Healthy On the Go Snacking - Stretch Island Fruit Co and Bear NakedFoods

We have a very busy schedule.  It seems like we are frequently running from one event or practice to another, and often the kids need a snack in between so we frequently grab a quick snack on the go.  Unfortunately,  quick and healthy don’t always go together especially when you are trying to find something to keep in the car for those unplanned “snack emergencies.”  So I’m always excited to find easy, healthy snacks that we can eat between activities.  So I was super excited to try some items from Stretch Island Fruit Co. and Bear Naked Foods.

Stretch Island Fruit Co. has all natural fruit strips that are the nutritional equivalent of ½ serving of fruit in tons of flavors (Apple, Apricot, Grape, Mango, Cherry, Raspberry, and Strawberry).  All the flavors are good, but my favorite is the apricot or the cherry.   These are one of my new favorite “on the go” snack foods.  They are designed for more “grown up” tastes since they are a bit more tart than the FruitaBu Fruit Rolls that they make for kids (which have a full serving of fruit) in the flavors apple, grape, and strawberry.  Unfortunately, I have competition for the fruit strips because my kids love those more than the fruit rolls.  I have to hide them in the pantry or they would eat them all, lol.   Both the fruit strips and fruit rolls are great for snacking on the go, and can be kept in the car or in a backpack much easier than fresh fruit can.

Stretch Island Fruit Co has also partnered with the Fruit Tree Planning Foundation to make “Fruit Tree 101” which plants schoolyard fruit orchards to education students about the importance of eating fruit and caring for the environment.

Bear Naked Foods is an all-natural food company with a line of granolas, trail mixes, cookies, and cereals.  My favorite is the granola.  I love can’t decide between the “oats and honey with blueberries” or the “triple berry crunch” – both are delicious.  One of the snacks I love is vanilla yogurt with granola.  Both of these are perfect for that.  Trail mix is another great snack I love to keep in the car for the kids when they need a little something while on the go. Their Chocolate Cherry flavor trail mix is great - it’s cranberries, almonds, cherries, raisins and chocolate granola clusters.

Another awesome thing about Bear Naked Food Company is their partnership with TerraCycle in a program that encourages people to save their used bags that are then “up-cycled” into eco-friendly products such as shower curtains, umbrellas and other accessories.

I’m very happy to have found both Stretch Island Fruit Co and Bear Naked Foods to add to my list of healthy on the go snacks.

Darn Tough Vermont Review

Darn Tough Vermont socks are awesome.  My son recently got the chance to try out a pair of their hiking socks.  They have quickly become his favorite socks.  They are very soft and comfortable. 

Darn Tough Vermont socks are made in Vermont and was founded in 2004 with the purpose of finding a comfortable sock that could stand up to both frigid winters and humid summers.  The hiking socks my son tried are a custom shrink treated Merino wool and Coolmaxx blend.  The are very comfy feeling (I wish they would fit on my feet).  They are the hiking style of sock and they have extra cushioning on the bottom and a reinforce heel and toe.  They also have an invisible seam that my son loves as he is often bothered by seams in socks.

Redakai Cards - Review

My son got the chance to check out the new Redakai cards from SpinMaster. My son has the Redakai Starter Pack which has several Character, Monster and Attack cards and the X-Reader that looks like the X-Reader in the show. The cards have a whole story behind them about some kids that are traveling the world to gather Kairu energy to use it to defeat evil.  There is also a show on Cartoon Network.

The cards are similar to Bakugan gaming/trading cards. You can collect and trade and play a game with them where you attack and defend. While the rules are similar, the cards are much different. They take things to the next level of cool. The cards themselves are really neat. They have SpinMasters Blast3D technology that makes them look 3D and they appear to move when you move the card. But the best part is that instead of having to keep track of the attack and defense the transparent parts of the cards do it for you. As you stack them they track your health and damage points.

You can check out the Redakai cards on their website.





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Earthbound Farms Cookbook Review

I have been trying to get my family to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables lately as part of my get healthy/lose weight plan. I recently got the chance to review Food to Live by and The Earthbound Cookbook, both are written by Myra Goodman of Earthbound Farms. Both books are amazing and provide plenty of recipes that help with eating more fruits and vegetables.

                

Earthbound Farms began as a backyard garden and has developed in a large organic farm that grows healthy organic foods and works to protect the environment. On their website, they have some great information for kids about organic farming.  Their site also has some great recipes for cooking with kids to help kids develop a taste for foods that are healthy for them.

