Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Instant Snow To GO!

                    Instant Snow




Even thought summer is hear in Missouri Its snowing in our kitchen.Today we tried out the Snow to GO product.Its an artificial snow that looks just like Real Snow http://www.instantsnow.org/instantsnowhome.html.

My daughter showing off how fluffy it is
Snow To Go! powder makes snow instantly, in seconds it makes artificial snow that looks like real snow and feels cold to the touch. Instant Snow to Go is non toxic and environmentally safe. It requires no mixing and makes snow that is Fluffy and Not Sticky. Instant Snow To Go comes in a variety of choices Instant Snow To GO!, Fairy's Frost, Snowball To Go! Ornaments, Snow cards, and Novelties. All of them can be found at various retail stores around the country or for bulk purchases you can go to www.intantsnowtogo.com


Snow To Go! is super affordable.  these are the Suggested Retail prices for Snow To Go!



Part of our Christmas Village Snowed in! 
*Snow Tube (SNO-125) Suggested retail price $3.59 - great for stocking stuffers and party favors.

*SnowBall (SNO-B100) Suggested retail price $5.99 - fun Craft item.  Make Snow Ornaments, even add food color to the water and mix with snow powder to make colorful ornaments and even hanging pumpkins or jackolanterns for Halloween.

*Snow Poly Pack (SNO-400) Suggested retail price $6.99 - decorated centerpieces for tables, fun souvenir or novelty gift.

*Snow Take-out Novelty (SNO-410) Suggested retail price $10.99 - Thoughtful gift for folks who decorate with snow, such as Holiday and Christmas Villages or Electric Train Scenes.

*Snow Jar (SNO-525) Suggested retail price $12.99 - excellent for Crafts, Holiday Decorating, Christmas Villages, Floral Displays.  Makes 3 gallons of artificial snow.

*Snow Designer Bulk (SNO-600) Suggested retail $29.99 - for Designers and Events and School Science.


We got to try there Instant Snow To Go! in several forms. We received a Jar of Snow To Go! that makes a whopping 3 gallons. A tube pack of Snow To Go! that makes 3 cups. A Snow To Go! poly pack. We also got a Snow Card that contains a little package of Snow To Go! so that favorite family member or friend can make a little bit of snow makes about a cup of Snow To Go!

that little scoop barley covered the bottom of the cup it
expanded to a hole cup.
Me and the Girls had fun trying out Snow To Go! I was surprised at how much a little scoop of Instant Snow To Go! really made. As you can see in the pictures that little blue scoop made a hole cup of Snow. Its crazy easy to make my 2 year old did and it only takes about 2 seconds for it to expand. You place a scoop of Snow To Go! in a cup or bowl and add a 1/4 cup of water and it rapidly expands.  I let the girls make a bowl of it and we hid different objects in it letting them use it as a sensory tank. Since its cold and feel fluffy its great for kids to explore in. Its super soft and fluffy and It actually feels cold to the touch.  My girls though it was AMAZING as my 4 year old put it. Its not really sticky but it can make a bit of a mess if your letting your kids play with it. The Girls had it all over the table.  It looks amazingly real around a miniature Christmas village which we will be putting up this year. It would look great around some candles as a center piece. Even a Party Decoration I wish I would have had some last august when my 2 year old had an Ice castle Birthday cake. This would have looked amazing on our gift table. Now I am trying to find another winter themed birthday idea just so I can fill a table with it. It has so many different decorating possibilities you just cant go wrong with it.

The Snow To Go! is a little wet and it might damage a surface that is not made to with stand moisture. We used some clear plastic wrap to protect the table. You can let Snow To Go! dry out and reuse it again later. Good luck getting it back into its original container. Its tightly packed and I could not get it to pack back down. I just put our in one of those plastic food storage containers that have the lock on lids that have the rubber gasket on it. We have used it and let it dry back out about 5 times now and so far its gotten just as fluffy as the first time we made it. The little tub that I let the girls play in is looking kind of dirty now from there hands. But they still love it and we have snow on our kitchen table in the Middle of Summer.

I would also like to add that Snow To Go! can be slippery when wet. Please watch your kids if you let them play with it don't let them eat it as it could pose as a choking hazard always watch your Kids.



Disclosure: I received these products at no cost for review. All opinions are my own or what my kids thought of the product.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Memorial Day 2012


For all the Veterans and there Families Thank you for your Sacrifice. You will never Be forgotten
From our Family to Yours God Bless and Be Safe.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Caterpillar Stack by Boon Feeding Products.

