Cuisinart Gas Grill Review

I love summer cooking!  Grilled chicken paired with fresh veggies from the market makes a quick and easy meal.  We've been experimenting with grilling different vegetables and trying out the Cuisinart All Foods Tabletop Gas Grill.

We have been without a grill for a couple of years now, so we were excited to be able to try this one out.  The small size was appealing because there is not much extra space in our small garage.  I was getting really sick of eating steamed veggies (from a bag of frozen) and thought this looked like a great way to add some variety.  Ross is the grill master in our house, so I'll let him tell you about his experience with this:

For as much grilling as we do and the amount of storage space we have this compact grill is a great fit.  The size means it is easy to transport whether from the garage to the patio or from home to the park.  It also heats up quickly which has made it the option of choice for last minute meals this summer.

The side trays swing out from over the grill and work well for holding platters and grilling utensils.  The stainless steel construction of the trays and lid make for an easy to clean surface.  On the lid is a handy built in thermometer.  Its very sturdy and well put together - not like many of the flimsy or top heavy camping style grills I've seen.

Having a grill again has allowed us to try new spice rubs on our meats, experiment for the first time grilling vegetables, and given Christy a break from cooking meals every now and again.  It has definitely added variety to our summertime meal plan.

Overall we have been very happy with the Cuisinart grill.  A few options to consider would be the adapter that allows you to hook up a larger propane tank (we have gone through nearly half a dozen small ones so far), the stand (if you prefer upright grilling and don't have an outdoor table), and a grill cover if you plan on leaving it out in the elements.

Note: apparently the grill used to come with a removable veggie panel.  The newer model that we received did not come with that even though it is the same model number.  Although it is listed in the Amazon description of the item, I am not sure whether or not you would receive a veggie panel should you order this item.

Here are two of my favorite ways to eat grilled vegetables:

Grilled Cabbage - cut head of cabbage into 6-8 wedges.  Wrap each wedge in foil with slices of butter and plenty of garlic salt.  Grill for about 20 minutes.  This is sooo good!  We don't eat cabbage otherwise, but this is delicious.

Grilled Asparagus - wash asparagus spears and drizzle with olive oil.  Add generous amounts of salt, pepper, and fresh minced garlic.  Place on grill for 3-4 minutes on each side until the ends begin to crisp up just a bit.

Of course there are plenty more recipes - sliced potatoes, onions, and butter wrapped in foil; veggies on a skewer; etc.  Check out Tammy's Recipes for more grilling ideas.  I want to try grilled pizza next!

Thanks Cuisinart for sending us the grill to review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

UV Skinz Review and Giveaway

Our summer has been filled with several fun trips to the beach, vacationing at the cottage, and more!  We live close enough to Lake Michigan that we can take a quick trip out there after dinner any time we'd like to.  Lucy and Julia have been wearing UV Skinz shirts to protect them from too much sun.  It is so much faster and easier to slip on the shirts than to struggle with applying messy sunscreen to wiggly kids.  

We received a shirt and shorts set from UV Skinz for review and are very pleased with it.  UV Skinz was started by Rhonda Sparks after loosing her 32 year old husband to skin cancer.  She is passionate about helping people learn about proper sun protection while still having fun outdoors.  

Lucy and Julia both enjoy wearing the sun shirt and do not find it tight or itchy at all (something I wondered about).  These are very well made with a nice thick swimsuit type fabric.  The shirt fits nicely, but is not tight.  I chose a size 4, Lucy's current size, and its easy enough for Julia to wear it with the sleeves rolled up.  The shorts have a drawstring that I pull tighter for Julia.  (Well, until the shorts got washed and the drawstring slipped into the shorts so now she can't wear them anymore because I can't get them tight enough.)  They are supposed to be hand washed.

We have worn the shirts for a couple of months now and they are still bright and new looking, only the shorts show a bit of wear.  UV Skinz are definitely quality pieces of clothing that I will be able to hand down to the younger girls.  These are even great for keeping the girls warm when its a bit chilly but they want to play in the water.  I would recommend getting the shorts too so that you have a complete swimsuit.  

Ok, I know I'm going on and on about these, but I have one more point.  I really like that these are modest two piece suits.  I won't allow my girls to wear traditional bikini suits, but these allow for easy potty breaks while staying covered up.  

Ready to shop?  There is a code on their homepage good for 15% off with another 10% being donated to the Melanoma International Foundation.  There are also some steals in the clearance section.  In fact I just ordered next year's sizes for all three girls.

Want to win one?  One winner will receive any item of their choosing from the UV Skinz website.  Leave a comment on this post to enter.  You can have extra entries for the following:  (leave a comment for each extra entry)

- subscribing to their monthly newsletter

- liking both UV Skniz and One Little Word She Knew on Facebook

- blogging about the giveaway with links to this post and to UV Skinz

- following UV Skinz on Twitter

Be sure to leave a contact email address.  I'll close the giveaway on August 20th at midnight.  Good luck!

