2019 Summer Guide

Some of the products listed in our guide have provided us with product in order to review. All thoughts and opinion listed here are our own. 

2019 Summer Guide: Discover Summer Essentials, Gift Ideas, and More

 

Outdoor Fun

The Fishing Caddy –This is the perfect gift for any man this Father’s Day as well as all the fishermen or fisherwomen in your life. This functional fishing caddy is an affordable option for their fishing needs. The Fishing Caddy is an all in one system that provides them with a place to sit, a place for their poles, LED lights for night fishing, a well for the fish they have caught, and even a place for their drinks.It comes with seat options including a tackle box seat, plush padded seat, or a 360 degree padded swivel seat. This one of a kind fishing must-have is made entirely in the United States and got its in 2017 through a Kickstarter campaign. The Fishing Caddy is now sold online at Amazon, in select Scheels locations, on Etsy, and online at The Fishing Caddy. The Fishing Caddy comes in several different colors which makes it a great for families with multiple fishermen/women. Make sure to order one of these for your favorite fishing man or woman today. 

KeySmart–  No one likes searching for their lost keys or carrying around a bulky set of keys in their pocket or handbag. KeySmart solves both those problems thanks to their revoluntiary design. The KeySmart is the world’s most durable compact key holder, holding up to 14 keys and includes a pocket clip and a bottle opener. Plus the KeySmart Pro comes with Tile™ smart location, so you never misplace your keys again. The Pro also with Tile™ also allows you to locate the phone  you have paired with the device. It also allows for the easy addition of your car remote/key so everything is in one place. Their is even a wide selection of accessories to attach to your KeySmart including a magnetic connect, folding knife, pliers, etc. Check out all the great options offered by KeySmart and orders yours online now. 

SJ Works Saddle Pouch Bicycle First Aid Kit –  Make sure that you are protected while riding your bike with this first aid kit that securely hooks to your bicycle bar in a variety of positions. While many seats will accommodate the kit on the back of the bike, we also found that it fit in the middle of my husband’s bike which made it more convenient for him when riding.  This first aid kit has a large reflected area on the bag to help provide visibility in darker areas and fits a majority of biking seats. As a bonus the kit also contains an emergency bike light. The kit is fully loaded with antiseptic towelettes, bandages of every size, wound closures, pads, tape, emergency blanket, Red Cross first aid guide, and 3.5mm headphone extension cord for your phone. There is even room to store your phone in the kit while riding to keep your hands free. This bicycle first aid kit is one of several designs by SJ Works. Choose the smart phone solution, classic bicycle first aid kit, or saddlebag kit. Purchase your Saddle Pouch Bicycle First Aid Kit and make sure you and your  loved ones are prepared at all times HERE!

Food & Drink

Butter of Europe – European-style butter is nothing like what you’ve experienced before; it’s delicate, it’s aromatic and it’s now available in the United States. The release in the United States is funded by The French Dairy Inter-Branch Organization (CNIEL) and the European Union, with the goal to change the way you cook and eat your food.

The Different Types of Butter

European-style butter is cultured with lactic ferments that make it thicken, acidify and develop a certain taste. This cultured butter is churned longer to achieve at least 82 percent butterfat and is what gives EU butter its distinctive flavor. Butter production in Europe is strictly regulated: In France, there are three protected designation of origins (PDOs): Poitou-Charentes, Isigny and Bresse. These three regions produce a butter of exceptionally high standards in terms of quality, taste, diversity and traditions that speaks to the local terroir. Think you know your butter? Here are a few different types:

• Spreadable butter: After being melted, butter is progressively cooled and the external part that remains soft at low temperatures is collected and kneaded with regular butter to which it provides its ability to be easily spread.
• Unsalted, Semi-Salted and Salted butter: Unsalted butter is obtained simply by churning the cream.  It can then be mixed with a precise amount of salt to create semi-salted and salted butter.
• Organic butter: As with organic dairy products, organic butter is made from organic milk.  To meet the requirement the cows producing the milk are raised according to strict rules associated with the standards of organic farming.
• Fine and Extra-fine butter: These classic types of butter are 82% in fat and made from pasteurized cream. For extra-fine butter production must take place 72 hours after the milk is collected and churning must take place within 48 and is obtained exclusively from pasteurized cream, which has never been frozen.  For fine butter the frozen portion of the cream may reach 30%.
• Low-Fat butter: Moderately low fat compared to other standard butters made from light cream and pasteurized. Their soft consistency makes them easy to spread, they support mild heat and they contain additives, such as starch. 
• Churned butter or Raw Butter: This tasty and rich butter is obtained from raw cream made by vigorously stirring the cream in a churn. It is unpasteurized and must be consumed rapidly.
• Butter of culture: Sold under the names “antique butter”, “old-fashioned butter” or “yesteryear”, this butter can be salted or not, but will always preserve its delicate creamy taste.
• Flavored butter: Salted butter to which garlic, herbs or spices are added. Tasty and practical, it replaces homemade flavored butter.

T.O.P. Chops Beef Jerky – This handcrafted jerky is made from American beef with no additives or preservatives, and it’s grown from an at-home hobby to a thriving, national snack brand disrupting the jerky industry—in just six short years. Unlike other jerky brands, T.O.P Chops only uses USDA Graded Select or better beef. Their Marinades are infused with antioxidants. While most premium jerkies on the market have similar levels of fat, sugar, and sodium, Jaquins wanted to offer a “better-for-you” beef jerky. To do this, he and Sellers partnered with food science and culinary experts to enhance the recipe. This effort culminated in a new ingredient called plum powder, which not only reduces added sugars and sodium but also creates a product packed with antioxidants. The plum powder sweetens the jerky marinade. The team of jerky artisans use a small amount and let it sit overnight to give the jerky a strong, high-quality meat flavor with some subtle notes of sweetness and spice. T.O.P. Chop Jerky comes in four flavors, including Original, Teriyaki, Sweet & Spicy and Red Chili Pepper. Jaquins recommends his personal favorite Sweet & Spicy because “I’m not a lover of extremely hot foods, and the sweet and spicy has a nice balance. It’s a mild heat with a little sweetness to it.” To learn more about T.O.P. Chops Beef Jerky and to find out where you can purchase it for yourself visit them online here-> T.O.P. Chops Jerky . 

Pereg Natural Foods & Spices – Pereg has been selling pure spices and spice blends for over 60 years and enjoy introducing home cooks to spice blends from around the world. To help you take your summer barbecue game to the next level you will want to discover the following exotic spice blends. These blends help to give a Middle Eastern accent to all your favorite grilling foods including chops, ribs, chicken, fish, and veggies. 

• Koobah – This aromatic mixture – different regions favor different blends – is used in a variety of traditional meat, chicken, fish, and rice dishes. Koobah is Pereg’s earthy variation on the ubiquitous kitchen staple. It starts with baharat and adds warm layers of cinnamon, allspice, rose, nutmeg, and coriander for a complex finish. It makes an excellent dry rub for grilled or roast lamb and chicken.
• Spanish Paprika – Just one of the paprika blends offered by Pereg, the Spanish Paprika brings a deep, smoky flavor to your dishes. It is good on almost anything you cook and adds an incredible depth of flavor to chicken and fish before cooking. You can also use it in sauces, soups, and salad dressings. 
• Garam Masala – Like its Arabic cousin, Garam Masala is a blend that varies by region. It’s what gives Indian cuisine its characteristic flavor — think curries, paneers, chana masala, and tikka masala. Garam masala marries beautifully with meat- and legume-based dishes and stands on its own when sprinkled over roasted veggies (particularly cauliflower and winter squash). Pereg’s Garam Masala strikes a fragrant balance of cardamom, cloves, cumin, fenugreek, coriander, and a pinch of brown sugar. Use it as a dry rub, add it to ground beef for an elevated hamburger, or on ribs and steak for unexpected delicious flavor.

Discover these exotic spice blends and the other great spices/spice blends that Pereg offers by visiting them online at www.pereg-gourmet.com. 

