A flashback Gather post. This was written on May 28, 2009. A lot has changed since then- new baby, updated Crystal Light- they now have their Pure Fitness line with NO artificial sweeteners or colors!! I am still overweight but ever since doing this challenge I have been more aware of the amount of water I drink and I don't drink nearly as much soda as I used to (hardly any!). I am currently buying Crystal Light Pure Fitness on a regular basis and add it to my water when I don't want plain water. At only 15 calories per serving it totally beats soda. 1/12/2010.
I was choosen to receive Crystal Light and a re-usable Eddie Bauer water bottle for the water challenge on Gather.
This is going to be fun! Unfortunately it has that unplesant dye that I am not fond of and I can't seem to find what it is sweetened with. I would totally be alright with it being clear!!! I'm not a kid- I don't need things to look the way they are supposed to taste.
So, why do I need to prepare for a challenge that consists of drinking the required amount of water every day? I do carry a water bottle with me everywhere but I am no where close to drinking the amount of water that I should. Sometimes it is laziness. Sometimes I just don't want water, even though I love it. And sometimes I want it cold and it isn't, so I just don't drink it. I could go get ice, but that goes back to the laziness thing. That is why this is going to be a challenge for me. It is really hard to make myself do something if I don't want to. It is going to be a serious effort for me to follow the rules but I am going to try! Another major hurdle for me will be my discovery of Pepsi Throwback. I find something like that then I have to give it up??! Bleh!
To make the most of this challenge I am adding to it. To start, I weighed myself today. I am currently 153 lbs., give or take since it isn't a perfect scale. I wear a size 12 and large tops. At 5'4" I am overweight. I will say I am only a maximum of 20 lbs. overweight, because I am larged-boned and in high school I was anywhere between 125-135 lbs and definitely not fat. I wore size 9 jeans and was in a large (junior). I took ballet and was on the tennis team. I had a perfect stomach- I could sit and there was no rolling. I had cellulite even when I was younger and I've never seemed to be able to get that under control. The rest of my body was so-so. Even though I was active I always seemed to have a lazy body- I was still flabby in some places, like my arms and legs. There was muscle, but it got stuck under fat. Anyhow, that is how I have decided just how overweight I am. I think that increasing my water in-take, getting rid of soda and all that good stuff is going to get me closer to my long-term goal of weighing around 140. My short-term goal is to weigh 145. I don't leap for the stars.
I have always had an energy problem. I always feel tired even when I've had plenty of sleep. I can always use a boost. Maybe the answer has always been that I just need more water. Let's hope!
I also visited the Crystal Light ad here on Gather to see what they have to say. They are also holding the challenge and offer lots of features including a chance to win prizes, articles and tips. They also have provided registered users with a widget to keep track of their water intake. I copied the widget and tried to post it to my blog as a test but it didn't show up. I don't know if that problem was on my end or theirs. It didn't work here either but then I think Gather limits where you can get your widgets, right?
Are you participating in the water challenge? Remember that anyone can participate. Most of us could benefit!
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Showing posts with label gather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gather. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Monday, December 20, 2010
Hallmark Recordable Storybook: Creating Memories (A Flashback Gather Review)
A flashback Gather review from December 2009.
I was choosen to review the Hallmark Recordable Storybook from Gather. I was thrilled to have this chance and had the idea that the kids' dad would read the story since he is usually at school when they go to bed. I thought it would be a great gift to them to hear daddy every night.
The same day that my book arrived we were spending time with Jason's dad and step-mom. I didn't mention the book but we were talking about the holidays and she said she really wanted to get the kids this gift from Hallmark- the Recordable "Night Before Christmas" book! I told her about my opportunity and her face lit up. I knew right away that she would be the storyteller for our book and asked if she would do the honor. Of course she said YES and I asked her if I could either record or photograph her while she read. She agreed and we set up a date.
The Good:
The instructions were very easy to follow and we were ready to record in just a few minutes (it took longer for me to get the video camera ready). We discussed playing music in the background as some others here on Gather had but decided against it in the end.
It was super easy to record, listen then re-record if needed. Once you were happy with a page you could move on to the next one. We had to re-record a few pages, because of kids and mess-ups but we were happy with most of them on the first try. You could record to perfection if you wanted to!
