Back Spin Game from #Thinkfun

Back Spin is an Oppenheim Award winning puzzle. It's a handheld game that is double-sided. It holds 35 colored balls that need to be put in their matched colored slot. You twist the top and bottom of the game to pass the balls back and forth to the other side until they all match up. 

The two sides.

The game comes so it's set up in the right slots so your first task is to mix them all up.Then it's time to figure out how to get them back!

My kids and husband have enjoyed playing this game. We usually just leave it out on one of the coffee tables for anyone to pick up and have a go at it. I like that it's just one piece so there are no worries about losing any small pieces. This also makes it a great game to take along for the car. No pieces to lose!

You can find Back Spin from Thinkfun on Amazon. They make all sorts of fun games for the whole family.

* I received this game for free for my honest review. Opinions are my own.

Osaka Jar, Self-Sealing Airtight Jar

The Osaka Jar, Self-Sealing Airtight Storage Jar is designed especially for coffee but can be used for storing almost anything. It holds up to 13.5 oz. The jar itself is made of ceramic and the lid from silicone. It is heat resistant and airtight but will allow any CO2 build-up to be released without allowing in any oxygen.

This is just the neatest little jar! We are using it to store coffee grounds. We usually grind just enough to last a day or two so they stay as fresh as possible. The lid seals so tight you can actually lift up the whole jar by the lid. This will be sure to keep our grounds fresh.

You can find the Osaka Jar, Self-Sealing Airtight Jar on Amazon. They also offer it in black.

* I received this item at a discount for my honest review. Opinions are my own.

A Coffee Lover's Guide to Coffee - Book Review

We love coffee at our house and enjoy trying new beans whenever we get the chance. I also enjoy anything coffee flavored from ice cream to chocolate so this book was right up my alley.

I learned so much from reading A Coffee Lover's Guide to Coffee. It was a quick and easy read. It is full of all kinds of interesting info. It explains the difference between Arabica and Robusta which I had not known before. It talks about roasting, producing, brewing styles, coffee machines, storing, and goes in to a bit of detail about the countries that produce coffee and their rank in the coffee world. I really enjoyed this book.

You can find A Coffee Lover's Guide to Coffee on Amazon. Be sure to enjoy a cup of coffee while reading this one.

* I received an ebook version in exchange for my honest review. Opinions are my own.

 

Slackline Kit with Training Line

Our boys have been having a blast with the TrailBlaze Slackline Kit. We just happened to have a somewhat decent weather day today so my husband set it up for them. He said it was super quick and easy to put it up. He did adjust the tightness of it once they had walked a few times on it. He realized he had put it a bit too loose.

The kids were up on it within a few minutes. Some where having an easier time than others. They were laughing so hard and hanging on for dear life at the same time. It was such a good time watching them. I did try it but didn't get too far. I need to work on my balance a bit. Practice makes perfect! I do like that this kit comes with the training line so you can hang on until you master it.

The kit comes with everything you need. It includes the 50 ft Slackline (orange) and training line (bright green), both have their own ratchet, 2 tree protectors, and a bag to carry it all in. We chose not to use the tree protectors today since we knew we were only going to have it up for a few hours. We didn't want to leave it out in the nasty weather we are supposed to get tomorrow. I'm anxious to see if their legs and core will be sore tomorrow after all the time they spent on it this afternoon. They can't wait to get it back up once the weather is nice again.

You can find this Slackline Kit with Training Line on Amazon. It will provide hours of fun!

* I received this at a discount in exchange for my honest review. Opinions are my own.

NOVICA Silver Pendant Necklace 'Quechua Dove'

The Silver Pendant Necklace 'Quechua Dove' is such a beautiful piece of jewelry. A .925 sterling silver dove bears the olive branch of peace. I love what this necklace symbolizes and it spoke to me as soon as I saw it. It's so simple yet meaningful.

This piece is designed by Fabiana Quispe of Peru and crafted by hand. She names it Urpi, meaning "dove" in the Quechua language. She learned the craft by watching her father and other artisans in her village.

This an original NOVICA fair trade product in association with National Geographic. They work together with artisan designers all over the world to produce beautiful crafted items. As with every NOVICA item it includes an official NOVICA Story Card certifying quality and authenticity.

The necklace is just the perfect length for me. It's a 17.75 inch 1 mm sterling silver snake chain with a spring-ring clasp and the pendant is 1.3 inches long (including the bail) and 1.1 inches wide. I find it to be just the right size. It's really just my style in general and I love wearing it.

You can find the Silver Pendant Necklace 'Quechua Dove' on Amazon. They offer many beautiful items made by talented artisans. 

* I received this at a discount for my honest review. Opinions are my own. 

Telescoping Marshmallow Roasting Sticks

We love having bonfires in our backyard. They are so relaxing and there is just something about hot dogs and marshmallows over a bonfire. We generally have a stash of roasting sticks on hand but I usually have to buy a few new ones every year to replace broken or lost ones.

These Telescoping Marshmallow Roasting Sticks are nice. They come in a set of four and are 32" long when fully extended.

Fully extended.

We have not actually been able to test these over a fire because the weather has not cooperated since they arrived. It's been way too windy to have a fire. It's also very dry out. We just pretended so I could show how long it was. I'll post an update once we can actually use them. They do seem pretty sturdy and are comfortable to hold.

A really cool feature these roasting sticks have is that you can twist off the top skewer part so you can wash it. Love this idea! 

These roasting sticks would be a great addition to have for all your bonfire or campfire roasting fun. You can find the Telescoping Marshmallow Roasting Sticks on Amazon. You can also find out more by visiting barbeqa.com. 

* I received these at a discount in exchange for my honest review. Opinions are my own.

The I Quit Sugar Cookbook - Review

Sugar is everywhere and most of us eat way too much of it. When I saw The I Quit Sugar Cookbook I thought it might be a helpful one to have on hand. The first thing I noticed when it arrived is how heavy it is. It is a big book and full of all kinds of information not just recipes. The pictures are nice and the pages are thick.

I like the layout of the book. The author has handwritten type notes throughout the book. I think it gives it a bit of character but I do find a lot of the recipes may be a bit too hip for me. Not sure that word is even used anymore but that is what comes to mind. She does use a lot of brown rice syrup which I'm not really familiar with. She does also stress the importance of not wasting food. She uses everything in some way. I don't like to waste food either but I'm not at the extreme level. I also don't think I could ask strangers for their leftovers at a restaurant either like the author does.

A couple recipes that did sound like something I might like to try were the Carrot "Bacon" and "But the Kitchen Sink" Breakfast Hash.

Be sure to check out The I Quit Sugar Cookbook if you want to quit the sugar habit too.

* I received this book from Blogging For Books for this review. Opinions are my own.