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!

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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.

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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!

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k’s troop has nine girls, but only four could make it to the ceremony.  She will be moving on to Cadettes next year.

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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.

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After the boys cross the bridge, they put on their new neckerchief, slide, and hat.

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So proud of both of our scouts and so appreciative for their leaders!  Looking forward to many more adventures.

 

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Bridging from Juniors to Cadettes in San Francisco

The following is a guest post written by k.  This is the trip she raised money for by selling hundreds of boxes of Girl Scout cookies!

From the weekend April 27th to April 29th, I went to San Francisco with my Girl Scout troop to bridge, which means to move from one level to the next.  A lot of other Juniors crossed the Golden Gate bridge to move on to Cadettes as well.

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Around 9:00 am, the whole troop flew up to San Francisco.  I sat next to two of my friends on the plane and had fun talking and eating snacks the whole way.

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After we dropped off our bags at the hotel, we got on the boat to take us to Alcatraz.  It was cold and windy, mainly because we were on the third deck.  We were all excited to see the prison, especially since most of us have not been there before.

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Everyone in my troop at Alcatraz Island.

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We did an audio tour of Alcatraz that explained many things about the prison in great detail.  It was really interesting and had a lot of sound effects that made it really dramatic.  I had fun walking into the cells and seeing what the prisoners life was like when they were living there.

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We also did Junior Ranger books and earned a badge that is supposed to smell like a campfire.

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There were a lot of seals on one dock in Pier 39, and one of the girls in my Girl Scout troop got really excited when she saw them because she really loves seals.

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After getting dinner at Boudin, we decided to walk around the city to look around the shops and see interesting places in the city including Fisherman’s Wharf.

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The next day, we had a to wait forever in order to get on the bridge.  This was because there were around 7,000 Girl Scouts waiting to cross the bridge.  10 and 11 year old girls were taking over the city!

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Crossing the Golden Gate bridge.

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This was our rest stop.  It was about 2/3 of the way through.

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When we finally made it across the bridge and got to Crissy field, we had a Panera box lunch after a lot of walking.

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Later, our troop had the chance to go on a cable car.  It was very crowded, but it was especially fun because we got to hang on the outside of the car.  It was also exciting because San Francisco has very steep streets which made the car go a lot faster.

SF-Fior dinner

After that, we went to Fior da Italia.  It was a great Italian restaurant and very fancy.  I ordered Fettuccine Alfredo, and it was so good.

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This was the last breakfast at the hotel.

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We saw the most crooked street in the world.  I cannot imagine living in a house on this street.

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The Ghirardelli shop was our last stop.  There was so much chocolate in the store!  We got an ice cream sundae to split between the troop and it was very sweet and had a lot of chocolate components.  Overall, it was a great weekend.

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Learning Healthy Habits with Lilly’s Hummus

Recently, k’s Girl Scout troop had a meeting where they earned the Global Action Award. One of the Global Goals is Good Health & Well Being.  When the troop leader asked me to bring a healthy snack for the meeting, I decided on cucumbers, carrots, and Lilly’s Hummus.

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Lilly’s Hummus is one of the products that caught my eye at the recent Expo West because it is kid-friendly and nutritious.  My kids really like this hummus, and it is a great way to make cut vegetables more appealing.  What sets Lilly’s Hummus apart is that it is made with organic chickpeas and has a clean ingredient list.

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It is so exciting that Lilly’s has single serve, shelf-stable hummus.  This makes it a great option for lunchboxes and road trips.  The brand rep told me that they did not have to change the recipe of their hummus to make it shelf-stable; just the packaging.

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Teaching kids to love healthy food will benefit them for a lifetime!  You can find Lilly’s Hummus at Ralphs and Amazon.  For more locations, search here.

For the Global Action award, k presented about gender equality.  We also had presentations from the Irvine Water District and a retired dentist.

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The girls in k’s troop were each paired with a younger Brownie to help during the meeting.

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At the end of the meeting, the girls drew pictures of the global action that they want to work on.  The sign was then displayed near the lunch tables for the school to see.  I really appreciate how our troop leader tries to incorporate topics that apply to the girls on an individual, community and global level!

*Although I received a free product sample, all opinions are my own.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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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!

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We met before the restaurant opened, so we had the place to ourselves.

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The Fry-O-Lator!

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Each kid had a turn at the potato-cutting machine.

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It was hard work!

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Working the potato peeling machine.

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I felt like they should provide some goggles, or something, to the woman who was hand-slicing the onions.  She was really tearing up!

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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.

 

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Standing in line to order.  Each person could order a hamburger or cheeseburger, fries and a drink!

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How To Make A Kaper Chart

Another school year is upon us.  I am not quite ready for our busy schedule again.  Both kids are continuing with their scouting.

I was enlisted again by my troop leader to make a kaper chart for k’s troop.  I have fun making them, so I don’t mind.  It is a challenge to come up with something different, cute and functional.  Here is a recap:

How to Make a Daisies Kaper Chart

Kaper Chart

How to Make a Brownies Kaper Chart

Brownie Kaper Chart

Easy Juniors Kaper Chart

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The bulletin board was $3, from Target’s Dollar Spot (a dangerous place for me). I used washi tape to make the lines and a label maker to write the jobs. The rest is pretty self-explanatory!

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Bridging to Juniors

Last month, k bridged from Brownies to Juniors at Rancho Las Lomas.

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The venue was beautiful, despite some drizzle.  The party planner mom in our troop did a spectacular job with the details, as usual.

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D was one of the few who came prepared for the rain.

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Instead of someone reciting all of the troop’s activities the past two years, there was a display board.

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Flag Ceremony

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This was the bridge that they crossed.

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Friendship Circle

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After the ceremony we watched the employees hang the parrot toys that the girls made at our house.

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There was also a scavenger hunt for the kids to find all of the animals in the wildlife sanctuary.

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Don’t ask my why n is wearing his sweatshirt backwards!

 

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Rain

How to Make a Brownie Kaper Chart

k had her first official girl scout meeting as a Brownie today.  Two years ago, I made a kaper chart for their Daisy troop.  When our troop leader asked me to make a new one for Brownies, I wanted to come up with something a little different, but still simple. 

I originally found this idea on Pinterest, which is so useful for crafty ideas!  I used an old Ovaltine canister, which has a brown top, perfect for Brownies.  It also goes well with the girl scout motto of “using resources wisely”.  I covered the can with wrapping paper and modge podged the Brownie elf, which was from clip art online.  The kapers are written on labels that are glued around the can, and the clothes pins (which I still had from the Daisy chart) have the girls’ names.  The clothes pins can be stored in the can when not in use, which is handy. 

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Microsoft Store Field Trip

I have to give credit to our troop leader for finding unique field trips for k’s Daisy troop.  Last week they went to the Microsoft Store in Mission Viejo Mall.  They used a paint program on the laptop to draw pictures and printed one of them out.  They also played a dance game on the XBox One.

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On Saturday, k was at El Dorado Park all day for a Community Campout.  She had a lot of fun playing games, tying knots, and checking out the older girls’ campsites. 

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