*Giveaway closed.  Congrats Renee!*

Badger Anti-Bug Balm

I hate mosquitos!  The ones we have in Michigan this year are particularly awful.  They are determined to bite, and the bites are extra itchy and longer lasting than usual, even on Ross and me.  Julia looked like she had chicken pox for a while because she had three or four bites on her face that she kept scratching.  We've been testing out Badger Anti-Bug Balm lately and find it helpful.

Last year we used Burt's Bees, which is okay, but its really oily and I hate getting my hands all messy and smelly with it.  Ours had a spray top, but it didn't work right so we always had to rub it on.  Badger offers their Anti-Bug Balm in a twist up tube, which is really nice.  I don't have to touch the stuff, it rubs on just the right amount.  It smells like lemon citronella, much better than chemical bug sprays.  Another plus is that its easy to carry in the diaper bag without fear of it spilling.

We have been using this regularly for a couple of weeks now.  Some evenings we all put it on just to go for a walk, the mosquitos are that bad.  Sitting outside waiting for fireworks, we did still have a few mosquitos bothering us.  I think maybe caking it on more would help.  The ingredients are all certified organic and I love that I don't have to worry about exposing my girls to chemicals.  Two thumbs up for another great product from Badger!  (We love their sunscreen too.)

Badger Anti-Bug Balm is on sale here until July 15th.  You can also find it at diapers.com (click here for my discount code).  Thanks Badger!

Badger sent me their Anti-Bug Balm for review free of charge.  Opinions expressed are my own.

Safe Popsicle Molds

My girls love homemade popsicles on a hot summer day! *I* love homemade popsicles because I can control what goes into them. All I have to do is put some organic vanilla yogurt or juice in a popsicle mold and my girls think its a super special treat.  In my never ending quest to rid my kitchen of BPA and unknown plastics, I set out to find a safe popsicle mold.  Although the ones I had were not the common BPA suspect (clear hard plastic), they also were not labeled with a number of any kind and I had no way of telling what type plastic they were made of.

Kinderville makes a silicone BPA-free popsicle mold that is cute and fun.  We received a set for review and have been enjoying lots of popsicles ever since.  My girls had to get used to the idea of pushing up the popsicle, but these actually work pretty well at containing drips.  To use the mold, you hold it upright, fill it, and then fit the cap on.  It can be a little bit tricky to find a good place in the freezer to stand these up.  Whatever you do, don't slip it through the slots in the shelf rack because it will expand and get stuck there and then you'll be standing in front of the freezer having a big fight with your popsicle mold and shelf.  Yeah, don't do that.

I rinse the molds as soon as we are done with them and they clean up easily that way.  A nice feature is that if your child doesn't finish the popsicle you can just pop the lid back on and return it to the freezer.  We will definitely be getting lots of use out of these this summer.  If you'd like to try these yourself, you can use the code FREE40 for free shipping with the purchase of $40 or more at the Kinderville store.  While you're there, check out the other great products available.  Thanks Kinderville!  

Strider Balance Bike Review

Lucy and Julia can both ride a bike! (Scroll down to the next post for video clips.)

We're had a Strider Prebike for just over a month now and you can see from the videos that Lucy is doing very well with it. I initially thought that Julia would enjoy the bike most, as she is a bit more outgoing and Lucy is my cautious one. Both girls were very hesitant on the bike at first and wanted Daddy to hold on to the bike while they "rode"... or rather, "very slowly walked". After showing them video clips of kids riding their Strider bikes, Lucy was determined to learn. Without saying anything, she just kept picking up the bike to practice, slowly getting faster and learning balance. Julia also enjoys riding now and can pick up her feet and glide for a short time.

I had seen balance bikes popping up on the internet and in stores and was interested in trying one out. My girls aren't super sporty, but this looked like a great way to teach them balance and confidence. I read reviews and did some research looking for the best balance bike for our needs. Strider was my top pick for several reasons:

- lightweight. Its only 6.9 lbs. Lucy and Julia can both pick up the bike, carry it, and easily maneuver it while riding.

- small. The seat height is one of the smallest available on a balance bike, but still offers a good range of adjustability. The optional seat clamp quick release allows us to quickly adjust the seat height for our two riders.

- sturdy. I read reports of some of the wooden balance bikes falling apart or warping. The Strider is very sturdy and well made. Various replacement parts can be purchased from Strider if you were to need them.

Our Strider was easy to assemble, even for bike novices like ourselves, and the girls were excited to try it out. The first couple of times they were on the bike, I thought it was going to take them forever to learn. It did take weeks of practice, but now they are soo cute and love to glide on their bike. Lucy can even ride it through our bumpy yard with no problem. She rides down to my car parked at the end of the driveway, stops just in time and whips the bike around to come back up the driveway. She likes to ride the Strider when we go on a walk around the neighborhood and manages just fine the whole way.

