Because I Said So!!! Mom Knows Best!

I think we just had the worst snow storms all
year in the last two weeks. I really thought we were going
to make it through the Winter without a nasty one and
even my son had not missed any school to snow days
this year. Then in the last 2 weeks, there were like 5 major
snow storms and we were hit hard. I think some places in the
country are still getting hit. Just when you thought it was
safe to come out of the Winter clothes closet, BAM, little
white flakes that scream, "Not so fast there Buddy!" So
much for an early Summer. But old man winter can't stop
it from coming altogether no matter how hard it tries and
one of these days eggs will once again sizzle on the side
walk. Last Summer was a wash for me for the first part
of it I waddled and the middle I had a baby in NICU and
the end a little tiny little bundle of a eating, crying and doo
doo machine. We didn't even really get Rowan out of the
house to fall when we took her and the Pooch to the cider
mill. Okay, the Pooch went to the Cider Mill and the rest
of us were just dragged along. This Summer I plan on
taking full advantage for not only do we live in Michigan,
home of the 10 zillion and one lakes but in my complex
the pool is about 20 feet off my patio and out of the 18
condos and about 200 apartments only us and maybe three
other family's use the pool. Now you have to love that for
it is like having our own personal commercial sized pool
right out our back door. Rowan will still be a doo doo
machine this Summer but she will be a swimming one too.
Yeah, yeah, little water pants will be used.

The only problem is a can never find a suit that
I like. I have the worst shaped body in the whole world. I
have great legs ( and I am humble!) but all my extra
weight is around my middle and arms and I have a large
rib cage that makes me look like a have a nice bust but
in reality I have no cleavage. Nothing fits right on the top,
is too tight in the middle and hangs off the bottom. Finding
a suit is almost a nightmare and to compound the matter I
am also super self conscious so I end up wearing a t-shirt
over the whole kit and kaboodle. This year I know I will not
even be able to wear the suit I have had the last couple of
years that I have developed a love/hate relationship with.
I hate that it is the only one that I could find that fits right
and I love the fact that I could find one at all! I want one
that makes the jiggly parts stand still and not squeeze them
so tight they make for an escape at the closest available
opening. I want a suit that is flattering but not so low cut
that my son begs me to find a spot in the beach far enough
away so people don't know he is with me. I would like a style
that is flattering on a woman my age but not make me look
like I can only hang by the pool to 6 for at 7 they serve Jello
at the home! It would also be nice to have a little sun protection
but I think I may be pushing the envelope now. While I was
looking through the first series of many stores I thought I would
be shopping at this year I came across one that made me sit
up and take notice. Believe it or not it was like the third store
I came to too! Normally I spend months looking only to get
super frustrated and just recycle the suit from last season. This
isn't your normal swim suit store and I don't even really know
how I had this one end up on my list of stores to check out
but boy am I glad I did. Girls4Sport has just the items I was
looking for and I found a ton of cuties for Rowan too!

