Hershey's spreads

I was recently sent a sample of the new Hershey's spreads from Crowdtap. It's a chocolate with hazelnut spread that is so smooth and creamy. There are so many ways to use this spread. I first tried it on my morning toast. It was so good!

It has just enough hazelnut flavor that's not too overwhelming. I also happened to have some pretzels in the house so we've been using it as a dip for them. Also very yummy!

 

I'm looking forward to trying it with fruit and also this summer when we do bonfires. I'm thinking it will not be as messy as using a candy bar for s'mores.

Thanks to Crowdtap for sending us this free sample to try out. We've enjoyed it very much. If you're a chocolate loving family like we are I definitely recommend picking this up next time you're at the store.

Boxtera

A couple weeks ago I was on twitter and a tweet caught my eye. Kristin McGee also known as @thebenditgirl was doing a giveaway for a box of snacks from Boxtera. I am always on the search for finding new healthy snacks so I had a few minutes and thought I might as well enter. With a house full of boys I need to keep the house stocked but sometimes run out of ideas. I liked that it looked liked Boxtera offered a lot of products I'd never heard of.  Well, would you believe I won! I remember very well when I found out I had won. It was a Friday and we were in the middle of one of our many snowstorms we've had this winter/spring. It made my day when I got the message!

Such a pretty box.

 



I love the green. Always makes me think healthy.

 

 

 

Our box came the beginning of April and WOW, it was loaded with so many snacks! Lots of products/companies I've never heard of. We are still working our way through the box. Some of our favorites so far are the Garden of Eatin' Black Bean torilla chips, Bobby Sue's Nuts, the 18 Rabbits Bunny Bar, and the Bitsy’s Brainfood Orange Chocolate Beet snacks. We're looking forward to enjoying the rest of these tasty treats. 

Our box jam packed with yummy snacks.

 

 

So we were absolutely thrilled that we won this wonderful box of snacks. It's always nice to find new products that are good for you and you don't have to feel guilty about eating them or giving them to your kids. I always like to keep some stashed in my purse or the suburban for when we happen to be out running errands and don't want to have to do the drive thru and regret it later. I'm happy to say I've found some new favorites thanks to Boxtera and Kristin McGee.

 

If you want to find out more about Boxtera's monthly boxes their website is here. They are also on facebook and twitter. They have different plans you can choose from and I'm sure you'll be as happy as we are to find some new snacks. 

 

 

*I was given this box free from a giveaway courtesy of Kristin McGee and Boxtera. Opinions are my own. I was not asked to do a review just wanted to share my thoughts. :o)

 

 



 

Hungry Globetrotter

So by now with all my posts you probably think I'm obsessed with monthly boxes. I'm actually just trying several out and seeing what fits our family. This particular box is the PERFECT fit for us.

 

Hungry Globetrotter sends a monthly box dedicated to a certain country. They send a handful of products so you can create your own international meal at home. Included with the products are recipes and a bit about the country or region that the box is about.

 

I absolutely love this concept! We are actually using it for our homeschool. We get a bit of culture, history, geography, and home ec all in one!

 

The March box was all about Tuscany. Included was a Foccacia bread mix, Tuscan peasant soup, Italian seasoning salt, and Farro with mushrooms and herbs. The only thing you need to buy for the meal is steak which you use some of the seasoning salt on and club soda for the Foccacia mix. You also use the seasoning salt for the Foccacia bread. We already have the steaks in the freezer so I just had to go buy the club soda.

 

 

 

Now if only the weather would cooperate we could grill our steaks and enjoy our Tuscan meal! Wind, snow, and 30 degrees doesn't really make me feel like I'm in Tuscany. :o)

 

I even got Rick Steves' Italy dvd from Netflix so we could do a little visit to Italy to complete our experience. The boys have enjoyed it more than I expected and even have recognized a few of the art pieces we've learned about previously and a few of the sites from history we've discussed.

I think this has to be one of my favorite boxes out there. I'm already looking foward to the April box which is based on Peru.

 

If you'd like to check out this awesome monthly box you can visit the Hungry Globetrotter website and find out more! They are also on facebook and twitter.

 

They also sell past boxes and individual items from the boxes on their site. If you love learning about other countries and their delicious foods then I suggest you try this out!

 

Buon appetito!

****Update***  We finally had a day without a snowstorm or wind and were able to enjoy our Tuscan meal. I got the whole family involved in helping prepare it. Hubby was in charge of the grill and the boys and I prepared the other stuff. It was a very enjoyable meal!

So yummy!

 

 

I added bits of ham to our soup.

 



 

*Opinions are my own & I pay for my own monthly box.



