Reviews, Sponsored

Summertime Fun With Horizon Group USA STEM and Art Kits

No Comments

Disclosure: I received samples in partnership with Horizon Group USA. 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.

Summer vacation means more time at home with the kids, which means more time for hands-on activities. Horizon Group offers a wide variety of STEM and art kits that will inspire hours of play.

Nature Adventure Kit

This Nature Adventure Pack contains a lot of neat tools that young scientists can use to explore the outdoors.

The mini hard plastic backpack contains the materials for 14+ different activities, including creating bug mobiles, bug houses, scavenger hunts, and an animal tracks memory game. This toy is perfect for budding biologists or entomologists and is recommended for ages 4+.

Made By Me Explore + Create Sensory Bin

Full disclosure: I am usually not a fan of toys that create a lot of mess. My kids had very limited access to slime when it was a trend. I was never even a fan of Play-Doh! (Does that make me an un-fun mom?) However, this Made By Me Explore + Create Sensory Bin was a pleasant surprise. The “sand” is a natural color Aqua Splash sand that is stretchable and moldable. It does not smell and stays nicely contained in the high-quality storage case.

I tested it outside (just to be safe) and I can see why it received rave reviews on Amazon. It is easy and satisfying to mold the Aqua Splash sand into the different shapes. The kit also comes with cool-looking expanding water beads, which can be reused over and over again. This kit is recommended for ages 3+.

Donut Worries Positivity Jewelry

This Donut Worries Positivity Jewelry kit is positively adorable. If you know any crafty kids, they will be into this line of Just My Style toys. This particular kit is recommended for ages 6+. As someone who worked in a second grade classroom, I can attest to the popularity of this type of activity.

Each \kit contains enough components to make three bracelets. I like that the donut carrying case can be used as a key chain when you’re done making the bracelets as well.

I think these bracelets turned out pretty cute! They are a good reminder for kids to stay positive and shine their light to the world.

Where to Purchase Horizon Group USA STEM and Art Kits

Horizon Group USA makes many different STEM and Art kits that are both educational and fun. Check out more of their offerings at their Amazon store here.

Continue Reading

You may also like

Giveaways, Reviews, Sponsored

Make Summer Memories With Classic Wham-O Toys

28 Comments

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

Summer break is just a couple of days away for us, and that means more free time to spend outdoors. In addition to board games, Winning Moves offers Classic Wham-O Toys that provide hours of outdoor entertainment.

Classic Wham-O Hacky Sack

Back when D and I were in college in the 90’s, we remember certain people playing with a hacky sack everyday in the quad. I am not sure if they were students, as they seemed to have an awfully large amount of free time. Maybe the hacky sack was just their preferred method of stress relief?

My son the soccer player is a natural with the hacky sack since he practices juggling a soccer ball with his feet.

D wanted to try it out as well. The appeal of the hacky sack has officially lasted multiple decades. According to the package, it has been around since the 1970’s and is “a great way to improve your motor control, coordination, strength and balance”.

Classic Wham-O Superball

An even older classic Wham-O toy is the Superball, which first came out in the 1960’s. This bouncy ball contains 50,000 pounds of compressed energy.

This Superball definitely has impressive bouncing capability. Kids will have fun seeing how high they can bounce it!

@limbylim

♬ NOTHING – Westover

Classic Wham-O Frisbee

A high-quality frisbee is a fun toy to have around, whether you are playing at a park, a beach, or anywhere with wide open space.

The retro design of the Classic Wham-O Frisbee is cool and simple. This Frisbee has a 141 gram weight that is ideal for throwing and catching. The cheap freebie flying discs do not compare.

Have you mastered the different Frisbee throwing techniques? Curve It, Overhand It, Sidearm It, Skip It and Backhand It?

Where to Purchase Winning Moves Classic Wham-O Toys

Winning Moves games and toys are available on their website, Amazon and other retailers near you.