I love our little Strider bike and love to see the confidence and enjoyment its given the girls, especially Lucy. We've been talking about getting her a bike with training wheels for her birthday this summer, but I'm so glad she's been able to learn on the Strider first. The other day as we were walking Ross even commented "This is just such a better way to learn to ride a bike!" Check out the Strider website for more information and fun video clips of children riding their bikes. And of course check out my cuties in the post below!

Disclaimer: We received a bike from Strider to review, no other compensation was received. All opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.

Would you like to win one?

Check out the Strider website and tell me what color you'd choose if you win.  This is open to US residents only and will close on July 1st at midnight.  Be sure to include your email address in your comment or blogger profile so that I can contact you.  For extra entries you can do any of the following, leaving a comment for each one -

- follow my blog
- subscribe by email to my blog
- watch the videos in the post below this (come back here and tell me you watched them to get your extra entry)
- blog about this giveaway linking back here and to Strider (leave me the link in your comment)
- become a fan of One Little Word She Knew on Facebook

This makes a total of 6 possible entries.  Good luck!

Please be sure to leave separate comments for each entry, and a way for me to contact you!!  Thanks!
Giveaway is closed.  Congrats FancygrlNancy!

Strider Balance Bike Videos

Just Starting Out from Christy Vande Waa on Vimeo.

Slowly Getting Braver from Christy Vande Waa on Vimeo.

Look At Her Go! from Christy Vande Waa on Vimeo.

This is my first time posting videos to this blog, please let me know if you have trouble viewing them for some reason. Thanks!

Safe Sunscreen

Its already time to start thinking about sun protection! Even though it can still be chilly here, a few hours in the bright afternoon sun will cause damage to my fair skinned girls. I am extremely picky about the skin products we use - there is absolutely no reason to expose my kids to chemicals and unsafe products. Sunscreen is used so often in the summer and covers large areas of kids' bodies - its important to use something safe.

Badger Sunscreen has a zero rating in the cosmetics database, the best rating available. They use zinc oxide, a mineral considered the safest and most protective sunscreen ingredient. Badger Sunscreen is a "physical barrier" sunscreen rather than a "chemical" sunscreen. You can read more about their sunscreen here. The fact that they take the time to explain so much about their sunscreen, its ingredients, and how its made is impressive in itself.

We've been using Badger Sunscreen for two summers now and just received a tube of their new unscented formula for review. They just took out the essential oils that gave it fragrance. I didn't mind the other formula, but this one is perfect. It has just the lightest scent from the ingredients. The sunscreen goes on thick and creamy white, but rubs in nicely.

Here is a picture of Julia with sunscreen on one arm and not the other. She has sunscreen on her right arm - the glare in the photo makes it look a bit brighter, but in person I couldn't tell.

A fun fact about Badger - they are a green company and they even serve an organic local free lunch to their employees every day! The plastic tubes are phthalate free. Most of the ingredients they use are organic. Sounds good to me.

For more information on safe sunscreen check out the EWG Report on Sunscreen.

Urban Baby Bonnets

Adorable.

I came across these unique baby bonnets and absolutely love them! We got to review one, and its just as cute in person as it looks online. The bonnets are all handmade in the US, reversible, and sooo much fun. I love the fabric combinations available. Esther has been wearing hers now to keep the chilly wind off of her, but it will also be great in the summer as a sun hat. We can even use it as a nursing cover up by folding the brim forward. There are boy hats available, and super cute fleece hats for winter too.

Designer-Mom Colette, is an artist and enjoys spreading her cheerful colored bonnets across the world in what she calls the urban baby bonnet project. A sort of worldwide sculptural installation. You can read her artist/ project statement on her website. I love that her business is not just about selling bonnets, its about the color and art and life involved. Very cool and so much fun to be a part of.

Esther's hat fits her well with room to grow. I like that it snaps, rather than having long ties or scratchy velcro. There are several snaps, so the hat will fit her for quite a while. The hats are a bit pricey, so I consider this a splurge item. You could think of it as buying a fine piece of artwork though, and what better way to display art than on your sweet little one? I'm sure we'll get lots of use out of this hat.

Would you like one? One winner will receive a $15 gift certificate to Urban Baby Bonnets. To enter, check out their Etsy shop and website and let me know your favorite bonnet. (If you win, this will be the one your gift certificate will be good towards.) For extra entries you can also:

be a follower of my blog,

be a confirmed email subscriber of my blog, and/ or

"like" Urban Baby Bonnets on Facebook,

Leave a separate comment for each extra entry. You must complete the first entry for the extra entries to be valid. I will close the giveaway on May 5 at midnight.

Colette has also given us a code for free shipping: FREESHIPWAA. Thanks Urban Baby Bonnets!

*Closed. Comment #5 wins!*