MistoBox

   

We are big coffee drinkers at our house. It is one of a few things that we are rather picky about. Especially my husband! He even had to have special coffee at our table at our wedding 14 years ago. Back then I hadn't became a coffee drinker yet. It was after a year or so of being married and I just gave in and never looked back. I do have to admit I use a fair amount of creamer in mine. Hubby is of the "I only drink it black sort." Three out of our four boys are also on the coffee bandwagon and get to enjoy a small amount every so often.

So I thought I had to give MistoBox a try when I heard about them. What could be better than delicious coffee beans delivered to your door? I knew hubby wouldn't complain about a box like this!

MistoBox sends you four 1.7-2 oz samples each month. They taste 50 varieties each month from different artisian roasters all over the country and select their favorites and send them to you.



Our April MistoBox.



The box smelled so good when I opened it!



This booklet tells about the beans selected for the month.

Verve: El Salvador La Palma

Klatch: Guatemala Genuine Antigua Covadonga

Augie's Coffee: El Salvador Santa Julia

Ceremony Coffee: Rwanda Gitesi

We have been enjoying our April selections which are in the photo above. I love being able to try different beans! Once you discover a bean that you just love you can order a full size bag from the MistoBox website and shipping is free! They also have lots of info about anything coffee on their site.

MistoBox sends out their monthly boxes the first week of each month. Shipping was very fast. I had mine in just a couple days. It came via regular mail. They currently have a promo if you use BOX5 and your first month is only $5. They have a few different plans but I am just doing the monthly right now for $15 and you can cancel at any time. 

You can check out their MistoBox website or find them on facebook or twitter.

Nothing better than sharing a good cup of coffee with friends & loved ones! :o)

*Opionins are my own & I pay for my own monthly subscription. (Well maybe my hubby does.)

Tasterie

In my quest to find healthier snacks I recently discovered Tasterie. It's a monthly box full of good for you foods. You can actually pick the box that fits your health needs. They have boxes for those with allergies including dairy, soy, nut, gluten, wheat, and egg just to name a few. We actually don't have any allerigies thankfully so I choose the Healthy & Nutritious box for us. We currently get the Signature box.

 

 



This was our March box.

 

 

We have enjoyed everything that was included in our March box. My 9 year old that has braces was very happy to see the Pirate's Booty since he is not able to enjoy regular popcorn for the time being. I ate the multi-grain crackers with the hummus one afternoon and it was a snack I didn't have to feel guilty about! The jar in the center of the photo above is a roasted pineapple and habanero dip (salsa) from Robert Rothschild Farm. It is the perfect mix of sweet and a tad spicy. I enjoyed it with some tortilla chips I had in the pantry. My oldest son snatched one of the granola bars up right away when we opened the box and said it was really good. I have the other one stashed in my purse for an emergency errand snack. My absolute favorite snack in this box was the Brown Rice Chips from Eden. They were so very yummy! I was smitten with the first crunch. They are just the tastiest things! I'm really hoping I can find them at one of my local stores.

 



I enjoyed Udi's Sweet & Fruity Cranberry Granola with my greek yogurt for breakfast!

 

Tasterie offers several options for their monthly boxes based on your family's allergies or if you're like us and just want to eat healthier. They also offer the option of a SnackBox (currently $18) or a SignatureBox (currently $25) per month delivered to your door. The woman behind Tasterie is also a mom and a pediatrician so you know she is looking out for us moms and our children to find healthy and safe options.

 

 

You can find out more about Tasterie by visiting them on their webpage. They are also on facebook and twitter.

 

 

*I pay for my own monthly subscription to Tasterie and opinons are my own. 

KalorieBox

I've been a subscriber to KalorieBox for 5 months now. I received my March box this week and was  pleased as usual with the great variety of snacks they sent. KalorieBox is a monthly subscription box that sends at least 5 healthy low calorie foods/beverages right to your door. They always send a little note along in the box telling you about the snacks and how many calories are in it and a link to each company's website. I have discovered so many wonderful new products from my monthly boxes. And I don't have to feel guilty because they are good for you snacks!

 

 

March's box included -

Dr Kracker Pumpkin Seed Cheddar Crispbreads

Lesser Evil Krinkle Sticks

Greater >Than drink

Java Raiz Flame Raisins

2 Chocolite Chocolate Pecan Clusters (which I ate one of those already and it was delicious!!)

 

 

KalorieBox has 3 different plans to choose from. Each one varies in price. The longer plan is cheaper but shipping is always free and you can cancel at any time. They ship on the 15th of the month through regular mail. I've always gotten mine in a very timely manner! They also do a wonderful thing of donating a meal for each box that is sold. So not only are you getting healthy snacks but a child is getting a meal.

 

 

If you'd like to find out more you can visit KalorieBox. They are also on facebook and twitter and are very friendly & helpful people!