Winning Moves Classic Wham-O Toys Giveaway

Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win a Classic Wham-O Hacky Sack, Superball and Frisbee!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Continue Reading

You may also like

Food, Giveaways, Reviews, Sponsored

Pop Daddy Pretzels and Popcorn Pack A Punch

44 Comments

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

One of my favorite finds from Expo West 2022 was Pop Daddy Snacks. Their boldly flavored pretzels and popcorn are highly snackable (and difficult to stop eating!). Their motto is “Bold Snacks made with Big Heart,” and this care is evident in the quality of their products.

Pop Daddy Pretzels

Pretzels are one of my favorite snacks in the salty category. However, Pop Daddy really elevates the pretzel experience with their innovative and delicious flavors.

Pop Daddy pretzels are available in the following flavors:

  • Yellow Mustard
  • Dill Pickle
  • Cinnamon Sugar
  • Garlic Parmesan
  • Perrin Beer Cheese
  • Hot Sauce
  • Peppercorn Ranch
  • Smoked Gouda
  • Maple & Brown Butter

That’s quite a lineup, right? When I was at their booth at Expo West, I had a difficult time choosing which flavors to sample since they all sounded so good. Pop Daddy uses natural ingredients and each flavor really comes through with their pretzels. Each individual pretzel is coated with just the right amount of seasoning, which results in a craveable and crunchy snack.

This guy gives the Pop Daddy Garlic Parmesan pretzels his seal of approval!

Pop Daddy Popcorn

As its name would suggest, Pop Daddy’s original product was popcorn. The founder wanted to make a healthier alternative to microwave popcorn which can contain questionable chemicals and artificial flavors. Pop Daddy popcorn uses pure olive oil and natural ingredients, so you do not have to feel guilty about munching away. Pop Daddy popcorn is available in the following flavors:

  • Original
  • Kettle
  • Butter
  • White Cheddar
  • Dill Pickle
  • Chipotle BBQ
  • Hot Sauce
  • Black Pepper
  • Smoked Gouda
  • Garlic

Pop Daddy uses non-GMO kernels grown on family farms in Michigan and Indiana. As soon as I opened the bag I immediately noticed that each piece of popcorn is fluffy and tender. It turns out that Pop Daddy uses a special type of popcorn with little hull, so there is less of the often annoying hard part of the kernel. Just as with their pretzels, Pop Daddy popcorn’s flavors are bold and addictive!

Where To Purchase Pop Daddy Snacks

Pop Daddy Snacks are available for purchase through their online store or at a store near you.

Pop Daddy Snacks Giveaway

Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win an assortment of Pop Daddy snacks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Continue Reading

You may also like

Food, Giveaways, Reviews, Sponsored

Snack Better With Brave Good Kind Tender Chicken Bites

29 Comments

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

My son is starting to have a growth spurt and it seems like he is constantly on the search for something to eat. The challenge for me is to find non-junky snacks that will help fill him up. At Expo West I found a delicious snack for him with natural ingredients: Brave Good Kind Tender Chicken Bites.

When I first heard about these chicken bites, I was a little skeptical. While I am a fan of beef jerky, I have never tried a chicken version. However, we found these Tender Chicken Bites to be quite tasty. They really are tender, unlike many other types of tough jerky that can be difficult to chew. Each bite is very flavorful-my son could not stop eating them!

Brave Good Kind Tender Chicken Bites are available in three flavors:

  • Original
  • Hot Honey
  • Teriyaki

We enjoyed all of the flavors, but the Hot Honey was our favorite. It was not too spicy (at least to our palate), but had a nice little bite.

Brave Good Kind products have all-natural ingredients that are minimally processed. The chicken they use is raised without antibiotics. Each serving of the Tender Chicken Bites contains 9-10 grams of protein, which makes it a great snack choice to keep you satiated. These snacks are also gluten-free and do not contain MSG. If you are looking for a healthier version of jerky, I would definitely check out Brave Good Kind!

