product review

12 Can’t-Miss Ways to Use Zipzicles! (And a Giveaway)

- Mama 20 Comments

Growing up, it was clear that summer wasn’t summer without the industrial size bag of ice pops in the freezer. They were perfect– no stick, no drips, and you could let it melt most of the way before drinking that sickly-sweet syrup inside. That’s an experience for the ages, one I wanted my son to experience, but at the same time, I hoped for an option that would maybe be a bit better for him… and for me as I indulged in one, two, fifteen ice pops on the hottest days of the year.

Enter Zipzicles, which are pretty much the coolest thing since frozen water. I mean, they have all of the classic trademarks of summer– they’re plastic, just like the ice pops you remember, and they’re able to be filled with anything you can imagine. But even better, they’re reusable or disposable, whichever you prefer, and they’re re-sealable. I don’t know about your kids, but it seems like Zach gets halfway through an ice pop and gets bored, leaving the rest to melt all over or just be thrown away. I didn’t like either of those options, so the zip-seal on these is just amazing for ending the half-eaten ice pop battle.

The best part is that they’re recyclable, and they’re food-grade materials that are third-party tested to be BPA free. Woohoo for safety!

But I knew that just filling them with the same thing over and over was bound to get boring, so I wanted to get creative and figure out everything my Zipzicles could hold.

Zipzicles are perfect for making your own applesauce pouches for kids– at 2.5 ounces, it’s just the right amount, and it’s far cheaper than buying store-bought pouches. You can fill them from the large container of applesauce, or even make your own sauce for a healthy treat. And because the Zipzicle is flexible, it takes up far less room in a picnic basket than an applesauce cup.

Of course, you can also make your own yogurt-on-the-go pouches, which it seems ALL kids love. I personally buy the off-brand 38-cent yogurt at my store, and it fills 2 pouches. You can’t beat that price! If you freeze the Zipzicle overnight, then toss it in a lunch box in the morning, it helps keep food cool and will be perfectly thawed when it’s time to eat.

I can’t tell you how many times I go to the fridge and someone has drank all but the last bit of juice. There’s not enough for a full glass, but there’s also no way I want to just toss it. The solution? I pour it into a Zipzicle. The far-left ice pop is actually the  rest of some Mango Juicy Juice with bits of chopped mango tossed in for some real fruit flavor– yum! The mango pop is probably Zach’s absolute favorite, and like I said, it rids me of the last-drops-of-juice problem.

You can also tailor Zipzicles to your party theme or color by buying drinks that match the theme, then freezing them. For a red-white-and-blue idea, I went with a blue raspberry punch, a white grapefruit juice, and a red fruit punch. I filled the pop 1/3 of the way with the red, froze it until solid, filled it 1/3 of the way with the white, froze it until solid, and finished with the blue to the fill line. It made for a very festive pop without much work.

I’ve also noticed that when Zach and I make smoothies, we end up having some leftovers there, too. The pop on the right is just leftover Mango-Pineapple smoothie from the post last Friday. It’s a great way to make the most out of smoothies– just make a little extra when you’re whipping up your morning favorite, and pour it into a Zipzicle for a frozen treat later.

I can’t get enough of citrus in the summer, and one summer treat I always love is a cherry limeade. I took some key limes, squeezed them, then added grenadine. I mixed in a generous splash of lemon lime soda, then let the mixture rest until most of the carbonation was gone (freezing carbonation tends to be messy unless it’s very diluted and left to flatten a bit). As I filled the Zipzicle, I added in some slices of key lime and some diced maraschino cherries as a pretty garnish!

I also love the Passion Tea Lemonade sold by a certain (cough Starbucks) coffee chain. I make my own version by brewing some lemonade in my Keurig over a bag of Tazo passion tea, then chilling it until it’s cool. I then fill up Zipzicles for my very own frozen twist on a Passion Tea Lemonade, which is SO refreshing after a trip to the park.

I also love taking my favorite sweet tea, squeezing in some lemon, and then filling a Zipzicle with sweet tea for the best southern-style sweet tea treat in the world. It’s so perfect because I can customize it however I’d like.

There’s one New York Eatery that became famous for it’s frozen hot chocolate, and it makes sense why– the stuff is delicious. While this isn’t a duplicate by any means, the idea of hot chocolate served cold is always a great one. I froze my favorite hot chocolate, and garnished it with a little whipped cream at the very top. Pretty and delicious! Pair a frozen hot chocolate pop with some fake snowballs and you have everything you need for a winter party in summer!

I also often make Zipzicles filled with my favorite coffee. How many times have you brewed yourself a cup of coffee only to forget to drink half of it? Well, rather than dumping my cold, forgotten coffee down the drain, or microwaving it only to forget that I’ve put it in the microwave (darn you, mommy brain!), I pour it into a Zipzicle to enjoy frozen later. It’s a great way to re-use my forgotten coffee without any effort, and what coffee fan doesn’t love a decent iced coffee now and then? Bonus points– if your coffee is too hot, you can just break off pieces of this and throw it into your cup of joe to cool it off without watering it down.

