Yumbox Review

For a while, a long while, I struggled with getting my 2 year old to eat her lunch. It seemed she was always eating, but never finished her lunch. Another problem I ran into was the nuance of packing lunch in a few different containers each day. Sometimes parts of her meal wouldn't even be touched. She is very young so I wanted something she could manipulate all on her own. That is when I came across the Yumbox.

Since introducing this to Kait she has done much better with finishing her lunch. I have really come to love this product, not only for my daughter but for myself as well. It has also been my go to gift for my family.


Here is what I like about the Yumbox: Both the Original 6 Compartment and the Panino

• They are absolutely leak proof. In order to avoid any spills it is very important not to overfill the compartments. If you have to force the lid closed, chances are there is going to be a leak. Additionally, these are not designed for true liquids like milk, yogurt drinks, etc. It works with applesauce, ranch, yogurt, etc. 
• It is very easy to open and close. My two year old can use her Yumbox with ease. 
• The material it is made of is very durable and also very light weight. 
• The box itself isn't huge, especially when taking into consideration all the food that it acutally holds. 
• The inner tray is removable. 
• It is TOP RACK dishwasher safe. It is advised that you take the outer box out before the heat cycle. I take both out before the heat cycle.
• They are BPA Free, Phthalate Free and FDA compliant. 
• It makes it easy for children to become involved in packing their own lunch.

There are a few differences between the Original 6 Compartment Tray and the Panino.

• The major difference between the two styles is the actual configuration.
• The 6 Compartment tray has 5 areas that hold 1/2 cup each and very teeny area that is designed for dip or sweet treats VS the Panino that has a large area that holds 2 cups,  2 smaller areas that hold 1/2 cup and a well that can hold up to 1oz. 
• The trays are designed a little differently as well. If you look at the bottom of the trays you will find that the Panino has a smooth bottom, while the Original does not. What does this mean? It means that the areas in the Panino are a little deeper than the Original and also water doesn't get pooled in the tray. Look at the picture below to see what I mean.  

What I don't really like. 

• The box can be a bit big for some lunch bags. Both of the lunch bags basically fit the the same contents with the exception of the Thermo cup. In the second lunch bag, the Thermo cup was replaced by a juice box. Contents include: Yumbox, Ice pack, Utensils, snack bag, beverage and wipes. I pictured how I fit it all in the bag. 

• Another thing to keep in mind is that the Original is a perfect size for a younger child but may still leave an older child or adult feeling hungry. I, however, use the Panino almost every day and I have never left hungry!
• I also really don't like how water pools at the bottom of the tray in the Original Yumbox. It can make is hard to dry. 
• One last thing, there is a little spot in the Original that seems to be just dead space. I would like to see this space used.

****One other thing I must mention. Although both boxes are configured differently, they are the exact same size (8.5 in x 6.5 in x 1.8 in). Both trays can fit into each others cases, but the seals don't line up. This means they will NOT be leak proof and you run the risk of damaging the seals.
Notice how the seals are totally different.

Here is a fun little experiment I conducted. I filled each compartment with different extra runny liquids. I shook it up and put them on their side for about and hour. I used a yogurt drink, milk, soy sauce, oil, hot sauce and water with food coloring. Here is the result. 

This is how we started. 

 I ended up adding food coloring to the milk and changing the water from orange to purple, but I forgot to take a picture, whoops!

Anyway, mostly everything stayed put. The spill over we see is actually what dripped when I opened the lid.

The real test was putting it up on it's side. The milk leaked VERY slowly. The water ran into the yogurt drink, and the oil ran into the water. Oddly enough, the soy sauce and hot sauce stayed put. All in all, I am thoroughly impressed.

Disclaimer: These are my true honest opinions, I have recieved no compensation for writing this post.

 

Bare with me!

I am sorry for the wait....I am planning on going live Early April! For now I am transferring and revising posts from my previous private blog.

Thank you All for the support!!!!

Authentic Salsa Verde

This is seriously the easiest salsa ever! This is a must have in our home. At any given time of the week we have fresh homemade salsa. Whether it’s Salsa Verde, Salsa Roja, Guacatillo, …etc. We always have something! So, without further ado here we go:

Ingredients:

• 10 medium tomatillos (green tomatoes)
• ½ bushel of cilantro
• 1/8 of an onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1-3 serrano peppers
• 2 teaspoons salt or to taste

There are few different ways to do this…here is my favorite:

Peel and wash the tomatillos
Wash the cilantro and serrano peppers

1. Place the tomatillos, cilantro, onion, garlic, and serrano peppers in a saucepan

2.Add enough water to the saucepan to cover the ingredients.

 Note: Boiling only the tomatillos and serrano peppers will produce yummy results as well.

3.Boil until the tomatillos become soft and translucent.

4.Drain and put in blender while it is still hot

5.Add salt (unfortunately green salsa requires quite a bit of it)
6.Blend until you reach the desired consistency

You are now done and ready to SERVE and ENJOY!!!

Disneyland with the Entire Family

I will try to do the best I can with remembering the order of events but in this entire week is a bit of a blur. We went to Disneyland, the beach, the zoo, and Sea World! Wowza!

