Food, Giveaways, Reviews, Sponsored

Hot or Cold? Cold Brew Coffee Your Way With Java House

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Disclosure: I was provided free samples in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Over the years both D and I have become avid coffee drinkers.  We drink it hot or cold, pretty much year-round.  I usually make batches of cold brew coffee in the summertime.  I like the refreshing, smooth, less acidic flavor.  It is easy to make, but it does take about twelve hours to steep.  Therefore, I was excited to learn about the convenience of Java House Cold Brew Coffee.

Java House Cold Brew Coffee comes in pods, but these pods are unique because they contain liquid, not grounds.  The ingredient list is simple: Filtered Water, 100% Arabica Coffee.  That’s it!  No preservatives or other weird additives.

The manufacturing process is also simple, but the result is a delicious cup of cold brew coffee.  What is even better is that this cold brew coffee can be enjoyed either hot or cold.

We had the opportunity to try the following four varieties: Ethiopian (light roast), Sumatran (dark roast), Colombian (medium roast) and Decaf (medium roast).

Preparing the coffee cold could not be easier.  Peel off the lid, pour it in a cup and add cold water (no coffee maker needed!).  I could see this being handy for traveling.

I used our Hamilton Beach FlexBrew coffee maker to prepare the hot version.  It was a little trickier because I did not failed to read the directions and did not realize that the liquid would come out as soon as I inserted the pod (although I guess that should be obvious!)  As long as you have your mug ready as soon as the pod is inserted, there should not be any problems.  Cold or hot, it was delicious both ways!

I cannot wait for the weather to become cooler.  Reading with a cup of coffee and a little sweet snack on a chilly day is one of my favorite things to do!

Each 6-count box retails for $8.99 and can be found at javahouse.com, walmart.com, or your local Wal-Mart store.  Java House is providing the opportunity for one of my readers to win a month’s supply of their cold brew coffee pods (1 box of each variety: Ethiopian, Colombian, Sumatran, and Decaf)!

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Celebrate National Read A Book Day With National Geographic Kids

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I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post myhonest opinions. Compensation for this post was
provided and this page may contain affiliate links.

Did you know that today is National Read A Book Day?  I think reading a book should be done everyday, but it is nice that there is a day to celebrate its importance.  National Geographic Kids publishes a wide array of educational books that make reading fun for kids.

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.

Weird But True is a popular series published by National Geographic Kids.  We had the chance to review the tenth edition.  Just like the books before it, it is filled with interesting factoids such as “Research found that babies cry more in Britain, Canada and Italy than anywhere else in the world.  They cry the least in Denmark, Germany and Japan.”  Who knew?

The National Geographic Kids Almanac is another series that my kids have really enjoyed over the years.  It is filled with facts and photos about everything from animals to weather.  Even though a new edition is published every year, they keep the content fresh and exciting for curious young minds.

Many people associate National Geographic Kids with non-fiction books, but we just discovered that they also have a selection of fiction books.  The Nebula Secret is Book One of a new series called Explorer Academy.  This book is about a 12-year-old named Cruz Coronado.  Cruz and 23 other kids from around the world are enrolled at the Explorer Academy where there are in training to become world-class explorers.  Cruz must figure out clues to a family mystery and figure out why someone would be out to get him.

My son was very excited to read this book.  After he read the first chapter he said it was the best book he has ever read!  However, as he read on, he said there were some scary parts so I advised him not to read it at night.  Although this book is recommended for ages 8-12, I think it might be more appropriate for kids on the upper half of this spectrum.  I do appreciate how the book is inspired by real National Geographic explorers.  There are also secret symbols, codes, and puzzles hidden throughout the book, which add to the adventure.

To celebrate the launch of Explorer Academy, one lucky family will experience a spectacular ship-based expedition, just like the students at
Explorer Academy. The grand prize is a family trip for four to Alaska’s Inside Passage from National Geographic Expeditions. Enter the sweepstakes at exploreracademytrip.com.

Finally, 1,001 Ways to Be Creative is a fun book to spark the imagination.  This book is for anyone who is looking for a source of “everyday inspiration”.  Life as an adult can become monotonous unless we make a conscious effort to infuse creativity into it.  Sometimes we think being creative is only for artists or those who have dedicated their lives to a craft.  However, this books shows the reader that being creative can be as simple as changing the order of our meals for one day.  (Personally, I am a big fan of breakfast for dinner!)