But Zipzicles aren’t just for frozen treats. Zach and I love to go on picnics, or at least have picnics in the floor. Using Zipzicles to contain condiments instead of using the individual packets makes it so much more convenient, and cheaper. Now, we never pack a sandwich without a Zipzicle of mayo or have  hot dogs at the park without a Zipzicle of ketchup. It’s just so much easier than fumbling with bottles or paying for individual packets when we go out! It’s also a great solution for sandwiches packed on road trips– then they won’t get soggy from being slathered with mayo before-hand, but also won’t be dry from no condiments at all!

I also use a Zipzicle to contain the pizza sauce for my homemade pizza lunchables, as you saw on Wednesday.

You can even use Zipzicles for pre-measured formula powder. I mean, instead of buying those little expensive packets of formula, try buying a container of formula and measuring out the powder you need. Write mixing instructions on the label and you’re all set!

If you can’t live without Zipzicles another second, you can check out their website here and order some of your very own. Social media addict? Check them out on Facebook, or follow them on Pinterest for tons of great ideas.

There are literally hundreds of ways to use a Zipzicle and so many things you can fill it with, but these are a dozen of my favorite ideas, and I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below. What would you freeze in a Zipzicle? Tell me in the comments and you’ll be entered to win a package of Zipzicles to use at home! One lucky winner will get their own package so they can try all of the ideas above and any others they can imagine!

 

The contest will run until Friday, May 23, at 11:59 CDT. Only US residents 18 or older may enter. For full disclosure, Zipzicles by WizCo were provided to me for use in this post, but all opinions and thoughts are my own.

Top 5 Ways To Eat Rev Wraps

- Mama 1 Comment

Ever since Rev Wraps from Hormel started appearing in stores in July, I’ve been addicted. It didn’t take long to get my son and brother hooked on them, too, and with so many varieties, you didn’t eat the same variety twice very often. It was perfect for on-the-go. But since trying our first Rev Wrap in July, we’ve been finding out that they’re really convenient to munch on in a lot of different settings and situations. I’m going to share with you my top five ways to eat a Rev Wrap, starting with….

5. As a Carry-On Snack

I have been traveling NON-STOP this summer. First, to Alabama for my annual beach vacation, then to Chicago for BlogHer, and finally, to New Jersey over the weekend for Duncan Hines. It has been go-go-go, and I seem to always be skipping meals when I fly. Since planes have slowly stopped offering on-board snacks, and I just never seem to have any that have enough protein to keep my headaches at bay, I usually just feel blah by the time I land. However, lately, I’ve been packing a Rev wrap. It takes up like, no space, in my carry-on, nesting next to my books, notebook, and hand sanitizer as a super convenient plane snack. It also works great for a long drive.

4. On the Way To Practice

I had to stop Jeffrey on the way to practice the other day and snap this photo… Rev Wraps are a staple for him when it comes to practice. With at least 15 grams of protein in each wrap, they’re definitely providing real energy for a long soccer practice, and it really helps him stay right on top of his game on the field when it comes down to crunch time. He feels satisfied and refueled, and it’s so portable that he can just toss it in his bag as he goes. I’ve even caught him with a Rev wrap while on his longboard, while practicing headers in the backyard, and while darting off to a friend’s house.

3. In our Picnic Basket

An occasional picnic, whether it’s at the park or on the floor of the living room, is always so much fun with Zach! It always ends in a fit of giggles. Rev Wraps are an easy thing to pack alongside our fruit, veggies, and hummus dip, and I know that they’re only around 300 calories per wrap, so I can feel okay with eating one as part of a balanced lunch, especially considering the amount of protein I’m scoring to keep up with a busy little guy on the playground!

2. A Sleepover or Afternoon Snack Tray

A lot of times, our house is packed with teens who are just hanging out. Whether it’s a group of exchange students stopping by to say “hey” or all of Jeffrey’s friends coming over for video games or jumping on the trampoline in the back, Rev wraps are an easy afternoon snack or movie night snack to keep on hand. For afternoons, it’s perfect for everyone to just grab their favorite, and for sleepovers and movie nights, they’re perfect for pairing with fruits, veggies, and a favorite sweet snack mix for everyone to share!

1. As a one-handed snack when you’re busy working

Whether Jeffrey is working on the car, or I’m typing a blog post or balancing a camera, Rev Wraps are a perfect one-handed snack to enjoy when you just don’t have two hands. They’re convenient and simple, and I’m not kidding when we all seem to grab one when we need something we can eat while we’re getting some hardcore work done. I love that you only really need one hand to eat them once they’re open, because I don’t always have two hands available. Sure, it’d be nice if God gave me one more hand, but he didn’t. So, I need something that is pretty hands-free.

If you really think about it, as a whole, we really need more snacks that are packed with protein and will help kids get through a day. 83% of teens are now a part of at least 1 extra curricular activity. Jeffrey is in Improv classes AND competitive soccer. 90% of those teens participate in their extracurricular activity on a weekly basis, but many, like Jeffrey, participate in their extracurriculars more than once per week.

