June 10, 2015 by Krista

This Summer Take OREO Two Pack on the Go!

Everyone has a favorite cookie. OREOs are undeniably one of my favorites. They remind me of late nights sitting up, watching TV with my dad, sneaking a cookie or two when I was supposed to be in bed. Or trips to my grandparent’s small engine repair shop and raiding their cookies hidden in the drawer. OREOs remind me of my childhood. Now, you can get an OREO two pack and take the delicious cookie sandwiches with you! I’m very excited to be able to share one of my favorite childhood memories with my kids this summer.

Picture this: a great morning at the lake is starting to turn ugly when your little one starts to get hot, tired and hungry. Or maybe you’re out running some errands and it’s taking longer than you anticipated. Everyone knows it’s never a good idea to go grocery shopping when you’re hungry. Or how about when the summer road trip you have planned to grandma’s for the 4th of July is going well until about 2 hours in and the kids are tired of the seat belts. What are you going to do? You can only say “Just a little longer” so many times before a meltdown ensues. And, yes, the associate at the checkout will wonder if you need a bag of chips, cookies and those chocolate bars or if the new display at her register is working on you. We’ve all been there.

This is where the genius of OREO two packs will come to your rescue. Whether you need your little one to hang on just a little longer, you need to talk yourself out of the Family Size bag of cookies or you need a distraction to get you a little further down the road before you have to stop again, pull out an OREO two pack and I can almost promise that your problems will fade for a few chocolaty good moments. Who can throw a fit with a cookie in their mouth? I know it’s possible, I have three boys. But, cookies are usually a pretty good deterrent, or incentive, too. Sometimes a cookie or two is worth saving yourself a tantrum (or an extra five pounds). OREO two packs are the perfect size for the diaper bag, your purse or the picnic basket. Keep a pack or two in the car door for meltdown emergencies. I have been loving these for after-school snacks. Two OREO two packs, two string cheeses and an apple have become our go-to snack for all four of us!

I love the size of the OREO two packs. It’s just right to satisfy my sweet tooth. It’s only 100 calories. They don’t take up much room and they definitely don’t add much weight (at least not to the diaper bag… my waistline might say something different, but at 100 calories I can indulge once in a while and still keep my ~~bikini~~ tankini-body. They come in boxes of 18 packs, which means they are great for group events – BBQs, sporting events and family reunions. You can find them at local grocery stores. And, if Nutter Butters are more your thing, they have two packs of those too!

Maybe you’ll make some memories with your own kids and an OREO two pack.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

June 8, 2015 by Krista

How It’s Made: GlobeIn Artisans

I was provided with a GlobeIn box to provide this review. The views and content in this post are 100% mine, original and honest. Cross my heart.

Do you ever think about where the products you use everyday come from? How they were made? Who made them? We used to watch shows like How It’s Made all the time and I never really thought twice about the mechanical processes that are used to create millions of products every day. I’ve dabbled in the production of many of the same things… it’s tedious and time consuming to do it all by hand. When I found out about GlobeIn, I was intrigued by the individual artisans that have created brands and companies all over the world. I’ve tried other monthly subscription boxes, and to be completely honest, I find most of them aren’t worth it. A lot of the samples sit around my house, unused; and, I get frustrated every time the payment auto-deducts from my account because it just means more unneeded stuff cluttering my house. And then there’s the whole “is it a waste of money?” internal conflict. I really liked the individual artisan aspect of GlobeIn and the exposure to products from all over the globe.

GLOBEIN BAKE BOX REVEAL

So, here’s a look at what was in my box and then I’ll give you some more details about GlobeIn. I received the Bake box – which meant my box was full of kitchen goodies. I definitely like kitchen goodies. When I first opened the box I came across some scrub cloths. There was also an insert that detailed all the items in the box. The scrub clothes were hand knit through the Toockie project in India that gives Indian women a dignified way to earn a living. I can get behind a project like that. They even include a little card that is signed by the woman who made your clothes. Love that personal touch. I’ve really liked the cloths too! They are great for wiping up counters and dishes. I love the hemp one when I’m cleaning the stove off. It’s perfect for scrubbing that baked-on gunk off.

Then it was straight to my heart… and stomach… with some Better World Brownies. These were delicious. You can check out the Raspberry Chocolate Chip Brownies I made with the mix and they were heavenly. A small portion of each brownie mix is donated to ON THE GROUND, who support development in Fair Trade farming areas.