You might not want to have your face too close to the speaker, or speak too loud because it picks up sound really well. Katey spoke quietly but was close to the microphone. Ours turned out a little loud but that's fine with me!
Once you are completely satisfied with your recordings you need a screwdriver to open the panel and lock the recording. If you don't lock it, it could accidently be recorded over (easily). If you ever want to change the recording or have a new person tell the story you simply unlock it and start over.
The Bad:
I would highly recommend keeping this book away from ALL children (or most) even while they are hearing the story! It's sensitive to movement so you have to hold the book pretty still while it's being "read". If you are bumped or the page moves too high/ too much (I like to have my next page ready to be turned) it will stop reading and start over when you put it back in place. You cannot hold the book up- it has to be lying flat, fully open.
I think this is a great gift for anyone who wishes to "tell" a bedtime story to someone special. I think it would be a good idea for Hallmark to come out with these for other seasons or holidays (*NOTE: As of December 2010 they have done this!!)! We haven't shared ours with the kids yet- we planned to introduce it to them at our first holiday party with family tomorrow (Sunday). Hopefully by then we will have found our regular camera's battery charger so we can take pictures of the kids enjoying it.
We videotaped pretty much all of it and I made sure to do it in clips, thinking that if I did that I could post them seperately and it wouldn't be a huge file but somehow when Jason was converting the dvd to a readable file on the computer he managed to condense Jo's birthday party and the entire recording onto one file, which made it about 15 minutes long (and a HUGE file). I'm going to try to upload it so everyone can see how simple (and fun) it was to do. If I manage to get it on here to share, please forgive my shaky hand! I usually assign the video-taping to Jason but one of us needed to occupy the kids. It seems he was just as bad at keeping them busy as I was at recording, because during one page Jonas came up and started saying "grandma, grandma!"! If I can get the whole 15 minutes uploaded and you just want to watch the recording then fast forward the video to about 6:55. The rest of the video is kind of poor quality because of the lighting, which I wouldn't think would matter considering the price we paid for that camera!
Here is the link to view the making of the recordable storybook:
Hallmark Recordable Storybook Video
I was choosen to review the Hallmark Recordable Storybook from Gather. I was thrilled to have this chance and had the idea that the kids' dad would read the story since he is usually at school when they go to bed. I thought it would be a great gift to them to hear daddy every night.
The same day that my book arrived we were spending time with Jason's dad and step-mom. I didn't mention the book but we were talking about the holidays and she said she really wanted to get the kids this gift from Hallmark- the Recordable "Night Before Christmas" book! I told her about my opportunity and her face lit up. I knew right away that she would be the storyteller for our book and asked if she would do the honor. Of course she said YES and I asked her if I could either record or photograph her while she read. She agreed and we set up a date.
The Good:
The instructions were very easy to follow and we were ready to record in just a few minutes (it took longer for me to get the video camera ready). We discussed playing music in the background as some others here on Gather had but decided against it in the end.
It was super easy to record, listen then re-record if needed. Once you were happy with a page you could move on to the next one. We had to re-record a few pages, because of kids and mess-ups but we were happy with most of them on the first try. You could record to perfection if you wanted to!
You might not want to have your face too close to the speaker, or speak too loud because it picks up sound really well. Katey spoke quietly but was close to the microphone. Ours turned out a little loud but that's fine with me!
Once you are completely satisfied with your recordings you need a screwdriver to open the panel and lock the recording. If you don't lock it, it could accidently be recorded over (easily). If you ever want to change the recording or have a new person tell the story you simply unlock it and start over.
The Bad:
I would highly recommend keeping this book away from ALL children (or most) even while they are hearing the story! It's sensitive to movement so you have to hold the book pretty still while it's being "read". If you are bumped or the page moves too high/ too much (I like to have my next page ready to be turned) it will stop reading and start over when you put it back in place. You cannot hold the book up- it has to be lying flat, fully open.
I think this is a great gift for anyone who wishes to "tell" a bedtime story to someone special. I think it would be a good idea for Hallmark to come out with these for other seasons or holidays (*NOTE: As of December 2010 they have done this!!)! We haven't shared ours with the kids yet- we planned to introduce it to them at our first holiday party with family tomorrow (Sunday). Hopefully by then we will have found our regular camera's battery charger so we can take pictures of the kids enjoying it.
