B is for Bunchems Product Review

This review post brought to you by Nuffnang and Bunchems.  We received a Bunchems Mega Pack to review.  All opinions are 100% my own.

We love doing creative things in our house. While cooking is a great creative activity and one I think all children should be regularly involved in, it is not the only creative process my girls love.

Bear and Bear love to build, craft, design, draw, paint and colour.  Drawing, painting and colouring happen a lot here with the girls having easy access to paint, markers, pencils and paper from their craft trolley. Building and construction not so much.  At the moment storage is an issue so it is harder for the girls to find their construction materials when the mood strikes them.

So when I was offered the chance to review the Bunchems Mega Pack kit I was intrigued to see how Bear and Bee would react.  They have seen the advertisements on tv so I knew they would be interested when they opened the parcel. As it turns out both girls love Bunchems.  Hubby and I love them too.  Hubby happily made a few creations too (see photo below) and I love how easy they are to use and store when finished.  Bunchems are a great way to combine the girls' love of craft and construction.

Apart from the pieces in the Bunchems packs being great colours they are just the right size for this age group.  Large enough to create all sorts of cool characters but small enough to store where they are easy to access.

After investigating the Bunchems for a few minutes, Bee got straight to work making accessories for her new rainbow soft toy leopard.  The Bunchems grip the short plush well enough to stay on but don't get stuck or pull threads.

Bee went on to make a paper copy of her Bunchems collar so she could keep her design and use the pieces to make something else.

Bear thought Bee's creations were cool and set to work making her own version.

Bunchems are great for fine motor skills too.

So what can you create with Bunchems?  Pretty much anything!  The girls have tried both their own creations as well as the ideas in the guide book that comes with the kit.

I think Bee's green bat is a groovy dude.

Bear's birdy is very cute too!

Hubby's creation

 If your kids can think it, they can probably create it with Bunchems.  So too can the grownups!

C is for Cranberry Fruit Drink Product Review

Here in the three foot cooks household we have been enjoying a delicious new range of drinks from Ocean Spray.

We were recently sent some of the new Ocean Spray Cranberry Low Sugar Fruit Drink to review.    I regularly use the dried cranberries from Ocean Spray in trail mixes and Christmas recipes we haven't tried the drinks before and I must say that they have been a resounding success.

In North Queensland where we live, as in many parts of Australia, we have been experiencing really high temperatures this summer.  Combined with our normally high humidity here in the tropics it has been a challenge to stay hydrated.

Bear and Bee are fortunate to attend a school with air conditioned classrooms and where they are encouraged to bring water bottles which can be kept in the classroom fridge for easy access.

However after drinking water all day at school both girls prefer to have something else to drink at home with afternoon snacks.  Bee's favourite drink is milk and she has raspberry cordial as a treat while Bear prefers orange juice and soft drink (which she only gets occasionally).  So you can imagine my delight when both girls declared that they love the Cranberry Low Sugar Fruit drink.

Bear enjoying her drink beside the pool.

Even though she won't drink other juices Bee loves this one.

The Ocean Spray Cranberry Low Sugar Fruit Drink is such a great swap for high sugar drinks like cordial and soft drinks and even has less calories and sugar than Bear's preferred brand of orange juice.

And I love it too.  This year one of my goals is to consume less sugar which I have been trying to do by cutting back on coffee, tea and soft drinks.  Now I am going to be swapping some of these drinks for the Cranberry Low Sugar Fruit Drink.  With only 10 calories per serve, the Fruit drink is healthier option and it tastes great.

For more information on Ocean Spray's Cranberry Low Sugar Fruit Drink visit their website here.

We love the Cranberry Fruit Drink so much I have plans for using it in some recipes with Bear and Bee.  Keep watch for my upcoming posts on Berry Frozen Yoghurt Pops for Breakfast and Cranberry Jelly Desserts.

** All reviews are 100% my opinion.**

B is for Breakfast on a Dream Morning

**This is a sponsored post.  While I was sent free samples of the products to try I received no other compensation and all opinions expressed are my own.**

It's funny how the threefootcooks, hubby and myself all have different ways we like to wake up in the mornings.

Bear's and hubby's dream mornings are pretty similar. They like to get up early, watch some television while waking up, have breakfast and then get ready for day ahead.

Bee on the other hand is fully awake as soon as she gets out of bed.  She will get changed into her clothes for the day, eat breakfast and want to start playing or go to kindy straight away.

My ideal morning would involve a late wake up, a cup of tea while watching breaky television in bed, a leisurely breakfast made by someone else and then I might be ready to start the day.

We might very occasionally get our dream mornings on a free weekend but our regular weekday mornings are always more of a rush to get ready for kindy and work.

To make our mornings a little less hurried, I find the right breakfast options are essential.  They need to be quick and easy to make and filling to see us through until lunch (or morning tea in the girls' case).

With the cooler weather lately I am loving Uncle Tobys Oats Quick Sachets.  The sachets are a convenient and tasty oats option, perfect for busy parents and their kids.  The Quick Sachets are easy to prepare in the microwave and mess-free which fits with my essential criteria above. 

The Uncle Tobys Oats Quick Sachets are made from wholegrain oats which I find keeps me fuller for longer making me less tempted to eat snacks mid morning.

And there is such a great variety of flavours in the Quick Sachets range.  All made with no artificial colours of flavours.  The Fruit Variety pack with Apple and Cinnamon, Apple and Raspberry and Apple and Honey, is deliciousness in a bowl.  I can't wait to get started on the Berry Variety pack next with the Strawberry, Blueberry and Triple Berry flavours. 

I really like how the Oats Quick Sachets have actual pieces of fruit in them.  Certainly simpler than having to add fruit to a bowl of plain rolled oats on a busy morning.

Click on the following link for more information on Uncle Tobys Oats Quick Sachets.

While I might not get my ideal morning everyday, using Uncle Tobys Oats Quick Sachets will certainly get me closer to a more relaxed and calm breakfast routine.

M is for My Child Magazine Review

**While I was asked to review this product I was not compensated in any way.  All opinions expressed are my own.**

One of my favourite magazines to read when Bear and Bee were little, My Child, has gone digital.  So when Lise, the publisher and editor for My Child magazine, approached me about reviewing the new digital version I jumped at the chance.

And while I still love hard copy or paper magazines this digital version is extremely cool.

It has so many great features:

• Would you believe subscription is free!  Yes FREE! Just click here to sign up.
• Clickable links.  If you see something you like in the magazine, just click on the link for more information or to go to the product's website.  Mind you this could make staying within our budget very difficult.
• Size and portability.  Reading the digital version of My Child would be so much easier when feeding babies, trying to grab a hot cuppa etc. No more having to prop the magazine open and struggle to stay on the right page.
• Yummy recipes to try and good nutrition information. 
• It's produced by small independent team and the editor is a work from home mum.

I have loved reading the digital version of the June issue and can't wait to read next month's.  Subscribe (remember it's free) and support an independent Australian business.