Girls4Sport sells swim wear and active wear and
performance clothing for all the girls in the family. From Cross
Training to Neoprene they have a great selection of items that not
only fit great and offer sun protection they look perfect on and are
made to last. Their performance fabrics offers support and
keeps Mount Jiggles* from running amok and the built in
shelf Bra makes it even better for they support the girls and
even give me a little bit of cleavage that I so dearly lack. The
Aqua Tops work perfect for all water sports and the colors and
styles work even better for me. Nothing is crazy or too flashy
yet instead of dropping all style and taste and just going for a
plain old bland boring suit they put together styles that look
hot and fashionable for every age. Even their patterned suits
are gorgeous and I am not a pattern person. The Suit I was sent
for review is a Halter top and a Boy Brief bottom and it is
just darling with the black and white pattern and both pieces
offer spectacular support where I need it. Each style comes in
a variety of colors and designs and another cool perk I have
just fell in love with is you can mix and match the pieces so
you have the option of buying a whole set or a pair of solid
bottoms and 3 or four different tops so it looks like you have
a new suit for every occasion. I also did the Michelle test and
you guys know how tough I am on clothes and I washed the suits
at least 20 times and pulled and stretched and went to town
yanking on the seams and even the ties the hook around your
neck to make sure nothing was going to come lose or stretch
and fall apart. I even let Rowan fondle one with some Juice
and some strawberry, hot fudge Sundae covered hands just
to see if they were stain resistant and they were perfect and
flew through every single test I tossed their way. In fact I
was so impressed with the adult styles they had there I have
already clued a few of my Mom friends in for most Moms
have the same problem with Swimsuits I have. Now we are
all going to look like a bunch of Diva's at the beach this Summer!
Hubba Hubba guys, eat you hearts out!
Rowan got to review a suit too and hers was just as
darling and just as perfect as mine. I put hers through the same
tests but I also took some extra time to yank on hers just a little
bit more for face it kids are hard on clothes. Still ticken after
a good old fashioned Michelle licken'! They carry toddler sizes and
youth sizes so there are items to fit your kids all the way to
adult and they also have a fantastic selection and I love the
little swim shorts for it is a hassle to get a one piece off of a
baby to change their diaper and most of the suits that are two
piece come off so easy you end up letting your toddler run around
with just the top or naked. Now with the swim shorts I can take
them on and off with no drama and the top has incredible coverage
and I can let her run around all day with it on for it is so versatile
she can wear it as play clothes then turn around and jump in the
pool without missing a beat. If you have a surfer on your hands or
just a little girl who loves the water so much she even swims
when you think the water should still have ice on it you can
worry less for they even have a Thermagaurde suit and keep
them as warm and cuddly as if she were wearing Long Johns on a
Winter day. Rowans suit fit like a dream and the stretchy material
will grow with her for a while and unlike other suits that
you are going to have to buy a bigger size every few months to
keep up with those weed like children. Last of all Girls4Sport
has clothing that is good for you too! That's right guys and gals,
their clothing has built in UV protection and the swim suits or active
wear blocks at least 98% of UVA/UVB rays. Not sure what suit
to get for your wife or daughter don't take a chance and buy her
something for your tastesbut get her a gift certificate instead. Now
she can pick out what style she wants and you will never have
to spend a full day with her as she tries on 72 differnat fabrics
alone. See, they think of everything! You can also buy Girls4Sport
items on line or at a whole bunch of retail stores. They even
have a sizing guide to make your life a whole lot more simple
and a list of retail stores sorted by state so if you feel as if
you have to try one on you will know where to go. I used to
be a small or medium before Roan detroyed my body after 15
years of trying to get shape and now I think i am a size 6
and just told them I think I need a meduim or large and let me
tell you their suits come the exact size you order. All in all
Girls4Sport has the best suits I have ever came across and
they and going to be my first stop and last stop every time
I need a new suit from now on!
Even better Girls4Sport is going to let one of my
readers see how awesome they are. One reader will win a
pair of Childrens Board shorts in the Sea Green or Coral
Pink. To enter just head over to their site and take a look
around and then come back here and post what your all
time favorite item is in a comment. The contest will start
today and run to Midnight on April 16th.
USA and 18 and older can enter daily and the winner
will be contacted by email and have 72 hours to
contact me with their mailing information. As always
you can earn a bonus entry by entering the contest of
the day and other ways to enter are posted below.


Girls4Sport




Extra entries.
Extra entries only count after the initial entry
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and post that you are. 3 entries,
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5 times.


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and post the link here. 5 Entries Please
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*For those of you new to my site Mount Jiggles is my
Belly who I am always fighting with!

