LimByLim

Nona Lim: No Nonsense Noodle Bowls + Bone Broth [Review + Giveaway]

June 29, 2018 58 Comments

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

Nona Lim is yet another company that I discovered through Expo West. Obviously, the name “Lim” immediately caught my attention, although we are not related that I know of! I was interested in trying their line of Asian-inspired products, which are gluten-free, dairy-free, preservative-free, additive-free, low-sodium and low-sugar.

I was especially excited to try their new Noodle Bowls, which come in three flavors: Chicken Pho, Thai Coconut Lime, and Green Curry.

This is the Chicken Pho Noodle Bowl, deconstructed.

The prep could not be any easier. Empty the noodles and broth into the paper bowl and microwave for 5 minutes.

We added some jalapenos, scallions and herbs, but you could add chicken or other vegetables for a heartier meal.

First off, the broth smelled amazing; I felt like I was in a Vietnamese restaurant! The rice noodles turned out to have a nice texture; not too firm or mushy. The broth had a lighter flavor than I am used to, but that is probably due to fact that it is not overloaded with sodium and MSG. It was still delicious–I think it is good for our palates to adjust to what “clean” eating should taste like.

I was also curious about these Heat & Sip Bone Broth Cups. The flavors include Ginseng Chicken, Vietnamese Pho Beef, Tumeric Chicken, Shiitake Beef, and Thai Coconut Lime. I have been hearing a lot lately about the benefits of bone broth, including better digestion and healthier skin, hair, nails, joints, immune system and metabolic functions. Sounds good to me!

In addition to the nutritional benefits, the Nona Lim Bone Broths have wonderfully complex and nuanced flavors that are warm and comforting. I had D take the Ginseng Chicken Bone Broth to work for an afternoon pick-me-up. It was so easy for him to heat it up in the microwave and enjoy in his office’s “hub”.

The Heat & Sip Bone Broth Cups also fit perfectly in my car’s cupholders. I could see taking one of these along when I need nourishment on the go, which seems to be often for me these days!

Nona Lim products can be found at select markets, including Whole Foods. Go here to find a store near you, or you can order their products online.

I am also excited to announce that Nona Lim is generously offering a $50 gift card to their online store for one of my readers!

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Food, Reviews, Sponsored

#NewHopeBloggerBox Highlights

June 27, 2018 1 Comment

I received samples of these products as a New Hope Blogger. 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.

I received my second New Hope Blogger Box filled with natural products, and it did not disappoint.

Here are the products that I received, along with my opinions regarding some of the products.

Bellucci Organic 100% Italian On-the-Go EVOO Squeeze Packs: I have tried this brand before, and it is an excellent brand of olive oil. The squeeze packs are convenient if you want to make salad dressing on the go, like D does at work for lunch.
Casa de Sante Mild Chunky Salsa: This brand does not contain any onion or garlic, which I guess some people cannot tolerate. It also does not contain any additives or preservatives. I liked that you can see and taste the real chunks of tomato in this salsa. It was mild enough for the kids.
Colorado Hemp Honey Sticks
Crunchsters Variety Pack (Sea Salt, Smokey Balsamic, Beyond Bacon): These were a surprise hit! They are mung bean sprouts, and each portion provides 7 grams of protein and 5 grams of prebiotic fiber. n especially liked the Beyond Bacon flavor.

Cybele’s Free to Eat Superfood Green Rotini Pasta
Emerald Health Bioceuticals ENDO BLISS
Enjoy Life Foods Crispy Grain & Seed Bars (Maple Sweet Potato): I appreciate that this brand is nut-free due to our kids’ allergies. This flavor was interesting; I think I might like other flavors better (maybe Chocolate Marshmallow?–ha!)

HumanN SuperBeets Energy Plus
Innovix Pharma Inc. High Absorption Curcumin
Motherlove Herbal Company Motherlove Green Salve for bites, bumps & bruises: We tried this on some mosquito bites that n and k had and it seemed to help.
Nature’s Fusions Essential Oils
Nature’s Truth Ultra Beet Root Powder
Olivida Soap Company Olive Oil Soap: This is a nice soap in that it does not leave a film on your skin and the scent is subtle and not overpowering.

