Yesterday was a bulk shopping, carpool day. I carpooled to Costco with another family to get some groceries (in their air conditioned SUV), like I often did in years past. It is nice to get bulk groceries again but I do find that I buy too much plastic packaging when I go to Costco. I will have to work on that… even the frickin bananas come in plastic! What is up with that??

Anyway, it was the perfect time to break in my new Blue Q bag in the same Boss Lady design as the water bottle I mentioned yesterday. I have some of the Costco brand reusable bags but I almost never use those because they are HUGE and I can’t lift them when full. They also don’t fold flat very easy, which is annoying. This bag is the perfect size and it is made from 95% post consumer recycled materials.

I love all their other designs too but alas I already own more than enough reusable bags. Another great find from Blue Q though!

For hiking and exercising my favorite water bottle is the Intak water bottle by Thermos. You can beat the pop top IMO. For every day use I have always used Klean Kanteen… simple and functional. I pretty much stick with my favorites and thus haven’t bought any new water bottles in quite in some time. That changed a couple weeks ago though, when I saw some the above beauties at Resuseit. I am in loooove……

Who says being green is a sacrifice? I mean really, I will gladly sacrifice an ugly plastic water bottle for this deliciousness any day of the week!

Book: Natures Secret Messages: Hidden in Plain Sight

I shop at Reuseit quite often and when I saw these babies I hit purchase in 3.4 seconds. Obviously I love the idea of a resusable bottle but I am so happy that someone (in this instance a company called Blue Q) finally decided to marry the functionality of a stainless steel water bottle with pure gorgeousness. It is a marriage made in heaven if you ask me. And I am a sucker for the retro cowgirls and Dick and Jane stuff. I grew up reading Dick and Jane with my mom and I come from a long line of luscious cowgirls (my mom being one of them). The Boss Lady bottle has now been gifted to my mom in fact and the Dick and Jane bottle will likely be commandeered by my daughter. The Holy Water bottle I saw a few days after the other two and had to get it as well. It’s my fave!

After one week I am already taking them everywhere. Since my car has no air conditioning (broken for 2 years now) I fill them up with ice water for every outing. They go to the store, the park, the fair, the museum… everywhere I go. Already people ask about them and admire them. The water bottle industry should be quaking in their boots as reusable bottles become more and more attractive… even to people who might not otherwise consider them. I should ask Reuseit for some business cards and hand them out to people who admire my bottles. :)

Anywho… they are stainless steel bottles so they are BPA-free and phthalate-free. They are painted on the outside with lead free paints. They have a wide mouth, which I love because it allows me to add ice, and they have a leak proof cap. They should be hand washed with soap and water to preserve the lovely design but this is no biggie for me because I only use water in them. Every other day I wash with some warm, soapy water and let them air dry overnight. Easy peasy…

The company, Blue Q, is one I never heard of before these I saw these bottles but they too sound like a winner. They are one of the largest private employers of people with disabilities in their locale and they donate 1% of the sales for their bags and water bottles to the Nature Conservancy to help support global green initiatives. They are committed to a donation of at least $100,000 by April 19, 2013.

I for one, give their bottles a big A++ and tomorrow I will have to show you the new Blue Q reusable bag I got. ;)

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Disclaimer: I am a Reusit Ambassador which means they asked me to talk about their products and brand and I responded with a heck yes! I do not get paid for this, I just believe in the company and have been a customer for over 4 years. I paid for these products with my own piggy bank money.

Hot on the trail of my cool and healthy summer treats post, I have a delicious recipe to share: Mojito Rasberry Paletas!

Paletas are fruit pops sold in Mexico… I used to get them as a kid in border towns (grew up in Arizona). Unlike fruit “flavored” popsicles, paletas have big juicy chunks of fruit in them. My favorite as a child was always pineapple or coconut with big chunks of the fruit inside. Yum!

Yesterday I tried my hand at making some and combined the ever delicious taste of a Mojito with Raspberries… except no rum of course.

Used my Vita-Mix and my Soda Stream for these….

