Graze snacks

So, I've been hearing about Graze for a few months now.  I decided to give it a try and received my first box (which was FREE!!!) today.  After batting away the masses that were trying to get at it, I was able to give one a try.  It was their "Pumpkin Spice Flapjack" which is basically a granola bar.  I liked it, and so did everyone else that managed to get a couple of bites.

This first box was free!  It has 4 snacks in it.  After this my boxes will have 8 snacks and will cost $12 including shipping.  If you follow my links you can get a free 4 pack too AND your 5th box is supposed to be FREE!  What a deal!

The box itself was cool and easy to open.  Unfortunately my teens were the ones that pulled it out of the mail box.  The box caught their eyes right away.  Now they are hovering waiting for me to try another one.  I guess they like the looks of the Grilled Cheese, Raspberry & Coconut Muffin as well as the Cranberry & Hazelnut Toasts (with a rich cocoa dip).  I'll have to tuck these away and munch on them while I'm out running errands, or while the kids are in their co-op classes.  That was sort of the point of getting these anyways.  I wanted some healthy, easy to grab snacks that were outside of my usual go-to-snacks for my busy days out of the house.

Graze is a subscription service.  They have a list of snacks that you go through and mark with your level of interest (from "trash" to "love it") and they send you a box of snacks based on your input.  It's a bit like a Stitch Fix only cheeper and it is food instead of clothes.  I loved the surprise of a box full of snacks to try that all looked interesting to me.  I've got mine set to come once a month, but you can have the boxes come once a week or every other week too.

***If you follow my links and sign up for a Graze box I'll earn $1 towards my next Graze box!

Teething and first foods

Our littlest one is six months old.  It seems like she's been teething for months and she's starting to show quite a bit of interest in what we're eating too.  I thought I'd share some of our current and past favorites on both the subject of teething and first foods since some of it overlaps.

Most baby toys are good for teething of some sort since they are all made to go in mouths, but here are some of our favorites...

This Raz-berry has been a favorite for the last 2-3 babies.  It is easy to grab and has a few textures depending on what part makes it in their mouths.



These teethers that look like various foods put a big smile on my face and the rest of the family's as well.  Baby likes the texture and that it sometimes looks like the foods we are eating. ;)


These silicone spoons were a gift from my mom.  Our baby likes chewing on them, both because they feel good and because I think she knows they are similar to what everyone else is using at the table.  She's enjoying getting to practice feeding herself and is quite proud of her accomplishment when she gets the bowl of the spoon in her mouth.


We keep all of these fun teething/food related toys right by the dining room table where we can easily grab them during the meal for baby.

Because we've had some food intolerances with the last few babies I wanted to re-examine the way we did first foods.  This article on Mommypotamus was very interesting and helpful.  I'm going to be extra cautious this time as we introduce foods.  For right now the baby just seems interested in what we are eating, and not actually eating it herself.  I think it'll still be a while before she really gets into foods.

I've used these mesh teethers for several of my babies.  They are great for first foods and for teething.  Win! Win!  I've be putting bone broth ice cubes in one of these for my little one.  Bananas, blueberries, and many other fruits or veggies have been very popular in these with past babies.

What about your little ones?  What are their favorite teething toys or first foods?

****I'm an Amazon Associate.  That means that if you shop through my links above I'll get an itty-bit of $$$ from Amazon which I will end up spending at Amazon on my kids. ;) ***

Fall Fix

Last month I got another box from Stitch Fix.  I'm finally getting around to posting about it 'cause you know, life....

Something I noticed with this Fix and REALLY appreciated was that my stylist tried hard to stick to my requests.  I made color requests but also asked that accommodations be made for my post baby figure; in that I'm nursing and (slowly) losing weight.  Every item sent fit within those parameters.  Given their limited (but fairly good) inventory I really appreciated that such an effort was made.  She also sent items that worked together; something else I really appreciated.

We were a bit busy the day my Fix came and didn't manage to take pictures of everything.  I can't quite remember what 2 of the items were.  1 item gave us all a good laugh.  The polka dot pants with the black ribbon down the sides just didn't do it for me.  They reminded me (and my mom, who was here) of my brothers' marching band pants.  I'm sure they'll look great on someone else, but I just couldn't get past the stripe down the side.  The fit was perfect (elastic waist) and I loved the color.

Looks like someone else in this picture was having some pants problems too! ;)

I LOVED the skirt that was sent.  The style, colors and fit were perfect.  I so appreciated that a top was sent that went with it.  While the studs on the top were not something I would normally choose I like the accent and since I don't usually wear jewelry it adds that nice touch.  I like that this outfit will transition nicely into fall.  Worn as is it is perfect for our warmer fall days, but I can easily add boots and a jacket to carry it into our cooler (and sometimes COLD) days.

These are the two items I ended up keeping.

Stitch Fix has been such a fun treat for me to add just a bit of extra fun to my wardrobe.  It can be hard for me to get out and shop for myself at this point in life, let alone thinking outside my "box."  If you're interested in trying this service I'd LOVE it if you followed my links and signed up that way.  When your first Fix ships I get a credit, that's what helps me pay for this fun! :) 

What we're reading- September

I thought I'd share some of the books that are being read around here this month...

I've got several books I'm in the process of reading, here's a couple-

For Bible study I'm reading this one-



In my free time (Ha!) I'm reading the last for the Lord of the Rings series.  I started it the month before baby was born....she's now 6 months old.



My oldest child is reading this one which was assigned by Daddy.  I'm hoping to get to it some time too.



My oldest boys have been reading through the Wingfeather saga, this is the first one.



My little ones have been enjoying good 'ole The Little Red Hen  though Mothergoose Nursery Rymes is brought to me regularly as well.





I'm going through this one for reading lessons with my beginning readers.



What are your favorite books right now?  I'm always looking for GREAT reads for any age.

***I'm an Amazon associate.  If you shop through my links above I'll make and itty-bit of $$$ which will promptly be spent on more books, toys etc on Amazon. ;)***