Because I Said So!!! Mom Knows Best!

Winter is over here but before it disappeared we
got a chance to do one product review and you guys
need to put this on a list and get before next Winter.
Blame me for not finding it sooner and when I did
find it we were right in the midst of the biggest
snow storm of the season so I thought for sure we
would have weeks of the white stuff hanging around.
Welcome to Michigan and the home of the wildly erratic
weather that can be 70 one day and 70 below the next.
Even the morning it came there was still tons of snow
on the ground but the weather warmed up so much
that day alone that when Andrew and I ran to the
park on the corner with the sled hill it was already gone.
Now lucky for us in Michigan we have a Toboggan Run
that is Chilled and lasts longer into the season and
a total blast. A water slide in the summer and for
sleds in the winter and I drug the boys there to
test out this puppy for no way could I wait. Now
I will post this review again in the fall to remind
you but if you can get one this year I suggest you
do for they are a total blast and now is the time to
get them in stock before the word spreads and they
are all snatched up. The only downside is we could not
take anything on the run with us so no pictures but
I do have one of the sled and you gotta see it,
this baby is totally different then any sled you have
seen before. The Zipfy! Mini Luge! What a total blast!
Zipfy is this little fellow and just like the Star Wars
movie were little old Yoda comes creaking into the
launch hanger to confront Darth Dooku and Dooku launches
that lightening at poor little Yoda and you think he has
had it and then BAM, that little fellow is all over him,
zipping around and running circles around his foe. He is
faster then any old lightening and that is how we felt
about the Zipfy! Super fast and awesome control and
we never had such a blast. This is a little guy and
like a little guy it is super light. Looks scary when
faced with a hill but if you look at the flip side while
your pals are drag-gen up their huge heavy old clunkers
you are skipping up with you lighter then light little
old Zipfy. Then you get to the top. Buddy next store has
just made it while you enjoyed a cup of cocoa and
had a break. Here he is all winded and exhausted and
you are fit as a fiddle and you line up next to him.
Again, when you look at it and then big old Papa next
store you are thinking of one of those car races where
this clunker pulls up shooting backfire and sounding
as if it is going to stall out any minute and the
High end Sports car rolls up next to it. Little tiny
guy ( us) High end, 7,000 pound sled! ( them)
You think the race is over before it even begins.
How can you keep up with something that can cut
a mile wide path down the hill? Your hiney is resting
on a little seat, they are sprawled out on this
long old luxury raft. Starting count down,
5
4
3
2
1
YODA IS OFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
and you are flying down that hill zipping over the
bumps and not being slowed down as you are forced
to cut through them. Weave in and out of obstacles for
you have so much better control. To the left, to the
right, you can go anywhere you want with little guy
and they are forced to take the path of least resistance
and turn, please, they will tip, you on the other hand,
do a complete circle and not miss a beat. This little
guy is everywhere! Anywhere! and more!
I have never went so fast on a sled in my life
and I swear I thought I was at a theme park! Like
a bullet we were at the bottom and looking for a bigger
hill. If I had not waited at the bottom to gloat when
big old banana boat got to the bottom there is a good
chance I could have ran to the top and did it again
before he even got there. Zipfy rules!
Where other people look and see tiny and therefore
not as good or fast, I see Yoda and he kicked old
Count Dooku's butt! The Zipfy kicked every other sled
on the runs butt that day and I spent more time telling
people where I got it then taking turns myself.
John got my turn, Andrew got a bunch. Everyone
got to go over and over again for you have to take
your sled back up to the top and while other people
struggled we could have ran for it is so light it is
like carting along a Saucer Sled not a Real one!
The Zipfy Mini Luge is cutting edge sledding experience
and has handling that is out of this world. You can
cut those razor sharp corners and turn on a dime and
not slow down for a beat. This was the most fantastic
sledding experience ever. Now like I said go and
grab one before the word gets out and you are left
looking at empty shelves next winter and I will
post this again to remind you or maybe not..............
Hey, I live in Michigan and we have sand dunes and
guess what? They are supposed to be just as fun on
those too! I plan on taking a short trip over to the
lake this Summer and I am going to hit a dune and
if I do I will be sure to get some highlights of that!
Unlike a big old sled there are not holes or crevices
for sand to get jammed in and being a solid piece of
plastic it makes a Zipfy mini luge perfect for the sand
and also means my Zipfy is a year round toy.
So yes, I was depressed there was no snow left and
we have to drive all the way to the sled run but
now that I know I can hit the sand with it, the frown
has been turned upside down and while you are
stuck making a sandcastle I am going to be zip-pen
down the hills! Zipfy Mini Luge, check them out and
see what the fuss it for once you try one you will never
be winded dragging a big old monster up a hill again!

Zipfy!

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.