Tovolo Star Molds

Tovolo Rocket Molds

Basically you just juice 2 big limes, add honey or other natural sweetener to taste, 2 cups fizzy water, and pulse in a blender with a sprig or two of fresh mint. Half of the mixture goes to filling the popsicle molds halfway. After the popsicles freeze for about an hour, add some frozen raspberry chunks on top and fill with the remaining mojito mixture and freeze again. This is a raw vegan summer treat for the kiddos and one that mom LOVES as well. It is sweet with just the right bit of mouth puckering sour and the raspberries are divine. ;)

Enjoy!

See more entries in the Vegetarian Foodie Friday Carnival.

I have reviewed Barefoot Books many times over the years. I simply LOVE the company and the books. They are well written, well illustrated, and the stories are perfect for parents trying to raise cultural awareness or eco consciousness in their kids. Children of different races are all well represented… which is important to me and the themes are so important usually… adventure, nature, friendship, and taking care of animals and earth.

My kids and I recently got some more of their collection, courtesy of Barefoot Books, and of course these are a hit with us as well. Here are a few of the books we read during our outdoor story hour yesterday:

Who’s in the Garden – This is a peek-a-boo book for younger kids… perfect for my 4 year old. As you go through the book you see spot frogs, bunnies, bees,moles, and other things common to the garden. It was fun to read within a stone’s throw of our own garden.

The Beeman – This book teaches kids about where honey comes from as Grandpa, the Beeman, walks his grandson through the life and work of a beekeeper. It has lots of good info about bees, beekeeping, honey, and the vital part that bees play in the natural world.

The Sounds Around Town – This is another good one for younger kiddos. Its follows a baby throughout the day, listening to all the sounds of life in the city.

Up, Up, Up – This one was my favorite. It follows three kids in a hot balloon and share their journey and what they see. It also comes with a CD that has a sing along song. Adorable!

Mrs. Moon Lullabies for Bedtime – This is another very lovely book with a CD. It has classic lullabies with gorgeous pictures and a sing along CD. It was fun to sing them with my kids and think back to when they were wee little things.

Happy Reading!

It’s tempting to reach for the cartons of ice cream when you want a cool treat for a hot summer day and certainly for once in a while, it won’t hurt. But if your kids are anything like mine… they play so hard outside all day long the requests for cool treats are quite frequent and thus healthier options are important. Here are some ideas.

Frozen Fruit

* Blueberries, strawberries, grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and pineapple make great snacks right out of the freezer. You can even find a you-pick farm near you so that your kids can pick their own treats to. Right now in our area, blueberries are easy to find. You can also blend them into fruit smoothies or green smoothies too.

* Sliced peaches, nectarines, and kiwis can be frozen on wax paper-covered trays. Then you can pull the slices off and freeze them in your favorite freezer storage containers, we use glass mason jars.

* Frozen fruit-kabobs are always fun! Thread chunks of fruit onto skewers and freeze on a wax paper-covered tray. You can also dip them in yogurt and sprinkle with nuts or shredded coconut.

Cool Drinks

* Try freezing fruit juice or fruit puree into ice cube trays. Pour soda water over a glass full of them for a fizzy drink. We use our Soda Stream for this quite often. Take a glass and squeeze a whole lemon or lime into it, add a tablespoon or so of raw honey, your fruity ice cubes, and soda water… voila!

* Fruit sorbet is far healthier than ice cream. Put a scoop or two in a glass and pour soda water over it. Yum!! We even make our own sorbet in our beloved Vita-Mix. It is truly the most valuable kitchen tool I will ever own.

* Homemade fruit purees or smoothies can also be mixed with soda water for a refreshing drink.

Popsicles

Who doesn’t love popsicles? Making healthy ones is good for grown-ups and kids alike. A popsicle mold may be your best purchase!

Home-made popsicles are a great way to get fresh fruits and fruit juices into your kids – you can even sneak some veggies, we do! You can freeze fresh squeezed fruit juice into popsicles (like the orange juice pop in the top picture), or blend carrots or some greens into your favorite green smoothie and then freeze in molds.

Try pureeing fruit, yogurt, vanilla, and honey to freeze into creamsicles. Delish!

Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches

Frozen yogurt often contains dormant cultures that will become active in your body. Soften some of your favorite flavor of frozen yogurt, or make your own, then dollop some between two whole-grain graham crackers. Freeze for a few hours or overnight and enjoy. (The longer they’re frozen, the softer the crackers will become.)

Enjoy!!