Review/Giveaway: Kidable Adventures Doodlebug Busy Bag

I recently had the pleasure of working with Venessa Banks, the CEO and founder of Kidable Adventures who let me test out one of their DoodleBug Busy Bags for my 3-½ year old daughter, Kyleigh. 

Kyleigh loves doing crafts which is great for her but not always so great for me when it comes to the challenge of figuring out what is age appropriate for her, and what we can do together without making a huge mess or breaking the bank. 

Another factor making it difficult to get crafts is that we live 40 miles from any civilization and the closest store does not have a great selection of craft materials. For us to drive to an actual craft store, we would have to drive about 64 miles each way. There is the option to order from those craft stores online, but I would need to purchase more in bulk and repeating over and over again gets a little boring.

DoodleBug Busy Bags are a fantastic option for those looking for something fun and creative for you and your child to explore, and it addresses all of our challenges!

DoodleBug Busy Bags are monthly subscription kits, starting at $15.99/month - $179.88/year, specifically put together for children ages 3-8. Your child will receive a bag each month with 4-8 different crafts. There are many ways to see what’s going on at Kidable Adventures by visiting then on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram or you can stay connected by signing up for their newsletter by going to Stay Connected

Our bag came with 6 “Cute as a Bug” craft activities. As I was reading over the instructions, I noticed it said to “glue” specific things. I was a little concerned about having to drag out the glue and having it make a huge mess, until I saw the glue dots. AWESOME!! You literally do not need anything besides what is provided for you in the kit. Everything is already cut or perforated and if they aren’t already self-adhesive, you have glue dots. Genius!

I also noticed that each craft takes only about 15 minutes to put together, which seemed to be the perfect time for Ky, without wanting to get up and run around again or move on to another craft. 

Paper Plate Ladybug Craft Kit

The first craft bug we created was the “Paper Plate Ladybug Craft Kit” which came with a string for hanging, a red colored paper plate, black dots, a pair of eyes, a mouth and a head. While watching the bug come “alive”, we learned a fun fact about that particular bug by reading the instructions. The instructions are very simple to follow. Ky loved being able to put the black dots on the ladybug herself and wherever she wanted to. She couldn’t wait to hang it up when it was finished.

Paper Plate Butterfly Craft Kit

The “Paper Plate Butterfly Craft Kit” was the same concept as the Ladybug. It came with a blue butterfly shaped plate, a green body, eyes, antennae, dots and other shapes for decorating and a red string for hanging. The mouth is already drawn onto the face. All of the shapes are self-adhesive. She liked being able to place the shapes wherever she wanted, to create her own unique butterfly.

Bee Magic Color Scratch Craft

Another kit we had was “Bee Magic Color Scratch Craft” which is a honeybee that is all black and you are provided with a scratching tool to bring out the color in the bee. My daughter found this to be exciting every time she saw a new color come out. All she wanted to do was keep scratching so she scratched the whole thing, but she had so much fun, we didn’t mind.

3D Buzzing Hive Sticker Scene

The “3D Buzzing Beehive Sticker Scene” came with two beehive cutouts and a bunch of stickers of bees, flowers and honey jars. This one was probably the easiest for her to do since it already has the string attached and she only had to peel and stick the stickers. She did have fun placing the stickers and seeing her hive come together. She even let her little brother help. 

Ant Clothespin Craft Kit

The “Ant Clothespin Craft Kit” came with a black clothespin, 2 small black pom-poms, 1 larger pom-pom, 2 wiggle eyes, a black body and a black head. All the pieces except for the pom-poms are self-adhesive. The paper backings on each of wiggle eyes were a little harder to get off especially for someone who does not have longer fingernails. I had to really work at it and I have good length nails. Other than that, everything came together nicely and Ky loves wiggling the eyes and clipping the clothespin onto shelves and her clothes or just about anything else.

Lightning Bug Jar Craft Kit

I think our favorite craft overall in this kit was the “Lightning Bug Jar Craft Kit”. We both just loved putting this one together. The jar is an actual jar that has a screw on top so she enjoys being able to hold her “treasures” in the jar. It also came with a purple self-adhesive face with eyes and a mouth drawn on, a red self-adhesive nose, and white self-adhesive wings, 2 yellow pom-poms and 4 green pipe cleaners. She likes flying it around the house and was amazed when we added one of the 4 provided mini glow sticks inside the jar. She thought it was the coolest thing to see it glowing in the dark.

We really enjoyed this collection of crafts - if you'd like to give a DoodleBug Busy Bag a try, Kidable Adventures is offering a coupon for 30% off the first month of a monthly subscription to the DoodleBug Busy Bags by using the coupon code: ‘DBBB2014’ and will be valid until 10/18/14.

