Back to School Guide

This year, back to school looks different from years past for many families. Regardless of if your kids will be back in the classroom, or if the classroom is now at home, there are a few things that are bound to be useful to you, that you just don't know you need yet! I have rounded up a few of my favorite items to help get your family ready to head back to school.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so why not make it a healthy one with Pocono. Find great options that are organic, easy to make and so healthy! We loved the Cream of Buckwheat the most! Order single boxes from Amazon, or if you want to stock up they have 3 and 6 packs too.

Move over fruit snacks, Chum Fruit Bites are going to be your new favorite snack. Made with 100% fruit, and nothing artificial, these are perfect for packing in a lunch or offering as a snack break during virtual classes. Order online for about $13 a 12 pack. The Chum Fruit Bites packaging entices little kids to want a healthy treat!

Give little ones a chance to incorporate play into their lessons with TileBlox. This is a perfect addition to your homeschool classroom for STEM, or it makes a nice back to school gift for creative little builders. Get these from Magformers starting at $15. They have a great assortment of sets to choose from!

Protein Cookies are perfect for guilt free snacking. Add them to a lunch box, or let the kids grab a bag when they need a pick me up during their studies. This is one cookie you can feel good about offering as they are packed with protein! Order them, and some yummy protein puffs when they need a salty snack. Order from Shrewd Foods for about $15 a 6 pack.

Send the kids back to school in style with Lone Cone. They make some adorable backpacks that are perfectly sized for an elementary age student. You are going to love the funky prints or classic styled backpacks without so much flair. Order online for about $25. 

Give kids a hands on science lesson with this impressive and affordable kit from Thames and Kosmos. The Colorful Crystals Lab is perfect for bringing science to your homeschool, or this makes a fun way to wish kids a fun year of learning as a back to school gift. Order online for about $30.

School lunches are nothing without a tasty drink. Pack a Juicy Juice box in your kids lunch to fuel them with goodness for the rest of their day. They are also perfect for homeschool field trips. Buy from most major retailers for about $4 a pack.

Crayola is making great masks for kids and adults. We love these because they come in 5 packs and include a bag for washing. Wear a different mask everyday and keep things sanitized with these. To learn more about where and how to get these awesome mask packs visit Crayola online.

Water fountains are out, so send a big and beautiful bottle to school to keep your student hydrated. We love the 32 oz Stein Bottle by Healthy Human. They offer smaller sizes too, in so many pretty prints. Check out the selection to pick the perfect reusable water bottle for your little learners.

Fight Covid on the go with these New Essential Personal Care kits. They include gloves, alcohol pads, masks, hand soap sheets and sanitizer to keep you clean on the go. 

You are probably going to be doing more laundry than ever now that school is in session. TruEarth has eco laundry strips to help you manage that task with less waste. These are effective and easy to use, no measuring required! Order online starting at about $8.

Lone Cone makes perfectly sized lunch boxes to match those stylish backpacks mentioned above! I love that they have an interior mesh pocket for storing hand wipes, napkins and utensils. Order online from Amazon after checking out the Lone Cone website to browse the selection. Prices start at $15.

If you are homeschooling, or virtual schooling a great resource to add to your library is the Farmer's Almanac Kids edition. This little book is jam packed with facts and fun for kids. For under $9 on amazon you can grab a copy of this book to keep your kids turning the pages and learning about astronomy, birth month flowers, weather, farming and more.

I hope these suggestions help to start your school year off on the right foot! If you have a favorite back to school find for the year, I hope you tell me about it in a comment!

You can make your own pencil pouch with this tutorial.

4 Family Health Mistakes You Could Be Making

t’s always important to look after your health, but when we are young, we don’t tend to think about it as
much. It doesn't seem like something that you need to worry about until you get older so a lot of us
make poor health decisions early on in our lives. But as you get older and you start a family, it’s a lot
more important to look after your own health and the health of your children. Kids learn by example and
if their parents get into bad health habits, they’re likely to pick them up as well. They won’t lead a healthy
lifestyle on their own either, so it’s important that you as parents steer them in the right direction and
show them how to eat well and exercise etc. 

