Cutieland Reusable Food Pouches #Review #Cutielunch

     We are in the van so much that I don't really feel at home if we haven't gone somewhere in the last day or so... I get antsy and anxious.  I don't care much for just sitting at home.  We drive everywhere, from the beach to the local sandwich shop, from the untried playground to the newest family day event, just everywhere really.  Usually we grab the free lunch at the beach, but for dinner, it's always up in the air.  Sometimes we grab hotdogs and fountain drinks, sometimes we grab Dollar Menu items, and sometimes it's something we bring.

     Recently we were able to try a little something different.  It's called the Cutieland Reusable Food Pouch.  Now, maybe I'm just a little slow, but this is what I thought of food pouches before actually trying them:

1. That must be seriously frustrating to try to funnel food into that stupid straw thing at the top.
2. I don't even want to think about having to use a bottle brush to get in there and clean.  That CAN'T be sanitary.
3. How many liquidy foods does one person need to carry around? 

     When I got it, I quickly realized that the bottom opens up like a zip lock to allow for easy filling and cleaning.  How did I not pick up on this?  I feel oblivious because really, it's quite obvious.  I guess I just figured that the ones at the store don't open that way, so it didn't occur to me as an option.

     After I figured that out, my only real issue was what could I use it for.  Of course the first thought was applesauce.  And yes, that's what we used it for first.  It was a touch messy because I overestimated how much the pouch would hold.  It holds 4 oz, which is half a cup... I suppose I could have just measured with a measuring cup first.

      So the applesauce didn't last long because the kiddlets were really excited about using the pouches.  But as I sat there on he beach watching them enjoy their applesauce and eating my salad, the thought occurred to me... I really wanted more ranch dressing.  But the container I brought of it wasn't super big and it also didn;t seal shut very well.  Then I realized, the food pouch would be perfect for bringing ranch.  Or ketchup.  Or any kind of condiment or sauce.  Why not?  It's small, portable, it seals super well, and you can write on it so you won't mix up the mayo and the sour cream.  It's perfect!

     So this food pouch ended up being a big hit with the kids and more useful than I anticipated.  I'm getting more in the future, for sure.

     What do you think?  Have you ever tried food pouches?  What do you put in them?

     To learn more, visit Cutieland on Facebook, Amazon, and their website.


Except for the product(s) given to me for the purpose of reviewing, I received no compensation for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Aerobie Superdisc #Giveaway !!!

     Remember the Superdisc from a couple days ago that I was telling you about?  The flying disc that lets pretty much anyone be a part of the fun and won't hurt to catch it?  Well, Aerobie was kind enough to offer one to a reader of JTMM?.  Let me just go over what the disc is one more time:

     It's got the soft spoiler shape on the top to help stabilize the disc as it flies and a lower edge that doesn't catch on the fingers as it's released.  The soft outer rim is designed to prevent rough scratches as it hits the ground over time.  It is by far our favorite "frisbee" to date.
     So, here is how to win it.  Just do any or all of the following.  The only mandatory entry is to visit me on Facebook (no following required), the rest are optional for extra entries.  I always look forward to feedback, so if you have any ideas for entries, please let me know!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

     What do you do for fun in the summer?

Except for the product(s) given to me for the purpose of reviewing, I received no compensation for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

16-Color Rainbow Wheel Glitter #Tattoo Set #Review - #tcpCustomBodyArt

     You know... I don't think that I remember a time in my childhood when gumball machines held anything but gumballs, handfuls of small candy morsels, and cheap jewelry.  Did they ever even hold tattoos?  I don't know.  I don't think they did.  Nowadays, there are watches, key chains, puzzle erasers (anyone see the sense in an eraser that you can't use?), and about a bazillion other choices that change each time you come back to the store.

     When we first saw the glitter tattoos in the machines, we were so excited.  I got a bunch of them and we eagerly put them on and oohed and awwed over the sparkles.  But you know what?  By the next morning, it looked like a dirt tattoo.  Just dirt caked on in the shape of some slightly familiar object.  It looks gross.  And since that first time getting them, I've never looked at them the same way again.  I see them in the vending machine and all I see is nasty, day old, dirty grime.

     So then, why are my kids wearing glitter tattoos?  Honestly, it's because we got them free and we were testing them out... but you'll be interested to know that we have done a LOT of them since then and we are in love!  The kit that we used is called the 16 Color Rainbow Glitter Tattoo Wheel Set in the Custom Body Art line.

     Here's how it works:  First, you peel the stencil from the base and apply it to the skin, making sure to press it down well.  After that, you apply a thin layer of glue to the inside of the stencil and wait til the glue is transparent.  Finally, you peel the stencil off carefully and use the brush, dipped in glitter, to apply the color to the area.  After a quick brush with the big brush, you're done.

