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Home > Blogs > Adventures in Motherhood > Archives > 2010 > December > 22 > Entry
On the road: Healthy snacks, cool gadgets, good books for traveling
I have no idea why I’m bothering to write a blog this week: Every mom I know is too busy to read it!
Nonetheless, I have some travel tips and product reviews just in time for that long road trip to Grandma’s house.
First Juice: This organic fruit and vegetable juice for kids comes in no-spill sippy cups. Hooray! No straws to poke into dribble-prone pouches.
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First Juice is made with organic produce, plus it has a lower sugar content — 6 grams of sugar per serving, as opposed to 33 grams per serving in the Juicy Juice brand that was all the rage when my older kids were little.
My 5-year-old — who ABHORS vegetables of all kinds — actually loved the blueberry-purple carrot and apple-carrot flavors we got as samples. I tricked him into trying them by conveniently leaving out the word “carrot” when I read the label to him.
A few weeks later, he spotted the familiar bottle on the grocery store shelf and requested the peach-purple carrot variety. He proclaimed it “delicioso.”
(And yes, there really are such things as purple carrots, which were first grown in Ancient Persia, according to the informative First Juice website.)
First Juice comes in 8-ounce BPA-free containers that are reusable and recyclable, as well as in 32-ounce refill bottles.
We found it locally at Dorothy Lane Market, but it’s also sold at Kroger, Whole Foods Markets and Toys R Us.
HINT water: Instead of sugary sodas for the portable cooler, try HINT. It’s a zero-calorie, sugar-free, unsweetened essence water, with a “hint” of flavor. We had mixed success with the flavors we sampled. The blackberry had a nice aftertaste, according to my 14-year-old son, and we all liked the mango-grapefruit, but the raspberry-lime didn’t pass muster at our house. To each his own.
Wings of Nature snack bars: If your family needs a break from all the candy and sweets of the holiday season, this line from Fresh Harvest Products are a healthy alternative.
The bars are vegan, gluten-free and absolutely delish. And you’re less likely to have a sugar rush, and the inevitable crash, because these bars are sweetened with organic agave and brown rice syrup. Just sounds good for you, doesn’t it?
I sampled the Espresso Coffee Bar, Almond Raisin Bar and Cranberry Crunch Bar. I liked them all so much I couldn’t pick a favorite.
Pringles: Yes, Pringles. OK, maybe not the healthiest road food ever but they do come in reduced-fat varieties, and my kids’ eyes light up when they see ‘em in the road-trip snack bag. Watch for them on sale and stash a few cans away till travel time.
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The chipper people at Pringles even sent an interesting recipe for Kringle-Spiced Pringles Cookies, which I haven’t tested yet, but here it goes:
Yield: 2 dozen sandwich cookies
1 can Pringle’s Original
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fruit preserves, raspberry or mixed berry
1/3 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven at to 350 degrees and place Pringles, flour, baking soda, and spices in a food processor, and puree until the consistency of corn meal; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until slightly fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla, and mix for 30 seconds.
Pour the Pringles spice mixture into the bowl and mix for 1 minute; place dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Drop by rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets, and bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.
In a small bowl, combine fruit preserves and ginger; spread 1 teaspoon onto a cookie, and top with another cookie. Instead of crystallized ginger can swap out 2 teaspoons of powdered ginger to the jam.
The mention of spices reminds me of a Pringles flavor that the two older kiddos fell in love with on our 2008 trip to France: Paprika. Alas, we have yet to find those, or creamilicious breakfast favorite Yop (a drinkable yogurt from Yoplait) in the States.
And here are some ideas for reusing the iconic Pringles cans:
— Give a can of Pringles (gussied up with wrapping paper) and the Kringle recipe to a neighbor or friend to encourage holiday baking as a family activity.
— Holiday cookies can travel conveniently in the cup holder for the ride to a relative’s house and arrive unbroken. (The tubular cans can also store Hot Wheels, army men or Legos to keep bored little fingers busy.)
— Pack ornaments in the empty cans, or wrap ribbon or light strings around can to keep them free of tangles.
iFrogz EarPollution headphones: I am currently sampling the CS40s comfort series, and I couldn’t love a thing more.
Never mind the din coming from the backseat of the minivan, the snoring from the big guy next to you on the plane, or the chatter from the next-door office cubicle. Just plug these babies into your iPod (Walkman?) and you’re in your own little world.
These on-ear headphones (sold for $20-$30) are way more comfortable than earbuds, and are just as stylish as my teenager’s pricier Skullcandys. In fact, I think he’s jealous of my iFrogz, but he’d never admit that his mom’s headphones are as cool as his.
Coghlan’s Kids Bug-Eye Headlight: This inexpensive head lamp ($9 retail) is great for home, travel or outdoor use.
We took it along on a recent road trip and it served many purposes for my preschooler, including a reading light in the car and a comforting nightlight in strange surroundings.
It’s comfortable, lightweight and powered by a bright white LED that never needs replacing. The perfect stocking stuffer for your on-the-go little one. (Find out more at Coghlans.com.)
And what is he reading in the car? Two of his current faves also arrived in the Adventures in Motherhood mailbag: “Mummy Mazes: A monumental book” by Elizabeth Carter and “Freddi the Dog” by the husband-and-wife team of Lisa and Randy Herman.
The maze book (currently on sale for $8.60 at Amazon.com) is filled with fun, interesting facts about Egypt, so he’s getting a history lesson too. The 28 poster-size pages can also be torn out and colored. This book will keep him busy for hours!
“Freddi the Dog (eats everything, and I mean everything)” is an adorable book. My 5-year-old is enthralled by the graphics, the word choice, just everything about it.
See, by most accounts, Freddi is a great dog, but on the rare occasions when her naughty bone gets tickled, chaos and hilarity ensues.
“Freddi” (available now on Amazon.com from $8.45) is really laugh-out-loud funny. It even had tween daughter reading in silly voices and giggling along with her little bro. Repeat readings recommended.
And speaking of naughty dogs, instead of leaving your pup at home, bring him along for the family fun!
![image001[2].jpg](http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/shared-blogs/dayton/mommy/upload/2010/12/how_to_avoid_be/image001%5B2%5D.jpg)
Sure Fit Auto Friends Collection: Designed to keep your pet safe and your car protected, this line will have you less worried about the mess.
According to Sure Fit, their pet car seats and hammocks “keep your pet from tumbling to the floor during sudden stops while working double-duty to protecting the seats from fur and stains.”
The line also includes a floor and cargo mat, all with a waterproof lining and no-slip grips. At $15-$30, they’d make a great gift for pet lovers.
Now if I could just get one to fit my kids.
Disclosure: Some of the featured products were provided free of cost to me by the manufacturer or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Christmas, Nutrition, Product review, Toy ratings, Travel with kids
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By laurasmithy
December 23, 2010 4:34 AM | Link to this
I get so many sample stuff for free its awesome. Actually it is not difficult to find them just search online for “123 Get Samples” It is the best way!