Be Prepared With SCOUTbox: Review + Giveaway
Disclosure: I was provided with samples in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
Both of our kids have been scouts since the first year they were eligible. k started as a Daisy in Girl Scouts and is now a Cadette and n started as a Tiger and is now an AOL. Therefore, they were both excited to have the opportunity to check out SCOUTbox, a monthly subscription box for scouts, curated by scouts!
SCOUTbox sent us two of their previous boxes to review.
The first one was called “Tame the Wild”, which contained:
- First Aid Kit-Right Response
- Water Purification Drops-PURINIZE
- Trail Markers-VSSL
- Edible Plant Guide-National Book Network
- White Fandana-SCOUTbox
I was most excited about the Right Response First Aid Kit. With the recent earthquakes in Southern California, there has been a lot of renewed talk about the importance of being prepared in an emergency. It is a good idea to have an emergency kit in different places in your home as well as in your car(s). This kit is nice and lightweight for hiking and traveling. This particular brand can be sold by scouts as a fundraiser, which sounds like a great idea to me.
The second SCOUTbox was called “Communication”. It included:
- Self Reliance Outfitters-All Weather Notebook
- Nite Ize-Inka Key Chain Pen
- Waterford Press-“Signaling for Rescue” Waterproof Folding Guide
- UCO AIR Headlamp
I like how the notebook and pen are fun and useful. The notebook is waterproof, and contains helpful information such as knots, tarp-configuration and animal tracks. The pen can write upside down, in extreme temperatures, and at any altitude!
n really liked the headlamp. We own other headlamps, but this one is nicely padded to make it comfortable. It is rechargeable, its brightness can be adjusted, and it can change to red night vision mode for signaling and communicating. We will be sure to bring this on our next camping trip!
I was impressed with the variety of items that we received in each SCOUTbox. Each one contained products that would appeal to both kids and adults. SCOUTbox offers monthly subscription of varying lengths, as well as a unique selection of products designed for camping, hiking, etc. SCOUTbox would make a thoughtful and useful gift for any scout, as well as anyone who enjoys spending time outdoors!
Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a SCOUTbox!
Scouting Recognitions
This past weekend we celebrated both k and n in their scouting endeavors. k received the Bronze Award with her troop. They sewed pillowcases and donated them to a hospital for their project.
We did not realize people would arrive so early, and we ended up in the very back row. k did a nice job reading a short blurb about their project. It was a large crowd!
k’s troop has nine girls, but only four could make it to the ceremony. She will be moving on to Cadettes next year.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjlCCZmFNfN/?taken-by=derek.cal
n bridged from Wolves to Webelos for Cub Scouts. The dads build this bridge every year for the boys to cross. For the past couple of years the ceremony has been at Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center in Irvine Regional Park.
After the boys cross the bridge, they put on their new neckerchief, slide, and hat.
So proud of both of our scouts and so appreciative for their leaders! Looking forward to many more adventures.
Legoland + Robotics With Cub Scouts
Monday was a teacher work day for our school district, so our Cub Scout den scheduled a field trip at Legoland. Our family was able to use our annual passes, so that was nice.
There were some Halloween decorations. Now that it is November, I guess it is on to Christmas!
The weather was nice and overcast–perfect theme park weather!
n blowing a bubble and looking at the Star Wars displays. k was able to hang out with a couple of Girl Scout siblings, so that was nice.
After lunch, there was a short robotics workshop called We Do 2.0. n put together a Lego froglet on his own and used a computer program to make it move.
Junior Engineers!
Cub Scout Bridging from Wolves to Bears
We had a busy Sunday last week. First, the kids participated in Promotion Sunday at church. n’s class did a short presentation and n’s part was about Paul spreading the gospel. We had to leave early so that n could attend his Cub Scouts bridging ceremony.
n is now officially a Bear! His bridging ceremony was conveniently located at Irvine Regional Park in the Irvine Recreation Outdoor Education Center. They started out with some ziplining. This was n’s first time, and he did great! (k has already done this zipline with Girl Scouts).
