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Tummy Drops Review

This is a sponsored post.

Tummy Drops are an all-natural, healthy, medication-free way to relieve tummy troubles. They’re made with just four simple plant-based ingredients including ginger and peppermint. What sets this tasty remedy apart from other “natural” tummy aids is its creator, a Board-Certified Gastrointestinal Physician, making Tummy Drops a trusted source of relief.

Check out this ingredient list!

I love that I know what’s in my tummy drops! I really wish these were available when I was pregnant and hunting everywhere for ginger chews or ginger drops that would help with my morning sickness.

That said, I’m always on the lookout for a more natural product for helping with the occasional stomach upset or when something just isn’t sitting right.

I was quite excited to be able to try these out. And, I LOVE that they sent me basically 1 of everything!

When I first received these I thought that the tins were going to be hard candies and the bags were chewables. But, nope, they’re all hard candies. Not a problem for me, but I don’t really see any difference in the products other than how they’re packaged.

So far I’ve tried a couple of the ginger and one of the peppermint. They’re all quite tasty. The ginger is strong – like all ginger is, but it’s not overpowering. And these tummy drops are just sweet enough that they’re actually quite tasty.

Compared to other ginger products that I’ve tried in the past, they’re actually delicious!

Definitely something that’s nice to keep on hand! They’re tasty, easy to keep in my purse, and do a great job of settling my stomach when something isn’t quite right.

Check out the Tummy Drops website for more information! You can order from there, Walmart, and Amazon.

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Carrot Ginger Soup

I was given a pdf copy of My Pinewood Kitchen in exchange for my review. I love cooking and I’ve been doing a LOT of it with being home so much. So, needless to say, I’m getting bored with my recipes and dying for something new.

This cook book looked healthy, hearty, and delicious. And I’ve not been disappointed!

I’ve been attempting to make a carrot soup that I like – and my last one was a major bust (as in, sorry kids, you don’t have to eat it) – so I decided to give this one a try. I definitely haven’t tried one with an apple in it before, so I was quite curious as to how the added sweetness would taste.

Short On Inspiration While Dining In? My Pinewood Kitchen Dishes Out Some Quarantine Cuisine Tips

With COVID-19 keeping us at home more and shopping less, home chefs need to get creative while cooking tasty, healthy meals for their entire family. Chef and author Mee McCormick is an expert: she healed herself of Crohn’s disease, gut issues, and other immune system challenges with whole food recipes when doctors couldn’t help her.

The mom/rancher/restaurateur can share tips for “quarantine cuisine” when you’re hankering for variety in your meals but you’re short on ingredients and inspiration. Perfect for social distancing, many of her recipes are made with items you probably already have in your pantry (for example, her Black Bean Chicken Chili and Immune-Boosting Chicken & Quinoa Soup); she can teach home cooks how to repurpose items to reduce food waste (cilantro pickles, anyone?), and reveal the healthiest foods you need in your pandemic pantry.

My Pinewood Kitchen: A Southern Culinary Cure offers more than 100 gluten-free, whole foods recipes that can be customized for Keto, Paleo, or vegans, making it a truly “all-inclusive” eating plan for the entire family. From smoothies, soups and salads, to dinners and desserts, every recipe is gluten-free and gut-friendly.

•    Curb Your COVID Anxiety with healthy chocolate with Mee’s Chocolate Avocado Mousse & Five-Ingredient Fudge Cups
•    Soups for Social Distancing – Black Bean Chicken Chili and Immune-Boosting Chicken & Quinoa Soup (nutritious, delicious, and they use what you likely have in your home already!)
•    Plenty of plant-based offerings
•    Reduce Waste: Learn how to make cilantro pickles from cucumbers, sweet potato chips from sweet potatoes, a falafel burger from canned chickpeas, and how to make your own healthier ketchup and mayonnaise if you run out
•    10 Gut-Friendly Foods for your Pandemic Pantry

Mee McCormick is a rising Southern culinary and wellness innovator, restaurateur, author, TV cooking personality, farmer, rancher, wife and mother. She splits her time between Nashville and nearby Nunnelly, Tennessee; a tiny, unincorporated community in Hickman County, which is also home to her biodynamic farm and restaurant Pinewood Kitchen & Mercantile.