We videotaped pretty much all of it and I made sure to do it in clips, thinking that if I did that I could post them seperately and it wouldn't be a huge file but somehow when Jason was converting the dvd to a readable file on the computer he managed to condense Jo's birthday party and the entire recording onto one file, which made it about 15 minutes long (and a HUGE file). I'm going to try to upload it so everyone can see how simple (and fun) it was to do. If I manage to get it on here to share, please forgive my shaky hand! I usually assign the video-taping to Jason but one of us needed to occupy the kids. It seems he was just as bad at keeping them busy as I was at recording, because during one page Jonas came up and started saying "grandma, grandma!"! If I can get the whole 15 minutes uploaded and you just want to watch the recording then fast forward the video to about 6:55. The rest of the video is kind of poor quality because of the lighting, which I wouldn't think would matter considering the price we paid for that camera!
Here is the link to view the making of the recordable storybook:
Hallmark Recordable Storybook Video
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Nabisco 100 Calorie Pack Mister Salty Yogurt Flavored Pretzels (A Flashback Gather Review)
A Gather Flashback Review from March 2010.
I was recently given the opportunity by Gather to try a box of Nabisco 100 Cal Mister Salty Yogurt Flavored Pretzels: Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs Review.
I was very excited to try them out. I LOVE food! I can be picky about what I eat. I am usually picky about the meat I buy, unless it's a frozen dinner. I'm picky about the milk I drink. I am picky about the fruits and veggies I buy, though my main concern is their cleanliness and being able to get any pesticide residue off of them. I don't like artificial sweeteners and really don't like the use of artificial colors. When it comes those things I will spend more on the safer, better choices if the option is available.
That being said, the first thing I noticed while scrutinizing the box was that there is NO high fructose corn syrup in the Mister Salty Pretzels.
Here is a complete breakdown of the Nutritional Information:
Serving Size: 1 Package (each box contains 6 pre-portioned packages of pretzels)
Yogurt flavored coating [sugar, palm kernel oil, milk, yogurt powder (cultured whey protein concentrate, cultured skim milk, yogurt cultures), color added, soy lecithin, salt], unbleached enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, riboflavin {Vitamin B2}, folic acid), salt, corn and/or canola oil and/or cottonseed and/or soybean oil, corn syrup, baking soda, yeast.
I like that the ingredient list isn't totally full of freaky words and unidentified contents. I know what almost everything is and why it's there. I DON'T like that color was added to the yogurt coating. Why? I don't understand why it needs to be colored white. They could save time and money on that additive and save the money on the printing cost of that extra word (those costs may be small per box but they add up!). I like seeing potassium in the ingredient list since it's a nutrient I desperately need right now (I'm 38 weeks pregnant). I was surprised at the lack of calcium; with yogurt being an ingredient I thought that there would be a percent or two in there. And I always thought that pretzels contained fiber so it's interesting to know they do not (can you tell I don't read the nutritional information much?). I was also surprised at how few pretzels make up 100 calories. Other than that, everything makes sense.
So after understanding what I was about to eat I tore open a pack. My first thought was that they were tasty and a good combination of sweet and salty. When I bit into one that was extra salty I was a little turned off but as a whole, the blend is just right. They were perfectly crunchy and satisfying for a sugar or salty craving. They were gone too quickly! When I was finished with a bag I was still hungry and kept looking back in to see if any new ones magically appeared.
I gave a pack to each of my kids and my boyfriend to try out and everyone loved them. My boyfriend agreed about the portion size (his were gone in one bite!). My 2 year old would have eaten the whole box too!!
They are definitely a yummy treat, especially on the go, but not enough food to satisfy my needs as a snack. Honestly, I am a pretty frugal person and buying something that costs more because it's already packaged in portions would be a turn off for me. But the convenience is no doubt perfect for anyone busy. I understand why they are pre-portioned and I really like the concept but I would much prefer buying a big bag and separating everything myself. I've never seen this particular flavor in big bags on any shelf. I've noticed that when an open bag of anything sits in front of me I will eat more than if it's presented in a smaller amount. I know for many people (I've spoken to people about buying pre-portioned food over buying larger and separating themselves) they would rather have the portioning done for them so they can just grab and go. It is definitely more convenient to have the work done for you. For me the price outweighs the benefits when it's a product that can easily be separated like pretzels.