Kidable Adventures Website
Kidable Adventures on Facebook

Kidable Adventures will also be participating in a giveaway for one DoodleBug Busy Bag valued at $17.99. This giveaway will be limited to the United States. This giveaway ends just before midnight ET on October 23, 2014, and will be for the DECEMBER DoodleBug Busy Bag.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Rafflecopter, then leave the name you commented under and your email in the box in the Rafflecopter entry. (This lets us contact you if you win!)  This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning.

Good luck, everyone!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Shared with:
~ Linky Love Thursday, Great Thursday Giveaway Linky, Home & Garden Thursday, It's A Party, Lilac's Linky, Share Your Cup Thursday, Thrifty Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Thursday Giveaway Linky, Thursday Tell All, Thursday Treasures, Thursday Giveaway Linky.  
~ Anything Goes, Blog Giveaway Roundup, Freedom Fridays, Friday Favorites, Friday Giveaway Link Up, Friday Giveaway Linky, Fridays Unfolded, Giveaway Linky Party, Linky For All Giveaways, Shabbilicious Friday, Weekend Re-Treat, Windy Pinwheel.
~ Blog Giveaways!, I Want to Win Saturday, No-Rules Weekend, Say G'Day Saturday, Serenity Saturday, Show & Tell Saturday, Super Saturday Giveaway, Sweeping Saturday.

~ Around the Blogosphere, Creative Style, Giveaway Gathering, Sunday Linky Edition, Sunday Stroll, This Week's Giveaways Galore. 

~ BBW Weekly Giveaway Linky, Contesting Monday, Making Your Home Sing Monday, Mommy Monday, Monday Giveaway Link Up, Monday Giveaway Linky, Monday Madness, Monday Madness Giveaways, Monday Morning Link Up, Mostly Homemade Mondays, Posh On A Budget, Winning Rocks!. 

~ Apron Full of Giveaways, Bless Their Little Giveaways, Brag About It, Giveaway Linky By Country, Got Giveaways?, Handmade Tuesdays, Link Up Your Giveaways, Terrific Tuesdays, Tip Me Tuesday, Treasure Hunt Tuesday, Tuesday Giveaway Linkup, Tuesday Giveaway Linky.

~ Blog Giveaway Link-Up Wednesday, Giveaways in Blogland, Happy WINsday, Moms Win On Wednesdays, Moonlight & Mason Jars, Wake Up Wednesday, Want To Win Wednesday, Wednesday Wealth, Wednesday Whatsits, What's It Wednesday, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Whimsy Wednesday, Win It Wednesday, Win It Wednesdays, Winning Wednesday, Winning Wednesdays. 

~ Blog Giveaways Directory, Chic Monkey Giveaway Linky, Giveaway Linkies, Giveaway Monkey, Low-Entry Givaway Linky, Ongoing Blog Giveaways, Ongoing Giveaway Linky, Parents Perspective Giveaway Linky, Rafflecopter Only Giveaway Linky, Rainbows & Sunshine Ongoing Giveaway Linky, Steady Hand Rafflecopter Giveaway Linky, Sweeps Factory Giveaway Linky, WAHMResource Site Giveaway Linky.

~ Katherine's Corner Giveaway List, Daily Giveaway Linky.                                                                                  

            
              

Tylers Organic, Acid-Free Coffee

I recently had the pleasure of testing out Tylers Regular Acid Free Coffee. I have to admit, I was a tad skeptical of the taste of this coffee. I was afraid it would still leave an unpleasant bitter or sour aftertaste in my mouth. While I am a huge coffee drinker, I do not like the acidic/bitter taste I get when drinking coffee, so I tend to add lots of cream and sugar or flavoring to get rid of that awful taste.

I used a reusable Keurig K-Cup to make my coffee. In my experience, Tylers Coffee has a nice mild (medium roast) coffee flavor and I did not have to add anything to change the taste. However, I love hazelnut so I added some and it was like drinking my regular everyday coffee with the joy of knowing how much better it was for me. YUM!

When drinking a cup of regular acidic coffee, I get an astringency feeling in my mouth, which means my mouth is left feeling dry and puckered.

Many people I know get this undesirable feeling after drinking coffee. What causes this feeling is tannins or tannic acid found in the plant. Tylers Coffee is both tannic and lipid acid free.

Along with reducing or even eliminating acid reflux, indigestion, upset stomach or heartburn, and no yucky aftertaste, this organic, healthy, great tasting coffee will not be a contributor to acid erosion on your teeth. Acids from coffee can even cause damage to your teeth!

According to their website:

"Our propietary Z-Roasting process is our magic workhorse.  Utilizing various unique processes in both our regular and decaffeinated blends, Tylers Coffee has been able to create the World's First USDA Certified Organic Acid Free Coffee.  This isn't he Organic Acid Reduced variety you've seen on the store shelves. Tylers Coffee is completely free of bloomed tannic and lipid acids."