Mee authored her first cookbook My Kitchen Cure, which led to wild success and a book deal with HCI for her second cookbook My Pinewood Kitchen, published on April 14, 2020. She frequently appears on Today in Nashville, and she participates in nationally-recognized food festivals and events, spreading the same level of care and hospitality to audiences everywhere that she has become known for throughout the state of Tennessee. Visit: www.meemccormick.com or www.pinewoodkitchenandmercantile.com.

My Pinewood Kitchen: A Southern Culinary Cure/130+ Crazy Delicious, Gluten-Free Recipes to Reduce Inflammation and Make Your Gut Happy
By Mee McCormick
HCI BOOKS
Released: April 2020/ $26.95
ISBN: 9780757323522
Available wherever books are sold

There are some absolutely amazing recipes in this book! Think terrific and tasty family meals, and the Carrot Ginger Soup did not disappoint!

Carrot Ginger Soup

Ingredients: 

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or ghee

1 large white onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1. pounds carrots

1 apple, chopped and skin on

4 cups Chicken Bone Broth (page 120) or Vegetable Broth (page 121) – directions in the cookbook

2 cups water

1/4 cup raw cashews

3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk

1 tablespoon miso

Sea salt (to taste)

Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1) In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil or ghee. Add the onion and sweat until soft. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for about 3 minutes.

2) Add the carrots, apple, broth, water, and cashews. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Allow to cool.

3) Transfer to a blender or food processor. Add the coconut milk and miso paste. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm.

Incredibly easy and delicious! I paired this with some leftover ribs and steamed broccoli for an absolutely amazing dinner with the family!

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Books to Entertain the Kids

I received 3 amazing kid’s books to review. I’ll be honest, they’re all great! I just can’t pick a favorite … actually, I kinda can, there’s one I really just want to steal for myself.


1. Dino Dana: Dino Field Guide by J.J. Johnson, Colleen Russo Johnson, PhD, & Christin Simms

Fun facts about dinosaurs for kids. Did you know that the brachiosaurus was the tallest dinosaur that we know of today? That the kosmoceratops had fifteen horns and hooks on its head? That the spinosaurus is the only known dinosaur to spend most of its time swimming? Discover this and much more in Dino Dana: Dino Field Guide.

Dino Dana‘s field guide for your child. Fans of the Amazon Prime TV show Dino Dana will be so excited to have a Dino Field Guide of their own, put together by the incredible show’s creator and executive producer, J. J. Johnson. Full of colorful illustrations and fascinating science facts, this dinosaur book is sure to amaze any young dino enthusiast. View this book on the Dino Dana Store for more information and interactive content!

Review. My son loves this book! He claimed it the minute I opened the box and hasn’t let anyone else near it. It has so many different dinosaurs and lots and lots of pictures! It even has these cute little stuffed animal graphics that he’s convinced me to use as a guide to make him some dinosaur stuffed animals – I’ll post a tutorial if they actually turn out! This book is colorful, fun, and so re-readable. It’ll be a favorite for a while!

2. Coyote Peterson’s Brave Adventures: Wild Animals in a Wild World by Coyote Peterson

Animal Stories for Kids: Coyote Peterson’s Brave Adventures: Wild Animals in a Wild World chronicles some of the wildest encounters Coyote Peterson has had over the course of his travels. The stories begin with his first snapping turtle catch as a kid and lead down a trail of incredible moments he and his camera crew have had while filming their Brave Wilderness shows. From a giant alligator that nearly caught Coyote in its bone crushing jaws, to an 800 pound Grizzly Bear that helped him teach the audience what to do and NOT do if you ever encounter one of these enormous predators in the wild, every tale is laced with fast paced action and daring adventure. With the presence of danger often looming for Coyote, each story reminds the reader that animals rule the wild places of this planet, and if we respect them from a safe distance, even the most frightening creatures are more likely to be afraid of us than we should ever be of them. View this book on Amazon!

Review. I kinda want to claim this book for myself. The stories are interesting and exciting and teach about all sorts of different animals. This is above my 6yr old son’s reading level so I’ve been reading it to him and I’m not sure who’s enjoying it more. Me or him! This book is perfect for those slow days at home when we’ve got nothing to do.