More and more teens and adults are looking for a snack that will provide them with energy that lasts, rather than just a “quick fix” for their snack. The protein that this snack provides is a huge benefit in creating that sustainable energy that will last through an entire practice or act as part of a balanced lunch or breakfast.

Plus, I’m not even kidding, they’re really, really, good. I personally love the Pepperoni Pizza and Meat Lovers Pizza varieties. Jeffrey also loves the Meat Loves Pizza and the Ham and Cheese. Zach thinks that Ham and Cheese rocks his socks, too. There is something for everyone, though, including turkey, ham, and pizza-inspired varieties. And, at $1.99-$2.39, they’re really a reasonably priced option for snacking.

I also love to add a little bit to them by unwrapping them and pairing them with lettuce, diced tomato, and a little bit of ranch or mayo for a more filling wrap. They’re perfect after a few seconds in the microwave to melt the cheese, or straight out of the fridge.

I really do believe in Rev Wraps as a wholesome, well rounded, protein-rich snack that I can trust for my son and my brother. And I also love to grab one for myself on occasion. You can find them in stores in the lunchmeat section, near other ready-made lunch options.

 

 

Disclosure: I have received compensation in the form of free product from Hormel for this post; however, all opinions above are my own.

 

Out of the Phone and Onto the Walls with Walgreens Photo Lab

- Mama 3 Comments

I am THAT mom. You know, the one cluttering your Facebook news feed with 15,000 pictures and videos of my son. I know, I know, I think he’s soooo much cuter than you do, but that’s life.

At BlogHer recently, though, my phone (which was going through overuse overload at the moment) was totally dead on the way back to the hotel that day. I was chatting with a woman who was hoping to start a blog soon, and she asked about my son. I went to show her a picture, and realized that I didn’t have one. If my phone was dead… I didn’t have a single photo.

This is a far cry from the day when people joked about someone whipping out their wallet and showing off about 10-20 photos of their children in their little plastic photo holders. Now, we’re all armed with arsenals of 300+ photos on our phones, and it’s a shock when you need a printed picture of your child.

But then I realized… I don’t have any printed photos of my son! I have a printed photo album… from pregnancy. It features maybe a small handful of photos of my son after birth. But I had no photos of him on the walls, no photos of us together. And that floored me.

However, later in my BlogHer weekend, I stopped by the Walgreens booth. I’m fairly familiar with Walgreens in that they have a pharmacy, and there’s one somewhat near me, and they carry a few other goods. But I didn’t even know they HAD a photo lab! The Walgreens photo booth enlightened me, though, and even told me that they had a phone app.

After a quick tutorial at the booth, I was all set to start getting actual, in-hand prints of my son.

But would they be quality? I mean, I was uploading photos off of my Instagram, for goodness sakes! But I figured it was worth a try. To give me a shot to try it out, the Walgreens Photo Booth at BlogHer was kind enough to give me 20 free Instagram prints which I could test out.*

When I got back from the conference, one of the first things I did was sit down and use the Walgreens App (available for both Android and iOS).

Once your app is downloaded, you can open the app and click on photo, then create. If you want, you can even pull your photos directly off of Instagram by logging into your Instagram account via the application. I love this feature, because all too often, I have to delete photos from my phone in order to have space for MORE photos… and that means Instagram photos (already uploaded online) are the first to go!

Once you log in, you’ll need to hit Authorize, allowing the Walgreens app to access your photos temporarily so you can select what you’d like to print.

All of your photos will show up on the screen, and you just tap on the ones you’d like to print.

The ones you’ve tapped on will show a red check next to them!

From there, you can select your size and quantity (Here, I chose 4×4, which is $0.39/print in my area, but there is also an 8×8 option at $3.99/print. I’ll talk about both in detail in a minute). If you have a coupon code, here is the place to enter it, as well!

The only flaw I could find with the app is that if I wanted to order multiple prints of a specific photo (for example, one for me, one for the grandparents, and one for great grandma), I’d have to go back through the process entirely to order a second set of prints. I also was ordering prints in two different sizes, I had to go back through the process twice. I’d love to see Walgreens streamline this feature in the future, but for now, it didn’t take me THAT much longer to go through twice (and it’s unlikely that I will always be ordering two different sizes anyway– this time, I needed some 8x8s for the new apartment, so I decided to print in that larger size).

After that, you’ll submit your order, entering contact info like your name (which you tell them to pick up your prints, obviously), as well as your phone and email so you can be notified when prints are ready. You’ll also set your pick up location– I chose my closest Walgreens location. At this point, you’ll be given an estimated pick up time. My estimate was set for about an hour after ordering my prints.

Once submitted, you’ll get a confirmation email saying your order has reached the Walgreens system!

But look at that! Way less than an hour later– actually more like 25 minutes later– I got an email notification that my order was ready for pick up!

(Ignore my phone’s time– I honestly forgot to screen capture this message until I got home from picking up the photos).

