Back-to-School Roundup: Icebox Water! #Spon

**Complimentary products received in exchange for out honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

We recently had the chance to review Icebox Water:

Icebox's mission is to provide their customers with "the most responsibly packaged, environmentally sensitive, healthful, pure and delicious spring water on the planet."  This water is sourced from the Rustad Spring in Elverum, Norway.   It is very smooth and the kiddos loved the design of the packaging.  These 16.9 oz boxes of water would be great for the lunch box, after-school practice, the carpool...pretty much any where!  

ABCD Diaries gives Icebox Water an A!

Buy It:

Find out more at Icebox Water!

WORLDFOODS Sauces Make Cooking Asian Fusion Cuisine Easy! #Spon

**Complimentary products received in exchange for out honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

We recently had the chance to review a variety of sauces from WORLDFOODS:

"WORLDFOODS is a legendary pioneer in the Fusion and Asian food industry. For over twenty years they’ve been developing recipes using 100-percent natural ingredients. By combining traditional herbs and spices they create fusion flavors that fit perfectly in the kitchen of a culinary connoisseur on an everyday family. Each of their sauces is crafted by a team of master chefs, nutritionists, market researchers, food tasters, and everyday ordinary users to find the perfect balance of quality and flavor. 

WORLDFOODS only uses authentic herbs and spices along with 100-percent natural, fresh ingredients to create each of its unique flavors. Currently the brand offers 65 different sauces, dips, and marinades all inspired by the tastes of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, China, and India. These sauces are perfect for individuals with dietary constraints. Each of their products are allergen and gluten free! Free of added oil, trans fat, artificial ingredients, preservatives, or food flavor enhancers."

We used the Ginger Lemongrass sauce with beef and served it over rice:

We also really enjoyed the Xin Zhou Noodle Sauce with chicken and noodles:

These sauces were so easy to use and the meals we created with them were delicious!  It's kinda crazy how many sauces WORLDFOODS offers.  And they are so versatile.  Just add protein and/or veggies and rice or noodles and you have a fantastic meal in minutes!  We were super impressed with the quality, taste and convenience of these sauces.

ABCD Diaries gives WORLDFOODS sauces an A+!

Buy It:
To find a store near your visit: worldfoods.com.my/wf/where_to_buy/index.php

  Get Social:
facebook.com/WORLDFOODSfusionofflavours       twitter.com/fusiontasteteam

Disclosure:
I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetsSM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Medai Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

Food Should Taste Good Chips #Spon

**Complimentary products received in exchange for out honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

We recently had the chance to review Food Should Taste Good Chips:

Food Should Taste Good chips are made from real wholesome ingredients, have no trans fats or cholesterol and are certified gluten free and Kosher.  Not to mention they are super tasty!  We especially loved the Olive and the Multigrain chips.

Food Should Taste Good chips come in at least flavors 20 flavors.  That means there is something for everyone!  Whether you're looking for a dipping chip or just a tasty and convenient snack, Food Should Taste Good has got you covered.  These would be a great addition to a lunch box or the perfect chips to serve at your football parties!

ABCD Diaries gives Food Should Taste Good Chips an A+!

Get Social:
Follow Food Should Taste Good
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Sapphire Soul: Balanced Living Subscription Box #Spon

**Complimentary products received in exchange for out honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

We recently had the chance to review a Balance Box from Sapphire Soul:

"Sapphire Soul is dedicated toward helping others live a balanced life. When your body, mind, and soul all work together: miracles happen! Sapphire Soul carries a wide variety of organic, homeopathic, and metaphysical products."  

What will you find in a Balance Box?  A mixture of Apothecary, Candles, Crystals, Essential Oils, Herbal & Holistic Wellness, Jewelry, Teas, Meditations and more!

"Sapphire Soul is a place where people can find quick and easy tips for living a more balanced, healthy life. High quality products with meaning and purpose are hand selected each month to fit the monthly focus of the box. Each month is different! Each box takes you on an inward journey and brings out the best in your soul. The items in the box are curated and chosen with love, but the overall Sapphire Soul experience & the beauty it brings out in each person is where the magic happens. It starts with you, it ends with you. We provide the tools, you create the magic!"

Let's take a look at what came in our August box!

First up, a beautiful token from Soul Candy:

This is a gorgeous little reminder on a beautifully designed piece of clay.  It can quickly bring beauty to your work space or your relaxation area.  So pretty!
Value: $11

Blue Apatite and Peridot Raw Gemstones:

Blue Apatite is believed to have properties to help boost self esteem and enhance your aura.  Peridot, which just so happens to be my birthstone, yay for August birthdays!:) is a beautiful green stone that assists in rebirth and renewal.  These gemstones are both in their natural, raw form and are simply lovely!