 



 

 Feb Box

The bottle has maple syrup in it. We'd already used some before I took the photo. :o)

 



These were so yummy! The dried sweet corn was also yummy!

 

 

This Chocolite Protein bar was so good. No yucky aftertaste like some protein bars.

 

 

* I pay for my own subscription to KalorieBox. Opinions are my own. 

SeasonsBox

I just recently received my first SeasonsBox. I have never been so excited about any of my boxes as this one. I knew in advance what was in it which is why I was extra excited! They post on their website and facebook what is in each monthly box so you can decide if you'd like to order. I actually took advantage of the deal they had and treated myself to a 12 month membership. Based on this first box and the sneak peek at Febuary's box which is called "Love Yourself" I think this may be my favorite subscription!

 

I almost didn't want to unwrap my box. The bow was so pretty!

 

 

My January box.

 

Inside January's box was a 100% cotton scarf from Kitira Boutique. They are hand-woven by members of the hill tribes of Northern Thailand. It is so soft! Also included was a cinnamon cranberry candle from Vance Kitira. It smells delicious!  The Peppermint Whipped Shea from Whispering Willow feels just so good on my hands. I love the scent also. There was a Perfumessence “Breathe” Shower Bath Bomb that smells so good. I'm saving it to use later on when I know I'll be getting sick as usual come Feb. or March. Tonight I used the Thai Herbal Steam Bath Tea. I had a long day of helping my mom move and thought a good soak in the tub would feel nice. This was so relaxing. It smelled good and just made me feel very soothed. I was so very happy to see there is 2 bags so I can use the other one when I need a little me time soak! I absolutely loved this box!

 

SeasonsBox has many subscription options or you can just buy 1 box if you like. They currently have a promo until Jan 31st for the 12 month subscription for only $250 which is what I signed up for. It's normally $349. I signed up late on a Saturday night and Fedex delivered my box on Thursday. I was so impressed! The company is located in Canada so be sure that your credit card can be used out of the country.

 

 Just for knowing me, SeasonsBox will include an additional high quality seasonal must-have product with your first box for FREE! Here's a link if you'd like to check SeaonsBox out yourself!

 

* I pay for my own subscription to SeasonsBox and opinions are my own.

 

 

 



KalorieBox

 

One of the monthly subscriptions I subscribe to is KalorieBox. Each box contains low calorie, healthy food. And for every box delivered they donate a meal to a hungry child in need. They have 3 plan options: monthly, 3 months, and 6 months. They ship boxes on the 15th of every month and shipping is included in the plans. I am currently on the 6 month plan.

 

 



 

This was my December box!

 

I have enjoyed everything so far in all of my boxes. I have found so many new products this way! I just received my January box which was my 3rd month. It included a can of Zevia, a bag of much-ado-about-mango Peeled Snacks (delicious!),  a FiberOne Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie, and a box of Fiber Gourmet Cheese Thinables.  I love that each month is a surprise. They also include a little card telling about each of the products. This box is one you don't have to feel guilty about! :o) 

 

You can find out more about KalorieBox on their pages on facebook, twitter, or their website.

 

 

* I pay for my monthly subscription for KalorieBox and opinions are my own. 

Dasani Drops

 

Dasani recently came out with their new Dasani Drops. I was lucky enough to get a box with their 4 flavors, a bottle of Dasani, and the cutest pen from them. They were giving these out via twitter.

 



 

 

They offer Strawberry Kiwi, Pink Lemonade, Pineapple Coconut, and Mixed Berry. I love the variety and they all tasted good. The Pineapple Coconut is really nice and might be my favorite. Well at least for this week. :o) My boys' favorites are the Mixed Berry and Strawberry Kiwi. We really like that you can adjust it to your own taste. Some like a bit more and some a bit less. I do tend to get bored with just plain water so it's nice to be able to flavor it up a bit.

 

 

Be sure to look for them at the store if you need to add a little fun to your water! You can find out more on their facebook and twitter pages.

 

 

*I did receive these for free courtesy of Dasani from a twitter promo they did. Opinions are my own.

Decorating the Snow

One of our boys' favorite things to do in winter is decorate the snow. I just buy plastic spray bottles from the travel section at Target. They are just over $1 each. I let them each pick out their color of bottle. Then you just fill them with water, add a few drops of food coloring, and they head outside to be snow artists!

 





 

3 of the boys in their winter wonderland.

 

 

 

My youngest looking for his next creation spot.

 

 

I love that this is such a fun and cheap activity for them. They also get a clean canvas whenever it snows again. Although, we've only had a few snowfalls this season. If it is really cold and they are out there for too long the tube tends to freeze up so we just run a bit of hot water through it for the next fill. So much fun!