Seriously, I can’t guarantee that your same-day pickup will always only be a 25 minute wait, but I’m sitting here realizing I can order prints from my phone, get Zach in the car, drive to Walgreens, and there’s a fair chance that my photos will already be finished and ready for pickup!

You can’t get much more Instant Gratification than that unless you have your own quality print access in-home (I do not, so this is as instant as it gets for me!)

So, that’s exactly what I did! I drove to Walgreens and picked up my photo prints. It was a quick process in-store, too, taking less than 5 minutes to grab my prints, pay, and get back in the car.

How is the quality, though?

It’s actually pretty good, if you keep some things in mind. For one, an Instagram photo is essentially 2 inches by 2 inches in size. When you go from 2×2 to 4×4, you’re quadrupling the size of the photo. Going from 2×2 to 8×8 means you are increasing the size 16 times, if I’m doing my math right! That’s going to be a huge size increase. Anytime you go up that much in size, there will be a little bit of quality loss or pixel damage from the original photo.

For most photos, this isn’t a problem! They have enough light and are high enough quality that it’s not going to affect the quality negatively at all. However, when you zoom in on a photo quite a bit before Instagramming it, then you’ll definitely have lower quality when you upload for printing. The same grainy effect also occurs if you have low light in your original photo, too, so be careful when printing.

The grainy look of the photo above was already present in the photo– even when I printed it in a 2×2, it was grainy due to the low light. I don’t fault Walgreens for how the picture turned out, knowing that this is how the photo looked on my phone. I chose to print it anyway, since it’s a priceless memory. I wanted to also give you an example of what a low-light photo can look like when printed– if it’s grainy on your phone, it WILL be grainy in a print, regardless of size or where you get it printed.

Obviously, flaws show up more in an 8×8 than a 4×4, so you’ll want those low-light photos or zoomed in photos in the smaller size, and print your well-lit, non-zoomed photos in the 8×8 size.

The quality otherwise is great, and the colors are very true-to-phone, so what you see is generally what you get with your Walgreens prints.

I did a side-by-side comparison of two different sized photos. You can note a few differences. For one, the larger photo is on a glossier paper, while the smaller is on a more matte paper. I honestly don’t know if this is standard across all Walgreens or if that is just mine, but I like both photos very much. You will also notice the larger one is slightly less crisp than the smaller photo due to the size increase.

Overall, I love the way my photos turned out, and I absolutely plan on using the Walgreens Photo app again very soon to get my prints for myself and my family. Now, I’ve just got to find out where to put them!

I have a few ideas, though, so stay tuned, and I might share them very soon!

*As I mentioned above, Walgreens gave me 20 free photo prints to test out their service; I also purchased additional prints at that time. However, all opinions in this review and post are my own, and I was not coerced in any way to review these products falsely. All opinions on DigitalEraMom.com will always be my honest thoughts on the product.

Citrus Lane: Fun With Food Review

- Mama 1 Comment

It is no secret that I’m a huge fan of Citrus Lane and the companies it introduces me to. With that said, all opinions are my own, and Citrus Lane and the brands mentioned below have not compensated me in any way for my honest review.

As soon as I heard that the Citrus Lane box for November would be Fun With Food, I knew that I was going to love the box. If you’ve been reading my blog for very long, you’ll know that I’ve always maintained the stance that I’m a casual foodie, and I love introducing Zach to fun new things at mealtimes. This month’s Citrus Lane box did not disappoint.

This box came with several full-sized items plus a couple of smaller trial items.

The first two items I noticed in the box was a set of four Green Eats snack bowls and a Goodbyn Small Meals container.

The Green Eats snack bowls are awesome. I’ve been a fan of Green Toys for quite awhile, and Green Eats is a division of their company. These bowls are USA-made, plus they’re from recyclable milk jugs. Not only that, but they’re BPA free, of course, plus melamine-free, phthalate-free, and PVC-free, and they’re dishwasher safe (top rack). Since we got our box earlier this month, this has been the one item that has gotten the most use. They’re durable, and they’re the perfect size for Zach’s small meals. From oatmeal with pomegranate at breakfast to lasagna soup at night, these bowls dish up every food that he needs. I love that they’re tough, and I love that they’re dishwasher safe, because I’m sorry, but I do not have time to handwash dishes if I don’t have to! My box this month also came with a code for 10% off at GreenToys.com, which means I can order more items that Zach and I can use at a special price. (Green Eats set of four snack bowls, $6.99, available from www.greentoys.com)

The second item was another hit with us, a Goodbyn Small Meals container. It is big enough to hold a full sandwich, as well as snacks, which means right now, it’s still a little too big for Zach’s appetite. However, it makes a perfect snack container for on-the-go. As with all of the containers that Citrus Lane provides, they’re BPA free. The one thing that really threw me off is that you actually seal it by pressing the indentations on the middle of the container instead of pressing the sides… for some reason, I always feel unsure that it got a decent seal. After I figured it out, it became a favorite. Goodbyn has a huge selection of waste-free lunch containers, which is awesome because Citrus Lane subscribers got a code for 25% off of their order! There’s even a flickr feed with ideas for foods to put in the lunch container. Overall, the container is probably getting the least amount of use out of all of the items that came in this box, but that’s mostly because we really don’t go anywhere that we need a traveling container for. (Goodbyn Red Small Meal Container, $7.00, available from www.goodbyn.com)

