Disclosure: I received sample products in order to facilitate this review. 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.
As summer slowly winds down, we are still spending a lot of time at home. Our school is online (soon to be hybrid), and our weekends still do not involve many of our usual activities or outings. Having time to play games together as a family is one thing that I appreciate about our time spent safer at home.
In Hues and Cues, players describe colors with non-color words such as “lemon”. Other players are supposed to guess which of the 480 colors matches the description.
Hues and Cues is unlike any other game we have played. The large, colorful game board is visually appealing. This game is a good exercise in thinking outside of the box to find words that can accurately describe colors. It is funny to find out how other people may interpret colors differently from you. Hues and Cues is for ages 8+ and 3-10 players.
Telestrations Upside Drawn is a twist on a drawing game. In this game, one player draws, but the person who knows the word controls the board by moving it. The player with the pen is the one who guesses the word.
This is definitely a challenging game! It is not easy to direct someone else’s drawing. Also, the words and phrases that are supposed to be drawn are not obvious. This game would be fun with a group. Telestrations Upside Drawn is for ages 12+ and can be played with 4-12 players.
Where to Purchase The Op Games
The Op Games can be purchased through their online shop, or at major retailers such as Amazon, Target, Walmart and Barnes & Noble.
The Op Games Giveaway
Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win Hues and Cues and Telestrations Upside Drawn. There will be TWO winners!
Disclosure: I received samples in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
You cannot beat the convenience of having a stash of soup cups in your pantry. I consider them “insurance” for those days when you just need a quick lunch or snack. Therefore, I was excited to hear about Lotus Foods Rice Ramen Soup Cups. Boil some water and three minutes later you have a delicious cup of soup!
Lotus Foods Rice Ramen Soup Cup Flavors
Lotus Foods Rice Ramen Soup Cups come in six unique flavors:
Red Miso
Spicy Kimchi*
Hot & Sour*
Tom Yum
Garlicky Veggie*
Masala Curry
*Includes Freeze-Dried Chunky Veggies
Instant ramen has gained a bad rap because it often contains not-so-healthy ingredients. These Lotus Foods Rice Ramen Soup Cups contain just organic whole grain brown rice noodles and spices and veggies. They do not contain any artificial flavors, colors or preservatives and they are also Non-GMO Project Verified.
We enjoyed the unique chewy texture of the organic brown rice noodles. Our favorite flavor was the Garlicky Veggie. I cannot wait for the weather to cool down so that we can enjoy soup season to the fullest!
Where to Purchase Lotus Foods Products
Lotus Foods offers an expansive line of products, ranging from rice to crackers to rice noodles, all of which can be ordered online through their website.
Lotus Foods Rice Ramen Soup Cups Giveaway
Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win a variety of Lotus Foods Rice Ramen Soup Cups (over $25 value!).
Disclosure: I received samples of Lakanto by being a #Tryazon party host. All opinions are my own.
Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener seems to be gaining in popularity quite rapidly. This is not surprising, as many people are searching for ways to cut down on sugar. Monkfruit is all-natural, FDA-approved and does not cause spikes in blood sugar. Look up Lakanto on Pinterest, and there are plenty of recipes to choose from, such as muffins, cookies, and smoothies. Not too long ago, I also noticed that Costco was selling this sugar substitute in the baking aisle.
While I believe that I have tried some energy bars with monkfruit as an ingredient, I had never tried baking with it. Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener is extremely easy to bake with because it is a 1:1 sugar substitute. No math calculations or guessing necessary! I made these chocolate chip cookies using a combination of the Lakanto Classic and Golden Monkfruit Sweeteners. The cookies came out a little thicker than my usual cookies, but they had a good taste and texture.
I must include a warning that some people may experience gastro-intestinal or other side effects from monkfruit. If you already know that monkfruit is something that your body handles well, I would definitely recommend the Lakanto brand. If you have never tried monkfruit before, I would go easy at first and see how your body responds. Lakanto Monkfruit Sweeteners allow you to enjoy the sweet things in life without the sugar.
Disclosure: I received samples in order to facilitate this review. 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.
Poptime Snacks have become our family’s official go-to snacks this summer. A couple of months ago, I did a full review of their wide variety of popcorn and popped chips. We are big fans of Poptime Snacks because they come in unique and delicious flavors, but do not contain any of the unhealthy ingredients often found in other snack brands. Poptime Snacks are vegan, cholesterol-free, preservative-free, GMO-free, nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, trans-fat free and artificial flavor-free.
Poptime Snacks Are Available In Variety Packs
Today I am excited to announce that Poptime Snacks is now offering Variety Packs of each of their snack lines: Poptime Creations, Big & Bold Popcorn, Poptime Popcorn and Poptime Popped Chips. Each Variety Pack includes six full-size bags and are a great value. I like the Variety Pack option because it allows serious snackers to easily try an array of wonderful flavors!