You would think since I went to school to be a
Chef and I also went for Hotel and Restaurant management
that I would have the "Bombest!" Kitchen on the block.
Top of the line everything and only the best. My cupboards
she should make Martha Stewart cry and my cutlery should
be of such high quality I can cut a can then a Tomato like
that old infomercial. But no, like a mechanic who's personal
car never runs right my Kitchen just doesn't cook. Oh, I
have gadgets, so many I have to store 2/3 rds of them for
I just don't have the shelf space but the sad part there is
those gadgets aren't mine. They are my sons. Since he was
2 years old and wanted an Easy Bake oven to make a
M&M cake he has been collecting them. I even did have
those knives from the commercial ( Ginsu? -can't remember)
for my Mother ( now everyone repeat with me, BAD NANA!)
bought them for Andrew when he was like 4 for he wanted them
so bad. She did explain she meant for me to hold them for
him to he was older but he was a boy and a super active one
at that and one morning I woke to find the arm of my couch
cut up and the knives were then taken from where I thought
they were safe on the top shelf in the kitchen and placed in
storage and did not survive the house fire I had a year or so
after that. Right now we have:
A bullet, a mighty whisk, a popcorn maker, a Slurpee maker,
a ice cream maker, an omelet maker and an omelet pan,
a donut maker, a puff maker, the chocolate factory, a
candy maker, the cookie kit, 2 different George Foreman grills,
oops make that three now, a griddle, a pizza oven, a smoothie
machine, a Slap Chop, a Panini maker, a grilled cheese maker and
more special pans and kitchen tools and ice cube trays and
basters and gadgets then you can shake a stick at. It is
just insane. What I don't have and have not had is good
knives. I have a steel and a sharpener so you would think I
would have something to use with them but no, I keep getting
crappy knives that barely cut butter. I tell myself over and over
again that I am going to start getting good knives and collecting them
so I have a great set and every time I go to the store I see some
kit that seems like such a deal I grab that instead. When I get
home I am thrilled and open it right away and start chopping and
almost cry for it works so well in comparison to what I was
using and I am overwhelmed by how sharp they are and smooth
they cut. For a week I start busting out all my old recipes that
you need to cut things for and go crazy, I make Chicken Scallopini
and cut my own cutlets for the knife just works perfect, I do stir fry
everything and cut veggies like they will never grow again. Cheese,
bread, fruits and everything I can find. For a week I have fresh
cheese, fruit and Veggies trays filled to the brim for easy snacking
in my fridge and become an addict. Then I grab my knife set one
day and start to cut and it isn't quiet as smooth. Not as sharp.
Alright, I get that, loads of Kitchen experience, Knives dull, no
biggie. I grab my sharpeners and go to town there and then try
it again. Still dull. Hummmmmm, I used to be pretty darn good
at sharpening, maybe I am just out of practice, try again. I am
very thorough this time. Grab a Tomato for they are more easy
to cut and maybe I need to start with easy. I cut, it mushes
for the knife is so dull I have to press down to get a cut.
I grumble and snap at the next person who walks in the
room. I had went to the store and planned on spending 50-100
bucks on a good quality knife that would last forever and instead
of getting that ONE knife I once again fell for the good deal and
bought the set that had the steak knives and Chef's knife and
utility knife and bread knife and a half a dozen more specialty
knives in the pack. Hey, I got all of them for 49.95 and
the pack had all sorts of claims on it about them lasting
forever and keeping their edge and yada yada total crap. I
would throw the knives back at them but they are such junk
even if I did hit them they wouldn't stick. Back to square one,
again!
I vowed for like the 50th time that next time I bought
a knife it would be a good quality one and I would only buy
one at a time until I had a set of Superior knives that really
would last a lifetime. To solidify it this time I researched knives
and found a brand I decided to get and this brand happened to
be a ceramic knife. Ceramic is currently the best knife you can
get. I mean best, they blow steel away. This is the difference
between a raindrop and a tsunami here with benefits such as:
1. The Hardness. The only thing harder than the material used
to make these knives is a diamond. This makes them sharp
as well and are much harder and sharper then anything steel
has to offer.
2. Weight. They are very lightweight. These knives weigh less
than half of what other knives do.
3. Durability. Ceramic knives can usually go years without
needing to be sharpened. They also last longer overall because
unlike metal they will never rust.
4. Chemically Inert. These knives are not made with metal so
therefore you will not get that "Tinny" taste you can with metal
and the food you are cutting will end up tasting like that food.
They are also easy to clean and will never stain and super
easy to maintain. I did a load of research and was hooked.
While looking for a brand of kitchen knives that I wanted to
buy I stumbled on a site that has all sorts of ceramic knifes.
www.ceramicknife.org. They have Hunting knives, Rigging,
Electrician, Pocket knives and now a Kitchen Utility knife.
I contacted them to ask some questions and got the chance
to do a review. Now I was tickled pink. I was at last going
to have a good knife in my kitchen. AT LAST!
For review I was sent the Kitchen Utility knife and he
also tossed in a Rigging knife for me to check out. When
they came I was like a kid in a candy shop and I could not
wait to try them. I cut every single thing in the house that
could be cut. All with the Utility knife. I even had a whole
filet roast in my freezer. My Mother knows Andrew and I love
steaks and for Christmas she went to the meat store and bought
us the whole Filet Roast so we could cut our own Filet Mignon
to the size we wanted. A huge Roast at that and even if I cut
2-3 inch pieces we would have enough for 20 steaks or more.
I had to freeze it for it was just too large and since my knives
were so crappy I did not want to mess with cutting it until I
absolutely had to. The first time I cut off a piece I used my
serrated knife for the knives I had that were made for cutting
cuts of meat was so crappy it would never make it through
so at least with my serrated I could saw my way through. It
is still a pain in the butt and the steaks look like heck so I
am super glad it was just for our own consumption and I didn't
have guests coming over but it got the job done, barely. With
the Ceramic knife I was a little worried for it you don't know what
a Kitchen Utility knife is, it is a small knife, maybe 2-3 inches
and used for cutting hard items where you need control or sort
of an anything goes knife as long as it is not a big sort of
anything. I was afraid I would have to cut around the outside
first to get a groove big enough for the knife to fit in and do
it that way but boy was I surprised. And a good surprise too
for the knife is so sharp it just glided right through, and I mean
glided through. This was a frozen solid hunk of meat that I
would have trouble cutting even with a "Good" sharp "Steel"
knife and this was going through this huge roast like a steak
knife through butter! I almost cried. I never enjoyed a steak
more. Now I was worried that it would dull before long like
all the other knives I had bought so what they hey, if it is
going to break my heart I might as well speed up the process
so I know sooner rather then later. I spent a whole week cutting
everything in the house, I had other meats that were bought in
bulk and I cut all of them up ( except for the filet) and that
wasn't enough so every box I got that week in the mail and
mind you guys and girls, I get 20-40 boxes a week all super
sealed and wrapped in enough tape to efficiently tape my son
to the wall so he could never get out. I used it to cut down
those boxes and cut the twine I was using to tie them up for
the dumpster and I even used the knife to cut through some
cable wire when I moved my cable box and needed a longer
piece. Then I went back to the kitchen and cut cut cut some
more. At the end of 10 full days of cutting everything I could
get my hands on I pulled out that filet Roast and was going to
try it again. In my mind, no way would it be this easy
this time. Even if I had a steel knife I had paid 100 bucks
for or a clever I did not think it could take the beating I put
it through and still cut through this roast. At the very least I
thought it would need to be sharpened first!
BOY WAS I WRONG!