I received the cutest little snack container from Boon inc. It looks like a caterpillar and has three compartments to separate snacks into. The super cool lid lets little hands in but keeps the snacks where they belong instead of all over the car or my purse. It sells for $14.99 and comes in a couple color combinations We have the teal and red one. You can check them out hear  http://www.booninc.com/products/CaterpillarStack/467

its so cute
I have had a lot of snack containers and I have to say this is by far one of my favorites. It allows my 2 year old to take 3 choices of snacks with her when we go out. She loves the snack choices and I love that she doesn't spill all over the car. Its easy to clean because the sections come apart. They are easy to take apart you just twist and they un-click. My 2 year old cant twist them apart but they are not so tough that I have to recruit dad to take it apart. The little compartment doors that let the snacks out slide to the side and my 2 year olds doesn't have any trouble opening them but a younger child might.

Boon has done it again and provided parents with yet another cool product to make life as a parent just a little easier. 

Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/BoonInc

Disclosure: I received these products at no cost for review. All opinions are my own or what my kids thought of the product

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Polliwog Learning Products


I was looking for some great learning Products the other day and I ran into Polliwog Learning products on Etsy. Etsy is one of my favorite places to shop, I love supporting the little businesses like Polliwog. Michele the owner of Polliwog Learning Products was great enough to send me a set of her sand paper letters and Numbers to review. You can find her Etsy shop hear. http://www.etsy.com/shop/polliwog77

some of the sand paper letters

I received Michele's new sand paper letters on a melamine fiberboard. Fiberboard sets come in different sizes and various prices.
A 3x5 Lowercase Sandpaper Letters set runs for $26.00. A 3x5 Uppercase Sandpaper Letters goes for $26.00. The Melamine 3x5 Sandpaper Numbers 0-10 $11.00, and the 3x5 Sandpaper Numbers 11-20 $10.00
Shipping charges range from 5.15 for a single purchase
to 10.95 for all three (or more)

She also sells Fiberboard Mini Sets they are only .75 cents a board a mini size set or lower case letters is $19.50. A set of Mini Uppercase letters sells for $19.50. The Mini Numbers set 0-10 sells for $8.25, and Mini Numbers set 11-20 is $7.50.  Shipping charges up to three sets of minis is $5.15.

The letters and numbers are laser cut out of sandpaper and are adhered to melamine fiberboard. The letters and Numbers are very precise and are done in an easy to read font. I love that they have two different textures. The letters are sand paper so they are a little rough. But the melamine fiberboard has a smoother softer texture. The letters have a small circle cut into the them so that your little one knows which way is UP! This small little feature has been a huge help with my 2 year old. She is always getting her letter upside down which has caused issues with the lower case d, b, and p. When we first got the letter in the mail I explained to her that the dot goes at the top. Now she lays them out that way with no problems getting them up side down.

Both of my girls are in love with Polliwog sandpaper letters and numbers. Not only are they great flash card for learning letters and numbers. If you have both upper and lower case letters they are great for letter matching. They also make amazing card houses. Check out this one my daughter built. I had her identify each letter or number before she could add it to the house.

Sandpaper Numbers
The sandpaper letter and number sets have held up great so far. We have really banged them around and just had fun with them. I have no idea what Michele used to stick the letters and numbers on the melamine fiberboard but it sticks really well and we have had no issues at all.

If your looking for a great learning product to teach your little one letters and numbers try out Polliwog  Learning Products.http://www.etsy.com/shop/polliwog77

Disclosure: I received these products at no cost for review. All opinions are my own or what my kids thought of the product.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

The Nanner by Boon Feeding Products


If your a fan of sliced bananas this product is right up your alley. Its the Nanner by Boon this is what the company says about it:

Nanner Handheld Banana Slicer
Put the knife down and step away from the cutting board. Nanner cuts perfect, bite-sized bananas slices right over their cereal bowl or dish. No sharp blades. No mess. Tons of potassium. MSRP: $11.99

Now the facts are out of the way heres what we thought of the Nanner:
This little kitchen gadget Rocks. Its super simple and easy to use. The best part it looks like a banana and my girls think that's cool. Anything that makes my kids think fresh fruit is cool is a welcome in my kitchen.
How to use it:You peel the banana stick it in the hole and squeeze the handle. Be sure to keep your fingers clear of the hole and of the slots on the front side. It cuts perfect sliced bananas every time. since it cuts multiple slices at a time it makes cutting up a banana very quick. A couple of squeezes and you are done. Its great for making banana pudding, slicing bananas for cereal, snacks, frozen banana slices. I have used this little baby quite a bit already.

The Nanner has stainless steel blades, its top rack dishwasher safe so its super easy to clean just toss it in. Its BPA-free, Phthalate-free and PVC-Free so its safe for you and your kids. Its 2.375" x 6.875 in x 1.25''. Its close to the same size as a banana check out the photo on the right. Its not super small but it fits nicely in my drawer with all the other kitchen gadgets that I love.  





