how far you are too because I am blind as a bat without my contacts and can’t see a darn thing. So my resting face without my contacts is not very friendly at all haha. Although if you had these parfaits with you, that would be a different story. Love these!
haha! I’ve actually had that exact problem–I look discombobulated or glare-y when I don’t have a good contacts day! I get so blurry-eyed that I can’t greet folks I actually know. Still, I guess I don’t need vision to eat parfaits with you!