Summer Adventures With Poptime Snacks
Here are some places where Poptime Snacks have accompanied us on our adventures this summer.
Can you watch a movie without eating popcorn? Not too long ago our family went to an outdoor movie. There were socially distant tables and they encouraged everyone to bring their own food and snacks. The Chocolate & Vanilla Poptime Creations Popcorn was a nice treat to munch on while watching a movie al fresco.
Next, we brought along Sweet & Salty Kettle Big and Bold Popcorn on our camping trip to Big Bear.
It was the perfect snack to pack for our picnic lunch by the lake.
Hiking always makes us hungry. This time the snack of choice was Poptime Popcorn.
Finally, we packed Poptime Popped Chips for a relaxing day at the beach.
Poptime Snacks Variety Packs can be purchased on the Poptime Snacks website (with free shipping on all orders!) or Amazon.
Poptime Snacks Giveaway
Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a Variety Pack of Poptime Creations, Poptime Popcorn, Big & Bold Popcorn and Poptime Popped Chips. (That’s 24 full-size bags!)
Disclosure: I received samples in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
I have not been to a salon since we started staying at home due to the pandemic. One thing that I miss about going to the salon is how healthy and hydrated my hair feels afterward. I find that it is difficult to replicate that feeling with my usual shampoo and conditioner. Recently I had the opportunity to try MasamiMekabu Shampoo and Conditioner. I was eager to see if the results would be salon-worthy.
Love the premium packaging!
I had never heard of Mekabu before, so I was curious as to what it is all about. According to the Masami story, Mekabu is an ingredient that comes from beneath the Wakame leaf. Masami sources Mekabu powder from a family-owned seaweed company in Japan. Mekabu contains ocean vitamins and minerals that provide natural hydration for hair. Who knew?
After washing my hair with the Masami Mekabu Shampoo and Conditioner, the first thing I noticed was how soft my hair felt. In addition, I was amazed at how my hair and scalp felt so nourished and hydrated. This is especially important since my hair tends to feel dry and brittle now that I color it. Both the Masami shampoo and the conditioner have a light scent that is derived from natural ingredients. The scent is difficult to describe, but I found it quite pleasant, both while washing my hair and drying it. I only needed to use a small amount of both products for my hair to feel cleansed. My hair did indeed feel like it does after a trip to the salon!
It is also worth noting that Masami hair care products do not contain parabens, sulfates, phthalates, alcohol, or silicone, and are cruelty-free and vegan.
Disclosure: I received a sample in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
D and n like to go swimming at our community pool on a regular basis. Although they are diligent about putting on sunscreen, I found a line of products that provides another literal layer of protection: UV Skinz. UV Skinz specializes in swimwear, clothing and accessories that provide “built-in” 50+ UPF sun protection that blocks 98% of the sun’s UVA and UVB rays.
The founder of UV Skinz lost her husband to skin cancer when he was 32 years old. She is now committed to educating and promoting sun safety through her company.
I was quite impressed with the quality of this swim shirt. The fabric is thicker than other swim shirts we have bought, and the seams look and feel very durable.
I purposely ordered a size up in the hopes that he will be able to wear the swim shirt next year as well. At first, I thought it looked pretty small for size 14, but there is some room to grow.
n said the swim shirt was comfortable to wear in and out of the water. He has had other swim shirts that really stretch out when wet, but he did not have that issue with this shirt.
Based on our experience, I would highly recommend UV Skinz. It is reassuring to have extra protection when out in the sun.
Where to Purchase UV Skinz
UV Skinz products are available for purchase on the UV Skinz website. They offer free shipping on all US orders. UV Skinz has swimwear and clothing for the whole family, in sizes from 3 months to 4XL! I really like the sun hats, which also provide UV protection.
UV Skinz Giveaway
A big thank you to UV Skinz, for providing a $50 gift certificate to their online shop for one of my readers. Enter the giveaway below!
Disclosure: I received samples in order to facilitate this review. 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.
Probably like many others, our family is still spending a lot of time at home. Board games are always a fun option to keep everyone entertained. Winning Moves has some of the best games on the market.
Large Print Tile Lock Scrabble makes significant improvements on the classic Scrabble game. First, the board and tiles are much larger, which makes it easier to read. Second, each tile has its own compartment, which “locks” the tile in place. No more tiles sliding around. Third, the board has a turntable function, which makes it easy to spin so that players do not have to try to look at the board from an awkward position.
Large Print Tile Lock Scrabble is for 2-4 players, and is recommended for ages 8 and up.
Pass The Pigs
Although Pass the Pigs has been around for more than 25 years, it is a new game for our family. The game involves rolling the pigs like dice and adding up points depending on the pigs’ position when they land.
I like how all of the game components fit into the compact dice cup. This game will not take up much room on your game shelf!