Food to Live by is a great collection of recipes with tons of info about produce including cooking and shopping tips. I love that they offer tips for selecting produce in addition to just the recipe. For example, the recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble looks interesting, but I don't know anything about rhubarb. The book provides information about it and an explanation of what to look for when picking out rhubarb that is really helpful and helps encourage trying new things.

The Earthbound Cookbook is probably my favorite of the two. It has 250 great recipes and tips for green cooking.  Tons of the recipes in the book are great.  You can see some of the amazing recipes on their website. I love the Chapter on Pantry Basics: Stocks, Sauces, Dips, and More.  Plus, the pictures in both cookbooks are beautiful.  Just seeing the photos makes you want to try out all of the recipes.

If you want to eat healthy and protect the environment, check out the Earthbound Farms website and be sure to take a look at Food to Live By and The Earthbound Cookbook.  You can also connect with them on facebook or twitter.



 I hope you enjoyed this post! Never miss a post-Subscribe by Reader or Email!Smart and Trendy Moms finds products, ideas, projects, recipes, and other information that we have personally found helpful or interesting.  As always, it is up to you to determine what is appropriate for you, your children, and your situation.  See our Disclosure

{Crazy for Bargains-Fun Sleepwear for the Whole Family}

Last year one of my most favorite companies in our Holiday Gift Guide was Crazy for Bargains. Their fun and really affordable selection of sleepwear was a real hit for my family and we loved having them as a part of our Guide. If you are not familiar with them, they offer durable, affordable, pajamas and accessories for women, men, children, toddlers, and infants. One thing that really stands out for me about them is their selection. I can pick something up for the entire family and love browsing everything they have.

{Time Island }

All of my kids love online games. They will play as long as I let them and they love finding new games to play. When I heard about Time Island I knew my oldest daughter would have fun playing it. Time Island is a virtual game online where your kids will play and use their skills to survive. They are responsible for keeping their fed as well as maintaining hygiene. All set on on a lush island and also has games and adventures along the way! My daughter has enjoyed playing it and with it being in beta there are even more features and fun to come.
We were able to have a few of her friends over for a little Surviving Time Island Party. The kids really had a great time. We handed out Band Bracelets, Stickers, Temporary Tattoos and played themed games all with surviving in mind. We had some great refreshments and fed the survivors themed snacks and treats. Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves and the kids that never heard of the game were very excited to try it for themselves. You can read more about the game below as well as liking them on Facebook!

Time Island is a virtual game world designed for your child’s enjoyment and learning. The game takes place on a beautiful imaginary island inhabited by strange green creatures, called the Goggs.


As your child explores Time Island, he or she will come across a variety of games to play, some of which are educational and others which are designed to challenge and enhance your child’s multi-faceted skill sets. Among these skill sets are hand-eye coordination, spatial reasoning, music, logic and mathematics.


However, membership is required to truly give your child the experience and thrill of surviving Time Island while learning and having fun!


On Time Island the underlying theme is survival in nature, which is conveyed through the multitude of virtual world activities as well as a variety of do-at-home activities. The Time Island team is committed to providing a clean and safe environment for your child as he or she meets, communicates and plays with other children from across the globe.


Curse words are automatically banned from Time Island, while site managers ensure that Time Island is free of cyber-bullying and other inappropriate subject matter. Children and parents will be warned if rules of behavior are broken, and if need be a child will be removed from the site.


Strict guidelines promoting appropriate and non-threatening behavior will be diligently enforced to protect your child.

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{Lite Sprites Giveaway}

I love toys that have a story with them, encourage imagination, and help kids learn.  The new Lite Sprites are that type of toy. We recently got the chance to review the Lite Sprites Lite Wand, Prisma, and Pod.

The best thing about the light sprites is the amazing wand.  The wand can "collect" color and "share" it with the sprites and playsets.    It has a "color library" that you can add colors to by holding the bottom of the wand to the color wheel or to any flat surface.  The color of the surface then shows up in top of the wand.  If you aim the wand at a fairy and then hold the button, you can "magically" change the color of the sprites. Very cool!

{Aurora Softy Soakers Giveaway}

If you have read our blog then you may have read some of our reviews on Aurora toys. We have always loved their products and all my kids do. My kids love their YooHoo and Friends and Milly the Pinkest Kitten. And right now they are celebrating their 30th Anniversary this year, and are releasing a plush collection. These however are not regular plush toys. They actually grow when placed in water. The first in the collection is the Fanta-Sea assortment. This collection will include Dolphin, Seahorse, Turtle, Hammerhead Shark, Octopus and alligator.