I would buy these if we were in need of a quick and easy snack... if they were a good price. Without a doubt, they taste good and I would happily scarf down a bag (or 2 or 3).
I was recently given the opportunity by Gather to try a box of Nabisco 100 Cal Mister Salty Yogurt Flavored Pretzels: Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs Review.
I was very excited to try them out. I LOVE food! I can be picky about what I eat. I am usually picky about the meat I buy, unless it's a frozen dinner. I'm picky about the milk I drink. I am picky about the fruits and veggies I buy, though my main concern is their cleanliness and being able to get any pesticide residue off of them. I don't like artificial sweeteners and really don't like the use of artificial colors. When it comes those things I will spend more on the safer, better choices if the option is available.
That being said, the first thing I noticed while scrutinizing the box was that there is NO high fructose corn syrup in the Mister Salty Pretzels.
Here is a complete breakdown of the Nutritional Information:
Serving Size: 1 Package (each box contains 6 pre-portioned packages of pretzels)
Calories: 100
Calories from Fat: 35
Total Fat: 4g (6% DV)
Saturated Fat: 3.5g (18% DV)
(0g Trans, Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated Fats)
0mg Cholesterol
Sodium: 160mg (7% DV)
Potassium: 20mg (1% DV)
Total Carbohydrates: 16g (5% DV)
0g Dietary Fiber
Sugars: 7g
Protein: 1g
Iron: 4% DV
(0% DV Vitamins A, C and Calcium)
Ingredients:
Yogurt flavored coating [sugar, palm kernel oil, milk, yogurt powder (cultured whey protein concentrate, cultured skim milk, yogurt cultures), color added, soy lecithin, salt], unbleached enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, riboflavin {Vitamin B2}, folic acid), salt, corn and/or canola oil and/or cottonseed and/or soybean oil, corn syrup, baking soda, yeast.
I like that the ingredient list isn't totally full of freaky words and unidentified contents. I know what almost everything is and why it's there. I DON'T like that color was added to the yogurt coating. Why? I don't understand why it needs to be colored white. They could save time and money on that additive and save the money on the printing cost of that extra word (those costs may be small per box but they add up!). I like seeing potassium in the ingredient list since it's a nutrient I desperately need right now (I'm 38 weeks pregnant). I was surprised at the lack of calcium; with yogurt being an ingredient I thought that there would be a percent or two in there. And I always thought that pretzels contained fiber so it's interesting to know they do not (can you tell I don't read the nutritional information much?). I was also surprised at how few pretzels make up 100 calories. Other than that, everything makes sense.
So after understanding what I was about to eat I tore open a pack. My first thought was that they were tasty and a good combination of sweet and salty. When I bit into one that was extra salty I was a little turned off but as a whole, the blend is just right. They were perfectly crunchy and satisfying for a sugar or salty craving. They were gone too quickly! When I was finished with a bag I was still hungry and kept looking back in to see if any new ones magically appeared.
I gave a pack to each of my kids and my boyfriend to try out and everyone loved them. My boyfriend agreed about the portion size (his were gone in one bite!). My 2 year old would have eaten the whole box too!!
They are definitely a yummy treat, especially on the go, but not enough food to satisfy my needs as a snack. Honestly, I am a pretty frugal person and buying something that costs more because it's already packaged in portions would be a turn off for me. But the convenience is no doubt perfect for anyone busy. I understand why they are pre-portioned and I really like the concept but I would much prefer buying a big bag and separating everything myself. I've never seen this particular flavor in big bags on any shelf. I've noticed that when an open bag of anything sits in front of me I will eat more than if it's presented in a smaller amount. I know for many people (I've spoken to people about buying pre-portioned food over buying larger and separating themselves) they would rather have the portioning done for them so they can just grab and go. It is definitely more convenient to have the work done for you. For me the price outweighs the benefits when it's a product that can easily be separated like pretzels.
I would buy these if we were in need of a quick and easy snack... if they were a good price. Without a doubt, they taste good and I would happily scarf down a bag (or 2 or 3).
De-stinking the Tween- a Gather Review of Degree Men Deodorant (A Flashback Gather Review)
Flashback Gather Review from July 2010.