Zach and I both love PlumOrganics and the philosophies they stand behind. In fact, just today we got an order of tons of PlumOrganics snacks we love… it truly ranks right up there in my top 5 favorite brands for Zach’s age group. We hadn’t had the opportunity to try their Training Meals yet, so it was an exciting opportunity to try it out with this delicious apple cinnamon oatmeal. It can be warmed up once it’s put into a bowl (I served it in one of our Green Eats snack bowls!) The nice thing about this meal is that it has protein, with lots of complex flavor (I tasted it…. and it was REALLY good). The only issue I had with it is that Zach is so used to regular oatmeal that the texture of this was very thin for him. It would be great for younger kids (the packaging indicates it’s for 8m+!) but it still is suitable for adults and older children, too. (This box contained 1 packet to try. (12-pack of PlumOrganics Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, $17.88, from www.ecomom.com)

The Juice Beauty Moisturizer was a great gift for mom… until I lost it. Oops. I’m terrible at reviewing products like this because I tend to either forget I have them, or I lose them, so I feel like I can’t comment too much on how well this worked, since I only used it once. I can tell you that it smelled fantastic. This Nutrient Moisturizer is supposed to bring back pregnancy glow, even when your child is growing up. It’s packed with natural oils and antioxidants, to help nurture skin. Citrus Lane subscribers got a code for $10 off a $40 order, so maybe if I don’t find mine, I’ll be able to order more to try it out! This Citrus Lane box contained a small trial-sized tube valued at $9.00, but full-size products are available on Juice Beauty’s website. (2 ounces of Juice Beauty Nutrient Moisturizer, $36.00, from www.juicebeauty.com)

Even though this Citrus Lane box was food-themed, Citrus Lane didn’t forget to include a great toy for Zach, too! This month, it was fish (which is, by the way, technically a food). These Plan Toys Fish Castanets are perfect for making fun music for kids. What I love is that they fit his hands just right… which means he and I can play the music together. We spent about 15 minutes playing with our fish castanets tonight! It’s fun to clack the castanets and dance along to the rhythms we create. They’re so fun to look at, too! Zach is already such a musical kiddo that I love being able to encourage his musical tendencies, and these toys fit right in. I also love that they’re painted with natural, non-toxic waterbased dyes, with non-formaldehyde glues, from rubber trees that are no longer able to produce latex. They’re earth-friendly and they’re fun to play with! The fish castanets are sold individually; Citrus Lane subscribers got a pair of them so mom and tot could play together. (Plan Toys Fish Castanets, $4.00 each, from www.ecomom.com)

Finally, Citrus Lane decided to help subscribers get a jump start on their holiday cards with a 20% off code for TinyPrints, plus free shipping. Tiny Prints have premium photo prints with fun designs and an easy to use website. Check out the image below, from their website:

Oh my gosh… so cute! Too many gorgeous options on their website to choose from, meaning that it’ll be hard to decide exactly how to use this discount!

Overall, our top pick this month was the Green Eats bowls, but the entire box was a hit!

Want to receive Citrus Lane boxes each month? You can subscribe on their website at CitrusLane.com! The boxes are only $25 per month, and as you can see, you get quite a bit more than that in terms of value. Not only do the boxes give you more than $25 worth of product, they also give you exclusive discounts each month, plus they introduce you to amazing brands. As a new mom, I knew that there were a lot of great products out there, but I had a lot of trouble weeding through the clutter to find the brands that truly worked for me. Citrus Lane allowed me to try out a lot of brands in the beginning that I never would have been able to find. Because they curate the best of the best for their boxes, it really showed me exactly what brands worked for me, and which ones didn’t. Now, even though I’m no longer a “new” mom, I’m still able to find brands I love and also find new products from brands I already know and love. For me, there’s no other truly affordable way to try out a variety of products that I know work for my personality and style, as well as meeting Zach’s needs. And, because I pre-purchase a multi-month subscription, I don’t have to worry about each and every month– it just automatically arrives since I’ve paid in advance.

So, have I convinced you yet? Head here to subscribe, or click on the link in the sidebar.

Love With Food: Small Company, Big Goals

- Mama 3 Comments

When the nondescript white USPS mailer landed on my front porch, I wasn’t expecting much. It was relatively small, so I assumed it was one of the many items I occasionally order or receive from companies related to my blog.

When I opened it, though, I saw a red box. It wasn’t any ordinary box. It was a red box that I had been pining after, anticipating, and counting the days until it would arrive (my countdown wasn’t exactly an accurate one, which is why I didn’t recognize the white package immediately).

The box wasn’t particularly large (compared to other boxes I receive), but I knew it would be packed with some amazing stuff.

