August 2015 Fit Snack Box Review

August’s Fit Snack box was packed full of healthy, satisfying goodies. I was excited when I opened my box up because I knew I could enjoy a lot of the treats, even with my allergies. The summer is winding down and fall is near. Fit Snack should be on everyone’s back-to-school shopping  list. What a great investment for your kids health. By giving your child healthy snacks now, you will be setting them up for a healthy future. Any of these snacks would make fulfilling, healthy treats in your child’s lunch box.  Plus, what kid wouldn’t like getting an awesome box in the mail every month? The anticipation alone should encourage them to eat the contents in each box, each month.

Purely Elizabeth Granola: Finally a a granola I could eat! Purely Elizabeth Granola is amazing! The pumpkin fig flavor was in my box and I just wish it was in a bigger bag. I could not eat it up fast enough. I ate half dry and the other half with milk. I am one of those obsessed with anything pumpkin people. This will be a fall/winter staple in my house, for sure. My husband even liked it and he hates pumpkin flavored foods.

Kutoa Nutrition Bar: I wasn’t able to eat this bar but I do love that for every bar you buy, Kutoa feeds a hungry child. I would love to try the chocolate espresso bar, that one sounds delicious.

Don’t Go Nuts Dips: I’m excited to try this peanut-free dip! I am saving it for our road trip in the fall to give to the baby as a snack. I love travel size nut-free spreads, perfectly proportioned.

Runa Energy Tea: I like the concept of clean energy drinks that aren’t bad for you, but this one did not taste good. I honestly couldn’t even finish the can. I had the orange flavor, maybe the other flavors are better.

Morning Sunshine Cookie: I was excited to eat this cookie until my husband read the ingredients more carefully and realized there were nuts in it. The company put allergen information on the back and said it was processed in a facility with nuts (fine by me) but didn’t put in bold that there were nuts in it. Usually, if there is allergen information I don’t read every single ingredient. But in this case, it could have been a problem if my husband didn’t read it over more carefully. He said the cookie was okay. These cookies are high in fiber and protein.

Balance Nutrition Bars: I couldn’t eat this snack, although it did sound and look good.  I like how there is real fruit in the bars with natural energizing ingredients.

Love Grown Foods Cereal: I love Cheerios, and so does my son. I was super excited to try this cereal that is made with beans and lentils. We both enjoyed it!

Yummy Health Protein Chips: These looked good, but didn’t taste too good. I don’t think I liked them because they were very dense; I expected an airy cracker. My husband liked them, though. These chips are made with real Wisconsin cheese.

Trophy Nut Almonds: I love giving these packets to my husband. Nuts are expensive, and he enjoys a variety. He said these were tasty.

If you have never heard about Fit Snack, please check out another one of my posts about the amazing subscription box company based out of Colorado. Don’t forget to sign up for their newsletter to get some great promotion offers! For your chance to WIN a free Fit Snack box, head on over to their contest page here. There is a chance to win every month. Enter today so that you can start snacking healthy tomorrow!

I was sent a Fit Snack box in exchange for an honest review. All of the options are my own. Thanks Fit Snack!

Friday Five

1. Last weekend I watched ‘If I Stay’ on Netflix. It is the movie adaption of the book by Gayle Forman. I honestly didn’t remember too much of the book before I watched the movie because I read it over two years ago. I actually thought I hated the book, but after reading my review that I wrote, I only hated the ending; which is typical for me. The movie was really good and inspired me to read the second book, Where She Went. I loved it! It was written from the male’s perspective, instead of the female’s like If I Stay. Check out the movie on Netflix or read the books. I am going to check out some of the other books Gayle Forman wrote, now that I know I don’t hate her writing.
2. The weather has been amazing this week. I don’t want it to end. I wish we could bypass the next few weeks of weather because it is supposed to get hot again. Yesterday we went on a three mile walk with Toby and Jimmie. I was exhausted after, but I enjoyed it because I wasn’t so sweaty. We also went to the park twice this week. Jimmie can’t get enough of the swings, he cries when I pull him out. I see lots of park hopping in the fall.
3. ABC is slowly releasing the names of the cast of  Dancing With the Stars Season 21, which starts September 14. I’m pretty excited about Nick Carter and Bindi Irwin. We will see who else is announced within the next week.
4. Jimmie is learning the art of hide and go seek. I hide and he finds me. He thinks it is pretty great. I am not the best hider, though. I laugh the entire time because I know a) my spots are super obvious and b) he is going to crack up when he finds me. The best is when I hide under a blanket. Double the fun because then we can play peek-a-boo. This is the best age, minus dinner being thrown on the floor.
5. Disney stock is finally on the up and ups, and so is the DOW. It has been a rough week over here watching the numbers do down and up, up and down. I feel like I can finally breath again. Jim has gotten me way too into the the stock market. At least it gives me something else to obsess over other than whether or not Jimmie is eating enough veggies. Even though the numbers aren’t where they used to a few weeks ago, I’m glad to see higher numbers than earlier this week.