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Disclosure: I received these products at no cost for review. All opinions are my own

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Tommie Copper

                                            

A late night add lead me Tommie Copper. They make some really cool compression gear. If you have ever been a runner you have probable used compression gear on an injured ankle or knee at one point or another. Tommy Copper is a little different than your typical compression product. Its comfortable, breathable and non restrictive.  It uses multi-directional support and proprietary copper-infused yarn to provide relief from arthritis and other joint pains, promote muscle recovery and reduce inflammation all while being comfortable enough to be worn throughout the entire day. The company says that the copper has great pain re-leaving properties. Arthritis suffers people with joint pain have been using copper for years. Tommy copper offers compression sleeves for knees, elbows, and ankles. They also make compression shirts, shorts, and gloves.  Prices range from $24.50 to $44.50 depending on the item. The compression gear comes in several colors black gray and a green. Everything can be found hear at www.tommiecopper.com

The palm of my moms finger less gloves
My mom suffers from Arthritis and my dad has developed lower back pain when he has to walk for very long. He also suffers from Elbow pain. When I got the opportunity to review Tommie Copper I knew they would be perfect to test the products. The company has a great measuring guide to help you pick the right size for your needs. I found it to be accurate it was a great help in choosing which sizes to get.

My mom wearing the gloves
I gave my mom the pair of finger less compression gloves. She has had arthritis pain in her left hand for several years now and it has gotten progressively worse. She put on the finger less gloves right away she said the gentle compression felt great. She had tried some other compression gloves in the past but they are always either too tight or two loose. The Tommie copper gloves were the first pair that fit so comfortable she could even wear them at night. She has been using them for several weeks now and has noticed a big improvement in Pain when she is wearing them. There is also improvement when she takes them off for a day or two. They work well enough and are so comfortable that she is not willing to give them up and is thinking of ordering a second pair. They wash up nice, and dry quickly. Her only issue is that the grip they put on the palm of the gloves is a little stiff and broke in a couple places right where her fingers and hand bends the most and it was scratchy. I had to trim off the piece that was sticking up.
My moms foot

My mom also got to try the Ankle compression sleeve. She has had pain in her ankle for about a year now they think its arthritis. She tried a ankle brace she got from walmart it was a joke. It was too tight and would make her foot sore. But the next size up was too big. I told her this ankle compression sleeve would be different and she put it on, right away she said it felt great. The bottom edge that you walk on is smooth there is no rough seam or ridge to irritate your foot when you step on it. Its not restrictive like some of the other ankle sleeves. It allows her the freedom to move easily yet gives her just enough compression to ease her pain. She is now navigating the stairs once again with out pain. I am so happy to see her chase my girls around the yard again.

Pict from the Tommie Copper site
My dad got to test out the Men's compression shirt and the Elbow Sleeve. He is a bit of a skeptic when it comes to this stuff but his back and elbow has been bother him so much that he was willing to humor me and give it a try. He tested out the elbow sleeve first the compression was perfect he said it was just enough to stop the severe throbbing pain he was having. He says he still has a dull pain with it on but it has helped a great deal and he is not in a lot pain at the end of the day. His only issue with the elbow sleeve is that the elastic on the top can chafe the under side of his arm a bit right where the two ends are stitched together. I think turning it around and putting the seam on the top of his arm where the skin is less sensitive might help solve the issue. He said its not anything that would make him not want to use the sleeve. He wears it every day now and I am glad to see him doing the things he loves.  
He also got to try out the men's Compression shirt. He did not think it was going to do anything and was worried it was going to be hot. The first day he had it on happened to be a warm day and he kept telling me while we were working on the shop "this thing is not as hot as I thought it was going to be. Its really not bad". He also said he did not think it was doing anything. I told him to give it some time.  Later that night he after he took it off he declared he was wrong ! He said I guess that shirt was doing more than I thought it was. My back felt so much better with it on. I ordered the shirt using the measurement guide but he said he feels it should have been a size smaller. Despite that, It has helped a great with his lower back pain. I recently went to town with him while he was wearing the Tommie Copper compression shirt. For the first time in years he was not rubbing his back. Most days his lower back is killing him after walking on a cement floor for an hour.  He is thinking about ordering the next size down to see if it would give him even better results since this one is a little on the relaxed side.. He said his back feels better it makes walking and standing for extended periods of time tolerable. I am thrilled to see him doing what he loves the most building Hot Rods. 

I don't know if its the Copper in Tommie Copper compression gear or the unique way the fabric stretches.  But it doesn't really matter. It's comfortable its affordable and it works. I can honestly recommend Tommie Copper to anyone that suffers from any kind of joint pain.

Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/tommiecopper

Disclosure: I received these products at no cost for review.  All opinions are my own.