My son Zachary was selected by Gather to review Degree for Men Deodorant and received a free sample of the deodorant to facilitate his review.
Product Reviewers Needed for Degree Men, Degree Girl, Dove Ultimate go fresh and Suave 24-Hour Protection deodorant – Comment to Participate
Zachary is a new 9 year old (his birthday was July 10) and, news to me, a TWEEN! We received our sample of deodorant on his birthday (what a great way to celebrate a birthday- hey dude, you stink!) but weren't home until late so we've only had a few days to get to know this product.
We have Degree's Arctic Edge- scented deodorant in a clear solid. I'm curious about this "silver ion technology". I am aware that negative ions are used in some air purifiers and wonder if that's what they are getting at when promoting this? Or if it's just some fancy words.
Mom's first impression: The smell is a little strong but it's a decent scent. It's bad enough to have to wear deodorant but to announce it with a strong scent could be embarrassing. And on the topic of odor...Zachary doesn't have one yet (Thank God!!!) but I thought it would be great to try anyway because he does sweat and, as a mildly sensory-disable child, he could give a good opinion on how it feels and smells.
Zachary's first impression: Smell? "I don't like it! It stinks- it's nasty! Do I have to wear it?".
Unfortunately, it's a cool day today. I had planned to have him use it while playing tennis but it was canceled today because of rain. So we are experimenting in poor conditions for rating deodorant. We aren't going to be super-active today though the humidity might make sweating more likely. Zachary put it on and after 2 hours I checked back with him. I asked if wearing deodorant feels different than not wearing it. He said didn't notice it at all- he wasn't bothered by the texture, probably because it's a clear solid that absorbs quickly (unlike the chalky or gel deodorants). He is sometimes bothered by things on his skin so it's a positive that this didn't bother him. I asked him if he felt sweaty and he said he didn't, but added that it's not hot in his room like it normally is during the summer. I asked him about the smell again and he said it was alright, so the strength of the scent calms down after a while. I checked it too and it definitely was much nicer after 2 hours. He smelled like a person rather than a deodorant factory!
I'm sad that we haven't had the opportunity to review how well this works on sweat. I guess it's different since he doesn't have odor issues yet, but the fact that there was still a mild deodorant scent after a few hours may mean that it's still protecting against potential odors after some time has passed. I look forward to having him try this out on a hot tennis day!
As for future use...I'd definitely have to take him along when selecting a deodorant so that he isn't disgusted by the smell. And I think to have a more effective review of deodorant we would need to try a few different kinds so that we know what works and what doesn't. As a fan of both Degree and Old Spice for my grown man, they would definitely be 2 or our choices when the time comes that we really need some. It doesn't hurt that we've had this opportunity to be warned that this future shopping trip will happen sooner, rather than later!
My son Zachary was selected by Gather to review Degree for Men Deodorant and received a free sample of the deodorant to facilitate his review.
Product Reviewers Needed for Degree Men, Degree Girl, Dove Ultimate go fresh and Suave 24-Hour Protection deodorant – Comment to Participate
Zachary is a new 9 year old (his birthday was July 10) and, news to me, a TWEEN! We received our sample of deodorant on his birthday (what a great way to celebrate a birthday- hey dude, you stink!) but weren't home until late so we've only had a few days to get to know this product.
About Degree® Men Deodorant: With Degree Men, odor is no match for the busy lives of tween boys. Whether running for class president, auditioning for the school play, or leading the football team to victory, Degree Men rises to every challenge to help boys feel confident. Degree Men, available in four fragrances, guarantees odor protection and is the first deodorant with Silver Ion Technology. Silver Ions are high-tech odor fighters so effective that they are used by sports brands, the military and even space agencies to fight odor in their performance apparel.
Mom's first impression: The smell is a little strong but it's a decent scent. It's bad enough to have to wear deodorant but to announce it with a strong scent could be embarrassing. And on the topic of odor...Zachary doesn't have one yet (Thank God!!!) but I thought it would be great to try anyway because he does sweat and, as a mildly sensory-disable child, he could give a good opinion on how it feels and smells.
Zachary's first impression: Smell? "I don't like it! It stinks- it's nasty! Do I have to wear it?".