Value: unknown

Chanakara Guanabana Tea Bag and LA Fresh Makeup Remover Pad:

Chanakara teas are made by Stash and are teas that address the 7 Chakras.  The Guanabana tea is inspired by the 6th Chakra and promotes intuition, insight and imagination.  It also tastes quite lovely:)  The LA Fresh Make Remover is perfect for travel!
Value: tea bag-.33 wipe- .60

Cellar Door Namaste Soap:

"Namaste soap captures the essence of fresh with a blend of sweet herbs, green tea, and zesty citrus that lifts the spirits."  A wonderful soap that really gets the job done! 

Value: $6

Creativity Candle from Crystal Journey Candles and Third Eye Chakra Essential Oil Spray:

The pretty little candle smells lovely.  We have been burning it during school time in hopes to inspire a little creativity:)  We love the Essential Oil Spray.  It smells lovely and can be used on skin, fabric and as a room spray so it's very versatile.
Value: candle- $4.50 spray- unknown 

This was a really fun box to review and it would make a great gift.  The products are of great quality and presented very nicely.
ABCD Diaries gives Sapphire Soul an A+!

Buy It:
Boxes start at just $28 per month at Sapphire Soul!  Be sure to take advantage of this month's deal:

Purchase a box (small or large) by 9/15 and use code: BLESSINGS to receive a FREE Bells of Blessings bracelet (a $60 value!) and a free signature Sapphire Soul item. (The signature item will be an essential oil, essential oil spray or apothecary item) an additional $12 value. 

The Blessings bracelet is made by a company called A Global Friendship, a non-profit, fair trade organization  that empowers women, alleviates poverty and  gives back to communities around the world. 

Faucet Face #Reusable Glass Bottles #Giveaway #Spon #Ecofriendly

**Complimentary products received in exchange for out honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

We recently had the chance to review Faucet Face glass water bottles:

These reusable bottles make great bottled water alternatives!  Faucet Face makes 3 designs of water bottles, Hose Water, Tap Is Terrific and the Hummingbird Feeder.  These beautiful bottles are designed by renowned artists and are pretty enough to be great gifts for the health conscious, especially at the affordable price point of $12 each!  Each bottle holds over 14 ounces of liquid and the sides of Faucet Face bottles are twice as thick as disposable glass bottles which makes them very durable.  The kiddos and I have been using them on a daily basis for a few weeks now and they all  look just as great as the day we received them!  These bottles promote health, wellness and are eco-friendly.

Faucet Face is charitable as well.  Through the 1 for 100 program, they donate 5% of all sales to the clean drinking water charity Third Millennium Awakening.

ABCD Diaries gives Faucet Face an A+!

Buy It:

Check out all three designs at Faucet Face!

Win It:
One winner gets their choice of Faucet Face bottle!

Chuckle Farms: Cute, Affordable Gardening Gifts! #Spon

**Complimentary products received in exchange for out honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

We recently had the chance to review a couple of gardening products from Chuckle Farms:

Chuckle Farms is a great place to find thoughtful gifts for gardeners.  They carry unique products that are cute and fun and very affordable!

The Mini Snaps Garden in a Bag was pretty easy to use...just open, sprinkle the seeds on and water according to the directions.  We had delicate sprouts within a few days.  Our plants haven't flowered yet, but they are still growing.  We are supposed to have flowers within 8-10 weeks.  I do wish the package had included more seeds...we only have 5 or 6 sprouts in our soil.

 At only $10, This cute Garden in a Bag would make a great gift!

Another great gift idea would be this Growing Wishes Kit:

This kit is beautifully presented and includes six varieties of flower seeds.  Each mini tin of seeds is named for a sentiment that matches their "personality."  You can plant these seeds inside or out and each has a garden stake that you can write wishes on with the included pencil.

Here are the flowers included in this kit:

sweet pea = friendship, pinks = strength, forget-me-not = love, daisy = clarity, lavender = happiness, baby's breath = joy

This kit retails for $20 and is sure to bring a smile to any flower lover's face!

Chuckle Farms has tons of gardening kits for both indoor and outdoor use for fun gardening yeear round.  ABCD Diaries gives Chuckle Farms an A+!

Buy It:

Check all of the great gift ideas at Chuckle Farms!