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVONSdJnT2f/?taken-by=derek.cal
It was nice to have an overcast day, even if it was a little misty.
This was our first bridging ceremony since we missed last year’s. It was interesting to watch the dads construct the bridge. Where does one buy such a bridge kit and where does one store said bridge? are some of the questions that came to mind.
I think there may have been a Lion who fell off, but I think everyone else made it across safely.
Field Trip Idea: In-N-Out Tour
Last month n’s cub scout den went on a behind-the-scenes tour of our local In-N-Out. k had missed this tour when her Girl Scout troop went, so it was nice that she was able to go too. I was also fortunate to be one of the chaperones this time, so I was able to take pictures, learn about the company, and eat!
We met before the restaurant opened, so we had the place to ourselves.
The Fry-O-Lator!
Each kid had a turn at the potato-cutting machine.
It was hard work!
Working the potato peeling machine.
I felt like they should provide some goggles, or something, to the woman who was hand-slicing the onions. She was really tearing up!
We learned some fun factoids. One was that many In-N-Outs have two crossed palm trees outside to symbolize the cross. I know we always look for the hidden Bible verse printed under the cups and fries.
Standing in line to order. Each person could order a hamburger or cheeseburger, fries and a drink!
Spending the Night on the USS Midway, Part I
The weekend right after we went to Yosemite we went down to San Diego with some of n’s cub scout pack. We considered taking the train down, but opted to drive instead since we wanted to do some sightseeing on our own the next day.
We paid $10 for overnight parking and walked around a bit since we were a little early. Our tour did not start until 5:00, after they closed the ship to the public.
We walked around the aircraft carrier and were amazed at its enormity.
These mannequins were kind of creepy.
There were some other impressive boats along the waterfront as well.https://flic.kr/p/NJc6YG
I am not sure why I have a fascination with pay phones, but this “Free Calls” sticker caught my eye.
The last time we were in San Diego we ate at Carnitas’ Snack Shack. We noticed they have a waterfront location, so we stopped for some soft serve. It was nothing special, but a nice treat.
Then we queued up in front of the ship by pack number. There were several other packs attending, but the group did not seem overwhelming given the size of the ship.
Upside down rainbow in the sky.
Cleverly designed bike rack.
We lined up by squadrons, listened to introductions and rules, pledged allegiance to our flag, and were sent off to the make up our bunks in ten minutes. We were only to bring back flashlights, cameras and jackets.
The beds or “racks” were stacked three high. Adults were to sleep in the middle, and kids were to sleep on the bottom. Since we had four people, we occupied one row, so no one else was sleeping right next to us, which was nice.
Getting situated took some serious maneuvering.
There was not much head clearance at all, as you can see.
Some people were sent straight to eat dinner, but our group had a short scavenger hunt to complete first.
We then climbed down our first out of many steep flights of stairs to get our “Navy chow”.
Our main course was chicken breast with bbq sauce. I think everything else is self-explanatory. D was a little disappointed that the adult portions were the same as the kids’. Our kids must have been hungry and ate it up without complaint.
After dinner there was a little time for self-guided exploration.
Then, we were ordered back in our squadron lines, and our official tour was to begin!
Yakult Factory Tour #2
Last summer we visited the Yakult Factory with k’s Brownie troop. This summer we visited with n’s Wolf den (and pack).
Even though it was our second time, it was still fun to learn about fermented milk products!
Our First Scout-O-Rama
Last month we went to the Orange County Scout-O-Rama. We had never been before, so we were not sure what to expect. Due to rain the night before, the grounds were extremely muddy. My ballet flats were not prepared for that! There was a $10 per family admission and $10 parking fee. We had fun and hopefully we can go again.
There was a really cool Boy Scout/camping Lego exhibit.
My favorite part was the camp cooking booths with free samples!
Biscuits on a stick!
Dutch ovens galore!
Funnel cake and homemade ice cream. (We had a close call with unlabeled rocky road ice cream with nuts!)