Where To Purchase Brave Good Kind Products

Brave Good Kind products are available through their online store or at a store near you.

Brave Good Kind Giveaway

Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win SIX packages of Brave Good Kind Tender Chicken Bites!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Continue Reading

You may also like

Vacation

Spring Break in D.C.

No Comments

Our school district had their spring break early (mid-March), so our trip to Washington D.C. almost seems like a distant memory. I will try my best to blog about our trip so that the memories last longer.

I booked a red eye flight on United out of LAX to Dulles on a Monday night in order to maximize our time. We used LAX’s new economy parking lot, which turned out to be pretty convenient. We reserved a spot online ahead of time and took a shuttle to the airport. The kids were excited to have screens on the back of the seats. Too bad I was the mean mom who would not let them watch any movies since our flight left around 11:30 p.m.! Once we arrived in D.C. at around 7 a.m., we caught the 5A bus from the airport to L’Enfant Plaza, which was close to our hotel. We dropped our bags off and started our first day in D.C. on probably around two hours of sleep!

We needed to grab some breakfast, so we stopped at West Wing Cafe. This was more a choice of convenience than anything else.

Our breakfast burritos and sandwiches were not bad, but not really worth seeking out.

Smithsonian Castle

After breakfast we started walking towards the National Mall. The first building that caught our eye was the Smithsonian Castle. The Castle serves as a Visitors Center and museum for all of the different Smithsonian museums.

This is where we first saw these orange statutes of notable women in history (I believe they were on display in honor of Women’s History Month). The statues appeared throughout many of the museums we visited later on in the week as well.

Washington Monument Tickets Fail

As we made our way to the Smithsonian Museum of National History, we had our first glimpse of the Washington Monument. I had tried to procure tickets to ride the elevator to the top through their online ticket system. This can be done one day before arrival, starting at 10 a.m. EST. I was logged into my recreation.gov account, with my finger on my mouse, ready to go. However, it was not meant to be, as the tickets were literally gone within 5 seconds! Thus, we could only admire the monument from the outside.

Continue Reading

You may also like

Giveaways, Reviews, Sponsored

Exercise Your Brain With Winning Moves Games

22 Comments

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

After reviewing several games from Winning Moves, I find that they always provide a fun way to spend time with family. Today I am reviewing two of their “classic” games–Checkers & Chinese Checkers, along with a new game called Snail Mail. All three of these games are a smart way to engage your brain and have fun at the same time.

Checkers

Checkers is a perennial favorite, but would you believe we have never actually owned a version of this game? The Winning Moves version contains everything you would expect, including a durable game board and black and red plastic checkers. Checkers is a necessity for any home game collection! This game is recommended for ages 6+.

Chinese Checkers

I am not sure how Chinese Checkers earned its name (did it actually come from China?) but I would also consider it one of those “classic” games that everyone should have in their game closet. The Winning Moves version includes a sturdy cardboard platform and sixty glass marbles. Playing with theses marbles brought back fond childhood memories of my marble collection.

The object of the game is to move all of their marbles to the opposite triangle first. It requires strategy and thinking ahead, which are useful skills for anyone to hone. Chinese Checkers is recommended for 2-6 players, ages 7+.

Snail Mail

The object of Snail Mail is to help your Snail Mail carrier make deliveries by matching your Mail Cards to different delivery requirements. The first player to complete six deliveries wins the game. The four plastic snails are so cute, and I also found the mail cards to be charming.

Snail Mail is for 2-4 players, ages 7+. This is a great game for kids because it encourages them to think about numbers, colors and following directions.

Where To Buy Winning Moves Games

Winning Moves games and toys are available on their website, Amazon and other retailers near you.

Winning Moves Games Giveaway

Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win Checkers, Chinese Checkers AND Snail Mail!