I hope that this list of books inspires you and your kids to read together and celebrate National Read A Book Day!

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Inspired Reading: The Spirit of God Illustrated Bible Review + Giveaway

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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.

The Spirit of God Illustrated Bible, written by Doris Wynbeek Rikkers and illustrated by Fernando Juarez, is a book of Bible stories geared towards kids ages 4-8.  What makes this book unique is that it focuses on God’s Spirit, the oft-neglected part of the Trinity.  Kids often (understandably) do not have a clear understanding of God’s Spirit.  This book shows that God’s Spirit is present from Creation to the present and highlights the role of God’s Spirit through various stories from the Bible.

This beautifully illustrated hardback book recently published by Zonderkidz contains over forty stories from both the Old Testament and the New Testament and is a substantial 312 pages.  I think this book would be ideal for bedtime reading sessions and/or devotions.  It would make a wonderful gift for any child in your life, and I have a giveaway for one my readers to win a copy of their own!

 

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller/FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

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Label It Or Lose It: Mabel’s Labels Review + Giveaway

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Disclosure: Samples were provided in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

With kids going back to school, now is the best time to make sure all of their personal belongings are labelled with their name.  In 2002, four moms noticed a need for durable, waterproof labels and tags for their children’s belongings.  They met this need by starting a company called Mabel’s Labels.  I am always inspired by entrepreneurial stories where people see a need in everyday life and take action.

I had the opportunity to try out the Ultimate Back-To-School Combo for my kids.  This ultra-handy pack includes:

  • 40 Mini Custom Name Stickers: 1-1/2″ x 5/16″
  • 70 Tag Mates™ Stick On Clothing Labels: 13/16″ x 3/8″
  • 16 Custom Shoe Stickers (8 pairs): 1.3″
  • 2 Personalized Mini Tags: 1-1/4″ x 3/4″

We were able to choose the name (of course), font, image, and color scheme.  This was the fun part for my kids.  Not surprisingly, my daughter chose the basketball design, and my son chose the soccer design.  When we received our package in the mail, I was impressed with how high-quality the labels and tags are.  I can tell that these labels have been designed to withstand heavy use.  They are dishwasher-safe, microwave-safe, laundry-safe and waterproof!

The tags are metal and are convenient to attach to a zipper, like here on my daughter’s backpack.

I am pleased to announce that Mabel’s Labels has generously offered to give away one School Label Pack ($42 value) to one of my readers.  The choices include: Ultimate Back to School Combo, Little Kid School Combo, Middle School Label Pack, Designer Label Pack, Mr. Men School Label Pack, or Hello Kitty School Label Pack.

 

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How to Keep Kids Hydrated When They Play Sports

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by BODYARMOR.  All opinions are my own.

My son really enjoys playing soccer.  Even though fall is the official soccer season, we like to enroll him in various programs year-round to keep him conditioned.  This summer, I signed him up for a week-long soccer camp that lasted from 9 a.m. – noon.  We live in sunny Southern California, so I felt bad when the weather forecast was in the 90’s everyday.

Three hours of strenuous physical activity can take a serious toll on the body, especially young kids.  The first day when I picked my son up at the end of camp he looked miserable.  He told me that he had a headache, which is one of the symptoms of dehydration.

Here are some tips on how to keep kids hydrated when they play sports.

1. Make sure kids start hydrating two days before the anticipated strenuous physical activity.

2. Make sure kids drink the day of the physical activity, before it starts.  My son said he drank a lot during the practice, but drinking before the practice is imperative.

3. Talk to the coaches to make sure that they are implementing several breaks throughout the practice so that kids have the opportunity to hydrate.

4. Water is always a good choice for hydration, but when strenuous or prolonged physical activity is involved, it is beneficial for kids to replace electrolytes that they lose through sweating.  One way to replace electrolytes is through the consumption of sports drinks.

It seems that sports drinks have developed a bad reputation because many of the most popular brands contain a lot of sugar and artificial ingredients.  I am excited that I discovered BODYARMOR LYTE, which is a sports drink that contains only 3 grams of sugar per serving, and contains no artificial flavors, sweeteners or colors.  BODYARMOR LYTE also includes more potassium, vitamins and coconut water than other leading brands, which keeps the body feeling its best.

BODYARMOR LYTE comes in four flavors: Peach Mango, Cherry Berry, Orange Citrus, and Blueberry Pomegranate.