Pass the Pigs is easy to learn and recommended for kids ages 7 and up. Have your kids add up the points and they can get some extra math practice in at the same time!
Here are some more details about our two-night stay at Pineknot Campground near Big Bear Lake. This campground is actually located at the base of Snow Summit ski resort. We made reservations online ahead of time. There is no one to check you in at the entrance, so we drove directly to our reserved site. At around 8:30 at night, we were all in the tent talking, and we heard a voice call out asking “Are you in there?” We thought the question was directed towards someone else, but n yelled back to be funny. Then a flashlight beamed on and off in our tent, so I sent D out to see what was going on. It turns out the camp host had been looking for us to officially check us in. He claimed we were not there, even when he saw our car at the site. Hmm…
As you can see, the sites are pretty large. This was site 31, which was nice because we only had neighbors on one side. The bathroom was just the right distance, too. Not too close, and not too far. (There are no shower facilities).
I had read multiple reviews that commented how well this campground was maintained. Unfortunately, that did not seem to be the case when we were there. The trash dumpster that was near us was at-capacity during our entire stay. I would say that the bathrooms were in the bottom third in terms of cleanliness/pleasantness of all the campgrounds we have stayed at. You know it is bad when you are seeking bathrooms in the grocery store just so you can avoid one trip to the one at your campground.
Breakfast at Dank Donuts
Our current car is a small sedan, so we did not have any room for camp cooking equipment. This meant eating out, which was fine with us! We stopped for breakfast at Dank Donuts. We ordered coffee for D, split two breakfast burritos, and three donuts.
You know how we love our breakfast burritos! It was premade, and kept in a warmer, but it was still very tasty. The accompanying salsa made it even better (not shown). Also, not sure why I did not take a picture of the donuts, but they were good as well. Someone needs to try the croissants and tell me how they are. They were HUGE! We ate our breakfast on the side of the road before our morning hike.
Castle Rock Trail
I wanted to hike Castle Rock Trail early in the morning, both to beat the crowds and to avoid the heat of the day. It is also best to go early because parking can be precarious. There is no lot, so you are parking on a busy curvy mountain road with no sidewalks. The trail itself is 2.4 miles round trip and is classified as intermediate/difficult. As we were returning to our car, someone asked D if the trail was suitable for strollers, and I would say definitely not! It is quite steep and rocky in places, and quite a workout.
This crazy guy had already woken up early and gone running before our strenuous hike.
Our arrival to Castle Rock was anti-climatic, as we did not even know we had reached it! We saw some rocks, but was not sure it was our final destination, so we kept on hiking. It was only after some time of not seeing many other hikers that we realized we had already passed it.
By this time, our energy and enthusiasm was running low, and the sun was warming up.
Woodland Interpretive Trail
Here’s a story for you: We recuperated with a picnic lunch at a local park, and then I convinced everyone to go on one last hike on the Woodland Interpretive Trail. We were trying to find parking, so I directed D to park on the side of the road where we saw a bunch of other cars parked. Unfortunately, we ended up getting stuck in sand! Our tires were spinning, but our car would not move-doh! I got out of the car to inspect the situation, and it felt like everyone was looking at our predicament, shaking their heads. Fortunately, two kind strangers (who were friends with each other) ended up helping D push our car while I put the car in reverse. I was so relieved that the situation did not end up being worse!! We ended up finding out that there was a whole parking lot dedicated to the trail, and parking was plentiful. (A national forest parking permit was required, but we had purchased one ahead of time for $5 at the nearby 7-11).
I would like to say that the 1.5 mi Woodland Trail was worth all of that, but in the end it was just too warm to be enjoyable. This was the only picture I took! I think it would be a good trail for younger kids in cooler weather, however. There are sixteen markers with an accompanying map that explains interesting natural features of the trail.
Dinner at Tropicali
For dinner, we treated ourselves to Tropicali. I heard about this place on Yelp, where they have a crazy amount of five star reviews.
We placed our order inside and ate on the back patio. I think the customer service is what sets this place apart. It is so over-the-top friendly, with a surfer dude vibe. Even though we had to stifle our laughter a bit at the corniness of it all, I can see why people appreciate the atmosphere.
The food was excellent, as well. We ordered three ahi tuna poke bowls and a chicken bowl for variety.
Post-Dinner Activities
We tend to eat dinner really early, and vacation is no exception. We had some time to kill back at our campsite, so we took a little walk around the neighborhood. D had seen some impressive homes on his morning run, so he showed some of them to us.
Pretty crazy, right?
n was bored, so he came up with a his own outdoor version of the game Mancala. I thought it was quite ingenious.
We tried to see Comet Neowise at night, but there were too many trees blocking our view, and I think it was too late in the month. Although the temperature dipped down to the 40’s, we stayed warm in our tent. We returned home the next morning in need of a shower. However, it’s these kinds of trips that I know will stay with our family forever.