When visiting Tylers coffee website, I found a ton of cool things.

First, you can get your own free sample of either regular caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee. How awesome! The sample pack is 4oz of ground coffee, which makes approximately 20 cups of coffee.

Second, you can build your own bundle package of coffee. You can customize your order by building your own bundle between variations of whole bean or regular grind and regular, decaf, or 'half and half' roast which ranges between $59.99 and $89.99 for 2lbs or 4lbs of coffee, or purchase 1lb individually for $29.99 each.  This is by no means inexpensive, but it is a way for people who can't handle the acid of regular coffee to enjoy a tasty organic cup of java without risk.

Third, you can subscribe for monthly deliveries at a discounted price along with FREE shipping. With the Subscribe & Save/Coffee Club, choose between 1lb, 2lbs, or 4lbs of coffee in any grind and roast for $24.99-$89.99/month.

Finally, a visit to the Tyler's Coffee Blog leads to several interesting articles about coffee, and a few recipes for using Tyler's Coffee to make delicious things like a Vanilla-Almond Iced Coffee or some Mocha Coffee Sauce!

In Tylers Coffee Store you are able to not only purchase your coffee and track it, but also purchase other items such as Alkaline Water Pitchers, filters and flasks ranging in price from $7.99 to $56.99.  These items will help ensure that your coffee is brewed to the highest quality.

Tyler's Coffee is for serious coffee fans who do not want to give up quality or taste but don't want the acids and the nasty health effects they bring.

Disclaimer:  I received the sample portion of Tylers Coffee available on request from their website, so I do not know first hand if regular use of Tylers Coffee over time can reduce acid reflux symptoms and other health concerns related to drinking regular coffee.  Please practice good personal judgement regarding matters of your health.

Shared with:
~ Anything Goes, Fabulous Finds, Freedom Fridays, Friday Favorites, Fridays Unfolded, Let's Get Real Friday, Party Bunch, Weekend Re-Treat.
~ Creative Style Link Up, DIY Sunday Showcase.        

Review/Giveaway: Austin Lloyd Subscription Box

Austin Lloyd is a subscription box that provides items based on your child's developmental milestones. They make is very easy to choose which play level best fits your child, by listing some suggested physical and cognitive guidelines and milestones for both infant and toddler up to 3 years of age. Austin Lloyd offers a 1 month and 3 month subscription package for only $49.99 per month or a 6 month subscription for $44.99 per month which you can cancel at any point in time. Each box will contain 4-5 different toys each month. How cool is that? You can also purchase a subscription to be gifted to a friend or family member.  All  this makes Austin Lloyd very easy to work with.

When your child is at a new play level or no longer plays with certain toys, Austin Lloyd will donate them to charity. Reuse your Austin Lloyd box to ship your old toys for free and they will donate to those less fortunate.

After purchasing your subscription, you will not only get a confirmation email but you will also be informed of when your box has been shipped along with a tracking number through USPS.

My box was shipped within 5 business days of receiving the confirmation email.

I received the Austin Lloyd Development Box for ages 13-18 months on June 16th. When I opened the box, I was very surprised to see that it was personalized for my son with his name on a card. This makes me feel like they actually care about each and every one of their customers. There are also some note cards describing each toy. All the products were packaged individually in the main box.

The first toy I opened was the Pop-up Animals. This one is our favorite! I love the fact that it isn’t just pegs, but they are characters and the holes are springy.

My son loves to bounce the pegs out of their holes so he can put them back in. He laughs every time they come jumping out.
It is good for him to be able to feel different shapes and textures on the pegs as well.

Honestly, if I were to put a few toys on a table including this one, he would choose this over the others.

My only qualm about this product is after having it for only one week, the paint started chipping off one of the pegs.

The second toy we opened was the wobble owl. It is a good size for my son to hold onto without it being too large for his little hands, but not too small for him to choke on it when he decides he needs something to chew on. He loves to bang this around or toss it and watch it come back to a standing position, so being durable is great.

The cup and ball toy was next on our list. He has only played with it inside the house and in the sand. We have not used this in water yet, but have every intention of doing so. This is a great toy. He likes using it as a shovel or throwing the ball.

 I feel it has many benefits such as being able to take the two cup pieces apart and explore with them, watching the sand or water flow out of the holes or being able to use them as shovels, one in each hand of course.

Right now, they work better as separate toys.  Using the ball with the cups for him isn't very useful. He’d rather toss the ball around the house instead of putting the ball inside or scooping the ball up with the cups.