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Unfortunately, a lot of families get it wrong when it comes to health and they end up making simple
mistakes that can damage their health. It’s easily done because there is a lot of conflicting information
out there about health, particularly when it comes to diet. If you start making these health mistakes now,
it could have a long lasting impact on your family as a whole, so it’s important that you avoid them.
These are some of the most common family health mistakes that you should watch out for. 

Choosing The Wrong Insurance Plan 

Having the right insurance cover is vital if you want to make sure that everybody is healthy and manage
your finances properly at the right time. But a lot of families make the mistake of thinking that they can
save money by going for the cheaper option when choosing a healthcare plan. Unfortunately, it’s not that
simple and you will probably end up spending more money in the long run. The cheaper plans won’t
cover that much, so if somebody in the family does need treatment, it’s likely that you will have to pay
out for it anyway. It’s actually far more cost effective to pay more each month for better coverage so
your bills are lower when you do need to visit the hospital. 

The other mistake that families make is that they void their insurance in some way so it doesn’t pay out.
Things like lying on your application or visiting a hospital that isn’t covered by your plan may mean that
the insurer simply refuses to pay out, and if you violated the terms of the insurance, then there isn’t
much that you can do about it. This leaves you in a difficult situation where you need to balance your
family’s health and your finances. It’s important that you spend some time finding a comprehensive
insurance package and you read the policy properly so you know exactly what is and isn’t covered. 

Neglecting Oral Health 

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When you are choosing your insurance package, you need to consider oral health as well, but this is
something that a lot of families neglect. It’s important that you teach your kids good habits and make
sure that they are brushing twice a day, but that isn’t enough to maintain good dental health. If you have
poor oral hygiene, it can lead to all sorts of different health problems like respiratory issues and even
heart disease, so you need to make sure that the whole family visits the dentist on a regular basis. One
of the most important things is choosing an honest dentist with integrity so you can be sure that your
family is getting the best level of care. You should also look for somebody that specializes in family
dentistry so you can all see the same person. This makes it easier to schedule appointments around
your busy family life and it means that the dentist can easily diagnose issues that are affecting the whole
family, like diet, for example. 

Eating Too Much Sugar 

You already know that eating too much sugar is bad for you and you may be thinking that you do a good
job of managing the amount of sugar that your family eats. Unfortunately, a lot of people slip up because
they eat foods that they think are healthy when, in reality, they’re packed full of sugar. It’s common
sense that you shouldn’t feed sugary snacks and drinks to your kids all the time and hopefully, you’re
already limiting those foods, but what about things like fruit juice? Parents often give this to their kids as
a healthy alternative to soda but it actually contains just as much sugar, so it’s not good for them. A lot
of foods that are labelled low fat and marketed as healthy options actually contain a lot of sugar and salt
to make up for the loss of flavor when fat is taken out. Breakfast cereals are another one that appears
healthy but is actually filled with sugar. It’s easy to get caught out here, so make sure that you check
the labels on all of the food that you buy and try to cook from scratch as much as possible. 

Lack Of Exercise 

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Regular exercise is so important if you want to stay healthy, and you probably tell your kids that when
you are trying to get them to stop playing video games or playing on their phone and go outside instead.
But are they really going to listen if you spend your free time in front of the TV as well? If you really want
to inspire your children to stay active and improve your health at the same time, you need to start
exercising regularly as well. If they see you doing it, they are more likely to follow your advice and stay
active themselves. The best thing to do is to exercise together as a family, so you can all live a healthier
lifestyle and you get to spend more time together. Going for walks or bike rides, or even playing sports
together is a great way to boost everybody’s activity levels. 

Looking for more ways to keep your family healthy? Don't forget to check out productadvisor guide
to air purifier for more ways to keep everyone in good health.

As a parent, you always try to make the right decision but sometimes, it’s not so easy. If you are
making some of these family health mistakes, it’s important that you make a change right away.

Easy Ways to Improve Your Family's Diet in the New Year

Feeding a family is tough. You might have fussy eaters and busy schedules to attend with. It can be
hard to find time to cook at all, and it’s always tempting to stick to the same meals that you know
everyone enjoys and you can prepare quickly. But this isn’t always good for your diet. 