Oh-My-GAWD, this knife cut just like it did the first day
I got it and I was in utter and total shock. If you spend a
lot of time in the kitchen run, don't walk to get this knife.
It is that good and ceramicknife.org has prices that I could
not find cheaper any where else and I looked like crazy,
remember I was determined way before this review to buy some
and had already done a load of research on brands and prices.
This knife is fantastic and I loveeeeeeeee ceramicknife.org. New
best friend material here!

The other knife they send was the Rigger. Once again
I had my guys at war over who would get it. I deemed it
a family item for I didn't want to hear it and didn't really know
what a Rigger is and wanted to know before I let them have it
at all. This is a pocket knife of sorts designed to cut when
you can only use one hand. It is perfect for sailors who need
to cut ropes and is so sharp it can cut through Kevlar. After
reading about it and talking it over with the guys we decided
it is also perfect for things such as hunting and fishing and
DIY work around the house and none of us could get over
how light weight it was. We compared it to the Sports knife
I bought for Andrew when he decided he wanted to take up
hunting and it just blew that knife out of the water. It is also
half the price of what I paid for that knife and while I spent
the week with my kitchen utility knife cutting everything in
sight the guys spend the week cutting everything with these.
Both of the guys used it to cut the Strings down on their
guitars, Andrews a normal guitar and Johns a Bass Guitar with
thicker strings. They also cut floor tiles and carpet and lord
knows what else for after I checked in a few times to see what
they were up to they made me nervous they would cut a hand
off ( it cuts through Kevlar for Christs Sake, whats a hand
compared to that?) and I decided it was better if I just didn't
know. It folds up and is just under 3 inches so it is legal to
carry and it works better then any pocket knife or sporting
knife you have ever seen. If you know a man who Hunts or
Fishes or just needs a knife this is your guy and ceramicknife.org
is your site. They also sell Utility blades and a sharpener and
much much more. I know for a fact now that I have tried
a ceramic knife I will never go back to steel. Now
I realize I am lucky and it might just be I found a fantastic
place to buy them from but even if that is that case I am
super lucky then for I did find these guys and remember I
already said they are my new best friends and I will never go
back to plain old boring steel!


Ceramicknife.org was not only great to me they
are great to my readers as well and one of you guys can
win your choice of either the Rigger or the Kitchen Utility
Knife. To enter just head over to their site and take a look
around then come back here and post what your favorite
knife is or something you learned. The contest will start
tonight and run to Midnight on April 19th.
USA and 18 and older can enter daily and the winner
will be contacted by email and have 72 hours to
contact me with their mailing information. As always
you can earn a bonus entry by entering the contest of
the day and other ways to enter are posted below.