 A little while ago I went to Disneyland with my family. It was loads of fun. There were a few things that we came across that we didn't think of until we got there. One was how to keep everyone happy and make it a good fun time for EVERYONE. There were 4 adults and 5 kids ages 2,4,6,11, and 12. The trip was a success. Here are some things that worked for us and some things that didn't.

I was worried that the younger kids would get restless and cranky waiting in the lines. So I took some entertainment--bubbles! 

Boy or boy there the bubbles a hit. I took 2 dollar store containers of bubbles but we had to end up having all the kids take turns. Even the older ones were entertained by the bubbles. The nearby kids really appreciated the bubbles, one crying baby in front of us was so distracted by the bubbles he forgot what all the fuss was about.

A Spritz bottle was another surprise hit.  I took a teeny 2 oz. spritz bottle to help keep the kids cool if it got too warm. The older two had a blast spritzing each other and staying fresh, my young 3 took turns watering the plants making and faces on the concrete. We of course had to refill the 1 I took at the park fountains.

Take plenty of snacks and water. Disneyland no longer refills the souvenir cups. You can purchase them, but you cannot get the refills anymore.

Take or rent a fold-able stroller. The three younger kids all ended up taking turns in it, Their poor feet were so tired, but they did NOT want to go home.  I few other things I packed where, extra warmer clothes, socks, snacks, w 

We wanted everyone to have a great time without splitting up too much and without only doing the “baby rides” or only doing the “big rides.” Here is what we did…

Get your fastpasses for the rides you can. Disneyland also has a parent swap. This is exactly what is sounds like. A group goes into the ride while another stays out with the kids. Those that go in first will get a ticket with a timestamp on it. You then come out, give the next group the pass and going and get on the ride. In some rides, like the Indiana Jones ride there still about a 15-20 minute wait between rides. Some are instant, it just depends on the ride. Make sure to ask your Cast member for specific details.

When we first got there out littles were wide awake and so we decided to start the day in the “baby rides,” the compromise was that older ones got to choose which ones we’d ride. *My daughter was deathly afraid of the Pinocchio and Snow White rides, they were a little too doom and gloom for her tastes…just FYI* Then we did some of the in between rides that are fun but basically anyone can ride, like the Dumbo ride, after that my daughter fell asleep. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NAP TIME! This is when we high tailed it to the some of the big rides.  The 4 and 6 year old were tall enough for most of the big rides with the exception of Indiana Jones. I can’t remember what order we went in. 

After my daughter woke up it was lunch time. We all took minute to eat. Then we continued with it's a small world.  The day pretty much went like this, There was a but when we actually did Indiana Jones, the two younger one couldn't ride, so I went into the tree house there with them and that took up most of our wait time. Then while the next group waited for us they took the little one to the Winnie the Pooh ride and character meet. After we were done we met up there and continued the adventure. At the end of the evening we went to California Adventure Park. By this time my daughter fell back asleep. She was done for the night. So the rest of the night was devoted to getting the rest of the "big rides."  That was really our night. 

DIY: Stain Resistant Fabric Seat Covers

Let's face it. Our seats need a little updating every once in a while, but the super cute fabrics are just not practical for the dinning table. I decided I wanted to make my own stain resistant seat covers. I looked and looked and the furthest I got was a tutorial on making a floor rug out of a tablecloth....I applied this principle to the seat covers here is what you will need.

• Fabric of your choice, I used a patterned duck cloth 
• Paint roller and tray ( I would suggest the mini ones) or paint brush
• 1 quart of polyurethane, semi-gloss or satin finish 

Ok,  I am going to suggest you something a little differently than I did.

1. Find and clean a nice piece of concrete to work on...

2.. Pre-cut your fabirc to the size you will need. If your reupholstering a seat, then I would suggest measuring the area of the top including the depth of the seat and add an inch....I really just eyeballed it.

3. Shake your can of Polyurethane and pour into the paint tray
4. "Paint the middle area of the fabric leaving about an inch or two untouched around the perimeter.
        * this makes it easy to wrap the fabric around a seat and easy to staple.
5. Wait for it to dry. Make sure to peel the fabric off the concrete a few minutes into drying, this just ensures it doesn't really stick to the concrete or work surface.
7. Then apply a second coat. Peel up the fabric so it doesn't stick.
6. Move onto your project.

Note: I used this cloth to update my dining room chairs. The polyurethane makes the cloth a little stiff at first that can make reupholstering the seats a little difficult. On my last half of the project, I pre-cut the fabric and worked in smaller pieces.


Using this method you can make a nice economical outdoor or indoor floor cloth. Just cover the entire piece of cloth and coat both the top and the bottom of the fabric. Oblong table clothes are perfect for this.