Even if most of your meals are healthy, eating the same things all of the time reduces the nutrients in
your diet. It can also increase fussiness, and the chances of your children at some point, developing an
unhealthy relationship with food. If you are worried about your family's eating habits, making
improvements doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, there are plenty of easy ways to make positive
changes. Here’s a look at some of them. 

Cook from Scratch

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As busy parents, it’s easy to buy ready-made meals, and easy to cook jars of sauce. But, these meals
are often filled with salt, sugar and preservatives. They are rarely as healthy as you’d like. Cooking
meals from scratch means that you know what you are eating, your diet is free from processed foods
and preservatives, and that you’ve got an easy way to add some extra vegetables and nutrients. 

Introduce New Ingredients

Cooking new meals, and introducing new ingredients can be daunting. Learn how to make fresh
pickled okra and other fresh foods that you might not have tried before. Look online for new meal ideas,
and if you see something new, whether an ingredient, meal or snack, while you shop, give it a go.
Introducing new foods and flavors doesn’t have to mean changing your whole diet, it can be adding bits
here and then when you see something that appeals to you. 

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Eat as a Family

Eating as a family is one of the best things that you can do when it comes to improving your diets and
relationships with food. Commit to eating meals together as much as possible, leaving phones and other
devices in another room. If possible, eat around a table, without other distractions. Cooking as a family,
and getting your kids involved in the process can also help. 

Prepare Healthy Snacks

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Snacking is often where even families that spend time cooking healthy meals fall down. When we’re
busy, it’s all too tempting to reach for a quick snack, instead of preparing something fresh. But, these
snacks are often unhealthy and filled with sugar. Keep ready chopped crudités, fruit salads, yogurts
and other healthy snacks prepared and ready to grab. 

Think About Your Family

All of us have different habits. If you want to improve your family's diet, you need to first look at what is wrong with it. Do you eat together? Do you rush breakfast? Do you eat on the go a lot? Is there too much salt or sugar in your diet? Do you eat chips most days? Look at your diet, and write a list of things that you could do to improve — focusing on small, sustainable changes, and fun experiments with new things.

Gifts for Foodies

Are you stumped on what to get a foodie on your list for Christmas this year? I have found some really tasty options that I know will be received with lip smacking delight! 

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Foodies naturally love to sip on tasty beverages while they munch on all of the goodies. This Christmas give a gift that is stylish, eco friendly and travels easily with a Verdelix collapsible stainless steel drinking straw. These are awesome for on the go sips and will drastically reduce your plastic straw consumption. 

Give a coffee lover in your life a new way to indulge. These tasty  Eat Your Coffee bars are like a cup of good coffee to go, that never gets cold! Find them in an assortment of flavors, priced about $15 for 6 online.

Give the gift of flavor with an assortment of tasty K Pops sauces. Foodies will love the range that these sauces can bring to sandwiches and assorted dishes in the kitchen. I loved the Honey Glaze sauce which complimented stir fry wonderfully. Find it online for about $9 a bottle.

Alpine Start makes having a great cup of coffee possible, no matter where your favorite foodie might be this holiday season. With flavors like original, dirty chai lattee and coconut cream latte, there is a flavor for every foodie waiting to be discovered. Find it online for about $9 a box.

Subarz make for  tasty treat worthy of sharing this holiday season. These are bar cookies at their finest with flavors like Lemon Thyme and Chocolate Chip. They are like a cookie and a biscotti combined for a one of a kind, totally craveable goodie. Get them online for about $6 a box.

I like wine, but I can't always drink a bottle when I want to open one. That is why I love ICan Wine. Available in Rose and Chardonnay, this is a surprisingly good wine for something from a can. Add a few cans to a gift basket for a great gift anyone will appreciate. It is perfectly sized portions for adding a glass to dinner.

Protein Puffs by Shrewd Food  make a great way to snack without adding lots of carbs to the diet. Available in flavor from savor cheddar or nacho cheese or pepperoni pizza, to sweet cookies and cream, any foodie will dig these protein packed puffs for guilt free snacking.

I love the gift of healthier treats during the holidays when it is so easy to overindulge at your every whim. Burl Barley Granola offers some good for you granola that taste amazing. Gift a few bags of this made with barley goodness now to make turning over a new leaf easier at the first of the year or to add a crunchy bit of cheer to any holiday moment. Find it at select health food stores or online.