{Back to School Book Review The Adventures of Everyday Geniuses children’s series}

My oldest daughter loves to read. She can always be found with a book in her hand. So for this post I thought I would share her thoughts on the books from The Adventures of Everyday Geniuses children’s series. She has the four of them and could not wait to read them.

If You're So Smart, How Come You Can't Spell Mississippi?

I liked this book because she is a very curious girl. She seems to like finding out facts. I thought it was funny that her smart dad couldn't spell Mississippi. She was very surprised. I really enjoyed reading this book!

Stacey Coolidge's Fancy Smancy Cursive Writing

I thought the book was very interesting. I have had that feeling of being left out. In the end she learns some lessons and finds a way to be more confident. It is a great book on things that most kids have been through.

Last to Finish

I liked this book because I remember when my 3rd grade teacher made us do 30 multiplication problems in 60 seconds. I was always good in math and terrible when timed. I was totally last to finish! That is the same situation that Max is in. It's funny how you can struggle with different things that you can also be good at. Another really good book.

Mrs. Gorski , I think I have the Wiggle Fidgets

I really like this because I can totally relate to it. I have been distracted many times by things in school. I also think the reminder cards are a great idea .



For more information on any of the four books in the series, Last to Finish: A Story about the Smartest Boy in Math Class, Mrs. Gorski, I Think I Have the Wiggle Fidgets, If You’re So Smart, How Come You Can’t Spell Mississippi?, or Stacey Coolidge’s Fancy-Smancy Cursive Handwriting, please visit their website, www.mainstreamconnections.org.

I hope you enjoyed this post! Never miss a post-Subscribe by Reader or Email!Smart and Trendy Moms finds products, ideas, projects, recipes, and other information that we have personally found helpful or interesting.  As always, it is up to you to determine what is appropriate for you, your children, and your situation.  See our Disclosure

{Funrise Toys Gazillion Bubble Hurricane Giveaway}

One thing that I know my kids will always enjoy is bubbles! My kids can literally blow and play with bubbles for hours. Bubbles are something I always have on hand for the kids to play with. And they have so much fun when we love to use them for Birthdays, play-dates and more. But did you know your kids could be enjoying bubbles in the most extreme way? With the Gazillion Bubble Hurricane from Funrise Toys they totally could be. My kids have had so much fun with it. They dance and play in the bubbles and have a total blast! They now can effortlessly make tons of bubbles. The Gazillion Bubble Hurricane uses motorized rotating bubble wands, it is battery operated and comes with an 8oz bottle of bubble solution. It is easily refillable and is a durable toy! They have even more bubble machines and products that my kids would love to have! Visit Funrise Toys now and see all the fun toys they have.

{Organically Cute Baby Bib Pack Giveaway}

Moms or Moms to be if you are trying to figure out the perfect bib that lasts and is reasonably priced then look no further…. My daughter Anna and I have been playing with bibs from www.organicallycute.com . All I can say is WOW! These bibs have snaps on them rather than the normal Velcro. They have 2 different size adjustments so they can grow with your baby! My daughter is great at putting things to the test. At 5 months old she decided she was tired of baby food and being fed. She is now 8 months old and eats what we eat and feeds herself.

{Lovemode $25 Gift Certificate Giveaway}

I totally love shopping! I mean who doesn't? I cannot think of a better way to spend some alone mommy time then shopping. As a super busy mom of three it is rare that I get to shop for myself or the kids alone. Often I am doing it online.Which really works out cause I just found a great affordable place to shop for cute and trendy juniors clothes. It is Lovemode! They rock it with their affordable prices on some of the latest trends and fashion. I totally loved their selection and the fact that I can also get something for my oldest daughter there is awesome!

{Dora the Explorer: Dora’s Ballet Adventures on DVD}

My oldest daughter always loved Dora, she would sing and dance and mimic everything Dora did! But now she is 11 and my 3 and 5 year love Dora even more then she did. They will often be found in front of the tv watching her episodes over and over again. Even as a mom I can appreciate a good Dora episode. She always has a good message and I love that my kids love her! One of their newest favorite Dora DVDs is  Dora’s Ballet Adventures. This is such a fun DVD that your kids will love, mine sure do! They love this DVD that has some of Doras dancing episodes. All the episodes are really fun and sure to please any Dora fan!

