Ozobot Evo Party and Review #Tryazon #OzoSquad

As a participant in the Tryazon Ozobot Party, I received an Ozobot party pack which included a complimentary Ozobot Evo for my family and a guest. All opinions expressed are my own.

Growing up, I never thought anything about being interested in science and math. In fact, I knew from a young age that I wanted to be an engineer, although honestly, I'm not sure I really knew what an engineer was. Coding was something that was still 'new' when I was growing up, at least non-punchcard coding, but I had several opportunities to experience it in fun ways through camps and classes. I can remember first learning on an Apple Desktop computer and on a TRS-80 in math class in junior high. I even had a chance to go to a three week long summer camp in high school where I learned to program to create drawings. That knowledge base has served me well in my career too.

As a mom, I look for ways to bring STEM concepts to my kids in a fun way, such that they don't always realize that they are actually learning. When I first learned about Ozobot, I was intrigued it looked like a fun interactive toy that would help my kids learn about the basics of coding. Then, in late summer, I was invited to participate in a Tryazon party to check out the new Ozobot Evo and share it with friends and family. I was very excited to get the chance to let my kids and their friends play with the Ozobot Evo.

I didn't mention it to the kids until the party pack arrived. My daughter was so excited, wanting to know when we could open them and play with the Ozobot.

I love the packaging that the Ozobot Evo came in. Once opened, there are cute little 'drawers' that hold the charger, the markers, and the skin. There is also a pocket that holds the play mat and the top allows you to store the Ozobot Evo easily.

We started with the Experience Pack (available free on their website for Ozobot Evo owners). It introduces the kids to Line Navigation, first with basic pre-drawn black lines and then engages the kids by having them draw black lines that the Ozobot can follow.

As they work through the Experience Pack, they are awarded with stars on the Ozobot app and learn about the color codes that can provide direction to the Ozobot Evo. These color sequences can tell the Ozobot to spin, to walk backwards, turn right and more. The experience pack includes a code reference sheet.

The set comes with markers, but we found that if you have good markers you can also use standard markers to make lines to navigate and color sequences to tell the Ozobot what action to take. This is very helpful when everyone wants to make their own set of lines for Ozobot and you only have one set of official markers.

The Ozobot Evo in action:

Everyone had fun playing and exploring with Ozobot. After tackling the Experience Pack, the kids explored using the app to control the action of the Ozobot Evo. Then, they moved onto OzoBlocky on the app which allows them to drag and drop coding and create loops of the activity. With five levels from novice to master, OzoBlocky allows your child to do progressively more challenging code concepts. Once the code is assembled, load it to the Ozobot Evo and they can see their code in action.

At this point, my kids have only touched the surface of the games and learning opportunities within the app. My daughter really wants to explore racing with two Ozobots and has found continuous lines (both loops and intersected loops) on YouTube that she is experimenting with and discovering new ways to play with the Ozobot Evo.

I think this is a great toy for kids to explore coding concepts through interactive play. One mom at the party talked about how this would be a great alternative for a child that is in to video games, as Ozobot Evo can provide learning and exposure to coding through interaction. Which is a great alternative to some of the video games that are out there.

You can learn more about Ozobot, the Evo and the Bit and explore the App and other available resources on their website. Ready to buy? Right now, for a limited time, you can save on the purchase of you own Ozobot Evo by heading to their website and using the coupon code OzobotParty1517 to save 15%.

As a participant in the Tryazon Ozobot Party, I received an Ozobot party pack which included a complimentary Ozobot Evo for my family and a guest. All opinions expressed are my own.

"H" is for Halloween

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

I am a big fan of the fall. I enjoy cool evenings, crisp days, hayrides, bonfires, and the tastes of fall. Our schedule seems to dictate to what extent we get to enjoy all of those activities. The best part is that they are family activities that allow us to spend time simply being together.

Last weekend, the kids asked if we could make an apple pie. I had some apples that I had picked up at the orchard, as well as some that were leftover at the swim meet concession stand, so the three of us made a pie. It was the first time my son had helped make a pie. It was fun to teach him about cutting in the shortening and tossing it gently with water to give a nice flaky crust. My daughter helped measure out the flour, sugar and seasoning to add to the apples. And my son measured for the crumb topping. I got to peel the apples and told the kids how my grandma and grandpa could peel the entire apple in one continuous piece, creating a spiral of peel. I showed them that I couldn't do the full apple, but was getting close.

This weekend we are hosted a slumber party to celebrate my daughter's birthday. We did a build your own pizza bar. I made a homemade crust and set out individuals crusts for each girl. The toppings included pizza sauce, regular and mini pepperoni, two types of shredded cheese, browned sausage, and diced peppers. It was a fun time by all building their pizzas.