And I leave you with the many expressions of Jimmie! Have a wonderful weekend!

Another not so (okay a little) funny Jimmie Tantrum

Another night of family fun at dinner time. We have started to use the approach of giving Jimmie two of his three food choices first, having him eat most of them, and then giving him his third food option. Usually the third option is what he enjoys most: pasta, macaroni and cheese, cottage cheese, quinoa, yogurt. Sense a trend here? Carbs or milk products. We have been trying to start him off with some fruit, veggies (and/or meat,) then giving him the “good stuff.” If we put everything on a plate at once, he will pick the one thing he likes most and ignore everything else.

Last night, we gave him black bean cakes and broccoli first. We had quinoa waiting on the sidelines to be tagged in when it was time. Jimmie usually likes the bean cakes, but I made them without cheese this time, and I think he figured it out because he was not happy. He had a few bites of broccoli and a few bites of beans cakes and then started to cry. We brought over the quinoa, but there were still lots of tears. So many tears and so much anger, that he soon reached over his high chair, grabbed the plate of food, and threw it onto the floor. Our floor that is carpeted. Lets just say Toby had a feast after I picked up the big pieces.

Tears still flowing, I placed the quinoa bowl in front of him, and he calmed down enough to eat it. I then gave him more broccoli and he gobbled it like he never has before. Oh, Jimmie, when will you be able to communicate your needs? I get it, I won’t make the black bean cakes without the cheese ever again. Lesson learned.

Friday Five

1. Jimmie had his 15 month check up on Wednesday. He received his last shot (minus his yearly flu shot) until he is four. I can’t believe it! I thought he was still going to get more shots between now and then. He took it like a champ and only cried for a second. It sure has messed up his nap schedule, though. He weights 23.11 pounds and is almost 32 inches. Big boy! (And of course, his head is in the 80%)

2. Bachelor is Paradise is really, really bad. I only watch it because I have nothing else to watch while Jimmie naps. I know, I should do other things, but sometimes you just had to sit and mock the craziness. I just don’t understand how this week was all about Joe and Samantha. What about Ashley and Jared? Or Claire and her craziness? Worst show ever.

3. Chase Utley was traded to the Dodgers this week. He will be joining Jimmy Rollins, making the Dodgers the team to beat. Seriously though, why are they getting all of our good players? And who do we even have left that I actually know other than Chooch and Howard? It is a sad week to be a Phillies fan, a sad year for that matter. But you gotta take the good and the bad. Lets just say I’m ready for more good. We were thinking about going to a game in September, but is it even worth it now?

4. Speaking of worth it, Disney stock is STILL going down, way down for that matter. It is more than worth it to buy it right now. Go, go buy Disney stock!! According to Jim Cramer, buying it at $100 is ideal. And guess what?! It closed at $100.01, yesterday. Also, book a vacation while you’re at it. (And go see Star Wars when it comes out in December.) Speaking of Star Wars, Stars Wars Land was officially announced at D23 this past weekend, as well as Toy Story Land. I can’t wait for Toy Story Land, but I’m so-so about Star Wars Land. I liked the new (now old?) movies and finally watched the old, old movies a couple years ago, but I just don’t see the obsession. The Star Wars ride that currently resides in Hollywood Studios makes me want to vomit.

5. Lifetime is airing its new made for TV movie, The Unauthorized Full House Story, this Saturday, August 22. It’s times like these that make me wish we didn’t get rid of cable; I hope it comes up on Hulu! This video featured on People sets the stage for the new movie. The actors portraying the original cast look hilarious. I tried watching The Unauthorized Saved By the Bell Story and couldn’t get past the first ten minutes. I wonder if this one will be any better. Full House is, by far, my all-time favorite show.

Book Review: Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica

Living in Chicago, Heidi and Chris have what seems to be a perfect marriage. They have a daughter named Zoe, who is 12, and live in a comfortable condo. Heidi works for a non-profit and Chris works in investment. One day, on the way to work, Heidi sees a young girl and a baby, standing in the rain, waiting for the train. The girl is carrying a suitcase and seems to be homeless. As Heidi gets on the train she can’t get the girl off her mind. During the next few days, she keeps thinking about the girl, who we soon find out is named Willow, and decides that it is in her responsibility to help the girl, and her little baby.