*This giveaway is open to US residents only, not including Alaska or Hawaii.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Continue Reading

You may also like

Giveaways, Reviews, Sponsored

VIM & VIGR Compression Socks: Your Legs Will Thank You

37 Comments

Disclosure: I received samples in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

As you may recall, I first reviewed VIM & VIGR Compression Legwear towards the end of last year. I am happy to report that I put the socks I reviewed in my regular sock rotation, and they have held up beautifully. VIM & VIGR socks use graduated compression technology to apply therapeutic pressure that starts at the ankle and gradually squeezes your leg to increase circulation. Their socks can reduce swelling, achiness, fatigue and discomfort. During our recent trip to Washington D.C. I wore my VIM & VIGR socks on the plane and during our days of marathon sight-seeing. My legs thanked me!

L–>R: Mountain Sun (nylon, seamless toe), Lemons (cotton), Rise Stripe (nylon)

Recently, VIM&VIGR sent me some of their newer designs. As a fan of statement socks, these bold socks speak to me!

These VIM&VIGR Lemons socks scream spring. Love the colors, and of course I had to try them out at the neighborhood lemon grove. One of the podcasts I listen to encourages everyone to adopt a personal symbol as a reminder of the type of person they want to be. I think making lemons your personal symbol would be a wonderful reminder to be resilient (i.e. make lemonade when life gives you lemons).

I also adore these Mountain Sun VIM&VIGR seamless toe socks. They are soft and comfortable for all-day wear. I also appreciate how the design celebrates the outdoors.

Where To Purchase VIM&VIGR Compression Legwear

Vim & Vigr socks, along with their other products, are available for purchase through the VIM & VIGR website.

VIM & VIGR Compression Socks Giveaway

Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win a pair of VIM & VIGR Compression Socks (in the Lemons design)!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Continue Reading

You may also like

Family Field Trips, Sponsored

Escape Into Color With The Flower Fields In Carlsbad

2 Comments

Disclosure: Thank you to The Flower Fields, for hosting our visit in order to facilitate this review.

Have you ever visited The Flower Fields in Carlsbad, California? My husband and I went a few years ago during an anniversary trip, but this year we brought the kids along. This 50 acre working ranch is conveniently located just off the 5 freeway in between Orange County and San Diego.

The main attraction of The Flower Fields is the millions of beautiful ranunculuses (or is it ranunculi?) that stretch as far as the eye can see. However, there are many different attractions at The Flower Fields, so I will take you along on our recent outing.

Arriving At The Flower Fields

My first tip is to try to arrive early in the day. We went on a Sunday, and arrived about five minutes before The Flower Fields opened at 9 a.m. Parking at that time was plentiful, and it is free! All tickets must be purchased in advance online here. Have your tickets ready (either printed out or on your phone).

Fountain Garden

If you head towards the right after going through the entrance, you will come across the aptly named Fountain Garden. We made this our first photo stop. This is also where you will find the restrooms.

Historical Poinsettia Display

Who knew there were so many types of poinsettias? Here you can see over twenty varieties. I always associate poinsettias with Christmas, but the yellow ones are also quite striking.

Cymbidium Orchid Greenhouse

I have always admired orchids and anyone who is able to keep them blooming. The orchids on display in the greenhouse are truly magnificent.

Tractor Wagon Ride

Tickets for the Tractor Wagon Ride are $6 for adults and $3 for children. The ride around the fields includes an audio commentary of the history of The Flower Fields. We did not go on this ride, but it looked like fun. Click here for more information.

Sweet Pea Maze

We arrived a little too early in the season to full appreciate the Sweet Pea Maze in all its glory. However, it was still fun to walk the maze, and we did not even make it through the proper exit!

Right around the corner from the Sweet Pea Maze there are a couple of fun photo opps:

Ranunculus Fields

Of course, the spectacularly vast fields of ranunculi steal the show!

Isn’t this ranunculus gorgeous?