3. I Do Not Like Living with Brothers: The Ups and Downs of Growing Up with Siblings by Daniel Baxter

Learn about the importance of family. I Do Not Like Living With Brothers aims to teach young siblings to see the value and goodness in each other. We never like everything about our brothers or sisters, but if we focus on the positive and recognize that our family cares about us, then we can live in community with greater joy.

Turn sibling rivalry into love and kindness. Exploring the family dynamic of a sister living with two brothers, in this children’s book, our young narrator discovers that while her brothers are dirty, smelly, and sometimes selfish, they are also kind, funny, and helpful. Author and father Daniel Baxter, cohost of the popular YouTube channel How It Should Have Ended, shows kids that perhaps living with your siblings is not all bad. View this book on Amazon!

Review. My 11yr old daughter snapped this one up right away. Which I’m assuming is the whole goal of the title. She read the book through very quickly and found it somewhat amusing. I realize that it’s geared towards slightly younger kids, but she’s not always happy to have brothers, and I’m glad she liked the book. Because with little brothers it’s important for everyone to show kindness even when the boys are doing super annoying little brother stuff. And it’s so nice to be able to encourage that kindness in a fun way.

 

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Nursing Bra Review

Today I’m hosting a guest review from a mom friend who just had a new little baby! Check out her blog Here!  She got to try out a Nursing and Pumping Bra from Simple Wishes. My little guy is almost 3 so I’m done with these but I was happy to get to share!

I was excited to get to try a different nursing bra; my experience with them so far is that the comfortable, easy-open ones aren’t very supportive, and the supportive ones are hard to use discretely. I subscribe to the “out from under” versus “out from over” method for nursing in public, and I don’t use a nursing cover usually; some bras are easier than others for privacy!

This bra has a good balance of structure and flexibility. I really like how adjustable the closure is in the back. It has 6 sets of loops instead of just 2 or 3, so it’s more adaptable. A snug fit around the body is essential for support, so this really helps!
The fabric is not as thin as my cheap bras from Walmart. It feels a lot more sturdy, though still stretchy. It is structured like a sports bra rather than an underwire, and it has removable foam/fabric pieces to make the front thicker so that bunched-up or wrinkled nursing pads won’t show through, even if you’re wearing a thin or stretchy blouse. I got a size medium, and I found that the bra was comfortable and supportive even through a long day of chasing after my active older kids. It kept its elasticity and didn’t stretch out even after several days of consecutive wear.
What makes this bra really stand out, though, is that it doubles as a hands-free pumping bra! It’s always a bit of a pain at work to have to add a pumping bra on top of a regular bra, and this bra eliminates that. I haven’t gone back to work yet, but I will be glad to have this when I do!
The issue with a 2-in-1 deal, though, is that there’s more to pull down to nurse. I’m not very heavily endowed in the bust, so there was a little learning curve to getting everything in the best position to nurse. Having the two sets of “flaps” on the front also means two different sets of front closures. I found the ones at the top (to let down for nursing, the pumping ones are a little lower) were a little difficult to use. It took me a few tries each to get them undone, but by the end of the day I wasn’t having trouble anymore.
Overall, I’d give this product a 4.5/5, taking off half a star for the difficulty that the extra thickness made when nursing instead of pumping…. Really, though, I can’t think of a way to solve that problem and still maintain the 2-in-1 function! I’d recommend this bra to any of my friends who need a nursing bra, whether they need to pump or not!
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Tasty, Healthy, Snacks

*I received these products free for purposes of my review*

Pure Crumb

Pure Crumb sent me 4 different kids of bark. Brownie Bark, Crumb Cake Bark, and 2 kids of Cookie Bark.

These products are all gluten free and dairy free, so will work for a lot of different dietary restrictions!

While I liked all 4 flavors, I do have my favorite! But, before I get to that, more about the products in general.

You can purchase 12 individual packages, you know, for if you’re counting calories. But, seriously, just buy the big bags! With the simple ingredients these products have, it won’t hurt to splurge a little on the calories!

For example, check out the ingredient list on the Brownie Bark:

Ingredients:  Pure Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips*, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Gluten Free Flour Blend*, Eggs, Almond Flour, Coconut Oil, Cocoa Powder, Cinnamon.

*Pure Semi Sweet Chocolate:   sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soya lecithin, vanillin.

*Gluten Free Flour Blend:  garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, whole grain sweet white sorghum flour, fava bean flour

I mean, I actually know what these things are! How awesome is that?