The book, "Dancing Feet" was the last item we got into. It is a very cute little story with lots of great noises for mom or dad to act out. He isn't much for listening to the words and dancing around or stomping as the book intended from the note cards. We would either have to do it with him while reading the book for him to copy us or my 3-year-old daughter would move around and he of course would follow.

Overall, I find Austin Lloyd to be a fantastic company to work with and it is truly amazing how dedicated they are to helping children learn and have fun. Their 13-18 month development box is wonderful for my son. Not only does he love playing with all the toys, but my whole family loves playing with him and seeing his reaction to what is happening.

I would purchase for other stages and would recommend for a friend or family. The packaging was nice and neat. Every product had its own description card and it was sent just for my son.

You can check out Austin Lloyd by visiting their website or Facebook page.

Meanwhile, Austin Lloyd has agreed to let us offer a one month subscription box, valued at $49.99 to one of our readers.  This giveaway is open only to US residents and will close at midnight (EDT) on Thursday, July 24th.

The winner will be able to select the appropriate developmental age to recieve.  The exact contents of  the box will be a surprise.

To enter, leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Rafflecopter, and then click "I commented" in the Rafflecopter entry.

This will open up additional option entries to increase your odds of winning.

Don't forget - There is only ONE mandatory entry requirement - you have to COMMENT on this post, and then click "I COMMENTED".  Don't click it and then don't post - the first thing we do when Rafflecopter selects a winner is maker sure that person commented.   We hate disqualifying winners, so make sure that doesn't happen to you!  

Good luck, everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Shared with:
~ Fabulously Frugal Thursday, Give-It-Away Thursday, Giveaway Directory, Giveaway Linky Love Thursday, Great Thursday Giveaway Linky, Home & Garden Thursday, It's a Party, Lilac's Linky, Moonlight & Mason Jars, Share Your Cup Thursday, Thrifty Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Thursday Giveaway Linky, Thursday Treasures, Thursday's Giveaway Linky, Toddler & Preschool Moms Pinning Party. 
~ Anything Goes, Blog Giveaway Roundup, Fabulous Finds, Freedom Fridays, Friday Favorites, Friday Giveaway Link Up, Friday Giveaway Linky,  Friday Giveaway Roundup, Fridays Unfolded, Frugal Homeschool Friday, Fun Friday, Giveaway Linky Party, Handmade Hangout, Let's Get Real Friday, Party Bunch, Round 'Em Up Friday, Sonya's Giveaway Linky, Weekend Re-Treat, Windy Pinwheel.
~ Blog Giveaways, Giveaway GAB, I Want To Win Saturday, My Favorite Things Saturday, No-Rules Weekend, Say G'Day Saturday, Serenity Saturday, Show & Tell Saturday, Super Saturday Giveaway Linky, Sweeping Saturday, Sweepstakes Saturday.
~ Around the Blogosphere, Creative Style, DIY Sunday Showcase, Giveaway Gathering, Living Montessori Now Giveaway Linky, Real Moms Real Views Giveaway Linky, Sunday Show Off.
~ BBW Weekly Giveaway Linky, Chain Linky Climb,  Contesting Monday, Link Your Giveaways, Making Your Home Sing Monday, Mommy Monday, Monday Giveaway Linkup, Monday Madness, Plenty of Sweeps, Winning Rocks!.
~ Apron Full of Giveaways, Bless Their Little Giveaways, Brag About It Tuesday, Giveaway Linky By Country, Handmade Tuesdays, Hip Homeschool Hop, Link Up Your Giveaways, Terrific Tuesday, Treasure Hunt Tuesday, Tuesday Giveaway Linky.
~ Cha-Ching Queen, Cast Party Wednesday, Giveaways in Blogland, Happy WINSday, Moms WIN on Wednesdays, Wake Up Wednesday, Wednesday Wealth, Wednesday Whatsits, What's It Wednesday, Whimsy Wednesday, Whispered Inspirations Winning Wednesday, Win It Wednesday, Win It Wednesday Giveaway Linky, Winning Wednesday, Winning WOW! Wednesday.
~ Aquariann's Giveaway Linky of Treasure, Bacon Time Giveaway Linky, Blog Giveaway Linky, Chic Monkey Giveaway Linky, ChicNSavvy, Cuckoo For Coupons, FabFit40s Ongoing Giveaways, Giveaway Monkey, Ongoing Giveaway Linky, Parent's Perspective Giveaway Linky, Rafflecopter Giveaway Linky, Rafflecopter Giveaway Linky List, Rafflecopter Only Giveaway Linky, Raindrops & Sunshine, Sweeps Factory Giveaway Linky, WAHMResourceSite Giveaway Linky.
~ Katherine's Corner Monthly Giveaway List, Sweeps4Bloggers Giveaway Linky.