      The whole process takes about 3 minutes, less if you're well-practiced.  The colors are bright and vivid.  The stencils are actually semi-reusable.  You have to wait for the glue to dry and not be tacky which can take days.  You may be able to wipe it off, I didn't try.  But after it's dry, it can be re-used.  Personally, I like doing my own designs with the glue pen anyway.  I wish I had taken a photo of the rose I made for Baby Bee.

     So here's how it held up.  The top photo here was taken right after it was done being made.  The second photo was taken about 46 hours later, after five hours of swimming, an application of sun block, lots of playing, lots of hot van riding, and even a wood chip fight in the rain.  Notice that it does NOT look like dirt.  I was really surprised and the girls were so proud of their tattoos.

     Now, there is something that I need to take a picture of that I think is pretty awesome.  Remember a few years back, (I hope it's a few years, or else I am way older than I thought), when it was cool to tan with a heart or star sticker on your body so that you had a light mark in your skin?  Well my kids go to the beach every day and have tanned pretty well this year and The Big One and Boogie especially have gotten some nice light marks.  The Big One has an AWESOME dragon on her shoulder and Boog has a fainter butterfly on his chest.  He likes butterflies and moths, he calls them flowers.
     And one more thing, because I was most curious about this part before we saw it in person:

     The glitter containers are pretty darn big.  We've barely tapped the surface and we've definitely been using the kit quite a bit.  You can buy glue refills and replacement brushes on Amazon.  I don't see where you can buy glitter refills, but if you can't, I'm thinking it would be easy to improvise.  Overall, we are all very happy with this set.  The tattoos look great, there is room for personal creativity, the colors are beautiful and it lasts well.  Big thumbs up from all of us, even Boogie.

     What's your favorite form of body art?  Do you have a favorite product?

     To learn more, visit Custom Body Art on Facebook and on their website, and visit TCP Global on Facebook and Twitter.


Except for the product(s) given to me for the purpose of reviewing, I received no compensation for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Aerobie Superdisc Flying Disc #Review

     This has been the best summer ever.  We go to the beach almost every single day and the kids have been getting lunch at the beach when we go.  We've taken advantage of all the free movies and the library reading programs.  We've also taken advantage of the new $0.69 fountain drink station in town and the free summer camp up the road... we've had sooo much fun!

     We've also gotten more beach toys than usual this year.  We've stuffed our van so much with floaties that they come spilling out when we open the doors.  We also got one floatie that's not a typical floatie.  It's a flying disc that floats on the water, so it's a perfect beach toy.  It's called the Aerobie Superdisc.  It's designed to be so easy to throw that pretty much anyone can do it.  It's also designed to be easy to catch.

     We tested that theory, both at the beach and at home.  At the beach, it actually had to be put away shortly after being taken out because everyone wanted it and not many of the kids wanted to share.  So I guess it was a big hit.  It was a pretty windy day at the beach, as you can see by the waves, but there wasn't too much trouble getting it where they wanted it to go.

     We then took it home and tried it out with just our kids.  It was pretty awesome to watch, actually.  Baby Bee, who just turned five, was able to throw it right where she wanted it to go and it stayed level and was caught easily.  It was a nice thing to see that even she could be a part of the game when usually she's just too small to join in.

     The Superdisc's spoiler shaped top helps the disc to fly flat and even instead of rolling to one side of the other.  Have you ever tossed a "frisbee" just to have the edge of the disc catch on your fingers and fumble or fly too much in one direction?  This one doesn't do that because the rubber edge doesn't have a lip on it.  The rubber is designed to be soft for both people and also for dogs.  It is ideal for keeping the disc's edges soft even after repeated landings on tar or other hard or rocky surfaces that would normally make discs rough and scratched.

     What's cool is that you can get your business or event's name "imprinted" onto the disc.  So if you are taking pledges for an upcoming event, you could give your donors a disc with the event name on it as a thank you for their pledge.  Being that it's a sports item, I can especially see this being used for a Special Olympics fundraiser.
     Overall, I really like this disc, much better than other discs we have tried in the past.  I love that I can throw it and not feel incompetent.  I love that I'm not afraid to catch it because it is soft.  Most of all, I love that my baby girl can be a part of the game.

     What's your favorite summer game?

     To learn more, visit Aerobie's Facebook and website.

