Sparking Artistic Creativity With Blingle Bands!

My daughter loves to get creative. Whether it is in painting, jewelry making or even in fixing herself a meal, this girl makes me proud with not being afraid to try something new! Which brings me to my latest blog post. 

*Disclaimer: I was sent this product for free in exchange for letting my daughter test it out and then telling you what we thought of it! I was not otherwise paid or endorsed. All opinions are strictly my own.*

I had never heard of Blingle Bands before. They come from Moose Toys. Of course, the moment I removed it from its shipping package, my daughter was reaching and wanting to give it a try! I had that moment of feeling something like this... 

I told her I needed to get some product photos done first and she would need to wait just a little while longer. After all, Influenster is the medium that allowed me to get one for her, so they will need photos in return. 

I was amazed at how simple, yet complex it was. How can that be? First off, everything is neat and ordered. The process to put the pieces on is simple. The creations that you can design? That can be as complex as you want it to be! In my 8 year old daughters hands, it was a breeze. She created the first bracelet with me in mind. (Of course!) I loved the design she came up with. One way it is M for Mom. Flip it over, it is W for Wonder Woman. My daughter knows me so well, it's a little scary, but absolutely thrilling at the same time. 

Once your band part has been glamorized, you tie on the strings with beads for decorations and finish it with nifty pieces that will allow you to adjust the bracelet and keep the beads from falling off. 

I am quite proud of her. She is in the process of making another one already, but this time with an intensely detailed design. 

I don't know who out there has birthdays or has already starting planning and purchasing for Christmas (like me), but this is a perfect idea for creative ladies of ages 7 and up. This one that I received is the Starter Pod. It runs for $9.99. You can also choose the Bestie pack which is perfect for 2 friends getting together and blinging out ($4.99). Or go for what I like to see as the sleepover or party favor pack - Blingle Bands Deluxe 8 Band Studio! ($19.99) Whichever way you go, you are sure to hear some happy exclamations from the girly girls in your life. I know I did! Let me know what you think about these in the comments below. I love hearing from you all.

Trying Out Jif and Smuckers!

How many of you have tried Jif products before? Okay, what about Smuckers? Our family loves Smuckers in particular. My kids love Jif. We recently had the chance to try some flavors that were spectacular to the taste buds! 

*Disclaimer: I received these products free of charge in exchange for my honest review. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed. All opinions are strictly my own.*

I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Sadly, I can't have peanut butter very often since having my gallbladder removed. That doesn't mean I have totally given up on the joy of them though. We recently switched to buying Smuckers products. If you read my blog regularly, you will know that we avoid foods with dyes in them as much as possible. Smuckers mostly don't have dyes! They have real ingredients with real taste. 

We got to try two of these products - the Natural Red Raspberry and Orange Marmalade variety. Personally, I'm not a fan of raspberry. However, this one was really good. My favorite was the orange marmalade. My kids enjoyed them both on sandwiches, crackers, and even on pancakes! We love doing the pancakes for dinner option with fruit toppings of some sort and adding a dollop of cool whip on top! Simple, yet satisfyingly delicious. I think the marmalade one was better on bread or pancakes. Didn't work as well with the crackers.

Which one would you want to try??

R. W. Knudsen and the Pineapple Ginger Shot (review)

 My husband and I are really gearing up this year to have a cleaner diet. And with 2 of our children developing ongoing health issues, we are making this more of a family change. More fruit smoothies, more veggies with dinner, and more juice that isn't loaded with sugar. 

*Disclaimer: I was sent this product in exchange for a review. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed. All opinions are my own.*

I love being a part of the Influenster community. You never know what you will get! For my first time, they sent me a 12 pack of Pineapple Ginger Shots from R. W. Knudsen. 

Get ready for a sharp taste.

Wow! Talk about a wake up call. This gets your tastebuds to respond sharply.  Mostly because of the reaction to the ginger and lemon juice. All organic! You really do have to take it like a shot. With about 2 mouthfuls per bottle. 

Why this one?

Only 30 calories per bottle, no fat or sodium, excellent source of potassium! Just heavily concentrated doses of organic ingredients that promote healthier living. 

Can't take the strong shot? 

The health benefits are worth it, but we noticed only one of our four kids could or even would handle them. The toddler called it spicy. Two others took a sip and said it was too strong. My oldest surprised me with how much he liked them. He drank his siblings' bottles. Kept calling it lemonade. My husband even said that the ginger tickled his throat kinda like you get when you feel a cold coming on. So... we decided to try out some creative ideas to see how well it can be used in other things. Like a smoothie or perhaps cooked with chicken for our family's Chinese night. 

I think I liked the chicken option best. The chicken was so tender and moist. For 3 chicken breasts, I used 2 bottles. But the flavor didn't hang on as well as I had hoped. But it was still really good. My kids loved it.

Their website has recipes you can check out as well. 

 

Where can you find their products?

They have a locator right HERE. You might be surprised where they are selling things.

Our thoughts...

I think the benefits of the potassium in a shot is excellent. And the fact that they are straight up organic juices and plants (ginger). I do have trouble with the taste. It is a strong ginger and lemon blend. However, I think mixing it would help. I can't wait to try it in a smoothie. As of writing this post, I haven't been able to make a smoothie yet. I think that would help with the taste while maintaining the benefits. I also like that these don't have to be refrigerated until open, so you can take them on the go.

Have any of you tried their juices before? I'd love to know your thoughts. Are you flavor over benefits or benefits over flavor when you choose products? Let me know in the comments below!