Review: Modes4U - Bento Supply Shop & More!

A while back, I was contacted by Modes4u.com, and they offered to send me a couple of their items to check out and review here.  Always excited to play with new toys, I jumped at the chance.

The shop has a very diverse stock, but what I am most interested in, and what I think you will be most interested in, is their Bento supplies.  I had the opportunity to pick some things to try out, and it was a hard decision. 

Modes4u does ship from Hong Kong, so shipping takes about 5-15 business days.  They have a very detailed breakdown of their shipping costs, and if you spend over $78, your shipping is free.  I don't think it would be that hard to get to that level.   You can also pay for express shipping at a flat rate of $27.30 for your entire order.

They have a great variety of not only boxes, but also things like forks and sauce containers and silicone molds and the like.  A person could totally go crazy...

In addition to all of the bento items, they also carry really adorable fabric, bags (some bento bags!), craft supplies, and much more.

How cute is this???

I was totally drawn to the Building Block boxes... so I chose to get some in green sauce size.  The kids are a little in love with them!  They are just the right size for a little dressing or sauce, and they have a decently tight seal.  I wouldn't put anything too liquid in them, but for salad dressing or the like, they work well.

I've had my eye on this Little Red Riding Hood design for a while.  I decided to try out the small round container, because I knew it would fit in my beloved Easy Lunchbox. 

That wolf looks positively jolly!

It is so cute!

It also has a pretty sturdy lid.  It would be good for things like yogurt, I think (at least my pretty thick yogurt..)


I hope that you check out Modes4u and see what they have to offer.  I, for one, was impressed!


Disclaimer:  Modes4u generously provided me with the items for review without cost to me.  Other than receiving the products, I was in no way compensated for this review.

Review: NatureBox

Sometimes, it's hard to find healthy snacks, and there's a new company that makes it easier.

NatureBox is a subscription service that offers the ability to discover and enjoy healthy snacks on a monthly basis.  Think Book of the Month club, but instead, delicious and nutritious treats.  They have No High Fructose Corn Syrup, No Partially Hydrogenated Oils, No Trans Fats, No Artificial Sweeteners, No Artificial Flavors, and No Artificial Colors.

That's pretty cool, huh?

Also neat - they donate a meal to feed hungry children in America for every box they send out.

The complete nutrition information is available for all of their products on their website.  This is important for people like me, who are providing snacks for kids and need to know exact nutrition information (i.e. carb counts for The Boy, to give him the right amount of insulin).

Currently, they are available as a monthly subscription only, in one size.  They are working on making different sized boxes for different family sizes and needs, and they are also working on NatureBoxes for different dietary needs, like gluten free, nut free, low sugar, and the like.

Each box contains 4-5 different snacks, enough for 12-15 servings.

The wonderful people at Naturebox sent me the April box to try out.  It's full of snacks to fill you up.

Cranberry Jubilee!

This box has dried pears, peppery pistachios, smokey pumpkin seeds, zingy currants, and a nut-seed-fruit mix called cranberry jubilee.

I'd say that's a pretty good mix for the price ($19.95/month - Disclaimer: though the people at NatureBox provided my with this box free of charge for the review - I was in no other way compensated)

If anyone is interested in signing up for a NatureBox subscription, you can use the promo code HEALTHY  for 25% off your first month of subscription (please note that the 25% discount is only applicable to the month-to-month subscription. 6 month subscriptions receive 1 month free and 12 month subscriptions receive 3 months free). I am considering signing up myself... it's hard to find a good variety of snacks like this around here, since we don't have any Trader Joe's or Whole Foods in Vermont (yet). I also really like the idea of getting different selection each month.

That's just fun.

While there is no giveaway at this time from NatureBox, I'd love to hear your thoughts. What kind of boxes would you like to see?

Dannon Activia Selects

This is a sponsored post through Foodieblogroll, and I am being compensated.  That doesn't mean the product isn't awesome, and it doesn't mean the coupon isn't wonderful.

It's no secret that I like yogurt.  Sometimes, it's nice to have some that I didn't make myself.  Dannon Activia is a great choice.  It has special cultures that help with digestive regulation, and it's available in a couple new varieties - Dannon Activia Selects.





They have a Greek yogurt, which is thick and creamy, with 12 g of protein per serving.  It's available in some delicious looking flavors - Vanilla, Blueberry, Strawberry, and Pomegranate Berry.




They also have a French style yogurt, with fruit on the bottom and a silky texture, available in Cherry, Mango, Pineapple, and Blackberry.

And you could try it free!  Follow the link below to print out your coupon for some free yogurt, good through 8/15/11.

Visit the Activia Selects Facebook page to get your FREE coupon now!

I hope that you enjoy your free yogurt!  I know I'll enjoy mine.