Papa Steve’s No junk Raw Protein Bar (Peanut Butter Choco Chip & Peanut Butter Crunch): These are some hefty protein bars! I had never heard of this brand before, but I like that there is no refined sugar and 20 g of protein. It tastes like a bar that you would make at home (if you had time!)

RawFusion Plant-Based Protein (Vanilla Bean)
Restore
Rise-N-Shine Wake Up On Time
Simple Mills Fine Ground Sea Salt Almond Flour Crackers: These reminded me of healthier Wheat Thins. Because they are made from almond flour, they are gluten-free and contain more protein.

SoTru Organic Fermented Beet Powder

So, those are some of my thoughts for this round of products. Can’t wait to see what is in the next one!

Family Field Trips

Christmas in June Angels Baseball Game

June 26, 2018 1 Comment

On Saturday night, we went to an Angels baseball game. They played the Toronto Blue Jays. I was kind of surprised to see how many Toronto Blue Jays fans there were in attendance.

The stadium was decorated for “Christmas in June” which was kind of fun.

I purposely picked a night game because it is just too hot and sunny during the day. Well, the game started at 6:07, so the sun was still up in the beginning.

It was not very crowded in our section, as you can see.

We brought in our own sandwiches, drinks, and snacks. The rules say “no hard coolers” so we brought a soft-sided cooler and sealed store-bought water bottles and Capri Suns and had no issues.

D is currently in a work competition to see which team can get the most steps so he was walking around the stadium and at his seat. Good thing there was no one directly behind us.

This crowd was really into doing the wave. They actually succeeded in going around the entire stadium a few times. D caught our half-hearted attempt:

Whoever thought of this silliness?

D cannot resist dancing to House of Pain’s “Jump”. k, you better get used to your daddy being embarrassing!

So sadly, the Angels ended up losing in the ninth inning. Where is Ohtani when you need him? But, we were able to watch the fireworks show after the game accompanied by Christmas music!

I don’t think we will be able to watch fireworks for 4th of July this year, so this was a nice substitute.

They were also showing How the Grinch Stole Christmas after that, but it was already late for this early-to-bed family!

Giveaways, Restaurant Reviews, Sponsored

Not Your Ordinary Fast Food Burger: The Habit Burger Grill + Giveaway

June 25, 2018 32 Comments

Disclosure: A gift card was provided to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

When our family wants to go out for a casual meal, we have a handful of “go-to” places. One of those places is The Habit Burger Grill. It is definitely a step-up from fast food, but the prices are still reasonable. You order at the counter and they give you a pager that lights up when your food is ready. The service that we had was very friendly and sufficiently efficient considering that the restaurant was pretty crowded when we went.

The original Habit Burger Grill opened in Santa Barbara in 1969. Since then it has been steadily expanding and they now have locations from California to Dubai! See locations here.

It is evident that The Habit is more than just another regular hamburger joint by their drink selection. Sure, they have the normal self-serve soda machine offerings, but they also have agua frescas and other unique drinks for the same price of a fountain drink, with free refills. We tried both the Peach & Ginger Nectar (peach puree, fresh ginger, lime juice and fresh basil) and the Strawberry Limeade (strawberry puree, limeade, and fresh cucumber slices) (large drink, $2.19). The signs say that these drinks are handmade daily, and we could definitely taste the freshness!

We ate a late lunch that day, so we could not wait to dig in.

The kids’ usual order is the Charburger with cheese ($4.19). It comes with lettuce, caramelized onions (yum!), pickles, and mayo on a toasted bun. I appreciate that they grill their patties over an open flame (hence, the “burger grill” part of their name).

We usually split an order of fries and onion rings. Their fries are pretty good, but I really enjoy their onion rings. The batter is not too thick or thin, stays on the onion, and adds a lot of crunch and flavor ($2.59).

For this visit, we decided to try the tempura green beans ($2.99). The batter was more flavorful than I expected, and the green beans still had a nice snap. They went really well with the ranch dipping sauce.

The Santa Barbara Cobb Salad ($8.19) has iceberg and romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, avocado, blue cheese crumbles, bacon and egg, tossed in a red wine vinaigrette, with grilled chicken breast. This salad is definitely a filling meal! Sometimes D and I like to split a salad and a Charburger or sandwich so we can get more veggies in.

The Santa Barbara Char is a Double Char with cheese and avocado on grilled sourdough bread ($6.39).

The kids split this one this time, and it was enough! The grilled sourdough bread and avocado really elevate this burger.

