Try The World Boxes - Review + GIVEAWAY

I found this amazing box subscription for moms to have some fun with their kids while learning about the world at the same time!  The kids will no doubt look forward to receiving and opening the box just as mine did.  The company is called Try The World and they have pulled out all the stops to make this an amazing experience for anyone who subscribes to their boxes.

First, a little bit about the boxes.  They are made very sturdily and are unquestionably reusable for almost anything.  It would be great to wrap a special gift because it looks like a Tiffany's box (my kids actually did this last week on my birthday without my even suggesting it), storing important items neatly in a closet or on a shelf and if you are willing to share them with your little ones they will no doubt love playing with it.  You will find a use for this box, it is truly great quality.  And, take note of the mailing packaging it comes in.  Holy smokes!  They have pulled out all the stops on their packaging!  Presentation really matters, and not just with food!

Also, inside the box is a card describing each item, suggestions for how to eat it and some of the history behind the food.  There is also a "Culture Guide" in which you will find historical information, recipes, suggestions for songs and movies to watch as well as poems.  It is something that everyone in your family will enjoy!

Try The World boxes give you a new box every 2 months you receive another box from a new foreign country.  In it are 6-7 items to try that will make you feel like you are truly visiting, in our case, Morocco.  Past boxes have been from Brazil, France, Italy and Morocco and we are waiting to find out what next month's will be!

We made an entire Moroccan dinner with four of the six items we found in our Try The World box. We used the spice rub for our whole chicken, couscous, Cous Cous Sauce and the Argan oil was used over fresh steamed green beans topped off with sea salt.  The meal was delicious and the kids liked all of it with exception of the Cous Cous Sauce.  That did have a more adult appeal which is great because there was plenty for the kids to enjoy and there was something exciting for a more mature palate!  Win, win!  Also, the kids actually begged to try the sardines!!  I have to admit they didn't like them but they tried them which is a huge success in my book, and I got to have them all to myself without anyone trying to steal from my plate!  A true miracle.  Finally, the box of biscuits (cookies) were simply delicious!  Sweets never last long in our house!

This is how their subscriptions work.  You can purchase a single box for $39, a 3 box subscription for $105 or a 6 box subscription for $198!  The subscriptions bring you a new box every 2 months with foods from a new country each time.  For $15 off your first subscription (and you only need to order a 1 box subscription) click on this link!  Enjoy!! 

Book Review: Grandfather's Journey

We are getting really excited about visiting Washington, DC in a few weeks to take in the beauty of the blossoming cherry trees. In anticipation of that I thought we would spend a little time with the girls talking about Japan and I wanted to share a children’s book with you that we have read before and we are reading again. It is a fiction book but shares accurate information about both Japan and the US. In 1994 it won the Caldecott Medal and is still as relevant today as it was then. Wait until you see the pictures!  

Grandfather’s Journey is a story told by the Japanese American grandson of a man who traveled across the sea to explore the United States. As a result his grandfather fell in love with the US yet his unwavering love for his home country never left him. The boy tells the story of the adventures his grandfather shared with him and in doing so fell in love the U.S. as well and followed in his footsteps by traveling abroad.  

I don’t want to give away the whole story because you will enjoy it along with your kids but what I will say is that the book really spoke to my heart. What spoke to my heart most was the grandfather’s love of learning about the world around him both near and far. Passing that along for generations to come is an important part of teaching our kids to love. Love people that are alike and different from us and ultimately loving ourselves. Without love for others how can we truly love ourselves? When we love and serve someone else it does something in us that is far better than anything we can receive. We must know what other’s pain and pleasure is in order to love them.

This book is definitely worth a read and as it did with my kids it will bring about some wonderfully rich conversations about travel and cultural diversity.  It is great for any ages.  If you have a younger child just looking at the pictures and talking about them would be interesting for them.  With older children reading the text is wonderful and will start lots of great conversations if you ask some open-ended questions.

I think you will really enjoy this book a lot!  Let me know what you thought!

Let me know if you have read this book and what you thought. Also, do you have any suggestions on other books both fiction and non-fiction that could help us in ignite interest in Japanese culture?

Welcome! What You Will Find Here

Welcome to my blog!  This is designed to give moms more confidence in the decisions they make about products they use as well as the places they go for their families and for themselves.  We will be reviewing everything from books, toys, activities, make-up, clothes, shoes and many many more.

Please join us and ask any questions you have.  We can review something based on your requests too!  Also, if you are interested in collaborating with the blog through guest posting or hosting posts please contact me at brookeclarke06 @ gmail dot com.  I would love to hear from you!

Sit back and let us do the hard work for you in testing out new products that you want to use!  Many blessings to you and your families.