Mary's Secret Ingrediants - The Winter Box

This month we received the Mary's Secret Ingredient Winter Box. It had so many amazing items in there and NO lie...I tried the best crackers and energy bar I have ever had in my life.


Mary's Secret Ingredient is a subscription box that is sent out seasonally and is the brain child of  Mary Frances of Love-The Secret Ingredient.

Here is a peek inside the Winter box:

Michel et Augustin's Cookie Squares which have a touch of sea salt. They are incredible. My daughter and I devoured them within two days. It was like a shortbread cookie with a little pool of chocolate. YUMMMMM.

The Laiki Black Rice Crackers and Red Rice Crackers are by far my absolute favorite cracker ever and they only contain three ingredients.  

The Loacker Rose of the Dolomites in White and Dark Chocolate are amazing. Nice and creamy and delicious. Perfect for when you need that chocolate fix!

The Nutraw Pistachio Energy Bar was so good I need to order a box of them immediately. It was the best bar I  have ever had. Moist and full of texture. Delicious.

Raw Spice Bar Winter Herb Blend was used to make my Sunday Roaster. It smells amazing. So many fragrant spices came together to make one super smelling blend.

 

Just Cooked Foods Herbed Coffee Rub has a lovely coffee aroma mixed with oregano, cumin and chipotle. I haven't used this yet but I am planning on using it on my pulled pork recipe in the crock pot.

Stocking Stuffer - Foot Beautification - DREAM WALK EXPRESS PEDI-FOOT SMOOTHER

The 411 by Maria:

Here is what I can tell you. I have never ever in my whole life had nice feet. I get it from my mother I guess. I remember my father rubbing moisturizer into the bottom of her feet all the time. They had a special foot towel and a special cream. While they watched TV he would put moisturizer on feet but it didn't make a difference. My feet are the same. No amount of moisturizer makes a real long term difference in my feet. They will always have rough dry areas that embarrass me.  I hate wearing sandals in the Summer. That doesn't mean I don't wear them. I am all about comfort so I wear them but the back of my heels I pray no one ever looks at. ]

When I got the DreamWalk Express Pedi Foot Smoother I was enticed to say the least. It claims to buff away dry, rough skin leaving softer, smoother skin. Sounds great but I was afraid.

The Dream Walk has no blades that removes the skin but it had like a nail file, sanding thing that rotates and removes the dry patches. I thought for sure it would hurt my foot. It took me a day to try it. I kept spinning it and looking at it. Finally I put a finger to it. Nothing! No pain what-so-ever. I put it to my toe and nothing. It is literally like using a nail file to your nails. There was a ton of white stuff coming off the smoother which I originally thought was skin. It isn't! It is the file. You know when you file your nail? It's the same thing.

I have used this four times and I can literally tell you that I enjoy it and especially when I can talk a kid into doing it for me. I just close my eyes and let them work the smoother over my foot.

You have to press a little and IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE. My feet feel so much smoother when I am done.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants nice, smooth feet.

Some Of The Best Cookie's I Ever Tasted

Just the name alone makes me happy! Love cookie! We all love cookies. Who doesn't and Love Cookie will definitely please even the pickiest cookie connoisseur!

We received the Love Cookie line and I can tell you, not a single soul was disappointed.  Everyone had  favorite. 

I reluctantly shared with my co-workers (two separate companies), a friend and family and my kids and everyone raved and asked for more. My co-workers told me they wanted to sample every flavor and they would be happy to write their thoughts down for me. 

They are so good that there was a box I ate all by myself except for two I gave to the security guard at my kids school when I walked in to pick them up. For your information that was the Almond Toffee Crunch. Oh man they are good!

My Daughter and I Have Watched A Movie A Night, Thanks Dove Channel

Finding movies to watch that are parent and child friendly isn't always easy. She wants to watch something but I am bored or I pick something and she zones out 10 minutes in, eventually leaving the room to play something on her computer. Keeping her unplugged and spending time together is very important to me. Life goes fast and she will be out of here way before I am ready

Thank you Dove TV. My daughter and I always find something to watch and I never have to worry if it will contain a scene or scenes that are not appropriate for her eyes. I cannot tell you the amount of movies that are deemed family friendly out there so you put them on and suddenly there is a conversation about sex or a couple kissing and eventually more. The Dove Foundation have approved all the movies featured on their channel and in fact have a breakdown of the intensity of everything movie featured on the Dove TV - Roku Channel.

