We are a snack-loving family. At any given moment my purse contains at least three granola bars, string cheese, baby squeeze pouches, three sippy cups, fruit snacks, and apple and two snack traps. Snacks are great for keeping the kids busy while I focus on my workout at Stroller Strides. Carrying around extra snacks mean we don’t have to rush home in time for lunch if we’re having fun at the playground or want to make an impromptu trip to the aquarium. Snacks work well for both kids’ eating styles – Caroline eats TONS OF FOOD and needs snacks between meals while Evan is meh about eating his meals but is much more likely to snack. And bringing my own snacks for all of us means I am much less likely to swing through a drive-thru for “just a snack” and end up with an entire double cheeseburger meal and a milkshake (how does that happen?!)

So when my friend Alena asked if I’d be interested in trying out a PackIt lunch bag I said yes immediately. PackIt is a freezable personal cooler that keeps your food colder, fresher and safer for up to ten hours – no ice or bulky toxic ice packs needed. You just store the folded PackIt bag in your freezer until you’re ready to fill it and go!

I tried out a Personal Cooler and a Shop Cooler last week and loved them both. The Shop Cooler was perfect for keeping my ice cream, chicken nuggets and Cool Whip cold on the way home from the grocery store – even though I stopped to pick up a couple dozen bottles of wine on the way. Plus my Stop & Shop gives a 5 cent discount for every reusable bag you bring. Score!

The Personal Cooler was perfect for carrying the daily snacks that are better kept cool – cheese, yogurt, juice boxes, fruit, veggies, and milk. You know, the healthy stuff.

The yogurt is for me. And don't judge the disgusting American cheese slices or Caroline will come scream in YOUR face.

Still plenty of room for a sippy cup.

It fits in my bag! OK, so my bag is on the hugemongous side but it's still super handy.

My snacks stayed refrigerator-cold all morning, which was definitely more pleasant than eating soft, warm cheese that got squished in the bottom of my bag. And when we got home I just stuck the PackIt back in the freezer so it would be ready for the next day!

PackIt Coolers are PVC-free, BPA-free, lead-free, non-toxic, earth-safe and reusable. They fold compactly in the freezer for storage and keeps food cold at USDA-safe temperatures. They come in six sizes and tons of cute colors and patterns. PackIt even has a size for wine bottles – it’s like the KNOW ME. Check out all their products and get more information on their website.

How would you like to win a free PackIt Social Cooler? It’s perfect for picnics, a day at the beach, ball games, day trips and all the summer fun that’s quickly approaching.

To enter, just like PackIt on Facebook then come back and leave a comment telling me you did. So easy! I’ll leave the comments open until Friday April 6th at 5 pm and choose a winner using Random.org. Make sure you use a real email when you comment so I can notify you if you win. Good luck!

It’s probably a good thing going to Goodwill with two toddlers is practically impossible, since I have a little bit of a thrift store/yard sale/flea market addiction. I used to have a Livejournal (ha!) dedicated to my flea market shopping trips, but hopefully it’s been lost in the interwebs and I can’t bore you to death with the five hundred useless cut-glass candy dishes I bought for a nickel. But I CAN show you the stuff I bought at Goodwill last weekend when I was on a childless errand-running spree.

I went specifically looking for plain cloth tablecloths for Evan’s party and spring/summer baby clothes. Obviously I struck out on the tablecloths but I still think it was a pretty successful trip.

Besides having a kid’s name in the front, this dino pop-up book was in PERFECT condition. Amazing, since within 2 hours my kids had already ripped two of the dinosaurs. I think I’ll put in on the “read with mommy quietly” shelf. The Babar book is vintage – 1960’s – and also in great condition. I bought it more for me than the kids, since I love Babar.

The glass thing is a fishbowl I’m using as a terrarium for Evan’s birthday party decorations. The red and white checked thing is a tablecloth I’m going to keep in the car for picnics and playing at the park so we don’t end up eating lunch on my yoga mat. And the little girl dresses, well…

This one is obviously hand made – it has little bloomers underneath too. It’s going to be perfect for summer time outside playing.

The print on the fabric AND kitty cat buttons? I die. Caroline kept saying “Keetteee!!”

This last thing is cheating a little, since I didn’t exactly thrift it…

The house across the street from ours has a steady stream of short term renters who move in and out and they’re always having yard sales/leaving stuff by the curb. This was out for the trash a couple weeks ago so I rescued it.