Disclosure: I received samples in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
Spending time outdoors definitely has its benefits. It is good for the body, mind and soul. However, precautions need to be taken when you are exposed to the elements. All Terrain is a company that is dedicated to providing products that provide natural protection.
All Terrain Herbal Armor DEET-Free Natural Insect Repellant
When you are near a body of water like a lake, mosquitoes and other insects are just a fact of life. I was a bit leary of spending a lot of time near Big Bear Lake, as everyone in my family has experienced some pretty nasty bug bites in the past. We prepared ourselves by generously applying the All Terrain Herbal Armor Natural Insect Repellant generously to our arms and legs. The active ingredients include soybean oil, citronella oil, peppermint oil, cedarwood oil, lemongrass oil and geranium oil. I felt better about using an insect repellant with these natural ingredients rather than questionable chemicals. While there is definitely a strong scent, it is not unpleasant. Despite seeing and hearing several insects during our hikes and at the campground, we all survived the trip without any bug bites!
All Terrain KidSport SPF 45 Sunscreen Lotion
The weather in Big Bear was somewhere in the low to mid 80’s, and there was very little cloud cover. We did several hikes, and I made sure to have everyone to apply liberal amounts of sunscreen. Even though the All Terrain KidSport SPF 45 Lotion is obviously geared towards kids, my entire family tried it out. This sunscreen is oxybenzone and fragrance-free and is water resistant for 80 minutes. The SPF 45 was effective in protecting us from sunburns and did not leave a greasy film like some other sunscreens. I was definitely glad to have this on hand during our trip!
Where to Purchase All Terrain Products + Discount Code
All Terrain products can be purchased through the All Terrain Online Store. Use discount code ATLL083120 for 20% off your purchase, valid until August 31, 2020! In addition to natural insect repellent and sunscreen, All Terrain also carries itch relief products, bandages, topical first aid products, soaps and hand sanitizer. They have everything you need to be prepared for spending time outdoors.
All Terrain Insect Repellant and Sunscreen Giveaway
Disclosure: I received samples in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
In my constant quest to find natural products to use inside and outside the home, I came across Charlie’s Soap. This company is dedicated to the following motto: “Live Green. Deep Clean.” I appreciate that Charlie’s Soap products contain only biodegradable and hypo-allergenic ingredients both for my family’s health and the environment.
Charlie’s Soap sent us their Natural Laundry Liquid Detergent, Oxygen Bleach and Indoor & Outdoor Surface Cleaner to try out in our home.
Charlie’s Soap Laundry Products
Welcome to the not-so-glamorous laundry space in our garage! I don’t think our blog has ever gone here before-ha!
At first, I was surprised that this small bottle of laundry detergent could do 50 loads! The amount needed is just a small capful. I liked that this detergent is unscented as I personally find strong-smelling detergents to be off-putting. This liquid detergent is also a lot less “gloppy” than other detergents I have used, so there is no messy residue left in the cap. Overall, I was pleased with the cleaning capability of this detergent.
In the past, I have been weary of using bleach with my laundry. Let’s just say I have had some bad experiences in the past. However, I do have a lot of white towels and sheets, so I know that laundry products with bleach could be my friend. Charlie’s Soap Oxygen Bleach comes in a powder form that can be added to your load of laundry. It does not contain chlorine, nor does it contain any perfumes or dyes. I was quite pleased with how my whites came out whiter, all without any harsh chemicals.
Charlie’s Soap Indoor & Outdoor Surface Cleaner
I have to admit, cleaning outdoor surfaces is not on the top of my to-do list. It was not difficult for me to think of places in my backyard where I could try out Charlie’s Soap Indoor & Outdoor Surface Cleaner.
The application could not be simpler. I sprayed the cleaner onto the surface I wanted to clean and waited the recommended thirty minutes. I used a brush to scrub the dirt off and used a hose to rinse it down.
I was impressed with the results. This stain had been there for a long time. I think if I repeated the process again, it would look even better! Charlie’s Soap Indoor & Outdoor Cleaner does not contain any abrasives, perfumes, phosphates, bleach, lye or dyes. The bottle says this cleaner can be used for cars, boats, bikes, driveways, siding, walls, pets, hands, engines, grills, and furniture. The cleaning possibilities seem endless!
Where to Purchase Charlie’s Soap
Charlie’s Soap products can be purchased through their website, or at a store near you. I was actually surprised to see that this brand is available at several stores where I shop. I will need to pay more attention to the shelves the next time I am shopping for cleaning supplies.
Charlie’s Soap Giveaway
Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win Charlie’s Soap Natural Laundry Liquid Detergent, Oxygen Bleach and Indoor & Outdoor Surface Cleaner!