{Paper Jamz Pro Mic, Drum and Guitar}

My kids have not had more fun with an item as they do with their Paper Jamz. Their kid friendly fun products make it so easy for your kid to be a rock star. We were able to review the drums, pro mic as well as the guitar. All are made really great and durable and make for hours of fun. My kids really had fun with the mic. It comes with 2 bulit in songs as well as settings for Chorus, Perfect Pitch and more. My kids were not born with a singers voice but with the Pro Mic they are singing and having more fun then ever before. They can also add songs to it with the Paper Jamz Pro app.

{Hey Arnold!: Season One on DVD}

My kids all love cartoons and they enjoy just about everything. When I learned that Hey Arnold would be releasing their season one on DVD I knew my kids would love it! My kids were not around when Hey Arnold original aired so they were excited to watch something new that they have never heard of. My older kids really enjoyed watching it and so did my husband! 

{VeggieTales® Princess and the Pop Star on DVD}

My kids have always loved the VeggieTales®. They have so much fun with each and every movie. I really love them because of how family friendly each movie is. They have many funny and heart warming stories that are perfect for even the youngest of kids. The newest VeggieTales® Movie to hit the shelves will be VeggieTales®: Princess and the Pop Star, available on DVD at Christian retailers August 13th and everywhere August 16th. My kids really loved this movie but my girls did especially! They had so much fun listening to the music and watching the movie. Princess Poppyseed secretly switches lives with her favorite pop singer Vanna Banana. Eventually both girls discover they were unique and special just the way they were. It definitely sends a great message to girls of all ages!

{The Fox and the Hound & The Fox and the Hound 2 on DVD August 9th}

My kids have loved Disney movies since they were able to watch TV. Most of our movie nights are spent watching a Disney movie and is always something we have really enjoyed. While my kids love newer Disney movies it never surprises me how much they love some of the older Disney movies. I love waiting to find out which ones they will release. I was so excited to learn that the The Fox and the Hound & The Fox and the Hound 2 were going to be released on DVD! The first one originally came out when I was very little but I do remember loving it then. I knew my three kids would love Tod, Copper and the other charecters just as I did. They are the two best friends in the movie. We were able to fit both movies in on our last movie night and I was right my kids loved it! They were all glued to the TV and then could not wait for the 2nd one. I loved seeing the amazing picture quality of the DVDS and am so happy they enjoyed them. It is yet again another Disney movie that will sure be brought out during our movie nights! It is available on August 9th and is available with THE FOX AND THE HOUND & THE FOX AND THE HOUND 2 as a 2-Movie Collection on Blu-ray Hi-Def & DVD Combo Pack in celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the original film. Also there are activity sheets for the kids. Just click the image to get them!

{Soap Hope}

Soap Hope has all natural high quality products including soap, cosmetics, bath and body products, household and laundry items and more.
We got to sample several different products and were happy with everything we tried.  We especially loved the Indigo Wild Zum Bar Soap in Eucalyptus and the Pangea Organics Balancing Oil.

{Emjoi® Micro-Pedi}

Every year I get so excited for summer. Flip-flop weather is something I excitedly wait for every year. But every year my feet get so dry from the non stop wearing of flip-flops. It can really make summer not that much fun for me. I have tried many products including buffers, lotions, you name it I have tried it. I have spent lots of money on products that claim to work. Some products seem to smooth but generally I will end up with dry scratchy feet only days later. My husband also has really dry feet and gets really annoyed by it and often looks to me to find what works and what doesn't.

{CONAN THE ADVENTURER: Season One on DVD Giveaway}

It has been a while since my brother was running around the house like he was Conan. That was a long time ago and I was just a kid but I remember how much the boys in family loved Conan. Conan The Adventurer originally aired in Saturday morning syndication beginning in 1992 transitioning to a daily airing throughout 1993 in the second season.When I learned that they were releasing it to DVD I knew my son would also love it. When we got it my son wasted no time in watching it. He loved it and totally laughs when I tell him that show was one when I was a kid. Best yet my husband turned into a 10 year old boy glued to the DVD with my son. Really cute watching them together. I love how they bring back old school cartoons and characters for my kids to see. And you can have the DVD to. It will be released July 26,2011 and is jam packed with 13 episodes.You can read more about the DVD and enter to win your own copy!