Balance Bars S'Mores #Giveaway #Spon

**Complimentary products received in exchange for out honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

We recently had the chance to review S'Mores Balance Bars:

We were excited to try this chocolate, graham cracker and marshmallow inspired treat from Balance Bar and we loved them!  No surprise really...we are big fans of Balance Bars around here:)  These are great to have on hand for the whole family.  They only have 200 Calories, but feature 14g of protein and 3g of fiber.  Plus, they have 23 Vitamins and Minerals and are an excellent source of antioxidants!

What better way to indulge your sweet tooth than with a S'Mores Balance Bar?!

ABCD Diaries gives S'Mores Balance Bars an A+!

Win It:
One winner will receive a box of S'Mores Balance Bars!

Back-to-School Roundup: Salba Chia Seeds! #Spon

**Complimentary products received in exchange for out honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

We recently had the chance to review an assortment of Salba Chia seeds:

"It’s easy to get nutrition back on track after the snack-happy summer.  Just by adding tiny but powerful Salba Chia seeds to breakfast staples like oatmeal, cereal, pancakes, smoothies and yogurt, the whole family can enjoy a boost of important nutrients like Omega 3s (ALA), fiber, calcium, magnesium and antioxidants."

Healthy Back to School tips from Salba Chia:

·         Eat a nutritious breakfast every day. Studies show that breakfast eaters tend to have higher school attendance, less tardiness, overall higher test scores and better concentration, according to EatRight.org. Try delicious breakfast ideas at www.salbasmart.com.

·         Pack rainbow-colored lunches: Cut up a mix of red, green, yellow, orange and purple fruits and veggies to dip into hummus mixed with chia seeds for an extra boost of nutrients.

·         Power up with a healthy snack before after-school activities: Make fiber-rich Salba Chia fruit smoothies or get ideas from other moms at www.facebook.com/SalbaSmart.

What we thought:

Chia seeds are so healthy and so easy to use.  They don't have a lot of taste, so they are an easy way to make pretty much anything a little healthier.  Whole or ground chia seeds can be sprinkled on to many foods or mixed in to baking mixes.  You can even add to sandwich spread to "healthify" your lunch boxes!

Whether you're sprinkling chia seeds on breakfast or added it to baked goods or smoothies, Salba offers both whole and ground chia seeds to get the job done.  Make this easy change to add a little healthiness to your families meals and snacks this back-to-school season!

ABCD Diaries gives Salba Chia Seeds an A+!

Farm To People Gourmet Foodie Subscription Box! #Spon

**Complimentary products received in exchange for out honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

We recently had the chance to review a Farm to People subscription box:

Farm to People is a New York based gourmet food subscription box that prides themselves on finding amazing culinary gems and sharing them with foodies.  These foods they choose must be locally crafted in small batches, have no GMOs or artificial preservatives or flavors and be humanely raised.  This tasting box is a great way to discover unique products and producers. 

I was really impressed with the amount of products in our Farm to People box.  Here is a look at what was included:

Stony Brook Wholehearted Foods' Roasted Pumpkin Seeds/Pepitas($3) and Nuts + Nuts Honey Sesame Indonesian Cashews ($4.50)

The pepitas were super crunchy and perfectly roasted.  We love to eat these as a protein-packed snack or toss them on a salad...yummo!  The Indonesian Cashews were a HUGE hit.  We shared our pack with out-of-town guests that were visiting and they were a smash!  Perfectly sweetened and crunchy and a great snack.

Sir Kensington's Mustard($7.95) and Rick's Picks Smokra($9.95):

I was hoping for a spicier kick with the Sir Kensington's, but it still had a wonderfully tangy/sweet taste that makes it a fantastic dipping mustard.  I'm not a huge okra fan, but B and the kiddos are and they raved over the Smokra.  They loved the crunchy, smoky taste and decided these would be a great addition to a sandwich.

Antidote Mango and Juniper Dark Chocolate($7.99) and Meow Meow Tweet Beer Soap($9)

I LOVE dark chocolate and Antidote's is about as good as it gets.  This 84% cacao bar is super indulgent and packed with pieces of dried mango and juniper...a really yummy combo!   The soap from Meow Meow Tweet smelled great and I love that it can be used for hair AND body!  A great bar for travel use.

Greenpoint Trading Co Coffee Rub($8)

This rub is AH-MAZING!  We tried it on chicken and a pork tenderloin on the grill and it was superb!  Bursting with flavor, it was fantastic as a blackening seasoning and had so much depth!  Delicious:)

We were really taken by the Farm To People box.  It was expertly curated and full of amazing tastes we may not have otherwise been exposed to.  With a product value of over $50 and being beautifully packaged, we think it is definitely a great subscription box to gift or keep for yourself:)  Plus, if you find something you love, you can buy items individually through the Farm To People website.  How great is that?!