Ceramicknife.org




Extra entries.
Extra entries only count after the initial entry
is completed.


1. Become a follower of my blog or Twitter
and post that you are. 3 entries,
please post 3 times.


2. Enter any of my other contests. 1 entry
per contest, separate post for each entry.


3. Grab my button. 5 entries. Please post
5 times.


4. Blog about this contest somewhere else
and post the link here. 5 Entries Please
post five times.


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please post five times.


Hey there, while you are here don't forget to enter
my Mommy Tool Box and Port a Pong Contests!

I have never laughed so hard in my whole life! a SHRED
SLED Rocks! We had the best time with the review and
I have got to tell you all about it! Andrew is a huge fan of
Skateboarding and I love to Roller Skate to death. When I
saw the Shred Sled I knew we had to try it! Now remember
here we are pros's. Okay, not pros's but we have both spent
a lot of time with both of the for-mentioned items and have
a lot of equipment to show for it. Andrew has a pretty nice
Board Collection and even some collectors editions signed
by some of his Favorite Skaters for he is an Extreme Sports
nut and I grew up Skating and then Roller Blading and in
fact I was so into it that was my means of transportation to
and from my first real job for a lot of years. Put it to you this
way, I bought my first car on my own new, off the lot and had
it for 10 years. I only had 44 thousand miles on it when I sold
it for I just drove it to the store or in the winter. The rest of the
time I either skated to work or rode my bike. You would think
I would have some pretty good balance.
I also got all riled up for the man in charge over at
Shred Sled is also a huge fan of his product and I was
goofing around and told him I was even going to try to get
up on this baby myself, even though I am 40 years old! He
laughed and said he is 45 and rides every day! UM, can you
say challenge to a very competitive person? How can I pass
that up? Okay, you are not going to get pictures of the bruises
but let's just say I should have passed that up. Being old
School, Michelle does not own padding and it hurts a lot
more to hit the ground at 40 then it did at 20. I bow, you
win, but don't think I won't get padding and try again! If my
doctor knew I had even tried a thing like this with my issues
she would have strapped me in a hospital bed before I even
got out the door. You know what they say, Pride come before
the Fall. Well, I fell, Hard! I say Shred Sled won this round
but once I heal and strap a pillow to my rear I will be back!
Andrew on the other hand got it! Now it took a while but
he got it! Now granted he has youth on his side and a
Skate Board is harder then Roller Skates but don't think
for a second that didn't hurt my ego too! One thing though,
Andrew and I have not had so much fun together in a long
time! This is a must have item for anyone who loves
Snowboarding, Blading, Skateboarding or Surfing for it is
all about balance. I almost gave up on Andrew making it
past the sidewalk for a lot of trial and error went
on here but he did it and once a person gets the hang of
it they really get the hang of it. Okay, he is not
at trick level yet but my goodness, just to walk back in
with all of his appendages in tact was a surprise for me.
Now I am not implying it is dangerous for it
is no more so then any of the others things I mentioned but
I am implying Andrew has a way of destroying things if it
is my good China, a TV or DVD player or his own body,
the kid has broken it more then once! I can't wait to
we convince John to try, and Oh, we will convince him!
He thinks he can avoid us but we will wear him down. I
still remember the day they discovered a water balloon
sling shot and if I can deal with the chaos they caused
there he can deal with the little bit of embarrassment he
might suffer as we point and laugh! I am still laughing over
Andrew and I's initial attempts! One of the things I loved
the best about the Shred Sled is the fact it is so unique
and cool looking you can't help but to want to try it out.
When Andrew and I went to test it out, while we were out
there, a crowd of neighborhood kids gathered and they
had to try it to and so on and so forth and next thing you
know everyone wanted to get out there and go to town.
I loved that! I also loved the fact it made you want to get
off the couch and go out and DO SOMETHING! I swear,
since Winter has started I can feel my bottom get bigger
and this was such the cure.