While there are some “bark” pieces, these honestly are a bit more like “crumbs” so Pure Crumb is a great name for them. I enjoyed these straight from the bag, and as a crumb topping on my yogurt – which is seriously amazing and why you should just get the big bags!

Brownie Bark – My favorite! It’s so chocolaty and you may actually want to get the snack bags for this one, because it’s really hard to not just eat the entire bag.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Bark – My favorite one for a yogurt topping. I just love the coconut and chocolate cookie crumbles on yogurt. Delicious, a little crunchy, and not too sweet.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bark – Also tasty, but it’s hard to compete with coconut, so… you know, I’ll eat it if the Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Bark is gone.

Crumb Cake – Delicious flavor, think cinnamon sugar cookie, but it’s competing against 3 barks with chocolate, so it didn’t stand a chance!

Check out PureCrumb.com for more information and/or to order some for yourself!

Plant Junkie

Check out this line of plant based spreads, dressings, and vinaigrettes. I was intrigued by the variety of flavors available, and just a bit curious. How do you you make a ranch dressing without dairy?

I tried the chai ranch dressing first. And, I’ll be honest. It does not taste like ranch. I’m not saying that it tastes bad. But if you’re expecting traditional ranch dressing, this is not it. I’m actually pretty sure that it’s impossible to make a basic ranch dressing without some sort of dairy product.

Anyways, I would describe the flavor as kind of hummusy (is that a word?), with some coconut and oats making it more mild, and of course chai seeds. I was originally going to sub it for mayonnaise on a sandwich but changed my mind. It’s got a LOT of flavor – way more than mayonnaise. So, I tried it as a veggie dip instead and that was perfect!

The Turmeric and Pepper Ranch dressing was terrific on a salad, just start light because these dressings have a lot of flavor! Which is amazing, because I’m the kind of person who prefers a little dressing with my salad and not the other way around. So, with these, I get lots of flavor without having to drown my lettuce.

And with no eggs, no soy, and no gluten, these are great products for a variety of diets.

I used the Chili Pomegranate Vinaigrette as a steak marinade. It was very flavorful, and quite delicious! I realize these are plant based products, but I do love a good marinaded steak! And since they’re gluten free, and keto friendly that just makes it a lot easier for me to use as a marinade when I have guests!

You can purchase their products on amazon or at plantjunkie.com.

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Summer Products Reviews

I was sent a Littles Tick and Bug repellent for free to review.

I tested this product alongside my usual bug repellent. My husband wore the usual and I tried out the Littles Tick and Bug repellent.

Most of the areas we frequent are sprayed for mosquitos, so no surprises there, neither one of us saw any mosquitos.

This time of year, there are a ton of so see ums. And that’s what I was mainly interested in keeping away. They get especially bad around the 2yr old. He still has that fine baby hair and they love it!

In what I would consider normal situations, the littles tick and bug repellent worked for no see ups. The one issue I had was I had to reapply it every 30 minutes. So, I feel like it’s affects didn’t last that long. Of course, in contrast, the bug repellent my husband was wearing didn’t stop the no see ums at all. Littles Tick and Bug Repellent still worked pretty well until later in the day when the no see ums come out in force.

At that point, I’m really not sure that there’s anything that’s going to stop those bugs. They just kind of swarm around and are generally irritating. Littles Tick and Bug Repellent definitely held them off a bit, but couldn’t prevent them entirely because there was just so many of them.

I’m just happy that it works better than my usual bug repellent and that it keeps the no see ums away for the majority of the day!

It does have a fairly strong smell, my son loves the smell and the girls don’t particularly like it – but I mean, if it doesn’t smell like watermelon the girls are suspicious about it. It’s not an unpleasant smell, but you definitely know that you have bug repellent on!

Check out www.littlesskincare.com for more information and products! They have a whole line of high quality skin friendly products for the entire family!

I received a container of Mother’s Healing Balm free for purposes of my review.

This is an anti-itch, moisturizing, first aid balm. So, needless to say, I was curious, and excited to try it! I mean, we’re entering into summer here and the amount of bug bites, scratches, and dry skin just increases with the warmer weather.

I don’t want to hold anyone back from being outside but it’s also important to take care of our skin. So, I gave it a try.