I like the “California active lifestyle” vibe going on with the decor.

For dessert, we treated the kids to their $1 vanilla soft serve cones. This was our first time trying out the ice cream, and it was a sweet way to end our meal! We have yet to try their shakes. Maybe next time…

Have you been to The Habit? What do you like to order there?

Thank you to The Habit, for generously offering a $25 gift card to one of my readers!

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Reviews, Sponsored

Telestrations: Large Group Laughs! #Telestrations #usaopoly #tryazon

June 24, 2018 1 Comment

Disclosure: Tryazon provided us a free product in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.

It can be difficult to find a game that is fun with a large group of people. Telestrations is one of those games! It is a combination of the game Telephone and Pictionary.

There are two versions: 8 player and 12 player.

As you can see, the game comes with everything you need to play. I like that the dry erase pens and the cleaning cloths work really well in conjunction with the individual sketch books.

Each player starts with a word from the cards and sketches it. The players pass the sketchbooks after one minute and then guess what the word is. Then they sketch their guess, and pass it until everyone ends up with their original sketchbook. It is hilarious to look through the sketchbook to see how the pictures evolved.

This would be a good icebreaker game because there is not a lot of pressure on each individual player. Everyone is drawing at the same time, with a lot of laughs at the end. I also like that emphasis is not so much about winning as it is about having fun!

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.

Giveaways, Reviews, Sponsored

Creating a Brand: StickerYou Review + Giveaway

June 22, 2018 26 Comments

StickerYouDisclosure: I received free samples in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

As you may have noticed, recently I have been working a lot on improving and promoting this blog. At the beginning of this year, I had business cards made, which is important for blogger conferences and face to face interactions. I have been thinking that it would also be nice to have some other LimByLim branded items that I could use as a conversation starter (“LIMBYLIM? What’s that?”) So when StickerYou contacted me about trying out some of their products, I knew it was the perfect opportunity.

StickerYou offers a wide array of products that can be personalized, including stickers, labels, temporary tattoos, magnets, decals, etc. You can upload your own images to the site or use their templates. The possibilities are truly endless.

Here is one of my LimByLim refrigerator magnets:

I also made glossy white vinyl labels, which are durable, waterproof, and have a removable adhesive.

I used the label to make a personalized thermos!

I also ordered iron-ons and personalized this tote bag. I think I need to make a LimByLim t-shirt too!

StickerYou makes products that are useful for small businesses as well as for personal use. For example, my mom is a talented cook, so I thought she would appreciate these food labels.

Wouldn’t these make nice Christmas gifts?

How about making labels for kids so that their things do not end up in the Lost and Found?

I am excited to announce that StickerYou is also offering one of my readers a $50 promo code to use on their site! What would you make?

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Reviews, Sponsored

Desert Essence Restored My Hair #momsmeet #desertessence

June 20, 2018 No Comments

I received this product 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.

Desert Essence is a line of body, skin, and hair care products that has been around since 1978. Their hair care products are made from natural ingredients such as Jojoba and coconut oils, aloe, and saw palmetto.

The Anti-Breakage Shampoo and Conditioner contains a special formula of Keratin and Pro-Vitamin B5 to fortify each strand and minimize the breakage that causes split ends.

I recently dyed my hair for the very first time because my grays were really beginning to multiply. I like the color of the balayage, but I notice that now my hair can tend to look and feel frizzy and brittle. The Desert Essence hair products that I tried restored my hair’s shine and moisture!

To find Desert Essence Shampoo and Conditioner in your area, visit: desertessence.com/store-locator. Get 20% off Anti-Breakage and Smoothing Hair Care Products on desertessence.com with the promo code DELovesMomsMeet

Food, Giveaways, Sponsored

Snacks My Kids Can Freely Eat: FreeYumm Review + Giveaway

June 19, 2018 52 Comments

Disclosure: I received free products in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

One of the most exciting discoveries for me at Expo West was the number of companies dedicated to nut-free foods. Both of my kids are allergic to tree nuts and peanuts, so we are always on the lookout for snacks that they can safely eat.