Pereg Gluten Free Flours – Pereg Natural Foods now offers a line of gluten-free flours providing consumers with more and better cooking and baking options. The line of flours consists of eight varieties including: almond, banana, buckwheat, chickpea, quinoa, teff, plantain and coconut. All are certified gluten-free and non-GMO, all are 100% natural, non-dairy and certified kosher. Pereg is proud of these healthful alternatives to white flour. They are packaged in 16 oz. re-sealable stay-fresh bags, retailing for about $4.99. To learn more about these gluten-free flours and purchase them visit Pereg online here-> https://www.pereg-gourmet.com/pages/the-ultimate-baking-source

Wissotzky Tea Company – June is National Tea Month but it is a drink that is enjoyed all year round. With Americans eager to enjoy bolder, spicier flavors more and more are discovering the wonders of Chai Tea. Wissotzky Tea Company is meeting that demand with its new Artisan Spiced Tea Collection. Each blend artfully pairs hand-selected premium black tea leaves with market spices, herbs, and other natural ingredients.  Each carefully crafted blend is packed in a delicate pyramid tea bag that allows for the perfect release of aroma and flavor. Four intoxicating varieties are perfect to start off your day, for an afternoon pick me up or an after dinner treat.  Simply brew and serve with milk and sweetener as desired or serve them over ice for a flavorful iced beverage.

• Salted Caramel Chai: a sweet and savory beverage redolent of warm cinnamon, ginger root, cloves, sea salt, and cardamom.
• Ginger and Turmeric: the earthy flavor of turmeric (known for its health benefits) blended with ginger root, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.
• Spiced Nana Mint: robust, flat-leaf Mediterranean mint complemented by cinnamon, ginger root, cloves, cardamom, and pepper.
• Pumpkin Spiced Chai: a toasty balance of cinnamon and ginger with pumpkin pieces, cloves, cardamom, black pepper, and chili.

Like all Wissotzky products, the Artisan Spiced Tea collection is kosher and is available in packs of 6 per case (MSRP $4.99 per 16-serving box).  Shop the entire collection of teas available from Wissotzky Tea Company and learn more about the product visiting their online website here. 

 

Health & Beauty

Prebiotin Prebiotic Fiber – Prebiotics are a special dietary fiber that feed the good bacteria (probiotics) in your gut and have many health benefits for the whole body; an unhealthy buildup of bad gut bacteria is a lesser known contributing factor to many gut health related issues, like weight gain, irritable bowel syndrome, and irregularity. Prebiotin Prebiotic Fiber is an all-natural plant-based nutritional supplement that feeds the good bacteria (probiotics) in your gut to help with improved regularity, digestive functions that regulate metabolism, energy, appetite, an enhanced immune function, and other health issues. Prebiotin offers their prebiotics in a variety of forms including capsules and fiber (which is mixed in liquid.) Check out all the benefits of using prebiotics and learn more about Prebiotin online. 

Children’s Toys

SLIMYGLOOP™ SqueezWiches – Stackable, squishy, sandwiches! Make your own ooz-ing slime sandwich with play food pieces, pre-made slime, and different mix in embellishments to create your own Slimy Sandwich! Available in a variety of fun and exciting themes including: Rainbow Waffle, Galaxy PB&J, Sneeze Burger, Unicorn Pizza, Diamond Doughnut, and Confetti Ice Cream Sandwich! These are available at the following stores: Five Below, Michaels, Walmart, Target and Amazon.

SLIMYGLOOP® MIX’EMS™ – SLIMYGLOOP® MIX’EMS™ are a fun and easy way to capture the excitement of slime making and mixing, with less mess and more play. As one of the hottest trends in the market, MIX’EMS™ allow you to create your own SLIMYGLOOP® combinations through fun themes inspired by social media trends. Create a shark-infested slime filled with shark spangles and a squishy shark or mix up your own tropical punch complete with vibrant flamingoes! Just mix in embellishments and play! These are available in several fun themes including: Sweet Shoppe, Birthday Cake, Unicorn,and Cupcake Celebration. Shop for these fun toys at Walmart, Target, and Amazon. 