Now take away the fact that Andrew and
I have some skills on a Skateboard and on Roller Skates,
if this were to fall into the hands of a person who was really
into Extreme Sports and not just one little area of them,
can you imagine how awesome it would look to see them
Zipping around! Take my Nephew in Law, once he gets
a load of this, Oh my, I am so sure that will be the last
time we see it for he will be miles away laughing like
a fool before we can pull on our shoes. That boy is a
natural. In fact any person old enough to Skateboard,
Surf or Snowboard could do wonders with this if given
a chance. Did I mention how dang cool it looks? I was
checking out the Demo Video and tips for the Sled and
as you can see by the picture Andrew did start by a wall
like the tips say, but these kids in the video, WOW!
Unlike a skate board you don't have to keep pumping
the pavement for speed, just wiggle your feet to keep
going like skates and you have so much more flexibility
then a Board the possibilities are endless. It takes
practice, I won't lie to you, but once mastered what
a show! I saw this on our news here a while ago and
Andrew has been babbling about wanting one and until
we actually saw it I did not realize how cool it really
was. The Sled is built to last and unlike a board it has
the center that allows movement and you can just
about do anything you dream of if you put your mind to
it! I may have bit the pavement but I had a lot of fun
trying and Andrew is no where near done honing his
skills and John WILL ride! If you are looking for
something for your kids, have a hankering to walk on
the wild side yourself or need a gift, the Shred Sled
is your man! Or Board, Or whatever you are going to
call it for I think it is in a class by itself. Even though
there have been leap and bounds of advancements
in technology, I truly have not seen an original idea
for an outdoor item since the Roller Blade 20 something
years ago and this is just the thing we have all been
waiting for to get us up off the couch and away from
the video games and back on our feet's ( or behinds,
in my case) Get out and Play everyone!
The Shred Sled would make an awesome Valentines Day
gift for just about everyone on your list who loves to be
a part of the outdoor world and be sure to check them
out on my Gift Guide but you can also win one right here!
The great guy ( who shreds daily at 45) Eric over at Shred
Sled is going to give one to a reader of mine! To enter just
head over to the site and take a look around, be sure
to check out the video for some of the awesome things
they can do, then come back here and post what you
have learned in a comment. The contest will start today
and run to midnight on March 6th! USA and 18
and older can enter daily and the winner
will be contacted by email and have 72 hours to
contact me with their mailing information. As always
you can earn a bonus entry by entering the contest of
the day and other ways to enter are posted below.

Shred Sled


Extra entries.
Extra entries only count after the initial entry
is completed.

1. Become a follower of my blog or
post that you are. 3 entries,
please post 3 times.

2. Enter any of my other contest. I entry
per contest, separate post for each entry.

3. Grab my button. 5 entries. Please post
5 times.

4. Blog about this contest somewhere else
and post the link here. 5 Entries Please
post five times.

Hey there, while you are here don't forget to enter
my Zehn Naturals and Easy Lunch Box Systems contests!

Don't forget to check out the Shred Sled on the Valentines
Day Gift guide!

I grew up with my Grandparents and they
were pretty much retired when I came around so
I got the chance to be pretty spoiled. We had a summer
home in Northern Michigan on a lake called Black Lake.
It was gorgeous and there is not a day of my life that goes by
where I do not miss my time there. We lived right on the lake and I
spent every day on water one way or another. I was also third the
generation Female in my family and the only daughter of an only
daughter so when I showed on the scene my Grandfather was pretty
much like heck with this, no boys, she is going to be my boy
no matter what. The results? I grew up a total tomboy and lived
my life swinging in tree's, playing with bugs, tromping through the
woods and fishing. Every single morning I would break out my
gear and walk down to the lake and catch some fish.



By 8 I had my own tackle and poles and by 10 I was taking
it pretty serious. I could catch as many as 50 perch in a single
morning and after every 4 or 5 I would run up the hill and tell
my Grandmother. Now she loved fish and I could see her pulling out
the metal frying pan and bag of Cornmeal with a big Ole smile on
her face and never put two and two together that she wanted to
cook them. The other thing about me is I loved all wildlife and
could not kill a thing. After a successful haul I would drag my
Bucket up the hill and show her how crowded it was with Perch,
Rock bass, Sunfish and the like and as soon as she reached for them
I would run right back down the hill and dump them in the
lake and wonder why they floated and didn't swim away.
(Lesson to rookie fisher people, fish kept in a plastic bucket for
more then a few hours do not live) Depressed I would go back to
the house and cry to my Grandmother who would assure me
tomorrow they would make it to the house.


She thought I never let her cook them because they had
already died


I thought she wanted to help me return them to the lake.


It wasn't until I was much older I realized her plans were
to have a fish fry all along. I would have been appalled.