First thing I discovered, this is a first aid balm. Not lotion. My hands were dry from washing dishes so I tried this out as a hand cream. It’s too oily, and after 15 minutes I had to wash it off (even after trying really hard to rub it in). So, this isn’t a lotion. It’s more for scratches and bug bites, you know, smaller areas where it’s ok to put them balm on and let it set for a while.

Second thing, it really don’t have an odor. Yay! You can smell it a little bit when you open the jar – but it smells good. But on you, the amount is so small, you can’t smell it at all. I love it when things don’t have added scents!

And, Finally, I did eventually try it out on some scratches and it does help to moisturize and in general keep the scab from drying out just like my usual first aid ointment. So, I would say it’s a great product to have on hand for all the little scratches and bumps the kids get throughout the summer!

Want some for yourself? You can purchase it here on Amazon!

Dr. Plotka’s Toothbrushes – I was sent these toothbrushes to review and somehow they got lost in the mail. I’m hoping that whomever received them is getting good use out of them! These look like great toothbrushes!

  • Naturally Antimicrobial* Bristles – Embedded silver naturally eliminates 99.9% of bacteria that grows on the bristles between brushing sessions.
  • Flossing Bristles™ – Dual-layered bristle structure provides superior cleaning: the longer, thinner bristles – thin as a human hair – reach deep into grooves, under the gumline and between teeth to brush away food and plaque other brushes miss while the thicker bristles ensure complete cleaning of gum and teeth.
  • Soft Long-Lasting Polyester Bristles – Get up to one extra month of use thanks to polyester bristles which bend better than the nylon bristles found in most other brushes on the market! (The ADA recommends changing your toothbrush every 3 months. Doctor Plotka’s brush will last about 4!)
  • Dentist Developed – Dr. Ronald Plotka designed this innovative toothbrush as part of his thriving 40+ year Boston-based dental practice.

These look terrific for kids and adults! Check them out on their website here.

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Inspiring Books Review

I received these books for free for purposes of my review.

I don’t know about you, but, when I’m stressed, one thing that really helps me in reading some books just for me.

Between work, homeschooling kids, and not being able to see anyone or go anywhere, I’m just feeling down. Taking some time for me, to read some books that make me think, has been really helpful.

How to Think Like Shakespeare

Lessons from a Renaissance Education
by Scott Newstok

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author talks about current educational methods and compares them to past, renaissance, educational methods. This book has a nice balance approach to this comparison. In that he isn’t saying that one is right and one is wrong. He’s comparing the different methodologies and how they affect education.

A terrific, thought-provoking book that has encouraged me to approach some areas of my kids education a little differently.

My favorite chapter was Of Imitation. Scott Newstok points out that currently in education we are pushing our kids to achieve or create something new without any foundation behind it. Where in Renaissance education plagiarism was almost encouraged, and out of that, people would create something new (like Shakespeare’s writing) after they had copied a lot of other’s work. Basically, learning by imitation.

This one hit home for me because for Easter – at home because of social distancing – I did a scavenger hunt throughout the house for the kids. Complete with hints that were written out as 4 line poems. Incredibly easy for me to write. My 11 yr old couldn’t get over how awesome it was and it was then that I put it all together.

I memorized a LOT of poetry in middle and high school, I loved poetry, actually, I still do. And for me, writing a couple of rhyming lines just happens. It’s fun, it’s easy, and apparently, my kids think it’s awesome. But it’s easy because I memorized a lot of the classics, like The Village Blacksmith and Paul Revere’s Ride. These poems have great rhyme and I find that I naturally fall into a similar rhyme pattern when I write poetry.

My oldest loves to write, and in her writing class they’ve done a lot of summarizing and then writing in their own words. At this point it’s easy for her, and I’m glad she’s moving on to something more advanced next year. But, there’s so much value in studying good writing and reading other people’s good writing if you want to be a writer. It’s important to have that foundation before you try to create your own building.

There’s many other great chapters in this book. In our current moment, obsession with assessment and teaching to the test produces large amounts of anxiety about education. In How to Think like Shakespeare, Newstok argues that education must be about thinking, not just training a set of specific skills. Education isn’t merely accumulating data nor implementing formulas, machines are way better at that than humans. So if there is one thing humans do better than anything else, it is precisely thinking. And who better embodies thinking than William Shakespeare?