Beeswax Birthday Candles also made an appearance in my box. I haven’t used these yet… no one around here has had a birthday. Candles are hand-poured in Canada and 10% of the company’s profits are donated to help support sustainable beekeeping. I’m excited for my birthday in July to try these out. The colors are a little muted, but very beautiful.

I have been cooking with coconut oil a lot more lately and I love all the other ways you can use this super oil too. The coconut oil in the GlobeIn box was harvested on Fair Trade farms in Sri Lanka. It has a great taste and is so much healthier for you than a lot of other oils that are often used in cooking.

The cane sugar is a product from the Philippines. The Alter Eco company works directly with farmers to help grow their businesses with strong environmental practices. I’ve been using this sugar in my herbal tea lately and it’s fabulous.

All of these goodies were packaged in a gorgeous basket. The baskets are handwoven by indigenous Oaxacan artisans from dried palm leaves and it can take up to 6 hours to make a single basket. This basket is beautiful and the craftsmanship is very high quality. I have yet to decide what I’m going to use it for permanently, but it will definitely be put somewhere that it can stay out. I can’t imagine tucking this gorgeous basket away.

Some of the products are more expensive than I typically spend on similar products, but knowing they are high quality, Fair Trade and often times handmade helps offset the extra expense. I probably won’t be buying any of these items on a regular basis (except maybe those scrub cloths… and the baskets) but it has made me more aware of where the items I use come from, who made them and how they were made. It’s definitely made me think twice and I try to look for high quality, artisan-produced products, like those that are featured in GlobeIn’s monthly boxes. When it fits in my budget, those are definitely the products I take home and I can feel good about using them with my family.

If you are looking for high quality, Fair Trade and handmade products, check out GlobeIn. You can purchase anything in their boxes right from their site, so if you absolutely fall in love with something, you get more of it. They have some of those gorgeous baskets featured right now… and every product features free shipping in the United States. GlobeIn is currently giving away a chance to win a 3 month subscription to their artisan box.

June 5, 2015 by Krista

Free To Be My {Messy} Boys

I’ve heard about parents of boys that love to sit and build with Legos or take things apart or even draw. Those boys are not my boys. It’s a struggle to get them to sit still long enough to spill the paint-with-water cup before they want to be on to doing something else. They move faster than I can keep up and they often leave a wake of chaos behind them.

FREE TO BE ADVENTUROUS

No one told me when I had three boys that I was actually bringing three tornadoes into my home, but that’s what it’s turned out to be. Their clothes are pure and solid evidence that they are messy, mischievous, adventurous boys. They are free to be my messy boys, because that’s how they learn best. But, I have had to figure out how to fight their mess-making adventures. I think I have probably googled how to get out just about every kind of mess you can imagine from my kids’ clothing. Grass, mud, oil, blood, paint, markers, dyes, staining foods, you name it. Whether it’s a mud puddle too good to pass up, a bloody nose, or the remains of a very delicious spaghetti dinner, they leave their mark on my childrens’ clothes. What’s a momma to do? I don’t have the budget to replace everything they soil and stain. How about you? No?

FREE TO BE SENSITIVE

All three of my kiddos have some mild skin sensitivities, but Big J is the most sensitive. He has some eczema that acts up when harsh chemicals, dyes or other substances come in contact with his skin. The longer the contact, the worse the irritation and I do have a boy that goes through more clothes than he needs to in a day, but Big J has grown out of that phase. Thankfully! I’ve discovered some great ways to fight their monster messes without hindering their adventures and still treat their skin with the sensitivity it needs. Do you worry about exposing your family to harsh chemicals and dyes? Does your family experience any sensitive skin problems?

FREE TO BE all CLEAN

I fight the messy adventures and stains with all free clear products when I’m cleaning up the laundry messes in our home. It is hypoallergenic and fragrance free. I can wash our clothes, blankets, bedding and towels in all free clear without sacrificing a good, deep clean. all free clear is the #1 recommended detergent brand by Dermatologists, Allergists, and Pediatricians for sensitive skin. It’s tough on stains yet gentle enough for the whole family. It’s safe for use in standard and HE machines.

With the new all free clear OXI mighty pacs and all free clear OXI boosters I can get even their whites back to the color they are supposed to be! The NEW OXI booster whitens and brightens clothes. It’s safe on sensitive skin. It costs 15% less than the leading brand AND you can use it to remove stains around the house (it can be used on carpet, upholstery and patio furniture, and more)!