Now when my son was around 6 I realized he had never been
fishing. Unlike me, who had my Grandparents to spend all
my time with, Andrew lived a life shuttled between two
parents who worked and by the time we had some free
time it was already over. This would not do. I packed up
the car with our clothes and did not even have poles
for mine had been up North when they sold the house
and drove. I drove out into the country and decided I was not
going to stop until I got to a place that was perfect for fishing.
I wasn't even looking at a map and didn't really have a clue
but come hell or high water that boy was going to fish. About
5 hours later I passed a sign for a Lake, the a bridge over
a small river, then another and another all with in a few
miles and knew this must be some sort of water system
and that's when I saw the sign for a Damn. Now Damns off of rivers
that are close to Lakes are a perfect place to catch all kinds
of fish. One side of the Damn offers you game fish for its
always super deep and the other has your starter fish and Bass.
( I always think of Perch and Rock bass and Sunfish as the starter
fish for all you have to do is show them a worm and you caught
one) I stopped at the next gas station and asked where the
closest place I could get a fishing License was and he directed
me to a Walmart up the road a spell ( when you are in the country
you have to speak the language!) At that Walmart I bought
my license and they had starter kits for fishing too. Like ready
made packs that had a pole, a tackle box and some gear. I
grabbed us two and some worms, stopped at a Motel and got
us a room for the weekend and then at KFC and got us a dinner
pack and we went back to the Damn. I created a monster.
I don't think Andrew knew where we were, ( somewhere south
of Elkhart Indiana) and not sure he even remembers we sat at a
Damn all weekend, but he sure remembers the fish and the
pole and the gear and has most of it still. He has evolved since
then and has a lot more gear, his Dad has a Bass boat, his poles
are everywhere and he doesn't go with me very often anymore
but has a network of Fishing buddies from Friends and Family
and even by himself since we live 2 miles from the
River. The Little Tackle Box has been replaced by some
Goliath and I can't count his poles for they are so numerous and
they even include salt water ( though the closest ocean is
a 2 day drive) Deep water and so on. Reels are just as bad.
He has what was left of my lure collection and so many more
he needed to get another tackle box for Goliath wasn't big enough.
He has also expanded to other outdoor sports. Target practice,
the shooting range, he just started Skeet last year and got
his first shot gun for his 16th Birthday ( that is at his Dads, Mom
is anti gun!) and I hear he is a natural and a super shot!
When I spoke to Glacier Outdoors I didn't tell him for
I would not put it past him to play sick and stay home
to the day it got here. When he was 12 I got him a Camel
Back and you would have thought I gave him the keys
to the city and he wouldn't take the thing off for 3 weeks.

"Andy, you are walking the dog why are you wearing your


Camel back?"


"Might get thirsty Mom."


Andy, it's only the corner store and less then a block."


"Mom, Dehydration is a bad bad thing. You want me to take
that chance?"


You see what I live with? Well this item is so much cooler
then a Camel Back so I didn't want to take that chance.
When the box came I read the label first and didn't open it.
I wanted him to so I could see his face. When he got home I
was feeding Rowan, ( pretty much any time you walk in the house
I am, that girl can eat!) so I told him I had a product review that
was on the table and would he mind opening it for me. He sighed
and went to the box.


" You don't want me to be a Guinea Pig for you again do you?"


"Well, if you don't want to I can have someone else. I just


thought you might like this one. But, (DRAMATIC SIGH) never mind,
I could do this one myself."


"You hate having your picture taken!"


"Yeah, but it's cool."


"Fine."


He bust open the box and found himself staring at it, well
the back of it.


"Great, a back pack. I told you I don't need one for school
anymore."


"Take it out of the box."


He did and his eyes got a little bigger when he saw the front.
Then the tag. Then it hit him.


"Is this one of those....."


"Yes."


"But you said I had too much and not this year?"


"Yes, but they asked if we would review it and I couldn't think
of a person more perfect for this review."


"HOW COOL!"


Now those are words I never get out of him anymore. As he sat
flipping through the pockets and giving it the 360 with a big
old smile on his face I knew this would make a perfect gift
for any hunter, fisher or hiker. If this can bring a smile to a
16 year old's face who thinks the world is nothing but chaos
and people who just don't understand him and every other
emotion a sullen teen goes through it would work wonders
on my Husband or any man with a pension for sports, sports
gadgets or gear.I am not sure how it works in the field yet for
he called Dad about 15 minutes after the picture was
taken to have him come and fetch him to get one more
Fishing trip in before winter. I have not heard from
either of them since but when he left the things was
jammed packed with everything he said he needed. To
the point of busting packed and I asked if he really needed
everything in the pack how did he survive before he got
it and he told me that he just always felt so un-prepared.
I guess he still does have a sense of humor. I thought
he lost that at 14. When his Dad came they had to tear through
the whole thing and I felt like I was watching a couple of
5 year old's on Christmas morning. He had a flashlight?
For? Who knows? and his hunting knife, the new lures he
got for his birthday. And extra reel for salt water. Again, For?
He had more stuff in that pack then I do in Rowans diaper
bag and my purse combined. I am thinking he loves it!