ABCD Diaries gives Farm To People an A+!

Buy It:
Farm To People offer 2 tasting box options, the Casual Foodie box features 3-4 products for $29.95 and the Food Critic box features 5-8 products for $49.95.

GREAT Kids Snack Subscription Week 3 #Spon

**Complimentary products received in exchange for out honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

We recently had the chance to review the GREAT Kids Snack Subscription:

This Snack Box monthly delivery service includes 30 individually-wrapped snacks that are kid-tested and nutritionist approved.  All snacks are in convenient on-the-go packages, which makes them great for school lunches or after-school snacks.

Great Kids provides new snacks to discover each month with free home delivery and your satisfaction is guaranteed!

Our box was so full the box was literally splitting at the seams:)  We decided to let each of our 2 kiddos choose one snack per day and each week (while the box lasts) we'll be posting which snacks they discovered and if the snacks were a hit or miss.

The kiddos were super excited to continue their snack adventure this week.

Day 9:

Cranberry White Chocolate Santa Barbara Bar and Bakery On Main Nutty Cranberry Maple Mix

Day 10:
Cashew Coconut Pure Bar and Cran Lemon Zest Earnest Eats Bar

Day 11:

Baked Lentil Chips from Mediterranean Snacks and Coconut Almond Santa Barbara Bar

Roasted Fava Beans from Fabz and Living Smart Berry Good Smart Kids Bar

Every single snack this week was a hit!  The serving sizes all seemed appropriate and it may seem a little "bar" heavy, but what kiddo doesn't like a good bar?!

We are loving these great snack choices:)  Six more snacks to go!

Check back next week for part 4 of our GREAT Kids Snack Box review!

Buy It:

Sign up for your GREAT Kids Snack Subscription!

Get a Monthly Dose of Cute with Mission Cute! #Sponsored

**Complimentary products received in exchange for out honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

We recently had the chance to review the July box from Mission Cute:

MissionCute is a subscription service that delivers cute stuff to you monthly with 50% of the proceeds of MissionCute's net profit going to a different nonprofit each month.  Subscribers can nominate nonprofits to receive the donation.

The products you receive in your box are from small businesses and local artisans.   Each box includes a detailed page with information on the products and businesses and information for the nonprofit of the month.  This box was full of cuteness!

 July’s non-profit partner is LoveGrows. Their mission is to sustain and empower orphans in need through the giving of monetary, intellectual and relational resources. Find out more about LoveGrows.

 "Love" Monogram Necklace- A cute gold necklace that A instantly fell in love with:)  It's a little over the top for me, but fits her perfectly!

Value: $22

You Are Beautiful Sticker- A really pretty sticker that is a great reminder for us all.  This went on A's vanity mirror and I hope she reads it every day when she looks in the mirror:)  This sticker is designed by Shawna Armstrong.  Check out her Etsy shop!

Value: $3 

Anchor Canvas Tote- A cute summer tote from WhoDoesntWantThat.  It is a medium sized tote.  5 year old D claimed this immediately as a bag to carry his fishing gear...he loves all things nautical:)

Value: $6

Bee Happy Print- from the talented Samantha (check out her Etsy shop).  This is a gorgeous print and I can't wait to frame it.  Another positive reminder and a great decorative piece that will go well in any room.  Love it!

Value: $10

MissionCute subscriptions start at just $29 monthly with free shipping.  The value of our box was over $41, so this would be a great deal for some really cute stuff that supports a great cause along with small businesses!

ABCD Diaries gives MissionCute an A+!

Buy It:

Sign up for you monthly dose of cuteness at MissionCute! 

In Bloom Intimates #Giveaway #Spon

**Complimentary products received in exchange for out honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

We recently had the chance to review a gorgeous nightgown from In Bloom Intimates:

The Black Swan Nightgown is a luxurious satin nightgown with sheer lace cutouts, leg slit, and decadent corded lace detailing.  It comes in blue satin/black lace and black satin/black lace and it is gorgeous!  Classy and comfortable, while still being extremely flattering.  It's also machine washable which is a huge plus!

In Bloom Intimates offers gorgeous lounge wear, play wear and bridal wear at a variety of price points.  Their lingerie has been featured on a number of TV shows and countless fashion magazines.  It's really no wonder!  Their outfits are so pretty and feminine...there is definitely something for every personality.

I was super impressed with the quality and detail of the Black Swan Nightgown.  ABCD Diaries gives In Bloom Intimates an A+!

Buy It:

In Bloom is sold at Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, and specialty boutiques worldwide.

Win It:

One lucky reader will win a $75 gift certificate to In Bloom Intimates!