I have read that they expect the peak bloom period to be between mid-March and mid-April. While many of the beds were just starting to bloom while we were there last weekend, there were still more than plenty of flowers to admire!

There are so many great photo opportunities here. It seemed like everyone was doing mini photo shoots! Another tip would be to be careful of what shoes you wear. There is naturally a lot of dirt, so plan accordingly. Also, do not forget the sunscreen, as there is not much shade.

Purchase Tickets Today!

The Flower Fields are open from now until May 8, 2022. Advanced tickets must be purchased through The Flower Fields’ website before you arrive.

Continue Reading

You may also like

Food, Giveaways, Reviews, Sponsored

Going Crazy For Mary’s Gone Crackers

42 Comments

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

ExpoWest is happening this week, and one of the many exhibitors that will be showcasing their natural food products will be Mary’s Gone Crackers. Mary’s Gone Crackers are organic, plant-based and gluten-free. I had the opportunity to try out a few different varieties, and they are not your “ordinary” crackers.

The “Original” Mary’s Gone Crackers contain four key, whole ingredients – brown rice, quinoa, flax and sesame seeds. They come in four flavors:

  • Original
  • Jalapeno
  • Black Pepper
  • Herb

The Super Seed Mary’s Gone Crackers add pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds to the mix. They come in five flavors:

  • Classic
  • Everything
  • Seaweed & Black Sesame
  • Basil & Garlic
  • Rosemary

As you can see, these hearty crackers are packed full of seeds and goodness. They are the perfect snack for when you are craving something crunchy.

We also tried Mary’s Gone Crackers Real Thin Crackers. I would say these crackers have more “kid appeal”. They come in the following flavors:

  • Tomato Basil
  • Olive Oil + Black Pepper
  • Chipotle
  • Sea Salt
  • Garlic Rosemary

These snackable crackers contain chia seeds, which I am trying to incorporate more of in my diet. The two flavors we tried, Garlic Rosemary and Chipotle, are both savory and satisfying.

I made a simple mini charcuterie plate with Mary’s Gone Crackers, cheese, salami and grapes. These crackers would also pair well with hummus!

Where To Purchase Mary’s Gone Crackers

Mary’s Gone Crackers are available for purchase through their online store or at a store near you.

Mary’s Gone Crackers Giveaway

Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win SIX boxes of Mary’s Gone Crackers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Continue Reading

You may also like

Giveaways, Movies, Sponsored

Run To See Tyson’s Run In Theaters #TysonsRunMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

1 Comment

Many thanks to Collide Distribution for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own. 

Tyson’s Run Synopsis

When fifteen-year-old Tyson attends public school for the first time, his life is changed forever. While helping his father clean up after the football team, Tyson befriends champion marathon runner Aklilu. Never letting his autism hold him back, Tyson becomes determined to run his first marathon in hopes of winning his father’s approval.

With the help of an unlikely friend and his parents, Tyson learns that with faith in yourself and the courage to take the first step, anything is possible.

Why You Should Watch Tyson’s Run

Tyson’s Run is an inspirational movie that is relatable on many levels. As a fifteen year old teenager on the autism spectrum, Tyson has trouble fitting into his new school. At home, Tyson feels like he must earn approval from his father, who has never full-accepted his son. Watching both Tyson and his father change as a result of difficult trials makes this movie deeply moving and heart-warming.

Runners, (like my husband), are sure to enjoy watching Tyson train for his first marathon. My favorite character in the movie is Aklilu, Tyson’s patient and wise running mentor. Anyone who has set big goals for themselves and worked hard to achieve a dream will appreciate Tyson’s grit and determination. Tyson’s Run teaches many valuable life lessons, which makes it a great movie to watch with the whole family!

Buy Tickets Today To See Tyson’s Run At A Theater Near You Starting March 11

Tickets for Tyson’s Run are available for purchase here.

Tyson’s Run Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

Be sure to spread the word about Tyson’s Run and enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card here.

Continue Reading

You may also like