This holiday season add a handy gadget to the home bar with Drink Perfection. This contraption works with wine, tea, coffee, alcohol and more to make drinks the ideal temperature for consumption. Simply add ice and your favorite drink. Let the Drink Perfection work its magic and you can enjoy the flavors of your drink at the intended temperature. Get it online for under $50

Looking for a one of a kind gift this year for a pickle fanatic? Pickle Sips gives the flavors you crave save the indignity of sipping out of the pickle jar. This is interesting and a fun gift for a foodie or a unique addition to the home bar. Retailing at $6 a bottle and available in Sweet Heat and Dill varieties, this is sure to be an unforgettable gift for a foodie. Find it on Amazon or the Cin Chili online shop.

Winter is the best time to curl up with a cup of tea. Why not give your favorite foodie a subscription to excellent brewing opportunities with Free Your Tea. This subscription box starts at about $20 a month and gives a user influenced experience complete with adorable little empty tea bags for steeping. Order online 

Add a sweet and savory touch to a variety of dishes with Persian Gulf Baharat Spice Blend. This is so versatile it can go from a stew, to a chicken dish to a stone fruit based cobbler. Get this generous size bottle for serious foodies who love spices from Rumi for only $10.

Ice Cream Lovers rejoice at this gift idea. Get perfectly portioned cups of amazing ice cream delivered to their door in a delicious advent style countdown to the holidays with eCreamery. Get personalized options of gourmet ice cream starting at about $90. 

My favorite gifts are always the ones I can eat. Passion Pickles by Cin Chili are a great snack, or hostess gift this holiday season. Available in 2 varieties; Ghost Pepper and Habanero, these offer the ideal blend of crisp, sweet and heat. Add them to a relish tray, or just snack on them right out of the jar. Find them online for $6.

Foodies love to snack, so offer them something new to satisfy the palette this holiday season. Moziacs are popped chips that are made with so much more than potato. Each bite has bits of veggies in it for a wholesome snack that satisies. I love how these look like stained glass windows. Order online from Moziacs or Amazon.

If you want to give a simple gift with global flair, let me tell you about Loacker Quadratini Cookies. These are decadent little cubes of wafer cookie that are perfect for a foodie who loves coffee and sweets. Not into coffee? No worries, you can enjoy numerous other flavors like lemon coconut of vanilla. Order them online and spread a little Italian decadence with your holiday cheer.

Going to an event and want to spread a little cheer without straining your budget? Grab a dozen of these perfect for fall and winter flavors from Pure Ice. I love the Crisp Apple as a booze free option to toast this year. Find it at major retailers like Walmart, Kroger or Target.

Appetizers are always worth celebrating. This 8 pack of simply adorable plates from the Corelle Celebrations line features simple messages in cute script like "enjoy", "love", "share" and "gather". These make a perfect addition to the holiday table. Gift them to your favorite foodie for $30. Find them online.

Let your favorite foodie go green with these compostable utensils. No more guilt over throwing out single use plastics with a few of these from Twenty Fifty Fork. Get 4 boxes of 12 for under $50 online from Twenty Fifty Fork.

Shopping for an adventurous eater? These mini kicker cricket snacks are the way to go. in favors like cotton candy and Italian Lasagna, who could resist trying one? Get a few tubes from EntoLife online for about $6 each.

 Add a brain teaser to the house with these one of a kind puzzle coasters. These are perfect for adding something different to the coffee table or the home bar.

These aren't just glasses, they are maps too. Get these unique glasses as well as a number of other items like water bottles from Well Told and tell a unique story with each sip. Get a map of your town, or a special place that you have visited together.  Glasses come in an assortment of styles starting at $16.

Gummy Burgers make for a fun gift for foodies of all ages. These massive gummy burgers are made with an assortment of other gummy candies. Get these from Wicked Uncle Gifts for under $7 to add a sweet fruity smile to someone you loves face this holiday season.

Foodies like to be precise with their favorite recipes. This battery free kitchen scale helps them to find the perfect amount of seasonings, spices, veggies and more without dealing with dead batteries.  Find this model from Elessi for under $26. Get it from amazon for a green approach to precision in the kitchen.