My Peek-a-Boo LapPup – Learning is important business with My Peek-a-Boo LapPup™! Open the toy laptop and say hello to Scout or Violet before getting to work on learning about rhymes, shapes, colors and numbers. Press Scout or Violet’s name tag button to move their paws in front of their eyes and hear cute peek-a-boo phrases. Five crayon buttons light up while playing phrases and songs about colors. Shape buttons play rhymes about shapes, colors and numbers. Slide the clicking mouse up and down for additional imitative play. Close the lid and say goodbye! This educational learning toy by LeapFrog is available at most major retailers, including Amazon.com, Walmart and Target.

PJ Masks Super Learning Phone™ – Save the day with the PJ Masks Super Learning Phone™. With this interactive toy phone, play and chat with Catboy, Gekko and Owlette through educational games, voice-activated conversations and fun voice messages. Call the PJ Masks and answer superhero-related questions, then hear them respond. Practice math skills and more with four interactive learning games. Hear messages from your favorite PJ Masks heroes and villains, and watch animations on the LCD screen. Choose from five different ringtones to customize your phone. It’s time to be a hero!Available at most major retailers, including Amazon.com, Walmart and Target.

Summer Reading List

LOVE THE FUR YOU’RE IN: MONSTER WIT & WISDOM FROM SESAME STREET – Random House is Sesame Workshop’s longest-standing publisher and they are overjoyed to celebrate their 50th anniversary with Love The Fur You’re In. The book is filled with wise and witty advice from everyone’s favorite Sesame Street characters. This book is perfect for young ones as well as those graduating and heading off into the world. The artwork that accompanies each word of advice brings back memories and help to illustrate the message that is being given. This wonderful hard cover book is a wonderful gift for the Sesame Street fan in your life.Visit Random House to discover more about the book and find our where to purchase both the hard copy and ebook variety. 

750+ Things You Should Never Do –  This entertaining book by Gerd De Ley contains over 750 quotes telling you things to never do. It contains inspirational advice from people like Jesse Jackson and others to comedic advice from Joan Rivers and other comedians. The book is full of wisdom and wit and contains some advice that we can all agree and other tidbits that should be taken with a grain of salt. 750+ Things You Should Never Do is a fun book to break out and share with your family and friends. It will make a wonderful collection to your book collection and provide a break from your everyday stress. Order your copy of this entertaining book online at Barnes & Noble and other online or in-store book retailers. 

Eye For Eye – This first book of The Talion Series by J.K Franko comes out on June 22, 2019 and takes readers on a ride in this heart-pounding thriller. oy Cruise and his wife Susie are still grieving the tragic loss of their daughter when they are approached by another couple with a bizarre Strangers on a Train crisscross-style revenge proposal. Full of compelling twists and turns, dark secrets begin to surface throughout the story, putting the Cruise’s marriage and, eventually, their lives at risk. Pre-Order your copy now and learn more about Franko online at JKFranko.Com

The Joy of Cycling – We all remember what it was like the first time we tried to ride a bike. After some falls, a few bruises and lots of practice, we eventually succeed–and it’s this feeling of accomplishment, freedom, and excitement that is prominently highlighted in The Joy of Cycling. Akin to learning how to drive for the first time, riding a bike offers very unique experiences and certainly is more accessible to a lot more people than driving a car. The Joy of Cycling is the perfect gift for all bike lovers.

Television and Film

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the DVD. I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own. 

Manifest: The Complete First Season – If you didn’t watch this series when it first aired or missed an episode you will want to get this DVD so you can binge the whole first season. There is still time to catch up before season 2 airs which some say will be Spring of 2020 but a final date has not been released yet. 

Synopsis: A plane inexplicably disappears on a trans-oceanic flight and returns five years later after being presumed lost at sea. While no time has passed for those on the flight, years have gone by for their loved ones who have learned to live with their loss. In addition to the outward mystery of what happened on that flight, there’s also an inward mystery of what has happened to the passengers…and why! Nothing will ever be the same as you follow the unexpected journey full of hope, heart, and destiny!

 

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