Except for the product(s) given to me for the purpose of reviewing, I received no compensation for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Ohuhu Agility #RunLadder Review

     Soccer season starts in just a couple weeks.  It starts a few days after The Big One gets home from camp and I can't wait.  Yes, it means keeping an eye on four other kids three times a week at the school field, but it's worth it to see The Big One be a part of a team.  I love to see her interact with others and play her part, it's something my kids struggle with.  Social interaction just isn't a strong point in our family.
     Last year she really wasn't doing a ton for the team besides chasing the ball.  She would run along side it and keep up with it, but when the ball came to her, she'd cower or do nothing at all.  Then half way through the season she really opened up and started playing and interacting with the ball.  It was awesome to watch.

     This year I am looking forward to her getting even better.  Now that she's learned to have fun with others on the field, I think she will also learn to have fun getting better and better through practice and training.  One device we are going to use while we train is the Ohuhu 12 Rung Agility Ladder.  Have you ever seen one be used?  Check it out below, it helps you gain speed and change direction more easily with regular use.

     We got one this past week from Ohuhu and we had some fun trying it out to see if it would suit our needs.  It was super easy to lay out, pick back up, and store away.  The exercises that you can do with it are virtually endless (you can even use it to help build upper body strength... seriously, Youtube it!), andit requires no planning whatsoever.  You just take it out if you're feeling motivated, and put it up when you're done.  Or leave it out, we won't judge.

     We found that the agility ladder will actually be really beneficial for The Big One.  She likes using it and learning new drills.  It will help her not only build speed and agility, but it will help her better focus, both on the field and off by forcing her to really concentrate and remember the steps on each individual exercise.  Some of the drills can definitely be tricky.

     So we will definitely be working with this ladder all season long and hopefully we will see some gains this year in her soccer and maybe even with her school work (one can hope).

     Some quick  features of the Ohuhu Agility Ladder:

-Improve acceleration, lateral speed and change of direction
-Improve quickness through accelerated foot strike and lift frequency
-Develop the core skills necessary to enhance balance, rhythm and body control
-Ladder is 15 feet long with 11 heavy-duty plastic rungs for high-intensity training
-Includes carry bag for easy portability

     My favorite features are that the plastic is very heavy duty, you know it won't snap if you land on it while doing drills, and also that the rungs are adjustable.  So we can move them to be closer together or further apart depending on what's best for The Big One.  It also comes with snaps on the ends of the straps so that other ladders can be connected to it, which is pretty handy as well.

      Is there a sport that you train for?  What's your favorite way to train for it?

Except for the product(s) given to me for the purpose of reviewing, I received no compensation for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

#Dinkleboo Personalized Kids Books Review

     Have I ever shown you my library? Well, if I haven't, I'm not going to now because it's horribly unorganized. But it's safe to say that I have a LOT of books.  I never say no to a book.  And I'm glad that I don't, I think having so many books around all the time is part of why my kids love reading so much.  It's really very important.  Reading not only helps educate, but it helps my kids to use correct grammar which will make them SOUND more educated and help them get the careers they really want later in life.
     Another awesome way to get them excited about learning, besides exposing them to an array of different genres is to customize their reading experience to them as a person.  And one really easy way to do that is to simply add their name into the story itself.  So far, 4 of my kids have their names in books and they are characters in the stories.  One of them is a story we just added this past week.  It's from Dinkleboo and it's called Boog the Friendly Fire-Breathing Dragon.

     It's a very sweet story about a lovable dragon who breathes fire and helps the humans around him.

     He helps out in the bakery to keep the baker's fire going and writes "Happy Birthday" in the sky with fire for the special boy or girl.  Everyone always looks forward to their birthday message.

     But when Boog has his birthday, no one seems to remember.  Boog gets sad and has a hard time getting his fire to work for him.  He spends the day feeling hurt and forgotten.  But what Boog doesn't realize is that the townspeople did not forget him, but had come together to give Boog their very own birthday message.

     Besides being a wonderful story of friendship and gratitude, it is also a book that Boogie will be able to connect to because the main character shares his name.  When I showed Boogie his book and told him what it was called, he got excited, even at only two years old, he understood that it was a story about "him".  His sisters were pretty jealous and were begging me to get them one as well.  Streaker has her eye on the book called The Princess and the Pony.  It's a story about a princess who tries to find a cure for her pony's sadness.

     Dinkleboo also has other items that can be personalized.  There are things like children's growth charts, blankets, shirts, labels, and more.  And right now there is a 60% off label sale.  The sale ends August 10th at midnight, just use the code LBAUG15 at checkout.  These labels are perfect for camping, school, or daycare.  Personally, I would use them on beach toys.

      Do you personalize things for your kids?  What would you use labels for?

     To learn more, check out Dinkleboo's Facebook and website.

Except for the product(s) given to me for the purpose of reviewing, I received no compensation for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.