The free clear products in all‘s laundry care line ensure that my family’s clothing is clean while keeping our skin safe from harsh chemicals and cleansers. We can play hard and make messes all day long and then snuggle together for a movie night. The last thing I need is to spend my time trying to get out stubborn stains over and over. There are too many adventures I don’t want to miss out on. all free clear helps make sure I’m there for every single one of them.

DO YOU WANT TO BE FREE TO BE?

all free clear: Powerful clean, but still gentle on skin. Discover it for yourself! Ready to try all free clear with your family? Grab this coupon to save $1.00 on your next all free clear product purchase!

June 3, 2015 by Krista

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Brownies

Do you have backyard BBQ’s on your calendar for this summer? I plan to host a few and I’m sure we’ll end up attending a few more too. BBQ’s are one of my favorites about summer time. The company, the weather, the food… it’s perfection. Some times, though, I just don’t want to spend a whole lot of time on putting the menu together. I want to be able to enjoy the company and not spend my time running around the kitchen. That’s when I reach into the baking methods my momma taught me. I put out my favorite package of brownie mix or cake mix and whip up a tasty treat. That’s right, packaged mixes.

I love the simplicity that baking with a mix offers. Recently, I was introduced to Better World Brownies, an organic brownie mix, through Globe In, a monthly subscription box of artisan-made products from around the world. I’ll give you a tour of my whole Globe In box next week. That said, this post is in no way sponsored and, as always, all content is mine – honest and original. I made some Raspberry Chocolate Chip Brownies with the Better World Brownies. They turned out delish!

RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP BROWNIES

Print This Recipe

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Brownies

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 9-12 servings

A decadent chocolate dessert made from your favorite brownie mix. Simple and delicious!

Ingredients

1 package of your favorite brownie mix. You can find the Better World Brownies here, if you're interested in trying them. But any brownie mix will work just fine.
Applesauce.
Chocolate chips
Oil or butter, as called for on the brownie package
Eggs, as called for on the brownie package
Raspberries
Chocolate sauce (optional)
Whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

Mis the brownies according to the directions on the back of the package, with one exception. Substitute half the oil with applesauce. Use the eggs and the other half of the oil the package calls for.
If you want an extra rich brownie, stir 1 cup of chocolate chips into the batter and mix well.
Pour batter into a baking pan. Scatter chocolate chips on top of the brownies. and bake according to the package directions.
Let the brownies cool and cut into pieces.
Place each brownie on a plate and top with whipped cream, if desired.
Drizzle chocolate sauce over the brownie, if desired.
Garnish with fresh raspberries.

Summer is the perfect time for garnishing your favorite chocolate desserts with fresh fruit. And, by substituting half the oil for applesauce, you’re cutting some of the fat in the recipe, but it also helps keep the brownies nice and soft. If you sub out more than half the oil, the texture changes and you get a really dense brownie. If that’s okay with you, go for it. These Raspberry Chocolate Chip Brownies are perfect for your next get together. Super easy to make and they taste fabulous!

June 1, 2015 by Krista

Printable Summer Bucket List

We are so close to Summer I can almost taste it! Our summer is already shaping up to be a pretty busy eight weeks and I want to make sure we get some summer fun in there too or it will be over before we know it! And Big J keeps asking if we can go back to the splash pad yet… I’d love to stop saying, “not yet.” So, to help us focus and make sure we get some fun in our crazy schedules, I made up a Summer Bucket List printable.

There’s two more weeks of school here (UUUUUGGGHH), and then the fun begins! Are you out of school yet? Has your summer fun already started? If so, you lucky ducks! These last two weeks are draggggging. Maybe we can speed them up a little by getting some planning done before summer vacation starts.

There’s lots of boxes and our goal is to cross them all off! I put our bucket list inside a frame and then wrote on the glass with a wet erase marker (overhead marker). If we decide we need to make changes to our list, it’ll be easy to edit. And it creates a fun way to display our list as well. I can leave it out in plain sight, in a prominent spot in our dining room. I’m hoping this will help me remember to do the things on it, and will (hopefully – pretty, pretty please!?!) help motivate my kids to get the work done so we can go out and PLAY!! That’s right, I’m bribing them with fun. There are worse things, right?!

Want your own Summer Bucket List printable to help you accomplish all the fun you want to have this summer season?

GRAB YOUR COPY OF THE BUCKET LIST PRINTABLE RIGHT HERE!

Go, go, go! The link above or either photo will take you to the download page so you can get the file! Happy Summer, friends!