This sponsorship is brought to you by Activia Selects who we have partnered with for this promotion.
FREE coupon offer good 8/3 /11 - 8/15/11, up to 1 million coupons, on any Activia Selects Single Serve, up to $3.00. One coupon per household. Offer valid in the U.S only. VOID IN LA, NJ, CA. Coupon valid until 8/15/11.
Residents of LA, NJ, CA will be given a '$1 off 3 Activia Selects' coupon.

Product Review: Beveri Flax Seed

A while back, I was contacted by the good people at beveri nutrition to ask if I would be interested in trying out some of their products and reviewing them. 

How could I say no?  You may have noticed that I love love love using flax seed.

So, for the past few weeks, I've been using the Organic Whole Golden Flaxseed and the Golden Flaxseed Fine Milled with Mixed Berries that I received from beveri.  I've used them in pancakes, in chewy granola bars, in homemade instant oatmeal, in pain de mie, and more.

Like other flax seed that I've used, the beveri flax seed nearly disappears in recipes.  It imparts a slight nuttiness to baked goods, which we all enjoy. The beveri are higher quality than other flax seed I've been using, and can stay fresh at room temperature.  That's nice.  I have always refrigerated my other flax seed to keep it from going bad.  Not necessary with beveri.

I really like the flax that is milled with mixed berries.  It is a subtle difference in flavor, but it is there.  Adds a little extra something. 

And now, for my wonderful readers, the folks from beveri are offering free samples!  The first 500 people to enter their information into the button in the sidebar will get free samples.  No catch.  Nice, huh?  So, go ahead, try them out!  I've got plenty of recipes for you to try them in!

Disclaimer:  I received two free bags of beveri flax seed in exchange for this review, but otherwise I have received no other compensation.  All the opinions are my own completely.

Product Review & Giveaway: Easy Bento with EasyLunchBoxes!

I have another great giveaway for you, my lovely readers!

(Above image from EasyLunchboxes.com, the others are from me)

I'd seen the Easy Lunchboxes on other blogs, and wrote to the company to ask if I might try them out, and have a giveaway (coming soon!), and Kelly was more than generous in providing me a system to try out - and she'll send one to one of my lucky readers, too!

Kelly sent me a container set and a cooler bag (and one of you will get the same thing).  The bag can fit three containers snugly, or two with an ice pack.  It's very slick.  It could also be used for other lunches, and it's got plenty of room.

The lids on the containers are meant to be easy for kids to remove.  This means that they aren't always entirely snug on their own, but I found that elastic headbands work great to keep it closed, and the girl will be able to open it without a problem.  The lids don't fall off, but one corner is generally a little loose.  They are designed that way.

I wouldn't pack anything very wet in the containers, unless you use something like Press-n-Seal.  I haven't used the stuff, but I see a lot of people who love it.  The compartments are pretty well separated by the lid, but I haven't yet seen them at lunch time (after packing at night) to see how well this actually separates it.  I will update this review when I see.

There is plenty of room in them for lunches, adult or child.  They are much sturdier than I expected them to be, and much sturdier than Ziploc or Gladware containers.  They are microwavable and dishwasher safe.  That's pretty awesome. My other containers are not.  Big bonus.

Another bonus?  A container also fits inside the girl's standard lunch box.  We like that.

(The cooler bag will be wonderful when we are out together!  I'm chaperoning a field trip on Tuesday, and we can pack both of our lunches in the same bag! That's pretty slick.)

For the girl's lunches, I will likely keep using my current bento boxes most of the time, because they are so cute.  However, I will use the Easy LunchBoxes more or less interchangeably, and will use the Easy LunchBoxes for my lunch and daddy's lunch a lot of the time.

Since my online source for cheap bento boxes (Ichiban Kan) closed up it's online shop, it's a whole lot easier to get Easy Lunchboxes than the containers I have.  If you are just starting out packing lunches, they would be a great place to start!

Here's the fun part!  Right on the heels of my last giveaway - here's another one!

Kelly at Easy Lunchboxes has agreed to provide one lucky reader with a set of containers (a 4-pack), and a cooler bag (your choice of color).  For a chance to win, just leave a comment with the color bag you would like, and some ideas to pack in the containers.  You can just leave the color, but isn't it more fun if you get a little creative?  Good luck!  Remember, I'll need a way to reach you, so if you have a blog, I can leave a message on a recent posting, or you can leave an email address (with spaces if you like). 

I will pick a winner on Memorial Day, May 31, 2010, at approximately 10 AM, EST, via Random.org.

A note from EasyLunchboxes

We prefer to offer the giveaway for US & Canadian customers only, in order to keep our shipping costs down. 

We have the right to disqualify a winner if they have won or received free product from us within the past 3 months.

Disclaimer:  I received the cooler box and the container set to review free of charge.  Other than that, I have received no compensation for this review & giveaway.