Told from three different perspectives: Heidi, Chris, and Willow, Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica is a thriller that can’t be overlooked. The plot in the novel is so twisty and juicy; I could not put it down. Pretty Baby kept getting better and better, up until the very last chapter. I love the way Mary Kubica reveals bits and pieces of Willow’s past. Each bit of information kept me at the edge of me seat, surprising me and shocking me.  I could not wait to get to the next chapter to see what each character was thinking about one another and to learn more about their personal story and struggles. Sometimes, when books switch from perspective to perspective, I get hooked on one story and speed through the others. This was not the case in Pretty Baby. Each character was interesting in their own ways, which made me soak in every word in, yearning for more.

Pretty Baby is like a puzzle: a puzzle that kept me guessing throughout the entire story. I couldn’t figure out why Willow had a baby and was living on the streets. I couldn’t figure out why Heidi would bring a stranger into her life that could potentially endanger her family. I also couldn’t figure out why Zoe didn’t have her own chapters. Zoe, Chris and Heidi’s daughter, was a main character at the start of the book, but towards the end, she just drifted away. I feel that way about the entire ending of the novel. The ending just kind of…ended. There were still a few loose ends, a few major loose ends that were just ignored. The storylines that were tied up, were wrapped up quickly and without too much thought. It was as if the author got tired of writing this amazing story and decided to finish it up in a hurry.

Pretty Baby put me through a whirlwind of emotions. I felt so bad for the little baby, Ruby, whom Willow was caring for on the streets. I yearned to take care of the baby myself and make her pain and fear go away. Even though Willow was living on the streets, she was trying, at the very least, to take care of a baby, even when she had no place to go and no money. It made me think about how the world is full of women like Willow, trying to get by on so little. Willow was portrayed as a strong woman, a survivor. She is a survivor of the streets and also a survivor of so many other things that no child should ever have to go through. Even though Willow made a few questionable choices, one being major, she still survived more than any person should have to survive in an entire lifetime.

As you read Pretty Baby, you will discover that a vague review was the only way I could explain my love for this novel without giving anything away. There are so many moments that are what Shonda Rhimes (creator of Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder) would call OMG moments. Every time a puzzle piece was revealed, I wanted to scream OMG. Trust me, you will too.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Toddler Waffles

Jimmie loves waffles. I personally love giving him Kashi waffles but I am learning that my kid needs more fiber than your average child, hello constipation. We have been trying to give Jimmie more and more foods with fiber and I have decided that making my own breakfast waffles can ensure than he is getting 100% whole grain waffles instead of multi-grain waffles. Apparently, there is a significant difference. Yes, I was surprised too. I made these waffles before Jimmie was born and loved them. I made them the other day and altered the recipe a bit for a growing toddler. Hope your baby likes them as much as mine does!

Toddler Waffles

Makes about 12 waffles (This depends on your waffle maker. I have the kind that makes four smaller waffles at a time.)

Ingredients: 

1 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats (not instant)

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 eggs, slightly beaten

6 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup 4% cottage cheese

1 cup whole milk

Directions: 

1. Turn on waffle iron to warm up.

2. Spray iron with cooking spray.

3. Mix all ingredients in large bowl until blended into a smooth batter. (I just mixed all of the wet and dry ingredients in at once, they’re all going into the same place, why dirty another bowl?)

4. Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken.

5. Pour batter into large measuring cup for easy pouring into waffle iron (this recipe makes 3 cups of batter).

6. Pour batter into iron and allow to spread to the edges before closing (I used a spatula to move the process along.)

7. Cook until your waffle iron indicates that the waffle is done.

8. Freeze leftover and reheat in toaster!

Birthday Fun

29 and feeling fine! This weekend was great. I loved spending my 29th Birthday with my husband and son. I also loved spending the day after my Birthday with my parents.

I woke up on my Birthday and went for a lovely one hour massage. You don’t know how sore you are until the masseuse tries to get  the ridiculous amount of knots out of your back. That’s what I get for still having a 15 month old that doesn’t walk; the kid is heavy.

After my massage I went to the library to pick up some books for Jimmie and then to Starbucks to get my free Birthday drink. I came home and read said books to Jimmie and fed him lunch. Then we were off to Annandale, VA aka Koreatown of the East Coast. I tried to do the best I could looking for places to eat on yelp. We ended up eating lunch at Oegadgib and going to Shilla Bakery and Breeze Bakery Cafe.