So far we have watched a child hood favorite of mine; Davy and Goliath, The Christmas Orange, The Christmas Rabbit, The Velveteen Rabbit, Mandie and The Secret Tunnel and Abbott and Costello.
 
While it is a subscription channel at a very reasonable $4.99 a month, there is also a free option.

Great family gift idea if you are still wondering what to get someone. Roku boxes were put in both kid's rooms three years ago. It is like having a cable box in their room without paying for a cable box. They don't get cable but they do get Amazon, Netflix, Yahoo, You Tube, The Dove Channel and SOOOO much more. 

Meet The Moodsters

The 411:

I honestly love the idea behind Meet the Moodsters. I know adults who don't always know why they are feeling a certain way or how to deal with it. My son is on the autistic spectrum as many long time readers know and dealing with his moods and the ramifications of his moods are sometimes a full time job for us and his teachers and therapists.

The Moodsters teach Zach how to explore and explain his emotions. Having the tools to cope with the day to day issues that make certain emotions rear their ugly heads is half the battle.

In this book, Zach is trying to perform a magic trick but when everything goes wrong and he can't make it work, he gets very angry over a mess he inadvertently makes. This is when he meets the Moodsters. The Moodsters are little detectives (Coz, Lolly, Snorf, Razzy and Quigly who help him reconcile his emotions thus making him a happier Zach.

The stories and toys teach simple strategies to build social and emotional intelligence skills in young children. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is defined as the ability to identify and manage one's own emotions as well as the emotions of others. Decades of scientific research has shown that children with EQ skills are better able to manage their thoughts, feelings and behavior. 

I can't wait to show this to his OT and Speech therapist. They are always looking for new ways to address certain situations that may arise with my son and I am sure this could be helpful with some of their other students.

The book is full color and the graphics are beyond superb. Both of my kids loved reading and looking at the book in detail and I can hear the mood meter go off all the time as one of them plays with it. 

3 Deals In One - Perfect For Anyone Who Likes Being Outdoors

 
My son loves walking around the house or deck at night listening to music. It is something he does every night to self sooth and be alone, decompress and get ready for the evening. I love that he does it but have always hated the in and out for water breaks and I worry about my MP3 Player being dropped as well as his safety. We live on a street without streetlights so when he walks around the yard I get nervous that a car won't see him if he steps onto the road. Yesterday he received the running hydration belt with water bottles package which also includes a smartphone armband for my phone and a LED bracelet for his arm, wrist or ankle

The belt has two water bottles which can each hold 6 oz of water. I love that the bottles lie slanted. My other belt has the bottles sitting straight up and they always poke me or my arm sends it flying. The slant keeps them completely out of the way. There are two zippered pockets and the belt is completely adjustable. I could wear it as well as my 12 and 10 year old.

The arm band is for a 6S/6S Plus phone. It is completely adjustable and has a place for a key. Love that....and will be borrowing for the track. He said it was really comfortable, even over his sweat jacket.

The bracelet had a strong smell when I first took it out of the bag but it went away immediately. I love that the band isn't just but also has a button that allows for three different light modes. You can have it solid, quick or slow flashing. I feel way more comfortable now that he can wear this.

This is a great set for hikers, walkers, joggers or just kids who want to walk around at night and listen to music.

The Most Adorable Doll Baking Set Ever!!!

< This is one of the cutest kits I have ever seen for baking. The apron, oven mitt and hat are adorable but it is the other items were went crazy for.  We love this set of baking accessories including the fake foods.

My daughter and I loved playing with the miniature set and taking photos of it. She was going to give it to a friend but has decided she can't part with it.

Great mini set for pretend play or for your doll.

I wish the packaging had a graphic on it but it is probably left off for cost. Don't let the all white box fool you. There is a ton of fun in that plain box.

Keep The Spirit Alive With A Personalize Letter From The Big Guy That Is Secular Or Non Secular

The 411 by Maria:

My kids are 10 and 12 and still like mom and dad big believers. What I loved most about these letters from Santa are how easy it is to select a template and write to your child. The letters are created by YOU so you can include absolutely anything. I chose to fully write mine but you can select a letter that would be perfect for your family from the many samples.  My kids were amazed at how much Santa knows about them and we loved reading them together over and over and over again. My daughter kept asking, "how does he know?"

Looking for more than a letter? There are many packages to choose from as well. Our letters came from the Nice List Package included a credit card size ID card that states both kids are on the Nice List.  There is also an Original Package which just contains the letter, and the Magic Key Package that contains a letter, and a magic key for Santa or the North Pole Package which includes everything like the Nice List ID Card and the Key.