For Halloween, my daughter requested to be a cat. So, we headed to the store to find fur to make the tail, ears and patches. We found a black hoodie and leggings to be the foundation of the costume. We planned out the patches, the tail and ears and I did the cutting and sewing. My son was in the uncertain phase this year, so he is recycling a convict costume that we had in the basement. Historically, we have made his costume as well. Recent selections have been a baseball card, a Lego Minifigure and a vending machine. This may be the last year that we head out to trick or treat as a family. It is always a good time, catching up with others in the neighborhood. There are families that gather on a driveway with a bonfire and one year a family had a food truck that was serving sample size soups and coffee to the parents.

How will you celebrate Fall and Halloween?

“H” is for Halloween: With fall officially in full swing, Hormel Foods is introducing the "ABC's of Fall" on the Hormel Foods Recipes Pinterest page! Encourage your readers to check out new seasonal posts, and share with us their favorite fall recipes, “spooky” snack ideas, and ways they use classic fall flavors using the hashtag #ABCsofFall and #HormelFamily.

· “M” is for Mummies:

Hanging out in cemeteries isn’t the only place for these scary creatures – turns out they like pizza too! That is, in these Mini Mummy Pizzas. To make your own, top half an English muffin with pizza sauce, add Hormel® Pepperoni Minis, sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese and add two sliced black olives for eyes. Viola!

· “S” is for Spooky: Make a “Spooky Chili” this Halloween for a fun and filling time! Use Halloween-shaped cookie cutters to cut shapes out of cheese slices and place the cheese shapes over a bowl of hot Hormel® Chili with Beans. Pair it with this spooky Halloween dip

featured on the NATURAL CHOICE® Pinterest page, which uses a variety of Hormel Foods products!

· “W” is for Weekends: Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so use the whole weekend as an excuse to indulge in some of your favorite fall treats!

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product samples for my family to try. I also receive thought starters, information and photos that can be used in a post.

Spring Break Staycation - Bowling and Arcade Fun for the Family #StarLanes #Polaris

When I was a kid, Spring Break was just a week off of school. There was one year that we headed on a family vacation to Arizona, but aside from that they were just a week at home. I'm not really sure that I remember that my friends went anywhere either. There wasn't a 'fancy' term for staying home that week, it was just what we did. Nowadays, of course, the practice of staying close to home and enjoying all that your broader community offers has a label - staycation.

Now that I am a mom, we tend to spend the week of spring break close to home. Making some short driving trips, but otherwise spending time with friends. We like to fill the week with activities like bike riding (although it seems to be very windy when we do), bowling, jumping (used to be at an inflatables place, but now we have trampoline places), heading to the playground, swimming at the Y (or a water park) and hanging out with friends. This year our spring break has included play dates with friends, movies, breakfast out, swimming at the Y, board games and sleepovers. Still to come is a chocolate factory tour, movie and lunch at a dine in theater, time with Grandma and Grandpa, a trip to the science center, a visit to the bookstore, bowling and probably more dining out.

Many businesses know that there are many families doing staycations and offer specials during the week. The week before spring break, our local Y sent out a special pool schedule for spring break. I have seen special offers from many other local businesses that know that parents will be looking for something to make the break fun.

If you are in the Columbus area, or close enough to drive, like we are, then you might want to check out the special offer at Star Lanes Polaris. Their special is designed to span several weeks of spring break, so you can take advantage now through April 10th.

Pins, Pop-a-Shot and Pizza

March 16 - April 10

For $15, children ages 12 and under, will receive a kid's meal menu item, game of bowling and shoes and $5 arcard game card.

Available weekdays from 11am to 3pm. Must be accompanied by an adult.

Why not gather together your group of moms (or dads) and plan a playdate at Star Lanes. You can all visit, while the kids play or join in the fun and challenge the kids to a game.

No compensation was received for this post. A promotional gift card was provided for a future visit. All opinions are my own or that of my family.

Little Green Pouch - review

No compensation was received for this post. A complimentary sample was provided for the purposes of this review. All images courtesy of Little Green Pouch.

It seems to me that lately, there are more and more items available at the store in pouches. I think I first tried a pouch product in the baby food aisle. I thought the concept was interesting, a squeeze pouch that could allow your young child to feed themselves fruits or vegetables without the need for a spoon. Then, I tried a product that was designed for adults - I can't remember the brand now, but it was a during exercise type of snack that would give you energy on the go. I liked the idea of a snack that I could put in the bag on my bike and enjoy on the way.

A while back, I was contacted by someone from a company that is offering a new product - Little Green Pouch. The product is a reusable pouch, that is dishwasher and freezer safe. It opens at the top with a interlocking zipper bag closure (like on your sandwich bags), to allow for easy filling of the pouch.

I told them that I would love to try this product and share it with my readers.