Top 10 Toddler Must Haves

1. Thermos Funtainer Sippy Cup-What can I say? I don’t go anywhere without this. My daughter drinks a lot of water and this is relatively spill proof. My favorite thing about this is that it actually keeps her water or smoothies cold for hours. She can open and close the lid on her own. It has a little pop-up handle that she can carry it by. The only real con is that it spills if it tips over and the lid is not closed. Without the lid, it is NOT spill proof. Although Foogo makes a spouted version that is always spill proof, I prefer the straw because I can throw it in my purse and not have to worry about the mouth piece touching everything. 
2.  Yumbox Lunch Box-This puppy has totally changed mealtime for us. My daughter is more of a grazer and she loves variety. The 6 compartment tray offers enough spaces for a good healthy variety. She especially loves to pick what goes in it. Her little hands can easily open and close this leak proof lunch box. Click here for a complete review.
3. SoYoung Toddler Backpack and Matching Lunch Bag-These are just too darn cute! I love the style and durability. These are PVC, Phthalate, and BPA Free. The inside of both can easily be wiped down. Having her own backpack for "school" has really encouraged her to take the initiative in packing her own bag, I of course help! She loves having her own little backpack for trips. ***The 2015 styles are a little more spacious and easier to handle than previous years.
4. Mutsy Grow Up Booster-I had the Fisher-Price Spacesaver Seat, which I loved, but I was tired of having that eye sore in my home. It was also really annoying that the seat never pushed under the table. Thus, began the search for a comfortable booster seat that would fit under the table, would strap to the chair, and had a lap belt. That’s when I can across Mutsy Booster. It had all of the above, plus it looked good and matched my décor. There are a few different colors available. I’m sure you can find something that will coordinate well.
5. The Honest Company Hand Sanitizer- Any hand sanitizer will do, but I have a fondness for spray sanitizer, mainly this one. It doesn’t dry out your hands. Ff your hands are already dry, you can use this without irritating your already dry skin. I like it for Kait because it doesn’t get everywhere and it’s gentle. You can also pick it up at Target and Buy Buy Baby. If there is a BBB near you, you can actually use either Buy Buy Baby or Bed Bath and Beyond coupons toward these purchases. 
6. The Honest Company Bubble Bath-These are seriously the bubbliest most long lasting bath bubbles ever and they smell so good. Burt’s Bees Bubbles are a very close second to Honest Company's. Both are gentle on the skin. 
7.   Itzy Ritzy Snack Happens Bags- These are my “everything” bags. I do have dedicated snack bags and everyday use bags. I have used them to hold little first-aid kits, pacifiers, berries, crackers, you name it. They are extremely sturdy and washable. Trust me on this one, they are great!
8. Oxo Sippy Cup Cleaning Tool Set and BottleBrush- Really any bottle brush, I just like the stand for this one. I will probably always own a bottle brush. There are quite a few cups I can’t get my hand into and this surely comes in handy. The tool kit is a must have in any kitchen whether you have a sippy cup or not. There is a pick that is great for getting things out of small holes or from under seals. The other two brushes in the set are for cleaning straws and other hard to get into places.
9. Infantino Fresh Squeezed Station- I find that having this around makes it way more economical to have convenient and healthy snacks ready. I have packed yogurt, fruit purees, juices, and smoothies. I think I even put Jell-O in a pouch once! The caps are large and won't be a choking hazard for younger children. They are also clear and can be easily labeled.  This little station makes filling the pouches virtually mess free and fast! The refill pouches come in a pack of 50 for about $12.
10. Gerber Silicone Place Mat -I always have this in my purse; you never know when you might need it. What I like about this silicone place mat over others is that it has a small lip around the edge. It has saved us from a spill a time or two. The material sticks to the surface it is on so that it doesn’t slip around or move at all. I also have a spare to do arts and crafts on. I especially like that they don’t require a ton of storage space. The only down side is that the material attracts lint. I just carry it around in an Itzy Ritzy snack bag and voila, problem solved! 

Picnic Treasure Hunt

Now that we are heading into perfect picnic whether, why not turn a typical picnic into a treasure hunting adventure? That's just what we did! We picked up a dinosaur fossil kit. One of us went a little ahead an buried the Dinosaur fossils and put the map in the bushes. Here is how our little adventure went. 

Is that a treasure map?

Yes it is!

 Go here to get or make your own.

After we ate lunch we looked into the bushes and there was something there...We walked over and Gavin couldn't believe his eyes! It was a treasure map!!!!

We followed the map...

First to a bush..then to the swings

then down the slide

then to the "sandbox"

AND THEN...we found the X

He dug...

and found

Bones?! A Dinosaur!!!!

Here it is all put together!

It was a fun, fun, day with my sister and her son (my gorgeous "big" man) Gavin!

What are you waiting for? GO! print out your treasure map and find the buried treasure!

~Jacky

Let's Get the Party Started!!!

 Hello! My name is Jacky and  I love sharing what I learn through my experiences or from the experiences of others. So here I am. I will share recipes, crafts, my adventures as a mother, wife, and friend.  I will share my views are various products. Basically, if I have lived it, I will share it. I love my life, I love my family. Although things get a little crazy around here, I love it and at the end of the day, we just have to laugh at the not so good and great times we’ve had.

                Before we get started let me tell you a little about me. I am what I like to call a part-time stay at home mom. I work at a school and get summers off and lots of breaks in between. I have worked with special needs children for the past 8 years now. I have been married to the man of my dreams, literally, for about 7 years now and we have a beautiful almost 3 years old and a dog name Penelope.