Crushed - Fruit Pouches Review

As a busy mum on the go, sometimes I have days where I forget about myself and eating five a day evades me. After I was diagnosed Fibromyalgia, I knew my diet should be better than it is, but comfort food is a strange thing and you just want sugar, usually in it’s worst form.

So, when I was sent some Crushed fruit pouches to try, I looked forward to having some fruit in my bag, something that I could take with me when I got those sweet cravings and that wouldn’t get battered and bruised as the day went on.

Usually you think this sort of thing is for children, but they have been invaluable for me during my recent house move, meaning I can have fruit on the go, easily and most of all quickly.

The pouches are an easy and accessible way to transport fruit, in your handbag, schoolbag, or lunchbag.

Best of all the Crushed pouches are tasty, the Strawberry & Apple have a little zing to them and the Apple & Banana are nice and smooth, my daughter has tried both and loved them equally meaning they really are a hit for both adults and children alike!

Containing one of your five a day and with a long shelf life they are the perfect store cupboard and fridge staple for when the fruit bowl is running low. 

Currently available in store from Waitrose and online from Ocado at £3.50 for 4 they work out a lot cheaper than some of the similar brands available.

NB: I was sent these to try, I was under no obligation to write a review however I feel they are a great product and wanted to write about them.

Mother's Day Treats

Looking for something to treat that special mama in your life on Mother's Day? Well, I have a few tried and tested goodies for you.

First up, is this fabulous flower delivery service, Wild Flowers Company deliver gorgeous flowers to your door, weekly or monthly. A great idea that keeps on giving, the flowers are all sourced from British suppliers and the stunning bouquets are a delight to receive - From £28, pop back to my original post for 20% off!

Next up, if you have a mama in your life that likes baths and all things natural then this Weleda Wild Rose Bath Cream is for them, this luscious bath cream is beautifully silky and leaves your skin feeling wonderful and moisturised, the bottle is also super pretty - £12.95.

With spring on it's way the fabulous Sun Jellies have a great new range of bags and their shoes and jewellery is always a hit, you can find my review of the shoes and bag for more information. Prices starting from £10.

And finally, the fabulous Yumbox, this is a great lunchbox for busy mums, whether they are out for a picnic, at work or just want something that you can pack in the morning and take with you to ensure you get a balanced lunch. They even have a mothers day offer of free P&P so check them out, it's a box that can be used day in day out and looks great too, for more check out my previous reviews of the Yumbox and Panino. £24.95

Now, I wonder if this is a big enough hint of what I might like, a girl can never have enough bags, shoes, flowers, bath stuff and lunch boxes right.

Busy Breakfasts & Mid Morning Snacks

BelVita have been a favourite in our house for quite some time now, whether it is a quick brekkie for mum or a pre school snack for the kids.

Sometimes if I am in a rush, rather than skipping breakfast I grab a packet of belVita, they are perfect for eating with a coffee and not only are they tasty, they fill you up too.

Being in separate packets they are perfect to pop into a bag for the journey to work or for a busy day doing school drop offs and visiting relatives. They are also my favourite snack to pack on a trip out for the day, allowing everyone to have something to fill them up until we get to our destination.

Slow release energy means that they release carbohydrates over several hours, although not a substitute for a balanced breakfast, these are certainly a better option than skipping breakfast.

I also pop a packet into my lunch bag for a mid morning snack. Munching in these helps me last through tip lunchtime.

These new crunchy biscuits are a bit thicker than the original so not as easy for smaller mouths to eat, but they are as tasty, and with three flavours to choose from there is something for chocolate and fruit lovers alike.

My personal favourite is the chocolate, but I have a sweet tooth so it's not surprising really! The apricot ones have lovely chewy pieces of apricot in and still offer some sweetness for those who aren't too keen on chocolate. The hazelnut are also really tasty and great with a mid morning cup of tea.

BelVita are a definite #morningwin for me and a great addition to my morning routine.

This post is an entry for #MorningWin Linky Challenge sponsored by belVita Breakfast. Learn more at http://bit.ly/belVitaUK

Yumbox Panino Review

I loved the original Yumbox, so I was super excited to get my hands on the Panino. With one large compartment, two smaller compartments and a dip well, it is a perfect lunchbox for older children and adults although it also makes the perfect bento box for younger children.

I particularly love the background with the French and Italian wording, you get to learn something new with lunch too.

I love salads and this is the perfect lunch box to fill with plenty of health and not so healthy food.

With the silicone lid it offers the same spill proof storage as the original, allowing you to pack a lunch with whatever you fancy.

The proof is, as they say, in the pudding and this chocolate pudding was certainly good for testing the seals on the lid, after a few falls off the car seat on the way to work it was still within it's compartment and had not leaked.

This is another great box and the colours are beautiful too, I love the Tutti Frutti Blue as well as this one the Anguira Pink.

