Rubbermaid LunchBlox

August 27, 2012 By Anne

School has started!! Yeah!!

Except now I get to pack lunch for two kiddos instead of one! That’s okay, Rubbermaid has come out with some cool lunch containers – the Rubbermaid LunchBlox.

I got to try out the LunchBlox Sandwich Kit, which contains four square containers in different sizes and a Blue Ice to get everything cool. These are all BPA-free and microwave, dishwasher, and freezer safe. The kits includes: 2 snack containers, 1 Side Container, 1 Sandwich Container and 1 Medium Blue Ice. These generally sell for around $12.99 and they are sold just about everywhere. I even saw a larger pack available at BJ’s.

So today I tried out the LunchBlox. Everything fit except for the cookies. My cookies were pretty big and Savannah suggested I break the cookie into pieces to make it fit. So that’s what we did. She asked for mini corn dogs, so those are in the sandwich container. Some watermelon and fishes filled the other two containers. My only problem was these did not fit into the lunch box we picked out. So we will be buying a cloth lunch carrier that will fit everything.

Rubbermaid has other sizes available as well, so if the Lunch Kit is not for you, check out all the other ones. I would like to get the LunchBlox Salad Kit.

You can even buy a LunchBlox Lunch Bag that will fit everything and even has a place to put a water bottle. This is what I need for my daughter!! If only they pink or purple.

Check out Rubbermaid on Facebook and Twitter for more ideas!

I received the LunchBlox Sandwich Kit to review. All opinions are my own.

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

How Functional is Your Spice Rack? (Guest Post)

August 26, 2012 By Anne

Modern Kitchen design by Philadelphia Design-build Nic Darling

This is a partnered guest post.

Today’s cooks use a lot more herbs and spices than did their parents, so storing spices has become a bigger issue in the kitchen. Fortunately there are a number of kitchen remodel ideas that take spices into account. The best place for your spices depends on how your kitchen is organized and how you use your spices. Remember, however, that spices do best when not exposed to direct sunlight and should not be stored right over the cooktop where they will get too warm. You probably want to store infrequently used spices in the freezer to preserve potency.

Traditional: The traditional spice rack is made of wood and hangs on the wall. This can be an attractive look, but it is most attractive when all of the bottles are of a uniform shape and size, something that might be difficult to achieve if you buy different brands and quantities. If you do go with a traditional wall-hung rack, be sure it can accommodate all of your spices and try to hang it in a darker location.

Cabinets: Today’s cabinet manufacturers offer a variety of spice storage options that can be very convenient. One popular option is a narrow pull-out rack that is hidden behind a cabinet door; some racks can even look like part of the molding. The remodeler can even position the rack near the cooktop for easy access while cooking. Another built-in option is drawers which are designed to hold spice bottles. The advantage to this option is that you can see all the spices at once when you open the drawer. If those choices don’t work for you, consider installing a lazy susan in a corner cabinet or adding a rack of spices to the inside of a cabinet or pantry door.

Magnetic Spice Racks: Recently homeowners have been doing some interesting things with magnetic spice rack options. You can get a wide range of small magnetic containers that are ideal for holding spices. Where you put them is up to you. You can hang a magnetic bar on your backsplash or cover part of the wall with magnetic chalkboard paint. Another option is taking a sheet of metal and installing it on the wall, back of a cabinet door, or even under the upper cabinets. Of course, the traditional spot to install magnetic items is the refrigerator, so if you have a blank spot on the fridge, this is a great space-saving option. One advantage to a magnetic option is that you can have as many or as few spice containers as you want.

Anne

Milk Unleashed – Giveaway

August 24, 2012 By Anne

While getting the kids ready for back to school, I thought about getting those milks you see on the shelf for lunch. I’ve never had them and wasn’t sure how they tasted.

I just got an email about Milk Unleashed. A new app where you get tips for on the go activities and tips as well as on the go games! They are promoting several types of “on the shelf” milks like Hershey, Borden, Lala, just to name a few.

So I am excited that now I will get to try them out!

But wait!! You get to try it too!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I will receive gift pack for promoting this giveaway. Opinions are my own.

Anne

Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Gift Pack Giveaway #MyBlogSpark

August 24, 2012 By Anne

Lately I’ve been all about trying new things with the family. Even if it’s just a tweak here or there. Pillsbury has a new pizza crust that I knew I wanted to try out on them!

The new Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust is made with 16 grams of whole grain in each serving. I figured the family would never notice and still have something good for them! Let me just say that I never tried the “regular” Pillsbury Pizza Crust, so this was all new. Check out the Pillsbury Website for some yummy recipes.

Publix had Ragu Pizza Sauce on sale BOGO and I got some yummy mozzarella cheese ,pepperoni and I added some tomatoes and onions for me! Unfortunately my local groceries did not carry the New Artisan Pizza Crust, so I had to drive to a Walmart further away, but I found a great new Walmart – so win-win!

So on to our dinner…..

You can use a plain old cookie sheet, just spray with Pam. Layout the pizza crust to get you desired thickness. then bake for 8 minutes.

Then add your sauce and cheese and goodies. Place the pizza back in the oven to finish! The crust did not stick to the cookie sheet at all. I did see someone used parchment paper, but I had none.

What did my family think?

I liked it, my hubby liked, but for some reason the kids did not. I’m not sure why, except maybe it was crispy? But hubby ate all the leftovers over the next couple days. Yeah!

Get a coupon for $1.25 off one package of New Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain. Check out Pillsbury on Facebook and Twitter too!

Want to try it out for yourself? One Mommy Has to Work reader will win a gift pack from Pillsbury and MyBlogSpark. See details below.

You’ll get: VIP coupon for New Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain, $10 gift card to purchase the ingredients, a baking sheet, an oven mitt and a pizza cutter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a gift pack like the one to be given away through General Mills and MyBlogSpark as well as information and gift pack to be given away. Opinions and thought are my own.

Anne

Blue Diamond Almond Milk

August 11, 2012 By Anne

Ever since Almond Milk starting coming to the stores, I’ve been wanting to try it.

But….I just knew my family would not go for it. They are very picky.

However, I received some coupons to sample Blue Diamond Almond Breeze. I was excited and nervous to see my family’s reaction. I got the chocolate version, thinking that might be more receptive.

One night for dinner, I gave everyone a glass of the Almond Breeze. No one thought anything was different. I let everyone drink most of it beofre I told them the milk was made from almonds.

Everyone was surprised. They really liked it and even my husband who never likes anything new, liked it.

The milk was rich and creamy and chocolatey – YUMM!!

Of course Blue Diamond Almond Breeze is perfect for those who are lactose intolerant.Almond Breeze is calcium-enriched and is free of lactose, soy, gluten, and dairy.

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Have you tried Almond Breeze yet? What’s your favorite flavor?

We received coupons to try out the above product, through Moms Meet. Opinions are my own.