One of the brands I found is FreeYumm, a company that has a bakery dedicated to producing bars and cookies without the following allergens:

Milk (all dairy)
Eggs
Peanuts
Tree Nuts
Wheat/Gluten
Soy
Fish
Shellfish
Sulphites
Sesame

I have taught my kids to always check food labels. It seems like so many companies produce products that do not contain nuts listed as an ingredient, yet they add the disclaimer “may contain nuts” which is so frustrating.

It is nice to be able to have peace of mind about these snacks.

FreeYumm offers several types of goodies:

Honey Apple Oat Bars
Blueberry Oat Bars
Raspberry Chia Bars
Chocolate Chip Oat Bars
Double Chocolate Cookies
Ginger Cookies
Banana Maple Cookies

We tried a few of the varieties. They are “kid-size” and have just the right amount of sweetness. My kids liked the Honey Apple Oat Bars the best.

These bars and cookies do not contain any fillers, refined sugars, or preservatives–yes!

I also like that the bars and cookies are individually wrapped. FreeYumm bars would be a fun and allergy-friendly treat to include in a kids’ birthday party favor bag.

Even if your own kids do not have allergies, they are a good healthy snack to have on hand for school lunches, after sports practices/games, etc.

FreeYumm products are available at certain retail outlets (I hope they are able to expand soon!) and can be ordered on Amazon in the United States. Use promo code: YUMMGF20 for 20% off at checkout.

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.

If you are in Canada, you can go to Well.ca and use promo code: FreeYumm20 for 20% off your first FreeYumm order.

FreeYumm is generously offering my readers a chance to win 3 boxes of their allergen-friendly bars (varieties may vary).

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Book Review, Sponsored

Navigating Relationships: A Teen’s Guide to the 5 Love Languages Review

June 18, 2018 No Comments

Note: I received this book as a Moody Newsroom Blogger. All opinions are my own.

I have read a good number of relationship books, but few have made as lasting an impression as Gary Chapman’s The 5 Love Languages. I cannot remember if the first time I read the book was before our marriage or in the early years in our marriage, but it made an impact. The concept of people primarily responding to and expressing love in one of the five love languages (Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Gifts, Acts of Service, & Physical Touch) made so much sense. I related to the examples and recognized the similarities and differences between me and D. Because D is also familiar with the book, we both try to make a conscious effort to speak each other’s love language and our marriage is stronger as a result.

Therefore, I was excited to find out that Gary Chapman has also written A Teen’s Guide to the 5 Love Languages. The basic concepts are the same, but it is written in a manner that is more relevant to teens. The book talks about all of a teen’s relationships: family, friends, and dating. I was not sure how much this book would focus on the dating part (and if it is too early to share it with my 11 year old daughter) but I found it age-appropriate (with maybe the exception of one page in the “Touch” chapter). The first five chapter are each dedicated to one of the five love languages. The other five chapters delve more deeply into certain relational issues. At the end of the book is an easy quiz to help you determine your primary love language profile. This is a quick read (126 pages) that would help all young people navigate the relationships in their life, both now and in the future.

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.

Giveaways, Reviews, Sponsored

Screen-Free Playtime With #GoliathGames + Giveaway

June 15, 2018 48 Comments

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

When my kids get bored, it is natural for them to gravitate toward the iPad, a tablet or our Xbox for entertainment. While I think that is fine in moderation, I have been trying to encourage them to play screen-free games as well. Goliath Games is a company I have found that has a wide variety of “traditional” games that appeal to kids of all ages. Today I am reviewing two of their most popular games.

The first game is Pop the Pig:

n has speech therapy at school to help him say his “r” sounds. His speech teacher incorporates a lot of games into his group sessions, and this is one of them. He was excited to play this game at home with k.

It looks like k was excited too! To play, players take turns rolling the die. Then you pop “hamburgers” into the pig’s mouth and push down on his head. The more you pump, the more the pig’s belly grows until it suddenly pops! Pop the Pig is designed for ages 4 and up, 2-6 players.

The second fun game is Catch the Fox:

First you roll the die to see how many chickens to add into the fox’s pockets. Then, you push his head one time. Like magic, the fox’s pants disappear and the chickens will roll everywhere!

Once the fox’s pants drop, it is a mad dash to pick up the chickens one by one and place them in the coop.

A victory dance! Catch the Fox is for 2 to 4 players; ages 4 and up.

Both of these games are available 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.

I am excited to announce that Goliath Games is offering one of my readers the opportunity to win both Pop the Pig and Catch the Fox!

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