Scott Newstok is a professor of English and founding director of the Pearce Shakespeare Endowment at Rhodes College. He lives in Memphis, Tennessee.

Your Story Matters

Own Your Story and Tell it With Clarity, Conficence, & Impact
by Linda A Olson

This book walks you through how to own your own story and then how to confidently share it with others.

For me, one of the things that stuck out, is that I have a story that’s important to others.

I enjoy sitting back and listening to other’s stories and often have trouble sharing my own. So, after reading this book, I’m challenged to think through some of my stories and really try to share them with others.

Whether it’s just sharing them with my kids at the dinner table or typing them up on my blog. I agree with Olson, each of us has a story to tell that can benefit those around us, and I just need to learn how to tell mine with Clarity, Confidence, and Impact.

And what better time than the present to work on this. When we’re all stuck at home and really the best way for me to communicate with people is through written stories.

I’m excited that not only did I enjoy a great book, I now have something productive to work on!

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Claudette’s Miraculous Motown Adventure

*This is a Sponsored Post*

Claudette’s Miraculous Motown Adventure
by A.K. Morris & Claudette Robinson
Illustrated by Pamela C. Rice

Summary
Little Claudette lives in the magic kingdom of Motown, where all the happy children sing and dance int he streets. Then one day, an angry witch casts a spell, and the kingdom descends into dark silence. Unhappy and bored, Claudette finds a box of Miracles in her attic. Inside are four little fellows – Smokey, Bobby, Ronnie, and Pete – who sing music so sweet. Claudette and the Miracles begin to sing together, but will it be enough to bring light and laughter back to the kingdom of Motown?

Review
This book was published in 2019, commemorating Motown’s 60th Anniversary celebration. It’s such a cute book, showcasing a little girl’s journey as she discovers the power of music.

The Author, Claudette, uses her own name, and fancifully tells of her journey as the first female artist with Motown Records.

The back of the book has a biography on The Miracles and their lengthy and accomplished career.

About the Author
As an original member of The Miracles, Claudette Robinson was the first female artist to sign with Tamla/Motown Records. In 1960, “Shop Around” became their first million-seller, prompting Berry Gordy to declare Claudette: “The First Lady of Motown.” During the Miracle’s six-decade career, the group has sold more than 60 million records to date, been inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2017, the City Council of L.A. awarded a Resolution to Ms. Claudette Robinson for her varied accomplishments in the recording industry and her continuing philanthropic efforts.

Giveaway
Check out the Claudette’s Miraculous Motown Adventure playlist! Print out the coloring sheet for your kids to color while everyone listens. And, enter the giveaway for your chance to win a copy of Claudette’s Miraculous Motown Adventure.

Connect
Follow Claudette Robinson at:
Website
Facebook
Instagram

 

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Fun and Unique Easter Basket Ideas

*I received many of these items for free, to review*

So, we’re all stuck at home and trying to come up with some fun Easter plans for the kids! I’m working on an indoor scavenger hunt, and rounding up plenty of Easter Basket gifts that aren’t candy. Because kids, inside, with parents working, and lots of candy, just don’t mix!

B Nutty Peanut Butter

I have to admit, I opened these early and made snacks – check out these easy and fast snacks out here – because they’re so good! The little jars are perfect for kid’s baskets and the larger jars are for adults. Or just for me. I made the mistake of just grabbing a spoon and the Totally Toffee the other day, and I ate way too much! At least Peanut Butter is good for me, right?

This gourmet peanut butter is delicious and they have so many varieties, it’s easy to find one that will be perfect for your gift basket!

My kids love the Cinnamon Sugar Cookie peanut butter. They’re pretty sure that a little bit of this on a ritz cracker qualifies as dessert.

You can purchase directly from B Nutty’s website. And you can join their newsletter for 15% off a purchase.

Woodridge Snacks

I’m not sure that my kids will like these, but my husband and I are definitely enjoying them! The Sriracha Sticky Rice Chips are his favorite. He ate them all in one day and has requested more. So, guess what he’s getting in his Easter Basket!

The Mochi Rice Nuggets look suspicious, but they taste WAY better than they look. Just get a bag and try them. I opened them and was like “I guess I’ll take one for the team here” since I had agreed to test them (btw this was the first bag I tried, lol). They’re surprisingly good, and I love how crunchy and airy they are!