Now as a shopper I wanted to make sure this was a
great gift before I ran off and got one for my super Jealous
husband who really wants to know when he is going to test
something really cool too. I did my trusty old research and here
is a little of what I found. The combo pack is pretty much two
separate products for the price of one. The pack is from
Glacier Glove and one of Glacier outdoors premium
packs that is lined with water resistant fleece and has tons
of storage room and rod holders and bright interior lining
for increased visibility. ( a mom and wife worry about that!)
It has form fitting straps and I was amazed at how light it
is. To get this much storage space I have had to buy hiking
packs before and those are so heavy that once I ruined my
back I could no longer wear them, this pack to me is as
light as a child's school pack and I was tickled pink for I am
going to borrow it for a reason I will list in a minute. I might
have to pry it from Andrews vice like grip but borrow it I will!
Another cool feature is the chest pack can not only hook to
any back pack you have so if you have lots of stuff like my
boys you can keep them on the ready for different reasons
then just hook the front pack to them and run out the door
without having to move all your gear from one to the other.
It also hooks to a life vest! Now that is cool. I can see my
son ( and husband ) now telling me they can't wear the life-vest
because of the backpack they must wear and not just keep in
the boat and I can proudly inform them to just unhook the front
pack with all the necessity's and hook it to the vest! No excuses,
happy Mom. The last thing I found as a need to know is if you
are not going far or don't want the back pack part on due to heat
or just to lazy to lug it you can wear the front pack alone.
It will hook on all by itself and has much more room then
a waist pack. Cool beans!


Last of all why I want to borrow it. I know Glacier Outdoors,
big, strong tuff sports guys that they are might cringe when they
see this but I can't help it, it needs to be said.This is perfect
for a Mom or Dad on a day trip anywhere with the kids. Next time
you go to the State Fair, or a Nature reserve, or the Cider Mill
or anywhere that there is walking and you are tired to death
of dragging 732 different bags and other items you can
just tuck everything in this pack. The front feature will allow
you to hold bottles, and diapers and little baggies of Goldfish
crackers and other "Must Have" items for traveling with kids
and not have to stop, set a bag down and dig. It is right there
at your finger tips. In the back part you can store extra items
to wear if the weather changes or whatever else you need.
I love this idea and if Andrew does not let me borrow it, face
it he has 100 pounds on me and can lift an Abrams Tank, I can
only do so much to get my way, I might just go and get one for
me for that reason alone. I am sure Graco and other baby
places are kicking themselves right now wondering why they
didn't think of this!

Last but not least I have some great news to share
with you. Since this is a Brand new item Glacier Outdoors
wants to share it with one of you! That's right, you heard me,
you can win one of these babies for you house. If your guys
use it for hunting or fishing or you claim it for yourself
and use it for the kids is up to you but the one thing that
is the same is this is one awesome product! The contest will
start today December 12th and run to January 13th at Midnight.
USA and 18 and older can enter daily and the winner
will be contacted by email and have 72 hours to
contact me with their mailing information. As always
you can earn a bonus entry by entering the contest of
the day and other ways to enter are posted below.


http://www.glacieroutdoor.com/index.php


Extra entries.
Extra entries only count after the initial entry
is completed.

1. Become a follower of my blog or
post that you are. 3 entries,
please post 3 times.

2. Enter any of my other contests. 1 entry
per contest, separate post for each entry.

3. Grab my button. 5 entries. Please post
5 times.

4. Blog about this contest somewhere else
and post the link here. 5 Entries Please
post five times. Blog about it on Glacier
Outdoors Blog and get 3 bonus entries.
Please post 8 times and leave the link
here in your post.


5. Follow Glacier Outdoors on Twitter and post your
user name here. 5 entries, please post 5 times.

6. Follow Glacier Outdoors on Face Book. 5 entries.
Please post 5 times.


Now that is a lot of ways to enter but this pack
has a retail value of 149.99 and worth every penny!



Hey there, while you are here don't forget to enter
my Fiji Water and Lily Me Contests.