As part of a dining room set it wouldn’t be my style at all, but one chair mixed with my other single chairs in the living room is eclectic. I might repaint it something fun – yellow? pink? – and find it a home upstairs some day, but since it was zero dollars I’m just happy to have another place to sit.

Even E – who DREADS seeing stuff by the curb because I’m always shouting “STOP THE CAR! I need to go through the trash!” – admitted this was an acceptable acquisition. Hooray for thrifting!

We’re standing in front of the dairy case when Evan starts coughing. “Cover your mouth” I say sharply. I can feel the eyes of the other shoppers boring into my back and I know they’re thinking “Ugh, kids and their GERMS.”

And then he throws up. On me. On himself. On the cart. On the floor. It’s awful and smelly and EVERYWHERE and all those people who were watching us just a few seconds before have suddenly disappeared. Evan looks up at me with huge eyes and said “I spit up. Spit up on you Mommy. Spit up on Evan. I sick.”

I think “No crap, Kid” but I say “I’m so sorry buddy! It’s ok! Let’s clean you up!” I use a handful of baby wipes to clean off his face and hands and hair and neck and ohmigod how did he get puke in his EAR?! I pull of his sweatshirt and throw it over the mess on the floor. I grab the extra pair of pants from my diaper bag (thank goodness I restocked it this morning) and lickety-split change him right there in the aisle.

A few shoppers slink past, avoiding eye contact.

I use his dirty clothes to wipe everything down but we both still stink. Or maybe it’s just me. I grapple with my desire to abandon the cart and flee with the kids but I hate to waste our shopping trip so I suck it up. By the time we’re in the next aisle Evan is running around like crazy, bouncing off the walls, getting in the way, shouting and laughing. I guess he wasn’t so sick after all.

I think for a minute about how this sums up motherhood – surprising and messy and gross and horrifying but you DEAL WITH IT because there’s no one else who will and seeing your kids happy makes it all worth it. But that doesn’t make me smell any better, so we head home to shower.

I’m not actually here because, oh, have I mentioned? I’m going on a cruise. The Ruby Princess to Princess Cay, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and Grand Turk with two days at sea for nothing but drinking relaxing. My folks are here in Connecticut watching the kids, the pets and the house so don’t bother trying to rob us. And my brother is at THEIR house, so no robbing in Virginia either. You can go ahead and rob my brother though, since a) he’s like 22, he owns nothing of value and b) I don’t actually know where he lives. True story. I’m not a very good sister.

Sunday:

Waiting at the spa for my very, uh, personal appointment

Totally engrossed in a super hero movie

Someone REALLY liked the (plain, greek) yogurt

Monday:

We left the house early so I could get a giant coffee - which means the kids get a bagel for breakfast

Eating the grapes while I'm trying to check out. She's OBSESSED.

I'm hoping a picture taped to the window will stop Mr. Cardinal from trying to bash his little birdy brains out all day.

Tuesday:

Brutus: I didn't do it!

Blushes: Your photo taking it disturbing my nap

This kid sleeps through ANYTHING when he's couch napping

Wednesday:

Foot war!!!

YEP. I ate them all.

Evil baby is evil

Thursday:

Yoda baby is the cutest

Are we gonna shake some crap or what?

Look, Ma, warm weather! What is that giant blue thing over my head?!

Friday:

A week ago she hated those things. Now she's a bag-a-day addict.

Emergency pre-vacation pedicure

There's a little Caroline on the menu tonight (BA-DUM-CHING)

Even though I’m cruuuuuuising, dahling, I scheduled a few posts to go up this week so you wouldn’t miss me. Or more accurately, so my mom won’t go into blog-withdrawal and get so bored she accidentally scrubs all the grout out of my kitchen tiles. My parents don’t really know what “sitting still” means (which is good, with two toddler to watch). I, on the other hand, plan to have moss growing on my north side by Wednesday. Happy Weekend!

Besides my regular daily iPhone photos for my weekly post, for all of February I took a shot from Fat Mum Slim’s photo-a-day prompt and posted it on Instagram. It was fun to be a little more creative than I usually would with my pictures and I love seeing what other people post. I’m taking March off (woooo no internet connection at sea!) but will probably pick up again in April.

p.s. I cross post all my Intagram photos to my Flikr for people who don’t have Instagram (Hi Mom!) You can see them by using the link over there in my left sidebar <——-