Unfortunately, it's a cool day today. I had planned to have him use it while playing tennis but it was canceled today because of rain. So we are experimenting in poor conditions for rating deodorant. We aren't going to be super-active today though the humidity might make sweating more likely. Zachary put it on and after 2 hours I checked back with him. I asked if wearing deodorant feels different than not wearing it. He said didn't notice it at all- he wasn't bothered by the texture, probably because it's a clear solid that absorbs quickly (unlike the chalky or gel deodorants). He is sometimes bothered by things on his skin so it's a positive that this didn't bother him. I asked him if he felt sweaty and he said he didn't, but added that it's not hot in his room like it normally is during the summer. I asked him about the smell again and he said it was alright, so the strength of the scent calms down after a while. I checked it too and it definitely was much nicer after 2 hours. He smelled like a person rather than a deodorant factory!
I'm sad that we haven't had the opportunity to review how well this works on sweat. I guess it's different since he doesn't have odor issues yet, but the fact that there was still a mild deodorant scent after a few hours may mean that it's still protecting against potential odors after some time has passed. I look forward to having him try this out on a hot tennis day!
As for future use...I'd definitely have to take him along when selecting a deodorant so that he isn't disgusted by the smell. And I think to have a more effective review of deodorant we would need to try a few different kinds so that we know what works and what doesn't. As a fan of both Degree and Old Spice for my grown man, they would definitely be 2 or our choices when the time comes that we really need some. It doesn't hurt that we've had this opportunity to be warned that this future shopping trip will happen sooner, rather than later!
Cooking for Kids- Can't Beat Kraft Mac 'N' Cheese! (A Flashback Gather Review)
Flashback Gather Review from August 2009.
(it seems that someone tried to KILL them before they got here...see pictures of beaten boxes!!).
My kids LOVE macaroni and cheese. I kind of like it too, though I'm not exactly fond of the ingredients. But I'm also lazy, and have some kids that are sometimes difficult to please. In addition to my 3 I watch my friend's two kids. That's 5 sometimes-picky kids. What to do? One thing I will NEVER do is make more than one meal to please everyone. That narrows our choices down majorly and you can't go wrong with mac 'n' cheese. And the real, homemade stuff just does not sit well with these kids (I've TRIED). This is easier anyway and I'd rather have the real stuff all to myself, with a big helping of stewed tomatoes on the side (why am I even writing about it when I don't have the ingredients???).
How do we eat our Kraft mac 'n' cheese? We aren't picky. Sometimes we eat it with some broccoli, sometimes with chicken nuggets, sometimes with ketchup, sometimes with it all and sometimes by itself. It doesn't matter- it works in so many ways!
Today there are 4 kids (and me) and I decided that we would have our Kraft Deluxe (deluxe means it comes with the gooey cheese in foil packet instead of the powder you have to mix, so it's creamier and a little less work (and sometimes we forget to stock butter and milk). Mac 'N' Cheese with chicken nuggets (with ketchup) and celery sticks with peanut butter. We ended up with 3 cleaned off plates (plus mine) and a kid who didn't want to eat any of it (weird because he actually likes all of it!). I had my Mac 'N' Cheese with lots of pepper and some ketchup mixed in. Then I had my chicken nuggets with honey. I gave all of the celery to the kids.
So we didn't make anything special, but when it comes to kids special doesn't matter. GOOD matters and this was GOOD :D
And if you are interested in the fine print:
A serving of Kraft Deluxe Mac 'N' Cheese is 3.5 oz, 320 calories (yikes!), 90 fat calories which is 10g of fat or 15% dv, 3g of saturated fat, 15mg or 5% cholesterol, 930mg of sodium or 39% (double yikes!), 45g or 15% carbohydrates, 1g or 4% dietary fiber, 4g of sugar and 12g of protein. There is also 4% dv of vitamin A, 15% calcium and 10% iron.
(it seems that someone tried to KILL them before they got here...see pictures of beaten boxes!!).
My kids LOVE macaroni and cheese. I kind of like it too, though I'm not exactly fond of the ingredients. But I'm also lazy, and have some kids that are sometimes difficult to please. In addition to my 3 I watch my friend's two kids. That's 5 sometimes-picky kids. What to do? One thing I will NEVER do is make more than one meal to please everyone. That narrows our choices down majorly and you can't go wrong with mac 'n' cheese. And the real, homemade stuff just does not sit well with these kids (I've TRIED). This is easier anyway and I'd rather have the real stuff all to myself, with a big helping of stewed tomatoes on the side (why am I even writing about it when I don't have the ingredients???).