We had the opportunity to try BODYARMOR LYTE in the Peach Mango flavor.

My son really liked the taste, which is important so that kids actually want to hydrate themselves.  The BODYARMOR LYTE also helped keep his energy level going throughout the entire camp day.  I would recommend BODYARMOR LYTE for any parent looking for a sports drink with more natural ingredients for their kids.

Starting in 2018, BODYARMOR Sports Drink is now available at all Walgreens locations nationwide. Click HERE to receive $1.00 off on TWO (2) Bottles of BODYARMOR Sports Drink or BODYARMOR LYTE Sports Drink (16oz Only).

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Sharpen Your Child’s Soccer Skills: Challenger Sports British Soccer Camp Review

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Challenger Sports.  All opinions are my own.

With my daughter away at camp, I knew that I needed to find an activity to keep my son busy for the last week of July.  He tends to become really bored when she is not around–ha!  I saw that Challenger Sports was holding a British Soccer Camp at a park just down the street from us so I decided to sign him up.  There was a choice between a half day camp (9-noon) and full day camp (9-4).  We went with the half day camp, which was a good thing since the weather was so hot that week.  I actually felt bad for the kids that were signed up for the full day camp since it was so hot, but it is a nice option if you need full day childcare.

There were three coaches, and about twenty-five kids at the camp.  Sign-ups were open to boys and girls from ages 3-16, but it seemed like most of the kids were about 5-12.  I had limited interaction with the coaches (2 male, 1 female), but they did have British accents!  From what n told me, they were all friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic.  I appreciated how they greeted n by name by the second day.  That might seem like a small gesture, but it made me feel like they were paying attention to each individual child which is not always the case in settings like this.

The kids were split up into 6 teams and earned points throughout the week for winning their games, as well as participating in fun spirit activities such as dressing up for “Wacky Wednesday” or drawing a picture of their coach.  Each day they did focused drills to focus on specific skills.

The coaches also gave the parents instructions about signing up for an app called TopYa! Soccer.  I had not heard about this app before, but it is pretty cool.  The app teaches kids certain soccer skills through videos.  You can then take a video of your child performing that skill and a virtual coach gives you feedback.  We had a little trouble uploading the video at first, but now that we have the hang of it, n seems to like it.

I realize this is not the most exciting video, but you get the idea!

If you have a young soccer player, or a child who is interested in trying soccer, I would recommend trying out a Challenger Sports British Soccer Camp near you!

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Unique Gourmet Popcorn: Pop Art Snacks Review + Giveaway

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Disclosure: I received free samples in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are my own.

Popcorn is one of my all-time favorite snacks.  I like that it satisfies my craving for salt and crunch without too much guilt compared to other snacks.

Pop Art Snacks is a company that makes gourmet popcorn with unique and interesting flavors.  The packaging is so bright and cheerful!  I was excited to have the opportunity to try out four of their varieties:

  • Hawaiian Sea Salt with Avocado Oil
  • White Cheddar Jalapeno
  • Rosemary Truffle
  • Nori Sesame

The Hawaiian Sea Salt with Avocado Oil flavor debuted at Expo West this past spring, but somehow I missed their booth.  I love how the ingredients are so simple: Non-GMO Popcorn, Avocado Oil, Natural Pacific Sea Salt.

The White Cheddar Jalapeno flavor definitely has a kick to it!  It might be a little too spicy for kids, but spice fans will like this one.  The white cheddar rounds out the spiciness.

As soon as you open the Rosemary Truffle, the aroma hits you.  Although I am not the biggest rosemary fan, I was surprised that I really enjoyed this sophisticated flavor.  Set a bowl of this flavor out as a hors d’oeuvre at your next fancy dinner party.

The Nori Sesame was naturally a big hit with my Asian American family.  I am still surprised to see how “mainstream” nori has become, but it seems to be a flavor that a lot of people enjoy these days.  I like how this is a flavor of popcorn that you cannot find just anywhere.

All of the flavors use non-GMO corn, are gluten-free, air-popped, and have no trans fat or MSG.

Why not make a Pop Art popcorn bar at your next gathering and let your guests decide which is their favorite?

My son and I had fun making origami paper cups to coordinate with each of the flavors!