Lunch was good! Good for America standards, that is. It was still expensive, $20 a person, but it was all you can eat meat, which is a pretty good deal, if you can eat a lot. I can’t eat a ton in one sitting and Jim said he wasn’t that hungry. You definitely have to bring your appetites to this place. The service was so-so, I had to ask for rice, lettuce for the meat, and red bean paste, I guess they assumed since we are American that we didn’t know what was up. The kimchi was great, which really is all that matter;. all the sides were good and plentiful. For dessert we had rice water, Jimmie’s favorite part.

 

After lunch we went to Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale. It was a small nature center but cute none-the-less. It is geared towards older toddlers, but Jimmie still had fun on our walk, playing dress up, and playing with dinosaurs. We spent about an hour there. There is a frog catching area that Jimmie was too young for. We will have to go back to that another time. (The nature center is free, which is awesome!)

After the nature center, we went to not one, but two Korean bakeries. We sure do love our Korean baked goods. Both places were packed and priced VERY reasonably. We stocked up on goodies we haven’t had in almost two years. We will be going back for the bakeries, for sure.

We got stuck in  a ton of traffic coming home, luckily Jimmie napped through it all. We passed the Pentagon, which was cool because I never saw it in person before.

Yesterday, my parents came down and we hung out around the house, shared some Korean snacks, and ate my mom’s famous brownies. We went out to lunch to celebrate both me and Jim’s birthdays and I had the most amazing seared tuna salad ever! I will now crave that salad for the rest of my life. I also had a really good milk stout.

So far, 29 has been great. Bring on another wonderful year, full of changes and surprises. By the time I’m 30, Jim will have a new job, we will be living in a new place, and Jimmie will be walking and talking. Crazy how things can change in one year.

Friday Five

1. Yesterday I posted a review for the amazing book Goodnight, Ark Laura Sassi. After further investigation, I realized that the author is from New Jersey. How cool is that? I wish I could make it to one of her last book signings in Point Pleasant, but that would be a bit of a hike for me and the little one. If you live in the area, or are looking for a beach road trip, head on over. I haven’t been to Point Pleasant in over 10 years, but it was very pleasant when I went. (See what I did there?)
2. Tomorrow is my 29th Birthday. I feel old saying that I am 28, now I’m going to have to remember that I’m 29. You know you’re old when you have to THINK about your age. Remember when you were 15? I’m sure you couldn’t wait to be 16, I sure couldn’t. I don’t mind getting older though, it just seems surreal. It’s weird to look back at people and realize they were my age when I met them and now their kids are grown up, and so on. I’m going to be 45 when Jimmie is 18, that’s not that old either!
3. The Pretty Little Liars mid-season finale was great. Seriously. I was blown away by how they pulled it all together and revealed who “A” was. I was shocked, amazed, and also a little bit offended, to say the least. I’m sure having “A” be a transgender wasn’t always the writer’s idea and I feel like they capitalized on the “trending” transgender theme of this year aka Caitlyn Jenner. Not that I mind CeCe Drake aka Charlotte aka Charles being a transgender, I just think it was put out there for ratings. Other than that, I think this episode would have made a perfect SERIES finale. I can’t imagine what Pretty Little Liars can come up with after a five year jump. Are the moms STILL in the basement? Will Toby find out the truth about his mom? I don’t think the jump was necessary. Only time will tell. Time to finish up the book series before January rolls along.
4. Jimmie has had a pretty good week this week. He took a few steps towards his daddy on Saturday and then got his first hair cut from his dad on Sunday. Busy boy! Since then, he hasn’t taken too many more steps but he sure is cruising around. He will get to full on walking soon, I know it.
5. Summer is just about over and I can smell fall in the mornings. I can’t wait to wear hoodies, at night, and jeans.I tried to break out the jeans last week, but it was still a bit too soon. I’m looking forward to our New England trip, I’m sure it will be jeans and hoodie weather there. I have been trying to get rid of a lot of pre- mom summer clothes. I decided I just can’t pull off animal print anymore. What a sad realization. Okay, now I feel really old.

Jimmie really enjoys putting his hand in his shirt (and mine!)

Rainy day block building.

No more selfies, mom.’

“I love Amazon boxes!”

We really need some boy headbands.

John Deere Mega Blocks. Best Target deal ever!