How do we eat our Kraft mac 'n' cheese? We aren't picky. Sometimes we eat it with some broccoli, sometimes with chicken nuggets, sometimes with ketchup, sometimes with it all and sometimes by itself. It doesn't matter- it works in so many ways!
Today there are 4 kids (and me) and I decided that we would have our Kraft Deluxe (deluxe means it comes with the gooey cheese in foil packet instead of the powder you have to mix, so it's creamier and a little less work (and sometimes we forget to stock butter and milk). Mac 'N' Cheese with chicken nuggets (with ketchup) and celery sticks with peanut butter. We ended up with 3 cleaned off plates (plus mine) and a kid who didn't want to eat any of it (weird because he actually likes all of it!). I had my Mac 'N' Cheese with lots of pepper and some ketchup mixed in. Then I had my chicken nuggets with honey. I gave all of the celery to the kids.
So we didn't make anything special, but when it comes to kids special doesn't matter. GOOD matters and this was GOOD :D
And if you are interested in the fine print:
A serving of Kraft Deluxe Mac 'N' Cheese is 3.5 oz, 320 calories (yikes!), 90 fat calories which is 10g of fat or 15% dv, 3g of saturated fat, 15mg or 5% cholesterol, 930mg of sodium or 39% (double yikes!), 45g or 15% carbohydrates, 1g or 4% dietary fiber, 4g of sugar and 12g of protein. There is also 4% dv of vitamin A, 15% calcium and 10% iron.
Make It: A Book Review and A Trashy Craft (A Flashback Gather Review)
A flashback Gather review from April 2009.
I was choosen to receive and review the book "Make It" by Jane Bull on Gather.
It's a book that will help your child (or you!) turn your trash into treasure. This book isn't just for kids- adults can use the ideas in this book to make their own creations as well. Even a beginner can use the ideas in this book, as there are very clear step-by-step instructions and pictures that leave no questions unanswered! Often when I buy a craft book the author assumes that the reader already knows everything there is to know about the craft (jewelry, sewing- all books that are totally useless to me because the instructions were not clear at all) and skips the beginning steps. But not Mrs. Jane Bull! Even young readers will be able to do some of the crafts in this book on their own. For others they will need adult supervision or help. There are projects to make using a variety of items in your home- old toys, bottle lids, cans, fabric, paper and so much more. You can make something from anything!
This book, like others in the series (see link above for other books by the publisher), is "made with care". The paper to make this book is FSC certified, which means the paper comes from responsibly managed forests. They use better inks, skip the dust jacket and their printers generate 100% of their own electricity.
The day I received this book in the mail Zachary got to it first. He always gets excited about mail, especially packages so he made me open it right away. I didn't get more than a glance at the cover before he took it from me and started reading. He was SO excited! He was saying, "Mommy, we could make this- I could make this! This is so cool!" to just about everything in the book. Instead of hijacking it back, I sat down to see what was so cool. Sure enough, he really could make a lot of the things in this book on his own.
When we came to the sewing projects I almost kept going because I don't know how to sew. But this book even offers a basic sewing lesson! How neat is that?! Zachary was thrilled and said that we could learn to sew together. I told him that I thought that was a great idea. I even bought a mini sewing kit recently so that I could attempt to fix simple things like missing buttons, so we are set to give it a try soon!
Yesterday we decided to go through the book again to pick a few crafts to make. After looking through the book he decided to use some ideas in it to create his own thing. He wanted to make a "robot remote". At first it started as just a regular remote but as he made it his ideas were still forming. I offered to find a few things in the house for him to use as buttons but he said he just wanted to trace shapes. We grabbed all of the tools we needed- scissors, tape, a pen, a plastic heart with a couple shapes for tracing (what the heck is that thing called anyway?) and a piece of cardboard that we were planning to toss in the recycling bin. Everything was something we already had in the house, for regular use or to be thrown away (just the cardboard was trash for this particular project).
He asked me to cut the cardboard then went to work.
Then I gave him a clothespin so that he could secure it to his pants. And he is finished!