Love With Food is relatively new to the subscription commerce world. There are so many hundreds of different boxes that it’s often hard to keep up. I did get the opportunity to try out Love With Food at a very low price, and decided it was worth taking that risk one month and seeing if it was a box I liked.

I never realized when I spent that small amount on the box (the price is already low anyway– at $12 including shipping, it’s not exactly a huge financial burden– but the price I scored it at was perfect for trying it out), how impressed with the company I would be.

I already loved the company’s idea: Every purchase helped Love With Food donate food to someone in need. One box=one person helped.

When I signed up, I was thrilled about the concept… I got something, someone in need got something, and it was totally win-win. Not long before my order shipped, the East coast got hit with a superstorm, Sandy, that destroyed homes, destroyed businesses, and for some, destroyed lives.

Love with Food could have decided to just give the food they donate to the East Coast. But instead, they went one step further.

My box purchase for the month meant that not only were they going to make their usual donation, but on top of that, they would donate an additional portion of food to relief efforts in the East Coast region. This meant that twice as many people would be blessed by their company, a company I helped support by ordering a box.

But the big question was… even if it’s helping others, was the box personally worth it to me? Because truly, I can do the work of donating food myself and helping families in need, but when it comes to the box, is it worth it to spend the money on the box itself? And the bigger question: If I had paid full price for this box, would it have been worth it?

The answer is a resounding “Yes.”

This month’s box was guest-curated by Amy Roloff of TLC’s “Little People, Big World.” She’s just recently released a cookbook called “Short and Simple Family Recipes.”

Amy has lovingly prepared meals many times on the show Little People, Big World, and now you’re able to prepare those recipes, too. While the box didn’t come with a copy of her book, autographed copies are actually available at a discount in the Love With Food shop.

It’s true, Amy knows good food. In this box, she took time to tell Love With Food about her fall favorites, perfect for a November box.

The first couple of items I saw in my box were the Stash Pumpkin Spice Tea and the Mulling Spices Blend from the Aspen Mulling company.

The Stash Tea Company produces amazing teas that I already have experience with (I’m a huge fan!), but I had not had the chance to try Pumpkin Spice before. It’s a naturally decaffeinated black tea, and they’ve added nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger, which are some of my favorite spices. While the taste is absolutely incredible, nothing beats the smell of this tea. If I could purchase the scent of that tea bag to freshen up my car or my linens, I absolutely would.

I have not tried the mulling spices from Aspen Mulling Co. While I could use it in hot or cold cider, I’m actually considering mixing it into pancakes for a fall favorite! I’m just waiting for pancake night to try it out!

When I saw the Mini Crunch from Mrs. May’s, I was thrilled. I am a huge fan of blueberries… in fact, I even blogged about my love for blueberries back when I was pregnant, having eaten nearly 3 pints of blueberries each week during the season’s peak. I even have my own blueberry plant because I’m so in love with blueberries. I had hoped to wait and try these crunchy little bits on a salad or on top of yogurt, but I simply couldn’t wait… I ended up eating the entire packet straight out of the bag. They’re a great snack that way, but I still want to order more to top some yogurt with!

As for Skeeter Snacks cookies, I had never heard of them before. It’s a surprise to me that I hadn’t, because I love finding nut-free options in snacks. My cousin has a severe nut allergy, and I work very hard to double-check for nut-free varieties so there’s always a snack on hand for him, or for my son’s nut-free friends. I was that girl in college who would always double-check that she had nut-free selections for Halloween when our dorm opened up trick-or-treating, just so all of the kids could have fun with it. These cookies are a great option. I wasn’t a fan of how overly crunchy they were (I like my cookies super soft), but overall, they tasted good… my brother ended up stealing the whole second cookie! Just days later, I found a coupon for Skeeter Snacks in my newspaper, so I’ll be on the lookout for them soon.

I wish I could tell you what I thought of the Mango Pear Pineapple from Fruit.o, but because Zach is used to having his own snacks in a similar pouch, he pretty much immediately comandeered the pouch for himself. I have to think it must have been good, because it was gone in about 30 seconds. I like that it’s 100% organic and has no added sugar, making it a great snack for him. Next time, I may order extra so I can try some, too!

The Inka Corn corn nuts are actually harvested from non-GMO crops. It’s a roasted giant corn that is perfect for snacking on. I made the mistake of sharing my Love With Food box with so many members of the family, because it was everyone’s favorite. I went to order more from the Love With Food shop, only to find that it was totally sold out. I’m excited to look for it elsewhere because it had the perfect crunchy flavor with just the right amount of nutty, salty taste in the corn. I think it may quickly become my go-to snack (as soon as I can track more down). Like I said, it was the absolute favorite of everyone, including me.

