September is National Preparedness Month #GetReadyGetSafe #PrepStep

When my oldest daughter was little she was obsessed with this fire preparedness video tape (yes I said tape.)  She watched it over and over again.  In the video they talked about making an emergency escape plan, which is something we hadn't done.  My daughter made a point to talk to me about it and we made a plan together.  Thankfully, we didn't have any emergencies, but she felt more secure knowing what to do.

September is National Preparedness Month or PrepareATHON.  Are you prepared?  Do you have emergency rations like food, water, flashlights, etc... The thing is, you never know when an emergency is going to occur.  But, you can be prepared.

Just last week there were floods in my area due to several days of rain.  Last month our power went out for two days due to heavy rain and wind.  Having an emergency plan with supplies is crucial. Save the Children has some great tools for helping you plan.

Of course, there are many other types of emergencies and times we need to try and prepare for.  Save the Children has you covered, they have a fun PrepStep music video that will help your little ones learn what to do.

Not only that, but you can complete ICE cards for your children, for free.  These In Case of Emergency cards are great!  They have all of your child's information; along with a photo, allergies, and emergency contacts.  There is one for you to carry and one to give to your child.  Please, take the time to go to savethechildren.org and make ICE cards for your kids, it will give your family piece of mind.  If you do make the card, leave a comment here letting me know.

This post is sponsored by Save the Children.  

Product Review Pratisphere Ice Sphere Molds

Have you noticed all of the ice sphere molds around lately?  I have been seeing them for the last couple of months.  Initially, I didn't get what the big deal was.  Why would someone want ice balls?  Then I learned the spheres of ice keep your drink cold longer and don't water your beverage down either.

The Pratisphere Ice Sphere Molds individual, unlike most I've seen that are four attached together.  I like the separate ones better because it is often tough to find room in my freezer for ice molds.  The fact that I can squeeze one of these ice sphere molds here and there makes them even more appealing to me.  The size of the ice ball, once it's frozen is 2.5" and perfect for this extremely hot weather!

I run the mold under water for a few seconds to make it easier to get the sphere out.  There is also a tab on the purple side to allow for ease of opening.  The wide base prevents it from tipping over while in the freezer; and they can be stacked on top of each other.

I received these items at no charge in exchange for my honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Protein Shake/Smoothie

I had been thinking about replacing one meal a day with a protein shake/smoothie, but never really took the plunge.  I thought ice was a must for any good shake/smoothie concoction and I don't have an ice maker.  I think freezing ice cubes each day is cumbersome.  But, I learned ice isn't a must.  I had talked to several people that said they freeze bananas and use them in protein drinks and decided to give it a try. I have yet to make a shake without frozen bananas.  All you have to do is peel the banana, cut or break it into smaller pieces, and put it in a freezer safe container.  Super easy!

Kale is super popular right now because of all of the health benefits, so I add it to my smoothies as well.  I actually did a bit of research about Kale and how best to handle it because I had never eaten it.  I learned it is best to remove the center stem because it is much tougher than the leaves.  I also freeze my kale.  I clean it and put it in a gallon sized freezer bag whole, then freeze.  After it is frozen you can actually crush it, much easier to add to smoothies that way.

It took me a few times to get it right.  I played with different types of ingredients to find what I like best.  Some things I learned:

1. Flax seed is best used in oil form rather than ground (which is what I tried first)
2. Ground nuts do not blend up enough (I'm extremely picky about textures when it comes to food-chunky drinks, not my thing.)
3. Raspberries and other berries of the like have LOTS of seeds and I don't enjoy drinking them.

I may change some of the add-ins, but the basics stay the same protein powder, flax oil, banana, and kale.  The other fruit I add changes depending on what I have.  Don't forget you need to have liquid of some sort or you will probably burn up your blender.  My liquid changes I may use juice, milk, or water.  What you add depends on your taste.  I have been thinking about trying Almond Milk, but haven't bought any yet.  I have also started adding local honey because I have seasonal allergies and I heard that might help.

I recently won some Barlean's Flax oil from a Twitter party; it couldn't have come at a better time either.  You can buy it at Whole Foods in several different forms and flavors.  As far as the protein powder the one I am using right now is pictured.  I prefer chocolate when I just mix with milk, so that is what I started with.  I am almost out of it and looking for a different flavor.  So, I decided to buy individual packets of different types, brands, and flavors because I don't want to spend money on a whole can of it if I won't like it.

The result might not look very appetizing, but I truly enjoy drinking my protein shakes; which if you knew me you might be surprised about.  I'm very picky.  

What kind of shakes are you drinking?  Never had one, are you inspired to try it now?

  

Disney's Frozen~~No Spoilers~~

Tonight my kids and I were lucky enough to see a prescreening of Disney's Frozen.  The actual release of this movie is November 27, 2013, so this is a pretty early prescreening.  All three of my kids; ages 15, 8, and 5 wanted to see this movie; so I was super excited to be able to tell them we were going to see it.  As a matter of fact, a few days before I got these tickets my 15 year old daughter and I were kicking around some ideas about what could have happened with Elsa to make her go 'icy.'  We didn't think she was really evil, so we came up with some crazy ideas.  

The animation is amazingly wonderful, which is what I expect from Disney.  Of course the storyline has some twists and turns; it's emotional, humorous, heartfelt, and suspenseful.  I am not going to put any spoilers in my post because I don't want to ruin the film for anyone.  My five year old told me she almost cried and my 15 year old told me she got "the feels" during different parts, so you know you might need to bring some tissues.

The characters are adorable.  Sven, the reindeer, reminds me of one of my dogs with the way he dances around when he gets excited.  Olaf, the snowman, voiced by Josh Gad, has a great innocence to him that is so sweet.  Demi Lovato also sings Let it Go for the film, if your kids watch The Disney Channel you will know all about that. 

So, we say this is a must see for the whole family. There are some great messages about fear and wrong judgments (or judging books by their covers.)  Enjoy!