Again I have nothing but praise for the Yumbox, it is such an ingenious solution allowing you to produce great looking healthy lunches.

With the lighter colours I have noticed any scratches show up a bit more, this isn't a problem and hasn't stopped me buying more, it was just something I noticed (and am probably being picky over) but felt I needed to mention. Having spoken with other Yumbox owners though, they haven't noticed these and have the darker ones so. They don't show up on the pictures so aren't 'bad', i'm just here to give an honest opinion.

NB I was sent the Yumbox Panino for review, all pictures and opinions are my own.

Yumbox Bento Style Lunchbox Free Shipping Code

The lovely people over at Yumbox have very kindly given me a discount code for free shipping until the end of August.

But firstly let me tell you a little more about the Yumbox and what it is,  if you want to read our review on using it then you can do so here.

Yumbox is lightweight and compact with an easy-open latch. It fits neatly into a standard size thermal lunch bags. It is ideal for toddlers, kids of all ages and adults, I have been using my daughters every week for work it is perfect for taking my lunch and snacks for the day. 

Yumbox’s pre-portioned illustrated trays guide you to packing healthy and hassle-free lunches.  The spill proof silicone lid allows you to pack hummus next to crackers with no worries. Yumbox's unique single lid seals all food wells individually. Food won’t touch or leak outside of the box. No baggies! No lost lids! No mess! It also keeps food really fresh and I have been able to pack apple the night before without the worry it will be brown the next day.

It really is great and so much more than just a lunch box, it is compact and so easy to take on picnics, trips to the beach and the removable tray allows it to be used easily at home.

Finally onto the code, to get free shipping until the 31st August 2014 you can use code JUMD35G, over on Yumbox's website there will also be another amazing offer over on Eats Amazing blog if you are thinking of ordering more than one.

NB: I was asked if i'd like to share this code on behalf of Yumbox and am happy to do so as a fan of the Yumbox.  Full terms and conditions can be found on the Yumbox UK website.  I have not been compensated in any way for posting this information.

Yumbox Review

My son has been having a packed lunch for the last few years and it is something I enjoy making for him, what I don’t enjoy as much, is washing all the containers out each evening.

So, imagine my joy when I saw a bento style box that was not only air tight but also spill proof and was coming to the UK! The Yumbox is currently available in the USA and Australia but from June/July will be here.

Silicone lid and compartments

This isn’t just a lunch box though, it is a convenient and easy way to deliver a healthy, balanced and nutritious lunch. Each compartment is labelled with a fun picture of a different food group, not only does this enable the maker of the lunch box to easily see what to include, it also helps your child understand the importance of a balanced diet.

Being compact and spill proof (with it's special silicone lined lid) it also makes a great picnic box, whether you are in the garden, at the park or the beach it is a great way to transport a packed lunch with everything contained in one place. One thing I find when taking a picnic for young children, is that getting their food to them quickly is a must, they are usually so excited about where we are, they just want to get on and play. With the Yumbox, there is no need for separate plates or passing around of food to everyone.

I'm happy to say that this box is not just for children, I have been using it to take my lunch to work in. It does what it says, it is airtight and even apple packed the night before is still fresh. I have taken hummus and strawberries in the box together and the fruit hasn’t been tainted by the strong smelling garlic.

A few people have been put off by the price but for something so versatile I think it is well worth the money and I have already placed an order for one in the first shipment in June, more for the picnic aspect of the box than anything.

Whether it is a coincidence or that she is a growing girl, my daughter has eaten everything she's been given since she has been using the box. I think the fact it is her favourite colour helps, the one time I tried to give her just the tray she was pretty upset and I had to put it in the box.

Reading some of the reviews on Amazon I did notice a few people said there wasn’t much room for food and that their older children didn’t find it filling enough, however, for my six year old I can fit exactly the same amount of food in this as I could in his normal lunch box.

This type of lunchbox is also kinder to the environment, as you are cutting down on waste, I haven’t ever sent plastic bags, clingfilm, or tin foil for his lunch anyway but definitely won't have to now :)

I am hoping the box will last a long time but as it has been myself and my daughter using it and it has not been chucked about the place by a six year old boy, I cannot comment on its durability as much as I would like. I am informed that it has been stress tested by the manufacturer and a fellow blogger has thrown hers down the stairs (not on purpose) and it survived, so hopefully it will do the trick.

One of my favourite things about these boxes are it allows you to see everything at a glance and is a fun way to store lunch, the fun element I think is important no matter how old you are, no one wants a mess of badly presented and squashed food!

I have tried to find something wrong with the Yumbox but I can't, I really love it and so does my daughter. My son is looking forward to getting his too and for now I will just use their's when they aren't looking.

If you like what you see they are now available to pre order from the Yumbox website and will be available properly from July.