As for the Truffle Pig from Hagensborg Chocolates, I honestly laughed when I opened the little blue wrapper. I knew that the packaging called it a “truffle pig” but I didn’t realize that when I opened it, the chocolate would actually be shaped like a little chocolate pig! It was one of the cutest things I had ever seen (at least in terms of food). I would have shared, but it honestly didn’t last long, because it was truly delicious. I loved the flavor, perfect and creamy milk chocolate that really had just the right texture and flavor. As a chocoholic, it was the perfect bite-sized treat to end my day with. For a long time, I’ve had this little tradition of enjoying a truffle at the end of the day, before bed, as a nightly indulgence. After trying a Truffle Pig, it’s now been added to my list of truffles I love, and I plan to order it again soon.

The Turkey Bak Kwa from Little Red Dot Kitchen was arguably the strangest treat in the box. I had anticipated something like the dry jerky of my childhood, but this was moist. Like really moist. Like almost juicy moist. This Bak Kwa was featured in Food and Wine magazine, and for good reason! It’s delicious. The texture did throw everyone off at first, but it is something I would eat again. The Asian twist on it made it a hit with me, and I seriously thought this would be good chopped up and mixed with Asian noodles and broccoli.

Finally, the boxes came with some gift certificates– $10 off at EcoMom (a favorite store of mine as it is) and a $5 credit at PicPlum (a shop that was brand new to me).

I saved the EcoMom gift certificate for later, because I neglected to read the fine print and spent about an hour deciding on which of Zach’s favorite snacks to use it on, only to find out that the fine print said I couldn’t buy food with it… oops! I’m still deciding how I want to use the certificate. The funny thing about the EcoMom gift voucher is that with every purchase, EcoMom donates one day of food to a child in need. By purchasing this Love With Food box, I fed three people (in addition to myself) because Love With Food feeds one, and then they fed an additional one due to Superstorm Sandy, and then one more by using this Gift Voucher to order from EcoMom, who donates food to those in need. Oh, and funny story. I recently did place an order to EcoMom (unrelated to my Love With Food voucher) and when it arrived, it had a card with a coupon code for new customers to get $5 off a Love With Food subscription. Looks like these two have created a very good partnership.

PicPlum is a company that does photo prints, including square prints (perfect for Instagram photos!) You can even send them anywhere in the world! I love this because I have family in many countries worldwide, and I love the idea of being able to send a photo to my siblings in Germany, Brazil, or Sweden. This time, I had them sent to myself. I had been meaning to order an 8×10 of a picture I took of Zach at the park recently, so I took this opportunity to order that, along with three 4×6 photos. While PicPlum made me reel a little bit at the sticker shock at first, when I compared print prices from them to other premium photo printers, I found out that they printed at more affordable pricing and had better size options, as well as better shipping options (having the choice to send the photos anywhere with an attached message was cool). The quality was very good, too, and I love the way the 8×10 of my son printed– very true-to-screen when I was working on the photo.

So now, it’s your turn to try Love With Food. If you like what I’ve had to say about it, try it out and order a December box! Not only will you be getting a curated box of treats you’ll love, but you’ll also be helping someone in need. And, for December, Love With Food will still be donating food to Sandy relief efforts, so you’ll actually be helping two people.

Click the button below to head over to their site and order if you’re interested in Love With Food. I really hope you’ll give it a shot… it’s a great company and it’s doing a service I’m very passionate about– giving food to those in need.

Love With Food - Discover Great Food for a Great Cause

When googling coupon codes for Love With Food, I did find one for $5 off a box, but it’s not valid for long, so hurry and use it. Enter HOLIDAY12 at checkout (valid until tomorrow!) so if you want to try it out, now is a great time to make the leap and test it, at least for one month.

One more thing… when you order boxes, review the products inside, or refer friends, you earn points. Those points can be put towards items in the Love With Food shop. The shop not only has full-sized versions of the items that came in the box, but it also has items that complement the products that you received (for example, this month, in addition to items in the box, I saw autographed copies of Amy Roloff’s book, Bhakti Chai, and items featured in previous boxes.

All opinions are my own, and Love With Food, Amy Roloff, TLC, or any of the companies mentioned above have not reimbursed me in any way for my post with my honest opinion. The Love With Food badge above does link to my unique referral link. Other than that, I have received no reward for this honest post.

Citrus Lane Little Artists July Box Review… Plus a GIVEAWAY! (CLOSED)

- Mama 7 Comments

If you are here for the giveaway, you will find details at the bottom on how to enter!

 

This post is far overdue. Between vacation, Zach’s birthday party, and my sister being in town from Germany, I pretty much opened the box and promptly forgot about posting until I looked at my calendar and went “Oh my gosh! I haven’t posted that yet!” That, and one lovely reader emailed me saying “I missed your thoughts on this month’s Citrus Lane box!” Thank you, thank you, thank you, sweet reader– I had honestly thought I posted it already! Oops!

So here it is, without further ado, my thoughts on this month’s Citrus Lane box.

First off, whoever came up with the theme Little Artists is a genius. My son is a very artistic child- it’s just his strong suit. When he was six months old, I gave him his first tambourine and maracas. He had a blast playing with them, truly loving the sounds you could make. He loves to find ways to drum on everything. He learned to hold a crayon early and loves to color, especially at restaurants. He is just very interested in art, everything from music to drawing. This box is perfect for him!