Product Review: Chobani Yogurt

Chobani Greek yogurt is fantastic!!!  I think I have become addicted.  

The first one I tried was pomegranate.  It's fruit on the bottom, which I normally hate, but instead of being syrupy and goopy like other fruit on the bottom yogurts, it's just fruity.  Whole pomegranate seeds!  I love it!






I also have tried the blueberry (wonderful), the strawberry (also yums!) and the honey (very subtle honey flavor.  I stirred some kiwi into it, and it was great!).

It doesn't have any hfcs, using evaporated cane juice instead, no artificial sweeteners, probiotics, and 6 oz has 14g of protein!  It is thicker and creamier than regular yogurt, too.  I believe it's strained to make it that way.

I need to go to Costco... they have a case of this stuff, but I don't know what flavors.  I really love the pomegranate.  :D

We got a larger container of the strawberry, and it is mixed up instead of being fruit on the bottom, which is nice, because it would be a total pain to stir in a big container. 

They have coupons on their website.  The yogurt is more expensive than other, regular yogurts, at about a dollar a pop, but to me, the benefits (and taste) are worth the cost.

Note: Chobani has no idea who I am, and did not sponsor this post in any way.  I just really really had to share.

Asian Grocery Store Finds: 2.19.10

I went by a local Asian grocery store on Friday afternoon, and snagged some fun items.  I'll blog more about them later, but here's what I got.

Juicy Jelly: Akin to the mini fruit jellies, but bigger, with some coconut chunks, and a really cool reusable container!  (The girl has been warned to be careful with eating them, since they can be a choking hazard)

Hello Panda Cookies: So adorable!  I got chocolate filled and strawberry filled.  Super cute for a small treat, even if they aren't that healthy for you.

Rice Crackers treats: Yum yum yum.  I love these things.  More for Daddy and me, probably, although the girl actually likes them!  The ones with nori wrapped around them are too strong for her, though.

Honey Twists:  I saw these on Asian Aisle (see my blog roll) a while ago, and had to try them.

New frozen dumplings.  They are no longer carrying the brand I used to get, so I am trying these.  Pork & chive and plain pork.  Here's hoping they are as good!

Look for their inclusion in lunches soon!  It's school break week, so lunches will be a little sparse...

Product Review: Little Letters Mini Cookies 100 calorie packs

I picked up these little cookies because they have letters on them... as I have demonstrated, I have a hard time resisting cute things with fun shapes or letters on them.  There are 6 packs in the box, and each is ~100 calories.

There are a lot of little cookies in each bag.  I won't be packing a whole "serving" in lunches, so it should last a while. (This picture is of all the cookies in one bag).  The picture didn't come out as well as I hoped, but they are very cute.  Trust me.

They are lightly sweet and are a typical tasting shortbread.  They do have high fructose corn syrup in them, which isn't something that I avoid as avidly as some people do, but it is something that I wanted to mention.  One whole bag has 6g of sugar and only 3g of fat so again, using about a third of bag in lunch?  I'm good with that.

And they are so cute.

Product Review: Keebler Bug Bites Graham Crackers

I love fun shaped things, which should be no secret by now.  My daughter really loves butterflies and bugs, and so I had to try Keebler Bug Bites bug shaped graham crackers for her.  They are adorable.  The kids love them.  The only problem with these (and the same problem occurs with animal crackers) is that the kids invariably want certain shapes. 

I just grab a handful and they can deal with it.  Sort at your own discretion. 

Product Review: Junior Scrabble Cheez-Its

When I saw Junior Scrabble Cheez-Its at the store, I had to get them.  My son loves all things letters, and enjoys spelling.  He once had me pull out letter after letter until I got the right letters to spell a word he was working on.  They taste great, just like regular cheez-its, but with the added element of fun.  Add a couple to your kid's lunch box and see what they spell!

(Just be prepared for complaints if you don't send enough vowels...)

Product Review: Mini Fruit Jelly

I went to the Asian store yesterday, just to see if they happened to have anything fun for bentos. (No gear, sadly.. it's a pretty small store).

I decided to get these Mini Fruit Jelly cups for fun.  They aren't health food, but they are cute.  They are tiny.  They are like room temperature stable jell-o, but less sweet.  The package of about 18 cups was $2.20.  That's about 12 cents each.  What a steal!

Ingredients: water, agar-agar, sugar, fructose, glucose, citric acid, flavoring and coloring.

The serving size listed on the package is 3 cups/serving.  One cup, then, is only about 40 calories.  Even if most of those calories are from sugar, that's not so bad.

The flavors are pineapple, apple, strawberry, and orange.  They are about 1 1/2 inch tall.  Really cute.

Some fruit jellies in the store had little coconut jelly chunks in them.  I didn't see my daughter liking that.

I let my daughter try one and she thought it was fun.  She's looking forward to having them in her lunch.