Whipping up a batch of chili has never been easier with this chili cook off winning spice blend. Add this to your ingredients and take the wow factor up a notch with this mix from Cin Chili. Get it online for under $6.

Shopping for a coffee fanatic? Give them the gift of on the go indulgence for those mornings that they don't have time to hit the drive thru. Get all three flavors of McCafe Frappe's for about $3 a bottle at retailers nationwide.

Encourage celebration this holiday season with a fragrant, fruity and floral extra dry rose by Mionetto. This is a beautiful rose that has the ideal blend of fragrance and flavor. Find it at retailers for about $15 a bottle.

If you need a gift for a mushroom lover, this Mushroom Jerky is the way to go. It is distinctly unique and has a ton of flavor.  Find numerous varieties at the Pan's Mushroom site for $9 a bag.

Give a gift worthy of toasting this holiday season with another fab for any foodie offering from Mionetto. The DOC Processo is bubbly, brilliant and pairs beautifully with so many dishes. Find it retailers for about $15 a bottle. You will be delighted by the wonderful quality of this brand.

Anya's Real Fruit Licorice are a really tasty and healthy snack to gift a foodie this year. These are chewy yet soft, packed with real fruit and a hit with kids young and old. Get it online at the Anya's site in 20 packs for $36

The Chocolate Chip of the Month Club is the ideal gift for any chocolate chip cookie fan. Send a box of comfort with a delectable twist right to their door. Prices start at $12 a month and feature great flavors and the cookies are HUGE! Order from the Chocolate Chip of the Month Club website.

Offer a little assortment to someone you love that loves chili flakes on their food or in their recipes. This trip from The Chili Lab has 3 different chili flake blends that are sure to tickle the tastebuds. Find this trip for under $25 at the Chili Lab site.

Got a condiment craver to find a great gift for? Why not gift the new greatest condiment ever, Must Ketch? This blends the two flavors we love on sadwiches, burgers, dogs and more. Get it from Amazon in great bold flavors that everyone will want to try,

Give the foodie in your life a special flavor for all their foods with this beautiful hand harvested french sea salt. Available in 4 flavors, this is truly a unique gift! Get all 4 online for $48 from Louis Sel.

If you need a gift for a Italian food fan, then this all occasion collection from Cookies Con Amore is the way to go. Featuring delectable treats like a jelly filled cookie and biscotti, this gift box has something for everyone. Get it for under $20 for a flavorful gift with global flair.

Wouldn't everyone be happy to score some dough on Christmas? With Eastern Standard Provisions Pretzels you can give the gift of some incredible pretzels, pretzel rolls and delectable salts for those goodies, which technically all come from dough, so your favorite foodie will delight in their gift! Order online, and let me know which offering you found irresistible!

The holidays are definitely a time of over indulgence, so why not try to balance things out with Mom's Best Granola? They have some tasty flavor options and granola is always a good snack. Visit the site for info on where to find your favorite flavors in stores for under $5 a bag.

If you want a simple gift for a foodie that you can feel good about, knowing it is going to be snacked away in no time, check out these really good cheese puffs from Barbara's.  They are about $2.50 a bag and are quite addictive! Use the store locator on the Barbara's website to find near you.

A true foodie has a fondness for fresh, so wrapping up a box of Food Vacbags for the holidays is like giving the gift of fresh for months to come.  Get a 100' roll of food storage bags that work with all vacuum sealers for about $24 online from the Food Vacbags website.

Need a gift that keeps on giving? Why not order a 6 month subscription to Bean Box? Your favorite foodie can get 4 sampler bags of excellent coffee for $19 a month. This is the best way to spread holiday cheer all year long for coffee lovers. Order online and explore the blends.

Give a of legal drinking age chick in your life a cocktail that is perfect for popping open to share. Two Chicks makes some really delicious options that get the conversation flowing! Find your favorite flavor and where to buy near you online.

If you need a little something for someone who loves craft salts, the salts from Mason's Market are the way to go. Starting at about $9 a tin, they have some awesome flavors and several grains. These are a welcome to any pantry and the tins are perfect for easy storage. Order online for adding some flavor and variety to dishes and dinners.

Find more awesome Christmas ideas here
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