Not only can you personalize the letter and add extras but the letter and envelope look like they were created on antique paper and sent in an antique envelope that only Santa could possess and sealed with a red dot of wax with a Santa emblem. It all looks very official!

Kids will definitely love these letters addressed to them and completely about them. Brighten your child's face and amaze them with a memory that will last forever.

 

On The Go Picnic Boxes Make Food On The Go Super Easy

Like most moms I spend my day juggling. I juggle my part-time job, the kids schedules, house chores, cooking, friends, blogging, product reviews, and more. Yes, guys I know you do too and kudos to you but a lot of guys have no idea the amount of juggling moms do. While you guys head out to work and deal with that part of life so your family has a roof over their head, many moms are doing what they can to make sure everyone is happy. Sometimes this means putting ourselves why at the bottom of the list. Waaaayyyyy down low. 

Meals are also way low on my list....I don't have anytime to think about this especially for myself. I can't tell you the amount of times I wonder why I am hungry and remember it is because I haven't eaten. Who forgets to eat? The last time that happened was right after the births of both my babies.

I want to eat. It is just the constant rush which is why I am so happy to have been able to check out a company called GoPicnic.

There are so many choices and they have been a complete Godsend. I have tossed them in my tote bag when I am working, tossed them in my daughter's lunch box even tossed three in my car for whenever we need something during our mad rushes and I don't want to spend money at a fast food place.

The Meals all come in boxes which has a color photo of everything included in the box, nutritional value which is broken down and super easy to read, and even the inside of the box is used as it contains a game.


What I can tell you about the meals:

The meals come with a few items in each box. For instance a meat stick, cheese spread, crackers, and a snack like nuts or applesauce. Everything is individually wrapped and actually taste great. My kids went through anything that had cheese and crackers very quickly. My favorite was the Turkey Stick!

I loved everything except the cinnamon spread. Not sure why I didn't love it. I guess I expect it to be like my cream cheese but mine cream cheese is high in fat but I love my cream cheese and will eat it regardless of the fat.

Here are some pics of the meals:

Holiday Gift Ideas - Things Remembered

Christmas is fast approaching and I am so not ready this year. I am usually 50% done at this point at the least.

My nieces are all getting older and I never know what to get them but since some of them have already moved into their own apartments I am looking at things that will remind them how much they are loved and how their family will always be there for them.

Things Remembered is a shop I used to frequent during this time in the mall when I was younger. I loved that you could personalize gifts and always shopped for at least two gifts a year there.

So far I have purchased key chains, gift sets, mugs, pillows and towels and blankets. I gave an embroidered antique blanket to my Maid of Honor for serving in my wedding over 22 years ago and oddly enough, she gave us the same one but with our names and wedding date on it.

They have beautiful, quality products like this stunning necklace.

Infinity Heart Crystal Swing Necklace with Free Classic Beveled Edge Round Keepsake Box

It is so pretty!  It is a heart to be worn close to your heart that you can personalize. The  Infinity Crystal Swing Necklace is cleverly designed into the center of the brushed silver finish heart pendant, with clear crystals on one side.

This tiny heart hangs on the extender

This is truly a beautiful heart! You can write whatever you want on the front and the back of the heart.

You can see the plastic that sits on the heart when you first get it to ensure it is scratch free during shipping.

I am wrapping mine up and giving it to myself for Christmas. Truly a beautiful gift.

Personalize Your Wall Art With Your Own Photo Collage on Canvas

I've talked about Collage before especially with this stunning photo blanket which is definitely my over all pick for Christmas presents this year.

Now I want to show you their amazing canvas collage wall art.

They take your photos, print them on canvas wah lah...you have your most favorite wall art ever.

What surprises me most is just how clear and stunning my photos from my phone camera come out on blankets or canvas. Collage is definitely a wonderful printing business because each photo looks like it was taken with my best Canon camera. The clarity and the color really impresses me.

Our Little Christmas Tree + Our Unboxing Video

If you are looking for a very special holiday gift this year, consider Jackson and Perkins. Jackson and Perkins knows that sometimes it is hard to come up with gift ideas. I have this problem every year and it gets harder and harder as the family grows.  I love the idea of giving the gift of Christmas or the gift of the Season and Jackson and Perkins has a huge holiday selection. You have to check it out.

Like this Chalkboard Evergreen Centerpiece

The Box!

Decorating The Tree 

 All Decorated

You can watch us un-box this beauty and see everything included here.