He started using his remote with the kids and me as subjects. Of course he had to tell us what he was pushing but it was still fun. He said that when he pushed the first button it was activating us as robots. Then whatever he pushed we had to do. I might have looked silly jumping up and down, pretending to shoot, punch and fly but I was having fun too! Thank goodness he didn't make me sing! Jonas joined in the fun as well, and was punching and shooting along with me. I did try to get video of that but he found the cat as soon as I started to film. Amara wouldn't play and just kept making robots with her chalk on the sidewalk.
I was choosen to receive and review the book "Make It" by Jane Bull on Gather.
It's a book that will help your child (or you!) turn your trash into treasure. This book isn't just for kids- adults can use the ideas in this book to make their own creations as well. Even a beginner can use the ideas in this book, as there are very clear step-by-step instructions and pictures that leave no questions unanswered! Often when I buy a craft book the author assumes that the reader already knows everything there is to know about the craft (jewelry, sewing- all books that are totally useless to me because the instructions were not clear at all) and skips the beginning steps. But not Mrs. Jane Bull! Even young readers will be able to do some of the crafts in this book on their own. For others they will need adult supervision or help. There are projects to make using a variety of items in your home- old toys, bottle lids, cans, fabric, paper and so much more. You can make something from anything!
This book, like others in the series (see link above for other books by the publisher), is "made with care". The paper to make this book is FSC certified, which means the paper comes from responsibly managed forests. They use better inks, skip the dust jacket and their printers generate 100% of their own electricity.
The day I received this book in the mail Zachary got to it first. He always gets excited about mail, especially packages so he made me open it right away. I didn't get more than a glance at the cover before he took it from me and started reading. He was SO excited! He was saying, "Mommy, we could make this- I could make this! This is so cool!" to just about everything in the book. Instead of hijacking it back, I sat down to see what was so cool. Sure enough, he really could make a lot of the things in this book on his own.
When we came to the sewing projects I almost kept going because I don't know how to sew. But this book even offers a basic sewing lesson! How neat is that?! Zachary was thrilled and said that we could learn to sew together. I told him that I thought that was a great idea. I even bought a mini sewing kit recently so that I could attempt to fix simple things like missing buttons, so we are set to give it a try soon!
Yesterday we decided to go through the book again to pick a few crafts to make. After looking through the book he decided to use some ideas in it to create his own thing. He wanted to make a "robot remote". At first it started as just a regular remote but as he made it his ideas were still forming. I offered to find a few things in the house for him to use as buttons but he said he just wanted to trace shapes. We grabbed all of the tools we needed- scissors, tape, a pen, a plastic heart with a couple shapes for tracing (what the heck is that thing called anyway?) and a piece of cardboard that we were planning to toss in the recycling bin. Everything was something we already had in the house, for regular use or to be thrown away (just the cardboard was trash for this particular project).
He asked me to cut the cardboard then went to work.
He made "buttons" to start, stop, fall in love (?!), shoot, fly, jump, punch and one to use as a microphone. Start and stop were round, fall in love was a heart, shoot was a triangle, punch was a diamond, jump was 3 or 4 pentagons that he spaced slightly apart so that they appeared to be "jumping" (this was my favorite button- so creative!) and the microphone button was a large circle with lines inside going horizontally and vertically. After he was done it looked pretty cool but it didn't look complete. We needed an antenna and a way for him to carry it. We found a stick from a bush in our front yard (one that had fallen off) and he taped it to the back.
Then I gave him a clothespin so that he could secure it to his pants. And he is finished!
He started using his remote with the kids and me as subjects. Of course he had to tell us what he was pushing but it was still fun. He said that when he pushed the first button it was activating us as robots. Then whatever he pushed we had to do. I might have looked silly jumping up and down, pretending to shoot, punch and fly but I was having fun too! Thank goodness he didn't make me sing! Jonas joined in the fun as well, and was punching and shooting along with me. I did try to get video of that but he found the cat as soon as I started to film. Amara wouldn't play and just kept making robots with her chalk on the sidewalk.
Who knew a book could create so much family fun?! I recommend this book to any newbie of the craft world. You could also find plenty of similar crafts online but I'm thrilled that I have the book for the steps and photos. This book will be coming along with us on trips and visits with family and friends so we can share the crafts we've made and potential ones for the future! I'm looking forward to making many more and we have already started our second project from the book.
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