Wee Can Too Veggie Art Kit, $19.99, from www.weecantooart.com

Wee Can Too makes some really cool art supplies. I mean, they’re truly spectacular and innovative. You see, Zach loves to color, but he also sometimes has the habit of getting his crayon and his french fry mixed up and chewing on the wrong thing. With Wee Can Too crayons, I don’t have to worry about it. The set in our Citrus Lane box this month came with two crayons and two finger paint powders (you mix the paint powder with water to get a fun paint consistency!) All of the products are made from organic edibles, which means when Zach is finger painting and puts his hand in his mouth, it’s absolutely okay! The paints and crayons are vegan, wheat free, with no added sugar, and no preservatives.

Plus, the great thing about Wee Can Too is that for my local readers (in the Kansas City area), you can purchase it at MommyShop KC without having to order online, and for my international readers, Wee Can Too is a brand that ships internationally! You just have to contact them via their website for information about international shipping costs! That means kids everywhere can enjoy this awesome art supply company!

Putumayo Playground Sampler CD, $5.00, putumayo.com

We love this CD. We popped it in and danced to the whole thing! The sampler is a great variety of world music, which we love to listen to. Because our family has hosted foreign exchange students for eight years now, we really enjoy listening to music from a variety of countries and cultures, and this CD gives us the opportunity to continue listening. The CD is now in our car, so we can continue to enjoy it on the voyage to the grocery store, or wherever we may be headed.

Pop And Lolli “Bolt” Decal, 1 decal from a 16 piece set ($67.00 for the 16-piece set), popandlolli.com

Bolt, the decal we received, is the cutie-pie on the right. I love these decals, and I love that they’re made from fabric, so they seem a bit more durable than a lot of decals, and the hand-drawn sort of style of Pop and Lolli is super cute. I’m a bit sad that there aren’t any styles to match Zach’s room, because I’m sure we’d proudly display Pop and Lolli decals, if we could only find some to match. Bottom line: They’re darling, but they’re not right for us. Definitely check out the site, though, because the high quality is really great, and maybe you’ll find decals that will suit your style!

Hohner Music Toddler Tambourine, $11.00, www.hohnerkids.com

We got a lovely turquoise tambourine, and we are in love. As I mentioned above, Zach has a tambourine already, but he is in love with this one. For one, it’s easier to hold and shake, and it also makes a different noise than his other tambourine, so it’s perfect! He has a blast singing and playing with this tambourine. It’s so fun, and I love seeing how excited he is about music! I will definitely be buying more Hohner products in the future, because I love the high quality and I love how affordable they are. Plus, I value anything that keeps my son interested in music, so I find their products thrilling. I definitely rank this as one of my favorite companies that Citrus Lane has introduced me to!

Babyganics Toy and Table Cleaner, $3.99, www.babyganics.com

Babyganics is a very cool brand. It was created by two new dads who happen to be clean freaks. It cleans everything up really well, while still keeping it kid-safe. They sell everything from diapering care and sunscreens to cleaning supplies you know and love– like laundry care, dishwasher detergent, and cleaning wipes. And the prices aren’t terrible, either. The products are available online, as well as in my favorite store for kids EVER (Buy Buy Baby), and in other stores like Babies R Us, which means when you run out, it’s easy to find more.

Minted $35.00 offer, www.minted.com

Minted is a very cool site offering plenty of great photo items, from art prints to baby announcements and invitations! I have had a great experience with them before and I am so excited to have $35 to spend on the brand new art prints or any other Minted item I can use!

As you can see, yet again, Citrus Lane is an amazing company with amazing goodies in each box. It is well worth the $25 each month because not only do you get more than your money’s worth in the products you receive, but you also get to be the cool mom that knows the latest and greatest in brands for babies and toddlers. I always feel so ahead of the curve when I am talking to the moms I know and can tell them “You know what brand I love for sunscreen for my son? Episencial.” Plus, every Citrus Lane box comes with an insert giving you plenty of advice, plus information about each product you purchased and where to find it, which means not only do you know you will love all of these great brands, but you also know more information about them, and where you can buy more for that day when you inevitably run out. Plus, every box is tailored for your child’s gender and age, making it pitch-perfect for your child, exactly at their stage of development. Way to go, Citrus Lane!

Of course, if you want a Citrus Lane subscription of your very own, head over to my sidebar and click on the Citrus Lane logo where you can purchase a 1, 3, 6, or 12 month subscription for your little one (or a friend! Subscriptions make GREAT gifts!)

But if you want to try Citrus Lane out…. here’s the easiest, best way. Remember last month’s Fun in the Sun box filled with all kinds of great goodies like sand toys and a SPF 50 hat? Well, guess what I have to give away?

Because WordPress is sometimes picky and won’t let me post my rafflecopter giveaway, all you have to do is visit my page Life As I See It on facebook and click on the Giveaway tab, where you’ll find a widget with a list of ways you can enter. You may want to open it in a new tab so you can come back and leave a comment here (that’s how you earn your first entry!) Good luck!