5. Tweet about this contest. 5 entries
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 hate my Kitchen. Not really the Kitchen but
rather what is in the cupboards and Drawers and
what isn't in them. What isn't in them is space
what is would be so much junk I can barely shut
a drawer or door. It was just bad to Rowan came
and now it is even going to get worse. Baby's have
their own everything and my cupboard was already
Jam packed before her with Dishes and Good Dishes,
Glasses and good ones and specialty drink ones.
Storage Bowls and Andrews collection of glasses and
mugs. Coffee cups and refillable convenience store
cups. Thermos, soup containers, condiment trays
and containers and more. The Drawers, even worse.
I have so many different kinds of Spatulas and
mixing spoons, measuring cups and lids that go to,
I don't know what. It is enough to drive a person
mad. I need to just takes the Drawers and the Cupboards
and dump everything and start over. Now I have
been adding Rowans items, her plates and bowls, her
silver wear and snack containers, Bottles and sippy
cups, I feel like it is never going to end. I need
help getting it organized, better yet I need items
that either do it all or take up less space. In
my search for those items I came across Guyot
Designs. These guys must have had some Cupboards and
drawers like mine to come up with the goods they
have!
I was browsing through their items and I
realized I could dump half the items in my
kitchen and replace it with only a handful of
their items. I was sent the squishy bowls for
review and I have to say, bowls are a huge space
taker in my dish cabinet. Not only do I have the
bowls that come with my dishes, the good and
the everyday, I also have plastic bowls for
Andy, snack bowls, cereal bowls and bowls for
Rowan. Each bowl is supposed to serve a different
purpose but the truth is it is just the same bowl
over and over again. I can't get rid of the plastic
no matter how much I want to for they are the ones
I use the most with the kids. One gets tossed in
the diaper bag, they get tossed in for lunches
and are always filled with snacks. Andrew is 16 and
I should be able to use the glass but every time
he does it comes back broken. They also cart them
out by the pool and it is defiantly not a good idea
to have glass out there no matter how old or safe
the person thinks they are for just break one and
it doesn't matter how much you think you clean up
the glass someone with their bare feet is going to
end up with a chunk in their foot. So the plastic
is here to stay and there is no getting around that
but Guyot Designs makes it a whole lot more easy
for instead of taking up almost two shelves in
the cupboard I can just stick them in a drawer
and because they all squish up they will fit. I will
still get the safety of plastic for their snacks
and well, heck, with the kids, eating in general
and I also get my space back! They are also
perfect for Rowan's diaper bag and Andrew and
Johns lunch bucket and even better, when we go
to State parks and lakes for the day I don't
have to carry around a couple of tote bags with
plastic bowls and silver wear. Now it can
all fit in one and leave me room to spare. They
also make a Squishy Bowl for Pets and that really
rocks for I bought these little paper ones for
when we hit the parks and they fall apart. The
big plastic container is way to bulky to carry
and what we were left with was to pour some
water into a cup for Boo and tilt the cup so
she could drink out of it. With Squishy bowls I
just toss it into the same tote as ours and
again, I still have room left! Boo can drink
without finding a puddle, I don't have to sit
there and hold a cup and nobody has to carry
her 80 dollar travel set around that seemed like
a great idea at the time. Duh, if I could only
take it back. Do you know how many Squishy bowls
I could have bought for 80 bucks? They also come
in all sorts of sizes and have me covered big
time!
Guyot Designs also carries the Utensils
for your home and travels in adult and children's
sizes and many other items such as the Gription
for adding a handle to your bottles, the Splash
Guard, the Tap Guard to protect your drinking
water with a portable filter and re-usable
bottles for your home. While we are on the
subject of bottles, and everyone has them
everywhere, Guyot Designs also has a favorite
item of mine that even though I just discovered
lately it is the best thing I have seen in the lines
of home preparedness for emergency and for travel and
something we should all have. We have lost power in
our Condo four times since I have lived here.
That is four times in 9 years and I am not talking
about a minor power outage and you are back up
and running in a couple of hours, I am talking
about the brown out around 4 or 5 years ago, we
were down for a week, one thunderstorm that had
us down for about 5 days, once the transformer blew
and again 5 days and the other time our fuse box went
kaboom and you guys have heard tell of my landlord and
we were without power that time for almost 6. After
the brownout though there were rumors of it happening
again so I went out and bought all sorts of emergency
gear such as candles and lanterns and a crank radio/TV
thing. I wanted to be prepared. Well the issue with being
prepared is to do so you have to buy all this "stuff"
and when you are already short on space it just adds
to the clutter. To keep it out of every day way I stashed
it and that makes it useless for if the power goes out,
unless the sun is at its brightest so I can find it, I will never
see it in the dark ( even with light it would be a challenge)
and we all know things do not happen when the conditions
are perfect. Guyot has this thing called a Fireflye that
with that I could toss out most of that other stuff, stash the
Fireflye in the kitchen drawer for they take up next to
nothing in the space department and not have to
worry about space at all or emergency's for the Fireflye
turns a bottle into a lantern with an LED light in the
cap. How cool is that? I dare not show my son for he loves
gadgets and this one is beyond cool and not just something
for messing around with it is super useful. It would also
be great for Camping, in the garage, one in the basement for
those dark corners. Hang it in my over stuffed closet so I
can find the shoes I am looking for an not run out and buy
a new pair. Okay, buy a new pair to match the light? I can
be reasonable!


Now I was tickled pink in my review of Guyot Designs
and their Squishy Bowls and I personally think they are
great for around the house and yards and day trips but
the Inventors and Owners meant for them to be used
outdoors and to help preserve the outdoors for on the
site it lets you know Guyot Designs is a holistic company
incorporating ideas, lifestyle, culture and individuality.
Their core belief is that it's possible and profitable to
invent fantastic outdoor products while fostering a corporate
culture that focuses on the aspirations of their partners.
They truly care about the world around us and wish to achieve
ways for us to enjoy it without leaving a mark! My son and
Husband are going to have a great time with their products
when they fish and camp and every item in their arsenal
is great for outdoor family camping trips and a must have
item. It not only will make your trip more enjoyable, their
items are bright and lively, it will also let your trip
be more festive and bright. All while helping to maintain
your comfort and the planets. These guys are green and
I am hooked on the Squishy!


Guyot Designs was kind enough to offer one of my
readers a Squishy bowl set and a pet bowl too! To enter
just head over to their site and tell me something you
have learned. Maybe something about the C- Products or
Their Environmental Statement! Post it in a comment and
the contest will start tonight and run to Midnight on
March 28th.
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.


Guyot Designs




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 Port a Pong and Posh Little Tutus contests!

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.