The pouches are very easy to clean. I cleaned them by hand the first time and then used my dishwasher. The zipper opening allows you to easily fit a bottle brush inside to clean. Trying to reach your hand in with a washcloth is a little bit harder. The dishwasher - simple. Open up your pouch, invert it and place over one of the tines in your upper rack.

The opening created with the zipper, allows for the pouches to easily be filled. They even have a little picture on the back of the pouch to suggest that you use a spoon, a funnel or a pitcher to fill. We tended to fill most with a spoon, or a pitcher (blender). Once filled, seal the zipper and remove the cap on the spout to enjoy the contents.

Each pouch can be filled with up to 7 oz of product, but I found that closer to 4 oz was the level to which I could fill and have the contents consumed. Coincidentally, this is also close to what are found on many of the other pouch items. The pouch does have a graduation on the back that shows you 2 oz increments, as well as the 7 oz max fill, which takes the guess work out of filling the pouch.

Each pouch also has a label spot on the back, so that you could mark whose pouch it was. I don't know about your house, but at my house it seems to be very important to my kids that they don't share a straw, a spoon, or cup...so this makes it an easy way to keep each person's pouch as their own.

We filled our pouches with an assortment of items. I liked that not only could I choose what to put in them, but also that I had more control over the ingredients and texture (some of the pouch items that I have bought and tried were too smooth, I like a little texture to my nourishment). I used them for yogurt - easy to consume and a great way to eat it on the go. We mostly enjoy blended yogurts at my house, so there weren't to many pieces of fruit...if you used fruited yogurt, might have to check and make sure it won't clog the spout. I also used them for pudding when I made some homemade pudding for the kids. We used them for smoothies, which we are a big fan of at my house. It is not only a great way to use up the assorted fruit in the house, but you can even sneak in some veggies for more nutrition.

Looking for more ideas? On their website, they offer several recipe ideas for things to make and fill in the pouches. They have recipes for sweet and savory - one savory option that I noticed is Chicken, Sweet Potatoes and Kale puree. They even have a separate search to find Paleo friendly recipes. I really think that the options are endless...anything you can puree, can go in the pouch.

What would you put in your Little Green Pouch?

No compensation was received for this post. A complimentary sample was provided for the purposes of this review. All images courtesy of Little Green Pouch.

Baked Wonton Cheese Sticks

No compensation received for this post. Complimentary packages of Frigo Cheese Heads string cheese were provided. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family.

Now that the kids are back to school, there seems to be more snacking occasions than normal. They seem to come home from school hungry for a snack, which works out well on days when we have sports and can't eat until after. Of course, on those days, I find myself grabbing a snack to go too! Then, there are the evenings, after the kids are in bed and I am looking for a little something to nibble on with a glass of wine, as I relax, wind down from the crazy day and watch a show.

I don't know about your house, but at our house, string cheese is a favorite snack. Personally, I am a fan of cheese of all forms and find it to be a satisfying snack. I feel good providing string cheese to the kids because I feel it is a reasonably healthy option - the pack I have at home right now is only 80 calories per serving and provides 6 g of protein and some calcium. I don't know that the kids think of it as a healthy snack, but I know that they think that it is fun to eat as they tear off string after string.

As America’s Favorite String Cheese, Frigo® Cheese Heads® String Cheese is:
- Perfect for school lunches and after school snacks
- High in calcium and a good source of protein
- Individually wrapped for wholesome and fun snacking on-the-go
- Easy to use in recipes the entire family will enjoy

Typically, I think of string cheese as a stand alone snack or an accompaniment to a bowl of crackers. But last weekend, as we geared up for the official start of football season, we decided that it would be nice to have a little snack while we watched the games. We had had our fill of chips the prior day as hosts of the fantasy football draft, so I decided that I could use string cheese as an easy way to enjoy baked cheese. I decided that breading them and trying to fry/bake them would likely turn into a mess, but figured that wrapping them up in wontons would allow us a way to have baked cheese with less mess. When I suggested the snack and started to pull out the ingredients, both of the kids were anxious to help, so I let them help me roll them up and took over when it came to bake.

Baked Wonton Cheese Sticks

Wonton Wrappers
String Cheese
Oil
bowl of water

Open the string cheese and cut each piece into three equal sections. Place on the wonton wrappers and roll up like an egg roll, using the water to wet the edges to help the wrapper seal.

Place the wrapped cheese in a skillet with oil, over medium heat. Turn until browned.

Place the cheese sticks into an oven safe glass dish and bake for 10-12 minutes at 375.

Serve with a side of marinara.

Everyone liked the baked wonton cheese sticks and agreed that we should definitely make them again.

No compensation was received for this post. Complimentary packages of Frigo Cheese Heads string cheese were provided for the purpose of sharing. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family.