The Tempura Seaweed Chips have a decent crunch to them as well, but you can definitely taste the seaweed. If you love seaweed, you’ll love these, but as much as I try to like seaweed, it still always tastes really strong to me. Probably not my first choice, because the two rices are awesome! But they’re still pretty good, and if you just love seaweed snacks, you’ll definitely love these!

The Ginger chews are basically what I expected. They pack a lot of flavor, and probably not a snack that I’m going to sit down and just eat the entire bag, but one or two of these is perfect to finish off some snacking with. And with all the snacking I’m doing these days working at home, I need some snacks that are good for me.

Get 20% off your first order with code: WR20APRIL (expires April 30, 2020)Head on over to the Woodridge Snacks Website and order some tasty and order some unique and tasty snacks for those Easter Baskets you’re working on!

Choc Zero

First things first. This chocolate is sweetened with monk fruit extract instead of sugar. Meaning, that for chocolate, it’s quite low carb. So, if you’re gifting to someone doing a keto diet, you’re in luck!

I’m always skeptical of sugar free candies but I generally like monk fruit so I was willing to give this a try. It’s Delicious!

My favorite chocolate is milk chocolate and these milk chocolate squares are packed with real chocolate and perfectly sweetened without sugar.

I don’t always like dark chocolate but this dark chocolate almond bark is amazing! With all the stress of working from home, homeschooling, etc. lately, it’s nice to be able to stress eat some chocolate without feeling bad about it.

The white chocolate chips are amazing! As I expected, after trying the other 2 chocolates. I’ll be posting a recipe with them later. I’m way behind on recipe posting with all this craziness these days.

And, of course, the syrup. We’re eating so many pancakes with everyone home every single morning. This was such a fun treat for the kids. I’m thinking that they each need their own bottle of syrup for Easter this year.

Choc Zero can be purchased from their website, or from Amazon.

Unstable Unicorns

The first non-food item in my list, because I seem to have this thing for food in Easter baskets! I just couldn’t resist this game for my unicorn loving tween. This card game is a tad complicated, so definitely ideal for older kids. But once you figure it out, it’s so much fun!

We’ve spent hours this past week playing this game. It takes time to play, which is perfect for keeping the kids busy while we’re social distancing. If you have a kid who’s as in to unicorns as mine is, she’ll love this game! And with the hours upon hours of play time this card game offers, you’ll be glad you bought it.

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

If you have slightly younger kids who really want a card game too, but can’t handle the strategy required for Unstable Unicorns, you’ll love this game. Even my 2yr old tries to get in on it by slapping the pile randomly.

It’s super easy to play and fast paced enough that it keeps the kid’s attention easily. Between this game and the Unicorn game I’ve had my kids busy with card games for days! Definitely another great addition to your Easter Basket that will help entertain the kids.

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Think Big

*I received this book free for purposes of my review*

Think Big – By Kat Kronenberg, Illustrated by David Miles

New Children’s Book from bestselling, award-winning author captures the magic of our individuality and inspires kids to live their purpose.

In a society that often seems to encourage us all to look, act, and think the same, it can be difficult for kid to feel like what makes them unique matters. And, I’m sure that as we’re all homeschooling these days, we’re all discovering more and more of each other’s unique traits.

As hard as it can be, it’s good for us to discover, embrace, and celebrate all that makes us special so we can use our gifts to inspire others and ultimately make a positive and lasting impact on the home we all share.

Think Big is the third book in Kronenberg’s trilogy of books the Live Big Series. In Think Big, moody Baboon is faced with drought in his home, the African savanna. Even though they are all scared, inspired by Baboon, all the animals learn to reflect on who they want to be and what choices they need to make to shape their futures. The animals discover that they can make positive choices/decisions that allows them to connect their minds to their hearts, igniting their courage. Can they use their newfound power to not only survive, but ultimately thrive, amidst hardship?

As much as I love the story, I’m really in love with the illustrations. These bright, eye-catching illustrations go perfectly with the story and further help children remember how important it is for them to believe in themselves and discover how they can make the world a better place.

Extras:

You can find project guides, videos, and downloadable activity sheets at www.katkronenberg.com.

Available for purchase May 12. Pre-order is available from Amazon and Book People.