Origami Popcorn Cup Tutorial

 

I think these pictures are easy to follow, but I will attempt to explain the steps as well:

1. Start with a square piece of paper.

2. Fold in half into a triangle.

3. Fold one corner of the triangle so that the top is parallel to the bottom of the triangle.

4. Fold the opposite corner of the triangle in the same way.

5. Fold top triangles down and tuck into the cup.

6.  To make the cup stand up, flatten the bottom and place a weight, like a little piece of candy in the bottom to help it stay upright.

These paper cups are so festive and easy to make!  They are perfect for serving popcorn and are easy to coordinate by choosing paper that matches your occasion.

Pop Art Gourmet Popcorn can be found at a store near you.  We were also thrilled to find three flavors at our local Cost Plus World Market on sale for $2.99!  We bought a bag of the Thai Coconut Curry because it sounded so intriguing.

You also have the opportunity to try this delicious popcorn for yourself.  Enter our giveaway for four bags of Pop Art Popcorn in the flavors pictured below!

 

 

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Sponsored

Your Choices Matter: Plan Against Pain

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Disclosure: I received this information for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.

I have to admit, when I gave birth to my children, I put a lot of blind faith and trust in my doctor.  I attended childbirth classes with my husband before the birth of our first child, but did little research on my own. I remember a brief discussion with my doctor about pain management where I decided that I would have an epidural if I felt it was necessary. However, I do not remember there being any discussion of my pain management options should I have needed a C-section. Thankfully, I did not need a C-section, but if I had, I probably would have blindly agreed to take any opioids or prescription painkillers that my doctor had prescribed. I think it is important for expectant mothers to learn about their pain management options before they are in the hospital. Once you are in the midst of pain, it is difficult to make rational decisions, because it feels like you would be willing to do almost anything to make the pain go away.

Plan Against Pain is an excellent online resource that educates patients about the potential side effects and addiction that can result from prescription painkillers. If you are planning to become pregnant, or are currently expecting, Plan Against Pain provides information about non-opioid pain-relieving options following C-section surgery. In the United States, overprescription has become all too common. Education is key in making sure that we as women make informed decisions regarding our health and well-being.

 

 

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Upgrade Your Toothbrush: Smile Brilliant cariPRO Toothbrush Review

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Disclosure: Smile Brilliant provided me with a free kit in exchange for an honest review and I will receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.  However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

You may recall that my husband D recently had the opportunity to try out the Smile Brilliant Professional Whitening System.  Since we were impressed with the results, I did not hesitate in accepting an opportunity to try out Smile Brilliant’s new cariPRO electric toothbrush.

The “Individual Package” that we tried includes:

  • x1 cariPRO™ Ultrasonic toothbrush
  • x2 premium replacement heads with tongue scraper & DuPont™ bristles
  • x1 wireless charging dock

I currently use an electric toothbrush on the recommendation of my dentist.  However, the cariPRO electric toothbrush has some unique features that impressed me:

  • 40,000 vibrations per minute (that is a lot of vibrations!)
  • 5 brush modes (clean, white, massage, gum care, sensitive)
  • 30 day battery life (on full charge)
  • Slim and light-weight design with graphite gray soft-touch grip
  • Waterproof design is safe for shower or bath
  • The replaceable toothbrush heads are reasonably priced.

For answers to some FAQs about Smile Brilliant’s products, click here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlYn00qh2KH/?taken-by=limbylim

Who knew that brushing could be so fun?

I thought I was doing a good job of brushing my teeth before, but my teeth felt cleaner after using this toothbrush.  If you do not already use an electric toothbrush, I would recommend this one.  If you already use an electric toothbrush, it might be time for an upgrade!

I am pleased to announce that Smile Brilliant is offering my readers an exclusive 40% off cariPRO Ultrasonic electric toothbrushes.  At checkout, use code: limbylim40


Tooth Whitening Gel

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Boredom Buster: I Dig It Kits Review #thamesandkosmos#letknowledgegrow #Tryazon

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Disclosure: We received samples in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

With the kids on summer break, we are always on the look out for activities to do at home.  We recently had the opportunity to try the I Dig It! kits by Thames & Kosmos, and they are definitely a fun boredom buster!

Here is what came in the kit that n chose.

The kids had fun digging for their objects.

Be prepared for a mess, but that is half of the fun, right?

Click here for a 25% off discount and free shipping from 7/6/18 – 7/30/18 when you order one of the I Dig It! Excavation Kits from Thames & Kosmos on Amazon.


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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