Book Review: Goodnight, Ark by Laura Sassi Illustrated by Jane Chapman

Goodnight, Ark by Laura Sassi is an adorable retelling of Noah and his ark. When I first heard of the book, I thought it would be very similar to Goodnight Moon, but it isn’t. Goodnight, Ark is a rhyme of its own, full of all sorts of fun animals. Of course there are the elephants and tigers, but there are also skunks, boars, and quail. All the animals are getting ready for bed. Noah tells them to find their beds, but the animals have their own idea about where they are sleeping for the night.

I loved reading this book to Jimmie, who is 15 months old. He really loves the page with the skunks and enjoys trying to touch the elephants tusks. I laughed while reading the book the first time around; it is so cute and silly. There is a lot of onomatopoeia (sound words), repetition, alliteration, and rhyming, which is great for young readers; the more words they hear while they are young, the easier it will be for them to read when they’re older. Goodnight, Ark reminds me of a Dr. Seuss book. Goodnight, Ark doesn’t reference God or any other spiritual values, it just shows a moment in time on Noah’s Ark. It leaves the story open ended for parents to elaborate to their children and discuss the true story of Noah.

Jimmie is a very picky reader, if he does not want to sit through a book, he won’t. Him sitting through a book means he likes it, therefore  Goodnight, Ark gets an A+ according to his standards. (And mine as well!) It will be a new staple in our goodnight book routine. This book would be good for any young reader from birth+.

Noah in suspenders!

The illustrations by Jane Chapman are beautiful; the colors are vibrant and bold.I was blown away by the modern take on Noah’s Ark in this children’s book. I am so happy to be able to share the story with my son in a fun way until he is older and is able to understand the actual bible story of Noah and his ark. Even after he knows the whole story, I will continue to read him this one. I can not stress how in love I am with this book. It’s not too long and not too short. It’s sweet and meaningful. I would recommend it to everyone who wants to teach their children about Noah’s Ark in new way.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Fit Snack July 2015 Box Review

I just love getting my Fit Snack Box in the mail! The convenience of  having healthy snacks delivered to my house is truly the best. July’s box was completely full of great products! I was only able to eat a few, because of my allergies, but my husband has, as per usual, been enjoying the rest.

Yummari Endurance Bites: I received the Chocolate Chip Yummari Endurance Bites in my box. I was happy because I was actually able to indulge in this snack. I love, love, love chocolate and I thoroughly enjoyed munching on the treat. It tasted like a crunchy granola bar. Yummari Bites are organic, gluten- free, peanut-free, and GMO-free. What is also pretty neat is that Yummari was inspired by Raramari people from the Cooper Canyon of Mexico. You can read all about Yummair here.

Columbia County Flax Granola: It is very rare that I can eat granola, and this product was no different. The bag was huge though and my husband was really excited. He loves granola and we barely buy it because it is expensive. He loves getting big bags of granola in our monthly box. This granola was created to go along with he book The Plan, a cookbook by Lyn Genet. I wish the book came in the box too!

Skinny Pop Popcorn: I have been wanting to try this popcorn for so long. I’m not a huge popcorn fan, but I craved it when I was pregnant. I wish I would have had this lying around back then; it was scrumptious. I would definitely sneak a bag into the movie theater.

Justin’s Nut Butter: I obviously can’t eat this, but I love getting individually wrapped nut butters. Jim either eats them or we give them to other people to try out. Perfectly proportioned for a sandwich.

Honey Stinger Energy Chews: I haven’t had these yet but there will come a day when I need an extra boost. I’m excited to taste them. I love my coffee, but I also love natural energy foods.

Level Life Protein Bars: My husband eats protein bars every day. He said there wasn’t anything special about these and they tasted like many other brands that he has had before. With that being said, we received a full size box (four protein bars) in our Fit Snack Box, which is fantastic. He didn’t say there weren’t good, just same ol’ same ol’. I wish I could have had them, they were double chocolatey chip, sounds amazing to me. (They’re gluten-free!)

Trophy Nut Roasted Peanuts: Once again, I couldn’t eat this snack. My husband hasn’t had them yet either, but he enjoys peanuts for snacks, therefore he was happy to see them in the box.

Overall, I was happy with this month’s box because it was loaded with lots of full sized snacks! Even though I couldn’t eat a lot of them, I still liked the ones I did get to eat.

If you have never heard about Fit Snack, please check out another one of my posts about the amazing subscription box company based out of Colorado. Don’t forget to sign up for their newsletter to get some great promotion offers! For your chance to WIN a free Fit Snack box, head on over to their contest page here. There is a chance to win every month. Enter today so that you can start snacking healthy tomorrow!

I was sent a Fit Snack box in exchange for an honest review. All of the options are my own. Thanks Fit Snack!